Shore Sports Network High School Sports 9-23-13 Issue -16

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September 23, 2013 Volume-V Issue-16

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ASM & SSN Join Forces

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CBA’s Keane Reaches 500-Win Mark

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A Grateful Return: Raritan’s Tyler Jones

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Mater Dei Football 2-0 1 st Time Since 1992

TRS Defense 10 Berry, Power Win over Southern

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Jackson Mem. Soccer Keeps Wins Coming

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Ocean’s Alexis Off to a Hot Start

Stumpy’s Corner


The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want to know after the big game is always,

�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.

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Shore Sports Network Web Site Features

n 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

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n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year n Follow us on Twitter (over 12,000 followers) and Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

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Senior Managing Editor stump @a llshor emed ia.co m

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By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

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All Shore Media and Shore Sports Network Have Joined Forces

Townsquare Media Group has entered into an exclusive partnership with All Shore Media, LLC, a New Jersey Shore based multimedia company dedicated to covering high school athletics in New Jersey’s Shore Conference in Monmouth and Ocean counties. All Shore Media is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of local athletes while providing news and information to families, fans and coaches. This partnership combines All Shore with Townsquare’s Shore Sports Network (www.shoresportsnetwork.com), which currently broadcasts high school and college sports as well as minor league baseball. All Shore Media was launched in 2008 as a standalone website and began producing a free bi-weekly newspaper when Director/CEO Steve Meyer joined the company a year later. Meyer, who handles all sales for the company and produces the newspaper, will continue in those roles while assisting in various new projects for the new venture. The website has been a regular

destination for a large and passionate base of Shore Conference fans, parents, players and coaches in the core sports of football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball and lacrosse. Effective immediately All Shore Media’s digital properties will be re-branded and re-directed to www.shoresportsnetwork.com with the All Shore Media team continuing to drive content creation. Furthermore, Townsquare and All Shore will combine forces on events such as the WOBM Christmas Classic and the US Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic.

“To partner with a company that shares our vision, and who has created the Shore Sports Network is about as good as it gets,” said All Shore Media Director and Managing Editor Scott Stump. “I am excited about the future as we’re now all on the same team.” Greg Janoff, Regional Vice President for Townsquare Media New Jersey commented, “This partnership defines who we are at

Townsquare Media. We want to serve our local communities with great programming and events that matter. I’m the father of a former student athlete who played high school football and baseball and I know first hand that nothing brings people and towns together like high school sports. The project with All Shore Media is an exciting one because we share a passion for Shore Conference sports. Athletes and fans will benefit greatly as will businesses looking to reach this important local market. ” Townsquare’s Shore Sports Network broadcasts high school football and basketball and is the radio home for Monmouth University football and basketball, Lakewood BlueClaws minor league basketball and the NFL’s New York Jets. The Shore Sports Network is led by Kevin Williams, a 34-year broadcasting veteran, along with Matt Harmon, Ed Sarluca and Eddy Occhipinti.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com


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CBA Soccer Coach Dan Keane Reaches the 500-Win Mark

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By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

here were no group hugs, team photos, colorful banners or ice-cold Gatorade baths following the foremost milestone coaching win in the history of Shore Conference soccer on Sept. 18 at Christian Brothers Academy. With his team’s 2-1, come-from-behind win over Shore Conference Class A North division rival Howell, 36-year head coach Dan Keane secured his 500th career win as the man in charge of the Shore’s most dominant program on the pitch and despite that, the beloved coach and teacher got none of that special treatment.

That’s because Keane was not even present for his own landmark victory.

Like many a longstanding high school program, CBA soccer is, on its surface, one built on the talent, work ethic and athletic intellect of its players and coaches, but is ultimately held together by something beyond those elements. Multiple generations have contributed to the Colts’ success since Keane’s first season in 1978 and the result has been an often-underlying, but sometimes-prevalent sense of family. Keane has helped to create that sense of responsibility to one another within the program during his 36 years and that same love for his family on the field that motivated him to return for another season as head coach is what ultimately kept him away from one of the more notable victories of his career. On Sept. 18, Keane’s wife was recovering from surgery on her carotid artery. While his team prepared to take the field for what turned out to be win No. 500, Keane was riding home with his wife from New York Presbyterian Hospital.

“We all wanted to win this one for coach,” said junior Russell Romano, who scored the game-winning goal in the 71st minute against Howell. “We knew he had an important family issue to deal with, and we just

wanted to give him some good news. We’re looking forward to seeing him in school and congratulating him.”

It was fitting that Romano score the game-winning goal and that freshman Matt Thorsheim initiated the tying goal midway through the second half – an own goal off the head of a Howell defender – with a well-serviced corner kick. Russell is the third Romano brother to play for Keane, with oldest brother Kevin starting for two years in 2008 and 2009 and middle brother Mike starting as an outside midfielder on the 21-0 NJSIAA Non-Public A championship team in 2011. Thorsheim’s older brother, Chris, was the All Shore Media Player of the Year while starring for that 2011 team as well.

“I’ve had a chance to grow up around the program, and it’s been a big part of my life,” Romano said. “Coach Keane has built this program on integrity, hard work and tradition, and that’s what makes it special playing here. He’s just an all-around great guy, not just out here, but in school every day. He’s a huge part of CBA.”

While the two older Romano brothers and Chris Thorsheim took the program to heights that their younger brothers can only hope to reach at this point, Russell Romano and Matt Thorsheim have already gone where their brothers have not. This year, CBA is fielding its youngest roster during Keane’s tenure, one year after running out a team with zero returning starters and just one goal from the state championship squad that scored 83 times during the previous season. Romano has started since his sophomore year and Thorsheim is just the fourth CBA freshman to ever start for the varsity team. Chris won his first starting job as a sophomore in 2009. The influx of youth over the last two years was what led Keane to consider retirement and for many around the Shore to openly speculate that the longtime CBA coach would indeed step down. On the contrary, the new faces and potential to build yet another champion from scratch is what ultimately drew Keane back for another year. “I just love being around the game and coaching the kids, and deep down, I wasn’t ready to stop doing it just yet,” Keane said. “At the end of the 2011 season, I really thought that was going to be it for me, but I didn’t want to decide right then and there because I knew I might feel differently in a few months. It’s not as easy as it used to be, it’s more demanding at my age and there will come a day when I can’t do it


“To me, 500 is special because it’s a testament to the players and coaches who have been a part of the program in that time, and the parents, administrators and all of the fans who have supported us and cheered us on,” Keane said. “It’s a nice accomplishment for me, but when I’m done coaching, I’ll remember 21-0 in 2011, the 1998 and 2000 teams, and all of the kids that played for me on those teams.” The CBA soccer program endured its first ever losing season in 2012, finishing 6-8-3 while failing to qualify for the Shore Conference Tournament and bowing out of the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A first round. All the more painful for the Colts faithful was that they lost to local Non-Public rival St. John Vianney in overtime, the first time Vianney had ever defeated CBA in soccer. More than a milestone number, rebuilding the program was a motivating factor for Keane to return.

“The way last year ended definitely had something to do with me coming back,” Keane said. “I wouldn’t say it’s the number one reason or anything, and I wouldn’t have had any regrets if that had been it. But it would have been hard to walk away after what really was the worst season in the history of the program. The first losing record, we lose in the first round of the state tournament, and we don’t even qualify for the Shore Conference Tournament, which has never happened.

Keane never saw his father play during his playing days at Panzer College, which later became part of Montclair State University, nor did Dan Sr. watch any of his son’s athletic pursuits. Dan Keane Sr. died at age 45, when Dan Jr. was only 10 years old.

“I didn’t have a chance to spend a whole lot of time with him, but my memories of my father are still pretty vivid,” Keane said. “I can remember as a nine-yearold, him taking me to soccer games in Kearny, which in those days was like the soccer hotbed of the state. It wasn’t always high school games, either. There were club games, adult games, just any game that happened to be going on. He’d try to teach me everything that was going on, but as a nine-year-old, you don’t take in much of that. But over time, some of it starts to resonate with you and just the experience I got to share with my father was enough to boost my interest.” If there are elements of family embedded in the CBA soccer culture, it is easy to see why. Keane’s pursuit of excellence in coaching has been as much a tip of the cap to his parents as it’s been his own pursuit. “I originally wanted to be a sportswriter and that’s what I did in college,” Keane said. “Ultimately, I gravitated toward teaching because both of my parents were in education. I would have never imagined that I’d get into coaching soccer. If he were alive, I think my dad would have been surprised, too. I’d like to think he’d be proud of me because a lot of what I do I learned from him in the brief time I got to spend time with him.”

“The thing about it is, this year we’re even younger. We have some talented young kids, but with the lack of experience we have, there is no guarantee that we’ll be able to have a winning season this year either. I’m just looking forward to the challenge of coaching these young kids and maybe helping them get back that CBA winning tradition.”

The Right-hand Man

For all of his success in soccer over the last 36 years, Keane’s athletic background is in basketball and baseball. As a scholastic athlete, Keane played those two sports while attending Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington, N.J. He then earned a

“When I came (to CBA) they told me you can coach anywhere you want,” Matson said. “Except Red Bank

A Teacher from the Beginning

Of all the people with whom Keane has surrounded himself, none has been more prominent – especially during the second half of Keane’s tenure – than Matson. After coaching both the boys and girls teams at Red Bank Catholic, Matson took a teaching job at CBA.

“Jeff and I are close friends,” Keane said. “We’ve spent 20 seasons together, which is a long time. He’s great working with the kids at practice, doing a lot of the physical stuff that I can’t do anymore.

“One thing that’s been key for us is consistency in coaching. Tommy Mulligan has been the jayvee coach for about 20 years, Rory Fitzgerald has been with the freshmwn for seven years now, and both are CBA guys. Jeff is part of that too, being here for 20 years. It’s the same message every year.”

For the last 20 years, Keane and Matson have been extensions of one another, albeit very different extensions. Keane is the laid-back, affable coach barking out words of encouragement and motivation while Matson is the one who runs practices, directs the game plan and lets officials know when he sees things differently. What makes the two men different from one another is also what has made them such a good team.

“He’s calmed me down a lot,” Matson said of Keane. “I was very fiery in my day and since I teamed up with Danny, his personality has rubbed off on me, and it’s made me a better coach.

“We are very different: he’s more of the motivational type, I’m more tactical, but together, it works very well. And one thing I’ve learned is that it’s always better to have two sets of eyes. We see things differently sometimes, but it’s never gotten in the way of our relationship. In 20 years, we have not had one fight, and that’s a testament to him and the program he runs.” On Sept. 18, with Keane taking care of his actual family, Matson saw to it that the soccer family that Keane has cared for the past 35 years played the CBA way while their coach was away. It was a glimpse of what CBA will be like when Keane finally does call it a career. As many times as the Colts win while he is not there, the roots of success will always be traced back to the unofficial father of CBA soccer.

“I guess I’d have to be the focal point of the program because I’m the one who has been here for 36 years,” Keane said. “But everything I’ve accomplished is because of the people who have passed through the program. That’s the coaches, the players, the parents, the administrators and the students who have supported us. They are the people that make the program so special. I’ve just been lucky enough to be along for the ride.”

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With a background of European soccer traced back to his days living in Belgium as a kid, Matson brought with him an insight into advanced training and tactical soccer that helped Keane take his program to another level. Matson was on board for the landmark seasons of 1998 and 2000 and again in 2011.

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“I knew I knew the game, I knew I could teach it, and I knew I could motivate young people to work together and ultimately to succeed,” Keane recalled. “The one thing that made me nervous is that I didn’t have that actual playing experience that I could share with the kids, and I didn’t know how that would affect me. That’s why I’ve always believed in surrounding the program with top-notch coaches and top-notch people, and that’s really been the secret to the success, along with the kids.”

Matson then moved on from the Colts’ rival 10 minutes east on Newman Springs Road and took the Red Bank Regional head coaching job for two seasons before finally joining Keane’s staff for the 1994 season.

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“Danny and I have talked about it many times over the last two years, and we both feel the same way: 500 is just another number,” said Jeff Matson, Keane’s top assistant for the last 20 seasons. “I know in America we attach a lot of importance to numbers, but when you’ve won championships and had success, what’s one more win? Believe me, Danny wasn’t coming back for another full season just to win one more game. He genuinely loves coaching, and he wants to see this group do well.”

Keane was hired as a teacher at CBA in 1977 and after a year in the school, he was asked if he would be interested in the varsity soccer job. While Keane lacked playing experience himself, his father, Dan Sr., was an all-state player at St. Benedict’s High School in Newark.

Catholic.”

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Several factors conspired to bring Keane back for another year, but the 65-year-old coach insists that winning 500 games was not one of them. In a career that includes five state titles and seven Shore Conference Tournament championships, 500 wins ultimately takes a back seat.

degree in social studies education from Seton Hall University and a master’s degree in education from Montclair State University.

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anymore. But teaching is my passion and as long as that passion is there, I’m going to keep coming back.”


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A Grateful Return: Raritan’s Tyler Jones

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

t all started with the type of routine collision that occurs at thousands of high school football practices across America every day. Raritan linebacker Tyler Jones came on a blitz during a drill in practice on Oct. 3, 2012, when 285-pound offensive lineman Pat Toal, his good friend since kindergarten, slid over to block his path. Toal's knee dinged Jones's right thigh, where he had suffered a quadriceps injury two weeks earlier that he had diligently rehabbed.

Jones figured it was just another one of the bumps and bruises that come with the territory when you're a middle linebacker. As a precaution, he did not practice the next day and received treatment. He then was put through a series of range-of-motion tests on an exercise bike by Raritan athletic trainer Amanda Stump on Oct. 5, a day before the Rockets were set to face Monmouth Regional on the road. After completing the exercises, he went out to the field for a walkthrough without pads in preparation for the Monmouth game, and the pain in his leg suddenly became unbearable. Stump was called by the coaches to come pick up Jones with the school's motorized cart because he couldn't walk. He was taken to her athletic training room, where it became apparent that the situation was escalating quickly.

"I didn't know it was too serious until I went into Mrs. Stump's office, and he started tensing up and grabbing the desk,'' Toal said. "He was trying not to tear up, but you could see he was fighting it. This is a kid who could have a broken arm and would not say anything, so I knew it was bad.''

"He started to get very pale,'' Stump said. "All his veins in his neck were popping out because he was in so much pain, and this is an incredibly tough kid who tries to fight through anything. I called his mother to take him to the hospital, but while we were waiting, it got so bad that I just called 911."

Jones was rushed by ambulance to Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, where a test determined that he was suffering from acute compartment syndrome in his right quadriceps. Acute compartment syndrome occurs after an injury, usually a collision, when swelling or fluid inside a compartment - which contains muscle tissue, nerves and blood vessels - causes increased pressure that can potentially block blood flow to the compartment, according to the National Institute of Health. If the pressure is not relieved, it could result in muscle death and nerve damage that leads to an arm or leg being amputated.

"When we got there, we thought he would be in the emergency room, but he was already in the operating room,'' Raritan head coach Anthony Petruzzi said. "Everything happened so fast."

There was a race against time to get Jones into surgery immediately for a fasciotomy, a procedure where the connective tissue around muscles, blood vessels and nerves, known as fascia, is cut to relieve the pressure. Jones didn't think it was that serious until he woke up from the anesthesia after the surgery and was informed of the situation. "The doctors told me if I waited a couple more hours, my leg was gone,'' Jones said.

Compartment syndrome usually occurs in smaller spaces than the quadriceps such as the forearm or shin area. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder nearly developed it in his throwing arm after last season but doctors were able to relieve it before it required emergency surgery.

"This was the craziest thing I've ever seen because it escalated so quickly and because I've never heard of anyone having it in their quadriceps,'' said Stump, who is in her 13th year at Raritan. "Orthopedic doctors I've spoken with said the only time they've seen this is in a severe car accident." "They told me it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing,'' Jones said.

Petruzzi, Toal and Jones's younger brother, Raritan defensive back Colby Jones, were in the hospital with Tyler and his family until 2 a.m. on Oct. 6 following his surgery. About 12 hours later, the Rockets suffered a tough 13-10 loss to Monmouth Regional without one of their team captains. "Not having that kid on the field is such a loss to our team, to our defense and in our hearts,'' Toal said. "It's such a scary injury, and you don't know how serious it is until it happens to you."

Jones missed the final six games of his junior season while rehabilitating from the injury, watching from the sideline as the Rockets endured a winless campaign. On the one hand, his career was not over

and he did not lose his leg, and on the other hand, a fiery competitor and team captain was forced to helplessly witness the Rockets undergo their worst year in decades. "Sitting on the sidelines and watching what was going on was horrible,'' Jones said. "Knowing I couldn't do anything to help was the worst feeling."

Jones aggressively attacked his rehabilitation, returning in early January to rejoin the wrestling team, where he was a 195-pounder for the Rockets. Now fully healthy, he is not taking a moment for granted as he embarks on his senior football season. The Rockets are off to an 0-2 start, but are clearly improved from the team that went winless last year, as they took defending Central Jersey Group II champion Carteret to the wire in a 12-7 loss. Jones is back to his full-speed, forceful tackling style, and also has a foot-long scar on his right thigh to let him know how close he came to never playing again. "When something you love that much gets taken away in an instant, you kind of reconsider everything that you live for,'' Jones said. "The plays that I used to give up on, when you're sitting in the hospital you think about them, and if I could never play football again, that's something I would always regret. So there's no more plays off. It's just constantly going full bore."

"There's definitely an urgency for him,'' Petruzzi said. "More than anybody else, he can't stand the thought of last year and what happened afterwards. In some of those games he could've been the difference between a win and a loss. He's just a playmaker."

He also is a daily reminder to his teammates that it could all go away tomorrow, so don't be left with the nagging feeling that you didn't give maximum effort.

"He and I would talk and he would say, 'When they say you don't know when it could be your last snap, you literally don't know,''' said Toal, who has committed to Old Dominion. "He said that while sitting there in that (hospital) bed, wishing he was on the field.

"We're playing like it is our last snap. This team is such a strong and hard-headed team now. We don't really care who's in our way. We're going to fight with all we got because you never know when it could all be taken away."


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By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

We’re really happy with the 2-0 start, but we have a long way to go,” said Sciarappa, who is also the school’s principal. “We have high expectations of where we want to go, and we have a lot of work to get there.” The Seraphs believe they are on the verge of turning the corner and becoming a program that can consistently contend in the Shore Conference’s Class B Central division and make a playoff run in Non-Public Group I. This confidence comes from finally having a combination of talent, experience and depth the program has lacked for quite some time. Players like four-year starting linemen Ron Perez and Matt Eckert, along with senior running back and linebacker Sam Miles and junior quarterback Christian Palmer, have been with the program since their freshman years. Before last season, senior running back Derek Lopez transferred in from Rahway. This season they added another Rahway transfer, senior Jelanie Mitchell, along with junior Tyson White, a St. Anthony transfer. Those three give Mater Dei an explosive group of skill players and the ability to physically match up with teams on their schedule. On Saturday, White ran for 114 yards on just three carries, scoring on touchdown runs of 65 and 50 yards. Lopez finished with 92 yards and a touchdown, and Mitchell added a touchdown on the ground. Miles ran for over 700 yards last season and Palmer is another option in the run game. There’s ways for Mater Dei to score that they just didn’t have in recent years. “It feels great knowing we can score in one play now,” Eckert said. “In the past we needed about 20 plays to get into the end zone.”

ISSUE-16 “We’re a 9-to-12 roster, and the majority of the team is underclassmen,” Sciarappa said. “We have only eight seniors, so it’s also a challenge. It’s coaching freshmen, JV and varsity at the same time.” A reason for the freshmen having an impact also has much to do with St. Mary School, a pre-K through eighth grade school that is on Mater Dei’s campus, starting a football team last season.

“We felt the program took a big turn last year when we brought in the middle school program,” Sciarappa said. “Traditionally we’re strong in soccer and basketball, and football was our down boys sport. Now we have 15 freshmen, half of which were on the St. Mary’s roster. To have every single kid on the roster have played football last year is big.”

Mater Dei made it look easy on Saturday against the Eagles, racing out to a 32-0 halftime lead. White outran the entire Cardinal McCarrick defense on the Seraphs’ first offensive play for a 65-yard score. His next carry went for a 50-yard touchdown. Later in the first half, Vincenzo Mezzacappa fielded a shanked punt from his cornerback spot and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. Mitchell added a 15-yard touchdown that was set up by a 42-yard run by Lopez, who added a touchdown run of his own in the third quarter. The first team defense held Cardinal McCarrick to 10 total yards.

To outsiders, wins over Keansburg and Cardinal McCarrick might not look that impressive. Cardinal McCarrick is severely

undermanned with only about five or 10 reserves on the sideline. Keansburg lost 60-0 to Spotswood on Saturday. Mater Dei understands its schedule gets increasingly difficult in the coming weeks, but 2-0 is still 2-0. “Both of those teams (Keansburg and Cardinal McCarrick) beat us last year, and Cardinal McCarrick has beaten us the last three years,” Sciarappa said. “We didn’t take anything for granted. We were pretty hard on (the players). I was happy about the win, but we want to play up to expectations.” “Coach has always been like that,” Miles said. “He’s always had expectations up high for us. We come out every game now, and we aren’t going to back down to anyone. We have that confidence.”

The Seraphs have already matched their win total from the previous two seasons combined, and they’re one win away from matching the three games won in 2010 during Sciarappa’s first season. The program went 4-6 in 2006, but hasn’t had a winning season since reaching an NJSIAA sectional final in 1999. The challenge now for Mater Dei is to continue to turn the page. “We’ve won games that we would always lose in the past,” Eckert said. “Now hopefully we can keep that momentum going and beat the bigger teams.” “The mentality has definitely changed,” Miles said. “People used to walk around not caring about Mater Dei football. Now people care.”

Photo by: Cliff Lavelle www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

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They also have a promising freshman class, and at Mater Dei that means a chance to get on the field right away. Eddie Lewis, who comes to Middletown from Manhattan every day, is a player the coaches are very high on. Ishmael Glasco starts at cornerback and John Lubintus starts at linebacker. Other freshmen are pushing for playing time, too.

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The Seraphs had just completed a 38-16 wipeout of McCarrick on their home field, moving to 2-0 for the first time since 1992, according to Sciarappa, and registering back-to-back 30-point games for the first time in at least a decade. Consistency in both effort and execution was Sciarappa’s focus. He wants the Seraphs to play up to their expectations, which are radically different these days at the small school in north Middletown despite going 1-9 last season.

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teve Sciarappa’s message to his team following its game against Cardinal McCarrick was stern, clear and to the point, and it was also unlike any postgame talk he’s had with Mater Dei Prep over the last four seasons.

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Mater Dei Prep is 2-0 for the First Time Since 1992


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By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

ll throughout last season, current Jackson Memorial senior Garrett Muzikowski and his teammates heard the outcry from other prominent programs in the Shore Conference.

Schools were lamenting the loss of varsity-level players to academy soccer restrictions that forbid active academy players from playing high school soccer. Meanwhile, the 2012 Jaguars team was welcoming in more established varsity talent than it was sending out the door.

The roles have reversed this season and while other teams around the Shore – most notably Toms River North, Rumson-Fair Haven and Howell – are welcoming back players who sat out a high school season to play academy soccer, Jackson has lost two major potential returnees to the club ranks while also graduating six other senior starters and most of its bench.

If the reconstruction of the roster was supposed to make Jackson any more vulnerable coming off a school-record 23-2 season, the Jaguars have not shown it. While many teams had a built-in excuse to fall off last year while losing talent to the academy ranks, Muzikowski has refused to let the loss of senior Anthony Mandola – who transferred from Jackson Liberty prior to the 2012 season – and junior Dylan Greenblatt rain on the Jaguars’ Class A South reign.

“We say it all the time and it’s cliché, but it doesn’t matter who is here and who isn’t, we’re going to play the same style, the same way,” said Muzikwoski, a second-team All-Shore player last year after scoring nine goals and 11 assists. “We’re going to come at teams for 80 minutes and give them Jackson soccer, just like we did when we had all of those guys last year. It doesn’t matter who is here. Nothing changes.” Muzikowski has backed up his words with a torrid start to his senior season that has seen his team

follow suit. Through five games, Muzikowski has scored six of Jackson’s 10 goals to go with two assists and the Jaguars are off to a 4-0-1 start after an impressive 5-2 win on Sept. 21 over Long Branch, the No. 8 team in the Shore Sports Network preseason top 10. Muzikowski scored four goals against the Green Wave, including one just seconds before halftime to start a run of five unanswered goals that erased a 2-0 firsthalf deficit.

Two days prior to the win over Long Branch, the No. 9 Jaguars played Class A South division rival and No. 2 Toms River North to a scoreless draw in Jackson. The Jaguars outshot the Mariners 9-5 in the match and frustrated a talented Mariners team for most of the 100 minutes.

Defense was the hallmark of Jackson Memorial’s success last season, and it has been strong again during the early part of the season. The Jaguars lost defensive stalwarts Tom DeNoville and Ryan Young to graduation, but return starter Anthony Provini and

Senior

All-Shore secondteam goalkeeper Devyn Josko. Combined with Muzikowski’s athleticism and creativity near the net, the Jaguars appear to have picked up where they left off last season.

“Obviously, we miss the scoring of guys like Matt Fryc and Mandola and the toughness of a Ryan Young and Tom DeNoville,” Jackson Memorial coach Steve Bado said. “So in that way, we might not be quite as dynamic, especially when it comes to scoring goals. But we still have a top goal-scorer in Garrett and we have some speed and some size and some kids who are going to work hard and play Jackson soccer. These guys sat behind some

Goalie Devyn Josko

good players last year and now they’re getting their chance.”

Even with Muzikowski’s dominant start, the Jaguars have needed the contributions of many of their new starters. Andrew Jozwicki, Joey Stoltenberg and Justin Kritou have all contributed to the scoring, and Jordan Hodges, Tyler Russo and Joe Mamola have filled their roles on the field, with Russo solidifying the defense, Mamola manning the outside midfield and Hodges attacking out of the forward and midfield spots.

Jackson Memorial also Garrett Muzikowski kicked off the season with some good fortune on its side. The Jaguars effectively got a mulligan in dropping a 3-0 decision to Old Bridge at the GMC-Shore Shootout at Monroe High School on Sept. 3 because Old Bridge sophomore Tyler Mazza – who scored two goals in the game – played despite not yet gaining his eligibility after transferring. The oversight forced Old Bridge to forfeit the game and gave Jackson Memorial a wake-up call without the Jaguars having to take an official loss in the standings.

“We didn’t play very well in that game to begin with, and I think it gave us a chance to see some of our flaws and some of the things we needed to work on,” Bado said. “Old Bridge was bad start, and there was some concern that we weren’t going to be able to score goals, but we came out and scored four on Linden and two on a tough Brick Memorial team,” Muzikowski said. “We didn’t score (against Toms River North), but we got chances and put the pressure on, and if we keep doing that, the goals will come.”

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The Spartans are the No. 1 team in the Shore Sports Network Preseason Top 10 and are off to a 4-0-1 start to the 2013 season after a 3-1 win over Brick on Sept. 21, during which Alexis scored his fifth goal of the young season. In the early going this year, Alexis – whom his teammates call “Waldo” for short – has already scored five goals in five games, including his second career hat trick in a 3-3 draw against a Wall team on Sept. 16 that is perennially among the Shore Conference’s best defensive teams.

“Waldo is so dynamic,” senior forward and cocaptain Justin Silverberg said. “We can play him in so many different roles, whether it’s playing the ball through to him, or he can get it, turn and shoot. He can beat you in so many different ways and defenses have to account for all of them.” Sophomore striker Wadneson Alexis

Ocean remains a dangerous team a year after graduating five starters and Tyler Nowak’s 21 goals from an 18-1-2 Shore Conference Tournament championship team. The Spartans remain a threat not because of Alexis and fellow sophomore Neil Martin (three goals, two

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assists this season) up top, but because of the core of seniors who allow the young players to fit in rather than be focal points.

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cean Township High School sophomore striker Wadneson Alexis served as a kind of secret weapon on last year’s Shore Conference Tournament championship team. The secret is out this year, but even with opposing teams beginning to throw marking backs his way, it does not seem to matter.

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By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Silverberg, midfielder George Kavarakas, sweeper Tyler Roman and goalkeeper Chris Seager give Ocean

Senior forward Justin Silverberg

experienced talent at each level of the field. Their presence has only helped to expedite the growth of a strong group of sophomores, led by Alexis and Martin.

“All of the guys who have returned to the team are improvements upon themselves,” Ocean coach Tom Reilly said. “Justin, Georgie,

Tyler Roman, Chris Seager, Waldo, all of those guys are vastly improved from last year when they were all key pieces of a championship team. The question is, can the new guys fill in the roles that are open? Obviously, replacing 21 goals by Tyler Nowak is an issue, and we’re not going to do that with one guy, but we have a lot of guys

who can help do it.”

Although the draw against Shore Conference Class B North rival Wall is the only blemish on Ocean’s record thus far, that game also served as the perfect example of Ocean’s experience working hand-in-hand with the young, rising talent.

Ocean trailed Wall 2-1 through the 70th minute, but Alexis struck for his second goal in the 71st to tie the game at two after Silverberg chased down a ball on near the right corner and crossed it perfectly to the front of the net, where Alexis redirected it into the net. Just 4:32 later, Alexis took a through-ball from Silverberg off a Wall turnover, drew Knights junior goalkeeper Jack Wishart off his line and slid a shot past him to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead. Martin got in on the action on the first goal of the game when he redirected a corner kick from Silverberg with his head from the far post back to the near post, where Alexis punched home his first of three goals in that game. “I knew they were coming,” said Alexis of the tying and go-ahead goals. “Justin was working hard out there and I was getting opportunities all game. I knew we were going to score.”

Alexis scored four goals as a freshman last year, with all four of them coming in the SCT and three of them coming in an 8-2 win over Toms River South. Although he played the role of substitute more often than not, he was a dangerous weapon off the bench and is now the player that Ocean’s opponents will have to game plan against.

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SOCCER

Continued from page 8 Since the Old Bridge experience, Jackson Memorial has dispatched of Linden 4-0 and Brick Memorial 2-0 before the Toms River North and Long Branch results. Brick Memorial (3-2) has scored 15 goals in its three wins, which include a 4-1 win over perennially strong Toms River East, but Jackson Memorial held the Mustangs scoreless.

The Jaguars also benefit from an early-season schedule that sees them host, in addition to Toms River North and Long Branch, Toms River East during the first trip through the Class A South schedule. Jackson also would have hosted Toms River South on its pitch on Sept. 12 for its Class A South opener, but the game was postponed due to lightning in the area.

“When we get teams on our home field, we are very tough,” Bado said. “The guys have a

certain edge about them on this field, and it shows in the results here.”

Jackson Memorial appeared poised for a twoyear run of dominance beginning with last year’s team, and the Jaguars are back among the Shore’s elite in the early part of the season. How the Jaguars have been able to do it with high-level players in Mandola and Greenblatt sitting this year out, however, makes them one of the Shore teams that has opened some eyes in September. “I know people are kind of overlooking us even though we’re the defending champs, but that’s all right,” Muzikowski said. “We don’t worry too much about other people’s expectations. We still feel like we have something to prove, and we still have a lot of season left.”

Photo by:

Bill Normile www.billnormile.zenfolio.com


OCEAN

“I was nervous playing varsity last year, and I think the reason I had trouble is that I didn’t get enough playing time,” Alexis said. “I just couldn’t get comfortable because I wasn’t getting a chance to play and learn. But I learned a lot from being around all of those seniors and this year’s seniors, and now I feel like I’ve been playing for a while now.”

Troubling words for the rest of the Shore Conference.

Photos by:

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“Waldo was a bit of an unknown commodity heading into last year, and then he scored a bunch of goals for us in the preseason,” Ocean coach Tom Reilly said. “Then he kind of lost his edge once the season started and that’s why we eased him into the lineup. If he had continued scoring goals like he was in the preseason, he would have been starting and playing a lot. I don’t care how young he is. As the saying goes, ‘If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”

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A S A M P L I N G O F C U R R E N T A N D F O R M E R M AC A L L - S TA R S

n Thomas Acerra—Monmouth Regional n Jared Allison—Matawan n Kaysonne Anderson—Manasquan n Robert Barksdale—Asbury Park n Joey Beggans—Red Bank Regional n David Bergeron—Middletown North n Mike Bland—Long Branch n Jared Bradham—Long Branch n Jawann Brown—Matawan n Chris Bunge—Middletown South n Brian Calder—Colts Neck n Shilque Calhoun—Middletown North n Cleveland Cannon—Long Branch n Dwayne Chapman—Matawan n Swede Chevalier—The Lawrenceville School n Allen Choback—Red Bank Catholic n Joe Cilurzo—Shore Regiona n Dwight Clark—Long Branch n Jason Corley—Long Branch n Tom Corley—Matawan n Rahmir Cottman—Red Bank Regional n Richie Curran—Red Bank Catholic n Charles Davis—Neptune n Amir Dew—Toms River North n Drew Diakos— St. John Vianney n Sean Dolan— Red Bank Catholic n Brian Dominianni—Point Beach n Alex Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech (NY) n Glen Ford—Red Bank Catholic n Chris Fortunato—Wall Township n Jeremy Fountain—Matawan n Tyrone Garland—Matawan n Wesley Garland—Matawan n Clifton Geathers—Carver’s Bay (SC)

n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

Kwame Geathers—Carver’s Bay (SC) Nick Gialanella—Red Bank Catholic Tom Gorski—Holmdel Tajh Hammary—Asbury Park Malcolm Harris—Neptune Chris Herring—Matawan Carl Howard—Matawan Jihaad Howard—Brick Memorial Anthony Hubbert—Freehold Boro Darryl Jackson—Red Bank Reg. Bobby Jameson—Matawan Greg Kafaf—Don Bosco Prep Tom Kalieta—Matawan Larry Kelly— Manasquan Caleb King— Christian Academy (GA) Terrence King— Long Branch Tyler King—Buford H (GA) Donald Klein—Shore Reg. Donnie Klein—Manasquan Kyle Leach—Point Pleasant Beach Frank Lefkowitz—Colts Neck Joe Lepore—Colts Neck Glennis Lester—Matawan Ron Lewis—Asbury Park Matt Maddox—Manasquan Christian Martino—Point Pleasant Beach Joseph Martucci—Matawan John Masini—Morristown Beard School Tyron McCalister—Asbury Park Eric McCoo—Red Bank Regional Terrance McKeller—Long Branch John McLaughlin—Middletown South

V i s i t o u r w e b s i t e , w w w. m a c t e s t i n g . c o m

n n n n n n n n n n

Joe Mickens—Manchester Knowshon Moreno—Middletown South Kevin Moriarity—Shore Regional TJ Moriarity—Red Bank Catholic Darius Morris—Long Branch Matt Moulton—Colts Neck John Pellegrino—St. John Vianney Jim Pittenger—Wall John Pittenger—Wall Stephon Pluviose—Matawan n Mike Postell—Matawan n Simon Press—Asbury Park n Ryan Quinlan—Wall n Dave Reeves—RBC n Charlie Rogers—Matawan n Jerret Sanderson—Long Branch n Tyler Schmelz—RBC n Bill Shea—Keyport HS n Branden Smith— Booker T. Washington (GA) n Chris Stavola—RBC n Stephen Swift—Red Bank Regional n Jamuir Taylor—Neptune n Maurice Turpin—Long Branch n McArthur Underwood - Matawan n Tony Vergari— Point Pleasant Beach n Joey Villapiano—Ocean Township n Scott Wellerson—Point Pleasant Beach n Kade Weston—Red Bank Regional n Cassius Williams—Matawan Knowshon Moreno RB Middletown South, University of Georgia, Denver Broncos 1 st Rd Draft Pick

732-741-6112


Consider the test passed.

Junior quarterback Tymere Berry ran for a game-high 132 yards and accounted for two touchdowns, while the Indians’ defense came through with several clutch stops and forced a pair of turnovers in a 27-20 victory over the Rams in Class A South. “This was definitely the type of win we’ve been looking for,” Berry said. “We beat a program tonight.”

“I told our guys that we just beat a program,” said Indians head coach Ron Signorino Jr.. “This was a huge game for us.”

The Indians ran for 261 yards as a team with junior Khaleel Greene adding 59 yards and a touchdown and senior Billy Kosh also scoring on the ground. Berry threw for 85 yards with senior Darrius Hart leading the way with three catches for 57 yards. Senior Otis Kearney, an FBS recruit, was held to 31 yards on nine carries, but the Indians had too many weapons to contain at once.

Gesicki rolled his ankle on the play, and although he did return, it was not until the next defensive series. Southern continued its march without its star, and found the end zone when Sheehan hit a wide-open Vinnie Colecchia, who tight-roped the sideline after the catch for a 25-yard touchdown. Yaiser’s extra point made it a one-score game, 20-13, with 4:55 left in the third quarter. Toms River South’s response was swift.

The Indians went 62 yards in five plays to extend their lead to 27-13 and effectively put the game away. Kearney’s 21-yard run from just shy of midfield came right before Berry’s brilliant 30-yard touchdown run.

“He could be the best we’ve ever had,” said Signorino when asked about Berry’s play-making abilities. “He’s the whole package. He’s taken command of the offense and we rely on him a lot.”

The Rams continued to battle, however. Starting from the 45, Southern went 55 yards in seven plays to make it 27-20. Sheehan found Colecchia

Toms River South had to punt on its next possession, so its defense had to stop Southern with 8:53 left in the game. Southern marched to midfield, aided by a fake punt run for a first down by Gesicki from his own 37. But on fourth-and-four from the 49, Berlinski’s pressure on Sheehan forced an incomplete pass and a turnover on downs. Toms River South would get the ball back and run out the clock with some clutch runs by Berry, including a 12-yarder on fourth-and-two with 1:30 left in the game. Now at 2-0, Toms River South is halfway toward its win total from last season. The Indians won three games in Signorino’s first season, then four last year. Friday’s win over Southern proved to them they’re capable of big things this season, just as they envisioned when this all began. “We’ve scratched our way out of this hole and now we’re there,” Signorino said. “Now we have to learn how to stay there.”

“That’s the beauty of what our offense is,” Signorino said. “We’re going to spread you out horizontally and vertically. We don’t know who the star player is going to be, so how could the other team?”

“This is exactly what we meant when we talked about how many weapons we have on the field,” Berry said. “They came out trying to shut down Otis, but we have too many other weapons.”

The most encouraging sign for Toms River South, other than the final tally on the scoreboard, of course, was the way its defense played against a solid offense with a game-breaking player. The Indians did about as good of a job as can be done against Southern senior wide receiver Mike Gesicki. One of the nation’s top tight end recruits caught five passes for 93 yards, but never burned the Indians for a huge gain and was kept out of the end zone. Joe Berlinski and Kosh also intercepted passes that were intended for Gesicki. The Indians’ defense had two signature moments in the first half when it stopped Southern on a pair of fourth-and-one situations en route to a 20-0 halftime lead. Kearney came up with the stop on the second fourthdown try from the Indians’ 13-yard line. He filled the hole and dropped Rams running back Rob Yaiser for no gain to turn the ball over on downs, which led to a long Indians scoring drive. “I told the defense at halftime that if we win this game it’s because of them,” Berry said. “Our defense gave our offense motivation throughout the whole game. Without them we wouldn’t have gotten the opportunities we did. The defense really won it for us.”

“We’re growing defensively, but I was really proud of how we hung in there,” Signorino said. “We knew Southern was going to battle. We weathered the storm and passed the test.” Toms River South’s first defensive stand led to its first touchdown in the first quarter. After halting the Rams on a fourth-and-one from their own 42-yard line, the Indians scored in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead. Berry connected with Kosh for 18 yards on third-and-7 to move the ball inside the 20-yard line, and a late hit on a third-down run extended the drive. Kosh scored from the one-yard line on second down, and Tyler Sosa’s extra point gave the Indians the early lead.

A 31-yard catch by Gesicki where he jumped over two defenders to haul in Sheehan’s pass helped Southern move inside the Indians’ 10-yard line on the next possession, but Berlinski intercepted Sheehan’s pass to Gesicki from the eight-yard line to end the threat.

Fri

9/27

Fri

Southern

10/4

Fri

Lacey

10/11

Fri

Msgr. Donovan

10/18 or

Fri

T.R. North Central

10/25 or

Fri Fri

(G ames to be broadcast on 105.7FM & 1160/1310AM)

Point Boro T.R. East

11/1 or

Thr

Jackson Memorial T.R. South

11/8

T.R. South

11/28

Manasquan

The Rams received to start the second half and had great field position thanks to a short kickoff and a penalty against the Indians. Starting at the Toms River South 30, the Rams scored in five plays on a 17-yard run by Sheehan to cut the Indians’ lead to 20-6. Southern forced a punt on South’s next possession to set up its second

at

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T.R. North

T.R. South

Point Boro

Brick Memorial Barnegat

Barnegat T.R. South

Southern Brick Memorial

T.R. North

Wall

NJSIAA Championship Playoffs - TBD

In the second quarter after Kearney’s stop on fourth down, the Indians took a 13-0 lead with a 12-play, 87-yard drive. Berry connected with Hart on a 40-yard catch and run to move the ball in to Southern territory, and Greene finished the drive with an 18-yard touchdown run on thirdand-3.

Southern moved to midfield on its next drive, which was cut short when Kosh intercepted Sheehan on a third-and-10. The pick set up Toms River South’s third scoring drive, a six-play, 38-yard drive that came with under two minutes left in the half. Greene converted a third-andeight with an 18-yard run, and three plays later Berry hit Hart on a 10yard fade for a 20-0 halftime lead.

at

(7pm, 105.7FM)

(7pm, 105.7FM)

(7pm, 105.7FM)

(7pm, 105.7FM) (7pm, 105.7FM)

(7pm, 105.7FM) (7pm, 105.7FM)

(7pm, 105.7FM) (7pm, 105.7FM)

(7pm, 105.7FM)

(11am, 1160/1310AM)

BROADCAST CREW

Visit: www.shoresportsnetwork.com for details

9/23/13

for 11 yards, then Yaiser for 20 to move the ball into Indians territory. A 25-yard pass to Gesicki put the ball at the four-yard line, and Yaiser needed just two carries before plunging in from the one with 11:29 left in the game.

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scoring drive. The Rams were faced with another fourth down, this one with seven yards to gain after a delay of game penalty pushed them back. Sheehan was able to find Gesicki for 14 yards, however, and a first down.

ISSUE-16

ith Toms River South expecting to continue its resurgence this season, Friday’s Week Two game against Southern stood as the Indians’ first major challenge. In front of a capacity crowd at Detwiler Stadium, the Indians, one way or another, were going to show how far they’ve come.

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By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

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Tymere Berry, Stout Defense Lead TR South Past Southern

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FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com


wou ld n o lon ger h ave a job.

For two years, we had worked hard to build the DigitalSports site into a popular destination for Shore Conference athletes, fans, coaches and parents. Now the funding for the company had been pulled and it was all over, including a well-paying job. I spent more than a few nights staring at the ceiling in the early hours of the morning wondering what I was going to do. I’ll never forget some of the kind and thoughtful emails and messages that were sent my way from coaches, parents and players about the work we had done and extending offers to help in any way. That’s when we decided to do something that seemed crazy at the time – start our own company covering Shore Conference sports.

This was October of 2008, when the economy had cratered. We started our company in the midst of the worst economic climate since the Great Depression. It was essentially the most ill-advised time to start a company in the last 80 years. I was about to be engaged to my now-wife, and while she and my family were supportive, it was clear that part of them was thinking, “Are you insane?”

There actually was only a two-week break between when I covered my last football game for DigitalSports and my first football game for All Shore Media. We started with just a website and then added this newspaper to our coverage in early 2009 before also working closely with coaches’ associations for events like the U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic and the boys and girls senior all-star basketball games. We did things guerrilla style with almost no budget, advertising our site and newspaper by word of mouth, promoting it online, and wearing jackets

That’s why I also would like to offer my gratitude to you: the fans, athletes, parents, coaches and readers of All Shore Media who have followed us along the way. Without your support, this never would have happened, and we will keep working hard to deliver the best and most exciting content of Shore Conference athletics. That is one thing that definitely won’t change with the move to Shore Sports Network, and we hope to make it even better.

In this new venture, we have a website (shoresportsnetwork.com) with the capability to deliver exciting new features, and we also will have all of our archived stories and features from the last five years still available at our old site of www.allshoremedia.net. The partnership with Townsquare Media also means you can now find us on the radio. One of the great benefits is that we are now on the same team with the award-winning broadcast crew of Kevin Williams, Matt Harmon and Ed Sarluca, a group of talented guys who have been my friends for more than a decade. They will bring you exciting Shore Conference football action every week on 105.7 “The Hawk” f.m. and every Thursday with the High School Football Show as well as boys basketball broadcasts throughout the winter, and you will hear me and others chiming in on those broadcasts.

With a package of online, print and radio coverage of Shore Conference sports as well as our continued involvement in events like the Gridiron Classic, I couldn’t be more excited about what we are able to offer Shore followers as well as advertisers. We’ve come a long way, but there is still so much more room for growth, and we believe this offers that opportunity.

I can’t wait to get started.

9/23/13 / ISSUE-16

gettin g th e ph o n e Icallcanins thtille rf emember all of 2008 th at in 10 d ays I

Five years later, thanks to the hard work of my fellow All Shore Media co-owner Steve Meyer, who is responsible for our sales and the tremendous graphics and layout that you see in this newspaper, plus our outstanding writing staff led by Bob Badders and Matt Manley and a great group of photographers and bloggers, I can’t be more proud and excited to say that we are now partnered with Townsquare Media. The fact that our hard work has been recognized by a national company partnering with us to turn All Shore Media into Shore Sports Network shows how far we have come from our humble beginnings.

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Our belief all along was that as long as the content was good, once we were able to get people to find it, we could continue to grow it. Slowly but steadily, our audience has been able to grow since that crazy month in 2008 when we decided to go for broke after that devastating day when we found out we were jobless.

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at games that acted as human billboards with our website address on them. I figured that if it wasn’t going to work this time after the DigitalSports situation, it wouldn’t be because of something out of our control or some higher-up telling us that decisions we had no involvement with would cost us our jobs.


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