Shore Super 25 football teams: Exciting 'Air Raid' offense still a thing at Freehold Township

The Asbury Park Press is featuring high school football teams being considered for our preseason Shore Super 25 team rankings.

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — After what most Freehold Township High football fans would consider a successful season this past fall, the Patriots will look to build on that in the coming season behind quarterback Nick Cardone, one of the few returning starters.

“We’re going to lean on him a ton,” said 10th-year Freehold Township head coach Cory Davies. “It’s going to be a lot of him. He’s going to not only be throwing the football - he threw a ton of passes a year ago and he’s going to run the ball as well. We’re going to try to get him as much involved as we can.”

More: Meet the 2023 All Shore Football Team Offense

The incoming senior has been playing varsity for the Patriots since a freshman. Last season he threw for 24 touchdowns, ran for four more scores and had a team-high 467 rushing yards.

Perhaps the most eye-popping number on Cardone’s stat sheet would be the 315 passing attempts last season - the Patriots lived and died through the air. Cardone completed 49% of his passes with 11 interceptions. The Patriots will be putting the ball up again and Cardone is happy about that.

“We’re Air Raid,” said Cardone on the team's offensive style. “We throw the ball a lot. I know I’m going to run and we’re going to run the ball a little bit but it’s going to be mostly throw.”

More: Shore Conference Football Top 20: Who is No. 1? Who is ranked where?

When asked who his favorite target will be, he pointed at his fellow senior captain Noah Cancela.

“This guy,” said Cardone. “He’s been with me the whole four years.”

“To win some games we’re going to have to play flawless, everyone’s going to have to do their jobs,” said Cancela, the leading receiver last year who had 87 catches for 467 yards and four TDs.

The Cardone-Cancela combo and the rest the Patriots were successful last season, as they finished the season 7-4 along with a Central Jersey Group 5 semifinal appearance. Before falling to eventual champs Toms River North, they defeated a North Brunswick team that were considered favorites, 21-20.

The win over North Brunswick was the second playoff win in school history.

“I think they learned that they can win,” said Davies. “I think we learned at North Brunswick. I don’t think anybody thought we were going to win that game, we were probably 30-point underdogs that day. So they know that we can win in the playoffs.”

Top returners

Nick Cardone (Sr. QB), Noah Cancela (Sr. WR), Lorenzo Machado (Sr. OL)

Potential breakout stars

“Jake Schultzel, he’s going to be a sophomore and he’s going to be really good,” said Cardone.

“Junior Nick Schicchi - he plays to the right of me, he’s really good,” said Cancela.

“You got to go to the center Jayden Vera, he’s been here since last year. He’s a dog, he’s an athlete. The other tackle Lorenzo Martinez - and Braden Larkin he’s a dog on d-line and o-line,” said senior lineman Machado.

Freehold Township football 2024 schedule

Aug. 30 - at Toms River South, 6 p.m.

Sept. 6 - at Howell, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 13 - at Ocean, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20 – at Red Bank Regional, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27 – Matawan, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 – at Marlboro, 2 p.m.

Oct. 10 – Freehold Borough, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 18 – Manalapan, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 25 – Middletown North, 6:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore Super 25 football teams: Exciting 'Air Raid' offense still a thing at Freehold Township