Henry Huber on football: Rhinehart’s meteoric pace has headlined Shore’s growing receiver core
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Heading into the 2026 football season, it was abundantly clear who would lead Jersey Shore's receiving core. Of the team's 157 receptions from last season, 124 were brought in by graduating seniors. And over half the remaining catches were logged by then sophomore Carter Rhinehart, with no other returning receiver reeling in more than four.
It's only natural for a heightened role to come with bolstered statistics. But what Rhinehart has done through three games in the No. 1 receiver slot is something not many outside of himself, starting quarterback Nolen Pauling and his coaching staff would've anticipated prior to the season.
After turning 21 receptions into 369 yards and four touchdowns in 2025, he's eclipsed each of those stat lines in a fourth of the time as a junior. His eight-reception, 152-yard outing against Selinsgrove on Friday marked the third in a row to see him surpass seven catches and 150 yards in a game, and he heads into Week 4 with an area-high six touchdowns.
It's a trend Rhinehart is looking to carry forward heading into Friday's battle of unbeatens against Shamokin (3-0), the team's most high-stakes affair yet. He's a big reason for Jersey Shore clinching its seventh 3-0 start in a row in Week 3, a constant deep threat that has also helped the Bulldogs rack up first downs.
"This is one of my best years right now," said Rhinehart when discussing his early-season success. "I just need to keep building on it the whole year. I can't stop. Nolen just needs to keep getting me the ball; he can trust me."
Against Selinsgrove, the Bulldog made an impact in every quarter and had a reception in all four first-half touchdown drives. His 11-yard reception on the team's first touchdown drive helped Jersey Shore convert a third-and-long, and he reeled in a 26-yard reception two drives later to get the Bulldogs near the redzone, setting up a touchdown a few plays later.
By the end of the first half, Rhinehart had already logged six receptions for 72 yards. He played a key role in Jersey Shore's last-second touchdown on a hook-and-ladder play, dishing out the lateral to Connor Winters at the perfect time. And two minutes prior, he saw a 19-yard reception land the Bulldogs in the red zone to help them extend their lead to multiple scores.
Though his production slowed in the second half from a reception standpoint, the two he had through the last two quarters were memorable. A one-handed catch on a bomb from Pauling netted him 40 yards. Then, he capped the performance off with another large gain of 42 yards, this time resulting in a touchdown to put Shore up 42-7 late.
It's been a rinse-and-repeat process for the junior, with those performances mirroring the one's of weeks past. When asked about his uptick in production throughout his junior campaign, Rhinehart brought up the hours he and Pauling spent molding their connection over the offseason as a large contributing factor.
"It's more reps everywhere. In seven-on-sevens this year, me and Nolan just built the entire time," said Rhinehart. "This summer, we were practicing every single day. Even when we didn't have practice, we still went to the field and ran routes just to get better and learn the routes. Just anywhere we could."
Rhinehart isn't the only Jersey Shore receiver making an impact either. Fellow junior Connor Winters and senior Khani McCray - a first-year football player - each left their mark on Friday's game and played roles in the team's onslaught through the game's last 25 minutes.
Winters brought in a tough catch on a fourth-and-six, maintaining possession after taking a hit and setting Jersey Shore up near the goal line. And on the next drive, he helped the Bulldogs turn what would've been a manageable halftime lead into a comfortable one, making the most of a well-run trick play on a 62-yard pass.
And though McCray's role has been smaller through his first three games of varsity ball, all four of his receptions have been notable.
He caught a 30-yard touchdown in a 49-34 win over North Schuylkill in his varsity debut, taking advantage of shotty defense in route to his first career score. And against Selinsgrove, he helped the Bulldogs convert a second-and-long on the team's first touchdown drive with a 14-yard reception before later catching a 15-yard score over a Selinsgrove defender.
Given the team's loss of starting running back Kash Herritt due to injury, the emergence of its receiving core could prove crucial as it continues drawing tough opponents. There are still kinks to iron out, such as drops and occasional miscommunications, but they've proven up to the task time and time again.
"Carter's a dog. You throw the ball up anywhere to him, and he's catching it to be honest," said Winters when discussing the receiving core. "Khani's a dog too. He doesn't know much, but he's learning. Us three together, I think we're a good core for the pass game. Nolen is a really good quarterback too."
ON THE FLY
After years of avoiding football despite outside encouragement to join, Khani McCray finally decided to give it a try as a senior. Concerns surrounding size and toughness had kept the multi-sport athlete off the football field previously, but having one year left to give it a shot shifted his mindset towards the sport.
"I might as well give it a try," said McCray on that shift. "This is my first year, didn't play in middle school or before. I'm wishing I would have done it earlier."
"We've been talking with him since probably even before his ninth grade," said Jersey Shore football head coach Tom Gravish on McCray prior to the season. "He's a real great basketball athlete. Great young man, and we got him out this year. Players were actually the deciding factor."
Despite the learning curve, McCray has been able to adjust on the fly. Being a starting basketball player and district medalist in track has helped when it comes to conditioning and athleticism, and his height of 6'3" has certainly been a factor at receiver as well. But his immediate buying in has also been key in him establishing an immediate role.
There's certainly still a lot to learn, as the senior adjusts to the physical nature of the sport and all the weightlifting it requires. But he feels comfortable with where he's at in his development and is already making a notable impact as a two-way starter, generating 15 tackles and a pass deflection at corner on top of his two receiving touchdowns.
"It's been perfect. I'm very conditioned. I'll be really good for basketball season," said McCray when discussing the adjustment. "I'd probably say putting my body on somebody and making a tackle has been the toughest adjustment. I've never played a sport this physical."
"He had great Penn State, West Virginia and Bald Eagle Area camps, where we did seven-on-sevens this summer," said Gravish on McCray. "When we took him up to Penn State about two weeks into joining football, he was already doing some good stuff against some really good team from in state to out of state."