4-10-18 Issue - 6 Volume-X by Shore Sports Network Journal

May 15, 2018 Volume-X Issue-6

The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want to know after the big game is always, â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;? Is this going to be on

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

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

KevinWILLIAMS S h o r e S p o r t s N e t w o r k Director k evi n.wil li ams@townsqua remedi a.com

SteveMEYER

Shore Sports Network Director High School Division stev e. meye r@t ownsquar emedia .com 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

Senior Content Providers Robert Badders - Managing Editor Bob.Badders@townsquaremedia.com MattManley // Mmanley21@gmail.com

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Former Shore Basketball Standouts to Rally for Good Cause in Red Bank By

Matt Manley

- Senior Staff writer

hen Ranney boys basketball coach Tahj Holden found out he and his youngest son, Max, were facing the fight of their lives, it did not take long for the Shore Community and beyond to show their support to the former Red Bank Regional and University of Maryland standout. Tw o - a n d - a - h a l f m o n t h s l a t e r, M a x ’s f i g h t c o n t i n u e s a g a i n s t a rare form of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma and the S h o r e C o m m u n i t y i s o n c e a g a i n h e l p i n g o u t o n S a t u r d a y, M a y 19 with the Max Strong Charity Alumni Basketball Game at Red Bank Regional High School, followed by a silent auction a t R e d R o c k Ta p a n d G r i l l e i n d o w n t o w n R e d B a n k .

H o w a r d i n t h e f a l l a n d w a s a S h o r e S p o r t s N e t w o r k A l l - S h o r e T h i r d Te a m P l a y e r f o r a P a n t h e r s t e a m t h a t w o n i t s f i r s t S h o r e C o n f e r e n c e To u r n a m e n t championship and lost to Roselle Catholic – the No. 1 team in N.J. – in the NJSIAA Non-Public B championship game it what is regarded by many to be the best game of the season in N.J. high school basketball. On the other side, the Shore Conference alumni team will boast R a h e e m C a r t e r, D a r n e l l Ty l e r, N i c k B r o w n a n d B o b b y S c o t t – a l l o f w h o m were standouts at Long Branch, with Carter going on to play at Seton Hall. Christian Brothers Academy head coach Geoff Billet opposed H o l d e n i n t h e S h o r e C o n f e r e n c e To u r n a m e n t s e m i f i n a l s b u t w i l l p l a y f o r h i s s o n ’s b e n e f i t w h e n h e s u i t s u p f o r t h e S h o r e alumni team as a former CBA and Rutgers University standout. J o h n T i e r n e y p l a y e d f o r R a n n e y ’s f i e r c e s t r i v a l – Mater Dei – before the rivalry took hold and now Ti e r n e y i s H o l d e n ’s a s s i s t a n t a t R a n n e y. H e w i l l s u i t up on Saturday for the Shore alumni squad as well.

The alumni game will pit former standouts from around the Shore Conference against some distinguished alumni f r o m H o l d e n ’s t h r e e m a i n t e a m s – R e d B a n k R e g i o n a l , Ranney and the University of Maryland.

The rest of the team includes Eric Beshore ( S h o r e R e g i o n a l ) , Fe r o n M c G h e e ( N e p t u n e ) , J e f f Hemschoot (Red Bank Catholic), Paul Marcotte ( M a t e r D e i ) , M a t t Ku k o d a ( S t . J o h n V i a n n e y ) a n d S e a n Ta g u e ( S t . R o s e ) .

The headliner on the Red Bank/Ranney/Maryland alumni game is Steve Blake, who starred on the 2002 NCAA championship team at Maryland with Holden and went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA with eight different organizations.

The game tips off at 10 a.m. with the doors at Red Bank Regional opening at 9:30. The scene shifts to Red Rock for a silent auction that will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Former Red Bank football star and Penn State running back Eric McCoo will also play on the Red Bank alumni team, along with Mark D o n n e l l y, W i l l G u e r i n , M i l t o n G r a y, R y a n J o h n s o n , To n y R a c i o p p i , J a m e s J o n e s , S h a w n Agee and Mike Canning Savior Akuwovo will also play with Red B a n k ’s d i s t i n g u i s h e d a l u m n i a f t e r p l a y i n g for Holden this past high school season at R a n n e y. T h e 6-foot-9 Akuwovo is headed to Division I

Tickets are $10 for the game, $45 for the auction and $50 for both. They are available in advance by going to Paypal.me/MaxStrongNJ or via Chase QuickPay at WarriorMaxStrong@gmail.com. Proceeds raised by the game and the auction go to the Max Strong N.J. Non-Profit organization. Max Holden was diagnosed with neuroblastoma during the first week of March and shortly t h e r e a f t e r, a f a m i l y f r i e n d s t a r t e d a G o F u n d M e p a g e t o r a i s e m o n e y f o r t h e H o l d e n f a m i l y. T h e p a g e r a i s e d more than $100,000 in the first 48 hours. Holden returned to coach his team against Roselle Catholic after a three-day absence to be with Max and his wife, Carrie, and his team – as well as many of the 3 , 0 0 0 - p l u s f a n s i n a t t e n d a n c e i n To m s R i v e r – w o r e y e l l o w shirts that said “Max Strong” on them over their game jerseys. Since the diagnosis, Max has had successful surgery to remove a tumor from his liver and undergone three rounds o f c h e m o t h e r a p y. A c c o r d i n g t o Ta h j H o l d e n , h i s s o n i s i n t h e midst of what doctors told him will be an 18-month treatment process.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

www.maxstrongnj.org SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

Matt Manley

- Senior Staff writer

h r o u g h o ut t h e 2 0 1 8 s e a s o n , J e r s e y M i k e â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s & S h o r e S p o r t s N e t w o r k w i l l s e l e c t a T e a m o f th e W e e k b a s e d o n t h e i r p e r f o r m a n c e o v e r th e p a s t w e e k e n d Over the past week, returning starters like senior pitchers Austin Nappi and Blaise Panzini delivered big starts in the final two games of the Monmouth County Tournament and returning junior David Glancy continued a hot streak that started with a three-homer game on April 26. The result was a second straight MCT championship for RBC and, in turn, the Week Five Jersey Mike's Team of the Week Award. Nappi pitched Red Bank Catholic to a 6-3 win over Christian Brothers Academy on Saturday, with junior Ryan O'Hara and sophomore catcher Chris Sparber - both firstyear starters - supplying the power. O'Hara launched two solo homers in the game and Sparber hit the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the fifth. Nappi, meanwhile, threw 100 pitches over seven innings to earn one of the biggest wins of his accomplished varsity career. CBA entered the Saturday on a 13-game winning streak. In Monday's championship game against St. Rose, it was Glancy and senior Nick Merlo who led the offense, with Glancy going 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI and Merlo going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in a 5-1 win at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood.

Week-5

Red Bank Catholic

In the championship game, Panzini came out on fire, striking out nine of the first 14 hitters he faced. The senior right-hander allowed one run in five innings while striking out nine and walking two.

ed Bank Catholic entered the season with a team heavy on potential, but light on experience. What experience the Caseys did return, however, has risen to the occasion and the result has been yet another championship season - one that still has a chance to get better as the younger RBC starters gain experience.

Red Bank Catholic's eight-day stretch actually started with a second loss to Wall ace Trey Dombroski, but the Caseys bounced back with two more Class B North wins over Middletown South and Manasquan before ending CBA's winning streak and finishing off the Monmouth County title on Monday. RBC is now 5-1 in games outside of B North divisional place, similar to last year, when the Caseys went 14-2 outside of B North and won their first 14 such games before losing to St. Augustin in the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A semifinal and to Toms River North in the Shore Conference Tournament final.

After dropping back-to-back division games against St. John Vianney and Matawan to open up the race for the Class A Central title, Raritan bounced back last week by reclaiming first place in the division standings, then beating Class A North teams Freehold Township and Colts Neck over the weekend to advance to the Monmouth County Tournament semifinals for the first time in more than a decade. Raritan's 4-0 week and its run through the early rounds of the Monmouth County Tournament earned the Rockets the Week Four Jersey Mike's Team of the Week Award. Senior right-hander and current Shore Conference strikeout leader Zack Johnston turned in two strong starts for the Rockets last week, first beating Rumson-Fair Haven and previously-unbeaten ace Alex Burnett in a key divisional game and then working another seven innings in a win over a potent Colts Neck lineup on Saturday in the MCT quarterfinals. Johnson, who struck out 11 vs. Rumson and has 50 strikeouts during his 4-2 start on the mound, also drove in a run against Rumson, Week Three went 3-for-4 with a double vs. Freehold Township, and Matawan knocked in three against Colts Neck.

Week-4

Raritan

Jake Tennant also had a big weekend, going 4-for9 with three doubles and seven RBI in the wins over Freehold Township and Colts Neck.

everal weeks ago, the Raritan baseball team learned the hard way that one bad week can put a season-long goal in jeopardy. Last week, the Rockets took that lesson and played a week of games that has them in position to have their best season in more than a decade.

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Raritan enters another big stretch as the Rockets look to gain separation in the Class A Central race while also setting their sights on a trip to the Monmouth County final. On Friday, Raritan gets a rematch with division foe St. John Vianney and one day later, the Rockets will host St. Rose in the MCT semifinals.

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5/15/18

Week Two Marlboro Week One Central Regional

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

By Bob Badde rs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Man aging E dit or

very week this spring, Windmill Restaurants & Shore Sports Network will be selecting a Boys Lacrosse Team of the Week based on its performance over the past week. In the SCT quarterfinals, the second-seeded Warriors dominated Freehold Township in a 16-2 victory. Junior attackman Canyon Birch continued his recordsetting year by scoring nine goals and adding two assists while freshman Casey Mulligan had a hat trick and one assist. Birch had six goals in the first quarter as Manasquan put the game away early to advance to the semifinals. It was the defense's turn to shine in the semifinals as junior goalie Mike LaPoint made 10 saves and defensemen Jack Fabean, Tyler Callahan and Tommy Shaughnessy and LSM Mike Page completely shut down Southern in a 12-0 victory. Not to be outdone, Birch made Shore Conference history by scoring six goals and adding two assists to set the conference's single-season scoring record with his 98th goal to pass the previous mark of 93 set by Southern's Dylan Jinks in 2014.

Week-6

Manasquan

he Windmill Team of the Week for Week 6 (May 7 to May 13) is Manasquan, which won its second straight Shore Conference Tournament championship with an 11-3 victory over previously-undefeated Christian Brothers Academy. Windmill and Shore Sports Network were at practice Monday to present the Warriors and head coach Sean Cunningham with a special certificate and a $300 Windmill gift card.

Then came the SCT championship game and a rematch with CBA. The Colts had won the first meeting in the regular season, 6-4, but this time it was all Manasquan as the Warriors led from start to finish to win 11-3 and repeat as SCT champions. Junior attackman Ryan Anderson scored a game-high four goals, Birch had two goals and three assists to reach 100 goals this season and the defense was tremendous again in holding CBA to just three goals. The SCT championship is the second overall for Manasquan in its fourth appearance all-time. After a two-game losing streak in late April, the Warriors have regrouped to play their best lacrosse of the season. They have won seven straight games and over that stretch are averaging 15 goals and allowing just 2.9. Manasquan earned the top seed in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 1 playoffs and will host New Egypt in the first round on Wednesday.

The week started with a 12-8 win over Jackson Liberty where junior attackman Jake Turner scored three goals and added one assist to reach 100 career points and junior midfielder Gil Goldsmith delivered three goals and six assists. Ryan Morris added two goals and three assists, Tom Bocco scored twice and Jack McCrae and Justin Murphy had one goal apiece. Scott Sirianni made seven saves. Shore then picked up a Class B North win over Ocean as junior midfielder Jack McCrae sank two goals and added one assist to also reach 100 career points. Turner led Shore with four goals and two assists while Morris had a hat trick andGoldsmith contributed one goal and four assists. Murphy scored once and Scott Sirianni made five saves while Matt O'Donnell was 17-for-21 WEEK-4 on face-offs. Middletown South

Week-5

Shore Regional

he Windmill Team of the Week for Week 5 (April 30 to May 6) is Shore Regional, which went 3-0, advanced to the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals and tied the school record for wins in a season. Windmill and Shore Sports Network were at practice Wednesday to present the Blue Devils and head coach Gregg Malfa with a special certificate and a $300 Windmill gift card.

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The Blue Devils concluded their week with a 12-8 win over Holmdel in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament. Turner scored four goals and Sirianni made 13 saves as the Blue Devils tied the program record for wins in a season and advanced to the SCT quarterfinals. Morris added two goals and four assists, Murphy and Bocco had two goals apiece and McCrae and Goldsmith each scored once.

Toms River East

Shore won its eighth straight game early this week when it defeated Middletown North, 12-2, to set a program record for wins in a season with 14. The Blue Devils fell to top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy in the SCT quarterfinals.

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WEEK-3 WEEK-2 Freehold Township

Christian Brothers Academy

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

By Bo b Badders â&#x20AC;&#x201C; S enior Managing Editor

very week this regular season, Shore Conference Lacrosse fans will have their chance to vote for the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey/Shore Sports Network Lacrosse Player of the Week on our website.

Week-5

Red Bank Catholic, So. A t t .

Jack Zenkert

he Week 5 winner as selected by the readers is Red Bank Catholic sophomore attackman Jack Zenkert, who scored 15 goals and added four assists in just three games, including a career-high 11 points in one game.

exploding for nine goals and two assists to lead the Caseys to a victory over New Egypt. He c o n cl u d e d h i s o u t s t a n d i n g t h r e e - g a m e s t r e t c h with four goals against rival Red Bank.

Week-4

Zenkert has kept his hot streak going this week to help RBC pick up a pair of wins. He scored four goals and dished out two assists in a win over St. Rose and then scored five goals with one assist w h i l e a l s o c o l l e c t i n g a c a r e e r- h i g h s e v e n g r o u n d b a l l s i n a w i n o v e r J a c k s o n L i b e r t y.

Week-3

After posting 13 goals and two assists as a freshman, Zenkert has enjo yed a breakout season with 52 goals - which is tied for 11th in New Zenkert began his week with two goals and two Jersey - and 16 assists for 68 points. assists in a game against Colts Neck before

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Jack son Liberty, Sr. Mid.

Max Matthies

Lacey, Jr. Att.

Dylan Vitale

Week-2

Southern Regional, Jr. Att.

Aniello Russo

Week-I

Holmdel, Jr. Goalie.

Nick Tuccillo

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

Rumson-Fair Haven Holds Off Manasquan to Win Sixth Straight Girls Lacrosse SCT Title

By Bob Badders â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Managing Editorr

hore Conference girls lacrosse powerhouse Rumson-Fair Haven was put in an unusual spot d u r i n g t h e M a y 1 2 th S h o r e Conference Tournament final, but when the clock reached zeros the result was the same its been for the past six years. The Bulldogs faced a stern challenge from upsetminded Manasquan, but Rumson was able to prevail with a strong second half to defeat the Warriors, 117, and bring home a record sixth straight SCT championship at Hesse Field on the Great Lawn at M o n m o u t h U n i v e r s i t y. Gil Curran scored three times, Chase Boyle tallied twice, Kate Caruso, Mel Guido, Cassie James, Jordan Johnson, Meg MacGillis and Grace Jamin each scored once and Sophia Bocklage made six saves to give Rumson its seventh SCT title overall and continue the program's six-year undefeated streak against Shore Conference teams.

minute, but Rumson answered with five straight goals to take a 5-1 lead. Curran scored off a 12-meter free position to tie the score at one, then gave Rumson a 2-1 lead l e s s t h a n a m i n u t e l a t e r. S o p h o m o r e J o r d a n J o h n s o n m a d e i t 3 - 1 j u s t 2 6 s e c o n d s l a t e r. Rumson's lead grew to 4-1 when junior Grace Jamin scored while the Bulldogs were a player down and junior Casie James pushed the advantage to 5-1 with a goal at 13:04.

"We knew it was going to be a hard game because we play club with most of the (Manasquan) girls," Curran said. "We were a little flustered at first but we took a deep breath and knew what we had to do to settle down."

M a n a s q u a n c l a w e d b a c k , h o w e v e r, b y controlling draws and finishing good chances. Maddy Stoddard and Jenna Harms scored goals 75 seconds apart to pull the Warriors to within 5-3. Rumson stretched its cushion back to three goals when senior Meg MacGillis scored, but three straight goals by Harley P i l l i n g , Pa i g e H a r m s a n d A u d r e y M o r a n t i e d t h e score at six with 3:48 left in the first half. Curran scored with 2:36 left to give Rumson a 7-6 halftime lead but the Bulldogs' run of SCT titles was far from a given through the first 25 minutes.

"For a while we were letting ( M a n a s q u a n ) r u n t h e s h o w, " s a i d Rumson head coach Amy O'Keefe. "We just had to get our mode back and step up and make some big plays to get our momentum going."

"I was worried," O'Keefe said. "They were going hard and we were prepared for that, but we weren't stepping up and stopping them. We were just letting them do what they wanted to

Bella Feldmann ga ve Manasquan an early lead with a goal in the opening

Sr. Gillian Curran

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do. I feel like we were making them make some bad passes but we weren't getting the ball. We needed to start winning those 50-50 balls and we turned it around int he second half.

RFHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s #4 Chase Boyle

"Now we've made some history and that's what we wanted, to be someplace no other team has been," O'Keefe said. "That's what makes this one so special."

Rumson made the necessary adjustments over the final 25 minutes to win more draws and gain a possession advantage. The teams traded goals early in the second half but Rumson used two goals by Boyle, a freshman, and one by Caruso over the final 15 minutes while the defense and Bocklage held Manasquan in check.

"When we were down we were mad," Curran said. "We wanted to win the 6-peat and didn't want to lose the streak. We just pulled it t o g e t h e r a n d w o r k e d t o g e t h e r. "

RFH Seniors: # 2 8 - G r a c e R e i d , # I 5 - G i l l i a n C u r r a n , #II-Makenna Maguire, #5-Kate Caruso, #30-Kylie Wise, #I2-Lily Bedell & #I3-Mel Guido

After surpassing Shore's streak of five titles in a row and pulling within one of the Blue Devils' overall mark of eight SCT titles, Rumson has plans to continue its conference s u p r e m a cy f o r m a n y y e a r s .

Photos by:

RFHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Megan MacGillis

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

Paula Lopez www.palimages.com

By Bob Badders - Managing Editor

ust a few minutes into the game it was clear Manasquan was operating at a different level than it had all season . The Warriors were relentless from the start and didn ' t yield until the Shore Conference championship was heading back to Broad Street . Second-seeded Manasquan jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, defeating top-seeded and previously-undefeated Christian Brothers Academy, 11-3, on Saturday afternoon in the 2018 Shore Conference Tournament championship at Hesse Field on the Great Lawn at Monmouth University.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is maybe the best overall effort I' ve seen out of a Manasquan team in my four years here, " said Manasquan head coach Sean Cunningham. " It was a total team win. The big players stepped up in big situations and so did the guys who aren' t the most heralded but do the real gritty work. I' m just really proud of the boys. "

Junior attackman Ryan Anderson scored four goals, junior attackman Canyon Birch tallied two goals and three assists, including his historic 100th goal this season, and junior goalie Mike LaPoint backstopped a fantastic defensive performance with 13 saves to lead Manasquan (16-2) to its second consecutive SCT title. The win also avenged a 6-4 regular-season loss to CBA just two weeks ago on the very same field.

Freshman attackman Casey Mulligan added two goals and one assist, junior midfielder James Pendergist had one goal and two assists and senior midfielder James Mele and junior long-stick midfielder Mike Page each scored once as the Warriors, ranked No. 9 in the state, brought home the program's second overall SCT championship and took down the No. 5 team in New Jersey. Mike Carroll, Connor Macrae and Luke Valentino scored goals and Chris Downey made 10 saves in the

Jr. attackman Canyon Birch

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we felt he was the heart and soul of their defense on the interior. With him out to the side it opened the interior and that's why our first four goals were from the inside. That kind of made them start trying to do different things and we worked with that and opened up." Pendergist got things going when a pass from Mulligan found him with shooting space near the top of the box, enabling him to step into a shot and put it past Downey low inside the left post. Goal No. 2 was the result of a great ride as Page cut off CBA's initial outlet option and forced the Colts to regroup. Their second attempt at a clear was intercepted by Birch and he cut to the middle before finding Anderson alone in front for the goal and a quick 2-0 lead at the 8:42 mark.

loss for CBA, which was denied its fifth overall title in the program's first SCT final appearance since 2009. "We knew from the start we needed to come out and just hammer this team right away," LaPoint said. "Once we started we just couldn't stop until the game was over and that clock was at zero."

The lead grew to 3-0 when McElduff fed Mulligan at the crease and the freshman scored with a highlight-reel, behind-the-back shot. Mele made it 4-0 when he cut to the crease and took a pass from Pendergist before whistling a shot over Downey with 2:12 left in the opening quarter. A better start could not have been scripted.

"We definitely knew we had to rise up to the challenge," Pendergist said. "Coach always says it's hard to beat a good team twice and that was our mentality coming in." On April 27, Manasquan and CBA met in a marquee nondivisional game that, coincidentally, was also played at Hesse Field. CBA was the better team that day in earning a 6-4 victory, and for a variety of reasons. The Colts' defense was exemplary with junior defenseman Tommy Gray locking off Birch and holding him to one goal and one assist while Downey was tremendous in goal. Manasquan was a sloppy, as well, with unforced errors and a general level of play that didn't sit well with the group.

"We talked about it going in, when they lock off Canyon it's kind of throwing the gauntlet down to the rest of the guys out there," Cunningham said. "They need to take that as, maybe not an insult, but certainly a challenge. Fortunately for us, I can still trot out James Pendergist, who when he's on is arguably the best middie in New Jersey. James McElduff is a great middie and a freak athlete, James Mele the same thing, plus Matt Franzoni, Casey Campbell, Mike Farinacci. And then you talk about Ryan Anderson stepping up and having a day, and Casey Mulligan not playing like a freshman whatsoever with that behind-the-back goal to get everybody going."

Technical adjustments were made, starting with how to get the offense going if CBA once again had Gray shadowing Birch all over the field. The Colts indeed had Gray assigned to Birch, but this time Manasquan was ready. The Warriors attacked the center of the defense were Gray would usually be stationed, and the result was finding cutters inside to help build a 40 lead.

“Our gameplan didn’t change but we definitely moved offball more and helped Canyon because we knew he was getting locked off in the corner,” Pendergist said. “We had to step up as a team”.

"We watched film and their defense is run off him (Gray)," Birch said. "He kind of directs a lot of their defense and

Defenseman Jack Fabean

J r . G o a l i e M i k e L aP o i n t

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

See

Warriors

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us limit them to three. Basically, every 6-on6 was hard for them to score."

Manasquan kept rolling in the second quarter when Page picked up the ground ball on the opening face-off, split a pair of defenders and scored to make it 5-0. CBA got on the board when Carroll took a pass from Robbie Hermansen and whipped a shot high over LaPoint's stick to make it 5-1. Manasquan answered less than a minute later, however, when Birch curled around the cage and hit the back of the net for his 99th goal of the season. Anderson followed with a goal off an assist from Pendergist and with 3:52 left in the first half Mansaquan held a 7-1 lead.

"This win came from our defense," Birch said. "Allowing three goals to a top-five team int he state is incredible."

Macrae scored an unassisted goal with 47.8 seconds left as CBA tried to gain some momentum going heading into halftime, but the sequence to end the first half showed how locked-in Manasquan was. With the Warriors trying to kill off a one-minute penalty, Fabean executed a clear before dishing to Anderson for a man-down goal with 1.1 seconds left and an 8-2 Manasquan lead. Mulligan's second goal off an assist from Birch made it 9-2 and then Birch notched his 100th goal of the season when he sprinted up the field from X before turning and blasting a rocket past Downey with 3:07 left in the third. Even with limited opportunities, Birch still managed five points, showing once again why he's the state's leading scorer. When Canyon gets the ball on his stick, look out because he's going to make plays," Cunningham said. "He's locked off and he Jr. still has a four, five-point game. But more importantly, he played his role to perfection, which was to be patient, bury that guy and get looks when he could. We didn't do that the first time through but this time we knew what to expect and we were better prepared."

attackman Ryan Anderson Now Manasquan will turn its attention to the NJSIAA playoffs. The Warriors will likely be the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group I section and have their eyes on a sectional title and more. If they can sustain the way they played on Saturday they'll be playing into June.

Valentino scored for CBA to make it 10-3 with 1:13 left in the third. Manasquan's 11th and final goal was a thing of beauty as Birch threw a no-look pass from X to Anderson, who lasered a shot inside the right post for his fourth goal of the game.

"We had a rocky road in the middle there (consecutive losses to Lawrenceville and CBA) but the boys bounced back tremendously," Cunningham said. "We're in the middle of May and we're peaking and we're gelling, and that's the right time to do it."

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This feels awesome and we' re going to celebrate it, but we want more, " Fabean said. " We' re ready to move onto states.

While Manasquan's offense was doing its thing, the Warriors' defense and LaPoint were at their best. Fabean and Page were menacing both in their own end and through the midfield on clears while LaPoint was rock solid between the pipes, most notably in the second quarter when he made five saves against 10 CBA shots. "For me, every single shot felt it like it was coming in slow motion," LaPoint said. "I thought our defense - for the last couple weeks actually - has been playing more as a complete unit. We're talking through step-by-step every play. We know who's hot before they even set up the dodge and we know who has the two right away. We're one mind, basically." "A big part of it is being on the same page," Fabean said. "None of us have egos so if someone needs to slide we're going to recover right away. That helped

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by:

Bob Badders

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ISSUE-6

5/15/18

Player Photo by:

Paula Lopez

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How Do Meniscus Tears Affect Athletes?

By Mark W. Gesell, MD - Professional Orthopaedic Associates

well as in lacrosse and volleyball. It is also common for the meniscus to be injured in conjunction with other knee injuries, including tears of the ACL and MCL.

n adolescent athletes, most injuries to the meniscus are a result of trauma. The menisci are two rubber band-like structures that deepen and cushion the knee joint. They are vulnerable to injuries in which there is both compres sion and twis ting at the knee. Meniscus tears are common in contact sports, like football, soccer, basketball as

If an a thletes has experienced a meniscal tear, he or she may notice difficulty bending and straightening the leg all t h e w a y, s w e l l i n g a n d p a i n i n t h e k n e e , a cl i c k i n g sensa tion and a tendency for the knee to “lock” up. Orthopaedists initially recommend tha t pa tients rest the knee and a void putting weight on it as much as possible. Icing can also reduce pain and s welling if done for 20-30 minutes ever y 3-4 hours for 2-3 days follo wing the injur y. Using an elastic bandage, straps, or sleeves to compress the knee joint can also control s welling. In some cases, repair may be necessar y. The decision to r e p a i r i s b a s e d o n m a n y f a c t o r s , i n cl u d i n g t h e l o c a t i o n o f the tear, the type of tear and a ge of the pa tient. In pa tients whose meniscus is unlikely to heal on its o wn, surger y to remove the torn section is recommended. Most people who’ve had surger y for a torn meniscus see excellent shortterm results, but studies sho w they are a t a higher risk for developing knee arthritis la ter in life.

David R. Gentile, MD, FACS Arthroscopic Surgery, Sports Medicine, Shoulder & Elbow, Hand & Wrist David R. Gentile, MD, FACS, is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in arthroscopic surgery, sports medicine, shoulder, elbow, hand, and wrist. Dr. Gentile joined Professional Orthopaedic Associates in 1998. Dr. Gentile is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He was also recognized as a New Jersey Monthly Top Doctor in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com 16

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Last Impression: Middletown North's Ras Still On MLB Draft Radar By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

behind the plate on every pitch he throws.

s far as Tyler Ras was concerned this 2018 high school baseball se a so n w a s n o t ab o ut t h e nu m be r s, or a t l e a st n ot h i s n um b e r s .

“I really don’t pay attention to what’s going on outside the fence,” Ras said. “My focus is on the glove every single pitch. That’s just the way I learned how to pitch. I get three or four at-bats in a game, but other than that, my only focus is executing the next pitch. I definitely know what’s going on and I’m aware of it, but I’ve gotten pretty good at tuning it out.”

Now a senior, Ras wanted only to be healthy and executing pitches during a winning season for his Middletown North baseball team. If all went well, and the scouts that continue to flock to his starts liked what they saw, Ras had the upside of a pitcher who could be drafted in the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Although Ras is still searching for win No. 1 and his team has endured a disappointing season so far, he has still pitched better than most of the Shore’s best hurlers. Ras has more losses than earned runs allowed, giving up just three in 30 innings this year. His 0.70 ERA comes with 18 hits and nine walks over those 30 innings and he has also struck out 53 while hitting just one batter.

“This is definitely an exciting time,” Ras said. “I have been working 18 years for this moment and it’s getting really close, so of course there is some excitement. I’m just focusing on getting better for me and for my team and the other stuff will take care of itself when it’s time.” It is for the best that numbers are not the be-all-end-all for Ras this year because there are a few of them that have not been pretty. After losing to Red Bank Catholic last week, the 6-foot-4 senior right-hander is 0-4 on the mound for a Middletown North team that is 6-13 overall after entering the season with high expectations.

The 0-4 record has fostered the assumption from a number of Shore coaches that Ras is having a “down” year, but the numbers above suggest quite the contrary. If anything, it has been Middletown North’s offense that has been the culprit in its losses when Ras has been on the mound. The Lions have scored just one run during the 30 innings Ras has been on the mound this year, which makes it almost impossible for him to have won a game. That one run got him a no-decision because he pitched only three innings against Ocean on April 30.

Of course, when it comes to an MLB organization using a precious pick on a high school talent, won-loss record – and most other traditional statistics have little-to-no meaning. The numbers that matter are the miles-perhour on the radar gun, which have stayed stable by most reports throughout the season. On opening day against Middletown South, Ras worked from 92to-94 miles-per-hour and got down to 88 by the fifth inning.

“As a pitcher, you just try to control the things you can control,” Ras said. “Errors are going to happen, hits are going to happen, sometimes you give up a run on a weak ground ball or a blooper. You just keep making pitches and battling and that’s when I’ve tried to do and what we have tried to do as a team.”

Last week against RBC, one scout had him hitting 94 miles-per-hour in the first inning and sitting 91-to-93 for the rest of the start, with the senior righthander holding his velocity better than he did on opening day. According to Middletown North head coach Justin Nathanson, Ras was clocked at 94 over the summer and the scouts that spoke with Nathanson and Ras’s representation were ready to move Ras up their boards if they saw 95 or 96.

Ras has also been limited in the number of pitches he has thrown in each start, maxing out at 86 in his second start of the season. He pitched a season-high six innings in the 1-0 loss at Red Bank Catholic but needed only

For his part, however, Ras has tried not to get too wrapped up in what is going on behind the backstop and to just worry about hitting the glove

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69 pitches to throw a complete game. On top of carrying the pitching staff, Ras has been his team’s best hitter. Through 19 games and 68 plate appearances, he was hitting .415 with six doubles, two triples and 13 RBI and he reached the 100-hit plateau for his career in the process.

“I feel really strong,” Ras said. “We’ve been kind of building up so that once the postseason starts, I’ll be ready to go deeper.” Ras and the Lions have a chance to put a forgettable regular season behind them when the NJSIAA Tournament begins on May 21. Middletown North is lined up to be the No. 13 seed in the North Jersey Section 2 Group III bracket and in addition to a rested Ras, the Lions also hope to have Rutgers University commit Garret French back in the fold on the mound and at shortstop. French has missed most of the season with three broken fingers on his left, non-pitching hand.

the final looks they will have as teams finalize their draft boards. At this point, the question for Ras and prospects in his situation is more about how much money they would require to forego college than it is about talent. Ras has a scholarship awaiting him at the University of Alabama and is looking forward to pitching in the Southeastern Conference if he doesn’t hear his magic number from an MLB club. He is being advised by Jeff Randazzo, who also advised former Barnegat star and current Boston Red Sox top prospect Jay Groome through the draft and signing process during his draft year in 2016. In the meantime, however, there is still time for Ras to salvage what’s left of his high school career and to remind those who may have lost sight of him behind his team’s struggles that he is still one of the state’s best.

“At my best, I feel like I’m one of the best in the country,” Ras said. “All I can do is go out, make pitches and try to get better every game. As long as I keep doing that, everything else will work itself out.”

It remains to be seen if and when Ras will be selected once the Draft begins on June 4, but one thing is for sure: the scouts are still interested. There were 15 of them behind the plate for his outing vs. RBC, which is one of

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Matt Manley & Eric Braun www.palimages.com

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Panzini, Glancy Spark RBC to Second Straight MCT Crown By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

espite returning to Monday's Monmouth County Tournament championship game as the defending champion, the Red Bank Catholic baseball team started only two players against St. Rose Monday night at FirstEnergy Park who were also starters at the same position last year. Senior right-hand pitcher Blaise Panzini and junior center fielder David Glancy are those two returning starters and they also happen to be the two players who jump-started the sixth-seeded Caseys on Monday night in both the top and bottom of the first inning.

your mouth for that long. We try to preach to the younger guys that there are only so many opportunities and this time, you had big seeds go down early, we got the right matchup and some big pitching.

Panzini struck out the tournament's hottest hitter to leadoff the game and Glancy doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning, then scored the first run of RBC's 5-1 win over the No. 12 Purple Roses that gave the Caseys their second straight county title and third in the last six years.

"All the stars kind of aligned and guys were coming through through that you wouldn't necessarily expect. These kids have really come together and shown a lot."

"You've to set the tone," Panzini said. "We've got all these young kids out here, so we as seniors and experienced players had to come out and show leadership and show these kids what it's all about playing in an environment and a game like this. You have to co out and compete, and that's what I feel like I did today."

St. Rose entered the game with a track record of scoring in the first inning thanks to senior third baseman and leadoff hitter Riley Maypother, who led off back-to-back wins over Manalapan and Monmouth Regional with home runs and singled and scored during the first inning in Saturday's win over Raritan. Panzini did not give in to Maypother and he struck him out with three straight breaking balls to kick off a scoreless first inning, despite St. Rose putting runners on the corners with two out.

Panzini pitched in relief in last year's Monmouth County Tournament final and with a chance to start the game on Monday, he authored one the best starts of his varsity career. The senior struck out nine of the first 14 hitters he faced and in five innings, he finished with those nine strikeouts while allowing one run on four hits and two walks. Panzini was awarded the tournament Most Valuable Player award. "Coming into this year, the seniors have had our fair share of disappointments in the states and the Shore Conference final," Panzini said. "The year before as sophomores, it was against Luca (Dalatri and Christian Brothers Academy) and it's hard to have that taste in

"I was trying to pitch them backwards early," Panzini said of his approach against Riley Maypother, Will Gannon and Brody Maypother at the top of St. Rose's lineup. "Going through the scouting, your see Riley, Will and Brody and they can all hit. You've got to establish that you have that secondary pitch that you can throw for a strike." After Panzini set the tone in the top of the first, Glancy did the same in the bottom of the inning. The junior worked the count to 2-2 against St. Rose starter Sam Sestito, then slammed a shot to the left-center field wall for a leadoff double. He moved to third on a ground out by junior second baseman Alex Gonzales and scored on yet another ground out by junior shortstop Vincent Bianchi to stake RBC to an early lead.

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"The first inning is huge, especially in a game like this," Glancy said. "You get on the board and you get all your confidence as a team, the bench gets even louder. So my first at-bat, I was just trying to drive the ball as hard as I can, I got a pitch I could hit and I jumped on it."

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Glancy was in the middle of his team's three-run third inning as well, once again smashing a double to the wall to chase home courtesy runner Elijah Ally for a 2-0 RBC lead. Gonzales followed with an RBI single to center and he the scored on a two-out RBI single by senior leftfielder Nick Merlo. Meanwhile, Panzini got off to a torrid start on the mound, striking out the side around one baserunner in both the second and third innings to rack up eight punchouts over the first three innings. Panzini then struck out the first batter of the fourth inning before giving up a run on an RBI ground out by Pat Ferrante and finished off his 90-pitch outing by stranding a pair of runners in the fifth. Merlo capped the scoring by launching an RBI double that one-hopped the wall in left, scoring Bianchi from second base. The umpiring crew initially ruled the play a home run, but after a conference between the four-man crew, Merlo was sent back to second base.

Catholic has been to the MCT final six times and is 3-3 in the championship game. Not only is this year's championship full of players who did not start on last year's team; only three of Saturday's 10 starters - including both pitcher and designated hitter - are seniors. DH Dan Ianelli is the other senior starter along with Merlo and Panzini. "To wait three years to play and start on this team and get another championship feels great," Merlo said. "You wait your turn and you make the most of the opportunity. Every year, we lose players and it' somebody's job to step up and fill in." "It's scary to think we're this young," Panzini said. "If we're doing this stuff now, it's going to be crazy to see what they are doing next year."

"I got most of that one," Merlo said. "It was low in the strike zone and I had to kind of gold it, but I got the barrel on it. Right when I got to second, I saw the umpire signal it was a home run, so it was very deflating to have to go back to second base." Sophomore John Nimeth took over on the mound for Panzini and fired two shutout innings to close out RBC's second straight county championship and third since winning its first MCT title in 2013. Since 2011, Red Bank

RBC Jr. David Glancy

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