All Shore Media High School Sports 1-12-13 Issue - 2 - Volume V

January 21, 2013 Volume-V

Issue-2

Gulls 3 Garnet Making Their Point Coming 4 Lacrosse to Middletown

Hall of 5 Lacrosse Fame Induction ELITE Sports Performance 6 Ask the Experts

CHANGE 8 - 9 OF PLANS

11 12

Brick Memorial With Another Instant Classic SCT Wrestling Preview

15 Stumpy’s Corner

The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want to know after the big game is always,

�Is this going to be on

�

All Shore Media has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

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Making Their Point

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Junior point guard Matt Farrell finished with a team-high 23 points along with six assists and four steals, and junior Dom Uhl scored a career-high 17 points and had seven rebounds and three blocks in his best game with the Garnet Gulls since transferring from Frankfurt, Germany, over the summer. Senior center Riley Calzonetti added 10 points and 8 rebounds for Point Beach, which showed an offensive balance that may be unmatched in the Shore Conference along with a stingy defense in crunch time "We just tried to play good defense, and the offense comes,'' Uhl said. "We were fired up.

We wanted to prove to everybody that we're the best team in the Shore.''

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"(Federici) was unconscious in the first half,'' said Point Beach head coach Nick Catania. "At halftime, we're going, 'He can't keep shooting like that.' Noah was draped all over him, then Matty Farrell did a real good job on him. When we were denying we weren't getting our hand out. He was getting too many catches. We wanted to limit his catches.''

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Four different players scored during the key burst, and Point Beach's improved defense created much of that offense to send the Garnet Gulls, ranked No. 2 in the All Shore Media Top 10, on their way to an impressive 67-56 nondivisional win over the No. 1 Cougars. Point Beach (12-0) remains the only undefeated Shore Conference team and handed the Cougars (12-2) their first loss against New Jersey competition this season in front of a capacity crowd on the Garnet Gulls' home floor.

"They set a lot of staggers (staggered screens) for him, and at first our top guy wasn't hedging,'' Farrell said. "He needed to hedge longer even if we had to switch it. We just wanted to lock and trail him, and just force him into bad shots because he's a great player.''

After the decisive 9-0 burst, the Garnet Gulls closed out the win by going 7-for-8 from the foul line in the final 1:49, including a 6-for-6 showing

by Farrell. While Federici was brilliant for Colts Neck, every player on the floor was a scoring threat for Point Beach. Farrell, Kineavy, Calzonetti and Uhl routinely beat their defenders off the dribble along the baseline or from the wing to create easy buckets as the Garnet Gulls did a good job of spacing the floor.

"We feel our five people on the floor at the same time, even our bench, can take anyone on the court,'' Farrell said. "The way that (the Cougars) play defense, they sag off their man, but they're not helpside all the way, so we knew we could get to the basket."

"This game we opened it up and ran our motion a little bit because we felt like laterally we could beat them off the dribble,'' Catania said. "I feel we're talented. When you're thinking about the matchups, I feel pretty good with anybody we're going to play. It's just a matter of are we going to play with confidence, are we going to focus, are we going to execute the gameplan?"

A Point Beach lead that Point Beach withstood a was as high as 13 points blistering attack by in the third quarter had Federici to start the game, been whittled to four as the 6-foot-3 guard went points by the Cougars 6-for-7 from the field in after sophomore guard the first half and rattled in Chris O'Reilly buried a 15 first-quarter points, 3-pointer for his only including three 3-pointers, points of the game to to give the Cougars a 19trim it to 50-46 early in 15 advantage at the end the fourth period. Point of one. Farrell countered Pt. Beach senior center Riley Calzonetti Beach answered with a with 10 points in the free throw by Calzonetti, second quarter, combining a dunk by the 6-foot-6 Uhl off a steal, a jumper by with Uhl and junior forward Jeff Bryant for 12 junior Noah Yates off another Cougars turnover, a points in a 17-7 run to close the first half and give 3-point play by Calzonetti in transition off a third the Garnet Gulls a 37-28 lead. The 6-foot-5 Bryant turnover and then a reverse layup on a drive by was active on both ends of the floor, creating extra senior guard P.J. Kineavy for a 60-46 advantage possessions and getting putbacks on the offensive with 3:35 left in the game. glass, while also finishing with three blocks in the game. Farrell ended the half by grabbing two "We're going to put the ball in the basket, so it's straight rebounds off his own missed shots and then just if we want to play defense,'' Farrell said. putting in a runner as time expired.

The Garnet Gulls, particularly Yates, also did a Colts Neck forced seven turnovers in the third much better job of slowing down Colts Neck senior quarter to fight its way right back into the game. star Brandon Federici. He finished with a gameUhl kept Point Beach afloat with six of his 17 high 25 points, but only four of them came in the points in the third period to allow the Garnet Gulls second half as Point Beach forced him into 2-for-6 to stay ahead, 48-43, heading into the fourth shooting from the field after the break. Senior quarter. Point Beach was able to isolate him on the guard Tim Vangelas added 14 points in the loss for wing, where he is a match-up problem because of the Cougars.

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

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hen Point Beach broke open a tight game with a 9-0 run against Colts Neck during a showdown of the Shore Conference's top two teams on Jan. 19, it was a microcosm of what has set the Garnet Gulls apart from the rest of the competition so far this season.

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By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Pt. Beach junior PG Matt Farrell

his ability to stick the three or put the ball on the floor and blow by bigger defenders to explode to the rim. Uhl has already received interest from Temple, Northwestern and LIU-Brooklyn and is becoming more comfortable with the faster and more physical American game compared to the style he played in Germany.

"I feel like I'm starting to play more aggressively now and getting used to the speed (of the game),'' Uhl said. "When they give me space, I just shoot the ball, and when they play me close, I just drive to the basket. I think nobody my size can defend me because I'm basically quicker than everybody.''

"He causes problems all over the place, no matter who guards him,'' Farrell said. "I think the first 11 games, 10 games, he was hesitant, trying to get used to the game. Now he's fitting into the offense.

He's a matchup problem for everybody.''

The Garnet Gulls closed out the win strong, holding Colts Neck to 11-for-27 shooting from the field in the second half, for their most impressive win in a season that also includes a victory over a talented Manasquan team from the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase a week earlier. They also did it without sophomore starter Chris Schifano, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee in the win over Manasquan.

Now the target is squarely on their back as the Shore's No. 1 team and only undefeated squad, which is rarefied air for a tiny Group I school in a 47-team conference.

"We're No. 1, and it's just incredible,'' Farrell said. "We're kind of used to (the pressure) by now.

We know that when we go into other gyms now and other teams play us, they're playing their hardest and they want to come at us strong. We're going to be prepared.''

Game Video Highlights by:

Scott Stump

www.allshoremedia.com File Photos by:

Bill Normile

www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

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Lacrosse In Middletown: Now Becoming a Reality

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By Pete Skarzynski – LIM, North Vice President

t s ta r ted with a s ave. Th e b all wa s clea r ed to Ch r is Fis h er f r om M id dletown N or th . He dr ew in th e def en s e a n d d is h ed th e b all to M idd leto wn S o u th 's Evan Lepk os k i.

S h o t... S CO RE! Th e f ir s t go al ever b y a M id dletown High S ch oo l team.

Lacrosse is finally here in Middletown thanks to a group called Lacrosse In Middletown. L.I.M. is a community based organization with a goal to get high school lacrosse teams playing competitively in Middletown high schools this spring. They are committed to completely funding both the boys and girls lacrosse programs at Middletown High School North and South. Since the beginning of 2012, this group of parents and community lacrosse enthusiasts have created a strong organization based on their love of the sport knowing it will bring excitement and opportunities to many student athletes of Middletown.

Led by Chris Fisher, President and founder of LIM, the organization has really taken off. Starting with just an idea and a dream in late 2011, Chris seized the idea to bring this sport to Middletown and went for it. "I knew this was tried a few times in the past but that didn't discourage me. I was confident if I could find the right group of likeminded volunteers we could get

this thing off the ground and on the field by spring 2013." Chris did just that by assembling a board of five additional dads who began their push for boys and girls Lax in the schools.

Working closely with the Board of Education L.I.M. has been able to accomplish many things in a short period of time.

L.I.M. has become the everything for

Middletown lacrosse.

Since forming they have formed an organization of more than 100 families, ran 2 summer camps, 10 clinics, started two student clubs at the high schools, assembled a winter boys HS team and middle school girls team, and have currently raised over $50,000 towards this year’s team budgets. They have held parent meetings, multiple fundraisers and found many opportunities to get the word out about lacrosse. "We hold clinics on Thursday nights for 7th through 12th grade Middletown public school students. Upcoming clinics for the girls and boys will run through February," explained board member John Griffin.

"Our main goal is to meet the financial goals of

the organization," said John Macrae. "As the treasurer I am pleased with our efforts so far but we really hope the community will embrace us and give to the kids." "We have a variety of ways that businesses and families can help our student athletes financially. Gift matching, equipment donation and direct donations are just a few."

With the athletes available in Middletown great things are right around the corner. L.I.M. hopes to continue to build on what was started and create a lasting program for the boys and girls teams of Middletown North and South and begin the quest this spring to bring championship lacrosse to the district.

To support the financial needs of Middletown's athletes contact L.I.M. at middletownnjhslacrosse@aol.com or visit us on Facebook at Lacrosse In Middletown. To donate to L.I.M. our address is L.I.M., PO Box 190, Middletown, NJ 07748.

Since its inception in 1989, the New Jersey Lacrosse Foundation has provided opportunities for lacrosse to grow and prosper in the Garden State. Lacrosse has grown dramatically over the last eighteen years and the Foundation has been there each step of the way. The Foundation continues to support our New Start Program, the New Jersey Lacrosse Jamboree, awards for the NJILCA All-State Banquet, the Garden State Challenge, and the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame. The Foundation has attempted to recognize the best that “New Jersey” has had to offer, with one hundred thirty one having been inducted over the last 16 years Each year, the members and board of NJ

Lacrosse nominates and selects a group of individuals to honor - men and women, past and present, who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials, and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of the sport of lacrosse to our way of life, and to recognize and induct these individuals into the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

This Year’s Inductees Truly Outstanding Official Lauren Berg

Truly Outstanding Contributor Dale Oehler

Truly Outstanding Player Matt Poskay

Truly Outstanding Player Richard Prakopcyk

Truly Outstanding Player Gina Carey-Smith

Truly Outstanding Player Lauren Simone Farrell

Richard Rizk Unsung Hero Award John M. Kalinowski

This year’s Hall of Fame banquet will take on a new venue at:

Mercer Oaks Country Club Sunday, January 27, 2013, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM Beer & Wine cocktail hour & luncheon

Mercer Oaks Country Club

725 Village Road West Princeton Jct., NJ 08550 (609) 275-9260

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New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame Ready for Class of 2012

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lite Sports Performance Center in Tinton Falls introduces our new series, “Ask the Experts”.

New Jersey’s #1 facility for physical therapy, performance training, and college recruiting will answer your questions about injuries, rehabilitation, training, nutrition and recruiting.

Bobby Smith, Owner and Founder of Reach Your Potential Training

QUESTION: I’d like my high school

Dr. Sharon Wentworth & Dr. Stephen Bade

daughter to start some speed and agility training. I feel she needs a quicker first step and more “burst” off the line. Do you have any recommendations?

QUESTION: Can an athlete return to 100% after an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury?

ANSWER: The first step towards getting

ANSWER: YES!! Although an ACL injury is

Patti Adorna, Recruiting Specialist with 30+ years’ college experience

QUESTION: When do I start contacting college coaches?

ANSWER: Simply when you have something to offer....BUT you start looking at colleges in freshman year. You can't ask a college coach to evaluate you if you are playing on the freshman or junior varsity team. You must have some accomplishments and that includes a minimum of varsity experience on your high school team AND/OR playing for a competitive club or travel program. Remember...college coaches recruit POTENTIAL & they evaluate many different aspects of your "game" - both tangible and intangible things.

faster always starts with GETTING STRONGER. Regardless of sport, strength is the foundational quality towards power and speed. In order to move fast, you must be able to move first. The secret to movement is COVERING GROUND. In order to cover ground, an athlete must first be able to push force into the ground. Focusing an athlete’s efforts on developing total body strength through a ground based, 3-dimensional and multi-joint strength-training program will ultimately lead to a quicker first step and burst. Once an athlete has an acceptable level of strength, traditional speed training techniques can be introduced.

If you have a Question for our Experts please email us at info@elitespc.com

one of the most common and serious knee injuries that an athlete can experience, if the athlete has a good sports medicine “team,” he or she can return to pre-injury level (or maybe even better!). It is crucial to find a talented orthopaedic surgeon that specializes in sports medicine and a physical therapist who specializes in working with athletes. Both must have extensive experience specifically with ACLs. The other important components of the “team” are the parents, the coaches, and the athletic trainers.

With the right “team”, a positive mindset, and a strong work ethic, an athlete can return to his/her sport physically and mentally stronger than before the surgery.

More than half of the USA Women’s soccer team that won the Olympic Gold medal have had ACL reconstructive surgeries and obviously they have returned to world-class level athleticism.

Adrian Peterson, NFL All-Pro running back, returned from his ACL reconstruction less than one year later and came within 9 yards of breaking the NFL single season rushing record.

Enough said!

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

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not that he has so much football knowledge, it’s that he potentially can be very good because of his athleticism.’’

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The seeds for Kirkwood’s change of plans were sewn during his junior year when he watched Neptune’s football team finish 11-1 and win its first NJSIAA sectional title since 1998. The camaraderie on the team and the excitement of the

year ago at this time, Neptune’s Keith Kirkwood was an integral part of a basketball team starting to coalesce into the force that won the Shore Conference Tournament and reached the NJSIAA Group III final.

The 6-foot-5 forward was beginning to establish his role as a versatile offensive threat able to slash to basket from the wing and pound the offensive glass. He became a rebounding and shot-blocking force, blossoming from a timid but talented player to one who could take over tournament games for stretches. He averaged 11.7 points and 11 rebounds per game for the season, but took it up a notch in the state tournament, averaging 17 points and 15 rebounds in Neptune’s run to the Group final.

Basketball was the only sport he had played for most of his life, and he was consumed by it. His career at the next level seemed to be secure thanks to his performance in the postseason, which galvanized his recruiting.

Division I scholarship offers soon rolled in from Monmouth University, St. Peter’s New Hampshire, UNC-Charlotte, and LIU-Brooklyn. It seemed that Kirkwood’s basketball career would only progress from there, with the main question being whether he would have an impressive enough senior season to attract offers from major conference teams.

A year later, Kirkwood is verbally committed to the University of Hawaii. For football.

“I wouldn’t have believed you at all if you told me last year that this would happen,’’ Kirkwood said.

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

CHANGE OF PLANS

On Feb. 6, Kirkwood will ink his Letter of Intent on National Signing day to a university that is nearly 5,000 miles from his home to play a sport he only played for one year in high school. His passion for basketball has been superseded by what he believes is a new love of football. Others believe his football career may be an infatuation that will be strongly tested by the rigors of the FBS level.

“My mind was on one side and then got dragged to the other,’’ Kirkwood said.

“It was a tough decision, but I talked to my family, talked to my coaches, and I felt this was the best decision for me. Basketball is always going to be my passion. I just have a really good feeling that football is going to get me to where I need to go.’’

honest with you. I told him that I think the basketball got him to the football (scholarship) because he’s so athletic.

They’re banking on him being so athletic. It’s

“It’s what he wants,’’ said legendary Neptune basketball coach Ken O’Donnell, now in his 22nd season. “It’s his life, and it’s what he wants to do and where he wants to be. I was kind of surprised, to be

games had him intrigued.

Meanwhile, Neptune football coach Mark Ciccotelli saw what type of athlete Kirkwood was on the hardwood and knew that he would be a weapon if he decided to play.

“I’m one of those guys who believes kids should play multiple sports when they are in high school,’’ Ciccotelli said. “I saw Keith play basketball and knew he was a great athlete and very coachable.’’

At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Kirkwood would also be an imposing match-up for any cornerback lined up against him when he was lined up at wide receiver. Kirkwood also knew that Neptune had an explosive quarterback ready to take over the reins in senior Ajee Patterson. He decided to give football a try despite the concerns of his parents and basketball coaches about the threat of an injury that could derail his basketball career.

“Coach Ciccotelli told me from Day One that I could be something special, and I took him at his word,’’ Kirkwood said.

Coaches from FBS and FCS programs were already intrigued with Kirkwood before he even played his first game. The Scarlet Fliers participated at a 7-on-7 tournament at Rutgers in the summer and Ciccotelli soon began fielding calls from coaches.

The interest then went into overdrive when Kirkwood finished with 33 catches for 737 yards and 7 touchdowns for a Neptune team that went 93 and reached its second straight Central Jersey Group III final.

Ciccotelli was fielding calls from the likes of Penn State, Maryland and other schools on a larger level than the ones extending him basketball offers, but the first program to actually extend a

“I’m just so grateful to be able to go on such a visit like that,’’ Kirkwood said. “It was an amazing place. It’s beautiful. We went to the beach, went surfing, and the campus is beautiful.

The team seemed like family as soon as I met them. Coach (Norm) Chow is a great guy, and I

“My teammates felt as if they should’ve picked it up without me, that since I’m gone the team isn’t going to fall apart,’’ Kirkwood said.

“The kids are funny, they sort of play it off a little bit,’’ O’Donnell said.

“We’ve said that we can’t hold it against him that he has to visit schools. The kid from Lakewood (Tyrice Beverette) went on a football visit to the University of Delaware in the one game they lost, so it happens.’’

ETTING BACK ON TRACK

A month into the season, the Scarlet Fliers are only a .500 team at 6-6 and are hoping to finally hit their stride now that Kirkwood looks to be permanently back in the lineup.

“To be honest with you, it’s been a little overwhelming with all these colleges, but now that I’ve made my commitment I feel a little more relieved,’’ Kirkwood said. “I’m glad I made this decision. Basketball now is going to pick up now that I have all this stress off my hands, and my team is looking forward to me coming back and helping them out.’’

can’t wait to go out there for school.’’

The euphoria of Kirkwood’s commitment on Jan. 16 was tempered by a senior basketball season that has been one frustration after

“I told him that it is frustrating,’’ O’Donnell said. “Now hopefully that it’s finally settled, and he knows what he’s doing next year, we can get our season going.’’

By missing important games, including what turned out to be a 41-point beating at the hands of St. Joseph-

division as well.’’

“There were a lot of rumors saying that I was going to quit or give up on basketball, but I’m never going to give up on my team,’’ Kirkwood said. “I look forward to helping this team win the Shore Conference and win the

“I told him that he’s spent a whole lot of time playing basketball, and I said, ‘You should enjoy your senior year,’’’ O’Donnell said. “You have to try to get this team together now. We’ve had all kinds of distractions so far.

We finally got to .500 now, so hopefully we can start building next week.’’

After Kirkwood left a win over Freehold on Jan. 17 during the third quarter with a minor back injury and did not return, O’Donnell pulled him aside after the game.

He talked to him at length about being more of a leader and pulling the team together to finally reach its potential. Kirkwood is the only returning starter from last season’s team, so he is being counted on to take charge among a group of relative newcomers.

“It is a lot of pressure knowing that I’m one of the only seniors on the team, and I have to step up and take that role of the captain and bring this team together,’’ Kirkwood said.

“We’re lacking that leadership a little bit,’’ O’Donnell said. “I thought it was going to be Keith’s team, but he was preoccupied, to be honest with you, and he’s not a very boisterous guy. He’s very quiet, and we’re still searching.’’

Beginning on Jan. 22, the Scarlet Fliers begin a pivotal stretch in their drive to repeat as Class B North champions and secure a decent seed in the SCT. They get a rematch with first-place Long Branch and will be at full power, while Long Branch is out to prove its initial win over Neptune without Kirkwood in the lineup was no fluke. Senior guard Kyle Lewis, another football player and a tough defender, is back in the lineup after recovering from a football injury. Junior forward Tyrell Montgomery is also expected to return to the lineup, so the talent is there. Now it’s just a matter of getting on the same page.

“Maybe we can all get this together and make a run,’’ O’Donnell said.

“My future is set so now it’s time to get more camaraderie on this team and show what we can do,’’ Kirkwood said. “I’m looking forward to it.’’

This also may not be the end of Kirkwood’s basketball career. Besides playing wide receiver at Hawaii, he has also inquired about potentially walking on the basketball team.

“We’ll see,’’ Kirkwood said.

“Just look at how the past year has gone. You never know what can happen.’’

Photos by

Cliff Lavelle

www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

Bill Normile

www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

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Metuchen and Kentuckybound junior Karl Towns, Kirkwood has had his commitment questioned.

Some people within the program and others on the outside began to wonder if he cared about playing basketball at all any more now that he had hitched his wagon to football.

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Once Kirkwood had the offer, the next step was getting him to take an official visit to the campus in Honolulu. He scheduled it for Jan. 11-12, which also happened to be two days in which the basketball team had games, including an anticipated showdown with St. Joseph-Metuchen at the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase. Kirkwood took the visit, and four days after he got home, he made his verbal commitment.

another to this point.

Kirkwood missed nearly the entire game in a loss to Long Branch because of a school trip earlier in the season, and the Scarlet Fliers lost two games while he was making his visit to Hawaii. He also has battled nagging injuries that have limited his practice time, but his teammates have remained patient even though the season has not gone as planned for the defending Shore Conference Tournament champions.

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scholarship offer to Kirkwood was Hawaii. How a school on the other side of the country came to find a player who barely had any film and only played one year is that Hawaii’s special teams coordinator is Chris Demarest, the son of former Holmdel athletic director Jay Demarest and a coach who still has plenty of Shore Conference connections.

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Needing two pins to win the match, Brick Memorial 170-pounder Tyler Richardson and 182-pounder Nick Costa delivered with a bang.

Richardson, a senior, pinned Jackson's Charles Clark in 3:18 to cut the Jaguars' lead to five points and set up Costa to be the hero when Costa pinned James Langschultz to seal a pulsating, 27-26 victory in a critical Class A South match.

"I wanted to win it for myself, for the team, and the crowd," Costa said. "There's nothing better than beating the Jaguars."

Costa, who is fighting a PCL knee injury and says he is about 80 percent, used a hammer lock and a half nelson on Langschultz and "rolled through, put him on his back and held on for life."

"We knew we were finishing with two of our best guys on our team," Brick Memorial head coach Dan O'Cone said of Richardson and Costa. "They knew what they had to do, and it's nice to lean on those guys."

After the first six bouts, the Jaguars, ranked fourth in the All Shore Media Top 10, led the No. 2 Mustangs 11-9 while both teams looked for momentum. In that stretch, Brick Memorial's Matt Moore, a 2012 seventhplace finisher in the state at 195 pounds, defeated

The match started to take form as a classic when Brick Memorial's Joe Ghione, a sixth-place state finisher, picked up a 2-1 decision over Alec Huxford, who returned from injury and wrestled his first match this season. The win gave the Mustangs a 12-11 lead.

Any momentum that Ghione gave his team was quickly given back to the Jaguars. Jackson's Jarrett DiGiantomasso defeated Brick Memorial's Jared Staub, a Region VI third-place finisher last season, 21. Trailing 1-0 with less than a minute in the match, DiGiantomasso received a penalty point when Staub locked his hands and then DiGiantomasso was able to escape for a 2-1 lead and the eventual win.

Senior Brian Hamann, a returning Region VI champion and two-time fourth-place state medalist, ignited the Jaguar crowd with a pin over Alec Donovan in 1:26. The wins by DiGiantomasso and Hamann gave the Jaguars a 20-12 lead.

Brick Memorial then turned to the sophomore brother combination of Rob and Cliff Ruggiero to stop the bleeding. Rob Ruggiero was able to pull out a close 7-1 victory over Sean Leahey at 145 pounds. The match was tight throughout before Ruggiero took down Leahy and received two back points with less than 10 seconds to go.

Then Cliff Ruggiero had one of the match's toughest bouts with the Jaguars' Spencer Young at 152 pounds.

With 57 seconds remaining in the match and both crowds chanting on their wrestlers, Young was able to

Before Richardson and Costa came to the mat, Connor Bohringer widened the Jaguars lead to 26-15 with a third-period reversal of Joe Beverly to win the match 6-5 at 160 pounds.

Following the win, O'Cone was sure to point out the close matches that the Mustangs lost and the room for improvement.

"That was too close for comfort. They wrestled great and I don't think we wrestled well," O'Cone said. "We need to work harder. We are losing one-point decisions and two-point decisions."

"Right now we are not dominating. We are not just happy with winning or losing close, so we have to adjust," O'Cone added.

The win still puts the Mustangs in line for at least a share of the Class A South title. The Mustangs are now 11-2 and 4-1 in the A-South following a 36-24 divisional loss to Toms River South.

The Jaguars, who have beaten Toms River South, now drop to 9-4 overall and 3-2 in the division following their first loss in A South on Saturday to Southern, 27-24.

Brick Memorial will take on Southern on Jan. 23 and O'Cone knows that it won't be easy.

"Tonight was a clear statement that on any given day Southern, Jackson, Toms River South, and Brick Memorial can beat each other."

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stave off Ruggiero for the 4-3 win. The final 57 seconds was a back-and-forth battle that saw Young use an outside single shot while Ruggiero used his style of judo throws in an attempt for takedowns.

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n Jan. 16, the Brick Memorial wrestling team found itself in a position it rarely is in. Trailing Jackson Memorial 26-15 with two bouts remaining, the Mustangs faced losing for a third time in their last four matches.

Jackson's Ken Bradley, a District 21 champion, 2-0 in the night's first bout. Also, Jackson's Fred Terranova picked up bonus points when he earned a technical fall of Alex Santos, 15-0.

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By Josh Sternlieb - All Shore Media Contributor

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Brick Memorial with Another Instant Classic

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Up for Grabs: Shore Conference Wrestling Tournament Preview

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By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

he Shore Conference Tournament has produced some of the most memorable moments in local wrestling history.

From Paul Sternlieb jumping the whistle for a late takedown to seal Toms River East’s 2002 title to Joe Slisky pinning in the final bout to give Jackson Memorial the 2005 championship, the SCT delivers great drama year after year.

This season’s tournament begins Jan. 29 and concludes Feb. 2 at Pine Belt Arena on the campus of Toms River North. The usual suspects are all in play, but there is no clear-cut, heavy favorite as there has been in past years with Jackson Memorial and Long Branch. The tournament began in 1975, and in that span just eight different programs have been crowned champions.

There has already been a lot of back-and-forth between the top teams this season. No. 1 Toms River South has wins over Brick Memorial and Southern, but a loss to Jackson Memorial. The Jaguars have that victory over the Indians, but suffered defeats against the Mustangs and Rams.

Clearly the tournament will be dominated - as far as seeding goes - by Class A South. The division boasts five of the Shore Conference’s top 10 teams.

The question mark is Howell and where the seeding committee will slot the Rebels.

The 20-team bracket will be seeded on Jan. 27.

Let’s take a look at the contenders and the darkhorse candidates to take home the 2013 SCT title.

Toms River South

Toms River South senior B.J. Clagon

Beginning in 1975, the Indians won the first four SCT titles but have gone dry since. Being ranked No. 1 in the Shore, they Toms River South senior Kevin Corrigan

obviously have a great chance to end the drought and add a

fifth title. Senior state champion B.J. Clagon has looked simply unstoppable this season and is a topthree pound-for-pound wrestler in the state, and senior Kevin Corrigan is one of the best 113pounders around. Freshman Owen McClave is a potential state medalist at 106 pounds and Matt Theobold is a dependable, 100-match winner in the middle of the lineup. Sophomore Joe Salvato has been great as well at 160 pounds with a 20-0 record. Their lineup has good balance and bonuspoint potential at several weights. They have also defeated Southern and Brick Memorial in the same season for the first time ever, so history is on the Indians’ side.

Brick Memorial

return from an injury. Down low, junior two-time state medalist Joe Ghione (19-1) is the anchor with sophomores Alec Donovan and twins Cliff and Rob Ruggiero in the middle.

Southern

The Rams are just 4-4 this season but ranked third in the conference. That should tell you something about the caliber of opponents they’ve wrestled and also the depth of their lineup. Great coaching and toughness have been the pillars of Southern’s success over the years, and just when you don’t expect much from the Rams is when they strike.

Junior Zach Wilhelm, a former state medalist and a Beast of the East medalist this season, is the team’s most accomplished wrestler, and with 10 wrestlers already reaching double-digit wins there is plenty of balance in the lineup. Junior Andrew Tonneson has been a great addition to the starting lineup with a 17-6 record at 126 pounds. Jake Campana and Chris Serpico are proven winners in the middle of the lineup while Connor Case, Jesse Bauta and Cody Smead give the Rams a solid group of upperweights.

Jackson Memorial

Brick Memorial

The Mustangs are the defending SCT champions and lead the way with 13 titles overall. Consistency has been the biggest issue for Brick Memorial, but when the squad is wrestling at full tilt they can compete with anyone in the state. Senior Matt Moore is undefeated at 195 pounds and is part of a dangerous group of upperweights that can pile up bonus points quickly. Tyler Richardson (170) seems to find a way to pin when his team needs him most and Nick Costa (182) has been a bonus-point machine since his

Jackson Memorial junior Ken Bradley

After starting 9-0, the Jaguars are 1-5 in their last six. All five of those losses, however, have come against teams ranked in the top 10 in the state. The Jaguars will be battle-tested and their inexperienced wrestlers will be much more seasoned when the tournament rolls around. Seniors Brian Hamann (138), a two-time state fourth-place finisher, and Spencer Young (145) along with junior 195pounder Ken Bradley are Jackson Memorial’s big guns. Sophomore’s Fred Terranova (106), Hunter Reese (126), Sean Leahey (138/145) and Connor Bohringer (160/170) have each won over 10 bouts while senior Max Mondello has been solid at heavyweight.

The return of senior Alec Huxford will be big for the Jags. A former district champ and state qualifier, Huxford missed most of last

hen talking about sleeper teams to win the Shore Conference Tournament it’s rare to go past the fourth-best team. This is not a tournament where Cinderella stands a chance.

Historically, the top four seeds have dominated with an occasional five seed advancing to the semifinals.

This year’s tournament is a little more wide open than in seasons past, so if any teams can crack the semifinals from the bottom half of the top 10 it will be these programs.

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Brick Township

The Rebel reached the SCT final last year for the second time in program history, but the critics will be quick to point out their run came with both Southern and Jackson Memorial not in the tournament. The Rebels are a very solid team but haven’t wrestled the same grueling schedule as the A South teams. The biggest question is where the Rebels will be seeded. They could be anywhere from third to fifth, but since there isn’t a clear favorite, seeding shouldn’t be as important. The Rebels have 13 wrestlers with double-digit wins, a huge number regardless of competition. Senior Ben Esposito remains undefeated at 138 pounds and freshman Kris Lindemann has the look of a state medalist at 126 pounds. There is talent throughout the lineup, but we haven’t seen it wrestle against the rest of the Shore’s elite. We’ll find out soon enough just how good Howell is.

Long Branch

The Green Wave are similar to Brick Township in that they have fairly balanced lineup with a standout in the middle. That would be senior Jake George, a region runner-up last season at 152 pounds, who recently recorded his 100th career win. A lot would have to break right for the Green Wave to make the semifinals, but they certainly have a chance.

Long Branch senior Jake George

Best of the rest

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Howell senior Ben Esposito

The Green Dragons may be the fifth-best team in A South, but in that beast of a division that can be good enough to become ranked in the state. Brick’s losses have come to Brick Memorial, Jackson Memorial and Southern, none of which can be considered a bad loss. Region VI runner-up, senior Dan Wojtaszek, leads a Dragons team that boasts seven 10-win wrestlers. They’ll need a lot to go their way, but the Dragons have the goods to forge an upset.

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Howell

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season and the first month of the season with a shoulder injury. He will wrestle at 120 and 126 pounds.

Raritan

Jackson Liberty CBA

Point Boro

Toms River North Photos by

Cliff Lavelle

www.clearedge.zenfolio.com Long Branch Photo by

Link Sports

www.facebook.com/pages/Link-Sports

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A S A M P L I N G O F C U R R E N T A N D F O R M E R M A C A L L - S TA R S n Sehmonyeh Allen—Neptune

n Vincent Council—Lincoln (NY)

n Sean Armand—Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis HS (NY)

n Don Coven—Long Branch

n Brian Baker—Colts Neck

n Robert Barksdale—Asbury Park

n Delvon Arrington—St. Anthony’s n Mustafa Barksdale—RBR

n Billy Beggans—Ocean Township

n Kate Beriont—St. John Vianne

n Allen Dean—Neptune

n Michael Harris—Randolph

n Syessence Davis—Neptune

n Taquan Dean—Neptune

n Dana Jean DeGennaro—RBC n Chris Delaney—CBA

n Jose Diaz—Pt. Pleasant Beach n Sean Dunne—CBA

n Courtney Calderon—St. John Vianney

n Kristian Duravcevic—Fordham Preparatory School (NY)

n Richard Calia—Holmdel

n Matt Farrell—Pt. Pleasant Beach

n Shilique Calhoun – Middletown North n Quarran Calhoun—Raritan

n Kevin Grier—CBA

n Felicia Harris—RBR

n Mykel Harris—Great Mills (MD)

n Ashley Hart—The Peddie School n Eugene “Nu Nu” Harvey— St. Benedict’s Prep

n Corey Haskins—RBR

n Kasey Hobbie—RBC

n Norman Hobbie—Manasquan n Darien Hutton—Ewing n Nolan Ivers—Holmdel

n Mike Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech

n Jasmine Jackson—Old Bridge

n Crissie Fisher—Rumson-Fair Haven

n Tyson Johnson—St. Mary’s HS (NY)

n Sarah Fisher—RBR

n Rosie Jackson—St. John Vianney

n Billy Kiss—Long Branch

n Cooper Calzonetti—Neptune

n Adam Fleischner—Holmdel

n Michael Kelly—St. Anthony’s (NY)

n Cleveland Cannon—Long Branch

n Glen Ford—RBC

n Herve Lamizana—St. Patrick’s

n Chase Campbell—Oak Hill Academy (NC)

n Colin Ford—Manasquan

n Raheem Carter—Long Branch

n Greg Ford—Trenton Central

n Robert Cheeks—St. Anthony’s

n Billy Gilligan—RBR

n Corey Chandler—East Side n Rahmir Cottman—RBR

n Stephen Spinella—Colts Neck

n Christian Morris—S. Kent School (CT)

n Mark Donnelly—RBR

n Isaias Calderon—Neptune

n Billy McCue—CBA

n Paul Halas—St. Rose

n Brandon Brown—Freehold Boro n Rashon Bruno—St. Anthony’s

n Brian Snodgrass—Holmdel

n Paul De Salvo—CBA

n Jared Craddox—Lakewood

n Pat Delaney—CBA

n Yesenia Burgos—St. John Vianney

n Mike Mavrinac—Middletown South

n Jasmine McCall—Manalapan

n Steve Bridgemohan—E Brunswick

n Josh Brody—RBR

n Erica Gomez—St. John Vianney

n Dana Graziano—Holmdel

n Nick La Morte—Mater Dei

n Erin Leahy—Rumson-Fair Haven

n Avery Gardner—Long Branch

n Carl Little—Asbury Park

n Tyler Glass—Mater Dei Prep

n Charles Markens—St. Patrick

n Maggie Loundy—Pt. Pleasant Beach

n Darius Morris—Long Branch

n Valerie Morris—Freehold Boro

n Michael Murphy—Howell

n Sachin Nagpal—Ranney School

n Lauren Sokol—The Peddie School n Matt Stahl—Middletown South

n Missy Stavola—Rumson-Fair Haven

n Jenna Strich—RBC

n Scott Stump—RBC

n Kim Talbot—RBC

n Brian O’Reilly—Middletown South

n Aaron Tarver—RBR

n Kevin Owens—Neptune

n Maurice Turpin—Long Branch

n Karen Otrupchak—RBR

n Toni Panza—St. John Vianney

n Anthony Perry—St. Anthony’s

n Shinece Perry—RBR

n Earl Pettis—Saints John Neumann & Maria Goretti Catholic (PA)

n Simon Press—Asbury Park

n Joey Raines—Asbury Park n David Reeves—RBC

n Anne Richards—The Lawrenceville Sch. n Charlie Rogers—Matawan

n Amanda Rosato—St. John Vianney n Alifiya Rangwala— The Ranney School

n Will Sanborn—RBR

n Keyron Sheard—RBR

V i s i t o u r w e b s i t e , w w w. m a c t e s t i n g . c o m

n Terrance Todd—Neptune HS n John Weldon— ]Freehold Boro

n Dawn Werner— St. John Vianney

n John Werner— St John Vianney

n Kade Weston— RBR n Kayshanna Wesley— Asbury Park

n Eric Yarborough— Asbury Park

n Tomora Young—RBR

n Terry Zinn—RBC

n Lynne Zoltowski—RBC

The public programs argued felt that it was unfair that they had to play teams that could draw athletes from various areas and essentially construct all-star teams. The Shore Conference’s primary remedy to this issue was creating the separate public and nonpublic division titles in its team sports. The dominance of Christian Brothers Academy in basketball and other boys sports and the powerhouse girls teams at places like St. John Vianney and Red Bank Catholic led to some bit of reform. The non-publics still compete against the publics in the Shore Conference Tournament in various sports, but the divisional level does reflect the differences between programs.

However, things are now starting to get murkier and even more splintered. Coaches from public schools whom I have spoken to are now as concerned with certain other public schools as they are with non-publics as it relates to competitive fairness.

The rise of tuition public schools and choice schools created by the state government have made it an all-out free-for-all for athletes between local public school districts, nonpublic schools and public schools that can now draw players from areas outside their sending districts.

One prime example of the tuition schools is Point Beach, whose basketball programs have benefited from being able to accept Pt. Beach's students outside the sending district whose parents are willing to pay tuition. Many public schools accept tuition students, but it’s a program that was not really popularized until the past few seasons. Some public

Then there is the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, which has 109 approved schools for 2013-14 school year. The only choice school in the Shore Conference is Central Regional.

Allentown, which is in Monmouth County but is not a member of the Shore Conference, also is a choice school. What that means is it can draw students from as far away as 20 miles from the school, and transportation will be provided to the school if the student meets the eligibility requirements of state law and the transportation will cost no more than $884.

Allentown’s football team, which was a doormat for 50-plus years, has already seen a major impact from players coming in from the Trenton area, while another choice school, Bound Brook, has built a wrestling power that includes athletes from outside its normal sending district. The jury is still out on how it will affect the programs at Central. The choice schools were created to give families more educational options, but you know how that goes. It doesn’t take long for cries of athletic advantage to start going out.

Proving to the NJSIAA that players are transferring to schools for athletic Katelynn Flaherty advantage has proven to be difficult. Manasquan wrote a lengthy report to the NJSIAA trying to block the transfer of basketball stars Katelynn Flaherty and Marina Mabrey to Point Beach during this past offseason,

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

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o r yea r s , th e a r gu men t f r om a vocal s egmen t o f th e pu b lic s ch ool pr ogr ams in th e S h o r e Co n f er en ce was th at th ey wer e n o t a level p layin g f ield wh en f acin g o ff ag ain s t n o n - pu blic s ch ools .

What the rise of tuition public schools and choice schools, combined with the regular presence of non-public programs, seems to be creating is a set of haves and have-nots. Your program is either attracting talent or being ignored by it. Parents

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Basketball seems to be a primary sport where the tuition school comes into play, because many times a star-studded AAU team at the youth level will want to stay together in high school. Years ago, when a group wanted to stay together, they all usually went to the same parochial program. Now they often have the option to stay together and compete for the same public school if they so choose.

but the NJSIAA allowed the transfer. If players want to leave their school and go somewhere else, it’s usually very hard to stop them.

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schools, like Haddonfield in South Jersey, have held open houses and actively sought tuition students to help compensate for spending cuts by the state.

Pt. Beach's Marina Mabrey

have already shown over the past decade that they will go to great lengths to have their children play on a certain team in the race for college scholarship money, whether that means transferring multiple times, changing addresses or sending their son or daughter to live with a relative in a specific town.

It used to be that if an athlete was from a certain town, his or her options were the local parochial schools or the local public school program. Now it could be several public schools as well as nonpublic programs.

This new landscape is now leading to grumbles about fairness between public schools. A tiny Group I school that only draws talent from its sending district will argue that it can’t compete with a fellow Group I program like Bound Brook or Point Beach because those schools are getting players from a larger area. So now we’ve splintered from publics vs. non-publics to publics vs. other publics vs. non-publics. How do you delineate that when it comes to handing out division titles?

The answer is you don’t, so it will be interesting to see if this issue mushrooms in the coming years if Central starts drawing athletes from outside its district and tuition students become more commonplace at strong public school programs. It’s such a thorny issue that it will be difficult or impossible for the NJSIAA to unravel. It may simply become the new normal.

Photos by:

Bill Normile

www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

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