All Shore Media High School Sports 4-8-13 Issue - 7 - Volume V

April 8, 2013 Volume-V Issue-7

ASM Top 10 Rankings Baseball Divisional Previews

Ratcheting up the Rivalry Southern Ram Tough Boys Lacrosse Divisional Previews

Girls Lacrosse Preview Basketball All-Star Review Stumpy’s Corner School Directions

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

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Divisional Previews ..................Pages 7 thru 19

Ratcheting up the Rivalry .................Page 16 Rise of the Rams ..............................Page 17 Boys Lacrosse

Divisional Previews...................Pages 21 thru 25 Girls Lacrosse

Preview ...................................................Page 26 Stumpy’s Corner ................................Page27 Basketball All-Star

Review ....................................................Page 29 Ocean & Monmouth County School Directions................................Page 30

1. CBA

2. Red Bank Catholic

3. Jackson Memorial

4. Toms River North

5. Colts Neck

6. Manalapan

7. Toms River South

8. Jackson Liberty

9. Freehold

10.Brick Memorial Teams to Watch: Marlboro

St. John Vianney

Middletown South

St. Rose

SOFTBALL

1. St. John Vianney

2. Toms River East

3. Wall

4. Middletown South

5. Manasquan

6. Raritan

7. Central

8. Barnegat

9. Freehold Township

10. Howell

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Baseball

BASEBALL

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Predictions................................................Page 5

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Table of Contents

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Class A Central 1.

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Red Bank Catholic St. John Vianney Manasquan Monmouth Raritan Rumson Fair Haven Shore Holmdel

Class A South 1.

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Jackson Memorial Toms River North Toms River South Brick Memorial Toms River East Brick Lacey Souther

BOYS LACROSSE

Freehold Ocean Wall Red Bank Regional Matawan Neptune Long Branch

Class B Central 1.

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St. Rose Point Beach Mater Dei Prep Keyport Keansburg Henry Hudson Ranney Asbury Park

Class B South 1.

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Jackson Liberty Central Regionl Point Boro Monsignor Donovan Manchester Barnegat Lakewood Pinelands

GIRLS LACROSSE

1. Rumson-Fair Haven

1. Red Bank Catholic

3. Southern

3. Manasquan

2. Jackson Memorial 4. Holmdel

2. Rumson-Fair Haven

4. Shore Regional

5. CBA

5. Red Bank Regional

7. Freehold Township

7. Colts Neck

6. Colts Neck

8. Manasquan

9. Lacey

10. Toms River East

6. Ocean

8. Freehold Township

9. Central

10.Toms River North

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@allshoremedia.com

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CBA Colts Neck Manalapan Marlboro Middletown South Freehold Twp. Middletown North Howell

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Class B North

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Tyler Iannarone, 1B, Brick - An unsung player as a sophomore on the Ocean County championship team in 2011, Iannarone did not let up last year, hitting .375 with eight doubles.

Spencer Young, SS, Jackson Mem. - Another unsung player on a good team, Young has been a steady player at third base as a sophomore, second base as a junior and now will be the shortstop as a senior.

Dan Higgins, SS, Southern - A dual threat who will also be a top pitcher in the division, Higgins will have to carry a big load for the young Rams to open some eyes this season.

Christian Danyo, 3B, TRE - The Raiders’ most powerful hitter is a three-year starter who will see some time at third and as the designated hitter.

Russell Messler, OF, TRS - How is this for a debut as a sophomore?: .505 average with nine doubles, six triples, three home runs and 12 stolen bases. In a long line of great TRS outfielders, Messler fits right in at this point in his career.

3. Toms River South

1. Jackson Memorial

Coach: Frank Malta, 9 th season Record Last Year: 25-3 (8-2)

The Jaguars will attempt to put together another 25win season without scoring eight-or-more runs every game thanks to air-tight defense and reliable-but-notdominant pitching. Brandon Holup put together one of the more remarkable runs by a Shore Conference pitcher last year, tossing five straight shutouts on the way to earning All Shore Media Pitcher of the Year honors. Although they have a reputation as a highscoring team, the Jaguars would not have won the Shore Conference title without Holup’s dominance on the mound.

Then again, who says Jackson Memorial will not have dominant pitching again? While no one should hold his breath waiting for another five-game shutout streak, the Jaguars will trot out an army of left-handers who logged a small sample of innings last year. Seniors Anthony Rocco and Jake Harlinski were particularly impressive with Rocco logging 19 innings with a 1.09 ERA and Harlinski striking out 18 and walking only three in 22 innings. Brian Delesky will follow those two in the rotation that will look to keep its talented offense in the game by keeping a strong defense involved.

Senior catcher and University of Virginia recruit Matt Thaiss is poised for another big year and seniors Spencer Young and Ed Guippone are coming off excellent junior years, so there is plenty left in the tank at Jackson Memorial if the Jaguars get another good performance from the pitching staff.

Kyle Cala, OF, Brick Mem. - Played a corner outfield spot in his first two seasons and in his junior year, takes his glove and a good bat to center field.

Ed Guippone, OF, Jackson Mem. - The latest Jaguar to go from role player to standout, Guippone hit .424 in his first year as a full-time starter with an on-base percentage (.514) better than that of teammates Joe Ogren (.451) and Matt Thaiss (.485).

Brandon Bloodgood, 1B, TRE - Solid on both the mound and at the plate, Bloodgood may be the Raiders’ most polished player.

pitchers to watch

Ron Marinaccio, RHP, TRN - Despite missing the first three weeks of the season because of mononucleosis, Marinaccio posted a 5-0 record on the mound and a .444 average at the plate in earning second-team All Shore honors.

Karl Blum, RHP, TRN - Headed to pitch at Duke next season, Blum is looking to have a big senior season to cap off a stellar four-year varsity career.

Brian Cottrell, RHP, Brick Mem. - The senior was a groundball machine in his first full season on the mound and will look to continue his assault on the worms of Ocean County this season.

Donovan Waller, LHP, Lacey - Tall left-hander has been a solid pitcher over his last two seasons and with a chance to mature physically, he should be even better.

Casey Cranmer, RHP, TRS - An underrated link in the pitching chain last season, Cranmer will be the man this season as the Indians try to reload around the senior righthander and Messler.

Evan Lobato, RHP, Brick - An impressive 4-1 record with a 1.82 ERA was a great start to his career, and doing it again – this time in Class A South – should provide a healthy challenge for the talented right-hander.

Coach: Ken Frank, 35 th season Record Last Year: 22-6 (8-2)

The reactionary answer should be “When is Toms River South ever just ordinary?” It is, however, a question worth asking after scouring through the Indians roster. Junior outfielder Russell Messler, fresh off a season in which he hit over .500 with 18 extrabase hits and 12 stolen bases – is right there with Mike Rescigno as the best right-handed bat in the Shore Conference. In order for Toms River South to thrive though, Messler may have to be a standout on the mound because the Indians enter the season thinner than usual in the pitching department. While there have been years in which Toms River South has had to replace a lot of players, it has always had a Division I arm to fall back on, at least in recent years. Casey Cranmer should be solid at the top, but there are questions following him in the rotation.

The same can be said about the offense, which returns only Messler to the lineup. The natural tendency is to expect that veteran skipper Ken Frank will cook up a winning formula with a standout hitter and pitcher, but in a tough Class A South, winning is never a guarantee, not even at Toms River South. If there is enough talent on hand, as there usually is, Toms River South should again be in the hunt.

4. Brick Memorial

Coach: Evan Rizzitello, 3 rd season Record Last Year: 15-10 (6-4)

There is no denying Brick Memorial returns two quality pitchers from the second-best rotation in the division last year, but both Brian Cottrell (34 strikeouts in 54 innings) and Corey Zytko (21 strikeouts in 35 innings) relied a lot on weak contact rather than swings-and-misses. That means the defense will have to be sharp, not necessarily a given considering that Brick Memorial will need to replace its middle infield and center fielder from a year ago. Center field should not be a problem with talented junior Kyle Cala shifting to the middle of the outfield, but shortstop and second base will go to less experienced players.

Junior Tyler Hobbs will take over at shortstop after hitting .286 in part-time duty. If his glove plays in the middle of the diamond, Brick Memorial should be a tough opponent again with the pitching it returns.

Senior third baseman Michael Martone and senior catcher Ryan Melia will be leaders on the field after starting last year, while senior Kyle Skoog brings speed to the lineup (11 stolen bases) and great control (nine strikeouts, no walks in 10 innings) to the mound. The offense was hot-and-cold last season, so if the Mustangs can put a few more runs on the board, there is more than enough pitching in place to make them a contender for the division title.

5. Toms River East Jackson Memorial's Matt Thaiss

2. Toms River North

Coach: Ted Schelmay, 20 t h season Record Last Year: 17-9 (4-6)

On talent alone, Toms River North might be the best team in Class A South and right there with Christian Brothers Academy and Red Bank Catholic for the best top-to-bottom rosters in the Shore Conference. Like many good teams, it all starts with the pitching for Toms River North, which returns senior right-handers Ron Marinaccio and Karl Blum at the top of the rotation. Marinaccio is coming off a 5-0 season on the mound despite missing the first three weeks of the season with mononucleosis and Blum is a Duke University recruit who tops out in the low-90-miles-perhour range. Add in promising junior Steve Slagmolen, and the Mariners boast one of the best three-man rotations in the conference.

Marinaccio and Blum are also standout hitters for the Mariners, while junior Julian Feliz, senior Cory Cordasco and senior Mike Miraglia all figure to be major producers in the lineup. The talent is in place for Toms River North to reclaim the Class A North championship, but Jackson Memorial has had the Mariners’ number in recent years. Before Toms River North is considered a favorite, it will have to get over the hump against the very formidable Jaguars.

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Coach: Bill Frank, 29 th season Record Last Year: 9-12 (3-7)

Toms River North is exceedingly talented and Jackson Memorial is on a tremendous run with a handful of great players back, but if Jackson slips up just a little bit and the Mariners get off to a slow start again, there will be a chance for some team to step up. With almost its entire lineup back from a club that had its moments last year, Toms River East could be that team. The Raiders lose catcher Jordan Hoefling and starters Dan Foley and Trevor Fitzsimmons, but return the rest of the lineup. East should boast a solid rotation that features three position players at the top as the season opens.

Senior Brandon Bloodgood returns as a middle-ofthe-order hitter and a top pitcher in the rotation, while fellow senior Paul Schiffilitti will head-up the rotation and play first when Bloodgood is on the mound. Senior Christian Danyo provides punch from the left side in the middle of the order and junior Max Lasky will man center field alongside fellow returnees Dave Lewis and Jerry Caporale. Sophomore Jon Meola – son of former U.S. soccer goalkeeper Tony Meola – took over the shortstop job as a freshman and should be an anchor on the infield for three more seasons. Inconsistency has plagued Toms River East in recent years, but coach Bill Frank – who is 10 wins shy of 500 for his career – has a good mix of youth and experience in a program that has a chip on its shoulder. Even if Jackson Memorial and Toms River North live up to the hype, this may be the year Toms River East baseball returns to prominence in A South.

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WWW.ALLSHOREMEDIA.COM

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Teams listed by predicted order of finish

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Matt Thaiss, C, Jackson Mem. - The worry around the Shore is that Thaiss won’t get pitched to this year, but the same thing happened last year (23 walks). Plus, that means Jackson’s fastest bench player will be on base a lot as the courtesy runner.

By Matt Manley – Staff Writer

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Position players to watch

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Position players to watch

By Matt Manley – Staff Writer

Teams listed by predicted order of finish

3. Manalapan

Matt Kleinstein, C, Colts Neck - West Virginia recruit is one of the best power bats in the conference while also sporting one of the best arms behind the plate.

Coach: Brian Boyce, 8 th season Record Last Year: 18-11 (7-5)

The Braves appeared headed for an uneventful finish to an uneventful season prior to the NJSIAA Group IV Tournament, but the bats woke up at the perfect time en route to a second straight Group IV championship. The feat was all the more impressive because the Braves returned only two players from the starting lineup and no starting pitchers from the 2011 championship team. With that in mind, the program appears poised to make another run at a championship despite some key losses in key positions. Manalapan loses its No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 hitters from its playoff lineup, which includes shortstop Brian Lamboy, ace Joe Serrapica, center fielder Ryan Ranieri and top power hitter Vito Gadaleta.

Joe Dudek, 1B, CBA - An elite bat from the left side, Dudek has learned to handle being pitched around and how to deal with a variety of different looks from pitchers.

If anyone pitches to him, a big year is a certainty.

Anthony Asta, SS, Marlboro - The range at shortstop is as good as there is in the Shore Conference and with more reps come fewer mistakes. Asta should be one of the top gloves at any position to go with a good leadoff bat.

Jon Baturgil, SS, Colts Neck - An unsung hero of Colts Neck, Baturgil anchors the infield defense while Kleinstein and Della Fera get most of the focus for their offense

Billy Moed, 3B, Manalapan - Really came on at the end of last season and will now be the focal point of a Braves lineup that will try to make more postseason noise.

Chris Cordova, OF, CBA - A four-year starter, Cordova has shown significant improvement every year.

Last year will be hard to top after he hit .426.

Lucien Della Fera, OF, Colts Neck - A third-team All Shore selection as a junior, Della Fera is a good athlete with a quick bat. Will hit somewhere near the top of one of the Shore's most potent lineups.

Austin Borrero, OF, Middletown North - A four-year starter, Borrero is looking to have his best seasons as the Lions look to bounce back from a disappointing 2012 season.

Anthony Critelli, SS/UTIL, CBA - Class A North is deep at shortstop and the Holy Cross recruit could be the best of the bunch.

pitchers to watch Matt Pidich, RHP, CBA - The hard-throwing right-hander started to show his ceiling last season after entering the program as a freshman with high expectations.

John McCarren, RHP, CBA - McCarren was very good in 35 innings last year and if that number gets into the 55-60 range, it means the Colts had a big year.

Chris Stark, RHP, Middletown North With a live fastball and a quality curveball, Stark has the ability to give good lineups fits. He will have to carry the Lions staff.

Adam Ashenfarb, LHP, Marlboro - One of the more underappreciated pitchers in the area, Ashenfarb has been a reliable option over the past two seasons and will now step into the role of ace.

Perry Kulaga, RHP, Middletown South Kulaga could have an ERA eight times the 0.21 ERA he had last year and still be an All-Shore pitcher if he gives his team innings.

Steve Ginter, RHP, Freehold Township His season went overlooked because of his team's record and the performance of Ryan MacFarlane, but 42 strikeouts in 38 innings is a great foundation upon which to build.

CBA's Joe Dudek

1. CBA Coach: Marty Kenney, 39 th Season Record Last Year: 17-9 (7-5)

The current senior class at CBA entered the program in 2010 with a tough act to follow after the 2009 team won the NJSIAA Non-Public A title by riding the right arm of current Boston Red Sox farmhand Pat Light.

Individually, Joe Dudek, Chris Cordova, Anthony Critelli, Matt Pidich and John McCarren have had plenty of success and CBA has been a competitive team in Class A North. Considering the Division I pedigree of the core, however, the expectation for this group - like any group at CBA - is championships.

On the plus side, the Braves return two quality, proven right-handers in Matt Simonetti and Dennis Girolamo to the rotation and also bring back a top-notch defensive catcher and top-of-the-order hitter in Mike Knauf. Throw in third baseman Billy Moed's power from the left side and experienced returnees Matt Parke, Greg Yip and Chris Tipaldo, and Manalapan has the makings of team that can make another run at a state championship.

4. Marlboro Coach: James Ferraro, 5 th season Record Last Year: 15-8 (8-4)

Colts Neck has the names, Manalapan has the history and CBA has both, but Marlboro quietly finished in second place in Class A North last season and has the kind of roster that could make the Mustangs a darkhorse to win the division this year. Marlboro has plenty of pitching, starting with left-hander Adam Ashenfarb, who posted a 1.09 ERA as a junior last year, and continuing with another lefty in Evan Hilla, who pitched to a 2.42 ERA last year.

The debate for preseason No. 1 is a potentially lively one when one considers the talent on CBA and Red Bank Catholic, but what should separate CBA from the rest of the conference is the depth of power arms, led by Pidich and McCarren. The Colts have plenty of pop in the lineup as well, but the pitching staff is the strength of the team heading into the season. The division is loaded with talent, so CBA is not going to go unscathed through A North, but the Colts should have enough in all facets of the game to hold off the rest of the field.

The Mustangs should also catch the ball thanks to a strong defense, led by speedy, rangy shortstop Anthony Asta. Asta will also ignite the offense at the top of the order and if the Mustangs can maximize their run-scoring opportunities on offense, they could be a dangerous team in a postseason tournament.

2. Colts Neck

Record Last Year: 21-6 (10-2)

Coach: Mike Yorke, 13 th season Record Last Year: 16-8 (10-2)

The Cougars boasted an underrated staff by the numbers last season, but this year's rotation will have to be even better against the most imposing division in the Shore Conference for pitchers. Casey Wall was solid in his 25 1/3 innings last season with a 2.76 ERA and 23 strikeouts and the right-hander will take on more innings this season. Six-foot-6 right-hander Mike Pepio also saw 18 innings last season and showed an ability to miss bats with 16 strikeouts. Sophomore left-hander Chris Murphy will also get a chance to give Colts Neck significant innings.

Colts Neck will also have to fill in for senior center fielder and Lafayette football recruit Tim Vangelas - who elected not to play baseball this season - but with three Division I players headlining the lineup in catcher Matt Kleinstein (West Virginia), outfielder Lucien Della Fera (Maine) and shortstop Jon Baturgil (LIU-Brooklyn), Colts Neck has plenty of firepower to overcome its question marks.

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5. Middletown South Coach: Ryan Spillane, 5 th season Middletown South lost a frontline starting pitcher to graduation prior to last season and came back with its first division championship since 1999. The challenge will be similar this season, although there is not a Division I left-hander in place like Howie Brey was last year. Still, Perry Kulaga returns after sporting a Shore Conference-best 0.21 ERA in 33 2/3 innings last season and will see even more innings this season as the team's ace. Pitching should be an overall strength, not only because of Kulaga, but because of returning righthanders Mike Grossi and Piero Vescio, as well as 6-foot4 left-hander Mike Diorio.

Grossi also anchors a lineup with some potential to put plenty of runs on the board, with Kulaga, senior catcher Nick McGann, senior second baseman Frank Servidio and junior shortstop Kyle Brey all figuring to play prominent roles in the offense. Middletown South does not have the proven, All-Shore level talent that CBA or Colts Neck boast, but the Eagles should be right there for the division race, just as they have been for the last three seasons.

WWW.ALLSHOREMEDIA.COM

6. Brick

Coach: Todd Smith, 4 season Record Last Year: 12-14 (4-8)

Coach: Jason Groschel, 8 th season Record Last Year: 9-15 (6-4)

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Freehold Township loses a number of key pieces from last year's team, most notably ace and shortstop Ryan MacFarlane and center fielder Nick Cardamone, but senior right-hander Steve Ginter is primed for a big season in the mold of what MacFarlane did last season.

Ginter posted a 1.64 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings as a junior and along with senior Kevin Checkett and junior Chris Talbott, will form a solid trio at the top of the staff.

Talbott and classmates Mike Alexander (shortstop) and Nick Cardace (first baseman) are three impact juniors primed for breakout seasons and if they all come through, add Freehold Township to the list of teams that are good enough to win the division.

Senior first baseman Tyler Iannarone has quietly put together two very good varsity seasons and will lead the offense. Senior Brian Henry will be the regular shortstop while junior Evan Lobato will headline the rotation and play shortstop when Henry pitches. Senior outfielders Brad Applegate and John Fuino, as well as junior third baseman Nick Zbranak, all had successful 2012 seasons at the plate as well. With a little bit of everything back at Brick, it is safe to add the Green Dragons to the list of teams that can compete for a top spot in Class A South.

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7. Lacey

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When last we saw the Green Dragons in Class A South, they were a junior-loaded team that was just starting one of its best two-year stretches in the recent history of the program. Brick had a lot of reloading to do and although the 9-15 record is not striking, the Green Dragons played a very tough schedule for a team of mostly new starters. Losing an all-division catcher (Brian Mayer) and two top pitchers (Brandon Kieslor and Dan Mnich) will not be easy to overcome for this year’s team, but the Dragons have more in place this year than they did a year ago.

7. Middletown North

Coach: Corey Hamman, 5 th season Record Last Year: 5-16 (3-7)

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The Patriots scuffled through the Class A North season only to flip the switch in the Monmouth County Tournament on the way to a second county title in four years. The Class A North regular season has given Freehold Township problems over the past several years, but the Patriots have played well when challenged outside the division and during tournament season.

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6. Freehold Township

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A north Continued from page 8

Coach: Michael Dooley, 2 nd season Record Last Year: 5-16 (4-8)

The Lions had high hopes heading into last season in what turned out to be a very competitive Class A North, but things fell apart and they were not a factor in the division race. One bright spot of last year was a healthy, productive season by right-hander Chris Stark, who returns for his senior season after committing to the University of Maine.

Stark is also a productive bat for Middletown North's batting order and if the Lions are to surprise some teams in the division, they will need to catch the ball behind Stark and the pitching staff while finding some offense. One possible source for offense is senior outfielder Austin Borrero, a four-year starter who has flashed signs of big things to come over the course of his three years. If Borrero puts it together and Stark makes all of his starts, Middletown North could very well redeem itself for a disappointing 2012.

8. Howell Coach: Eric Johnson, 4 season Record Last Year: 4-14 (2-10) th

Howell has too good of a team to be classified as a last-place club, but that's the life of a young team in Class A North. This year's team will return only two senior starters and only one of those - outfielder Jordan Reizer - is a position player. Reizer is looking to have a bounce-back season, having hit under .200 last year after hitting above .300 as a sophomore. Senior Joe Purcaro will lead the pitching staff after breaking into the rotation last year and will likely be the only senior to throw meaningful innings this season for the Rebels.

Howell's potential lies in its up-and-coming juniors and sophomores, led by junior shortstop Ryan Wares and junior catcher Cody Hubbs. A young team coming off of a 4-14 season does not appear to be a threat to win a loaded Class A North division, but Howell has shown an ability to compete over the years. If the newcomers learn quickly, the Rebels will find a way to be competitive.

Literally speaking, of course Lions can handle the jungle. But while Lacey may be the Lions, Class A South is a different kind of jungle, one that will pose a challenge to a young team looking to establish a winning foundation. Lacey returns only three senior starters and six overall from last year, so it will be up to that group to guide the group of young incoming players.

Senior hurlers Donovan Waller and James Angellella will anchor the rotation, while Austin Peck, Ken Ferrante and Andrew Capatasto move into starting roles.

Lacey has two impact juniors back this season, headlined by third-year starting center fielder Evan Reitmeyer. Classmate Connor Rooney will play at shortstop and also give Lacey some innings on the mound after seeing some time last year. Waller is one of the top pitchers in the division and should give Lacey a chance to win on days he pitches, but the challenge will be matching the depth of the top teams in Class A South.

8. Southern Coach: Tom Natoli, 4 th season Record Last Year: 9-13 (1-9)

Although Southern struggled in Class A South competition, the Rams went 8-4 outside the division and were generally competitive against other A South teams.

While no one is seeking moral victories, Southern’s players should feel confident that they were right there with most of the teams on their schedule, even if most of those games went the wrong way for them.

The problem for Southern is many of the players that hung tough in A South last year are gone. Jack Bush was an All-Shore outfielder while Joe Fiorello, Nick Morrison and John Hasney were all productive hitters last year and replacing their offense is a tall order. Senior shortstop and No. 1 pitcher Dan Higgins is a potential all-division player and will form a formidable battery with third-year starting catcher Mark Heslin, who socked seven doubles last season. Those two are the only returning everyday players for the Rams, but Southern should get a lift from senior third baseman Anthony Speziale, who missed last season due to injury. If those seniors have big years and Southern can start to develop its next core of talented players, then the Rams will have a competitive season.

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Position players to watch

Anthony Santoro, Catcher/UTIL, SJV - Rutgers University commit can play a number of positions on the field, but he will undoubtedly be in the middle of the Lancers order.

Ron Robinson, 1B, RBC - Not a bad varsity debut for Robinson last year: .392 average, three bombs and 28 RBI while hitting fifth for arguably the Shore's top offensive team.

Tommy Toole, SS, Manasquan - Hit close to .400 as a sophomore while going 6-1 on the mound and playing all over the field. This year, he moves to shortstop full time.

Al Molina, SS, RBC - Maybe the best junior in the Shore Conference, Molina struggled a little out of the gate and then caught fire, finishing over .400 with four homers and eight doubles.

Mike Rescigno, 3B, RBC - One of the preseason favorites for Shore Conference Player of the year, the University of Maryland recruit hit .423 even with a lot of opposing pitchers pitching around him.

Matt Cosentino, OF, Shore - Cosentino has been an all-division performer in each of his first two high school seasons and he and a solid group of returnees should help Shore get back into the mix in Class A Central.

By Matt Manley – Staff Writer

Teams listed by predicted order of finish

1. Red Bank Catholic Coach: Buddy Hausmann, 6th season Record Last Year: 18-7 (11-1)

Red Bank Catholic appeared primed for a second consecutive Shore Conference championship heading into the 2012 season and after a torrid start to the season, the Caseys faded down the stretch. As the No. 2 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, they lost to No. 15 Toms River North in the round of 16. They then took a 9-1 loss at home to St. Augustine in the NJSIAA South Jersey, Non-Public A quarterfinals. The season ended with a loss to No. 13 seed Freehold Township as the No. 1 seed in the Monmouth County Tournament final.

On the bright side, the Caseys return their entire infield from last year's high-scoring offense, an infield that includes University of Maryland recruit and top pitcher Mike Rescigno. Rescigno will play third when he is not on the mound and juniors Al Molina (shortstop) and Brendan Madigan (second base) form one of the more formidable double-play combos in the Shore Conference. The key for the Caseys will be the rotation behind Rescigno and the defense behind all the pitchers, both of which were issues down the stretch of last season. In light of last year's struggles, the Caseys should be a team that storms out of the gate with the hopes of sustaining it through the end of the season.

Jimmy Walsh, RHP, Manasquan - Walsh lost his first six decisions of the season while actually pitching fairly well. Now, the 6-foot-6 basketball standout will look to flip his 2-7 record around this year.

On the offensive side, Manasquan has been a formidable team during Van Pelt's tenure and that should not change this season. Walsh, Toole, Morgan, and junior Jack Fay are all coming off strong offensive seasons and outfielder Ty Hawkins - son of Point Beach coach Ty Hawkins - enters as part of a strong sophomore class that will begin to contribute this season. Manasquan is probably a tick ahead of the other A Central publicschool teams in talent, but the Warriors still have to prove they can put it all together from start to finish. If they can do that, Manasquan can be a surprise team in the Shore Conference.

Senior right-hander Tom Broyles leads that group as the team's No. 1 pitcher and most potent bat after earning a third-team All-Shore spot last year. The Falcons also return catcher Rich Burner, which should be a major plus for the defense and pitching staff. With more contributions from returning senior outfielders Jeff Farrah and Zach Defino, the Falcons have the makings of a club that could tread water for a month and catch fire late, just as they have done in their recent history.

pitchers to watch

Rob Ronan, RHP, Raritan - A seasoned vet after logging key innings as a sophomore, Ronan will look to be the horse as the Rockets look to repeat in Central Jersey Group II.

While Red Bank Catholic will be looking to better its performance later in the season, Manasquan will hope to get off to a better start this year after establishing a reputation as a late-season sleeper under fourth-year coach Dennis Van Pelt. Starting the season strong should be a more manageable endeavor for the Warriors with three pitchers returning to the rotation. Jimmy Walsh, Tommy Toole and Justin Morgan all improved over the course of the season on the mound and with juniors Tucker Caccavale, Austin Saito and Luke Tausek joining the staff, the pitching at Manasquan should be improved.

For the last several years, Monmouth has been a team built for the postseason, which is exactly the way coach Ted Jarmusz wants his Falcons to be. Cahill was a big part of that success as a four-year, Division-I-caliber player, but so were graduates Brandon Pollina, Brian Blaney and Joe Panchak. The latter three all emerged through the lower levels of the program over the years and the Falcons will need more players like that to step up and add to a solid group of returning players.

Joe Sadler, UTIL, Holmdel - Like Santoro, Sadler can play behind the plate in addition to several other positions and at the plate, the junior has done nothing but rake since his freshman season in 2011.

Dan LaMorte, RHP, SJV - The senior righthander spun a no-hitter to highlight a breakout junior season, and it came against a good offensive team in Rumson-Fair Haven.

Coach: Dennis Van Pelt, 4 t h season Record Last Year: 10-15 (5-5)

Coach: Ted Jarmusz, 30 th season Record Last Year: 17-10 (5-7)

Andrew Lewnes, OF, SJV - The Lancers are set for a good couple of years with a good group of juniors, but Lewnes heads up a solid senior class that should make SJV a threat in A Central and the Shore Conference.

Tom Broyles, RHP, Monmouth - Another two-way threat, Broyles posted a 1.14 ERA on the mound and hit .338 in the middle of the Falcons order.

3. Manasquan

4. Monmouth

Joe Iacobellis, OF, RBC - One of four returning RBC players who hit .400 last year, Iacobellis also added nine steals while playing good defense in left field.

Mike Rescigno, RHP, RBC - The best righthanded hitter in the Shore might also be the best right-handed pitcher on the heels of a 49-strikeout season in only 26 1/3 innings.

promising pitching, St. John Vianney could be a sleeper to go deep into the postseason.

RBC's Mike Rescigno

2. St. John Vianney Coach: Mike Morgan, 7 t h season Record Last Year: 13-8 (9-3)

Last year's Class A Central race was about as tight as a division race can be and the Lancers emerged as the division champions for a second straight year. Their 8-4 record was one game ahead of second-place Holmdel and just four games ahead of last-place Red Bank and Matawan - both of which are in Class B North this season. Winning a third straight division championship will be a tall order with Red Bank Catholic joining the division, but there is no doubt the St. John Vianney players will be geared up to play the Caseys twice a year.

The Lancers have a stellar junior core and middle of the lineup, led by catcher Anthony Santoro, corner infielder Joe Rotelli, and infielders Evan Pietronico, Chris Morris and Pat Devenney. There is also plenty of senior leadership on the roster as well, most notably outfielders Andrew Lewnes and Steve Callari, and righthander Dan LaMorte. It's hard to call the defending division champs a "sleeper" in the division, but with some high-level talent in the middle of the order and

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5. Raritan Coach: Jeff Struble, 1 st season Record Last Year: 15-10 (6-6)

The Rockets hovered around the .500 mark in Class A Central for most of the 2013 season before the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II playoffs opened up and Raritan made its move. Raritan won a wild CJ II bracket and before the Rockets lost to Buena in the Group II semifinals. Raritan loses three major pieces from that team - senior outfielders Mike Langan and Jake Vanderveer and senior ace Dan Gutch - but the Rockets return a good number of key pieces from a championship team.

Raritan will be strong up the middle with shortstop Nick Pasquenza, second baseman Dom Guida and catcher C.J. Pulcine, all of whom were starters on last year's team. Right-hander Rob Ronan has two years of varsity experience under his belt and will be the rock of the pitching staff that will need to be sharp in a Class A Central division that features a lot of offense. If the Rockets can churn out some strike-throwers, the defense will catch the ball and Raritan will be in most of its games with a chance to win a lot of them.

A Central Continued on page 13

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2012 DRAFT PICKS Player Team

Round

Pat Light (CBA) Boston Red Sox Keon Barnum Chicago White Sox Andrew Velazquez Arizona Diamondbacks Nelson Rodriguez Cleveland Indians Ryan Harvey (Manalapan) Texas Rangers Rhett Wiseman Chicago Cubs Chris Shaw NY Mets Austin Barr NY Mets Richard Palase Seattle Mariners Tommy Burns Milwaulke Brewers Nolan Long San Francisco Giants

1 1 7 15 18 25 26 29 32 34 38

2011 DRAFT PICKS Nick Ahmed Scott McGough Tom LaStella David Palladino Jeffrey Diehl Keith Bilodeau Kenneth Ferrer Mike Papi John Brebbia Mike Dennhardt Javier Reynoso Jordan Gross

2 5 8 13 23 24 28 30 30 32 39 40

Atlanta Braves LA Dodgers Atlanta Braves LA Dodgers NY Mets SF Giants Washington Nationals Aneheim Angels NY Yankees Cincinnati Reds Chicago White Sox Boston Red Sox

2010 DRAFT PICKS Player Tyler Vail Sean Nolin Robert Aviles JC Menna Kenneth Ferrer

Team Oakland A's Toronto Blue Jays Cleveland Indians Oakland A's Cleveland Indians

2009 DRAFT PICKS Sean Nolin Chris Zagyi Fabian Roman Camden Maron Pat Light Joe Talerico Mitch Clarke Steven Matz

Seattle Mariners Chicago White Sox KC Royals NY Mets Minnesota Twins NY Yankees Cincinnati Reds NY Mets

48 42 36 34 28 21 19 1

2008 DRAFT PICKS Sean Nolin Scott McGough Richard O'Donald Keith Landers Mike Dennhardt

Milwaulke Brewers Pittsburgh Pirates Seattle Mariners Baltimore Orioles Seattle Mariners

50 46 47 18 17

2007 DRAFT PICKS Sean Giblin Pittsburgh Pirates JC Menna Pittsburgh Pirates Kyle Slate Philadelphia Phillies

10 39 37

BU CLASS OF 2013 SCHOLARSHIPS

Round 5 6 7 14 35

Justin Dunn John McCarren Chris Gaetano Joey Benitez Ryan Tufts AJ Bogucki Ryan Testani Matt Ruppenthal Karl Ellison Grant Lamberton Paul Tupper Alex Woinski Cameron Stone Tyler Kirkpatrick Neil Kozikowski Matthew Osieja Jonathan Gonzalez Brady Cotler Brian Wikoff Simon Mathews Johnny Adams Shane Cooper Ryan Bailey Casey McCone Pavin Smith Mitchell Cavanagh Dylan Manwaring Matthew Vogel Eli Kashi Kyle Simmons Kwestin Smith Ben Monte Ryan Reuther Phil Maldari Kellen Croce Mikael Mogues Jonathan Tenaglia Marc Canzanella Greg Salamone Adam Thayer Keith Klebart Chris Vincent

Boston College Wake Forest Monmouth U Old Dominion Virginia Tech U of North Carolina Seton Hall Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Monmouth U Princeton Lafayette Stony Brook Marist Virginia Commonwealth Quinnipiac Delaware St Washington College US Naval Academy Temple Boston College Iowa Monmouth U Bridgeport Virginia St John's Wake Forest South Carolina George Washington Furman Delaware St Stonehill College Trinity College Emory Maine Seton Hall Franklin Pierce Western New England Franklin Pierce Bridgeport Sacred Heart Franklin and Marshall

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Position players to watch

Brendan Benecke, C, Jackson Liberty - Wagner recruit is quietly one of the top catchers in the Shore, although he sometimes gets overlooked with Matt Thaiss playing in the same town.

Troy Sigrist, 1B, Central - Flirted with a .400 average and knocked in 20 runs last season. Sigrist will anchor the middle of an experienced lineup.

Nick Panissidi, SS, Monsignor Donovan - Although the Griffins struggled to score runs at times, Panissidi had little trouble driving them in, which he did 29 times.

Angel Garced, SS, Jackson Liberty - A four-year starter on the infield, Garced is one of the smoothest-fielding shortstops around.

Deven DelPriore, SS, Point Boro - Two years removed from a .500 season at the plate, DelPriore is looking to have a rebound senior season with the bat.

Tom Clark, OF, Central - The senior will set the table for Sigrist after hitting .373 with eight doubles and eight stolen bases last year.

Dan McGeehan, OF, Monsignor Donovan - Center fielder will set the table for Panissidi as the Griffins look to get the offense going.

Jordan Mundell, OF/INF, Jackson Liberty - The swiss-army knife of the Jaguars roster, Mundell will play mostly in the outfield and at second base, but can also fill in at third as well.

Ryan Prout, 1B/C, Point Boro - Prout ranked in the top 10 in the Shore Conference in average (.453), hits (34), doubles (13) and RBI (25) last season.

pitchers to watch

Tyler Pallante, RHP, Jackson Liberty - The 6-foot-4 right-hander has made an impact on the mound and at the plate for all four of his high school seasons and should be in for his best season to finish things off.

James Sofield, RHP, Jackson Liberty - Rarely do 6-foot-5 pitchers spend their off days at second base, but Sofield has the athleticism to thrive on the mound and turning the double-play.

Rich Power, LHP, Monsignor Donovan - An all-division selection by the coaches last season, Power will lead an experienced, left-handed-heavy Griffins rotation.

Andrew DiPiazza, RHP, Central - The 6-foot-5 junior threw only 17 innings last year, but he struck out 21 and is now rested and ready to fire away for his junior season.

Ed White, RHP, Manchester - Stepped up as a third pitcher for the Hawks last year and now he is the man on the mound for a Manchester squad looking to win a third straight division title.

By Matt Manley – Staff Writer

Teams listed by predicted order of finish

Lions two very good junior starters. Senior Brendan Benecke is one of the top catchers in the Shore Conference and headed to Wagner College next season, while shortstop Angel Garced is a standout at the plate and in the field. With two more starters returning in Jordan Mundell and Dan Naif, Jackson Liberty has a strong foundation as it tries to add a championship to its recent string of winning seasons.

2. Central Regional Coach: John Scran, 6th season Record Last Year: 9-12 (5-5)

Jackson Liberty's Tyler Pallante

1. Jackson Liberty Coach: Jim Rankin, 6th season Record Last Year: 19-8 (6-4)

The Lions have a 2010 Class B South championship, which was the last year they were in Class B South, but are still looking to win a postseason tournament during this now-four-year run. Jackson Liberty came within an out of upsetting Jackson Memorial in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals in 2010 and was shutout, 1-0, by Middletown South in the 2011 Central Jersey Group III semifinals.

This year's team has the pitching depth and talent at key positions to contend for a championship after coming up short in each of the last three years. Senior Tyler Pallante and junior James Sofield return to the rotation with stellar track records and junior righthander Dan Serreino will join the rotation to give the

The Lions are ahead of the game when it comes to the division race based on the experience they return from a winning team, but with a lot of seniors back from last year, Central has a hungry, veteran team that will welcome the challenge over overtaking Jackson Liberty.

Outfielder Tom Clark and first baseman Troy Sigrist were all-division picks by the coaches last season and second baseman Mike Puglisi hit .333 with 16 runs scored. Senior shortstop and right-handed pitcher Eddie Corrigan also returns, giving the Eagles four solid seniors around which to build.

Central's big gun is junior Andrew DiPiazza, a 6-foot6 hurler who has already committed to Boston College.

DiPiazza only threw 17 innings as a sophomore last season, but struck out 21 batters in those 17 innings.

With a future ACC pitcher on the mound and a strong group of seniors in place at Central, don't give Jackson Liberty the division just yet.

3. Point Boro Coach: Dave Drew, 3rd season Record Last Year: 11-14 (4-6)

Point Boro will obviously have to get solid pitching in order to compete with the top teams in Class B South, but if any team in the division can overcome some questions in the pitching staff, it is the Panthers. Deven DelPriore is two years removed from a season in which he hit .500 as a sophomore and the senior can play either shortstop or catcher, which is his natural position.

Point Boro also has slugger Ryan Prout back after a season in which the catcher/first baseman hit .453 with

4. Monsignor Donovan Coach: Paul Murray, 10th season Record Last Year: 10-13 (4-6)

Senior shortstop Nick Panissidi drove in 29 runs last year and that was a large portion of Monsignor Donovan's run production during a season in which the team's run-scoring was hot-and-cold. On the positive side, Monsignor Donovan returns its entire pitching staff, led by left-handers Rich Power and Adam Holowienka, along with Panissidi.

Those three arms can carry Monsignor Donovan a long way in the division on their own and an improved offense could make the Griffins even more dangerous.

Senior outfielders Dan McGeehan, Tyler Fitzgerald and James Meyreles all figure to contribute in the lineup, and sophomores Matt Drake and Steve Lazicki are looking to make an immediate impact on the infield. If Panissidi can turn in another good season at the plate, with the pitching that is in place, Monsignor Donovan can challenge Jackson Liberty and Central.

5. Manchester Coach: John Musolf, 16th season Record Last Year: 13-8 (8-2)

Manchester shared the Class B South title with Brick in 2011 and won it outright last year with its Class of 2012 playing a large role in each championship season.

Replacing that class is going to be difficult and doing it in a division that returns a lot of talent across the board will make it even tougher, but there are several holdovers who can keep the Hawks in the race.

Seniors Jeremy Carney and Ed White return to the starting lineup after strong junior seasons and Carney has been a major contributor in each of the last two seasons. Junior Devon Tomei emerged as a solid bottom-of-the-order threat and is a strong candidate to move into the top of the order and thrive if he can build upon last year's success. White, Tomei and Shawn Wernock will have to head a pitching staff that will dearly miss graduated standouts Tim Rogers and Matt Zingaro, the former of which was one of the more dominant pitchers in the Shore Conference over the past two seasons. There are a lot of holes to fill, but often times the class waiting behind a standout class is better than expected, and that's what the Hawks are hoping.

6. Barnegat Coach: Dan McCoy, 2nd season Record Last Year: 12-11 (7-3)

As far as returning players go, Barnegat is in pretty good shape. The Bengals bring back six position players from last year's team, which finished second in Class B South and got the program heading in the right direction. Unfortunately for them, the player most

7. Lakewood Coach: Gene Drumright, 9th season Record Last Year: 4-14 (1-9)

The Piners are in almost the exact position as Barnegat, except they did not come within a game of winning a division title last year. Lakewood rode the allaround ability of Brenden Downey last year after Downey served as the team's best pitcher, hitter and catcher. He was the only major senior contributor on the team, but few players did more to carry their teams than Downey did.

Lakewood will also try to replace Downey with its deep roster of returning talent, which includes junior David Patterson and senior Mike Villalba. Patterson showed promise during his sophomore season and could be a surprise standout in the division this season, while Villalba is a four-year varsity player who will handle the full-time catching duties after doing so only on days when Downey pitched last season. Kristian Tate and Alex Martinez also provide Lakewood with some senior leadership, while Jason Jerez, Carlos Torres and Alex Catalan join Patterson in heading up a strong junior class. The hole Downey left is a big one, but Lakewood has a nice collection of young talent that could be tough to handle if the players come together.

8. Pinelands Coach: Robert Sanzari, 1st season Record Last Year: 3-16 (1-9)

The Wildcats were frequently hard-luck losers in Class B South last season and they hope to reverse their fortunes this season under new head coach Rob Sanzari.

Pinelands began to move some new players into starting positions last year and the result was a fair amount of growing pains. The payoff - if all goes according to plan - will be a more experienced club this season that is more capable of pulling out close games.

Senior John Arch returns to lead the rotation while fellow seniors Anthony Blasco and Joey Lunn will both be keys on the mound and at the plate. Senior Dan Disbrow returns behind the plate after playing part time behind graduated catcher Ben Cardillo. Junior Corey Burke is another two-way threat at the plate and on the mound and he will look to build on a .280 season at the plate. The sophomores and freshmen figure to play a key part in Pinelands success this season and freshman Luke Stambaugh - who already enjoyed a breakout season with the basketball team - could make an immediate impact at shortstop. There is a long way to go in the standings, but it would not take much for Pinelands to get on a roll and push its way into the top five of Class B South.

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The Bulldogs lose six position players and two top pitchers and will look to replace those graduating starters with a group of returning varsity players who played in part-time roles last year. Senior catcher Joey Spernal and senior outfielder Jake Simpson were regular starters last season and both hit over .300 as juniors. Both will look to repeat their 2012 seasons in order to spark a lineup full of new starters.

Senior left-hander Stephen Christianson pitched well as a starter for the Bulldogs last season and will spearhead the rotation. The 12-12 record last year probably was not reflective of Rumson's talent - especially at the plate - so if the pitching and defense are sharp, the Bulldogs could very well surprise in Class A Central, even with a lot of new starters.

7. Shore Coach: Patrick O'Neill, 2 nd season Record Last Year: 7-13 (5-7)

The Blue Devils were a young team with a new coach coming off a down season in 2011 last year and with all of that in mind, they had a solid season in 2012. The 7-13 record is nothing special, but a 5-7 mark in Class A Central and an overall competitive team from game-to-game was definitely a good enough opening campaign for second-year coach Pat O'Neill. Now that the Blue Devils have some experienced varsity talent coming back, they should be able to take another step toward competing for a division title.

Competing for that title this year, however, will be very difficult in an improved Class A Central. Junior left-handed slugger and pitcher Matt Cosentino will be one of the top players in the division, while senior first baseman Chris Vaccaro returns after a breakout season in which he hit .393 with five extra-base hits. Senior shortstop T.J. Sempkowski and junior second baseman Andrew Schultz give the Blue Devils solid defense up the middle. Throw in an athletic outfield and another top pitcher in senior Mike Blaney and Shore has reason to believe in a major leap forward in 2013.

8. Holmdel Coach: Dan Mondelli, 5 th season Record Last Year: 10-14 (7-5)

There was neither a dominant team nor a bad team in Class A Central last season, and while RBC has the look of a dominant team, the division once again is solid throughout. That is how Holmdel - a team that finished second place and has a number of top players - could conceivably finish in last place. The Hornets return four-year starter J.T. Licciardello at shortstop, as well as a three-year junior starter in Joe Sadler. Senior Josh Parasar and junior Matt Schneiderman both showed promise last season in their first season as starters, Parasar in the outfield and Schneiderman at third base.

The question for Holmdel will be the pitching staff, led by returnee Kyle Jones. While Jones has varsity experience on the mound under his belt, most of the roster does not. Pitching was scarce in A Central last year, which allowed a lot of teams to compete for the division title, but with RBC, Manasquan and Monmouth joining the bunch, pitching is going to be even more important this year. If Holmdel can perform on the mound, there is more than enough talent around the diamond for the Hornets to finish in the top-half of the division and compete for a public title.

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Coach: Gary Costello, 2 nd season Record Last Year: 12-12 (7-5)

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On the other side of the coin, it helps to be able replace that production with a lot of different players contributing. Senior Rob DeSanti was a quality pitcher for Barnegat last year and provides experience on the infield as well. Classmate Justin Chasmar returns at shortstop and sophomore Nick Fraim showed promise behind the plate as a freshman. It will take a total team effort, but coming together as a team is an important step in the process of developing a winner and the Bengals have enough experience to do that and surprise the rest of the division.

6. Rumson-Fair Haven

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To build on last year's first-round upset of Middlesex in the Central Jersey Group II playoffs, the Panthers will need to replace ace John Dunbar and construct a pitching staff that keeps its defense involved and keeps its offense in the game. Seniors Ryan Lees, Kurt VanBenschoten and Ryan Thrunk will all throw significant innings and freshmen Frank Graziano, Tim Rossi and Mike Falconetti figure to contribute right away. There are some major question marks in the Panthers rotation, but every team outside of Jackson Liberty and Central has some obvious questions heading into the season. The big bats of DelPriore and Prout should win some games for Point Boro.

responsible for the turnaround - Wake Forest left-hander Mark McCoy - is no longer around. Not only was McCoy a dominant pitcher who took on some of the Shore Conference's top lineups and opposing pitchers, but he was also one of the most productive hitters in the conference as well. Losing that kind of impact player is always a challenge, especially for a program that had a breakout season behind the performance of said player.

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13 doubles and 25 RBI on his way to a third-team AllShore selection.

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Jerome Cevetello, 1B, Matawan - Yes, two first basemen in the lineup. Both Incle and Cevetello who drove in 23 runs for the Spartans last year - are too good to leave off this list.

Ross Gisondi, SS, Red Bank - Mixed power and athleticism with a homer, five doubles and eight steals last year and he really only scratched the surface of his ability.

1. Freehold Coach: Jon Block, 22 nd season Record Last Year: 18-13 (5-7)

Freehold went into the season with high expectations last year and although it took a month to work out the kinks, the Colonials hit their stride in May. Freehold advanced to the Monmouth County Tournament semifinals and then advanced all the way to the NJSIAA Group III final on the strength of its top two pitchers, left-hander Jake Yanez and right-hander Mike Bolton. Both Yanez and Bolton return this season and the two senior hurlers will be the backbone of a Freehold team that looks to ride the momentum of last season's playoff run.

Shawn Johnson, 3B, Matawan - Solid allaround player for the Huskies will be one of the team's top hitters (.367 last year) as well as one of its top pitchers.

Jason Lundy, OF, Freehold - Skipped the fall soccer season to focus on getting a college offer and after Fordham scooped him up, the pressure should be off and Lundy should be primed for a big year.

Ajee Patterson, OF, Neptune - A top-notch athlete who starred at quarterback on the football field, Patterson was also one of Neptune's top hitters on the diamond last season.

Tom McCauslin, OF, Long Branch - Quietly hit .360 with some pop last year for the Green Wave and will also be one of the team's top arms on the mound.

Dillon Stambaugh, C, Red Bank - In a conference full of standout catchers, it's hard to stand out. That's probably why Stambaugh's .404 batting average flew under the radar the way it did.

pitchers to watch

Jake Yanez, LHP, Freehold - Yanez's physical stature does not resemble the traditional image of a workhorse, but that's exactly what the left-hander is. Yanez led the Shore with 86 innings pitched last year, 25 more innings than the next-closest pitcher on the list.

Mike Bolton, RHP, Freehold - It's a wonder Bolton lost two games last year with a 0.82 ERA. He and Yanez were the driving force behind Freehold's state tournament run.

Brian Wikoff, LHP, Red Bank - He doesn't have the innings that the Freehold pitchers have, but Wikoff could be the top pitcher in the division after posting a 1.87 ERA last year.

Justin Harnett, RHP, Matawan - A top hitter as a second baseman, Harnett's most important role will be as No. 1 pitcher for a Huskies team that has enough on offense to make a division-title run.

Ryan Lillie, LHP, Ocean - After a solid sophomore season, Lillie has the polish and the pitches to be one of the top pitchers in the Shore Conference over the next two seasons.

Freehold's Jake Yanez The challenge for coach Jon Block and his staff will be replacing all of the offensive production that graduated with players like Matt Holtz, Anthony Vazzana and Travis Rudic, but senior center fielder and Fordham University recruit Jason Lundy and senior catcher Kevin Smith give the Colonials two good position players in the field and at the plate to help back up the pitching. Class B North has any number of teams who can step up and win the division, but the two pitchers at the top make Freehold the team to beat, especially coming off of its championship run.

2. Ocean Coach: Cip Apicelli, 4 th season Record Last Year: 12-14 (6-6)

By its standards, Ocean had a rough season in 2012 while implementing a young pitching staff around a number of new starters around the field. The payoff should come this season, when the entire staff returns along with a sprinkling of players in the field after a deceiving 12-14 season that included a lot of close losses.

Three senior pitchers - Kevin Buell, Dan Maguire, and Taylor Yates - return after solid seasons last year while junior left-hander Ryan Lillie could be the best of the bunch following a sophomore season in which he won five games and struck out 35 batters. Behind them, the Spartans return first baseman Jerome Cevetello, who is coming off a 23-RBI season as a junior. Senior shortstop Andrew Mehr and senior outfielder Jordan Bell will both be major contributors once each returns from injury in late April, but in the meantime, senior outfielder Nick Price will join Cevetello as a run-producer with varsity experience.

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/ Ocean has the pitching to overcome some injuries in the field and once completely healthy, the Spartans will have a great shot to win the division.

3. Wall Coach: Todd Schmitt, 16 th season Record Last Year: 19-6 (10-0)

For most programs, the answer to the above question is usually "a little bit of both." That will probably apply to the Crimson Knights this season, although they have shown the ability in recent years to trot out a lineup of inexperienced talent and still compete. In a wide-open Class B North, inexperience will not be a major strike against Wall as long as the talent performs, and based on the talent that has passed through, the Knights should be expected to compete.

Wall returns only one starter from last year's squad, junior first baseman Jack Gifford, and even Gifford was not a starter for the entire year. He won the job midseason and made the most of his chance by hitting .381 with four doubles. Only one of Wall's major contributors this season will be a senior, and that is Mater Dei transfer Pat Meagher, who will pitch, catch and play the field depending on the team's need. Sophomore Ryan Orender will make an impact as a third baseman and as a pitcher, while classmate Dan Wondrack will see time behind the plate. Juniors Chris Barcas and Brandan Biegart will play up the middle and fellow junior Tim Willey will play the outfield. The three juniors and two sophomores will be keys in the everyday lineup and if the pitching falls into place, the Crimson Knights can make a run at the top spot.

4. Red Bank Coach: Del Dal Pra, 2 nd season Record Last Year: 12-15 (4-8)

This could look like a conservative ranking in a couple of weeks because the Bucs return all but one starter from last season and have the kind of up-andcoming talent that often makes up breakout teams. Red Bank returns a catcher in Dillon Stambaugh who hit .404, a left-handed starter in Brian Wikoff who is committed to Navy and posted a sub-2.00 ERA, and a shortstop in Ross Gisondi who had six extra-base hits and stole eight bases. That is the type of senior trio that can take a team a long way in a division without a clear favorite.

Senior right-hander Joe Jacques will back up Wikoff in the rotation after posting a 2.24 ERA last year and seniors Tyler Cook and Cooper Gettis are both coming off strong offensive seasons. With that senior core and juniors Jacob Nappi and Corey Martin poised for solid seasons, Red Bank profiles as a team that can take the division.

5. Matawan Coach: Bobby Carnovsky, 1 st season Record Last Year: 10-12 (4-8)

Matawan had its moments last season in finishing a disappointing 4-8 in Class A Central and during the stretch run of the season, many of this year's returnees started to settle into starting roles. Returning a top pitcher-slash-middle-infielder in Justin Harnett gives

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Dan Incle, 1B, Matawan - His .300 average a year ago is not as good as some of the other first basemen in the division, but unlike most other players in B North, he had a big sophomore year two years ago. Expect a rebound season.

Teams listed by predicted order of finish

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Jason Richard, C, Neptune - Four-year starter behind the plate will also be a key arm on the mound for a Scarlet Fliers team that could be a darkhorse in B North.

By Matt Manley – Staff Writer

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Position players to watch

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hristian Brothers Academy seniors Joe Dudek and Matt Pidich entered the CBA baseball program one season after the Colts captured the NJSIAA NonPublic Group A championship for the first time since 1977.

The goal for the two four-year letter-winners and their classmates was to be the class of the state once again by the time they were through with their high school careers.

This year not only marks the last chance for the talented Class of 2013 to play for a state championship against a loaded Non-Public A field, but it is the last opportunity for the group to win back control of its own neighborhood. The 2013 season is the likely climax of the rivalry between neighboring non-public powers Red Bank Catholic and CBA and part one of the climax begins on April 13 when the two meet at the Academy in Lincroft.

Since the start of the 2010 season, Red Bank Catholic has emerged as the standout non-public program in Monmouth County while CBA has gradually built back up after losing one of its best classes ever following the 2009 season. During that span, the Caseys have gone 6318 and CBA 40-30, with Red Bank Catholic winning all three meetings between the teams. Last year, Red Bank Catholic beat CBA, 6-5, in the Monmouth County Tournament semifinals.

“They’ve obviously been a great team for the last few years and they’ve accomplished a lot,” Dudek said of RBC. “I would expect them to have another good year with the players they have, and I’m sure they are going to be confident playing us because we haven’t beaten them during our first three years. But we feel like we have a very good team too and we have very high expectations for our season. RBC’s one of the best teams we’re going to play this year, and we measure ourselves against teams like that.”

Prior to 2010, the Red Bank Catholic-CBA rivalry existed mostly through the close proximity of the two schools to one another. On the field, the Caseys had their moments, but they were not in the running for state championships like CBA and on the rare occasion that the two played one another, CBA was the superior team.

Not only did RBC reverse that trend, but the Caseys did it seemingly overnight. Buddy Hausmann - the left-handed ace of the last Red Bank Catholic state championship team in 1997 - took over the program in 2008 after three years as an assistant and since then, the Caseys have made the leap from a good program with a handful of talented players to one that wins division championships, turns CBA's Matt Pidich

By Matt Manley – Staff Writer out 18-win seasons and is among the few serious competitors for postseason championships. Although the program had turned out Major League Baseball draft picks – among them Hausmann (Mets), Ryan Kalish (Red Sox) and J.C. Menna (Athletics) – it took an influx of talent and new culture of winning to push the team into the class of the Shore Conference’s elite.

“CBA is a team that you get up for, especially for us because so many of the kids know each other and are friends off the field,” Hausmann said. “Our guys always look forward to playing them, and I’m sure it’s the same way with them (CBA). Right now, we have a group of seniors that has never lost to CBA, which is pretty impressive. They have a chance to make it through their careers beating that team every year, and I know that’s something that would mean a lot.”

our part to keep up the CBA tradition and it has to start on (April 13).”

RBC has its own stable of prominent talent, led by Maryland CBA's Joe Dudek

It was also convenient for RBC that when the Caseys were hitting their stride, CBA was saying goodbye to a senior class that included current Red Sox farmhand Pat Light, who capped one of the best Shore Conference pitching careers of all time by winning the NonPublic A championship game for his 20th career win without any losses. To RBC’s credit, CBA’s rebuilding project of the last four years was supposed to make the rivalry a compelling one, but instead, it has only RBC's Mike Rescigno reversed the pecking order – Red Bank Catholic has been the top non-public program in the Shore Conference with CBA trying to play catch-up. the field,” Although it has a lot to prove, CBA also has the talent to measure up with any team in the conference. The Colts have four seniors who are already committed to Division I programs, three of whom are committed to schools in the highlycompetitive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Dudek (North Carolina), Pidich (Pittsburgh) and right-hander John McCarren (Wake Forest) make up CBA’s deep, dangerous pitching staff, with Pidich and McCarren preparing to pitch at the next level while Dudek is just moonlighting as a lefthanded hurler while remaining one of the more feared left-handed-hitting first basemen in the state. The Colts also boast Holy Cross recruit Anthony Critelli at shortstop and four-year starter Chris Cordova in center field.

“This game is a lot more than just a regularseason game,” Pidich said.

“People think we’ve given up the title of best non-public school in the area and this season is a chance to take it back. The guys who graduated before us left a legacy here, and we want to keep that legacy alive for them. We want to leave our mark and do

recruit Mike Rescigno, who is the team’s top pitcher and its top run producer. Junior shortstop Al Molina enjoyed a breakouts season as a sophomore and is off to a strong start this season after committing to Coastal Carolina over the offseason. While CBA’s seniors are determined to take back the mantle as the Shore Conference’s best team, Red Bank Catholic’s seniors are looking to finish off an unprecedented feat by going unbeaten against their rivals to the west over their four years.

“A lot of us know each other and we’re friends off Rescigno said. “On the field, there’s no love. When you know the guy on the other team, it makes you want to beat him even more and that’s how it is with us. Nobody wants to lose that game.”

While the head-to-head rivalry with CBA has gone its way for the last three years, RBC does have some demons of its own to exorcise. The Caseys hit a rough patch to end the season last season, when for the second straight year, they lost at home in the NJSIAA Tournament by a wide margin. The RBC players are hoping to get back to where they were two seasons ago when they finished 264 and won the program’s only Shore Conference Tournament championship.

“I don’t know what happened last year and honestly, it’s in the past,” Rescigno said. “I stopped thinking about it a while ago. It’s all about this team this year.”

The Shore Conference boasts a number of traditional powers like two-time defending Group IV champion Manalapan, defending SCT champion Jackson Memorial, Toms River South and North, as well as defending Class A North champion Middletown South. Those teams will all be factors again this season, but with so much highlevel college talent on each roster and a rivalry that can be both friendly and fierce, the CBA vs. RBC arms race is the story to watch as the baseball season takes shape.

“Losing to them in the Monmouth County Tournament at (First Energy Park in Lakewood) left a really bad taste in our mouth,” Pidich said. “We don’t want to feel that again, especially in a rivalry game. It’s been a rivalry for the last three years and it’s going be a war again this year.”

ll a person has to do is take a look at what Southern’s lacrosse team accomplished last season and check its roster to see who returns to realize the Rams should field one of the Shore Conference’s best teams in 2013.

Southern as a contender will surprise no one. Just how good the Rams can become is the question.

“We expect to compete and win every game, no matter who it’s against and where it is,” said senior defenseman Nick Jinks. “We want to show that Southern is for real this year.”

“The expectations are huge and we’re not shying away from them,” said Southern head coach John Pampalone.

Heading into last season, even with just three seniors on the roster, Southern believed it had the ingredients to make a championship run. The 17 wins from a

Sophomore goalie Brendan LeFanto

season ago speak for themselves, but a signature win was still lacking as the postseason began. The Rams had a chance to take the Class A South division title but fell to Jackson Memorial in early May. Then came the Shore Conference Tournament where Southern took out powerful Red Bank Catholic, the 2010 SCT champion, in the quarterfinals.

“That was huge,” Jinks said. “It finally showed we have the lacrosse IQ and lacrosse players, not just athletes running around the field trying to make plays. We took that step last year.”

“Since I’ve been here that’s the first big upset we’ve really had,” said senior attackman Tyler Lipositz.

The Rams went on to lose to eventual champ Rumson in the semifinals, but the belief they had in their ability to play with the area’s best teams finally had a tangible result to attach to it. One year later Southern is looking to build upon its budding success and wade

“I think our team is ready to give Rumson and Jackson a challenge,” Jinks said.

“Rumson is the king of the mountain until someone beats them and they’re a great team, but I think we have closed the gap and there’s opportunities out there,” Pampalone said.

Through the first week of the season the Rams were nearly perfect. They outscored their opponents 43-6 in three games with a balanced scoring attack and a stingy defense. Barring a huge upset they will be undefeated heading into an April 13 clash with Jackson Memorial.

Sophomore goalie Brendan LeFanto got his chance at a starting varsity spot as a freshman and did not Senior defenseman Nick Jinks disappoint, making 224 saves with a .76 save percentage.

The entirety of Southern’s starting attack line returns and has so far picked up right where it left off. Lipositz scored 31 goals and assisted on 41 others last season while junior Brendan Mullen scored 38 goals with 19 assists. Plenty of eyeballs will be focused on sophomore Dylan Jinks as he enters his second season with tremendous expectations. As a freshman Jinks scored 52 goals and added 30 assists in being selected to the All-Shore second team and being named the Star-Ledger’s Freshman Player of the Year.

“We knew he was going to be good but I didn’t know he was going to be 53-goals-good,” Nick Jinks said. “He’s a talented player who still has a lot to learn. He’s only going to grow from here.”

“Fifty-three goals is a surprise, that’s an outstanding season for anyone,” Pampalone said. “He’s mature beyond his age and he’s going to do great things.”

Lipositz brings balance and a point-guard mentality to the attack line and is arguably the offense’s most important player. His pass-first nature and good vision make him tough to double-team, but he can also drive to the net and score from the outside if left alone.

“Tyler is one of the few kids who cares more about getting assists than goals,” Pampalone said.

“He’s a former point guard and he likes to pass the ball. To have those guys on your team helps glue everything together.”

Newcomers Adam Eastburn (junior) and

“Our defense will always carry us,” Pampalone said.

“They’ve been together for basically three years now with the inclusion of our goalie.”

The one question mark is in the midfield and the team’s transition defense. Senior Al Manzo scored 17 goals last season and heads the unit with sophomore Shawn McManus (11g, 14a), senior Tim Godfrey (12 goals) and sophomore Chris Smith (10 goals) also returning. Senior long-stick midfielder Nick Hem provides stability while seniors Kevin Behr and John Starner reprise their roles as defensive middies. Senior Tyler Goldsmith will also be a defensive midfielder this season. Junior Brian Dunphey and seniors Austin Henken and Sean Stewart round out the midfield lines. The faceoff specialist is junior Bill Dowd, who won 82 percent of his draws last year.

“It really comes down to the midfield line,” Pampalone said. “When we faced Rumson and some of the better teams they took advantage of our lack of experience in the midfield, and when you give teams like that multiple opportunities to score it always leads to disaster. We’ve worked really hard in that area to give ourselves more offensive possessions.”

All the players mentioned above came through Southern’s youth program, which has obviously played a big role in the high school program’s success. Without a good feeder program - in basically any sport at public schools - it’s nearly impossible to build a winner. Southern has had a seventh and eighth grade program for eight years and has had second-third, and fifth-sixth grade teams for five years.

The junior varsity team is filled with freshmen waiting for their chance in the coming seasons.

“Our area has really taken a liking to lacrosse and it’s become a big thing down at Southern,” Pampalone said.

“The program is building on itself now.”

The Rams know they have a bit of a target on their backs this season. It comes with the territory. On paper, their goals this season might not be very different form years past. But the reality of winning at a high level is much more attainable now.

“We know we’re going to come out and see the best effort from every team we see,” Lipositz said. “I want to win every game, I don’t want to lose at all.

I’ve personally always had that mentality, but it’s different to know you can actually do it.”

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into uncharted waters. While Jackson Memorial has advanced to the final in each of the last two seasons, no team from Ocean County has ever won the Shore Conference Tournament.

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Pampalone speaks with great confidence about his defensemen and goaltender, whom he expects to anchor the team throughout the season. Jinks was a first-team All-Shore selection last year and is joined by fellow senior Frank Thissen. The Rams also have three-year varsity player Tim Ivancich along with sophomore Mike Adragna, who saw significant time as a freshman. Senior Andrew Smith should see plenty of minutes, as well.

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Garrett Mandrona (senior) will also see time at attack.

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Position players to watch

By Matt Manley – Staff Writer

Teams listed by predicted order of finish

Angelo Miragliotta, C, Henry Hudson One of three Henry Hudson returning starters who hit .400 or better last season, with Miragliotta finishing at .442.

Connor Thomson, 1B, Keyport - An alldivision selection by the coaches, Thomson will hit in the middle of a senior-heavy Red Raiders lineup.

Conor Gammond, 2B, St. Rose Gammond's breakout season in 2012 included a .360 average with five doubles and two triples.

3. Mater Dei Coach: Pat Riddell, 9 th season Record Last Year: 12-10 (8-4)

Tom Delahanty, 2B/SS, Mater Dei Another returning all-division selection by the coaches, Delahanty posted a .403 average with 12 RBI and 10 stolen bases that reflect a wellrounded offensive skillset.

The division has come down to Point Beach and St. Rose in two of the last three seasons, but the Seraphs have reason to believe they are the top challengers to the Purple Roses this season. With three pitchers - left-hander Bobby Klatt, righthander Ryan Branagan and left-hander John Stanziale - back from a solid rotation last year, the Seraphs will be in every game they play this season.

Noah Yates, SS, Point Beach - When healthy, Yates is the best position player in the division. He hit .426 as a sophomore with 13 doubles and 23 RBI.

Alan Nieto, OF, Point Beach - Is fully healthy after an injury-plagued junior season and figures to be one of the division's top hitters after hitting .375 last year and .476 as a sophomore.

Ben Thompson, OF, Henry Hudson - The Admirals probably won't challenge for the division title, but Thompson is one of the top talents in B Central after hitting .467 as a sophomore last year.

Nick Fiore, OF, Point Beach - In his last two seasons, Fiore has a combined 20 doubles and 42 RBI, hitting .452 as a sophomore and .392 last season.

Dan Markulin, SS, Keansburg - Markulin can do everything on the field and if he does everything on the field this year, Keansburg could be a sleeper to win the public division title.

pitchers to watch

Brad Currao, LHP, St. Rose - Wagner recruit went 4-4 with a 2.09 ERA last year while facing St. Rose's toughest opponents and receiving little run support.

Noah Yates, RHP, Point Beach - The Garnet Gulls' big-game pitcher finished 5-1 last season, including a win over St. Rose in the second meeting between the teams.

Bobby Klatt, LHP, Mater Dei - Like Currao, Klatt's record (3-5) suffered as a result of pitching against his team's toughest competition.

The 47 strikeouts and 3.18 ERA are a better reflection of how he pitched.

Joey Delacruz, RHP, St. Rose - The senior right-hander will pitch at Dominican College in New York next year and follow Currao in a deep St. Rose rotation.

John Stanziale, LHP, Mater Dei - Another lefty in Mater Dei's rotation, Stanziale was a bulldog for the Seraphs. He went 3-3 with 27 strikeouts as a junior.

the mound. He gives the Gulls a tough arm from the left side to follow senior right-hander Zach Yates, who went 5-1 last year and will also play the field on days he does not pitch. Infielder Paul Fiorentino and catcher Dan Pfefferkorn give Point Beach some versatility in the lineup while senior Shane Regan and freshman John Van Schoick also look like contributors in the field and on the mound. Point Beach can still be compete for the division without Noah Yates, but having a .436 hitter with extra-base power at shortstop would be make it a lot easier.

St. Rose's Brad Currao

1. St. Rose Coach: Mike Condon, 2 nd season Record Last Year: 19-7 (11-1)

The Purple Roses started a new winning streak last year, winning a second consecutive division title after finally dropping a division title to Point Beach in 2010.

St. Rose split the season series with the Garnet Gulls last year and the Roses should expect a stiff challenge from Point Beach again this year. Mater Dei also returns a deep pitching staff with a number of quality position players after a competitive 2012.

St. Rose returns its top player from last year, senior left-hander Brad Currao. The Wagner College recruit hit .431 with eight doubles and four triples last year and sported a 2.09 ERA on the mound. Senior Joey Delacruz will follow Currao in the rotation and play third base on other days. With seniors Brendan Lynch and Conor Gammond back in the middle of the infield, St. Rose will have starting experience at all four infield spots when Currao and Delacruz are not pitching. Senior Andrew Aikins and juniors Jimmy Gowen and Parker Haggerty all figure to get innings on the mound and senior Shayne Smith will return after an elbow injury kept him out for all of last year. With a deep stable of pitchers and an experienced infield, the Purple Roses are again the team to beat in B Central.

2. Point Beach Coach: Ty Hawkins, 3 rd season Record Last Year: 15-7 (10-2)

Point Beach was one slip-up short of sharing the division title last year and the margin for error will once again be thin in 2013 for the Gulls to win the division. Another reason that margin for error could be thin is because junior shortstop Noah Yates is dealing with injury trouble - which includes a broken finger suffered during basketball season - that could affect his availability this season, according to Gulls assistant Angelo Fiore.

There is still a lot of offense to go around, led by senior outfielders Alan Nieto and Nick Fiore. Nieto missed some time due to injury last year, but still hit .375 and won three games on

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Offensively, Mater Dei returns AllDivision middle infielder Tom Delehanty, who hit .403 as a junior in 2012. Junior Matt Eckert will play shortstop and pitch after a sophomore season in which he hit .357 with a home run and 13 RBI. Senior catcher Joe Galante took over the catching duties last season and drove in 14 runs and will handle the deep pitching staff, which also welcomes in athletic junior right-hander Sam Miles. St. Rose is still the favorite in B Central but the Seraphs have enough to hang with St. Rose as long as they don't slip up against the rest of the division.

4. Keyport Coach: Kyle Keelen, 2 nd season Record Last Year: 7-11 (6-6)

The Red Raiders made significant strides last season, finishing fourth in the division with a .500 record. The next step for Keyport will be stepping up and challenging Point Beach as the top public school in the division. If the Red Raiders can get to that level, then the attention turns to trying to beat St. Rose.

So how close is Keyport to all of that? Replacing senior ace Ryan Chandler is the toughest challenge this season, but Keyport does return most of its starting lineup from a solid team. Senior first baseman Connor Thomson is back after earning an all-division selection from the coaches last year, while senior Nick Smutz will play across the diamond and see some innings on the mound. Senior Nick Armstrong had a breakout season behind the plate in 2012 and is part of a strong core up the middle with the double-play combination of shortstop Corey Romanetz and second baseman Nick Gunslaus. Senior outfielder Johnny Olsen is also back after a productive season, giving the Red Raiders a host of senior talent that is ready to make a move toward the top of the division.

5. Keansburg Coach: Brian Kmak, 16 th season Record Last Year: 7-12 (5-7)

Before thinking about division titles and beating the top teams in B Central, the focus for both Keansburg and Keyport is beating their next-door neighbors. Adding to the intrigue of the rivalry is second-year Keyport coach Kyle Keelen is a former Titan and played for Keansburg coach Brian Kmak. It is a friendly rivalry between coach and player, but the players always get up to play one another.

Keansburg has a good shot to jump back into the top

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Coach: Vinnie Whitehead, 1 st season Record Last Year: 4-13 (2-10)

First-year head coach Vinnie Whitehead - who also coaches the boys basketball team at Henry Hudson - takes over for Tom Lynch, who led Henry Hudson to the Central Jersey Group I final in 2010. This year's team will try to bounce back from a forgettable 2012 season that saw the Admirals win only two Class B Central games, both of which came against last-place Asbury Park.

This year's team should have a pretty good chance to add a couple of extra wins to the division record, and not just because the Ranney School is now on the schedule twice.

Senior Jim Trivett, senior Angelo Miragliotta and junior Ben Thompson all hit .400 or better last year, with Thompson earning a coaches' all-division selection as a junior. Thompson has a chance to anchor the lineup for the next two years and with some proven production coming back, Henry Hudson will put up some runs. If Trivett and Thompson can help bolster the pitching staff, the Admirals can play spoiler in the race for the division title, even if they are not quite ready to join that race.

7. Ranney Coach: Brian Dolan, 6 th season Record Last Year: 5-9

The Panthers will boast a young roster in their first Shore Conference season, which means they could have some trouble against a division that actually has a lot of senior presence among its top teams. There is, however, some talent at Ranney, led by sophomore John Mejia, who hit .397 as a freshman. Senior Madison Price is a good athlete behind the plate and junior Steve Jacobsen, along with Mejia, will anchor the pitching staff. Talented freshmen Corey Natofsky and James Geraghty will also contribute right away and with a year to adjust to the competition, Ranney should set itself up to be a competitive team in B Central in the near future.

8. Asbury Park Coach: Johnny Grasso, 7 th season Record Last Year: 0-12 (0-12)

The bad news for Asbury Park is that it lost a lot of starters from last year's team, but the lessbad news is that last year's team went 0-12 anyway. The Blue Bishops will get an infusion of young talent this season with freshmen Willie Speller, Angel Rosario, Jahmel Dixon, Jamar Lamar and Matt Halman, all of whom will start in some capacity. Junior catcher Paul Bacon, and senior outfielders Will Lezin and Herm Mondesir will have to carry a lot of the load, but if the freshmen can play, the Blue Bishops can take a few steps forward in 2013.

6. Neptune Coach: Bob Huzzy, 13 th season Record Last Year: 8-9 (5-7)

Outside of Red Bank, Neptune returns the most talent from last year's team, but unlike Red Bank, the Scarlet Flies will have to replace one of Class B North's top pitchers. Daly was the kind of pitcher who gave his team a chance against any team in the Shore Conference and although Neptune's position players all have varsity experience, they no longer have that equalizer on the mound.

All that being said, Neptune has a lot of talent back from a team that was competitive in an underrated Class B North division. Jason Richard is a four-year starter at catcher and could end up being the team's top pitcher, which is a goodnew-bad-news proposition for a team with a quality catcher. Neptune has junior Kevin Welsh to catch Richard, but the Fliers will be at their best with Richard behind the plate, as long as they get pitchers to step up and throw quality innings.

In the field, juniors Bobby Knee and Latrell Jones form a formidable left side of the infield and senior Ajee Patterson - a football standout - is coming off a strong junior year on the diamond as well. With a top catcher, an athletic outfield and up-and-coming players in the infield, Neptune is the sleeper in B North.

7. Long Branch Coach: John Perri, 2 nd season Record Last Year: 4-16 (0-12)

The Green Wave had an exceedingly young roster last year and it showed in an 0-12 season within Class B North. With a season of experience under their belts, the Long Branch players should be more competitive this season and will almost certainly best their division win total from last season.

Long Branch returns five position players - senior catcher Josh Amato, junior shortstop Conor Mullan, senior first baseman Spencer Frantz, senior outfielder Tom McCauslin and senior outfielder Tom McGlennon - who hit .300 or better.

The latter four of those players will all be contributors on the mound as well, along with senior Ashwin Mudiraj, who has the most mound experience of anybody on the roster. The six teams ranked ahead of Long Branch all have a legitimate shot to win the division, and part of the reason for that is that every team in the division can lose on any given day. Long Branch should be able to take advantage of that, get a few wins in Class B North and take the next step toward competing for a division title.

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Winning the division is well within the realm of possibility for Matawan, but for that to happen, the Huskies will need Johnson, Robbie Marshall, and Mike Creamer (also the shortstop) to give them quality innings on the mound. Creamer and Mike Denino will also add to a solid offense, but those three senior pitchers and junior newcomer Nick Santuccio are the keys to the season for Matawan. If one or two of those pitchers have a breakout season, expect Matawan to be in the hunt for Class B North from wire to wire.

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6. Henry Hudson

Matawan a leg up on a lot of teams in the division and surrounding a versatile ace with talented hitters like Dan Incle and Shawn Johnson can only make the Huskies even more formidable.

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four of the division, past a senior-laden Keyport team. Senior shortstop Dan Markulin is one of the best athletes in the Shore Conference, as he displayed with another standout basketball season for the Titans after also playing wide receiver in football. Senior catcher Kevin Shepherd also gives the Titans a senior presence behind the plate while handling a pitching staff that will try to overcome the loss of last year's ace, Jorge Cunha. Markulin, senior third baseman Zach Massari and junior Mike Politano will head a solid pitching staff that should give Keansburg a chance to pull an upset or two against the top teams and give the Titans a chance to crack the top four in the division.

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The Colts lost some firepower off last year’s roster with the graduation of attackman Donny Finn, who was the A North Player of the Year and a US Lacrosse All-American, along with midfielder Alex Roth and goaltender Christian Trigani. Long the standard-bearer in the Shore Conference, CBA has seen many programs catch them, which is good for the sport but not something the Colts will continue to let happen easily. Junior attackman Thomas Deiner and junior middie Frank Isola lead CBA’s core returners while senior Jack Wilson will start in goal. The Colts will once again be among the best teams in the conference and are expected to continue their reign at the top of A North while contending for a Shore Conference Tournament championship.

The Colts crushed Long Branch in their season opener before falling to Holmdel, 7-6.

CBA Senior attack Thomas Palisi

Coach: Jeff Rosenberg, 9th season (73-62) Record Last Year: 11-6

The Cougars have established themselves as a solid and dependable program and this season are looking to challenge for the division title. Senior defenseman Ryan Anzalone, a second-team AllShore selection last season, anchors the back end while senior midfielders Zach Geiger and Connor Canonico, the latter of whom is also a standout face-off specialist, return after being honorable mention All-Shore selections.

Junior defenseman Anthony Gargiulo adds to their defensive strength while junior middie Alex Glickman and senior attackman Rob Halmi have provided offense early in the season. Junior Dusty Thugut has been solid in goal so far. Following a season-opening loss to West WindsorPlainsboro South, Colts Neck won two straight over Ocean and East Brunswick.

3. Red Bank Regional Coach: Don Femminella, 3rd season (26-17) Record Last Year: 11-10

The Bucs graduated their top player from last season in goalie Pat Quinn but will lean on experience with seven returning seniors among the roster. Red Bank’s defense features junior Ryan Seely, senior Scott Zackman, senior Tim Vilardi, senior Wylie Bogdon and junior Zack Bradley.

Returning in the midfield are senior Max Paris, junior Jake

Smolokoff, senior Chris Manning and senior Steve Megill.

Senior Nick Caruso returns to lead the group of attackmen.

Through the first week of the season Red Bank is 1-1 with a win over Marlboro and a two-goal loss to Manasquan.

4. Wall Coach: Chris Knight, 8th season (67-67) Record Last Year: 7-9

The Crimson Knights made it through the first week unscathed with a win over Neptune and a double-overtime victory over Brick Memorial. Senior defenseman Mike Cusack returns after earning All-Shore honorable mention last season. Key returners include senior middie Robert Albrecht, junior middie Nick Bongiovanni, senior attackman Shawn Clark, junior attackman Kyle Critchlow, junior defenseman Tim Foley and junior attackman Bruno Setteducati.

5. Freehold Township Coach: Mike Ferrando, 2nd season (8-8) Record Last Year: 8-8

The Patriots enter the season with plenty of promise thanks to a large group of returners, led by senior attackman Dan Bloodgood, who was a second-team AllShore selection last season. So far Freehold Township has made good on that potential with convincing wins over Howell and Toms River South in the opening week. Other returners include junior attackman Stephen O’Brien, senior middie Justin Albarran, senior middie Shane McGhee, senior defenseman Kevin Marra and senior goalie Todd Bitsko.

6. Howell Coach: Anthony Bonjavanni, 1st season Record Last Year: 8-10

Senior attackman Alex Dambach returns after garnering second-team All-Shore honors last year for the Rebels, who will look to regroup after an 0-2 opening week.

Joining Dambach on the attack line are sophomore returners Mark Buannic and Jake Sherman along with

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Coach: Dave Santos, 15th season (188-72) Record Last Year: 14-4

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1. CBA

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By Bob Badders – Staff Writer

Tea m s lis ted b y p redicted ord er o f fin is h

1. Rumson-Fair Haven

4. Manasquan

Coach: Reid Jackson, 2nd season (19-1) Record Last Year: 19-1

Coach: Nick Schmidt, 4th season (31-24) Record Last Year: 7-11

After going undefeated in the Shore Conference and winning the last two Shore Conference Tournament titles Rumson is clearly the team to beat this year. The Bulldogs lost some key components from last year’s squad that lost only to state powerhouse Summit in the state tournament, but return plenty of talent and experience. Vermont-bound senior Michael Clarke leads a group of attackers that also includes junior Dominic Padula, sophomore Chris Sutphen and highly-regarded freshman Robbie Garavente. Senior Mike Villane, who pumped in four goals in a seasonopening win over Holmdel, anchors the midfield with juniors Conor Walsh and Chris Hubler, standout face-off man Ryan Campbell and junior newcomer Sam Atkinson. Junior J.T. Jennings was a second-team All-Shore selection last season and returns to lead a defensive unit that also features junior Connor Phillips. After playing defense last year senior Dylan Rotchford steps in between the pipes to take over for the graduated Artie Tildesley, the All-Shore goalie.

2. Holmdel

Senior Attack Michael Clarke

Coach: Sal Guastella, 5th season Record Last Year: 9-8

The Hornets have been a team trying to break into the Shore Conference’s elite for a couple years, and if their first week is any indication they may be headed that way. Holmdel went back-and-forth in a 10-7 loss to Rumson before upsetting CBA, 7-6. Junior Tim Davis, an All-Shore defender as a sophomore, anchors a strong defensive unit along with senior Dan McDermott, junior Mark Manfasani and sophomores Adam and Joe Ibrahim playing in front of senior goalie John Tascione. Junior middie Mark Scherzer led the Hornets in scoring last season and paces Holmdel’s offense.

He is joined in the middle by junior captain Matt Dixon, seniors Mike Mattera, Andrew Masco and Mike Solfaro and juniors James Georgalis and Connor Shields. The Hornets attack line should be among the best around with seniors Dillon Cort and Justin Russo playing with junior Joe Tages, who has started the season strong.

3. Red Bank Catholic Coach: Ryan Eichner, 9th season (79-59) Record Last Year: 11-7

The Caseys are looking to rebound from an 0-2 first week that included surprising losses to Watchung Hills and Toms River East. Senior Chris Whitlock, an All-Shore honorable mention recipient last season, leads RBC’s attack line along with senior Cal Whaley and junior Andrew Porzio. Juniors Ryan Coolahan and Kevin Stickle are the returning middies and will combine with newcomers Eric Berbrick, Alex Spezio, Mike Oristano and Tim Barile. Senior Rich Curran was a second-team All-Shore defender last year and anchors the Caseys’ defense alongside senior Bryce Leonard and junior Nolan Riley with junior Tyler Leonard in goal.

The Warriors finished under .500 for the first time in several years last season and will look to rebound behind junior midfielder Joe Murphy, a second-team All-Shore player, senior middie J.D. Kuper and senior defenseman Zach Campbell. Freshman Jack Farrell takes over as the team’s starting goaltender. The Warriors finished the first week 2-0 with wins over Shore and Red Bank.

5. St. John Vianney Coach: Mike Dowd, 4th season (24th overall) Record Last Year: 9-10

The Lancers began the season with victories over Long Branch and Monsignor Donovan before suffering their first defeat against Old Bridge. Senior Mike Iuliano and juniors T.J. Coleman and Christian Byer comprise the attack line with senior Nick Anzevino, junior Pat Gribbon, and junior Dan Louriero in the midfield. The Lancers’ returning defensemen are senior Chris Rocca and sophomore Aiden Cole in front of senior goalie Sean Sullivan.

6. Shore Coach: Gregg Malfa, 3rd season (18-16) Record Last Year: 10-7 The Blue Devils turned in a winning season in just their

The Lancers played only one game during the season’s first week, falling 18-4 to St. John Vianney. Attack line returners include senior Francis Duddy and junior Vinny Grasso. Seniors John Underwood and Grant Klimek along with junior Couper McClay return in the midfield while seniors Kyle Furita, Shane O’Brien and Rob Piela comprise an experienced defensive unit. Junior Joe Giunta steps in as the starting goalie.

8. St. Rose Coach: Jesse Kolodin, 2nd season (20-48) Record Last Year: 7-11

The Purple Roses posted just four wins from 2008 through 2010 but have bounced back with 16 wins over the last two years and will try to continue their improvement.

Three of St. Rose’s key returners are in the midfield with seniors Jack Sullivan and Ryan McMenaman and sophomore Louis Melone. Junior Joe Erbe returns to anchor the defense while sophomore’s Scott Dimmit and Matt Frost lead the attackmen.

Newcomer Andrew Sarree will start on defense as a sophomore.

9. Ranney Coach: Joe Tweed, 4rth season (13-26) Record Last Year: 3-11

Conference newcomer Ranney joins the A Central division this season and will be led by junior midfielder Mackie Marcellino, sophomore midfielder Peter Gerhard, junior attackman Josh Pelman, senior defenseman Mitch Katz and senior defenseman Mamoun Chater.

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Coach: Guy Lassen, 4th season Record Last Year: 4-10

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Coach: Jim Papalia, 5th season (30-29) Record Last Year: 4-12

7. Marlboro

8. Ocean

After suffering losses to Lacey and Red Bank to begin the season the Mustangs responded with a victory over New Egypt for a 1-2 opening week. Returning attackmen include senior Sam Sugarman, junior Matt Lewis and senior Jake Metzger, who will also play in the midfield. Seniors Adam Petty, Stephen Semo and Devon Torres comprise an experienced group of middies along with junior Chris Coyle and sophomore Ben Metzger. Senior Kevin Yang and juniors Eric Mallow, Jimmy Mazarella and Brian Prestigiacomo make up the defensive core.

Coach: Warren Towns, 5th season (20-48) Record Last Year: 3-13

The Spartans will field a roster filled with returners as they try to move up the ladder in A North. Senior Mike Thorne and sophomores Christian Goslin and Zack Karasic return as attackmen, seniors Quinn Schulhafer, William Grayson and Nathaniel Healy will patrol the midfield along with junior Joe Villani and sophomore Hayden Matarazzo. The defenders are senior Sea Sturn, junior Chris Marcinkiewicz and sophomores Chris Psomias, Joe Dempsey and Steve Graziano with junior Bobby Graziano in goal. Ocean fell to Colts Neck and Shore during the first week of the season.

9. Neptune Coach: Frank Palumbo, 2nd season Record Last Year: 7-11

Midfielder David Hoecker, defenders John Seidle and Eric Farrington and face-off man James Montgomery return to help the Scarlet Fliers attempt to eclipse last season’s win total. Senior newcomer Jose Caraballo, a football and wrestling standout, should make an immediate impact playing in the midfield. Neptune lost to Wall and Lacey during the opening week.

10. Long Branch Coach: Donald Lynch, 1st season Record Last Year: 0-18

Corey Morris, Sydir Gibson, Chris Arcos, Marshall Williams, Tyler Schick and Terry Manning return as the Green Wave look to build their program and earn their first victory.

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7. Monsignor Donovan

senior Nick Paolillo. Returning midfielders are senior Tyler Verdoni, senior James Stagg, junior Joe Madaio and sophomore Evan Wesley. Sophomore Anthony Pozsonyi, sophomore Dillon Pyskaty, senior Jon Gravius and senior T.J. Virtue comprise the defense with senior Tyler Ornstein in goal.

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second year as a varsity program and will look to build upon that with several returning starters. Senior Jack Kelly was an All-Shore honorable mention player last season and anchors the middle for Shore along with fellow seniors Jesse Phalanukorn, Mark Costantino, Ryan Lytham and Eddie Garrigal. The attack line features seniors Luke Dwyer, Kyle Gironda and Chris Sipler. Sipler will also see time in the midfield.

Senior Anthony Johnsen returns as the starting goalie behind returning defensemen Brendan Blair and Marco Bongarzone.

A NORTH LAX Continued from page 21

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A CENTRAL LAX Continued from page 22

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By Bob Badders – Staff Writer

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Tea m s lis ted by predicted o rd er o f finis h

1. Southern Coach: John Pampalone, 7th season (64-40) Record Last Year: 17-4

As lacrosse grows in the Shore Conference different programs rise up to stake their claim as one of the area’s elite. Last season Southern knocked on that door and this season the Rams aim to bust it down. Only three seniors graduated from last season’s squad that reached the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals.

From goalie out through its attack line Southern is balanced and experienced, and will be in contention for division, conference and state sectional championships this season. The attack line of sophomore Dylan Jinks, senior Tyler Lipositz and junior Brendan McMullen has been lethal through its first three games to help Southern outscore its opponents 43-6. In the middle the Rams boast senior Al Manzo, sophomore Shawn McManus, sophomore Chris Smith, junior Brian Dunphy and senior Nick Hem, the long-stick

Southern Sophomore goalie Brendan LeFanto

midfielder. All-Shore defenseman Nick Jinks anchors the back end with senior Frank Thissen, junior Bill Dowd, sophomore Mike Adragna and senior Tom Ivancich. In goal is sophomore Brendan LeFanto, who made 224 saves with a .76 save percentage as a freshman.

2. Jackson Memorial Coach: James Buchanan, 1st season Record Last Year: 16-5

The Jaguars have carried the flag for Ocean County’s emergence on the Shore lacrosse scene and will move forward with a new head coach as former coach Nick Caruso was controversially not rehired. The Jaguars have reached the Shore Conference Tournament final in each of the past two seasons and have their eyes on becoming the first Ocean County school to win the SCT. Plenty of talent returns, including AllShore senior midfielders Mike and Nick Specht and All-Shore senior defenseman Pat Duggan. Senior attackman Evan Farrar leads the offense with senior Corey Chawick, senior David Furbish and sophomore Troy Wolf also manning the attack line. Junior Scott Wedgeworth, senior Mike Balsamo, junior Vinny Celidonio, junior Jeff Galatola and junior Jan Niec will join the Spechts in the midfield. Junior Bobby Chitren,

senior Mike Okulewicz and senior Ryan Young join Duggan on defense in front of junior goaltender Cody Weisel.

3. Lacey Coach: Shane Allen,5th season Record Last Year: 10-9

The Lions began the season with three straight wins, including a victory over Toms River East, before losing to Jackson Memorial to end a 3-1 opening week. Senior attackman Brock Torre, senior midfielder Tom Prosser, junior midfielder Dan Cannon, senior defender Casey Sirotniak and senior goalie Tyler Walsh anchor the squad.

Lacey will look to newcomers George Sayre (So., D) and Lucas Sirotniak (So., M) for additional support.

4. Toms River East Coach: George Peters, 10th season Record Last Year: 10-8

After losing to Lacey in the first game of the season the Raiders stunned Red Bank Catholic, 13-9, showing they could make some noise this season. Key returners for Toms River East include Matt Kalinowski, Pete Cagno, Matt Gudzak, Nolan Gottshall, Dan Unger, Kyle Dilorio, Nick Stafford, Chris Kiszka, Zack Roselli, Bob Gray, Nick Lorenca, B.J. Harrington, Anthony Correia and Mike Ford.

5. Brick Memorial Coach: Brent Middlemiss, 6th season (31-42) Record Last Year: 12-5

The Mustangs posted their first winning season in program history last year and will look to build upon that

Coach: Len Zdanowicz, 2nd season Record Last Year: 11-6

Junior David Kearns and senior Mark Bixenman lead the attack line for the Dragons, who opened the season with a win over Toms River South and then a loss to Southern.

Also returning for Brick are senior midfielder Ty Samms, senior defenders Mike Nezgoda and Tom Francese and junior face-off man Brendan Rack.

7. Toms River North Coach: Brett Smith, 10th season Record Last Year: 5-8

The Mariners started the season 0-2 after dropping games to Holmdel and Southern during opening week. On the attack line Toms River North returns seniors Patrick Higham and Brad Rosstedt with newcomers Mike Dunn and John Maikisch. Seniors Jordan Rosal, Tom Alvarez and Ryan Tutzauer, and juniors Sean Moore, Taylor Boschetti and Kevin Dougherty return among the midfielders with junior Kevin Kozlik, senior Luke Thomson, junior David Mitchell and junior Gunnar VanBezooijien on defense. Senior Kevin Krysiewicz will be between the pipes for the Mariners. Also look for newcomers sophomore Alex Scherer on defense and junior Joe Suchocki in the midfield

9. Barnegat Coach: Ryan Dalon, 8th season (20-90) Record Last Year: 10-11

The Bengals finished their season with double-digit wins last year for the first time and will look to improve upon that total in 2013. After falling to Brick Memorial in overtime to open the season the Bengals defeated Long Branch to even their record at 1-1 through the first week. Senior Nick Anderson and junior Ethan Tonneson lead the attackmen with junior Justin Snowden, senior Zach Tanner, sophomore Ricky Gerena, junior Mark Magoon, senior Bryan Clarke and junior Anthony Hause patrolling the midfield. On defense, senior Brian Holmes and junior goalie Matt Grobelny return.

10. Jackson Liberty Coach: Jim Sharples, 1st season Record Last Year: 4-16

Senior midfielders Steve Quaranta, Brandon Kokich, Alex Castellano and Marcus Clowney return along with junior defenseman Dom Legotte. Junior midfieler Nate Matos and senior attackman Billy Bouford enter the lineup as newcomers. The Lions began the season with a win over Steinert before falling to rival Jackson Memorial during the opening week.

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The Indians return plenty of experience in the midfield with seniors Robert Hailey, Johnny Kicak, Joey Dipalma, Justin Wagner and Brandon Santos joining junior C.J. Muller on the middie lines. Senior Matt Quinn leads the attackmen while senior Dallas Midieros and junior goalie Jeremy Brown lead the defense.

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Coach: Matt Zuech, 10th season Record Last Year: 4-11

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6. Brick

8. Toms River South

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in what should be a very competitive A South division. Senior Dan Bury leads the group of attackmen in front of a solid midfield that includes seniors Ryan Calmon and Yanni Kitrilakas and junior Griffin Carney. Senior Dylan Boland will anchor the defense. Senior Chris Vanbrunt takes over for Drew Lamela in goal. Brick Memorial began the season with an overtime win over Barnegat before falling to Wall in double overtime.

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A SOUTH LAX Continued from page 24

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By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Here is a look at the 2013 and teams to watch.

Red Bank Catholic

The defending Class B North, Shore Conference Tournament and South Jersey Group II champions again look like the team to beat in the Shore. Despite the loss of stars like Kaitlyn Cunningham, Cat Luick and Kathy Pignataro to graduation, there is plenty of talent left on the Caseys. Junior Grace Fallon, also a basketball star, is one of the top players in the Shore. Alexis Whalen, Maeve Cowley, Victoria Brown and Amanda Casten are all returning starters who give RBC experience all over the field.

Casten and Whalen lead the defense, while Brown and Cowley are top scoring options.

The main question mark is replacing graduated goalie Rebecca Barille, as Sabrina Arbes and Olivia Lipp are vying to fill that void. It all adds up to a team that will battle usual suspects like Rumson-Fair Haven and Shore Regional for Shore Conference supremacy.

RBC Junior Grace Fallon

Shore Conference girls lacrosse season, with some players Rumson-Fair Haven

Another perennial power, the Bulldogs return a solid group of seniors that includes midfielders Kelsey Cuje and Annie Gilbertson as well as goalie Maddie Mullen. Seniors Emily Knapp and Emily Hayes and juniors Mary Scarrone, Bridget Curran and Nicolette Dunphy anchor the offense at attack, while senior Jessie Yorke is a veteran defender who patrols the back along with junior Courtney Dunphy.

Rumson-Fair Haven will clash with Manasquan and old rival Shore for supremacy in Class A Central.

Shore Regional

One of the Shore Conference standardbearers in girls lacrosse, the Blue Devils hope to ascend back to the top spot they have often occupied in their first season under new coach Doug Blanchard. He replaces the highly-successful Chris Raichle, who is now the coach at Central.

Blanchard inherits a team led by senior defenders Claudia LaMarca and Toni Roma that has to replace graduated stars like Chelsey Henderson, Alyson Chwatek and

RBC Junior Maeve Cowely

Molly Arnette. The Blue Devils always seem to reload and have a large group of returners with experience, so they should once again be a factor in the postseason.

Manasquan

The Warriors are part of a loaded Class A Central division with Rumson-Fair Haven and Shore that should be a dogfight all season. Head coach Maria Eldridge, now in her 11th season, returns a squad with good balance thanks to a staunch defense led by seniors Kathleen Gerard and Kristin Baragona and an offense featuring Rutgers recruit JoJo Reilly and Duquesne recruit Shea Cowley. Also, senior Amanda Hagaman, a good all-around athlete who was a top player on the basketball team, has come out for lacrosse.

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH: Jenna Gilman, Sr., A, Ocean: One of the top scorers in the Shore Conference, Gilman returns after finishing with 81 goals and 13 assists as a junior. She looks to help the Spartans improve on last season’s 8-9 mark.

Ocean Senior Jenna Gilman

Macy Scott, Sr., A Toms River South: Scott, who will join Manasquan’s JoJo Reilly among the incoming recruiting class at Rutgers this fall, led the Indians with 82 goals to go with 13 assists last season. She is coming up on 200 goals for her career.

Kelli Serpi, Sr., M, Manchester: The senior midfielder should be one of the top players in Class B South this season. The Hawks’ leading scorer is hoping to help them take a step forward after a 2-15 season in 2012.

Jenna Eustace, Jr., A, Monmouth Regional: A standout since her freshman season, the experienced Eustace should be one of the top scorers in Class B North this season as the Falcons try to get over the .500 mark following a 5-10 season.

Kylie Almers, Sr., M/A, Colts Neck: A standout two-way player, Almers is one of a host of veterans returning for the Cougars after a 17-5 season as they look to make a run at the Class A North title.

ew Jersey is one step closer to having a football state playoff system that makes sense, and I couldn’t be happier.

On April 3, the NJSIAA’s Advisory Committee passed through a bylaw change in the NJSIAA’s constitution that would allow public schools to play to overall Group champions in football rather than the current format of just playing to sectional championships. In May, the NJSIAA’s Executive Committee will vote on whether to amend the sentence in Article IX of its constitution that prevents football from playing to Group champions. Even if that is voted down in May, the proposal could still move to a final vote in December if it receives 20 signatures from administrators, which is a virtual slam dunk. If the vote passes, the earliest the new system could be implemented would be for the 2014 season.

What that means is that once again it looks like New Jersey is on the cusp of having a state playoff system like most other states in America rather than the current ridiculousness of awarding state championships to 24 different teams per season (20 public teams and four non-public champions). The last time a proposal to make this change came up for a vote, it was shot down in 2011, coming up 23 votes short. That was followed by even more nonsense when a new Group V was created for the largest high schools, awarding four more championships across the state.

Under the new proposal put together by River Dell athletic director Denis Nelson, the start and end of the

Teams that win weak brackets can still call themselves sectional champions, but if they are legitimately any good, they will prove they can hang with schools their size from around New Jersey.

This would generate a ton of buzz about the playoffs and which teams will be the first to make history from the Shore Conference.

If it gets implemented for the 2014 season, that means the current sophomore class could get a chance to do something no Shore team has ever done by the time they are seniors. Will quarterback Carmen Sclafani (pictured) lead Toms River North to Group V glory? Will defensive end Hunter Baillie help Long Branch to the top in Group III? The fact that those questions could even be asked is enough to create excitement.

There would be eight straight games with no bye weeks and then the playoffs Plus, it alleviates a major bone of would begin. contention for most of those Playoff teams opposing a system that plays to would play up Group champions over the past few Toms River North's Carmen Sclafani through the years. All of the traditionalists Group moaning about losing the semifinals Thanksgiving games could have their before pausing for Thanksgiving games and then turkey and eat it, too. I was never in agreement with playing the overall Group championships in the first that because there are only about four or five Turkey weekend of December. The playoff format remains the Day rivalries out of the 43 teams in the Shore same for non-public schools, which already play up to Conference that anybody cares about anyway. At least an overall Group champion, but the playoffs would be under this new proposal, everyone is satisfied and the finished earlier and allow teams to play two more guys from the 1960s can wear their varsity jackets on games after the playoffs if they wanted, including Thanksgiving and talk about old times. their Thanksgiving game.

Of course, I’ve gotten my hopes up before only to The NJSIAA also passed a motion to base seeding on have this crash against the rocks of ignorance by the team’s top seven games, instead of eight under the portions of the NJSIAA’s membership, namely in current system, and allowing teams to throw out their 2011. However, this proposal seems to have a lot more worst power-point total from a single game. That support and the NJSIAA seems to clearly be on board. change means teams can schedule tougher opponents If everything goes right, all those years of arguing if they want and don’t have to fear the repercussions over which teams in each Group are the best will get in the power-point department. If a powerful smallsettled where they should have been settled all along – school Group I team wants to test itself against the big the field.

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Frankly, this proposal is a home run to me. Plus, the NJSIAA is always talking about its money woes, and you would have to think Group championships would be a financial windfall because there would be rabid fan interest in them. For years, different areas of the state have bragged that they have been the best, and now it would get settled on the field.

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the playoffs.

Teams that reach the playoffs and make it all the way to the Group finals could play up to 14 games compared to the maximum of 12 under the current system.

boys in Group V, there is no downside for the little guys.

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season would remain the same, and traditional Thanksgiving rivalries would stay intact, which had been a big stalling point of previous proposals. Teams would move from a nine-game regular season to an eight-game slate with the option of two consolation games and two other games schools can schedule on their own for teams that don’t make

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Join The

All Shore Media Team Today!

Interested in joining our team and think you have what it takes to be covering sports in the Shore Conference for All Shore Media?

We are looking for local writers interested in covering sports like Lacrosse, Baseball, Football, Basketball, Soccer, Swimming, Track, Ice Hockey and more as part

of our newspaper and our website (www.allshoremedia.com). Grab your chance to appear regularly in The All Shore Media Sports Review and on www.allshoremedia.com while helping us recognize more athletes and bring more stories to Shore Conference sports fans. This is your chance to become a regular

contributor to a growing business on the cutting edge of covering sports in Monmouth and Ocean County.

Just contact Managing Editor Scott Stump @ stump@allshoremedia.com

Special Thanks to the photographers who supplied the photos seen throughout this issue Cliff Lavelle: www.clearedge.zenfolio.com Bill Normile: www.billnormile.zenfolio.com David Thorne: www.davethorne.smugmug.com Doug Bostwick w w w . s p o r t s h o t s w l b . c o m

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Conta c t: S tev en Me ye r 7 32 -2 33 -4460 sme ye r@a llsho re med ia.c o m

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t was another great send-off for the seniors to cap the Shore Conference basketball season at this year’s Shore Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games on March 20 at Wall.

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By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

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A Memorable Day of Basketball

Jackson Liberty

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Field locations may vary. Check with school Barnegat

School Address: 180 Bengal Boulevard, Barnegat Directions: From the north - Parkway to exit 67 (Barnegat). Make a left at the end of the exit ramp onto Bay Avenue. At second light make a left onto Barnegat Boulevard North. Go approximately one mile and make a left onto Bengal Boulevard. School is on the left. From the South-Parkway to Exit 63.

Follow route 72 east to route 9 north. Make a left onto Bay Avenue. Make a right onto Barnegat Boulevard North and follow above direction.

Brick

School Address: 346 Chambers Bridge Road, Brick Directions: From north - Parkway exit 91. Stay right off exit. Go straight at light, follow to Route 88. Cross Route 88, go under Parkway overpass and school is just ahead on right. From south- Parkway exit 90. School is short distance on right from off-ramp.

Brick Memorial

School Address: 2001 Lanes Mill Road, Brick Directions: From South - Parkway exit 90. Ramp will put you on Chambers Bridge Road. Take first jughandle U-turn and go west on Chambers Bridge Road. Cross Route 88 and follow to second light, where there is a convenience store on the left and a gas station on the right. The right and go over the Parkway. Pass the 7-Eleven and take the jughandle left turn for Lanes Mill Road. Go straight across, bear right just pass Lanes Mill Elementary School.

High school is on right. From north - Parkway exit 91. Bear left after the toll.

Follow jughandle around, turn right at light at gas station. Follow directions above after going over the Parkway.

Central Regional

School Address: Forest Hills Parkway, Berkeley Directions: From north - Parkway exit 77. Turn left off exit onto Double Trouble Road, follow it to traffic light. Turn left on Forest Hills Parkway.

School is just ahead on right. Parking entrance is at far end of school or at middle school lot. From south - Parkway exit 77. Turn right on Forest Hills Parkway. School is just ahead on right. Parking entrance is at far end of school or at middle school lot.

School Address: 125 North Hope Chapel Road, Jackson Directions: From south- Route 9 north to Cox Cro Road Road in Toms River. Make a left onto Cox Cro and follow about two miles to 527 (Whitesville Road). Make a right onto 527 and follow for about 4-5 miles. Make a right onto South Hope Chapel Road/CR547. School is just ahead on the left. From north - Parkway exit 98.

Take I-195 west to Exit 21. Bear left and turn onto Route 527 South.

Follow for 6-7 miles and turn left onto South Hope Chapel Road (just after 527 becomes 528 at Whitesville Road). School is about a half mile on the right.

Pinelands Regional

Jackson Memorial

Point Pleasant Boro

School Address: Don Connor Boulevard, Jackson Directions: From south - Route 9 north to Route 571. Go about 10-12 miles west to Route 528 intersection. Turn right on Route 528. Continue on Don Connor Boulevard and make a right. School is a quarter mile on the left. From north - Parkway exit 98. Take I-195 west to exit 21. Bear left and turn onto Route 527 South. At second light turn right onto Route 528. Continue to Don Connor Boulevard and make a left. Follow directions above.

Lacey

School Address: Haines Street, Lacey Directions: Parkway Exit 74. Turn right on Lacey Road. Follow less than two miles, take jughandle left turn for Manchester Avenue. Go to the first light, turn right on Haines Street. School is on the right.

Lakewood

School Address: 855 Somerset Ave, Lakewood Directions: From south - Parkway exit 90. Take immediate jughandle U-turn to go west on Chambers Bridge Road. Turn left onto Route 88, follow to New Hampshire Avenue and turn right. Take New Hampshire to end, turn left onto Ridge. Go about 1 ½ miles to school on right. From north - Parkway exit 91.

Stay right off exit. Go straight at light, follow road to Route 88 intersection.

Turn right on Route 88 and follow rest of directions above.

Manchester

School Address: 101 Colonial Drive, Manchester Directions: Parkway to Exit 82A. Take Route 37 west about five miles to jughandle for Colonial Drive. Cross 37 and follow back to school parking lot.

Monsignor Donovan

School Address: 711 Hooper Avenue, Toms River Directions: Parkway to Exit 82. Take Route 37 east and turn right on Hooper Avenue. Go south on Hooper about a half mile and turn left at the first light.

School is on the right.

School Address: Nugentown Road, Little Egg Harbor Directions: Parkway Exit 58. Take Route 539 east about three miles. Turn right on Nugentown Road. School is three miles on the right.

Point Pleasant Beach

School Address: St. Louis and Chicago Avenues, Pt. Pleasant Beach Directions: From north - Route 35 south. After crossing Manasquan River, follow signs for Broadway/Beach and make U-turn onto route 35 North. Make a quick right onto Broadway. Make a right onto St. Louis Avenue and follow until you see the field. From south - Route 35 north. Make a right onto Broadway and continue with above listed directions.

School Address: Laura Herbert Drive, Point Pleasant Directions: From north - Parkway Exit 91. Stay left off exit and take jughandle around to light at gas station. Turn right and follow Burnt Tavern Road to Route 70. Turn left on Route 70 and at next intersection turn right onto Herbertsville Road. Stay on Herbertsville Road to intersection with Route 88.

Go straight through light to school less than a mile on the right. From south Route 88 east to Beaver Dam Road and make a right. School entrance is ahead on right.

Southern Regional

School Address: 600 North Main St. (Route 9), Stafford Directions: Parkway exit 63. Take Route 72 east about two miles and bear right onto Route 9 north. Take Route 9 about three miles and school is on the left.

Toms River East

School Address: Raider Way, Toms River Directions: Parkway Exit 82, Take Route 37 east to Coolidge Avenue jughandle. Go north on Coolidge one mile to Raider Way. Turn left, school entrance is on the left.

Toms River North

School Address: Old Freehold Road, Toms River Directions: Parkway Exit 82. Take Route 37 East. At first light take a jughandle left onto Route 166 north. Bear right at next traffic light onto Old Freehold Road. School is about three miles ahead on right.

Toms River South

School Address: 101 Hyers Street, Toms River Directions: Parkway exit 82. Take Route 37 east. Turn right onto Hooper Avenue. The field is a half mile down on the right behind the Ocean County Courthouse.

Neptune

School Address: 55 Neptune Boulevard, Neptune.

Directions: From north: Parkway Exit 102. Make a right on Asbury Avenue

Field locations may vary. Check with school.

Asbury Park

Manalapan

circle. Follow Route 35 north to Sunset Avenue. Turn right; school is about two miles on left. From north - Parkway exit 102 to Asbury Avenue east. Asbury Avenue runs into Route 66 and then same as above.

on Church lane. School is a half mile on right.

Colts Neck

School Address: 1003 Sunset Avenue, Asbury Park Directions: From south - Parkway exit 100A. Take Route 66 east to traffic

School Address: 59 Five Points Road, Colts Neck Directions: Route 34 to Route 537 west toward Freehold. School is two to

three miles ahead on the left.

Freehold Boro

School Address: 2 Robertsville Road, Freehold Directions: Take Route 18 to Route 79 south. Turn left onto Robertsville Road.

Filed is one block ahead on left.

Freehold Township

School Address: 281 Elton-Adelphia Road, Freehold Township Directions: Take Route 9 to Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524). Go west on

Route 524. School is one mile ahead on left.

Howell

School Address: 405 Squankum-Yellowbrook Road, Howell Directions: Route I-195 west to Lakewood-Farmingdale exit for Route 547

west (toward Farmingdale). Go about 200 yards to Squankum-Yellowbrook Road, turn left. School is about two miles on left.

Holmdel

School Address: 36 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel Directions: Parkway exit 114. Go west on Red Hill Raod. At first intersection,

turn right onto Crawfords Corner Road. School is one and a half miles ahead on the right.

Manasquan

Raritan

Manasquan/Sea Girt Exit. Go under Route 34 and follow Atlantic Avenue through circle. School is about one mile ahead on left. From south - Parkway exit 98. Take route 138 west to route 34 south, follow rest of above directions.

Hill Road, which turns into Laurel Avenue. Follow Laurel north across Route 35 to Middle Road. Turn left, school is on the right. From south - Parkway Exit 114. Turn right onto Red Hill Road, which turns into Laurel Avenue. Follow Laurel north across Route 35 to Middle Road. Turn left, school is on the right.

School Address: 159 Broad Street, Manasquan Directions: From north - Parkway exit 98. Take Route 34 south two miles to

Marlboro

School Address: 95 Route 79, Marlboro Directions: Route 18 north to Route 79 north. School is a few miles ahead on

left.

Matawan

School Address: 450 Atlantic Avenue, Aberdeen Directions: Parkway exit 117. Bear left off exit (passing northbound

Long Branch

School Address: Indiana Avenue, Long Branch Directions: Parkway exit 105. Take Route 36 east, bear onto route 71 past

Monmouth University and turn left on Westwood Avenue. Make a right onto Bath Avenue and then a right onto Indiana Avenue. School is ahead on right.

Red Bank Regional

School Address: 101 Ridge Road, Little Silver Directions: Parkway exit 109. Take Newman Springs Road east to end to

Route 35 (Broad Street), turn left. At the second light, turn right on Harding Road. School is one and a half miles on right.

Red Bank Catholic

School Address: 112 Broad Street, Red Bank Directions: Parkway exit 105. Take Rt. 520 (Newman Springs Road) east for

about 4 miles and make a left at the traffic light on to Rt. 35 north/Broad Street.

School is about 1 1/2 miles down on the left.

Mater Dei

Rumson-Fair Haven

Turn left onto Kings Highway, and right on Harmony Road, Take Harmony Road across Route 35 and turn right on Cherry Tree Farm Road. School is one and a half miles ahead on left.

(Broad Street), turn left. At the second light, turn right on Harding Road. After about three miles, Harding becomes Ridge Road. Pass Red Bank Regional High School and go about three more miles. Rumson-Fair Haven will be on the left.

School Address: 538 Church Street, Middletown Directions: Parkway exit 114. Turn right on Red Hill Road, follow to end.

end. Turn right onto Kings Highway. Make a right and follow to Route 35 south to the jughandle for Tindall Road. Take the jughandle and then make a right to Tindall Road. The school will be a half mile on right.

Route 36 south. Take jughandle left onto Atlantic Street. School is on the left.

School Address: 419 Middle Road, Hazlet Directions: From north - Parkway exit 114. Make a left off the exit onto Red

tollbooths) and get in left lane of Route 35 south. Turn left onto Route 35 north and follow sign back to the Parkway. Before toll booth, turn right on Clark Street. At light, turn left on Lloyd Road. At next light, turn right on Church Street. At next light, turn right on Atlantic. School is just ahead on the right.

light, turn left onto VanShoik Road. VanSchoik becomes Laurel Avenue. Take Laurel across Route 35 to Route 36. Turn right on Route 36 and take to jughandle left turn for Main Street. At first light, turn right onto Port Monmouth Road. School is down on the right.

Keyport

School Address: 550 West Park Avenue, Ocean Township Directions: Route 35 to West Park Avenue. Go east on West Park Avenue,

school is a half mile on the right.

Middletown North

School Address: 351 Broad Street, Keyport Directions: Parkway exit 117. Take G.S. Parkway Exit 117. Bear left on to

Ocean Township

School Address: 30 Church Lane, Manalapan Directions: Route 9 to Route 522 west. Turn right on Tennent Road, then left

Keansburg

School Address: 140 Port Monmouth Road, Keansburg Directions: Parkway exit 114. Turn right off ramp onto Red Hill Road. At first

after the exit and take that until it intersects with Rt. 66 east. Bear right on to Neptune Boulevard and stay to the right at the exit. Go straight at the stop sign and go through the next traffic light. School is down on the right. From south: Take Parkway Exit 100 A (Rt. 66 East/Asbury Park) and follow directions above from Rt. 66.

School Address: 63 Tindall Road, Middletown Directions: Parkway exit 114. Turn right onto Red Hill Road and follow to

Middletown South

School Address: 501 Nutswamp Road, Middletown Directions: Parkway exit 114. Go east on Red Hill Road to light for Dwight

Road. Turn right on Dwight Road to Middletown-Lincroft Road. Cross Middletown-Lincroft Road to Nutswamp. School is a half mile on the right.

Monmouth Regional

School Address: 1 Normal J. Field Way, Tinton Falls Directions: Parkway to exit 105. Take jughandle at first traffic light to Hope

Road and go north to Tinton Avenue. Turn left on Tinton Avenue and go about half a mile to school entrance on the right, just before Parkway overpass.

School Address: 74 Ridge Road, Rumson Directions: Parkway exit 109. Take Newman Springs Road east to Route 35

St. John Vianney

School Address: 540 Road, Holmdel Directions: Parkway exit 117. Bear left off exit (passing northbound

tollbooths) and get in left lane of Route 35 south. Turn left onto Route 35 north and follow sign back to the parkway. Before tollbooth, turn right onto Clark Street. At light, turn left on Lloyd Road. At first light, turn left onto Church Street. At next light, turn right onto Line road. School is on left.

Shore Regional

School Address: Route 36 east, West long Branch Directions: Parkway exit 105. Take route 36 a few miles, cross route 71.

School is just ahead on the right.

Wall

School Address: 18th Avenue & New Bedford Road, Wall Directions: Parkway exit 98. Take Route 138 east about two miles to second

light, turn right onto New Bedford Road. Follow to school entrance on left.

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