All Shore Media High School Sports 11-19-12 Issue - 19 - Volume IV

November 19, 2012 Volume-IV Issue-19 Army Team

8 for Brick

Get RYPT:

Reason 12-13 AtoShore be Thankful

3 of the Week

4 Building Power Blueclaws Baseball 6 Launches New Academy

Kicker with Autism Stars

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Relief Effort

Jackson Liberty

1 7 Football Shines RFH Soccer: The Long 1 8 Journey Home

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Stumpy’s Corner

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

November 19 , 2012 Vo l u m e - I V I I s s u e - 1 9

"Is this going to be on All Shore Media?"

All Shore Media 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.

All Shore Media Web Site 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.allshoremedia.com is the most visited sports site in the shore conference during the scholastic year

n Follow us on Twitter (over 4,100 followers) and Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

StevenMeyer Director/CEO/Marketing sm ey er @a l ls ho re me d i a. c om 732-233-4460

ScottStump Director/Managing Editor stump@allshoremedia.com

Senior C ontent Providers Ma tt M an le y / / M ma nl ey 21 @g ma i l. c o m

All Shore Media is published by: All Shore Media, LLC 26 Oxford Drive Wayside NJ, 07712 Copyright 2012 All Shore Media LLC All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of All Shore Media is prohibited

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New For This Season In conjunction with All Shore Media, The U.S. Army will honor one team a week that showed the character, perseverance and hard work emblematic of The U.S. Army during its performance that weekend. An Army Game Ball will be presented to that team during practice that week in honor of a great showing .

Week-9 Manasquan

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Rumson

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Week-1 Rumson Week-2 Marlboro Week-3 Toms River North Week-4 Manalapan Week-5 Brick Memorial Week-6 Red Bank Regional Week-7 Brick Township Week-8 Red Bank Catholic

C o a c h J a y P r i c e a n d h i s M a n a s q u a n Wa r r i o r s w e r e h o n o r e d b y S g t . H i l l o f t h e U . S . A r m y a s t h e A r m y S t r o n g Te a m o f t h e We e k f o r We e k N i n e .

The U.S. Army Strong Team of the Week for Week Nine is Manasquan, which rallied from a ninepoint fourth-quarter deficit to stun previously unbeaten Rumson-Fair Haven 14-9 to qualify for the Central Jersey Group III playoffs at the cutoff and give a lift to an area battered by Hurricane Sandy.

Coach Jay Price's Warriors (4-4) trailed 9-0 early in the fourth quarter before cutting it to 9-7 on a 4-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Joe

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

Murphy, who finished with 100 yards rushing. Senior safety Chris Miller then forced a fumble with a sack and recovered it at Rumson's 20yard line to help set up Murphy's game-winning 1-yard touchdown run with 2:26 left in the game.

Rumson then drove down to Manasquan's 14-yard line in the final seconds before junior Joe Fittin made a leaping interception in the end zone with 2.2 seconds remaining to seal the win. Seventh-seeded Manasquan will now travel to second-seeded Nottingham in the first round of the state playoffs this week.

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

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Speed, Agility & Conditioning: Move it or Lose it!

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11/19/12

By Adam Feit - Director of Sports Performance (RYPT) Part 4 of 6 competitions. Why spend additional time on speed work when it’s being performed daily or sprints are done at the end of practice?

reviously, we covered the reasoning and strategies behind in-season strength training and athletic performance. We know that stable and strong athletes can produce force faster and stay injury free longer when participating in sport.

However, if athletes can’t move because they are too stiff, slow or our out of shape, what good is strength training if can’t be applied in a fast, continuously moving environment? While inseason strength training should be a primary component of a coach’s playbook, movement training should not be sacrificed to accommodate just big numbers in the weight room. Quality programs take inseason sport demands under consideration and incorporate proper drills and progressions to make sure athletes stay fast, move well and finish first.

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Speed Training During the In-season

Traditionally, most speed training is dropped during a competitive season for obvious reasons; athletes’ practice up to 2-3 hours a day and many practice periods include full-speed drills and

While this is generally a safe assumption, not all athletes go full-speed, unless it’s game-day. Proper speed training requires maximal rest, 100% effort and attention to detail. Most sport coaches want to fit in as many reps in as possible before practice ends, so QUALITY speed work is compromised due to fatigue and lack of technique.

Solution: Perform both short burst and longer

buildup acceleration drills at the beginning of practice when athletes are fresh.

Building exercises into a practice or at the beginning of a training session such as partner chases and 2pt/3pt bursts with adequate rest can maintain the speed qualities trained during the offseason. Remember that athletes who play a significant amount of time need less work and those who do not play as much should benefit more from training due to their lack of activity throughout the season.

Agility Training During the In-season

Agility, or change of direction training, is another important concept that tends to be forgotten about during the season. Sport activity

itself is agility training; it’s changing directions and speeds effectively in programmed or reactive environments. Athletes must stop, start, slow down, speed up, cut, shift, plant, pivot and turn all in the drop of a dime. With rapid reps and lack of time, agility training tends to involve sport activity.

Solution: Build in low-impact agility drills

within the training session or throughout practice to reinforce solid movement mechanics such as: n Pushing off the outside leg n Keeping an athletic base n Maintaining a low center of gravity

Examples of drills that reinforce these mechanics include various cone drills, partner reactive chases, fetch and retrieve, mirroring and obstacle courses. These drills should not be priority but adding variety throughout the season can keep athletes engaged and excited.

Conditioning During the In-season

After weeks of shuttle runs and laps around the track during pre-season, the last thing any athlete wants to do is “condition”. From a coach’s point of view, the last thing he/she wants is a team that loses in the final minutes because of their lack of “wind”. But running into the ground can do more harm than good, especially as teams get closer to post-season play.

Solution: Be progressive with a conditioning

plan. Coaches should have a plan in place and modify when needed. Athletes should keep the highest tempo possible during practice and practices should mimic game conditions often throughout the year. The best way to get in shape is to stay in shape. Mini-games, scenarios and situations executed at game speed intervals and rest periods should be part of the weekly practice plan for maximum game-time performance.

It’s also important to note that athletes who do not participate a lot during practice or competition tend to lose their “wind” quicker than those who play more. These athletes should spend extra time before/after practice conditioning in order to stay in shape. Non-impact conditioning methods such as bikes, rowers, ellipticals, sled pulling/pushing and medicine ball/bodyweight circuits are all safe methods to keep the lungs and heart working without added joint stress.

In summary, game day performance is a collection of training and coaching methods properly pieced together. Athletes need to be strong and powerful while having the ability to move. Remember, athletes do not participate in their sport with dumbbells in their hands or barbells on their back. They have their bodyweight and they must execute movement to the best of their ability to be successful. Check out the next issue to learn about the often overlooked and underappreciated topic of sports nutrition.

Photos by:

David Thorne

www.davethorne.smugmug.com

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BlueClaws Baseball Academy Coming This Winter

11/19/12

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By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

aseball players looking to hone their game in the offseason have a new outlet in the BlueClaws Baseball Academy .

The newly-created academy will be holding a series of clinics and camps this winter for local players between the ages of 8 and 18 at FirstEnergy Park, the home of the Lakewood BlueClaws, the Philadelphia Phillies’ low Class A affiliate. The executive director of the academy is Joe Agnello, who spent four months in China last year working at a Major League Baseball Development Center and previously was an assistant at Temple.

The clinics will be held weekly starting in December, and they will be broken down by age group and kept to small number of players to allow each player to receive individual attention. There will be different clinics for infield, pitching, hitting and catching. There also will be a college camp series that will be run by college coaches. The full clinic schedule can be found at BlueClaws.com/Academy.

Registration for any clinic can be made by calling Agnello at 732-9017000 ext 209 or online at BlueClaws.com. Each clinic is $45 per individual session or just $149 for those that book spots in all five weeks.

Agnello can be reached on the phone or by email (jagnello@blueclaws.com) with any questions. All events will take place in the batting cages at FirstEnergy Park. These batting cages are available for rent or for private lessons.

PRACTICE WHERE THE PROS PLAY

College Hitting/Pitching Camp: These camps, on weekends in December and January, will be run by coaches from area colleges.

Infield Camp: This five week program will run on Mondays from January 28th through February 25th and is designed to teach players the essential techniques of being an infielder.

Catching Camp: This five week camp runs on Wednesdays from January 30th through February 27th and is designed to teach players the importance and techniques of catching.

Pitching Camp: This five week progressive program runs on Tuesdays from January 22nd through February 19th and is designed to teach players proper throwing mechanics and other elements of pitching.

Preseason Hitting Camp: This six week camp runs on Saturdays from January 26th through February 28th and is designed to teach all of the aspects of hitting.

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A ‘Star’ is Born: Kicker With Autism Shines for Brick

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By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

s the ball rocketed through the uprights and the incredible story of Brick’s kicker with autism came to vivid life, those closest to him wondered if Anthony Starego fully grasped the enormity of what he had just done.

With a story this hard to believe, it’s not surprising that Starego himself turned out to be the one who remembered it more clearly than anyone.

On his first varsity field goal attempt, Starego nailed a 22yarder with 21 seconds left in regulation to give the Green Dragons a stunning 24-21 victory on Oct. 19 over a Toms River North team that was ranked No. 4 in the All Shore Media Top 10 at the time. In the split-second before the home stands erupted, the people who knew everything Anthony had been through to reach that moment short-circuited from the stress and emotion.

“It’s hard to stay in the moment when your autistic kid, who wasn’t even a starter two weeks ago, now has the chance to kick a game-winner against a top-four team in the Shore out of nowhere,’’ said Ray Starego, Anthony’s father. “I saw him kick it, I saw the officials put their arms up and as soon as they did that, I was a blubbering idiot. I basically blacked out for probably a minute or minute-and-a-half. I couldn’t control myself. I was crying, I was sobbing.”

“I never even saw the kick until I saw it on video because I just walked away,’’ said Brick kicking coach Kurt Weiboldt, who has worked with Anthony for four years. “It was just too much. I was so nervous because if he makes it, it’s what he is

today. If he misses it, what does it do to his ego? You don’t know.’’

With the seconds trickling down in a tie game and Weiboldt telling Anthony to get the kicking net to warm up, Anthony’s rigid adherence to routine insulated him against the mounting pressure. The inclination to repeat things that causes limitations in other areas of Anthony’s life has become an asset to him as a kicker, which is all about repeating the same routine to ensure success.

He jogged on the field, paced off his usual steps just like he was in practice and calmly drilled the biggest kick of his life as tears began to streak down the faces of the Brick

supporters.

“I wasn’t nervous,’’ Anthony said. “I felt confident and happy. I was enjoying myself.’’

“He was just happy he helped the team win,’’ said his mother, Reylene. “That was his big thing.’’

In a video shot by a Brick student that was posted on YouTube, it’s clear that Anthony knew what he just accomplished. He can be seen sprinting down the sideline in jubilation after his game-winning kick. Anthony once yelled at his teammates and coaches, “Don’t touch me!’’ on his first day of Pop Warner because his condition made him acutely sensitive to the slightest contact. Now he was giving a teammate a mid-air chest bump.

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“I went in and kicked the winning field goal, then I ran all the way down the sideline,’’ Anthony said. “It was nuts.’’

“He is such a great kid who works so hard,’’ said Brick senior linebacker/running back Doug Cuccinello. “We earned this hard-fought win when people doubted us, and Anthony earned this opportunity.”

In Anthony’s mind, he simply was having his own Jeremy Ito moment.

The Staregos are Rutgers seasonticket holders and Anthony is a popular fixture in section 112 at Rutgers Stadium. Anthony and his father were in attendance the night in 2006 when Ito hit a 28-yard field goal as time expired to help the Scarlet Knights shock previously unbeaten Louisville 2825 and touch off a wild scene in Piscataway. Anthony, who was in seventh grade at the time, watched the highlight over and over in the following weeks, telling his father he wanted to be a kicker. Ray signed him up for the local Pop Warner team, beginning a six-year journey that climaxed against Toms River North when Anthony touched off the Brick version of that Rutgers celebration six years ago.

“I remember all those days we practiced together, those thousands of balls that he kicked, when I would say to him, ‘Three seconds left on the clock, Anthony Starego lines up for the winning field goal….and it’s good!’’ Ray said.

“I kept thinking, ‘Does he know what’s going on?’’’ said Brick head coach Rob Dahl. “I can’t even explain it in words. He made the kick and he thought the game was over, like it was a walk-off field goal. He was ready to run into the locker room.’’

The average kicker attempting a field goal of that magnitude in his first varsity attempt would be overwhelmed by the pressure, but Anthony’s condition became a weapon instead of a limitation.

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“After the game, we probably thought he was the best one out there in that situation because he just thinks it’s practice,’’ Weiboldt said. “There’s a holder, there’s a snapper, and he kicks the ball just like he does 50 times a day with me.’’

The kick was anything but ordinary, as his story is now receiving national attention. The video of Anthony’s field goal has been viewed more than 27,000 times, and he and his parents appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show on Oct. 24. ESPN has filmed a segment on Anthony that will air on College GameDay on the morning of Nov. 24.

Two weeks before his game-winning field goal, he wasn’t even the starting kicker.

Six Years in the Making

Ray and Reylene Starego adopted Anthony in 1997, when he was a 3-year-old orphan that Ray said was considered “unadoptable.’’ He had bounced around to 11 different foster homes and had an asthmatic condition and kidney reflux disease.

He also had a tactile issue that made him hyper-sensitive to being touched or held, and he was largely non-verbal.

The diagnosis of autism was made official in 2005. The family had moved from Easton, Pa., to Brick to help get him the proper help he needed to develop, and in 2007 he signed up for Pop Warner after being inspired by Ito’s game-winning field goal.

“When he started, he couldn’t reach the goal line from the 10yard line,’’ his father said.

His father sent him to work with another former Rutgers kicker, Lee McDonald, who is the owner of Special Teams Solutions, which trains kickers, punters and long-snappers.

“Lee had to simplify his teaching methods because it’s very easy to overwhelm Anthony, but it started to come together,’’ Ray said.

Coming into this season, Ray thought his son had a legitimate shot to secure the starting kicker spot. At 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, Anthony had plenty of strength in his left leg, so it was more a case of improving his accuracy.

“At the beginning of the year I was very disappointed because he clearly didn’t earn the job,’’ Ray said. “He wasn’t better than the other two kids.’’

He kept working hard, and his opportunity arrived on Oct. 11, one day before the Green Dragons were to square off against Toms River East. Weiboldt, who starred as a kicker at Brick in the late 1980s, was unhappy with the performance of the other

kickers, while the team as a whole was trying to avoid the first 0-6 start in the 55-year history of the program.

Weiboldt held an open competition in the walkthrough practice that Thursday, and Anthony won the job over a kicker who was an AllDivision selection last year and another one who is a converted soccer player. Anthony was hitting field goals from 45 yards away in practice, making Weiboldt jokingly nervous that his school-record 46-yard field goal from the 1980s might be in jeopardy.

“The other kickers were missing and I said, ‘Anthony get in,’ and he hit eight in a row,’’ Weiboldt said. “I said to coach Dahl, ‘I’m going to let him kick tomorrow. We’ve got nothing to lose. Let the kid play. He’s a senior, and he’s the best kicker.’’’

“I watched him in pregame in the games leading up to Toms River East, and he was just banging the crap out of the ball,’’ his father said. “Somehow he had just gotten much better in that short time.’’

In his first varsity start, Anthony earned the game ball from Dahl. He went 4-for-4 on extra points, which proved to be huge in a 28-27 win over the Raiders. After his game-winning kick against Toms River North, Anthony nearly pulled it off again a week later when his 33-yard field goal had Brick up 3-0 the whole game against undefeated Lacey before the Lions scored on the final play of regulation for a 6-3 victory.

“He not only does the kicking but he participates in a lot of the fundamental drills with the wide receivers and the defensive backs, so he has earned the respect of his teammates,’’ Dahl said.

“That moment was incredible (against Toms River East), and then it got even better a week later.’’

The respect for Anthony carries off the field. If anyone messes with him in the hallways at school, there is a line of teammates behind him ready to have his back.

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“Everybody has been happy for me,’’ Anthony said. “The whole team and the coaches are happy, and coach Weiboldt and coach Dahl gave me a hug because they are the best coaches ever.’’

“The whole atmosphere of our practices and everything else is different now because of him,’’ Weiboldt said. “The other kids love him, so to see him do that has lifted the whole team.’’

As the tension mounted on Friday night with Brick leading 21-14, Ray Starego jokingly confided to his wife that he wouldn’t mind if Toms River North scored and the game came down to a field goal attempt by Anthony.

“She says, ‘Be careful what you wish for,’’’ he said.

The six years that father and son spent working together alone on empty practice fields seemingly went by in an instant as Anthony’s kick hurtled toward its destination.

“Nobody works harder than him,’’ Ray said while becoming emotional.

“I pushed him probably sometimes more than maybe his level would allow. Knowing what he’s meant to the team and the parents, that all just came crushing down at that moment in time.’’

Only days later, the television trucks were pulling into the Brick parking lot, the reporters were calling and Ray’s cell phone was buzzing with a TODAY Show producer on the line.

“This has come just out of nowhere, all of a sudden,’’ Ray said.

“It’s an act of God.” The boy who once hated to be touched is now an 18-year-old who will give you a firm hand shake and a smile after you are done interviewing him. He blames the siege of reporters on his dad, telling him, “This is all your fault,’’ but unfailingly breaks out in a grin when it’s time to relive his magical moment.

“I still remember everything,’’ Anthony said. “I will never forget it.’’

Photos courtesy of ESPN

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By Art Gordon – All Shore Media Contributor

igh school football players are used to hearing how players and teams overcome adversity through teamwork and great individual effort.

Words like “loyalty” and “heroism” are constantly used in speeches before or after games.

Towns rally together to cheer players during rides on fire trucks with sirens blasting after state championship victories. These have been great memories for many Shore Conference football players, but now those words and sirens have been given a much different meaning by Hurricane Sandy.

Many Shore Conference players have seen homes they have spent their entire lives in washed away. For some, the only remains are piles of sand and debris reaching to the sky in front of their homes from what was once their memories. As they look down the street, they see those some piles in front of their neighbors’ homes for blocks.

The communities that have always applauded and followed their accomplishments are now working side by side with them as they take on the young adult roles they had been taught would happen in their lives, just not so soon.

Players like Manasquan’s Connor Grogan, Point Beach’s Tommy D’Amore and Quinn Kusma and Point Boro’s

Pt. Boro's Chris Oliphant

Chris Oliphant have seen their homes and belongings washed away as they tried in vain to save them. Some have returned to their homes after being evacuated only to be told that they must knock down the walls that protected them all their lives, or they have returned to find nothing remaining except the memories that are bringing tears to their eyes.

Each of these players has his own story. What they have in common is how they stood up and helped their families and neighbors in the face of hardship rarely faced by teenagers. The way they handled themselves was not for a newspaper headline or a story, but because it’s what they had been raised to do by their role models: parents, families, teachers and coaches.

Finally, at 7 a.m. Saturday, the six Grogans were allowed to enter the beachfront to see what was left of their home. It was very emotional for the children to see the remainder of the home they had spent their entire lives growing up in.

Manasquan's Joe Murphy

They might have stood in waist-high water trying to save some valuable memories, or shoveled sand for hour after hour for people they did not know and might never see again.

“This is what we should be doing,’’ D’Amore said.

“We just have to move on and overcome obstacles,’’ Kusma said.

friends in Manasquan. (His older brother is a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island).

Every day, Grogan’s father would walk to the bridge and try to convince the policeman on duty to allow him to survey the damage, to no avail.

Grogan, a senior wide receiver at Manasquan, evacuated his home on Fourth Avenue on the day of the storm. His family was not allowed back by authorities until five days later.

During that time, Grogan, his parents and three younger sisters stayed with

Grogan had to hold back his emotions as they looked at the destruction that almost four feet of water did to the entire first floor of his home. If not for early precautions in moving as much of their belongings to the second and third floors as they could, their loss would have been much larger.

For the next two days, Grogan and his family, friends and teammates took their anger and frustration out on the soggy remains of sheet rock and ruined remains of carpet in the house. On Thursday, the team had a meeting and reminded each other of their commitment to Big Blue football with a huge game looming against Long Branch's Deon Williams undefeated Rumson-Fair

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ASM / 13 be on the field when different things happen, and we carried that over when we knew where we should be off the field without having to be told.’’

Haven that the Warriors ended up winning in thrilling comeback fashion. Outside of the few hours of practice, Grogan has done his best to assist those in need in the town.

“I have been around Manasquan football all my life so I know how special it is,’’ Grogan said. “I feel the community is looking at Saturday’s game as the start to our recovery. I feel that this is similar to the New Orleans Saints and what happened with Katrina and how the whole community is going to rebound and rally around us.

Hopefully with the same results.’’

A little further south in Point Pleasant Beach, D’Amore, a junior lineman, and Kusma, a senior lineman, are part of an unbeaten Garnet Gulls team in the midst of a dream season they hope ends with the program’s first state championship.

riding out the storm

Those dreams were rudely interrupted during the week of the storm. D’Amore was displaced after his family’s original plan of

was scrapped when the water reached their homes before Sandy had even started in full. He was fortunate that he was able to relocate with some family and then friends, and as fate would have it, one of head coach John Wagner’s former students at Roselle Park had a home in Point Beach for the family to rent.

Kusma lives in Lavallette, and his family also had hoped to ride out the storm but had to change plans. They have had to relocate multiple times in the past week. They spent one day sleeping in his mother’s office, another day with

family in Spring Lake Heights, and then when Monmouth University’s Hall of Fame banquet was cancelled, they were able to use those hotel rooms reserved for the honorees. They are also now renting a home in Point Beach.

“This is one of the great things about this town is that everyone has gone out of their way to help everyone,’’ Wagner said.

Help has been coming from everywhere, including neighboring towns. Kusma and D’Amore told a story about a Brick Memorial wrestler who just showed up at the beach one day and spent hours working along with them.

Kusma and D’Amore compared their tenure at Point Beach to the adversity the town is facing now. They arrived at a program that was perennially near the bottom of the standings and had not won a playoff game since 1982. They continued to work hard and move forward, facing the challenge head-on until they ended the playoff victory drought last season.

Now they are enjoying their dream season, becoming the first Point Beach team to ever start 9-0 and setting the school singlePt. Beach's Danny Tighe season record for wins.

D’Amore and his teammates spent two days tearing down sheet rock, pulling up carpet and throwing away wet and soggy personal items accumulated in a lifetime of living in the Beach. Kusma has not returned to his home yet, but has been told by some of the workers that his home has not suffered any structural damage. He will also need his teammates’ assistance in the removal process.

Their stories are a little different, but their resolve and determination are similar. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on a day off from football six days after the storm, they were working side by side with their teammates as they went house to house, block by block, helping the same community that cheers them every Friday Night at Donald T. Fioretti Field.

“It feels awesome being with teammates helping all over town,’’ D’Amore said.

“We are a family,’’ Kusma said. “Anyone who has ever played a team sport knows that your teammates are your family away from home during the season. We have been taught where to

They honestly believe that Hurricane Sandy is just another opponent on their schedule that they have not defeated yet. Their Cinderella success story will not only be on the field, but also will carry over in their community no matter how far it extends.

In the town next door, Oliphant, Point Boro’s senior quarterback, knows exactly the type of tough situation many in Point Pleasant Beach are facing. Oliphant and his family live right on the water’s edge and their home is built on six feet of pilings. They decided to ride out the storm at home thinking that they made it through Hurricane Irene, so they could make it through Sandy.

As they went to bed on the night of the storm, they saw a transformer blow as the water started rapidly rising and realized that it was too late to leave, so they made the most of it. The water rose above the pilings, destroying their first floor and garage, destroying three cars in the process.

Less than a day later, Oliphant and his Point Boro teammates were already hard at work knocking down sheet rock, ripping up carpet See Continued on Page 21

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Relief Effort

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Written by Scott Stump - Managing Editor t wasn't four feet of water in the first floor of a home. It wasn't a wall of sand blocking the entrance to a ruined house. It wasn't a mountain of debris consisting of a family's memories sitting by the curb.

It was just nine points on a scoreboard.

Manasquan approached that deficit the same way it has faced everything else in the nearly two weeks since Hurricane Sandy tore a hole through the Jersey Shore. The Warriors banded together, and they dug their way out.

A weary and emotional community took another step in coming back to life when Manasquan rallied from a ninepoint hole in the fourth quarter and held on in the final seconds to stun previously unbeaten Rumson-Fair Haven, 149, in a Class A Central game at Vic Kubu Warrior Field on Saturday. The victory guaranteed that the Warriors would not miss the playoffs for the first time since 1988. A week later, they fell 21-14 to second-seeded Nottingham in Central Jersey Group III to end their playoff hopes, and Rumson also lost in the ifrst round to Weequahic in Central Jersey Group II. Rumson-Fair Haven (7-1, 4-1), which also had many players and families affected by the storm, looks to unofficially be the No. 3 seed in Central Jersey Group II, where the Bulldogs have made the finals the past two seasons.

The Manasquan players had spent a total of 16 hours the past three days clearing the grass field from the snow of the nor'easter that rolled through on Wednesday, but it was a welcome break from grim reality for many of them.

"These are kids who watched people take all the belongings they had in the world out to the curb in a garbage bag,'' said Manasquan head coach Jay Price. "They knew what these people have gone through, so they were not going to be fazed by being down late in the game.'

Admission to Saturday's game was waived in favor of having fans make donations for hurricane relief to the Vic Kubu Long Blue Line charity.

The Warriors will be giving game balls signed by the team to the mayors of all the towns in their sending district - Avon, Belmar, Spring Lake, Brielle, Sea Girt, Spring Lake Heights and Manasquan.

"This is one to remember for ages,'' said junior running back Joe Murphy. "I've been in a lot of close games in my years of football, but this one, no doubt, is the best one.''

After a scoreless first half, Rumson-Fair Haven (7-1, 4-1), ranked No. 4 in the All Shore Media Top 10, built a 9-0 lead on a 40-yard field goal on a muddy field by junior kicker Jake D'Amelio and a 5-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Danny Roberto to senior wideout John Ryan with 1:54 left in the third quarter. At that point, Manasquan had 10 yards of offense in the second half, and a crowd of people worn down by the heartbreak and calamity of the past two weeks was eerily silent.

"I don't mean to say it, but I was losing faith a little bit because we had lost a couple (at home) after that long (home) winning streak,'' Grogan said.

Early in the fourth quarter, Rumson drove to Manasquan's 25-yard line before attempting another field goal. Manasquan senior safety Chris Miller came flying in and blocked it with 9:22 left in the game.

"That sent the message that we're still in it,'' Miller said.

Three plays later, the stirring home crowd was roaring.

Junior quarterback Tucker Caccavale unloaded a 45-yard bomb to Grogan on a post route, and the senior hauled it in at Rumson's 20-yard line as a dormant offense came to life.

"I just made a move at the line,'' Grogan said. "I know the (Rumson) coaches were all pissed off because they had seen me run that route and they had seen Miller run that route, and I was still able to get by the safety."

Murphy, who ran for 100 yards on 21 carries, converted a third-and-7 with a great second effort on an 8-yard run and then scored three plays later with a 4-yard burst on third-and-goal to cut Rumson's lead to 9-7 with 5:13 left in the game. That brought the crowd to its feet, tomahawk-chopping as the band thundered the school's fight song.

"When (Murphy) scored it meant, '(Rumson) is vulnerable now - they're back on their heels,''' Miller said.

Manasquan Junior Matt Forst

"I don't know how many people were there, but I know that people came to that game looking for a distraction to everything that has gone on,'' said Manasquan senior wideout/defensive back Connor Grogan, who had four feet of water in his Manasquan home and was evacuated for five days. "I know me personally, I couldn't have asked for something better than that. I feel like it was just a metaphor for everything that had gone on. So much adversity, going down 9-0, and we just showed what the community is all about. Everyone came back, and we came back as a team.''

Manasquan senior Connor Grogan celebrates the w i n w i t h a s s i s t a n t J a y P r i c e S r.

"The community, we needed to give them something to take their minds off what happened,'' said Murphy, who lives in Manasquan. "It's heartbreaking to see because we haven't seen anything this bad in years. It's terrible to watch. I've had a few friends that have to knock down their entire house because their foundation was completely destroyed. The community got behind us, and they got really loud at the end and helped us out.''

The feeling that another patented comeback was in

progress at a field that has had plenty of magic over the years went into hyperdrive on Rumson's ensuing possession. On the first play from scrimmage, Miller came on a safety blitz, crashing into Roberto with a blindside sack and dislodging the ball. Miller recovered his own forced fumble to put Manasquan in business at the Bulldogs' 20-yard line with five minutes left in the game.

"I'm a senior on the team, and I just had to step up and do my job,'' Miller said.

After a pair of runs for no gain, Manasquan faced thirdand-10 at Rumson's 20-yard line. Caccavale threw a swing pass to Murphy out of the backfield and he sprinted down the Warriors' sideline, diving past the first down marker for a 13yard gain. Two plays later, Murphy plowed in from a yard out to help give Manasquan a 14-9 lead and send the home crowd into delirium with 2:26 left in the game.

Manasquan was determined from the outset to continue its recovery from Hurricane Sandy's destruction. (Photo credit: Cliff Lavelle).

On Rumson's first play of its ensuing drive, Grogan picked off a pass by Roberto at the Manasquan 45-yard line. The Bulldogs' defense forced a three-and-out as Rumson burned its final two timeouts to get the ball back with a minute left in the game.

A pair of personal foul penalties on Manasquan brought Rumson to the Warriors' 38-yard line. Four plays later, the Warriors were flagged for pass interference to move Rumson to Manasquan's 14-yard line with under 30 seconds to go.

After three straight incompletions, Rumson faced fourth-and10 with 8.8 seconds left, and Manasquan junior defensive back Joe Fittin intercepted a pass in the end zone to allow the home crowd to exhale and celebrate an exhilarating victory.

"It's a good gift for the town,'' said an emotional Price, who played and coached at Manasquan under the legendary Vic Kubu.

For nearly two weeks, there were nothing but ashen looks and tears around town as people began to dig out from the rubble. On Saturday, even the weariest Manasquan fan couldn't help but break out in a grin.

"It feels so good not being able to wipe the smiles off our faces right now,'' Miller said.

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Jackson Liberty Comfortable with Change

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By Scott Stump - Managing Editor

The Lions are allowing 14.5 points per game after giving up 24 per game last season and finishing last in the Shore Conference in passing yards allowed. Sharples and the defensive staff studied several high school and college programs that run the 3-3-5 stack defense and made some key adjustments. Senior linebacker and co-captain Chris Cruz, who Osborn called "one of the best captains I've had in 30 years of coaching,'' has led the much-improved unit, which has two shutouts this season.

Defensive end Corey Foltzer and junior Dan Niblack have also had big years up front, with Castronuova patrolling the back.

promising season was hanging in the balance after two straight losses when Jackson Liberty head coach Tim Osborn made a choice that was either going to save the season or tear the team apart.

The Lions had slipped to 3-2 after a 3-0 start and were averaging 14 points per game when he decided to replace senior quarterback Bob Davies with promising sophomore athlete Matt Castronuova, who was already starting at safety and playing wide receiver. Castronuova had never played quarterback in his career but is a dynamic athlete with good speed. However, replacing a respected senior with a sophomore could have caused division within the team, so that was a consideration.

"We weren't putting points up,'' Osborn said. "We just felt that Castronuova is our best player, and we weren't getting the ball in his hands enough, so let's try this.''

"I was surprised,'' Castrnuova said. "I knew (Osborn) was just doing what was best for the team, and I was going to follow his orders."

"Our defensive staff worked really hard because they were disappointed in how things went last year, and we are much improved there,'' Osborn said.

Jackson Liberty promptly ripped off three straight wins, securing its first state playoff berth in school history and guaranteeing its first winning season in the program's sixyear history. Castronuova ran for 334 yards and seven touchdowns combined in his first two starts, and then had two interceptions on defense and a touchdown pass in a 21-0 win over Monsignor Donovan for the Griffins' first Class B South loss.

The fifth-seeded Lions came up short in their bid for the first state playoff win in school history when they lost 28-14 to fourth-seeded Colonia in Central Jersey Group IV. A big reason why they entered the game as a cohesive team on a roll was because of the maturity of Davies, a co-captain who has done his best to make the most of a potentially difficult situation.

"Bob is an outstanding kid and great student who will probably be a congressman one day,'' Osborn said. "When I told him about the change, he wasn't happy about it. He thought I was making a mistake and didn't mind telling me that, but I respected that. The whole team is friends with Bob, but they trusted the decision, and Bob has been extremely helpful to 'Castro.'''

"At first I wasn't sure how (Davies) was going to take it,'' Castronuova said. "I knew he wasn't going to take it well at first, but things are going well right now. He's still a captain on the team, and he's doing the most he can, teaching me at practice, and working with me on my throwing. He's taken it well, and I appreciate him for doing that.''

The buzz in the school has become palpable, as the Lions now have a dedicated fan section, the Red Zone, that travels to every game. With cross-town rival Jackson Memorial failing to qualify for the playoffs this year, the town spotlight belonged solely to the Lions on the first weekend of

Jackson Liberty Bruce Almodovar (#30) & quarterback Matt Castronuova (#5)

by the players and coaches. In a 38-31 overtime win against Point Boro, the Lions implemented a play drawn up by Davies, and Castronuova busted it for a 60-yard touchdown run. Settling the quarterback situation not only unleashed Castronuova's running ability out of the pistol formation, it allowed more running room for junior running back Bruce Almodovar, who also has put up solid numbers since the change.

Another big reason for Jackson Liberty's best season ever is a much-improved defense under coordinator Jim Sharples.

the playoffs.

"It's a great feeling,'' said Castronuova, whose older brother Chris played on the inaugural Jackson Liberty team in 2007.

"Everyone is excited in school, and we're trying to show everybody who we are and make everyone proud around us. '' "Even though it's the first time we've been here, we're not just happy to be here,'' Osborn said.

"We haven't shown anything yet,'' Castronuova said. "If we win this first playoff game, we can get our names on the map.''

It's a golden opportunity to emerge from the shadow of Jackson Memorial. The two rivals will meet the day before Thanksgiving next week, with Jackson Liberty hoping to get its first win ever over the Jaguars.

"As a team, we feel like this is our year,'' Castronuova said. "We're coming for Memorial.''

Davies' input is also well-respected

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The Long Journey Home

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

h e Ru ms on - Fa ir Haven boys s o ccer tea m was o n e of a h a n df u l o f S h or e Co n f er en ce teams to ta k e th e f ield f or th e f ir s t time s in ce Hu r r ican e S an dy h ammer ed th e ar ea on O ct. 29. Th e pla yer s es cap ed th eir r eal- lif e pr oblems f or a br ief co u ple o f h o u r s , b u t af ter a 3 - 1 lo s s to Bor den town , th e r eb u ild in g co n tin u es .

Waiting until halftime of a state tournament game to hold Senior Day festivities for a high school boys soccer season is a very risky proposition as it pertains to the tone of the proceedings. If the game is not going well, it might be hard to coax a smile out of a 17-year-old athlete whose high school career is riding on the next 40 minutes. If the game is going well, there is a risk of motivating the opposing team, whose players are watching as the hosts appear to be celebrating before the game is over.

The Rumson-Fair Haven boys soccer team held its Senior Day Monday on the turf at Borden Field under extenuating circumstances, which is probably why the seven seniors on the Bulldogs squad had little trouble enjoying the moment, even as their team trailed visiting Bordentown High School 1-0 in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II first round game.

Rumson-Fair Haven senior Alec Burke was the first of the seniors to greet his parents on the field with flowers during the festivities, and for the senior midfielder, his entire two-plus hours at Rumson-Fair Haven High School felt like an intermission during a long, horrible movie in a hot theater with small, uncomfortable seats.

Burke arrived at Borden Field for the 2 p.m. start and for the next two hours, life felt normal again. He was back with his team on his home field for the first time in 11 days, playing for a chance to advance in the state

tournament.

By 3:45 p.m., following a frustrating 3-1 Bulldogs' loss to the Scotties to end the season, reality once again slid in - spikes up, aiming for the knees.

A normal drive to Borden Field from their house in Sea Bright would take a matter of minutes for Burke and his family, but the narrow stretch of land that makes up what's left of the Jersey Shore town was rendered unrecognizable by Hurricane Sandy last weekend. As the residents and patrons of the lively beach town might attest to only half-jokingly, the geography of the barrier island community - which is about one-fifth of a mile from the Shrewsbury River to the Atlantic Ocean at its widest point can cause a flood even during a drought.

"My dad went over to the house for the first time since the storm earlier today," Burke said. "The house is still there, but not a lot of valuables are left. They pretty much got wiped out."

Burke and his family are currently staying with his mother's friend in eastern Pennsylvania for the immediate future. On Monday, it took Burke longer to get to his home field than it took visiting Bordentown.

"The last week has been a lot of travelling," Burke said. "It's been tough, but I'm not the only one going through it. Other guys on the team are dealing with similar situations, maybe not living in Pennsylvania, but damaged properties and not having power. It could be worse, so we're dealing with it the best way possible."

The trip back east to Borden Field included detours through Red Bank, Little Silver and Fair Haven, as intersections with outof-power traffic lights were RFH senior Alec Burke instead legislated with four-way stop signs. The back end of the journey was as powerless as the destination - RumsonWhen the ocean surge began to roll onto Ocean Avenue Fair Haven High School is still without power, evidenced on Sunday, a full day before the hurricane made landfall, by a blank scoreboard and stadium lights that would not it became clear to families like the Burkes that Sea Bright have turned on had the game gone past sunset. was no place to be during the storm. Unfortunately for those families, it's also no place to return to, at least not "We passed Bordentown on the way here," Burke said. yet. National Guardsmen patrol the access bridges, "Things are much better out there. They have power. They're allowing only certain uniformed and credentialed people to pass, while residents are taken in small groups to assess back at school." the damage to their homes and collect whatever the storm Bordentown's players, their parents and coaching staff may have spared. made the most of their trip to Rumson, not only by advancing

www.allshoremedia.com to the sectional quarterfinals - which must be played by Nov. 13 according to the NJSIAA's current schedule - but also by backing their caravan with supplies to donate to the relief effort. According to Rumson coach Tim Hall, several of the Bordentown parents brought the care package to Bingham Hall in Fair Haven before the game.

"Their coach (Mike Brennan) called me on Saturday and said, 'The parents have been calling me saying they want to help. Tell me what you need and we'll bring it,'" Hall said. "I thought that was awesome. That's one of the great things about the last few days, is yeah, times have been tough, for some of us more than others, but everyone has offered to help someone else in need.

"A lot of our guys were affected by this. We have quite a few players whose homes are still without power, and yet they have also been looking for ways to help by volunteering and just helping friends and family. That's part of the reason why I wasn't sure about playing today. I think the guys were looking forward to playing whenever it happened, but honestly, nobody's really been thinking too much about soccer."

Rumson's last game was a 5-4, overtime loss to St. John Vianney on Oct. 25 and from the time the storm hit Rumson and its surrounding towns hard on Monday, the team has practiced only twice, with one practice drawing 50 percent attendance and the other a little less than 75 percent, according to Hall.

"It's a tough decision," said Hall, a first-year coach with the Bulldogs. "If I wasn't a new head coach, maybe I could have thrown my weight around a little more to get the time of the game pushed back because we just haven't had time to communicate and prepare as much as we would have liked for a playoff game. There's probably something to be said for the game being a welcome distraction for the kids and certainly, they deserve a chance to have some enjoyment.

You just hate to see the season end in a game being played when a lot of our kids are still dealing with so much off the field. It's tough though. I know they have to get the tournament moving, so we did the best we could."The Rumson players may not have been prepared to win a playoff game Monday, but Burke believed his teammates overwhelmingly supported the idea of playing as soon as possible. The last week has been a mix of loss, adversity and emotional and physical work for many in the area and part of

ASM / 19 the emotional recovery is the return to normalcy that Hall referenced. Despite having to travel some 60 miles for a home game, Monday was a chance for Burke to feel at home.

"I think we were all looking forward to playing," Burke said. "We haven't all been together in a while and today was a chance to do something we love doing and be with friends.

I know for me, it was a break from everything that's been going on."

Comfort did not translate to victory for the Bulldogs, who fell behind 2-0 in the 52nd minute. Nathan Hilbert bent in a corner kick to give Bordentown a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute and Michael Okafor added a goal in the 52nd off a long throw-in by Stefan Knudson.

Rumson drew a goal closer when junior Eamon Kitson took a pass from Jimmy Purcell and slotted a shot to the far left corner of the goal in the 56th minute.

Bordentown put the game away in the 69th minute on another throw-in by Knudson, this time with Brandon Hudik heading the throw to the far right post.

The goal capped a frustrating game in which Rumson outshot the Scotties, 16-10, and dominated possession, but fell victim to three set pieces while coming up empty on all but one of its opportunities.

"Today was kind of the story of our season," Hall said. "We got off to a late start and took a while to come together. We looked like a good team for a lot of the time, but we just couldn't finish the job. I was pleasantly surprised with how we played and worked the ball, but we just lacked a little of the fire in the belly today."

The finality of a season-ending loss also comes with uncertainty for Burke and many other high school students around the Jersey Shore regarding the immediate future.

Not only did Burke walk off the soccer field for the final time in his high school career following the final whistle, but he again had to leave his home for more safe, stable ground.

After its halftime celebration honoring its seniors, Rumson-Fair Haven could not rally for a win against Bordentown. With the brief intermission from life over, the Rumson players will now try to rally off the field and unlike the narrative that played out on the soccer field Monday, the players and their families have had plenty of preparation and are primed for a comeback.

F i l e P h o t o b y : Cliff Lavelle www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

2012 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE

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Thr 11/22 Wall

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Thanksgiving

Continued from Page 13 and removing insulation. Four days after the storm, Point Boro coach Sean Henry called for an optional practice, and 95 percent of the team showed up. All they did was just throw the ball around, and play two-hand touch games.

Everyone was happy to be there even if it was just for a few hours.

After practice they went and helped the community, with some players doing the shoveling and others helping to removal the piles of debris.

“We are a very tight community,’’ Oliphant said.

“Everyone helped their neighbors before this, so it continued to happen. We started as a team of 40 players and now we have the entire community working together to rebuild and restore.

“My friend is their friend. We are not saying, ‘Why me?’ We are looking at the positives that it could have been a lot worse. I have my family and friends. I can rebuild everything else that I lost. It’s like being the quarterback. You take the blame even if it is not your fault. I’ll take it.

ASM / 21 I can handle it especially when I know I have so many people who have my back.’’

The story of these four players and the numerous others affected by the storm is not a football story. It is a life story that has football players in it.

It’s not just this one area of the Shore. It’s all of the Shore communities, from the top of Monmouth County to the southern tip of Ocean County.

that welcome distraction that so many families need. There also are several games with championship implications, as undefeated Point Beach will play Shore Regional for the Class B Central title, Red Bank Catholic can clinch the outright Class A Central title with a win over Rumson-Fair Haven, and Manalapan can lock down its third straight outright Class A North crown by beating Marlboro. Long Branch can clinch a tie with Neptune for the Class B North title by knocking off old rival Red Bank Regional, and Monsignor Donovan can clinch the outright Class B South title with a victory over Manchester.

All of the players spoke about how they wanted to get back to normal. They want to give their communities a couple hours of fun this weekend.

They want to play their games because this is what they do.

They want their family, friends and fans to come out and cheer just like they did the first eight weeks of the season.

They want to be a welcome distraction.

TRS’s Tymere Berry

This Thanksgiving will have a deeper meaning for many Shore Conference players and their families after what they have endured in the previous month.

The games promise to have more emotion and serve as

Shore Regional's Jack Kelly

It will be a day to enjoy some good football and also give thanks for having family and friends close. While many families lost their material possessions to the storm, as the players mentioned above have shown, having family and friends there to help has allowed people to make it through a rough time.

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ASM / 23 relieve some stress. Union Beach, which is in Keyport’s sending district, was one of the hardest-hit areas of the storm.

Thomson and his teammates had spent the day helping teammates Greg Armstrong and Johnny Olsen, a pair of Union Beach residents whose homes were destroyed.

W

h ile I k n o w th at th e S h or e Con f er en ce f o o tba ll commu n ity is a tig h t- kn it g r ou p , I h ave b een s o impr es s ed by th e r es p o n s e a f ter Hu r r ica n e S an dy d eva s tated th e Jer s ey S h or e.

For so many programs, especially those right on the coast that were badly hit by the storm, the knee-jerk response was to help others as soon as possible.

Whether it was players from places like Manasquan, Point Beach, Wall or Shore Regional knocking on doors to ask people if they needed help moving debris or ripping up damaged carpets or cleaning out flooded rooms, it was like an army was mobilized in an instant.

The storm epitomized how special being part of a team can be. When calamity hit, players had people they could immediately lean on for help. It helped prevent a sense of isolation in the face of so much adversity. The kid who lines up against you in practice every day might also be going through the same thing, and you can talk about it instead of being overwhelmed by the situation. When it seemed like it would be an incredible task to rebuild everything or you didn’t even know where to begin when it came to clearing out debris, you could call a couple of teammates and they would be right over.

The scene at Manasquan’s thrilling 14-9 comeback win over Rumson-Fair Haven that qualified the Warriors for the playoffs was one of the most emotional I have ever seen at Vic Kubu Warrior Field, which has hosted its share of amazing games over the

Football was put aside in favor of helping neighbors.

Preparing for the next game was not as important as making sure everyone was safe. The Shore Conference is as competitive a conference as you will find in the state, with coaches looking to get any little edge they can every week. Yet there were instances like Raritan and St. John Vianney players coming together to raise money and secure donations for those in need, only a week before they slugged it out on the field in an overtime victory by the Lancers.

What also has impressed me has been the maturity of players whose lives were turned upside down. I don’t know if when I was teenager if I would have been able to keep it together if all my possessions were washed away, or if an inspector told me the home I grew up in would have to be condemned because the foundation was compromised by the flooding. Yet you talk to someone like Manasquan senior Connor Grogan, whose family was evacuated and not allowed to return to their flooded home for five days, and he talks about it with a level head and determination to rebuild.

There were countless stories like that. I remember speaking with Keyport junior quarterback Alex Thomson right after the storm, and he and some teammates had just played a pickup football game to

years. The spirit of giving that was so evident is something I hope the Shore Conference holds on to as the months pass by after the storm. Everyone just wanted to help in some way.

The players may have helped the most just by being out there. The people I saw in the Manasquan stands just looked exhausted and worn out from two weeks of hell. Most of them have piles of ruined possessions sitting on their curbs. Just not having to think about that pile for a few minutes was a gift, let alone three

hours of a football game.

By the end of the game, that weary group of fans was on its feet and roaring as Manasquan came back to win. The piles of water-damaged wood and carpet were out of sight and out of mind for a few glorious moments. They were still going to be there when people got home, but maybe the strength to move on had just been boosted a little bit from a bunch of teenagers going all out on a football field for a few hours.

For the players, the importance of football in their lives was only emphasized. It gave them a routine amidst the chaos.

While some of them may not have known where they were going to live or what they were going to eat that night or when the lights were ever going to come back on, the one thing they did know was that there was football practice that day. The regular drills and the trash talk in the locker room made it feel like another day, when for most of them it was anything but that.

The last two weeks have made me proud to say I am part of the Shore Conference community, and all of the players, coaches, parents, fans and our readers out there should feel the same way.

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