Week Four Shore Conference Football Preview: Title Contenders Emerge

The biggest game of the Shore Conference football season is upon us, but that’s not the only important action in Week Four.

No. 1 Red Bank Catholic welcoming No. 2 Holmdel in Class A North will take center stage, but there are other crucial division games and a nondivisional clash with ranking and state playoff implications. 

I have a separate preview for RBC-Holmdel that you can check out here, so this is focused on the other games.

Also, just a correction to something I wrote earlier this week, which I amended in the Top 12 story. Brick Memorial cannot clinch at least a tie for the Class A South title this week by just beating Donovan Catholic. The Mustangs would also need Jackson to lose to Point Boro. 

The Jaguars (2-2, 1-0) have not lost a Class A South game, so they control their own destiny as far as the division race is concerned. They would be alone in first with a win over Point Boro and a Brick Memorial loss to Donovan Catholic. 

On to the games.

No. 2 Holmdel (3-0) at No. 1 Red Bank Catholic (4-0), Friday at 7 p.m.

Check out a separate preview on this game here. 

No. 5 Southern (4-0) at No. 11 Toms River North (1-3), Friday at 6 p.m.

This is a nondivisional game, but it’s a big one for both teams. Toms River North has had the best of Southern for about two decades, winning nine of 11 and 16 of 21 against the Rams. Southern is trying to enter rare air for its history with a 5-0 start, while Toms River North is aiming to show that its record is mainly due to a brutal schedule. 

A win by the Mariners would also vault them up in the United Power Rankings in South Jersey Group 5. Southern is currently at No. 3, while Toms River North is 11, so a victory would be huge for the Mariners’ playoff chances and seeding. It also would go a long way toward Southern pushing for a No. 1 seed if the Rams win. Toms River North is the three-time defending overall Group 5 champion. 

This is also a big comparison game between Class B South and Class A South. Southern looks like it will run away with the B South title, while A South is one of the Shore’s toughest divisions. Southern has already shown it can hold its own with the bigger division, having beaten a Class A South team in Jackson. 

A big question will be whether Toms River North’s offense with Cole Garrison and Logan Brill can muster enough points against a Southern defense that has not surrendered more than eight points in a game this season. Conversely, can the ball control Southern attack behind running back Aidan Covell and quarterback Carson Abbato score enough to beat Toms River North? 

No. 7 Middletown North (2-1) at No. 3 Rumson-Fair Haven (3-1), Friday at 7 p.m.

This is basically another measuring stick game for Middletown North after the Lions got routed 36-0 by No. 1 RBC last week. Can they hang with an upper-echelon Class A North team, or are they in the next tier? 

We will find out, as Rumson got its footing back with a 38-7 win over Marlboro last week. Middletown North will need to get the running game with Matt Belenko moving again to ensure that quarterback Owen Robson isn’t under siege from Rumson’s front seven. The Bulldogs and sophomore quarterback Brady Williams look to continue to refine their passing game to complement the running of Ryder Izzo and eventually star senior Kellen Murray when he gets healthy. 

No. 4 Brick Memorial (3-1) at No. 10 Donovan Catholic (1-3), Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Brick Memorial is coming off a last-second thriller against Toms River North, while Donovan Catholic is trying to shake off a 28-0 loss to Jackson. The last time the Griffins were backed into a corner, they fought their way out with a 14-0 win over Toms River North. Can they do it again, or will the Mustangs get one important step closer to winning the Class A South title? 

The high-octane Mustangs’ attack led by quarterback Jason Lajara and wide receiver Nyzier Matthews takes on a Donovan team that is starting freshman quarterback Chris McLaren due to injuries and has had an up-and-down year on that side of the ball. The Griffins will need Kai Pritchard, Jason Madden and the rest of the pass rush to get after Lajara without creating running lanes for the speedy senior. 

Brick Memorial is dealing with injuries of its own, as star linebacker Trey Tallmadge has been out with a hamstring injury since a loss to Rumson-Fair Haven on Sept. 5 and standout junior WR/DB Shawn Fowler pulled a hamstring in last week’s win over Toms River North. 

St. John Vianney (2-2) at No. 6 Manalapan (3-1), Friday at 6 p.m.

This is a big Class B North separation game. The winner will be tied with Wall for first place, and this also offers St. John Vianney the opportunity to bust back into the SSI Top 12 rankings. 

St. John Vianney was shut out in the second half in losing 14-12 to previously winless Point Boro last week, while the Braves have won three straight. 

This game could go a million ways because both teams have shown they can play in shootouts and in low-scoring slugfests. There will be plenty of offensive talent on display between St. John Vianney quarterback Zach LaBarca and running backs Corleii Thomas and Danny Breen, and Manalapan quarterback Cameron Desfosse, running backs Ah’sere Woolfolk and Nicky Palmieri, and a deep corps of wideouts and tight ends. 

There is also a great group of linebackers in this game between Breen, Palmieri, Manalapan junior Ethan Fogelstrom and Lakewood transfer Isaiah Shade for St. John Vianney. Manalapan junior linebacker Donny Rocco Sosa will also be facing his old teammates after transferring from St. John Vianney in the offseason. 

Other games to watch: 

Point Boro (1-3) at No. 8 Jackson (2-2), Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Both of these teams enter with confidence after Point Boro took down St. John Vianney last week and Jackson shut out Donovan Catholic. Can Point Boro stop Jackson’s potent rushing attack led by Jio Kabiri, or will it be the Panthers’ triple option and quarterback Jake Clayton that wins the night? Both teams are also dealing with injuries to key players, as Jackson standout running back Jonah Glenn didn’t play last week due to a hamstring issue, while Point Boro slotback Nick Spanola was also out with an injury. 

Brick Memorial will be interested in this game as well if the Mustangs beat Donovan Catholic because if Point Boro wins, it clinches no worse than a tie for the Class A South title for the Mustangs. The same goes for Jackson the other way because if the Jaguars win and Brick Memorial loses, Jackson is alone in first place in the division. 

Shore (2-1) at Red Bank (2-1), Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Red Bank is looking to cement itself in first place in Class C North and strengthen its case to be ranked, while the Blue Devils will try to shake up the race after falling to Manasquan last week.

Shore showed good balance between quarterback Logan Clark and running back Cole Torres last week, but could not stop Ace Etienne and Manasquan’s run game. Clark is coming off a school-record 268 yards passing in the loss. 

Red Bank’s defense, led by senior linebacker Jah’mir Lane-Bailey, bottled up Matawan’s playmakers for a big divisional win and is out to prove that anyone underestimating the Bucs this season is making a mistake. A win for Red Bank would mean the Bucs could clinch no worse than a tie for the division title by beating Manasquan on Oct. 11. 

Pinelands (2-2) at Lacey (2-2), Friday at 6 p.m.

This is a separation game in Class C South, as the winner will be tied with Toms River East for first place. 

A Pinelands defense led by senior linebacker Will Hollingsworth has registered back-to-back shutouts for the first time in school history and will face a Lacey team that features standout tailback Joey Davis. Head coach Lou Vircillo’s teams have traditionally been successful with a workhorse running back, and Davis has been just that with back-to-back games of 200 or more yards rushing. 

No. 9 Wall (2-2) at Raritan (2-1), Friday at 7 p.m.

Both teams have won two straight and are coming off huge offensive performances. Raritan put up 55 points in a win over Freehold, while Wall hung 49 on Freehold Township. 

The Rockets will be retiring the jersey of former great Bennett Jackson before the game and are out to prove they can hang with a Top 10 team in the Shore. 

Wall’s physical defense behind Justin Davis and Dylan Cohen is its calling card, so it will be a big test of Raritan’s running game and sophomore quarterback Zahir Jones to move the ball on the Crimson Knights. Junior Eric Berg has had two games of 200-plus all-purpose yards for the Rockets this season and looks to be a factor. 

Meanwhile, Wall returns quarterback Franny Scaramellino after he had to sit out via the NJSIAA transfer rule. Will they mix him in for some snaps with starter Brian McKenna? We’ll see. 

Neptune (3-1) at Asbury Park (2-1), Saturday at 10 a.m.

The longtime Thanksgiving rivals meet in late September in a game that has more than bragging rights on the line. It’s also a Class D North game, and Neptune is currently tied for first place with Raritan. 

Group 1 Asbury Park has beaten its Group 3 counterpart five straight times. Neptune is trying to achieve its first four-game winning streak in 11 years, so something has to give. 

It will be the playmaking of Neptune junior quarterback Caleb Brown-Mason against the explosive running of Asbury Park’s Amiere Massie. The senior running back is averaging a video game-level 18 yards per carry and hasn’t been stopped by anyone this season. 

Point Beach (3-1) at Keyport (1-3), Saturday at noon

The main significance of this game is that Point Beach can clinch no worse than a tie for its first division title since 2019 by beating the Red Raiders in Class D South. 

Keyport can inject itself right back into the race for the division crown with a win. 

The Red Raiders come in with confidence after dropping 51 on rival Keansburg last week for their first win of the season. This will be a showdown between the explosive passing game of Point Beach and senior quarterback Matthew Rossi and the rushing attack of Keyport led by senior Mekai Henderson. 

Scott Stump is the football editor and a reporter for Shore Sports Insider. He first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999 and has covered basketball, baseball and seemingly every other Shore Conference sport at some point. 

Email: scottstump25@gmail.com