All Shore Media 2-7-12 Volume IV Issue-3

February 7, 2012 - Volume-IV - Issue-3

Dei Prep’s Curti Hits 1,000 3 Mater

4-5 Wrestling: Tournament Review Stars Make 7 Shore Their College Choices

D AY TO 8-9 AR EM EM BE R

10 Lacrosse Preseason Training Football Players 11 Wall Headed to FCS Programs

www.allshoremedia.com

Boys Basketball: 13 St. Rose Ends Drought Memorial Wins 14 Brick SCT Wrestling Title 15 Stumpy’s Corner

A multimedia company that

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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.

All Shore Media Web Site Features

Log on to www.allshoremedia.com regularly to get V I D E O H I G H L I G H T S 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.

All Shore Media Expanding Into North Jersey

All Shore Media is proud to announce that it has partnered with a North Jersey group to expand its type of coverage into Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, this fall.

StevenMeyer Director/CEO/Marketing smeyer@allshoremedia.com 732-233-4460

Scott Stump Director/Managing Editor stump@allshoremedia.com

Senior Content Providers Matt Manley // M m a n l e y 2 1 @ g m a i l . c o m Bob Badders // badders@allshoremedia.com

A l l S h o r e M e d i a is published by: Al l Shore Media, LLC. 26 Oxford Dr ive Wayside NJ, 07712 Copyright 2012 All Shore Media LLC. A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of All Shore Media is prohibited

The All Sports Media Northern Review, a newspaper in the mold of the All Shore Media bi-weekly paper, will make its debut in September. The free, advertiser-supported paper

will cover scholastic sports at all of the schools in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which consists of schools from Morris County and a handful of teams in Sussex and Warren counties.

“We're hoping it will be as big a success as the All Shore Media Shore Conference program, and the early returns are promising,’’ said Paul Mencher, who will be the lead writer and editor of the new paper. “People seem excited about it, and advertisers are excited about it. It’s something different than what exists up here.

“There’s a lot of interest in high school sports in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, and I think that people will be interested in having a new resource.’’

The partnership also broadens the scope of All Shore Media’s coverage to include a presence in North Jersey.

“We're excited about expanding our niche in the market and the way we cover sports,’’ said All Shore Media Director/CEO Steve Meyer. “We're excited to start here with the objective that we want to expand to other parts of the state as well. This is the first step in our expansion.’’

For more Info. Check Out

www.asmnorth.com

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

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Curti Hits 1,000-Point Milestone for Mater Dei Prep

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

From the moment she stepped on the floor as a freshman on the varsity team, senior Taylor Curti seemed destined for the moment she enjoyed in Mater Dei Prep’s 47-44 victory over Asbury Park on Jan. 23.

Curti scored her 1,000th career point in the first quarter on her way to a game-high 24 points in the victory, becoming the first Seraphs player to reach the mark since Lauren Florio and Ryan Killeen each passed 1,000 during the 2007-08 season.

“She’s a gifted player and that was evident even as a freshman,’’ Mater Dei Prep head coach Darren Ault said. “I knew that she had wonderful basketball skills, so it was more about maturing and fitting into the team framework. She did very well with that, and was a reliable scorer even as a freshman.’’

Curti’s game has evolved over time out of necessity, as she is circled on opposing scouting reports. She is one of only two seniors and one of only four upperclassmen on a sophomore-laden Seraphs’ roster this season.

“She certainly could play at the Division II, Division III level, and Catholic wants her, but it’s all up to her,’’ Ault said.

Regardless of what Curti decides to do in the next step in her journey, she has already left a permanent mark in the record books at Mater Dei Prep.

Taylor Curti with head varsity girls basketball coach Darren Ault

“She has worked at scoring from different angles, the depth and range on her 3-point shot, and becoming more effective coming off screens,’’ Ault said.

“A lot of teams are isolating her and some have even run a box-and-one against her. In terms of basketball presence and skills, she's the one that every opponent knows they have to focus on.’’

Curti has already been accepted to Catholic University, which is interested in having her join the team, according to Ault. However, she also is looking at some Division I schools as purely a student without playing basketball.

Taylor Curti with her parents & younger sister Taylor Curti with Mater Dei Prep Athletic Director Dennis Tobin

Photos Courtesy of:

Paul Molicki

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Wrestling: A Look at the State Tournament

gone on to win the overall Group IV title every year since 2006, as well, and it's a pretty good bet that streak will extend for another season.

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

The most exciting time of the year begins this week.

The Offsectional wrestling tournaments kick off on Feb. 6 at 40 sites around New Jersey as we begin to pare down the 120 qualifying teams to six group champions on Feb. 12 at Pine Belt Arena on the campus of Toms River North. The Shore Conference is once again well represented with 19 teams in eight sectional brackets. Back-to-back defending Group IV champion Jackson Memorial leads the way as the top-seed in Central Jersey Group IV. Ocean is seeded first in Central Jersey Group III, Southern is the top seed in South Jersey Group IV, Toms River South is the No. 1 seed in South Jersey Group III and Christian Brothers Academy gained the top spot for the Non-Public South A bracket.

Central Jersey Group IV Defending champion: Jackson Memorial

Bracket: (5) South Brunswick (10-5, 30.73) at (4) Old Bridge (7-0, 29.86), winner at (1) Jackson Memorial (18-0, 33.72); (6) East Brunswick (4-5, 28.33) at (3) Howell (17-3, 31.21), winner at (2) Brick Memorial (14-3, 35.13).

This is the heavy hitter of all the brackets in the state thanks to the three Shore powers Jackson Memorial, Brick Memorial and Howell, each of which are ranked in the top 10 in the state.

Brick Memorial won the Shore Conference Tournament by

topping Howell, and the two will

almost certainly meet again in the semifinals at Brick Memorial. No. 1 Jackson Memorial hasn't wrestled since Jan. 26 because of a MRSA scare that has since been rectified. The Jaguars were cleared to resume activities this past Wednesday and should be ready to Jackson Memorial go. senior Dallas Winston The big

question is whether junior 106-pounder Alec Huxford will be in the lineup. He has been out over a month with an undisclosed ailment.

This is setting up to be Jaguars-Mustangs II, although Howell will have plenty to say about that. The Rebels feature one of the most balanced lineups around and were a couple of moments here and there from beating Brick Memorial. That said, Howell has never won a sectional title so the benefit of the doubt goes to the two Ocean County powerhouses. A Shore Conference team has won this section every season since 2004 with the Jaguars winning six titles and Brick Memorial winning twice. Either the Jaguars or Mustangs have

Central Jersey Group III Defending champion: South Plainfield (now in North 2, Group III)

Bracket: (5) Nottingham (14-2, 26.85) at (4) Jackson Liberty (13-5, 27.17), winner at (1) Ocean (17-1, 30.81); (6) Steinert (9-3, 25.75) at (3) Hopewell Valley (10-5, 27.87), winner at (2) Brick (16-4, 29.55).

Before powerful South Plainfield was put into this bracket two seasons ago, a Shore Conference team had won six straight in this bracket, including five consecutive titles by Ocean Township from 2004-2008.

The Tigers won the last two sectional titles but are now in the North Jersey Section 2, Group III bracket, opening it up once again for the likes of Ocean and Brick. The Spartans are solid favorites hear, even with a sound Brick Township team as the No. 2 seed. Ocean is looking for more than just a sectional title this season and has the capabilities to take out South Plainfield and South Jersey power Timber Creek. First they have to get through this bracket, but that really shouldn't be an issue for the stateranked Spartans.

Central Jersey Group II Defending champion: Long Branch

Bracket: (5) Matawan (12-3, 25.53) at (4) Point Boro (13-4, 26.24), winner at (1) Delaware Valley (6-3, 33.13); (6) Lawrence (5-7, 24.75) at (3) Long Branch (8-6, 27.93), winner at (2) Raritan (18-5, 30.78).

Just like during football season this is a bracket stuffed with Shore Conference teams as four of the six qualifiers hail from Monmouth and Ocean counties. Long Branch is the four-time defending champion here but will have a very tough time retaining that title with a Raritan team that already won this season's matchup looming in the semifinals. The top seed is Delaware Valley, a state-ranked squad that features standouts Mike Pongracz, Will Van Doren and Derek Zehnbauer. The Matawan-Point Boro match should be competitive with the winner traveling to Frenchtown on Wednesday. Raritan's only sectional title came in 2004 Continued on next page

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Southern hasn't wrestled many dual matches this season and chose not to enter the Shore Conference Tournament, so the Rams have been a bit under the radar this season. Once again, however, this is their bracket to lose. Southern has won six of the last seven SJ-IV titles and is the overwhelming favorite as the only state-ranked team in the bracket. What the Rams are looking forward to is Sunday at Pine Belt Arena and a chance to capture their second Group IV title in program history.

South Jersey Group III Defending champion: Timber Creek

seed, having qualified for the first time in its sixth season as a varsity program. The Bengals get undefeated West Deptford in the quarterfinals, a daunting task. Somehow find a way to win and it's No. 2 Buena in the semifinals. Even if Barnegat's run ends Monday, just qualifying for the state tournament is a step in the right direction for this young program.

Non-Public South A Defending champion: Bishop Ahr (now in Non-Public B)

Bracket: (5) Notre Dame (7-9, 23.00) at (4) St. John Vianney (9-10, 24.89), winner at (1) CBA (13-4, 29.29); (6) Paul VI (8-11, 21.11) at (3) Red Bank Catholic (9-6, 24.40), winner at (2) St. Augustine (16-8, 28.79).

Three Shore teams have qualified here with Christian Brothers Academy earning the top spot. Last season CBA lost to Bishop Ahr by one point in the sectional final because of a weigh-in snafu that cost them six points. This year the Colts are the frontrunner. A Shore Conference top seven squad and a fringe state-ranked This is another bracket where team, CBA is very balanced while it would be hard to imagine having two standouts in Vin Favia and anyone but the top two seeds Hayden Hrymack. They will be looking meeting in the final. Lacey has for their second sectional title in had its best season in years and program history and could possibly could certainly find itself in the meet only Shore Conference schools. St. semifinals. The Lions would John Vianney has already defeated then match up with Toms River Notre Dame this season, 40-25, so they South and should give the are the favorite to reach the semifinals.

Indians a solid match. Lacey's On the other side of the bracket is Red four losses have come to Bank Catholic squaring off against St. Raritan, Howell, Brick and Point Augustine Prep. Under head coach Joe Boro and have all been within 14 Gallagher, RBC has posted a winning points. It should be Toms River record and qualified for the state South and Timber Creek once tournament for the first time in at least TRS’s Kevin Corrigan again in the final, however. The seven years. That being said, it will be a Chargers have defeated the very tough matchup for the Caseys in Indians in the last two sectional finals and have become one of the top the semifinals should they get past Paul VI in the quarterfinals. It looks teams in the state over that span. It will be a big challenge for the Indians, like a CBA-St. Augustine final will be on tap. These two have developed who will need bonus points from their stars and key wins from their role postseason rivalries in hockey and basketball, so it should be a fun players. environment is the seeds hold up.

Bracket: (5) Seneca (11-4, 27..40) at (4) Lacey (13-4, 27.65), winner at (1) Toms River South (12-4, 31.67); (6) Shawnee (13-4, 27.18) at (3) Hammonton (18-5, 28.05), winner at (2) Timber Creek (15-2, 29.92).

Raritan’s Nick Ligouri

and since they've been stopped short by Delaware Valley a couple times.

If it does come down to Raritan and Delaware Valley in the final it should be a very competitive and entertaining match.

Central Jersey Group I Defending champion: Roselle Park

Bracket: (5) Point Beach (11-6, 23.24) at (4) Bordentown (12-6, 25.18), winner at (1) Bound Brook (13-2, 29.36); (6) South River (8-8, 23.56) at (3) Roselle Park (12-5, 25.94), winner at (2) New Egypt (11-3, 26.62).

Point Beach is the only Shore Conference team in the bracket and has a very winnable quarterfinal matchup. The run would likely end their with top-seeded Bound Brook awaiting the winner. The young Crusaders have been a revelation this season and are a serious contender to win the entire Group I title. It is still amazing that Paulsboro has won 28 of the 30 Group I championships since 1980, including 25 in a row(!) from 19832007. The Red Raiders have won the last three titles, however Bound Brook, Emerson-Park Ridge and Kittatinny look to have the edge this season.

South Jersey Group IV Defending champion: Southern

Bracket: (5) Toms River East (5-15, 27.00) at (4) Absegami (8-13, 27.06),

South Jersey Group II Defending champion: Delsea

Bracket: (5) Lower Cape May (12-8, 26.20) at (4) Clayton (18-1, 26.42), winner at (1) Delsea (16-1, 29.75); (6) Barnegat (10-7, 26.06) at (3) West Deptford (18-0, 27.89), winner at (2) Buena (11-5, 28.13).

A Shore Conference team has won this section just once in 30 years (Point Boro, 2007). Barnegat is the only Shore team here as the No. 6

Photos by:

Cliff Lavelle www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

Bob Badders www.allshoremedia.com

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A S A M P L I N G O F C U R R E N T A N D F O R M E R M A C A L L - S TA R S

n Sehmonyeh Allen—Neptune HS

n Sean Armand—Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis HS (NY)

n Delvon Arrington—St. Anthony’s HS

n Brian Baker—Colts Neck HS

n Mustafa Barksdale—RBR HS

n Robert Barksdale—Asbury Charter School

n Billy Beggans—Ocean Township HS

n Steve Bridgemohan—E Brunswick HS n Josh Brody—RBR HS

n Brandon Brown—Freehold Boro HS

n Yesenia Burgos—St. John Vianney HS

n Rashon Bruno—St. Anthony’s HS

n Courtney Calderon—St. John Vianney HS n Richard Calia—Holmdel HS

n Shilique Calhoun – Middletown North HS n Quarran Calhoun—Raritan HS

n Cooper Calzonetti—Neptune HS

n Chase Campbell—Oak Hill Academy (NC)

n Cleveland Cannon—Long Branch HS

n Raheem Carter—Long Branch HS n Corey Chandler—East Side HS

n Vincent Council—Lincoln HS (NY) n Don Coven—Long Branch HS n Paul De Salvo—CBA

n Syessence Davis—Neptune HS n Allen Dean—Neptune HS

n Kasey Hobbie—RBC HS

n Chris Delaney—CBA

n Nolan Ivers—Holmdel HS

Maria Goretti Catholic HS (PA)

n Darien Hutton—Ewing HS

n Simon Press—Asbury Park HS

n Pat Delaney—CBA

n Jasmine Jackson—Old Bridge HS

n David Reeves—RBC HS

n Mark Donnelly—RBR HS

n Tyson Johnson—St. Mary’s HS (NY)

n Dana Jean DeGennaro—RBC HS

n Jose Diaz—Pt. Pleasant Beach HS

n Sean Dunne—CBA

n Kristian Duravcevic—Fordham Preparatory School (NY)

n Mike Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech HS

n Crissie Fisher—Rumson-Fair Haven HS n Sarah Fisher—RBR HS

n Adam Fleischner—Holmdel HS

n Colin Ford—Manasquan HS

n Glen Ford—RBC HS

n Greg Ford—Trenton Central HS

n Avery Gardner—Long Branch HS

n Billy Gilligan—RBR HS

n Tyler Glass—Mater Dei Prep HS

n Erica Gomez—St. John Vianney HS n Dana Graziano—Holmdel HS

n Kevin Grier—CBA

n Paul Halas—St. Rose HS

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

n Taquan Dean—Neptune HS

n Felicia Harris—RBR HS

n Michael Harris—Randolph HS

n Mykel Harris—Great Mills HS (MD)

n Ashley Hart—The Peddie School n Eugene “Nu Nu” Harvey— St. Benedict’s Prep

n Corey Haskins—RBR HS

n Rosie Jackson—St. John Vianney HS n Billy Kiss—Long Branch HS

n Michael Kelly—St. Anthony’s HS (NY) n Nick La Morte—Mater Dei HS

n Herve Lamizana—St. Patrick’s HS

n Erin Leahy—Rumson-Fair Haven HS n Carl Little—Asbury Park HS

n Joey Raines—Asbury Park HS

n Anne Richards—The Lawrenceville School

n Charlie Rogers—Matawan HS

n Will Sanborn—RBR HS

n Keyron Sheard—RBR HS

n Brian Snodgrass—Holmdel HS

n Lauren Sokol—The Peddie School

n Stephen Spinella—Colts Neck HS

n Matt Stahl—Middletown South HS n Missy Stavola—RFH HS

n Amanda Rosato— St. John Vianney HS

n Jenna Strich—RBC HS

n Scott Stump—RBC HS

n Alifiya Rangwala— The Ranney School

n Kim Talbot—RBC HS

n Aaron Tarver—RBR HS n Terrance Todd— Neptune HS

n Maggie Loundy—Pt. Beach HS

n Maurice Turpin— Long Branch HS

n Charles Markens—St. Patrick HS n Mike Mavrinac—Midd. South HS

n John Weldon— Freehold Boro HS

n Jasmine McCall—Manalapan HS

n Dawn Werner— St. John Vianney HS

n Billy McCue—CBA

n Christian Morris—S. Kent School (CT)

n John Werner— St John Vianney HS

n Darius Morris—Long Branch HS

n Valerie Morris—Freehold Boro HS

n Kade Weston—RBR HS

n Michael Murphy—Howell HS

n Kayshanna Wesley— Asbury Park HS

n Sachin Nagpal—Ranney School

n Brian O’Reilly—Middletown South HS

n Karen Otrupchak—RBR HS n Kevin Owens—Neptune HS

n Toni Panza—St. John Vianney HS n Anthony Perry—St. Anthony’s HS

n Shinece Perry—RBR HS

n Earl Pettis—Saints John Neumann &

n Eric Yarborough— Asbury Park HS

n Tomora Young—RBR HS n Terry Zinn—RBC HS

n Lynne Zoltowski—RBC HS

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

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Coming Down to the Wire: Shore

Stars Make Their College Choices

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Three prominent Shore Conference players reached their collegiate decisions either right on National Signing Day or only a day before they made it official by inking their National Letter of Intent.

Matawan senior running back/safety Larry Alston III signed with Old Dominion on the morning of Signind Day, according to former Matawan coach Joe Martucci. Lacey offensive lineman Tyrell Smith signed with University of Massachusetts, choosing the Minutemen over the University of Nevada.

Also, Rumson-Fair Haven wide receiver/defensive back Mike Morralle signed with Lafayette, according to RFH coach Shane Fallon, after choosing between the Leopards and Bucknell University.

Old Dominion, which is located in Norfolk, Va., also is closer to Alston's mother, who lives in Columbus, Ga. Alston is very close with his mother, Long Branch graduate Juanicia "Cotton" Everett.

"I think that was a big part of it,'' Martucci said. "His mom made the visit down there and was impressed with the facilities. Plus it is closer to Georgia, so it allows her to see him a little bit more."

Alston was named the 2011 Shore Conference Most Valuable Player by All Shore Media. The hardest-hitting safety in the Shore Conference, Alston had 49 tackles, including 32 solo tackles, and also had 6 interceptions for a Matawan defense that helped the Huskies finish 9-3 and win their second Central Jersey Group II title in three seasons. He had two key pass break-ups and several booming hits in a 3-0 upset win over Rumson-Fair Haven in the CJ II final. Alson also stepped in as the starting running back in the fourth game of the season and ran for 865 yards and 11 touchdowns, including 246 yards and three touchdowns as well as an interception on defense in a win over Manasquan in the CJ II semifinals. He also finished with 19 catches for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He was named All-Class A Central by the coaches. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior projects as a safety or an outside linebacker at Old Dominion.

Alston had an offer from Temple and received late interest from Rutgers after visiting Old Dominion the weekend before Signing Day and Nevada a week earlier, but ultimately signed with the Monarchs. He joins a program that currently includes former Middletown South long-snapper Rick Lovato. New Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood had called Martucci earlier in the week expressing interest in Alston, but Martucci said he had not heard back from him since. Martucci had told Flood that if he did not hear back that Alston would sign Smith was an ASM first-team All-Shore selection with Old Dominion because he did not as a junior and a second-team pick as a senior for the Rumson's Mike Morralle want the Monarchs to go in another Lions. An All-Class B South pick by the coaches, the direction if they did not receive a 6-foot-5, 310-pound Smith also had offers from commitment from Alston and then Alston being left without his top Nevada, Marshall, Tulane, James Madison and several Northeast choices.

Conference schools and helped pave the way for 1,200-yard rusher Kyle Spatz as the Lions reached the South Jersey Group III playoffs.

"Old Dominion is a great school and a great opportunity for Larry,'' Martucci said. "The atmosphere that's going to be down there is He joins a UMass program that has a new head coach, Charley going to be good for him as far as the place itself. I think it's an Molnar, on the heels of a 5-6 season. Smith picked the Minutemen opportunity for him to be very successful.'' over Nevada, and Lacey coach Lou Vircillo said the proximity to

New Jersey played an important role in his decision.

Smith came to Lacey as a transfer from Lakewood before his sophomore year. He developed from a raw prospect into a Division I talent.

"There was an adjustment period that first year, but then he Lacey's Tyrell Smith started to work hard on his training,'' Vircillo said. "I think the turning point in his decision to train harder was when he went through the competitive Rutgers line camp, and then he really started to develop.''

UMass also is moving up from FCS (Division I-AA) to FBS (Division I-A) next year to join the Mid-American Conference.

"(Smith) looked at their schedule and where there were headed in the next four years, and I think that also played a role,'' Vircillo said.

Morralle was an ASM second-team All-Shore selection and an AllClass A Central pick from a defense that allowed a Shore Conference-low 83 points and won the Class A Central title and a school-record 10 games while also reaching the Central Jersey Group II final. He is one of two Rumson seniors to sign with an FCS program, as defensive tackle Jack Eisenstadt is headed to Monmouth University. Morralle joins a Lafayette program that currently includes junior defensive lineman Rick Lyster, a former star at Ocean.

Photos by:

Bill Normile www.billn ormile.zenfolio.com

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ith four players signing with Football Bowl Subdivision teams and a large group making it official with Football Championship Subdivision programs, this year’s National Signing Day was once again an exciting time across the Shore Conference.

Morris becomes the third FBS recruit in three years for Barnegat, and the second tight end in the last three seasons as Jarrett Darmstatter signed with Boston College in 2009. Quarterback Nick San Giacomo signed with Tulane last season.

This fall, Morris was an All Shore Media first-team AllShore selection who had 21 catches for 359 yards (17.1 ypc) and 2 touchdowns in 10 games, missing one game with a knee injury, and also was an outstanding blocker for a team that averaged 309.4 yards per game. The Bengals won a school-record 7 games, advanced to the South Jersey Group II semifinals for the second straight season and also won the Class B South title, their first division title in their six-year program history.

Morris finished his career with 58 catches for 946 yards and 7 touchdowns. Also a defensive lineman/linebacker, Morris had 37 tackles and 13 quarterback pressures this season and was named to the All-Class B South team by the coaches.

Morris was a second-team ASM All-Shore selection as a junior and had 10 Division I-A offers before deciding on Purdue

1/23/12

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor grew to 6-5, 230 pounds.

"He was a tall, skinny kid and we were wondering if he was going to be a receiver, but he just got bigger,'' Davis said. "He put good weight on and got more aggressive.''

Long Branch offensive lineman Ryan Brodie

Barnegat tight end Ryan Morris (Purdue);

Long Branch offensive lineman Ryan Brodie (Rutgers); Neptune linebacker Jazzmar Clax (University of Connecticut) and Red Bank Catholic linebacker Doug Whitlock (Navy) all signed their National Letters of Intent with FBS (Division I-A) programs. Also, Lacey offensive lineman Tyrell Smith signed with the University of Massachusetts, an FCS program that is moving to FBS next year as a member of the Mid-American Conference.

Issue-2

in the summer. He also heads to West Lafayette, Ind., with the knowledge that head coach Danny Hope just received a contract extension that runs through the 2016 season.

"Ryan has a lot of potential and Purdue saw that,'' said Barnegat coach Rob Davis.

"They really liked him and they made him feel comfortable, so it was a real easy decision.''

Morris initially was going to be a wide receiver but

Matawan RB Larry Alston III (Old Dominion)

announced his commitment to Rutgers last Wednesday, but then it was briefly in doubt after the news that head coach Greg Schiano had left to take the head job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brodie re-affirmed his commitment to the Scarlet Knights only three days before Signing Day after taking a visit to the school and going to the men's basketball game a day earlier. He is close with current players like freshman wide receiver Miles Shuler, a Long Branch graduate, and freshman running back Savon Huggins, a Jackson resident.

"His trip to the (Rutgers) basketball game on that Saturday, where he was hanging out with Miles and the other players, affirmed what other kids and coaches told him all along,'' his father, Bryan Brodie, said. "He was way tight with those guys all along.''

Considered New Jersey's top offensive line prospect, Brodie joins arguably the top recruiting class in Rutgers history, which added national Defensive Player of the Year Darius Hamilton, a defensive lineman from Don Bosco Prep, on Tuesday night. Brodie was a three-year starter who was the Matawan’s Alexis Urbanski leader on an offensive line that (Seton Hall) soccer paved the way for an offense that ran for more than 2,400 yards in 10 games.

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finished ranked No. 1 in the Shore Conference, won the Class B North title, reached the Non-Public Group III semifinals and did not lose to a Shore Conference opponent all season in winning a school-record 10 games. He also played tight end, and was a standout blocker in addition to catching 6 passes for 161 yards and 3 touchdowns.

2012 Shore Conference Football College Commitment List The 6-foot-5, 310-pound senior also played on the defensive line for the Green Wave, who won five straight to end the season at 5-5. He was named to the All-Class B North team by the coaches. He also played with some of the top talent in the nation in the Semper Fidelis AllAmerican Bowl in Phoenix on Jan. 3.

As for Neptune Linebacker Jazzmar Clax,

his recruitment came down to the wire as he took a visit to UConn over the weekend before committing only two days before he signed his National Letter of Intent.

"It was definitely a relief to get the process done with and know what my home is going to be for the next four years,'' Clax said. "I couldn't have done it without my family and everyone else who helped me along the way, so Signing Day was a great day.''

Clax cited his meeting with head coach Paul Pasqualoni as a key factor in his commitment and the fact that Pasqualoni and his assistants have NFL coaching experience also appealed to him.

A two-time, ASM first-team AllShore selection, Clax finished with 156 tackles, including 72 solo tackles, 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles to help the Scarlet Fliers win their first Central Jersey Group III title since 1998 and tie a school record with 11 wins. Clax won his second straight title after being part of the Freehold team that captured the 2010 CJ III championship. He was named the Class B North Co-Defensive Player of the Year by the coaches this season. As a junior, he had 91 tackles and 7 sacks for the Colonials.

Neptune's defense allowed 14 points per game and posted three shutouts this season.

RBC linebacker Doug Whitlock ,

another linebacker who was a first-team All-Shore pick by All Shore Media, had multiple FCS offers like Monmouth University and Wagner before ultimately committing to Navy. His older brother, Kevin, a former RBC

Mike Alonzo, DT, Rumson-FH (Susquehanna University) Larry Alston III, RB/S, Matawan (Old Dominion) Justin Billups, RB, Jackson Liberty (Marian University) Ryan Breen, OL, Ocean (Sacred Heart) Ryan Brodie, OL, Long Branch (Rutgers) Ryan Byrne, OL, Red Bank Catholic (Sacred Heart) Connor Caponegro, LB, Wall Class of 2011 (Rhode Island) Anthony Carlucci, QB, St. John Vianney (Franklin & Marshall) Jake Clapp, TE/DE, Rumson-FH (Middlebury College) Jazzmar Clax, LB, Neptune (University of Connecticut)

lacrosse and football star, is currently a Midshipman at Navy. The Midshipmen are set to join the Big East as a football-only member in 2015.

A strong two-way player for the Caseys, Whitlock was an All-Class B North selection by the coaches and a second-team ASM All-Shore selection as a junior. He finished with 70 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 3 passes defensed for one of the top defenses in the Shore Conference.

RBC

Steve Cluley, QB, Wall (William & Mary) Dylan Cottrell, QB, Colts Neck (Assumption College) Tom Crimeni, OL, Howell (Muhlenberg College) Ryan Davies, QB, Howell (Moravian College) Tim Donahue, OL, Howell (Fordham University) Chris Donald, LB, Red Bank Catholic (William & Mary) Jack Eisenstadt, DT, Rumson-FH (Monmouth University) Matt Ford, OL, Wall (Lehigh) Derek Gardner, TE, Wall (Marist) Ra'Zahn Howard, DT, Asbury Park (Towson University) Matt Jewett, OL, Rumson-FH (Williams College) Joe Johnson, DB, Manchester (Monmouth University) Michael Morralle, DB, Rumson-FH (Lafayette) Ryan Morris, TE, Barnegat (Purdue) Ryan Oros, TE/DE, Colts Neck (University of Chicago) Matt Pisarcik, OL, Wall (Franklin & Marshall) Jordan Powell, LB/DE, Lacey (New Hampshire) Terence Scanlon, QB, Red Bank Regional (Monmouth University) John Sieczkowski, LB, Manalapan (Monmouth University) Dimitrius Smith, DT, Jackson Memorial Class of 2011 (transferred to Monmouth University) Tyrell Smith, OL, Lacey (University of Massachusetts) Jesse Tate, TE/DE, Toms River North (Elon University) Jon Valentine, OL, Middletown South (Sacred Heart) Mike Villapiano, QB, Rumson-FH Class of 2011 (Brown University) Doug Whitlock, TE/LB, Red Bank Catholic (Navy) Tom Winters, LB, Brick (Monmouth University) Jaheem Woods, QB/DB, Neptune (Stony Brook)

Action Photos by:

Bill Normile

www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

Cliff Lavelle

www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

Special thank you to al l the s chool s for all the signing photos

Volume-IV

1 0 / ASM

Issue-2

1/23/12

Steve Heller was named the first head coach in Brookdale men’s lacrosse history in 2008. In the program’s inaugural year, Heller guided the team to an 8-14 record. Prior to coming to Brookdale, Steve was the assistant coach at West Point Prep School from 1996-2007. He was also a three-time men’s lacrosse all-American at Army, and is a graduate of West Point.

In a 6-part series Steve will highlight key elements that will help with a successful pre-season training program for any level of lacrosse.

P art 5 o f 6

Pre-Season Training:

How Do You Prepare?

By S teve Heller – Br ookdale Co mmu n ity Colleg e lacr os s e h ea d coach , Region 19 ch amp ion s 2010 an d 2 011 Co- dir ector of Lax Team S ix with Reid Jacks on , in d ividu al an d s mall g r ou p lacr o s s e tr ain in g. ( www.laxtea ms ix. com) .

At Lax Team Six we stress eight goals MISSION 4: EARN RESPECT or missions to our players. I thought You don’t deserve respect, you EARN it – never forget you would like to see these today and that.

You are not getting respected you are not working we give a brief explanation of what hard enough to EARN it! each should mean to you (it’s what MISSION 5: they mean to us).

Reid and I can’t stress enough how much we believe in these MISSIONS and how much we know if you believe in these you’ll be successful in anything you want to do in life. Yes, we are teaching you about lacrosse, the greatest game played, but we also know (even though you may not!) that years from now you’ll use these lessons to be successful on the field, in the classroom, in your community, and in whatever you choose to do – remember your MISSIONS!!

MISSION 1:

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

Nothing you do in life, on or off the field, can be done well if you don’t have a positive attitude! Make sure you have one DAILY!

MISSION 2:

PT (PHYSICAL TRAINING) & BE HEALTHY!

You need to take care of your body and mind, work to develop both and you’ll be a better player and more importantly a better person!! Challenge yourself DAILY!

MISSION 3: MOTIVATION

No one is successful without be motivated, just ask them, they will tell you that motivation to succeed is just as important (if not sometime more) than skill!

SET GOALS

You must have goals daily – without goals how do you know if you are making progress today? What are you goals for today, this week, this month, this year??

MISSION 6: INTEGRITY

No explanation needed, you know what it is – just do the right thing each day!

MISSION 7: MENTOR

Who do you look up to? Talk to them, learn from them – they have done what you want to do.

MISSION 8:

HAVE FUN HAVE FUN! HAVE FUN!

Each day try to make it as fun as possible, if today is a bad day, make tomorrow double to fun – enjoy what you are doing in the now!

You can’t be successful without these basic missions.

We want you to be comfortable making mistakes.

Mistakes are learning points; you can’t be successful until you learn to make mistakes!! Remember, making mistakes is ok, just do it at 100% max effort. Did you know that

Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player ever, MISSED over 9,000 shots in his career!!!!

"I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed.

And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is precisely why I succeed." --- Michael Jordan

Remember – practice DOES NOT make perfect. If you practice something the wrong way each day, you are only perfecting being wrong. PERFECT practice makes PERFECT! Together let’s learn to do it right from the beginning, that’s what we are here to help you learn and that’s what will make you successful. Ask yourself these questions DAILY? Did I PRACTICE perfectly today?

Did I STUDY perfectly today?

Did I EARN respect from someone?

Did I HAVE FUN Today?

You can ask this question for each of your missions, not go out there and get it done!!

LAX TEAM 6 – Reid Jackson and Steve Heller www.laxteamsix.com

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

www.allshoremedia.com

A SM / 11

Wall Football Contingent Headed to FCS Programs

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Class C Central Offensive Player of the Year and also earned second-team All-Shore honors.

The three-year starter went 74Senior quarterback Steve Cluley is headed to William & for-134 for 1,270 yards and 8 Mary, senior tight end Derek Gardner signed with Marist and touchdowns senior offensive lineman Matt passing, while also Ford is headed to Lehigh. In running for 555 addition, former linebacker yards and 6 Connor Caponegro, who played touchdowns. He a post-graduate season at finished his career Cheshire (Conn.) Academy, has with a school committed to Rhode Island. record 3,289 yards Also, senior lineman Matt passing, 30 Pisarcik has committed to touchdown passe Division III Franklin & and 4,364 total Marshall. yards. He also had The 6-foot-3, 270-pound Ford scholarship offers was a first-team All-Shore from Albany, selection by All Shore Media Monmouth and a three-year starter for the University and Crimson Knights, who won the Linebacker Connor Caponegro Maine. He joins Class C Central championship Red Bank Catholic this season and finished 8-2. He linebacker Chris started at guard on an offense that averaged 28 points and 316 Donald as part of this year's yards per game while rushing for 1,890 yards. He earned Allrecruiting class at William & Class C Central honors from the coaches and blocked for Mary.

Class C Central Offensive Player of the Year Steve Cluley, the A standout blocker on one of team's senior quarterback. the Shore Conference's top Cluley was a standout quarterback, as he was named the

offensive lines, Gardner also was a receiving threat for the team that won the Class C Central title. He was named to the All-Class C Central team by the coaches.

Three current Wall seniors and a standout from the Class of 2011 all signed with Football Championship Subdivision programs in early February.

Caponegro was Wall's leading tackler and a second-team All-Shore selection in 2010 before playing as part of an undefeated Cheshire Academy squad this fall. He led the team in tackles with 122 and had 21 tackles for a loss, 14 sacks and 6 forced fumbles. He also played H-back and fullback on offense, where he had 12 catches for 330 yards and 5 touchdowns on his way to be named first-team All Colonial League and first-team All-New England Prep School. His older brother, Blaze, is currently a linebacker at Temple.

Pisarcik was another talented member of one of the Shore Conference's top offensive lines and earned All Class C Central honors from the coaches and thirdteam All-Shore honors from All Shore Media.

Photos by:

Offensive lineman Matt Ford

Bill Normile www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

1 2 / AS M

Volume-IV

Issue-2

1/23/12

www.allshoremedia.com

A SM / 13

Boys Basketball: St. Rose Ends Long Drought by Stunning CBA

By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

St. Rose senior point guard Mark Kukoda has had one of the best careers of any Purple Roses guard of the last decade, but up until Feb. 2, he had not had his signature moment that St. Rose head coach Dennis Devaney guaranteed him after a rough day as a sophomore two years ago.

Against Christian Brothers Academy, Kukoda finally had his moment while also delivering the St. Rose program a landmark win.

Kukoda hit a contested, double-clutch, leaning shot as time expired to give St. Rose a 47-46 win over the Shore Conference's premier program of the past 20 years on its own home floor for the Purple Roses' first win over CBA in 12 tries in Devaney's 28 seasons. It's believed to be St. Rose's first win over CBA since 1979.

"I told Mark when he was a sophomore that he was going to have a moment like this," Devaney said. "He had a key turnover at halfcourt in the WOBM (Christmas Tournament) game that we ended up losing and I just told him after that he still had a lot of basketball left in him and that in these next two years, he's going to win us a big game. This certainly isn't the first time he's helped us win a game, but this one is big."

With four seconds left coming out of a timeout, Kukoda threw the ball into junior guard Conor Leddy and got it back off a pass from senior forward Dean Devaney. With a defender draped all over him as he dribbled to his right, Kukoda left his feet near the right elbow, doubleclutched and released a flailing shot that hit the front of the rim, then the backboard, and trickled in for the winning score.

"I wanted to get squared toward the basket as much as I could before I let it go and then I was just hoping it would go in," Kukoda said. "It hit the rim first and I was like, 'Oh no,' but then it bounced in, and I started jumping up and down."

"They did semi what we wanted them to do," Devaney said. "Dean set the back pick for Mark and Conor threw the ball to Dean, and we kind of thought they were going to back off of Dean because they knew he wasn't going to shoot and that allowed Mark to create, which he did because that's just the kind of player he is."

St. Rose trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and 15 in the third quarter, but rallied behind a balanced scoring attack that saw four players score nine or more points and a rejuvenated defense that switched from a 1-3-1 zone in the first half to a man-to-man in the second half. St. Rose outscored the Colts 30-14 in the second half and 16-6 during the third quarter to climb back into the game.

Kukoda scored only two of his team-high 13 points in the first half and sat out for the majority of the second quarter with two fouls while his team fell into a 32-17 halftime hole. With Kukoda on the bench, Leddy - a CBA transfer - helped stem the tide with eight of his 11 points in the second quarter. Leddy also hit a key 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to cut CBA's lead to 44-42 with just under two minutes left and held Colts guard Jimmy Dengler to three points and no field goals in the second half after Dengler picked apart the 1-3-1 with five threes in the first half.

"We still thought we had a chance (at halftime)," Kukoda said. "They hit a lot of threes in the first half and they didn't hit any in the second half, which I think was a result of the defense we were able to play."

After Leddy hit the triple to cut CBA's lead to 44-42, CBA sophomore Trevon Gross made one of two free throws with 1:07 left and Leddy missed a three on the ensuing St. Rose possession. The Colts ate up nearly 30 seconds of clock before the Roses fouled and put senior Kieran Hughes on the free-throw line for a one-and-one. Hughes missed the front end and after a timeout, Devaney called upon his secret weapon.

Out of the timeout, Kukoda found junior reserve Mike Paterno open in the right corner and Paterno calmly drilled an open three to tie the game at 45 with 13 seconds left. Paterno played a total of 16 seconds in the game, but hit what might have been the second-biggest shot of the night.

"I've told him (Paterno), he's one of the best shooters I've ever seen," Devaney said. "In practice, he's unbelievable. He'll hit 25 and 27-footers like they're nothing. One time, he hit 16 out of 19 (three-pointers) and they were long threes."

Paterno has played only sparingly at the varsity level, as Devaney indicated when asked if anyone had seen Paterno play this season.

"If you watch jayvee games, maybe," Devaney said. "He might be a 1,000-point scorer as a jayvee player, if they keep track of that sort of thing. I joked with him after the game that I made one of the worst decisions of my career by putting him in the game in that situation, and he made it look good by hitting that shot. But that's what he can do."

St. Rose nearly gave the game away by fouling Dengler at half court with seven seconds left, giving him two shots to break the tie. Dengler missed the first and made the second free throw and St. Rose called timeout after advancing the ball to halfcourt.

CBA shot just 6-for-12 from the free-throw line to St. Rose's 14-for-20.

The Colts went 2-for-5 from the line in the final 1:07.

Kukoda, Paterno and Leddy all hit clutch shots in the final two minutes, but St. Rose got contributions from a long list of players in the win.

Junior Jim Rockstedt scored 11 points, including a three-pointer to cap the 16-6 third-quarter run. Sophomore Dan Borner, starting in place of the injured Sean Maguire, added nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks.

Devaney played his second game since returning from a high-ankle sprain and while he did not score, he drew praise from his head coach, who also happens to be his father, for his defensive effort.

"I thought Dean did a great job on defense taking away their backdoor cuts," Devaney said. "He has a real good sense for that kind of stuff. He must have prevented about 18 to 20 easy points by just anticipating those cuts and closing off the passing lanes. That kind of stuff goes overlooked, but it was a big reason we were able to keep them in check in the second half."

Dengler finished with a game-high 18 points for CBA and Gross added 10, but the two combined for just four points and no field goals in the second half. Leddy locked down Dengler while Gross went to the bench with three fouls early in the third quarter, as did starter Evan Gordinier. St. Rose's switch to the man-to-man defense, as well as Devaney's presence in the passing lanes, allowed the St. Rose wing players to crowd the CBA shooters.

"Conor is always going to be aggressive, but when everyone is doing their job, it makes other guys play better," Kukoda said.

St. Rose won consecutive games Senior Mark Kukoda against Class A North opponents Freehold Township - a 55-52 win on Tuesday - and now CBA. The Roses were struggling with injuries to Devaney and Maguire, but have re-entered the discussion as a potential top 10 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, which will be seeded on Feb. 12.

"Last year, we had some injuries going into the tournament, and we kind of struggled going into it," Kukoda said. "This year, we're starting to get a little healthier and hopefully we can stay that way. We're starting to play a lot better, we beat two A North teams this week and that's going to be big for our confidence."

Photos by:

Cliff Lavelle www.cl earedge.zenfolio.com

Volume-IV

1 4 / ASM

Issue-2

1/23/12

Cliff-hanger: Brick Memorial Wins SCT Wrestling Title

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

Brick Memorial had been arguably the best team in New Jersey over the previous two weeks, but Howell was threatening to end that run in historic fashion.

After a surprising pin by Howell sophomore Matt Lindemann and another fall by senior Cole Cameron the Rebels held a nine-point lead on the Mustangs and looked poised to take their first Shore Conference Tournament title. But things turned on a dime yet again, as they so often do in wrestling dual matches, and suddenly Brick Memorial was back on fire.

Freshman Cliff Ruggiero built a five-point lead before locking up Howell's Ashanti Maurice for a pin at 2:53 at 145 pounds, swinging the momentum right back Brick Memorial's way and setting the stage for six wins in the next seven bouts for a 34-24 victory in the Shore Conference Tournament final on Jan. 28 at Long Branch High School.

The championship is a record 13th for Brick Memorial, and first for head coach Dan O'Cone is his sixth season leading the Mustangs.

Maurice was fourth in the Region VI tournament last season but fell victim to Ruggiero's fearless, attacking style. Already becoming known for his devastating throws, Ruggiero tossed Maurice to the mat in the second period and produced six huge, yet unexpected, points for Brick Memorial.

"We're thinking maybe we give up a decision," O'Cone said. "Cliff is a very dangerous person, plus he's a freshman who doesn't have any cares.

He's not a senior who has the weight of the world on him. He doesn't really care who he is wrestling."

Ruggiero's win sent the Mustangs on a four-bout winning streak that turned a nine-point deficit into a 21-15 advantage. Equally as important was Tyler Richardson's 3-1 decision over Zach Bohm at 170 pounds.

Richardson weighted in at 160 to give the Mustangs some flexibility, but ended up matched up with Bohm, who usually is at 160, anyway. After a second-period rideout by Richardson, he escaped and scored a late takedown in the third period for a crucial 3-1 decision. In the Mustang Classic in late December Bohm had defeated Richardson, 1-0.

Nate Litowsky stopped the run with a 2-1, double overtime decision over Jarred Eccles at 182 pounds, but a 3-1 decision by Anthony Miller over Matt Sulkowski at 195 and an 11-2 major decision from Matt Moore over George McCoy at 220 pushed Brick Memorial's lead to 28-18 with two bouts left. Junior Ezra Figueroa put the finishing touches on the

championship by pinning Vinny Martino in 1:07 at heavyweight, clinching the match with a 34-18 lead and enabling the Mustangs to forfeit to Jimmy Slendorn in the final bout at 106.

State medalist Joe Ghione started the match with a 7-1 decision over Anthony Piazza at 113 pounds before Connor Maliff extended Brick Memorial's lead to 6-0 with a 7-2 decision against Jack Rada. A crucial toss-up bout came at 126 pounds where Region VI fourthplace finisher Ben Esposito of Howell squared off with district champ Sean Stephenson of Brick Memorial. The two met last season in the 112-pound Region VI wrestleback semifinals with Esposito earning a 6-5 decision. It was another tight bout between the pair and Esposito took another one-point decision, 2-1 in double overtime.

Esposito rode out Stephenson before escaping late in double overtime for the victory.

Brick Memorial was up 6-3, but Howell was about to take a big lead with consecutive pins. Lindemann has been one of, if not the best, wrestlers for the Rebels this season, and he came up clutch by pinning Donovan in just 37 seconds. Another of Brick Memorial's standout freshman, Donovan was trying to finish off a shot when Lindemann snatched him in with a bottom-leg cradle to improve to 22-2. Cameron, one of the most frequent pinners in the Shore Conference, followed by decking Griffin Carney in 1:32 to give the Rebels a 15-6 lead. On paper it looked bad for the Mustangs. With the matchups ending up the way they did Howell was favored at 145, 160, 170, 182 and 106. Somewhere the Mustangs were going to have to pull and upset - or two - and they did precisely that. Rarely does a team run through a match winning at each anticipated weight while giving up minimal damage in its losses. Even the greatest teams are going to face adversity, and Brick Memorial has certainly proven what it is capable of overcoming.

"It was a very tough day because you weigh in for the first bout and sometimes for us to win we have to weigh in a certain way and we didn't know who our opponent was going to be," O'Cone said. "We had three game plans for Howell and Ocean and we wrestled the team that was in front of us, and Howell was pretty game."

For Moore, the victory was especially sweet. The standout junior who was fourth in the region tournament last season fractured his clavicle in the first tournament of the season and didn't return until January 18. Since then he's 6-0 was able to make a major contribution toward Brick Memorial's first SCT title since 2001.

"It feels great because the team as a whole has been through a lot of injuries and now we're back around 100 percent," Moore said.

Moore's return has changed the entire complexion of the Mustangs' lineup and given them an impressive string of upperweights. With the new weight classes this season, having good upperweights has proven to be a huge difference maker.

"I feel like we are really tough at those weights," Moore said. "We push each other hard in the room and it shows."

With top-ranked Jackson Memorial having to withdraw because of a MRSA case and Southern withdrawing before the tournament began, the void at this season's SCT was certainly felt. There will surely be plenty of what-ifs when discussing this tournament, but those are questions that are out of Brick Memorial's hands.

"It's tough not to have teams like Jackson and Southern in the tournament but all we could do is wrestle the teams that were put in front of us," O'Cone said.

The biggest question for Brick Memorial now is where it will put its newest plaque among its vast collection of wrestling accolades.

"We have to put a plaque up and I don't know where it's going to go," O'Cone said. "Coach (Tony) Caravella has 12 of them, so we'll have to make some space."

Photos by:

Cliff Lavelle www.clearedge.zenfoli o.c om

www.allshoremedia.com

A SM / 15 role model from the Shore for National Signing Day. After all, to go to a Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) program, the highest level of college football, you usually have to be genetically gifted to start. If you’re not a certain height or a certain weight or run a certain 40-yard dash time, you’ll probably get crossed off the list before coaches even look at your highlight tape.

W

hile this issue of All Shore Media is filled with all of the football success stories from this year’s Shore Conference senior class, there is always the other side of National Signing Day that features the numerous “what if ’’ tales of athletes whose dreams are on hold.

Perhaps the one trend that disturbed me the most in talking to local coaches throughout the process was players looking down on Division II or Division III football, or even in some cases, Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA) football. I’m not talking about families that simply cannot afford to pay for their son to play at one of those schools, but ones who refuse to bother with it according to their own principles.

Brown is more the norm than the exception, except that he is a player of exceptional character and drive, which are two things that an athlete can control, unlike how tall or big that he gets. He is the type of player whom Shore graduates should be emulating. It’s hard to say you’re going to be like another Long Branch graduate, Rutgers-bound offensive lineman Ryan Brodie, considering he is 6-5, 310 pounds and moves like a cat.

While Brodie has worked hard, he is also genetically gifted, so he is more the exception than the norm.

Delusional parents and players think that FBS scholarships just grow on trees and because you’re the top player in your own little area or because you paid to go to some combine and sent the footage out that you’re entitled to a scholarship. Shawn Brown was a first-team All-Shore player as a senior at Long Branch, one of the hardest hitters in the area. He also is a high-character player, as he won the prestigious Sam Mills Award at the U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic that year as the Monmouth County player who showed the perseverance and discipline that characterized legendary linebacker and former Long Branch star Sam Mills.

Rather than complain for all his accomplishments that a program like TCNJ was beneath him, Brown went there and flourished. No, there wasn’t the big fanfare over him on National Signing Day because that day does not apply to Division III athletes, only Division II scholarship athletes and above. But look where Brown is now.

I had a few coaches tell me they spoke with the angry parents of a standout player on their team who did not earn a scholarship to an FBS or FCS program, mainly because of academics, about possibly playing Division III football. The response was, “That is beneath my son. He is better than that.’’

I could only laugh at that statement given how many first-team All-Shore players populate Division II and Division III rosters in the tri-state area. You want to grab that parent and say, “So you think your son is way better than Shawn Brown, the former Long Branch star safety who became an All-American at The College of New Jersey this fall? I highly doubt it.’’

To me, a player like Brown is the real

He had a tremendous career that culminated with Division III first-team All-America honors this fall. He was also named the Division III Player of the Year in New Jersey by the sportswriters.

Shawn Brown

“He is a winner who will be successful in any goal he sets

for himself,’’ his head coach, Eric Hamilton, told the sportswriters at their annual banquet this year.

Brown has now given himself options. He can give it a shot and see if he can get in an NFL camp and maybe be like Mills, the former Division III linebacker at Montclair State who became an All-Pro with the Saints. If that doesn’t work out, he has a degree and could always become a coach, an educator or whatever else he wants to pursue. People seem to forget that a lot of the Shore’s great coaches are products of Division III schools themselves.

Now imagine if Brown had bought into the notion that he was better than a Division III program, that he was a star and deserved more. Where would he be now? He may have ended up like a host of other top players I’ve covered who talk vaguely of playing for a junior college and then are never heard from again.

I think of some of the players who have sniffed at lower-level schools and decided they were above it. For many of them, their main “options’’ now are deciding which local liquor store to hang out in front of to tell everyone how they used to be All-Shore. Either that, or they are the guys lining the fence during games at their old high school, yelling at the coaches’ play-calling and telling everyone how things were different when they played.

I think a big part of the issue of some players rejecting the notion of playing at Division II or III schools is peer pressure. Certain players are built up to be such megawatt stars in this area that they feel embarrassed to announce that they are going to a Division II or III school because they’re worried about people saying, “That’s it?

That’s the best team you could land at?’’

There’s just this ridiculous mentality that if you’re not “D-I’’ you’re a nobody. Tell me something; are those people going to be supporting you if you decide to blow those schools off and things don’t work out? Are they going to be there when no more reporters are covering your games or putting you on the Internet or in the paper?

You have to do what is best to benefit yourself.

If there is an opportunity at a lower level of football where you can get a college degree, I can’t see why you wouldn’t take it unless you are an academic superstar and want to pursue that full time at the expense of an athletic career, which is a nice problem to have.

The bottom line is that there is no shame in being a Shawn Brown. Far from it. Shawn Brown has a bright future ahead of him, which unfortunately is more than can be said for those who refuse to accept reality.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

smeyer@allshoremedia.com

www.allshoremedia.com

Volume-IV

Issue-3

2/7/12

A SM / 16

Sharon Wentworth,

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