Week 2 Jersey Mike’s Shore Conference Football Team of the Week: Holmdel
Every week this fall, Jersey Mike’s and Shore Sports Network will team up to select a Shore Conference Football Team of the Week based on its performance over the past weekend.
The Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 2 is Holmdel, which rallied for a thrilling 20-14 overtime victory over St. John Vianney to stop a nine-game losing streak to SJV and eclipse last season's win total. Shore Sports Network stopped by practice on Tuesday night to present the Hornets and head coach Jeff Rainess with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike's gift card.
Holmdel trailed 14-7 late in the second quarter after SJV's Luca Minardo broke off two long touchdown runs to put the Lancers on top. Matt Iulo's one-yard touchdown run tied the game 7-7 before Minardo's second scoring burst put SJV on top at the half. The game remained that way until Holmdel mounted a game-tying scoring drive that culminated with sophomore quarterback Jack Cannon scrambling for a 23-yard touchdown with 2:23 left in regulation. Senior Connor Mendini's extra point was true to knot the score at 14.
In overtime, Vianney had the ball first and was stopped by Holmdel. The Hornets took possession with a chance to win and senior Gary Collyer delivered with a 9-yard touchdown run to clinch a 20-14 victory. It was Holmdel's first win over St. John Vianney since 2010.
Senior running back Anthony Setteducate ran for a team-high 100 yards on eight carries to lead a 318-yard output on the ground for Holmdel's split-back veer offense. Collyer ran for 75 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, Iulo ran for 70 yards and a touchdown, and Cannon ran for 65 yards and a touchdown and completed 6 of 10 passes for 85 yards. Collyer added four receptions for 38 yards and Andrew Piscatelli hauled in a 40-yard reception.
Sophomore linebacker Alex Reyes led the way for a Hornets defense that pitched a shutout in the second half, posting eight total tackles with two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Senior Connor Fields recorded a team-high 13 tackles with two tackles for loss. Senior Will Gilfillan notched nine tackles, one sack, and one tackle for loss, and senior Nick Gomez had a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. Iulo had an interception and two hits for a loss, Collyer forced a fumble, and junior Jack Powers added a fumble recovery.
Injuries really hurt Holmdel last season and Rainess missed a large portion of the year with a medical issue. The end result was a 1-8 season that set the program back a step after having four straight winning seasons from 2017 through 2020. Eager to prove last season was an aberration, the Hornets have done just that through two games with a 42-6 victory over Toms River South followed by the dramatic win over St. John Vianney.
Holmdel has also asserted itself as a contender in a wide-open Constitution Division that includes Ocean (2-0), Shore (1-1), and Manasquan (1-1) followed by Asbury Park (0-2) and St. John Vianney (0-3). The Hornets will take on Asbury Park this week.
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