12/6/16 Issue - 21 Volume VIII Shore Sports Network Journal

December 6, 2016 Volume-VIII Issue-21

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

”Is this going to be on ?”

?”

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

Shore Sports Network Web Site Features

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

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AVAILABLE For your SPECIAL SSN FOOTBALL AWARDS

KevinWILLIAMS

e part of a tradition that reaches a large and enthusiastic audience from Monmouth and Ocean counties by having your business featured in our SPECIAL 2016 FOOTBALL AWARDS PROGRAM.

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B

k ev i n . w i l l i am s @ t ow n s qu a re m ed i a. c om

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

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

Shore Sports Network Journal is published by: T o w n s q u a r e M e d i a 8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Copyright 2016 Townsquare Media All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Shore Sports Network is prohibited

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This detailed full color issue put together by the SSN staff will feature the this years Offensive/Defensive Players, Coach of the year and 1st, 2nd & 3rd SSN All-Shore teams. The issue will be distributed to Shore Conference High Schools, all Jersey Mike’s & Supper WAWA locations throughout Ocean & Monmouth counties, will serve as a keepsake for all the players & coaches involved. Not only is the program a chance for your business to reach a wide and passionate audience, it is a chance to become a permanent part of a lasting memory for many members of the Shore Conference community.

C a l l T O D AY f o r m o re I n f o 7 8 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0 / I S S U E - 21 / 1 2 / 6 / 1 6

NEW JERSEY LACROSSE COMMUNITY CELEBRATES SECOND ANNUAL KYLE KIRST COACHES CLINIC

By Bob Sheridan

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n S u n d a y , O c t ob e r 3 0 t h , over 70 Youth and HS coaches attended a Lacrosse Coaches Clinic at GOODSPORTS U S A i n W a l l , N J, i n h o n o r o f the late Assistant Coach at S u m m i t H S , K y l e K i r s t . A ll proceeds raised went directly to the Kirst family Educational Fund for K y le ’ s f i v e s o n s .

The Coaches Clinic was sponsored by both the Wall and Manasquan Lacrosse Clubs in addition to the NJ Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches and Referees Associations.

All of the presenters were considered the very finest in the nation, and the topics covered in depth offensive and defensive strategies as well as team and individual skills and drills.

garnished 5 Tournament of Champions State Titles, while Coach Cunningham and his Warriors recently went to the State Group II Final. Matt and Sean discussed Clearing and Riding and Team transition Offense.

The Clinic’s Showcase Presenter was Brian Brecht, the Head Coach at Rutgers University, who also brought his entire varsity squad with him to help assist all the presenters throughout the day with their respective half and full field presentations. Brian is coming off one of his most Rutgers Head Coach Brian Brecht successful seasons and was also named BIG 10 “Coach of the Year”. Coach Brecht’s presentation Another notable and World Renowned presenter was Matt was special as he discussed Team Building Concepts, Practice Planning and the Rutgers Philosophy of Game Day Preparation. Schomburg, the President of FOGOLAX Academy from Long Island. Matt’s specialty is just about the art of Facing Off, the key ingredient to any Team’s Win/Loss Record. If you can win the Face-Off, You can control the game.

Wrapping the day up of Unity, Learning and Camaraderie was the Official’s portion where they discussed Rules Interpretation and play in and around the goal crease and what they are looking for on the Face-Off. We were fortunate to have Hall of Fame Official and State Rules Interpreter, Tom Carr, and Wall resident and President of the NJ Interscholastic Official’s Association, Dave Frick.

Leading things off was Mike Pounds, the Head Coach at Ridgewood HS, who is considered one of the most sought after presenters on Goalie Play and Clearing. Mike has coached Ridgewood HS for the last 15 years and has won an amazing 8 Group III State Championships. It was great to have Coach Pounds there as coaching goalies at any level is something very elusive to many.

The next presenters up were Matt Kovachik, the Defensive Coach at the Delbarton School, and our very own Sean Cunningham, the Head Coach at Manasquan HS. Coach Kovachik’s credentials speaks for themselves as he has

The clinic was organized and run by Bob Sheridan, Past President of the NJ Lacrosse Foundation, Harriet Donnelly, the 1st VP of the NJ North Chapter of US Lacrosse and Jim Davidson, Varsity Head Lacrosse Coach at Summit High School.

Manasquan Head Coach Sean Cunningham

For more information about next year’s clinic, please contact Bob at sheridanb27@optonline.net or Harriet at hdonnelly@e5marketing.com.

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Brick Township High School wins football award & a visit from Victor Cruz B y V i n E b e n a u - Shore Sports Network Contributer

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he Brick Township High School Green Dragons Football team and their fan base received a huge surprise Monday when they not only won the USA Football ‘Football Town Award’ but as a result had the chance to meet New York Giants Wide Receiver Victor Cruz.

Customary MetLife Stadium chants of ‘Cruuuuuz’ began erupting inside the Brick gymnasium as soon as the Giants wide-receiver walked into the room and waved to the excited crowd.

For Brick Township High School, it came down to competing with three other teams across the tri-state area this past weekend, before the online voting commenced and the Green Dragons came out on top.

The Brick fans cheered the team all the way to the Central Jersey Group IV final, this past Saturday, and Cruz says it’s a group of fans deserving of this award.

“With this town’s rich tradition in football, and this high school specifically, I think they were perfect winners for this award,” said Cruz.

There was a broad range of questions during the Q&A portion of the event, of which Cruz was more than happy to answer the students.

“They were asking me about the ‘salsa dance’ obviously,” said Cruz. “Most of the

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Brick Township High School presented with check from USA Football

questions were about my football career and how I go about my daily routine.”

He was then asked by a member of the Green Dragons football team what it takes to make it to the next level and beyond.

“It takes a tremendous amount of perseverance to understand that you have to excel and exceed expectations,” explained Cruz.

Brick High School Principal William Kleissler says altogether it was a great day Monday for Brick Football, whose fans cheered them all the way to the title game.

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“We represent Brick Township,” said Kleissler. “We think of ourselves as a football community, and we couldn’t be prouder of the players and the coaches.”

Cruz then added that having the home fans behind you cheering is a very special feeling as a player.

“It doesn’t get any better than that,” said Cruz. “It doesn’t feel any better than that as a feeling…as you continue to advance in your career.”

Although they came up short to Allentown in the sectional title game, they get to go home today with a smile after meeting Cruz.

“There’s good school spirit here,” said Brick Athletic Director Rick Handchen. “To be able to get this award for the whole school community is very humbling.”

Cruz then spoke on his confidence in the New York Giants game plan heading home for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, and feels the team will turn things around following a loss to the Steelers this past Sunday.

“I think it’s just execution,” said Cruz. “We have to go out there and understand what we have to do and execute that game-plan at the highest level. That’s the only way we’re going to be successful is if we continue to head towards this championship goal that we have.”

Victor Cruz presents retired Brick Football Coach Warren Wolf (90) with a jersey

As a member of the 2011 Super Bowl Giants championship team, he also sees some similarities in the 2016 team.

Victor Cruz & Brick Head Football Coach Len Zdanowicz speaking with the players

“We have some talent on both sides of the football that is able to get us a championship,” said Cruz. “It’s just a matter of being able to put our best foot forward.” & Photoa by:

Victor Cruz signing autographs at Brick Township HS

Vin Ebenau www.shoresportsnetwork.com

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Rumson-Fair haven Holds Off South Plainfield to Win Fourth Straight State Championship

By Bob Badders – Senior Managing Editor

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ith a championship hanging in the ba la n c e a n d a h i s t o r y w a i t i n g t o be embraced, it was only fitting to have R um s o n - F a i r H a v e n ’ s d e f e n s e on t h e f i e ld t o c l i n c h i t a l l.

An interception by senior Mike O’Connor with 43 seconds left in regulation sealed the Bulldogs’ 27-22 win over South Plainfield in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship game on Saturday night at Rutgers University’s High Point Solutions Stadium.

The win gave Rumson its fourth straight state title to put them in a select group of three Shore Conference programs to have won four state crowns in a row.

Senior running back Matt Vecchiarelli ran for 196 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries and O’Connor, the Bulldogs’ quarterback, ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

Rumson’s offensive line paved the way for a whopping 314 yards rushing on 46 attempts.

Senior linebacker Mike Ruane closed out his fantastic career by making a game-high eight tackles with two tackles for a loss and a sack to lead a defense that played outstanding despite allowing 22 points. South Plainfield scored two touchdowns off blocked punts that put the ball inside the Rumson 25-yard line. The Tigers’ gained just 54 yards rushing and finished with 157 total yards.

Rumson joins the 2003-2006 Middletown South teams and the 1998-2002 Manasquan teams as the only Shore Conference programs to win four consecutive NJSIAA state sectional championships. The state title is the fifth overall for Rumson, all of which have comes since 2010.

“It’s definitely special and it means a lot for all the guys, especially the seniors,” Ruane said. “It came down our will to win and not be denied. It’s great, I can’t describe it any other way. It’s awesome what we’ve done and that we’re in that conversation with the greats.”

“It’s not something that happens every day,” said Rumson head coach Jerry Schulte. “It’s a testament to the program we have.

It’s not just a team, it’s a program. The kids find a way to win.”

To enter the

record book the Bulldogs (9-3) had to rally from a 14-0 deficit in the first half. It all started with a 80yard touchdown run by Vecchiarelli on the first play following South Plainfield going up two scores.

“I think that was the starting point for us coming back,” Schulte said. “Once you see that you say, ‘ok, we’ve got this’.”

yard touchdown run to put Rumson up 27-14 with 6:40 left in the game.

South Plainfield went three-and-out, but the Tigers special teams kept them in the game by blocking their second punt of the game to take over at the Rumson 24-yard line. A hook-and-lateral play for 17 yards moved the ball to the 2-yard line, and Ryan Sr. RB Matt Vecchiarelli Marston pushed his way into the end zone From there the Bulldogs defense put on a quarterback sneak. The Tigers then & Sr. QB Mike O’Connor pulled the clamps on South Plainfield while the off a fake extra point pass for the offense chipped away. Entering the third two-point conversion, and suddenly it was quarter trailing 14-7, Rumson started the second half by driving 59 27-22 with 3:20 left. yards in 10 plays to tie the game at 14. O’Connor had a 27-yard run A 35-yard run by O’Connor on the first play of the ensuing that moved the ball to the South Plainfield 20series put Rumson at the South Plainfield 31-yard line, but the yard line and Vecchiarelli polished off the Tigers’ defense rose up to stop O’Connor inches short of a first drive with a two-yard touchdown run. down on a fourth-down run from the 23-yard line. That gave After forcing South Plainfield to South Plainfield one last chance to drive for the win, but instead punt, Rumson took its first lead of the it was O’Connor diving to intercept a pass over the middle to game on a 56-yard touchdown run clinch the state championship.

by Vecchiarelli to go up 20-14 “I’m just playing center field in those situations and was just with 18 seconds left in the there at the right time,” said O’Connor, who rarely gets plays on third quarter. the defensive side of the ball. “I thought I got (the first down) “We were confident in the and I was pretty pissed when they marked it short. I just wanted locker room at halftime,” to get the ball back.”

O’Connor said. “We just had to O’Connor’s interception was an apropos way to close out a play our game and good historic victory for Rumson. Its defense has been front and things would happen. We center for many of the Bulldogs’ postseason wins during their knew we didn’t do that in the run of five titles in seven years, and even its quarterback got first half.” involved on that side of the ball.

Sr. RB Matt Vecchiarelli

“We’ve been there before,” Vecchiarelli said. “We played Somerville (in the semifinals) and were down 13-0. We keep our heads high and just grind it out.”

A sack by Ruane on third down forced South Plainfield to punt again, and the kick was shanked to give Rumson the ball at the South Plainfield 37-yard line. Senior tight end Colin Pavluk came up with a clutch fumble recovery on a fourth-down run by O’Connor that gave Rumson a first down at the South Plainfield 22yard line. Four plays later O’Connor broke free for a 17-

“I think we’re just a relentless defense and offensively we ground and pound,” Ruane said. “We have a will not to lose. We set out in the summer and say we’re playing in December and we’re getting that ring. Tonight we’re coming home with our four rings.”

by:

Bob Badders

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Photos by:

Robert Samuels www.boofacephotography.com

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

steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

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M a n a s q u a n R o u t s B e r n a r d s f o r a R e c o r d 1 2 th State Title

By Scott Stump – Shore Sports Network Contributer

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ollowing a 42-6 win over Bernards that gave Manasquan the NJSIAA C e n t r a l J e r s e y Gr o u p I I t i t le o n S a t u r d a y n i gh t , s e n i or A d a m S c h r e c k b a s k e d i n t h e cheers and let everyone know what the victory meant.

“We are back!” he yelled. “Manasquan is back!”

The Warriors (10-2) ended an eight-year drought of state titles, their longest since the 1980s, in emphatic fashion to give them a Shore Conference-record 12th overall state championship at Kean University’s Alumni Stadium. A group of players who endured consecutive 3-7 seasons, marking Manasquan’s first back-to-back losing seasons since 1963-64, went out as champions.

“It just means the world to us,” said senior offensive lineman Ben Barry. “Coming off back-to-back losing seasons, nobody thought we were going to be good this year. All our friends, they were telling us 3-7 again, even the community. Nobody was expecting this except for us, and that’s what makes it so great.”

just get underneath their pads, drive them as far back as we could and push the backs into the backs of the linebackers, and I thought we did a good job,” Barry said.

Manasquan made it 14-0 with an eight-play, 63-yard drive in which Morgan skirted the Warriors’ sideline on his way to a 46-yard touchdown burst with 4:06 left in the first half. However, he was injured with 27 seconds left in the half, meaning Birch was going to be needed to step up in the second half.

That’s exactly what he did, as he carried the ball nine times on a 11-play, 48-yard drive that opened the third quarter. Birch’s one-yard touchdown pushed the lead to 21-0 with 6:15 remaining, kickstarting

An interception by Jaime, Manasquan’s third of the night, stifled Bernards’ next drive and was indicative of a half in which the Warriors held the Mountaineers to 59 total yards. Meyer then put the cherry on top with a four-yard touchdown run to cap a 38-yard drive set up by Jaime’s 41-yard return for the final margin.

“I can’t even describe it,” senior Tommy Meyer said.

“Going 3-7 the past two years, it’s really an unbelievable feeling right now. People were losing faith in us. People thought we were going to finish last in our division, and that just really motivated us the whole offseason.”

Barry was part of a dominant offensive line that paved the way for 300 yards rushing, including 132 by junior Connor Morgan that all came in the first half thanks to an ankle injury that sidelined Morgan for the second half. Sophomore Canyon Birch and Meyer combined for 160 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the second half running behind senior left tackle Dylan Pacetti, junior left guard Evan Hilla, senior center Nick Pierro, senior Matt Hanlon at right guard, Barry at right tackle and Schreck at tight end.

“I had two touchdowns, but that wasn’t me, that was all the O-line,” Meyer said. “They blocked tremendously all game.”

A defense that did not allow a touchdown in the win set the tone by killing Bernards’ opening drive on an interception by junior safety Tommy Antonucci for the first of his two picks on the night.

Jr. RB Manasquan then drove 67 yards in 11 plays, taking a 7-0 lead on a one-yard run

by Morgan. The Warriors made no secret of what they were going to do all night as Morgan carried the ball nine times on the drive for 37 yards.

“During film we saw that their defensive line played pretty high, so our goal was to

Matt Tantleff returned the kickoff 90 yards to cut the lead to 286, but that was just a blip on the radar for the Warriors. After an unsuccessful onside kick by Bernards, Manasquan mounted a 12-play, 42-yard drive that ended with senior quarterback Jerry Maher hitting Schreck for a 20-yard touchdown to push the lead to 35-6 with 8:49 left in the game.

All that was left was the celebration for a Sr. QB Jerry Maher group of players that endured their share of criticism the past two years only to return Manasquan to its rightful place of hoisting a trophy in a half in which he ran for 89 yards.

December.

“The offensive line didn’t skip a beat all night “This is the best feeling I’ve ever felt in my life,” Schreck said. long,” Manasquan head coach Jay Price said. “It’s “I’ve been waiting all year.” such a luxury to have a kid like Canyon Birch, who is a total changeup from what Connor is.

“We’re gonna come back in here 20 He’s the type of kid where whatever you need, or 30 years from now, and we’ll see he’s going to get you (it).”

Connor Morgan

“(Birch) showed what he could do (in a win) over RBC,” Barry said. “At halftime, coach Price told him, ‘You’re gonna become a legend tonight after we win this game.”

On Bernards’ next possession, senior Peter Mills recovered a fumble forced by senior defensive back Damaso Jaime to give Manasquan the ball at the Mountaineers’ 38-yard line. Only three plays later, Meyer burst up the middle, breaking four tackles on his way to a 28-yard touchdown to balloon the lead to 28-0 with 4:21 left in the third quarter.

Bernards’ (8-4) lone bright spot of the night came when senior

the 2016 on the football board,” Barry said. “We’ll remember this for the rest of our lives.” by:

Scott Stump

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Photos by:

Ray Rich Photography www.rayrichphotography.smugmug.com

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Mater Dei Prep Wins First State Title on Trick Play TD by Eddie Lewis in Last 3 Seconds

By Scott Stump – Shore Sports Network Contributer

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back at the 50-yard line with 15 seconds left in the game.

That’s when offensive coordinator Lance Bennett dialed up a play that will go down in Mater Dei lore.

ve n a f t e r M a t e r D e i P r e p s e n i o r E d d i e Lewis dashed into the end zone for an incredible last-second touchdown that gave the Seraphs their first state championship in history, it was hard for h i m t o be l i e v e wh a t h a d j u s t h a p p e n e d .

“We go through every scenario every week, and we try to prepare for situations like that,” Mangiero said. “Eddie and Kyle have run that play 25 or 30 times, so I’m just glad it worked out. It was a lot of fun.”

With 15 seconds left in the game on Saturday, Mater Dei junior quarterback George Pearson hit junior wideout Kyle Devaney with a short pass, and then he flipped it to Lewis on a hook-and-lateral. Lewis took off to complete a 50-yard touchdown with three seconds left in regulation to polish off “The Mater Dei Miracle” and give the Seraphs a heartstopping 26-20 win over Holy Spirit for the NJSIAA NonPublic Group II title.

“Coach said we were going to hit it for a big one,” Lewis said.

“I was thinking, ‘Just get into the end zone. It’s my time to shine.”’

“It felt like a dream,” Lewis said.

“I laid down on the ground after the play, rubbed my eyes, looked up, and it was real.”

Mater Dei had come out firing in its first state final appearance since 1999, grabbing a 13-0 first-quarter lead. On their

Lewis was mobbed in the end zone by his teammates after the stunning touchdown at Kean University’s Alumni Stadium. Holy Spirit had one last chance for its own miracle, but the Seraphs recovered a fumble to seal their first 12-0 season and make school history.

After the teams traded possessions, Mater Dei stretched the lead with a 7-play, 38-yard drive. It ended with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Pearson to Pierre on fourthand-11 for a 20-6 advantage with 1:15 left in the half.

Pearson was 7-for-10 for 158 of his 204 yards at the half and three of his four touchdown tosses, while Pierre had three tackles for a loss and a sack at linebacker to lead the firsthalf defensive effort.

“I knew we were going to score off it,” Devaney said.

“We practice it every week in preparing for every situation. Once Eddie got the ball, he was gone. No one was catching him.”

Holy Spirit began its comeback with a three-play, 42-yard drive on its opening possession of the third quarter, scoring on an 11yard run by Jean Charles to trim the lead to 20-13.

That’s the way it would Jr. QB George Pearson remain until Marcheski’s fumble return for a score set the final events into first play from scrimmage, Pearson motion for a finish that no Mater Dei Prep fan will ever forget. hit Lewis, who took off for a 67-yard With a talented roster returning, this could only be the touchdown and a 7-0 lead to beginning for the Seraphs. immediately put the Spartans on their heels.

“It’s just going to get better,” Pearson.

Mater Dei Prep had beaten every team it had played by at least 22 points heading into Saturday, making it the first dogfight the Seraphs had faced all season.

“That’s one of the problems,” Mater Dei head coach Dino Mangiero said. “We hadn’t played four quarters.It hurt us, but we hung in there today.”

Holy Spirit (9-3) rallied from a 20-6 halftime deficit to tie the game on a 35-yard fumble return touchdown by safety James Marcheski after Pearson was sacked and stripped of the ball with 6:14 left in the game.

The teams then traded possessions, as Mater Dei Prep’s defense came up with two stops on fourth down, including a huge one inside the final two minutes. An interception by Ahmad Brown had given Holy Spirit Sr. the ball at Mater Dei’s 44-yard line with 1:15 left in the game, but the Seraphs’ defense tightened with the game on the line.

WR Eddie

After the defense forced two straight three-and-outs, the Seraphs mounted a four-play, 60-yard drive capped by an 18-yard touchdown catch by tight end Izaiah Henderson that was set up by a 27-yard strike from Lewis Pearson to senior running back Marvin Pierre for a 13-0 lead.

Holy Spirit got on the board with a 7-yard

Instead of punting, Holy Spirit elected to go for it on fourth down, and a host of Seraphs came up with a sack to get the ball

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touchdown run by senior Reggie Jean-Charles, who ran for 158 yards in the loss, to cut it to 13-6 with 8:18 left in the half.

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“We might be even better next year.”

by:

Scott Stump

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Photos by:

Ray Rich Photography www.rayrichphotography.smugmug.com

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Wall Beats Delsea to Win First Sectional Title in 14 Years

By M a t t M a n l e y - S e n i o r S t a f f W r i t e r

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acing a four-time def end ing NJSIAA sectional champion, the Wall football team did not employ any tricks and feature anything new in order to dethrone Delsea in Saturday’s NJSIAA S o u t h J e r s e y G r o u p I I I c h a m p i o n s h i p ga m e a t R o w a n Un i v e r s i t y .

Instead, the Crimson Knights took the game right to the Crusaders and ended a 14-year championship drought.

Senior running back Sean Larkin capped a dominant playoff run with 171 yards on 33 carries and a pair of touchdowns behind an overpowering offensive line and Wall beat Delsea, 20-7, to win its first sectional championship since 2002 and fourth overall title.

“It was three-years in the making with this group,” Wall coach Dan Curcione said. “We knew we had a good group and it was a senior-heavy group, which makes it pretty damn emotional. You’re around the guys this long and that much, you care about them.”

anxious to see how well we would gain some yards on the ground.”

Wall’s defense earned a three-and-out and the offense again ran 14 plays on the next drive.

Delsea, however, stopped Larkin short of the goal line on a 4thand-goal from the one.

On the first play following a Delsea punt, Larkin broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run up the left sideline to put Wall ahead 13-0 following Aidan Mulreed’s extra point.

Mike Capra ended the next Delsea drive when he picked off quarterback Keelan Borguet’s pass at the Wall 48 and returned it to the Delsea 34.

Six plays later, Larkin burst through the middle for a five-yard score and a 20-0 Wall lead.

In that first half, Wall outgained Delsea 226-54 and ran more than twice as many plays (36-17) as the Crusaders.

Delsea flipped the script in the second half and pulled to within 20-7 with 9:36 left on the heels of

Wall completely controlled the game in the first half and raced out to a 20-0 lead by the break. Larkin racked up 140 of his yards before halftime, while junior Chevesse Covin ran for 50 of his 56 yards during the first half, including the game’s first touchdown.

The roughing the passer penalty and fumble were one of a handful of second-half miscues for Wall after a near-perfect first half. Delsea also converted a 4th-and-11 on an 11-yard sweep

by Charles Walker, drew a personal foul penalty and had issues in the kicking and punting game.

“I coach the defense and I call the defense, so I was focused on was how to stop the weak-side midline,” Curcione said. “I was thinkin football and I was thinking our guys had a lot of guts and I thought they’d get a stop. I wish we played smarter at times, but I had confidence our defense would come through.”

Sr. WR RJ Janeczek

“We knew they hadn’t seen a power football team like us,” Larkin said. “We knew we had to control the line and we did.”

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“Our defense is very good,” Larkin said.

“We had to come up with a couple plays and we were able to get it done.”

Larkin finishes his senior season with 1,620 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns, including 792 yards and 13 touchdowns in three playoff wins.

The Crimson Knights opened the game with a 14-play, 81-yard drive that Covin capped with a 16-yard run around the right end for the opening score with 4:59 left in the first quarter.

“If we drew it up perfectly, that’s how it would have went,” Curcione said of his team’s start. “I have a lot of faith in our guys and that’s what we do. It wasn’t that surprising to me because we run the ball. I hadn’t seen (Delsea) play a team all year that was going to go right at them. They play a lot of spread teams and a lot of pass-first teams, so I was

yard-line with six seconds left to seal it.

Jr. WR Chevesse Covin a 17-play, 88-yard drive. Wall aided the Crusader cause by committing a roughing the passer penalty on 4th-and-14 from the 29 yardline, which extended the drive. Running back Rashaad Williams carried the ball 14 yards into the endzone on the next play.

Sr. RB Sean Larkin

Wall had a chance to go up four scores, but quarterback Eddie Scott fumbled the ball inside the Delsea 20-yard line and the Crusaders recovered on the Wall 12 to set up their 88-yard drive.

Delsea made one last-ditch effort to stay in the game, but R.J. Janeczek picked off Borguet’s pass at the one

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“He played possessed,” Curcione said of Larkin. “He’s one hell of a ballplayer. He puts a lot of time and effort into it and he’s a tough customer.”

Wall not only ended a 14-year drought without a sectional championship Saturday, but also capped a 10-2 season that snapped a run of four straight losing season. The Crimson Knights ended a 3-7 season in 2014 with a 42-0 loss to Delsea in the South Jersey Group III first round.

“It’s an unbelievably great community,” Curcione said. “To see (the alumni) come out and support the team today means the world to us. In 14 years, it just proves how hard this is. (Delsea) won it four years in a row and that’s not the norm. It’s the exception to the rule and that makes this very special.”

& Photos by:

Matt Manley www.shoresportsnetwork.com

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“A l o t o f t h e g u y s o n o u r t e a m c o m e f r o m v e r y h u m b l e backgrounds and their families came here looking for a better life, which I can definitely relate to,” Dortissant said. “ We’r e fr om the same countr y, we have experienced a lot of the same feelings and str uggles and I think that has given me a lot of patience with them. They have a great sense of knowing they can ’t take anything for granted and they feel blessed to have the oppor tunity to come her e and they want to take advantage of it.”

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

very summer, Asbury Park boys soccer coach Jean Dortissant returns to his native Haiti to visit some family and friends who still live there. The sights and sounds not only bring him back to the before his family moved to the United States in 1989, but they place him in the shoes of most of the players in his program.

The culture change at Asbury Park this season goes beyond just soccer.

Dortissant got his team involved in more community service projects over the summer, which not only provided for the community, but also served as a team-building exercise. They spent time with patients at a Meridian Subacute Care Center in Wall, where Dortissant himself works on a part-time basis. They were also involved with the March of Dimes charity, which included the Bark for Babies dog walk fundraiser. Several also helped Dortissant coach in Asbury Park Recreation’s youth soccer program over the summer.

“I know they’re only high school guys, but we preach some of the life things that they always have to keep in mind,” Dortissant said. “Teams we play may not look like us, but we talk about always respecting our opponent. We talk about having right character, being student athletes, and representing our school. We spent a lot of time meditating – we have a person in the building who teaches yoga – and it helps the kids keep composure and keep focus.”

When he returns home to the U.S., Dortissant brings back two things that have been invaluable to him in his role as a coach and teacher: perspective and relatability.

For nine seasons, Dortissant has been a relatable figure for soccer players at Asbury Park – most of whom have been of Haitian descent. For any coach looking to build a program from the ground up, however, perspective can take time to impart and this current group of Asbury Park players has not only embraced their coach’s perspective on the field, but away from it as well.

More than the 18-4-1 season, the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I championship and the turnaround from a 5-12 season in 2015, the overall transformation of the program is the reason Dortissant is this year’s Shore Sports Network Coach of the Year.

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The results started to show on the field late in the summer, when the Blue B i s h o p s started to click as a unit at a camp at Brick Memorial that included several other teams preparing for the season. When it was time for the games to count, Asbury Park was ready.

The Blue Bishops announced their presence to the rest of the Shore Conference in the third game of the season with a 5-1 drubbing of perennial Class B Central favorite St. Rose, which had already beaten Wall and Rumson-Fair Haven to that point. From there, the Blue Bishops would extend their start to 9-0 before losing to Matawan, 2-1.

The early-October loss did not deter Asbury Park from going on to make history. The Blue Bishops won the Class B Central championship for the first time in more than two decades and did so with a perfect 12-0 divisional record. They then won a round in the Shore Conference Tournament and later captured the

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Coach

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brother, Chris, was a Shore Conference Player of the Year as a senior for the 2011 team before turning in four standout seasons at Bucknell and set the bar exceedingly high for his younger brother.

If the expectations that come with being the younger brother of a state champion at CBA were a cross to bear, Matt Thorsheim never showed it during his four years and on the final day of his high school career, he helped lead CBA back to the top of N.J. His championship-level performance in 2016 earned Thorsheim this year’s Shore Sports Network Player of the Year Award, the second consecutive year the CBA midfielder has earned the honor.

B y Matt Manley - Senio r S taff Writ er

he 2016 season was one of the best in the storied history of the Christian Brothers Academy soccer program and that was due, in large part, to a loaded senior class.

Although the Colts relied on a balanced, experienced roster to mow down opponent after opponent on the way to winning 24 games and two tournament titles, only one of the 10 senior starters that CBA started was a four-year starter.

Like his brother in 2011, Thorsheim’s toughest competition for the Player of the Year Award probably came from his own team. Senior forward Patrick Kollman led the team in goals (16), senior midfielder Mattt Mawson led the Colts in postseason goals (6), senior defender Tom Judge scored seven goals and eight assists from the outside back position and senior center back Scott Misson shut down some of the state’s best offensive players over the course of CBA’s postseason run.

Even amid the tough competition from his own teammates, Thorsheim stood out. Playing mostly attacking center midfielder and some forward, Thorsheim was the catalyst for the No. 1 team in the state with his 21 assists – the top mark in the Shore Conference. The 21 assists also matched his output last year, when he set a single-season record forth program.

Thorsheim also had a knack for finishing goals, which he did 14 times this season.

Matt Thorsheim not only took on the weight as a rare freshman starter for the Academy, but he did so at a time when the program was at arguably its lowest point ever. The Colts were coming off their only losing season in program history and were just two years removed from a perfect 210 season in 2011.

In addition to being the torch-bearer for his class right from the start and leading his group on the climb back to the upper echelon of N.J. high school soccer, Thorsheim also had a family legacy to live up to. His older

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C o a c h from page 14 program’s first NJSIAA championship since 1981.

thought I’d win one of these in track before we got one in soccer. It’s been a lot of hard work and what makes it great is they are really great kids. I’m really happy for them.”

sectional

Up until the postseason, few teams challenged Asbury Park to win a close game. Once the pressure was on, Asbury Park showed calm and composure in tough situations. The Blue Bishops rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament to beat Donovan Catholic on penalty kicks. In the NJSIAA Tournament opening round, they overcame upset-minded Middlesex to win 1-0 and later outlasted defending sectional champion South River, 2-1, in overtime.

Not only did Asbury Park’s season draw attention from the rest of the school and community, but other coaches and parents from around the Shore Conference have found the Blue Bishops season to be a feel-good story and have passed their well-wishes to Dortissant.

The Blue Bishops faced added adversity in the Central Jersey Group I final when Johnson and junior defender Shown Narcisse collided in the third minute of play and knocked each other out of the remainder of the game. With junior captain and midfielder Widmaier Beaubrun moving into the goal, the Bishops scored within the next three minutes and held on to beat Palmyra, 1-0.

“To be honest, we had hopes to win the division, but to actually win Central Group I – I didn’t envision winning this at all,” said Dortissant, who is also the track and field coach at the high school. “I was telling the boys that I

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voted by the coaches. Senior goalkeeper Joey Johnson also raised his game to become one of the Shore’s top keepers, as well as a leader for Asbury Park. Senior Fenelson Etienne led the team in postseason scoring and finished with 15 on the season.

In addition to returning players like JoinVilmar, Beaubrun and Narcisse, Dortissant hopes the new attitude is here to stay, regardless of who graduates.

“The support from around the Shore has been so great,” Dortissant said. “I got congratulations from some coaches after we beat St. Rose, after we won the division. After we played Ocean, some of their parents came up to me and the team and congratulated us on our season and told us to go win a state title. And of course, the support we’ve had from the administration has been phenomenal. It’s really been great for our guys to see the positive impact they have been making.”

While team chemistry was a key component to Asbury Park’s breakout season, Dortissant and the program also helped nurture the development of some of the Shore’s top talents. Junior Devensky JoinVilmar contributed 16 goals and 15 assists to win the B Central Player of the Year as

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& Photos by:

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very week during the 2016 season, Shore Conference football fans had their chance to vote for the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey/Shore Sports Network Football Player of the Week on our website, with over 120,000 votes cast during the season.

The final Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey Player of the Week award actually goes to a group of players for their performance in delivering Manasquan the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championship.

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Manasquan Offensive line

The Warriors blasted Bernards, 42-6 at Kean University’s Alumni Field, to win their Shore Conference record 12th sectional title, and it was the offensive line of senior left tackle Dylan Pacetti, junior left guard Evan Hilla, senior center Nick Pierro, senior right guard Matt Hanlon, senior right tackle Ben Barry and senior tight end Adam Schreck that paved the way for 300 yards rushing on 52 carries.

Dylan Pacetti, Evan Hilla, Nick Pierro, M a t t H a n l o n , B e n B a r r y & A da m S c h r e c k

Manasquan jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead with junior running back Connor Morgan running for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.

Morgan was forced to miss the second half with an injury, however, but the Warriors’ ground game didn’t miss a beat. Senior Tommy Meyer and sophomore Canyon Birch combined for over 150 yards and three touchdowns behind the big guys up front to help Manasquan complete a turnaround from consecutive 3-7 seasons with another state championship and a 10-2 final record.

Manasquan’s offensive line was solid all year as Birch was among the Shore’s leading rushers with 1,481 yards and 16 touchdowns and the Warriors finished with 2,592 yards rushing as a team for an average of 216 yards per game.

The Manasquan offensive line was the runaway winner in a group of five that included Wall running back Sean Larkin, Asbury Park running back Namir Argilagos, Mater Dei Prep quarterback George Pearson and Rumson-Fair Haven running back Matt Vecchiarelli.

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Barnegat SR. WR.

Hunter Mauro

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Manasquan JR. RB.

Connor Morgan

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Ffreehold Jr. QB

Ashhante Worthy

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Manasquan So. RB.

Canyon Birch

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Jackson Mem. Sr. RB.

Mike Gawlik

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Southern. Jr. RB.

Matt Barnett

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Re d B ank C atho l ic. J R . Q B .

Nick Brusca

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Wall. Sr. RB.

Sean Larkin Week-4

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Po int Beach. Jr. QB.

Luke Frauenheim

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Mater Dei Prep. Jr. QB.

George Pearson

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Wall. Sr. RB.

Sean Larkin

Photo by: Ray Rich Photography www.rayrichphotography.smugmug.com

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Jackson Mem. Sr. RB.

Mike Gawlik

P l a y e r from page 15

Just like he did last year, Thorsheim nailed down the Player of the Year Award with another brilliant postseason performance. He scored a goal to go with four assists during CBA’s run a second straight Shore Conference Tournament title and capped his career with three goals and two assists during the NJSIAA Non-Public A Playoffs.

The last of Thorsheim’s goals was the biggest of his career and one of the biggest goals in Colts history. In the 73rd minute of the Non-Public A final against Seton Hall Prep, Thorsheim collected a pass from

Mawson and buried the game-winning goal on a left-footed shot – the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the Pirates.

The postseason performance was in line with the rest of Thorsheim’s career at CBA. As a junior in 2015, Thorsheim six goals and nine assists during the Shore Conference and NJSIAA Tournaments, including a game-winner in the 77th minute of the South Jersey Non-Public A championship against St. Augustine. He also scored a winner in the final 10 minutes against Manalapan in the SCT quarterfinals and had a golden goal as a freshman against Donovan Catholic in the South Jersey Non-Public A quarterfinals.

“ T h a t ’ s M a t t T h o r s h e i m , ” f i r s t - y e a r C B A h e a d c o a c h To m Mulligan said after his team beat Seton Hall Prep in the Non-Public A championship. “What a tremendous c a r e e r. F r e s h m a n y e a r, s o p h o m o r e y e a r, j u n i o r y e a r, s e n i o r y e a r. To c a p i t o f f w i t h a s t a t e final goal, you can’t say enough about Matt Thorsheim. He’s a special player and a special kid and he’ll go down in CBA soccer history as one of the all-time special players, without a doubt.”

Thorsheim will again follow in the footsteps of his older brother when he suits up for Bucknell next season. He departs CBA with 39 career goals and 58 assists, according to Shore Sports Network records.

& Photos by:

Matt Manley

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Argilagos Leads Asbury Park in Comeback Thriller Over Keyport for First State Title Since 2011

By Scott Stump – Shore Sports Network Contributer

S

taring at an 11-point deficit in the f o u r t h q u a r t e r i n S a t ur d a y ’ s N JS I A A C e n t r a l J e r s e y G r o u p I f i n a l , A s bu r y P a r k spent the final 11 minutes showing what t h e B lu e Bi s h o p s a r e a l l a b o u t .

“We wanted to remind everybody that this city is a state championship city,” said senior running back Namir Argilagos. “We deal with adversity, and we fight until there are all zeroes on the clock.”

Argilagos led a fourth-quarter surge with two touchdowns to help the Blue Bishops roar back for a 26-17 win over Class B Central rival for Keyport (10-2) at Kean University’s Alumni Stadium for their first state title since 2011 and the seventh in their proud history.

in the air, but by rule the other team has to have a chance to field it if it hasn’t touched the ground. Keyport was flagged for interference, giving Asbury Park the ball at Keyport’s 41yard line.

Three plays later, Taylor made a sensational grab over a defender for a 31-yard touchdown pass from Ja’king Agostini to jumpstart Asbury Park’s comeback. Argilagos then ran in the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 17-14 with 9:58 left in the game.

“I told my coach all game that he couldn’t stick me,” Taylor said. “I told him just give me a shot to make a play.”

The defense took that momentum and came up with a stop on Keyport’s penalty-marred following possession. The Blue Bishops then drove 79 yards in only five plays to take the lead.

Argilagos put the game away. The Blue Bishops did a solid job containing Keyport standout sophomore fullback Devin Wollner, who had 136 yards, but it came on 36 carries.

“I think the defensive line really controlled the line of scrimmage, which we didn’t do a good job at the first time we played them,” Fosque said.

After Asbury Park picked up a crucial first down when Keyport jumped offsides, Argilagos dropped the hammer with a 34-yard touchdown run that made it 26-17 with 1:23 left in the game and Keyport out of timeouts.

“I’m an Asbury Park guy, homegrown, and just revitalizing the program is just great,” head coach Tim Fosque said.

“The team has been really persistent all season long in just believing in one other, and we showed that tonight.”

“It was incredible,” Argilagos said. “Words can’t explain how I felt.”

It put a stamp on Asbury Park’s resurgence under Fosque, an Asbury Park graduate and former player for the Blue Bishops who is in his second season at the helm.

Argilagos capped his career with 175 yards rushing and three touchdowns as the Blue Bishops (8-4) rolled up 271 yards on the ground to avenge a regular-season loss to the Red Raiders.

Asbury Park led 6-3 at the half thanks to a 45-yard touchdown run by Argilagos, but Keyport surged ahead with a pair of scores.

Quarterback Chris Hogrefe put them in front by sneaking in from two yards on fourth down to cap a 12-play, 57-yard drive and give Keyport a 10-6 advantage with 4:58 left in the third quarter.

The championship also was a storybook ending for Argilagos, an outstanding student who attends High Technology High School in Middletown but plays for the Blue Bishops because they are in his home district. He has been accepted to Duke and Notre Dame as a

Jr. QB Ja’king Agostini Senior Paul Reed ripped off a 23-yard run to get the drive started, and two plays later Agostini lofted a deep shot down the sideline that Javon Higgs snatched over a defender for a 30-yard gain.

Argilagos then capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown to give the Blue Bishops a 20-17 lead with 4:21 left in the game before a missed extra point.

Sr. RB namir Argilagos

The Keyport defense then came up with consecutive stops on an interception by safety Rayquan Brown and then an incompletion on fourth down. Three plays after getting the ball back, Cody Young took an end around, fumbled the ball, recovered it in stride and took off for a 75-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 17-6 with 11:06 left in the game.

“I just told my team to stay focused and keep fighting because the game was not over,” said senior wide receiver Josmere Taylor.

A crucial swing play then happened on the ensuing kickoff.

Brown appeared to have recovered an onside kick by snaring it

“We thought the big plays would be the difference in this game, so if we could cut loose and make those plays, we could come out on the positive side,” Fosque said.

On Keyport’s ensuing possession, the Asbury Park defense made a championship stand. They forced a pair of incompletions to force a turnover on downs, and then

student.

“This is something I’ll never forget,” he said.

He and the rest of the Blue Bishops will now celebrate their return to the top after a stretch in which they won four state titles from 2007-11 before coming up short the last five years.

“We got a whole city behind us,” Taylor said. “This is not for us, this is for them.

We told them from Day One, we’re going to bring it back to Asbury.”

by:

Scott Stump

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Photos by:

Ray Rich Photography www.rayrichphotography.smugmug.com

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F i v e sh o r e t e a m s co m e u p s h o r t i n t h e r e q u e st f o r a championship

By Scott Stump – Shore Sports Network Contributer

It was a tough ending for KEYPORT, but the future looks bright for the Red Raiders under coach Jay Graham after being denied their first title since 2002. Fullback Devin Wollner will be back after a huge sophomore season with 1,673 yards and 9 touchdowns, and sophomore running back Greg Robinson and junior wideout Joey Kay-Flagg also return as building blocks.

The season surprisingly ended in losses for MANALAPAN and Toms River North. The Braves fell in Central Jersey Group V to a Piscataway team they beat during the regular season, giving them four losses in the state finals in the past six seasons. The good news is that the majority of their talented core returns, led by junior tailback Naim Mayfield, junior quarterback Luke Corcione and sophomore linebacker Tommy Pearce, so they have the ammunition to make another run and finish the job next season.

TOMS RIVER NORTH entered the South Jersey Group V final as the defending champions and the top-ranked public school team in the state but came up short in a loss to Millville, which won its first state title since 1975. The Mariners were held to their lowest point total of the season to deny their bid to become the first back-to-back state champs in school history and end the careers of a standout senior class.

year with 44 total touchdowns, tying the single-season Shore Conference record set by Mater Dei Prep’s Christian Palmer in 2014. He finishes his career as one of the best quarterbacks in Shore Conference history.

There was one other Monmouth County team that won a state title, but unfortunately it came at the expense of a Shore team. Allentown beat BRICK 416 in Central Jersey Group IV to win its first state title in history, rushing for 328 yards to deny the Green Dragons their first title since 2013.

MIDDLETOWN NORTH’S first trip to the state finals in 20 years ended in a 41-14 loss to Sayreville in North II Group IV to end a nine-win season for the Lions.

Senior quarterback Donald Glenn finished his career as the Shore Conference’s all-time leader in passing yards (7,498) and touchdown passes (71) in a year in which Middletown North won its most games since 1996 and beat Middletown South for the first time in 16 years. Senior Brendan Kube also became the first wide receiver in Shore Conference history to have two 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

Senior quarterback Mike Husni ran for a score to finish the

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Teams Announced for 2016 3 3 rd W O B M C h r i s t m a s C l a s s i c

By Kevin Williams - Sho re Sp orts Ne twork Direct0r

T

he 33rd annual WOBM Christmas Classic returns to the Pine Belt Arena next month and Tournament Director Kevin Williams has announced the teams tha t wi ll make up the bi ggest holiday basketball tournament in the shore and state whic h begins the weekend of December 17-18.

RWJ BA RNABAS, HEALTH retu rns as the presenting spo nsor of the 7-day, 52-game WOBM Classic.

The boys’ field of 16 schools is the same as it was last year when Manasquan beat Toms River North in the championship game with the help of Devin Jensen, who returns this year for the Warriors. The Mariners will likely be among the team seeds thanks to the return of players like Jaden Rhoden, Darrion Carrington and Mike Nyisztor. The remainder of the boys’ teams competing in the 7-day tournament are Brick Memorial, Donovan Catholic, Freehold Township, Jackson Memorial, Lacey, Manchester, Marlboro, Middletown South, Point Boro, Red Bank Catholic, St. Rose, Toms River East, Toms River South and Wall.

The girls division offers a very different look as gone is

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three-time defending champion Manasquan along with perennial challengers Middletown South, Red Bank Catholic and Jackson Memorial. Taking their sports are newcomers Ewing, Monroe, Neptune and Red Bank Regional. They join Brick Memorial, Central, Colts Neck, Donovan Catholic, Freehold Township, Manchester, Point Boro, Sayreville, Toms River East, Toms River North, Toms River South and Wall. It promises to be the most wide-open girls’ tournament in many years.

The pairings for the 33rd annual WOBM Christmas Classic will be announced on December 12th.

Everything You Need To Know About The 2016 WOBM Christmas Classic The 33rd annual WOBM Christmas Classic gets underway Dec 17th at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River. With such a large-scale event with 32 participating teams, there are bound to be questions. Here is everything you need to know:

Schedule: Saturday, December 17

– Girls First Round

Sunday, December 18

– Boys First Round

Monday, December 26

– Girls Quarterfinals/Consolations

Tuesday, December 27

– Boys Quarterfinals/Consolations

Wednesday, December 28 – Girls Semifinals/Consolations Thursday, December 29

– Boys Semifinals/Consolations

Friday, December 30

– Championship & 3rd Place Games

When: December 17-18, December 26-30

Radio:

Where: Pine Belt Arena/Toms River North

Boys & Girls Championship Games on 12/30 will be broadcast live on 1160 & 1310AM and stream at shoresportsnetwork.com

Who: 16 Boys & 16 Girls Varsity Basketball Team

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December 17 th – 30 th

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Be part of a Jersey Shore tradition that reaches a large and enthusiastic audience from Monmouth and Ocean counties and is an annual rite of winter for all local basketball fans by having your business featured in this year's WOBM 33rd Annual Christmas Classic official tournament program. The detailed program put together by the Shore Sports Network staff not only recounts the rich history of New Jersey's premier basketball holiday sporting event, it also serves as a keepsake for all the players, coaches and fans involved. Not only is the program a chance for your business to reach a wide and passionate audience, it is a chance to become a permanent part of a lasting memory for many members of the Shore Conference Basketball community.

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