All Shore Media 1-9-12 Volume IV Issue-1

January 9, 2012 - Volume-IV - Issue-1

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3Jackson MemorialWins WOBM Title

4Manalapan Wins Huskie Classic Title

6Manasquan Girls Win1st WOBM Classic Title

8-9EARLY-SEASONSURPRISES

10LacrossePreseason Training

12BoardwalkShowcase Preview 15Stumpy’s

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A multimedia company thatprovides exciting and innovative coverage to

high school athletics in the Shore Conference in order tohighlight the achievements of local athletes in one of the premier

conferences in New Jersey. Whether it’s the star of the team or the last player offthe bench, everyone has a story and it is our mission to recognize as many athletes as

possible and add to the memories for all of the families, coaches, friends and fans who supportShore Conference sports. Whether in print or on the Web, All Shore Media isyour main source for all things exciting in the Shore Conference.

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VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS of all the important games thatShore Conference fans will be talking about. Catch up on the

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December 9, 2012Volume-IV I Issue-1

All Shore Media is proud to announce that ithas partnered with a NorthJersey group to expand its typeof coverage into NorthwestJersey Athletic Conference,this fall.

The All Sports MediaNorthern Review, anewspaper in the mold of theAll Shore Media bi-weeklypaper, will make its debut inSeptember. The free,advertiser-supported paper

will cover scholastic sports at all of the schools inthe Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, whichconsists of schools from Morris County and ahandful of teams in Sussex and Warren counties.

“We're hoping it will be as big a success as theAll Shore Media Shore Conference program, andthe early returns are promising,’’ said PaulMencher, who will be the lead writer and editor ofthe new paper. “People seem excited about it, andadvertisers are excited about it. It’s somethingdifferent than what exists up here.

“There’s a lot of interest in highschool sports in the Northwest JerseyAthletic Conference, and I think thatpeople will be interested in having anew resource.’’

The partnership also broadens the scope of AllShore Media’s coverage to include a presence inNorth Jersey.

“We're excited about expanding ourniche in the market and the way wecover sports,’’ said All Shore MediaDirector/CEO Steve Meyer. “We'reexcited to start here with the objectivethat we want to expand to other partsof the state as well. This is the first stepin our expansion.’’

For more Info. Check Outwww.asmnorth.com

Al l Shore MediaExpanding IntoNorth Jersey

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www.allshoremedia.com Volume- IV Issue-1 1 /9 / 12 ASM / 3

For the most part, the numbers were gruesome inJackson Memorial's win over Toms River North in thisseason’s WOBM Classic championship game at Pine BeltArena, but the only ones that mattered to the Jaguars wereon the scoreboard.

Top-seeded Jackson Memorial pulled out a 31-28 winover sixth-seeded Toms River North to capture its secondWOBM title in the last three seasons and its fourth overallsince the tournament's inception in 1984. The Jaguars didit despite shooting 10-for-36 (27 percent) from the fieldand committing 17 turnovers, combating the offensivewoes by digging in defensively to make Toms RiverNorth's struggles even worse than their own. The Marinersshot 7-for-31 (22 percent) in the loss. Jackson's 31 pointswere the lowest amount scored by the winning team intournament history, which was previously held bySouthern in a 38-37 overtime victory against MonsignorDonovan in 1992.

The one shooter who was on his game was 6-5 JacksonMemorial senior Brandon Holup, who went 5-for-7 from3-point range. He buried three of them in the second halfon his way to finishing with a game-high 15 points to helpbring home the win. Holup was named to the All-Tournament first team, while teammate BrandonMcDonnell, a 6-7 senior, earned tournament MostValuable Player honors and had 12 points in the victory.

Toms River North senior guard Alex Levchenko led theMariners with 10 points and earned All-Tournament first-team recognition, and junior forward Solly Stansbury hadeight points and was named to the All-Tournament secondteam by the coaches.

"It wasn't pretty at all, but it's a win,'' McDonnell said."We'll take it. We just had to keep defending. Theycouldn't score the ball much on us. We struggled makingshots, but Holup came up big in the end.''

"It's about winning,'' said Jackson coach Joe Fagan. "Itdoesn't matter what the score is. At the end it's going tosay, 'The 'W' goes to Jackson Memorial.'''

The game was tied at 25 with 1:40 left in regulationwhen Holup buried a 3-pointer from the left wing, and theJaguars never trailed again. Toms River North answeredwith a bucket by junior guard Karl Blum to cut the lead toa point, but Holup came right back with another 3-pointer

for a 31-27 advantagewith 1:10 to go.

"I missed my first one,and as soon as I madethe next one, I startedfeeling good for the restof the game,'' Holupsaid. "As soon as I madethose (threes in thefourth quarter), I knewthat could be thechanging point of thegame.''

"He knows he's got thegreen light,'' Fagan said."If he's open, go aheadand fire it. We'll try tooffensive rebound themisses or we'll go downand guard the other end. He shoots with a lot ofconfidence because our guys give him that confidence.They tell him, 'If you're open, go ahead and shoot it. Wedon't care if you're 0-for-5 or whatever.'''

After Holup's second straight longball, Jackson thenmissed the front end of two one-and-ones to keep theMariners' hopes alive. Levchenko made one of two freethrows with 5.8 seconds left to make it a one-possessiongame, and the loose ball off his missed free throw went offa Jackson player and out of bounds to give Toms RiverNorth a chance to tie.

Levchenko was fouled before the Mariners couldinbound the ball, and he missed the front end of a one-and-one. Jackson had the possession arrow on the ensuingtie-up on the loose ball following Levchenko's miss.Jaguars senior guard Brian Kenny missed the front end ofa one-and-one, and a desperation heave at the buzzer wasoff the mark to allow Jackson Memorial to claim the title.It marked the first of at least three meetings this seasonbetween the Class A South rivals, who will play again onTuesday in a pivotal division game as the Jaguars look todefend their Class A South title from a season ago.

"I think this is a statement about our basketballprogram,'' Holup said about the Jaguars' second WOBM

title in three seasons. "Peoplehave underestimated us, andwe're better than they think.''

Jackson led 14-10 at thehalf after the two teamscombined to shoot 7-for-34from the field and had acombined 15 turnovers. TomsRiver North was methodicallyworking the ball for 30 ormore seconds on everypossession, while Jacksoncould not get anything to fall.

"We tried to changeeverything. Ran a bunch ofquick hitters, changedpersonnel inside and outside,and it just wasn't working,''Fagan said. "All year long,

we talk about guarding, guarding, guarding, and at somepoint, we'll have games we make a lot of shots and somegames we don't. The games we don't, we've just got tomake sure we can rely on guarding people.''

Levchenko had seven of his 10 points in the third quarterto give Toms River North a 20-19 lead going into the finalperiod. Jackson senior forward Anthony Skwiat scoredinside to make it 25-24 with 2:38 left in the game and thenthe Mariners tied it on a free throw by Blum beforeHolup's final flourish gave the Jaguars the lead for good.

The All-Tournament first team consisted of McDonnell,Holup, Levchenko, Point Boro senior point guard ShaunCooke, St. Rose senior point guard Mark Kukoda andToms River South senior forward Elijah Dupree. Selectedto the All-Tournament second team were Stansbury,Kenny, Central senior guard Jeremy Wozniak, Manchesterjunior guard Mason Jones, and St. Rose junior guardConor Leddy.

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad:Jackson Memorial Wins WOBM 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

Game VideoH igh l i gh ts by :

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On paper, it looked like Manalapan's 53-40 win overFreehold Township in this season’s Huskie ChristmasClassic final looked borderline impossible.

The Braves had 30 turnovers and missed 11 free throws,second-leading scorer and All-Tournament Team selectionBryan Adams fouled out with six minutes left in the game,and star junior Anthony Firkser picked up his fourth foulwith 7:01 left in the fourth quarter. However, Manalapanhas one player who can render all negative statisticsmeaningless with a few flicks of his left wrist.

Firkser hit five second-half 3-pointers, scoring 19 of hisgame-high 24 points after the break on his way to earningthe tournament's Most Valuable Player honor to bringhome Manalapan's first holiday tournament title in recentmemory and possibly since the 1980s. He scored 12 pointsin a 15-0 run that went from 3:08 left in the third quarterto the first two minutes of the fourth quarter and putManalapan ahead for good, 37-25. Included in the run wasa half-court bomb at the third-quarter buzzer by the 6-foot-4 guard that drew a roar from the Braves faithful.

"With a player like Anthony, you're always in a game,''said Manalapan coach Rick Garretson, an 18-year veteranwho said he did not remember the last time the Braveswon a holiday tournament title. "He's just a specialplayer.''

"I just wanted to keep shooting and when I have theopen shot, take it, and they started to fall,'' Firkser said. "Istarted feeling it after (his first 3-pointer of the secondhalf). That (halfcourt shot) was just a lucky throwup and,'Let's see what happens.'''

Firkser persevered despite Freehold Township running aconstant double team at him as he tried to bring the ballup, and he overcame nine turnovers of his own. He pickedup his fourth foul with 7:01 left in the game andManalapan leading 37-26, but Garretson never eventhought twice about pulling him out for a stretch.

"He's played three years for me, and with the pressuredefense that Freehold Township plays, they're all over theplace, and he's the guy we want with the ball in hishands,'' Garretson said. "It was, 'Ride 'em and see how farwe can go with him.'''

"I knew I had tostay in, so I just hadto stay in control andnot do anythingstupid,'' Firkser said."No offensive fouls.''

After a first half inwhich he struggledto hit anything,Firkser started thefireworks with a 3-pointer from the topof the key to tie thegame at 25 with 3:08left in the thirdquarter. Despite thedouble teams, he wasgetting opportunitieson kickouts frompenetratingteammates and madscrambles followingloose balls. He drilled his second 3-pointer off a scramblefor a 28-25 lead, and Manalapan never trailed again. Hefollowed with yet another trey from the top of the key andthen brought the house down with his halfcourt shot for a34-25 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

Guard Andrew Saray then joined the party when heknocked down a 3-pointer from the wing to start the fourthquarter and push the lead to 37-25. A free throw byFreehold Township's Ben Collincini (10 points) cut thelead to 41-33 midway through the quarter, but eight pointswas as close as the Patriots would get the rest of the wayas they struggled to hit anything from the field all game.Manalapan's defense also forced 20 turnovers by FreeholdTownship, which was led by 12 points from senior guardCasey Skievaski.

"We've been really taking pride in digging in andplaying good defense every trip,'' Garretson said. "Theshots aren't always going to fall, but we can control whatwe do defensively.''

Freehold Township led 22-20 at the half by using its own3-point prowess to grab the lead. Swingman JakeCatanzaro (11 points) swished a pair of 3-pointers and

Collincini addedanother in the final2:05 of the secondquarter to put thePatriots ahead.

However, Firkserhad an answer of hisown from downtownin the second half tocontinueManalapan's beststart in years.

"It's a great start,but we have a lot ofwork ahead of us,''Garretson said. "Wegraduated nineseniors and havefour new starters, soit's pretty much anew cast. These

kids are really buying into what we're doing.''

"It's very exciting,'' Firkser said. "We're just trying toget respect.''

Firkser said he has received interest from Army,Lafayette and Yale but no offers yet. He also was an ASMfirst-team All-Shore selection at wide receiver during thefall and has interest from Purdue, Rutgers, Boston Collegeand others for football.

Firkser headlined the All-Tournament Team at theHuskie Classic, which also included Adams, Skievaski,Matawan's Connor Nappi, and Raritan's Mike Aaman.

Long Time Coming: ManalapanWins Huskie Classic Tit leB 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

4 / ASM Volume- IV Issue-1 1 /09 / 12

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia. com



www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 5

It looked as if it was just another game for MiddletownNorth star Jason Huelbig as the senior guard's arsenal wasclicking on all cylinders when he amassed 12 points in thefirst half with his team beating Roselle by two at intermissionin this season’s Buc Classic championship game.

But when Huelbig went scoreless at the beginning of thesecond half, one of his teammates, who is in his first year onthe varsity squad, scored all of his 13 points when his teamneeded it most.

That teammate was 5-foot-9 junior guard Cody Thompson.

Thompson scored 10 of his 13 points during a 14-1 run thatbegan the second half and put his team up for good with a 15-point lead as the defending Buc Classic champion Lionsretained their title by defeating Roselle 74-56, at the RedBank Regional High School Field House. Huelbig finishedwith 24 points and 6 rebounds to earn tournament MostValuable Player honors, senior guard Tim Frawley added 16points and 6 rebounds, senior point guard Eric Youncofskihad 13 points and 6 assists and Thompson finished with 13points, all in the second half, and the key buckets during thedecisive surge.

"I was just trying to help our team win the game," said

Thompson. "We knewthey were undefeatedcoming in so we justwanted to come out, playour best and win."

Head coach MikeIasparro applauded thetimely second half surge ofhis junior guard.

"It's always nice to haveanother ball handler andanother scorer," saidIasparro. "We started acouple of different lineupsto start the season, andCody was the first guardcoming off the bench andthe chemistry seemed to bereally good, so we've been going with that lineup."

The Rams cut the lead to eight early in the fourth quarterwhen senior guard Corey Winston Jr. knifed through theLions' 2-3 zone to lay in a bucket, but then Huelbig caughtfire by contributing nine points to a 13-2 run, extending the

lead to 63-46. Winston Jr. finished thegame with 12 points.

"We thought it was a pretty goodmatchup coming in," said Iasparro on histeam's preparation. "We knew we had tokeep them out of the paint and keep themoff the glass, I think we did a much betterjob of that in the second half and that'swhy we ended up giving ourselves a lead."

With Middletown North up 20-16 with6:50 left in the first half, Huelbig pickedoff a pass on the defensive end of the floorand slammed it home on the other toextend its lead to six. After switching to a1-3-1 zone, Roselle turned the Lions overon the next two possessions to cut the leadto two, but Huelbig answered yet againwith a 3-pointer to make it 25-20.

Senior Eric Youncofski

Photos by :C l i f f Lave l l e

www.c lea redge .zen fo l i o . c om

The Buc Stays Here: MiddletownNorth Repeats as ChampionB y P e t e r L o n g – A l l S h o r e M e d i a C o n t r i b u t o r


Manasquan senior and University of Notre Dame recruitMichaela Mabrey is one of the top scorers - if not the topscorer - in New Jersey and any team would jump at thechance to pencil her into their starting lineup. Not onlydoes Manasquan have one of the top players in the statewearing Warrior blue, but on the rare occasion thatMabrey has trouble scoring, they have a dead-ringer for astand-in.

Freshman Marina Mabrey, the younger sister ofMichaela, scored a career high 24 points at the Pine BeltArena while her sister struggled through an off shootingnight, and the top-seeded Warriors shook off another slowstart to beat No. 3 seed Jackson Memorial 60-50 andcapture their first WOBM Christmas Classicchampionship.

"This wasn't our best game and this definitely wasn't mybest game, but I don't need to score every game for us towin," Michaela Mabrey said. "There are going to be gameswhen one of us is off or some things don't work, but weknow each other and we know how to play through it."

Marina Mabrey scored 15 of her points in the secondhalf and nine during the third quarter, which sawManasquan assert itself on both ends. The Warriors startedthe quarter on a 10-0 run and outscored the Jaguars 19-7over the entire eight minutes of the third.

"That's her, that's what Marina can do," MichaelaMabrey said of her sister. "She's just starting to get goingand when she does, she's going to have a lot of games likethis."

Michaela Mabrey finished with 11 points on 5-for-14shooting - including 0-for-5 from 3-point range - whilebattling a sore tailbone and Jackson Memorial seniorguard Tiffany Montagne, who shadowed Mabreythroughout the game before fouling out late in the fourthquarter. Despite an uncharacteristic statistical line,Mabrey earned tournament Most Valuable Player honorsbehind a 35-point outburst in a semifinal win overRumson. Marina Mabrey was named to the all-tournamentsecond team.

Sophomore pointguard KatelynnFlaherty scored 21points to go with fiveassists and five steals,keying the second-half defensive effortthat showed theJaguars more full-court pressure.Flaherty was alsonamed to the all-tournament first team.

"We wanted to givethem different looks,"Flaherty said. "Theyhave good guards andwe did want to pressthem when we could,but more than that, wewanted to keep themguessing. In thesecond half, we reallypicked up our defenseand played with a lotmore energy."

Jackson Memorial jumped out to a 16-10 advantage inthe first quarter and led 26-23 at halftime, making it thesecond night in a row that Manasquan trailed at halftime.Rumson-Fair Haven took a lead into the third quarteragainst the Warriors in Thursday night's semifinals beforethe Warriors took control.

"We were only down three and we're not going to staycold forever," Flaherty said. "We put more pressure ontheir guards and made sure they didn't get the same openlooks and we started to turn our defense into offense. AndMarina stepped up and played big."

The Jaguars hits four of their seven 3-pointers in thegame during the first half, with junior guard Hannah

Missry hitting two of the four.Missry finished with fourthrees and led JacksonMemorial with 21 points.

Montagne scored 10 pointsand turned in a strongdefensive performance againstMichaela Mabrey. In asemifinal win over PointPleasant Borough, Montagneguarded another prolificscorer in guard Kelly Hughes,who scored 29 points but justfive in the fourth quarter.

Jackson Memorial playedwithout Jazmine Curet, whoinjured her ankle in thesemifinals and turned to ErinScheno to replace her in thestarting lineup. Scheno scoredtwo points in the loss.

"Our plan was to slowMichaela down as much aspossible with Tiffany on her

and we did a good job," Jackson Memorial coach RachelGoodale said. "It's tough when they have a player like hersister that can do what she did tonight, but that's whythey're ranked No. 1 in the state right now.

"I'm very happy with the way we played (during thetournament). You're not going to find many tournamentsthat have this kind of talent and this kind of competition.That's as good as it gets in the state and we felt, comingin, that we were ready to play with the best teams in thestate and I think we did that."

Manasquan Girls Win FirstWOBM Classic TitleB y M a t t M a n l e y – S e n i o r S t a f f W r i t e r

Senior Michaela Mabrey


www.c lea redge.zenfo l i o .c om


n Sehmonyeh Allen—Neptune HSn Sean Armand—Jacqueline Kennedy

Onassis HS (NY)n Delvon Arrington—St. Anthony’s HSn Brian Baker—Colts Neck HSn Mustafa Barksdale—RBR HSn Robert Barksdale—Asbury Charter

Schooln Billy Beggans—Ocean Township HSn Steve Bridgemohan—E Brunswick HS n Josh Brody—RBR HS n Brandon Brown—Freehold Boro HS n Yesenia Burgos—St. John Vianney HSn Rashon Bruno—St. Anthony’s HS n Courtney Calderon—St. John Vianney HSn Richard Calia—Holmdel HSn Shilique Calhoun – Middletown North HSn Quarran Calhoun—Raritan HSn Cooper Calzonetti—Neptune HSn Chase Campbell—Oak Hill Academy (NC)n Cleveland Cannon—Long Branch HSn Raheem Carter—Long Branch HSn Corey Chandler—East Side HSn Robert Cheeks—St. Anthony’s HSn Rahmir Cottman—RBR HSn Vincent Council—Lincoln HS (NY)n Don Coven—Long Branch HSn Paul De Salvo—CBAn Syessence Davis—Neptune HS n Allen Dean—Neptune HSn Taquan Dean—Neptune HSn Dana Jean DeGennaro—RBC HSn Chris Delaney—CBA n Pat Delaney—CBAn Jose Diaz—Pt. Pleasant Beach HSn Mark Donnelly—RBR HS

n Sean Dunne—CBA n Kristian Duravcevic—Fordham

Preparatory School (NY) n Mike Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech HSn Crissie Fisher—Rumson-Fair Haven HSn Sarah Fisher—RBR HS n Adam Fleischner—Holmdel HSn Colin Ford—Manasquan HSn Glen Ford—RBC HSn Greg Ford—Trenton Central HSn Avery Gardner—Long Branch HSn Billy Gilligan—RBR HSn Tyler Glass—Mater Dei Prep HS n Erica Gomez—St. John Vianney HSn Dana Graziano—Holmdel HS n Kevin Grier—CBAn Paul Halas—St. Rose HSn Felicia Harris—RBR HSn Michael Harris—Randolph HSn Mykel Harris—Great Mills HS

(MD)n Ashley Hart—The Peddie Schooln Eugene “Nu Nu” Harvey—

St. Benedict’s Prepn Corey Haskins—RBR HSn Kasey Hobbie—RBC HSn Darien Hutton—Ewing HSn Nolan Ivers—Holmdel HSn Jasmine Jackson—Old Bridge HSn Rosie Jackson—St. John Vianney HSn Tyson Johnson—St. Mary’s HS (NY) n Billy Kiss—Long Branch HSn Michael Kelly—St. Anthony’s HS (NY)n Nick La Morte—Mater Dei HSn Herve Lamizana—St. Patrick’s HSn Erin Leahy—Rumson-Fair Haven HS

n Carl Little—Asbury Park HSn Maggie Loundy—Pt. Pleasant Beach HSn Charles Markens—St. Patrick HSn Mike Mavrinac—Middletown South HSn Jasmine McCall—Manalapan HSn Billy McCue—CBAn Christian Morris—S. Kent School (CT)n Darius Morris—Long Branch HSn Valerie Morris—Freehold Boro HSn Michael Murphy—Howell HSn Sachin Nagpal—Ranney School n Brian O’Reilly—Middletown South HSn Karen Otrupchak—RBR HSn Kevin Owens—

Neptune HSn Toni Panza—St. John

Vianney HS

n Anthony Perry—St. Anthony’s HSn Shinece Perry—RBR HSn Earl Pettis—Saints John Neumann &

Maria Goretti Catholic HS (PA) n Simon Press—Asbury Park HSn Joey Raines—Asbury Park HSn David Reeves—RBC HSn Anne Richards—The Lawrenceville

Schooln Charlie Rogers—Matawan HSn Amanda Rosato—St. John Vianney HSn Alifiya Rangwala— The Ranney Schooln Will Sanborn—RBR HSn Keyron Sheard—RBR HSn Brian Snodgrass—Holmdel HS n Lauren Sokol—The Peddie Schooln Stephen Spinella—Colts Neck HSn Matt Stahl—Middletown South HSn Missy Stavola—Rumson-Fair Haven HS

n Jenna Strich—RBC HSn Scott Stump—RBC HSn Kim Talbot—RBC HSn Aaron Tarver—RBR HSn Terrance Todd—Neptune HS n Maurice Turpin—Long Branch HSn John Weldon—Freehold Boro HS

n Dawn Werner—St. John Vianney HSn John Werner—St John Vianney HSn Kade Weston—RBR HSn Kayshanna Wesley— Asbury Park HSn Eric Yarborough—Asbury Park HS n Tomora Young—RBR HS n Terry Zinn—RBC HSn Lynne Zoltowski—RBC HS

A SAMPLING OF CURRENT AND FORMER MAC ALL-STARS

Vis i t our website , www.mactest ing.com


very season there are those boysbasketball players and teams

that make the fans and experts lookfoolish for overlooking them in thepreseason, and there certainly has beenno shortage in that area this season inthe Shore Conference. In what looks like a wide-open season where several teams

have already inherited the No. 1 spot in the All Shore MediaTop 10, we’ll see which of these teams has staying powerwhen we hit the Shore Conference and state tournaments.We’ll also see how many of these players can continue toperform at a high level now that they are no longer a secret.

S ur pr i s i n g T e am sJa c k s o n L i b e r t y

Only two seasons ago, the Lions were winless. Last season,they took a big step forward with a school-record 11 wins inan 11-13 season, but only won one divisional game in ClassC Central. However, the Lions announced their arrival underhead coach Mark Lax with a 53-51 victory over then-No. 1Lakewood on Jan. 6 for their first win in school history overthe Piners.

It was a landmark win for a program in its fifth season inexistence, and it sent the message that the Lions shouldbe a factor in the Class C Central race. One gameearlier, they took another perennial Ocean Countystalwart, Monsignor Donovan, to the wire on the roadbefore losing by two points for their only setbackin a 6-1 start. They also won the Hudson RiverClassic in Jersey City for their first holidaytournament title in school history.

The scary part for opponents is thatthis team is young. Top-scoring guardAhmed Foster, who had 21 points in thewin over Lakewood, is a junior, whilestandout forward James Sofield is asophomore and so is guard Mike Healy andforward Dan Niblack, the latter of whom led theteam in rebounding in the win over Lakewood.

Ke a n s b u r gComing off a 6-12 season, the Titans have

come out of the gate strong with a 5-2 startunder second-year head coach JimMcCarthy. They hosted a four-team holidaytournament and won the title to kick off theseason, then gave a loaded Asbury Parksquad a tough half before the Blue Bishops

pulled away.

The Titans also had another solid team, Point Beach, on theropes, as the Garnet Gulls escaped with a one-point victoryon a pair of free throws with 18 seconds left. Keansburg hassent the message that it will not be an easy win any more, anda major reason is because of its two top players. Junior guardTyler Walters and junior forward Danny Markulin averagemore than 32 points combined, and Markulin has emerged asone of the better rebounders in the Shore.

T oms R i v e r S o u thOff to a 6-3 start, the Indians are more than halfway to

their entire win total (10) from last season, thanks to aninfusion of youth at the guard positions that has meshed withthe returning veterans.

Sophomore Marquis Davis has emerged as one of the bestyoung point guards in Ocean County, and his ability to getthe ball into the hands of seniors like Elijah Dupree and ZackLigouri in their comfort zones has helped this team improveoffensively after it struggled to score at times last season.

Senior guard RJ Devish has been solid, while sophomoreguards Darius Hart and Tymere Berry have provided speedand long-range shooting off the bench. While JacksonMemorial is the heavy favorite to take home the Class ASouth title, the Indians could be a tough early-round game fora high seed in the SCT.

H o l md e lAfter going 6-16 last season, the senior-laden Hornets are

right in the hunt for the Class A Central title with a 5-2 start.Experience is starting to pay off, as the Hornets returnedalmost their entire starting lineup, including long-rangebomber Christian Vikse, another proven scorer in KyleNodes, center Dan Baumlin and junior point guard RobbieCantelli. Seniors Tim McDonnell and Sean O’Neill have alsobeen contributors off the bench.

Veteran coach Sean Devaney had the Hornets in a tiefor first place in the division, with the Hornets onlyloss to a Shore Conference team in their first sevengames coming at the hands of defending A Centraland SCT champion Raritan. There also has beenplenty of excitement in the early going, asVikse hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beatRumson-Fair Haven in another keydivisional game.

T oms R i v e r N o r t hAlex Levchenko Sr., G

The Mariners have been rejuvenatedwith a new coach, Rory Caswell, and

some emerging talent to complement theveterans.

Caswell took over for Chris Kane, who steppeddown after an 8-15 season, and has the Marinersoff to a 5-3 start that included a berth in theWOBM Classic championship game. TheMariners took unbeaten Jackson Memorial to thewire in a three-point loss in that game, hinting attheir potential.

Senior guard Alex Levchenko, junior guard KarlBlum, senior forward Sean Martin and junior point guardDamian Singleton are all returners who have played a key

role in Toms River North’s resurgence. Another importantfactor has been the addition of 6-6 junior forward SollyStansbury, a transfer from Delaware. Stansbury gives theMariners a shot-blocker in the middle and a scorer with rangeout to 15 feet.

F ree h o ld To w n s h i pWhile it’s never a total surprise when the Patriots

excel given the track record of veteran coach BrianGolub, this team has shown the ability to be a top-fivesquad in the Shore, which I don’t think many peopleexpected in the preseason.

The Patriots’ swarming press has given teams fits,and they are one of the most balanced scoringteams in the Shore. Senior guard Casey Skievaskileads the way on a team for which seniors BenCollincini and Jake Catanzaro as well as juniorcenter John Horrigan are all capable of a 20-pointnight. They are hard to defend because youcannot focus on just stopping one player, andthey announced their arrival with a victoryover traditional power ChristianBrothers Academy in the first weekof the season.

L a c e y To w n s h i pThe Lions did return four

starters, but the one they lostwas Class B South Player of theYear Deon Smith, so there was aquestion of where the scoringwould come from for a team thatshared the division title last season.Manchester and Barnegat generated thepreseason buzz, but Lacey has been thedivision's best team with a 6-1 start thatincluded a win over a solid Point Borosquad in the WOBM Classic.

The Lions' zone defense has madethem a tough team to score on, andthey are balanced offensive withseniors Logan McDonald, TasheenCarrow, Ryan Reitmeyer, TyrellSmith and Edgar Lenkauskas.

S ur pr i s i n g P l aye r sCo dy Th om p s o n , J r . , G ,

M i dd l e t o w n N o r thEveryone knew that the Lions

had three standout seniorsreturning in shooting guardsJason Huelbig and Tim Frawleyand point guard EricYouncofski, but Thompsonhas emerged as a lethalscorer when teams focustoo much on stoppingthe other three.

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

F re e h o ld T o w n s h i p

L a c e y T o w n s h i p

T om s R i v e r N o r th

S u r pr i s i n g P l aye r sC o dy Th om p s o n , J r . , G ,

M i dd l e t o w n N o r th


His second-half scoring helped blown open a Buc Classicchampionship game in which the Lions beat Roselle 74-56to repeat as champions, and he has been a consistentdouble-figure scorer. The quarterback on the football team,

Thompson is a good all-around athlete withconsistent accuracy from 3-point range, andhe makes the Lions even harder to defend.

Brya n Ad am s , S r . , F, Ma n a l a p a nWhile everyone knew about junior guard

Anthony Firkser, one of the Shore’s best, a bigquestion mark with Manalapan was the restof a lineup that was breaking in four newstarters. Adams made the All-Tournament team at the HuskieClassic and is a quick wing playerwho is tough off the dribble. Hehas helped complement thescoring of Firkser and been oneof the team’s top rebounders.

L a r r y Sm i t h , S r . , G ,

Matawa nWhen star forward

Larry Alston III decidednot to play basketball thiswinter in order to focus onhis football career, the

Huskies looked like they mightbe in for a long season. However, theexplosive Smith, one of the quickestguards in the Shore, has stepped up hisscoring to keep Matawan right in the mixfor the Class A Central title in its 5-3start. Smith already has one game ofmore than 30 points to his credit andmultiple 20-point efforts.

Mar qu i s Dav i s , S o . , G ,

Tom s R i v e r S o u thDavis was a standout on a good

freshman team last season for the Indians,and he has made the leap to a varsityplaymaker right away to help the Indians totheir best start in several years. He can getinto the lane off the dribble against mostopposing guards and can finish amongthe trees. He also is a solid pressuredefender on defense, which is TomsRiver South’s calling card.

Pat M u l l i n , Sr . , F, F ree h o ldNot too many people might

have expected Mullin to be

drawing box-and-one attention fromdefenses, but that’s what he has facedon several occasions after a 36-point

eruption in a win over Manasquan in theBuc Classic. He has struggled a bit withthe extra attention, so we’ll see how hedoes going forward with defensesfocused on stopping him.

Arm o n d C o n o ve r , S r . , G / F,

A s b u r y P ar kWhile it’s no secret that Conover is a

tremendous athlete, given the fact that hewas an ASM All-Shore first-team selectionin football, he is scoring at a prodigiousrate for the Blue Bishops. He alreadyhas had three 30-point games and

another 29-point game, putting up the type ofnumbers the Shore Conference hasn’t seen since theheyday of former Freehold Township star MannyUbilla in the mid-2000s.

What makes Conover, an explosiveleaper with a good first step, eventougher to defend is that he has twoteammates, his twin brother, Amir,and senior guard ThomondHammary, who also can go off fora 30-point night at any time. Thatmeans Armond rarely faces toomany double teams because hehas too much talent aroundhim to focus solely onstopping him.

Danny Mark ul i n , Jr . , F,

Ke a n s b u r gMarkulin has been one of the

top scoring and reboundingcombos in the ShoreConference for a team that isoff to its best start in years. Ahard-working player withdecent size, Markulin poundsthe offensive glass and hasdecent range.

Tasheen Carrow, Sr. , G,

L a c e yWhile teammates like

seniors Logan McDonaldand Tyrell Smithearned much of theattention in the

preseason, Carrow has emerged as one of Ocean County’ssteadiest point guards for a team right in the hunt to repeat asClass B South champions.

He has great quickness off the dribble and can get inthe lane and score, and defensively he is a bulldog, on-the-ball defender.

A hme d F o s t e r , J r . , G ,

J a c k s o n L i b e r t yA big reason for Jackson Liberty opening some eyes has

been the prolific scoring of the 6-foot-3 Foster, who has beenone of the Shore Conference’s best in that department in theearly going. He is an excellent free throw shooter with good

quickness off the dribble who can score inside.Foster will see increased defensive attention afterpouring in 21 points in the program’s first winover perennial Ocean County power Lakewood.

Te r re l l C o x , S o . , G ,

L o n g B r a n c hOnly a sophomore, Cox has emergedas one of the Green Wave’s top scorersand gives them a bright future alongwith junior guard Dwight Clark. Bothare explosive off the dribble and greatall-around athletes, so even thoughLong Branch is taking some lumpsnow, they know they have abackcourt they can build on.

T i m M i n d n i c h , S r . , G ,

M o n s i g n o r D o n o va n After being mainly a role player for theGriffins last season, Mindnich has emergedas a solid all-around threat for a team thatgraduated top talents in Sean Grennan andAnthony Duszczak. Mindnich is a toughon-the-ball defender with good athleticismbut also has shown some scoring prowesson a team that has a balanced attack.


Photos by :Bi l l Normi le

www.bil lnormile.zenfol io.com

C l i f f Lave l l ewww.clearedge.zenfol io.com

Spo r ts Shots WLBwww.spor t sho tswl b . com

Marq u i s D av i s , S o . , G ,

T om s R i v e r S o u t h

B r ya n Ad ams , S r . , F, M a n a l a p a n

L a r r y Sm i t h , S r . , G ,

M atawa n

Pat M u l l i n , S r . , F, F ree h o ld

A rm on d C o n o v e r , S r . , G / F,

A s b ur y Pa r k

Danny Marku l i n , Jr . , F,

Ke a n s b u r g

Tasheen Carrow, Sr. , G ,

L a c e y

A hm ed F o s t e r , J r . , G ,

J a c k s o n L i b e r t y

T e r re l l C o x , S o . , G ,

L o n g B r a n c h

T i m M i nd n i c h , S r . , G ,

M o n s i g n o r D o n o va n

Steve Heller was named the first head coach in Brookdale men’s lacrosse history in 2008. In theprogram’s inaugural year, Heller guided the team to an 8-14 record. Prior to coming to Brookdale,Steve was the assistant coach at West Point Prep School from 1996-2007. He was also a three-timemen’s lacrosse all-American at Army, and is a graduate of West Point.In a 4-part series Steve will highlight key elements that will help with a successful pre-season trainingprogram for any level of lacrosse.

The single most common mistake I see with defenders today isthey play defense with their “stick” and not with their “body.” Asimple exercise we do in the off-season is having our defensemenwork on playing 1 on1 defense without thestick in their hands.What they see is thatwhen they focus onusing your body first,even though theydon’t have a stick,they can play verygood defense. Bytaking the stick away,you are now forcedto use your other“tools” to guard youropponent. This is agreat concept to learnearly.

Here is a simple set of pointers to rememberwhen playing defense:1. Helmet below Helmet – keep your helmet below youropponent’s helmet. Do this by dropping your hips and notby bending over at the waist. By dropping your hips you’llbe in a better position to defend and will allow yourself tomaintain proper leverage against your opponent.

2. Approach Angle – when moving out to defend your

opponent, take the proper approachangle. What this means is if youopponent is a righty, take an angle thatforces him to go to his left and if he is alefty take an angle that forces him to theright. You should dictate the directionhe will go not the other way around.

3. Feet, Feet, Body, Stick – keep sayingthis over and over in your head. This ishow you should defend. Feet first, feetsecond, body third, and then use thestick. This is the same as when wepractice without sticks. It focuses onusing your feet and body on the primarytools for defense. Use the stick last, butonly after you have established goodbody position first.

Team Defense - here are somecommons principles whenplaying in a team system.1. Communicate – this is probably the most important thing tolearn when playing team defense and is the most needed areaof improvement in the youth and High Schools I have seen.All 6 defenseman and the goalie must constantly call outwho is sliding, who is back filing for the sliding defender,where the ball is, when there are cutters, etc. The more youand your teammates communicate the better defense you’llplay as a team.

2. “Pinch and Help” – when“off” ball, make sure you arepinching in and helping yourteammates. Protect theinside and if you have to giveup a shot, make sure yougive up the outside shots.These are easier for thegoalie to see and save.3. Remember that “TeamDefense” is not a series of 1on 1 battles, but a systemwhere all 6 defenders helpeach other out. When “onball” you need to keep inmind the basic principles ofindividual defense discussedabove, but when “off ball” itis about helping yourteammates out and helpingout the entire defense.

Keep playing defense to a set of simple principles, use your feetand body first and your stick last, support and help yourteammates when playing settled 6v6 defense. Do this and you’llsee that your team will quickly gain a reputation as a toughopponent and you’ll become a better individual player.

Next Issue: Leadership and teamwork.

Part 3 of 4

Pre-Season Training:Defense – Individual Defense & Team DefenseBy Steve Heller – Brookdale Community College lacrosse head coach, Region 19 champions 2010 and 2011Co-director of Lax Team Six with Reid Jackson, individual and small group lacrosse training. (www.laxteamsix.com).


Reid Jackson former defensiveplayer for the NJ Pride professional

outdoor lacrosse team


After an uneven start to the season thatincluded a desultory 20-point loss to perennialpower Seton Hall Prep in the Holiday Jubileefinal, Neptune's boys basketball team wasfocused on getting back to two pillars of one ofthe Shore Conference's most successful programs- effort and defensive pressure.Those two attributes were on full display when

the Scarlet Fliers used a turnover-causingdefense to fuel a big second half to hand ColtsNeck its first loss of the season with a 55-41victory. The win gives Neptune, the defendingClass B North champion, an early leg up in thedivisional race in its bid for a repeat. Juniorforward Keith Kirkwood led a balanced effortwith 11 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3steals, senior guard Rasul Holland added 10points, senior guard Ikie Calderon chipped inwith 9 points, 7 steals and 5 assists and seniorguard Jaheem Woods added 8 points as Neptunewent on a 23-5 run that bridged the third andfourth quarters to seal the win. The team that was ranked No. 1 in the preseason looked like it

against the Cougars, as the Scarlet Fliers forced 20 turnovers withtheir trademark full-court pressure that they turned into 24 points.They were able to get 16 more shot attempts than Colts Neckthanks to the turnovers and 21 offensive rebounds, and they alsoheld the Cougars to 6-for-23 (26.1 percent) shooting in thesecond half when they broke the game open."That's Neptune basketball right there,'' Kirkwood said. "That's

what we're capable of.'' "When you play defense and rebound, you can beat anyone,''

said Neptune coach Ken O'Donnell. "At the end (of the 20-pointloss to Seton Hall Prep), I wasn't happy with our effort becausewe sort of gave up, and we talked about that. The effort was muchbetter tonight.''

Neptune led 24-22 at the half thanks to adefense that forced nine turnovers and theplay of Kirkwood, who had nine points and10 rebounds in the first half. The junior hasbeen battling shin splints and a bruised kneesuffered earlier in the season but said he feltas healthy as he has in weeks in the winover Colts Neck. "I felt more confident,'' he said. "Last

game we played against Seton Hall, I didn'tfeel too confident because I was justthinking about my knee. Today, I let that goout of my mind and played to the best of myability.'' O'Donnell also made a lineup change,

starting Holland and bringing senior centerJosh Jenkins off the bench in order to giveNeptune a three-guard attack with Holland,Woods and Calderon. "I've been coaching a long time here - 38

years,'' O'Donnell said. "We're best when we have our quickguards, and we press.''"Coach basically wanted us to put pressure on their guards and

play good defense,'' Holland said. "Defense wins games. We wereplaying as a team, talking on defense, and it felt like we were afamily out there.''Colts Neck opened the third quarter on a 6-2 run to take a 28-26

lead off a putback by junior guard Brandon Federici (7 points),but then Neptune cranked up the defense to put away the game.The Scarlet Fliers finished the third period on a 10-0 run thatincluded six points by Woods, including two dunks that had thehome crowd buzzing. All of his points were created by turnovers. "When they called timeout, I said, 'You know how we ended up

with Jaheem getting those dunks? It's because of defense,'''O'Donnell said. "Defense is what wins.''Neptune forced six fourth-quarter turnovers to keep the run

going, starting the finalperiod with a 15-5 burst thatput the game away. Hollandand Calderon combined for11 points during the run,often coming up with stealsthemselves and eitherfinishing in transition,converting free throws orsetting up teammates. "I think it's two contrasting

styles,'' O'Donnell said. "They're big inside, and they shoot theball very well, but they need time. We're the opposite. We'requick, and our style won tonight.'' After a driving layup by Calderon put Neptune up 51-33, Colts

Neck never got closer than 10 points after that. Senior forwardHunter Wysocki, who led Colts Neck with 15 points, fouled outwith 2:02 remaining. The rest of the Cougars struggled to find therange, as senior guard Sean O'Reilly finished with 9 points, buton 2-for-14 shooting from the field, and Federici, one of theteam's top scorers, only attempted five shots in the game.Neptune continued its mastery of the Cougars, whom it beattwice last season en route to the division title. "This was a good win for us, and hopefully we can build on

this,'' O'Donnell said.

Junior Keith Kirkwood

Senior Jaheem Woods


www.c lea redge .zen fo l i o . com

Early Statement: NeptuneBasketball Upends Colts NeckB 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




AJersey Shore basketball tradition, the Hoop Group

Boardwalk Showcase is entering its10th edition with a new venue andanother lineup of exciting games on theboys and girls sides.

The games will be held at LongBranch High School this season, withfive boys games on Jan. 14, followed byfive girls games on Jan. 15. Here is alook at the five boys games. You canfind full coverage of all the boys actionat www.allshoremedia.com, and the fullschedule for both days can be found athoopgroup.com.

Lakewood vs. Colts Neck, noonBoth of these teams have stumbled recently with

losses but figure to be right in the hunt for a ShoreConference Tournament title when it comes down to it.Lakewood has a deep backcourt that features seniorsJameer Jones and Dajuan Morris as well as talented juniorTyrice Beverette. Sophomore forward Ben Watson andjunior forward Jared Craddox have anchored the frontcourtfor the Piners.

Colts Neck is a veteran team that features senior guardSean O’Reilly and senior forward Hunter Wysocki, a pairof four-year varsity players. Junior Brandon Federici givesthem a potent third scorer and 6-9 center Steven Faustalters a lot of shots in the middle. Colts Neck’s ability tohandle Lakewood’s trademark full-court pressure will be akey factor in this game, whileLakewood’s ability to executeits halfcourt offense againsthe Cougars will be importantfor the Piners.

Jackson Memorial vs.Middletown North,1:40 p.m. On paper, this looks like

the main attraction of the day.This game could potentiallybe for the No. 1 ranking inthe Shore and also will beimportant for both teamsduring SCT seeding time.Jackson Memorial also beatMiddletown North in lastseason’s Central JerseyGroup IV semifinals, so thereis some history between these

teams, who couldeasily see eachother again in thepostseason thisyear.

JacksonMemorial is asenior-laden groupwith a ton of sizethat includes 6-7senior forwardBrandonMcDonnell, 6-5senior swingmanBrandon Holup, 6-3 senior guardBrian Kenny aswell as 6-8sophomorereserve EricCarter. McDonnellis a Division Italent, while

Kenny has already committed to Division II CaldwellCollege. There is a good chance the Jaguars will enter thisgame as the only undefeated team left in the ShoreConference, adding a little extra spice.

Middletown North is led by senior guard Jason Huelbig,one of the most explosive leapers in the Shore, as well assenior point guard Eric Youncofski and senior guard TimFrawley. Junior guard Cody Thompson has emerged asanother potent scorer as well. The Lions don’t have muchsize inside, so how they handle Jackson’s height advantageand how they do in the rebounding battle will be the mainthing to watch.

Point Beach vs.Christian BrothersAcademy, 3:20 p.m. This originally was going to be

a juicy matchup between CBAand Gill St. Bernard’s, one of thetop teams in the state and a squadthat features multiple Division Italents, including star guard JarenSina. However, Gill St. Bernard’sdropped out only a few weeksbefore the event and has beenreplaced by Point Beach.

The Garnet Gulls stunned CBAin last year’s SCT quarterfinals,but Point Beach also hasgraduated all-time leading scorerJarelle Reischel, who is now atRice University. The new-lookGarnet Gulls are a 3-point

shooting bunch led by sophomore Matt Farrell and juniorP.J. Kineavy, with junior center Riley Calzonetti servingas a solid scorer in the middle.

CBA is an almost entirely new squad itself aftergraduating stars Matt McMullen and J.P. Koury. Juniorpoint guard Tom Aldridge has emerged as a top scorer,while senior forward Kieran Hughes has gone from a roleplayer to more of a force up front. Senior forward EricShaw is one of the better 3-point shooters in the Shore.Sophomore center Evan Gordinier has been acomplementary scorer in his first varsity season, andsenior Jon Bloodgood also has been solid in the post. CBAis the favorite in this game, so we’ll see if the GarnetGulls can put up a fight in their chance on the big stage.

Raritan vs. Neptune, 5 p.m.After a rocky

start,defending SCTchampionRaritan hasplayed betteras of late, andwill need tocontinue thattrend against atough Neptunesquad full ofseniors.

Raritanfeaturesreturning ASMPlayer of theYear MikeAaman, a 6-9forwardheaded to

Wagner who had three 20-rebound efforts in Raritan’s firsteight games. He is surrounded by an entirely new cast ofguards that includes junior 3-point launcher PaulColadonato as well as junior Tyler Gurczeski. Seniorforward Marc Pizanie is another complementary scorer toAaman, who has a chance to lead the Shore in scoring andrebounding.

Neptune is led by the senior backcourt of Ikie Calderonand Jaheem Woods and junior forward Keith Kirkwood,who is blossoming into one of the Shore’s top all-aroundtalents. Senior forward Fuquan McDonald is a high riserwho is a dependable rebounder, while senior guard RasulHolland gives the Scarlet Fliers depth in the backcourt.Senior center Josh Jenkins adds length in the middle ondefense.

How Raritan’s guards, who have struggled againstpressure this season, handle Neptune’s swarming press

Raritan senior Mike Aaman


Middletown North senior Tim Frawley

Jackson Memorialsenior Brandon McDonnell

Basketball:Boardwalk Showcase PreviewBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Cont i nued on ne xt page


will be the key tothe game. If Aamandoes not have toworry abouthandling the ball alot and can get theball in position toscore consistently,the Rockets have ashot at the upset.Raritan will mostlikely sit in a zoneand force Neptuneto shoot from deep,and if Aaman canseal off thedefensive boards,that also will becritical.

Manasquan vs. Long Branch, 6:40 p.m.Both of these teams have been up and down this season so

far, and this is probably the most under-the-radar game of theday. The host Green Wave are a young team under new coachDon Covin, who led Long Branch to the Tournament ofChampions in the late 1990s and has returned for a secondstint. Long Branch is led by junior guard Dwight Clark andsophomore guard Terrell Cox and looks to continue to buildfor the future.

On the Manasquan side, fans will want to check out thetandem of junior guard J.R. Hobbie and junior center JimmyWalsh. Hobbie is one of the top long-range bombers in theShore, while Walsh is a 6-7 multi-dimensional talent who canhit from 18 feet, put it on the floor and rebound at will.

The Boardwalk Hoop Showcase Featuring 10 GamesJanuary 5, 2012 –The 12th Annual Boardwalk Hoop Group Showcase will host a total of ten games,January 14 and Sunday, January 15, 2012. This year’s event moves from Monmouth University butdoesn’t go very far, as this year’s Showcase will be held at Long Branch High School. The first gamewill tip-off at noon each day with the last game scheduled for 6:40 PM. There will be five boys gamesthe first day followed by five girls games the following day.

The Boardwalk Hoop Group Boys Showcase provides for some of the most exciting match-¬ups of theHigh School Basketball Season. The boys schedule includes 4 teams ranked in NJ Hoops Top 25 in thestate, #17 Colts Neck, , #18 Jackson Memorial, #19 Middletown North and #23 Lakewood. It alsofeatures 5 of the top 10 teams in Monmouth County and the top 2 teams in Ocean County by NJ.com.

The girls schedule is incredible featuring the #1 team in the state, Manasquan as well as 4 teams in thetop 10 and 6 teams in the top 20, as well as national powers Christ the King and Blair. The rankedteams in the state are #1 Manasquan, #4 St. Rose, #6 Red Bank Catholic, #8 St. John Vianney, #12Jackson Memorial and #14 Rumson.

The Game ScheduleBOYS GAMES SATURDAY JANUARY 14, 2012 12:00 Lakewood vs. Colts Neck1:40 Jackson Memorial vs. Middletown North3:20 Point Beach vs. CBA5:00 Raritan vs. Neptune6:40 Manasquan vs. Long Branch

GIRLS GAMES SUNDAY JANUARY 15, 201212:00 Neptune vs. Rumson1:40 Blair vs. St. John Vianney3:20 Point Boro vs. St. Rose5:00 Christ the King NY vs. Manasquan6:40 Jackson Memorial vs. Red Bank CatholicPhotos by :

C l i f f Lave l l ewww.c lea redge .zen fo l i o . com

Neptune senior Ikie Calderon



Photo byC l i f f Lave l l e

www.c lea redge .zen fo l i o . c om


It’s a lamentyou hear often from the veteran basketballcoaches in the Shore Conference.

Kids just aren’tthe same thesedays.Usually it relates to their inability to take criticism

or deal with adversity, whether it’s the player who getsyelled at and then goes home and has his parents writea letter to the superintendent, or the one who simplyquits the team because he can’t handle beingdisciplined or criticized.

I think there is some truth to that, as stuff as far asyelling and criticism that was par for the course when Iwas playing in the 1990s has gotten some coaches firedin recent years. However, in a different way, I feel likethe players of today are actually thicker-skinned in acertain area.

The ubiquity of Twitter and Facebook plus theInternet message boards that are practically aninstitution at this point have forced players to dealwith instant feedback on their performances. If youhave a bad game, by the time you even get home, or inthe case of something like Twitter, before the game iseven over you may be getting ripped for all to see,often anonymously.

I know that when I had a bad game or an off shootingnight that I was mad enough as it was when I got homeand felt like punching the wall. Now if I had to turn onthe computer or check my cell phone and see “Stumpsux’’ or “That kid is terrible. What a waste,’’ orsomething like that splashed online for all to see, that

would definitely make it worse –especially when it comes fromsomeone who doesn’t have the gutsto sign their name to it. Thatwouldn’t exactly be a nice highschool memento to put in thescrapbook.

I used to worry about what Imight hear at the park or theYMCA at the next pick-up game if

I dropped a clunker in a highschool game, but that is smallpotatoes compared to seeing

your name dragged through themud for all of your classmates andfriends to either laugh or cringe at.Also, if I was the one thinkingabout making a comment aboutanother player now, I would atleast take a minute to contemplateit, whereas a lot of the stuff thatgets posted now is just peoplefiring away with their gut reaction.

However, you talk to the currentplayers about it, and it barelymerits a shrug at this point. Askplayers at places like MiddletownNorth, Neptune or Asbury Park who have loudsupporters, or one very vocal supporter. Ask them whatit’s like to be alternately hyped up or crucified afterevery game, and they will tell you they have learned tolive with it. Many of them are active on Facebook andTwitter themselves, and realize it comes with theterritory.

At least when Iget criticized ormocked online, Iget paid to do myjob, so it’s part ofthe package. Ihave absolutely noproblem with itbecause it’s a freecountry. However,these kids are justout there playingbecause they lovethe game, and Icould see how theconstant barrageof nonsense wouldmake a playerwonder if it wasall worth it.

Plus, there’s therise of video on

every website from more and moregames, All Shore Media included.If you get dunked on or get yourshot swatted into the eighth row,it’s right there for people to replayover and over.

As far as I’m concerned, thattakes some thick skin to endure thattype of criticism or potentialridicule. I agree that it is part ofthe landscape now, but there is aflipside. Players receive much morepraise and attention when they dowell now than they ever did in the1990s or early 2000s because of theproliferation of media. One greatgame might get splashed across 20different sites, whereas you werelucky to get a few column inches inthe Asbury Park Press or the Star-Ledger 15 years ago.

So if you are going to lap up thepraise and the attention, you alsohave to deal with the downside, andthat is where I think the “thin skin’’comments from coaches sometimescome from. If you have a star

player with a healthy ego, he may not be equipped todeal with the backlash if he has a bad game with thespotlight shining bright. Also, if he is being pumped upby every website in sight, he may not be receptive toconstructive criticism from a coach because all hereads online is how great he is.

However, many of the people singing that player ’spraises on Facebook, Twitter or a message board mightstart slinging some ugly stuff his way after a few badgames, and many players can’t handle that withoutsome guidance.

In the end, I don’t envy today’s player. It’s alwaysbeen the case that it’s easier to sit in the stands andcriticize than it is to get out on the court, but now thecriticism is right there for all to see.

My main advice to the current players amidst thecacophony of every critic, fan, and supporter onlinewould be simple – remember why you started playingthe game in the first place. If shooting that ballthrough a hoop in a solitary gym or playing withfriends is still the most fun place for you, the placeyou want to be the most, all that other stuff will meltaway. It helps in developing thick skin.

Asbury Park's Thomond Hammary

Middletown North'sJason Huelbig

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