Week Two in the Shore Conference saw over a third of the conference - 15 teams to be exact - move to 2-0 and continue the good start they began last week. Having a zero in the loss column this early in the season doesn’t mean that much, however. There is still plenty of football to be played, and that goes for the 1-1 and 0-2 teams, as well.

There were several big performances in Week Two, both individually and team-wise. Two teams were sent packing from last week’s Shore Sports Network Top 10, including previous No. 3 Toms River North. After a 30-point loss to rival Brick in Week One, Brick Memorial rebounded in a historic way with a 52-20 victory over the Mariners in which the Mustangs ran for over 500 yards and quarterback Tim Santiago set the program’s single-game rushing record.

Matawan also tumbles out of the rankings after a 17-0 loss to Rumson dropped the Huskies to 0-2. Brick Memorial jumps back into the top 10 after one week out, and Middletown North enters for the first time this season.

Rumson-Fair Haven opened its season with a 17-0 win over Matawan. (Photo by Mark Brown/B51 Photography).
Rumson-Fair Haven opened its season with a 17-0 win over Matawan. (Photo by Mark Brown/B51 Photography).
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Middletown South and Red Bank Catholic each won in convincing fashion to remain at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Jackson Memorial moved up two spots to No. 3 after thrashing Lacey, while St. John Vianney holds strong at No. 4 after a blowout win over Holmdel. Rumson moves up one spot to No. 5 and Brick jumps up three spots to No. 6 after a 35-0 win over Southern. Ocean and Manalapan switch spots and No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. The Spartans had another great offensive showing in a 48-21 win over Wall, while Manalapan needed a late touchdown to escape with a 21-20 win over Freehold Township.

Shore, Red Bank and Howell are among the 2-0 teams that are just outside the top 10 looking to make a splash in Week Three.

 

1. Middletown South (2-0). Last week: No. 1

Senior running back Cole Rogers ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns and senior quarterback Matt Mosquera tossed a pair of touchdown passes in a 42-0 wipeout of Neptune. Junior running back James McCarthy added a touchdown run and the Eagles defense limited the Scarlet Fliers to 141 total yards and four first downs. Middletown South has been as good as advertised so far this season and will look to run its record to 3-0 when it hosts Marlboro (0-2) on Friday night in Class A North.

 

2. Red Bank Catholic (2-0). Last week: No. 2

Senior quarterback Eddie Hahn made his season debut in a big way by going 14-for-18 passing for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 32-18 victory over St. Joseph-Metuchen. Hahn had been recovering form a knee injury sustained during the preseason. He gave a glimpse as to who his go-to receiver may be by connecting with senior Mike Balzofiore six times for 145 yards and a touchdown. Senior Dylan Murphy ran for 91 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and also made a team-high 13 tackles. Senior Mike Wilen added 80 yards and a touchdown on just five carries and two receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. The Caseys return to action on Friday night at Neptune (0-3) in a Class B North game.

 

3. Jackson Memorial (2-0). Last week: No. 5

Junior running back Mike Gawlik put together another fantastic performance by rushing for 132 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries as the Jaguars handled Lacey 41-10. Senior running back Vinny Lee ran for a 49-yard touchdown and also caught a 46-yard touchdown pass from senior receiver Kyle Johnson. Johnson had a receiving touchdown of his own, a 70-yard score from junior quarterback Dan Barker. Senior linebacker Tyler Towns led the defensive effort with three sacks. The Jaguars travel south to Manahawkin on Friday to take on Southern (1-2) in a Class A South game.

 

4. St. John Vianney (2-0). Last week: No. 4

Junior running back Chris Chukwuneke ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries to lead the Lancers to a 49-0 win over Holmdel. Senior quarterback Anthony Brown threw for 118 yards and a touchdown on 6-of-8 passing, firing a 10-yard score to senior Khalil Haskins. Senior Jeff Sheard returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Zyaire Sterling added a short touchdown run. The Lancers look to remain perfect on the season when they travel to Ocean County on Friday night to take on Central (2-1) in the Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week.

 

5. Rumson-Fair Haven (1-0). Last week: No. 6

The Bulldogs began their season with a 17-0 win over Matawan in which the Rumson defense was completely dominant. The Bulldogs held the Huskies to 41 total yards while forcing a pair of turnovers and registering six sacks. Junior linebacker Mike Ruane finished with 10 tackles and a sack and Mike Murdock added eight tackles, a forced fumble and an interception to lead the way. Junior quarterback Mike O’Connor ran for 115 yards and a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Elijah McAllister. Thomas Chapin added a 21-yard field goal. Rumson travels to Tinton Falls to face Monmouth Regional (1-1) on Saturday at noon.

 

6. Brick (2-0). Last week: No. 9

The Dragons blanked Southern 35-0 to improve to 2-0 and have now outscored their opponents 71-6 through the first two Class A South games. Junior wide receiver Ja’Sir Taylor caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Tom Zbranak and also ran for a 42-yard touchdown. Junior running backs Jay Obenauer and Rashon McCall and Zbranak each added touchdown runs while the defense held Southern to 119 total yards. Brick plays a night game at Toms River East (0-3) on Saturday.

 

7. Ocean (2-0). Last week: No. 8

Senior running back Tyler Thompson had his second monster game in as many weeks in rushing for 209 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-21 Class B North victory over Wall. Junior Cody Pickett added 170 yards and three touchdowns on 9-of-12 passing, tossing touchdown strikes to Ruquan Dean, Greyson Stoothoff and Joey Aldarelli, as the Spartans rolled up 442 yards of offense. Stoothoff also had an interception on defense. The Spartans host Red Bank on Friday night in a crucial Class B North battle between 2-0 teams.

 

8. Manalapan (2-0). Last week: No. 7

L.J. Holder’s 10-yard touchdown reception off a deflected pass from junior quarterback Cody Wiener with 17 seconds left in the game allowed the Braves to come from behind for a 21-10 win and avoid a stunning upset at the hands of Freehold Township. Holder’s touchdown catch tied the game at 20 and Wiener’s extra point gave Manalapan the lead thanks to senior David Blumenberg blocking a Freehold Township extra point earlier in the game. Senior running back Marcus Salinas ran for a career-high 233 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries as the Braves won their 33rd straight Class A North game. The Braves have a nonconference game Friday night when they travel to face Sayreville (2-0).

 

9. Brick Memorial (1-1). Last week: not ranked

One week after a demoralizing loss to rival Brick, the Mustangs unleashed their frustration on previous No. 3 Toms River North with a 52-20 victory in Class A South to avoid an 0-2 start. Senior quarterback Tim Santiago exploded for program-record 320 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 19 carries while also throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Elie Lavarin. Sophomore running back Tony Thorpe added two touchdowns and Lavarin finished with 102 yards rushing on four carries. Brick memorial will try to keep the momentum going when it travels to Lacey on Saturday at 1 p.m.

 

10. Middletown North (2-0). Last week: not ranked

Junior quarterback Donald Glenn completed 11 of 14 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns and senior defensive end Jacob Dean blocked a punt and recovered another blocked punt for a touchdown to help the Lions to a 40-14 Class A North victory over Marlboro. Sophomore running back Connor Welsh caught three passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, junior Brendan Kube had four receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown and senior Demetrius Redway ran for a touchdown. Sophomore Austin Dewise led the defensive effort with six tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack. The Lions travel to Freehold (1-1) on Saturday at 1 p.m. for a Class A North game.

 

Dropped out: Toms River North, Matawan

 

Teams to watch:

Shore (2-0): The Blue Devils edged Spotswood 7-3 thanks to a 37-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Matt Pennell to senior wide receiver Duke Russo. The Blue Devils defense kept the Chargers out of the end zone and held them to 155 total yards. Shore plays at Keansburg (0-2) on Saturday.

Red Bank (2-0): Alim Godsey ran for 130 yard and two touchdowns on 13 carries and Sadiq Palmer hauled in a pair of touchdown catches from Jack Navitsky in a 30-0 win over Colts Neck. The Bucs have a huge Class B North game on Friday night at No. 7 Ocean (2-0).

Howell (2-0): The Rebels rallied for a 25-22 victory over Freehold on a 28-yard field goal by Patrick Handy with 14 seconds left. Quarterback Mark Iacobino threw a pair of touchdown passes to Nic Rossi and Rossi also returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. Howell hosts Freehold Township (1-1) on Friday night in a Class A North game.

Toms River North (1-1): The Mariners fell from No. 3 to out of the top 10 after a 52-20 loss to Brick Memorial. Junior quarterback Mike Husni ran for 121 yards and a touchdown and also threw for 144 yards. The Mariners will try to bounce back when they host Toms River South on Friday night in “The Civil War”.

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