April 21, 2015 Volume-VII Issue-8
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
Copyright© 2015 Townsquare Media
All rights reserved Reproduction in whol e or in part wi th out the perm is si on of Sh ore Sport s N et work i s prohi bited
2
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.
/
/
HOWELL LACROSSE MAKES HISTORY IN WIN OVER CBA
F
By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer
acing a five-goal deficit on its home field in the third quarter, Christian Brothers Academy was in the midst of doing what it has done several times already this season in storming back to take a lead. And Howell, admitted senior Mark Buannic, had not been the best at protecting fourthquarter advantages over the past few seasons.
“I can’t tell you the amount of times we’ve lost games in the fourth quarter, so we just wanted to finish it,” he said. “I walked into the fourth quarter huddle and said let’s finish this game, and this time we did it.
Buannic scored twice and the Rebels also got a goal from senior Zack Ornstein while keeping CBA off the scoresheet in the final 12 minutes to compete a stunning upset as Howell, ranked No. 5 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, took down the No. 3 Colts on April 17 in a pivotal Shore Conference Class A North game.
Buannic, a senior attackman, scored a gamehigh five goals and added three assists, senior attackman Jake Sherman had a hat trick and Ornstein helped Howell (8-1, 3-0) control the pace by winning 17-of-21 face-offs. It all added up to Howell’s first win over CBA in program history and the Colts’ first divisional loss since 2010.
Junior midfielder Nic Rossi opened the scoring with the first of his two goals off a feed form Buannic just 46 seconds into the game. Rossi then returned the favor by setting up Buannic at 7:04 to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead. Casner tallied unassisted at 3:17, but Howell responded on a goal by sophomore midfielder Nico Lorenzo off another assist from Buannic at 2:05. Ornstein was 12-for-14 on draws in the first half, and that was a big reason why Howell was able to put together some quick scoring plays. His face-off win to open the second quarter led to Buannic’s unassisted goal at 11:30, and another win started a possession that ended with Rossi taking a pass from Evan Wesley and beating Bynoe for a 5-1 lead at 10:42.
“It starts at face-off X with Zack and it’s huge,” Bonjavanni said. “We can let goals in because – and it went the other way last year where we lost almost every single one and were still close (11-7 in the Shore Conference Tournament) – we figured we could reverse that. Regardless of how many goals they pump in, we knew we could get the ball back right afterwards and stay even.”
Walscak fed Carroll for a goal at 8:57 to pull CBA within 5-2, but junior middie Jason Kenny scored off an assist from senior attackman J.T. Pojero at 6:00 on a man-
“All I can say is it’s great, I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” Ornstein said.
“We set goals as a team and we achieve goals as team,” Buannic said. “That’s what we’ve been preaching all year, and we won today as a team.”
Howell led from the start, jumping on the Colts 3-1 in the first quarter and quickly pushing its advantage to 5-1 with two goals in the first 1:18 of the second quarter. CBA got it as close as 10-8 by scoring the final three goals of the third quarter, but the Howell offense pumped in the only three tallies of the fourth while senior goalie Ian Colmorgan, who was phenomenal with 17 saves, and a defense led by senior Anthony Pozsonyi shut the door.
Pozsonyi had the task of marking CBA sophomore attackman Nick Casner, who creates so much of the Colts’ offense from the X position.
“He certainly got his looks, but we thought he’d go toe-to-toe with him,” said Howell head coach Anthony Bonjavanni. “He’s just a competitor. That’s the matchup we focused on, and he came up huge when it mattered most.”
Freshman attackman Mike Carroll led CBA (5-3, 2-1) with three goals while Casner and junior attackman Shay Walscak each finished with two goals and two assists. Evan Bynoe made 10 saves.
advantage, and Sherman sank an unassisted goal at 3:02 to give the Rebels a 7-2 lead. Casner scored at 2:15 before setting up Carroll in front for a goal with 1:43 left in the half, but Buannic got it right back by scoring with 17 seconds left to make it 8-4.
“We always talk about coming out fast, and we try to do it every game,” Buannic said. “We came out fast today, but we said in the huddle that it was 0-0, and that’s how we kept our mindset.”
“It definitely helped, but whether we’re down 5-1 or up 5-1 we’re going to fight,” Ornstein said. “That’s the biggest difference this year. We’re not going to take our foot off the pedal.”
A pair of goals by Sherman in the first three minutes of the third quarter sandwiched around a goal by Carroll had the Rebels up 10-5, but CBA’s M.O. began to play out as the Colts scored three goals in the final 5:20 to make it 10-8. Walscak set up junior midfielder Justin Shea-Katz at 5:20, scored off a dish from junior middie John Salcedo at 3:54 and scored again with 12.9 seconds left from a pass by Casner. It wouldn’t have been surprising to see the Colts come all the way back. This program has been there before and Howell has not. But the Rebels had other ideas, instead playing like a championship team in the fourth quarter to close out the biggest win in program history. Buannic scored unassisted at 8:39 before Ornstein won the ensuring face-off and took it in himself for a 12-8 lead. Buannic sealed the win with a goal with 2:32 left. “On one hand I was a nervous wreck, and on the other hand, I have faith in my kids,” Bonjavanni said.
“A lot of times when you’re going against a team ranked higher in the Shore and in the state you start to slow down a bit, but we just knew what we had to do,” Ornstein said.
The Rebels will take the rest of the weekend to bask in the glow of a monumental victory, but they know a regular-season win, no matter how big, won’t mean much if they let their game slip from here on out. As far as they’re concerned, this is only the beginning.
“It’s a really sentimental win, but championships aren’t won on April 17,” Ornstein said. “We’re not putting a ring on our fingers today. We have to take this momentum and go right into Monday and not overlook anybody, and just keep fighting.”
by:
Bob Badders
www.shoresportsnetwork.com
FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460
steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com
3
RBC Wins Double-Overtime Thriller Over Rival Red Bank
By Ella Brockway – Shore Sports Network Contributor
For first-year Red Bank
Catholic boys lacrosse coach Dave Erdman, the key word this season has been “finish.”
Finish they did on April 17 as the Caseys pulled out a 10-9 doubleovertime thriller over crosstown rival Red Bank in a Class B North game.
“(Going into the second overtime) I told my guys what we’ve been saying all year – finish,” Erdman said. “The same kid who made the mistake in the regular time was able to come back and win it for us, and we were able to seal the deal in overtime.”
That “same kid” was senior attackman Tim Barile, who got off to a rocky start in the first half, but led the Caseys’ comeback in the second.
Barile’s game-winning goal came just 10 seconds into the second overtime for the Caseys (5-2, 2-0), who are ranked No. 6 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10. Julian Esposito led the Caseys with four goals, Barile added three goals and an assist, and Brett Habich added a pair of goals and two assists. Goalie Matt Benjamin had 16 saves.
Despite the fact that Red Bank (3-7, 1-2) led for the majority of the game, Barile helped make sure that his teammates and coach never gave up hope of a comeback. The halftime score of 6-3 in the Bucs’ favor and the limited amount of shots on goal (only 28 for the Caseys in the whole game), made things difficult for RBC heading into the third quarter.
“I think going into the second half, we were definitely down, and I needed to have confidence to lift my team,” said Barile, who is
4
committed to play at Virginia Military Institute this fall. “I felt like we could definitely push through, and we did.”
Erdman believed that all that was needed to his inspire team at all the RBC’s Tim Barile decisive moments – headed into the second half, the last two minutes of regulation, the first overtime and the second overtime – was a good pep talk.
“I told my goalie that he needed to step up, and he did a hell of a job shutting them down in the third quarter, and my guys kind of rallied around that,” said Erdman. “We were able to shut it down on defense, and the offense was finally able to work things out for us.”The Bucs didn’t go down without a fight, though. Juniors Cole
Smolokoff, Brian Fagan and Ryan Gilmartin all contributed to lead the offense. Smolokoff finished with four goals, Fagan had two, and Gilmartin shined with two quick goals to open the game before the RBC defense picked up on him. The game was Gilmartin’s first official game in the maroon and white after sitting out because of NJSIAA transfer rules after coming over from Christian Brothers
RBC’s Brett Habich
Academy.
Red Bank goalie Jon Pierce played a large part in keeping Red Bank right in the game. The junior, whose .630 save percentage last season put him on the list of the Shore’s top returning goalies this year, was sensational with 27 saves on Friday night.
Other than being another instant classic chapter in the history books of the RBR-RBC rivalry, it was also a separation game in Class B North with everyone chasing division favorite Rumson-Fair Haven, which RBC plays on April 29. Next up for Red Bank is Middletown North at home on Monday, while the Caseys face off against Holmdel at home on Wednesday. Photos by:
Mark Brown
www.b51photography.com
/
/
5
Bartolomei Stars in Ocean's Strike Out Autism Victory
B y Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer
In consecutive at-bats
Saturday against Freehold Boro, Ocean senior Anthony Bartolomei did two things he rarely, if ever, does. First, he hit his first career varsity home run in the fourth inning and then, for the first time this season according to Ocean coach Cip Apicelli, Bartolomei struck out.
In his final at-bat, with the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, Bartolomei would repeat one of those rarities. Fortunately for the Spartans, it was not the strikeout.
Bartolomei blasted a game-winning solo home run off the scoreboard in right field in the bottom of the eighth inning – his second solo shot of the game – to deliver the No. 7 ranked Spartans a 3-2, extra-inning win over the Colonials Saturday in the second game of a Strike Out Autism Challenge doubleheader at Ocean Township High School.
“I felt good today,” Bartolomei said. “I was taking good hacks when I got pitches to hit, and I really got a hold of that last one.”
“We’ve been talking to (Bartolomei) about picking out a pitch in advantageous counts like 2-0, 1-0, and trying to take a shot at really driving the ball,” Apicelli said. “He’s usually not that kind of hitter. He’s got a great approach at the plate
6
and normally he’s gap-to-gap with the ability to take balls the other way, especially in RBI situations. We tell all of our guys to model their approach after his. If there is one thing he could do more of, it’s take his shots in hitter’s counts, and today, he got two pitches and he crushed them.”
The first of Bartolomei’s home runs cut a 2-0 Ocean deficit in half in the fourth inning, but Freehold starter Dante Cuzzolino would get the better of Bartolomei in a sixth-inning encounter that ended with Bartolomei flailing at strike three on an offspeed pitch on the outside corner. “That’s the first time I can remember him striking out this year,” Apicelli said. “If his plan was to set (Cuzzolino) up for the next at-bat, then good for him, because he looked bad (on the strikeout). He has a great plan at the plate and even after a bad at-bat, he gives himself a chance to do damage the next time he’s up.”
After looking bad in his previous at-bat, Bartolomei zoned in on a pitch, and when Cuzzolino gave him a chance to hit it on a 1-0 count, he did not miss. “After striking out, I just got it in my head that I was going to look for a fastball in and that was the only pitch I was going to swing at early in the count,” Bartolomei said. “On 1-0, the only thing on my mind was a fastball in and he (Cuzzolino) put it on a tee for me.”
Bartolomei also threw seven innings on the mound, allowing two runs on two hits while walking three and striking out seven. The senior-right-hander – who swings from the left side – struck out the side in the seventh after walking the leadoff batter in the inning to finish his day.
Ocean’s Anthony Bartolomei
/
/
wild pitch with the bases loaded that allowed courtesy runner Steve Rullo to score from third on an RBI single by Frank Granato. Nick Belka tried to score from second on the Granato single, but Ocean center fielder Sam Maxwell threw him out at the plate to end the inning. Cuzzolino began the inning with a double off the very top of the left-field fence.
“I went out to the mound (after the first out of the seventh) and told him, ‘This is it, so empty the tank here,’” Apicelli said.
Cuzzolino went the distance in taking the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits while walking none and striking out four.
Blake DeMeter pitched around a leadoff single by Marco Meleo in the eighth to throw a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win.
Ocean tied the game with a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth. Brian Olesen ripped a two-out double to the gap in leftcenter field and gave way to pinch-runner Bo Britton. Marc Chernin then delivered a groundball single through the right side to score Britton from second.
Bartolomei earned Player of the Game honors at the event, which was one of nine sites throughout the Shore Conference that hosted the benefit to raise money and awareness for autism.
“It feels good to win like this, not just to hit the walk-off, but to do it on a day where we’re playing for a good cause,” Bartolomei said. “This was about more than baseball today, and I’m glad we were able to help spread some awareness and hopefully raise some money for the kids.”
Ocean players mob Anthony Bartolomei after the senior hit a game-winning home run
“We knew coming into the year we were going to rely a lot on our top three in the batting order, which is our three guys back from last year – (Sam) Maxwell, (Brian) Kochenash and Bartolomei,” Apicelli said. “Olesen has been a big run producer for us this year, and he got a
pitch to drive and he hit it hard. Chernin had been scuffling but he gets a ground ball through the right side there. We need that wave of guys behind the top three to give us quality at-bats, and that was a big part of why we won today.” Freehold jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth on a
by:
Matt Manley
www.shoresportsnetwork.com
FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460
steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com
7
2015 High School Sports Performance Clinic By Adam Feit - Director of Sports Performance (RYPT)
Six key question to ask
about how to improve the success of your student athletes, both on and off the field
1 Ever have trouble figuring out what to feed your athletes before a big game?
2 Have you noticed your team getting weaker and slower as the season dragged on?
3 Do you have a star athlete that simply cannot get out of a slump?
4 Is your team plagued by concussions or ACL tears?
5 Do you know how to prepare your athletes for playing at the next level?
6 Are you in looking to develop a CHAMPIONSHIP team?
If you answered YES to any of those questions, I hope you’ll consider joining us on May 2nd as we educate and empower high school sport, club coaches and trainers on what they can do to improve the success of their student athletes, both on and off the field.
At 9am, we will start presenting a host of local area experts throughout the various aspects of sports performance. Ranging from college recruiting to sport psychology, our clinic will address every end of the spectrum when it comes to preparing your athlete or team for maximum success. For more information on our speakers and topics, please see below:
College Recruiting 101
Patti Adorna- Owner/Founder of Turn2 Sports Consulting
High school student-athletes & their parents expect a level of help in the college selection & recruitment process. This session will help provide the knowledge to educate athletes & parents back on your school campus including
8
• NCAA eligibility & academic requirements
• Best practices for getting recruited
• How the recruiting process works
• Coaches role in the recruiting process • Recruiting game-plan & timeline
Mastering the Mental Side of the GameDr. Mitch Abrams
Founder of Learned Excellence for Athletes
For the sport psychologist, the goal is to assist the athlete (or coach or team…) be limited only by their physical limitations; and then learn to exceed them. In the heart of competition, high achievers have experienced the zone – a state of being where performance becomes easier. This presentation will describe the necessary conditions for athletes to be in the Zone with greater frequency and how coaches can assist the process. Specific attention will be paid to the relationship between emotions and performance, while explaining the tools necessary to optimize success in sport and in life.
Nutrition for Today’s Athlete
Mary Kate Feit- Associate Director of Sports Performance for RYPT, Inc.
With the countless hours spent on practices, games and training, often high school athletes forget about the importance of eating properly. Athletes are constantly on the move and finding the easiest possible source of food becomes the priority rather than finding the best source of nutrients. This session will give practical information on ways to improve the high school athlete’s diet. From examples of meals to be eaten “on the go” to nutrition based competitions that can be held within a team, each coach will leave this session with a plan of how to improve the eating habits of their team.
ACL Prevention & Post-Concussion Rehabilitation
Dr. Sharon Wenworth- Owner of Elite Sports Physical Therapy
The first part of this session will discuss some general background regarding ACL injuries, demographics of ACL injuries, anatomy and etiology of ACL injuries, and steps that can be taken to lower the risk of ACL injuries. Next, we will discuss the hot topic of concussions in sports, the physiology and neurology of a concussion, the signs of a concussion, what to do if you suspect your athlete has a concussion, the rehabilitation of concussions, and return to sports following a concussion.
In-Season Training & Conditioning
Adam Feit- Director of Sports Performance for RYPT, Inc.
Far too often athletes spend countless hours and amounts of money to improve their sport performance, only to see their gains diminish during the competitive season. During the in season period, it is vital to maintain and even improve their physical performance traits to reduce the risk of injury and ensure success deep into the post season. This session will explore simple and applicable methods of in season training and conditioning for the high school sport coach. Emphasis will be placed on program design for coaches who operate on a small budget and/or have little time or space within their facility .
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Keys to Success: Getting the Most out of Your Players
Nancy Williams, All-time winningest coach in high school history
With over 800 wins, 43 Divisional titles, 19 Shore Conference championships and 13 state championships, Coach Nancy Williams knows a few things about success. Be sure to stay for our key note address as she explains how to build a championship team and culture for years to last.
Registration begins at 8am on May 2nd. Continuing education credits through the NSCA (0.5) and NATA (4) are available for certified strength and conditioning coaches and athletic trainers.
Questions?
Contact Adam Feit at adam@igotrypt.com or call 732-800-2614
/
/
9
By Scott Stump – Managing Editor Dayton, 7, is the son of Challenge director Jerry Frulio, a
hile this year's Strike Out Autism Challenge across the Shore Conference was all about some exciting baseball and raising money for a great cause, it also put a face on a disorder that for so long was hidden away.
throwing out the first pitch in
former head coach at St. Rose and his alma mater, Central,
advance of Brick’s eventual loss to
Central Regional Middle School. He has gone from a child
under a rock for the past two
year-old who spent a good chunk of Freehold Township’s
kicker from Brick with autism
whose wife, Jo-Dee, is a teacher in the autism program at
who didn’t even speak when he was three to a chatty 7-
5-1 win over host Central hanging out in the Patriots’ dugout.
“He’s a really nice kid, really energetic,” said Freehold Township senior pitcher Kyle Fenton, who got the win with a two-hitter. “He got us all pumped up before the game.” Starego did the same for the games at Jackson Memorial,
Manalapan. For those not living years, Starego is the standout
who became a mini-celebrity for his feats on the field and for his
family’s successful fight against the NJSIAA for an
unprecedented fifth year of
eligibility in 2013. He is beloved
by the student body at Brick,
showing how students with special
The big grins on the faces of Dayton Frulio, Connor Poll,
Brick’s Anthony Starego, Wall student James MacInnes
and several others as they threw out first pitches before
Saturday’s games showed how children with autism have
become much more integrated into the fabric of their
schools and communities. The days of children with autism being isolated from their peers have been replaced by
compassion and support as awareness spreads.
“The mindset has changed in the special education
system from separation to involvement,” said Central head
coach John Scran, who has been part of the event for all
three years of its existence. “In our school, we have a great
autism program, a great special ed program, and the kids
within the school are great with those kids and make them
feel like part of the school environment.”
10
Freehold Township senior Kyle Fenton threw a complete-game two-hitter in his first varsity start to get the win
/
/
The growth in awareness about autism has been
mirrored by the growth of the Strike Out Autism
envelope with more than $1,600 that his team raised for
inaugural year in 2013 to 36 teams playing 18
year’s games look to at least double and possibly triple
Challenge, which has gone from four teams in its games across nine sites in Monmouth and Ocean counties on Saturday.
“I think the more educated we are towards autism or to anyone with special needs is important,” Jerry Frulio said. “These players get more educated, and they grow more compassionate about it. I think they’re genuinely proud to play in this event. It’s not just another game.” “I think when our kids saw the pictures of our
guys hanging out with Jerry’s son at last year’s game in
this (event), it hit them that this is pretty cool,” Mater
Dei Prep coach Pat Riddell said. “They were pumped to
come down here, and they were all willing to donate the money to help.”
needs
part of a school’s identity.
can become a vital
“The other kids love seeing those kids because
they’re so positive and enthusiastic,” Southern
coach John Natoli said before the Rams’ win over Mater Dei Prep at Central. “The kids love interacting with them.”
Freehold Township coach Todd Smith gave Frulio an
Every team did fundraising on its own in addition to
the $12 T-shirts that were being sold at all nine sites. There also was a carnival-like atmosphere at Central
with bouncy houses and food stands. The proceeds go
toward a donation to Autism Speaks as well as funding to help programs at local schools. Money from last year’s games helped buy iPads for the autism and
special needs programs at Central, Wall and Howell.
the event. Last year’s games raised $10,000, and this that amount.
“We were just excited to come down here and play for
a bigger cause,” Smith said. “I said to the kids to keep things in perspective that the baseball game is a small
part of what is going on today. Everything else that goes along with it is something that you guys can say you
were proud to be a part of.”
The game also had special meaning for Freehold
Township starting sophomore shortstop Ralph Gambino and his older brother, Peter, a junior pitcher. They are Frulio’s cousins.
“Over the years we’ve gotten closer to (Frulio), and
we’ve gotten to know the kids more,” Peter said. “It’s been a great experience.”
“Dayton has come a long way,” Ralph said. “To have
this for him is very special, and to be part of it is special, plus we got the win.”
While the beautiful weather and the money raised for
the cause were certainly things to savor, the action on
the field was also memorable. In his first varsity start,
Fenton threw a complete-game two-hitter, striking out
five and hitting one batter. He retired 14 straight to end the game, polishing off the win on 88 pitches.
Lead-off hitter Brandon Roth went 2-for-2 with a
walk, a hit-by-pitch and a run scored, and senior catcher Joe Silvestrone earned Player of the Game honors. He
Certainly part of the reason for the
continued acceptance of children with
autism by the other students is because there are simply more of them, so
almost everyone has a family member with the disorder or knows someone with it. One in 68 children
nationally has an autism spectrum disorder, and New Jersey has the highest rate in the country of
one in 45, including 1 in 28 in
boys, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Central freshman DH Tom Ruscitti had an RBI double in the loss to Freehold Township
See
Striking Out
page 12
11
Str iking Out
finished 2-for-3 with a
Continued from page 11
2 win over Freehold Boro.
Red Bank beat Monmouth
walk and a two-run blast
Regional 9-8 on a suicide
for his Shore Conference-
ninth inning, and
the year.
knocked No. 2
squeeze in the bottom of the
over the center field fence
to their communities.
“A lot of these kids really become the most popular kids at
their schools,” Frulio said. “I just think we’ve seen so much more empathy and compassion for them.”
Dayton has become
Brick Memorial
leading sixth home run of
“It definitely feels good
so popular that he
started to walk with
Colts Neck from
the Freehold Township
unbeaten with a
parking lot after the
to represent the school,
the ranks of the
ourselves for a great
5-3 upset helped
game and was ready to
Silvestrone said.
homer by junior
just another one of the
our program and
by a two-run
cause like this,”
beautiful day and a great game.”
There were plenty of
guys before mom
Beautiful
who have (autism), so it
Fenton said. “It was a
board the bus. He was
Matt Cuppari.
“I know a lot of kids
was good to give back,”
players toward the
Freehold Township brothers Ralph (left) and Peter Gambino celebrated a special day with their cousins, Strike Out Autism Challenge director Jerry Frulio, his wife Jo-Dee, and their three children.
great games, including Jackson Memorial’s Rich Rountree
intervened.
weather, great
“No, Dayton, you
baseball, and
most importantly, increased
awareness and
funding for a cause that touches thousands of
can’t go home with
Raritan assistant Ron Poll with son Connor, 4, who has autism & threw out the first pitch before the games at Rocket Park.
clubbing a walk-off grand slam in an 8-4 win over rival
lives in New Jersey – Frulio couldn’t have
a walk-off solo shot in extra innings to give the Spartans a 3-
children with autism are part of the game, too, when it comes
Jackson Liberty, and Ocean’s Anthony Bartolomei smacking
12
asked for anything better than that. The day also showed that
them,” Jo-Dee Frulio said before smiling.
(Photo courtesy of Ron Poll)
Cover & Photos by:
Ray Rich Photography
www.rayrichphotography.smugmug.com
/
/
13
Former Shore Athletes Win Slow-Pitch Softball Winter World Series Championship A group of former Shore
Conference standout athletes decided to dust off their gloves and cleats for a magical ride in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in January to win the slow-pitch softball Freedom Sports Winter World Series.
At the a tournament with some of best talent south of the MasonDixon line, the team from the Shore completed a 6-0 run over the weekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 1 to win the World Series title. The team rallied from deficits of five runs and eight runs in the final inning of two games it pulled out in extra innings.
As a coach and veteran of the game, my playing time was limited, but it was a joy watching these 20-year-old kids display the same type of ferocity they displayed in their high school days. Men's softball is a dangerous sport. Everybody can play, but it's the exceptional ones who push themselves to be the best. This team and its players did just that.
"This is the greatest mix of speed, power, and defense I've ever been a part of,'' said 29-year veteran and softball legend Vinny Ap, who led the team in batting average in limited at-bats. The
14
championship team consisted of third baseman Bobby Mcminn (Southern Regional 2010); outfielder Mike Bush (Southern Regional 2010); outfielder Cole Ghigliotti (Southern Regional 2010); shortstop Kenny Donelson (Pemberton High School 2004); pitcher Auggie Guarnere III (St. John Neumann, Pa., 1991; outfielder Bruce Munro (Matawan 2008); first baseman Nick Velotti (Shore Regional 1999; catcher/designated hitter Vincent Apicelli (Wall 1989); middle infielder Greg Senna (Howell 2003); catcher/designated hitter All World Team: Mike Bush, Billy Shimko, Greg Senna, Nick Velotti, Auggie Vincent D'Esposito (Ocean Twp. Guarnere III, Kenny Donelson, and MVP Bobby Mcminn. 1998); second baseman Kenny Nieves (Lakewood 2009); the effort and heart they showed throughout the weekend. I have player/coach Stephen "Ruff" Paduano (Wall 1990); and player coach lived a small part of my personal American Dream with this victory. Billy Shimko(Wall 1982). We also had seven players make the All-World Team, including Just Like when the team from Paul's Tavern won the title in 1992, McMinn winning the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Also we used the same formula of homegrown talent, taking local kids making the All-World Team was Bush, Shimko, Senna, Velotti, down south, where they play softball year round and getting the Guarnere, and Donelson. same results. Local high school star athletes go down there to see if we still have it, so to speak. I couldn't be more proud of them for
/
/
15
16
/
/
Red Bank Catholic Offensive Lineman Liam Smith Commits to Duke
By Scott Stump – Managing Editor
Red Bank Catholic’s Liam
Smith, one of the top linemen in New Jersey from the Class of 2016, announced that he has verbally committed to Duke University.
Smith, who had 11 FBS offers, gives RBC an FBS recruit for the sixth straight year, including linebacker Jamie Gordinier from the current senior class, who is headed to the University of Miami. Smith is the second standout from the Shore Conference junior class to verbally commit to an FBS program, following on the heels of Red Bank receiver Sadiq Palmer, who verballed to Syracuse over the weekend.
A first-team All-Shore selection by Shore Sports Network this fall, Smith helped the Caseys win the Non-Public Group III title, their first state championship since 1976, as well as their fifth
straight division title to earn All-Class B North honors from the coaches. The 6-foot-5, 270pound tackle was a key cog in an RBC offense that scored a school-record 543 points to lead the Shore Conference with an average of 45 points per game. The Caseys ran for 2,804 yards as a team on an average 7.5 yards per attempt and had 4,289 total yards for an average of 357.4 yards per game.
17
Red Bank Wide Receiver Sadiq Palmer Commits to Syracuse
By Scott Stump – Managing Editor
Red Bank Regional junior
wide receiver/safety Sadiq Palmer, a Shore Sports Network first-team All-Shore selection in the fall, verbally committed to Syracuse in early April.
Palmer’s commitment, which was first reported by Scout.com, makes him the first star from the Shore Conference Class of 2016 to verbal to an FBS program. Syracuse offered Palmer earlier on Saturday and he committed that night. The Orange were the first FBS program to offer Palmer, who is also a basketball standout.
One of the most explosive skill players in the Shore, Palmer had a breakout junior year in his second full season on varsity. He finished with 36 catches for 748 yards (20.8 ypc) and seven touchdowns and scored 13 total touchdowns between receiving, rushing, interceptions on defense and a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns. Palmer also was a standout safety for the Bucs with three interceptions.
Palmer is the Bucs’ first FBS recruit since current Penn State junior defensive end Garrett Sickels committed in 2012. Syracuse, whose recruiting coordinator is former
18
Monmouth Regional head coach Bobby Acosta, has been recruiting the Shore hard, as St. John Vianney quarterback Anthony Brown, Toms River North running back Asante Moorer and defensive tackle Da’shon Copes, Middletown South offensive lineman Thomas Lopez, Ocean running back Tyler Thompson, Red Bank Catholic lineman Liam Smith and Matawan defensive back Dejohn Rogers and linebacker Aliem Shaw are all targets that Syracuse has either offered or shown interest in from the Class of 2016.
/
/
19
20
/
/
/