5-14-19 Issue - 7 Volume XI Shore Sports Network by Shore Sports Network Journal

May 14, 2019 Volume-XI Issue-7

The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want to know after the big game is always, â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;? Is this going to be on Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area. n

Shore Sports Network Website Features GET VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about. n Catch up on the action you might have missed n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year n Follow us on Twitter (over 18,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

Kevin WILLIAMS

Shore Sports Network Director kevin.williams@townsquaremedia.com

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

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

Senior Content Providers MATT Manley // mmanley21@gmail.com GREGG Lerner // glerner3@verizon.net

Shore Sports Network Journal

is published by: Townsquare Media 8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Chris Fleming’s Journey from Forked River to Chicago

Kevin Williams – Shore Sports Network Director

any, actually most of you are probably not familiar with Chris Fleming even though he’s likely the greatest basketball player to come out of Ocean County and maybe even the entire Shore Conference. Fleming scored 2,235 points during his high school career a t Lacey (Class of 1988) and that number would have been considerably higher had the three-point line gone into effect before his senior year when he a vera ged 32 points a game. He played college basketball at both Connecticut and Richmond before heading over to Germany where he played for several years before entering the coaching ranks. It is coaching where Fleming has achieved even more success and even greater notoriety with more to come which I’ll get to in a moment. After his playing days ended he remained in Germany as a coach and he guided teams to several championships during a 15year run. In 2014 he was appointed coach of the German National Team and a year later hired as an assistant with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. After two seasons with the Nuggets Fleming returned to the East Coast as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets and after several years of juggling his NBA duties with the German National Team he

finally devoted all his attention to the pro game here. Chris was given considerable praise for his work with the Nets under head coach Kenny Atkinson and Brooklyn earned a playoff spot this year for the first time since 2015.

That brings you up to date on Fleming…almost. This week he was hired as the Chicago Bulls top assistant under head coach Jim Boylen and from everything I have read many in the Windy City expect him to be the next head coach and it could come sooner than la ter. The 49-year old is well-respected and said to have a ver y good idea of how the game is played today and it seems to be just a matter of time before he does indeed become a head coach. Not bad for a kid who grew up in Forked River. By the way his fa ther Bob was a pretty good player in his o wn right and was my typing teacher a t Central Regional High School. Just thought I would throw tha t in.

The Warriors won a third consecutive SCT title with a 12-7 victory over Christian Brothers Academy to run their record to 17-0 heading into the NJSIAA Tournament. Manasquan also defeated Toms River North, Howell and Rumson-Fair Haven en route to the title By Bob Badders Senior Managing Editor

he Shore Conference Tournament has been completed, and the results have further confirmed what has been the case since opening day: Manasquan is the best team in the Shore.

Manasquan

Manasquan started the season as the No. 1 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 and was the top seed in the SCT. There was little drama as far as upsets go in the entire tournament. The final four were the top four seeds and only one double-digit seed, Freehold Township, reached the quarterfinals. The teams who were expected to advance generally did so. The results of the SCT certainly cleared up a lot in terms of the rankings as we head into the state tournament where two dozen Shore teams qualified. Just like that, the season has begun its stretch run.

Wall (10-3)

(17-0)

The Warriors used a seven-goal run that spanned the second and third quarters to defeat CBA, 12-7, and capture the Shore Conference Tournament championship for the third straight year. Manasquan also defeated Toms River North (16-0), Howell (18-4) and Rumson-Fair Haven (144) on its way to hoisting the hardware. The Warriors are the No. 1 seed in the NJSIAA South, Group 1 state tournament where they will try to win a third title in four years.

The Crimson Knights’ hopes of reaching their first SCT final four were dashed by Rumson-Fair Haven, 12-6, in the quarterfinals. Wall had previously defeated Rumson, 10-9 in overtime, during the regular season. The Knights beat Jackson Memorial, 15-7, in the first round of the SCT. For the NJSIAA Tournament, Wall earned the No. 3 seed in the South, Group 2 section, meaning they could see Rumson for a third time if both reach the title game.

Southern Regional (12-3) Southern fell to Shore Regional, 13-6, in the SCT quarterfinals but came back with a 14-1 win over Brick Memorial to officially clinch its seventh straight outright Class A South division title. The Rams are the No. 5 seed in the NJSIAA South, Group 4 tournament.

CBA (11-6) The Colts had a thrilling 8-7 win over Shore Regional in the SCT semifinals and were tied with Manasquan early in the second quarter in the championship game, but the Warriors pulled away and defeated CBA, 12-7, in the conference title game. CBA also had wins over Red Bank Catholic and Freehold Township in the tournament. The Colts are the No. 6 seed in the NJSIAA Non-Public A state tournament.

Shore Regional (13-1) Shore came through with an 18-5 win over Ocean and a 13-6 win over Southern to reach the SCT semifinals for the first time in program history. It was a back-and-forth game with CBA in the semifinals, but the Blue Devils fell one goal short in an 8-7 defeat. They will try to rebound for a deep run in the state playoffs where they are the No. 4 seed in South, Group 1.

Freehold Township (10-6) The Patriots came through with a big first-round win by taking down Middletown South, 7-4, to reach the quarterfinals as the No. 10 seed. The win also reversed a 6-5 loss to the Eagles during the regular season. The Patriots fell to CBA in the quarterfinals, 9-3, but got back into the win column with a 10-6 win over Allentown. Freehold Township is the No. 7 seed in the NJSIAA South, Group 4 tournament.

Middletown South (11-4) The Eagles drop one spot after losing to Freehold Township, 7-4, in the ﬁrst round of the SCT. They came back with a thrilling 8-7 overtime win over rival Middletown North in a game played at MetLife Stadium. Middletown South is the No. 10 seed in the North, Group 3 state playoffs.

Howell (10-7) Rumson-Fair Haven (11-9) The Bulldogs reached the SCT semifinals once again before falling to eventual champion Manasquan, 14-4. Rumson did get revenge on Wall with a 12-6 win in the quarterfinals, however, reversing a 10-9 loss from the regular season. Rumson also defeated Holmdel, 14-6, in the first round. The Bulldogs are the two-time defending South, Group 2 champions and secured the No. 1 seed for the tournament.

The Rebels scored a 10-4 victory over Lacey in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament before bowing to eventual champion Manasquan, 18-4, in the quarterfinals. Howell also had an 11-8 win over Ocean and a 9-4 loss to Cranford during the week. The Rebels are seeded No. 6 in the NJSIAA South, Group 4 playoffs.

St. John Vianney (9-7) The Lancers fell to Southern, 9-8, in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament, but climb into the Top 10 based on their overall body of work and challenging schedule that includes wins over Holmdel, Ocean and Red Bank Catholic. SJV is the No. 10 seed in the NJSIAA Non-Public A tournament.

Shore Conference Tournament Seeds, Schedule, Bracket By Matt Manley

Senior Staff Writer

Shore Conference Tournament- Seeds 1. Middletown South 2. Jackson Liberty 3. CBA 4. Red Bank Catholic 5. Jackson Memorial 6. Manalapan 7. Wall 8. Ocean 9. Manasquan 10. Point Boro 11. Freehold Twp. 12. Toms River North 13. Howell 14. Neptune 15. Toms River South 16. St. John Vianney 17. Brick Memorial 18. Colts Neck 19. Pinelands 20. Monmouth 21. Lacey

22. 23. 24. 25.

Bar negat Mater Dei Prep Point Beach Ranney

Tournament Schedule

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Saturday, May 18

Wednesday, May 22

(24) Pt. Beach/9 Manasquan vs. (25) Ranney/(8) Ocean (23) Mater Dei/(10) Pt. Boro at (7) Wall

Opening Round Wednesday, May 15

(22) Barnegat/(11) Freehold Twp. at (6) Manalapan

(25) Ranney at (8) Ocean

(21) Lacey/(12) TR North at (5) Jackson Mem.

(24) Point Beach at (9) Manasquan (23) Mater Dei Prep at (10) Point Boro (22) Barnegat at (11) Freehold Twp. (21) Lacey at (12) Toms River North (20) Monmouth at (13) Howell (19) Pinelands at (14) Neptune (18) Colts Neck at (15) Toms River South (17) Brick Memorial at (16) SJV

(20) Monmouth/(13) Howell at (4) RBC (19) Pinelands/(14) Neptune at (3) CBA (18) Colts Neck/(15) TR South at (2) Jackson Liberty. (17) Brick Mem./(16) SJV at (1) Middletown South

Semifinals Wednesday, May 29 At Count Basie Park

Championship Sunday, June 2 At FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood

very week this spring, Windmill Restaurants & Shore Sports Network will be selecting a Boys Lacrosse Team of the Week based on its performance over the past week. goals and dished out two assists, senior midfielder James Pendergist banked three goals and two assists and senior goalie Mike LaPoint made eight saves to lead the way. Sophomore attackman Casey Mulligan added two goals, senior midfielder Riley Callahan and freshman midfielder Robert Pendergist each scored once and senior attackman Ryan Anderson chipped in with three assists. Manasquan jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by the Pendergist brothers, but CBA battled back to eventually tie the game at four early in the second quarter. From there, the Warriors’ defense buckled down to allow just four shots over the next 23 minutes and give the offense the possessions to pump in seven straight goals and effectively put the game away heading into the fourth quarter. The win pushed Manasquan’s undefeated record to 17-0 and elevated the Warriors into rarified air, joining CBA (4) and Rumson-Fair Haven (6) as the only programs to win three or more SCT championships. Manasquan cruised to victory in the first two rounds of the SCT, defeating 16th-seeded Toms River North, 16-0, in the first round and then beating No. 8 Howell, 18-4, in the quarterfinals. The SCT semifinals matched them up with a familiar foe: Rumson. The two teams met during the regular season with Manasquan winning, 13-2, and while the end result this time was another 10-goal win, the process was much different. Manasquan battled through a total of eight minutes of penalties in the first quarter, including five minutes of non-releasable time that had standout defenseman Tommy Shaughnessy out of the game. The Warriors’ 2-0 lead was erased as Rumson grabbed a 3-2 lead with 50 seconds to go, but a swift response in the form of goals by Mulligan and Anderson in the final 16 seconds of the opening quarter gave Manasquan a 4-3 lead.

he Windmill Team of the Week for Week 6 (May 6-May 12) is Manasquan, which won its third consecutive Shore Conference Tournament title with a 12-7 victory over Christian From the time Rumson took its one-goal lead, Manasquan scored 11 straight goals on its way Brothers Academy. Shore Sports Network stopped by practice to a 14-4 victory that sent them to the championship game for the fourth straight season. Monday to present the Warriors and head coach Sean Cunningham With a third SCT title in hand, Manasquan now turns its attention to the state tournament. The with a special certificate and a $300 WindMill gift card. Warriors are the No. 1 seed in the South, Group 1 section where they will look to win their third At Monmouth University’s Kessler Stadium on Saturday, May 11, Manasquan used a sevengoal run that spanned the second and third quarters to pull away from CBA on the way to a ﬁve-goal victory that secured the SCT championship. Senior attackman Canyon Birch scored ﬁve

state sectional title in the last four years and try to claim the program’s ﬁrst group state championship.

he Windmill Girls Lacrosse Team of the Week is RumsonFair Haven, which secured an unprecedented seventh straight Shore Conference Tournament championship with a 9-6 win over Red Bank Catholic. Shore Sports Network stopped by practice Tuesday to present the Bulldogs and head coach Amy O’Keefe with a special certificate and a $300 WindMill gift card.

The Bulldogs began their successful title defense with a 16-6 win over Howell in the first round of the SCT. They followed with a dominant 19-3 win over Wall in the quarterfinals and then defeated Red Bank, 12-6, in the semifinals.

Rumson’s championship game opponent, Red Bank Catholic, nearly won the regular-season matchup when the two teams met, but the Bulldogs were able to hold on for an 11-10 victory. This time, the Caseys once again jumped out to an early lead with a 2-0 advantage through the opening 10 minutes. Rumson responded, however, with three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead and eventually held a 5-3 edge at halftime. Rumson scored the first goal of the second half but RBC battled back to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 6-5. As it has done for the last seven years. Rumson was able to hold off yet another challenger by scoring three of the game’s final four goals to take the SCT crown and extend its winning streak against Shore Conference teams to an incredible 120 games. Rumson (19-2) is the No. 1 seed in the NJSIAA North 2, Group 2 tournament and will try to win its fifth straight sectional title.

Southern entered the week ranked No. 10 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 before delivering an 8-4 road victory over then-No. 6 Middletown South. Junior attackman Cade Johnson scored three goals and added one assist and senior goalie Luke Maul made 14 saves to backstop a shutdown defensive effort. Senior midfielder Ajani Steverson and junior midfielder Aaron Hutchinson added two goals each and freshman midfielder Ryan Sininsky scored once. The Rams followed the ranked win over the Eagles with a 17-1 win over Long Branch. Nick Stankus tallied three goals and three assists, Johnson scored three times ad Steverson had two goals and two assists to lead the way. Southern capped its week with a hard-fought 9-8 victory over St. John Vianney in the Shore Conference Tournament round of 16. Johnson again paced the offense with three goals and two assists while Steverson scored twice and Maul made nine saves to send the Rams back to the quarterfinals. Jake Hughes added a goal and two assists while Stankus and Luke Bruther each scored once.

he Windmill Team of the Week for Week 5 (April 29 to May 5) is Southern Regional, which went 3-0 to reach the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and run its winning streak to 10 games. Shore Sports Network stopped by practice Monday to present the Rams and head coach John Pampalone with a special certificate and a $300 WindMill gift card.

Since suffering losses to Freehold Township (6-5) and Manasquan in their first three games, the Rams have been perfect with 10 straight victories. Southern defeated Jackson Memorial, 6-5, on April 26 to clinch at least a share of the Class A South division title for the seventh straight year.

WEEK-4

WEEK-3

WEEK-2

Shore Regional

Freehold Township

Wall

WEEK-1

Howell

RFH girls lacrosse wins seventh consecutive SCT championship

Bob Badders – Senior Managing Editor

he word ‘dynasty’ no longer seems to apply to Rumson-Fair Haven’s girls lacrosse team. The Bulldogs have ventured beyond that into a stratosphere all their own. On Saturday May 11th at Monmouth U n i v e r s i t y ’s Kessler Stadium, Rumson held off a game Red Bank Catholic squad for a 9-6 victory

that secured an unprecedented seventh straight Shore Conference To u r n a m e n t c h a m p i o n s h i p f o r the Bulldogs. Cassie James’ goal off an assist from Chase Boyle with 12:38 left was R u m s o n ’s s e v e n t h o f t h e g a m e a n d h e l d u p a s t h e g a m e - w i n n e r. R e d B a n k Catholic closed to within one goal with just over eight minutes to go on a goal by Ava S m i t h , b u t R u m s o n ’s d e f e n s e p u t t h e c l a m p s o n t h e C a s e y s a n d S o p h i a Pa s s a l a q u a s c o r e d twice in the final five minutes to ice another SCT championship.

great game with 12 saves.

Once again Red Bank Catholic grabbed an early lead as O’Connor scored at the 20:31 mark and again at 14:47, both off free position shots, to give the Caseys a 2-0 lead. Rumson got on the board at 14:00 when

Boyle led Rumson with two goals and two assists while senior goalie Sophia B o c k l a g e m a d e 1 1 s a v e s , i n cl u d i n g s e v e n i n t h e s e c o n d h a l f . J a m e s a n d Pa s s a l a q u a scored twice, Jordan Johnson tallied one goal and two assists and Allie McGinty a n d A v a Po u p a r d e a c h s c o r e d o n c e .

goal

U n l i k e m o s t o f R u m s o n ’s p r e v i o u s title-game triumphs, No. 7 did not c o m e e a s y. P e r h a p s t h a t w a s t o b e expected since when the two teams met in the regular season the Bulldogs had to rally to eke out an 11-10 win.

In addition to winning a seventh straight conference title, Rumson also tied Shore Regional for the most SCT crowns all-time with eight and stretched its winning streak against Shore Conference teams to mindboggling 120 games.

Riley O’Connor led Red Bank Catholic with three goals and Smith scored twice. Mackenzie Boyle added one goal and one assist, Grace Gargiulo dished out two assists and Lindsay Mazzucco had a

So. Chase Boyle Sr. Kerry Tuorto

Boyle dished to James for a quick connection that found the back of the net, and that strike ignited a three-goal run in a span of 3:07 that gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Red Bank Catholic answered when O’Connor scored her third goal, but Rumson closed the first half on goals by Boyle and

Po u p a r d t o t a k e a 5 - 3 l e a d i n t o t h e b r e a k . The lead could have been even more if not for the play of Mazzucco, who made nine of her 12 saves during the first 25 minutes. R u m s o n ’s l e a d g r e w t o 6 - 3 e a r l y i n t h e t h i r d quarter when McGinty converted a pass from Johnson. Red Bank Catholic was able to cut its deficit to 6-5 thanks to a pair of clutch plays by Mackenzie Boyle, first on an assist to Smith and then scoring off a deft pass f r o m G a r g i u l o w i t h 1 5 : 2 2 t o p l a y. Rumson never let RBC find the equalizing goal, h o w e v e r, a s a d e f e n s e s p e a r h e a d e d b y s t a n d o u t s e n i o r Grace Jamin forced key turnovers to send the ball the other w a y. J a m e s ’ g o a l w i t h 1 2 : 3 8 o n t h e cl o c k g a v e t h e B u l l d o g s a 7 5 lead and, after S m i t h ’s g o a l c l o s e d t h e gap to 7-6, Passalaqua took advantage of an aggressive RBC defense with a pair of insurance goals. Jr.

Sophia Passalaqua

Photos by:

By Bob Badders - Managing Editor

ven before Manasquan’s 2019 class came together on Broad Street, the chatter had already begun about the group’s potential and how much they could accomplish at the high school level.

Four years later, with the accolades and trophies already piled high, the Warriors cemented their legacy as one of the very best to classes to come through the Shore Conference. On a picturesque day at Monmouth University’s Kessler Stadium, top-seeded Manasquan pulled away from Christian Brothers Academy for a 12-7 win that secured the program’s third consecutive Shore Conference Tournament title. Senior attackman Canyon Birch banked five goals and two assist, senior midfielder James Pendergist delivered three goals and two assists and senior goalie Mike LaPoint made eight saves, helping the Warriors secure their place in history. Manasquan is now the third program to win three SCT titles, joining CBA (4) and Rumson-Fair Haven (6), and also joins Rumson as the only programs to win three straight SCT championships. “I remember freshman year we had the expectation list and every year it was Shore Conference, then states, then T.O.C.,” Pendergist said. “This 2019 group is the most successful group that has gone through Manasquan High School so to be able to come out here and do it for the third time is pretty special.” “This was a long time coming,” said senior defenseman Jack Fabean. “Kids like me, Canyon, Michael (LaPoint), James, Ryan Anderson, Casey Campbell and other kids I’m forgetting, we’ve been on the same Shark River team since fifth grade. We knew what we were capable of since we were beating teams like Summit and Mountain Lakes back then. We knew we could do some stuff when we got to high school”

“It’s awesome to have a three-peat, not many programs are able to do that,” Birch said. “For our class to be here four times; definitely the experience helped us come out with a win today.” Sr. Canyon Birch 12

Heading into Saturday’s SCT final, Manasquan had blown out all but one of its opponents – an 11-7 win over perennial state powerhouse Bridgewater-Raritan. The Warriors played CBA in the regular season and came away with a 15-4 victory, and it was hard to foresee anything but a similar outcome in the conference title game. The Colts are a young team, but they are talented and well-coached under Dave Santos, and they did not simply yield to the juggernaut Warriors not matter what others expected to happen. Manasquan jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals the Pendergist brothers, James and freshman midfielder Robert, but CBA answered when sophomore midfielder Kyle Aldridge beat LaPoint with a perfect shot just under the crossbar. The teams traded goals for the rest of the quarter and Manasquan held a 4-3 lead after the first 12 minutes.

missed Thursday’s semifinals win over RumsonFair Haven with a knee injury, had two goals and two assists. Manasquan had several players raise their level of play in the semifinals when Pendergist was out, notably his brother, Robert, who had a pair of goals, but getting back their outstanding two-way middie was a major boost for Manasquan. “He’s that old-fashioned, dual-threat middie who can do it all on both ends of the field,” Birch said. “Just to have his senior leadership back and to have another scoring threat on the field was a big boost for us. It gave everyone m o r e

Aldridge scored his third of the game 58 seconds into the second quarter to tie the game at four, momentarily dispelling any notion of a blowout win by Manasquan. CBA had come to play, and Manasquan had to find a way to keep the Colts from pulling ahead.

“I think once they started scoring, we realized we need to get this done,” LaPoint said. “We put the break on and just got after it. It was us being a veteran team calming down and taking every play step-by-step and working together.” Manasquan’s response was swift and forceful. Birch scored an unassisted goal at 9:32 and then scored off a pass from Pendergist for a 6-4 lead. Sophomore attackman Casey Mulligan then scored off a setup from Pendergist at the 4:42 mark before scoring again off a feed from Birch to give Manasquan an 8-4 halftime lead. Birch had three goals and two assists at halftime while Pendergist, who

Sr. Mike LaPoint

confidence. Just his presence, you know teams have to respect him.” “There was no way I wasn’t playing today,” Pendergist said. “I told our trainer and Dr. Petrosini I have to play in this one. We needed the three-peat.” It was much of the same in the third quarter with senior midfielder Riley Callahan scoring at 10:09 to extend the lead to 9-4. Birch scored his fourth goal of the game at 8:07, then deposited his fifth goal when a pass intended for Pendergist found its way into

Sr. Mike Page

See

W a r r i o r s page 14 13

W a r r i o r Continued from page 13 the back of the net. After Aldridge’s goal at 11:02 of the second quarter, Manasquan scored seven straight goals while allowing just four CBA shots across a span of 23:30, turning a 4-4 game into an 11-4 lead that would not be surmounted. “It all started with our defense,” Birch said. “They played really well in that second quarter and allowed us to get more possessions on offense. Once we got more looks at their defense we were able to dissect more and more throughout the game.” “We really honed in on coming in the backside and taking away the crease where they got most of their goals,” said senior LSM Mike Page. “It kind of just got us fired up and we said, ‘alright, let’s go’. When we hit adversity we get going and start to build momentum.” “The intensity went up and that was a huge part for us,” Fabean said. “Canyon hit some shots that were really momentum shots. Certain shots he takes, you’re like, ‘wow’, and it kind of changes the face of the game.” CBA’s Connor Macrae scored an extra-man opportunity goal eight seconds into the fourth quarter, but Pendergist scored a behind-the-back

Sr. James Pendergist

goal off a pass from Ryan Anderson less than a minute later to give Manasquan a 12-5 lead. CBA scored quickly after when Mason Rudolph set up Dan Martin for quick, turnaround shot to make it 12-6 and Terrance Lacewell scored with 4:35 left to cut Manasquan’s lead five goals, but that was as close as CBA would get.

“We knew we had a tough opponent coming in,” said CBA head coach Sean Cunningham. “They are talented, very well-coached and it’s always hard to beat a good team twice. At 4-4, you understand it’s going to be a grind, you have to show up and work and make plays, and fortunately, we were able to go on a pretty good run there. This senior class was able to lead us to victory.”

Head Coach Sean Cunningham & Shore Conference Dir. Jason Corley

SCT Photos by:

Rotator Cuff Symptoms By David Gentile, MD - Professional Orthopaedic Associates

In the overhead athlete, rotator cuff problems often result from inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons known as tendonitis or the soft tissue bursae between the tendons and the bones which is called bursitis. Symptoms often result from overuse of the rotator cuff and less frequently are caused from a direct injury or tear of the tendons. Determining the exact cause of the shoulder pain requires a careful history as to the nature of the symptoms, how the symptoms developed and a focused physical examination of the shoulder. A common list of symptoms that may be present with rotator cuff problems include

he rotator cuff is a common source of shoulder pain, especially in athletes that use their arm in an overhead position such as swimmers, pitchers, and volleyball players. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles which are attached to the shoulder blade and their tendons which connect the muscles to the upper arm bone. The coordinated contracture of the muscles stabilizes the shoulder blade to provide a stable platform that allows movement of the arm and hand above the level of the shoulder. David R. Gentile, MD, FACS Arthroscopic Surgery, Sports Medicine, Shoulder & Elbow, Hand & Wrist

David R. Gentile, MD, FACS, is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in arthroscopic surgery, sports medicine, shoulder, elbow, hand, and wrist. Dr. Gentile joined Professional Orthopaedic Associates in 1998. Dr. Gentile is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He was also recognized as a New Jersey Monthly Top Doctor in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016

pain, difficulty with overhead movement of the arm, and weakness. Pain usually involves the outside of the arm between the top of the shoulder and the elbow which is made worse with sleeping or laying on the affected side, lifting items with the arm away from the body, or even lifting the weight of the arm itself above the shoulder. Weakness may involve lowering the arm to the side from an overhead position or lifting the arm away from the side of the body especially while it is held away from the body and holding items in the hand. An orthopedic surgeon can perform a physical examination of the shoulder including specific tests which helps to determine the structures which are causing the shoulder pain and evaluate the strength and function of each of the shoulder muscles including the rotator cuff. Based on the findings of the history and physical examination, imaging studies such as X-rays and an MRI of the shoulder will help to confirm the diagnosis and assist to determine the extent of damage to the involved structures of the rotator cuff and other soft tissues. If you are experiencing symptoms which affect your activities of daily living, exercise participation, or work you should consider a consultation with an with an orthopedic surgeon.

very week this spring, Jersey Mikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s & Shore Sports Network will be selecting a Baseball Team of the Week based on its performance over the past week.

he Christian Brothers Academy baseball program is no stranger to Monmouth County Tournament championships, having won eight of them prior to this season.

It was only three years ago the Colts last claimed the title, but with no more links to that team on the current roster and a rocky start to the 2019 season, the championship days at CBA seemed distant as recently as three weeks ago. Over the last two weeks, however, this CBA group showed they still play in a program that remains a force to be reckoned with come tournament time. On Tuesday night at FirstEnery Park in Lakewood, CBA defeated Ocean, 8-1, to win its ninth

hen Jerry Frulio took over the Central Regional baseball program for his second stint as its head coach, he knew he was not inheriting the team that won 18 games and reached the Shore Conference Tournament championship game a year ago.

Seven senior starters graduated from that squad and the group that returned had limited experience throughout the lineup, so Frulio was hoping to lay the foundation for some good seasons in the near future and pick up a few wins along the way in 2019. One of the wins the Golden Eagles picked up along the way was one that few, if any, could have ever seen coming. On the morning of April 25, a two-win Central club picked up its

Monmouth County Tournament title in program history and fourth in the last six years. That feat also earned CBA the latest Jersey Mike's Team of the Week honor. CBA opened the season as the No. 5 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 but stumbled to a 2-3 start with a loss at Howell and back-to-back losses to Middletown South. In the process, however, the Colts found a new ace. Junior Pat Reilly struck out 16 in a two-hit shutout in his first varsity start - a 4-0 win over Allentown - and has proved since then that the dominant outing was no fluke. He pitched six shutout innings with 12 strikeouts to beat top-seeded Wall and reining Shore Sports Network Pitcher of the Year Trey Dombroski, 1-0, in the MCT quarterfinals, then overcame some messy mound conditions to strikeout four in seven innings in a 5-2 win over Manasquan on Saturday. In that win over Manasquan, Reilly also launched the go-ahead two-run home run in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie. On top of Reilly's emergence, senior Joe Escandon and junior Braedin Hunt have rounded into form alongside him. Hunt closed out the win over Manasquan with three strong innings and Escandon took a perfect game into the sixth inning in a complete-game effort vs. Ocean in the final. The senior lefthander also turned in a huge start in a 3-1 win over Manalapan on May 2 - one day after CBA dropped a 15-inning marathon against the Braves. The depth in the pitching staff has looked more imposing by the week as well. Junior Declan Hoverter pitched a perfect game against Long Branch on April 29, senior Evan Mahns threw six scoreless innings in the 15-inning loss to Manalapan, and senior Anthony Pillari was sharp at the end of that game despite being charged with the winning run. The senior double-play combination of shortstop Tommy DiTullio and Anthony Celestre has also played well during this stretch, with Celestre delivering a key double in each of CBA's wins over Manasquan and Ocean. DiTullio drove in one run in every game last week, plus two more in the MCT championship on a two-run single in the third that made the score 3-0. Juniors Mason Wolf, Sean Arnott and Hunt all had big moments during the week as well, giving CBA plenty of hope that this could be first of a promising two-year run.

third win of the season by stunning Jackson Memorial, 4-3. The Jaguars were then ranked No. 1 at the Shore and No. 2 in the entire state behind a 9-1 record and an overwhelming rundifferential fueled by a relentless lineup, deep pitching staff and sure-handed defense. Central entered the season just hoping to get some of its younger players experience and provide its few senior contributors with some memorable moments, but a last-place team in A South beating one of the best teams in the state? That was not in the playbook and when a team goes above and beyond the call like Central did on that Thursday morning, it has to be the Jersey Mike's Team of the Week. As is the case with any huge win, Central had many heroes. First and foremost, there was junior right-hander Dan Greene. As a sophomore in 2018, Greene gave Central some quality innings in meaningful games and has absorbed a more prominent position in this year's pitching staff. He proved he could headline a rotation with his start against Jackson Memorial, which included three earned runs on five hits and three walks to go with five strikeouts in a complete-game effort. Despite a slow day at the plate, the visiting Jaguars still had a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth with junior lefthander Nick Beetel on the mound. Beetel was an All-Shore pitcher last season after catching fire during Jackson's run to a South Jersey Group IV championship and a two-run lead would figure to be safe in his hands. Central, however, rallied against the Jaguars' All-Shore southpaw. Senior Scott Truhan bunted for a base hit to start the

inning and senior Nick Altieri followed with a single through the middle. Senior Jack Santora then delivered an RBI single to break up the shutout before Jackson finally got an out at third base on a sacrifice attempt. Shane Sajewicz followed with a single to load the bases and junior Evan Agripedes delivered a game-tying RBI single. Junior Mike Masino gave Central the lead with an RBI fielder's choice that turned into two runs on a throwing error. Greene responded by pitching a one-two-three sixth inning but ran into trouble in the seventh. Matt Feld led off the inning with a double but Green got the next two batters on a strikeout and ground out. Christian Pellone then cut the Central lead to one with an RBI double to bring up Ahmir Cournier with a chance to tie the game with a two-out hit. Cournier entered the game hitting .600 for the season but Greene got him to pop out to seal the upset.

Middletown South

Colts Neck

The Shore Conference Tournament was seeded on Monday, May 13 and there were six teams with a realistic case to be the No. 1 seed. As it happened, three teams – Middletown South, Jackson Liberty and CBA – split the six first-place votes from the committee, which is an unusual amount of variety of opinion this late in the season. As it happened, Middletown South earned the No. 1 seed after entering the season unranked in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 – not unlike Jackson Memorial’s journey from unranked to No. 1 during the course of 2018. The committee and the SSN Top 10 are in agreement about the current No. 1 team at the Shore but there is some variance in the rest of the top 10. Here is how we see things heading into the stretch run of 2019.

1. MIDD. SOUTH (14-4, 12-2)

With two wins over CBA and one each over Red Bank Catholic and Manalapan, Middletown South has the most impressive collection of results on the board within the Shore Conference. If there is a concern, it is that the pitching is not as imposing as the staffs that CBA, Red Bank Catholic, Wall and Jackson Memorial have, but Chris Lotito has emerged as a real weapon and this resume – 14-4 with a division title and a 4-1 record against teams that will be in the top eight – is worthy of No. 1 in the Shore Conference field at the moment.

2. CBA (15-4, 9-4)

If the No. 1 spot should go to the team that is currently playing like the best team in the field, CBA should be the pick. After starting 2-3 against a tough schedule (Howell’s two aces, Allentown and Middletown South twice), CBA has since gone 13-1 with the only loss coming in the 15-inning marathon against Manalapan. The Colts are the Monmouth County champions and feature a deep, diverse pitching staff that has power right-handers and control left-handers. Few teams are more equipped to play deep into any given tournament.

3. RBC (17-3, 14-0)

RBC’s case for No. 1 centers around the quality of its losses. The two division wins over Manasquan and the recent win of Toms River North give the Caseys a decent trio of quality wins to lean on as well, but when a team’s only losses are Middletown South, Manasquan with Spencer Bauer on the mound and Delbarton with Jack Leiter on the mound, it has to be taken seriously.

4. JACKSON MEM. (17-3, 12-2)

Jackson Memorial is the opposite of RBC. It doesn’t take long to find the big wins – the Jaguars scored 10 runs or more in wins over Jackson Liberty, Somerville and Bayonne – but the losses are troubling. Neither Central nor Toms River East will be in the Shore Conference Tournament and in losses to Toms River East and Toms River North, the Jaguars were shut out. On top of that, errors have been a problem for the defense. If the Jaguars can clean up the errors, they still have a strong staff and a dangerous lineup that hits the ball hard and doesn’t swing and miss. They have shown a propensity to let down against certain opponents, but they have generally shown up against good competition.

5. JACKSON LIB. (20-1, 14-0)

This might be the simplest case for No. 1. Jackson Liberty is a 20-win, one-loss division champion that is about to play for a county championship this week. No other team in the field can claim all of those things and the suitable reward could very well be the No. 1 seed. The counter-argument, though, is the Lions are the only team in this conversation for No. 1 that has lost a game by 10 runs and that was also the only game it played a team in the running for a top-eight spot. The win at St. Peter’s Prep and a win over Nick Guzzi and Point Boro stamped the Jaguars as a topfive team, but the head-to-head loss in five innings to Jackson Memorial and the softer schedule compared to Middletown South, CBA and RBC will be hurdles to overcome in grabbing the top seed.

6. WALL (16-3, 12-2)

Wall’s early elimination from the Monmouth County Tournament and a strength of schedule that is more good than great have made them an under-the-radar team for the past few weeks, but the Crimson Knights still have a reasonable case for No. 1. Their pitching is as good as anybody’s in the field and they just put up 14 runs against Toms River North on the road. In all three of its losses, Wall gave up the winning run in the seventh inning – walk-off losses to Colts Neck and Neptune and a 1-0 loss to CBA in which the winning run scored on a two-out double-steal. Ace Trey Dombroski is more likely to line up for the NJSIAA Tournament, but Wall’s mid-rotation talent is enough to give them a shot in the SCT.

7. Manalapan (17-5, 11-3)

Less than two weeks ago, Manalapan was undefeated and primed to be the No. 1 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament. Since then, the Braves are 25, conceded the A North division race to Middletown South, lost in the MCT semifinals to Ocean and lost to a Marlboro team that will not be in the field. All that drops the Braves from the No. 1 debate, but they are still looked suited for the top eight. The head-to-head loss to Ocean could prove costly but a win over CBA and some blemishes on the competition should get Manalapan to No. 7.

8. MANASQUAN (13-4, 11-3)

A loss to Raritan might have cost Manasquan a roundof-16 home game in the Shore Conference Tournament, but the Warriors still have a lot going for them. Manasquan beat Red Bank Catholic in a tournament setting on the road, beat Colts Neck convincingly and have close losses to RBC (twice) and CBA on its resume. With a quality pitching staff, the Warriors could function during tournament time if they are able to advance deep into both the SCT and the NJSIAA Group II bracket.

9. OCEAN (18-5, 10-4)

Ocean earned a potential SCT round-of-16 home game on the strength of its win over Manalapan, which got the Spartans to the Monmouth County Tournament championship game. They are also an 18-win team, which is the second-most in the field. The drawbacks for Ocean are a loss to Red Bank and that they faced a favorable draw in the MCT. Monmouth Regional used ace Dante Ciaramella to take out Middletown South and Ocean then faced a more ordinary Falcons team the next day. Manalapan burned through its pitching staff trying to win A North, then had little left to face Max Winters and Ocean in the semis.

10. FREEHOLD TWP. (11-9, 7-7)

There is no shortage of candidates for the No. 10 spot at this point in the season and it is Ocean that takes over at the bottom of the top 10 after an impressive first week. The Spartans battled for two wins against a tough Colts Neck team and then beat a Freehold Township squad that should eventually get going in Class A North. Ocean has a solid-enough pitching staff to back a potent lineup and quality defense that should keep the Spartans in this conversation going forward, especially if it can knock off Wall in a series that begins Thursday.

FIVE KEY FITNESS COMPONENTS TO A BETTER GOLF SWING

By Russell E. Anderson MA, CSCS,TPI F3 - TPI Golf Fitness Professional

OSTURE:

How you set up to swing helps dictate how you ﬁnish your swing and where the ball will end up. Loss of posture during the golf swing can affect timing, balance and rhythm. Losing posture also causes the golfer to rely on their hands to square the club face at contact. 64% of amateur golfers have a loss of posture.

ALANCE:

Being able to control your body throughout the golf swing helps you stay more consistent. Understanding where your body is in space allows our muscles and joints to make appropriate adjustments when needed. Also, past lower body injuries hinder the ability of our body to stay in control due to damaged proprioceptors or balance receptors. 37% of Amateurs cannot balance for more than 10 seconds on one foot with their eyes closed. (DO NOT ATTEMPT ALONE, FOR PURPOSES OF FALLING).

LEXIBILITY:

Having the ability to reach full range of motion not only limits joint pain but will also help you create more range for torque in your swing. On another note, having too much ﬂexibility is also a negative factor when trying to generate force. We need a proper length-tension relationship within our muscles to produce the greatest force.

TRENGTH:

Underlying muscular strength drives all skeletal movement. The more strength we have in our body the more efﬁciency and effort we can put into our swings. Golfers also need strength endurance, which will allow them perform efﬁciently during a four plus hour round. Are you in golf shape?

OWER:

The ability to create large forces in a small amount of time. Which in golf means swinging fast, controlled and hitting the ball far and long. Global Tour Player Power Comparison: Vertical Jump – Female: 16-19”, Male: 18-22”

Jacob Ruch CSCS, TPI Russell E. Anderson CSCS, TPI F3 Titleist Performance Institute. Fitness Level 3. TPI’s Fitness Screen: Isolating any Physical Weaknesses. Version 2.0. Oceanside, CA. 2017. NASM National Academy of Sports Medicine. Optimum Performance Training for the Health and Fitness Professional. Second Edition. Calabasas, CA. 2004.

SPECIAL THANK YOU to all the photographers who allow us to use their

GREAT PHOTOS seen throughout this Issue as well as our website: shoresportsnetwork.com