Week 1 NuVision Resolve Shore Conference Football Players of the Week Poll Winners

It’s the Week 1 NuVision Resolve Shore Conference Football Player of the Week poll where we post nominees for the Shore Conference offensive, defensive and special teams Players of the Week and give readers the chance to choose who should take home the award based on their performance in the previous week’s games.

Shore Sports Insider will also select offensive, defensive and special teams Players of the Week for each of the Shore Conference’s seven divisions.

Read through each player’s accomplishments for the week and cast your votes. This week’s poll will close on Tuesday at midnight.

 

Update, Sept. 11: The polls have closed and we have our Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 2. Congratulations to all the nominees on their outstanding performances.

 

Week 1 NuVision Resolve Football Player of the Week nominees (listed in alphabetical order)

*Scroll down for defense and special teams*

 

OFFENSE

Rahmel Anderson, Sr., QB, Lakewood

After a monster game in Week 0, Andreson raised the bar by unleashing a record-breaking performance of 353 yards rushing and six touchdowns to power the Piners to a 52-40 victory over Asbury Park. Both are school single-game records for Lakewood, which is 2-0 for the first time since 2016.

 

Lucas Burgos, Jr., RB, New Egypt

Burgos ran for a career-high 141 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries to help lead the Warriors to a 27-7 win over Keansburg in their Shore Conference debut.

 

Jack Cannon, Jr., QB, Holmdel

Cannon put his dual-threat abilities on display again in the No. 7 Hornets’ 42-10 win over Ocean by completing 12 of 17 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 118 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries.

 

Nick Cardone, Sr., QB, Freehold Township

The No. 9 Patriots lost a shootout versus Howell, 42-33, but Cardone had another strong game by completing 18 of 28 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 32 yards and a touchdown.

 

Jake Clayton, So., QB, Point Boro

Clayton ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, including an incredible 55-yard touchdown run, in No. 5 Point Boro’s 41-28 loss to No. 3 Rumson-Fair Haven.

 

Aulander Daniels, Sr., WR, Long Branch

Daniels had another huge game at receiver with seven receptions for 131 yards and three touchdowns in Long Branch’s down-to-the-wire 37-34 loss to No. 8 Jackson Memorial. He has 14 catches for 240 yards and five touchdowns in two games this season.

 

Luca Donofrio, Jr., QB, Middletown South

Donofrio threw the game-tying touchdown pass to Mike Murphy in the third quarter and tossed the go-ahead score to Logan Burbank in overtime when the Eagles rallied for a 28-21 overtime victory over Manalapan. Donofrio completed 9 of 11 passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 80 yards on 12 carries.

 

Ace Etienne, Jr., RB, Manasquan

Etienne erupted for 230 yards rushing and a program single-game record six touchdowns on 14 carries – all in the first half – to lead the Warriors to a 48-14 win over Monmouth Regional. He also had two tackles for loss on defense.

 

Mordecai Ford, Sr., RB, Toms River North

Ford ran for three touchdowns on runs of 5, 10 and 8 yards in the No. 1 Mariners’ 55-0 win over Toms River East.

 

Jonah Glenn, Jr., RB, Jackson Memorial

Glenn ran for 240 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries and helped lead the charge on the game-winning drive when the No. 8 Jaguars outlasted Long Branch, 37-34, in a high-scoring thriller.

 

Jake Henehan, Sr., RB, Toms River South

Henehan rushed for a career-high 284 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries to power the Indians to a 28-7 win over Raritan.

 

Johnnel Johnson, Sr., RB, Barnegat

After being moved from wide receiver back to running back to fill in for injured starter Myquan Rush-Esdaile, Johnson tied a program single-game record with six touchdowns while rushing for 178 yards on 20 carries in the Bengals’ 47-23 win over Freehold. He also had a big game on defense with six tackles, one tackle for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.

 

Jason Lajara, Jr., QB, Brick Memorial

Lajara ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 70 yards to lead the No. 6 Mustangs to a 37-6 win over rival Brick.

 

Damier Lester, Jr., WR, Freehold

Lester caught four passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns for the Colonials in their 47-23 loss to Barnegat.

 

Vince Meehan, Sr., QB, Howell

Meehan ran for 187 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 90 yards and two touchdowns as the Rebels upended No. 9 Freehold Township, 42-33, in an early-season matchup between district rivals.

 

Brendan O’Brien, Sr., RB, Shore

O’Brien ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns in the Blue Devils’ 28-7 win over Pinelands. He also recorded 10 tackles with one tackle for loss on defense.

 

Owen O’Toole, Sr., QB, Rumson-Fair Haven

O’Toole completed 7 of 12 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with senior Nick Thomas on scores of 62 and 31 yards and with senior Nic Economou on an 18-yard strike, in the No. 3 Bulldogs’ 41-28 win over No. 5 Point Boro.

 

Owen Robson, Jr., QB, Middletown North

Making his first career start, Robson threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown to lead the Lions to a 37-7 win over Lacey.

 

Franny Scaramellino, So., QB, Wall

Scaramellino ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 92 yards and a touchdown in the No. 11 Crimson Knights’ 41-0 win over Colts Neck.

 

Cam Stukes, Sr., RB, Neptune

Stukes ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns on an average of 21.1 yards per carry to help lead the Scarlet Fliers to a 42-14 victory over Keyport.

 

Abdul Turay, So., RB, St. John Vianney

Turay rushed for 109 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries as the No. 10 Lancers posted an impressive 35-7 win over No. 12 Marlboro.

 

Joe Vezzosi, Sr., QB, Central

Vezzosi completed 13 of 19 passes for 168 yards and four touchdowns and added 53 yards rushing to lead the Golden Eagles to a 41-28 win over Matawan.

 

A’shere Woolfolk, Jr., RB, Manalapan

Woolfolk ran for 174 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in the Braves’ 28-21 overtime loss to Middletown South.

 

 

DEFENSE

Dean Goldberg, Sr., DL, Red Bank

Goldberg had two sacks and four tackles for loss to lead the Bucs’ defense in their 33-0 shutout of Jackson Liberty.

 

Koen Johnson, Jr., DE, Neptune

Johnson recorded a team-high 13 tackles with one sack and four tackles for loss in Neptune’s 42-14 win over Keyport.

 

Stephen Meleg, Sr., LB, New Egypt

Meleg intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble, and recorded a safety when the Warriors beat Keansburg 27-7 in their Shore Conference debut.

 

Evan Sagahfi, Sr., LB, St. John Vianney

Sagahfi had a sack, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble for the No. 10 Lancers in their 35-7 win over No. 12 Marlboro.

 

Tommy Schroeder, Sr., LB, Shore

Schroeder recorded a game-high 16 tackles and recovered a fumble in Shore’s 28-7 win over Pinelands.

 

Frankie Serini, Sr., DB, Holmdel

Serini stripped an Ocean ballcarrier clean and returned the fumble 60 yards for a touchdown during the No. 7 Hornets’ 42-10 win over Ocean. Serini also had an impact game at wide receiver with six catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Trey Tallmadge, Jr., LB, Brick Memorial

Tallmadge recorded a team-high 12 tackles that included nine solo stops, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble when the No. 6 Mustangs topped Brick, 37-6. He also had a career-long 75-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

 

Jacob Tobias, Sr., LB, Rumson-Fair Haven

Tobias recorded eight tackles with four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery when the No. 3 Bulldogs held off No. 5 Point Boro, 41-28, in a marquee nondivisional game between top-five teams.

 

Cole Toddings, Sr., LB, Barnegat

A mainstay in the Player of the Week poll, Toddings recorded 13 tackles with three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in Barnegat’s 47-23 win over Freehold. He is now the Bengals’ all-time leader in tackles.

 

 

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Tommy Merlucci, Sr., K, New Egypt

A former soccer player making his gridiron debut, Merlucci connected on a 30-yard field goal and was 3-for-3 on extra points in the Warriors’ 27-7 win over Keansburg in the program’s first game as a member of the Shore Conference.

 

Joe Muzzillo, Sr., K & Ishmal Thompson, Sr., Jackson Memorial

Thompson and Muzzillo each delivered clutch plays to help lead the No. 8 Jaguars to a dramatic 37-34 victory over Long Branch. After the Green Wave scored to tie the game at 34 with one minute left in the fourth quarter, Thompson blocked the extra point to keep the game tied. Jackson then moved down the field where Muzzillo connected on a 19-yard field goal to give the Jaguars the walk-off win.

 

Nick Palmieri, So., Manalapan

Palmieri returned the game’s opening kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown and also made a game-high 13 tackles (11 solo) in the Braves’ 28-21 overtime loss to Middletown South.

 

Justin Silva, Sr., Southern

Silva returned a punt for a touchdown in Southern’s 26-0 win over Manchester. He also caught a touchdown pass.