7-25-11 Volume III Issue-14

J u l y 2 5 , 2 0 1 1Volume-I I I - Issue-14



www.allshoremedia.com

Sam Mills

Awards

Page 3

Howell

Wins

7-on-7

Page 6

Gridiron

Classic Recap

Page 8-9

Making Up for

Lost Time

Page 10

Honoring a Friend

Page 1 1

SJV's Dragonetti

Plays for Two

Page 13

Offseason

Basketball Notes

Page 15

Stumpy's Corner

Page 15

Sam Mills

Awards

Page 3

Howell

Wins

7-on-7

Page 6

Gridiron

Classic Recap

Page 8-9

Making Up for

Lost Time

Page 10

Honoring a Friend

Page 1 1

SJV's Dragonetti

Plays for Two

Page 13

Offseason

Basketball Notes

Page 15

Stumpy's Corner

Page 15

Sam Mills

Awards

Page 3

Howell

Wins

7-on-7

Page 6

Gridiron

Classic Recap

Page 8-9

Making Up for

Lost Time

Page 10

Honoring a Friend

Page 1 1

SJV's Dragonetti

Plays for Two

Page 13

Offseason

Basketball Notes

Page 15

Stumpy's Corner

Page 15

Sam Mills

Awards

Page 3

Howell

Wins

7-on-7

Page 6

Gridiron

Classic Recap

Page 8-9

Making Up for

Lost Time

Page 10

Honoring a Friend

Page 1 1

SJV's Dragonetti

Plays for Two

Page 13

Offseason

Basketball Notes

Page 15

Stumpy's Corner

Page 15

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www.allshoremedia.com Volume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1 ASM / 3

Heading into the

2010 season,

Lakewood was

stuck in football

Siberia in the midst

of a losing streak

that would reach 33

games.

In this year’s U.S.

Army All-Shore

Gridiron Classic at

Toms River North's

Gernerd Field, a

special moment for

defensive end

Da'Quan Kenney

illustrated how the

Piners have started

to pick themselves

off the mat.

Kenney, who

finished with 123

tackles and 27

tackles for a loss as a senior,

was selected as Ocean County's recipient of this year's Sam

Mills Award. The award goes to one player from each team

that personifies the character, perseverance and

determination of the late Sam Mills, a Long Branch legend

and former All-Pro linebacker with the New Orleans Saints.

"I didn't know I was getting it, but it's a great honor and I

accept it on behalf of me and my team,'' Kenney said. "It's a

great achievement.''

Sam Mills starred at Long Branch and in the NFL before

Kenney was even born, but the Lakewood star promised to

soon learn about a man who inspired many before his death

from cancer in 2005.

"Right after this, I will look him up,'' Kenney said.

Kenney's award capped a season in which Lakewood finished

3-7 to end its losing streak and win its most games since

2002. It also marked the one and only season under

legendary head coach Warren Wolf, 84, who retired after the

season with the second-most wins (361) in state history. Wolf

spent his first 51 seasons as the only coach in Brick history.

"He was a great coach, ' ' Kenney said. "He acted l ike a

young kid l ike us . I t was a great experience. ' '

Kenney and running back Ahmier Dupree

represented the Piners in Ocean 's 6-3 win

over Monmouth County, as Kenney had a hi t

for a loss and Dupree rushed for 24 yards on

7 carr ies .

"This game, Ahmier and I were looking to

put Lakewood back on the map and le t

everybody out there know that Lakewood

has got ta lent , ' ' Kenney said.

The Monmouth County recipient of the Sam

Mills Award was Manalapan defensive

l ineman James DeBlase, who f inished with

two tackles for a loss or no gain in the loss .

DeBlase persevered to have a great career

for the Braves despi te losing his fa ther in

the terror is t a t tack on the World Trade

Center on Sept . 11, 2001.

Kenney, DeBlase Win SamMills AwardsB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

Manalapan’s James DeBlase

Photos by

C l i f f L a v e l l ew ww . c le a r e d g e. z e nf o l i o .c o m

Lakewood’s Da’Quan Kenney

4 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 5

The Shore Footbal l

Coaches Foundat ion

inducted four new members

into i ts Hal l of Fame, two posthumously. Former

Manasquan/Middletown North coach Vic Kubu and former

Freehold great Hal Schank received posthumous

induct ions, while former Asbury Park/Ocean Township

coach George Conti Jr. and former Keansburg/Toms

River South coach Chip LaBarca Sr. were honored

in person at half t ime. SFCF president Dan Duddy

lis ted their accomplishments and they were

honored at midfield.

Four Inductees into the SFCFHall of FameB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

P h o t o s b y :

C l i f f L av e l l ew w w . c l e a r e d g e . z e n f o l i o . c o m

Photos by

C l i f f L a v e l l ew ww . c le a r e d g e. z en fo l i o .c o mGeorge Conti Jr.

Vic Kubu Family

Chip LaBarca Family

Former player accepts award for Hal Schank


Howell beat Toms River North 27-22 in an exciting National Guard Shore

Conference 7-on-7 championship game to become the second winner of an event

that began last season with Lacey beating Matawan.

Senior quarterback Ryan Davies, the son of head coach Cory Davies, looked

sharp for the Rebels, who run a no-huddle, spread passing attack. Davies threw

for a Shore Conference-record 2,864 yards and a record 36 touchdowns as a

junior in his first year as a starter. Six-foot-five back-up quarterback John

Quinlan, a junior, also impressed in the win.

The 30-minute game, which was played with a running clock, came down to

the final play. New Toms River North quarterback Scott Buxbaum just missed a

connection with sophomore wide receiver Joe Fields in the end zone as time

expired. The Mariners, who won the Ocean County 7-on-7, showed their new

attack featuring Buxbaum and a talented group of sophomore wideouts that

include Fields, Kyle Carrington and R.J. Bromell as well as promising Toms

River South transfer Jesse Tate, a tight end.

It also was a preview of Week One, as the two teams will play one another in

a nondivisional game to open the 2011 season.

Howell QB Ryan Davies

Photos by

C l i f f L a v e l l eww w. c le a r e d g e .z e nf o l i o .c o m

Sgt John M Naame with the Howell 7 on 7 team

Howell Wins 7-on-7 TitleB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r



hen it came time for

Ocean County to seal

its first win over

Monmouth County in three years on

July 14, it turned to a group of players

who won more than anyone in the

Shore Conference this past season.

Lacey linebacker Brian Mykoliw picked off a

screen pass to set up Lions kicker Jarrod Molzon for a

22-yard field goal with 7:39 left in the game that

proved to be the difference in Ocean County’s 6-3

victory in the 34th annual U.S. Army All-Shore

Gridiron Classic. Lacey defensive back Jake Dabal

then recovered a fumble on a

muffed punt with under a

minute remaining to seal the

win in front of more than

3,000 fans at Gernerd Field at

Toms River North.

It capped a year in which

Lacey went 12-0, winning the

NJSIAA South Jersey Group

III title and finishing No. 1 in

the Shore Conference. Lacey

head coach Lou Vircillo also

served as the Ocean County

head coach, tying the

legendary Warren Wolf for the

most wins in Gridiron Classic

history with his third. Ocean

County trimmed Monmouth’s

all-time lead in the series to

18-15-1 in the lowest-scoring

game since Ocean beat

Monmouth 6-3 in 2001.

“It's crazy with this

(Lacey) team,’’ Mykoliw

said. “If it's not one guy

stepping up, it's another.

It's like something out

of a fairy tale. It's a

great way to end it and

go off to college.’’

“It feels great to

finish the last

one with a win

and getone

more

with

these

guys,’’ said Molzon,

who is headed to

Wagner. “That's

basically Lacey. One

person always steps up.’’

Mykoliw, who also had two

interceptions in a 56-7 win over

Delsea in the state final, helped the

Lions recover after a sensational

play by Raritan safety Kevin

Furlong thwarted a scoring drive

with the game tied at three. Ocean

County had second-and-goal from

the 3-yard line in the midst of a

10-play, 60-yard drive when Lacey

quarterback Craig Cicardo tried a

Tim Tebow-style play. He faked a

run up the middle, stepped back

and lobbed a pass toward Pinelands

tight end Bobby McCormick.

Furlong, who also was a standout

point guard on the Shore

Conference’s No. 1 basketball team

this winter,

leaped and

snared the pass

with one hand

for an

interception in

the end zone before taking a knee

for a touchback with 11:30 left in

the game to keep it tied. It was

one final highlight in a brilliant

football career that has come to

an end, as Furlong is headed to

Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham to

play basketball.

“At first I came up the middle

to clog up the run,’’ Furlong said.

“I saw (Cicardo) getting ready to

throw it, and I just took a few a

steps back, saw the ball, jumped

up and caught it with one hand. I

guess basketball was helping out

on that one.’’

After having

the wind taken out

of it, Ocean County

recovered

immediately

thanks to Mykoliw. On

Monmouth’s first play

following Furlong’s

pick, Mykoliw stepped

in front of a screen

pass by Rumson-

Fair

Haven quarterback Mike

Villapiano, returning it to the 3-

yard line to swing the momentum

back to the home side.

“In practice, our scout offense

ran that play so many times, and it

was burning us,’’ Mykoliw said.

“What do you know, I saw the

offensive line retreat and let the

D-line step up, and I just came up

and made the play.’’

It concluded a somewhat

frustrating night for Villapiano,

who was still named

Monmouth’s offensive MVP

in the loss. He finished 7-for-

15 for 64 yards but had two

potential touchdown passes

dropped by wideouts

Michael Clark of

Howell and

Taylor Rogers

of Middletown

South.

After

Mykoliw’s interception return,

Monmouth’s defense dug in its

heels for its third stop inside its

own 10-yard line in the game.

Keyport defensive tackle Greg

Velasco, who was named

Monmouth’s defensive MVP, hit

Lakewood running back Ahmier

Dupree for no gain on first down. On

third-and-goal from the 1-yard line,

he and Middletown South’s Tom Masi

stood up Dupree again, forcing a

fumble that was recovered by Brick

Memorial offensive lineman Russ

Clayton to at least allow Molzon to

attempt what proved to be the game-

winning field goal.

“It was a great honor,’’

Velasco said about

getting the defensive

MVP. “Being from a

small school, we

don't get that

much recognition.’’

Velasco is headed to

Rider University

to continue his

outstanding wrestling career, as he

finished 42-1 and third in the state

as a heavyweight this winter. Like

many others, Thursday night marked his

final football game.

“It’s killing me already that it’s all over,’’ he said.

Monmouth got the ball back with 6:02 remaining

trailing by three points, driving 34 yards to the Ocean

45-yard line. After a diving pass break-up by

Manchester linebacker Anthony Prendimano on third

down, Monmouth Regional tight end Scott Satcher

B y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

Lakewood’s Ahmier Dupree

Lacey’s Craig Cicardo

Brick Mem.’s Mike Acquavivatackles Mon. Reg.’s Scott Satcher

was stopped one yard shy of the

first down by Prendimano and

Brick linebacker Dylan McDonnell

on fourth-and-six after catching a

pass from Villapiano.

“We knew what they were going

to run all game with (Manalapan

running back Josh) Firkser and

their quarterback, and we didn't let

up a touchdown, so we did our

job,’’ said McDonnell, a Bucknell

recruit who had a strong game. “I

just wanted to prove myself

being from Brick because we

didn't have many wins this

year, and in my last game

in front of all these fans,

we got the win.’’

Monmouth had one

final chance with

less than 30 seconds to play

when Toms River East punter

Joey Clarizio booted a 45-

yard punt that was muffed and

then recovered by Dabal to

allow Ocean to take a knee

and seal the win. In what is

believed to be a Gridiron

Classic first, Clarizio, a

punter, was named the

defensive MVP. He

averaged 46 yards per

punt on five punts,

including a

career-

long 68-

yarder

near the

end of the

first half from the

Ocean County end

zone.

“It feels good to end

my last high school

game like that,’’

Clarizio said. “(On the 68-

yard punt), I treated it like

any other play. You can't be

nervous or you'll shank

one. When I hit it, it felt

great.’’

Monmouth took a 3-0

lead in the first quarter

with a 12-play, 42-yard

drive that culminated in

a 39-yard field goal by

Howell’s Ryan Handy.

Satcher had two catches

for 23 yards to help

spearhead the drive.

Handy, who normally

wears No. 5, was wearing

No. 11 in honor of friend

and former teammate

John Bukowiec,

a Howell

wide receiver/defensive back

who died in a car crash last

summer.

Ocean tied the game with a

13-play, 68-yard drive that

lasted nearly nine minutes and

concluded with a 24-yard field

goal by Brick Memorial’s

Jordan Loiodice. The big play

on the drive was a 24-yard

strike from Cicardo to Barnegat

wide receiver Mike DeTroia,

who is headed to the University

of New Hampshire. Monmouth

got three straight stops at its

own 7-yard line, with Freehold

Township linebacker Kevin

Borden and Manalapan

defensive lineman James

DeBlase combining on a hit for

no gain on first down before Freehold’s Derrick

Bender broke up a pass intended for DeTroia in the

end zone on second down.

Monmouth nearly got on the scoreboard near the end

of the first half when Long Branch defensive end Billy

Baillie came charging up the middle along with Red

Bank Catholic defensive end Matt Paolillo and sacked

Cicardo right near the end zone. The officials ruled

that it was not a safety, allowing Clarizio to unleash

his 68-yard punt to get Ocean out of danger.

It set the tone for the

lowest-scoring Gridiron

Classic game since

Ocean’s 6-3 win in

2001. The lowest-

scoring

game

in the series was

Ocean’s 7-0 victory

in 1984.

At the conclusion

of the third

quarter, DeBlase

and

Lakewood

defensive

end

Da’Quan

Kenney

were the

recipients

of the Sam

Mills

Awards for

their

respective

teams.

Ocean 6, Monmouth 3

(Monmouth leads al l - t ime series 18-15-1)

Ocean Monmouth

First downs 11 5

Rushes-yards 28-99 17-41

Passing 7-13-1 7-16-1

Passing yards 76 64

Fumbles- lost 2-0 3-1

Penalt ies

Ocean 0 3 0 3 – 6

Monmouth 3 0 0 0 – 3

Scoring summary:

M: Handy 39-yard f ie ld goal .

O: Loiodice 24-yard f ie ld goal .

O: Molzon 22-yard f ie ld goal .

Individual stat ist ics

Rushing – M: Firkser 10-27, Underwood 1-3,Beaty 2-9, Codrington 4-2. O: McLain 4-19,Howard 2-5, Dupree 7-24, Molzon 5-20, Cicardo8-30, DiGuilmi 1-2, Wilkoski 1-(-1) .

Passing – M: Villapiano 7-15-1 64, Codrington 0-1-00. O: Cicardo 5-9-1 52, DiGuilmi 2-4-0 24.

Receiving – M: Rogers 1-8, Satcher 3-28,Cantel l i 1-7, Clark 1-3, Codrington 1-18. O:Arminio 1-4, Carr ington 3-38, DeTroia 2-30,Molzon 1-4.

Interceptions – M: Furlong 1-0. O: Mykoliw 1-13.


Manalapan’s Josh Firkser

Photos by


Lacey’s Craig Cicardo

Rumson’s Michael Villapiano

Lacey Head Coach Lou Vircillo

When Cory Cardini thinks back on his senior footballseason at Toms River East, there is one feeling he cannotshake.

“I wish I had more time,’’ he said. “I wish I had anotherseason.’’

While that is a common sentiment for players whose highschool careers have come to an end, it makes even moresense in Cardini’s case. The wide receiver/defensive backmissed nearly half of the Raiders’ season while being stuckin a hospital bed with strong antibiotics coursing throughhis body trying to stop a runaway infection. That is whatmade him so grateful to be able to play in one morefootball game than most of the seniors in the ShoreConference this season when he was part of OceanCounty’s 6-3 win over Monmouth County in this summer’sU.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic.

On the first day of school in September of 2010,Cardini’s left elbow began to swell up with an infection.He had suffered a small scratch while diving for a ball onthe artificial turf at Toms River East in a preseasonpractice, and that tiny area became infected,. Cardini spentthe first day of his senior year in the hospital.

After missing the entire week of practice, he was releasedfrom the hospital and cleared to play on a Thursday, oneday before the Raiders’ season opener against cross-townrival Toms River South. Cardini started his season with abang, finishing with an interception and a touchdown catchin Toms River East’s 40-10 victory, but by the fourthquarter his left arm had blown up to twice the size of hisright arm.

“Before the end of the game, they had to cut the sleeveoff that I was wearing over my elbow,’’ he said.

Before the fourth quarter was even over, Cardini wasrushed to see the infectious disease specialists at JerseyShore Medical Center in Neptune because it wasdetermined that he had a case of methicillin-resistantstaphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA. It is abacterial infection that is highly resistant to antibiotics andusually enters through a cut or sore, like the tiny scratch onCardini’s elbow from preseason practice. MRSA can spread

rapidly and cause aserious staph infectionthat can lead to bloodpoisoning and more.

While the doctorsworried about stoppingthe infection, Cardiniwas more worried aboutwhat might become ofhis final high schoolfootball season.

“That’s all I caredabout at the time,’’ hesaid. “I was asking,‘Am I going to be ableto play this week?’They were like, ‘I don’tthink you’re going to beable to walk out of herefor a month.’ Theydidn’t think I was goingto play again thisseason.’’

He had to undergosurgery to help containthe infection. Thecatheter that was usedto help administer theheavy antibiotics was moved multiple times because hesaid that some of his veins became worn out.

Meanwhile, the Raiders lost to Sayreville and BrickMemorial before picking up a win over Jackson Memorialwith their top wide receiver and one of their top defensivebacks in the hospital. Unable to stand the frustration ofbeing sidelined, Cardini admitted that he returned too earlywhen he came back to the lineup for a 27-0 loss toundefeated Lacey on Oct. 16.

“It was painful the whole rest of the year,’’ he said. “Myelbow is still sensitive.’’

Cardini came back armed with disinfectant wipes that

killed any type of bacteriaand was constantly wipinghimself down in practice andduring games to prevent anyfurther infection. He playedthe rest of the season in painfor a team that finished 5-5.

“I was never really afraidof contact with it,’’ he said.“It just hurt like hell, and Igot over it because theadrenaline kicked in.’’

Cardini even won several“hammer’’ awards from thecoaching staff for the biggesthit every week in the game.However, no matter howhard he belted anyone atsafety, it couldn’t bring backthe time he missed and whatmight have been.

“I just wish I had put aBand-Aid on my damn cut,’’he said before smiling.

After having the negativememory of returning in alop-sided loss against Lacey,he was part of an Ocean

County featuring several Lacey players that endedMonmouth County’s two-game winning streak in GridironClassic games. He will now head off to East CarolinaUniversity as a student after concluding his football careerwith a victory.

“After everything, at least I could put a good memory atthe end of it all,’’ he said.

Gridiron Classic: Making Up forLost TimeB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r


TR East's Cory Cardini

Photo by

C l i f f L a v e l l eww w. c le a r e d g e .z e nf o l i o . co m

When Howell ' s Ryan

Handy played in this year ’s

U.S. Army All-Shore

Gridiron Classic a t Toms

River North, footbal l

wasn ' t the only thing on his

mind.

A year ago this month, an

automobile accident

claimed the l i fe of one of

Handy's best f r iends,

former Howell

wideout /defensive back

John Bukowiec. Handy

sported No. 5 on his jersey

for Howell this season, but

on this night , the Rebel

s tandout chose to wear No.

11 in honor of "Johnny

Buk. ' '

The Gridiron Classic is

meant to showcase the most

ta lented footbal l players

from Monmouth and Ocean

County as they prepare to

go off and play at their

respect ive univers i t ies . But

for Handy, i t meant much

more.

"Not a day goes bye when I

don ' t think of him [Bukowiec] ," said Handy. "This game was

dedicated to him. I t r ied to play as hard as I could for him".

Playing with a heavy hear t , Handy put together an impressive

season in helping the Rebels qual i fy for the NJSIAA playoffs for

the f i f th t ime in the las t s ix years . The mult i faceted senior had

73 tackles and an intercept ion as a defensive back as wel l as 32

catches for over 500 yards and s ix touchdowns as a wide

receiver. Perhaps where he was most impressive, however, was

on special teams. Handy averaged over 34 yards per punt , and

hi t 34 of 39 extra points and two f ie ld goals .

Albei t impressive to col lege scouts - pr ior to making his

commitment to Stonehi l l , Handy considered schools such as

Lehigh, Bucknel l , Rutgers , and Towson - Handy views his

success on the f ie ld as a t r ibute to his best f r iend.

"Every play I 'm always thinking about him," said Handy. "He

was one of my best f r iends. He was one of my goofy fr iends,

always get t ing a laugh out of everyone. Once you met him,

everyone

just loved

him. The sad

part is that

no one

expected him

to go. I t was

just big. I t ' s

s t i l l unreal

that i t

happened. ' '

Fol lowing in

the foots teps

of his older

brother, Rob, who

played in las t

year 's rendi t ion of

the Classic , Ryan

made his presence

fel t a t the end of

the f i rs t quarter on

Thursday night .

He booted a 39-

yard f ie ld goal

with 1:29

remaining in the

opening per iod to

give Monmouth

County a three-

point lead. Li t t le did he know, Handy's kick would amount for one-

third of the game's total points .

The nine-point contest was the lowest scoring Gridiron Classic in a

decade. I t was also a s tory of the f ie ld goal . Brick Memorial ' s Jordan

Loiodice would t ie the score with a 24-yard boot in the second quarter.

The f inishing touches were provided by Lacey 's Jarrod Molzon. The

kicker f rom Lacey put Ocean up 6-3 when he spl i t the uprights f rom 22

yards with 7:39 remaining in the game for what proved to be the

winning points .

Handy's team may have fal len short in las t night ' s low-scoring affair,

but for the Howell graduate , the number 11 was more important than

the numbers on the scoreboard. In wearing the number of his fa l len

fr iend on one of the biggest s tages of his footbal l career thus far,

Handy succeeded.

Despi te his team ul t imately fal l ing short , Handy was s t i l l able to

accomplish his ul t imate goal las t night : honor Bukowiec by making an

impact on the game.

"He was one of the best , funniest kids I 've ever known, ' ' Handy said.

Gridiron Classic: Honoring a FriendB y C h r i s J o h n s o n – A l l S h o r e M e d i a C o n t r i b u t o r


Howell’s Ryan Handy

Photo by


2011 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE(Games to be broadcast on 105.7FM and 1160/1310AM)

Fri 9/9 Brick Memorial at Brick (7pm)

Fri 9/16 Manchester at Barnegat (7pm)

Fri 9/23 Point Boro at Jackson Liberty (7pm)

Fri 9/30 Toms River North at Toms River South (7pm)

Fri 10/7 Manchester at Central (7pm)

Fri 10/14 Middletown South at Brick Memorial (7pm)

Fri 10/21 Toms River East at Southern (7pm)

Fri 10/28 Middletown North at Toms River East (7pm)

Fri 11/4 Howell at Brick Memorial (7pm)

ADDITIONAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE(Games to be broadcast on WOBM 1160/1310AM)

Sat 9/10 Howell at Toms River North (7pm)

Sat 10/22 Brick Memorial at Toms River North (7pm)

Thr 11/24 Manaquan at Wall (11am)

NJSIAA Playoff Games = TBD

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Matt Harmon, Kevin Williams, Ed Sarluca

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When recent St . John Vianney graduate Nick

Dragonet t i took the footbal l f ie ld for the f inal

t ime in his l i fe , he remembered the person who

inspired him to put a helmet on in the f i rs t place

al l those years ago.

On July 14, Dragonet t i capped his

career by playing l inebacker for the

Monmouth County senior a l l -s tars in

their 6-3 loss to Ocean County in

the 34th annual U.S. Army All-

Shore Gridiron Classic . Dragonet t i

wil l not be playing footbal l in

col lege, so the game in f ront of

more than 3,000 fans at Toms River

High School North was his f inal

t r ibute to the person who has

inspired his footbal l journey.

“I played every game for him,’’

Dragonet t i said .

At 2 p .m. on Jan. 10, 2007,

Dragonet t i ’s older brother, Michael ,

17, was ki l led in a head-on col l is ion

when his Cadi l lac CTS col l ided

head-on with another car in

Freehold Township. The elder

Dragonet t i was a beloved captain of

the footbal l team at Freehold

Borough High School , and he died

instant ly in the crash along with two

other Freehold s tudents .

In the Gridiron Classic , Nick took

a moment to remember what was

taken from him in an instant . He

remembered the player who was an

undersized l ineman ful l of hear t just

l ike his younger brother would one

day become.

“He’s played such a big par t in my l i fe , ’’ Nick

said. “I know he would have loved to see me play

in this game, and I wil l make him proud.’’

“He was the type of kid you wanted your son to

be l ike,’’ former Freehold head coach Mark

Ciccotel l i sa id at the t ime. “He was an incredible

kid.’’

Playing in Dragonet t i ’s memory in 2008, the

Colonials went f rom a team that had been s tuck

near the bot tom of the s tandings to one that has

captured two NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III

t i t les in the las t three seasons af ter not having

won any s ince the incept ion of the current s ta te

playoff system in 1974.

Dragonet t i ’s name adorned T-shir ts worn by the

team and was invoked by Ciccotel l i , who is now

the head coach at Neptune, af ter every victory.

Nick at tended both championship games at

Rutgers Stadium and the family was given

mementos from Freehold’s t i t le runs.

“They real ly honored my family and my brother

well , ’’ Nick said. “They made us feel l ike we

were a par t of i t . ’’

While Nick decided to a t tend St . John Vianney,

he s t i l l wore his brother ’s No. 68 on his jersey.

Just l ike Michael , Nick was an undersized

l ineman and l inebacker who played with hear t

and determinat ion for a Lancers team that had

two different head coaches during

his tenure while fa i l ing to reach

the postseason. He admits that he

sometimes wonders what i t might

have been l ike had he gone to the

same school as his brother.

“Watching kids I played with

play for (Michael) and win

championships , i t was bi t tersweet

because I wasn ' t a par t of i t , but

I 'm so happy for them,’’ he said.

“A lot of people ask me, i f you

could go back and go to Vianney

or Freehold, would you do i t

different ly? I would have loved to

play with the kids I played with

since Pop Warner and win

championships , but I real ly have

had the t ime of my l i fe a t

Vianney.’’

The Lancers went a combined

11-19 in the las t three seasons,

one under Shore Footbal l Coaches

Foundat ion Hal l of Famer John

Amabile and two under former

coach Skip Edwards. Andy

Carls t rom is now the new head

coach heading into 2011, making

him the Lancers’ third coach in

four years .

“I loved playing for Amabile , I

loved playing for coach Skip, and

i t was a great r ide,’’ Nick said. “I

met some real ly cool kids and

great players , and unfortunately we were never

able to put i t together and make the playoffs . I f I

had to do i t a l l over, I would go back to

Vianney.’’

Gridiron Classic:Dragonetti Plays for Two in Final GameB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

SJV's Nick Dragonetti (#68)

Photo by




Basketball Offseason NotesBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

With Shore Conference boys basketball stars likeJarelle Reischel, Matt McMullen and Sean Grennanmoving on to their college careers, the spotlight nowturns to the next group of upcoming standouts in thearea.

Here is a look at how some of the top players andteams have fared during this offseason.

Senior point guard Brian Kenny, a three-year varsityplayer at Colts Neck, has transferred to JacksonMemorial because his family has moved to Jackson.Kenny has been playing with the Jaguars in the 19-team summer league at Hoop Group Headquarters inNeptune, getting acclimated to a team featuring someof the top returning talent in Ocean County.

Kenny joins a squad that includes senior forwardBrandon McDonnell, the younger brother of Templeforward Jimmy McDonnell. The younger McDonnell,who is a 6-foot-6 swingman with 3-point range,recently picked up scholarshipoffers from Navy and NewHampshire, and Dartmouth isalso heavily interested.McDonnell looks to be one ofthe most highly recruited smallforwards in the ShoreConference along withMiddletown North senior JasonHuelbig, who has offers fromDivision II St. Michael’s andUMass-Lowell and interest fromseveral mid-major Division Iprograms.

Jackson also returns seniorswingman Brandon Holup, a 6-5forward who is also a standoutbaseball pitcher. Another playerwith good size, 6-5 sophomoreEric Carter, should give Jacksonone of the biggest lineups in theShore considering Kenny is 6-3as a point guard. Kenny,meanwhile, has garnered interestfrom Columbia, the Universityof Pennsylvania, Colgate,Lafayette, Navy, Davidson, NJITand Monmouth University inaddition to Division II CaldwellCollege.

What has also helped is thatJaguars head coach Joe Fagan isalso the coach of Kenny’s AAUteam, the ShoreShots, so he has been able to acclimateto his offense during this summer.

“It’s been easy to fit in right in,’’ Kenny said aboutadjusting to his new team. “This is a great group of

guys and they have made it a smoothtransition.’’

Kenny had also considered possiblygoing to Peddie School but said hewould have had to reclassify as a juniorand did not want to go that route. IfKenny decides to do a post-grad seasonat a prep school after this season atJackson Memorial, he said it will be atPeddie.

Another one of the Shore’s topreturning point guards, St. Rose seniorMark Kukoda, has helped a large groupof newcomers get acclimated to thevarsity level while playing at the leagueat Hoop Group Headquarters. ThePurple Roses graduated a majority oftheir lineup and will be more of aguard-oriented squad this year.

“It’s all aboutadjustment right nowwhen you have awhole team of JVplayers coming up,’’ Kukoda said.“Last year we had a lot of size butnow we’re purely guards so we’regoing to have to rely on that as moreof a strong point than a weakness.I’ve been shooting a lot more becauseI know I’m not going to be able to getinto the lane as much. I’m alsoworking on rebounding because Iknow we will need some help inthere.’’

Like Kenny and McDonnell,Kukoda is also an excellent student.He will be taking visits to Wesleyanand Brandeis University in the firsttwo weeks of August.

A player who has generated interestin multiple sports is Neptune seniorguard Jaheem Woods, one of the mostexplosive returning guards in theShore. Also a football player, Woodshas received interest from Temple,Rutgers, Syracuse and Miami as adefensive back. Woods, who alsoplays AAU basketball for theShoreShots, has gotten interest fromMonmouth University on thebasketball side.

He is part of a Neptune team that returns its entirelineup except for one reserve forward. Woods, seniorpoint guard Ikie Calderon, senior forward JoshJenkins, senior swingman Fuquan McDonald, junior

swingman Keith Kirkwood andsophomore shooting guardShakeem Richardson form oneof the more talented coresreturning. Kirkwood has drawninterest from Iona, MonmouthUniversity, Rutgers and WakeForest, according to Neptunecoach Ken O’Donnell.

That group is hoping torebound from a disappointingseason in which the ScarletFliers made early exits in theShore Conference and NJSIAATournaments.

“It’s been stuck in our headssince we lost to Howell (in theSCT) and Freehold (in the statetournament)’’ Woods said.“We’re determined this year.Everybody has to becommitted to playing defenseand everything will fall intoplace.’’

One team with a new coach that has lookedimproved this summer is Toms River North. TheMariners are now coached by former Ocean CountyCollege head man Rory Caswell and return 6-foot-8senior Bill Wrightson as well as sharpshooting guardAlex Levchenko.

“We’re in the gym four days a week, and the kids arereally responding,’’ Caswell said. “We have some skill.We just need to get it all together.’’

The Mariners also have some promising sophomoresin guards Kyle Carrington and Jimmy Cleveland.Wrightson has size that not too many Shore teams canmatch, while Levchenko has become a more efficientscorer.

“(Wrightson) has got some size and athleticism,’’Caswell said. “Right now, we’re just trying to get himto go hard on every possession.’’

Finally, a Lakewood team that looked like it wouldtake a step back from graduation losses has lookedvery solid this summer. Despite losing standoutsJarrod Davis and Anthony Walker, point guard WillieHawkins and big man Da’Quan Kenney to graduation,the Piners return junior guard Tyrice Beverette andsenior guard Jameer Jones as well as some upcomingtalent.

Photo by

C l i f f L a v e l l eww w. c le a r e d g e .z e nf o l i o . co m

St. Rose's Mark Kukoda

Neptune's Jaheem Woods



While the

summer is usually a time for athletes to

work on their respective games away from

the glare of the spotlight during the school

year, more and more it has also become a

time for something else – giving back.

A refreshing trend during the offseason, particularlythe summer, has been teams using charity work as ateam-bonding exercise in addition to helping out thecommunity or the larger world.

A perfect case from earlier this summer is theKeansburg baseball team. Under head coach Brian Kmak,who is also Keansburg’s head football coach, the baseballteam took part in the inaugural Titan 5K on June 10. Thefive-kilometer run/walk went to benefit the WoundedWarrior Project, a non-profit organization that providesprograms and services to severely injured armed servicemembers during the time between active duty andtransition to civilian life.

Kmak had come across the Wounded Warrior Project’swebsite online and donated money himself beforerealizing it could be a great charity that his team couldget involved in helping.

“One of the things I was looking to do this year was tofind ways for our athletes to do more for others,’’ Kmaksaid. “When I went on the (WWP) website, I saw therewas a section for planning events, and that’s where theidea came from.’’

Kmak and the team, in conjunction with players fromKeansburg’s softball team, began to solicit help from thecommunity. They were soon inundated with assistancefrom all corners of the small town in the Bayshore area ofMonmouth County. Two area sponsors signed on as wellas a sponsor from New York City, and Beacon Awards &Signs in Middletown donated the awards.

“It was unbelievable,’’ Kmak said. “The kids were allexcited. I was completely overwhelmed with the helppeople were giving us, whether it was sponsorships orfood donations from the businesses in town.’’

In its inaugural running, the race attracted more than200 participants. Members of the baseball and softballteams either participated in the race or served asvolunteers, directing runners and manning water stations.Bronawyn O’Leary, a Keansburg physical education

teacher and competitive runner, brought some friends andmembers of a local running club as well.

The race started and finished at the high school, with27 intersections in town, and members of the Middletownand Holmdel police

departmentsalso helped out.

Several membersof the military,

including formerKeansburg

football andbaseballplayers, also

participated.

In all, the eventraised nearly $10,000

for the WoundedWarrior Project, showingthe power of thecommunity in a town thatis only one square mile.

“It’s definitelysomething that we wantto continue,’’ Kmak said.“I think it shows our kidsthat there is more tobeing part of a team thanjust playing, and that theycan have an impact on thecommunity.’’

Kmak, who is aKeansburg graduate, hasadded the Titan 5K eventto the football team’sannual Thanksgivingcharity work, whenmembers of the Titanshelp provide aThanksgiving dinner tolocal families at afirehouse in Keansburg.The charity events notonly give the athletes ameaningful experiencebut also show that thereare good thingshappening in a town thathas had its troubles.

“I think sometimes thatthere can be so manynegative headlines about Keansburg that it’s nice to showthat there are some positive things going on in our townas well,’’ he said.

The events also function as team-bonding exercises.Players have to work together for the common goal ofpulling off a successful event, and they get to know oneanother better off the field. They also know that the guyputting in hours to help assist in a charity event issomeone who shows the type of dedication that earnsthem trust from teammates when the season rolls around.

These charity functions also broaden athletes’ horizonsand give them some perspective. They realize that thereis a world out there beyond the narrow prism of theirsport and their friends. In Keansburg’s case, they realizethe toll that a succession of wars overseas has taken on

American soldiers and the sacrifices they have made.

On Thanksgiving, the Titans’ football players realizehow fortunate they are to have dinner on their table whenthey give it out to those who don’t have it. It’s a great

lesson that the world does not always revolve aroundthem or their sport. It provides the perspective thatwinning or losing a game is not the end of the world.

Also, as Kmak indicated in his comments about theKeansburg community, these events often serve as areminder that the world isn’t as harsh a place as itsometimes seems. Just when civility and knowing yourneighbors seem to be archaic concepts, a communityrallies for a great cause to show that people still do careabout more than themselves and their families.

P h o t o s C o u r t e s y o f :

Keansburg Ath let ics Newsletter

www.allshoremedia.com Volume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1 ASM / 16

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Documents

7-25-11 Volume III Issue-14