Building Momentum: 2025 Red Bank Regional Football Preview

Scott Stump|August 25, 2025|Last Updated August 25, 2025

Red Bank returns 10 starters on defense as the Buccaneers look to build on a state playoff berth from a year ago under new head coach Tyler Karalewich.

Karalewich, who was previously an assistant, ascended to the head job after Shane Fallon retired from teaching and announced he was stepping down following four seasons with the Bucs.

The new head coach inherits a team that won three out of its last five games last season to finish with a winning record and now returns experienced offensive skill talent and a veteran defense.

“I really emphasized the weight room and had 40-plus kids in there each day, and that’s really important for us,” Karalewich said at the Shore Conference Football Media Day. “In terms of building off last year, we need to continue on our scheme, our aggressiveness and really focus on ourselves before we focus on anybody else.”

Offense

Red Bank returns five starters in its spread offense but will be breaking in a new quarterback this fall after averaging 22.1 points per game last year.

Senior Jag Gardner and junior Brett Laude are battling for the starting spot. Senior Matt Huss will be the starting running back.

The strength of the offense is a deep receiving corps led by a trio of returning starters: 6-foot-6 senior Jah’Mir Lane-Bailey, 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior Bennett Lopez, and speedy 6-foot-1 senior Ari Fraser. Juniors Kaden Jackson and Ahmare Bonus round out the receiving group.

The offensive line returns a pair of starters in senior left guard Humberto Hernandez-Paez and junior Kazimir Niece. Sophomore Lachlan Swiss steps in at left tackle, sophomore Michael Wheeler and senior Sam Healy are competing at center, and juniors Kevin Mallory and Pat Snable are competing for the right tackle spot.

Junior Chris Doody will be the kicker.

Defense

The Bucs’ 3-4 defense should be the backbone of the team after returning all but one starter from a unit that allowed 18.1 points per game last year.

Gardner and senior Charlie Langa are returning starters at defensive end, and Swiss returns as the starter in the middle of the defensive line.

Lopez and Lane-Bailey are back as the starting outside linebackers, and senior twins Matt and Jason Huss are both returning starters at inside linebacker.

Red Bank senior Jah’Mir Lane-Bailey (#7) returns as a top wideout and returning starter at linebacker for the Bucs. (Photo by Tom Smith/tspimages.com)

Bonus is a returning starter at cornerback, where Jackson or senior Josh Jeter will be a new starter at the other cornerback spot. Senior Vinny Niesz and Lopez are returning starters at safety.

“I think our identity has to start on the defensive side of the ball – being aggressive, forcing turnovers, all of that,” Karalewich said. “And then on offense, protecting the ball and really winning special teams. It’s all three phases.”

The Bucs will compete in the realigned Class C North division with Colts Neck, Long Branch, Manasquan, Matawan and Shore Regional. They learned the thin line that can separate teams when they lost a controversial 24-22 game to Freehold Township last year on a field goal as time expired. The NJSIAA later apologized, saying an official’s ruling was incorrect that allowed the Patriots to get another attempt at the winning kick.

“With the Freehold Township game, what really proved to me as an assistant coach on staff, especially running the special teams, is that we need to do everything in our power to not put the game in the hands of anybody else,” Karalewich said. “We need to control what we can control. We’re really excited to build off the momentum we had last year.”

Red Bank at a glance

Head coach: Tyler Karalewich, 1st season

Career record: 0-0

2024 record: 5-4

Offense: Multiple spread

Defense: 3-4

Coaching Staff

Offensive coordinator/OL: Jeff Mass

Defensive coordinator/LB: Nick Varanelli

Passing game coordinator/QB: Chris LeRoy

WR/DB: Andrew Mount

DL: Tristan Farina

Freshman: Adam Bobertz

Freshman: Jeff Light

Athletic Trainer: Christina Emrich

Circle the Date: Sept. 26 vs. Shore

If Red Bank can get by a Colts Neck team coming off a one-win season and a young Matawan team in its first two divisional games, this matchup with Shore should be a key one in the Class C North race. Shore is coming off a 10-win season and is facing a much tougher schedule as a Group 1 school. This looks like a separation game when it comes to the division crown. Red Bank’s last division title came in 2015.

Newcomer to Watch: Kaden Jackson, Jr., WR/DB.

Jackson is pushing for a starting spot at wideout in the four-wide sets of Red Bank’s spread offense and also is in the mix to start at cornerback.