Shore Sports Network High School Sports 2-17-14 Vol-VI Issue-4

February 18, 2014 Volume-VI Issue-4

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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 12,000 followers) and Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

Featured in This Issue

SteveMeyer

Director High School Division smeyer@allshoremedia.com 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

ScottStump

Managing Editor

stump@alls ho re media .c om

Senior Content

Providers

MattManley // Mmanley21@gmail.com B o b B a d d e r s / / badders@allshoremedia.com

Shore Sports Network is published by: A l l S h o r e M e d i a L L C 26 Oxford Drive Wayside NJ, 07712 Copyright 2014 All Shore Media LLC All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Shore Sports Network & All Shore Media LLC is prohibited

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Open MRI of Wall All-Star 2014 Title Sponsor

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A Long Line to Say Goodbye to Francis Duddy

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Matawan Wins First Div. Title Since ‘65

THE SCT 8-9 RUN TO A CHAMPIONSHIP

Wall’s Historic Run Comes To an End Howell Wrestling Wins First Sec. Title Shore Sports Network SCT Broadcast Schedule Stumpy’s Corner

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OPEN MRI OF WALL Continues its Support of the Shore Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game

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By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

host of Point Beach stars led by Division I-bound point guard Matt Farrell, Iowa recruit Dom Uhl and guard Noah Yates, as well as Delaware-bound Jackson Memorial center Eric Carter, Southern forward Mike Gesicki, Lakewood center Ben Watson, Long Branch guard Terrel Cox, Christian Brothers Academy guard Louie Pillari and more.

pen MRI and Diagnostic Imaging of Wall has been a proud supporter of Shore Conference basketball, which continues this year with the Shore Conference Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games at Wall Township High School.

Open MRI will once again be the title sponsor of this year’s boys and girls games, which are on March 19 at Wall. The girls all-star game will be at 6 p.m., followed by the boys game at 8 p.m.. As always, the games are a great way to send off the Shore Conference’s top seniors in their final game as high school players.

“This game has become an important part of the basketball calendar every year in the Shore Conference, and Open MRI’s sponsorship and support are big reasons for that,’’ said Shore Sports Network’s Steve Meyer.

“Their support allows us to put on a memorable event for these seniors as they wrap up their high school careers.”

The girls all-star game will be at 6 p.m., followed by the boys game at 8 p.m.

This year’s game will once again feature top talent from the girls and boys senior classes in the Shore. On the boys side, the game will feature a

The girls game also will feature a host of standouts, including Red Bank Catholic’s Grace Fallon, Monsignor Donovan’s Dana Carbone, Manasquan’s Sam Sullivan, Neptune’s Iyonna Crenshaw, Marlboro’s Haley Unger, Wall’s Ellen Dougherty and more.

Powered By

There also will be a 3-point shootout during halftime of the boys and girls games, with players chosen from the all-star practices competing for long-range supremacy.

Once again RKE Athletic is supplying the game shirts for the boys and the girls.

“These games for the seniors are a great way for them to go out, and we are happy to be a part of it” said RKE owner Ted Maciejewski.

The top player in each of the senior all-star games will receive the Arthur W. Harmon Jr. Most Valuable Player Award, named after the late Art Harmon, a long-time official in the Shore Conference.

Check our website for more information: www.shoresportsnetwork.com

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE

2014 ALL-STAR

GAME DAY PROGRAM

Be part of a tradition at the Jersey Shore that reaches a large

and enthusiastic Basketball audience from Monmouth and Ocean counties by having your business featured in this year's 2014 Open MRI of Wall Shore Basketball Coaches Senior AllStar Game official game day program. The detailed game program put together by the Shore Sports Network staff not only recounts the past season and highlights this year's group of All-Stars, 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.

CALL TODAY 732-233-4460

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A Long Line to Say Goodbye I

By Kevin Williams

f you drove by St. Joseph’s Church on Hooper Avenue in Toms River late Wednesday afternoon on Feb. 12th, you probably noticed a long line of people outside trying to get inside.

They came by the hundreds, if not the thousands, to say goodbye to a young man who in 19 short years made a lasting impact on the lives of his family, friends and just about all who came in contact with him. I stood in that line for almost two hours, most of it spent just inside the church’s doors, where we moved inches at a time.

I did not know Francis Duddy well, having met him a couple of times at football games where he was introduced to me by his father, Dan, who is the head football coach at Monsignor Donovan High School. On one occasion when I came in contact with him I told Francis I would likely forget his name just as I have done with all seven of his brothers and sisters. With apologies to Danny, Michael, Keenan, William, Aileen, Annah and Grace, the one Duddy child I will never forget is Francis Xavier Duddy.

Waiting in the church, we watched a video on loop with pictures that are now indelible memories. Francis making his communion, playing football and lacrosse for the Griffins, graduating high school, on family vacations, just being with his friends and family. There is one common trait in just about all of them: a smile that tells you this was a young man who would squeeze the last bit of fun out of just

about every day.

Since his passing in an auto accident last weekend I have also learned that Dan and Maura’s son liked to dance, and many of his friends have alluded to that in the memories they shared. I even came across a video in which Donovan football players had to take a zumba class, and right in the front strutting his stuff was Francis. I hope it’s a memory that will last for many of his teammates because it’s a great one.

The show of love and support yesterday should not have surprised me as the St. Joseph’s/Monsignor Donovan community is a close-knit one and in times of sadness comes together. When you add in the large Duddy and Sheehan families, I should have known that getting there at the scheduled start time of 4 p.m. was not soon enough.

Francis Duddy & his parents Dan & Maura (photo/Tommy Farrell)

As I was walking to the church I ran into Pastor Scott Shaffer,who thought for some reason that I was related to the family. I responded that I’m one of the few Irishmen in Ocean County who is not a Duddy or Sheehan relative.

Last week, though, we were all part of that family, and we’re heartbroken.

Francis Duddy, a 2013 Monsignor Donovan graduate and former standout in football, wrestling and lacrosse for the Griffins (Photo by Sport Shots WLB)

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A S A M P L I N G O F C U R R E N T A N D F O R M E R M A C A L L - S TA R S n Sehmonyeh Allen—Neptune

n Sean Armand—Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis HS (NY)

n Delvon Arrington—St. Anthony’s n Brian Baker—Colts Neck

n Mustafa Barksdale—RBR

n Robert Barksdale—Asbury Park

n Billy Beggans—Ocean Township n Kate Beriont—St. John Vianney

n Dana Jean DeGennaro—RBC

n Greg Ford—Trenton Central

n Karen Otrupchak—RBR

n Pat Delaney—CBA

n Billy Gilligan—RBR

n Toni Panza—St. John Vianney

n Mark Donnelly—RBR

n Erica Gomez—St. John Vianney

n Kristian Duravcevic—Fordham Preparatory School (NY)

n Kevin Grier—CBA

n Chris Delaney—CBA

n Jose Diaz—Pt. Pleasant Beach

n Sean Dunne—CBA

n Mike Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech

n Steve Bridgemohan—E Brunswick

n Matt Farrell—Pt. Pleasant Beach

n Brandon Brown—Freehold Boro

n Sarah Fisher—RBR

n Rashon Bruno—St. Anthony’s

n Colin Ford—Manasquan

n Josh Brody—RBR

n Yesenia Burgos—St. John Vianney n Courtney Calderon—St. John Vianney

n Isaias Calderon—Neptune

n Quarran Calhoun—Raritan

n Shilique Calhoun – Middletown North

n Richard Calia—Holmdel

n Cooper Calzonetti—Neptune

n Chasen Campbell—Oak Hill Academy (VA) n Cleveland Cannon— Long Branch

n Raheem Carter—Long Branch

n Corey Chandler—East Side

n Markens Charles —St. Patrick

n Robert Cheeks—St. Anthony’s n Rahmir Cottman—RBR

n Vincent Council—Lincoln (NY) n Don Coven—Long Branch

n Jared Craddox—Lakewood n Sumit Dalal—Marlboro

n Charles Davis—Neptune

n Syessence Davis—Neptune n Paul De Salvo—CBA

n Allen Dean—Neptune

n Taquan

Dean—Neptune

n Crissie Fisher—Rumson-Fair Haven n Adam Fleischner—Holmdel

n Glen Ford—RBC

n Avery Gardner—Long Branch

n Kevin Owens—Neptune

n Tyler Glass—Mater Dei Prep

n Evan Pastorelle—RBC

n Dana Graziano—Holmdel

n Anthony Perry—St. Anthony’s

n Paul Halas—St. Rose n Felicia Harris—RBR

n Michael Harris—Randolph

n Mykel Harris—Great Mills (MD)

n Ashley Hart—The Peddie School

n Eugene “Nu Nu” Harvey—St. Benedict’s Prep n Corey Haskins—RBR

n JR Hobbie—Manasquan

n Kasey Hobbie—RBC

n Darien Hutton—Ewing n Nolan Ivers—Holmdel

n Jasmine Jackson—Old Bridge

n Rosie Jackson—St. John Vianney

n Melvin Johnson—St. Benedict’s Prep n Tyson Johnson—St. Mary’s (NY)

n Michael Kelly—St. Anthony’s (NY) n Billy Kiss—Long Branch

n Shinece Perry—RBR

n Earl Pettis—Saints John Neumann & Maria Goretti Catholic (PA)

n Simon Press—Asbury Park n Joey Raines—Asbury Park

n Alifiya Rangwala— The Ranney School

n David Reeves—RBC

n Jarelle Reischel—Pt. Pleasant Beach

n Anne Richards—The Lawrenceville School

n Charlie Rogers—Matawan

n Amanda Rosato—St. John Vianney

n Will Sanborn—RBR

n Shira Schect—Hadassim HS (ISRAEL)

n Keyron Sheard—RBR

n Brian Snodgrass—Holmdel

n Lauren Sokol—The Peddie School

n Stephen Spinella—Colts Neck n Matt Stahl—Middletown South

n Missy Stavola—Rumson-Fair Haven

n Nick La Morte—Mater Dei Prep

n Jenna Strich—RBC

n Erin Leahy—Rumson-Fair Haven

n Kim Talbot—RBC

n Herve Lamizana—St. Patrick’s

n Carl Little—Asbury Park

n Maggie Loundy—Pt. Pleasant Beach

n Mike Mavrinac—Middletown South

n Jasmine McCall—Manalapan

n Billy McCue—CBA

n Roshown McLeod—St. Anthony’s

n Christian Morris—S. Kent School (CT)

n Darius Morris—Long Branch

n Valerie Morris—Freehold Boro n Michael Murphy—Howell

n Sachin Nagpal—Ranney School

n Brian O’Reilly—Middletown South

n Scott Stump—RBC

n Aaron Tarver—RBR

n Terrance Todd—Neptune

n Maurice Turpin— Long Branch

n John Weldon—Freehold Boro

n Dawn Werner—St. John Vianney

n John Werner—St John Vianney

n Kayshanna Wesley—Asbury Park n Kade Weston—RBR

n Eric Yarborough—Asbury Park

n Tomora Young—RBR n Terry Zinn—RBC

n Lynne Zoltowski—RBC

V i s i t o u r w e b s i t e , w w w. m a c t e s t i n g . c o m

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Matawan Tops Neptune for 1 st Div. Title Since ’65

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By Matt Manley - Staff Writer

hen it comes to winning in the Shore Conference, no public school boys basketball program has the track record that Neptune High School has, certainly not current Shore Conference Class B North rival Matawan.

Prior to Saturday’s meeting between the B North foes, it had been 49 years since Matawan had won a division title, a period during which a Neptune championship and a Matawan winning season have probably happened with similar frequency.

The Huskies will be hanging up a division championship banner after taking out defending division champion and perennial power Neptune Saturday, 65-55, to win the outright Class B North title. The championship is Matawan’s first division title of any kind since 1965.

“This is a group that comes to work every single day, whether it’s practice or a game,” Matawan coach Tom Stead.

“It makes it fun as a coach when you know your guys are going to give you everything they have on a given day. They knew they had a chance to be a special group and to their

credit, they dedicated themselves to the goal, and they went out and earned it.”

Joe Piscopo scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Huskies and his three-point barrage during a stretch of the late first and early second quarters put Matawan in control of the game for good. The junior point guard finished with five 3-pointers and four of them came during a 14-2 run that put the Huskies up 22-11 midway through the second quarter.

“When things are going well, I want my teammates getting involved, and when things aren’t going well, I want to be the one to pick my team up,” Piscopo said. “It doesn’t even have to be scoring. I don’t ever want to see anyone on our team with their head down and if I sense that, I know I need to step up and pick them up.”

Neptune trailed at the half despite holding Matawan’s top two scorers – junior Jason Dunne and senior Chris Tawiah – scoreless for the first 15 minutes. The Huskies led 22-15 at that point before Tawiah broke the drought with a conventional three-point play before the half to put Matawan ahead, 25-15 at the break.

Despite the quiet first half from the duo, Dunne (12 points) and Tawiah (10) finished with a combined 22 points.

Matawan’s other two starters also contributed to the scoring, with senior Austen Planes scored 10 points and senior Nick Tomkins adding nine.

Junior Jason Dunne

“I thought we did a nice job defending them the way we planned and the big thing was we rebounded very well,” Stead said. “Our goal was to get them to force some shots and then to keep them off the offensive glass. If you can frustrate them, sometimes they start jacking up threes, which is what they started doing.”

VOLUME-VI Matawan built its lead to as much as 20 points, but Neptune eventually chipped it down to eight with just under two minutes left. The Huskies had taken an 18-point lead into the fourth quarter, but just as Matawan nearly erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit in an earlier, three-point loss at Neptune, the Scarlet Fliers appeared poised to make a push in the final two minutes.

Planes missed two free throws with his team leading 53-45, but Neptune could not corral the rebound. Dunne gathered the ball and took it back up for a basket while also drawing the foul. He converted the free throw to put Matawan ahead 56-45 with 2:09 left.

Neptune would again cut its deficit to eight at 63-55, but by then, there were only 35 seconds left.

the Neptune lead to one. Neptune controlled the glass on both ends in that game, but Matawan did not allow Neptune frequent opportunities on the glass until the final minutes of the most recent game.

“They pushed us around at their place for the first three quarters and we didn’t wake up until the fourth quarter, which ended up costing us the game,” Piscopo said. “We had to be physical with them, especially boxing out on the defensive end. If you give them second chances, they are going to kill you, but we knew if we kept them to one shot, we’d be in good shape.”

Matawan had a chance to clinch a share of the division title on Tuesday in what seemed like a winnable game against Freehold, but the Colonials shocked the Huskies, 48-44, to set up a winner-takeall meeting between Neptune and Matawan.

“We got beat on the glass at the end and missed some free throws, which made things interesting,” Stead said. “If you miss free Junior point guard Joe Piscopo “I’m sure our guys were throws like we have this year, looking ahead to this game and you’re going to have some tense moments. They scrapped and were able to take advantage of I told them that they had to learn from it,” Stead said. “A the frenetic pace, which is going to happen sometimes when loss like that is either going to make you stronger or it’s going to end the season. The guys came in ready to work on a team is fighting to come back.”

Wednesday and ready to put it behind them.”

The Scarlet Fliers won the first meeting between the two The Huskies will look to follow up a successful regular teams back on Jan. 27, 48-45, in a game that saw Matawan rally from a 41-27 deficit in the early fourth quarter to cut season with another strong showing in the postseason

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tournaments after a surprising run through the Shore Conference Tournament last year as a No. 24 seed. The Huskies won road games at Red Bank Catholic and Christian Brothers Academy to reach the SCT quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Lakewood.

Matawan was the No. 15 seed in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II playoffs and lost to No. 2 Manasquan in the first round. This season, the Huskies are the No. 1 seed in the CJ II bracket and will be home for the duration of their stay in the sectional tournament.

“It’s definitely a different feeling this year,” Piscopo said.

“None of us have ever been in this position before, going into a tournament as a favorite. We’re really going to have to listen to our coaches because they’ve been on us from the very beginning about what to expect this year, and that’s been big for us. The big thing now is to just find out who we’re playing and get to work.”

“I’d almost rather play a first-round game than get a bye,” Stead said of the SCT. “I want these guys getting game action in order to tune up. Sometimes you practice and you lose your edge, and I think that’s happened to us at different times this year.

“We’ve had a good season to this point, but I still don’t think we’ve put it all together yet. I still don’t think we’ve played our best basketball, and we’re looking to do that in the next couple of weeks.”

by:

Matt Manley www.shoresportsnetwork.com

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ust by virtue of popular opinion and everyone’s desire to sound like an expert ( present company included, of course ) , every tournament, whether professional, collegiate, high school, AAU, or fourthperiod gym class has a “favorite.” Predicting games are a fool’s errand, albeit a fun one, and part of predictions among a large group of people is the phenomenon of consensus.

In recent years of the Shore Conference Tournament, it could be said that there were two, maybe three teams that garnered some consideration from observers as favorites to win the tournament, much like elections are whittled down to two candidates or that cola preference has been simplified to the question, “Coke or Pepsi?” (RC Cola anyone?).

This year, there is only one favorite. Only one team is a reasonable choice as the favorite and anyone who says otherwise has a horse in the race. Point Pleasant Beach has been the best team from day one of the season and not only have the Garnet Gulls been dominant, but they have been dominant against many of the top teams in this tournament outside of their Class B Central division.

The great thing about sports, though, is that it’s not an election. Point Beach is not the winner of the tournament because everyone picks them, and unlike a democracy, the failure of public opinion to pick the winner is actually a welcome surprise.

It’s not likely that any team is beating Point Beach, but the teams of the Shore Conference are ready to take their shot. Here is a breakdown of the field, starting with the teams that are the longest shots to win, all the way to the teams that have a chance to do some real damage.

CBA's Pat Andree

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HEY, YOU NEVER KNOW

For these teams, just getting out of the first round would make for the upset of the tournament.

28. Mater Dei Prep

The Seraphs don’t have any wins over the field and have not been able to keep up with the better teams on their schedule. If Mater Dei is looking for hope in the first round against Manasquan, perhaps it can draw upon its experience from just playing against Point Beach and even teams like Shore and St. Rose. The Shore game was the most competitive of those five games, so maybe the Seraphs have their best shot against A Central.

27. Keyport

have

By Matt Manley – S an army of guards that could give Southern a problem. After the first round however, Monsignor Donovan would have to go to Point Beach and while Monsignor Donovan has some elements (depth, shooters, balance) that could bother the No. 1 seed, Beach is just so much better than the rest of the field right now. The Griffins could have been a sleeper in the tournament, but with this draw, it might be better to call them “dreamers.”

Long Branch is going to have its hands full stopping Keyport senior Alex Thomson, but the Green Wave have shown it can defend game in and game out. If Keyport is to have a chance to win just one game, it will have to play on another level defensively. Keyport can score, but the defense – especially on the defensive glass – has to show up to hang with Long Branch. And that’s just one game.

HIDDEN GEMS

Pretty good teams, but the circumstances are not in their favor.

25. Marlboro

BAD TIME, BAD DRAW 21. Toms River South

Even if Toms River South was a completely healthy team, drawing Red Bank Catholic in the first round with a potential game at Manasquan on the horizon is awfully tough. Both A Central teams are rolling lately and present so many match-up problems on either end of the floor. Then factor in that Toms River South will be without junior guard and leading scorer Tymere Berry, and the task becomes all the more daunting.

The Indians have played fairly well (3-3) without Berry, but they were not deep to begin with and now will face a very deep and skilled Caseys team.

17. Monsignor Donovan

Out of all the opening-round road teams, Monsignor Donovan probably has the best chance to win. The Griffins have played some of their best games away from their home floor – wins over Brick Memorial and Point Boro, a close loss to Lakewood – and they Lakewood's Maurice Diawara

The resumes are not great, but the talent, as well as the draw, could make these teams interesting.

The Mustangs have only one win over a team in the tournament (Colts Neck) and there is not much on the resume to suggest that the Mustangs will get by Shore. But the roster is solid and, more importantly, improving over the course of the season.

George Elghoul, Justin

Markowitz and Matt Ringel have all had runs as a top scorer, so Shore will have to bring it defensively to avoid a scare. If Marlboro should survive Shore, the Mustangs are also good enough to win a second game, but the run will not go past the quarterfinals.

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their size at each position and the sheer athleticism of Mike Gesicki.

15. Brick Memorial

Senior Staff Writer

24. Rumson-Fair Haven

Since beating Shore on opening night, the Bulldogs have not been able to close out games against top competition, which has to be unsettling going into a game at Jackson Memorial on Tuesday. The good news for Rumson is that the Bulldogs have been competitive in most games, so they should be able to give Jackson Memorial a run. Like Marlboro, Rumson is good enough to win two games, but the run would stop against Point Beach in the quarterfinals.

26. Lacey

The tournament’s lone team under .500 will have to travel to Neptune in the first round, which is as much of a challenge as any team faces in round one. Lacey, however, has the style and personnel to give the Scarlet Fliers a 32minute headache. Beating Neptune is still a longshot and Lacey’s resume reveals a team with some holes, but the draw – which includes potential games against the Freehold Township-Holmdel winner and then possibly CBA – is a little bit more manageable than the teams that have already been listed.

TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN These teams have a right to have high hopes, but each will be met by a heavyweight early in the tournament.

16. Southern

The Rams have a tough first-round game and could be going home early, but if Southern has shown anything over the last two years, it’s that it can step up and compete with an elite team.

If Southern can survive round one, the Rams would be one of the more dangerous teams that Point Beach Pt. Beach’s Matt Farrell could play, just because of

The St. Rose match-up in the first round is so close that the home team would probably have the edge in any match-up. That means that Brick Memorial is probably more likely to win the 15-vs.-18 game, but St. Rose comes in closer to the top because they probably have a better chance to go to CBA and win, albeit a still-remote chance.

18. St. Rose

The Purple Roses were supposed to play CBA, Manasquan and Red Bank Catholic before the weather decided they would not. While that would have toughened St. Rose up, a 37-36 loss to Jackson Memorial is a pretty good indicator that St. Rose is ready to be a problem for any team they face.

A potential second-round game at CBA would be tough, but the Purple Roses have seen Point Beach twice and would not be intimidated.

GOOD ENOUGH DRAW. GOOD ENOUGH TEAM? 19. Toms River North

The plan at Toms River North from the start of the season was to build up its team full of juniors and sophomores and make its move late in the season, and with this seed, the Mariners are in a position to do that. They are plenty good enough to knock off Manchester after losing to the Hawks in the WOBM first round, but Lakewood is probably too much to handle. A draw of Point Boro in the first round and Matawan in the second round would have been a better draw. Speaking of which…

20. Middletown North

The Lions are struggling as much as any team in the tournament right now, but this is a new week and, essentially, a new season. With a pretty good mix of front-court and wing players, Middletown North will have some match-up advantages against Point Boro and, potentially, against Matawan, but it all comes down to whether or not the Lions can right the ship.

13. Point Pleasant Boro

The first-round game against Middletown North is probably a tossup and Point Boro comes a spot ahead of the Lions on the countdown because 1) they are home and 2) they are playing a little better lately. The Panthers don’t have anything on the resume that strongly suggest they are Southern's Mike Gesicki

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poised to make a deep run, but the match-ups will give Point Boro a chance to compete and pull an upset in the round of 16.

THE ROARING TWENTIES

Who could be this year’s Matawan (20plus seed to win two games)? Probably nobody, but if that team is out there, it’s probably one of these two.

22. Colts Neck

The Cougars have flown under the radar this season and have played a little better each week. That’s to be expected with such a young team and now as the tournament begins, it may be time to stop with the baby steps and make a big leap. Red Bank has been very tough at home, but the Bucs are also young. If Colts Neck puts a good game together in round one, that could give the Cougars some momentum going into a round-of-16 match-up against Long Branch.

23. Holmdel

For a stretch of about two weeks, Holmdel was the hottest offensive team in the conference and the prospect of running into that Holmdel team has to worry Freehold Township and Neptune. Freehold Township has been solid all year, but the Patriots have had a couple of scares against a similar type of team in Marlboro. With a lot of weapons for an opponent to cover and an experienced big-game coach in Sean Devaney, Holmdel will be a tough out as long as the Hornets are around.

THE INITIAL THREAT

One of these two teams will likely have the first shot at Point Beach on a neutral floor. This is the part of the piece in which the chances to beat one of the top teams become more of a possibility.

9. Jackson Memorial

The Jaguars already lost to Point Beach at Long Branch by 20 at the Boardwalk Showcase, so there is some potential for déjà vu in the quarterfinals. Just to get there, Jackson Memorial will have to survive a couple of dangerous A Central teams in Rumson and Shore, both of which have the kind of guard play that could challenge the Jaguars. With Eric Carter and Jesse Hill, however, Jackson presents plenty of problems in their own right.

Matawan’s Jason Dunne

See

Championship page 10

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Championship Continued from page 9

8. Shore

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16 points at home. If they are good enough to beat Manasquan like that, they are good enough to get to the semifinals at Brick Memorial and maybe even give Point Beach a good game.

7. Neptune

While Point Beach steamrolled its way to the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions last season, the one Central Jersey Group I team that hung around with the Garnet Gulls was Shore. There have been some games in which the Blue Devils defense has not been up to par, but when this team defends, it is very dangerous. On a good shooting night, defense or not, the Blue Devils would probably be too much for a lot of teams. Point Beach is not one of those teams.

Neptune would not have to see Point Beach until the championship game, but the prospect of having to play CBA, Lakewood and Point Beach in consecutive games makes Neptune’s road harder than that of a team that plays Point Beach earlier in the tournament. Neptune’s second-half surge has coincided with a run of home games, and even then, Lakewood won by 23 points in Neptune. Perhaps Neptune can pull out a win over CBA on a neutral court, but it’s hard to see any team beating those three opponents in a row.

The door is open a crack for this handful of teams.

LEGITIMATE LONGSHOTS

LOOKING FOR DAYLIGHT 14. Manchester

The Hawks have not been able to compete with Lakewood for four quarters, so the chances of them getting past the second round are more remote than that of Middletown North, but Manchester has also proven it can beat a top 10 team. If Manchester can find the formula against Lakewood – not an impossible proposition, mind you – the Hawks will then become a serious threat to reach the semifinals.

11. Red Bank

Few teams are as deep as the Bucs, who have had 10 different players score in double-figures this year. The one issue that could stop Red Bank is its suspect road record this season, but with a home game to open things up and a road game at division rival Long Branch, the Bucs are not such a long shot to reach quarterfinals.

10. Freehold Township

It would have been interesting to see how Freehold Township handled CBA a second time, and the Patriots probably would have liked to find out before the tournament started.

Holmdel is a dangerous first-round opponent and Neptune is a tough place to win in the second round, but those are manageable games for a deep, dangerous Freehold Township team. If they get by those two, the Patriots will get their second game against CBA.

12. Red Bank Catholic

Outside of a 19-point loss at Shore, Red Bank Catholic has been untouchable since early January. Despite a 12-1 record since Jan. 7, the Caseys only drew a No. 12 seed, but that doesn’t mean RBC can’t storm into the semifinals. The last time RBC met Manansquan – its potential second-round opponent – the Caseys won by CBA’s Louie Pillari

These three teams have all had their moments and might be able to pull off a big upset late in the tournament.

4. Matawan

The projections on this site had Manasquan as the No. 4 seed and recently, the Warriors have played better than Matawan, so this order is a reflection of that. The Huskies should be able to reach the quarterfinals where they will be looking at a game against either Manasquan or Red Bank Catholic. Manasquan has played at a higher level, but Matawan is probably the better bet to reach the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

5. Manasquan

A round-of-16 game against Red Bank Catholic is tougher than Matawan’s match-up against either Point Boro or Middletown North, but the Warriors are coming together at the right time. Manasquan has a lot of quality role players around four good scorers in the starting lineup and now the Warriors add CBA transfer Luke O’Shaughnessy to the rotation. With a tough, physical style on defense, Manasquan might have the best roster to challenge Point Beach.

6. Long Branch

The No. 6 position might be the best spot outside of the top three, at least when it comes to reaching the semifinals. Long Branch would have to go through a similar gauntlet that Neptune faces, but the difference is that Long Branch has already defeated Lakewood. Long Branch is not the most consistent team, but in this tournament, consistency is only as valuable as a team’s ceiling is high and Long Branch has a high ceiling.

THE CHALLENGERS

2. Christian Brothers Academy

CBA would be the favorite in a game against Lakewood, which makes this positioning a bit counterintuitive. The Colts have not lost inside the Shore Conference and have the kind of size, length and skill that can take advantage if the Garnet Gulls have a bad game. The one concern for CBA is that it rolled through a Class A North division that was less loaded than usual and could not come within 10 points of DeMatha, St. Anthony and the Patrick School. The schedule was good, but CBA did not win any of those highprofile games, which it will have to do in order to win this tournament.

3. Lakewood

Lakewood already had a shot at Point Beach and came up 23 points short, but consider a few factors. First, Lakewood got very little out of Ben Watson in the first meeting and the senior center is the key to the physical style that could bother Point Beach. Secondly, Point Beach – specifically Noah Yates – lit it up from behind the three-point line which may or may not have happened despite good Lakewood defense. Finally, a young group of Lakewood players grew up a lot during the course of that game and started to battle with Beach’s players. Lakewood is among the most battletested teams in the tournament and the Piners still profile as the team with the best chance to take out Point Beach.

THE OVERWHELMING FAVORITE 1. Point Pleasant Beach

It should say something about how good Point Beach is when the team with the best chance to beat the Garnet Gulls already lost to them by 23 points and was out of the game by the second quarter. If not for an especially shallow bench because of an injury to junior Mike Frauenheim, Point Beach might have beaten the Patrick School and entered the tournament 22-0.

The Garnet Gulls are on a mission after losing the SCT final last year and coming up just short in a Tournament of Champions loss to Atlantic City. Assuming the Garnet Gulls get to, and stay at, full strength, it’s hard to see any team in this field coming within a few baskets of the Beach.

Pt. Beach's Dom Uhl

Photos by:

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Cliff Lavelle

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Wall’s Historic Run Comes to an End in Group II Semifinals W hile a 46-15 loss to Hanover Park in Sunday’s

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

NJSIAA Group II semifinals at Pine Belt Arena brought Wall’s breakthrough season to an end, it may only be the beginning for the Crimson Knights.

After winning the first sectional title in program history this season, Wall returns the bulk of its lineup next season and may be on the cusp of an impressive run behind a talented group of underclassmen.

“We look forward to coming back here next year,” said head coach Brian Fischer. “That will be our goal, and then obviously taking it one more step further. I am so proud of these boys. We went further than I think anybody thought we would, and it was going to have to stop at some point anyway.”

While Wall’s 33-26 win over Long Branch in the Central Jersey Group II final was historic, it also proved costly. Starting 106-pounder Ryan Valante suffered a broken arm, and starting 145-pounder Jack Wishart (20-9) suffered bruised ribs, which meant three forfeits on Sunday by the Crimson Knights once a strategic forfeit at heavyweight was included. That’s a lot to overcome against a team as talented as Hanover Park.

“We ran into a buzzsaw,” Fischer said. “That’s a good team. They’re No. 8 in the state for a reason, and we’re not even in the top 20.”

Wall weighed in usual heavyweight Aldo Guisse at Wa l l 1 6 0 - p o u n d e r B r e t t D o n n e r 220, which is where the match began. Fischer wanted to try to minimize the damage early in the match considering Hanover Park’s heavyweight, Nick LaShell, is undefeated.

Lou Ramio started the run when he pinned Wall’s Denzel Tovar in 1:23 at 113. Tovar was winning 4-2 before Ramio caught him in a cradle and stuck him for an 18-3 advantage.

“That’s what we had to do,” Fischer said. “Their heavyweight is undefeated, and we were looking to hopefully trade some points there as opposed to risking not getting any. The benefit was definitely in keeping Aldo at 220.”

Guisse came away with a 1-0 decision over Tommy Hunt at 220 thanks to a third-period escape to give Wall a 3-0 lead, but that would be the extent of any drama. Wall forfeited at heavyweight and 106, and then Hanover Park’s vaunted lower weights blew open the match as the Hornets rattled off seven straight wins to score 46 unanswered points and put the match away. Hanover Park went on to lose 34-33 to High Point in the Group II final when High Point pinned in the last four bouts to win a thriller.

Wishart being out of the lineup meant have to bump everyone up, which meant forfeiting at 120 to 2012 state champion Anthony Cefalo to give Hanover Park a 24-3 edge. Christian Bassolino, Joe Zecca, Gene Angelo and Anthony Oliveri all followed with wins, including an 8-0 major decision by Oliveri at

152 that officially clinched the match.

Wall sophomore Brett Donner (29-1) picked up a solid 5-2 win at 160 over Anthony Bassolino thanks to a first-period takedown and a second-period reversal. Teammate Tommy Wishart won 7-5 on a takedown with 11 seconds left in overtime at 170 over Rory DeLuca, and Wall freshman Matt McKenzie (27-2) followed with a 1-0 decision over Mason Sangillo at 182. Senior Tyler Romanelli (263) ended the match for Wall with a 7-0 decision over Eric Boccard at 195.

While Wall will have to replace its starters from 182 to heavyweight, the rest of the lineup returns on a talented young team that certainly could make another run next season.

“They got experience, and I don’t think they got caught up in the lights and big stage,” Fischer said. “That team was just better than we were today. I feel we’re battle-tested. I feel we’ve got the nerves down for any pressure situations. I’m looking forward to the districts, regions and states, and I know my boys are, too.”

Team Photo by

Cliff Lavelle

www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

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Howell Wrestling Wins Its First Sectional Title in History

When Jimmy Slendorn stepped onto the mat with hundreds of

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

fans going wild for the most important individual bout in Howell wrestling history, he thought of all the times he’d envisioned that very moment.

“It’s one of those situations you think about as a kid – in the back yard, bases loaded, full count,” Slendorn said.

“But when you go out on the mat you have to put that out of your head and just wrestle.”

With the Rebels trailing Brick Memorial by one point with one bout left, Slendorn’s task was simple: just win.

With history on the line, the Howell senior came through in the clutch, taking a 4-0 decision from Luis Bocalman at 120 pounds to give the Rebels a 27-25 victory in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV final on Friday night for the first sectional title in program history for the Rebels.

“It feels like you’re walking on a cloud,” Slendorn said. “There’s no other way to describe it. It’s euphoria.”

“It’s the best feeling, I can’t describe it,” said Howell head coach John Gagliano, himself a Howell wrestling alum. “It’s so awesome for these guys to work all year and set a goal and come out and win the sectional against Brick Memorial.

“This is an awesome day for the town of Howell to come out with a state championship.”

Howell won eight of 14 bouts against Brick Memorial for its second win over the Mustangs in a two-week span.

The Rebels defeated Brick Memorial, 28-27, to win the Shore Conference Tournament on Feb. 1. That was a first-time victory for Howell, and it set the tone for an even bigger victory Friday.

“Other times we would wrestle Brick Memorial and the thought was, ‘We almost beat them, so now let’s go beat them,’” Slendorn said. “Now we knew we did it already, and we just had to go do it again, and that’s a lot easier than trying to make up for things.”

“The difference is they just believed,” Gagliano said.

“In the past they weren’t sure. This time they believed it.”

Slendorn was the closer on this historic night in

Howell, but as it often goes in championship matches, there were several heroes.

the most a match can go is 10 minutes, and you can dig deep for 10 minutes of your life for this.”

Junior Nick Lurski wasn’t even sure he would wrestle Friday night. It all depended on what weight Brick Memorial sent out Cliff Ruggiero at. Howell wanted Joey Schultz on him at either 160 or 170, and when Brick Memorial instead sent out Tim Santiago at 160 that meant it was Lurski’s chance.

“They said I might have to go out at 160, but they thought Ruggiero would go out,” Lurski said.

“When they saw the other kid they said, ‘Lurski it’s you, get out there! You can win this one.’”

Lurski held a 3-2 lead heading into the third period in what was going to be a crucial toss-up bout regardless of bonus points. But then Lurski, starting the third period on defense, scored a reversal, found a cradle and brought the house down. Lurski pinned Santiago with 1:06 left in the third period, providing critical bonus points and cutting Brick Memorial’s lead to 13-9 through six bouts.

“(The cradle) just presented itself so I went for it, and it happened,” Lurski said

“That was probably the best part of the match,” Slendorn said. “That was sick. I love Lurski.”

“We go through all the different scenarios, and you don’t think of that,” Gagliano said of Lurski’s clutch pin.

“He just happened to find that (cradle). I don’t think I’ve seen a cradle from him all year.”

Lurski’s pin also made up for some lost ground after Brick Memorial’s Anthony Mitchel defeated Josue Pierre-Louis, 6-3, at 132 and Joe Ghione defeated Kris Lindemann, 7-3, at 138 pounds.

Just as Howell did when it won the SCT, it won in ways it never had in championship matches. In addition to Lurski’s pin, the Rebels won three overtime bouts that were obviously the difference in a two-point match.

Howell began the match with a 3-2 decision by Anthony Gagliano over Jose Bocalman at 126 pounds for a 3-0 lead.

Mitchel’s win over PierreLouis tied the match at six before Ghione turned the tables on Lindemann to give the Mustangs the lead. Lindemann majored Ghione during the SCT final, but Ghione, who seems to be getting healthier by the match, put Lindemann to his back in the first period to fuel his 7-3 victory.

Schultz edged Ruggiero in sudden victory at 170 pounds, 3-1, on a takedown 11 seconds into the first overtime, and Stephen Boncimino topped Connor Owen, 5-3 at 182 pounds, also in sudden victory.

“We knew where we had to win and knew it was going to be close,” Gagliano said. “We had to pull out the tight matches.”

Boncimino’s victory gave Howell a 15-13 lead through eight bouts, but Brick Memorial got a pin from Nick Costa over Sean Silverstein at 195 and another fall from Tyler Poling over Nate Litowsky at 220. The back-toback six-point bouts gave the Mustangs a 25-15 lead with four bouts left. The way it shaped up, Brick Memorial needed to win at either heavyweight or 106 to close out the match.

At heavyweight, senior Kyle Cocozza came through with a 5-4 victory over Nick Rivera thanks to a reversal in the first period and a takedown in the second. Peter Dee then followed with a grueling 1-0 victory over Gianni Ghione in double overtime at 106 pounds to bring the Rebels to within 25-21. Mikey Sisolak’s 7-1 decision over Luke Vescovi at 113 pounds set up Slendorn to win the match.

“It’s one of those things where you look at the clock and look at the team score, and you know what you have to do,” Dee said. “You can’t let your team down. You get that little extra surge of energy. When it coms down to it

Alec Donovan then won by 18-7 major decision over Anthony Pozsonyi at 145 and Rob Ruggiero defeated Jack Rada, 5-3 at 152, to give Brick Memorial a 13-3 lead. Wins by Lurski, Schultz and Boncimino would give Howell the lead, and after pins by Costa and Poling for Brick Memorial, Cocozza and Dee won one-point bouts to put Howell in the driver’s seat.

Sisolak did his job to set up Slendorn, and the senior didn’t miss.

After a scoreless first period, Slendorn picked up two near-fall points in the second period and added a reversal in the third for a 4-0 win. He tossed his head gear into the air and briefly jumped into a pile of his teammates before shaking hands for the official end of the match.

That kicked off a celebration never seen inside Howell’s gymnasium.

The Rebels' season later came to an end in the Group IV semifinals with a 34-24 loss to Southern.

by:

Bob Badders www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Join The

Shore Sports Network Team Today!

Interested in joining our team and think you have what it takes to be covering sports in the Shore Conference for Shore Sports Network? We are looking for local writers interested in covering sports like Lacrosse, Baseball, Football, Basketball, Soccer, Swimming, Track, Ice Hockey and more as part of our

newspaper and our website (www.shoresportsnetwork.com). Grab your chance to appear regularly in The Shore Sports Network by-weekly publication and posted on www.shoresportsnetwork.com while helping us recognize more athletes and bring more stories to Shore Conference sports fans. This is your

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Just contact Managing Editor Scott Stump @ stump@allshoremedia.com

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We will be broadcasting the following on 1160/1310 with Matt Harmon & KevinWilliams calling the action n Girls semifinals on Tuesday, February 25th (6 & 7:45pm, Brick Memorial)

n Boys semifinals on Wednesday, February 26th (6 & 7:45pm, Brick Memorial) n Girls Final on Saturday, March 1st (1pm, Monmouth University) n Boys Final on Saturday, March 1st (3pm, Monmouth University)

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

VOLUME-VI

Irough t has a been a stretch for the Shore

Conference athletic community.

First there was the death of legendary Southern Regional girls basketball and field hockey coach Kathy Snyder in her sleep at 58 years old on Jan. 24.

Then came the stunning news that 2013 Monsignor Donovan graduate Francis Duddy, a former threesport athlete for the Griffins, died in a one-car crash in Toms River on Feb. 8. A coaching legend who impacted countless lives and a promising young man just embarking on his future, both gone in an instant.

Those two events also served as a reminder of how tight-knit the Shore Conference community can be in times of tragedy. Just being at the memorial that Southern had for Snyder, and seeing the massive crowd that came to mourn and celebrate Duddy, the son of Monsignor Donovan head football coach Dan Duddy, was emotional. This job can make you cynical in a hurry between overbearing parents, irrational coaches, arrogant players and all the online heckling that comes with covering sports these days, but all of that seemed to melt away when seeing the essence of what this area is about during tough times.

Snyder’s memorial showed the true meaning of why coaches do what they do – to give back to their community.

There were more than 200 women there who had

been coached by her during her 35-year career, and none of them spoke much about wins or losses or championships.

They spoke about how her influence has now helped them as they become mothers themselves, or given them the toughness to face a daunting thing like breast cancer, which Snyder endured.

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particularly devastating. Who knows, maybe Francis Duddy would have followed in his father’s footsteps and become a coach himself, effecting lives just like Snyder and his dad have done. Unfortunately, we will never get to know.

They also spoke about the type of tough love that is somewhat under fire in the age of bullying accusations.

One player’s comment particularly struck me when she said, “She wasn’t trying to be our friend. She was trying to prepare us to be strong women.”

Snyder’s blunt persona could sometimes mean blurting out words that a player didn’t want to hear, but that greatly helped them later in life when actual adversity hit, not just the kind on a basketball court or a hockey field. Try that today with some athletes, and they go home and tell their parents they are being bullied because the coach isn’t trying to be their friend.

While Snyder’s death was certainly shocking, at least she had been given a chance to dramatically effect so many lives during her time. Her achievements beyond the impressive amount of wins and championships were documented by how many women made a point to come to Southern in person that night to say goodbye along with more than a thousand people from the local community and surrounding towns.

The contrast was the wrenching death of Duddy. To be gone so soon made it

Duddy’s radiant smile and buoyant spirit came across in the remembrances by friends, family and teammates, particularly in a touching video made of his life. One of eight children in the Duddy family, he played football and lacrosse and also wrestled for the Griffins.

I have always been particularly impressed by Monsignor Donovan’s ability to come together in times of tragedy. I can remember covering a basketball game in the early 2000s in which one of their players had his mother die in her sleep the morning of a big tournament game. He decided to play that night to honor his mother, and the student body turned out in force at a neutral court at Lakewood High School to support him. It was like he had the whole community from the school and the parish there to lift him up in the worst moment of his life and help carry him through a day that would be unfathomable to many of us.

It’s not just the Southern and Monsignor Donovan communities that have responded to the two tragic deaths, either. Offers of support and condolences have poured in from around the Shore in both cases.

It makes you realize you are part of something bigger when you are involved in athletics in the Shore Conference. People don’t just think provincially about their towns, but think of them as part of the whole that encompasses both counties.

Social media has shrunk the distance between schools to where athletes who don’t live anywhere near one another are right there to support one another when tragedy strikes.

While you never want painful reminders of it in the form of what has happened over the last month, the Shore has shown that it is a special place that is there for its own in times of tragedy.

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