NJSIAA Football: The Shore in Non-Public B

Non-Public B

Defending Champion: DePaul 

 

(9) Pope John at (8) St. John Vianney, winner at (1) DePaul

(12) St. Mary at (5) Holy Spirit

(13) Notre Dame at (4) Donovan Catholic

(14) Hudson Catholic at (3) Red Bank Catholic

(11) St. Joseph (Hamm.) at (6) Paul VI

(10) St. Thomas Aquinas at (7) Immaculata, winner at (2) Paramus Catholic

The Favorite: DePaul 

This bracket has basically been DePaul and Red Bank Catholic wrestling the title back and forth from one another. DePaul won it last year, and the two have combined for the last seven titles in a bracket made up of teams that were primarily Non-Public Group 3 contenders before the state cut it down to two total non-public brackets. 

The last time a team besides RBC or DePaul that is currently seeded in this bracket won the title was 15 years ago when Holy Spirit claimed it. Four other titles were won by St. Joseph’s-Montvale, which is now in Non-Public A. 

DePaul (5-4) has played the toughest schedule of any team in the section and has lost three of its last four games heading into the postseason. The Spartans are currently ranked No. 11 in the state by NJ.com. 

DePaul is led by one of the state’s top quarterbacks, who feels like he’s been there for about a decade. Senior Derek Zammit has been starting since his freshman year and has 7,336 career yards passing and 72 touchdown passes. This season he has thrown for 1,674 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions for an offense averaging 24 points per game. He’s also run for 641 yards and five scores. Zammit will continue his career in the Big Ten, as he is verbally committed to the University of Washington. 

His primary receiver is senior Mason James (24-584-6), and he has three others with more than 200 yards receiving. Their offense also features 6-foot-5, 260-pound senior lineman Marlen Bright, who was committed to Penn State but has reopened his recruitment. 

Defensively, 6-foot-5, 270-pound senior Logan Nagle has been a beast with 59 tackles, 17.5 for a loss, and eight sacks on a unit allowing 19.7 points per game. He is verbally committed to Pittsburgh. Senior linebacker Logan Monteyne leads the team with 101 tackles to go with four sacks, and senior linebacker Jaxon Bastante has 19 tackles for a loss among his 70 tackles.

There’s a strong chance the Spartans will have to go through all three non-public teams from the Shore Conference to win the title. If the higher-seeded teams win their matchups, St. John Vianney would face DePaul in the quarterfinals and Donovan Catholic would play them in the semifinals. Then if RBC avenges its loss to Paramus Catholic in a potential semifinal matchup, it would face them in the championship game. Obviously, the Shore is hoping to derail the Spartans before that sectional final. 

Contenders: Paramus Catholic, Red Bank Catholic, Donovan Catholic

Paramus Catholic (4-6) became the top contender to DePaul when it beat Red Bank Catholic 30-16 on Oct. 17. DePaul already has a 26-14 win over Paramus Catholic from the regular season, which cemented the Spartans as the No. 1 seed. 

Much like DePaul, Paramus Catholic has played a rugged schedule filled with the North Jersey Non-Public A powers. In its win over RBC, dual threat quarterback Rowan Martin threw for 157 yards and two scores and ran for 90 yards on 11 carries, so he was the engine of their offense. Their regular starter, senior Marco Green, did not play vs. RBC, but has thrown for 1,484 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He saw one snap in their last game against Delbarton and threw a 33-yard touchdown. 

Their star receiver is junior Nekhi Martin, who has 46 catches for 915 yards and eight touchdowns for a team ranked No. 14 in the state by NJ.com. North Carolina State recruit Jordan Mareta leads their defense at linebacker along with FBS prospect Austin Barrett at cornerback. Senior linebacker Derion Johnson led the Paladins in tackles with 10 in the win over RBC, and sophomore defensive back A.J. Lopez Jr. returned an interception for a touchdown. 

Paramus Catholic has won four state titles in its history, with the last one coming in 2016.

As for the Caseys, this will be the first taste of the postseason for the star freshman duo of quarterback Rahmir Rivera (1,756 yards passing, 18 TD, 2 INT) and running back Gabe Kemp (1,513 yards rushing, 13 TD), who are having the best statistical seasons by freshmen at their positions in Shore Conference history. RBC averages 30.5 points per game and is ranked No. 1 in the Shore Conference by Shore Sports Insider and No. 16 in the state by NJ.com. 

Senior Daniel Zabora (37-655-8), an Air Force recruit, leads a strong receiving corps that also features sophomore Jason Berecsky (36-456-5) and senior Johnny Williams (19-254-1). 

Defensively, the Caseys allow 10.4 points per game behind Zabora, who has 61 tackles and three interceptions in the secondary, and sophomore linebacker Brock Goodman, who has 73 tackles, nine for a loss. Sophomore defensive end Asher Cummins leads the team with 11 tackles for a loss and six sacks, defensive tackle Jordan Key has 11 tackles for a loss, and FBS prospect Lorenzo Tartamella has 13 tackles for a loss and five sacks at the other defensive end spot. 

If RBC takes care of business against Hudson Catholic and then most likely Paul VI, the Caseys could get an eagerly awaited rematch with Paramus Catholic in the semifinals. RBC has won five state titles in its history, most recently in 2023. 

Donovan Catholic (7-3) enters the postseason playing as well as any team in the state right now. The Griffins just picked up a 21-3 win over previously unbeaten St. Joseph’s-Metuchen and have won six in a row. They held the Falcons to 119 total yards in the victory. 

Their defense has been their mainstay, allowing 14.2 points per game. Senior Kai Pritchard, better known as an offensive line recruit verbally committed to Illinois, has been a force on defense. He has 60 tackles, 11 for a loss, and 4.5 sacks on a unit that averages 7.3 tackles for a loss per game. Linebackers Colin Johnson and Henry Byrnes have combined for 23 tackles for a loss, and junior Jason Madden has 60 tackles, eight for a loss, and six sacks. 

The offense enters the playoffs averaging 18.1 points per game. It has been up and down but has come through in the clutch in the fourth quarter multiple times. Junior quarterback Kahden Davis has thrown for 736 yards and five touchdowns and run for 370 yards and three touchdowns despite missing multiple games with injury. Sophomore quarterback AJ Pena saw snaps last week against St. Joe’s and responded with a pair of touchdown runs. 

Junior Ethan Nicolas and sophomore Alex Staten have combined for 877 yards and eight touchdowns in the running game. Their top receiver is junior Aidan Kelly, who has 30 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns. 

If the Griffins take care of business against Notre Dame in the first round, they could get a tough challenge in the quarterfinals from fifth-seeded Holy Spirit (5-3). The Spartans have a prolific passing attack led by senior Ty Costabile (1,703 yds, 23 TD, 3 INT) and a familiar face for the Griffins. Holy Spirit senior wideout Emanuel Gerena, a Barnegat resident, has 22 catches for 530 yards and eight touchdowns. He transferred to Holy Spirit from Donovan Catholic two years ago.  

The Griffins have never won a state title and have reached one championship game.

Shore Shot: St. John Vianney

The Lancers (4-5) have a tough road in that they would have to face DePaul in the quarterfinals if St. John Vianney wins its first-round game.

The good news is St. John Vianney can get a little payback against Pope John XXIII, which beat the Lancers in last year’s Non-Public B semifinals. The Lions are 2-7, but it’s deceiving because they played a ruthless schedule. For comparison’s sake, they lost 17-15 to a Seton Hall Prep team that beat St. John Vianney 14-12. 

Senior quarterback Zach LaBarca has thrown for 1,291 yards and 13 touchdowns for a Lancers team averaging 24.3 points per game. Senior Danny Breen and junior Corleii Thomas have combined for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns in the running game, and senior Adam Urs (34-502-6) leads a deep receiving group. 

Breen leads the defense at linebacker with 92 tackles, and senior defensive end Thomas Foley has a team-high four sacks and four tackles for a loss for a unit allowing 20.1 points per game. 

St. John Vianney has won one state title and reached the final four times.

Non-Shore Player to Watch: Derek Zammit, Sr., QB, DePaul. 

If you are going to win this bracket, you have to find a way to slow down Zammit, who has a chance to start in four straight state finals. The University of Washington recruit has become more of a running threat these past two seasons. The four-year starter has thrown for 1,674 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions and run for 641 yards and five scores this season against one of the state’s toughest schedules. 

Scott Stump is the football editor and a reporter for Shore Sports Insider. He first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999 and has covered basketball, baseball and seemingly every other Shore Conference sport at some point. 

Email: scottstump25@gmail.com