Roaring Back: 2025 Lacey Football Preview

Story by Eric Thaler
Special Contributor, Shore Sports Insider

With Shore Conference realignment in effect in 2025, Lacey Township finds itself in the newly-formed Class C South—a division with minimal change in competition but plenty of change in personnel. Joining Lacey are familiar opponents Barnegat, Lakewood, Pinelands, and Toms River East, while Toms River South and Brick Township are no longer on the schedule.

Though the structure remains largely the same, the division has been gutted by graduation losses, and several programs will enter the new season with fresh faces in key roles. Barnegat will lose Cole Toddings at linebacker, Lakewood says goodbye to star running back Rahmel Anderson, and Pinelands must replace Jaimin Parkinson in the backfield as well.

After his team struggled to move the ball consistently in 2024, longtime head coach Lou Vircillo appears poised to shake things up in 2025. One key constant will be Ryan Brewer, who returns for his second year as the starting quarterback. Brewer brings a dual-threat element to the offense—he finished second on the team in rushing last season—showcasing both his mobility and ability to extend plays.

While the offensive structure will likely remain run-heavy, the feature back role belongs to Joey Davis, now a junior and a First Team All-B South selection in 2024 for his impact as a return specialist. Davis led the team in carries last season and averaged a strong 5.5 yards per attempt, cementing himself as the focal point of the offense.

In the passing game, Ryan Brewer will have several returning targets to work with, including Greyson Koch, Jonathan Price, and Strummer Caputo. Joseph Geiger, who transitions to wide receiver this season, will add another option to the receiving corps, while sophomore Defolo steps into the tight end role. Koch, a Second Team All-B South selection in 2024, led the team in both receptions and receiving yards last season and will be counted on as a reliable option once again.

The Lions will feature two new starters at offensive tackle in Logan Gumbaz and Aidan Bottomly, tasked with stepping into key roles up front. On the interior, veterans Sean Gurski and Michael Grande will be counted on to anchor the guard spots, bringing much-needed upperclass experience. Corey Lobdell, who saw action in 2024, also returns to solidify the offensive line. However, the departures of Giovanni Maldanis, James Mott, and Mike Seeley leave a noticeable void in terms of size, strength, and leadership in the trenches.

Defensively, Gio Stamatogiannis, a senior, will hold down the middle at nose guard, flanked by Alex Talbot and Ryan Dunlevy at defensive end. While the line returns some experience, the loss of Corey Smith—a vocal leader and disruptive force—will be felt. The unit also parts ways with key contributors Aiden Wallace and Jim Farmer, leaving the Lions with several positions to fill on a defense that will be looking to re-establish its identity.

Jake Cirillo and Jake Sturman played key roles in 2024 and are expected to be even more impactful this season as returning starters. Sturman earned Second Team All-B South honors after a breakout year that included 12 tackles for loss, matching the production of standout linemate Corey Smith. Together, they consistently penetrated backfields and disrupted opposing offenses. Sturman lived up to the hype and will now be counted on even more with Smith having graduated.

Both Cirillo and Sturman have valuable game experience and learned from strong upperclassmen ahead of them. Now stepping into leadership roles, they’ll be tasked with anchoring the middle of a defense that struggled at times last season. Senior Moises Ricart is also expected to contribute to the rotation, adding depth and physicality to the front seven.

The secondary is shaping up to be a strength for Lacey in 2025, returning multiple experienced players and featuring strong positional versatility. Lucas Conforti returns as a starting cornerback, holding down one side after starting in 2024. Jonathan Price, who saw time at safety last season, is expected to shift into a starting cornerback role to help fill the void left by graduation.

In addition to the corners, the safety group adds size and experience. Joey Davis transitions from linebacker to safety and, at 6’2″, 195 pounds, has the physical tools to excel in his new role. He’ll join returning strong safety Grayson Koch, who brings back valuable reps from 2024.

Nick Rozell also provides depth and flexibility across the safety positions. With multiple players returning and others stepping into bigger roles, Lacey’s secondary could be a reliable anchor for the defense this fall. Looking ahead to 2025, Lacey faces an early-season challenge. Five of their matchups will come against teams that averaged at least 22 points per game in 2024, while the Lions allowed 28.7 points per game last season. Reducing that defensive number will be a key focus this fall.

The good news: much of Class C South and the schedule overall is in transition. Central and Manchester will be breaking in new quarterbacks and Lacey will face both in the first three weeks of the season. With so much uncertainty across the division—new faces at key positions, program rebuilds, and offensive turnover—it’s difficult to project a clear favorite.

For Lacey, if the passing game can complement the run, and the defensive front seven can create disruption, the Lions could re-establish themselves as legitimate contenders in a wide-open division.

 

Lacey at a Glance

Head coach: Lou Vircillo, 45th season

Career record: 312-178-3

2024 record: 1-8

Offense: Multiple Pro

Defense: 3-4

 

Coaching Staff

Wide Receivers: Joe Tobin

Offensive Line: Matt Kiefer

Defensive Line: Charles Monanian

Linebackers: Brian Ballantine

Secondary: Mike Stuppiello

 

Circle the Date: Friday, Oct. 10 vs. Toms River East

Lacey could enter this matchup with a winning record—or at least hovering around the .500 mark—as they close out the regular season with Freehold Township and a pivotal division game against Lakewood. If the Lions are serious about returning to winning form and making a playoff push, this game could prove to be a turning point. Toms River East struggled in 2024, scoring just 9.4 points per game while surrendering 31.3, one of the Shore’s widest scoring margins. Lacey edged them out 28–24 last season, with Christian Valeo doing most of the damage on the ground for East. However, with Valeo having graduated, the Lions will look to shore up the running lanes against a new starting running back and continue their comeback season.

Stat to Know

Lacey is looking to overhaul an offense that averaged 9.9 points per game, the third-lowest mark in the Shore Conference. The void left by the graduations of Nick Maertens and Trevor Santucci—one of the Shore’s most dynamic quarterback-receiver duos in 2023—was certainly felt in 2024. Replacing that level of production was never going to be easy, and the Lions experienced their share of growing pains on the offensive side. With a year of experience at quarterback under Brewer’s belt and returning contributors stepping into larger roles, Lacey will look to reverse those offensive struggles and re-establish balance in 2025.

 

SCHEDULE

Date                            Team                 Time

Thursday 8/28          Howell                4 p.m.

Saturday 9/6               @Central          1 p.m.

Friday 9/12                 Manchester       6 p.m.

Friday 9/19                 Barnegat            6 p.m.

Friday 9/26                 Pinelands          6 p.m.

Friday 10/3                 Southern            6 p.m.

Friday 10/10               @TR East           6 p.m.

Friday 10/17               @Freehold Twp. 6 p.m.

Saturday 10/25         @Lakewood         1 p.m.