Atlantic Physical Therapy Shore Conference Football Top 12, 9/23/25
It’s hard to believe, but we’re almost at the midpoint of the Shore Conference football season for most teams.
We’re deep enough into the season that one team (Point Beach) can clinch at least a tie for a division title with a win this week, and another (Brick Memorial) can clinch at least a tie with a win and a loss by Jackson in Class A South.
The top of the Atlantic Physical Therapy SSI Top 12 rankings appears to have stabilized, and now comes the biggest game of the season: No. 1 Red Bank Catholic hosting No. 2 Holmdel on Friday night in their first meeting in 12 years.
A win by the Hornets puts them in the driver’s seat for their third straight division title and sends a message to the whole state that they will be a serious postseason threat. A win by RBC sets up their rivalry game against Rumson-Fair Haven next month to be the Caseys’ last huge hurdle toward the Class A North crown.
No. 4 Brick Memorial needed a touchdown in the final seconds to beat Toms River North 28-21, ending a 40-game winning streak against public school programs by the Mariners. Toms River North is hanging on by a thread in the rankings but will have a chance to get right back in the picture this week when it faces No. 5 Southern, which is off to a 4-0 start.
Once you get past probably Wall at No. 9, you could argue for a million different teams.
Take the No. 12 spot, for example. Red Bank knocked off Matawan last week and is alone in first place in Class C North. However, the Bucs have a loss to Neptune. The Scarlet Fliers are 3-1, but have a loss to Freehold Township. The Patriots are 2-2 and have a loss to St. John Vianney. Point Boro just beat St. John Vianney, but has a loss to Manasquan among its three losses. Manasquan lost to Matawan, which Red Bank just defeated.
That’s enough to make your head hurt, which usually means we’re reaching the part of the season where it’s which team is playing the best at that time or has the best overall body of work because you can go around and around with “this team beat that team beat the other team.”
Plus, teams still have opportunities to get back in the rankings. For instance, if Point Boro beats No. 8 Jackson this week, that will be two straight wins over teams that were ranked at the time and a strong case to return to the top 12.
Same goes for St. John Vianney, which can jump right back in with a victory over No. 6 Manalapan this week.
Here are the latest rankings.
1 Red Bank Catholic (4-0). Last week: No. 1.
Gabe Kemp and RBC are looking to cement themselves as the Shore’s No. 1 team in a massive showdown against No. 2 Holmdel this week. (Photo by Athletically Challenged)
The Caseys looked every bit of the Shore’s top team in a dominant 36-0 win over Middletown North, which was ranked No. 5 at the time. Senior wideout Dan Zabora made a career-high three touchdown catches and freshman quarterback Rahmir Rivera threw four touchdown passes overall. The defense recorded its second shutout, racking up three sacks and holding the Lions under 200 yards of offense after they entered averaging 34 points per game. Now comes the big one. All eyes will be on Count Basie Field on Friday night. Next game: Friday vs. No. 2 Holmdel (3-0).
2 Holmdel (3-0). Last week: No. 2.
The Hornets did their part to set up the massive showdown with RBC by beating Middletown South 49-21 in Class A North behind a career-high five touchdown passes from senior quarterback Jack Cannon. Senior James Murphy and sophomore Anthony Serini each had two touchdown catches. While RBC is used to playing in high-profile games, this is new territory for Holmdel. Their game this week is the biggest regular-season contest in the 53-year history of the program. Next game: Friday at No. 1 Red Bank Catholic (4-0).
3 Rumson-Fair Haven (3-1). Last week: No. 3.
The Bulldogs recovered from the loss to Holmdel by rolling over Marlboro 38-7 in Class A North. Junior Ryder Izzo ran for a pair of touchdowns and sophomore quarterback Brady Williams tossed two touchdown passes. The more encouraging news was the return of senior tight end Jack Gyimesi, who had been out with an injury. The Colgate recruit is a weapon in the passing game and had a touchdown in his first game back. Another ranked opponent in Class A North awaits this week. Next game: Friday vs. No. 7 Middletown North (2-1).
4 Brick Memorial (3-1). Last week: No. 4.
Senior Nyzier Matthews gave Brick Memorial a huge win over Toms River North with a last-second touchdown catch. (Photo credit: Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com)
The Mustangs nudged out to the lead in Class A South with a heart-stopper against Toms River North. A touchdown throw from senior quarterback Jason Lajara to senior wideout Nyzier Matthews in the final seconds of regulation was the difference in a 28-21 win. The victory ended Toms River North’s 40-game winning streak against public school teams and made Brick Memorial the first Ocean County public school to beat the Mariners since 2020. Matthews had three touchdown catches in the win. The Mustangs can clinch at least a tie for the division title with a win and a Jackson loss to Point Boro. Next game: Friday at No. 10 Donovan Catholic (1-3).
5 Southern (4-0). Last week: No. 8.
The Rams move into the top five after routing previously unbeaten Brick 35-7 to make it clear they are head and shoulders above the rest of Class B South. Senior running back Aidan Covell ran for a pair of scores and quarterback Carson Abbato threw for two more to lead the way. Meanwhile, the defense has yet to allow more than one touchdown in a game this season. Southern’s nondivisional victory over Jackson has also aged well after the Jaguars beat Donovan Catholic by four touchdowns last week. Now comes Southern’s ultimate nemesis. Toms River North has beaten the Rams in six of their last seven meetings and nine of the last 11. The Mariners are in desperation mode after a tough start, so Southern will get their best shot. This is the Rams’ chance to break through for a 5-0 start for what may be the first time in program history unless it happened in the 1970s under legendary coach Ron Emmert. Next game: Friday at Toms River North (1-3).
6 Manalapan (3-1). Last week: No. 10.
The Braves continue their rise in the rankings after taking care of business with a 13-0 win over Howell in Class B North. Dean Aviles and Brayden Miller each had interceptions and Ethan Fogelstrom had a pair of sacks to lead the defense as the Braves won their third straight game. Now comes a pivotal Class B North game against a tough St. John Vianney squad coming off a loss. Next game: Friday vs. St. John Vianney (2-2).
7 Middletown North (2-1). Last week: No. 5.
There’s no shame in losing to the No. 1 team, but the Lions were not competitive in a 36-0 loss to top-ranked Red Bank Catholic, so they drop two spots. It marked their first shutout loss since 2021 and their first against a Shore Conference opponent since 2019. The problem for the Lions is their only remaining chances at a signature win all come against top-three teams in the rankings. So unless Matawan bounces back into the top 12 to make that a ranked matchup, Middletown North could slowly drop if the Lions don’t prove themselves against Rumson or Holmdel. One of those tests comes this week, as they have to dust themselves off from RBC and get ready to face another heavyweight in Class A North. Next game: Friday at No. 3 Rumson-Fair Haven (3-1).
8 Jackson (2-2). Last week: Unranked.
Jio Kabiri (#21) and Jackson are back in the rankings after a convincing win over Donovan Catholic. (Photo by Steven Meyer)
The Jaguars snapped a two-game skid and got right back into the rankings after beating last week’s No. 6 team, Donovan Catholic, in an impressive 28-0 victory in Class A South. With running back Jonah Glenn out injured, fellow senior Jio Kabiri rushed for a career-high 185 yards, and senior quarterback Mason Ciccariello ran for two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass. The win was the first home victory for the newly unified Jackson team. The Class A South battles continue this week against another team coming off a strong win. Next game: Friday vs. Point Boro (1-3).
9 Wall (2-2). Last week: Unranked.
Heath Reinhardt and Wall have won two straight to return to the rankings. (Photo credit: Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com)
The Crimson Knights are back in the top 12 for the first time since the preseason and appear to be picking up steam with two straight wins. They routed Freehold Township 49-19 in a separation game in the Class B North race, as senior RB/LB Dylan Cohen ran for 161 yards and three touchdowns and also had 10.5 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Quarterback Brian McKenna threw for a career-high 232 yards and three touchdowns and wideout Heath Reinhardt had eight catches for a career-high 192 yards and a touchdown in the win. Wall looks to make it three in a row this week in a nondivisional game. Next game: Friday at Raritan (2-1).
10 Donovan Catholic (1-3). Last week: No. 6.
The Griffins once again have their backs to the wall after a 28-0 loss to Jackson evaporated any momentum from their win over Toms River North. They will try for another big bounceback win when they face Brick Memorial this week and also hope that Toms River North can knock off Southern to add some value to Donovan’s win over the Mariners. Next game: Friday vs. No. 4 Brick Memorial (3-1).
11 Toms River North (1-3). Last week: No. 9.
The Mariners are in danger of falling out of the rankings unless they beat No. 5 Southern in a nondivisional game this week. They took No. 4 Brick Memorial to the edge, losing 28-21 on a touchdown in the final seconds last week. They now get a Rams team that they have beaten in nine of their last 11 meetings. Toms River North currently sits in 11th in the United Power Rankings in South Jersey Group 5, while Southern is at No. 3, so this would be huge for playoff qualification and seeding. Next game: Friday vs. No. 5 Southern (4-0).
12 Manasquan (3-1). Last week: No. 12.
A bunch of teams have arguments to be in this spot, including a Red Bank squad that’s in first place in Class C North and just beat the Matawan team that defeated Manasquan a week earlier. However, the Bucs do have a loss to Neptune (3-1), while Manasquan has a win over Point Boro as well as a solid Shore (2-1) team on its resume. Manasquan held off previously unbeaten Shore 36-21 last week thanks to another monster game from senior running back Ace Etienne, who had 268 yards and five touchdowns to continue his brilliant season. Junior quarterback Kyle Dow, a Donovan Catholic transfer, is eligible this week after sitting out, and senior Justice Morgan, a Brick transfer, should be back in the lineup after missing the Shore game with an illness, so this team is ready to show its full capabilities. Next game: Friday vs. Long Branch (0-4).
Dropped out:
St. John Vianney (2-2): The Lancers lost their second game by the same exact score as their first loss, falling 14-12 to previously winless Point Boro in a nondivisional game. They can wipe the slate clean in a hurry and make their case to return to the rankings when they face No. 6 Manalapan this week in a big Class B North game.
Matawan (2-2): The Huskies followed their win over Manasquan with a 27-18 loss to previously unranked Red Bank for a setback in the Class C North race. They will try to get back on track with a divisional game against Colts Neck (1-3) this week.
Knocking on the door: Point Boro, Red Bank.
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
