Heading into the halfway point of the New Jersey high school football season, Barnegat (N.J.) has been one of the state’s biggest storylines this year. With sophomore defensive back and wide receiver Chancellor Joseph playing a significant part, Barnegat is 6-0 on the year.
Led by head coach Paul Covine, the New Jersey school is on pace for its best run since 2013, following a shutout win over New Egypt (N.J.) on Thursday Night. During the 2013 season, Barnegat finished the year with a 10-2 record, making the deepest run in the school’s history.
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“Chancellor Joseph hauled in a pair of touchdowns and added a 64-yard punt return touchdown to lead the Bengals to a 35-0 win on the road against New Egypt. Barnegat keeps rolling and improves to 6-0 on the season.” Jersey Sports Zone shared on Thursday.
Picking up three touchdowns on the night, two receiving and one special teams, Joseph had the best game of his high school football career against New Egypt. Heading into Thursday’s game, the sophomore athlete had three touchdowns, with 114 all-purpose yards.
Additionally, on defense, the sophomore athlete has also totaled significant stats, doing it all for Barnegat. Five games into the year, before the school’s clash with New Egypt, the 2029 defensive back has two interceptions, 7 solo tackles, and two tackles for loss.
One of New Jersey’s top defenses, Barnegat has conceded just 13 points across six games this year, with four shutout wins. Alongside Joseph’s two interceptions, junior athlete Justin Fitzpatrick has also led the way on both sides of the ball, with one interception and six rushing touchdowns.
Heading into his sophomore year, Joseph already had D1 recruitment at his back, receiving his first Power Four offer from Syracuse in May, also paying a visit to a Penn State camp. The sophomore athlete recorded one receiving touchdown in his freshman year, with Barnegat going 5-5.
In the middle of a historic year, Barnegat will face its biggest test of the year next Friday. On the night, the unit, led by the Syracuse offer, will meet a Pinelands Reg (N.J.) side that is 5-0 on the year, with just six points conceded across the entire season.