Shore Sports Network High School Sports 2-4-14 Vol-VI Issue-3

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:31 PM Page 1

February 4, 2014 Volume-VI Issue-3

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:31 PM Page 2

2

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

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

3-4

Kathy Snyder, Southern Hall of Fame Girls Basketball & Field Hockey Coach, Honored

6

Roman Quinn Begins Comeback with BlueClaws

8-9

ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

12

Six FBS Recruits Highlight Signing Day in the Shore

14

RYPT Showcases Local Players in Inaugural Football Combine

15

Stumpy’s Corner

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:31 PM Page 3

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

3

Kathy Snyder, Southern Hall of Fame Girls Basketball & Field Hockey Coach, Honored One by one, they walked up into the bleachers in the gym at Southern Regional

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

on Jan. 28th, serving as the living, breathing legacy of a coach who was never about impressive numbers on a piece of paper or a Hall of Fame

More than 200 women who played for the Rams during the legendary 35-year tenure of Kathy Snyder came to say goodbye in person one last time to their old field hockey and basketball coach during a memorial on Jan. 28th. From players on this season’s team to women in their 50s, from mothers carrying children to girls who were children themselves only a few years ago, they all shared similar stories of a woman who deeply impacted their lives.

Snyder died in her sleep at 58 years old on Jan. 24, leaving behind Ken Snyder, her husband of 27 years, stepson Brett Snyder, the couple’s three children, Brandon, Erin and Morgan, one grandchild and a grieving Southern community.

“When asked what I planned on majoring in college, my response was, ‘Being Kathy Snyder,’’’ said Jenna Lombardo, a standout on the 2006 Southern field hockey team.

More than a thousand people came to celebrate Snyder at her second home, the court where she spent two-thirds of her life and the de facto playroom for her three children in their youth.

“There really is no better place to remember our mom than the place where we all grew up,’’ her daughter, Erin Snyder, said at the memorial. “We are so glad we got to share our mother with you.”

From her beginnings as a star athlete dubbed “The Blonde Bomber” at Shore Regional in the early 1970s to her legendary tenure at Southern in which she won a combined 857 games between field hockey and basketball, Snyder’s core values were always there. A fierce competitor and a champion for gender equality in sports with a generous heart underneath the hard exterior, Snyder shaped a generation of women at Southern as a coach, a physical education teacher and a driver’s education instructor.

“She came into our lives at such a vulnerable age and made a life-long impact on all of us,’’ said Candace McCallum, a star on the 1994-95 basketball team. “She was there to push us to tears and then offer a shoulder to cry on when we didn’t think we could go any further.”

Unforgettable from the Start

Before Snyder became a coach who led the Rams to 547 wins, 11 division titles and a sectional championship in basketball as well as 310 wins, eight division titles and a Shore Conference Tournament championship in field hockey, she was a star athlete herself at Shore Regional.

“She was larger than life,’’ said Nancy Williams, a legend in her own right and Snyder’s former coach.

A group of more than 200 current and former players was part of the crowd that gathered to honor Southern Regional coaching legend Kathy Snyder

Snyder was first-team All-Shore in field hockey, basketball and track for the Blue Devils back when she was known as Kathy Leslie. She was a state high jump champion and a darling of the sportswriters. One headline after she helped the Blue Devils beat Brick in basketball to win the Shore Conference title simply said, “Kathy Did It.”

Her toughness and crackling personality were also fully formed as a 17-year-old. Williams had taught her the then-innovative Fosbury flop in the high jump, which she used to win a state championship. She also used it to show that she would not take a backseat to anyone just because she was a female at a time when girls’ sports were often disrespected.

“One day I set the bar to five feet, four inches, and our athletic director came in screaming at me,’’ Williams said. “He said, ‘You can’t let her jump backwards.’ I said, ‘Why not?’ He flatly said, ‘Because she’s a girl.’ The words no sooner came out of his mouth when Kathy took off, jumped over the bar and me, jumped out of the pit and glared at him. He turned around, left the gym, and it was never brought up again.”

Snyder starred in four sports at what is now The College of New Jersey, did her student teaching at Red Bank Regional, and then was immediately hired by Southern, which quickly saw the confidence in her that many athletes for the Rams over the years would recognize. Snyder’s good friend, Sue Sharkey, was on the first basketball team that Snyder ever coached in 1982, and by that time she was well aware of Snyder’s aura before she became a legend.

“She just exuded confidence,’’

Sharkey said. “You’d probably say now, she’s got swag. I was 12 years old (when they first met), and I just knew I wanted some of that.”

Legendary Career

When Sharkey began her career with the Rams, the girls basketball team was shoved off into the middle school gym for practices and games.

By the time she graduated, they had their own locker room and used the high school gym because Snyder was not going to let the girls be treated like second-class citizens. Sharkey went on to serve as an assistant under Snyder in field hockey and basketball, and both of her daughters played for her.

As the wins piled up and the legend grew, Snyder’s presence on the sideline became easily recognizable. Her piercing voice could be heard through the din of a roaring crowd while she was in her customary stance on one knee on the sideline. A generation of players can still remember her voice echoing off the gym wall as she uttered signature phrases like “Suck it up!” and “News flash: Life’s not fair, get over it!”

She called all her players by their last names only, and they returned the favor by simply calling her “Snyder.”

“People used to ask, ‘Does she even know your first names?”

McCallum said.

“If you were around a hockey field or a basketball court between 1994 and 1998, you probably heard the coach yelling, ‘Naughton!’ the entire game,’’ said former Rams athlete Jess Naughton. “Sometimes I think she even yelled my name while I was sitting on the bench, and I had to remind her that I wasn’t even in the game. I went to bed hearing that name.

“I learned that it was those that she truly believed in that got yelled at the most. This was her way of saying, I know you can do better, and I’m going to prove it to you.”

When the yelling stopped after Naughton wrapped up her senior

See

Snyder page 4

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

s m e y e r @ a l l s h o r e m e d ia . c o m

d

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:31 PM Page 4

4

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

Snyder

Continued from page 3 basketball season, Snyder sent her a personal note.

“In it she wrote ‘Jess, you’ve added so much to my life as a coach and as a person, and I would’ve felt honored to have a daughter like you,’’’ Naughton said at the memorial. “That was the greatest compliment in the eight seasons I played for you, and for that I deeply thank you. I pray I hear your voice one more time when I go to sleep.”

Snyder also made sure her voice was the only one that would be heard at games, encouraging her girls to treat opponents and officials with respect. She would handle the rest.

“There were times during the Toms River North games where we would look at each other and think, ‘Did she really just say that to him?’’’

McCallum recalled about Snyder laying into referees. “They tried to keep her in the coaching box a few times, and you could imagine how that went over.”

Her competitiveness was legendary, as she would sometimes yank her basketball players right out of class during the day and bring them to the gym because she had come up with a new play or strategy and wanted to see it in action. Her teams earned respect, which was evidenced by all the varsity jackets in the crowd on Tuesday night from rivals like the three Toms River schools, Barnegat, Central, and more.

The hard shell had a sweet center, though, as many girls can remember lunch money materializing out of nowhere or a new pair of sneakers for an athlete in need appearing in a locker without Snyder saying a word.

Former player Stephanie Reiser from the 2000 basketball team recalled the team toilet-papering her house and finding out she knew about it all along and just didn’t want to break up the fun. Another year, she got wind that the players were planning a stealth mission to decorate Toms River East’s field with Southern paraphernalia in advance of a big game, and she loaded up the team in her big blue conversion van and joined in.

The rough edges also began to be sanded down by the birth of her granddaughter, Waverly. The members of this year’s field hockey team

/

2/4/14

knew Friday’s practice would end early and Saturday’s practice would be easy when Waverly was in town for a visit.

She was able to effortlessly switch from demanding taskmaster to empathetic surrogate mother. Jodie Davis, one of the players on her 1994 basketball team, got in a serious car accident the night before the Rams were set to play rival Toms River North in the state tournament. She ended up with10 stitches in her head and her mother broke her leg.

Snyder somehow knew exactly when she was getting to school that day and was there to comfort her.

“She was there to greet me and make sure I was OK as well as my mom,’’ Davis said before smiling.

“And to make sure I could play.”

The toughness that Snyder preached was something she also practiced.

In 2006, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, yet continued to coach.

She would schedule treatments during free periods at school. During field hockey games, she would casually walk behind the dugout near the field and vomit from her treatments while no one was looking.

“I think God knew he had to take Snyder in her sleep because she would’ve fought him off and won if she had been awake,’’ Reiser said.

Almost nothing could keep her from the sideline. Sharkey can distinctly remember Sept. 19, 1989, because it was her first and only varsity coaching victory while serving as Snyder’s assistant.

“That was the day Brandon was born,’’ Sharkey said. “I thought I might

get a second win a few days later, but Kathy was already back.”

It’s that type of resilience that has particularly helped the Mansuy family. Raymond Mansuy, the husband of Snyder’s longtime assistant and best friend, Paula Mansuy, was buried at 59 years old only three days before Snyder died.

For 30 years, Paula was

by Snyder’s side, helping her bring bagels to school every morning, trying to organize Snyder’s cluttered office, helping her technophobic friend with computers, and making sure reporters knew about Snyder’s win totals and accomplishments because Snyder never kept track of things like that.

“I still can’t even begin to wrap my mind around the events of these past two weeks,’’ said Jamie Mansuy, the couple’s only child. “It’s still just all so surreal. (Snyder was) a second mother to me.”

Throughout a memorial that lasted 2 ½ hours and also included songs by the school choir and a video tribute to her life, Snyder’s spirit was vibrantly alive. When Brett Snyder’s final prayer for his stepmother was over, the 200-plus women in the audience proud to call her their coach gathered in the bleachers to form a living testimonial to Snyder, her voice still echoing in their heads all these years later.

“Please continue to watch all of us,” Jamie Mansuy said. “And for the love of God, please try to keep your voice down up there.”

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

5

6

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

Roman Quinn Begins Comeback with BlueClaws

A

By Jay Floyd Pro Baseball Insider

fter suffering his second major injury in a stretch of four months, 2013 Lakewood BlueClaws shortstop Roman Quinn is bouncing back both physically and mentally and hopes to be better than ever when he returns to the field this coming season.

Following recovery from a broken left wrist he suffered in mid-season when he was hit by a pitch, the Phillies shortstop prospect experienced the second considerable physical setback of 2013 when he ruptured his right Achilles tendon while running sprints during routine workouts earlier this off-season. After the second considerable blow to his health, Quinn found himself with a feeling of defeat and went through a period of seclusion.

The 20-year-old was the Phils’ second round draft choice in 2011 and was the among the organization’s

top prospect, according to many outlets, heading into last season.

Surgery to repair the Achilles was completed nearly three months ago and Quinn is already ahead of schedule.

Praised for his fleet-footed efforts in beating out grounders for hits, swiping bags with ease and taking extra bases where others couldn’t, Quinn doesn’t feel as though his recent injury will impact the key weapon of his game, his speed.

“No worries at all. I did my research and all I gotta do is train hard and next year, I’ll be back stronger,” Quinn said in his first interview since undergoing surgery.

Initially, though, the realization that he’d be out of action for another lengthy stretch, with such a troublesome ailment, highly discouraged the Port St.

Joe, FL native. It was discussions with another Phillies minor leaguer who had been through Achilles surgery that allowed Quinn to bounce back psychologically.

“It brought me down real low, man,” Quinn explained.

“It was just very discouraging until I talked with Albert Cartwright, actually. He had the same injury. I talked to him about his injury and everything and he was just telling me, ‘Stay with it and just go hard in your rehab, man, and you can come back even faster, even stronger.’ ‘Cause that’s exactly what he did and as soon as I heard that, it gave me all my confidence back.”

Cartwright, who was originally a Houston draft pick and joined the Phillies in a trade prior to the 2011

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:32 PM Page 7

VOLUME-VI season, became good friends with Quinn when Cartwright was making a comeback in the spring of 2012. Cartwright, who was very happy to share details of his personal triumphs with the younger Quinn, was away from the diamond for six months and didn’t play in a game for seven months, while he recovered from surgery on his right Achilles tendon in 2011.

The 26-year-old Cartwright says there’s no lasting impact on his health, relating to his game play.

“It’s funny because people ask me about how my foot is doing, if it still gives me problems and I chuckle because I think I worry about my other foot more than the one I injured,” Cartwright said.

Quinn, who was still adapting to a new position (he was mostly an outfielder in high school prior to turning pro) and working to develop his skills at switch-hitting

(Quinn is a natural righty batter) last year, was far from satisfied with the efforts he put forth in 2013 with the BlueClaws. The youngster feels, though, that the struggles to this point will help him be tougher on the field and between his ears.

“I really think that this is going to help me out a lot,” Quinn stated. “It could be a blessing in disguise. I think that anything to help me slow everything down again and getting everything figured out mentally, because mentally is, like, the biggest part of the game, I think it would make me a tougher player. Facing more adversity and overcoming that, man, it’s gonna play out real well.”

As a member of the BlueClaws last year, the five-footten 170-pounder batted .238 with five home runs, 21 RBI and 32 stolen bases. Quinn made his professional

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

7

debut with Class-A short-season Williamsport in 2012, posting a .281 batting average with a homer, 23 RBI and a league leading 30 steals in 66 contests. He was also tops in the New York-Penn League in triples with 11 and runs scored with 56 in his first year in the minors.

With a daily routine that includes 10 minutes of walking on a treadmill, 10 minutes on an exercise bike, loads of stretching and calf raises as well as a normal gym routine for the rest of his body, Quinn is pain-free and optimistic for a mid-season return in 2014. He is currently targeting late June or early July this year to participate in game action.

“I’m feeling great. My Achilles doesn’t bother me at all. It just gets real tight some days and I have to stretch it out. It’s feeling really good. I’m feeling really good about my recovery and coming back to play.”

Quinn would likely see action in the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, who play in Clearwater, FL, where organizational training staff could continue to monitor and work with youngster, before he might make a return to Lakewood’s FirstEnergy Park.

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:32 PM Page 8

8

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-2

/

1/20/14

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

he time had come for Howell’s wrestlers to rise to the occasion to bring home a championship. this much was clear.

The Rebels had been here before, though, only to watch their dreams wilt in front of their eyes. Brick Memorial, a nemesis of sorts for Howell, had a sizable lead that was cut down by five straight clutch victories by the Rebels. All that was left to do was something Howell had been unable to accomplish in years past: close the deal.

On February1st at Red Bank Regional, Kris Lindemann erased years of frustration and disappointment with one incredible performance.

The Rebels sophomore took the mat with his team leading Shore Conference

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:32 PM Page 9

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

9

Tournament No. 1 seed and 14-time champion Brick Memorial by three with two bouts left. His opponent was Joe Ghione, the Mustangs’ two-time state medalist and two-time Region VI champion who was finally making his return to the mat after an injury sidelined him on Dec. 21.

Ghione grabbed an early lead, but Lindemann clawed back with authority, twice locking in cradles and nearly earning a fall in a 16-8 major decision that gave the third-seeded Rebels a sevenpoint lead to clinch their first Shore Conference Tournament title in program history, 28-27 over Brick Memorial.

“I knew if I could keep it close and get it into the late second, early third period I could take it because he wouldn’t have the energy and the stamina since he was just coming back,” Lindemann said. “I knew he wouldn’t be able to power through (the cradle) because his arm wasn’t full strength. I thought I had the pin, almost did, but the back points worked and I got the major to lock up the match.”

Howell senior Jimmy Slendorn vs. BM junior Luis Bocalman at 120 pounds

Ghione, who sprained his elbow in the season-opening TCNJ Pride Tournament and wrestled in his first bout since on Saturday, grabbed a 4-1 lead after the first period with a pair of takedowns.

Lindemann worked to his feet in the second period to make it 42, then took Ghione down and locked up a cradle for three near-fall points to take a 7-4 lead. Off a restart with 10 seconds left in the second period, he again put Ghione to his back to take a 10-4 lead. A reversal by Ghione made it 10-6, and after cutting Lindemann free he took him down once more to cut the lead to 11-8. But Lindemann still had one more big move left.

He reversed Ghione to push his lead to 13-8, then found the cradle yet again. He nearly finished the bout with a pin each time, but his points were more than enough to give Howell the lead for good.

“All I could do was jump up and down and scream,” said senior Kyle Cocozza.

“I don’t know what I was screaming, but I was screaming. I couldn’t stop thinking about how we just did it.”

“It’s one of the best feelings in the world knowing you locked up the match,” Lindemann said.

This was Howell’s fourth trip to the SCT final. The Rebels lost to Brick Memorial, 48-12, in 1989, to Long Branch, 30-25 in 2008, and again to Brick Memorial, 34-24, in 2012. In the last two SCT finals, Howell had the lead only to see a championship slip through its grasp. The Rebels lost the final six bouts in 2008 and the final three in 2012. This was time was different, and it had to be.

When Tyler Poling walked off the mat after pinning Nate Litowsky at 220 pounds, Brick Memorial had a 21-9 lead. Cocozza then delivered a 6-4 victory over Nick Rivera at heavyweight with a takedown in the final 20 seconds. His win started a streak of six straight wins by Howell to close out the match.

“To be honest, that makes it that much better winning how we did,” Cocozza said. “Over and over losing to Brick, losing to Jackson. To be able to come over the

Howell senior Kyle Cocozza vs. BM freshman Nick Rivera at heavyweight

See

record page 10

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:33 PM Page 10

10

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

Record

Continued from page 9 hill and the way we did it. The big thing on the bench was we never though we were out of the match.”

Howell’s wrestlers knew the stigma that surrounded them. They were a great program, but…

“But we could never get that championship,” Lindemann said.

“This feels great.”

The Rebels won nine of the 13 contested bouts before forfeiting to Anthony Mitchel in the final bout at 138 pounds. Cocozza’s win was crucial, as was Peter Dee’s 1-0 victory over Gianni Ghione at 106 between two of the best in the state. Nick Lurski won a 1-0 tossup over Connor Owen at 170 and Joey Schultz made the cut to 160 pounds for the first time this season to defeat Cliff Ruggiero, 3-1, on a takedown with five seconds left in the third period. Brick Memorial received pins from Alec Donovan, Nick Costa and Poling, while Rob Ruggiero won by decision over Jack Rada, 8-3, at 152 pounds.

“This is very big,” Schultz said. “We haven’t won but we’ve been in the finals a few times. We always came up short, so it’s just big to take it home, finally.”

Alec Donovan’s pin at 145 gave Brick Memorial a 6-0 lead, and Ruggiero’s win pushed it to 9-0 after two bouts. Schultz and Lurski won to cut the deficit to 9-6, and Stephen Boncimino’s 3-2 win over Bobby Mitler at 182 pounds tied the match at nine. Costa pinned Sean Silverstein at 195 and Poling decked Litowsky in the third period to give the Mustangs a 21-9 lead. It was the last contested bout Brick Memorial would win.

Decision’s by Cocozza and Dee brought Howell to within six at 2115, and Mikey Sisolak

Sophomore Kris Lindemann vs. BM senior Joe Ghione at 132 pounds

and Jimmy Slendorn earned decisions at 113 and 120, respectively, to tie the match at 21. At 126 pounds, sophomore Anthony Gagliano, the son of 17th-year head coach John Gagliano, held off Jose Bocalman to win 5-4 and set up Lindemann’s heroics.

“We have a lineup that everyone ranted and raved about and, that this is the year,” Cocozza said. “To work hard in the room and to come out tonight and wrestle the way we know how to wrestle and win, it’s an unbelievable feeling I can’t put into words.”

Photos by:

Bill Normile

www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

by:

Bob Badders

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION & COLOR RE-PRINTS OF ANY PAGES C o n t a c t : S t e v e n M e y e r 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 60 s m e y e r @ a l ls h o r e m e d i a . c o m

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:33 PM Page 11

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

11

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 Dana Jean DeGennaro—RBC

n Chris Delaney—CBA

n Pat Delaney—CBA

n Billy Gilligan—RBR

n Mark Donnelly—RBR

n Erica Gomez—St. John Vianney

n Kristian Duravcevic—Fordham Preparatory School (NY)

n Kevin Grier—CBA

n Jose Diaz—Pt. Pleasant Beach

n Robert Barksdale—Asbury Park

n Sean Dunne—CBA

n Kate Beriont—St. John Vianney

n Mike Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech

n Billy Beggans—Ocean Township

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 Greg Ford—Trenton Central

n Avery Gardner—Long Branch

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

n Glen Ford—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 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 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 Darius Morris—Long Branch

Dean—Neptune

n Shinece Perry—RBR

n Nick La Morte—Mater Dei Prep

n Paul De Salvo—CBA

n Taquan

n Toni Panza—St. John Vianney

n Evan Pastorelle—RBC

n Roshown McLeod—St. Anthony’s

n Allen Dean—Neptune

n Kevin Owens—Neptune

n Tyler Glass—Mater Dei Prep

n Charles Davis—Neptune

n Syessence Davis—Neptune

n Karen Otrupchak—RBR

n Christian Morris—S. Kent School (CT)

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

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:33 PM Page 12

12

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

Six FBS Recruits Highlight Signing Day in the Shore S ix Football Bowl Subdivision recruits headlined another banner

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

class of Shore Conference football stars who made their college commitments official on National Signing Day.

The group of Red Bank Catholic offensive lineman Quenton Nelson (Notre Dame); Southern wide receiver Mike Gesicki (Penn State); Manalapan wide receiver Saeed Blacknall (Penn State); Rumson-Fair Haven defensive end Donald Bedell (Rutgers); Raritan offensive lineman Pat Toal (Old Dominion) and Colts Neck running back/defensive end Anthony Gargiulo (Navy) were part of the group of Shore standouts who signed their binding National Letter of Intent on Feb. 5.

Nelson was rated as the No. 29 overall recruit in the country at any position from the Class of 2014 by Rivals.com after helping the Caseys to a second straight 10-1 season and another No. 1 overall ranking in the Shore Sports Network Top 10. A two-time, firstteam All-Shore selection and one of the best offensive line prospects ever from the Shore, he joins a Notre Dame program that recently graduated standout cornerback and team captain Bennett Jackson, a Raritan graduate.

Gesicki and Blacknall, a pair of two-time, first-team All-Shore selections, both head to Penn State to play for new coach James Franklin. Gesicki, who played wide receiver for the Rams but is considered one of the top tight end prospects in the nation, committed to Penn State earlier in the fall. Blacknall, one of New Jersey’s top wideouts, had been verbally committed to Rutgers since August before flipping to Penn State on Jan. 26.

They join a Nittany Lions program that currently includes defensive end Garrett Sickels (Red Bank Regional) and kicker/punter Chris Gulla (Toms River North).

Bedell, another Shore Sports Network first-team AllShore pick, joins a Rutgers program that had 11 of its verbal commits flip to other schools. Bedell was one of the Shore’s top pass rushers and helped the Bulldogs win their second Central Jersey Group II title in school history in the fall. He will be part of a Rutgers team that currently includes quarterback Mike Bimonte (Manalapan) and offensive lineman Ryan Brodie (Long Branch).

Toal, who is also a standout heavyweight wrestler, committed to Old Dominion over the summer and joins a team that currently includes defensive tackle Malik Gumbs (Matawan) and long-snapper Rick Lovato (Middletown South). Gargiulo, another SSN first-team All-Shore pick, became the first FBS recruit in Colts Neck program history by signing with Navy after finishing his career as the school’s all-time

leader in rushing yards, touchdowns and tackles.

There also were a host of Football Championship Subdivision signees from the Shore Conference, including four recruits headed to Monmouth University.

Colts Neck lineman Ryan Wetzel, Brick Memorial safety Mike Basile, Monsignor Donovan quarterback/defensive back Vinny Grasso, and RumsonFair Haven offensive lineman Peter Righi all signed with the Hawks.

Here is a list of the college commitments that were reported to Shore Sports Network.

• Mike Basile, RB/DB, Brick Memorial (Monmouth University)

• Donald Bedell, DE, Rumson-FH (Rutgers)

• Blaine Birch, LB, Manasquan (Assumption College)

• Daquane BlandBennett, RB/DB, Asbury Park (West Virginia Wesleyan)

• Maurice Diawara, DE, Lakewood (Wagner)

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:34 PM Page 13

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

13

• Dan Loizos, LB, Ocean (Ithaca College)

• Joey Fields, WR/RB/DB, Msgr. Donovan (Central Connecticut State)

• Shawn McCord, DE, Red Bank Catholic (St. Francis, Pa.) • Matt Muh, QB, Shore Regional (Bucknell)

• Matt Forst, OL/DL, Manasquan (Cheshire Academy)

• Quenton Nelson, OL/DL, Red Bank Catholic (Notre Dame)

• Tim O’Hara, OL, Red Bank Catholic (Lehigh University)

• Anthony Gargiulo, RB/DE, Colts Neck (Navy)

• Chris Okupski, OL, Shore Regional (University of Maine) • Julanee Prince, WR, St. John Vianney (Sacred Heart)

• Mike Gesicki, WR, Southern (Penn State)

• Larry Redaelli, RB, Red Bank Catholic (Assumption College)

• Peter Righi, OL, Rumson-FH (Monmouth University)

• Monte Sinisi, OL/DL, Manasquan (Univ. of Rhode Island)

• Pat Toal, OL, Raritan (Old Dominion)

• Nick Tomkins, TE/DE, Matawan (Dartmouth) • Christian Tutela, WR/DB, Lacey (Marist)

• Mike Ververka, FB/LB, Colts Neck (Carnegie Mellon)

• Ryan Wetzel, OL/DL, Colts Neck (Monmouth University) • Justin Gille, OL/DL, St. John Vianney (Lehigh)

• Vinny Grasso, QB/DB, Msgr.

Donovan (Monmouth University)

• Noah Yates, WR/DB, Point Beach (Yale)

• Saeed Blacknall, WR, Manalapan (Penn State)

• Matt Gudzak, RB, Toms River East (Villanova)

• Darrius Hart, WR/DB, Toms River South (University of Maine)

• Tayler Hendrickson, TE/DT, Middletown South (University of Pennsylvania)

Cliff Lavelle

www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

Photos by

Bill Normile

www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:34 PM Page 14

14

VOLUME-VI

/

ISSUE-3

/

2/4/14

RYPT Showcases Local Players in Inaugural Football Combine

B y Adam Feit - Director of Sports Performance at Reach Your Potential Training, Inc. The Elite Sports Performance Center, home of Reach Your Potential Training (RYPT), Elite Sports Physical Therapy and Turn2 Sports Consulting, recently hosted the Inaugural RYPT Football Combine Classic, which showcased the area’s top high school football players in the Shore Conference, measuring their speed, agility, strength and power. Based off the current NFL Combine model, players from both Ocean and Monmouth County competed in a battery of tests in front of coaches, teammates and opponents to set their mark in today’s highly competitive recruiting market in hopes of catching the eyes of college coaches and establish their confidence in playing at the next level. The tests measured included: • Vertical Jump: max height on Vertec ® system • Long Jump: 2 attempts max distance • 10yd and 40yd run: 2 attempts each, with electronic Brower Timing Systems ® • 3-Cone (L-Drill) and Pro-Shuttle (5-10-5): 2 attempts each • Bench Press: 155lb, 185lb and 225lb testing, max reps • Hand, arm length, height and bodyweight measurements

“It was important for us to do this the right way,” said Adam Feit, former NFL and Division I Strength & Conditioning Coach and now Director of Sports Performance for RYPT. “Often, athletes come back from mass number regional camps disappointed because they felt their testing was rushed or wasn’t recorded properly. Then they’re left using those numbers on recruiting questionnaires and meetings with coaches, which do not leave them very confident in their ability to be recruited or play at the next level.

Aaron Mora, rising senior and running back for Neptune High School, turned in an impressive showing for the SKILL group, winning two of the events and the overall group class with a 4.43 electric timed 40 yard sprint and 17 reps on the 185lbs bench press test. Not far behind him was senior running back, Jeremy Concepcion (Midd South), who timed a 4.40 5-10-5 shuttle and 14 reps in the 185lbs bench test, solidifying 2nd place. Freshman free safety, Anthony Lotti (Freehold Township) took home 3rd with two 1st place

finishes in the vertical jump (32 inches) and long jump (9’ 8”).

For the semi group, linebacker Rich Eknoian (Wall), ran past his competition with an electric timed 4.90 second 40yd sprint, 4.41 second 5-10-5 shuttle and an 8’3 long jump. Right behind him was Brett Habich, tight end for Red Bank Catholic, turning in three 2nd place finishes in the speed and agility events and a 1st place in the vertical jump with 26 inches. Rounding out 3rd place was Connor Rempel of Shore Regional High School.

Lastly, the line group was nonetheless an impressive group to watch as Quenton Nelson, senior offensive lineman for Red Bank Catholic and Notre Dame commit, dominated his opponents with a jaw dropping 22 reps on the 225lbs bench press test and turning in a solid 8.22 second 3-cone and 4.87 second 5-10-5 shuttle times. Will Gulick, freshman offensive lineman for Middletown South, took home 2nd place overall and 1st in two events with a 24 inch vertical jump and 8’ 4.5” long jump.

Taking home third in the line group was Brian Joyce, another Middletown South lineman, who dominated the 40yd sprint, 3-cone and 5-10-5 shuttle, taking home 1st place in all three.

“Some guys left a little disappointed in their overall scores or performances, but they understand where they stand now and know which areas need the most work,” said Bobby Smith, Owner and Founder of RYPT. “Knowing exactly what you can do is half the battle. Now they can use this to fuel their off-season goals and training. Whether it’s speed and agility or total body strength work, they can meet with their sports coaches and our performance team to devise a plan to make sure they are at their very best next season”.

The 16,000 square foot sports performance facility, modeled after the US Olympic Training Center, wasted no time and organized all logistics and event details to run a smooth event. Ryan Gunningsmith, Assistant Football Coach

for Springfield College (MA), said, “It was an amazing set-up.

Adam Feit and the RYPT staff thought of every detail possible to ensure a quality and fun testing environment for all the athletes and spectators today. It was a great opportunity for our staff to come down and check out the Shore Conference and see who’s still available.

We were able to talk with a host of young men who we feel can help us up here at Springfield.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.”

Coaches from Springfield College and Farleigh Dickinson University were in attendance along with on site sponsors from Cytosport (Muscle Milk), Professional Orthopaedics Associates, Turn2 Sports Consulting and Salad Shack restaurant. Results, pictures and information from the combine can be found at www.igotrypt.com.

Photos by

Sport Shots WLB

www.sportshotswlb.com

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:34 PM Page 15

VOLUME-VI Bulldogs to appearances in the Shore Conference Tournament finals in 2006 and 2007.

On Friday night, the Bulldogs achieved the win in typical fashion under Sourlis, clamping down on defense with the game on the line and finding a way to come up with timely buckets. They celebrated with special balloons and T-shirts that had “600″ on the back as well as a specially made basketball for Sourlis to mark the occasion.

F or more than 25 years, whenever Rumson-Fair

Haven girls basketball coach George Sourlis hit a milestone win, he could expect a phone call from a fellow accomplished coach who had more than her share of landmark victories.

When Sourlis picked up his 600th career win on Jan. 24th in the Bulldogs’ 44-38 victory over host Holmdel, he knew that call would not be coming. Southern’s Kathy Snyder, the Rams’ head coach of 35 years, died at 58 years old in her sleep on the morning of Sourlis' landmark win. Her loss left the Shore Conference community mourning the passing of a legend whose teams won over 500 games during her tenure.

“My heart goes out to her family and her kids and the people at Southern because we lost an icon,” Sourlis said while trying to hold back tears. “We lost somebody who was passionate and loved what she did. I can’t even talk because I’m so overwhelmed. When I got the news today, I was devastated.

“She would always call me and I would call her if we hit a milestone. I’m not getting that call today.”

Snyder was the longest-tenured girls basketball coach in the Shore Conference, and now Sourlis inherits that mantle after becoming the first girls coach in conference history to reach 600 wins. He has spent more than half his life coaching the Bulldogs.

“It’s a great number, but there are certain things in life that you have to really cherish every day,” Sourlis said. “(Snyder’s death) puts that in perspective.”

Fresh out of college, Sourlis began his career at his alma mater in the 1986-87 season after being talked into it by his younger sister, Dorothy Sourlis, who was a sophomore at the time for a Bulldogs team that was in need of a coach. He figured he would help her out, so he coached the last three seasons of her brilliant career with no initial intention of staying much longer.

“Everybody at that time was questioning me saying, ‘Are you going to stay now that your sister is graduating?” Sourlis said. “Out of spite, I stayed, thinking, ‘I’m going to show you guys.’ Then it became something that is part of my life. It’s my passion. I love it.”

Sourlis’ legacy has since grown to include 14 NJSIAA sectional championships, five Group championships and five appearances in the Tournament of Champions. He also led the

“We really worked hard today for him because we know how hard he works for us, so this was like our way of giving back to him for all he does for us,” said junior guard Grace Stant, who has committed to Villanova. “You never get, ‘Good job’ for playing hard because you always have to play hard or else you won’t play.”

/

2/4/14

15

he was during her tenure with the Bulldogs.

“To see him as he gets older, I tell him all the time, ‘You’re getting too soft,”’ Hyduke said.

“She’s right,” Sourlis said. “I’m also older, so I don’t have the energy. I couldn’t coach her anyway. She was a pain in the ass.”

Players who used to have to endure Sourlis’s wrath for not giving maximum effort or not executing properly can now bust his chops as adults because they know the bond that comes from playing at Rumson.

“This win is for all those kids that gave me everything in practice every day and are now my friends,” Sourlis said.

Many of them even still return from college to play on their old court again during the summer.

“I can’t tell you how many phone calls and texts I got in the last few days from former players and coaches,” Sourlis said. “I’m so lucky. That’s why this number is where it is – because of them.”

Caitlin Hyduke, who starred at guard on the 2006 Bulldogs team that reached the TOC, sat right behind the bench on Friday night to watch her former coach make history.

Hyduke had her career at Harvard cut short because of a major knee injury, but is now working to complete her degree at Columbia Law School.

Hyduke also joked that Sourlis, who turns 51 next month, isn’t quite as intense as

ISSUE-3

“He really cares about everyone that played for him, which I think is something that helps distinguish him from other coaches,” Hyduke said. “He’s constantly texting me asking how are things going. The hours he would put in are just crazy and his memory is unbelievable.

He’ll say, ‘Remember that game nine years ago, four minutes left..’ It makes you realize how much he cares about everyone on this team, and I think that’s what makes him so special. He was great to play for. I miss it.”

The most gratifying aspect for Sourlis is the fact that several former players and even parents of former players made the trip to Holmdel on Friday to congratulate him on a rare milestone.

“He’s a great guy and a great role model,” Hyduke said. “I still talk to him often about how everything is going. I knew he was getting his 600th win, so I wanted to come support him. It’s great now that I can joke around with him, and he can’t make me run sprints or suicides if I talk back.”

/

“When we do our summer workouts and they all come back and scrimmage against us, it’s just really nice to see how much they still like it and how much they still like being around (the program),” Stant said.

“It’s so fun when they come back.”

Sourlis soaked in all of that camaraderie on Friday night, as one living piece of his coaching history after another emerged from the stands to give him a hug or a handshake.

He gripped his wife and children tight, alternating between smiles and melancholy while sorting through a landmark victory and the loss of a friend and peer.

Sourlis & his wife celebrated a rare milestone for any girls basketball coach in New Jersey history, which was commemorated by balloons, a custom basketball & even T-shirts for the occasion.

“My heart is just broken for Kathy’s family and everyone at Southern,” he said. “(Getting 600 wins) is a bittersweet thing tonight when you put it in perspective.”

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

s m e y e r @ a l l s h o r e m e d ia . c o m

2/4/14 Issue.qxp_Layout 1 2/4/14 6:34 PM Page 16

16

E -1V/ 1I 3 / V O L 1U2M/ 2

-3 14 /I SVSOULEU M E/ - V2 / /4 /ISSUE-21

/ SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM