NJSIAA Preview: Ranney Boys Soccer Aims for First Ever Sectional Title
NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public B Championship
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
At The Ranney School
No. 2 Princeton Day at No. 1 Ranney, 2 p.m.
Princeton Day at a Glance
Head Coach: Gary Roberts
Record: 9-12
Last Sectional Championship: 2021
Last Sectional Final Appearance: 2024
Road to the Final
Quarterfinals: Princeton Day yielded a goal by Ben Tilley to fall behind St. Rose, but scored on a goal by Aiden Luciano before halftime and rode a two-goal second half by Keegan Fullman to a 3-1 win over the 10th-seeded Purple Roses.
Semifinals: Aiden Luciano initiated an own goal in the first half and the Panthers held on for a 1-0 win over two-time defending sectional champion and 11th-seeded Moorestown Friends.
Players to Watch
Keegan Fullman, Jr., Midfield (11 goals, 4 assists)
Kriss Makkar, So., Forward/Midfield (4 goals)
Aiden Luciano, Sr., Midfield (1 goal, 1 assist)
Nate Mogaka, Fr., Forward (1 goal, 3 assists)
David Li, Fr., Forward/Midfield (1 goal, 2 assists)
Grant Burns, So., Defense (1 goal, 1 assist)
J.J. Acevedo, So., Goalkeeper
Ranney senior Eddie Magherini. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
Ranney at a Glance
Head Coach: Donny Gray
Record: 13-6-1
Last Sectional Championship: None
Last Sectional Final Appearance: 2021
Road to the Final
Quarterfinals: Senior Tylor Yang struck early off the first of two assists by freshman Miles Serrapica and Ranney added two more goals in the second half on the way to a 3-0 win over No. 9 Holy Cross Prep. Freshman Zac Levine added to the lead with Ranney’s second goal and senior Eddie Magherini capped the scoring with his 24th goal of the season.
Semifinals: Magherini and Yang picked up where they left off in the quarterfinals by each posting a hat trick, with Magherini also assisting two other goals on the way to a 6-0 win for Ranney over No. 13 Bishop Eustace.
Players to Watch
Eddie Magherini, Sr., Forward (27 goals, 11 assists)
Tylor Yang, Sr., Midfield (15 goals, 8 assists)
Braden Morin, So., Midfield (9 goals, 8 assists)
Alex Lennon, Sr., Defense (3 assists)
Juan Torres, Jr., Defense (4 goals, 5 assists)
Jack Fallon, Sr., Defense (2 assists)
Miles Serrapica, Fr., Midfield (2 goals, 4 assists)
John Laub, Sr., Defense (5 assists)
Jake Nagy, Sr., Goalkeeper
Ranney senior Tylor Yang. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
Ranney entered the tournament as the clear favorite to capture the sectional championship trophy, which would mark the first time the Panthers win a sectional crown should it come to fruition. They were one of only two teams to take a winning record into the tournament and the other (Doane Academy) was an 8-7 team that beat the No. 14 seed (Wilberforce Academy), 1-0 in round one and lost to the No. 11 seed (Moorestown Friends) in round two.
While the bracket is indeed weak compared to the rest of the state, it is essential to acknowledge that this Ranney team has already made its case as the best team in program history and would be a very worthy champion should it finish the job on Thursday. Senior Eddie Magherini is near the top of the Shore Conference scoring leaders with 27 goals and 11 assists and was the player every team focused on stopping during the Shore Conference season. Non-Public B has had no answer for Magherini, who has scored four goals in two games.
Senior Tylor Yang and Braden Morin have been the secondary scorers for Ranney, with senior Alex Lennon, Jack Fallon and Juan Torres leading a strong defense in front of goalkeeper Jack Nagy. That group has taken on a challenging schedule that included games Gill St. Bernard’s, Holmdel, Ocean, St. John Vianney and Marlboro, plus a nine-game winning streak in the middle of the year that included wins over Red Bank and Jackson.
Ranney sophomore Braden Morin. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
Princeton Day enters Thursday three games below .500, but like Ranney, the Panthers have also faced their share of high-profile opponents – a résumé that includes one-goal losses to Robbinsville, Princeton and Allentown.
Getting past Moorestown Friends in the sectional semifinals proved a challenge for Princeton Day, which should not come as a surprise given the Foxes’ standing as two-time defending sectional champions. The Panthers lost to Moorestown Friends in the 2024 South Non-Public B final and took a major step toward redemption by beating the reigning champions to get back to the sectional final for the third time in five years.
Ranney’s only appearance in the sectional final ended with a loss to Princeton Day in 2021, which was Princeton’s Day’s only sectional championship. On Thursday, it will be Ranney’s turn at program redemption.
The Pick: Ranney, 2-0
