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

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

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

By: NJ.com
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 NJ.com's high school football experts Bill Evans, Mike Kinney, Kevin Minnick, Ryan Patti, Donovan Hugel and Joe Zedalis tackle the hot topics from Cape May to High Point. Led by host Dan Long, The Jersey Blitz tackles the latest rankings, news and analysis from around the state.NJ.com Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep16: Putting a bow on a remarkable 2025 football season

    Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep16: Putting a bow on a remarkable 2025 football season
    Dec 10 2025
    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
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    53 mins
  • Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep15: Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep15: Breaking down all 7 state finals as champions will be crowned

    Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep15: Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep15: Breaking down all 7 state finals as champions will be crowned
    Nov 26 2025
    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
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep14: Breaking down all 14 state semifinals, as playoffs heat up

    Jersey Blitz, S2, Ep14: Breaking down all 14 state semifinals, as playoffs heat up
    Nov 19 2025
    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
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    1 hr and 10 mins
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