Shore Sports Network Journal High School Sports by Shore Sports Network Journal

November 4 2014 Volume-VI Issue-20

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Sclafani's Monster Night Helps Brick Claim Division Title

By Bob Badders – Staff Writer

shy of midfield and scored in seven plays to take a 24-13 lead. Sclafani had a 10-yard run and found sophomore receiver Ja’Sir Taylor for 13 yards on third-and-six down to the Mariners’ 33-yard line, and four plays later broke a run to the outside on a 21-yard score.

or Halloween, Carmen Sclafani was a monster. In an emotional game against his former team, Brick’s senior quarterback erupted for 250 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 26 carries to power the Dragons to a 30-13 Shore Conference Class A South victory over Toms River North on October 31st in the Shore Sports Network Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week.

The Mariners managed a first down on their next drive, but a jet sweep by Watts on fourth-and-2 from midfield was shut down, allowing Brick to take over on downs. Sclafani ripped off a 48yard run on the next play down to the 2-yard line, and hopped into the end zone on the next play for his fourth touchdown, giving Brick a 30-13 lead.

Sclafani eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the victory for the third consecutive season, and now has 1,000 yards rushing and passing this season.

“It was personal for me and personal for everyone,” Sclafani said about facing a Mariners program he spent his first two years at, starting as a sophomore at quarterback. “They were a little disrespectful to some of our players and coaches last year and it got personal, not just for me but for everyone, really.” Sclafani was injured in last season’s game, as well, and missed two additional games as a result.

“I guess that was a little part of the personal grudge,” Sclafani said. “That was unexpected last year and I don’t think it’s the same outcome if I don’t get hurt, so it was great to finish the game and get the win. (Thursday) night and (Friday) morning I was telling myself no one is taking me down tonight. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Sclafani ran for 169 yards and three touchdowns in the second half to help the Dragons (7-1, 6-0) clinch at least a share of the Class A South title, which is their first division title since 2008. They can win the division outright with a win over Toms River South next week. Sclafani’s huge game now gives him 1,096 passing yards and 15 touchdowns to go along with 1,096 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

“He always plays the game with heart and soul, but tonight he played with a little more than he usually does,” Brick head coach Rob Dahl said of Sclafani. “He was amped up. Brick and Toms River North has turned into every bit as much a rivalry as Brick and Brick Memorial, and Carmen had his focus all week.”

Sclafani’s outstanding individual performance became overshadowed, however, by a late-game fracas that resulted in three players being ejected. After a long run by Toms River North sophomore quarterback Mike Husni, he was apparently hit late out of bounds along the Toms River North sideline by Brick senior defensive back Tommy Leech. A scrum followed and flags flew everywhere, and when the dust settled Leech and senior linebacker Ray Fattaruso had been ejected from the game, along with Toms River North sophomore wideout Bryce Watts. By rule, all three players will be suspended an additional game.

“The officials said it was Fattaruso’s second personal foul so he had to be ejected, which is wrong because we had another player, Matthew Gerrity, who got the personal foul earlier in the game,” Dahl said.

“And with Tommy Leech they said it was a late hit and some unnecessary roughness out of bounds. He has 60 players and coaches in his face and he pushed a kid out of his face, which they called, too. I thought the original hit by Tommy was in bounds and that’s why I had a problem with it, and when you have 60 coaches and player calling you names you’re just trying to get out of there. I talked to my principal and athletic director and we’ll take the channels to appeal, but you know how those work. It’ll be next man up.”

On the other side of Sclafani’s outstanding effort was a Brick defense that largely kept Husni in check. Husni entered the game with 891 rushing yards, 994 passing yards and 18 total touchdowns, well on his way to a double 1,000-yard season. His ability to make plays out of the pocket and keep plays alive with his legs has burned teams all year, but the Dragons were able to keep him contained. He finished with 72

Senior Carmen Sclafani

yards rushing and a touchdown and 45 yards passing. He completed just four of 14 passes, but was victimized by four drops.

“A lot of credit has to go to coach Mac (defensive coordinator Brian McNamara),” said senior linebacker James Juliano. “He came up with some different coverages we hadn’t shown since the summer, and in the second half they really worked. We had a couple of breakdowns early, but then we tightened things up.”

“The defensive line did a great job keeping him in the pocket, the linebackers did a great job pressuring him and the defensive backs did a great job being able to stay with their guys,” Dahl said. “He makes plays running around, and we limited him tonight. We always had a guy in his face, and keeping him in the pocket was key.”

The Mariners (5-3, 4-3) also played most of the game without the services of standout junior running back Asante Moorer, who was limited by an ankle injury. He had just three first-half carries for seven yards.

Toms River North held a 13-10 halftime lead thanks to a 22yard touchdown run by Husni on the first drive of the game and a 50-yard touchdown run by Watts late in the half. Brick’s adjustments paid dividends, as it out-scored the Mariners 200 in the second half. The key was neutralizing Toms River North standout junior defensive lineman Dashon Copes, whom the Mariners used to show some different looks over the first two quarters.

“He could be one of the best defensive linemen we face all year and that’s the adjustment we had to make,” Sclafani said. “He lined up one way on film and when we came out when was lining up different, so that’s what we had to adjust to at halftime.”

Trailing by three, Brick took the second half kickoff and marched from its own 30 to the Mariners’ 28-yard line, but the drive came to a halt when Sclafani’s pass to senior Ja’Quez Johnson fell short. On Toms River North’s first play after taking over possession, it tried a deep pass down the home sideline. The play was wide open, but the ball was dropped. Instead of a potential touchdown, the Mariners went three-and-out. Brick then drove 59 yards over eight plays to take a 17-13 lead, and the Dragons never looked back from there.

“The momentum turned there,” Dahl said. “It was in our favor and our kids ran with it. At halftime they said there was nothing that was going to stop them from winning the game, and they played like it.”

Following Sclafani’s one-yard touchdown run, his second of the game, to make it 17-13 in favor of Brick, Toms River North went three-and-out again. The Dragons took over just

“I think this game says everything about the kind of guy Carmen is,” Juliano said. “There was a lot of emotion for him and that rippled through the rest of the team. To watch him from the sidelines, I couldn’t be more proud of him. He only came here last year but Carmen is a Brick guy, and he showed it.”

Toms River North started strong on its home field by driving 68 yards on eight plays to take a 7-0 lead on the game’s opening possession. Husni had a 17-yard completion to senior tight end Jordan Craig on third-and-five from North’s 37, and capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown

run down the home sideline.

Watts cut in front of Johnson to intercept Sclafani on the next drive, but the Mariners couldn’t do anything with that possession. Brick got on the board with a 12-play, 66-yard drive that resulted in a 25-yard field goal by KC Stackable on the first play of the second quarter.

Sacks by Dan Finelli and Cory Wilson helped squash Toms River North’s drive and set up Brick to take its first lead. A 31-yard run by Sclafani down to the six-yard line set up his own 1-yard plunge on fourth-and-goal for a 10-7 lead. North responded on the ensuing drive when Watts followed a 20yard run by Parker Day with a 50-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep for a 13-10 lead. Since a stunning 28-27 double overtime loss to Wall, Brick has responded with wins of 41-7 over Lacey, 45-7 over Colts Neck and then Friday’s victory over Toms River North to get back on track. The Dragons won’t be perfect this season, but they are still set up to win the division title outright and defend their NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV title.

“We were just about as shocked as anybody about the Wall loss,” Juliano said. “But after the game we said, look, great teams have been tripped up before. We just have to focus and zone in right now. The last three weeks we’ve been focused in and playing to our potential.”

Video Highlights by:

Bob Badder

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Photo by:

Bill Normile www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

New For This Season

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

Week 7 10/24/14 Red Bank Catholic - 35 Manalapan -7 The Team of the Week for Week Seven is No. 1 Red Bank Catholic, which won its 39th straight game against Shore Conference competition by dominating a highly-anticipated showdown against No. 2 Manalapan with a 35-7 nondivisional win at Count Basie Field. The Caseys were given a special game ball and treated to free Jersey Mike’s subs after practice on Tuesday. Junior quarterback Eddie Hahn threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns and senior wideout Nick Lubischer had three catches for 118 yards and two scores in the win.

Senior running backs Mike Cordova, Nick Cella and Tommy Spernal each added touchdown runs in the win.

Senior defensive end Doug Zockoll led the strong defensive effort with 7 tackles, 4 sacks and a fumble recovery to give him a Shore Conference-high 11 sacks for the season. Junior linebacker Dylan Murphy also had a big game with 13 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble in the win. The Caseys will now look to lock down the Class B North title for their fifth straight division title when they face Ocean on Friday.

Week-1 9/12/14 Neptune - 30 Ocean - 27

Week-5 10/3/14 Wall - 28 Brick - 27 (2OT)

Week 2 9/19/14 Central - 21 Barnegat - 15

Week 6 10/10/14 Manalapan - 21 Midd. South - 3

Jersey Mike’s Tom Hayes presents the Team of the Week game ball to Red Bank Catholic head coach Jim Portela and his Caseys after a big 35-7 win over Manalapan in Week Seven.

Fri 11/7 Fri 11/14 Fri 11/27 Thr 11/27

Red Bank Catholic at Jackson Memorial (7pm) NO GAME (Monmouth basketball at West Virginia) NJSIAA Sectional Semifinals (TBD-7pm) Wall at Manasquan (11am) NJSIAA Playoffs TBD All games to be broadcast on News Talk Radio and streamed live at www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Week 3 9/26/14 TR North - 44 TR South - 34 Week 4 10/3/14 SJV - 35 RFH - 28

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

Goldsmith, Shutdown Defense Help Shore Regional Repeat as Division Champs

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

“We wanted to just come out and ground and pound it, and our offensive line just moved guys all night even though they had nine guys in the box,” Goldsmith said.

he minute the 2014 schedule was released, the Shore Regional players had the date circled for when they would have their shot to salve an 11month-old wound.

Junior punter George Notte also had a good night, pinning Point Beach inside its own 20-yard line three times, including one 49-yard punt to the 2-yard line.

In their first game against Point Beach since being stunned by the Garnet Gulls in last year’s NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I final, Shore dominated from start to finish with a 17-0 victory at Robert E. Feeney Field that clinched at least a tie for the Blue Devils’ (6-1, 4-0) second straight Class B Central title. Shore, which beat Point Beach 31-0 in the regular season last year to win the division title, got great performances on offense, defense and special teams as it continued its push to earn the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group I for the second straight year.

“I think he’s punting for over a 45-yard average,” Shore coach Mark Costantino said. “(Standout kicker) Jake (Monteiro) has been his kicking coach, and George is just doing a great job.”

The Blue Devils set the tone from the outset against the Garnet Gulls (5-3, 3-1), who were without their leading rusher, senior Mike Frauenheim, who suffered a season-ending broken collarbone last week, as well as injured starting lineman Matt Zuhowski. Shore forced a punt on the opening possession of the game and then drove 32 yards in 10 plays, eight of them runs by Goldsmith, to take a 3-0 lead on Monteiro’s 37yard field goal with 3:39 left in the first quarter.

“We were saying that we’ve been waiting nearly 11 months for this game,” Shore senior linebacker James Bedell said. “As soon as the schedule came out, it’s been in the back of our heads the entire season. It’s a great feeling to beat Beach and get a title at the same time.”

Shore can lock up the outright division title with a win over Asbury Park (1-5) next week. There is also a good chance the Blue Devils could see Point Beach again in the first round of the playoffs if Shore secures the No. 1 seed and the Garnet Gulls end up at No. 8.

Junior fullback Doug Goldsmith led the offense with 145 yards rushing and a touchdown on 22 carries, while the defense stifled Point Beach to the tune of 133 total yards, including only 54 yards rushing on 33 attempts, to register its second straight shutout.

Junior RB Doug Goldsmith

Point Beach responded by driving 52 yards to Shore’s 20-yard line, but the Blue Devils came up with a stop on downs by forcing two straight incompletions. The score would remain 3-0 at the

break as Shore limited Point Beach to 63 yards in the first half, including only 23 on the ground.

“There’s not two many secrets between us with us both running the Wing-T,” said Bedell, who had two tackles for loss in the win. “They know what we’re going to do, and we know what they’re going to do, so it’s just hard-nosed football. Tonight we were making the plays and limiting them on offense.”

They held Point Beach senior fullback Joe Wegrzyniak, a 1,500-yard rusher last year, to 15 yards on 12 carries in Wegrzyniak’s first game back after missing two games with a high ankle sprain.

“I heard in pregame that (Frauenheim) was out and I was like, ‘Wow, that helps,”’ said Goldsmith, who also plays linebacker. “That helped us key on 32 (Wegrzyniak), who had a hurt ankle, and then we just keyed on 9 (Jake Fioretti) for the QB keeps.”

Notte then helped Shore build on its lead in the third quarter when he pinned Point Beach at its 16-yard line after the Blue Devils went three-andout to start the second half. A holding penalty and tackles for a loss by junior Jeremy Redaelli and senior Ryan Campi helped back Point Beach up

Junior RB Doug Goldsmith rolls over tacklers

to its one-yard line. Shore then took over at Point Beach’s 20-yard line after the Garnet Gulls had to punt from their own end zone. On the first play after the punt, Goldsmith barreled his way 18 yards to the 2-yard line to set up his own touchdown run on the next play for a 10-0 lead with 6:51 left in the third quarter. “We felt up front that we could control the game, which we did,” Costantino said.

An illegal block on the ensuing kickoff again put Point Beach in a hole at its own 12-yard line, and a tackle for a loss by senior defensive tackle Dom Liana and a combined sack by Bedell and Mitchell Candido forced a threeand-out. That put Shore in business again with great field position at Point Beach’s 37-yard line. After Goldsmith broke off a 14-yard run, junior Tyreek McCain finished the drive when he motored around the right side for a 15-yard touchdown run and a 17-0 lead with 5:11 left in the third quarter. That was more than enough for the Shore defense, which posted its third shutout of the season. The Blue Devils have allowed a Shore Conference-low 36 total points on the year.

While the victory was satisfying, Shore knows what can happen the second time around, as evidenced by its 12-7 loss to Point Beach in last year’s state final only a week after beating the Garnet Gulls by 31 points. This year’s team is intent on finishing the job in the state playoffs after losing in the championship game the past two seasons.

“We absolutely have to stay focused,” Bedell said. “We played a great game, but that doesn’t mean they can’t come back and smack us just like last year, so that’s going to be our motivation.”

Video Highlights by:

Scott Stump

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Photo by:

Doug Bostwick www.sportshotswlb.com

Alter G Anti-Gravity Treadmill: Train Smarter by Defying Gravity

R ecently had surgery on a lower extremity? Do you By Mary Kate Feit

have shin splints? Plantar Fasciitis? Do you have joint pain from training too much?

These are no longer excuses to not run if you live in Monmouth County. Elite Sports Physical Therapy recently purchased a top of the line treadmill that makes running under almost any situation possible! The Alter G Anti-Gravity Treadmill uses NASA developed technology to make it possible to defy gravity while you run. Using an airtight “bubble” from the waist down, athletes are able to run at anywhere between 20 and 100 percent of their body weight. Athletes are now able to run safer, sooner, and longer!

Don’t let shin splits from pre-season or knee pain from basketball practice hold you back! As an athlete, one of the most devastating things to happen is to get injured when you are at your peak fitness level. After all the hard work to get in the best shape possible, now you need to rest and recover. With some injuries, this doesn’t have to happen. The Anti-Gravity Treadmill gives athletes the ability to stay in shape while

getting healthy. Because of the decreased body weight placed on the athlete, running is still possible and encouraged. Return to practice just as fit as when you had to stop!

Broken leg or knee surgery cause you to be off your feet for an extended period of time? A huge concern associated with returning back from a major injury is the potential of altered running mechanics. This not only “limp” affects performance but it can also make an athlete more susceptible to future injuries of related muscles and/or joints. By decreasing the body weight placed on this recovering limb, the body is more prepared to run. This means that the athlete can return to running sooner without risk of the dreaded limp. Gradually during the recovery process, the athlete can increase the body weight on the limb until they are running at full body weight. In

addition to being able to adjust body weight, the Alter G AntiGravity Treadmill is equipped with 3 cameras and a television screen. Athletes can actually watch themselves from 3 different angles in order to make sure their mechanics and gait are in tact. Don’t fear the limp and don’t be out of shape when you finally get cleared to play!

How do you train more and not get injured? This high tech treadmill isn’t just for the injured athlete. Olympic runners have been able to increase their overall weekly mileage by 15-25% by using the Alter G Anti-Gravity Treadmill a couple times a week! Due to the decreased stress placed on the body, this increased distance is not accompanied by the increased risk of injury, as it would have been by traditional training. By increasing the speed of the treadmill by just .1-.6

miles per hour for every 10% of body weight decreased, runners are able to get the exact same cardiovascular workout that they would have gotten running on the road but without the added stress on the ankles, knees, and hips.

Injured, returning from injury, or complete healthy, the Alter G Anti-Gravity treadmill can help you get into shape safely. The Anti-Gravity Treadmill is the best form of running specific cross training. Get better at running, by running! If you are in need of physical therapy, contact Alyssa Risi at Elite Sports Physical Therapy (732-544-0011). Interested in using the Alter G Anti-Gravity Treadmill but not in need of physical therapy, contact Mary Kate Feit (704-2197-7655 or MaryKateFeit@gmail.com).

By Matt Manley – Staff Writer

there for every minute of every game.”

t different stops during this season, Freehold Township coach Todd Briggs reminded his team how similar they are to the Patriots’ 2008 Shore Conference Tournament championship team, but he has always made sure to remind them of one distinction– the 2008 team finished the job.

Saturday night on November 1st at Memorial Athletic Complex at Neptune’s Summerfield Elementary School, the two Patriots teams separated by six years became a lot more similar.

Freehold Township scored two first-half goals on headers by sophomore Adrian Barajas and Jason Czajkowski and the 11thseeded Patriots held off No. 4 Wall, 2-1, to capture their second outright Shore Conference Tournament championship and first since six years ago, to the day.

“The two teams were similar in a lot of ways, but most importantly, both teams wanted a

chance to go prove people wrong and prove that they were the best every single game of the tournament,” Briggs said. “Unlike in 2008, we didn’t have the regular season we wanted, but the attitude was the same and once we got into the tournament, the confidence and the belief were Sophomore

Adrian Barajas

The two goals Saturday were the most Freehold Township has scored in one SCT game during its five-game run through the tournament. The 6-foot-4 Barajas went up over a defender to head in a cross from junior Mike Maltese in the 19th minute and Czajkowski did the same on a cross from senior Tim O’Donnell from near the same spot on the field with 40 seconds left in the first half.

“That first half was incredible,” senior goalkeeper Brian Shushkovsky said. “That was probably the best half we’ve played all year. We were fired up going to the locker room – probably a little too fired up.”

“At halftime, our guys were acting like they already won,” Briggs said. “I had to knock them down a peg.”

At one point leading up to the SCT, Freehold Township sat with a record of 7-5-1 following a loss to crosstown rival Freehold Boro, which had not beaten Freehold Township in more than a decade. After that 3-2 loss, the Patriots did not allow a goal until Zach Hetzel’s conversion off a turnover near the top of the 18-yard box cut the Freehold Township deficit to 2-1 in the 77th minute, a stretch of more than 500 minutes without allowing a goal. “I was really hoping to finish strong so we could get Shush and the defense the clean sheet for the tournament,” Briggs said. “Unfortunately, we had a letdown that cost us the shutout and, more importantly, it could have cost us a lot more. Fortunately it didn’t come to that.” Freehold Township separated itself from Wall Saturday with its athleticism, evidenced by the two first-half goals by the Patriots. With the two goals on Saturday, Freehold Township scored all five of its goals in the tournament off of cross into the b o x , four of

Senior Jason Czajkowski

which came within the run of play and one off of a corner kick.

“Our athleticism has been an advantage pretty much every game and tonight was no different,” Jason Czajkowski said. “We have Adrian, who is the tallest guy on the field, and me and my brother (Kyle), we’re not tall, but we’re basketball players so we like to think we can jump. When you have guys like Maltese and O’Donnell sending crosses in the box the way they do, it makes us keep our eyes open for those runs because we know there might be a goal at the end of them.”

Maltese has made his mark on the team with his ability to send textbook crosses into the box for his tall, athletic teammates to chase. Maltese connected with Kyle Czajkowski in almost identical fashion in the win over Manalapan on Thursday and also took the corner kick that resulted in Mike Staklinski’s goal against Marlboro. Although he is another 6-foot4 defender coming out of the back, Staklinski

Freehold

Continued on page 14

By Matt Manley – Staff Writer The four seniors were freshmen in the program the last time Wall played in the SCT final in 2011, when the Crimson Knights lost to Freehold Township. Now seniors, Musto and Cancro paired up in the center midfield, Gardner anchored the defense as the sweeper and Arbachesky – one of the heroes in Thursday’s semifinal shootout win – has followed up a 19-goal season as a junior with six this year, tied for second on the team.

ot many girls soccer teams have played as many Shore Conference Tournament games at the Memorial Athletic Complex in Neptune as Wall has over the last two decades, and yet more than half of the Crimson Knights current roster was not even born the last time Wall won an SCT championship.

“There’s only four of them, but they all play up the middle, so they really make up the core of this team,” third-year Wall coach Mike Juska said. “Two of them (Arbachesky and Gardner) are going to Towson (University) next year and really, all four of them will probably end up playing in college. With the game Abby had today, I’d be very surprised if she wasn’t playing at the next level. “They are just a good group of girls. We have a lot of freshmen here and they have been out there, helping them since day one in addition to handling their own responsibilities. They are just a great representation of the school on and off the field.”

Wall’s four seniors, meanwhile, have been part of the overall success as well as the painful championship losses, and on November 2nd Saturday night championship game against top-seeded Colts Neck, Wall’s version of the core four helped deliver a piece of longawaited history.

Senior Abigayle Musto scored the lone goal of the game and classmates Danielle Gardner, Heather Arbachesky and Christie Cancro led the effort in the middle of the field as the Crimson Knights beat the two-loss Cougars for the second time this season to capture their first SCT title since 1998 with a 1-0 win.

After a first half that featured little action in either team’s 18-yard box, Musto found a spot near the Colts Neck goal and worked to create the game’s first big moment 4:08 into the second half. After playing the ball on one touch to sophomore Natalie Sprengel, Musto worked her way into the box as the play developed. Sprengel slid the ball to space on the right side and junior Dari Lyons one-timed a long pass into the wind toward the far side of the box.

“I had my back turned so that I could see the ball and the keeper, so I knew she was out,” Musto said. Senior

Abigayle Musto

“It’s the best feeling,” Musto said. “It’s totally worth the wait. We knew we had it this year and now that we finally did it, it’s amazing.”

“We practice

Freshman Amy Paternoster

headers a lot, so once the ball was in the air, I knew how I wanted to hit it.”

Musto out-jumped a Colts Neck defender to the ball and lofted a header over Cougars freshman goalkeeper Rebecca Eagan – who came out to play the ball – and into the goal for the only score of the game.

“We won today because we won fifty-fifty balls,” Musto said. “Our philosophy is if you win every ball, you can’t lose the game. Against a team like Colts Neck, it’s even more important to win as many loose balls as you can.”

Wall

Continued on page 15

Freehold Continued on page 12 scored his goal after the ball hit the ground.

Sophomore Sean O’Donnell facilitated the winning goal at Christian Brothers Academy in the round of 16, finding Kyle Czajkowski with a cross from right-to-left for the header.

“We watched about 16 games worth of highlights of Wall over the last couple of years and the thing that stood out is that they are dangerous on set pieces and they don’t defend set pieces that well, and one of the reasons is they don’t have as much size in the back,” Briggs said. “We knew if we could get some crosses into the box, we were going to have our chances to score and, fortunately for us, we’ve been finishing them lately.”

In addition to some stumbles leading into the SCT, Freehold Township barely made it out of the opening round, needing a penalty-kick victory over 22nd-seeded Colts Neck after a scoreless draw. Shushkovsky delivered two saves in the shootout and kept up his shutout streak up until a letdown in the 77th minute to allow Hetzel to score. “It’s really hard to do what we just did, especially not giving up a goal like we did until the end,” Shushkovsky said. “We should have had the shutout today too, but I had a little lapse there and Hetzel took advantage.”

To help reinforce his blueprint for a championship, Briggs brought back former Shore Conference Player of the Year and Monmouth University standout Ryan Clark to join his coaching staff. Clark was the leader of the 2008 team, which won Class A North, earned the No. 1 seed in the SCT and proved the seed

/ accurate by beating Marlboro in the final, 3-1.

R.C. “Having around might be the number one reason why we are where we are,” Jason said. Czajkowski “He has already done this, so he knows what it takes. He’s very calming, and he’s always there to offer advice or let you bounce something off of him. It gives you a player’s perspective in different situations and he is such a great player that you can’t help but learn just by being around him.”

Central Jersey Group IV Tournament. This year’s group will have a tough road to haul as the No. 9 seed in Central Jersey Group IV, a road that begins at No. 8 West WindsorPlainsboro North on Monday and could potentially continue at No. 1 Montgomery in the sectional quarterfinals on Thursday.

“We get to enjoy this for a couple of days and then it’s on to the state tournament,” Czajkowski said. “The 2008 team had a similar situation and they ended up losing in the first round, so we know we don’t get too long to celebrate. We want this to last a little longer so we want to put this one behind us, get ready for states and hopefully keep playing for another championship.”

Sophomore Adrian Barajas

After trying to live up to the standard of Freehold Township’s last SCT championship team, the current Patriots will now try to succeed where that team failed. In 2008, Freehold Township lost to Howell – the team it beat in the SCT semifinals – in overtime in the opening round of the NJSIAA

Video Highlights by:

Matt Manlay www.shoresportsnetwork.com Photo by:

Doug Bostwick www.sportshotswlb.com

Wall Continued on page 13 Wall sophomore Alex Panasuk earned the shutout in goal with Gardner anchoring the defense. Colts Neck had not been shut out all season long before Saturday and had scored only one goal twice. The Cougars played without sophomore leading scorer and Penn State recruit Frankie Tagliaferri, who was away at a college camp, according to Colts Neck coach Doug Phillips.

“Frankie’s a great player, but we’re not going to change anything just because one player isn’t there,” Gardner said. “I usually have to stay unmarked and drop back while we have other girls on the forwards, and that didn’t change much. Everyone is great on that team, so there was no need to change anything.”

“You could definitely see the difference without her on the field,” Juska said of Tagliaferri. “Them not having her, we knew it would obviously be an advantage for us, but Colts Neck’s a great team with or without her. It’s not just her that’s made them the number one team in the Shore.”

The two Shore Conference Class B North rivals split the regular-season series, with Wall handing Colts Neck its only loss of the season prior to Saturday on Oct. 1. Colts Neck

won the first meeting in dominant fashion, 51, but Wall bounced back for a 3-2 overtime win over the Cougars.

“That loss has stuck in the back of our heads, so we’ve used it as motivation to go out on top,” Gardner said.

With only four seniors on the team, the Crimson Knights may not have to wait very long for another championship, although Colts Neck loses only two senior starters next season. Before the two look forward to a potential SCT rematch next year, the newfound rivals could meet one more time in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III playoffs. Colts Neck is the No. 1 seed in the sectional bracket, while Wall is No. 2.

“It’s always going to be a battle every time we play them,” Juska said. “Hopefully, we’ll get to play them again in the state tournament.”

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Neptune’s Defense Shuts Down Dahmiere Willis to Blank Long Branch

By Bob Badders – Staff Writer

verywhere Dahmiere Willis tried to run on Saturday afternoon at a rainy Memorial Athletic Complex, there was a scarlet-and-black jersey in his face.

Long Branch tried him up the middle, to the right, to the left, and even on jet sweeps. But it didn’t matter. With its postseason life on the line, Neptune shut down the Shore Conference’s leading rusher with a supremely dominant performance that was both stunning and outstanding.

Senior running back Jaree Parrish and senior quarterback Royal Moore each ran for 100 yards and a touchdown, and the Scarlet Fliers’ defense held Willis, who entered the game with 1,800 yards rushing over his first seven games, to a season-low 17 yards on 16 carries to fuel a crucial 27-0 shutout of the No. 4 Green Wave in a Shore Conference Class B North game.

Senior lineman Andrew Holland-Samuels led a dominant effort up front that wreaked havoc at the point of attack throughout the game, and senior defensive back Cameron Calderon intercepted two passes, including one he returned 88 yards for a touchdown. Senior O’Shane Curate and Moore also had big games defensively as Neptune held the Green Wave to just 58 yards of offense.

“We were doing a lot, defensively,” said Neptune head coach Rodney Taylor. “You have to be creative against them. He’s one of the best backs I’ve seen in a long time.” While the Scarlet Fliers (5-2, 5-1) had some schematic wrinkles that paid dividends, the story of their domination was

as simple as pressure. Their defensive line owned the trenches, led by Holland-Samuels, and disrupted Long Branch’s power running game before it could get any traction. Willis was routinely hit in the backfield or at least forced to change direction before even getting back to the line of scrimmage. That allowed Neptune’s swarming linebackers and secondary to stifle one of the hottest players in the state. Willis entered with six straight 200-yard rushing games. His longest run Saturday was a 14-yard gain. He was hit for a loss or no gain on nine of his 16 carries.

“It was our D-line that held everything down,” Moore said. “They helped the linebackers and d-backs get to Dahmiere quick. In practice the coaches drilled it into our heads that we had to get to him quickly. We could not let him get to the outside.”

Holland-Samuels finished with one sack and one tackle for a loss, and it seemed like he was in the Long Branch backfield as much as Willis and quarterback Jordan Rodriguez. Also an offensive lineman, he helped pave the way for 218 rushing yards. “He’s been playing like that all year for us,” Taylor said of Holland-Samuels. “He’s been our best lineman on both sides of the ball, and he’s been a great leader.”

Neptune’s victory over Long Branch (6-2, 5-2), which entered the game ranked No. 4 in the Shore Sports Network

caught him from behind just past midfield to strip the ball and recover it.

Neptune's defensive line

Top 10 and had only lost to top-ranked Red Bank Catholic, will get the Scarlet Fliers back into the Top 10. More importantly, Saturday’s win and the bevy of power points it will provide most likely locks up a playoff spot for Neptune. The Fliers entered Saturday 10th in Central Jersey Group IV. A loss would’ve almost certainly eliminated them from postseason contention. “We came out here and played Neptune football,” Calderon said. “We weren’t going to let them manhandle us.”

It was Calderon’s first interception that set up Neptune’s first scoring drive midway through the first quarter. The Scarlet Fliers took over at their own 20, and on the third play Parrish took a handoff up the middle, found a crease and raced into the open field on a 72-yard touchdown run. Later in the quarter it looked like a special teams play might just jump-start Long Branch’s offense, but a great play by Ralph McLean kept momentum squarely on the Scarlet Fliers’ side. David Colbert was just about to break what would have been a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown, but McLean

Long Branch forced Neptune to punt, and Daly attempted a fake-punt pass that fell incomplete. That gave the Green Wave possession at the Neptune 32-yard line and presented another opportunity to get back in the game down two touchdowns. But Calderon put the exclamation point on a defensive gem when he intercepted Rodriguez at the 12-yard line and returned it all the way for an 88-yard touchdown, putting the Scarlet Fliers up 20-0 with 2:17 left in the third quarter. Neptune added another score with a nine-play, 63-yard drive early in the fourth quarter. Moore capped the drive with a 5yard touchdown throw to Curate, tossing a pass at the last second as he was being wrapped up for a sack.

Neptune played its first four games without its full arsenal of weapons as Moore missed the first three games after transferring from Ocean, and Parrish and Calderon also missed games. During that stretch the Fliers suffered their two losses via shutouts by Red Bank Catholic and Middletown South. Saturday’s win was Neptune’s fourth straight and also their second consecutive shutout. In a loaded NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV bracket that features defending champion Brick, Jackson Memorial, Middletown South and Freehold, the Scarlet Fliers have emerged as a contender. “The kids are finally in a groove,” Taylor said.

Video Highlights by:

Bob Badder

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Manalapan Clinches Fifth Straight Division Title by Beating Freehold

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

acing an upstart Freehold Boro team off to an undefeated start, Manalapan sent a reminder on Sunday about which team rules Class A North with an iron fist.

The Braves, ranked No. 2 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, routed the No. 6 Colonials 423 to clinch at least a tie for their fifth straight Class A North title by winning their 31st straight divisional game. Since Class A North was reformed in 2010, Manalapan (7-1, 5-0) has gone undefeated in the division, and the Braves can wrap up the title outright by beating Howell (26) this week.

Senior tailback Imamu Mayfield, who transferred to Manalapan from Freehold Boro after his sophomore season, led the way on his old field on Sunday with 172 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 24 carries as part of a 266yard rushing day for the Braves. Manalapan and No. 1 Red Bank Catholic, who handed Manalapan its first loss on Oct. 24, have now both won five straight division titles, becoming the first teams to do so since Middletown South won seven in a row from 1999-2005.

“The last team that did it was the Middletown South team with Knowshon (Moreno), so it’s definitely a special feeling that we could be part of the conversation with that team,” Mayfield said.

“We knew we just had to get the job done and keep the streak going,” said senior defensive back Dan Debner.

The Colonials (7-1, 4-1) entered having surpassed their combined win total of the past two seasons (4), but ran into a buzzsaw after taking an early 3-0 lead. Freehold converted a fake punt on the opening possession to help keep a drive going that resulted in a 28-yard field goal by kicker Matt Curcio with 5:18 left in the first quarter, but it was all Manalapan after that.

Manalapan responded with a four-play, 62-yard drive that ended when senior quarterback Dan Anerella fired a 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gerard Hodge-Rocourt for a 7-3 advantage with 3:28 left in the first quarter.

Each defense then came up with stops, including a sack on fourth down by Freehold’s Bailey Indursky and a fumble recovery by Manalapan linebacker Simon Bublis.

The Braves mounted their second scoring drive of the half after stuffing Freehold junior quarterback Jake Curry for a one-yard loss on fourth down at Manalapan’s 43-yard line. They drove 57 yards in nine plays, capping the drive when senior tight end Brian Conforth made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone and got one foot down for a 12-yard touchdown and a 14-3 lead with 2:09 left in the half.

After what head coach Ed Gurrieri termed a “sluggish” first half, the Braves came out and dominated the final two quarters. Debner got things started with an 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for a 21-3 lead in which he ran back to field a ball that sailed over his head and broke multiple tackles for Manalapan’s third touchdown return on special teams this season.

35-7 nondivisional loss to RBC that ended a 30-game winning streak Shore Conference against competition. They now will set their sights on finishing the job in Central Jersey Group V after losing in the state finals in each of the past three seasons in search of their first state championship in program history. The win most likely cemented a firstround home playoff game for the Braves.

Senior tailback Imamu Mayfield

“We moved up to the 25 because of the wind, and the wind kind of slowed down before the kick, and he bombed it over our heads, so I fielded it, and we called middle return,” Debner said. “I took it right up the middle and I had a huge hole.”

The Manalapan defense also brought it up a notch after allowing 167 yards rushing in the first half, including 94 by 1,000-yard rusher Josh Dixon, who finished with 125 yards in the loss. The Braves held Freehold to one first down and 38 total yards in the second half, led by junior linebacker Lee Maksimik, who had 14 tackles in what defensive coordinator Justin Fumando called Maksimik’s best game of the season. He teamed with senior defensive end Kyle Mullen, who had a sack and two tackles for no gain, to squash the Colonials’ running game at the point of attack in the middle.

“(Freehold) prides themselves on zone, stretch and option read, and we just shoot the gaps and it all comes together,” Maksimik said. “The key was forcing (Dixon) to run high and outside, and when he cuts back in, we’re there. We just played more physical and got in the backfield more in the second half.”

The running game also ratcheted it up as Mayfield ran for 119 second-half yards, including a 57-yard touchdown burst that made it 28-3 with 9:38 left in the third quarter.

After the defense forced another three-and-out, Mullen made a nice diving catch for a first down on Manalapan’s ensuing drive, and Mayfield then bounced a run outside for a 17-yard touchdown to cap a six-play, 50-yard drive and push the lead to 35-3 with 5:10 left in the third quarter. He later added a 2-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter for the final margin.

“I knew they were going to come in hot because if they laid a good hit on me they were

going to be talking a lot of trash, so I had to be focused,” Mayfield said about facing his former team. “We had to separate ourselves from them. We knew we were the better team, and we just had to play like it.” The victory helped the Braves rebound from a

“(Being a Freehold transfer) was a big reason why I couldn’t wait for this game, but I also wanted to get my team to bounce back from the RBC game so we could just keep adding bricks to where we want to get to,” Mayfield said.

Video Highlights by:

Scott Stump

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

very week this season, Shore Conference football fans will get their chance to vote for the Ace Outdoor Power Equipment Football Player of the Week on our website, with more than 230,000 votes already cast in the first eight weeks.

Week-7 10/17/14 P o i n t B e a c h - 34 Highland Park - 15

The latest recipient of the fansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; voting is Point Beach senior running back/defensive back Mike Frauenheim, who had a strong all-around game in a 34-15 win over Highland Park that improved the Garnet Gulls to 5-2. With senior fullback Joe Wegrzyniak out of the lineup with an injury, Frauenheim helped carry the running game with 145 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 19 carries and also had two interceptions on defense.

The Point Beach vans poured in votes for Fraunheim, who had nearly 20,000 votes to earn 38.5 percent of the vote and edge out Jackson Memorial sophomore Mike Gawlik, who ran for three touchdowns and had an interception in a win over Toms River South. Week-6 10/17/14 Southern - 16 Toms River South - 13

Southern Regional junior kicker Brandon Barnetti Week-5 10/11/14 Middletown North - 21 Ocean - 7

Middletown North Sr. TE/LB Troy Thompson Week-4 10/4/14 Central Regional - 26 Pinelands - 12

Central Regional Soph. RB Mike Bickford Week-3 9/19/14 Toms River North - 44 Toms River South - 34

Toms River North jr. tailback Asante Moorer Week-2 9/19/14 Freehold Boro - 41 Howell - 0

Freehold Boro jr. QB/safety Jake Curry Week-1 9/12/14 Brick Township - 42 Brick Memorial - 0

Brick Sr. quarterback Carmen Sclafani Week-0 9/5/14 Donovan Catholic - 10 Pinelands - 7

Donovan Catholic Jr. kicker GianCarlo Stigliano

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Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com