The Jersey Blitz - NJ.com's high school football podcast

Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep16: Putting a bow on a remarkable 2025 football season

In the final episode of Season 2 of the Jersey Blitz, our NJ.com reporters Bill Evans, Donovan Hugel, Mike Kinney, Kevin Minnick, Ryan Patti and Joe Zedalis break down what they learned most during the 2025 New Jersey high school football season. They also touch on one player that impressed them the most this season, and we end the episode with each reporter saying what they are looking forward to most heading into next season. 0:00: The staff give their biggest takeaways from the 2025 season, beginning with the success South Jersey had. 2:00: Even with all the success of the public schools this season, there's still a massive gap between public schools and Non-Public schools. 5:42: The Shore Conference had some tough luck this season after having a ton of success in previous years. However, other programs like Holmdel, Wall, Toms River East, Neptune, Point Pleasant Boro, and Southern had successful seasons. 8:24: Meanwhile, even though Shabazz lost in the Group 2 final for the second straight season, Shabazz is here to stay. First-year head coach Nasir Gaines is finding his way as a high school coach, and Shabazz will only get better moving forward. 11:36: A dedicated rivalry week in New Jersey would add so much value if the state has one moving forward. 14:15: South Jersey had a year to remember, especially in the state finals as the region won five state finals. 17:18: Our reporters break down which one player stood out the most to them this season, beginning with Washington Township quarterback Cole Aquino, who played with so much poise this year, helping his team win a Group 5 title. 19:38: Steve Klein's impact at Westwood as a two-way player was remarkable as he didn't even had 200 touches on offense and never came off the field for a team that won a sectional title. 21:56: Jack Cannon was the Shore Conference's top player this season, but Shore Regional's Cole Torres had a massive impact for a Group 1 program. 23:47: Andrew Avent at Rahway rushed for almost 2,000 yards this season, and he stood out in a crowded field in the Big Central Conference. 25:47: Sophomore Tahj Gray from St. Joseph (Mont.) established himself as arguably the best sophomore in the state as he helped the Green Knights to the Non-Public A title and the state's No. 1 ranking. 28:03: Cedar Creek's Frenchmon Bethea will go down as one of the top players in program history, and he got better as the season went on and made some huge plays down the stretch as Cedar Creek won the Group 3 title. 30:35: Our reporters then say what they are looking forward to most heading into the 2026 season, beginning with South Jersey showing that this year was not a fluke after sweeping the public school titles. 32:48: How do the Non-Public schools shake out? Bergen, Bosco, SJR and SPP all return a ton of talent in Non-Public A, while DePaul and Paramus Catholic will be the top teams in Non-Public B. 34:59: After a "down year" in the Shore Conference, there's plenty of talent coming back across the board. 38:30: Quarterback development in the Big Central Conference is going to be a huge storyline heading into next season. A lot of talent is coming back. 41:44 Some small public schools in the SFC had dream seasons. How do they build on that going into next season while having to replace key contributors? 43:44: The Battle of the Beach continues to grow and get bigger, and next year will be no different. And Glassboro will face a tougher regular-season slate as the WJFL resets its divisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep15: Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep15: Breaking down all 7 state finals as champions will be crowned

In this episode, NJ.com reporters Bill Evans, Donovan Hugel, Mike Kinney, Kevin Minnick and Ryan Patti break down all seven of the 2025 state championship games, which begin this weekend at MetLife Stadium and at SHI Stadium at Rutgers, with one more game on Dec. 3 at Rutgers. The reporters also make their picks on who wins each game, beginning with the Non-Public B championship at 10 a.m. on Friday and ending with the Group 2 championship on Dec. 3. 0:00: The state finals begins with the Non-Public B championship game as Paramus Catholic takes on DePaul. Can DePaul repeat as Non-Public champions, or can PC make the adjustments in the second meeting of the season? 8:15: Passaic Tech has turned its season around since Gabe Miles took over at quarterback, reaching another Group 5 final. Can Miles lead Passaic Tech past Washington Township or can Washington Township cap off an undefeated season with its first Group 5 title? 16:37: Cedar Creek's offense has been rolling the last few weeks. Can it keep it going against an Old Tappan team that has been a staple in the Group 3 championship game the last few years? 23:55: The biggest state final is the Non-Public A championship game, which pits No. 1 Don Bosco Prep against No. 2 St. Joseph (Mont.). Is this going to be the moment that Don Bosco Prep has been waiting for since 2015 or will SJR cause more heartbreak and make a statement in Augie Hoffmann's second year back at the helm? 33:15: A rematch between Cedar Grove and Glassboro awaits us in the Group 1 final. A revamped Cedar Grove team got to the final after Sebastian Kovacs made a 49-yard field goal as time expired against Butler. How does Cedar Grove slow down a stellar Glassboro team, and is this a coronation for Glassboro as it looks to build a Group 1 dynasty? 40:10 Speaking of repeat champions, Winslow is coming off a scare against Brick Memorial last weekend. How does Winslow rebound in the Group 4 championship against Ramapo? And how does Ramapo contend with Winslow's skill positions on the outside? 51:51: The Group 2 final features two teams playing Thanksgiving games as Camden and Shabazz will be playing on Dec. 3. How does each team approach the game before the state final? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep14: Breaking down all 14 state semifinals, as playoffs heat up

As the weather gets colder, the New Jersey football playoffs heat up. Week 12 is semifinals week, and our crew got together to break down all 14 games that will decide who plays for state championships over the next few weeks. * 1 - (0:00) Non-Public A semis - Bergen Catholic vs Don Bosco Prep and St. Joseph (Mont.) vs. St. Peter’s Prep * 2 - (9:00) Non-Public B semis - Holy Spirit vs. DePaul and Red Bank Catholic vs. Paramus Catholic * 3 - (19:20) Group 1 semis - Burlington City vs. Glassboro and Cedar Grove vs. Butler * 4 - (26:48) Group 2 semis - Camden vs. Haddonfield and Shabazz vs. Westwood * 5 - (35:05) Group 3 semis - Cedar Creek vs. Holmdel and West Morris vs. Old Tappan * 6 - (46:47) Group 4 semis - Brick Memorial at Winslow and Ramapo vs. Phillipsurg * 7 - (58:52) Group 5 semis - Kingsway vs. Washington Twp. and Passaic Tech vs. Bridgewater-Raritan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep13: Who wins titles? Breaking down North 1 & North 2 sectional finals

In this episode, NJ.com reporters Donovan Hugel, Mike Kinney and Ryan Patti break down the North Jersey, Section 1 and North Jersey, Section 2 sectional finals taking place this weekend. The reporters give their take on the 10 finals happening across North Jersey this weekend, including a couple of Cinderella teams looking to pull off massive upsets, while other teams are aiming to lift yet another championship. 0:00: Passaic Tech is playing its best football of the season right now and heads into a rematch against West Orange confident with the North 1, Group 5 title on the line. What kind of adjustments does West Orange make the second time around against PCTI? 5:12: The best public school rivalry in North Jersey writes another chapter as Northern Highlands and Ramapo renew their rivalry. It’s the second meeting of the season between the two teams, and what adjustments are going to be made in the North 1, Group 4 final? 10:15: Wayne Hills is back in a sectional final, but is playing the standard in Group 3 football the past few years in Old Tappan. This is almost another rematch from a regular-season contest. 15:28: Speaking of rematches, Ramsey heads to Westwood in the North 1, Group 2 final after Westwood defeated Ramsey in the regular season. 20:30: Kinnelon is having one of its best seasons ever, but faces a tough task going up against a defending sectional champion in Butler in the North 1, Group 1 final. 26:00: Moving onto the North 2, Group 5 final. Bayonne has been one of the darlings in the state tournament so far. Can it keep its Cinderella run going as it faces a Bridgewater-Raritan team that is playing with a ton of confidence? 32:10: The Big Central Conference takes central stage in North 2, Group 4 as Phillipsburg hosts Montgomery. Phillipsburg has been a staple in recent years, making deep runs in the state tournament. Montgomery has had a remarkable turnaround from last year’s 1-9 season to reaching a sectional final. 35:41: Summit had a dramatic walk-off win over West Essex last week in the semis and will now go against a West Morris team that has had tremendous success in the playoffs, once again. 40:53: Madison is another Cinderella as the Dodgers are the lowest seed remaining as a No. 7 seed. But Madison will face its stiffest test in a very good Shabazz team that is seeking its third consecutive sectional championship. 46:43: We end the podcast with the North 2, Group 1 final between two more Big Central Conference teams as New Providence takes on a Cedar Grove team that won a sectional championship a season ago. The matchup is a contrast of styles on offense, with New Providence’s ground game and Cedar Grove’s air raid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep12: Who will win titles? Breaking down the South/Central finals

In this episode, NJ.com reporters Bill Evans, Mike Kinney, Kevin Minnick, and Joe Zedalis break down the South Jersey and Central Jersey public school sectional finals that are happening this weekend. The reporters give their take on each of the 10 sectional finals happening in the South and Central brackets, where some of the top players and teams in the state are looking to lift a championship and punch their ticket to the state semifinals next weekend. 0:00: Breaking down the South Jersey sectional finals, beginning with the Group 5 matchup between Kingsway and Atlantic City. 2:50: How much growth has Millville made since its first meeting against Winslow and the emergence of Reggie Holley? The argument can be made that this Winslow team is better than the 14-0 team last season, even with losses against IMG Academy and Bergen Catholic. 8:15:  Can Mainland ride its "championship DNA" to another sectional title as it takes on Cedar Creek in what could be a coin flip matchup in the South, Group 3 final? And how much does Cedar Creek lean on its run game on Saturday? 12:00: The South, Group 2 final has a familiar team in Haddonfield, which is accustomed to making deep playoff runs, and faces Delran in the final. Delran is trying to build a championship tradition of its own as it's playing in its first sectional final in over 30 years. 17:10: Can Schalick pull the upset of all upsets and somehow stun Glassboro in the South, Group 1 final? 20:50: We move on to the Central Jersey state tournament, beginning with the Group 5 final between Old Bridge and Washington Township. How does Old Bridge's athleticism match up with Washington Township's experience and its athletes on the field? 26:27: Two Shore Conference foes meet in the Central, Group 4 final when Middletown North travels to take on a red-hot Brick Memorial squad. 29:16: Two of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state meet in the Central, Group 3 final as Seneca's Anthony Tirico takes on Holmdel's Jack Cannon, and the winner of the game likely will come down to which quarterback executes best. 35:38: Breaking down the Central, Group 2 final between Wall and Camden. Can Wall hang with Camden as Camden plays another Shore Conference team after beating Manasquan in the semifinals last week? 39:52: Finally, our reporters touch on the Central, Group 1 championship game between Shore and Burlington City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]