Blue Blood: 2025 Manasquan Football Preview

After starting off the 2024 campaign with a 3-5 record, a young Manasquan team featuring just seven seniors rebounded to win their final three games of the season, culminating with a Thanksgiving Day victory over rival Wall that allowed them to finish the year with a winning record at 6-5 in addition to denying their rival a share of a division title.

Guided by a large contingent of returning starters along with several talented newcomers, the Warriors are seeking to return to the forefront of the Shore Conference and sectional final race. Manasquan still has the most playoff era sectional titles of any program in Shore Conference history with 12, although they have not won one since 2016. The nine-year gap since their last sectional title is the longest title drought Manasquan has experienced since legendary Coach Vic Kubu led the program to its first title back in 1990.

The 2025 iteration of the Warriors will feature numerous sons, brothers and grandsons of prominent state championship-winning players from Manasquan’s decorated past. For head coach Jay Price and the Manasquan program, the hope is that the blood relatives of the greats can restore Manasquan to its former glory.

Offense 

The Warriors return last year’s starting quarterback in senior Matt Antonucci, who threw for 734 yards and 9 touchdowns in his first year as a starter. Antonucci is the son of legendary former Middletown South head coach Steve Antonucci, as well as the younger brother of Tommy Antonucci, who helped lead Manasquan to its last sectional championship in 2016. Antonucci is competing with sophomore Kennedy Larned and senior Frankie Tackett for the starting job in Week 0. Junior Kyle Dow also transferred in from Donovan Catholic, where he started last season. The 6-3, 190-pound Dow will have to sit out four games due to the transfer, but will factor in heavily in the quarterback room once he is eligible.

Second-team All-Shore senior running back Ace Etienne returns as the starter in the backfield after rushing for 1,129 yards yards and 18 touchdowns last season. Etienne is the younger brother of Rashid Tuddles, who was part of the 2016 sectional championship team. He is a member of the Morgan family, who have sent generations of talented athletes through the Manasquan program.

Senior Dylan Lu also returns after rushing for 686 yards and 6 touchdowns last year as well as junior Dax Klein, who came on strong at the end of the year. Klein is the son of former all-state lineman Donny Klein, who led the Warriors to the first perfect 12-0 season in Shore Conference history in 1998. Along with the three returnees, two-time All-Division running back Justice Morgan, a senior, transferred in from Brick. Morgan, who is Etienne’s cousin, is the son of legendary Warriors’ running back/defensive back Troy Morgan, who guided the program to four straight state championships from 1998-2001. He will have to sit out three games after the transfer.

Juniors Tommy Certo and Henry Backes, a transfer from Donovan Catholic, will man the fullback position.

Senior three-sport standout Jack O’Reilly (6-5, 215) will start at one wide receiver spot after starting at tight end the last two seasons. Tackett, who caught 23 passes for 173 yards last season, will start at the other wide receiver spot if he does not win the quarterback job. Senior Joey Dettlinger will either start or see significant time in the rotation.

Junior Luke Barry, a 6-4, 215-pound transfer from Florida, will start at tight end. Barry is the younger brother of Ben Barry, who helped lead the Warriors to the 2016 sectional title and is currently on the coaching staff. Juniors Lucas Kubu, Jackson McDonald and Ryder Boyle are also competing for snaps at tight end. Kubu is the grandson of legendary coach Vic Kubu, who led Manasquan to 10 sectional titles, as well as the son of Vic Kubu Jr., who started on the 1990 and 1991 state championship teams.

The Warriors return three starters on the offensive line after leading the way to over 2,200 rushing yards last season. The unit loses two critical pieces from last year in All-Shore lineman Adam Murphy (Colgate) and All-Division lineman Pat Loxley. Senior Liam Opatosky (6-2, 250) returns as a three-year starter at right guard. Senior Ambrose Masonius (6-1, 235) is the returning starter at left tackle. Senior John Lake (6-0, 210) returns as the starter at right tackle. The center will be junior Dom Incolla (5-9, 205). The left guard will be either senior Jack Poland (5-9, 195) or junior Nick Loughrey (6-0, 190).

Dettlinger returns as the placekicker for the third consecutive season.

Defense

Manasquan will look to improve on a season in which it allowed over 24 points per game, including over 42 points per game in its five losses.

The Warriors return two starters on the defensive line in Kubu (6-0, 210), who will start at one defensive end spot, and Masonius, who will start at one defensive tackle spot. Opatosky was a part-time starter last season and will start at the other defensive tackle position, while Loughrey will start at the other defensive end position. 

Etienne is a returning starter at one outside linebacker position while senior Jake McDaid returns as a starter at the other outside linebacker position. The middle linebacker will be either Barry or Backes.

Lu returns as a starter at cornerback while Tackett returns as a starter at safety. Klein will move from outside linebacker, where he started several games, to safety. Dettlinger is expected to be the starter at the other cornerback position. O’Reilly will factor in significantly at defensive back as will Morgan once he is eligible to play.

McDonald will be the punter. Junior Bubba O’Donnell returns as the long snapper.

 

 

Manasquan at a glance 

Head coach: Jay Price, 15th season 

Career record: 85-60

2024 record: 6-5

Offense: Multiple

Defense: 4-3

Coaching Staff

Offensive Coordinator/QB: Justin Cella

RB: Darrell Falkinburg

WR: Brian Lee

WR: Lou Certo

OL: Jon McLaughlin

TE: Ben Barry

DL: Eddie Kapalko

LB: Eric Howland

DB: Pete Cahill

DB: Jay Price Sr.

Freshman: Rich Griffith

Freshman: John Morris

Athletic trainer: Kevin Hyland

Circle the Date: Sept. 6, Point Boro

The former Thanksgiving rivals will square off in Week 1. The Warriors have lost to the Panthers in each of the last three seasons. The game was not competitive last season, so this year’s game against the defending sectional champions will be a barometer for how far the program has come and how close they are to contending in a strong Group 2 field.

Newcomer to Watch: Kyle Dow, Jr., QB 

Of the four transfers, Dow has the potential to make the biggest impact since he plays the most high- profile position. If he is able to seize the quarterback position and complement the Warriors’ successful ground attack from last season with a strong aerial attack, the quaint Shore town can make some big waves in the Shore Conference once again.

SCHEDULE

Date                        Team                 Time

Friday 8/29           at TR South        6 p.m.

Saturday 9/6         Point Boro          1 p.m.

Friday 9/12           at Matawan         6 p.m.

Saturday 9/20      Shore                    1 p.m.

Friday 9/26           at Long Branch  6 p.m.

Saturday 10/11      Red Bank            1 p.m.

Friday 10/17          at Brick                6 p.m.

Saturday 10/25     Colts Neck          1 p.m.

Thursday 11/27     at Wall                10 a.m.