Page 2 Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6
CBA Knocked Out Of SCT
By Michael Rogers For the first time ever, the Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) boys’ basketball team had to play in a preliminary round. The Colts were trying to win their 17th Shore Conference Tournament championship. As the number 15th seed, the Colts took on the 18th seed in Point Beach. The Colts came out with
PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI C B A’s Kiernan Hughes (41) flies over his opponents to the basket.
a 60- 57 win. CBA fell behind by 11 points but Kieran Hughes helped bring CBA back scoring 27 points and also grabbing 16 rebounds and four assists. The Colts got eight points from Hughes as they outscored Point Beach 19-15 to tie the score at 48 at the end of regulation. Hughes also had nine points in the second overtime. For Point Beach; Matt Farrell led his team in scoring 26 points.
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With the win CBA moved on to play the number two seed in Lakewood. The Colts’ offense could not get going against a tough Lakewood (17-5) defense. The Colts (13-9) lost by the score of 52 - 36. Tyrice Beverette led a balanced attack for the Piners scoring 12 points. Lakewood will now move on to play the number 10 seed in Manasquan for the third time this season. CBA will now get ready for the state tournament.
Roses Reach Final Four
Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6 Page 3
B y Ted Kaiser LINCROFT— The St. Rose girls’ basketball team continued their strong season last week in the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT). The Purple Roses defeated Point Boro 51-41 to advance to the semifinals behind a solid defensive effort in the second half. Sarah Kurtz had an outstanding game with 18 points, a career-high. The Panthers tested St. Rose for a good portion of the game. It wasn’t until about midway through the third quarter that the Roses took their first lead and it was eerily similar to their previous game. The Roses survived a scare in the Round of 16. Colts Neck, the 15th seed, led by seven at halftime before St. Rose turned up the defense. They held the Cougars to nine points in each of the final two quarters. The trio of Samantha Clark, Diana
Malanaga and Kasey Chambers all scored 11 points. Colts Neck received 13 points from both Rachel Krauss and Jessie Fifield. Point Boro reached the quarterfinals by virtue of a 53-33 over 10th seeded Middletown South. Guard Kelly Hughes had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Lindsey Havens added 14 points for the Panthers. The Class A North Division Champion Eagles trailed by only five at halftime, but could not get the offense going in the second half. The Roses will face third seeded St. John Vianney in the SCT semifinals on Tuesday, February 21st at 7:45pm at Brookdale Community College. The winner will advance to the SCT Final at Monmouth PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI University on Friday, February Pt. Boro’s Lindsey Havens (12) goes up 24th at 6:00pm. against a St. Rose player trying to block the shot.
Cougars Living Up To #1 Billing B y Ted Kaiser LINCROFT— The Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) semifinals begin on Wednesday and the top seed remains alive for the championship. Colts Neck defeated Asbury Park 59-43 in the quarterfinals to advance. Brandon Federici scored 24 points to lead the Cougars. “We are playing a very athletic team that has three big time scorers. It’s going to be a battle,” said Colts Neck Head Coach Lou Piccola before Sunday’s game. “We like to think our body of work in terms of practice and tough games prepares us well for these games. Everybody in the final eight has a chance to win so there are no easy games.” Colts Neck blasted 17th seeded Toms River South in the Round of 16 last Thursday. Sean O’Reilly had 17 points as the Cougars rolled to a 74-46 win. Hunter Wysocki and Brandon Federici scored 16 and 15 points respectively. Junior guard Tim Vangelis also hit double figures with 13 points. Elija Dupree had a game-high 18 points for the Indians. “We shot the ball real well and I think we wore them down,” explained Coach Piccola. “They are a very scrappy team, well-coached and they run their offense well. I thought they did a real good job of breaking us down, but we made some plays.” Meanwhile, Asbury Park advanced to the quarterfinals with a thrilling 61-59 win over defending champion Raritan. Armond Conover came alive in the fourth quarter to finish with 11 points after being quieted for most of the game. Thomond Hammary pumped in a team-high 22 points and Amir Conover added 16 points. The Rockets did not go quietly. Last year’s player of the year, senior center Mike Aaman, scored a game-high 25 points to nearly lift his squad to the victory. The Cougars will face Middletown North in the SCT
PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI Lucas Lalima (11) beats his opponents to the basket for Colts Neck.
semifinals on Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:00pm at Brookdale Community College. The winner will advance to the SCT Final at Monmouth University on Friday, February 24th at 7:45pm.
EDITOR
WRITERS
Francine Attardi Anne Kasten Eric Braun Dan Massa
Chris Rotolo
Anne Kasten
PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Attardi Founder
Francesca Attardi Owner
PRODUCTION We now accept credit cards POE Press HEAD WRITER Ted Kaiser
Mike Rogers Sal Musto
Josh Lashley
Frank Della Femina John Healey
Matt DeMarco Eric Braun
Brian Daneman
PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI Asbury Park’s Samantha Clark (2) goes to the basket for two points.
PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI Asbury Parks Armond Conover (5) knocks over a Colts Neck player as he flies to the basket.
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Mustangs Knock Defending Champs Off Mat Page 4 Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6
B y Ted Kaiser BRICK TOWNSHIP— The Brick Memorial wrestling team knew they faced a tall order in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV sectional final. Their opponent, Jackson Memorial, entered the match as the two-time defending champion and with a perfect 19-0 record. But the Mustangs wrestled without fear and came away with three pins and two major decisions on their way to a 35-29 upset of the Jaguars. Jackson Memorial had a lead early in the match, however, the tide began to change at 145 lbs. Freshman Cliff Ruggiero, 138 lb., wrestled up to the 145 lb. weight class and pulled out a dramatic pin. That started a strong of victories for Brick Memorial.
Senior Evan Berti recoreded a pin at 152 lbs. and the Mustangs got a major decision from junior Tyler Richardson at 170 lbs. The Jaguars steadied themselves with major decision wins at 182 lbs. and 195 lbs. making the match come down to a few key bouts. Junior Matt Moore scored a critical victory for Brick Memorial with a pin at 220 lbs. and sophomore Tyler Poling took the heavyweight bout. The Mustangs advanced to the overall Group IV semifinals which took place last Sunday at Pine Belt Arena/Toms River North. They battled fellow Shore Conference foe Southern for the right to play for the Gro up IV championship later in the day.
GRAND OPENING
Southern’s Steve Johns wrestles against Brick’s Nick Costa.
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Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6 Page 5
Squan Stuns Lakewood In Overtime Page 6 Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6
By Ted Kaiser LINCROFT— The Manasquan boys’ basketball team stunned heavily favored Lakewood in the quarterfinals of the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) with a 54-53 win in overtime. After trailing in the fourth quarter, the Warriors rallied and overcame a six-point deficit. J.R. Hobbie, who scored a game-high 19 points, hit two free throws in the final seconds of overtime to give Manasquan a threepoint lead. Jimmy Walsh chipped in 16 points. Lakewood was led by 18 points from Tyrice Beverette. In the Round of 16, Lakewood ousted perennial power Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) who PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI came in as an unusu- Manasquan’s Jack Fay (14) muscles his way to the basket as PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI Lakewood’s DaJuan Morris (31) fights off two Manasquan players ally low fifteenth seed Squan tops Lakewood in an upset win. to get to the basket. due to their rebuilding season. The Piners was all Lakewood and they rolled Manasquan ousted Lacey in the February 22nd at 7:45pm at trailed by five after one quarter and for a 52-36 victory. Point guard Round of 16 with a 55-46 victory. Brookdale Community College. held only a one-point lead at half- Tyrice Beverette led the way with The Warriors will face Neptune in The winner will advance to the time. However, the third quarter 12 points, while Jameer Jones and the SCT semifinals on Wednesday, SCT Final at Monmouth University on Friday, February 24th at 7:45pm.
Jeremy Lin
By Jim Garrett Jeremy Lin has made a great story for everyone whether they are sports fans or not. He played at Harvard and was released by two NBA teams. He was signed by the Knicks and has made a great impression on basketball fans because he plays with great joy and tremendous emotion. His apparent love of playing the game should be a great example for all young athletes to never give up and continue to pursue your dreams. He has shown his veteran NBA teammates his dedication to be a productive player. His game effort drives his fellow players to match his competitive hard driving energy to be a member of a winning team. He faced failure and never turned away from his goal to be an NBA player. He is a hero to all athletes who seek to reach their goals. He is a great role model for kids and adults and he is my hero.
RBC Girls’ Hoops Out Of SCT
Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6 Page 7
By Michael Rogers The Red Bank Catholic girls’ basketball team (18-5) went into the Shore Conference Tournament on a roll winning eight of their last nine games. In the first round of the tournament they faced Marlboro (13-6) and continued their winning ways earning a 54 30 victory. They moved on to the quarter finals at Brookdale Community College where they played Neptune who was the number four seed in the tournament.The Caseys came up short against the Lady Fliers losing by the score of 47- 40. In their game against Marlboro the RBC used a first half where they dominated Marlboro outscoring them 31 -7 in the first half. Morgan Arnott led the way with 14 points while Alex Alfano added 11 points on their way to a 54- 30 win. Jackie Cajical and Caroline Corcoran each scored seven points for RBC. Haley Unger led the way for Marlboro with 10 points. RBC was the number five seed and moved on to play the number four seed in Marlboro. The Caseys played tough but came up short losing 47- 40. For Neptune, Nahja Carter scored a game high 18 points. Cydney Mooney finished with 12 points while Amerisse Rogers and Ive Harrington each scored eight points. Mary Kate Cavalry led the PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI way with nine points. Neptune will PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI now move on to play the number Ivy Harrington (13) jumps to the basket for Neptune Neptune’s Nahje Carter (33) flies to the basket. She scored in the win over RBC. a game-high 18 points during the game against RBC. one seed in Manasquan.
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Balanced Attack Leads Middletown North Over Jackson Memorial Page 8 Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6
B y Ted Kaiser LINCROFT— Despite a few early season hiccups, the Middletown North basketball team is finally looking like the squad that was the pre-season favorite in the Shore Conference. The Lions used a balanced offensive attack to topple Jackson Memorial by a score of 5241 in the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) semifinals. Four players scored in double figures including Jason Huelbig (13 points), Tim Frawler (12 points), Cody Thompson (11 points) and Eric Youncofski (11 points). Middletown North ran away from divisional rival Manalapan 64-43 in the Round of 16. Senior Jason Huelbig poured in 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Junior guard Cody Thompson added 17 points and Tim Frawley chipped in with 12 points. The win was especially sweet for the Lions because the Braves defeated them back in December and North held on for a close victory in their second meeting. Also in the Round of 16, Jackson Memorial routed Ocean 54-32. Brandon McDonnell scored 15 points and Brian Kenny had 13 points for the Jaguars. The Spartans tried to hang tough, but their ninepoint halftime deficit doubled by the end of the third quarter. Dan McGuckin led Ocean with 14 points. The Lions will face Colts Neck in the SCT semifinals on Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:00pm at Brookdale Community College. The winner will advance to the SCT Final at Monmouth PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI University on Friday, February Eric Youncofski (4)scored 11 points for Middletown North. 24th at 7:45pm.
PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI Jackson Memorial’s Brandon McDonnel (21) scored 15 points against Middletown North.
Manasquan Defeats Rumson/Fair Haven In SCT
Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6 Page 9
By Michael Rogers The Lady Bulldogs (17-7) entered the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) as the number eight seed and faced the number nine seed in Holmdel (15-9) and Rumson/Fair Haven (RFH) came out with a 56-42 win. The victory gave the Bulldogs the chance to take on the number one seed in Manasquan (22-1). The Lady Bulldogs played tough but the Mabrey sisters were just too much and RFH lost by the score of 68-45. In the game against Holmdel, Sam Sabino helped RFH get out to a 227 lead scoring seven points. For RFH, Casey Weiss led the way with 12 points while Jess Harvey added nine points and Hannah Miller scored eight points. Miller also grabbed six rebounds. With the win, RFH moved on to play number one seeded Manasquan. The Lady Bulldogs played real tough against the number one seed but the Bulldogs lost by the score of 68-45. After Manasquan jumped out to a large lead the Bulldogs came back and cut the lead to just five points. After the lead was cut the Mabrey sisters helped Manasquan go on a 12 point run and put the game out of reach for the Lady Bulldogs. Both Michaela and Marina Mabrey scored a game-high 23 points each. Manasquan will move on to play the number four seed in Neptune.
PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI Above: RFH’s Clair Stefanelli (44) takes a shot at the basket. Right: Manasquan’s Sam Sullivan (21) makes a graceful move to the net.
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Fliers Fly Past St. Rose Page 10 Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6
By Ted Kaiser LINCROFT— The Neptune boys’ basketball team soared in the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) quarterfinals. The Scarlet Fliers rolled past St. Rose for a 58-39 victory to advance to the semifinals. Jaheem Woods scored a team-high 17 points, while Ikie Calderon added 14 and Keith Kirkwood chipped in 10 points.
Neptune coasted by Point Boro in the Round of 16 by a score of 62-41. After trailing by a point after the first quarter, the Fliers found another gear and increase their scoring as the game went on. Jaheem Woods had 19 points and Ikie Calderon added 16 points. The Panthers got a gamehigh 25 points from guard Shaun Cooke, but no other player came Continued on page 11
Tests And Measurments
We live in an era when the behavior and conduct of many in the spot light is being questioned and challenged. Do not let this behavior discourage or mislead you down a false path believing that such behavior is normal or appropriate. The reason it gets such attention is because it is the exception, the abnormal and the inappropriate. The true measurement of success is not always seen in the spotlight. Continue to set good examples and it will be noticed. The NFL combines begin shortly. Aside from all the times for speed, strength measurement, and records, the NFL looks closely at the athlete as a person. The NFL provides an opportunity for each player to interact one on one with their potential employers. Past behavior is considered as well as predicted behavior. The spotlight is turned on each individual athlete for an intense examination of who they are and what they have done and what they can do. Prepare for your personal NFL combines by measuring the quality of your life and actions. They are always recorded and in the spotlight.
PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI S t . R o s e ’s Mark Kukoda (2) flies to the basket surrounded by Neptune players.
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Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6 Page 11
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Fliers Fly Past St. Rose Continued from page 10
close to scoring double figures. St. Rose reached the quarterfinals thanks to a 74-68 upset of sixth seeded Freehold Township. Mark Kukoda caught fire for a game-high 31 points, Conor Leddy scored 15, and guard Jim Rockstedt nailed four three-pointers to finish with 12 points. The Roses drained 12 three-point field goals in the game and that proved to be the difference. John Horrigan had 21 points to lead the Patriots. The Scarlet Fliers will face Manasquan in the SCT semifinals on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7:45pm at Brookdale Community College. The winner will advance to the SCT Final at Monmouth University on Friday, February 24th at 7:45pm. PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI Top right: Neptune’s Josh Jenkins (1) fights for possession of the ball. Left: Neptune’s Rahsul Holland ( 11) fights for the ball against a St. Rose player. Bottom right: Neptune’s I k i e Calderon scores his 1000th point from the free-throw line.
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State Championship For Spartans Page 12 Jersey Sporting News • February 7 - March 6
By Ted Kaiser OCEAN TOWNSHIP— A decisive victory gave Ocean Township the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III wrestling championship. The Spartans won their first sectional title since 2009 (their last of five consecutive) with a 39-9 win over Brick Township. While Ocean only had one pin, they dominated the Green Dragons from start to finish. They won 10 of the 13 total bouts. Freshman Zach Hertling (120 lbs.) was the lone Spartan to record a pin. He put Dean Sherry down for the count in a quick matchup. The remarkable freshman is an outstanding 25-0 on the season. His veteran teammate, senior Colton Bigelow, remained undefeated improving to 29-0 in the 220 lb. weight class. Bigelow, also a key contributor for the football team last fall, won a
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major decision over Brick’s Dave Wallis. Ocean ran off a streak of five straight bouts in the middle weight classes beginning with Jason DeCruz’s win at 132 lbs. Orion Rovegno (138 lbs.), Withler Marcelin (145 lbs.), Nick Pappayliou (152 lbs.) and Mike Andre (160 lbs.) rounded out the winning streak. The Spartans were slated to face Paramus last Sunday afternoon in the Group III semifinal at the Pine Belt Arena. A victory would have Ocean vying for the overall Group III state championship. Top right: Ocean’s Jacob Bell gets the advantage over Matt Pozi of Paramus.
Bottom right: Ocean’s Scott Bigelow pins his opponent in the 220-lb. weight division.
Brick Twp. Tops Memorial In Shootout Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6 Page 13
By Ted Kaiser BRICK TOWNSHIP— The stage was set for a dramatic game between two bitter crosstown rivals on the ice. Brick Township and Brick Memorial have a strong rivalry in many sports, but ice hockey always seems to be one of the most hotly contested. Last week’s meeting on Wednesday night at the Ocean Ice Palace was no exception. In fact, this game was even more important because it was the quarterfinals of the Handchen Cup. Brick Township (12-5-3) entered as the third seed and Brick Memorial (9-11-4) came in as the sixth seed. Although the Mustangs have been
struggling a bit this winter, there was no doubt that they would their A game against the Green Dragons. Freshman Ryan Monaghan got Brick Memorial on the scoreboard first on a feed from senior forward Justin Apgar. The 1-0 score would hold through the end of the first period. Apgar found the back of the net in the early stages of the second period and Brick Township suddenly found itself in a 2-0 hole. Senior forward Tyler Martin responded with a shorthanded goal to trim the deficit in half, however, the Mustangs answered just 16 seconds later on a power play goal by Nick
Spinelli. Sophomore forward Ryan Price answered for the Green Dragons and the second period ended with a 3-2 Brick Memorial lead. Steven Bruno scored to start the third period and push the lead to 42. Sophomore David Kearns and then senior Brendan Dowd scored back-to-back goals for the Green Dragons to tie the game. Once again, the Mustangs clawed ahead on another goal by Bruno. Brick Township had one last comeback in them though. Brian Murphy scored with 42 seconds remaining to tie the game at 5-5 and force overtime.
The five-minute overtime was played without a score and the thriller went to a shootout. Even the shootout went to a second round after the first round ended 1-1. Brendan Dowd came through as the hero to get the goal ahead shootout score and goaltender Jake Lampiasi (12 saves) made a final save to seal the victory. Not to be lost in the tremendous game was the effort of Brick Memorial goaltender Tim Scheiss who made an astounding 46 saves. Brick Township advances to the Handchen Cup semifinals against Toms River North.
By Ted Kaiser BRICK TOWNSHIP— The Brick Memorial wrestling team knew they faced a tall order in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV sectional final. Their opponent, Jackson Memorial, entered the match as the two-time defending champion and a perfect 19-0 record. But the Mustangs wrestled without fear and came away with
three pins and two major decisions on their way to a 35-29 upset of the Jaguars. Jackson Memorial had a lead early in the match; however, the tide began to change at 145 lbs. Freshman Cliff Ruggiero (138 lb.) wrestled up to the 145 lb. weight class and pulled out a dramatic pin. That started a string of victories for
Brick Memorial. Senior Evan Berti recorded a pin at 152 lbs. and the Mustangs got a major decision from junior Tyler Richardson at 170 lbs. The Jaguars steadied themselves with major decision wins at 182 lbs. and 195 lbs. making the match come down to a few key bouts. Junior Matt Moore scored a critical victory for Brick Memorial
with a pin at 220 lbs. and sophomore Tyler Poling took the heavyweight bout. The Mustangs advanced to the overall Group IV semifinals which took place last Sunday at Pine Belt Arena/Toms River North. They battled fellow Shore Conference foe Southern for the right to play for the Group IV championship later in the day.
Mustangs Knock Defending Champs Off Mat
Page 14 Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6
Former Warriors Set To Begin Their 2012 College Seasons
Nick Lustrino is looking to make a smooth transition to Division I baseball as he begins the 2012 campaign for the Temple University Owls. First year Head Coach Ryan Wheeler will use Lustrino’s athleticism in a number of roles this season. The season began February 17th at Old Dominion University with a three game series. According to Coach Wheeler, “We've moved Nick Lustrino there who as a freshman coming in has just done a phenomenal job. We've bounced him around from short stop, third base, catcher, first base. He's been an allpurpose player, but we've thrown him over there at first base. Positionally, like I said, Lustrino
Nick Lustrino of Spring Lake is an infielder for Temple University.
has really stood out so far because of his versatility and I think we can bounce him around in a number of different positions. I told him he's probably not going to get knocked into any one position this year. So, he just needs to be flexible and go with it.” Read more about Ryan Wheeler’s
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Colin Briant of Manasquan is a pitcher for Army.
2012 season at: www.owlsports.com Colin Briant who stands at 6”5’’ is entering his second season on the mound at West Point. Briant saw mound duty in eight contests during his freshman season. He picked up his first career win against Quinnipiac, tossing five scoreless innings. Briant established career bests with four strikeouts and five innings pitched in that contest. He earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors following that outing as well. Briant matched his career high with four strikeouts in his next start against Siena, tossing 4.1 innings in a no-decision. He made four relief appearances during the course of the season. Briant came out of the bullpen against Radford, Ohio State, Dartmouth
and Marist. His best relief outing came against the Buckeyes when he threw 1.2 innings of scoreless ball in which he did not allow a hit. Army opens their season on February 17th at High Point University in North Carolina. Briant will continue to add depth to the Black Knights' pitching staff as they consider him an athletic specimen with the ability to throw in the mid-to-upper-80s. He does possess a quality breaking ball and a developing changeup and he has been penciled in as a midweek starter after serving in that role as a freshman last season. Briant is expected to challenge for work out of the Black Knights' bullpen during Patriot League weekends this spring as a middle reliever.
Monmouth Softball Makes Donation To Janelle Moorehead Scholarship Fund Hawks allocate portion of proceeds from recent clinics to scholarship fund
The Monmouth University softball team has announced that it will donate a portion of the proceeds from their Jan. 22 winter clinic to the Janelle Moorehead Scholarship Fund. Moorehead was a freshman on the softball team during the 2010-11 academic year, before becoming ill and suddenly passing away on Jan. 6, 2011. The fund, established by Monmouth Athletics in Moorehead’s memory, set a goal of raising $25,000 of support by 2015 to provide future financial assistance for Monmouth Softball players. The Moorehead family and friends continue to keep Janelle’s memory through fundraising camps, among other efforts, to benefit the Janelle Moorehead Scholarship Fund. In December, the family raised more than $2,000 through a softball camp. All of the proceeds went to the scholarship fund. In addition, a family friend also recently secured a $500 donation to the fund by a local ABC television affiliate in California. Those interested in making a contribution to the Janelle Moorehead Scholarship Fund can send donations to: Monmouth University Office of Advancement c/o Janelle Moorehead Scholarship Fund 400 Cedar Avenue West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Colts Crowned Sectional Champions Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6 Page 15
B y Ted Kaiser LINCROFT — After last year’s bitter one point defeat at the hands of Bishop Ahr in the sectional final, the Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) wrestling team wanted a different outcome this time. The Colts (19-5) rolled to a 42-14 win over St. Augustine (21-9) to take the NSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A championship. Richard Long won the opening bout in the 138 lb. weight class, but then St. Augustine won two straight bouts to take an early lead. There was no panic on the Colts’ side and the team went on to take nine of the next 11 bouts. “Our team really feeds off each other, once one of the guys who has a close match wins, it just gets the other guys pumped up to wrestle their hearts out,” explained assistant Coach Andrew Skove. Senior Vin Favia turned the early 7-3 deficit around with another win by major decision in the 160 lb. weight class. Favia improved to a perfect 31-0 on the season. From that point on,
run. Sophomores Erik Beshada (113 lbs.) and Christian Casselli (126 lbs.) were among others to pick up wins. In the District 22 championships last weekend, CBA figured to have a good chance for at least three champions. Vin Favia is a reigning champ, the top seed in the bracket and a favorite at 160 lbs. Senior Mike Matlaga, bound for the University of Chicago next fall, was the number one seed at 138 lbs. Senior Hayden Hrymack also hoped to go out with a championship at 195 lbs. “It was a really hard district this year with so many state champions like us, Ocean and Raritan in the district,” said Coach Skove. “District 22 is probably the toughest in the state this year.” In all, nine CBA wrestlers remained alive for a district title heading into the C B A’s Christian Casselli vs. Romulo Garcia of Long Branch in the 126- semifinal round. The Colts did in fact lb match. capture four individual crowns on Saturday with Favia, Hrymack, Eric CBA was dominant and never relin- feit at 195 lbs., Hayden Hrymack (220 Beshada (113 lbs.), and Mike Hoegler quished the lead. Senior Mike Hoegler lbs.) and senior Kirby Gardner (HWT) (170 lbs.) winning titles. won at 170 lbs., the Colts gained a for- earned back-to-back pins during a nice
With the first pitch just around the corner, many local youth league coaches have been training all winter with their teams. Coaches are able to get a lot of indoor work done at the Frozen Ropes training center in Tinton Falls. Batting practice is commonly thought of as one player hitting live on a field while the others wait their turn. With the facility having batting cages and various training aids such as batting tees, pitching machines, protective screens and more coaches have found
that in just one hour you can get a lot of quality work done. Indoor practices make it possible for more than one hitter to take batting practice or work on hitting drills while others do the same. Getting the most out of cage use has really helped youth league coaches manage their practice time more efficiently. Frozen Ropes training center owner Matt Passerelle looks forward to youth coaches inquiring on how to run a well-organized practice. Passerelle offers coaches clin-
Youth Baseball Coaches Getting Most Out Of Indoor Facility ics to the local leagues and has spent time traveling to the area leagues to conduct such training. He has many local travel teams training with the Frozen Ropes staff and they are able to get a head start on the spring while getting quality instruction in an indoor session. Frozen Ropes offers instruction from current and former college and professional players. There are pro players frequently in the facility preparing for spring training and are
happy to share their knowledge with youth players. Seton Hall pitching coach, Phil Cundari who was named National Collegiate Pitching Coach of the Year in 2011 has helped Passerelle develop a youth pitching program for area coaches. Cundari has worked with pitchers of all ages and knows what goes into an off- season indoor program. Frozen Ropes offers many options to training indoors all year long. Players of all ages are welcome to train at the center.
Eagles Continue To Soar Page 16 Jersey Sporting News • February 21 - March 6
By John Healy The Middletown South boys’ ice hockey team does not experience much losing these days. In fact, the Eagles are currently flying high with a 12-game unbeaten streak, going 10-0-2 in their previous 12 games, including a current six-game winning streak to extend their record to 15-5-2. Not only are the Eagles winning games, but their players are achieving significant milestones along the way. In the first round of the Handchen Cup on Feb. 17, senior forward Chris Connor tallied his 150th career point with a hat trick and two assists in the Eagles’ 6-2 victory over Howell. “Chris has been playing great all season and his line of Tyler Ralph and Zach England is pretty tough to defend,” Middletown South Head Coach Stan Gutt said to the Star Ledger. “He has been so steady since he was a freshman.” Meanwhile, James Burns also contributed with three assists in the win, while England had two goals and an assist. Goaltender Trevor Ralph also stopped 30 of 32 shots in the game to help advance the top-seeded Eagles to the semifinal round where
they will square off against Wall on Feb. 22. Howell, who previously defeated the Eagles on Dec. 29 in the Bridgewater Holiday Tournament, kept the game close until the third period where the Eagles broke the game open. The Eagles took a 21 lead into the final period and extended it to a 3-1 lead when Connor found the back of the net for his second goal just over five minutes into the period. Howell responded with a powerplay goal from Steven Bernhardt but it was not enough. Connor scored another goal just 35 seconds later to give the Eagles a 42 lead. Steven Sangermano and England scored the final two goals in the period, capping the 6-2 victory.
PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI Above right: Middletown S o u t h ’s C h r i s C o n n o r ( 2 8 ) steals the puck from Holmdel’s Matt Schiek (12).
PHOTO: FRANCINE ATTARDI Botom right: Middletown South goalie Trever Ralph was successful at stopping a Holmdel goal.