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Volume 26 • Issue 566

JerseySportingNews.com

11/26/19 - 12/9/19

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Page 2 Jersey Sporting News • 11/26/19 - 12/9/19

11/26/19 - 12/9/19 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 3

PETERS, LARKIN AND DEFENSE LIFT WALL OVER RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN IN STATE FINAL

By Mike Ready

P O E N D I N N P O E N A D G I N N R A G G R G

WALL – While watching film of Rumson-Fair Haven in the days leading up to the Central Jersey Group III final, the Wall coaching staff saw something they thought they could exploit by moving their star running back Casey Larkin to the outside as a wide receiver on certain plays where they felt he would see one-on-one coverage.

Peters completed 6-of-10 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns and had a couple of runs where he picked up some tough yardage for first downs.

On Wall’s second possession of the game following Rumson’s only drive of the first half, which resulted in a missed 29-yard field goal, they drove to the 25-yard line in seven plays.

2ND LOCATION IN HOWELL SEPTEMBER 201 2ND LOCATION IN HOWELL SEPTEMBER 2018

It turned out to be a genius move as Larkin caught two long touchdown passes from junior quarterback Logan Peters in the first half and caught another bomb late in the fourth quarter that essentially iced the game in the Crimson Knights’ 14-13 win over Rumson in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III final.

Facing a second-and-4 at the 25, Peters saw Larkin had one-on-one coverage on the right side and hit him stride on a fade with a perfect pass in the back of the endzone for a 7-0 lead after Max Oakley’s extra-point kick.

2248 US South, Howell, NJ (Ideal Plaza) • 732-966-3441 2248 US 9 South, Howell, NJ 9(Ideal Plaza) • 732-966-3441

“We saw single coverage on Casey all night and we attacked it,” said Wall head coach Tony Grandinetti. “When we needed a big play we went up-top to Casey. Originally, we scouted their film and we saw when we were in certain formations they were going to be one-on-one on an island backside and we said, ‘if we get that, we’re going on top.’”

The score remained 7-0 until late in the first half.

The Wall defense forced Rumson’s third threeand-out of the half and sophomore Jackson Coan returned a Nick Ferrara punt to their own 47-yard line with 2:13 remaining in the half.

Four plays later on third-and-11 from the Rumson 41, Larkin won another one-on-one match-up on a post pattern with Peters tossing a perfect strike to Larkin who out-legged the nearest defender into the end zone for a 14-0 lead with 1:12 left in the half.

WALL Photos by Tom Smith “Our base defense is Cover 2, so they saw a weakness against the quick routes and saw that Lacey was doing that to us (in last week’s semifinal),” said Larkin, who is also a standout defensive back.

“We then started manning up and adjusting to it.”

On their ensuing possession, the Knights had a third-and-7 at the 50-yard line, but Rumson sophomore defensive end Charles Moriarty burst through the line to sack Peters for a 5-yard loss forcing a punt.

Rumson’s defense stepped up its game, too, in the second half and forced a Wall three-andout following their touchdown drive. Frank Passantino then shanked his punt out of bounds and the Bulldogs took over in prime field position at the Wall 30-yard line with 2:59 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs took over at the 22 and on thirdand-9, Wall’s standout linebacker Charlie Sasso stopped Volker after a 2-yard pickup on a screen pass and the Bulldogs punted.

P O E N D ING N A R G

Wall got the coverages they were looking for and Larkin and Peters did the rest.

Wall’s defense held Rumson to 42 total yards of offense in the first half, including 16-yards rushing on 11 attempts and 26 yards through the air. Rumson’s leading rusher, John Volker, was limited to 10 yards on eight carries.

Wall then took over at their own 32 following a penalty on the punt with 7:02 left in the game.

Up to this point in the second half, the Knights had gained just 13 yards of offense on their two possessions.

2ND LOCATION IN HOWELL SEPTEMBER 2018

Larkin caught three passes for 111 yards on the night and all three were gut-punches to Rumson’s chances of repeating as champions.

On third-and-5, sophomore wide receiver William Carr drew a pass interference call giving Rumson a first down at the 12-yard line. Three plays later on fourth-and-2 from the 4-yard line, Cole – with linebacker Colin Riley in his face – hit junior wideout Patrick Jamin for a 4-yard touchdown pass.

On third-and-4 from the 38, Peters picked 2248 US 9 South, Howell, NJ (Ideal Plaza) • 732-966-3441 up a crucial first down on a second-and-third

“They put me on an island and they knew Logs (Peters) could make the throw,” said Larkin.

“They put me on an island for a reason, and that’s for one-on-one coverage. We did that on purpose.”

From Basics to Champions It would be a much different story, however, in the second half after the Bulldogs made some adjustments, abandoning their running game in favor of the short passing game.

On their first possession of the second half, Rumson senior quarterback Collin Coles, who completed 18-of-30 passes for 109 yards, threw the ball on their first seven plays and eight of the first nine plays for 58 yards.

On fourth-and-2 at the 9-yard line, Coles faked the pass before tucking the ball in and fighting his way down to the 1-yard line. Senior Pete Crowley finished off the drive with a 1-yard plunge up the middle to pull the Bulldogs to within 14-7, after Michael Piperno’s extra-point kick.

WALL’S #24 MATT DESARNO

The 12-play, 66-yard drive took six and a half minutes off the clock.

effort run that netted five yards. Three plays later on third-and-9 from the 44 the Crimson Knights, seeing single-man coverage on Larkin, went back to the same play they scored on in the first quarter.

I can run under it. He’s a great quarterback.”

Rumson’s John Lista and Gordan Forsyth stopped Matt DeSarno for a 4-yard loss on third-and-5 and Peters fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone turning the ball over to Rumson at the 14.

Larkin’s third-down catch extended the drive but more importantly it helped drain six minutes off the clock leaving Rumson with just 1:15 to get into position for a game-winning field goal.

After getting a first down at the 27, three straight incompletions, including two drops, left Rumson with a fourth-and-10 with 32 seconds left in the game. Coles then fumbled the snap and was swarmed over by a host of Wall defenders turning the ball over to the Knights with seconds left in the game.

From Basics to Champions

However, Piperno’s extra-point kick clanged off the right upright and the score stood at 1413 with 27 seconds left in the quarter. That was a costly miss that eventually proved to be the difference in the game.

“With the state championship on the line, if we’re going to have one unit on the field it’s our defense,” said Grandinetti. “We always feel confident in them.”

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The momentum was clearly on the Rumson side after the touchdown, but the missed extra point got the Wall crowd back into it and shifted the momentum back to the Knights.

Peters again nailed the pass to Larkin, who was brought down at the 10-yard line for a 46-yard pickup and a first down.

Larkin had been battling leg cramps but shook it off to make the play of the game.

Wall’s defense, which has allowed an average of just nine points a game this season, limited Rumson to 144 total yards in the game.

© George Tiedemann/GT Images.

The top-ranked Crimson Knights are now 11-0 on the season for the first time since 1983 and following their Thanksgiving Day game with Manasquan, they’ll play Woodrow Wilson on Sunday, Dec. 8 at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium at 10:00 am in the Central/South Group III Bowl Game.

“We set him up on the backside because we felt he might have a one-on-one,” said Peters.

“I know in my mind if he’s got one-on-one, I’m going to take that match-up every single time.

So I went right at it and he made a crazy catch in the back corner (of the endzone). You can’t ask for much more as a quarterback.”

“This is surreal,” said Larkin, who also gained “Casey’s a special guy,” said Peters. “I don’t 38 yards on eight carries. “I had a feeling we “We took a little time to adjust (on defense) think there’s many guys in the state that can were going to make a run this season, but and the momentum, we felt it, it changed,” stick with him. He’s got that knack for making it’s just unbelievable now that it actually hap2248 US 9 South, Howell, NJ (Ideal Plaza) • 732-966-3441 said Grandinetti. “But it absolutely went back big plays.” pened.” in our favor when they missed the extra point.

And with the game on the line in the state “He knows me better than anyone else – he’s With Larkin, Peters and Sasso and host of other championship and we got our defense on the my best friend,” said Larkin of his quarterback. underclassmen returning, look for Wall to make field, we’re confident.”

“He’s going to throw that ball and put it where another run at the championship next season.

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It’s Wall’s first state sectional title since 2016 and fifth overall in program history.

Page 4 Jersey Sporting News • 11/26/19 - 12/9/19

BACK-TO-BACK GROUP I TITLES Two High School Athletes’ Journey from Armenia to America FOR SHORE FIELD HOCKEY

By Eric Braun

WEST LONG BRANCH – Another season, another Shore Regional High School team hoisting a championship trophy. For the second year in a row, it is the Blue Devils field hockey team that gets to add to the trophy case at Shore Regional with their NJSIAA Group I championship.

Every year it seems to be the Blue Devils facing off against the Bulldogs/Dawgs. Whether it is the SHORE’S #71 RACHEL DWYER Rumson-Fair Haven Bulldogs or the Haddonfield Bulldawgs, Shore in goal. In the sectional final against Point Pleasant always seems to have to go through a Bulldog/Dawg Boro, the Blue Devils had to come from behind after to capture a title. trailing, 2-1, at half to defeat the Panthers, 4-2, and earn their second straight trip to the North 2 Group 1 The Blue Devils’ seven seniors – Taylor Cannon, Rafinal with goals from Santi (3) and Ryan Malfi. chel Dwyer, Lily Santi, Isabella Saponaro, Shannon Scesa, Samantha Lagrotteria and Quinn Harmon – In the Group 1 final against the Haddonfield Bullwill go down as one of the top graduating classes at dawgs, Shore was itching for revenge for their early the school, amassing a remarkable record of 85-13season 2-0 loss to the Dawgs. That game gave the 1 overall and 41-2 conference record and two state Blue Devils the confidence and motivation it needed championships. in the finals to look to repeat as Group champions.

Shore jumped out early and never looked back as the Lost among the success this group had was a Shore Blue Devils scored twice in the first half and once in Conference Tournament title, mostly due to facing the the second half and defeated Haddonfield, 3-1, once Rumson Bulldogs three of the last four years. This seaagain. Santi scored all three goals for Shore all on son it looked like the Blue Devils had figured out the corners and Dwyer recorded five saves for the win.

Bulldogs, beating them twice in the regular season, 2-0 and 1-0, but when the stakes were higher at Monmouth Shore Regional’s season would come to an end in University for the Shore Conference Tournament title, the Tournament of Champions against fifth-seeded Rumson got the better of Shore and the senior group Clearview, who defended the strengths of Shore Relooking to add one SCT trophy to their legacy. gional’s corners almost to perfection the entire game and moved on with a 2-1 victory over the Blue Devils.

Not to be discouraged after the Shore Conference The loss was not a reflection on the Blue Devils’ seaTournament loss, the Blue Devils went back to work son, as Shore Regional ended with a record of 24-3, and with the top seed in the North Jersey Section 2 with two of those losses coming in tournament play.

Group 1 tournament, hosting the first two rounds against South Hunterdon and Point Pleasant Boro. In This group of seniors ends their playing careers at the South Hunterdon game, Shore dominated from Shore Regional with their heads held high and a comstart to finish and walked away with a 7-2 win with munity that has enjoyed their run together to bringing goals from Santi (4), Alex Muscillo, Libby Doehner the program back to state-championship level that and Saponaro, with Dwyer pitching in with two saves now holds 16 NJSIAA titles.

By Robert Solomon

OCEANPORT – Richie and Meli Pekmezian are both high school seniors and successful athletes. Richie plays football and is an outstanding kicker at Mater Dei Prep. He is also thinking about rejoining the baseball team in the spring. Meli is a 4-year member of the varsity soccer team and is an outstanding midfielder at Shore Regional High School. She also enjoys participating in the ski club. However, 18 years ago these success stories could not have been foreseen.

They were both born in Armenia several days and miles apart in late November 2001. By chance, they were put up for adoption on the same day at the same orphanage, Nork Marash Children's Orphanage in the Armenian capital of Yerevan. In January 2002, the Pekmezians, an Armenian-American couple living in New Jersey, traveled to that very same orphanage, ironically, in search of two infants to adopt – a boy and a girl. Sixty-two days and five flights later, the new family arrived at JFK Airport and their final leg of their journey home to Oceanport.

Richie and Meli learned about their adoption at a very early age, but it wasn’t until about third grade when they both started to understand it. “I grew up hearing about it and knowing it,” said Meli. “We did not really have a sit-down. It was constantly present in the household,” she added. Richie explained that he remembers hearing about it as soon as he was able to understand it.

Both children had different perspectives about their adoption story. “It was pretty cool. Most of my friends were born locally and I was the only one that wasn’t,” explained Richie.

Meli said, “I thought it was very interesting. I wanted to learn more and know more about what it meant to be adopted.”

Their knowledge of Armenia is similar, as they both attended Sunday school at the Armenian Church in Elberon where they learned about their birth country from their teachers. They were also told numerous stories by family members. Meli explained that they have many family members living in the area, including their grandparents and aunts and uncles.

Of course their parents were also a major source of information, especially about their adoption journey. Richie stated, “Yes, my parents told us the story a couple of times. It wasn’t a quick process.” He continued, “It was a life-changing experience for all of us. I don’t know a lot of parents that would go around the world to adopt the kids of the same ethnicity.”

“They told us story after story. Everyone knows the story,” explained Meli. “I was intrigued. I thought it was so interesting. I always wanted to hear the story,” she added.

Neither of the kids has been to Armenia, but both plan to visit in the future. “It’s on my bucket list,” exclaimed Richie.

SHORE REGIONAL Photos by Sport Shots WLB

Growing up in Armenia is very different than growing up in America. “I probably would be in the army now,” said Richie. “Every Armenian boy goes into the armed forces,” he said. Richie even mentioned that he was told that when he was adopted the Armenians at the orphanage made a comment that his parents were taking away one of their soldiers.

Meli would probably not have gotten involved in sports at all. “I don’t think girls play sports in Armenia,” she said. It is probably accurate as “women and girls in many regions are not encouraged to take part in sports or other cultural activities. Because of this, girls teams do not typically have the same access to equipment that boys teams do,” according to oneworldplayproject.com.

Except for the occasional friendly joke, Richie and Meli are not treated differently by their friends, classmates and teammates. They both have never felt out of place in the United States. Their dad, Rich Pekmezian, explained that the U.S. government provides foreign adopted children full rights as soon as “the wheels touch ground,” although the parents must pursue all necessary paperwork.

Sports have been a big part of both of their lives. “I started sports as soon as I could walk,” said Meli. She participated in several sports, including tennis, basketball, golf, softball and skiing, before finally settling on soccer in high school.

PEKMEZIAN FAMILY Photo by Kate Braun “I started as soon as I was able,” said Richie. “I was involved in all sports to be exposed to many sports. I played football when I was younger, left, then came back to it.”

One thing they strongly agree on is the impact their dad has had on their success in sports. “I really think it starts with my dad,” said Richie. “He was a college athlete and coached me in baseball. I spent every day on the fields and my dad always pushed me to succeed.” Richie also credits Mater Dei football coach Dino Mangiero. “Coach Dino has been a great inspiration to me,” Richie stated.

When asked what contributed to her sports success Meli explained, “My dad 110%.” “He is the reason I am the soccer player I am today. He trained me and coached me my entire life.” She also acknowledges the help of her high school soccer coaches. “They are outstanding and the best coaches. They helped me with my confidence and growth as a player and a person.”

They both do well in school and are planning to play sports in college, although their plans are different. Richie wants to play football as a kicker and is being recruited by numerous schools including Western Colorado, Kutztown, Western Oregon and Villanova, to name a few. “It is a matter of where not if,” stated Richie.

Although she has been approached by several schools to play soccer, Meli is considering starting at a community college playing soccer and then get recruited to a fouryear college. “I plan on studying business and marketing or personal training,” she said.

Both of them feel extremely thankful for their journey. “I am beyond thankful,” said Meli. “Being adopted has given me opportunity after opportunity. I have been handed a life that a lot of Armenian kids would not have. I am so fortunate.”

“I am so thankful because not a lot of people know about Armenia and I want to go back and visit the orphanage I was adopted from to thank them for getting me adopted and having a better life in America,” Richie explained. He added that the orphanage had the option not to put him up for adoption.

Richie also explained how thankful he is for the other opportunities offered to him growing up in America. “I am extremely thankful that both of my high schools are phenomenal. They have great caring teachers. Not a lot of countries have the same school system as in America,” he said.

He is also thankful for his sports opportunities. “Kicking is what I hang my hat on and without it I am just an Average Joe,” he claimed. Although, there is nothing average about this young man. “I am thankful not just for playing sports but being on the team and making friends which is also important.”

Meli said that she is thankful for many things, especially the education she has received growing up in America. “I don’t think I would have as many opportunities in sports and education in Armenia,” she said. “Schooling from pre-school to high school has given me a great education here,” she added.

November is National Adoption Month. Richie and Meli are great examples of how adoption can change lives. As they continue their journey as Armenian-Americans, they are proud and thankful for their birth country and their adopted country.

Salt Creek Grille Set to Celebrate Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve RUMSON – It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and there’s no better place to share the season with friends and family than Salt Creek Grille, the Jersey Shore’s most popular waterfront restaurant.

Now decked out in our holiday finest, Salt Creek is planning special menus for both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Executive Chef Bob Belt has created a delicious Christmas Eve dinner menu filled with specially selected signature dishes and new creations, too. On that day, the bar/lounge will open at 4 pm for cocktails with a special bar menu, and dinner will be served from 5 until 9 pm.

If you need a last-minute gift, our gift cards make a perfect gift for anyone; plus when you purchase $100 (no expiration date), you get a $25 reward card (expires in February) for yourself.

We are closed on Christmas Day. For New Year’s Eve, we have two ways to celebrate. For an intimate and extraordinary dining celebration, Chef Belt has created a special a la carte dinner menu featuring many Salt Creek Grille favorites available from 4 to 11 pm.

Then, it’s time to take your celebration to the next level with dining, dancing and celebrating at Salt Creek Grille’s annual New Year’s Eve Gala, from 9 pm to 1am. This $130 package includes a decadent dinner, 4-hour open bar, music by Affair 2 Remember, photo booth, champagne toast, Times Square countdown celebration on a large screen TV and party favors. The package price excludes tax and gratuity. And, as a gift for ringing in the New Year with Salt Creek Grille, each guest will receive a $20 reward card to be used on a future date, which expires in February.

On New Year’s Day we will be open for cocktails and bar menu at 4 pm and for regular dinner service at 5 pm.

For details and reservations visit www.saltcreekgrille.com or call (732) 933-9272.

At Salt Creek Grille our chefs proudly make all menu ingredients in-house. They take great pride in hand cutting fresh, line-caught seafood, thick center-cut steaks and selecting the freshest produce available. Every item is handcrafted to ensure only the finest ingredients make it to our guests from beginning to end. Our great food, wine and cocktails have garnered us many awards since opening our doors in 1998. Our experience combined with our knowledgeable servers will ensure your holiday celebration experiences will be their absolute best.

RED BANK REGIONAL AND LONG BRANCH WILL MEET ON THANKSGIVING FOR THE 97TH TIME

By Mike Ready

RED BANK – One of the Shore Conference’s longest running Thanksgiving Day football rivalries is still going strong as most of the Shore’s traditional Thanksgiving Day games have gone by the wayside.

The Red Bank Regional Buccaneers and the Green Wave of Long Branch will take the field on Thanksgiving morning for the 97th time with kickoff scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 28 at 10:00 am in Red Bank.

The Shore Conference’s longest running Thanksgiving Day rivalry game is the Toms LONG BRANCH River South – Lakewood game which will be played for the 100th and last time on Thursday. So it appears moving forward, the Red Bank – Long Branch game will now hold that distinction.

“I still get some of those same feelings on game day that I did when I was a player,” said longtime Long Branch head coach Danny George. “It’s always a great way to start the Thanksgiving holiday being out there with your players with a packed house and two passionate fan bases supporting their teams.”

Both squads will again playing for the Ty Lewis Memorial Trophy, which is named in honor of the former Red Bank coach who passed away in 1990 at the age of 41 after battling leukemia. Lewis was one of the first black head coaches in the Shore Conference and his memory lives on to this day.

Long Branch leads the all-time series, 62-31-3, but you can throw the series record out the window when these two long-standing rivals take the field against one another.

Entering the season, Long Branch (4-6) was favored to win its third straight state sectional title, but a brutal early season schedule, injuries and some internal strife led to disappointing 2-5 record after seven games.

In their seventh game of the season, a 42-39 shootout loss to No. 2 Toms River North, the lead changed hands four times in the final 3:32 of the game. Long Branch took the lead, 39-36, with a minute left but the Mariners drove 64 yards in 42 seconds for the game-winning touchdown.

However, as tough of a loss that game was for the Green Wave, they seemed to turn the corner and began to look the part of a two-time defending champion.

Following their loss to the Mariners, they beat Saint John Vianney, 26-21, right as the Lancers were gaining steam themselves after upsetting a one-loss Southern team – ranked eighth in the Shore.

With the win, Long Branch qualified for the state playoffs despite their sub-.500 record based on their strength of schedule.

Seeded sixth in the NJSIAA South, Group IV tournament, Long Branch rolled over No. 3 seed Highland Regional, 33-3, in the quarterfinals advancing to play seventh-seed Ocean City in the semifinal. Ocean City had upset No. 2 seed Mainland, 21-14, in the quarterfinals to advance.

In the semifinal, senior quarterback Kyle Davidson tossed a 12-yard scoring strike to Long Branch star running back Jermaine Corbett to take a 20-14 lead right before the half. However, the extra-point kick was blocked and that would come back to haunt them.

“Being back-to-back state champs these kids have never not played into December so it’s a little different situation for them,” said George of his team’s mindset heading into Thursday’s game. “The senior class is broken up pretty hard with the loss Friday night so now it’s kind of gathering our guys together and we’ll play one of the best Red Bank teams we’ve faced in a while, so it’s going to be a heck of a challenge.”

Aside from Davidson, Corbett and Rodriguez, players to watch for Long Branch include junior cornerback/wide receiver Jayon Farrar, senior tight end/defensive end Lucas Tellas De Sa, sophomore wide receiver/cornerback Jayden Farmer, junior wideout/strong safety Basen Fraser, senior defensive end Jayson Glasper, senior offensive and defensive tackle Tracy Taylor and senior inside linebacker Jah’Kwan Gordon.

In the Green Wave’s last two games, Farrar had kickoff returns of 89 and 84 yards for touchdowns, so he’s someone you might want to keep an eye on.

Under first-year head coach David Schuman, not much was expected from Red Bank this season after heavy graduation losses from last year’s 7-3 team that advanced to the sectional semifinal.

To make matters worse, standout running back Makai Mickens was lost for what was thought to be for the entire year after he tore his ACL in June.

Mickens was a second team All-Shore selection after becoming the first Red Bank player to rush for 1,000 yards since 2004. He ran for 1,206 and 13 touchdowns for an average of 7.2 yards per carry and added 50 tackles and four interceptions on defense from the free safety spot.

Mickens had surgery last July 3 and amazingly – only four months after his surgery – he returned to the field in Red Bank’s 42-13 win over Monmouth Regional on Nov. 2 scoring two touchdowns.

Even without Mickens most the year, the Buccaneers turned out to be one of the surprise teams in the Shore Conference this season posting a 5-3 record and qualifying for the state playoffs before suffering a disappointing 22-14 loss to Holmdel in the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA South Jersey, Group III tournament.

They rebounded nicely, however, defeating a scrappy Middletown North squad, 22-17, the following week to run their record to 6-4 on the season. Mickens picked up 83 tough yards on the ground on 19 carries; senior quarterback Jack Chamberlain ran for two scores and junior linebacker Nick Ferrogine had a 38-yard pick six. For the year, Ferrogine has recorded 63 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and two forced fumbles on the year.

Davidson, who up to that point had completed 11-of-15 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown, was injured on the play and did not return, leaving the quarterback job up to sophomore free safety Christian Rodriguez, who hadn’t taken a varsity snap at quarterback all season.

Chamberlain has completed 96-of-165 passes for 1,123 yards and 11 touchdowns along with 614 yards and another 11 touchdowns rushing on 112 carries. Ferrogine (16-275-2), senior wideout/cornerback A.J. Abarno (29378-4) and junior wideout/running back/linebacker Owen Laughlin (17-143-1) are Chamberlain’s main targets.

Ocean City scored in the third quarter to take a 21-20 lead, but Long Branch was driving late in fourth quarter when, after a nice gain by Rodriguez, he fumbled with Ocean City recovering at their own 27-yard line – essentially ending the game and handing Long Branch the devastating loss.

In three games, Mickens has rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 35 attempts and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go off for some big yardage on Thanksgiving being it will be his final game of his high school career.

George is hoping both Davidson and Corbett will be able to go on Thanksgiving Day. Corbett has been hampered by a string of nagging injuries that has forced him to the sidelines throughout the season.

Corbett was the 2018 Shore Conference Player of the Year and a first team All-State selection after rushing for a state-best 2,021 yards and 26 rushing touchdowns averaging 8.7 yards per carry.

Laughlin (54-179-2), senior running back/cornerback David Hick IV (22-158-1) and sophomore linebacker/fullback Cian Curylo (46-171) have gotten most the carries this season in Mickens’s absence.

Senior linebacker Will DalPra (85 T, 10 TFL, 3 sacks) and Kyle Weisman (77 T, 5 TFL, 2 sacks) lead the team in tackles and Laughlin (61 T, 11 TFL, 4 sacks) is tops in tackles for loss and sacks.

In the secondary, senior cornerback Tucker Cochrane (23 T, 2 TFL, Int, 8 PD) and junior safety Jack Dengler (50 T, TFL, Int, 7 PD) lead the team in passes defended.

It looks to be an entertaining and competitive contest and as is always the case for the Thanksgiving Day game, get there early with overflowing crowds expected.

RED BANK REGIONAL

“I’ve always felt this game is football at its simplest and purest form,” said George. “It’s a game of family and tradition. The kids always look forward to this game because they look forward to winning the trophy.”

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LAKEWOOD AND TOMS RIVER SOUTH WILL MEET ON THANKSGIVING FOR THE 100TH AND FINAL TIME

By Mike Ready

LAKEWOOD – One of five Shore Conference Thanksgiving Day rivalry games still standing, sadly, this year’s 100th edition of the Lakewood – Toms River South Thanksgiving Day game will be its last.

my wife and mother would make dinner centered around the game. It’s definitely going to be different next year when the season ends.”

Senior quarterback T.J. Paturzo and senior linebacker/offensive linebacker Francisco Santillian are two players Clark singled out as team leaders this year.

The game is the longest-running Thanksgiving Day football rivalry in the Shore Conference and one of the longest in the state.

Clark graduated from Lakewood in 1999 a three-sport athlete and went on to play at NCAA DIII Fairleigh Dickinson University. He’s in his 14th year of coaching at his alma mater and his ninth as head coach.

Born in 1920, the game is the Shore Conference’s oldest continuous rivalry, but in a time when the turkey-day tradition of playing high school football has mostly gone by the wayside, apparently, so will this game.

After beating Lakewood, 59-36, on Thanksgiving Day at Toms River South’s Detwiler Stadium last year in a game that originally wasn’t on the schedule, the Indians lead the all-time series, 56-39-4, with one last game yet to be played.

“The last two games for us he’s had nine touchdowns and 566-yards rushing,” Clark said of his quarterback. “He’s kind of taken the bull by the horns and carried the team a little bit. And Francisco’s the heart and soul of our team. He plays super hard with a good motor and has been a very good leader for us.”

“They wanted to make it to 100 games and end it,” said Lakewood head coach L.J. Clark. “I would definitely like to keep it going; it’s such a rich tradition. They (NJSIAA) are trying to go to that overall state champion like other states so that’s the reason.

Lakewood had won two in a row in the series prior to last year’s loss.

“Personally, this game is my Thanksgiving, “ said Clark. “I grew up in Lakewood, went to school at Lakewood and ever since I was a little kid I’ve watched it, played in it or coached in it. Every Thanksgiving I’ve ever known has revolved around this game. As a little kid and a player we would go to my grandmother’s house after the game and then since I’ve been coaching,

“We started out a little a rough but my team has shown a lot of fight in the last two games and played a lot harder,” said Clark. “We’ve been playing with a lot of kids who haven’t really been varsity football players and now they’re starting to understand the speed of varsity and understand their assignments. It’s starting to sink in what we want out of them.”

After losing its first seven games of the season, the Piners have won two games in a row and are playing their best football of the season.

Paturzo had rushed for 1,138 yards and 13 touchdowns on 187 carries while Santillian leads the team with 64 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

Clark also mentioned senior Jayyin Overton (5-foot-10, 295 pounds) for his leadership on the offensive and defensive lines.

“It’s important to our kids because of the rich tradition of playing football on Thanksgiving,” said Clark. “And obviously it hasn’t been the season we wanted but we’ve won two in a row and the kids want to go out on a winning note and set the tone for next year.

When you win the final game against Toms River South on Thanksgiving, people tend to forget about the rest of the year.“

TOMS RIVER SOUTH Photo by Eric Braun Toms River South’s record stands at 3-5 but before they can start game-planning for Lakewood they have a game to play against Mainland. The Buccaneers were the No. 2 seed in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III Tournament before being upset in the quarterfinal by seventh-seed Ocean

City, which went on to beat sixth-seed Long Branch in the semifinal.

The Indians are led by junior quarterback Jack Huber, junior wide receiver Bo Marro, junior running back Travis Squire, junior linebackers Gerry Ferrigno and Aaron Height, sophomore middle linebacker Devin Raevis, senior outside linebacker/ strong safety Josh Odebode, senior defensive end/running back Devin Porsch and junior cornerback/wide receiver Tyler Madeo.

The final game in this long-standing Thanksgiving Day rivalry will be played on Thursday, Nov. 28 in Lakewood with kickoff scheduled for 11:00 am.

LAKEWOOD

“The committees from both schools have done a great job getting the festivities and extracurricular activities before and after the game done the correct way,” said Clark.

“They’ve put a lot of time and effort into it.

There’s a lot of history behind this game and we want the last one to be special.”

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MIDDLETOWN BRAGGING RIGHTS UP FOR GRABS IN ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DAY GAME

By Mike Ready

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP – While most Shore Conference Thanksgiving Day rivalry games have gone by the wayside in recent years, the Middletown North – Middletown South Thanksgiving Day game still remains one of the township’s most popular events which attracts what seems like the entire community year after year.

There are currently five Shore Conference Thanksgiving games still active, but following Thursday’s games the number dwindles to four with Toms River South and Lakewood – the longest running rivalry game in the Shore and one of the longest in the state – playing for the 100th and final time on Thanksgiving.

It wasn’t long ago that Thanksgiving Day without high school football would’ve sounded like a preposterous idea, but here we are today being able to count the number of holdovers on one hand.

With the NJSIAA expanding the state playoff system with the intent of eventually crowning outright group champions, having games played on Thanksgiving has made it impracticable with the scheduling of state playoff games taking precedence.

However, the show will go on in Middletown, as it has every year for the last 44 years, on Thanksgiving Day. “It’s such a big game in this town with bragging rights on the line,” said Middletown North head coach Steve Buch. “So many people in the town come out for the game. It’s Senior Day and it’s a spectacle with the cheerleaders and the band and everything else. It’s a festive day and it’s always nice to come up with a victory.”

Middletown South holds a 31-12-1 edge in the series and at one point held a 16-game winning streak until Middletown North snapped the steak three years ago. The Eagles have won the last

two, including a 10-7 win in last season’s game, which easily could’ve gone either way.

This year’s edition of the game will be played at “The Swamp” at Middletown South on Thursday, Nov. 28 with kickoff scheduled for 10:30 am, and you better get there early as seats will come at a premium and the fence around the field will be lined four-deep with spectators vying for position.

“There’s really not much of a home field advantage in this game,” said Bush. “It’s a cross-town rivalry and there’s so many people there from both sides, so it’s more a matter of stepping up and making some plays that really counts.”

The Lions, who lost their best player, running back/strong safety Anthony Soto, in the second game of the season, enter with a deceiving 4-6 record having played much better than their record indicates. They were in every game until the end excluding their loss to Mater Dei Prep – ranked No. 3 in the Shore. The average point differential in those five losses was 8.6 points.

“We just got to find a way to win the close ones,” said Bush. “We kind of stopped ourselves at times and we got learn to finish off games; we’re a young team.”

First-year starting quarterback Nick Ferriera, who will be behind center for his final game as a senior, has completed 88-of-162 passes for 999 yards and seven touchdowns with six interceptions.

His two main targets are senior Matt Spencer (27-460-5) and junior Quentin Soler (30-334-2).

Sophomore Brian Haddow stepped in for Soto at running back and has had a breakout season rushing for 568 yards and five touchdowns on 113 carries for a 5-yard per carry average. He is also one of the top contributors on defense at safety recording 62 tackles, recovering a fumble and leading the team with seven defended passes.

Senior Eddy Farrel is one of the leading tacklers in the Shore and leads the team with 113 tackles averaging 12.6 tackles a game with 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

“Eddie plays with a lot of heart and desire and plays with a lot of intensity,” said Bush. “He’s a tough kid with good quickness and he’s smart and knows what we’re doing.”

Senior linebacker Travis Thompson is second on the team with six tackles for loss along with 65 tackles, sack, forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Defensive end Jacinto Lopez has had a stellar freshman campaign leading the team with 6.5 sacks along with 30 tackles and an additional two tackles for loss.

MIDDLETOWN NORTH

Junior linebacker Jake Jankowski is second in tackles with 84 along with five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

MIDDLETOWN SOUTH Photo by Tom Smith Junior safety Jonathan Miranda, junior linebacker Joe King and junior defensive end/offensive tackle Nick Cerbo have all stepped up big for the Lions.

Middletown South (4-5) is a member of the toughest division in the Shore (American Division), if not the state, and like the Lions, are better than their record.

South will be looking to rebound after suffering a tough loss in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV semifinal against top-seeded Hammonton in a game which they had a 21-14 lead in the third quarter before falling, 32-29.

The Eagles are led by senior quarterback/defensive back Tyler Cuccia, senior running back/defensive tackle Vinny Condito, senior running back/safety Chris Lotito, senior defensive/offensive lineman Nick Bonfliglio, junior defensive/offensive lineman Joe Stanzione, senior safety Matt Krellin, senior linebacker/center, long snapper T.J. Latore, sophomore wideout Thomas Schork, junior linebacker Mark Tardy, junior cornerback Luke Albrecht and offensive/defensive linemen Tom Mielnikiewicz and Ian Rahill.

It should be a close game despite the Eagles holding a significant edge in veteran players. But whenever these two neighboring schools take the field on Thanksgiving, they are well aware that the town’s bragging rights are on the line and neither wants to be on the short end of it.

“We felt like we could’ve gotten that one last year,” said Bush.

“Middletown South is always a tough team and a well-coached team and it’s always a battle and this year will be no different.”

Happy Hour - Monday-Friday 4 - 6:30

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NEPTUNE – ASBURY PARK : THE 91st TIME, MORE THAN A RIVALRY

By Eugene M. Stewart

Few rivalries have longer duration than the Neptune – Asbury Park Thanksgiving Day game. Most teams with history like this have longgone away from renewing their yearly mashup. The 91st offering of this shore classic has the Asbury Park Blue Bishops hosting the Neptune Scarlet Fliers on Thanksgiving Day at 10:00 am, for the next chapter of this traditionally explosive contest.

Neptune leads the series, 48-37-4. More recently, this contest has become more about should the game continue and less about actually playing of the game. Diminishing enrollment, state playoff games, sectional and group changes, along with safety concerns have all affected the game over the past 15 years. Through it all, the excitement generated every turkey day is infectious for both Flier and Bishop faithful.

Ask anyone from either town about the Neptune – Asbury football rivalry, you will hear some of the best football stories ever told. Many will tell the tale of the great catch, block, tackle or pass they, their friend, brother or classmate made which tilted the balance in one direction or the other.

This year’s contest has potential to be a barn-burner with both teams producing winning seasons – Neptune at 5-4; Asbury Park at 5-3.

Recapping the season, Asbury Park opened with a 35-6 loss to Shore Regional before running off three straight wins versus Pinelands (22-6), Pt. Pleasant Beach (22-7) and Keansburg (21-6). Keyport slipped by Asbury Park by a touchdown (22-16).

“Through this loss, we really grew and progressed, developing a better understanding of what it takes to be victorious,” said Asbury Park head coach Tim Fosque. “My team grew together as a group and as individuals.”

The Blue Bishops then captured two more wins over Manchester (26-8) and Barnegat (15-9) to close the regular season. A first-round South Jer-

sey, Group I NJSIAA playoff game matched Asbury Park against Woodbury, which Woodbury won, 42-20.

“My guys really hung in there. We’re a very young team and we lost some very key pieces from last year,” said Fosque. “I’m happy with our development as late in the season, my youngsters began to believe in our system. We grew and accomplished what we did, all with a true freshman at quarterback.”

As for Neptune, the season began with two big losses against Long Branch (25-13) and Ocean (19-6) – two of the better teams at the Shore early in the season. Next a two-game winning streak against Lakewood (50-20) and Jackson Liberty (46-0). A one-point loss to TRE (14-13) was followed by closing out the season with three convincing wins against Toms River South (36-28), Colts Neck (21-17) and Matawan (34-14).

The Matawan win qualified Neptune for its first playoff berth in three years.

“We learned about ourselves every week, win or lose,“ said Neptune head coach Tarig Holman. The 8th-seeded Fliers travelled to Burlington County for a matchup against top-ranked Shawnee in 25-degree weather, where Shawnee won the South Jersey, Group 4 contest, 31-21.

“We’ve had some really good offensive games, some really good defensive games and some really good games on special teams – we’ve yet to put all three together in one game,” said Holman. “Hopefully we can pull it together on Thanksgiving against a tough Asbury Park team.

This game is one of those where you can throw out the records. It doesn’t matter because everyone comes out with emotion. It took me two years coaching here to get to see that.”

In 2017 the game was canceled due to a threat. “In 2018 it was one of the coldest Thanksgivings in a while and to look out and see how many fans from both sides were at the game, cheering on their team was telling as to the importance of this game.”

A show of how it’s not just a football game, this past Sunday, at Macedonia Baptist Church in Neptune, Pastor Tommy Miles, a Neptune alum, hosted the second annual Friendship Luncheon. The event was for all varsity football players, cheerleaders, coaches, Board of Education members and district administrators to participate in great spirits in a competitive nature, leading up to the game

ASBURY PARK Photo courtesy of Asbury Park High School

Said Fosque, “The core is about bringing the youth together and the programs together in a positive atmosphere to set the tone for what this game is really about, a friendly competitive outing. Our superintendent, Sancha Grey, is the point person for Asbury Park in

NEPTUNE planning this year’s event, which shows this event is about more than football, but it’s the unity of the two towns and districts.”

Fosque, a 1990 graduate of Asbury Park who played OG and DE, said that every game he participated in was a game that stands out for him.

“The game when I found a real understanding of what a rivalry was 1985, as a middle schooler sneaking through the fence at Asbury Park, watching that game. I was overwhelmed by the competitive spirit on both sides of the ball. That’s when I found out what a rivalry was. When I hear rivalry, I think Neptune.”

When asked for a prediction on Thursday’s game, Fosque laughed and replied, “I predict an exciting, competitive game with both teams’ fans on the edge of their seats through the whole game.”

Holman, a 1995 graduate of Randolph High school who played defensive/running back and receiver in his playing days stated, “Rivalry is all about your willingness to compete and have the upper hand on the guys that live next door or down the street from you. When you’re back to school, looking at your classmates, teachers and teammates with pride, saying we did this for us (the community) – it’s huge. Being a part of something great and looking at the community involvement – administrators, cheerleaders, band, fans – all coming together before we go back to our families to enjoy their company, is real cool.”

If you can make it, be sure you’re there to witness this year’s game. You never know who is going to shine or who’s going to win, but you know both communities will be out in force supporting all the young people involved.

SHORE, WALL AND MIDDLETOWN SOUTH CAPTURE STATE SECTIONAL TITLES IN GIRLS SOCCER

By Eric Braun

The NJSIAA state playoffs started with 37 teams the last week in October and ended up with three Shore Conference teams hoisting their respective Sectional Group championship trophies.

Eagles defeated Cranford, 1-0, on Nov. 7. With the win, the Eagles added to their program’s best season in school history with their 22nd win.

Middletown South dominated their 2019 season, finishing the regular season undefeated with a mark of 17-0 which included seven shutouts and eight games of allowing just one goal. During the regular season the Eagles outscored their opponents, 54-10. The Eagles worked their way through the first two rounds of the Shore Conference Tournament with wins over Toms River East (1-0) and Wall Township (3-2) before falling in the semifinal to eventual champion Red Bank Catholic (2-0).

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP I CHAMPION SHORE REGIONAL On Nov. 7 at Shore Regional High School, the top-seeded Shore Regional Blue Devils extended their title streak to eight straight with a 3-0 win over 11th-seeded New Egypt. The Blue Devils jumped on top of New Egypt early and never looked back, scoring two goals in the opening ten minutes of the contest.

WALL Senior Chloe Wollman scored in the opening Photo courtesy of Twitter minutes on assist from fellow senior Meli Pekmezian. Senior and team leading-scorer Julia Eichenbaum made it 2-0 minutes later on assist of #40 in New Jersey. They will graduate nine sefrom senior Sydney Sears and the Blue Devils were niors from this year’s championship group: Julianne off and running to another team title. Sears made Brinton, Eichenbaum, Eliza Ford, Nicole Generelli, it 3-0 early in the second half when she knocked in Savannah Notte, Pekmezian, Wollman, Sears and a rebound shot from junior Tara Mendill and Shore Hegglin.

Regional rolled to a 3-0 win behind another shutout from senior keeper Moira Hegglin, her sixth of the CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP II CHAMPION WALL TOWNSHIP season and second of the postseason.

The Central Jersey Sectional Group II finals paired top-seeded Wall Township against second-seeded Shore Regional went on to beat Audubon, 6-0, in the Governor Livingston on a chilly November afternoon NJSIAA Group I semifinal in a rematch of last seain Wall. Wall peppered the Livingston defense from son’s semifinal which the Blue Devils lost. The Blue the opening whistle and finally broke through for Devils got scoring from Eichenbaum (3), sophomore the first goal of the game midway through the first Barbara Grimm, sophomore Lauren Saponaro and half on a goal from junior Olivia Ramiz, who also Pekmezian. scored the second goal in the second half to give the Knights a 2-0 win.

The Blue Devils’ season would end in defeat in the Group I final against Mountain Lakes, 4-2, with SapWall has been a work in progress all season long onaro and Eichenbaum each scoring. Eichenbaum and came together when the season really counted ended her high school career with 107 goals.

– down the stretch in tournament time. After capturing the B North crown with a win over Ocean TownThe Blue Devils finished the 2019 season with an ship on Oct. 24, the Knights advanced to the Shore overall record of 16-6, second place finish in A Conference Tournament quarterfinals with wins over Central with a record of 5-1 and a final ranking Lacey (2-1) and Manalapan (3-2) before losing to

SHORE REGIONAL Photo courtesy of Twitter

Middletown South (3-2). Wall regrouped and went on a roll into the playoffs before capturing their fifth title in school history and first since 2017. During this stretch the Knights went 5-0, scoring 20 goals and giving up just one, a stretch that included four shutouts.

Wall’s season would end in defeat in the NJSIAA Group final against Parsippany Hills, 1-0.

Wall Township finished a great season with an overall record of 16-6, B North champions with a record of 6-1 and final state ranking of #43. The Knights will graduate eight seniors – Izzy Aravich, Mackenzie Tranberg, Marissa Sciorilli, Jordan Cheche, Giulianna Cavazzoni, Alex Hummel, Grace Gisoldi and Caleigh Burke.

NORTH JERSEY 2 GROUP 3 CHAMPION MIDDLETOWN SOUTH For the second time in three years, the North Jersey 2 Group 3 champion resides in Middletown, after the

MIDDLETOWN SOUTH

After the loss to the Caseys, the Eagles went on to win their next five games in dominating fashion.

Middletown South ended their regular season with a win over Monroe (3-0) and then went on a tear in the NJSIAA tournament with wins over Irvington (11-0), Red Bank Regional (3-1), Millburn (4-0) and then Cranford in the championship game (1-0).

It was junior Katie Coyle scoring from just outside the box for her 16th goal of the season on assist from senior Filomena Degregorio for the lone goal in the title game. From there the Eagles relied on their defense to secure their second title in three seasons and fourth in program history.

After finishing the season with an incredible record of 22-2, Middletown South finished the season ranked #5 in New Jersey. The Eagles will say goodbye to a talented group of seniors that finished the last three seasons with a record of 44-17-9 and two state titles. Graduating from this year’s championship squad are Emma Bennett, Degregorio, Emma Laudisi, Madison Laudisi, Jess Monaghan and Haley Nicholas.

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FRIENDS OR FOE – MANASQUAN AND WALL SET TO MEET IN 20TH ANNUAL THANKSGING DAY BASH

By Mike Ready

WALL TOWNSHIP – Manasquan and Wall Township border each other.

Many of the players from both schools have known each other since childhood. The beach is a neutral gathering site where they surf, swim and tan together. But when the two schools meet on the football field for their annual Thanksgiving Day game, you can throw all of that out the window.

for a 6.1 yards per carry average. He’s also a legitimate receiving threat out of the backfield catching 15 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown.

Like Peters, Larkin is an elite safety who has three interceptions to his credit along with 29 tackles – 18 solo.

On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, the Warriors and Crimson Knights will battle for the Superintendent’s Trophy and all the bragging rights that come along with it.

Senior Matt DeSarno has had some big moments and at 6 foot, 200 pounds, he’s counted on for his blocking and his ability to pick up the tough yardage. DeSarno has rushed for 281 yards and six touchdowns on 58 attempts for a 4.8 average and has caught 10 passes for 122 yards.

It’s the 20th edition of the rivalry game in which Wall holds a 10-9 advantage in the series after beating Manasquan,18-7, in last year’s game to break the tie.

Senior wideout/cornerback Dale McNally (7-135-3), sophomore tight end/ defensive end Blake Rezk (10-144-2) and wide receiver Matt Dollive (10179-1) are other options for Peters in the passing game.

Friday night, undefeated Wall (11-0) beat Rumson-Fair Haven, 14-13, in the Central Jersey Group III championship game for their first state title since 2016 and fifth overall in program history. (See page 3 for game coverage.)

Senior standout Ian Ackerman, who missed all of last year except for the Thanksgiving game with an injury, anchors both the offensive and defensive lines at tackle. He’s recorded 74 tackles, four tackles for loss and four sacks so far this season.

Dual-threat quarterback Logan Peters has had a breakout junior campaign for the Knights as a field general and with the numbers he’s put up both running and passing.

Sophomore linebacker Charlie Sasso, who had a stellar freshman year racking up 68 tackles, is the team’s defensive MVP. He leads the team with 90 tackles along with three tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.

He’s completed 62-of-101 passes for 1031 yards and 12 touchdowns with only two interceptions and has rushed for another 478 yards and nine touchdowns on 89 carries for a 5.4 yards per carry average.

Linebacker Colin Riley, who leads the team with 10 sacks and tackles for loss with 13 and has recorded 61 tackles, is having a breakout sophomore campaign and just keeps getting better.

A fierce competitor, Peters is also a hard-hitting safety on defense who leads the team with four interceptions along with recording 36 tackles, including 22 solo stops.

Senior linebacker Dean Terry has come on strong this year with 71 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks and a blocked punt.

The Knights’ first option at running back is senior Casey Larkin, who has rushed for a team-high 834 yards and 11 touchdowns on 137 attempts

Wall’s defense has allowed just 93 points in 10 games for a 9.3 points per game average.

WALL Manasquan was faced with a major rebuild entering the season and is in the midst of an atypical season. They’ve won just four games and have five losses and would like nothing more than to even its season record at 5-5 with a win over rival Wall on Thanksgiving.

They are, however, 4-2 in their last six games after beginning the season with three straight losses.

Despite having a sub-.500 record, their strength of schedule gave them enough UPR points to qualify for the playoffs as a No. 4 seed in the NJSIAA South, Group II tournament. But in their quarterfinal game against fifthseeded Delran, they took a tough 29-14 loss.

The Warriors rebounded nicely from that loss with a 27-7 win over Barnegat, as senior quarterback Cam Teza passed for over 200 yards with two touchdowns and ran for a 20-yard score.

Teza will lead the Warriors into the Thanksgiving Day game in hopes to end the season – and his high school career – on a high note.

Senior offensive/defensive tackles Garrett Terlizzi – a Bryant University commit – and Dylan Aloe and senior guard/defensive end Charlie Sawitsky anchor both lines and have provided senior leadership throughout the season on the young team.

Another senior, John Forman, has given the wide receiver and secondary spots some stability while putting up some nice numbers while wideout/ safety Jack Collings has done the same as a junior.

Freshman running back/cornerback Jhamier Howard has had a breakout inaugural season on both sides of the ball and looks to be a special player moving forward.

MANASQUAN Photo courtesy of Manasquan High School

Wall will be hosting Manasquan in this year’s Thanksgiving Day game with kickoff scheduled for 11am as the Knights attempt to make it two wins in a row over the Warriors and take an 11-9 lead in the series.

WALL AND TOMS RIVER NORTH EARN SECTIONAL TITLES IN BOYS SOCCER

By Eric Braun

This boys soccer season was enjoyable if anything else.

What started out with 46 Shore Conference teams vying for their right to hoist championship hardware during mini-camps, preseason workouts and preseason scrimmages, came to an end on Sunday, Nov. 17. Of the 46 teams, 35 qualified for the NJSIAA tournament with a .500 record or better and ended with just two teams laying claim to their respective Sectional Group titles.

SOUTH JERSEY SECTIONAL GROUP IV CHAMPION TOMS RIVER NORTH Toms River North became this season’s Cinderella story working its way from barely making the tournament with a record of 6-6-1, earning the 16th seed and running the table to its first NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV Sectional Group title since 2009.

The Mariners opened their season with an impressive win over Freehold Township (5-4) and followed it up with a win over Point Pleasant Boro before losing to Marlboro (4-0). They closed out September with a record of 4-4-1.

They then started October the same way they did in September with two wins, beating Jackson Liberty (3-0) and Donovan Catholic (2-0) before losing to Manasquan in the opening round of the Shore Conference Tournament (3-0) and then Toms River East (1-0), to bring their record to 6-6-1 – right at the state cutoff mark for 13 games.

From that point on, Toms River North would make their mark on the soccer world and show that it does not matter how you start, but how you finish. The Mariners would go on an improbable run through the tournament as the 16th seed that started by knocking off top-seeded Clearview (2-0) behind two goals from Parker Nickelsen, with Dawson Kaniuk earning the shutout with three saves.

Next up was a clash with third-seeded Cherry Hill East, and once again the Mariners earned a 2-0 shutout behind goals from Nickelsen and Jake Bauerband, with Kaniuk recording his sixth shutout of the season.

Toms River North’s next two games were one-goal contests, starting with fourth-seeded Jackson Memorial in the semifinal. The Mariners used some late-game heroics from Nickelsen and Ali Baish, who connected with just under two minutes left in regulation to give the Mariners a 2-1 victory over the Jaguars. Against second-seeded Egg Harbor in the championship game, the Mariners came from behind and earned the 2-1 overtime victory off the right foot of Nickelsen, who beat the keeper far post for the win, to capture their first title since 2009.

Toms River North would come up short in the NJSIAA Group IV semifinal game against Hunterdon Central, 2-1, but the Mariners will be a force to reckon with next season after the run and experience they got this season.

CENTRAL JERSEY SECTIONAL GROUP III CHAMPION WALL TOWNSHIP Wall Township finally got the monkey off their backs winning the Central Jersey Sectional Group III championship game over last year’s winner and B North foe Ocean Township for their first title since 2004.

The Knights’ defense has been a staple for the program all season long and no stat is more eye-popping than their 17 shutouts during their championship run. Wall opened September with seven shutouts that included wins over Freehold Boro (2-0), St. Rose (2-0), Red Bank

WALL Regional (4-0), Middletown North (1-0), Manasquan (10), Neptune (1-0) and Shore Regional (5-0). During this stretch they lost to Matawan (3-1) and Marlboro (1-0).

When the calendar changed to October, the Knights wrapped up the top seed in the NJSIAA tournament with a record of 11-2 record in their 13 games that counted toward seeding. This included three more shutouts – 7-0 over Saint John Vianney, 3-0 over Colts Neck and 2-0 over Ocean Township.

They opened Shore Conference Tournament play with a 4-0 win over Point Pleasant Beach and a 3-2 win over Monmouth Regional. They were knocked out of the SCT in the quarterfinals against eventual champion Freehold Township, 2-1, then closed out their regular season with a 3-1 loss to Christian Brothers Academy.

Wall rallied and made the most of their top seed and reeled off six more shutouts to finish their season with a record of 17-4-2. Against Pennsauken, the Knights jumped out to a 3-0 half time lead and added three more in second half to secure the 6-0 opening-round win with goals from senior Tagg Ancrum (2), senior Matt Penkethman, junior Jake Pepe, senior Michael Beer and sophomore Kyle Horowitz, while junior Sebastian Campanile recorded four saves for the shutout.

TOMS RIVER NORTH Photo by Jen Nickelsen

Wall would face a familiar foe in Freehold Boro in the quarterfinals and beat the Colonials, 2-0, for the second

time this season. Scoring for Wall were Ancrum and Pepe with Campanile recording seven saves.

In one of their toughest games of the season, Wall needed double overtime and penalty kicks to get past Allentown in the semifinal. Wall advanced to the final, winning penalty kicks, 4-3, and was back in the final for the first time since 2013, when they lost to Allentown.

In this year’s final they had to face B North power and last season’s Sectional and Group champion, Ocean Township. The two teams played in early October with the Knights coming out on top and more importantly got a first-hand look at what the Spartans had in store for them. The two teams battled through a scoreless first half before Wall’s Thomas Perry scored the goal of his high school career – the lone goal of the game – and the Knights program was back on top.

In the NJSIAA Group III semifinal, Wall topped Triton, 1-0, on a goal from junior Nico DellaPietro in overtime, and the Knights were headed to the Group III final against Millburn. After a scoreless regulation and overtime, both teams would lay their championship lives on the penalty kick mark. The Knights’ season came to an end in defeat, losing in penalty kicks, 3-2.

The Knights’ season is one to remember in program history, as the team closed out the season ranked #48 in New Jersey with a record of 17-4-2.

Page 10 Jersey Sporting News • 11/26/19 - 12/9/19

Sports Videography by Tom Rodre

Your games put on

Your Athlete or Team Professionally Videotaped in stunning Ultra High Definition 1080p Experienced in ALL Sports - ALL ages Enabling athletes to see themselves play from an objective viewpoint so they can *Review their plays and evaluate their performance *See opponents strategy *Build self-esteem *Show games to family & friends who could not attend the game Having video footage available of your athlete makes it possible to create Highlight Videos to show College Coaches for Scholarship Awards

Blu-Ray Disc Please give as much advance notice as possible for the games you would like video coverage of.

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Sports Videotaping of Your Atheletes and Preserving Your Precious Irreplaceable Memories

By Tom Rodre, Professional Sports Videographer and Transfers to DVD Specialist This is an open letter to the parents of athletes of all ages and their coaches.

Just like the pros have their sports games televised and videotaped, you too can enable your individual athletes and teams to see themselves play from an objective viewpoint.

The benefits include: • It allows individual players, teams and their coaches to review the game and plays over and over as many times as necessary to evaluate performance by observing what they did on the field and then thinking about what they could have done differently, which perhaps may have resulted in a better outcome. Or they can bask in the glory of that great goal, score, point, touchdown, home run, pass, or assist that they made! Seeing that builds self-esteem, confidence and raises individual and team morale.

• By videotaping your athlete and team games, it provides me with the necesssary footage of your athlete executing his or her great skills so that I can create highlight videos of their best plays to give to college coaches for scholarship award consideration.

Aside from being an extensively experienced sports videographer, I am also a professional Memory Preservationist, also known as a Transfer Specialist. This means that I convert people's family home movies on videotapes (all formats) as well as 8mm, old film reels and 35mm color slides to DVD and if also desired, to USB flash drive, which is optional, but highly recommended for the following reasons: • None of the new computers (Dell, HP and Apple Mac) have DVD players built in them anymore.

• It is much easier and more convenient to bring your USB flash drive with all your tape memories on it to share with family when you go visiting them, rather than lugging all those DVDs around. And DVDs are not damage proof. They can get scratched, lost, or borrowed and never returned.

• Your USB flash drive serves as a back up of all your memories should anything happen to your DVDs. Please see my Sports Videography ad in this issue of Jersey Sporting News, and if interested, call me at 732671-6591 or visit www.transfers2dvd-sportsvideotaping. com (and use my Contact Me Form) or e-mail me at: gamecopies@aol.com And now, for your entertainment, sit back and please enjoy the following mini screen play: SCENE: Hubby and wife are at home, sitting by the fireplace sipping on hot tea (or wine...whatever) Hubby: "Honey...do you hear somebody crying!"

Wife: "Yes, I do...who could it be that's crying?

Hubby: "I don't know, but it's coming from the closet."

Hubby opens closet door (sound of creaking door).

Wife: "Aw, gee. Look honey, it's our tapes and old films and color slides that are crying."

Hubby: “But why are they crying?"

Wife: “Alas, because none of them have been watched or seen for years and even decades! What a shame.”

Tears well up in wife's eyes.

Hubby: “Well sweetheart, I think it's time we have them converted to DVD, and even better yet, to USB flash drives as well."

Wife: “Great idea. It would be wonderful to have them done in time for the holidays. Wow! And what great gifts copies of our DVDs would make for the kids and your brother and my uncles.”

Hubby: “Even your Uncle George? You know how much I…” Wife: "Now, now my dear...it's for Christmas" Hubby: "You’re right... for Uncle George too.”

Wife: “So where do we get the transfers done?”

Hubby: “Well I know where not to get it done.”

Wife: "What do you mean?"

Hubby: “Well, I heard from one of our neighbors that all their memories got lost in transit when they had them sent out by some warehouse to an unknown third party that they didn't even get to meet or speak with. And not only that, but others have told me that it costs so much and takes so long and they don't even label the DVDs for them!”

Hubby: “Yeah, and also, don't forget how many people lost their precious memories because of Hurricane Sandy which flooded their basements where they stored their tapes, films and slides.”

Wife: “Whoa, that's horrible! Those memories are irreplaceable. I don't want that happening to our memories.

We need ours done fast and our DVDs labeled!”

Hubby: “Say, I know that there's this guy in Middletown who converts all these things personally in his home studio where our stuff will be safe and secure at all times.

I hear he's very affordable and provides very fast turnaround... and labels the DVDs!” Wife: “Okay, then let's call him right now!”

THE END Well actually, it's the beginning of a very enjoyable holiday with Hubby and Wife siting with the children and

other family members (even Uncle George) as they watch and "relive" those wonderful times.

So, does this sound like you perhaps? Do you have precious memories collecting dust in closets or in a basement or attic – memories unseen in decades? Shhhh...can you hear them crying?

If “yes“, then call me at 732-671-6591 or e-mail me at transfersbytr@aol.com or visit my web site: www.transfers2dvd-sportsvideotaping.com and I'll do this service for you professionally, promptly and affordably. Guaranteed in time for the holidays (if you get your media to me in time).

If you have already had your memories converted, why not give the "Gift of Memories" to a loved one? I have "Gift of Memories" gift certificates starting at $25 and in increments up to $350. These are redeemable through the remainder of 2019 and all of 2020 by the recipient.They may be used to convert tapes, films or color slides.

I offer free pickup and delivery to and from your home or office (within a reasonable driving distance for qualifiedsize orders) Otherwise, please call and make an appointment to drop off your media to me in my Middletown studio.

Happy Holidays to you all! And speaking of the holidays... a time for giving... please accept my gift of 15% off your total order if you call me and mention you read this in Jersey Sporting News.

High School Athletes Successfully Battle Health Issue

By Robert Solomon

Two high school athletes go to different schools.

They play different sports and have different interests. However, they have one major thing in common. Both were diagnosed early in their high school careers with Type 1 diabetes and both chose to overcome their condition to not only compete, but excel in their respective sports.

Type 1diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, affects approximately 1.25 million Americans. It is a condition where the body does not produce the insulin needed to break down sugar allowing it to enter the body’s cells. The exact cause is not known but it is believed that one cause is when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. The injection of insulin is required to replace the natural insulin produced by the body. There is no cure for Type 1 diabetes but when proper precautions are taken, there are no limitations for a person that has this condition.

Kate Braun is a 15-year-old sophomore at Mater Dei Prep located in Middletown. She plays varsity soccer and runs varsity indoor and outdoor track. She plans to continue participating in all three sports throughout the rest of her high school career.

Drew Frankel is a 17-year-old senior at RumsonFair Haven High School. He is a four-year varsity football player, a three-year varsity basketball player and a three-year varsity lacrosse player.

He is a captain of the football team and plans to finish his senior year completing his fourth year on both the basketball and lacrosse teams.

Both Braun and Frankel have participated in sports their entire lives. “I have played sports ever since I can remember,” Frankel stated.

“I’ve played since I was four years old,” said Braun.

However it wasn’t until later in their lives they were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Frankel was diagnosed in seventh grade and Braun was diagnosed in the middle of her freshman year. This is when their lives changed forever.

Frankel feels that his condition has not held him back as an athlete. “I think in theory it should have, but if you are diligent with it, it should not affect you,” he explained. He looks to professional athletes, such as Jay Cutler, as examples that confirmed his belief that if he is diligent with his diabetes there can be a future in athletics.

“It was tough dealing with certain aspects of my life,” said Frankel.

They both have to inject themselves with insulin on a regular basis. Up until recently, Frankel had to check his blood sugar everyday by pricking his finger and testing his blood. Braun still does that once a day.

Braun also said her condition has not held her back as an athlete.

To monitor their blood sugar levels now, both of these athletes wear a pod that sends their counts to their cell phones. “It was a game changer,” Frankel exclaimed.

Braun can remember a scary time with her pod.

“I was playing soccer when one of the girls (accidentally) ripped the monitor (pod) out of my stomach and I couldn’t monitor myself the rest of the tournament,” she said. Luckily she was able to identify when her blood sugar count was off by the way she felt.

It is amazing how similar their experiences and attitudes are. They both were forced to make better decisions, especially when it came to their eating habits. “I am taking care of myself and changing my lifestyle,” explained Braun.

“It forced me to eat well and treat my body well,” said Frankel.

Their diagnosis did complicate their participation in sports but did not alter it. They both rely on Gatorade when their blood sugar gets low but they approach pre-game preparation differently. Frankel explained that it is important to bring the blood sugar up a little before exercising or participating in sports because exercise lowers the blood sugar. “I managed to keep it at a good level by eating before games and to bring Gatorade,” he said.

“I drink Gatorade before a meet or a game,” explained Braun. This ensures that her blood sugar count is above 100 so she can participate.

MATER DEI’S KATE BRAUN Photo by Tom Smith

Braun explained, “I was upset when I was initially diagnosed that I couldn’t get back to track right away but I knew I would eventually get back.”

She added, “I never considered quitting because it’s a part of my life. I like to be active and meet people through sports.”

Frankel’s parents are a huge help to him. “My parents have been most helpful.

They altered my diet and my

“No it hasn’t really held me back,” she said. Braun continued to explain that having diabetes actually pushed her harder to overcome her struggles and reach her goals. “It motivated me more than hindered me.”

mom makes a lot of home-cooked meals,” he said. “I didn’t have to think about it as much because they helped monitor my diet and snacks,” he said.

As she is getting more familiar with her condition, Braun takes a different approach. Although her parents help and support her, she explained, “My parents let me do it independently more often now. The monitor is connected to their phone so they let me know when my numbers go too high or too low.”

Besides their parents, they both get a lot of support from their coaches. “My coaches make sure I’m OK and make sure I don’t need anything,” Braun explained. “I feel when my numbers change I ask the coach to come out, drink Gatorade and then go back in.”

Being in different years in high school had an influence on what they identified as their biggest challenges. Braun explained that getting used to scheduling was her toughest challenge – especially eating.

“My biggest challenge is managing my diabetes while managing being a senior in high school,” said Frankel. “Thinking about diabetes while thinking about the thousands of things involved with being a senior is a concern.”

When it comes to his sports, Frankel’s biggest concern is to his team. “I’m not concerned that anything bad will happen to me. I am concerned that my blood sugar will get so low that I couldn’t play in a critical situation, but that hasn’t happened,” he said.

Having dealt with her condition for a shorter period of time, Braun’s biggest concern is commu-

Similarly, Frankel said, “My coaches have been great. They let me manage it myself. They allow me to take a break when I feel I need it.”

Frankel also gets a lot of support from his teammates. “My teammates are my best friends and they can tell when something is not right,” he added. His teammates would suggest to Frankel that he might need to take a break when he didn’t look right. “They have been another monitor to help me.”

Braun’s best friend who plays softball was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was five.

“She helps me with questions,” said Braun.

Quitting sports because of the diabetes has never been an option for either athlete. “When I was first diagnosed, my only concern was whether I would be able to play sports at the high level I used to play,” said Frankel.

MATER DEI’S KATE BRAUN

nicating with her coaches. “Letting my coaches know when I am monitoring independently so they don’t need to ask me questions frequently during games and practices (about how she is feeling),” she explained.

Playing collegiate sports is in both of their futures. Frankel has offers to play football at Colgate and Leigh. Braun plans on continuing soccer and/or track in college with Felician University, Monmouth University and Rider University being her schools of choice.

At this point, she feels confident that she will not have any major challenges playing collegiate ball. “I’ve played on an ODP (Olympic Development Program) team and am experienced playing against opponents at a higher level,” she said.

Frankel acknowledges that there will be at least one challenge when he goes to college. “The only real challenge will be my independence. I will need to plant the seeds of knowledge in my new teammates and my parents won’t be around all the time,” he said.

Steve Frankel, Drew’s dad, said, “Drew downplays it but it is remarkable what he does accomplish with what he has.”

Kate’s dad, Eric Braun stated, “I'm amazed at how well she's handled it. After the first few days and meeting with different doctors who explained everything to her and us, she's been determined to not let it hold her back.”

He added, “Diabetes will not defeat her, just make her stronger.”

Both of these remarkable athletes have met this challenge head on and have not only overcome it, but have excelled in spite of it.

Their family, friends, coaches and teammates should be proud of the great examples they set.

11/26/19 - 12/9/19 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 11

Risks of Hosting “Thanksgiving Eve”

By Greg S. Gargulinski “Thanksgiving Eve,” also commonly known as “Blackout Wednesday,” “Drinksgiving” or “Big Wednesday,” is one of the biggest drinking nights of the year. Families often entertain by throwing a holiday party known as “Friendsgiving,” where alcohol is served. Many college-age children and their friends attend these parties. Parents who want to treat their children as responsible young adults may let them and their friends consume alcohol. Does this holiday celebration sound familiar to anyone? If so, you should keep reading because there are inherent risks associated with this behavior.

Under New Jersey Law, N.J.S.A. 2C:33-17, it is illegal for anyone to purposely or knowingly serve an alcoholic beverage to an individual under the legal age to consume alcohol. Some common misconceptions about this law are that hosts can never serve alcohol to anyone underage in their home or that it can only be served during a religious holiday. These myths are incorrect. Exceptions to the law are that a parent may serve alcohol to their child or another individual’s child if it is served in that parent’s presence and with their permission. Notwithstanding, there is a fine line between allowing the underage individual to consume alcohol responsibly and allowing them to be overserved. Many parents believe, as the host of a party, they are taking the appropriate precautions by confiscating the underage individual’s car keys and/or hav-

ing them spend the night if alcohol has been consumed.

Unfortunately, in my experience of practicing criminal law for almost 20 years, this plan is far from foolproof.

Many other external factors can lead to police involvement resulting in criminal and/or civil liability against the host and underage drinker. A fact pattern that often presents itself is: as the night winds down for the adults, it just starts for the underage crowd. Whether through an invitation on social media or word of mouth, news gets about a party. The original family gathering with close friends turns into something more than what was intended when the holiday celebration grows into something more like a high school party, often spilling outside of the residence.

The parent who does not want to embarrass their child, allows the party to continue, believing they can handle the situation. However, usually a noise complaint or a party goer who is stopped by the police necessitates an investigation by law enforcement. Next, the police appear at the home, and either through the consent of the host or because some criminality is observed, the police enter the home.

Although the party may now be over, the night certainly is not. The police will request everyone’s identification and separate those who are of age to consume alcohol and those who are not. The police will also request the host

of the party to identify themselves. At this point, anyone underage who has consumed, possessed, and/or purchased alcohol, as well as the host who provided alcohol to someone underage, will more than likely be charged with a disorderly persons offense under the criminal code or at the very least, an ordinance violation. Either charge becomes an expensive proposition and opens the accused individual to a potential criminal record. Both charges require at least one court appearance and may necessitate an attorney.

A conviction for an ordinance violation can range from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars in fines. Meanwhile, a disorderly person offense is punishable by a $1,000 fine, probation and/or a jail term for up to six months. A disorderly persons offense can remain on an individual’s record for up to five years and an ordinance violation last for two years until realizing eligibility for an expungement.

Additionally, there could be collateral consequences for the underage drinker and host. For the underage individual, a suspension from high school or athletic team is possible. College-bound students may have to disclose the arrest and/or conviction on their applications, which could affect academic and/or athletic scholarships. Further issues could arise for individuals already in college,

such as obtaining summer internships and/or employment. For the adult who hosted the party, a conviction could affect their professional licenses or may render the host civilly liable if someone is injured.

Parents and their children must be aware of the dangers of attending and hosting parties that involve alcohol.

The risk of potential criminal and civil liability may not be worth the reward of young adult treatment. The only foolproof plan to avoid liability is to not serve alcohol at parties to underage individuals and educating your children on the potential issues surrounding underage alcohol consumption at another’s home.

Greg S. Gargulinski is a partner at Davison· Eastman·Muñoz· Paone, P.A., where he heads the Criminal and Municipal Court Defense Department. Greg obtained his B.A. Honors from The George Washington University and his J.D. from The Seton Hall University School of Law, where he presently sits on the Alumni Council.

Greg handles all criminal, municipal court, and driving while intoxicated matters throughout the State of New Jersey. Greg, along with his wife and two children, resides in Ocean Township in Monmouth County. Greg is an avid soccer fan who has coached and managed his children’s soccer teams for over 13 years. Greg may be reached at ggargulinski@respondlaw.com or 732-462-7170.

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COSTELLO AND PATRIOTS DOMINATE GYMNASTICS IN 2019

By Eric Braun

Costello has dominated her competition the past couple of seasons and went out in style. After an incredible junior campaign that included the All-Around title in the Shore Conference Tournament, Costello picked up where she left off and dominated the field her senior year.

Costello topped Anna Pagliaro of Freehold Township (37.725), Brooke McNamara of Howell (37.65), Katie Keogh of Middletown South (37.35) and Farrah Chernov of Marlboro (37.325) with her own mark of 38.225. The championship performance included marks of 9.85 for first on vault, 9.4 for fifth in bars, 9.325 for second on beam and 9.65 for first place on floor.

Coming off a sophomore season that slowed her with back issues, Costello rebounded her junior year, and now surpassed excellence in her senior season. The Lancers gymnast, after securing her second straight Shore Conference All-Around title, was primed for a state title run.

Costello had no let up in her performances and secured her first All-Around NJSIAA title and Gymnast of the Year award.

SAINT JOHN VIANNEY’S GRACE COSTELLO Senior Grace Costello of Saint John Vianney and the Freehold Township Patriots dominated the Shore Conference and the NJSIAA field, winning the All-Around and team titles, respectively.

Costello earned the All-Around title with a mark of 38.65 that included personal bests on floor (9.8) and bars (9.75), and also won the balance beam (9.45).

crowns. The Patriots finally took home their first Shore Conference Tournament title since 1991 and did so in coach Ashley Montgomery’s third season at the helm.

placed sixth with a score of 106.975; and Brick Memorial, which finished in seventh place with a score of 105.825.

In the Shore Conference Tournament, the Patriots finished with a score of 112.575, topping Saint John Vianney (109.225), Howell (107.625), Marlboro (107.625), Middletown South (106.150) and Brick Memorial (105.625).

Freehold Township was led by junior Anna Pagliaro, who finished second in the All-Around, winning the bars (9.5), fourth on vault (9.725) and fifth on beam (9.425).

It was Pagliaro who once again led the way for the Patriots, reaching the podium by winning the vault with a score of 9.7, took second on the beam with a score of 9.4, took fifth on the floor with a score of 9.55 and third place on bars with a score of 9.425. She would once again finish second to Costello this season with an All-Around mark of 38.075, but the junior who has been nothing short of excellent the past two seasons, will look to rein the gymnastics world next season in her senior year.

When it came to the state competition, Freehold Township had already won back-to-back titles and was looking to make it a three-peat this season. The Patriots did not disappoint and won their third straight team title with a dominant performance that included a team score of 111.15.

The Patriots held off their Shore Conference foes Middletown South, which finished second with a score of 108.625; Howell, which finished in third place with a score of 108.15; Saint John Vianney, which finished in fourth place with a score of 107.625, Marlboro, which

Joining Pagliaro with a great 2019 season was Jenelle Cloud who finished fifth in the All-Around with a score of 37.15, fourth on bars (9.375), 11th on beam (9.1) and sixth on floor (9.475). Another standout was Jamie Polonet, who took 11th in the All-Around with a score of 36.25, ninth on bars (8.9), and fifth on floor (9.525).

The Patriots finished off an incredible 2019 season with a record of 13-0 and will lose just three seniors to graduation in Isabella Abreo, Gianna Spinale and Sarah Triolo.

Freehold Township has turned into the state powerhouse and this season completed the perfect season capturing both the Shore Conference and state championship

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - STATE CHAMPS Photo courtesy of Freehold Township High School

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP’S ANNA PAGLIARO - STATE CHAMP ON VAULT