10-13-20 Volume-XII Issue-6 2020 Shore Sports Network Soccer Parrllel Universes

October 13, 2020 Volume-XII Issue-6

Kevin WILLIAMS Shore Sports Network Director kevin.williams@townsquaremedia.com

Steve MEYER Shore Sports Network Director High School Division steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

732-233-4460 Managing Editor BOB Badders // bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com

Senior Content Providers MATT Manley // mmanley21@gmail.com

Shore Sports Network Journal is published by: Townsquare Media 8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Copyright 2020 Townsquare Media . All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Shore Sports Network is prohibited

This year’s schedule features some of the Shore Conference’s top teams.

Matt Harmon is back as the play-byplay voice of the game broadcasts and will be joined by longtime partners Kevin Williams and Ed Sarluca. The trio have been together for over 20 years calling Shore Conference football games in Ocean and Monmouth County.

It’s a game on for our game broadcasts Jersey Mike’s returns as the title as they will all be streamed live on sponsor of the weekly streaming shoresportsnetwork.com and through the broadcasts and will also sponsor the Shore Sports Network mobile app. popular Team of the Week program throughout the season.

Brielle Orthopedics at Rothman will be this year’s presenting sponsor.

he Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week returns to the Shore Sports Network this fall with the regular season broadcast schedule to begin on Friday, October 2 when Toms River North visits Toms River South in a battle of the Toms Rivers.

T

Friday

Oct. 2

TR North 21

at

TR South 28 (7pm)

Friday

Oct. 9

Manalapan 7

at

Howell 13

(6:30)

Friday

Oct. 16

Brick Mem.

at

Lacey

(6:30)

Friday

Oct. 23

Donovan Cath.

at

Brick

(7pm)

Friday

Oct. 30

TBD

at

TBD

(7pm)

Friday

Nov. 6

Donovan Cath.

at

TR North

(7pm)

Friday

Nov. 13

TBD

Friday

Nov. 20

TBD

Schedule is subject to change

All games streamed live at shoresportsnetwork.com and on the FREE Shore Sports Network App

2

IT’S MID-OCTOBER AND WE’RE PLAYING By kevin Williams - shore sports network director

I

t’s the middle of October and high school athletic teams throughout the Shore Conference and playing football, soccer, field hockey and tennis while also running cross country. A year ago, that would have been taken for granted but in the age of COVID-19 the fact that young men and women are getting to compete for their schools is almost a minor miracle.

We are well aware of the pain that so many spring sports athletes went through when their season was shut down after just a few days of practice last March. Many, especially the seniors, kept waiting for some signs of light that there would be a games to play but, unfortunately, that was not the case. Most never got a chance to put on the uniform one more time and run out on the field.

Go back a few months to, say, July. How many of us truly thought there would be a fall season, complete with practices and games? My guess would be not many, and I certainly was among those who said time and time again

there would not be a season. But as you ride by high school athletic fields there are kids throwing and kicking the ball around, smashing overheads on the tennis court and running through towns across the Jersey Shore.

Of course, this season is very different. Many teams held their senior night the first time they had a home game because if you wait you risk never having a chance to salute those seniors. Football games like Toms River North at Toms River South on a perfect fall evening, which would have drawn 2,500 spectators, are instead played in front of 500 mask-wearing fans made up mostly of parents of players, cheerleaders and band members.

Absent are the large and loud student sections as few if any are among the lucky ones to find a ticket. This season has actually included some selling their free tickets for as much as $20.

It would be easy to complain about the shortened season, lack of tournaments and the fact that there will be few championships on the line – none in football. However, I have yet to come across a coach, player or parent who, if asked a few months ago if they would give that up just to have an opportunity to play this season, would not have signed for what they are getting right now.

Of course, there have been and will continue to be bumps in the road. A handful of schools have had to temporarily shutter programs due to positive COVID-19 cases, but as I write this there have been no massive outbreaks and nothing as a result of a game or match between opponents.

This is certainly a fluid situation and we should expect there will be more shutdowns in the coming weeks of the fall campaign. As I have said before, the definition of success might not be the numbers of wins your program records but the number of times it gets to compete.

In some ways, you can already call the fall a major success because students are getting the chance to compete. However, very soon our attention will be focused on what appears to be a greater challenge and that is the ability to play indoor winter sports like basketball, wrestling, ice hockey and track. With the increases in positive tests in New Jersey and most of the country that could become a much larger obstacle then what we are facing right now with outdoor fall sports.

All we can do is follow the suggestions to slow down the spread, from wearing a mask to avoiding large gatherings.

If you’re an athlete, coach or parent then the immediate future when it comes to high school sports depends on it.

3

E

very week this regular season, Jersey Mike’s and Shore Sports Network will be selecting a Team of the Week based on its performance over the past weekend.

T

he Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 2 is Colts Neck, which used a late 2-point conversion to complete a rally from a 21-point deficit and knock off district rival Freehold, 36-35, to improve to 2-0.

Shore Sports Network was at practice Tuesday to present head coach Matt Ahearn with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card. line to cut their deficit to 21-13 at halftime.

Fallon fired a 34-yard touchdown pass to Runfolo to get Colts Neck on the board and Barsky scored on a 5-yard touchdown run later in the second quarter.

On the first play of the third quarter, Scully intercepted a pass to set Colts Neck up in Freehold territory. On third down, Fallon again connected with Runfolo, this time for a 20-yard touchdown, to pull the Cougars within 21-19. Fallon then slung the 2-point conversion to Scully to tie the score at 21.

Freehold, which entered Week 2 ranked No. 9 in the SSN Top 10, jolted Colts Neck in the first quarter by scoring touchdowns on each of their first three offensive plays to build a 21-0 lead. The Cougars fought back behind junior quarterback Tommy Fallon, senior running back Joe Barsky, senior wideout/cornerback Matt Scully, junior wide receiver John Runfolo and a mauling offensive

Freehold came right back, however, with a touchdown on the next offensive play, to retake the lead at 28-21. Colts Neck answered with another methodical drive that Barsky polished off with a 4-yard touchdown run to pull the Cougars even once more. Freehold, however. used another big play to pull ahead again, 35-28, with 11:34 left in the game.

Colt’s Neck’s following drive stalled at Freehold’s 37-yard line, but Scully intercepted a pass to give the Cougars the ball right

back. From there, Colts Neck’s offense, particularly its power running game with Barsky and Fallon, went back to work and marched down the field before Barsky plowed into the end zone for his third touchdown to cut Freehold’s lead to 35-34 with just over five minutes left in the game. A penalty on Freehold during the extra point attempt moved the ball to the 1-yard line, which prompted Ahearn to send his offense back onto the field to go for the 2-point conversion. Barsky powered through the defense for the conversion to give Colts Neck a 36-35 lead and the Cougars held on from there for the thrilling victory.

Barsky ran for a career-high 202 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries while Fallon threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 80 yards. Runfolo had two catches for 54 yards and two touchdowns and Scully caught five passes for 65 yards and caught a 2-point conversion pass in addition to his two interceptions.

After going five straight seasons with a losing record, Colts Neck has now started 2-0 in consecutive seasons. The Cougars will try to remain undefeated when they host Howell on Saturday, Oct. 17.

T

he Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 1 is Toms River South, which delivered a shocking upset by rallying from a 15-point deficit to defeat archrival Toms River North, 28-21. Shore Sports Network was at practice Tuesday to present the Indians and interim head coach Matt Martin with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card. picked up and returned 100 yards for a touchdown by Toms River North.

It was a deflating play for Toms River South and surely could have been a backbreaker, but instead, the Indians responded with a great second half to score 22 unanswered points and earn the program’s biggest win in nearly a decade.

After taking a 6-0 lead, Toms River South fell behind 21-6 at halftime with Toms River North’s third touchdown being scored in bizarre fashion. Senior quarterback Jack Huber appeared to have connected with sophomore slotback Devon Bond for a touchdown with no time left, but the ball came loose, was ruled a fumble and

4

With 2:56 left in the third quarter, Huber found senior wide receiver Tyler Madeo for a 25-yard touchdown that cut South’s deficit to 21-13. A short touchdown run

by Huber followed by a 2-point conversion pass to senior Anthony Jonin tied the score at 21 with 8:09 left in the game. Bond delivered the go-ahead touchdown from five yards out with 3:53 left as the Indians’ flexbone offense chipped away and wore down the Mariners’ defense. At the same time, Huber was making tons of plays through the air in a career-best passing game.

Another key play came with 3:41 left in the game when senior safety Dominic Cats intercepted Toms River North senior quarterback Jake Kazanowsky, who is the reigning Shore Sports Network Offensive Player of the Year. It was the final dagger for a defense that pitched a second-half shutout against an offense that figures to be among the Shore’s best again this season.

Huber completed 21 of 30 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown, ran for a touchdown and tossed a 2-point conversion.

Bond ran for 62 yards and two touchdowns, Madeo caught five passes for 44 yards and a score, Gavin Migliore caught six passes for 102 yards and Gerry Ferrigno totaled 115 yards from scrimmage to pace a well-balanced attack.

Toms River South is coming off a 4-6 season in 2019 and has posted a winning record just three times in the last 20 years, but this year’s senior-heavy group is looking to change that and made a massive statement in Week 1. In addition to being selected as the Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week, Toms River South is also ranked in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 for the first time since 2013.

Award-winning broadcasters Kevin Williams, Ed Sarluca and Bob Badders cover the entire Shore Conference from Matawan to Pinelands. Broadcast live each week the show features players, coaches and a preview of upcoming games.

5

E

very week this regular season, Shore Conference football fans will have their chance to vote for the Surf Taco / Shore Sports Network Football Player of the Week on our website.

By bob badders - managing editor

W

1 Player of the Week is Jackson Liberty sr. running back and linebacker Gian LiBassi , who was a factor on both sides of the ball in the

eek

Lions’ season-opening 16-14 victory over Toms River East.

On defense, LiBassi made 12 tackles, including 10 solo stops, while recording two sacks and three tackle for a loss. On the ground, the senior ran for 70 yards and a touchdown and also caught one pass for 15 yards. His 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter started the scoring for Liberty as the Lions won their season-opening game for the first time since 2012.

Unfortunately, Liberty won’t get to try to build off the victory for the time being as the school will have to shut its program down for two weeks due to exposure to COVID-19. The Lions’ Week 2 game with Point Boro has been canceled and school is attempting to reschedule the Week 3 game against Neptune.

LiBassi won a close vote with 13.74 percent of the votes to narrowly win over Toms River South quarterback Jack Huber. Central linebacker Vinnie Dallicardillo and Colts Neck running back Joe Barsky finished tied for third and Freehold Township’s Matt Cardone was fifth.

Jackson Liberty sr. rB/LB Gian LiBassi

6

7

J

ust two weeks into the season it's clear that it's going to be a difficult campaign to figure out.

dders By bob ba

While there are still 12 teams who sit at 2-0, a four-team logjam in spots six through 10 has already created a situation where you can't simply look at who editor beat who. Last week's No. 3 team, Red Bank Catholic, was defeated by a managing Middletown South team that lost to Long Branch in Week 1. Long Branch was then shut out by No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven. Mater Dei Prep, which lost to RBC in Week 1, now sits at 1-1, as well.

So who goes where this week? That's a question we spent a while trying to figure out. The top five were pretty easy to fill in. After that, it gets a bit murky. Luckily for those of us tasked with ranking Shore Conference football teams this season, the schedule should help clear up the picture as we head toward November.

There are some juicy matchups this week with four meetings between ranked teams, headlined by top-ranked Wall heading west on I-195 to tangle with Jackson Memorial.

Southern also has a very intriguing road game against a Toms River North team looking to get back into the Top 10 after falling from No. 2 to out after a Week 1 loss.

Wall 2-0

Senior running back Casey Larkin and senior quarterback Logan Peters led another explosive offensive performance while junior linebacker Colin Riley spearheaded a defensive shutout as the Crimson Knights blew out Neptune, 44-0. Larkin ran for 72 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries and caught two passes for 90 yards and a touchdown while Peters completed 4 of 5 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, ran for 94 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and intercepted a pass on defense. Riley recorded a team-high 11 tackles along with two sacks.

Junior Jake Davis also had an interception. A big top10 battle looms this Friday night.

Jackson Memorial 2-0

Jackson’s defense was nearly perfect in a dominant 26-0 win over Manasquan in which it held the Warriors to minus-2 yards of offense and just two first downs. Senior linebacker Tyron Blackwell led the way with eight tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery for a unit that has yet to allow a point this season. Senior running back Will Towns ran for 111 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, sophomore quarterback Tai Mann threw a touchdown pass to junior Justin Hirsch and also ran for 80 yards and senior Antonio Bilancione kicked a 25-yard field goal. The Jags welcome the Shore’s No. 1 team to The Jungle this Friday night.

NEXT GAME: Friday, Oct. 16 vs. No. 1 Wall (2-0)

Mater Dei Prep 1-1

The Seraphs bounced back from a Week 1 loss to defeat Middletown North, 28-17.

NEXT GAME: Sat., Oct. 17 vs. No. 9 Middletown South (1-1)

Long Branch 1-1

The Green Wave were shut out by No. 2 RumsonFair Haven, 28-0 but hold steady in the rankings thanks to their Week 1 win over Middletown South.

NEXT GAME: Friday, Oct. 16 vs. Middletown North (0-2)

NEXT GAME: Friday, Oct. 16 at No. 4 Jackson Mem. (2-0) Southern 2-0 Rumson-Fair Haven 2-0

Senior running back John Volker ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries as the Bulldogs won a top-10 showdown with No. 8 Long Branch, 28-0. Senior quarterback Josh Harmon added an 8-yard touchdown pass to junior running back Geoff Schroeder. Rumson will face another top-10 opponent and local rival this week.

NEXT GAME: Friday, Oct. 16 at No. 6 RBC (1-1)

Middletown South 1-1

Junior running back Jaiden Brown ran for a career-high 222 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries and also intercepted a pass on defense to lead the Rams to a 28-13 victory over Brick Memorial. Xavier Hendricks recovered a fumble and Nate Committee, Steve Langton, Hank Gallacher and Frank Fierra each recorded sacks. The Rams have a road game this week against an unranked but dangerous foe they are very familiar with.

Junior quarterback/defensive back Tom Schork ran for two touchdowns and returned an interception 68 yards for a score as the Eagles rebounded from a Week 1 loss to take down Red Bank Catholic, 32-25. Austin Ruziecki also ran for a touchdown and Mike D’Amato kicked a 32-yard field goal. Another stern test awaits this weekend as the Eagles will try to climb higher in the Top 10.

NEXT GAME: Sat., Oct. 17 at No. 7 Mater Dei Prep (1-1)

NEXT GAME: Friday, Oct. 16 at Toms River North (1-1) Toms River South

Donovan Catholic 2-0

The Griffins rolled to a 47-7 win over Toms River East behind big games by seniors Jahdir Loftland and Jayon Farrar. Loftland ran for 127 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries and Farrar caught eight passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Evyn Menta threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns, senior Levi Wilkins ran for a 53-yard touchdown and junior Nunes Bukula added a 20-yard touchdown run.

NEXT GAME: Friday, Oct. 16 vs. No. 10 TR South (2-0)

8

Red Bank Catholic 1-1

2-0

Sophomore running back Sabino Portella ran for a pair of touchdowns, senior quarterback Anthony Borriello threw a touchdown pass to Najih Rahman and Michael O’Connor kicked a 25-yard field goal but it wasn’t enough to get past Middletown South as the Caseys fell to the Eagles, 32-25. Their difficult schedule continues this week when they welcome the No. 2 team in the Shore to Count Basie Field.

Senior quarterback Jack Huber ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns on four carries and threw for 157 yards and a touchdown as the Indians rocked Lakewood, 42-6, to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2015. Gerry Ferrigno ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries and also caught a 58-yard touchdown pass and Travis Squire added a touchdown run. The Indians, who already stunned then-No. 2 Toms River North in Week 1, will try to shock the Shore again this Friday night.

NEXT GAME: Friday, Oct. 16 vs. No. 2 RFH (2-0)

NEXT GAME: Friday, Oct. 16 at No. 3 Donovan Cath. (2-0)

9

T

he revised schedule for 2020 has pitted divisional opponents against one another in back-to-back games, which has created a different dynamic to this season. Jackson Memorial, for instance, had to open its season by playing division front-runner Southern on back-to-back days and while missing key players due to injury.

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

In short, when teams play each other is even more critical this season and the first week-and-a-half of the season has further established some favorites, set back some other contenders and revealed some potential sleepers.

Freehold Township

Long Branch

Ocean

4-0, 4-0

2-0, 2-0

4-0, 4-0

The No. 1 team from the preseason holds its spot thanks to a 4-0 start, but the Patriots did not make it abundantly clear that they should remain No. 1. The 4-0 start came against two teams (Middletown North and Manalapan) that were picked to finish in the bottom half of the division (albeit a very strong division), are a combined 0-7 to start the season and with three of the games going down to the wire. The next two weeks give Freehold Township ample opportunity to cement their case for No. 1, with a home-and-home vs. CBA this week and two vs. Long Branch the following week.

CBA’s two-week closure left the Green Wave without an opponent during the first few days of the season but when they finally did get out on the field, they were ready. Long Branch beat Middletown South twice this past week and after dropping two games to Long Branch, the Eagles went out and beat Marlboro in overtime. Lucas Da Costa scored a goal in each game, including the lone goal in Monday’s 1-0 season-opening win.

Colts Neck Southern 4-0, 4-0

Like Freehold Township, Southern had to rally late to win two games in its 4-0 start, but Southern’s close calls came against a Jackson Memorial side that has won three straight A South titles and entered the season ranked No. 8. The Rams followed two comeback wins over the Jaguars with two convincing ones over Brick Memorial, keeping them on a mid-November collision course with the No. 3 team in the Shore for Class A South supremacy.

Toms River North 4-0, 4-0

Southern stays in the No. 2 spot but Toms River North delivered more impressive results over the season’s first week-and-a-half. The Mariners handled a solid Toms River East squad in each of their first two games, then outscored Jackson Memorial, 41, over 160 minutes, with the only Jaguars goal coming with two minutes left in Tuesday’s 2-1 Toms River North victory in Jackson. If the Mariners can nail down two more wins this week against rival Toms River South, they should be poised to make it to the final week of the regular season in position to challenge Southern for the top spot in A South.

Christian Brothers Academy 1-0, 0-0

After missing the first week-plus of the season while the campus was shut down due to multiple confirmed COVID-19 cases among the student body, CBA returned to the practice field on Friday, then made its season debut Saturday by beating a quality Rumson-Fair Haven side, 3-0. The Colts look strong in the back again and junior Marco Mastriani had a productive debut to go along with returnees Shane Borenius and Brett Sieg. The Colts will be tested right out of the gate with two games vs. Freehold Township during the week and a Saturday match against a battle-tested Middletown North squad.

10

It appears last year’s run to the Central Jersey Group III championship game set the tone for the start of 2020, particularly to the junior class that has been so instrumental to this year’s 4-0 start. The Spartans opened with two wins against another junior-heavy team in Monmouth – one in overtime and one with three unanswered goals to open the game – then took care of a young Shore Regional side. Ocean has a bye within the A Central schedule this week but the Spartans will get in a match at Bound Brook on Wednesday as they prepare for a showdown with Holmdel on Oct. 19.

3-0, 3-0

In its three games to this point, Colts Neck has done nothing to jeopardize its No. 6 spot and even made a reasonable case to move up given how dominant those performances were. The Cougars handled Neptune, 4-0, to open the season, then hammered St. John Vianney with eight goals in two shutout wins, giving Colts Neck a 12-0 goal differential through three matches. This week, Colts Neck will take on a Red Bank squad looking for its first win.

Wall 4-0, 4-0

Wall and Colts Neck figure to battle it out for the top spot in B North this season and so far, neither has blinked. The Crimson Knights took care of Red Bank in their first two games, then held off Neptune this past week.

Perhaps most encouraging – at least to this point – is Wall has conceded only one goal despite playing with a new back four and goalkeeper. Freehold Boro could present more of a threat to the net this week than Wall’s first two opponents did but it is still too early to distinguish the teams in the even B North field from one another beyond Colts Neck and Wall.

Holmdel 3-0, 2-0

Holmdel’s unbeaten streak lives to see the third week of the 2020 season after the Hornets swept a talented Monmouth Regional side, then edged Middletown North on Saturday to extend their unbeaten streak to 57 games dating back to October of 2017. The two teams Holmdel has defeated are a combined 0-7, but Monmouth’s other losses are to unbeaten Ocean and Middletown North’s came against No. 1 Freehold Township. Next up for Holmdel is Rumson-Fair Haven, which should pose a serious obstacle to continuing the streak.

Manasquan 3-0-1, 3-0-1

St. John Vianney gave Manasquan a challenging pair of games to open the season, even earning a draw in game two. The Warriors responded with two wins over Freehold Boro – a team that spent last year in Class A North – and will take on a young Matawan squad this coming week.

Manasquan also has some youth on the field, but it has been senior Simon Cardenas who has sparked the Warriors’ fast start, with returning starter Mike Cafiero also turning in a two-goal game in one of the wins over Freehold Boro.

Top 10 Watch List

Howell (3-0-1, 3-0-1) - Howell did not win an A North game last year and has responded with three wins and a draw in its first four games, including a win over preseason No. 9 Marlboro.

Rumson-Fair Haven (2-1, 2-0) - A shaky start doomed the Bulldogs on Saturday vs. CBA and Rumson’s two wins are over Shore and Red Bank Catholic, so there is not enough to bump the Bulldogs into the Top 10 just yet. A result this week vs.

Holmdel would likely change that.

Brick (2-2, 2-2) - The Green Dragons have been two different teams so far and the good version of Brick has been impressive. They traded 5-1 decisions with Toms River South and after blowing a 3-1 lead in a loss to Toms River East, the Dragons came back with a 4-1 win over the Raiders.

Middletown South (1-3, 1-3) - The Eagles are working in some new starters so bouncing back from three straight losses to Marlboro and Long Branch (twice) with an overtime win over Marlboro is a positive sign.

Toms River South (3-1, 3-1) - After coming out flat in a 5-1 loss to Brick in the season-opener, Toms River South has outscored three opponents (Brick once and Central twice) by a combined 14-1 margin.

11

E

very week this regular season, Shore Sports Network & Surf taco will be selecting a boys player of the week based on their performance over the past week. Surf taco will present the winners with a surf taco $25 gift card.

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

T

he Rockets roared out of the gate in 2020 with two seven-goal performances in a sweep of Red Bank Catholic in games played on Thursday and Saturday.

While there were a host of scorers accounting for the 14 goals in the two games, Ryder stood out by scoring five of them. The sophomore striker led the way with a goal and an assist in the opening-day win, then went off for four in Saturday’s 7-0 win over the Caseys.

Ryder's four goals on Oct. 10 th matched his season total from 2019, when he put up a quartet of goals as a freshman at the varsity level - the most by any Raritan player returning in 2020.

Ryder collected 44 percent of the vote in the Week 1 contest, beating out Ocean junior Michael Reid (22 percent) and Freehold Township senior Zach Orrico (19). All Player of the Week winners will receive a Surf Taco gift card.

WEEK-1: RARITAN So. Lupo Ryder

12

Touring the Shore Conference Girls Soccer programs

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

A

look at each Shore Conference girls soccer division through the first 10 days of the 2020 season

Class A North: Freehold Twp., Middletown South Setting the Pace Middletown South and Freehold Township were Class A North’s top two teams during the regular season and both made it to the Shore Conference Tournament semifinal round.

Through four games, it looks like there is a good chance the top spot in Class A North will again come down to the same two teams, with the contenders set to play during the final week of October.

R YANN L EOHNER , S R ., F REEHOLD T WP .

Senior striker Ryann Leohner has again starred for Freehold Township opening her season with a golden goal to beat Middletown North, 1-0, in overtime, then erupting for four goals in a 7-0 Patriots win

over that same Lions side two days later.

Patriots freshman Cassidy Corcione has made an early impact as well, scoring twice in the second win over Middletown North and contributing an assist in a 3-1 win over Manalapan. Freehold Township has flashed its scoring balance, with senior Alyssa Napolitano, senior Sofia Cruz and freshman Ainsley Moy all scoring their first goals of the season in the big win over the Braves.

Middletown South has had a much easier time starting 4-0, outscoring Long Branch and Marlboro by a combined total of 27-1. Senior Katie Coyle has been a scoring machine, with nine goals and four assists in those first four games to lead the Eagles. Freshman Jennifer Schuster has also posted four goals and four assists in the four-game scoring spree by Middletown South.

Manalapan still has a chance to play spoiler to the top teams after a 2-1 start that includes two wins over Howell and a competitive loss to Freehold Township. Senior Cierra DiSabato has scored a goal in each of the three games to highlight the first week-and-a-half of the Braves’ season.

Class A Central: With Contenders Off, Ocean Jumps On Top Red Bank Catholic, Holmdel and Rumson-Fair Haven figure to be in the mix for the top spot in the Class A Central field but all three have played two divisional games or fewer for various reasons.

RBC and Rumson-Fair Haven have had games moved or canceled due to health and safety precautions. After winning the Shore Conference Tournament a year ago, RBC projects as the favorite in this field and the Caseys managed to get in nondivisional tests vs. Hunterdon Central and St. Rose while waiting to open up vs. the rest of A Central. The Caseys dropped a 2-0 MORGAN CUPO, JR., RBC

decision to the Red Devils and hammered St. Rose, 7-0, behind a goal and assist from star forward Morgan Cupo.

Before getting shut down last week, Rumson-Fair Haven opened its season with a 3-2, overtime thriller against perennial Group I championship contender Shore. Junior Katie Aglione starred with two goals in the opening-day win over the Blue Devils.

Holmdel drew a bye within A Central on the first Thursday and Saturday of the season and filled the open spots in the schedule with matchups against Long Branch and Middletown North. The Hornets raced out to a 4-0 start against the two out-of-division opponents and Monmouth, which Holmdel beat twice to open the A Central season.

Senior Sophia Mancino is off to a red-hot start for Holmdel. The senior started at outside fullback last year but has pushed up to forward and scored eight goals and four assists during Holmdel’s 4-0 start. Sophomore Taylor Bielan added four goals in the first four games – two apiece against Long Branch and Middletown North.

With a number of A Central contenders in a holding pattern, the team that has taken advantage by jumping up to first place in the standings is Ocean. The Spartans won their first four games in impressive fashion, outscoring Monmouth, 10-0, in two games and Shore, 6-1, in the next two. Ocean’s offensive attack has featured help from plenty of different sources – most of them underclassmen: sophomore Abigail Desmarais scored two goals in backto-back games vs. Monmouth and Shore, sophomore Julia DeGeorge scored a goal in three straight games, and freshman Natalie Feniger put up three goals and three assists in Ocean’s first two games.

Class A South: Wild Ride Begins in Ocean County It took only a week-and-a-half for every team in Class A South to suffer either a loss or tie in division play, a sign that the race for first place among Ocean County’s largest schools could go down to the final week of the regular season in mid-November.

Toms River North (3-0-1), Toms River South (3-0-1), Jackson Memorial (2-1-1), Brick (2-1-1) and Brick Memorial (2-2) are all .500 or better out of the gate and none has totally separated itself from the pack.

After reaching the Shore Conference Tournament final a year ago and winning the whole thing two years back, Toms River North is still the team to beat in 2020 and has started the season by sporting a balanced offensive attack. Senior Isabella Pures scored a goal in each of the Mariners’ first two games vs. Toms River East and freshman Alexis Garcia found the back of the net in back-to-back games against Toms River East and Jackson Memorial.

The 3-1 Toms River North win over Jackson Memorial appears to be the most consequential result in the early going, with the Mariners topping a Jaguars team that won the division a year ago behind goals by Pures and Garcia. Jackson Memorial struck back by earning a draw in the second meeting, with senior Lauren Dellegrippo scoring for Jackson and junior Emma Eberle for Toms River North.

Jackson Memorial opened its season with two wins over Southern Regional, with seniors Jessica Wanzor, Hannah Reese and Madison Faulkner starring for the Jaguars. Wanzor scored a goal in each of Jackson’s first three games, Reese scored in each of the first two and Faulkner notched two goals in the opening-day win over the Rams.

Toms River South and Brick Memorial have the top individual performers of the first week-and-a-half of the A South season and both teams are squarely in the race because of it.

Sophomore Abby Olexa has scored in every Toms River South game and has put up a total of five goals in four games for the unbeaten Indians, who beat Central twice and went 1-0-1 vs. Brick.

MADISON DIEUGENIO, SO., TRN

For Brick Memorial, junior Olivia Carney also scored five goals in four games to open the season with at least one goal in each. The Mustangs played two wild games against Central to start 2020, beating the Golden Eagles, 5-4, in the first one and dropping the second, 4-3. Carney scored a goal in the first game and put up two in the 4-3 loss, with junior Katelyn Kiefer (four goals and three assists in four games) stealing the show with a hat trick for Central.

See

Girls soccer

page 23

13

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

n the event that there have been teams from both Monmouth and Ocean County vying for the mantle of No. 1 team in the Shore Conference, there have always been opportunities for the best of both counties to meet – be it the regular season, the Shore Conference Tournament or, in some cases the NJSIAA Tournament.

Other times, Shore Conference teams from Group III or Group II – and even Colts Neck back in 2000 and 2001 and Shore Regional in 2015 as teams out of Group I – have had the talent to challenge the best big schools from the area and around the state and often did just that at some point during the high-school soccer calendar.

In 2020, there is no guarantee that any of those disputes will be settled and given how fragile the schedule is with the COVID-19 coronavirus still in circulation, most players throughout the state are happy just to play any games at all in order to show what they have.

“W E ’ RE

DEFINITELY BLESSED TO HAVE A CHANCE TO PLAY ,” CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMY SENIOR BRETT SIEG SAID AFTER HIS TEAM FINALLY OPENED THE SEASON AFTER MISSING TWO WEEKS BECAUSE OF COVID-RELATED ISSUES ON THE CAMPUS. “NOT EVERY WEEK IS GUARANTEED AND WE COULD GET SHUT DOWN AGAIN NEXT WEEK. IT JUST FEELS GREAT TO ACTUALLY GET A GAME IN.” Through the first week-and-a-half of the season, the vast majority of the Shore Conference is on track to complete their full divisional schedule, which was expanded this season from one game per divisional opponent to two per opponent and scheduled to be played in the same week as a home-and-home series. In a handful of cases, however, teams will not be able to play the full divisional schedule due to program and school shutdowns that resulted in postponements and cancelations of multiple games.

CBA stopped in-person learning on campus for two weeks because of three confirmed cases of the coronavirus in its student body, which included a two-week shutdown of all school sports. That shutdown impacted four scheduled games for the Colts soccer team and only two of them – one each against Middletown North and Long Branch – will be made up. Each team is allowed only two three-game weeks in 2020, according to NJSIAA rules, and making up all four games against the two Shore Conference Class A North opponents would require exceeding that limit.

“It was frustrating but we know we are a good team and we can still perform like everyone else does, even if we have to miss some practice,” Sieg said. “Everyone says it’s because CBA is talented but we have a really good chemistry so it makes it easier for us to come together in such a short amount of time.”

CBA’s shutdown also means Long Branch and Middletown North will not have a full 14game body of work in Class A North this season, which is the reason why the Shore Conference agreed to not recognize official division champions for the 2020 season.

14

Freehold Twp. Sr.

Zach Orrico

Rumson-Fair Haven and Mater Dei Prep also had COVID-19-related shutdowns to their program that cost both teams games from their divisional schedule – at least to this point.

Rumson’s road game at Red Bank Catholic that was slated for Oct. 7 is currently not rescheduled, while only one of the two postponed matches between Mater Dei and St. Rose is due to be played at a later date.

One silver lining to the canceled games is it allowed some of the affected teams to schedule matches against opponents from outside the division. Middletown North used its open week to schedule a game vs. Holmdel, while CBA and Rumson made the most of their open week by scheduling a game against one another.

Despite only returning to practice on Friday, Oct. 9, CBA opened its season with a 3-0 win over the Bulldogs the next day by getting out to a fast start.

“We stayed in contact and we knew we still can do the things it takes to win,” CBA senior Shane Borenius said. “We can still possess, we can still finish and we ha ve a lot of guys who can sub in and give guys a break. We feel like wha tever ha ppens, we’ll be up for the challenge.”

With a little more than a month left in the 2020 soccer season, which is set to include a four-round NJSIAA Tournament beginning Nov. 14, there are likely to be more scheduling crises that arise from safety concerns and the trials and tribulations of those handful of teams reveal both the pitfalls of stopping play while also providing some hope that teams can come out clean on the other end.

PATRIOTS SURVIVING

AS

SHORE ’S NO. 1

Freehold Township did not win a Shore Conference Tournament championship in 2019 by crushing teams on they way to the title – its final three results of the tournament were two one-goal victories and a penalty-kick-shootout win.

Now that they are the preseason No. 1 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, the wins still are not easy, but all the games have been wins. Each of the Patriots’ first three games ended with them winning by a one-goal margin, including a come-from-behind overtime win over Middletown North on Oct. 3, and the fourth was a 2-0 win over Manalapan behind two second-half goals.

Southern. Sr.

Kevin Kiernan

Southern Photo Courtesy Michelle Kiernan

“TEAMS ARE DEFINITELY COMING AFTER US ,” SENIOR ZACH O RRICO SAID .

“W ITH OUR SCHEDULE , EVERY GAME IS GOING TO BE TOUGH AND BEING DEFENDING S HORE C ONFERENCE CHAMPS , WE KNOW WE ’ RE GOING TO GET EVERY TEAM ’ S BEST . W ITH EVERYTHING THAT ’ S GOING ON AND WONDERING IF WE WERE EVEN GOING TO HAVE A SEASON , WE DON ’ T WANT TO TAKE ANY GAME FOR GRANTED SO WE ’ RE TRYING TO PLAY EVERY GAME WITH A LOT OF URGENCY .”

Orrico is the reigning Shore Sports Network Player of the Year and bailed his team out in that overtime win over the Lions by scoring with 1:22 left in regulation to send the game to overtime and finishing the game 38 seconds into the second period of extra time.

See

Soccer

page 16

15

Soccer

from page 16

CLASS A SOUTH COLLISION COURSE Southern Regional and Toms River North entered the season as the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 and through the first four games of the season, it indeed appears as though the top team in Class A South will be whichever team can beat the other.

It just so happens that their two games against one another will be the final games of the regular season for both.

Southern started its season by rallying from two-goal deficits on back-to-back days to sweep three-time defending Class A South champion Jackson Memorial by scores of 4-3 and 3-2. The Rams followed by handling Brick Memorial by an aggregate score of 8-0 in their next two.

SR.

Senior Kevin Kiernan is coming off a 20-goal season and a Shore Sports Network First-Team AllShore selection in 2019 and he has been even better in the early-going this fall. The attacking center midfielder totaled eight goals and three assists in the team’s first four matches and with a four-goal outburst against Brick Memorial on Oct. 6, he became the all-time goalscoring leader in the history of the Southern KEVIN KIERNAN boys soccer program. Kiernan currently sits at 45 goals for his career.

outscoring the Jaguars 4-1 in the two games and never trailing at any point in the 160 minutes of play. The sweep of the defending Class A South champs followed a season-opening sweep of rival Toms River East, with the Mariners beating the Raiders, 4-2, in both matches.

Seniors Ali Baish and Parker Nickelsen have picked up where they left off in 2019, when the two forwards keyed Toms River North’s run to the NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV championship. Baish scored four goals in the first four games and Nickelsen struck for three, including one in each of the two wins over Jackson Memorial.

HOLMDEL STILL AMONG SHORE’S ELITE The start to 2020 was already going to be a challenge for a Holmdel team that graduated a decorated group of seniors and was set to rely on a relatively-inexperienced group to try to extend an unbeaten streak that stood at 54 straight games to open the season.

If that challenge, plus the additional requirements borne of the COVID-19 pandemic, weren’t enough, head coach Ron Poll resigned suddenly just before the start of the season. That left 23-year-old Matt Isaacson in charge of the team with the state’s longest undefeated streak but without most of the players who contributed to most of it.

Still, Holmdel does return some noteworthy contributors from 2019 and they have

SR. TOMAS ZOLOFRA been at the forefront of another strong start to the season, which included three wins in the first week.

Seniors Tomas Zolofra and Connor Hinds each scored four goals in 2019 and had a hand in two apiece during the first three matches – Zolofra scoring once and assisting a goal by senior Noah Mendez and Hinds setting up a penalty kick and assisting another goal.

Toms River North also defeated Jackson Memorial twice in its first four games of the season,

see

SR. PARKER NICKELSEN

16

SR. ALI BAISH

JR. TOMMY CHYZOWYCH

Soccer

page 18

Photos by:

17

Soccer

continued on page 16

Two of Holmdel’s four goals have come on penalty kicks by senior defender Felix Doebbel – another returning starter who is part of a defense that again appears to be a strength of the team. Doebbel and fellow seniors Brendan Rebele and Matt Kline have made an early impact in the back and junior Tommy Chyzowych has positioned himself to challenge for All-Shore goalkeeper spots each of the next two seasons for a program that has churned out that caliber of keeper more than once in recent years.

Osario has stepped up as a reliable finisher, with a goal in each of the first two games.

OCEAN REGAINING CHAMPIONSHIP FORM With nine senior starters graduating from Ocean’s 2018 team that won the Shore Conference Tournament and the overall Group III title, the 2019 Spartans were bound to endure their share of growing pains. On other side of those hard times, however, was a run to the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship game as a No. 11 seed.

LIBERTY ROARING BACK IN 2020 In each of the past two seasons, a team in the Shore Conference has made the jump from winning one game in an entire season to a winning record in the next. In 2018, Marlboro finished 8-73 after going 1-14-2 a year earlier and followed that up with a 14-win 2019. Last year, Rumson posted a 9-6-3 mark after going 1-14-1 in 2018 and is poised for an even better finish in 2020.

Four games into 2020, it appears the Spartans are poised to build on that late-season success from 2019.

Ocean opened with an impressive sweep of a talented Monmouth Regional side, then took care of Shore Regional to bump its start to 4-0.

This year’s early turnaround story is Jackson Liberty, which is authoring an even more dramatic resurgence than either of its predecessors. The Lions went 0-15 in 2019 with an exceedingly young team and after licking their wounds this offseason, they roared to a 4-0 start with two wins apiece over Barnegat and Point Pleasant Boro. Barnegat finished second in the Class B South division a year ago and while Point Boro has not won a division title since 2016, the Panthers have spent most of the last decade at the top of the division and could be back there before long with its nucleus of underclassmen.

Jackson Liberty’s young team from 2019 is a year older and a year better, but at the top of the list of reasons for Jackson Liberty’s turnaround is junior Elton Canka. The Lions striker played academy soccer last season and made a late decision to play high-school soccer this fall and has delivered in a big way. In Jackson Liberty’s first four games, Canka scored in three of Jackson Liberty’s first four games, including a golden goal on opening day vs. Barnegat and the deciding goal of an Oct. 8 win over Point Boro.

While Canka’s presence has made a significant difference, the Lions are also getting a boost from lone senior Tim Cappucci (two assists), junior goalkeeper Ayendi Batista (three shutouts) and sophomores Connor Yurgel (two goals), Jimmy Cappucci (one goal) and Gerard Cerino (one goal).

REBEL AMBUSH

IN

A NORTH

Howell did not quite go winless in 2019 but did go 0-7 within Class A North divisional play last season. Through four games in 2020, the Rebels not only exceeded last year’s divisional win total; they are unbeaten with a win over a team ranked in the SSN Preseason Top 10.

The Rebels won their first three games, beating Manalapan in backto-back games to open the season before stunning preseason No. 9 Marlboro, 2-0. In the fourth game, the Rebels again had Marlboro on the ropes before the Mustangs scored a 60thminute equalizer en route to a 1-1 draw.

Howell boasts a team light on seniors and junior striker Chris

A loaded junior class has been the driving the Ocean bus early. Aidan Tisony posted 3 goals and two assists in the first four games after leading the 2019 in scoring as a sophomore, while classmate Michael Reid scored a golden goal on opening day vs. Monmouth and followed with another goal in game two vs. Monmouth – a 4-2 Spartans win.

JR. AIDAN TISONY

Peter Baillergeau scored twice the 4-2 win over Monmouth and fellow junior Brian Miranda put up a goal and an assist over the first three matches.

NEW DEFENSE, SAME RESULTS FOR WALL Although Wall did not win the NJSIAA Group III championship in 2019, the Crimson Knights completed a historic run through the final whistle of the tournament by going six games without conceding a goal in the run of play. It took a penalty kick shootout in the championship game vs. Mendham to deny Wall the championship but up until that point, the Knights did not allow a goal during the state playoffs.

Every starter on the 2019 defense was a

SR. SEAN SOUTHWELL

SR. JAKE PEPE Soccer

continued on page 20

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION & HI-RES COLOR RE-PRINTS Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 18

steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

19

Soccer

continued on page 18

opting to play for the Monmouth Cedar Stars Academy. senior, so the Crimson Knights set out in 2020 to replace that sterling back line. To make matters worse, returning senior goalkeeper Sebastian Campanile suffered a hip injury that knocked him out for the 2020 season.

Despite the new faces in the back and in goal, Wall not only started 2020 with four straight wins but did so while allowing only one goal. Senior Sean Southwell and junior Chris Cosenza are manning the middle of the defense, with Southwell shifting from defensive center midfield and Cosenza switching from Campanile’s backup in goal to the defense built to protect him. Junior Kyle Horowitz also changed positions from last season, going from a reser ve forward to right outside fullback. Dan Hyde makes it three juniors in the new defense as the starting left back.

The Villanova recruit is just four goals shy of becoming the program’s leading scorer and helped the Warriors reach the Shore Conference Tournament final last season and the South Jersey Group II title game as a sophomore in 2018.

With Campanile out and Cosenza occupying a spot on the back line, junior Joe Gisoldi is holding it down between the pipes and already has three shutouts to his credit.

On top of keeping teams out of the net, the defense has also had a hand in Wall’s scoring. Returning All-Shore forward Jake Pepe posted three goals and three assists in the first four games to lead the way, but Horowitz (one goal), Hyde (one goal) and Southwell (two assists) have made major contributions on the scoring end as well.

Without Johnson, Manasquan is starting only three players from last year’s SCT-runner-up starting XI and to this point, it hasn’t stopped the Warriors. After starting last season 2-5, this year’s team authored a 3-0-1 start to 2020, including a golden-goal win over Freehold Boro.

Senior Simon Cardenas, who did not play as a sophomore because of his academy soccer commitments but returned as a junior last season, has led Manasquan’s fast start by scoring four goals and an assist in the team’s first four games. Junior Mike Cafiero delivered two goals in a 2-0 win over Freehold Boro on Oct. 5 and junior Sam Pearlberg was responsible for the golden goal that beat the Colonials on Oct. 7.

MANASQUAN HANGING TOUGH WITHOUT T.J. Not long before the first official practice of the fall season, Manasquan star Tommy Johnson informed Warriors coach Tom McGill and his team that he would not be playing high school soccer this year, instead

20

SR. SIMON CARDENAS

Soccer

continued on page 22

21

Soccer

continued on page 20

The Falcons are currently struggling to replace the scoring of All-Shore forward Mason Martelloni and fellow all-division striker Diego Ibarra from 2019, but have a talented junior class that should help the Falcons get in gear. The Monmouth start, however, is likely more frustrating than the Jackson Memorial start because the Falcons had reason to believe they could make a run at first place in A Central and losing four games to those two opponents likely eliminates that possibility.

DON’T BURY THEM JUST YET The new schedule format for 2020 dealt a number of teams four difficult divisional games to open the season and, in turn, some unsightly records for teams that entered the season with high expectations.

Jackson Memorial is a three-time defending Class A South champion and in those three championship seasons, the Jaguars lost a combined three divisional matches. They already have more than that in 2020 thanks to a 0-4 start that includes losses to No. 2 Southern and No. 3 Toms River North.

On top of drawing the top two teams in the division to open the year, Jackson Memorial started the year without injured forward Drew Walenty (shoulder) while his younger brother Evan Walenty decided to play academy soccer in 2020. That left the Jaguars without two of the potential four starters they expected to have back for this season, with junior forward Steve Bado and junior goalkeeper Charlie Harrison – who did not play in the team’s first loss to Toms River North – as the only returnees from 2019.

Middletown North carried a senior-led lineup into 2020, with new coach Eric Morely leading the way. The Lions also drew a brutal schedule over the first weekand-a-half.

JR. STEVE BADO

With the schedule softening considerably the rest of the way and the Jaguars’ new starters settling in, there should still be a run in store for Jackson Memorial.

Monmouth Regional, meanwhile, drew two of the five teams that appear to be in the mix for the unofficial Class A Central title to open the season. Ranked No. 10 in the SSN Preseason Top 10, the Falcons lost an overtime thriller to Ocean, got blitzed by the Spartans in losing game two, 4-2, then dropped two losses to Holmdel by one-goal margins in which the deciding goal was scored on a penalty kick.

The CBA games did not happen because of CBA’s aforementioned COVID-19 cases, but Middletown North did not settle for a bye week. The Lions hosted Holmdel on Oct. 9 and after giving up a goal three minutes into the match, they kept the Hornets off the board before ultimately losing, 1-0.

The A North schedule remains unforgiving – Howell went 0-7 in A North last year, has fewer seniors than any team in the division and still started 3-0-1 this season – so while Middletown North is capable of rallying for a noteworthy 2020, there are no guarantees playing against that schedule.

SR. DOM SANTANIELLO

JR. RYAN KULDANEK 22

After switching from the Class B North division to Class A North, they were assigned to start the SR. DENZEL BOATENG season with No. 1 Freehold Township and No. 4 CBA. Middletown North hung right with the No. 1 Patriots but lost game one on a 73rdminute goal by Freehold Township and game two in overtime after leading going into the final two minutes.

Photos by:

Touring the Shore Conference Girls Soccer programs Class B North: An Underdog Story?

Wall has been a yearly force in Class B North and the Crimson Knights have the look of a team that could steamroll through the division based on their early performance.

They outscored Red Bank and Neptune by a total of 23-2 in the first four games behind dominant starts by sophomore Kiersten Brown and senior Olivia Ramiz.

Brown is right with Holmdel’s Mancino as the Shore’s top scorer through the first week-and-a-half, posting eight goals and three assists in Wall’s first four games – including an opening-day hat trick against Red Bank.

Ramiz, meanwhile, has picked up where she left off OLIVIA RAMIZ, SR., WALL during last year’s run to the NJSIAA Group II championship game, scoring five goals and six assists in four games and posting at least one goal and one assist in each of the four. Senior Katie Misch is also off to a strong start with four goals in four games.

As dominant has Wall was to start the season, there is a B North team that might be playing as well, if not better to start things off in 2020: Matawan. The Huskies started 4-0 against Freehold Boro and Red Bank and did so without allowing a goal in any of the four games.

Junior goalkeeper Megan Stewart and the defense have been spotless early on but it has been sophomore Shannon Reiser who has stolen the spotlight, scoring seven of Matawan’s eight goals over the first four matches. Red Bank finally held Reiser scoreless in game No. 4, but junior Melina Roman stepped up with the golden goal in overtime to send the Huskies to 4-0.

Colts Neck (2-0-1), Manasquan (1-1-1) and St. John Vianney (1-2-1) are still in position to hang around in the B North race, with SJV playing competitive series against both teams to open the season. The Lancers split two games with Manasquan and went 0-1-1 vs. Colts Neck. Junior Ally Ouano scored two goals on assists from senior Brooke Buonomo in a 2-1 win over Manasquan and junior Abby Giunta scored two in a 3-2 loss to Colts Neck.

Reena Hamouda and senior Juliana Rettino each have one two-goal game and junior Abby Stephens scored a goal in each of the team’s first three wins.

While Lacey is out to the fastest start in the division, the schedule will get tougher after the Lions disposed of Lakewood and Manchester – which are a combined 0-8 with a combined goal differential of 2-37.

Junior Jordana Golove starred in Colts Neck’s win over SJV with two goals and junior Ava Gregorio scored the deciding goal for the Cougars in a 1-0 opening-day win over Neptune.

Everyone else in the division has suffered at least one loss, with Donovan Catholic and Pinelands splitting their series, Point Pleasant Boro and Jackson Liberty splitting their two games and Jackson Liberty splitting another series with Barnegat.

Manasquan got its lone win on opening day by beating SJV in overtime on a golden goal by junior Ellie Hallman.

Class B Central: Better Late than Never There have only been two divisional games played in Class B Central to this point and those were one-sided wins for St. Rose over Keyport. Ranney, Trinity Hall and Mater Dei Prep were all still waiting to play their first game at the start of the season’s third week, while Point Pleasant Beach had yet to play a divisional match.

While St. Rose is out to the early lead in the division by default, Point Beach did well for itself by picking up a non-divisional win over Raritan behind two goals by senior Emma Acanfora and a goal and assist from sophomore Naima Shortridge.

Point Boro and Donovan Catholic currently lead that cluster at 3-1 each. Senior Frankie Ryan has led Point Boro by scoring a goal in each of her team’s first three games – two vs. Manchester and a win over Jackson Liberty. Sophomore Zoe Bates has been the steady foot for Donovan Catholic, putting up three goals and three assists through four games, including at least one goal in three of the four Griffins matches.

In St. Rose’s two-game sweep of Keyport, both sophomore Magaret Cavanaugh and classmate Adriana Dalia recorded a hat trick and freshman Isabella Tomassini scored two goals and an assist in each of the wins.

Class B South: Anybody’s Game

Con’t from pg. 13

Senior Jillian Jankowski is off to a fast start for Barnegat, posting four goals and two assists during the Bengals’ 2-1-1 start. She scored two goals in an opening-day win over Jackson Liberty and scored one each in a the two-game set with Pinelands, which Jackson Liberty took with a win and a draw.

A LLY O UANO , J R ., SJV

Four games into the Class B South race for each of the division’s eight teams, Lacey is the only one with a perfect record and the Lions got there by outscoring their two opponents by a margin of 16-2 in those four games. Beth Stephens already has two two-goal games, freshman

Photos by :

Paula Lopez

www.palimages.com

23

2020 Shore Conference Football Standings

by Bob Badders

Managing Editor

Shore Conference football standings for the 2020 season Updated through 10/10

MONMOUTH COUNTY Team Wall Rumson-Fair Haven Keansburg Holmdel Colts Neck Freehold Township Shore Red Bank St. John Vianney Middletown South Asbury Park Howell Mater Dei Prep Freehold

24

Overall 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1

PF 99 69 77 59 64 45 47 44 44 42 55 27 31 49

PA 13 9 21 28 35 41 26 30 29 39 44 22 27 48

Diff +86 +60 +56 +31 +29 +4 +21 +14 +15 +13 +11 +5 +4 +1

Red Bank Catholic Manasquan Raritan Monmouth Long Branch Manalapan Ocean Marlboro Keyport Middletown North Neptune Matawan

1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 0-2 0-1 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-0

35 38 35 42 14 19 14 27 34 26 0 0

35 41 40 47 38 27 33 58 72 69 79 0

0 -3 -5 -5 -24 -8 -19 -31 -38 -43 -79 0

Overall 2-0 2-0

PF 89 61

PA 13 0

Diff +76 +61

OCEAN COUNTY Team Donovan Catholic Jackson Memorial

Toms River South Barnegat Central Southern Jackson Liberty Lacey Toms River North Manchester Point Boro Brick Toms River East Brick Memorial Point Beach Lakewood Pinelands

2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 1-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2

70 62 55 64 16 45 40 19 13 34 21 19 27 20 7

27 20 21 33 14 12 42 23 55 55 63 70 80 77 84

+43 +42 +34 +31 +2 +33 -2 -4 -42 -21 -42 -51 -53 -57 -77

25

SPECIAL THANKS

to all the

PHOTOGRAPHERS Who Supplied the GREAT PHOTOS Seen in our publications & Website

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 26

steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

27

28