Different Weight Class: No. 2 Donovan Catholic Overpowers No. 7 Southern in 35-6 Statement Win

TOMS RIVER — Southern entered Friday night unbeaten, explosive and capable of attacking defenses in several ways.

Donovan Catholic made the Rams spend most of the night searching for room to breathe.

The second-ranked Griffins controlled both lines of scrimmage, received a sharp performance from Columbia University commit Kahden Davis and shut down one of the Shore Conference’s hottest offenses in a commanding 35-6 victory.

Senior running back Alex Staten rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Davis, a senior quarterback, completed 8 of 13 passes for 105 yards and three scores. Donovan committed no turnovers and produced touchdowns through the air, on the ground and on defense.

“We have weapons everywhere,” Staten said. “Our coaches always stress maintaining a balanced offense to keep the defense on its toes.”

That balance began with a Donovan offensive line that controlled the game in difficult weather conditions. Its size and movement consistently created space for Staten while providing Davis enough time to punish Southern whenever it devoted additional defenders to the box.

“Running behind those big guys, I have to have a lot of patience because I can’t see over them,” Staten said. “I couldn’t ask for a better unit. Running behind that front, it’s almost like a college front.”

The matchup exposed the area Southern entered the season needing to develop most. The Rams replaced all five starters from an offensive line that helped them average 28.5 points per game last season, including Second Team All-Shore selection Joe Spina. They also returned only one established starter along the defensive line in senior defensive end John McGinnis.

That rebuilt group had performed well enough to help Southern open the season undefeated, but Donovan presented a different weight class. The Griffins’ combination of size, depth and experience created a mismatch in the trenches that shaped nearly every part of the game.

Southern felt that strength immediately. Senior nose tackle Carter Smith stopped senior wide receiver Chris Raub behind the line and forced a fumble on the Rams’ opening possession. Sophomore defensive tackle Xavier Fowlkes recovered it, giving the Griffins an early short field.

Staten followed with consecutive double-digit gains, and senior running back Ethan Nicolas added another productive run before Davis found UConn commit Jason Madden, a senior tight end, for a 5-yard touchdown.

Donovan’s next possession displayed the other half of its offensive formula. Senior wide receiver Aidan Kelly broke a 36-yard run before slipping behind the Southern defense for a 35-yard touchdown reception from Davis, extending the lead to 14-0.

The Griffins did not simply overpower Southern. They used their running game to dictate personnel and coverage, then attacked the space created by the Rams’ response.

“I think it all starts with one group—the offensive line,” Donovan head coach Dan Curcione said. “We made a concerted effort to run the ball because we knew there would be bad weather conditions, and they did a really nice job up front. Kahden and Alex are special players, and we’ve come to expect that out of them.”

Southern produced its best first-half possession late in the second quarter, advancing to Donovan’s 12-yard line. Nicolas stopped junior tight end Lukas Iliescu behind the line of scrimmage on fourth down, however, preserving the Griffins’ 14-0 halftime advantage.

Donovan returned to Staten after the break. He carried on the Griffins’ first four plays of the second half and ripped off a 30-yard run before Davis connected with sophomore wide receiver Torrance Turner for a 17-yard touchdown.

Davis’ performance was an encouraging sign after an up-and-down start to the season. Donovan’s offense became too one-dimensional and struggled with turnovers in its narrow victory over Brick Memorial, but the Columbia commit was in complete control against Southern. He made sound decisions, distributed the ball to three different touchdown recipients and never gave the Rams the short field they needed to make the game competitive.

Southern finally responded behind senior running back Levi Foote, who gained 52 yards on two carries during the Rams’ lone scoring drive. Senior quarterback Carson Abbato completed the possession with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Raub, cutting the deficit to 21-6.

Foote finished with 94 yards on 11 carries, but 52 came on that third-quarter possession. Abbato completed 10 of 22 attempts for 66 yards as Donovan prevented Southern from generating explosive plays downfield.

The Griffins pressured Abbato without compromising their coverage structure. With East Carolina University commit Ja’el Hester, a senior free safety, helping anchor the secondary, Donovan squeezed Southern’s quick RPO concepts, slants, screens, flats and out-breaking routes. Even when Abbato delivered the ball quickly, the Griffins rallied to the catch and prevented short completions from becoming substantial gains.

“I thought we had a nice game plan,” Curcione said. “Coach Mammano, our defensive coordinator, got the kids prepared to take away their throwing ability and try to stop them from running. The secondary did a nice job of not allowing big plays.”

Southern forced a punt after its touchdown and briefly appeared positioned to make the game competitive. Senior defensive back Nyron “Boogs” Snerling erased that possibility two plays later.

Snerling read Abbato’s throw, intercepted it and returned the ball 31 yards for a touchdown, extending Donovan’s lead to 28-6 and ending Southern’s surge almost as quickly as it began.

“That was the one that tilted it in our favor big time,” Curcione said. “Boogs made a really nice play. He works his butt off every day, got an opportunity and definitely made the most of it. I was really proud of him.”

 

 

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After Donovan forced another turnover on downs, Staten supplied the final punctuation with a 30-yard touchdown run. His performance helped the Griffins finish with 267 rushing yards and average more than nine yards per carry.

The complete effort showed why Donovan is in the Shore Conference’s top tier. The offensive line dictated terms, Davis supplied the necessary balance and a deep, talented defense held an offense that entered the night rolling to six points.

Against Southern (4-1, 2-1), Donovan (5-0, 3-0) looked every bit like a team operating one weight class above.

Next Friday comes another major test for the Griffins as they host third-ranked Rumson-Fair Haven and star quarterback Brady Williams.

The Rams will look to bounce back at home against rival Central.