All Shore Media 1-9-12 Volume IV Issue-1

January 9, 2012 - Volume-IV - Issue-1

Memorial 3 Jackson Wins WOBM Title Wins 4 Manalapan Huskie Classic Title Girls Win 6 Manasquan 1 WOBM Classic Title 8-9 EARLY-SEASON SURPRISES 10 Lacrosse Preseason Training 15 Stumpy’s Corner 12 Boardwalk Showcase Preview st

www.allshoremedia.com

A multimedia company that

December 9, 2012 Vo l u m e - I V

I

Issue-1

provides exciting and innovative coverage to high school athletics in the Shore Conference in order to highlight the achievements of local athletes in one of the premier conferences in New Jersey. Whether it’s the star of the team or the last player off the bench, everyone has a story and it is our mission to recognize as many athletes as possible and add to the memories for all of the families, coaches, friends and fans who support Shore Conference sports. Whether in print or on the Web, All Shore Media is your main source for all things exciting in the Shore Conference.

All Shore Media Web Site Features

Log on to www.allshoremedia.com regularly to get V I D E O H I G H L I G H T S of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about. Catch up on the action you might have missed and watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. If you can’t make it to the game, we’ll bring the game to you, and if you were at the game and want to relive the excitement, www.allshoremedia.com is all you need to get inside the action.

All Shore Media Expanding Into North Jersey

All Shore Media is proud to announce that it has partnered with a North Jersey group to expand its type of coverage into Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, this fall.

StevenMeyer Director/CEO/Marketing smeyer@allshoremedia.com 732-233-4460

Scott Stump Director/Managing Editor stump@allshoremedia.com

Senior Content Providers Matt Manley // M m a n l e y 2 1 @ g m a i l . c o m Bob Badders // badders@allshoremedia.com

A l l S h o r e M e d i a is published by: Al l Shore Media, LLC. 26 Oxford Dr ive Wayside NJ, 07712 Copyright 2012 All Shore Media LLC. A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of All Shore Media is prohibited

The All Sports Media Northern Review, a newspaper in the mold of the All Shore Media bi-weekly paper, will make its debut in September. The free, advertiser-supported paper

will cover scholastic sports at all of the schools in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which consists of schools from Morris County and a handful of teams in Sussex and Warren counties.

“We're hoping it will be as big a success as the All Shore Media Shore Conference program, and the early returns are promising,’’ said Paul Mencher, who will be the lead writer and editor of the new paper. “People seem excited about it, and advertisers are excited about it. It’s something different than what exists up here.

“There’s a lot of interest in high school sports in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, and I think that people will be interested in having a new resource.’’

The partnership also broadens the scope of All Shore Media’s coverage to include a presence in North Jersey.

“We're excited about expanding our niche in the market and the way we cover sports,’’ said All Shore Media Director/CEO Steve Meyer. “We're excited to start here with the objective that we want to expand to other parts of the state as well. This is the first step in our expansion.’’

For more Info. Check Out

www.asmnorth.com

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

www.allshoremedia.com

Volume-IV

Issue-1

1/9/12

A SM / 3

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad: Jackson Memorial Wins WOBM Title

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

For the most part, the numbers were gruesome in Jackson Memorial's win over Toms River North in this season’s WOBM Classic championship game at Pine Belt Arena, but the only ones that mattered to the Jaguars were on the scoreboard.

Top-seeded Jackson Memorial pulled out a 31-28 win over sixth-seeded Toms River North to capture its second WOBM title in the last three seasons and its fourth overall since the tournament's inception in 1984. The Jaguars did it despite shooting 10-for-36 (27 percent) from the field and committing 17 turnovers, combating the offensive woes by digging in defensively to make Toms River North's struggles even worse than their own. The Mariners shot 7-for-31 (22 percent) in the loss. Jackson's 31 points were the lowest amount scored by the winning team in tournament history, which was previously held by Southern in a 38-37 overtime victory against Monsignor Donovan in 1992.

The one shooter who was on his game was 6-5 Jackson Memorial senior Brandon Holup, who went 5-for-7 from 3-point range. He buried three of them in the second half on his way to finishing with a game-high 15 points to help bring home the win. Holup was named to the AllTournament first team, while teammate Brandon McDonnell, a 6-7 senior, earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors and had 12 points in the victory.

Toms River North senior guard Alex Levchenko led the Mariners with 10 points and earned All-Tournament firstteam recognition, and junior forward Solly Stansbury had eight points and was named to the All-Tournament second team by the coaches.

"It wasn't pretty at all, but it's a win,'' McDonnell said.

"We'll take it. We just had to keep defending. They couldn't score the ball much on us. We struggled making shots, but Holup came up big in the end.''

"It's about winning,'' said Jackson coach Joe Fagan. "It doesn't matter what the score is. At the end it's going to say, 'The 'W' goes to Jackson Memorial.'''

The game was tied at 25 with 1:40 left in regulation when Holup buried a 3-pointer from the left wing, and the Jaguars never trailed again. Toms River North answered with a bucket by junior guard Karl Blum to cut the lead to a point, but Holup came right back with another 3-pointer

for a 31-27 advantage with 1:10 to go.

"I missed my first one, and as soon as I made the next one, I started feeling good for the rest of the game,'' Holup said. "As soon as I made those (threes in the fourth quarter), I knew that could be the changing point of the game.''

"He knows he's got the green light,'' Fagan said.

"If he's open, go ahead and fire it. We'll try to offensive rebound the misses or we'll go down and guard the other end. He shoots with a lot of confidence because our guys give him that confidence.

They tell him, 'If you're open, go ahead and shoot it. We don't care if you're 0-for-5 or whatever.'''

After Holup's second straight longball, Jackson then missed the front end of two one-and-ones to keep the Mariners' hopes alive. Levchenko made one of two free throws with 5.8 seconds left to make it a one-possession game, and the loose ball off his missed free throw went off a Jackson player and out of bounds to give Toms River North a chance to tie.

Levchenko was fouled before the Mariners could inbound the ball, and he missed the front end of a oneand-one. Jackson had the possession arrow on the ensuing tie-up on the loose ball following Levchenko's miss.

Jaguars senior guard Brian Kenny missed the front end of a one-and-one, and a desperation heave at the buzzer was off the mark to allow Jackson Memorial to claim the title.

It marked the first of at least three meetings this season between the Class A South rivals, who will play again on Tuesday in a pivotal division game as the Jaguars look to defend their Class A South title from a season ago.

"I think this is a statement about our basketball program,'' Holup said about the Jaguars' second WOBM

title in three seasons. "People have underestimated us, and we're better than they think.''

Jackson led 14-10 at the half after the two teams combined to shoot 7-for-34 from the field and had a combined 15 turnovers. Toms River North was methodically working the ball for 30 or more seconds on every possession, while Jackson could not get anything to fall.

"We tried to change everything. Ran a bunch of quick hitters, changed personnel inside and outside, and it just wasn't working,'' Fagan said. "All year long, we talk about guarding, guarding, guarding, and at some point, we'll have games we make a lot of shots and some games we don't. The games we don't, we've just got to make sure we can rely on guarding people.''

Levchenko had seven of his 10 points in the third quarter to give Toms River North a 20-19 lead going into the final period. Jackson senior forward Anthony Skwiat scored inside to make it 25-24 with 2:38 left in the game and then the Mariners tied it on a free throw by Blum before Holup's final flourish gave the Jaguars the lead for good.

The All-Tournament first team consisted of McDonnell, Holup, Levchenko, Point Boro senior point guard Shaun Cooke, St. Rose senior point guard Mark Kukoda and Toms River South senior forward Elijah Dupree. Selected to the All-Tournament second team were Stansbury, Kenny, Central senior guard Jeremy Wozniak, Manchester junior guard Mason Jones, and St. Rose junior guard Conor Leddy.

Game Video Highlights by:

Scott Stump

www.allshoremedia.com

Volume-IV

4 / ASM

Issue-1

1/09/12

Long Time Coming: Manalapan Wins Huskie Classic Title

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

On paper, it looked like Manalapan's 53-40 win over Freehold Township in this season’s Huskie Christmas Classic final looked borderline impossible.

The Braves had 30 turnovers and missed 11 free throws, second-leading scorer and All-Tournament Team selection Bryan Adams fouled out with six minutes left in the game, and star junior Anthony Firkser picked up his fourth foul with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter. However, Manalapan has one player who can render all negative statistics meaningless with a few flicks of his left wrist.

Firkser hit five second-half 3-pointers, scoring 19 of his game-high 24 points after the break on his way to earning the tournament's Most Valuable Player honor to bring home Manalapan's first holiday tournament title in recent memory and possibly since the 1980s. He scored 12 points in a 15-0 run that went from 3:08 left in the third quarter to the first two minutes of the fourth quarter and put Manalapan ahead for good, 37-25. Included in the run was a half-court bomb at the third-quarter buzzer by the 6foot-4 guard that drew a roar from the Braves faithful.

"With a player like Anthony, you're always in a game,'' said Manalapan coach Rick Garretson, an 18-year veteran who said he did not remember the last time the Braves won a holiday tournament title. "He's just a special player.''

"I just wanted to keep shooting and when I have the open shot, take it, and they started to fall,'' Firkser said. "I started feeling it after (his first 3-pointer of the second half). That (halfcourt shot) was just a lucky throwup and, 'Let's see what happens.'''

Firkser persevered despite Freehold Township running a constant double team at him as he tried to bring the ball up, and he overcame nine turnovers of his own. He picked up his fourth foul with 7:01 left in the game and Manalapan leading 37-26, but Garretson never even thought twice about pulling him out for a stretch.

"He's played three years for me, and with the pressure defense that Freehold Township plays, they're all over the place, and he's the guy we want with the ball in his hands,'' Garretson said. "It was, 'Ride 'em and see how far we can go with him.'''

Collincini added another in the final 2:05 of the second quarter to put the Patriots ahead.

"I knew I had to stay in, so I just had to stay in control and not do anything stupid,'' Firkser said.

"No offensive fouls.''

After a first half in which he struggled to hit anything, Firkser started the fireworks with a 3pointer from the top of the key to tie the game at 25 with 3:08 left in the third quarter. Despite the double teams, he was getting opportunities on kickouts from penetrating teammates and mad scrambles following loose balls. He drilled his second 3-pointer off a scramble for a 28-25 lead, and Manalapan never trailed again. He followed with yet another trey from the top of the key and then brought the house down with his halfcourt shot for a 34-25 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

Guard Andrew Saray then joined the party when he knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing to start the fourth quarter and push the lead to 37-25. A free throw by Freehold Township's Ben Collincini (10 points) cut the lead to 41-33 midway through the quarter, but eight points was as close as the Patriots would get the rest of the way as they struggled to hit anything from the field all game.

Manalapan's defense also forced 20 turnovers by Freehold Township, which was led by 12 points from senior guard Casey Skievaski.

However, Firkser had an answer of his own from downtown in the second half to continue Manalapan's best start in years.

"It's a great start, but we have a lot of work ahead of us,'' Garretson said. "We graduated nine seniors and have four new starters, so it's pretty much a new cast. These kids are really buying into what we're doing.''

"It's very exciting,'' Firkser said. "We're just trying to get respect.''

Firkser said he has received interest from Army, Lafayette and Yale but no offers yet. He also was an ASM first-team All-Shore selection at wide receiver during the fall and has interest from Purdue, Rutgers, Boston College and others for football.

Firkser headlined the All-Tournament Team at the Huskie Classic, which also included Adams, Skievaski, Matawan's Connor Nappi, and Raritan's Mike Aaman.

"We've been really taking pride in digging in and playing good defense every trip,'' Garretson said. "The shots aren't always going to fall, but we can control what we do defensively.''

Freehold Township led 22-20 at the half by using its own 3-point prowess to grab the lead. Swingman Jake Catanzaro (11 points) swished a pair of 3-pointers and

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

Game Video Highlights by:

Scott Stump

www.allshoremedia.com

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

www.allshoremedia.com

A SM / 5

The Buc Stays Here: Middletown

North Repeats as Champion

By Peter Long – All Shore Media Contributor It looked as if it was just another game for Middletown North star Jason Huelbig as the senior guard's arsenal was clicking on all cylinders when he amassed 12 points in the first half with his team beating Roselle by two at intermission in this season’s Buc Classic championship game.

But when Huelbig went scoreless at the beginning of the second half, one of his teammates, who is in his first year on the varsity squad, scored all of his 13 points when his team needed it most.

That teammate was 5-foot-9 junior guard Cody Thompson.

Thompson scored 10 of his 13 points during a 14-1 run that began the second half and put his team up for good with a 15point lead as the defending Buc Classic champion Lions retained their title by defeating Roselle 74-56, at the Red Bank Regional High School Field House. Huelbig finished with 24 points and 6 rebounds to earn tournament Most Valuable Player honors, senior guard Tim Frawley added 16 points and 6 rebounds, senior point guard Eric Youncofski had 13 points and 6 assists and Thompson finished with 13 points, all in the second half, and the key buckets during the decisive surge.

"I was just trying to help our team win the game," said

Thompson. "We knew they were undefeated coming in so we just wanted to come out, play our best and win."

lead to 63-46. Winston Jr. finished the game with 12 points.

"It's always nice to have another ball handler and another scorer," said Iasparro. "We started a couple of different lineups to start the season, and Cody was the first guard Senior Eric Youncofski coming off the bench and the chemistry seemed to be really good, so we've been going with that lineup."

With Middletown North up 20-16 with 6:50 left in the first half, Huelbig picked off a pass on the defensive end of the floor and slammed it home on the other to extend its lead to six. After switching to a 1-3-1 zone, Roselle turned the Lions over on the next two possessions to cut the lead to two, but Huelbig answered yet again with a 3-pointer to make it 25-20.

Head coach Mike Iasparro applauded the timely second half surge of his junior guard.

The Rams cut the lead to eight early in the fourth quarter when senior guard Corey Winston Jr. knifed through the Lions' 2-3 zone to lay in a bucket, but then Huelbig caught fire by contributing nine points to a 13-2 run, extending the

"We thought it was a pretty good matchup coming in," said Iasparro on his team's preparation. "We knew we had to keep them out of the paint and keep them off the glass, I think we did a much better job of that in the second half and that's why we ended up giving ourselves a lead."

Photos by:

Cliff Lavelle www.clearedge.zenfoli o.c om

Volume-IV

6 / A SM

Issue-1

1/09/12

Manasquan Girls Win First WOBM Classic Title

By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Manasquan senior and University of Notre Dame recruit Michaela Mabrey is one of the top scorers - if not the top scorer - in New Jersey and any team would jump at the chance to pencil her into their starting lineup. Not only does Manasquan have one of the top players in the state wearing Warrior blue, but on the rare occasion that Mabrey has trouble scoring, they have a dead-ringer for a stand-in.

Freshman Marina Mabrey, the younger sister of Michaela, scored a career high 24 points at the Pine Belt Arena while her sister struggled through an off shooting night, and the top-seeded Warriors shook off another slow start to beat No. 3 seed Jackson Memorial 60-50 and capture their first WOBM Christmas Classic championship.

"This wasn't our best game and this definitely wasn't my best game, but I don't need to score every game for us to win," Michaela Mabrey said. "There are going to be games when one of us is off or some things don't work, but we know each other and we know how to play through it."

Marina Mabrey scored 15 of her points in the second half and nine during the third quarter, which saw Manasquan assert itself on both ends. The Warriors started the quarter on a 10-0 run and outscored the Jaguars 19-7 over the entire eight minutes of the third.

"That's her, that's what Marina can do," Michaela Mabrey said of her sister. "She's just starting to get going and when she does, she's going to have a lot of games like this."

Michaela Mabrey finished with 11 points on 5-for-14 shooting - including 0-for-5 from 3-point range - while battling a sore tailbone and Jackson Memorial senior guard Tiffany Montagne, who shadowed Mabrey throughout the game before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Despite an uncharacteristic statistical line, Mabrey earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors behind a 35-point outburst in a semifinal win over Rumson. Marina Mabrey was named to the all-tournament second team.

Sophomore point guard Katelynn Flaherty scored 21 points to go with five assists and five steals, keying the secondhalf defensive effort that showed the Jaguars more fullcourt pressure.

Flaherty was also named to the alltournament first team.

"We wanted to give them different looks," Flaherty said. "They have good guards and we did want to press them when we could, but more than that, we wanted to keep them guessing. In the second half, we really picked up our defense and played with a lot more energy."

Missry hitting two of the four.

Missry finished with four threes and led Jackson Memorial with 21 points.

Montagne scored 10 points and turned in a strong defensive performance against Michaela Mabrey. In a semifinal win over Point Pleasant Borough, Montagne guarded another prolific scorer in guard Kelly Hughes, who scored 29 points but just five in the fourth quarter.

Jackson Memorial played without Jazmine Curet, who injured her ankle in the semifinals and turned to Erin Scheno to replace her in the starting lineup. Scheno scored two points in the loss.

"Our plan was to slow Michaela down as much as Senior Michaela Mabrey possible with Tiffany on her and we did a good job," Jackson Memorial coach Rachel Goodale said. "It's tough when they have a player like her Jackson Memorial jumped out to a 16-10 advantage in sister that can do what she did tonight, but that's why the first quarter and led 26-23 at halftime, making it the they're ranked No. 1 in the state right now. second night in a row that Manasquan trailed at halftime.

"I'm very happy with the way we played (during the Rumson-Fair Haven took a lead into the third quarter tournament). You're not going to find many tournaments against the Warriors in Thursday night's semifinals before that have this kind of talent and this kind of competition. the Warriors took control.

That's as good as it gets in the state and we felt, coming "We were only down three and we're not going to stay in, that we were ready to play with the best teams in the cold forever," Flaherty said. "We put more pressure on state and I think we did that." their guards and made sure they didn't get the same open looks and we started to turn our defense into offense. And Marina stepped up and played big."

The Jaguars hits four of their seven 3-pointers in the game during the first half, with junior guard Hannah

Photos by:

Cliff Lavelle www.clearedge.zenfol io.c om

www.allshoremedia.com

A SM / 7

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 HS n Sean Armand—Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis HS (NY) n Delvon Arrington—St. Anthony’s HS n Brian Baker—Colts Neck HS n Mustafa Barksdale—RBR HS n Robert Barksdale—Asbury Charter School n Billy Beggans—Ocean Township HS n Steve Bridgemohan—E Brunswick HS n Josh Brody—RBR HS n Brandon Brown—Freehold Boro HS n Yesenia Burgos—St. John Vianney HS n Rashon Bruno—St. Anthony’s HS n Courtney Calderon—St. John Vianney HS n Richard Calia—Holmdel HS n Shilique Calhoun – Middletown North HS n Quarran Calhoun—Raritan HS n Cooper Calzonetti—Neptune HS n Chase Campbell—Oak Hill Academy (NC) n Cleveland Cannon—Long Branch HS n Raheem Carter—Long Branch HS n Corey Chandler—East Side HS n Robert Cheeks—St. Anthony’s HS n Rahmir Cottman—RBR HS n Vincent Council—Lincoln HS (NY) n Don Coven—Long Branch HS n Paul De Salvo—CBA n Syessence Davis—Neptune HS n Allen Dean—Neptune HS n Taquan Dean—Neptune HS n Dana Jean DeGennaro—RBC HS n Chris Delaney—CBA n Pat Delaney—CBA n Jose Diaz—Pt. Pleasant Beach HS n Mark Donnelly—RBR HS

n Sean Dunne—CBA n Kristian Duravcevic—Fordham Preparatory School (NY) n Mike Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech HS n Crissie Fisher—Rumson-Fair Haven HS n Sarah Fisher—RBR HS n Adam Fleischner—Holmdel HS n Colin Ford—Manasquan HS n Glen Ford—RBC HS n Greg Ford—Trenton Central HS n Avery Gardner—Long Branch HS n Billy Gilligan—RBR HS n Tyler Glass—Mater Dei Prep HS n Erica Gomez—St. John Vianney HS n Dana Graziano—Holmdel HS n Kevin Grier—CBA n Paul Halas—St. Rose HS n Felicia Harris—RBR HS n Michael Harris—Randolph HS n Mykel Harris—Great Mills HS (MD) n Ashley Hart—The Peddie School n Eugene “Nu Nu” Harvey— St. Benedict’s Prep n Corey Haskins—RBR HS n Kasey Hobbie—RBC HS n Darien Hutton—Ewing HS n Nolan Ivers—Holmdel HS n Jasmine Jackson—Old Bridge HS n Rosie Jackson—St. John Vianney HS n Tyson Johnson—St. Mary’s HS (NY) n Billy Kiss—Long Branch HS n Michael Kelly—St. Anthony’s HS (NY) n Nick La Morte—Mater Dei HS n Herve Lamizana—St. Patrick’s HS n Erin Leahy—Rumson-Fair Haven HS

n Carl Little—Asbury Park HS n Maggie Loundy—Pt. Pleasant Beach HS n Charles Markens—St. Patrick HS n Mike Mavrinac—Middletown South HS n Jasmine McCall—Manalapan HS n Billy McCue—CBA n Christian Morris—S. Kent School (CT) n Darius Morris—Long Branch HS n Valerie Morris—Freehold Boro HS n Michael Murphy—Howell HS n Sachin Nagpal—Ranney School n Brian O’Reilly—Middletown South HS n Karen Otrupchak—RBR HS n Kevin Owens— Neptune HS n Toni Panza—St. John Vianney HS

n Anthony Perry—St. Anthony’s HS n Shinece Perry—RBR HS n Earl Pettis—Saints John Neumann & Maria Goretti Catholic HS (PA) n Simon Press—Asbury Park HS n Joey Raines—Asbury Park HS n David Reeves—RBC HS n Anne Richards—The Lawrenceville School n Charlie Rogers—Matawan HS n Amanda Rosato—St. John Vianney HS n Alifiya Rangwala— The Ranney School n Will Sanborn—RBR HS n Keyron Sheard—RBR HS n Brian Snodgrass—Holmdel HS n Lauren Sokol—The Peddie School n Stephen Spinella—Colts Neck HS n Matt Stahl—Middletown South HS n Missy Stavola—Rumson-Fair Haven HS n Jenna Strich—RBC HS n Scott Stump—RBC HS n Kim Talbot—RBC HS n Aaron Tarver—RBR HS n Terrance Todd—Neptune HS n Maurice Turpin—Long Branch HS n John Weldon—Freehold Boro HS n Dawn Werner—St. John Vianney HS n John Werner—St John Vianney HS n Kade Weston—RBR HS n Kayshanna Wesley— Asbury Park HS n Eric Yarborough—Asbury Park HS n Tomora Young—RBR HS n Terry Zinn—RBC HS n Lynne Zoltowski—RBC HS

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

Volume-IV

8 / A SM

Issue-1

1/09/12

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

very season there are those boys basketball players and teams that make the fans and experts look foolish for overlooking them in the preseason, and there certainly has been no shortage in that area this season in the Shore Conference.

In what looks like a wide-open season where several teams have already inherited the No. 1 spot in the All Shore Media Top 10, we’ll see which of these teams has staying power when we hit the Shore Conference and state tournaments.

We’ll also see how many of these players can continue to perform at a high level now that they are no longer a secret.

S ur pr isi ng T ea m s Ja ck s o n Li b erty

pulled away.

The Titans also had another solid team, Point Beach, on the ropes, as the Garnet Gulls escaped with a one-point victory on a pair of free throws with 18 seconds left. Keansburg has sent the message that it will not be an easy win any more, and a major reason is because of its two top players. Junior guard Tyler Walters and junior forward Danny Markulin average more than 32 points combined, and Markulin has emerged as one of the better rebounders in the Shore.

To ms R i ve r So u th

Off to a 6-3 start, the Indians are more than halfway to their entire win total (10) from last season, thanks to an infusion of youth at the guard positions that has meshed with the returning veterans.

Sophomore Marquis Davis has emerged as one of the best young point guards in Ocean County, and his ability to get the ball into the hands of seniors like Elijah Dupree and Zack Ligouri in their comfort zones has helped this team improve offensively after it struggled to score at times last season.

Senior guard RJ Devish has been solid, while sophomore guards Darius Hart and Tymere Berry have provided speed and long-range shooting off the bench. While Jackson Memorial is the heavy favorite to take home the Class A South title, the Indians could be a tough early-round game for a high seed in the SCT.

Ho l md e l

Only two seasons ago, the Lions were winless. Last season, they took a big step forward with a school-record 11 wins in an 11-13 season, but only won one divisional game in Class C Central. However, the Lions announced their arrival under head coach Mark Lax with a 53-51 victory over then-No. 1 Lakewood on Jan. 6 for their first win in school history over the Piners.

It was a landmark win for a program in its fifth season in existence, and it sent the message that the Lions should be a factor in the Class C Central race. One game earlier, they took another perennial Ocean County stalwart, Monsignor Donovan, to the wire on the road before losing by two points for their only setback in a 6-1 start. They also won the Hudson River Classic in Jersey City for their first holiday tournament title in school history.

The scary part for opponents is that this team is young. Top-scoring guard Ahmed Foster, who had 21 points in the win over Lakewood, is a junior, while standout forward James Sofield is a sophomore and so is guard Mike Healy and forward Dan Niblack, the latter of whom led the team in rebounding in the win over Lakewood.

Ke an s bu rg

Coming off a 6-12 season, the Titans have come out of the gate strong with a 5-2 start under second-year head coach Jim McCarthy. They hosted a four-team holiday tournament and won the title to kick off the season, then gave a loaded Asbury Park squad a tough half before the Blue Bishops

After going 6-16 last season, the senior-laden Hornets are right in the hunt for the Class A Central title with a 5-2 start.

Experience is starting to pay off, as the Hornets returned almost their entire starting lineup, including long-range bomber Christian Vikse, another proven scorer in Kyle Nodes, center Dan Baumlin and junior point guard Robbie Cantelli. Seniors Tim McDonnell and Sean O’Neill have also been contributors off the bench.

Veteran coach Sean Devaney had the Hornets in a tie for first place in the division, with the Hornets only loss to a Shore Conference team in their first seven games coming at the hands of defending A Central and SCT champion Raritan. There also has been plenty of excitement in the early going, as Vikse hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Rumson-Fair Haven in another key divisional game.

To mmss R i ver ve r NNoo rth

Alex Levchenko Sr., G The Mariners have been rejuvenated with a new coach, Rory Caswell, and some emerging talent to complement the veterans.

Caswell took over for Chris Kane, who stepped down after an 8-15 season, and has the Mariners off to a 5-3 start that included a berth in the WOBM Classic championship game. The Mariners took unbeaten Jackson Memorial to the wire in a three-point loss in that game, hinting at their potential.

Senior guard Alex Levchenko, junior guard Karl Blum, senior forward Sean Martin and junior point guard Damian Singleton are all returners who have played a key

role in Toms River North’s resurgence. Another important factor has been the addition of 6-6 junior forward Solly Stansbury, a transfer from Delaware. Stansbury gives the Mariners a shot-blocker in the middle and a scorer with range out to 15 feet.

Freeho ld To wn w nshi shi p

While it’s never a total surprise when the Patriots excel given the track record of veteran coach Brian Golub, this team has shown the ability to be a top-five squad in the Shore, which I don’t think many people expected in the preseason.

The Patriots’ swarming press has given teams fits, and they are one of the most balanced scoring teams in the Shore. Senior guard Casey Skievaski leads the way on a team for which seniors Ben Collincini and Jake Catanzaro as well as junior center John Horrigan are all capable of a 20-point night. They are hard to defend because you cannot focus on just stopping one player, and they announced their arrival with a victory over traditional power Christian Brothers Academy in the first week of the season.

La ce c eyy To wnsh w ns hiipp

The Lions did return four starters, but the one they lost was Class B South Player of the Year Deon Smith, so there was a question of where the scoring would come from for a team that shared the division title last season.

Manchester and Barnegat generated the preseason buzz, but Lacey has been the division's best team with a 6-1 start that included a win over a solid Point Boro squad in the WOBM Classic.

The Lions' zone defense has made them a tough team to score on, and they are balanced offensive with seniors Logan McDonald, Tasheen Carrow, Ryan Reitmeyer, Tyrell Smith and Edgar Lenkauskas.

S ur pr isi nngg PPllaye aye rs CCoo dy Tho m ps o n, Jr Jr..,, GG,, M i dd lleettoo wn N o rth

Everyone knew that the Lions had three standout seniors returning in shooting guards Jason Huelbig and Tim Frawley and point guard Eric Youncofski, but Thompson has emerged as a lethal scorer when teams focus too much on stopping the other three.

www.allshoremedia.com

His second-half scoring helped blown open a Buc Classic championship game in which the Lions beat Roselle 74-56 to repeat as champions, and he has been a consistent double-figure scorer. The quarterback on the football team, Thompson is a good all-around athlete with consistent accuracy from 3-point range, and he makes the Lions even harder to defend.

B rya n Ad aamms,s, S r., F, M Maana na l ap aann

While everyone knew about junior guard Anthony Firkser, one of the Shore’s best, a big question mark with Manalapan was the rest of a lineup that was breaking in four new starters. Adams made the AllTournament team at the Huskie Classic and is a quick wing player who is tough off the dribble. He has helped complement the scoring of Firkser and been one of the team’s top rebounders.

La rry S mi th, S r., G , Matawan M atawan

When star forward Larry Alston III decided not to play basketball this winter in order to focus on his football career, the Huskies looked like they might be in for a long season. However, the explosive Smith, one of the quickest guards in the Shore, has stepped up his scoring to keep Matawan right in the mix for the Class A Central title in its 5-3 start. Smith already has one game of more than 30 points to his credit and multiple 20-point efforts.

M aarrqquu i s DDavi avi s,s , S o ., GG,, To m s RRii ver S o uth u th

Davis was a standout on a good freshman team last season for the Indians, and he has made the leap to a varsity playmaker right away to help the Indians to their best start in several years. He can get into the lane off the dribble against most opposing guards and can finish among the trees. He also is a solid pressure defender on defense, which is Toms River South’s calling card.

Pat M ul lil i n, SSrr.,., F, Freeho Free ho ld Not too many people might have expected Mullin to be

A SM / 9

drawing box-and-one attention from defenses, but that’s what he has faced on several occasions after a 36-point eruption in a win over Manasquan in the Buc Classic. He has struggled a bit with the extra attention, so we’ll see how he does going forward with defenses focused on stopping him.

AArm rm ond /F, o nd Co C o no ver, ve r, S r., GG/F, AAsb sb ur rk u ryy Pa Park

While it’s no secret that Conover is a tremendous athlete, given the fact that he was an ASM All-Shore first-team selection in football, he is scoring at a prodigious rate for the Blue Bishops. He already has had three 30-point games and another 29-point game, putting up the type of numbers the Shore Conference hasn’t seen since the heyday of former Freehold Township star Manny Ubilla in the mid-2000s.

What makes Conover, an explosive leaper with a good first step, even tougher to defend is that he has two teammates, his twin brother, Amir, and senior guard Thomond Hammary, who also can go off for a 30-point night at any time. That means Armond rarely faces too many double teams because he has too much talent around him to focus solely on stopping him.

Danny Markulin, Jr., F, an sbuu rg Ke ansb

Markulin has been one of the top scoring and rebounding combos in the Shore Conference for a team that is off to its best start in years. A hard-working player with decent size, Markulin pounds the offensive glass and has decent range.

Tasheen Carrow, Sr., G, La c ey

While teammates like seniors Logan McDonald and Tyrell Smith earned much of the attention in the

preseason, Carrow has emerged as one of Ocean County’s steadiest point guards for a team right in the hunt to repeat as Class B South champions.

He has great quickness off the dribble and can get in the lane and score, and defensively he is a bulldog, onthe-ball defender.

A hm ter , JJrr.,., G, hmeedd Fo F o sster, G, Ja ck so s o n Li bbeerty rty

A big reason for Jackson Liberty opening some eyes has been the prolific scoring of the 6-foot-3 Foster, who has been one of the Shore Conference’s best in that department in the early going. He is an excellent free throw shooter with good quickness off the dribble who can score inside.

Foster will see increased defensive attention after pouring in 21 points in the program’s first win over perennial Ocean County power Lakewood.

Te rre ll Co x, S o ., G, Lo ng B ra ranc nchh

Only a sophomore, Cox has emerged as one of the Green Wave’s top scorers and gives them a bright future along with junior guard Dwight Clark. Both are explosive off the dribble and great all-around athletes, so even though Long Branch is taking some lumps now, they know they have a backcourt they can build on.

G, T i m M i nd ni cch,h, S r., G, M o nsi no r DDoo no van ns i ggno va n

After being mainly a role player for the Griffins last season, Mindnich has emerged as a solid all-around threat for a team that graduated top talents in Sean Grennan and Anthony Duszczak. Mindnich is a tough on-the-ball defender with good athleticism but also has shown some scoring prowess on a team that has a balanced attack.

Photos by:

Bill Normile

www.billnorm ile.zenfolio.com

Cliff Lavelle

www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

Sports Shots WLB

www.sportshotswlb.com

Volume-IV

1 0 / ASM

Issue-1

1/09/12

Steve Heller was named the first head coach in Brookdale men’s lacrosse history in 2008. In the program’s inaugural year, Heller guided the team to an 8-14 record. Prior to coming to Brookdale, Steve was the assistant coach at West Point Prep School from 1996-2007. He was also a three-time men’s lacrosse all-American at Army, and is a graduate of West Point.

In a 4-part series Steve will highlight key elements that will help with a successful pre-season training program for any level of lacrosse.

P art 3 of 4

Pre-Season Training:

Defense – I nd ivi dua l De f ens e & Tea m De f ens e

By S teve Heller – Br ookdale Co mmu n ity Colleg e lacr os s e h ea d coach , Region 19 ch amp ion s 2010 an d 2 011 Co- dir ector of Lax Team S ix with Reid Jacks on , in d ividu al an d s mall g r ou p lacr o s s e tr ain in g. ( www.laxtea ms ix. com) .

The single most common mistake I see with defenders today is they play defense with their “stick” and not with their “body.” A simple exercise we do in the off-season is having our defensemen work on playing 1 on 1 defense without the stick in their hands.

What they see is that when they focus on using your body first, even though they don’t have a stick, they can play very good defense. By taking the stick away, you are now forced to use your other “tools” to guard your opponent. This is a Reid Jackson former defensive great concept to learn player for the NJ Pride professional early. outdoor lacrosse team

Here is a simple set of pointers to remember when playing defense:

1. Helmet below Helmet – keep your helmet below your opponent’s helmet. Do this by dropping your hips and not by bending over at the waist. By dropping your hips you’ll be in a better position to defend and will allow yourself to maintain proper leverage against your opponent.

2. Approach Angle – when moving out to defend your

opponent, take the proper approach angle. What this means is if you opponent is a righty, take an angle that forces him to go to his left and if he is a lefty take an angle that forces him to the right. You should dictate the direction he will go not the other way around.

3. Feet, Feet, Body, Stick – keep saying this over and over in your head. This is how you should defend. Feet first, feet second, body third, and then use the stick. This is the same as when we practice without sticks. It focuses on using your feet and body on the primary tools for defense. Use the stick last, but only after you have established good body position first.

Team Defense - here are some commons principles when playing in a team system.

1. Communicate – this is probably the most important thing to learn when playing team defense and is the most needed area of improvement in the youth and High Schools I have seen.

All 6 defenseman and the goalie must constantly call out who is sliding, who is back filing for the sliding defender, where the ball is, when there are cutters, etc. The more you and your teammates communicate the better defense you’ll play as a team.

2. “Pinch and Help” – when “off” ball, make sure you are pinching in and helping your teammates. Protect the inside and if you have to give up a shot, make sure you give up the outside shots.

These are easier for the goalie to see and save.

3. Remember that “Team Defense” is not a series of 1 on 1 battles, but a system where all 6 defenders help each other out. When “on ball” you need to keep in mind the basic principles of individual defense discussed above, but when “off ball” it is about helping your teammates out and helping out the entire defense.

Keep playing defense to a set of simple principles, use your feet and body first and your stick last, support and help your teammates when playing settled 6v6 defense. Do this and you’ll see that your team will quickly gain a reputation as a tough opponent and you’ll become a better individual player.

Next Issue: Leadership and teamwork.

www.allshoremedia.com

A SM / 11

Early Statement: Neptune

Basketball Upends Colts Neck

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Neptune led 24-22 at the half thanks to a After an uneven start to the season that defense that forced nine turnovers and the included a desultory 20-point loss to perennial play of Kirkwood, who had nine points and power Seton Hall Prep in the Holiday Jubilee 10 rebounds in the first half. The junior has final, Neptune's boys basketball team was been battling shin splints and a bruised knee focused on getting back to two pillars of one of suffered earlier in the season but said he felt the Shore Conference's most successful programs as healthy as he has in weeks in the win - effort and defensive pressure. over Colts Neck.

Those two attributes were on full display when "I felt more confident,'' he said. "Last the Scarlet Fliers used a turnover-causing game we played against Seton Hall, I didn't defense to fuel a big second half to hand Colts feel too confident because I was just Neck its first loss of the season with a 55-41 thinking about my knee. Today, I let that go victory. The win gives Neptune, the defending out of my mind and played to the best of my Class B North champion, an early leg up in the ability.'' divisional race in its bid for a repeat. Junior forward Keith Kirkwood led a balanced effort O'Donnell also made a lineup change, with 11 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 starting Holland and bringing senior center steals, senior guard Rasul Holland added 10 Josh Jenkins off the bench in order to give points, senior guard Ikie Calderon chipped in Neptune a three-guard attack with Holland, with 9 points, 7 steals and 5 assists and senior Woods and Calderon.

Junior Keith Kirkwood guard Jaheem Woods added 8 points as Neptune "I've been coaching a long time here - 38 went on a 23-5 run that bridged the third and years,'' O'Donnell said. "We're best when we have our quick fourth quarters to seal the win. guards, and we press.''

The team that was ranked No. 1 in the preseason looked like it "Coach basically wanted us to put pressure on their guards and against the Cougars, as the Scarlet Fliers forced 20 turnovers with play good defense,'' Holland said. "Defense wins games. We were their trademark full-court pressure that they turned into 24 points. playing as a team, talking on defense, and it felt like we were a They were able to get 16 more shot attempts than Colts Neck family out there.'' thanks to the turnovers and 21 offensive rebounds, and they also held the Cougars to 6-for-23 (26.1 percent) shooting in the Colts Neck opened the third quarter on a 6-2 run to take a 28-26 second half when they broke the game open. lead off a putback by junior guard Brandon Federici (7 points), but then Neptune cranked up the defense to put away the game.

"That's Neptune basketball right there,'' Kirkwood said. "That's The Scarlet Fliers finished the third period on a 10-0 run that what we're capable of.'' included six points by Woods, including two dunks that had the "When you play defense and rebound, you can beat anyone,'' home crowd buzzing. All of his points were created by turnovers. said Neptune coach Ken O'Donnell. "At the end (of the 20-point "When they called timeout, I said, 'You know how we ended up loss to Seton Hall Prep), I wasn't happy with our effort because we sort of gave up, and we talked about that. The effort was much with Jaheem getting those dunks? It's because of defense,''' O'Donnell said. "Defense is what wins.'' better tonight.''

Neptune forced six fourth-quarter turnovers to keep the run

going, starting the final period with a 15-5 burst that put the game away. Holland and Calderon combined for 11 points during the run, often coming up with steals themselves and either finishing in transition, converting free throws or Senior Jaheem Woods setting up teammates.

"I think it's two contrasting styles,'' O'Donnell said. "They're big inside, and they shoot the ball very well, but they need time. We're the opposite. We're quick, and our style won tonight.''

After a driving layup by Calderon put Neptune up 51-33, Colts Neck never got closer than 10 points after that. Senior forward Hunter Wysocki, who led Colts Neck with 15 points, fouled out with 2:02 remaining. The rest of the Cougars struggled to find the range, as senior guard Sean O'Reilly finished with 9 points, but on 2-for-14 shooting from the field, and Federici, one of the team's top scorers, only attempted five shots in the game.

Neptune continued its mastery of the Cougars, whom it beat twice last season en route to the division title.

"This was a good win for us, and hopefully we can build on this,'' O'Donnell said.

Game Video Highlights by:

Scott Stump

www.allshoremedia.com

Photos by:

Cliff Lavelle www.c learedge.zenfolio.com

Volume-IV

1 2 / AS M

Issue-1

1/09/12

Basketball: Boardwalk Showcase Preview

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

A

Jersey Shore basketball tradition, the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase is entering its 10th edition with a new venue and another lineup of exciting games on the boys and girls sides.

The games will be held at Long Branch High School this season, with five boys games on Jan. 14, followed by five girls games on Jan. 15. Here is a look at the five boys games. You can find full coverage of all the boys action at www.allshoremedia.com, and the full schedule for both days can be found at hoopgroup.com.

Lakewood vs. Colts Neck, noon

Both of these teams have stumbled recently with losses but figure to be right in the hunt for a Shore Conference Tournament title when it comes down to it.

Lakewood has a deep backcourt that features seniors Jameer Jones and Dajuan Morris as well as talented junior Tyrice Beverette. Sophomore forward Ben Watson and junior forward Jared Craddox have anchored the frontcourt for the Piners.

Colts Neck is a veteran team that features senior guard Sean O’Reilly and senior forward Hunter Wysocki, a pair of four-year varsity players. Junior Brandon Federici gives them a potent third scorer and 6-9 center Steven Faust alters a lot of shots in the middle. Colts Neck’s ability to handle Lakewood’s trademark full-court pressure will be a key factor in this game, while Lakewood’s ability to execute its halfcourt offense agains the Cougars will be important for the Piners.

teams, who could easily see each other again in the postseason this year.

Jackson Memorial is a senior-laden group with a ton of size that includes 6-7 senior forward Brandon McDonnell, 6-5 senior swingman Brandon Holup, 63 senior guard Brian Kenny as well as 6-8 sophomore reserve Eric Carter. McDonnell Jackson Memorial is a Division I senior Brandon McDonnell talent, while Kenny has already committed to Division II Caldwell College. There is a good chance the Jaguars will enter this game as the only undefeated team left in the Shore Conference, adding a little extra spice.

Middletown North is led by senior guard Jason Huelbig, one of the most explosive leapers in the Shore, as well as senior point guard Eric Youncofski and senior guard Tim Frawley. Junior guard Cody Thompson has emerged as another potent scorer as well. The Lions don’t have much size inside, so how they handle Jackson’s height advantage and how they do in the rebounding battle will be the main thing to watch.

Jackson Memorial vs.

Middletown North, 1:40 p.m.

On paper, this looks like the main attraction of the day.

This game could potentially be for the No. 1 ranking in the Shore and also will be important for both teams during SCT seeding time.

Jackson Memorial also beat Middletown North in last season’s Central Jersey Group IV semifinals, so there is some history between these

Middletown North senior Tim Frawley

Point Beach vs.

Christian Brothers Academy, 3:20 p.m.

This originally was going to be a juicy matchup between CBA and Gill St. Bernard’s, one of the top teams in the state and a squad that features multiple Division I talents, including star guard Jaren Sina. However, Gill St. Bernard’s dropped out only a few weeks before the event and has been replaced by Point Beach.

The Garnet Gulls stunned CBA in last year’s SCT quarterfinals, but Point Beach also has graduated all-time leading scorer Jarelle Reischel, who is now at Rice University. The new-look Garnet Gulls are a 3-point

shooting bunch led by sophomore Matt Farrell and junior P.J. Kineavy, with junior center Riley Calzonetti serving as a solid scorer in the middle.

CBA is an almost entirely new squad itself after graduating stars Matt McMullen and J.P. Koury. Junior point guard Tom Aldridge has emerged as a top scorer, while senior forward Kieran Hughes has gone from a role player to more of a force up front. Senior forward Eric Shaw is one of the better 3-point shooters in the Shore.

Sophomore center Evan Gordinier has been a complementary scorer in his first varsity season, and senior Jon Bloodgood also has been solid in the post. CBA is the favorite in this game, so we’ll see if the Garnet Gulls can put up a fight in their chance on the big stage.

Raritan vs. Neptune, 5 p.m.

Raritan features returning ASM Player of the Year Mike Aaman, a 6-9 forward Raritan senior Mike Aaman headed to Wagner who had three 20-rebound efforts in Raritan’s first eight games. He is surrounded by an entirely new cast of guards that includes junior 3-point launcher Paul Coladonato as well as junior Tyler Gurczeski. Senior forward Marc Pizanie is another complementary scorer to Aaman, who has a chance to lead the Shore in scoring and rebounding.

Neptune is led by the senior backcourt of Ikie Calderon and Jaheem Woods and junior forward Keith Kirkwood, who is blossoming into one of the Shore’s top all-around talents. Senior forward Fuquan McDonald is a high riser who is a dependable rebounder, while senior guard Rasul Holland gives the Scarlet Fliers depth in the backcourt.

Senior center Josh Jenkins adds length in the middle on defense.

How Raritan’s guards, who have struggled against pressure this season, handle Neptune’s swarming press

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

After a rocky start, defending SCT champion Raritan has played better as of late, and will need to continue that trend against a tough Neptune squad full of seniors.

Continued on next page

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

www.allshoremedia.com

Neptune senior Ikie Calderon

will be the key to the game. If Aaman does not have to worry about handling the ball a lot and can get the ball in position to score consistently, the Rockets have a shot at the upset.

Raritan will most likely sit in a zone and force Neptune to shoot from deep, and if Aaman can seal off the defensive boards, that also will be critical.

Manasquan vs. Long Branch, 6:40 p.m.

Both of these teams have been up and down this season so far, and this is probably the most under-the-radar game of the day. The host Green Wave are a young team under new coach Don Covin, who led Long Branch to the Tournament of Champions in the late 1990s and has returned for a second stint. Long Branch is led by junior guard Dwight Clark and sophomore guard Terrell Cox and looks to continue to build for the future.

On the Manasquan side, fans will want to check out the tandem of junior guard J.R. Hobbie and junior center Jimmy Walsh. Hobbie is one of the top long-range bombers in the Shore, while Walsh is a 6-7 multi-dimensional talent who can hit from 18 feet, put it on the floor and rebound at will.

Photos by:

Cliff Lavelle www.c learedge.zenfolio.com

A SM / 13

The Boardwalk Hoop Showcase Featuring 10 Games

January 5, 2012 –The 12th Annual Boardwalk Hoop Group Showcase will host a total of ten games, January 14 and Sunday, January 15, 2012. This year’s event moves from Monmouth University but doesn’t go very far, as this year’s Showcase will be held at Long Branch High School. The first game will tip-off at noon each day with the last game scheduled for 6:40 PM. There will be five boys games the first day followed by five girls games the following day.

The Boardwalk Hoop Group Boys Showcase provides for some of the most exciting match-¬ups of the High School Basketball Season. The boys schedule includes 4 teams ranked in NJ Hoops Top 25 in the state, #17 Colts Neck, , #18 Jackson Memorial, #19 Middletown North and #23 Lakewood. It also features 5 of the top 10 teams in Monmouth County and the top 2 teams in Ocean County by NJ.com.

The girls schedule is incredible featuring the #1 team in the state, Manasquan as well as 4 teams in the top 10 and 6 teams in the top 20, as well as national powers Christ the King and Blair. The ranked teams in the state are #1 Manasquan, #4 St. Rose, #6 Red Bank Catholic, #8 St. John Vianney, #12 Jackson Memorial and #14 Rumson.

The Game Schedule

BOYS GAMES SATURDAY JANUARY 14, 2012 12:00

1:40

3:20

5:00

6:40

Lakewood

Jackson Memorial

Point Beach

Raritan

Manasquan

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs. vs.

Colts Neck

Middletown North

CBA

Neptune

Long Branch

GIRLS GAMES SUNDAY JANUARY 15, 2012 12:00

Neptune

vs.

Rumson

Point Boro

vs.

St. Rose

vs.

Red Bank Catholic

1:40

Blair

5:00

Christ the King NY

3:20

6:40

Jackson Memorial

vs.

vs.

St. John Vianney Manasquan

1 4 / ASM

Volume-IV

Issue-1

1/09/12

www.allshoremedia.com

A SM / 15 every website from more and more games, All Shore Media included.

If you get dunked on or get your shot swatted into the eighth row, it’s right there for people to replay over and over.

would definitely make it worse – especially when it comes from someone who doesn’t have the guts to sign their name to it. That wouldn’t exactly be a nice high school memento to put in the scrapbook.

I

t’s a lament you hear often from the veteran basketball coaches in the Shore Conference.

Kids just aren’t the same these days.

Usually it relates to their inability to take criticism or deal with adversity, whether it’s the player who gets yelled at and then goes home and has his parents write a letter to the superintendent, or the one who simply quits the team because he can’t handle being disciplined or criticized.

I think there is some truth to that, as stuff as far as yelling and criticism that was par for the course when I was playing in the 1990s has gotten some coaches fired in recent years. However, in a different way, I feel like the players of today are actually thicker-skinned in a certain area.

The ubiquity of Twitter and Facebook plus the Internet message boards that are practically an institution at this point have forced players to deal with instant feedback on their performances. If you have a bad game, by the time you even get home, or in the case of something like Twitter, before the game is even over you may be getting ripped for all to see, often anonymously.

I know that when I had a bad game or an off shooting night that I was mad enough as it was when I got home and felt like punching the wall. Now if I had to turn on the computer or check my cell phone and see “Stump sux’’ or “That kid is terrible. What a waste,’’ or something like that splashed online for all to see, that

As far as I’m concerned, that takes some thick skin to endure that type of criticism or potential ridicule. I agree that it is part of the landscape now, but there is a flipside. Players receive much more praise and attention when they do well now than they ever did in the 1990s or early 2000s because of the proliferation of media. One great game might get splashed across 20 different sites, whereas you were lucky to get a few column inches in the Asbury Park Press or the StarLedger 15 years ago.

I used to worry about what I might hear at the park or the YMCA at the next pick-up game if I dropped a clunker in a high school game, but that is small potatoes compared to seeing your name dragged through the mud for all of your classmates and friends to either laugh or cringe at.

Also, if I was the one thinking about making a comment about another player now, I would at least take a minute to contemplate it, whereas a lot of the stuff that gets posted now is just people firing away with their gut reaction.

So if you are going to lap up the praise and the attention, you also have to deal with the downside, and However, you talk to the current that is where I think the “thin skin’’ players about it, and it barely Asbury Park's Thomond Hammary comments from coaches sometimes merits a shrug at this point. Ask come from. If you have a star players at places like Middletown player with a healthy ego, he may not be equipped to North, Neptune or Asbury Park who have loud deal with the backlash if he has a bad game with the supporters, or one very vocal supporter. Ask them what spotlight shining bright. Also, if he is being pumped up it’s like to be alternately hyped up or crucified after by every website in sight, he may not be receptive to every game, and they will tell you they have learned to constructive criticism from a coach because all he live with it. Many of them are active on Facebook and reads online is how great he is.

Twitter themselves, and realize it comes with the territory.

However, many of the people singing that player ’s praises on Facebook, Twitter or a message board might At least when I start slinging some ugly stuff his way after a few bad get criticized or games, and many players can’t handle that without mocked online, I some guidance. get paid to do my job, so it’s part of the package. I In the end, I don’t envy today’s player. It’s always have absolutely no been the case that it’s easier to sit in the stands and problem with it criticize than it is to get out on the court, but now the because it’s a free criticism is right there for all to see. country. However, these kids are just My main advice to the current players amidst the out there playing cacophony of every critic, fan, and supporter online because they love would be simple – remember why you started playing the game, and I the game in the first place. If shooting that ball could see how the through a hoop in a solitary gym or playing with constant barrage friends is still the most fun place for you, the place of nonsense would you want to be the most, all that other stuff will melt make a player away. It helps in developing thick skin. wonder if it was all worth it.

Middletown North's Jason Huelbig

Plus, there’s the rise of video on

Photo by

www.clearedge.zenfoli o.c om

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

Cliff Lavelle

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

www.allshoremedia.com

Volume-III

Issue-21

11/22/11

A SM / 16

Sharon Wentworth,

D.P.T., M.S.P.T., A.T.C.

012 2 G N I M O C RTS

ELITE ASNPCO E CE N T E R

P ER FO R M

Our New acilit y e -Art F Sta te-of-th e.

Park Av 1540 Westn Falls Tinto

ELITE Sports Physical Therapy Currently located until 1/12 at 655 Shrewsbury Ave. Shrewsbury, NJ

732- 544- 0011

sh a r o n we n two r th @ o p to n l i n e . n e t

ACL

Injury Preventi on Training