Shore Sports Network Journal NJSIAA State Wrestling Champions by Shore Sports Network Journal

March 10, 2015 Volume-VII Issue-5

The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want to know after the big game is always, ” ” Is this going to be on Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

SteveMEYER

Shore Sports Network Director High School Division steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

ScottSTUMP

Managing Editor

stump@allshoremedia.com

Senior Content Providers MattManley // Mmanley21@gmail.com BobBadders // Badders@allshoremedia.com

Shore Sport s Net work Journal

is published by: To w ns q ua r e M e d ia 8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Shore Sports Network Website Features n Get Video Highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about. n Catch up on the action you might have missed n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year n Follow us on Twitter (over 18,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

OPEN MRI & DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING OF WALL

Continues its Support for the 3 rd Straight Year of the Shore Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

This year’s game will once again feature top talent from the girls and boys senior classes in the Shore. On the boys side, the game will include standouts like Christian Brothers Academy's Jack Laffey, Toms River South's Tymere Berry, Shore Regional's Dan Largey, Southern's Jake Logue, Colts Neck's Chris O'Reilly, Point Beach's Jesse Hill and more.

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

The girls game also will feature a host of standouts, including Rumson-Fair Haven's Grace Stant, St. Rose's Jess Louro and Kat Phipps, Neptune's Marajiah Bacon and more.

For the third straight year, Open MRI will be the title sponsor of this season's boys and girls all-star games, which are on March 25 at Wall Township High School. The girls all-star game will be at 6 p.m., followed by the boys game at 8 p.m. As always, the games are a great way to send off the Shore Conference’s top seniors in their final game as high school players.

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

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

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

“This game has become an important part of the basketball calendar every The top player in each of the senior all-star games will receive the Arthur W. year in the Shore Conference, and Open MRI’s Harmon Jr. Most Valuable Player Award, named after the late Art Harmon, a sponsorship and support are big reasons for that,’’ said long-time official in the Shore Conference. Shore Sports Network’s Steve Meyer. “Their support Check our website for more information: allows us to put on a memorable event for these www.shoresportsnetwork.com seniors as they wrap up their high school careers.”

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a large and enthusiastic Basketball audience from Monmouth and Ocean counties by having your business featured in this year's 2015 Open MRI of Wall Shore Basketball Coaches Senior All-Star Game official game day program. The detailed game program put together by the Shore Sports Network staff not only recounts the past season and highlights this year's group of All-Stars, it also serves as a keepsake for all the players, coaches and fans involved. Not only is the program a chance for your business to reach a wide and passionate audience, it is a chance to become a permanent part of a lasting memory for many members of the Shore Conference Basketball community.

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Kyle Bradshaw Stars as Manasquan Beats Bordentown for its First Central Jersey Group II Title Since 2009

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

“I think their confidence went down when we went on a little bit of a run, and once we saw that, we stepped on the gas pedal a little bit more and then after that it was over,” Bradshaw said.

enior Kyle Bradshaw has taken some good-natured joking from his Manasquan teammates all season about the fact that he has never played in the state playoffs in his career until this year.

After a basket by sophomore forward Manny Ansong (11 points) cut the lead to 12 early in the fourth quarter, Jensen scored and was fouled for a 3-point play after a nice dish by O’Shaughnessy, and then Bradshaw hit a pair of foul shots to push the lead to 17 points. Manasquan went to the line 27 times in the game, making 21, compared to only 10 attempts for Bordentown.

Bradshaw was part of a Monmouth Regional program that did not qualify for the postseason for his first three years, including a one-win season last year, before transferring to Manasquan as a senior. With only one chance to shine in the state playoffs, the 6-foot-5 forward is making the most of it.

He looked like a postseason veteran in front of a capacity home crowd on Monday night with a game-high 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting along with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks to power Manasquan’s 61-45 win over eighth-seeded Bordentown that gave the secondseeded Warriors their first NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II title since 2009. Manasquan will now face South Jersey champion Camden at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Perth Amboy High School in the Group II semifinals.

“This is my first time ever being in the playoffs in my high school career so to win a sectional championship is amazing,” Bradshaw said. “I love these guys on this team. This has been so much fun.”

“He’s a great kid, and he’s got some thick skin because we’re always messing with him, but he’s been a huge addition to our team,” senior guard Luke O’Shaughnessy said.

Bradshaw teamed with junior forward Ryan Jensen to overpower the Scotties (24-5) in the frontcourt, as Jensen finished with 14 points, 18 rebounds and 4 blocks.

“That was our gameplan – get the ball to the elbows and the blocks with me and Ryan and let us go to work inside, get a lot of fouls, and get layups and stuff like that because they couldn’t match up with us that well,” Bradshaw said.

O’Shaughnessy spearheaded the defensive effort by limiting Bordentown star Myron Gordon, a junior guard, to 10 points on 3-for13 shooting, one game after holding Matawan star Jason Dunne to nine points in the semifinals. Gordon had scored 28 points in an upset win over Shore Conference Tournament champion Rumson-Fair Haven in the semifinals, but O’Shaughnessy never let him find a rhythm.

“I knew he was more athletic than me and more of a driver, whereas Dunne has a deadly jumper and will rise and fire in your face,” said O’Shaughnessy, who also had eight assists. “I knew Gordon was going to be a little more of a driver, so I gave him a step and just tried to contest every jumper he took.”

“The whole gameplan was stop No. 5 (Gordon),” Manasquan coach Andrew Bilodeau said. “I thought he was the most athletic player we’ve played all year. O’Shaughnessy did a great job limiting penetration and contesting every shot.”

On the occasions when Gordon did get into the lane off the dribble, Jensen and Bradshaw were usually waiting to challenge or alter his shot.

The Scotties never got closer than 14 points the rest of the way, touching off a wild postgame as a roaring Manasquan student section dressed in various costumes stormed the court in celebration.

“The guy I was guarding wasn’t much of a scorer, so coach wanted me to play off him and help on No. 5 (Gordon) because he’s a big slasher, and really just rebound and block shots and play help defense,” Bradshaw said.

The Warriors (22-6) came flying out of the gate with a 23point first quarter to take sevenpoint lead as senior Aidan McMenaman hit a pair of threes and Bradshaw and Jensen set the tone up front by combining for 11 points. McMenaman also did a great job face-guarding Bordentown sophomore guard Darnill Brown, who entered the game with 63 3-pointers for the season but finished with two points on 1-for-7 shooting.

“First and foremost was stopping Myron Gordon, who is a heck of a player, and after that it was just making sure (Brown) didn’t get anything easy,” McMenaman said.

A 3-pointer by McMenaman and a pair of free throws by Bradshaw pushed the lead to double digits at 28-18 with 6:20 left in the second quarter, and the Warriors went into the break with a 36-28 advantage.

The third quarter was the turning point as Bradshaw scored all eight of Manasquan’s points while the Warriors held Bordentown to two points on 1-for-7 shooting and forced five turnovers to take a 44-30 lead into the fourth quarter.

“That was a blast,” Jensen said. “I’ve never played in an atmosphere like that. I couldn’t hear at times. It was just surreal.

“There’s no gym like this one,” O’Shaughnessy said. “I can’t even describe it. We saved the costume theme for the final, and once Lakewood lost, we knew it was going through our gym, and these fans and the entire community, parents and coaches, there’s nothing like it.” It was the first time Bradshaw ever experienced anything like it, and he tried to drink in every moment. “To go out with a ring is unreal,” he said.

“These guys break his chops all the time about that,” Bilodeau said. “The big thing for him was that he got hurt in October and he missed half the year (with a foot injury). This is like mid-season for him now and he’s rounding into form at the perfect time.”

“We said in the locker room that the third quarter was where they were going to make their run if they were going to come back, so we knew we had to shut them down there,” Jensen said.

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Shore Tops Florence, Back in CJ I Semifinals

B y Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

The Shore Regional boys

basketball team is more familiar than most other Shore Conference teams when it comes to reaching the NJSIAA sectional quarterfinals, but after two trips to the Central Jersey Group I semifinals in each of the previous two years, this one has a different level of urgency.

With a starting lineup of all seniors, including three three-year starters and another two-year starter, the Blue Devils are back in the sectional semifinals after a 56-48 win over Florence on Friday. They are two wins away from finishing the incremental climb to their first sectional title in school history.

“It’s been a little different this year just knowing in the back of our minds that this is our last run,” senior Kevin Bloodgood said. “We’ve been trying to bring a state title here for the last three years and we’ve been close before so it definitely feels like this is our chance. We took today very seriously because we knew this has a chance to be our last home game, and we wanted to give our

the charge on both ends.

fans a good game to go out on.”

“When I was a sophomore, we played Florence in this tournament and we went to overtime tied at 26,” Largey said, recalling a Blue Devils’ win over the Flashes in the 2013 tournament. “We knew they were going to be well-coached and run very good sets on offense. They have tough kids, even when we’ve seen them in football. We expected a battle tonight, and they were tough.”

Shore lost on the road to eventual Central Jersey Group I champion Point Pleasant Beach in each of the past two seasons – in the sectional semifinals in 2013 and in the sectional championship game a year ago. The Blue Devils will have to go through No. 1 seed Perth Amboy Tech Saturday to get back to the sectional final and if they do, there is a chance they could once again be headed to the Gulls’ Nest in Point Pleasant to try to get over the hump.

Against a Florence team that would not let Shore put the game away despite several threats to do so, the Blue Devils pounded the Flashes on the glass and took advantage of their advantage of height and length. Senior 6-foot-5 swingman Dan Largey scored 21 points, lived on the block on offense and flew around the wing and in the paint on defense to lead

Senior Jack Byrne also added 12 points while wreaking havoc on defense with four steals. Bloodgood added 17 points, including 13 in the first half and 10 in the second quarter.

After Shore started the game on an 8-2 run, Florence answered with a 7-0 spurt to take its first lead. The Flashes went up 11-10 early in the second quarter on a lay-up by Kyle Ryan and that was the last lead Florence would enjoy.

Senior Dan Largey

with his 21 points on Friday. The senior scored 34 points in a first-round win over Metuchen, one of three 30-plus-point games by Largey – all within a span of two weeks.

Bloodgood drove for a lay-up to regain the lead for Shore, fired a pass to a flashing Largey for a lay-up, then rimmed in a short jumper to push the lead to 16-11. He later capped his 10point quarter with two of his three 3-pointers in the game to send Shore to the half up 26-18.

“I’m just thinking about getting wins,” Largey said. “I’m sure I’ll have some idea of when I get (1,000), or at least I’ll find out from someone in my family after the game. They’ll tell me which shot I got it on, or more likely, I’ll hear them cheering when I hit it. But I’d rather not think about it and just try to go out and help us win a championship.”

Shore also held 1,000-point scorer and three-point specialist Michael Muchowski to five points and one 3-pointer. The Blue Devils began the game in a 1-3-1 defense and switched over to man-to-man late in the first quarter.

“I thought we did a really good job at the top of the zone, just putting pressure on their ball-handlers and their shooters,” Byrne said. “When we went to man, we did a good job keeping them from getting into the paint and staying on their shooters.”

Largey, Bloodgood and Byrne have been the center of Shore’s offense this season and combined for 50 of the 56 Blue Devils points on Friday. Bloodgood joined the 1,000point club earlier in the season and Largey moved within 12 points of the career milestone

of the sectional tournament unless seventh-seeded South Hunterdon can knock off two-time defending sectional champion Point Beach on Saturday. Should they beat the No. 1 seed on Saturday, the Blue Devils will either host a sectional final or will get a shot at redemption on the floor where their season ended each of the past two years.

“Dan’s been great Senior Rob Gialanella about it, as you would expect him to be,” said Bloodgood, who scored his 1,000th point in a key divisional game against Rumson-Fair Haven in late January. “He just wants to win. It’s similar to my situation. We needed to win the game, so all the indiviual stuff takes a back seat and with the way he’s been playing, we know he’s going to get it.” Senior Kevin Bloodgood

After two successful showings on its home court, Shore will head on the road for the rest

“The last two years, after we lost, I can remember thinking and saying to some of the other guys, ‘Remember this feeling for next year,’” Byrne said. “This time, there is no next year. We don’t want to have that same feeling from the last two years because we don’t get another shot next year.”

by:

Matt Manley

www.shoresportsnetwork.com Photos by:

Doug Bostwick www.SportShotsWLB.com

Healthy Fats and Hydration: Are You Forgetting Both? By Adam Feit - Director of Sports Performance (RYPT)

e move forward with our healthy habits of performance nutrition and explain the important of fruits/ veggies along with making better choices in regards to those breads, pastas and bagels. To maximize your performance on the field, we need a healthy balance of all these food groups especially during this rigorous period of off-season training.

Habit #4: Eat healthy

fats daily

Fat intake is crucial for hormone production for fat loss and muscle growth, vitamin absorption, balance and structure and integrity of the cells in the body. It provides a very large energy source and helps provide a feeling of fullness during meals. Why wouldn’t we want to eat it?

Like carbohydrates, there are different types of fats: · · · ·

Saturated fats: found in animal fats such as cheese, eggs and meat Mono-unsaturated fats: found in products such as olive oil and nuts Poly-unsaturated fats: found in products such as vegetable oils and nuts Artificial trans-fats: usually listed as “hydrogenated” or “partiallyhydrogenated”

The easiest way to enhance health and performance is to balance out our intake of the first three types of fats (saturated, mono and poly-unsaturated) while removing all types of artificial trans-fats. Trans-fats severely increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and are often found in packaged food products that tend to have a long shelf life (think Twinkies and microwaveable waffles).

Balanced intakes of each healthy fat (about 1/3 from each) can actually reduce pain in the body and improve how we feel physically and emotionally. NSF certified supplements such as fish and flax oil have been shown to decrease inflammation, decrease risk of depression, and improve brain development and immune system functioning, as well as decreasing body-fat levels.

Part 3 of a 4 part sersies

How Much Healthy Fat Should We Eat During the Day?

Just focus on adding a few servings of mixed nuts, vegetable/fish oils and olives or avocados per day. Depending on activity levels and specific eating plan, this can range anywhere from 1-5 servings per day. How Big is a Serving of Healthy Fat?

A serving size is approximately the following:

· Teas, coffees and diet drinks can be used in moderation but should never replace regular water. Remove extra creams, sugars, syrups and toppings when possible. · Sports drinks such as Gatorade ® should be drunk based on our specific eating plan. Some plans may allow each athlete to drink these types of drinks during the day, while others try and limit them to periods of physical activity. Either way, these sports drinks contain many sugars, which should be managed appropriately to gain muscle and lose fat.

How Much Water Should We Drink Per Day?

As a general guide, we should aim to drink half our bodyweight in ounces per day.

· 2 thumbs worth for males, 1 thumbs worth for females more effective environment.

Bodyweight: 200 pounds

Take home point:

Don’t look to cancel out the fat of your diet right away! We often gain fat when we eat too much of everything, not just one nutrient! Eat about 1-2 thumbs worth of healthy fat in most meals. Make smarter choices throughout the day and be sure to keep a healthy amount in each meal for maximum performance!

Habit #5: Maximize Hydration

Along with making better choices with fats, drinking fluids also has an important role in achieving better health and performance. Drinking different types of beverages throughout the day can either speed up the rate at which body-fat is lost or gained. It can also speed up the rate at which muscle is gained. Having the ability to gain muscle does not give free reign to eat or drink whatever is available. Remember, we are what we eat or drink. Drinking and eating unhealthy, sloppy, ineffective foods and beverages will leave us looking and feeling unhealthy, sloppy and ineffective. Here are some quick tips to remember:

· Stick to drinking mostly water throughout the day. By eliminating calorie filled drinks like milk, juice, and soda, we are slowly sneaking out calories which ultimately contribute to how much body-fat we will lose. Because most of these beverages are filled with unnecessary refined sugary carbohydrates, our ability to burn fat will be dependent on how less of these we are ingesting on a daily basis. Our body is made up of almost 70% water; why not focus on giving it exactly that?

Amount of water: 200 pounds/2=100 ounces (about ¾ of a gallon)

This can vary due to activity levels, temperature, food intake and rate of sweating but is a good baseline for most athletes.

Take home point: Focus on calorie free beverages (ideally water) throughout the day to ensure you are providing your body with enough fluid to not just perform, but prevail! Try to get at least half your bodyweight in ounces of fluid per day and make sure your urine looks like lemonade, not apple juice! In our final article, we’ll discuss preparation strategies to maximize your time during the day as well as trying to fit in that beloved “cheat meal”. Thanks for reading at #eatRYPT!

Running the Gauntlet: Pinelands’ Poklikuha, Brick’s Wojtaszek Battle Back for Third at NJSIAA Wrestling Championships

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

hen the dream of winning a state title is over and a wrestler falls into the consolation bracket, one of two things can happen.

A lot of times the loss crushes a wrestlers’ confidence and the wrestleback rounds eat them alive. Other times you get to see just how much heart and determination a wrestler has. On Sunday at Boardwalk Hall, Pinelands senior Tom Poklikuha and Brick senior Kyle Wojtaszek shook off early losses to plow through the consolation brackets and conclude their careers on a high note.

going to be on straight or if you’re going to sit back and say I lost and now I don’t care.”

Poklikuha lost 9-7 to Hanover Park’s Christian Bassolino in the preliminary round on Friday night to fall into the consolation bracket. He began his run to third with a 5-4 win over Buena’s Mason Brestle before a 7-1 win over Rutherford’s Mohamed Abdelhamid put him one win away from a state medal.

The problem there was he had to go through St. Peter’s Prep senior Ryan Burkert, a Hofstra recruit who was second in the state at 145 last season. That’s where Poklikuha pulled off the biggest win of his career by pinning Burkert in the first period to secure a top-eight finish. “That was one of the top-three greatest moments I’v ever felt in my life,” he said.

He then edged Paramus’s Kyle Cochran 6-5 to reach the wrestleback semifinals and push his finish to at least sixth. In the wrestleback semifinals, he defeated High Point’s Jason Gaccione, 2-0, in a rematch of this season’s Colt Classic final won by Gaccione 4-2.

He didn’t know it at the time, but spending over a week at a wrestling camp in Iowa the last two summers prepared Poklikuha for the gauntlet he had to run this weekend.

“I went out to Iowa the last two summers in a row and that definitely helped me with my mental toughness,” Poklikuha said. “The camp was brutal. It was an 11-day intensive camp at the University of Iowa and it was crazy.”

Pinelands senior Tom Poklikuha

Poklikuha won six consecutive bouts in the 145-pound consolations, ultimately beating Edison’s Billy Povalac 5-4 to finish third. Wojtaszek did the same at 170 pounds, winning six straight and pinning Holy Cross’s Kenny Long in the third-place match.

“I kept thinking that I worked so hard that I’m not going to let it go to waste,” said Poklikuha, who became Pinelands’ first state medalist since Mike Molosky in 2002. “Mentally (the consolation bracket) can fry you. You’ve got to take it one at a time. You just have to grind and grind and grind.”

“The first one is always the hardest because you’re seeing where you’re at mentally,” Wojtaszek said. “You don’t know if your head’s

That next bout was against Wall’s Brett Donner, however, who had defeated Wojtaszek in the District 23 final and the Region VI semifinals. Wojtaszek won by injury default in the first period when both wrestlers went to shoot and bumped heads, knocking Donner unconscious. It wasn’t the way Wojtaszek wanted to advance, but he was now three wins away from fishing third.

He then outlasted Bridgewater-Raritan’s Kyle Murphy 2-1 in double overtime before beating Passaic Valley’s Jala’a Darwish 9-6 to reach the consolation final. In the third-place match against Long, Wojtaszek countered a takedown attempt by hitting an elevator and planting Long to his back. He finished off the fall in 4:36, blew some kisses to the Brick fans in attendance and ended his career in style. “I think it’s pretty awesome I lost so early but was able to come back,” Wojtaszek said. “My parents always told me I was a top contender int he state tournament, but I was starting to get down on myself even though I lost to a super opponent and gave him a fight. Wrestling six matches to come back for third proves my abilities.”

Southern’s Matt Wilhelm was also able to shake off a loss to wrestle back for third at 152 pounds. Wilhelm fell 10-5 to eventual state champion Joe Tavoso of Delbarton in the quarterfinals, meaning he needed four wins to finish third. He beat Holy Cross’s Avery DiNardi 7-1 to secure a top-eight medal, then beat Manalapan’s Jake Kaminsky 5-3.

The wrestleback semifinals saw Wilhelm beat Cranford’s Gavin Murray, last season’s 138-pound runner-up, 10-6.

“That consolation semifinal match is the best I’ve wrestled in my entire career,” he said.

In the third-place match he defeated Paramus senior Joe Trovato, a four-time state medalist, 3-1.

Poklikuha finishes his career as Pinelands’ all-time wins leader (125) and one of six wrestlers in program history to finish among the top three in the state.

“It means a lot to me to get my name on that wall,” he said. “I’ve done a lot, but this really solidifies what I’ve done. They’ll remember me.”

Wojtaszek’s championship run came to an end in the pre-quarterfinal round on Friday night when he lost 1-0 to eventual state finalist Josh Ugalde of Bound Brook. That also put him in the first round of wrestlebacks and six wins away from third. He pinned Cherokee’s Jesse Streb before winning 8-3 over DePaul’s Spencer Carey to move within one win of his securing his second state medal. He was seventh at 152 last season.

Southern’s Matt Wilhelm (Region VI Final file photo by Ray Richardson)

“Saturday morning I was real bummed out,” Wilhelm said. “The ultimate goal is to be a state champ, but sometimes stuff doesn’t go your way. “Saturday Tabb (assistant coach Jerry Tabbachino) brought me back to the room and said it’s just as good to comeback and win

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as many as you can to take third. I made a goal for myself to come back and win the bracket.” Wilhelm is Southern’s highest finisher since Brian Broderick finished third at 160 in 2011.

Brick senior Dean Sherry finished third at 182 pounds, winning two bouts after losing in the semifinals the eventual state champion, Bergen Catholic’s Kevin Mulligan. Sherry won by 15-6 major decision over West Orange’s Christopher Morgan and then beat DePaul’s Nick DePalma 12-3 to finish third and with a 38-1 record. Jackson Memorial senior Brody Graham was third at heavyweight, defeating St. Peter’s Prep’s Jose Palomino 3-1 in double overtime. After losing 10-0 in the semifinals to Don Bosco Prep’s Zack Chakonis, the No. 1 heavyweight in the nation and the eventual state champion, he beat Paulsboro’s Davontae Randall 2-0 before beating Palomino for the second time in the tournament and third time this season.

Graham’s only losses this season were to both state finalists, Chakonis and Brick Memorial’s Nick Rivera.

The Shore had a total of 20 medalists, which was second only to the 24 medalists in Region II, which houses powerhouses Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep and had just six public school medalists.

Finishing fifth were CBA junior Sebastian Rivera at 113 and Toms River South’s Owen McClave at 120. Rivera lost to eventual state champion Brandon Cray of Steinert 3-1 in double overtime in the semifinals. He pinned Kingsway’s Trace Kinner in the fifth-place bout.

McClave lost 7-1 to Bergen Catholic junior Nick Suriano in the semifinals. Suriano is undefeated for his career at 121-0. In the fifth-place bout, McClave beat Roxbury’s Troy Stanich 7-4.

Placing sixth were CBA freshman Rich Koehler at 106, Jackson Liberty senior Mike Russo at 126, Brick senior Will Scott at 160 and Wall’s Matt McKenzie at 195.

Kaminsky defeated DePaul’s Brandon Kui to place seventh at 152 pounds and Toms River North senior Mike Siwiec beat Paulsboro’s Niko Savaiinaea 5-1 to finish seventh at 220. Rumson-Fair Haven senior Marcus Iwama became the Bulldogs first state medalist since 2003 and just the third wrestler in program history to medal by finishing eighth at 132 pounds. Toms River South senior Joe Salvato finished eighth at 182 pounds.

Brick’s Dean Sherry (file photo by Ray Richardson)

Jackson Memorial Hwt. Brody Graham

CBA junior Sebastian Rivera (file photo by Ray Richardson)

by:

Bob Badders

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

yree Sutton Becomes Keansburg’s First Wrestling State Champion

WITH HIS LIFE AT A CROSSROADS AS A SOPHOMORE, KEANSBURG’S TYREE SUTTON NEARLY GAVE UP WRESTLING FOR GOOD.

“It was definitely rough because I flunked in school my sophomore year and didn’t really take school seriously because I wasn’t competing in any athletics,” he said. “It was definitely a setback.”

After winning a District title as a freshman, he was academically ineligible as a sophomore. Becoming a father of a son, Tyree Jr., before his junior year could have driven him further from the sport while being overwhelmed with priorities off the mat. Instead, it only fueled his drive to be the best wrestler to ever walk the halls of Keansburg High School.

“At that point, I felt like I didn’t want to wrestle, but I want to give my son a future and wrestling is what is going to get me into college, so I had to strive,” Sutton said.

The dark memories of those days have now been replaced by the bright lights of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, where Sutton’s dramatic journey ended on Sunday at the top of the podium as the first state champion in Keansburg history. The Titans’ senior won one of the most thrilling matches of the finals of the NJSIAA Individual Championships, scoring a takedown in sudden victory overtime to edge Holy Cross’s Matt Correnti 5-3 at 195 for the title.

With the win, Sutton also made one more piece of school history by getting his 100th career victory, becoming the first Titans’ wrestler to ever reach that milestone.

Sutton is used to adjusting when life throws him a curveball, and the calm that he projects under difficult circumstances was instrumental in delivering him a title. After a scoreless first period between the undefeated wrestlers, Sutton rode Correnti out for the entire second period. It seemed like the perfect set-up for a win because all Sutton had to do was escape in the third period and hold on for a 1-0 victory.

However, Correnti was able to tilt Sutton and get three back points for a 3-0 lead that appeared insurmountable as time ticked away in the third period. It marked the first offensive points Sutton surrendered the entire season, and it was the first time he had trailed in a match all year.

“I was definitely shocked,” Sutton said. “At first I didn’t know who was getting back points until I looked at my coach. I hadn’t done that all year.”

Rather than let the moment overwhelm him, Sutton got right back in the fight. He escaped and then bulled his way into Correnti for a takedown on the boundary with only four seconds left in the third period to tie the bout at three. Correnti was trying to get out of bounds for a restart, but Sutton pulled him back in and then hit a lightning-quick shot to get the two points.

“There were a lot of things going on in my head, but mostly I was scared because I was down 3-1 with like 30 seconds left,” Sutton said. “I drill those type of situations in practice all the time. My coach gives me 30 seconds, telling me I’m down two and I need to hit something. It was just repetition in practice, so I was prepared for it.” “You can never say it’s over, but with those type of matches and how good that kid is, I thought it was over,” Keansburg assistant Dave Alsieux said. “I saw it on his face (after he gave up the three points), but he’s so dynamic when he wrestles that it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he

“I CAN’T USE ANY OTHER WORD BUT ‘AMAZING,”’ SUTTON SAID. “IT FEELS GOOD THAT I MADE HISTORY AND IT WAS MY 100TH WIN, SO IT’S JUST AMAZING RIGHT NOW.”

“Words can’t describe it,” Keansburg head coach Chris DeTalvo said. “It’s pretty unbelievable.”

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“I know the work he puts in and I’m proud of him,” said Brick Memorial head coach Mike Denver.

Donovan is Brick Memorial’s sixth wrestler to win a state championship (seven overall) and first since both Steve Santos and Mike Morales won titles at 152 and 130 pounds, respectively, in 2009. He also joins Bob Martin (1986), Nick Angen (1994 and 1996) and Steve Bruscino (1994) in the Mustangs’ pantheon of state champions.

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

Donovan’s run to a state championship began with a 12-3 major decision over Paramus’s Kyle Cochran in the prequarterfinals on Friday night. He made his move Saturday morning by pinning top-seeded Travis Vasquez

rick Memorial’s Alec Donovan Champion Thoroughbred

The countless hours spent in the wrestling room honing his craft, the late-night and early-morning runs to stay on weight, and every other sacrifice Alec Donovan has made over the course of his wrestling career paid off in the biggest of ways on Sunday night at Boardwalk Hall

The senior etched his name into the Brick Memorial record book when he held off Bound Brook sophomore Stephan Glasgow, 1-0, to win the NJSIAA 145-pound state championship. An escape in the third period was all Donovan needed to become the sixth wrestler in Brick Memorial history to claim New Jersey high school wrestling’s ultimate prize.

“WORKING OUT AND DOING THE RIGHT THINGS EVERY DAY ON AND OFF THE MAT IS WHAT GETS YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE,” DONOVAN SAID. “IT FEELS INCREDIBLE RIGHT NOW.”

The best word to describe Donovan when he’s on the mat is relentless. He is unyielding on top and a velcro-like menace in scrambles. It was that tenacity that characterized his entire tournament and fueled the final three victories of his high school career.

After a scoreless first period, Donovan rode out Glasgow for the entire second period to keep the bout scoreless and turn the tide his way heading to the third. Donovan chose defense to start the third period, and Glasgow awarded him the free escape, preferring to work from his feet. Glasgow couldn’t penetrate Donovan’s defense, though, and after stopping a desperation leap by Glasgow in the closing seconds, Donovan ran across the mat and jumped into the arms of assistant coach Dean Albanese.

of Delbarton with 30 seconds left in the third period in the quarterfinals. The fall was more of an exclamation point. Donovan had ridden out the returning third-place finisher and Beast of the East champ in the second period before scoring a reversal in the third to take a 2-0 lead.

To reach the final, Donovan used a reversal with seven seconds left to win 3-2 over High Point’s Jason Gaccione.

“That’s the way I was trained in the wrestling room: to take nothing for granted and to beat the (hell) out of people on top,” Donovan said. With a state title now in hand, Donovan closes the book on what has been an incredible career. He

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T Y R E E Continued from page 12

all my social media right now.”

could’ve scored at the end.”

“It’s special for our town,” DeTalvo said. “Not having that much of a history, it means a lot. We’ve had a solid rec program now for a few years, the middle school team is doing well, and for those little guys to be able to see this, it’s awesome.”

Sutton rode that momentum into overtime as a stunned Correnti tried to regroup. Off a restart, Correnti took a shot and Sutton countered it, grabbing ahold of one leg before being able to snatch both of Correnti’s legs and get him to the ground for the win.

Sutton finished the season 41-0 and finished his career 100-14 in three seasons after missing his sophomore season due to academic ineligibility. He is the first state champion, Region VI champion, two-time place-winner and 100-match winner in Keansburg history. The Titans’ record book is essentially his biography.

“(Correnti) was more shocked that he got taken down (at the end of regulation), so he was definitely panicking,” Sutton said. “I had to stay focused on the goal.”

He said he will most likely wrestle at Nassau Community College next season as he gets his academics in order, but he plans on making it a one-year stop on the way to a fouryear school.

He then shared a long embrace with Alsieux, a former Manasquan standout who wrestled at Centenary College and has made Sutton his personal project for four seasons.

“I will definitely wrestle at a Division I school,” he said.

“I’m gonna get choked up, but I’m just so proud that I had the opportunity to be part of this and part of the Keansburg community,” Alsieux said. “I’m just so thankful for the opportunity. Tyree sacrificed a lot. His life is a lot different than most people’s. For him to do it, I think for me it’s just that much more special.”

Don’t doubt him, as Sutton has shown that he is a man of his word. He has been saying since finishing sixth at 195 last season that he was going to make Keansburg history this March, and on Sunday he delivered on that promise in spectacular fashion. “Since freshman year I have been dreaming of this day,” he said. “I’ve had some setbacks, but I knew I just had to stay focused and I could do this. Again, the only word I can think of right now is ‘amazing.”’

Alsieux vividly remembers those days two years ago when Sutton’s life and wrestling career could have gone off the rails when he faced that fork in the road.

“There were times when he didn’t even want to come back to school,” Alsieux said. “Everybody was pulling for him – teachers, his family, coaches – it was a tough road, and to be here and do this, it just makes it that much sweeter.”

After the hug with Alsieux, Sutton then made his way to the front row of the stands, where a cluster of his friends from Keansburg swallowed him up in a group embrace. It was a joyous moment on the big stage for the Group I school

from a town that is all of one square mile.

“I’ve got the whole town behind me,” Sutton said. “There’s a bunch of them here in Atlantic City, and they’re blowing up

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Donovan

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fell to Steinert junior Brandon Cray, 3-1. Cray’s first-period takedown was all he needed to hold off Ghione and become the first Steinert wrestler to win a state title. In an interesting twist, Steinert is coached by former Brick Memorial star Adam Jankos, who was a state medalist in 1997.

is a three-time state qualifier and two-time medalist, a Region VI champion and a fourtime District 23 champion. He helped the Mustangs capture a pair of team state titles in 2013 and 2015 and win three Shore Conference Tournament titles. His signature moment before Sunday was pinning Southern’s Matt Wilhelm to clinch the Group IV title in 2013. Now he’ll be most remembered for being a state champion.

There is a wall of champions inside the Shore Thing Wrestling Club with the faces of members that have won state championships, and Donovan has stared at it every time he’s walked through the doors. He always felt his picture would one day be there, and he left Boardwalk Hall Sunday night with that dream now a reality.

“It’s right in the front so you can’t miss it, and I walk by it every day saying there’s a spot and my picture belongs right there,” Donovan said. “Now it will be.”

Brick Memorial had four total finalists, which matched Bergen Catholic for the state-high. Both senior Cliff Ruggiero and sophomore Nick Rivera were big underdogs at 160 pounds and heavyweight, respectively, but both went down fighting against nationally-ranked opponents.

Ruggiero fell 7-2 to DePaul senior Dave McFadden, who won his second state championship and is ranked No. 5 in the nation. Ruggiero made an amazing run to the finals by pinning Clearview’s Ed Lenkowski in the quarterfinals and defeating Phillipsburg’s Max Elling 5-3 in the semifinals. It was Ruggiero’s first trip to the state tournament, and he made it count by finishing second. Rivera is ahead of the game as a

Ghione was lights out in reaching the final with impressive wins over St. Peter’s Prep’s Alec Kelly and Morris Knolls’ Garrett O’Shea. He dominated Kelly, who was the No. 1 overall seed, 16-5 in the quarterfinals before controlling O’Shea in a 6-4 win in the semifinals. He finished with a 35-3 record.

sophomore heavyweight. He is the first heavyweight to reach the state finals as a sophomore since Manchester’s Jimmy Lawson, who ended up being a three-time state champion. Chakonis took Rivera down in the first period and turned him for three near-fall points to take a 5-0 lead, and held on from there for his first state title.

Last season as a freshman Rivera was the only underclassman in the state tournament at heavyweight. This year he was one of just three sophomores in the field. Heavyweight is always dominated by the juniors and seniors, so Rivera is ahead of the game in that respect. He finished the season with a 32-2 record and will likely enter next season as the state title favorite.

In the 113-pound final, sophomore Gianni Ghione

“Sunday was the cherry on top of a great season,” said Brick Memorial head coach Mike Denver. “We’ll go back with Gianni and Rivera and get better. We’ll build on it.

“I’m definitely pumped about the way all my guys wrestled. People were saying we were underdogs in almost every match we had, so for all four to make it to the state finals shows the kinds of kids that are on the team.”

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Jesse Hill and Jimmy Panzini Lead Point Beach Back to CJ I Final

B y Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

From the opening

minutes of its NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I semifinal game against South Hunterdon, the Point Pleasant Beach boys basketball team showed off its three-point range from multiple positions in the lineup.

While three different Garnet Gulls players hit a firstquarter three, Point Beach’s No. 1 three-point threat was saving his fireworks for later in the game.

Senior Jesse Hill hit seven of his 10 three-point attempts in the game and scored 24 of his game-high 29 points in the second and third quarters to help lead the No. 3 seed and two-time defending sectional champions to a 71-50 win over the No. 7 Eagles.

“I love shooting in this gym,” Hill said of his team’s home court. “For some reason, it’s just a great gym to shoot in. The rims look like they’re huge, and it just feels like every shot you put up is going to go in.”

For the third straight season and the second straight year in the sectional final, Point Beach will host Shore Regional in a state playoff game, with this year’s sectional final slated to tip off on March 10, at 6:30 p.m.

February with a sprained ankle. “He’s a ball-handler on offense, he can get to the rim, and defensively, he’s relentless. We definitely have an edge about us on the defensive end when he is out there.”

Senior Mike Frauenheim scored all nine of his points in the first quarter to help Point Beach storm out to that 19-7 lead. Frauenheim added two three-pointers to Point Beach’s total of 12 as a team. Panzini, junior Mike Rice and senior Ryan Sheehan each added a three for the Gulls.

Frauenheim and fellow senior Chris Schifano are the lone regular players from last year’s sectional championship team, while Hill and Panzini are among the group of newcomers chasing their first state championship. Panzini has been in the thick of the state championship picture as a bench player for St. Anthony prior to his transfer to Point Beach.

“I remember seeing (Point Beach) play up at the Dan Finn Classic in Jersey City last year and thinking, ‘Wow, these guys are good. They play ball like this at the Shore? Where I live?”’ Panzini said.

“It’s been a great experience playing in front of this home crowd and I’ve heard all about what to expect in the final. The atmosphere is going to be crazy. This is what you look forward to when you play high school basketball.”

Hill played in the the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs last year with Jackson Memorial, which fell to Sayreville in the sectional quarterfinals.

“The level of hunger is as high as it can be,” Hill said. “We’ve heard from Mike and Schifano what this feeling is Hill finished with eight rebounds and four blocks to like, and all year, the rest of us have been working for a complement his red-hot shooting, which also included 9-forJimmy Panzini takes the ball to the rim against South Hunterdon chance to experience it for ourselves. Just playing in the 13 shooting overall. After Point Beach stormed out to a 19game is going to be something we’ll remember, but we came 7 lead after one quarter, Hill helped thwart a South can,” junior guard Jimmy Panzini said. here to win a championship and that’s our focus.” Hunterdon run during the second by scoring all 10 of Point Beach’s Panzini, meanwhile, sat for a majority of the first half – including second-quarter points as the Garnet Gulls took a 29-25 lead into the the entire second quarter – with two fouls and his departure from the locker room. lineup and return later in the game marked two major shifts in play. The second quarter proved to be just the beginning for Hill, who South Hunterdon outscored Point Beach 18-10 in the second quarter, went 4-for-5 from behind the arc in the third quarter and scored 14 while Panzini returned in the second half to score 20 of his 23 points points total in the quarter. He capped his scoring with a three-pointer and ignite a second-half surge that saw the Gulls outscore the Eagles & Photo by: in the fourth and sat for a chunk of the final eight minutes with four 42-25. fouls. Matt Manley “It’s no secret, we’re a different team with Jimmy on the floor,” www.shoresportsnetwork.com “When Jesse is feeling it like that, it’s just get him the ball anyay you Point Beach coach Nick Catania said of Panzini, who missed time in

Manasquan’s Marina Mabrey and CBA’s Jack Laffey Named Kerwin Award Winners

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

otre Dame-bound Manasquan star Marina Mabrey and Christian Brothers Academy senior Jack Laffey are this year’s recipients of the prestigious James J. and Margaret M. Kerwin Memorial Awards, the Kerwin family has announced.

the Kerwin Award.

“She has many outstanding qualities, one of which is her fierce determination which allows her to take over games at crucial times,” family spokesperson John Kerwin said in a news release. “Whenever you need a basket, she delivers. Marina goes very strong to the basket drawing many fouls and if you play off her she’ll drain the 3. What’s best is that she plays both ends of the court well and is a shutdown player on the defensive side.”

Six members of the Kerwin family of West Long Branch select the most outstanding girls and boys players in the Shore Conference for an award that has been given out every year since 1974.

Mabrey, a 2,000-point scorer and McDonald’s All-American who led the Warriors to their second straight Shore Conference Tournament title on Friday, joins her older sister, Michaela, now a junior guard at Notre Dame, as a Kerwin Award recipient. The two Mabreys are the only two female players in Manasquan history to win

Manasquan’s Marina Mabrey

Laffey, who is averaging 19 points per game and is committed to Adelphi University, becomes the latest CBA standout to claim the Kerwin Award. He has helped the Colts win the Class A North title and reach the SCT final this season. Laffey’s coach, Geoff Billet, is a former Kerwin Award winner himself.

“Jack is truly the team’s leader on the

court,” Kerwin said. “He is a very unselfish player getting everyone involved in the offense. He handles the ball and passes very well. He always makes a few spectacular drives each game. If you give him room he easily makes the 3.” Kerwin also noted Laffey’s ability on the other end of the floor.

“You can tell who is the other team’s best player by looking out on the court and seeing who Jack is guarding,” Kerwin said. Mabrey and Laffey received their awards prior to their respective teams' first-round state playoff victories.

CBA senior Jack Laffey