O c t o b e r 2 7, 2 01 7 V o l u me -I X I s s ue - 19
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e part of a tradition that reaches a large and enthusiastic audience from Monmouth and Ocean counties by having your business featured in our SPECIAL THANKSGIVING ISSUE. This detailed full color issue put together by the SSN staff will feature the rosters of all the teams playing on November 22nd and 23rd. The issue, which will be handed out to all attendees at each game as well as distributed to all Jersey Mike’s & Supper WAWA locations throughout Ocean & Monmouth counties, will serve as a keepsake for all the players, coaches and families involved. Not only is the program a chance for your business to reach a wide and passionate audience, it is a chance to become a permanent part of a lasting memory for many members of the Shore Conference community.
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Shore Sports Network Director High School Division s te ve .m e y er @ t ow n s qu a re m ed ia .c o m 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0
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C a l l T O D AY f o r m o re I n f o 7 8 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0 VOLUME-IX
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CENTURY 2I
TEE SHIRT TOSs By Kevin Willams - Shore Sports Network Director
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he Shore Sports Network is delighted to partner with Susan Staffordsmith and Diane Notarfrancesco to present the Centur y 21 Action Plus Reality Tee Shirt Toss. Each week between the first and second quarters of our radio broadcast we toss Shore Sports Network tee shirts into the home stands which have become quite popular, especially with the student sections. The SSN would like to thank Susan and Diane for sponsoring this weekly promotion which will continue throughout the season. They are happy to help with any of your real estate needs and can be reached through their office at 732-9051495 and make sure to ask for them personally.
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very week this regular season, Shore Conference football fans will have their chance to vote for the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey/Shore Sports Network Football Player of the Week on our website, with over 120,000 votes cast so far this season.
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Week-7 I0/20/I7
he winner of the Week 7 readers’ vote for the Shore Sports Network Football Player of the Week is Point Boro senior quarterback James Fara, who accounted for 288 total yards and four touchdowns in a 48-7 victory over Jackson Liberty that clinched at least a share of the Class B South division title.
Point Boro Sr. QB
James Fara
Fara completed 7 of 9 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown and ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Fara had
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touchdown runs of 26, 10 and 1 yards and tossed a 1 6 - y a r d t o u c h d o w n p a s s t o s e n i o r f u l l b a c k Ta n n e r Gordon. Fara now has 853 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns on 118 carries along with 401 yards passing and four touchdowns with a 57 percent completion rate this season. Point Boro went on to defeat Ocean, 41-18, in Week 8 to improve to 8-0. The Panthers also clinched the Shore Conference Class B South d i v i s i o n t i t l e f o r t h e t h i r d s e a s o n i n a r o w. T h e y take on Barnegat in Week 9 and will try to secure the No. 1 seed in the Central Jersey Group II playoffs.
/ 10/27/17
Photos by
Paula Lopez www.palimages.com
Week-6 I0/I3/I7
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h e w i n n e r o f t h e We e k 6 readers’ vote for the Shore Conference Football Player of the We e k i s Po i n t B o r o s e n i o r r u n n i n g back Tanner Gordon, who rumbled for 1 9 3 ya r d s a n d t w o t o u c h d o w n s , i n cl u d i n g t h e g o - a h e a d touchdown late in regulation, to key a thrilling 35-28 comeback victor y o ver Lakewood.
P oint B oro S r. RB
Tanner Gordon
Gordon had a 53-y ard touchdo wn run in the third quarter to pull the Panthers to within 20-14 after Lakewood had run out to a 20-0 lead. His 25-y ard touchdo wn run with 38 seconds left in regula tion c o m p l e t e d t h e s t u n n i n g c o m e b a c k a s Po i n t B o r o s c o r e d t w o touchdo wns in the final two minutes to remain undefea ted a t 6-0.
W e e k - 4 9/29/i7 Point Boro Sr. LB
Ronnie Leyda
W e e k - 3 9/22/i7 Point Beach Sr. QB/LB
Luke Fruenheim
Gordon’s 193 y ards in Week 6 are a season high, and he no w has 420 y ards rushing and four touchdo wns in four games this season [he missed Weeks 2 and 3 with an injur y]. I t w a s a t w o - m a n r a c e f o r t h e We e k 6 P l a y e r o f t h e We e k w i t h Gordon edging Lacey’s Jason Giresi, a fello w B South running back, w i t h 4 8 . 4 1 p e r c e n t o f t h e v o t e . G i r e s i r a n f o r a c a r e e r- h i g h 2 4 3 y ards and two touchdo wns in a 31-24 win over Barnega t.
W e e k - 5 I0/7/i7 Lacey QB
Coleton Klaus
W e e k - 2 9/15/i7 Brick Me morial Sr RB
Bla ine Nett er ma n
Week-1
9/8/i7
Barnegat Jr Tight End
Sean Morris
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e have some changes to the Shore Sports Network Top 10 heading into Week 9 after three ranked teams were defeated in Week 8 .
The big result came out of northern Monmouth County where Mater Dei Prep had its 17-game winning streak snapped in a 28-26 loss to Delbarton. Elsewhere, No. 3 Rumson defeated No. 10 Monmouth Regional, 48-25. No. 9 Brick Memorial was also defeated, falling 35-14 to South Brunswick. Finding a new team at No. 10 has been an ongoing theme, and this week that spot goes to Freehold. The Colonials’ have three losses, but one was a forfeit to Freehold Township in a game they won on the field, 46-20. Their other two defeats are to No. 1 Manalapan and No. 5 Howell, and with Ashante Worthy running (and throwing) wild every week they are a team no one wants to see in the postseason. Brick Memorial fell behind early to a South Brunswick team that will be Manalapan’s main challenger in the Central Jersey Group V playoffs, but the Mustangs played well in the second half and should benefit from a game against a high-caliber opponent. The main question is what to do with Mater Dei. The Seraphs had won 17 games dating back to last season when they went 12-0 and won the NJSIAA NonPublic Group II title. It was a rough week in Port Monmouth with head coach Dino Mangiero and athletic director/offensive coordinator Lance Bennett being suspended from game-day coaching for the rest of the season and the Seraphs falling to Delbarton in a game that came down to the final play. The smaller schools in the Shore have little margin for error because their week-to-week competition is not as difficult as the rest of the Shore. Delbarton plays a brutal schedule against the likes of St. Joe’s (Montvale), Don Bosco Prep, etc., but the Green Wave were just 1-6 entering Saturday’s game. Mater Dei’s best win this season is over Keansburg, which is 5-3.
The Seraphs will still have a chance to move up because there are several tough teams in the Non-Public Group II bracket, but for now Mater Dei falls a few spots in the rankings. Most teams in the Shore Conference have already played their eight games that count toward their final power point rankings, so for those teams Week 9 will be all about scoreboard watching for residual points to see where they stand for the postseason. For the handful of teams that are still in playoff contention and have played just seven games so far, it’s crunch time.
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M analapan
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(8-0)
The Braves earned an impressive nonconference win with a 28-0 victory over Piscataway as senior running back Naim Mayfield ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries and senior quarterback Luke Corcione completed 12 of 18 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown. Senior wide receiver Symir Blacknall had a 66-yard touchdown reception, ran for a touchdown and pulled down an interception on defense. Junior linebacker Tommy Pearce had another big game with 10 tackles and a fumble recovery for a defense that recorded its third shutout of the season and handed Piscataway its first shutout loss since 2009 Next game: Friday 11/3 at Freehold Township (7-1)
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S t. J o h n V i a n n e y
(8-0)
Senior Johnny Buchanan ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries and also made 15 tackles on defense as the Lancers defeated upset-minded Middletown South, 2114, to extend their Shore Conference winning streak to 37 games. Senior Zyaire Sterling added 81 yards rushing and a touchdown on six carries and senior linebacker Josiah Walker made 15 tackles with two stops coming for a loss. Senior defensive end Nick Densieski recorded his eighth sack of the season, while Dominick Spano and Donovan Reiser also had sacks Next game: Saturday 11/4 at Monmouth Regional (6-2)
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R um son- F ai r H a ven
(6-I)
Next game: Friday 11/3 at Carteret (4-3)
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H o w e ll
(7-I)
Senior quarterback Eddie Morales III threw for 140 yards and a touchdown and ran for 87 yards and two scores to lead the Rebels to a 4220 win over New Brunswick. Morales had touchdown runs of 5 and 20 yards and threw a 78yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Ryan Mazik. Senior Naseim Brantley returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and junior running back Gerard Urso had a 53-yard touchdown run. Senior linebacker Braedon Baldwin led Howell’s defense with eight tackles and a sack, while defensive linemen Matt Mazauskas and Wendall Wright also had sacks. Next game: Friday 11/3 vs. Marlboro (3-5)
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L o n g B r a nc h ( 6 - I )
Senior quarterback Juwan Wilkins threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Matt Clark and the Green Wave defense came through with a stop to defeat Middletown North, 28-21, in an overtime thriller. Wilkins finished with 210 yards passing and three touchdowns and sophomore running back Jermaine Corbett ran for a touchdown. Next game: Friday 11/3 vs. No. 10 Freehold (5-3)
Senior running back Peter Lucas continued his tremendous season by rushing for 299 yards and five touchdowns, including a 91-yard touchdown, as the Bulldogs defeated Monmouth Regional, 48-25. Lucas also had touchdown runs of 3, 3, 1 and 19 yards. Junior fullback Alex Maldjian added touchdown runs of 11 and 14 yards.
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R ed B ank C atholic (7-I)
Filling in for injured senior Zack Bair, sophomore running back Billy Guidetti ran for over 100 yards and scored two touchdowns in the Caseys’ 37-0 victory over Red Bank. Guidetti had touchdown runs of 35 and 47 yards while John Columbia added a 9-yard touchdown run. Junior quarterback Steve Lubischer threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Brandon Lombana, who finished with four catches for 117 yards. Anthony Romano had a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown and Ryan O’Hara connected on a 35-yard field goal.
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M ater D ei P rep (5-I)
Senior quarterback George Pearson threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a touchdown, but a 2-point conversion pass attempt in the final seconds was batted down by Delbarton’s Anthony Siragusa as the Seraphs fell to the Green Wave, 28-26, to end their 17-game winning streak. Isaiah Noguera had touchdown receptions of 9 and 8 yards and Malik Ingram ran for a game-high 134 yards on 20 carries. Gavin Toth connected on field goals of 28 and 29 yards. Next game: Saturday 11/4 vs. Point Beach (5-3)
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P oint B oro
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(8-0)
T h e Pa n t h e r s o f f e n s i v e l i n e d o m i n a t e d t h e trenches in a 41-18 win o ver Ocean, paving the way f o r 4 9 3 ya r d s r u s h i n g . S e n i o r q u a r t e r b a c k J a m e s Fa r a l e d t h e g r o u n d a t t a c k w i t h 2 8 2 ya r d s r u s h i n g and four touchdowns while senior running back Brandon Cipriano ran for 116 yards and a touchdown a n d s e n i o r f u l l b a c k Ta n n e r G o r d o n a d d e d 8 9 ya r d s rushing and a touchdown. Point Boro’s defense held Ocean to minus-28 yards rushing. Next game: Friday 11/3 vs. Barnegat (4-3)
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B rick M em
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(6-2)
Senior fullback Tony Thorpe ran for 193 yards and two touchdowns, but the Mustangs had their six-game winning streak snapped in a 35-14 loss to South Brunswick, one of the top teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference Next game: Friday 11/3 vs. Jackson Memorial (5-3)
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F reehold (5 -3 )
Senior quarterback Ashante Worthy had another gigantic game with 436 combined yards and seven touchdowns to lead the Colonials to a 49-14 win over Edison. Worthy ran for 324 yards and six touchdowns, scoring on runs of 14, 96, 11, 3, 79 and 9 yards. He also completed 10 of 16 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, finding Savion Macon for a 35-yard score. Worthy now has 1,787 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns plus 1,381 yards passing and 17 touchdowns this season. Next game: Friday 11/3 at No. 6 Long Branch (6-1).
O t h e r T e a m s t o W at c h Manasquan (5-2): The Warriors’ defense led the way once again in a 26-0 shutout over Matawan and now has three shutouts this season. Senior running back Connor Morgan ran for over 150 yards and scored a touchdown, senior quarterback Tommy Antonucci ran for a touchdown and threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to junior James Pendergist, and junior running back Canyon Birch added a touchdown run. Next game: Saturday 11/4 vs. No. 4 Red Bank Catholic (7-1) Jackson Memorial (5-3):
Senior quarterback A.J. Tolmachewich threw for 151 yards and a touchdown - a 9-yard score to Kaleem Norris - and also ran for a touchdown in a 28-14 loss to Old Bridge. The Jaguars, however, have a chance to jump into the Top 10 when they face No. 9 Brick Memorial in Week 9. Next game: Friday 11/3 at No. 9 Brick Memorial (6-2)
Next game: Saturday 11/4 at Manasquan (5-2)
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By
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Bob Badders
- Managing Editor
very week this regular season, Jersey Mike’s and Shore Sports Network will be selecting a Team of the Week based on its performance over the past weekend.
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Week-7
he J e r s e y M i k e ’ s T e a m o f t h e W e e k f o r Week 7 is St. John Vianney, which won “The Catholic Clash” over arch-rival Red Bank Catholic, 35-17, to extend its Shore Conference winning streak to 36 games and hand RBC its first loss of the season. Shore Sports Network and Michael Perdichizzi from the Jersey Mike’s location at 251 Main Street were at practice Tuesday evening to present the Lancers and head coach Derek Sininsky with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card.
I0/20/I7
St. John Vianney-35 Red Bank Catholic - I7
Senior Johnny Buchanan ran for 242 yards and two touchdowns and also made 14 tackles and intercepted a pass to lead St. John Vianney to its third straight win over Red Bank Catholic. Senior Zyaire Sterling ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns and senior quarterback Haaziq Daniels added a 17-yard touchdown run. Senior defensive end Nick Densieski was a pass-rushing force all night with three sacks. The Lancers, who are ranked No. 2 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, have not lost to a Shore Conference team since the final game of the 2013 season. St. John Vianney is currently averaging 43 points per game and allowing just 9.9 points per game.ke on Sussex Tech and try to get to four wins for the first time since 2012.
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he Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week is Manalapan, which defeated district rival Howell, 49-28, in a battle for Class A North supremacy between unbeaten teams. Shore Sports Network and Javier Troche, operating partner of the Jersey Mike’s Freehold location, were at practice Tuesday evening to present the Braves and head coach Ed Gurrieri with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card.
Week-6
Senior running back Naim Mayfield ran for a career-high 275 yards and five touchdowns to lead the way for a Braves offense that ran for 323 yards and piled up 416 yards of offense. Mayfield scored on touchdown runs of 16, 33, 9, 73 and 7 yards to continue an incredible season that has him leading New Jersey with 1,410 yards rushing in just six games.
I0/I3/I7
Manalapan-49 Howell- 28
W e e k - 4 9/29/i7 Brick Mem. - 22
Junior linebacker Tommy Pearce led the Manalapan defense with a team-high 14 tackles (11 solo) plus an interception that he returned 50 yards to set up one of Mayfield’s touchdown runs. Senior defensive end Antonio Deieso was a disruptive force in the trenches with eight tackles, including three sacks and a tackle for loss. Sophomore Justin Reilly also had an interception, while senior defensive back Symir Blacknall had a key forced fumble that was recovered by junior linebacker Dale Sieczkowski. Manalapan, which is ranked No. 1 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, has now won 16 straight regular season games. The Braves now have the inside track to capture their seventh Class A North division title in the last eight years. Manalapan has won 48 of its last 51 division games.
W e e k - 5 10/6/i7
Keansburg - 51
(2OT)
Sayreville - 21
Point Beach - 43
W e e k - 3 9/22/i7
W e e k - 2 9/I5/i7
Monmouth - 14
Howell - 55
Matawan - 13
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Senior quarterback Luke Corcione threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Scott Scherzer and senior fullback Chris Maksimik added a 1-yard touchdown run.
Freehold - 35
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W e e k - I 9/8/I7
Long Branch - 28 Manasquan - I9
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By
Matt Manley
- Senior Staff writer
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he Holmdel boys and Wall girls were crowned Shore Conference Tournament soccer champions last week, but there was plenty of action leading up to the finals. This year's SCT was loaded with great performances and below are some of the best. Shore Sports Network Soccer Editor Matt Manley picked the top players from both the boys and girls tournaments, including an MVP from each one.
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All-SCT Boys Team
Big tournament ended with a huge game for Arena, who led Holmdel to its first ever Shore Conference Tournament Title with seven goals and five assists over four SCT games That four-game showcase culminated with a record-setting championship game, in which Arena scored five goals in a 7-1 win over Ocean to set a single-game record for the SCT final. Arena also scored two goals and assisted two more in a 5-0 win over Howell in the quarterfinals and added two assists in a round-of16 win over Shore. Arena’s second goal in Thursday’s final also broke Holmdel’s single-season goal-scoring record. By the end of the game, Arena reached 29 goals, which surpassed the old record of 25 by Zach Bond in 2012. Not only does Arena lead the Shore Conference in goals, but he also has 20 assists.
Week-6 I0/23 to I0/29 Holmdel
Anthony Arena
Anthony Arena, Jr., Forward, Holmdel (7 goals, 5 assists in 4 games) Justin McStay, Sr., Forward, Holmdel (4 goals, 4 assists in 4 games) Matt Leon, Sr., Midfield/Forward, Holmdel (4 goals, 2 assists in 4 games) Mikey Neff, Sr., Defense, Holmdel (3 assists in 4 games) Steve Carton, Sr., Forward, Ocean (3 goals, 1 assist in five games) Shane Cluxen, So., Forward, Toms River South (2 goals in 3 games) Joel Burgos, Sr., Monmouth (3 goals in 2 games) Luke Yates, Jr., Midfield, Ocean (2 goals, 1 assist in 5 games) Charlie Daly, Jr., Forward, CBA, (2 goals in 2 games) Joe Schlageter, Jr., Midfield, Jackson Memorial (2 goals, 1 assist in 3 games) Drew Greenblatt, So., Midfield, Jackson Memorial (2 goals, 1 assist in 3 games) Jalen Folsom, So., Goalkeeper, Toms River South (2 shutouts, 4 goals allowed, 3 penalty kick saves in 4 games)
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s much as Arena was an easy choice for the top player in the boys tournament, Karabin was an even easier choice. While Karabin didn’t set a single-game record like her male counterpart, she scored at least one goal in each of Wall’s four SCT wins and stepped her game up when the Crimson Knights were missing their leading scorer, Amy Paternoster. She also logged multi-goal games in three of the four Wall wins, scoring two goals apiece in wins over Point Beach and Wall and a hat trick in the championship game against Freehold Township. Karabin scored the go-ahead, winning and momentum-altering goals against a Freehold Township side that entered Thursday’s final unbeaten. She opened the scoring, hit an 18-yarder to the side netting for the team’s third goal in a 4-2 win and hit the side netting again 16 seconds after Freehold Township had cut the lead to 3-2.
Week-6 I0/23 to I0/29 Wall
Jenna K ar ab in
All-SCT Girls Team
Marisa Tava, Jr., Forward, Toms River North (3 goals in 3 games, one in each game) Kristi Mikula, Jr., Forward, Colts Neck (4 goals in 2 games)
Jenna Karabin, Sr., Forward, Wall (8 goals, 1 assist in 4 games)
Frankie McDonough, Jr., Forward/Midfield, Shore (3 goals in 2 games)
Lauren Karabin, Sr., Forward, Wall (2 goals, 2 assists in 4 games)
very week this regular season, Shore Conference Soccer fans will have their chance to vote for the Shore Sports Network Soccer Player of the Week on our website, with tens of thousands of votes cast already.
Week-5 Monmouth
Brian Waltsak Week-4 Pinelands
Dominic Dos Santos Week-3 Jackson Memorial
Dan Russo Week-2 Monmouth
Joel Burgos
Alyssa Fernandez, Sr., Forward, Jackson Memorial (3 goals in 3 games)
Hailee Reinhardt, Sr., Defense, Wall (1 goal, 3 assists in 4 games) Joan Scheidt, Sr., Midfield, Wall (1 goal in 4 games) Jada Colbert, Sr., Forward, Freehold Twp. (2 goals, 2 assists in 4 games)
Jillian Conklin, Sr., Midfield, Toms River East (2 goals, 1 assist in 2 games)
Week-I
Kylee Sullivan, Sr., Goalkeeper, Jackson Memorial (2 shutouts, 2 goals allowed in 3 games)
Christian Brothers Academy
Jasmine Colbert, Sr., Forward, Freehold Twp. (4 goals, 1 assist in 4 games)
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Dominic Bellomo
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By
Matt Manley
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he Shore Conference Tournament is supposed to sort out the top 10, but outside of No. 1, this year’s tournament leaves behind more questions than answers – questions that are often hard to answer now that these teams are heading in a lot of different directions for this week’s NJSIAA Tournament. At the very least, there is a clear No. 1 heading into the state tournament and the jumble of teams in the next four spots will all have a chance to prove their standing in quality brackets. The bottom half of the top 10 is also still wide open, although it appears unlikely that any team outside the top five will end up in the top five to close out the season.
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Holmdel (17-1, 12-0)
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If there was any doubt about Holmdel being the No. 1 team coming off its 5-0 win over Howell in the SCT quarterfinals, the Hornets left absolutely none by crushing two more opponents to finish off the program’s first ever conference title. The knock on Holmdel heading into the tournament was that it had not defeated a team outside of A Central, but during the tournament, the closest game the Hornets played was a 3-0 win over A Central rival Shore in the round of 16. Holmdel outscored the opposition 19-1 during the tournament and since losing its only game of the season to Pingry, has outscored opponents 38-3 in seven games. .
Although the most recent image of Jackson Memorial is a 4-0 loss to Holmdel, the Jaguars still had a strong showing in the SCT with wins over scrappy Raritan and an impressive 4-0 victory over B South champion Pinelands. With an edge in common opponents (2-1-1 to 1-2) vs. Ocean and a closer margin of defeat against Holmdel, the Jaguars edge the Spartans out for the No. 2 spot for now. .
8 Freehold Township (14-6, 10-4) .
After getting bounced by Monmouth in the SCT round of 16, the Patriots picked up wins over Asbury Park and St. John Vianney this past week to tune up for a difficult draw in Central Jersey IV this coming week. Freehold Township has an impressive win over CBA and won the public division title in A North, but a top-10 spot is not a guarantee at this point if the Patriots can’t win at least a game in the state tournament.
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Shore (11-8-1, 7-4-1)
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While Shore does not have any one win that stands out, the Blue Devils tied for second in a Class A Central division that has performed well outside the division all season and is playing its best soccer of the season heading into a winnable Central Jersey Group I Tournament this coming week. Shore also played Holmdel closer than any other team during the SCT and facing the Hornets three times, as well as another Group II power in Haddonfield, should toughen up the Blue Devils for a state tournament run.
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Howell (10-6-2, 8-5-1)
Howell’s 5-0 loss to Holmdel looks a little better after the Hornets did something similar to both Jackson Memorial and Ocean to close out the SCT. With a win over Freehold Township and a couple of impressive SCT wins leading up to the Holmdel loss, the Rebels hang onto their spot in the Top 10 for the time being.
Dropped Out
2 Jackson Memorial (16-3-1, 11-2-1)
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- Senior Staff writer
Monmouth (11-9, 7-7) Last Week: 8 – The Falcons fall out of the top 10 following a 3-0 loss to Middletown South to close out the regular season, which might be harsh considering their SCT showing. The Falcons have a chance to make a deep run in Central Jersey Group III and can still slide into the final rankings.
Ocean (16-3-1, 13-1-0)
By virtue of a win over Toms River South in the SCT semifinals, Ocean climbs to its highest point in the top 10 this season. The Spartans might have caught a few breaks in the tournament by avoiding Freehold Township in the quarterfinals and CBA in the semifinals, but had to endure a third game against Monmouth and face a Toms River South team flying high after it eliminated CBA two days early. They also played the last two rounds of the tournament without senior center back Mark Butler and the Spartans will hope to get healthy for the NJSIAA Group III Tournament next week.
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Toms River South (12-5-2, 9-4-1)
You can make the case Toms River South still does not need to be ahead of CBA based on the fact that the SCT quarterfinal meeting between the teams was technically a draw, but the Indians got stronger and stronger in that game and a shootout win over a team might as well be a victory. The Indians will probably kick themselves over the loss to Ocean given how the winning goal scored, but they put together another quality postseason run and will look to get revenge over the Spartans in the Central Jersey Group III bracket, in which Ocean and Toms River South are the top two seeds.
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Christian Brothers Academy (17-2-1, 12-1-0)
On body of work, CBA still has a strong case to be No. 2, but the Colts were sitting at home (figuratively speaking) while the four teams ahead of them were playing this past week. The Colts got back in the saddle with a 3-0 win over Rumson-Fair Haven on Friday and the most important part of that win may have been a three-goal second half to finish the game strong, something that has bit CBA over the last three weeks. Nos. 2 through 5 in the top 10 are still separated by a razor-thin margin, so if the Colts have a strong showing in the state tournament, they can easily get back in the debate with Holmdel for No. 1 rather than with Ocean, Jackson Memorial and Toms River South for No. 2. To actually finish No. 1, though, CBA will have to win Non-Public A and get a poor state tournament performance from Holmdel, and even then, it would probably be a reach.
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Pinelands (15-4-1, 12-1-1)
A 3-0 loss to Brick sullies the Wildcats’ resume a bit, but that game came just a few days after Pinelands dropped out of the Shore Conference Tournament. They will hope to be a rejuvenated team in the South Jersey Group III playoffs over the next two weeks and should have a reasonable chance to win it if the Wildcats can regain their early-season form.
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Long Branch (14-5, 10-4)
Monmouth twice while the Falcons beat Freehold Township in the SCT. The Green Wave have a tough road in Central Jersey Group IV this year, which is hard to fathom given Long Branch was a Group II school just five years ago. In any case, the Wave have the talent to make some noise, even in a deep, difficult bracket, if they can lock in over the next two weeks.
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Hand and Finger Fractures
By Christopher D. Johnson, MD, FACS– profes si onal Orthopaedi c Ass oci ates
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finger fracture (broken finger) may seem minor, but many factors need to be considered when dealing with these common injuries.
i n c l u d e s x - r a y, m o t o r a n d s e n s o r y t e s t s a n d a n e v a l u a t i o n o f t h e range of motion. Many injuries will heal after 4-6 weeks of immobilization in a cast or splint. O t h e r i n j u r i e s , h o w e v e r, w i l l r e q u i r e s u r g e r y. Orthopaedic surgeons utilize plates, screws and/or pins to realign the bones. It is also frequently recommended that these patients get occupational and/or physical therapy to restore movement because stiffness is the most common complication of treatment for these injuries. It is of paramount importance to choose a treatment that limits stiffness.
The small bones of t h e h a n d l i n e u p p r e c i s e l y, s o a n y m a l a l i g n m e n t of these bones can cause pain, swelling and loss of function. The symptoms of a broken finger are normally point tenderness, swelling, p a i n , d e c r e a s e d r a n g e o f m o t i o n a n d / o r d e f o r m i t y. An x-ray is standard procedure and treatment for this injury generally involves realignment of the bone, splinting, ice, elevation, and buddy taping for support. Broken fingers can be quite complex depending on how the bone(s) break. For certain fractures, there is a spiral component or shattered bones and surgical treatment is n e c e s s a r y. Hand injuries are also very common in the athletic population. These injuries generally r e s u l t f r o m a f a l l , a c r u s h i n j u r y, a t w i s t i n g i n j u r y o r a d i r e c t b l o w. S i m i l a r t o a finger fracture, these injuries present with pain, swelling, bruising, loss of m o t i o n a n d p o i n t t e n d e r n e s s . Tr e a t m e n t
Christopher D. Johnson, MD, FACS
Elbow, Hand, Knee, Pediatric Fractures, Shoulder, Sports Medicine, and Wrist
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rena’s Record-Breaking Game Leads Holmdel to First SCT Title
For as bad as the final score was for the host team, Ocean actually struck first 2:34 into the match. Senior Zach Sintic, who left the Spartans' semifinals game against Toms River South with a head injury and returned to the lineup three days later, served a free from near midfield and put the ball on frame.
After a recent history littered with Shore Conference and NJSIAA Tournament heartbreaks, the Holmdel boys soccer team got a monkey off its back October 26 in the Shore Conference Tournament final and did so in record-setting fashion.
Holmdel senior goalkeeper Matt Lionette punched the ball straight up and Ocean senior Steve Carton got to it first with a header to break the ice in the third minute.
Junior Anthony Arena set a single-game championship record with five goals and senior Justin McStay added two goals and three assists to lead Holmdel - the No. 2 seed in the tournament - to a 7-1 drubbing of No. 5 Ocean, Holmdel's first ever Shore Conference Tournament championship.
The early goal sparked Ocean to a strong first 15 minutes, but that would be the end of the Spartans' moment
"We definitely didn't have this in mind," Arena said. "We expected a tough game and they are a very good team. When we come together, though, we're a great team and a great organization." "With all the talent on this team, with what our goals were for this team back in the beginning of July, this is to their credit," Holmdel coach John Nacarlo said of his players. "They have worked so hard all year and they wanted this one badly. There were times this year they almost looked like they were a little bored and I think it's because they were waiting for games like this one and they showed what they can do." With his five goals, Arena also blew past Zach Bond for the single-season school record with 29 goals already this season. Bond scored 25 as a senior in 2012. "It wasn't just me today," Arena said. "Guys kept feeding me the ball in great position. It's obviously a great feeling to keep scoring, but it's a team effort. We had everybody winning the ball in the middle and assisting me. So many guys did a great job today."
"I didn't really consider scoring five goals in a championship game as something that was even possible before tonight," junior center midfielder Joe Arena, Anthony's cousin, said. "Then he scored his second goal before halftime and then another one right at the start of the second hand, then four, then five. By that fifth one, I was bowing down to him. It was unreal."
Jr. Anthony Arena See
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enna Karabin’s Hat Trick Helps Wall Down Undefeated Freehold Twp. in SCT Final Before anyone wearing a Wall jersey, on the Wall sideline or rooting for the Wall girls soccer team in the stands at Ocean Township High School had enough time to let the anxiety of letting a three-goal lead potentially slip away in the Shore Conference Tournament final Thursday night, the ball was in the back the top-seeded Freehold Township goal courtesy of senior Jenna Karabin. Karabin was not part of Wall's last Shore Conference Tournament championship team in 2014 like a number of her classmates, but she was right in the middle of the Crimson Knights latest SCT title, which they clinched with a wild, 4-2 win over previously unbeaten Freehold Township.
"She does not like to lose," Wall coach Mike Juska said of Karabin. "She wants to score a goal. She's special and she really put on a show tonight. It was great to watch." Karabin recorded her second career hat trick in Wall's win and the biggest of her three goals came when her team was in most need of a spark. Karabin scored her second goal on an 18-yard strike in the 60th minute to put Wall ahead, 3-0, but Freehold Township scored twice in a span of under two minutes to suddenly pull within a goal with 12:50 left. Just 16 seconds after senior Jasmine Colbert scored to draw the Patriots within 3-2 and seemingly swing the momentum all the way back in favor of the top seed, Karabin nailed a shot to the far left side netting to push the lead back to 4 - 2
Sr. jenna Karabin
with 12:34 left to play. "I think their defense relaxed a little bit," Karabin said. "Nobody expects to give up a goal 10 seconds after they score one, but I saw a chance to go at the goal and I had to take it. We had to get jenna Karabin & Lauren Karabin another goal to get the lead back to two. It was kind of lucky, I guess. I don't think I could ever do that again." "It all happened so fast," said senior Hailee Reinhardt, who finished with two assists. "Everything was all frantic, but we knew we had to settle down and knew we still had it in us to win. Once we saw her finish, we all calmed back down." Wall spent nearly all of those 12-plus remaining minutes in its own end under pressure from the Patriots, but the Crimson Knights defense and sophomore keeper Jordan Cheche kept the lead at two goals until the final whistle. Karabin's three goals capped a huge Shore Conference Tournament for the senior forward. In four SCT games, Karabin scored eight goals, including six over the last three games with leading scorer Amy Paternoster sidelined with a sprained right foot. "I knew without Amy, teams were going to take us lightly up top," Jenna Karabin said. "I knew that when I got the opportunity, I had to finish and capitalize on my shots and I feel like I did that."
"Jenna Karabin is just a winner," Juska said. "She was off when (Freehold Township) scored those two goals. They have the Colbert twins and they are very dangerous. They can score goals in a hurry. All of a sudden, it's 3-2, (Karabin) comes back onto the field, takes on three players and just buries the ball in the side netting. Basically, all the momentum that they got a couple minutes earlier was just deflated." Wall jumped out to a 1-0 lead 14:01 into the game on Karabin's ďŹ rst goal. Lauren Karabin got the ball to the touch line and crossed the ball into the box from left to right and Jenna Karabin tracked it to the front of the goal, where she popped a shot
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first of its three SCT titles.
on Thursday night. At 15:12 in the action, Arena struck for his first goal, skipping a shot from the top of the 18-yard box to the lower left off a pass from junior Mark Walier.
Thursday marked Holmdel's third trip to the SCT final and first win. The Hornets lost to a 21-0 Christian Brothers Academy squad, 4-0, in 2011 and fell to Ocean, 2-0, in the 2012 final.
"What made today so different is they (Ocean) had the first goal within five minutes," McStay said. "I didn't know what was happening. I thought maybe it was just an atmosphere we weren't used to because we came out and struggled for the first few minutes. In the second half, we just took off.
Since winning the Group III championship in 2010, Holmdel had also lost in its last three Group II final appearances, which came in 2011, 2012 and 2015. A number of current Holmdel players were on the 2015 team that led Garfield 1-0 in the final three minutes of the Group II final, only to give up two goals in the final 2:30 to lose a heart-breaker.
"They were a good team, though. They came out strong and I was actually a little scared." Holmdel took full control of the game during a stretch of 5:53 that spanned the end of the first and beginning of the second half, starting with Arena's second goal. He ran onto a long ball from senior back Mikey Neff and knocked it into the far right post with 1:18 left in the half for a 2-1 Holmdel lead. "You had to feel like we might come out and play a game like this, but as a coach, you never anticipate something like that," Nacarlo said. "When they came out and scored first, I really wasn't worried. We were over-amped a little bit and we settled in and really started to play our game about seven minutes before halftime."
The Hornets faced no such drama in this tournament, outscoring their four SCT opponents by a combined total of 19-1. "There's no comparison," said McStay, who is headed to West Point to play soccer next fall. "Once we started scoring in the second half, the game took on a whole different feeling. Two years ago, we scored with seven minutes left and we thought we had it. Today, once we got going, everything was going our way and it was just the greatest feeling. The was the best night of my life."
"I think the guys wanted to come out tonight and prove without a doubt that they are the best team in the Shore Conference," Nacarlo said. "Not only the Shore Conference, but one of the best teams in the state, and I think they made that statement loud and clear today."
Arena struck again 32 seconds into the second half on a through-ball from McStay to make it 3-1 before McStay scored on a set-up from Neff in the 45th to break the game open at 4-1.
"Seeing the ball go in right before half changed everything," McStay said. "Having Anthony is so huge because when we see him score and there is usually another one coming. It's just different when you have a player like that. He is incredible." McStay then set up Arena for goals in the 52nd and 60th minutes that capped the junior's record-setting night and added a goal in the 67th to cap the scoring and start the early celebration. "Since we were four or five years old, we've been playing together," Joe Arena said. "When we were really young, we were already talking about playing high school together. We thought my freshman year that we'd win a championship and it was heartbreaking to lose, but we had guys come back to the team and commit to winning. To come back this year and smash teams the way we have, especially in a championship game, feels great."
Sr. Justin McStay Photos by
Prior to October 26th, no player had ever scored more than three goals in an SCT final. The lopsided final score was actually the second-largest margin of victory for a team in an SCT final and Ocean was also on the wrong end of the largest. In 2000, Manalapan beat Ocean, 8-0, to win its
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over Freehold Township goalkeeper Alessia La Rosa. The Crimson Knights added a big goal 1:20 before halftime on a header by sophomore Marissa Sciorilli on a corner kick by Reinhardt. Sciorilli hit a dangerous shot that La Rosa saved to force the corner, then knocked her header into the left side netting for her first career goal. "I was honestly so happy for her," Reinhardt said. "Every time she's been coming on the field, she's been working so hard and I think she reallt deserved that. I was so proud of her." "Almost 60 percent of our games, she hasn't gotten much playing time," Juska said. "With Amy down, though, she's the next person up and she scores a goal. It's just another illustration of our depth." Freehold Township's two-goal rally began with a foul that set up Jessica Judge for a 25-yard free kick, which she skipped into the left side of the goal to get Freehold Township on the board. Just 1:27 later, Meaghan Latona knocked the ball into the box, where Colbert gathered it and fired a shot into the left side of the goal to pull the Patriots within a goal. Thursday's result also revealed how far Wall has come from the early part of the season, which included a 3-1 loss at Freehold Township in a game that the Patriots dominated after falling in an early 1-0 hole on a goal by Paternoster. The Knights also endured a 1-1 draw against Middletown South on Sept. 28, but since then, they have rattled off 10 straight wins.
"We were the favorite to win that game (against Freehold Township), so being the underdog this time really helped us," Jenna Karabin said. "We love being the underdogs and having to prove ourselves."
On of those 10 wins was a 6-2 quarterfinal win over Colts Neck, which was the team that eliminated Wall in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals in each of the past two seasons and also beat Wall in the NJSIAA Group III Tournament in both 2014 and 2015. Wall last won the SCT by beating Colts Neck in the 2014 final and despite losing to the Cougars in last year's conference semifinals, the Crimson Knights went on to win a share of the overall Group III championship. After entering Thursday with Freehold Township as the team's only loss, Wall now made sure it is Freehold Township's lone defeat as well. "We in as freshmen winning the Shore Conference and now winning it as seniors is such a good feeling," Reinhardt said. "Beating Colts Neck was huge. They took this away from us so many times, so to take it away from them was such a good feeling and to now walk out our senior year winning the Shore Conference is such a great feeling."
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Photos by :
Paula Lopez www.palimages.com
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NJSIAA Tournament Preview:
Shore Conference Aims to Make November Noise By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer
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County – reason to think big entering as the No. 16 seed. Long Branch has run hot and cold – sometimes within the span of a single game – but could make a significant run with all of the weapons at its disposal. Middletown South held its own against CBA, which should help the Eagles against Princeton.
While Christian Brothers Academy won its second overall Non-Public A championship and finished No. 1 in N.J. for the second time in six seasons last year, no public school team from the Shore has won an overall group championship since Holmdel won Group III in 2010. The Hornets have been to three championship games since then and Toms River South has been to the last two Group III finals, but no other program has reached a group final and neither the Hornets nor the Indians were able to bring a title home.
Central Jersey Group III
s the calendar turns toward November, the NJSIAA Tournament is set to begin, with the first round kicking off on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Thirty-seven of the 46 Shore Conference Tournament teams will be spread out across 10 sections and it is uncommon for the conference to go without at least one sectional champion. At least one Shore team has one a sectional title in each of the past three years and there are a number of candidates to make it four in a row.
That could all change this year, with both Holmdel and Toms River South among the teams that are positioned to challenge for a spot in the group finals on Sunday, Nov. 19. Here is a look at all 10 sections involving Shore Conference teams with a quick dive into how each should fare over the next week or two.
North Jersey Section 2, Group III SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 8 Middletown North DEFENDING CHAMPION: Hopewell Valley TOP SEED: Mendham FAVORITE: Mendham SLEEPER TEAM: No. 13 Chatham. The Cougars play a challenging regular-season schedule that includes a pair of games against Delbarton, the No. 1 team in the state, according to NJ.com. First-round opponent Summit is not the most vulnerable team among the top six or seven seeds, but Chatham has some staying power if it can reach its peak level. Middletown North – losers of eight of its last nine games – could be an option if the Lions regain their early-season form, which helped them hand Westfield its only loss of the season. PREDICTION: No. 2 Hopewell Valley over Mendham. Hopewell will try to bounce back from a loss to West Windsor-Plainsboro South in the Mercer County Tournament semifinals and defend their sectional title against a Mendham team that is back among the top teams in Group III after winning the whole section two years ago. These two teams met in a classic sectional final two years ago and the Hopewell players around for that one would like some revenge.
SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 8 Freehold Twp., No. 11 Long Branch, No. 14 Middletown South DEFENDING CHAMPION: Hunterdon Central TOP SEED: Hunterdon Central FAVORITE: No. 2 Monroe SLEEPER TEAM: No. 16 Hightstown. Literally every single team in this bracket is good and most of the teams have a pretty decent shot at winning a game. Although Hunterdon Central is the No. 1 seed, the Red Raiders are not as complete as they were a year ago, when they won the Group IV championship by beating Marlboro, Washington Township and Scotch Plains-Fanwood in consecutive games. That gives Hightstown – which has played F r e e h o l d T wp ’ s K e v i n F i n n Pennington twice and St. Benedict’s once while finishing .500 in Mercer
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SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 1 Ocean, No. 2 Toms River South, No. 6 Wall, No. 7 Toms River East, No. 8 Freehold Boro, No. 9 Lakewood, No. 14 Neptune DEFENDING CHAMPION: Toms River South TOP SEED: Ocean FAVORITE: Ocean SLEEPER TEAM: Neptune. The Scarlet Fliers were a competitive Class A North team that now gets to play in Group III with a lot of teams that did not play the same level of competitions. Neptune has not only gotten results, but it has a legitimately scary scorer in Wilby Alfred, who could be a gamebreaker vs. Northern Burlington and again against Wall or Steinert in a potential quarterfinal game. Toms River East could also be a dangerous potential opponent for Toms River South in the quarterfinals, while Freehold Boro has already beaten potential quarterfinal opponent Ocean, 5-1, this year.
Oc ea n’s St eve C ar ton PREDICTION: Toms River South over Ocean. These teams just battled in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals, with Ocean winning 3-2 on a wind-aided 45-yard free kick in the final five minutes, which capped a strong second half for the Spartans. Ocean was the better team on Oct. 23, but Toms River South was on one day of rest after an emotional, shootout victory over CBA. Both teams have some potential stumbling blocks to overcome – namely Allentown for Ocean - but the two are poised to meet up again at Ocean on Nov. 10.
Central Jersey Group II SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 1 Holmdel, No. 2 Monmouth, No. 3 Rumson-Fair Haven, No. 11 Raritan, No. 13 Matawan DEFENDING CHAMPION: Bernards TOP SEED: Holmdel FAVORITE: Holmdel SLEEPER TEAM: No. 11 Raritan. Defending sectional champion Bernards drew a No. 12 seed and a first-round game at North Plainfield, which gives the Mountaineers a chance to win a game or two before running into Holmdel. The reason Raritan has a little more potential is the Rockets have already beaten the No. 2 and 3 seeds in the bracket, so if they have to do it again in order to reach the championship game, there is precedent. Raritan also barely came up short against Holmdel in the first meeting between the teams, although the Rockets lost the second one, 5-0.
Central Jersey Group IV
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PREDICTION: Monroe over Freehold Twp. Central Jersey IV is so wide open that Freehold Township is a legitimate contender at No. 8, but not really a sleeper compared to some of the other quality teams that do not play a home game in round one. The Patriots have raised their game against good teams and if they can get past a quality Sayreville team in round one, they could be very dangerous in the later rounds. Monroe, meanwhile, has been the class of the Greater Middlesex Conference and should be in for a tough test in the semifinals if Princeton pays the Falcons a visit on Nov. 7.
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PREDICTION: Holmdel over Rumson-Fair Haven. Rumson might be due for Holmdel’s Anthony Arena a couple big wins after losing some competitive games in recent weeks, but the status of Owen Greengrove (concussion) keeps the Bulldogs a question mark. The good news for them is they made a run in this section without him last year and there is not a juggernaut team in their way until the final. Monmouth is certainly in play to make the finals as well, especially considering Joel Burgos is back and scoring goals again. In the end, though, Holmdel is head and shoulders above every other team in the bracket and it would take a Herculean effort and some serious luck for any team in the bracket to beat the Hornets.
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Central Jersey Group I SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 2 Asbury Park, No. 12 Pt. Beach, No. 13 Shore, No. 16 Henry Hudson DEFENDING CHAMPION: Asbury Park TOP SEED: Highland Park FAVORITE: Asbury Park SLEEPER TEAM: Shore. The Blue Devils are playing their best soccer heading into the tournament and despite the power-point formula treating them unkindly, they are as battle-tested as any team in the Asbury Park’s section. Shore played three games against Holmdel, playing them D a v ensky JoinVilmar progressively tougher each time, and also travelled to play Haddonfield, albeit in a blowout loss. Central Jersey Group I is notorious for double-digit seeds making runs, and with teams like Shore, No. 11 New Egypt and No. 12 Point Beach – another team to watch from the Shore – this bracket is once again begging for chaos. PREDICTION: Shore over Asbury Park. While Asbury Park has had mixed results over the last month – strong performances in tough losses to Point Boro and Freehold Township, but a road loss to Ranney – the Blue Bishops appear to be primed and ready to defend their title. Davensky JoinVilmar will be a problem for any team the Blue Bishops play and he’ll have to live up to that potential for Asbury Park to make another run. New Egypt or Florence will be a tough test in the semifinals, but the Blue Bishops should cruise up to that point. On the other side, Shore and Point Beach could very well meet in the quarterfinals, although neither first-round game will be easy. Highland Park had a strong showing in the GMC Tournament and will have home field advantage, so while the Owls are beatable, they are not necessarily ripe for the picking.
South Jersey Group IV SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 1 Jackson Mem., No. 9 Brick Mem., No. 10 Howell, No. 11 Southern, No. 13 Toms River North DEFENDING CHAMPION: Washington Twp. TOP SEED: Jackson Memorial FAVORITE: No. 2 Washington Twp. SLEEPER TEAM: Toms River North. The Mariners are always a tough out in the state tournament and will have to be on top of their game to get by Rancocas Valley in the first round. They have the capacity to do it, though, and if Toms River North can win that game, they are capable of getting to the championship game consider the Mariners already have a win over Jackson Memorial this year. Southern is another team to watch at No. 11, especially if the bar is winning one game. Howell and Brick Memorial are both dangerous road teams in round one, but would have their hands full in the quarterfinals.
J a c k s on M e m ’ s D a n R u ss o
PREDICTION: Washington Twp. over Jackson Memorial. The Jaguars have had a great season, but still might be a year away. If they can lay the foundation for a sectional championship next year, that would make this year a great success. Then again, as the No. 1 seed in one of the toughest sections in the state on a year-to-year basis, maybe it’s more appropriate for the team to be thinking about a dynasty. In order to start one, the Jaguars will likely have to go through the team that is currently the dynasty in South Jersey – a Washington squad that has won the last three sectional titles.
South Jersey Group III SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 3 Pinelands, No. 9 Lacey DEFENDING CHAMPION: Mainland TOP SEED: Ocean City FAVORITE: No. 2 Mainland SLEEPER TEAM: No. 12 Timber Creek. This bracket appears as though it will stay true to form with respect to the seeds, but Timber Creek or No. 11 Winslow could win a game or two to make things interesting. No. 10 Cherry Hill West might be the favorite against No. 7 Triton and has the pedigree to challenge Mainland in a potential quarterfinal showdown. Timber Creek see
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has a better chance to win two games, but Cherry Hill West might be the team that could surprise by winning the whole thing. Lacey would also be interesting heading to Ocean City for a quarterfinal game and wins over Freehold Boro and Middletown North this week have the Lions tuned up to take on anyone. PREDICTION: Mainland over Ocean City. A few weeks ago, Pinelands was in the conversation with Mainland and Ocean City as the favorites in this bracket and while the Wildcats are still a viable contender, they are probably a rung below the top two seeds after shaky performances against Jackson Memorial and Brick. The down time could have done Pinelands some good, though, and perhaps the Wildcats will bounce back to the form they showed over the first month of the season.
PREDICTION: CBA over No. 2 Bishop Eustace. The defending Non-Public A champs should face little resistance before the sectional final, although the Colts have shown some vulnerabilities over the last three weeks. Bishop Eustace is probably the most dangerous team in the bracket for CBA, but St. Augustine is always tough as well, even if the Hermits are more of a good team than a great one this year.
South Jersey Non-Public B SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 6 St. Rose, No. 8 DEFENDING CHAMPION: Gill St. Bernard’s TOP SEED: Gill St. Bernard’s FAVORITE: Gill St. Bernard’s
South Jersey Group II
SLEEPER TEAM: St. Rose. It’s not much easier to find a sleeper in this bracket than it is to find in the South Non-Public A field, but the Purple Roses come close. St. Rose has not been able to hang with the best teams on their schedule, but they do have some weapons that could put it all together for a run to the sectional final against a strong Gill St. Bernard’s team. Ranney, meanwhile, has played much better during the latter part of the season is set up to win a game before running into the topseeded Knights in the quarterfinal.
SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 5 Point Boro, No. 11 Barnegat, No. 12 Manasquan, No. 16 Manchester DEFENDING CHAMPION: Delran TOP SEED: Delran FAVORITE: Delran SLEEPER TEAM: It’s hard to see any team running with Delran or Haddonfield in this bracket, but there could be an early-round surprise or two. Barnegat has been a hard team to pin down this year, but the Bengals have two major scoring threats in Ryan Flaherty and Ricky Norman and a pretty manageable draw. Cinnaminson is a perennially solid program and West Deptford is a capable No. 3 seed that will likely await the Bengals in the quarterfinals should they get by the Pirates. If Barnegat is not the double-digit seed to win two games in this bracket, the next best possibility might be Manasquan, which has P t . Bo r o ’ s W i l l O t t o rallied to .500 over the last three weeks. Point Boro has had problems scoring at times this year, and Manasquan’s young roster might have the firepower to put two in the back of the net and move on to a winnable sectional quarterfinal.
PREDICTION: Gill St. Bernard’s over Immaculata. Although only a .500 team heading into the tournament, Immaculata has played a challenging schedule and picked up some notable wins over Somerville and Bernards. The Spartans did lose to Gill St. Bernard’s twice, but at least they will know what they are getting into in a potential championship game.
SPECIAL THANK YOU
PREDICTION: Delran over Haddonfield. This game is almost a lock to happen and Delran has been preparing for this run with a loaded schedule. A clash between the Bears and Holmdel in the Group II semifinal looks like one of the best potential match-ups in the entire state tournament, and although Haddonfield will be a worthy opponent, Delran should live up to its end of the bargain.
To all the photographers that supply us with all the great photo
South Jersey Non-Public A SHORE TEAMS IN THE FIELD: No. 1 CBA, No. 6 Donovan Catholic, No. 7 Red Bank Catholic, No. 8 SJV DEFENDING CHAMPION: CBA TOP SEED: CBA FAVORITE: CBA SLEEPER TEAM: None. I have never passed on picking a sleeper, but this field only has 12 teams and seven of them are well below .500. Maybe that makes the entire field below No. 5 sleepers, but it’s also really hard to see any of the Nos. 6 through 12 seeds winning a quarterfinal game. Donovan Catholic might have the best chance with its young roster that has battled its way to some tough losses this year, but St. Augustine is a tough first-round draw. RBC has played better in recent weeks, but probably won’t have the pieces to slow down a dangerous Bishop Eustace team. St. John Vianney beat Manalapan and hung with Freehold Township last week, but beating CBA in a potential quarterfinal is a different beast.
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CBA’s Shane Keenan
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By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Editor
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Wednesday, 7-8pm on 105.7 The Hawk, www.1057thehawk.com & www.shoresportsnetwork.com.
The only weekly radio and online show that covers Ocean and Monmouth County High School Football
Award-winning broadcasters Kevin Williams, Bob Badders and Ed Sarluca cover the entire Shore Conference from Matawan to Pinelands. Broadcast live each week the show features players, coaches and a preview of upcoming games.
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BIG CHANGE IN THE WOBM CHRISTMAS CLASSIC By Kevin Willams - Shore Sports Network Director
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he NJSIAA Soccer and Field Hockey Tournaments are underway and football is right around the corner from beginning the process to crown sectional champions. So why am I writing about a basketball tournament that doesn’t begin for almost two months? Well the WOBM Christmas Classic is near and dear to me since I’m the one who started it in 1984 and as we approach the 34th annual edition there is a major change that could provide one of the great basketball days anywhere in New Jersey. Since we have gone to a 32-team format (16 boys, 16 girls) we have always played the first round games on the weekend before Christmas. The boys would play one day and the girls on the other and we would rotate the Saturday/Sunday schedule from year to year. The tournament would then resume on December 26 and run through December 30 when the championship games were held. What has always bothered me about this format is that after teams play their first-round WOBM game they usually are back in the school the following week and playing regular-season games. If they lose their Christmas Classic opener then when they return to the tournament on the 26th or 27th they’re in the consolation bracket playing basically in front of family and friends. They almost feel removed from the tournament before it really heats up during Christmas week. Take for example this year. If we did what we normally do the boys would play their opening round games on Saturday, December 16 with the girls taking the court the next day. Then the following week everyone would likely play two conference games before the WOBM resumed…it just felt disjointed. Those on my committee agreed so we came up with an idea which was unanimously
improved by the coaches of the 32 participating teams.
Tuesday, December 26 (BOYS)
The 34th annual WOBM Christmas Classic tips-off on Saturday, December 23 with all the first-round games being played in one day on the two courts that make up the Pine Belt Arena, including the old gym at Toms River North. The boys begin their schedule at 10am and if all goes according to schedule the girls hit the courts beginning at 4pm. It will make for a long day and night but it will feel like a true tournament with all 52 games played over six days from December 23-30.
11:00 12:45 2:30 4:15 6:00 7:45
Sure it may screw up last minute holiday shopping but for some basketball junkies it will provide an early Christmas present…16 games in one building on one day. As to what we would do if the weather was bad on December 23. Don’t ask! Saturday, December 23 (BOYS 1st Round) 10:00 11:30 1:00 2:30 10:15 11:45 1:15 2:45
#6 #3 #7 #2 #5 #4 #8 #1
vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.
#11 #14 #10 #15 #12 #13 #9 #16
(TRN) (TRN) (TRN) (TRN) (PBA) (PBA) (PBA) (PBA)
Loser “A” Loser “B” Loser “C” Loser “D” Loser “E” Loser “F” Loser “G” Loser “H”
GIRLS 1st Round) 4:00 5:30 7:00 8:30 4:15 5:45 7:15 8:45
#6 #3 #7 #2 #5 #4 #8 #1
vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.
#11 #14 #10 #15 #12 #13 #9 #16
(TRN) (TRN) (TRN) (TRN) (PBA) (PBA) (PBA) (PBA)
Loser“I” Loser “J” Loser “K” Loser “L” Loser “M” Loser “N” Loser“O” Loser “P”
A vs. C vs. Winners (6-11) Winners (7-10) Winners (5-12) Winners (8-9)
B D vs. vs. vs. vs.
(PBA) (PBA) (3-14) (2-15) (4-13) (1-16)
E G
vs. F vs. H
(TRN) (TRN) Loser “U” Loser “V” Loser “W” Loser “X”
(PBA) (PBA) (3-14) (2-15) (4-13) (1-16)
M O
vs. N vs. P
(TRN) (TRN) Loser “Q” Loser “R” Loser “S” Loser “T”
Wednesday, December 27 (GIRLS) 11:00 12:45 2:30 4:15 6:00 7:45
I vs. K vs. Winners (6-11)) Winners (7-10)) Winners (5-12) Winners (8-9)
J L vs. vs. vs. vs.
Thursday, December 28 (BOYS) 11:00 12:45 2:30 4:15 6:15 8:00
Winners (A-B/C-D) Winners (E-F/G-H) U vs. W vs. Boys Semifinal Boys Semifinal
V X
(PBA) (PBA) (PBA) (PBA) (PBA) (PBA)
Losers(A-B/C-D) Losers(E-F/G-H)
(TRN) (TRN)
(PBA) (PBA) (PBA (PBA) (PBA) (PBA)
Losers(I-J/K-L) Losers(M-N/O-P)
(TRN) (TRN)
Friday, December 29 (GIRLS) 11:00 12:45 2:30 4:15 6:15 8:00
Winners (I-J/K-L) Winners (M-N/O-P) Q vs. S vs. Girls Semifinal Girls Semifinal
R T
Saturday, December 30 (All Games in PBA) 2:00 3:45 5:30 7:30
Boys 3rd Place Consolation Girls 3rd Place Consolation Girls Championship Final Boys Championship
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Asbury Park Names Stadium After School Icon William “Butch” Bruno By Bob Badders - Managing Editor
O
n F rid ay Oc t . 2 0, A sb u ry P ark n ame d it s i c o n i c a t h l e t i c s t a d i u m a f t e r legendary player and coach William “ B u t c h ” B r u n o d u r i n g a h a l f t im e c e r e m on y wh e n t he B l u e B is h op s h os t e d D u n e l l e n in t h e ir ho m e c o mi n g ga me . Bruno is the late father of former Brick Memorial athletic director and current NJSIAA assistant director Bill Bruno and former Howell athletic director Pete Bruno. “This tribute to Mr. Bruno is long overdue and I’m just glad that we’re able to honor him in this manner,” said Dr. Kristie Howard, Director of Student Services. “Bruno exemplifies the Blue Bishop spirit as a scholar-athlete who returned to his hometown to serve as an educator, coach and role model.” Butch Bruno was a 1934 graduate of Asbury Park High School and is the only Blue Bishops athlete to earn four varsity letters in four sports. He was an AllState player in football, basketball and baseball. Bruno was a history teacher at Asbury Park for 25 years and coached the Blue Bishops’ football team from 1946-1965, compiling a 105-58-16 record and winning three NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV state championships, according to Shore Football Coaches Foundation records. He led the 1953 team to a perfect 9-0 record, and also led Asbury Park to state titles in 1948 and 1954. Upon graduating from Asbury Park, Bruno attended Notre Dame University where he played football and graduated with a history degree. He served in the United States Navy during World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart for helping rescue a wounded shipmate.
Bruno was inducted into the NJSIAA Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Shore Football Coaches Foundation Hall of Fame in 2009. The Asbury Park school district presented his family with a plaque, and a replica of the plaque will be mounted at the 92-year old stadium this coming spring. "We are very excited about it and we thank the Asbury Park school administration and the board of education for seeing this project through," Bill Bruno said. "We're a proud bunch of Brunos and there was a lot of relatives and friends there. It's very touching. It's nice to know my dad's name is still attached to Asbury Park.” The night was a success on the field as well, as senior Donte Abrams finished with 187 total yards and four touchdowns to lead the Blue Bishops past the Destroyers. Abrams ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns on just three carries and caught four passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns. He also made six tackles on defense. Quadir Lawson ran for 112 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and Ja'King Agostini threw for 102 yards and three touchdowns on 7 of 8 passing. Javon Higgs had a 14-yard touchdown catch and junior Haughton ran for a short touchdown. Photos courtesy of Bill Bruno
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FOR SHORE SPORTS NETWORK ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460
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steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com
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he Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week continues on the Shore Sports Network throughout the season and right through championship weekend in early December.
T
Each Friday tune in to 1160/1310AM as Matt Harmon, Kevin Williams and Ed Sarluca bring you the excitement of Shore Conference football. Some of those games will also be simulcast on
92.7 WOBM (see schedule) and all of them will be streamed live on shoresportsnetwork.com and through the Shore Sports Network mobile app which you can download for free on your smart phone. In addition to the Friday Night broadcast schedule we will also carry the annual Thanksgiving Day game between Manasquan and Wall and as well as NJSIAA Playoff games in November/December.
Fri
Nov 3
Jackson Memorial
at
Brick Memorial
(7pm)
Thr
Nov 23
Manasquan
at
Wall
(11a)
NJSIAA Playoffs
TBD
Schedule is subject to change Engineer/Producer: Brad Burascano
All games broadcast on 1160/1310AM and those in YELLOW will also be simulcast on 92.7 WOBM. All streamed live at shoresportsnetwork.com and on the FREE Shore Sports Network App.
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