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E-mail: stump@digitalsports.com
I really like the discussion building for No. 1 after impressive wins by Southern and Freehold and a gritty win by Lacey during a week in which Asbury Park cruised to a lop-sided win over an overmatched Mater Dei squad.
I think people will downgrade Lacey after a 20-14 win over Toms River East on the road because of Southern's solid 28-7 win over Brick Memorial and Freehold's 35-14 victory over Neptune, but Lacey is a team that usually grinds out wins rather than doing it in spectacular fashion. But you look up at the end of the year and the Lions are in a state final.
Still, I could easily see people clamoring for Southern or Freehold at No. 1, especially those who espouse the "Group I schools could never in a million years compete with Group III or Group IV schools'' theory. The question is whether Lacey should drop despite picking up a tough win on the road without one of its best players in injured senior fullback/linebacker Justin Pandorf.
The bottom three spots look like they could be in flux for the whole season, with teams coming and going every week. This past week, Nos. 7-10 all lost. I'll be honest, this week I just threw four more teams up on the wall to see what sticks.
There is no team I have seen this season that is without flaws, so during any week, the whole Top 10 could be thrown into disarray. Just look at Central, which took a 14-game losing streak into its game against last week's No. 10 team, Wall, and stunned the Crimson Knights, 12-7, in a Federal Division game.
That win by Central, by the way, also helped Freehold take a huge step toward its second straight Federal Division title after only two games. However, the Colonials obviously can't take anything for granted given what Central did to Wall. Freehold also has certainly benefited from a pair of transfers in senior quarterback Nick Tyson and junior running back Tezzy Thorpe, who have been instrumental in their early success along with a strong defense.
I think I'm going to start being in the minority here with Southern and Freehold banging at the gates, but I'm staying with Asbury Park at No. 1 this week. It's hard to win 42-0 and then drop, and I think this week's game on the road against two-time defending Patriot Divisoin champion Rumson-Fair Haven (2-0) should be a good gauge of where the Blue Bishops are at right now.
OK, deep breath and here goes.
1. Asbury Park (2-0) - Last week: No. 1. The Blue Bishops rolled to a 42-0 win over Mater Dei despite the absence of junior running back George Stephens. Back-up quarterback Jamar Small threw three touchdown passes, as the talented skill players continue to ooze out of every pore of this program. Next up is Rumson-Fair Haven on the road, a difficult match-up that should tell us if this team really looks like the best in the Shore right now. Asbury Park brings a Shore Conference-best 13-game winning streak into the showdown with the Bulldogs.
2. Southern (2-0) - Last week: No. 3. If these rankings are a reflection of who is playing really well right now, the Rams move up a spot. They simple muscled Brick Memorial at the point of attack, ran at will and played great defense. I would be very interested to see Southern play Lacey or a team that could match its physical nature on the line because the Rams would have to show another dimension offensively. I think quarterback Brian Sullivan is underrated. He's a pretty good athlete and his decision-making should continue to improve with more experience in his first year as the starter. Glenn Carson is the real deal, as he was everywhere against the Mustangs, and Anthony Stroffolino was right there with him. Great game by senior linebacker Mike Bonsky as well. The Rams have a bye and then return against Freehold Township on Oct. 3.
3. Freehold (2-0) - Last week: No. 5. I think this team will stay motivated because it thinks it should be No. 1 in the Shore. The Colonials dismantled Neptune, 35-14, on Saturday to take another big step toward a Federal Division title. Good skill players, a physical running game, and a great front seven on defense make this team a handful. They have answered the questions about whether they would be able to replace some top seniors on both sides of the line and linebacker Rakim Thorpe has stepped up as the playmaker that Robert James was last year. The Colonials now have Lakewood on Saturday night and need to be careful about getting caught like they did against Red Bank last year.
4. Lacey (2-0) - Last week: No. 2. I might be kicking myself for downgrading this team right now, as the Lions pulled out a 20-14 win over Toms River East that was sealed in the final minutes. With two new quarterbacks gaining more experience by the day, I think this team could get better, and senior linebacker/running back Tom Rickmers is just a beast. They are without Justin Pandorf, so if they make it through the stretch without him in the lineup unscathed, they could be especially formidable when he returns. This is not a flashy team like Freehold, it's just a team that keeps stacking up wins. This team has earned the right not to be disrespected, so I might be hearing it by the end of the season when it is right back at or near the top. The Lions have a bye and then return with a home game against Toms River South on Oct. 4.
5. Middletown North (2-0) - Last week: No. 4. The Lions had to sweat out a 20-14 win over Toms River South on Saturday night, but still improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2001 thanks to great play on special teams. A big difference with this team is that it now has guys who can break a big play at any time, particularly senior Uly Gibson, who had a great punt return to set up a touchdown against the Indians. The Lions now have a bye week and can match their win total from last year when they host Marlboro on Oct. 3.
6. Red Bank Catholic (1-0) - Last week: No. 6. The Caseys made an impressive debut by spoiling Long Branch's first home game in five years with a 28-0 win on Saturday afternoon. Seniors David Reeves and Nolan Vill are a tough running combo, and a Caseys' defense led by linebacker Anthony Lubischer looked outstanding. The Caseys also felt they didn't play their best game and can be much better, particularly on offense, so this may only have been the beginning of a march to the top of the rankings. They welcome rival Red Bank to Count Basie Field on Friday in their home opener eager to drive home the point that they rule Red Bank.
7. Howell (1-0) - Last week: Unranked. Here's where it starts to get interesting. This past weekend Nos. 7, 8, 9, and 10 all lost. So I'll give the Rebels their shot after a comeback win over Brick that looked even better after Brick recovered to beat Colts Neck this weekend. The high-powered spread attack should keep the Rebels in any game, and their game against Southern could be one of the more intriguining contrast-in-styles games of the year. They are coming off their bye and have a huge game this week against nemesis Jackson Memorial. The Jaguars are smarting after a last-second loss to Manalapan and have had Howell's number the past few years, including handing the Rebels their only loss last year. If Howell can get past this game, it will really be in solid shape. The spotlight will be on the Rebels' run defense, so we'll see what it can do against the Jaguars.
8. Ocean (1-0) - Last week: Unranked. Ahhh, it feels good to be back in your customary spot in the Top 10, right Big Red? That season-opening shutout of Manasquan looked even better after the Warriors went on to take down last week's No. 7 team, Point Boro. The Spartans' defense was outstanding, and if this team can find consistency offensively, it could slowly work its way up these rankings. Coming off a bye, Ocean now has a good test against Manchester on the road on Friday night, considering Manchester just rolled past Monmouth and is a senior-laden team with high hopes. If Ocean can bottle up the Hawks' offense, that would send a big message.
9. Raritan (2-0) - Last wek: Unranked: I'm cycling in a new group of teams here, so Raritan gets it shot. The Rockets have won four straight games and have equaled their win total from last season. A 21-7 win over St. John Vianney put them right in the hunt for the National Division title, where I think they are a strong dark horse candidate to take the whole thing. The Rockets have a bye this week and then can make a big statement when they take on Point Boro in a big divisional game on Oct. 3.
10. Matawan (2-0): - Last week: Unranked. I considered a million different teams here. I thought about keeping Brick Memorial in the Top 10, and I'm sure everyone would argue that the Group IV Mustangs would beat the Group II Huskies head-to-head. Manasquan is another candidate, but after scoring only three points in two games, I have to see more. This Matawan team has not really faced a stern test yet, but with sophomore McArthur Underwood patrolling the secondary and senior running back Nate King leading the offense, the Huskies are dangerous. The Huskies have a bye this week and then welcome No. 6 Red Bank Catholic to Matawan for a huge Liberty Division game on Oct. 4. They will have no shortage of motivation after being blown out by the Caseys the last two years,
Knocking on the door:
Rumson-FH (2-0): This coming Friday, the Bulldogs can throw this whole operation into a tailspin when they take on No. 1 Asbury Park in their home opener under the lights at Borden Stadium. They might make me regret not ranking them if they take down the top dog, and with a strong defense, the potential is there. I could see a scenario where this team stuns Asbury Park and then loses to Shore Regional, making the rankings a more miserable exercise than it rapidly is becoming.
Brick Memorial (1-1): This team is still dangerous, and you could make the case the Mustangs should still be ranked because all they did was lose to a team ranked ahead of them. The only thing is that the game wasn't close. Still, this team will still be heard from in the American Division race. They hope to regroup against a tough Freehold Township team on Friday night.
Neptune (1-1): A similar boat for the Scarlet Fliers, who did lose to a team ranked ahead of them, but were beaten solidly. Another team that has the ability to atone for a tough loss and still have a strong season. They now welcome a Central team that has played them very tough the last two years and is coming off a big upset of Wall that ended a 14-game losing streak.
Central (1-0): It seems crazy to have the Golden Eagles here considering they had not won a game since 2006 before Friday night, but a 12-7 win over last week's No. 10, Wall, in their season opener merits consideration.
Barnegat (2-0): The Bengals are off to their first 2-0 start in their three-year history but haven't faced a serious test yet. They face local rival Pinelands this week in a bid to continue their strong start.
Manchester (1-0): It may have been a win over a Monmouth team that is 0-2, but it was an impressive 36-7 one. This could be one of the Shore's biggest sleeper teams.
Colts Neck (1-1), Manalapan (1-1), Middletown South (1-1), Point Boro (1-1), Manasquan (1-1), Brick (1-1): A tough loss and a good win for all of these teams. We'll need to see which ones are for real and which ones are not in the coming weeks.
Toms River North (0-1): Coming off their bye week, the Mariners will be ready to force their way back into the Top 10 with a nice winning streak. They will host Manalapan on in their home opener on Saturday.
Small-school Top 10 (Parochials and Group II and smaller)
1. Asbury Park (1-0) - Last week: No. 1: The No. 1 overall team in the Shore will get its first big test this week against Rumson-Fair Haven.
2. Red Bank Catholic (1-0) - Last week: No. 2. The Caseys made it look easy in a 28-0 win over Long Branch in their opener.
3. Raritan (2-0) - Last week: Unranked. A win over last week's No. 6 team, St. John Vianney, has Raritan flying up near the top of the rankings. After a bye week, we'll see if the Rockets are for real when they face Point Boro.
4. Matawan (2-0) - Last week: No. 3: Get it done against RBC in two weeks and everyone will give the Huskies the respect they feel they deserve.
5. Manchester (1-0) - Last week: No. 8. The Hawks' offense looked outstanding in a 36-7 win over Monmouth in their opener.
6. Rumson-FH (2-0) - Last week: No. 10. The Bulldogs can show that heavy graduation losses won't hurt them against top teams when they welcome No. 1 Asbury Park on Friday night.
7. Manasquan (1-1) - Last week: No. 7: The Warriors gutted out a 3-0 win over Point Boro to right the ship and now look to take that momentum and ride it to a National Division title.
8. Point Boro (1-1) - Last week: No. 3: A 3-0 setback to Manasquan has to frustrate the Panthers, but they have the talent to rebound.
9. Barnegat (2-0) - Last week: No. 6: The Bengals are 2-0 for the first time in their three-year history.
10. Long Branch (0-2) - Last week: No. 4: The Green Wave are in a hole after a 28-0 loss to Red Bank Catholic spoiled their home opener, but they have the talent to dig out of it.
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