1 Thing to Know For Each of the Shore Conference’s 42 Football Teams

The 2026 Shore Conference football season is set to kick off with a huge slate of 28 games over three days, as all the preseason excitement and optimism hits the reality of games that count.

Here are some extra notes on every team in the Shore, from under-the-radar recruits to watch to important positional changes to a team’s mindset in facing a more difficult schedule this year, ahead of Thursday’s opening action.

If you are looking for complete, in-depth previews of every single team, you can find them all here. (opens in new tab)

 

Class A North

Red Bank Catholic

The Caseys are packed with talent, but one player who expects to make a splash this season for the first time is junior wideout Ethan Kennedy. 

At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he already has an offer from Syracuse and other FBS interest even though he missed all of last season with an injury. 

“We’ve been playing together since we were 12, so we have had a connection for a pretty long time,” sophomore quarterback Rahmir Rivera said. “I expect him to have one of the best seasons in the Shore. He definitely catches the ball at the highest point, and he’s a huge guy, so it’s going to be hard for defenders to go up and get it.” 

Manalapan

A Braves team that lost all four of its games by six points or less last season has a simple directive going into this season. 

“We just have to finish games this year,” senior quarterback Cameron Desfosse said. 

They will have to do it against a harder schedule, as Manalapan moves back up into the Class A North gauntlet from Class B North, led by Desfosse, TE/DE Ethan Fogestrom and RB/LB Nick Palmieri. 

“We love the challenge,” Desfosse said about a ramped-up schedule. “Now we’re playing the best on best. They’re going to have to play us as well.” 

Holmdel

It seems like no matter how much Holmdel achieves, there is always some question it has to answer the next season. The Hornets now have their first state sectional title on their resume, but can they remain a contender considering who is no longer on the roster? 

This year the question is whether the Hornets can avoid taking a big step back due to the graduation of superstar quarterback Jack Cannon, who is being replaced by promising sophomore Tommy Fletcher. Holmdel also graduated four of its five starting offensive linemen, but it built an almost all-new line last year and produced the No. 1 offense in the Shore Conference. 

“Last year I feel like we were pretty underlooked going into season even with Cannon, and now we’re probably even more underlooked without him, so that kind of puts a chip on all our shoulders to play better,” senior WR/DB Michael Todisco said. 

Rumson-Fair Haven

A trip to camp at Yale University this summer turned out to be life-changing for senior All-Shore star Ryder Izzo. 

The RB/LB didn’t have a single offer at the end of his junior school year, according to head coach Jeremy Schulte. He planned a trip to see multiple schools in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), a group of high-academic Division 3 programs to which Rumson has practically set up a pipeline in recent years. 

He decided to attend camp at Yale in the midst of the trip. The Bulldogs ended up offering him on the spot after seeing him in person. Izzo still had trips to a few more Division 3 schools lined up, but when you get an offer from one of the top schools in the world, you take it. 

“I knew for a fact he could play at that level, so I was just so happy for him that it worked out like that,” Schulte said. 

Izzo will also be a future rival with teammate Ben Gredell, a senior defensive lineman who has committed to Harvard. 

St. John Vianney

Junior Noah Fitzpatrick is a receiver the wider Shore Conference may not know about, but he could be one of the breakout players in the area this fall. 

“We’re looking for him to have a monster year,” head coach Greg Penta said. 

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver has a massive 80-inch wingspan  to gobble up contested catches. He has also gotten interest from Wake Forest, Missouri, Rutgers and Monmouth, according to Penta. 

“His confidence has shot through the roof,” senior running back Corleii Thomas said. “He’s been working on his craft. They should worry about Noah, and that will only open up the running game more.” 

Wall

The main concern for Wall is the graduation of a stellar senior class that included three first-team All-Shore players in Heath Reinhardt, Dylan Cohen and Justin Davis, but one position group gives head coach Ed Gurrieri comfort in knowing his team can weather those losses. 

“We think we have a chance to be really good again with four out of our five starters back on the offensive line,” Gurrieri said. “Plus, Franny (Scaramellino) is back at quarterback, and he’s doing a good job running the offense.” 

Keep an eye on junior Jesse Roth, whom Gurrieri called one of the best fullbacks he has ever had in more than three decades of coaching, in addition to being a scholarship-level defensive lineman. 

 

Class A South

Brick Memorial

All eyes will be on senior quarterback Tyler Pierce when he steps in at quarterback for the Mustangs in the season opener against a tough Wall team. All he has to do is follow the two best quarterbacks in program history in Connor Dietz and last year’s SSI Offensive Player of the Year, Jason Lajara. 

“Tyler is really good,” All-Shore senior wideout Shawn Fowler said. “People don’t expect that. We’re really going to shock people. We’ll see the first game. People will know.”

Fowler also has some big shoes to fill as the Mustangs’ top receiver after the graduation of record-setting All-Shore wideout Nyzier Matthews.  

“I guess I’m the next one up, but it’s more passing the torch,” Fowler said. “I learned a lot from him. We’re all confident about this year.” 

Donovan Catholic

The biggest recruit in the Shore Conference, literally and figuratively, looks to be Griffins sophomore lineman Xavier Fowlkes, who is 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds. 

He is a four-star recruit with multiple FBS offers from Penn State, Rutgers and more. He has visited Ohio State and could grow into one of the top offensive line prospects in the country. He started at right tackle for the Griffins as a freshman and will now slide to left tackle to protect the blind side of senior quarterback Kahden Davis. 

He also will play at defensive tackle after only playing offense last season. His presence on defense should help offset the loss of production from graduated two-way star lineman Kai Pritchard, who is now at Illinois. 

“We’re expecting more snaps out of him,” head coach Dan Curcione said. “He’s going to be playing more defensively for us as well, and I think he can be pretty dynamic there. He’s gotten a lot of looks. I think this offseason I’m going to have my phone ringing off the hook.” 

“I expect huge and amazing things out of him,” Davis said. “He’s a dawg, on and off the field. He’s like 6-5, 330, but he’s faster than some of the big skill on our team.” 

Jackson

The Jaguars return five starters on each side of the ball, but will be playing a lot of new faces in key positions in the unrelenting Class A South this fall. 

“We’re going to have to get old fast and get experience quick,” head coach Vin Mistretta said. “We’re going to take our lumps. We’re going to have to play really well to win games, but if we knock a couple teams off and we sneak into the playoffs, we’ll be ready to go and go on a run.” 

One void that needs to be filled is at tailback at a program that has historically produced stars at that position. Jonah Glenn is now at Villanova, so it will be up to senior Farrin Blake, who is moving from wide receiver to running back, to keep the yards coming. 

“It’s going to look like Jackson,” Mistretta said. “We find tailbacks.” 

Point Boro

The Panthers already had a strong group of talent coming back led by senior quarterback Jake Clayton, but several additions between transfers and the freshman class could be a big swing in Point Boro’s season. 

Freshman offensive lineman Max Steinhandler is 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds and should start immediately up front. 

“He’s nasty,” head coach Brian Staub said. “He’s played multiple sports growing up, so his feet are great, and he bends great. The sky is the limit for him. He went to camp at Rutgers and Maryland, and Syracuse is interested.” 

Point Boro’s triple option attack also added two more intriguing options in sophomore Julius Reeves, a transfer from Red Bank Catholic, and freshman Gio DiMatteo, to give them a deep backfield along with returners DJ Albanese and Nick Spanola. 

Southern

A big addition for the Rams in their first season under coach Matt Abbato is senior Levi Foote, a standout wrestler who has returned to football for his senior season after deciding to focus only on wrestling last year. He will get carries at running back and return at edge on defense. 

“As I said to the other guys, the fact that Levi Foote called me after the Fourth of July and said, ‘I’m back to playing football,’ it was like Christmas in July,” Abbato said. “He’s a phenomenal athlete and a big, physical guy who I think will really help match some of the A South physicality that we’re going to see.” 

Toms River North

After splitting reps between Logan Brill and Cole Garrison at quarterback last season, Garrison will take more of a full-time role this fall. The All-Shore safety and all-around athlete has been a change-of-pace quarterback for his explosive running since his sophomore year, but looks to add more in the passing department this fall. 

“We feel comfortable with Cole back there and his ability as a dynamic playmaker,” head coach Dave Oizerowitz said. 

 

Class B North

Freehold Township

Usually the second year in veteran coach Cory Davies’ offense is when quarterbacks really take off. The Patriots are hoping that maxim holds true with senior Dakota Lasater, who returns along with All-Shore wide receiver Jake Schultzel, a Monmouth University commit. 

Schultzel missed much of the summer with a groin/lower abdominal injury, so he and Lasater will be counting on their chemistry as good friends because they didn’t get much time on the field during the offseason. They also are teammates on the Patriots’ basketball team. 

Lasater missed multiple games with illness last year but is back to hopefully add another dimension to the Patriots’ offense. 

“He’s got to really play well for us, and maybe run the ball more than a year ago,” Davies said about Lasater. “We have to get teams to be more aware of him running to help open up the passing game, so you’ll see some more QB draws and stuff like that.” 

Manasquan

A quarterback who could break into the conversation as one of the Shore’s best this fall is senior Kyle Dow, who will be playing his first full season with the Warriors after sitting out early last season due to the transfer rule. 

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior picked up an offer from Stonehill in June, making him the first potential Division I quarterback for Manasquan in nearly 25 years. Dow has shown flashes of major playmaking ability between his sophomore year at Donovan Catholic and last season at Manasquan, but looks to finally put it all together to be a consistent offensive force this fall. 

They need him to step up considering they graduated almost all of their offensive production from last season, led by All-Shore running back Ace Etienne. Expect a ramped-up aerial attack for Manasquan this fall. 

Matawan

Huskies head coach Matt Walsh is setting some lofty goals for returning All-Shore wide receiver Cayson Williams, who looks to be one of the Shore’s most explosive players. 

“My goal for him is to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving this year, but it’s more the little things,” Walsh said. “Taking a leadership role, being more vocal, trying to get him to come out of his shell. From an athletic standpoint, I think it’s time where he goes out there and really puts on a show and lives up to the expectations. His ceiling is limitless.” 

Williams also is going to play outside linebacker this year, where he could potentially make a big impact coming off the edge. 

Middletown North

One thing for sure about the Lions, they won’t be fazed by anyone on their schedule in Class B North after competing in the relentless Class A North last season. 

“I think in a lot of ways that made us better,” head coach Steve Bush said. “Our kids gained a lot of confidence along the way. You get a little bit beat up, but we had some guys step up. We have a lot of experience back, and we probably have more depth at our skill spots than we’ve had in a long time. Our new quarterback (junior Derek Grasso) has done well in 7-on-7s, and this is a hungry group.” 

Middletown South

The early part of the season is especially important for Eagles senior offensive lineman Brendan Roudi, who tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee in Middletown South’s second game of last season. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound senior has interest from UMass, Bryant, Villanova and Monmouth, but needs more film before offers start coming. 

“They can’t really judge based off anything because I’ve only had three weeks of film, but once I get that film out, I’m confident,” Roudi said. “We’ve been real physical in practice, and the knee feels great.” 

He is one of two FCS/FBS prospects on Middletown South’s offensive line along with 6-foot-6, 225-pound sophomore Will Renschler. They will be paving the way for running back Justin Rosato, a Lehigh commit. 

Shore

The Group 1 Blue Devils steadily keep moving up divisions despite always being the smallest school in them. They are now in Class B North, where All-Shore running back Cole Torres and Co. will once again look to show they can hold their own. 

“I take it almost as a compliment, but coming into these new divisions, all these bigger schools are going to keep doubting us and thinking they’re so much better, but we’re going to shock everyone else,” Torres said. “I think the challenge for me is that everyone is going to start loading the box to stop the run game, but we have super good QBs, we got two transfer QBs. We can start off passing and make everyone spread out, and that’s where we throw in the inside draws, outside zones and pitches, spread the field and hopefully break some long touchdowns.

“I have a lot to prove. I’m still not getting the schools I like (for college), so I still have to show them.” 

 

 Class B South

Brick

The Green Dragons have a new offensive coordinator this year in Tony Durkin, who inherits an offense that graduated almost all of its production from last season. They have 10 (!) players in the mix to get carries, led by senior twins Cian and Rowan Foy. 

A player to keep an eye on is 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior Sean Nausedas, a basketball standout who has come out for football and presents a big target at tight end. 

Central

Central has been a division contender and a playoff team, but now the Golden Eagles have to take a step that few teams in program history have taken – winning state playoff games. 

Central only has two state playoff wins in its history and has never won a sectional title, but the Golden Eagles have been steadily building toward erasing those facts. 

“We want to be in contention for the division title every year, and we want to be a playoff team,” head coach Jarrett Pidgeon said. “The past few years, we were just OK with getting there. Last year we probably took things a little bit lightly, and this year now we understand. This senior class has been winning since their freshman year, so I think that was a huge part of our culture shift at Central. We’re just excited to take the next step.” 

The Golden Eagles also continue to produce top talent. Versatile star WR/DB CJ Yates is committed to Monmouth University, one year after defensive end Elijah Reeder signed with Penn State. 

Lacey

Seniors Jake Sturman and Sean Vargas are going to have to raise their game to help replace two-time, 1000-yard rusher Joey Davis after he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the spring. They will be stepping into feature roles in the backfield alongside quarterback Joe Geiger, who is moving over from wide receiver. 

The good news is that there are two All-Division linemen returning up front under head coach Lou Vircillo, who enters the season second all-time in wins in Shore Conference history with 316. Lacey has had four straight losing seasons at a program that has never had more than two in a row until the current stretch, so the Lions will be looking to get back to their customary winning ways. 

Pinelands

The Wildcats have moved up to a higher division this season after coming up just short of the Class C South title last year, but they look forward to it. 

“That’s what you want,” head coach John Tierney said. “You want to challenge yourself. These guys want to play the best competition they can.” 

They also quietly have one of the best long-snappers in the state in junior Jonas Johnson. He has gotten interest from Pittsburgh, Duke and Boston College, according to Tierney. 

Toms River East

After winning its first division title since 2019 last season, Toms River East got a promotion to Class B South and a more difficult schedule. 

“The kids are really excited, and what we did last year was special,” head coach Kyle Sandberg said. “I think a lot of these seniors are remembering what we had to do to get there. It’s going to be harder and challenging, so they know the work they have to put in. We have a gauntlet ahead of us, and we’re just going to put our best foot forward.” 

Toms River South

An under-the-radar prospect on Toms River South’s offensive line is Jorel Saavedra Alamos, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound senior. He has been generating some FCS interest from Northeast schools, according to head coach Matt Martin. 

Saavedra Alamos is one of four returning starters up front for Toms River South, including 310-pound junior Mike Boakye. The Indians could potentially have three 300-pound starting linemen. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class C North

Howell

With 16 starters back, Howell believes it can be an instant contender in Class C North given the gauntlet the Rebels have faced the past few seasons. They played the likes of Manalapan, Wall and St. John Vianney in Class B North last year, in addition to Middletown North, Point Boro and Donovan Catholic outside the division. 

“We’ve been battle-tested,” head coach Bill Hill said. “We’ve played all those top 10 teams, so we’ve seen it all. Our big thing is we just got to stay healthy.” 

“I think we can prove a lot of people wrong this year,” senior edge rusher Ivan Padilla said. “I think we’ve been counted out a lot, and this year I have a good feeling we’re going to come out differently.” 

Marlboro

An intriguing prospect to watch for the Mustangs this season after their move to Class C North from Class A North is 6-foot-4, 300-pound junior Jayden Preston. Head coach Jason Dagato said Preston, a two-way lineman, shed about 40 pounds in the offseason and has been moving well in the preseason. 

He attended camp at Syracuse, and Monmouth University has also shown interest. 

“I don’t know his ceiling right now,” Dagato said. “He was too big to play much last year, but going into his junior year, he has a chance to get some good tape out there. 

Neptune

Neptune has three- and four-year starters like quarterback Caleb Brown-Mason and wideout Daaron Lynch back and a wave of high expectations coming off a division title, which head coach Mike Seber is trying to manage. It helps that they won’t be looking past their first opponent since it’s defending Group 4 champion Winslow Township at the Battle in the ‘Boro showcase at Rowan University on Saturday night. 

“Win the first one,” Seber said. “You can’t look past the first game. It’s going to be a tough one. With the division we’re in now, it’s going to be harder to win games.” 

Their skill players are electric, and they added Asbury Park transfer WR Jason Whittaker, so the biggest determining factor of their season looks to be a line that graduated standouts Jaraiya Jean, Koen Johnson and Malachi Matson. 

“It’s time for these other guys to grow up and step into their roles,” Seber said. 

Ocean

The Spartans are hoping to add a little more juice to an offense that averaged 20.2 points per game last season due to the fact that they now have senior quarterback Jake Garrett for a full season. The dual threat transferred from Red Bank Catholic in the middle of last season. Last year’s Ocean starting quarterback, Jordan Gaudious, transferred to Long Branch. 

“These are his friends, they want to play with him, and they want to play for him,” head coach Chad King said about Garrett. “He’s a natural-born leader. He can throw, he can run, and he brings a different type of excitement to the game. Having Jake coming back definitely helps.”  

Raritan

The Rockets are hoping that a little more depth goes a long way as they try to bounce back from a losing season in their first year under head coach Chris Damian. 

Junior slotbacks Lou Zweidinger and senior Eric Berg should be able to mainly focus on offense as two of the team’s best playmakers. 

“Lou and Berg don’t need to play as much defense, which alleviates a two-way secondary,” Damian said. 

“I expect big things,” Berg said. “We’re coming off a few down seasons, but I think we’ve really picked it up in the weight room, in our culture. We’re built strong, we’re really bonded together as a team this year, so I think we’re going to make some big noise.”  

Red Bank

Coming off its first division title in 10 years, Red Bank is looking to keep the momentum going despite graduating All-Shore talents Bennett Lopez and Jah’Mir Lane-Bailey. 

“I think the key thing is just focusing on ourselves,” head coach TK Karalewich said. “Just building off that. We lose a little bit in some parts, and you just retool with other spots. Play with energy, play with enthusiasm. It’s a team emphasis.” 

Karalewich said to keep an eye on Ahmare Bonus, a three-year starter in the secondary who will also be playing more receiver this fall. He could be the next Buc to make the jump from All-Division-level to All-Shore. 

 

 Class C South

Freehold Boro

The move to Class C South from D North is one the Colonials, led by sophomore quarterback Adrian KrKuti, hope helps them improve on a two-win season. 

“It’s a good fit for us because we’re the smaller program,” head coach Derek Reichenbecher said. “The teams we’re playing, those are good football programs, but they’re smaller football programs. We’re going to have to fight our way through every week, but it’s against teams with similar numbers to us.” 

Keansburg

One of the mystery men of the Shore Conference this fall is Keansburg junior offensive lineman David Mount, or should we say Mount(ain). He is 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, but still hasn’t seen extensive varsity time yet. 

He was at St. Thomas Aquinas last season but transferred to Keansburg after program turbulence that included head coach Tarig Holman getting fired. He was ineligible to play for the Titans last year, so this is the first real look college coaches will get of him. 

Mount is part of a huge front line for the Group 1 Titans. 

“My assumption is once people see him, the phone will be ringing,” head coach John Bird said. 

 Keyport

The Red Raiders feel their 1-9 record last year was deceiving given that most of their games were close until it got away from them late. With six starters back on offense and six on defense, the goal is to start closing teams out after consecutive one-win seasons. 

“If you ended the game at halftime last year, we were like 8-2,” head coach Charlie Marsh said. “They were putting in the work, we just couldn’t get over the hump. It can’t be when one thing goes wrong, we’re letting it snowball. I just hope they’ve gotten to the point where they’re mature enough where they can handle adversity.” 

“The senior leadership is really good this year,” senior running back Jermaine Finch said. “We’ve got 10 seniors and all of them are really setting the example.” 

 

 

 

 

Lakewood

Depth could be a real concern for the Piners this year, as new head coach Cliff Orwick said at the Shore Conference Media Day that the team only had 25 total players. 

“Working hard, learning a new system on offense and defense, but they’re doing well,” Orwick said. “They’re working hard, that’s all we can ask.” 

Former Toms River East star Nico Steriti will be the team’s new offensive coordinator. 

“I feel like coaches are working us every day hard,” junior wide receiver Tyreese Jones said. “It’s hard (adjusting to the new schemes), but we’ll get it right and have it down pat.” 

New Egypt

The Warriors are all set at quarterback with the return of junior Thomas Marabuto off a 1,300-yard passing season, so the preseason was really about figuring out how to replace running back Eddie Novatkowski in the backfield. 

“Replacing that is difficult,” head coach Steve Fence said. “We changed our scheme around a little bit, but the battle at running back has been the main concern at camp.” 

New Egypt is looking for someone among senior Jonah Chao, juniors Darren Pomykala and Liam Truszkowski and sophomore Gavin Ozmina to separate themselves and stabilize the spot, or it will be more by committee. 

“The expectation is to win the division and make a playoff run,” Chao said. 

Point Beach

With success across the board in so many sports, Point Beach’s identity is rapidly changing from the tiny underdog public school in Ocean County to a perennial contender. That includes the football team, which won a division title and a state playoff game last season. 

The Garnet Gulls are now looking for back-to-back division titles for the first time in program history and should be a frontrunner in the realigned Class C South. 

“The expectations have changed,” head coach Joe Zaccone said. “We had a six-win season two years ago, now seven last year, so it’s exciting times. There’s a lot of kids that are coming out from other sports. We were division champs in all three seasons (football, basketball and baseball) last year. There’s a level of excitement and expectation I don’t think we’ve had in a long time.” 

 

Class D North

Asbury Park

The Blue Bishops are replacing first-team All-Shore running back A’miere Massie with his younger brother, junior Nimiere Massie, but also have another back to keep an eye on this fall. 

“Ahmari Mitchell, you guys know him as a linebacker, but he’s one of the best running backs we have and could be one of the best running backs in the Shore Conference by the time the season is really going,” head coach Will Johnson said about the Blue Bishops senior. 

Barnegat

A big reason for optimism for the Bengals this fall is sophomore WR/DB Chancellor Joseph. He picked up an offer from Syracuse in the offseason and drew interest from Rutgers and Penn State. Barnegat head coach Paul Covine said he was recently called by Notre Dame and Ole Miss about Joseph, who played varsity as a freshman. He could be one of the Shore’s breakout players this fall. 

“I’ve been coaching 18 years, so when you see what you consider a Division 1 athlete, it’s just different,” Covine said. “You notice right away. It was a no-brainer, he started immediately and had a great year. He’s done nothing but do the right things. He’s in the weight room, he’s put on like 15-20 pounds since his freshman year. He’s putting in all that extra work, doing his footwork and his pass breakup stuff.

“If he has the season that I know he can have, I think it’s just going to blow up. Syracuse is just the start of what can become a really, really awesome high school career.” 

“We all see the scholarship he’s gotten,” Barnegat senior right tackle Patrick Small said. “He’s a very good player, he’s a positive attitude guy. I can’t wait to see him play this year.” 

Colts Neck

Conditioning can sometimes be a cliché topic in the preseason, but for Colts Neck, it’s a real thing as the Cougars get set to compete in the realigned Class D South. It cost them games last year. 

“Last year we were within one score or tied in almost every game in the second half,” head coach Matt Ahearn said. “Our conditioning has got to get better, and more kids have to play, that’s what it comes down to.” 

Long Branch

The Green Wave are trying to shake off their first losing season since 1929, and head coach Ben Woolley believes they have a forward-looking mindset. They face a Hammonton team coming off a one-win season in their opener in a bid to end a 13-game losing streak. 

“We made a lot of changes with a new offense and defense,” he said. “This is a new year, and we’ve got a lot of new players. I think they’ve been doing a really good job. We’ve been taking it slow. They’ve really gotten a grasp of (the new flexbone triple option offense), and I think by the 28th (against Hammonton) we’ll be rocking and rolling.” 

They also won’t be whole for a few weeks, as senior Jordan Gaudious, who was Ocean’s starting quarterback last year, has to sit out due to the NJSIAA transfer rule.

Manchester

Head coach Tommy Farrell is determined to have last year’s 1-9 slide after the program’s first state playoff win in history be an anomaly, not a return to Manchester’s historic struggles. 

“It’s not really a rebuild like it was when we first got here, because I’d like to say the standard has changed, so you’re going to see a very angry, very hungry Manchester football team,” Farrell said. “They saw the rise and fall in 365 days, and what can happen when things change. They saw what we can do in ‘24, and they saw what happens in ‘25 when you don’t prepare the right way and think you’re privileged. That was a great lesson, but at the end of the day, winning is important at Manchester, and we’re just angry.” 

 

 

 

 

 

Monmouth

Many of the Falcons’ juniors and seniors were varsity players as freshmen who were pushed around by more veteran teams. Now the Falcons are looking to become the bullies themselves, despite graduating standout running back Tyler Gustafson and wideout Jaylin Reeves. They are a strong contender for the realigned Class D North title behind three-year starter Ryan Corwin at quarterback. 

“You guys are no longer the young guys any more, so kind of kick things up a little bit,” head coach Dan Wendel said he told his team. “You have to start executing at a higher level and impose your will.” 

Scott Stump is the football editor and a reporter for Shore Sports Insider. He first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999. 

Email: scottstump25@gmail.com