By Rich Chrampanis
The road to Rutgers begins for public high school teams this weekend as the state playoffs are upon us. Five local teams are in the postseason, while Red Bank Catholic and St. John Vianney have one more regular season game before they begin play in the Non-Public “B” state playoffs next weekend.
Records Through Week Eight
Rumson-Fair Haven 8-0
Shore Regional 8-0
Middletown North 7-0
Holmdel 7-1
St. John Vianney 6-3
Red Bank Catholic 5-3
Red Bank Regional 5-3
Middletown South 3-5
Colts Neck 0-8
Monmouth Regional 0-9
High School Football Roundup
Top Local Performances from Week Eight
Jordan Angstreich, Rumson-Fair Haven
Talk about an effective game. Angstreich had three catches for 120 yards and three touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 49-7 regular-season finale rout of Colts Neck. Angstreich now has 44 catches for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns. Owen O’Toole’s top target should continue to be a matchup problem for the top seed in Central Jersey Group 2.
Matt Iulo, Holmdel
The Hornets’ running back scored a 17-yard touchdown with 50 seconds remaining for his second score of the night to give Holmdel a dramatic 27-21 win at Manalapan. Holmdel closed out the regular season with a 7-1 record and has a home game this Saturday night in the playoffs.
Quinn Niesz, Red Bank Regional
The Bucs’ quarterback stepped up in a 28-14 win over Matawan which clinched RBR a playoff spot. Niesz was 7-of-12 for 109 yards and three touchdown passes along with a TD run. Niesz was involved in all four Bucs’ touchdowns.
Week Eight Scores
Rumson-Fair Haven 49, Colts Neck 7
Red Bank Catholic 29, Middletown South 14
Red Bank Regional 28, Matawan 14
Middletown North 45, Freehold Township 19
St. John Vianney 28, Raritan 14
Holmdel 27, Manalapan 21
Manchester Twp. 42, Monmouth Regional 12
Shore Regional 39, Asbury Park 12
Week Nine Schedule
Friday, Nov. 1
Central Jersey Group 4
(8) Red Bank Regional (5-3) at (1) Millville (6-2) 7 p.m.
Kudos to Coach Shane Fallon and the Bucs for closing out the regular season with two straight games to earn the last spot in the Central Jersey Group 4 state playoffs. That accomplishment is a big step forward for this program. RBR will have its hands full with one of South Jersey’s elite football programs. Wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks, a University of Alabama commit, was just named to the Navy All-American game. Brooks is a potential NFL prospect and he’s just one of a talented team that puts Red Bank Regional in the role of huge underdog.
South Jersey Group 4
(7) Steinert (4-4) at (2) Middletown North (7-0), 7 p.m.
The Lions won an outright division championship for the first time since 1983 after they put up a crooked number at Freehold Township. That 1983 team was 11-0; the 2024 edition of the Lions has a chance to match it and earn the school’s first state championship. Top seed Winslow is considered one of the best public schools in the state, but Steve Bush won’t let his team think that far ahead. With Shane Volante anchoring the run game and a balanced offense thanks to Owen Robson’s passing, the Lions have the tools to be playing not just on Thanksgiving in November.
(6) Middletown South (3-6) at (3) Shawnee (6-3), 6 p.m.
This is a rematch of last year’s South Group 4 quarterfinal when Shawnee came to the Swamp and scored a 35-21 win. This time the Eagles need to head to South Jersey to try and pull off the upset. Middletown South has lost four of its last five but the schedule is tough which should prepare them to compete.
Central Jersey Group 2
(8) Spotswood (8-1) at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven (8-0), 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs are back where they want to be with home-field advantage in the playoffs and the chance to return to Rutgers to play for a state championship for a third straight year. RFH’s heartbreaking back-to-back losses in the state finals have been well documented. Coach Jeremy Schulte will have his team focused on the task at hand and not looking ahead for a chance at redemption in the 2024 Group 2 state championship game. The Bulldogs could have a potential section championship game against Wall and perhaps a state semifinal against Point Pleasant Boro if the Panthers can get by Camden in the later rounds. Spotswood has won eight games in a row after a Week 0 loss, but the Big Central team has not played a schedule like Rumson. Look for the Bulldogs to set the tone early with their explosive defense and opportunistic defense.
Central Jersey Group 1
(7) New Egypt (5-3) at (2) Shore Regional (8-0), 7 p.m.
We’ve got a rematch from the regular season. The Blue Devils beat the newest member of the Shore Conference 32-0 in Week 5. Coach Don Klein’s first season has been a rousing success. Shore has the playmakers to make a deep run in the Group 1 state playoffs.
Regular Season
Donovan Catholic at Red Bank Catholic, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2
South Jersey Group 3
(6) Oakcrest (6-3) at (3) Holmdel (7-1), 7 p.m.
The Hornets have shown they are a Top 10 team in the Shore Conference following a gutsy 27-21 win at Manalapan. The Hornets will wrap up the weekend of the state playoffs with a Saturday night special in Holmdel. Jack Cannon has been one of the state’s most dynamic two-way threats at quarterback. The Hornets are a deadly combination of big yardage plays to go along with sustained drives on offense. If the Holmdel defense can avoid giving up the big play, the Hornets could be a dangerous team in the later rounds.
Regular Season
St. John Vianney at St. Joseph-Metuchen, 1 p.m.
The article originally appeared in the October 31 – November 6, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
