Historic moment showcases strength of Shore football, as Toms River North wins, Rumson falls
PISCATAWAY – It was only fitting that a pair of Shore Conference heavyweights took the field on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at SHI Stadium, on an historic weekend for high school football in New Jersey.
Some 48 years after Brick captured the first-ever NJSIAA sectional title with its dramatic win over Camden in Atlantic City, the NJSIAA played out to overall group state champions for the first time, with one winner for each of the five groups based on enrollment, instead of four sectional champs for each group.
It was the ultimate showcase for teams from Monmouth and Ocean counties, and the two local teams representing the area at Rutgers made a lot of sense within the context of the event.
Leading the charge into the new era was a record-setting Toms River North team, which lived up to the hype by pounding Passaic Tech, 28-7, winning the first-ever Group 5 championship and becoming the first team in state history to go 14-0, having already shattered the state and Shore records for points in a season.
And the fact that the Mariners dominated the title game for the largest schools in the state was an exclamation point on a season for the ages.
The first game of the doubleheader saw Rumson-Fair Haven, a program consistently among the area’s finest since winning the first of seven sectional titles in 2010, battling a Caldwell team riding a 27-game winning streak in its quest to become the first Group 2 champ.
It came down to a fourth-and-goal from the 10-yard-line with 2:05 to play for Rumson. But sophomore quarterback Owen O’Toole’s pass into the end zone fell incomplete, as a furious fourth quarter comeback fell short and Caldwell escaped with an 18-14 victory.
Ironically, it was on this field on the opening weekend of the season that Toms River North beat Rumson, 41-27, which still ranks as the closest any team has been to the Mariners this season.
When the dust settled, the Mariners had 389 yards of offense against Passaic Tech, including 272 yards on the ground, with running back Josh Moore picking up 127 yards, finishing the game off with an 80-yard touchdown burst in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Micah Ford added 226 yards of offense, including 109 rushing.
“It’s an honor to have been able to play in the first games, whether we won it or not," Mariners' head coach Dave Oizerowitz said. "To be able to win it and go 14-0 and do it out of the section we came out of (South Group 5), which is traditionally one of the toughest in the state, to come here and play a Passaic Tech team, which was worthy themselves, it’s humbling."
“It’s amazing. It’s an amazing feeling. It’s kind of indescribable," said Toms River North outside linebacker/tight end Ty Kazanowsky. "We’ve all worked so hard for it. This is all we wanted. This was our main goal since Day 1. To win this game. It’s amazing.’’
Rumson is used to being in rarified air this time of year, having previously won Central Group 2 titles in 2010, 14 and 14, and Central Group 3 championships in 2015, 16 and 18. And players on the team said they look forward to returning next year and finishing the job.
“It’s definitely awesome. But we’re not just happy to be here,” Rumson head coach Jeremy Schulte said. “I’m glad we made it here. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s awesome to be part of the first game, but we’ll be back to win it.
”These kids fought they did everything we asked of them all year and I’m proud of them.”
The teams that took the field at SHI Stadium this weekend were trailblazers, playing more games and going to the next level competitively.
And no one would be surprised it both Toms River North and Rumson, with plenty of top players returning, are right back here a year from now, showing the state just how good Shore Conference football is.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ high school football: Shore well-represented on historic weekend
