Boys Soccer Shore Sports Insider Top 10: The Penultimate 2025 Rankings

There are less than two weeks remaining in the 2025 boys soccer season in New Jersey and down at the Shore, so much is still on the table. Three teams are still competing for the final No. 1 ranking and those three teams are part of a group of 11 from the Shore still chasing a sectional championship in the NJSIAA Tournament.

Five of the teams still playing in the NJSIAA Tournament are not in this week’s rankings, so the bottom of the Top 10 remains in flux with just 13 days left in the season and just one set of rankings left to organize for 2025.

1. Christian Brothers Academy (15-2-4, 5-0-1) Last Week: 1

The Colts stayed alive in their quest for another South Jersey Non-Public A championship, which they had won three straight seasons until last year’s sectional quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame. Last week’s 1-0 win over St. Thomas Aquinas featured an unlikely hero in Shane Landau, which has been a common theme for CBA over the last two years. St. Augustine was fortunate to get past St. John Vianney on penalties, so the Colts should have a real shot on their home field.

2. Colts Neck (18-2, 5-1) Last Week: 2

Although Colts Neck was not facing elimination in the closing minute of the sectional quarterfinals against Lawrence, the Cougars were staring down the prospect of sudden death overtime and, potentially, penalty kicks. Then, C.J. Collins broke free, earned a penalty kick with one second left and turned it over to Ben Kazani, who ended the game in dramatic fashion, 2-1. Instead of another devastating quarterfinal loss, Colts Neck will host Brick Memorial with a chance to play in the sectional final for the first time since 2018.

3. Middletown South (14-3-1, 3-2-1) Last Week: 3

Defense remains the strength of Middletown South’s operation, but a seven-goal outburst in a first-round win over Pemberton was a welcome wave of scoring to open the NJSIAA Tournament. After knocking out defending Central Jersey Group III champion Long Branch, the Eagles are one home win from playing in the sectional final and playing Friday for their first NJSIAA sectional title in program history. If Middletown South gets there, the case for the No. 1 ranking in the Shore Conference would be too compelling to deny.

4. Toms River East (17-6, 4-1) Last Week: 10

The revolving door at No. 4 continues to turn and as we approach the end of the 2025 season, individual match-ups on each team’s résumé mean less than the résumé overall. Toms River East won a rugged Class A South division and played its way to the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals, which ended with a road loss at CBA. Toms River East has not played in a sectional final since 20, but can end that wait by winning at home vs. Delsea on Tuesday evening.

5. Manasquan (13-7, 5-1) Last Week: 8

The Warriors closed October on a four-game losing streak, which began with a loss to Manalapan on penalty kicks in the Shore Conference Tournament round of 16. November has been far kinder to the Warriors, who knocked out perennial Group II contender Delran in the first round of the NJSIAA Tournament, then beat second-seeded Cinnaminson in the Central Group II semifinals. Manasquan’s season features a Class A Central championship that includes a win over Shore Conference Tournament champion Middletown South.

6. Marlboro (9-7-4, 1-2-3) Last Week: 4

After dropping a competitive 1-0 loss at Middletown South in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals, the Mustangs beat Manalapan for a second time, then lost three straight – which included a 5-1 loss to Ocean. In big games, though, Marlboro has performed, including last week’s state-playoff wins over New Brunswick and South Brunswick that position the Mustangs with a home game vs. North Brunswick that will reward the winner with a trip to the sectional final.

7. Freehold Township (12-9-1, 5-1-0) Last Week: 6

Even though Freehold Township is not in the NJSIAA Tournament, the Patriots made the most of their chance to play when they had the chance. Freehold Township beat Long Branch to win a share of the Class B North championship, then reached the final four of the Shore Conference Tournament by knocking off both Toms River South and Manalapan before losing a heartbreaker in overtime to Colts Neck. Five teams ranked below Freehold Township are still playing, so the Patriots are one of several top 10 teams trying to hold on to a spot without any more games to play.

8. Holmdel (11-7-2, 3-2-1) Last Week: 5

A 1-0 loss to three-time defending sectional champion Robbinsville ended Holmdel’s season and it was the Hornets fourth straight loss that was decided by one goal. The first three losses were all decided by multiple goals, but they also came against the top three teams in the rankings: Middletown South, CBA and Colts Neck. Wins over Manalapan, Ocean, Rumson-Fair Haven and Manasquan keep Holmdel in the Top 10 as one of the teams trying to win a top 10 spot at season’s end.

9. Manalapan (9-6-3, 1-3-2) Last Week: 7

With résumé highlights that include two wins over Manasquan, a dominant victory over Southern and a scoreless draw vs. CBA, Manalapan has been one of the 10 best teams in the Shore Conference, even if the Braves have not lived up to their lofty expectations coming off a 17-win 2024 season with most of their scoring returning in 2025. At the No. 9 spot in the rankings with two weeks to go, Manalapan is in danger of joining the 2024 Howell team as a preseason No. 1 team to finish the season outside the top 10.

10. Brick (12-7-1, 4-0-0) Last Week: 9

Brick’s season ended last week with a sectional-quarterfinal loss at Northern Burlington, but it was a memorable year for a program that had not accomplished this much in more than a decade-and-a-half. Brick won its first division championship in recent memory by winning Class C South, made the Shore Conference Tournament for the first time since 2008 and beat Long Branch in the first round, and also did damage outside of the division by collecting wins over Toms River East, Freehold Township and rival Brick Memorial.

 

The Next 10

Brick Memorial (16-7, 5-0) – With a Class B South championship already under its belt, an inspired performance at Colts Neck Tuesday could push the Mustangs into the Top 10 to finish the year.

Toms River South (15-4-2, 4-1-0) – With wins over Toms River East and Brick, Toms River South is already in the top 10 conversation and can strengthen their case by knocking off top-seeded Moorestown Tuesday in the South Jersey Group III semifinals.

St. John Vianney (12-7-4, 1-2-3) – At full strength, St. John Vianney was a top-five-caliber team, but the season ended at St. Augustine Friday when a red card turned a 2-0 lead into a loss on penalty kicks.

Southern (14-6-2, 2-2-1) – The Rams have stayed in the hunt this year with wins over Toms River East, Brick Memorial, Long Branch and Toms River South and Friday’s win over Egg Harbor gives Southern a chance to make their top-10 case ironclad if the Rams can knock off Washington Township Tuesday in the South Group IV semifinals.

Long Branch (15-5-1, 5-1-0) – The Green Wave went down with a hard-fought loss at Middletown South on Friday, ending a 15-win season that built on last year’s postseason run.

Wall (10-10, 2-4) – After two of the most exciting wins of the Shore Conference seasons, the Crimson Knights are ready for a trip to Manasquan that could yield Wall a trip to the Central Jersey Group II final as a No. 7 seed.

Point Pleasant Boro (13-8-2, 1-3-1) – After starting the season 1-6-1, Point Boro orchestrated a complete turnaround by going 12-1-1 over the next 14 games before losing a heart-breaking, 3-2 game vs. Wall on Friday in the Central Group II quarterfinals.

Ocean (12-7, 3-3) – The Spartans authored a number of big wins this season, including victories over Manasquan and Marlboro in the regular season and Southern in the Shore Conference Tournament.

Rumson-Fair Haven (10-8-3, 1-3-2) – After losing, 4-0, to Colts Neck on opening day, all of Rumson’s losses were by one goal and eight of its 10 wins were by a one-goal margin. That’s a whopping 8-7-3 in games decided by a goal.

Toms River North (8-8-5, 2-1-2) – The Mariners came alive in time to win the Shore Conference Coaches Cup and finished the year with a win over Marlboro, as well as ties vs. Southern, Notre Dame, Toms River South and Point Boro.