Atlantic Physical Therapy Shore Conference Football Top 12, 10/20/25
We have reached the final week of the regular season for the Shore Conference’s public schools, and there are more questions than ever when it comes to the Shore Sports Insider Top 12 rankings.
Red Bank Catholic seems firmly at No. 1 despite suffering its first loss last week, and the only scenario where the Caseys could be challenged would be if they dropped another regular-season game or met St. John Vianney or Donovan Catholic in the Non-Public B playoffs and lost.
However, the order of Brick Memorial, Holmdel and Donovan Catholic could be endlessly debated. Brick Memorial beat Holmdel, Holmdel beat Donovan Catholic, and Donovan Catholic beat Brick Memorial.
If you throw out that triangle, it then becomes about the other ranked wins each team has on its resume. Brick Memorial just beat No. 2 Southern, which was previously undefeated, and has wins over Class B North champion Wall and No. 6 Toms River North. Holmdel’s biggest win outside that triangle is No. 7 Rumson-Fair Haven, which just fell to Toms River North, as well as a victory over No. 11 Middletown South. Donovan Catholic pulled it out of the fire against No. 10 Manalapan by recovering a fumble at its own one-yard line in the final minute last week and also has a win over No. 6 Toms River North.
You really could argue any way for those three teams. Brick Memorial’s loss to Rumson without star senior quarterback Jason Lajara feels way in the rearview mirror, and the Mustangs are playing as well as any team in the Shore. Donovan Catholic has three wins of three points or less, so the Griffins have had the knack in close games. Holmdel’s offense has been unstoppable the entire season, as no team has held the Hornets under 28 points.
On top of it, Brick Memorial and Holmdel potentially have a great chance to win NJSIAA sectional titles depending on how the brackets shake out, so the playoffs may not break any tie between them.
Donovan Catholic has a tall order in a bracket where defending champion DePaul is a heavy favorite, but a trip to the final could be a strong argument for the Griffins. They also have a regular-season game against state-ranked St. Joseph’s-Metuchen, which is currently 7-0, so a win there could be a major resume addition for Donovan.
This week will also feature a host of teams trying to win division titles or put the finishing touches on outright division titles.
RBC can clinch the outright Class A North title, Brick Memorial can claim a share of the Class A South crown, Wall can clinch the outright Class B North title, Southern can clinch the outright Class B South championship, the trio of Manasquan, Matawan and Red Bank each have a shot at a piece of the Class C North crown, the winner of Toms River East-Pinelands will take the Class C South title, the winner of Neptune-Raritan will claim the Class D North championship and Point Beach can grab the outright Class D South title.
St. John Vianney and Manalapan still have a shot at a share of the Class B North title if the Lancers take down Wall and Manalapan beats Freehold Township.
Here are the latest rankings before the public playoffs begin next week.
1 Red Bank Catholic (7-1). Last week: No. 1.
The Caseys went on the road and suffered their first loss, a 30-16 setback against a solid Paramus Catholic team. Freshman kicker Simon Picinich had three field goals, including a 40-yarder, and freshman quarterback Rahmir Rivera had a touchdown pass to sophomore wideout Jason Berecsky as RBC got a bit of a wakeup call ahead of the state playoffs. The Caseys are still almost certainly a top-three seed in Non-Public B. They can get back on track and clinch the outright Class A North title with a win this week. Next game: Friday vs. Marlboro (2-6).
2 Brick Memorial (6-2). Last week: No. 4.
Brick Memorial and quarterback Jason Lajara knocked off last week’s No. 2 team, Southern, for their third straight win. (Photo by Tom Smith/tspimages.com)
The Mustangs vault into the No. 2 spot after beating last week’s No. 2 team, previously undefeated Southern, in a hard-fought 19-14 win on the road. Brick Memorial led 19-0 before the Rams battled back in the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Jason Lajara threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score. Junior tight end Joe Livio had a career night with 8 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown, and star senior linebacker Trey Tallmadge made his return from a hamstring injury suffered in the second game of the season. The Mustangs now have a game they have to win to claim their piece of the Class A South title with Donovan Catholic. Next game: Friday vs. Jackson (2-6).
3 Holmdel (5-2). Last week: No. 2.
Some of the luster came off Holmdel’s win over Rumson-Fair Haven after Toms River North beat the Bulldogs last week, but the Hornets’ win over Donovan Catholic in which they put up 48 points on a team that hasn’t allowed more than 28 in any other game is looking better and better. Holmdel rolled to a 35-0 win over Raritan in their annual rivalry game thanks to a pair of touchdowns by running back Matt Scheinman and a pair of touchdown passes from Jack Cannon to James Murphy. They have another Class A North battle this week as they try to push for a No. 1 seed in the state playoffs or at least solidify a No. 2 seed in their quest for their first state sectional title in history. Next game: Friday vs. Middletown North (3-3).
4 Donovan Catholic (5-3). Last week: No. 5.
The Griffins keep finding a way to finish strong in close games. They pulled a rabbit out of the hat last week when Jason Madden recovered a fumbled snap at the Griffins’ one-yard line when it looked like Manalapan was going to beat them in the final minute. The 23-22 victory included 235 yards passing and two touchdowns of 75-plus yards by junior quarterback Kahden Davis. They will try to keep the wins coming with a nondivisional game this week. Next game: Friday at Howell (3-5).
5 Southern (7-1). Last week: No. 2.
The Rams drop thanks to a 19-14 loss to Brick Memorial, but they acquitted themselves well by battling back in the fourth quarter. They trailed 19-0 but had the ball with a chance to win inside the final three minutes after a 75-yard kickoff return touchdown by Luke Iorio and a six-yard touchdown run by Aidan Covell. Sophomore linebacker Niko Iliescu was sensational in defeat with 13 tackles, 11 of them solo, plus a sack and two tackles for a loss. Their win over No. 6 Toms River North looks better after the Mariners knocked off Rumson-Fair Haven, and the Rams have a 37-point win over No. 12 Central. They look to bounce back and wrap up the outright Class B South title this week. Next game: Friday at Toms River South (2-6).
6 Toms River North (4-4). Last week: Unranked.
Toms River North running back Lucas Elias had a pair of touchdowns as the Mariners took down Rumson-Fair Haven. (Photo by Doug Phillips/FrameGrabs LLC)
The Mariners roar back into the rankings off a 37-29 win over last week’s No. 6 team, Rumson-Fair Haven, in a matchup of reigning NJSIAA Group champions for their third straight win over the Bulldogs. Junior quarterback Logan Brill threw a pair of touchdown passes, running back Lucas Elias scored twice and freshman linebacker Finn Boland had 11 tackles, two sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss as the Mariners jumped out to a 31-7 lead and held on for the win. Their only losses are to teams ranked ahead of them (RBC, Donovan Catholic, Brick Memorial and Southern). The Mariners will now try to get themselves a home playoff game as they defend their Group 5 title. They will be on the road against a team that may need to win to get into the playoffs, so they will get their best shot. Last year’s game between these two teams was a classic. Next game: Friday at Point Boro (3-4).
7 Rumson-Fair Haven (4-3). Last week: No. 6.
The Bulldogs were upset 37-29 by Toms River North as junior running back Ryder Izzo had 101 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the loss. Tight end Jack Gyimesi added 72 yards receiving and a touchdown. They keep this spot over Wall thanks to a 35-7 win over Brick Memorial. Both Rumson and Wall faced the Mustangs when Brick Memorial was without star quarterback Jason Lajara, and Rumson won by four touchdowns, while Wall fell 35-7 to the Mustangs. The reigning Group 2 champions will look to dust themselves off against another ranked opponent this week as they prepare for their playoff run. Next game: Friday at No. 11 Middletown South (3-4).
8 Wall (5-2). Last week: No. 7.
Rumson’s loss to Toms River North pushed everyone down a spot, but Wall took care of business by stifling Marlboro in a 21-0 win. Standout edge rusher Justin Davis had a monster game with 10 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 tackles for a loss and 72 yards receiving at tight end. Now the Crimson Knights will look to clinch the outright Class B North title against a team that will be fighting for its own share of the division championship. These teams played a wild game last year. It’s also big for Wall to potentially secure a top-two seed in the state playoffs. Next game: Friday at St. John Vianney (4-4).
9 Manasquan (6-1). Last week: No. 8.
The Warriors picked up a 34-14 win over Brick for their fourth straight victory, as senior running back Ace Etienne continued his big season with 201 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Manasquan can now clinch at least a tie for its 29th (!) division title with a win this week. Next game: Saturday vs. Colts Neck (2-6).
10 Manalapan (5-3). Last week: No. 9.
The Braves are five points away from being the clear No. 2 team in the Shore after a three-point loss to Wall and a one-point loss last week. They dropped a 23-22 heartbreaker to No. 4 Donovan Catholic in which they had the ball at the Griffins’ one-yard line ready to score with under two minutes remaining but lost a fumble. Junior quarterback Cameron Desfosse threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns on only eight completions in the loss, becoming the first Braves signal-caller to go over 300 yards since Pete DiCataldo in 1998. DJ Corsaro also had two catches for 134 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Manalapan’s best win remains St. John Vianney, and the Braves hope the Lancers can upset Wall because it would give Manalapan a share of the Class B North title. The Braves also will have to beat a Freehold Regional District rival to take care of their part. Next game: Friday at Freehold Township (5-3).
11 Middletown South (3-4). Last week: Unranked.
Middletown South’s Logan Burbank had a touchdown catch to help the Eagles top Red Bank. (Photo by Jersey Pics)
The Eagles crack the rankings after a 28-19 win over last week’s No. 11 team, Red Bank, to help solidify a state playoff berth. Senior quarterback Luca Donofrio threw a pair of touchdown passes and junior defensive back Justin Rosato had a pick-six in the win. Middletown South’s losses are a nonconference loss to Cherokee and losses to three teams ranked ahead of them (RBC, Holmdel, Manalapan). They can really open some eyes with a win this week in Class A North. Next game: Friday vs. No. 7 Rumson-Fair Haven (4-3).
12 Central (7-1). Last week: No. 12.
The Golden Eagles hold steady after a 42-7 win over Long Branch on Senior Night thanks to four touchdown passes by senior quarterback Jacob Halpin. Their win over Middletown North also looked better after the Lions beat last week’s No. 10 team, Matawan. They need to get a win this week to potentially lock down a home playoff game. It’s not going to be easy, as Ocean looked like a different team last week with quarterback Jake Garrett now in the fold after transferring from RBC, and the Spartans have to have this one to have any chance at a state playoff berth. Next game: Friday at Ocean (4-4).
Dropped out:
Matawan (5-3): The young Huskies lost 23-21 to unranked Middletown North and have another tough one this week as they try to solidify a state playoff spot. They also have to win to claim their piece of the Class C North title. Next game: Friday at Shore (5-2).
Red Bank (4-3): Another Class C North squad, the Bucs fell from the rankings after a 28-19 loss to previously unranked Middletown South. They can bounce back by beating their oldest rival to claim at least a tie for the division title. Next game: Friday at Long Branch (0-8).
Knocking on the door: Point Boro, St. John Vianney, Neptune.
Scott Stump is the football editor and a reporter for Shore Sports Insider. He first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999 and has covered basketball, baseball and seemingly every other Shore Conference sport at some point.
Email: scottstump25@gmail.com
