Shore Sports Network High School Sports 10-28-13 Issue -18

October 28, 2013 Volume-V Issue-18

3 The Recruiting Trail

4 Weathering The Storm

6 Volker LeadsRumson

9Ocean's Best Start in 20 Years

10 One For The Record Books

12-13THE ROADTO A TITLE

16 Pt. Beach StarCommits to Boston College

20 Hol iday Tradi t ion ToCelebrate 30th Anniversary

23Stumpy’s Corner

The f irs t thing fans, players , coaches and parentswant to know after the big game is always,

”Is this going to be on ”

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”Is this going to be on ”

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Here are a few recruits on theRECRUITING TRAIL to keep aclose eye on.

Toms River South’s Darrius Hart is having animpressive season. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior widereceiver/cornerback has been contacted by JamesMadison, Old Dominion, Monmouth, UMass, andPittsburgh.

“I took an unofficial visit to Pittsburgh when theyplayed Florida State,’’ Hart said. “It was an entirelydifferent atmosphere going to see a game there then whenyou go to Monmouth or any smaller school. I don’t feelthat there is much of a difference in going to a biggerprogram or a smaller program. As long as you are able togo out there and perform, that’s all that matters.”

At this time, UMass and Monmouth are Hart’s topchoices and both have offered him scholarships.

Toms River South is currently 4-2, rebounding with keyvictories over Jackson Memorial and Toms River East.Against Jackson Memorial, Hart had a pair of touchdowncatches on fade patterns and also had a pair ofinterceptions on defense.

“My main position I like playing is safety, but I can alsosee myself playing outside linebacker in college as well,”Hart said. “It all depends on where I go.”

THOMSON: LOOKING FOR A CHANCETO SHINEKeyport’s 6-foot-5, 225-pound senior AlexThomson is an outstanding quarterback who is lookingfor a chance to play collegiate football.

If you go down the checklist of what a prototypicalquarterback should display, Thomson would fit the bill -size, intelligence, speed, agility, a strong arm and a hugeupside.

Thomson is currently without any offers at the time, buthis situation could change very soon. He said he is visitingDelaware on Nov. 9. He currently has accounted for 15touchdowns for the Red Raiders (5-2) between rushingand passing, and against Keansburg on Oct. 26, he threwfor 180 yards, ran for 77 and had four touchdownsbetween passing and rushing. He also plays linebacker,and had 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumblereturn for a touchdown in the win.

NEXT FORST IN LINEManasquan senior lineman Matt Forst (6-3,

300), who is having a strong season for a 6-1 Warriorsteam, is still waiting for his first scholarship offer.

Forst, trimmed down during the off-season in effort tomaking more of an impact this fall.

“I am having amuch betterseason,” Forstsaid. “I am inmuch better shapethan I’ve been inthe past and I canfeel the differenceby the way I’mplaying. I washeavier lastseason (310) and Igot down to 285pounds. I’mcurrently a solid300 pounds withmore muscle.”

Forst, who hashad a sack inthree straightgames, prefers toplay defense atthe next level. Heis the third ofthree brotherswho have starredfor the Warriors,all of themlinemen.

Rob Forst was a two-way lineman from the Class of2010 who was offered and committed to Rutgers inFebruary of 2010 after committing to Delaware a monthprior. In the Class of 2008, Art Forst was a 6-foot-7, 300-pound star two-way lineman who was offered by more

than a dozen major programs including Notre Dame andFlorida before choosing the Scarlet Knights. He became astarter on the offensive line for Rutgers and earned first-team All-Big East honors.

Rutgers, Monmouth, Fordham, and Stonehill haveexpressed the most interest in Matt Forst thus far.

“They (Rob and Art) tell me to control what I cancontrol and that's all I can do,’’ Forst said. “They taughtme to not get caught up in the stress of the recruitingprocess and to just play football and everything will takecare of itself. That's what I have been doing this season.

I send game highlight films to any coaches I haveinformation for and that's all I can do. I owe a lot to mybrothers for that reason and to my offensive line coach(former Temple Owl and Manasquan standout Don Klein)who gave me similar advice. I believe that's why I playedbetter this year than last. I was so worried about college,but now I have the mindset of whatever happens, andthat's thanks to them.”

GILLE WITH THREE OFFERS ANDCOUNTINGSt. John Vianney senior Justin Gille, a 6-foot-

5, 235-pound defensive end, has continued to garnerinterest from FCS and FBC programs. He has offers from

Buffalo, Old Dominionand Monmouth, and saidNew Hampshire has beenin regular contact.

Due to his commitmentto his team, Gille has yetto take any official visitsbut has made unofficialvisits to the threeprograms that haveoffered him. He plans ontaking an official visit toMonmouth at the end ofNovember.

“I have a goodrelationship with thecoaches from Monmouthand have been in contactwith them,’’ Gille said.“Coach (Kevin) Callahancame to my schoolrecently to see me andtalk to me.”

The Lancers arecurrently 2-4, but Gillehas displayed his highmotor and intensity offthe edge in racking upfive sacks.

Photos byCliff Lavelle

www.c learedge.zenfo l i o .com

The Recru it ing Tra i lB y C h r i s M e l v i n – S h o r e S p o r t s N e t w o r k c o n t r i b u t o r

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TRS senior WR Darrius Hart

Manasquan senior lineman Matt Forst

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Paul Kelly Sr. can remember whenhis son, Paul Jr., was a freshmangoalkeeper on Monsignor Donovan in2010 and starting in net in anNJSIAA Non-Public A first-roundgame against Christian BrothersAcademy, a team that would one yearlater go 21-0 while sporting eightDivision I players.

“He was so terrified, I had to give him a Valium,”Kelly Sr. recalled. “He said to me, ‘Dad, look at theseguys. They are incredible. How am I supposed to competewith them?’”

On the night of Oct. 29, 2012, Kelly and his youngerbrother Matt, now a junior at Monsignor Donovan,experienced a new, far more sobering version of fear. Therush of CBA soccer players charging at his goal paled incomparison to the rush of water from the Atlantic Oceannow flooding into the Kellys’ Lavallette home in themiddle of the night.

During the days leading up to that night, the weather

forecast for the eastern seaboard of the U.S. grewincreasingly more dangerous and those living in coastalareas in New Jersey were told to evacuate their homesand seek sanctuary inland.

Located near the center of New Jersey’s string ofbarrier islands that stretch from Sea Bright in northernMonmouth County to Long Beach Island in southernOcean County, Lavallette was a prime target for whatwould turn out to be New Jersey’s storm of the century.With the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay on either sideof the small beach town, the worst-case scenario waspotentially catastrophic.

Despite the warnings, Paul Kelly Sr. and his familystayed at home, preparing to ride out the storm.

“We had discussions about what we wanted to do andwe all decided, unanimously, that the best thing for uswas to stay and ride out the storm,” said Paul Sr., whoowns Kelly’s Sunoco Station and Auto Repair inLavallette. “This is our home, my business is right downthe street from me, and my thought was that I needed tobe here to make sure everything was okay with our homeand the station.”

“I remember everyone was saying the same stuff about(Hurricane) Irene the year before and that was a blow-over,” Paul Jr. said. “We figured it would probably similar

to that, but obviously it was much worse. Still, I think wedid the right thing because we were able to save ourselvesa lot of damage, and we were able to help out a lot morethan we could have if we had left.”

The Kelly residence is as much a soccer shrine as it is a

Msgr. Donovan SoccerFamily Weathers the StormBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Paul Kelly Jr.

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5home. The Kelly men call their garage a “soccer mancave,” an appropriate name considering the number oftrophies, pictures and soccer equipment that make up theroom. On the side of the property is a field that the Kellyboys use as a soccer field for 3-on-3 games with anyonewho cares to join.

When the storm finallypassed, the foundation ofthe house was still intact,the property stillinhabitable and the familysafe, a trifecta in which notevery victim of the stormcould take comfort. Thegarage, however, wassubmerged in five feet ofwater and the three-on-three soccer pitch was now– like most of the island –part of the Atlantic Ocean.Making matters worse, twodays after the storm, oilfrom a business oil tankhad flipped over and spilled300 to 400 gallons of oilthat had now begun to runinto the water on the side ofthe Kelly’s property,according to Kelly Sr.

“I looked outside and sawthis pink stuff floating ontop of two-to-three feet ofwater on the side of theproperty,” Paul Sr. said. “Iknew that if we didn’t getthe oil away from thehouse, it could do some realdamage. The boys and Iwent outside and we usedshovels to push the oilaway, and we created thiskind of river that allowedthe oil to float away.”

Immediately after the storm hit, Paul Jr. and Matt Kellywent out to survey the damage around town, jumping inkayaks to navigate their way through a town that was hardto recognize with so much water.

“Our cousin told us about the water in Ortley,” Mattsaid. “He tried to come on his bike and it just got stuck inlike four feet of water so we ended up getting in ourkayaks to go look at everything, and it was prettyincredible.”

Despite the water, the boys could see that the town wasstill standing, but they also began to get word of thedamage to Ortley Beach, which is just several blocksnorth of Lavallette and where the Kelly’s oldest daughter,Kelly Fischer, lived with her husband.

“When my daughter called and told me they neededhelp, I thought I’d just jump in the truck and go pick themup,” Paul Sr. said. “The roads in Lavallette were drivableat this point, so I didn’t think too much of it. Once I gotinto Ortley, I couldn’t believe it. There were telephonepoles down in the middle of the road. Entire houses werejust lying in the middle of the highway. Eventually I madeit to her, but here I thought everything was fine and 13blocks to the north, it looked like this.”

The force of the storm surge was so severe in the areajust north of Lavallette that a new inlet between the oceanand the bay formed in Mantoloking. Entire houses werelifted off their foundation and washed away. Even southof Lavallette in the popular tourist town of Seaside Park,the damage was substantial on the commercial boardwalk.The now-iconic shot of the roller coaster sitting in theAtlantic Ocean following the storm was a scene the Kelly

boys could envision when the storm first started.

“When the storm was first starting, we went up to watchthe waves and we saw them crashing against the pier,”Paul Jr. said. “At that point, we were thinking, ‘Aw man,this is going to be bad.’”

Despite thewidespread damagein Lavallette andneighboring towns,the Kelly’s houseremainedinhabitable for sixdays following thestorm. Paul Sr. andhis sons went to theSunoco Station tobegin cleanup onwhat Paul Sr.estimates was wellover $100,000 indamage, just to hisshop. With damagedequipment, debristhroughout the lotand cars missingfrom the propertyafter washing away,it was hard to knowwhere to begin theclean-up effort.

“The place was anabsolute mess,” PaulSr. said. “It wasamazing becauseI’m looking aroundwith no clue whereto begin, and Mattjumps in and takescontrol. He said,‘We’re going to startwith the bathroomand get that cleaned

up so we can use it while we’re working. Then we’ll getto the inside and work our way out.’”

Eventually, the town had to shut off the gas throughoutthe island so that clean-up efforts could continue and withchilly November air replacing the crisp temperatures ofOctober, it was time for the Kellys to leave their house.

“It was really hard to leave that day because we reallydidn’t know if we were going to come back,” Paul Jr.said. “I thought there was a chance that this would be thelast time I saw my house, so that was tough.”

“When we were getting ready to leave, Paul said to me,‘I’m not leaving unless you promise me we’re comingback,’” Paul Sr. said. “At that point, I made it my goal tomake sure I did everything I could to get everything back:the business, the house, everything. The thing thatimpressed me was that the boys were out with meworking every day, sometimes 13 or 14 hours. I wouldtell them to take the day off, and they wouldn’t have it.”

The Kellys initially stayed with the family ofMonsignor Donovan senior Matt Migdon until they couldfind a temporary residence that was slightly more stableand less of an intrusion on another family. The family ofanother player, now-graduated George Bardis, referredthe Kellys to a residence that was uninhabited during thewinter months while the owner was in Florida. Theproperty was conveniently located less than a half-milefrom the high school and with nothing much to do inToms River, at least according to the Kelly boys, theyspent their time in their new town with their soccerfamily.

“The team was like a family for us when we were living

in Toms River,” Paul Jr. said. “The first day we went topractice, we got a ride from the Migdons and when wegot to the field, everybody just started cheering andjumped on top of us in a dogpile. They made us feel athome whenever we were at practice.”

“Soccer has been such an important part of our livesand without soccer, I don’t know where we’d be,” PaulSr. said. “The boys had all of their equipment in thatgarage, so when the team went back to practice, theydidn’t have anything. Every player on the team donatedsomething so that Paul and Matt could play – cleats,shorts, gloves, shin guards, you name it. It was a totallyhumbling experience.”

In addition to the support it got from the soccer team,the family also got financial support from the school.Monsignor Donovan gave Paul and Matt each threemonths of free tuition while their father got his businessback up and running.

While the Kellys lived in Toms River, they did notspend the majority of their waking hours there. Instead,Paul Sr., Paul Jr., and Matt worked entire days inLavallette, mostly at the family Sunoco station but alsoaround the community. Groups like the Salvation Army,FEMA and other private charitable entities descendedupon the town to offer help and despite the fact that theirfamily was one of those in need, the Kelly boys did asmuch giving as they did receiving, according to theirfather. Paul even took requests via Twitter and Facebookfrom people who could not get to their houses and wantedhim to take pictures of their damaged property.

“These are the kind of people I wanted my sons to bearound,” Paul Sr. said. “As much as you never want yourfamily to go through something like this, what a greatopportunity for my two sons to be around people whosejob it is to help people. Here they were, out of their house,and yet they were more concerned about helping peopleworse off than them.”

As one would expect, the experience left a distinct markon the young men of the family. A year later, Paul Sr.turned down an invitation to an upcoming party on theanniversary of the storm so that he and his family couldrecreate the one fond memory of the night.

The night of the storm, Laurie Kelly prepared a simplespaghetti dinner for her husband and her boys, a momentPaul Jr. highlighted in an essay he wrote for his collegeapplication process.

“We were driving to a game somewhere and my wiferead me his college essay in the car and I had to pullover,” Paul Sr. said.

“It was important just to get back to normal and justsitting around as a family, even in the dark, because itmakes you feel like everything is going to be all right,”Paul Jr. said. “It was definitely a crazy experience that I’llnever forget, but the big thing is everything worked out.It’s definitely made me a better person and it’s made meappreciate what I have.”

Paul Kelly is still deciding on his college choice, withSt. Joseph’s University and Monmouth University thefront-runners. Kelly is a four-year varsity starter and hasbeen one of the top keepers in the Shore Conference overthe last two seasons, but soccer is not driving his decision.Kelly is an avid surfer and would like to remain staysomewhere close to the ocean while focusing on school,even if it means the end of his impressive soccer career.

If the most powerful storm of the last 100-plusyears couldn’t keep Kelly away, it’s hard toimagine much else will.

Monsignor Donovan goalie Paul Kelly Jr.

Act ion Photo byB i l l N o r m i l e

www.b i l l no rmi le .zenfo l i o .com

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Rumson-Fair Haven runningback Charlie Volker showed flashesof his potential in limited work lastseason, but he has taken it to awhole new level in his junior year.

Volker continued his outstanding season and wentover the 1,000-yard rushing mark with 244 yardsand four touchdowns on 31 carries to power a 42-7nondivisional win over host Monsignor Donovan(3-3) on Saturday afternoon. He now has 1,130yards rushing after having run for 246 yards a weekearlier in a win over Raritan for the undefeatedBulldogs (6-0), ranked No. 5 in the Shore SportsNetwork Top 10.

He also has been a workhorse, averaging 23carries per game after only seeing a handful ofcarries last season. Rumson ran the ball 57 times onSaturday for 324 yards.

“I just worked hard in the offseason, practicingand lifting every day to get ready,” Volker said.

“We knew he was special last year,” said Bulldogscoach Bryan Batchler. “You watched the film onhim last year, you saw him run track, you saw himin the weight room just getting stronger andstronger, and he’s just a special kid. He’s the bestback I’ve seen in the nine years I’ve been here.Obviously, I was (previously) on the RBC staff with(current Indianapolis Colts running back) DonnieBrown, and that’s the only kid I’ve seen who’sbetter as far as those I have coached.”

Volker’s performance complemented anotherdominant effort by Rumson’s defense, which hasyet to allow more than one touchdown in any gamethis season. The Bulldogs forced two turnovers andheld the Griffins to 101 total yards, 53 of whichcame on senior quarterback Vinny Grasso’stouchdown run in the second quarter for MonsignorDonovan’s lone score.

Rumson set the tone from the outset, forcing athree-and-out on defense to start the game and thentaking a 7-0 lead with a four-play, 36-yard drive onits first possession. Junior quarterback ChaseCaruso scored on a 1-yard keeper after threestraight runs by Volker.

After the defense forced another three-and-out,the Bulldogs made it 14-0 with an eight-play, 57-yard drive that featured six carries by Volker,including his eight-yard touchdown run.

Rumson’s defense then came up with a thirdstraight stop thanks to a hit for no gain on thirddown by junior Ben Eisenstadt, but the Bulldogs

gave it back with afumble atMonsignorDonovan’s 36-yardline that wasrecovered by seniorlinebacker DeanWilk.

The Griffinsseized thatmomentum for theironly scoring driveof the game,converting a fourth-and-1 with a two-yard run by Grassoand then getting onthe board whenGrasso burst up themiddle for a 53-yardtouchdown run tomake it 14-7 with6:32 left in thesecond quarter.

Rumson then tookthe wind out of thehome team with a13-play, 71-yarddrive that featurednine runs by Volkerand ate up theremainder of thehalf. Volker cappedthe march with a 23-yard touchdown runon fourth-and-3with only 15seconds left in thesecond quarter for a 21-7 lead.

“There were wide-open lanes all day,” Volker saidabout the performance of his offensive line.

Rumson then dominated the second half, holdingMonsignor Donovan to 11 total yards after thebreak, to run away with the win. After a tackle for aloss by senior defensive lineman Kevin Claytonstuffed Monsignor Donovan’s first drive of thesecond half, Rumson went 42 yards in five plays,helped by a roughing-the-passer call on third down,to grab a 28-7 lead on a 9-yard touchdown run byVolker with 4:21 left in the quarter.

Eisenstadt pounced on a fumble on MonsignorDonovan’s ensuing possession to put the Bulldogsin business at the Griffins’ 21-yard line. Threestraight runs by Volker, capped by his 4-yardtouchdown, made it 35-7 late in the third quarter.

By that point,Volker was instriking distanceof the single-game schoolrecord of 303yards rushing setby Chris Jacoubsin the early2000s, butVolker’s day wasdone withRumson incontrol andbigger things onthe horizon.

“I understandwhat the coachesare doing, and ifit’s time to takeme out, it’s timeto take me out tolook towardfuture games, butit would be niceto break that,”Volker said.

Back-upquarterback MaxMullaney foundjunior wideoutMurray McHeffeyfor a 44-yardtouchdown on ascreen pass latein the fourthquarter for thefinal margin of

victory. The Bulldogs now have Monmouth (2-4)next week before a huge Class A Central showdownwith No. 8 Manasquan that has major state playoffseeding implications.

“We’ve got to keep getting better,” Batchler said.“I kept telling them, ‘Let’s put a full gametogether,’ and that’s why you see we leave ourstarters out there as much as we can and try to besmart about it. We’re here to get work, and getbetter.”

Charlie Horse:Volker Leads RFH to 6-0 StartB 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

Rumson junior RB Charlie Volker

by:

S c o t t S t umpwww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Photo byB i l l N o rm i l e

www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

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With a dominant defense and adynamic backfield, Ocean

knew it had a chance to accomplishsomething special this season. At themidway point of the season afterFriday night’s showdown with LongBranch, the Spartans’ goals arestarting to become reality.

Sophomore running back Tyler Thompson ran for155 yards and a touchdown and senior Cole Mehrcaught and ran for touchdowns to make anothersuperb defensive effort stick as the Spartans, rankedNo. 4 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, toppedNo. 10 Long Branch 21-6 in a Shore ConferenceClass B North game.

The Spartans (6-0, 4-0) took a major step towardsecuring the division title by handing the GreenWave (5-2, 3-1) their first divisional loss whilemoving to 6-0 for the first time since ShoreConference great Eddie Conti was running the showin 1993.

“Obviously when you’re6-0 – and it hasn’t beendone in a long time here– it’s a big deal,” saidOcean head coach DonKlein. “Nobody ishappier than Iam, but ourgoals aremore thanthat. We’rehere to win a

championship,and we haven’tdone that yet.We knew itwas a bigfootballgameand

we’rehappy we won it, butthere’s more to do.”

Class B North is adivision of defense,and no team hasdefended better thanthe Spartans. Seniorlinebackers DanLoizos and MikeHalawani led thecharge defensively inlimiting LongBranch’s runninggame and holdingthe Green Waveunder 200 total

yards. It was thefifth straight game

Ocean has held teamsto seven points or less.

“We knew coming

into the season we had achance to be specialdefensively,” Klein said.These kids want toestablish themselves as apremier defense, andevery week they’ve comeout with a dominanteffort. The kids are goingout and executing at avery high level, andhaving that gives a team alot of confidence.”

“We focus on both sidesof the ball, but a littlemore on our defensebecause we know we havesome very good playersand we can get it done,”said juniorquarterback/defensiveback Royal Moore.

As the Spartans churntoward the playoffs, theirarea of focus has been onimproved efficiency onoffense, specifically inthe passing game. Oceanisn’t going to throw the ball a lot, but when it does

it expects to hit some big plays. Moore gavethe Spartans exactly that late in the first

half when he avoided a sack and foundMehr wide open behind the defensefor a 42-yardtouchdown thatenabled Ocean to

take a 7-0 leadinto the half.

“It was a hitch-and-flag for Cole, and onthe play before, thecorner dropped offwhen he saw me aboutto be sacked,” Moore

said. “It happened againand I saw Cole break offand was able to hithim.”

That was all thescoring Ocean wouldneed. The Spartansheld Long Branch to38 total yards overthe first twoquarters, andalthough the GreenWave would pushback in the secondhalf, it wasn’tenough.

Oceanincreased itslead on the thirdplay of the thirdquarter whenThompson broke free on a 67-yardtouchdown for a 14-0 lead. Thompsonhad 50 yards at the break and wentover 100 by quickly hitting a biglane inside before outrunning theGreen Wave defense for the

touchdown. With a two-scorelead, Ocean was in completecontrol.

“We know Long Branch’sdefense is excellent, so wefelt to get a second scorewas huge,” Klein said.

Jordan Rodriguez replacedShabazz Shuler atquarterback in the secondhalf for Long Branch, andwas finally able to lead theGreen Wave into the endzone in the fourth quarter.The Wave started from theirown 30-yard line with 9:53left in the game and marchedinto Ocean territory withsome grinding runs byDahmiere Willis, DeonWilliams and Rodriguez.Long Branch eventuallyfaced a third-and-9 from theOcean 44, and scored whenRodriguez hit senior MysonPennington down the seamfor a 44-yard touchdownwith 6:02 left in the game.

The snap and hold were not executed properly onthe PAT, but Long Branch was on the board at 14-6.

With only six minutes left, Long Branch wasgoing to need a big play to get the ball back and try

to score again with a two-point conversion againstOcean’s stingy defense.Instead, the Spartans marched65 yards in nine plays to putthe game away when Mehrtook a sweep across the goalline from six yards out with1:51 to play.

Ocean’s victory over a 5-win Long Branch team givesit a significant power pointhaul that should help theSpartans earn a top-two seedin the NJSIAA Central JerseyGroup III bracket. TheSpartans can also lock up theB North title by beating Wall(3-3) and Freehold (0-5) inthe next two weeks.

“We’re 6-0 but we haven’twon a championship, and westill have a lot to improveon,” Moore said. “But beingwhere we are right nowmeans a lot. I’ve beenwaiting for this team since Iwas a freshman.”

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Sophomore RB Tyler Thompson

Senior LB Dan Loizos

Ocean in Driver’s Seat in B NorthAfter Downing Long BranchBy Bob Badd e r s – S en i o r S t a f f Wr i t e r

by:

B o b B a d d e r swww.shoresportsnetwork.com

David Thornewww.davethorne.smugmug.com

Junior QB/DB Royal Moore

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10 Jackson MemorialFootball: One forthe Record BooksBy Ar t Go rdon – Sho re Spo r t s N e two rk c on t r i bu t o r

Jackson Memorial made areturn to old-fashioned

Jaguars football in its runninggame on Friday night, and theresult was an offensiveperformance for the record booksin a wild 62-44 win over Lacey inClass A South.last season’s game.

The Jaguars (4-2, 4-1) gave the new scoreboard atJohn J. Munley Field a workout and set a single-game school record for points with a ground gamethat rushed 45 times for an eye-opening 507 yards,including a career-high 308 yards on 27 carries bysenior tailback Khani Glover. He joined AaronEdwards (308 yards in 1996) as the only otherrunning back in Jackson Memorial history to goover 300 yards rushing in a game.

“We wanted to run downhill and right atthem,’’ Glover said.

“Tonight we switched it up, going back toold-school Jackson football by going right atthem,’’ said senior running back Ken Bradley,who also had a big game with 128 yards rushingand a career-high five touchdowns on 13carries.

The Jaguars needed it to hold off a stellaroffensive effort by the Lions (5-2, 3-2), rankedNo. 7 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10.Senior quarterback Tom Kelly was 23-for-30 for328 yards and four touchdowns passing, andjunior wideout Mike Bocchini had eight catchesfor 152 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

Jackson’s unstoppable running game was thedifference, as Glover and Bradley continuallyran hard and very seldom went down on firstcontact.

Senior RB Ken Bradley

“The coaches continually emphasize to be a Jag back,we don’t go down easy,’’ Bradley said. “No armtackles.”

“We went to old-time Jackson football with ourtackles hands down on the ground so they could comeoff the ball with some power,’’ said junior two-waylineman Glen Kipila.

Jackson wasted no time in getting going, taking theopening kickoff and scoring in just three plays, withGlover going the last 49 yards for the first of his threetouchdowns for an early 6-0 lead.

The Jaguars then sacked Kelly twice on the Lions’first drive, and the snap on the ensuing punt sailed outof the end zone for a safety and an 8-0 lead.

On the first play after the free kick, Glover ran 46yards to the Lacey 4-yard line, only to have Jacksonfumble on the next play. However, under pressure froma Jackson Memorial rush that hounded him all nightand had numerous hits, Kelly’s pass was tippednumerous times and finally intercepted by seniorlinebacker Mike Petrizzo at the Lacey 11-yard line.

“We switched this week to a three-man front with anose tackle to put a little more pressure on Kelly,’’Kipila said.

Two carries by Glover, and the Jaguars had a 15-0lead halfway through the first quarter.

Lacey stormed back, going 76 yards in six plays toget on the scoreboard on a 1-yard run by Kelly. Thebig play was a wide receiver screen to Justin Longo, asthe Lions caught the Jaguars in a blitz for a long gainto help trim the lead to 15-7.

After Lacey forced Jackson to punt for the only timein the game, the Lions fumbled it, giving the Jaguarsthe ball at Lacey’s 6-yard line. After a holding penaltypushed it back to the 15-yard line, junior quarterbackJoe DeMaio threw a 15-yard pass on a waggle play toBrody Graham for the score. Jared Calhoun made thesecond of his six extra points with 1:09 left in the firstquarter, pushing the lead to 22-7.

The Lions answered, going 61 yards in 7 plays, with

Kelly bootlegging and pulling upto find tight end Isaiah Brown forthe score from 3 yards out.

The offensive showcasecontinued when the Jaguars drove72 yards in 13 plays, with Bradleybreaking tackles on a 22-yard runfor the first of his five touchdownson the night and a 29-14 lead.

“I’m a big back,’’ Bradley said.“I like to put people on the groundby blocking. Tonight we switchedit up, going back to our traditionalone tight end and two runningbacks formations.”

There were still four minutes leftuntil halftime, so there was plentyof time left for both sides to keepscoring.

Lacey went into its bag of tricksfor their next score when seniorall-purpose star Christian Turtelatook a jet sweep handoff fromKelly but pulled up and lofted apass to a wide-open Mike Bocchinifor a 35-yard touchdown pass. Itmarked the second game in a rowwhere Tutela has thrown atouchdown pass on a trick play.

Bradley answered when he doveinto the end zone on a 1-yardtouchdown run to make it 36-22when the smoke cleared at the endof the first half.

After a well-deserved rest for the scoreboardoperator, Lacey went three-and-out on its firstpossession of the second half and punted for the onlytime in the game. Jackson then pushed its lead to 43-22on another 1-yard touchdown run by Bradley.

The offensive explosion then hit full tilt, with Laceyscoring on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 2-yard pass from Kelly to Bocchini. This would be thestart of a 35-point explosion in just under four minutesof play on only eight total plays by both sides.

On Jackson Memorial’s first play from scrimmagefollowing Bocchini’s touchdown, Glover raced 61yards for a score, breaking two tackles along the way.Trying to duplicate Glover’s feat, Kelly foundBocchini for a 75-yard touchdown pass as Bocchinidarted through the defense and outraced defenders forhis third touchdown of the night.

Bradley answered two plays later, going 47 yards fora touchdown, and then Lacey matched it with its owntwo-play drive that ended when Kelly hit Tutela for a23-yard touchdown.

Jackson “slowed” the game down, taking six playsand three minutes to close out the win when Bradleyran for a 20-yard touchdown and a 62-44 lead. The 62points topped Jackson’s previous high of 59 set in awin over Freehold Township in 2001.

“It was not what I expected coming in, but it’s ASouth, so anything goes,” said Jackson head coachWalt Krystopik.

(Games to be broadcast on 105.7FM & 1160/1310AM)

Fri 11/1 Jackson Memorial at Southern (7pm, 105.7FM)

Fri 11/8 T.R. South at T.R. North (7pm, 105.7FM)

Thr 11/28 Manasquan at Wall (11am, 1160/1310AM)

NJSIAA Championship Playoffs - TBD

Visit: www.shoresportsnetwork.com for details

BROADCAST CREW


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www.billnormile.zenfolio.comJunior QB Joe Demaio

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ith Shore Conferenceteams having played atleast six games, it’s time to

catch up on everything that hashappened and take a look at whatis coming up down the stretch inthe Shore Sports Network Mid-season Report.

Manalapan has won this division the last threeyears, and a 48-18 win over Colts Neck on Oct. 25all but mathematically means it will be four in a rowfor the Braves. They have won 20 straightdivisional games, and just have to take care ofbusiness against Howell (3-3) and winless Marlboroto lock up yet another division crown. They look to

become the first ShoreConference team to

win four straightdivision titlessince

Middletown South won seven straight from 1999-2005.

No. 1 Red Bank Catholic is rolling along towardits sixth division title in seven years, havingdominated every team in its path thus far. IfManasquan beats Rumson-Fair Haven next month,that will all but seal the title for the Caseys. RBChas beaten Rumson 10 straight times in theirThanksgiving game, so if it comes down to that forthe division title, the Caseys have a decisive edgethere as well. The main intrigue seems to be whichpublic school team will take second to RBC –Rumson or Manasquan?

The wildest division race of them all in the Shore,this should comedown to stateplayoff cutoffweekend nextmonth.

Brick also controls its own future because theGreen Dragons will win the division if they go 2-0against the remaining slate of Lacey and JacksonMemorial. The Jaguars have Southern and Brickremaining, so they can win the division if they go 2-0. Meanwhile, Toms River South, Lacey and BrickMemorial are one game out of first. They all willhave a shot to get a win over a division leader andthen may need help by one or two of the other first-place teams to lose.

It all adds up for a slate of compelling games rightto the finish.

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

Manalapan RB Tyler Leonetti Barnegat QB Cinjun Erskine Ocean RB Tyler Thompson

This division title looks to be in Ocean’s handsafter a 21-6 win over Long Branch on Oct. 25 forsole possession of first place and the team’s first 6-0start since 1993. It will have to take care of businessin games against Wall and Freehold to close out thetitle. Ocean’s last division title came in 2006, whenit ended Middletown South’s Shore Conference-record 43-game winning streak and its streak ofseven straight division championships to win theFederal Division.

Just like last year, this appears to be a collisionbetween Point Beach and Shore Regional onThanksgiving that decided the title. The GarnetGulls took it home last year, so Shore will be eagerto take that title back to West Long Branch.

Unbeaten Barnegat is alone in first place and itsmain obstacle to locking down its second divisiontitle in program history looks to be its game atLakewood on Nov. 2.

Manalapan has the goods to win Central JerseyGroup V for its first state title, but faces a ruggedfield of contenders.

Colts Neck, Brick and Middletown South arecertainly contenders in a Central Jersey Group IVbracket that does not appear to have one heavyfavorite. Last year’s Central Jersey Group IIIchampion, Nottingham, is an obstacle, but all threeShore teams should be in the mix. MiddletownSouth has reached the sectional finals in 10 out ofthe last 12 seasons, while Colts Neck has nevermade a state final and Brick’s last statechampionship came back in 1994.

Ocean stamped itself as the front-runner to win theCentral Jersey Group III title, which would be itsfirst since 2005, after beating Long Branch. Theother main contenders, Lawrence and HopewellValley, have either never won a playoff game ornever even made the playoffs. There is a good bet it

could be an Ocean-Long Branch rematch forthe championship depending on how theseedings shake out.

Unbeaten Rumson-Fair Haven will

haveWeequahicandRahway inits way in

Central JerseyGroup II, with

Lakewood as adarkhorse. TheBulldogs lost toWeequahic in thefirst round last yearand are on a

mission to getback to thefinal for thethird timein fouryears.

Shore, Point Beach and defending championFlorence should once again battle it out for theCentral Jersey Group I title.

Southern has a loaded bracket in South JerseyGroup V, and Lacey and Toms River South areunderdogs in a South Jersey Group IV bracketheadlined by defending champion Timber Creek.

Manasquan and Barnegat could very well meet inthe South Jersey Group III final, with defendingchampion Delsea as the main challenger. IfManasquan beats Rumson, it will most likely securethe No. 1 seed, while Barnegat could be in line forNo. 2 if it remains unbeaten at the state cutoff.

Red Bank Catholic will go from Goliath in theShore to David in Non-Public Group III, whichfeatures the No. 1 team in New Jersey, defendingchampion St. Joseph-Montvale, as well as strongteams at Delbarton and Pope John XXIII.

A quality crop of runningbacks are leading the wayin this category.

Red Bank Catholic’sLarry Redaelli has been

putting up bignumbers on

relativelylimitedtouchesevery weekbecause herarely plays

all four

quarterswith RBCup big on thescoreboard.Colts Neck seniortailback AnthonyGargiulo had asolid game indefeat againstManalapan andhas beenproductive allseason. Oceansophomore tailback

Tyler Thompson putup 155 yards rushing

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S e eROADpag e 1 4

Rumson RB Charlie Volker

Point Beach WR Noah Yates

RBC RB Larry Redaelli

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and a touchdown against a tough Long Branchdefense for a signature performance andshould be right there in the discussion.

Rumson-Fair Haven junior Charlie Volkeris having a big statistical season, and biggames against Manasquan, Red Bank Catholicand in the postseason would bolster his case.Point Beach junior Joe Wegrzyniak has beenproductive, and big games against ShoreRegional and in the playoffs would be hisprimary argument. Manalapan tailback TylerLeonetti missed time with an ankle injury, buthe already has a signature game with 162 yardsrushing and a touchdown against Colts Neck, andsome stellar performances in the playoffs wouldbring him right back to the front. Long Branchtailback Deon Williams is another possibility, buthe splits carries with another talented back injunior Dahmiere Willis, which may put hisnumbers behind other backs in the conversation.

Brick junior quarterback Carmen Sclafani is onhis way to a second straight season of more than1,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing, a rarefeat in Shore Conference history. If Brick surges inthe second half and makes a run in Central JerseyGroup IV, he should be right there in thediscussion. A concussion slowed down Laceysenior quarterback Tom Kelly, but a big finishby him against a tough schedule and in South

Jersey Group IV would make hiscase.

A player I would stamp as aprimary front-runner right now

is Lacey senior widereceiver Christian Tutela.A receiving, rushing andeven passing threat, hiscombined numbers makehim one of themostproductiveoffensiveplayers in theShoreConference.

Southern’sMikeGesicki, aPenn Staterecruit,couldsurge righttoward the

front with abig finish fora team that

reached asectional final

last year, and thesame goes for

Manalapan widereceiver and Rutgers

recruit Saeed Blacknall, who is heating up afterthree touchdown catches against Colts Neck. TomsRiver South has multiple exciting players, but it’shard for any specific one of them to compile big

numbers because the Indiansspread the ball around, whichis what makes them sodangerous.

A darkhorse candidatecould be

ManasquanseniorquarterbackTuckerCaccavale. Ifhe has somesignaturegamesagainstRumson and

in theplayoffs to lead

the Warriors to a statefinal, he would be in

the discussion. Anotherdarkhorse is TomsRiver East seniortailback Matt Gudzak,

who has startedputting up hugenumbers, and if the

Raiders can snag a spot

ROADCon t i n u e d f r om p a g e 1 3

Rumson RB Charlie Volker

Lacey WR Christian Tutela

Jackson Mem. LB Ken Bradley

in South Jersey Group IV and he can keep itrolling, he will be right there. Howell quarterbackConnor McGlynn should have big numbers likemost Howell quarterbacks, so it comes down towhether the Rebels can get a signature win or twoto put him in the spotlight.

An intriguing possibility could be Barnegatjunior Manny Bowen, a dynamic wideout whoshould now see time at tailback because of aseason-ending torn ACL by senior A.J. Opre.Quarterback Cinjun Erskine could also be in thediscussion if the Bengals make a run to their firststate title.

This is usually harder to determine atthis point of the season because it’soften cemented later in the seasonbecause, as we all know,defensive wins championships.

Ocean senior linebacker DanLoizos is a four-year starterwho is having a tremendousyear for one of the Shore’s bestunits and is right at the front ofthe discussion. RBC has ashutdown defense, so itcomes down to whichplayer the Caseyswould promote for thisaward. LinebackerRyan Schoer?Linebacker/defensiveend Jamie Gordinier?Defensive end ShawnMcCord? Defensivelineman QuentonNelson?

TheManalapantandem of seniorlinebackersChris Noesgesand Matt McCannboth deserveconsideration. Noesgesjust had 14 tackles, threesacks and two tackles for a lossin the biggest game of theseason against Colts Neckand was a first-team All-Shore selection as a junior.Senior noseguard R.J.Krause also deservesmention.

Long Branch has beena shutdown unit, but itremains to be seenwhich one of its stars itwould promote afterformer linebacker JoscilJackson won last year’s AllShore Media Defensive Playerof the Year honor. LinebackerConnor Mullan and defensive endHunter Baillie are both in the midstof great seasons along with Williams,who also plays linebacker when he’snot running the ball on offense.

Middletown South senior defensive linemanTayler Hendrickson is in the mix, but would needsome big games against Colts Neck and in thepostseason to leap right to the front of thediscussion. Rumson-Fair Haven senior linebackerTom Martello is having a great season for one ofthe Shore’s top defenses and deservesconsideration, but a broken hand that has kept himout of the lineup could dent his chances. IfManasquan wins South Jersey Group III, one ofseveral candidates could come from that defense.

Jackson Memorial linebacker Ken Bradley is asideline-to-sideline force, but the Jaguars will haveto be tougher on defense after giving up 108 pointsin their last three games. Same goes for Bricklinebacker Ray Fattaruso, whose team hasstruggled at times defensively. Southern linebackerBailey Bellissimo could be a candidate if the Ramsmake a deep postseason run, and same goes forBrick Memorial linebacker Jake Lombardo.

Matawan has been tough to score on but hasbeen a pretty balanced unit without one hugestar, just a group of very good playersworking to make plays. Shore and PointBeach are also similar in that they havegreat depth on defense with severalstandouts, so it remains to be seen which

ones would be promoted by the coachingstaff as the most worthy candidates. Point

Beach’s Noah Yates leads theShore Conference with

seven interceptions, so heis emerging as a primecandidate for the GarnetGulls.

I would put Barnegatsenior defensive endGreg Moran up there inthe conversation, andcornerback Ricky Gerenais also having a strongseason along withBowen. Lakewoodsophomore linebackerAmir Tyler has been animpact player along withjunior defensive linemanDatrell Reed, but thePiners don’t have thatsignature win yet toreally bolster theresume.

Carmen Sclafani, Jr., QB, Brick:No shock here. He clearly has made

a major impact on Brick’s offenseand has the Green Dragons rightin the thick of the Class ASouth race, one year afterthey went 3-7. He suffered ashoulder injury in a winover his old team, TomsRiver North, on Oct. 26,and if he is out for anyextended time, it could

throw a major kinkinto Brick’splayoff plans.

A.J. Opre, Sr., RB, Barnegat: Recently becomingthe Bengals’ all-time leading rusher, he suffered aseason-ending torn ACL in the win over Centrallast week. His loss creates a big void consideringhe was right in the discussion for a first-team All-Shore spot.

Russell Messler, Sr., RB/LB/K, Toms RiverSouth: He missed multiple games with a sprainedMCL in his knee, and the Indians stumbled withouthim. His return makes them a dangerous teamdown the stretch.

Tom Kelly, Sr., QB, Lacey: He was locked in anunconscious groove to start the season, torchingone defense after another, before he suffered aconcussion in a win over Toms River South. JuniorConor Davies did a great job filling in for him inthat game, but since then, Lacey’s offense hasstruggled even with Kelly back in the lineup. Partof that is because of injuries throughout the lineup,including a season-ending torn labrum for juniorrunning back George Sayre.

Will Pezzollo, Sr., QB, Manasquan: Pezzollowent down with a torn ACL in the second week ofthe season against Red Bank Catholic. Luckily, theWarriors had a seasoned back-up in senior TuckerCaccavale, who has been outstanding sincestepping into the starting lineup.

Manasquan: It’s hard to ever say Manasquanis a surprise, given its history and pedigree.But after a rare 5-5 season, to be 6-1 with awin over a Long Branch team that is right inthe mix for the B North title and a 38-0victory over Middletown South, the Warriorsare in a better spot than I think people wouldhave thought in the preseason. They havebecome a top 10 team again quickly with achance to make a serious run at the SouthJersey Group III championship.

Mater Dei Prep starting 3-0 for its best startsince the mid-1980s certainly raised someeyebrows, although the Seraphs have sincelost four straight.

Just about every Class A South game

Middletown South at Red Bank Catholic, Nov. 1 at 7

Long Branch at Matawan, Nov. 1 at 7

Barnegat at Lakewood, Nov. 2 at 1

Colts Neck at Middletown South, Nov. 8 at 7

Manasquan at Rumson-FH, Nov. 8 at 7

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Brick QB Carmen Sclafani

Photos by:

B i l l N o rm i l e www.b i l l norm i l e .zenfo l io .com

Cliff Lavellewww.c learedge.zenfo l io .com

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Point Beach senior point guardMatt Farrell, who was a first-

team All-Shore selection as a junior,announced at a ceremony at the PointPleasant Beach Elks on October 22that he has verbally committed toBoston College.

Farrell chose Boston College over MonmouthUniversity and Dartmouth. He joins seniorteammate Dom Uhl (Iowa) as a Division I commitfor Point Beach, and those two join JacksonMemorial forward Eric Carter (Delaware) andChristian Brothers Academy guard Louie Pillari(Navy) among Division I recruits from the ShoreConference Class of 2014. Farrell cited the campus,academics, Boston College coach Steve Donahueand perhaps most importantly, the chance to play inthe high-level Atlantic Coast Conference as reasonsfor his choice.

“I’ve just dreamed at playing at the highest level,playing on ESPN,” he said during hisannouncement. “My freshman year of high school, Inever thought this day would be here. I wanted thechallenge. I want to see if I can compete at thehighest level, and I know if I go in with the rightattitude, I know I can.”

Boston Collegewas the highest-level programto offer Farrell,which gavehim the beliefthat he canmake an impactin the rigorousACC.

“That kind of made me work harder becausethat’s a whole different level,” Farrell saidafterward. “(Donahue) definitely jumped in andencouraged me to work harder. I like the way hecoaches. He put a lot of trust in me and he told mea lot of great things.

“I love the way they play. That was a big part ofmy decision. The way they play, they space it out.All five guys shoot, dribble, pass. They can throwit inside. They usually want to four-out, one-in,they can move it around, everyone shoots it, andthey all play together.”

Farrell believes he can compete for time in therotation as a freshman next season.

“(Donahue) told me he wouldn’t be recruiting meif he didn’t think I could step in right away,”Farrell said. “Right now, their two starting guardsare very good, but they are low on the depth charton guards, so if I get up there and start playingwell, I definitely have a shot to play.”

After making his decision, Farrell spoke withMonmouth University coach King Rice, a formerguard at North Carolina, to inform him of hischoice, and Rice had some complimentary words.

“(Rice) quote-unquote said if he wasin my position, BCand Monmouth, hewould’ve chosen BCas well,” Farrell said.“He was the one whoactually told mefirsthandthathe

believed Icould playthere at the ACClevel, and he saidthere’s no doubt inhis mind. That washuge coming fromhim. He’s just a greatguy, and he did somuch for me and myfamily.”

The son of St. Benedict’sPrep assistant Bob Farrell,Matt is a fundamentally soundplayer who sees the floor well,controls the tempo and can shootit from deep with consistency.

“I’m a scoring point guard

when I have to be, but I want to get guys theball,” he said.

Farrell is believed to be the first ShoreConference player to commit to a scholarship at anACC school since former Red Bank star forwardTahj Holden, who played at Maryland and won anational championship in 2002. Former Red Bankguard Casey Peters and former Christian BrothersAcademy center Tim Andree were walk-ons atDuke and Notre Dame, respectively, and formerCBA guard Todd Billet started his career atRutgers before transferring to Virginia.

Former CBA star Dan Werner initiallycommitted to North Carolina State, but ended upde-committing and eventually playing at Floridain the late 2000s after a coaching change for theWolfpack. Former Neptune star Taquan Deanplayed at Louisville in the mid-2000s, which wasa Big East school at the time but is now in theACC. Also, former Lakewood and St.Benedict’s star J.R. Smith, now with theKnicks, committed to North Carolina beforemaking the leap directly to the NBA.

Farrell averaged 15.4 points, 6.7 assists, 4.2steals and 3.0 rebounds per game for a Garnet

Gulls squad that won a school-record 28 games,captured its first NJSIAA Group I title and firstNJSIAA sectional title as well as reaching theShore Conference Tournament final for the firsttime since 1963.

He had 23 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds againstAtlantic City in the Tournament of Championsquarterfinals to cap a brilliant postseason run. Forhis career, he has 847 points, 368 steals, 193rebounds and 368 assists as he enters his fourthseason as a varsity player.

Pt. Beach’s Matt FarrellCommits to Boston CollegeB 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

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A S A M P L I N G O F C U R R E N T A N D F O R M E R M A C A L L - S T A R S

n Thomas Acerra—Monmouth Regional n Jared Allison—Matawann Kaysonne Anderson—Manasquann Robert Barksdale—Asbury Park n Joey Beggans—Red Bank Regionaln David Bergeron—Middletown Northn Mike Bland—Long Branchn Jared Bradham—Long Branchn Jawann Brown—Matawann Chris Bunge—Middletown Southn Brian Calder—Colts Neckn Shilque Calhoun—Middletown Northn Cleveland Cannon—Long Branchn Dwayne Chapman—Matawann Swede Chevalier—The Lawrenceville Schooln Allen Choback—Red Bank Catholicn Joe Cilurzo—Shore Regionan Dwight Clark—Long Branchn Jason Corley—Long Branchn Tom Corley—Matawann Rahmir Cottman—Red Bank Regionaln Richie Curran—Red Bank Catholicn Charles Davis—Neptune n Amir Dew—Toms River Northn Drew Diakos— St. John Vianneyn Sean Dolan— Red Bank Catholicn Brian Dominianni—Point Beachn Alex Faherty—Brooklyn Polytech (NY)n Glen Ford—Red Bank Catholicn Chris Fortunato—Wall Townshipn Jeremy Fountain—Matawann Tyrone Garland—Matawan n Wesley Garland—Matawan n Clifton Geathers—Carver’s Bay (SC)

n Kwame Geathers—Carver’s Bay (SC)n Nick Gialanella—Red Bank Catholic n Tom Gorski—Holmdel n Tajh Hammary—Asbury Park n Malcolm Harris—Neptune n Chris Herring—Matawan n Carl Howard—Matawan n Jihaad Howard—Brick Memorial n Anthony Hubbert—Freehold Boro n Darryl Jackson—Red Bank Reg. n Bobby Jameson—Matawan n Greg Kafaf—Don Bosco Prepn Tom Kalieta—Matawan n Larry Kelly—Manasquan n Caleb King—

Christian Academy (GA)n Terrence King—

Long Branch n Tyler King—Buford H (GA)n Donald Klein—Shore Reg. n Donnie Klein—

Manasquan n Kyle Leach—Point

Pleasant Beach n Frank Lefkowitz—Colts Neck n Joe Lepore—Colts Neck n Glennis Lester—Matawan n Ron Lewis—Asbury Park n Matt Maddox—Manasquan n Christian Martino—Point Pleasant Beach n Joseph Martucci—Matawan n John Masini—Morristown Beard Schooln Tyron McCalister—Asbury Park n Eric McCoo—Red Bank Regional n Terrance McKeller—Long Branch

n John McLaughlin—Middletown Southn Joe Mickens—Manchester n Knowshon Moreno—Middletown South n Kevin Moriarity—Shore Regionaln TJ Moriarity—Red Bank Catholicn Darius Morris—Long Branchn Matt Moulton—Colts Neckn John Pellegrino—St. John Vianneyn Jim Pittenger—Walln John Pittenger—Wall n Stephon Pluviose—Matawan n Mike Postell—Matawan n Simon Press—Asbury Parkn Ryan Quinlan—Wall

n Dave Reeves—RBC n Charlie Rogers—Matawan

n Jerret Sanderson—Long Branchn Tyler Schmelz—RBCn Bill Shea—Keyport HSn Branden Smith—

Booker T. Washington (GA)n Chris Stavola—RBCn Stephen Swift—

Red Bank Regionaln Jamuir Taylor—Neptunen Maurice Turpin—Long Branch

n McArthur Underwood - Matawan n Tony Vergari— Point Pleasant Beach n Joey Villapiano—Ocean Township

n Scott Wellerson—Point Pleasant Beach n Kade Weston—Red Bank Regional

n Cassius Williams—Matawan

Knowshon Moreno RBMiddletown South,

University of Georgia,Denver Broncos1st Rd Draft Pick

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When Wall junior Joe Tashjytransferred from Christian Brothers

Academy to Wall for this school year, hewould have been safe to assume that he wouldnot be facing his former team at any pointduring the soccer season. Wall and CBA hadnot played each other since the 2000 seasonand that was a pick-up game between theShore Conference and NJSIAA Tournaments.

Fittingly enough, the arrival of Tashjy to Wall coincided with thefirst postseason meeting between his current team and his formerteam since 1998. Eerily enough, the ball was at his feet with theShore Conference Tournament round-of-16 game on the line.

Tashjy chipped the ball over a CBA wall on a free kick from 30yards out in the 74th minute and Brendan Barcas headed the well-placed service the far right corner of the goal for the game-winner in11th-seeded Wall’s 1-0 win over the No. 6 Colts Saturday atChristian Brothers Academy.

“To be honest, I was more dreading this than anything,” Tashjyadmitted. “I’m still friends with those guys over there and I havenothing but respect and admiration for Coach (Dan) Keane andCoach (Jeff) Matson. They treated me as well as I could have beentreated, so there were no feeling of revenge or wanting to beat themor anything like that. I just wanted to help my team win, whoever itwas against and today, it happened to be CBA.”

Wall advances the SCT quarterfinals to play No. 3 Rumson-FairHaven, 1-0 winners over Monsignor Donovan Saturday night. TheCrimson Knights will look to advance to their first SCT semifinalsince 2004 with one more win on the road. Since a string of fourstraight ties that put them at 4-1-6, the Crimson Knights have rippedoff seven straight wins.

“We were just having a lot of trouble finishing goals during thatstretch, but that has all changed,” said Barcas, who scored off a freekick that was awarded after freshman Dan Frisch-Harmon drew afoul in the middle of the field. “First of all, we got Tashjy back afterhe sat 30 days. Having a guy who can hold the ball in the defensivecenter midfield just opens up the field for the guys who are lookingto go forward and it’s allowed us to be more dangerous.”

According to Wall coach Garry Linstra, Tashjy was aninstrumental part of the preparation for CBA because of hisfamiliarity with the Colts players and style. Tashjy was specificallyhelpful in preparing for speedy junior forward and Colts leadingscorer Russell Romano.

“Joe was real helpful in practice as far as giving our guys an ideaof what to expect from their big players,” Linstra said. “WithRomano, we knew he was fast and we asked Joe if our center back,Cameron Wenz, could run with him and Tashjy said he could. Withthat in mind, we didn’t have to completely commit to puttingdefenders behind him. He did get some chances, but those were theresult of some breakdowns in our formation that we corrected.”

Tashjy’s input helped his teammates anticipate CBA’s tendenciesand when he had a chance to help his team, he went away from hisusual practice. Tashjy had taken two shots on free kicks earlier inthe game and with CBA anticipating another shot, he decided tochange things up.

“Those guys know I’m going to shoot the ball,” Tashjy said. “Idid it earlier in the game a couple times and it’s what I’ve always

done on directkicks, so I wasjust looking tochange it up onthem a little bit.They weregetting readyfor the shot, soI just looked tochip it over topof them and Iknew Brendanwas going to bethere.”

“We weretotally on thesame page onthat play,”Barcas said.“He didn’t needto give me alook or anything. We knew we were goingto try that play at some point, so I set up tomake the run and once he played the ball, Iwent and got it.”

Tashjy scored three goals as a sophomorefor the Colts while playing mostly up top in CBA’s formations.After sitting his required 30 days as a transfer who did not changeresidence, Tashjy has fit into the defensive center midfield role.Meanwhile, the Colts have bounced back from their first ever losingseason under Keane by reaching the SCT again with its youngestlineup ever.

“Joe is a great kid and he was a pleasure to have in the programfor the time he was here,” Keane said. “His family has been a partof CBA and he made a decision that was best for him and there arenever any hard feelings when that happens. I’m glad he’s happy andthat he is getting a lot out of playing for Garry and that Garry isgetting a lot out of him. It’s worked out well for everybodyinvolved, even though it would have been nice if we won today.”

Each team had scoring chances prior to Wall’s breakthrough withboth goalkeepers making key saves. Wall senior Chris Barcas, olderbrother of Brendan, ripped a screaming shot from 25 yards out thatCBA goalkeeper Dave Kral defected just enough to lift the ball upoff the crossbar in the 38th minute. That shot by Barcas was Wall’sfirst shot on goal of the game after CBA had created three shots foritself.

“I thought this game had overtime written all over it,” Tashjysaid. “Both teams were possessing in the midfield and we weredefending against their possession a lot. When they get the ball, it’salmost like a half-court offense in basketball, they work it around somuch. There weren’t going to be a lot of shots and the first team thattook advantage of a chance was going to win.”

The Colts made some dangerous runs in the first half, but theirbest chance to score came in the 53rd minute when Romano brokethrough the last line of defense for a breakaway against CrimsonKnights goalkeeper Jack Wishart. After Romano took a touchtoward the goal, Wishart came out to meet the shot and deflected theattempt over the crossbar.

“In situations like that, I know the shooter is supposed to scoreand I know he’s thinking that, so I just try to put the pressure on

him,” Wishart said. “When I saw Romano coming at me, my firstinstinct was to charge him, cut down the angle and make him rushthe shot.”

Wishart and the defense were able to keep CBA off thescoreboard, with the junior keeper making three saves. He also gothelp from the defense, especially from Wenz, who ran downRomano early in the first half when Romano had dribbled throughthe defense and appeared to be in the clear. As Romano wound upfor a shot, Wenz stormed from behind and cleared the ball awayfrom Romano’s feet.

Although Wall is still looking to clear the last hurdle before theShore Conference final four for the first time in nine years, the winover CBA marks the most significant win for the Crimson Knightssince they won the NJSIAA Group III title in 2005. Most seasonssince 2004 have been like the 2012 campaign, during which Walllost to Jackson Memorial in the SCT quarterfinal and eventualGroup III co-champion Princeton in the Central Group IIIquarterfinals. Both teams were formidable opponents that were justout of Wall’s reach. Saturday, the Crimson Knights went on the roadand defeated a CBA team that, while still the youngest varsity squadin program history, is an overall power in the Shore area.

“This is a huge win for the program,” Linstra said. “We have beenlosing kids to CBA for years, so this sends a message to kids whoare making that decision that they are going to have a chance to playfor something at Wall. We’ve started to get some kids to come backand to stay, but it’s an ongoing battle to keep kids here. A win reallyhelps to deliver the message that we have a winner right here.”

Tashjy Sparks Wall Boys SoccerPast Former TeamBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Photos by:

Matt Man leywww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Wall junior Joe Tashjy

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It started as an eight-team boystournament created to replace the

Southern Regional Roundball Festival butthirty years later the WOBM ChristmasClassic has established itself as one of thestate’s premier holiday sporting events.The 7-day, 52-game tournament getsunderway on Saturday, December 21 withall games to be played at the Pine BeltArena on the campus of Toms River HighSchool North. The boys and girls firstround will take place on the weekend ofDecember 21-22 and the tournament willthen resume on December 26 and runevery day until December 30.

Back to defend their titles will be the Toms RiverNorth boys and the Point Pleasant Boro girls andthe field will be very similar to 2012. The onlychange among the 16 boy’s teams is the return ofMonsignor Donovan who will replace CBA, whofell to the Mariners in last year’s championshipgame. On the girls side longtime force Rumson-Fair Haven has departed along with Lacey and theyhave been replaced by Red Bank Catholic andMonsignor Donovan.

As the founder and director of the tournament Iam sometimes amazed we have stood the test oftime. As events such as this have folded over theyears we have been able to not only maintain butadd elements that make the WOBM Christmas

Classic more thanjust a lot of gamesover a week-long period.The key hasbeen thesupport wehavegeneratedfromsponsors,some of whomhave been withus from thestart. BarnabasHealth is onceagain ourpresentingsponsor which allowsus to provide academicscholarships to student-athleteswho participated in the previousyear’s tournament and are nowcollege freshman. Businesseslike the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center,OceanFirst Bank,Vision Financial Services, Inc.,Professional Orthopaedic Associates, AtlanticPhysical Therapy Center, Wallach’s Farm Market &Deli, IPlay America, Saker ShopRites, Oh What ABagel, Jersey Coast Appliance, RKE Athletic andOcean Trophies have been valued partners whohelped make the tournament a positive experience

for participants and fans.

I would remiss if I did not offer special praise tothe Toms River Regional School District, who hashosted the WOBM Classic for the past ten years inthe spacious Pine Belt Arena. We’re lookingforward to another great tournament and you’ll readmore about the Pearl Anniversary addition in futureissues.

Holiday Tradition To Celebrate30th AnniversaryB y K e v i n W i l l i a m s –

F O R A D V E R T I S I N G I N F O RMA T I O NContact: S t e v e n M e y e r 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0 s m e y e r @ a l l s h o r e m e d i a . c o m

K e v i n W i l l i a m s 8 4 8 - 2 2 1 - 8 1 6 2 kevin .wi l l [email protected]

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Saturday, December 21 (BOYS 1st Round)1:00 #6 vs. #11 (TRN) Loser “A”2:45 #3 vs. #14 (TRN) Loser “B”4:30 #7 vs. #10 (TRN) Loser “C”6:15 #2 vs. #15 (TRN) Loser “D”1:30 #5 vs. #12 (PBA) Loser “E”3:15 #4 vs. #13 (PBA) Loser “F”5:00 #8 .vs. #9 (PBA) Loser “G”6:45 #1 vs. #16 (PBA) Loser “H”

Sunday, December 22 (GIRLS 1st Round)1:00 #6 vs. #11 (TRN) Loser “I”2:45 #3 vs. #14 (TRN) Loser “J”4:30 #7 vs. #10 (TRN) Loser “K”6:15 #2 vs. #15 (TRN) Loser “L”1:30 #5 vs. #12 (PBA) Loser “M”3:15 #4 vs. #13 (PBA) Loser “N”5:00 #8 vs. #9 (PBA) Loser “O”6:45 #1 vs. #16 (PBA) Loser “P”

Thursday, December 26 (BOYS)11:00 A vs. B (PBA) E vs. F (TRN)12:45 C vs. D (PBA) G vs. H (TRN)2:30 Winners (6-11) vs. (3-14) Loser “U”4:15 Winners (7-10) vs. (2-15) Loser “V”6:00 Winners (5-12) vs. (4-13) Loser “W”7:45 Winners (8-9) vs. (1-16) Loser “X”

Friday, December 27 (GIRLS)11:00 I vs. J (PBA) M vs. N (TRN)12:45 K vs. L (PBA) O vs. P (TRN)2:30 Winners (6-11) vs. (3-14) Loser “Q”4:15 Winners (7-10) vs. (2-15) Loser “R”6:00 Winners (5-12) vs. (4-13) Loser “S”7:45 Winners (8-9) vs. (1-16) Loser “T”

Saturday, December 28 (BOYS)11:00 Winners (A-B/C-D) (PBA) Losers (A-B/C-D)(TRN)12:45 Winners (E-F/G-H) (PBA) Losers (E-F/G-H)(TRN)2:30 U vs. V (PBA)4:15 W vs. X (PBA)6:15 Girls Semifinal (PBA) (Game broadcast on 1160/1310AM)8:00 Girls Semifinal (PBA) (Game broadcast on 1160/1310AM)

Sunday, December 29 (GIRLS)11:00 Winners (I-J/K-L) (PBA) Losers (I-J/K-L) (TRN)12:45 Winners(M-N/O-P) (PBA) Losers (M-N/O-P) (TRN)2:30 Q vs. R (PBA)4:15 S vs. T (PBA)6:15 Boys Semifinal (PBA) (Game broadcast on 1160/1310AM)8:00 Boys Semifinal (PBA) (Game broadcast on 1160/1310AM)

Monday, December 30 (All Games in PBA)2:00 Boys 3rd Place Consolation3:45 Girls 3rd Place Consolation5:30 Girls Championship Final (Game broadcast on 1160/1310AM)7:30 Boys Championship Final (Game broadcast on 1160/1310AM)

30th Annual WOBM CHRISTMASCLASSIC: (2013 Tentative Schedule)

2012 Winners Toms River North Boys Team

2012 Winners Point Boro Girls Team

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Join TheShore Sports Net work Team Today!Interested in joining our team and

think you have what it takes to becovering sports in the ShoreConference for Shore SportsNetwork? We are looking for localwriters interested in covering sportslike Lacrosse, Baseball, Football,Basketball, Soccer, Swimming,Track, Ice Hockey and more as part

of our newspaper and our website(www.shoresportsnetwork.com).Grab your chance to appearregularly in The Shore SportsNetwork bi-weekly publication andon www.shoresportsnetwork.comwhile helping us recognize moreathletes and bring more stories toShore Conference sports fans. This

is your chance to become a regularcontributor to a growing businesson the cutting edge of coveringsports in Monmouth and OceanCounty.Just contact: Managing EditorScott Stump @[email protected]

The old sayingis that you don’t

know what you’ve got ‘tilit’s gone, but TylerFischer knew exactlywhat he had in ablossoming footballcareer that was ready toadd a new chapter thisfall.

That is why it was so devastating when itwas all taken away on an operating table thispast summer. The Holmdel sophomore hadthought a procedure in June had finallycorrected an ailment in the aorta of his heartthat had resulted in four previous open-heartsurgeries beginning when he was six yearsold. Unfortunately, when he returned for acheck-up in July, it was discovered that theprocedure did not take and his condition wasworsening.

When he went in for more correctivesurgery in July, the situation escalated towhere doctors had to once again conduct anopen-heart surgery. This time a mechanicalvalve was placed in his heart. As a result, hehas to be on blood thinners the rest of hislife and can no longer play football becausea blow to the head could cause bleeding inhis brain.

Fischer had trained all summer to takeover as Holmdel’s starting quarterback. Hepreviously lived in Southlake, Texas, a highschool football mecca, so the game had beenpart of his life for as long as he could remember. He countsCincinnati Bengals quarterback Greg McElroy and New YorkJets quarterbacks coach David Lee among his friends, andthey had helped prepare him for what was going to be a bigseason for the Hornets.

Instead, the game he loves so much was gone forever.

“I put in all this work and it was over,’’ Fischer said. “I was

extremely bummed that I couldn't play football.”

However, the relentlessly positive Fischer also looked atthe flipside.

“They said I almost died twice on the (operating) table,’’Fischer said. “It hurt to not be able to play football, but

then again, I’m still here, and I’m going to be OK.”

Fischer still will be able to play his other favoritesport, baseball, while wearing special gear to protect him

from any hits to the head with the ball.Rather than wallow in the loss of his footballcareer, he has instead continued to embracethe sport.

He has become essentially a studentassistant coach for the Hornets, tutoring their

quarterbacks, a group of good athletes who had to bemoved to the position out of necessity because of

Fischer’s situation. Fischer attends all practices and games,and prepares like any other coach.

“He's so dedicated, and I think mentally and emotionally,it's helping him heal,’’ said Holmdel head coach FrankPapalia. “It puts everything in life in perspective. He wouldgive anything in the world to be out there, and his teammatesknow it.

“We had staff meetings at 7 a.m. in the preseason, and hewas one of the first people there, taking notes and askingquestions. Not many kids would have the perseverance todo that or the mental toughness to do that, even if they'rehealthy. He has completely embraced it. That's an inspirationto anybody.”

“Tyler had to re-channel his energy,’’ said his father, KaiFischer, who played football at UNLV with RandallCunningham in the mid-1980s. “He had to turn somethinginto a positive. He couldn't do something physical, so he hadto occupy his time, and he always said when he was doneplaying, he wanted to coach. We just didn’t know that wouldbe after his freshman year of high school.”

It’s been particularly frustrating for Fischer to be stuck onthe sidelines. The Hornets have struggled to put up points intheir 1-6 start with the lineup having to be shuffled because ofinjuries and Fischer being unable to play, but he has retained

a positive outlook. His ability to focus onwhat he does have instead of what he lost hasbeen an inspiration to those around him.

“He’s a person who appreciates everythinghe’s been given because of all thecircumstances he’s had to endure,’’ McElroysaid. “I saw a lot of myself in him as far ashow much I love the game, and I can onlyimagine being in his shoes. It’s a constantreminder that regardless of how badcircumstances may seem, I still am fortunateenough to go to work every day and put on afootball uniform. You realize how special thisgame is, and how fast it can go away, so youappreciate every moment.”

“He's got the heart of a lion,’’ Lee said.“The thing I noticed in working with him thata lot of the good quarterbacks have is thatthey just stay calm. Nothing bothers him, andhe stays as calm as can be, which can be agreat trait to have. He has stayed positive,and he can still play baseball, so there will bea good ending to a story that started out shakyand scary.”

Plus, who knows, maybe this is just thestart of a stellar baseball career, or possiblywhat pushes him to excel in another sport.

“I'm 6-4, 275 pounds, and I drive the ball300 yards off the tee, and he is starting to beatme in golf,’’ his father said. “The kid is anathlete that I could've never been.”

One thing that is for sure is that no matterwhere Fischer’s life takes him, he will refuseto dwell on the negative hand he was dealtthis year.

“Especially with everything I've beenthrough, I have to be mentally tough,’’ Fischersaid. “My mom always told me, 'Mind overmatter,' and I just remember being in the

hospital and whenever I talked about something positive orthought about something positive, the pain went away. I justput that toward my whole life now.”

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www.billnormile.zenfolio.com

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