May 23, 2011 Volume-III - Issue-10 G r id ir o n C l ass i c C om in g Up Pa g e 3 Wall's Janeczek Joins Gridiron Tradition Pa g e 4 Jackson Lax Makes History Pa g e 6 Remembering James Volpe Pa g e 8 -9 & 1 2 RFH Lax Reaches SCT Final Pa g e 1 1 Shore's Carroll Follows in Father's Footsteps Pa g e 1 3 Stumpy's Corner Pa g e 1 5
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May 23, 2011 I Volume-III I Issue-10
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Volume-III
Issue-10
5/23/11
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34 T H ANNUAL GRIDIRON CLASSIC COMING UP By Scott Stump – Managing Editor Two coaches who guided their respective teams to NJSIAA sectional titles this past fall will lead the senior all-stars from their counties when the 34th annual U.S. Army AllShore Gridiron Classic kicks off at 7 p.m. on July 14 at Toms River North. Lacey's Lou Vircillo, who is also the game's director for the Shore Football Coaches Foundation, will head up the Ocean County team on the heels of a 12-0 season in which the Lions finished No. 1 in the Shore Conference and won the South Jersey Group III title. Rumson-Fair Haven's Shane Fallon, the reigning All Shore Media Coach of the Year, will lead the Monmouth County all-stars in New Jersey's oldest all-star high school football game. Monmouth County has won the last two meetings and leads the all-time series 1814-1 since its inception at Wall Stadium in 1978. Vircillo has been the victorious coach in two previous editions of the game in 2007 and 1989, and this is his fourth stint as Ocean County's head coach. A host of his players, including All Shore Media first-teamers Craig Cicardo, Jarrod Molzon, Matt Uveges and Jake Dabal, will be suiting up for Ocean County. "It’s always great to get involved with all-star type kids,’’ Vircillo said. “I look forward to having fun and giving my coaches an opportunity to get involved in it. I'm wearing two hats, trying to run the event and do football, but with all the help I'm getting, it's fine.'' This is Fallon's first time serving as the Monmouth County head coach after having previously been an assistant three times. It caps a year in which the Bulldogs stunned Matawan to win the Central Jersey Group II title, their first state sectional title in program history. Three of his players defensive back Andrew Giannotto, quarterback Mike Villapiano and linebacker Mike Huttner will be playing for Monmouth County.
will be returning next season, teams from each county will play to a champion and then those winners will square off in a 7-on-7 game before the main event at Toms River North. Lacey beat Matawan last season in the inaugural 7-on-7 tournament. "The U.S. Army is a great sponsor, they really need an avenue to get closer to the community, and they love football,'' Vircillo said. "This is a great opportunity to get near a community that is full of energy during the course of that week and during the game. Now The National Guard has jumped in to help. In a year when all the budgets have been crushed, they were able to find money specific to this event. We are more than happy to have them involved, and it's been a great relationship.'' As always, the game will feature some of the top senior talent from the Shore Conference, including ASM Offensive Player of the Year Josh Firkser of Manalapan and Defensive Player of the Year Will Wowkanyn of Brick Memorial. They gathered on Thursday at Wall High School along with a host of other players participating in the game for an introductory meeting to their coaches and teammates for a week. "I've been playing against these guys all year, and now we all get to hang out together, so it should be fun,'' said Firkser, who is headed to Wagner. "We definitely want to win, too.'' The rosters are still being finalized by Monmouth County general
"The All-Shore game has a lot of special meaning to anyone who grows up in the Shore Conference,’’ said Fallon, who also played quarterback at Rumson in the late 1980s. “As a former player from the Shore and coaching at my alma mater, it’s special.’’ The U.S. Army has returned as the title sponsor, and The National Guard has now joined as a sponsor of the 7-on-7 tournament that is part of the week's festivities. Using players who
Lacey's Lou Vircillo, who will coach the Ocean County squad and also serve as the game's director for the Shore Football Coaches Foundation.
manager Dom Lepore and Ocean County general manager Tim Osborn, but Cicardo, Molzon, Dabal, and Uveges were all in attendance on Thursday along with a group of fellow ASM first-team All-Shore Conference selections: Firkser, Pinelands running back Matt McLain, Howell wide receiver Michael Clark, Barnegat wide receiver Mike DeTroia, Manalapan offensive lineman Steven Carr, Freehold lineman Michael Kasten, Middletown South defensive lineman Tom Masi, Freehold defensive back Derrick Bender, and Freehold quarterback Sterry Codrington. Plenty of other ASM AllShore picks were also in the house, including Matawan running back McArthur Underwood, Middletown South wide receiver Taylor Rogers, Brick Memorial linebacker Mike Acquaviva, Raritan safety Kevin Furlong, Shore Regional quarterback Evan Ruane and more. For Cicardo, this will be the last time he will be coached by his father, Lacey assistant Craig Cicardo Sr., who was the Lions' offensive coordinator during his son's career. "It's definitely going to be a special moment,'' the younger Cicardo said. "We had an awesome year, and we both had good careers here as player and coach. This is definitely going to be the icing on the cake.'' As always, both teams will have the goal of becoming a team in less than a week, as the game is now on a Thursday night to help fans avoid the summer traffic on Fridays. "The biggest challenge with this is getting cohesiveness in less than a week and getting the kids to buy into the fact that the team is more important than the individual in an all-star game,'' Fallon said. "Most of these guys are used to being the best player on the field, the captain of their team and the kid who never comes off the field, but in an all-star game, that’s not going to happen.'' For Fallon and his Rumson players, nothing would be better than ending a historic season with one more victory. "Hopefully we can duplicate some of the success we had in our last game,'' Fallon said before smiling.
Photos by
(from left to right): SFC Gatlcia-Vegga, SCT Naame National Guard, Lacey HC Lou Vircillo, Cpt Toben US Army, SSG Salas & ASM’s Steven Meyer
David Thorne
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Volume-III
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Coming a Long Way in a Short Time By Scott Stump – Managing Editor Many Shore Conference players dream of one day playing in the U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic at the conclusion of their senior years.
convinced to give football a try by good friend Steve Cluley, Wall’s junior quarterback.
Janeczek, who was a four-year varsity player and 1,000-point scorer in basketball, will now play both sports at the next level. He will continue his career at The College of New Jersey and play football and basketball.
To Wall’s Kyle Janeczek, the game looked like something fun – for football players. After all, as early as this past July, Janeczek was a basketball player who had never played a down of organized football while in high school.
“I was thinking about that,’’ he said. “I didn’t play football last year, and now I’m playing in college. It’s nuts, but I’m really excited.’’
This July, he will be joining the Monmouth County senior all-stars as they take on their counterparts from Ocean County in the 34th annual U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic at 7 p.m. on July 14 at Toms River North. Thanks to an outstanding season as a wide receiver in his one year of football as a senior, Janeczek will join a long tradition that he never thought he would be a part of when he was watching Wall’s Matt Mancino play in last year’s game. “I’m excited to play being that this was my first year,’’ he said. “I remember just sitting at that game watching it last year and thinking, ‘It would be fun to play in this.’ I didn’t know until August I was going to play football, so it’s pretty cool, a year later, to get a chance to play in this game.’’ “He’s just a great athlete who was such a big help to our team,’’ said Wall head coach Chris Barnes. “He’s only just gotten started on what he is capable of doing.’’ It’s not like Janeczek’s selection was any kind of shock, either, as he stamped himself as one of the Shore’s top deep threats in his lone season. He was
Classic, New Jersey’s oldest all-star high school football game, which started in 1978.
Janeczek is one of two selections from the Crimson Knights, who went 7-4 and reached the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III semifinals in the fall. Senior linebacker Connor Caponegro also will be playing for Monmouth County. Those two become the latest in line in the list of Crimson Knights who have participated in the game, which started at Wall Stadium in 1978.
Wall's Kyle Janeczek
He finished with 32 catches for 898 yards, an average of 28.1 yards per catch. He also had 11 touchdown catches, and 34 percent of his catches went for scores, earning him All-Shore Conference Class C Central honors from the coaches. His All-Division selection made him eligible to be selected for the Gridiron
“It’s definitely special being on the list of all the great players who have played here,’’ Janeczek said. “I’m most excited to be able to compete against the best players in the Shore.’’
Photos by:
Cliff Lavelle
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Volume-III
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5/23/11
Jackson Mem. Lacrosse: A Day To Remember By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer
Getting a win in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals was the last thing on the minds of Jackson Memorial's players during what was a trying week for the entire community. But history was on the line once game time arrived, and the Jaguars honored a fallen friend the best way they knew how. James Volpe would be proud. With the entire school still grieving over the tragic May 13 car accident that claimed the life of Volpe, a Jackson Memorial baseball player and friend to many, the Jaguars lacrosse team delivered a much-needed positive moment when it defeated Christian Brothers Academy, 6-5, in the SCT semifinals at Jackson Liberty High School. It was the first win ever for Jackson over CBA, and more significantly, made the Jaguars the first Ocean County team to ever reach the SCT lacrosse final.
this week," said Jaguars head coach Nick Caruso. "We didn't practice until Thursday, and for them to prepare on two days is a testament to their character, how hard they work and how much they want it." Junior attackman Nick Wolf pumped in a pair of first-half goals and the defensive efforts of long poles Brad Maier, Ryan Totin and Randy Royle kept CBA's offense at bay for most of the game. Junior attackman Donny Finn spearheaded a fourth-quarter comeback attempt that brought the Colts (11-3) from down 6-2 to within a goal, but the cushion built by the Jaguars (14-1) over the first 36 minutes was enough to prevail and send them to the SCT final. Second-seeded Jackson Memorial will square off with top-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven, a 14-7 winner over fourthseeded Holmdel, at 5 p.m. on June 1 at St. John Vianney. Should a state tournament game conflict, the final will be June 3. "It's a special feeling," Caruso said. "We felt coming into the season that we were a team to be reckoned with. These kids play together in the fall and in summer, and it has been our ultimate goal to be in the Shore Conference final and to win it. I'm really happy, but I'm really not surprised."
Even on a still-soggy grass field at Jackson Liberty, the Jaguars made the Colts pay with their swift transition game. It all started in the back end, particularly with Maier, who was the best player on the field front start to Attackman Connor Cunningham finish. He was matched up on Finn and did a great job against the "I can't say I put (Volpe) out of my mind during shifty playmaker, limiting him to just a goal and an the game, but it was good to back get on the field assist. and great to get the win," said Jaguars senior goalie "He likes to feed more than he shoots so we Nick Adams. "James was one of my best friends, waited until late to slide to take away the pass," and he was with us on that field today." Maier said. "The whole defense just did a great "I have 23 men who have been to hell and back job."
Defensive long pole Brad Maier
What was amazing about Jackson Memorial's effort was how crisp the whole team looked despite a limited window of preparation. The transition game was quick and the passing deft in the offensive zone. The attack line of Connor Cunningham, Evan Farrar and Wolf gave CBA's defense a workout while senior middie Bryan Specht managed the pace form the top of the box. The question heading into the game was whether Jackson's offense would work against the Colts' stingy defense. Did the Jaguars need to be patient and slow things down, or could they have success running-and-gunning as they had all season? They didn't score in double digits like they have in all but three games this season, but they certainly made their touches count. "I think we have three of the top poles in the county and they're also up there in the Shore," Caruso said. "We feel we score a lot of goals because of our defense. They put a lot of balls on the ground and we do a great job in transition. It's what we practice and it's what makes us who we are. We love to run and we love to push it, and you saw that today." The Jaguars began the scoring just over three minutes into the game when sophomore attackman Corey Chadwick sped into the box, took a feed from Cunningham and whistled a shot past Colts' senior goalie Matt Deiner. The Colts answered shortly after on the first of two goals by junior middie Alex Roth, but Wolf hit for a pair of goals, including one off a feed from Farrar, to give Jackson a 3-1 lead. Continued on nex t page
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Attackman Evan Farrar
Roth's second goal, an unassisted strike, made it 3-2 at halftime. In the third quarter, Jackson Memorial started to pull away with three unanswered goals. Cunningham tallied at early in the third quarter to make it 4-2 and two goals in the final two minutes of the period extended the lead to four. First it was Farrar scoring off an assist from Bryan Specht in front with 1:33 left before the Nick Specht scored off a great feed from Austin Letts with just 7.1 seconds left. The way the game was going it looked like one
A SM / 7 more goal for Jackson would do it, but an experienced CBA squad refused to go quietly. Finn scored off a faceoff win by Gino Isola at 10:46 to make it 6-3 and sophomore Lucas Babich hit at 9:17 to pull the Colts to within 6-4. The Colts hadn't looked themselves for the first three quarters - and credit Jackson for imposing its will - but key saves by Deiner had kept the Colts in the game long enough for their offense to finally find its groove. CBA clawed to within one on a goal by junior attackman Stephen Deiner after a great individual effort Habich, who battled through several Jaguars defenders before dishing to a wide-open Deiner on the left side of the cage. The Colts were down by one with 1:55 left and had possession with under a minute left. Adams wasn't called on for many big saves in the game, but he made a sliding stop on a shot by Finn with 33 seconds left to seal the win. Totin was able to scoop up the ground ball and get the clear, and Bryan Specht corralled an overthrown pass in the waning seconds to allow Jackson to run out the clock and secure its place in history.
"I don't even know how I made that save but when Totin got the ball and cleared it that was an awesome moment," Adams said. The pain of losing a dear friend isn't going to go away anytime soon, but Saturday's game was a small step in moving forward for the Jackson community. What the Jaguars really accomplished won't be recorded in any record books and won't show up in the box score, but the pride and toughness they displayed in the most difficult of times is something they should never forget.
Jackson Mem. Photo by
E lle n Cu n n in g ha m
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J.V. G AME : JACKSON MEMORIAL REMEMBERS JAMES VOLPE By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer been for the Volpe family," senior centerfielder Matt Meleo said.
O
f all the pitchers on the Jackson Memorial baseball team's roster, junior Alex Daniele seemed the least likely to start the Jaguars' first game since the death of teammate James Volpe in a May 13th automobile accident. In the end, there was no more fitting choice. Eight days prior to a Shore Conference Tournament round-of-16 game against Manchester on May 21st, Daniele drove one of the two cars in a fatal crash in Lakehurst that took the life of Volpe, his teammate and friend, and left another man in critical condition. Daniele and Jackson senior Chris Russo, the other member of the baseball team in the car, were released from Ocean Medical Center the night of the accident, according to reports, and the days that followed could only be described by Daniele as "hard." "Terrible," said Daniele, describing his past week. "Nobody ought to know what me and Chris are going through right now, and the whole team for that matter. But we're a family and we're going to get through it together." Eight days after their world seemed to fall into a state of chaos in the wake of Volpe's tragic death, Daniele and his teammates finally found some semblance of control on May 21 at Jackson Memorial High School, where Daniele threw three innings that, all at once, were so meaningless yet so significant.
" Ever y pitch I th r o w n o w is f or J a mes ," s aid D a n iele, wh o etch ed th e letter s " J V # 9" with a h ear t ar o u n d th em in to th e d ir t b eh in d th e pitch er 's mou n d . " I wa n ted to ma ke it mea n s o meth in g . I love th e kid to death an d toda y a n d ever y o th er day goin g f o r w a r d is f or h im."
"We wanted to make a lasting impression today that we're here for James and here for his family," senior catcher Alex Herceg said. "We want everyone to know that we're still in this thing even though we had a fatal loss." After the two teams finished their pre-game warmup routines, Volpe's mother, father, grandfather and younger brother Justin all threw out ceremonial first pitches and remained on the field for a photo with the entire team. In the middle of the group was a hand-drawn portrait of Volpe. "At the beginning with the whole ceremony and everything, it was tough because he's a teammate and one of my best friends," senior second baseman Andy Lopez said. "We're around the kid the whole time, just getting back on the field and playing our game was rough, but we're a family too, so we stick together. Just being around each other helped out a lot." As part of the ceremony, Jackson Memorial retired Volpe's jersey No. 9 and unveiled a banner on the leftfield fence that reads "Volpe #9." The Jaguars then lined up along the first base line for the emotional national anthem, with each player embracing the player next to him.
Jackson Memorial beat Manchester in convincing fashion, 13-1, to advance to the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals with a performance that saw all nine starters score at least one run. That, however, was only a the follow-up act to a pre-game ceremony in which the Jaguars players, coaches, parents and community paid one final farewell to their fallen teammate. "It's hard to put into words because it's so emotional, but the reaction has been great and it's all
"I went to coach and I was like, 'James ran for me, so do you mind if I run for myself the first time since James isn't here anymore and no one is going to take his place?'" Herceg said. "And he was
"Today was tough with the family out there and going out to the nine (in leftfield) and to (first) base," Jackson Memorial coach Frank Malta said, referring also to an in-game tribute by the team toward Volpe. "When Alex (Herceg) got the hit, it was an emotional roller coaster because you want to be into this game, you want to get them playing and they want to be out here because this is what they love to do and at the same time you had all of that going on." The Jaguars' in-game tribute started when Herceg hit a tworun single to right field to give Jackson a 3-1 lead in the first inning, the first time Herceg reached base this season without Volpe there to be his courtesy runner. Jackson's players and coaches paid homage to the moment which in the past would have seen Volpe dart out of the dugout, slap hands with Herceg, and stand on first before stealing second base - by all walking out to first base and tapping the base with their hand.
Junior Alex Daniele
by stealing second base - his first steal of the season - and scoring on a single by sophomore third baseman Spencer Young. Upon arriving home, Herceg stumbled across the plate for Jackson's fourth run. After his first trip around the bases, he gave way to Eddie Guippone, who was Jackson's first courtesy runner in Volpe's place.
"It was a team idea," Lopez said. "We were just trying to do as many things as we could for the family. Just something special and we thought that was one way to do that." Herceg then paid his own respect to Volpe
fine with that, and it had a pretty good turnout." Daniele allowed the first run of the game, a solo home run by Manchester senior and West Virginia University recruit Jon Roszel, but his teammates supported their pitcher with 13 runs in the first two innings, including an appropriate total of nine in the second. While Daniele responded to the support on the field Saturday, the support his teammates gave to him and to one another is what helped Daniele take the ball and perform as he did. "He came out, I walked out to talked to him and
www.allshoremedia.com I said, 'You're out here, no one can touch you now,'" Herceg said about his exchange with Daniele before the game. "'You're out here on the mound and no one can ask you questions. This is your place to shine. Now let's go get it for James,' and he went out and got it." "The support I got was amazing and hopefully it stays that way," Daniele said. "All of these people here are amazing." In his three innings, Daniele allowed two hits with no walks and a strikeout, facing one over the minimum. "He was vocal about pitching today," Malta said. "He wanted it." Meleo considered Volpe one of his closest friends and was planning on rooming with Volpe at Kean University net year. He was immediately at the scene of the crash as he was in a car a short distance behind Daniele's vehicle.
A SM / 9 than coach, a role Malta himself said he did not know how to best fill that role. "In school on Monday, we had them all in the athletic office and that's where we found our strength. In each other, as a group," Malta said. "I gotta say that I think I found strength in that, because I didn't know what to do. How do you know? There's no plan for this, there's no handbook. We just kind of did it and got through it." Upon hearing the news that Volpe, Daniele and Russo were in a serious car accident, every Jackson player and their parents drove either to the Ocean Medical Center or straight to the scene of the crash in Lakehurst on Route 37. "I was at work when it happened and I rushed over there," Lopez said. "It just shows that no matter what - team, family, friends - you become so much closer
they're from and who they get that from." By the time Wednesday came, Malta and his team had already heard from a large number of coaches and players, current and former, who offered their support. A number of teams, including Manalapan, Toms River South, both Brick schools, Jackson Liberty, Manasquan and others attended the service on Wednesday as well.
"It's been tough," Meleo said. "A couple of us, including myself, were at the scene when it happened so it's been tough - hard to put into words. He was one of my closest friends. I saw him every weekend." H e als o h ad th e tas k o f lead in g o ff th e g ame f o r J ack s o n , w h ich he d id b y h ittin g a tr ip le to lef t- center f ield to s tar t th e f ou r- r u n f ir s t. "Pre-game, I kept thinking about (the first at-bat)," Meleo said. "I kept daydreaming about what was going to happen. I got up to the plate and said 'Just do yourself and don't overthink it.' And that's what I did. I found a pitch that I could hit, that I hit all the time, and just hit it." Meleo added to the memories in the second inning, when he belted an 0-1 pitch over the fence in right-centerfield for his first home run of the year, giving the Jaguars a 61 lead. He finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. "Having the game I had today means a lot to me," Meleo said. "I'll never forget it. It's probably the best accomplishment I've had in my baseball career, maybe ever. I feel great about it." Lopez also had a day to remember, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Jackson had five senior classmates of Volpe's in the starting lineup Meleo, Lopez, Herceg, Russo and outfielder Fred Scheer - and the five players combined to go 9-for-14 with 10 RBI and eight runs scored. Russo went 1-for3 with an RBI and was the designated hitter for Daniele. "We just wanted to do it for James," Lopez said. "He was such a good kid and he always wanted to be out on the field, so we wanted to play for him. Russo, that was one of his best friends, and I know he wanted it for him."
The Long Wait In the days following the accident, Malta described his duties to be one of counselor rather
"I got so many texts and emails and I passed that along to all the guys to show them 'Hey, this is who's thinking of you guys right now,'" Malta said. "I think our association allows that because we all know each other. Some guys want to knock the heck out of each other, but we know each other and it's a time like this when all that's thrown aside and it becomes human, and that's the great part of it."
than you actually think." From the time the players arrived at the hospital, according to Malta, they never split up, spending time at school, on the field and at the houses of several players, most notably those of Herceg and junior Mike Folk. The school held grief counselling for its students on that Saturday and offered additional support leading up to Wednesday's memorial service for Volpe.
" We f o u n d s tr en g th in ea ch oth er," M a lta s aid. " O u r gu ys did n o t lea ve ea ch oth er s ' s ide f r om Fr ida y n ig h t u n til Wed n es da y. We wer e all at th e h os pital. We wer e all tog eth er th e ver y n ex t mo r n in g . Th ey s lept a t M ike Folk o r Alex Her ceg's h o u s e th at n igh t. Th ey s lept a t Folk's h ou s e o n e n igh t an d Her ceg 's h ou s e an o th er n igh t, a ll s ta yin g tog eth er th e wh ole time. "The parents have been fantastic, too. Every parent was at the hospital, every parent was at the school on Saturday when we started our counseling. At the services, there was a presence there as well. I know we have good kids here. I know what we have, but in the face of something like this, unfortunately, is when you really find out who these kids are, what they're made of and, really, where
Most of Malta's job leading up to the game was to keep his players thinking about baseball as much as possible, which included the difficult task of convincing to try not to play better than they were capable. With their late teammate in mind, the instinct was to try to make every pitch a home run and in the case of Daniele, to make every pitch a swingand-miss. "The one thing we talked about was to be yourself," Malta said. "We want to do special things. I don't want this to sound the wrong way, but when we're ourselves, we're pretty good. I just said if everybody's themselves, we'll be up here (holding his hand up near his head). I know everybody is thinking 'I have to do this for James,' and I understand that, but do what you do out there and then we'll celebrate together and make that special."
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Rumson-FH Boys Lax Reaches 3 r d Straight SCT Final By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer The upset alert was on at halftime of the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals as fourth-seeded Holmdel, a thirdyear varsity program, was leading top-seeded and annual stalwart Rumson-Fair Haven by one goal.
"All season we've been a third-quarter team, and if you look at the stats we've really busted out in the third quarter," Curran said. "We just seem to turn it on after halftime in every game."
The Hornets came out flying and never allowed the Bulldogs to find their groove in the first two quarters, but a quick halftime talk and a reminder of just what was a stake was all Rumson's group of 15 seniors needed to restore order.
"In the first two quarters both teams are trying to implement what they want to do and feeling each other out," said Bulldogs head coach Jim Barbiere. "After that it's all about punch, counter-punch. Once we've analyzed things we feel very confident implementing those changes in the third quarter, and I think that speaks well to our coaching staff and our kids' ability to execute the game plan."
Rumson took its first lead on a goal by P.J. Maher with 6:01 left in the third quarter and dominated the second half, scoring eight straight goals to turn a one-goal deficit into a 14-7 victory in the SCT semifinals at Jackson Liberty High School on May 21. Junior attackman Jack Curran paced the scoring with a game-high four goals while Maher added three goals and three assists and sophomore attackman Michael Clarke filled the box score with three goals and four assists. With the victory, the Bulldogs (13-3) advance to the SCT final against second-seeded Jackson Memorial, which became the first Ocean County team to make the tournament final by beating CBA, 6-5. The championship game is set for 5 p.m. June 1 at St. John Vianney, although the game can be moved to June 3 if a conflict with state tournament games comes about.
When Rumson takes on Jackson Memorial in the SCT final it will mark the third year in a row the Bulldogs will play for the Shore Conference title. Rumson was defeated by CBA in 2009 and by Red Bank Catholic in 2010. The only title for the program came in a victory over Colts Neck in 2007, so it's a bit of an understatement to say that Rumson's seniors want to go out with a title.
Goalie Artie Tildesley
"We came out really slow and everything was sloppy, we weren't playing as a team," said Rumson senior middie and Cornell recruit Mike Huttner. "At halftime we said let's wake up, come together and push ourselves because we're a better team than this." Whatever happened during the intermission worked, because the Bulldogs turned a 6-5 deficit on its ear by outscoring the Hornets 9-1 over the final 24 minutes. That's nothing new for Rumson, however, which has made a habit of turning games around in the third quarter.
"This is a special senior class," Huttner said. "We have 15 of us and everyone has contributed and has a role, and we didn't always have that in past years. The camaraderie is crazy. We don't just want to win for ourselves. We want it for each other."
Curran may not be a senior, but he knows that opportunities that Rumson has had the past three seasons don't always come along. "Getting back to the SCT final (and winning) was definitely one of our goals, and especially for me because I missed last year with a torn ACL," Curran said. "This year is kind of our revenge year. We're going to go get this championship." Holmdel, which was defeated by Rumson 8-2 earlier in the
season, came out hard and took a quick 1-0 lead when Chris Scherzer won a faceoff and brother Mark Scherzer finished a feed from Dillon Cort just 16 seconds into the game. Rumson responded with an unassisted goal by Curran at 10:26. The first half went back and forth Attackman Jack Curran with the biggest lead being three by Holmdel. Senior middie Mike Cantelli and senior attackman Mike Downey each scored twice in the first half as the Hornets (11-6) built a 5-2 lead, but Rumson scored three of the last four goals on tallies by Curran and seniors Ian Moore and Beau Bennardo to trim the deficit to 6-5 at halftime. Curran deposited his fourth goal of the game at 10:42 of the third quarter to tie the game at six, but Isola countered 46 seconds later to give Holmdel a 7-6 advantage. Few thought that would be the last time the Hornets would score, but Rumson flipped a switch over the final 22 minutes and cruised from there. Michael Rowland's goal at 7:03 knotted the score at seven and Clarke's first goal at 6:01 put Rumson in front for the first time and for good. Conor Walsh took a pass from Clarke and scored for a 9-7 lead with 3:11 left before Maher converted a quick pass from Bennardo with no time left in the third quarter, giving the Bulldogs a 10-7 lead. Clarke and Maher each scored twice more in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring and send Rumson into the SCT championship. Junior goalie Artie Tildesley made nine saves and seniors Sam Waters and Matt Gilbertson scooped up seven and six ground balls, respectively. First-year senior goalie Matt Micali stopped seven shots for Holmdel while Chris Scherzer led all players with 11 ground balls. Rumson has been in this position before, but Holmdel was trying to navigate uncharted waters as a growing program making its SCT semifinals debut. The end result wasn't what the Hornets were looking for, but to be among the final four in the Shore in just their third year of varsity competition is a great accomplishment. "I'm amazed at what we've accomplished this year," said Hornets head coach Sal Guastella. "It's the players that have done just a fantastic job. We've played some of the best teams in the state and played them very well. It's a credit to how hard they've worked." Holmdel aims to one day be at Rumson's level, where a trip to the SCT final is merely a stop on a ride that ends with a championship. After falling to a pair of bitter rivals the past two seasons, second place just won't do for the Bulldogs in 2011. "We do take pride in the fact that we're right there every year, and that speaks volumes of our program," Barbiere said. "But they're craving that hardware, and they want to bring home that plaque."
Photos by
David Thorne
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Volpe
Continued from page 9
A Supernatural Moment? Volpe was quite literally Herceg's legs on the basepaths over the last two years, running for the catcher whenever he reached base, which was quite often considering Herceg's status as an First Team All-Shore player. So when Herceg reached base for the first time on Saturday, he went to the same source he always does for speed: Volpe. Herceg expounded on his trip around the bases in the first inning, citing an exchange he had with Volpe a week before the accident, all while wearing his usual grin as he thought of his legs on the bases. (Malta) told me to steal, but I never ran that fast in my life. James was pushing me from the back on the steal and then the little bastard tripped me at home plate. I stepped on home plate and I just felt like my neck got whiplash and I looked back and I was like 'That was James. He pushed me.' Two weeks ago, before he passed, we were looking at MaxPreps (statistics) and all the runs that he had scored were going toward me. He was like 'What is this? Those are my runs! I scored them!' And he used to keep track every time he crossed the plate. He'd say, 'Guys, that's my ninth run, but don't worry, they're all going to Herceg.' So when I touched home today, it was one of those funny things. He probably pushed me from behind, making fun of me because I finally scored one this year.
Moving Forward Following the final out - which came on the backend of a sparkling 6-4-3 triple play started by junior shortstop Joe Ogren (2-for-4 Saturday) - Jackson's players ran out to left field and swarmed the new banner sporting Volpe's name and number and stayed for about a minute before returning back to the dugout to clean up. There won't be any more games like the one Saturday. There won't be another first-game-back from this tragedy. There won't be another pre-game ceremony for the Volpe family like the one on Saturday. There won't be another genuine moment at first base when the entire team surrounded and tapped the bag. There won't be anymore tripping over home plate for Herceg, who will once again give way to a courtesy runner for the remainder of the season.
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it will play the same way that it always has, but with a new sense of togetherness that is bound together by the memory of their teammate and friend.
" We'r e a ll flyin g h igh n ow," Her ceg s aid with a big s mile, a g en u in e air of co n ten t an d s er en ity abou t h im. " James is with u s , h e's s milin g down on u s , h elp in g u s ou t. I 'm s u r e it's goin g to s tick with u s an d for th e year s to f ollow."
But there will still be the No. 9's on the hats. The heartfelt messages written on the jerseys and caps, some like Meleo's that was so long and heartfelt that it could never be summed up in 140 characters or fewer and thrown on Twitter, will remain. Even the tears will return, likely when the season ends, for better or worse. Some things will never be the same as they were on May 12 for Jackson Memorial, but it's not all bad. There is a new-found camaraderie about the team, evidenced by the usual high-fives and firstbumps that have transformed into head-taps and full hugs. As long as this group keeps playing this season - and judging by Saturday's performance, Jackson could play deep into all of its tournaments -
Photo by:
Bill Normile www.billnormile.zenfolio.com
www.allshoremedia.com
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Like Father, Like Son By Scott Stump – Managing Editor University recruit, also will be part of the Monmouth County squad.
In 1979, what is now known as the U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic was in its infancy, a high school football all-star game trying to carve out a tradition in only its second season of existence.
Ruane finished with 4 sacks, 3 pass blocks, 2 blocked kicks and also had an interception that helped clinch the win over Dunellen in the state final. As a quarterback, Ruane was 37-for-78 for 721 yards and 13 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions, while also rushing for 6 touchdowns.
Known as the All-Shore Classic back then, the game pitting the top seniors from Monmouth County against their counterparts from Ocean County had debuted to a crowd of 8,112 at Wall Stadium in its inaugural incarnation in 1978. Ocean beat Monmouth 21-7 in the first year of what has now become the oldest high school football all-star game in New Jersey.
“You couldn’t ask for a better way to finish after the year we had,’’ Ruane said. The small-school players will try to show they can compete with any of the big-name players from the Group IV and Group III programs. The U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic always seems to bring out the competitiveness from the Group I players.
A year later, Monmouth scored its first victory of the series with a 7-6 win over Ocean in 1979. On that Monmouth County roster was a Shore Regional standout offensive lineman/middle linebacker named John Carroll. In the 2011 version of the game that will kick off at 7 p.m. on July 14 on the turf at Toms River North, Monmouth County will feature a standout wide receiver/punter/kicker/defensive back from Shore Regional by the name of Shane Carroll. The younger Carroll grew up knowing the history of the game from his father, who still has a photo of his Monmouth County team from that 1979 game. “I’m happy to be able to follow in his footsteps,’’ Carroll said. “He’s got pictures at home from the team in his senior year. It’s an honor for me to play.’’ The selection of the younger Carroll shows how much of a tradition the game has become now that the sons of players who once participated are popping up on the current rosters.
“Everybody says we play scrub schools, but I think we can play with any of these guys,’’ Carroll said. “It will be like a preview of college, where everyone is good.’’ Carroll’s selection also caps a year in which Shore took home its first Central Jersey Group I title since 1997, finishing 11-1 after beating Dunellen in the championship game at Rutgers Stadium. Carroll played wide receiver, defensive back, kicker, punter, and punt returner. He averaged 36 yards per punt on 14 punts, and as a kicker, he went 48-for-56 on extra points, and kicked two field goals. As a wide receiver, he had 12 catches for 324 yards (27 ypc) and 7 touchdowns, and as a defensive back, he had 4 interceptions, including one for a touchdown. He also averaged 18 yards on 10 punt returns, taking two of them back for touchdowns. He is one of three Shore players participating in the game, as lineman Matt Conte and quarterback/linebacker Evan Ruane, a Monmouth
“We will play with a chip on our shoulder as always,’’ Ruane said. Carroll will also get to carry on what is now a proud family tradition, getting his own photo with a group of all-stars to show just how far the game has come since its beginnings all those years ago. “I’m excited,’’ Carroll said. “I can’t wait to get out there and compete against the best.’’
Photo by:
www.sportshotswlb.com
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tight-knit nature of the Shore Conference baseball community. There have been countless players showing solidarity with the other team, like Manchester did by writing Volpe’s jersey number, 9, on their hats in the Shore Conference Tournament game that marked the Jaguars’ first time back on the field since Volpe’s death. Jackson Liberty also wore armbands with No. 9 on them in support of a player that many Lions players were friends with.
T
h is s p r in g’s S h or e Co n f er en ce bas eball s ea s o n h a s been abo u t s o mu ch mor e th a n wh a t h a s tr a n s pir ed in s ide th e lin es . Seemingly every week brings another hardship, another moment that is about more than baseball. Certainly the primary example is Jackson Memorial dealing with the death of senior outfielder James Volpe from a car crash on May 13, which is detailed in this issue, but unfortunately that has been just the latest of numerous instances. Holmdel junior first baseman Eric Scamardella was hit in the left temple with a fastball and briefly knocked unconscious in a game against Red Bank earlier this month. He was rushed to the hospital and luckily only suffered a concussion after an event that had veteran coaches saying it was the scariest thing they had ever witnessed on a baseball field. On April 5, St. Rose senior pitcher/infielder Nick Morrissey endured the death of his older brother, Chris, a 20-year-old student at the University of Maryland and former St. Rose player, who died from unknown causes. Morrissey, a Howell resident, went out and picked up a win on the mound against Howell High School in his next start in honor of his brother.
Another instance was the Howell players engulfing Morrissey in encouragement after the loss to the Purple Roses because they knew how emotional that game was for Morrissey and his family. When James lost his father, his three senior captains, Liam Ryan, Dan Miller and Matt Sinopoli, made a 70-mile trip north to Ramsey in Bergen County for the funeral in the town where James grew up. Miller might as well have been speaking for players on Jackson, Holmdel, St. Rose and more when he talked about how much this trying season has meant to him. Rumson may end up being the first sub-.500 division champion in recent memory and perhaps Shore Conference history, but the wins and losses have taken a back seat this year.
“They talk about the Shore Conference like a brotherhood, and it showed (that day),’’ Mondelli said. “Their kids were upset, and they were all praying for him in the dugout. It was great sportsmanship by them, and a real class act of compassion by them.’’ While the Shore Conference is often noted for the cutthroat level of its competition, this season has shown that there is a heart beating underneath that steely exterior. There are just certain things that rivalries take a back seat to. That’s why Volpe’s wake was attended by players Holmdel's Eric Scamardella from numerous Shore Conference rivals and not just his Jackson Memorial teammates.
“There were a lot of life lessons learned this season, not just baseball,’’ Miller said. “I see that you can always bounce back, and if I have a bad season in baseball, that's a pretty good life that I've led.’’ “Things like this make you appreciate baseball and life and being on the field a lot more now,’’ said Manalapan senior pitcher Jake Winston, who is close with several Jackson players and also lost another friend, 18year-old Hunterdon Central player Kevin Gilbert, who died in a car crash in March. “I definitely think it brings us all together. We might be rivals on the field, but we support each other off it.’’
Jackson Memorial head coach Frank Malta On April 16, the Rumson players and head coach Kevin James has noted the father of Rumson-Fair outpouring of support from all corners of the Shore Haven head coach Kevin James died at 79 years old in Conference in the wake of Volpe’s death. Holmdel head Georgia. The Bulldogs soon rallied from a 2-7 hole after coach Dan Mondelli has detailed how the Red Bank that event to improbably claim a share of the Class A players and coaches were so supportive and helpful on Central public title. the scary day when Scamardella fell to the ground and Amidst all the gloom, a consistent theme has been the
I would call this “The Season of Perspective” – a reminder that wins and losses don’t always tell the whole story. This season, more than any in recent memory, has shown that all the talk about the Shore Conference being a true community where others are always there to support those enduring hard times is no cliché. As the years pass, it might be hard to remember which team won a county tournament or the Shore Conference Tournament or a state title in 2011, but the memory of the generosity toward the families of Volpe, James, and Morrissey will be fresh. It will not be forgotten on their end, either. “It’s all been very inspiring,’’ James said. Throughout it all, the Shore community has not only been there, but so has the game of baseball. That has been the best therapy of all. Just ask Jackson Memorial pitcher Alex Daniele, who lobbied Malta to start the game against Manchester. Daniele was in the car with Volpe in the accident on the night he died. Just ask Morrissey, who told St. Rose coach Jerry Frulio that there was no way he was not going to start that game against Howell. Just ask James, who found solace in coaching baseball again after having to make the trip to Georgia and eventually bury his father. “Every day, I just kept saying that the best thing about baseball is that you have a chance to wake up tomorrow and play another game,’’ James said. Rumson Photo by:
Charlie Gutch
Holmdel Photo by:
Scott Stump
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Volume-III
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