SHORE CONFERENCE GRIDIRON HIGHTLIGHTS

SHORE CONFERENCE GRIDIRON HIGHTLIGHTS 

By Mike Ready 
 
WEEK SEVEN RECAP 
No. 1 WALL 35, BRICK 6
The Crimson Knights (8-0, 5-0) closed out their regular season undefeated and the Colonial Division champions. Junior running back Casey Larkin rushed for 53 yards on 11 carries, including touchdown runs of one and four yards and caught a 34-yard pass from junior quarterback Logan Peters. Peters completed 11-of-17 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for an additional 71 yards, including a six-yard touchdown run on seven carries.  Senior wideout Eric Rodriguez caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Peters as well. Sophomore linebacker Colin Riley recorded eight tackles and a fumble recovery and senior linebacker Dean Terry chipped in with eight tackles, while sophomore linebacker Charlie Sasso led the team with 10 tackles to lead a defensive effort that kept the Dragons (3-4, 1-4) out of the end zone. 
No. 3 TOMS RIVER NORTH 47, TOMS RIVER EAST 20
The Mariners (7-1, 4-1) knocked the Raiders (7-1, 6-0) out of the unbeaten ranks by scoring 40 second-half points, including 27 in the fourth quarter turning a close game into a rout. The Raiders’ Riley Engelhard caught a deflected pass and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown to cut the Mariners lead to 20-13, heading into the fourth quarter. A 6-yard touchdown run by Matt Spalletta and a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jake Kazonowsky to Zack Browne, who caught three passes for 76 yards and a touchdown, pushed the lead to 34-13, before TRE cut the lead to 34-20. The Mariners answered with a 46-yard touchdown run by Jarrod Pruitt and a 5-yard touchdown run by Jordan Grey. Pruitt ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 15 attempts; Spalletta picked up 60 yards on 10 attempts and two touchdowns on the ground and Kazonowsky completed 14-of-23 passes for 190 yards, a touchdown and an interception.  
No. 3 MANALAPAN 31, FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP 10
Senior quarterback Sean Kehley passed for 103 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Braves (5-2, 3-2) to a convincing win over the Patriots (2-6, 2-3). Senior running back Andre Johnson ran for 73 yards and a touchdown giving him 853-yards rushing this season while junior Anthony Matrone caught four passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. Senior tight end Matt Benedetti added a touchdown reception and Vin Rea kicked a 35-yard field goal. Matrone and junior linebacker Matt Sadler each had interceptions to pace the defense with Matrone adding nine tackles (6 solo). 
No. 4 RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN    BYE WEEK 
No. 5 MATER DEI 37, MIDDLETOWN NORTH 0
The outmanned Lions (4-4, 3-2) were no match for the angry Seraphs (5-3, 4-1), as Mater Dei snapped a three-game losing streak by shutting out Middletown North. Sophomore quarterback Alex Brown threw for 115 yards and two touchdowns and junior Naran Buntin accounted for 104 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on just three touches. Seniors Malik Ingram and Isaiah Noguera added touchdown runs and Notre Dame-commit Clarence Lewis caught five passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. 
No. 6 RED BANK CATHOLIC 27, No. 8 DONOVAN CATHOLIC 16
The Caseys rebounded nicely from last week’s crushing loss to Manalapan to knock Donovan Catholic out of the unbeaten ranks while picking up their third win in the past four games. Trailing 10-7 at halftime, The Caseys (4-3, 2-3) took the lead on a 20-yard touchdown by Elijah Jules. After forcing a 3-and-out and taking over at the Donovan 38-yard line, junior quarterback Anthony Borriello, who threw for 101 yards and a touchdow and ran for 55 and a score, found Notre Dame-bound tight end Kevin Bauman for a 37-yard touchdown strike on 4th-and-9 to extend the lead to 21-10.  A 31-yard touchdown run by Borriello padded the lead to 27-10 early in the fourth quarter. Jules carried the ball 12 times for 71 yards and two touchdowns while senior running back Billy Guidetti picked up 53 yards on the ground. Griffins quarterback Ryan Clark passed for 100 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 74 yards and a touchdown. 
No. 7 OCEAN 35, MANCHESTER 0
Senior running back Trebor Pena ran for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard scoring gallop in the Spartans (7-0, 5-0) shutout of Manchester (2-6, 2-3) to remain undefeated. Quarterback Robbie Nungesser kept his stellar senior season going completing 11-of-17 passes for 186 yards and three scores. Senior Chris Carasia caught five Nungesser passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns. 
No. 9 JACKSON MEMORIAL      BYE WEEK 
No. 10 SAINT JOHN VIANNEY 21, SOUTHERN 0 
The Lancers jumped back into the Top 10 after shutting out last week’s ninth-ranked team Southern (6-2, 5-0) for their second shutout in three games. Senior linebacker Naron Alston recorded 11 tackles and one sack and returned a fumble 30 yards for a score to lead a stellar defensive effort by the Lancers, which held the Rams to 130 yards of total offense. Senior running back Kavon Chambers rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown and senior quarterback C.J. Duell threw a 22-yard touchdown strike to Zarrin Stephens. 
 
WEEK EIGHT RECAP 
No. 1 WALL (8-0, 5-0) BYE WEEK 
The Crimson Knights received the No. 1 seed in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Bracket and will face eighth-seeded Robbinsville (9-0) Friday night in a first-round game. 
No. 2 TOMS RIVER NORTH 44, TOMS RIVER SOUTH 7 
The Mariners ended the season on a four-game winning streak routing crosstown rival Toms River South in the ‘Civil War.’ Senior running back Jarrod Pruitt rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries and caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Jake Kazanowsky to lead TRN to the easy win. Kazanowsky completed 10-of-14 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Junior wideout Zach Browne made a spectacular one-handed grab for a 27-yard touchdown while senior Dominick Jacob caught four passes for 54 yards. The second-seeded Mariners will host No. 7 South Brunswick (5-4) Friday night in a NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group V first-round game. 
No. 3 MATER DEI 17, No. 9 MANALAPAN 0 
In a defensive slugfest, the Seraphs (6-3, 4-1) outmuscled Manalapan (5-3, 3-2) – ranked third at the time – to take a hard-fought battle from the Braves. Notre Dame-bound senior Clarence Lewis broke the game open hauling in a 67-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Alex Brown to take a 10-0 lead with seconds left in the third quarter. Wideout Naran Buntin then clinched the game darting 60 yards around right end on a jet sweep the expand the lead to 17-0 with 1:05 left in the game. No. 3 Mater Dei (6-3, 4-1) will host sixth-seed Pope John (1-8) on Saturday in a NJSIAA Non-Public Group III first-round game. 
No. 4 RED BANK CATHOLIC 42, FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP 7
The Caseys are hitting their stride just in time for the playoffs winning four of five and two in row after routing the Patriots. RBC stormed out to a 35-0 halftime lead behind touchdown runs by Kevin Degnan, Jack Zenkert, Elijah Jules and Billy Guidetti, and Guidetti added another in the second half. Notre Dame-bound defensive end Kevin Bauman had a sack and forced fumble to lead a suffocating Caseys defense. As the second seed in the NJSIAA Non-Public, Group III tournament, the Caseys received a bye and will host the winner of the Mater Dei vs. Pope John game.
No. 5 OCEAN 42, MARLBORO 7
The Spartans (8-0, 5-0) completed an undefeated regular season by trouncing the Mustangs. Senior Trebor Pena continued his torrid pace running for 213 yards, including a 96-yard touchdown run on just 10 carries for a whopping 21.3 yards per carry average. He also had a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown for his Shore Conference leading 20th touchdown of the year and appears to be the front runner for the Offensive Player of the Year award. Senior Nasir Thompson added 129-yards rushing and a touchdown on only five carries with scoring runs of 42 and 39 yards. Ishyne Woodward scored a 15-yard touchdown run and senior quarterback Robbie Nungesser added a 7-yard touchdown pass to Tye Brookins. The third-seeded Spartans will host No. 6 Seneca (7-2) on Friday in a NJSIAA South Jersey, Group III first-round game.
No. 6 DONOVAN CATHOLIC 48, LAKEWOOD 0 
The Griffins (8-1, 5-0) pounded winless Lakewood to end the regular season on a high note after suffering their only loss of the season last week against Red Bank Catholic. Senior running back Damian Johnson ran for two touchdowns and senior quarterback Ryan Clark threw two touchdowns for their eighth win; the most since 1992. James Bivins had a 51-yard touchdown catch and freshman Omar Walker added a 30-yard touchdown reception. Gage Rebman ran for a score and Mysun Esdaile scored on a 35-yard interception return. The fourth-seeded Griffins will host last week’s No. 10 team, Saint John Vianney, who lost, 26-21, to Long Branch, on Friday in a NJSIAA Non-Public Group III first-round game. 
No. 7 JACKSON MEMORIAL 22, No. 8 RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN 14
The Jaguars (6-2, 3-2) got past last week’s No. 4 team, RFH (4-4, 3-2) for their fifth-straight win entering the state playoffs. Senior quarterback Lonnie Cebulski tossed three touchdown passes, two to senior Zack Novak and another to senior Jake McKown, who finished with four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. Senior Will Towns, who entered the game second in the Shore in rushing, ran for 70 yards on 26 attempts. Jackson’s defense was stellar, limiting Rumson’s offense to 127 total yards, including minus one-yard rushing on a muddy field. Rumson junior running back John Volker  caught a short pass from senior quarterback Collin Coles and bolted 74 yards for a score. Dan Afflitto returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown to pull the Bulldogs to within 22-14 with 9:21 left to play in the game, but Jackson’s defense stopped Rumson on their final possession of the game. Second-seed Jackson will host No. 7 Moorestown (4-5) in a NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV first-round game on Friday, while the second-seeded Bulldogs will host No. 7 Delsea (3-5) Friday in a NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group III first-round game. 
No. 10 MIDDLETOWN SOUTH 28, BRICK 7 
The Eagles (3-4, 2-3) break into the Top 10 after trouncing Brick, a week after beating Rumson, for their second impressive win in a row. Senior Chris Lotito had a monster game rushing for 160 yards and two touchdown on 21 carries, tossed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Schork and picked off a pass on defense.  Schork had nine receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown. Junior defensive end Joe Sanzione led a ferocious defensive attack that held Brick to 13-yards of total offense into the fourth quarter when South turned to reserves. The fourth-seeded Eagles will host No. 5 Hamilton West (7-1) on Friday in a NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV first-round game. 
 
 
JERSEY SPORTING NEWS FINAL REGULAR SEASON FOOTBALL TOP 10 
1) Wall
2) Toms River North 
3) Mater Dei Prep
4) Red Bank Catholic 
5) Donovan Catholic 
6) Ocean Township 
7) Jackson Memorial 
8) Manalapan 
9) Middletown South
10) Rumson-Fair Haven 
BUBBLE TEAMS: Southern, Toms River East, Saint John Vianney, Long Branch 
 
TagsFall