Meet the 2023 All Shore Football Team Defense
The defenses around the Shore Conference never rested even though it was a season where offenses put up some amazing numbers.
The Asbury Park Press All-Shore Defensive teams reflect how good the talent on the "other" side of the ball was.
Leading the way were linemen Za'eir Day of Donovan Catholic, Logan Graham of Red Bank Catholic, linebackers Davin Brewton of Red Bank Catholic, Colin Gallagher of Middletown South, Matt Cassidy of Marlboro and defensive backs Jeremiah Pruitt and Tareq Council of Toms River North.
More: Shore Conference football coaches All Division teams
Here are the Asbury Park Press' All-Shore Defensive first, second and third teams.
More: Shore Conference Football Top 20: Who is No. 1? Who is ranked where?
First Team Capsules
Defense
Za'eir Day
School: Donovan Catholic
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Highlights: Day, the tri-Shore Conference American Division Defensive Player of the Year, was outstanding in the Griffins' 21-7 win over two-time NJSIAA Group 5 champion Toms River North and in the 14-7 defeat to Red Bank Catholic.
He had 81 tackles, 14 of which were for a loss, six sacks and forced two fumbles.
Jackson Whitacre
School: Shore.
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Highlights: Whitacre, the son of long-time Shore assistant coach Mike Whitacre, concluded an outstanding career by making 57 tackles. Seven of those tackles were for a loss. He also had four sacks.
A University of Delaware recruit, Whitacre was named the Shore Conference Constitution Division Defensive Player of the Year.
Nick Bachmann
School: Holmdel
Year: Senior.
Position: Defensive line
Highlights: Bachmann was one of the key players on one of the Shore's stingiest defenses. Holmdel recorded six consecutive shutouts from the third game of the season through the eighth game of the season on its way to the outright Constitition Division championship.
He had 53 tackles, 6.5 of which were for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He also recorded a safety and blocked a field goal.
Logan Graham
School: Red Bank Catholic
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line.
Highlights: Graham was one of the unheralded great players in the Shore this season.
He recorded 90 tackles, 19 of which were for a loss, and seven sacks. He had 12 tackles and two sacks in the Caseys' come-from-behind 35-28 overtime win over Toms River North and 10 tackles and key late sack in the 14-7 win over DePaul in the NJSIAA Non Public B championship game.
Sam Rock III
School: Donovan Catholic
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Highlights: Rock III was another key player on one of the Shore's better defensive lines.
He recorded 98 tackles, seven of which were for a loss, had three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
Blaise Boland
School: Toms River North
Year: Junior
Position: Defensive line
Highlights: On a team filled with stars, Boland was still a player that was hard to ignore.
He recorded 29 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks and 100 tackles in all. He had 10 tackles, 2.5 of which were for a loss, in the 23-13 win over Passaic Tech in the NJSIAA Group 5 championship game and 2.5 sacks against both Washington Township and Cherokee in the Central Group 5 final and Group 5 semifinal respectively.
Colin Gallagher
School: Middletown South
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker.
Highlights: Gallagher was one of the Shore's best all-around players.
An outside linebacker/defensive end, Gallagher recorded 120 tackles, 18.5 of which were for a loss. He also had 7.5 sacks.
Gallagher had at least 11 tackles in eight of the Eagles' 10 games with a high of 20 tackles against NJSIAA Group 2 finalist Rumson-Fair Haven.
He also rushed for 808 yards and eight TDs.
Gallagher, a Delaware recruit, was the tri-American Division Defensive Player of the Year.
Davin Brewton
School: Red Bank Catholic.
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker.
Highlights: Brewton, a Pitt recruit, was a three-year starter for one of the best defenses in the Shore. Red Bank Catholic won two NJSIAA Non Public B championships during Brewton's career, including this past season.
A middle linebacker, Brewton recorded 132 tackles. Sixteen of those tackles were for a loss. He had at least 10 tackles in eight games, including 16 against Non-Public A champion Bergen Catholic and 14 against Non-Public A semifinalist Donovan Catholic.
Brewton was the American Division tri-Defensive Player of the Year.
Matt Cassidy
School: Marlboro
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker.
Highlights: Cassidy was the heart and soul of the resurgence of the Marlboro program over the last three seasons.
This season, the Mustangs shared the Shore Conference Freedom Division championship with Jackson Memorial and advanced to the NJSIAA South Group 5 championship game before they were defeated in double overtime by Cherokee. It was the first time Marlboro had won a divisional championship and advanced to a sectional final since 1994.
Cassidy, a middle linebacker, recorded 109 tackles, five of which were for a loss. He also had an interception return for a TD.
A running back on offense, Cassidy rushed for 1,169 yards and 13 TDs on 230 carries.
Cassidy was the Freedom Division Defensive Player of the Year.
Jake Toye
School: Brick
Year: Senior.
Position: Linebacker
Highlights: Toye contributed in many ways for a Brick team that recorded the program's first winning record since 2018.
He had 109 tackles, 19 of which were for a loss. He also had nine sacks, returned an interception for a TD, forced three fumbles and recovered a fumble.
An H-back on offense, Toye also had 32 receptions for 365 yards and two TDs and rushed for seven TDs.
Mike Consolazio
School: Marlboro
Year: Senior.
Position: Linebacker
Highlights: Consolazio was another key player on one of the Shore's best defenses.
He had 14 sacks. Six of those sacks came in the Mustangs' 17-7 win over Howell. Consolazio had 75 tackles, 25 of which were for a loss and forced three fumbles.
Colin Obser
School: Point Pleasant Borough
Year: Junior
Position: Linebacker
Highlights: Obser was one of the underrated players on a Point Pleasant Borough team that shared the Shore Conference Colonial Division championship with Colts Neck and advanced to the NJSIAA Central Group 2 championship game.
The co-Colonial Division Defensive Player of the Year, Obser recorded 105 tackles, five of which were for a loss. He returned an interception for a TD, blocked a punt and recovered a fumble.
Obser also rushed for two TDs and had four TDs receving on seven receptions for 136 yards.
Jeremiah Pruitt
School: Toms River North
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: Pruitt did a lot of everything the last three seasons for a Toms River North team that won consecutive NJSIAA Group 5 championships.
This season, Pruitt had 95 tackles. Twenty of those tackles were for a loss. He also returned two interceptions for TDs in the Mariners' 33-6 win over Cherokee in a Group 5 semifinal and three interceptions in all. Pruitt had three sacks.
A receiver/running back and wildcat quarterback on offense, Pruitt had 23 receptions for 553 yards and 10 TDs, and rushed for 201 yards and four TDs
Tareq Council
School: Toms River North
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: Council was another key member of a secondary that included standout quarterback Micah Ford and Pruitt among others.
He had 32 tackles and two interceptions. He had an interception return for a TD in the 49-14 win over Washington Township in the Central Group 5 championship game.
A receiver on offense, Council had 18 receptions for 306 yards and five TDs. He also returned two punts for TDs.
Earnest Reevey
School: Long Branch
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: Reevey was a star two-way player for a Long Branch team that advanced to the NJSIAA Central Group 4 championship game.
He had 79 tackles, five of which were for a loss, two interceptions, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble. Reevey had 18 tackles, three of which were for a loss and forced a fumble and recovered a fumbe in the Green Wave's 20-14 win over St. John Vianney.
A two-year starter on offense, Reevey, despite playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand that prevented him from playing under center for much of the regular season, threw for 581 yards and five TDs and rushed for 648 yards and nine TDs.
Albert D'Alessandro
School: Jackson Memorial
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Highlights: D'Alessandro was a key contributor on both sides of the ball for a Jackson Memorial team that shared the Shore Conference Freedom Division championship with Marlboro.
He had 79 tackles and three interceptions in eight games.
A receiver on offense, D'Alessandro had 13 receptions for 210 yards and rushed for five TDs.
Jake Horowitz
School: Manalapan
Year: Senior.
Position: Punter.
Highlights: Horowitz punted 20 times for a 42.7-yard average with five inside the 20. He also went 4 for 4 on field goal attempts with a long of 36 yards.
Defensive Player of the Year
Davin Brewton, Red Bank Catholic
Second Team
DL: Griffin Egan, Red Bank, Senior
DL: Cooper Bunnell, Rumson-Fair Haven, Senior
DL: Shaun Hubbard, Jackson Memorial, Senior
DL: Rob Kenyon, Marlboro, Senior
LB: Trey Tallmadge, Brick Memorial, Sophomore
LB: Colin Palumbo, Matawan, Junior
LB: Aidan Wilmot, Manalapan, Senior
LB: Anthony Rodriguez, Toms River North, Senior
LB: Roman Moyers, Donovan Catholic, Senior
LB: Reed Elsas, Rumson-Fair Haven, Senior
LB: Hunter Johnson, Donovan Catholic, Senior
LB: Jamie Gutridge, Red Bank Catholic, Junior
DB: Gary Collyer, Holmdel, Senior
DB: Luke Houston, Marlboro, Junior
DB: Stephen Myers, Red Bank Catholic, Senior
DB: Wesley Kennedy, Rumson-Fair Haven, Senior
P: Luke Rubin, Marlboro, Senior
Third Team
DL: Ryan Burns, Keyport, Senior
DL: Ben Girard, Ocean, Senior
DL: Myles Byrd-Rice, St. John Vianney, Senior
DL: Dan Kitka, Monmouth, Senior
DL: Anthony Lombardi, Colts Neck, Senior
DL: Tanner Hynes, Point Pleasant Borough, Junior
LB: Joseph Corley, Long Branch, Junior
LB: Christian Olivieri, Toms River North, Senior
LB: Lucas White, Shore, Senior
LB: Cole Toddings, Barnegat, Junior
LB: Connor Fields, Holmdel, Senior
LB: James Alexander, Toms River South, Senior
DB: Owen Richter, Middletown South, Senior
DB: Cole Pangborn, Rumson-Fair Haven, Junior
DB: Nick Scaff, Marlboro, Senior
DB: Jaiden Hernandez, Jackson Memorial, Senior
P: Evan Brounstein, Central, Senior
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ football: 2023 All Shore Defense
