Atlantic Physical Therapy Shore Conference Football Top 12, 9/16/25
That crumpling sound you hear is Holmdel, Donovan Catholic and Matawan printing out last week’s rankings, folding them up and cramming them directly in the garbage.
Holmdel made the whole Shore take notice by ending Rumson-Fair Haven’s 15-game winning streak with a 33-21 win on the road against the defending Class A North champions. The Hornets’ offense has been unstoppable behind senior quarterback Jack Cannon and the playmaking trio of wideouts Michael Todisco, Anthony Serini and James Murphy. Their rebuilt offensive line was also impressive in taking it to a well-regarded Rumson defensive line, and the defense made four interceptions.
Michael Todisco (#2) and Holmdel shook up the rankings by ending Rumson’s 15-game winning streak. (Photo by Thomas Pantaleo)
Holmdel has an argument to be No. 1 right now with wins over Rumson and Donovan Catholic, but the Hornets will get to do their talking on the field because they will face No. 1 Red Bank Catholic in Class A North. The Caseys can pick up a solid resume win this week when they host No. 5 Middletown North, which is looking to be this week’s Holmdel with a statement win.
A massive No. 1 vs. No. 2 game looms on Sept. 26 if Holmdel and RBC win this week, but they can’t get caught looking ahead.
After giving up 48 points and losing its starting quarterback and running back to injuries a week earlier, Donovan Catholic had a Lee Corso-style “not so fast my friend!” win over Toms River North. The Griffins showed that dropping them from the rankings was a bad idea with a 14-0 win that announced them as a contender in Class A South no matter who is in the lineup.
Also, just when it looked like Manasquan was the team to beat in Class C North, a young Matawan squad loaded with offensive skill talent beat the Warriors 36-22 for their best win in a while. The Huskies have rapidly become one of the Shore’s most intriguing teams.
We’re also reaching the point where the conversation is becoming difficult between teams in loaded divisions with subpar records against teams with winning records with less challenging schedules.
For instance, is a 1-2 Toms River North team that has been shut out twice better than a 3-0 Southern team that hasn’t played the same level of competition? Is an 0-3 Point Boro team with three losses to ranked teams better than a 2-1 St. John Vianney squad? It can be hard to make that call, but hopefully more results will make the picture somewhat clearer. The good news is Point Boro and St. John Vianney play this week, and Toms River North and Southern clash on Sept. 26, so we’ll find out on the field.
Here are the latest rankings.
1 Red Bank Catholic (3-0). Last week: No. 1.
RBC freshman running back Gabe Kemp and the Caseys look to hold on to their top spot with a win over Middletown North. (Doug Phillips/FrameGrabs LLC)
The Caseys took care of business with a 35-7 win over Middletown South in which the freshmen duo of quarterback Rahmir Rivera and running back Gabe Kemp continued to flourish. Rivera threw for a career-high 252 yards and two touchdowns on 21-for-26 passing, while Kemp put up 139 yards rushing and a pair of scores on 15 carries. Junior linebacker Luke Scaturro continued his big season with 14 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, a sack and an interception return for a touchdown. No team has scored more than eight points in a game against RBC this season. The Caseys face another strong Class A North foe this week as they look to stay tied atop the divisional standings with Holmdel. Next game: Friday vs. No. 5 Middletown North (2-0).
2 Holmdel (2-0). Last week: No. 5.
The Hornets were the story of Week Two in Shore Conference football as they took down last week’s No. 2 team, Rumson-Fair Haven, with a 33-21 win on the road. The victory ended Rumson’s 15-game winning streak, which was tied for the longest current streak in the state, and the Hornets beat the Bulldogs for the first time since 1999. Holmdel showed its aspirations are as big as it gets: a run at No. 1 in the Shore, a Class A North title and the program’s first state sectional championship. Senior quarterback Jack Cannon continued to build his Offensive Player of the Year resume with 330 total yards, including 200 on the ground, four rushing touchdowns and a touchdown pass. Junior Michael Todisco has been one of the Shore’s top defensive backs, and he registered two of the Hornets’ four interceptions in the win. A program that has never won a state title or been No. 1 in the Shore is now in some rarefied air. Their 48-35 win over Donovan Catholic in the opener also aged well after the Griffins took down Toms River North. Next game: Friday vs. Middletown South (0-3).
3 Rumson-Fair Haven (2-1). Last week: No. 2.
The Bulldogs drop a spot after they were upset 33-21 by Holmdel to end their school-record 15-game winning streak. Like pretty much every other team, they could not solve Holmdel quarterback Jack Cannon, who accounted for five touchdowns and more than 300 yards of offense. Rumson was also without star running back Kellen Murray, who was in a walking boot due to an injury suffered a week earlier. The passing game struggled mightily, with the Bulldogs’ two quarterbacks combining for four interceptions. They do still boast a 35-7 win over Brick Memorial, which keeps them in the top three as they try to bounce back from their first loss since 2023. Next game: Friday at Marlboro (2-1).
4 Brick Memorial (2-1). Last week: No. 4.
The Mustangs stay put after they pulled out a 41-27 win over Point Boro in Class A South. The return of senior quarterback Jason Lajara was a triumphant one, as he ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more in his first game back since missing two games with illness. Nyzier Matthews added a 73-yard pick six to seal the win and also had a 59-yard touchdown catch. The challenges keep coming in Class A South with another tough game in Week Three. Next game: Friday at No. 9 Toms River North (1-2).
5 Middletown North (2-0). Last week: No. 6.
Middletown North junior Matt Belenko and the Lions are looking to topple the Shore’s No. 1 team this week. (Photo by Steve Meyer)
The Lions stayed unbeaten with a 37-7 win over previously unbeaten Marlboro in the Class A North opener. Junior Matt Belenko has put his name among the Shore’s top running backs with 406 yards rushing and five touchdowns in two games on an average of 11 yards per carry. Senior quarterback Owen Robson also had a touchdown pass to Jack Viola and a touchdown run in the win over Marlboro. Now comes Middletown North’s chance to make the kind of statement that Holmdel did last week and explode the rankings. Next game: Friday at No. 1 Red Bank Catholic (3-0).
6 Donovan Catholic (1-2). Last week: Unranked.
Aidan Kelly and Donovan Catholic fought back from an 0-2 start to knock off Toms River North. (Photo by Tom Smith/tspimages.com)
Rumors of Donovan Catholic’s demise turned out to be greatly exaggerated. Just when it looked like the Griffins were on the ropes at 0-2 and without starting quarterback Kahden Davis and starting running back Alex Staten due to injuries, they got back off the mat and kept swinging. The defense went from giving up 48 points a week earlier to shutting out last week’s No. 3 team, Toms River North, in a 14-0 win in Class A South. Junior Ethan Nicolas is one of the Shore’s more underrated running backs, and he had a touchdown along with junior Aidan Kelly. Freshman quarterback Chris McClaren also got a win in his first varsity start in place of Davis. Defensive lineman Kai Pritchard and linebacker Jason Madden combined for five sacks to lead the defensive effort. Their loss to Holmdel also didn’t look so bad after the Hornets went into Rumson and took out the Bulldogs. Next game: Friday at Jackson Township (1-2).
7 St. John Vianney (2-1). Last week: No. 7.
The Lancers fended off last week’s No. 12 team, Freehold Township, in a 49-35 win in a key Class B North game. They showed poise down the stretch in a game that was tied at 35 with three minutes left by scoring a pair of touchdowns to put the game away. Senior quarterback Zach LaBarca threw for 172 yards and four touchdowns, senior Adam Urs had four catches for 107 yards and two scores and senior Danny Breen ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns to power the win. Breen was already known as a star linebacker but has now emerged as one of the Shore’s most productive running backs as well. This week brings another tough test from a Point Boro team that pushed No. 4 Brick Memorial to the brink last week and may have found something offensively in the loss. Next game: Friday at Point Boro (0-3).
8 Southern (3-0). Last week: No. 9.
The Rams move up a spot after rolling over Central 37-0 in a matchup of unbeatens in Class B South. Aidan Covell ran for 80 yards and a touchdown and senior safety Ace Williams had a 100-yard pick-six to highlight the defensive effort. No team has cracked double digits on the Rams this season. They can take an important step toward the Class B South crown with a win this week in another matchup of unbeaten teams in an old-school Ocean County clash. Next game: Friday vs. Brick (3-0).
9 Toms River North (1-2). Last week: No. 3.
You could argue the Mariners should drop out entirely considering that in both of their losses to No. 1 RBC and No. 6 Donovan Catholic, they scored a total of zero points, and their only win is over unranked Toms River East. But as Donovan Catholic showed last week, you can’t write some of these teams with tough schedules off too early. However, a 1-3 start is staring the three-time defending Group 5 champions in the face unless they can pull an upset this week. Next game: Friday vs. No. 3 Brick Memorial (2-1).
10 Manalapan (2-1). Last week: No. 10.
Nicky Palmieri and Manalapan picked up a win over Jackson to improve to 2-1. (Photo by Steve Meyer)
The Braves won their second straight as they picked up a 33-20 nondivisional win over last week’s No. 11 team, Jackson. Junior quarterback Cameron Desfosse threw a pair of touchdown passes and junior running back Nick Palmieri ran for a score and caught a TD pass in the victory. Senior running back Ah’sere Woolfolk had a big night with 127 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Manalapan’s Class B North schedule kicks off this week with a Freehold Regional District rivalry game. Next game: Friday vs. Howell (1-2).
11 Matawan (2-1). Last week: Unranked.
The young and talented Huskies showed they are growing up fast with a 36-22 win over last week’s No. 8 team, previously unbeaten Manasquan. They have already tied their win total from last season. Sophomore wide receiver Cayson Williams continued his breakout season with 7 catches for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win over Manasquan. Quarterback BlairCarter Gagneron threw for 276 yards and also ran for a touchdown as Matawan turned in its second straight game of 30 or more points. Their loss to Hightstown (1-2) hasn’t aged well, but they are out to show it was a fluke for a team breaking in a host of young starters. They look to continue to prove they are a prime contender for the Class C North title this week. Next game: Friday at Red Bank (1-1).
12 Manasquan (2-1). Last week: No. 8.
The Warriors drop four spots after losing 36-22 to previously unranked Matawan. They still have a solid win over Point Boro, but the margin for error is slim now as far as the rankings are concerned. Senior running back Ace Etienne had 110 yards rushing and a touchdown in the loss. The Warriors should get a boost this week with WR/RB/DB Justice Morgan, a Brick transfer, eligible to play. They face a tough test in an unbeaten Shore Regional team in Class C North. Another loss and they’re pretty much out of the race for the division title, and they’re ravaged by injuries right now, so this weekend could be dicey. Next game: Saturday vs. Shore (2-0).
Dropped out:
Jackson (1-2): The Jaguars lost their second straight and have yet to beat a Shore Conference opponent this season as they fell 33-20 to No. 10 Manalapan for their second loss to a ranked team. Senior tailback Jonah Glenn had 127 yards rushing in the loss. They can get themselves right back in the mix if they upset No. 6 Donovan Catholic on Friday night.
Freehold Twp. (2-1): The Patriots pushed No. 7 St. John Vianney to the limit in a 49-35 loss that was tied at 35 with three minutes left in the game. Junior quarterback Dakota Lasater threw for 183 yards and four touchdowns in the loss. Freehold Township can make a case this week to get back into the rankings when it faces a solid Wall (1-2) team that’s also looking to return to the Top 12.
Knocking on the door: Wall, Point Boro, Asbury Park, Brick, Shore Regional.
Previous rankings:
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
