Shore Sports Network Football Top 10, 9/30/14

Another week has passed and another top 10 team has been knocked from its perch.

After Barnegat was stunned by Central in Week Two when it was the No. 5 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, Toms River South suffered the same fate when Toms River North came to Detwiler Stadium and won a wild 44-34 Class A South game in the “Civil War.” The loss knocked the Indians from No. 5 all the way out of the top 10, but opened the door for another A South team to take its place. But it isn’t the Mariners.

Brick Memorial, which defeated Lacey 31-20 behind three touchdowns from quarterback Tim Santiago, enters the rankings with 2-1 record. The Mustangs have a win over the Mariners and their only loss is to No. 2 Brick.

It was an otherwise status quo week as the rest of the top 10 won convincingly or had a bye. Manalapan demolished one of the most respected programs in the state, Sayreville, 64-28, to continue its fiery start, while top-ranked Red Bank Catholic and Brick continued to roll.

This coming week will bring either more clarity or some potential seismic shifts in the top 10 with a pair of games between ranked teams that could end up deciding their respective divisions. No. 3 Rumson-Fair Haven hosts No. 5 St. John Vianney in A Central on Friday night, and Brick and No. 7 Jackson Memorial, the defending division champion in A South, meet at “The Jungle” on Saturday night in a rematch of last season’s division title-deciding game.

1. Red Bank Catholic (4-0). Last week: No. 1

Junior quarterback Eddie Hahn went 9-of-14 for 153 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for a touchdown, as the Caseys won their 36th straight game against a Shore Conference opponent when they blanked Neptune, 37-0, in Class B South. Senior wide receiver Trevor Cowley caught five passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Miami-bound senior linebacker Jamie Gordinier made 14 tackles and senior defensive lineman Dan Wilen recorded two sacks to lead the Caseys to their first shutout of the season. The Caseys have a bye this week and will return to action at home on Friday Oct. 10 versus Colts Neck (0-3).

2. Brick Township (3-0). Last week: No. 2

Sophomore wide receiver Ja’Sir Taylor continued his breakout season by rushing for a pair of touchdowns and catching a 67-yard touchdown as the Dragons blew out Toms River East, 48-6. Senior quarterback Carmen Sclafani threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns and added 76 yards rushing, and senior running back Ray Fattaruso ran for three touchdowns. Brick is now 3-0 for the first time since 2003 and has outscored its opponents 131-12. This Saturday brings a huge game when the Dragons travel to No. 7 Jackson Memorial at 7:30 p.m. This matchup was won by Jackson Memorial last season, 9-7, and gave the Jaguars the Class A South title.

3. Rumson-Fair Haven (2-0). Last week: No. 3

Senior tailback back Charlie Volker ran for 181 yards and four touchdowns and sophomore quarterback Michael O’Connor ran for 100 yards and a touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 35-20 victory over Monmouth Regional. The defending NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II champions host a crucial Class A Central game on Thursday night against No. 5 St. John Vianney, but it’s doubtful Volker will be able to play in the game due to a high ankle sprain. If Volker, who ran for over 2,000 yards last season, can’t go it will be a huge challenge for the rest of the Bulldogs against a Lancers’ squad that is averaging 41 points per game.

4. Manalapan (3-0). Last week: No. 4

The Braves turned in one of the more dominating and stunning victories in the state when they bludgeoned Sayreville, 64-28, on Saturday night. Manalapan’s offensive line dominated, and senior tailback Imamu Mayfield gashed the Bombers’ defense in running for a career-high 247 yards and five touchdowns. Senior quarterback Dan Anerella threw touchdown passes to Kyle Mullen and Brian Conforth, and the defense stymied Sayreville’s usually potent Wing-T rushing attack that features Penn State recruit Myles Hartsfield. The Braves host Middletown North (2-1) on Thursday at 6 p.m.

5. St. John Vianney (3-0). Last week: No. 6

After falling behind 12-3 in the first quarter to a fired-up Central team, the Lancers roared back by scoring the game’s final 38 points in a 41-12 nondivisional victory. Junior quarterback Anthony Brown threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns, and senior wide receiver Dan Calabro caught 8 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Kicker Joseph Rice kicked a pair of field goals, including a 41-yarder in the first quarter that is the longest field goal in the Shore this season. St. John Vianney is off to its best start in nearly 20 years in its first season under head coach Mark Ciccotelli, but its biggest test comes this Thursday night when the Lancers travel to No. 3 Rumson-Fair Haven for a game that could decide the Class A Central division title.

6. Middletown South (2-1). Last week: No. 7

The Eagles had a bye in Week Three after their impressive 41-0 victory over Neptune on September 19. Junior running back Cole Rogers has led a strong rushing attack through three games with 389 yards and nine touchdowns on a 9.3 yards-per-carry average. Middletown South returns to action on Thursday night at 6 p.m. when it welcomes Freehold Township (1-2) to “The Swamp.”

7. Jackson Memorial (3-0). Last week: No. 8

Junior running back Vinny Lee ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns, senior quarterback Joe DeMaio ran for a touchdown and threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Curet, and sophomore running back Mike Gawlik ran for 84 yards and a touchdown in a 45-14 victory over Southern Regional. Through three games the Jaguars are scoring 40.6 points per game and allowing just 10.3. They’ll face their biggest challenge so far this season on Saturday night when they host No. 2 Brick in a rematch of last season’s A South title game.

8. Long Branch (2-1). Last week: No. 9

The Green Wave topped Wall, 35-7, in a Class B North matchup behind another monster game from senior running back Dahmiere Willis. He ran for 268 yards and 5 touchdowns on 19 carries, including runs of 41, 58, 52 and 44 yards. David Colbert intercepted a pair of passes on defense and Jahmir Elliot-Hair blocked a field goal on the final play of the first half. Long Branch travels to Colts Neck (0-3) for an afternoon game on Thursday at 4 p.m.

9. Freehold (3-0). Last week: No. 10

The Colonials had a bye last week after a 41-21 victory over Howell on September 20 pushed their record to 3-0 one year after finishing 2-8. Senior running back Josh Dixon is off to a fast start with 486 yards and seven touchdowns through three games to help the Colonials average 252 rushing yards per game. Freehold hosts Raritan (1-1) in an afternoon game at 3 p.m. on Thursday as it tries to start 4-0 for the first time since 2008.

10. Brick Memorial (2-1). Last week: unranked

The Mustangs defeated Lacey 31-20 behind three total touchdowns from junior quarterback Tim Santiago, including a 69-yard touchdown pass to senior wide out Karl Kumm. Junior kicker Matt Cuppari connected on a 36-yard field goal and senior fullback Connor Owen added a short touchdown run. Toms River North’s victory over Toms River South knocked the Indians out of the top 10 and opened a sport for Brick Memorial, which defeated the Mariners 16-14 in Week Two and has lost only to No. 2 Brick. The Mustangs host Toms River East (0-3) on Friday at 7 p.m.

Dropped out:

Toms River South (2-1): Senior quarterback Tymere Berry ran for 131 yards and five touchdowns and senior running back Khaleel Greene added 122 yards rushing, but arch rival Toms River North completed a second-half comeback in a 44-34 win in the “Civil War.” The Indians will look to begin their climb back into the top 10 when they travel to Lacey on Saturday afternoon for another A South game.

Teams to Watch:

Toms River North (2-1): The Mariners had the victory of the week in a 44-34 win over previously No. 5 Toms River South in the “Civil War.” Junior running back Asante Moorer ran for 200 yards and four touchdowns, and sophomore quarterback Mike Husni threw for 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns to senior tight end Jordan Craig. The Mariners certainly made a compelling case to be ranked, but Brick Memorial gets the nod by virtue of its 16-14 Week Two victory. Toms River North travels to Marlboro (0-3) for a nondivisional game at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Shore (3-0): With standout running back/linebacker junior Doug Goldsmith still out of the lineup with an injury, junior Alex Johnson and senior Mike Moore led a 357-yard rushing attack in a 44-6 victory over Keansburg. Johnson ran for 112 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 7 carries, and Moore ran for a game-high 142 yards on nine carries while scoring one touchdown. Senior Kyle Masica added a touchdown run and senior linebacker James Bedell had a 76-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Blue Devils travel to face GMC foe Dunellen (2-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. Dunellen’s loss came to Spotswood, which Shore defeated 10-0 in Week Two.

Red Bank (2-0): The Bucs had a bye coming off a 38-6 victory over Colts Neck on September 20. They return this week on the road against a Neptune (1-2) team that has been shut out in its last two games. The Bucs have defeated the Scarlet Fliers two years in a row. Kickoff is set for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Field.

Lakewood (3-0): Senior quarterback Chapelle Cook had 167 total yards and two touchdowns and junior running back Amir Tyler ran for 101 yards and two scores on just six carries in a 32-15 victory over Manchester. Senior defensive lineman Datrell Reed had a whopping seven tackles for loss and a sack in a dominating defensive effort. The Piners will look to remain in control in B South when they host Jackson Liberty at 3:45 p.m. on Friday.