2-21-11 Volume III Issue-4

February 21, 2011 Volume-III - Issue-3 F o ot b a ll A c ademi c Al l- S ho r e Team Pa g e 5 Boys Basketball: Reg.-Season Review Pa g e 6- 7 District Tournament Wrestling Pa g e 8- 9 Wrestling Feature: Keyport's Greg Velasco Pa g e 11 RFH, Pt. Beach Make Splash in SCT Pa g e 12 Jackson Wrestling Wins Group 4 Title Pa g e 14 Stumpy's Corner Pa g e 15

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A multimedia company that provides exciting and innovative coverage to high school athletics in the Shore Conference in order to highlight the achievements of local athletes in one of the premier conferences in New Jersey. Whether it’s the star of the team or the last player off the bench, everyone has a story and it is our mission to recognize as many athletes as possible and add to the memories for all of the families, coaches, friends and fans who support Shore Conference sports. Whether in print or on the Web, All Shore Media is your main source for all things exciting in the Shore Conference.

February 21, 2011 I Volume-III I Issue-4

All Shore Media Web Site Features Log on to www.allshoremedia.com regularly to get video highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about.

Catch up on the action you might have missed and watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes.

If you can’t make it to the game, we’ll bring the game to you, and if you were at the game and want to relive the excitement, www.allshoremedia.com is all you need to get inside the action.

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Volume-III

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Issue-4

2/21/11

A SM / 3

oPen MRI oF WAll JoInS SenIoR All-STAR GAMe AS TITle SPonSoR

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

at the next wave of stars coming to high school programs.

This year’s Shore Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game will have a premier venue, premier players, and now a premier sponsor.

“The games for the seniors are a good way for them to go out, while the youth games going on before all-star games give younger kids a chance to come to our campus,’’ Medley said. “It’s good for us to promote not only the building, but all the other things Brookdale offers to the community.’’

Open MRI and Diagnostic Imaging of Wall will serve as the title sponsor for this season’s games, which will take place on March 25 at the newly refurbished Robert T. Collins Arena at Brookdale Community College, which also held the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and semifinals this season. Brookdale now has a pair of gyms because it has added the Brookdale Recreation and Events Center to the existing Collins Arena.

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.

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

“This game continues to get bigger and better, and adding Open MRI as a sponsor only enhances this event and allows us to send these seniors off on a great note,’’ said Matawan coach Tom Stead, who is president of the Shore Conference Coaches Association on the boys side.

“Their support of Shore Conference basketball is certainly something that is appreciated by all the coaches and players.’’

The refurbished court with all-new seating and even a luxury box area at Collins Arena was on full display in front of packed crowd at the SCT boys quarterfinals and semifinals, while the girls played to a big crowd at the Recreation and Events Center. The court at Collins Arena should serve as a great venue for the Shore Conference seniors to play their final game.

“This is an impressive facility,’’ Stead said while taking in the boys quarterfinal games. “They’ve done a great job with it, and it should make for a fun day of basketball on March 25.’’

“Moving forward, we would love to see a lot of high school events coming to the campus, especially because with the addition of the Brookdale Recreation and Events

Center, we can run two games at the same time,’’ said Brookdale assistant athletic director Michael Medley.

“It’s rare that you see any community college across the nation with a facility like this. We’re excited, and we’d like to add a Christmas tournament or a preseason tournament moving forward.’’

RKE Athletic is supplying the game shirts for the boys and the girls, and the coaches association also has made a big addition this season with a Futures Game for the boys and the girls, the first of which will tip off at 4 p.m. on March 25. The games will feature the top eighth-grade talent in Monmouth and Ocean counties, as selected by the youth coaches in the area. It will give fans a glimpse

The high school games this season should be loaded with Division I talent, particularly on the girls side.

Among the senior class, Neptune’s Shakena Richardson (Rutgers), Syessence Davis (Rutgers) and Chyna Golden (Pittsburgh), St. John Vianney’s Jackie Kates (Univ. of Pennsylvania), Arron Zimmerman (American University), Missy Repoli (Colgate), and Katie O’Reilly (Lehigh), Rumson-Fair Haven’s Nicole Issaacs (Manhattan), Stephanie Isaacs (Fairleigh Dickinson), Victoria Lesko (Boston College), and Ashley Cooper (Holy Cross), Howell’s Sarah Olson (NJIT), Red Bank Catholic’s Samantha Guastella (Quinnipiac) and Kasey Hobbie (Presbyterian), Middletown South’s Meghan McGuinness (Niagara) and Jackson Memorial’s Christa Evans (Rutgers) make up arguably the most talented class in Shore Conference history.

On the boys side, Christian Brothers Academy’s Matt McMullen (Colgate) and J.P. Koury (Bentley) as well as Point Beach’s Jarelle Reischel (Rice University), Monsignor Donovan’s Sean Grennan (Seton Hall), Middletown North’s Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State for football), St. John Vianney’s Mike Balkovic (Caldwell), the Lakewood duo of Jarrod Davis and Tony Walker and plenty more talented players should make it an exciting event.

Ch eck ou r web s ite f or mor e in f o r ma tion on th e game www.alls h or emedia.com

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Issue-4

2/21/11

Schuman Football Combines Coming to the Shore

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

With stops in nearly 90 locations in 2011, the Schuman’s National Underclassmen Football Combine Camps are coming to the Shore Conference with two events in the next two months.

Attendees will be evaluated

by Rivals.com, with the results being sent to colleges ranging from Division I-A to Division III. The camps are run by founder David Schuman and his staff, who had 24,000 athletes participate in their combines in 2010 alone and more than 2,000 players from their combines have received scholarship money from Division I-A, I-AA and II schools.

eighth-graders to help them gain early exposure to colleges to showcase their skills,” Schuman said in a news release.

Another combine and series of events will be held from April 15-17 at Matawan High School, starting with a combine prep training session at 4 p.m. on April 15, followed by position skills training at 5:30 p.m. and then a recruiting seminar at 7 p.m.

On April 16, a combine for eighth-graders and freshmen will be held at Matawan at 8 a.m., followed by a combine for sophomores at 1 p.m. A combine for current juniors will be held on April 17 at 1 p.m.

The first combine in the Shore area will take place on March 19 at the Atlantic Club in Manasquan, starting with a combine for players in eighth grade through sophomores at 8 The combines are being a.m. and followed by a combine held at 88 locations across for juniors and a last-chance the nation from Feb. 5 event for current seniors at 1 through June 12 by p.m. All events are videotaped Founder David Schuman Schuman and his staff, and sent to colleges along with who have worked with more than 85,000 athletes measurables like height, weight and 40-yard dash nationwide. times.

“At the NUC, our goal has been to help high school football athletes, in particular freshmen and sophomores, but we have expanded to juniors and

The combines allow athletes to gain collegiate exposure, whether they are players at small schools, up-and-coming elite players or raw prospects looking to polish their game and get on the

recruiting radar.

With 88 National Football Combine date in 2011, 15 Ultimate 100 camps, one Top Prospect Camp, a list of partners and sponsors, and 2,000 percent growth since its inception, NUC is one of the top high school recruiting showcases in the nation. In 2010, more than 24,000 athletes from grades 8 through 11 participated. Over the past six years, the NUC has facilitated more than 3,000 athletes with scholarship offers.

The National Underclassmen Showcase for Football was founded by the originators of the National Underclassmen Football Combines. Over the past five years, the NUC has led more than 2,000 athletes to Division I, I-AA, and scholarship offers while thousands more have gone on to play college ball. The company has taken the principle of the football showcase and is now applying it to lacrosse, bringing in the best lacrosse coaches and athletes to run the showcase, combined with the NUC's timing staff to bring the first true testing and showcase for lacrosse with the sole aim to get the athletes recruited for college. All events are videotaped and the results will be sent to every college in the U.S. To see what NUC’s done in the past, visit www.nationalunderclassmen.com. The company is expanding its program to more than 60 cities and more than 180 events throughout the U.S

For more information on the combines and events, or to register for one of the upcoming combines in the Shore area, athletes can go to www.nationalunderclassmen.com to find out more information.

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Football: Academic All-Shore Team Honored The top performers in the Shore Conference on the field and in the classroom from this year's senior class will be honored at the annual Academic All-Shore Scholar-Athlete breakfast at Gibbs Hall in Fort Monmouth on Feb 19.

The awards were presented by the Shore Football Coaches Foundation and sponsored by the U.S. Army. Players from nearly every Shore Conference team will be honored for having kept at least a 3.0 grade-point average while also being contributors on the field.

Monmouth University head coach Kevin Callahan, Rutgers assistant Rob Smith, U.S. Army representative Michael Rounds and inspirational speaker Lee Rubin were all speakers at the breakfast. The master of ceremonies was Monsignor Donovan head coach Dan Duddy, who is the SFCF president.

Also honored were the Coach of the Year recipients for each of the Shore Conference's seven divisions, who were selected by their peers.

Manalapan's Ed Gurrieri and Tom Gallahue (Class A North); Matawan's Joe Martucci and Rumson's Shane Fallon (Class A Central); Brick Memorial's Walt Currie (Class A South); Freehold's Mark Ciccotelli (Class B North); Shore Regional's Mark Costantino (Class B Central); Lacey's Lou Vircillo (Class B South); and Lakewood's Warren Wolf (Class C Central) are this year's winners.

Below are the respective Academic All-Shore recipients for each team. List provided by SFCF Membership Officer Dom Lepore.

Especially deserving of notice are Barnegat wide receiver Mike DeTroia, Long Branch quarterback/defensive back Miles Shuler, Manalapan running back Josh Firkser, Freehold lineman Michael Kasten, Red Bank Catholic running back/safety Andrew Casten, Lacey running back/defensive back Jake Dabal, Lacey quarterback Craig Cicardo, Point Boro tight end Ryan Malleck, Lacey running back/defensive back/kicker Jarrod Molzon, Matawan offensive lineman/linebacker Andre Hodge, Raritan lineman Shane Mertz and Rumson linebacker Mike Huttner, who were also All Shore Media first-team All-Conference selections.

Brick

James Gibbons, Sean Henry,Michael Marotta, Dylan McDonnel, Cody Schnebel

Central

George Heiser, Daniel Hortig, Alex Kwzpis, Joe Scheider, Josh Schroeder

Colts Neck

Artie Teeter, Billy Spataro, Kevin Weissman

Freehold Boro

Frank Caporicci, Michael Hembling, Jesse Hunt, Chris Joseph, Michael Kasten, Harrison Stokes, Kyle Toto, Brandon Weiss, Ryan Wytanis

Freehold Township

Zach Berkowitz, Gene Blanco, DJ Callahan, Joe DeFranco, Andrew Glantz, Kevin Grant, Matt Intile, Ryan Kiernan, Toure Lowe, Mike Mullen, Adam Rihacek, Allreal Rosa

Holmdel

Sanmi Jinadu, Daniel Masterov, Michael Pokazanyev

Manasquan

Ryan Casey, Thomas Corbo, Edward Kapalko, Nick McWilliams, Shawn Miller, Zack Ogden, Evan Shadlun

Manchester

Monwell Brown, Anthony Prendimano, Ron Spicer

Marlboro

John Belo, Brian Campbell, Kenny Ecchevaria, Phil Failla, Jordan Golinowski, Nick Jensen, Cameron Kanapathy, Troy Kraft, Preston Kumar, Tyler LaQuinta, Pat Rizzi, Brian Rodrio, Max Spano, Chris Van Curen, Charles Wilson

Matawan

Joel Castell, John Faccas, Andre Hodge, Andrew Lazar, Andrew Richmond, Terry Rodriguez, Ken Santimauro, Joseph Urciuoli

Mike Cantelli, Adam Covino, John J. Cuccurullo, James Livengood, Chris Marciano, Jacob Murtaugh, Adam Sokolski

Middletown North

Howell

Kyle Bunge, David Elkhatib, Alex Lehr, Rick Lovato, Tom Masi, Scott Meeker, Taylor Rogers, Andrew Suarez

Ryan Dambach, Ryan Handy, Mike Lamantia, Tyler Ott, Christian Peck, Rob Rigby, Jesse Rockhill, Nick Schwarz

Jackson Liberty

Ronald Brown, Tyler Castellano, Mike Kafton, Ari Nwobi, Greg O'Connor, Mike Parnes, Kristian Ruiz, Tyler Sousa

Jackson Memorial

Jesse Bagley, Kenny Bagley, Tyler Hampton, Anthony Iadisernia, Matt Jamison, Jake Orehostky, Tony Rubbe, Fred Scheer, Dimitrius Smith

Keyport

Frank Derise

Middletown South

Monmouth Regional

Raritan

Anthony Bayer, Sean Bowe, Adam Dayke, Max DeNardo, Kevin Furlong, Jared Gurczeski Connor Hayes, Christian Marchena, Shane Mertz, Rene Moore, Tyler Murphy, Timothy Pizanie,Thomas Walker, Brandon Weigand

Red Bank Catholic

Frank Abt, Anthony Canella, PJ Cassidy, Andrew Casten, Dylan Chayes, Ryan Doyle, Mike Russell, Thomas Vaughan

Red Bank Regional

Jahmer Bunch, Noah Gradl, Michael Reardon, Luke Roskowinski, Brian Scanlon, Ron Vilardi

Rumson-FH

Ben Albainy, Evan Benkert, Andrew Giannotto, Matt Gilbertson, Michael Huttner, Ian Moore, Brendan Reiss, Cory Socha, Michael Villapiano, Sam Waters, Jack Wise

St. John Vianney

Adedeji Badru, Nick Dragonetti, Bryon Green, Nick Leonte, Chris Mason, Ben Prevost, Marco Recchia, Sean Tobin

Shore Regional

Monsignor Donovan

Rob Boyle, Patrick Cleary, Eric McMahon, Sal Munafo, Jake Rossini, Bill Shimko, Gerry Yost

Tom Albanese, Gary Azzolini, Mike Cook, Angelo DiSalvo, Kennan Duddy, Kevin Kowalski, Ryan Ricciardelli, Patrick Rista, Kyle Rogus

Mike Konish, DJ Miragliotta, Greg Velasco, Rob Zakutansky

Neptune

Lacey

Ocean

Matt Gannon, Phil Seidle

Lou Buscio, Mike DeTroia, Chris Nueva, Casey Pinto, Nick SanGiacomo

Brian Chittum, Connor Hayes, Tyler Lyster, Scott Pembleton, Joey Pingitore, Harrison Raby, Kevin Rogers, Brian Wobser

Brick Memorial

Long Branch

Mike Acquaviva, Travis Barry, Russ Clayton, Dylan Davis, Mike DiGuilmi, Phil Faccone, Matt Hoffman, Jordan Loiodice, Justin Rubert, Logan Smith, Tom Tressito, Mike Varall, Tim Veltre, Dylan Walsh

Ryan Malleck, Jim DiOrio, Mike Mazza, David Haliday, Austin Smith, Gage Klotz, Dan Delaney, Jeff Lokerson, David Halliday, Nick Prascak

Martin Aborlleile, TJ Eckstein,Brandan Ford, Ryan Greenwood, Shayne Henderson, Brandon Mayes, Scott Satcher, Matt Showanes, Anthony Truncale, AJ Visconti,Brandon Wall, Mark Williams

Cameron Blackwell, Nicholas Bredan, Craig Cicardo, Jake Dabal, Kevin Hanula, Shane Hartley, Dylan Joslin, Jarrod Molzon, Tom Murray, Bryan Mykilow, Zach Torrell

Barnegat

Point Boro

Shane Carroll, Anthony Lanzano, Eric Lower, Pat Migliaccio, Evan Ruane

Southern

Toms River East

Vincent Arminio, John Costanza, Brett Hayhurst, Rocco Mazzo, Sean Murphy, Stephen Murphy, John Palmer, Kenneth Redmerski, Erik Rokisky, Daniel Wasilick, Erik Zingler

Toms River North

Anthony Carrington, Eric DeMartino, Todd Hardifer, Freddie Tucker

Pinelands

Toms River South

William Baillie, Miles Shuler, James Parnell

Eric Gilley, Jacob Hartman, Mike Keller, Ibn Shepperson

Manalapan

Point Beach

Wall

Thomas Barber, Nicholas Benevento, James DeBlase, Josh Firkser, Reggie Hodge-Grant, Brad Hughes,

Taylor Fioretti

Luke Grady, Bill Hill, Kyle Kenny, Anthony Saraceno, Dan Slavin, Ron Suarez, Evan Tarver Tim Gill, Kyle Janeczek, James O'Donovan Kyle Warnick

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2/21/11

Boys Basketball: Regular-Season Review

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor Now that we’re in the thick of the postseason, it's time to take a quick look back at what has transpired so far in each division in the regular season and the players to watch as we head into the home stretch.

While All-Shore reputations are forged in the heat of the postseason, these mentioned are the players who have put themselves in position for one of the top 15 spots between first, second and third-team AllShore Conference. This is just how I see it as things stand now, and as we all know, a lot can change in the next month.

Let's get to it.

ClASS A noRTH Champions: Christian Brothers Academy and Middletown North tied for overall title. CBA was non-public champ, Middletown North was public champ.

Player of the Year: Matt McMullen, Sr., F, CBA. It's really splitting hairs between McMullen and senior guard J.P. Koury, and I could see them sharing this award, which is voted on by the coaches in the division.

McMullen has also been the team's leading rebounder and a versatile player who has done everything from scoring in the post to bringing the ball up the floor.

All-Division Candidates: McMullen and Koury are locks, and then it gets really interesting because of the case of Middletown North senior center Shilique Calhoun. He was a lock for All-Division before being dismissed from the team last week for walking out of the gym during a loss to CBA. However, that was North's last divisional game, and Calhoun was a standout throughout the entire divisional schedule. In other words, on production alone, Calhoun deserves a spot.

However, because of the way things ended, it leaves the coaches (and us) with a tough decision.

We'll see who head coach Mike Iasparro pushes as his AllDivision candidates from Middletown North. If Calhoun is counted out, then it could be John Martens, Jason Huelbig or Eric Youncofski. Martens may get the slight edge with the coaches because he is a senior.

As for other candidates, I would think senior point guard Ryan Keegan, Howell's all-time leading scorer, is a lock.

High-scoring Manalapan senior Kyle Rubbinaccio also has a very good shot at being an All-Division first-teamer. Freehold Township's Casey Skievaski deserves some consideration but did miss some time with injury.

Coach of the Year: Mike Iasparro, Middletown North. The Lions beat CBA at CBA for the first time ever, and even though the Lions unraveled in that last game against CBA, they still shared the overall title with the Colts, which is a rare feat for any public school in this division. I think Geoff Billet deserves some consideration, but the feeling is always that CBA has so much talent and should win every year, so the coach rarely gets credit. Anyone who saw the adjustments he made in the second Middletown North game should know he deserves consideration. I also think Manalapan's Rick Garretson deserves a mention for a turnaround season for the Braves.

Matawan senior guard Keenan Johnson should get some consideration, but the Huskies are so balanced that it may hurt them in the individual awards season because you can make arguments for several players.

Shore Regional senior guard Zack Hoffman, one of the top-five scorers in the Shore, should get a first-team spot simply from his production on a young team that has played a host of newcomers. Also, Raritan could push for as many as three guys because it won the title, but Aaman and Furlong are the clear two.

Coach of the Year: Denis Caruano, Raritan. The Rockets nearly went undefeated in the division despite usually only playing five players, six at max, in most games.

I think Matawan's Tom Stead also deserves heavy consideration for engineering the turnaround at a program that had been in the wilderness for more than a decade. I think the postseason will decide this award.

ClASS A CenTRAl

ClASS A SoUTH

Champion: Raritan.

Champion: Jackson Memorial.

Player of the Year: Mike Aaman, Raritan. I think the Rockets' junior center will end up with this one because he routinely put up big numbers, with a double-double in almost every divisional game. I think his teammate, senior point guard Kevin Furlong, also deserves consideration. St. John Vianney senior forward Mike Balkovic could also elbow his way into the argument because even though his team didn't have the success that the Rockets did, Balkovic outplayed Aaman head-to-head.

That's what makes these awards so tough because is it purely the best player and best statistics, or should team success factor heavily as well?

Player of the Year: Connor Saker, Jackson Memorial. Again, this will be interesting to see if team success trumps big individual stats, as Southern senior guard Luke Sheehan is one of the top scorers in the Shore, although he missed some time with injuries and other issues. Saker, a senior, is a hard-nosed defender and clutch scorer for a team that went undefeated in the division, so he should get a strong push.

All-Division Candidates: I think Aaman, Furlong and Balkovic are locks. It will be interesting to see who is pushed for first-team All-Division between the Rumson-Fair Haven tandem of guards Kevin Alter and Jack Donnelly.

Both have been excellent, but I don't know if both can be first-teamers unless maybe the coaches put six on first team.

All-Division Candidates: Saker, Sheehan and Southern freshman Mike Gesicki all seem like logical candidates along with probably either Brandon McDonnell or Brandon Holup from Jackson Memorial, depending on which one head coach Joe Fagan pushes for consideration. I think Tim O'Shea of Brick Memorial also deserves a spot, as the guard helped lead the Mustangs to a tie for second place with Southern in the division.

The rest of the division has some fringe candidates, like possibly Zack Liguori from Toms River South. Toms River North didn't necessarily have that one guy from beginning to end and was more of a balanced team, and same goes for Toms River East.

Coach of the Year: Joe Fagan, Jackson Memorial. At a program that is often overlooked because of its powerhouse wrestling team, Fagan led the Jaguars to a 10-0 showing in divisional play. It was a heck of a year in A South for Jackson Memorial, whose girls basketball team and wrestling team also won divisional titles without losing a game or a match in the division.

ClASS B noRTH Champion: Neptune.

Player of the Year: Jaheem Woods, Neptune. On a team that always seemed to be in flux with injuries, suspensions, and other issues, Woods was consistently productive. He barely played last season as a sophomore, but Co ntinu ed o n nex t p ag e

www.allshoremedia.com the junior guard emerged as a top scoring threat and played his best in big games in the division.

All-Division Candidates: Besides Woods, it will be interesting to see who Neptune coach Ken O'Donnell pushes for other spots. Junior point guard Ikie Calderon has been up and down at times, junior forward Fuquan McDonald missed a big chunk of the season while sitting out because of transfer rules, junior center Josh Jenkins has shown flashes but not every game, sophomore Spencer Hubbard has been inconsistent, and sophomore Keith Kirkwood missed three weeks with mononucleosis. Calderon is most likely the guy.

As for other candidates, RBC senior point guard Luke Oriolo is a pretty sure thing and senior guard Chris Seaman will probably also get heavy consideration. Colts Neck will definitely get one guy and maybe two, so it just depends on who it will be out of the trio of juniors Hunter Wysocki, Sean O'Reilly and Brian Kenny. My money would be on Wysocki and Kenny. Monmouth senior forward Quaver Smith may also get some consideration along with Freehold senior guard Jesse Hunt and Long Branch senior forward Nate Bolden, but it may be tough for them to break into the first-team group.

Coach of the Year: Devitt Gillroy, Red Bank Catholic. The Caseys were not expected to do much in the preseason, and nearly ended up tying heavily-favored Neptune for the overall title on the heels of a 5-win season.

ClASS B CenTRAl Champion: St. Rose and Asbury Park tied for the overall title. St. Rose was the non-public champ, Asbury Park was the public champ.

Player of the Year: Jarelle Reischel, Point Beach. I am very interested in how the coaches vote on this one because Asbury Park's Maurice Dickerson and St. Rose's Mark Kukoda are also very strong candidates. Again, it's a question of individual production vs. team success. Dickerson and Kukoda did not face constant

A SM / 7 double and triple teams all season like the Rice Universitybound Reischel, who still put up big numbers. I think Dickerson could certainly get this one because of his team's success and his consistent production.

All-Division Candidates: Dickerson, Reischel and Kukoda are all locks, so it comes down the other spots. I would think Asbury Park junior Thomond Hammary and Point Beach senior guard Mike Rotando will get strong consideration for the other two spots. St. Rose was so balanced, although forward Andrew Kurtz should be in the discussion in my opinion. There was a big dropoff from the top three teams to the rest of the division, so I think guys like Keyport's Cyrus Williams or Keansburg's Brian Woods are a long shot.

Coach of the Year: Dennis Devaney, St. Rose. The veteran coach guided his squad to a comeback season on the heels of a 9-13 campaign, leading them to a share of the overall title while dealing with injury issues to top players.

ClASS B SoUTH Champion: Manchester and Lacey tied for the overall title.

Player of the Year: Deon Smith, Lacey. This one is up for grabs. I just threw out Smith's name because the senior guard was one of the most consistent players in the division on a team that tied for the title. Manchester had different guys stepping up, but I would think senior forward Nate Nickens is also in the discussion.

All-Division Candidates: Smith and Nickens are pretty good bets, and even though his team was tied for last, Pinelands senior Jake Hartman put up such big numbers that he has to be considered. Barnegat's Anthony McGugan or Ryan Morris should also nab a spot, and Central's JoJo Hardy also definitely is in the mix. Manchester and Lacey could each get another player on, but they were so balanced it will come down to which player their respective coaches push for the honor.

Coach of the Year: Ryan O'Rourke, Lacey. He led the Lions to a tie for the overall division title with favorite Manchester.

ClASS C CenTRAl Champion: Lakewood.

Player of the Year: (tie) Jarrod Davis and Tony Walker, Lakewood. It would be like splitting hairs between these two. If I absolutely had to make a choice, I would say Walker, who was a little more consistent. No one else is really in the discussion.

All-Division Candidates: Davis and Walker are locks, and Monsignor Donovan senior guard Sean Grennan and senior center Anthony Duszczak are also pretty sure bets. I also think Point Boro junior point guard Shaun Cooke should get heavy mention for a firstteam spot, with senior forward Ryan Malleck also in the discussion. Wall senior guard Kyle Janeczek will also get pushed hard for a spot because of his production.

Coach of the Year: Randy Holmes, Lakewood. There were still questions about this team and its ability to be consistent and not play down to competition coming into this season. The Piners erased all of those doubts by dominating to finish unbeaten in divisional play.

Photos by:

Doug Bostwick www.sportshotswlb.smugmug.com

Photos by:

Cliff Lavelle

www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

Volume-III

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Issue-4

2/21/11

Making History:

District Tournament Wrestling Recap

O

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

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Tak e J acks on M emo r ial s en io r M ike S h up in .

H e w as talen ted en o ug h to s tar t as a f r es h man b u t w as s tu ck b ehin d ev en tu al s tate ch amp ion Ty ler Bis cah a at 1 03 and Zach H u xf o r d at 112 . H e w en t 4- 2 , bu t met th e s ame f ate as a s o ph o mor e w h en h e s aw actio n in jus t 1 0 matches , alth ou g h h e w en t 9 - 1. S h up in f inally g o t h is chance as a junio r an d tu r ned in a s econ d - p lace f in is h at th e Reg ion V I Tou r n amen t. O n S atur d ay at th e N J S I A A D is tr ict 2 1 To u r n amen t, S h up in co ntinu ed to mak e u p f or lo s t time.

I n th e 11 9 - p o un d f in al, S hu p in def eated Co lts N eck' s A nth o ny A nzalo n e 7 - 1 to w ins h is f ir s t dis tr ict title af ter p lacin g s econ d las t s eas o n.

S hupin w on by majo r d ecis io n o ver J ack s on Lib er ty' s J on ath an S cialab b a in th e q uar ter f in als an d again b y majo r o v er H o w ell' s M att Lin deman n in th e s emif in als to b e named th e to ur namen t' s ou ts tan d in g w r es tler. " I w as p r etty s u r pr is ed I w on th e O W, " S h u p in s aid. " I f ig u r ed it w o u ld g o to D allas ( Win s ton ) or S p en cer ( You n g) . I t' s my s en io r y ear an d th is is exactly ho w I w an t to g o o u t. I ' m g ettin g my ch an ce an d tr y in g to mak e the mos t o f it. " S hu p in w as o n e o f s ix J ag u ar s that w o n titles o n S atu r d ay at M an alapan to lead th e J ack s o n M emor ial to its 2 5 th d is tr ict title s in ce 1 97 2.

J acks on s co r ed 22 0 . 5 p o in ts to o utd is tance s econd - p lace H o w ell ( 1 54 ) and th ir d- p lace M ar lb o r o ( 9 6 ) . S op h o mo r e A lex H ux f or d , s opho mor e S p encer

You n g, s en io r J oe B arto lin i, junio r D allas Win s ton and s enio r J oe N olan all to ok titles to cap a fantas tic team s eas on f o r th e N J S IA A G ro u p I V ch ampion s . Yo un g w o n a tig ht battle

w ith S t. J ohn Vian ney ' s Rob Cig na, 4- 3 , at 1 25 po u nd s . Yo un g s cor ed tak edo w ns in the f ir s t and th ir d p er io ds and held off Cig n a' s late ch arg e to w in h is f ir s t d is tr ict title. " H e' s a r eally g o od w r es tler b ut I ' ve w r es tled him tw o times bef or e and I k new I cou ld get in

ch ampion s o n the d ay. Reb els s en io r s M ik e S haug hnes s y an d Zach Bo hm each cap tur ed th eir f ir s t d is tr ict titles . Bo h m w on 9 - 0 ag ain s t M ataw an f r es hman Chr is H ar tigan , w h o mad e a r un to the f inal o u t o f the N o . 7 s eed .

S haugh nes s y d ef eated J ack s on M emo r ial' s Rand y Ro y le, 5- 3 , at 1 4 0 po un ds .

D u r in g the N J S I A A Cen tr al J er s ey G r o up I V f in al, Roy le h it a th r ow ag ain s t S h au g hn es s y and too k a 9 - 6 d ecis io n th at hand ed Jackson Memorial’s Joe Nolan

o n h is leg s , " s aid You n g o f s ecu r in g th e w in nin g tak ed o w n . " I k n ew I h ad to take h im do w n to g et th e w in. H e' s r eally f u nk y, b ut I w as ab le to g et him d ow n. " Bar tolin i, w ho w r es tled at J acks on Liber ty h is f ir s t th r ee s eas o ns bef o r e tr an s f er r ing to M emo r ial af ter las t s eas o n , w o n h is f ir s t dis tr ict title by pinning S t. J oh n Vian ney ' s N ick Cioff i in 3 :4 6 at 1 3 5 p ou n ds . Bar to lin i mis s ed J acks o n M emo r ial' s f ir s t s tate to ur namen t match w ith an in ju r y, b u t s ince r etu r nin g has w o n all f iv e o f h is b ou ts w ith thr ee majo r d ecis io n s an d tw o p ins .

H e w on by f all in 19 s eco n ds again s t M ar lbo r o ' s J eff G old r o s en in the q u ar ter f in als and s co r ed a 12 - 1 w in o ver F r eeho ld' s Zach M o s to w s ky in th e s emif in als . " I f eel like af ter th e H ig h P o int match w e' v e all b een h itting our p eak , " Bar tolini s aid. " I ' m mo vin g a lot better n ow, s o I ' m h ap py. Th e kn ee s lo w ed me dow n a little, b u t it f eels g o od . I h av e w h at co u ld be my las t matches as a high s ch o ol w r es tler comin g u p s o I ju s t h ave to do th e b es t I can."

H ow ell an d M ar lb o r o each h ad tw o

S h aug h n es s y ju s t h is s eco nd lo s s of the s eas o n. Th e Reb els anch or ex acted s o me r eveng e o n S atur day to w in the title an d ear n a b ye in to th e Regio n V I pr e- q uar ter f in als . S h aug h n es s y w as s eco n d in Regio n V I at 1 30 po u n ds las t s eas o n.

M ar lbor o' s Vin n ie Leo ne w o n his s eco nd d is tr ict champio n s h ip by d ef eatin g J ack s o n M emor ial' s Br an do n K o s heff , 6 - 5 . I t is th e s eco n d title f o r Leo n e, w ho w o n th e 11 2 - p ou nd champio ns h ip in 2 00 9. M u s tan g s s en io r M itch S eigel capp ed a d omin ating to u r n amen t w ith a 5 8 - s eco nd pin ov er M ataw an' s F r ancis P o lu mbo in the 2 1 5- pou nd f in al. S eig el w o n by f all in 4 2 s eco n ds in the q u ar ter f inals and p in n ed in 46 s eco n ds in th e s emif in als . With Wall' s A nd r ew M ar r, las t s eas o n ' s Reg io n V I 21 5 - p ou nd ch amp, mis s in g th e p os ts eas o n b ecau s e o f an in jur y, S eigel w ill en ter the Reg io n V I To ur namen t as th e clear f avo r ite to w in a r eg io n cr o w n. " I t f eels go o d b ecaus e I ' v e w o r k ed h ar d f o r it," S eigel s aid. " A ll the o ff s eas o n tr ain in g, lif ting an d the w or ko uts at clu b; it all p ays o ff .

I ' v e go t th e har d w ar e r ig h t h er e. I t' s u nf o r tun ate th at M ar r g o t h u r t becau s e w e' r e r eally go od f r iends an d w e w an ted to w r es tle each oth er. I ' m g o in g to hav e to take this op po r tu n ity an d r eally go af ter it to tak e th e cr o w n at Reg io n VI." Colts N eck s enio r A lex Br o w n w o n h is f ir s t d is tr ict title b y d ef eatin g H o w ell s op h omor e Ben

Marlboro’s Mitch Seigel

Es po s ito 7- 1 at 11 2 p ou nd s .

J acks o n Lib er ty s en io r Ch r is Zak too k a 9 - 2 decis io n f r o m H o w ell' s

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A SM / 9 K ey po r t s en ior heav yw eigh t G r eg Velas co w as named as th e to ur n ament' s o u ts tand ing w r es tler f o r a p heno menal per f o r mance th at in clud ed th r ee p ins in a to tal of 1:5 6. H e p in n ed Rar itan ' s A dam D an iels in eig ht s econ d s in the f in al to imp r ov e to 3 4- 0 th is s eas o n an d b ecome ju s t th e s econ d tw o- time dis tr ict champ ion in K ey po r t' s h is tor y.

A s h an ti M au r ice in th e 14 5 - p ou n d f in al to b eco me th e Lion s ' f ir s t tw o - time d is tr ict champ ion . Zak , a f ou r- time d is tr ict p lacew in n er, h ad lo s t to M au r ice, 8 - 6, las t w eek . S t. J o h n Viann ey s o pho mor e A n tho n y F er r ar o w on h is f ir s t dis tr ict title b y d ef eatin g J ack s o n Jackson Libertyl’s Chris Zak

M emor ial' s Ro b H ennin gs 11- 7 at 1 6 0 p oun ds . M ataw an s oph omo r e G lenn Cr o s s als o w o n h is f ir s t title w ith a 1 2 - 9 decis io n o ver M ar lb o r o ' s Zach G oldr o s en at 17 1.

D ist r ict 22 Rar itan u s ed champ io n s h ip s f r o m N ick Lig o u r i ( 1 25) , J o e M as i ( 1 6 0 ) an d Ryan Ly n ch ( 1 7 1 ) to w in th e team title w ith 1 96 po ints o v er s eco n d place O cean ( 1 68) . Ch r is tian Br oth er s A cad emy had th e mos t ch amp io ns - f ou r- and f in is h ed th ir d w ith 1 5 5 .5 p o in ts w hile def en d ing ch amp io n Lo ng Br an ch w as f o ur th w ith 1 51 . 5 .

Lo n g Br an ch s en io r M att Eg gie kn o ck ed o ff O cean ' s P J P ar r ino , the to p s eed at 1 4 0 p o u n d s , w ith a 3 - 1 d ecis io n. P ar r ino h ad tw o w in s o v er Eggie th is s eas o n . Lo ng Br anch als o h ad a w in f r om s en ior Lu is F ilip e, w h o w o n b y majo r decis io n 12 - 0 o ver O cean ' s Withler M ar celin .

CBA ' s f ou r champs in clu d ed f r es h man Er ik Bes hada at 10 3 p o un d s . H e kn o ck ed o ff Rar itan junior M att Lin do, th e def en d in g champ , 7 - 6 .

Ch r is tian Cas s elli f o llow ed w ith a 7 - 1 w in o v er Rar itan ' s Vin M as i at 11 2 . J un io r Vin F av ia als o w on his f ir s t d is tr ict title af ter p lacin g s eco n d las t s eas o n. H e d ef eated Lo ng Br an ch s o p h o mo r e J ake G eo rg e 7- 0 at 1 52 p ou nd s .

H ayden H r ymack r o und ed o u t a qu ality to u r n amen t f or the Colts b y ed gin g to p - s eed ed Ty ler Ly s ter o f O cean , 6 - 2 in o ver time, at 1 89 poun d s .

O cean h ad th r ee champio n s as J as o n D aCr uz majo r ed K eans b urg' s Romello U nio n at 119, S eth R ubel to pped Raritan' s J as o n B o h al 6- 0 at 1 30 and 2 15p oun der C olto n Bigelow ek ed o u t a 1-0 w in ov er Lo ng Branch ' s J ames P arn ell.

M idd letow n S ou th' s N ick H er r ing w o n h is s econ d d is tr ict title an d ear n ed h is th ir d med al w hen he b eat Red Ban k Cath olic' s J ames Lo ur es , 8 - 3, at 1 45 po un d s .

Red Ban k Cath o lic coach J oe G allag her w as n amed D is tr ict 2 2 Co ach of th e Year.

D ist r ict 23 Br ick M emor ial w o n its 2 4th d is tr ict title in 2 6 year s w ith 19 9 p oin ts to top P oint Bor o ( 1 53) an d Br ick ( 1 34 ) . S en ior D J S an tos w o n h is f o ur th d is tr ict title as o ne of thr ee M us tan gs ch ampio ns . J unior S ean S teph en s o n pin ned P oint Bo r o' s N ick O nnemb o in 4:35 in th e 112 p oun d f in al and f ello w ju nio r Evan Ber ti con tinued his b r eako u t s eas o n w ith a 6- 3 w in ov er S t. Ros e' s Chr is tian Bo zin os at 140 . S anto s pinn ed P o in t Beach ' s Taylor F ior etti in 5:04 at 1 35 p ou n ds to jo in Vin S antaniello ( 1 98 7 19 90 ) , M ar c Ro s en f ield ( 1 99 9 2 00 2) and h is br oth er S teve S an tos ( 2006 - 200 9) as th e o n ly f ou r- time d is tr ict champ s in Br ick M emor ial his to r y.

Ocean’s Seth Rubel

Br o ther s Ry an and M att H ar ter each w on titles f o r P o in t Bo r o w ith Ry an als o br in g in g h ome o uts tan din g w r es tler h on o r s .

Ry an H ar ter, a s oph o mo r e, d ef eated top - s eeded N ick M elon of Br ick , 4- 3 in tr iple o ver time, in the s emif inals bef o r e h olding on to b eat Br ick M emor ial f r es h man J o e G hion e 7 - 6 in the 1 03- poun d f inal. M att H ar ter beat Br ick' s S teve Cimmino 3- 2 in dou ble over time. N eptun e h ad its f ir s t dis tr ict ch amp s s in ce 2008 as K ar l Waldr on w o n 4 - 3 over P oint Bor o' s Ry an Bu d zek at 119 an d s enior P hil S eid le to pp ed P oin t Bo r o' s D ave H alliday, 12-

6, at 2 1 5 p ou nd s . P ete K in s ella ( 1 6 0 ) and Co lin Eg an ( 18 9 ) each w o n f o r Wall w h ile Lu k e Bu s h ( 14 5 ) and D er ek A r nette ( 13 0 ) w o n titles f o r S ho r e. Bu s h d ef eated Br ick M emo r ial f r es h man N ick Co s ta, w h o han d ed Bu s h his o n ly lo s s o f th e s eas o n o n F eb. 5 , 13 - 3 , to b eco me S h o r e' s f ir s t tw o- time dis tr ict ch amp . U n def eated P oin t Beach f r es hman D ylan K elly w o n th e 1 71 - p o u n d title w ith a 3- 2 d ecis io n o v er Br ick M emo r ial' s A n thon y M iller an d teammate A n d r ew G r o s s w o n the heav yw eigh t cr ow n w ith a 2 - 1 w in ov er P o in t Bo r o' s D an e Bo n g io vi. Br ick s enio r Co nn o n Br ennan major ed Br ick M emo r ial' s Ty ler Richar d s on, 20 - 8 , to w in h is f ir s t d is tr ict title.

Br ick h ead coach M att O p acity w as v o ted as D is tr ict 2 3 Co ach o f th e Year.

D ist r ict 24 S outh er n had f ou r ch amp io ns an d s ix s eco nd p lace f inis her s to w in th e team title b y n ear ly 100 points , 23 8 .5 - 1 53 o v er To ms River S o u th .

S enior K y le Cas aletto d ef eated M an ch es ter ' s K en Th eo bold, 9- 1, at 1 2 5 p o un ds an d w as n amed outs tan ding w r es tler. J ak e Camp an a w o n at 1 4 0 w ith a 4 - 3 decis io n ov er Lacey ' s D an ny M oo r e, A n thon y M es s ler ed ged Centr al' s Chr is D eD yn , 3- 2 , to w in th e 1 45 p ou n d title an d K y le Co x o utlas ted Toms River Eas t' s F er n and o P er ez, 1 - 0 , at h eav y w eig ht.

Toms Riv er S o uth s o ph omor e BJ

Matawan’s Glenn Cross

Clag on beat S o uther n ' s Bub b a Lan n o 9 - 6 at 130 to r emain ind ef eated. F ellow s o ph o mor e K evin Cor r igan major ed S o uther n' s Zach Wilhelm 8- 0 at 11 2 . K yle K en ny w as th e 1 5 2- po un d ch amp w ith a 3:00 p in o f M an ch es ter ' s M att Rieger t an d Ev an Tar ver p in n ed S ou ther n ' s Co d y S mead in 3:37 in the 215 - p ou n d f in al.

J alen Ramos ( 11 9 ) an d K alph y H ar d y ( 16 0 ) each w on titles f o r Cen tr al. Ramo s go t p as t To ms River Eas t' s Rich Lew is , 1 - 0 , w hile H ar dy d ecis io ned To ms River S ou th ' s A n tho ny Ravllo , 8 - 6 . The M anches ter d uo o f J es s e M eaney ( 1 3 0) an d A nthon y P r end imano ( 1 71 ) w o n titles w hile Lacey ' s Lex K n ap p w o n at 1 89 an d M o n s ig n or D o novan' s A n th o n y D ' A nton captur ed th e 1 0 3 p oun d title.

S o uth er n head co ach J o hn S to ut w as v oted as D is tr ict 24 Co ach of th e Year.

Photos & Video Highlights by:

Bob Badders

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10 / ASM

Volume-III

Issue-4

2/21/11

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A SM / 1 1

The Road less Traveled: Keyport’s Greg Velasco

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer In a day and age where most wrestlers attend private wrestling clubs and travel around the country to compete in countless bouts against top competition, those who forgo what has become the traditional training regimen are usually not considered a serious threat.

But then there is Keyport senior heavyweight Greg Velasco.

In his quest for wrestling greatness, Velasco doesn't have the luxury that other wrestlers around the Shore Conference have. He doesn't wrestle for an elite program, for which the Shore has several. He doesn't get the opportunity to wrestle in big team matches where the entire wrestling community is watching. He doesn't get to enter prestigious tournaments where he can test his skills against the best competition in the area. Yet even with all those restrictions, Velasco has flourished to become the best wrestler in Keyport history.

He gets his mat schooling in workouts with assistant coach Pete Christathakis, who pretty much was Keyport wrestling until Velasco arrived as a freshman for the 2007-2008 season. Christathakis won the Region VI heavyweight title in 1999 and ended up finishing sixth in the state tournament. He remains the only Red Raiders grappler to accomplish either feat. Both Velasco and Christathakis hope the record book gets rewritten in the next two weeks.

"I'm proud that he's overcome all my accomplishments to this point where he's at," Christathakis said. "And I hope he overcomes them all. It's hard work on the mat that has put him in this situation, and it's paying dividends."

This past weekend, Velasco matched one of Christathakis's records when he captured the NJSIAA District 22 heavyweight championship to become just the second two-time district champ at Keyport. As a junior, Velasco dominated en route to being named the tournament's outstanding wrestler, winning by pin in the final in just 30 seconds. He was once again the easy choice for OW on Saturday at Red Bank Regional as he won by fall in all three of his matches in a staggering total of 1:56. In the final he wrestled Raritan senior Adam Daniels, who entered with a 24-7 record for the No. 4 team in the Shore Conference.

Velasco said. "I've been practicing and training hard, and I work myself harder and harder every day because I want to win a Region VI title."

That work ethic is what Christathakis and the Keyport coaching staff see every day and is what has them believing that Velasco will end his wrestling career in style.

"What I see in him is a lot of discipline," Christathakis said. "The kid has a work ethic that I've never seen in my entire life. He's never unwilling to do another sprint, wrestle for 20

more minutes or get in a Sunday workout."

Velasco has the intangibles. In addition to his revered work ethic he is also a committed contributor in the classroom. While he was busy winning a district championship on Saturday, he was also being honored by the Shore Football Coaches Foundation as an Academic All-Shore recipient at their annual scholarathlete breakfast. Velasco was a star defensive lineman for the Red Raiders football team and was selected as the Class B Central Defensive Player of the Year and a third-team All Shore Media All-Conference member.

He also has great measurables. As a junior he weighed in at over 300 pounds during football season and cut down to 285 for wrestling. He made the effort to slim down before this school year began and entered football at a svelte 270. The result has been a quicker and stronger wrestler who has increased his versatility.

"I didn't really want to lose weight as much as I wanted to get bigger muscularly and lose all the fat," Velasco said. "I usually weight in at around 265, 270, which was the

See

Ve lasc o page 13

Velasco won by fall. In eight seconds.

He may not have the pedigree or the resume of other heavyweights around the state, but the results speak for themselves. This season Velasco is a perfect 33-0.

He was 29-3 as a junior and on Feb. 9 became the first Keyport wrestler to win 100 career bouts. He finished third in Region VI last year and won a match down in Atlantic City against South Plainfield's Bobby Sacks before falling to West Orange's Emiliano Betancor and then Randolph's Peter Wolmart. That was an important step, and Velasco is ready to climb another rung of the ladder at the Region VI Tournament this weekend at the Poland Spring Arena in Toms River.

"I've been looking forward to this time all year,"

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Volume-III

1 2 / AS M

Issue-4

2/21/11

The new Kids in Town: Point Beach, Rumson Make Cinderella Runs in SCT

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor When Nick Catania interviewed for the boys basketball head coaching job at tiny Point Beach, one thing was pretty obvious about a program that had not even won a division title since 1968.

"When I first interviewed for the Point Beach job seven years ago, I'm sitting with the principal, we're talking, and he goes, 'Hey, we're not CBA here, and we're never going to be CBA,''' Catania said. "I agreed with him at the time. I would've said the same thing.''

One year after having perennial power Christian Brothers Academy on the ropes in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and letting the Colts slip away, the smallest public school in Ocean County whipped its rock right in Goliath's eye this time at Brookdale Community College on Feb. 19. Two game-winning free throws by senior guard Kevin Donohue with 18.8 seconds left in the game put the Garnet Gulls over the top in a 56-55 upset of the two-time defending SCT champions, capping a day in which Point Beach senior star Jarelle Reischel poured in 27 points to go with 11 rebounds and 5 assists.

"Eight years later, guess what? We just beat CBA,'' Catania said.

The eighth-seeded Garnet Gulls, who finished third in their own division, punched their ticket to the SCT

CBA coach Geoff Billet called timeout to ice him.

He went back to the line and sank the biggest shot by a Point Beach player in 43 years for his sixth point of the game and a 56-55 lead.

semifinals for the first time since 1968 with the win.

After being inconsolable following a 55-52 loss to CBA in last year's SCT quarterfinals, Reischel and his teammates found a way this time, which included a 16for-16 performance from the foul line as team. Senior point guard Mike Rotando added 14 points in the win.

"Every practice and every game I had that CBA game in the back of my head,'' Reischel said. "I was so happy to play them today. I will look back in 20 years and be proud to be part of this program and be with these teammates. We have a special relationship. We're like brothers, and I think that's what helped us in the end today.''

"(Donohue) never asks for the glory or the credit,'' Catania said.

"He's a kid who's been through a lot, and he deserves those free throws. He's the best teammate you could ask for, and it's ironic that it ended up that way.''

After a free throw by Matt McMullen gave CBA a 5249 advantage with 1:42 remaining, Reischel drew a roar from the crowd at Collins Arena when he buried a 3pointer from the right wing to tie the game.

"I have a lot of confidence in myself and my teammates, and big players take big shots and make them,'' Reischel said. "So that's what I did.''

With 18.8 seconds left in the game, CBA’s J.P. Koury was whistled for an offensive foul for pushing off to get open, putting Point Beach senior Kevin Donohue at the line. Donohue, who is known more as a defensive specialist, sank the first free throw to tie the game before

"I was actually not nervous,'' Donohue said.

"I was really confident.

Jarelle and I have been shooting free throws for a while now - 100 shots a day. I'm just confident..''

After finishing in third place in Class B Central, Point Beach has caught fire in the last two Pt. Beach's Jarelle Reischel weeks, starting with an overtime victory against secondseeded Lakewood in the regular season that ended the Piners' 16-game winning streak.

"I think just like the Lakewood game, we had nothing to lose,'' Rotando said.

"All the pressure was on (CBA) because no one expected us to win. I think we've started playing together as a team.

We bought into not caring who scores, just as long as we've got more points than the other team. We can beat anyone.''

The Garnet Gulls are also maximizing their time with Reischel, a Rice University recruit who is a rare talent for a small-school program like Point Beach. He moved to Lavallette as a sophomore after growing up in Germany as the son of a military father, and he has helped drive the program to heights it hasn’t seen in nearly 50 years.

“Of course that's the urgency, but our JV team is 14-2, so after Jarelle there Pt. Beach's Mike Rotando will be Point Beach basketball,’’ Catania said. “I don't know if we're going to beat CBA every year, but that will be the goal, just like it was before Jarelle.’’

Co ntinu ed o n nex t p ag e

www.allshoremedia.com Point Beach isn’t the only team to burst into the spotlight in the SCT, either, as Rumson also won its quarterfinal game to advance to its first SCT semifinal in program history. For the superstitious types, getting seeded No. 13 in the Shore Conference Tournament might have seemed like a ominous omen for RumsonFair Haven.

Instead, the Bulldogs decided to make it bad luck for everyone else.

Rumson-Fair Haven edged 12th-seeded Howell, 5451, in a battle of Cinderella squads Brookdale Community College to make school history.

"All I'm saying is that we're unlucky No. 13,'' senior forward Jack Wise said. "Anyone who plays us so far has left with an unlucky result.''

Junior guard Jack Donnelly scored a gamehigh 24 points, senior point guard Kevin "Pookie'' Alter added 18 points and 5 assists, and Wise had nine rebounds, five on the offensive side, to help Rumson hold on for a win over the Rebels, who were also seeking their first SCT semifinal berth..

A SM / 13

Vel asco C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 11 same I weighed during football."

"You look at him and he's got a 38-inch waist, weighs 270 pounds and moves very well," Christathakis said. "He has the intangibles that a lot of others just don't."

The Red Raiders heavyweight notes that he's an athlete more than anything else. He starred as a lineman for the football team and has been a tremendous wrestler during his four-year varsity career, but won't label himself as one or the other.

Velasco is also a thrower for the track team during the spring season. That is music to the ears of Christathakis, who, in a world of ever-growing specialization, believes that playing multiple sports can only help a student-athlete.

and I think that's what it takes be a successful multiple-sport athlete."

Like last season, Velasco will enter the Region VI tournament undefeated. He was the No. 3 seed last season and lost to Toms River East's John Clark in the quarterfinals. Clark finished second in the region and placed eighth in the state. Velasco showed guts by beating Point Boro's David Halliday, Jackson Liberty's Brendan Kahle and Lacey's Mike Stuppiello, who was the No. 2 seed, to place third and punch his ticket to the state tournament. When he takes the mat on Friday, Velasco should do so as a top-two seed. It is expected he will face Jackson Memorial's Joe Nolan in the final. Like Velasco, Nolan is a football player who is big (285) and athletic. Velasco is eager for that opportunity.

"That's my goal," Velasco said. "I want to be in that final and win it. It's one of my goals and it's why I work harder and harder every day."

"I don't like a student-athlete just being labeled as a baseball player or a basketball player," said Christathakis, who also is an assistant football coach at Freehold. "There's things you learn from one sport that you can bring to your other sports

Photo by:

Anthony Payne

www.paynesphotovision.com

Alter got things rolling by Rumson's Jack Donnelly scoring 14 of his 18 points in the first half, which included four 3-pointers, one of which was from about 25 feet off the dribble. Rumson shot out to an 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 9-2 run that included two 3-point bombs from Alter and another from Donnelly. The match-up between Alter and Keegan was one of the more eagerly anticipated ones of the day, as both are considered top point guards in the Shore.

"Kevin Alter is the best point guard in this conference by far,'' Wise said. "He's been kind of injured this whole season and has had to sit there and listen to, I'm not going to name names, but hearing about all these other players that are better than him. I think he's proving now when he's at full health that that's not the case, and he's the best point guard in the Shore. He's our leader, and we all kind of follow his lead.''

After not having even made the SCT quarterfinals for 30-plus years before reaching them last season, the Bulldogs took the next step in putting their program on the map. Their boisterous "Dawg Pound'' student section as well as Los Angeles Clippers guard Randy Foye, a Rumson resident home for the NBA All-Star break who is close with Champeau, were right there to witness program history.

"This is a bunch of tough kids,'' Champeau said. "To me, Rumson has never been thought of as a basketball school, so for us to do this is a nice thing.''

SADD - Shore Regional Chapter Showing their Support (from left to right) SADD National Rep. Pamela Clark, Shore Regional rep. Jennifer Czajkawski, Paige Woodie, Chelsea Amaroso, Nick Nuvan, Kay Honda’s Jason Woods and General Manager George Rodriguez.

"We kind of play with a chip on our shoulder because we know not a lot of people in this area really respect us,'' Wise said.

Photos by:

Doug Bostwick www.sportshotswlb.smugmug.com

Rumson Photo by:

Cliff Lavelle

www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

FoR ADVeRTISInG InFoRMATIon Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

Volume-III

1 4 / ASM

Issue-4

2/21/11

The Best of the Best: Jackson Mem. Wrestling Wins G r o u p I V T i t l e

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer Winning a sectional title was one thing, but it seemed as if injuries would finally catch up to Jackson Memorial during its quest for an NJSIAA Group IV title.

heavyweight Joe Nolan looked like one of the best 285-pounders in the state with a 3-0 win over Southern's Kyle Cox and a 14-1 major decision over Derek Pierson of Phillipsburg.

The Jaguars navigated their way to a sixth NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championship on Feb. 11 despite being without two of their best and two of the top wrestlers in their respective weight classes in New Jersey, Brian and Doug Hamann.

But getting through arch rival Southern Regional before a meeting with either Hunterdon Central or Phillipsburg in the Group IV final looked too daunting of a task without the firepower provided by the Hamann brothers. Wrestling without two surefire state medalists at this time of year usually means bad things.

The day started with the rubber match against Southern. The Jaguars won the first meeting, 39-9, before the Rams stunned them in the SCT final, 28-23.

This time the result was closer to the first meeting as

On Feb. 13 at the Poland Spring Arena in Toms River, however, it was merely another obstacle for Jackson Memorial to trounce.

After dispatching of Southern for the second time this season in the semifinals, the Jaguars easily handled Phillipsburg, 34-24, to take home their second straight NJSIAA Group IV championship.

Pins by Dallas Winston, Alec Huxford and Spencer Young keyed an eight-bout majority and delivered Jackson Memorial its fourth overall group championship, all of which have come in the last six seasons.

"The Hamann brothers are tremendous wrestlers, and we knew it wasn't going to be easy without them," said Jackson Memorial head coach Dough Withstandley. "But like (junior) Randy Royle said after we beat Howell, 'Even without those guys we're still the best team in the state.'"

Young, a sophomore, put the match out of reach with his pin over Justin Lane in 1:01 at 125 pounds.

Brad Royle clinched the championship when he held Matt Lane without bonus points at 130 to make the score 31-18 with two bouts left. Young had a great day as he also wrestled tough in a 6-3 loss to state runnerup Kyle Casaletto of Southern. Winston was dominant with a technical fall against Southern's Zeb Collins and a pin against Phillipsburg's Anthony Pare. Senior

and allowed the Rams nothing but decisions. The final score was 27-24, but only after Jackson forfeited the final two bouts up 27-12.

"It's such a big rivalry and we wanted to beat them so bad after they beat us in Shore Confernce," Winston said. "We felt great coming out of that match."

The good feelings certainly carried over into the championship match against the Stateliners. Randy Royle started off with an 8-6 decision over Joe Moyer at 145, but James Opdyke dropped a 5-1 decision to Victor Delmonico and Dan Brockerhoff came through with a pin for Phillipsburg over Dylan Harrington.

Phillipsburg led 9-3, but the Jaguars forged ahead with a decision by Rob Hennings at 171 and a pin by Winston at 189. Winston accounted for 11 team points in his two bouts Sunday.

Max Sunder lost 6-0 to Brandon Hull at 215, but avoided giving up bonus points after being thrown to his back in the first period. Nolan manhandled the much smaller Derek Pierson at heavyweight en route to a 14-1 major decision and the sophomore Huxford scored a pin in 28 seconds at 103 to cap a 19-3 run.

Freshman Peter Rinaldi wrestled arguably his two best bouts of the season on Sunday. He took Southern's Zach Wilhelm down to the wire before losing 5-4 and looked good against Zach Fisher before the Phillipsburg sophomore picked up three near-fall points late for a 5-2 win. Senior Mike Shupin, who has been so patient over the last four years while at times being stuck behind state champs and medalists, scored a 3-0 decision over Andrew Kaluzny at 119 to stretch the Jaguars' lead to 25-15. Young, who Jackson won eight sucked down to 125 bouts and forfeited the in Hamann's last two to Southern absence, stuck Justin when the match was Lane in 1:01 to all already in hand. Even but escort the 'fat without injured Brian lady' onto the mat.

Hamann (125) and The Group IV title Doug Hamann (152), was officially both of whom were clinched when Brad state qualifiers last Royle limited Matt year and figured to Lane to a decision at place prominently in 130 pounds. Dylan Atlantic City this McLaughlin picked season, the Jaguars up a win in the final looked much better contested bout, Junior Dallas Winston than they did on Jan. beating Tyler Rehl 29. The matchups they 4-1 at 135, before lost last time were reversed. They won the tossup bouts. the Jags forfeited to Rylan Watson in the final bout. It They got bonus points from one of their top wrestlers was the equivalent of taking a knee on the final possession of a football game. The match was over.

The Jaguars had done all they needed to do.

"I'll tell you what. Being able to forfeit that last match and not having to worry about anything is a great feeling," Nolan said.

Wrestling is an individual sport at its core, but it would be redundant to call any win a team effort. A couple of wrestlers, no matter how good they are, cannot carry a team by themselves. Jackson Memorial knew that, and more importantly, had the confidence to win without the Hamann brothers. The Jaguars didn't squeak by to win a title, they handled each team they wrestled over the past two seasons in the group tournament.

Jackson Memorial is indeed a dynasty, and the final day of Group IV wrestling proved exactly why

Video Highlights by:

Bob Badders

www.allshoremedia.com

www.allshoremedia.com

A SM / 15 lineman/linebacker Andre Hodge, Raritan lineman Shane Mertz and Rumson linebacker Mike Huttner. All of them were first-team All-Shore Conference selections by All Shore Media, and Firkser was the Offensive Player of the Year.

I

t’s a da y th a t s eems to come a n d go in th e mid s t o f S h or e Co n f er en ce Bas ketball To u r n amen t f ever, bu t I th in k it’s o n e th a t n eeds to be mo r e celebr a ted an d als o du plicated b y o th er s po r ts in th e S h o r e.

The Shore Football Coaches Foundation honored its All-Shore Academic Team on Feb. 19 at its annual breakfast banquet at Gibbs Hall in Fort Monmouth, awarding a large group of Shore Conference seniors for their academic performance as well as their athletic performance, which you can read about in this issue.

It’s a day that seems to float under the radar because football season is not in full swing, but it’s one that every senior should aspire to be a part of. Players had to have had at least a 3.0 grade-point average and have been contributors on the field to have been honored by the SFCF.

Shuler, who is headed to Rutgers, is considered a top-five recruit in New Jersey from this year’s class, and the list of some of schools where these players are headed is impressive from an academic standpoint: Harvard (Casten), Northwestern (Mertz), Cornell (Huttner for lacrosse), Virginia Tech (Malleck) and Georgetown (Kasten). It’s great to think that even if things don’t work out for these players athletically, they will be armed with a great degree to reach for success in another area.

Plus, those are just the players from the ASM first-team All-Conference squad. There are plenty more, like Pinelands senior Jake Hartman (Bucknell), St. John Vianney long snapper Sean Tobin (Georgia Tech) and Freehold Township’s Matt Intile (Holy Cross) who are headed to great academic schools.

I think sometimes we get so caught up in celebrating the Knowshon Morenos for their high athletic achievements, and I am just as guilty as anyone, that we don’t talk more about guys like Harry Flaherty, a former Red Bank Catholic star who recently graduated with a degree from Princeton.

While this season it has lessened a bit, there are still plenty of players who I ask coaches about as far as their college future is concerned and they can only shake their head.

“No grades.’’

A lot of these players aren’t just lesser-known special teams guys, either. Some of the Shore Conference’s biggest names were at the banquet, which is great to see after a 2010 class that had numerous academic casualties among the top players in the Shore.

This year boasted players like Barnegat wide receiver Mike DeTroia, Long Branch quarterback/defensive back Miles Shuler, Manalapan running back Josh Firkser, Freehold lineman Michael Kasten, Red Bank Catholic running back/safety Andrew Casten, Lacey running back/defensive back Jake Dabal, Lacey quarterback Craig Cicardo, Point Boro tight end Ryan Malleck, Lacey running back/defensive back/kicker Jarrod Molzon, Matawan offensive

Players think that since they are the big man in their school, somehow everything will just work itself out. Then they barely graduate, and instead of being the highly-recruited players who had everyone kissing their backsides, they become guys sitting in their rooms all alone with a box full of now-worthless letters with college logos on them wondering what they are going to do now.

I just like that these high-level players from this season’s class cared enough about their future to give themselves options if football doesn’t work out by excelling the classroom. Shuler may be a bigger inspiration to the youth of Long Branch as a student than as a player by showing them

academics are important, too.

Not everyone has to go directly to Harvard, either. It simply takes dedication and hard work, even if it’s at a small school off the radar. You can go the junior college or prep school route and still succeed, but it takes perseverance and the willingness to put in the effort even though the spotlight isn’t on you.

The perfect example is Neptune graduate Vinny Curry. He did not academically qualify for a scholarship at the end of his career with the Scarlet Fliers, so he went to Harmony Community School in Cincinnati for a semester. That’s right about when most players drop off the radar for good and are never heard from again, or they come home whining about how it was too hard and their friends weren’t there.

Instead, Curry earned a scholarship to Marshall, then was declared academically ineligible at first.

Again, he could’ve packed it in at that point. He worked hard to get eligible and soon became a star for the Thundering Herd as one of the most productive defensive ends in their conference. Now he is on pace to get a degree while also giving himself a shot at the NFL. In a perfect world, a day like the annual breakfast at Gibbs Hall for the All-Shore Academic Team would be just as anticipated as the day that the All-Shore teams come out. It will never be that way, but I still think it’s an event that I would love to see spread to basketball, baseball and other sports to show that academics are held in high regard.

Getting picked to an All-Shore team is a great thing and a memorable day, but ultimately taking a seat at the breakfast at Gibbs Hall means far more in the long run. It means that those players haven’t put all their eggs in one basket and that academics mean something to them. They realized that high school football was a big part of their life, but not the only part, and that one day football is going to end and the real world is going to have to be navigated.

That’s why I will always remember this year’s senior class. Not because there were 10 Division I-A signees, but because there were so many high academic achievers among the top players in the Shore.

That’s the bar that the future classes should aspire to meet.

FoR ADVeRTISInG InFoRMATIon

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

1 6 / AS M

www . a l ls hore m ed ia. c o m

Volume-III

Issue-4

2/21/11