Millville High School

Coach Humberto Ayala has been coaching high school Sports for over 17 years with his last 6 years in Millville. He started out his coaching career at Camden Eastside, formerly known as Woodrow Wilson, where he was a head freshmen football coach and Head Boys Basketball Coach. From there he made his way over to Pennsauken as the Head Boys Basketball coach (3 years), then made a stop at Williamstown High School as an Assistant Boys basketball coach for a year.

In the Spring of 2016 Coach Ayala joined Coach Dennis Thomas staff at Millville. His first two years were as the head freshman coach before moving up to Wide Receivers coach and Offensive Coordinator. In 2022, Coach Ayala was named Offensive Coordinator of the year by the NJFCA. The Millville Thunderbolts Averaged 45 points a game and had over 5000 yards of offense. Millville ended the 2021-2022 season as Sectional and Regional Champs and were Ranked the #1 public school in the State.

One year later, Coach Humberto Ayala was named Head Coach of the Thunderbolts. In 2022, his first year at the helm, Coach Ayala led his team to a 12-2 record, winning the Division, Sectional and being crowned the first true Group 4 State Champion.

Mainland Regional High School

Chuck Smith has been an area resident his entire life. He grew up in Somers Point and graduated from Mainland Regional High School in 1984. Chuck attended Ursinus College, graduating in 1989. Upon graduation, he was hired at his alma mater, Mainland Regional. Chuck was asked to create a Media Production program and started his coaching career at the freshmen level. He has worked at Mainland Regional for the past 34 years.

From 1989 through the 2009 season, Chuck was an assistant on Bob Coffey’s staff. In 2000, Chuck became the Offensive Coordinator for the Mustangs. Over the next 10 seasons, Mainland’s offenses consistently re-wrote the record book and ranked as one of the top offensive units in South Jersey. During his assistant coaching tenure at Mainland, the Mustangs won the Cape Atlantic League title 9 times and appeared in 7 South Jersey Finals – winning 5 sectional championships.

In the Spring of 2010, Chuck was hired as the Head Coach of the Oakcrest Falcons. In his first season at the helm, the Falcons finished 9-3 – their first winning season since 1997. The Falcons qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1986 – advancing to the South Jersey Group IV Championship Game. The team tied the school record for wins in a season; set the record for most points scored in a season and won the 1st playoff game in school history. During his 6 seasons at Oakcrest, the Falcons qualified for the playoffs 4 times.

Chuck came back to the Mustangs when he was hired as the Head Coach in 2016. The Mustangs have qualified for the playoffs 4 times and have won the division title 3 times in the past 7 seasons.

The 2022 season was a great one for the Mustangs as they won the Central New Jersey Group IV Sectional Championship with a 34 to 24 victory over football power Middletown South and also won the West Jersey Football League’s United Division title. It was the first sectional championship for Mainland since 2008. The Mustangs finished the season with a record of 10-2 and set several school records. The team advanced to the State Group IV Semi-Final game, losing to eventual State Champion, Millville by a score of 18-14.

Chuck resides in Northfield with his wife Anne. They have three daughters Brianna, Emma, and Daniela.

Ocean City High School

Mike Eisenstein is a highly regarded assistant football coach with over 40 years of experience and expertise. He began his coaching career in 1981 at Atlantic City High School and subsequently coached at Egg Harbor Township High School in 1983 before returning to Atlantic City High School in 1985. Eisenstein briefly coached at Pleasantville High School in 1986 but returned to Atlantic City High School in 1987, where he helped lead the Vikings team to win the South Jersey Group IV state championship in 1999. Eisenstein remained at Atlantic City High School for two decades until 2007.

After a brief hiatus, Eisenstein resumed coaching at Atlantic City High School in 2009 and continued until 2015. He joined the coaching staff at Ocean City High School in 2016 and has been mentoring and training young athletes ever since.

Eisenstein's dedication to football and his players has earned him widespread respect in the South Jersey football community. Throughout his career that has spanned over four decades, he has consistently displayed a passion for the sport and an unwavering commitment to his teams.

• NJSIAA New Jersey High School Sports Official in Baseball, Basketball, Football and Softball; February 1990 – April 2020
• Atlantic County Baseball Umpires Association: Executive Committee - Sargent of Arms
• New Jersey Football Officials Association Atlantic Chapter: Executive Committee - Assistant State Delegate
• National Football Foundation South Jersey Chapter: Recipient of the Henry Wimberg Football Official of the Year Award 2007- 2008
• New Jersey Football Officials Association Atlantic Chapter: Executive Committee - Varsity Assignor
• Atlantic County Junior Football League: Commissioner - Assignor
• Cape Atlantic Junior Football League: Commissioner - Assignor
• New Jersey State Coaches Association: Recipient of the National Federation of High Schools New Jersey Football Official of the Year Award - 2015
• South Jersey Basketball Officials IAABO Board 196: Executive Committee - Vice President
• South Jersey Basketball Officials IAABO Board 196: Executive Committee - President 
• South Jersey Basketball Officials IAABO Board 196: Recipient of the Paul Spinelli Lifetime Achievement Award in Recognition and Appreciation for Outstanding Leadership and Service - 2022
• National Football Foundation South Jersey Chapter: Recipient of the Bill Walsh Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award - 2023

Jay Connell graduated from Holy Spirit High School in 1968 and Quincy University in 1972.  He taught in catholic schools for 44 years, his last 38 at Holy Spirit High Shcool.

In addition to teaching, Jay coached many sports including but not limited to; football, baseball assistant and girls basketball head coach.  He served as the athletic director at Holy Spirit for many years as well as assistant principal.  Jay Connell was an institution at Holy Spirit.

He, along with Ed Byrnes, decided that South Jersey  needed to honor their top scholar football players. They established the South Jersey Chapter of the National Football Foundation in 1992. They wanted to honor the top scholar-athlete football players from the Cape Atlantic League.  Every school would have a representative being honored. The Chapter has thrived and grown for 31 years.  

Jay served as Chapter President for several years and under his leadership the Chapter improved financially to provide every nominee a financial award each year.

Jay Connell’s contribution to the student athletes and to the SJ Chapter of the National Football Foundation make him the perfect choice for the 2022-23 Distinguished American Award.  

Bob Greco has been a dedicated New Jersey high school football official for the past 15 years. Rob's first varsity assignment came in 2012, and since then his career as ascended.

He has done some of the state's biggest games during that tenure -- numerous sectional finals, several bowl games and, this year, the first-ever state championship at Rutgers (Group 3 final).

His dedication to the game has included serving the NJFOA-South Jersey as recording secretary since 2019. A retired, long-time UPS employee, he has been married to his wife, Colleen, since 2008.

Rowan University

• A three-time New Jersey Athletic Conference All-Conference selection and a two-time first-team pick (2021, 2022)
• Two-time Rowan Scholar-Athlete of Distinction
• Two-time Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football Team
• Two-time NJAC All-Academic Honorable Mention
• 2022 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team
• Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society
• Led the NJAC in receptions (56), yards (837), and touchdowns (11) in 2022
• Was the NJAC Offensive Player of the Week (9/12)