Shore Conference football: Greatest high school teams of all-time

Since coach Warren Wolf turned the football program at a new high school in Brick into a New Jersey power in the 1960s, the rise of Shore Conference football has been fueled by state titles, all-time great players and some of the finest coaches ever to walk a sideline at any level.

And it's the teams that will forever be etched in the minds of fans throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties. The players that dotted the lineup. The key moments in rivalry games. And the joyous celebration after a championship.

It's time to take a trip down Memory Lane with a list that's sure to stir emotion and spark debate, as we try to identify the best-of-the-best from the area over the past seven decades.

Here is our collection of the 54 greatest Shore Conference football teams ever.

NJ High School Football: Shore Conference football stars from Week 5

The 1960s

1960 Brick Township High School (9-0)

This was the team that started it all for the storied Brick program that Wolf built. It was also the team that put Ocean County football on the map. Brick went unbeaten just three seasons after Wolf arrived at the new high school after a decade as an assistant at his scholastic alma mater Memorial (West New York) under his mentor Joe Coviello. The 1960 Green Dragons capped off the first of their seven unbeaten, untied seasons with a Thanksgiving win over Central to capture the Shore Conference Class B South championship.

1968 Toms River High School (9-0)

Head coach Ron Signorino called it the “impossible dream’’ after the Indians completed an undefeated season with a 69-12 Thanksgiving Day romp at Lakewood, as they rushed for an astonishing 602 yards as a team. And while North Jersey observers thought that East Orange was the top team in the state in the days before the NJSIAA playoffs, everyone in South Jersey was sure the Indians were No. 1.

1969 Toms River South High School (8-1)

Toms River South took over the No. 1 ranking in the state with an early-season 40-0 win over Bayonne, which was ranked No. 1 in the state at the time. They extended their winning streak to 19 before Middletown defeated them 14-8 in what is still known as “The Game.’’ Eight turnovers hurt - South had 21 first downs to Middletown's 14 and outgained Middletown 351-223.

1969 Middletown High School (9-0)

The Lions as the No. 2 team in the state beat No. 1 Toms River South in “The Game’’ of 1969 in Toms River’s Detweiler Stadium before an estimated crowd of 8,000. Middletown drove 94 yards for the game-winning TD in the fourth quarter after an interception by Jack Kaufman stopped a Toms River South drive. Quarterback Bob Abbot capped the rally with an 8-yard TD run on a fourth-and-3 with five minutes left.

The 1970s

1971 Central Regional High School (9-0)

The Golden Eagles closed 1970 with seven straight wins, tying Manasquan for the Class B crown, before beating Manasquan 20-13 to open the next season. Robbie Keyes threw 24 touchdown passes and receiver John Kilmurray had 10 of his 40 receptions. Guard Mike Boyd and end Reggie Brewton helped anchor the defense for coach Joe Boyd.

1971 Red Bank Regional High School (9-0)

It was the start of a five-year stretch that included three unbeaten seasons under coach Bob Strangia. The talented roster included offensive tackle John Lee, who won a national championship at Nebraska and played six seasons in the NFL, and receiver Lonnie Allgood, who went on to play at Syracuse and in the NFL for six seasons, while speedy halfback Mike Pitts averaged 8 yards-per-carry. The defense was anchored by Defensive end Greg Norflee and strong safety Alan Burgess intercepted six passes, returning two for scores.

1972 Brick High School (9-0)

The Green Dragons opened with a 27-6 win over a Matawan, and the winning streak would sit at 17 games by season’s end, unbeaten in 21 straight, with wins over Phillipsburg and Montclair earning stature as the No. 1 team in the state. Fullback Dan McCullough scored eight touchdowns, while the quarterback was junior Dan Duddy.

1972 Manasquan High School (9-0)

Coach Jack Hawks’ team posted the fourth perfect season in program history, as 5-8 back Steve Merli ran for 1,348 yards and 22 TDs, leading the Shore in scoring with 134 points. Merli ran for 260 yards against Rumson-Fair Haven.

1973 Manasquan High School (9-0)

A second straight unbeaten season extended the winning streak to 19 games, including a win over previously unbeaten Lakewood to secure a division crown. The NJSIAA playoffs did not start until the next season, with a point system in place to determine sectional titles giving the Central Group III title to a 7-2 Matawan team.

1974 Brick High School (10-0)

The Green Dragons made history when by winning the first NJSIAA playoff game, beating Camden, 21-20, in the South Group 4 final in Atlantic City, with Brick stopping a two-point conversion after Camden scored with 2:58 to play. Don Gethard ran for 1,135 yards and 16 TDs, while quarterback Paul Durkin led the offense. Coach Warren Wolf’s record stood at 126-23-4 at the time, on his way to 361 career wins.

1974 Red Bank Regional High School (9-0)

The Bucs were not one of two teams selected to play for the NJSIAA Central Group 2 title, and ended the season with a 17-game winning streak, dating back to a season-opening loss to RBC a year earlier. It was the second perfect season in four years for coach Bob Strangia, as the Bucs featured the best defense in the conference, allowing 1,071 yards.

1975 Matawan High School (11-0)

Considered the No. 1 team in the state, the Huskies, under coach Barry Rizzo, became the first Shore team to win 11 games, as the NJSIAA added a semifinal round, closing it out with a 7-0 win over Colonia in the Central Group 4 final on a 2-yard TD run by Gary Weber. Ken Mandeville threw for 910 yards and 11 TDs, and ran for 360 yards and four TDs, and Ed Steward averaged 5.8 yards per carry.

1975 Red Bank Regional High School (11-0)

Bucs’ linebacker John Semilatschenko drove Hightstown quarterback Mike Radics out of bounds at the 1-yard-line on a 2-point conversion in the final minutes to preserve a 46-44 victory in the Central Group 2 final, still considered among the top state playoff games ever. It was the Bucs’ 28th straight win, with quarterback David ``Cookie’’ Lewis, who ran for three TDs against previously unbeaten Hightstown,  Timmy “Tex” Johnson running for two scores.

1978 Point Pleasant Borough High School (10-1)

It was the second straight South Group 2 title for coach Al Saner’s team, as the Panthers won the Class B title over Manasquan and St. John Vianney. Junior Dino DeLisa ran for 155 yards on 26 carries in their 21-16 win over Maple Shade in the state final, finishing the season with 1,107 yards on the ground, while the defense finished the season ranked fourth at the Shore.

The 1980s

1981 Brick High School (11-0)

Another incredible run left the Green Dragons in a position to stake a claim as the No. 1 team in the state, winning a sectional title for the first time in seven years with a 17-0 whitewashing of Toms River East in the state final. Pete Panuska ran for 1,332 yards and 19 TDs, as the Green Dragons outscored opponents by a 337-55 margin.

1981 Shore Regional High School (11-0)

Coach Nick Cammarano’s team hammered defending Central Group 2 champion Asbury Park, 35-0, in the final, as junior Tim Britton ran for 136 yards during a career in which he would gain 3,196 yards and score 45 times. The Blue Devils ended the season outscoring opponents by a 261-42 margin.

1982 Wall High School (11-0)

Coach John Amabile’s Crimson Knights won the school’s first section title, dominating South Plainfield, 21-0, for the Central Group 3 title. Linebacker Bob Amabile intercepted nine passes, booted a state record 10 field goals, threw  five TD passes and ran for 10 more, and Art Petracco ran for 17 TDs. The Crimson Knights outscored opponents 376-33.

1983 Middletown North High School (11-0)

After falling to J.P. Stevens in the Central Group 4 final a year earlier, coach Vic Kubu’s Lions roared past J.P. Stevens in the semifinals before beating Hunterdon Central, 6-0, for the championship. Pat Toland ran for 1,337 yards and 11 TDs, and had sacks on the final two plays against Hunterdon Central. The Lions outscored opponents 267-85 and finished No. 1 at the Shore.

1983 Wall High School (11-0)

A second straight Central Group 3 title came in a 21-3 victory over Ocean in the title game, as their winning streak stretched to 23 games, having won 30 straight against Shore Conference opponents. Outscoring opponents 283-37. Wall could go on to win 32 straight before losing to Matawan in the state semifinals a year later.

1984 Asbury Park High School (11-0)

The Blue Bishops posted shutouts it their final four games for coach Leroy Hayes, including a 16-0 whitewashing of Somerville in the Central Group 2 final. Rodney Bond ran for 1,391 yards, linebacker David Taylor led the Shore’s top-ranked unit, and Remond Palmer was a  two-way star. It was the second title in five years, and the first perfect season since 1953.

1986 Long Branch High School (11-0)

The Green Wave, coached by Jack Levy, got their first unbeaten season in 25 years with a 30-0 drubbing of Ocean in the Central Group 3 final. The B North champs got 1,107 yards and 13 TDs from Malcolm Freeman, while Ray Ramos ran for 717 yards and V.J. Muscillo booted eight field goals, including a 52-yarder.

1988 Matawan High School (11-0)

Craig Mitter ran for a school-record 1,570 yards to power the Huskies, ending Franklin’s 21-game winning streak with a 14-6 victory in the Central Group 3 final. Coach Joe Martucci played on Matawan’s undefeated 1966 team for coach Barry Rizzo.

1989 Middletown South High School (11-0)

The first of the program’s 10 sectional championships was secured with a 22-3 win over Madison Central, as coach John Andl’s team got 162 yards from junior back Stephen Pitts. Quarterback Jeff Cuozzo helped engineer victories over Brick, which won the South Group 4 title, and St. Peter’s Prep, the Non-Public A champs.

1989 Lacey High School (11-0)

It was the second straight South Group 2 crown for coach Lou Vircillo’s Lions, as Keith Elias ran for 2,178 yards and 21 touchdowns, including a then state-record 391 yards against Freehold Township. Junior quarterback Garrett Gardi threw two TD passes in the Lions’ 28-24 win over Woodrow Wilson of Camden in the final.

The 1990s

1990 Manasquan High School (11-0)

The first of a Shore record 12 state sectional crowns on the field was secured with a 35-0 rout of Sayreville in the Central Group 2 final, the fifth perfect season in program history 1948, 49, 58, 73), with head coach Vic Kubu having quarterbacked the 1958 team. The C South champs had the Shore’s top-ranked defense that season.

1991 Manasquan High School (11-0)

Vic Kubu’s second title at Manasquan came via a 28-13 victory over Holmdel in the Central Group 2 final, the 22nd straight win for a team that was No. 1 in the Asbury Park Press top 10 from start to finish, outscoring opponents by a 444-84 margin.

1992 Middletown South High School (11-0)

It opened with a 33-0 win over No. 1 Matawan, and ended with a 34-0 victory over Sayreville in the Central Group 4 championship game, as quarterback Craig Cerchio threw for 232 yards, bringing his total to 1,311 yards for the season. Head coach Bob Generelli’s record after three seasons stood at 30-2-1.

1993 Ocean High School (11-0)

It was the Eddie Conti show in the final season of coaching for his father, George Conti Jr., as the Big Red rolled to the Central Group 3 title, knocking off previously unbeaten Long Branch in the final. Conti ran and threw for over 1,000 yards and scored 21 touchdowns – he was also the team’s kicker and star returner – as the Spartans outscored opponents 408-104.

1995 Middletown South High School (11-0)

It was the fourth Central Group 4 title in seven seasons for the Eagles, but the first under head coach Keith Comeforo. The perfect season was completed with a 28-10 win over Piscataway at the Meadowlands, as Peter Tactikos ran for 126 yards and two TDs, finishing with 1,357 yards for the season, while quarterback Jim Lopusznick threw 12 TD passes to his brother, Tom.

1995 Neptune High School (11-0)

Head coach John Amabile won his first state championship with the Scarlet Fliers, knocking off Franklin, 21-12, in the Central Group 3 final behind the passing of quarterback Justin Cella, who threw for 2,127 yards and 24 TDs, with Frankie Smith catching 57 passes for 902 yards and eight TDs, while Monty Hailman and Jeremiah Clark anchored the defense.

1996 Keansburg High School (11-0)

The second section title in three seasons under coach Jon Schultheis, who played on Keansburg’s 1976 state title team, came courtesy of senior Billy Shea’s play on both sides of the line, rushing for 1,656 yards and 25 TDs, while making 93 tackles and eight sacks on defense. Quarterback Tom Dura threw for a TD and made a key pick in the final against South River.

1997 Neptune High School (12-0)

A second state championship in three seasons, the Scarlet Fliers made it 33 straight against Shore Conference foes and 23 straight at home, while improving to 40-3 over a four-year period. It ended with a 21-7 victory over Manasquan in the Central Group 2 final, as quarterback DeShon Hardy ended the season with 30 touchdowns, including 17 passing and two on kick returns, while Shaun Hubbard caught 37 passes and had 12 sacks.

1998 Manasquan High School (12-0)

The first 12-win team ever at the Shore – the NJSIAA added a quarterfinal round to the playoffs – secured a fourth sectional title since 1990, but their first since 1993 after losing in three finals. This time, however, it was a 28-14 win over Raritan in the Central Group 2 final at Warrior Field, as coach Vic Kubu beat Bob Generelli, who played for him at Middletown North.

1999 Manasquan High School (12-0)

The decade ended with a 24-game winning streak, a fifth sectional title since 1990, a ninth division title and a 96-12 record over the 10 seasons. Tyquan Walker ran for 1,991 yards and 27 touchdowns, including a school-record 368 yards against Carteret in the semifinals and 264 yards against Somerville in the championship game.

The 2000s

2001 Jackson Memorial High School (12-0)

With a second straight perfect season, the Jaguars extended their winning streak to 25 games, as Nic Castellano ran for 1,541 yards and 19 TDs, while Joe Serratelli anchored a defense that helped the Jaguars outscore teams by a 403-91 margin. The exclamation point came in a 24-0 pounding of Cherokee in the South Group 4 final.

2002 Manasquan High School (12-0)

It’s a record that may never be broken, with a 14-13 victory over previously unbeaten New Brunswick in the Central Group 2 final, made possible by a goal line stand in the final minute, giving Manasquan a Shore-record fifth straight sectional title. Kaysonne Anderson ran for 2,293 yards and 22 TDs, with the program posting a 58-2 record over five seasons.

2003 Middletown South High School (12-0)

The first inkling of what was to come over a three-year period came with an Eagles’ team that outscored teams by a 417-103 margin, as sophomore Knowshon Moreno scored 26 TDs. The Central Group 3 champs go 10 sacks from Scott Martinho, as coach Steve Antonucci’s record improved to 56-12.

2004 Middletown South High School (12-0)

Moreno finished just 10 points short of the state record, scoring 244 points, with seven of his 40 TDs coming in a 420-yard rushing effort against Neptune. The Eagles outscored teams 476-67 in rolling to a second straight Central Group 3 title, as Nick Macaluso and Ryan Campbell combined for 11 sacks, and Eric Daneman picked off five passes.

2004 Raritan High School (12-0)

Head coach Bob Generelli won a state title with his second program, with the former Middletown South boss guiding the Rockets to the school’s first-ever sectional championship, winning the Central Group 2 title on the strength of a Shore-best 480 points. Junior Andrew Mandeville threw for 1,850 yards and 20 TDs, while running for nine more TDs, and junior Matt Fitzpatrick ran for 1,317 yards and 19 TDs.

2005 Middletown South High School (12-0)

The Eagles extended their unbeaten streak to 36 games with an unprecedented run of success, outscoring teams 483-75, while Knowshon Moreno closed out his career with 6,264 rushing yards and 128 TDs. The Eagles’ defense gave up just 96.8 yards on average, and shut out Shabazz, 22-0, in the North 2, Group 3 final.

2005 Point Pleasant Borough High School (12-0)

After knocking off three-time defending champion West Deptford, which beat the Panthers in the previous year’s final, the Panthers routed Camden, 43-0, to win the South Group 2 title under coach Calvin Thompson. Quarterback Tom Heuer guided an offense that got 1,029 yards and 16 TDs from Bill Drzymkowski, going 23-1 over a two-year period.

2005 Jackson Memorial High School (12-0)

It was a TD pass from Corey Lavin to Joe Reggio as time expired that gave the Jaguars a 30-28 win over Brick Memorial in the Central Group 4 championship game at Rutgers in one of the best postseason games ever. In outscoring teams 402-105 on the season, Reggio ran for 1,350 yards and 20 TDs, while Joe Cella made 112 tackles and seven sacks, and Joe Arneth picked off six passes.

2006 Manasquan High School (12-0)

Coach Vic Kubu called it the greatest team in program history and it’s easy to see why, outscoring teams 482-49 to grab a tenth sectional crown. Mike Mele did it all, rushing for 1,914 yards and 30 TDs, while making 92 tackles, and Brad Newman finished with 21.5 sacks. It ended with a 28-0 win over previously unbeaten West Deptford in the South Group 2 final.

2007 Toms River North High School (12-0)

The first perfect season in program history ended with a 22-19 win over Mainland in the South Group 4 title game for coach Chip LaBarca Jr., who won a state crown on the field at Toms River South playing for his father. Anthony Pena threw for 1,523 yards and 18 TDs, and Zach Kane made 130 tackles, with 10 sacks.

The 2010s

2010 Lacey High School (12-0)

A 56-7 win over Delsea in the South Group 3 championship game said a lot about this team, with Lou Vircillo’s squad pummeling opponents to the tune of 427-69 for the season. Craig Cicardo threw for 1,173 and 16 TDs, and ran for 606 yards and 18 TDs. Linebacker Matt Uveges had 91 tackles and four interceptions and lineman Dan Vieira had a team-high eight sacks for a defense that had five shutouts.

2013 Red Bank Catholic High School (10-1)

Toss out a 28-7 loss to North Jersey power St. Joseph’s (Montvale) in the Non-Public Group 3 semifinals, and the Caseys outscored everyone else 472-57 over 10 games for coach Jim Portella. It was the third straight season the Caseys would finish No. 1 in the final Asbury Park Press Top 10, and the fourth time in five seasons.

2014 Red Bank Catholic High School (11-1)

It was the Caseys’ first state title since capturing the 1976 Non-Public A crown, beating three-time defending champs St. Joseph’s (Montvale) in the semis and Delbarton in the final, in addition to beating Central Group 5 champion Manalapan during the season. They scored a then-Shore Conference record 543 points, as junior Eddie Hahn threw for 1,485 yards and 20 touchdowns, and ran for 531 yards and 12 TDs, while Doug Zockoll had 12 sacks.

2014 Jackson Memorial High School (11-1)

The Jaguars made a claim as the No. 1 public school, and the best team overall, by winning the Central Group 4 title in a season that included a dramatic double-overtime win over eventual Non-Public 3 champs RBC, while avenging their only loss with a 44-0 win over brick in the state semifinals. It ended with a 21-18 win over Middletown South in the sectional final.

2015 Middletown South High School (12-0)

It was total domination from start to finish, as the Eagles outscored teams by a 492-89 margin, including a 35-7 win over two-time defending North 2, Group 4 champs Phillipsburg at MetLife Stadium. Linebacker Dylan Rogers, who had 135 tackles, 27 tackles for losses and 12 sacks, and James McCarthy, credited with 87 tackles and five interceptions. Cole Rogers ran for 1,570 and 24 touchdowns and Matt Mosquera threw for 1,509 yards and 19 TDs.

2015 Shore Regional High School (12-0)

The first unbeaten season in 34 years was defined by a Thanksgiving Day win over Rumson-Fair Haven, the eventual Central Group 3 champs, and another over a previously unbeaten Red Bank team. Linebacker Doug Goldsmith ran for 261 yards and five TDs in a 56-28 pounding of Palmyra in the Central Group I final, and he and Jack Britton spearheaded a ground game that produced 3,491 yards.

2015 St. John Vianney High School (11-1)

The fact that the Lancers couldn’t get by North Jersey power DePaul in the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 3 final doesn’t diminish how dominant this team was. Anthony Brown threw for 2,355 yards, with 34 TDs and 5 interceptions, as the Lancers outscored opponents 517-127, including a 49-6 win over RBC in the semifinals, and a 67-0 thrashing of Manasquan.

2018 Red Bank Catholic High School (10-0)

The Caseys won the Non-Public Group 3 championship by emerging from a slugfest with Mater Dei Prep, 14-10, in the title game at the Meadowlands. The defense forced a pair of second-half turnovers, including one deep in Mater Dei territory, and made a fourth-down stop at the 2-yard-line with under five minutes to play.

2019 Wall High School (12-1)

It was the second section title in five years for the Crimson Knights, as Casey Larkin, their top rusher and pass catcher, spearheaded a drive to the Central Group 3 championship, knocking off Rumson-Fair Haven in the final, 14-13. But the NJSIAA added a Group semifinal round that year, and Wall lost to Woodrow Wilson of Camden, 12-7, with Larkin sidelined with an injury.

The 2020s

2022 Toms River North High School (14-0)

A lot of firsts associated with this team. The first to win 14 games and be the Group 5 champion, while scoring 660 points, shattering the old Shore Conference record of 543 points, which RBC set in 12 games in 2014. Junior Micah Ford ran for 2,360 and 33 TDs, while passing for 1,203 yards and 17 TDs, and Josh Moore ran for 1,053 yards and 12 TDs for coach Dave Oizerowitz.

-- Steven Falk contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore football: Greatest teams include RBC, SJV and RBRHS