NJSIAA Football Non-Public B Playoff Preview

Shore Sports Insider is breaking down the NJSIAA playoffs with previews on each bracket involving Shore Conference teams. A total of 22 Shore public schools qualified and 11 are still alive entering the semifinals. Now, the non-public teams begin their postseason, including all three of the Shore Conference’s programs. Here is what to watch for starting this Friday night when the battle for a non-public state championship begins across New Jersey.

 

NON-PUBLIC B

Defending Champion: Red Bank Catholic

 

Non-Public B

9-Immaculata at 8-Paul VI, winner at 1-DePaul

12-St. Mary at 5-St. Thomas Aquinas

13-Donovan Catholic at 4-Holy Spirit

14-Hudson Catholic at 3-Paramus Catholic

11-Camden Catholic at 6-Pope John

10-St. John Vianney at 7-Notre Dame, winner at 2-Red Bank Catholic

 

The Favorite: DePaul

The Spartans are the heavy favorite to win the Non-Public B state title one year after losing to Red Bank Catholic in the championship game at MetLife Stadium. DePaul features a loaded roster and has been a juggernaut this season with an 8-1 record that includes wins over Pope John, Seton Hall Prep, Paramus Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, St. Peter’s Prep and St. Joseph (Montvale).

DePaul will look to reach its fifth straight state final and continue a run of excellence that goes back to 2014. The Spartans have reached the state final in nine of the last 10 seasons and have won six of their eight state championships during that span.

The Spartans average 39.3 points per game on offense with a bevy of FBS talent that includes five seniors ranked among the top 50 recruits in New Jersey by ESPN, including two ESPN 300 prospects in cornerback DeShawn Stewart (Ohio State) and wide receiver De’Zie Jones (Ohio State). Junior quarterback Derek Zammit is also an ESPN 300 recruit for the class of 2026. Add to that list wide receiver Elijah Burress (Notre Dame), offensive guard Michael Troutman (Penn State) and running back Nolan James (Boston College), and it is easy to see why this is one of the best teams in New Jersey and the No. 1 seed in the bracket.

DePaul’s only loss was a wild 52-51 overtime defeat to Delbarton two weeks ago. The Spartans responded with a 28-21 win over St. Joe’s to head into the playoffs with momentum back on their side.

Zammit has been a starter since his freshman year and has taken a step forward each fall. This has been a true breakout season as he enters the playoffs with 2,061 yards passing, 28 touchdowns, and just four interceptions playing a great schedule. The offensive firepower around him is stunning with James at running back and Jones and Burress at wide receiver. James has rushed for 1,399 yards and 14 touchdowns, Jones has 47 catches for 785 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Burress, the son of former New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers star Plaxico Burress, has 28 receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. James is also a threat out of the backfield with 22 receptions for 265 yards and a pair of scores.

The Spartans are allowing 23 points per game on defense, which isn’t a number that stands out as being from a dominant unit. Their schedule has a lot to do with that, and allowing 52 to Delbarton certainly didn’t help. The offense hasn’t been held under three touchdowns all season so the defense has had plenty of wiggle room against fierce competition. Senior linebacker Anthony Nittoli has led the way with a team-high 100 tackles and a team-best 13 tackles for loss. He also has two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Junior defensive lineman Logan Nagle has a team-high 7.5 sacks and senior defensive back Marquet Dorsey leads the team with three interceptions.

DePaul has played two teams in the bracket and won both games by multiple touchdowns in victories over Pope John (47-15) and Paramus Catholic (55-28).

 

Contenders: Red Bank Catholic, Paramus Catholic, Holy Spirit, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John Vianney

Red Bank Catholic is the defending Non-Public B champion, has played in three straight state finals and is the No. 2 seed, so the Caseys are the main challenger for DePaul despite not having their regular dominant year within the Shore Conference. The non-public brackets are seeded by a committee rather than using the United Power Rankings like the public schools do, and RBC was able to grab the No. 2 seed and avoid DePaul until the final where they have met each of the last three seasons.

The Caseys’ signature win is a 42-14 triumph over Paramus Catholic on Oct. 18 that clearly had a major impact on them being seeded No. 2. That victory ignited a three-game winning streak with wins over Middletown South (29-14) and Donovan Catholic (35-14) to get them to 6-3 on the season. Senior quarterback Frankie Williams has carried RBC’s offense all season with 1,602 yards passing and 18 touchdowns to just three interceptions and has also rushed for a team-high 265 yards and five touchdowns. Junior wideouts Daniel Zabora and Johnny Williams are his main targets with freshman Jason Berecsky and junior Chris Gibson also having impact moments. Zabora has 32 catches for 523 yards and seven touchdowns and Williams has 33 catches for 438 yards and five touchdowns.

On defense, RBC is led by a standout group of linebackers with seniors Patrick McGonnell, Jame Gutridge and Giorgio Olmo. McGonnell has 79 tackles, 4 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 1 interception. Gutridge has 76 tackles, 5 sacks, 7 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. Olsmo has 70 tackles, 1 sack, 5 TFLs and an interception. The entire unit has been solid all season allowing 15.9 points per game but still needs to prove it against a top offense. They allowed 44 points in a loss to Don Bosco Prep and 26 in a loss to Shore Conference No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven.

The Caseys can be confident in a tight game if they need a field goal as junior Blake Caruso has emerged as one of the top kickers in the Shore this season. He has converted three field goals on lengths of 42, 43 and 44 yards.

Paramus Catholic has lost four games in a row, albeit to RBC and state No. 1 Bergen Catholic, No. 2 Don Bosco Prep and No. 3 Delbarton, and enters with a 3-6 record. The Paladins were without starting quarterback Marco Green and top running back Xavier Williams versus RBC, however, so you’d have to think Paramus Catholic would love a rematch at Count Basie Field with those two key players potentially back in the lineup.

Holy Spirit is ranked No. 13 in New Jersey by NJ Advance Media and enters with a 7-1 record. After a season-opening 35-0 loss to Millville, the Spartans have ripped off seven straight wins, including notable victories over Camden, Cedar Creek, St. Augustine, Delsea and Ocean City. They feature junior WR/DB Emanuel Gerena, who transferred to the Absecon-based school from Donovan Catholic. Holy Spirit has modest offensive numbers but is balanced between run and pass with multiple options to account for. Junior quarterback Ty Costabile has thrown for 870 yards and nine touchdowns but with five interceptions. Junior Emir Hicks (439 yards, 5 TDs) and senior Jahcere Ward (384 yards, 9 TDs) have split the carries from the backfield. Gerena is the team’s leading receiver with 20 catches for 270 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, junior Taylor Cartwright has four interceptions and senior linebacker Nick Medina has 8.5 sacks.

St. Thomas Aquinas is 7-2 and ranked No. 8 in the state but has not played nearly the schedule as the four teams seeded ahead of it. The Trojans’ only in-state loss was 35-34 to Paramus Catholic, so they have shown they can compete with a top team in the bracket. They have a connection to the Shore Conference, as well, with former Neptune coach Tariq Holman in his fourth year as head coach and former Keyport standout Roman Blanks as the team’s starting quarterback. Blanks has thrown for 1,008 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 149 yards and four touchdowns. His top target is junior wideout Josiah Zayas, who is having a monster season with 34 catches for 894 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the ground is where the Trojans do most of their damage, led by sophomore running back Chukwuma Odoh and his 1,154 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. Senior Chase Young adds 505 yards and 7 touchdowns and freshman Ca’si Thomas has 450 yards and 5 touchdowns. As a team, Aquinas has rushed for 2,537 yards and 30 touchdowns on an average of 9.1 yards per carry. On defense, Zayas is a ballhawk with a team-high six interceptions, while junior linebacker Anwar Witherspoon has 86 tackles, 4 sacks and 18 tackles for loss.

St. John Vianney is a dark horse but we’ll throw them in here for a couple of reasons. First, sophomore running back Abdul Turay might be the best overall player in the Shore Conference as a standout running back and safety. He has 1,904 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns on an average of 8.6 yards per carry and is coming off a career-high 255 yards in a win over St. Joseph (Metuchen) for his sixth 200-yard game of the season. On defense, he has 60 tackles, 3 sacks, 9 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. The Lancers have no issue scoring points (33.8 points per game) but yield 22.2 points per game on defense and haven’t been a shutdown unit at any point outside of a solid stretch over the first three games of the season. That is the biggest question mark as they enter a first-round road game at Notre Dame. A win there and we get a fun matchup between Vianney and No. 2 seed Red Bank Catholic in the quarterfinals. Despite the disparity in seeds and rankings (RBC is No. 4 in the SSI Top 12, SJV No. 9), that seems like it could be a very competitive game with a chance for an SJV upset.

 

Shore Shots: Red Bank Catholic,  St. John Vianney, Donovan Catholic

As the No. 2 seed, RBC plays the winner of St. John Vianney vs. Notre Dame. A win in the quarterfinals will likely mean round 2 with Paramus Catholic. RBC won 42-14 during the regular season but if the Paladins have Green and Williams in the lineup that would certainly present a greater challenge.

Vianney’s was mentioned above and has a similar path.

Donovan (2-6) is the No. 13 seed and heads to Holy Spirit for a tough opening-round game. You can’t count the Griffins out because of their talent, toughness and coaching ability, but the road is daunting with the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 1 seeds standing in the way just to reach the final.

 

Non-Shore Player to Watch: De’zie Jones, Sr., WR, DePaul

There are several star players in this bracket but Jones has stood above the rest. The Ohio State commit has 785 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns for the No. 4 team in New Jersey. He is the No. 9 overall recruit in New Jersey per ESPN’s rankings.