Shore Conference Football Week 7 Preview: Ocean County Collision

Time is almost up on the 2025 regular season in Shore Conference football.

Week Seven presents opportunities for teams to position themselves for state playoff berths, grab high seeds, lock up home games, argue for higher rankings in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12 and build momentum with the start of the public playoffs looming in two weeks. 

The main event this week is a nondivisional clash between No. 2 Southern and No. 4 Brick Memorial that is massive for both teams. Southern is 7-0 for the first time in history, yet still has something to prove against the toughest opponent it has faced all year. 

Brick Memorial has battled a host of injuries but is rounding into form behind senior quarterback Jason Lajara. It’s a Southern defense that has allowed a Shore Conference-low 35 total points this season against a Brick Memorial offense that averages 32.7 points per game. 

On top of all that, both teams are gunning for No. 1 seeds in the state playoffs, and a win here would go a long way toward achieving that goal. 

Here are the games to watch in the penultimate week of the regular season, which features all nondivisional and nonconference games, so there are no division title implications this week.  

Also, make sure to check out our state playoff watch to see where each team stands heading into this weekend.

No. 4 Brick Memorial (5-2) at No. 2 Southern (7-0), Friday at 7 p.m.

This is the biggest Southern game in years, so it should be a great atmosphere in Stafford Township at Ron Emmert Field.  

Much of this matchup comes down to athleticism vs. brute force. Southern has the size advantage up front on both sides, while Brick Memorial has some of the Shore’s most explosive players, who can score from anywhere on the field. 

How this game starts is particularly big for Southern. If Brick Memorial is able to zip out to a 14-0 lead, Southern isn’t really built to quickly rally back. The Rams like to pound teams with the run game and then use play-action to get junior quarterback Carson Abbato outside the pocket and throwing on the run, where he can really hurt opponents. 

Job No. 1 for Brick Memorial is stopping Southern senior running back Aidan Covell (564 yards, 8 TDs) because when the Rams are able to establish him, it sets up everything else. Abbato has 819 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions, so he plays mistake-free football and will look mainly for junior Chris Raub (16-334-3). 

Southern wants to tilt the game in its favor with long, time-consuming drives by having its offensive line lean on the Mustangs and keep Lajara and Co. standing on the sideline for long stretches. 

On the other side, the Rams have a good pass rush led by senior defensive lineman Lucas Favorito (5 sacks) and sophomore twin linebackers Lukas and Niko Iliescu (5.5 combined sacks). 

Brick Memorial will try to tire out Southern’s big defensive front by operating its lightning-fast no-huddle attack led by Lajara, who is averaging 348 total yards per game as a dual threat. Senior Nyzier Matthews (31-584-7) is at the front of the conversation as the Shore Conference’s best receiver and is breaking records set by former NFL tight end Garrett Graham during his time at Brick Memorial. Whenever Lajara sees Matthews with a one-on-one matchup, he is putting it up to him. 

Senior Nazeer Whitaker is a rushing and receiving threat with 823 total yards. He has averaged 8.7 yards every time he has touched the ball this season. There is also tight end Joe Livio and wide receivers Shawn Fowler, Ricky Dillon and Rocco Iacullo to worry about. It will test whether Southern has enough players to cover everybody effectively, which is why putting Lajara under pressure is essential. 

Brick Memorial’s defense has been without one of the Shore Conference’s top defensive players, senior linebacker Trey Tallmadge, for much of the season due to injury. Senior Mike Pappas (64 tackles) leads a unit that is going to have to try to match Southern’s physicality up front and force Abbato to be a pocket passer. The Mustangs’ offense could help the defense here, because if it can get out to a double-digit lead quickly, it gets Southern out of its comfort zone and allows Brick Memorial to just attack Abbato, who hasn’t attempted more than 14 passes in a game this season.  

The teams both feature veteran head coaches in Brick Memorial’s Walt Currie and Southern’s Chuck Donohue Sr., who have seen it all. 

This is Southern’s chance to prove that it’s for real and not just a product of a much easier schedule than the one Brick Memorial has played. The Mustangs are out to remind everyone why they were a preseason top-three team in the Shore with their loaded senior class. 

No. 5 Donovan Catholic (4-3) at No. 10 Manalapan (5-2), Friday at 6 p.m.

The Griffins have already clinched at least a tie for the Class A South title, so this one is about picking up another quality win and chasing a higher seed in Non-Public B. 

Meanwhile, Manalapan dropped a 25-22 heartbreaker to Wall for its first loss to a Shore Conference team this season, which also may have cost them any chance at the Class B North title. 

Donovan’s defense has held teams to an average of just 5.3 points in its four wins, so that unit sets the tone for this team. Illinois recruit Kai Pritchard (40 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 9 TFL) leads the way up front on both sides. 

The Griffins are coming off a grinding, 10-7 win over Point Boro that came down to the final seconds. Junior quarterback Kahden Davis is back in the lineup, which gives them a dual threat on the other side of the ball. 

Manalapan has shown it can score on pretty much anyone behind quarterback Cameron Desfosse and running backs Ah’sere Woolfolk and Nicky Palmieri, but Donovan has proven that it can bottle up a quality offense. That raises the question of whether the Braves’ defense can slow down Davis and a physical running attack enough to keep Manalapan right there if it’s a low-scoring game. 

The Braves are gunning for the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group 4, and they would have to have this one to get a shot. Non-Public B is seeded by a committee, so a win over a high seed like Manalapan would add to Donovan’s resume in a bid to get a seed in the top three. 

No. 1 Red Bank Catholic (7-0) at Paramus Catholic (2-5), Friday at 7 p.m.

You look at the records and figure this is a gimme for the Caseys, but Paramus Catholic is a solid program that has played a brutal schedule. Outside of New York power Iona Prep, its other losses are to St. Peter’s Prep, St. Joseph’s-Montvale, DePaul and Bergen Catholic, all of which are ranked in the top five in the state. 

The Paladins feature North Carolina State recruit Jordan Moreta at linebacker as well as junior cornerback Austin Barrett, who has 10-plus FBS offers from Auburn, Michigan State and more. Junior wideout Nekhi Martin has also drawn some FBS interest and is having a big season with 34 catches for 708 yards and seven touchdowns. 

This should be a good test for the Caseys, who will look to lean on Paramus Catholic with their physical line and the rushing attack of Gabe Kemp to set up the passing game with Rahmir Rivera. 

RBC is trying to nab the No. 1 seed in Non-Public B, so it can’t lose this game if it wants to have a chance to get the top spot over defending champion DePaul when the committee seeds the bracket. 

Other games to watch: 

New Egypt (3-3) at Asbury Park (3-3), Friday at 5 p.m.

This is must-win territory for both Group I teams as far as securing a state playoff berth. It’s the rushing attack of New Egypt and Eddie Novatkowski against its counterpart of Asbury Park and explosive senior Amiere Massie. 

No. 6 Rumson-Fair Haven (4-2) at Toms River North (2-4), Friday at 6 p.m.

The reigning Group 2 champions travel to Toms River to face the reigning Group 5 champions. This would’ve been a monster game last year when both teams finished undefeated, but this year’s version still features some of the Shore’s top players. Rumson is looking to shake off a loss to RBC, while Toms River North is looking to build on a win over Jackson. 

The Bulldogs need this one to secure a high seed in Central Jersey Group 2 for their customary trip to the sectional finals, while Toms River North could go a long way toward securing a home game in Central Jersey Group 5 with a win. If Toms River North can keep this a low-scoring game there is upset potential, but the Bulldogs have been tough against any team not ranked in the top three this season. 

St. John Vianney (3-4) at Jackson (2-5), Friday at 6:30 p.m.

This is an interesting game as far as the relative strengths of Class B North vs. Class A South go. Plus, Jackson absolutely has to have this one if it wants a shot at a state playoff berth, so the Jaguars will definitely be motivated. Jonah Glenn and Jio Kabiri lead a rushing attack that will try to control the game against a St. John Vianney team that can score in bunches. 

Howell (3-4) at Point Boro (2-4), Friday at 6:30 p.m.

This game is notable because both teams really need it when it comes to securing a spot in the state playoffs. Point Boro junior quarterback Jake Clayton is also expected to return from an ankle injury to bolster the offense. 

Middletown South (2-4) at No. 11 Red Bank (4-2), Friday at 6:30 p.m.

This is one of those comparison games between divisions. Is a Middletown South team near the bottom in the stacked Class A North better than a Bucs team that’s in line to grab a share of the Class C North title? 

The Eagles have won two straight and need this one for their playoff hopes, so Red Bank will get their best shot. The Bucs are coming off a 7-6 heartbreaker against Manasquan and are looking to lock down a top-four seed in Central Jersey Group 4 to get a home game. 

No. 3 Holmdel (4-2) at Raritan (3-3), Friday at 7 p.m.

Holmdel is a big favorite here, but it’s worth noting this one because it’s a rivalry game. The Hornets have won seven of the last eight editions of the Battle of the Border against the Rockets. 

No. 10 Matawan (5-2) at Middletown North (2-3), Friday at 7 p.m.

The Huskies have won three straight and are pushing for a home playoff game in Central Jersey Group 3, so this is an important one. Middletown North is trying to stop a three-game slide and needs this one to try to earn a home playoff game of its own in Central Jersey Group 4. 

There are some great offensive players in this one between Matawan sophomore quarterback BlairCarter Gagneron and wideout Cayson Williams and Middletown North senior quarterback Owen Robson and junior running back Matt Belenko. 

Monmouth (5-2) at Shore (4-2), Friday at 7 p.m.

Yet another game with playoff implications, Shore needs this one to try to crack into the top two in Central Jersey Group I to guarantee home field advantage until the finals. Monmouth is on the outside looking in, so it has to win this game to have any remote chance at making the playoffs. 

Shore enters as the heavy favorite, considering Point Beach beat Monmouth, and Shore beat Point Beach 63-7. 

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