SSI Football Report: Asbury Park’s Amiere Massie, Injuries to Key Players, Keansburg’s Debut and More

Asbury Park senior running back Amiere Massie is making up for lost time. 

After suffering a torn ACL between his sophomore and junior seasons, and then missing four games as a junior partly due to the NJSIAA transfer rule, he finally has a full season to show what he can do. 

The 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior wasted no time in his quest to show he is one of the Shore Conference’s top running backs when he posted 252 yards rushing and four touchdowns in a season-opening, 42-29 win over Point Beach. 

“He’s been having just setbacks during every season so far,” Asbury Park head coach Will Johnson said. “This season he has nothing but greatness to look forward to. He’s the total package: speed, vision and power.” 

“He’s an incredible athlete,” Point Beach head coach Joe Zaccone said. 

Massie transferred to an out-of-state school last offseason and then transferred back to Asbury Park, which constituted two transfers and resulted in him having to sit. He ended up with 657 yards and 7 touchdowns in five games during a 3-6 season for the Blue Bishops. 

“It was very frustrating,” Massie said. “I didn’t get to really show my potential last year. This is my first time playing the first game without having to sit or having anything happening, so it was a big game for me.” 

The explosive runner found himself below the radar when it came to the best running backs in the conference in the preseason. 

“A lot of people they send me stuff, saying, ‘They’re counting you out,’” Massie said. “I was seeing it, and I was just saying, ‘I’m going to just show them,’ and that’s what I’m doing now.” 

His presence is even more important considering that junior Jason Whittaker, a three-year varsity starter, is no longer with the team, according to Johnson. Whittaker was slated to start at quarterback but was gone before the opener. Senior Ny’John Kirkpatrick, a starter on defense last season, has stepped in at quarterback. 

The Blue Bishops face old rival Keansburg (1-0) this week. 

Injuries to Key Players on Rumson, Donovan Catholic and Raritan

The injury bug swept the Shore Conference this weekend as several players at key positions for multiple teams went down. 

Donovan Catholic standout junior quarterback Kahden Davis took a helmet to the knee on a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of a 48-35 loss to Holmdel and did not return. The injury is not season-ending, but Davis is expected to miss some games, Griffins coach Dan Curcione told SSI. In addition, starting junior running back Alex Staten was also hurt in the game. His injury is not season-ending, either, but he will also miss some time, according to Curcione. 

Davis’ backup, freshman Chris McClaren, saw action in the second half against Holmdel following the starter’s injury. Griffins junior Ethan Nicolas powered the running game after Staten’s injury and had 105 yards rushing and two scores on 10 carries, all in the second half. Donovan faces a tough task in taking on No. 3 Toms River North this week. 

Rumson-Fair Haven’s All-Shore senior running back, Kellen Murray, tweaked his ankle after two carries in an eventual 35-7 win over Brick Memorial and sat out the rest of the game. Bulldogs coach Jeremy Schulte said Monday that there is no update yet on Murray’s status as No. 2 Rumson prepares for a big home game against No. 5 Holmdel on Friday night. 

Raritan was dealt a serious blow when junior quarterback Parker Needham fractured his right clavicle while being tackled in a 35-7 loss to St. John Vianney in the Rockets’ season opener. Needham is expected to be out for about eight weeks, according to head coach Anthony Petruzzi. Sophomore Zahir Jones will step in to start at quarterback after seeing time in the loss to the Lancers. 

“He’s a guy we’ve been trying to get on the field at some other position,” Petruzzi said about Jones. “He’s a varsity-ready guy. He’s just inexperienced right now. I think he’ll be much better prepared to execute (against Ocean) this week.” 

Another notable absence has been Brick Memorial senior quarterback Jason Lajara, an All-Shore talent who has missed two games with illness. He did not play in a 35-7 loss to Rumson, but is expected to make his return this week against Point Boro. 

Burg Welcomes Back Bird

Much like Asbury Park, Keansburg had a strong season debut of its own with a 40-21 win over Freehold in its opener. The victory gave head coach John Bird a win in the first game of his second stint as the team’s head coach. He previously was the head coach for seven seasons before taking an administrative job for two years. 

The victory over Freehold snapped a nine-game losing streak against Shore Conference opponents and marked Keansburg’s second win in its last 18 games against Shore teams. The 41 points were also the most against a conference opponent in four years. 

“The hardest part about having been away was I had no judge of what other teams were,” Bird said. “I knew I felt OK about us, but I had no idea how to compare teams. You want to get that first one. I was so nervous, but the kids were great.” 

Senior running back Milan Mraz (above) led the way with a career-high 169 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 15 carries in the win. 

“I think he’s probably the most underrated player in the Shore at running back,” Bird said. 

A veteran offensive line made its presence felt as the Titans had 280 yards rushing, with sophomore Taurian Black also putting up 110 yards on the ground. Former Keansburg standout lineman Richie Squeo, a 2017 graduate who was an All-NJAC player at William Paterson, has returned to coach the line. 

“I told the guys yesterday that the nerves went away for me after the first play of the game after seeing the push our O-line got,” Bird said. 

Keasburg’s 19 seniors are aiming for the program’s first winning season since 2021 on the heels of a 1-7 campaign. They take on an Asbury Park team this week that a lot of the Keansburg players know well because they played AYF football with them. 

More Than Rahmel Anderson 

After graduating the school’s all-time leading rusher and one of the most prolific runners in New Jersey the last two seasons in Rahmel Anderson, Lakewood’s offense has remained productive.

The Piners have averaged 43 points per game in their 2-0 start. Sophomore quarterback Abel Martinez erupted for 300 yards rushing and five touchdowns in a 44-20 win over Keyport in Week One and has 433 yards rushing and six touchdowns in two games. 

Unlike last year when the offense revolved around Anderson, an SSI first-team All-Shore pick who had 4,426 career rushing yards, this year Lakewood has a host of weapons. Returning a good amount of experience is crucial on a team where only three players played AYF football and everyone else has learned the game in high school. 

“We have four legit running backs in Zion Jones, Jonathan Gonzalez, Dre Brooks and Dante Clark, plus Abel,” Lakewood head coach L.J. Clark said. “If your offensive line is good, you’re going to be all right, and I knew my offensive line coming back would be good enough to get it done. These guys were excited to get their shot this year because they were tired of hearing guys saying our whole team was Rahmel. They had a lot to prove this year.” 

Jones had three rushing touchdowns in a season-opening win over J.P. Stevens before Martinez’s big game against Keyport. Lakewood faces Pinelands (0-2) this week in a bid to start 3-0 for the second straight season.

Huskies Come Alive Behind Sophomores 

Following a 9-7 heartbreaker in the opener against Hightstown, Matawan’s young offense showed its potential in a 33-14 win over Ocean. 

“At one point, we legitimately had six kids on each side of the ball making their first varsity start, so I think there were some jitters there,” second-year head coach Matt Walsh said about the opening game. “The biggest strides teams make is between years one and two under a coaching regime, so I thought how we bounced back (against Ocean) would be a vital sign for what the rest of the season would look like.” 

Sophomore running back Sean Euell, who is the nephew of legendary Middletown South running back Stephen Pitts, racked up a career-high 160 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries against Ocean. 

“He is a workhorse,” Walsh said. “He’s a football junkie who’s always looking to improve.” 

Sophomore wide receiver Cayson Williams, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound target, also had a strong game with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown from quarterback BlairCarter Gagneron. Those three are part of a large and talented class of 26 sophomores. 

“(Williams) always had the potential to break out,” Walsh said. “Everything kind of clicked at the right time, and he’s becoming more comfortable in the system. The game is starting to slow down, and he’s playing with confidence. He’s going to get some high-level (college) interest if he continues to progress.” 

The young Huskies face a stern test against No. 8 Manasquan (2-0) this week.

Notes From Around the Shore

–Rumson’s 15-game winning streak is tied with reigning Group 1 champion Glassboro for the longest current winning streak in New Jersey.

—Keep an eye on Southern senior defensive lineman Lucas Favorito and Jackson senior defensive lineman Matt Howard. Favorito already has four sacks and 12 tackles in two games after picking up two sacks to help the Rams bottle up Jackson in a 10-7 win. Howard is also off to a strong start with 4 sacks and 15 tackles of his own in two games. 

—Barnegat is 2-0 for the first time in four years after beating Manchester. Junior linebacker Nick Malinowski has four tackles for a loss in two games for a defense that has allowed 15 total points. 

—Howell senior Josh Krutyansky has emerged as one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the Shore. He has 11 catches for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns in two games. 

—Rumson senior punter Drew Cavise has been a weapon for the Bulldogs, averaging 45 yards per punt and dropping three of his five punts inside the opposing 20-yard line. He also is 9-for-9 on extra points. 

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