Rumson-Fair Haven's Shot as Champs is High with These Players

After a 2-4 start to the 2023 season, Rumson Fair-Haven went on an absolute run as they proceeded to win their next 6 games in a dominant fashion. While they lost a 20-21 heartbreaker to Westwood in the state championship, there is reason to believe Rumson Fair-Haven will pick up where they left off with the talent they have returning for 2024. Rumson Fair-Haven has lost back-to-back state championships, but I foresee them reversing that bad trend when they hit the field next fall.    Rumson Fair-Haven has one off the most experienced gunslingers in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='545577' first='Owen' last='O'Toole']. Leading his team to back-to-back state championship appearances, Owen is looking to bring it home the third time around. Throwing for over 2000 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, Owen demonstrated that he can throw with the best of them in the state. Two things really stand out to me in Owen's passing game. The first is his arm strength. He's got a cannon of a right arm and can hit his receivers anywhere on the field. The second is the body movement Owen displays during play actions and in the pocket. You can tell Owen has put in a ton of time towards perfecting both, as he does an excellent job looking defenders off to create throwing lanes, and also exaggerates the play action to get the defenders convinced on the run.   Owen is one of those QBs that I don't understand why he isn't getting more collegiate recognition. He's put up the stats, he's gone to the place every high school player dreams to get to, and he has a great frame for a pocket passer. This 2024 season should convince schools that their missing out on a top tier talent.      Only a sophomore in 2023, [player_tooltip player_id='1088333' first='Kellen' last='Murray'] is ready to build on his experience and become known across the state as one of the best backs of the 2026 class. While Kellen's size might not strike you as threatening, his burst of speed out of the backfield most definitely will. Shot out of a cannon, Kellen goes from his pre snap stance to a full sprint in little time.   As Kellen ran for 670 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2023, he not only showed off his quickness but his agility and power as well. With the reaction time capabilities that Kellen has, he was able to jump cut sharply after the hand off to avoid pressure up the middle. You will find him time and time again using that nimbleness to carve up defenses and break ankles downfield. On top of all that, Kellen's leg drive solidifies him as a runner that does not go down with arm tackles. He will run right through them and carry on.      If you're looking for a receiver with a ton of upside, look no further than [player_tooltip player_id='1476852' first='Nick' last='Thomas']. Notorious for beating guys off of the line, right from the snap Nick uses his quick feet to stun the defender and then go on to tear by them downfield. Nick's quick footwork doesn't stop there. When he breaks on his route he does it in decisive fashion. Nick is able to put the breaks on and quickly change directions to create separation from the DB. Even as Nick runs posts, post corners, or any other route that requires a subtle stutter step, he is able to get the DB's hips turned the opposite way, giving him a big window in which to throw into.   Catching for 355 yards and reeling in 2 touchdowns last season, I expect those numbers to jump considerably in 2024. Nick has all of the skills needed to be a WR1, and I expect him to be a nightmare against all the DBs he faces off against.      Lining up deep in the secondary from the safety position, [player_tooltip player_id='1057667' first='Cole' last='Pangborn'] is the DB you can rely on as a last line of defense. A turnover machine of a safety, Cole was able to come down with the ball 3 times last season and even forced 3 fumbles as well. Cole has the ability to cover a ton of ground from the safety position. With fluid him movement, Cole is able to not only open hip hips up and dart towards the sideline to break up the pass, but can also chop his feet down and sprint up field to bring run support to the outside.   Cole is an elite shoe lace tackler. He's able to get in low and swipe at the feet, tripping the runner up enough to make them stumble to the ground. Racking up 50.5 tackles in 2023, Cole will look to expand on that number next season.      A rising star from the linebacker position, Austin has everything needed to compete at the next level. With great size and strength, Austin is able to impose his will on the football field. What stands out the most for me is the force and power Austin delivers with his hits. He not only can jam up a blocker when they meet near the line, but he also catapults himself towards the ball carrier and knock them to the ground aggressively. With 76 tackles in 2023, many runners eventually grew hesitant to run Austin's direction.   A constant presence in the backfield, Austin is able to anticipate the play's flow and shoot the gap to meet the runner in the hole. He also played a big part in the pass rush last season as well, as he used his acceleration and power to put pressure on the pocket and bring the QB down 3.5 times last season.

After a 2-4 start to the 2023 season, Rumson Fair-Haven went on an absolute run as they proceeded to win their next 6 games in a dominant fashion. While they lost a 20-21 heartbreaker to Westwood in the state championship, there is reason to believe Rumson Fair-Haven will pick up where they left off with the talent they have returning for 2024. Rumson Fair-Haven has lost back-to-back state championships, but I foresee them reversing that bad trend when they hit the field next fall.