Week 9 Shore Conference Football Divisional Players of the Week

In addition to the reader-selected Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey Football Player of the Week, we will also be selecting Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for each of the Shore Conference’s seven divisions. We’ll also choose an overall Shore Conference Special Teams Player of the Week to highlight any standout kicking performances or players who got it done in the return game.

Below we’ll focus on the best performances from Week 9.

SSN SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK 

Jack Dematteo, Sr., K, Manalapan

Dematteo kicked field goals of 31 and 28 yards to help the Braves defeat Hunterdon Central, 14-7, in the Central Jersey Group 5 quarterfinals.

Trebor Pena, Jr., Ocean 

Pena had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown during Ocean’s 28-7 loss to Rumson in the Central Jersey Group 3 quarterfinals.

SSN DIVISIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

AMERICAN DIVISION 

Offense 

Trevor Brey, Sr., QB, Middletown South 

Brey ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries and threw for 135 yards and a touchdown to lead the Eagles to a 35-14 win over Northern Burlington in the first round of the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs.

Defense 

Matt Benedetti, Jr., LB, Manalapan

Benedetti had 13 tackles, including nine solo stops and a sack, to lead the Braves’ defense in a 14-7 win over Hunterdon Central in the Central Jersey Group 5 quarterfinals.

COLONIAL DIVISION 

Offense

Jeff Lavarin, Sr., RB, Brick Memorial 

Lavarin’s 64-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-two late in the third quarter tied the score and enabled Brick Memorial to take the lead no the extra point in a 21-13 win over Freehold in the Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals. Lavarin finished with 90 yards rushing on nine carries.

Defense 

Joe Carchio, Sr., LB, Brick 

Carchio had a huge game in Brick’s 17-3 win over Jackson Memorial in the first round of the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs with 16 total tackles,  5.5 sacks and four tackles for loss to lead a ferocious defensive effort. Carchio also ran for two touchdowns and caught a 2-point conversion pass to send the Dragons back to the semifinals.

CONSTITUTION DIVISION (Besides overall Player of the Week, Wall’s Logan Peters) 

Offense 

Dante Morris, Sr., RB/LB, Lakewood

Morris was tremendous to lead Lakewood to its first win of the season, a 34-28 victory over Bridgeton, in an NJSIAA regional crossover game. After Lakewood’s quarterback was injured on the first drive of the game, Morris put the team on his back by carrying the ball on every single Piners play the rest of the game, finishing with what is believed to be a school-record 371 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 43 carries. He also had nine tackles and two sacks on defense in one of the Shore’s best two-way performances of the entire season. 

Defense

Colby Saxton, Jr., DL, Southern 

Saxton had five tackles and two sacks and combined to record a safety in Southern’s 8-0 win over Atlantic City in a regional crossover game.

FREEDOM DIVISION 

Offense 

Nigel Mitchel, Sr., WR/RB, Red Bank and Makai Mickens, Sr., RB, Red Bank 

Mitchel and Mickens combined for 263 yard of offense and all four touchdowns in Red Bank’s 30-13 win over Allentown in the Central Jersey Group 3 quarterfinals. Mickens ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard score, while Mickens ran for 114 yards and a touchdown, including a 46-yard touchdown run on Red Bank’s first offensive play, and also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass.

Defense 

Luke Arnold, Sr., LB, Long Branch

Arnold made 12 total tackles with three tackles for loss and a sack plus an interception as the Green Wave shut out Middletown North, 42-0, in the Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals for their fifth shutout of the season. 

LIBERTY DIVISION 

Offense 

Canyon Birch, Sr., RB, Manasquan 

Birch ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns to lead a 300-yard rushing effort by Manasquan in a 40-21 win over Delaware Valley in the first round of the Central Jersey Group 2 playoffs.

Defense

Tristan McMerty, Sr., LB, Colts Neck 

McMerty had five tackles for loss among his six total tackles in Colts Neck’s emphatic 50-0 win over Princeton in a regional crossover game.

PATRIOT DIVISION

Offense 

Noah Colleton, Sr., RB, Matawan 

Colleton exploded for 238 yards rushing and three touchdowns on just 10 carries as the Huskies defeated Robbinsville, 35-27, in a regional crossover game to avoid a winless season.

Defense

Evan Burton, Sr., LB/RB, Pinelands 

Although it came in a 14-7 loss to Lacey, Burton had a big game to close his career with 10 tackles plus 123 yards rushing and a touchdown.

NATIONAL DIVISION  

Offense 

Holmdel’s offensive line

The Hornets’ line of seniors Sean McCann, Jack Tedeschi, Chris Muldoon, Mike Iulo and Austin Fischer along with senior tight end Dan Tempone and junior tight end Bob Eknoian paved the way for Holmdel to rush for 465 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-0 wipeout of Nottingham in the first round of the Central Jersey Group 3 playoffs.

Defense

Quadir Lawson, Sr., RB/LB, Asbury Park

Lawson had a big game on both sides of the ball when the sixth-seeded Blue Bishops went on the road and shut out Woodbury, 27-0, in the first round of the Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs. Lawson ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries and also made five tackles with one sack and a forced fumble to send Asbury into the semifinals.

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