FOOTBALL: PRESEASON STATEWIDE NON-PUBLIC TOP 10 RANKINGS
Which powerhouse program is No. 1? The Garden State is home to some of the best non-public high school football in the country, and USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey is spotlighting more teams by splitting up the public and non-public statewide football rankings this fall.
Here are our inaugural Statewide NonPublic Top 10 preseason rankings.
10. St. Augustine
The Hermits won five in a row before a 37-0 loss to Don Bosco in the Non-A quarterfinals. The squad boasts plenty of experience with eight starters returning on offense and seven more on defense. The offense line is stout, especially inside with All-New Jersey selection Vincent Isom. Ryan Gambill is QB1 and he’ll have plenty of weapons around him including a solid running game with Julian Turney and the McLeer brothers, Tristan and Ty.
First game: Friday at Donovan Catholic
9. Delbarton
The Green Wave are riding high after a season that included a four-game win streak and a trip to the Non-Public A semifinals. Senior Ryan Trafford returns as the primary running back after running for 1,631 yards as a junior. Delbarton will play two out-of-state games before opening up the New Jersey portion of their schedule.
First game: Sept. 2 at St. Anthony’s (N.Y.)
8. Donovan Catholic
The Griffins suffered some growing pains last season, but they return the bulk of that team, including heavilyrecruited receiver Michael Thomas III and running back Najee Calhoun. The opener against St. Augustine will give us an idea of where they stand. They also play St. Joseph (Montvale) later in the season.
First game: Friday vs. St. Augustine
7. St. Peter’s Prep
The Marauders ended last season with a disappointing 35-12 loss to Delbarton in the Non-Public A semifinals. Some key players have graduated, including at quarterback, but they will still field one of the fastest and deepest teams in the state. Stanford commit Joe Asiain returns on the defensive line, and coach Rich Hansen III says offensive lineman Cooper LaFond could be the mostimproved player on the team.
First game: at Creekside (Ga.), at Morehouse College
6. Seton Hall Prep
Competing against the elite in the state, the Pirates overcame a fourgame losing streak in October to reach the Non-Public A semifinals. Quarterback Liam Londergan is back for his senior season after throwing for 1,811 yards, and Ohio State commit Jaylen McClain leads the Seton Hall Prep defense after making 83 tackles last year. First game: Friday vs. Baylor (Tenn.), in Dublin, Ireland
5. Red Bank Catholic
The Caseys, last season’s Non-Public B runner-up to DePaul, return many key players, including All-New Jersey linebacker Davin Brewton, heavily-recruited lineman Tyler Burnham and standout lineman Lorenzo Portella. They have some big games on the schedule, hosting Bergen Catholic in the season opener and facing Seton Hall Prep in Week 5 and Statewide Public No. 1 Toms River North in Week 8.
First game: Friday vs. Bergen Catholic
4. Don Bosco
The Ironmen put together one of their best seasons in recent memory last fall, going undefeated against in-state opponents during the regular season and reaching the Non-Public A final. But that state title game, a 45-0 loss to rival Bergen Catholic, marred an otherwise successful year. They may take a step back this season after losing several key offensive players to graduation, but they do return defensive lineman and Georgia commit Jordan Thomas, who is ranked as the top recruit in the Class of 2024.
First game: Friday at Archbishop Spalding (Md.)
3. DePaul
The Spartans started 1-4 last season before winning six of seven on the way to the Non-Public B title. They’re a young but experienced group this year, led on offense by sophomore quarterback Derek Zammit, superstar junior wide receiver Dez Jones, and Don Bosco transfer Nolan James. DePaul will be in the mix for another Non-Public B title, but it will be interesting to see how it goes against a schedule full of Non-Public A powers.
First game: Friday vs. Malvern Prep (Pa.)
2. St. Joseph (Montvale)
Stuck on six wins for the last three seasons, the Green Knights are looking to get over the hump in 2023. They introduced an exciting new offensive style last season, but struggled on defense, giving up more than 40 points four times. Senior Patrick Grusser will be the starting quarterback after transferring from DePaul, and he’ll be joined in the backfield by one of the best running backs in the state, Pitt commit Yasin Willis.
First game: Friday at Christ School (N.C.)
1. Bergen Catholic
The two-time defending Non-Public A champions return players all over the recruiting boards, led by offensive tackle and Georgia commit Nyier Daniels (ranked No. 2 in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports), safety and Rutgers commit Kaj Sanders (No. 9) and defensive lineman and West Virginia commit Elijah Kinsler (No. 25). Receiver Quincy Porter is the No. 4-ranked player in the Class of 2025. The Crusaders certainly look like the favorites to win another title. First game: Friday at Red Bank Catholic