February 7, 2011 Volume-III - Issue-3 A ll - S t ar Ga me s Com in g t o Br ook d al e Pa g e 3 Conover Twins Debut at Asbury Park Pa g e 4 Lakewood Basketball Captures Title. Pa g e 7 Making History: 2011 Signing Day Pa g e 8- 9 Wrestling All-Star Invitational Pa g e 10 Southern Wins SCT Wrestling Title Pa g e 12 Stumpy's Corner Pa g e 15
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February 7, 2011 I Volume-III I Issue-3
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Volume-III
Issue-3
2/7/11
A SM / 3
SenIor ALL-STAr GAMe CoMInG To BrookDALe By Scott Stump – Managing Editor give younger kids a chance to come to our campus,’’ Medley said. “It’s good for us to promote not only the building, but all the other things Brookdale offers to the community.’’
The latest edition of Shore Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games has added a title sponsor Open MRI & Diagnostic Imaging of Wall as well as a premier venue this season. Brookdale Community College, the regular home to the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals, has dramatically upgraded its facilities, and will welcome the top seniors in the Shore Conference on the boys and girls side on March 25 for the Open MRI of Wall SBCA Senior All-Star games. Brookdale now has a pair of gyms now that it has added the Brookdale Recreation and Events Center to the existing Collins Arena, which also has been upgraded. The girls game will be at 6 p.m., followed by the boys game at 8 p.m. Both games will be managed and marketed by All Shore Media, and the uniforms for all of the teams will be provided by RKE Athletic.
“I haven’t had a chance to get over there yet, but I heard it’s an awesome venue,’’ said Matawan head coach Tom Stead, who is the president of the Shore Conference boys coaches association. “(Brookdale) is excited to work with us, and I think it’s going to be a great venue for the game. I think attendance will be up.’’ “Moving forward, we would love to see a lot of high school events coming to the campus, especially because with the addition of the Brookdale Recreation and Events Center, we can run two games at the same time,’’ said Brookdale assistant athletic director Michael Medley. “It’s rare that you see any community college across the nation with a facility like this. We’re excited, and we’d like to add a Christmas tournament or a preseason tournament moving forward.’’
The coaches association also has made a big addition this season with a Futures Game for the boys and the girls, the first of which will tip off at 4 p.m. on March 25. The games will feature the top eighthgrade talent in Monmouth and Ocean counties, as selected by the youth coaches in the area. It will give fans a glimpse at the next wave of stars coming to high school programs. “(ASM’s) Steve Meyer added the 8th grade youth all-star game with the 2010 lacrosse all-star gamewhhich was a huge success, and I said, “Let’s go with it for basketball,’’ Stead said about including the futures game. “I think it’s a great idea. I have two really good guards in eighth grade, and I think that will bring a good amount of people from Matawan alone just to see the futures game. “It’s something we can build on every year, and it will be good for Shore Conference basketball. “The games for the seniors are a good way for them to go out, while the youth games going on before all-star games
The high school games this season should be loaded with Division I talent, particularly on the girls side. Among the senior class, Neptune’s Shakena Richardson (Rutgers), Syessence Davis (Rutgers) and Chyna Golden (Pittsburgh), St. John Vianney’s Jackie Kates (Univ. of Pennsylvania), Arron Zimmerman (American University), Missy Repoli (Colgate), and Katie O’Reilly (Lehigh), Rumson-Fair Haven’s Nicole Issaacs (Manhattan), Stephanie Isaacs (Fairleigh Dickinson), Victoria Lesko (Boston College), and Ashley Cooper (Holy Cross), Howell’s Sarah Olson (NJIT), Red Bank Catholic’s Samantha Guastella (Quinnipiac) and Kasey Hobbie (Presbyterian), Middletown South’s Meghan McGuinness (Niagara) and Jackson Memorial’s Christa Evans (Rutgers) make up arguably the most talented class in Shore Conference history. On the boys side, Christian Brothers Academy’s Matt McMullen (Colgate) and J.P. Koury (Bentley) as well as Point Beach’s Jarelle Reischel (Rice University), Monsignor Donovan’s Sean Grennan (Seton Hall), Middletown North’s Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State for football), St. John Vianney’s Mike Balkovic (Caldwell), the Lakewood duo of Jarrod Davis and Tony Walker and plenty more talented players should make it an exciting event.
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Volume-III
4 / ASM
Issue-3
2/7/11
Happy to Be Here: Conover Twins Debut at Asbury Park By Scott Stump – Managing Editor During their year and a half in basketball limbo, Asbury Park head coach Dave Johnson had one message for Armond and Amir Conover, a pair of twin guards. "There was a point where I thought they lost hope,'' Johnson said. "I told them that it's going to work out, so stick with it.'' After playing varsity football and basketball at Lakewood as freshmen two years ago, the twin guards transferred to Asbury Park last season but were prevented from participating in athletics at Asbury Park for their entire sophomore year, a situation that stemmed from issues they had at Lakewood. "When they first came here, they were saying something at Lakewood that (the Conovers) were blackballed from all sports for a year because of discipline,'' Johnson said. "We challenged that, and we didn't win, so we had to wait, and we lost a year.'' This school year, they sat out for the entire football season and were ineligible during basketball season until making their debut against Point Beach on Feb. 3 because of "grades and credits,'' according to Johnson. The twins knew that if they were going to get back on the court, it was going to be up to them to put the immaturity and lack of discipline aside. "My brother and I have been playing sports all our lives, so this whole year that we've been out we've been going through a lot mentally and emotionally,'' Amir Conover said. "Just to be back on the court makes my brother and I feel really good. I've learned that we've got to stay focused, and we can't go down the wrong route. If we go down the right route, we can do great things.''
"All year we've been saying how we want to get on the court, the field, something, just to be competitive,'' Armond Conover said. "Being out was rough, but we made it through it, and now we're looking forward, not backward.'' The twins came back with a bang, as Amir Conover poured in a careerhigh 23 points and Armond added 7 points in a pivotal 68-59 win on the road over Point Beach that clinched the Class B Central public title for the Blue Bishops. The Amir Conover and Armond Conover
two physical guards give Asbury Park another two quick defenders, and both are strong off the dribble and can finish in the lane and in transition, as Amir showed with a pair of dunks in the victory. Add them to a group that already includes one of the Shore Conference's most explosive scorers in senior Maurice Dickerson along with lightning-quick senior point guard Jayvon Britt, another hard-nosed scorer in junior Thomond Hammary and junior guard Danron Morrissey, and you have a formidable team that looks like the favorite to win its third straight NJSIAA Central
Jersey Group I title and make a run in the Shore Conference Tournament. "Coming down at the end, they're the best competitors you can find,'' Johnson said about the Conovers. "They add a lot of intensity because they are bare knuckle, tough players.'' "My brother and I use the phrase 'foaming at the mouth,''' Armond Conover said about the excitement of coming back. "This is what we love, so it's great to be back. With my brother and I on the court, we get to spread people out, and they have to guard all five of us because we're all so fast.'' Asbury Park also showed it could get a hardfought win away from the cozy confines of its home court, as it withstood a physical game against Point Beach that included Hammary hitting his head hard on the floor to draw blood before hitting a pair of free throws and then exiting the game. Hammary came back to play in a win over University Academy Charter from Jersey City one night later. Now it will be up to the Conovers to stay focused on school and basketball in order to continue to help the Blue Bishops rack up wins, and they said they have a good support system in place to do it. "Everybody has been trying to tell us to keep our heads up, keep our grades right and do the right thing,'' Amir Conover said. "I just had to stay focused. I'm here and I'm back, and I'm ready to take my team far.'' "I'm glad we had coach Johnson as a coach because he really cares about us,'' Armond Conover said. "I've known him since I was young, and he's helped us out a lot and kept us focused.''
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Volume-III
6 / ASM
Issue-3
2/7/11
Mon Don's Sean Grennan Commits to Seton Hall
By Scott Stump – Managing Editor After a troubled ending to his commitment at Davidson earlier this season, Monsignor Donovan senior guard Sean Grennan has landed on his feet at a program that plays in the premier conference in Division I college basketball.
itself is great. The arena is also one of the nicest in the country and it's close, so I think it all works out.'' Grennan said he is projected to play point guard at Seton Hall, which he visited only a few days after everything went sour with Davidson. "Even when I initially made the decision to commit to Davidson, coach (Seton Hall assistant Dan) McHale was respectful of the decision and left a message congratulating me,'' Grennan said. "He was one of the only ones who did that. That says a lot about a person.''
he now looks forward to playing in a conference that currently has seven teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. "You can say you played against the best, and no doubt they're the best conference in basketball right now,'' Grennan said. "We're not down on what happened (with Davidson). Things happened, and everything happens for a reason. It's a relieving feeling to get this done. Now I can move on to what's ahead.''
Grennan, who was an All Shore Media first-teamer last season and is one of the top scorers in the Shore, said
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Cliff Lavelle
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On Jan. 29, Grennan verbally committed to a scholarship at Seton Hall, joining Point Beach's Jarelle Reischel (Rice) and Christian Brothers Academy's Matt McMullen (Colgate) as Division I recruits from the Shore Conference Class of 2011. Grennan had verbally committed to Davidson in August, but had his application denied for academic reasons a week before the season started, thus reopening his recruitment. After being stunned by that development, he now will be headed to play in the Big East for head coach Kevin Willard with the Pirates. "I just think it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,'' Grennan said. "I really want to take on the challenge and do the best I can with it. There's really no downside with it. Outside of basketball, the school
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A SM / 7
Boys Basketball: Lakewood Captures C Central Title By Matt Manley – Staff Writer With fewer than 30 seconds left in their team's Shore Conference Class C Central division game, the remaining Lakewood fans nearly erupted as senior Anthony Walker's final 3-point attempt rimmed around the cylinder twice and popped out, leaving the swingman three points shy of the 1,000-point club for his career. It's hard to fault them for their shock. Their top-ranked Piners didn't miss much. Walker and Lakewood came out on fire and rode the fast start to a 72-38 win over Monsignor Donovan on Feb. 1 to clinch the Class C Central championship and remain perfect against Shore Conference competition with their 14th straight win. Walker scored a game-high 27 points to leave him at 997 for his career, and hit five of his 10 3-point attempts. He later crossed the 1,000-point mark in a win over Monmouth Regional on Feb. 5.
the Star-Ledger - Lakewood has steamrolled through the Shore Conference and has beaten tough competition outside it. On Jan. 30, the Piners beat Half Hollows (N.Y.), 83-73, overcoming the play of Iowa State-bound point guard Tavon Sledge. "That's why we went out and played the St. Anthony's and the St. Patrick's of the world when all these guys were freshmen and sophomores," Holmes said. "People wondered why we were doing it back then and this is the reason. These guys all experienced that level, and they understand that that's the level you have to play every game. "Maturity has been the key. Juniors became seniors. They know this is their last go-round, and they made goals for themselves. They know they have a chance to be the best team in this school's history."
Walker was the MVP in the win on Jan. 30 after scoring 27 points, and he made it back-to-back 27-point performances with his showing against It would have been nice to get it Monsignor Donovan. Along with the tonight, but needing 30 points to Tony Walker rest of his teammates, Walker went off do it, I wasn't really counting on in the first half, scoring 18 of his points. He and Davis it," Walker said. "I wish I could have gotten one of those combined for 17 of Lakewood's 18 points in the first shots to fall at the end there, but it's cool. I should be able quarter and when Monsignor Donovan cut the lead to to get it next game, hopefully." five, the two seniors combined to score the next 11 points As a team, Lakewood went 13-for-27 from behind the to help the Piners regain control. arc, including 11-for-15 in the first half. Walker and Davis is a four-year varsity player and is already a senior forward Jarrod Davis each went 4-for-5 in the first member of the 1,000-point club, while Walker had to wait half and two of the four misses were a 30-foot shot by until his sophomore year to get his shot with the varsity Kaeman Kearny as time expired in the first quarter and a squad and has been more of a late-bloomer than his friend three-quarter court heave by Tyrice Beverette as the half and classmate. Now that he has bloomed, Walker has ended. arguably been the best player in the Shore Conference this "The last week of practice has been nothing but season. shooting and conditioning," Lakewood coach Randy "I put in a lot of work over the summer playing AAU," Holmes said. "We have to be able to shoot the ball Walker said. "Other guys were partying and enjoying their because teams like to sit in a zone against us, and if we're summer, and I was in the gym working on my game, hitting shots, they've got to come out and guard us and trying to get better. Playing in those games, against that our guys can all go around them." competition was really good for me, because when I came The shooting exhibition overshadowed a suffocating out here for high school, the game got easier." defensive second-quarter effort by Lakewood, which held "Jarrod made the varsity team as a freshman, and I Monsignor Donovan to three points in the quarter. After remember Anthony came to me and said 'I want to be on Monsignor Donovan went on a 9-1 run to cut Lakewood's varsity,'" Holmes recalled. "I told him, 'You gotta wait lead to 18-13 after one quarter, the Piners hit the Griffins your turn. You'll get your shot, but you're not ready.' The with a 14-0 run to open up what became a 28-3 secondquarter run. Lakewood cooled down in the second half, but until Walker's final shot failed to fall through, everything went right for the Piners. "We're focused right now," Davis said. "There's probably going to be a game where things are going to get tougher, but we're not really thinking about it. We're just going out and playing and trying to get better as a team."
The Piners’ season to date has been a lot like the win over the Griffins. Coming off an NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship last season, the Piners returned virtually their entire roster and have been nearly perfect this season, with their only slip-up coming in the form of a 48-29 loss to Linden in the Eastern States Christmas Invitational Tournament in the third game of the season. Lakewood won its next game on a last-second shot and has since defeated all of its opponents by nine points or more. Despite winning a sectional championship last season, there were a number of smaller shortcomings that have fueled the Lakewood players during the season and in the past offseason. Lakewood lost to Monsignor Donovan in last year's Shore Conference Tournament Round of 16, and following its win over Neptune in the CJ III championship, Lakewood suffered a humbling 21-point loss to Kingsway in the Group III semifinals. Since the loss to Linden - the No. 6 team in the state according to
thing that helps is that he and Jarrod are really good friends, and Jarrod has always been there playing with him, helping him get better. Anthony has put in the time and the work and is now to the point where he is equal or maybe even past Jarrod. It's a case where you have two good players playing together to help each other become great." Lakewood has the inside track at the No. 1 seed in both the upcoming Shore Conference and NJSIAA South Jersey Group II Tournaments Jarrod Davis (Lakewood moved from Central Group III to South Group II this season). The Piners will play Monmouth on Saturday in their lone game before Monday's state tournament cutoff, which was moved from Saturday because of the inclement weather this season. They will also play Point Boro and Point Beach next week and Rancocas Valley on Feb. 12 before Sunday's SCT seeding meeting. "We're looking forward to (the playoffs)," Walker said. "Last year, we were really disappointed with the loss to Kingsway, and we've been looking forward to getting back. Last year was a good year, but we're a better team. We want to prove we're a better team, and the only way to do that is to win a championship."
Video Highlights by:
Matt Manley
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Cliff Lavelle
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Volume-III
8 / ASM
Issue-3
2/7/11
Making History: 2011 National Signing Day
O
By Scott Stump – Managing Editor
n e did n ' t ev en p lay f o otball tw o y ear s ag o in th e mid s t o f a lif e th at to o k h im ev er y w h er e f r om J ap an to H aw aii to I n d iana an d th en N ew J er s ey.
A nother g r ew u p as a bas k etb all p lay er, n ot ev en r eally g ettin g into f o o tb all u n til h is s o phomor e y ear of h ig h s choo l.
Yet an o th er w as n ' t ev en on the D ivis ion I A r adar un til th e s u mmer r ight b ef or e his s enio r year b egan .
Long Branch’s Miles Shuler
Tw o o ther s w er e s p ecial teams p layer s w ho s e names w er en' t exactly of the hous eho ld v ar iety w hen it came to th e cons tellatio n o f s tar s in th e S h o r e Co nf er ence. A noth er w as co ns id er ed th e b ig g es t s tar in th e s en io r clas s in th e S ho r e, an d h e did his b es t to u s e that w attage to lead a h is to r ic mar ch to a co lleg e p r o gr am that h e h o p es to dr iv e to new h eights . A ll d iff er ent s to r ies , all w in din g u p in th e s ame p lace - s ig n in g a b ind in g Letter o f I n tent to accept a s cho lar s h ip w ith a F o o tball Bo w l S ubdiv is io n ( D iv is io n I - A ) p r og r am on F eb. 2 dur ing N atio nal S ig nin g D ay. I n all, 1 0 S h or e Conf er ence p lay er s s ig ned w ith F BS pr o g r ams , w hich is b eliev ed to b e a s in g le- s eas on r ecor d f o r th is ar ea. I n add itio n , th e cr o w n jew el of th e N ew J er s ey r ecr u itin g Clas s of 2 011 , S t. P eter ' s P r ep r u n n in g b ack an d G ato r ade N ew J er s ey P lay er of the Year S avo n H u g gin s , is a J ack s o n r es id ent w h o s ign ed w ith Rutg er s . Th e S h or e Co n fer en ce p lay er s s ignin g w ith F BS s choo ls w er e Long B ran ch q uarterb ack /d ef en s iv e b ack M iles S h u ler (R u tgers ); M an alap an q u ar ter back M ike Bimon te ( Ru tg er s ); N ep tu n e ru n n ing back/d efens ive b ack C h arles D av is (R u tg er s ) ; P o in t Bo ro s afety/tig h t end Ry an M alleck ( Virg inia Tech ); S t. J oh n Vianney lineb ack er /lo ng s nap per S ean Tobin (G eo rg ia Tech ); M idd letow n N orth tigh t end/d efen s iv e en d
S h iliqu e Calho u n ( M ich ig an S tate) ; Red Ban k Cath olic tig ht end J ack Tab b ( N o r th Car o lin a) ; Bar n eg at qu ar ter b ack N ick S an G iaco mo ( Tu lan e) ; and Rar itan o ff ens iv e lin eman S h an e M er tz ( N or thw es ter n) . S t. J o hn Vian ney pu n ter A n th on y D iP aula, To bin' s co us in, f inis h ed a s emes ter ear ly at S t. J oh n Viann ey and is alr eady en r o lled at Rutg er s . S ev en of th em w er e co ns id er ed Top 3 0 r ecr uits in the s tate b y Rivals .co m. Th is clas s cer tain ly w ill als o b e r ememb er ed f or havin g a Ru tg er s - cen tr ic f lair, as f ou r o f th e 1 0 ar e h eaded to play f o r the S car let K n ig h ts alo n g w ith H u g gin s , w h o w ou ld h av e atten d ed J ack s on M emo r ial h ad h e n ot go ne to S t. P eter ' s P r ep in J er s ey City.
" Th e s pecial par t a bou t it is all th es e gu ys ar e f r om th e S h or e Con f er en ce a n d S avon is f r om Jacks on ,'' s aid S h u ler, wh o is clos e f r ien ds with Hu ggin s . " All- ar ou n d , Ru tger s h as th e bes t r ecr u itin g cla s s it's ever h ad, an d we h a ve th e b es t r ecr u itin g clas s ever ou t o f th e S h o r e Con f er en ce. Th at's s ayin g a lot con s ider in g a lot of gr eat p layer s h ave come ou t of th e S h or e.''
th e co ach in g s taff chan ged, Wo od br idg e def en s iv e end M ax I s s ak a, an d f inally H ug g in s . Th at g r o up is p ar t o f w h at man y r ecr u itin g an aly s ts ar e callin g the bes t r ecr u itin g clas s in Ru tg er s h is to r y. " I w as on e o f th e f ir s t to co mmit, ' ' s aid S h u ler, w ho w ill p lay w ide r eceiver at Ru tg er s . " A lo t Pt. Boro tight end Ryan Malleck
o f p eo ple f ollow ed me an d ho p ped on th e w ago n, and it tur n ed ou t r eally w ell. ' ' Bimon te and D av is pr eced ed S hu ler in committing to the S car let K nig h ts , an d D avis ' co mmitment als o cer tain ly h elped in lan din g S hu ler cons id er in g D av is an d S h uler an d th eir f amilies ar e all v er y clo s e. While D av is h ad been on th e Rutger s r adar s in ce his f r es hman s eas o n , Bimonte mad e hims elf into a D iv is io n I - A pr o s pect. A f ter his ju nio r s eas o n , he h ad tep id D ivis ion I - A A inter es t, bu t h is h ar d w o r k and a g r o w th s pur t to 6 - f oo t- 4 ch an g ed all o f th at in a h ur r y.
" This clas s is ex ceptional,' ' s aid Eliter ecr u its .co m/A ll S h or e M edia r ecr u iting analy s t Chr is M elvin. " The S ho r e h as def in itely p ut a mar k o n the s tate as f ar as hav ing to p talen t. Yo u n or mally h ave the abu nd ance o f talent f r om Berg en Co unty becau s e of the par och ials u p th er e, s o to have this Raritan’s (L to R): Offensive lineman Shane Mertz (Northwestern); amou nt of talent going to Offensive lineman Christian Marchena (Delaware) and linebacker major un iver s ities Tyler Murphy (Assumption College). acr os s th e co un tr y in th e S h or e is amazing .' ' H e h ad an off er f r o m Temp le in J u ly b ecaus e of a s tr o ng p er f o r man ce at th e O w ls ' camp, an d S huler, an A ll S h or e M ed ia then af ter a g r eat s ho w in g at th e Ru tger s camp , f ir s t- team A ll- Conf er ence h e p r es s ed h ead co ach G r eg S ch ian o f o r an s election at def ens iv e back, is ans w er o n w heth er th e S car let K n ig h ts w er e r ank ed as the N o . 3 r ecr u it in the go ing to extend h im an o ff er. S ch ian o s aid th ey s tate by Rivals .co m. Th e w er e, and Bimon te then s n ap ped it up in s tan tly, r eig nin g N J S I A A ch ampion in v er b ally co mmitting o n th e s p o t. the 1 00- meter das h h as th e typ e of s peed th at may o n e d ay hav e " Rutger s has alw ays b een my f av or ite s ch o ol him p layin g o n S u nd ay s . H e f elt ev er s in ce I w as a little k id , ' ' Bimo nte s aid af ter th at his commitment w o u ld help co mmitting . s w ay th e op inions of o th er to p r ecr uits to join a pr o gr am th at f inis hed 4 - 8 las t O ne o f the mo r e u n lik ely jo ur ney s to N atio nal s eas o n, and that f eelin g cer tain ly s eems S ign ing D ay w as tak en by Tabb , w h o liv ed all jus tif ied cons id er ing his pledg e w as o ver the w o r ld w h ile g r o w in g up th e s o n o f a f ollow ed b y co mmitments f r om D o n s in gle mother in th e U .S . militar y. A f ter h e Bos co P r ep qu ar ter b ack G ar y mo ved f r om I ndian a to N ew J er s ey and en r o lled N o va, w ho br oke an ear lier Brick linebacker Dylan McDonnell at Red Bank Catholic as a sophomore, he didn't commitmen t to P itts b urg h w hen e v e n g o o u t f o r t h e f o o t b a l l t e a m . T h e 6 - 4 ,
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A SM / 9 defensive end at Michigan State.
240-pound tight end only caught seven p a s s e s a s a j u n i o r, b u t b y t h i s s e a s o n , h e had exploded on to the major-college r a d a r, e v e n t u a l l y c h o o s i n g N o r t h C a r o l i n a over Arkansas and Iowa after a season in which he earned ASM firstteam honors at tight end.
“It's almost s u r r e a l , ' ' Ta b b said. "I never thought I would get a chance to do something like this. I'm just so happy for m y f a m i l y, a n d i t s h o w s how far my mom's parenting h a s t a k e n me.�
"Back then, basketball was on my mind all the time,'' Calhoun said. "Just to see what's
n e x t l e v e l i s c l e a r l y r e f l e c t e d i n To b i n e a r n i n g a full ride for a specialized skill.
" We mig h t be th e las t gu ys wh o get r ecog n iz ed, b u t we'r e s till g ettin g th e s ame th in g as a qu a r ter ba ck in th e en d, '' To bin s aid a bou t th e s ch ola r s h ip. To b i n i s a l s o e x c i t e d t o h a v e h i s n a m e go down among a historic haul of Division I-A players from the Shore. " T h a t ' s a n a w e s o m e s t a t , ' ' To b i n s a i d . " A bunch of Shore guys are going to be playing big-time college football.''
Red Bank Catholic's duo of running back/safety Andrew Casten (left) and tight end Jack Tabb (right).
Even though he has only been living in New Jersey for three years and will soon head off to C h a p e l H i l l , N . C . , Ta b b w i l l n o t s o o n f o r g e t being part of the best recruiting class in the history of this area as far as the number of high-level recruits.
happened is amazing, making this transition from basketball to playing football at a D-I college.'' SanGiacomo was a record-setting quarterback for Barnegat who is the latest in what is starting to become a pipeline of highlevel talent in the Bengals' program, which just completely only its fifth season of existence. He follows current Boston College freshman tight end Jarrett Darmstatter as a Division I-A recruit, and right behind SanGiacomo is Barnegat junior t i g h t e n d Ry a n Morris, who already has an o f f e r f r o m Tu l a n e and interest from numerous other schools.
It's not just the Division I-A talents that m a k e t h i s c l a s s s p e c i a l , e i t h e r, a s t h e r e a r e plenty of players also moving on to quality Division I-AA programs. Also, Rumson-Fair H a v e n w i d e r e c e i v e r J a c k Wi s e i s h e a d i n g t o D u k e a s a p r e f e r r e d w a l k - o n . We d n e s d a y m a y n o t e v e n b e t h e e n d o f t h e s t o r y, e i t h e r, a s Lakewood defensive end/tight end DaQuan Kenney took a visit to Minnesota over the weekend and could end up there by the fall.
" I t s peaks well f or th e S h or e Con f er en ce th at's f or s u r e, es pecia lly with s ome o f th e h ig h aca demics of a lot of th es e p layer s , '' s aid La cey h ea d coa ch Lo u Vir cillo, wh o h as b een th e h ea d coa ch of th e Lio n s f or 36 yea r s an d is th e pr es iden t of th e S h or e Foo tba ll Coa ch es F o u n d a t i o n .
Just like "It's definitely a record year S a n Giacomo, Mertz Midd. North tight end/defensive end Shilique Calhoun as far as talent, and not just Lacey lineman Dylan Joslin is the second the I-As, but top I-AAs,'' consecutive Division I-A "I like being part of something big like M e l v i n s a i d . " Yo u have (Matawan's) Jared recruit in his program as well, as the Raritan t h a t , ' ' Ta b b s a i d . " I t ' s s p e c i a l . ( Tw o y e a r s a g o ) A l l i s o n a n d ( B a r n e g a t ' s ) M i k e D e Tr o i a g o i n g senior follows on the heels of current Notre I did not believe this could happen. I wasn't to New Hampshire, you've D a m e f r e s h m a n w i d e r e c e i v e r B e n n e t t J a c k s o n , sure I could do it, so that's what will made got multiple guys going to w h o w a s n a m e d t h e F i g h t i n g I r i s h ' s S p e c i a l ( S i g n i n g D a y ) s u c h a g r e a t d a y. ' ' Bucknell, you've got guys Te a m s P l a y e r o f t h e Ye a r a s a t r u e f r e s h m a n . Mertz is also one of two high-level recruits on going to Monmouth Malleck thought he had his future settled his own offensive line, as teammate Christian back in August when he made a verbal University - there's just a Marchena will sign with Football c o m m i t m e n t t o M a r y l a n d , b u t o n c e Te r p s h e a d lot of depth to the class in Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA) coach Ralph Friedgen was not brought back addition to the big r u n n e r - u p D e l a w a r e o n We d n e s d a y. after this season, he reopened his recruitment, names. While the t a k i n g v i s i t s t o Vi r g i n i a Te c h a n d M i a m i b e f o r e Shore has plenty of O n e o f t h e m o r e u n h e r a l d e d r e c r u i t s w h o settling on the Hokies. talent coming up, w i l l e n j o y a s p e c i a l d a y o n We d n e s d a y i s Calhoun, meanwhile, was a To b i n , w h o s e l o n g I don't think basketball player for all of s n a p p i n g s k i l l s , h o n e d you're going his life before giving while working with to see a year football a try in high DiPaula at local like this for school, and the 6-foot-6, fields in Manalapan, 225-pound specimen a while.'' have taken him quickly caught the to an eye of recruiters for established his potential. He is ACC such a program Freehold Township RB Matt Intile tremendous allat around athlete Georgia that he also Te c h . To b i n had multiple a lso had an Division I offer from basketball Colorado State. An offers, but his Special Thank You increased emphasis on Barnegat Quarterback Nick SanGiacomo (left) future will be as a special teams play at the to all those who submitted photos and wide receiver Mike DeTroia (right)
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Volume-III
10 / ASM
Issue-3
2/7/11
Seigel Makes Splash at nJWCA All-Star Invitational By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer The fans in attendance at Brick Memorial on Jan. 30 came to see Bound Brook senior Andrew Campolattano put on a show. Mitch Seigel had no problem making sure that didn't happen. Campolattano, a three-time state champion with a 155-1 record, opposed the Marlboro senior in the final bout of the New Jersey Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Invitational. Campolattano came away with a 5-3 decision at 215 pounds, but the reactions of the two both during and after the bout showed who really left the mat feeling victorious. "Even though I lost 5-3 I went down (wrestling) hard," Seigel said. "That means I can wrestle against him. I wrestled (Wall senior Andrew) Marr and he's No. 2 in the state right now, and I lost to him in overtime. I'm right there with those guys, it's just that one extra step, that one extra hour of practice." Seigel, a two-time District 21 place-winner and a fourth-place finisher at 215 at last season's Region VI tournament, frustrated the legendary Campolattano for the entire bout. Campolattano had takedowns in each of the first two periods, but Seigel didn't attack him wildly and leave himself open. He picked his spots nicely and even got in on a couple singleleg takedown attempts. Seigel picked up a penalty point that made it 5-3 in the third period after Campolattano shoved him hard out of bounds. "He's the last match and everybody wants a show from him," Seigel said. "My goal was to not give him one and to try and compete and beat him. I definitely frustrated him. He kept calling me out, but I told myself not
go get too rowdy or angry, because the only thing that happens there is you get thrown to your back." Campolattano was originally set to face Marr, but the Wall senior had to pull out because of a knee injury he has been battling for a few weeks. Seigel, who had been inquiring to Marlboro head coach Will Werntz about participating in the All-Star Invitational, was thrilled he was next in line. "Two weeks ago before the matchups even came out I was asking my coach, 'How do I get in this all-star match?'" Seigel said. "He told me I have to be invited, and Marr was already in. I was like, 'All right, it should be a good match.' "When Marr got hurt, I asked him who was next, and he said, 'Well, you are.' It's been a dream of mine to wrestle in this." Wrestlers aren't happy after losses - some aren't happy after wins - but Seigel knew his performance against one of the best high school wrestlers in New Jersey history had buoyed his confidence. "The last thing I wanted to do was walk off and the scoreboard says '12-3' or something with me getting majored," Seigel said. "That happens and I know I'm far away from this guy, but I see 5-3 up there and it means I gave him a good shot." Four other Shore TRS’s BJ Clagon
Conference wrestlers competed in the All-Star Invitational, with Toms River South sophomore BJ Clagon coming out as the only winner. He defeated St. Peter's Prep junior Alex Richardson, 10-4, at 130 pounds. Clagon, who improved to 21-0 on the season with the win, looked sharp in taking out the defending Region IV and District 16 champ. He had a takedown in the first period to take a 2-1 lead and extended his advantage in the second period with a reversal, two near-fall points and another takedown. Richardson managed just four escapes in Marlboro’s Mitch Seigel the bout. Brick senior Connor Brennan lost 5-3 to Westfield senior Christian Barber at 152 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Barber escaped and registered a takedown with two seconds left in the period to take a 3-0 lead. In the third, Brennan escaped and came up with a takedown of his own to tie the bout at three. However, as he was securing the takedown near the edge of the circle, Brennan was called for locking hands and one point was awarded to Barber. Brennan then had to give him an intentional escape to make it 5-3 and try for a tying takedown. He was in position for a takedown that would have sent the bout to overtime, but ran out of time before he could secure the two points. A victory by Brennan (99-13) would have been the 100th of his career, which he eventually picked up against Jackson Memorial three days later. The event started with a 135-pound battle between Long Branch senior Luis Filipe and North Bergen senior Julian Quintero. A third period takedown by Quintero accounted for the only offensive points of the bout and enabled last season's state seventh-place finisher to come away with a 3-2 victory. At 112 pounds, Watchung Hills standout freshman Mike Magaldo recorded his second victory in less than a month over Toms River South sophomore Kevin Corrigan. Magaldo, who pinned Corrigan in the semifinals of the Walter Woods Tournament on Jan. 17, nearly did the same when he headlocked Corrigan in the second period. He didn't come away with a fall, but Magaldo took a 3-0 lead on his way to a 6-0 decision. Other winners included West Essex's Anthony Perrotti, Buena's Billy Ward, New Providence's Zach Troutman, North Bergen's Luis Gonzalez, Timber Creek's Brandon Keller, St. Peter's Prep's Tony Pafumi and James Fox, Bergen Catholic's Connor Melde, Willingboro's James Green and Franklin's Colin Hewitt.
Video Highlights by:
Bob Badders
www.allshoremedia.com
Photos by:
Anthony Payne
www.paynesphotovision.com
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A SM / 11
SADD - Shore Regional Chapter Showing their Support (from left to right) SADD National Rep. Pamela Clark, Shore Regional rep. Jennifer Czajkawski, Paige Woodie, Chelsea Amaroso, Nick Nuvan, Kay Honda’s Jason Woods and General Manager George Rodriguez.
For ADVerTISInG InForMATIon Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460
smeyer@allshoremedia.com
Volume-III
1 2 / AS M
Issue-3
2/7/11
The rams’ redemption By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer Kyle Casaletto made a prediction after a quad with Howell, Ocean and Manchester on Jan. 22 regarding a possible second meeting with Jackson Memorial. The Southern Regional senior didn't pull a full-on Joe Namath, but he did guarantee the Rams would be a much different team than the one that lost by 30 points to the Jaguars on Jan. 19. How right he was. Most people didn't know if Southern would be able to change much from that Class A South loss less than two weeks ago, and few, if any, thought the Rams would be able to pull a 180 and take down the heavilyfavored Jaguars. But when sophomore Cody Smead had his arm raised after the 215-pound bout, the Rams had done just that.
and that was the score as the third period was set to begin. It was Southern's choice, but instead of putting Smead on defense where he had a chance to tie the bout with an escape, Southern chose neutral to begin the final period. "I knew we couldn't go down against him because the last time he did at the Beast of the East (a pin for Sunder) it didn't turn out too well," Stout said. "We knew that we had to beat him from neutral." There wasn't much action until about 15 seconds remained in the third period when Sunder appeared to have a single-leg takedown. He lifted Smead's left leg
Southern won just three bouts in the first meeting and won five more than that in the SCT final. The Rams also won at 135, 140, 152, 171 and 215 after losing at those weights during the 39-9 loss. While Smead will go down as the hero, the victory would not have been possible without key wins from Chris Serpico, Steve Johns, Anthony Messler and Anthony Vincent. "I said I guaranteed it wouldn't be the same the second go-round and that's what happened," said Casaletto, who defeated Brian Hamann, 5-1, at 125 pounds. "We proved a point. We might not have been ready the first match, but we bounced back. We wanted revenge." A technical fall by Jackson junior Dallas Winston at 189 pounds pulled the Jaguars to within 25-23 and set up the winner-take-all bout at 215. Both Smead and Sunder were tentative in the first period, clearly not wanting to make a mistake early in the bout. Sunder took a 1-0 lead with an escape in the second period,
Vincent and Rob Hennings were locked in a battle for crucial points at 171 pounds with the Rams holding a 19-18 advantage. A scoreless first period led to a 2-2 tie heading into the third, and that's when things got really interesting. Vincent chose defense and escaped for a 3-2 lead, but Hennings secured a takedown to go up 4-3. A reversal by Vincent with 31.4 seconds left gave him the lead again at 5-4, but Hennings muscled out for an escape that tied the bout at five and sent it to overtime. "I was real tired and so was he," Vincent said. "But I told myself I'd rather be tired and leave it all out there than lose this match for my team."
Smead edged Max Sunder, 2-1, with a takedown with 3.1 seconds left in the final bout of the match, sending fans pouring from the stands and wrestlers storming the mat as host Southern shocked No. 1 Jackson Memorial, 28-23, in the Shore Conference Tournament final on Jan. 29. The second-seeded Rams won eight of 14 bouts, including four straight from 125 to 140 pounds, to capture their third SCT title in program history and first since winning back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998. "I knew they had it in them," said Southern head coach John Stout. "I'm glad they had the opportunity to redeem themselves. We stepped up in spots where we didn't last time, and we won the close bouts this time."
and senior Doug Hamann lurking at 160 and 189, respectively. Smead's dramatic win would not have been possible without an equally as clutch moment from Vincent, the Rams' senior 171-pounder.
In overtime, Hennings was close to throwing Vincent for a takedown, but the Rams senior countered with a takedown of his own. Instead of just taking a decision, however, Vincent was able to put Hennings to his back and pin him 21 seconds into overtime for a massive sixpoint bounty that sent shock waves through the gym. Southern now led 25-18 with two bouts left. "He tried to throw me, I sprawled back, and I was able to take advantage of him being in a bad position," Vincent said.
into the air, but before he could sweep out the right leg and complete the takedown Smead dropped down and grabbed a hold of Sunder's legs. After a scramble, Smead came out on top with a takedown with just 3.1 seconds left. He stopped a Granby roll by Sunder in the closing seconds to complete the upset. "I just saw the leg and went for it and hoped for the best," Smead said. "I didn't know what was going to happen, really, but it worked." Grown men came down from the stands, uttering the words "unbelievable" and "amazing" to themselves while scrambling for their phones to spread the news. Smead's teammates and coaches sprinted toward him at the center of the mat. There was even an attempted Gatorade shower. "I've never felt anything like that before," Smead said. "I was going crazy. I feel like I'm on top of the world." Navigating the upper weights was going to be a tricky proposition for the Rams (16-3) with Winston
Hennings had caught Vincent with a throw early in the bout, but was out of bounds before he could get any points. Hennings tried a similar move in the second period that was countered by Vincent, and he kept that move in the back of his mind the entire bout. "He got me that first time, but luckily we were out of bounds," Vincent said. "I was waiting for it, and I wasn't going to let it happen again." "That was nuts," Casaletto said. "That was such a huge pin in such a key match. We said to him before he went out that we really needed that match, and he pulled through. That pin changed everything." The Southern-Jackson Memorial rivalry has been the best in the Shore Conference over the last 10 years, but it's mostly been a one-sided affair. The Jaguars had defeated the Rams in the SCT final in 2004, 2006 and 2007, and also in the 2006 and 2007 NJSIAA Group IV finals. Those are all but distant memories as far as the Rams are concerned. "We didn't show up the first match, but we definitely Co ntinu ed o n nex t p ag e
www.allshoremedia.com showed up this time," Casaletto said. "We were fired up and ready to go. We worked hard for this." Jackson Memorial took a 7-0 lead after two bouts thanks to a 3-0 decision by Joe Nolan over Kyle Cox at heavyweight and an 8-0 major decision by sophomore Alec Huxford over Kyle Davis at 103. Zach Wilhelm earned a 12-2 major decision at 112 to get Southern on the board, and although his bout will get lost in the shuffle of this historic win, it was crucial at the time as it prevented the Jags from opening a double-digit lead and gaining steam.
A SM / 1 3 pounds before Messler eked out a 4-3 win over James Opdyke at 152 to make the score 19-14. Messler was another wrestler who found redemption, as he had lost to Opdyke, 4-2. Even with Southern having taken six of the first 10 bouts, Jackson still looked good with Hamann, Hennings and Winston still in the mix. Hamann did his part with a 14-2 major decision over Jeff McElwee at 160 to make the score 19-18. That was as close as Jackson got, however, as Vincent reversed a 7-3 loss against Hennings with a memorable pin before Smead brought the title home at 215.
"That was big by Wilhelm," Casaletto said. "A win there would have fired up their crowd and gave them momentum going into the next match."
"It's a great win," Stout said. "At least now the kids know they can beat them, so that's where this falls."
At 7-4, Jackson senior Mike Shupin built an early lead on Trevor Mooney at 119 pounds on his way to a 13-3 major decision that made it 11-4. At 125, Casaletto and Hamann met and it was the senior Casaletto who bested the sophomore Hamann, 5-1, in a matchup of returning state medalists. Casaletto's win started a four-bout streak that gave Southern a lead it would not relinquish.
There's a good chance a rubber match will take place in the series on Feb. 13 at the Poland Spring Arena. The Jaguars are the defending Group IV champions and will be a heavy favorite to win the Central Jersey Group IV section. Southern, meanwhile, is ready to take home another South Jersey Group IV title after Washington Township won last season, breaking the Rams' streak of five straight sectional crowns.
The Rams got what they needed from senior Bubba Lanno at 130 when he topped Spencer Young, 5-1, to cut Jackson's lead to 11-10. At 135, Serpico scored three takedowns and allowed just two escapes en route to a 7-3 decision over Brad Royle that gave the Rams their first lead of the match. Serpico had dropped a 9-3 decision to Royle in the first meeting. It was Johns' turn at 140 to reverse his fortune from the previous matchup. He had lost, 3-1, to Joe Bartolini on Jan. 19, but his takedown with 5.6 seconds left in the third period against Randy Royle gave him a 3-1 decision and put Southern on top 16-11. Dylan McLaughlin stopped the bleeding for the Jaguars with a 6-2 decision over Jake Campana at 145
"Jackson's not going anywhere, they'll be back and those kids will be motivated and ready to go by the time Groups come around," Stout acknowledged. "We have to get through our section, and they have to get through theirs, so there's a lot of wrestling that has to take place before that even happens.
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A l l S h o r e Media Team T o d a y ! Interested in joining our team and think you have what it takes to be covering sports in the Shore Conference for All Shore Media? We are looking for local writers interested in covering sports like Basketball, Wrestling, Track, Soccer, Lacrosse and more as part of our newspaper and our website (www.allshoremedia.com). Grab your chance to appear regularly in The All Shore Media Bi-weekly issues and on www.allshoremedia.com while helping us recognize more athletes and bring more stories to Shore Conference sports fans. This is your chance to become a regular contributor to a growing business on the cutting edge of covering sports in Monmouth and Ocean County.
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Volume-III
1 4 / ASM
Issue-3
2/7/11
Class of 2011 Football Signings Jared Allison, QB/DB, Matawan (New Hampshire)
Matt Intile, RB/S, Freehold Twp. (Holy Cross)
Mike Bimonte, QB, Manalapan (Rutgers)
Dylan Joslin, Sr., DL, Lacey (Stony Brook)
Gene Blanco, RB/DB/LB, Freehold Twp. (Muhlenberg)
Michael Kasten, OL/DL, Freehold (Georgetown)
Kevin Borden, WR/DB, Freehold Twp. (Milford Academy)
Rick Lovato, OL, LS, Middletown South (Old Dominion)
Shilique Calhoun, TE/DE, Middletown North (Michigan State)
Ryan Malleck, WR/TE/S, Point Boro (Virginia Tech)
Anthony Carrington, WR/DB, Toms River North (Wagner)
Christian Marchena, OL/DL, Raritan (Delaware)
Andrew Casten, RB/S, Red Bank Catholic (Harvard)
Shane Mertz, OL, Raritan (Northwestern)
Mark Coleman, RB/LB, Shore Regional (Lehigh)
Dylan McDonnell, LB, Brick (Bucknell)
Charles Davis, RB/DB, Neptune (Rutgers)
Tyler Murphy, LB, Raritan (Assumption College)
Mike DeTroia, WR, Barnegat (New Hampshire)
Evan Ruane, QB/DE, Shore Regional (Monmouth University)
Anthony DiPaula, K/P, St. John Vianney (Rutgers)
Nick SanGiacomo, QB, Barnegat (Tulane)
John Faccas, DL, Matawan (Wagner)
Bobby Schwarzenberger, LB, Pinelands (Gattaca)
Phil Faccone, LS/OL, Brick Memorial (Wagner)
Miles Shuler, QB/DB, Long Branch (Rutgers)
Steve Franco, OL/DL, Toms River North (West Chester University)
Jack Tabb, TE, Red Bank Catholic (North Carolina)
Jordan Golinowski, QB, Marlboro (University of Rochester)
Sean Tobin, LB/LB, St. John Vianney (Georgia Tech)
Karon Hair, WR/RB, Long Branch (Gattaca)
Joe Urcioli, DB, Matawan (Pace University)
Ryan Handy, WR/K/DB, Howell (Stonehill College)
Brandon Weiss, OL/DL, Freehold (Stonehill College)
Jake Hartman, WR/S, Pinelands (Bucknell)
Jack Wise, WR/DB, Rumson-FH (Duke)
Connor Hayes, DE, Ocean (Bucknell)
Steve Worsley, WR, Long Branch (Gattaca)
Andre Hodge, OL/LB, Matawan (Eastern Illinois)
Ryan Wytanis, OL/DL, Freehold (Wagner)
Mike Huttner, LB, Rumson-FH (Cornell for lacrosse)
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 Syessence Davis—Neptune HS
n Felicia Harris—RBR HS
n Karen Otrupchak—RBR HS
n Delvon Arrington—St. Anthony’s HS
n Allen Dean—Neptune HS
n Ashley Hart—The Peddie School
n Kevin Owens—Neptune HS
n Matt Stahl—Middletown South HS n Missy Stavola—Rumson-Fair Haven HS
n Brian Baker—Colts Neck HS
n Taquan Dean—Neptune HS
n Eugene “Nu Nu” Harvey—St. Benedict’s Prep
n Toni Panza—St. John Vianney HS
n Jenna Strich—RBC HS
n Mustafa Barksdale—RBR HS
n Dana Jean DeGennaro—RBC HS
n Corey Haskins—RBR HS
n Anthony Perry—St. Anthony’s HS
n Scott Stump—RBC HS
n Robert Barksdale—Asbury Charter School
n Chris Delaney—CBA
n Kasey Hobbie—RBC HC
n Shinece Perry—RBR HS
n Kim Talbot—RBC HS
n Billy Beggans—Ocean Township HS
n Pat Delaney—CBA
n Nolan Ivers—Holmdel HS
n Jose Diaz—Pt. Pleasant Beach HS
n Jasmine Jackson—Old Bridge HS
n Earl Pettis—Saints John Neumann & Maria Goretti Catholic HS (PA)
n Aaron Tarver—RBR HS
n Steve Bridgemohan—E Brunswick HS n Josh Brody—RBR HS
n Mark Donnelly—RBR HS
n Rosie Jackson—St. John Vianney HS
n Brandon Brown—Freehold Boro HS
n Sean Dunne—CBA
n Tyson Johnson—St. Mary’s HS (NY)
n Yesenia Burgos—St. John Vianney HS
n Mike Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech HS
n Billy Kiss—Long Branch HS
n Simon Press—Asbury Park HS n Joey Raines—Asbury Park HS n David Reeves—RBC H n Anne Richards—The Lawrenceville School
n Rashon Bruno—St. Anthony’s HS
n Crissie Fisher—Rumson-Fair Haven HS
n Nick La Morte—Mater Dei HS
n Courtney Calderon—St. John Vianney HS
n Sarah Fisher—RBR HS
n Herve Lamizana—St. Patrick’s HS
n Richard Calia—Holmdel HS
n Adam Fleischner—Holmdel HS
n Erin Leahy—Rumson-Fair Haven HS
n Shilique Calhoun – Middletown North HS
n Colin Ford—Manasquan HS
n Carl Little—Asbury Park HS
n Quarran Calhoun—Raritan HS
n Glen Ford—RBC HS
n Maggie Loundy—Pt. Pleasant Beach HS
n Cooper Calzonetti—Neptune HS
n Greg Ford—Trenton Central HS
n Mike Mavrinac—Middletown South HS
n Alifiya Rangwala— The Ranney School
n Charlie Rogers— Matawan HS n Amanda Rosato— St. John Vianney HS
n Cleveland Cannon—Long Branch HS
n Avery Gardner—Long Branch HS
n Jasmine McCall—Manalapan HS
n Will Sanborn—RBR HS
n Raheem Carter—Long Branch HS
n Billy Gilligan—RBR HS
n Billy McCue—CBA
n Keyron Sheard—RBR HS
n Corey Chandler—East Side HS
n Tyler Glass—Mater Dei Prep HS
n Christian Morris—S. Kent School (CT)
n Brian Snodgrass— Holmdel HS
n Robert Cheeks—St. Anthony’s HS
n Erica Gomez—St. John Vianney HS
n Darius Morris—Long Branch HS
n Rahmir Cottman—RBR HS
n Dana Graziano—Holmdel HS
n Valerie Morris—Freehold Boro HS
n Don Coven—Long Branch HS
n Kevin Grier—CBA
n Michael Murphy—Howell HS
n Paul De Salvo—CBA
n Paul Halas—St. Rose HS
n Sachin Nagpal—Ranney School
n Lauren Sokol— The Peddie School n Stephen Spinella— Colts Neck 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
n Terrance Todd—Neptune HS n Maurice Turpin— Long Branch HS n John Weldon— Freehold Boro HS n Dawn Werner— St. John Vianney HS n John Werner— St John Vianney HS n Kade Weston— RBR HS n Kayshanna Wesley— Asbury Park HS n Eric Yarborough— Asbury Park HS n Tomora Young—RBR HS n Terry Zinn—RBC HS n Lynne Zoltowski—RBC HS
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A SM / 15 standout Harry Flaherty served as a long snapper/tight end in the recent Texas vs. The Nation college all-star game in San Antonio, and he was one of the few Division I-AA players in a game featuring numerous players from BCS programs. “It’s probably the most important job that everyone overlooks,’’ Lovato said. “But it definitely can get you to the next level.’’ “I don’t understand why more players don’t try it,’’ Ruane said. “It’s pretty easy, and it can be your ticket. It’s easy money.’’
Central Jersey Group I title. Monmouth had just graduated Dave Ogden, who was the starting long snapper for all four of his years with the Hawks. They were on the lookout for a replacement, and it was that aspect of Ruane’s game that caught their eye. Ruane still may also play tight end or defensive end because of his athleticism, but his primary value is at long snapper.
It also has become a business, as Tobin, Ruane and Lovato all regularly attended professionally run long snapping camps to improve their skills while also gaining exposure. A strong performance at a camp with a national scope could almost guarantee a scholarship.
“Evan is one of the better long snappers we’ve ever seen,’’ Callahan said. “That is how he came on our radar.’’
The previously undervalued skill can be that extra aspect that allows a player to keep progressing to the highest level and claim a spot on a roster. ein g a The ultimate example is former Southern Regional and Rutgers lo n g s n a pp er is th e clos es t a player can “I went to a camp in California that featured star Clark Harris. He was a 25 of the top kids in the country, and they had g et to bein g a n off icial in th e s en s e two-time, All-Big East tight end offers from USC, Syracuse, North Carolina th a t if a n ybody kn ows you r n ame, it’s who was drafted by the Green State, and a bunch of schools,’’ Lovato said. Midd. South's Rick Lovato Bay Packers in the seventh p r o b ably n ot f or a good r eas on . round in the 2007 NFL Draft, Tobin was not even an All-Division selection Long snappers are usually the most anonymous players but was later cut by the Packers before practice squad by the coaches in Shore Conference Class A Central, but on the field until one of their snaps sails over the head of stints with the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans. he was squarely on the radar of college coaches because a punter or holder at an inopportune time. However, their of his film. He also had an offer from Colorado State The way Harris eventually stuck in the NFL after value has clearly increased in the eyes of collegiate and before choosing Georgia Tech. floating around the fringes was because of his long even NFL coaches. Gone are the days when the long snapping ability. Harris has now been on the Cincinnati Villanova came to see him snap in person after he snapper was often just a lineman or other player who was Bengals as their long attended its camp in the thrown into the spot as a necessity. Now they are snapper since 2008. If offseason, and Colorado State specialists. Harris had only stuck to and Buffalo also came to watch The strongest evidence of that shift in philosophy playing tight end and him snap in person. He also came on National Signing Day on Feb. 2, when seniors never taken up long noted that the recommendation sign their binding Letters of Intent to accept scholarships snapping while playing he received from one of the at Division I-A and Division I-AA schools. It was a at Southern, there’s a directors of the camps he historic day for good chance he would attended, Jamie Kohl, the Shore be out of the league was important in Conference, instead of drawing an receiving an offer from which is detailed NFL paycheck right Georgia Tech. in this issue, as now. “I definitely think 10 players are Shore Regional's Evan Ruane Not only has Harris that you need someone headed to begun to carve out a nice to recommend you and Division I-A career for himself, he has been an inspiration to the next to get your name out there,’’ Tobin said. “One programs. generation of Shore Conference players. They may not of the main problems that under-the-radar Among those earn headlines or accolades for their long snapping football prospects face is getting their film players is St. John ability at the high school level, but they are moving on to watched, and going to these camps and getting Vianney long good programs because of it while a lot of the Shore’s recommendations from these people are a big snapper Sean bigger names at other positions are not. help. But, really in the end I believe it’s if the Tobin, who also college comes to see you snap live and in St. John Vianney's Sean Tobin “We get the same scholarship a quarterback gets,’’ played linebacker person, or if they really like your film. But Tobin said. for the Lancers and signed his LOI to accept a these camps definitely get your name out there and are a scholarship at Georgia Tech. He is joined among the 2011 big help.’’ The hope is that one day they can be like Harris – senior class by Middletown South’s Rick Lovato (Old anonymous and wealthy. Long snapping can put a recruit on a school’s radar Dominion), Shore Regional’s Evan Ruane (Monmouth even for a player who may be known to fans as a star at University) and Brick Memorial’s Phil Faccone “That’s what I’m hoping for,’’ Tobin said. another position. Just ask Monmouth University head (Wagner), who all received scholarship money because of coach Kevin Callahan, who said that the main way that their long snapping ability. Ruane came to their attention was as a long snapper Shore Conference players have moved on to higher despite the fact that Ruane was a standout Shore Reg. Photo by: levels as well because of their long snapping prowess. quarterback/defensive end/linebacker for a Shore Doug Bostwick Former Red Bank Catholic and Princeton University Regional team that finished 11-1 and won the NJSIAA www.sportshotswlb.smugmug.com
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Volume-III
Issue-3
2/7/11