Shore Sports Network Journal Brother's Keeper by Shore Sports Network Journal

October 6, 2015 Volume-VII Issue-18

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

”Is this going to be on

?”

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

Shore Sports Network Website Features

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

SteveMEYER

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

KevinWILLIAMS

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

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

Shore Sports Network Journal

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Thursday, 7-8:30 on 1160 & 1310AM and www.shoresportsnetwork.com.

The only weekly radio and online show that covers Monmouth and Ocean County High School Football .

Award-winning broadcasters Kevin Williams, Matt Harmon and Ed Sarluca cover the entire Shore Conference from Matawan to Pinelands. Broadcast live from Baker’s Water Street Bar & Grille in Toms River, the weekly show features players, coaches and a preview of upcoming games.

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-18 / 10/6/15

Jersey Mike’s Continues Their Support With the Team of The Week

By Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

In conjunction with Shore Sports Network, Jersey Mike’s will honor one team a week that showed the character, perseverance and hard work emblematic of The Jersey Mike’s Company during its performance that weekend. A Jersey Mike’s Game Ball and free subs will be presented to that team during practice that week in honor of a great showing.

Week 3 9/25/15 Red Bank - 16 Ocean - 6 The Team of the Week for Week Three was Red Bank, which used a great defensive performance to top Ocean 16-6 and start the season 3-0 for the first time in over a decade. The Bucs and head coach Nick Giglio were presented with a special game ball at practice by Shore Sports Network’s Steve Meyer and Jersey Mike’s representative Stephen LaCicero, manager of the Red Bank Water Street location,

down an Ocean offense that entered Week Three averaging 41 points per game. He made 10 total tackles, had 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown. Senior quarterback Jack Navitsky threw for 188 yards, including an 88Jersey Mike’s representative Stephen LaCicero, manager of the Red Bank Water yard touchdown pass to St. location presented the Team of the Week game ball to the head coach Matt Reardon while Nick Giglio and the RBR team Jack O’Connor kicked a 32-yard field goal. on Tuesday. The players were also treated to free Jersey Mike’s subs. Syracuse recruit Sadiq Palmer caught five passes for 85 yards. Linebacker Chris Outterbridge led a Red Bank defense that shut

Red Bank was ranked in the Week 3 Shore Sports Network Top 10

Week 2 9/18/15 Brick Memorial - 52 Toms River North - 20 The Team of the Week for Week Two was Brick Memorial, which lit up the scoreboard in a 52-20 victory over formerly thirdranked Toms River North for a crucial Class A South victory that evened their record at 1-1. The Mustangs and head coach Walt Currie were presented with a special game ball at practice by Shore Sports Network’s Steve Meyer and Bob Badders and Jersey Mike’s representative Mika Langan on Tuesday. The players were also treated to free Jersey Mike’s subs. Senior quarterback Tim Santiago ran for a Brick Memorial single-game rushing record 320 yards along with five total touchdowns as part of a 526-yard rushing outburst by the Santiago had rushing touchdowns of 28, 46, 52 and 7 yards, and also threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Eli Lavarin. Sophomore fullback Tony Thorpe ran for 69 yards and two touchdowns and Lavarin added 102 yards rushing on just four carries. Senior Matt Cuppari also kicked a career-long 47-yard field goal.

“It was a formidable task to prepare for a very good Toms River North team with a very good coaching staff,” Currie said. Jersey Mike’s representative Mika Langan of the Brick Rt 88 “We knew we had location presented the Team of the Week Game ball to the our work cut out for head coach Walt Currie and the Brick Mem. team us, especially coming off a loss and playing the No. 3 team in the Shore, but the kids responded. From scout-teamers all the way up they practiced their tails off to get ready for that game.” “But still, nobody could have foreseen the outcome of that game,” Currie added. “It was just really a product of Tim playing a really, really great game.”

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Santiago broke the previous record of 307 yards set by current Mustangs assistant Brian Staub in a 2007 game versus Jackson Memorial. He did it all on 19 carries to average 16.8 yards per rush. “I’ll never forget the Staub game and I certainly won’t forget this one,” Currie said. “It was a great night and a team effort on offense, defense and special teams, but Tim really had a special night. It’s one he’ll never forget and we won’t either.”

Week-1 9/11/15 Raritan - 26 Manasquan - 14

Who Fights Like Dylan on the Jersey Shore?

By Kevin Williams – Shore Sports Network Director

t was somewhat ironic that at about the same time Warren Hills senior Evan Murray died tragically while playing football I received a press release announcing Russell Athletics’ fifth annual “Fight Like Dylan Award.” That’s because the award honors high school teams that have shown determination, inspiration and perseverance through sports, and clearly Warren Hills will need a big dose of that to get through this season. The award is named after Dylan Rebeor, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in the spring of 2010 while his Columbia, Tennessee, team was about to start spring practice. Despite fighting the illness and not be able to play, he still attended games and remained an important part of the football program.

Through the Make A Wish Foundation he made a last wish, not for himself but for his teammates, and it was that they receive new uniforms for the following season, which they did. Dylan died at the age of 16 on the day his team won a state championship, eight months after he was diagnosed. His inspiring story led Russell Athletic to join forces with the Rebeor family and create the “Fight Like Dylan Award” which

comes with a $50,000 grant in athletic apparel and sports equipment to a school.

Last year’s winner was ShorehamWading River High School from Long Island, New York, who dedicated their season to a 16-year -old teammate who died after colliding with another player in a game on October 1st. The team went on to finish a perfect 100 and win the Long Island championship. Previous winners of the award were Buena Vista High School (Colorado), Williamsport High School (Maryland) and Edmondson High School (Kentucky). The panel of judges includes former NFL head coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy and representatives of the four previous recipients along with Dylan’s mother Heather Rebeor. Teams that have overcome adversity and challenges through sports can submit their entries at FightLikeDylan.org. The deadline for submission is December 5, 2015.

Dylan Rebeor with his teammates on the Columbia, Tennessee high school football team (FightLikeDylan.org)

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-18 / 10/6/15

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

ith a driving rain and gusty winds battering the Shore for the better part of the weekend, the story in Week Four was as much about the weather conditions as the several impact games on the schedule.

By the time the clouds parted, the results on the field had taken their rightful place in the headlines and given a makeover to the divisional landscapes. Middletown North pulled a stunner over last week’s No. 7 team, Manalapan, with an 18-8 victory to end the Braves’ 33-game Class A North winning streak and bump the defending NJSIAA Central Jersey Group V champions out of the top 10.

St. John Vianney outlasted Rumson-Fair Haven, 13-6, in a critical Class A Central game that was the the favorite to decide the division title. Raritan, however, has thrown itself into the title picture with a 3-0 start after blanking a solid Freehold team 34-0. Red Bank continued its best start in over a decade with a 28-7 win over Neptune to improve to 4-0. The Bucs will head to Raritan this week in a matchup of ranked teams, and also has Red Bank Catholic in two weeks.

Top-ranked Middletown South and No. 2 Red Bank Catholic both improved to 4-0 with shutout victories, while No. 7 Brick Memorial and No. 8 Toms River North rolled to lopsided wins. Shore, Lakewood and Point Boro also remained undefeated and at the top of their respective divisions.

One game the weather had a severe impact on was the Class A South rumble between Brick and Jackson Memorial. The Dragons’ defense shut down the Jaguars’ running game and got the only points it would need on a first quarter safety to win 2-0 and take over sole possession of first place.

Two big divisional games highlight the Week Five schedule with Central hosting Point Boro in B South and Toms River North hosting Jackson Memorial in A South. There are also two crucial nondivisional games between Ocean and Middletown North and the aforementioned Red Bank-Raritan game. Brick Memorial hosts Old Bridge in a key nonconference game.

1. Middletown South (4-0)

6. Rumson-Fair Haven (2-1). Last week: No. 5

Last week: No. 1

The Eagles continued to roll with a 42-0 Class A North victory over Freehold Township. Senior quarterback Matt Mosquera tossed three touchdown passes in the first half and junior running back James McCarthy ran for 173 yards and a touchdown. The defense was lights-out once again in allowing just 55 total yards and scored a touchdown on Maxx Imsho's 67-yard interception return. Tom Marron also had a fumble return for a touchdown. The Eagles have been impressive with their consistency and are beating teams in every phase of the game right now. And they get 1,800-yard rusher Cole Rogers back from injury this week. Middletown South hosts Howell (2-2) on Friday night in a Class A North game.

2. Red Bank Catholic (4-0). Last week: No. 2

Senior Dylan Murphy had a big day in a 20-0 Class B North win over Wall with 108 yards rushing and three touchdowns while also making 14 tackles at linebacker. Max Hazard had an interception and Charlie Gargiulo had a fumble recovery as the Caseys’ defense notched its third shutout of the season. Red Bank Catholic travels to winless Colts Neck for a B North game on Saturday afternoon.

3. St. John Vianney (4-0). Last week: No. 4

The Lancers move up one spot after a 13-6 victory over No. 6 Rumson-Fair Haven in a critical Class A Central game. Senior quarterback Anthony Brown made one of the best plays of the weekend on a 75-yard touchdown pass through the rain to Marcque Ellington, and senior Calvin Beaty scored on a short touchdown run after a key sack on a punt by junior linebacker Tyler Tedeschi. St. John Vianney made a big statement in the win by proving it can line up and run the ball against a formidable defense. This is a very good team in all areas. The Lancers travel to winless Manchester on Friday night in a nondivisional game.

4. Brick (4-0). Last week: No. 6

The Dragons got a safety in the first quarter when the snap on a punt sailed out of the end zone, and their defense did the rest in 2-0 win over Jackson Memorial to take control as the only unbeaten team in Class A South and move up two spots in the rankings. The weather conditions were abysmal, but the Dragons were able to find a way to come out victorious. Brick’s defense has been unbelievable so far in allowing just six points the entire season. Those six points were late in the game to a Brick Memorial team that is averaging 48 points per game since. The Dragons are out of the division this week and the holdovers from last year’s team will be looking for a bit of revenge against Wall on Friday night.

5. Jackson Memorial (3-1). Last week: No. 3

The Jaguars fall two spots after a 2-0 loss to Brick in miserable conditions this past Friday. Jackson Memorial will look to shake off the loss against another ranked opponent when it travels to Gernerd Field on Friday night to take on No. 8 Toms River North.

The Bulldogs drop one spot after a hard-fought 13-6 defeat at the hands of No. 3 St. John Vianney in an A Central game. Junior quarterback Mike O’Connor ran for over 100 yards and scored Rumson’s only touchdown, and also had an interception on defense. Rumson will look to rebound against Long Branch in a nondivisional home game on Friday night at Borden Stadium.

7. Brick Memorial (3-1). Last week: No. 8

The Mustangs rushing attack was unstoppable for a third straight game as sophomore fullback Tony Thorpe ran for 212 yards and four touchdowns and senior quarterback Tim Santiago ran for 170 yards and a score in a 44-6 Class A South win over Toms River East. Brick Memorial begins what could be a season-defining three-game stretch this Friday night when it hosts Old Bridge (3-1) in a nonconference game. That game is followed by matchups with Jackson Memorial and Middletown South.

8. Toms River North (3-1). Last week: No. 9

Junior quarterback Mike Husni ran for 155 yards and four touchdowns on seven carries and also threw a touchdown pass in a 42-0 nondivisional victory over Marlboro. Senior running back Asante Moorer ran for a touchdown and the Mariners’ defense recorded its first shutout of the season. Toms River North began the season ranked No. 3, but fell out of the top 10 after a 55-20 loss to Brick Memorial. The Mariners now have a chance to make a big jump back up the rankings when they host No. 5 Jackson Memorial on Friday night.

9. Red Bank (4-0). Last week: No. 10

The Bucs are now 4-0 for the first time in over a decade after a 28-7 Class B North win over Neptune. Senior running back Alim Godsey ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns and senior quarterback Jack Navitsky addd another 90 yards rushing and a touchdown. Red Bank’s defense was stout again and has allowed just 20 points all season. The Bucs have another stern test this Friday when they travel to Hazlet to meet No. 10 Raritan in a nondivisional game..

10. Raritan (3-0). Last week: not ranked

Senior running back Derek Ernst ran for 219 yards and three touchdowns and the Rockets’ defense shut out a solid Freehold team 34-0 in a nondivisional game. Raritan is playing as well as any team in the Shore right now with wins over Manasquan, Matawan and Freehold and a point differential of plus83 (100-17). The Rockets have two huge games in a row, starting this Friday with a nondivisional game at home against No. 9 Red Bank and continuing next week at No. 3 St. John Vianney.

Dropped Out:

No. 7 Manalapan (3-1)

Teams to Watch: 0), & Point Boro (4-0)

Shore (4-0), Middletown North (3-1), Ocean (3-1), Lakewood (4-

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-18 / 10/6/15

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

Top-Ranked Middletown South Continues to Roll

By Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

h er e wer e n o h iccu p s or mis ta k es f r om M iddleto wn S o u th o n O ctober 3 r d , ju s t a wor kman lik e per f or ma n ce f r om a team th a t is r o llin g in all p h a s es o f th e g a me.

The Eagles, ranked No. 1 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, took care of host Freehold Township 42-0 in a Shore Conference Class A North game to improve to 4-0. Senior quarterback Matt Mosquera threw three touchdown passes, junior running back James McCarthy ran for 173 yards and a touchdown and the Eagles defense recorded its second shutout of the season. It all added up to another dominating performance from the Shore’s

top team.

“This is what we expect to do every week, to come out and dominate with the talent we have,” Mosquera said. “It doesn’t matter the conditions or the time, we’re going to come out and do our jobs.” “I think this is what you have to do,” said Middletown South head coach Steve Antonucci. “We have lofty expectations so every week the target gets bigger and bigger. We have to come out and execute. That lurking team is out there. We’re going to run into that team at some point where we’re going to be in a toe-to-toe battle and we’ll have to respond.”

That team may have already shown up in the form of South Brunswick. The Eagles rallied to beat the Vikings 41-21 in Week One, scoring 38 straight points after being down 21-3. Since then they have crushed everyone in their paths, averaging 44 points

Senior QB Matt Mosquera (17) and junior wide receiver Samson Dube (1)

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

steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-18 / 10/6/15

per game with two shutouts.

junior defensive back Anthony Lotti intercepted Mosquera at the goal line to end the threat.

“It’s definitely good to know our team isn’t getting complacent and we are playing every game like it’s the best team we’ll face all year,” Mosquera said.

With a running clock to start the second half because of Middletown South being up by 35, the Eagles extended their lead to 42-0 with an 8-play, 70-yard drive to begin the third quarter. McCarthy had a 28-yard run to move the ball inside the Patriots’ 20-yard line before finishing off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run and a 42-0 advantage.

The Eagles got on the board late in the first quarter when junior defensive back Maxx Imsho cut in front of a pass by Freehold Township quarterback Jack O’Brien and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown with 3:25 left in the first quarter.

Once the Eagles got on the board the scoring plays came quickly. An interception by senior defensive back Tom Coffey on the ensuing drive set the Eagles up with the ball at the Freehold Township 27-yard line. A 14yard run by McCarthy moved the ball to the 13, and two plays later Mosquera found junior wide receiver Samson Dube for a 12-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

The Eagles then scored 21 points in the final five minutes of the second quarter to blow the game open. Mosquera connected with Dube again, this time on a 29-yard touchdown pass to cap a 7play, 57-yard drive. McCarthy continued to produce yards in chunks with his power running, carrying four times for 21 yards on the drive before Mosquera tossed his second touchdown pass.

On the kickoff that followed, Middletown South’s special teams unit got in on the scoring. The Eagles stripped Freehold Township’s kick returner and senior Tom Marron picked up the loose ball and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to put Middletown South up 28-0.

Middletown South defense

“I said to the kids after the game that if we are going to be a championship-caliber team we have to create turnovers and score on defense and special teams,” Antonucci said. “It puts so much pressure on the opponent and it’s a game-changer.”

The Eagles forced a three-and-out on the next series to get the ball back with 3:19 left in the first half, and needed just six plays to reach the end zone again. McCarthy bulldozed his way to the Freehold Township 34-yard line with an 11-yard run on thirdand-8, and two plays later Coffey got behind the defense and hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Mosquera for a 35-0 lead. The Eagles actually got the ball back again with under a minute left and threatened to score once more, but Freehold Township

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With senior Cole Rogers, who ran for 1,859 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, out with an injury, the Eagles’ running game hasn’t missed a step with McCarthy. When Rogers returns it will give Middletown South one of the best backfield duos in New Jersey.

“It’s such a luxury to have a kid like (McCarthy),” Antonucci said. “He’s a different kind of runner, a powerful runner, where Cole is more of a slasher. Cole will be back next week and hopefully we get him back into the flow.”

The Eagles take on Howell next week before a highlyanticipated showdown with Manalapan in Week Six.

& Photos by:

Bob Badders

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Boys Soccer – Week of Oct. 5 th Top 10 Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

he Shore Conference Tournament will be seeded in exactly two weeks, and the last three weeks have seen consistency in the top seven teams in the top 10. The order has changed over the course of the season and it has changed again this week thanks to a big win by Wall over Ocean. At this rate, it will be difficult for any new team to break into that top seven but that No. 8 spot is still valuable and a lot can happen in two weeks.

Christian Brothers Aca1emy . (8-2, 7-1) Last Week: 1

The Colts’ No. 1 spot will be put to the test this week when they travel to play No. 3 Freehold Township on Tuesday. A win would deal Freehold Township a serious blow in the Class A North title chase and would make it very tough to pass CBA for a division crown, even though the Colts would still have some work to put in to win an outright division title.

2. Shore (9-0, 7-0) Last Week: 2

The Blue Devils have looked unbeatable within the B Central division, but Point Beach has a habit of giving Shore some uneasy moments, and the rematch at Point Beach was washed out on Thursday. Shore will face a good test Friday against Ranney at home, where Holmdel transfer Brendan Wall is expected to debut for the Panthers. Shore’s J.T. Kessler pictured right

7. Ocean (7-2, 6-1) Last Week: 4

The Spartans have swallowed two frustrating results against Shore and Wall in which they won the battle in shots and, in the case of the Wall loss, dominated the possession. Ocean is still a dangerous team and if the Spartans can find their scoring touch against the better competition on the schedule, they will still be an SCT and Central Jersey Group III favorite, especially with the return of goalkeeper Yanni Kavarakas coming soon.

8. Colts Neck (5-3-1, 3-3-0) Last Week: 10

The Cougars inched into the top 10 last week and solidified their spot in the rankings by beating A South leader Lacey at home. They later lost to Wall, but played the Crimson Knights tough again in a 1-0 loss, the second to Wall by that margin this season. They have not yet been able to get over the hump against Wall or Ocean, but the Cougars have proven they can play with teams of that caliber.

9. Marlboro (4-3-1, 3-3-1) Last Week: Not ranked

The carousel of Class A North teams to take a back-end spot in the top 10 continues with the Mustangs moving back into the field this week. Marlboro got back over .500 this week by beating Freehold Boro, which had climbed into the top 10 last week. Couple that impressive performance with a win over Manalapan and a tight game with Freehold Township, and the Mustangs look like a formidable side now that October is here.

10. Lacey (8-2, 6-1) Last Week: 9

Lacey lost a close game at Colts Neck Monday that ended a six-game winning streak, but got right back on the horse when the Lions beat Jackson Memorial the next day. Class A South is going to be short on non-division wins when it comes time to seed the SCT, but whichever team wins the division should be able to carve out a case for the top 10.

Photo by:Doug

Bostwick www.SportShotsWLB.com

3. Freehold Township (5-1-2, 5-1-1) Last Week: 3

The Patriots have made it tough for opponents to score but almost as tough for themselves. They have played two scoreless draws this season and have not scored more than two goals in any game this season. Strangely enough, one of the three games in which Freehold Township has scored two goals was its only loss. The Patriots lineup is starting to round back into form just in time for a rematch against CBA Tuesday at Freehold Township.

4. Rumson-Fair Haven (10-0, 8-0) Last Week: 5

The Bulldogs move up a spot in the rankings with two more wins this week combined with a loss by Ocean. A rainout this past week will force Marlboro off of the schedule, so Rumson is running out of non-division opponents to strengthen the résumé. Despite that, the Bulldogs are still unbeaten, already have a solid win over Long Branch, and will get a crack at Shore Regional right before the cutoff.

5. Manalapan (6-2, 6-2) Last Week: 6

Winners of four straight, Manalapan appears poised to make a push for the Class A North title and will look at any CBA-Freehold Township result as a win-win scenario, so long as the Braves can handle their own business. If Freehold Township beats CBA, then the Braves will control their own destiny for the overall title, while a CBA win over Freehold Township would mean Manalapan moves ahead of Freehold Township in the public division title standings and could still guarantee no worse than a share of the overall division title by winning out.

6. Wall (8-0-1, 6-0-1) Last Week: 7

No team picked up a bigger win in the weather-shortened week than Wall, which scored early and held on to beat Ocean. The win gives Wall an early lead in the Class B North race, but the tie against Long Branch looms large because it means Ocean still can win B North by beating Wall and it gives Rumson an edge in common opponent over Wall when it comes to SCT seeding. For Wall to emerge from this week against Ocean and Colts Neck with one goal allowed this season is quite the statement.

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-18 / 10/6/15

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

t is not uncommon for high school athletes to request and even compete to wear a specific number on their jersey, but doing so as a freshman is bound to lead to some serious ridicule from older teammates. Under normal circumstances, Bronson Dhume would not strike anyone as the kind of person who would demand any such special treatment. Now a senior, Dhume is described by coaches and teammates as a quiet leader who commands respect through his play and his work ethic, and yet on his first day of camp as a high school soccer player for Matawan High School back in the summer of 2012, he already had the number 21 waiting for him.

There was no formal request, no bartering and certainly no opposition: Dhume was ready to be a varsity player as a freshman

Bronson Dhume, while talented for his age and eventually a significant part of the program’s turnaround later in his career, was not given special treatment because of his soccer abilities or even the abilities of his older brother, but rather for the adversity he endured in the face of a family tragedy.

Dhume has spent his life wanting to be like his older brother and Bronson has already exceeded Chris in a way that neither he nor any member of his family ever wanted the younger Dhume to surpass his older brother.

In January of 2011, Chris Dhume died due to complications from bacterial meningitis, less than 72 hours after he began experiencing symptoms of the illness. Chris was four months past his 17th birthday at the time of his passing, meaning Bronson has already outlived his brother by two months. January of 2016 will mark the five-year anniversary of Chris’s passing, which is nearly one month before Bronson will turn 18. “He was 17 years old and now I’m older than he was when he died,” Bronson said. “That (17th) birthday wasn’t that hard for me as much as it was for my mother. She takes dates and remembers them.”

TRAGEDY STRI KES and he was the only person at Matawan worthy of the jersey.

The last person prior to Dhume to wear the No. 21 for the Matawan boys soccer team was Bronson’s older brother, Chris. During his career at Matawan, Chris set the program record for career goals that stood until last season, as well as the single-season record for goals scored.

Bronson was in seventh grade when his brother was a senior at Matawan and watched Chris all the way through his record-setting varsity career. By the end of his senior season, Chris had set the Matawan record for career goals (22) and even set the single-season record for goals with 13 in his senior season, which still stands as a Huskies record. His career goals mark stood until last year, when Alex Cella scored 12 goals and set the new career mark of 33.

During his 13-goal senior season, Matawan won only four games but Dhume delivered the Huskies two of those wins in dramatic fashion. He scored golden goals in wins over both Monmouth Regional and Barnegat, and Bronson remembers both of those days.

“He was a leader on the field,” Bronson said of Chris. “I went to every game when I didn’t have soccer myself and watching him lead the team was an inspiration to me. He was a leader and a role model and when I put on his number, it just reminds me to try to do everything that he did.”

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“I remember the first time he scored a game-winner and it was a golden goal,” Bronson said. “I wasn’t there because I was at one of my soccer games, but he said he wanted to do it again when I was there, and could see him and he ended up doing it again. I don’t remember what team it was, but it was beautiful to watch.” Longtime Matawan head coach Dave Deegan said at the time that he had a discussion with Chris during the winter about Chris playing for Brookdale Community College, but not long after that discussion, tragedy struck the Dhume family.

Like many who knew Chris Dhume, Bronson remembers his brother as a hard-working, tough player with an outstanding work-rate on the field. He was a hard player to tire out, which is why Bronson remembers the night of Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011. Chris came home from school that afternoon complaining of feeling weak, and the gravity of the situation began to sink in the next day.

“I was doing a project and he just wasn’t feeling good,” Bronson recalled. “He just got really weak which was really weird to me because he always seemed like he was built to push through anything.

“Even when he would get sick, he was always up and trying to do stuff. He never just slumped around like he was then. We literally had to help him get off the couch, which was scary.”

Chris’s condition worsened overnight and into Friday. The first 24 hours included flu-like symptoms and on Friday morning, Bronson recalls seeing his brother’s body being overrun by the disease, which as Bronson recalls, turned the skin on parts of his brother’s body black and blue.

“His left leg, which was his dominant leg, started hurting and he could barely even use it,” Bronson said. “It just started taking over his body.”

While his parents, Chris Sr. and Val Dhume, went to the hospital with Chris, Bronson recalls riding around the car with his two older sisters to pick up his cousins from school before finally making it to the hospital on Friday evening.

What followed was a hectic, mostly-sleepless night of waiting. Deegan recalled leaving the hospital at approximately 11 p.m. on Friday night after Chris’s blood pressure showed signs of stabilizing, but the momentary good news did not help Bronson sleep any easier. And when sleep finally did come, it did not last long.

“It was around three o’clock in the morning and I couldn’t fall asleep. We were in the hospital with my family, I was in a room with my grandma and I wasn’t asleep for five minutes when the doctor came in and told me, ‘He’s gone. That’s enough, we can’t put him through anymore.’”

Dhume passed away in the early-morning hours of Jan. 22, 2011, just four

months after his 17th birthday. The community helped soothe the devastation of the days and weeks that followed by turning out in mass for the memorial services and with emotional support for the family.

“The whole town came together after that, but especially the team,” Bronson said. “He died, and thousands of people showed up at his wake. It brought people together because it’s not something that’s supposed to happen.”

All of a sudden, 13-year-old Bronson was without his mentor, friend and older brother, who would talk soccer with him on car rides from games, play soccer with him whenever the two could, and would also take him fishing when it was time to get away from the pitch. “I had to cope with not playing with him and just not having him around,” Bronson said. “He was my brother, but he was also my friend. We’d go fishing, we’d do everything together.

“We had to cope with, not so much replacing him, but there’s got to be that somebody. I have a brother-in-law now and he spends a lot of time with me. He fishes with me, he loves soccer, so I h a v e somebody to play with and t h a t ’s helped. It’s still hard and it’s not the same but you just have to try to live with it.”

HONORING CHRIS

A year-and-a-half after losing his older brother, Bronson set out to honor his memory by beginning his high school career. Although Matawan struggled through a 4-14 season during his freshman season, Bronson made a mark as a rookie with four goals and five assists. A year later, he scored three goals as a starting outside midfielder for a much-improved Huskies team that qualified for both the Shore Conference and NJSIAA Tournaments. As a young spectator watching his older brother,

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S e e Keeper p a g e 1 4

Keeper

Continued from page 13

Bronson Dhume hoped that one day he could perform like his brother did while playing for a team that accomplished things that Chris’s teams never could. Matawan did manage to qualify for the NJSIAA Tournament during Chris’s career, but spent most of the time as a middling program that struggled to stay above a .500 winning percentage. That did not, however, deter Dhume from working to help lead his team to those elusive wins.

“He was always quiet, but I was his brother, so I always knew what he’d expect,” Bronson said. “Deegan would always say, ‘You never heard him talk on the field but everybody on the field heard him.’ He got his word around when he needed to.” Over the last two seasons, Matawan has enjoyed as much success over a two-year stretch as any Huskies team in recent memory and Bronson Dhume has gone from young contributor to undisputed leader. Last year, Bronson scored five goals and had five assists while playing center midfielder as a junior for Matawan’s first division championship team in program history, as he helped lead the Huskies to the Shore Conference Class A Central regular-season championship.

This year, the Huskies are again battling for a spot in the postseason while fighting to stay in the race for the Class A Central title as they chase front-runner RumsonFair Haven. Dhume has already tallied a career-high six goals and a run at his brother’s single-season record, which is now seven goals away with six regular-season games left, plus the postseason, is within his sights.

“It doesn’t make me feel any pressure because I know how he would want me to play,” Bronson said. “Of course I have to live up to what he did and with that comes some expectations, but not too much pressure. Just playing my game for him is enough, I know that.” While joining his brother in the Matawan record books and leading his team to postseason glory would be a fitting

way to end his career and honor his brother’s memory, Bronson has been more concerned with remembering him in the way he plays the game and carries himself on the field and off. In addition to wearing the captain’s sleeve on the field, Dhume also wears a bracelet with his brother’s name at all times except for when he is on the field, when players are prohibited from wearing any kind of jewelry.

“Every day, I think about him,” Bronson said. “I go on the field, and I remember him. There are memories at Matawan and memories

everywhere. I wear this bracelet all the time and I hold it, say a prayer before every game, put it in my back pocket and put it right back on after the game. Everything is for him.”

With or without the bracelet, the records or the championships, Bronson has always been able to pay homage to Chris with the No. 21 on his back and he will be the last one to honor his brother in that way. After this season, per the request of Deegan – who has since stepped down as the head coach of

the program and given way to assistant Tyler Isaacson – the No. 21 will be retired by the Huskies soccer program and donated to the Dhume Family.

“That’s definitely a special thing to me,” Bronson said. “Other people could play with it, but I like that he wanted to retire the number, and I'm sure my family loves that, too. I would like it to stay with our family.” Just like Bronson’s birthdays, every game he takes the field is a reminder both of what the Dhume family has lost and also what they still have. With his accomplished high school career coming to an end, Bronson Dhume has been a positive affirmation of both.

FOR INFORMATION ON HI-RES COLOR PRINTS OF ANY PAGES & IMAGES IN ANY OF OUR PUBLICATIONS CONTACT: S t e v e n M e y e r 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

steve.meyer@townsquarmedia.com VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-18 / 10/6/15

RYPT Launches Nationwide

#chinups4cures Campaign t might be the slowest time of year for sports performance facilities across the area, but the coaches at Reach Your Potential Training (RYPT) are staying busy with their latest project, one that will do more than simply get you bigger, faster and stronger for the next competitive season. But this time, it involves your wallet and a chin-up bar.

“Last year we launched our pink GET RYPT t-shirts for all of our local athletes and parents to purchase. 100% of the proceeds went to Mary’s Place By The Sea (Ocean Grove); a home built to help women cope with the stress of cancer. When we started talking with the staff, we knew we could’ve done more. We knew that gym owners like us could make a bigger impact if we did it the right way, we just didn’t know how yet” said Bobby Smith, owner and founder of RYPT.

Smith and his Director of Sports Performance, Adam Feit, began brainstorming ideas for next year right away. They were looking for a way to generate as much awareness and donations as possible through the power of health and fitness. And then came the tipping point.

“Unfortunately, some close friends of mine in the field of coaching were diagnosed very recently this past year with various types of cancer. I remembered how successful the ice bucket challenge was for ALS awareness so I thought, why couldn’t we do something like that? Chris Kennedy helped launch a campaign that raised over 100 million dollars by dumping buckets of ice water on people. Why not use the power of health and fitness to aid in the awareness and fight against cancer? Hence, #chinups4cures was born.” said Adam Feit. He credits the two coaches he has had the honor of learning and

working with over the years, Krista Schaus (Precision Nutrition) and Megan Young (University of Auburn) for being the unfortunate catalyst for this movement.

“Trending social media tags such as #pullingforkrista and #meguhstrong started appearing. We thought “How can we take their message and ensure EVERYONE sees it? How can we tap into the field of training, coaching and nutrition and make a difference?”

The more they talked, the more they realized other individuals close to them were fighting the same battles. These include coaches such as Brendon Rearick of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, Jerry Martin, formerly of University of Connecticut and Luke Bradley, an 11-year old boy that Adam’s college football team at Springfield College (MA) has adopted, fighting through his second bout of leukemia. “Almost every single one of us got into the field of coaching because we had that one coach who believed in us. That one person who took the time to truly make us better and help us reach our potential. We owe this campaign to those coaches that shaped our path allowing us to continue making a difference in the lives of kids today” said Bobby Smith.

1 2 3 4

So what can you do? Just follow these four easy steps:

. Grab your camera and take a video of yourself or your group performing 4 chin-ups.

. Challenge at least 3 people or groups to rise to the bar and accept the challenge. . Add the hashtag #chinups4cures to your post and share on your choice of social media, whether that be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Youtube. . Head to www.chinups4cures.com and make a donation to any of our local recommended charities and colleagues or an organization of your choice.

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Because as Coach Jeff Oliver from the College of the Holy Cross reminds us…

People will forget what you've said... People will forget what you’ve done... But they will never forget how you made them feel!

So please stand up, grab a hold of a bar and let’s challenge each other’s strength and generosity towards the fight against cancer!

Head to www.chinups4cures.com for more information on how you can help. Sincerely,

Bobby Smith and Adam Feit RYPT, Inc.

Victory Road Series Aimed at Student-Athletes

By Kevin Williams – Shore Sports Network Director

tudent-athletes and their families often make significant investments into the physical part of improving a young man or woman’s performance. Whether it's speed or weight training, specialized instruction, or even the use of video tools, everyone is looking for that edge. However, what often separates athletes in a very crowded field is not just their physical attributes but their ability to be leaders on and off the field.

The Victory Road High Performance Leadership Speaker Series is designed to help today’s young athletes become leaders and help them achieve success not just in sports but in life. Following a well-received program in June the founders will be launching a series of four unique platforms that bring together three driving forces of innovation to one single stage: Leadership Development, Overcoming Adversity and Performance. The series will

bring together an extraordinary community of passionate and highly motivated young men and women from schools across the region where they will hear from some fascinating leaders, world-changing thinkers and those that push the limits. This will all take places at the Collins Arena on the campus of Brookdale Community College in a setting that is designed to inspire, motivate, educate and challenge those who attend.

The 2015-16 speaker series takes on the theme “Breaking Boundaries Beyond Expectations” and highlights the compelling stories of some of the most influential and

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dynamic leaders and innovators. These men and women will share their personal experiences and help the future leaders of tomorrow to attain the goals they set for themselves.

The first program is set for Wednesday, October 28th (10-11:30am) and will feature Eric Kapitulk, Founder and CEO of “The Program” and a former United States Marine Corps Operations Officer. Eric has spoken to high schools and colleges all across the country and his topic “Leadership and Overcoming Adversity” is one that will resonate with student-athletes. The series

also has programs scheduled on December 16, 2015, March 1, 2016 and May 17, 2016.

The idea behind the series is for schools and teams to send some of their top leaders to attend the program with the hopes they will bring back much of what they learn to share with teammates. However individuals can also attend on their own or in small groups if they wish. There are still openings for those who want to sign up and information is available at myvictoryroad.com. You can also call (732) 927-1581.

ERIC KAPITULIK

FOUNDER & CEO OF 'THE PROGRAM' & USMC SPECIAL OPERATIONS OFFICER

DR. NATALIE STAVAS

BOSTONIAN OF THE YEAR BY THE BOSTON GLOBE

TREVOR MOAWAD

SPORT'S MOST RECOGNIZED MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

CAPTAIN TOM CHABY

COMMANDING OFFICER SEAL TEAM FIVE

Running Game and Defense Lead St. John Vianney Past Rumson

By Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

ny questions regarding how St. John Vianney would respond if its passing game was taken away were answered on a stormy night on Oct. 2nd.

The Lancers, ranked No. 4 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, proved they are an all-weather team by defeating fifth-ranked Rumson-Fair Haven 13-6 in a crucial Shore Conference Class A Central game on a miserable night of wind and rain on St. John Vianney’s artificial turf.

Senior quarterback Anthony Brown threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Marcque Ellington and junior linebacker Tyler Tedeschi made a great special teams play to set up Calvin Beaty’s go-ahead touchdown run in the second half as the Lancers (4-0, 3-0) took a major step toward the division title.

“Everybody told us we only have a passing game and can only throw the ball,” Brown said. “Nobody pays attention to our (offensive) line and everybody else.”

“We were kind of surprised with a lot of the predictions saying the weather would play to Rumson’s behalf,” said St. John Vianney head coach Derek Sininsky. “If we didn’t have Anthony at quarterback we could really run the ball

and be very effective, but we have a quarterback and many receivers so our running game gets hidden a little.”

With a dynamic offense led by Brown, a Boston College recruit who led the Shore Conference in passing yards last season and also ran for over 800 yards, St. John Vianney appeared it would get the worst of the weather conditions Friday night. With the wind and rain making it difficult to throw the ball, it looked like that would be an advantage for Rumson, which employs a run-heavy offense. Instead it was St. John Vianney using a power running game and a tenacious defense to come away with an important victory.

“We prepared for it in practice, staying outside in the rain and trying to throw the ball,” Brown said. “But today it was different. The wind was blowing a lot harder and it was raining harder. Today we knew we had to have a big push up front and run the ball.”

The Lancers did exactly that, moving the ball on the ground with junior running back Chris Chukwuneke and Brown leading the charge.

“We are very confident in our offensive line and our running game,” Sininsky said.

Even with all the wind and rain making for terrible playing conditions, it didn’t stop St. John Vianney from

making one huge play in the passing game. That came in the second quarter when Brown, with the wind at his back, dropped in a perfect pass to a streaking Ellington for a 75yard touchdown that tied the game 6-6. Exactly that type of play seemed impossible to complete Friday night, but somehow Brown made it happen.

“I didn’t know how hard the wind was going to be blowing at the time, and as soon as I dropped back I felt the wind pushing a little so I tried to not put so much on it,” Brown said. “The wind kind of carried it through the air and it landed in his hands.”

“We had the wind at our back and we were just hoping Anthony didn’t overthrow it,” Sininsky said. “Marcque had one-on-one coverage on the back side and it was a great throw and a great catch.” The big play was just the elixir St. John Vianney needed after Rumson had taken a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter.

“It was a very big lift,” Tedeschi said. “We all went crazy and it picked up our spirits going into the half. We came out ready to punch them in the mouth and take the lead.”

The Lancers did in fact take the lead in the third quarter after Tedeschi tackled Rumson punter Tom Chapin to set up Beaty’s touchdown. Rumson was punting from its own 45-yard line and the snap back to Chapin bounced to him

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on one hop. He bobbled the wet ball slightly, but that was enough time for Tedeschi to whip around the edge and drop him for a big loss and a turnover on downs.

St. John Vianney took over on the Rumson 27 and used the short field to take the lead for good on Beaty’s 3-yard touchdown plunge. Joe Rice kicked the extra point for the seven-point lead.

“I came off the edge and when I saw him bobble it I knew I didn’t have to go for the block, I could just tackle him,” Tedeschi said.

“In this game we felt it wasn’t going to be possible to punt and they would most likely go for it on fourth down because of the weather conditions,” Tedeschi added. “We weren’t really expecting it but we said why not go for (the block). Even if we miss it we get good field position.”

St. John Vianney’s defense also showed its ability to go toe-to-toe with a potent rushing attack. Aside from a few long runs by Rumson quarterback Mike O’Connor, the Bulldogs couldn’t get much going outside of their first-quarter scoring drive. The Lancers also came up with a few fourth down stops, including a goal line stand in the second half after Rumson had first-andgoal at the 5-yard line. Rumson entered the game having recorded

two straight shutouts to start the season and looked to have an advantage in the bad weather because of their running game and physical defense. St. John Vianney proved that beyond the glitz and glamour of its aerial attack is a hard-nosed team that can win in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

“They are a great football team, you can’t take that away from them,” Brown said of Rumson. “They are a great program with great tradition, but today I feel we kind of took their role in the game.”

On a perfect weather day maybe things play out differently. Maybe St. John Vianney’s offense unleashes all its weapons and lights up the scoreboard. Perhaps that’s the case, but getting past their biggest obstacle to a division title in less than ideal conditions showed the Lancers something about their resolve. “Today we bonded,” Brown said. “We found out who we really are.”

by:

Bob Badders

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

very week this season, Shore Conference football fans will get their chance to vote for the SSN Football Player of the Week on our website, with nearly 55,000 votes already cast in the first three weeks. Three players so far have earned the honor of SSNs Shore Conference Player of the Week after brilliant performances.

Week-0

Justin Kirkpatrick

Week-1

Week-2

9/19/15

9/4/15

Pinelands Jr. RB

9/11/15

Jackson Mem., Jr. RB

Mike Gawlik

Freehold sophomore running back

Ashante Worthy

The Week Three recipient is Freehold sophomore Ashante Worthy, who ran for 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 26-20 victory over Middletown North that moved the Colonials to 2-1. Worthy ran for scores of 28 and 19 yards in the first quarter to help Freehold jump out to an 18-0 lead at halftime and a 26-0 lead in the third quarter. Worthy is averaging 8.4 yards per carry this season with 518 yards on 62 carries with 5 touchdowns, averaging 173 yards per game.

Photo by: Melba Losiewicz/ASAP Photography www.asapphotography.net

The Freehold fans made a late push to bring Worthy from the back of the pack to edge Jackson Memorial junior quarterback Dan Barker with 32.25 percent of the vote. Barker tossed four touchdown passes in a 42-0 win over Southern.

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Fri Oct. 9

Jackson Memorial at

T.R. North

(7pm)

Fri Oct. 23

Middletown South at

Brick Memorial

(7pm)

Fri Oct. 16

T.R. North

T.R. East

(7pm)

Fri Oct. 30

Shore

Point Beach

(7pm)

Fri Nov. 6

Jackson Memorial at

Red Bank Cath.

(7pm)

Thr Nov. 26

Manasquan

Wall

(11am)

NJSIAA Playoffs

TBD

Schedule is subject to change All games to be broadcast on News Talk Radio and streamed live at www.shoresportsnetwork.com

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

/ VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-18 / 10/6/15