NJSIAA Football: Group 3 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 3
Defending Champion: Old Tappan
Central Jersey Group 3
8-Cinnaminson at 1-Holmdel
5-Neptune at 4-Hopewell Valley
6-Ewing at 3-Seneca
7-Matawan at 2-Somerville
The Favorite: Holmdel
Holmdel senior quarterback Jack Cannon
The moment is now for the Holmdel Hornets. With the most accomplished offensive player in program history at the helm in senior quarterback Jack Cannon, this marks the first time that Holmdel will be viewed as the favorite in their section. The Hornets have just one sectional final appearance which was back in 1991 when they lost to Manasquan. No matter which opponents get in their way, they will be forced to go through Bob Roggy Memorial Field.
This iteration of the Hornets sits at 6-2 after playing a gauntlet schedule in Class A North. Five of their wins were over playoff teams, including the likes of Rumson-Fair Haven, Middletown North and Donovan Catholic. Their two losses included a one-point defeat at top-ranked Red Bank Catholic and a loss to the second-ranked team in the Shore Conference in Brick Memorial.
The Holmdel offense averages a stellar 41.3 points per game, which leads the Shore Conference. Cannon is as good of a dual threat quarterback as there is in the state, as he has rushed for 1,164 yards and 23 touchdowns in addition to passing for 1,850 yards and 17 touchdowns to only four interceptions.
His biggest weapon in the passing game is senior wideout James Murphy, who is a legitimate deep threat with 645 yards on 25 receptions, including eight touchdowns. Sophomore wideout Anthony Serini has the most receptions with 33 catches totaling 517 yards and five touchdowns. Junior wideout Michael Todisco also has solid statistics with 24 receptions for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Senior tight end Carmine Aliperti is also a threat in the passing game with 15 receptions for 204 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Hornets have struggled at times as they have allowed 27.5 points per game against the top competition in the Shore Conference. The high tempo nature of their offense has turned several games into shootouts. Todisco stars at defensive back, where he has five interceptions in addition to 50 total tackles and a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown. Senior linebacker Peter Berardi is a force in the box with over 80 tackles, including six for a loss.
Contender: Somerville
Somerville stands in Holmdel’s way as a traditional power with a storied history. The Pioneers have won nine sectional titles in 16 total final appearances, including last season when they defeated Delsea in the sectional final. They are strong once again with an 8-1 record, although their schedule is not to the level of Holmdel with only two wins against teams with winning records. Their lone loss is to Montgomery, who sits at 6-3.
Somerville will be favored against a young Matawan team in the first round before likely having to go through a tough Seneca team to make the final.
The Pioneers have been impressive on offense with an average of 30.8 points per game. Freshman quarterback Dylan Boehm has been impressive in his first season with 1,245 passing yards and nine touchdowns to six interceptions. Senior running back Aidan Vesuvio-Bush has emerged as the primary ball carrier with 1,197 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 184 carries.
Junior running back Justin Bowen has 420 yards and seven touchdowns on 79 carries as the complementary back. Bowen and Vesuvio-Bush are also the leading receivers as Bowen has 28 receptions for 448 yards and four touchdowns while Vesuvio-Bush has 24 receptions for 254 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Somerville has been solid, allowing 15.8 points per game. Sophomore defensive back James Hampton has been a standout with five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. Senior linebacker Samuel Muse has a team-leading 64 tackles.
Contender: Seneca
Seneca appears to be another dangerous team in this section after finishing with a 7-2 record against a challenging schedule. The Golden Eagles have wins over the likes of Williamstown, Pleasantville, Paul VI and Willingboro. They have a three-point loss to Haddonfield, which is the top seed in South Jersey Group 2.
Seneca has never won a sectional title, but it has appeared in four sectional finals and has a 12-11 playoff record overall.
The Golden Eagles average 26.2 points per game. Junior quarterback Anthony Tirico is their top player. Tirico has started since his freshman year and currently has 1,260 yards passing with 14 touchdowns to only two interceptions. He is also the primary threat in the running game with 1,080 yards and 11 touchdowns on 130 carries.
Senior running back Brody Phillips has 515 yards and four touchdowns on 64 carries. The top receiver is junior wideout Nate Sauerwald, who has 20 receptions for 355 yards and four touchdowns.
Seneca’s defense has been the backbone of the team, allowing just 12.6 points per game. They have not allowed more than 21 points in any game this season. Junior linebacker Robert Livingstone has a team-leading 62 total tackles. Junior defensive lineman Christian Alexander has a team-leading five sacks. Tirico also plays defense, where he has 42 tackles and two interceptions from his defensive back position.
Shore Shots: Holmdel, Neptune, Matawan
As mentioned above, Holmdel is a significant favorite to break through and win its first sectional title in this bracket. The Hornets could potentially face Neptune in the second round if the Scarlet Fliers can win their first game.
Neptune will be a slight underdog on the road at Hopewell Valley. The Scarlet Fliers have ripped off eight wins since their Week 0 loss to Freehold Township. They won their first outright division title since 1998 when they clinched the Class D North title. Neptune has four sectional titles and nine finals appearances, with their last sectional championship coming in 2011 when they defeated Steinert.
Junior quarterback Caleb Brown-Mason will be one of the top weapons in this section as he has 1,068 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on 102 carries in addition to 836 yards passing and 13 touchdowns to six interceptions. Junior running back Kingston Pinnock is a bruiser with 605 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on 88 carries. Junior wideout Daaron Lynch is the top target in the passing game with 18 receptions for 303 yards and six touchdowns.
Senior defensive lineman Koen Johnson has been unblockable with 10 sacks, 29 tackles for a loss, and 58 tackles.
Neptune junior quarterback Caleb Brown-Mason (Photo by Tom Smith/tspimages.com)
Matawan will be a major underdog on the road at Somerville, but the young Huskies have plenty of talent, particularly in their sophomore class. The Huskies have been inconsistent with losses against Hightstown and Shore in addition to Middletown North and Red Bank. However, they also have a really impressive win on their resume as the only team to beat Manasquan so far this season.
Sophomore quarterback BlairCarter Gagneron has thrown for 1,442 yards and 12 touchdowns to only three interceptions. The leading rusher is senior running back Erik Martinez, who has 691 yards and seven touchdowns on 69 carries. Sophomore running back Sean Euell splits carries and has 599 yards and four touchdowns on 84 rushes.
The Huskies have two major threats in the passing game, including 6-foot-6 sophomore wideout Cayson Williams, who has emerged as one of the breakout stars in the Shore Conference this year with 25 receptions for 537 yards and nine touchdowns. Senior wideout Welman Crooms is also dangerous with 19 receptions for 344 yards and two touchdowns.
Junior defensive lineman Kevin Auguste has a team-leading 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for a loss. Fellow junior defensive lineman J.J. Oshin has 4.5 sacks. Senior defensive back Alexander Liss has a team-leading 65.5 tackles.
Matawan’s Cayson Williams (Photo by Joseph Szutyanyi)
Non-Shore Player to Watch: Anthony Tirico, Jr., QB/DB, Seneca
The six-foot, 190-pound quarterback was an All-Conference and All-Group 3 selection as a sophomore last season. He has been starting since his freshman season and is considered one of the top players in South Jersey. He is reported to run a 4.55 40-yard dash. Matawan could potentially see him in the second round should the Huskies win their first game. Holmdel or Neptune could potentially see him in the final. The dual threat quarterback has combined to run and throw for 2,340 yards and 25 touchdowns so far this season. Tirico has accumulated 7,266 total yards passing and rushing in his career so far, as well as 73 career touchdowns.
South Jersey Group 3
8-Timber Creek at 1-Burlington Township
5-Ocean City at 4-Mainland
6-Delsea at 3-Pleasantville
7-Triton at 2-Cedar Creek
North Jersey matchups
North 1
8-River Dell at 1-Old Tappan
5-Montville at 4-West Milford
6-Pascack Valley at 3-Passaic Valley
7-Sparta at 2-Wayne Hills
North 2
8-Snyder at 1-West Morris
5-Cranford at 4-Roxbury
6-Mendham at 3-West Essex
7-Warren Hills at 2-Summit
