JSN Mullins Pitches Mariners to 3rd OCT Title

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Volume 24 • Issue 540

JerseySportingNews.com

5/22/18 - 6/11/18

RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN GLAX TAKES 6 SCT TITLES IN A ROW COVERAGE ON PAGE 9

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Page 2 Jersey Sporting News • 5/22/18 - 6/11/18

5/22/18 - 6/11/18

• Jersey Sporting News

Page 3

Toms River North Baseball Wins Third Straight OCT Title

By John Sorce

TOMS RIVER – It did not take too long for the Mainers of Toms River North to show they were not going to be denied a third straight Ocean County Tournament title and sixth county title in program history. “I think the fact that we came off a big win the night before against Jackson (Memorial) helped because we just kind of let the emotion roll right into the finals,� Toms River North head coach Andrew Pagano said. “The confidence was high because even though he is very good, we were seeing a pitcher for the third time this season and we kind of knew how he was going to attack our hitters.�

A six-run bottom of the second was more than enough for the Mariners, who defeated Toms River East, 7-1, on May 15 at Ken Frank Baseball Stadium on the campus of Toms River South.

Brendan Mullins got the start for the Mariners, allowing one unearned run on five hits and one walk over six innings while throwing 93 pitches. “It was a combination of him and having confidence in our defense to make the plays behind him,� Pagano said. “Anytime you have a kid like Craig Larsen at short and Dylan Feigin at second, they’re very strong up the middle. And our catcher, Justin Schaff, I can’t say enough about him this year. Our coaches usually call pitches from the dugout but for the second half of the year, Justin has been calling his own games. He’s been catching those guys since they were eight years old. He knew the hitters from the first two times we played them, and Brendan was just throwing whatever Justin put down.�

Jared Bellissimo, who was named tournament MVP, went 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

Jon Giordano got the scoring going with a two-run home run in the second. Justin Schaff and Craig Larsen had RBI singles in the inning, and Bellissimo added an RBI double to cap off the six-run inning. “It was good because we had an approach to stay up the middle, and I think four of our RBI were up the middle,� Pagano said. “It’s hard to pull the ball off a kid who throws as hard and can locate his pitches like Brush can. It was a very hot day and we wanted to get on the board first and make

TOMS RIVER NORTH them chase us because it’s hard to manufacture runs when you’re behind. We were able to take the bunt and steal away from them by getting out to that lead, and that limits what a team can do offensively, because you can’t be giving outs away.�

Toms River North scored their final run in the third, on an RBI single by Dylan Feigin.

Larsen pitched the final inning, striking out two batters and a groundout to clinch the title. This was the third win for Toms River North against their crosstown rivals, having won the other two contests, 3-1, and 3-2.

Toms River North earned the eight seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, which they won a season ago. “It’s kind of tough playing Shore Conference and states at the same time, because you need to manage your pitch counts and can be playing in one tournament one day and the other the next day,�

Pagano said. “There’s so many good teams in the Shore. No team can be taken granted and our guys know that. We will go as far as our seniors take us.�

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Page 4 Jersey Sporting News • 5/22/18 - 6/11/18

PARKER’S DOMINANT OUTING LIFTS SAINT JOHN VIANNEY TO 9TH STRAIGHT MCT CHAMPIONSHIP

By Mike Ready

RED BANK – Julia Parker is not your ordinary sophomore when she steps into the pitching circle. Her poise and maturity go way beyond her age.

She stares down batters like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey in anticipation of its feast.

better. She’s the kind of pitcher that you don’t know where she’s going to throw from and that’s scary for a batter.”

The Lancers tacked on another run in the inning on an Ahr RBI single and took what looked like an insurmountable 5-1 lead the way Parker was mowing down batters going into the bottom of the fourth.

In Saturday’s Monmouth County Tournament final, Parker feasted on Middletown North batters. She retired 16 in a row after giving up a leadoff single in the top of the second inning and 18 of the final 19 batters.

Her brilliant performance helped top-seeded Saint John Vianney capture their ninth straight Monmouth County Tournament championship with a 5-2 win over second-seeded Middletown North.

“It felt great to have two insurance runs in the first inning,” said Parker of pitching with the lead. “After that I knew we were going to pile up more runs and after Ally’s hit it was just awesome.”

Bell retired nine of her next 11 Lancer batters giving up just two harmless singles as the two teams headed into the bottom of the seventh. With the score still 5-1 the Lions came to bat with Parker having set down the last 16 Middletown North batters in a row.

Parker gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits, struck out six and did not allow a walk in picking up her 16th win of the season against zero defeats. The two runs were the first she allowed since she gave up one run back on Apr. 30 – a string of 32 consecutive scoreless innings.

follow in her sister, former SJV star Katie Barron, to Monmouth University Parker struck out leadoff hitter Adriana Cerbo to make it 17 in a row but where the Hawks just captured their first-ever MAAC championship and Jersey Sporting News • 3/8/16 - 3/21/16 “I just really wantPage to look12 intimidating,” Parker said of using her gameBell ended the streak crushing a Parker offering over the left-field wall trip to the NCAA Softball Tournament, led off the game with line shot off face to her advantage. “I want to get that inside corner and hit my spots. to pull the Lions to within 5-2. Parker refocused getting Ashley Kofsky on the top of the left-field wall missing a home run by inches.

All my pitches were really working well today. Coach had a scouting strikes and Sam Kanach on 6-3 groundout to end the game.

High School or College Students wanted who report on everyone so I knew what they can and can’t hit and I really Freshman Julia Ahr, who is 5-0 in the circle backing up Parker,afollowed executed my pitches well today.” know what’s nice,photography it’s not the same kid have passion “You for journalism, or that comes up with the big with a walk and Parker singled Barron home for the first run. Junior hit every game,” Lombardi said about getting the early two-run lead. high school sports.

Cover key games, conduct Gabby Polera then walked to load the bases with no outs and the Lancers Pitching isn’t Parker’s only forte. Hitting third in the batting order she “So we do have depth. Even the kids on the bench right now can come in take for Soan were threatening to put the game away before it even interviews, started. drove in the game’s first run with an RBI single in the top of the first inning and high-action get the key hit thatpictures we might need. we feel very comfortable with to give the Lancers a quick 1-0 lead and finished 2-for-4 at the plate. is up. Weyour scored future first and kept applying pressure.” experience thatwhoever can propel career Junior Alexis Agrapides brought Ahr home lining a sacrifice fly to deep She’s hitting .483 – second on the team – with four home runs and 17 in tojournalism! centerfield to make it 2-0 with the runners advancing second and RBI on the year.

Having already clinched the Class A Central title and with the MCT title safeJSN JSNAttardi@msn.com today! third. Bell, who is 15-4 with a 1.43 ERA, then settled Contact down striking outat ly under their belts, the Lancers will now look to win their second-straight the next two batters to get out of the inning without allowing any further “She’s a really tough sophomore,” said SJV head coach Kim Lombardi.

Shore Conference Tournament title and first overall state championship damage.

“Usually you start seeing a junior come out sharp like that and she’s resince 2014 – a feat that has eluded every player on the current team. ally gotten sharper as the year’s gone on. She’s made such a big differMiddletown North (19-4) – ranked sixth in the state – which has now lost ence just from last year when she had nine games for me and this year “Honestly, the primary focus for us is to focus game by game,” said Jones to No. 1 Donovan Catholic (3-2) and No. 2 SJV in a matter of three days, she’s a big-game pitcher.” when asked about the state title drought. “That’s it; we can’t look at the added an unearned run in the bottom half of the inning to make it a oneend because we’ve fallen just before we get to the finish line and our prirun game, 2-1, after Parker got off to rare shaky start.

Saint John Vianney (20-0) jumped on Middletown North ace Malori Bell mary purpose this year is to finish strong and cross that finish line. Getting for two runs in the top of the first inning. Senior Lindsey Barron, who will that state title is a big thing but honestly there are several very good teams Parker hit leadoff batter Milena Wilton with a pitch. Then, with two outs in our bracket and you can get knocked out at any time. So we’re going

By Michael Ward she struck out Cara McNulty swinging, but her pitch was wild allowing to take it inning by inning just to break it down so it doesn’t seem so far.”

By Michael Rogers The season for the Ranney Boys’ Basketball In their last regular season game, thewith team McNulty to reach first Wilton scampering all the way to third. AgrapTeam was a good one. faced a fierceides competitor Longa Branch. followedin with line-drive single down the right-field line scoring who finished with a 28 -5 record at Scottie Lewis converted two free-throws with Wilton before Parker got Bell to line out to deep center to end the inning.

160 pounds and finished 6th in the The team boasted an impressive 22-4 sea-

Jersey Sporting News

Ranney Falls Short in Shore Conference Playoffs son record, but unfortunately fell short as they entered the playoffs. Within the quarterfinal round, Ranney was knocked out by Roselle Catholic with a score of 69-44.

The new coach and players Ranney were able to fold into the mix added significantly to their success throughout the season, but it appears as if those additions will be the building blocks for a more successful playoff drive next season.

Nathaniel Pierre Louis had 13 points for fifthseeded Roselle Catholic, in its 69-44 victory over fourth-seeded Ranney in the quarterfinal round of the South Jersey, Non-Public B tournament in Tinton Falls.

Matt Bullock and Raheem Carter added 12 points each for Roselle Catholic, which led 3617 at halftime.

Long Branch Wrestlers Success On The Mat

1.8 seconds remaining to give Ranney a 5755 victory over Long Branch in Long Branch.

region. Dan Mullin who finished 28-4 at 145 pounds and finished in the top 6 in the region. TJ Conlon who finished 27-5 and Mike Shohet who finished at 28-6 and was top 6 in the region.

The score remained 2-1 until the top of the fourth when the Lancers scored three the runsball offover of Bell. bunted her way on for a single and junior Long Branch turned with Agrapides 18 secAlly Jones changed onds left in thecatcher fourth quarter, leading to thethe complexion of the game drilling her secfoul on Lewis,ond whohome finished 13 season points. over the left-field wall for a 4-1 lead. runwith of the Bryan Antoine added a team-high 17 points for Ranney and Autino had 11. she was going with – her sequence – and she threw “I Chris kind of knew what

a pitch I was looking for,” said Jones of her homer. “I just zoned in and

Anthony Velazquez scored a game-high 18 hit it as far as I could.” points for Long Branch. Tyree Morris put up 10 points.

Jones has caught Parker all season longBRANCH’S and was impressed with her LONG W 170 LBS

Saturday.

Ranney trailedouting 31-29 on at halftime, but used a 17-9 third quarter to swing the momentum.

Long Branch wrestling has been successful

“Julia is a phenomenal pitcher,” said Jones. “I’ve gotten the opportunity

under head coach Danny George (this was In the Preliminary of Finals, to seeRound her grow since Ranney freshman year and she’s onlyand a sophomore.

I also his 26th season) this year was no difplayed Brock Township and came up big. catch her during travel ball andferent her control has gotten tremendously as the Green Wave finished with a 16 Scottie Lewis finished with 20 points, 16 reand 4 record and finished ranked 6th in the bounds and seven assists to to lead eighthgroup 4 rankings with many wrestlers placing seeded Ranney to a 75-51 victory over 25thin the top ten in the region. Head coach Dan seeded Brick Township in the preliminary George summed up the season this way by round of the Shore Conference Tournament saying “we won two tournaments this season in Ranney.

With 8 seniors to replace next year’s team has some work to do but Coach George is optimistic with the younger wrestlers having success as the two middle schools that feed into Long Branch both finished undefeated. As coach George said, “We are looking to reload not rebuild”. Coach George wants to give a special thanks to his assistant coaches in Joe Keagle, John Jasio, and Doug Cornell as coach George missed considerable time this season while having a hip replaced.”Their contribution was tremendous and I thank them for all of their efforts”.

Wall Boys Lacrosse Looking for its First Sectional Semifinal Appearance Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis paced Ranney

By Lou Monacowith 14 points each.

and finished second in the district

In the first round of playoffs, Ranney faced off

first SCT victory in behind only CBA while reaching William Forte andRanney senior recorded midfielderthe Conschool history. the state final against Jackson Menor Prindiville each chipped in a score for morial so we had a very exciting Wall, which led, 10-0, at halftime after a seven rebounds Scottie Lewis recorded 11 points, 10 rebounds, Bryan Antoine had 19 points, season”. assists and two blocks fourth-seedseven-goal second quarter.

Senior attacker andfive Monmouth-bound Mi- to lead and six assists for Ranney, which outscored ed Ranney to awith 74-45 victory over 13th-seeded chael McIntyre tallied six goals three Brick Township 50-30 through three quarters.

Some of the wrestlers who had St. Rose in the first round of the South Jersey, Alex Klatsky had 12 points, while Joe Ma“The kids played great.

We started off slow assists and senior attacker Timothy O’Hern success this season were Joe Jasio Non-Public B tournament in Tinton Falls. honey chipped in with eight points and four after eight days off since our Shore Conadded four goals with three assists to powwho finished with a record of 33-3 assists. ference exit,James but weGeraghty picked itfinished with eight er third-seeded WallRanney to a 17-4 victory over featured a balanced offensiveTournament attack at 220 pounds and placed in the points, six rebounds and four assists.

Alex Klatsky pointsup and steals quarter and never looked in four the second 14th-seeded LowerasCape May inhad the23 first top 12 in the state. John Tomlinson Bryan Antoine added points,said five Wall re- head coach Chris Knight, round of the NJSIAAand South Jersey, Group 2 10back,” who finished with a 22-3 record in Noah Buono led the way for Brick Township bounds and Crowley the heavyweight division and finis inscored his 13th with season at the helm.

“We had 10 points. tournament last Wednesday in nine Wall.assists. Johnwho 11 points.

Joe Destafano 11 points for St. Rose. ished fourth in the region while beare pretty happy with the season we've Photos by: Arielle Figueredo ing a district champ. Lamont Reid Wall (13-4), which has won three of its had thus far, but we have a lot more that last four and six of its last eight games, we want to accomplish. We put together advanced to last Saturday’s quarterfinals the toughest schedule we've had to date, Quickly gaining popularity are the non-surgical Surgical procedures including breast augmenand hosted sixth-seeded Cranford. The so the level of competition compared to tations/reductions/lifts, tummy tucks, thigh lifts, procedures such as Coolsculpting and Ultherapy. facelifts, rhinoplasty, liposuction, fat grafting and Both men and women are enjoying absolutely winner will advance to Wednesday’s semiprevious years has been challenging. Our no downtime as fat is eliminated in as little as a more can all be performed in his new state-offinals and will face the winner between senior class has been phenomenal and single one-hour Coolsculpting session. Ultherapy the-art surgery center in a very comfortable, prithe surgical correctionsthe of cleft palates, leading 10th-seeded Lacey and second-seeded has led the lower classmen throughout vate environment.

“My practice offers a full specsolution to a non-surgical facelift and him to plastic surgery.

WALL TOWNSHIP TEAM procedures. iscanthebebest Rumson-Fair Haven, No. 8 in the latest season, and we are so proud of the way trum of LACROSSE surgical and non-surgical maintained with a treatment once every 2 years.

We have our own operating suite on site, Two NJ.com Top 20 rankings. our kids stood up toDr. the challenge.”

Taylor has found the wonderful blend of art and Rivers Surgery Center, which I am very proud of.” science to heal the patient’s body as well soul.

Next up –as Cranford (11-6) – which has tom. They have strong midfielders and good petitive game that will come down to the Dr. Taylor’s office also has a specialized skin care “My goalsoul is toofunderstand you three would like to Senior midfielder/attacker and MoravianMcIntyre is the heart and the pro- whatwon straight and six of its last nineare booming attackmen that confident wire. A win will propel us to our first-ever Non-surgical procedures now thatwe are department runwill by match medical aesthetician, Audrey achieve and create a plan together with you,” said bound Kyle Peters posted two goals with gram and oh yeah, the all-time leading In its last three games, Cranfordare well with our midfield core. teenagers, NJSIAA sectional cosmetic enhancements no longer hushFey. and Somedefensive clients, particularly come to semifinal, so we've been Dr. Taylor. “This is best done ingames. a compassionate two assists, senior midfielder/attacker goal scorer in school history with overwherehas the office her personal, supervised hush. Women and a growingThey number men style its opponents, 34-9. play of a similar to us,primarily so it willfor likely using that as motivation all week in practice and caring environment yououtscored feel comfortare taking advantage of the constantly skinWall careout regimen Jack Textor had two goals with one as200. This season, McIntyre has 62 able discussing yourgoals needs. I have worked hard look like evolving Wall playing there,” and said treatments. and it isHowever, a big opportunity for us to make treatments that preserve a youthful appearance. most men and women take advantage of both to develop at think Allure it's Plastic sist and Stevens-bound senior midfielder and 30 assists for 92 points. that atmosphere here “We a great matchup top to botKnight. “Overall we anticipate a very comprogram history.”

The Wall boys lacrosse team got off to a against St. Rose. good start in the state tournament.

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RED BANK CATHOLIC CAPTURES SECOND STRAIGHT MONMOUTH COUNTY TOURNAMENT TITLE

5/22/18 - 6/11/18

• Jersey Sporting News

Page 5

By Mike Ready

LAKEWOOD – Sixth-seeded Red Bank Catholic successfully defended its Monmouth County Tournament title with a 5-1 victory over 12th-seeded St. Rose at First Energy Park in Lakewood.

The Caseys were making their sixth appearance in the MCT final in eight years and took home their second consecutive championship despite starting just one player – junior centerfielder David Glancy – from last season’s MCT championship teams starting lineup.

Only fittingly, it was Glancy who was one of the stars of the game along with senior pitcher Blaise Panzini (3-1), who picked up the win going five strong innings allowing one run, and four hits while walking two and striking out nine on 90 pitches.

“You’ve got to set the tone,” said Panzini, who did just that striking out the tournament’s hottest hitter, St. Rose slugger Riley Maypother, to lead off the game.

“We’ve got all these young kids out here, so we as seniors and experienced players had to come out and show leadership and show these kids what it’s all about playing in an environment and a game like this. You have to come out and compete, and that’s what I feel I did today.”

The Caseys won their third MCT title in the last six years with sophomores starting at the corners and behind the plate and juniors manning second base,

shortstop, right field and centerfield. Designated hitter Dan Ianelli, Panzini and left fielder Nick Merlo were the only seniors to start the game.

Sophomore pitcher John Nimeth finished up for Panzini with two sterling innings of shutout ball out of the pen permitting just one hit and one walk while striking out three throwing 36 pitches.

Glancy went 2-for-4 drilling two doubles to left field, scoring two runs and driving in a run. He doubled over the left fielder’s head leading off the bottom of the first and came around to score the Caseys first run of the game. After moving to third on a ground out by junior second baseman Alex Gonzales, he scored on groundout by junior shortstop Vincent Bianchi to take a 1-0 lead.

“The first inning is huge, especially in a game like this,” said Glancy. “You get on the board and get all your confidence as a team and the bench gets even louder. So my first at-bat, I was just trying to drive the ball as hard as I can. I got the pitch I could hit and jumped on it.”

RED BANK CATHOLIC’S #16 DAVID GLANCY “To wait three years to play and start on this team and get another championship feels great,” said Merlo.

“You wait your turn and you make the most of the opportunity. Every year, we lose players and it’s somebody’s job to step up and fill in.”

The Caseys are now 3-3 in MCT championships games and will set their sights on the upcoming Shore Conference Tournament and state playoffs.

In the Shore Conference Tournament, the Caseys will be looking to avenge last season’s 5-0 loss to

Glancy was also in the middle of the Caseys threerun third inning driving in courtesy runner Elijah Ally with his second double of the game to push the score to 2-0. Gonzales then brought Glancy home with an RBI single to center and later scored on a two-out RBI single by Merlo for a 4-0 lead.

“He’s (Glancy) a very good player and I’ve been trying to sell it to colleges left and right,” said RBC head coach Buddy Hausmann. “After that second double, I was shaking my head, like, ‘How is this guy not committed (to college).’ I still don’t get it. He’s got five homers and he hit the ball very well again tonight.

He’s just a very good player.”

After St. Rose closed the gap to 4-1 scoring a solo run in the top of the fourth on a Patrick Ferrante groundout that scored Evan Peeke, Merlo capped off the Caseys scoring hammering an RBI double off the wall in left field scoring Bianchi from second base for a 5-1 lead.

RED BANK CATHOLIC’S #25 NICK MERLO

Merlo finished 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI for the Caseys in his first starting assignment in a championship game.

RED BANK CATHOLIC MCT CHAMPS Photos by: Tom Smith

Toms River North in the final and they’ll be doing it with one of the youngest Casey teams in recent memory.

“We kind of had to revamp it a little bit,” said Hausmann. “It’s such a young group. I’m used to replacing seniors with seniors.”

“It’s scary to think we’re this young,” said Panzini, who was selected as the tournament MVP. “If we’re doing this stuff now, it’s going to be crazy to see what they’re doing next year.”

Page 6 Jersey Sporting News • 5/22/18 - 6/11/18

Saint John Vianney High School Dedicates Baseball Field To Long-Time Athletic Director HOLMDEL -- On Monday, Apr. 30, the Saint John Vianney High School varsity baseball field was blessed and named after long-time SJVHS Athletic Director Ken Szyarto. Szyarto was the Athletic Director at SJVHS for over 40 years and dedicated his life work to SJVHS and was the architect of today’s SJVHS athletic program.

For over four decades, Szyarto devoted his life to shaping young men and women into fair-minded competitors who were good sportsmen on an off the field. He encouraged the SJVHS student athletes in their academic work and guided them in their professional choices, knowing that sports could only be one part of their lives. Current SJVHS Athletic Director Rich Lamberson said, “Looking at the athletic history of Saint John Vianney High School you can see Kenny Szyarto’s influence everywhere.

He worked at SJV for 40 years; he transformed the athletic program, added different teams with multiple levels. He influenced many a coach and student’s life.”

Szyarto’s love of his family and friends was also a hallmark of his life. In all ways, he lived the SJVHS motto: Knowledge, Commitment, Involvement.

The entire school, including all students, teachers, and staff surrounded the varsity baseball field on that day for the blessing and dedication, which was conducted by SJVHS school chaplain Father JM Patilla, along with Father Tom Vala of St. Clement Parish in Matawan.

KEN’S BROTHER JOHN THROWING OUT THE FIRST PITCH

FATHERS JM AND TOM BLESSING THE FIELD

Immediately following the field dedication, the SJVHS boys varsity baseball team played Matawan High School. Szyarto’s brother John threw out the ceremonial first pitch to start the game.

“One would be hard-pressed to speak with alumni of Saint John Vianney High School who didn’t know and respect Kenny Szyarto. Having his name above the baseball field, and a monument erected in his honor is a testament to all of the hard work and dedication that he had served this institution and its community,” stated Lamberson.

SJVHS STUDENTS GATHER ON THE BASEBALL FIELD FOR THE BLESSING AND DEDICATION

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ST. ROSE STUNNED IN SHORE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND AFTER REACHING MONMOUTH COUNTY TOURNAMENT FINAL

By Mike Ready

BELMAR – A week after reaching the Monmouth County Tournament final for the first time since 2008 when they won it all, sixth-seeded St. Rose was upset by 27th-seed Keansburg, 6-4, in the first round of the 2018 Shore Conference Tournament.

The stunning loss sent shock waves throughout the Shore Conference after the Purple Roses pulled off three upset wins in the MCT to reach the final. Their four-game run to the final included wins against fifth-seeded Manalapan, fourth-seeded Monmouth and ninth-seeded Raritan before losing, 5-1, to sixth-seeded Red Bank Catholic in the final.

In the MCT final, the Caseys jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings off starting pitcher Sammy Sestito, who tossed a no-hitter in last season’s opener. St. Rose cut the lead to 4-1 on a Patrick Ferrante groundout that scored second baseman Evan Peeke. But the Caseys answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth and St. Rose was unable to break through on winning and starting pitcher Blaise Panzini the rest of the way.

In their loss to Keansburg (11-8), the Titans scored two unearned runs in the top of the first inning off starting pitcher Sestito on a two-out error and tacked on another two runs in the

ST. ROSE’S #27 EVAN PEEKE

second inning to take a 4-0 lead that St. Rose was never able to overcome.

St. Rose pulled to within 4-3, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third on a two-run double

by Brody Maypother and an RBI single by Sestito but Titans starting pitcher Liam Meyer held them to one additional run through six innings while the Titans added two runs, including an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Paul Eckleberry came in to shut the door on St. Rose in the bottom of the seventh to pick up a save.

The Purple Roses will now set their sights on the state playoffs where they were given the third seed in the NJSIAA Non-Public South B bracket and will host No. 14 seed Wildwood Catholic in the first round scheduled for May 24.

A year ago in the NJSIAA Non-Public South B tournament, St. Rose was seeded No. 2 and reached the final after getting two shutout wins against No. 7 Trenton Catholic and No. 6 Rutgers Prep in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

Current seniors Riley Maypother – Brody’s twin brother – and Wil Gannon combined to toss a three-hit shutout in the win against Rutgers Prep to vault them into the final versus top-seeded Gloucester Catholic in a game they eventually

ST. ROSE’S #9 FRANKIE BELLEZZA lost, 9-4. Gloucester Catholic went on to beat Newark Academy, 15-5, to claim the overall Non-Public B championship.

Five starters from that team are key contributors to this year’s, including the Maypother twins, Gannon, Sestito and John Crowley.

St. Rose (17-6, 12-2) finished the regular season tied with Point Beach (13-7, 12-2) atop the Class B Central for a share of the division crown. The two teams split the season series with St. Rose taking the first game, 9-6, and the Garnett Gulls topping the Purple Roses, 6-1, on Apr. 23.

ST. ROSE’S #32 PATRICK FERRANTE Photos by: Tom Smith

5/22/18 - 6/11/18

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Page 8 Jersey Sporting News • 5/22/18 - 6/11/18

Manasquan Boys Lacrosse Wins Shore Conference Tournament Title

By John Sorce

ally played a perfect game and I don’t think anybody was going to beat us that day. The kids were just clicking and playing really well and that was certainly the right time to do it. It feels great to win that game and it feels great to win in the fashion we did. But more importantly, it’s nice to see the boys throw that type of game together and start to peak and gel at this time.”

It was a relatively easy road for Manasquan, who earned the second seed in the tournament. They powered past Lacey in the opening round, 21-4; Freehold Township in the second round, 16-2; and shut out Southern in the semifinals, 12-0. They outscored their opponents, 60-9, in the four games.

MANASQUAN’S #26 JACK FABEAN MANASQUAN – For the second straight year, the Warriors of Manasquan have claimed the title of Shore Conference Tournament champions in boys lacrosse.

The Warriors defeated top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy in a convincing 11-3 victory on Monmouth University’s Hesse Field on May 12, handing the Colts their first loss of the season.

“I think the boys, to their credit, played as good as I’ve seen them play in my time at Manasquan,” fourthyear head coach Sean Cunningham said. “They re-

Squan dominated the game from the opening faceoff, scoring the game’s first five goals. James Pendergist scored the first goal, followed by goals from Ryan Anderson, Casey Mulligan and James Mele late in the quarter. That was all they needed.

Anderson finished with four goals while Mulligan and Canyon Birch each had a pair. Mele, Pendergist and Mike Page each had one. Birch had three assists to finish with five points.

Manasquan and CBA, widely believed to be the top two teams in the Shore Conference, also played in the regular season, with CBA coming out on top by a score of 6-4. That game, Cunningham said, was a good defeat in a way for Manasquan.

“I think we were fortunate in regards to playing them the first time,” Cunningham said. “I think the loss was

good for us in a sense that we could see what their game plan was and a lot of what they wanted to do. We were able to make adjustments and make some changes that helped us the second go-around.”

In the semifinals, Birch made Shore Conference history by setting the conference's singleseason scoring record with his 98th goal to pass the previous mark of 93 set by Southern's Dylan Jinks in 2014. He is the only Shore Conference player to ever score 100 goals in a season and has 238 for his career, to go with 84 assists. And he’s still got another year left.

“He’s incredible,” Cunningham said. “You look at what he does just in terms of putting up points and he’s a record-breaking individMANASQUAN’S #5 CASEY MULLIGAN ual and it’s unpresented what he’s doing. He has 100 goals this season and we still have Having arguably the best lacrosse player the state games to go. He’s very good and he really makes life has ever seen, along with all the talented players easy. He makes huge plays when you need him to; he around him, makes Cunningham’s job pretty easy. scores at a phenomenal clip and he makes everyone He is fortunate to coach such a talented group, and around him better as well because he has 42 assists they hope to accomplish more before the season to go along with 100 goals. When you have a guy like ends. that, it’s a difference maker and we have several of them. When they’re clicking, it’s tough to stop them.”

Birch, who is committed to Army West Point, is one of five Division I recruits for Manasquan, and they are all juniors. Pendergist is going to Rutgers; Page is going to Syracuse; defenseman Jack Fabean is going to Richmond; and goalie Mike LaPoint is going to Siena.

“I love doing this, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the boys and their experience with this,” Cunningham said. “I’m just happy to be along for the ride. It doesn’t matter how good of a coach you are, if you don’t have talented kids, you’re not going to win. I think these kids just make me look good.”

MANASQUAN SCT CHAMPS Photos by: Tom Smith

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RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN AIMING AT THE ULTIMATE GOAL – A TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS TITLE

By Mike Ready

RUMSON – The Bulldogs won their sixth straight Shore Conference Tournament championship, beating long-time Shore rival Manasquan, 11-7, on the turf on Monmouth University’s Hesse Field on May 12. No other girls lacrosse program in SCT final history had ever won six consecutive titles until the Bulldogs did just that.

The win represents the program’s seventh overall Shore Conference Tournament title which leaves them one win shy of tying the Shore Regional girls lacrosse program’s eight overall SCT championships.

With their sixth straight title, the Bulldogs eclipsed the Blue Devils mark of five straight SCT championships achieved from 2005 through 2009.

Just as impressive though, the victory marked the program’s 102nd straight win against Shore Conference opposition in both the regular and postseason combined, dating back to May 14, 2012, when they lost, 10-7, to Manasquan in the SCT semifinals. A week later they beat Holmdel to start the streak.

“This is special because we’ve now made some history,” Bulldogs head coach Amy O’Keefe said. “That is what we wanted. That’s what we wanted, to be in a place that no other team had been before. That’s what makes this one really special. We want to keep it going and now we have to go for the most wins (in SCT final history) and I think we have good shot at it.”

Two years ago the Bulldogs captured the program’s first-ever NJSIAA Group title, beating Bernards, 1411, for the Group II championship and earning a trip to the Tournament of Champions.

Ranked seventh in the state at the time, Rumson fell, 10-4, to No. 1 and eventual T.O.C. champion Summit in the semifinals ending their 25-game winning streak.

Last season Rumson won its third straight and fifth overall sectional title taking home the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championship with a 14-4 victory over Red Bank Catholic. They then suffered a surprising and somewhat stunning 8-7 loss to Haddonfield in the Group II semifinal.

That loss to Haddonfield last season has served as a source of inspiration to this year’s team’s goal of not only returning to the T.O.C. but winning the whole thing.

Rumson (19-3, 10-0) is currently ranked eighth in the state with their only losses coming against secondranked Moorestown on opening day, No. 2 Oak Knoll and Lawrenceville Prep, who lost a tough 10-7 decision to Oak Knoll and won the Mercer County Tournament championship. So the Bulldogs are battle tested entering the state playoffs.

On Thursday after receiving a first-round bye, the top-seeded Bulldogs easily took care of No. 8 seed Delran beating the Bears, 13-5, in the quarterfinals.

Delran got by ninth-seeded Wall, 11-7, before losing to the Bulldogs.

Rumson will now face fourth-seeded Ocean Township – a team they dismantled, 19-0, in the SCT semifinals – in Monday’s sectional semifinal. They’ll more than likely face the winner of the Red Bank Catholic – Manasquan semifinal on Thursday for the CJG II championship.

In their win over Delran, junior midfielder Cassie James scored five goals to push her team-leading season goal total to 48 on the year. She also assisted on two scores giving her 57 points on the year. Senior attacker Kate Caruso added two goals and four assists for a season total of 30 goals and 11 assists.

Freshman Mia James chipped in with two goals giving her 12 on the year and leading scorer Gill Curran had an assist adding to her 44 goals and 15 assists. Curran, who was a first-team All-Shore selection a year ago, also leads the team with 76 draw controls.

Freshman attacker Chase Boyle continued her breakout season scoring a goal to push her season goal total to 18 to go along with her 11 assists and 50 draw controls.

Senior first-team All-Shore midfielder Meg MacGillis added a goal against Delran giving her 20 on the year with 10 assists, while sophomore attacker Allie McGinty found the back of the net once and assisted on another for nine goals and 15 assists for the year.

Senior assist leader Mel Guido added to her total with one assist giving her 20 on the year with 22 goals and midfielder Jordan Johnson continued her impressive sophomore campaign with a goal and an assist pushing her season total to 23 goals and 12 assists.

“I think when I first came on this field with this team four years ago we were taught to spread the ball around,” Guido said. “For the past four years we know every play involves everyone. We also think to

RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN #32 SOPHIA BOCKLAGE pass before we shoot and I think that is like the most important thing when we play.”

Senior Lilly Bedell, a second-team All-Shore selection last season, leads a talented group of experienced defenders, including seniors Kylie Wise, Makenna Maguire and Grace Reid and junior Grace Jamin, for the Bulldogs while junior Sophia Bocklage is having another fine season in goal as a second-year starter.

RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN SCT CHAMPS Photos by: Tom Smith

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Page 10 Jersey Sporting News • 5/22/18 - 6/11/18

Henry Hudson Softball Aims to Send Coach out on Top

By John Sorce

HIGHLANDS – Being somewhat of a smaller school, Henry Hudson does not get as much attention as some other programs. But that should not be the case, as the Admirals softball team has been one of the top teams in the Shore Conference this season.

By Lou Monaco

Despite a hiccup of two straight losses between May 8 and10, including a 10-9 home setback to Ocean Township in the quarterfinals of the Shore Conference Tournament, the Colts Neck girls lacrosse team seems to be back on track.

Henry Hudson finished the regular season with an 18-3 record and 12-2 in B Central, finishing second in the division. Their only losses were to Southern, Keyport and Point Beach. The team earned the top seed in the Central Jersey, Group 1 Tournament.

Senior Emma Curry is the best player on the team, and the best player the program has ever had. She is having one of the best seasons of any player in the state, hitting an astounding .652 and leads the team with 45 hits, 46 runs, 48 RBI, and 13 home runs. She is a four-year varsity starter at catcher, and is hitting over .560 with 30 home runs in her career.

She will continue her athletic and academic career at the University of Hartford in the fall.

“She’s having a great year and I mean just through the stats throughout the state, she’s one of the top three hitters in the state right now,” said head coach Vincent Whitehead. “She has over 150 hits, 30 home runs, over 100 runs and RBI in her career. She’s the best numbers kid ever at Hudson. As far as we know, she holds all the records. She’s definitely the offensive leader.”

Kamryn Hubeny is the ace for the Admirals, picking up all 19 wins for the team this year. The senior is 19-3 and has struck out 94 batters over 102 innings this season. She has also been a force at the plate, hitting over .600 and leading the team with 12 doubles.

Colts Neck Girls Lacrosse Aiming for First-ever Sectional Final Appearance

HENRY HUDSON’S #37 ZOEY HAGAN Photos by: Tom Smith

Lehigh-bound senior Ally Largey tallied seven goals with two assists and senior Camryn Allmers added four goals with two assists to power third-seeded Colts Neck to a 17-5 victory over sixth-seeded Lawrence in the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 3 tournament in Colts Neck last Wednesday.

Henry Hudson has 14 players on its varsity roster this season, and six of them are seniors. In addition to Curry and Hubeny, Julia Forsyth, Melissa Olson, Maddie Reynolds, and Sophia Shea. Whitehead mentioned having a large senior class has been good for them.

Colts Neck (16-2), which has won two straight since that two-game skid, advanced to the sectional semifinals and will visit second-seeded Notre Dame, No. 19 in the latest NJ.com Top 20 rankings, on May 22.

“It’s great because you have seen them perform in the past in those pressure situations,” Whitehead said.

“We’ve won the division in the past a few times. This group when they were freshman made it to the Group 1 state finals. They’ve had some great experience over their four years, so I’m hoping that helps them with the pressure of the states.”

Notre Dame (12-3), which defeated seventh-seeded Brick Township, 16-3, last Thursday in the quarterfinals to snap a two-game losing streak, had won four of its last six games and improved to 8-0 at home.

While there has been a lot of veteran leadership on the team, the Admirals also have a good number of underclassmen making an impact this season. Emma’s sister Alyssa, who is a sophomore, is hitting over .450 with 33 hits, 29 RBI and 28 runs. Sophomore Zoey Hagan is hitting over .440 with 26 hits, 27 RBI and 31 runs.

Freshman Shannon Forbes is hitting over .550 with 38 hits, 31 RBI, 23 runs, and four home runs.

Notre Dame has a similar high-powered offense as Colts Neck does, with junior Danielle Losier (45 goals, 11 assists), senior Maddie Rizzuto (27g, 10a, recorded her 100th point in Brick win), junior Jessica Pisani (22g, 17a), freshman Gabrielle Skowronski (21g, 11a) and junior Ava Scudillo (14g, 16a) leading the way.

Junior Sarah Shaughnessy notched four goals with an assist; junior Kayla Wade posted two goals with an assist and senior Emma Drone, senior center

and Stevens Institute of Technology-bound Taylor Niedzielski and Shaeafer Juliana each dished out an assist for Colts Neck, which led 12-3 at halftime.

“In the state tournament emotions run high because it is nearing the end of the season and teams play their very best. The players knew they had to go out win the draw, push to goal, and take advantage of every opportunity that could be ours on the field.

We played them tough and looked for opportunities to score right away,” said Colts Neck head coach Christine Latteri, who is in her third season at the helm. “Ally (Largey), our top goal scorer, got us on the board right away with three goals. After that, we were able to settle in and more goals came.”

The two losses, including a 13-12 loss at Freehold Township on May 10 (a team they had defeated, 129, at home on Apr. 24), was a wake-up call to Colts Neck.

“Those losses were a learning experience for us. We spoke about not taking anything for granted, to play complete games, and that we can never be complacent. They were both one-goal games and when it is that close, it could have been anybody's to win,” said Latteri. “We’ve had two wins since then and the team is back in good spirits and motivated to play well.”

Latteri will look to her scoring trio of Largey (97g, 37a), Shaughnessy (48g, 32a) and Allmers (46g, 28a) to continue to do their thing.

If they continue to do that, the first-ever trip to the sectional finals is right there for the taking.

“We have a middle school program and we see these kids play in middle school, so we have an idea of some of the better players that are coming up and where they’re going to be filling in,” Whitehead said.

Whitehead also wanted to recognize his assistant, Ryan Patrick, who in his mind, should be the next head coach.

This is Whitehead’s second season as head coach of the softball team, but he has been a teacher and involved with athletics at the school for 44 years. He is retiring at the end of the season, and he and his girls hope they can send him out on top.

HENRY HUDSON’S #4 KAMRYN HUBENY

“This group wants to get back to Kean University because as freshman, they played there and they haven’t been back since,” Whitehead said. “That is the goal for everybody this year because there is no next year for six of them and there will be a whole next coaching staff.

This is the last hurrah for a lot of the kids, including myself, so we’re trying to go as far as we can.”

COLTS NECK’S #14 TAYLOR NIEDZIELSKI Photo by: Gia Fay

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Page 11

Southern Rallies over Christian Brothers for Third Straight SCT Boys Volleyball Crown

By Lou Monaco

However, the defending champions stormed back with a quick 25-15 second game to tie the match at 1-1 and force a third set. Trailing three times in the final game, Southern responded and dug deep to lay claim to a trophy that has been in their house nine of the last 10 years.

The Southern boys volleyball team is getting back to its winning ways and has added another trophy to the mantle.

Senior middle blocker Shane Bent recorded 14 kills with five blocks; senior opposite Arvind Kumar added 11 kills with nine service points; and junior outside hitter Zack Hem posted nine kills to lead top-seeded Southern, No. 3 in the latest NJ.com Top 20 rankings, to a come-from-behind 2-1 (21-25, 25-15, 27-25) victory over second-seeded and No. 12 Christian Brothers in the final of the Shore Conference Tournament last Thursday at Georgian Court University in Lakewood.

“Last night's win was about sticking together as a team and not giving up. CBA played a fantastic match and forced us to reach down deep. After losing game one, I thought that we had taken control of the match by winning game two, but CBA bounced right back. We trailed, 22-19, 24-22, and 25-24, late in game three, but were able to respond each time. It's stuff like this that prepares you for the most important things to come,” said Southern head coach Eric Maxwell, who is in his 19th season at the helm at the Manahawkin-based school. “We pride ourselves on being a ‘big game’ team and in order to win those games you have to be able to respond to pressure and play as a team. That is what has helped us win six state titles in the last nine years.”

when he rolled his ankle in warmups. He dished out 39 assists and was our emotionally charged leader. He is without a doubt one of the toughest competitors I have ever coached. I wonder where he gets that from?” said the elder Maxwell. Shane (Bent), Arvind (Kumar) and Zach (Hem) were tough at the net, while libero Matt Jones was stellar in service receive and spearheading the defense. I’m very proud of our guys for battling the way they did last night. You have to be very good to win state titles but you also have to be tough. We saw that toughness and will to win last night.”

Christian Brothers (17-9), which has dropped two of its last three and four of its last six matches, advanced to the final with a 2-0 victory over third-seeded Colts Neck in the semifinals.

Southern last lost the SCT title in 2015.

The top-seeded Rams begin defense of their back-toback NJSIAA state titles on May 22 in the South Jersey Tournament as they host 16th-seeded St. Augustine with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals to take on the winner between ninth-seeded Moorestown and eighth-seeded Cinnaminson on May 24.

“We got a gutsy effort from setter Matt Maxwell last night after it looked like he may not be able to play

Southern has captured every South Jersey sectional tournament title since 2009.

Southern (32-4), which has won three straight and five of its last six matches, has posted three consecutive and nine overall SCT titles.

After coming off a 2-0 (25-10, 25-16) no-doubt victory over third-seeded Jackson Memorial in the semifinals earlier in the day, some doubt lingered for the Rams after they dropped the first game, 21-25, to Christian Brothers in the championship match.

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“We are excited about the journey ahead over the next three weeks. It will be a time of excitement, challenges, and sometimes uneasiness. But we will be prepared for all of that as we always are,” said Maxwell. “We really only have one goal every year and everyone in our program knows what that is.”

Page 12 Jersey Sporting News • 5/22/18 - 6/11/18

Lacey Softball Has Memorable Ride to Ocean County Tournament Title

By John Sorce

LANOKA HARBOR – The beautiful thing about sports is you play the game for a reason. Because one look at the Ocean County Tournament softball bracket would not tell you anything about how it went.

“Catie has been one of our leaders and was having an excellent season until her injury,” Faulkner said. “She’s second on the team with 32 hits and had 20 RBI. With her out of the lineup, the other girls have been picking up for her and have been doing a fine job. But we would love to have Catie back, that’s for sure.”

A lot went right for the Lacey Lions in the Ocean County Tournament, where they earned the number five seed. It started in the first round, where they defeated No. 12 Central Regional, 8-5, and beat fourth-seeded Toms River East, 4-1, in the second round.

Their staff ace is Erika Holowka, who is 14-4 on the season and has struck out 159 batters over 110 innings. She sat behind Chelsea Howard the last few years, who was a four-year varsity starter and is now playing at Binghamton University, and is thriving this season.

But top-seeded Brick Township lost by one run to eighth-seeded Toms River South in the second round, making the road to the title a bit easier for Lacey.

“She’s been our outstanding pitcher this year and she got the MVP in the title game with 11 strikeouts and drove in a run offensively,” Faulkner said. “She’s a very good pitcher as far as control goes and her velocity has really picked up this year as we’ve been playing. Erika could have pitched at a couple of other schools the last couple years but she was patient. She was loyal to the program and she waited for her time and she’s done a fantastic job. We’re so proud of her for hanging in there with Chelsea in front of her the last couple years.”

“It was a pretty wide-open tournament this year,” said Lacey head coach Thomas Faulkner. “A couple of the top teams did not participate this year. The top two seeds got knocked off early this year, so it left us with a pretty good opportunity to advance, which we did.”

A 2-0 victory over Toms River South in the semifinal set up a championship matchup against the No. 10 seed in Brick Memorial, who defeated second-seeded Manchester and third-seeded Jackson Liberty to get there. Lacey won, 6-2.

Lacey also did not have to worry about Donovan Catholic, who is the top team in the state and did not participate in the tournament this year.

LACEY TOWNSHIP OCT CHAMPS

Alyssa Costello is Lacey’s top offensive player, leading the team in hits (36), RBI (23), and runs scored (35). She is second on the team with a .493 average and four home runs, and is only a freshman. She also led the team offensively in the title game, going 3-for-4 and scoring three runs.

“Alyssa is our leadoff hitter and she can bat, slap and hit for power,” Faulkner said. “It’s awesome to have a person like that who can do a lot of different things leading off. She’s our center fielder, but she’s been filling in at shortstop the last couple of games and has been doing really well there.”

Costello had to fill in at shortstop for Caitlin Hughes, who got injured sliding into second base. But Hughes has been a huge part of the team.

Chelsea’s sister, Kailee, is the team’s sophomore catcher. She leads the team with six home runs and also has 20 RBI. With only three seniors graduating after this season, the future for this program certainly looks bright.

“We’re very excited about the next few years because of the talent that’s coming up,” Faulkner said. “We have five juniors and several sophomores in starting roles because they are very talented players and our middle school team is doing very well, too. Things are looking pretty bright for the next couple of years.”

Toms River East Softball has Solid Year in Competitive A North

By John Sorce

TOMS RIVER – Playing softball in A North is always a challenge, but the Raiders of Toms River East have held their own in 2018. The team finished in fourth place with a 10-8 record and an 8-7 mark in divisional play.

The Raiders are led by Danielle Foran, who is in her fourth year leading the program. Foran is a 2005 graduate of the school and played for Debbie Schwartz and Dawn Dzeidzic, who are both at Donovan Catholic.

“A South has always been competitive, even when I played. Now, it’s even harder,” Foran said. “They’re all such strong teams and unique in their own way. There is a not a single team that is weak within our conference.”

The team has played a lot of close games throughout the season, with 13 of their 18 games decided within three runs. Senior Skylar Mahaffey, who is the team’s ace with a 1.65 ERA and had struck out 128 batters over 118.2 innings, has been integral in keeping the Raiders in those close games.

TRE’S JULIONNA LAWRENCE

“Skylar Mahaffey has kept us in every single game,” Foran said. “She throws well and has great movement on her pitches, which leaves opposing batters off balance.”

Offensively, sophomore catcher Brooke Slomkowski is the Raiders top threat, leading the squad with a .456 batting average, 26 hits, 19 RBI, and three home runs. Foran also praised her work behind the plate.

“She is really talented behind the plate,” Foran said. “There have been very few pitches that have gotten away from her and she’s quick to throw people out. Many teams do not try run on her often. Offensively, Brooke has the highest batting and slugging average on our team. Her RBI have helped us win games. We’re excited to have her again for two more years.”

TRE’S NICOLETTE DEPALMA “This year the girls are like a family,” Foran said. “They care about each other and support each other on and off the field. Our entire team is involved in so many different extra-curricular activities and really difficult classes and I think they bring that support to the field. This year the girls love the game. They are passionate about the game itself, but continue to want to learn more and be better. They are always looking to improve and strive to be better at the end of each day.”

Also serving as key contributors this season are senior Nicole Cocco (.333, a team-leading 12 runs, 19 hits, 10 walks) and junior second baseman Aimee Skweres (.345, 10 runs, 20 hits, six doubles).

“Nicole Cocco is doing great for us offensively and coming in clutch in keys spots,” Foran said. “She plays first base for us and we have a completely new left side of the infield. She has done a great job in picking balls out of the dirt. Aimee is just a solid softball player. She has a lot of balls hit to her at second base and comes up cleanly on routine balls.

Her range is fantastic out there. She’s a real leader on and off the field and her overall knowledge of the game is something we get so excited to see.”

Also stepping up this season as a freshman is shortstop Nicolette DePalma, who is batting .288 and is third on the team with eight RBI. She is also learning a new position on the fly.

“She does not normally play there for travel, but she picked up the position quickly,” Foran said. “She has good range in the field and is a smart player. I believe next year we will see her improve even more and be a leader within A South.”

TRE’S SKYLAR MAHAFFEY

What separates this team from teams in the past is the camaraderie amongst the players, both on and off the field.

TRE’S MADISON MALGERI Photos by: Michael Pierson MP Pics Photography-mppics.com

5/22/18 - 6/11/18

Catherine Loder

Salt Creek Grille Gourmet Makes History “Creek Burger” Is a Winner for Trinity Hall

Girls Lacrosse

By John Sorce

TINTON FALLS – Trinity Hall girls lacrosse senior Catherine Loder became the first player in program history to score 100 career goals. She scored the goal on May 2 in a home game against Shore Regional.

“Catherine came in knowing how to play lacrosse and us being a newer program and a smaller school, we didn’t have many girls that knew,” said Trinity Hall head coach Dana Lenneper. “She took on a leadership role in her freshman year and she was never afraid to go to the goal and she is always a confident player on the field.”

With no varsity team for the first year and a half, Loder accomplished the feat in two and a half years. She scored 18 goals as a sophomore, 48 as a junior and currently has 40 as a senior.

RUMSON – At Salt Creek Grille, the humble American staple – the hamburger – has skyrocketed into another stratosphere with its gourmet burger, the Creek Burger. And Salt Creek fans are eating it up.

“Creek Burger sales are off the chart,” said Steve Bidgood, co-owner. “We knew it would be popular but we didn’t anticipate this level of enthusiasm. People at the Jersey Shore love their burgers and they totally get our gourmet rendition.”

The school opened in the fall of 2013, and the athletic programs were not accepted into the Shore Conference until the fall of 2015. Because of this, the team was not able to play a full varsity schedule that spring, Loder’s sophomore season.

The fact that she essentially did this in two years and a handful of games at the varsity level makes it that much more impressive.

The Creek Burger was introduced about a year ago as part of Salt Creek Grille’s newly overhauled menu. Ever since, the gourmet burger’s popularity has continued to soar making it a new favorite on the award-winning menu. The innovative approach to new dishes and the updated signature dishes center around quality, prime, fresh ingredients and the restaurant’s unique Mesquite wood-fired grill.

The Creek Burger is the direct result of this concentration. It is made entirely from scratch starting with Salt Creek Grille’s own premium blend of short rib, chuck and brisket, ground daily on site. In fact, even the Creek Burger’s condiments were fashioned with every component of the burger in mind, including the subtle flavoring imparted by grilling the burger on top of the super hot, wood-fired grill.

Executive Chef Bob Belt tops the burger – cooked to a guests’ desired temperature – with delicious, gooey, melted aged white cheddar cheese, a dab of house-made, slow-simmered bacon-tomatoonion jam and a generous dollop of zesty house-made spread made from mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, pickles, lemon zest and Tobasco®. The Creek Burger is served on a soft King Hawaiian roll.

The result is a delightful blend of flavors that compliment each other and make every bite a deliciously satisfying one. Like most burgers, a side of French Fries is served with the burger; however these are no ordinary fries. The special extra-crispy, shoestring fries go the extra distance with a sprinkling of asiago cheese and decadent truffle oil, which are tossed on the fries just before serving. The Creek Burger is just one example of why Salt Creek Grille was most recently named “Best Scenic Dining Spot” and ”Outstanding Casual Restaurant.”

Salt Creek Grille is located at 4 Bingham Avenue in Rumson. For more information, call 732-933-9272 or visit www.saltcreekgrille.com

TRINITY HALL’S #24 CATHERINE LODER Photo by: Tom Smith

• Jersey Sporting News

Page 13

Loder is a multi-sport athlete, also participating in basketball for all four years and cross-country for two.

With the lacrosse program still in its infancy, she and her teammates in other sports were able to recruit other girls to give lacrosse a chance. Some of them never played before, but trying something new is always a good experience.

“They’re just an awesome group of girls. Even in the first year when there were 10 or 12 of them who didn’t know how to play and we were just doing it to get a program started, they’re just fun to be around,” Lenneper said. “It was tough in the beginning knowing I had to teach most of them how to play and this year I’m getting freshman on varsity teaching them how to play the sport, just because we need the numbers, but it’s just so easy to be around and it’s been a pleasure for me.”

Loder is an exceptional student, who will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall and majoring in Engineering.

“She has done 255 hours of community service in the four years she’s been at Trinity, while maintaining a GPA that is over 3.9 taking all honors and AP classes.” Lenneper said. “She doesn’t really want credit for all that, but that’s really impressive to me. She’s just an awesome kid and she’s going to be missed by me for sure, but definitely the school and the team. Anywhere she goes, she leaves an impact.”

The program is still relatively new at Trinity Hall, but Loder has certainly left her mark on numerous sports.

“The biggest thing I see with the seniors is their positivity,” Lenneper said. “I know that sounds corny, but being a new program and playing in a tough conference, they were just so positive every day no matter if we won or lost. They went into every game really motivated and thinking we were going to win, and I think that energy definitely rubbed off on the underclassmen.”

Page 14 Jersey Sporting News • 5/22/18 - 6/11/18

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5/22/18 - 6/11/18

• Jersey Sporting News

Page 15

RBR Athletic Director Named 2018 Man of the Year by Jersey Shore Interscholastic Wrestling Association

FIVE COMMON INJURIES SPECIFIC TO BASKETBALL

Basketball is a popular sport played throughout the country by professionals, student athletes, and laypeople alike. Fun as it may be, basketball has been known to produce any number of injuries.

Five common injuries specific to basketball that we encounter at AOSMI are: Ankle Sprains: Ankle sprains involve the tearing of ligaments in the ankle, occurring when a person receives a blow to that joint, steps the wrong way, or experiences a sudden twisting motion during play. Two types of ankle sprains – lateral inversion and medial inversion – can lead to sprains ranging in degree from mild pain and bruising to severe pain and mobility loss. Proper stretching before play can reduce the risk of an ankle sprain.

Overuse Injuries: These injuries occur because of repeated use that puts immense pressure on tissue, muscles, or joints. To avoid an overuse injury, players must get sufficient rest and stay hydrated. Untreated injuries can lead to tendonitis.

ACL Injury: One of the four major ligaments of the knee is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which assists in holding the knee together. The ACL provides rotational stability by connecting the femur to the tibia. The knee can be abnormally

twisted from suddenly stopping or altering direction, improperly landing, or through direct impact.

Meniscus Tear: The meniscus, a C-shaped piece of cartilage in the knee, provides protection and stability to the knee. Symptoms of a tear include pain, stiffness, and impaired motion and occurs due to stress on the knee. It can be avoided with proper nutrition, hydration, and rest.

LITTLE SILVER – Red Bank Regional (RBR) Athletic Director Del Dal Pra was recently named the Jersey Shore Interscholastic Wrestling Association’s 2018 Man of the Year. He was honored at a dinner held on Apr. 16. According to the Association, this award is given to the individual whose contributions were instrumental to the widespread success of wrestling in the Shore area and throughout the state of New Jersey. Del Dal Pra was credited for restructuring and revitalizing the Shore Conference Individual Tournament. He also held the new tournament, a two-day competition at RBR. He also ran the District 18 tournament.

The plaque presented to Del Dal Pra states, “Without his leadership and perseverance, the best individual tournament in the state would never have come to fruition.”

Del Dal Pra became RBR’s athletic director in 2008 following a winning baseball coaching career at Ocean Township. He set certain goals for RBR and accomplished many in the past decade including: establishing a new athletic facility for athlete and student training, bringing lights and, consequently, night games to the stadium field; re-invigorating a pep band and improving school spirit and en-

thusiasm for the school’s athletics. Last year he launched the inaugural year of the RBR Athletic Hall of Fame. He also secured a grant to make RBR a Special Olympics Unified School. In 2016, he was named Jersey Sporting News Athletic Director of the Year.

He continues to work with the local town recreational associations. In the fall, Dal Pra coaches the Red Bank AYF eighth grade football team and is the head Red Bank baseball coach for the Red Bank travel fall baseball team. In the winter, he is the founder and director of the Jr. Bucs wrestling program and coaches an eighth grade recreation basketball team from Red Bank. During the spring, Del is a founder and on the board as the player agent for the Two River Little League and coaches 12U and 14U Red Bank Little League teams.

“Del is one of the most committed individuals I have had the pleasure to work with,” says RBR Principal Risa Clay of her AD. “He is passionate about student involvement and is a true champion of the RBR community.”

Del Dal Pra lives in Red Bank with his wife and three sons.

Muscle Strain: Strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is pushed past its capacity, ranging from a grade one strain to a grade three strain, which indicates a complete tear. Basketball players commonly experience muscle strains in their calves, which can be avoided through stretching before play and regular exercise between games and practices.

Because of the nature of the sport, basketball makes players susceptible to specific injuries. To reduce the possibility of an injury, a proper training regimen is necessary. If injury does occur, it is suggested that the player immediately visit an orthopedic specialist to treat injuries and enhance recovery.

If you suffer from basketball-related injuries, call AOSMI to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our specialists, 732-720-2555.

SURROUNDED BY HIS COACHES AND PLAYERS, RBR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR DEL DAL PRA WAS NAMED THE 2018 MAN OF THE YEAR BY THE JERSEY SHORE INTERSCHOLASTIC WRESTLING ASSOCIATION. Pictured (left to right) are: RBR head wrestling coach Scott Ferris; RBR wrester senior Finn Smith, Little Silver; RBR Athletic Director Del Dal Pra; RBR wrestler Edison Quesada, Red Bank; and RBR wrestling coach Pat Tedeschi.

It’s Game Time

Don’t miss out because of a sports injury, aches and pains!

Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute’s Board-Certified Physicians provide athletes of all ages the means to get back into the game and keep you at peak performance with:

Fracture, Sprain and Strain Care Functional Strength & Movement Training Sport Specific Physical Therapy Acupuncture and Dry Needling Sports Focused Massage Therapy Nutrition Analysis And More

To learn more, visit www.aosminj.com or call 732-720-6436 to schedule your appointment!

Page 16 Jersey Sporting News • 5/22/18 - 6/11/18

FOLLOWING SURPRISING EARLY MONMOUTH COUNTY TOURNAMENT EXIT, MANALAPAN SETS SIGHTS ON SCT AND STATE PLAYOFFS

By Mike Ready

MANALAPAN – Entering the season, the Braves were picked fifth in both the Shore Sports Network and Asbury Park Press Preseason Top 10. But after winning their first five games and outscoring their opponents by a 33-9 margin it appeared Manalapan might’ve been slighted.

a 5-4 win over Marlboro for a season split and a 10-0 win over 26th-seed Mater Dei in the opening round of the Shore Conference Tournament.

In their opening round win over Mater Dei, senior hurler Justin Korman picked up the win tossing three innings of two-hit shutout ball without issuing a walk while striking out five. Levin relieved Korman throwing two scoreless innings in the run-rule shortened five-inning game.

Then they ran into division rival Christian Brothers Academy, the No. 1 preseason favorite, and were shut out, 9-0, in a game they’d rather forget.

The Colts scored all nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Braves pitchers E.J. Melendez and Hunter Jomo combined to issue seven walks and a hit a batter and the defense contributed an error that led to four of the nine runs in the inning being unearned.

Senior outfielder Robert Gargano was 3-for-3 with a double, run and four RBI while Kulver blasted a threerun homer and junior shortstop Jake Pellecchia was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.

The seventh-seeded Braves are waiting on the outcome of the 23rd-seed Matawan at the tenthseeded Freehold Township first-round game, which has been affected by a week of rain, to see who their next opponent will be in the second round of the SCT.

The offense didn’t fare much better as a trio of CBA pitchers shut them out on just three hits.

However, the Braves responded nicely, beating Freehold Township, 7-1, in their next game as junior Ben Levin went six innings allowing one run on six hits while walking one and striking out four. Aaron Ayers finished up for Levin tossing a scoreless seventh and junior Billy Watters went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Following a one-run loss to Marlboro, the Braves reeled off four straight wins including an 11-1 win

MANALAPAN’S #21 EJ MELENDEZ at Toms River North – ranked No. 7 in the Shore at the time. Jomo and Melendez combined on a four hitter, with Melendez tossing three one-hit innings of relief.

As of Saturday it looked as though Matawan and Freehold Township wouldn’t meet until May 22.

Also, the state playoff seedings were released on Thursday and Manalapan was handed the secondseed in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV bracket and will host 15th-seeded Long Branch. The game is tentatively scheduled for May 21 with time to be de-

The Braves scored seven runs in the top of the seventh against TRN to break open a 3-1 game. Senior outfielder Anthony Naylor doubled and drove in three runs; senior centerfielder Giovanni Ciaccio went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI and senior Nick DiMiceli was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Watters (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) and junior Michael Kuver (3-for4) also chipped in.

With their record now 10-2 the Braves stumbled a bit losing three of their next four games including another blowout loss (13-2) to CBA that helped the Colts clinch the A North. That was followed by a disappointing 7-5 loss to No. 12 seed and red-hot St. Rose in the Monmouth County Tournament second round after receiving an opening-round bye as the fifth seed. St. Rose went on to advance to the final before losing to Red Bank Catholic.

MANALAPAN’S #11 JAKE PELLECCHIA

After the loss to St. Rose, the Braves regrouped to win their next eight games in a row to run their record to 19-5. Included in the eight-game winning streak was

MANALAPAN’S #16 ROBERT GARGANO Photos by: Tom Smith

termined, but with rain predicted through the weekend, stay tuned.

Following his meltdown in the loss to CBA, Melendez has been lights out, posting a 5-1 record with a 0.97 ERA. Levin has been equally as good posting a 5-1 record with sparkling 1.21 ERA while Korman has asserted himself going 5-1 on the year with 2.76 ERA. Seniors Ryan Crehan (3-1, 0.84) and Gargano (2-1, 3.00 ERA) give the Braves five quality starters they can turn too on staff that boasts a phenomenal 2.04 team ERA. Ciaccio has been dynamic at the plate leading the Braves in virtually every offensive category. He’s hitting .477 with two home runs, 23 RBI, 13 doubles, five triples, 32 runs scored and 31 hits while batting cleanup. Seniors Dan DeBlasio (.400 BA, 11 RBI, 4 2B, 2 3B), Naylor (.367 BA, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 4 3B, 19 R), DiMiceli (.543 BA, 14 RBI, 3 2B), Gargano (.433, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 4 2B, 1 3B) and juniors Nick Serrentino (.421 in 19 AB, 6 RBI, 1 2B), Watters (.400, 9 RBI, 7 2B) and Pellecchia (.439, 10 RBI, 18 H) give the Braves a dynamite offense that can erupt at any time.

Last season the Braves – as a second seed – advanced to the CJG IV semifinal before losing to No. 3 seed Hunterdon Central. They’re in search of their first sectional title since 2012 when they won their second straight NJSIAA Group IV championship after winning their first-ever group title in 2011.