Top Shore Conference Storylines to Watch in the Public State Playoffs

They are the best four words a Shore Conference fan ready for championship football can hear this time of the year: win or go home. 

The NJSIAA has released the official brackets and pairings for this year’s state playoffs, and the Shore Conference is once again well-represented. 

A total of 23 Shore teams have qualified, including defending Group 2 champion Rumson-Fair Haven and defending Group 5 champion Toms River North. Two teams, Brick Memorial and Holmdel, have earned No. 1 seeds in their respective brackets. Four other teams – Wall, Southern, Shore and Manalapan – have earned No. 2 seeds. 

The Shore’s three non-public teams – Red Bank Catholic, Donovan Catholic and St. John Vianney – will play another regular-season game this week and then have their Non-Public B bracket seeded by an NJSIAA committee. 

We will have full previews of the Shore Conference’s chances in each of the five Groups, but first here are the storylines to watch and some extra notes as the playoffs get set to kick off on Halloween. 

The Shore Conference has a good chance at winning two state sectional titles and up to five

With Holmdel and Brick Memorial as top seeds, there is certainly a very good chance the Shore Conference takes the titles in Central Jersey Groups 3 and 4, respectively. 

The two swing brackets are Central Jersey Groups 2 and 1 as far as the Shore having massive success in this year’s playoffs. The top seeds in those two brackets, Camden and Burlington City, are going to be really tough to beat on the road, but defending Group 2 champion Rumson-Fair Haven can never be counted out, and I think Shore is being way underrated in Group 1 and could take out Burlington. 

Southern is the No. 2 seed in South Jersey Group 5 but may have to beat state-ranked Kingsway and then Atlantic City to win its first state sectional title in history, which won’t be easy. There is the possibility that defending Group 5 champion Toms River North could make some noise on the Atlantic City side of the bracket, and Southern beat Toms River North in the regular season. 

The door is wide open for Holmdel’s first state sectional title in school history 

This is the first time Holmdel has ever been the No. 1 seed in a bracket, so the road to the Central Jersey Group 3 final runs through Bob Roggy Memorial Field. 

The Hornets have their best chance to win it for the first time with a relentless offense led by senior quarterback Jack Cannon that enters the playoffs averaging a Shore Conference-best 41.3 points per game. 

Undefeated Burlington Township became the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group 3 bracket, so the Hornets avoid them until a potential Group 3 semifinal.

Holmdel’s biggest challenge looks to be second-seeded Somerville (8-1), but I would argue the Pioneers have not played as challenging a schedule as the Hornets. Plus the game will be on Holmdel’s home turf if it works out that way. Matawan would also like to throw a wrench in that matchup by stunning Somerville in the first round. 

A potential all-Shore semifinal matchup would be Neptune (8-1) at Holmdel. The Scarlet Fliers are in the playoffs for the first time in six years and have won eight straight, but their strength of schedule also pales in comparison to Holmdel, so the Hornets would be a big favorite in that game. 

It just feels like now or never for Holmdel. The stage is set. The Hornets just have to do it. 

Brick Memorial is in prime position to win its first state title in 17 years

In Central Jersey Group 4, Brick Memorial (7-2) roars in as the top seed with four straight wins. No more trips to the wilds of South Jersey to have to face juggernauts like Millville, which beat the Mustangs in last year’s sectional final. The road to the title comes through DiFabio Field. 

The Mustangs are finally getting healthy and have returned star linebacker Trey Tallmadge from injury in the last two games. Senior quarterback Jason Lajara is an Offensive Player of the Year candidate in the Shore, lighting teams up for more than 300 yards per game as a dual threat. Senior Nyzier Matthews has played like the Shore’s best wide receiver, and there are plenty more weapons on offense. 

This senior class has been talked about since they were freshmen to be the one to bring Brick Memorial its first state sectional title since 2008. They already have a share of a division title and a host of the individual school records at Brick Memorial. Now it’s time to put the cherry on top. 

Thanksgiving comes early to Middletown in Eagles-Lions matchup

Middletown South plays at Middletown North in the first round of Central Jersey Group 4 on Halloween night. It’s going to be a wild scene in Middletown as the two longtime Thanksgiving rivals duke it out with a trip to the sectional semifinals on the line. 

Middletown South has dominated the Thanksgiving rivalry. The last time the Lions beat the Eagles was in 2016, so they will have to figure out a way if they want to keep their season alive. 

The winner most likely then travels to second-seeded Manalapan for the semifinals. 

Regardless of what happens, the two teams will then play again on Thanksgiving Day in their annual rivalry game. This is Round One, but it has much bigger stakes. 

Central Jersey Group 4 is a mini Shore Conference Tournament

Six of the eight teams in Central Jersey Group 4 are from the Shore Conference, led by No. 1 Brick Memorial. The only two nonconference teams are underdog Mercer County squads Steinert and Hamilton, so it would take some stunning upsets for the Shore Conference not to claim this one. 

It’s also worth noting that No. 8 seed Marlboro (2-7), which played a ruthless schedule in Class A North this season, has qualified for the state playoffs for the fourth straight season. This was a program that had two state playoff appearances in its entire history before this current run. 

Multiple rematches between Shore teams 

If Middletown South beats Middletown North and Manalapan tops Hamilton in the first round in Central Jersey Group 4, that would mean a Middletown South-Manalapan rematch in the semifinals. The Braves beat the Eagles 24-14 in the second game of the season. 

In Central Jersey Group 2, Rumson-Fair Haven and Point Boro will square off at Borden Stadium for the second time this season. The Bulldogs rolled over the Panthers 34-0 in their first meeting, but Point Boro is coming off a win over a Toms River North team that just beat Rumson. 

If Rumson wins, it most likely means a trip to Wall for the semifinals. Rumson beat Wall 38-14 to win last year’s Central Jersey Group 2 title. Wall has won six straight coming into the playoffs and is gunning for its first title since 2019. 

In Central Jersey Group 1, New Egypt heads to Shore for a first-round matchup. The Blue Devils handled New Egypt 42-14 in the season opener. 

The Warriors enter with some momentum because they had a do-or-die game against Monmouth just to qualify for the playoffs on Friday night, and they pulled it off with a 26-13 victory.

But Shore has plenty of momentum of its own after routing Matawan 35-19 for its fourth straight win. New Egypt seemingly can’t avoid Shore, as the Blue Devils beat them 21-0 in the first round of last year’s playoffs. 

Playoff Notes 

—The toughest first-round matchup for any Shore Conference team belongs to Howell, which has to head to top-seeded Washington Township (9-0), which is ranked No. 7 in the state by NJ.com, in Central Jersey Group 5. 

—Freehold Township has qualified for the state playoffs for the fourth straight season. The Patriots had four total state playoff appearances in their history before this current run. They travel to face Old Bridge (8-1) in Central Jersey Group 5. 

—Toms River North enters the postseason with a state-best 15-game playoff winning streak after winning three straight Group 5 titles. The Mariners have to go on the road to face undefeated Cherry Hill East (9-0) in the first round in South Jersey Group 5. Toms River North has not lost a first-round state playoff game since 2018. 

—Southern has won five state playoff games in its history and will need three to take its first state sectional title. The Rams could face a Kingsway team in the semifinals that is ranked No. 18 in the state by NJ.com and has a 20-7 win over Donovan Catholic on its resume. 

—Red Bank is making its second straight state playoff appearance and first under new head coach Tyler Karalewich. The Bucs host Steinert in Central Jersey Group 4 in their first home playoff game in 10 years. 

—Manalapan’s last trip to a sectional final came in 2017. The Braves are the No. 2 seed in Central Jersey Group 4. If the seeds hold true, it would be Manalapan at Brick Memorial in the final, which was the same matchup when Brick Memorial won its first state sectional title in school history in 2003. 

—Toms River East is making its first state playoff appearance since 2019 and has to go to second-seeded Millville in South Jersey Group 4. 

—Central is making its second straight state playoff appearance and will host Northern Burlington in South Jersey Group 4. The Golden Eagles have a chance for a rare playoff win, as they only have two postseason victories in their history. 

—Neptune is seeking its first state playoff win since 2014 when it heads to Hopewell Valley for a first-round game in Central Jersey Group 3. The Scarlet Fliers are on their first eight-game winning streak since 2011, which was the season when they won their last state sectional title. Their current head coach, Mike Seber, was an assistant on that 2011 team and one of the stars was quarterback Jaheem Woods, who is now an assistant for the Scarlet Fliers. 

—Matawan is shooting for its first state playoff win since 2015 when it tries to take down second-seeded Somerville in Central Jersey Group 3. 

—No, it’s not basketball season yet, but we could have a Manasquan-Camden matchup in the semifinals of Central Jersey Group 2 if the Warriors knock off A.L. Johnson and Camden takes care of business against No. 8 seed Voorhees.

—Point Beach is back in the state playoffs for the first time since 2019. The Garnet Gulls are seeking their first postseason win since 2017 when they travel to third-seeded Riverside in Central Jersey Group 1. 

—Asbury Park is back in the state playoffs for the first time since 2022 and seeking its first playoff win since that same season. The Blue Bishops play at fourth-seeded Manville (9-0) in the first round. For comparison’s sake, Manville beat Keyport 19-6, while Asbury Park beat Keyport 39-8 this season. 

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