Not In a Sharing Mood: Wall Rolls Past St John Vianney to Claim Outright B North Title

By Luke Sprengel – Shore Sports Insider Correspondent

HOLMDEL – In an anticipated matchup that had division title implications, Wall shut down any hope of sharing the Class B North division title with anyone else with a dominant win over host St. John Vianney on Friday night.

The Crimson Knights (6-2, 4-0), ranked No. 8 in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12, came into the matchup on a five-game winning streak as they gear up for a state playoff run.

Senior running back Dylan Cohen paved the way on offense for the Crimson Knights by scoring three touchdowns and totaling 150 yards on the ground to lead Wall to a 28-0 win over the Lancers. 

Wall had already clinched a tie for the division title, but a win by St. John Vianney would’ve given the Lancers a share of the Class B North crown. Instead, the Crimson Knights left no doubt by finishing unbeaten in the division this season. 

“We didn’t want to share the glory of it, “ said senior wide receiver Heath Reinhardt. “We knew we had to go out tonight and earn it, and that’s exactly what we did. It’s going to be great putting a banner in the gym.”

Wall’s defense set the tone by making a stop on fourth-and 2 on the 50-yard line on the first possession of the game to take over with 5:49 left in the first quarter.

Senior quarterback Brian McKenna then connected with Reinhardt for a 20-yard pass on third-and-6. Two plays later, Wall took the lead on a 24-yard touchdown run by Cohen to make it 7-0 with 2:53 left in the first quarter.

St. John Vianney’s D.J. Carter returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards, but the Wall defense wiped away any hope by stopping St. John Vianney for a second time on fourth down when the Lancers tried a triple reverse. 

On Wall’s next possession, the Crimson Knights converted three third downs as Cohen totaled 40 yards on the drive, which was capped by senior quarterback Brian McKenna throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Maddox Mizelle on fourth-and-4. McKenna’s touchdown throw put Wall on top 14-0 with 3:27 to play in the first half. 

The Crimson Knights took the two-score lead into the half as Cohen led the way with 78 yards of offense at the break. McKenna went 4-for-6 for 59 yards in the first half. 

St. John Vianney’s defense put Wall into a fourth-and-11 to start the second half, but Reinhardt pulled out a trick play that changed the whole game. Reinhardt took matters into his hands by catching a low snap and running for a 17-yard gain.

“It wasn’t a designed fake punt,” he said. “It was a low snap, and I saw the field and I took off.”

Wall rode that momentum from the unlikely first down when Cohen took a handoff and raced 50 yards to St. John Vianney’s 5-yard line. Four plays later on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Cohen found the end zone for his second touchdown of the game, pushing the lead to 21-0 with 6:36 to play in the third quarter. 

Wall senior Justin Davis forced a fumble on St. John Vianney’s next possession that was recovered by sophomore Jesse Roth in Lancers’ territory. Cohen then found his way into the end zone once again at the 5:35 mark of the third quarter to give him a trio of rushing touchdowns on the day and balloon the lead to 28-0.

“The offensive line has been getting better and better each week,” Cohen said. “They’re a young group of guys, but I couldn’t do it without them. They keep giving it their all in practice each week and keep showing up.”

Sophomore defensive back Jasyi Medler added an interception in the fourth quarter as the Wall defense posted its third shutout of the season and second one in a row. 

Wall’s division title is its first since 2019. The Crimson Knights most likely secured a high seed as they get set for the Central Jersey Group 2 playoffs next week, where they will chase their first state sectional championship since that 2019 season. Their opponent will be announced when the NJSIAA releases the brackets on Sunday.

“It feels great. It’s been our goal since Day One in the offseason,” Cohen said. “Our goal was to win the division title, but we’re not stopping here, our goal is a sectional title. This is a great feeling, but we’re back to work tomorrow morning.”