Camden Makes History, Earns First State Championship and South Jersey Title Sweep

The seventh and final New Jersey state championship game was held Wednesday as Camden made it a South Jersey sweep

Camden's Roman Duckett runs the ball during the NJSIAA Group 2 state football championship game between Camden and Shabazz played at Rutgers University in Piscataway on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. Camden defeated Shabazz, 27-8. / CHRIS LACHALL/USA TODAY NETWORK ATLANTIC GROUP / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New Jersey’s final high school football game of the 2025 season was an historic one as Camden, ranked No. 12 in the High School on SI New Jersey Top 25 Rankings, forced five turnovers and controlled the game from start to finish, defeating No. 15 Shabazz, 27–8 at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium on Wednesday.

Camden’s championship completed a sweep for South Jersey, as all five public school state titles went to teams from the region. No. 5 Glassboro (Group 1), No. 18 Cedar Creek (Group 3), No. 4 Winslow (Group 4), and No. 8 Washington Township (Group 5) claimed the others.

Rob Hinson’s Return Leads to First-Ever Group 2 Title

Rob Hinson returned to Camden High School as head football coach four years ago determined to bring a championship back to his alma mater. On Wednesday night at Rutgers University, that goal became a reality. After guiding the Panthers to three sectional titles in recent seasons, Hinson and his team captured the school’s first-ever NJSIAA Group 2 state championship. His return to Camden was a personal one as well — he left his position as an assistant coach at Rutgers to come home and rebuild the program.

Early Spark from Talib Shakir Sets the Tone

The night started with a spark from senior Talib Shakir, who opened the scoring with a pick-six. “It means a lot,” Hinson told NJ Advance Media after the win. “When we won the sectional and regional titles, we talked about what it meant for one of the biggest cities down here to take on one of the biggest cities up there. They’ve got a really good staff and some talented kids, but I’m blessed to coach my guys. We’re not here by coincidence.”

“I was getting all kinds of text messages,” Hinson added. “I’m just happy we didn’t let South Jersey down.”

Shakir Strikes Before Halftime

Early on, the game appeared headed toward a scoreless first half, but Shakir changed that with a momentum-shifting 54-yard interception return. He jumped an off-target pass, made a cut, and sprinted down the sideline to put Camden ahead 7–0 with 2:46 left before the break. The Colgate commit recorded his fourth pick-six of the season — remarkably, he scored on every interception he collected this year.

Camden Extends Lead with Late Second-Quarter Touchdown

Camden struck again just 19 seconds before halftime. Quarterback Ahmad Jones found Ibn Muhammad over the middle for a 19-yard touchdown, giving the Panthers a comfortable cushion heading into the locker room.

It capped quite a day for Muhammad, who signed his letter of intent with Syracuse at 7 a.m. and won a state title roughly twelve hours later. It was the second championship of his high school career: he earned his first as a freshman at Woodbury, winning the inaugural Group 1 state title before transferring to Camden as a junior.

Panthers Maintain Control in the Second Half

Running back Roman Duckett, who finished with 93 yards and a touchdown, also celebrated his second state crown after winning a Group 4 championship with Winslow last season.

The Panthers kept control in the second half. Duckett powered in a three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to extend the lead, and Jones later connected with senior Wasi Muhammad on a 10-yard scoring pass to make it 27–0 in the fourth.

Defense Finishes What It Started

Camden’s defense sealed the victory with a flurry of takeaways. Senior Jaiden Steele snagged two interceptions, while Shakir and senior Scott Freeman each added one. Sophomore Andre Robinson contributed by recovering a first-half fumble.

A Historic Night for Camden

By the end of the night, the Panthers had made history — and Hinson had delivered the championship he returned home to chase.