Jersey Shore AYF 12U All-Star Tryouts: The Standout Bigs

<p>Last December the 12U Jersey Shore AYF Conference All-Stars found themselves in the unfamiliar position of loser in the National Championship Game. A perennial powerhouse in AYF All-Star play, the band is back together again on the coaching staff and this past weekend was an opportunity to see what this year's talent crop yielded. Below is a look at the Offensive and Defensive Linemen that stood out. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Alpha</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">It dawned on me about a third of the way through the tryout that I had seen Lopez play this past spring at the SportzFarm Tournament in Atlantic City. He was a standout then as a sixth-grader and was even more dominant this past weekend as a seventh-grader. Violent and fast off the snap, he was a lot to handle. Despite being age eligible for the 12u All-Star Team, he plays up on the Hamilton Rogue 14U team during the regular season and it's easy to see why. He shoots his hands very quickly and is into the O-Linemen's chest before they get their first step. Played with leverage and technique all morning. He should be a difference maker on the interior Defensive Line. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Top 3</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Unless you live under a rock in North Jersey, you know the Hansen last name is essentially football royalty in the state. Rich Hansen was the HC at St. Peter's Prep from 1988-2020 and Rich Hansen III succeeded his father as HC for the Marauders through last season before taking over as Athletic Director. The next Hansen the Garden State will be hearing about is [player_tooltip player_id='2389367' first='Bryce' last='Hansen'], the grandson/son of the above mentioned. An Edge/Running Back during the regular season for Jackson, Hansen tried out at both those positions and then stayed to tryout as a Linebacker as well. I loved the instincts he played with and feel he is going to be one heck of a Middle Linebacker down the line. He played aggressively and with strength. Additionally, while it may be a small thing to some, I picked up on his leadership skills right away. Continuously extended a hand to teammates and led by example. He'll be a future Captain of any team he's ever on.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Toms River was well-represented at the tryout, as double digit Warriors came throughout during the day, however the most impressive prospect out of the group was [player_tooltip player_id='2389399' first='Jairus' last='Moll']. An eye test-passer right away, he should have established himself as one of the starting Offensive Tackles on this team, in my opinion. Moll has a great frame to work with, listed at 6-foot and a healthy 205-pounds. He moved his feet very well and did a good job using his length to win 1:1 reps. While I loved him on offense, there is certainly an opportunity for him to shine on defense as well. Again, the long arms and ability to move well laterally make him a nice option as a Defensive End.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">If there was a superlative for the prospect who most looked the part of a 12U All-Star Offensive Lineman it was Howell's [player_tooltip player_id='2389392' first='Joseph' last='Mauer III']. He's put together very well and his 235-pound weight is very evenly distributed. Plays with a strong base and a mauler's mentality. Upon seeing him during warmups I drew immediate comparisons to Jack Harris, a freshman Offensive Lineman at James Madison University, who played for the Jersey Shore AYF Conference All-Stars when he played for Rumson-FairHaven <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/10/jersey-shore-ayf-all-star-tryouts-linemen-standouts/" data-type="link" data-id="https://prepredzone.com/2021/10/jersey-shore-ayf-all-star-tryouts-linemen-standouts/">back in 2021</a>. I expect Mauer III to be one of the starting Offensive Tackles on this team, but obviously also has the body type and ability to play along the defensive front.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/View-recent-photos-23-1-e1789399016454.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2395348" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Best of the Rest</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">There was a lot to like about the day Farrell turned in at the tryouts. Standing a solid 5'7", 170-pounds and built like mini-fridge, Farrell had a clear strength advantage on a lot of other kids. Like [player_tooltip player_id='2389367' first='Bryce' last='Hansen'] above, Farrell stayed for multiple portions of the tryout and the most out of his day. Primarily a Tight End and Middle Linebacker during the regular season, I think he looks like a natural at Guard for this team. That said, he did make some athletic plays on the ball during the afternoon. He's a nice piece that coaches will be able to line up at Guard or a blocking Tight End on offense; Or defensively, he can be a pass rushing Defensive Tackle or a run-stuffing Middle Linebacker. Great versatility here. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">When trying to protect the Quarterback, it's fitting that an Offensive Lineman from <em>Wall</em> had a nice day. The Kinghts' [player_tooltip player_id='2389401' first='Jason' last='Gudaitis'] brought some dependable size at 5'9" and 180 pounds and looked to be in good shape. He was strong at the POC and moved his feet well during bag drills early during the tryout. He plays Guard during the regular season and I think that's the perfect spot for a kid with his skill set at this point. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">The lone returner off last year's 12U Jersey Shore AYF Conference All-Stars, Sherry was back at tryouts after being the youngest on the team a year ago. Sherry joined [player_tooltip player_id='2389367' first='Bryce' last='Hansen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2389394' first='Robert' last='Farrell'] as prospects who stayed for multiple tryout sessions. Physically, Sherry and Farrell are built nearly identically -- both strong kids with a lower center of gravity. Sherry stood out to me as a kid who can line up anywhere across the defensive front, but could also play MLB in short yardage situations. Offensively, it wouldn't shock me to see him as a candidate for some Fullback dives to keep the chains moving.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">With the tryout happening on his home field turf in Jackson, [player_tooltip player_id='2389396' first='Jack' last='McIntyre'] represented the Jaguars well on the day. One of the bigger prospects at the tryout at 5'10" and 220 pounds, the big man was able to put that size to use. While not as agile as some of the other big men in the write up during footwork drills, McIntyre had a very solid showing during the live 1:1s. Primarily a Left Tackle on the O-Line and a Defensive Tackle on the D-Line, he did a more than commendable job at both. Depending on what the coaching staff chooses to do, I can honestly see him playing on either side of the line. Additionally, while I don't believe he took any snaps at Center, I'd be curious to see what he would look like there, flanked by Gudaitis and Farrell.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Additional News and Notes</h2>   <p>The number of prospects who tried out in the opening session for the OL/DL group, was easily the most out of the various tryout periods. This was one of the better groups of linemen that have tried out in recent years, leaving the coaches with some interesting decisions to make. For example, Hazlet's [player_tooltip player_id='2395326' first='Cristino' last='Nieves'] and St. Bart's [player_tooltip player_id='2395328' first='William' last='Imes Jr.'] were built nearly identically around 5'5", 200 pounds and both had their moments....There was some serious size on display with 300-pounder [player_tooltip player_id='2395332' first='Jayden' last='Johnson-White'] out of Rumson-FairHaven and Manchester's [player_tooltip player_id='2395335' first='Javion' last='Sampson'] who played multiple positions but appeared to be around 250 pounds... [player_tooltip player_id='2395341' first='Philip' last='Marcell'] was the only River Plaza prospect to attend All-Star tryouts, but the two-way lineman has a great frame and looks like he has some potential if he can put it all together as he progresses.</p>

Last December the 12U Jersey Shore AYF Conference All-Stars found themselves in the unfamiliar position of loser in the National Championship Game. A perennial powerhouse in AYF All-Star play, the band is back together again on the coaching staff and this past weekend was an opportunity to see what this year's talent crop yielded. Below is a look at the Offensive and Defensive Linemen that stood out.