NJSIAA Football Group 1 Playoff Preview
Shore Sports Insider is breaking down the NJSIAA public school playoffs with previews on each bracket involving Shore Conference teams.
A total of 23 Shore teams have qualified for the public playoffs across all five groups and seven different sections. Here is what to watch for beginning this Friday night when the battle for a state championship begins across New Jersey.
GROUP 1
Defending Champion: Glassboro
Central Jersey Group 1
8-Bound Brook at 1-Burlington City
5-Asbury Park at 4-Manville
6-Point Beach at 3-Riverside
7-New Egypt at 2-Shore
The Favorite: Burlington City
A case could be made for Shore Regional, but Burlington City sits atop the bracket with an 8-1 record after outscoring their opponents 332-109 on the season. They have wins over multiple playoff teams in Ewing (Group 3), Bordentown (Group 2) and Riverside, the last of which is the No. 3 seed in the bracket. Their lone defeat is an 8-0 loss to rival Burlington Township, who is undefeated and earned the top seed in South Jersey Group 3.
On offense, Burlington City averages 36.8 points per game and is led by senior running back Donte Davis, who has rushed for 1,355 yards and 19 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Mason Shansey is 83-for-137 passing for 1,357 yards and 14 touchdowns, with seven interceptions. The Blue Devils have two major receiving threats in senior wideout Jayvyn Rasberry, who has 28 receptions for 630 yards and eight touchdowns, as well as senior wideout Malachi Sadler, who has 37 receptions for 514 yards and three touchdowns.
Burlington City has played strong defense, allowing just 12.1 points per game. Sophomore defensive back Corey Boykin has a team-leading 66 tackles. Senior defensive lineman Mike Marsh has been a game-wrecker in the trenches, where he has 54 total tackles in addition to 12.5 tackles for a loss.
Davis has also been a threat in the return game as he has a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown on his resume.
Contender: Shore
Shore Regional running back Cole Torres. (Photo by Tom Smith/tspimages.com)
The Blue Devils are 6-2 under second-year head coach Donny Klein against a schedule that included mostly larger schools. They hold wins over three playoff teams, including Matawan (Group 3) as well as Point Beach and New Egypt, who are both in their bracket. Their losses are to Manasquan and Red Bank, who are both playoff teams.
Shore opens up with a New Egypt team it beat 42-14 back in Week One. The Blue Devils could potentially meet Point Beach in the second round should the Garnet Gulls defeat Riverside on the road. Shore routed Point Beach 63-7 in the regular season.
The Blue Devils are balanced in a pro-style offense that throws the ball nearly as much as it runs it and is averaging 32.9 points per game. Junior running back Cole Torres has run for more than 1,000 yards on 8.1 yards per carry and is their primary big-play threat. Junior quarterback Logan Clark has emerged as a legitimate passing threat.
On the other side, the Blue Devils’ defense has allowed 15.5 points per game, led by linebackers Mike Marotta and John Mazzacco and defensive lineman Kelty Connors, who has 12 tackles for a loss.
Shore is the Shore Conference’s flagship Group 1 school and has an illustrious NJSIAA playoff history with seven sectional titles and 13 trips to a sectional championship game. Their last title came in 2015 when they went 12-0 and put together arguably the greatest season in program history.
Contender: Manville
While the Mustangs have not played a top-tier schedule, it would be foolish to not view a 9-0 team as a contender. Manville has outscored its opponents by a significant 375-58 margin this season. The Mustangs have never won a playoff game in their program’s history, so this is potentially their greatest season of all time. The significant data point the Shore Conference teams can look to is Manville’s Week 0 victory over Keyport, which was only a 19-6 game.
The Mustangs, who average 41.7 points per game, are led by a dual-threat quarterback in senior Josh D’Ambrosio who has rushed for 1,030 yards and 15 touchdowns in addition to passing for 512 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior running back Isaiah Bennett has rushed for 762 yards and 15 touchdowns on only 67 carries.
Bennett is also the leader on Manville’s defense, which has allowed just 6.4 points per game. Bennett has 56 tackles, five for a loss, and an interception he returned for a touchdown. Senior linebacker Evan Canica has 54 total tackles, 10 for a loss, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Shore Shots: Shore, Asbury Park, Point Beach, and New Egypt
As mentioned above, Shore remains the likeliest Shore Conference team to come away with the sectional title. The Blue Devils will have home field advantage in the first and second rounds before potentially having to travel to Burlington City should the top seed win its first two games.
Asbury Park has won seven sectional championships, with its most recent title coming in 2016 when the Blue Bishops topped Keyport. The Blue Bishops will look to ride workhorse running back A’meire Massie, who has run for 1,622 yards and 22 touchdowns on just 115 carries so far this season. Head coach Will Johnson knows a thing or two about winning championships as he was a major part of Asbury Park’s three-peat from 2007-2009 as the team’s quarterback. The Blue Bishops are a dangerous opponent for unbeaten Manville in the first round thanks to the presence of Massie.
Asbury Park senior running back Amiere Massey (Doug Phillips/FrameGrabs LLC)
Point Beach’s lone sectional title came in 2013, and this is the team’s first playoff appearance since 20119.
It’s very likely that the Garnet Gulls will have to go through Shore if they can get past Riverside in the first round. The Garnet Gulls have reinvented themselves with a pass-first offense under head coach Joe Zaccone. Senior quarterback Matthew Rossi has completed 91 of 151 passes for 1,804 yards and a school-record 19 touchdowns to only one interception. He has a three-headed attack at receiver between Eli Ives (25-548-7), Danny Cavanaugh (27-541-6) and Blaise Sholander (15-315-4).
Sophomore linebacker Gage Boyle has amassed 96 total tackles, including 10 for a loss, to lead the defense.
Point Beach senior quarterback Matthew Rossi (Tom Smith/tspimages.com)
New Egypt, which has never won a sectional title and has only won one playoff game in its history, is a major underdog against a Shore team that they lost 42-14 to earlier this season. The Warriors also lost to the Blue Devils in last year’s playoffs by a score of 21-0, so they will be looking for revenge.
Sophomore quarterback Thomas Marabuto is 79-for-156 passing for 1,268 yards and 14 touchdowns to five interceptions. Senior wideout Clyde Ferris has been the top target with 32 receptions for 725 yards and eight touchdowns. Senior running back Eddie Novatkowski has rushed 153 times for 856 yards and 11 touchdowns as the backbone of the offense.
Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com
Non-Shore Player to Watch: Donte Davis, Sr., RB, Burlington City
Davis is averaging over 9.1 yards a carry in addition to having a 98-yard kickoff return under his belt. He appears to be the most explosive player on a non-Shore Conference team. Asbury Park could potentially see Burlington City in the sectional semifinals if the Blue Bishops can get past Manville. A showdown between Massie and Davis would be delightful for the fans who decide to take the trip to Burlington County. Should the favorites make the final and Shore travels to Burlington City, Torres vs. Davis could be a great battle with a championship on the line.
South Jersey Group 1
8-Audubon at 1-Glassboro
5-Salem at 4-KIPP Cooper Norcross
6-Schalick at 3-Pennsville
7-Woodbury at 2-Paulsboro
North Jersey matchups
North 1
8-Hawthorne at 1-Butler
5-Bogota at 4-New Milford
6-Kittatinny at 3-Walkill Valley
7-Park Ridge at 2-Kinnelon
North 2
8-Brearley at 1-Mountain Lakes
5-Glen Ridge at 4-Cedar Grove
6-Secaucus at 3-New Providence
7-Wood-Ridge at 2-Hasbrouck Heights
