By Rich Chrampanis
FREEHOLD – The high school football season is officially underway.
The week began with the first day of practice and ended with the Shore Conference Football Media Day, which gathered 41 teams at Dick’s House of Sport in Freehold to discuss the 2026 season.
Every team from the Two River Times area was on hand to take team photos and talk with local and statewide media as they geared up for the next 18-day grind leading up to the season opener.
“We’ve been bringing energy and enthusiasm every single day and we’ve been beating the heat, getting out there early enough to be able to beat it and get better every single day offensively, defensively, all that stuff,” Red Bank Regional head coach Tyler Karalewich said.
Vinny Curry, an 11-year NFL veteran from Neptune who won a Super Bowl as a Philadelphia Eagle, was on hand to check out the event and was excited to see Shore athletes get their moment in the spotlight.
“It kind of looks like college football Big Ten Media Day, SEC Media Day. This is dope for the kids,” Curry said. “Everybody knows how I feel about the Shore Conference football and any way I can give back and help elevate their platform to reach their goals is always a blessing.”
Already showing their media savvy, the top local players ran the gauntlet of media outlets, showcasing their talent without creating any bulletin-board material opponents could use for motivation.
“We don’t really get caught up in the media and social media and stuff,” Red Bank Catholic defensive lineman Jordan Key said. “We have one goal in mind and that’s to win a state championship,” he said.
“We know what we can do and when it’s time to play ball, we play ball.”
Middletown South brought its four captains to Freehold. Everyone is anxious to get on the field, especially senior lineman Brendan Roudi, who battled back from a torn ACL and is ready to be in the trenches this fall.
“The worst part of the whole injury was having to watch them play and not helping them the whole season,” Roudi said. “All the work that I put in physical therapy – I can’t wait to be back on the field.”
Rumson-Fair Haven’s roster included Ivy League commits Ben Gredell (Harvard) and Ryder Izzo (Yale). Once again, coach Jeremy Schulte will have a strong leadership corps that has embraced the challenge of preparing for the season.
“These guys are awesome,” Schulte said. “The season has been going well. You know, we’re only two days in, but we’re together pretty much the whole summer… They’ve really done a great job of leading the team throughout the entire postseason from last year to preseason this year.”
The Two River Times 2026 Football Preview
is Coming Up in Two Weeks
We will once again get you ready for the season with a full breakdown of every team in the Two River area, including schedules, top players and an outlook from every head coach.
The article originally appeared in the August 13 – 19, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
