SSI Football Report: Montrell Carter Dazzles for Pinelands, TRN Star Injured and More
Montrell Carter was playing defensive end as a sophomore when Pinelands head coach John Tierney and his staff realized they screwed up.
“He was playing scout team linebacker and we were like, ‘Oh, we’re really wrong because he’s just making plays everywhere,’” Tierney said.
“Linebacker felt way more natural,” Carter said. “I feel like you can move to the ball way quicker, and you’re right with the running back one-on-one. I like my odds.”
Carter went on to finish with 85 tackles as a sophomore after being moved to linebacker in the fourth game of the season. This fall, he has taken it up a notch as a junior to become one of the Shore’s early breakthrough stars.
“He’s a heat-seeking missile,” Tierney said. “He can really read his keys well, he’s excellent in the weight room, and he has closing speed that you don’t really see that much.”
Carter opened eyes with 14 tackles, 11 of them solo, to go with four sacks and two tackles for a loss in a 34-0 win over Brick in Class B South in Week Two. It marked the Wildcats’ first victory over the Green Dragons since 2004.
“It was a big statement,” Carter said. “We came out as underdogs. We had to show them we were going to bring a way different type of Pinelands that they haven’t seen in the last 20 years.”
The 5-foot-11, 220-pound junior has 30 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 tackles for a loss, two blocked punts and a pick-six in Pinelands’ 3-0 start. He also has run for two touchdowns on two carries as a power back close to the goal line.
Also, in an age where seemingly every player is reclassifying to a lower grade, Carter is still only 15 years old as a junior. He turns 16 on Sept. 26.
He has received some early interest from Monmouth University, according to Tierney. The Wildcats coach also has been in contact with his alma mater, Towson University, to look at Carter.
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Carter credits his leap forward to the motivation of his teammate and fellow junior linebacker, Paul Veneri, who’s off to a strong start himself with 21 tackles, 3 for a loss, in three games.
“He pushed me way harder than anyone else ever would,” Carter said. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now. He just pushes me to another level.”
The Wildcats, who haven’t reached the state playoffs since 2004, now look to continue the momentum on Thursday. They face rival Lacey, which they beat for the first time in school history last year, as they try to stay in front in the Class B South race. Pinelands’ only division title in program history came in 1987.
“I’m so pumped, you don’t even understand,” Carter said. “Last year we beat them on my birthday and made history. We’ve just got to keep up the intensity, keep pushing and stay humble.”
Injured Toms River North Star To Miss Top-Five Showdown
One of the state’s best linebackers, Toms River North senior Jack Baker, will be out of the lineup in a big Class A South showdown between the No. 3 Mariners (3-0) and No. 5 Brick Memorial (2-1) on Friday night.
Toms River North star Jack Baker at the Shore Conference Football Media Day. (Photo by Tom Smith/tspimages.com)
The Duke commit and two-time, first-team All-Shore linebacker injured his foot in a 14-7 win over Point Boro last week and left the game. He will miss this week’s game and then will be evaluated week to week, according to Toms River North coach Dave Oizerowitz.
A Special Day for Manasquan’s Wyatt Sowul
When Manasquan RB/LB Wyatt Sowul ran for his first varsity touchdown in a 28-0 win over Matawan on Saturday, it was a moment to savor for the Warriors junior for multiple reasons.
In Manasquan’s loss to Matawan last year, Sowul suffered a season-ending ruptured spleen while making a tackle.
One year later, he faced the Huskies again and scored a touchdown and had an interception on defense to help Manasquan improve to 2-1. He mainly plays on defense at linebacker, but he carried the ball six times for 38 yards and a score against Matawan as a complement to the Warriors’ feature back, senior Dax Klein.
“He was a tremendous worker in the offseason,” Manasquan head coach Jay Price said. “He is a man of few words, but he knew what playing well against Matawan meant.”
Stat of the Week: 2,021
Those are the career receiving yards for Freehold Township senior Jake Schultzel, which is a school record. The Monmouth University commit cracked the 2,000-yard barrier in a loss to Middletown South last week. His 111 career catches are also four away from the school record of 115 by Noah Cancela. He is the second receiver in two years to pass 2,000 career yards, which was accomplished by graduated Brick Memorial All-Shore star Nyzier Matthews last season.
Steve Bush Passes a Legend, Dan Sigler Ties Record at Middletown North
Middletown North’s Steve Bush picked up his 67th win with the Lions in a 34-20 victory over Shore Regional, which put him second all-time in school history.
He passed the legendary Vic Kubu, who had 66 wins between 1975 and 1984 before he returned to his alma mater at Manasquan. He helped the Lions to an 11-0 season in 1983 and then won 10 NJSIAA titles in an incredible run at Manasquan. Kubu, who died in 2007, had a career record of 263-71-5. His grandson, Lucas Kubu, is a senior defensive lineman for the Warriors.
The legendary Arnie Truex is Middletown North’s all-time leader with 121 wins from 1939 to 1959, when there was one Middletown high school.
Middletown North head coach Steve Bush passed legendary coach Vic Kubu on the all-time wins list for the Lions. (Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com)
Bush is in his 14th season at Middletown North and 21st overall as a head coach. He has an overall career record of 152-112-1.
The win over Shore also featured three touchdown catches by junior wideout Dan Sigler, which tied a single-game school record, according to team historian Ray Veth. Sigler is averaging 37 yards per catch this season and also has a pair of rushing touchdowns. He is averaging 31.2 yards every time he touches the ball after two games for the Lions.
Southern’s Carson Abbato Climbing the Charts
Southern senior quarterback Carson Abbato tied a single-game school record with four touchdown passes in a 42-14 win over Jackson. Also, his 308 yards passing in the win are the second-highest total in program history, behind only the 346 from Jon Bleichner in 2014.
Abbato has a shot to become the Rams’ all-time leading passer this season, as he has 2,139 career yards, which puts him in fifth place, 1,142 yards behind the record of 3,281 yards set by Dan Higgins, a 2013 graduate. Abbato is averaging 276 yards passing per game through two games. (One of Southern’s wins is a forfeit)
Kick to Maguire and Pape At Your Own Risk
The designated “kick to these guys at your own risk” tandem in the Shore Conference so far this season is Middletown South senior Owen Maguire and Manalapan junior PJ Pape.
Maguire is averaging 29 yards per kickoff return and has taken two to the house in only three games, including a 75-yard touchdown return in the Eagles’ win over Freehold Township in Week Two. Maguire also has 12 catches for 188 yards and a touchdown as a receiver.
Pape is averaging an eye-opening 51.2 yards per kickoff return on four returns and also has taken back two for touchdowns in three games. Pape returned one 75 yards for a score in a 15-12 loss to Wall last week. He also has 119 yards rushing and two touchdowns on only 10 carries, as well as 22 tackles on defense.
Tough loss on thursday night vs Wall within the last minute. Here are some clips from the game. We will be back stronger and better next week #TTTF@PrepRedzoneNJ @ShoreSports_NJ @JSSInsider @HSSportsNJ @VarsityAces @JSZ_Sports @njdotcom@Scott_Stump@NJHoopsHaven… pic.twitter.com/fwGJuRuP4d
— PJ Pape (@PJPape2028) September 12, 2026
Notes From Around the Shore
—Raritan (2-1), Toms River South (2-1) and Jackson (2-1) can each tie their win totals from all of last season with victories this week. Raritan takes on Red Bank (1-2), Jackson faces No. 2 Donovan Catholic (3-0) and Toms River South welcomes rival Toms River East (1-2).
—Who has a deeper kicking group than Ocean? The Spartans lost All-Division kicker Joe Bercovicz to transfer when he went to the state’s No. 1 team, Don Bosco Prep, but that just cleared the way for Aidan Zacharczyk. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound club soccer player nailed field goals of 46 and 36 yards and dropped a punt inside the 5-yard line in a 34-0 win over Red Bank. His 46-yarder is the second-longest field goal in the Shore this season behind the 47-yarder from Donovan Catholic senior Sal Reynoso.
—Monmouth Regional is averaging 10 tackles for a loss per game in its 3-0 start. Junior defensive linemen Ryan Fleury and Amari Roach have seven TFLs apiece for the Falcons.
—Toms River South junior defensive back Hamza Hollingshead, a returning All-Division selection, has three interceptions in three games for the Indians to put him among the early Shore leaders.
—Lacey linebackers Brett Brewer and Jake Sturman each have eight tackles for a loss in three games for the Lions.
—Red Bank Catholic senior linebacker Luke Scaturro is averaging 14 tackles per game through three games. He also has two sacks and four tackles for a loss.
Alumni of the Week
Noah Mammeri, Jr., LB, Kean University
The former Manasquan standout earned New Jersey Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after finishing with 13 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a 51-17 win over SUNY Maritime.
Nunes Bukula IV, Sr., RB, Rowan University
The former Donovan Catholic star ran for 60 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries and had two catches for 123 yards and a touchdown to help Rowan to a 34-0 win over Moravian.
Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
The former Southern star began the new NFL season with a bang as he had a team-high 5 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown in a 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bengals’ defensive coordinator, former Red Bank Catholic star Al Golden, also had his group start strong as Cincinnati’s defense came up with four turnovers in the win.
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
