Monmouth Football Wraps Up Spring Practice With Annual Spring Showcase

WEST LONG BRANCH – Monmouth football capped off its spring schedule with its annual Spring Showcase Sunday at Kessler Field, giving fans a first look at the team in a live intersquad setting. The event highlighted the Hawks’ progress after weeks of offseason work, as players on both sides of the ball showcased their emerging talent, with both the offense and defense delivering big moments that set the tone for the upcoming season.

In a setting like an intersquad scrimmage, balance is often the best outcome. Coaches aren’t looking for one side of the ball to dominate, as that can signal underlying issues, whether it’s an offense struggling to execute or a defense unable to keep up. Instead, a back-and-forth performance suggests the team is developing cohesively, with both units challenging each other and benefiting from the competition as they continue to build toward the fall.

Fortunately, that’s exactly what we saw Sunday, as both units had their moments to shine in the sun, despite the cloudy, chilly, damp conditions.

First-year head coach Jeff Gallo was upbeat following the scrimmage, but cautioned that the team is still a work in progress.

“We can always execute better, on both sides of the ball, there’s always room for improvement,” said Gallo. “We’re going to have to continue to improve if we want to get where we want to go. I think the execution was better today. Today was about being clean and efficient out there and executing on both sides. I thought there was good back-and-forth, and that’s what we want out of our practices. I don’t want the field tilted either way. I want good competition and good back-and-forth, and I think we had that today. There were some good wins on both sides of the ball. The defense did a good job getting off the field, and we’re going to be huge on that, getting off the field on third and fourth down situations.

“I think we’ve accomplished what we wanted to accomplish this spring, and I’m excited about the way the team has bought in.”

Incumbent redshirt sophomore quarterback Frankie Weaver, who started the last five games of the season last year after Derek Robertson was injured, and rising redshirt freshman Brad Seiss threw two touchdown passes each.

On Seiss’ first possession of the scrimmage, he drove the length of the field before connecting with junior wideout Christian Harrison for a 25-yard touchdown. On the drive, Seiss converted a third-and-15 with a 25-yard pass and run to redshirt sophomore Greg Randall. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Randall, an All-State Honorable Mention as a senior at Madison High School, was a threat both as a receiver and a runner Sunday. Harrison transferred in from Lackawanna College and has had an impressive spring. Seiss then added a 50-yard scoring strike, on his second possession, to redshirt sophomore Keshawn Mister, who was a two-time All-Conference selection and the 2023 MIAA Athlete of the Year his senior year at Concordia Prep. On that drive, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Seiss converted a third-and-11 with a 23-yard strike to Gavin Nelson.

Weaver then got into the act, tossing touchdown passes on back-to-back possessions. On second-and-8 from the 30-yard line, Weaver back-shouldered a pass to redshirt freshman Kendall Dorsey, who juked the defender to break loose on the way to a 70-yard touchdown. Then on the first play of the two-minute drill, Weaver connected with redshirt sophomore Caleb Newsome for a 75-yard touchdown. Newsome, who came to the Hawks via the transfer portal out of Lafayette, has flashed his potential this spring. Both Newsome and Harrison look like potential fixtures who will play significant roles on offense this fall. Dorsey, out of Randallstown High School, was a two-time All-County selection who also excelled on the basketball court and in track and field.

“I thought both guys did a good job today,” said Gallo. “They both did a good job not turning the ball over and being smart with the ball. We’ve been really pushing them to get rid of the ball, knowing what the plays are: take it; if not, check down; and move on. They didn’t try to force things and took what the defense gave them, moving forward. Both guys did a good job of that today.”

With redshirt senior Kevin Shriner, the only starting offensive lineman returning this season, the offensive line needed to be rebuilt. Starting left tackle Matt Fries and right tackle Josh Duran both saw action last season as reserves, so their transition to starting roles this season should be seamless. Redshirt sophomore Collin Goetter got the starting nod on Sunday at left guard while redshirt freshman Blake Birbills was at right guard. The offensive line's starting five is fluid and subject to change as the season nears, but Sunday’s lineup fared well.

“Coach Gabe (Brian Gabriel) has done a great job with that group,” said Gallo. “They’ve worked very hard at jelling together. There’s talent there. There might not be a lot of in-game experience, but they’re guys who have been in the program, have worked really hard, and are talented. So, while we might not have the experience, we have talent. I like the athleticism of the group and the more reps they get this summer, the more they’ll jell.”

Transfer portal addition, running back Nazir Treadwell (Holy Cross), is a 6-foot-1, 225-pound bruiser who ran the ball with authority Sunday and looks to take on the role of short-yardage back. Treadwell is a local kid out of Keyport High School, where he ran for over 3,000 yards and scored 44 touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Kenny Smith showcased his speed Sunday and had a nifty 15-yard run. Smith totaled 5,308 rushing yards and 64 touchdowns in his career at Glassboro High School and was a two-time All-State selection.

Redshirt Sky Sholder, a transfer from Delaware, looked solid in the kicking game, nailing a number of field goals.

The defense was led by stud linebacker Mounir Keshen, a muscular 6-foot-1, 225-pound sophomore, who made his presence felt from sideline-to-sideline Sunday. He recorded multiple sacks and tackles for loss, and without a doubt, was the Defensive MVP of the scrimmage. His upside has no ceiling moving forward. Another young linebacker, redshirt freshman Chris Ulmer, also asserted himself well, recording a TFL and multiple tackles. Monmouth’s returning linebacker crew might be one of the defensive strengths entering the season, but Keshen and Ulmer should work themselves into the rotation. Keshen was a two-time first-team All-Conference selection for Paul VI High School, while Ulmer was an All-Catholic League selection for Landsdale Catholic High School.

Returning linebackers Charlie Sasso, Spencer Kishbaugh and Ryan Russo have cemented themselves as starters after solid springs from each of them.

Fellow edge/linebacker, redshirt freshman Donovan Rondeau, recorded a sack and was impressive before leaving with a minor injury. Rondeau had 22 career sacks for Gaithersburg High School and is another young linebacker to throw in the mix.

“Mounir has a great skill set, and we can utilize him in a lot of different ways,” said defensive coordinator Louis DiRienzo. “He’s a great kid who plays really hard and attacks the process, and we expect big things out of Mounir this fall.”

Keshen downplayed his performance, keeping an eye on the prize.

“I prepare myself the right way,” Keshen said. “It starts with the way I wake up, the way I come to meetings locked in. I feel like the way you go about things, the little things, is what can lead to big performances. I think I had a pretty okay day, but today will be the worst I’ll ever be, because I’m always trying to get better the next day.

“I feel like we’re making great strides to what we (defense) want to be,” Keshen added. “Forget all the old narratives that we had; we’re getting better, and I see it coming. We’re going to be special this season and one of the strongest units of this team, and I’m excited just to be part of it.”

Returning starting defensive end Hunter Watson has a solid afternoon, batting down a pass and putting pressure on the quarterbacks. Returning defensive tackle starter Bryce Rooks was a force in the middle, especially against the run game, as was transfer tackle Hugo Gill, out of Charleston Southern, who recorded a sack.

The defensive backfield lost two starters to the transfer portal, but added a couple of playmakers, including redshirt sophomore Amir Haskett (Richmond), who had a pass defended Sunday. Starting safety Jaeden Jones was his usual tackling machine and recorded a tackle for a loss.

“I think today was a good culmination of what we’re all about,” said DiRienzo. “Overall, I’m proud of the fight. After 15 practices, we became a closer unit, playing with that growth mindset, every rep is an opportunity to grow. We’re getting tougher. There was a third-down stop that we had that I was really proud of. There were some big plays today that guys should be excited about. Today will give us momentum going into phase three here in the summer.”