Shore Sports Network Journal Setting the Bar in the Shore Conference by Shore Sports Network Journal

September 22, 2015 Volume-VII Issue-17

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

”Is this going to be on

?”

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

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n Get Video Highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about. n Catch up on the action you might have missed n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year n Follow us on Twitter (over 16,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

SteveMEYER

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

KevinWILLIAMS

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

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

Shore Sports Network Journal

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

Thursday, 7-8:30 on 1160 & 1310AM and www.shoresportsnetwork.com.

The only weekly radio and online show that covers Monmouth and Ocean County High School Football .

Award-winning broadcasters Kevin Williams, Matt Harmon and Ed Sarluca cover the entire Shore Conference from Matawan to Pinelands. Broadcast live from Baker’s Water Street Bar & Grille in Toms River, the weekly show features players, coaches and a preview of upcoming games.

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-17 / 9/22/15

Jersey Mike’s Continues Their Support With the Team of The Week

By Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

In conjunction with Shore Sports Network, Jersey Mike’s will honor one team a week that showed the character, perseverance and hard work emblematic of The Jersey Mike’s Company during its performance that weekend. A Jersey Mike’s Game Ball and free subs will be presented to that team during practice that week in honor of a great showing.

Week-1 9/11/15

Raritan - 26 Manaquan - 14 The Team of the Week for Week One is Raritan, which exorcised years of demons at Vic Kubu Warrior Field by besting Manasquan 26-14 for its first win at Manasquan in program history. The Rockets and head coach Anthony Petruzzi were presented with a special game ball at practice by Shore Sports Network’s Steve Meyer and Jersey Mike’s NJ/NE Area Director Chad Tirpack, a former standout quarterback/defensive back at Wall, on Sept. 15th. The players were also treated to free Jersey Mike’s subs. Senior running back Derek Ernst ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns to lead the way and

R a r i t a n ’s h e a d c o a c h A n t h o n y P e t r u z z i a n d h i s v a r s i t y t e a m a r e h o n o r e d b y J e r s e y M i k e ’s a s We e k O n e ’s Te a m o f t h e We e k .

help the Rockets start off 1-0 with a historic win. Junior quarterback Marc Carnivale threw a 27yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Mason Sheehan and junior defensive tackle Paul Bavaro returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown after junior defensive tackle Matt Thompson knocked the ball free. “No matter how much the coaching staff stayed

away from talking about (having never won at Manasquan) there was always someone talking about it,” Petruzzi said. “I’m proud of the effort the kids showed and very proud how they handled it.” The Rockets are the first recipient of the Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week this season, which is selected by the Shore Sports Network staff.

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

eek Two in the Shore Conference saw over a third of the conference - 15 teams to be exact - move to 2-0 and continue the good start they began last week. Having a zero in the loss column this early in the season doesn’t mean that much, however. There is still plenty of football to be played, and that goes for the 1-1 and 0-2 teams as well.

There were several big performances in Week Two, both individually and team-wise. Two teams were sent packing from last week’s Shore Sports Network Top 10, including previous No. 3 Toms River North. After a 30-point loss to rival Brick in Week One, Brick Memorial rebounded in a historic way with a 52-20 victory over the Mariners in which the Mustangs ran for over 500 yards and quarterback Tim Santiago set the program’s single-game rushing record.

Matawan also tumbles out of the rankings after a 17-0 loss to Rumson dropped the Huskies to 0-2. Brick Memorial jumps back into the top 10 after one week out, and Middletown North enters for the first time this season.

Middletown South and Red Bank Catholic each won in convincing fashion to remain at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Jackson Memorial moved up two spots to No. 3 after thrashing Lacey, while St. John Vianney holds strong at No. 4 after a blowout win over Holmdel. Rumson moves up one spot to No. 5 and Brick jumps up three spots to No. 6 after a 35-0 win over Southern. Ocean and Manalapan switch spots at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. The Spartans had another great offensive showing in a 48-21 win over Wall, while Manalapan needed a late touchdown to escape with a 21-20 win over Freehold Township. Shore, Red Bank and Howell are among the 2-0 teams that are just outside the top 10 looking to make a splash in Week Three.

1. Middletown South (2-0) Last week: No. 1

Senior running back Cole Rogers ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns and senior quarterback Matt Mosquera tossed a pair of touchdown passes in a 42-0 wipeout of Neptune. Junior running back James McCarthy added a touchdown run and the Eagles defense limited the Scarlet Fliers to 141 total yards and four first downs. Middletown South has been as good as advertised so far this season and will look to run its record to 3-0 when it hosts Marlboro (0-2) on Friday night in Class A North.

2. Red Bank Catholic (2-0). Last week: No. 2

Senior quarterback Eddie Hahn made his season debut in a big way by going 14-for-18 passing for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 32-18 victory over St. Joseph-Metuchen. Hahn had been recovering from a knee injury sustained during the preseason. He gave a glimpse as to who his go-to receiver may be by connecting with senior Mike Balzofiore six times for 145 yards and a touchdown. Senior Dylan Murphy ran for 91 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and also made a team-high 13 tackles. Senior Mike Wilen added 80 yards and a touchdown on just five carries and two receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. The Caseys return to action on Friday night at Neptune (0-3) in a Class B North game.

3. Jackson Memorial (2-0). Last week: No. 5

Junior running back Mike Gawlik put together another fantastic performance by rushing for 132 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries as the Jaguars handled Lacey 41-10. Senior running back Vinny Lee ran for a 49-yard touchdown and also caught a 46-yard touchdown pass from senior receiver Kyle Johnson. Johnson had a receiving touchdown of his own, a 70-yard score from junior quarterback Dan Barker. Senior linebacker Tyler Towns led the defensive effort with three sacks. The Jaguars travel south to Manahawkin on Friday to take on Southern (1-2) in a Class A South game.

4. St. John Vianney (2-0). Last week: No. 4

Junior running back Chris Chukwuneke ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries to lead the Lancers to a 49-0 win over Holmdel. Senior quarterback Anthony Brown threw for 118 yards and a touchdown on 6-of-8 passing, firing a 10-yard score to senior Khalil Haskins. Senior Jeff Sheard returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Zyaire Sterling added a short touchdown run. The Lancers look to remain perfect on the season when they travel to Ocean County on Friday night to take on Central (2-1) in the Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week.

5. Rumson-Fair Haven (1-0). Last week: No. 6

The Bulldogs began their season with a 17-0 win over Matawan in which the Rumson defense was completely dominant. The Bulldogs held the Huskies to 41 total yards while forcing a pair of turnovers and registering six sacks. Junior linebacker Mike Ruane finished with 10 tackles and a sack and Mike Murdock added eight tackles, a forced fumble and an interception to lead the way. Junior quarterback Mike O’Connor ran for 115 yards and a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Elijah McAllister. Thomas Chapin added a 21-yard field goal. Rumson travels to Tinton Falls to face Monmouth Regional (1-1) on Saturday at noon.

6. Brick (2-0). Last week: No. 9

The Dragons blanked Southern 35-0 to improve to 2-0 and have now outscored their opponents 71-6 through the first two Class A South games. Junior wide receiver Ja’Sir Taylor caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Tom Zbranak and also ran for a 42-yard touchdown. Junior running backs Jay Obenauer and Rashon McCall and Zbranak each added touchdown runs while the defense held Southern to 119 total yards. Brick plays a night game at Toms River East (0-3) on Saturday.

7. Ocean (2-0). Last week: No. 8

Senior running back Tyler Thompson had his second monster game in as many weeks in rushing for 209 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-21 Class B North victory over Wall. Junior Kenny Pickett added 170 yards and three touchdowns on 9-of-12 passing, tossing touchdown strikes to Ruquan Dean, Greyson Stoothoff and Joey Aldarelli, as the Spartans rolled up 442 yards of offense. Stoothoff also had an interception on defense. The Spartans host Red Bank on Friday night in a crucial Class B North battle between 2-0 teams.

8. Manalapan (2-0). Last week: No. 7

L.J. Holder’s 10-yard touchdown reception off a deflected pass from junior quarterback Cody Wiener with 17 seconds left in the game allowed the Braves to come from behind for a 21-10 win and avoid a stunning upset at the hands of Freehold Township. Holder’s touchdown catch tied the game at 20 and Wiener’s extra point gave Manalapan the lead thanks to senior David Blumenberg blocking a Freehold Township extra point earlier in the game. Senior running back Marcus Salinas ran for a career-high 233 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries as the Braves won their 33rd straight Class A North game. The Braves have a nonconference game Friday night when they travel to face Sayreville (2-0).

9. Brick Memorial (1-1). Last week: not ranked

One week after a demoralizing loss to rival Brick, the Mustangs unleashed their frustration on previous No. 3 Toms River North with a 52-20 victory in Class A South to avoid an 0-2 start. Senior quarterback Tim Santiago exploded for program-record 320 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 19 carries while also throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Elie Lavarin. Sophomore running back Tony Thorpe added two touchdowns and Lavarin finished with 102 yards rushing on four carries. Brick Memorial will try to keep the momentum going when it travels to Lacey on Saturday at 1 p.m.

10. Middletown North (2-0). Last week: not ranked

Junior quarterback Donald Glenn completed 11 of 14 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns and senior defensive end Jacob Dean blocked a punt and recovered another blocked punt for a touchdown to help the Lions to a 40-14 Class A North victory over Marlboro. Sophomore running back Connor Welsh caught three passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, junior Brendan Kube had four receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown and senior Demetrius Redway ran for a touchdown. Sophomore Austin Dewise led the defensive effort with six tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack. The Lions travel to Freehold (1-1) on Saturday at 1 p.m. for a Class A North game.

Dropped out:

Toms River North, Matawan

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SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

Change Of Scenery For Bill Brun o

By Kevin Williams – Shore Sports Network Director

rick Memorial’s loss is a gain for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association as Bill Bruno ends a long career in public education on September 30th and begins work the next day as an Assistant Director with the NJSIAA. Bruno was appointed to his new position in August and will be in charge of cross country, winter and spring track, sports he has always had a special passion for. Bruno has spent the last 13 years working in the Brick School District and for a period was the athletic director at both high schools and middle schools but for the last 7 years has been in charge of the programs at Brick Memorial High School and Veterans Memorial Middle School. Prior to coming to Brick the 62-year old served as athletic director at Marlboro High School and Howell High School and had a long coaching resume before that, including a stint as the head football coach at

Pinelands. However track and cross country have been among his favorites and he seemed like a perfect choice when longtime NJSIAA assistant director Don Danser died in June. Bruno will use his familiarity with the sports and as an administrator to slide right into the position at the organization’s offices in Robbinsville.

Bruno is highly respected by fellow athletic directors and in March was honored as the New Jersey Athletic Director of the Year by the Directors of Athletics Association. He is also well known in coaching circles and many of those he coached with and against will be on hand to salute him during a retirement party on Sunday, October 4 at the Brick PAL building on Drum Point Road (2pm). The event is being organized by Hall of Fame wrestling Coach Denny D’Andrea, a friend of Bruno’s for more than 40 years. Those wishing to attend can contact D’Andrea at (732) 278-7276. Bruno has spent the last several weeks working with his replacement, Ed Sarluca Jr., who was hired by the Board of Education in August. Sarluca is a 1993 Brick Memorial graduate who coached the Mustangs basketball team for nine years and previously coached football and softball at the school. Bruno and his wife Jeannette (Assistant Principal at Marlboro HS) live in Howell.

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION Co ntact: Steve n Meyer 73 2-233-4460

steve.me yer@townsquar eme dia.com

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-17 / 9/22/15

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Boys Soccer – Week of Sept. 20 th Top 10 Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

he third 2015 installment of the boys soccer top 10 features the first rearranging of the top five this season. There were two games this past week that featured top 10 teams squaring off against one another and all four of the teams involved in those games remain in the top five.

With one of the preseason top five dropping down in the top 10, that means there is a new team in the top five for the first time this year and it is one of the two remaining teams in the Shore Conference with a perfect record. The rest of the top 10 features a team that fell out last week and climbed back in, as well as a new team from the jungle that is Class A North.

Christian Brothers Academy . (4-1, 4-0) Last Week: 2

Although the Colts are the first-place team in Class A North and their only loss was a 1-0 game to Peddie, they are not a lock No. 1 at this point. If not for a red card against Freehold Township on Sept.17th and a penalty kick with five minutes left in the second overtime against Freehold Boro on Sept. 19th, CBA would likely be a two-win team. Alas, the Colts pulled out both and since both are very good wins, CBA is indeed the No. 1 team this week.

(Pictured is Junior Ryan Nigro)

7. Long Branch (3-1-1, 1-0-1) Last Week: Not ranked

The Green Wave lost to Rumson and survived a couple of close calls against Asbury Park and Neptune, but the young Long Branch roster showed its chops in a 1-1 tie at Wall Friday and has battled its way to a 3-1-1 record. Long Branch will again be tested right out of the gate this week when it travels to Ocean for a night game on Monday, which has shaped up to be a big game for both teams.

8. Marlboro (1-1-1, 1-1-1) Last Week: Not ranked

Marlboro has only one win, but it was a big one against preseason No. 4 Manalapan this past week. Even the two non-wins are solid showings, with the Mustangs falling to No. 3 Freehold Township in a 1-0 decision and tying a Howell team that also played Manalapan tough and beat a quality Freehold Boro side. The Mustangs play the Middletowns and Red Bank Catholic this week, so the schedule gives them a chance to build on their record.

9. Manalapan (2-1, 2-1) Last Week: 4

Like Freehold Township, Manalapan has had a little trouble finding the back of the net out of the gate, but the Braves are still in decent shape in the early going. CBA has had to survive a couple of close calls and Freehold Township will travel to Manalapan on Monday with their goalkeeper still on the bench because of a red card. If Manalapan can put a big week together against the Patriots, CBA on Friday and Middletown North on Saturday, the Braves will catapult back into the top five.

10. Toms River North (2-1-1, 2-0-1) Last Week: 6

After battling Brick Memorial to a 1-1 draw, Toms River North bounced back nicely with a 2-1 win over rival Toms River East. To this point, Class A South hasn’t had some of the definitive non-divisional victories that it did at this point last year, so we’re still learning about the top teams in the division. To this point, with wins over Lacey and Toms River East and a good showing in a loss to a very talented Kearny team, Toms River North appears to be the A South team with the highest ceiling.

2. Shore (5-0, 3-0) Last Week: 5

CBA’s high-wire act at the end of the week left open the possibility for Shore to storm through the door and take over the top spot in the rankings. The Blue Devils were convincing in beating Ocean 3-1 and if the Spartans go on to have the kind of season they are expected to have, that is going to be a huge win when it comes to SCT seeding and power points. The B Central schedule could possibly make Shore’s hold on the No. 2 spot somewhat tenuous, but the win over Ocean coupled with a 5-0 record has the Blue Devils next in line for the time being.

Last Week: 1

3. Freehold Township (2-1-1, 2-1-0)

On one play, Freehold Township went from the undisputed No. 1 team to one that will have to scratch and claw to stay in the top five by the time next week rolls around. Not only did goalkeeper Mike Christina’s red card open the door for CBA to rally from a 2-0 second-half deficit on Thursday, but it also leaves the Patriots without their No. 1 keeper for Monday’s showdown with Manalapan. If Freehold Township can get by the Braves, they should be able to chip away and get back into the discussion for No. 1

4. Ocean (3-1, 2-0) Last Week: 3

The Spartans mauled three inferior teams by a combined score of 21-1 to open the season, but struggled to stop Shore on corner kicks while also failing to execute in the final third in a 3-1 loss to the Blue Devils. Ocean can put a ton of pressure on a defense with its speed and creativity on the attack, but the Spartans found a few things to clean up in that loss to Shore. The meat of the B North schedule gets underway this week with Long Branch and Colts Neck on the slate.

5. Rumson-Fair Haven (6-0, 4-0) Last Week: 7

The goal differential is not as eye-popping as the one that Shore owns, but like the Blue Devils, the Bulldogs just keep winning. Five of Rumson’s six wins are by a one-goal margin, including three straight 2-1 wins over Manasquan, St. John Vianney and Holmdel. The wins over Long Branch and Manasquan are both quality, and Holmdel’s win over Toms River South outside the division gives A Central some clout.

6. Wall (3-0-1, 2-0-1) Last Week: 8

The only goal Wall has allowed in four games this year was the own goal Long Branch scored against the Crimson Knights in their 1-1 draw on Friday. Wall has already survived games against Colts Neck and Long Branch and will play the bottom two teams – Neptune and Red Bank Catholic – in the B North standings this week before a non-divisional rivalry game with Manasquan on Saturday.

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CBA Rallies to Beat Short-handed No. 1 Freehold Township

By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

hristian Brothers Academy junior Matt Thorsheim is only in the early stages of his third varsity season, but he has been in plenty of intense, wild games in his time.

The game he and his Colts – ranked No. 2 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 – wwon on Sept. 17 against No. 1 FreeholdTownship topped the list for the junior center midfielder.

Junior Matt Mawson capped a run of three CBA goals in under eight minutes following a Freehold Township red card and the Colts rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Patriots, 3-2, in Class A North.

Thorsheim scored the first two goals for CBA and set up the winner with a diagonal through-ball that made it across the box to Mawson, who finished for the go-ahead score in the 72nd minute.

“That is probably the craziest game I’ve ever played in,” said Thorsheim, who has an overtime penalty kick golden goal in the NJSIAA playoffs during his freshman season on his resume. “Just crazy plays that you don’t normally see over the course of ten games.”

Freehold Township goalkeeper Mike Christina was issued a red card for a push to a CBA player away from the play with 16:16 left to play and his team leading 2-0. Thorsheim made the ensuing penalty kick to pull CBA within 21.

The official who made the call indicated that Christina swung with a closed fist, which prompted the red card. The senior goalkeeper, who is a former CBA student and left the field to handshakes and hugs from both CBA and Freehold Township players alike, will have to sit for the next two games per NJSIAA rules.

play and made the right call.”

Backup goalkeeper Jake Konig was whistled for a violation for dropping the ball inside the 18-yard box and picking it up again, which gave CBA an indirect kick from the spot. After a touch on the ball, Thorsheim buried a shot to the lower left of the goal to tie the game in the 69th minute.

“We were supposed to have a second player run over the ball before I shot it and at first, nobody came,” Thorsheim said. “They (Freehold Township) jumped up and I was expected a card or a Junior Matt Mawson “I didn’t see it,” Freehold whistle or something and Township coach Todd Briggs said. when it didn’t happen, they “I was just about to make two situational substitutions and as were still getting set, the second guy (senior John Frycz) ran I was talking to those guys, it occurred. So I don’t even know over the ball and I just went for the lower left.” what happened. I can only go by the explanation I got from the “I think the thing that hurt us more than anything was playing referee and my goalie admitted to it so I can’t react much to a man down,” Briggs said. “I wouldn’t put it on the keeper how egregious it was. The referee was five yards away from the

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change at all. I know Jake expecting to do better, because that’s the kind of kid he is, but you can’t put that on him. I think playing a man down slanted the field and that’s what made the difference.”

With Freehold Township playing a man down for the final 63:46, CBA attacked the Patriots on the right side of the formation, where they built up the attack for Mawson’s winner. Thorsheim's diagonal ball went past junior Ryan Nigro, who let the ball go through him as he was making a run. That gave Mawson space to settle the ball and hit a low shot past Konig.

“When they went down a man, they took away an outside midfielder, so we had to expose the side that they didn’t have a player on,” Thorsheim said. “So instead of just playing it through, we were playing around with the ball, forcing them to step out and then when they did, that’s when we’d hit the outsides and try to attack down the flanks.” “That was a really good decision by Nigro to let it go and then for Mawson to be able to stay composed, settle the ball and hit a solid shot is a great job by a junior playing in his first real big game at the varsity level,” CBA assistant coach

Jeff Matson said.

Nigro came off the bench to give the Colts quality minutes in the defensive central midfield, drawing praise from both Thorsheim and Matson.

“When we put in Nigro, he was a huge help,” Thorsheim said. “He kept the ball for us and we were able to move the ball around really well and created some opportunties.”

“Nigro came in and did a great job,” Matson said. “He and Joey Paolillo do all the dirty work. They hold the ball, they win the ball, they distribute it. Joey was getting a little gassed and Nigro came in and gave us a little different look and really did well. They scored right away, but that wasn’t his fault.” The Patriots broke a scoreless tie in the 48th minute on a goal by Nick Facendo, who played a giveand-go with senior Chris Hoskins, took a touch toward the middle and buried a shot to the far right post.

Senior Nick Meyer

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

Hoskins gave the Patriots a 2-0 lead in the 53rd with a near-post header off a free kick by senior Mike Maltese from outside the 18-yard box on the left side. Up until the red card on Christina, which occurred after the Freehold

Township defense had cleared the ball out of its own box on the play, the Patriots were in firm control.

“It’s disappointing on a lot of levels, but at the same time, it was 2-0 before the game changed,” Briggs said. “At that point, it was a definitive victory. It wasn’t like last year when we were heading in some fluke goals. We came out with a purpose, we came out with an intention to the lineup and the formation and it was executed to perfection. That’s the killer.”

The second-half offensive outburst followed a tame first half in which Christina stuffed the lone dangerous opportunity by blocking an attempt by CBA senior Nick Meyer on the left side of the 18-yard box. The Patriots made a late push to score in the final five minutes, but the Colts were able to stave off the surge, highlighted by senior defender Tom Lozowski, who headed a ball over the crossbar when CBA goalkeeper Aedan Boriotti was off his line. Freehold Township was without 6-foot-5 senior defender Adrian Barajas at that point due to a calf injury that Briggs said could keep him out for some period of time going forward.

“I think they might have been better off pushing up on us like they did at the end, but you can’t blame them for defending,” Matson said. “Our guys know how to score goals. Once they know the flaw in the formation, they are going to attack it and once the red card came out, it definitely changed things.”

by:

Matt Manley

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

he Shore Conference football season has just begun and already there have been some sensational individual performances and players off to red-hot starts. There are 15 teams there were perfect through Week Two, and behind several of those programs has been a player that has lit up the scoreboard.

After breaking his leg during a Week Eight loss to Red Bank Catholic last season, Ocean senior running back Tyler Thompson entered 2015 with plenty to prove both to himself and those that doubted he would be the same. Thompson ran for over 1,000 yards as a freshman and sophomore and was well on his way last season before getting injured, finishing with just over 800.

Thompson was able to rehab quickly from the break, enough so that when he was cleared to return he was in the Spartans’ wrestling room during the winter season looking to get on the mat and help his teammates prepare.

Ocean senior running back Tyler Thompson

“For people to question whether he would be the same coming off the injury has really fueled his fire,” Ocean head coach Don Klein said during the preseason. “His mindset is to attack this thing.”

Through two games that is exactly what Thompson has been doing. Thompson is charging hard at his third 1,000-yard season already with 397 yards and seven touchdowns for the 2-0 Spartans. In a season-opening 34-28 victory over Neptune, Thompson ran for 188 yards and three touchdowns, including a 71-yard scoring run that tied the game and a 13-yarder that proved to be the winning score. In a Week Two victory over Wall, Thompson went for 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead the way in a 48-21 win. He has also been a force on defense as a safety. He had a forced fumble that was recovered for a touchdown and made double-digit tackles in the win over Neptune. The Spartans host a 2-0 Red Bank team in Week Three in a key Class B North game and have a nondivisional showdown with Manasquan in Week Four.

Top-ranked Middletown South has started expectedly strong with a 2-0 mark and 83 points scored, and it really has been a team effort for the well-rounded Eagles. Junior running back James McCarthy was a force with 156 yards and two touchdowns in a season-opening win over South Brunswick. Senior running back Cole Rogers was hampered by cramps in Week One, but bounced back with 135 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-0 win over Neptune. The defense has been outstanding again led by linebacker Dylan Rogers, and the special teams have been on point, even scoring on a punt return touchdown by Tom Marron.

Even with all those players performing at a high level, arguably the biggest difference-maker has been senior Matt Mosquera. As the Eagles’ quarterback and kicker, Mosquera has constant pressure to get the job done, and he has not flinched in his second year starting at both positions.

In the win over South Brunswick in which the Eagles rallied from a 21-3 deficit with 38 straight points to win 41-21 over the No. 1 team in the Greater Middlesex Conference, Mosquera threw for 119 yards and a touchdown, ran for 57 yards and a touchdown and scored 11 kicking points with five extra points, a 35-yard field goal and a booming 47-yard field goal. In the Neptune win where the Eagles were up 42-0 at halftime, Mosquera completed 5-of-8 passes for 87 yards

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and two touchdowns and was again perfect on extra points.

If you're asking what else Mosquera could possibly do, that brings us to kickoffs. Mosquera neutralized great kick-return talent on both South Brunswick and Neptune by booting touchbacks on seven of his eight total kickoffs.

“He is multifaceted and helps us in so many ways,” said Middletown South head coach Steve Antonucci. “Now he’s a twoyear starter so his experience is so valuable to us.” A season that figured to be promising for Brick Memorial senior quarterback Tim Santiago started in the complete opposite direction. The Mustangs were taken down thoroughly

Middletown South senior QB/K Matt Mosquera

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

by rival Brick, 36-6, to open the season, and their triple option rushing attack spearheaded by Santiago was shut down. Facing an early crossroads to the season, Santiago stepped up in a historic way the following week.

The Mustangs rudely welcomed then-No. 3 Toms River North with a 5220 blitzkrieg to get back on track, and Santiago delivered with a career-high and Brick Memorial single-game record 320 rushing yards on 19 carries. He scored four touchdowns on the ground and also threw a 32-yard touchdown pass. The Mustangs faced an 0-2 start, which in Class A South would have been brutal to fight back from. Instead they sit at 1-1 and remain in the hunt for the division title.

The team they would have to go through to win said title is defending NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV champion Jackson Memorial. The Jaguars have picked up right where they left off in 2014 when they won their final eight games en route to finishing No. 1 in the Shore and No. 2 in New Jersey. Their 2-0 start has been dominant with a 41-0 win over Jackson Liberty and a 41-10 victory over Lacey.

The Jaguars have several weapons with 1,000-yard running backs Vinny Lee and Mike Gawlik and big-play wide receiver Kyle Johnson, and j u n i o r

Brick Memorial senior quarterback Tim Santiago S e e Setting

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quarterback Dan Barker has been excellent in taking over as the starter. Despite having to replace a big chunk of its overpowering offensive line, the Jaguars running game has been as scary as ever.

No player has come out of the gates like Gawlik, though in two games he has just 16 carries, and what he has done with those touches has been remarkable. In the win over Jackson Liberty Gawlik needed just 10 carries to run for 170 yards and two touchdowns. In there was a 95-yard touchdown run that is the second-longest play from scrimmage in Jackson Memorial history. Against Lacey, Gawlik took half of his six carries to the end zone and finished with 132 yards. He is averaging a ridiculous 18.9 yards per carry this season.

If you talk about a player playing bigger than his size Gawlik is a perfect example. Judging him by his 5-foot-8, 155-pound frame would be foolish.

“For his size he breaks a lot of tackles,” said Jackson Memorial head coach Walt Krystopik. “He has great balance and vision. He’s patient through the hole and then he explodes.” Staying in Class A South, Brick’s Ja’Sir Taylor has proven a lot in the first two weeks. Taylor played a lot as a freshman and was one of the best wide receivers in the Shore Conference as a

yard touchdown pass and ran for a 42-yard touchdown.

“We’ve been using him in as many different capacities as we can to get the ball in his hands,” said Brick head coach Len Zdanowicz. “He had done everything we have asked him to do. He might be the most talented player on the team but he is also most open to coaching. He wants to make the team better.”

Red Bank Regional is 2-0 and looking to make some noise after narrowly missing the playoffs last season. Syracuse recruit Sadiq Palmer, a Shore Sports Network first-team All-Shore wide receiver last year, has been a bigplay machine again for the Bucs. In wins over Wall and Colts Neck, Palmer has eight receptions for 105 yards and three touchdowns. He also has a pair of interceptions.

Central is 2-1 and one game out of first place in Class B South. Junior running back Mike Bickford, who ran for over 2,000 yards last season, is at it again with 458 yards and eight touchdowns in three games.

Red Bank WR Sadiq Palmer

St. John Vianney quarterback Anthony Brown, a Boston College recruit, has four touchdowns in two games for the 2-0 Lancers.

Red Bank Catholic senior quarterback Eddie Hahn made his season debut in Week Two after hurting his knee in the preseason and threw for a career-high 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 32-18 in over St. Joseph-Metuchen. Manalapan senior running back Marcus Salinas ran for a career-high 233 yards in a 21-20 win over Freehold Township.

Lakewood’s Amir Tyler, a Temple recruit, has five touchdowns in two games. He scored four times - three rushing and one interception return - in the first half in a 4034 win over Central and had an 87-yard touchdown run in a 25-8 win over Pinelands.

sophomore. His talent was unquestioned going into his junior year, but there still was some wonder about how he would contribute without sensational quarterback Carmen Sclafani throwing the ball. Brick Township WR Ja’Sir Taylor The answer has been to get him the ball any way possible, and so far it’s yielded major dividends for the 2-0 Dragons.

In a colossal 36-6 victory over Brick Memorial to open the season, Taylor ran for 107 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. On defense he returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown in his first start in the secondary. Then in a 35-0 win over Southern, Taylor caught a 59-

Jackson Memorial's Mike Gawlik

Point Boro senior quarterback Noah Husak ran for a career-high 201 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-7 win over Donovan Catholic for the 2-0 Panthers.

Howell is 2-0 and a big reason is senior quarterback Mark Iacobino, who has five touchdown passes in two games.

Photos by: Mark Brown www.b51photography.com

Ray Rich Photography www.rayrichphotography.smugmug.com Bill Normile www.billnormile.zenfolio.com Doug Bostwick www.SportShotsWLB.com Phil Stilton JTOWN Magazine VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-17 / 9/22/15

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

No. 5 Shore Cools Off No. 3 Ocean

By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

hore Regional senior J.T. Kessler admits his team’s schedule is not as challenging as some of the other top teams in the Shore Conference, but when the Blue Devils boys soccer team gets to face another top 10 team in the conference, they relish the opportunity.

Junior Dante Montesinos and freshman Leonardo Montesinos each scored first-half goals Sept.19th and Kessler added his 10th goal of the season early in the second half as the Blue Devils – ranked No. 5 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 – upended No. 3 Ocean in a match-up of unbeaten, top-five teams in the Shore Conference.

“We don’t get to face top 10 teams in our division, so we get pumped for games like this,” Kessler said. “We see it as a chance to prove ourselves as one of the top teams in the Shore. I don’t know if Ocean sees us in the same way. They probably see us as

just another game, which probably helps.”

Prior to Sept. 19th, Ocean was 3-0 and had outscored its three opponents – Brick, Red Bank Catholic and Red Bank Regional – by a combined score of 21-1, scoring at least six goals in each of the three games.

“Ocean is a great team and with the guys they have up top, they are never out of a game, so we never felt like we had the game put away,” Shore coach Christian Pontier said.

Senior goalkeeper Evan Coffey saved six shots for Shore, helping the Blue Devils offset a 10-6 Ocean advantage in shots.

“Before the game, I told Evan he was going to have to come out and be aggressive and to play almost like a sweeper keeper,” Pontier said. “They pounded the ball up to their forwards and our defense was working to keep those guys in front and I wanted Evan to be aggressive about giving those guys help and closing off the space.” Montesinos rifled home an eight-

Junior Dante Montesinos

yard shot in the eighth minute off a deflected pass from junior Matt Dutra for the game’s first goal. The goal followed two restarts and a corner kick, with Shore setting up a 35-yard free kick thanks to a foul that occurred after a quick restart in its own end. Senior Brett Norman set up the corner kick with a free kick that sophomore Matt Quesada headed on frame, with Ocean sophomore goalkeeper Tom Gleason punching the ball over the crossbar and off the football crossbar. Younger brother Leonardo beat Gleason inside the high near post in the 25th after a deflection in the box following

Senior J.T. Kessler

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460

steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-17 / 9/22/15

a throw-in.

“We always talk about making the most of our opportunities and today, when we got the ball in their third with a chance to score, we were dangerous,” Montesinos said. “On my goal, I just tracked the ball to the far post and it bounced back to me in the middle and I just hit it as hard as I good at the goal.”

Kessler made it 3-0 in the 43rd with Shore’s second goal off a corner kick. Norman played the ball on the ground out of the corner and junior Stevie Johnson set Kessler up with a dummy, after which Kessler ripped a bending shot to the left corner of the goal from the top of the 18-yard box. “We usually like to play it pretty conventional on the first corner and hit it to the back post, and then when we see what the other team is doing, it’s coach’s call,” Kessler said. “I saw they were playing a zone in the box and none of them were stepping to the ball so when Stevie just dummied it, no one moved and I just picked a corner and put it in.”

Ocean trimmed its deficit to two goals in the 49th minute when senior Marlhens Nasanes took a pass from senior defender Luis Araya up the left side, beat a defender along the end-line and slotted a shot to the far right side netting.

Montesinos appeared to score a second goal in the 53rd minute that would have given Shore a 4-1 lead, but the goal was disallowed because Montesinos was ruled offside before Kessler flicked a header to the front of the goul mouth. Spartans senior center midfielder and Monmouth

University recruit Wadneson Alexis did not start the game because he had been sick in recent days, according to Ocean coach Tom Reilly. Once Alexis entered 10 minutes into the game, he did not come out

Leonardo Montesinos and junior Stevie Johnson battled Alexis in the midfield for most of the game and the Blue Devils countered the Ocean skill in the middle by playing

with three center midfielders – with Kessler and Dante Montesinos checking back to the midfield at different points. “Leo played great,” Dante Montesinos said of his younger brother. “He worked really hard and went up against a great player and was still able to score a goal.”

“I thought the key for us was going to be the three center midfielders against their two,” Pontier said. “Waldo (Alexis) still played great, but I think our ability to play

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

with an extra midifielder and still be able to win in our defensive third and in their third was huge.”

Ocean was also without senior goalkeeper Yanni Kavarakas, who has not played yet this season because of a back injury. According to Reilly, Kavarakas is close to returning, but there is not currently a specific return date.

Shore will go back to division play and while the Blue Devils typically play their toughest games outside of the Class B Central division, upcoming games against Ranney (3-1), St. Rose (2-2) and Asbury Park (2-2) will test Shore, which had to hold off a second-half comeback by division rival Point Beach in a 3-2 win on Sept. 11.

“I think our guys got the message with that second half against Point Beach,” Pontier said. “Teams in our division are going to give us 80 hard minutes and with some of the styles we’re going to see, it’s not going to be easy. We learned last year that we can’t just take these games for granted, so I think they’ll be ready for the day-to-day challenge.”

by:

Matt Manley

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Photos by: Doug Bostwick www.SportShotsWLB.com

2015 Kyle Kirst Lacrosse Coaches Clinic Honors One of its Own

y n o w, man y of u s in th e la cr o s s e commu n ity wer e deeply s adden ed by th e pas s in g on of Kyle Kir s t, age 47, th e lo n g time as s is tan t coach f or th e legen dar y S u mmit High S ch o ol Lacr os s e p r ogr am. Kyle leaves beh in d h is wif e an d f ive you n g s on s , ages , 17- 9.

The New Jersey Interscholastic High School Lacrosse Coaches and Referees Associations are running a Coaches Clinic in honor of Kyle as a pure fund raiser with all proceeds going to the Kirst Family Educational Foundation.

The event will take place on Saturday, November 14th, from 8:00 am-1:00 pm, at Goodsports in Wall.

Special guest presenters will be Chris Wojcik, the

head coach at Harvard as well as Bill Pilat, the head coach at Roanoke.

A presentation on rules interpretation will be given by Tom Carr, current NCAA Official. Additionally, Tim Flynn (Mountain Lakes), Jim Davidson (Summit) and Chuck Apel (Bridgewater) will be making presentations throughout the day.

All six of these presenters are in the NJ Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Registration is now open for all attendees. The donation at the front door is $45.00.The players from Brookdale Community College will be present to help out with all the half and full field presentations.

This event is being organized and sponsored by the lacrosse clubs of Manasquan, Wall, Mountain Lakes and Summit. If anyone would like to make a donation in advance, please send to:

Kirst Children Educational Fund PO Box 1352 Summit, NJ 07901 Tax ID number 26-3962440

Thanks for your support and hope to see many of you there. For more information about this Coaches Clinic, please email Bob Sheridan, the Past President of the NJ Lacrosse Foundation, at sheridanb27@optonline.net

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-17 / 9/22/15

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

very week this season, Shore Conference football fans will get their chance to vote for the SSN Football Player of the Week on our website, with nearly 50,000 votes already cast in the first two weeks. Two players so far have earned the honor of SSNs Shore Conference Player of the Week after brilliant performances.

Week-0

9/4/15

Pinelands junior running back

Justin Kirkpatrick The first recipient of the 2015 season is Pinelands junior running back Justin Kirkpatrick, who needed just 12 carries to rush for 200 yards and three touchdowns in a 39-33 loss to Donovan Catholic. Kirkpatrick ran for touchdowns of 44, 41 and 27 yards in the back-and-forth battle to lead a Wildcats rushing attack that finished with 450 yards rushing on 10.5 yards per carry. The Pinelands fans overwhelmingly voted Kirkpatrick the winner, as he received 63.8 percent of the vote to top Donovan Catholic senior running back David Calderon, who ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns, including the eventual game-winning score. Calderon finished just ahead of Central junior running back Mike Bickford, who ran for 207 yards and one touchdown in a 27-20 overtime victory over Southern.

Week-1

9/11/15

Jackson Memorial junior running back

Mike Gawlik The Week One recipient is Jackson Memorial junior running back Mike Gawlik, who ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries in a 41-0 victory over Jackson Liberty. Gawlikâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature play was a 95-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put the finishing touches on the Jaguarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eighth straight victory over the Lions to claim the Connor Cup. The 95-yard touchdown is the second longest in Jackson Memorial program history.

The Jaguars fans came out in full force as Gawlik was the runaway-winner with 41.17 percent of the vote to top Raritan senior running back Derek Ernst, who ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-14 win over Manasquan.

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-17 / 9/22/15

Fri Sept. 25 St. John Vianney

Central

(7pm)

Fri Oct. 23

Middletown South at

Brick Memorial

(7pm)

Point Beach

(7pm) (7pm)

Fri Oct. 2

Jackson Memorial at

Brick

(7pm)

Fri Oct. 30

Shore

Fri Oct. 9

Jackson Memorial at

T.R. North

(7pm)

Fri Nov. 6

Jackson Memorial at

Red Bank Cath.

Fri Oct. 16

T.R. North

T.R. East

(7pm)

Thr Nov. 26

Manasquan

Wall

(11am)

NJSIAA Playoffs

TBD

Schedule is subject to change

All games to be broadcast on News Talk Radio and streamed live at www.shoresportsnetwork.com

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-17 / 9/22/15

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/ VOLUME-VII / ISSUE-17 / 9/22/15