1-30-17 Issue - 2 Volume IX Shore Sports Network Journal

January 30, 2017 Volume-IX Issue-2

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

�Is this going to be on

?�

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

Shore Sports Network Website Features

n Get Video Highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about. n Catch up on the action you might have missed n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year n Follow us on Twitter (over 16,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

KevinWILLIAMS S h o r e S p o r t s N e t w o r k Director k ev i n . w i l l i am s @ t ow n s qu a re m ed i a. c om

SteveMEYER Shore Sports Network Director High School Division s t ev e. m e y er @t own s qu a re m edi a. co m 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

Senior C ontent Providers BobBadders // badders@allshoremedia.com MattManley // Mmanley21@gmail.com

Shore Sports Network Journal is published by: T o w n s q u a r e M e d i a 8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Copyright 2017 Townsquare Media All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Shore Sports Network is prohibited

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Rumson Star Elijah McAllister Returns From Torn ACL to Boost the Bulldogs

by Scott Stump - Shore Sports Network Contributer

W

atching his guards chasing ball-handlers into the paint after getting beat off the dribble in practice last week, Rumson-Fair Haven boys basketball coach Chris Champeau blew the whistle in exasperation.

He then turned to the 6-foot-6, 230-pound defensive menace standing in the middle.“I said, ‘Can you introduce yourself to the team?”’ Champeau said. “He said, ‘Hello, I’m Elijah McAllister,’ and they started laughing. I’m like, ‘Guys we have him here now, so if your guy beats you, just play weakside help.

“He’s back.”

After a nearly eight-month absence thanks to a torn ACL in his right knee suffered in June, the junior dynamo has returned to the court for the Bulldogs as one of the biggest mid-season difference-makers in the Shore Conference. Saturday’s 52-38 win over old rival Red Bank Catholic marked his second game back on the floor and his first home game since missing the entire football season and half of the basketball season while rehabbing the injury.

“The only thing that was a problem today was conditioning,” said McAllister, who has been on a minutes restriction in his first two games. “Defensively, I am already right back to where I was.”

McAllister finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks in the win over the Caseys, illustrating how much his presence boosts a Bulldogs team that has more than compensated for his absence in a 14-1 start in which their only loss is to Roselle Catholic, a top-three team in the state. It took him all of 1:17 into Saturday’s game before he swatted a shot that ignited a fast break.

“Coach Shemp says we can gamble on defense now because he blocks everything,” said junior guard Teddy Sourlis. “You saw how he affects the game.”

“He’s a difference-maker,” Champeau said. “It’s that simple.”

The depression didn’t last long, as McAllister went right to work. Less than a week after his surgery, he walked into the Rumson weight room on crutches and began knocking out bench press reps with Rumson strength and conditioning coach Rob Orrok.

McAllister has been an impact basketball player on varsity since he was a freshman shot-blocker on the team led by current Dartmouth guard Brendan Barry that won the program’s first Shore Conference Tournament title by stunning Christian Brothers Academy.

“He is tough as nails,” Orrok said.

He also didn’t have to deal with the anxiety that all of his college interest was going to vanish or precipitously decline.

McAllister’s recruitment shows how much things have changed in the past decade as far as schools evaluating athletes with serious injuries. Rather than programs backing off out of fear, even more schools have come in on him despite the fact that he didn’t step on a football field at all this fall because the rehab process for a torn ACL has become so refined.

A coach from Nebraska was in to see him in person last week during basketball practice, and he also said Michigan, Ohio State, Texas and Alabama have shown interest.

McAllister nearly had a triple-double in his second game back with 10 points, 10 rebounds & 7 blocks in a win over RBC. (Follow @b51photosmarkbrown on Instagram)

“It shows how much hard work I’ve put in to get back here,” he said.

“I was worried for him at first, but (college coaches) trust the rehab process for this particular injury,” Orrok said. “His injured leg is probably stronger than his other leg now after all the work he has done.”

McAllister also inadvertently found a mentor during his rehabilitation thanks to a stroke of luck. He was doing much of his work at Reach Your Potential Training (RYPT) in Tinton Falls, where former Wall and Rutgers standout Tim Wright also happened to be working to recover from a torn ACL. Wright is a tight end for the Detroit Lions who spent the season on injured reserve after tearing up his knee in May. “He’s been a big help with my football skills like releases and route running because he also plays tight end, and he just helped me become a better overall athlete,” McAllister said. “Honestly, he’s one of my best friends. As an older guy and a Shore Conference guy, he is a mentor that I really look up to.”

Summer of Frustration

Returning to the Court

Coming off a promising sophomore football season in which he helped Rumson win a third straight NJSIAA sectional title, McAllister’s recruiting profile as a tight end/defensive end was dramatically rising heading into last summer.

After watching the Bulldogs football team become just the third program in Shore Conference history to win four straight state sectional titles in the fall, McAllister had no intentions of sitting out basketball season.

He had already secured 11 scholarship offers from the likes of Tennessee, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Syracuse when disaster struck.

McAllister was playing in an AAU basketball tournament in Los Angeles for Team Rio, which features the starting lineup from the Shore’s No. 1 team, Ranney, including nationally-ranked sophomore prospects Scottie Lewis and Bryan Antoine. He suffered a knee injury that didn’t appear that serious at first, but ultimately was found to be a torn ACL.

“People are like, ‘Why are you playing basketball when you have all these (football) offers?” he said. “I’m sitting here like I want to put this school in the best position I can and put a banner up in every sport that I possibly can.”

A summer in which his recruitment was poised to explode ended abruptly with surgery on June 14.

“You can’t go back and change history,” he said.

“I had to accept that I tore my ACL and I had to accept I was going to be out for seven months.”

“He was pretty upset, and so was I because he’s my best friend,” Sourlis said. “We just knew that we were going to have to step up until we got him back.”

saying he’s writing his own story. He can do what he wants to do.”

McAllister and the Bulldogs are looking to lock down the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group II (Follow @b51photosmarkbrown on Instagram)

College coaches have noticed, as he has gotten basketball interest from schools in the Patriot League, America East Conference, Seton Hall and others, according to Champeau.

His career is similar to that of former Middletown North star Shilique Calhoun, who was a raw football prospect in high school with offers from major FBS powers as well as a basketball standout who had mid-major offers.

Calhoun chose football, became a star at Michigan State and is now an outside linebacker for the Oakland Raiders after being drafted in the third round last year.

“That’s a decision I’ll make when the time comes,” McAallister said. “Obviously I could still grow. A 6-10 football player is crazy, so I wouldn’t mind playing either in college.”

Gunning for a Title McAllister’s main focus right now is boosting a Bulldogs team that is trying to lock down the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group II as they shoot for the program’s first sectional title.

He was limited to four minutes per quarter in his first game back, a win over Raritan on Friday, and then a little over five minutes per quarter in the victory over RBC as he tries to get his conditioning level back to normal.

Defensively, he already looks once again like one of the state’s most ferocious shot-blockers.

His presence in the paint also opens up the perimeter on offense for Rumson’s army of mad bombers, led by Sourlis and junior guard Jack Solano. Sourlis leads the Shore Conference in made 3-pointers with Solano not far behind in the top five.

“He’s our DeAndre Jordan,” Champeau said. “Except without the terrible free throws.”

Offensively he showed some rust on Saturday as he tries to regain his explosiveness off the floor.

“There’s moments when I think about my knee, but if the brace wasn’t so annoying I would be fine,” he said.

There also was a moment that had everyone in purple and white holding their breath when he appeared to have a breakaway with the Bulldogs leading by 20 points late in the fourth quarter. An RBC player bear-hugged him to the floor and was called for a technical foul, but McAllister emerged unharmed.

“He knew I was going to try to dunk and I expected him to foul me, but I didn’t expect him to try to tackle me,” he said. “It is what is. I knew he didn’t mean any harm. I just go out and play.”

During his seven-month absence, it’s clear McAllister not only built himself up physically , but also mentally.

“My heart sunk when I first heard the news over the summer, but he texted me right back and said, ‘I’m still gonna play hoops,”’ Champeau said. “I never said a word because I respect (his football situation). We’re in practice the other day and Nebraska’s here, and Michigan is coming, so I understand, but at the same time his friends are on the team, and he wants to play.

“I’m playing the hand I was dealt right now, and I’m living life to the fullest,” he said. “I’m excited to get back.”

“I spoke with his father and his father is

www.b51photography.com

Photos by: M a r k B r o w n

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the US Army continues the Honor of presenting the Basketball Teams of the Week

By Mat t Manley - S enior S taff Writ er

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uring the 20i7 boys basketball season, Shore Sports Network will be selecting an Army Strong Team of the Week, sponsored by the U.S. Army.

The feature team will be selected based on performance from the prior week of action.

Coach Mike Kearney and the Donovan Catholic boys basketball team accept their game ball from Staff Sgt. Nicole McMinamin.

Donov an Cat holic e nt ere d t he se ason

wit h four new st art ers w ho just so happened to be replacing the four top scorers on last year’s squad, wh ich ne arly knocked off Ch ri sti an Brothe rs Aca demy in th e NJSIAA Sou th Jer sey N on Public A quarterfinals.

This would be a relatively inexperienced group and for first few weeks of the season, the Griffins played like it. They lost to Toms River South in a game in which they scored only 24 points and dropped a home game to an improved, but hardly tradition-rich Barnegat team.

The season continues to be an up-and-down one for a Griffins team heavy on juniors and light on varsity experience. They just lost their third home game on Tuesday, dropping a 54-46 decision to 6-8 Manchester. Ultimately, however, Donovan Catholic is in the thick of a division title race thanks a weeklong run that included wins over fellow contenders Lakewood and Point Boro, and that stretch earned the Griffins the Army Strong Team of the Week Award for Week Four.

T h e R a n n e y b o y s b a s k e t b a l l t e a m w i t h Staff Sgt. Ethan Newago

The Griffins began their standout stretch by doing something they hadn’t done in seven years: they beat Lakewood. Not only did Donovan Catholic knock off the team that has won six consecutive outright division titles on Jan. 13, but the Griffins did so on the road, 45-44. Junior Joe San Fillippo – who missed the loss to Toms River South – led the way with 18 points in the team’s first win over Lakewood since the 2009-10 season.

Donovan Catholic again played the role of road warriors on Jan. 17, when they rolled into Point Pleasant and beat Point Boro, 57-48, to officially move into first place in the Class B South race.

Junior Anthony Silvestrone led Donovan Catholic with 19 points while junior Jethro Moll – the lone returning starter from last year’s team – added 12 points and eight boards. San Fillippo also stepped up with eight points and 11 rebounds in the win over the Panthers.

The Griffins will have a chance to win B South for the first time since 2010 if they can shake off their home hex and beat both Lakewood and Point Boro at Gepp Gym and run the table through the rest of B South. Whether or not that happens, Donovan Catholic’s young roster has done well for itself by competing for a division title.

Ju s t

t hree y ears ago, i t w ould have been hard to imagine the Ranney boys basketb al l team ever even s ett ing foot on the same court at th e same tim e as St. Ant hony – the p remi er program i n N.J . s ince Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurle y took ov er.

That’s exactly what happened on Jan. 10 and in their first test against a state power, the Panthers showed they belonged, albeit in a losing effort. Sophomore Alexander Rice hit a go-ahead three-pointer with four seconds left and the Friars escaped Brookdale College with a 51-48 win.

Although it was a loss, the St. Anthony game was a sign of things to come for Ranney, which played the toughest five-game stretch in school history over a nineday span from Jan. 6 to Jan. 14. Other than the narrow defeat against St. Anthony, the Panthers did not lose a game and after a 4-1 record during that stretch, they are the Shore Sports Network Army Strong Team of the Week for Week Three.

Ranney’s gauntlet began with a scintillating overtime win over Rutgers Prep in which the Panthers overcame a white-hot shooting night by the Argonauts to pull out the win. Scottie Lewis turned in a career performance with

Th e R u m s o n b o y s b a s k e t b a l l t e a m o p e n e d

its 2016- 17 season short tw o ret urni ng starters (Elijah McAllister and Mike O’Connor) due t o inj ury whi le also tasked wit h replacing the program’s alltim e leading s cor er , Br endan Bar ry. Faced wit h thos e i mme nse odds, the Bull dogs have not only surviv ed; the y’v e thriv ed.

Rumson is off to a perfect start to the season with wins in each of its first eight games this year. Last week’s collection of wins could wind up being the Bulldogs’ best and after another rocksteady Rumson-Fair Haven basketball coach Chris Champeau and performance, Rumson is the Army Strong Team of the Staff Sgt. Ethan Newago pose with the Bulldogs basketball team.

Week for Week Two of the award.

The Bulldogs began the New Year with a 75-57 win Following the win over one local rival, Rumson took down its foe over Middletown South, sparked by a career night from sophomore Ian closest in proximity on. Jan. 5, when the Bulldogs rolled down Ridge O’Connor. After setting a career-high with 17 points in his previous Road and through Red Bank Regional, 51-35. In that win, Rumson held game, O’Connor shattered that mark by scoring 35 on 13-for-15 the Bucs to nine first-half points and got a strong shooting performance shooting. That performance also helped him win the Shore Sports from junior Teddy Sourlis, who hit five three-pointers and finished with Network Player of the Week, as voted for by the fans.

17 points.

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34 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks to lead the way while Bryan Antoine and Ahmadu Sarnor added 23 points apiece.

After handling their business with a 68-50 win over Asbury Park, the Panthers took St. Anthony to the final seconds of the game. Antoine led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds and scored the tying basket with 1:30 left after stealing the ball near midcourt. Lewis also had a big performance for Ranney, posting his first career triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks.

Ranney bounced back in a big way on Thursday by rolling into Mater Dei Prep and knocking off the defending Shore Conference Tournament champions, 5856, to take over the No. 1 spot in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 – the program’s first ever No. 1 ranking in basketball. Antoine scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and the Panthers rallied from a seven-point deficit with under four minutes to play despite Lewis siting the first 3:30 of the fourth quarter with four fouls. Sarnor also came up big in the win over the Seraphs by scoring 14 points.

The Panthers wrapped up their big week with a convincing 66-57 win over Montclair Immaculate – a game that Ranney led by 21 heading to the fourth quarter – at the Dan Finn Classic at the Jersey City Armory.

Antoine again led the charge with 26 points, while Sarnor added 17.

Rumson got its most impressive win to date at the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase Saturday against a veteran Marlboro team that, like Rumson, is battling an injury bug. After a tight game throughout, Sourlis hit a clutch three to put the Bulldogs ahead for good with 1:30 left and O’Connor iced the game at the free-throw line to give Rumson the 49-44 win and preserve the undefeated start.

After a big week last week, the Bulldogs opened this week with their eighth straight win by edging Holmdel, 52-47.

Week One

Ocean

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very week this regular season, S hore Conference Basketball fans will ha ve their chance to vote for the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey/Shore Sports Network basketball Player of the Week on our website.

I

t’s been a rough year for the sophomore-heavy Wildcats, but they scored a big win to cap last week as they try to finish off a big developmental year on a high note. Diaz is one of those sophomores and the guard had a strong showing last week in three games

Week-5

His last game of the week was his best.

Diaz poured in 23 points in a win over a Barnegat team that has defeated Donovan Catholic twice this season and is still alive in the race for the Class B South title. In the lead-up to 1/23/i7 the win over the Bengals,

Diaz had an eight-point game in a loss to Manchester and put up 14 in a loss to Millville.

He opened up this current week by scoring 15 points against Lakewood in a 53-39 Wildcats loss to the Piners.

Diaz won the Week Five Player of the Week contest with 42.5 percent of the vote total, which was 525 votes this week.

Middletown North sophomore Rob Higgins finished second with 27 percent, Marlboro senior P.J. Ringel was third with a little less than 10 percent and Central senior Maks Gruszecki came in fourth with just short of eight percent.

Pinelands So.

Anthony Diaz

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W e e k - 4 1/i6/i7 Toms River South Sr.

Matt Shiffer W e e k - 3 1/9/i7 Rumson-Fair haven So.

Ian O’Connor W e e k - 2 1/2/i7 Keansburg Jr.

Paul Eckleberry W e e k - 1 12/26/i6 Wall. Jr.

Steve Geis

Photo provided by Pinelands head coach Fred Johnson

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Off the Deck: Shore’s Best in Girls Basketball Look to Rebound from Losses

By Mat t Manley - S enior S taff Writ er

T

Fair Haven and St. Rose on consecutive Saturdays.

h e M a n a s q u a n g i r l s b a s k e t b a l l t e a m m a d e i t a l l t h e w a y “Obviously we’re upset because we didn’t play as well as we should have and that resulted in a loss,” Kukoda said. “It’s not the end of the world and we’ll continue to learn from it. Hopefully, it ends up being a t o t h e 2 0 1 6 N J S I A A T o u r n a m e n t o f C h a m p i o n s w h i l e good thing for us in the long run. Hopefully, it will motivate us a little bit.” playing with a chip on its shoulder. For the first 17 games of this season, the Warriors showed they could play the C a se y s Re g a i n F o o t i n g A f t e r M an a s qu a n H ea r t b r e a k e r r o l e o f f a v o r i t e a s w e l l a s t h e y p l a y e d t h e r o l e o f If any team appears to have a blueprint for u n d e r d o g , w i n n i n g a l l 1 7 g a m e s – m o s t b y c o n v i n c i n g bouncing back from tough losses, it is Red Bank Catholic. The Caseys have lost just twice this season margins of victory. and both were to Manasquan in tight games.

The bad news for Manasquan is that its pursuit of a perfect season and its reign as the top-ranked team in N.J. came to an end Sunday at the hands of Rutgers Prep at Holmdel High School in the final game of the Coaches’ Challenge USA N.J./N.Y. The good news is now the chip is back.

Immediately after falling to the Argonauts, 62-54, for their first loss of the season, the Warriors turned their attention to bouncing back and beginning their pursuit for glory in the Shore Conference and NJSIAA Tournament. Should the Warriors successfully defend their Group II championship and reach the Tournament of Champions again, a rematch with Rutgers Prep could potentially be in the works.

“I think we’re a team that likes to be the underdog,” Manasquan coach Lisa Kukoda said. “We like when people underestimate us. We have players who have dealt with that during their entire playing career. This year, I think there have been more emotions to manage and realizing that every other team is out to get you.

We have to be able to embrace that and bring our best game against everybody.”

First on Manasquan’s to-do list following Sunday’s loss is to figure out a way to stop a team that has size and knows how to use it, like Rutgers Prep demonstrated in its win over the Warriors. The Argonauts lost junior point guard Jahsyni Knight to a left-knee injury five minutes into the game and adjusted by throwing even more size onto the floor alongside its four other six-foot players.

“I think (Rutgers Prep is) just a very well-balanced team,” Kukoda said.

“They battle underneath and we need to figure out a way to battle back, or to do a better job of it.”

Since the loss to the Warriors, Red Bank Catholic has regrouped with two straight wins, including Sunday’s convincing 49-31 win over Gill St. Bernard’s in the Coaches’ Challenge USA showcase at Holmdel.

“The one thing I’ve been really pleased with is in past years, we’ve had to come out and try to match other teams’ intensity,” Red Bank Catholic coach Joe Montano said. “This year, we’re making other teams match our intensity. I think that’s one of the big reasons we’ve had some success this year, even in the two Manasquan games that we lost. I thought our energy was very good.”

RBC has been a team with many different heroes over the course of the season. Sunday’s standout was senior Katie Rice, who had 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals to lead the Caseys. Junior Hayley Moore also chipped in 13 points, senior Maureen Coakley posted nine points and five rebounds, and junior Rose Caverly also pitched in six rebounds and five assists to go with her three points.

Manasquan’s three top scorers – junior Dara Mabrey, sophomore Faith Masonius and senior Stella Clark – all reached double-figure scoring, but all found plenty of resistance from Rutgers Prep’s defense. Mabrey finished with 16 points on 3-for-12 shooting from the field, Clark finished with 12 points and Masonius scored 11 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter – including six in the final 1:38.

RBC’s

Katie Rice

The Caseys got by Sunday despite leading scorer Josie Larkins scoring just three points on one threepointer.

“When you look at this group, they all balance each other out,” Montano said. “Josie’s an exceptional offensive player. (Senior) Tia (Montagne) could be as good as anybody I’ve ever coached playing the basketball. She’s good for about 12 to 15 points just guarding. (Coakley) does the little things that people don’t realize – the things you need players to do to win games. As a group, they’ve done things together that really complement each other.”

Suffering a loss leaves Manasquan in position to play with something to prove the rest of the way instead of protecting an unbeaten record against motivated opponents. It’s a role that served Manasquan well last year during its run to the Tournament of Champions final, a run the Warriors made one year after graduating McDonald’s All-American and current Notre Dame sophomore Marina Mabrey.

Before hitting the postseason, Manasquan will look to wrap up a Shore Conference Class B North championship and will play two high-profile games outside the division against Rumson-

The more recent of the two losses was as tight as a game gets. Manasquan sophomore Lola Mullaney hit a shot that danced around the rim and dropped in as the final buzzer sounded to deny the Caseys a huge road win by a 44-42 score.

Now 14-2, Red Bank Catholic is hoping to turn in its best postseason performance since winning the Shore Conference Tournament in 2013 and perhaps even topping it by challenging for the program’s first Tournament of Champions title since 2000. RBC has already demonstrated it can beat perennial Non-Public A and Shore power St. John Vianney, which the Caseys defeated on Jan. 23.

“You’re never satisfied with losing, but when you try to look at what kind of effort your kids give you and how well they played as a group, you have to be happy with what they’ve done,” Montano said. “You just hope at this point that our confidence continues to grow.”

manasquan’s

Photos by:

Matt Manley & Rob Samuels: robertsamuels.zenfolio.com

Stella Clark

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 8

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steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

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By Bob Badders – Senior Managing Editor

T

he Shore Conference Tournament championship trophy is coming back to Howell.

"We had to capitalize on bonus and needed to stay off our backs at a couple weight classes, and we didn't come through," said Raritan head coach Rob Nucci. "We wrestle a hard-nosed style and when wrestling a great program like Howell, those guys are good. They've been wrestling since they were little kids and it's tough to score on them. They knew what their jobs were and they did their jobs really well."

"We'll work on these things in the next few days and hopefully by sectional week we'll be ready to go."

The top-ranked and top-seeded Rebels brought home their second SCT title in program history on Saturday evening at Jackson Liberty High School with a 36-24 victory over second-seeded Raritan. Howell won eight bouts and secured bonus points in five of those wins to pull away from the Rockets down the stretch.

Howell won two critical bouts by decision at 113 pounds and 160 pounds as freshman Luke Rada started the match with a 5-3 decision over Raritan's previously-undefeated sophomore Charles Barrale. Rada scored the only offensive points of the bout with a takedown in the first period and another in the second period to take a crucial bout and give Howell instant momentum.

Senior Eric Keosseian clinched the championship when he won by fall over Ethan Wolf at 220 pounds in the third-to-last bout. Sophomore Darby Diedrich at 120 and senior heavyweight Jake Nash also won by fall while sophomore Xavier

220 Sr.

"I just trusted my drilling partners and coaches with the plan they had for me," Rada said. "I was excited to get after it.

The plan was to get to my offense and let it all hang out."

Kelly won by technical fall at 145 and freshman Shane Reitsma scored a major decision at 182.

"This is what we've been chasing all year and we came in knowing it was all about the team," Keosseian said.

"We had to get bonus where we could and save bonus where we were going to lose. It was all about the team today."

Barrale came into the bout with a 200 record while Rada was 19-4. Raritan expected Barrale to win, but Howell had equal confidence in its rapidly-improving frosh.

Eric Keosseian

Raritan was making its first ever appearance in the Shore Conference Tournament championship match. The Rockets topped third-seeded Middletown North, 35-24, in the semifinals.

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"We never said to just do your best and keep it close, we told him to wrestle his style and do what he can to win," said Howell head coach John Gagliano.

"He went out there to win."

"There's always some butterflies and nerves, and the crowd gets loud, but that's the stuff you've been training for," Rada said. "That's what it's all about."

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113 Fr.

Luke Rada

Howell would win the next two bouts with Diedrich's pin of Cameron Rafalko in 36 seconds and Kyle

"I knew he was a judo kid and he throws, so I was defensive and waited for my time," Murphy said. "I sat out and kind of hit a peterson and turned my hips over to put him to his back."

At 170 Howell bumped undefeated freshman Shane Reitsma up to 182 and inserted junior Chris DeMarco (7-8 record entering the bout) to face Raritan sophomore George Burdick (22-2 entering the bout). DeMarco's job was to save as many bonus points as he could, and he did that by holding Burdick to a 15-5 major decision. Burdick entered the bout with 15 pins.

Slendorn's 10-4 win over A.J. Erven at 126 to open a 12-0 lead.

A 3-1 overtime win by Russell Benson over Dan Esposito at 132, a decision win by Christian Sookdeo at 138 and a major decision by Jimmy FanVecthmann sandwiched

20-10 advantage.

"He did a great job, and it's those guys that make the difference," Gagliano said.

"Saving

170 Fr.

Shane Reitsma

around a technical fall by Howell's Kelly at 145 - helped Raritan close the gap to 17-10. But at 160 pounds H o w e l l sophomore C h r i s t i a n Murphy won a crucial bout against Raritan sophomore Anthony Aquilano, 6-4, to put the Rebels up by 10.

Murphy hit a fivepoint move in the second period by reversing Aquilano to his back, and held on from there to give Howell a

points when you're losing the match is huge. We say it all the time, it's those matches that are going to win championships. Some kids are going to be overmatched and we don't expect wins there, but we need to keep the points down."

Reitsma followed with a 15-3 major decision over Justin Acevedo to give Howell back its 10-point lead at 24-14. Senior Danny Schick had a similar job to DeMarco's in facing Ryan Dickens at 195 pounds. Schick accumulated four stalling calls and one more would have disqualified him from the bout, giving Raritan six team points. Schick went on the offensive and that gave Dickens the opening he was waiting for. He tossed Schick to his back in the closing seconds for a 15-4 major decision that pulled the Rockets to within 24-18.

Although underdogs in the next two bouts with a tossup looming in the final bout at 106, Raritan still had a chance to pull out the win. That chance ended at 220 pounds when Keosseian opened a 7-3 lead on Wolf in the third period before putting him to his back for the fall midway though the third period. His pin put Howell up by 12 points with two bouts left, clinching the SCT title. Even if Raritan won by pin in the next two bouts to tie the score at 30 Howell would have still won on criteria based on having the most technical falls (1-0).

"I knew I was probably going to end up wrestling him because we were going to chase him," Keosseian said. "I beat him before and I knew I would again. When he gave me the chance and I put him down I knew I was going to pin him. I took a shot and as he sprawled I came up and caught his head and his arm. It was a great feeling, nothing like it."

See

Champions page 12

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C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 11

Champions

The breakthrough started in 2009 when they unseated Jackson as the team champions at the District 21 Tournament. In 2014 Howell beat Brick Memorial to win its first Shore Conference Tournament title, and two weeks later beat the Mustangs again to claim the program's first NJSIAA sectional title. Last year they won another sectional title but fell to Southern in the Group V final.

Howell is no longer chasing the heavyweights of the Shore.

The Rebels are firmly among them, and so far this season they are the team to beat. With just a handful of seniors this year they're primed for more championship contention in the immediate future.

"It's really exciting," Gagliano said. "I just feel these kids are great and the coaches we have are outstanding. I'm so proud.

It's been great for the Howell community."

Howell Captains Eric Keosseian, Kyle Slendorn, Dan Esposito & Jake Nash

In two weeks they'll eye another likely matchup with Southern for the South Jersey Group V sectional title, and then possibly a rematch with Hunterdon Central, who beat the Rebels 30-29 this season, for the one piece of hardware that has eluded them.

Nash put the finishing touches on the win pinning Dylan Kansky in 3:12 before Howell forfeited the final weight.

It's been a long journey to the top for Howell's program. For years the Rebels battled with the Shore Conference heavyweights of Class A South: Brick Memorial, Jackson Memorial and Southern, but always came up just short. Throughout it all Howell has always been a model of consistency.

Gagliano won his 400th career match when the Rebels beat Brick Memorial in the SCT quarterfinals and is the Shore's winningest head coach at 402 and counting. Gagliano is in his 20th season, so that's an average of 20 wins a season.

"(Winning the SCT) is a great feeling but we're not done yet," Keosseian said. "We want the Group V title and to push individually deep into states."

Howell Head Coach

John Gagliano

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Shore Sports Network Top ten F

By Bob Badders – Senior Managing Editor

or ranking the teams in the Shore Conference there isn’t a more comprehensive barometer than the Shore Conference Tournament. Despite Southern opting out for the sixth straight year, this year’s tournament, which was completed on Saturday, featured head-to-head matchups between top teams that answered many lingering questions.

Upsets were few and far between in the SCT, and it ended with top-seeded and top-ranked Howell besting second-seeded Raritan to claim its second conference championship. Long Branch, which was the No. 5 seed, beating Colts Neck in the quarterfinals was the only result preventing the top four from reaching the semifinals. No other ranked team lost to a team ranked below it or not ranked at all, so there isn’t much movement in this week’s Shore Sports Network Top 10.

Aforementioned Southern lost to reigning Group IV champion Phillipsburg on Saturday night, but considering the Stateliners are a top-five team in New Jersey and Raritan also has a loss to Phillipsburg there isn’t any reason to penalize Southern.

Point Boro and Point Beach have been on the cusp of the top 10 all season, and the Panthers made their case with a nail-biting 31-26 win in what has become the premier wrestling rivalry in the Shore. Anytime there’s a line to get in over two hours before a match, you know you’ve got something special.

This week truly is the calm before the storm as we prep for a frenetic final month of the season. The NJSIAA Team Tournament begins on Monday Feb. 6, and the following weekend begins the first leg of the road to an individual state championship. Buckle up.

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H ow e l l

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The Rebels captured their second Shore Conference Tournament championship with a 36-24 win over Raritan. Key wins from freshman Luke Rada at 113 and sophomore Christian Murphy at 160 helped fuel the win, and senior Eric Keosseian clinched the match with a pin at 220 pounds. Howell also beat Long Branch, 41-19, in the semifinals and topped Brick Memorial, 39-22, in the quarterfinals to give head coach John Gagliano his 400th career win. The Rebels also beat Freehold twice, once to clinch at least a share of the Class A North title and again in the first round of the SCT. This week: The Rebels face No. 4 Middletown North on Wednesday, Christian Brothers Academy on Thursday where a win will clinch A North outright, and will host a quad with Eastern, Hackettstown and Montgomery on Saturday.

2

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S outhern

(9-3)

The Rams had just one match during the week, falling to Phillipsburg, 36-23. Sophomore 145pounder Nick O’Connell earned a marquee win against Stateliners standout Brian Meyer with a 7-5 win in sudden victory. Senior 182-pounder Seon Bowker improved to 22-2. This week: The Rams take on Toms River North on Wednesday where a win will clinch the outright Class A South title, and will host a triangular match on Saturday with Haddonfield and Buena.

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R aritan

(2i-2)

M iddletown

North (i9-1)

The Lions advanced to the SCT semifinals before falling to Raritan, 35-24, for their first loss of the season. They defeated Toms River North, 39-25, in the pre-quarterfinals and bested Manalapan, 45-24, in the quarterfinals. This week: Middletown North can make a major statement on Wednesday when they host No. 1 Howell. The Lions will then travel to Vineland on Saturday for a quad with Delsea and Washington Township.

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C olts N eck

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L ong B ranch

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B rick M emorial (ii-5)

The Mustangs dropping one spot is due to circumstance more than anything else, as last week’s No. 8, Long Branch, moved up three spots after its win over Colts Neck. The Mustangs won a thriller, 33-32 over Ocean in the SCT pre-quarterfinals, by winning the final four bouts, including three straight pins to erase a 32-12 deficit.

A pin by Ron Hopping in the final bout at 182 clinched the victory. Seniors Gianni Ghione (132) and Nick Rivera (heavyweight) each improved to 23-0. This week: Brick Memorial will head north to Parsipanny for a quad with Mendham and Piscataway on Saturday.

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M analapan

The Green Wave reached the SCT semifinals for the first time since 2014 thanks to a thrilling walkoff win over Colts Neck in the quarterfinals. Long Branch closed the match with three straight pins by Justin Navarro, Peter Wersinger and Hunter Marhan to pull off an improbable 31-28 win. The Wave also defeated Wall, 40-27, before falling to eventual champion Howell, 41-19, in the semifinals. This week: Long Branch will take the week off from matches as it prepares for the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV tournament.

(i8-3)

The Braves defeated Brick, 42-22, in the SCT pre-quarterfinals before being eliminated by Middletown North in the quarterfinals, 45-24. They responded by sweeping a quad with WallkIll Valley (629), Montgomery (56-15) and Nutley (51-9). Junior A.J. Sortino picked up a big win by besting Brick’s Joe Ferigne, a returning district champion, 8-4. This week: The Braves have a busy week with a match at Bordentown on Monday, a match at Wall on Thursday and a quad at Bloomfield with Montclair and Verona on Saturday.

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(i 6-6)

(2 6-2 )

The Cougars beat CBA, 38-23, in the SCT pre-quarterfinals before losing a heartbreaker to Long Branch, 31-28, in the quarterfinals. Colts Neck led 28-13 with three bouts left but the Green Wave used three straight pins to pull the upset. The Cougars bounced back with a 46-21 win over No. 10 Ocean. This week: Colts Neck hosts Toms River South on Wednesday and travels to Jefferson for quad with Morris Catholic and Perth Amboy on Saturday.

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(i2-8)

The Jaguars reached the SCT quarterfinals where they were eliminated by eventual finalist Raritan, 36-22. In the pre-quarterfinals Jackson topped Point Boro, 31-24, and also beat Brick in a regular season match, 40-17. Sophomore 106-pounder Vinnie Scollo continued his outstanding season by improving to 23-2, including a 7-6 win over Brick’s Joe Ferigne, who was a district champion last year. This week: The Jaguars do not have a match scheduled for this week as they prepare for the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV sectional tournament.

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The Rockets reached the SCT final for the first time in program history but were denied the title in a 36-24 loss to Howell. Raritan defeated Middletown North, 35-24, in the semifinals, beat Jackson Memorial, 36-22, in the quarterfinals and throttled Freehold Township, 56-12, in the pre-quarterfinals. Standout individual wins included junior Russell Benson winning 3-1 in overtime over Howell’s Dan Esposito at 132 pounds and sophomore George Burdick taking a 5-3 win over Middletown North’s Nicko Cofone at 170. This week: The Rockets have a Saturday quad at Manchester with Marlboro and Rumson-Fair Haven. A win over Rumson officially clinches the Class A Central division title.

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J ackson M emorial

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O cean

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The Spartans went 0-2 this week, but with both losses coming to teams ranked above them they stay in the final spot of the top 10. Ocean was stunned by Brick Memorial in the SCT prequarterfinals, 33-32, after leading 32-12 with four bouts left. Big Red then lost to Colts Neck, 46-21.

Junior Jake Benner (138) and freshman Alex Poniros (126) each improved to 22-1. This week: Ocean travels to Shore on Monday, hosts Rumson-Fair Haven on Wednesday and has a triangular match at Warren Hills with Cliffside Park on Saturday.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 14

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Former Rival’s Perspective On Long Time Griffins Coach Written by Karl Blum, a 2013 Toms River North graduate and senior at Duke University, where he pitches on the Blue Devils baseball team.

J

Jarrod Davis. I remember that Mon Don win like it was yesterday - Grennan putting on a show for his home crowd and the Mon Don pit torturing the visiting Piners. Sitting in the hot and sweaty confines of the Cameron Crazies at Duke University is the only student section that I have ever seen that can top the rowdiness of the Donovan Pit Crew on nights like that one.

More than halfway into my fourth year at Duke University, I have spent a great deal of time engaging in friendly but heated conversations with my friends and college teammates over the prideful question - whose home state is better?

High school athletics has a magical element engulfing it that is often absent at the collegiate and professional level. The tight-knit, homegrown feel of one's high school cannot be replicated by even the greatest of sports stages. When schools and programs such as Coach Kearney's come together to amplify that aspect of sports that is exclusive to the high school level, the results are truly amazing.

ourneying away from home and down to the state of North Carolina for college has awarded me the opportunity of coming across students and athletes from unfamiliar parts of the country.

This past winter break I spent a handful of late evenings playing pickup basketball with former Shore Conference hoopers on the floor of one of my hometown rivals - Gepp Gymnasium – the home court of Donovan Catholic. Although I did not have the pleasure of playing for the veteran head coach at Donovan Catholic, Mike Kearney, I spent my grade school and middle school years at St. Joseph’s, the Catholic grammar school attached to Donovan Catholic.

take me down his memory lane of basketball romantics. Many of us define our lives with one dominant goal or theme that we hold dearest to our hearts. To Eamonn, his father, and the rest of the Kearney family life has been consumed by the presence of basketball.

Eamonn began by telling me the story of how Coach Kearney became the father, coach, and leader that he is today. After a short career at Assumption College that ended early due to a knee injury, he sought to satiate his love for basketball in the next best way he could– coaching.

Eamonn believes that his father made some sort of decision early on in his coaching career, which began as the JV coach at Worcester Vocational High School while still at Assumption.

One of Kearney's most successful teams featured Shore Conference basketball legend Randall Stallworth.

Randall and his teammates Eamonn brought to my were among the first basketball attention that there are players that I had ever idolized many different paths that growing up. Randall, Brian Kearney has coached both his sons…here he is with Eamonn (0) in Being a basketball fanatic from a young age, I had those with coaching "Opie" O'Connor, James Shinn, 2014. Caleb graduated last year. Photo by Eamonn Kearney grown very familiar with the sights and sounds of aspirations can choose to Paul Batrony, and Kyle Milana the small but history-filled arena. The friendship I go down. These avenues made up the starting lineup for had gained over the years with Coach Kearney's son, are paved with the priorities the 2006 Griffins. I was just 10 Eamonn, has thankfully kept me on the invite list for years old and could not wait for the next game to tip and values of their pedestrians, and Eamonn explained to me why he believes holiday season pickup basketball. his father has remained coaching at the high school level rather than pursuing off at Gepp Gym. a career in high level NCAA or professional basketball. He sees his father as the Returning to Gepp Gym for these pickup games Like many basketball fans in the area, my father ultimate teacher. immediately sparked a parallel in my mind that I am and I followed that team all the way to Coach shocked I had never thought of before. As I looked He made it very clear that winning is on the top of his father’s mind, but when Kearney's first Shore Conference championship up at all of the B South title banners and the long list appearance against conference villain Christian it boils down to it there are other priorities that must be satisfied. Coaching at of 1,000-point scorers hanging in the rafters while Brothers Academy. CBA, known for its dominance in the high school level provides him with the opportunity of reaching young men picturing the rowdy Donovan Pit Crew cheering on most Shore Conference athletics, was led by forwards at a pivotal stage in their lives, and that is something that he values more than their beloved team and head coach, it clicked in my Dan Werner, who would go on to win a national the glamor of “next-level” basketball. To Kearney, being a high school basketball head - this place is just like Duke. championship at the University of Florida, and Tim coach includes the job responsibility of preparing his players for life, not just putting them in position to tally victories. This facet of Coach Kearney’s coaching Andree, who would go on to play at Notre Dame.

Of course, the stage and praise are smaller in approach is not to be confused with any lack of competitiveness in his size, but the similarities seemed endless when I At the time, the Shore Conference Tournament final basketball philosophy, and anybody who has had the pleasure of seeing his began running them through my head. The small was held right in Donovan's hometown and my future teams compete knows this. private school atmosphere, the respected head home court, the Pine Belt Arena. Because of the coach, the blue uniforms, the impeccable student It is obvious that Donovan basketball and the presence of Coach Kearney have game's close vicinity to Donovan, the turnout was section, and most of all the success. monumental. Under one basket the Griffins Pit Crew sculpted Eamonn both on and off the court. Being generous, he stands at 5 feet spread over three full sections, taking up every inch of 10 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. Despite his undersized frame, I would Given my ties to Donovan Catholic through my up space including the aisles for standing room only. struggle to honestly write that he brings above average speed or quickness to Micheal Kearney (Class of 1980) during his bringing at St. Joseph's, I have always felt close to playing days at what was then St. Joseph Across the court, the Colt Crazies fan section from the basketball court, either. the basketball program even though I chose to High School – Photo by Eamonn Kearney CBA was no slouch, making the atmosphere even attend the public high school in town (Toms River Growing up playing with Eamonn, I saw him as an average high school player more contentious. The stage was set for the one of the North). My memories inside of that gym go as far one day at best. I do not bring this up to insult him but to highlight the best high school basketball atmospheres the Shore back as the summer basketball camps that Coach magnitude of his athletic achievement. This past year, Eamonn’s career has ever seen. Between all basketball affairs that I have either participated in Kearney would run annually. unfortunately ended after struggling to keep his body healthy, but not before he or attended in that beautiful arena, I have still never seen a crowd match the was able to call himself the captain of the The Mon Don basketball camp was such a treat for a young basketball player energy for that one and I probably never will. Despite a Drew University basketball team. who aspired to one day play at the high school level. It was my first encounter game high of 20 points from Stallworth, CBA and Werner with Coach Kearney and the program he was running. I can remember how What is even more penetrating is that he outlasted the Griffins 65-56, handing the Donovan excited all of my peers and I were to have a chance to learn from him and his was far from ever leading the Drew faithful heartbreak at the end of their title run. players who served as counselors.

Rangers in any statistical category and still The list in my head goes on and on. I remember managed to be unanimously voted captain The things that stood out to me most were the little messages that Coach watching Tom Carter in 2008 hit the half-court buzzer by his teammates. This is all a tribute to Kearney had for his campers. To him basketball seemed so simple. We learned beater against Colts Neck in the Shore Conference the man he is and his upbringing. Eamonn how to dribble and set proper screens like any youth basketball camp should Tournament semifinals to send the Griffins back to the has a hint of selfishness in him just like provide, but the real lessons came from other themes. Hustling down the court, championship game as fans stormed the court. I every other human walking this earth. But prioritizing your team over yourself, and showing up on defense were the things remember squeezing into the balcony at Gepp Gym with what he wants people to know about him I remember coming out of his mouth more than anything else, and it showed in my friends, hoping the high schoolers wouldn't notice is not that he is a talented shooter, which his players. Packing into Gepp Gym to see the Shore Conference powerhouse we were too young to fit into their crowd. he has most certainly become due to years play in front of their crazed fans was one thing, but playing side by side with of hard work, or that he has found a way to Anybody who has been around Coach Kearney and his them at camp, learning what it meant to play high school basketball at Mon get every inch of talent out of his body. program for the past 17 years knows that when Don was an even better experience. To us, the counselors were celebrities.

What he wants people to know is that he is Donovan Catholic has a winning team, it’s something There was something so inviting and so attractive about being around the a grinder who puts the team first and will worth paying attention to. My recent trips back to Gepp coaches and players that made every youngster like myself want to be as close always have their backs. This philosophy Gym have raised my curiosity about what really makes to the program as possible. The stands of Gepp Gym weren't just filled with the has been handed down by his father.

Kearney's program tick. Luckily, I have a great friend in parents of players or Mon Don and St.Joe's students, but kids from all over town his son Eamonn, who was more than happy to fill me in.

Those who follow basketball inside of who had no ties to the Griffins other than an appreciation for hard-nosed, the Shore Conference know that it’s no Listening to him reminisce about his career at enthusiastic basketball. secret that the Griffins have had an Donovan as well as his lifelong ties to the basketball One of my brightest memories as a young basketball fan came in middle absence of headlines over the past few program was a fun couple of hours for me. Eamonn and school as I was creeping towards possibly being a Donovan student myself. The years. Despite a competitive campaign I met at a local pizza joint before this past winter break Griffins were led by Sean Grennan, who commuted all the way from Monmouth ended and then went our separate ways for our spring County to play for Coach Kearney. It was a cold winter night and Coach semesters at college. Now a junior at Drew University, it View of ‘The Pit’ Kearney's team was hosting division rival Lakewood and their star forward was apparent to me that he was genuinely excited to S e e rival’s p a g e 1 8 Photo by Eamonn Kearney

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rival’s C o n t

from page 16

Eamonn’s senior year in which they won 16 games, the Griffins have failed to reach the top of the Shore Conference ever since the departure of Grennan in 2011.

I asked Eamonn to tell me if Donovan is going to get back on top in the future, and he had a response I did not expect but truly appreciated. He told me you cannot predict the future and he does not know for certain that the Griffins will be raising another banner anytime “The Pit’ soon. When I specifically Photo by Eamonn Kearney asked, “How will the Griffins return to what once was?” he told me that in his eyes nothing has changed.

The Pine Belt Arena in Toms River hosted five basketball games on Saturday, January 28 with teams from Ocean County taking on those from North and South Jersey. In the days best game Toms River North edged Wildwood Catholic 71-67 in overtime behind game MVP Jaden Rhoden who scored 18 points to go along with 14 rebounds and 6 assists. Central Regional also collected a solid win as they topped Ridge 5449 with senior guard Maks Gruszecki leading the way with 26 points. Toms River East rolled to a 7243 victory over AC Tech as Jack Goodall poured in 23 points. Manchester (South Brunswick) and

Donovan returned to the court for the second half knowing its route to victory, and ended the matchup as double-digit victors. The simple message had resonated with Kearney’s players. As Eamonn checked out of the game with a smile on his face, he was greeted at the bench by a young sophomore teammate named David Calderon who had recently transferred from Manchester.

Central’s MVP Maks Gruszecki

TR East’s MVP Jack Goodall

Calderon, who had been unsure of his decision to leave his hometown, was filled with emotion when he greeted Eamonn coming off of the court. He had finally felt what it meant to be a Griffin. Like Eamonn says, talent comes and goes, but when you find talent that buys into Kearney’s messages, the results will come.

He was truly emotional when speaking about his childhood and career alongside of his father. The Kearney family, including wife and mother Kim and youngest son Caleb, has embraced their basketball addiction. Almost in tears, Eamonn told me how all his brother and he would do growing up was play in their yard, not imagining themselves as NBA stars, but members of their father’s team.

Their relationship with basketball has handed them heartbreak, but rewarded them for their faith ten-fold. The Kearneys have given a lot to the game of basketball and thankfully, it finds ways to return the favor.

Playing for Coach Kearney may not guarantee you a college scholarship or perpetual state championship appearances, but making the decision to attend Donovan Catholic and having the courage to try out for the basketball team does award you a chance at being a part of something special. Since his hiring as head coach in 1999, Kearney has built a program not off the luxury of recruited New York City talent like other major New Jersey programs, but based off of the values of hard work and integrity.

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O c e a n Tr o p h i e s o f L a n o k a Harbor pro vided MVP a wards for all five games and The Office Restaurant & Lounge sponsored free programs given out to those in attendance.

No. Brunswick’s MVP Maneet Batra

To describe what he meant, Eamonn told me a story from his senior season.

The Griffins were hosting the WOBM Christmas Classic champions from Manchester, and many would argue that the talent margin ruled in favor of the visiting Hawks. Prior to the game, the team huddled around Coach Kearney in the locker room as he wrote on the white board, “NO REST FOR THE WOBM CHAMPS.” His players knew exactly what this meant. To them, it meant that they were getting ready to show Manchester how far teamwork, relentless defense and hustle could take them, and each player proceeded to sign their name under the phrase.

At halftime, the Griffins returned to the locker room down by a dozen points but instead of receiving a lengthy speech, Coach Kearney said a few simple words and pointed to the phrase on the board.

Toms River South (South Brunswick) dropped their games in the second annual event which was co-sponsored by the Shore Sports Network.

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So. Brunswick’s MVP Michael Ugarte

TR North’s MVP Jaden Rhoden

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