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MIDDLETOWN SOUTH EAGLES SILENCE SKEPTICS AS ROGERS TWINS LEAD TEAM TO UNDEFEATED SEASON AND FIRST STATE TITLE SINCE 2006 By Mike Ready
EAST RUTHERFORD – Senior twin brothers Cole and Dylan Rogers put their final stamp on Middletown South’s rich football history as they presented 13th ranked Phillipsburg with a double-barreled attack that was just too much for the Stateliners (9-3) to handle in the Eagles 35-7 win Saturday night at MetLife Stadium in the NJSIAA North Jersey 2, Group IV championship game.
Rogers and junior Kevin Higgins are one – if not the best – trio of linebackers in the state. Besides Rogers sack total, senior defensive tackle Chase Lopiore recorded one sack and sophomore defensive end Jake Krellin shared a sack with Rogers.
Running back Cole Rogers ran for 155 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns while Dylan played like a man possessed spending most the night in the Phillipsburg backfield harassing the quarterback while racking up 4.5 sacks and 15 plus tackles on a night when he seemed to be in on every tackle from sideline-to-sideline. Each of their performances on opposite sides of the ball was so impressive that it seemed as though they were not only competing against Phillipsburg, but against one another. “We absolutely have a friendly competition going on,” Cole Rogers said. “We always get on each other’s backs asking ‘why didn’t your
Early in the fourth quarter, Phillipsburg put together their only sustained drive of the game to get on the board when Manny Romero ran it in from the 14-yard line on a play-action fake to pull within 28-7 with 1:30 gone in the fourth quarter.
“Awesome group of linebackers, they’re the best,” Eagles head coach Steve Antonucci said. “Dylan Rogers proved to me tonight that he’s one of the best linebackers in the state and he’s got two guys next to him that can flat out play too. The defense is our backbone, has always been our backbone. They played their rear ends off.”
The “Dynamic-Duo” led No.1 ranked Middletown South (12-0) to their first state title since 2006, and first undefeated season since 2005, after losing five straight sectional finals in the past seven years. It’s their 10th overall state title in program history, one behind Manasquan for the Shore Conference record. In defeating perennial state power Phillipsburg, Middletown South staked an undisputed claim as the No.1 team in the state – quieting supporters of the powerful North Jersey Non-Public schools - becoming the first public school to do so since they were voted No.1 in the state following their historic 2005 season.
second half leading to six play, 30-yard scoring drive with Mosquera running it in from the four on an option read play for a 28-0 lead.
However, Middletown South answered immediately with a five play, 57-yard march capped off with Mosquera hitting Tom Marron with a backward pass and Marron running it in from seven-yards out to get the lead back to a four possession game, 35-7 with 8:50 to go.
“Dylan and Cole, I love them,” Antonucci added. “They’re the heart-and-soul of this team. You couldn’t ask for two better kids, two more respectful kids; but great football players too.”
score, why didn’t you make that tackle,’ it really just motivates us to do better as players.” “Dylan was the best player on the field today,” Rogers added. “He was all over the field making so many tackles, I can’t wait to see hear his stats. He wouldn’t be denied - he’s been not able to go to bed, this is everything he’s ever wanted; no one could stop him today.” Dylan Rogers led a defense that held Phillipsburg to 24 yards rushing on 20 carries with only three first downs and 18 yards passing in the first half and 155 yards total for the game. As a team, the defense recorded 6.5 sacks and two interceptions, both by junior linebacker James McCarthy, who along with
“Cole killed it, I knew it, told him, I said ‘Cole we’re going to need one today,” Dylan Rogers said. “You can always count on him to break it; he’s too shifty and fast. We had a really good lock on what they (Phillipsburg) were doing. They try to bully people but we’re not the type to be bullied, we bully other people.” “It feels amazing,” senior quarterback Matt Mosquera said. “Coming so close last year (in a last second loss to Jackson Memorial), we worked so hard to finish it. It feels awesome to get it done. We weren’t just chasing a championship; we were chasing the 2005 team. We wanted to be one of the greatest teams to come through this school.” Mosquera had another solid game as the field general going 13-for-20 for 117 yards with a touchdown finding junior wideout Jeremy Joyce in the end zone for a 28yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that made it 14-0. Joyce positioned himself perfectly and outleaped a defender to come down with the ball for the score.
That was enough to hand the rest of the game over to the brilliant Middletown South defense to close it out.
ing lights out football the Eagles still led by two touchdowns at the half. “I think we were a little out of sorts in the first half,” Antonucci said. “But we got back to running the ball in the second half and came out and did what we needed to do.” The first of McCarthy’s two picks ended Phillipsburg’s first series of the second half and the Eagles then went 60 yards on four Cole Rogers runs with a late hit penalty thrown in with the drive culminating in a nine touchdown run by Rogers to push the lead to 21-0 with 8:24 left in the third quarter. A Rogers sack led to excellent field position for the Eagles on their second possession of the
“Winning this thing is so hard to do, it is,” Antonucci said. “There’s so many guys in this business that don’t get to these games and I’ve been very blessed like I said to get to a lot of these things and when you walk away with one you don’t take it for granted. They don’t get old and you know it takes a lot of work to get here, but I’m so proud of this team, obviously.” “I forgot it was my last game, I just wanted the ring,” Dylan Rogers said. “I forgot about everything else and it feels so good to leave a legacy on my last game. This win means everything to me.” “I can’t wait for the bus ride home,” Cole Rogers said. “You always hear stories about fire trucks and people cheering when we get back. I can’t wait.”
Junior Jeff Lewandowski had already gotten the Eagles off on the right foot returning the opening kickoff 80 yards to the Stateliners nine-yard line leading to a seven-yard touchdown run by Cole Rogers 47 seconds into the game. “For the first time in a few years, we took charge of the game right away, which we hadn’t done in previous (state finals),” Antonucci said. “Opening kickoff you get down there and score a few plays later, I think that sends a message.” The offense wasn’t at its best in the first half, fumbling twice and producing just over 100 yards of offense, but with the defense play-
Photos by Tom Smith
SHORE REGIONAL WINS IT ALL By Michael Rogers
The Shore Regional football team put an end to a perfect season (12 wins and 0 losses), as they defeated Palmyra in the Central Jersey Group I championship by the score of 56 to 28. In winning the title, the Blue Devils defend last year’s championship as well as keep their 20 game winning streak going. Shore has the longest active winning streak in the Shore Conference. Head coach Mark Costantino said: “I couldn’t be prouder of this group as they knew they had a target on their backs this year and they worked hard, prepared, and met every challenge they were presented. This is a special group of kids.” The Blue Devils had an undefeated regular season where the offense scored over 30 points per game and its defense held opponents to less than 7 points per game. In the playoffs, after easily defeating Florence by the score of 42 to 0, Shore was ready to defend its title. In the Florence game, the running game was in full gear - as it has been all season - with Doug Goldsmith finishing with 110 yards on 15 carries. Alex Johnson added 70 yards on 9 carries and Jack Britton rushing for 63 yards on 10 carries and he jsnattardi@msn.com scored a touchdown. The Blue Devils also scored through the air with quarterback Matt Pannell throwing touchdown passes of 34 yards and 31 yards to Duke Russo. Pannell also rushed for a score. 732-610-1151 In the title game against Palmyra, Shore faced a team with a wide open passing attack and coach Costantino knew his team would need to run the ball and control the clock. Shore jumped out to a 7-0 lead after they drove sixty yards all on the ground with Jack Britton scoring on a 24 yard touchdown run making the score 7-0. Shore’s defense added tojerseysportingnews.com the SHORE’S ALEX JOHNSON score on Palmyra’s next drive as Jeremy Radielli pressured the quarterback, who fumbled, and Mike Rizzoti recovered the ball in the end zone, putting the Blue Devil’s ahead 14-0.
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FOOTBALL 2015 Page 4 Jersey Sporting News • 12/8/15 - 12/21/15
ANOTHER BANNER YEAR FOR SHORE CONFERENCE FOOTBALL By Mike Ready
RED BANK – Twenty seven out of 43 Shore Conference teams qualified for the NJSIAA Football Playoffs this season, with nine teams advancing into the state sectional championships. After the first round of playoff action, the Shore was still represented by 15 teams as the Shore Conference again asserted itself as one of the most competitive conferences in the state. Middletown South (North II, Group IV), Brick Memorial (Central Group IV), Rumson-Fair Haven (Central Group III), Shore Regional (Central Group I), and Saint John Vianney (Non-Public Group III) are Shore Conference teams who are No.1 seeds. Among the teams that qualified this season are: defending sectional champions Manalapan (Central Group V), Jackson Memorial (Central Group IV), Matawan (Central Group III), Rumson-Fair Haven, Shore Regional, and Red Bank Catholic (Non-Public Group III). Rumson won the Central Group II title the last two seasons before moving to Group III this year. Shore Conference teams losing in the state semifinals included: No.5 seed Manalapan losing to No.1 seed South Brunswick 27-21, No.5 seed Matawan went down 24-13 to Rumson, second-seeded Ocean Township fell to Red Bank 21-14, No.7 Keyport lost a heartbreaker to No.3 seed Palmyra 35-34, fourth-seeded Middletown North lost to cross-town rival Middletown South 41-14 and Saint John Vianney disposed of No.5 seed Red Bank Catholic 49-6. Middletown South (11-0) – ranked No.1 in the state – will play No.2 seed and 13th ranked Phillipsburg (9-2) for their first sectional
title since 2006 and 10th overall. No.1 seed Shore Regional (11-0) will defend its title against No.3 seed Palmyra (10-1) as the Blue Devils attempt to win back-toback titles for the first time in program history and win their seventh overall state title. Class A South rivals Brick Memorial (9-2) and Jackson Memorial (7-4) will meet for the Central Jersey Group IV championship. The seventh-seeded and defending champion Jaguars used a late season push to advance and hope to bring home the programs fifth state sectional title. Brick Memorial comes in red hot as the No.1 seed after winning four in a row by a combined score of 144-27. The Mustangs will be playing for their third sectional title and first since 2008. The state’s 15th ranked team, Red Bank Regional (11-0) and Rumson-Fair Haven will square off in the “Battle of Ridge Road” as the neighboring schools meet for the Central Jersey Group III crown. The No.1 seed Bulldogs (10-1) seek their third sectional title in a row and fifth Shore Conference team to accomplish that feat. The third-seeded Bucs last state title came in 1975, when that team also went undefeated. Saint John Vianney – ranked No.3 in the state – will face 17th ranked and No.7 seed DePaul (5-6) in a game which the No.1 seeded Lancers (11-0) look to defeat the two-time defending champions for their first sectional title since 1980 and second in program history. Fourth-seeded Toms River North (10-1) –ranked No.19 in the state - defeated No.1 seed Lenape to advance to the South Jersey Group V final against third-seed-
ed Williamstown (9-2). The Mariners have won five sectional titles with the last one coming in a 12-0 season in 2007 and are a perfect five-for-five in state title games. Last but not least is the unanimous dark-horse of the field Raritan. The Rockets (6-5) entered the playoffs riding a five-game losing streak and have gotten hot at just the right time steamrolling into the Central Jersey Group II finals. The sixth-seeded Rockets will take on undefeated and No.1 seed Lincoln (11-0) – ranked 13th in the state. Raritan is seeking its first sectional title since the undefeated 2004 team and second in program history. Final scores and recaps of all sectional finals are included in this edition of the Jersey Sporting News. As far as Shore Conference division races went, Middletown South dethroned Manalapan in Class A North for its first division title since 2009, while Red Bank Regional won the Class B North for its first division championship since the 1977 season and second since 1982. Shore won its third straight Class B Central title, and Saint John Vianney took home its second consecutive Class A Central title. Brick Memorial, Brick Township, and Toms River North all finished at 6-1 in the Class A South division and will share the title. It is Brick Township’s second straight title after winning it outright last season, while Point Boro and Lakewood finished tied atop of the Class B South division at 6-1. Lakewood last won the division back in 2000 and it’s been seven years since the Panthers took the division in 2008.
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December 22, 2015
12/8/15 - 12/21/15 • Jersey Sporting News
Page 5
Cougars Claw Their Way To States Win By Michael Ward
It’s been a long time coming for the Colts Neck Girls Soccer Program, but it all led up to their defining moment: Becoming Group 3 Champions for the first time in the school’s history. Observers could see from any logical standpoint that this was a team that turned a synergetic spirit into productive wins throughout the season. With a near perfect record of 24-0-1, the Lady Cougars mowed down opponent after opponent with greater efficiency as the season wore on. The early dominance of the Colts Neck club garnered them a No.1 seeded slot in their Central, Group 3 Bracket. From there they went on to defeat 16th seeded Long Branch by
COLTS NECK’S #10 Alexandra Ryan a score of 4-0, 9th seeded Steinert by a score of 7-0, 5th seeded Wall in a close 2-1 battle, and finally 3rd seeded Toms River East by a score of 3-0 to advance themselves into the championship bracket. As the top seeded team, this may not have surprised some. But the tournament bracket didn’t go according to plan for other well positioned teams. 2nd Seeded Moorestown saw their Championship hopes dashed with a 1-0 loss to 7th seeded Ocean Township in only the second round of play. In a bracket, where the unexpected can occur, it’s a testament to Colts Neck’s tenacity to live up to the high quality of play which they’ve lived up to all season. After making quick work of Toms River East in the 2 round Championship Bracket, Colts Neck prepared for possibly their toughest challenge all year: Northern Highlands. The matchup between Colts Neck and Northern Highlands – located in Allendale, Bergen County – was one that hasn’t been seen in years for the Group 3 Championship. The Highlanders, with their 22-1-1 record, chewed up their competition in their North 1, Group 3 Tournament as well by big margins.
COLTS NECK’S #2 KRISTEN GAMBARDELLA Photos by Mike Ward
Colts Neck’s Inaugural Championship run made those who have yet to see them play give Northen Highlands the edge
before the starting whistle blew. But the evenly matched game throughout most of the match started to turn heads. Fans from Northen Highlands, which outnumbered the fan base turnout of Colts Neck by a margin as high as 5-to-1 due to Kean’s proximity, quickly went from confident to concerned as they watched their Highlanders struggle to find scoring opportunities. The only goal came from Penn State Bound Senior Frankie Tagliaferri on a penalty kick to bring the score to a 1-0, which would be the final. The score by Tagliaerri would cap off a landmark year for her as she led her team with 28 goals and 19 assists over the course of the season, bringing her high school career numbers up to 59 and 33 respectively.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SHORE TEAMS FOUGHT HARD IN TOURNAMENTS Page 6 Jersey Sporting News • 12/8/15 - 12/21/15
BOY’S SOCCER 2015
By Michael Ward
Soccer Programs from all over Monmouth and Ocean Counties provided stiff competition for their rivals from the rest of the state this season and in Division and State Tournament play. Only a handful of teams from the region made their way into further rounds but all played hard and showed their drive to win. See where your team ended up in this summary of how Finals unfolded. Central, Group 1 - Division Tournament Shore Regional, who lost just one game all season before the tournament, was in top form for most of the season. Their performance earned them the 1st seed of the bracket and a bye for round 1 of the 4 round tournament. After defeating 8th seeded Point Pleasant Beach in a narrow 1-0 win, they met by the skin of their teeth to 5th seeded South River in an overtime Semi-Final battle, where South River scored to break the 1-1 tie and move on. In their final game of the season, Junior Dante Montesinos scored Shore’s only goal to bring him to 30 for the season and 57 for his career. Shore finished 20-2, putting up a record of 14-0 in their division during the regular season.
squeaked by Hamilton Township’s Steinert in a 1-0 victory. Ocean Township went on to do Wall’s bidding and defeated WWPN in another 1-0 tight double-overtime win, moving on to Group 3 Finals. South, Group 3 - Division Tournament Throughout their impressive season, Toms River South was the 2nd seeded team in their bracket but looking to take it all. After easy matchups with 15th seeded Cumberland and 7 seeded Central Regional with scores of 6-0 and 3-1, Toms River South kept the pressure on with a 4-0 win against 3rd seeded Lacey, which brought them to the Final game of the tournament against Ocean City. 5th seeded Ocean City proved that they could dig deep and take out contenders as they did in the SemiFinal Round against 1st seeded Delsea. Delsea, out of Franklinville, saw a record of 7-0-1 in their division and had the makings to go all the way until they met Ocean City. Toms River prevailed, however, and won by a margin of 2-1 to move on to Group 3 Finals. Group 3 - State Championship Tournament
14th seeded Keyport and 10th seeded New Egypt both lost in the first round, paving the way for Middlesex County teams like South River and Metuchen to thrive and see another day. Central, Group 2 - Division Tournament The Holmdel Hornets surprised many with their performance this season, but they weren’t done surprising when tournament play started. Throughout the course of the season, Holmdel only lost 7 games; winning 13 and tying a quixotic 5 times. Their season earned them the 9th seed in the tournament, which in a field of 16 is a strategically great place to start. Holmdel proceeded to outmatch 8th seeded Spotswood with a 4-2 outing, then shocked the conference by defeating 1st seeded Rumson-Fair Haven with a 1-0 shutout. The Hornets shut out their 4th seeded and 2nd seeded out of area rivals to capture the Central, Group 2 Championship and move on to the Group 2 Finals round. Group 2 - State Championship Tournament Holmdel continued their strategy of tight defense and scoring when it counted against Delran for a 2-0 shutout win and the right to face Bergen County’s Garfield for the Championship. This was where the Cinderella story ended as the Hornet’s defense lost its sting. Garfield overpowered and scored 2 goals to Holmdel’s one, securing the Championship. Holmdel finished with a record of 13-7-5.
Luck ran out for Monmouth County’s stalwart Ocean Township in the Semi-Final Round of State Tournament play. Faced with a tough crew from Toms River South, they narrowly lost 1-0. Toms River South went on to the Championship Game where they played Morris County’s Mendham. They couldn’t get anything going against the Mendham Minutemen and lost in a 4-0 match. Ocean Township went 11-1 against their Division in the regular season and ended 19-5 overall. Senior Marlhens Nasanes led the team with 19 goals overall. Toms River South ended their season with a 11-1 Division regular season record and were 21-4 overall. Senior Cameron Geerinck contributed to their cause the most with 31 goals and 9 assists for the season. Central, Group 4 - Division Tournament The Central Group 4 Conference covers a lot of geography. Covering portions of Western Monmouth as well as areas of Middlesex and Mercer Counties, Monmouth County teams had to fight to represent their area. Freehold Borough & Township, Marlboro, Manalapan, and Colts Neck were the only 5 teams to represent Monmouth in the 16 school field. After the first of 4 rounds of play, only Freehold Township and Manalapan were left standing. Quarterfinals saw that number paired down to one, as 8th Seeded Manalapan lost to 1st seed New Brunswick and 7th Seeded Freehold Township pressed on for Group 4 Glory.
Central, Group 3 - Division Tournament 1st seeded Wall has been one of the stars throughout the season this year. Their 9-1-2 regular season record earned them their top position in the tournament for the opening rounds, proved why. A 6-1 win over 16th seeded Ewing brought the Crimson Knights closer to home against 8th seeded Long Branch. The game was closer than expected, but saw Wall advance with a 1-0 win. West Windsor-Plainsboro, who were seeing moderate success on the field throughout the season, stole the show in Semi-finals as they came out of nowhere and stunned Wall with a 2-0 victory. On the bottom half of the bracket, 3rd seeded Ocean Township was the only hope for a Monmouth/Ocean team to advance. The Ocean Township Spartans clobbered 11th seeded Pemberton 7-2 and then shut out 6th seeded Northern Burlington in Quarterfinals. As Wall was ending their season in Semi-Finals, Ocean narrowly
An upset of 3rd Seeded Princeton with a 3-1 win brought Freehold Township to the Final game of the tournament where they faced off against #4 Monroe. In a game that saw no action for the first half, both sides erupted in the second with Monroe scoring two goals but Freehold bringing it home with 3. The win earned Freehold Township a spot in Group 4 State Finals. Group 4 - State Championship Tournament Freehold Township had the accomplishment of winning their Division under their belt, but that’s as far as they went this season. They were eliminated by Washington Township by a score of 2-1 in Semi-Finals. Washington would go on to be Group 4 State Champions. Freehold Township ended with a regular season division record of 10-2-2 and 15-4-4 overall. Senior Chris Hoskins was a threat to opponent defenses with 19 goals to his credit.
TR North Offense Grinds Out State Win By Michael Ward
Toms River North won in a close battle with Williamstown at Rowan University on Saturday Night. Williamstown wasn’t going to make it easy for TR North, as Williamstown has build a regular season record of 9-3 compared to Toms River’s record of 11-1.
sion to earn a new set of downs. Through a mix of penalties and getting stuffed by the Toms River, Williamstown ended up with a 3rd and 25 from their own 47. After only gaining 7, the Braves were forced to punt and put Toms River in a tough spot starting them out on their own three.
Williamstown received to open the game and returned the ball all the way to their own 42 to start with great field position. The Williamstown Braves put together an excellent drive, but were stopped just short of a touchdown when they made the decision to go for six on Toms River’s six yard line. The Toms River defense stepped up big and stuffed the offensive drive at the one yard line.
A false start penalty forced Toms River back to their own 1 and could only get out to about their own 20 on the drive and were forced to punt which started Williamstown on their own 37. With 2:30 remaining in the half, Williamstown’s Joe Early breaks the defensive line and runs 61 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 7.
From their own one yard line, Toms River takes the ball across the entire field over 17 plays and 98 yards, with a six yard run to drive it in for a touchdown. The extra point gave Toms River an impressive early lead of 7-0.
After a possession each from Toms River and Williamstown to start the 3rd quarter, Toms River took possession and grinded the ball all the way to 1 yard again, in which time Asante Moore drove the ball in for a touchdown. Toms River lead 14-7 with 10:45 left to play in the game.
Williamstown wasn’t impressed with what Toms River was bringing to the table, and showed it with a kick return that started them with even better field position than their first drive. From the 50, Williamstown runs the ball with mixed success, but comes up big with a 4th down conver-
In the late 4th quarter, Williamstown received a strong Toms River punt, which would have forced them to go 97 yards in 20 seconds with no timeouts. Unfortunately for them, the feat proved too big and Toms River was crowned Group 5 Champions.
12/8/15 - 12/21/15 • Jersey Sporting News
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Continued from page 3
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After another three and out caused by Shore’s defense, the Blue Devils went ahead 21-0 as Doug Goldsmith scored on the first of his five touchdowns (2 yards) and Goldsmith also rushed for 250 yards in the game. The Palmyra passing game tried to bring the Pirates back as they scored on touchdown passes of 48 and 54 yards and also picked up a Shore fumble, returning it 45 yards for another score. But the Blue Devil’s offensive running game was unstoppable and just kept piling on the points. Britton finished with two scores and close to 200 yards rushing as the Shore offense was just unstoppable. Devon McDonnough capped the scoring when he scored on a 14 yard
Photos by Arielle Figueredo
run making the final score 56 to 28. Senior center Casey Rogers summed up this team’s success by saying: “We are a very close group and everyone works hard and works together. We pick each other up when needed and now we have left our mark on Shore Regional football forever as the only team to go 12-0. What a great way to finish.” Shore will graduate a good portion of this year’s team as the Blue Devils will be looking for a “three-peat” next season as well as extending their 20 game winning streak. As Coach Costantino goes into his 25th season, you can be sure his team will play tough hard-nosed defense and will run the football.
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Page 8 Jersey Sporting News • 12/8/15 - 12/21/15
RARITAN COMPLETES STUNNING TITLE RUN WITH LAST-SECOND WIN OVER LINCOLN By Mike Ready
UNION – The Raritan Rockets entered the playoffs as an afterthought and emerged as the team everyone was talking about after their shocking 28-26 upset win over No.1 seed and previously undefeated Lincoln – ranked 13th in the state – in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II final.
Then, with 9:23 remaining on the game clock, Gordon scored from three-yards out on fourth down to bring Lincoln within 21-20 after a twopoint conversion attempt fell incomplete allowing the Rockets to hold on to the lead until Gordon’s pass to Harrison put them in front.
It is Raritan’s first state sectional title since 2004 and the second in program history. It’s Lincoln’s
After the Harrison touchdown, Lincoln forced a Raritan three-and-out with the punt handing Lincoln the opportunity run out the clock, but the Rocket defense rose to the occasion forcing Lincoln to punt with just over two minutes left. However, Lincoln never got the punt off as punter Ethan Zayas fumbled the snap with the Rockets taking over at the Lincoln 41-yard line with 1:56 remaining in the game and the rest is history; literally.
RARITAN’S JORDAN SMITH Photo by Arielle Figueredo second consecutive loss in the CJGII championship game after falling to Mountain Lakes 36-28 a year ago also at Kean University. Lincoln had taken its first lead of the game, 2621, with 4:16 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zymire Gordon to wide receiver Jason Harrison, making it appear to many inside Kean University Stadium that Raritan’s magical ride to the title was not to be.
Senior running back Derek Ernst was once again the catalyst rushing for 144 yards on 35 carries and two touchdowns, including a nine-yard touchdown run with 8:50 to go in the first quarter that gave the early lead to the Rockets and set the tone for the night. The Rockets late-season turnaround has been startling; and unexpected. After a roller-coaster ride of a season which saw them win their first three games, including a 40-3 win over Matawan – a preseason top 10 team, and a 30-0
However, on Lincoln’s ensuing possession, running back Kamani Addison broke free for a 30yard run to get into Rocket territory before he took it to the house for a 38-yard touchdown run to pull within 21-14 after Jason Harrison’s twopoint conversion.
and Saint John Vianney (11-1) - ranked 13th and 3rd in the state respectively on consecutive weekends to begin a downward slide that morphed into a five-game losing streak. Two gut-wrenching losses, 33-27 to playoffbound Point Pleasant Boro (8-3) and 21-20 to Rumson-Fair Haven (10-2) – ranked No.6 in the Shore at the time – extended their losing streak to four games before a 30-21 head-scratching loss to Monmouth Regional left them reeling with a 3-5 record. But the Football Gods were on the Rockets’ side, and based on their strength of schedule, the Rockets had generated enough power points to gain entry in the state playoffs allowing them to put together a monumental run in the playoffs. Seeded No.6 in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II bracket, the Rockets paid back third-seeded Pt. Pleasant Boro avenging their loss to the Panthers just three weeks prior with a 17-7 win in their quarterfinal game.
Now down 26-21 with only 10 seconds left in the game, Raritan proved the naysayers wrong when junior quarterback Marc Carnivale found senior wide receiver Nick Pasquin for an 11-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-9 to go up 2826, in what turned out to be one of the most improbable wins in state playoff history. Pasquin had put the Rockets up 21-6 late in the third quarter returning an intercepts 35 yards for a pick six and what look like a comfortable lead.
Photo by Arielle Figueredo
RARITAN’S #32 DEREK ERNST Photo by Arielle Figueredo shutout win against a dangerous Freehold team that went on to make the state playoffs - Raritan look like a team to be reckoned with. However, the Rockets ran into a couple of buzzsaw teams losing to Red Bank Regional (11-1)
After picking up 227-yards rushing on just 20 carries in Raritan’s loss to Monmouth, Ernst led the Rockets with 106 yards on the ground while Carnivale was 7-for-14 for 145 yards and a touchdown passing, and also rushing for 48 yards on four carries with a one-yard touchdown burst. Senior wideout Justin Smith was the recipient of a 38-yard touchdown pass from Carnivale. A week later, the Rockets stunned second-seeded Delaware Valley (8-2) for a 42-13 win in the semifinals. Ernst scored three times, including a 76-yard jaunt, while running for 217 carries on 25 touches. Carnivale went 9-for-10 for
111 yards with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Smith and a 14 yarder to senior Jahciere Jones. Just to keep the ball rolling, the Rockets added 46-25 Thanksgiving Day blowout win against Holmdel to their now three-game winning streak entering the state sectional final. The Rockets led 31-0 before calling off the dogs early in the third quarter. Ernst kept the pedal-to-the-metal rushing for three touchdowns carrying the ball 22 times for 172 yards. Carnivale went 10-for15 for 159 yards with a 59-yard touchdown pass to Smith. The Rockets playoff run has been spearheaded by the solid quarterback play of Carnivale and his wideouts: Smith, Jones and Pasquin, a punishing ground game led by Ernst and a resurgent defense headed by junior linebacker Ryan Dick-
ROCKETS DISPATCHED TO PUT OUT LINCOLN’S FIRE ON SATURDAY. Photo by Mike Ward
ens (113 tackles, 16.5 TFL), senior linebacker Sean Ennis (73 tackles, 10 TFL, 2 sacks), Smith at free safety (46 tackles, 2 INT), junior defensive back Vito Aleo, (63 tackles) and junior defensive linemen: Matt Thompson (5 sacks), Paul Bravo (4 sacks), Sean Agar (4 sacks) and senior Mike Gillen (4 sacks).
RARITAN COACHES AND PLAYERS CELEBRATE AFTER ARRIVING IN HAZLET. Photo by Mike Ward
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12/8/15 - 12/21/15 • Jersey Sporting News
Page 9
RUMSON BEATS UNDEFEATED BUCS, WINS STATES 21-0 By Michael Ward
What was shaping up to be the game to steal the show at Saturday’s State Finals turned into a blowout in favor of Rumson when the two met for the final matchup at Highpoint Stadium at Rutgers University.
Red Bank just couldn’t get anything going and were given plenty of opportunities. The Buccaneers had the ball for 7:19 compared to Rumson’s 4:41, making Rumson deadly and efficient.
Red Bank Regional, who was having an unprecedented year going undefeated throughout the entire season, seemed to have the edge before the game against a 9-2 Rumson team. But after Red Bank couldn’t effectively do anything with their first drive, it was clear that they would have to overcome major obstacles to get anywhere in their Championship Game.
The second quarter saw Red Bank stop the bleeding against their down the street rivals, as they were able to hold Rumson scoreless despite Rumson having more time to do damage. Rumson had ball control for 8:05 for the 2nd quarter where Red Bank had the ball for 3:55.
After Red Bank’s forfeiture of the ball, Rumson’s Bryan Hess found a seam in the Buccaneer Defense and ran for 40 yards to the end zone for the game’s first touchdown.
By the time the first quarter came to close, Red Bank had already lost possession again by fumble and Hess had already scored again with a 2 yard dart into the endzone.
For the remainder of the game, Red Bank’s defense was able to stay strong against Rumson onslaughts, as the Buccaneer Offense couldn’t get anything going and forced their defense to spend decidedly more time on the field. In the final quarter of the game, Rumson had control of the ball for 8:42 and were 3-5 on 3rd down conversions. Red Bank Regional had the ball for just 3:18, were 0-2 on 3rd down conversions and turned over the ball on an attempted 4th down conversion on an incomplete pass.
The third quarter saw possession go to Rumson. The Bulldogs couldn’t do anything with their drive, which went only 17 yards over 6 plays and 4:10 which forced a punt. Red Bank may have recovered the ball, but they didn’t hold on for too long. After 5 plays and going nowhere, Red Bank fumbles and Rumson seizes the opportunity. It only took Rumson three plays and a 17 yard run from Micha O’Connor to bring Rumson up to a 21-0 lead.
Photos by: Fran Attardi
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Page 10 Jersey Sporting News • 12/8/15 - 12/21/15
Jackson Wins In Ocean County Group 4 Showdown By Michael Ward
Payback seemed to come at the best time for Jackson Memorial. After facing Brick Memorial earlier in the season and losing by a margin of 28-7, Jackson Memorial jumped ahead at the start and powered through to make sure their early season loss was just a thing of the past in their 42-14 Championship Win. Jackson Memorial started with what would prove to be the first critical reception of the game, but it wasn’t without its hiccups. After Quarterback Dan Barker was sacked by Brick’s own wrecking ball Chris Hayes, he attempted to make up for lost ground by throwing to Senior Kyle Lona, only to see his pass fumbled and picked up by the Brick Defense. Brick’s offensive line proved to be jumpy and as porous as Swiss cheese on the drive, however. After a false start penalty, the quarterback was sacked twice forcing a punt back to Jackson. On a drive that started on their own 17 yard line, Jackson’s Mike Gawlik weaved and willed his way through Brick’s Defense, racking up 83 yards on the run and finishing with a touchdown. Senior Jared Calhoun’s kick was good for the extra point.
In a possession that began at the 20 yard line, Brick managed to run the ball all the way into Jackson’s 27 yard line. But, if Brick thought they would intimate Jackson with a threatening run, they were wrong. Brick fumbled and Jackson recovered poised to score again.
Mike Galik once again proved to be unstoppable as he drove the ball his on 24 yard line all the way to the end zone over 11 plays. After receiving possession, Brick didn’t hold onto the ball for long. The Jackson Defense stripped the ball from Tim Santiago to quickly regain possession before the half. The third quarter saw the most scoring out of both teams. Jackson Memorial finished what they started in the first half and completed their scoring drive and added two more touchdown drives later in the quarter. The fourth quarter saw Jackson pile on an extra touchdown for insurance, which brought the game to a close at the final score of 42-14. This marks the second consecutive group 4 Championship Jackson Memorial has captured.
JACKSON’S #8 MIKE GAWLIK
Photos by Mike Ward
12/8/15 - 12/21/15 • Jersey Sporting News
Page 11
SJV Falls Just Short of Championship Hopes By Michael Ward
Saint John Vianney was an undefeated powerhouse in the Shore Conference throughout the season. Game after game, SJV showed that they were more deserving of a chance than any other team to take it all in their Non-Public Group 3 Division. They went undefeated throughout the regular season and couldn’t be stopped in the post season. That is, until now. Saint John Vianney didn’t meet their match until they made it all the way to Non-Public Championship Game, where they faced off against DePaul of Wayne. DePaul, who went 5-6 during the regular season and defeated both post-season rivals Camden Catholic and Delbarton by a scoring discreprency of 74-20, coming out of nowhere to face Saint John Vianney in the final game. Although their records are 11-0 for SJV and 5-6, that hasn’t been an indicator for post season success in the past. Saint John Vianney was in search of just their second post season
title in school history, while DePaul was looking to extend a two season winning streak of titles. The game started off as a near-even match-up, with SJV gaining possession of the ball first but being stopped 30 yards from the end zone. They were forced to hit a 40 yard field goal and kicker Joey Rice came through in the clutch to put SJV on the board. Perhaps not every player was fully awake for the game’s 10 a.m. start, because the ball was fumbled multiple times in the first quarter. DePaul’s running back Nasir Hooker had to scramble to recover his own fumble in the next drive. That kind of luck for DePaul ran out when SJV forced another fumble and Tyler Tedeschi was there to pick it up for SJV. Not to be outdone, a third fumble of quarter by SJV occurred in which DePaul regained possession 10 yards from their goalline. Kareem Walker of DePaul came in to finish the job and ran in a 2 yard touchdown to put DePaul up 6-3 after a missed extra point. Five minutes into the Second Quarter, DePaul struck again with an 8 yard touchdown pass to Terrel Vassel to put DePaul up 13-3 with a successful kick.
SJV’S #13 ANTHONY BROWN Something clicked on the next possession by the lacers however, as they gained valuable yardage on the next drive and ended the run with a 21 yard touchdown pass from Quarterback Anthony Brown to Receiver Marcque Ellington. The touchdown, along with the successful point after, drew SJV closer with a score of 13-10 with 7 minutes remaining in the half. In the next possession, DePaul found the end zone despite both teams being hit with an unusually high number of penalties throughout the drive. DePaul’s Quarterback Shelton Applewhite threw to Hasise Dubois to complete a 16 yard pass to the end zone and with the extra point doubled SJV with a score of 20-10 to close out the half. DePaul received possession first but quickly gave it up, which cost them a Saint John Vianney Touchdown when Quarterback Anthony Brown ran one in himself to make the score 20-17 with 8:25 left in the third. This would be the last time SJV would score for the year, as DePaul’s defense shored up any weaknesses exhibited in the first half and began pounding the ball with every possession into SJV territory. The Lancers would end up allowing three more touchdowns before it was all said and done, making the final score 41-17. DePaul was graced with their third Sectional Title in three years, while SJV despite their spectacular season hasn’t seen a title since 1980.
Photos by Mike Ward
Get Ready To Hit The Slopes There may not be snow yet, but if you love to hit the slopes, chances are you’re already getting revved up for this skiing or snowboarding season. What you do now can help keep you safer once your out on the slopes.
Preventing Injuries There are plenty of ways to minimize your risk of injury pre-season. Here’s where to start: Stay (Or Get) Fit: If snow sports are your main active hobby, you’ll need some extra work to get into prime shape. Appropriate strengthening exercises will help you maintain balance and control. You should consult a physician before embarking on a new exercise program, especially if you’ve suffered previous injuries, to make sure your plan is a good fit given your physiology. Assess Your Gear: Start going through your gear now to make sure you have what you need-and don’t buy something cheap or uncomfortable in a rush. Bonus? Checking now means you can add items you need to your holiday wish list!
The Facts Researchers from Johns Hopkins estimates there are approximately 600,000 skiing and snowboarding accidents annually. A four-year study comparing the two sports found there are more injuries sustained by snowboarders. Skiers tend to damage their knees, while wrist and ankle injuries are more common among snowboarders. Interestingly, experience seems to matter less with skiers-- only 18% of injured skier were a beginner, versus 49% of snowboarders.
Bindings: Bindings are very important for skiers and snowboarders. It’s important to be very vigilant about the fit of your bindings, especially if you get new boots. See a professional to make sure your bindings are adjusted correctly, especially if you’re a new skier or again, have new boots. Ski bindings that fail to release are a major cause of knee injuries among skiers. It’s vital to make sure your bindings are appropriately adjusted. Do a self test to make sure your bindings will release. You can find several videos showing how to do this online.
Snowboarders also need to be aware of their bindings, though for different reasons. Snowboard binding isn’t designed to release your feet in a crash (as your legs are bound close together, it’s less likely your legs will be injured). But properly fitted bindings are important to insuring you’ll have good control of your board. A sports medicine professional can help make sure you are ready for a safer season in many ways. At Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute (AOSMI), our fellowshiptrained sports medicine physicians can test you to identify issues with gait or posture that might impact your performance, and find exercise programs that capitalize on your strengths. They can also make sure you are not exacerbating old injuries or other conditions. The AOSMI team regularly works with winter sports enthusiasts to help them improve their performance. Call 732-720-6435 to set up your appointment today!
Page 12 Jersey Sporting News • 12/8/15 - 12/21/15
Freehold Township Ties, Named Group 4 Co-Champions By Michael Ward
It’s been a long road for the Freehold Township Girls Soccer Team, but after all of the highs and lows, a school that has never possessed a Girls Soccer Championship gets a taste of success, even if it has to be shared.
Ridge and Kaela Chadziutko were kept busy all night. The scoreless bout helped boost their season saves to 58 and 116 respectively. The girls from Freehold Township were coming off of a 5 game winning streak, not being spooked by their run-in with Group 3 Champions Colts Neck on Halloween.
The 20-4-1 squad battled through the season and earned themselves a 1st seed slot in their Central, Group 4 bracket. After 4 successful matches, they’ve earned their way to the Championship round where the Ridge Red Devils of Basking Ridge were waiting for them.
The championship marks the first to be brought back to Freehold Township, although shared. The girls from Ridge also had much to be proud of, as it’s been over
12 years since their school has captured a Group 4 title. While no one was happy at the time of game’s end on the field of the result, the Co-Championship represents the hard work and dedication both teams put into the season. Freehold Township came away from the match with not only a championship, but the title of being the only team to not lose to a formidable Ridge offense. The Freehold Patriots are the ‘1’ in Ridge’s ‘23-0-1’.
Ridge on paper was thought to be the better team going into the match, with a perfect 23-0 record before things got started. The
Patriots knew that they had an uphill battle as they took the field and that they’d have to bring everything they had with them. Throughout the course of the match, Ridge made more opportunities for themselves to get deep into Freehold’s territory. But midfielders and defenders quickly zeroed in at any sign of danger, with Kaela Chadziutko being an effective last line of defense at keeper. Overall, Ridge made 8 attempts at the net while Freehold came with half of their opponents at 4. Keepers Samantha Carney of
Photos by: Mike Ward
Holmdel Boys Come Close in Championship Nail Biter By Mike Ready
UNION – Holding a 1-0 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the NJSIAA Group II final against Garfield at Kean University in Rowan, Holmdel gave up the tying and winning goals within a span of 27 seconds as Garfield stunned the Hornets, 2-1, to capture their first ever group championship. The loss was the third straight for the Hornets in a Group II final. After winning the Group III title in 2010, Holmdel (13-7-5) lost to Bernards in the 2011 final and Newton in 2012. Junior Leo Nobrega scored for the Hornets off a pass from sophomore Justin McStay in the 73rd minute to put them up 1-0,
before they unraveled in the final two minutes and handed the game to the Boilermakers. Wojciech Piwowarczyk tallied both goals for Garfield on a header and tap in with the game- winner coming with 1:36 remaining in the game. The Hornets took a 5-4 advantage in shots into the final three minutes before their jaw-dropping collapse led to the heartbreaking loss. Holmdel gave up two goals in their 4-2 win over Spotswood in the first round of the Central Jersey Group II playoffs; and since that game recorded four straight shutouts, all on the road, leading up to the Group II final. Senior goalkeeper Tyler Marchiano set a program record recording his 32nd career shutout in their 2-0 win over Delran in the Group II semifinal. The Hornets were sitting at 6-6-5 after losing 6-0 to Toms River North in the Shore Conference Tournament first round before reeling off seven straight wins, including six shutouts, but still faced an uphill battle after being designated the No.9 seed in the Central Jersey Group II playoff bracket. After three straight wins, including a 1-0 win over No.1 seed Rumson-Fair Haven in quarterfinals, the Hornets found themselves in a sectional final for the fifth time in six years counting their three straight sectional titles from 2010 to 2012. In the CJGII final, freshman Joe Arena scored five minutes into the game and the No.9 seeded Hornets held on for a 1-0 win over No.2 seed Bordentown to win their fourth sectional title in six years and fifth in their last ten. Despite the gut-wrenching loss, the future appears bright for the Hornets as they return a core of young talent that will look to build on their inspiring late-season run to the group final. Although the Hornets will have to replace Marchiano in goal, they are set to return McStay – the leading scorer - freshman center midfielder Joe Arena and freshman defender Torre Alvitable as well as Nobrega for his senior season. In the Group final, the Hornets started six underclassmen, so they already have a strong foundation built in for the next couple of seasons.
Photos by Arielle Figueredo
12/8/15 - 12/21/15 • Jersey Sporting News
Page 13
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FIELD HOCKEY 2015 TITANS FACE OFF IN STATE TOURNAMENT By Michael Ward
Central, Group 2 Division Tournament A bracket with historically excellent Field Hockey teams was bound to have an exciting finish. That’s just what happened in the Central, Group 2 Bracket when 5 Monmouth County teams played in a bracket 10. In round 1, 7th seeded Point Pleasant Boro was eliminated in an upset to 10th seeded Ewing by a close score of 1-0. Round 2 saw 1st seeded Wall cruise past Hamilton West by a score of 8-0, 5th seeded Ocean Township beating 4th seeded Delran 2-1 and Rumson-Fair Haven wiping the floor with Ewing 6-0. 6th seeded Manasquan was also eliminated by 3rd seeded Robbinsville 5-0. Wall and Rumson, the top two team of the bracket soon faced off after eliminating Ocean Township and Robbinsville respectively. The tight matchup saw Wall just barely outperform Rumson and win by a score of 1-0.
Round 2 saw predictable outcomes to games by seed with the exception of 5th Seeded Middletown South, who defeated 4th seeded West Windsor-Plainsboro North with a tight 1-0 win. Round 3 of 4 pitted Freehold Borough against Middletown South, of which Borough was the 4-0 victor. 2nd Seeded Middletown North was knocked out at the hands of 3rd seeded Summit. Summit and Freehold Borough went on to the Championship Game, which was unexpectedly close by all projections. Both teams scored one goal a piece in both halves of regulation. Jessica Pianko and Tori Tiefenthaler both contributed the goals for Freehold. After overtime didn’t result in a winner, a shootout for who would be crowned champion led to Summit taking it all by a tally of 3 shots to 0.
North 2, Group 1 Division Tournament A bracket, that historically covers a lot of area and has been kept in check by Shore Regional in past, went exactly as planned for the Blue Devils. Shore faced New Egypt in their first game of the tournament after a round 1 bye, then went on to defeat Johnson and South Hunterdon in 7-0 wins each. Also noted in the bracket are 11th seeded Keyport who was eliminated round one and 2nd seeded Henry Hudson Regional who eliminated in Round 3 by South Hunterdon.
Photo by: Arielle Figueredo
North 2 Group 2 Division Tournament North 2, Group 2 had a bracket that was light on Shore Teams. Only Raritan, Holmdel and Matawan were competing and were seeded 5th, 11th and 6th respectively in the 11 school field. Matawan and Holmdel were pitted against each other in the first round of play which forced the elimination of Holmdel by a score of 2-1. Raritan enjoyed a bye round then came up short against 4th seeded Bernards in a 2-0 battle. Matawan was sent packing in round 2 as well after they played 3rd seeded South Plainfield and lost in a 4-0 rout. South Plainfield and Bernards were both eliminated in round 3. North 2 Group 3 Division Tournament The North 2, Group 3 Bracket consisted of 10 teams: 5 of which hailed from Monmouth County and the other 5 from Middlesex and Mercer. Due to the 10 team setup, only Colts Neck and Steinert - as well as Red Bank Regional and Nottingham, had to play in round one. 8th seeded Colts Neck powered past 9th seeded Steinert with a 4-1 win and Red Bank slipped past Nottingham 1-0.
Salt Creek Grille to Celebrate Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve Rumson, New Jersey – Salt Creek Grille with its spectacular holiday light display outside and festive decorations inside will once again celebrate Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Reservations are now being accepted by calling 732.933.9272.
p.m. Children’s menu is available. The bar/lounge opens for cocktails at 3 p.m. and closes at 1 a.m.; Or, celebrate the New Year with the Jersey Shore’s most popular all-inclusive dinner party in the restaurant’s festively decorated private dining room. The all-inclusive party is from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m., (doors open at 8:30) with a generous four-hour open bar, phenomenal exclusive menu prepared by Executive Chef Bob Belt, dance music by “Affair 2 Remember”, champagne toast, photo booth, big TV screen for the Times Square countdown and party favors. The party - which also includes a $20 reward card for each guest to return at another time to dine at Salt Creek Grille - is $120 plus tax and service. Pre-paid reservations are required. This event sells out every year and space is limited so early registration is highly recommended. Call Barbara Penta at 732.933.9272 to reserve. The all-inclusive party menu for New Year’s Eve is as follows, party goers may select one of each :
On Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 2015, the Salt Creek Grille, Rumson, with its stunning views of the Navesink River, will serve a special holiday inspired menu created by Executive Chef Bob Belt from 4-9 p.m. Children’s menu is also available on Christmas Eve. Ring in the New Year with Salt Creek Grille, on Thursday, December 31 with an exceptional a la carte dining experience in the main dining room, bar and lounge from 4-11
To Start Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp, stuffed with horseradish and wrapped in bacon, served with chipotle honey sauce; Ahi Tuna Stack, sashimi-style, stacked with avocado, cucumber, wasabi and ginger soy; Artichoke and Spinach Dip baked with parmesan and mozzarella, tri-colored tortilla chips for dipping. Greens Salt Creek Grille House, mixed baby greens, Granny Smith apples, gorgonzola and glazed walnuts with balsamic vinaigrette; Classic Caesar, crisp chopped romaine, shaved asiago and toasted croutons, tossed with our traditional Caesar dressing.
Entrées Surf and Turf, filet with classic demi-glace and Maryland crabcake, mashed Yukon potatoes and seasonal vegetables; The Grille Chop, mashed Yukon potatoes and seasonal vegetables, finished with spiced apple chutney; Mesquite Grilled Soy Salmon, brown citrus rice and bok choy; Roasted Squash and Ricotta Ravioli, corn, slivered almonds, snow peas, capers, cherry tomatoes, kale with sweet tomato marmalade and basil pesto. Dessert New York style creamy cheesecake with fresh fruit puree, whipped cream and strawberries; Double Chocolate Cake, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries.
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Page 14 Jersey Sporting News • 12/8/15 - 12/21/15
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LADY DEVILS KICK THEIR WAY TO ANOTHER GROUP I TITLE By Michael Rogers
This is the fourth year in a row that the Shore Regional girls soccer team has reached the NJSIAA Group l Championship and this time the Lady Blue Devils defeated Glen Ridge by the score of 2 to 1 in double overtime to win the NJSIAA Group I Title. The two teams were co-champions in 2013, so this year Shore and the Seniors, who had played in all four finals, were not going to settle for anything less than a championship. This year, the Blue Devils finished with a 21 win, 4 loss, and 1 tie record and head coach George
Motis said: “I could not be happier for this group of young ladies. They never quit and kept battling and believing in one another.” This was the fourth consecutive year the Lady Devils have won the sectional I title, with this year’s title coming with a 4 -0 victory over Metuchen. After a scoreless first 35 minutes, Shore’s Katie Stephenson put the Blue Devils on the scoreboard with a powerful shot giving Shore a 1-0 lead at
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• 732-776-6070 • 732-776-5530 • F SHORE’S FRANKIE MCDONOUGH halftime. Six minutes into the second half, Shore’s Jessica Egan found the back of the net putting Shore ahead 3 to 0. The final goal came from Devon McDonough giving Shore a tough earned 4 to 0 victory as well as a sectional title. Shore out shot Metuchen 20 to 11 in the game as Metuchen lost in the final for the fourth year in a row to Shore.
Photos by: Arielle Figueeredo
In the Group I State Title game, THD Blue Devils secured their first Group I title with a 2 to 1 victory over Glen Ridge in double overtime. This State title comes for a group of seniors who have been to four straight state finals but have come up short but not this year as Shore’s talented freshmen Frankie McDonough and Hannah Birdsall was all the offense Shore would need on a day where the senior leadership on the defensive side of the ball held Glen Ridge to just one goal. The Seniors who anchored that defense were Jess Egan, Amanda Fontana, Devon McDonough, and Shannon Alfonso and Katie Colaquori who made 6 saves in goal in the game. The defense shut down the Glen Ridge
SHORE’S #12 AMANDA FONTANA offense all game. In the 13th minute Frankie McDonough got the scoring started giving Shore a 1-0 advantage before Glen Ridge tied the score in the 50th minute sending the home into not just one, but two over times before Shore’s Birdsall scored the winning goal giving Shore the State Title. While some talented seniors will graduate, Shore is still a very talented and young team and should be fighting for another sectional and state championships. Head couch Motis said: “These girls have it their all today and all season. They gave it all on the field and deserve this title.”
LOW BACK PAIN AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE THE DATA IS IN - AND IT KEEPS COMING
Low back pain is the second most common reason for physician visits and the most common for loss of work. Though there are many causes of low back pain, most improve with time or simple conservative treatment. Of patients who do not improve, many R have a problem referred to as discogenic low back pain. This means that their pain emanates from the intervertebral disc; that cartilaginous cushion between the bony vertebral bodies.
Dr. Gordon D. Donald, lll, MD, FACS
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The intervertebral disc provides both a spacer and structural shock absorbing function to the low back. Pain may occur as the disk loses its structural integrity through trauma or degeneration. Patients unresponsive to conservative treatment often require surgery with spinal fusion or artificial disc replacement. Under ordinary circumstances, because of its anatomy, the disk has little if any ability to repair itself. This is where regenerative medicine may play a role. Utilizing growth factors and stem cells from your own body, healing and reparative processes of tissue, e.g. intervertebral disc, may be greatly enhanced. This treatment has been discussed in our two prior articles in Jersey Sports News. Today I will present some of the recent study data for discogenic low back pain treated with regenerative techniques.
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All of our bodies contain a multiplicity of growth factors and stem cells that aid in our normal physiologic healing and growth every day. Unfortunately, some injuries result in conditions where these factors and cells cannot get to the site of injury or they are not “strong” enough to resolve the problem.
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Regenerative medicine techniques are able to harvest and concentrate these components and inject them into the area of injury where they can provide their best effect. In the case of discogenic low back pain, these regenerative components are injected into the center of the affected intervertebral disc potentially providing a strong anti-inflammatory effect as well as a stimulatory effect increasing physiologic repair processes and growth of normal tissues. Platelet rich plasma, or PRP, is obtained from drawing blood and concentrating the growth factors from that blood. Autologous adult mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs, are derived from patients iliac crest or hipbone, concentrated with blood forming injected of both stem cells and growth factors. Recently we have the results of two very well designed and perform studies demonstrating the utility of regenerative medicine techniques for the treatment of discogenic low back pain. The recent study from Hospital for Special Surgery divides patients with discographically proven discogenic low back pain into treatment and control groups. These were patients that would otherwise have been indicated for surgical treatment. The treatment group was injected with autologous PRP in the control group simply with x-ray contrast. The results are quite clear. There were no complications were adverse events as a result of the disk injection with PRP. At eight weeks following the injection, 56% of treated patients were satisfied with their improvement compared to 18% of the control. This is based on both measurement of pain and physical function. For the patients treated with PRP, they continued to demonstrate maintained clinical improvement for at least one year post-injection.
In a recent study by Pettine et al., patients with discogenic low back pain fluid-filled greater than six months of conservative treatment underwent autologous mesenchymal stem cell injections into their affected discs. Again these were patients who would otherwise have had surgery for their chronic debilitating pain. There were no complications from either the bone marrow aspiration to harvest stem cells or from the disk injection. 92% of patients avoided surgery at 12 months and 81% at two years following injection. At three months following the injection, patients pain scores improved by over 80% with a similar improvement in physical function. This improvement was maintained at 612 and 24 months after the injection. It is clear from both studies that these patients demonstrated excellent improvement of their symptoms most frequently avoiding the need for surgical intervention. Although patients in both studies did well, it is evident that the patients receiving stem cells had better overall and term results than those who received only PRP. The debate on which technique is more effective continues on. Regardless, the take-home message is that cellular regenerative medicine is an effective in improving treatment for discogenic low back pain that hopefully will eliminate much of the need for invasive surgical fusions in the future. Gordon Donald, M.D. is a board certified orthopedic surgeon and Medical Director of Living Orthopedics a practice devoted to orthopedic regenerative medicine at NJ Spine Group. He may be reached by email at info@nj-spine.com.
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12/8/15 - 12/21/15 • Jersey Sporting News
CBA COLT’S NAMED FASTEST IN THE NATION
GROW STRONGER FROM THE CHIN UP.
By Michael Ward
The Christian Brothers Academy Colts have been quick on their feet. For the 6th straight year, CBA has been home to a nationally top ranked Cross Country Team, with this year being their second consecutive year being the top team in the country according to MileSplit’s Flo50 preseason poll. Although as promising as ever, CBA will still have to work to have a successful season. Last year they came up just short at the Nike National Meet, placing 11th. But this year seems to be all the more promising as The Colt’s 5k returning team has an average run time of 15:29, which is currently the fastest in the country. CBA also has a handful of runners who have recorded times under 16 minutes for the 5K run and have run a minimum of 9:40 for the 3200.
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Among the bright stars of the Cross Country team is Blaise Ferro, who last year was named the 2014 Non-Public A Cross Country Champion and brought home wins in 2 indoor and 2 outdoor 3 M and 3,200 titles. Other prospects who will play an important part in CBA’s success will be sophomore Brian Hill, Junior Drake Anzano (who was the victor in last year’s NJ Meet of Champions 1600), Senior Paul Knepple, and senior Brian Degler. Other runners to watch are talented athletes such as Jon Dooling, Sean Martinek, Colin Trigani and Noah Yuro. CBA has a strong possibility of adding to their 21 Meet of Champion wins this year and can possibly win it’s 6th straight by season’s end
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CBA-THE COLTS, NO. 3 IN THE PREVIOUS POLL, BOUNCED BACK FROM ITS FIRST LOSS TO A NJ TEAM SINCE 2009 (A 2-POINT LOSS TO DON BOSCO PREP IN THE NON-PUBLIC A RACE) TO WIN ITS 6TH STRAIGHT TITLE AND STATE RECORD 21ST MEET OF CHAMPIONS TITLE BY 5 POINTS OVER DON BOSCO.
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Page 16 Jersey Sporting News • 12/8/15 - 12/21/15
SHORE’S LEGACY CONTINUES By Michael Ward
Shore Regional proved once again for the third straight year that they are the team to beat in New Jersey’s Group 1 Division. They were slated to play a tough opponent in Haddonfield but found the drive to power through for a 3-0 win and the opportunity to play in the Tournament of Champions.
With 6:35 left in the first half, Jessica Welch struck with a pass from Annie Deusch, which slipped past the keeper after a corner and put Shore up 1-0. Quickly into the second half, Shore made an attempt to widen their lead but shot high. But with the help of a corner soon after, Abby Kopec found the net and gave Shore a 2-0 lead with 27 minutes to play.
The game started with Haddonfield attempting to jump out early with a strong advance into Shore territory, but were rebuked by Shore’s strong defense. Early in the game, Shore got a prime scoring opportunity on a corner but their goal was denied by Haddonfield’s keeper.
A disgruntled and frustrated Haddonfield let the 2-0 deficit get to them and had trouble keeping up with Shore and making drives into their territory. That created an opportunity for Jessica Welch to score her second goal of the game and give the Blue Devils a 3-0 lead with 20 minutes remaining.
Besides the corner opportunities Shore saw in the first half of the game, Haddonfield threatened multiple times but Blue Devil Keeper Sarah Dwyer and the defensive unit responded to each threat accordingly. Throughout the first half of play Dwyer recorded 8 saves to keep Haddonfield at bay.
Shore attempted to extend it even further but Haddonfield keeper Megan Maynes wasn’t letting anything else through for the remainder of the game. Haddonfield’s offense couldn’t find a way to get in the game and ended the game scoreless against a victorious Shore Regional.
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SHORE’S # 5 JESICA WELCH
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