Shore Sports Insider Football Top 12, Week 10

The state championship dream is still alive for 11 Shore Conference public schools and three non-public schools after the first round of the public playoffs. 

The Shore went 9-12 in games against nonconference opponents in the first round, and Wall and Toms River North picked up wins over Shore teams. 

The non-public playoffs were seeded by a committee, and top-ranked Red Bank Catholic got the No. 3 seed in Non-Public B, and Donovan Catholic is No. 4 and St. John Vianney is No. 9. 

Southern’s upset loss to Trenton in the first round of South Jersey Group 5 was the main shakeup in the rankings this week. Middletown North, which beat Southern and has advanced to the sectional semifinals, climbs back up into the top five after the Lions shook off a one-point loss to unranked Freehold Township to end the regular season. 

Toms River North, which lost to Southern in the regular season, now has the chance to overtake the Rams in the rankings because it will host Trenton in the semifinals in a bid to knock out the team that just eliminated Southern. There is a scenario where the Mariners could get all the way up to No. 4 if they reach the sectional final, Point Boro beats Rumson and Middletown North gets knocked off or loses on Thanksgiving to Middletown South. 

The biggest rankings showdown this week goes down on Friday night, when No. 4 Rumson-Fair Haven welcomes No. 9 Point Boro in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals. Rumson has beaten Point Boro four straight times and ended their season in the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, so the Panthers will be hungry to turn the tables. 

1. Red Bank Catholic (7-3) – Last week’s ranking: No. 1. 

The Caseys tuned up for the state playoffs by nearly stunning the No. 1 team in the state, St. Peter’s Prep, in a 37-34 nonconference loss. Sophomore running back Gabe Kemp ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns, and sophomore quarterback Rahmir Rivera threw a pair of touchdown passes and also ran for 92 yards in the loss. Senior linebacker Luke Scaturro had 17 tackles and senior defensive lineman Lorenzo Tartamella had three tackles for a loss. RBC earned the No. 3 seed in the Non-Public B bracket and has a first-round bye this week. Next game: RBC will welcome the winner of the Notre Dame and Pope John game to Count Basie Field on Nov. 13 in the quarterfinals of Non-Public B. 

2. Donovan Catholic (9-1) – Last week’s ranking: No. 2. 

Senior running back Alex Staten continued his big season with 263 yards rushing and four touchdowns to lead the way in a 45-28 win over St. Joseph’s-Metuchen in the Griffins’ final regular-season game before the state playoffs. Donovan Catholic played without injured starting quarterback Kahden Davis, as sophomore Chris McClaren threw a touchdown pass in the win. Freshman running back Carmelo Foendoe had a career-high 100 yards rushing on 11 carries and a touchdown to fuel a 381-yard rushing effort. Senior defensive end Jason Madden had two sacks and two tackles for a loss to pace the defense. The Griffins earned the No. 4 seed in the Non-Public B bracket. The health of Davis looms as a big factor as far as whether they make a deep state playoff run. Next game: Donovan Catholic has a bye in the first round and will welcome the winner of Hudson Catholic and Immaculata for a quarterfinal game on Nov. 13. 

3. Brick Memorial (9-1) – Last week’s ranking: No. 3. 

The top-seeded Mustangs kicked off the defense of their Central Jersey Group 4 title with a 42-13 rout of eighth-seeded Absegami to advance to the semifinals with their seventh straight win. Senior quarterback Tyler Pierce was nearly perfect, going 14-for-16 for 233 yards passing and two touchdowns while also running for 83 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Senior running back Colin Schoellkopf ran for 107 yards and a touchdown to go over 1,000 yards rushing for the season, and he added two tackles for a loss at linebacker. Next up is a formidable semifinal opponent with a deceiving record against a loaded schedule. Next game: Friday vs. fourth-seeded Millville (5-4) in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals. 

4. Rumson-Fair Haven (7-3) – Last week’s ranking: No. 4. 

The second-seeded Bulldogs roared out of the gate to kick off their state playoff run with a 56-6 wipeout of seventh-seeded Sterling in Central Jersey Group 2. Rumson ran for 219 yards, led by four touchdowns from senior running back Ryder Izzo. They look to punch their ticket to their 12th sectional final in the last 13 tournaments by beating a familiar rival. Next game: Friday vs. No. 9 Point Boro (6-4) in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals. 

5. Middletown North (7-1) – Last week’s ranking: No. 7. 

The top-seeded Lions won the 500th game in program history and cruised into the North Jersey 2 Group 4 semifinals with a 42-7 win over Watchung Hills. Senior running back Matt Belenko erupted for 204 yards and two touchdowns to go over 1,000 yards rushing for the season and over 2,600 yards for his career. Junior quarterback Derek Grasso threw a pair of touchdown passes and junior Anthony Christiani had a pair of catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. Senior Patrick Jacques ran for a touchdown and also had an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the win. Christiani also had an interception on defense and senior linebacker Kade Little had 14 tackles, one for a loss. They will try to advance to their second straight sectional final with a win at home this week. Next game: Friday vs. fourth-seeded Teaneck (7-2) in the North Jersey 2 Group 4 semifinals. 

6. Southern (6-4) – Last week’s ranking: No. 5. 

The second-seeded Rams saw their season come to a surprising end when they could not hold on in a 34-29 upset loss to seventh-seeded Trenton in South Jersey Group 5. Senior quarterback Carson Abbato threw for 262 yards and senior running back Levi Foote had 112 yards and three touchdowns in the loss. Abbato became the school’s all-time leading passer with 3,403 yards, passing the record of 3,281 yards set by Dan Higgins, a 2013 graduate. Southern beat Toms River North and finished ahead of the Mariners in Class A South, so the Rams keep this spot for now, but if Toms River North beats the Trenton team that just ended Southern’s season, the Mariners will take their spot. Next game: Season complete. 

7. Toms River North (7-3) – Last week’s ranking: No. 6. 

The third-seeded Mariners turned in their most impressive performance of the season with a 42-7 rout of sixth-seeded Manalapan in the first round of the South Jersey Group 5 playoffs. Toms River North didn’t even attempt a pass and ran for 315 yards on just 32 carries, led by 173 yards rushing and a school-record six touchdowns by senior running back Lucas Elias. Senior quarterback Cole Garrison added 91 yards rushing. The defense swallowed up Manalapan, led by nine tackles, two sacks and three tackles for a loss from junior defensive lineman Judah Williams, 10 tackles, three for a loss and a sack from sophomore linebacker Finn Boland and two sacks from junior linebacker Patrick Mackin. They now get a home game in the semifinals after Southern’s upset loss. The Mariners will try to reach their fifth sectional final in the last six seasons and make a move up in the rankings. Next game: Friday vs. seventh-seeded Trenton (6-4) in the South Jersey Group 5 semifinals. 

8. Wall (5-4) – Last week’s ranking: No. 8. 

The fifth-seeded Crimson Knights ended the undefeated season of fourth-seeded Monmouth with a dominant 35-0 win in South Jersey Group 2 thanks to 106 yards rushing and five touchdowns from senior quarterback Franny Scaramellino. Senior defensive tackle Donovan Buist had three sacks and Scaramellino and sophomore Jake Butkus each had two interceptions to lead a defensive effort that held Monmouth to 49 total yards. Now they go on the road as an underdog against another unbeaten team in search of their third straight trip to the sectional finals. Next game: Friday at top-seeded West Deptford (10-0) in the South Jersey Group 2 semifinals. 

9. Point Boro (6-4) – Last week’s ranking: No. 9. 

The third-seeded Panthers took care of sixth-seeded Lower Cape May with a 48-14 romp in Central Jersey Group 2 behind 163 yards rushing and three touchdowns from senior quarterback Jake Clayton. Senior fullback DJ Albanese added 125 yards rushing and two touchdowns as Point Boro rolled up 359 yards on the ground. Senior edge Mason Morris continued his outstanding season with 11 tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss, and Clayton also had an interception on defense. They go on the road this week for the latest edition of a burgeoning playoff rivalry. Next game: Friday at No. 4 Rumson-Fair Haven (7-3) in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals. 

10. Holmdel (6-4) – Last week’s ranking: No. 10. 

The Hornets saw their season come to a heartbreaking end with a 27-26 loss at home to Somerville in the North Jersey 2 Group 3 first round. Holmdel went for a two-point conversion and the win with 22 seconds remaining and got stopped. Junior Anthony Serini finished a brilliant season with 133 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Senior defensive back Michael Todisco ended a great career with 12 tackles, one for a loss, senior linebacker Matt Scheinman went out with 18 tackles, one for a loss, and senior linebacker Joey Berardi had 15 tackles in his final game. The Hornets keep this spot thanks to a 12-0 regular-season win over Middletown South, but could get passed if teams below them keep winning in the state playoffs. Next game: Season complete. 

11. Middletown South (6-3) – Last week’s ranking: No. 11. 

The fourth-seeded Eagles won a 21-14 thriller over fifth-seeded Ridge in North Jersey 1 Group 4 on a touchdown catch by senior Owen Maguire inside the final two minutes. Maguire finished with six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns, and senior running back Justin Rosato had 111 yards rushing and a touchdown in the win. Middletown South can make a big statement against the bracket’s No. 1 seed this week and reach its first sectional final since 2022. Next game: Friday at top-seeded Roxbury (8-2) in the North Jersey 1 Group 4 semifinals. 

12. Manasquan (6-3) – Last week’s ranking: No. 12. 

The fifth-seeded Warriors won their fourth straight game by going on the road and knocking off fourth-seeded Gloucester City 26-14 in Central Jersey Group 2. Senior running back Dax Klein erupted for 212 yards and a touchdown on a whopping 43 carries to lead the way, going over 1,000 yards for the season in the process. Senior defensive lineman Nick Loughrey continued his strong season with a sack, two tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles, and junior Wyatt Sowul added a 31-yard pick-six to ice the game. Now they will try to summon the old Manasquan playoff magic and slay the dragon on the road against one of the state’s top public school teams. Next game: Friday at top-seeded Glassboro (9-1) in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals. 

Keep an eye on: 

Pinelands (10-0): The Wildcats’ dream season added another chapter with a 21-0 win over sixth-seeded Triton in South Jersey Group 3 to make them the only undefeated team left in the Shore Conference. It was their first state playoff win in 22 years and just the second in school history. It also extended their school single-season record to 10 wins. Junior running back RJ Clark racked up 162 yards rushing and two scores to go over 1,000 yards rushing for the season. Junior linebacker Montrell Carter had 11 tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss as Pinelands posted its school-record sixth shutout of the season. They go on the road to second-seeded Oakcrest (7-3) for the semifinals on Saturday, and a win there would mean their first trip to a sectional final in history and make their case to be ranked pretty undeniable. 

Scott Stump is the football editor and a reporter for Shore Sports Insider. He first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999. 

Email: scottstump25@gmail.com