Atlantic Physical Therapy Shore Conference Football Top 12, 9/9/25
It’s time for some new faces in the Atlantic Physical Therapy Shore Sports Insider Top 12 rankings.
There are three new squads entering after Week One action as teams start to separate themselves in the early going and others struggle with injuries and tough schedules.
Rumson-Fair Haven and Red Bank Catholic have both made a compelling case to be No. 1 after two games. RBC ended Toms River North’s 19-game winning streak in a three-touchdown win and then just beat one of Delaware’s best teams in a 13-8 win over Middletown. Rumson has routed Point Boro and Brick Memorial – two teams that entered the season ranked in the top five – by a combined 69-7.
The annual rivalry game between RBC and Rumson looms as the Shore Conference game of the year at Borden Stadium on Oct. 10, but both teams will have to clear plenty of hurdles before then.
Holmdel will also have something to say about it when the Hornets head to Rumson for a huge Class A North game on Friday after starting the season with a 48-35 win over last week’s No. 6 team, Donovan Catholic.
Here are the latest rankings.
1 Red Bank Catholic (2-0). Last week: No. 1.
The Caseys gutted out a 13-8 win over visiting Middletown, a top Delaware team loaded with FBS prospects. RBC relied on the running game, as freshman Gabe Kemp rolled up 139 yards on 28 carries, and junior quarterback Jake Garrett had a one-yard touchdown. Freshman kicker Simon Picinich continues to be a revelation as he booted two crucial field goals, including a 39-yarder. Linebacker Kieran McGonnell had 9 tackles and an interception, defensive end Lorenzo Tartamella had 4 tackles for a loss, and Daniel Zabora and Chris Gibson also had interceptions. The Caseys now kick off their divisional schedule in Class A North. Next game: Friday at Middletown South (0-2).
2 Rumson-Fair Haven (2-0). Last week: No. 3.
Senior Luke Gallagher (#33) and Rumson’s defense were all over Brick Memorial in a 35-7 win. (Photo credit: Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com)
The Bulldogs jump up a spot after routing last week’s No. 2 team, Brick Memorial, in a 35-7 nondivisional victory. Their 15-game winning streak is tied with Glassboro for the longest current winning streak in New Jersey. Junior linebacker Ryder Izzo had a game to remember with four fumble recoveries, including one he returned for a touchdown, to power the win. Junior quarterback Casey Moore added a pair of touchdown passes. The Bulldogs feasted on turnovers by a Mustangs team that relied on backups at quarterback after All-Shore star Jason Lajara missed his second game with illness. Rumson has dominated on offense, defense and special teams to start the season. Now comes the biggest test their defense has faced so far this fall – Jack Cannon and Holmdel in a divisional game. Next game: Friday vs. No. 5 Holmdel (1-0).
3 Toms River North (1-1). Last week: No. 4.
The Mariners rolled to a 40-0 win over district rival Toms River East to pick up their first victory of the season. Junior Wesley Tanner had a fumble return for a touchdown and a 70-yard touchdown catch, and junior Cole Garrison ran for a score and caught a touchdown pass. Their only loss is to No. 1 RBC, and the more experience their new lineup gets, the more dangerous they hope to be. The defending Class A South champs begin their divisional schedule this week. Next game: Friday at Donovan Catholic (0-2).
4 Brick Memorial (1-1). Last week: No. 2.
The Mustangs drop two spots after a 35-7 loss to No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven in which a 14-7 game unraveled in the second half in a hail of turnovers. We still haven’t seen this team at full power with All-Shore quarterback Jason Lajara missing the first two games with illness, which Rumson capitalized on in the win. He is expected to return this week, and they will need him as they take on a Point Boro team desperate to avoid an 0-3 start. Next game: Friday vs. Point Boro (0-2).
5 Holmdel (1-0). Last week: No. 11.
James Murphy and Holmdel started the season with a 48-35 win over Donovan Catholic. (Photo by Tom Smith/tspimages.com)
The Hornets make a big jump after an impressive 48-35 win over last week’s No. 6 team, Donovan Catholic, in Holmdel’s season opener. Senior quarterback Jack Cannon continues to be one of the Shore’s best as he piled up 346 yards of offense, running for three touchdowns and throwing a pair of touchdown passes. Junior Michael Todisco also had a standout game with an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown. Holmdel showed that heavy graduation losses have not been a problem, but now the Hornets will have to take it up another notch if they really want to make a statement in Class A North. It’s Holmdel’s first game against Rumson in eight years, and the Bulldogs have beaten the Hornets 10 straight times dating back to at least 2003. Next game: at No. 2 Rumson-FH (2-0).
6 Middletown North (1-0). Last week: No. 7.
The Lions move up a spot after registering a 31-19 win over Howell to start the season. Junior running back Matt Belenko looks poised for a big year now that he’s the feature tailback in place of the graduated Shane Volante. He exploded for a career-high 235 yards and three touchdowns in the win, and kicker Seamus Montegue added three field goals. Middletown North kicks off its divisional schedule against a hungry Marlboro team looking to show that graduation losses will not keep the Mustangs from being a contender. Next game: Friday vs. Marlboro (2-0).
7 St. John Vianney (1-1). Last week: No. 10.
Senior Danny Breen’s big all-around game powered St. John Vianney to a win over Raritan. (Photo by Joseph Szutyanyi )
The Lancers rolled to a 35-7 win over a solid Raritan team to give new head coach Greg Penta his first career victory. Junior running back Corleii Thomas had a pair of touchdowns, and senior linebacker Danny Breen had 15 tackles and also ran for 137 yards in the win. A big divisional game awaits this week against an unbeaten squad in Class B North. Next game: Friday at No. 12 Freehold Township (2-0).
8 Manasquan (2-0). Last week: Unranked.
Manasquan celebrated a 14-10 win over rival Point Boro in Week One. (Photo credit: Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com)
The Warriors break into the rankings after a hard-fought, 14-10 win over last week’s No. 5 team, Point Boro. Senior tailback Ace Etienne continues to be one of the Shore’s best as he rumbled for 161 yards and the game-winning touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation. This is the first time Manasquan has started 2-0 in back-to-back seasons since 2005-06. The Warriors look to return to their customary place in the Top 10 and stay there, especially after they are bolstered by the debut of some talented transfers in Week Three. Right now, you could argue they are the favorite in every game remaining in the regular season, as they don’t have any currently ranked teams left on their schedule. They begin their Class C North slate this week with a young Matawan team coming off its first win. Next game: Friday at Matawan (1-1).
9 Southern (2-0). Last week: Unranked.
The Rams debut in the rankings after grinding out a 10-7 win over last week’s No. 8 team, Jackson Township. Senior defensive tackle Lucas Favorito led the defensive effort with two sacks, a tackle for a loss and 10 tackles overall as the Rams held Jackson Memorial star tailback Jonah Glenn to 63 yards rushing and one touchdown. Favorito now has four sacks in two games this season, and sophomore linebacker Lukas Iliescu added 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the win. Southern faces an old Ocean County rival in a matchup of unbeaten teams in Class B South this week. Their game last year was a thriller won by Central in the final seconds. Next game: Friday at Central (2-0).
10 Manalapan (1-1). Last week: No. 12.
The Braves broke into the win column with a 24-14 victory over Middletown South as junior quarterback Cameron Desfosse continues to impress. He went 15-for-17 for 234 yards passing and two touchdowns in the win and has 349 yards passing and four touchdowns in two games, in addition to 87 yards rushing and a score. Their loss is a one-point setback to Tottenville from Staten Island, which just beat Wall in Week One. Their games against Jackson always seem to come down to a heart-stopping ending, so we’ll see if that happens again. The Jaguars are hungry to move back up the rankings after a loss to Southern. Next game: Friday at No. 11 Jackson (1-1).
11 Jackson Township (1-1). Last week: No. 8.
The Jaguars suffered their first loss, a 10-7 setback against previously unranked Southern. Senior running back Jonah Glenn had their lone score. Linebacker Jio Kabiri had 10 tackles and defensive lineman Matt Howard had 9 tackles and 2 sacks in the loss. They get a chance this week to get a win over a ranked opponent to avoid dropping out of next week’s rankings. Next game: Friday vs. No. 10 Manalapan (1-1).
12 Freehold Township (2-0). Last week: Unranked.
We’ll give the Patriots a shot here after their 2-0 start, which includes a 41-12 win over Colts Neck in Week One. Junior quarterback Dakota Lasater has a Shore Conference-leading 601 yards passing and six touchdowns in two games, but the competition is about to raise up a level this week in Class B North. The main question will be whether Freehold Township’s defense can stand up to St. John Vianney’s potent rushing attack. Next game: Friday vs. No. 7 St. John Vianney (1-1).
Dropped out:
Point Boro (0-2): The Panthers lost a 14-10 heartbreaker to Manasquan inside the final minute for their first 0-2 start in 12 years outside of the Covid-shortened 2020 season. They now have to find a way to beat No. 4 Brick Memorial to avoid an 0-3 hole. The Panthers might be better than some of the teams that remain ranked, but at some point, they have to break into the win column.
Donovan Catholic (0-2): The Griffins’ season may be at a real crossroads after a 48-35 loss to Holmdel. Not only did they suffer their second loss, starting quarterback Kahden Davis and starting running back Alex Staten were both injured in the game. If Davis in particular is out for an extended period, it could spell serious trouble against a very tough schedule. His backup is a freshman, Chris McClaren, who saw some action against Holmdel after Davis got hurt. Now they have to face No. 3 Toms River North as they seek to avoid dropping to 0-3.
Wall (0-2): The Crimson Knights lost a 20-15 nonconference game to Tottenville (N.Y.) as they try to get their offense on track after scoring 22 total points in two games. They now face a solid Howell (1-1) squad that was right with Middletown North deep into the fourth quarter last week.
Knocking on the door: Marlboro, Brick, Central, Shore Regional.
Previous rankings:
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
