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South Jersey football rankings: St. Joseph tops preseason Top 10

The reigning Non-Public 2 state champions are followed on the list by Williamstown, St. Augustine, Woodrow Wilson and Highland.

St. Joseph's Jada Byers (No. 3) and Sean Morris (No. 53) hold up trophy after 41-22 victory over Holy Spirit in Non-Public 2 state final last November at MetLife Stadium.
St. Joseph's Jada Byers (No. 3) and Sean Morris (No. 53) hold up trophy after 41-22 victory over Holy Spirit in Non-Public 2 state final last November at MetLife Stadium.Read moreElizabeth Robertson/Staff photographer
    by Phil Anastasia
    Updated 
    Published 

South Jersey football preseason Top 10:

  1. 1. St. Joseph (10-2 last season): The Wildcats feature scintillating senior all-purpose back Jada Byers, who has a chance to break legendary Paulsboro star Kevin Harvey’s records for career touchdowns and points. A loaded junior class includes defensive end Keshon Griffin, who is rocketing up recruiting boards, as well as quarterback Jayden Shertel, running back Ahmad Ross, defensive lineman Ethan Hunt and two-way end Chase Lomax, among others.

  1. 2. Williamstown (12-1): The Braves return 10 starters from a defense that led the way to the South Jersey Group 5 title, including reigning Inquirer South Jersey Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Lewis. A rangy and relentless defensive end, Lewis is a Michigan recruit. Senior linebackers Brandon Perkins, a Kent State recruit, and Julian Gravener and senior two-way end David Williams are key veterans as well.

  1. 3. St. Augustine (7-4): The Hermits enter their third season under coach Pete Lancetta with the look of a program about to rise into rarified air. Senior defensive end/tight end/running Isaiah Raikes might be the strongest player in South Jersey. He’s a Texas A&M recruit. Senior Chandler Bird and junior Jake Ketschek anchor a powerful offensive line, and sophomore Nasir Hill is a playmaker to watch.

  1. 4. Woodrow Wilson (9-4): The defending South Jersey Group 3 champions went through a turbulent summer as coach Preston Brown was relieved of his duties then reinstated eight days later. The Tigers are loaded with talent led by senior tight end/defensive end Fadil Diggs, a Texas A&M recruit, as well as senior defensive end Dyshier Clary and senior linebacker/running back Muheem McCargo, a pair of Temple recruits. Sophomore quarterback Devin Kargman steps in for his record-setting brother, Nick Kargman, now a freshman at Western Michigan.

  1. 5. Highland (9-2): The Tartans feature junior running back Johnny Martin, who gained 2,002 yards with 19 touchdowns last season. He has offers from Baylor, West Virginia, Temple, Rutgers and Syracuse, among others. Senior linebackers Brad Small and Oyama Adoga lead the defense, and senior all-purpose Kasim Randall-Dale and junior lineman Winston Jordan are other players to watch. Highland faces an early test with a Saturday showdown with No. 1 St. Joseph at Rutgers.

  1. 6. Penns Grove (13-0): The reigning South Jersey Group 1 champions lost just three seniors from the first 13-win team in South Jersey history. This year’s squad will be led by senior all-purpose standouts Jamar Johnson and Torvone Ransome along with senior quarterback Kavon Lewis and senior linebacker Makhi Scott, among many others.

  1. 7. Shawnee (6-7): The two-time defending South Jersey Group 4 champions have a seasoned senior class led by wide receiver/linebacker Nate Summerville, linebacker Matt Papa, wide receiver/defensive back Dom Frigiola and running back/linebacker Dalton Short, among others. Sophomore quarterback Matt Welsey sparked the team’s late-season surge as a freshman.

  1. 8. Holy Spirit (8-4): The Spartans will be tough to defend with three dynamic threats in senior running back Elijah Gray, senior wideout Ahmad Brown and senior tight end Isaiah Gerena.

  1. 9. Lenape (5-6): The Indians return several veterans from a battle-tested team led by senior linebacker Clyde Washington, a Purdue recruit, and senior all-purpose standout Connor Kennedy. Senior Jake Silver anchors a solid offensive line that should create some room for dynamic junior all-purpose Xavier Coleman.

  1. 10. Camden (10-2): The Panthers should have a sturdy defense led by senior linebacker Tirek Austin-Cave, a Miami recruit. Cave was credited with 163 tackles last season, an average of 13.5 per game. Other defensive standouts include junior backs Duce Chestnut and Alijah Clark, both of whom have Division I scholarship offers.