New Claws: 2025 Pinelands Football Preview

Pinelands closed out the 2024 season on a high note, rolling past Pemberton 48–20 in a postseason consolation game to secure a .500 record at 5–5. While a break-even season is respectable, the Wildcats were just a few plays away from something greater, finishing 1–3 in one-score games—a swing that could’ve turned their season into an 8–2 campaign.

With that chapter closed, a new one begins. Pinelands remains in Class C South, but the division looks different in 2025. The new group features Barnegat, Lacey, Lakewood, Pinelands, and Toms River East. Gone is 2024’s outright champion, Manchester (8–3), who they will still see late in the season, and while the overall strength of the division levels out, most teams finished around .500 last year—setting the stage for a competitive and unpredictable race.

The schedule offers balance, with two division games at home and two on the road, each spaced out by non-division matchups. On paper, there are no overwhelming mismatches, and if Pinelands can flip some of last year’s narrow losses into wins, they could find themselves right in the thick of the division title conversation.

 

Offense 

Like many teams in the division, Pinelands enters 2025 with a wave of new starters on both sides of the ball, especially on offense, where just three starters return. Ty Kline, who threw for 1,393 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to a First Team All-C South selection in 2024, has graduated. Jamie “JJ” Jenkins, a former running back and linebacker, will now take over under center. His physicality and toughness from playing two demanding positions should serve him well as a signal caller, though his passing ability remains to be seen.

The Wildcats will also need to replace their offensive centerpiece, Jaimin Parkinson, one of the Shore Conference’s top rushers. Parkinson ran for 1,610 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, averaging 7.3 yards per carry and topping 100 yards in all but one game. He closed his high school career with 3,489 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns, earning Second Team All-Shore and First Team All-C South honors in 2024. His absence leaves a major hole in the offense and big shoes to fill. 

Two-year returning starter Eric Kobilnyk steps into the lead role in the backfield for 2025. After serving as a change-of-pace option last season, Kobilnyk still managed to produce 488 rushing yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his potential in limited touches. Now, he’ll become the Wildcats’ primary ball carrier and offensive focal point. To support the run game, junior Owen Taylor and senior Aiden Lane will line up at fullback.

The receiving corps won’t undergo a complete rebuild, as Anthony Bonds returns as a starter, joined by Tahj Miller and Dom Colosi. Jimmy McCutcheon at tight end is also available as a target. Both Bonds and Colosi contributed last season with similar production, and with WR1 Matt Davis (655 yards, 37 receptions, 9 TDs) now graduated, there’s a clear opportunity for someone to emerge as the go-to target. The group has proven ability—and with more targets to go around, anyone in the room could take a significant leap forward this season.

The offensive line enters 2025 with only one returning starter, following the graduation of Jaden Hadzovic and Brady Fence, two powerful linemen last season. Hadzovic, a 6-6, 290-pound anchor up front, was instrumental in opening running lanes for Parkinson and is now headed to Princeton University after earning First Team All-Shore and First Team All-C South honors. Fence also received First Team All-C South recognition, making their departure a significant loss.

This year, the line will feature Moses Barango at left tackle and Seth Ramirez—the lone returning starter—at left guard. Ramirez, a Second Team All-C South selection last season as a sophomore, will be leaned on. Sophomore Will Brooks will take over at center, with Jacob Haywood at right guard and Nick Bliem at right tackle.

Head Coach John Tierney acknowledges the inexperience across the offensive unit and understands that the junior and sophomore classes will need to mature quickly for the team to remain competitive. With just six seniors on the roster, the Wildcats will rely on their underclassmen to grow into key roles as the season progresses.

Defense

The Pinelands defense returns five starters, primarily in the middle of the defense and secondary, offering some stability as the team transitions into a new season. Up front, Nick Bliem and returning starter Logan Minor will anchor the defensive ends, with Seth Ramirez in at defensive tackle. Minor, who earned Second Team All-C South honors on the defensive line last season, brings experience and disruption off the edge. While Ramirez made his mark on the offensive line in 2024, he’ll now be counted on to make an impact in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Together, this trio will play a pivotal role in containing the run game and establishing physicality in the trenches.

Despite losing key pieces in the linebacker corps—including Chase Martin (First Team All-C South with five sacks), Heath Nelson (Second Team), and Shane Gordon (First Team All-C South Utility)—the heart of the defense remains strong. Jimmy McCutcheon and Eric Kobilnyk return as starters, with Kobilnyk especially poised for a standout year. A First Team All-C South linebacker in 2024, Kobilnyk racked up 94 tackles and 13 tackles for loss, showcasing his instincts and relentless motor. Head Coach John Tierney made it clear the team will lean heavily on Kobilnyk on both sides of the ball. He enters the year within striking distance of the program’s all-time tackles record, needing just 105 more stops to etch his name into school history.

Pinelands returns key pieces in the secondary, headlined by RJ Clarke and Sam Kilasi, who will both reprise their roles at cornerback. Both were Second Team All-C South selections in 2024—Clarke as a freshman and Kilasi as a sophomore—impressive accomplishments that reflect their high ceilings and potential. Kilasi, in particular, enters the 2025 season as one of the top returning players for the Wildcats and will be counted on heavily.

Anthony Bonds and AJ O’Brien will patrol the top of the defense at safety, rounding out a secondary that was largely made up of underclassmen last season. That experience gained in 2024, even through growing pains, should translate to better cohesion, improved communication, and more consistency this fall. Several of these players will also be playing both ways, so increased stamina and football IQ will be key as they step into expanded roles.

Outlook

The 2024 Wildcats were quietly one of the more balanced teams in the Shore Conference, averaging 29 points per game (Top 10 in the Shore) while allowing just 20.4 points per game—a mark that kept them competitive in nearly every contest.

While the offense will need time to jell due to the graduation of 22 seniors, Head Coach John Tierney believes that the depth at the skill positions will help soften the transition. He’s aware of the early challenges ahead, but remains optimistic that this roster can compete in a new-look C South division.

 

Pinelands at a Glance

Head coach: John Tierney, 4th season

Career record: 17-14

2024 record: 5-5

Offense: Multiple I

Defense: 3-4

 

Coaching Staff 

Assistant Head Coach: Joe Adelizzi

Defensive Coordinator: Joe Adelizzi

Quarterbacks: Mike Keller

Running Backs: Jason Giresi

Wide Receivers: Matt Milden

Offensive Line: Scott Peterka

Defensive Line: Matt Milden

Linebackers: Joe Adelizzi

Defensive Backs: Liam Hurley

Athletic Trainer: Stacey Childs

 

Circle the Date: Oct. 10 Barnegat  

Pinelands could enter this matchup undefeated and 2–0 in the division, setting the stage for a pivotal game with major title implications. A win here would place the Wildcats firmly in the driver’s seat for a Class C South championship, especially with a showdown against Manchester and a final division matchup still looming to close the season.

According to last season’s ending Strength Index, these teams are evenly matched on paper, with both navigating roster turnover. By this point in the schedule, it won’t be about who has more experience—it will be about who’s figured it out, developed chemistry, and found a consistent identity. This mid-season clash could prove to be the deciding moment in a tight and competitive division race.

 

Newcomer to Watch: Montrell Carter, So., OLB

Sophomore Carter will take over a starting role in the middle of the defense, earning the spot over some upperclassmen—a testament to his talent and potential. He’ll line up alongside veteran leaders Jimmy McCutcheon and Eric Kobilnyk, both returning starters with high-impact experience. With that level of leadership around him, Carter is in a prime position to thrive early and grow rapidly. If he can contribute meaningfully this season, this linebacker unit could emerge as one of the strengths of the Wildcats’ defense.

 

SCHEDULE

Date                         Team                         Time

Thursday 8/28       Lower Cape May       6 p.m.

Friday 9/5               Monmouth                 6 p.m.

Saturday 9/13         at Lakewood              1 p.m.

Friday 9/19             New Egypt                  6 p.m.

Friday 9/26             at Lacey                      6 p.m.

Friday 10/3              at Long Branch         6 p.m.

Friday 10/10           Barnegat                     6 p.m.

Friday 10/17            at Manchester           6 p.m.

Friday 10/24           TR East                       6 p.m.