By Rich Chrampanis
RUMSON – Jack Cannon talked in the preseason about taking the Holmdel football program to new heights. It’s hard to believe it, but it’s almost mission accomplished in week two of the high school football season.
Cannon delivered a second straight jaw-dropping performance, with five touchdowns and 330 yards of combined offense in a 33- 14 win at Rumson-Fair Haven. The Hornets knocked off the defending Group 2 state champions on the road, ending RFH’s 15-game win streak.
“It’s probably one of the biggest wins in our program history,” Cannon said. “And we really just wanted to prove again that we belong in the A-North, that we can come into a hostile environment and win the game just based on pure running the ball.”
“And we just came out here and kind of were dominant in the first half,” he said. The Dartmouth commit had two short touchdown runs and threw a 26-yard TD pass that was deflected into the hands of James Murphy with just six seconds left in the second quarter to stake the Hornets to a 20-0 half- time lead.
When Rumson-Fair Haven (2-1) showed signs of life in the second half, Cannon ripped off runs of 72 and 78 yards to put the game away. While the Holmdel quarterback was electrifying, what should not be overlooked was an opportunistic defense that produced four interceptions. Michael Todisco had a pair of picks, freshman Tyler Carri came up with an interception and a huge pass breakup, and defensive lineman Ted Koukomis made a key fourth down interception that set the table for Cannon’s knockout punch fourth TD run of the game.
Noel Kavanagh, in his second year as Hornets head coach, has been masterful in showcasing Cannon’s skillset and setting him up to succeed, particularly in the run game. More importantly, he has a team with 15 new starters mixed with top talent believing that Holmdel is not only a Shore Conference power, but a state power as well. Beating Rumson-Fair Haven without a doubt raised eyebrows across New Jersey.
“Look, going into the week, we knew we were 0-10 against them all time, and we were like, let’s make it 1-10,” Todisco said. “So that’s one of the biggest wins in our program history right there.”
The Hornets’ new heights are already confirmed: For the first time in the history of the program, Holmdel is ranked in the statewide poll, coming in at No. 18 after the upset.
The article originally appeared in the September 18 – September 24, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
