3-23-17 Issue - 6 Volume IX Shore Sports Network Journal

March 23 2017 Volume-IX Issue-6

The first thing fans, players, coaches & parents want to know after the big game is always,

“Is this going to be on

?�

Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

Shore Sports Network 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 16,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

KevinWILLIAMS S h o r e S p o r t s N e t w o r k Director k ev i n . w i l l i am s @ t ow n s qu a re m ed i a. c om

SteveMEYER Shore Sports Network Director High School Division s t ev e. m e y er @t own s qu a re m edi a. co m 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

Senior C ontent Providers BobBadders // badders@allshoremedia.com MattManley // Mmanley21@gmail.com

Shore Sports Network Journal is published by: T o w n s q u a r e M e d i a 8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Copyright 2017 Townsquare Media All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Shore Sports Network is prohibited

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Slam Dunk Contest

Welcom e

Sponsored By

to the

Po w e re d B y

MVP, 3-Pt Shootout & Slam Dunk Plaques Provided By

Boys & Girls All-Star Game Jerseys Provided By

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2017 Players of the Year Coaches Poll

Girls All-Shore Teams Player Of The Year Dara Mabrey - Manasquan 1 s t Te a m

Yr. Pos. School

Desiree Allen

Sr

Stella Clark

Kim Evans

Josie Larkins

2 n d Te a m

Sr

G

Sr

G

Sr

Hannah Scanlan

G

Sr

C F

Neptune

Manasquan

SJV

RBC

RFH

Yr. Pos. School

Tori Hyduke

Jr

Mikayla Markham Jr

Faith Masonius

So

Lucy Thomas

Jr

Ashley Tutzauer

Sr

G

G F

C

G

RFH

St. Rose

Manasquan

St. Rose

TR North

Division Players & Coaches of The Year A North Player of Year Desiree Allen Coach of Year Brad Hagensen

Neptune

Marlboro

A Central Player of Year Hannah Scanlan RFH Coach of Year Dawn Karpell SJV

A South Player of Year Ashley Tutzauer TR North Coach of Year Vicki Gillen TR North

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B North Player of Year Dara Mabrey Coach of Year Joe Montano

B Central Player of Year Lucy Thomas Coach of Year Jay Lagomarsino

B South Player of Year Ally Lassen Coach of Year Dave Beauchemin

Manasquan RBC

St. Rose

Pt. Beach Pt. Boro

Manchester

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Players of the Year Coaches Poll

Boys All-Shore Teams

Player Of The Year

Elijah Barnes, Sr. F, Mater Dei Prep 1 s t Te a m

Yr.

Bryan Antoine

So

Pos.

So

Jaden Rhoden

Sr

G

Jr.

F

F

Scottie Lewis

Devin Jensen PJ Ringel

2 n d Te a m

Rob Higgins

Sr

G

Ranney

Ranney

Manasquan

TR North

Marlboro

Yr. Pos. School Sr

G

Middletown North

Sr

G

Mater Dei Prep

Steve Staklinski Sr Kenny Jones

G

School

Mike Nyisztor Sr Elijah Mitchell Sr

F

G F

Freehold Twp.

Toms River North

Mater Dei Prep

Division Players & Coaches of The Year A North Player of Year PJ Ringel Marlboro Co-Coachs of Year Mike Nausedas Marlboro & Brian Golub Freehold Twp. A Central Player of Year Jack Solano Rumson-FH Co-Coach of Year Chris Champeau Rumson-FH & Sean Devaney Holmdel A South Player of Year Jaden Rhoden Coach of Year Rory Caswell

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TR North

TR North

B North Player of Year Devin Jensen Coach of Year Tyler Schmelz B Central Player of Year Elijah Barnes Coach of Year Ben Gamble B South Player of Year Adi Palmer Coach of Year Mike Puorro

Manasquan RBC

Mater Dei Prep

Mater Dei Prep

Lakewood Barnegat

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Coaches of the Year Shore Coaches Poll

Coach of the Year

By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Editor

Girls Shore Coach of The Year Joe Whalen - St. Rose

J

oe Whalen did not take over the St. Rose girls basketball program to turn an also-ran into a competitive team or even a competitive team into a championship contender.

He took over a championship team in order to keep it a championship team year after year.

For the first four seasons of his tenure at St. Rose, Whalen delivered on those expectations by winning NJSIAA NonPublic B titles in 2014 and 2015, but when it came the Shore Conference – a conference whose tournament St. Rose won the year before he took over – the Roses had come up just short, both within the conference tournament and against other Shore teams in the state tournament.

Multiple teams have ended St. Rose’s title pursuits during Whalen’s tenure, but heading into the year, no team snuffed them out as often as Manasquan. This year, however, the Roses finally solved their rival during the Shore Conference Tournament and won the SCT championship for the first time under Whelan.

Winning a Shore Conference Tournament championship is not far off from winning a Tournament of Champions title in difficulty and for leading the Purple Roses to the top of the mountain in Monmouth and Ocean County during a 26-4 campaign, Whalen was selected the 2016-17 Shore Conference Coach of the Year by his head-coaching peers.

When Whalen took over for Joe Roman in 2012-13, St. Rose had just won a Shore Conference Tournament title with a seniorladen team that also reached the Tournament of Champions semifinal before losing to eventual champion Manasquan. Although Whalen did not take over a talent-barren team, it was a young group that took a year to mature

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and when it did, the Purple Roses quickly got back to the top tier of the Shore Conference.

In both 2014 and 2015, St. Rose reached both the Shore Conference Tournament final and the Tournament of Champions. TThe Purple Roses lost to Manasquan in both SCT finals and also lost to the Warriors in the 2015 T of C final. Their 2014 T of C loss came in the semifinals to eventual champion Malcolm X Shabazz.

This year, St. Rose finally got over the hump against Manasquan, but not before enduring one more heartbreak against the Warriors. On Feb. 11 – the day before the Shore Conference Tournament was seeded and in the regular-season finale – Manasquan defeated St. Rose in overtime thanks to a game-tying three-pointer by Dara Mabrey at the fourthquarter buzzer that sent the game into overtime.

Ten days later, St. Rose got its rematch against Manasquan in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals and this time, it was the Purple Roses that emerged victorious in overtime.

Five days later, St. Rose routed St. John Vianney to capture its third overall Shore Conference Tournament.

The season ended at the hands of Rutgers Prep on the road in the South Jersey Non-Public B semifinal and while the Purple Roses must replace a trio of key seniors – Jen Louro, Ellyn Stoll and Alex Pendergrass – they also return three Division I recruits in Lucy Thomas (Monmouth), Elizabeth Marsicano (St. Joseph’s) and Mikayla Markham (Columbia).

Whalen has spent most of his high school coaching career in the boys game, with stops as an assistant at St. Anthony and St. Patrick, as well as tenures as the head coach at Long Branch and Franklin. His standout assistant at St. Rose is Raheem Carter, who starred at Long Branch before moving on to play at Seton Hall.

In his five seasons at St. Rose, Whalen has guided the Purple Roses to an overall record of 128-21, including 11215 over the last four years and 32-2 in 2014-15.

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Coaches of the Year Shore Coaches Poll

Coach of the Year

By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Editor

Boys Shore Coach of The Year Mike Nausedas - Marlboro

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t’s not every day that a boys basketball team at Marlboro enters the year with the expectations the Mustangs had for themselves in 2016-17.

The program had not won a Class A North championships since the early 1970s, had never been past the round of 16 in the Shore Conference Tournament and had never won an NJSIAA sectional title, but the returning talent suggested this year could put an end to all of that waiting.

Those expectations took a dramatic hit before the calendar even made it to Christmas. Senior standout P.J. Ringel broke his left hand during the preseason, sophomore Dylan Kaufman started the season on the bench due to illness and senior Emir Anda – who missed all of his junior season due to a torn ACL – suffered a torn ACL in his other knee in just the second game of the season after scoring 19 points in an opening-night win over Neptune.

Before the season started, Mustangs fifth-year head coach Mike Nausedas had to stretch an already shallow rotation that was originally designed to be seven very good players. Although injuries appeared poised to end Marlboro’s hopes of a banner season, Nausedas kept the ship on course and still managed to lead his team to the best season in program history. For his efforts during Marlboro’s 18-7 season, he is the Shore Conference Coach of the Year, according to the Shore Conference coaches.

Ringel’s hand injury cost him the first eight games of the season, but Marlboro managed to go 8-2 without him. Upon Ringel’s return, Marlboro lost a pair of regular-season meetings against Freehold Township and Neptune, which spoiled any chance the Mustangs had to win the Class A North division championship.

The postseason, however, gave the Mustangs new life and that’s when they made school history. After earning a first-round bye as the No. 6 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, Marlboro routed perennial Ocean County power Lakewood in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals of the conference tournament for the first time in program history.

Marlboro was not finished making history.

In the next round, the Mustangs upended A North champion Freehold Township, 69-59, to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in program historyl.

While that was, arguably, the biggest win in school history at the time, it did not stay that way for long.

Two

10

days

after

beating

Township, Marlboro faced No. 2 seed Ranney, which was ranked No. 6 in N.J. at the time. Marlboro led most of the way and with the game tied at 43 in the final minute, senior Dan Weiss drilled a go-ahead three-pointer to break the tie and ultimately propel the Mustangs to a 50-47 upset win over the Panthers.

Playing in the Shore Conference Tournament final for the first time ever, Marlboro led, 32-29, late in the third quarter before Mater Dei Prep finally caught fire from the floor and put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. It was a disappointing end to an improbable run, one that upset the notion that both Mater Dei and Ranney would coast into the SCT final.

With a deep SCT run weighing on its collective legs, Marlboro’s stay in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV playoffs was shorter than the Mustangs hoped.

After beating Princeton in round one just two days after playing in the SCT final, Marlboro bowed out of the tournament with a 61-52 loss to Sayreville.

Nausedas did enough winning to earn the Coach of the Year honor, but he also showed a sense of the moment that is bigger than basketball. In that state tournament win over Princeton, the Mustangs held a sizable fourth-quarter lead and Nausedas was about ready to remove his starters. On that particular day, though, he told senior Salomon Nachum – a special needs student and the team manager for three years – to suit up and be ready to play if the time came.

The time did come and Nausedas pointed to Nachum – affectionately known within the Marlboro community as “Shlomo” – and told him to take the court for live game action during the state tournament. Not only did Shlomo get to play in a state tournament game; he made a shot. He snatched up the rebound on his own miss and fired it back up for his first career basket, which, again, came during state tournament play.

Nausedas and athletic director Dave Ryden were hoping to pick up a game between the Shore Conference Tournament and state tournament to give Nachum a chance to have a moment like that, but Marlboro’s deep SCT run prevented that.

Instead of ruling out the possibility, Nausedas kept an open mind and was ready to give his hard-working manager a chance to shine if the opportunity presented itself.

Marlboro also played the season in front of the backdrop of personal tragedy for Ringel, who lost his father, Jack, in a car accident on Oct. 30. Jack Ringel was a Hall of Fame coach at Grady High School in Brooklyn and his influence on the Marlboro team was significant. The Mustangs embraced playing for Ringel while he was out and followed his leadership once he returned.

Now that Marlboro’s best season in recent memory is over, Nausedas will try to keep it going while returning two starters next year. There is a foundation in place for the Mustangs to carry their success into the coming years, but even if this year represents the apex for the foreseeable future, it was a memorable ride that Nausedas and his boys gave Marlboro High School.

Freehold

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Senior All-Star Game: MVP Award Honoring Art Harmon

O

nce again the Most Valuable Player Award in both the girls and boys Senior AllStar Games will honor the late Art Harmon, a Shore Basketball official who spent four decades involved in scholastic sports on the court, field and even the beach

The Shore Sports Network is proud to partner with Ocean Trophies of Lanoka Harbor to present this year ’s awards to the players selected as game MVPs in what will be their final appearance representing their high school teams. The award is named after Harmon, who passed away in 2009 following a 40-year stint as a member of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials/Shore Board 194. Even when injuries prevented him from being on the court he remained active as the longtime secretary-treasurer of the organization and for some 20 years was a member of the Shore Soccer Officials Association.

Harmon spent 36 years at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School where he taught health and physical education and coached baseball, soccer, swimming and gymnastics in addition to spending some time as the school’s athletic

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director. He was a legendary figure among lifeguards and ran the beach in Manasquan during most of his 44 years as a Jersey Shore lifeguard.

This award is especially near and dear to the Shore Sports Network because Harmon’s son Matt is our play-by-play voice and can be heard calling high school football and basketball and Monmouth University football. He is also the radio voice of the New York Red Bulls Radio Network

and twice has been honored as the New Jersey Sportscaster of the Year.

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S hore B aske t b al l C o ache s S e ni or A l l - S ta r B o y s C o ache s 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986

N ORT H

S OU T H

Tom McCall Rich Sherman

Steve Gepp Larry Hennessy

Nick Pizzulli Gerry Mathews

Jack Schellenger Larry Hennessy Al Longo Mike Rogers

Jim Ruhnke Tom Handwerk

Pat Houston Tom McCall

Don Fix Mike Clemente

Jim Carrigan Ray Coleman

Tom Pickering John MacIntosh

1988

Keith Glass

John Richardson

1990

Russ Walling Joe Lanza Dennis Simpson

Dennis Devaney Bill Hewitt Scott Riley

1987 1989

1991 1992 1993 1994

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Pat McCann

Ed Wicelinski Russ Walling

Nate Bruno

Greg Albano Mike Clemente

Joe Nappo Vinnie Whitehead Mark Kell

Jim Ruhnke Steve Gepp John Mac Intosh

Jay Lagomarsino Don Covin Joe Flanagan

Greg Albano Steve Gepp Tom Pickering

Ken O’Donnell Charles Buzzi Jay Lagomarsino

Dennis Simpson Don Covin Jerry Bennett

Sean Devaney Tom White Rich Fix

Jim Landy Dick Manzo Mike Clemente

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

E AS T

N ORT H

S OU T H

Tom Stead Don Covin Fred Belina

Bob Gohl John MacIntosh Tom Handwerk

2006 2007

Jack Kuhnert Charles Buzzi

Glenn Davis Mike Clemente Steve Zengel

2008

Jay Lagomarsino Steve Zengel

Tom Westen Steve Gepp

2009

Jay Lagomarsino Dave Emery

Jay Lagomarsino Steve Zengel Bob Klatt

Jay Lagomarsino Rick Garretson Brian Golub

Bill O’Leary Chuck Buzzi T.O. Brunson

Will Mayer Brian Golub Bob Mahala

Sean Devaney Bob Klatt Scott Martin

Kevin Flynn Scott Martin

Matt Murphy Jeff Reisler Joe Whalen

John Richardson Bob Nastase

2010

Mike Feerst Jerry Bennett

2011

Tom Carpenter Kevin Hynes Jay Lagomarsino

2012

Kurt Fenchel Dennis Devaney Kevin Hynes

2013 2014

Mike Antenucci Denny Baran Andrew Bilodeau

2015

Brian Donahue Joe Lewis

2016

Ron Gerlufsen John MacIntosh

2017

/

WE S T

Brian Donahue Dave Emery

Ron Gerlufsen Mike Kearney

Phil Recco Kevin Cullen Dave Emery

Barry Baity Dennis Adams

Brian Golub T.O. Brunson Rich Sherman

John Richardson John Macintosh Joe Lewis

Tom Stead Ben DiBiase Jay Lagomarsino

Jeff Reilly Ed Sarluca Mike Clemente

Denis Caruano Dave Johnson Mike Iasparro

Randy Holmes Brian Quick

Bob Klatt Kevin Cullen

Lou Piccola Steve Jannarone Kevin Cullen

Randy Holmes James McCarthy

Ryan Ramsay Phil Recco

Chris Champeau Matt Kukoda

Jim Dempsey John Giraldo

Tyler Schmelz Mike Gawronski

/

John Tierney Joe Fagan

Ryan O’Rourke Erik Mazur Ryan Ramsay

Rick Garretson Lou Piccola

John MacIntosh Tom Stead

Bob Klatt John Tierney

Vinnie Whitehead Mike Clemente Mike Nausedas Randy Holmes

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S hore B aske t b al l C o ache s S e ni or A l l - S ta r G i r l s C o ache s 1983

N ORT H

S OU T H

Tom McBride Kathy Leslie Rap Reinhardt Dick Johnson 1984 Ed Jones Ray Cervino 1985 Kevin Attridge Bill Dougherty 1986 Doug Sanecki Bob Ward Patrice Murray Sweeney McKennan 1987 John Sciarappa Dick Johnson Ken O’Donnell Art Calabro 1988 Steve Znaiden Kathy Snyder Doug Sanecki Vinny Kelly 1989 Kathy Fox Barbara Hughes Gene Scalzo Bill McVeigh 1990 Dick McCallum Bill McVeigh Patrice Murray Mark Hlatky Brian Brady Vinnie Nappo 1991 Ed Jones Dave Trethaway Brian Brady Faith Fletcher 1992 Mary Beth Chambers Mike Shern Kevin Attridge Mike Kozzi Bill Bulman Vinny Kelly 1993 Bob Harrigan Woody Malick George Sourlis Gerry Malavet Tom Stark Bob Ward 1994 Joe Montano Vinnie Tralka Gerri O’Keefe Candy Kaschak Rick Garretson Ray Cervino 1995 Donna Bower Ray Cervino Gene Scalzo Dick McCallum Brian Brady Dick Johnson

1996

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Laura Cancalosi Mike Kostenko

Vinnie Tralka Sweeney McKennan

1997

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

N ORT H

S OU T H

Nick Russo Peggy Fleischer

George Sourlis Bob Ward

Tom Brennan Steve Znaiden Brian Brady

Rich Caldes Dick Johnson Doug Daubert

Gene Scalzo Jim Maliff Barry Baity

Scott Horton Brad Hagensen Lou Petrone

2008

Joe Arminio Tom Ridoux Bob Sonday

2009 2010

Kathy Snyder Dick Johnson Dick McCallum

2011

Joe Montano Audra Corson Bill Shaughnessy

Ray Cervino Lynn Fisher Brian Kelly

Barry Baity Dawn Karpell Tom Brennan

Bonnie Shapiro Rachel Goodale Vicki Guarneri

2014

Patty Cooke Vicki Guarneri Sarah Knight

2016

John Sciarappa George Sourlis Lou Petrone

Julie Hoebee Erika Graham Brian Nash

Audra Corson Maggie McDevitt Tom Westen

Brian Nash John Rivera George Sourlis

Tom Brennan Joe Montano Audra Corson

2012

John Truhan Tom Ridoux Dennis Adams

2013

Rodney Copeland Suzanne Libro Mark Truhan

2015

2017

Kristy Gerdes Joe Roman Vinnie Tralka

Rachel Goodale Sweeney McKennan Sean Henry

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E AS T

WE S T

Frank Mohler Darren Ault Liz Keene

Patty Cooke Rayna Post Keith Lowe

Ron Poll Jeanene Healy Bob Ward

Rachel Goodale Tom Westen Joe Roman

Maggie McDevitt Ron Poll Mike Scarano

Darren Ault Dawn Karpell George Sourlis

Scott Horton Colleen Kilmurray Brian Nash

Stephanie Gachineiro Kristi McCullough Meredith Parliman

Tom Brennan David Drew John Truhan Patty Cooke Joe Roman John Truhan

David Drew Sarah Knight Jerry Bruno

Joe Montano Jay Lagomarsino James Young

Dave Beauchemin Dave Drew Jay Lagomarsino

Tom Lecorchick Joe Whalen

Kevin Cohen Vicki Gillen

Dave Callahan James Young

Scott Horton Colleen Kilmurray Don Hampton

Kevin Cohen Dawn Karpell

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Lisa Kukoda John Truhan Tom Brennan

Brad Hagensen Glenn Jansen

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2017 Senior All-Star Girls East & West Teams

Pink U ni for m s

Yellow Uniforms

#

1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 21 22 23

N AM E

Alexandra Balsamo Stella Clark Maureen Coakley Haley Dalonzo Emily Dominguez Hailee Hallard Karlie Kuhn Josie Larkins Ally Lassen Tia Montagne Sydney Schuler Dejah Adams Addie Masonius Ashley Toner Ashley Tutzauer

S C H O OL

Middletown South Manasquan RBC Middletown South Brick Memorial Middletown North Lacey RBC Pt. Boro RBC TR East Manchester Manasquan Barnegat TR North

INJ URED/UNABLE TO PLAY:

Megan Hughes - Pt. Boro, Ellie Sorrentio - Pinelands Cassidy Stimpson - Mater Dei Prep

E AST C OACH E S

Kevin Cohen Vicki Gillen

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S CHO OL

TR East TR North

#

1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 21 22 23

N AM E

S C H O OL

Brianna Cucinelli Grace Dengler Emma Keegan Alex Pendergrass Desiree Allen Sydney Coffaro Courtney Dobrzynski Julia Ramos Sam Roth Hannah Scanlan Ellyn Stoll Molly Weiss Kim Evans Katie Foos Jen Louro

Freehold Twp. Red Bank Red Bank St. Rose Neptune Holmdel SJV SJV Colts Neck RFH St. Rose Marlboro SJV RFH St. Rose

INJURED/UNABLE TO PLAY:

Allie Reiser - Shore Regional

W E ST C OACH E S

S CHO OL

Dave Callahan James Young

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RFH RBR /

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2017 Senior All-Star Boys East & West Teams

Gold U ni for ms

#

1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 21 22 23

N AM E

Brandon Williams John Venturi Terence Calandrillo LJ Robinson PJ Ringel Marc Cerbo Dorian Vaughn Nick Harris Jaden Rhoden Nasir Williams Gene Scott Steve Flanders Devin Jensen Denis Corbin Ryan Zyskowski

S C H O OL

Brick Twp. Pt. Boro RBC Manchester Marlboro Middletown North Lakewood Holmdel TR North Red Bank Wall Pt. Beach Manasquan Central Regional Freehold Twp.

INJURED/U NABLE TO PL AY:

Elijah Barnes - Mater Dei Prep Bobby Weise - Freehold Twp.

E AST C OACH E S

Tyler Schmelz Mike Gawronski

Blue Uniforms

#

1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 21 22 23 24

N AM E

Cascius Briggs Jules Calhoun Adi Palmer Darrion Carrington Elijah Mitchell Maksymilian Gruszecki Billy Frost Jack Waddleton Darius Brown Mike Nyisztor Brendan Clarke Mark Valeriani Dan Weiss Brian Paturzo Tyler Pierson Salomon Nachum

S C H O OL

Long Branch Neptune Lakewood TR North Mater Dei Prep Central Regional St. Rose Pt. Boro Ocean TR North Colts Neck Southern Regional Marlboro Manasquan RFH Marlboro (Manager)

INJURED/UNABLE TO PLAY:

Steve Staklinski - Freehold Twp.

S CHO OL

RBC Brick

W E ST C OACH E S

Mike Nausedas Randy Holmes

S CHO OL

Marlboro Lakewood

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Clark, Masonius and Manasquan Seniors Leave Legacy of Overachieving

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

F

In Clark and Masonius, however, Kukoda had the two perfect players to establish the revamped culture.

Both made an immediate impact as hard-workers in games and practices and Clark immediately established herself as a big-game, clutch player. She hit a game-winning shot to beat Red Bank Catholic early in the season and was among the stars during Manasquan’s run to the WOBM Christmas Classic championship.

or the second consecutive year, the Manasquan girls basketball team lost a crushing NJSIAA Tournament of Champions final, this time losing to Franklin, 50-48, on a shot at the buzzer Monday night at Sun National Bank Center in Trenton

Early in Kukoda’s second year, Manasquan showed signs it was progressing ahead of schedule after losing three high-major Division I players before the prior season. Then, all of a sudden, one of those Division I players returned.

Just last year, the Warriors walked off the court as the runner-up after losing to St. John Vianney in double overtime. Although Manasquan was excruciatingly close both years, the tone of Monday’s loss could not have been any more different than the tone following last year.

Last year’s team left Trenton with an air of defiance to go with their disappointment knowing everyone from that team would be back in 2016-17. While next year’s returnees won’t be lacking for motivation this offseason, that was not part of the tenor of the postgame press conference, where the five Manasquan starters – two of them seniors – sat with their head coach.

From left, Manasquan seniors Stella Clark, Victoria Galvan, Addie Masonius, Nikki Stevens and Annie Heenan with NJSIAA Director Steve TImko

All six were in tears, lamenting the loss to Franklin less than the loss of their team. They lamented that for the first time since 2014, they had to say goodbye to a group of seniors who were as instrumental as anyone in making sure Manasquan did not become a one-hit wonder.

When Lisa Kukoda took over the Manasquan girls basketball program prior to the 2012-13 season, she inherited a team that lost one Division I player to graduation and two more via transfer – turning the Warriors from one of the most talent-rich girls rosters the Shore Conference has seen in recent memory to a roster of former role players and question marks.

Not only was Manasquan no longer the top choice of a pair of marquee players – Marina Mabrey and Katelynn Flaherty – but Kukoda was not the first choice of Manasquan. The athletic department initially hired former Brick Memorial coach Ken Fischer before that arrangement fell through and the school went with Kukoda – then an assistant at her alma mater Red Bank Catholic.

Both the coach and the roster of players entered that season with something to prove, and although it was a modest season for a team coming off a Tournament of Champions title in 2012, the program treaded water in the state’s toughest conference year-in and year-out before a new boatload of talent came to the rescue.

The first two players in the new wave of talent about to wash ashore in Manasquan were Stella Clark and Addie Masonius – impact additions for any program, but not the level of Mabrey or Flaherty.

Mabrey is a sophomore at Notre Dame while Flaherty was an All-Big-10 first-team selection at Michigan this year, while Clark and Masonius were smaller than Mabrey and lacked the marksmanship Flaherty possessed with her shot.

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Marina Mabrey transferred bank to Manasquan from Point Pleasant Beach and became eligible in early February, 2014. Upon her return, Manasquan won the Shore Conference Tournament, the Central Jersey Group II title and made it all the way to the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions final, where they lost to Malcolm X Shabazz.

Mabrey’s return turned Manasquan from a young, scrappy bunch with the potential to contend for a Shore Conference title at some point in the next four years to the best team in the Shore Conference and one of the best in the state. The foundation, however, was laid by Kukoda, experienced players like Sam Sullivan and Courtney Hagaman, and also Clark and Masonius. When Mabrey returned, she returned to a team that was ready to fit in any player who could help the team because the team was built to play and win as a collective unit.

The Warriors went on to win their second T of C title in four years in 2015 with Clark playing an instrumental role as the starting point guard and Marina’s younger sister, Dara, starting as a freshman. Mabrey was the Gatorade Player of the Year in N.J., a McDonald’s All-American, and reached a level that few, if any, girls basketball players at the Shore had ever reached.

Because Marina Mabrey was so dominant, external expectations for Manasquan were somewhat tempered in 2015-16 despite the return of Clark, Masonius and Dara Mabrey, as well as the addition of Masonius’s versatile younger sister, Faith. Without Marina Mabrey, Manasquan lacked the dominant player who could take over a game and carry the team to a win.

That turned out to be a misguided assessment of the Warriors, who actually

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had multiple players who could carry the team during a stretch of game. Clark, Mabrey and Faith Masonius all performed at an allconference level and Manasquan reached the finals of both the Shore Conference Tournament and the Tournament of Champions for the third straight year. This time, however, the senior-heavy St. John Vianney team turned them back in both games on its way to finishing the year 31-1 overall, unbeaten within N.J., and No. 1 in the state.

With everybody back Manasquan faced the same road to a championship, only this year, the Warriors had the burden of expectations.

They opened the year No. 1 in the state and held that distinction until Rutgers Prep handed them their first loss on Jan. 29 and assumed that mantle all the way until Sunday, when the Argonauts lost to Franklin for the season time this season.

Not only was there pressure to live up to expectations, but there was pressure to send off Clark and Addie Masonius with a title.

There was also the hope to send fellow seniors Victoria Galvan – a 6-foot-3 center who fought through a torn ACL that robbed her of her junior season – and Nikki Stevens.

Both came off the bench and were two of the more upbeat players on the court and on the bench for the Warriors all year and underclassmen like Mabrey and Faith Masonius wanted to send them off winners.

“They’re a great group,” Kukoda said of the seniors. “They’re great leaders, they’re great people. We will miss them terribly and that’s why I’m upset. I love these girls. This senior class has been hands-down, just a great group.”

It might have been the performance of Franklin that cracked Manasquan more than the pressure on Monday, but regardless of why the Warriors lost, they clearly felt the weight of the loss in a way that they couldn’t have last year, when none of the regular players in the rotation were seniors.

So for the first time since Kukoda has been at Manasquan, the Warriors have to say goodbye to a collection of seniors who made the program what it is and do so after a loss in the T.O.C. final.

While Mabrey left as a conquering hero who lived up to her vast

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season she just put together, it’s safe to say she is already doing it.

Now, with the chip on her shoulder a little larger after this year’s loss and an uncharacteristic 6-for-24 shooting night on Monday, little – if anything – is off limits for Mabrey and Manasquan next year. Both Michaela and Marina won the Tournament of Champions as seniors, which Dara can still do. Marina won it as a freshman when her older sister was a senior, which Dara has already done.

potential, Clark and Masonius leave with a slightly different legacy that applies to the rest of Manasquan’s roster: overachievers.

No girls program had ever been to three straight Tournament of Champions finals. Manasquan reached four straight.

Clark came into the program as a point guard barely over fivefeet in height who sometimes looked as though the ball might knock her over. She left as one of the toughest players in the conference, who once played through illness during this NJSIAA Tournament to make sure her team won a fourth consecutive NJSIAA Group championship during her career. She is headed to play at Northeastern next year.

Marina also followed up a loss in the Tournament of Champions final as a junior with a win as a senior, which is next on the list for Dara and her returning teammates. The group will again be a favorite to reach the Tournament of Champions and if the Warriors get there, they will be among the short list of serious contenders to win it.

Addie Masonius embraced the role as one of the team’s best defenders who gave up a chance to score to defer to players like Clark, the Mabrey sisters and, eventually, her younger sister in order to handle the dirty work that often goes unnoticed.

Kukoda has said over her time as head coach that her team plays with a chip on its shoulder and thrives in the underdog role. Monday night, Franklin played the role of underdog and overachiever a little better than Manasquan did and the result was the program’s first ever Tournament of Champions title.

With just one senior graduating from Franklin’s rotation, the Warriors will have a great shot at repeating. Until then, the newlycrowned champs will sit atop the N.J. girls basketball landscape, but they still have some work to do to leave the legacy at Franklin that Clark and Masonius leave at Manasquan.

“We’re a family,” Addie Masonius said.

“We learned how to be a family. Through thick and thin.”

At 5-foot-7, Dara Mabrey doesn’t strike the casual observer during warmups the way her taller, older sisters Michaela and Marina did, but once the game started, she is equally appealing. In fact, Mabrey’s brilliant junior season in which she averaged a shade under 20 points earned her both the Kerwin Award and the Gatorade Player of the Year Award in N.J., feats that her older sisters did not accomplish until they were seniors.

“We’re going to turn around and look at our fundamentals and we’re going to look back at how heartbreaking this game was,” Mabrey said. “The effort and heart this team has shown every single day this season is something that is never going to be taken away from us or any of (the seniors) who are leaving.”

And if Franklin is to approach that level of accomplishment, they might very well have to go through Mabrey, Faith Masonius and legacy left by this senior group to get there.

Even in defeat, Manasquan managed to get the most out of an off-night shooting the ball. The Warriors shot 21-for-66 (31.4 percent) from the field and just 2-for-21 (nine percent) from threepoint range, but nearly pulled out a championship thanks to a 2313 advantage in turnovers and a 20-15 edge in offensive rebounds despite giving up two-to-three inches across the board. Because of the turnovers and rebounds, Manasquan took 18 more shot attempts than Franklin did, but just could not get enough of them to go in.

by:

Matt Manley

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Photos by:

If there is any player with a chance to carry the torch for the program in the wake of Clark’s graduation, it is Mabrey. With the

Paula Lopez: palimages.com /

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T h a n k Yo u Fo r Yo u r S u p p o r t Fro m T h e

S h o r e B a s k e t b a l l C o a c h e s As s o c i a ti o n S CHOOL

Asbury Park Barnegat

Brick Township Brick Memorial CBA

Central

Colts Neck

Donovan Catholic Freehold Boro

Freehold Township Henry Hudson Holmdel Howell

Jackson Memorial Jackson Liberty Keansburg Keyport Lacey

Lakewood

Long Branch Manalapan

Manchester Manasquan Marlboro Matawan

Mater Dei Prep Midd. North

Midd. South

B OY S C OACH

Keith Coleman Mike Puorro

Mike Gawronski Jason Bloom Geoff Billet

G IR LS C OACH Joyel Furges

Monmouth

Kevin Stockhoff

Ocean

Tammy Nicolini

Tom Lecorchick

Mike Clemente

Dana Cerullo

Mike Kearney

Jerry Bruno

Lou Piccola Jesse Ryan

Brian Golub

Vinnie Whitehead Sean Devaney

Patrick Ramsay

Kevin McQuade Dave Zwirz

James McCarthy Phil Recco

Ryan O’Rourke Randy Holmes Stan Mooney

Rick Garretson Ryan Ramsay

Andrew Bilodeau

Michael Nausedas John Giraldo Ben Gamble

Mike Iasparro

Nick Georgiou

S CHO OL

Glenn Jansen Jen Brzucki

Michael Stoia

Joan Manigrasso Doug Shaw

Joe Santopietro

Rachel Goodale

Samantha Savona Jon Book

Deboney Braithwaite Ron Larice

Ken Fischer

Shannon Coyle

Neptune

Pinelands

Pt. Pleasant Beach Pt. Pleasant Boro Ranney Raritan RBC

Red Bank Regional Rumson

Shore Regional

Southern Regional St. John Vianney St. Rose

Toms River East

Toms River North

Toms River South Wall

B OY S C OACH

G IRLS C OACH

Joe Fagan

John Brown

John Rivera

John Terlecsky Fred Johnson Nick Catania

Kevin Hynes Tahj Holden

Denis Caruano Tyler Schmelz Scott Martin

Chris Champeau Frank Carmody Eric Fierro

Ryan Finch

Dennis Devaney Jim Dempsey Rory Caswell

Curt DeFillippo Matt Kukoda

ADrew Biri

Mike Lazur

Keith Lowe

Jay Lagomarsino David Drew

Tom Moriau

TJ O'Donnell

Joe Montano

James Young

Dave Callahan

William Wisharti Tom Bucci

Dawn Karpell Joe Whalen

Kevin Cohen Vicki Gillen

Sarah Paturzo

Colleen Wisher

Jenna Anderson

Dave Beauchemin Lisa Kukoda

Brad Hagensen Felicia Oliver Brian Laux Ed Jones

Tom Brennan

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3-23-17 Master-V3.qxp_Layout 1 3/21/17 10:08 PM Page 29

Shore Basketball Coaches Senior All-Star Game Referees B OY S

1982 Brad Dupree Walt Zuber

GIRLS

1983 Lou DeGeorge Tom Lopes

Walt Zuber Dennis Boutote

1985 Tom Lopes Bob Scott

Walt Zuber Dennis Boutote

1984 Bob Scott Dave Whelan

1986 Tom Lopes Lou DeGeorge

Walt Zuber Dennis Boutote Walt Mischler Guy Siniscalco

1987 Walt Mischler Guy Siniscalso

Dennis Millevoi Vinnie Cox

1989 Jerry White Walt Zuber

John Cobb Jim Moran

1988 Dennis Millevoi Vinnie Cox

Mike Brown Sam Riello

1990 Walt Mischler Guy Siniscalco

Howard Dombroski Tim O’Dea

1992 Mike Brown Bob Hogan Sam Riello

Howard Dombroski Nick Pizzulli Dick Scott

1991 Lou DeGeorge Jerry White Bob Scott

Pete Lopresti Bob Russoniello Scott Riley

B OY S

GIR LS

1993 Jerry White Nick Pizzulli Dennis Millevoi Dick Scott Howard DombroskiJim Moran 1994 Jerry White Vinnie Cox Nick Pizzulli

1995 Lou DeGeorge Guy Siniscalco Jim Moran

John Cobb Bob Russoniello Bob Hogan

Maureen McCann Denise Brooks Karen Hughes

1996 Bob Lampinen Bob Hogan Dennis Millevoi

Maureen McCann Denise Brooks Denise Palaia

1998 Jim Moran Tom Pegut John Werner

Maureen McCann Denise Brooks Denise Palaia

1997

1999 Jay Ramirez Dennis Galvin Russ Olivadotti 2000 Jay Ramirez Russ Olivadotti

Maureen McCann Denise Palaia Joann Cobb Denise Palaia Gloria Garabaldi Jeanne Toomey

B OY S

2001 Jay Ramirez Russ Olivadotti 2002 Art Warner Jim Bowe Dave Terry

2003 John Scoras Mark Schepp Russ Olivadotti

2004 Tom Keyes Pat McGaheran Jeff Kluck 2005 Pat McGaheran Mike Naparlo Jeff O’neill

GIRLS

Roseanne Christopher Jill Bush Jeanne Toomey Jill Bush Marnie McBreen Joanne Zayanskosky Jean Werner Denise Palaia Jeanne Toomey

George Fixter Paul McEvily Kevin McGetrick Kathy Lynch Jackie Obrochta Cindy Pope

2006 Russ Olivadotti Jay Ramirez Jeff Kluck

Darren Bradley Alan Lapkin Rich McNamee

2008 Jay Ramirez Tom Keyes Russ Olivadotti

Denise Palaia Cindy Pope Roseann Christopher

2007 Tom Keyes George Fixter Darren Bradley

2009 Lou DeGeorge Nelson Ribon Jeff Kluck

Jeanne Toomey Cindy Pope Jackie Going

Paul Christopher Mike NaParlo Tom Keyes

B OY S

GIRLS

2010 Scott Rosenbaum Claudia Walsh John Givney Jeanne Toomey Jeff Kluck Lori Albert 2011 Brian Murray Ed Roche Tom McDermott

Rosanne Christopher Jeanne Toomey Zandra Vega

2013 Brian Murray Ed Roche Tom McDermott

Rosanne Christopher Jeanne Toomey Zandra Vega

2012 Brian Murray Ed Roche Tom McDermott

Rosanne Christopher Jeanne Toomey Zandra Vega

2014 Brian Murray Jeff O'Neill Doug Bloxom

James Danella Anne Marie Jones Ronnie DePasquale

2016 James Danella Lou Moglino James Lester

Anne Marie Jones Jeff Luckenbach Bill Hopson

2015 James Danella Linda Treffinger Pat Gilmore Rich Coleman Lawrence Cuneo Paul Christopher

2017 Dave Terry Jim Danella Rich Johnston

Linda Treffinger Dora Foray-Hayden AnneMarie Jones

Best Wishes from the Shore Conference Basketball Officials' Organizations!

Congratulations & Thank You

to the Shore Conference High School Senior Basketball Players for your commitment and passion for the great game of basketball!

We wish you the best in your futures and are thankful to have shared a basketball court with you during your high school careers!

Basketball Officials & Members from Shore Board #194 IAABO

Basketball Officials and Members from Shore Chapter #4 SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

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2016-17 Boys All-Divison Voting Coaches Poll A N or th

1st Team Steve Staklinski

Ryan Zyskowski Jared Kimbrough Dan Weiss Dan Gaines Player of the Year: PJ Ringel

2nd Team Brendan Clarke

Nasiem Brantley Dylan Kaufman Matan Zucker Bobby Weise Coach of the Year: Mike Nausedas & Brian Golub

Freehold Twp. Freehold Twp. Neptune Marlboro Colts Neck Marlboro

Colts Neck Howell Marlboro Manalapan Freehold Twp. Marlboro Freehold Twp.

A C e ntral

1st Team Nick Harris

Michael Dunne Devin Cooper Teddy Sourlis Ian O’Connor Player of the Year: Jack Solano

2nd Team Tim Zhou

Holmdel Matawan RBR Rumson-FH Rumson-FH Rumson-FH

Holmdel Dan Dinneny SJV Chris Panduri Shore Tim Hayes Raritan Tyler Pierson Rumson-FH Coach of the Year: Chris Champeau Rumson-FH & Sean Devaney Holmdel

A S ou th

1st Team Darrion Carrington

B C e ntral

TR North Maksymilian Gruszecki Central Shane Williams Brick Twp. Denis Corbin Central Mike Nyisztor TR North Player of the Year: Jaden Rhoden TR North

1st Team Elijah Mitchell

Mark Valeriani Jake Dubois Andrew Trent Brandon Williams Coach of the Year: Rory Caswell

Yasin Pretlow Chris Pina Trevor Covey Billy Frost Coach of the Year: Ben Gamble

2nd Team Zyaire Dorn

B N or th

1st Team Andrew Seager

Rob Higgins Terence Calandrillo Steve Geis Marc Dennis Player of the Year: Devin Jensen

2nd Team Brad McCabe

Ryan Purcell Marc Cerbo Tyree Morris Darius Brown Coach of the Year: Tyler Schmelz

TR East Southern Southern Jackson Mem Brick Twp. TR North

Ocean Midd North RBC Wall Long Branch Manasquan Manasquan Midd South Midd North Long Branch Ocean RBC

Bryan Antoine Scottie Lewis Dan Frauenheim Kenny Jones Player of the Year: Elijah Barnes

2nd Team Ahmadu Sarnor

B S ou th

1st Team Mike Revello

Daniel Sofield LJ Robinson Connor Strickland John Venturi Player of the Year: Adi Palmer

2nd Team Jack Waddleton

Carson Francisco Joe San Fillippo Dorian Vaughn Connor Costigan Coach of the Year: Mike Puorro

Mater Dei Prep Ranney Ranney Point Beach Mater Dei Prep Mater Dei Prep Ranney Mater Dei Prep Point Beach Point Beach St. Rose Mater Dei Prep

Barnegat Jackson Lib Manchester Pt. Boro Pt. Boro Lakewood

Pt. Boro Barnegat Donovan Cath Lakewood Pt. Boro Barnegat

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com 31

2016-17 Girls All-Divison Voting Coaches Poll A N or th 1st Team Jessica Broad

Rachel Gazzola Brianna Love Sam Roth Molly Weiss Player of the Year: Desiree Allen

2nd Team Brianna Cucinelli

Sarah Hughes Sydney Pryzgoda Kerry Tanke Cara Volpe Coach of the Year: Brad Hagensen

A S ou th Marlboro Howell Neptune Colts Neck Marlboro Neptune

Freehold Twp Freehold Twp. Freehold Boro Manalapan Colts Neck Marlboro

A C e ntral

1st Team Emily Dominguez

Emily Donzanti Amanda Johnson Kamryn Lister Jenna Paul Player of the Year: Ashley Tutzauer

2nd Team Colleen Brady

Shauna Bruker Lauren Cruse Dani Evans Sydney Schuler Coach of the Year: Vicki Gillen

B N or th

1st Team Christina Antonakakis Holmdel

1st Team Alexandra Balsamo

2nd Team Sajada Bonner

2nd Team Rose Caverly

Sydney Coffaro Kim Evans Tori Hyduke Sarah Karpell Player of the Year: Hannah Scanlan Grace Dengler Emma Keegan Allie Reiser Brittany Richardson Coach of the Year: Dawn Karpell

Holmdel SJV Rumson-FH SJV Rumson-FH

SJV RBR RBR Shore Regional Matawan SJV

Stella Clark Hailee Hallard Josie Larkins Faith Masonius Player of the Year: Dara Mabrey Haley Dalonzo Lauren Karabin Hailey Moore Katie Rice Coach of the Year: Joe Montano

B C e ntral

Brick Memorial TR South TR North TR East TR North TR North

Southern Brick Memorial Southern Jackson Memorial TR East TR North Midd South Manasquan Midd North RBC Manasquan Manasquan RBC Midd South Wall RBC RBC RBC

1st Team Bridget Andree

Jen Louro Mikayla Markham Cassidy Stimpson Ellyn Stoll Player of the Year: Lucy Thomas

2nd Team Devon Adams

McKayla Hughes Giana Piccini Allison Sobieski Kiara Wood Coach of the Year: Jay Lagomarsino

B S ou th

1st Team Dakota Adams

Alyssa Hirschy Shannon McCoy Kamari Reynolds Ashley Toner Player of the Year: Ally Lassen

2nd Team Molly Collins

Trinity Hall St. Rose St. Rose Mater Dei Prep St. Rose St. Rose Henry Hudson Pt. Beach Keyport Ranney Asbury Park Pt. Beach

Manchester Donovan Cath Barnegat Manchester Barnegat Point Boro

Donovan Cath Kristina Donza Jackson Lib Karlie Kuhn Lacey Kate Leturgez Point Boro Jessie Rising Pinelands Coach of the Year: Dave Beauchemin Manchester

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S p e ci al T ha n k s Agai n G o O ut To

PINE BELT ARENA/TOMS RIVER REGIONAL SCHOOLS and District Athletic Director Joe Arminio for the use of their facility

The Referees from Shore Board #194 & Shore Chapter #4 for their services tonight & throughout the year

Portions of Tonight's Proceeds will go to the

Special Thanks

to Mike Fogarty who owns the Rita’s in East Windsor and Sayreville for his gift certificate donation

Wallachs for the

H o s p i t a l i t y Fo o d

Special Thanks to the photographers who supplied the photos seen throughout this issue Ray Rich Photography rayrichphotography.smugmug.com Paula Lopez www.palimages.com/ Rob Samuels boofacephotography.com

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

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