NJSIAA Football Group 2 State Championship Preview: Rumson-Fair Haven vs. Shabazz
NJSIAA FOOTBALL GROUP 2 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
WHO: Rumson-Fair Haven (12-0) vs. Shabazz (10-3)
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 4 p.m.
WHERE: SHI Stadium at Rutgers University
RUMSON’S ROAD TO THE STATE FINAL: Defeated Spotswood 48-0 in the sectional quarterfinals; defeated Delran 56-28 in the semifinals; defeated Wall 38-14 in the Central Jersey Group 2 final; defeated Point Boro 44-10 in the Group 2 semifinals.
SHABAZZ’S ROAD TO THE STATE FINAL: Defeated Caldwell 36-33 in the North 1, Group 2 quarterfinals; defeated Westwood 14-6 in the sectional semifinals; defeated Bernards 28-14 in the North 1, Group 2 sectional final; defeated Hanover Park 8-7 in the Group 2 semifinals.
RUMSON’S BEST WINS: 41-28 and 44-10 over South Jersey Group 2 champion 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; 38-14 over Central Jersey Group 2 finalist Wall.
SHABAZZ’S BEST WINS: 52-0 over North 2, Group 1 semifinalist Verona; 36-33 over Caldwell; 28-14 over Bernards in North 1, Group 2 sectional final; 8-7 over North 2, Group 2 sectional champ Hanover Park.
PLAYOFF HISTORY: Rumson will be playing in its third straight Group 2 state final after a dominant 44-10 over a 10-win Point Boro team in the Group 2 semifinals. The Bulldogs won their third straight sectional title and ninth overall by defeating Wall, 38-14, to win the Central Jersey Group 2 championship. That mark is tied with Toms River North for the third most in Shore Conference history. It was also the Bulldogs’ Shore Conference-record 11th straight appearance in a sectional final. Rumson will try to win its first state title and complete the program’s first undefeated season since 1959. The Bulldogs are 42-16 in the state playoffs…Shabazz is playing in its first state final after winning an 8-7 nailbiter over Hanover Park in the Group 2 semifinals. Shabazz lost to Mountain Lakes in last year’s Group 1 semifinals. The Bulldogs have four sectional titles in program history, including two in a row the past two seasons. They have reached nine sectional finals and own a 24-21 all-time playoff record.
ANALYSIS
Rumson-Fair Haven has already delivered the program’s most successful season of the NJSIAA playoff era. Now the Bulldogs will try to make it legendary.
Rumson-Fair Haven enters Wednesday’s NJSIAA Group 2 state final vs. Newark’s Malcolm X. Shabazz High School as the No. 6 team in the state and sporting a perfect 12-0 record. It will be the Bulldogs’ third straight appearance in the Group 2 final, and if the third time is the charm they will hoist their first overall state title and complete the program’s first undefeated season in 65 years.
Leading the way for Central Jersey Group 2 sectional champion Rumson is an offense that ranks No. 1 in the Shore averaging 42 points per game. With senior quarterback Owen O’Toole approaching 3,000 yards passing, junior running back Kellen Murray over 1,400 yards rushing, senior wide receiver Jordan Angstreich nearing 1,200 receiving yards, and senior Nick Thomas with an outside chance to also reach 1,000 yards, this may be the best offense Rumson has ever had. No team has been able to slow them down this season, especially in the playoffs where they are averaging 46.5 points per game.
Rumson senior QB Owen O’Toole. (Photo by Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
A player Shabazz will look toward to help counter Rumson’s aerial assault is senior defensive back Omari Gaines, who is committed to Stanford. He has a team-high six interceptions and has made 57 tackles. Getting pressure on O’Toole is a must if Shabazz is going to have any chance, and that is an area they have thrived this season with 24 sacks and 90 tackles for loss. The production is spread evenly throughout the lineup with senior defensive lineman David Ukuwere, junior defensive lineman Devonta Harris and junior linebacker Zaiden McDonald tied for the team lead with four sacks each. Sophomore linebacker Asaad Reynolds has a team-high 12 tackles for loss and McDonald is right behind him with 10 tackles for loss. Sophomore linebacker Zykir Best leads Shabazz with 86 tackles.
Shabazz can’t bank on holding Rumson to less than three touchdowns since no team has done that all season. They are likely going to have to score four touchdowns or more to keep up with Rumson, which is something they’ve done just twice over their last three games. Shabazz is also coming off a stunning 19-14 loss to a sub-.500 Weequahic team on Thanksgiving. Senor quarterback Romelo Tables has thrown for 918 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed for 487 yards and seven touchdowns. Sophomore Karriem Coston also sees time at quarterback and has thrown for 510 yards with 10 touchdowns and only one interception. The combined passing stats paint a picture of efficiency with 1,428 yards, 22 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a 59 percent completion rate. Senior running back Jalen Cline has been the most consistent member of Shabazz’s offense and has rushed for 1,034 yards and seven touchdowns. He had just 35 yards on 10 attempts in a 21-6 loss to Caldwell on Oct. 10 but returned with a vengeance to rush for 198 yards and three touchdowns when Shabazz beat Caldwell 36-33 in the sectional quarterfinals. The main target in the passing game is senior Daveion Porter with 33 catches for 553 yards and eight touchdowns.
Rumson-Fair Haven senior defensive back Evan Ridgway. (Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com)
Just three teams have scored more than two touchdowns in a game versus a Rumson defense that allows 12.5 points per game. Rumson is coming off a 44-10 win over Point Boro in the Group 2 semifinals where it held the Panthers’ high-octane triple-option rushing attack without a rushing touchdown for the first time since 2020 and forced four turnovers. The Bulldogs’ defense is balanced with several playmakers at all three levels. Senior linebackers Jacob Tobias (115 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions) and Austin Kiernan (119 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 9 TFL) have been excellent patrolling the middle of the defense while junior linebackers Toby Najenson and Dylan Plesser have delivered breakout seasons. Senior defensive backs Evan Ridgway and Carson Memmott have four interceptions each to lead a secondary that has snared 15 interceptions and returned four of them for touchdowns. Up front, senior Frank Argilagos and sophomore Ben Gredell have combined for nine sacks and done the dirty work to allow the linebackers to make plays behind them.
On special teams, Rumson has an absolute advantage in the kicking game since Shabazz exclusively attempts two-point conversions after touchdowns. Memmott has converted 63 of 67 extra points and is 4-for-5 on field goals.
Rumson has been the underdog in the last two Group 2 state championship games where it has suffered close losses to Caldwell (18-14) and Westwood (21-10). This time the Bulldogs are the heavy favorite and appear poised to complete an all-time season with a state championship. One aspect of the matchup that is intriguing is that Rumson has not played an opponent with the team speed Shabazz possesses, but Rumson is the more complete team that can win games in a variety of different ways. However the game plays out, Rumson should find a way to emerge with its 13th and final victory of the season.
The pick: Rumson 38, Shabazz 18
