February 25, 2017 Volume-VIII Issue-4
The first thing fans, players, coaches & parents want to know after the big game is always,
“Is this going to be on
?�
Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.
Shore Sports Network Website Features
n Get Video Highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about. n Catch up on the action you might have missed n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year n Follow us on Twitter (over 16,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.
SteveMEYER Shore Sports Network Director High School Division s t ev e. m e y er @t own s qu a re m edi a. co m 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0
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2 0 i 7 Sh o r e B a s k e t b a l l Co a ch e s A s s o ci a ti o n S e n i o r A l l - S t a r G a m e
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he Shore Sports Network is proud to announce this year’s Shore Basketball Coaches Association Senior AllStar Games on Thursday, March 23 at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River.
This is the second year the Boys and the Pine Belt Arena which allows many put their talents on display in what basketball in New Jersey. The arena is
Finals and Tournament of Champions as well as many other tournaments and special events.
The girls game will tip off at 6 p.m. on March 23 with the boys game to follow at 7:45. Admission for the doubleheader is $5 for Adults, $3 for Students/Seniors and free for High School and College Coaches, Athletic Directors and Children 12 and under.
For the second year the “I’m Possible Slam Dunk Contest” will be held at halftime of the boys game with Ranney’s Scottie Lewis expected to defend his title. Look for details to be announced shortly. There will also be a “3 Point Contest” held at halftime of the girls game.
Girls games will be held at of the Shore's top players to Check our website for more information: has become the mecca of www.shoresportsnetwork.com home to the NJSIAA Group
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE
2017 ALL-STAR
GAME DAY PROGRAM
Be part of a tradition at the Jersey Shore that
reaches a large and enthusiastic Basketball audience from Monmouth and Ocean counties by having your business featured in this year's 2017 Shore Sports Network Shore Basketball Coaches Senior All-Star Game official game day program. The detailed game program put together by the Shore Sports Network staff not only recounts the past season and highlights this year's group of All-Stars, it also serves as a keepsake for all the players, coaches and fans 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 Basketball community.
CALL TODAY 732-233-4460 3
the US Army continues the Honor of presenting the Basketball Teams of the Week By Mat t Manley - S enior S taff Writ er
Du r i n g t h e 2 0 i 7 b o y s b a s k e t b a l l s e a s o n , S h o r e S p o r t s N e t w o r k
will be selecting an Army Strong Team of the Week, sponsored by the U.S. Army. The feature team will be selected based on performance from the prior week of action.
Week Six
Brick Township Week Five
Christian Brothers Academy Week Four The Freehold Township boys basketball team accepts their Team of the Week game ball from U.S. Army Sgt. Jelissa Torres.
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n a Shore Conference Class A North division that Christian Brothers Academy has mostly owned, the Freehold Township boys basketball team has become a constant in its own right. In addition to fielding a contender in most years, the Patriots have been able to mark their calendar when it comes to winning the outright division championship.
Last week, the Patriots beat Marlboro, 42-41, to clinch the Class A North championship for the first time in five years, which is why they are this week’s Shore Sports Network Army Strong Team of the Week. The last time Freehold Township won the outright A North title in 2011-12, it was also a five-year wait: the 2006-07 Shore Conference Tournament championship team had been the last Patriots squad to win the division.
CBA was the only team to beat Freehold Township during the regular season and up until last week, the Patriots had not won an A North game by fewer than eight points. They then polished off a 13-1 season in the division with two one-point victories, beginning with the win over the Mustangs. In that game, senior forward and leading scorer
Steve Staklinski sat for the duration of the second quarter with two fouls and watched Marlboro outscore his team 16-6 in the second quarter to go up 21-13 at halftime.
Staklinski returned in the second half and Freehold Township took over the lead in the third quarter. Marlboro would rally to tie it at 32, but the Patriots answered with an 8-2 run that was too much for the Mustangs to overcome. Staklinski finished with 15 points to lead the way for Freehold Township.
Fresh off winning the division title, the Patriots nearly got caught in hangover mode three days later against last-place Manalapan. The Patriots trailed 44-43 in the final seconds, but senior Ryan Cardone came through with a pullup jumper just before time expired to help his team escape with a 45-44 win.
On Thursday, the Patriots continued their march toward what they hope will be either a second Shore Conference Tournament championship, a first ever NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championship, or perhaps even both. They defeated Ocean, 49-38, in the Shore Conference Tournament round of 16 behind a strong second half. Sunday at Pine Belt Arena, Freehold Township will play Marlboro for a third time with a chance to reach the SCT semifinals for the first time since 2007.
Donovan Catholic
Week Three
Ranney
Week Two
Rumson Fair Haven
Week One
Ocean
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 4
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steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com
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very week t his reg ular season, Shore Con ference Bask etball fans will have the ir ch ance to vote for the Or th o pa e d ic In s ti tut e of C e n tr a l J e r s ey /S h o r e S po r t s N et wo r k b a sk e tb a l l Pl a ye r o f th e W ee k o n o ur we b s it e.
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ackson Memorial just missed qualifying for the Shore Conference Tournament and the Jaguars can thank Zabilowicz as much as anyone. The Raiders junior hit a three-pointer with five seconds left to give Toms River East a 50-48 win over Jackson Memorial on Feb. 7 in Jackson. The shot capped an 11-point fourth quarter for Zabilowicz, who finished with a teamhigh 18 points in the game.
Holmdel Sr.
Nick Harris W e e k - 5 1/23/i7 Pinelands So.
anthony diaz W e e k - 4 1/i6/i7 Toms River South Sr.
Matt Shiffer
Zabilowicz is one of a slew of juniors on the Raiders team, which hopes its recent uptick in performance can set them up for a bounceback year in 2017-18. Toms River East has played the entire year without senior and Shore Sports Network All-Shore Third Team guard Phil Lingat because of a torn ACL and players like Zabilowicz, Zyaire Dorn, Nick Shortino and Nick Silvia have stepped up over the course of the year.
W e e k - 3 1/9/i7
Zabilowicz won this week’s award with 43 percent of the more than 17,000 votes cast. Colts Neck junior Dan Gaines came in just behind him at 37.5 percent and Holmdel senior Mike Simuro collected 13.75 percent of the vote.
W e e k - 2 1/2/i7
Week-8 2/13/i7 Toms River East J r .
Trevor Zabilowicz
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St. John Vianney S r .
zach moran
Photo provided by Jim Dempsey
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Rumson-Fair haven So.
Ian O’Connor Keansburg Jr.
Paul Eckleberry W e e k - 1 12/26/i6 Wall. Jr.
Steve Geis
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Antoine, Barnes headline 1,000-point s c o r e r s d u r i n g t o u r n a me n t t i m e By Mat t Manley - S enior S taff Writ er
A
Tournament prior to 2016 and only joined the conference in the 2012-13 school year.
nyone who visited Pine Belt Arena in Toms River on Sunday for the boys Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and stayed throughout the day got to witness two of the Shore’s brightest stars reach a milestone – one of whom did so in historic fashion. Ranney sophomore Bryan Antoine and Mater Dei Prep senior Elijah Barnes both reached the 1,000-point plateau on the same day – Antoine in Ranney’s win over Middletown North to open the quadruple-header and Barnes in the Seraphs’ win over Manasquan.
Sophomore teammate Ahmadu Sarnor is also in the 1,000-point club, having reached the mark over his eighth-grade and freshman seasons at Collegium Charter in Pa. before transferring to Ranney this year. Ranney’s other sophomore standout, Scottie Lewis, is on pace to reach 1,000 points by the middle of next season.
According to New Jersey historian Chuck Langerman, Antoine is the first boys player in Shore Conference history to score his 1,000th point in his sophomore year. He reached the milestone on a three-pointer in the second quarter on Sunday, part of a 33-point outburst that paced Ranney in its 79-63 win over Middletown North.
Barnes completed his journey to 1,000 points on Mater dei Prep’s Sunday as well, with the Mater Dei senior banking in a three-pointer with 25 seconds left in an 80-55 win over Manasquan. Barnes began his high school career at Freehold Borough as a freshman and played his sophomore season at Central Regional before landing at Mater Dei prior to his junior year in 2015-16.
Antoine scored 15 points in a loss to Marlboro on Tuesday and now has 1,035 points in two decorated years at the Tinton Falls school. He is averaging 20.7 points per game for his high school career to this point for a program that had never qualified for the Shore Conference
The move has been a fruitful one for the 6-6 Freehold native, who will play in the Shore Conference Tournament championship game for the second straight year on Saturday and signed to play at Princeton this past fall.
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Elijah Barnes
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Central Regional senior Maks Gruzsecki also scored his 1,000th point during the Shore Conference Tournament – his in a first-round win over Barnegat.
Ranney’s
Bryan Antoine
Red Bank Catholic senior Josie Larkins and Rumson-Fair Haven senior Hannah Scanlan each logged their 1,000th point as well in the girls round of 16 on Feb. 16.
Scanlan reached the milestone during the Bulldogs’ come-frombehind win over Holmdel in the girls round of 16, while Larkins did so during a 17-point effort in RBC’s 60-35 win over Colts Neck. St. Rose junior Lucy Thomas scored her 1,000th point one game prior to the start of the tournament, which came in an overtime loss to Manasquan on Feb. 11. Thomas, whose team will shoot for its second title in five years against St. John Vianney on Saturday, played her freshman season at Ocean Township before transferring to St. Rose for the 2015-16 season. She is committed to play at Monmouth University.
Photos by: Ray Rich Photography: rayrichphotography.smugmug.com
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(#3)
ST. JOHN VIANNEY
“Lady Lancers”
(22-3)
By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Editor
Road to the Final: Defeated No. 19 Howell 56-28, No. 6 Neptune 65-59 and No. 2 Red Bank Catholic 54-48.
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night at Monmouth University. "We're just excited to be going (to the final) in back-to-back years after graduating so many (seniors)," St. John Vianney coach Dawn Karpell said. "The kids we have just grew so much this year that we've really started to hit our stride."
ince 1990, just a couple of years before current head coach Dawn Karpell starred for the program as Dawn Werner, St. John Vianney has dominated the Shore Conference girls basketball landscape. The program has won all of its record 13 conference titles from that year on and has also won more NJSIAA Tournament of Champions (7) than any other girls program in N.J.
The lone returnee from last year’s starting lineup is senior center and Seton Hall recruit Kimi Evans. The 6-3 center has been a consistent source of double-doubles over the past two years and is leading the Lancers by averaging better than 14 points per game this season.
Karpell has been one of the more significant figures of that rich history, having won Tournament of Champions titles as a sophomore and a senior and taking the reins as head coach for the 2006-07 season onward.
That St. John Vianney has been as successful as it has without Evans having to score closer to 20 points (her season high is 23) speaks to the talent and development of its new wave of players. Senior Courtney Dobrzynski returned with plenty of biggame experience and moved into the starting lineup this season. Despite being the most experienced of the new starters, she has maintained her position as an intangible player who makes the right pass and instructs the younger players on defense.
In Karpell’s 11 seasons as head coach, St. John Vianney has been in the SCT final four every year and won two Tournament of Champions crowns – including one last season. Despite the undeniable success of the program, last year was somehow the first championship the Lancers won under Karpell and the first trip to the final since 2011.
The top producers among the new starters have been sophomore Sajada Bonner, senior Julia Ramos and sophomore Sarah Karpell – the daughter of Dawn Karpell. Both Ramos and Karpell played important minutes off the bench last year, while Bonner has stepped in and emerged as the team’s second-leading scorer in her first full varsity season.
After enduring the long wait with more experienced and perhaps more talented Lancers teams, St. John Vianney has not needed any time to rebuild in order to get back to another SCT final. The Lancers graduated four starters and their top player off the bench from a year ago and despite the graduation hit, they are in position to win a second consecutive SCT title when they take on No. 5 seed St. Rose Saturday
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Junior Madison Doring has been a spark off the bench of late for St. John Vianney, scoring 12 points in each of St. John Vianney’s last two wins. Junior Sarah Furch and sophomores Rahmena Henderson and Brelynn Bellamy have also given Karpell good minutes to complement the starters.
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helped us. They always come back and check on us and that’s what helped the most. Our seniors this year and our seniors from last year, they’ve helped us become the team we are now.”
The new supporting cast was integral in the semifinal win over Red Bank Catholic. The Caseys held Evans to four points on no field goals, but the Lancers still made enough shots on offense to back up a typical sterling effort on defense. Bonner led the way with 16 points, while Doring and Ramos poured in 12 apiece.
This season has been a proving ground for most of the players on the team but the Lancers’ lone returning senior sees the stretch run as a chance to prove the overall strength of a program she has helped return to the top of the Shore Conference.
"We know that every game, teams are going to double team Kim or even triple-team her," Bonner said. "Kim always told us in practice that we had to perfect our shooting because we're going to get feeds from her. We had to step up when she wasn't able to be there because basically the whole (opposing) team plays Kim.” Evans did her part to carry the team past Neptune in the previous round, scoring 19 points to go with 12 rebounds in a 65-59 win over the Scarlet Fliers.
"Coming into the season, we kind of liked being underdogs for once," Evans said. "People didn't really expect a lot from us. We lost so many seniors from last year that people thought, 'Oh, SJV, they're going to be down and easy to beat.' "I think we've done a good job overall in letting people know we're still here and we still want a championship."
St. John Vianney (22-3, 12-0 in Class A Central) Head Coach: Dawn Karpell, 11th season Prior SCT Final Appearances: 19 SCT Championships: 13 (1990-92, 1994-99, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2016)
Most of the players on this year’s Vianney team waited behind last year’s standout senior class in order to play, but their wait to win a Shore Conference Tournament might not be as long as it was for that influential class of 2016.
Photos by:
Paula Lopez: palimages.com Ray Rich Photography: rayrichphotography.smugmug.com
“They had such an impact on the whole program,” Bonner said of last year’s senior class. “Them winning
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(#5)
St. Rose High School
“Purple Roses” (23-3)
By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Editor
Road to the Final: Defeated No. 12 Marlboro 72-30, No. 4 Rumson-Fair Haven 74-60, No. 1 Manasquan 68-59 in overtime.
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Non-Public B championships and one T of C final appearance. Stoll and Louro make up 40 percent of St. Rose’s balanced, versatile starting lineup. The other three players in the group are juniors Mikayla Markham, Lucy Thomas and Elizabeth Marsicano. Markham, the team’s point guard who is committed to play at Columbia, and the 6-1, St. Joseph’s r e c r u i t Marsicano have been impact players since their freshman seasons in 2014-15 and Thomas – a Monmouth University commit – transferred in from Ocean Township prior to last year.
oe Whalen took over a St. Rose program before the 2012-13 season that had talent, but lacked experience after graduating most of its 2012 Shore Conference Tournament championship roster. It did not take long for the Purple Roses to again reach the Shore Conference Tournament final under Whalen’s guidance, but the same team kept spoiling St. Rose’s chance to win another championship: Manasquan. After losing to Manasquan in both the 2014 and 15 SCT finals, the 2015 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions final and in a regular-season, overtime thriller on Feb. 11 of this year, St. Rose finally vanquished their local rival in a tournament setting by beating the Warriors, 68-59, in overtime in Monday’s SCT semifinal round. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for St. Rose against Manasquan in tournament games – a streak that also included a loss in the 2012 T of C after beating the Warriors in the SCT final less than three weeks earlier. "We were tired of losing to them," Whalen said after Monday’s win over the Warriors. "I'm tired of shaking their hands and saying, 'Congratulations.' It's nice to see the shoe on the other foot."
All five starters are averaging 7.9 points per game or better, with Thomas leading the way at 13.1 to go with 10 rebounds per game. Markham checks in with 10.8 points and five assists, Louro is putting up 10 points and seven rebounds per night, Stoll sits at 9.4 points and four assists, and Marsicano is averaging 7.9 points and 8.4 rebounds.
Now that the Purple Roses have chased the Manasquan blues away, they are one victory away from capturing the program’s second SCT title in the last five years and first under Whalen. In order to get it, they will have to defeat defending champion St. John Vianney on Saturday at Monmouth University. The Lancers beat the Purple Roses, 59-54, in last year’s SCT semifinals en route to their first title in 11 years and 13th overall. Senior starters Ellyn Stoll and Jen Louro have known nothing but winning since joining the program in 2013-14, but would like to add at least one more postseason title to the list of team achievements during their careers. Over the last four years, St. Rose has racked up a record of 109-14 with four unbeaten seasons in B Central, appearances in two Shore Conference finals, two NJSIAA
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The Feb. 11 loss to Manasquan in overtime is the lone loss St. Rose has suffered against N.J. competition, but the close call against the No. 1 seed in the SCT was not enough to earn St. Rose a top-four seed in the field. The Purple Rose were anchored with the No. 5 seed in the tournament, but it did little to deter them from reaching the final for the fourth time in six years. "(The seeding) was a slap in the face. No doubt," St. Rose coach Joe Whalen said. "You're six seconds away from beating the number one seed and then you drop to five? But listen, we haven't gotten respect all year
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and that's okay. We don't play for your respect, we play for our own." After a lackluster start to its round-of-16 game against 12th-seeded Marlboro, St. Rose outscored the Mustangs 47-9 in the second half to win 72-30. The fast finish carried over to the quarterfinals against No. 4 Rumson-Fair Haven, which St. Rose jumped on, 10-0, and put away in the second quarter with a 13-2 run.
Vianney graduated five of its top six players from a year ago – will keep St. Rose focused on finishing the job on Saturday night. "We were (in the final) two years ago and we just want to make the most of our opportunity this time," Markham said. "It's a really competitive tournament. This could be a T of C final, so it'll be exciting."
St. Rose (23-3, 14-0 in Class B Central) Head Coach: Joe Whalen, fifth season Prior SCT Final Appearances: 6 SCT Championships: 3 (1986, 1993, 2012)
Monday’s win over Manasquan nearly got away from St. Rose, just as the loss on Feb. 11 did. The Warriors tied the game on a three-point play by Stella Clark with 1:08 left and had the ball with a chance to win and 4.9 seconds left. St. Rose, however, held firm and got big shots from Thomas and Markham in overtime to put the game away. "Getting the fifth seed was not ideal, but to us, it doesn't really matter," Stoll said. "We just know that we have to show people that we're not a fifth seed. I think it definitely was a motivator for us and it gave us a bit of an edge." After riding the high of knocking off the No. 1 seed, staring down the defending champs – even though
Photos by:
Paula Lopez: palimages.com Ray Rich Photography: rayrichphotography.smugmug.com
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2017 SCT Championship Girls Team Rosters
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3 4 5 10 12 13 14 15 21 22 23 23 31 32 35 42 44
Saint John Vianney
PLAYER
Abby Anderko Courtney Dobrzynski Natalya Spinks Rahmena Henderson Julia Ramos Sarah Karpell Riley Kehoe Kim Evans Dionne Griffith Madison Doring Sajada Bonner Paige McCloskey Danielle Griffith Maria Tedesco Casey Klatt Brelynn Bellamy Sarah Furch
Head Coach:
HT
5’8 5’11 5’6 5’8 5’5 5’7 5’5 6’3 5’11 5’10 5’10 5’9 5’11 5’9 5’6 5’11 5’11
Dawn Karpell
YR
Sr. Sr. So. So. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Fr. So. So. Jr.
Assistants: Darren Ault, Steph Guzman, Frank Mohler
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2 4
St. Rose
PLAYER
Lauren Lithgow
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15 21 25
5’9
Sr.
5’9
Sr.
5’11
So.
Lucy Thomas
5’11
Jr.
Joe Whalen
5’8 5’9
Assistants: Raheem Carter, Ali Baumlin, Christine Hatfield Sr. Kathleen Boyle /
Jr.
Maggie Stapleton
Head Coach:
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Jr.
5’6
Ariana Dalia
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6’1
So.
Alexa Prus
Jen Louro
22
Fr.
5’6
Ellyn Stoll
20
5’7
Mikayla Markham
Alexandra Pendergrass
12
So.
5’11
Elizabeth Marsicano
11
YR
5’9
Samantha Mikos Molly Lynch
5
HT
2/25/17
Fr.
Sr. Jr
2017 SCT Championship Boys Team Rosters
NO
2 3 4 5 10 11 12 14 15 22 30 31 33
Mater Dei Prep
PLAYER
HT
YR
Yasin Pretlow
5’11
Rajae Muhammad
6’8
Sr.
Adam Afifi
6’8
Jr.
Brandon Wilson Elijah Mitchell Eddie Lewis
Kyle Devaney Kyle Cardaci
Kenny Jones
Jonathan Meskin Sean Krueger Elijah Barnes Marvin Pierre
Head Coach:
Ben Gamble
6’1
6’3
Jr.
Jr.
Sr.
6’1
Sr.
6’1
Jr.
5’8 6’
6’ 6’
6’6 6’2
Jr. Jr.
Jr.
Sr.
Sr. Sr.
Assistants: Jason Reid, Michael Pineiro, Ruben Rodriguez, Roy Mabrey & James Reuter
NO
1 2 3 4 5 11 21 22 23 24 25 30 32 33
Marlboro
PLAYER
HT
YR
Andrew Rimland
5’10
Ryan LaRocca
5’11
Sr.
Phillip (PJ) Ringel
5’10
Sr.
Ethan Sherman
5’11
Sr.
Brian Levine
5’9
Alex Ratner
Noah Turner
Eddie Paladino Emir Anda
5’11
Jr.
Fr.
Sr. Jr.
6’5
Sr.
Matt Cabrejos
5’10
Sr.
Dylan Kaufman
6’5
So.
Samuel Udell
6’5
Jr.
Justin Marcus Daniel Weiss
Head Coach:
Michael Nausedas
6’5
6’7
Jr.
Jr.
Sr.
Assistants: Michael Koontz, Joe Denora
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(#1)
Mater De i Prep “Seraphs”
(23-3)
By Scott Stump and Matt Manley
Road to the Final: Defeated No. 17 Red Bank Catholic 78-35, No. 9 Manasquan 80-55 and No. 5 Toms River North 73-68.
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and Harris took away some athleticism from the roster, which took away from some of the defensive advantages that Mater Dei enjoyed last year. In that championship win over CBA, the Seraphs turned on the full court pressure for the final 10 minutes of the game and McCombs and Harris were integral in bringing home the title over that stretch of the game.
ast year, the Mater Dei Prep boys basketball team capped a storybook calendar year with a storybook win in the Shore Conference Tournament final against the Shore’s most prestigious program, Christian Brothers Academy. This year, the Seraphs will be the ones looking to deny a storybook ending. Mater Dei will look to continue to build what it hopes is a dynasty within the Shore Conference when the top-seeded Seraphs go for their second straight SCT crown Saturday night against sixth-seeded Marlboro at the Ocean First Bank Arena on the campus of Monmouth University. In Marlboro, Mater Dei is facing a program that had never reached the SCT quarterfinals, much less the championship game, before this year.
“Last year, I didn’t have gimmicks in my defense,” Gamble said. “(This year) I’m playing triangle-andtwo, box-and-one, and last year I had all man-to-man. I’ll go 3-2 zone sometimes. I have to gimmick this thing right now to try to get us to be a better team, whereas last year, I could play baseline-to-baseline. So the team’s a little different than what I had last year, but the one thing they have in common is they keep fighting.”
Last year, Mater Dei rallied from an 18-point deficit over the final nineplus minutes of the game stun CBA, 50-43, and win the program’s first Shore Conference Tournament championship just one year after the Archdiocese of Trenton announced the school would be closing its doors because it was over $1 million in debt. The Mater Dei community banded together to raise the money and the rest is history.
What Mater Dei lacks in defensive prowess relative to a year ago, the Seraphs have made up for with more shooting and more size. Current senior Elijah Barnes was the only player taller than 6-3 on last year’s team and now Mater Dei has two players in Afifi – a native of Egypt – and Muhammad – a transfer from Penns Grove in South Jersey – to take pressure off of Barnes as a rebounder and presence in the middle.
Although the Seraphs are once again the No. 1 seed this year under second-year coach Ben Gamble, the makeup of the team is different than a year ago. The Seraphs graduated guards NyQuan McCombs, Kyle Elliot, Greg Harris and Josh Green and welcomed in five transfers – junior guards Kyle Cardaci, Yasin Pretlow and Brandon Wilson and 6-8 centers Adam Afifi and Rajae Muhammad.
Cardaci and Pretlow, meanwhile, give Mater Dei two shooters that are more consistent than any the Seraphs had a year ago, although McCombs and Elliot were both reliable in their own right. Cardaci came over from Holmdel after averaging 17 points per game as a sophomore while Pretlow transferred from Roselle Catholic after he did not see much of the varsity court for the Union County powerhouse. Wilson – a transfer from Howell – is an energy player off the bench who can make the lineup more defensiveminded when he is on the floor. Since Cardaci became eligible on Jan. 17, Mater Dei’s scoring as skyrocketed, particularly over the last 10 games – all
Losing McCombs, Elliot
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first in steals, and often defends the other team’s top scorer.
wins. The Seraphs are averaging 75 points per game during that 10-game span and all but two of those were against teams with a winning record. In each of the last two SCT games, Cardaci has scored at least 20 points and is averaging 18 points in the three tournament games to lead the team.
Jones is one of the most improved players in the Shore Conference and is averaging 11.2 points, five assists and 2.4 steals while running the point for the Shore’s No. 1 team. He has an offer from Monmouth and spoke with Princeton coach Mitch Henderson following the win over Toms River North. It might look a little different than last year, but Mater Dei has a chance to once again win a conference title. As for the improbable comebacks fit for a sports movie: Mater Dei would prefer that be the story of 2016 and not 2017.
"I love this atmosphere," Cardaci said after scoring 23 points in a quarterfinal win over Manasquan. "This is why I came to Mater Dei: to play in games like this. I felt comfortable and ready to play." At their core, the Seraphs are driven by the three returning starters from last year: Barnes, senior Elijah Mitchell and junior point guard Kenny Jones. Barnes helped carry Mater Dei across the finish line in a 73-68 win over Toms River North on Tuesday with 21 points, 11 rebounds and a critical play on both ends of the floor in the
Mater Dei Prep (23-3, 13-1 in Class B Central) Head Coach: Ben Gamble, second season Prior SCT Final Appearances: 2 SCT Championships: 1 (2016) final 1:20.
Mitchell is the team’s Swiss Army knife. He can play comfortable at the two, three and four positions in a high school game and is can also handle the ball for Gamble. He is second on the team in rebounds and assists, is
Photos by: Ray Rich Photography: rayrichphotography.smugmug.com Steve Meyer
SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM
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Marlboro “mustangs”
(17-5)
By Scott Stump – Shore Sports Network Contributor
Road to the Final: Defeated No. 11 Lakewood 64-44, No. 3 Freehold Twp. 69-59 and No. 2 Ranney 50-47
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The basketball team has summoned the type of magic that characterized P.J.'s amazing performance for the Mustangs boys soccer team only a day after his father's death. He scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, in a 3-2 win over Colts Neck in the state playoffs. It was an incredibly emotional scene, and one the M a r l b o r o community will not soon forget.
hile warming up for one of the biggest boys basketball games in Marlboro history on Sunday, senior guard P.J. Ringel kept thinking he saw a familiar face in the stands. Jack Ringel was a basketball guy through and through, a Hall of Fame coach at Grady High School in Brooklyn whose teams won three city championships and a state title in his 24 seasons. On Oct. 30, 2016, Jack was killed in a car accident at 67 years old, meaning he never got to share Marlboro's inspiring run to its first Shore Conference Tournament championship game appearance in history with his son. "In warm-ups, I'm looking around the crowd and I keep thinking I see him when I saw guys with similar builds,'' P.J. said. "I just know that he is watching. I'm playing for him and I'm playing for the team. I have a lot of confidence just knowing something special is going on."
"We've had a lot of firsts this season, just like we did in soccer,'' P.J. said. Jack's absence is acutely felt during basketball season, giving how much the sport meant to him and their family. "Before the (Freehold Township) game, I was pumping the guys up saying, 'That man loved basketball and he loved watching us play, and it would mean so much to win this for him,''' said senior guard Ryan LaRocca, who was also one of P.J.'s soccer teammates. "I'm just happy we could do that."
In a span of about 60 hours, the Mustangs – the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament – advanced to their first ever SCT semifinal by beating No. 3 Freehold Township for the first time in three tries this year on Sunday and earned their first ever trip to the final by shocking No. 2 Ranney on Tuesday. The second-seeded Panthers were ranked No. 6 in the latest statewide NJ.com Top 20 and had not lost to any Shore Conference team other than Mater Dei Prep dating back to the start of last season.
Marlboro has had many heroes during its threegame journey to the championship game – which began with a win over traditional SCT contender Lakewood in the round of 16 on Feb. 16. Senior Dan Weiss scored 20 points in the win over Freehold Township and capped a 13-point effort against Ranney with the go-ahead three-pointer with 35 seconds left.
Now Marlboro is one win away from completing an unprecedented run through the tournament. The Mustangs will take on defending SCT champion and No. 1 seed Mater Dei Prep Saturday, 7:30 p.m. at Ocean First Bank Arena on the campus of Monmouth University. To a man, the people in and around the program think it has been more than just the players on the court that have led Marlboro within a win of a championship that seemed unthinkable a week ago, at least to anyone not wearing blue and gold.
Senior Ryan LaRocca, who is the third of three seniors in the starting lineup along with Ringel and Weiss, scored 14 points against Freehold Township and a team-high 15 against Ranney – including a clutch, go-ahead
"He knows our dad is watching him, so he really wants to win it all because my dad won a lot of championships back in his day,'' said Ringel's older brother, Matt, a 2015 Marlboro graduate who helped the Mustangs in their rise to prominence.
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team gave me company and helped further myself as a man.
three-pointer with 1:58 left.
"I used to be at Jack Ringel's house shooting around all the time. He mentored me and he was a great guy overall. I miss him."
Sophomore Dylan Kaufman posted 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Mustangs in their win over Freehold Township and capped a 10-point-sevenrebound effort against Ranney by hitting two crucial free throws with 20 seconds left to stretch his team’s lead back to three points.
In five seasons under Nausedas, Marlboro has risen from the ashes of a 1-22 campaign in his first year to achieve unprecedented milestones in its history. It also has often literally been a family affair, as LaRocca's older brother Kenny was part of the teams with Matt Ringel, Justin Markowitz and George Elghoul that helped the Mustangs start their upward trajectory.
And, of course, there is Ringel. After leading Marlboro in scoring during the regular season, the senior point guard has taken a back seat as Weiss, LaRocca and Kaufman have picked up their offense. Ringel put up 10 points and four steals in the victory on Sunday, then chipped in six points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals in the upset of Ranney. More importantly, his ability to split traps and protect the ball in the backcourt against pressure was invaluable.
"Taking over the program five years ago, there were no expectations from anyone,'' Nausedas said. "It was just, 'Hey let's go to Marlboro and blow them out.' I'm so happy for these guys. I knew from the beginning that this is the group that was going to do it. Every year we've done something more and this is the pinnacle right now."
"P.J. has to battle so hard,'' Marlboro head coach Michael Nausedas said. "They're running three or four guys at him constantly. Everything about him is adversity and battling."
They had never beaten Class A North standardbearer Christian Brothers Academy in their history until this season, and they swept both games from the Colts. Now they are in the SCT semifinals for the first time. There also is still the state tournament, where the Mustangs seek their first NJSIAA sectional title in Central Jersey Group IV, where Freehold Township is the top seed.
He also showed a knack for making little plays that were magnified in hindsight, as well as helping start big plays. After Freehold Township roared back into the game and cut the score to 45-41 with a 3-pointer that got their crowd into it late in the third quarter, Ringel drove into the lane and was fouled to silence the fans and slow the momentum. Freehold Township never got closer than four points the rest of the way. On Tuesday against Ranney, Ringel ran down nearly a minute of clock on the decisive possession of the game. He then penetrated the defense and flipped the ball to Weiss inside the three-point arc, only to have Weiss give it back to Ringel to restart the set. Once again, Ringel drove to his left and into the lane, but this time, Weiss popped out to the three-point line and Ringel found him with the kick-out that set up the go-ahead three. "The kid is everything,'' Kaufman said of Ringel. "He effects the game every single way - defense, loose balls, and he's a one-man press break. I know I trust him." Kaufman shares a special kinship with Ringel born out of tragedy in the young lives of both. Kaufman’s father died of a heart attack at age 47, when Kaufman was only nine years-old. “When P.J. lost his father, I felt like I was connected to him more,” Kaufman said. “I was with him the whole entire day. I slept at his house that night. I gave him insight as to what I did to help take my mind off things and live through his father’s memories.”
"I guess it's just a statement,'' Ringel said about this season. "Making noise for the school. We haven't been known for this." "It's just something special,'' LaRocca said. "To think we're the first Marlboro team to do this is a surreal feeling." Inspiring them along the way is the Hall of Fame coach who would always tell his son to watch all the great college point guards and see how they handle the ball and the type of effort they give on defense. Now P.J. is putting what he's learned into action for a Mustangs' team making school history at every turn. "He would be proud,'' P.J. said.
Marlboro (17-6, 11-3 in Class A North) Head Coach: Mike Nausedas, fifth season Prior SCT Final Appearances: 0 SCT Championships: 0
Jack Ringel was also an important figure in Kaufman’s life, given how young Kaufman was when his father passed.
Photos by: Ray Rich Photography: rayrichphotography.smugmug.com Steve Meyer
“I didn’t have a father figure to work with basketball-wise,” Kaufman said. “Having a close bond with these guys on the
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Most Titles:
1. St. John Vianney (13) 2. Neptune (7) 3. Red Bank Catholic (6) 4. Asbury Park (4) 5. (tie) St. Rose, Manasquan (3)
Most Consecutive Titles: St. John Vianney,(6) 1994-1999 2016: 2015: 2014: 2013: 2012: 2011: 2010: 2009: 2008: 2007: 2006: 2005: 2004: 2003: 2002: 2001: 2000: 1999: 1998:
St. John Vianney 59, Manasquan 48 Manasquan 69, St. Rose 60 Manasquan 61, St. Rose 41 Red Bank Catholic 50, Point Boro 46 St. Rose 65, Manasquan 56 Neptune 57, St. John Vianney 48 Neptune 60, Colts Neck 50 Neptune 56, St. John Vianney 54 Colts Neck 66, Red Bank Catholic 53 Red Bank Catholic 34, Rumson-FH 31 Red Bank Catholic 41, Rumson-FH 31 St. John Vianney 47, Monmouth 30 St. John Vianney 56, Toms River North 47 Red Bank Catholic 48, Marlboro 46 St. John Vianney 39, Marlboro 36 Red Bank Catholic 44, St. John Vianney 39 Red Bank Catholic 62, St. John Vianney 56 St. John Vianney 56, Red Bank Catholic 52 St. John Vianney 45, Red Bank 34
1997: 1996: 1995: 1994: 1993: 1992: 1991: 1990: 1989: 1988: 1987: 1986: 1985: 1984: 1983: 1982: 1981: 1980: 1979: 1978: 1977: 1976: 1975: 1974: 1973: 1972:
St. John Vianney 59, Red Bank Catholic 45 St. John Vianney 53, Red Bank Catholic 47 St. John Vianney 61, Red Bank Catholic 55 St. John Vianney 86, Red Bank 46 St. Rose 67, St. John Vianney 57 St. John Vianney 54, St. Rose 50 St. John Vianney 58, Keyport 47 St. John Vianney 59, Toms River East 48 Neptune 79, St. John Vianney 49 Neptune 70, Raritan 48 Neptune 61, Manasquan 46 St. Rose 55, Freehold Twp. 52 Middletown South 50, Neptune 48 Southern 42, Neptune 40 Manasquan 43, Lakewood 36 Neptune 59, Rumson-FH 46 Manasquan 45, Middletown North 35 Freehold Twp. 70, Brick 47 Middletown South 46, Asbury Park 43 Shore 48, Asbury Park 45 Asbury Park 56, Shore 33 Asbury Park 83, Lakewood 56 Asbury Park 51, Toms River South 27 Asbury Park 45, Long Branch 37 (OT) Shore 43, Brick 41 Brick 37, Point Boro 27
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Most Titles:
1977: 1. Neptune (22) 2. CBA (16) 1976: 3. (tie) Lakewood, Red Bank (8) 1975: 5. Manasquan (6) 1974: Most Consecutive Titles: Neptune, 7 (1961-67) 1973: 1972: 2016: Mater Dei Prep 50, CBA 43 1971: 2015: Rumson-FH 50, CBA 24 1970: 2014: Point Beach 49, CBA 41 1969: 2013: Lakewood 39, Point Beach 33 1968: 2012: Neptune 37, Colts Neck 33 1967: 2011: Raritan 43, Rumson-FH 35 1966: 2010: CBA 60 Middletown South 44 1965: 2009: CBA 58 Neptune 49 1964: 2008: Neptune 67 Monsignor Donovan 52 1963: 2007: Freehold Township 55 CBA 49 1962: 2006: CBA 65 Monsignor Donovan 56 1961: 2005: CBA 57 Manasquan 41 1960: 2004: Raritan 60 Neptune 58 1959: 2003: CBA 44 Raritan 30 1958: 2002: Neptune 57 CBA 47 1957: 2001: CBA 56 Neptune 39 1956: 2000: CBA 60 Neptune 38 1955: 1999: Red Bank 44 CBA 43 1998: Neptune 55 Red Bank 48 (OT) 1954: 1997: Long Branch 44 CBA 42 1996: CBA 64 Toms River North 58 1953: 1995: CBA 58 Lakewood 57 1994: CBA 51 Long Branch 38 1952: 1993: CBA 60 Red Bank 52 1992: Red Bank 60 CBA 54 1951: 1991: Lakewood 86 Lacey 67 1950: 1990: CBA 42 Neptune 30 1949: 1989: Lakewood 79 Neptune 77 (OT) 1948: 1988: CBA 57 Lakewood 55 1947: 1987: CBA 58 Asbury Park 55 1946: 1986: Asbury Park 61 Lakewood 60 1945: 1985: CBA 70 Asbury Park 63 1944: 1984: CBA 58 Mater Dei 51 1943: 1983: Red Bank 61 CBA 58 1942: 1982: Toms River South 83 Neptune 80 1941: 1981: Neptune 59 Long Branch 28 1940: 1980: Neptune 72 Manasquan 45 1939: 1979: Middletown South 73 Red Bank 68 1938: 1978: Asbury Park 41 Long Branch 37 1937:
Long Branch 65 Lakewood 49 Neptune 59 Long Branch 54 Lakewood 55 Neptune 45 Lakewood 65 Wall 60 Ocean 71 Neptune 63 Neptune 80 Manasquan 66 Ocean 65 Henry Hudson 56 Long Branch 88 Neptune 67 Henry Hudson 56 Long Branch 53 Lakewood 61 Ocean 55 Neptune 48 Lakewood 45 Neptune 61 Lakewood 44 Neptune 63 Lakewood 56 Neptune 59 Matawan 53 Neptune 66 Point Pleasant Beach 54 Neptune 82 Keyport 58 Neptune 69 Keyport 60 Matawan 62 Manasquan 59 Red Bank 68 Matawan 47 Lakewood 59 Atlantic Highlands 57 Manasquan 79 Red Bank 56 Red Bank 55 Lakewood 51 (Class A) Manasquan 76 Neptune 65 (Class B) Matawan 70 Point Pleasant Beach 56 (CLass A) Neptune 73 Manasquan 52 (Class B) Atlantic Highlands 62 Hoffman 59 (Group II) Red Bank 60 Neptune 55 (Group I) Hoffman 53 Atlantic Highlands 41 (Group II) Neptune 60 Manasquan 39 (Group I) Hoffman 56 Atlantic Highlands 53 (OT) Neptune 61 Hoffman 52 Red Bank 56 Neptune 52 Neptune 71 Atlantic Highlands 45 Manasquan 58 Freehold 48 Manasquan 57 Point Pleasant Beach 25 Red Bank 34 Manasquan 27 Manasquan 31 Red Bank 26 Lakewood 40 Toms River 36 Neptune 32 Manasquan 25 Neptune 42 Manasquan 40 Manasquan 35 Neptune 32 (OT) Hoffman 33 Manasquan 31 Neptune 41 Manasquan 38 Atlantic Highlands 28 Neptune 22 Keyport 31 Atlantic Highlands 22
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DANELLA CONTINUES TO BE A WINNER By K evin Wi lli ams - Shore Sp ort s Network Direct or)
A
With her playing days over Danella is still making a name for herself as the head coach and Associate Director of Athletics at Caldwell University in New Jersey (pictured left).
s we get ready for the championship games in the Shore Conference Tournament let’s look back and forward. Kristina Danella was recently named one of the greatest girls basketball players in Shore Conference history and her selection was no surprise. She helped Red Bank Catholic win back-to-back Shore Conference Tournament championships (2006-2007) and the following year as a senior led the shore in scoring (22ppg) and guided the injury-depleted Caseys into the finals where they lost to Colts Neck (more on that later). She won the prestigious Kerwin Award as the top player at the Jersey Shore and Danella ended her RBC career as the school leader with 1,733 points and 1,156 rebounds.
In her third season the Cougars take a 23-4 record into the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament where they are the top-seed and will face Philadelphia University on Saturday. Caldwell will host the tournament and will likely face rival Bloomfield in the finals on March 5. This year’s team has already set a program record for wins in a season with the previous record of 21 accomplished five times including last year under Danella who has a record to 63-24 in her three seasons with the Cougars. Prior to coming to Caldwell the Manalapan native was an assistant and interim head coach at Urbana University. In the beginning of this article I mentioned that in Danella’s senior year her RBC team lost to Colts Neck in the finals of the SCT. At that time John Truhan was the Colts Neck coach having come from Toms River South and he would later coach and teach at Central Regional High School. This year Truhan joined the coaching staff at Caldwell where he is working with a player he used to coach against. A New Jersey State Coaches Hall of Fame inductee, Truhan and Danella give the Cougars a true shore-area connection and success has followed both to Caldwell.
The 6’1 forward spent her first two seasons at the University of Massachusetts where she was selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team. Following her sophomore year Danella transferred to Marist and as a senior was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Sixth Player of the Year when she led the conference in three-point shooting. The winning ways continued for Danella as the Red Foxes won two straight conference and tournament championships and twice advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
SPECIAL THANK YOU to all the photographers that allow us to use their photos throughout our publication and website Ray Rich Photography: rayrichphotography.smugmug.com Rob Samuels: boofacephotography.com Paula Lopez: palimages.com & Larry Murphy 28
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Befor e
St o p by or
afte r
The
game
HERE ARE SOME SHORE-AREA FAVORITES TO VISIT BEFORE OR AFTER ANY GAMe
Getting something to eat before or after a sporting event is
Restaurant Feature Page Available from Feb – June & will consist of the following • 5.25w x 2.45h color ad in two issues of our Bi-WeeklySSN Journal Publications. • SSN Publications distributed to the High Schools, all Jersey Mike’s Subs & Super WAWA locations within Ocean & Monmouth counties as well as local business and HS hot spots. • Website restaurant page posting on SSN site • Restaurant digital link to your website/Facebook page
part of our culture and often it’s a spur-of-the-moment decision based on where you are at the time and what restaurants are you familiar with. The Shore Sports Network wants to make your restaurant top of mind by featuring you on our sports-themed dining page that will appear on both our website and bi-monthly Shore Sports Network Journal. Let our viewers and readers know you welcome them to stop in before or after the game. These are often passionate fans and families who can be your customers through this customized cost-effective marketing plan that puts CALL TODAY your restaurant front and center. Margaret Lynn Scheiderman 848-221-8155
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