SSI Football Report: Manasquan, Central, Howell make an offensive leap

A trio of Shore Conference teams are hoping some early-season fireworks on offense are a sign of a dramatic improvement that can inject them into the hunt for division and state sectional titles.

Last season, Manasquan (14.3 points per game), Central (16.4 ppg) and Howell (17.4 ppg) were in the bottom half of the Shore Conference in scoring. If you drill down further, they struggled mightily against teams with .500 records or better –  the type of teams you need to beat to win championships –  in averaging 7 points per game (Manasquan), 10.6 points per game (Central) and 9.4 points per game (Howell).

This season they are all out to show that a lot has changed. Manasquan is averaging 40.5 points after two games, Central checks in at 30.5 and Howell hung 42 on Freehold Township in its season opener.

St. John Vianney also has made a leap, but it’s somewhat different because the Lancers added standout junior quarterback Zach LaBarca after he transferred from Donovan Catholic. Wall is another program that has made a big jump forward from 14.3 points per game to 37.5 in two games this season, but their stats from last year also had a lot to do with playing one of the hardest schedules in the state in the old American Division.

Certainly part of that could be their early-season opponents, but the improvement looks significant thus far.

Manasquan’s offense has been led by quarterback Matt Antonucci and budding star Ace Etienne, a junior running back who rolled up 230 yards rushing and a school-record six touchdowns in the first half of a win over Monmouth in Week One. Etienne has 348 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in two games.

“He had a great track season, both winter and spring, and worked real hard in the weight room to put on 15 pounds of muscle,” Manasquan coach Jay Price said about Etienne. “He erases a lot of mistakes. It’s been a while since we had a kid who can produce explosive plays.”

Etienne also has some impressive genetics. One of his grandfathers is Manasquan great Billy Morgan of the Morgan family that has produced numerous stars for the Warriors over decades. His great-grandfather is Frank Budd, one of the most legendary athletes to ever come out of the Shore. The late Budd starred at Asbury Park in the 1950s and went on to reach the 1960 Olympics as a sprinter and then play for the Eagles and Redskins as a wide receiver.

“(Etienne) has got good genes,” Price said. “He has the ability to take it to the house whenever he gets the ball, which opens up other people because defenses have to pay attention to him.”

Manasquan also returned nearly all its offensive line and has a new offensive line coach in Jon McLaughlin. The Warriors assistant coached for 10 seasons in the Ivy League at Columbia University and previously had stints at the University of Pennsylvania and Iowa.

The Warriors now face a Manalapan team desperate to break into the win column after an 0-2 start.

As for Central, experience has played a big role in the Golden Eagles’ improvement. They returned 10 starters on offense, including quarterback Joe Vezzosi. He tossed four touchdown passes in a 41-28 victory over Matawan to boost Central to 2-0.

“Joe is just really settling in with his second year at quarterback, and he’s got a lot of weapons,” Central coach Jarrett Pidgeon said.

Central has an army of receivers led by game-breaking senior Royalty Riley, who had a touchdown catch in the win over Matawan. Riley has also started playing defense this season at cornerback and already has three interceptions in two games. He has offers from Delaware State and Temple, according to Pidgeon.

“He doesn’t just catch the ball, he plays defense now and is returning punts and kicks,” Pidgeon said. “He always wants the ball.”

Seniors Nnaemeka Amaechina and Liam Hurley, and sophomores Zyshun Carroll and C.J. Yates give the Golden Eagles a blend of breakaway speed and precision route runners in addition to the steady Nick Ruggiero (934 yards in 2023) in the backfield. This also is the first group that has really come up all four years under Pidgeon, not counting the chaotic, shortened 2020 pandemic season.

“This is the first class that has heard only my voice,” Pidgeon said. “We did a good job in the offseason with leadership meetings, and it’s played a pivotal role.”

Next up for the Golden Eagles is Toms River East (1-1).

Stability at quarterback also has been a key for Howell after having rotated several quarterbacks and dealt with injuries at that position the past few seasons. The Rebels took down their Freehold Regional District rival Freehold Township, which was ranked No. 9 in the SSI Top 12 at the time, to earn Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week honors from Shore Sports Insider.

They did it with an attack led by senior quarterback Vince Meehan, who ran for 187 yards and two touchdowns and also threw for 90 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Howell also showed its depth of skill players with running backs Juan DeJesus and Quincy Shaw and receivers Jason Borgia and Jackson Behn all finding the end zone.

Coming up Friday night, the No. 11 Rebels have a chance to really open some eyes around the Shore when they take on another explosive offense in Brick Memorial (2-0), the No. 5 team in the SSI Top 12.

Strong debut for new Middletown North QB

Middletown North has produced a succession of quality quarterbacks under veteran coach Steve Bush, and junior Owen Robson became the latest to make his debut in a 37-7 win over Lacey. He was accurate and efficient in going 16-for-19 for 239 yards passing, pretty much all in the first half, as the Lions built a 30-0 lead at the break and cruised to victory.

Robson ran for a touchdown and threw a pair of touchdown passes as he steps into the shoes of the graduated Luke Sheehan, who threw for more than 2,200 yards last season.

“His arm got stronger, and he worked hard in the offseason,” Bush said. “He’s doing a really good job being poised and making good decisions.”

Robson is similar to Sheehan in that both are accurate while throwing on the run. He also has a deep group of wideouts that includes outside receivers Jack Viola and Ryan Clark, slot receiver Brian O’Donnell and tight end Joe Grasso. Senior running back Shane Volante is also a receiving threat.

At one point last season, Middletown North had eight offensive linemen injured at the same time, so the Lions have their fingers crossed for much better health for their front line this season.

Next up for the Lions is a hungry Matawan team looking to avoid an 0-3 start.

Alumni spotlight

Former Red Bank Catholic star Alex Bauman, a junior tight end for Tulane, had 2 catches for 49 yards and both of them went for touchdowns in a 34-27 loss to nationally-ranked Kansas State.

.@GreenWaveFB leads Kansas State 20-10 at halftime after K-State missed a FG at the end of the 2nd Q.

Makhi Hughes leads the Green Wave with 63 yards and 1 TD rushing. Darian Mensah is 11/14 for 218 yards and this 36-yard TD to Alex Bauman.pic.twitter.com/8fwNR1uBho

— Colton Pool (@CPoolReporter) September 7, 2024

Ahead of the season, Bauman was named to the John Mackey Award Watch List for an accolade that’s given every year to the top tight end in college football.

Notes from around the Shore

• Top-ranked Toms River North has a 28-game winning streak against public school opponents. No Shore Conference public school has beaten the Mariners since Rumson-Fair Haven in 2021.
• Holmdel has a 12-game winning streak against Shore Conference opponents.
• Southern has registered back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 2012.
• Neptune’s 42 points in a win over Keyport were its most in a game since scoring 50 against Lakewood in 2019.
• Wall is 2-0 for the first time since going 7-0 and winning the unofficial Shore Conference title during the 2020 pandemic season.
• Middletown South head coach Marc Tomo picked up his first career win in the Eagles’ overtime victory over Manalapan. Shore Regional’s Don Klein got his first win at his alma mater with a victory over Pinelands.
• Head coach Steve Fence became New Egypt’s career wins leader after a victory over Keansburg in the Warriors’ first game as a Shore Conference team.
• Asbury Park is honoring its three straight state championship teams from 2007-09 at its home game against New Egypt on Friday.
• Lakewood senior quarterback Rahmel Anderson is averaging 303 yards rushing after two games and has nine touchdowns.

 

Scott Stump is an award-winning reporter, newsletter writer and editor who first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999 and has covered basketball, baseball and seemingly every other Shore Conference sport at some point.  

Email: [email protected].