August 18, 2014 Volume-VI Issue-15

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

”Is this going to be on ?”

Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties,providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and

regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

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Show your support for the Shore Conferencefootball programs with an ad in our special2014 Football Preview issue coming out 9/4/14.This special issue includes in-depth teampreviews, feature stories, top 10 rankings anddirections to all the fields, making it theperfect keepsake. This issue has been a hugesuccess in the past years with support fromcoaches, players, parents and local businessesthroughout the Shore Conference. Thepreview will also be distributed to all 46 highschools as well as local businesses throughoutMonmouth and Ocean counties

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Rumson-Fair Haven seniortailback Charlie Volker, who wasthe Shore Sports NetworkOffensive Player of the Year lastseason, said Friday that he hasverbally committed to PrincetonUniversity.Technically Volker has committed to the admissions

process at Princeton and still has to be formallyaccepted by the university, but he has made it clear thatPrinceton is where he looks to continue his career. Hehad multiple Ivy League and Patriot League offers.

“It’s just a great fit for me football-wise andacademically,” Volker said.

Volker had the greatest season by any Rumson-FairHaven running back in history in his first year as thestarting tailback last year. He rushed for a school-record 2,108 yards and 24 touchdowns to lead theShore Conference in rushing and finish ranked secondin New Jersey. Selected as the Class A Central Co-Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches, he helpedthe Bulldogs win their second state sectional title infour seasons, rushing for 93 yards and a touchdown ina 14-6 win in Central Jersey Group II over aWeequahic team that entered undefeated and allowingunder three points per game. In the semifinals against

Rahway, he ran for a single-game school record 314yards and four touchdowns, including an 80-yardtouchdown run with six seconds left in the game thatgave Rumson a 28-21 win.

He will head to a Princeton program that currentlyincludes freshman linebacker Thomas Martello, a first-team All-Shore selection last year who starred for theBulldogs at linebacker and safety. A bulked-up Volkerlooks to be one of New Jersey’s top running backs thisseason for the defending Central Jersey Group IIchampions.

Rumson’s CharlieVolker Commits toPrincetonBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor Matawan senior Jason Dunne, one of

the top returning guards in the ShoreConference, has verbally committed tothe University of Hartford.Dunne was a Shore Sports Network first-team All-

Shore selection as a junior when he averaged team-highs in points (15.1) and assists (3.6) while alsochecking in with five rebounds and 1.2 steals per gamefor Matawan’s first sectional champion in more than a50 years. He is believed to be the Huskies’ firstDivision I recruit right out of high school since formerforward Dax Pearson committed to Army in 1996.Sandy Perry, a 2005 graduate, played at a pair of juniorcollege programs, Lackawanna (Pa.) and BartonCounty (Kan.), before moving on to play at Division IGeorgia Southern in 2008-09.

Dunne also had an offer from Navy and multipleDivision II programs before committing to Division IHartford, which plays in the America East Conference.The Hawks finished 17-16 last year, including 10-6 inthe conference. Dunne is the first member of the ShoreConference Class of 2015 to commit to a Division Iprogram.

Dunne was a consistent force from the start of theseason, starting with an MVP performance at the HuskyClassic Holiday Tournament, which Matawan won. Hescored 11 of his 15 points in the second half of an SCTsemifinal win over Manasquan and poured in 15 more

in a loss to Point Beach in the semifinals. DuringMatawan’s Central Jersey Group II title run, Dunnescored 23 points in a win over Carteret in thequarterfinals and poured in 20 in the sectional finalagainst Rumson. Dunne will be back with teammateJoe Piscopo to defend the Huskies’ Class B North titleand Central Jersey Group II title.

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Jason DunneCommits to HartfordBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

We will have in-depth previews of each teamin the Shore Conference starting in mid-August as camps get underway.

CLASS A NORTHWho’s in, who’s out?Colts Neck has been realigned to Class B North and replaced byFreehold Boro.

Random fact:Manalapan is trying to become the first ShoreConference team to win five straight division titles sinceMiddletown South won seven straight from 1999-2005.\

Returning All-Division playersChad Freshnock, Jr., RB, Middletown North(SSN 3rd-team All-Shore)

Joe Sellmeyer, Jr., OL, Manalapan (2nd-team All-Shore)

(From B North) Josh Dixon, Sr., RB, Freehold

John Cheung, Sr., RB/KR/PR Manalapan

Mike Caggiano, Sr., K/P, Manalapan (1st-team All-Shore)

Joe Mendez, Sr., LB, Manalapan

Troy Thompson, Sr., TE/DB, Middletown North

Dan Debner, Sr., RB/DB/PR/KR, Manalapan

BURNING QUESTIONSCan anyone stop Manalapan’s reign atopthe division?The Braves have won 25 straight games against Shore Conference

competition and have not lost a divisional game since 2009, racking upfour straight division titles. Since they were realigned into Class A Northin 2010, they have not lost a divisional game. Every time it looks like thegraduation of a large and talented senior class makes it look like theymight lose a step, they have come right back and won the division. Theyhave reached three straight NJSIAA sectional finals and come up short,so the hunger is still there to get to the finish line and complete the job.They have 100-plus players in the program, so depth is never an issue.The Braves graduated another superlative senior class that included PennState wideout Saeed Blacknall, SSN Defensive Player of the Year ChrisNoesges, first-team All-Shore defensive lineman R.J. Krause and a hostof other talent. They returned linebacker Joe Mendez and defensive backDan Debner to lead the defense, while senior Imamu Mayfield looks tostep in at tailback for graduated standout Tyler Leonetti as part of astrong backfield that includes Debner and senior John Cheung. Seniorquarterbacks Dan Anerella and Charles Lombana, who split time lastyear with Anerella getting the majority of the snaps down the stretch, arealso both back. They also have a major special teams weapon in MikeCaggiano, one of the state’s top kicker/punter combos. This team hasshown it can reload in the past, so it has to be considered the favoriteuntil someone takes the Braves out.

With Colts Neck now in Class B North, the likeliest challenger toManalapan’s throne is a familiar one – Middletown South. The Eagles,who play at Manalapan on Oct. 17, have a talented junior class returningthat gained a wealth of experience as sophomores and has a stellarsophomore class coming up. Which leads us to…

Is Middletown South ready to rejoin theShore Conference eliteMiddletown South had its first non-winning season in 29years last fall in finishing 5-5, so if that doesn’t stoke the

fire among the returning group, nothing will. The core of the team is ajunior class led by linebackers Dylan Rogers, Trent Giglio and TomCoffey as well as running back/defensive back Cole Rogers, Dylan’s twinbrother. Junior quarterback/kicker/punter Matt Mosquera is another keyreturner, while FCS prospect James Wilson, wideout/defensive backNolan Pereless, lineman Dan Servidio and defensive end/tight end PatCrowe head up the senior class. A freshman team that outscored itsopponents 293-0 last year now looks to make an impact as sophomores.The main question with the Eagles is whether they are a year away,or whether they will rise up and vanquish Manalapan this year.These juniors and sophomores are the group that has beentalked about as the one that will restore the Eagles to glory,so we’ll see if that means this year or next year.

Is Middletown North ready tomake the leap?After nearly 20 years of living in

Middletown South’s shadow, the Lionsstarted to gain some buzz on theother side of town last year whenthey reached the NJSIAA CentralJersey Group IV playoffs andgave Nottingham, which wonthe CJ Group III title in 2012,all it could handle in a 35-33loss in the first round. In thefirst year under head coachSteve Bush, freshmanquarterback Donald Glennthrew for 1,557 yards and 15touchdowns, which bothmay be Shore Conferencerecords for a freshman.His passing yards rankedfifth in the Shore and hewas tied for fourth intouchdown passes inattempting the fourth-most passes of anyquarterback in the conference. If hecontinues to mature and boost hisproduction, he could make a serious runat the Shore Conference’s all-timepassing yards record (6,619) set byformer Toms River East starColin Gaynor.

His return along withjunior tailback ChadFreshnock (1,056 yards,11 TDs) gives the Lionsan explosive tandem intheir pro-styleoffense. Withwideouts Jordan

Pitts and TroyThompson also

returning, this could be oneof the more exciting teams in

the Shore offensively. Now thathe has a year of the system and the

speed of the game under his belt,Glenn will look to improve his

accuracy after throwing 16 interceptionsand completing 48 percent of his passes last

year. The Lions went 3-7 last year and lost 43-6to rival Middletown South, so there still is a big

gap to close. It will take a significant improvement toget to the seven- or eight-win mark, but the marquee

players are there. It will mainly come down to how well theoffensive line performs and a defense that has to get much

better after giving up 30.6 points per game against a brutal

schedule last year.

What is the division’s most intriguing team?This is a toss-up between Howell and Freehold Boro to me, and I will

go with Howell. The Rebels have a new head coach in former New Egyptcoach Luke Sinkhorn, who played under late Hall of Famer Vic Kubu

during his legendary tenure at Manasquan. Sinkhorn ran amultiple-I offense at New Egypt, and Kubu’s teams wereall known for punishing opponents with an I-formation running attack to set up play action andscreens. That’s a far cry from the five-wide, no-huddle spread passing attack that hascharacterized Howell since its rise in the mid-2000s under former coach Cory Davies. TheRebels kept that system under former coachDerek Reichenbecher, but this could be a new-look Howell squad that aims to play physicaldefense and go after teams with the runninggame. That instantly makes them a curiosity in

the early-going as Sinkhorn looks to puthis imprint on the program, which hasnot won a state playoff game since2009.

As for Freehold, the Colonialsmove over from the smashmouthClass B North after a 2-8 season.What makes them interesting isthat they return junior quarterbackJake Curry after he started somegames down the stretch last year and

they have senior Josh Dixon, one of theShore Conference’s most underratedrunning backs. Also, former Raritan starAndrew Mandeville is now the offensivecoordinator after coaching thequarterbacks, so the combination ofthose three and others look to boost theproduction of a unit that has beenFreehold’s Achilles’ heel. Freehold

averaged 13.9 points per game last year,including 10 points per game against

opponents who made the state playoffs. If that canimprove, they could be the sleeper team of thedivision.

Will Marlboro or FreeholdTownship make a move in thestandings?Both of these teams have found themselves in the back

of the pack consistently, with Marlboro still seeking itsfirst winning season since 1999 and Freehold Townshiptrying for its first winning season since 2004. This isMarlboro’s second season under head coach JasonDagato after a difficult step back in a 2-8 season lastyear following a 4-6 campaign in 2012 in which theywere in the running for a state playoff berth. Theygraduated top players Dustin Jensen and Chris Coyle,so it will be an uphill battle again this fall.

Freehold Township had a lot of young players in itslineup last season like quarterback Jack O’Brien andall-around talent Nate Corvil, so the hope is that takingsome lumps in a one-win season will pay off this year.

Preseason Camp Preview – Class A NorthBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Manalapan's Dan Anerel la

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www.clearedge.zenfolio.com

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We will have in-depth previews of each team inthe Shore Conference starting in mid-August ascamps get underway.

CLASS A CentralWho’s in, who’s out?Division champion Red Bank Catholic has been realigned to Class BNorth and replaced by Matawan, which was previously in Class B North.

Random fact:Rumson-Fair Haven senior running back Charlie Volker will try tobecome just the second running back in Shore Conference history topost back-to-back 2,000-yard rushing seasons. Former Keyport starKen Cattouse, the Shore Conference’s all-time leading rusher with6,720 yards, did it in 2002-03.

Returning All-Division playersCharlie Volker, Sr., RB, Rumson-FH (SSN 1st team All-Shore)

Frank Condito, Sr., LB/RB, Holmdel

(From B North) Aliem Shaw, Jr., LB, Matawan (1st team All-Shore)

(From B North) Khalil Haskins, Jr., DB, Matawan (transferred to St.John Vianney)

BURNING QUESTIONSWho is the front-runner now that defendingchampion Red Bank Catholic has switcheddivisions?Rumson-Fair Haven looks like the team to beat after a school-record

11-win season where the only blemish on the Bulldogs’ record was a lossto RBC. They return the Shore Sports Network Offensive Player of theYear, senior tailback Charlie Volker, who went nuclear for a school-record 2,108 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns to lead the ShoreConference in rushing in his first year as the starter last season. Aworkhorse running back, he has improved his speed in the offseason andmost likely will land at an Ivy League or Patriot League program.Rumson did graduate SSN first-team All-Shore picks Donald Bedell(Rutgers) at defensive end, Peter Righi (Monmouth) on the offensive lineand Tom Martello (Princeton) at safety/linebacker as well as severalother talented seniors, but this is a deep program that has shown thecapacity to reload and has a strong sophomore class coming up tovarsity. RBC is no longer on the schedule because the Bulldogs droppedtheir longtime Thanksgiving rivalry with the Caseys to start a newrivalry with Shore Regional. That means the first 12-0 season in schoolhistory is achievable if Rumson repeats as Central Jersey Group IIchampions, but it won’t be easy against a quality schedule. Their formulais simple under head coach Bryan Batchler – pound teams with Volkerand play great defense. They will look to repeat that in 2014.

What does Matawan’s return to the division mean?It means some great rivalries get restarted after a short hiatus and

another contender jumps right into the mix. The Huskies and Rumsonhave played some classics in recent years, which included splitting a pairof Central Jersey Group II championships. Also, the Matawan-Manasquan rivalry has also been an exciting one over the years featuringsome tremendous teams slugging it out. Both will be renewed this fall.

The Huskies will be especially hungry heading into this season afterfinishing 7-3 last year but not earning a state playoff berth, while severalsub-.500 teams in other brackets made it. They lost All-Shorekicker/punter Mike Creamer and some defensive stars like Dartmouthfreshman Nick Tomkins to graduation and junior defensive back KhalilHaskins to transfer (St. John Vianney), but they still return a solidnucleus of talent. Junior linebacker Aliem Shaw exploded on to the scene

last year to earn SSN first-team All-Shore honors after leading the ShoreConference in sacks (17) and tackles for a loss (30). With the return ofsenior quarterback Jimmy Pierce and other weapons, the Huskies hope toimprove an offense that averaged 18.9 points per game. They had one ofthe Shore’s most swarming and physical defenses last year in allowingonly 8.9 points per game, so if they can pick it up offensively, theyshould be right there in the mix in the division and state playoff races.

Manasquan was on the doorstep to a state final before falling toeventual champion Delsea in the South Jersey Group III semifinals lastyear and should be right in the thick of this division race as usual. Lastyear marked the first time Manasquan had a senior class go through allfour years of high school without the program reaching a state final since1985, which shows how insanely high the bar is set at one of the ShoreConference’s traditional powers.

The Warriors have to replace starting quarterback Tucker Caccavale,top wideout Joe Fittin, top linemen Matt Forst and Monte Sinisi and1,000-yard rusher Joe Murphy, but do return James “Bubba” McAlary,who was a solid complement in the backfield to Murphy afterquitting soccer and coming out for the team last year.Senior tight end/linebacker Tanner Cowley, a Virginiarecruit, is another offensive weapon who also will becalled on to lead the defense after the graduation ofleading tackler Blaine Birch. There are going to be alot of new faces in the starting lineup, but this is aprogram that has shown it can weather graduationlosses. The bad news down the road is that the loadedDelsea team that won South Jersey Group III last yearisn’t going anywhere, so the Warriors will have to bringit up several notches to return to glory on the stateplayoff scene.

Who is the sleeper team of thedivision?The two that have received the most buzz are St.

John Vianney and Monmouth, but I would also putRaritan in this category. I would define being asleeper in this division as finishing in the top threeand making the state playoffs (although St. JohnVianney will always make the state playoffs becausethere are only nine teams in the Non-Public GroupIII classification).

The Lancers have brought aboard headcoach Mark Ciccotelli, who took Freeholdand Neptune to state titles in the last fouryears, so clearly there are expectations thatthey will show immediate improvementafter a 4-6 season. They have not wona division title since 1982, but theyreturn junior quarterback AnthonyBrown as a key building block, andthey also got back senior linemanClay Kemp, who transferred to IMGAcademy in Bradenton, Florida, butthen returned in August. They alsohave added five talented transferswho will see significant time attailback, slotback and widereceiver. The question is depthand the performance of the lineon both sides. Ciccotelli’sflexbone is primarily run-based,which is a far cry from the wide-open passing attack the Lancersused the last few seasons, but hehas adjusted it to fit quarterback’stalents like with Neptune andrifle-armed Ajee Patterson in2012. If Brown becomes asprolific in this offense aspast dual threatquarterbacks under

Ciccotelli and if the defense improves, the Lancers could be a factor.

Monmouth has some top individual talent coming back like dual threatquarterback Jimmy Green, versatile wideout/defensive back IsaiahSearight (committed to Fordham), running back Eli Velez andcornerback Darryl Gamble, so it’s more about depth for the Falcons aftera 3-7 season under Rich Mosca. A defense that gave up 26 points pergame will have to improve to make a push for the upper echelon of thedivision, but the individual skill talent is there to get better. The moredepth the Falcons can build so that their top players aren’t playing heavy

minutes on both sides of the ball, the betterchance they have to surprise.

As for Raritan, the Rockets arelooking to get back to the stateplayoffs for the first time since2009. They have the ingredientsto do it with a schedule that is notas brutal as it has been the lasttwo years and the return of senior

quarterback RileySullivan, whothrew for 1,385yards and 9touchdowns innine gameslast year. Alsoreturning isseniorwideoutDylanDewysockie,who will bea match-upproblemfor

opponents,linebacker

Sean Ennis,who showed

playmaking ability asa sophomore, andsenior defensive backColby Jones. Also, juniorJahciere Jones, who battledinjuries last season, looks to

be another weapon atwideout. The Rockets openwith Manasquan, whichrouted them 42-3 last year, sowe’ll see right away if they canclose the gap with the divisionfront-runners.

Who is the division’s mostunderrated player?

Holmdel senior running back/linebacker FrankCondito had a disappointing, injury-plagued season last

year, but he has the potential to be one of the Shore’s best linebackerswith a healthy senior season. He is a four-year varsity player and one ofthe few known talents on a Holmdel team that has a new head coach informer Keyport assistant Jay Graham. The Hornets have struggled in thelast two seasons, so Condito’s name hasn’t necessarily been up therewith some of the top talents in the Shore, but when healthy he is a first-team All-Shore candidate at linebacker and a potential 1,000-yard rusher.

Preseason Camp Preview – Class A CentralBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Rumson's Charl ie Volker

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We will have in-depth previews of each team inthe Shore Conference starting in mid-August ascamps get underway.

CLASS A SouthWho’s in, who’s out?The division remained the same after the Shore Conference realignment.

Random fact:With one victory, Lacey head coach Lou Vircillo canpass the late Vic Kubu of Manasquan and Middletown North fame forsecond all-time in career wins in Shore Conference history. Vircillo entershis 34th season as the only coach in Lions’ history tied with Kubu with263 wins, second all-time behind retired Brick legend Warren Wolf,whose 364 wins are second all-time in New Jersey history.

Returning All-Division playersCarmen Sclafani, Sr., QB, Brick (SSN 1st team All-Shore pick)

Tymere Berry, Sr., QB, Toms River South (2nd team All-Shore)

Khaleel Greene, Sr., RB, Toms River South

Asante Moorer, Jr., RB, Toms River North

Adam Kakar, Sr., DL, Toms River North

Dashon Copes, Jr., DL, Toms River North

James Juliano, Sr., LB, Brick (3rd team All-Shore)

Jeff Wood, Sr., LB, Toms River East

Ray Fattaruso, Sr., RB/LB, Brick (1st team All-Shore)

BURNING QUESTIONSWho is the favorite in one of theShore Conference’s toughestdivisions?Given the firepower it has coming back from a

state championship team, it has to be Brick. TheGreen Dragons roared back to the ShoreConference elite in winning the NJSIAA CentralJersey Group IV title last year for their firststate championship since 1994 and theseventh in their illustrious history. Seniorquarterback Carmen Sclafani and seniorrunning back/linebacker Ray Fattaruso, apair of Shore Sports Network first-teamAll-Shore picks a year ago, return asone of the scariest offensive tandemsin the conference after they bothrushed for more than 1,000 yardslast year. They also return theirtop wideouts, Joe Phillips,Ja’Quez Johnson andsophomore JazirTaylor, as well asstandout tight endSimon Bingelis,

so this looks tobe one of the

Shore’s most explosiveand balanced offenses.

Fattaruso is also a stardefensively, where toptackler James Julianoreturns at linebackeralong with standoutslike senior defensivelineman Jake Layton,

junior linebacker Dan Finelli, defensive back Tom Leech and Johnson atcornerback. The ingredients are there for this team to make a serious runat 12-0, but it has to avoid the inconsistency and injuries that plagued it attimes last year. Also, last season they were still floating under the radar inthe preseason. This year they will enter as a top-five team in the Shorewith a bulls’ eye on their back, so we’ll see how they handle being thehunted from Day One in a very competitive division. This was the ShoreConference’s most entertaining division by far last year, with crazy scoresevery week, so running the gauntlet unscathed is no easy task.

Jackson Memorial is the defending champion, but will have a tall orderin replacing some outstanding talent like SSN first-teamers Ken Bradleyand Khani Glover, along with linebacker Vinny Celidonio, wideoutMarcus Ademilola and others from a great senior class. Seniorquarterback Joe DeMaio returns, but the void left by Glover, a 1,400-yardrusher, will have to be filled in the backfield. A solid group of linemenreturn led by senior Brad Greenway along with standout tightend/defensive lineman Brody Graham and senior linebacker Zach Tetro,so there are some building blocks there to keep the wins coming. It mainlycomes down to the offense being able to weather the loss of Glover andBradley, who had 278 of the 385 rushing attempts by the Jaguars last

season, and the defense being able to overcome theloss of one of the best linebacking groups in theShore.

Will Toms River Southclaim a title to completeits resurgence?There might not be a hungrier team in

the Shore returning than Toms RiverSouth after the way the Indians’ playoffrun ended. They were up 24-0 at

halftime on Shawneein the South JerseyGroup IVsemifinals,seemingly on theirway to their firststate final since

1998 before theRenegades roared back to

win 28-24 and then went onto win the sectional title.Despite graduating stars likedefensive back/wideout DarriusHart and linebacker/running

backs Otis Kearney and RussellMessler, the cupboard is far from bare.

Senior Tymere Berry returns as one of the ShoreConference’s best and most exciting quarterbacks andsenior Khaleel Greene is poised for a big season aftersharing carries in a talented backfield last year. Theoffensive weapons are there, so the main question isdefensively, where the Indians just couldn’t come up withstops in the fourth quarter of big games last year inallowing 21 points per game. The offense is so explosivethat the defense might barely be sitting down beforeBerry rips off a 70-yard touchdown run and they have togo back out there, so conditioning and depth are crucial.Their run defense will need to improve after beinggashed by Brick, Shawnee and others last year. If thatunit makes a jump forward, the Indians should be right inthe hunt for a division title to give them a championship toshow for helping pull the team from the abyss of the

program’s first winless season since 1963 in 2010.

Can Lacey bounce back after collapsing at theend of last season?Last year, Lacey essentially had the same season Brick Memorial had in

2012. They started 5-0 and looked like one of the Shore’s top five teamsand then the bottom fell out and they were blown out in listlessperformances down the stretch. The Lions lost five straight to end the yearand allowed 40 points per game in those losses, including giving up a

school-record 62 in a wild 62-44 loss to

division champion Jackson Memorial. It was a far cry from the typicallyhard-nosed, stingy defensive teams that have characterized Lacey underHall of Fame coach Lou Vircillo.

They graduated the school’s all-time leading passer, Tom Kelly, and1,000-yard receiver Christian Tutela, so the offense lost its two biggeststars. However, senior Conor Davies has multiple starts under his beltduring his career because of injuries to Kelly so he will slide right into thestarting spot full time. The main question is defensively, where Tutela andgraduated lineman Matt McGovern were two of the leading tacklers. Theydo return junior linebacker Jacob Post, who had 60 tackles as asophomore, but fellow returning linebacker Lucas Sirotniak tore his ACLduring lacrosse season so he might not be available in the early going.Junior Tarique Smith, the younger brother of UMass star lineman TyrellSmith, is heading into his third year on varsity and looks to make a biggerimpact this season. On paper, this team is not quite up there with thefavorites, but Lacey always seems to be in contention.

What teams may surprise? Brick Memorial was one second away from pulling the biggest first-

round upset of the playoffs last year when it nearly shocked Manalapan asthe eighth seed in a 14-13 heartbreaker in Central Jersey Group V. TheMustangs are used to being in the mix for championships, so the past twoyears have been frustrating, especially given the rise of rival Brick in atown the Mustangs ruled for nearly a decade. They bring back senior JoeHans, an all-around athlete who played some quarterback last year in thetriple option offense, and playmaking wideout Karl Kumm. Seniorfullback Connor Owen also returns, so the offense has a good amount ofexperience after suffering some inconsistency last year with positionchanges. They have to replace star linebacker Jake Lombardo and first-team All-Shore safety Mike Basile on defense, but do return juniordefensive lineman Mike Nobile and Hans at cornerback to lead that unit.They play Brick in the season opener, so their chance to send a message isimmediate.

Like Brick Memorial, Southern is a steady program that is always well-coached and physical, but the question remains if the Rams have the talentto make a serious run in a division loaded with it. They graduated one ofthe best offensive weapons in the state and one of the best players in theirhistory in Penn State freshman tight end Mike Gesicki, as well asdefensive stalwarts like linebackers Mason Fazekas and Bailey Bellissimoand defensive back Logan Sheehan, who was also the quarterback.Defensive linemen Clay Robinson and Pat Ferraro will be counted on tolead the defense, but this will be one of the more inexperienced teams inthe division, and one that has to replace its top three leading rushers, itsleading passer and its leading receiver from a .500 team.

As far as the team with the most potential to take a leap forward in thewin column, that has to be Toms River North. The perennial powerstumbled to a 1-9 season last year, but a lot of young talent took its lumps,so the hope is that experience starts to pay off this year. The defense has toimprove after giving up 30 points per game last year. The building blocksare there with the return of senior linebacker Jordan Craig, who boastsmultiple FBS offers, senior defensive tackle Adam Kakar, a four-yearstarter who should be one of the Shore’s best, and junior defensive endDashon Copes, an All-Division pick as a sophomore. Mike Husni learnedon the job at quarterback last year as a freshman and looks to be improvedwith a year under his belt, and sophomore Darrion Carrington is a weaponat wideout along with Craig at tight end. Junior Asante Moorer is alsopoised for a big year at tailback after gaining the interest of several FBSprograms in the offseason and could emerge as one of the Shore’s best.

Toms River East has the biggest uphill battle of anyone after graduatinga senior class that had been on varsity for three years and comprised themajority of the starting lineup, particularly on offense. The biggest void isstar running back Matt Gudzak, who is now at Villanova. The mainreturner is senior running back/linebacker Jeff Wood, who is the returningleader in rushing yards and tackles and will be joined at linebacker byjunior returner Avery Del Valle, who made 50 tackles as a sophomore.Junior tight end/defensive end Brandon Burdge also looks to take on abigger role after seeing time as a sophomore, and senior Ryan Wasilickanchors the secondary.

Preseason Camp Preview – Class A SouthBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Brick's Carmen Sclafani

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We will have in-depth previews of each team inthe Shore Conference starting in mid-August ascamps get underway.

CLASS B NorthWho’s in, who’s out?Red Bank Catholic is now in the division after being realigned from ClassA Central, and Matawan has replaced the Caseys in Class A Central. ColtsNeck enters the division from Class A North, and Freehold has moved toClass A North to replace the Cougars.

Random fact:With two more 1,000-yard seasons, Ocean junior TylerThompson can become the second running back in Shore Conferencehistory to have four 1,000-yard seasons, joining Middletown South legendand current Miami Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno.

Returning All-Division playersRoyal Moore, Sr., QB/DB, Ocean (transferred to Neptune) (SSN 2nd-teamAll-Shore pick)

Tyler Thompson, Jr., RB, Ocean (2nd team All-Shore)

Jaree Parrish, Sr., RB/LB, Neptune

Sadiq Palmer, Jr., WR, Red Bank

Hunter Baillie, Sr., LB/DE, Long Branch (3rd team All-Shore)

Dahmiere Willis, Sr., RB/DB, Long Branch

Hunter Daly, Sr., K/P, Neptune (2nd team All-Shore)

(From A Central) Ryan Kroeger, Sr., OL, Red Bank Catholic

(From A Central) Eddie Hahn, Jr., QB/DB, Red Bank Catholic

(From A Central) Jamie Gordinier, Sr., LB, Red Bank Catholic (1st teamAll-Shore)

(From A Central) Mike DeMonte, Sr., DB, Red Bank Catholic

(From A Central) Mike Cordova, Sr., RB/DB, Red Bank Catholic (2ndteam All-Shore)

BURNING QUESTIONSCan anyone stop Red Bank Catholic from amarch to its fifth straight division title?Just like Manalapan, the Caseys are bidding to become the first Shore

Conference team to win five straight division titles since Middletown South wonseven in a row from 1999-2005. Now in Class B North, they become the immediatefavorite, entering the season having won 33 straight games against ShoreConference competition. They will begin the season ranked No. 1 in the Shore onceagain after having claimed that ranking for three years running. The Caseysgraduated another superlative class led by Notre Dame offensive lineman QuentonNelson and SSN first-team All-Shore picks Tim O’Hara, Larry Redaelli and ShawnMcCord, but are still stocked with talent. Another first-team All-Shore pick,Miami-bound senior linebacker Jamie Gordinier, returns along with senior runningback/safety Mike Cordova, a second-team pick, and junior quarterback/defensiveback Eddie Hahn, who already boasts a North Carolina State offer. The latestscholarship players from the Caseys’ offensive line assembly line are senior RyanKroeger, who is committed to Fordham, and junior Liam Smith, who has multipleFBS offers. Senior defensive back Mike DeMonte is another top returner on adefense that has been the Shore’s most ferocious in recent years.

With RBC and Colts Neck moving into an already tough division, this could bethe Shore’s deepest and toughest group of teams. As you can see from that list ofreturning talent above, it’s also packed with top players.

The main intrigue is whether RBC will unleash Hahn, a dual threat with a strongarm who split snaps with graduated senior Pat Toomey last year. The Caseys onlyattempted 7.4 passes per game last year because they were able to continue theirdominance in the ground game, where they racked up 3,074 yards rushing as ateam on a ridiculous average of 8.9 yards per carry. The quest continues to find away to beat the reigning No. 1 team in the state, St. Joseph-Montvale, which hashanded them their only loss of the season for two years running in the NJSIAANon-Public Group III semifinals. RBC has scored a total of 19 points in those two

losses, so boosting the offense to face an elite defense like St. Joe’s is the next stepin the Caseys’ evolution. First they have to handle business in a tough division.

Is there a better group of running backsthan the one in this division?It’s a good debate between this division and Class A South, which has Brick’s

Ray Fattaruso, Toms River South’s Khaleel Greene and Toms River North’s AsanteMoorer returning. I still lean toward Class B North because the group of Ocean’sTyler Thompson, Neptune’s Jaree Parrish, Red Bank Catholic’s Mike Cordova, andLong Branch’s Dahmiere Willis is impressive. Every one of them has the ability torush for 1,200-plus yards this fall. Plus, Colts Neck senior Abdul Quddus showedexplosiveness in running for 532 yards and four touchdowns on a whoppingaverage of 11 yards per carry in spelling graduated All-Shore star AnthonyGargiulo last year.

Thompson is the most accomplished of the group, with two 1,000-yard seasonsunder his belt along with multiple FBS offers as one of New Jersey’s top backs inthe Class of 2016. Ocean is the defending division champion but has to replace anoutstanding senior class that included first-team All-Shore linebacker Dan Loizosand a host of other talent. With senior quarterback Royal Moore having transferredto Neptune, that most likely paves the way for sophomore Kenny Pickett, who sawsome snaps as a freshman, which included throwing a touchdown pass to Moore. IfPickett can establish a solid passing game and the offensive line can weathergraduation losses, that will help keep teams from stacking the box againstThompson. The offensive production is going to have to be as good or better thanlast year because it’s going to be hard to ask a defense that lost so much talent tograduation to duplicate last year’s dominant performance. The Spartans do returnbuilding blocks like senior linebacker Frank Henry and some experienceddefensive linemen, but the loss of Moore also hurts the secondary as he was one ofthe Shore’s top defensive backs last year.

Among the other top running backs, Parrish ran for 703yards on 7 yards per carry despite not becoming theprimary back until about mid-season for Neptune, sohe could double that with a big senior year. Willis isa three-year starter mainly known as being astandout defensive back, but he has shownflashes of rushing brilliance, like his 276-yarderuption in a win over Freehold last year.Cordova is next in line in RBC’s star-makingtailback spot after spelling standout LarryRedaelli last year and should put up big numbers.

Conversely, if you’re looking for a lot ofpassing, this is probably not the divisionfor you. Colts Neck senior quarterbackChristian Sanchez has the mostreturning passing yards of any signal-caller in the division with 961, and heplayed in Class A North last year. Theleading returner who played in thisdivision last year is Moore, who threwfor 533 yards (ranked 33rd in the Shore)and seven touchdowns for Ocean.

How will the three teamswith new coaches look?Wall, Colts Neck and Neptune are all

under new leadership entering this fall,so the preseason is especially crucialfor those teams.

Dan Curcione has ascended to thehead spot at Wall after serving asthe Crimson Knights’ defensivecoordinator last year, and heinherits a team that graduated itsstarting quarterback, top wideout,and leading rusher from last year,although that unit averaged only 13.6points per game. They also graduated theirtop defensive player, defensive end GeoffHorwitz, so there will be a lot of newfaces behind senior outside linebackerJoe Onulak, who had 61 tackles and 18tackles for a loss as a junior. With somany new players in the lineup, this

team will be a relative unknown heading into the season.

Neptune has the look of a contender in this division under new coach RodneyTaylor, who was an assistant under former coach Mark Ciccotelli during a greatthree-year run that featured a state title, two state final appearances and three tripsto the playoffs. With Parrish returning and Moore now in the fold at quarterback,plus a veteran offensive line and wideouts Oshane Curate and Marcque Ellingtonreturning along with standout senior kicker/punter Hunter Daly, the offense shouldbe solid. The defense also returns plenty of experienced starters like Curate,linebacker Mi’Jaut Berry and senior safety Savior King. The Scarlet Fliers had aton of newcomers last year after big graduation losses, so the feeling is that theexperience gained last year translates to a deeper state playoff run this year.

Colts Neck has switched divisions after graduating the best senior class inprogram history and getting a new head coach in Peter Shaw, so it’s a season ofchange for the Cougars. Gone are stars like Gargiulo (Navy), lineman Ryan Wetzel(Monmouth), and first-team All-Shore linebacker/defensive end Nick Volpe, sothere are plenty of shoes to fill from a school-record 10-win team that reached itsfirst state final in history last year. The good news is that Sanchez returns as a dualthreat at quarterback, Quddus returns with experience in the backfield, although topwideout Dan Calabro has transferred to St. John Vianney. Defensively is wheregraduation really took its toll, as the Cougars’ top three tacklers and several otherstandouts graduated, so they will look to regroup behind junior defensivelineman/linebacker Nick Gargiulo, Anthony’s younger brother, who had 98 tacklesas a sophomore. Colts Neck’s job will be to prove the doubters wrong who believethey lost too much to graduation to make another run like last year.

Who is the division’s sleeper team? I’m inclined to lean toward Neptune, but Long Branch is certainly a candidate as

well. Generating offense against playoff-caliber teams has been the Green Wave’sAchilles’ heel in recent seasons because they have been one-dimensional. Teamsare able to load up the box against their run game without fear of getting beat over

the top in the passing game, so that area will have to improve. Willis is poisedfor a big year at running back, so if quarterback Jordan Rodriguez can raisehis production after seeing time at the end of last year, that would becrucial. It also helps that senior Vinny Mota, one of the Shore’s moreunderrated kickers, also returns as a red zone weapon.

Long Branch has traditionally done well with a veteran offensive lineand returns three starters this year, which is another positive sign.Defensively, this is always one of the Shore’s toughest, most physicalteams, and that should be no different with Willis returning to anchorthe secondary and senior linebacker/defensive end Hunter Bailliecoming back as one of the Shore’s best. They did lose standouts like

linebacker Deon Williams and safety Myson Penningtonto graduation, but they have shown the ability to plug

in new talent and keep producing. If they canboost an offense that only averaged 10 pointsper game against playoff opponents last year,they should be right in the hunt. The mainproblem for them is a schedule from hell,which includes nondivisional games againstCarteret, which beat them in the first round ofthe playoffs last year, as well as defendingCentral Jersey Group II champion Rumson-Fair Haven and a tough Matawan team inaddition to a challenging divisional slate.

Red Bank is a team with something toprove after a one-win season, and the Bucsare searching for their first winning seasonsince reaching the Central Jersey GroupIII final back in 2004. They have to getbetter offensively to have a shot, as theyaveraged only 11.5 points per game last

year. Their defense kept them right in gamesagainst playoff qualifiers like Wall, Barnegat andLong Branch as well as a quality Matawan team, butthey didn’t crack double digits in any of thoselosses. With junior Jack Navitsky at quarterbackand the division’s best wideout, junior SadiqPalmer, the ingredients are certainly there forimprovement. If they get better up front and canestablish a consistent running game, they cansurprise some people.

Preseason Camp Preview – Class B NorthBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

RBC's Ryan Kroeger

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We will have in-depth previews of each team inthe Shore Conference starting in mid-August ascamps get underway.

CLASS B CentralWho’s in, who’s out?Everything is the same in the Shore Conference’s small-school divisio

Random fact:With the retirement of Hall of Famer Mike Ciccotelli atKeyport, Shore Regional’s Mark Costantino becomes the longest-tenuredcoach in Monmouth County. He is entering his 23rd season with a careerrecord of 142-84-1.

Returning All-Division playersJoe Wegrzyniak, Sr., RB/LB, Point Beach (SSN 1st team All-Shore pick)

Tysaun White, Sr., WR/DB, Mater Dei Prep (3rd team All-Shore)

Jaedon Stephens, Jr., WR, Asbury Park

James Bedell, Sr., OL/LB, Shore Regional

Mike Frauenheim, Sr., RB/DB, Point Beach

Jake Monteiro, Sr., K, Shore Regional (2nd team All-Shore)

Tyquis Davis, Sr., RB/LB, Asbury Park

Doug Goldsmith, Jr., LB, Shore Regional

Mike Moore, Sr., DB, Shore Regional

Jake Fioretti, Sr., QB, Point Beach

BURNING QUESTIONSCan anyone break up another ShoreRegional-Point Beach showdown for thedivision title?Not likely. Once again, these two look like two of the best teams not

only in this division but also in Central Jersey Group I, where PointBeach is the defending champion after beating Shore in last year’s finalfor its first state title in program history. A week before that game, Shorebeat Point Beach to claim the division crown, so this has developed intoa nice rivalry since Point Beach’s rise from the ashes under coach JohnWagner in 2011.

I would give Point Beach the edge coming into this season given whatthe Garnet Gulls have returning. Senior fullback Joe Wegryniak, a SSNfirst-team All-Shore pick who set a school record with 1,581 yardsrushing and had 17 touchdowns, is back along with three-year starterJake Fioretti at quarterback and another talented back in senior MikeFrauenheim. That means all of the main cogs in Point Beach’s punishingWing-T offense return outside of graduated wideout Noah Yates areback, although they have to replace standout lineman Sean Struncius andothers up front. Wegrzyniak also led the team with 92 tackles, 17 of themfor a loss, so he returns at linebacker to anchor the defense. Frauneheimand Fioretti give them a strong secondary that has to replace Yates, wholed the Shore with nine interceptions last year. Junior Tanner Smith alsoreturns after making 64 tackles, including 11 for a loss, as a sophomore.

Shore Regional has to replace leading rusher Brian Miller and startingquarterback Matt Muh as well as top linemen Matt Proto and ChrisOkupski, but has enough talent returning to still be right there for atitle. Senior Jake Monteiro, one of the state’s top kickers, is back forhis third varsity season. Junior Doug Goldsmith moves into thestar-making role at Shore of fullback/linebacker and should be thecatalyst of the offense as well as a defensive stalwart with seniorlinebacker James Bedell. Senior defensive lineman MitchellCanditto also returns after leading the team with 4.5 sacks, andsenior Mike Moore returns to anchor the secondary after pickingoff three passes last year. Junior running back/defensive back JackBritton also looks to play a bigger role after making an impact as a

sophomore. If the newcomers can get up to speed quickly, it should onceagain be the Blue Devils and Garnet Gulls slugging it out for divisionand state titles. The difference is that it won’t be on Thanksgiving anymore, as Shore will now play rival Rumson-Fair Haven in itsThanksgiving game, while Point Beach does not have a Thanksgivinggame now. The teams will square off at Shore Regional on Halloween.

Will Mater Dei Prep build on itsbreakthrough season?The Seraphs had their first winning season and won their first state

playoff game since 1999 in finishing 6-5 last year after a decade of beingmired near the bottom of the standings. They took advantage of thecrossover schedule with the Greater Middlesex Conference, as five oftheir six wins came against teams outside the Shore.

The next step in their resurgence will be to contend inClass B Central, where they went 1-4 last season with alone victory over a one-win Keansburg team. Withsenior quarterback Christian Palmer back for his thirdvarsity season and weapons like senior Tysaun Whiteand sophomore Eddie Lewis returning, the offenseonce again has a chance to be high-scoring if they canreplace four-year linemen Ron Perez and Matt Eckert.The area that has to improve to challenge the likes ofShore and Point Beach is defense, where theSeraphs gave up 28.6 points per gamelast season, including 30 against BCentral competition. They havesome good individual skill talent,but to stand up to the rugged Wing-T running attacks at Shore andPoint Beach, they need depth andsize up front, so those are twoareas of emphasis. The fact thatthey are in the discussionalready shows how far theyhave come, and now theyare out to prove that lastyear was no fluke.

How willKeyport andAsbury Parklook undernew headcoaches?New Keyport coach

John Paczkowski, aformer assistant for theRed Raiders, has thebiggest shoes to fill ofany coach in the Shoreas he takes over forHall of FamerMike

Ciccotelli, who ledKeyport to six state titles

in his 36-year tenure.Paczkowski inherits ateam that graduated theschool’s all-time leadingpasser, Alex Thomson, so

it will most likely leanheavily on a run game that

returns junior Ky’sun Pryor, who ran for 596 yards and 5 touchdowns asa sophomore, and senior Chase Bright, who ran for 370 yards and threescores. Junior Desmond Underwood also is an experienced returner whogives their backfield depth, so it comes down to whether they can throwthe ball enough to keep tough defenses like Shore and Point Beach fromstacking the box. One departure that hurts is the transfer of juniorwideout Jeff Sheard to St. John Vianney, as he led the team with 17catches and five touchdown grabs last year. Pryor also returns on defenseafter making 55 tackles at linebacker along with Bright, who had 47tackles and 3.5 sacks last year. A pair of juniors, Matt Acuna and DevonKeegan, lead the defensive line, and Underwood is back in the secondaryalong with Sheard. Can they score enough against Shore and PointBeach, which held them to 13 total points last year? That will decide ifthey make a serious bid for the division title.

Asbury Park has run into the roadblock of Shore Regional multipletimes over the past two seasons, so the question is whether the Blue

Bishops can reclaim their place at the top under new coach BillHill, who was Freehold’s offensive coordinator last year andpreviously the head coach at Toms River South. Asbury Parkgraduated a three-year starter at quarterback in RobertBarksdale, but has the offensive weapons to be a threat.Senior Tyquis Davis, a three-year varsity starter, returns atrunning back, and junior Jaedon Stephens, one of theShore’s most underrated wideouts, is back after making 24catches for 396 yards and three touchdowns last year. The

biggest loss is do-it-all wideout/returner DaquaneBland-Bennett, who had 1,005 all-purpose yards as

a senior last year. The main question is who willbe throwing Stephens the ball and whetherAsbury Park can achieve enough offensivebalance to keep teams from ganging upagainst the run game.

Davis is mainly known as a starlinebacker, and he returns to anchor thedefense after registering 58 tackles andfinishing second in the Shore Conferencewith 15 sacks last year. The Blue Bishopsgraduated Class B Central DefensivePlayer of the Year William Wells, wholeaves a void at linebacker afterfinishing with 120 tackles last year. Aprimary question on both sides is theline play, which is crucial if teams want

to beat Shore or Point Beach. SeniorsJosue Williams and Imani Stephenson will be key in that regard, and

Asbury Park will have to prove those wrong who believe they are a tierbelow the division front-runners.

Can Keansburg make a leap forward? The Titans struggled to a 1-9 season in their first year under coach

Chris Damian thanks to a defense that was blistered to the tune of 40points per game, but they did show some promise offensively thatcould translate into more success this fall. They lost versatile talentKason Preston to graduation, but return 6-foot-4 junior quarterbackArkeyel Brown and senior running back Joe Rodriguez, who ran for342 yards and six touchdowns on six yards per carry last year and alsocaught six passes for 101 yards and a score. Rodriguez also made 40tackles last year on defense, where the Titans return their leadingtackler, senior linebacker Dylan Alt (58 tackles). Senior defensive endTyree Sutton, who is one of the best wrestlers in the state, is back afterregistering five sacks and 10 tackles for a loss last year. The Titansalso return an experienced group of linemen on both sides of the ballthat includes seniors John Corrigan and Tristan Miksza, junior DanBauman and sophomore Richie Squeo, which bodes well forimprovement. Brown is an intriguing prospect who moved toquarterback in the middle of last season, so his improvement as anoffensive weapon will be important, but it still comes down to gettingbetter defensively in the second year in Damian’s system.

Preseason Camp Preview – Class B CentralBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Pt. Beach's Jake Fiorett i

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Fri 9/5 Red bank Catholic at Wall (7pm)

Fri 9/12 Jackson Memorial at Jackson Liberty (7pm)

Sat 9/13 Lacey at Toms River North (7pm)

Fri 9/19 Toms River East at Toms River South (7pm)

Fri 9/26 Lacey at Brick Memorial (7pm)or Toms River North at Toms River South (7pm)

Fri 10/3 Brick at Jackson Mem. (7pm)or Red Bank Catholic at Wall (7pm)

Fri 10/10 Manasquan at Barnegat (7pm)or Wall at Brick (7pm)

Fri 10/17 Lacey at Brick (7pm)or Barnegat at Point Boro (7pm)

Fri 10/24 Jackson Mem. at Toms River South (7pm)

Fri 10/31 Toms River South at Brick Memorial (7pm)or Lakewood at Barnegat (7pm)

Fri 11/7 Toms River South at Brick (7pm)or Brick Memorial at Southern (7pm)

Thr 11/27 Wall at Manasquan (11am)

NJSIAA Playoffs TBD

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

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We will have in-depth previews of each team inthe Shore Conference starting in mid-August ascamps get underway.

CLASS B SouthWho’s in, who’s out?There were no changes to Class B South in the latest Shore Conferencerealignment. The only change is that Monsignor Donovan is now calledDonovan Catholic.

Random fact: Barnegat has produced five FBS recruits in the pastfour seasons – senior offensive lineman Sam Madden(Wisconsin); senior linebacker Manny Bowen (Penn State);Boston College tight end Jarrett Darmstatter; quarterbackNick San Giacomo (committed to Tulane, transferred toCentral Connecticut State), and tight end Ryan Morris(committed to Purdue, transferred to Villanova).

Returning All-Division playersCinjun Erskine, Sr., QB, Barnegat(SSN 3rd team All-Shore pick)

Sam Madden, Sr., OL, Barnegat (3rd team All-Shore)

Datrell Reed, Sr., LB/DL, Lakewood

Joe Puggi, Sr., DL, Pinelands

Manny Bowen, Sr., WR/RB/LB, Barnegat (2nd team All-Shore)

Matt Castronuova, Sr., DB, Jackson Liberty (2nd team All-Shore)

Amir Tyler, Jr., LB, Lakewood(2nd team All-Shore)

Ricky Gerena, Sr., DB, Barnegat (3rd team All-Shore)

Xavier Young, Sr., OL/DL/P, Barnegat

BURNING QUESTIONSWho will be the biggestchallenger to Barnegat’ssupremacy in the division?t looks like it will be the team that handed them their

one divisional loss last year – Lakewood. The Piners returna host of talent led by senior quarterback/linebacker ChapelleCook, who has multiple FBS offers, as well as seniorlinebacker/defensive end Datrell Reed, an FCS prospect, juniorlinebacker Amir Tyler and senior Anthony Terry, another offensive weapon.Behind a veteran offensive line, Cook has moved to quarterback fromtailback and will run the show in the new spread Wing-T system under newcoordinator Len Zdanowicz. The Piners won their first state playoff gamesince 1986 last year and look to build off that to continue their remarkablerise after a decade in the wilderness. It all comes down to consistency, as thePiners have risen to the occasion to beat the likes of Barnegat, but lost toother teams they should have beaten. They also will receive a sternnondivisional test in defending Central Jersey Group II champion Rumson-Fair Haven, which beat the Weequahic team that knocked Lakewood out ofthe playoffs in the semifinals and could be a team they see again in thepostseason.

They will try to topple a Barnegat team that won a school-record 10 gamesand reached its first state final in program history in addition to winning thedivision title last year. The Bengals boast one of the Shore’s top quarterbacksin Bucknell recruit Cinjun Erskine, one of the state’s best linemen inWisconsin recruit Sam Madden, and one of New Jersey’s best linebackers inPenn State recruit Manny Bowen. While those are the big names, there areplenty of other key players returning, including senior defensive back RickyGerena, who picked off five passes last year, senior linebackers Tyler

McGuiness (38 tackles) and Kevin Hoffman (38 tackles) as well as seniordefensive lineman Xavier Young. McGuiness is also a punishing runningback who rushed for 633 yards and 3 touchdowns last year, and he iscomplemented by speedy junior Paul Wickwire, who ran for 462 yards on animpressive 9 yards per carry as a sophomore. All the pieces are in place for arun at back-to-back division titles for the first time in program history as wellas the team’s first state title, although that will be a dogfight as Barnegat wasrealigned into South Jersey Group II from Group III. The tough Group IIbracket includes defending champion Haddonfield, runner-up Woodstown,perennial power West Deptford and small-school power Glassboro.

Can Central build on a solid first yearunder coach Willie Jacobs?

The Golden Eagles snuck up on some people last year and wereright in the hunt for a piece of the division title until adisappointing finish left them at 5-5. They graduatedprolific quarterback Marquis Drumright, who finishedsixth in the Shore with 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns,as well as top running back Javon Hardy, who ran for939 yards and 13 touchdowns, and their best wideout,

Isaiah Akers (34 catches, 514 yards, 6 TDs) so thatis a ton of production to replace.

Senior Jordan Hardy gives them aweapon at wideout and seniorsNick Leone and Mike Yagercombined for 382 yardsrushing and five touchdownsout of the backfield last year,so those three will have to leada unit with a lot of new facesthis fall. Junior MikeMiserendino returns atlinebacker for a defense thatlost top pass rusher JesseBrown but did have a lotof young players gainexperience last year. Ifthey can find a way toreplace all thatoffensive firepower,another darkhorse runcould be in the cards.

What team willbe the surprisesquad in thedivision?

Manchester andDonovan Catholic werehit pretty hard bygraduation, so likelycandidates look to bePoint Boro, which hadthe bottom fall outlast year in a 1-9season, andJackson Liberty,which battled arash ofinjuries in

finishing 4-6.

The good newsfor Point Boro is thatafter a rough season,the Panthers do have ahealthy amount ofexperience coming back. Senior quarterbackJack Fitzsimmons returns after combining for1,370 yards and 13 touchdowns between runningand passing last year, and top wideouts Jax Wigertand Hayden Frey are also back. The two top rushers

behind Fitzsimmons, Dan Nobbs and Gene Francheschini, also return, so themain loss on offense to graduation is top lineman Matt Gliddon. That groupwill have to improve on the 13 points per game it scored last year in order toget the Panthers back into their customary spot in the playoffs, and a defenseled by Fitzsimmons at linebacker and Nobbs in the secondary will have toimprove on the 28 points per game it surrendered last season. With that muchexperience back, particularly on offense, a program accustomed to being inthe postseason has a shot to return. They also enter the year with somemomentum after shocking playoff semifinalist Lakewood in their finalregular-season game last year for their lone win.

Jackson Liberty returns star wide receiver/defensive back MattCastronuova to build around after he made a team-high 67 tackles lastseason, ran for 210 yards, caught 11 passes and also played somequarterback. They will have to replace starting quarterback John Veneziano,who threw for over 1,000 yards as a senior last year, and leading rusherBruce Almodovar also graduated. Other than Castronuova, the top returningrusher is junior Ryan Van Wickle, who had only 38 attempts as a sophomore.Leading receiver Brett Ribellino returns after making 23 catches for 251yards and a pair of scores, senior Matt Pinto is also back after leading theteam with 301 yards receiving and senior Tom Stoudt is back after 17 catchesas a junior, so the receiving corps is experienced. Van Wickle is also a keyreturner on defense after making 44 tackles last year, but the Lions will haveto replace a good chunk of their front seven lost to graduation on a unit thatallowed 21 points per game last year. The Lions’ success will hinge on theimprovement of an offense that struggled to find its rhythm last year becauseof injuries to average 14 points per game.

Donovan Catholic graduated starting quarterback Vinny Grasso(Monmouth University), top rusher Joey Fields (Central Connecticut State)and top wideout Kyle Carrington (Liberty University), so they have a lot ofproduction to replace offensively at all the key skill position spots. Their topreturner is junior David Calderon, who ran for 353 yards and fourtouchdowns on an eye-opening 9.8 yards per carry last year. They don’treturn a single player who caught a pass last year. The defense will have tohold the fort in the early going while the offensive newcomers get up tospeed, and the good news there is that senior linebacker Matt Post returnsafter making 101 tackles last year. Senior defensive lineman Nyeem Calhounis also back up front after leading the team with 5 tackles for a loss last year.All in all, the Griffins will be breaking in a lot of new starters this year,which puts them behind the more experienced teams like Barnegat andLakewood.

Manchester has a new head coach, Bill Furlong, and also has to deal withheavy graduation losses. The quarterback/wideout tandem of Devin Tomeiand KaShaun Barnes graduated along with leading rusher Amani Richardsonand the team’s other top playmaker, Shaquille Benjamin. Essentially, they arestarting from scratch on offense with new players under Furlong because theoffensive line also graduated the majority of its starters, so there will be anadjustment period there. The same goes for the defensive side, where leaderslike Joe Bick and Nick Ientile also graduated, so this team will be featuring ahost of new starters.

Can Pinelands translate improvement intomore wins? The Wildcats were the story of Week Two in the Shore Conference last

year when they stunned Point Boro 16-13 in overtime to end a 22-gamelosing streak, which unfortunately turned out to be the high point of theseason as they finished 1-9 under new coach Brian Wilkinson.

However, they were more competitive than they had been the previous twoseasons, particularly offensively, and hope to build off those strides this year.The bad news is that most of the core players from that offense havegraduated, including quarterback Dan MacPhee, and his brother, leadingreceiver Matt MacPhee, as well as leading rusher Shemar Gadson. One brightspot is that they bring back kicker Jon Kubricki, the hero of the Point Borowin, who booted five field goals last season. Defensively, they graduatedstandout Mike Yak at linebacker, and the MacPhees at cornerback, but theydo return All-Division senior Joe Puggi on the defensive line, senior RyanBezak at safety, two-way lineman Dave DeFeo and Jake Stuerze and juniorJimmy Graham at linebacker. While there is some experience on defense, thenewcomers on offense have to produce in order for the Wildcats to continueto rebuild.

Preseason Camp Preview – Class B SouthBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Barnegat 's Manny Bowen

Photos by

C l i f f Lave l lewww.clearedge.zenfolio.com

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Soccer Preseason Action: Toms RiverKickoff ClassicBy Matt Manley – Staff Writer

All eight of the teams from the ShoreConference Class A South divisionplayed at the Toms River North Kick-OffClassic, and yet the division everyonewanted to talk aboutin Toms River wasClass B North.The unofficial winners of the weekend

gathering at neighboring Bey Lea and OakParks, at least among Shore Conferenceteams, were Wall and Ocean, according toa consensus Shore Conference coaches,

Wall loses four starters from a team thatplayed its best soccer at the end of lastyear, but one of the reasons Wall had suchsuccess was its depth. That depth was ondisplay over the weekend, with coachGarry Linstra splitting the team up overSaturday and Sunday. Good showingsagainst Dallas, Pa., and Delran earnedplenty of reverence from the other coaches,and solid outings against Spotswood andSayreville with most of the starters capped

a good kickoff to the preseason for one of the clubs with a good case to be thepreseason No. 1 team in the Shore Conference.

Ocean, meanwhile, has a lot more of a starting lineup to replace from a yearago and won’t have many seniors with which to do it. What the Spartans lack insenior presence, they make up for in scorers, which is what stood out about theSpartans over the weekend. Wadneson Alexis and Mahrlens Nasane showed that

they will be a handful up at the top of theformation, which should only partially be newsconsidering Alexis was a first-team All-Shoreforward last season.

Long Branch – another B North team that hada successful weekend at the HarrisonTournament – will also look to get back in thedivision race after a disappointing 2013, as willa Red Bank team that returns the second-leading scorer in the Shore Conference in JustinGilson, as well as plenty of starting talentaround him. Throw in Colts Neck – whichmoves into the division under the latest ShoreConference realignment after going a combined18-4-6 over the last two years against agrueling Class A North schedule – and theClass B North season should be one of the mosthotly-contested races in the Shore Conference.

Dogs’ New DigsWhile the likes of Wall, Ocean, Long Branch and Red Bank are left to duke it

out in one of the toughest B North divisions in a long time, Matawan will get abit of a reprieve by moving to Class A Central. It’s possible that assertion is agross underestimation of how good A Central is, particularly considering theseasons that Rumson-Fair Haven, Holmdel and Raritan had in 2013, but amongthose three teams and St. John Vianney, only Holmdel returns the majority of itsstarting lineup.

Although Matawan is in a similar predicament with much of its 2013 lineuphaving graduated, the Huskies showed some promise over the weekend, whichincluded a four-goal game against Donovan Catholic (formerly MonsignorDonovan) to open the weekend. Alex Cella was an 8-goal scorer as a junior, andhe fits the latter half of coach Dave Deegan’s description of his Huskies side:“We’re small, but we are fast.”

Holmdel: Under the Radar?Staying in Class A Central, Holmdel was its usual preseason self over the

weekend, which means the Hornets could be flying under the radar as a topteam in the Shore once again. They are working out some kinks, trying newplayers at open spots, but again showed they are ready to again compete fordivision, Shore Conference Tournament and NJSIAA sectional titles. AlthoughHolmdel did not win any of those outright last year, it was a co-divisionchampion with Rumson in Class A Central and one of the final four teams inboth the SCT and Central Jersey Group II tournaments. Senior Gino D’AgostinoWall junior Gerardo Medina

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and sophomore Brendan Wall both found thenet during the weekend in Toms River andthe duo is primed to lead the scoring chargeat Holmdel as one of the better duos inMonmouth County.

Golden Boys HeadlineB South TrioOcean County’s top returning scoring duo

did not disappoint over the weekend, asBlake Czajkowski and Doug Jensen helpedget Central off to a noteworthy start to thepreseason by beating Bergen Catholic, 3-2,on a late goal by Jensen that was set up byCzajkowski. Last year, Czajkowski led theShore conference in scoring with 20 goalsand 12 assists while Jensen had 11 goals and13 assists. Senior goalkeeper Bryan Jonesalso made a number of key saves in thematch and will be a key for Central goingforward as coach Rob Bechtloff expects torun out a sophomore-heavy back line.

ackson Liberty and Donovan Catholicwere also in Toms River to represent theClass B South division. Donovan is in the process of replacing an accomplishedgroup of seniors from 2013, particularly in goal, where four-year starter and All-Shore first-teamer Paul Kelly leaves a void. Jackson Liberty showed lots ofpromise over the weekend with its host of returning starters, led by seniormidfielder Adam Haidi.

A South Teams Preparedfor ChaosEven though all of Class A South was on

display over the weekend in Toms River, it hasthe most unclear landscape of any division.Defending champion Toms River North playedwell in matches against Don Bosco andShawnee while struggling against EastBrunswick. Toms River South returns the mosttalent, but had mixed results that includedlosses to Raritan and Ramapo, as well as a drawagainst Sayreville. Toms River East wascompetitive despite the absence of forward JonMeola, who was playing in the prestigious AreaCode Games for the nation’s top prep baseballplayers.

Jackson Memorial and Brick Memorial hadthe most successful tournaments of the A Southteams. Brick Memorial is right behind TomsRiver South in returning talent and theMustangs return a lot more scoring than theIndians. Jackson Memorial has used the Kick-off Classic as a springboard over the last severalseasons and a 4-0 mark without some of its topreturning talent – still playing for other teamsaround the country and overseas according to

coach Steve Bado – should bode well for the Jaguars.

Brick endured another last-place finish in Class A South last year, but thatcould change this year with a mostly-senior roster. Goalkeeper is still a questionmark with three-year starter Hunter Palmer electing to play football this year,but the rest of the field will have lots of experience. Southern is also looking tobounce back from an injury-plagued 2013, although the Toms River showcase

wasn’t much of a preview of the Rams’ season since they were missing severalpotential starters, according to coach Evan Brosniak.

Lacey in LimboComing off a competitive season in Class A South, Lacey is looking to put the

finishing touches on its coaching search while still preparing for the season.Robert Biele – who served as an assistant under previous head coach JoeD’Archangelo – is the acting head coach and said he is preparing to be thecoach for the entirety of the season, while athletic director Karen Hughes said a“very frustrating” process of finding and naming a coach is still ongoing.

D’Archangelo stepped down in May while taking assistant coaching jobs as acoach with the Players Development Academy and Georgian Court University.

Central senior Blake Czajkowski

Brick Memorial senior Kevin Simek

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