Here's what gives Shore football kickers the edge in the state playoffs. Plus 18 kickers to watch.

High school football coaches never miss talking about the value of special teams. But there’s no time like the state playoffs where an extra point or field goal can absolutely mean the world to a program – the difference between having success or having a season end.

Twenty-three Shore Conference public school football teams open the NJSIAA public school playoffs this weekend. And a lot will be riding on the kickers.

More: NJSIAA football playoffs: Shore Conference predictions for Week 1

Anything’s possible with a sharp kicking game, as Manalapan proved during an upset over then-unbeaten Point Pleasant Borough three weeks ago. Manalapan’s Jake Horowitz hit a 35-yard field goal – one of the longest at the Shore in 2023 – leading into halftime to tie the game at 10 and Manalapan went on to a 24-23 victory.

Manalapan on Friday night gets a crack at another undefeated team - 9-0 Mainland Regional High School of Atlantic County - in an NJSIAA South Group 4 quarterfinal.

“...got nothing to lose…everyone is writing us off,” Horowitz said to his teammates in a text group before the Point Boro game. “I don’t care what anybody believes, as long as we believe, I’m telling y'all, we will win. We will play together and for each other, and we will come out victorious.”

Horowitz and other Manalapan kickers through the years - as well as kickers at rival Shore high schools - have benefitted from an emphasis placed on special teams at the youth level, said Pat Marzo, an assistant to head coach Dom Lepore.

More: Football rewind: Why Point Pleasant Beach's first win 'makes it all worth it'

Teams in the Jersey Shore American Youth Football – where Marzo has been a longtime coach - play under rules reversing the points traditionally awarded for an extra point. The league awards one point for running or passing for a conversion and two points for a kick.

That makes the roles of a kicker, holder and block unit more desirable and more valuable at a young age. By the time the players suit up for Shore Conference football teams, they’re pretty good at getting a football to split the uprights, Marzo said.

“When you put the emphasis early on kicking, it’s not like you're changing the game, but you are giving that extra something to the game,” Marzo said. “I don’t know how much kickers were ever actually respected as players until the emphasis we put on kicking at a youth level was made and these guys were winning games. Our kickers started becoming our heroes.

“I told kids you don’t need to be a quarterback to be the hero.”

Shore Conference kickers to watch in the playoffs

There are a total of 31 games from Thursday to Saturday this week including regional consolation games, the start of the NJSIAA public school playoffs and a regular season showdown of No. 1 Donovan Catholic against No. 2 Red Bank Catholic.

Here are 18 kickers to watch:

Jack Marotta, Brick Memorial

The freshman has made 34 of 40 in point-after kicks. His solo field goal made was a lengthy 34 yards.

Yianni Papanikolas, Toms River North

He’s made all 39 of his extra-point kicks this season and has missed just six times in 110 career tries.

Brayden Forfar, Point Pleasant Borough

Basically did it all in a Sept. 30 victory over Rumson-Fair Haven – Forfar caught a touchdown pass with eight seconds left in the first half, make the extra point, then recovered his own onside kick to start the second half. Forfar has hit 38-of-39 extra points and made a 31-yard field goal.

Justin LaMorte, Red Bank Catholic

Registered 10 points in last week’s win over Toms River North with field goals from 22 and 43 (the longest at the Shore this year). He’s 54-of-57 in extra points over two years and 6 of 9 in field goals.

Connor Mendini, Holmdel

If the Hornets have a deep playoff run, Mendini has a shot at 100 career extra points. He’s 91-for-95 at the minute with 10 field goals out of 13 tries.

Ian Spicer, Manchester

The junior is 34-of-38 in the PAT for the Hawks and owns a 25-yard field goal.

Marshall Collangelo, Keyport

Freshman who made all five of his extra points when Keyport beat Manchester to take over the top spot in the Patriot Division. He's 30 of 36 for the season.

Luke Rubin, Marlboro

The senior is a perfect 5 for 5 in field goals this season with a long of 39 and 8 for 8 in his career.

Dante Priolo, Donovan Catholic

A senior who’s 31 of 32 in extra points in 2023, 55 of 63 for career.

Ian Poole-Morgan, Middletown North

Senior who’s 11-of-11 in points after, 3 of 3 field goals with a 40 yarder; career he’s 46-of-51 with 9 of 13 field goals.

Aidan Manasso, Colts Neck

A senior who’s 45 of 49 in points after in his career.

John Mazzacco, Shore Regional

Sophomore is 19-for-22 this year and has a 20-yard field goal.

Keegan Foote, Southern

Sophomore is 11 of 14 and has a field goal of 34 yards.

Kai Smith, Wall

The freshman has 9 makes, 4 misses in extra points.

Evan Brounstein, Central

His seven field goals (a long of 35) are tops at the Shore this year.

Jake Horowitz, Manalapan

Four field goals and only three misses out of 17 XP kicks.

Jake Czwakiel, Middletown South

A second team USA Today Network All-New Jersey selection at punter in 2022 who also handles place kicking for the Eagles.

Kurt Wieboldt, Brick Township

5 of 8 in field goals and 17 of 20 in PATs.

More on Manalapan – the Kicker U. of the Shore Conference

Many Manalapan kickers have trained with Lee McDonald, co-owner of Special Team Solutions who kicked at Rutgers, where he’s best remembered for his game-winning 25-yard field goal to close the 1999 season against Syracuse. It finished a 24-21 overtime upset before a national TV audience - the 0-9 Scarlet Knights knocked off the 6-3 bowl eligible Orange.

More: Shore Conference football Top 20: 2 teams make significant moves as the playoffs approach

Here are some of the standouts who have kicked at Manalapan over the last 10 years:

2015 grad Matt Caggiano earned a full scholarship to UMass as a kicker when he graduated Manalapan as a four-year starter owning the then-state record for most points scored as a kicker at 237 and state leader in extra points with 195. In his high school career he was 195 of 210 in XPs, hit field goals of 39 and 37 yards and had a punting average of 35 yards with a long of 71.

David Gelb had a monster senior year when Manalapan was 11-1 in 2017, falling only to South Brunswick in a playoff game, 18-14. David was 65 of 67 in XPs during the 2017 season. Gelb went on to kick for Charleston Southern before transferring to the University of Maine.

Jack Dematteo came along and went 30 of 30 for the PAT in 2018 and 5 of 8 for field goals with a long of 39 yards.

Vincenzo Rea and Michael Calton both moved on to Monmouth University after their Manalapan years. Rea, who started his junior 2020 and senior 2021 years for the Braves, hit a long of 43 yards at field goal and made 38 of 42 extra points. Calton made 64 of 66 extra points in his career, 9 of 15 field goals and 95 percent of his kickoffs went for touchbacks his senior year.

Now Horowitz is the reigning kicker at Manalapan.

“Jake's always been talented enough to play at the varsity level, even as a freshman. But going to a program like Manalapan, he was behind two guys – Vinceno and Calton,” said Caggiano, who’s now a trainer at Special Team Solutions. “But one advantage when you're behind guys like them is that you get to learn from them, you and you get to see them grow. You get to kind of fill their shoes when they leave. They're good mentors to have.”

Horowitz intends to play lacrosse at the collegiate level, despite getting looks from kicking scouts. He stays sharp by working with freshman kicker Brandon Kaplan twice a week on their own time.

A couple of days after Manalapan beat Point Pleasant Borough, the two kickers had one of their regular workouts.

“Always have to be working at it,” Jake told Brandon.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore football kickers to watch in the NJISAA state playoffs