Cannon Ball: No. 5 Holmdel Ends No. 2 RFH’s 15-Game Winning Streak Behind Jack Cannon, 4 INTs

RUMSON – Holmdel head coach Noel Kavanagh called Friday night’s showdown with Rumson-Fair Haven “a measuring stick game.” 

Was an ascending Holmdel team really good enough to go toe-to-toe on the road with the defending Group 2 champions, who entered tied for the longest current winning streak in the state at 15 games? 

The answer was a score that raised eyebrows across New Jersey: Holmdel 33, Rumson-Fair Haven 21. 

“I think this is a historical win for our program,” said senior quarterback Jack Cannon, who turned in another sensational game. “We talked about it, it’s probably one of the biggest wins in our program history. We really just wanted to prove that we belong in the A North.” 

The Hornets, ranked No. 5 in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12, completed arguably the biggest victory in program history by knocking off the No. 2 Bulldogs (2-1, 0-1) at Borden Stadium thanks to 330 total yards and five touchdowns by Cannon and a defense that came up with four interceptions. Knocking off the defending Class A North champions sent an early message that the Hornets (2-0, 1-0) are a prime contender in the Shore Conference’s toughest division after being realigned from Class C North this season. 

“Really that was motivation,” Cannon said. “A little talk online was saying Holmdel athletics really isn’t all that, but I think today we showed why we belong in the A North. What more could you ask for, putting up 33 points on one of the best defenses in the Shore, possibly in the state? This is a great win for our program, and it’s only going to go up from here.” 

The Dartmouth recruit had 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground as Holmdel ended Rumson’s 15-game winning streak, which was tied with reigning Group 1 champion Glassboro as the longest current one in New Jersey. Holmdel also ended a 10-game losing streak against the Bulldogs with its first win over Rumson since 1999, while snapping the Bulldogs’ 14-game winning streak on their home field. 

Rumson had only allowed seven total points in two games before the Hornets became the first public school team to put 30-plus points on the Bulldogs since Point Boro in 2023. 

For a Holmdel program that’s never won a state sectional title, taking down a team the caliber of Rumson, which has played in 11 straight sectional finals and all three Group 2 finals, is a landmark victory.

“A team like Rumson, who we have so much respect for, who has done such incredible things, we’re trying to be like that,” Kavanagh said. “We’ve talked about with our kids that this is a measuring stick game for us. This is kind of showing us how far we’ve come in the last year or two.” 

A Fast Start

Holmdel zoomed to a 20-0 halftime lead on a Rumson team that had not trailed in a game this season until Friday night. The Bulldogs were without All-Shore senior running back Kellen Murray, who was in plainclothes on the sideline with a boot on his left foot after suffering an injury a week earlier in a 35-7 win over Brick Memorial. 

The Hornets were energized by the first career interception from freshman defensive back Tyler Carri, who returned it 25 yards to Rumson’s 25-yard line. Five plays later, Cannon stretched over the goal line for a 1-yard score and a 7-0 lead with 1:21 left in the first quarter. 

The Holmdel defense forced a three-and-out, which set up a six-play, 69-yard scoring drive that made it 14-0 with 8:40 left in the half. Cannon hit sophomore wideout Anthony Serini with a 25-yard pass and found junior Michael Todisco with a 24-yard pass on the drive before capping it with a 2-yard touchdown run. 

Todisco then snatched the first of his two interceptions in the game on Rumson’s ensuing drive. He already has three picks in two games for the Hornets. 

“We knew going into this week that the game plan was man(-to-man defense), and we were going to do everything we could to stop them, and that’s what we did,” Todisco said. 

The Hornets made it 20-0 with a 9-play, 77-yard drive that culminated in a diving, 26-yard touchdown grab by senior wide receiver James Murphy on a pass by Cannon that was tipped by a Rumson defender near the goal line. It was a backbreaker because it came with just six seconds left in the second quarter for a three-score lead at the break. 

Holmdel outgained Rumson 177-68 in the first half and held the Bulldogs to seven yards passing.

Rumson Fights Its Way Back

Todisco recorded his second interception of the game on the opening possession of the second half, but Rumson got it right back when junior linebacker Ryder Izzo stepped in front of a pass by Cannon and took it 37 yards to Holmdel’s 13-yard line. 

After giving up the interception, Cannon ran down Izzo from behind, showing his 4.5 speed by catching Rumson’s fastest player, who has been clocked at a top speed of 21 miles per hour by Rumson’s tracking data. Izzo, who was starting at tailback in place of Murray, scored two plays later on a 3-yard run to cut the lead to 20-7 with 9:44 left in the third quarter. 

However, Cannon had an answer. He took off for a 72-yard touchdown run on the second play of Holmdel’s next possession, and just like that, the Hornets were back in command up 26-7 after Cannon’s two-point conversion pass was no good. 

“He’s a stud,” Rumson coach Jeremy Schulte said about Cannon. “He’s the best player in the Shore Conference right now, and nobody else can tell me any different.” 

“It was really just a next-play mentality,” Cannon said. “I knew my team needed me. They had all the momentum coming out of half after that pick. I just knew that we needed a big play. Guys did a phenomenal job blocking that play, and I just ran to the open spot and took it to the house.” 

The Hornets Seal One of Their Biggest Wins Ever

The Bulldogs kept battling, answering Cannon’s long TD run with a 7-play, 60-yard drive that ended with Williams finding senior wideout Brandon McDonald for a 27-yard touchdown pass. McDonald’s third touchdown catch of the season cut Holmdel’s lead to 26-14 with 4:07 left in the third quarter. 

Rumson then appeared to have the momentum by forcing a punt and driving to Holmdel’s 10-yard line by converting a pair of third downs. That’s when senior defensive lineman Teddy Koukoumis leaped up over the middle and pulled down Holmdel’s fourth interception of the night for a game-changing turnover with 10:07 remaining. 

“That was pretty much the game-ending interception,” Cannon said. “That was an unbelievable play by our senior who didn’t play at all last year, and has stepped up this year. That was probably the biggest play of his career.” 

“You can’t have four turnovers and expect to win the game against a good team,” Schulte said. 

Cannon then drove a stake through Rumson’s heart with a 73-yard touchdown run up the middle for a 33-14 lead with nine minutes left in the game. 

“I’ve been playing with him my entire life,” Todisco said. “Since I was five years old, teams game plan around him, and nobody can stop him. Going back on the field, I know I got Jack Cannon coming in at quarterback, and I’m confident we’re putting the ball in the end zone.” 

“Everyone knows now, if they haven’t already seen it,” Kavanagh said. “Jack, he’s just incredible. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime type player. He’s everything and more. He’s got ice in his veins.” 

Williams scored on a 1-yard keeper on Rumson’s next possession to make it 33-21 with 6:56 left in the game, but the Bulldogs couldn’t get any closer. They also lost Williams, who left the game with a right ankle injury. 

The victory came after Holmdel opened the season with a 48-35 win over a Donovan Catholic team that shut out No. 3 Toms River North on Friday night in a 14-0 victory in Class A South. Their offense has looked unstoppable behind Cannon, who has nearly 600 total yards in two games, and their defense showed on Friday night that it can be a difference-maker as well. 

After winning back-to-back division titles for the first time in program history the past two seasons, Holmdel showed it has no plans of stopping that streak after getting moved into the rugged Class A North. The Hornets stamped themselves as a top contender alongside No. 1 Red Bank Catholic, which beat Middletown South 35-7 on Friday night. The Hornets take on Middletown South (0-3) next week, while Rumson faces Marlboro (2-1). 

“Obviously, it’s a very tough division, but that’s what you want,” Cannon said. “You want to play competition to prove that you’re one of the best in the Shore Conference. It was just a blessing to be moved up into this division, and now we’ve proven why we deserved to be here.” 

 

Box Score

Holmdel 33, Rumson-FH 21

	Holmdel	Rumson
First downs	13	15
Rushes-yards	29-221	28-149
Passing	10-16-1	11-29-4
Passing yards	130	111
Fumbles-lost	0-0	0-0
Penalties-yards	6-40	4-42

 

Holmdel (2-0)	7	13	6	7	33
Rumson (2-1)	0	0	14	7	21

 

Scoring Summary

H — Cannon 1-yard run (Mueller kick)

H — Cannon 2-yard run (Mueller kick). 

H — Murphy 26-yard pass from Cannon  (kick failed)

R — Izzo 3-yard run (Cavise kick). 

H – Cannon 72-yard run (pass failed). 

R: McDonald 27-yard pass from Williams (Cavise kick). 

H: Cannon 73-yard run (Mueller kick). 

R: Williams 1-yard run (Cavise kick). 

 

Individual Statistics

RUSHING — H: Cannon 21-200, Scheinman 5-10, Todisco 2-12, Serini 1-(-1). R: Izzo 17-96, Williams 11-53. 

PASSING — H: Cannon 10-16-1 130. R: Moore 4-12-3 22, Williams 7-17-1 89.

RECEIVING — H: Murphy 3-47, Serini 2-35, Todisco 4-41, Aliperti 1-7. R: Spoonire 3-20, McDonald 3-39, Economou 2-10, Izzo 1-8, Tucker 2-34. 

INTERCEPTIONS — H: Todisco 2-18, Carri 1-25, Koukomis 1-5. R: Izzo 1-37. 

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