Football: Here are the 2023 All-North Jersey teams
After an exciting season, the following players have been selected to the 2023 All-North Jersey football teams.
The Offensive Football Player of the Year and Defensive Football Player of the Year will be announced at the North Jersey High School Sports Awards show in June. All first-team players are nominees for Player of the Year.
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Robbie Carcich
Westwood senior quarterback
This is the type of reward you get for engineering a 99-yard drive to force OT in a state final. Carcich capped his stellar career by finishing second in North Jersey in passing yards (2,274) and was a supreme dual threat, throwing 24 TDs and rushing for 11.
Landon De Prima
Ramapo senior quarterback
De Prima led North Jersey in passing yards and set single-season school records in passing yards (3,088), TD passes (42) and completion percentage (70 percent). He also ran for 670 yards and 7 TDs. After pledging to Harvard, his recruitment is back open.
Dominic Campanile
Bergen Catholic junior quarterback
Two years as quarterback, two state championship rings for Campanile, the son of Crusaders coach Vito Campanile. The lefty completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,093 yards and 30 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions.
Ayden Jones
Hackensack senior running back
Jones led North Jersey in rushing with 2,108 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging 8.5 yards per carry on 248 runs. He also played defensive back and helped lead the Comets (6-5) to their first winning season since 2016.
Cole Goumas
Rutherford senior running back
Goumas was the best weapon for the three-time conference champions, finishing with 1,209 total yards and 18 touchdowns from scrimmage. He added a kick-return TD and a punt-return TD in the same game against Becton.
Trashon Dye
Passaic Tech senior running back
The Syracuse commit totaled 2,114 yards and 24 TDs on the ground, while also playing defense for the two-time Group 5 finalists. He played the game with an unmatched level of physicality, leading North Jersey with 141 tackles.
Nolan James
DePaul junior running back
A fantastic all-around back, James finished fourth in North Jersey in rushing yards with 1,442 and ran for 8 touchdowns for the Non-Public B finalists. In addition, he caught 23 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown.
Jack Small
Old Tappan senior lineman
It’s so hard to quantify a lineman’s contributions, but Small, who has committed to Duke, was a monster on the Golden Knights' lines the last two years and helped them put up almost 4,000 yards of offense this season.
Marcus Linder
Bergen Catholic senior lineman
Hey, someone had to do the dirty work for the No. 1 team in New Jersey. Linder was part of an interior offensive line that kept Dominic Campanile clean and opened holes for running back Kaj Sanders.
Malachi Goodman
Paramus Catholic junior lineman
Part of a fierce offensive line along with Miami commitment Juan Minaya for the Paladins, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Goodman has offers on the table from Michigan, Pitt and Georgia.
Trumain Lawson
Clifton senior lineman
A beast on both sides of the ball, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Lawson did damage up front for the Mustangs' offense while also recording 58 tackles and 7 sacks on defense.
Logan Bahn
Ramsey senior lineman
Bahn will walk on at Penn State after emerging as one of North Jersey’s most dominant offensive linemen. On the defensive side of the ball, he finished with 44 tackles (8 for losses).
Ryan Ward
Rutherford senior tight end/receiver
An All-State candidate at tight end, Ward played all over the field for the Bulldogs, lining up at quarterback and receiver, and playing defense too. He caught 24 passes for 654 yards and 9 TDs and has committed to North Carolina.
Quincy Porter
Bergen Catholic junior wide receiver
No. 0 for the Crusaders was a No. 1 option on offense, leading his team with 48 receptions for 1,066 yards and 16 touchdowns. Porter demonstrated great body control and has offers from Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan, Oregon and Texas.
Zach Schnorrbusch
Ramapo senior wide receiver
Though slowed by an injury at the end of the year, Schnorrbusch made a name for himself in the Raiders' offense. He led North Jersey in receiving yards (1,244) and receptions (77), caught 18 touchdown passes and chipped in 5 interceptions on defense.
Tommy Bussanich
Westwood senior wide receiver
Bussanich caught the game-tying touchdown pass for the Cardinals in the Group 2 final, the capper to a brilliant career. He finished with 43 catches for 730 yards and 9 TDs this season, plus an interception returned for touchdown.
De’Zie Jones
DePaul junior wide receiver
Jones enjoyed another fantastic season for the Spartans, finishing with 56 catches for 898 yards and 6 TDs. He has already surpassed 2,000 career receiving yards and has offers from Ohio State, Texas and Penn State on the table.
Nico Ottomanelli
Old Tappan senior kicker/punter
The best kicker in Golden Knights' history and one of the best ever from North Jersey, Ottomanelli made 6 of 8 field goals, with a long of 51, and converted 48 of 49 PATs (98 percent) to lead North Jersey kickers with 66 points. He has committed to Nebraska.
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Aidan Horodnik
Don Bosco senior lineman
At 6-foot-2, 275 pounds, Horodnik was one of the Ironmen's best defenders against the run. The three-year starter had one of his best games in a win over Seton Hall Prep, recording 5 tackles for losses and 2 sacks, and had a fumble-recovery TD against Paramus Catholic.
Elijah Kinsler
Bergen Catholic senior lineman
The 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive end made 64 tackles, including 9½ for losses, added four sacks and batted down four passes, including one in the state final. Kinsler has given a verbal commitment to West Virginia.
Lamont Lester
Don Bosco senior lineman
Lester led the Ironmen in sacks with eight and recorded three safeties, including one in the playoffs against Delbarton. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Waldwick resident also contributed to the running game late in the season and plans to play at Monmouth.
Kaiden Rex
Passaic Tech senior lineman
Rex was the leader in sacks for a Bulldog defense that allowed just 7.9 points per game and posted five shutouts. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound end from Totowa added 98 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, and he had a 35-yard pick-six against Passaic.
RJ Ussher
Westwood senior lineman
Stats do not accurately reflect the true value of this 6-foot-2, 255-pound nose tackle, whose job was to occupy blockers so teammates could get to the QB. Among his 26 tackles was a key fourth-down run-stuff in the state semifinals against Bernards.
Eric Allmendinger
Passaic Valley senior linebacker
Allmendinger was at the heart of a defense that allowed 9.8 points per game and notched three shutouts in leading the Hornets to their first sectional final since 2009. He also contributed on offense with 5 rushing touchdowns.
Jayden Brown
Don Bosco senior linebacker
Brown moves up from last year's second team after making a greater impact in pass coverage. His four interceptions ranked among the North Jersey leaders in that category, and he has committed to Syracuse.
Luke Cerulli
Rutherford senior linebacker
The 6-foot, 220 pound Cerulli logged double-digit tackles virtually every game, finishing with 125 on the season and more than 200 for his career. He helped the Bulldogs defend their NJIC title with 5 tackles for losses in the conference final against Park Ridge.
Travon Dye
Passaic Tech senior linebacker
Though he missed a portion of the season due to injury, the repeat first-teamer continued to make an impact as a hybrid edge rusher. Dye, a Syracuse commit, finished with 58 tackles (14 for losses) and 5 sacks, adding three more rushing TDs on offense.
Christian Gonzalez
Bergen Catholic senior linebacker
Gonzalez led the Non-Public A champs in tackles with 81, and he showed his prowess in coverage with an interception and three pass breakups. In the state semifinals, he blew up a Donovan Catholic fake punt to help the Crusaders rally from an early deficit.
Gavin Soares
Northern Highlands senior linebacker
Soares was the Highlanders' leading tackler (107) and tied for the team lead in sacks (6½). He was also a menace on special teams, blocking four punts, and he made a pair of touchdown catches on offense for the North 1, Group 4 runner-up.
Evan Brooks
Old Tappan senior defensive back
Brooks had a knack for snaring passes on both sides of the ball. He led the Golden Knights with 5 interceptions and logged 40 tackles at safety. As a receiver, he made 45 receptions for 667 yards and caught 10 TDs for the second year in a row.
Cashmere Jones
Passaic Tech senior defensive back
The player known to teammates as "Cash" led North Jersey with 7 interceptions, one of which he returned for a TD against Bayonne. Despite standing just 5-foot-6, Jones was also a top tackler with 108, and he chipped in 7 total TDs on offense.
Jahmir Joseph
St. Joseph junior defensive back
A five-star recruit, Joseph led the Green Knights' secondary with 3 interceptions, made 43 tackles, forced four fumbles and blocked a pair of punts. In addition, he averaged 26.6 yards per kick return and was even employed to kick off a few times.
Joe Klein
Westwood senior defensive back
Klein easily could be recognized for contributions in all three phases. He was the unbeaten Cardinals' leading receiver (60 catches, 723 yards, 8 TD), made 47 tackles and 2 INTs at his DB spot, averaged 27 yards per kick return and also brought back a punt for a touchdown.
Damian Kribs
Passaic Valley senior defensive back
Kribs got the Hornets' North 2, Group 3 playoff run started with a monster performance at Vernon: 16 tackles, an interception and the game-winning TD in overtime. On the season, he had 2 INTs and 3 forced fumbles on defense and rushed for 13 touchdowns at QB.
James Magerko
Ramapo senior defensive back
Magerko helped the Raiders unseat defending sectional champ Northern Highlands, making a season-high 14 tackles and recovering a fumble in the North 1, Group 4 final. He ended with 93 tackles and an INT and also ran for 433 yards and 5 TDs.
Kaj Sanders
Bergen Catholic senior defensive back
With sprinter's speed to help the Crusaders in coverage, Sanders made 35 tackles and broke up three passes when opponents dared to throw his way. The Rutgers recruit also enjoyed a 1,053-yard, 17-TD season as the Non-Public A champs' tailback.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Patrick Grusser, St. Joseph senior quarterback
Nate Johnson, Northern Highlands junior quarterback
Nasir Owens, St. Mary junior running back
Kevin Regula, Pascack Valley junior running back
Brandon Veneziano, Passaic Valley senior running back
Xavier Williams, Paramus Catholic junior running back
Yasin Willis, St. Joseph junior running back
Brian Blake, Wayne Valley senior running back/receiver
John Forster, St. Joseph junior running back/receiver
BJ Cunningham, St. Mary junior wide receiver
Kyle Keyes, Lakeland senior wide receiver
Kenyon Massey, Paramus Catholic senior wide receiver
Christian Alvarez, St. Joseph sophomore lineman
Arthur Costan, Rutherford senior lineman
Kevin Garcia, Don Bosco senior lineman
Triquil Monroe, DePaul senior lineman
Owen Wescott, Passaic Tech senior lineman
Guytano Bartolomeo, Bergen Catholic junior kicker
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Nyreek Clyburn, Eastside senior lineman
Dan Elyash, Paramus senior lineman
Brendan Latz, Ramapo senior lineman
Dario Mathurin, Westwood junior lineman
Deron McLaughlin, Park Ridge senior lineman
Blake Taranto, Northern Highlands senior lineman
Jordan Thomas, Don Bosco senior lineman
Ricky Anastasi, St. Joseph senior linebacker
Macai Moore, Paramus Catholic senior linebacker
Gabe Perez, Bergenfield senior linebacker
Cormac Smith, Hawthorne senior linebacker
Aidan Carrazana, Westwood senior defensive back
Bryce Hamilton, Waldwick/Midland Park senior defensive back
Steve Klein, Westwood sophomore defensive back
Naiim Parrish, Bergen Catholic junior defensive back
Danny Smiechowski, Northern Highlands senior defensive back
Jordan Thomas, Bergen Catholic sophomore defensive back
Jovan Tyrell, Passaic Tech senior defensive back
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Jersey football: 2023 All-North Jersey teams
