11-24-20 Volume-XII Issue-7 2020 Shore Conference Football Champions Wall

November 24, 2020 Volume-XII Issue-7

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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SOMEHOW WE MADE IT TO THE FINISH LINE…SORT OF By kevin Williams - shore sports network director

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he most challenging fall season in Shore Conference history is over and the fact we played games well into November is a minor miracle.

It was far from perfect and many high school athletes learned first-hand that life at times is not very fair. While many teams were able to play most if not all of the games on their schedule others did not fare as well. The pandemic left teams sidelined for periods of time, whether it was because of issues on their end or those their opponents were dealing with.

It was truly a season in which just playing at times was good enough. Sure, every time you step onto the field you want to win but in some cases that was secondary to just having the opportunity to be with your friends and teammates. As I wrote about earlier the true measure of success might not have been your final record but how many games you got to play.

Go back a few months to, say, July. How many of us

truly thought there would be a fall season, complete with practices and games? My guess would be not many, and I certainly was among those who said time and time again there would not be a season. But we managed to get through it…even if there were many bumps in the road. It was a season in which coaches spent as much time talking about COVID-19 safety as they did on proper tackling techniques. Wearing a mask properly was as important as your shin guards although in this case it was not just about protecting yourself but your teammates and opponents.

There was no formal NJSIAA Tournament for fall sports but a two-week postseason that did provide some magical moments. There were regional events in soccer and field hockey that produced championships for several Shore Conference schools. There was also a unique “pod” format designed to give football teams a pair of games against similar opponents. It did not play out perfectly because of teams getting shut down due to the pandemic but it did leave us with something I have spoken and written about for more than 25 years…a Shore Conference Football Tournament. It might have only been

a four-team format but it gave us a championship game, even if unofficial and that game turned out to be epic.

Wall’s win over Donovan Catholic on November 20th was witnessed by only 500 people but years from now there will probably be 5,000 who insist they saw it. Those that did will never forget a game in which Wall appeared in control before the visiting Griffins took the lead in the 4th quarter. The Crimson Knights marched right down the field to regain the advantage but left plenty of time on the clock for Donovan to mount a “drive for the ages.” They almost did, falling inches short of a winning touchdown in the final minute and allowing Wall to celebrate a perfect season.

It truly was “the thrill of victor y and agony of defeat” as you wa tched the reactions of the young men on the f i e l d . H o w e v e r, b o t h w e r e w i n n e r s o n t h i s n i g h t because they gave fans the perfect ending to a very imperfect season.

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

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he Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 8 is Wall, which defeated Donovan Catholic, 18-15, in an all-time classic that came down to a goal-line stand in the final minute as the Crimson Knights prevailed to claim the unofficial Shore Conference championship and finish the season undefeated. Shore Sports Network was at practice Monday to present the Crimson Knights and head coach Tony Grandinetti with a special game ball, a commemorative mini helmet courtesy of Tackle Depression and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card.

Wall was able to respond with the go-ahead scoring drive as senior quarterback Logan Peters hit junior wideout Matt Dollive for a clutch 31yard gain on third-and-8 and three plays later rumbled for a 4-yard touchdown run that gave the Crimson Knights an 18-15 lead.

The highly-anticipated matchup between No. 1 Wall and No. 2 Donovan Catholic in the NJSIAA Post-Season Groupings Shore Conference Championship pod somehow exceeded the hype that had built over the previous seven weeks. Wall led 6-0 at halftime thanks to another dominant performance by its fantastic defense and extended that lead to 12-0 early in the third quarter.

But Donovan Catholic roared back with consecutive scoring drives to take a 15-12 with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.

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Freehold Boro

Keansburg

The play that will be talked about for years to come in Wall came with Donovan on the doorstep of taking the lead with just over a minute left in the game. The Griffins had moved from their own 24-yard line down to Wall’s 10-yard line with under two minutes on the clock, but the Knights stood their ground to eventually bring up fourth-andgoal from the 2-yard line. The Griffins decided to go for the touchdown rather than kick the field goal and that’s when sophomore defensive tackle Keisun Sanders made the play of his life. A huge hole had opened in the middle of the defense but Sanders was able to shed his block and drive back Donovan’s Levi Wilkins at the 2foot line, keeping Donovan out of the end zone to force a turnover on downs and clinch one of the most memorable victories in Wall football history.

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Mater Dei Prep

Colts neck

Senior running back Casey Larkin ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries and made 11 tackles on defense while Peters ran for 59 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and made 14 tackles.

Junior linebacker Charlie Sasso was outstanding again with a team-high 17 tackles and a fumble recovery while Sanders, Dollive, sophomore linebacker Mike Fumarola and junior linebacker Lou Pilla had one tackle for loss each.

Wall finished the season 7-0 to conclude a two-year run that saw them go 19-1 with one NJSIAA sectional title, one unofficial Shore Conference title, and a Shore Conference division championship. The Crimson Knights have won 20 straight games vs. Shore Conference teams dating back to 2018.

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Manchester

TR South

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

By bob badders - managing editor

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7 Player of the Week is Monmouth Regional sr. running back Yassin Moore, , who had three scoring plays to help the Falcons

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edge Pinelands, 16-15, and pick up their second win of the season

Moore ran for a career-high 117 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and also ran for a pair of 2-point conversions to account for 10 of Monmouth’s 16 points. He also recorded a team-high eight tackles on defense and averaged 33.5 yards on two punts, including dropping one inside the 20-yard line.

In six games played this season, Moore has rushed for 429 yards and five touchdowns on an average of six yards per carry, caught a touchdown pass and scored 10 two-point conversions.

Moore was the runaway winner in this week’s poll, securing nearly half of all votes cast.

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6 Player of the Week is Colts Neck Jr. QuarterBack Tommy Fallon , had a great game on the ground and through the

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air to lead the No. 6 Cougars to a 34-0 win over Monmouth Regional that completed a perfect 6-0 regular season.

Fallon ran for 135 yards and a touchdown on just five carries, averaging an unreal 27 yards per carry, and was perfect through the air in completing 7 of 7 passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. He started the scoring by breaking off a 73-yard touchdown run to give Colts Neck a quick 7-0 lead. He then tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Bonanno to send the Cougars on their way to a convincing win.

Fallon has piloted the Cougars power-running offense to perfection this year with bruising, downhill runs of his own and

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timely passes. The three-year starter has rushed for 368 yards and a touchdown on an average of 8.4 yards per carry and has completed 63 percent of his passes for 508 yards and four touchdowns with only one interception. Colts Neck is averaging 30 points per game.

Fallon won a very close poll by securing 16.45 percent of the vote to win over Wall’s Colin Riley. Asbury Park’s Na’Jier Massey finished third.

5 Player of the Week is Brick memorial Sr. QuarterBack & Linebacker T.J. M c Arthur , who had a huge game on both sides of the

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ball to lead Brick Memorial to a 21-7 victory over then-No. 8 Toms River South to give the Mustangs their first victory of the season.

Playing with a heavy heart one week after the death of his grandfather, McArthur put forth an inspiring performance that ended up being the best game of his career. Operating Brick Memorial’s triple-option offense, McArthur ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries and completed 11 of 14 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. On defense, McArthur

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pinelands sR. Running Back

Nathan Jeannotte

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made 16 tackles and recorded two sacks as the Mustangs held a dynamic Toms River South offense to only one touchdown.

Toms River South took a 7-0 lead on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jack Huber to Gavin Migliori, but it was all Brick Memorial after that. An interception by JT Henderson and consecutive long gains on passes from McArthur to senior Akhi Barksdale moved the ball to the Toms River South 12yard line with eight seconds left in the first half. Two plays later, McArthur hit Mike Angrosina for a 3-yard touchdown with less than one second left to tie the game 7-7 at halftime.

A 3-yard touchdown run by McArthur with 3:29 left in the third quarter gave Brick Memorial a 14-7 lead and he added an 8-yard touchdown run with 3:22 left in the game to give

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Southern JR. Running Back

Jaiden Brown

the Mustangs a two-score cushion.

"TJ's performance was legendary," said Brick Memorial head coach Walt Currie. "It will go down as one of the best two-way games ever at Brick Memorial. And for him to do that in the wake of the sudden passing of his grandfather is mindblowing, especially considering how close they were."

McArthur now has 419 yards rushing and three touchdowns along with 195 yards passing and a touchdown on the season.

On defense, he has 56 tackles, two sacks, six tackles for loss and one fumble recovery.

The Week 5 Player of the Week poll featured several candidates with great numbers and it was McArthur who prevailed with 22.4 percent of the votes.

Photo by Scott Greenwald

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Raritan JR. Linebacker

Alex Dekis

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Jackson Liberty sR. Running Back & LB

Gian LiBassi

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T recent memory is over and now it’s time to sort through

he most unusual, unpredictable boys soccer season in

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

This year, however, the schedule was heavy on divisional games, almost completely void on inter-divisional matches and without a Shore Conference Tournament to find out which team at the Shore was best. That leaves many questions unanswered as it pertains to the Final Top 10. The state tournament cleared up a few debates – the Group IV and III brackets gave Toms River North, Southern, Toms River East and others a chance so show off the strength of Class A South. Manchester also authored a Cinderella run to its first sectional title, but with a fourth-place finish in Class B South, was it enough to land a spot in the rankings?

Christian Brothers Academy 13-0-1, 9-0-1

Preseason-4

CBA’s season started with a two-week quarantine and the Colts played their opener with one day of practice coming off that hiatus. The late start did not damage CBA’s performance, as the Colts won their first 10 matches and throttled a host of teams that spent time in the Top 10 during the season: Freehold Township (twice), Long Branch, Holmdel and Rumson-Fair Haven, as well as the always competitive Class A North slate. CBA gave up only four goals all year, making the Colts the stingiest defensive team in the conference. The ending was somewhat anti-climactic, with the Colts winning a Non-Public section that was more watered down than usual due to regional limitations. A draw against winless Manalapan in the final week of the regular season put the top spot up for debate once again, but with some convincing results against a number of quality opponents, CBA had the best overall résumé in 2020.

Wall 17-0, 14-0 Preseason-7

There is not much more Wall could have done to climb to the No. 1 spot and for doing everything asked of them, the Crimson Knights finish No. 2. The Class B North schedule did not offer Wall any serious threats to their unbeaten mark until the final three regular-season games, which included an overtime win over Matawan and two 2-1 victories over a dangerous Colts Neck side. Those Colts Neck wins set up the possibility for Wall to finish in the top-two and while the state tournament was not a walk in the park against three Class A South programs – Toms River South, Brick, Toms River East – the Crimson Knights won three hard-fought matches and earned their spot as 2020’s top public school. They will enter 2021 with the Shore’s longest unbeaten streak, which stands at 23 straight matches.

what went down at the Shore. In a normal season, the Shore Conference Tournament would serve as a proving ground for the area’s top teams and the state tournament would offer some further clarity that the SCT could not. Over the past two seasons, the regular season even provided some big divisional crossover games once the Shore Conference reduced the number of divisional games each team played.

One of the final conclusions we could draw from this year – one that looked like a possibility heading into the season – is that Ocean County’s teams closed the gap considerably between themselves and their counterparts from Monmouth County. Last season ended with two teams from Ocean ranked in the Top 10 after none made it to the SCT final four and this year, there will be four teams from Ocean in the Final Top 10 with the top two teams from A South making a reasonable case to be No. 1.

There aren’t many definitive statements to make about the 2020 season of boys soccer at the Shore, other than it was different.

Southern

Toms River North made an awfully compelling case to be the No. 2 team and if not for a bounce of the ball here or there, the Mariners might have given CBA are serious run at No. 1. For the first 12 games of the season, Toms River North was a force, winning all but one of its matches by multiple-goal margins. Then, the Mariners ran into Southern and came up excruciatingly short in both regular-season matches – one a 4-3 overtime loss and the other a 3-3 draw. After impressive statetournament wins over Jackson Memorial and Freehold Township, Toms River North finally solved Southern, beating the Rams, 3-2, in a dramatic overtime game in the sectional final round. One of the Shore’s most dynamic teams on the attack, Toms River North joins Wall as a back-to-back sectional champion and joins the Crimson Knights as the top two Shore public schools in 2020.

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12-3, 11-2 Preseason-5

The Green Wave showed a lot of growth as a team this season, which was a follow-up to a breakthrough 2019.

Last year, Long Branch beat CBA early in the year, then caught fire at the end of the year by beating three quality opponents during the Central Jersey Group IV Tournament. Those results ran counter to some ugly losses that blemished their final résumé and this year, the Green Wave showed that it could both win big games and take care of the teams below them in the table – no easy task in Class A North. Long Branch’s three losses came at CBA, at Freehold Township and at Southern – three top-six teams and all on the road. The Wave also picked up a dramatic win over Freehold Township and ran the table on its home field to lay the foundation for its 12-win campaign.

14-2-1, 12-1-1 Preseason-2

Like Toms River North, Southern’s bid for the No. 1 ranking at the Shore fell through thanks to two tough-to-swallow losses. In the Rams’ case, the first loss was to a team outside the Top 10, with Brick shocking Southern, 32, in a game Southern outshot the Green Dragons, 19-5. From there, Southern did not lose again until Toms River North broke the Rams’ hearts with a 79th-minute equalizer and 81st-minute golden goal in the championship game. Despite the ending, Southern turned in arguably its best season ever for the program, finishing first place in Class A South for the first time since 1989 and making it to the sectional final round for the first time ever. Now, the Rams can add No. 4 at the Shore to their final draft of their 2020 résumé.

Colts Neck 15-2, 12-2 Preseason-6

The nature of the 2020 schedule prevented the usual opportunity to play games outside of one’s division and also wiped out the Shore Conference Tournament. No team was hurt more by that reality than Colts Neck. The Cougars essentially had two chances to make a statement this season and lost both by a scored of 2-1 to Class B North rival Wall. Colts Neck eviscerated every other opponent and led the conference in goals scored (75), with a late win over Matawan in the sectional final round the only Cougars win that was remotely close in the second half. This year’s team will depart wondering what it could have done in an SCT or a more complete NJSIAA bracket, but it will also leave with the program’s first sectional title since 2000 as consolation.

Holmdel 12-1-1, 11-0-1 Preseason-Not Ranked

Most teams don’t end their season with a state championship victory and in that sense, the 2020 Holmdel squad is not especially unique. Unfortunately for the Hornets, the reason they did not win a sectional championship was not because they got beat on the pitch. A COVID-19 breakout just before the quarterfinal round of the NJSIAA Tournament forced Holmdel to withdraw from the state playoffs, ending another strong season and stopping a potential title run before it could begin. Holmdel’s body of work includes an unofficial Class A Central championship, which the Hornets claimed for the fourth straight year by going unbeaten in the division. As much as what Holmdel won defines its season, what it lost made 2020 even more impressive for the Hornets. Coach Ron Poll resigned just days before the seasonopener and standout goalkeeper Tommy Chyzowych went down for the season with a knee injury three weeks in.

Holmdel lost its 65-game unbeaten streak in its final game but the Hornets went down swinging. Streak be damned, they picked up a late game against No. 1 CBA and got themselves properly tuned up for the postseason – one the Hornets, unfortunately, would not get to play.

Toms River East 7-8-2, 5-7-1 Preseason-Not Ranked

This is where the chaos truly begins. Heading into this week, Rumson-Fair Haven and Raritan appeared to have a fairly firm grip on the final two Top 10 spots, with teams like Brick, Neptune, Pinelands and Jackson Memorial hoping to enter the conversation with a big win or two. Instead, it was Toms River East that stated its case with what was likely the best postseason run by a Shore team that did not win a sectional title. The Raiders beat a quality Allentown side to kick off their run, rolled through Lacey on the road, then knocked off Pinelands on penalty kicks to reach the sectional final.

Despite coming up short, Toms River East gave Wall all it could handle and it took a penalty kick in the 76th to deny the Raiders a chance to win in overtime. The losing record looks off for a team in the final Top 10, but Toms River East did not get a chance to play its second game against winless Central due to Central’s issues with COVID-19 in the final days of the season. During the A South season, Toms River East scored wins over Brick, Toms River South and Jackson Memorial to beef up their final 2020 résumé.

Pinelands

Toms River North 15-1-1, 12-1-1 Preseason-3

Long Branch

Freehold Township 11-4-1, 11-3-0 Preseason-1

Life as the preseason No. 1 team at the Shore is not easy, which Freehold Township learned right out of the gate with hard-earned wins over Middletown North and Manalapan to open the season. The Patriots ran into CBA at the wrong time and dropped both games to the Colts before losing to Long Branch to run the losing streak to three. Freehold Township, however, discovered something in the second half of the Long Branch loss and turned things around for the remainder of the season. They beat Long Branch, 3-0, in the rematch to kick off a run of seven straight wins, advanced past Howell in penalties to open their state tournament run and showed a fighting spirit in a 3-2 loss at Toms River North, during which the Patriots nearly erased a 3-0 deficit.

12-1-2, 11-1-1 Preseason-Not Ranked

The No. 10 spot is the hardest call to make most years and this year is as hard as it has ever been. There are at least five other teams (Jackson Memorial, Brick, Manchester, Raritan and Rumson-Fair Haven) with a real case to be in this spot, but it is Pinelands that sneaks into the final Top 10. The Wildcats did not quite finish their division schedule, but played enough to clinch no worse than an unofficial co-championship – the fourth straight division title for the program. They had a pair of head-scratching results with a loss to two-win Point Boro and draw against winless Barnegat, but also beat both Lacey and Manchester twice and added a dramatic playoff win over a surging Neptune squad. The Pinelands players should chip in for a few gift baskets to send to Manchester, whose team raised Class B South’s profile by going 6-0 outside of the division with a regularseason win over Middletown North and a sectional championship run that included playoff wins over Raritan and Monmouth.

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Wall Beats TR East on Late Penalty Kick, Completes Perfect Season

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

he Wall boys soccer program has performed some eyeopening feats in its long, illustrious history but never before has a team from Wall done what this year's Crimson Knights did during an abbreviated season..

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Thanks to a penalty kick converted by senior Sean Southwell in the 76th minute, Wall - the top seed in the NJSIAA Central Jersey East Group III South section - topped No. 11 Toms River East, 2-1, Saturday to complete a perfect 17-0 season. The 2020 Crimson Knights are the first team in program history to complete a season without a loss or tie on its record.

"We knew this was going to be a completely different season coming in with COVID and everything else," senior Jake Pepe said. "In 55 years of Wall soccer, there has never been an undefeated team, so for us to be the first one is a major accomplishment."

The boys soccer team is the second fall program at the school to finish the season undefeated, with the football team winning a memorable game against Donovan Catholic Friday night to complete a 7-0 season.

"In such a unique season with COVID, to do something this special is unbelievable," Wall coach Garry Linstra said. "Wall sports, in general, doing so well has made this whole thing special and it was great for us to be able to come through on behalf of the school."

Last year's Wall squad went an entire sixgame postseason without allowing a goal in the run of play, but lost in the NJSIAA Group III championship game on penalty kicks.

This year, Wall gave up a goal in each of their s t a t e tournament wins but came through with enough offense including on penalty kicks - to keep the wins coming all the way to the season's final day.

"For over a year now, we have been waiting to get back to this game," Southwell said. "We knew we had unfinished business. We have been saying that all season, that we have unfinished business, and tonight we finished it."

After a defensive first half and a scoreless 14 minutes to open the second, Wall struck first behind an effort from its top goal-producer of Sr. Sean Southwell

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the past two seasons. Junior Kyle Horowitz got the ball out wide and boomed it into the middle of the box. Pepe jockeyed for position, elevated over the defense and headed in the game's first goal in the 55th minute. The goal was Pepe's 10th of the season, matching junior Terence Byrnes for the team lead.

"Kyle put a great ball into the box," said Pepe, who also has 15 assists to go with his 10 goals.

"All year, we have been stressing getting balls into the box because we know we can finish them. I had an opportunity, I got a head on it and it happened to go in, which was huge for us."

Toms River East, however, had an answer to keep its hopes of a Cinderella run to a championship alive. Senior defender Mike Conklin pushed up, received a pass from sophomore Kajus Matazinskas, ran a give-and-go with senior Alex Heid and ripped a shot off the left post and in for the equalizer in the 70th minute.

Conklin had a hand in all five of Toms River East's goals during the state tournament, with a goal and three assists heading into Saturday.

Southwell had to exit the game briefly due to a cramp and re-entered just in time. In the 76th, senior Phil Lyons drew a takedown inside the 18-yard box while chasing after a loose ball and Wall was awarded a penalty kick. The Crimson Knights turned to their penalty specialist, Southwell, and the senior

Sr. Jake Pepe

drilled a shot to the upper right corner of the goal, beating the lunge of Toms River East senior goalkeeper Ryan Testa.

"As a kid, you dream about making the winning penalty kick to win the game," Southwell said. "Five minutes left, we knew we needed the goal. You just have to zone everything out, put the ball down and put the kick in your spot. The keeper knew where I was going, but it doesn't matter if you put it in the top corner."

"He is so good and we practice those so much, it doesn't matter if the keeper knows where it's going," Linstra said. "He is going to be cool, calm and collected and place it in there. For him to go back to the defense and secure it and get that game winner is awesome because he is such a great kid."

Wall's airtight defense, which allowed 10 goals in 17 matches this season, did not give Toms River East a look at the goal the rest of the way, but did need junior goalkeeper Joe Gisoldi to deliver a huge save on a header midway through the second half to preserve the 1-0 Wall lead.

"We have been looking forward to getting Joe-Joe," Linstra said of his first-year starter in goal. "We knew he was coming up, we knew what we were getting once he got here. He came up huge throughout the season and tonight was even bigger. He is a bigtime goalie for us and we can't wait to see what he does next year."

Toms River East's season ended with disappointment but it was preceded by a run that helps put the Raiders program back on the Shore Conference map after going eight seasons between sectional-final appearances. They rallied from a one-goal deficit to knock off Allentown in the first round, then knocked off Class B South front-runners Lacey and Pinelands in the next two rounds Pinelands on penalty kicks.

The nature of the 2020 season that was condensed due to COVID-19 protocols meant that Wall could not test itself in the Shore Conference Tournament and only needed to win three games to win a sectional championship. Wall beat three Class A South teams - Toms River South, Brick and Toms River East - to win the title and none of the three finished better than 9-8.

Wall's biggest wins of the season were two 2-1 wins over Colts Neck in the final week of the regular season to clinch the top spot in the Class B North division.

Regardless of its schedule, Wall managed to do something no other Shore Conference team could by winning every single game. Christian Brothers Academy and Ranney were the only other teams to win all but one game and Ranney (8-1) did it against a watered-down nine-game schedule while CBA (130-1) tied a winless Manalapan side in the week prior to the start of the state tournament.

"I have been doing this 19 years and there is always a hiccup game," Linstra said. "You always tell the kids one game at a time and this was really one game at a time because you don't know when that call is going to come telling you you're shut down. So it was one game at a time, one half at a time and the boys showed a great ability to grind and find ways to win throughout the year."

"Wall is known as a great soccer school so it's great to have that one distinguished honor," Southwell said. "No other team here has been undefeated - the great teams of the 80's, 2004 and even last year when we made the state final. There has always been one or two slip-ups. This year, this team held through, we never slipped up and it was all heart."

Photos by:

Jr. Joe Gisoldi

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By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

very week this regular season, Shore Sports Network & Surf taco selected a boys player of the week based on their performance over the past week.

Surf taco will present the winners with a surf taco $25 gift card.

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difficult season ended in difficult fashion for Marlboro, which went 0-3 during the penultimate week of 2020. A primary reason for that was the Mustangs were facing two of the Shore’s hottest teams – Freehold Township (seven straight wins) and Jackson Memorial (six straight) – at the time.

Outside of a rough second half in the first Freehold Township loss, Marlboro was in all three games, with Rosen playing well in all three. He scored in both Freehold Township losses, scoring the first goal in a 4-1 loss on Tuesday and a second-half equalizer on Thursday. The Mustangs traded goals with Jackson and were dangerous over the final 20 minutes but the Jaguars won it on a golden goal by top scorer Steve Bado.

Rosen ran away with the Week 7 Player of the Week award behind 39 percent support from the voters. Wall senior Sean Southwell was a distant second in both directions, checking in with 22 percent of the vote, which was double the total of third-place Johnny Troiano of St. John Vianney. All Shore Sports Network Boys Soccer Player of the Week winners receive a gift card to Surf Taco.

WEEK-7: M A X R O S E N , M a r l b o r o

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fter a 1-6 start and dropping to 2-7 with a loss to rival Toms River South, Toms River East ripped off three straight wins during last week’s schedule to move within two more wins of the .500 mark heading into the state tournament.

Heid was a central contributor in the three wins, finishing the week with four goals and an assist. The senior scored a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over Toms River South on Monday, notched the lone goal in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Brick Memorial and pumped in two more goals on Wednesday – the second of which was the golden-goal winner in overtime against Brick Memorial.

Last week's Player of the Week vote produced a clear winner with 34 percent of the Week 6 vote going to Heid. Runnerup Adam Havens of Freehold Township checked in with 20 percent of the vote. All Shore Sports Network Boys Soccer Player of the Week winners receive a gift card to Surf Taco.

WEEK-6: ALEX HEID, Toms River East

WK-5: DANNY GALLAGHER, Pt. Boro WK-4: CHRIS FONTANAZZA, Raritan

WK-3: KEVIN SILVEIRA, Shore

WK-2: J.T. GOLD, Freehold Twp.

WK-1: LUPO RYDER, Raritan

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By Bob Badders - managing editor

It came down to two feet.

Sophomore defensive lineman Keisun Sanders, junior linebacker Charlie Sasso and senior defensive back Casey Larkin combined on one of the biggest tackles in program history when Wall stopped Donovan Catholic on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line with just over one minute left in the game to complete a legendary goal-line stand and give the Crimson Knights an epic 18-15 victory in the Shore Conference Championship Pod final.

Trailing by three with 5:19 left in the game, Donovan moved to Wall's 20-yard line on a clutch 23-yard catch by Trevor Pruitt on fourth-and-eight. Jahdir Loftland then ran for 10 yards to give the Griffins a first-and-goal from the 10.

Three straight runs by Loftland brought up fourthand-goal from the 2-yard line and Donovan elected to put junior Levi Wilkins and his 6-foot-4, 220pound frame in at quarterback. He faked a jet sweep to Jayon Farrar before sprinting to a hole

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that had opened up the middle, but Sanders came in to drive Wilkins back as Sasso and Larkin swarmed in and stopped Wilkins inside the 1-yard line.

“I saw the center try to down-block and I just got out of it, saw (Wilkins) coming and I knew I just had to make the tackle,” Sanders said. “It all just happened so fast. I just had to do it

for the team.”

“We knew before the play we were going to have to make that kind of hit, that big, drive-back hit, and that’s exactly what we did,” Sasso said.

“I actually scraped the wrong way and got stuffed at the line but Keisun made a great hit and I scraped back over the top and spun out of a block and came up and finished him before he got over the goal line. It was just a great effort by all 11 of us.”

Fittingly, the Game of the Year in the Shore Conference between two undefeated heavyweights ranked No. 1 and No. 2 came down to three points and two feet.

And for Wall, it was apropos that its defense brought it home.

“At the end, I’m standing on the sideline and it’s 18-15, they’re driving down, it’s third and then fourth down and goal and I looked at one of my assistants and said, ‘this is where we want to be’,” said Wall head coach Tony Grandinetti. “We hang our hat on defense and running the ball. Let’s hang our hat right now. Let’s have our defense win it for us. I don’t know if anyone could write it any better.”

“I don’t know if we could have made it any more dramatic than that,” Sasso said. “That shows the character of our team. They came back and scored two (touchdowns) but we held them with a goal-line stand at the end of the game.”

“It’s insane,” said junior linebacker Colin Riley. “We pride ourselves on being the No. 1 “D” and in a moment like that…it can’t get any better. We stopped them at the 1.

I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life.”

“We knew we just had to stop them with everything we had,” said senior safety Logan Peters. It was stop them or lose, and we knew that.”

“I can’t even put it into words, it came down to two feet,” Larkin said. “It was heart. Coach says get comfortable being uncomfortable and that’s one of the most uncomfortable situations you can be in.”

Senior running back Casey Larkin ran for a game-high 131 yards and touchdowns of 25 and 16 yards on 24 carries and

Sr. Logan Peters

senior quarterback Logan Peters ran for 55 yards and the go-ahead 4-yard touchdown run with 5:22 left in the game. He also had a clutch 31yard completion to junior wide receiver Matt Dollive to convert a third-and-eight on the goahead scoring drive. Sasso had another huge game on defense that included 17 tackles and a fumble recovery on the opening kickoff of the second half, which led to Wall's second touchdown.

Donovan Catholic's offense moved the ball on Wall like no team had this year, posting 242 yards of offense. Loftland ran for 123 yards and touchdowns of 4 and 39 yards on 22 carries and also threw a 2-point conversion pass to Farrar.

Senior quarterback Evyn Menta completed 11 of 13 passes for 106 yards and Farrar caught seven passes for 38 yards. On defense, Pruitt had an interception on the opening series of the game.

For a program that was 0-10 in 2016, Donovan Catholic’s ascent to the doorstep of being the best team in the Shore Conference is remarkable. But coming so close and coming up short will not be easy for the Griffins to digest, especially for a fantastic senior class that transformed Ocean County’s only Catholic high school into a powerhouse.

“Who the heck would have thought Donovan Catholic would be playing in a Shore Conference championship-type game?”, said Griffins head coach Dan Curcione. “They believed. They believed in me and they believed in the program. They fought tooth and nail all the way to the end and I’m incredibly proud of them. We were one play short.”

Jr. Charlie Sasso

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Donovan Catholic won the coin toss and deferred its choice to the second half, giving Wall’s offense the first crack. The Crimson Knights moved to their own 48-yard line but on thirdand-four, Pruitt stepped in front of Peters’ pass intended for junior tight end Blake Rezk and intercepted it to give Donovan the ball at the Wall 42-yard line. A false start penalty on the first play pushed the Griffins back and Wall’s defense was able to force a three-and-out. Wall then started from its own 14-yard line, but after gaining one first down had the drive stall thanks to a false start penalty and a sack by junior defensive tackle Nico Ippolito.

In forcing Wall to punt from its own 17-yard line, Donovan had great field position for its second series, setting up at the Crimson Knights’ 39-yard line with 1:51 to go in the first quarter. But Wall’s defense put the clamps on, spearheaded by a tackle for loss by junior linebacker Lou Pilla that dropped Farrar for a 10-yard loss on a screen pass.

Facing a Wall team that had allowed just 23 points all season entering Friday night, Donovan Catholic was now in one heck of a predicament. The response on the next drive showcased the Griffins’ greatness.

about some things and I told him it trickles down. ‘Your emotions are going to trickle down to our guys and I need you to be calm and poised right now.’ A guy like Logan, he’s been in big spots and big games, and he led us out there.”

Starting from their own 30-yard line, Donovan did what no team had done to Wall all season by driving 70 yards in eight plays to get into the end zone and make it a one-score game.

A 14-yard run by Loftland that he nearly broke for a long touchdown moved the ball to midfield and two plays later Farrar made a great over-the-shoulder catch for a 34-yard gain down to Wall’s 15-yard line. On third-and-five from the 10-yard line.

Farrar caught a short pass and extended for the first down with a great second effort. On first-and-goal, Loftland scored on a 4yard touchdown and Gavin Nguyen added the extra point to cut Wall’s lead to 12-7 with 5:06 left in the third quarter.

Starting from its own 40-yard line, Wall went 60 yards in eight plays to take the lead on what would end up being the game-winning drive. The major, must-have play came with Wall facing a third-and-eight from its own 42-yard line. Peters dropped back to attempt a pass for the first time since the opening drive of the game and he was able to connect with Dollive for 31 yards down to the Donovan Catholic 27-yard line.

Peters’ first read was Larkin and he was so close to throwing the ball to him that he was still looking in that direction when he threw the pass to Dollive.

A pair of holding penalties and a false start penalty nuked Wall’s next drive and forced the Knights to punt from their own 41-yard line. The kick pinned Donovan at its own 13-yard line but the Griffins had some fresh wrinkles to throw at Wall to find the end zone once again.

The first scoring drive of t h e game

began at Wall’s 21-yard line and the Crimson Knights put the ball in the hands of their star running back running behind their great offensive line. Wall ran the ball nine straight times on a 79-yard scoring drive, gaining five first downs and taking a 6-0 lead when Larkin broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run with 6:24 left in the first half.

The extra point was unsuccessful, which would surprisingly become a theme for Wall.

The Crimson Knights took that 6-0 lead into halftime thanks to a defense that did its usual work over the first 24 minutes. At the break, Donovan Catholic had just 25 yards of offense (37 rushing, negative12 passing) and only one first down.

Donovan was set to receive the second-half kickoff, but disaster struck for the Griffins when the return man fumbled a bouncing ball and Sasso recovered at the 25-yard line. Four plays later, Wall was in the end zone as Larkin found room on a 16-yard touchdown run. The extra point failed again, however.

This time the kick wasn’t even attempted after the hold wasn’t clean.

Sr. Casey Larkin 16

Donovan drove 87 yards in eight plays to take a 13-12 lead on a 39-yard touchdown run by Loftland with 9:34 left in the game.

Farrar made a spectacular one-handed catch early in the drive, Jalin Butler and Wilkins had chainmoving catches on third down and Donovan’s offensive line was opening up the biggest holes it had all game. Since an extra point would give the Griffins just a two-point lead and do nothing to shield them against a possible Wall field goal, Donovan went for two and offensive coordinator Chip LaBarca Jr. turned to his trick play page. Loftland took the handoff and moved to his right, but pulled up and threw a pass to a wide-open Farrar to give Donovan a 1512 lead.

There were still over nine minutes on the clock, but Wall knew this next drive couldn’t end without points.

“Poise. I just told them to play with poise,” Grandinetti said. “One of the first drives in the third quarter we kind of beat ourselves with penalties. That’s uncharacteristic of us. So I settled the guys down and really pulled Logan aside. He was a little fired up in the third quarter

“I knew the situation that if we don’t get this it’s pretty much it,” Peters said. “I wanted to go to Casey and I was about to throw it to him and then I saw Matty so that’s why it looked a little awkward,” Peters said. “I thought I overthrew it at first so I had a moment of ‘oh no way I just did that’, but it ended up perfect.”

“We knew the coverage we were going to get and we really liked that play. We talked about it at halftime that if we get into a spot like that to run it, sending Dollive across the middle,” Grandinetti said. “It comes down to execution.

I can be the last guy on the whiteboard and it’s always going to work, but it comes down to the kids and in championship games like that it’s the players who make the plays.”

Through the air and on the ground, Peters would not be denied on the final offensive drive of his career. On thirdand-four from the 21-yard line, Peters rumbled for 17 yards on a quarterback keeper down to the 4-yard line. Wall almost scored a wild touchdown on first down when the snap went over Larkin’s head in the Wildcat formation but he recovered it and flipped a pass to Peters in the end zone, who was unable to make the catch. But on the next play, Peters muscled his way into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown and an 18-15 lead after the extra point was not good once again.

“I knew I had to get in there,” Peters said. “I had just dropped a touchdown pass that was right in my hands so in that moment I knew I was getting in. I did everything I possibly could.”

Now, it was up to Wall’s defense, up to a unit that has received praise comparing it to some of the Shore Conference’s all-time great defenses. Would Donovan Catholic drive for the winning score to usher in a new era in the Shore Conference or would Wall cement its legacy and enter itself into the annals of Shore Conference lore?

Donovan began from its own 24-yard line with 5:19 left in the game and quickly moved into Wall territory after a 16-yard catch by senior tight end Ethan Capone and a pass interference penalty. A short run by Loftland followed by a run for no gain by Loftland and an incomplete pass brought up fourth-and-eight from the 43-yard line. Menta then made a great throw and Pruitt came down with a great catch for a 23-yard gain down to the Wall 20-yard line. Loftland followed with a 10-yard run to make it first-and-goal from the 10 with 2:03 on the clock. The Griffins were in business.

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second down and three yards on third down. There was only one more play left to run: fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line with 1:12 left in the game and Shore Conference football supremacy on the line. Wilkins initially had daylight – even several of Wall’s players thought he was going to get into the end zone –but then Sanders, Sasso and Larkin made a play that will live forever. Somehow, Wall stopped Donovan Catholic two feet from the end zone.

“We all knew what time it was, we all knew we had to do our job and the outcome would be what we wanted,” Sanders said. “It came down to us trusting each other.”

“That’s what you play for, you play for a drive like that,” Sasso said. “You play high school football to be on the field during that situation.”

It was an epic game befitting of the hype that surrounded it, really from the time the teams met in a preseason scrimmage. Donovan Catholic showed it is a program that will be a force for a long time, certainly as long as Curcione and his staff remain at the Toms River school and continue to coach and build and strive for greatness. In an era of non-public dominance in many sports, especially football, Wall showed the value of having a group of home-grown players who have played together for the majority of their lives and what that can mean in the biggest of moments.

MVP Casey Larkin

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“The culture won today and I think it took over at the end,” Grandinetti said.

The legacy of this Wall group is now firmly intact. The Crimson Knights finish the season 7-0 to become the program's first undefeated team since 1983. Their defense allowed just 38 points all season, an average of 5.4 points per game, while recording four shutouts. They went 19-1 over the last two years and have won 20 straight games against Shore Conference teams. They brought home an NJSIAA state sectional title and now a Shore Conference title, even if it is unofficial. In a season surrounded by uncertainty and apprehension, Wall found a way to write the storybook ending. They were legendary.

“When we came out at halftime the last thing I said to the team was ‘leave your legacy’,” Grandinetti said. “I talked to the seniors yesterday about leaving their legacy. This is the first Wall team to finish undefeated since 1983. That’s 37 years, so it’s a pretty big deal. They’re going to talk about this game forever.

“This is perfect,” Peters said. “This is the exact way I wanted to go out.”

Photos by:

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20

Edwards’ PK goal gives Manchester first sectional title

By Bob Badders - managing editor

H

opeful to claim a Class B South division title this year after a strong 2019 season, Manchester’s regular season didn’t work out quite as planned. The Hawks finished a distant fourth in division play and entered the postseason just one game over .500 and as the No. 6 seed in the Central East Groups 1 and 2 South bracket.

What the second season presented to the Hawks, however, was a chance to wipe the slate clean. A chance to turn an ordinary season into something extraordinary with one week of the best soccer of their lives.

It was a back and forth game from start to finish between Manchester and ninth-seeded Monmouth Regional on an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon in Ocean County, and in the 70th minute the Hawks finally got the golden opportunity they’d been hoping for.

Junior forward Brandon Sogness used his speed to get wide and drive into the box where he was fouled as he got off a shot. Sophomore Owen Edwards then stepped to the line and buried the penalty kick, and that goal was all Manchester needed to hold off Monmouth,

1-0, and capture the NJSIAA Central East Groups 1 and 2 South sectional title.

It is the first sectional title in program history for the Hawks.

“I’m really at a loss for words right now,” Edwards said. “At the start of states nobody thought we’d get out of the first round so to win it all, it’s out of this world.”

“It’s so unreal at this point that it hasn’t really set in yet,” said senior defender Trevor Juralewicz. “We kept our heads up even though we didn’t get it done in B South. We told ourselves it’s states now and it’s now or never.”

“It may have been Owen who said it before we started states, that ‘anything is possible’,” said Manchester head coach Troy Madison. “We asked the kids after our first practice before states, ‘Who can beat us?’, and that was kind of our rallying cry. I’m so proud of these kids and everything they’ve done. Manchester has never been a soccer powerhouse or anything like that but these kids fight hard every day and they kept believing. It’s special.”

It was a fairly even first half with Monmouth (8-8-1) having the better chances and Manchester (10-5-2) holding a possession advantage. Monmouth had a good look in the 15th minute when junior forward Kaan Pehlivan had a left-footed shot just miss the far post and again in the 30th minute when junior midfielder Ryan Kuldanek blasted a shot just over the crossbar.

Manchester had a good scoring opportunity in the 63rd minute when a ball ping-ponged over to Edwards

inside the 18-yard line but Monmouth goalie Dom Santaniello was able to dive and make the save.

Then, in the 70th minute, Sogness’s work resulted in a foul and a penalty kick. The choice of who would take the kick was an easy one for Madison.

“With the composure he has there was no doubt in our minds he was going to make it,” Madison said.

Edwards, who scored with 23 seconds left in regulation in a 2-1 win over Raritan in the semifinals, came through in the clutch again by finding the back of the net with a shot that hit twine in the bottom right corner.

“I’ve been there before so I just took a deep breath and said, ‘I got this’,” Edwards said. “It was great work by Brandon. A lot of the goals I’ve scored this season have been made from him getting fouled and getting PKs and free kicks. We just worked hard and kept at it.”

The next 10 minutes felt like 10 hours for Manchester but the Hawks were able to survive a

frenetic few minutes where Monmouth made a hard charge at the goal. Monmouth had several shots and chances and nearly found the equalizer when a bicycle kick from Kuldanek hit the crossbar with one minute left.

“It was a nervous mess in the back in the last couple minutes but we just wanted to get it out and drain time,” Juralewicz said.

Shortly thereafter, the final whistle blew and Manchester stormed the field to celebrate the first sectional title in program history. In a season like none other that was filled with adversity never faced before, Manchester found a way to persevere and go on an unprecedented run to a championship.

“We didn’t exactly have the season we wanted in B South but this was our extra push and we got hot at the right time,” Edwards said.

“I’m so proud of these kids,” Madison said. “It was not easy but it shows that if you work hard you can be rewarded like this.”

21

Aglione’s Golden Goal Ends Wall’s Unbeaten Bid, Wins Sectional Title For Rumson

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

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umson-Fair Haven was one of the first girls soccer programs in the Shore Conference to shut down for two weeks due to a confirmed COVID-19 case and it took belief and patience for the Bulldogs to get through a stretch that potentially threatened their season.

Compared to that ordeal, Sunday's one-goal deficit against the last team at the Shore with a perfect record heading into Sunday's NJSIAA sectional final round was no big deal.

It also helped Rumson-Fair Haven to have a scorer like junior Katie Aglione on its side.

Aglione scored two goals Saturday, including the golden goal on a 25-yard boot during the 93rd minute to give Rumson a 3-2 win over top-seeded and previously-unbeaten Wall in the NJSIAA Central Jersey East Group II championship game. The sectional championship marks the first such title for Rumson since 2013.

of great athletes and I think our athleticism and our extreme willingness to go put the ball in the net showed."

Rumson's defense quieted Wall the rest of the way and in the third minute of the second overtime period, the Bulldogs got their chance to win it. The goal came off another corner kick, only this time, the Wall defense knocked it away from the goal.

by Ramiz sent in from the right corner.

Aglione, meanwhile, read the play, moved back 30 yards away from the goal and lined up the game-winning rip to the left corner of the goal from 25 yards out. Sunday's two goals gives Aglione a team-leading 15 goals to end the season.

"I always pop out on corner kicks because I know how our corner kicks go, I know every header (by the defense) is going out and I wanted to be right there for it," Aglione said. "(The keeper) was too close to the near post and I knew if it came to me, I could hit it far post."

"This is the best feeling in the "I get chills thinking about the world," Aglione said. "This is what she played," Heerwagen we have trained all year for and way Rizzitello said.

"She is a very this is what we come for every versatile player.

A lot of kids that year." make up this program and Katie "I have never felt anything like this before in my whole life," third-year Rumson coach Megan Heerwagen Rizzitello said. "I am specifically, I am just so excited to so humbled by these girls, I am so proud to be their coach. Wall see where next year takes her, where was awesome, it was a great competition, we were happy just to college takes her. She is excited to be here today and thankful for the opportunity. be here, she motivates everybody and "Overcoming all of the obstacles - COVID, 2020 - just making she is always hustling at 100 it here was a privilege. Getting the result we did was percent." unbelievable. No better feeling."

Senior Cortland McBarron tied the game for Rumson in the 71st minute when she headed down a corner kick by senior Lilly Frick and poked it into the goal from short range to square the game at 2-2.

"I kicked it, I ended up on the ground and when I looked up, it was in," McBarron said. "It was so exciting. I am so happy.

"We must have scored on about 20 or 25 percent of our corner kicks during the regular season. We have a lot of height and a lot

Wall entered the game 16-0 and hoping to join the football and boys soccer programs at the school with perfect record for the fall season. After falling behind, 1-0, the Crimson Knights clawed back with two goals by junior Hannah Grabicki off passes from senior Olivia Ramiz.

In the 32nd, Ramiz slipped a through-ball between defenders to Grabicki making a perfectly-timed run, with the junior touching it toward the goal and finishing the equalizer. Grabicki returned in the 55th with a header right in front of the goal on a high cross

With her dishes to Grabicki, Ramiz finishes a standout senior season with 25 goals and 15 assists.

"Their two forwards were insanely fast - great athletes," McBarron said. "In the beginning, we needed to get warmed up, but I think as the game got going, we really settled in to what we were doing and figured it out. (Ramiz) is crazy fast but we were able to work together and shut her down."

Rumson's talented junior forward got the Bulldogs on the board in the fourth, stealing the ball in the back, dribbling into the left side of the box and finishing with her left foot.

Rumson's season got off to a disconcerting start, with the team forced to quarantine for two weeks after coming in contact with COVID-19 within the first week of the season. Although it disrupted their season, the Bulldogs were fortunate enough that their quarantine happened within the first week of the season and that the team returned healthy.

"I feel so bad for the teams that had to drop out, especially for the seniors," McBarron said. "But this is still well-deserved for us. Wall is a great team and we had to beat a great team to win this."

While Wall was denied a perfect season by a golden goal, Rumson's lone loss in 2020 was a last-second, 2-1, loss to Holmdel - which finished 15-0 but was forced to pull out of the tournament while following COVID-19 protocol.

"This is a statement," Aglione said.

"Wall is a great team, all the teams we played gave us quality competition and we made a statement by winning this. This is RFH soccer."

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23

Golden Goal Gives Toms River North 2nd Straight Sectional Title

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

T

oms River North boys soccer coach Joe Mahon distinctly remembers seeing the face of his senior defensive leader, Jack Montanile, when his junior season ended just one game away from playing in a state championship game.

"I can remember Jack Montanile crying last year and there was so much sorrow in his face and in so many of the faces of the rest of the guys," Mahon said.

There were again tears flowing on the Toms River North sideline after Saturday's NJSIAA Central East Group IV South title game, only this time, they were tears of joy.

Junior Jake Nagle connected on a game-tying goal with 1:53 left in regulation and 59 seconds into overtime, senior Danny Moreno scored the golden goal to cap a thrilling, come-from-behind, 3-2 win for top-seeded Toms River North over No. 2 Southern in the Central Jersey East Group IV South title game.

"The bond that these kids have had with one another for the last two years, it's unbreakable," Mahon said. "I was really emotional when we won because you want the kids to experience that celebration that they have worked so hard for. They were so emotional and I think it was because it was their last game, the last time they're going to play on this field and they ended it with a championship. I love them. I love this group and I'm going to miss coaching them."

With a second straight championship slipping away, Toms River North threw numbers forward over the final six minutes in an effort to equalize. The opportunity finally came with just under two minutes left and it started with a long throw-in from Moreno - a skill his coach did not even know he possessed before Saturday.

"We went with a four-two-four, which I got from Toms River South when Ed Leibe was coaching there," Mahon said. "We kept four defenders back so the ball wouldn't be played around us, had two center-midfielders to win the second ball and jumped pumped balls in to the four guys up top. And I didn't know Danny had that throw-in and all of a sudden, he is throwing the ball into the goal. When you do that, it starts bouncing around and crazy things start to happen."

Southern headed out Moreno's throw, but it rolled right to Nagle. With another

off just in time and with plenty of zip to tuck it into the left side netting from 10 yards out.

"We really didn't want it to end like that," Nagle said. "I had an opportunity and I knew I had to capitalize to keep the season alive. Jack means so much to me, along with Parker, Ali, Danny - this senior bunch is a big part of my life and a big reason why I'm out here playing today. They motivate me every day in practice and it feels great to be able to keep their season alive and have Danny finish it in overtime."

With Toms River North riding high from Nagle's equalizer in the final two minutes, the Mariners did not let that momentum go to waste. In the first minute of overtime, senior Parker Nickelsen won the ball on the right side for classmate Ali Baish, who slid it to junior Mattia Assante in the middle. Assante swung it to Moreno on the left side and the senior took on a defender and ripped a left-footed shot from the left angle to end the game.

"I had a lot of emotions going into overtime because I kicked the ball out and gave them (Southern) the chance to score and take the lead," Moreno said. "I put the blame on myself but then I realized we have five minutes left and I just kept running and kept looking for an opportunity.

"We have an amazing midfield and I saw Mattia, he played me in perfectly. I had a chance and the magic happened."

In addition to revealing his throw-in prowess, Moreno also put his goal-scoring ability on display for the first time this season. Moreno entered the season as a returning starting center back but a bout with a midseason illness limited his endurance and availability. Over the final two weeks of the season, Mahon gave his versatile senior minutes up top to see if he could use his bursts of energy to create scoring chances.

Through 80 minutes Saturday, Moreno had earned himself opportunities over the past several games but could not quite finish.

In the final seconds of the 2020 season and of the careers of Moreno and his classmates, the move finally paid off.

defender bearing down on him, Nagle lined up a left-footed shot and got it

Jr. Jake Nagle

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"I just played defense because that's where coach (Mahon) wanted me," Moreno said. "I guess I played well there because coach kept playing me. I started at left back, then I went to center back and I ended up at striker. I don't know how that happens, but growing up playing soccer, I have

always been able to play anywhere anybody's wanted me to play."

"Danny has had such a tough year," Mahon said. "He was my starting center back and he became ill and he missed like three weeks and he c o u l d barely play 15 minutes at a time. For him to be able to set the boy up and put it on his left foot, I was just so happy for him, because he has had a lot of adversity this year. For us to be able to do what we did without him is huge because he is probably one of the best center backs in the Shore."

After winning the South Jersey Group IV title as a No. 16 seed a year ago, Toms River North completed its second straight sectional-championship run, but this time with the bullseye that comes with being the No. 1 seed.

As far as the Mariners were concerned, it was Southern wearing the bullseye after the Rams beat Toms River North on the Mariners' home field in overtime, 4-3, on Nov. 9 and came back to salvage a tie when the teams met five days later in Manahawkin.

Sr. Danny Moreno

"Losing here in overtime the first time, it left a sour taste in our mouth. We didn't like it," Nagle said. "We went to their place and tied and we knew we had to get even with them. What better way than to win it here in overtime on our home turf in the state sectional?"

Southern's brilliant senior center midfielder Kevin Kiernan broke Toms River North's collective heart in both regular-season meetings with two goals in each game and up until the final two minutes, it appeared as though Kiernan had done it again. The Shore's leading scorer skied over the Mariners defense to head in senior Brandon Notte's free kick, tying the game at 1-1 in the 56th minute.

In the 74th, Southern finally earned its first corner kick of the game and Notte and Kiernan again made the most of the opportunity. Notte served the ball low and Kiernan beat Toms River North junior goalkeeper Dawson Kaniuk to it with a header that just barely cleared the line before it was kicked away. The center official conferred with the linesman and confirmed the goal, officially giving Southern a 21 lead with 6:35 left in regulation.

"He was a thorn in our side every game," Mahon said of Kiernan. "The ball always seems to find him, but he reads the game so well, that he is always anticipating.

He is never reactive because he knows where the play is going. You can't follow the ball, you have to stay with him. We try to man-mark him, but he always finds a way. He's a special player."

With his two goals on Saturday, Kiernan finishes with 27 for the season to go with nine assists. He scored six goals in three games vs. rival Toms River North, scored five in three state tournament matches and scored in all but one of Southern's 17 games during the course of the entire season.

"The kid is phenomenal," Lockwood said. "He has a great future ahead of him. He is just is way ahead up in the mind. We could see his brilliance as a sophomore. He is spectacular. He can change the game for you in a heartbeat and the way the guys play off of him is

fantastic as well because they are very confident he'll put them in the right spot to do something with it."

game vs. the other and the other match finished in a 3-3 draw, with the three meetings featuring a total of five lead changes.

"He is easily the best player I have ever played against," Moreno said. "He is insane. He is technical everywhere. He can pass, shoot, he is good in the air - which is insane. Jake Nagle did a great job trying to stay with him but he still got us. Kevin is a great player and I think he's the kind of player I would love to play with."

"We had it with two minutes left and they score right before the end of the match and do a great job riding that momentum," Lockwood said. "Maybe it was meant to be. Right around the midway point of the season, we saw that it was going to be North and Southern and we saw those two matches at the end of the year, so it's actually pretty great that the aggregate came out neutral, but unfortunately that meant they were better than us by a goal today."

In addition to dodging some near misses from Kiernan earlier in the match, Toms River North made sure the rest of the Rams did not cash in on any opportunities. With the score still 1-0 in favor of Toms River North during the second half, Kaniuk saved a clean look by senior Jack Pleyn - who recorded a quarterfinal-round hat trick vs.

Manalapan - on a counter-attack.

Kaniuk also fought through a hoard of bodies to fall on a ball that hit the left post out of a scrum inside the box, keeping the score at 1-1 just minutes after Kiernan had tied the game.

Toms River North jumped on top in the ninth minute with a clinical combination and finish by Baish. Sophomore Matt Bozicev started it by winning the ball and sliding it to Assante, who played a one-two with Baish. Assante then swung the ball over to Nickelsen, who chipped a diagonal pass over the defense that landed right at the feet of Baish, who finished the play with the game's first goal.

"That first goal was huge but we knew it was early on and we still had 70 minutes to play," Nickelsen said. "It was almost a dangerous goal to score because we knew we were going to have to fight through 70 more minutes. Every goal meant so much to everybody on the field. Everyone wanted this."

Saturday's game played out a lot like the two regular-season meetings did, with Toms River North asserting itself early in the game and Southern coming on strong in the second half. The shot count was 3-3 at halftime and after Kiernan's go-ahead goal, Southern owned an 8-4 edge. With its frantic final seven-plus minutes, Toms River North overtook Southern on shots, 9-8.

In three matches this season, Toms River North and Southern each scored nine goals over the three games - all of which went to overtime. With Saturday's Toms River North win, each team won a

It was a memorable finish for two senior-led teams that were elated to have a chance to showcase the strength of their programs in 2020, during which neither team had a game canceled do to COVID-19 protocol.

"To go 14-2-1 playing in A South and Group IV where anything can happen is a great run," Southern coach Guy Lockwood said, whose team won a share of first place in Class A South for the first time since 1989, when Lockwood was a senior at Southern. "They also dodged this virus too, and I'm very proud of them for that. We talked about safety because we didn't want our season shut down or cut short because of anything unexpected. These guys wanted this really bad and that showed today."

"I meant so much because of all the work we put in over the summer," Baish said. "We couldn't see our coach, we didn't know if we were going to have the season but we just worked and worked and worked. To see it all pay off is so worth it. It feels so good."

Photos by :

Paula Lopez

www.palimages.com

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2020 boys Shore Conference Coaches’ All-County Teams

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

All-Monmouth County Player

Team

Brett Sieg David Tuschmann Jason Laviola Jake Pepe Zach Orrico Chris Fontanazza Sean Southwell Josh Leonetti Connor Hinds Jack Longo Luke Pentikis Adam Havens Ryan Lee Jake Gershon Tomas Zolofra Lucas Da Costa Stephen Ciccarone Aidan Tisony Alex Bogues John Wilhelm

Christian Brothers Academy Colts Neck Long Branch Wall Freehold Township Raritan Wall Freehold Township Holmdel Christian Brothers Academy Rumson-Fair Haven Freehold Township Colts Neck Colts Neck Holmdel Long Branch Colts Neck Ocean Middletown North Freehold Township

Position

Year

Midfield Forward Midfield Forward Mid/Forward Midfield Defense Defense Midfield Defense Midfield Midfield Midfield Midfield Forward Forward Defense Midfield Goalkeeper Goalkeeper

Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr.

All-Ocean County

Player

Team

Position

Year

Terence Byrnes Ryan Kuldanek Aidan Cardella Brendan Rebele Augusto Bontempo Simon Cardenas Eric Tsirkin Tom Samaras Lupo Ryder Marvin Muñoz Garcia Evan Quon Matt Glynn Felix Doebbel Shane Borenius Mike Cafiero Ryan Mojares Matt Fogarty Lucas DeGregorio Gavin Hersey Joe Gisoldi

Wall Monmouth Middletown North Holmdel Long Branch Manasquan Marlboro Colts Neck Raritan Neptune Rumson-Fair Haven Middletown South Holmdel Christian Brothers Academy Manasquan Christian Brothers Academy Raritan Matawan Raritan Wall

Forward Midfield Forward Defense Midfield Mid/For Midfield Midfield Forward Midfield Defense Midfield Defense Midfield Midfield Defense Midfield Defense Goalkeeper Goalkeeper

Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr.

Position

Year

First Team

second Team

Player

Player

Team

Kevin Kiernan Johnny Hart Ali Baish Parker Nickelsen Steve Bado John Paul Prosperi Kody Besser Sean Palmer Campbell Challoner Noah Hamouda Gianni Smith Alex Heid Carter Mathis Jack Montanile Kevin Cooney Gavin Harris Charlie Harrison

Southern Pinelands Toms River North Toms River North Jackson Memorial Southern Lacey Brick Toms River South Lacey Central Toms River East Pinelands Toms River North Southern Pinelands Jackson Memorial

Third Team

second Team

First Team

Position

Year

Midfield Midfield Forward Forward Forward Defense Defense Forward Midfield Forward Forward Forward Defense Defense Defense Goalkeeper Goalkeeper

Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr.

Luke Zylinski Danny Moreno Zack Rogacki Robbie Tapp Carlos Soriano Jack Fanning George-Kyle Hernandez Preston Kyriakoulis Ryan Leavitt Zack Meyer Mike Conklin Bugra Celik Nico Leonard Owen Edwards Jared Brown Anthony Leporino Dylan Aportela

Player

Team

Position

Year

Matt Gowen Josh Hocheiser Kaan Pehlivan David Radwonski Matt Kirkpatrick Justin Skeete Brian Miranda Brian Completo Charles Anyichie Philip Lyons Dylan Haley Chris Osario-Rodriguez Luke Hamill John Venino Alex Gaber Davenson JoinVilmar Woodley Cagilus Donovan Davis Dominick Santaniello C.J. Braun Tyler Abbot

St. Rose Freehold Township Monmouth Neptune St. Rose Matawan Ocean Long Branch Ranney Wall Rumson-Fair Haven Howell St. Rose Red Bank Ocean Asbury Park Asbury Park Shore Monmouth Mater Dei Prep Long Branch

Defense Defense Midfield Midfield Midfield Forward Midfield Defense Midfield Midfield Midfield Forward Midfield Defense Defense Midfield Defense Defense Goalkeeper Goalkeeper Goalkeeper

Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr.

Player

Team

Position

Year

Connor Costello Gerard Cerino Dan Gallagher Josh Boyan Brandon Sogness Jesus Avila Brendan Labbe Nate Szwed Eli Chong Trevor Juralewicz Tim Cappucci James Cahill Connor Robinson Noah Raimonde D.J. Edinger Ryan Testa Dawson Kaniuk

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

Midfield Midfield Midfield Forward Midfield Forward Midfield Forward Midfield Defense Midfield Defense Defense Midfield Forward Goalkeeper Goalkeeper

Sr. So. Sr. So. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr

Third Team Team

Point Pleasant Beach Toms River North Jackson Memorial Toms River South Donovan Catholic Brick Memorial Lacey Donovan Catholic Southern Brick Toms River East Jackson Memorial Southern Manchester Toms River North Lacey Point Pleasant Beach

Defense Defense Defense Defense Defense Midfield Midfield Mid/For Forward Forward Defense Midfield Midfield Midfield Mid/For Goalkeeper Goalkeeper

Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr.

Check out Shoresportsnetwork.com for the complete 2020 Shore Conference Boys Soccer Coaches All-Division Teams.

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