NJSIAA South Jersey Group 5 Football Sectional Final Preview: Toms River North vs. Rancocas Valley
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 5 CHAMPIONSHIP
WHO: 2-Rancocas Valley (9-2) at 1-Toms River North (11-0)
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Gernard Field at Toms River High School North, 1245 Old Freehold Rd.
TOMS RIVER NORTH’S ROAD TO THE FINAL: Defeated Bridgeton 55-6 in the quarterfinals; defeated Kingsway 21-14 in the semifinals.
RANOCAS VALLEY’S ROAD TO THE FINAL: Defeated Edison 42-7 in the quarterfinals; defeated Hillsborough 35-30 in the semifinals.
TOMS RIVER NORTH’S BEST WINS: 35-6 over Central Jersey Group 4 finalist Brick Memorial; 24-21 over South Jersey Group 2 finalist Point Boro.
RANCOCAS VALLEY’S BEST WINS: 42-21 over South Jersey Group 4 finalist Shawnee; 27-0 over Central Jersey Group 5 finalist Washington Township; 20-14 over St. Augustine.
PLAYOFF HISTORY: Toms River North is the two-time defending Group 5 champion and will play in its fourth straight sectional final. The Mariners have won eight NJSIAA sectional titles in 10 finals appearances and have a 33-14 all-time postseason record. They have won 16 straight games and 36 in a row against public schools…Rancocas Valley has one sectional title in program history, which came in 1987 when the Red Devils beat Point Boro, 26-0, in the South Jersey Group 3 final. They have reached the finals five previous times, most recently in 2018. They are 13-13 all-time in the postseason across 14 playoff appearances.
Analysis:
Top-seeded Toms River North enters Friday night’s NJSIAA South Jersey Group 5 sectional final on the cusp of immortality. With back-to-back Group 5 state titles secured, the Mariners are three wins away from a historic three-peat and becoming Shore Conference football legends. The first task is to bring home what would be the program’s ninth state sectional title in program history. Standing in the way is a 9-2 Rancocas Valley team eager to pull the road upset and win its first sectional title in nearly three decades.
Toms River North’s offense is one of the best in New Jersey and will enter the sectional final averaging 37.9 points per game. Senior quarterback T.J. Valerio is having a tremendous season and the offense has not missed a beat after graduating two-time state player of the year Michah Ford. In 11 games, Valerio has completed 72 percent of his passes for 1,972 yards with 23 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He is also the team’s leading rusher with 687 yards and eight touchdowns.
Toms River North senior QB T.J. Valerio. (Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com).
What makes Toms River North’s offense so dangerous is the sheer number of weapons opposing teams have to account for. On top of Valerio’s ability to burn teams with his legs, he has two of the Shore’s best wide receivers in seniors Cam Thomas (29 receptions, 688 yards, 8 TDs) and Nasir Jackson (28 rec., 591 yards, 6 TDs), a standout running back in senior Mordecai Ford (900 scrimmage yards, 15 TDs), strong complementary players in senior Mekai Morse and sophomore Cole Garrison, and a physical offensive line led by senior Rutgers recruit Jaelyne Matthews.
For all the high-octane numbers the Mariners’ offense has put up, its best quality might be making big plays in clutch moments. Just two teams have come within four touchdowns of Toms River North this season – Point Boro in a 24-21 TRN win on Sept. 27 and Kingsway last week when the Mariners rallied for a 21-14 in the semifinals. When the game is on the line, Valerio and company have risen to the occasion.
Trying to slow them down will be a Rancocas Valley defense that is allowing 18.3 points per game but has played a great schedule that includes North 1-Group 3 finalist Pascack Valley, South Jersey Group 4 finalist Shawnee, South Jersey Group 2 finalist Camden, Central Jersey Group 5 finalist Washington Township and St. Augustine.
Two of the Red Devils’ top defenders are underclassmen. Sophomore David Ogunsola is having a great year with 87 tackles and a team-leading 9 sacks and 22 tackles for loss, while freshman defensive lineman Michael Beasley has burst onto the scene with 85 tackles, 7 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. Junior safety Daniel Rivers-King leads the team with 107 tackles and 3 interceptions. Senior Motre Wilson also has three of the team’s 12 interceptions.
One trend Toms River North could try to exploit is that Rancocas Valley has allowed multiple players to rush for over 200 yards or more this season, including Hillsborough’s Jackson Jankowicz going for 256 yards and four touchdowns on 42 carries last week when the Red Devils pulled out a 35-30 win.
Flipping the page and it’s more of the same when the roles are reversed. Rancocas Valley boasts a dynamic offense that is led by its passing game and averages 33 points per game. Although not nearly as accurate with a 60 percent complete rate, junior quarterback Sayvien Adams has very similar numbers to Valerio with 1,931 yards passing, 25 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He is also the team’s leading rusher with 878 yards and seven touchdowns on an eye-popping average of 12.5 yards per attempt. Whereas Toms River North will spread the ball around in the passing game, Adams has a clear top target in standout senior Brody Deiter, who has astounding numbers of 63 receptions for 1,166 yards and 17 touchdowns. Junior Jameer Bellamy (611 yards, 4 TDs) is the lead running back and senior Devin Duana (20 rec., 405 yards, 4 TDs) is the second-leading receiver. Senior Montre Wilson is a dual-threat running back with 425 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns plus 327 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
As great as Toms River North’s offense has been this season, a real case can be made for the Mariners’ defense being the team’s top unit. They’ve been that good all season with five shutouts and a paltry average of 5.4 points allowed per game. In their 21-14 semifinal win over Kingsway they allowed the Dragons to score on their opening possession but buckled down from there, yielding another score after a blocked punt gave Kingsway a short field but posting a shutout in the second half to allow the Mariners to take the lead.
The strengths of the Mariners’ defense complement each other very well with a stout defensive line, a ferocious pass rush and a ball-hawking secondary. Senior linebacker Blaise Boland is a candidate for Shore Conference Defensive Player of the Year and is having another superb season with 82 tackles, 6 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss and 4 forced fumbles. The bookend on the other side is senior Eddie Slosky with 58 tackles, 3 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Junior linebacker Brady Cicala (83 tackles, 8.5 TFL) and sophomore linebacker Jack Baker (77 tackles, 3 sacks, 17.5 TFL) have stepped into starting roles and flourished, as well.
Toms River North senior linebacker Eddie Slosky.. (Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com)
The Mariners’ secondary has the goods to match up with Rancocas Valley’s passing attack with Jackson and Thomas leading a speedy and opportunistic defensive backfield that also includes Morse and Garrison. Jackson has four interceptions and Thomas has three, including two in last week’s win over Kingsway.
On special teams, both Toms River North and Rancocas Valley have reliable kickers. The Mariners have senior Yianni Papanikolas, a three-year starter who has kicked three field goals and is 48 of 50 on extra points. He set the state career record for extra points (187) last week. Rancocas Valley junior Jameson Hollander is 41-for-44 on extra points and 2-for-2 on field goals with a long of 39 yards. Toms River North is also dangerous in returns with Thomas, Jackson and Garrison having returned either a punt or a kickoff for a touchdown this season.
This figures to be a strong test for Toms River North, as it should be in a state sectional final. The Mariners are as battle-tested as any public school in New Jersey and that counts for a lot at this juncture of the season. Even on the rare days when the offense isn’t putting up four or more touchdowns, they are still making clutch plays and finding ways to win. The defense has been ultra-consistent. Those are hallmarks of championship teams. Rancocas Valley is a dangerous team that can pull the upset, but the Mariners continue to feel like a team of destiny that is laser-focused on winning another state championship.
The pick: Toms River North, 28-10
