2026 Shore Conference Flag Football Preview: South Division

Shore Sports Insider is excited to announce that we have added coverage of Shore Conference girls flag football to our site this spring. We will have scores, recaps, game stories and features throughout the season for the fastest-growing girls sport in the Shore.

Here is a look at the South Division, where defending champion Pinelands looms as the heavy favorite. The Wildcats are stacked with All-Shore talents from a year ago, including Shore Conference Defensive Player of the Year Jayla Kline and quarterback Heidi Cyphert.

The main question is which team will step up and challenge the Wildcats this season. New Egypt looks like a prime candidate along with Central thanks to returning All-Shore talents on both teams.

Here is a look at the teams, in alphabetical order.

BARNEGAT 

Head coach: Andrew Petruzzi, 1st season
Career record: 0-0
2025 record: N/A

Top returners: N/A

Key newcomers: Jayneese Viera (Sr., WR/RB/LB); Natalia Webb (Sr., C); Amaya Afflick (Jr., WR/DB); Grace Akintola (Jr., WR/DB); Camila Chamorro (So., QB); Julia Giangregorio (So., WR/DB); Victoria Hoffman (So., DB); Syrah Holmes (So., WR/S); Natalya Novitsky (So., Rusher/C); Jenna Chamberlain (Fr., QB/DB); Allie King (Fr., C); Amaya Martin (Fr., WR/S); Isabella McGowan (Fr., QB/DB); Mayckelin Portillo Lopez (Fr., WR/DB); Lyla Santiago (Fr., RB/WR/LB).

Season Outlook: This is the inaugural season for the Bengals, and they will be under longtime boys football assistant Andrew Petruzzi. There are some players that have experience but the team is stacked with freshmen and sophomores. Sophomore quarterback Camilla Chamorro will be at the helm directing the offense, and her top receivers look to be Julia Giangregorio, Syrah Holmes and Amaya
Martin. Natalia Webb and Jayneese Viera, the team’s only two seniors, will be counted on for leadership as the Bengals establish a program.

 

BRICK

Head coach: Chris Blackburn, 2nd season
Career record: 4-4
2025 record: 4-4

Top returners: Leila Dagney (Sr., RB/LB); Sanaa Gittens (Sr., C); Layla McLaughlin (So., QB); Madeline Blackburn (So., QB/C/LB); Chase Stansbury (So., QB/WR/RB/S); Emma Mykelbust (Sr., S); Bailey McMullen (Sr., CB); Anny Vargas (Sr., CB); Sabrina Glass (Sr., CB); Mike Chavez-Gil (Sr., LB);

Key newcomers: Rusne Sakavickas (Fr.); Isabella Sharples (Fr.); Juliana Calo (Fr.); Noelle Olski (Fr.).

Season Outlook: The Green Dragons return eight starters on defense and five on offense in their second season under Chris Blackburn, who is also the defensive coordinator on the boys team in the fall. They have several players who are also on the lacrosse and track teams, so availability could be a concern as far as having their full team regularly. The versatile Chase Stansbury will lead the offense along with running back Leila Dagney and sophomore Madeline Blackburn. Multiple players could see time at quarterback, including sophomore Layla McLaughlin.

 

BRICK MEMORIAL 

Head coach: Ryan Graham, 2nd season 

Career record: 5-2-1

2025 record: 5-2-1

Top returners: Olivia Emanuele (QB/S); Avery Nalducci (QB/WR/LB); Brielle Caetano (RB); Ella Terry (WR/LB/CB); Bella Morales (WR/CB); Elisa Escalante (WR/CB); Mia Fitzgerald (WR/LB); 

Key newcomers: None.

Season Outlook: The Mustangs return seven starters on offense and seven in their 3-1-3 defense in the second season of the program’s existence under coach Ryan Graham, who is the defensive coordinator on the Mustangs’ boys team in the fall. While they did suffer some graduation losses like All-Shore selection Ariana Lajara, they have several players with club flag football experience. A big key will be the play of rotating quarterbacks Olivia Emanuele and Avery Nalducci. 

CENTRAL 

Head coach: Kyle Watson, 3rd season 

Career record: 7-8-1

2025 record: 4-3-1

Top returners: Keely Gifford (Sr., QB/S); Kaitlyn Massa (Sr., WR); Jordyn Buccos (Sr., WR); Riley Seibel (Jr., WR); Arizmel Soriano (Sr., WR/LB); Arianna Benzon (Jr., WR); Isabella Morreale (So., C); Jaliyah Clark (Sr., Rusher); Calliann Comstock (So., LB); Meadow McCann (Sr., CB); Emma Poggioli (Sr., S). 

Key newcomers: Olivia Bowman (Jr., RB); Violet Makulinski (Jr., LB). 

Season Outlook: Central returns 10 players from last season’s winning team, including two-way standout Keely Gifford, who was an All-Shore pick by the coaches after throwing for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns and running for 694 yards and four scores. She also had six interceptions on defense and has drawn interest from Manhattan University. Jordyn Buccos, a three-year starter at wide receiver, is returning from a torn ACL and should be a top target for Gifford. The Golden Eagles have a chance to make a leap forward with so much experience and a strong senior class. They roared out of the gate with a 48-0 win over Manchester in their opener. 

 

HOWELL

Head coach: Shannon Picklo, 1st season

Career record: 0-0

2025 record: N/A

Top returners: N/A

Key newcomers: Payton Smith (Sr., QB/LB); Julia Iommi (Jr., QB); Rachel Weng (Fr., RB/Rusher); Gabia Grigaliunas (Sr., RB); Leila Shaw (Sr., WR/CB); Layla Carpenter (So., WR); Valentina Roco (Jr., C/S); Kaitlyn Kimball (Sr., LB); Sydney Petralia (Fr., S). 

Season Outlook: Head coach Shannon Picklo will lead the Rebels in the first season in program history, featuring a group of seniors who have excelled in other sports. Leila Shaw and quarterback Payton Smith were standout guards on Howell’s 24-win girls basketball team during the winter, so they bring speed and athleticism to the Rebels’ attack. 

 

MANASQUAN

Head coach: RJ Read, 3rd season 

Career record: 0-18

2025 record: 0-6

Top returners: Savannah Lopez (Sr., QB); Gabby Restivo (Jr., RB); Ellie Shatkus (So., RB/S); Annie Dettlinger (Sr., WR); Addie Gunnell (Sr., WR); Dana Lopez (Jr., WR/S); Findleigh O’Neill (Sr., C/LB). 

Key newcomers: Julia Hines (Sr., RB/LB); Claire Bannerman (Sr., WR/LB); Abby Reid (Fr., WR); Lucia Grillo (Sr., C); Valentina Hernandez (Fr., LB); Findleigh Tuite (Jr., CB); Grace Uliano (So., CB); Caroline Watson (Jr., CB); Remi Parcells (Fr., S); Jaylaa Freeman (Fr., S). 

Season Outlook: The Warriors are coming off a winless season that was a bit deceiving as they had leads late in four games last season but came up short because they couldn’t get defensive stops. They should once again have a high-scoring offense behind senior quarterback Savannah Lopez, a three-year starter, and a pair of three-year starters at wide receiver in Annie Dettlinger and Addie Gunnell. It all comes down to whether they can improve defensively under coach RJ Read, a former star quarterback for the Warriors who is the offensive coordinator on the football team at Shore Regional in the fall. 

 

MANCHESTER

Head coach: Sandy Sousanes, 1st season

Career record: 0-0

2025 record: 1-6

Top returners: Alyssa Hanley (Jr., RB/S); Cortney Bishop (Sr., RB/S); Samantha Sousanes (Sr., WR/S); Cali Vickery (Sr., WR/LB); Olivia Ferrara (So., C/CB); Abigail Falkowski (So., LB); 

Key newcomers: Jesse Sarana (So., QB/RB); Mya Giaccone (Jr., C/LB); Mia Gomez (Fr., RB/CB); Alexa Zajac (Fr., RB/CB); Makayla Boivin (Fr., QB); Gemma DeFazio (Fr., WR). 

Season Outlook: The Hawks return five starters on offense and four on defense coming off a one-win season, with freshman Makayla Boivin taking over at quarterback under new coach Sandy Sousanes. The receiving group should be a strength with a pair of returning starters in Samantha Sousanes and Cali Vickery to help the Hawks take a step forward.

 

NEW EGYPT

Head coach: Steve Fence, 3rd season 

Career record: 8-4

2025 record: 6-2

Top returners: Madison Adam (Sr., QB/LB); Liv Stillwell (Sr., WR/S); Julia Schorr (Sr., WR/LB); Emily Ferreira (Sr., RB/CB); Kassidy Krutulis (Sr., WR/CB); Aimee Kovacs (Sr., WR/LB). 

Key newcomers: Paige Goldberg (So., QB); Caroline Davis (So., WR); Amber Moniz (Jr., LB). 

Season Outlook: The Warriors return a solid core of seven starters from their spread offense and five starters from their 3-4/4-3 defense for a team that reached the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals last season. Every player on the team plays another sport in the spring, so there could be some availability concerns, but the Warriors should be one of the Shore’s better squads. Liv Stillwell, who had a huge season on defense in 2025 with six interceptions and four interception returns for touchdowns to earn All-Shore honors, is back after also finishing with 231 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns. She has generated college interest. Quarterback Madison Adam is also back after a combined 978 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior, and she also is an impact player on defense. She finished with five interceptions and 21 flag pulls to earn All-Shore honors from the coaches as a defensive back last season. 

PINELANDS

Head coach: John Tierney, 5th season

Career record: 40-12

2025 record: 9-2

Top returners: Jayla Kline (Sr., RB/LB); Bree McCorry (Sr., RB/LB); Heidi Cyphert (Sr., QB/DB); Nevaeh Sanfilippo (Sr., LB); Kayla Harris (Sr., WR); Kas Minor (Sr., WR); Madison Fontanes (Sr., WR); Bianca Farias (So., WR); AnaBella Britton (So., C/LB); Julianne Platti (So., DB); Shayle Bennett (Sr., CB). 

Key newcomers: Kiera Jones (Jr., LB); Chelsea Marion (Fr., QB); Lexus Crane (Fr., WR). 

Season Outlook: With 13 starters back from a team that finished six points away from winning it all last year, the defending South Division champions have a goal of nothing less than being Shore Conference champions. Jayla Kline is one of the state’s top returning players after running for 954 yards and 11 touchdowns and leading the state in sacks on defense. She was the Shore Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season. The Wildcats also return four other All-Shore players in quarterback Heidi Cyphert, linebackers AnaBella Britton and Nevaeh Sanfilippo and defensive back Julianne Platti.  Sophomore wideout Bianca Farias is also back after 23 catches for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns last year. They also welcome back senior two-way star Bree McCorry and junior Kiera Jones, who both missed last season and should make a major impact this spring. This team is loaded up for a championship run under coach John Tierney, who also coaches the boys team in the fall. 

Scott Stump is the football editor and a reporter for Shore Sports Insider. He first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999 and has covered basketball, baseball and seemingly every other Shore Conference sport at some point. 

Email: scottstump25@gmail.com