NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 2 football final preview: Rumson-FH vs. Wall
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 2 CHAMPIONSHIP
WHO: 2-Wall (8-1) at 1-Rumson-Fair Haven (10-0)
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Borden Stadium at Rumson-Fair Haven High School, 74 Ridge Rd, Rumson, 07760
RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN’S ROAD TO THE FINAL: Defeated Spotswood 48-0 in the quarterfinals; defeated Delran 56-28 in the semifinals.
WALL’S ROAD TO THE FINAL: Defeated Haddon Heights 34-0 in the quarterfinals; defeated Haddonfield 20-7 in the semifinals.
RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN’S BEST WINS: 41-28 over South Jersey Group 2 finalist Point Boro; 26-11 over Non-Public B quarterfinalist Red Bank Catholic; 35-6 over Central Jersey Group 4 semifinalist Marlboro; 42-7 over South Jersey Group 2 semifinalist Manchester.
WALL’S BEST WINS: 36-26 over Non-Public B quarterfinalist St. John Vianney; 7-6 over South Jersey Group 4 semifinalist Manalapan.
PLAYOFF HISTORY: Rumson-Fair Haven has reached the past two overall Group 2 finals, making it one of only two Shore Conference teams to reach a Group final since they started being contested in 2022. The Bulldogs are playing in a Shore Conference-record 11th straight sectional final and have won two straight sectional titles. They have won eight sectional titles in their history, all of them since 2010, and are 40-16 in the playoffs all time. Rumson is seeking its first unbeaten season since going 7-0-2 in 1959…Wall is playing in its first sectional final since 2019, when the Crimson Knights beat Rumson 14-13 to win the Central Jersey Group 3 title. Wall is playing in its seventh overall sectional final and has won five sectional titles in its history. The Crimson Knights’ all-time playoff record is 24-17.
RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN STAT LEADERS
Analysis: Rumson-Fair Haven enters as the No. 2 team in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12, while Wall is ranked No. 8, and the Bulldogs are the clear favorite.
It comes down to whether Wall’s defense, which allows 12 points per game and features a talented pass rush, can slow down the Shore Conference’s No. 1 offense, which averages 42.2 points per game. Rumson has taken it up a notch in the last month, averaging an eye-opening 52.2 points per game in its last four games.
The array of weapons on an offense led by 2,200-yard passer Owen O’Toole have not been stopped by anyone all season. They have a deep receiving corps led by seniors Jordan Angstreich, Nick Thomas and Nicholas Economou, and a strong running game led by 1,000-yard rusher Kellen Murray.
Take one away, and they will beat you with the other, but stuffing the run would at least allow Wall to attack on obvious passing downs. No team has really pressured O’Toole all season because of Rumson-Fair Haven’s physical offensive line and O’Toole’s quick release and decision-making.
The challenge for a Wall defensive front led by linebackers Justin Davis and Dylan Cohen will be disrupting O’Toole’s rhythm. He gets the ball out as fast as any quarterback in the Shore Conference and can run the offense at warp speed. Rumson plays a lot of two-platoon, so if opponents are not in shape, they can wear them out by running at a high tempo all game.
One of Wall’s biggest weapons in trying to pull the upset by limiting Rumson’s offense will have to be its own offense, which averages 26.4 points per game. The more the Crimson Knights can shorten the game and limit possessions by running the ball behind senior Mason Adam and Cohen, moving the chains with key passes from sophomore quarterback Franny Scaramellino and killing the clock, the better their chances. Senior Tony Credle is their big-play guy in the passing game and on special teams, while Heath Reinhardt is another clutch receiver.
They need to limit turnovers after a fumble-filled semifinal against Haddonfield because Rumson will make them pay dearly for any miscues in their own end of the field.
Rumson’s defense seems to have the ability to morph into whatever it needs to be to get the win. The Bulldogs have had some shaky games in giving up 28 points in the semifinals and 32 points to Donovan Catholic, but it hasn’t mattered because the offense is exploding for 50-plus.
But Rumson showed in its 26-11 win over Red Bank Catholic that it can hold down a quality team if the offense isn’t running at full tilt. Senior linebackers Jacob Tobias and Austin Kiernan, defensive linemen Frank Argilagos and Ben Gredell, and defensive backs Carson Memmott and Evan Ridgway lead a unit that has playmakers at all three levels.
Wall has the edge in the kicking game with Reinhardt, who has field-goal range out to 40 yards.
Both teams are headed by coaches who have won state sectional titles. Ed Gurrieri led Manalapan to its only state title in school history before taking the job at Wall, while Jeremy Schulte has led Rumson to two straight overall Group 2 finals.
Wall has a recent history of strong playoff performances, but Rumson-Fair Haven is gunning to finish the job in Group 2 and has been playing like a team that won’t be denied.
The pick: Rumson-Fair Haven.
