Heading into the season, Rumson-Fair Haven head football coach Shane Fallon knew he had a defensive unit that he could rely on to keep his team in the ballgame more often than not.

What he didn't know is whether or not his offense would hold up its end of the winning equation.

So far, so good.

RFH improved to 2-0 on the season with an impressive 23-7 win over Keansburg on Saturday, as the Bulldogs built up a 14-0 lead on their first two possessions and let their defense take it from there. The first score came when senior co-captain Josh Brister (14 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown) swept left for a 22- yard touchdown run with just over five minutes to play in the opening quarter. While the defense held its ground, the Bulldogs made it 14- 0 on its next possession when junior quarterback Sean Burke hit junior Paul Michael Barrows over the middle from 22- yards out to cap a seven-play, 55-yard drive right before the end of the first quarter. Burke later added another TD on a one-yard plunge late in the third quarter to pad the lead to 21-0, but by then, the outcome was virtually sealed.

On the other side of the field, the Keansburg coaches knew that points would be hard to come by against an RFH team that returned most of its defensive unit. So it was imperative that the Titans score early as well, only the RFH defense proved to be every bit as good as advertised.

So through two games, Fallon has got to feel good about what he's seen from his team. Rumson has consistently moved the ball against both Holmdel and Keansburg, while the defense has certainly played to the coach's expectations.

And the RFH defense will need to continue its excellent play this week when it hosts the defending Central Jersey Group I champs from Asbury Park.

The Blue Bishops have picked up right where they left off with a 2-0 start, including a 42-0 blanking of Mater Dei on Saturday. Asbury Park, the top-ranked team in the Shore Conference, was in cruise control throughout this game, leaving head coach Don Sofilkanich frustrated with his team's effort despite the lopsided score.

The vaunted RFH defense will be severely tested against Asbury Park, which features one of the highest-octane offenses in the state. And the Bulldog offense, which has clicked to this point, will need to continue to put points on the board if RFH is looking to stage the upset.

This is the game of the week in the Shore, and RFH would certainly be making a statement with a victory. Fallon's Bulldogs have not routinely been mentioned by many when talking about the best teams in the Shore. With a win on Friday, that will change rather quickly. Game time is 7 p.m.

Monmouth Regional was hoping to bounce back from its opening-day loss to Neptune with a solid effort against a good Manchester team.

Unfortunately for head coach Sal Spampanato's Golden Falcons, they regressed a bit on Saturday, losing a 36-7 contest that served as a bit of a coming-out party for the Hawks.

Led by senior running back D'Andre Mc- Fadden (21 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns), Manchester jumped out to a 23- 0 lead early on and never looked back.

When Monmouth tried to get back in the game, driving into Manchester territory to start the second half, senior Eric Delaney picked off a Anthony Fruncillo pass that was altered when the Falcons QB was hit, and returned it 85 yards for that TD that sealed the deal.

Monmouth got a late two-yard touchdown from Shayne Henderson to ruin the shutout, but it was hardly a moral victory for a team that expected to challenge for the Liberty Division.

The Golden Falcons will have a week off to lick their wounds, as their bye week comes at a good time for Spampanato and his coaching staff. Next up, on Oct. 4, is a road game against a Red Bank Regional team also in need of a win.

The Bucs fell to 0-2 with a tough 55-7 loss to Matawan on Saturday. RBR was introduced to Matawan's McArthur Underwood on Saturday, as the super-sophomore caught a 14-yard TD pass, returned an interception 28 yards for a score, and recovered two fumbles, running one back for a 20-yard TD.

However, it was a solid overall effort from the Huskies, who improved to 2-0 and made the statement they were hoping for with the effort.

Early on (and I mean early), it looked like RBR was ready for a battle.

After Matawan's Kyle Hardy put the Huskies on the board with a 51-yard TD reception, RBR came right back and answered with a Jehmeil Rock 80-yard TD on a swing pass from Colin Lang. However, Matawan jumped back ahead on a Nate King 65-yard scoring run, and then padded that lead when Underwood scooped up the fumble and took it to the end zone just over a minute into the game.

It was a furious start, however, RBR was unable to keep up with the pace, and instead fell to 0-2 on the young season.

Up next for RBR is another tough draw, as they will travel across town on Friday to take on the 2-0 Red Bank Catholic Caseys. Game time is 7 p.m. at Count Basie Park.

Both Shore Regional and Ocean Township enjoyed their bye weeks this past weekend, but will be back in action this weekend.

Shore Regional will look to notch its first win against a Mater Dei team that has been severely over-matched in its first two contests. Game time is 1 p.m. on Saturday in Middletown.

Meanwhile, Ocean will get a firsthand look at just how improved Manchester is when the Spartans travel to take on the Hawks on Friday. Ocean, which looked very good in its seasonopening win at Manasquan could certainly solidify its high regard in the conference with a win on Friday. Game time is 7 p.m.