Beacon 70 Shore Conference Football Player of the Week Nominees for Week 11
Usually, at the beginning of each week the Shore Sports Network posts multiple Player of the Week nominees and fans cast their votes over a three-day period to determine the Beacon 70 Football Player of the Week. This week, we are doing things a little differently.
The Shore Sports Network football staff will be selecting this week's Player of the Week but we still want to make sure we recognize all of the top performers from Week 11, which included the NJSIAA public school sectional semifinals, the Non-Public state quarterfinals, and a handful of NJSAA Regional Crossover Games.
Be on the look out for a feature story on this week's Player of the Week winner, and in the meantime, check out the 21 players below and see what they did during Week 11.
Week 11 Top Performers (Listed in alphabetical order)
Alex Brown, Sr., QB, Red Bank Catholic
In a performance fit for a movie script, Brown took the field the day after his mother Michelle passed away after a 15-year battle with breast cancer and delivered an incredible and inspirational game, In the Caseys' 58-34 win over Morris Catholic in the NJSIAA Non-Public B quarterfinals, Brown totaled eight touchdowns by completing 11 of 18 passes for 238 yards and six touchdowns and rushing for 76 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.
Nunes Bukula IV, Sr., RB, Donovan Catholic
Although the Griffins' season came to an end at the hands of Bergen Catholic, 35-7 in the Non-Public A quarterfinals, Bukula had a strong game against the No. 1 team in New Jersey and the No. 6 team in the country with 100 scrimmage yards (89 yards rushing).
Joe Campanella, Sr., RB/DB, Raritan
Campanella ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries and also intercepted a pass on defense to help lead the Rockets to a heart-pounding 41-34 win over Hillside in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals. His 14-yard touchdown run with 56 seconds left gave Raritan the lead and sent them to the title game.
Tareq Council, So., WR/DB, Toms River North
Council caught two passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns and also returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown as the Mariners scored a dominant 48-7 win over Edison in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 5 semifinals.
DaVon Craft, So., RB, Neptune
Craft ran for 140 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in Neptune's 28-26 regional crossover win over Brick Memorial that evened the team's record at 4-4 heading into the Thanksgiving Day game vs. Asbury Park.
Jake Croce, So., RB, Point Boro
Croce ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries as the Panthers rolled up 330 yards rushing in a 28-7 win over New Providence in the South Jersey Group 2 semifinals.
Jake Czwakiel, So., K, Middletown South
Czwakiel's three field goals were the difference on the scoreboard when Middletown South defeated Sayreville, 17-8, in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals, Czwakiel kicked field goals of 31, 27, and 25 yards to help send the Eagles to the program's 22nd sectional final.
Connor Dietz, So., QB, Brick Memorial
Dietz concluded his outstanding sophomore season with 172 yards rushing and two touchdowns in a 28-26 loss to Neptune. He finished the season with 1,368 yards rushing, 1,010 yards passing, and scored a school single-season record 130 points.
Kieran Falzon, Jr., RB, Raritan
Falzon ran for 103 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries in the Rockets' thrilling 41-34 victory over Hillside in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals.
Micah Ford, So., QB, Toms River North
Ford ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries and threw for 113 yards and two touchdowns to help lead the Mariners to a resounding 48-7 win over Edison in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 5 semifinals. He also had an interception on defense to put the Mariners into the sectional title game.
Colin Gallagher, So., LB, Middletown South
Gallagher totaled 12 tackles with one sack and one tackle for a loss when Middletown South's defense held a potent Sayreville offense to under 200 yards in a 17-8 win in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals.
Nolan Jones, Jr., LB, Marlboro
Jones recorded a team-high 13 tackles with two tackles for loss as the Mustangs defeated Middletown North, 13-10 in a regional crossover game, to finish the season with a 7-3 record. It is Marlboro's first winning season since 1999 and the second-most wins in program history behind the 10-win 1994 Central Jersey Group 4 championship team.
Colin Kennedy, Sr., QB, Rumson-Fair Haven
Kennedy threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries as the Bulldogs flattened Burlington Township, 34-0, in the Central Jersey Group 3 playoffs to reach their eighth straight sectional final.
Kevin Maloney, So., WR, Howell
Maloney capped a standout sophomore season with seven catches for 103 yards and three touchdowns in the Rebels' 40-28 defeat vs. St. John Vianney in a regional crossover game.
Jamie Mazzacco, Sr., QB/LB, Shore
The Blue Devils were eliminated from the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs via a 24-19 loss to Woodstown but Mazzacco had another strong performance, completing 12 of 19 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for 60 yards and a touchdown, and recording seven tackles with one fumble recovery on defense.
Davionne Pearson, Jr., QB, Neptune
Pearson completed 5 of 8 passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns on Neptune's 28-26 regional crossover win over Brick Memorial that evened the team's record at 4-4 heading into the Thanksgiving Day game vs. Asbury Park.
Emanuel Ross, So., WR, Red Bank Catholic
Senior quarterback Alex Brown stole the show in RBC's 58-34 win over Morris Catholic in the Non-Public B quarterfinals but Ross also showed out with four catches for 112 yards and three touchdowns.
Rumson-Fair Haven's entire defense
In the Bulldogs' 34-0 win over Burlington Township in the Central Jersey Group 3 semifinals, the defense allowed just 20 yards of offense (minus-6 rushing, 26 passing) and zero first downs against a team that was 8-1 and averaging 35.6 points per game. In two playoff games, Rumson has not allowed a single first down and has outscored its opponents 71-0.
Chris Scully, So., RB, Colts Neck
Scully was the top performer for the Cougars in their 41-14 loss to Winslow in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals by rushing for 112 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.
Charlie Vitale, Sr., QB, Point Boro
Vitale ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries during Point Boro's 28-7 win over New Providence in the South Jersey Group 2 semifinals.
Levi Wilson, Sr., WR, Middletown North
Wilson caught six passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' 13-10 loss to Marlboro in a regional crossover game.