Return to Form: 2025 Keansburg Football Preview

Bob Badders contributed to this story

John Bird knows what it takes to turn around a one-win team at Keansburg because he has already done it. At the beginning of his first stint as head coach of the Titans football program, it took Bird two seasons to turn a 1-9 team into a 5-5 squad and by year four, Bird had the Titans in the NJSIAA Playoffs.

After a two-year hiatus to focus on his new administrative job in the district, Bird is back for his eighth season at Keansburg and finds himself taking on a challenge similar to the one he faced in his first year as a coach. The Titans are coming off a 1-7 campaign and have not beaten a Shore Conference team since Sept. 25, 2023.

“I had the opportunity to be the vice principal at (Keansburg) high school and I felt I needed to do that for my family,” said Bird, who retains his vice principal job as he steps back into coaching. “When the opportunity came up again (to coach football) we spoke as an administration and we felt that having somebody in the building was our best bet. I raised my hand thinking it was a shot and a prayer but it got answered, so here I am back.”

Although there is an element of rebuilding to be done with a team coming off a one-win season, Keansburg has enough senior influence to set the proper course for a bounceback season. It starts up front on both sides, with Riley Hutchins, D’Anthony Martinez and Shawn Retta returning to the starting offensive line. Hutchins (tackle) and Martinez (guard) will play on the left side of the line, with Retta returning to his right guard spot. Junior Aiden Alt will be a key addition to the line as a 6-foot-2, 290-pound center.

Seniors A’son and I’shon Young are the top two weapons returning on offense, with both playing as wide receivers. Classmate Milan Mraz also returns to the backfield as a tailback option with experience.

With the seniors setting the tone, two sophomores will be the key to Keansburg making the leap from the bottom of the division to title contender. Mason Rand is in line to start at quarterback as a sophomore and at 6-2, 180 pounds, he has the physical attributes to deliver in Bird’s spread offense. Classmate Taurian Black, meanwhile, is primed for a breakout as a feature back running behind the experienced offensive line.

Senior Quadir Taylor and junior Yasin Owens round out the list of receiver options for Rand, giving the Titans a well-rounded collection of offensive talent that includes six returning starters.

Alt, Hutchins and Martinez will form the defensive front in Keansburg’s 3-4 scheme, which means they will be relied upon to keep their motors running for most of the 48 minutes. Seniors Jayvonne Martinez and Jeremiah Germain Summey will man the edges, with senior Ayden Graf and junior Auden DiGennaro at inside linebacker and Retta also available for snaps at linebacker.

With five seniors among the front seven, the secondary is a mix of seniors and juniors with the sophomore Black. Taylor, Owens, I’shon Young and Black are all capable at cornerback, while A’son Young returns at free safety and junior Josh Sanchez takes over at free safety.

With a Class D South schedule, a return to Bird as the head coach and a strong senior presence, Keansburg is set up to be more competitive in 2025 with a chance of getting back to the .500 mark. With Point Pleasant Beach, Keyport, Monmouth Regional and New Egypt on the division schedule, the Titans will have a chance each weekend.

“Overall, in such a small school, where we comprise 10 to 20 percent of the student population, a good football season and a team that’s really focused on culture can change the culture of the entire building,” Bird said.

Keansburg at a Glance

Head coach: John Bird

Career record: 26-38

2024 record: 1-7

Offense: Spread

Defense: 3-4

Coaching Staff

Defensive Coordinator: Uriel Morfin

Run-Game Coordinator: Richie Squeo

Pass-Game Coordinator: Ryan Waltz

Quarterbacks: Ryan Waltz

Running backs: Matt Gillen

Wide Receivers: Nic Vloyanetes

Offensive line: Richie Squeo, Frank Sautner

Defensive line: Daniel White, Frank Sautner

Linebackers: Matt Gillen, Uriel Morfin

Secondary: Nic Vloyanetes

Volunteer Assistant: Brendan Flanzbaum, John Thornton

Athletic trainer: Carly Lewandowski

Circle the Date: Sept. 20 vs. Keyport

Just like any other season, Keansburg’s biggest game of the year is against Keyport. This year, that game comes in late September and will be played with Keyport on a five-game winning streak against their nearby rivals. Keansburg seemingly turned the corner in the rivalry by beating the Red Raiders in two out of three seasons in 2017 and 2019, but Keyport has kept its roster steady enough to overtake the Titans in recent years. With Keyport also coming off a one-win season and set to field an inexperienced roster, Keansburg will have a real chance to get back on the winning side of the rivalry in front of its home crowd.

Rookie Watch: Taurian Black, So., WR/CB

Seniors and juniors will dominate the Keansburg roster, but the Titans have an underclass duo that could very well dominate the touches on offense. In addition to Mason Rand at quarterback, Keansburg is set to give a significant role to Black as the team’s feature back as they try to find ways to move the ball and finish drives after averaging a shade better than 11 points per game during a 1-7 season in 2024.

Stat to Know

Even while in a down period for the program over the past three seasons, Keansburg has won seven games – a fair showing for a Group I school trying to build the program back. Against the Shore Conference, however, the Titans have had trouble. Going back to 2022, Keansburg is 1-17 vs. Shore Conference teams, with the lone victory coming over Point Pleasant Beach in 2023. All of Keansburg’s games this season are against Shore Conference teams and the Titans will look to end a nine-game losing streak vs. the Shore in Week 1 vs. Freehold Boro.

SCHEDULE

Date                             Team                           Time

Saturday 9/6                 Freehold Boro               Noon

Friday 9/12                    @Asbury Park                5 p.m.

Saturday 9/20                Keyport                         Noon

Saturday 9/27                New Egypt                    Noon

Saturday 10/4                Neptune                        Noon

Friday 10/10                  @Monmouth                  6 p.m.

Saturday 10/18              @Lakewood                   1 p.m.