3-22-21 Issue 2021 Shore Sports Network Basketball Awards by Shore Sports Network Journal

March 22, 2021

Kevin WILLIAMS Shore Sports Network Director kevin.williams@townsquaremedia.com

Steve MEYER Shore Sports Networkn Director High School Division steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

732-233-4460 Managing Editor BOBBadders // bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com

Senior Content Providers MATTManley // mmanley21@gmail.com

Shore Sports Network Journal is published by: Townsquare Media 8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

very week this regular season, Shore Conference Basketball fans had the opportunity to vote for the Burger25/ Shore Sports Network girls Basketball Player of the Week on our website.

1 Player of the Week winner Week is Bridget Dudas, Pinelands was a big reason for that.

The Wildcats opened the season by sweeping a pair of close games from Southern Ocean County rival Barnegat and the 5’9 junior forward

In the season opener she scored half of Pinelands’ 30 points in a six-point victory and two days later had 17 in a 38-36 victory. Dudas also grabbed 15 rebounds and had 8 steals in the two victories.

vote and will receive a $25 gift card from Burger 25 in Toms River. Rumson’s Grace Munt was runner-up with 23% of the vote with Donovan Catholic’s Gabriella Ross third (14%). The Raiders opened with a pair of wins, lost two straight, won 3 in-a-row and then dropped their last two. While the team has been a bit inconsistent junior guard/forward Lizzie Gillen is

Pinelands fans turned out to support Dudas who received nearly 45% of the

It used to be a rare sight for a freshman to make an immediate impact on a varsity girls basketball team but that has changed in

The young guard scored 9 points in her varsity debut on February 3rd against Neptune and the next night had 18 (including four 3’s)

against the Scarlet Fliers. That “career high” did not last long as Eldridge poured in 24 points in a win over Point Pleasant Beach to cap a week in which she averaged 17 points and just over two assists per game. She also showed her skills from long range with seven 3-pointers in those three games.

someone Coach Kevin Cohen can count on each night and for her efforts last week when the Raiders went 3-0 was voted Burger 25 Player of the Week. Gillen leads East in scoring with an average of 11ppg, is second in both rebounding (7.2) and assists and the team leader in steals. Although just a junior she is a veteran on a team that boasts only one senior and is in her third year as a varsity player. She averaged 3 points and just over 3 rebounds per game as a

freshman, increased those numbers last year (6ppg, 5.2rpg) as part of a 20-win team loaded with seniors and now has emerged as the Raiders best overall player with a bright future. Gillen received nearly 43% of the vote in a week with by far the biggest response of the season. Holmdel's Olivia Palmer was second with 23% and Point Boro's Gen Fara third with 15%. Gillen receives a $25 gift card from Burger 25 of Toms River for earning the weekly honor.

There is little doubt that Mia Troese has made an immediate impact on a Monmouth Regional program that has doubled its win total from the 2019-20 season when they went 2-18. The

The young Red Raiders collected a pair of close victories over Asbury Park and a big reason why was sophomore Isabella Bednarz who collected doubledoubles in both victories. She also has picked up the Burger 25

Player of the Week award thanks to strong support from the Keyport program and community. In a 39-35 victory over Asbury Bednarz collected 13 points and grabbed 16 rebounds and two days later she powered her way to 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Red Raiders pulled out a 3936 victory. For the season she is averaging just over 6 points and 10 rebounds a game and while those numbers might not sound impressive they are when you consider as a team averages less

than 20 points a game. Coach Deboney Braithwaite said "Bella is a ﬁerce athlete who isn't afraid to step into whatever role is necessary for our team's success. Our team feeds off of her energy on the court." Isabella received nearly 43% of the vote to easily outdistance Emma Moriarty of Red Bank. For her efforts, she receives a $25 gift card from Burger 25 of Toms River which will require a bit of a road trip but is well worth the effort.

freshman leads the team in scoring, assists and steals and led the Falcons to three consecutive wins during the week of February 22 for which she was voted the Burger 25 Player of the Week award. The 5'8 point guard averaged nearly 14 points per game along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals as Monmouth following an 0-4 start beat Long Branch twice and Freehold. Those statistics pretty much mirror what Troese has done all season long and with

the Falcons returning every player on their roster the future looks bright for her and the Falcons. Troese received 31% of the vote, nearly double that of Manasquan's Brooke Hollawell who was second with Chelsea Lavezzo of Jackson Liberty third in what was by far the largest voting turnout of the season. For her efforts Mia receives a $25 gift card from Burger 25 of Toms River which will require a bit of a road trip but is well worth the effort.

6 Player of the Week winner Week is Emily Tvrdik, Wall

4 Player of the Week winner Week is Isabella Bednarz, Keyport

2 Player of the Week winner Week is Shayne Eldridge, Wall recent years. Take for example Wall’s Shayne Eldridge who not only has been a starter from game one but is this week’s Shore Sports Network/Burger 25 Player of the Week.

5 Player of the Week winner Week is Mia Troese, Monmouth

3 Player of the Week winner Week is Lizzie Gillen, TR East

Emily Tvrdik is one of several players who have Wall Coach Colleen Wisher believing the future is very bright for the Crimson Knights basketball program. The freshman forward led Wall to three consecutive victories and the Pod "D" title last

week and was voted the Burger 25 Player of the Week for the sixth and final week of the season. Tvrdik finished second on the team in scoring (12ppg) behind fellow freshman Shayne Eldridge but turned in some of her strongest performances during the Shore Conference Postseason. First came a 23-point, 5-rebound effort in a rout of Manalapan and she followed that up with 19 points and 19 rebounds in a win over a solid Point Pleasant Beach team. In the pod final against Mater Dei Tvrdik came up with 15

points and 5 rebounds as Wall prevailed 51-42. Emily received a whopping 40% of the vote as the Crimson Knight faithful rallied behind her. Manchester's Destiny Adams and Donovan Catholic's Gabriella Ross were second and third in the fan voting. For her efforts, Tvrdik receives a $25 gift card from Burger 25 of Toms River.

Matt Manley - Senior Staff writer

ach week throughout the 2021 season the Shore Sports Network selected a Shore Conference Basketball team to receive the coveted Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week award. The honored team received a special game ball and $250 gift card from Jersey Mike’s during a special presentation at one of their practices from a SSN representative.

E W

e would like to thank Jersey Mike’s Subs for their sponsorship of all our high school Basketball coverage and programming this season.

Jersey Mike’s is known nationwide with some 1,500 locations but CEO Peter Cancro has never abandoned his shore roots and he has passed that on to his son Rob, now Senior Vice President, Director of Operations and a former football player at Wall High School. We are especially appreciative of the support Jersey Mike’s has shown in partnering with us on the Team of the Week program in which 10 different Basketball teams were honored during this past season. We look forward to many years of teaming up with them to bring a “sub above” to Basketball fans throughout the shore area.

Jersey Mike’s

Rob Cancro

very week this regular season, Shore Conference Basketball fans had the opportunity to vote for the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey/ Shore Sports Network Basketball Player of the Week on our website.

4 Week Jack Collins, Manasquan Player of the Week winner

1 Player of the Week winner

W Luke Braaten, Brick Memorial eek

Facing a new-look Jackson Memorial team in his team's first two games, Braaten posted a pair of double-doubles, going for 19 points and 12 rebounds on opening night and following that up with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists two nights later as Brick Memorial swept its two-game set with the Jaguars. After making the most of his first week back on the court, Braaten hit another roadblock in his high-school After missing last season due to a career when he suffered an ankle back injury, Braaten was one of the injury against Lakewood Wednesday Shore Conference’s major difference- that will likely end his season, makers through the first week-plus according to Shore Sports Network's of the season.

Kevin Williams. Brick Memorial will now lean on its mix of seniors and sophomores to try and build on its 30 start as the Mustangs prepare for two important games vs. Howell next week. Braaten edged out Southern's Luke Infurna for the first Player of the Week award of 2021, beating the Rams senior guard by just one percent (33-32) and a total of 15 votes. All Player of the Week winners receive a gift card to Jersey Mike's.

Manasquan made its triumphant return to the court last week, showing few ill-

2 Week Gavin Migliori, TR South Player of the Week winner

nights later, he made sure his efforts netted Toms River South a win. In a wild overtime win over Brick, Migliori scored 27 points and came up with clutch basket after clutch basket down the stretch of the fourth quarter and overtime to help the Indians fend off a furious comeback effort from the Green Dragons in Brick. Migliori hit a clutch three to stall a Brick run late in the fourth, hit two game-tying free throws with four seconds left, then scored five points Migliori opened the week by in overtime to help close it out. scoring 20 of his team’s 40 points in Toms River South is off to a 3-3 a loss to Toms River North and two start to the 2021 season under first-

year coach Vinnie Arminio after finishing 5-21 a year ago and Migliori has been its breakout scorer. He posted a 20-plus-point game against every team Toms River South has faced this year (Donovan Catholic, Toms River North, Brick and Toms River East) and the Indians are 3-1 in those games. Migliori collected 34 percent of the vote this week to top runner-up Jake Emery of Howell by 10 percent. All Player of the Week winners receive a gift card to Jersey Mike's and a shirt courtesy of Seaview Orthopaedic.

3 Week Andre Wells, Matawan Player of the Week winner

Wells keeps churning out big statistical performances last week, with three more coming last week for his 4-3 Matawan squad. The Huskies went 2-1 in the three games, splitting with Colts Neck and beating Long Branch and in those games,

Wells averaged 24 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists. The senior point guard, secondyear starter and third-year varsity regular posted two 27-point games last week and scored 22 in the second half of a loss to Colts Neck in which Matawan nearly erased an 18point halftime deficit. Two days later, Matawan did not let Colts Neck race out to a big lead again and this time, put he Cougars away behind 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists from Wells. Matawan made it a winning week and jumped above the .500 mark by topping Long Branch, 60-49, behind a 27-point performance from Wells that also included six rebounds and eight assists. For the season, Wells is averaging

21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists in what has been a breakout senior campaign. His first major impact as a varsity athlete came when he scored seven goals as a sophomore striker for Matawan's soccer team, but Wells has since turned his full attention to the hardwood and developed into one of the Shore's better all-around guards. Wells won a close race for the Week 3 award by pulling away with 23 percent of the vote, while Toms River North's Brandon Bowens, Holmdel's Kyle Polivka and Marlboro's Jackson Seidler all finished within three percentage points of one another for second place. Like all Player of the Week winners, Wells will receive a shirt courtesy of Seaview Orthopaedic and a $25 gift card to Jersey Mike's.

effects of a two-week layoff by beating three high-quality opponents in Montclair Immaculate, Wall and Don Bosco. Ben Roy again paced the Warriors in scoring – including his 1,000th point – but it was Collins who served as one of several difference-makers alongside Roy. In the first game he and his team played in 17 days, Collins struck for 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in the Monday win over Montclair Immaculate, including 13 points in a first half Collins capped with a halfcourt bank shot. Manasquan made its triumphant return to the court last week, showing few illeffects of a two-week layoff by beating three high-quality opponents in Montclair Immaculate, Wall and Don Bosco. Ben Roy again paced the Warriors in scoring – including his 1,000th point – but it was

Collins who served as one of several difference-makers alongside Roy. In the first game he and his team played in 17 days, Collins struck for 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in the Monday win over Montclair Immaculate, including 13 points in a first half Collins capped with a halfcourt bank shot. After a close vote last week, this week's Player of the Week race was the closest of the season and it was not just at the top. Collins beat runner-up Jay Silva of Southern by a mere four votes and third-place Colin Farrel of Christian Brothers Academy by only 13. Of the eight Player of the Week nominees from last week, eight finished with at least 10 percent of the vote. For winning the vote, Collins will receive a shirt courtesy of Seaview Orthopaedic and a $25 gift card to Jersey Mike's.

5 Week Vinny Pennino, Midd. North Player of the Week winner

games vs. Colts Neck and his second-half scoring helped the Lions nearly erase an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit in the second meeting. The senior guard then followed with a career-best performance at Bayonne on Friday in which he scored 25 points, grabbed seven rebounds and picked off six steals in a Middletown North road win. His big stretches came in the form of an 11-point second quarter and 10 points in the fourth. When Pennino gets going, Middletown Pennino hasn't packed it in for the year North has been a hard team to contain either, authoring two more standout and that has showed over the last weekperformances this week during the Shore and-a-half. Conference Pod C Playoffs. The senior guard Pennino averaged 16 points in two

set a new career-high of 30 points in a come-from-behind win over Keyport on Monday, in which Pennino scored 17 points during a 40-20 second half surge. Middletown North advanced to the Pod C final by beating Jackson Liberty on Wednesday, with Pennino scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half. After several close races during this year's Player of the Week series, Pennino pulled away with 34 percent of the vote, 12 points ahead of runner-up Richie Lee from Colts Neck. For winning the vote, Pennino will receive a shirt courtesy of Seaview Orthopaedic and a $25 gift card to Jersey Mike's.

6 Week Jon Spatola, Marlboro Player of the Week winner

Marlboro team lost the Pod A championship game in heartbreaking fashion. Spatola started Marlboro’s run off with a game-high 25 points in a first-round win over Holmdel, including 15 points in the first half. In the semifinals at Ranney, Spatola played one of the best games of the year by a Shore Conference player, scoring 27 points, going 10-for-10 from the line to help close out a 71-65 win over the No. 2 seed. The 5-foot-8 junior dominated both ends of the floor in the second half, scoring 21 of his points and shutting down Ranney sophomore Isaac Hester for a stretch of about 12:30 in the second half. Spatola capped his spectacular week If there were a Playoff MVP Award, with 16 points in the championship Spatola would be the leading game vs. Manasquan, including a huge candidate to claim it, even after his

game-tying jumper and go-ahead free throw during the overtime, which accounted for Marlboro's final three points of the game. On Thursday, Spatola was selected as a Second Team All-Shore guard by the Shore Conference Basketball Coaches Association (SCBCA) and the co-player of the year in Pod E along with junior teammate Jacks Seidler. Spatola finished his junior campaign averaging 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 steals in 13 games for the 9-4 Mustangs. As the last Player of the Week of 2021, Spatola will receive a shirt courtesy of Seaview Orthopaedic and a $25 gift card to Jersey Mike's.

Kevin Williams - SSN DIRECTOR

he Shore Sports Network is proud to partner with the Shore Girls Basketball Association in announcing this year’s All-Shore teams which will appear very different than in the past.

The traditional All-Division teams are listed by the pod in which those teams competed in during the course of “regular season” and we also salute those who stood out during the “postseason” which consisted of three games in early March. We thank the SGBCA, especially Jay Lagomarsino and Dave Drew for partnering with us to honor these players who faced numerous challenges during the court of the season to provide us with outstanding performances and many noteworthy moments.

Shore Girls Basketball Coaches Association All-Shore Teams and Awards

kevin Williams - SSN Director

he Lady Lancers had a target on their backs all season long but took on all challengers and finished a perfect 14-0 season in which they were the Shore Sports Network’s top ranked team and #1 again throughout New Jersey. Karpell’s team won their games by an average of more than 26 points and the only team to stay within 10 points was Trenton Catholic, the #2 team in the state. In her 15 years at the school Karpell has built a powerhouse as her 366-61 record would indicate.

kevin Williams - SSN Director

here was certainly not much to separate two of the top players in the state.

The University of North Carolina-bound Adams averaged 30 points and 19 rebounds per game and finished her remarkable career with 2010 points. The Hawks rose to prominence during her high school careers, going 96-17 and being ranked among the state’s best. The scary part for opponents about St. Rose is she still has another year left at SJV. A gifted all-around player she has helped lead the Lady Lancers to back-to-back seasons as the #1 ranked team in the shore and state. The 5’10 guard averaged just over 19 points a game along with nearly 5 rebounds and 3 steals but statistics do not define her greatness. St. Rose has verbally committed to Princeton.

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Photo by: LORS Photography

time to set in. Two days after the loss to South Brunswick, the entire basketball season in N.J. was shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak and not only would Marlboro have to wait until the next season for redemption; they also had to cope with the uncertainty that there would be a season at all. Like just about every coach in New Jersey and around the country, Nausedas spent less time with his team this past offseason than in any other calendar year leading up to a season. Ultimately, though, there would be high school basketball in 2021, but Marlboro’s return to the court for practice would not come until Jan. 11 and it would be short-lived. Within days of starting practice, Marlboro was forced to shut its varsity program down for two weeks due to COVID-19 protocol. The stoppage would force the Mustangs to postpone their first two games of what was already a shortened season – a home-and-home with rival and perennial Shore Conference contender Christian Brothers Academy.

Matt Manley –

Senior Staff Writer

When Marlboro could practice, the conditions still put Nausedas and his staff to the test. Used to practicing with junior varsity and varsity in the same gym during Nausedas's first eight seasons, Marlboro was forced to run separate practices for each team as a matter of school policy and Nausedas was unable to work with the jayvee and freshman-team players, nor was he able to interact in-person with his sub-varsity coaches. To make things even more challenging, Nausedas was informed right before the first day of practice that senior guard Aleksy Friedman – a starter on the Central Jersey Group IV runner-up in 2020 – decided not to play basketball in his senior year. Marlboro still had plenty of talent returning, but the Mustangs were now going from four returning starters to three, with the lone returning senior starter opting out of the season.

f the mark of a great team is that it rarely loses, the mark of a team ready to be great is one that responds to its toughest setbacks.

Marlboro’s 2021 season ended with a loss that the Mustangs are still trying to digest but if their recent history is any indication, they will return in November primed for the best season in the history of Marlboro basketball. Head coach Mike Nausedas said his team “will be back” next season, referring to his plans on leading Marlboro back to the brink of a championship after coming painfully close each of the last two years. The 2021 Shore Sports Network Boys Basketball Coach of the Year has reason to be confident, too. Under his direction, this group of mostly seniors-to-be in 2022 has shown time and time again it knows how to bounce back. After some early struggles in 2021, the Mustangs closed the season strong, reaching the de facto Shore Conference championship game for the second time in five seasons and finishing higher in both the Shore Sports Network Top 10 (No. 3) and the NJ.com Top 20 (No. 20) than the program ever has to end a season. Marlboro’s year-long saga began on March 10, 2020, when the Mustangs hosted the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championship game for the first time in program history. Leading by one point in the final seconds against South Brunswick, Marlboro needed one stop to secure the first sectional title in program history but Yathin Vemula scored as time expired to give visiting South Brunswick a 72-71 win. With just one senior graduating from the 2019-20 team, Marlboro had reason to be optimistic about 2021, but that optimism barely had

Even through all of the early-season challenges, Nausedas and his team kept as sharp as they could to be ready to play when the time came. It finally did on Feb. 4 against St. Peter’s Prep, which entered as the No. 5 team in N.J. and finished in the same spot. Marlboro lost the game, 6349, but took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter before running out of gas. Marlboro bounced back with wins over Howell and Colonia – the latter of which was one of the Middlesex County’s best teams – before clashing with Ranney and CBA at home on back-toback days. A comeback vs. Ranney came up short, 68-62, and the next morning, with Marlboro heavy-legged having just faced a team that climbed as high as No. 8 in the statewide rankings, the Colts ran the Mustangs out of their own gym, 75-42. The 33-point loss to CBA dropped Marlboro to 2-3 and marked a low point in the Mustangs’ 2021 season. On top of the baggage the Mustangs carried from the 2020 sectional championship game, now they had to ﬁnd a way to rally just to make it into the eight-team playoff pod that w o u l d compete for the Shore Conference championship during the last week of the season – the o n l y

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Matt Manley –

Senior Staff Writer

The team was so tradition-rich and talented that Roy – a heralded incoming freshman on the New Jersey basketball scene – would not open the season as a starter. Starter or not, Roy made his mark on that Manasquan boys basketball season and has only raised his level – and that of the team – since his first day on the job. Now, the 6-foot-2 junior boasts a career record of 72-5, more than 1,000 points, two Shore Conference championships (one official) and back-to-back Shore Conference Player of the Year awards from the Shore Conference Basketball Coaches Association.

anasquan already had an accomplished boys basketball program when Ben Roy showed up to his first official practice as a freshman in November of 2018.

Now, Roy can add another repeat to his resume: for the second straight year, he is the Shore Sports Network Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Through his first two seasons, Roy amassed nearly 900 points while helping Manasquan win 60 games, two NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championships and the program’s first Shore Conference Tournament title in 63 years. While last year’s Player of the Year pick came down to Roy and teammate Alex Galvan, this year, there wasn’t much of an argument for anyone other then Manasquan’s reigning award-winner. Statistically speaking, Roy made a strong case. During a season significantly shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Roy led the Shore Conference in per-game scoring at an even 24 per night while also putting up four rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 steals while also hitting 36 three-pointers on 31.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Those numbers were only part of Roy’s story in 2021 – a year that saw Manasquan once again reign supreme among all Shore Conference teams. He barely ever came out of games in 2021, in part because Manasquan seldom ran opponents off the floor. Manasquan wound up with a challenging schedule that included four teams ranked in the Top 20 in N.J., a prep school with multiple Division I prospects and three more opponents that finished the year in the Shore Sports Network Top 10. When the competition was at its toughest, Roy was and Manasquan were at their best. He scored 19 of his 26 point in the second half of a 68-65 win over Montclair Immaculate, including three free throws with 1.6 seconds left to break the tie and deliver the Warriors the win over a ranked opponent in their first game after a two-week shutdown. One night later, Roy poured in 29 points to guide Manasquan to a hardfought win over Wall and capped that first full week of his team’s season by posting 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a convincing win over Don Bosco Prep. While the 14 points marked a season-low for Roy, it was also the same game in which he joined the 1,000-point club in just the fifth game of his junior season. Manasquan had one four-game week during the season that included

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foul called on the senior wing in a span of three minutes. To make matters worse, Seidler made both shots that came as he was called for the two fouls, taking four critical points off the board for Marlboro.

championship of any kind Marlboro had a chance to for in 2021.

Despite that, Spatola hit a clutch, game-tying jumper and followed by one of two foul shots to give Marlboro a 56-55 lead with 49 seconds to go. With Seidler out of the game, though, Marlboro had trouble corralling a defensive rebound on Manasquan’s next possession. A second chance led to a game-tying free-throw by Connor Walsh and an offensive rebound by Jack Collins on Walsh’s miss on the second attempt set Manasquan up with a chance to hold the ball for one shot to win the game. With the extra possession, Manasquan scored the winning basket when Ben Roy found Andrew Solomon with under two seconds to go.

Marlboro authored double-digit wins over Manalapan and Freehold Boro before heading east on Newman Springs Road to play CBA in a Saturday-afternoon grudge match one week after the Colts had blown out the Mustangs. Marlboro’s defense came to play that day and juniors Jack Seidler and Jon Spatola helped close out a 59-52 win over the Colts to give Marlboro its mojo back for the first time since the buzzerbeater ended their 2020 season. The regular season closed with Marlboro routing both Middletown South and Neptune to clinch the No. 3 seed in Pod A of the Shore Conference Playoffs. The Mustangs used a 21-6 second-quarter run to eliminate Holmdel in the opening round, setting up the second big rematch of the season for Marlboro.

For the second straight year, Marlboro was denied a championship in the final seconds.

In the semifinals of the Shore Playoffs, Marlboro would head to play Ranney and the Mustangs set out to do the same thing to the Panthers that they did to CBA. Ranney closed the first half on a 13-2 run to take a six-point lead into the break, but Marlboro shut down the No. 2 seed in the third quarter, outscoring them 22-9.

Throughout the season, Nausedas talked about this season as it were a tune-up for 2022. Marlboro is due to return four starters – Seidler, Spatola, Ratner and Zach Molod – as seniors, with regular contributor Vinny Spatola also back as a senior. In the process, Marlboro made another memorable run to a championship game and found itself on the wrong end of another memorable finish.

Marlboro built its lead to 58-45 in the fourth quarter and held off a Ranney comeback to win, 71-65, and advance to the program’s second ever Shore Conference championship game. Four years earlier, Nausedas led the Mustangs to a stunning upset of Ranney in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals that propelled Marlboro to the SCT championship game for the first time in program history.

Over the last week of the season, Marlboro showed it could adjust against teams that beat them earlier in the season, went toe-to-toe with some of the best competition the state has to offer and walked off the floor at Manasquan somehow even more motivated for next year. Short of actually winning the championship, Nausedas got exactly what he wanted for his team heading into a huge 2022.

In 2021, it was Spatola and Seidler who led the way in the upset of Ranney. At the direction of Nausedas, Spatola face-guarded Ranney standout sophomore Isaac Hester and held him without a point for the first 12:30 of the second half. Spatola also scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half to complete one of the better 16-minute stretches played in the state this season. Seidler, meanwhile, poured in 18 points as part of the big win.

Marlboro’s season would close with a trip to unbeaten Manasquan for the unofficial Shore Conference championship game. Manasquan raced out to a 36-26 halftime lead, but keeping with the theme of their season, the Mustangs would bounce back. Within the first four minutes of the third quarter, Marlboro turned a 10-point deficit into a 37-36 lead with a 14-0 run that began with a three-pointer by junior Jay Ratner to end the first-half scoring and ended with a step-back jumper by Spatola. From that point on, neither team led by more than four points, with both sides playing a fourth quarter that was tense and close-to-thevest. Nausedas and Marlboro would face one more daunting challenge when Seidler fouled out a minute into overtime on the second offensive

Photos by:

2021 Girls All-shore teams FIRST TEAM Grace Munt , Sr. Abby Antognoli, SR.

Rumson-Fair Haven

St. Rose

5’11

5’7

School Attending: Holy Cross

20.2ppg

School Attending: Lafayette

G/F

11.9ppg

Mary Donnelly, Jr.

Manasquan

5’10

14.6ppg

Katie Hill, Sr.

St. John Vianney 6’

12.3ppg

School Attending: Richmond

Rachel Capua, Sr.

Justine Pissott, Jr.

Jackson Memorial 5’8

Red Bank Catholic

24.5ppg

6’2

School Attending: East Stroudsburg

G/F

15.8ppg

School Attending: Tennessee

Photo courtesy: Steven Bassin centraljersey.com

SECOND TEAM

THIRD TEAM

Megan Cahalan, St. John Vianney

6’3

Ally Carmen, Red Bank Catholic

6’5

Brooke Hollawell, Manasquan

5’9

Sr. Jr. Jr.

HONORABLE MENTION

Emma Bruen, St. John Vianney

5’8

Julia Corsentino, Rumson-Fair Haven

5’8

Caitlyn Gresko, Howell

5’10

Sr. So. Sr.

Lexi Linton, Jackson Memorial

5’8

Sr.

Ashley O’Connor, St. John Vianney

5’9

Jr.

Gabriella Ross, Donovan Catholic

5’7

So.

Jessica Riepe, Marlboro

5’11

Sr.

Chloe Teter, Red Bank Regional

5’9

Sr.

Sophia Sabino, Red Bank Catholic

5’8

Sr.

Amaya Bray – Manchester

Kya Joseph – DC

Dorothy Loffredo – Manasquan

Grace Leary – Howell

Ryann Taylor – Holmdel

Amelia Medola – RBR

Rosie Scognamiglio – St Rose

Amaya Evans – Neptune

Olivia Conroy – DC

Sammy Jay – Marlboro

Jordyn Keating – DC

Jhamena Range – Mater Dei

Lila Shaver – Pt Boro

Gianna Aiello – Matawan

Genevieve Fara – Pt Boro

Courtland McBarron – RFH

Allison House – Pt Beach

Caitlyn Decker – RBR

Maura Carney – Jackson Liberty

Camryn Gardner – RBR

Madison LaRosa – Shore

Zoie Maffei – Jackson Memorial

Nina Emmace – Trinity Hall

Elizabeth Gillen – TRE

Layla Laws – St Rose

Megan Sias – TRN

Shayne Eldridge – Wall

Julia Grodzicki – TRN

Hannah Orloff – Freehold Twp

Maureen Stapleton – St Rose

Dani Schlesinger – Marlboro

Jessica Thesing – Colts Neck

Devyn Quigley – Manchester

Olivia Palmer – Holmdel

Georgia Heine – Manasquan

Lindsay Cannon – Holmdel 15

Shore Girls Basketball Coaches Association 2021 Season All-Pod Teams POD ONE

POD TWO

POD THREE

Player of the Year – Gabriella Ross – Donovan Cath. Coach of the Year – Glenn Jansen – Donovan Cath.

Player of the Year – Rachel Capua – Jackson Mem. Coach of the Year – Joe Santopietro - Howell

Player of the Year – Destiny Adams - Manchester Coach of the Year – David Drew – Point Boro

1st Team

2nd Team

1st Team

2nd Team

1st Team

2nd Team

Olivia Conroy – Donovan Cath. Elizabeth Gillen – TR East Julia Grodzicki – TR North Jordyn Keating – Donovan Cath. Megan Sias – TR North

Kelle Anwander – TR South Riley Giordano – Lacey Kya Joseph – Donovan Cath. McKayla Mooney – Lacey Kelleen Sullivan - TR east

Caitlin Gresko – Howell Grace Leary – Howell Lexi Linton – Jackson Mem. Jadelynn Smith – Central Alexis Voorhees – Brick Mem.

Alana Bergstrom – Lakewood Mackenzie Bruno – Howell Tanaiyha Decker – Central Nicole Kuhl – Brick Twp. Zoie Maffei – Jackson Mem.

Amyah Bray – Manchester Maura Carney – Jackson Lib Genevieve Fara – Pt. Boro Myah Hourigan – Manchester Cara McCoy – Barnegat

Ariana Broughton – Jackson Lib. Bridget Dudas – Pinelands Chelsea Lavezzo – Jackson Lib. Erika Marinella – Pt. Boro Devyn Quigley – Manchester Lila Shaver – Pt. Boro

Honorable Mention Summer Davis – Southern Kelly Goodall - TR East

Honorable Mention

Sydney Howell – TR North

Sunni DiElmo – Pinelands Isabel Guiro – Barnegat

POD FOUR

POD FIVE

Player of the Year – Hannah Orloff – Freehold Twp Coach of the Year – Matt McCarthy – Trinity Hall

Player of the Year – Madison St. Rose - SJV Coach of the Year – Dawn Karpell - SJV

1st Team

2nd Team

1st Team

2nd Team

Haven Dora – Trinity Hall Tanya Elsbree – Freehold Twp. Sammy Jay – Marlboro Jessica Riepe – Marlboro Dani Schlesinger – Marlboro

Erica DiSimone – Marlboro Kaylee Elsbree – Freehold Twp. Nina Emnace – Trinity Hall Dara Grinberg – Manalapan Isabella Orlando – Mid. South Beth Rankin – Mid. South

Gianna Aiello – Matawan Megan Cahalan – SJV Katie Hill – SJV Victoria Palladino – Mid. North Ryann Taylor – Holmdel Jessica Thesing – Colts Neck

Emma Bruen – SJV Lindsay Cannon – Holmdel Ashley O’Connor - SJV Sarah O’Leary - Raritan Olivia Palmer - Holmdel Skylar Parris – Matawan

Honorable Mention

Renee Wells – Mid. South

Meg Casey – Raritan Ronni Brucato – Mid North

POD SEVEN Player of the Year – Abby Antognoli – St. Rose Coach of the Year – Colleen Wisher – Wall 1st Team

2nd Team

Mary Donnelly – Squan Mya Evans – Neptune Georgia Heine – Squan Brooke Hollawell – Squan Maureen Stapleton – St. Rose Ahjanae Young – Neptune

Shayne Eldridge – Wall Niaisya Ervin – St. Rose Raquel Guidetti – Ranney Layla Laws – St. Rose Dorothy Loffredo – Squan Rosie Scognamiglio –St. Rose

Honorable Mention

Joei Tarrazi – Raritan

Kiera Munyan – Pt. Boro Ashleigh Tavaska – Jackson Lib.

POD SIX Player of the Year – Grace Munt - RFH Coachs of the Year – Laura Forbes – Monmouth John Truhans – RBR 1st Team

2nd Team

Ally Carmen – RBC Julia Corsentino – RFH Madison LaRosa – Shore Justine Pissott – RBC Chloe Teter – RBR

Caitlyn Decker – RBR Rylee Drahos – Shore Cortland McBarron – RFH Amelia Medolla – RBR Jada Rogers – Long Branch Mia Troese – Monmouth

onorable Mention Chase Boyle - RFH

POD EIGHT Player of the Year – Allison House – Pt. Beach Jhamena Range – Mater Dei Coach of the Year – Jay Lagomarsino – Pt. Beach 1st Team

2nd Team

Le’Ana Brown – Mater Dei Cassidy Burns – Pt. Beach Jada Clayton – Pt. Beach Tyasia Cooper – Asbury Pk. Lara Gritzek – Mater Dei Ann McGavin – H. Hudson

Isabella Bednarz – Keyport Lauryn Case – Pt. Beach Madison Fernandez –Keansburg Aerianna Godwin – Keansburg Madison Lopez – Mater Dei LiLi Mednis – H. Hudson

Honorable Mention

Ahjanae Young - Neptune

Jaylynn Graham – Mater Dei Ellie Hendrickson – H. Hudson Tori Kirk – Mater Dei

Brittany Mallon – Keyport Shaylyn Walsh – Keyport Ava Wilson – Asbury Pk.

Shore Girls Basketball Coaches Association 2021 Pod Tournament Teams POD A

POD B

POD C

Tournament MVP – Madison St. Rose – SJV Katie Hill – SJV

Tournament MVP – Olivia Conroy – Donovan Catholic Gabriella Ross – Donovan Catholic

Destiny Adams – Manchester Abby Antognoli – St. Rose Emma Bruen – SJV Rachel Capua – Jackson Mem

Tanya Ellsbree – Freehold Twp Twp.Elizabeth Gillen – TR East Caitlyn Gresko – Howell Kya Joseph – Donovan Catholic

Ally Carmen – RBC Julia Corsentino – RFH Mary Donnelly – Manasquan Justine Pissott – RBC

POD D

Hannah Orloff – Freehold Megan Sias – TR North Ryann Taylor – Holmdel Ahjanae Young – Neptune

POD E

Tournament MVP – Nina Emnace – Trinity Hall Maura Carney – Jackson Liberty Haven Dora – Trinity Hall Julianna Gibson – Colts Neck Ronni Brucato – Mid. North Gianna Aiello – Matawan

Victoria Palladino – Mid. North Jessica Thesing – Colts Neck Madison LaRosa – Shore Raquel Guidetti – Ranney McKayla Mooney – Lacey

POD F

Tournament MVP – Emily Tvrdik – Wall

Tournament MVP – Cara McCoy – Barnegat

Tournament MVP – Jada Rogers – Long Branch

Meg Casey – Raritan Eli Clark – Ocean Shayne Eldridge – Wall Genevieve Fara – Pt. Boro

Isabella Bednarz – Keyport Savannah Eichert – Brick Twp Isabel Guiro – Barnegat

Kelle Anwander – TR South Bridget Dudas – Pinelands Madison Fernandez – Keansburg

Jaylynn Graham – Mater Dei Lara Gritzek – Mater Dei Allison House – Pt. Beach Alexis Voorhees – Brick Mem.

Nicole Kuhl – Brick Twp Ava Wilson – Asbury Pk

Ellie Hendrickson – H. Hudson Sarah Lally - Southern Mia Troese – Monmouth

P O T Y Con’t

from Page-13

seasons, Roy led Manasquan to a combined record of 43-1, with its only loss coming against Roselle Catholic, 45-43, last season when Galvan was injured. The shortened season took plenty of wins off the table, not to mention an opportunity for Manasquan to play for a third straight NJSIAA sectional championship and a trip to the Tournament of Champions. The only team to finish higher than Manasquan in the NJ.com Top 20 in 2021 was 13-0 Camden, which is, like Manasquan, also a Group II school and the two would have been lined up to clash in the Group II semifinal. That matchup was set to take place in the 2020 Group II semifinals but Manasquan removed itself from the tournament on the day of the game due to the escalating pandemic.

two games vs. Neptune and one apiece vs. Trenton Catholic and Life Center Academy. It was one of Roy’s best four-game scoring stretches of the season and if you include a third game against Neptune that opened the postseason week, Roy scored 128 points in five games (25.6 per game) over eight days, including a season-high 30 points in a 72-65 win over Trenton Catholic. Roy and Manasquan labored to score in the postseason, although the junior guard did score 26 of his team’s 41 points in the opener vs. Neptune. He also scored game-highs in wins over Christian Brothers Academy and Marlboro to close out a run to the unofficial Shore Conference Championship, but the lasting image of Roy in 2021 was not him making a shot but rather hitting a teammate with a pass. In the final seconds of overtime in the Shore Conference Pod A championship vs. Marlboro, Roy elevated at the foul line off the dribble and fired a pass to senior Andrew Solomon, who finished the layup with 1.4 seconds left to give Manasquan a 58-56 lead that would wind up the final score of the Warriors’ final game in a perfect 12-0 season. During his two Player of the Year

The shortened season also makes it unlikely Roy will be the ninth Shore Conference player to reach 2,000 career points, which he would likely have made a run at if he kept up his current scoring pace for a full 30-plus game season. While Roy would need to put up close to 30 points per game to join that club, he will have a very good chance to become Manasquan’s leading scorer. He will enter his senior season with 1,174 points – 506 points away from current record-holder and 2004 graduate Tom White.

At some point over the next year, Roy will choose his college destination, but before he heads to play highlevel Division I basketball, Roy will leave Manasquan as the most decorated player in program history and one of the Shore’s all-time great guards. Photos by:

Christopher Rice richardodonnellphotography.com

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com 17

2021 Shore Sports Network boys All-shore teams

Teams selected by Shore Sports Network Senior Editor Matt Manley based on stats, first-hand accounts, team success and coach input.

Boys First TeamTEAM BOYS FIRST

in the final but two unfortunate offensive foul calls within a three-minute span of the fourth quarter and overtime knocked Seidler out of the game with five fouls. Like the loss to South Brunswick in the 2020 Central Group IV final was fuel on the 2021 fire, the season-ending loss at Manasquan will only intensify the heat Seidler and his team put on the rest of the Shore when the core comes back as seniors in 2022.

Ben Roy, Jr., Guard, 6-2, Manasquan

Jon Spatola, Jr., Guard, 5-8, Marlboro

Key 2021 Stats: 24.0 pts per game, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals, 36 3-pts, 72.7% FTl

Key 2021 Stats: 19.1 pts per game, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.6 steals, 26 3-pts, 80% FT

Signature Game: There are a number of candidates for this distinction, with Roy scoring 20 or more points nine times and leading Manasquan in scoring in 10 of the team’s 12 games. Even in one of those games in which someone else led the way in scoring, Roy scored his 1000th career point and finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists to help the Warriors beat Don Bosco. If we’re narrowing it down to one game, though, it has to be the 30-point outing vs. Trenton Catholic. In that game, Roy hit a halfcourt shot to beat the third-quarter buzzer and pull Manasquan within one point – part of an 11-0 run that swung the game in the Warriors’ favor.

Signature Game: Most of the players on the first team have a handful of games from which to choose, but not Spatola. It’s not that the Marlboro guard did not have multiple quality performances; he certainly did. In Spatola’s case, though, his performance on March 3 at Ranney in the Shore Conference Pod A semifinals was not only the best game of his season, but one of the best performances by any player in the Shore Conference in 2021. Spatola finished with 27 points and during the second half of Marlboro’s 71-65 win over the Panthers, he scored 21 points and locked up Ranney leading scorer Isaac Hester for nearly 13 minutes before Hester finally scored seven points during the final three-plus minutes as Ranney played catch-up. Spatola also went 10-for-10 from the foul line in the game, including 6-for-6 in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

With a chance to play four full, normal-length seasons of high-school basketball, Roy would have had a chance to rewrite the Shore Conference record books with his scoring prowess. Even with only 12 games to add to his career scoring total, Roy completed his junior season with 1,174 points. With an average of 24 points per game while playing 10 hard-fought, emotional games in a span of three weeks, it is not outlandish to think he could have scored enough over two full seasons to blow past 2,000 career points and maybe even challenge Bryan Antoine’s Shore record of 2,499. With this season chopped down to only six weeks, Antoine’s record remains safe and the 2,000-point plateau is a longshot – albeit a longshot for a player who specializes in them. Roy showed off his limitless range throughout the season, not only hitting deep threepointers but hitting them at critical junctures of the game – including the halfcourt shot vs. Trenton Catholic. Ultimately, though, Roy’s excellence so far has been less about the stats (as good as they are) and more about the winning. Manasquan is 725 since he joined the program with two Shore Conference championships – one official and another unofficial – and two NJSIAA sectional championships. He will return next year to add to his numbers, his legacy and Manasquan’s championship trophy case with one more run.

Jack Seidler, Jr., Forward, 6-5, Marlboro Key 2021 Stats: 20.1 pts per game, 7.15 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 19 3-pts, 83% FT Signature Game: After dropping its opener against stateranked St. Peter’s Prep and fighting off Howell the following day, Marlboro was staring at an early 10-point deficit against a quality Colonia team in the third game of the season. At that point, Seidler threw the team on his back and went off for a career-high 31 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists. The effort was enough to carry Marlboro to a 75-69 win over the Patriots, which proved to be one of the two biggest wins of the regular season for Marlboro Marlboro did endure a rough stretch of games early in the season that was exacerbated by two-week shutdown that wiped out most of the first two weeks of practice time. Seidler had strong outings against St. Peter’s Prep, Howell, Colonia and Ranney to open the year but a 33point loss to CBA was a low point for both player and team. As it has done over the past two years, though, Marlboro bounced back with a seven-game winning streak that carried the Mustangs all the way to the unofficial Shore Conference title game. Seidler put forth strong performances against CBA, Neptune and Ranney along the way and put up 19 points in the championship game against Manasquan. The 6-5 junior and his team had some momentum

Spatola’s dominant second-half performance at Ranney was just one example of how Marlboro’s 5-8 guard embraces big games. Two days earlier, he scored 25 points to go with six rebounds and three assists in a playoff win over Holmdel and he capped the season with 16 points, five rebounds and six assists in the championship classic at Manasquan – including a clutch, game-tying jumper with just over a minute to go in overtime. Spatola had four games of 25 points or more and they came against Greater Middlesex Conference champion Colonia, No. 4 CBA, No. 6 Holmdel and No. 2 Ranney. In the win over Colonia – Marlboro’s first of the season – Spatola was a menace on both ends of the floor, finishing with 25 points, five rebounds, four assists and a career-high eight steals in the 75-69 Mustangs win. The combination of electric offense, relentless perimeter defense and an overall motor make Spatola one of the best guards returning in New Jersey for 2022. He finished this season No. 8 in the Shore in both scoring and steals and will have almost an entire team back around him next year, when Marlboro – which finished higher in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 (No. 3) and the state top 20 (No. 20) than ever before this season – will look to capture a postseason championship that has thus far eluded the Mustangs.

Elijah Perkins, Jr., Guard, 6-4, Ranney Key 2021 Stats: 15.0 points per game, 3.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3.5 steals, 0.9 blocks Signature Game: Perkins did not dominate games by scoring a boatload of points but he still dominated quite a number of them with his ability to get in the lane, find teammates and cause havoc on defense. One game in which he did all of it was a Shore Conference Playoff win over Southern – Ranney’s first game in more than a week after shutting down for several days while undergoing COVID-19 contact tracing. In his team’s first game back, Perkins went off for 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists and six steals in a 30-plus-point win over the Rams. There were players with more robust numbers than the ones Perkins put up, but that is life on a team that goes 10-deep with everyone looking to get their shots. Throughout the shortened 2021 season, Perkins was the player who tied it all together for the 9-1 Panthers, whose only loss came in a Shore Conference Playoff game in which Perkins scored a season-high 21 points and got into the paint regularly.

His numbers might not jump off the page, but Perkins has ability that does just that. It was incredibly difficult for defenders to keep him in front of them, and when he has a head of steam, his ability to elevate and play above the rim exceeds that of any other player in the Shore Conference by a fair margin. Perkins also caused havoc on the ground with the second-highest per-game steal total in the Shore Conference. Perkins posted two 20-point games this season and on top of the 21-point game vs. Marlboro, also led Ranney in scoring three other times – against CBA (15 points), Wall (14) and Southern (17). Ranney played an all-Shore-Conference schedule this season and nine of the Panthers’ 10 games were against teams ranked in the SSN Top 10. Against the Shore’s best, Perkins consistently showed up and the result is his second All-Shore selection and first as a First-Teamer.

Isaac Hester, So., Guard, 6-0, Ranney Key 2021 Stats: 16.4 pts per game, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 steals, 15 3-pts Signature Game: It did not take long for Hester to introduce himself to the Shore Conference with his A-game, which he brought to the gym in Neptune for the second game of Ranney’s season. In Ranney’s second of two wins over the Scarlet Fliers, Hester posted a career-high 30 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists in an 81-65 win over Neptune. Hester began his high school career at Gill St. Bernard last season and made a significant impact as a freshman at one of the state’s strongest programs. The Ocean Township native looked to play closer to home this season and landed at Ranney, where he added a dimension to the Panthers that they were somewhat lacking in 2019-20. Ranney already had athleticism, size and some shooting, but lacked a player who combined both athleticism, skill and consistent shooting ability. Hester brought that combination in spades during the 2021 season and it got this Ranney group to the next level. Like Perkins, Hester probably did not score as much as some of the Shore’s other highest scorers because he played on a team with so many players who can score and were worthy of shots. Hester had his games in which he took the offensive lead – the 30-point game at Neptune, 22 points in wins at Marlboro and St. Rose, and team-highs in other wins over Neptune and Wall. He also had games in which he was more deferential – 23 combined points in two wins over CBA, nine points in a 36-point rout of Wall and two points in a 33-point win over Southern. Even when Spatola kept him in check during the second half of the Shore Conference semifinal, Hester still finished with 17 points. Hester’s final numbers still put him in exclusive company within this year’s Shore Conference. He was one of only three players at the Shore to average at least 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals per game, and the other two – Andre Wells of Matawan and Savon Myers of Manchester – did so as clear No. 1 options and ball-handlers on their respective teams. Hester is set to return next year with a loaded Ranney roster that will again challenge for Shore Conference supremacy and is likely to be extra motivated after coming up short in 2021.

Jack Collins, Sr., G/F, 6-5, Manasquan Key 2021 Stats: 14.8 pts per game, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.75 steals, 1.1 blocks, 31 3-pts, 77% FT Signature Game: Like his fellow First-Team teammate, Collins had a number of great performances during Manasquan’s perfect season. The best, though, was a 29-point outburst at Neptune in which Collins not only set a career-high in scoring, but also put up 13 rebounds and matched his season-high with five three-pointers as Manasquan pulled away late to beat the Scarlet Fliers, 62-45 – the first of three wins over Neptune. While Collins entered the season with big-game experience from a year ago – some of it even coming as a starter – his role on this year’s

Manasquan team had to increase for the Warriors to be close to as good as they were a year ago. Collins delivered across the board, stepping up as the second scoring option alongside Roy while also leading the team in rebounds. Collins had such a well-rounded game for Manasquan that he was the only player in the Shore Conference to finish in the Shore’s top 50 in points (27th), rebounds (17th), assists (46th), steals (32nd), blocks (21st), three-pointers (14th) and free-throw percentage (23rd). There may not be any top-10 finishes among those categories for Collins, but that could also be because Manasquan was consistently up against some of the best teams at the Shore and from around the state. After opening the season with two wins over St. Rose, Manasquan exclusively played teams that were ranked either in the state Top 20 (No. 6 Montclair Immaculate, No. 14 Trenton Catholic, No. 19 Don Bosco and No. 20 Marlboro) or the Shore Top 10 (No. 3 Marlboro, No. 4 CBA, No. 7 Neptune and No. 8 Wall). The lone exception was a Life Center Academy team that is not eligible to be ranked in the NJ.com Top 20 but boasts multiple Division I prospects and would be a Top 20 team if eligible. Collins had one of his better games against Life Center, going for 24 points and seven rebounds in that Manasquan win, including 18 points in the first half. The senior also posted his other double-doubles in wins over Montclair Immaculate (18 points and 10 rebounds) and Marlboro (12 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and three blocks) and in the Marlboro win, he set up the final Manasquan possession with an all-out dive into the first row to save the ball by calling timeout. In a year in which Collins appeared all over the stat sheet for Manasquan, it was a play Collins made that does not appear in the box score that made the difference in Manasquan’s championship win.

SECOND TEAM Colin Farrell, Sr., Guard, 6-1, CBA Key 2021 Stats: 18.6 pts per game, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 20 3-pts Alex Bauman, Jr., Guard, 6-5, RBC Key 2021 Stats: 16.1 pts, 10.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.2 blocks, 78.4% FT, 13 3-pters Andre Wells, Sr., Guard, 6-0, Matawan Key 2021 Stats: 22.9 pts per game, 5.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.35 steals, 21 3-pters, 77.5% FT Alex Baker, Sr., Forward, 6-5, Holmdel Key 2021 Stats: 21.3 pts per game, 8.6 rebounds Sam Fagan, Sr., Guard, 6-0, Neptune Key 2021 Stats: 12.4 pts per game, 4.5 assists, 92% FT Pat Lacey, Sr., Guard, 6-3, Wall Key 2021 Stats: 16.6 points per game, 35 3-pters, 72.3% FT.

THIRD TEAM Scott Gyimesi, Jr., Forward, 6-5, RFH Key 2021 Stats: 19.15 pts per game, 12.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.7 blocks, 18 3-pters, 77.5% FT Connor Walsh, Sr., Forward, 6-5, Manasquan Key 2021 Stats: 7.6 pts per game, 6.1 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 78.3% FTl Mike White, Sr., Guard, 6-2, CBA Key 2021 Stats: 12.9 pts per game, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 17 three-pters Savon Myers, Jr., Guard, 6-4, Manchester Key 2021 Stats: 17.85 pts per game, 12.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 3.9 steals, 1.5 blocks D.J. Thomson, Jr., Guard, 6-4, Keyport Key 2021 Stats: 21.3 pts per game, 6.1 rebounds Justin Soranno, Jr., Forward, 6-6, Central Key 2021 Stats: 17.9 pts per game, 7.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks

2021 Shore Sports Network Boys All-Pod Teams

POD A

POD B

POD C

Player of the Year: Carson Howard, So., Lacey

Player of the Year: Justin Soranno, Jr., F, Central

Player of the Year: Savon Myers, Jr., G, Manchester

Coach of the Year: John Pampalone, Southern

Coach of the Year: Mike Gawronski, Brick

Coach of the Year: Don Connor, Jackson Liberty

1st Team

Jay Silva, Sr., F, Southern Jaden Anthony, Jr., G, Southern Luke Infurna, Sr., G, Southern Jake Kazanowsky, Sr., G/F, TR North Troy Buxton, So., G, Lacey

2nd Team Chris Venturoso, So., G, Lacey

2nd Team Ty Williams, Sr., G, Brick

Amari Ayala-Petty, Jr., G, Donovan Cath. Brandon Bowens, Sr., F, TR North Gavin Migliori, Jr., G, TR South Wesley Deitch, Sr., G, TR North

3rd Team Trevor Pruitt, Sr., F, Donovan Cath.

I-Meer Johnson, Sr., F, Central Joe Dupuis, Jr., F, Howell Zach Emery, Jr., G, Howell Dylan McVeigh, Jr., G, Howell Nick Gallo, Jr., G, Howell

2nd Team Matt Lee, Jr., G, Point Boro

Jake Dombrowski, Sr., G, Brick Mem. Alex Jenkoski, So., G, Brick Josh Michigan, So., G, Brick Mem. Jack Dougard, Jr., Forward, Brick

3rd Team Jake George, Sr., C, Howell

Ethan Paul, Sr., G, TR North Charlie Monica, Sr., F, TR East Gerry Ferrigno, Sr., F, TR South Dylan Orosz, Jr., C, Donovan Cath.

D’Maari Brown, Jr., G, Manchester Dubem Emenuga, Sr., F Jackson Lib. Josh Glenn, Sr., F, Manchester Dallas Weisse, Jr., G, Jackson Lib.

3rd Team Wyatt Haselbauer, Jr., F, Manchester

Luke Braaten, Jr., C, Brick Mem. Keith Adame, So., G, Jackson Mem. John Truhan, So., G, Central Joaquin Ragland, Sr., G, Brick

POD D

Jaxon Baker, Sr., G, Barnegat Josh Kline, Sr., G, Pinelands Phanique Dupree, Jr., F, Jackson Lib. Tyler Quinn, Sr., G, Barnegat Kai Messeroll, Jr., G, Point Boro

Steve Mellett, So., F, Point Boro Colton MacGlashan, Jr., F, Point Boro Rian O’Rourke, Jr., G, Pinelands Jared Krey, Sr., F, Barnegat

POD E

POD F

Player of the Year: D.J. Thomson, Jr., G, Keyport

Player of the Year: Jack Seidler, Jr., F, Marlboro

Player of the Year: Andre Wells, Sr., G, Matawan

Coach of the Year: Phil Recco, Keyport

Coach of the Year: Mike Nausedas, Marlboro

Coach of the Year: John Giraldo, Matawan

1st Team

David Shkolniy, Sr., G, Mater Dei Prep Davon Jackson, Sr., G, Keansburg Mikai Brown-Jones, Sr., F, Asbury Park Kyree Drake, Jr., G, Mater Dei Prep Anthony Tancredi, Jr., Cr, Mater Dei Prep

2nd Team George Mitchell, Jr., F, Keyport Najier Massie, Sr., G, Asbury Park Anthony Longo, Jr., G, Point Beach Daryen Cabrera, Sr., G, Mater Dei Prep Andreas Von Fricke, Sr., F, Mater Dei Prep

3rd Team Derek Ragona, Jr., G, Mater Dei Prep Sha’Born Goodman, So., G, Asbury Park Joe Coakley, Sr., F, Point Beach Damon Jones, Sr., G, Keyport Kevin Burns, So., G Point Beach

Jon Spatola, Jr., G, Marlboro Colin Farrell, Sr., G, CBA Mike White, Sr., G, CBA Dane Moran, Sr., C, CBA Luke Albrecht, Sr., G, Midd. South

2nd Team Joe Lardaro, Sr., F, Freehold Twp. Jiasion Carpenter, Sr., F, Freehold Boro Chris Frontera, Sr., G, Manalapan Jayden Holmes-Cotter, So., F, Freehold Twp. Jay Ratner, Jr., F, Marlboro

3rd Team Ryan Neely, Sr., G, Freehold Boro Pat Lautato, Jr., G, CBA Zach Molod, Jr., G, Marlboro Tom Brown, Sr., G, Midd. South Tyler Ochojski, Jr., F, Freehold Boro

Alex Baker, Sr., F, Holmdel Ryan Bradley, Sr., F, Holmdel Nate Williams, Jr., G, SJV Vinny Pennino, Sr., G, Midd. North Tommy Giannone, Jr., F, Midd. North

2nd Team Matt Kenny, Jr., G, Midd. North Dylan Seay, Fr., F, SJV Will Surdez, So., G, Colts Neck Justin Rivera, Jr., G, Raritan Richie Lee, Sr., G, Colts Neck

3rd Team Kyle Polivka, Sr., G, Holmdel Steve Ciccarone, Sr., F, Colts Neck Gio Gallo, Sr., G, Matawan Colin Haluska, So., G, Matawan Jack O’Leary, So., F, Raritan

POD G

POD H

Player of the Year: Alex Bauman, Jr., G, RBC

Player of the Year: Ben Roy, Jr., G, Manasquan

Coach of the Year: Tyler Schmelz, RBC

Coach of the Year: Andrew Bilodeau, Manasquan

1st Team

Scott Gyimesi, Jr., F, RFH Geoff Schroeder, Jr., G, RFH Cyril Arvanitis, Jr., G, RBC C.J. Ruoff, Jr., G/F, RBC Gio Panzini, Fr., G, RBC

2nd Team Zach Meeks, Fr., F, RBC Tyler Tilton, Sr., G, Shore A.J. Po, Sr., F, Monmouth Patrick Murray, Jr., G, Red Bank Nick Ferrogine, Sr., G/F, Red Bank

3rd Team Jackson Patton, Sr., G, RFH Christian Rodriguez, Jr., G, Long Branch Max Croke, Sr., G, RBC Kiran Desai, Sr., G, Monmouth Josiah Evans, Sr., G, Long Branch

Isaac Hester, So., G, Ranney Elijah Perkins, Jr., G, Ranney Jack Collins, Sr., G/F, Manasquan Sam Fagan, Sr., G, Neptune Pat Lacey, Sr., G, Wall

2nd Team Connor Walsh, Sr., F, Manasquan Logan Peters, Sr., F, Wall Ryan Zan, Jr., F, Ranney Kyle Rhoden, Sr., F, Ranney Colin Ackerman, Jr., G, Wall

3rd Team Casey Mulligan, Sr., G, Manasquan Andre Harris, Sr., G, Neptune Andrew Solomon, Sr., F, Manasquan Tom Palluzzi, Sr., F, Wall Tom Turnbach, Sr., F, St. Rose

Shore Conference Hockey Teams Finish Strong in 2021 by Bob Badders

Managing Editor

he 2021 New Jersey high school ice hockey season was filled with adversity, especially for Shore Conference teams, but the shortened season was not without plenty of highlights. Four area teams are ranked in the NJ Advance Media New Jersey Top 20, with Christian Brothers Academy (5), Rumson-Fair Haven (9), St. John Vianney (14) and Middletown South (20) checking in among the state’s best teams. CBA, which competes in the elite Gordon Conference, is once again the No. 1 team in the Shore and received standout seasons

Rumson-Fair Haven turned in an outstanding season amidst a couple or program pauses due to COVID-19 and finished with 10-0-2 record. The Bulldogs are the second-highest ranked public school team in New Jersey and RFH’s Ronan Hickey also claimed the Shore Conference North Division title. Senior defenseman Andrew Schmid, senior goalie Ronan Hickey and junior forward Brett Pritchard led the way.

Toms River North was the Shore’s other undefeated team as the Mariners skated to an 8-0 record to win the Central Division championship. They were led by a powerful top line featuring seniors Cole Schneider, CBA’s Zach Wagnon Anthony DeFalco and Joe Frattaroli, who combined for 31 goals and 42 assists. Schneider was among from senior defenseman Colin Grable, junior the top scorers in the conference and also forward Zach Wagnon became the first player in program history to and sophomore record 200 career points. Freshman goalie defenseman Patrick Louis Mancuso played great with a .938 save percentage and two shutouts. Reilly.

The South Division title went to the Central Regional Golden Eagles. Central’s potent offense led it to a perfect 6-0 mark in division player and an 8-2

Midd. South’s Nate Block

overall record. Senior forward Trevor Coltenback was the conference scoring champion with 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points. The Eagles had six players record at least 10 points, i n c l u d i n g Coltenback and SJV’s Ryan Kulaszewski juniors Mark Anthony Competello (10-10-20) and Joey Klutkoski (9-16-25) and sophomore Corey van den Berg (13-12-25). Goalie Nick Bilinski tied for the conference lead in save RFH’s Brett Pritchard percentage and was second in goals against average. Other standout players include Middletown South junior forward Nate Block (10-10-21), St. John Vianney forward Ryan Kulaszewski (9-11-20) and Marlboro goalie Dimitrii Kapranov (1.50 GAA, .935 SV%).

Photos by:

Richard Odonnell CBA’s Colin Grable

Marlboro’s Dimitrii Kapranov

richardodonnellphotography.com

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