Boys Soccer Group Semifinal Preview: Southern, Middletown South One Step Away

NJSIAA Tournament

Group Semifinals

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025

 

Group IV

North Brunswick (14-9) at Southern (16-6-2), 1 p.m. at Barnegat High School

Heading into the state tournament, a North Brunswick-vs.-Southern state semifinal was not the matchup most people paying attention to Group IV expected and nobody was expecting a Group IV semifinal to be played at Barnegat High School, of all places. The home of the Bengals has, however, played host to a Shore Conference Tournament championship game back in 2021, so it is a worthy back-up plan for Southern, who preferred a turf alternative to their grass-only facilities (turf is coming to Southern in 2026) and found a willing partner in Barnegat.

On the Southern side of things, this run probably shouldn’t be all that surprising. Yes, the Rams brought only four starters back from the 2024 Group IV championship team, including the top three scorers. They also got bounced from the Shore Conference Tournament by Ocean in the round of 16 and suffered a 4-0 loss to Manalapan right before that as well.

Then again, the 2024 team also had its moments of doubt during the regular season and that team too lost in the SCT round of 16. Without the luxury of 30-goal scorer Aiden Donnelly, however, it was hard to see this year’s team scoring at the same breakneck pace that last year’s team did, but the Rams are doing just that. After scoring 18 goals in four South Jersey Group IV games in 2024, Southern erupted for 17 in the fourth sectional playoff games this November, including five-goal performances in three of the wins.

Last year, Donnelly scored six goals in the sectional championship run and capped it with a championship hat trick. This year, senior Brody Nacarlo scored seven goals in the four games, capped by a hat trick in Friday’s South Group IV final at Cherry Hill East. Nacarlo has also dished out three assists and has three multi-goal games in the state tournament so far, while seniors Nick Leiriao (five goals, two assists) and Caden Schweigart (three goals and five assists) have also been at the forefront of Southern’s offensive awakening during the state tournament.

Southern’s coaching again has to be acknowledged for the role it has played in the championship run. Last year, Guy Lockwood took over the team right before the NJSIAA Tournament and led the Rams to a 9-0 record to close out the year. This year, John Nacarlo, returned from a hiatus from high-school coaching to guide the Rams through the season and have them hitting the top form for November. Friday’s sectional championship victory was the ninth of Nacarlo’s coaching career, which began with 15 years and seven championships as Holmdel’s boys coach, followed by another championship during a two-year stint as the girls goal at Holmdel.

North Brunswick’s march to the final has been even more surprising given who the Raiders had to beat the get there and how much time they have spent on the bus to do it. It started with a win over a 15-4-1 Montgomery side – the first of four straight road wins during the Central Jersey Group IV title run. Then, came the big one: a 2-1 shocker over No. 1 seed Monroe, which handled the Raiders during the regular season.

The Raiders then went through their Shore Conference test in the semifinal round, during which Marlboro hammered them with 19 shots over the course of 100 minutes, which was not enough to settle a 1-1 draw. North Brunswick then showed they could handle the pressure but nailing their penalty kicks and escaping Marlboro with a 2-1 win to advance to the sectional final round for the first time since 2008.

The last of North Brunswick’s CJ IV upsets came on Friday, when the Raiders took out No. 2 Hunterdon Central on the road, 2-1, behind two more goals from Chris Licona. Licona also scored in the first half of North Brunswick’s win over Marlboro and his speed and finishing ability with be a key focus for Southern on Tuesday.

North Brunswick has size in the midfield with Joshua Bonsu and in the back with 6-foot-4 center back William Tal. Goalkeeper Alex Andino has also been a major asset for the Raiders in their championship run.

In its win over Cherry Hill East on Friday, Southern had to shift Schweigart to center back after Kyle Schoepfer suffered a concussion, according to Nacarlo. Schoepfer has yet to be cleared, so Schweigart could be looking at more time on defense Tuesday, while the Rams rely on Nacarlo and Leiriao to keep leading the attack, with Jaxson Simon, Tyler Houghton, Juan Victoria stepping up in the supporting cast.

North Brunswick’s quick-strike attack has claimed four unsuspecting host victims already, but the Rams should be fully prepared for the strengths the Raiders bring to the table. With the finishing ability of Nacarlo and Leiriao this postseason, the Raiders will have to rely on another great performance by Andino and some more good fortune if they are to reach the program’s first state final since 1998.

The Pick: Southern, 4-2

 

Group III

Middletown South (16-3-1) at Moorestown (20-3), 5 p.m.

While it’s not quite two number one seeds battling it out for a spot in the state final, it is fair to say that the best team in both the Central and South Jersey brackets heading into the Group III Tournament both made it to the Group III semifinals.

Moorestown has had no problem living on the edge this postseason, with a 2-0 first-round win the only game the Quakers have played this tournament that was not decided by one goal. They followed with a 2-1 win over No. 8 Mainland, then 1-0 wins over both No. 4 Toms River South and No. 6 Delsea in the sectional semifinals and finals, respectively.

That formula should look familiar to Middletown South, although the Eagles finally broke out for a huge goal-scoring game in Friday’s Central Group III championship at top-seeded Colts Neck. During the Shore Conference Tournament and NJSIAA Tournament, Middletown South has played eight games, with five of them decided by a one-goal margin – including one in a penalty shootout. After routing 15th-seeded Pemberton, 7-1, in the opening round, Middletown South grinded through 1-0 wins over both Long Branch and Northern Burlington, then played a scoreless first half at Colts Neck. In the second half, however, Middletown South struck oil with four goals, with three coming off the foot of junior forward Connor Saul.

The Eagles’ scoring output during the postseason has not mattered much because the defense is hardly giving up any scoring on the other end. During its current 11-game winning streak, Middletown South has allowed just two goals, one of which came in the blowout win vs. Pemberton to open the state tournament. The other was against Christian Brothers Academy in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals and that goal cut a 2-0 Middletown South lead to 2-1. The Eagles last trailed on Sept. 25, when they fell behind Neptune, 1-0, before rallying for a 2-1 win that started the current 13-game unbeaten streak.

Seniors Brett Denery and Ryan Kapler are the two three-year starters on the defense and junior Brody Illingworth is in year two as a versatile outside back, but Denery, Kapler and coach Dan Riverso have all sung the praises of junior Charlie Welsh as the player who has been the final piece in making Middletown South a force defensively. Welsh was a midseason call-up from the junior varsity ranks and his play at center back allowed Denery to move back to left back, where he has been a weapon for Middletown South during his varsity career.

Senior goalkeeper Carson Perry does not get tested too often with that defense in front of him, but he has been up to the task when he has been needed. He is especially adept on penalty kicks, with the senior keeper delivering Middletown South wins in each of the last two shootouts in which he has participated – one a state-tournament win over Jackson Memorial last season and the other the SCT championship game vs. Colts Neck this season.

Saul has been Middletown South’s top scorer this season with 15 goals, while senior Luke Strada has posted 11 goals and 10 assists as the team’s engine. Senior Jack Cohen has been instrumental in running the midfield with the help of classmate Matteo Gallina and sophomore Luke Strukiewicz. Senior Mason Petke has also been a scoring threat who can play up top or in the midfield, depending on whether Strada is attack more from the midfield, as a wing or more of a striker.

Moorestown has been a difficult team to score on this season and has been able to sit on 1-0 leads in each of the last two rounds. The Quakers will be a challenge to crack in the back as well and they have had enough offense to back it up with Nate Rivera (10 goals, five assists) leading the way.

It would make sense that two great defensive teams play a 1-0 game with a spot in the state final on the line, but Middletown South and Colts Neck figured to be the same kind of game and the Eagles turned it into a rout. Maybe the hot streak is bound to end, but there are only two more chances for that to happen.

The Pick: Middletown South, 1-0