JSN 2016 Thanksgiving Game Day Preview

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11/22/16 - 12/5/16

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Volume 22 • Issue 511

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GAME DAY PREVIEW MIDDLETOWN NORTH [8-2] VS MIDDLETOWN SOUTH [7-3]

NEPTUNE [2-7] VS ASBURY PARK [7-3]

MANASQUAN [9-1] VS WALL [8-2]

SHORE REGIONAL [6-4] VS RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN [8-2]

PINELANDS [4-5] VS BARNEGAT [4-5]

LONG BRANCH [1-8] VS RED BANK REGIONAL [4-5]

RARITAN [5-4] VS HOLMDEL [2-7]

TOMS RIVER SOUTH [2-7] VS LAKEWOOD [6-3]

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Page 2 Jersey Sporting News • 11/22/16 - 12/5/16

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11/22/16 - 12/5/16 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 3

THANKSGIVING GAME DAY PREVIEW CROSSTOWN RIVALS MIDDLETOWN NORTH AND SOUTH SET FOR 41ST ANNUAL THANKSGIVING GAME

By Mike Ready

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP – While most Shore Conference Thanksgiving Day rivalries have come and gone in recent years, the Middletown North – Middletown South Thanksgiving Day game still remains one of the township’s biggest attractions, bringing out what seems like the entire community year-in-and-year-out.

This year it’s Middletown North’s turn to host the game, as crosstown rival Middletown South will travel to North for their annual Thanksgiving Day classic and its overflowing, standing-room only crowd.

In a setting that takes on more of a festive, holiday spirit than the heated rivalry that it is, students gather for bragging rights, while alumni take advantage of a rare chance to renew old acquaintances and rehash the good old times while catching up with one another.

On the field though, it’s a different story.

Middletown South holds a commanding 29-11-1 overall series lead and 28-111 on Thanksgiving, including winning the last 15 in a row on Thanksgiving and 16 overall.

For the first time ever, the two teams met twice last year with Middletown South beating the Lions, 41-14, in the NJSIAA North 2, Group IV semifinals before adding another decisive win, 39-16, six days later on Thanksgiving.

Middletown South went on to go undefeated on their way to their first state championship since 2006 and finished ranked No. 1 in the state in the NJ.com final Top 20, while Middletown North posted their first winning record since 2000 with their seven wins being the most since 1996.

However, that scenario won’t repeat itself this year as Middletown South was eliminated from the NJSIAA North 2, Group IV playoffs Friday night as the top-seeded Eagles fell to No. 5 seed Sayreville, 42-28.

On the flip side, No. 2 seed Middletown North (9-2) advanced to their first sectional final since 1996 as they recorded their first shutout of the season, blanking third-seeded Summit, 20-0, to move on to the North 2, Group II final.

Senior quarterback Donald Glenn threw for 240 yards on 17-of-27 attempts and

senior wide out Brendan Kube caught nine passes for 121 yards. Glenn had a 1-yard touchdown run; senior Dwight Wilkerson scored on a 5-yard run; and Joey Cavanagh kicked field goals of 23 and 25 yards, while junior running back Connor Welsh picked up 104 yards on the ground on 15 carries.

Kube also had an interception on defense and Austin Dewise had a key fumble recovery deep in Lion territory.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Glenn – a Wagner commit and three-year starter – has thrown for 2,123 yards this season, eclipsing the 2000-yard mark for the first time in his career. He holds phenomenal touchdowns to interception ratio of 21-to-3 this season and for his career he’s passed for 6,963 yards and 67 touchdowns, completing 459-of-846 passes.

Senior wide receivers Kube (49-9297), Wilkerson (27-388-3 rec/ 79-6406 rush) and Marc Cerbo are Glenn’s three top targets along with tight end Brock Zenker. Welch, who missed most of the year with an injury, is the Lions’ No. 1 rusher and is back running with the abandon that saw him pick up 746 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore last season. In Cerbo’s absence, sophomore Connor Robbins filled in nicely and splits carries with Welch.

The offensive line is anchored by 6-foot2, 230-pound tackle Jake Goldfarb.

The defense is led by senior Nick Kish, a highly underrated outside linebacker who recorded a whopping 118 tackles last season averaging double-digit tackles (12) for the season. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Kish is a punishing tackler with sideline-to-sideline speed. In only six games this season, Kish has recorded 76 tackles (12.7 per game) prior to Friday night’s win, including 42 solo stops, one sack, three TFL and an interception.

Seniors Thomas Anderson, Zenker and Ryan Stark join Kish to make up a very formidable linebacking unit.

The defensive line is led by 5-foot-11, 230-pound junior end Austin Dewise, who leads the team with seven sacks and 18 quarterback pressures along with 37 tackles (21 solo), two forced fumbles and four TFL. He is accompanied on the line by Goldfarb at tackle and fellow seniors Justin Muller and Kyle Ewington, along with junior lineman Nicko Cofone.

Kube is at strong safety with Wilkerson at free safety to head up the secondary, along with Cerbo, senior Sam Santiago and junior Daylon Wilkerson cornerback.

Middletown South lacks the sheer starpower of a year ago when it had running back Cole Rogers and linebacker Dylan Rogers wreaking havoc, but is still a very good team and was favored to win the Section as the No. 1 seed.

Prior to Friday’s loss, the Eagles’ two losses this season were to undefeated Toms River North (ranked No. 3 in the state) and undefeated Saint John Vianney (ranked No. 9 in the state). Most feel the Eagles’ schedule was one, if not the, most difficult in the Shore.

The Eagles are quarterbacked by senior Aneesh Agrawal – a Holmdel transfer – who’s had a solid year behind center. He has a trio of excellent receivers to throw to in seniors Samsone Dube, Jeff Lewandowski and Jeremy Joyce. Red Bank Catholic transfer, sophomore Anthony Summey, is the Eagles’ No. 1 running back with junior Chaz Alessi and Dube getting carries as well. Star safety/linebacker Maxx Imsho is a threat both running and catching the ball out of various offensive alignments as well.

Seniors Bobby Burke (6-foot-2, 260 pounds) and Mike Wilson (6-foot-1, 245 pounds) anchor the offensive line.

Ishmo is a force on defense and can be a game-changer. Dube is at free safety with seniors Ryan Ruzieki and Joyce at cornerback.

Senior Kevin Higgins heads up one of the top linebacking groups in the Shore with juniors Jake Krelin and Chris Patterson, senior Ian Porter and sophomore Matt Tardy.

The defensive line is anchored by 2015 second team All-Shore selection Will Gulick, who’s having another fabulous year, along with Burke and junior Adam Markmann at the tackle spots.

This game represents Middletown North’s best shot at breaking the losing streak in quite some time though the Lions did give the Eagles a run for their money two Thanksgivings ago when they lost, 20-13.

That game was tied up late in the fourth quarter before Rogers broke 64-yard TD run and a fake punt for a first down preserved the win for the Eagles.

A win against the Lions on Thanksgiving would give the Eagles their second consecutive division title and first since moving to Class B North this season so that motivation should help Middletown South get up for the game after their tough loss to Sayreville.

Page 4 Je Jersey Sporting ng g News N ‡

Asbury and Neptune Continue Long Thanksgiving Tradition

By Michael Ward

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11/22/16 - 12/5/16 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 5

THANKSGIVING GAME DAY PREVIEW RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN, SHORE REGIONAL THANKSGIVING GAME ALREADY A HEATED RIVALRY

By Mike Ready

WEST LONG BRANCH – At a time when Shore Conference Thanksgiving games have come and gone in recent years, the Rumson-Fair Haven, Shore Regional Thanksgiving game – in only its third year – has developed into one of the best rivalry games in the Shore.

In Friday night’s Central Jersey Group II semifinal, Rumson (8-2) got another legendary playoff performance out of its defense to beat Somerville, 21-13, holding a Somerville (10-1) attack that was averaging 50 points a game to just 13 to reach its seventh sectional final in the last 10 years.

Rumson-Fair Haven and Shore Regional have played each other in a number of sports over the years and have developed natural rivalries in those sports that are some of the most heated in the Shore. The two schools had previously opened the football season against each other, so when the Bulldogs made the decision to pull the plug on their traditional Thanksgiving rivalry game with Red Bank Catholic after 67 years, Shore Regional seemed like a natural fit.

Somerville – ranked No. 17 in the state and third in the Mid-State 38 Conference – took a quick 13-0 lead but that’s all they would get as the stingy Bulldog defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions. James Melia accounted for two of the picks, including one in the end zone and Pat Russo had the game-ending interception in the end zone to ice the game.

In their inaugural Thanksgiving game two years ago, Shore Regional christened the new rivalry game with a 13-0 win in the howling wind and rain at Robert E. Feeney Field. Then, last season, Shore took an early 13-0 lead and held on for a 20-14 win at Borden Stadium in Rumson to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

The Bulldogs used its running game to keep Somerville’s offense off the field as senior quarterback Mike O’Connor ran for 81 yards on 17 carries and senior running back Mike Vecchiarelli ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries.

O’Connor also threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to senior Colin Pavluk late in the first half to give the Bulldogs a 14-13 halftime lead.

Rumson now looks to join Middletown South and Manasquan as the only Shore Conference programs to win four straight state titles when it takes on South Plainfield on Saturday, December 3, at Rutgers University.

O’Connor is a dual-threat quarterback and Colgate commit who’s in his fourth year as varsity starter for the Bulldogs. He’s led the Bulldogs to three straight NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championships and is looking to make it an unprecedented four state titles in a row on his way out.

Vecchiarelli is Rumson’s No. 1 running back with junior Peter Lucas and sophomore Alex Maldjian getting carries behind Vecchiarelli.

Tyler Pierson – a 6-foot-5, 185-pound wide receiver – is O’Connor’s top target with senior wide receiver Trevor Caruso being O’Connor’s main deep threat, averaging 21.6 yards per catch and seniors Jack Oberle and Pavluk options as well.

The offensive line is anchored by 6-foot-4, 285-pound Tim Leonard and juniors Nate Raphan (6-foot-3, 320 pounds) and Justin Johnson (6-foot2, 220 pounds).

Middle linebacker Mike Ruane – a University of Massachusetts commit and first team All-State pick – is the heart and soul of the Bulldog defense with senior strong safety Mike Murdock also a huge piece of Rumson’s success on defense. Sophomore’s Keegan Woods and Chris Lanzalotto join Ruane at linebacker and have performed well as first-year starters.

Senior defensive tackle Liam Adams and junior end Chase Phrang anchor the defensive line while senior’s Melia, Ryan Tuorto and Russo join Murdock in the secondary.

Shore Regional’s bid to win their third Central Jersey Group I championship in row came to a screeching halt Friday night as Asbury Park advanced to the final with a convincing 39-19 win over the Blue Devils.

Even with the loss, Shore Regional has been a bit of a surprise this season after graduating most of last year’s team but those who know of head coach Marc Costantino’s program at Shore know that Costantino’s teams never rebuild – they just reload.

Shore Regional won its second straight Central Jersey Group I championship last season in its fourth straight trip to the final and fifth in six years.

Senior Matt Pennell is in his second year as starting quarterback for the Blue Devils and has taken on a bigger role while guiding his team to seven wins so far this season with an eye on another title.

Primarily a running team out of the wishbone, Pennell has still managed to throw for five touchdowns through the air while running for nine on the ground.

Seniors Marc Russo, Josh Campi and Lukas Jackey, along with sophomore Quadir Lawson, have

rushed for close to 3000 yards this season averaging almost seven yards per carry as a team. Senior Paul Christopher and sophomore Gil Goldsmith lead the Blue Devils in reception yardage.

As is the case with most small Group I schools, the majority of Shore’s roster plays on both sides of the ball, including Pennell who heads up the secondary at free safety with Russo and Goldsmith at cornerback. Lawson is also at linebacker, along with Christopher, sophomore Jack McCrae and senior Tim O’Brien making up the linebacking corp.

Sophomores Vinnie DiMaio (DT, T), and Frank Illiano (DT, T), junior Matt O’Donnell (DE, TE) and seniors Jason Van Brunt (DE, G), O’Brien (G, MLB), and Mike Devine (DT, T) all go both ways with junior Mike Rosati checking in at defensive end.

The Blue Devils will be trying to end their season on a high note and put another feather in its cap by beating Rumson for the third straight time.

While the Bulldogs will be attempting to maintain their edge entering the sectional final, the Thanksgiving game shapes up to be another classic encounter between the two rivals.

Page 6 Jersey Sporting News • 11/22/16 - 12/5/16

THANKSGIVING

THANKSGIVING

GAME DAY PREVIEW

GAME DAY PREVIEW

Raritan Look To Extend Thanksgiving Record Long Branch Plays for Pride in Holiday Tilt

By Michael Ward

By Ted Kaiser

Raritan’s playoff run ended earlier this month against a familiar post-season rival, Lincoln of Jersey City. Last year, Raritan defeated Lincoln in a matchup many spectators couldn’t dream of predicting. But this year, the Rockets didn’t have enough to fly past the Lions as they fell, 38-22.

LONG BRANCH — The annual Thanksgiving Day tilt between Red Bank Regional and Long Branch does not have any playoff luster this season, but that does not make the game much less important. Red Bank hopes to earn a win to end the season with a .500 record and Long Branch is looking to salvage a rare difficult season with a win over their rival. Last season saw the Bucs clinch their first division title since 1997 with a win on Thanksgiving, but the Green Wave still leads the overall series, 60-30-3.

This year in the long continuing rivalry with the Holmdel Hornets on Thanksgiving, the Rockets look to end their season on a high note and continue the tradition of stinging their opponents who call just south of Hazlet home.

With a 6-1 record on Thanksgiving against the Hornets, the Rockets are looking to extend their winning record. The two adjacent towns haven’t played each other this season, but the edge is with Raritan to win and win big.

If anyone would be thankful for an upset in the annual matchup, it would definitely be Holmdel. The Hornets have been struggling all season with an abysmal record of 2-7. Winning the Thanksgiving Day game could end the season on a high note and get things rolling in the right direction for the underclassmen on the team.

Holmdel has seen big deficits in the amount of points scored between themselves and their opponents. A lack of effective offense and defense

that hasn’t been able to match the conference has plagued the team with issues. An unforgiving schedule also contributed to their woes. The Hornets have had to stand against Shore titans such as SJV, Red Bank Regional and RumsonFair Haven.

Hazlet’s Rockets haven’t had a flawless season but have won where it’s counted. The 5-4 team had time to focus on the state finals after not seeing daylight in the Shore Conference finals.

But Red Bank enters this 2016 contest as the favorite. Despite heavy graduation losses from a banner season last year, the Bucs stayed respectable this year. The offense has lacked some firepower, yet showed flashes in in a 33-0 win over Monmouth Regional in October. Running back Chris Brannigan ran for over 100 yards with two scores and wide receiver Chris Outterbridge caught a 59-yard touchdown pass. Brannigan is also a presence on special teams where had a kickoff return for a touchdown against Raritan. Makai Mickens is another key target at wideout for quarterback Stephen Navitsky.

A big part of Raritan’s offense throughout the season has been senior Vito Aleo. He’s rushed for 755 yards on the season and has run in 12 touchdowns. He’ll be a threat against the Holmdel defense throughout the course of the Thanksgiving Day game.

Long Branch is not to be taken lightly. They were close in match-ups against strong teams such as state finalist Middletown North, Manasquan, and Brick Memorial. Running back Keith Cooper is a force to be reckoned with. He rushed for 152 and two touchdowns against Brick Memorial and is also a capable receiver out of the backfield. Quarterback Marc Dennis is a duel-threat option under center. Juwan Wilkins also splits time at QB and had a stunning three touchdowns in a near upset against Middletown North. The problem is that Long Branch has given up less than 27 points only once this season. Without a stronger defensive effort, an upset of the Bucs could prove elusive.

This season’s performance suggests a Red Bank win, but Long Branch had a schedule full of playoff teams. Some of those games were close and that experience should serve the Green Wave well as they try to close out their season with a taste of redemption. Look for the Wave to extend their overall series lead on Thanksgiving Day with a close win to deny the Bucs their .500 finish.

Senior quarterback Marc Carnivale will also be a threat in the air throughout the course of the game. He’s thrown for 613 yards over 34 completions and can run the ball himself if in a pinch.

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11/22/16 - 12/5/16 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 7

SHORE CONFERENCE WELL REPRESENETED IN STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

By Mike Ready

RED BANK – Entering Friday’s NJSIAA semifinal matchups, 17 Shore Conference teams are still alive with a chance to advance into the state finals two weeks from now. Below is a breakdown of each sectional semifinal involving Shore teams.

NORTH 2, GROUP IV No. 5 Sayreville (8-2) at No. 1 Middletown South (7-2): The Eagles can clinch the Class B North crown for the second consecutive year with a win over Middletown North on Thanksgiving.

They’re ranked fourth in the Shore Conference and No. 18 in the state while Sayreville is ranked No. 4 in the Greater Middlesex Conference.

South beat up No. 8 Iselin Kennedy, 56-7, in the first round, erupting for 42 in the second quarter points en route to the victory.

T h e Eagles rushed for 369 yards on the ground paced by sophomore running back Anthony Summey who rumbled for 142 and two TDs on 12 carries (11.8 ypc.).

No. 3 Summit (8-2) at No. 2 Middletown North (7-2): The Lions stormed out to a 20-0 lead in the first quarter on the way to a 33-14 triumph over seventh-seeded Woodbridge.

Junior RB Connor Welsh returned to form after battling a season-long injury rushing for 136 yards and a TD on 23 carries while four-year starting quarterback Donald Glenn threw for 183 yards and two scores, finding senior wide receiver Brendan Kube five times for 140 yards and 1 TD. CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP V No. 5 South Brunswick (7-2) at No. 1 Manalapan (10-0): The Braves took home the Class A North title this season with a perfect 6-0 division record. They’re ranked No. 11 in the state and second in the Shore Conference while South Brunswick in ranked No. 3 in the Greater Middlesex Conference. This matchup marks the fourth meeting between the two perennial powerhouses since Group V was created in 2012 with South Brunswick leading the series 2-1, including a 27-21 victory a year ago in the semifinals. In the Braves’ 49-0 rout of No. 8 New Brunswick in the opening round, junior RB Naim Mayfield ran 274 yards and 4 TDs on just 11 carries in the first half alone. Dave Ryan added 80 yards on the ground and a TD on nine carries and junior quarterback Luke Corcione had a 17-yard rushing TD. CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP IV No. 5 Freehold (6-4) at No. 1 Brick (7-3):

The Colonials have rattled off six wins in a row after starting out 0-4. Junior QB Asante Worthy will be hard pressed for an encore after shattering the Shore Conference record by rushing for 465 yards on 43 carries and scoring eight times while completing 6-of-13 attempts for 71 yards and 2 TDs to pace Freehold to a wild 69-56 win at No. 2 Pennsauken in the highest scoring contest in state playoff history. Brick struggled to a 20-13 victory over No. 8 Neptune in the opening round as senior JaSir Taylor’s 7-yard fourth-quarter run was the difference.

Taylor also had an 11-yard TD run and senior John Prato added a 68yard TD run and an interception on defense.

No. 6 Jackson Memorial (6-4) at No. 2 Allentown (8-2): The Jaguars have won four in a row after beating No. 3 Nottingham, 39-6, in the first round. Senior RB Mike Gawlik ripped off 214 yards rushing with 3 TDs in the win to push his season totals to 2,023 yards and 23 TDs, while senior QB Dan Barker ran for two scores and threw for a TD pass. Jackson Memorial has won seven consecutive playoff games and is the two-time defending Central Jersey Group IV champion.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP III No. 4 Rumson-Fair Haven (7-2) at No. 1 Somerville (10-0): The Bulldogs – ranked fifth in the Shore Conference – are seeking a fourth straight sectional title and 11th straight playoff win after getting by No. 5 Cranford, 23-13, in the opening round. Senior RB Matt Vecchiarelli ran for two TDs and the defense recorded four interceptions in the win while senior QB Mike O’Connor had rushing TD and Thomas Chapin a field goal. Senior defensive back Ryan Tuorto led the charge with 3 INTs and senior safety Mike Murdock added another.

Somerville is ranked No. 17 in the state and third in the Mid-State 38 and averages a whopping 50.1 points per game.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP II No. 3 Manasquan (8-1) at No. 2 Roselle (100): The Warriors – ranked sixth in the Shore Conference – are back in the playoffs after a two-year hiatus and are out to prove they’re for real. They needed to comeback from a 9-point deficit with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter to defeat No. 6 Johnson, 33-29, in the opening round. Senior Damaso Jamie returned a kickoff 82 yards for a TD to pull the Warriors to within 29-27 before senior QB Jerry Maher found Jamie for a 34-yard score for the game winner helping the Warriors to move on. Roselle is ranked fifth in the Mid-State Conference.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP I No. 5 Asbury Park (6-3) at No. 1 Shore Regional (6-3): This is a rematch of Asbury Park’s 14-7 win over Shore Regional in the season opener. Asbury Park beat No. 4 New Egypt, 33-14, in a mild opening-round upset as senior running back Paul Reed ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns to go over 1,000 yards for the season.

Cishiume Simmons added 62 yards and 2 TD’s on 10 carries. Shore Regional is the two-time defending Central Jersey Group I champions but had to replace 19 graduated starters from a year ago so the fact they’re competing for another title is quite an accomplishment. They blew out No. 8 Keansburg, 50-21, in the opening round rushing for 435 yards as senior Mark Russo ran for 232 yards and 3 TDs on 14 carries; Quadir Lawson added 108 yards and a TD on 9 carries and Josh Campi went for 80 yards and 2 TDs on 8 carries. Senior QB Matt Pennell also hit Gil Goldsmith for a 30-yard scoring play.

No. 3 Keyport (9-1) at No. 2 Point Pleasant Beach (6-4):

Keyport went 4-1 within the division finishing one game behind powerful Mater Dei. The Red Raiders advanced to the semifinals with a 41-6 drubbing of No. 6 Manville as Devin Wollner ran for over 200 yards and scored 3 TDs and Shykim Treadwell also ran for 3 TDs. The Garnett Gulls got by No. 7 Florence, 28-14, advancing to Friday’s semifinal against Keyport as QB Luke Frauenheim ran for a score and threw for two others. Sean Gould scored the final TD for the Gulls on a 1-yard plunge to advance.

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP V: No. 5 Howell (6-4) at No. 1 Toms River North (10-0): The Mariners took the Class A South title after sharing it last season and are ranked No. 1 in the Shore Conference and No. 3 in the state. This is a rematch of a 58-33 Toms River North win over Howell earlier this season. The Mariners trailed No. 8 Atlantic City, 6-0, at the half and needed a late fourth-quarter TD to pull out the win. Parker Day rushed for 147 yards and three TDs on 16 carries. The Rebels beat No. 4 Vineland, 29-27, in an opening-round classic as an 18-yard Pat Handy field goal with 22.1 seconds in regulation completed a thrilling comeback. Junior QB Eddie Morales threw for 278 yards and 3 TDs and also ran for a TD while junior wide receiver Naz Brantley caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown and Dan Cacciatore added four receptions for 100 yards including a 65-yard touchdown that cut Vineland’s lead to 27-26.

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP III No. 5 Hamilton West (6-3) at No. 1 Wall (7-2): The Crimson Knights – ranked No. 8 in the Shore Conference – shutout No. 8 Camden, 35-0, in the opening round as senior running back Sean Larkin ran for 3 TDs while quarterback Eddie Scott and running back Brady McNalley added rushing TDs. Senior Darryin Valme led a swarming defensive effort with three sacks as the Knights had eight sacks as a team and senior Mike Capra and sophomore Dylan Richey added interceptions.

NON-PUBLIC GROUP III No. 5 St. John Vianney (10-0) at No. 1 St. Joseph (Montvale) (72): The Lancers – ranked No. 8 in the state and third in the Shore Conference – draw arguably the toughest assignment of any Shore team remaining when they travel to take on the No. 1 ranked team in the state, St Joseph’s. The Lancers opened some eyes in the opening round with a mild upset win over No. 4 Camden Catholic. Senior running back Chris Chuckwuneke ran for 108 yards and a touchdown; Johnny Buchanan scored on two short runs and junior kicker Will Forman connected on two field goals of 23 and 25 yards helping the Lancers to advance.

NON-PUBLIC GROUP II No. 3 St. Joseph (Hammonton) (7-3) at No. 2 Mater Dei (10-0): Mater Dei is ranked No. 10 in the Shore only because this is the first real test of the year for the powerful Seraphs. A win here would finally give the Seraphs some deserved credibility, however, it won’t be easy as St. Joe’s has won six straight sectional titles (five Group I, 2015 Group II). Mater Die bombed No. 7 St. Anthony, 51-8, in the first round as the Seraphs’ starters sat out the second half for the sixth game in a row. Sincere Saunders ran for 134 yards and 2 TDs and George Pearson ran and threw for scores. Pearson found Eddie Lewis for a touchdown pass and Justin McRaw also ran for a score while Mario Rodriguez returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 44-0 at the half.

UPDATE FRIDAY NIGHT SECTIONAL SEMIFINAL SCORES: Middletown North 20 - Summit 0 Sayreville 35 - Middletown South 28 Manalapan 34 - South Brunswick 20 Brick 24 - Freehold 23 Allentown 41 - Jackson Memorial 15 Rumson-Fair Haven 21 - Somerville 13 Asbury Park 39 - Shore 13 Keyport 27 - Pt. Beach 14 Toms River North 62 - Howell 34 Wall 49 - Hamilton 21 SATURDAY SECTIONAL SEMIFINAL SCORES: Mater Dei 26 - St. Joseph (Hammonton) 0 Manasquan 31 - Roselle 27 St. Joseph (Montvale) 45 - Saint John Vianney 20

I am proud to announce this year's JSN Fan Favorites: Manasquan Cheerleaders!

Base / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 6 years.

Backspot / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 10 years.

MANASQUAN

Summer Eddins

Base / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 7 years.

MANASQUAN

MANASQUAN MANASQUAN

Base / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 12 years.

Lindsey White

MANASQUAN Flyer / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 3 years.

Captain

schools responded to our cheerleaders by liking or sha squad on JSN's Facebook P challenge and shared their s as the girls bring to field. W for this honor, there was on broke every previous record views and shares. Garnering cumulated from likes, clicks, Manasquan High School Ch

Sara Lynch

After 20 years of the JSN Family covering local high school varsity sports (and as a former varsity high school football cheerleader myself), I felt inspired to recognize and honor these hardworking cheerleading athletes.

Knowing personally how much they sacrifice to support their football program, it was obvious to us that we needed to showcase these amazing young women. Many

Leah Tilton

MANASQUAN

FAN F

Flyer / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 8 years.

Lyndsey Starkey

MANASQUAN

MANASQUAN

Summer Farren Emily Magrini

MANASQUAN

Base / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 8 years.

Base / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 9 years.

Olivia Easton

MANASQUAN

Base / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 7 years.

Kate Degnan

MANASQUAN Flyer / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 10 years.

Julia Barry

MANASQUAN

Maggie Flynn

Backspot / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 5 years.

Base / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 5 years.

Captain

Cady Formichella

MANASQUAN

Lizzie Kingman

Page 8 Jersey Sporting News • 11/22/16 - 12/5/16

Flyer / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 10 years.

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Base / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 6 years.

Flyer / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 7 years.

Base & Backspot / Class of 2019 Has been cheering for 8 years.

MANASQUAN MANASQUAN

Bella Vitale

Flyer / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 10 years.

MANASQUAN

MANASQUAN

Melissa Fischer

Flyer & Base / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 9 years.

Backspot / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 10 years.

Ashley Alvarez

MANASQUAN Base / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 11 years.

Page 9

Captain

Harley Tice

Taylor Grieb

MANASQUAN

Madison Rydholm

Backspot / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 8 years.

Base / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 6 years.

Annie Ragan

MANASQUAN

Base / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 9 years.

Olivia Werther

MANASQUAN

Julianna Loughlin

Flyer / Class of 2018 Has been cheering for 5 years.

MANASQUAN

Arielle Falkinburg

Backspot / Class of 2017 Has been cheering for 9 years.

MANASQUAN

Francesca Attardi Publisher, JSN

Captain

MANASQUAN

Congratulations Ladies!

Ally Vernaglia

To see their video and the rest of the entries,go to facebook.com/jerseysportingnews.

MANASQUAN

Alyssa Juhasz

challenge to support their aring a video of their favorite Page. Many schools took our squads with as much intensity With many schools competing nly one this year that clearly d we've seen here at JSN for g a reach of over 45,200 ac, views and watches, were the heerleaders!

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Backspot / Class of 2019 Has been cheering for 8 years.

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Backspot / Class of 2019 Has been cheering for 6 years.

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Base / Class of 2019 Has been cheering for 4 years.

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Sarah Warren

Base / Class of 2019 Has been cheering for 2 years.

Lindsay Zangrando

MANASQUAN

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11/22/16 - 12/5/16 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 11

THANKSGIVING GAME DAY PREVIEW TOMS RIVER SOUTH LOOKS TO IMPROVE ITS RECORD IN THANKSGIVING DAY CLASSIC VS. LAKEWOOD

By Frank Miele Thanksgiving Day is a holiday that finds family and friends getting together for some celebrating and a whole lot of eating, or should I say overeating. It’s also traditionally known as a great day for football at the high school and college level. The Toms River South/Lakewood Thanksgiving Day contest is one of the oldest Thanksgiving Day rivalries in conference history. This Thanksgiving, the Piners and Indians will meet for the 97th time. Lakewood will be looking to avenge last year’s 20-6 loss and Toms River South will seek to improve on their 55-37-4 series lead.

Lakewood finished their season behind undefeated Point Pleasant Boro in the B South Division with an overall record of 6-3. Led by quarterback Zyheir Jones, the Piners recorded two regular season shutouts – Manchester Township (20-0) and Jackson liberty (31-

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The Piners drew fifth-seeded Hamilton West in the first round of the NJSIAA tournament and, despite a 12-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, were defeated, 26-12, when West scored 20 unanswered points to end their season.

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Page 12 Jersey Sporting News • 11/22/16 - 12/5/16

MATER DEI SHOWS THEY’RE FOR REAL, SHUTTING OUT ST. JOE’S

By Mike Ready

MIDDLETOWN – The question everyone has been waiting for was answered with a resounding boom Saturday as the second-seeded Seraphs rode its relentless defense and opportunistic offense to a 26-0 shutout win over No. 3-seed St. Joseph of Hammonton in a state Non-Public Group II semifinal.

Undefeated Mater Dei – ranked No. 10 in the Shore Conference – finally got the chance to answer all the questions of just how good they really are after fattening up on Shore Conference B Central opponents and inferior non-conference foes all season long.

But in the end, even seven-time defending champion St. Joe’s was no match for the Seraphs, who are in the midst of becoming a small school nonpublic power under the guidance of former Rutgers star and NFL player Dino Mangiero.

“This was a team win,” said Mangiero, the former head coach at Brooklyn’s Poly Prep in his first year at Mater Dei. “Special teams, defense, offense, all did a good job today. The difference was our kids were very well prepared. We were prepared for everything they did. We stayed late a lot of nights this week because we respected them (St. Joe’s).”

The thoroughly prepared Mater Dei defense was the definitely the difference. They were impenetra-

ble, holding the Wildcats to 34 yards rushing on 33 carries and 79 yards of offense and seven first downs. They recorded 11 tackles for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery.

On nine of St. Joe’s 11 possessions, the Seraphs’ defense forced punts with the other two possessions resulting in a Seraphs’ fumble recovery and turnover on downs right before the half.

“They’re very good defensively,” Wildcats head coach Paul Sacco said. “I tell our kids blocking is desire, and we just couldn’t do it. They were just a better football team than us. They are a lot better than people give them credit for defensively. They were all over the place.”

Seniors Marvin Pierre (3 TFL and 1.5 sacks, FR), Juwan Mitchell (sack), Justice George (sack), Jonathan Lubintus (3 TFL, sack and FR) and Shane Mastro (3 TFL, 8 T, 2 QB pressures) along with sophomores Russell Ferrisi (2 TFL, pass knock down) and Izaiah Henderson (TFL, .5 sack 6 T)

all played a big role on defense.

and scored from 4 yards out to make in 13-0 at the half.

“We knew we had to come out hard on defense,” Mastro said. “We tried to open up the holes that our linebackers could fill and make plays.”

A 95-yard kickoff return by senior Eddie Lewis put the Seraphs up, 19-0, in the third quarter, and a 5-yard touchdown run by Justin McCrae with 4:14 to play made it 26-0.

“We basically just focused on ourselves,” Mitchell said. “We came in all week and all we thought about was lining up correctly getting a quick count; it was just about us. We worked hard at taking them out of their game – that’s what we do as a defense. We proved today just how good we are.”

The game was scoreless until the 11:37 mark of the second quarter when junior quarterback George Pearson – who completed 7 of 12 passes for 98 yards – found Pierre down the right sideline for a 48-yard touchdown pass.

Then on its next possession, a 33-yard pass to junior Kyle Devaney moved the ball to the St. Joe’s 9-yard line before Pierre took a pitch from Pearson

Mater Dei (11-0) will meet No. 4 seed Holy Spirit (8-2) in the sectional final Saturday, December 3 at Kean University with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff scheduled. Holy Spirit advanced with a 23-6 win over Immaculata on Friday night.

The Seraphs will be playing in only the second state final in program history and first since 1999. They will be attempting to win the school’s first-ever sectional championship in football.

“I’m willing to wait till Dec. 3,” said Mangiero, when asked if this win proved anything. “I know we have a good ball club but being my first year in New Jersey, I don’t really know how to gauge anybody.”

However, given the fact that they just completely dominated one of the state’s small school powerhouses, a perfect 12-0 season looks more likely than not for the Seraphs.

Saint John Vianney High School Student Starts a Light the Candle Chapter HOLMDEL – Saint John Vianney High School started a Light the Candle chapter this school year. Light the Candle is a non-profit movement that provides free, handmade birthday cards to foster children living in group and foster homes in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.

SJVHS sophomore Kristen Battista, of Morganville, first heard about the Light the Candle organization when she volunteered for the Summer Religious Education Program at Saint Benedict Church over the summer. Jordan Lacey, the founder of Light the Candle, was there and gave a presentation about the organization. “I was inspired that these cards could make a difference in a child’s life,” Kristen stated.

Kristen is involved in many clubs at SJVHS, including the Photography Club, Key Club, Ambassadors Club, and Pre-Med Club. She is also involved in high school CYO.

After Kristen received permission from the SJVHS administration about starting a chapter at SJVHS, a school-wide announcement was sent out. Kristen received more than 20 emails from students who were interested in joining and participating in this great program. Kristen says, “SJVHS students truly believe in helping other people, and that is why I believe so many students want to make a difference in other people’s lives.”

The chapter meets twice a month and makes birthday cards for many children. The birthday cards that the SJVHS students designed were delivered to foster children in Monmouth County and resident children at the Children Specialized Hospital of New Jersey.

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11/22/16 - 12/5/16 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 13

JSN would like to congratulate all NLI signees. We at JSN are very proud of all the students, academically and athletically, in the Shore Conference.

Will Trochiano – Manhattan College – Baseball Gene Napolitano – Marist University – Baseball Noah Thomas – Philadelphia University – Baseball Alexa Chapman – Manhattan College – Soccer Julia Caracappa – Iona College – Soccer Danielle Spano – University of Maryland – Track

Elijah Barnes - Princeton University - Basketball

Caroline Gmelich - University of Virginia - Swimming Erica O’Kelly - Stevens Institute of Technology - Soccer Isabelle Pabon - Iona College - Swimming Malia Wolf - Lehigh University - Swimming

Abby McHugh - Binghamton University - Swimming

Chelsea Howard - Binghamton University - Softball

Joe Belko - Monmouth University - Lacrosse

Aubrey Binkley – Georgian Court University – Volleyball

JSN will be running NLI photos in upcoming issues; send us your H.S. NLI photos and we will get your student athlete in an upcoming issue. Send to fran@J-S-N.net

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Page 14 Jersey Sporting News • 11/22/16 - 12/5/16

TOMS RIVER NORTH ZEROING IN ON SECOND STRAIGHT STATE TITLE

By Mike Ready

TOMS RIVER – The Mariners advanced to the NJSIAA South Jersey Group V final for the second year in a row Friday night with a 6234 stomping of Howell for their 21st straight win as their high-octane offense got back on track racking up 585 yards of total offense.

Senior quarterback Mike Husni threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 180 yards and two scores to lead the way, while senior running back Parker Day ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Senior wide out Darrion Carrington caught five passes for 132 yards and a touchdown and senior receiver Bryce Watts had three catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns.

upsetting top-seeded Lenape before falling in the semifinals to a very good Cherokee team that went on to beat Rancocas Valley, 30-10, for the state title.

Then last year, the Mariners won their final 10 games of the season after a week 2 loss to Brick en route to an 11-1 record and the state title. Their 11 wins marked the sixth time in program history the Mariners have recorded 10 wins or more and it evened their record to 6-6 in NJSIAA sectional finals.

Toms River North – ranked No. 1 in the Shore Conference – captured their first outright Class A South title since 2008 this season after sharing the title with Brick and Brick Memorial a year ago. They remain undefeated at 11-0 and are ranked No. 3 in the state in the most recent NJ.com Top 20.

However, in the South Jersey Group V opening round, No. 8 seed Atlantic City put a scare into the top-seed Mariners when they took a 6-0 lead into halftime and were on top of the Mariners, 13-12, into the fourth quarter before a 1-yard touchdown run by Day with 2:47 left in regulation snapped a 20-all tie helping the Mariners survive for their 20th straight win.

TOMS RIVER NORTH’S #43 DARYN BLACKWELL Toms River North scored on the opening drive and never looked back. The Mariners will now face Millville in the sectional final on Saturday, December 3 at Rowan.

Last season, Toms River North completed an inspiring two-year journey that culminated in a hard-fought 14-7 win over Williamstown for the NJSIAA South Jersey Group V championship – their first state sectional title since 2007, when the Mariners went 12-0 winning an equally as bruising battle against Mainland, 22-19.

Three short years ago in 2013, Toms River North had just completed a dismal season going 1-9 that year. In 2014, the Mariners began putting the championship pieces in place making a nice run into the playoffs

For good reason, the Mariners’ offense has been getting most of the press this season and they’re as good, or better, than advertised. They boast a prolific offensive attack that just might be the best in Shore Conference history. They’re averaging 45.2 points a game and have scored 63 offensive touchdowns (41 rushing and 22 passing) while averaging 477.1 total yards per game (300.1 rushing, 177.0 passing).

Husni, quite possibly, is the best all-around offensive player the Shore Conference has ever seen. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Husni has thrown for 1,975 yards and 25 touchdowns, completing 74-of-122 passes (60%) while rushing for another 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns. His five touchdowns Friday night give him 43 on the season which is one away from tying the Shore Conference record of 44 set by Mater Dei quarterback Christian Palmer in ’14.

In Toms River North’s division-clinching win over Central, Husni ran for 213 yards and two TDs on 18 carries (11.8 yards per carry) and passed for another 167 yards and a touchdown completing 9-of-13 passes (69%) for 380 total yards.

Day, who transferred from Manasquan prior to the season, has carried the ball 145 times for 1410 yards with a team-leading 22 rushing touchdowns. Senior wide receivers Bryce Watts and Darrion Carrington are Husni’s top targets and both are extremely explosive. Carrington has 34 receptions for 907 yards and 15 touchdowns while Watts is four receptions (30) behind Carrington with 765 yards and nine touchdowns. Watts is also a threat to run the ball on jet sweeps rushing for an additional 178 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown.

The offensive line is anchored by threeyear starter Will Sagarese (6-foot-1, 260 pounds) at center calling the signals along with seniors Esiah Santamaria (6-foot-0, 280 pounds) at guard, Chris Renda (6-foot2, 265 pounds) at the opposite guard spot, two-year starting tackle Matt Melamed (6foot-5, 290 pounds) and Dan Benisti (6foot-1, 280 pounds) also at tackle.

On the defensive side of the ball the Mariners’ Pete LaQuaglia is a candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award from his linebacker spot. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound LaQuaglia has recorded a Shore Conference-leading 147 tackles (86 solo) with 4 sacks, 10 TFL, 2 FF and 8 QB pressures.

TOMS RIVER NORTH’S #56 PETE LAQUAGLIA

Junior outside linebacker Daryn Blackwell (6-foot-2, 240 pounds) has been outstanding at linebacker as well, registering 57 tackles, 11 TFL, 4 sacks, 12 QB pressures and a FF and sophomore linebacker Jordan Johnson has had a breakout season.

On the defensive line, 6-foot-3, 270 pound tackle senior Cole LaBatch (50 T, 7 TFL, 13 QB pressures) anchors the line with 6-foot-1, 270-pound nose guard senior Joey Nardoza (58 T, 3 TFL, FR, 2 QB pressures) clogging up the middle.

Junior strong safety Mickey Mandonaldo heads up the secondary and is a vicious hitter with 90 tackles (49 solo) on the year, 8 TFL, 2 FF, 6 PD and an interception. Watts is at cornerback and leads the team with 9 PD and 2 INT along with 39 tackles. Junior safety Ian Briggs has stepped up in the secondary as well recording 37 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 QB pressures and 3 TFL. The Mariners now have one game remaining to complete the program’s second undefeated season in nine years and second South Jersey Group V title in a row.

TOMS RIVER NORTH’S #5 MIKE HUSNI

Photos by Michael Pierson - MP Pics Photography - mppics.com

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11/22/16 - 12/5/16 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 15

THANKSGIVING

THANKSGIVING

GAME DAY PREVIEW

GAME DAY PREVIEW

WALL AND MANASQUAN APPEAR TO BE AN EVENLY MATCHED THANKSGIVING DAY CONTEST

By Frank Miele

Last year’s contest proved to be a real shootout with Wall coming out on top, as Chevesse Covin scored three rushing touchdowns to help lift Wall to a 43-35 victory over Manasquan. Sean Larkin scored two touchdowns for Wall while R.J. Janeczek scored on a pass. Connor Morgan led Manasquan’s offense with three rushing touchdowns. Damaso Jaime scored two touchdowns.

By Michael Ward

As football teams throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties continue to drop their Thanksgiving Day games, Barnegat and Pinelands are seizing on the opportunity to continue their own young, fall tradition.

Having not played each other until 2006 despite just being 15 miles apart, the two schools began competing against each other regularly on Turkey Day ever since.

Barnegat has particularly enjoyed these holiday scrimmages, as they’ve defeated Pinelands six straight times, including a close 16-8 victory in 2014 and a wider victory last year with a final score of 31-7.

The wins have come as a good boost in morale for the struggling Bengals, especially this year, as Barnegat will end on a 4-5 overall record. Their last three games, which counted toward determining playoff contention, ended in losses. Despite the short-lived season for the Bengals, many players stepped up to plate and contributed to some interesting contests.

These five key players are all around this year.

Manasquan (8-1) seeded 3rd, and Wall (7-2) the number 1 seed, remain in the hunt for NJSIAA honors in their respective groups. Wall leads Manasquan in the Thanksgiving series, 9-7.

By the looks of their records, these teams seem to be, for the most part, evenly matched. Wall racked up 252 points and allowed 126 points against their opponents, while Manasquan scored 236 points and allowed 140.

Janeczek, who has 22 receptions for 393 yards and two scores, is Wall’s key receiver.

He is also a kickoff and punt return threat.

Running back Larkin is just under 1,000 yards rushing on the season, on just 138 carries.

Barnegat and Pinelands Rivalry Continues to Grow

Larkin also has 15 touchdowns, and generated 244 yards and three scores in the firstround blowout of competitive Camden team in the NJSIAA tournament. Quarterback Eddie Scott can complete passes, but is also a running threat as evidenced by his eight carries for 61 yards against Camden.

Senior quarterback Connor Lustenberger threw for 1,030 yards on the season, driving the offensive effort down field and putting the Bengals in favorable position.

At the other end of many of those receptions was senior receiver Jacques Picault, who went for 420 yards on 19 catches.

The defense also teamed up in a big way to stop opposing teams from advancing too far into Bengal territory.

Eric Becker and Brian Evans were the two big brick walls on the D-Line, recording 24 and 23 tackles, respectively.

Despite the regular consistency Barnegat has captured at the Thanksgiving Day game, Pinelands would love nothing more than to disrupt that trend.

The Wildcats, who also posted a 4-5 record on the season, won’t be seeing playoff action, just like their counterparts. The Thanksgiving win would certainly make the season memorable and give a lot of Pinelanders much to talk about around the table.

Manasquan's defense has been impressive this season, allowing an average of 15.5 points per game and has held their opponents to two touchdowns or less in five of their nine games. Morgan and Canyon Birch complement each other nicely at running back having combined for more than 1,000 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.

Pinelands’ offense mostly consists of a ground attack with assaults through the air far in-between.

Despite the sparse use of the quarterback, primarily Garrett Brown, he managed to log about 297 yards over 19 completions and 40 attempts.

Chris Lewis was usually his man on the other end, catching eight of those receptions for a total of 166 yards.

On the ground is where Pinelands’ offense shined.

Doing much of the rushing was Evan Burtton, who ran for 1187 yards on 152 attempts, averaging about 132 yards per game.

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Page 16 Jersey Sporting News • 11/22/16 - 12/5/16

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