By Rich Chrampanis
The first two weeks of high school football have already delivered some big moments and statements from teams in the area. Now, the grind of division play will have teams looking to take their spot at the top. Here are a few takeaways from last week’s action leading into another big weekend of football.
Holmdel Is Not Rebuilding
It’s easy to forecast a dropoff at Holmdel when a once-in-a-generation player like Jack Cannon graduates, but the Hornets have put together back-to-back dominant efforts to jump out to a 2-0 mark this season and shatter that narrative. Following a 45-13 win over Hightstown, the Hornets devastated Red Bank Regional, scoring 41 first-half points on the way to a 48-7 win. Anthony Serini was sensational with a 16-yard TD run, two interceptions – highlighted by an 88-yard pick-six – and three catches for 54 yards. Sophomore quarterback Tommy Fletcher has been incredibly efficient, throwing just 11 passes and completing nine of them for four touchdowns in his first two games.
RFH Off to 2-0 Start,
Ready for Big Showdown with Holmdel
Rumson-Fair Haven scored a narrow 28-27 win over Tottenville (Staten Island) in its opener and backed that up with an impressive 32-13 win over Middletown South to improve to 2-0. Junior Brady Williams has emerged as QB1 and has been a dual threat with his pass and run games for head coach Jeremy Schulte. Hunter Beattie had two picks in the Middletown South win to get to three on the season.
The stage is set for one of the best games in New Jersey for Week 2 when the Bulldogs travel to Holmdel Thursday for a matchup of unbeatens. Last year, the Hornets beat RFH 33-21 – their first victory over the Bulldogs since 1999 – ending the state champs’ 15-game win streak. This game will get a lot of attention for good reason.
Red Bank Catholic Puts Up 62
The Caseys found themselves tied 27-27 at the half with St. Anthony’s (Long Island) and deadlocked 41-41 early in the fourth quarter before rolling off 21 straight points to score a wild 62-41 shootout win. It was a great response for coach Mike Lange’s team after losing a 35-28 war with DePaul Catholic one week earlier down south at Rowan University. Gabe Kemp had two touchdowns in the fourth, with Jordan Mosenthine finding the end zone in the final quarter as well. With 214 yards on 30 carries and four scores, Kemp has back-to-back 200-yard rushing efforts against top-tier competition.
New Pass Combo at Middletown North
Middletown North opened the season with an impressive 35-6 win at Lacey. New QB Derek Grasso has quickly found a top target: Anthony Christiani had five catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns covering 50 and 35 yards. With Matt Belenko topping 100 yards on the ground, coach Steve Bush’s team has some early offensive balance.
The Lions host Shore Regional and have the potential to rack up some early wins as they look to contend in their move to the Shore Conference’s “B” North division.
The article originally appeared in the September 10 – 16, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
