NJSIAA Football Non-Public B Preview: RBC, Donovan Lead Shore Against State Powers

Shore Sports Insider is breaking down the NJSIAA Non-Public B playoffs, where Red Bank Catholic, Donovan Catholic and St. John Vianney will take their shot at winning a title in one of the state’s toughest brackets.

Here is what to watch for beginning this Friday night when the battle for the Non-Public A and Non-Public B brackets begins across New Jersey. There are no Shore teams in the Non-Public A bracket.

NON-PUBLIC B 

Defending Champion: DePaul Catholic

First round: Nov. 6-7. Top four seeds have byes.

Quarterfinals: Nov. 13-14

(9) St. John Vianney at (8) Paul VI, winner at (1) Paramus Catholic

(12) Hudson Catholic at (5) Immaculata, winner at (4) Donovan Catholic

(11) Notre Dame at (6) Pope John, winner at (3) Red Bank Catholic

(10) St. Thomas Aquinas at (7) Holy Spirit, winner at (2) DePaul

The favorite: Paramus Catholic

The Paladins (5-5) play in the state’s hardest conference against all the powers in Non-Public A, so they have been tested by a relentless schedule. They have three particularly impressive wins, a 22-18 victory over prep school power Hun, a 31-17 wipeout of Bergen Catholic, and a 21-7 win over the bracket’s No. 2 seed and defending champion, DePaul. They are ranked No. 7 in the state by NJ.com.

However, they were dealt a big blow when star sophomore quarterback Walker Snee, the son of former New York Giants All-Pro lineman Chris Snee, suffered a season-ending right ankle injury in the win over DePaul. His replacement is junior Rowan Martin, who helped Paramus Catholic reach last year’s Non-Public B final and is an experienced backup with dual threat ability.

The centerpiece of their offense is senior running back Chukwuma Odoh, who is verbally committed to Penn State. He has 875 yards rushing and eight touchdowns, but Snee had nearly 800 yards rushing himself, so his absence weakens the run game.

However, Odoh showed last year he doesn’t need help. He erupted for 301 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a 50-30 win over RBC in last year’s semifinals, when Martin was the starter. Junior Feury Diaz-Rinaldi leads the team with 21 catches for 396 yards and a touchdown in a deep receiving corps.

The star of the defense is Virginia Tech commit Austin Barrett, a senior who is everywhere as a defensive back and has 72 tackles. Another star member of the secondary is senior AJ Lopez (47 tackles, 2 INT), who has a host of Power Four offers and also is a home run threat as a receiver on offense.

Junior linebacker Rashawn Mangan is in the midst of a huge year with 106 tackles, 20 for a loss, and 14 sacks, including five sacks in the win over Hun, whose quarterback is committed to Indiana. Sophomore S/OLB hybrid James Brown is also having a big season with a team-high 83 tackles, including 15 for a loss, and 2.5 sacks.

It all comes down to whether the loss of Snee becomes a factor Paramus Catholic can’t overcome, or whether the offensive production stays at a high level with the experienced Martin stepping in.

Contender: DePaul

The Spartans (4-5) are the defending champs and boast a 35-28 win over RBC from the season opener that allowed them to nab the No. 2 seed over the Caseys. Just like Paramus Catholic, they play a ruthless schedule that includes all the North Jersey non-public heavyweights, so their record is deceiving. They are ranked No. 14 in the state by NJ.com.

In their last game before the playoffs, they were tied at 14 with Bergen Catholic before the Crusaders pulled away for a 28-14 win.

They are led by junior quarterback Frank Morano, who has 1,605 yards passing and 14 touchdowns this season. Senior Sean Nevers is their leading rusher with 523 yards and six touchdowns. Junior Kyron Dubose leads the team with 29 catches for 435 yards and three touchdowns, but it was the running backs Avery Cano and Gavin Sblendorio catching passes out of the backfield who were a thorn in RBC’s side in the season opener.

Senior Zach Wugman leads the team with 61 tackles, seven for a loss. Senior Giancarlo Glass (45 tackles) led the Spartans against RBC with 14 tackles in the opener. Cano is also a playmaker on defense with three interceptions.

The Spartans are a perennial threat to win this title and won’t be giving it up without a fight.

Dark horse: Red Bank Catholic

There’s not much separating the top three teams, so “dark horse” feels like underselling RBC’s chances. The Shore Conference’s No. 1 squad is eager for a rematch with DePaul, which would go down in the semifinals if both teams win their first playoff game. The Caseys (7-3) were winning 28-27 in the fourth quarter before DePaul took the lead and RBC could not answer in a 35-28 loss at Rowan University in the season opener. RBC is ranked right behind DePaul at No. 15 in the state by NJ.com.

RBC’s offense, which averages 35.9 points per game under coach Mike Lange, is led by record-setting sophomore running back Gabe Kemp. He leads the Shore with 1,540 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns and has already become the Caseys’ all-time leading rusher. Only one team has held him under 100 yards all season, and it was because RBC was up 31-0 and cruising. He put 207 yards rushing and a touchdown on DePaul to open the season.

Sophomore quarterback Rahmir Rivera also has playoff experience and has thrown for 1,483 yards and 17 touchdowns this season with only four interceptions. He also is much more of a dual threat this year with 427 yards rushing and three touchdowns. His top targets are juniors Jason Berecsky (42-602-9) and Ethan Kennedy (25-485-4), with senior tight end T.J. Walsh (17 catches) increasingly becoming another impact option. Another big weapon is sophomore kicker Simon Picinich, who has a 50-yard field goal on his resume and one of the strongest legs in the state.

Senior linebacker Luke Scaturro leads the defense with 132 tackles, 16 for a loss, and 4 sacks, and junior defensive end Asher Cummins has a team-high five sacks and 13 tackles for a loss. Navy commit Lorenzo Tartamella has also been getting increasingly more comfortable in his return from a knee injury suffered in the season opener against DePaul. The senior defensive lineman has had six tackles for a loss and a sack in his last two games. Berecsky leads the secondary with four interceptions.

It’s fairly simple as far as the likely matchup with DePaul. Spartans quarterback Frank Murano threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns the first time against an RBC secondary that has had its struggles this season. Can RBC tighten that up and turn the tables? They can score on anyone, so it’s mainly a question of the defense getting stops against a high-level opponent.

And then the Caseys might have to find a way to slow down Paramus Catholic’s Chu Odoh in the final if that ends up being the matchup. RBC is gunning for its first NJSIAA title since 2023, when it beat DePaul in the championship game.

Shore Shots: Donovan Catholic and St. John Vianney

Making it to MetLife Stadium has been a rallying cry for Donovan Catholic (9-1) all season. The Griffins could have a tough road with a potential Immaculata-Paramus Catholic-DePaul/RBC gauntlet to win their first state title since 1976.

Head coach Dan Curcione’s team also could become the first 10-win team in school history with a victory in the quarterfinals. The Griffins are ranked No. 2 in the Shore and right behind RBC at No. 16 in the state by NJ.com. Their best win of the season is a 14-7 victory over Central Jersey Group 4 semifinalist Brick Memorial, which is the Mustangs’ only loss.

The biggest question mark is the health of senior quarterback Kahden Davis, a Columbia commit. He has missed their last two games with an injury he suffered in a 24-10 loss to RBC. Without him, the Griffins will need senior running back Alex Staten and an offensive line led by sophomore tackle Xavier Fowlkes to be at their best after a brilliant regular season in which Staten racked up 1,485 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns.

Senior Aidan Kelly is by far the team’s top target in the passing game with 36 catches for 518 yards and three touchdowns. Donovan also has one of the Shore’s best kickers in senior Sal Reynoso, who is 8-for-9 on field goals and has hit a 47-yarder.

The defense, which allows 11.5 points per game, is led by UConn-bound senior defensive end Jason Madden, who has 80 tackles, 14.5 for a loss, and nine sacks. Senior linebacker Diondre Foendoe has a team-high 117 tackles, 10 for a loss, and fellow senior linebacker Sean Byrnes has 103 tackles. His twin, senior Henry Byrnes, has 11 TFLs and 4.5 sacks. Sophomore Kam McBride and senior Nyron Snerling have combined for six interceptions as cover corners.

The main question is whether Donovan Catholic can generate enough points against an elite team like Paramus Catholic and even potentially Immaculata a round earlier. Either that, or whether a rugged defense can rise to the occasion and stifle some potent offenses to help a senior-laden Griffins team surprise the state.

St. John Vianney (3-7) is looking for something to build on for next season after a tough year of playing in the highly competitive Class A North. The Lancers have also lost several players to in-season transfers, including junior wide receiver Noah Fitzpatrick, who is now at Donovan Catholic but is not eligible to play for the Griffins in the state playoffs.

Junior quarterback Anthony Petracca (1,233 yards passing, 10 TDs, 403 rushing, 5 TD), senior running back Lucas Farah (508 yards rushing, 3 TD) and sophomore wide receiver Jaheim Worthy (29-432-4) lead an offense that will try to take down Paul VI (4-3) on the road in the first round.

Junior Zach Silverman leads the defense with 85 tackles, 5 for a loss, and senior Isaiah Shade has four sacks and 12 TFLs.

Best-case scenario for coach Greg Penta’s Lancers squad is they knock off Paul VI and then take their shot against Paramus Catholic.

Non-Shore Player to Watch

Chu Odoh, Sr., RB, Paramus Catholic

One of the most powerful, explosive running backs in the state, Odoh is a Penn State commit who is a threat as a runner and a receiver for the top-seeded Paladins. He has 3,400 yards rushing in his career while playing one of New Jersey’s toughest schedules. His signature performance this season was 227 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries against a Bergen Catholic team that was No. 1 in the state at the time.

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