A Breakdown of the Shore in the Public Sectional Semifinals and Non-Public B First Round

Who wants to play for a state title? 

The public sectional semifinals are upon us, with teams looking to put themselves one win away from a ring. 

The Shore Conference is guaranteed to have finalists in Central Jersey Groups 4, 3, 2 and 1 because of Shore-vs-Shore matchups in the semifinals. The dream is still alive for 13 public teams as well as the three non-public teams from the Shore that will kick off their own playoff runs this week in Non-Public B. 

Here’s a look at all the games, which are all on Friday night. 

South Jersey Group 5

(3) Kingsway at (2) Southern, 6 p.m.

The facts: Southern is trying to reach its first sectional final since 2012 and the third one in school history. The Rams (9-1) can tie the single-season school record for wins with a victory. Kingsway is trying to reach its first final since 2022 and the eighth in program history. 

Key stat: Southern’s defense allows 6.4 points per game, the lowest in the Shore Conference. 

Biggest matchup: Southern’s front seven vs. a balanced Kingsway offense. 

This is the ultimate prove-it game for Southern’s defense against a state-ranked opponent that enters as the favorite. The Shore Conference’s best statistical defense will face a team averaging 35.5 points per game. No team has held Kingsway under 20 points this season. 

A Southern defense that is strong in the middle at linebacker with the Iliescu brothers needs to neutralize a Kingsway run game that produced 160 yards on the ground in a first-round win over Eastern and force quarterback David Oravetz into obvious passing downs. He’s an accurate quarterback (65% completion rate) but averages 15 yards per completion so it’s mostly intermediate routes. 

Southern swallowed up Williamstown’s run game last week in the first round, limiting them to 3.3 yards a carry in a 36-3 win. A Rams’ masterpiece would be something like a 17-7 win, but it will take the defense showing it can bottle up an offense that no team has really held down all year. 

(5) Toms River North at (1) Atlantic City, 6 p.m.

The facts: Toms River North is trying to reach its fifth straight sectional final and 12th in program history. The Mariners are the three-time defending Group 5 champions. Atlantic City is trying to reach its second straight sectional final and third in school history after losing to Washington Township last year. 

Key stat: Toms River North has the longest current playoff winning streak in New Jersey at 16 games, which is a Shore Conference record. 

Biggest matchup: Toms River North’s pass rush vs. Atlantic City’s quarterback. 

Atlantic City runs a wide-open offense out of the shotgun that averages 29.5 points per game behind sophomore quarterback Marvin Burroughs. He threw four touchdown passes in a first-round win over Cherokee and is just shy of 2,000 yards for the season. Toms River North is young in spots in the secondary around junior star safety Cole Garrison, so getting to Burroughs with the rush will be key. 

Freshman Finn Boland has 20.5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks and 108 tackles, making it arguably the best defensive season a freshman has ever had in Shore Conference history. Sophomore defensive tackle Judah Williams is another force in the middle, and sophomore defensive end Kam Morse has 21 tackles for a loss. They lead a group that looks to be all over Burroughs from the opening snap. 

Creating turnovers to set up the offense in favorable spots could be the difference in the game. The Mariners may only be 5-5, but they played a tough schedule and are not relinquishing their Group 5 crown without a serious fight. 

Central Jersey Group 4

(5) Steinert at (1) Brick Memorial, 6 p.m.

The facts: Brick Memorial is trying to reach its second straight sectional final and the ninth in school history. Steinert is trying to reach the final for the second time in school history and the first time since 2011. 

Key stat: Brick Memorial averages 6.6 yards per carry and 17.2 yards per completion. 

Biggest matchup: Steinert’s defense vs. Brick Memorial’s offense. 

Steinert surprised Red Bank last week in a 14-6 win in the first round, but holding down a Brick Memorial offense that averages 35.2 points per game is a whole other thing. The Mustangs put up 50 points in the first half last week in a 57-7 win over Marlboro. 

Senior quarterback Jason Lajara and senior wide receiver Nyzier Matthews set a new school record seemingly every week. As long as the Mustangs don’t turn it over, it’s going to be hard to see how Steinert can stay with them in this game. 

(3) Middletown North at (2) Manalapan, 6 p.m.

The facts: Manalapan is trying to reach its first state final since 2017 and eighth in program history. Middletown North is trying to reach its first sectional final since 2016 and seventh in school history. 

Key stat: Manalapan’s defense has 13 interceptions, one of the top figures in the Shore. 

Biggest matchup: Middletown North’s Matt Belenko vs. Manalapan’s front seven.

In Middletown North’s losses, Belenko has averaged 83 yards rushing on 4.6 yards per carry. In the Lions’ four wins, Belenko has averaged 179.8 yards rushing on 9.1 yards per carry, which includes a 172-yard performance in last week’s playoff win over Middletown South. 

He allows Middletown North to control the tempo of the game, which is especially important when the Lions’ defense is allowing 27.4 points per game and facing a Braves’ offense averaging 29.8 points per game. Belenko allows Middletown North to eat away at the clock and limit Manalapan’s possessions. 

The Braves, who allow 16.6 points on defense, will counter with a strong group of linebackers led by Nicky Palmieri, Ethan Fogelstrom and Donny Rocco Sosa.

 

Central Jersey Group 3

(5) Neptune at (1) Holmdel, 7 p.m.

The facts: Holmdel is looking to reach its first sectional final since 1991 and the second in school history. Neptune is trying to reach its first final since 2012 and the 10th in school history. 

Key stat: Holmdel senior quarterback Jack Cannon is averaging 370.9 yards of total offense per game. 

Biggest matchup: Neptune’s offensive line against Holmdel’s 3-3-5 stack defense. 

Holmdel leads the Shore Conference in scoring at 41.4 points per game, so trying to get into a shootout with the Hornets is not usually a winning proposition. The Hornets are going to get theirs. 

That means Neptune’s best chance to keep it close is to grind the clock with its running game between quarterback Caleb Brown-Mason and running back Kingston Pinnock. If the Scarlet Fliers can get a consistent push from a veteran offensive line, they can try to limit Holmdel’s possessions. The only other way is to create turnovers on defense and score off them, but the Hornets have been stingy with the ball. Cannon has only four interceptions on 167 attempts this season. 

(7) Matawan at (3) Seneca, 6 p.m.

The facts: Matawan is aiming for its first sectional final appearance since 2014 and the 11th in school history. Seneca is trying to reach its fourth straight sectional final and fifth in program history. 

Key stat: Seneca junior quarterback Anthony Tirico averages 266 yards of offense per game. 

Biggest matchup: Matawan quarterback BlairCarter Gagneron vs. the Seneca secondary

In the Huskies’ six wins, Gagneron has averaged 194.8 yards passing, while in their losses he has averaged 118.8. He had 202 yards passing last week in the upset of Somerville in the first round. When he gets the ball to Matawan’s primary receiving weapons, sophomore Cayson Williams and senior Welman Crooms, the Huskies are tough to beat. 

Seneca has six interceptions on defense all season, and three of them are by Anthony Tirico, who’s also the team’s dual threat quarterback. 

Central Jersey Group 2

(4) Manasquan at (1) Camden, 6 p.m.

The facts: Manasquan is shooting for its first sectional final since 2018 and the 20th in its decorated history. Camden lost to Point Boro in a sectional final last season and is trying to reach its 10th sectional final overall. 

Key stat: Camden senior defensive lineman Jerome Foster has 13.5 sacks. 

Biggest matchup: Manasquan quarterback Kyle Dow against Camden’s defense. 

The Panthers have a distinct size advantage up front on both sides of the ball, so running the ball is not going to be easy for Manasquan even with standouts like Ace Etienne and Justice Morgan in the backfield. The Warriors haven’t thrown it much this season, but they are going to have to make some plays in the air to keep the chains moving. 

Dow has only thrown for more than 100 yards in one of his five games, as the run game is central to Manasquan’s identity. However, moving the ball on a Camden defense allowing 11.3 points per game is going to take all hands on deck. The Panthers average 7 tackles for a loss per game, so there will be times Manasquan is behind the chains and has to make a play downfield. 

(3) Rumson-Fair Haven at (2) Wall, 7 p.m.

The facts: Rumson is trying to extend its own Shore Conference record and reach its 12th straight sectional final and 16th overall. The Bulldogs are the reigning overall Group 2 champions. Wall is trying to reach its second straight sectional final and eighth in school history after falling to Rumson in last year’s championship game. 

Key stat: The last Shore Conference team to beat Rumson in the sectional playoffs was Wall in 2019. 

Biggest matchup: Rumson’s offensive line vs. Wall’s front seven. 

You could flip this to Wall’s offensive line against Rumson’s defensive front, too. This game is straight trench warfare. It features two teams that are going to line up and come at you with the run game to set up everything else – Rumson with Kellen Murray and Ryder Izzo, and Wall with Dylan Cohen. Whichever team gets that consistent push up front will be in the driver’s seat. It’s the type of game where All-Shore reputations for linemen are made. 

This game also features some of the Shore’s top defensive players in Cohen and edge rusher/linebacker Justin Davis for Wall, and defensive linemen Toby Najenson, Ben Roberts and Ben Gredell for Rumson. 

Central Jersey Group 1

(6) Point Beach at (2) Shore, 6 p.m.

The facts: Shore is trying to reach its second straight sectional final and the 14th in its history. Point Beach is playing for its fourth overall appearance in a final and first since 2017. 

Key stat: Shore Regional junior running back Cole Torres averages 8.1 yards per carry. 

Biggest matchup: Point Beach’s offensive line vs. Shore’s pass rush. 

Shore wiped out Point Beach 63-7 during the regular season, so this would be one of the most stunning turnarounds in Shore Conference history for Point Beach. Their offense revolves around the school’s all-time leading passer, senior Matthew Rossi, who was held to a season-low 88 yards passing in that loss. If Point Beach can’t give him time to make throws against a Shore pass rush led by defensive linemen Kelty Connors and Cole Torres, it most likely will be another rout. 

Non-Public B first round

(Check out the full Non-Public B preview here)

(9) Pope John at (8) St. John Vianney, 6 p.m.

Analysis: This is a St. John Vianney team looking for payback against the Lions, who beat them in last year’s Non-Public B semifinals. These teams are fairly even on paper, but Pope John played a much tougher schedule. 

A strong Lancers senior class that includes quarterback Zach Labarca, RB/LB Danny Breen and wide receiver Adam Urs will look to advance to give themselves a shot at defending champion DePaul in the quarterfinals. 

(13) Notre Dame at (4) Donovan Catholic, 6:30 p.m.

Analysis: Red Bank Catholic just beat Notre Dame 41-0 last week in the regular season, so Donovan Catholic is a heavy favorite here. The Griffins’ have been allowing only 7.6 points per game in their current six-game winning streak and specialize in hits for a loss. This is an opportunity to get the offense in a groove heading into a potential quarterfinal matchup against Holy Spirit. 

(14) Hudson Catholic at (3) Red Bank Catholic, 7 p.m.

Analysis: Much like Donovan Catholic, RBC is a strong favorite here against Hudson Catholic. The  Hawks have played the season in memory of their late coach after Lamar McKnight was killed in a car crash in December 2024. This is one of those games where if RBC just has a clean game with no turnovers, the Caseys should move on to most likely face Paul VI in the quarterfinals. 

 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