NJSIAA sectional semifinal preview: The Shore’s chances in Central Jersey

The state championship dream is still alive for 12 Shore Conference public schools as we head into the sectional semifinals this weekend.

Two of the Shore’s three non-public teams will also get underway in the state playoffs this weekend in the Non-Public B bracket, which SSI will preview separately. Defending champion Red Bank Catholic has a bye to the quarterfinals after earning the No. 2 seed behind heavy favorite DePaul.

(South Jersey sectional semifinal preview)

Here’s a breakdown of all the Central Jersey brackets where the Shore is still alive.

Central Jersey Group 4

(4) Marlboro at (1) Millville

(6) Jackson Memorial at (2) Brick Memorial

All roads go through top-seeded Millville (7-2), which beat Red Bank 49-6 in its first-round game. The Thunderbolts are a heavy favorite against Marlboro (6-3), which is coming off a thrilling, 22-16 comeback win in overtime against Toms River South in the first round.

Marlboro’s defense led by junior linebacker Jennaro Percodani (69 tackles, 8 TFL) and senior linebacker Nick Diadema (59 tackles, 13 TFL, 4 sacks) is going to have to play the game of their lives because Marlboro is not built to win in a shootout. They have to find a way to grind the clock with running back Christian LaFonte (921 yards, 14 TD), shorten the game and limit Millville and its array of playmakers led by Alabama-bound wideout Lotzeir Brooks.

Regardless of the outcome, Marlboro has shown it has established a solid foundation for the program.

The Mustangs have playoff wins in three straight seasons for the first time in school history. In the last three years, they have four playoff wins. They had two in 46 years before this stretch. If they shock Millville, that will be two straight sectional final appearances.

The other semifinal got a lot more interesting when Jackson Memorial standout junior tailback Jonah Glenn made his return from a hamstring injury in the Jaguars’ 46-13 win over Central on the road in the first round. Jackson’s offense looked the best it has all season with Glenn running for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries and senior Eric Zebrowski scoring twice on runs off zone read plays with Glenn and taking a screen pass for a touchdown.

Jackson (5-5) is hoping to look like a different team in the rematch with Brick Memorial (8-2) after losing 37-0 to the Mustangs in the regular season. Brick Memorial looks as formidable as ever after blasting Northern Burlington 56-0 in the first round for its most points in a game in eight years.

Clearly this game hinges on whether this is a much-improved Jackson Memorial offense the second time around with Glenn (820 yds, 6 TDs, 9.2 ypc) in the fold . The Jaguars will need Glenn to grind out yards, Zebrowski to hit some big plays, and the passing game to do just enough to keep Brick Memorial’s explosive offense off the field.

Mustangs junior quarterback Jason Lajara accounted for four total touchdowns in the first-round win and speedy sophomore wideout Shawn Fowler had a 72-yard touchdown catch. Plus, Brick Memorial senior running back Kevin Andrews returned from injury to run for two touchdowns in the win. The Mustangs appear to be at full power, so Jackson Memorial’s defense is going to have to play its best game of the season.

Brick Memorial can’t get caught looking ahead to a potential showdown with Millville after such a decisive victory over Jackson Memorial in their first meeting this season. The Jaguars are hoping to show their characteristic playoff grit by turning the tables, but that’s a lot of ground to make up in two weeks.

Brick Memorial at Millville was the anticipated final ahead of the playoffs, and it will take a big upset by both of their opponents to stop that from coming to fruition.

The Mustangs’ last appearance in a state sectional final was in 2015, which also happens to be Jackson Memorial’s last trip to the final. The Jaguars beat the Mustangs to claim the Central Jersey Group 4 crown that season.

Central Jersey Group 2

(4) Delran at (1) Rumson-FH

(3) Haddonfield at (2) Wall

This is the bracket where an all-Shore final looks most realistic.

Rumson-Fair Haven has won two straight sectional titles and played in 10 straight sectional finals, so this is the time of year when the Bulldogs (9-0) usually shine. They romped past Spotswood 48-0 in the first round as junior running back Kellen Murray went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season and senior quarterback Owen O’Toole continued his stellar year with three total touchdowns.

Delran (9-1) should provide a little bit more resistance, as the Bears come in off a rout of their own in a 42-7 win over Delaware Valley. Much like Rumson, they are a balanced offense, although they have more of a dual threat quarterback in junior Vinny Sacca (1,171 passing, 15 TD, 657 rushing, 14 TD). They also threw frequently to the tight end, Denny Vittese (25-322-2), in addition to wideout Justin Mary Jr. (21-309-5).

Delran’s defense allows only 12.7 points per game, but it has not seen a unit like this Rumson offense that averages 40.7 points per game. For comparison’s sake, Delran squeezed out a 24-20 win over a Northern Burlington team that Brick Memorial just beat 56-0 in the first round of the Central Jersey Group 4 bracket. Rumson is ranked No. 2 in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12, and Brick Memorial is No. 5.

Delran’s only victory over a team with a winning record this season was its first-round win over Delaware Valley. All signs point to an 11^th straight trip to a sectional final for the Bulldogs.

On the other side, it should be a dogfight between Wall and Haddonfield. The teams are very similar. They’re both perennial playoff contenders who are well-coached, play to their defense, and grind out wins with balanced offenses. Haddonfield made it to the sectional final last year and gave Rumson a serious challenge in a 14-7 loss.

Wall (7-1) is seeking its first appearance in a sectional final since beating Rumson to win the Central Jersey Group 3 title in 2019. The Crimson Knights rolled over Haddon Heights 34-0 in the first round behind a pair of touchdown runs by junior Dylan Cohen and two total touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Franny Scaramellino. The defense registered its second shutout of the season.

Haddonfield (6-3) gutted out a 14-7 win over a talented Hillside team that features some of New Jersey’s top recruits. Wall’s runners need to protect the ball against a defense that allows 15.4 points per game and hunts for turnovers on forced fumbles, including three it recovered in the win over Hillside.

Offensively, Haddonfield likes to establish the run and use it to set up play action by quarterback Van Lefakis (994 passing, 11 TD, 11 INT) to a deep group of five receivers who all have between 134 and 224 yards receiving. Lefakis has turned it over a good amount and Wall has a ferocious pash rush led by junior linebacker Justin Davis, so this is an area that could turn the tide in the game.

Haddonfield usually plays sound football and doesn’t beat itself with dumb penalties and costly turnovers. The Bulldawgs are also known to unveil gadget plays like double passes, halfback passes and other trickeration for big plays in tight games, so the Wall defense needs to be ready.

A trip back to the sectional final would be a concrete symbol of Wall’s return from the ashes of a hazing scandal to being a state playoff contender once again.

Central Jersey Group 1

(5) Pennsville at (1) Woodstown

(6) Woodbury at (2) Shore

Shore Regional (9-0) just keeps putting up wins as it shut out New Egypt for the second time this season with a 21-0 victory to reach the semifinals. Senior quarterback Josh Moeller threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, while the defense posted its fifth shutout of the season.

Now the competition ramps up a notch with a tough game against a Woodbury team that has a deceiving record at 4-5. The Thundering Herd played a tough schedule for a Group 1 squad that included losses to Haddonfield, Woodstown, Glassboro, Willingboro and Schalick. Every single one of those teams is in the sectional semifinals in their respective brackets this week.

Woodbury held off Middlesex 35-28 in its first-round game and takes on a Shore team whose calling card is a defense led by linebackers Tommy Schroeder, Brendan O’Brien and Mike Marotta.

Woodbury is primarily a passing team, which Shore has not seen a lot of this season. Sophomore quarterback Tim Holmes (1,367 yards, 16 TDs) has a game-breaking target in senior Marquis Taylor, who has 751 yards and 12 touchdowns on an average of 17 yards per catch. Senior tight end Jasuan Solomon and junior wideout Elijah Young have also combined for 500 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The Shore pass rush led by sophomore Cole Torres will need to get home to give a boost to a secondary led by junior Enzo Cagliastro (3 INT). The Blue Devils will also look to control the clock offensively with O’Brien, Torres and the running game, plus the quick game with Moeller and the wideouts.

Shore is looking for its first trip to a sectional final since going 12-0 in 2015. These two teams met two years ago in the sectional semifinals, with Woodbury rolling to a 45-8 win, so the Shore seniors would like a measure of revenge.

If the Blue Devils advance, they will most likely have to travel to top-seeded Woodstown. The Wolverines (8-1) beat KIPP Academy 31-8 in the first round and face a solid Pennsville team. Woodstown is more battle-tested and has good wins over Delsea, Schalick and Woodbury, so the Wolverines should have the edge.

Obviously, Shore is rooting for the upset because not only would it take Woodstown out of the mix, the championship game would be on Shore’s home field.

Scott Stump is an award-winning reporter, newsletter writer and editor who first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999 and has covered basketball, baseball and seemingly every other Shore Conference sport at some point. 

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