By Rich Chrampanis
RUMSON – Gabe Kemp’s high school career is exactly seven games old, yet the Red Bank Catholic freshman running back has a stat sheet that looks like a senior dominating the Shore Conference.
Kemp had 35 carries for 200 yards and two touchdowns in the Caseys’ 34-10 revenge win over Rumson-Fair Haven. The Keyport native reached 1,000 yards in the first half and flew past that mark by the time the game ended. He currently has 1,156.
“It was just my goal right away that I had to hit 1,000,” Kemp said. “I think I can achieve way more than 1,000. A lot of people look at my weight and they think I’m not strong or anything or they think I’m a little guy, but that’s not the case. I’m a tough kid and I’m going to come through the hole and I’m going to hit you just like you want to hit me.”
Kemp is 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds but is receiving a workload like he’s four inches taller and 40 pounds heavier. Against St. John Vianney, Kemp had 38 carries for 282 yards and two scores. He has had at least 100 yards in each of his seven varsity games.
Last year, Rumson-Fair Haven scored a 26-11 win at RBC, which was one of the big highlights of a perfect season that culminated in a Group 2 state championship. Early on, RFH put itself in a prime position when Dylan Plesser blitzed and knocked the ball loose from RBC freshman QB Rahmir Rivera, resulting in a Ben Gredell fumble recovery. The Bulldogs got a Drew Cavise 25-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
The Caseys responded immediately. Rivera connected with Jason Berecsky for a gain of 35 yards, setting up Kemp’s first touchdown run from seven yards out to make it a 7-3 game. Berecsky was a key factor on both sides of the ball in this game. (RBC’s top players are playing both ways.) The sophomore made the first of his two interceptions on the third possession of the game.
“They needed someone to step up on defense, so that’s what I did,” Berecsky said. “Offensively, you can’t guard all of us. If you guard one of us, someone else is going to be open.”
Rivera scored on a 1-yard run thanks to a great push by the Caseys’ offensive line to make it 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.
The Rumson defense provided another massive spark with a Toby Najenson strip sack and a Ben Roberts fumble recovery. A second turnover resulted in points once again. QB Brady Williams scored from a yard out to make it a 14-10 game. Those two turnovers resulted in what proved to be RFH’s only points of the game. Late in the first half, RFH had a roughing the kicker penalty that extended an RBC drive, capped off by Kemp’s second touchdown run of the game to make it a 21-10 game at the half. The second half saw both defenses step up. Kieran McGonnell had the Caseys’ third interception of the game, which set up a Simon Picinich field goal. Picinich had two second-half field goals in all, and a late 38-yard touchdown pass from Rivera to Johnny Williams closed out the scoring. With a 7-0 mark, RBC has all but wrapped up the top spot in the Shore Conference, with one more game against Marlboro sandwiched between nonconference tests against Paramus Catholic and Notre Dame. The Caseys’ road trip to Paramus this Friday has huge implications for the Non-Public “B” state playoffs. A win by RBC would all but lock up a top seed for the postseason.
As for Rumson-Fair Haven (4-2), coach Jeremy Schulte’s team is still very much in the mix to defend its Group 2 state championship. Ryder Izzo ran for 120 yards in the loss, and with running back Kellen Murray nearing his return from an injury, the Bulldogs have two more games against Toms River North and Middletown South before they begin the postseason.
The article originally appeared in the October 16 – October 22, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
