By Rich Chrampanis
The non-public brackets are out and it’s time to begin the road to MetLife Stadium. Red Bank Catholic and St. John Vianney both earned home games for the opening round. On the public side, four local teams picked up wins last week to reach the section semifinals. Here’s a breakdown of all the action this weekend.
Non-Public “B” Playoff Matchups
(9) Pope John at (8) St. John Vianney, winner at (1) DePaul
(12) St. Mary at (5) Holy Spirit
(13) Notre Dame at (4) Donovan Catholic
(14) Hudson Catholic at (3) Red Bank Catholic
(11) St. Joseph (Hamm.) at (6) Paul VI
(10) St. Thomas Aquinas at (7) Immaculata, winner at (2) Paramus Catholic
Non-Public “B” First Round
Pope John (2-7) at St. John Vianney (4-5)
7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7
This is an interesting first-round matchup that has the potential to be a down-to-the-wire game. SJV closed out the regular season on a shutout loss, 28-0, at home against a dangerous Wall team.
Throw Pope John’s record out the window. The Lions played as tough a schedule as anyone in New Jersey, with losses to DePaul Catholic, Paramus Catholic, Bergen Catholic, Delbarton and Saint Peter’s Prep. Pope John was forced to forfeit a game to St. Joe’s-Montvale due to an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease, but bounced back to get a win against St. Thomas Aquinas.
The Lancers need to find rhythm on offense with QB Zach LaBarca. The winner of this game gets defending state champ DePaul Catholic in the quarterfinals.
Hudson Catholic (3-6) at Red Bank Catholic (9-1)
7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7
Red Bank Catholic got back on track after its lone loss of the season with a 41-0 shutout of Notre Dame to close out the regular season. The Caseys have a path to square off with Paramus Catholic in a rematch of Week Seven, which ended in a 30-16 loss to the Paladins. RBC will have two weeks to prepare for a return to North Jersey and figure out if they can change the narrative against Paramus Catholic, ultimately returning to MetLife Stadium to play for a state championship. The Caseys should have another dominant effort this Friday night at home and get a tougher test with a potential showdown against Paul VI in the quarterfinals.
Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinal
Middletown North (4-4) at Manalapan (7-3)
6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7
The Lions used some big plays on the ground and a timely pick-six to snap a nine-year losing streak to their archrivals with a 28-19 win over Middletown South. With the Eagles dominating the rivalry, Steve Bush’s Lions should have a newfound confidence that could carry over into their matchup with second-seeded Manalapan.
Cameron Desfosse has been outstanding, leading the Manalapan offense with 1,570 yards and 16 touchdown passes with just three interceptions. The Braves’ three losses are by five points total – to Tottenville (NY), Wall and Donovan Catholic. But Middletown North has the firepower to make this a ball game. If the Lions’ defense can produce some turnovers like they did against South, this could be a thrill ride Friday night.
Central Jersey Group 3 Semifinal
Neptune (9-1) at Holmdel (7-2)
7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7
The Scarlet Fliers are a great story, winning their first postseason game in over a decade, 21-11 at Hopewell Valley. And Holmdel continues to be one of the most prolific offenses in New Jersey, rolling to a 43-10 win over Cinnaminson.
Jack Cannon was sensational with a 12-15 passing performance for 256 yards and three TD passes, along with 68 yards on the ground and two more scores. Cannon reached 100 career touchdowns with a perfect split of 50 TD passes and 50 scores on the ground.
This bracket was busted when Matawan stunned second-seeded Somerville. Holmdel can’t look too far ahead, but the stage could be set for the school’s first section championship. Neptune might have more wins, but the Scarlet Fliers are the underdog in this matchup and the Hornets will be tough to stop.
Central Jersey Group 2 Semifinal
Rumson-Fair Haven (6-3) at Wall (7-2)
7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7
It’s a rematch of last year’s section final, won by Rumson-Fair Haven 34-13. This time around, Wall has to be considered the favorite thanks to a seven-game win streak and three consecutive shutouts, highlighted by a dominant 28-0 effort at St. John Vianney.
RFH needed a heroic defensive stand to beat Point Pleasant Boro 14-10. The Panthers had the ball at the 11-yard line with a chance to win the game, but Rumson’s defense kept Point Boro out of the end zone to advance.
Kellen Murray got his first touches since a Week Two high ankle sprain in the Point Boro win, with five carries for 30 yards and a touchdown. If RFH can establish the ground game that saw Murray dominate last November, the Bulldogs could find themselves back in the familiar territory of a section championship game. Both of these defenses are outstanding, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if this were a low-scoring affair.
Central Jersey Group 1 Semifinal
Point Pleasant Beach (7-2) at Shore Regional (7-2)
6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7
Coach Don Klein’s team has a rematch from Oct. 3 when Shore put together its best effort of the year in a 63-7 rout of the Garnet Gulls. The Blue Devils have every reason to be confident, but Point Beach has shown itself to be a prolific offense, scoring 40 or more points five times. Shore can’t look past Point Beach and take care of business. Cole Torres has been fantastic as one of the area’s top rushers, topping the 1,200-yard mark. A win would give Shore a possible matchup with top-seeded Burlington City for a section title next week.
The article originally appeared in the November 6 – 12, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
