10-24-19 Issue - 15 Volume XI Shore Sports Network

October 24, 2019 Volume-XI Issue-15

The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want to know after the big game is always, � � Is this going to be on Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

Shore Sports Network Website Features n

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of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about. n Catch up on the action you might have missed n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year n Follow us on Twitter (over 18,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

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 GREGG Lerner // glerner3@verizon.net

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Middletown to Celebrate 100 Years of High School Football

By Ray Veth

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t was in 1919 that Middletown Township High School embarked on its first year of playing football at the high school level.

The pride and tradition that season created still exist today at Middletown High School North, Middletown High School South and Mater Dei Prep.

In honor of this milestone, a celebration of the centennial will be held on Friday, October 25 from 4:45 pm until 6:45 pm in the Wall of Champions area in the gymnasium at Middletown High School North. The event will take place prior to the Mater Dei Prep at Middletown North football game. Included among the attendees will be football players and cheerleaders from as far back as 1943.

The free, informal gathering is open to all former players and cheerleaders who attended any high school in Middletown. The original school was affectionately known as Leonardo High School before being recognized as Middletown Township High School (MTHS) in the early 1950s. Overcrowding at the school on Tindall

Road resulted in the need for two high schools. and in the fall of 1976, the school split and Middletown High School South and Middletown High School North were an outgrowth. Mater Dei High School started playing football in 1963.

The three schools have combined for 14 NJSIAA state championships and 36 Shore Conference division championships.

On display will be vintage photos, football uniforms and memorabilia dating to the 1920s. Guests are also invited to bring their own memorabilia and share it at the gathering.

For more information, please contact Ray Veth – MTHS 732-299-4961 – CasperVeth@aol.com; Jon Scala – MHSN 732-757-2336 – ScalaJ@middletownk12.org, Jennifer Smith – MHSS SmithJ@middletownk12.org, or Mike Corley – MD 732-948-3207 – Mcorley14@miJack.com.

Top Photo: The first football team at Middletown High School 1919 Letf Photo: Legendary head coach Vic Kubu began his hall of fame career at Middletowe North.

Right Photo: Former Wall and Jackson Memorial head coach Chris Barnes starred for Middletown North (Photo courtesy of Ray Veth)

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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.

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he Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 6 is Middletown South, which stunned then-No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven, 20-3, for a critical victory that kept its playoff hopes intact. Shore Sports Network was at practice Tuesday to present the Eagles and head coach Steve Antonucci with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card.

Running back Vinny Condito and quarterback Tyler Cuccia each scored on short rushing touchdowns in the second half as the Eagles ran for 188 yards against an always-tough Rumson front seven, but it was Middletown South’s defense which served as the catalyst for the upset. The

Eagles forced three turnovers, including an interception return for a touchdown by Mark Tardy and a timely forced fumble by Chris Lotito that prevented a Rumson touchdown. Middletown South’s defense held Rumson to 168 yards of offense and scored 13 points off turnovers.

Rumson led 3-0 at halftime on a 26-yard field goal by Michael Piperno before Middletown South took the lead for good in the third quarter when a fumble recovery set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Condito. Early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles put together a 15-play, 75-yard drive that lasted nearly nine minutes and culminated with Cuccia scoring from two yards out, giving Middletown South a 13-3 advantage. On Rumson’s next offensive play, Tardy put the finishing touches on the victory when he intercepted a pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.

While the second half is when Middletown South took over the game, a marvelous play in the first quarter was what began to turn the tide. Rumson sophomore Geoff Schroeder had busted loose on a 72-yard run to give the Bulldogs a first down at the Middletown South 12-yard line but on the next play, Lotito punched the ball out at the 1-yard line just before Rumson’s running back had crossed the goal line. The ball bounced out of the end zone for a touchback.

It’s been an up-and-down season for Middletown South, to say the least, as it enters its Week 7 bye with a 2-4 record. Playing in the supremely difficult American Division has certainly contributed to that with losses to No. 3 Toms River North and No. 4 Manalapan as well as defeats against Long Branch and St. John Vianney, but the Eagles have shown how dangerous they can be in wins over Red Bank Catholic and Rumson.

The Eagles will look to get healthy in the off-week before tangling with Brick (3-3 entering Week 7) on Friday, Nov. 1 in the final regular-season game. Middletown South is currently eighth out of 16 qualifiers in the South Group 4 power rankings, so a win over the Green Dragons in two weeks should solidify a postseason berth.

Toms River East did precisely that when Goodall scored on a 28-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and senior Daniel Nichols added the extra point to give the Raiders a 14-13 lead. The defense did the rest, highlighted by a touchdown-saving, open-field tackle by senior linebacker Frank Lord, to put the Raiders at 6-0 for the first time since 2009.

Senior Alex Smith had five tackles with one sack and one tackle for loss, junior linebacker Christian Peins recorded two tackles for loss, junior Yusuf Ahmed made six tackles with one tackle for loss, Lord made a team-high eight tackles and senior linebacker Frankie Giannetti had a hit for a loss.

The Raiders' offense did not attempt a pass and leaned entirely on their ground game to get the job done. Ahmed ran for 95 yards on 15 carries and Goodall ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

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he Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 5 is Toms River East, which continued its resurgent season with a 14-13 win over Neptune that clinched at least a share of the Shore Conference Freedom Division championship. Shore Sports Network was at practice Tuesday night to present the Raiders and head coach Kyle Sandberg with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card.

After a scoreless first half where both teams’ defenses were dominant, Toms River East stuck first when it recovered an onside kick to start the third quarter and found the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Mike Goodall. Neptune responded with a pair of touchdowns to take a 13-7 lead, but in failing to convert the extra point on the second touchdown, it left the door open for the Raiders to take the lead with the next score.

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It's been a rough stretch for the boys of Raider Way dating back to that 2009 season when they went 10-1 and reached the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals. Heading into this season, Toms River East had won just seven games in five years. But under Sandberg, a former standout with the Raiders, the program has risen from the ashes of a winless season in 2016 to become a division champion that has yet to taste defeat halfway through the season.

Toms River East won two games in 2017 and three games last year but has taken a huge step forward behind a senior class that entered high school the same year Sandberg was hired as head coach. Together, they’ve taken Toms River East from irrelevance to prominence.

Toms River East can clinch the outright Freedom Division championship and improve to 7-0 this Friday with a victory over winless Lakewood. After that, a tough two-game stretch to close the season looms, starting with a huge game versus rival Toms River North (5-1 and ranked No. 6 in the SSN Top 10 entering Week 6) on October 25. The Raiders then host Lacey (5-1 entering Week 6) on Nov. 1 before the postseason begins.

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eek 4 Wall

14-7 Mater Dei Prep

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eek 3 Toms River North

22-21 (Dbl OT) Over RFH

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eek 2 Wall

24-0 over Jackson Mem.

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eek 1 Midd. North

20-13 over Long Branch

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eek 0 Rumson-Fair haven

20-14 Over RBC

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

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6 Player of the Week winner

is D o n o v a n C a t h o l i c j u n i o r

J a h d i r L o f t l a n d , who

totaled 99 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on just six touches in the Griffins’ 35-0 victory over Lacey that clinched the Liberty Division championship.

O n t h e g a m e ’s f i r s t o f f e n s i v e p l a y, L o f t l a n d b r o k e free for a 55-y ard touchdo wn run to give Donovan a quick 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Loftland caught a screen pass from senior quarterback Ryan Clark, turned upfield and wea ved his way 28 y ards into the end zone to help the Griffins extend their lead to 210 a t halftime.

Loftland was also a contributor on defense with five tackles and one tackle for loss as the Griffins yielded just 155 yards of offense and recorded their conference-leading fifth shutout of the season.

Donovan has allowed a conference-low 20 points this season.

Loftland is one of several playmakers for an offense tha t is a vera ging 39.7 points per game. He has 340 y ards rushing and six touchdo wns on an a vera ge of 7 . 7 y a r d s p e r c a r r y. O n d e f e n s e a s a n o u t s i d e l i n e b a c k e r, L o f t l a n d i s t h i r d o n t h e t e a m w i t h 4 5 tackles plus two sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Donovan is now 7-0 for the first time in program h i s t o r y a n d cl a i m e d i t s t h i r d d i v i s i o n t i t l e a n d f i r s t since 2012. This week, the Griffins will host the biggest game in school history when they welcome Red Bank Ca tholic to Toms River. Donovan is ranked No. 2 in the la test Shore Sports Network Top 10 while RBC is ranked No. 7. The game will be streamed live on ShoreSportsNetwork.com and the SSN mobile a pp.

I t w a s a n o t h e r cl o s e P l a y e r o f t h e We e k p o l l w i t h Loftland securing 14.69 percent of the votes to win o v e r N e p t u n e ’s W i l l i e G r o s s , To m s R i v e r N o r t h ’s M a t t Spalletta, Ma ta wan’s Da vid Onuoha and Colts Neck’s To m m y Fa l l o n , w h o w e r e a l l w i t h i n 8 0 v o t e s o f t h e top spot.

Donovan Catholic Jr. RB Jahdir Loftland

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eek

5 Player of the Week winner

is Wall so., linebacker

C o l i n R i l e y , who had a

dominant defensive performance in a 34-7 win over Brick Memorial that helped the top-ranked Crimson Knights improve to 6-0.

Riley was unstoppable as a pass rusher with five sacks and added two tackles for loss for a whopping seven plays behind the line of scrimmage. He made 10 total tackles on the night as Wall built a 34-0 halftime lead to win comfortably and continue its fantastic season.

Part of a standout sophomore class, Riley was one of several Wall freshman who saw time last season and entered 2019 as a player the coaching staff knew could burst onto the scene as an impact player. He has done exactly that as one of the Shore Conference’s best pass rushers through six games, boasting a team-high nine sacks along with three tackles for loss among his 37 total tackles, plus a forced fumble.

Wall began the season as one of the Shore Conference’s most intriguing

Wall so. Outside LB Colin Riley

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teams thanks to a good returning senior class and a great collection of juniors and sophomores. The Crimson Knights started the season ranked No. 9 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 but skyrocketed all the way to No. 1 thanks to a perfect 6-0 record highlighted by wins over Rumson-Fair Haven and Mater Dei Prep. Riley has certainly played a major role in the team’s success, helping Wall’s defense stifle opposing offenses to the tune of allowing just eight points per game with one shutout.

The Knights can clinch at least a share of the Shore Conference Colonial Division championship on Friday night when they host St. John Vianney (32). As the only unbeaten team in the division, Wall controls its own destiny with games against the Lancers and Brick (3-2) remaining to close out a division title.

A division title may be the first goal on Wall’s list, but its aspirations go well beyond that. The Crimson Knights are currently ranked first in the South Group 3 playoff standings and can secure the No. 1 overall seed in the super section by winning their final two regular-season games.

The Player of the Week vote ended up being a two-man race between Riley and Manchester junior linebacker Chris Gille, and it was Riley who emerged victorious with 23.08 percent of the votes. Matawan running back Marcandrew Gangeron and Ocean running back/defensive back Trebor Pena each had monster games in Week 5 and finished third and fourth, respectively, in the poll.

Donovan Catholic so. Defensive Lineman Dominick Brogna

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Toms River North sr. Wide receiver Ray Carlson

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

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So u t h e r n h so. Running Back Jaiden Brown

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Toms River North sr. linebacker/Kicker Justin Burkert

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Point Boro sr. WR/DB Sam Young

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TTop

he number of changes the Shore Sports Network Football 10 has undergone this season is already at an unprecedented level, so, at this point, another wild week of ranked teams being taken down is just the baseline.

The free-for-all continued in Week 6 with two more ranked top-five teams falling as Middletown South surprised Rumson-Fair Haven and Manalapan beat Red Bank Catholic. Other than top-ranked Wall, the makeup of the first five is completely different this week.

Six of the seven division championships were officially clinched this past weekend, headlined by Toms River North winning the American Division title with a you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it 43-39 victory over Long Branch. Southern Regional completed an undefeated run to the Constitution Division title, as did Toms River East in the Freedom Division, Donovan Catholic in the Liberty Division and Ocean in the Patriot Division. Asbury Park also clinched the National Division championship with a win over Manchester, spoiling what would have been a quad-championship if the Hawks had won. The only division still undecided is the Colonial Division, but No. 1 Wall clinched at least a share of the crown with its win over St. John Vianney and can win it outright with a victory on Friday night.

Incredibly, there are just two weeks left in the regular season. The playoff push is certainly underway. There are 27 Shore Conference teams currently qualified for the playoffs and a handful more trying to get into the top 16. For those teams, these next two weeks are everything.

There is only one ranked matchup this week but it’s a big one as Donovan Catholic hosts Red Bank Catholic on Friday night. If you can’t make it to Toms River, Shore Sports Network will stream the game live on ShoreSportsNetwork.com and the SSN mobile app.

Figuring out where to put certain teams was quite challenging this week. Middletown South is without question the most polarizing team. The Eagles just beat last week’s No. 2 team but are still just 2-4 albeit playing in the American Division. A lopsided loss to St. John Vianney definitely hurts their case, as does a loss to a Long Branch, but they own wins over Rumson and Red Bank Catholic. Jumping Middletown South over either Ocean, Southern or Jackson Memorial wouldn’t be fair to those teams because they’ve done their part so far, but they do have a short leash.

A few games on this week’s schedule can help clear things up, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious this is going to come down to the final week more so than it usually does.

Wall 7-0

Junior running back Casey Larkin ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns, junior quarterback Logan Peters ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns and senior running back Matt DeSarno ran for 49 yards and two touchdown on just five carries as the Crimson Knights bulldozed St. John Vianney, 41-14, to clinch at least a share of the Colonial Division title.

Senior linebacker Will Terry had two sacks and Peters had an interception to lead another strong defensive effort. Wall can clinch the outright division title this weekend. Next game: Friday, Oct. 25 vs. Brick (3-3)

Donovan Catholic 7-0

Senior quarterback Ryan Clark ran for 130 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and also threw a touchdown pass to Jahdir Loftland while the defense recorded its fifth shutout of the season in a 35-0 win over Lacey that clinched the Liberty Division title. Loftland also ran for 71 yards and a touchdown on five carries and senior Nasir Calhoun ran for 42 yards and two touchdowns. With the program’s third division title and first since 2012 locked up, the Griffins can now turn their attention to the biggest regular-season game in school history. Next game: Friday, Oct. 25 vs. No. 7 Red Bank Catholic (3-3)

Toms River North 6-1

A 10-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jake Kazanowsky to senior wide receiver Dominick Jacob with 13 seconds left in regulation capped an epic fourth quarter as the Mariners outlasted Long Branch, 43-39, in an instant classic to clinch the American Division title. The teams combined for 28 points over the final 3:32 of the game. Toms River North drove for the winning score after Long Branch had taken the lead with one minute left.

Kazanowsky threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns and Jacob caught six passes for 66 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior Matt Spalletta had a huge all-around game with a 75yard kickoff return touchdown, a touchdown run, an interception, a blocked extra point, two sacks and a key pass breakup in the end zone. Next game: Friday, Oct. 25 vs. Toms River East (7-0)

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Manalapan 4-2

Senior running back Andre Johnson ran for 157 yards and a touchdown, a sprint of 70 yards in the third quarter that gave the Braves the lead, on their way to a 20-14 comeback victory over Red Bank Catholic. RBC led 140 in the first quarter before a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown by junior Ethan Rodriguez sparked the rally. Junior kicker Vin Rea added field goals of 18 and 22 yards. Hayden Hess had a fumble recovery that led to one of the field goals.

Next game: Friday, Oct. 25 at Freehold Township (2-5)

Rumson-Fair Haven 4-2

Normally losing to an unranked team would send a team tumbling more than three spots, but the Bulldogs’ body of work plus the fact no other team has a legitimate claim keeps them in the top-five for now. Rumson’s offense was shut down in a 20-3 loss to Middletown South, mustering just 168 yards and a 26-yard field goal by Michael Piperno. Three turnovers undid the Bulldogs, including a fumble just shy of the goal line that bounced through the end zone for a touchback. Prior to the defeat, Rumson’s losses were to No. 1 Wall and No. 3 Toms River North with wins over No. 7 Red Bank Catholic, No. 4 Manalapan, and No. 6 Mater Dei Prep. The Bulldogs have a bye in Week 7 and will try to regroup for their regular-season finale against yet another top-10 opponent. Next game: Friday, Nov. 1 at No. 10 Jackson Memorial (5-2)

Mater Dei Prep 4-3

The Seraphs fall two spots after suffering a 37-14 nonconference loss to prep power St. Thomas More (CT). Sophomore quarterback Alex Brown threw a touchdown pass and also ran for a score, and senior running back Malik Ingram ran for 77 yards on 14 carries.

Mater Dei has lost three straight games and will look to rebound with a road contest just down the street. Next game: Friday, Oct. 25 at Middletown North (4-3)

Red Bank Catholic 3-3

The Caseys looked great after Elijah Jules had a 44yard touchdown run and Billy Guidetti had an 85-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but the offense dried up after that during a 20-14 loss to Manalapan. The defense was sound again with standout games from senior defensive end Kevin Bauman, junior defensive tackle Jake Louro and senior linebacker Jack Zenkert leading the way. Sean Rossback and Anthony Borriello had interceptions, as well. Another important game looms this week as the establishment meets the upstart. Next game: Friday, Oct. 25 at No. 2 Donovan Catholic (7-0)

Ocean 6-0

Senior running back Trebor Pena ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and senior quarterback Robbie Nungesser threw two touchdowns to lead the Spartans to a 28-14 win over Point Boro that clinched the Patriot Division championship. Pena had touchdown runs of 30 and 42 yards and Nungesser threw a 63-yard touchdown to Chris Carasia and a 9-yard touchdown to Mike Gavakis. Senior Nasir Thompson had nine tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss, freshman Tyler Douglas also recorded nine tackles and Pena made eight tackles to lead Ocean's defense. Next game: Friday, Oct. 25 at Manchester (2-5)

Southern 6-1

Senior quarterback Cole Robinson threw a touchdown pass to sophomore running back Jaiden Brown and also ran for a touchdown as the Rams beat Freehold Township, 14-7, to wrap up the Constitution Division championship. Brown totaled 115 yards from scrimmage and also had a sack and two tackles for loss on defense. Southern’s defense totaled six sacks against Freehold Township’s Air Raid offense, led by two from senior defensive end JT Cornelius.

Southern steps outside the division in Week 7 and will look to make a statement against a talented Colonial Division team. Next game: Friday, Oct. 25 at St. John Vianney (3-3)

Jackson Memorial 5-2

Junior running back Will Towns ran for 232 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark on the season and lead the Jaguars to a 35-28 win over Freehold. Senior wideout Zack Novak added two catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Junior linebacker Tyron Blackwell recorded two sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble to lead Jackson’s defense. The Jaguars have a bye in Week 7. Next game: Friday, Nov. 1 vs. No. 5 Rumson-Fair Haven (4-3) Keep an eye on:

Toms River East (7-0) Middletown South (2-4) Colts Neck (6-1)

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2 0 1 9 Thrive/Eat Clean Bro Friday Night Lights Tee Shirt Toss

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he Shore Sports Network is delighted to partner with THRIVE Spine & Sports Rehab & EAT CLEAN BRO for this year’s Tee-Shirt Toss. Special Thanks to 3 Piece Printing for supplying this year's T-Shirts.

Each week between the first and second quarters of our Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week broadcast we toss Shore Sports Network/Thrive & Eat Clean Bro tee-shirts into the home stands which have become quite popular, especially with the student sections.

The SSN would like to thank Thrive Spine & Sports Rehab & Eat Clean Bro for sponsoring this weekly promotion & 3 Piece Printing for providing the tee-shirts which will continue throughout the season.

Visit Thrive Spine & Sports Rehab at 600 Warren Ave, Spring Lake 732-359-7440, EAT CLEAN BRO at www.eatcleanbro.com & 3 PIECE PRINING at 3pieceprinting.com

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n most years, the Shore Conference Tournament provides a chance to evaluate the entire Shore on a level playing field. This year, it has only confirmed that while there might be one champion, there may not be a standout team.

Whether the champion is Manasquan, Freehold Township or there are co-champions – a distinct possibility considering how many games have gone to overtime and penalty kicks

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer during this tournament – the last team(s) standing will have some blemishes on the resume.

Freehold Township and Manasquan both have a chance to seize the No. 1 spot over the next three weeks but there is still work to be done on both of their parts. The debate over the No. 1 spot could very well remain unsettled through the end of the season and for right now, with one team still technically unbeaten and so many SCT games ending on penalty kicks, there can only be so much change based on tournament results. Through Oct. 20.

Holmdel

(14-0-1, 6-0-0)

Holmdel did not make it out of the Shore Conference Tournament round of 16 but still has not actually lost a game. On top of that, the two teams in the championship game are both teams Holmdel defeated and two of the semifinalists played in two games that ended on penalty kicks during the SCT. The shootout loss to Toms River South makes Holmdel a vulnerable No. 1 but with every team hiding a few blemishes, the Hornets remain a viable No. 1.

Christian Brothers Academy (10-3-3, 4-2-1)

The Colts came up short of a second straight trip to the SCT championship game but remain in the No. 2 spot thanks to a loaded resume.

It also helps that Manasquan needed penalty kicks to beat CBA, but in the same vain, CBA needed penalty kicks to beat Jackson Memorial. A head-tohead win over Freehold Township keeps CBA ahead of the Patriots heading into the week but if Freehold Township wins both the SCT and the outright A North title, that could change before the start of the NJSIAA Tournament.

Freehold Township (13-5, 5-1)

Head-to-head losses to Holmdel and CBA make it difficult for Freehold Township to get over the hump for the No. 1 spot but the Patriots could make an undeniable case with two wins this week. With wins over Manasquan to win the SCT on Wednesday and Middletown South to win the Class A North championship on Friday, Freehold Township would have an outright division title in the Shore’s toughest division and an overall conference title. Those credentials would be hard to pass up, especially for a team that enters the week 9-1 over its last 10 games.

Jackson Memorial (12-2-1, 6-0-0)

The Jaguars nearly pulled off an improbable comeback against CBA in the SCT quarterfinals thanks to a pair of penalty kicks in the final five minutes of regulation. Even with the loss in penalty kicks, the Jaguars went toe-to-toe with another top-five team and have now played three competitive games against teams ranked in this week’s top-five with a 1-1-1 record. As a Group IV team, Jackson Memorial has a chance to boost its resume by playing deep into the NJSIAA Tournament.

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Manasquan

(8-5-3, 4-2-0)

At this point, it is hard to judge Manasquan for anything that happened during a 3-5-1 start to the season. The Warriors have overhauled their lineup and are now one win away from the program’s first Shore Conference Tournament championship.

Losses to Holmdel, Jackson Memorial and Wall still matter in the rankings but with each big win, Manasquan dulls their impact.

Winning the SCT might not get them to No. 1 but if the Warriors can carry this hot streak into the state tournament, No. 1 is still on the table.

Marlboro (12-3, 5-2)

Losses to Manasquan and Long Branch appear to be signs of a funk for the Mustangs, who will have one more week to shake out of it before the NJSIAA Tournament starts. They will face a good test on Wednesday against Holmdel in a game pitting the top two seeds of the SCT on the same day Freehold Township plays Manasquan in the championship game. If Marlboro can refocus during this week, the Mustangs will still be one of the top contenders in Central Jersey Group IV.

Wall

(13-3, 6-1) Wall’s exit from the SCT came in a competitive, 2-1 road loss at Freehold Township on a rainy afternoon so the Crimson Knights have nothing to hang their heads about heading into the state tournament. They can reasonably feel like they could have beaten both Marlboro and Freehold Township, which accounted for two of their three losses. Central Jersey Group III is always difficult, but Wall will go in with, perhaps, its best shot at a sectional championship since winning Group III in 2004.

Colts Neck

(9-4-1, 4-1-1)

Despite graduating most of its starting lineup, Colts Neck was 15 minutes from taking Freehold Township to penalties and one goal in regulation from beating the Patriots to reach the Shore Conference Tournament final. Coach Art Collier and his staff have quickly whipped this group into one that can once again make noise in the state tournament after reaching the Central Jersey Group III final last year and challenging for divisional and SCT championships already this season.

Southern

(11-2-2, 5-1-1)

The Rams nearly pulled out a stunning victory over Manasquan in which Kevin Kiernan scored in the final 20 seconds to send the SCT quarterfinal to overtime, but the Warriors prevailed in overtime.

Southern still has some solid results on its resume but that one really would have boosted the Rams’ profile. With Colts Neck beating Toms River South and Jackson Memorial – opponents that handed Southern its tie and loss in Class A South – the Rams settle into the No. 9 spot this week as they prepare to navigate a difficult-but-open South Jersey Group IV field.

Long Branch (7-7-1, 5-2-0)

The Green Wave return to the Top 10 after a week-long hiatus following an impressive, 3-1, win over Marlboro that gives them a chance to grab a share of the Class A North championship. If Freehold Township loses to Middletown South, Long Branch would share the A North crown with the Patriots and Marlboro. Even without a division championship to its name, Long Branch will be a dangerous double-digit seed in Central Jersey Group IV thanks to a difficult regular-season schedule that continues this week with a road test at Jackson Memorial.

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NJSIAA Tournament Seeds, Boys Pairings

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer NJSIAA Tournament Seeds North Jersey Section 2, Group III (16) J.F.K. Iselin @ (1) Cliffside Park (9) Matawan @ (8) Nutley (12) Woodbridge @ (5) Ferris (13) Cranford @ (4) Summit (14) Orange @ (3) Belleville (11) West Morris @ (6) Chatham (10) Mendham @ (7) Millburn (15) Irvington @ (2) Colonia

Central Jersey Group IV (16) Montgomery @ (1) Marlboro (9) North Brunswick @ (8) New Brunswick (12) South Brunswick @ (5) Princeton (13) Long Branch @ (4) Freehold Twp. (14) West Windsor-Plainsboro South @ (3) Monroe (11) Edison @ (6) Hillsborough (10) Middletown South @ (7) East Brunswick (15) Manalapan @ (2) Hunterdon Central

Central Jersey Group III (16) Pennsauken @ (1) Wall (9) Burlington Twp. @ (8) Freehold Boro (12) Brick @ (5) Northern Burlington

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(13) Red Bank @ (4) Allentown (14) Nottingham @ (3) Steinert (11) Ocean @ (6) Hopewell Valley (10) Middletown North @ (7) Neptune (15) Lawrence @ (2) Colts Neck

Central Jersey Group II (16) East Brunswick Tech @ (1) Holmdel (9) Voorhees @ (8) Governor Livingston (12) Robbinsville @ (5) South Plainfield (13) Metuchen @ (4) Rahway (14) Raritan @ (3) Monmouth (11) A.L. Johnson @ (6) Rumson-Fair Haven (10) South River @ (7) Spotswood (15) Roselle @ (2) Delaware Valley

Central Jersey Group I (16) Asbury Park @ (1) Florence (9) Piscataway Tech @ (8) Roselle Park (12) Burlington City @ (5) Highland Park (13) Stem Civics @ (4) Bound Brook (14) Keyport @ (3) New Egypt (11) Riverside @ (6) South Hunterdon (10) Point Beach @ (7) Manville (15) Edison Academy @ (2) Middlesex

South Jersey Group IV (16) Toms River North @ (1) Clearview (9) Eastern @ (8) Cherry Hill East (12) Williamstown @ (5) Southern (13) Rancocas Valley @ (4) Jackson Memorial (14) Atlantic Tech @ (3) Kingsway (11) Cherokee @ (6) Washington Twp. (10) Millville @ (7) Shawnee (15) Lenape @ (2) Egg Harbor

South Jersey Group III (16) Winslow @ (1) Moorestown (9) Ocean City @ (8) Lacey (12) Absegami @ (5) Toms River South (13) Hammonton @ (4) Cherry Hill West (14) Timber Creek @ (3) Mainland (11) Seneca @ (6) Pinelands (10) Cumberland @ (7) Toms River East (15) Deptford @ (2) Triton

South Jersey Group II (16) Cedar Creek @ (1) Delran (9) Middle Twp. @ (8) Pleasantville (12) Delsea @ (5) Bordentown (13) Manchester @ (4) Cinnaminson (14) Lower Cape May @ (3) Manasquan

(11) West Deptford @ (6) Haddonfield (10) Sterling @ (7) Barnegat (15) Haddon Heights @ (2) Oakcrest

South Jersey Non-Public A (9) Donovan Catholic @ (8) Camden Catholic, winner @ (1) St. Augustine (5) Bishop Eustace @ (4) Paul VI (6) St. Joseph Metuchen @ (3) Notre Dame (10) Red Bank Catholic @ (7) St. Thomas Aquinas, winner @ (2) Christian Brothers Academy

South Jersey Non-Public B (9) Ranney @ (8) Trenton Catholic, winner @ (1) Wardlaw-Hartridge (12) Holy Spirit @ (5) Rutgers Prep (13) Immaculata @ (4) Wildwood Catholic (14) Doane Academy @ (3) Holy Cross Prep (11) Gloucester Catholic @ (6) Timothy Christian (10) Mater Dei Prep @ (7) St. Rose (15) Calvary Christian @ (2) Moorestown Friends Shore Conference teams in BOLD

15

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

ed Bank Catholic junior Emma

Bruther was not part of

last year's Caseys team that lost to Toms River North in the 2018 Shore Conference Tournament final, opting to play for a developmental academy instead.

Even when she decided to play for her high school this season, she didn't get to play to her liking because of a knee injury that sidelined her for three weeks.

Now healthy and serving as a scoring weapon off the bench, Bruther made up for lost time Wednesday night in a Shore Conference Tournament championship rematch with Toms River North and helped return the Caseys to the top of the Shore Conference.

Bruther had a hand in both goals Wednesday night at Shore Regional High School and Red Bank Catholic - the No. 3 seed in the SCT - blanked No. 4 Toms River North, 2-0, for their seventh conference title and first since 2013.

"They really felt like at the end of the game last year, we were the better team - we just didn't score the goals," RBC coach Frank Lawrence said. "This time we came out to score the goals. The determination of it - we have been preaching since the beginning of the year that this team was going to be good enough to come back and win this."

After a quiet start to the game offensively for both teams, Bruther jumped into the formation from the bench and made an impact. Her 25-yard rip off the crossbar in the 28th minute bounced down in front of the goal, where sophomore Morgan Cupo finished with a header to open the scoring.

The goal was the fifth for Cupo in RBC's four tournament games and the third goal in the last two games after the sophomore striker struck twice in a 2-0 semifinal win over Middletown North.

In the 33rd minute, Bruther did not need any help on the rebound. The junior beat the Mariners defense up the left flank and unleashed a left-footed shot from a difficult angle and found the far side netting for the second of the Caseys' two goals.

"When (Bruther) came in, that's when we got the first goal and then she scored the second goal," Lawrence said. "You can't talk enough about a kid who had some adversity - getting hurt, having to struggle to get back the playing time that she had and ultimately contributing again."

Sr. Reagan Pauwels Jr. Emma Bruther See

16

RBC.

page 18

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

he first time the Shore Conference Tournament Boys Soccer championship game made it to the 100 minute mark without a winner, Freehold Township shared the championship with Jackson Memorial 32 years ago.

On Wednesday night at Shore Regional High School, the SCT title game was decided on penalty kicks for the first time ever and Freehold Township was once again involved.

This time however, the championship trophy is all theirs.

Junior goalkeeper John Wilhelm saved a penalty kick in the second half, then saved two during the shootout round to lift the fourth-seeded Patriots to a thrilling 4-3 win over No. 15 Manasquan on penalties after a wild, 2-2 draw through 100 minutes on play.

"Just to see them fight back the way they did tonight, I know that their determination and heart are second-to-none," Freehold Township fourth-year coach Josh Mehl said. "This is a special team I have. I knew that if they bought in 100 percent that we could be here tonight doing this."

"It’s hard to explain it because of how close-knit we are," Wilhelm said.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something special with your boys and your family. I’m so happy to get to experience this with them."

Jr. John Wilhelm

Sr. Evan Savino

Wilhelm saved Manasquan's fourth and fifth attempts to turn the tide of the shootout after Manasquan goalkeeper Joe Weinstein stopped Freehold Township's second attempt.

"I am already pretty confident on PK’s based on my experience," Wilhelm said. "These boys were behind me the whole way and I just can’t be thankful enough for them because PK’s aren’t easy. It definitely helps having your team behind you."

With the championship on the line, junior Josh Leonetti stepped to the spot and ripped a shot to the left side of the goal to clinch Freehold Township's fourth ever SCT championship and first since 2014.

Freehold Township entered the shootout round with an advantage thanks to a scouting report Wilhelm had of Manasquan's shooters following the Warriors' win over Christian Brothers Academy in Saturday's semifinal round.

Wilhelm narrowly missed saving conversions by seniors Drew Greenblatt and Chris Pierro before delivering a save on junior Simon Cardenas, who made the winning conversion against CBA.

"We were in trouble," junior Zach Orrico said. "We were down one in PK’s and we just had to trust John to come through. They had multiple PK shootouts so we kind of knew where they were going to go with it. John just made a bunch of great saves and we had to trust ourselves to hit our spots and win the game."

Jr. Zach Orrico See

Freehold Twp.

page 18

17

RBC c o n t i n u e d

on page 16

The goal was just the second of the year for Bruther, who missed seven games due to a knee injury and did not score her first goal until an 8-0 win over Monmouth Regional on Oct. 8. Prior to the injury, Bruther started RBC's first four games and contributed a pair of assists before going on the shelf.

"I don't mind (coming off the bench)," Bruther said. "I think it's good because they (the other team) are not expecting someone off the bench to come in and be just as good as the other forwards."

Red Bank Catholic never added to its lead after halftime but Bruther did threaten the goal two more times in pursuit of a multi-goal performance in the championship. She rocked the crossbar again in the 70th, with freshman Gianna Romeo missing just wide on the follow. In the 73rd, Bruther made one more big at a second goal by Toms River North junior goalkeeper Cameron Kennett made a diving save to her left.

"She was a little rusty and it took her a little time to get back," Lawrence said. "We kept her in this role of coming off the bench because when she walks onto the field, it's a different dynamic. She brings a certain kind of speed and energy to the game that suddenly, they are having to deal with something that is totally different from what they had been dealing with until that time."

The Caseys limited Toms River North's chances by winning the battle of the midfield, led by its four senior starters - Paige Theobald, Madison Holloway, Reagan Pauwels and Katelyn Bertoldo.

"The wide balls were really working well," Bruther said. "We were really working the ball side-to-side to get our opportunities."

Toms River North's only threats to score came mostly from the work of senior forward Julia Fiorito, who fired a

18

pair of shots just high and was denied on two occasions by Red Bank Catholic sophomore goalkeeper Cleo Gringald.

The shutout is the eighth of the season for RBC, which has been the Shore's hottest team since losing to Middletown South, 2-1, on Sept. 13.

After letting that game slip out of its grasp, the Caseys have since gone 110-1 while added the program's Shore-Conference-leading seventh Shore Conference Tournament championship on the girls side.

Last year's SCT runner-up Caseys team boasted 11 seniors, six of whom are on Division I soccer rosters this season, according to Lawrence. A whole host of young and inexperienced Caseys have stepped in and proven their worth, with Bruther serving as the latest example on Wednesday night.

"We're not selfish and we all want the best for the team," Bruther said. "There is not one forward who can't score and we all work well together."

"Seven championships is a lot and I think it just shows the quality of the program over a long period of time," Lawrence said.

Sr. Paige Theobald So. Cleo Grignard

Photos by:

19

Freehold Twp c o n t i n u e d

on page 18

formation and get more attacking to eventually get the PK."

On the last attempt, however, he had to stop senior Rich Maloney, who did not shoot against CBA. Maloney hit a shot to the right side of the goal and Wilhelm extended for the save to set the stage for Leonetti.

"The semis (vs. CBA) went late so we were able to see what they had," Wilhelm said. "It was good for us on their first four but on their fifth shooter, we had no clue. Big thanks to the coaching staff for telling me which way their guys liked to go. That helped but our guys still had to make theirs and they came up huge."

With Freehold Township's top offensive players - senior Bennett Messinger, junior Adam Havens, Orrico and senior Evan Savino - preceding him, Leonetti confidently took the winning shot after confidently asking for it before Wednesday's game.

"Josh came up (at practice on Tuesday) and said, ‘I want to go last because I know I’m going to make it.’" Mehl said. "I said, ‘If you are that confident, then I’m that confident in you.’ He's got a laser so I knew even if Weinstein guessed right, he was going to have a hard time stopping it."

The SCT's first ever penalty-kick round followed what was surely one of the most action-packed, nail-biting championship games in the 36-year history of the conference tournament.

Messinger and Savino dominated the midfield for Freehold Township in the first half, which has been the norm during the past four years. The two four-year starters have won 51 games during their careers and both calmly buried their kicks in the shootout.

"I tell Evan all the time that he is my favorite kind of player because he is a throwback," Mehl said.

"He is just an animal whose motor is unparalleled."

"Bennett is just a man among boys at times. He played 100 minutes and to have the fortitude to step up and take the first one and not even flinch – he is a warrior. He is the guy who stepped up and said ‘I want to take the first one.’ I think Bennett Messinger and Zach Orrico are the best players in the Shore Conference and I think they showed it tonight."

Manasquan came out a more dangerous team after halftime and won the shot battle, 13-11, but needed Weinstein to come up with big saves on multiple occasions to keep the Patriots from winning the game prior to penalties.

In the eighth minute of overtime, Orrico turned the corner on the right side and centered a cross in the air that found the head of senior Connor Finn. The shot was on frame, but Weinstein made a diving catch to save it.

Less than a minute later, Johnson nearly won the game for Manasquan with a 20-yard strike, leftfooted rocket that clanged squarely off the far left post.

Orrico tested Weinstein again in the 17th minute of overtime when he collected a slip from Messinger with only Weinstein between him and a golden goal and a

Orrico was the co-star

championship hat trick.

Orrico flipped a shot toward Weinstein's left shoulder and the senior keeper got a hand on it to direct it away from the goal for a close-range save.

with Wilhelm, scoring both of Freehold Township's goals, including the game-tying penalty kick in the 74th minute. Sophomore Josh Hocheiser played the ball into the 18-yard box and on its way in, it hit the hand of Johnson to set up Jr. Josh Leonetti Orrico's penalty kick.

"I probably should have hit it low," Orrico said. "I tried to get it to the back post and he just made a great save. Weinstein was great tonight."

Weinstein saved five shots in 100 minutes of play while Wilhelm was up to the challenge with four of his own.

"Of all the people I feel happy for, I feel happiest for (Wilhelm)," Mehl said.

"Manasquan gets all the credit in the world for scoring two beautiful goals and (Wilhelm) saved a PK in regulation which is probably going to get lost in the story a little bit. The kid is just a phenomenal shot-stopper so I really wasn’t surprised by him at all."

"You just have to trust yourself, pick your spot and hope the goalie doesn’t get to it before you do," Orrico said.

Manasquan came within minutes and several opportunities of its first ever Shore Conference Tournament championship in its first ever trip to the final. The Warriors needed to go 2-0-1 in its final three games prior to the tournament just to qualify and made a memorable, four-game run to the championship game.

The equalizer came after two unanswered, secondhalf goals by Manasquan, both of which came on shots from outside the 18-yard box. One minute after Orrico hit the crossbar on a 25-yard free kick, Greenblatt slipped a one-hop shot to the far right corner on a free kick from 20 yards out to tie the game, 1-1, in the 51st minute.

After beating Toms River North and No. 2 Marlboro to reach the quarterfinals, Manasquan played in three straight penalty-kick rounds. The Warriors survived No. 7 Southern and No. 6 CBA before falling Saturday in its third shootout round.

Manasquan had a chance to take the lead in the 58th when Greenblatt was taken down just inside the perimeter of the 18-yard box.

Johnson took the penalty kick and shot it on frame, but Wilhelm pounced on it with a diving save to his left.

Freehold Township, meanwhile, had not played to a draw this season prior to Wednesday but did need overtime to beat No. 8 Colts Neck in Wednesday's semifinal round.

"To watch these guys celebrate on the field these last two games has been my greatest joy as a coach," Mehl said.

The Patriots opened the season 2-0 and were 4-4 following a road loss to Rumson-Fair Haven before catching fire. Freehold Township has now gone 9-1-1 over its last 11 matches and in addition to winning the program's fourth SCT title, it can win its first outright Class A North title since 2008 if the Patriots can beat Middletown South on Friday at home.

"We knew where (Johnson) was going to go because of the PK’s on Saturday," Wilhelm said. "I just committed and was able to make the save. It was a big confidence booster for me and the team."

Eventually, Manasquan finished off a rousing go-ahead goal on another picturesque strike by senior outside back Tyler Guagenty. After burying a 28-yard laser for the first goal in Saturday's win over CBA, Guagenty delivered a slicing volley from 20 yards out that glanced off the outstretched hand of Wilhelm in the 67th minute.

The Warriors comeback came after a dominant first half by Freehold Township, which outshot Manasquan, 5-1, and broke through on a goal by Orrico in the 38th minute off a through-ball from Savino. "(Manasquan's) Tom (McGill) is a great coach and I think the best thing that he does is make in-game adjustments," Mehl said. "I knew right away that they were going to make an adjustment and I want to give my guys credit because at the end of the game, we made an adjustment to change our

Sr. Bennett Messinger 20

"Every team has bumps in the road and I’m glad we were able to overcome them and now we’re here holding up that trophy," Wilhelm said. "Props to the boys because I’m not the one running around for 80 minutes and another 20 in overtime. I just do what I can to help whenever I can."

Photos by:

Paula Lopez www.palimages.com

21

E

very week this regular season, Shore Sports Network & Surf taco will be selecting a boys & girls 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.

WEEK-6: TOMS RIVER SOUTH Sr. Jalen Folsom

G

oalkeepers deserve love too and a wave of support made sure Jalen Folsom got his this week.

For three seasons now, Folsom has shined during tournament time and this year, his team has done so along with him. After disappointing exits in the first round of both the Shore Conference and state tournaments last year in which Folsom did not concede a goal in regulation, Toms River South responded by advancing to this year’s SCT quarterfinals on the strength of two shutouts.

Following a dominant 3-0 win over Pinelands in round one, the Indians knocked out topseeded Holmdel on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw. Folsom made three huge saves in the late stages of the second half and stopped Holmdel’s final penalty shot in the shootout to punch his team’s ticket to the final eight.

For three seasons now, Folsom has shined during tournament time and this year, his team has done so along with him. After disappointing exits in the first round of both the Shore Conference and state tournaments last year in which Folsom did not concede a goal in regulation, Toms River South responded by advancing to this year’s SCT quarterfinals on the strength of two shutouts.

Following a dominant 3-0 win over Pinelands in round one, the Indians knocked out topseeded Holmdel on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw. Folsom made three huge saves in the late stages of the second half and stopped Holmdel’s final penalty shot in the shootout to punch his team’s ticket to the final eight.

WEEK-5: CBA Jr. Shane Borenius

A

fter his Sept. 30, of wins to himself and

team nearly upset St. Benedict’s on Borenius carried the Colts to a pair finish off an impressive week for his team.

The junior scored two second-half goals in 2-0 win over Manalapan on Thursday and on Saturday, Borenius scored the game-winner in the 78th minute to help CBA knock off Seton Hall Prep at Montclair State University.

With his team needing to replace a good deal of its scoring from a year ago, Borenius has stepped up in his first season as a varsity starter and delivered. He is second on the team in scoring behind returning All-Shore forward Luke Pascarella, providing CBA with seven goals and three assists on the season following his three-goal week.

Borenius won this week's contest with 29 percent of the vote - enough to beat out Donovan Catholic's Vin Mendez (17 percent) and Brick Memorial's Austin Warner (15.5 percent). As the Week 5 Player of the Week winner, Borenius will be awarded a $25 gift card to Surf Taco.

WEEK-4: RARITAN Sr. Joe Seber WEEK-3: MARLBORO Sr. Mike Steinberg WEEK-3: PINELANDS Sr. Aileen Cahill WEEK-2: PINELANDS Jr. Johnny Hart WEEK-2: HOLMDEL Fr. Taylor Bielan 22

WEEK-6: TOMS RIVER NORTH Fr. Sophia Racioppi

C

n a tournament of upsets, No. 4 Toms River North narrowly avoided an upset in the round of 16 thanks to some late magic in regulation and an overtime strike

by Racioppi.

The Mariners were pushed to the limit by Class A South rival Southern in a victory that took a second overtime period to settle. Senior Paige Farley scored in the final minute to tie the game, setting the stage for the freshman to be the hero in overtime.

Senior Julia Fiorito beat a defender goal toward the left post and skipped a pass across the goal, when Racioppi ran to the far past and one-timed the golden goal into the net to set off the celebration.

Racioppi made it a Toms River sweep for the boys and girls players of the week by collecting just under 33 percent of the vote - 11 percent more than runner-up Angie Shekian from unbeaten Middletown South. She will also be awarded a gift card for Surf Taco.

WEEK-5: NEPTUNE Jr.Cassandra Ferguson

S

napping a four-game losing streak with wins over Red Bank Regional and Monmouth this week, Ferguson set the tone for the Fliers by scoring all three of their goals against Red Bank.

The junior added two more in another home win against Monmouth, 3-2, to get Neptune back to a .500 winning percentage.

Ferguson won last week's contest with 39.5 percent of the vote, beating out runner-up Julia Gang of Freehold Boro (24.5 percent).

23

24

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.

Wednesday, 7-8pm on 105.7 The Hawk,

1057thehawk.com & shoresportsnetwork.com The only weekly radio and online show that covers Ocean and Monmouth County High School Football

25

NJSIAA Tournament Seeds, Girls Pairings

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer NJSIAA Tournament Girls Seeds North Jersey Section 2, Group III (16) Irvington @ (1) Middletown South (9) Red Bank @ (8) Woodbridge (12) Belleville @ (5) Millburn (13) Nutley @ (4) Somerville (14) Mendham @ (3) Middletown North (11) Summit @ (6) Chatham (10) Colonia @ (7) West Morris (15) Warren Hills @ (2) Cranford

Central Jersey Group IV (16) New Brunswick @ (1) Hunterdon Central (9) Hillsborough @ (8) Edison (12) Montgomery @ (5) North Brunswick (13) Sayreville @ (4) Manalapan (14) Marlboro @ (3) Monroe (11) Hightstown @ (6) Freehold Twp. (10) Princeton @ (7) Old Bridge (15) West Windsor-Plainsboro South @ (2) East Brunswick

Central Jersey Group III (16) Pennsauken @ (1) Hopewell Valley (9) Ocean @ (8) Freehold Boro (12) Nottingham @ (5) Burlington Twp.

26

(13) Jackson Liberty @ (4) Steinert (14) West Windsor-Plainsboro North @ (3) Allentown (11) Neptune @ (6) Northern Burlington (10) Lawrence @ (7) Colts Neck (15) Westampton Tech @ (2) Brick

Central Jersey Group II (16) North Plainfield @ (1) Wall (9) Rahway @ (8) Voorhees (12) Point Boro @ (5) Robbinsville (13) South Plainfield @ (4) Metuchen (14) Manasquan @ (3) Rumson-Fair Haven (11) Holmdel @ (6) Matawan (10) Bordentown @ (7) A.L. Johnson (15) Governor Livingston @ (2) Hillside

Central Jersey Group I (16) Foundation Collegiate @ (1) Shore (9) Palmyra @ (8) Maple Shade (12) Point Beach @ (5) Riverside (13) Middlesex @ (4) Spotswood (14) Bound Brook at (3) Florence (11) New Egypt @ (6) Highland Park (10) South Hunterdon @ (7) Burlington City (15) Willingboro @ (2) South River

South Jersey Group IV (16) Howell @ (1) Eastern (9) Lenape @ (8) Egg Harbor (12) Kingsway @ (5) Millville (13) Southern @ (4) Shawnee (14) Cherry Hill East @ (3) Rancocas Valley (11) Cherokee @ (6) Washington Twp. (10) Williamstown @ (7) Toms River North (15) Clearview @ (2) Jackson Memorial

South Jersey Group III (16) Timber Creek @ (1) Ocean City (9) Moorestown @ (8) Cherry Hill West (12) Central @ (5) Toms River South (13) Highland @ (4) Toms River East (14) Seneca @ (3) Mainland (11) Lacey @ (6) Triton (10) Hammonton @ (7) Absegami (15) Deptford @ (2) Gloucester Tech

South Jersey Group II (16) Manchester @ (1) Haddonfield (9) Sterling @ (8) Cedar Creek (12) Barnegat @ (5) Pinelands (13) Middle Twp. @ (4) Delran (14) Medford Tech @ (3) Delsea

(11) Collingswood @ (6) Haddon Heights (10) Pemberton @ (7) West Deptford (15) Oakcrest @ (2) Cinnaminson

South Jersey Non-Public A (9) Bishop Eustace @ (8) Immaculata, winner @ (1) Pingry (12) Donovan Catholic @ (5) Notre Dame, winner @ (4) St. John Vianney (11) Camden Catholic @ (6) Union Catholic, winner @ (3) Mount St. Mary (10) St. Thomas Aquinas @ (7) Paul VI, winner @ (2) Red Bank Catholic

South Jersey Non-Public B (9) Gloucester Catholic @ (8) Holy Spirit, winner @ (1) Rutgers Prep (12) Calvary Christian @ (5) Doane Academy (13) Mater Dei Prep @ (4) Moorestown Friends (14) St. Joseph Hammonton @ (3) Our Lady of Mercy (11) Wildwood Catholic @ (6) Wardlaw-Hartridge (10) Trinity Hall @ (7) Holy Cross Prep, winner @ (2) St. Rose Shore Conference teams in BOLD

27

28

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, September 6 when Manalapan visits Middletown South in a battle of American Division opponents.

T

Catholic).

In addition to the regular Friday night broadcasts there is our annual coverage of the Thanksgiving Day meeting between Manasquan and Wall and NJSIAA Playoff games will be added.

Matt Harmon is back as the play-by-play voice of the game broadcasts and will be joined by longtime partners Kevin Williams and Ed Sarluca.

It’s a brand new ballgame for our game The trio have been together for 20 years calling broadcasts as they will all be streamed live on Shore Conference football games in Ocean and shoresportsnetwork.com and through the Shore Monmouth County.

Sports Network mobile app.

Jersey Mike’s returns as the title sponsor of the The schedule features eight of the teams weekly streaming broadcasts and will also ranked on our preseason Top Ten, including two sponsor the popular Team of the Week program games with #1 ranked Red Bank Catholic (October throughout the season. Participating sponsors 4 at Toms River North and October 25 at Donovan include Atlantic Physical Therapy Center, Sansone Jr’s 66 Auto Mall, Turning Point Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch and RKE Athletic.

@

Middletown South 13

@

Wall 14

Central 21

@

Lacey 34

9/27

Jackson Memorial 28

@

Brick 14

Friday

10/4

Red Bank Catholic 21

@

Toms River North 6

Friday

10/11

Toms River North 34

@

Middletown South 29

Friday

10/18

Neptune. 36

@

Toms River South. 28

Friday

10/25

Red Bank Catholic

@

Donovan Catholic

Friday

11/1

Toms River South

@

Toms River North

Thursday

11/28

Manasquan

@

Wall

Friday

9/6

Manalapan 23

Friday

9/13

Rumson-Fair Haven

Friday

9/20

Friday

3

(11am)

Schedule is subject to change

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

29

NJSIAA United Power Rankings through Week 6

By Bob Badders - Managing Editor

T

he top 16 teams based upon UPR in each super section qualify for the NJSIAA playoffs. The No. 1 seed is placed in its traditional section (Central or South), seeds 2/3 are placed in the opposite section and so on until all 16 teams are placed within two sectional brackets of eight teams each.

*Sections listed involving Shore Conference teams* Note: Non-Public 3 and 4 are seeded by a committee and not determined solely by power ranking.

OSI is an opponents strength index and is explained on page 5 of the NJSIAA regulations A l l d a t a c a l c u l a t e d b y g r i d i r o n n e w j e r s e y. c o m 11

Middletown North

4

3

10.71

48.53

11.8

23

Lawrence

4

2

9.83

31.59

22

2

Willingboro

6

1

14.43

53.46

2.4

OSI

UPR

12

Hamilton

5

1

15.67

43.82

12.2

24

Ewing

1

6

5.57

33.15

24

3

Woodstown

5

1

14.33

52.15

3.8 5.4

SOUTH GROUP 5 Rank School

Wins Losses Power Pts

1

Toms River North

6

1

21.86

64.75

1.6

13

Brick Township

3

3

12.83

44.52

12.6

25

Triton

2

4

6.50

32.3

24.4

4

Gateway

5

1

13.50

46.83

2

Williamstown

7

0

19.00

67.22

2.2

14

Long Branch

2

5

12.14

45.33

12.8

26

Manchester Township

2

5

7.29

29.05

26.4

5

Paulsboro

4

2

11.17

46.91

6

3

North Brunswick

6

1

20.14

63.17

3

15

Moorestown

3

4

10.71

48.14

13

27

Monmouth

0

6

4.00

32.19

26.6

6

Buena

6

1

14.43

39.77

6.4

4

Lenape

5

1

20.67

59.61

3.2

16

Colts Neck

6

1

13.86

43.72

14

28

Jackson Liberty

1

5

5.00

29.56

27.4

7

Middlesex

7

0

15.00

38.58

6.8

5

Manalapan

4

2

16.83

57.02

6

17

Northern Burlington

4

2

11.33

42.38

16.8

29

Pinelands

1

5

5.83

28.25

27.8

8

Salem

5

2

10.86

45.89

7.6

6

Hillsborough

5

2

14.14

57.25

6.6

18

Central

2

4

8.00

43.53

18.6

30

Cumberland

0

6

2.67

23.02

30

9

Woodbury

3

2

10.00

38.83

10.6

7

Old Bridge

6

0

18.00

51.85

6.8

19

Freehold Boro

1

6

10.14

39.28

19.2

10

Asbury Park

4

2

11.67

36.33

11

8

Southern

6

1

14.86

53.81

7.4

20

Cherry Hill West

2

4

9.50

39.1

20.2

11

Glassboro

3

3

8.17

43.46

11.4

9

Vineland

3

4

13.14

48.69

10.4

21

Winslow Township

2

4

7.67

42.32

20.2

12

Burlington City

4

2

9.67

38.09

12.8

10

Washington Township

3

4

14.00

46.04

10.6

22

Neptune

3

3

8.33

37.46

21.2

13

Point Pleasant Beach

5

2

10.86

33.09

13.6

11

Cherokee

3

3

10.50

50.79

11.4

23

Brick Memorial

1

6

6.43

37.32

23.8

14

Florence

3

3

9.00

36.33

13.8

12

Kingsway

3

3

11.50

45.13

12.8

24

Pennsauken

3

4

7.14

34.18

24.2

15

Pennsville

2

4

7.50

38.49

14.6

13

Eastern

4

2

15.67

40.71

14.8

25

Steinert

1

5

6.17

34.29

24.8

16

Haddon Township

5

1

12.00

29.54

14.8

14

Atlantic City

2

5

11.86

42.38

14.8

26

Toms River South

1

4

6.80

31.94

25.8

17

Clayton

4

2

10.83

32.22

15

15

South Brunswick

4

3

12.14

41.62

15

27

Bridgeton

1

5

4.67

32.62

26.8

18

Keansburg

3

3

9.00

34.09

15

16

Sayreville

2

4

8.17

44.75

16.2

28

Hightstown

1

6

5.14

26.73

28.2

19

Schalick

1

5

5.50

31.79

20.4

17

Franklin

2

5

7.71

43.51

17.6

29

Lakewood

0

6

3.83

28.03

28.4

20

Maple Shade

4

3

8.71

24.31

20.6

18

Marlboro

3

4

8.57

41.62

17.8

30

Princeton

0

6

2.83

22.95

30

21

Keyport

2

4

7.33

28.3

21

19

Trenton

3

4

8.86

41.52

18.2

22

Gloucester City

3

4

7.57

24.11

22

20

East Brunswick

3

3

9.67

39.06

19.6

23

Overbrook

1

6

4.86

30.48

22.2

21

Hunterdon Central

1

6

6.71

42.95

19.8

Rank School

24

Manville

2

5

6.29

24.57

22.4

22

Rancocas Valley

0

6

8.33

38.84

21.8

1

25

Palmyra

2

4

5.17

22.48

26

23

Edison

3

4

6.86

40.1

23

2

Woodrow Wilson

5

1

21.83

62.66

2

14

Shore

3

4

8.43

39.77

15

26

South Hunterdon

2

5

5.29

21.34

26.2

24

West Windsor-Plainsboro 3

3

8.83

32.14

23.4

3

Somerville

6

1

18.14

59.21

3

15

Point Pleasant Boro

2

4

7.83

39.83

16

27

New Egypt

1

5

4.50

22.81

26.2

25

Monroe

3

4

7.86

36.91

23.8

4

Rumson-Fair Haven

4

3

17.29

58.99

4

16

Barnegat

3

3

8.17

37.31

17

28

Pitman

3

2

6.80

18.62

26.8

26

Freehold Township

2

5

7.14

37.8

24.4

5

Timber Creek

4

2

14.83

56.73

5.4

17

Haddon Heights

3

3

8.33

36.29

17.2

29

Highland Park

0

7

3.43

20.92

28.8

27

Egg Harbor

2

4

7.50

35.24

25.2

6

Ocean Township

6

0

16.67

56.17

5.6

18

South River

4

3

8.86

32.46

18.4

30

Wildwood

0

6

3.00

19.77

29.8

28

Howell

0

7

4.14

31.67

28.4

7

Holmdel

3

3

12.17

50.42

8.6

19

Johnson

2

4

6.67

37.55

18.4

31

Riverside

1

5

4.33

16.46

30.2

29

Cherry Hill East

2

5

4.86

24.23

29.2

8

Red Bank

4

3

11.71

52.83

9

20

Spotswood

3

4

9.29

31.51

18.8

30

New Brunswick

0

7

3.29

29.18

29.4

9

Lacey

5

2

11.86

50.66

9.2

21

Collingswood

4

3

6.86

34.99

19.8

10

Raritan

5

2

12.14

46.21

10.6

22

Audubon

1

5

5.00

34.86

22.8

Rank School

OSI

UPR

11

Hopewell Valley

4

2

12.17

43.82

11

23

Roselle

0

6

4.50

34.83

23.8

1

Donovan Catholic

7

0

17.57

64.65

1

12

Burlington Township

4

2

10.33

44.24

12.8

24

Harrison

3

4

6.29

31.8

24.2

2

DePaul

4

3

12.29

58.41

2.4

13

Delsea

2

4

9.00

50.02

12.8

25

Metuchen

3

4

7.14

28.97

24.2

3

Mater Dei Prep

4

3

13.00

52.97

3.2

14

Seneca

5

2

11.29

43.11

13.6

26

Newark Collegiate

2

4

6.50

29.35

24.2

4

Red Bank Catholic

3

3

11.50

53.34

3.4

15

Absegami

2

4

9.00

41.27

15.8

27

Middle Township

3

3

6.33

29.13

25.2

5

St. John Vianney

3

3

10.67

51.41

5

16

Deptford

4

3

10.14

38.19

16.2

28

Lower Cape May

2

4

6.33

26.21

27

6

Pope John

1

6

5.86

43.78

6.4

17

Robbinsville

7

0

12.57

32.93

16.6

29

Lindenwold

0

7

3.43

27.27

28.8

7

Bishop Ahr

3

4

8.43

30.76

7.2

18

Allentown

2

4

8.33

38.45

17.6

30

Bordentown

0

6

4.17

24.71

29.6

8

Camden Catholic

1

5

5.50

42.15

7.8

19

Matawan

3

3

8.83

37

19

9

Pingry

2

5

5.57

26.84

9.2

20

Oakcrest

2

5

7.71

37.32

19.2

10

Bishop Eustace

1

5

5.00

29.72

9.4

21

Nottingham

2

5

7.71

35.27

20.4

22

Pemberton

2

4

7.67

33.29

21.8

SOUTH GROUP 4 OSI

UPR

1

Rank School Shawnee

6

1

20.29

68.46

1.4

2

Highland Regional

5

1

20.67

62.84

1.6

3

Hammonton

5

2

16.86

56.91

3.4

4

Mainland

7

0

15.86

50.91

5

5

Jackson

5

2

15.71

53.89

5.2

6

Toms River East

7

0

15.86

50.6

5.6

7

Millville

3

4

15.14

50.38

7.8

8

Middletown South

2

4

14.00

49.21

8.8

9

Ocean City

5

1

17.00

44.06

9.6

10

Clearview

5

2

12.14

48.52

11.2

30

Wins Losses Power Pts

SOUTH GROUP 3 Wall

Wins Losses Power Pts 7

0

22.86

SOUTH GROUP 2 OSI

UPR

1

Rank School West Deptford

Wins Losses Power Pts 5

1

19.33

62.03

1.6

2

Cedar Creek

5

2

15.86

64.87

2.2

3

Hillside

7

0

17.00

52.81

2.6

4

Haddonfield

4

2

16.17

51.03

4.2

5

Pleasantville

5

1

14.33

52.29

4.4

6

Camden

5

1

14.00

50.8

6

7

Bernards

5

1

13.50

49.09

7.4

8

Manasquan

2

4

13.67

46.64

7.6

9

Delran

5

1

12.50

43.96

9

10

Cinnaminson

3

4

9.29

42.29

11.6

11

Lincoln

3

4

8.57

43.35

11.6

OSI

UPR

12

Delaware Valley

4

2

11.33

41.54

11.8

65.94

1

13

Sterling

2

5

7.86

42.83

13.8

SOUTH GROUP 1 Rank School 1

Penns Grove

Wins Losses Power Pts 7

0

18.43

OSI

UPR

62.65

1

NON-PUBLIC 3 Wins Losses Power Pts

31

32