Howell 21, Central Regional 12
Howell opened its season with a 21-12 victory over Central Regional. Vaughn Meehan (74 rushing yards on the night) and Eli Guzman (36 rushing yards) had rushing touchdowns and quarterback Jason Caston (12-20, 101 yards) threw a 24-yard touchdown to Brandon Van Bergen. Xavier Kelly caught six passes for 58 yards; Brandon Regins had seven tackles and a sack and Matt Jacobs had a fumble recovery for Howell. For Central Regional, quarterback Gavin Whalen threw touchdown passes of 75 and 20 yards to senior wide receiver Darius Martorano.
Shore Regional 31, Pinelands 0
Shore Regional made a statement in their season-opening win as they shutout Pinelands, 31-0. Senior quarterback Gil Goldsmith threw for two touchdowns of 48 and 13 yards, both to junior Terry Carlstrom, and ran for a 43-yard score in the fourth quarter. Shane McLaughlin added an eight-yard touchdown run and Rich Pekmezian kicked a field goal.
Red Bank Catholic 40, Ocean 7
Widely considered to be the top team in the Shore Conference this season, Red Bank Catholic got off to a strong start with a convincing win over Ocean. Senior defensive back M.J. Wright had a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown and senior quarterback Steve Lubischer added a four-yard run. The Caseys scored all 40 points in the first half.
Barnegat 20, Jackson Liberty 6
Barnegat opened its season with a win over Jackson Liberty. Charlie Cotton got the scoring going for Barnegat, rushing for a one-yard touchdown to give them a 6-0 lead. Jackson Liberty responded with its only score of the game, a touchdown pass by Evan Catron. Barnegat signal caller Brian Finucan put the Bengals on top for good with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Devyn DeFilipo and Brian Ewan capped off the scoring with a 44-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Freehold Boro 22, Middletown North 20
Freehold Boro came away with a tough victory to open its season against Middletown North. Senior quarterback Matt Krauss showcased his dual-threat ability as he ran for 305 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries and threw for 169 yards and a touchdown. Sha'kim Shuler had a significant impact in both the passing game and the running game, with 11 carries for 71 yards and seven receptions for 106 yards. Senior tight end Quincy Davis had eight catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. Middletown North quarterback Sean Glenn threw three touchdowns, two of 35 and 10 yards to senior wide receiver Aidan Campbell, and the other going 24 yards to Nick DeWise.
Brick 30, Brick Memorial 7
In the latest installment in the series of the two Brick rivals, it was Brick Township coming out with the bragging rights once again this season in their sixth straight win over the Mustangs. The defense was on full display for the Dragons as senior linebacker Richie Tallmadge returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown; senior linebacker Dylan DeAlmeida recorded a safety and senior defensive back Mike McGuigan intercepted two passes as the Dragons limited the Brick Memorial offense to 116 yards. Senior quarterback Jimmy Leblo ran for 94 yards and a touchdown and also caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from junior Anthony Prato. Senior running back Jake Wynkoop added a seven-yard touchdown run for the Dragons.
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