By Rich Chrampanis
BRICK – Just like Rumson-Fair Haven’s 2025 high school football season opening week game, its matchup against Brick Memorial was hyped as a top-five Shore Conference showdown. And just like last week, RFH made a serious statement that they are among the best in the Shore and more than worthy of a state ranking.
The Bulldogs’ defense produced five turnovers and scored twice in a 35-7 rout against a Mustangs team that returned 17 starters from a Group 4 state sectional finalist run a year ago.
RFH faced adversity right away. Kellen Murray, one of the state’s leading rushers, left the game early in the first quarter with an ankle injury. The Bulldogs still managed to put together a 13-play, 80-yard drive capped off by Brandon McDonald’s catch of a deflected pass from QB Casey Moore to give Rumson a 7-0 lead.
Brick Memorial appeared to be ready to answer as they drove into Rumson-Fair Haven territory. But the Mustangs’ Trey Tallmadge, an outstanding linebacker who stepped in at quarterback while starter Jason Lajara continues to recover from an illness, threw a pass that was picked off by Finn Carlston. The senior raced 79 yards for a pick six that gave RFH a 14-0 lead.
The Bulldogs had chances to add to the advantage, but a blocked field goal to end the half kept it a 14-0 game. Brick Memorial was poised to make it a game when Nazeer Whittaker galloped 58 yards to make it a 14-7 game early in the third quarter.
The biggest play of the game came after Brick Memorial got the ball back following a defensive stop. Ben Gredell exploded off the defensive line and delivered a crushing hit that pried the ball loose. Ryder Izzo came up with the recovery and gave RFH the ball inside the 10-yard line.
QB Brady Williams cashed in from a yard out on fourth down to make it 21-7.
The Rumson defense turned things up a notch and something truly rare and remarkable happened: Toby Najenson stripped the ball away from Brick Memorial QB Tyler Pierce and Izzo came up with the fumble recovery yet again. Izzo came up with a loose football in the first half and followed it up with two third-quarter fumble recoveries. RFH parlayed that turnover into points as Moore connected with Cole Spoonire on a 21-yard TD.
The exclamation point came when Gavin Mishkin rocked the Brick quarterback and the football flew straight up in the air. Izzo showed off his vertical jump skills and soared high to grab the ball before taking off on a 65-yard defensive touchdown run. Izzo’s four-fumble recovery game is hard to fathom. A deep dive in the state record books may be needed, but it’s safe to say there are very few players who have come up with four fumble recoveries in a football game.
“My job this week was kind of lock down the quarterbacks, see any trickery that they’re gonna do,” Izzo said. “We knew they’re going to have some good plays, some to mix us up. I was also looking out for that slant window.”
“It’s a lot of being in the right place at the right time,” he said.
Izzo stepped in for Murray at running back and has 77 yards rushing. He could be pressed into double duty once again if Murray is unavailable for RFH’s huge showdown with Holmdel.
“I think it’s our coaches’ mindset that they instilled in us,” Izzo said. “It’s next man up. That’s our motto this year and I think we’re really capitalizing on that.”
“Every practice we show up ready, we show up prepared and we just do what we got to do.”
The article originally appeared in the September 11 – September 17, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
