A New Challenge: 2025 Holmdel Football Preview

Holmdel made history last season by winning back-to-back division titles for the first time on its way to making a run to the NJSIAA sectional semifinals. 

The next step is finding out if the Hornets can hold their own in one of the Shore Conference’s most competitive divisions. 

The good news is they return SSI first-team All-Shore quarterback Jack Cannon, a Dartmouth recruit and true dual threat who threw for 1,944 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for 1,075 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He already is the school’s all-time leading passer and the holder of multiple other school records. 

The main question mark is inexperience on both sides of the line thanks to graduation losses from last year’s 8-2 squad that won the Class C North title. They will be tested up front by the likes of perennial powers Red Bank Catholic and Rumson-Fair Haven after getting realigned into Class A North this season. The division also includes another division champion from last year in Middletown North, a sectional semifinalist in Marlboro and perennially tough Middletown South. 

“I think they are looking forward to it,” second-year head coach Noel Kavanagh said about the jump up in divisions. “We earned where we’re at. The last two years Holmdel’s lost one Shore Conference game, so you earn being in the top division. Now it’s time to prove you deserve to be there. We’ve got some work to do.” 

Offense

Cannon returns as the engine of the offense for his third year as the starter at quarterback after posting a 70% completion rate last season. 

Kavanagh is looking to strike the delicate balance of employing Cannon’s running ability while not overdoing it and getting him banged up by the physical defenses Holmdel will face in Class A North. 

“The No. 1 thing with Jack is to keep him healthy, but also at the same time not sacrifice what he does well, and he’s a great dual threat,” Kavanagh said. “Jack’s stronger and faster than last year. He’s been in the offense for two years now and has an entire grasp of what we’re doing. He’s able to play fast.” 

Cannon is one of four returning starters on offense, most of whom are skill players. Senior James Murphy returns at wide receiver after making 10 catches last season, and versatile junior Michael Todisco is back following a breakthrough sophomore season with 14 catches for 247 yards and 4 touchdowns. 

Junior Matt Scheinman started on defense last year and saw time in the backfield as a running and receiving threat who finished with three touchdowns. He becomes the starting tailback in Holmdel’s multiple spread attack. 

Sophomore Anthony Serini saw time as a freshman and looks to be an impact player at wide receiver. A tough loss is senior tight Alex Reyes, who did not come out for football this season in order to focus on wrestling, where he is committed to Rutgers. Reyes had 20 catches for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns last season. 

“I think offensively, I’m really happy with what I’ve seen from our skill guys,” Kavanagh said. 

The big X-factor is an offensive line that just returns one starter, senior left guard Jack Tiller.

Senior Luke Schiess, who saw time last year, steps in at left tackle, center is a competition between seniors Deven Behal and Santiago Bel, and right guard is a competition between juniors James Agboton and John Gann and Bel. Robert Mioduszewski will start at right tackle, while senior Carmine Aliperti, who had 8 catches last season, will be the tight end. 

Senior Brandon Mueller returns as the team’s placekicker and punter after going 34-for-35 on PATs last season and hitting a field goal. 

Defense

The Hornets have to replace a host of talented defensive players lost to graduation, including All-Shore defensive lineman Cipriano Bodnar, and return just three starters. 

Senior Peter Berardi is back at middle linebacker to anchor the Hornets’ 3-3 stack defense after making 79 tackles last season. He will be flanked by junior Joey Berardi at weakside linebacker and senior Aydin Ceka at strongside linebacker. 

The defensive line, which was a strength a season ago, will be all new. However, it also should have more depth than last year. 

Senior Teddy Koukoumis and sophomores Greyson Crowther and Vin Ammodio are in the mix for one defensive end spot, with Schiess and sophomore Lucas Mesa at the other defensive end position. The nosetackle will be Tiller or junior Hunter San Filippo. 

“Last year we played with a rotation of 13 kids on defense,” Kavanagh said. “Now we’ll have different lines that are spelling guys, and we’ll be working a lot more players into the rotations. It allows us to be more fresh on offense as well.” 

Scheinman returns as a starter at one of the hybrid safety/outside linebacker positions, while Murphy will play the other hybrid position. Serini will be one cornerback, with juniors Markos Vellios and Dylan Carri and freshman Tyler Carri competing for the other cornerback spot.

Todisco, who had 45 tackles and two pick-sixes as a sophomore, returns at free safety. 

On top of the divisional opponents, the Hornets’ ruthless schedule includes a season opener against a reloaded Donovan Catholic team featuring several of the Shore’s most highly recruited players, plus a loaded Brick Memorial team that reached a sectional final last season. 

Holmdel is still gunning for its first state sectional title in program history as well. The Hornets reached the semifinals last season before falling 48-13 to perennial power Mainland on the road. 

“It was a good experience to understand that’s the level you have to play at if you want to win it all,” said Kavanagh, who previously was an assistant on state championship squads at Freehold and Neptune. “We saw what a championship team looks like. Our goal is to win our first game, make the playoffs and see what we can do to get to that sectional championship game and compete for it.” 

“In the end, the goal is to win a state sectional,” Cannon said at the Shore Conference Football Media Day. “It’s never been done at Holmdel. But it’s really just to win one game at a time. We have a tough schedule, and if it doesn’t go our way we have to bounce back next week. This senior group has always been doubted growing up, but we’ve had a lot of success. We have to continue that and leave our legacy at Holmdel.” 

Holmdel at a glance 

Head coach: Noel Kavanagh, 2nd season

Career record: 8-2

2024 record: 8-2

Offense: Multiple spread

Defense: 3-3 stack

Coaching Staff

Asst. head coach/OL/DL: Dave Sherman

Defensive coordinator: Joe Castellano

Spec. teams coordinator/RB/LB: Dallas Clem

OL/DL: Mike Oxley

WR/DB: Shakeem Richardson

Kickers: Steve Leo

 

Circle the Date: Sept. 5 at Donovan Catholic 

This isn’t a divisional game, but Donovan Catholic projects to be one of the Shore Conference’s top teams. The season opener for the Hornets will be a measuring stick as well as a showdown of star quarterbacks between Holmdel’s Jack Cannon and Donovan’s Kahden Davis.  

Newcomer to Watch: Anthony Serini, So., WR/DB 

Serini saw time as a freshman but should be a much bigger part of Holmdel’s success this season. The speedy sophomore will most likely be one of Cannon’s top targets in the passing game as well as an important player in the secondary at corner.