Atlantic Physical Therapy Shore Conference Football Top 12, 11/4/25
After an impressive weekend for the Shore Conference in the state playoffs and a big regular-season game, there’s only a few sets of rankings left before they are set in stone for the 2025 season.
Thirteen public school squads from the Shore advanced to the sectional semifinals, while the three non-public squads get set to kick off their journeys in the Non-Public B tournament starting on Friday night.
The top five teams in particular looked really impressive this past week as they polish their resumes to look the best when it’s time for the final rankings.
The main top 10 showdown to watch this week is in Central Jersey Group 2, where Wall and Rumson-Fair Haven will square off in a rematch of last year’s sectional final. Wall has been waiting almost a year for this one and looks to finally break through against a team that has reached a Shore Conference-record 11 state sectional finals in a row.
Rumson won a dogfight against Point Boro last week and welcomed All-Shore running back Kellen Murray back from injury, and the Bulldogs have no plans of ceding their Group 2 crown.
Southern and Manasquan also have major opportunities to make statements against nonconference teams. The Rams face state-ranked Kingsway in a bid to reach the third state final in program history, while the Warriors will try to take down a Camden team that looms as the favorite in Central Jersey Group 2.
Here’s where everything stands heading into the public semifinals.
1 Red Bank Catholic (9-1). Last week: No. 1.
The Caseys breezed through their final tuneup before the state playoffs with a 41-0 win over Notre Dame. Freshman quarterback Rahmir Rivera threw a pair of touchdown passes to senior wideout Dan Zabora, and freshman running back Gabe Kemp ran for two touchdowns. The defense posted its third shutout of the season. RBC was awarded the No. 3 seed in the Non-Public B bracket, which lines up for a rematch with the only team to beat them this year, Paramus Catholic, in the semifinals. That’s a little while down the road, as they have to start by handling their business in the first round. Next game: Friday vs. Hudson Catholic (3-6) in the Non-Public B round of 16.
2 Brick Memorial (8-2). Last week: No. 2.
The Mustangs hung 50 on Marlboro in the first half (!) on their way to a 57-7 victory in Central Jersey Group 4. Senior quarterback Jason Lajara threw three touchdown passes to give him a school-record 45 for his career, and senior wide receiver Nyzier Matthews caught two touchdowns to give him a school-record 22 career touchdown catches. Senior running back Nazeer Whittaker added a pair of rushing touchdowns. Brick Memorial has won five straight as it tries to reach its second straight sectional final with a victory this week. Next game: Friday vs. Steinert (7-2) in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals.
3 Holmdel (7-2). Last week: No. 3.
The Hornets kicked off their drive for their first state sectional title with a 43-10 win over Cinnaminson in which senior quarterback Jack Cannon threw three touchdown passes, two of them to sophomore Anthony Serini, and ran for two more. He now has more than 100 career touchdowns between rushing and passing. The victory sets up an all-Shore matchup as Holmdel tries to reach its first state sectional final since 1991 and the second one in school history. Next game: Friday vs. Neptune (9-1) in the Central Jersey Group 3 semifinals.
4 Donovan Catholic (7-3). Last week: No. 4.
The Griffins picked up an impressive victory when they beat St. Joseph’s-Metuchen 21-3 in a nonconference game for their sixth straight win heading into the playoffs. St. Joe’s was 8-0 and ranked No. 13 in the state at the time by NJ.com before Donovan Catholic smothered the Falcons. Head coach Dan Curcione said early in the season that it would take a little time to mesh all the talented parts of this team, and the Griffins appear to have done that to power their best stretch of football at the perfect time. Sophomore AJ Pena mixed in with Kahden Davis for some snaps at quarterback and ran for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Donovan Catholic earned the No. 4 seed in the Non-Public B bracket and could potentially have a monster matchup with DePaul in the semifinals. First they have to get rolling this week against a team RBC just beat 41-0 last week. Next game: Friday vs. Notre Dame (4-6) in the Non-Public B round of 16.
5 Southern (9-1). Last week: No. 5.
The Rams steamrolled Williamstown 36-3 in the first round in South Jersey Group 5 to get within one victory of tying the single-season school record set when they went 10-2 in 2008. Sophomore Niko Iliescu continued his breakout season with four rushing touchdowns in the victory. Southern can convert any more nonbelievers this week when it welcomes a Kingsway team that has a win over Donovan Catholic on its resume and is ranked No. 15 in the state by NJ.com. A victory would put the Rams in their first sectional final since 2012 and make them the favorite over the Atlantic City-Toms River North winner. Next game: Friday vs. Kingsway (8-2) in the South Jersey Group 5 semifinals.
6 Rumson-Fair Haven (6-3). Last week: No. 6.
Rumson senior running back Kellen Murray found the end zone against Point Boro in his first game back from injury after missing most of the season. (Photo by Patrick Olivero).
It got a little sweaty at Borden Stadium last week as Rumson-Fair Haven’s defense had to make a stand at its own 15-yard line in the final seconds to close out a scrappy Point Boro team for a 14-10 playoff win. Standout senior running back Kellen Murray returned from an injury he suffered in the second game of the season to score a touchdown in the victory. It only gets harder from here, as the Bulldogs now go on the road to face a team eager for revenge after Rumson-Fair Haven beat them in last year’s Central Jersey Group 2 final. The Bulldogs are trying to reach a mind-boggling 12th straight sectional final. Next game: Friday at Wall (7-2) in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals.
7 Wall (7-2). Last week: No. 7.
The Crimson Knights are playing as well as any team in the Shore right now as they ripped off their seventh straight victory in a 41-0 romp over Bordentown in the state playoffs. Senior Dylan Cohen ran for three touchdowns and senior quarterback Brian McKenna threw a pair of touchdown passes to Johnny Partusch in the win. Sophomore Jesse Roth led the defense with three tackles for a loss, an interception, a fumble recovery and a blocked field goal. Wall posted its fourth shutout of the season and third in a row. Now comes a game the Crimson Knights have been anticipating for almost a year. Wall is bidding to reach its first sectional final since 2019. Next game: Friday vs. Rumson-Fair Haven (6-3) in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals.
8 Manasquan (8-1). Last week: No. 8.
Despite not having star running back Ace Etienne available due to injury, the Warriors rolled into the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals behind senior Justice Morgan in a 35-0 win over A.L. Johnson. Morgan erupted for 207 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries, and Dylan Lu added a pair of rushing scores to power Manasquan’s sixth straight win. The defense registered its third shutout of the season behind 12 tackles, three for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery by junior linebacker Chris Matthaei. The competition ramps up dramatically this week with a team ranked No. 19 in the state by NJ.com. The Warriors will try to summon the magic the boys basketball team displayed against Camden in the state playoffs last season in order to reach their first sectional final since 2018. Next game: Friday at Camden (7-2) in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals.
9 Point Boro (4-5). Last week: No. 9.
The Panthers fought valiantly before falling to Rumson-Fair Haven 14-10 in the Central Jersey Group 2 quarterfinals. They had the ball at Rumson’s 15-yard line in the final seconds before coming up short. This is a young team that played multiple freshmen and has a host of talent returning, including standout junior quarterback Jake Clayton and slotback Nick Spanola, so the Panthers should once again be one of the Shore’s top squads next season. They just hope to avoid being snakebit after a season plagued by injuries to several key players. Their win over Toms River North keeps them in this spot, but we’ll see how it all shakes out in the end. Next game: Season complete.
10 Toms River North (5-5). Last week: No. 10.
The Mariners wrecked Cherry Hill East’s undefeated season with a 22-14 road victory in South Jersey Group 5 to extend their state-best playoff winning streak to 16 games. Junior standout Cole Garrison ran for a score and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the win. The three-time defending Group 5 champions will try to keep it going with another big road challenge this week against the No. 1 seed in the bracket. A victory would mean either a rematch with Southern, which beat Toms River North 24-13 in the regular season, or a showdown with Kingsway, which is the last team to defeat Toms River North in the playoffs. Kingsway beat the Mariners in a sectional final in 2021. Next game: Friday at Atlantic City (8-1) in the South Jersey Group 5 semifinals.
11 Manalapan (7-3). Last week: No. 11.
The Braves rolled into the semifinals with a 40-0 rout of Hamilton in Central Jersey Group 4. Junior quarterback Cameron Desfosse threw a pair of touchdowns and senior Ah’sere Woolfolk ran for 115 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries as Manalapan rolled up 396 yards on the ground. Junior Nicky Palmieri added 105 yards rushing on 11 carries. Junior linebacker Ethan Fogelstrom had nine tackles, two for a loss, and sophomore defensive back Thomas Donaway added an interception as the defense registered its second shutout of the season. The Braves now welcome a Shore Conference opponent as they try to reach their first sectional final since 2017. Next game: Friday vs. Middletown North (4-4) in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals.
12 Central (8-2). Last week: No. 12.
The Golden Eagles’ season came to an end in the first round of the South Jersey Group 3 playoffs as they fell 24-14 at home to sixth-seeded Northern Burlington. What’s keeping them ranked is a head-to-head win over Middletown North, which reached the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals by beating Middletown South. Central’s only other loss is to No. 5 Southern. We’ll see if the Golden Eagles can keep this spot as other teams get deeper into the playoffs, but for now a strong season has come to an end. Next game: Season complete.
Dropped out: None.
Knocking on the door: Middletown North, Neptune, Shore, Matawan.
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
