October 21, 2014 Volume-VI Issue-19

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They rose in unison in thestands at Holmdel on October10, clapping and chanting,and Hornets senior MattMcDonnell had to doeverything in his power not toburst out in tears in themiddle of a football game.He took the field against Spotswood at BobRoggy Memorial Field while his olderbrother, Timmy, 20, a former basketball andfootball player at Holmdel, remained incritical condition in a coma at Robert WoodJohnson University Hospital in NewBrunswick after being struck by a car lessthan a week earlier. The home crowd let himand his family know they were there forthem.

“Fight, Timmy, fight! Fight, Timmy, fight!”the crowd chanted. “Fight, Timmy, fight!”

“I heard the cheerleaders screaming, ‘Fight,Timmy fight!’ and it really got to me,’’ Mattsaid. “I just had to relax and focus on the goal

for him. Seeing all my friends supportingme, my family, my teammates, seeingthem all here for Timmy, it made mewant to go out there and play my heartout.”

Matt, a senior noseguard, sprinted on tothe field wearing Timmy’s old No. 85jersey instead of his usual No. 52. Hethen turned in one of his best games witha pair of sacks as the Hornets rolled overSpotswood, 33-14, to get their first winof the season. It concluded an emotionalweek for the McDonnell family and theHolmdel community with an exhilaratingblast of a win that also marked theHornets’ first victory under new coachJay Graham.

“Hearing ‘Fight, Timmy, fight!’ therewere a lot of tears when that was goingon,’’ Graham said. “Guys just reallywanted to win it for Matty and his family.(Senior linebacker) Frank Condito had 13tackles, and he said, ‘I’m not leaving the fieldwithout us getting a win for the family.’Everyone was pumped up.”

There was no doubt in Matt’s mind that hewas going to play on Fridaynight despite Timmy’sprecarious situation afterbeing critically injured inthe early hours of Oct. 4 inNew Brunswick, whereTimmy is a student atRutgers University.

“I knew that’s whatTimmy would have wantedme to do,’’ Matt said. “Hewould’ve wanted me to getthat ‘W.’ It’s been very upand down, very emotional.There’s a lot of differentnews. One day he’s notgonna make it, and thenone day he’s doing great.It’s a lot to handle.”

“When Matty showed upin the locker room, just hispresence, we all knew wewere doing it for Timmy,’’said sophomorequarterback AneeshAgrawal, who threw fortwo scores and ran foranother in piling up 301yards of total offense.“Timmy only graduatedtwo years ago so a lot ofthe older guys here knowhim and played with him. Itwas a very emotional game.We were just so happy forMatty because he’s really

well-liked on our team and he’s a great kid.”

The whole team went up and visited Timmyon Monday, and then short practices wereheld on Tuesday and Wednesday to allowteam members to also go up and be by his

bedside on those days.During the game, playerswore stickers on theirhelmets with the initials“TM” on them. At halftime,long-time Holmdel publicaddress announcer BillBaronowsky detailedTimmy’s situation, and thecrowd began its chant. TheHornets came out firing fromthe opening whistle,dominating the Chargers inrolling up 497 yards of totaloffense.

Following the win, theplayers dumped the waterbucket on Matt McDonnell incelebration.

“All I thought after thegame was, ‘This is for Timmy

and everyone who has been there for myfamily the last couple days,’’’ Matt said. “Mybrother’s will fighting against this gave us thewill to win. I truly believe that.”

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Holmdel senior noseguard Matt McDonnell wore hisbrother’s No. 85 jersey and played with a sticker featuring

Timmy McDonnell’s initials

‘Winning For Timmy’: Holmdel GetsEmotional VictoryBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Former Holmdel basketball and football player TimmyMcDonnell, 20, remains in critical condition after being

struck by a car in New Brunswick on Oct. 4. (Photo courtesy of McDonnell family)

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F O R A D V E R T I S I N G I N F O RMA T I O NContact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

The Team of the Week for Week Six is Manalapan,which won its 30th straight game against ShoreConference competition by knocking offMiddletown South, 21-3, in a showdown of top-fiveteams. The Braves beat the Eagles for the fifthstraight time to take a big step toward their fifthstraight Class A North title.

Senior tailback Imamu Mayfield ran for 131 yardsand three touchdowns on 30 carries to lead theoffense against an Eagles defense that had postedfour shutouts in five games entering the game.

Senior kickerMike Caggianowent 3-for-3 onextra points togive him 215career points, aShore Conferencescoring record for kickers.

Senior linebacker Joe Mendez and seniordefensive end Kyle Mullen led a strong defensiveeffort, which also included a fumble return by senior

linebacker Simon Bublis that helped set up atouchdown. The win also set up a hugenondivisional showdown with No. 1 Red BankCatholic on Friday night, as the Caseys have a 38-game winning streak against the Shore Conference.

Manalapan’s head coach Ed Gurrieri & his team are honored by Chad Tirpack NJ/NE Area Director of Jersey Mike’s as the Team of the Week for Week 6.

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New For This SeasonIn conjunction with Shore Sports Network, Jersey Mike’s willhonor one team a week that showed the character,perseverance and hard work emblematic of The Jersey Mike’sCompany during its performance that weekend. A Jersey Mike’sGame Ball and free subs will be presented to that team duringpractice that week in honor of a great showing.

Week 6 10/17/14Manalapan - 21Middletown South - 3

Week 2 9/19/14

Central - 21Barnegat - 15

Week-1 9/12/14

Neptune - 30Ocean - 27

Week 3 9/26/14

TR North - 44TR South - 34

Week 5 10/3/14Wall - 28Brick - 27 (2OT)

The Team of the Week for Week Five is Wall Township, ,which sent a shockwave across the state when it stunnedpreviously unbeaten Brick, the No. 2 team in the Shore SportsNetwork Top 10 and the No. 11 team in the state, with a 28-27,double-overtime thriller that ended an 11-game losing streakfor the Crimson Knights.

The Crimson Knights and head coach Dan Curcione werepresented with a special game ball at practice on Tuesday byone of their own, Jersey Mike’s NJ/NE Area Director ChadTirpack, a former standout quarterback/defensive back at Wall.The players were also treated to free Jersey Mike’s subs.

The Crimson Knights pulled off one of the biggest regular-season upsets in the Shore Conference of the past 20 years

thanks to several outstandingperformances. Junior quarterbackMatt Cluley went 9-for-17 for 114yards and three touchdownspassing, including two inovertime, and also ran for 88 yards and a touchdown on 27carries with six carries of 10 or more yards.

Wideout/safety Liam Ferguson had two touchdown catches,one in each overtime, including the 37-yarder that tied thegame in the second overtime. He also had 12 tackles ondefense. Linebacker Tim McGevna led a stellar effort on thatside of the ball with 13 tackles. Junior kicker NickMaciejewski also went 4-for-4 on extra points, including thegame-winner in double overtime.

“It was just an amazing feeling,” Ferguson said. “We justknew from the beginning that we were refusing to lose. Youcould see it in everyone’s eyes.”

The Crimson Knights join St. John Vianney, Toms RiverNorth, Neptune and Central as the recipients thus far of theJersey Mike’s Team of the Week, which is selected by theShore Sports Network staff.

Wall’s head coach Dan Curcione & his team are honored by Chad Tirpack NJ/NE Area Director of Jersey Mike’s as the Team of the Week for Week 5.

Week 4 10/3/14

SJV - 35RFH - 28

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F O R A D V E R T I S I N G I N F O RMA T I O NContact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

With one of the state’s bestrunning backs already havingracked up 267 yards and threetouchdowns for Rumson-FairHaven, all eyes were onCharlie Volker when theBulldogs lined up for a hugeplay on third-and-goal in thefinal seconds of a tie gamewith host Manasquan onSaturday afternoon.Bulldogs head coach Bryan Batchler

decided to use that attention to hisadvantage, dialing up a pass play out ofa timeout. Sophomore quarterback MikeO’Connor executed it to perfectionwhen he hit 6-foot-4 senior tight endKenny Ferrare on a play-action pass foran 8-yard score in the corner of the endzone with 16.8 seconds left inregulation to give the Bulldogs athrilling 28-21 win over the Warriors atVic Kubu Warrior Field to end a two-game losing streak.

“I thought Charlie was winded, and Ithought obviously they were going to bekeying on him,” Batchler said. “We trustMikey. He’s asmart kid. I likedthe call. I figuredif we didn’t makeit, then we kick thefield goal and playdefense.”

“We have anamazingquarterback, and hethrew a perfectpass,” Ferrare said.“I think itdefinitely created alittle confusion forthem. I think it wasan excellentplaycall.”

It was only thethird completion ofthe game on fourattempts forO’Connor, but itwas the biggestplay of the game inaddition to beingFerrare’s firstvarsity touchdown.

It also marked the second straight seasonthat the Bulldogs (3-2, 3-1), ranked No. 10in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, beat theWarriors (3-3, 2-2) with a touchdown insidethe final minute of regulation.

“My coacheshave definitelyput in a lot oftime and effortwith me, and ithas paid off,”Ferrare said.“This is a bigone for me. It’sreally exciting.”

“I liked theplaycall,”O’Connor said.“Everyoneknew they weregoing to key onCharlie, and itjust opened up.It’s a bigconfidence-builder for themto have the trustin me to throwthat.”

The victoryalso stampedthe return of

Volker, a Princeton recruit who had a hugeday after missing two games, both losses,with a high ankle sprain.

“I wasn’t 100 percent, but I was going toplay like I was 100 percent, whether it hurtor not,” Volker said about his ankle.

O’Connor capped the win with aninterception as time expired on a desperationheave by Manasquan quarterback LiamGrieb. Only minutes earlier, the Warriors hadmade one of their patented late-gamecomebacks on their home field when theydrove 75 yards on nine plays, which includeda 10-yard pass by senior Tanner Cowley towideout Matt Paturzo on a fake punt to keepthe drive alive.

Freshman running back Connor Morganbulled his way in from eight yards out for histhird touchdown of the game and thenPaturzo took a direct snap on the two-pointconversion attempt and flipped it to Cowley,who ran around the left side and dove intothe end zone to tie it at 21 with 2:51 left inthe game.

Rumson recovered when junior ConnorKelly returned the ensuing kickoff toManasquan’s 40-yard line to put theBulldogs in business with 2:38 left in thegame.

“We keep calm, we don’t let them get inour heads, and we keep pushing,” Ferrare

said. “The game’s not over until thewhistle blows.”

Three plays later, Volker broke a 27-yard run down the Manasquan sidelineto the Warriors’ 10-yard line, setting upFerrare’s eventual heroics.

“I have a lot of faith in Kenny, and Iknew that play worked before, so Ithought that was a good call,” Volkersaid.

Rumson had built a 13-7 halftime leadas Volker piled up 140 yards rushingand ran for scores of eight and 50 yards.Morgan began the best day of hispromising career with a 54-yardtouchdown run on his way to a career-high 133 yards rushing to keep theWarriors close at the break.

The Bulldogs extended the lead earlyin the second half when defensivelineman Ben Eisenstadt sacked Grieb atManasquan’s eight-yard line to kill adrive and help give Rumson great fieldposition at the Warriors’ 36-yard lineafter the ensuing punt. Two plays later,

Volker bounced a run outside for a 22-yardtouchdown and a 21-7 lead with 7:17 left inthe third quarter.

“He’s the best running back in the state,and it opens up a lot for us,” O’Connor said.

Manasquan’s offense was sputtering beforeGrieb jumpstarted it when he hit Nick Jamieon a wheel route for a 50-yard gain toRumson’s 10-yard line at the end of the thirdquarter. Three plays later, Morgan plowed infrom two yards out to cut the lead to 21-13after the extra point was no good with 11:14left in the game.

That set up the furious final three minutes,as the Bulldogs righted the ship after lossesto No. 3 St. John Vianney and No. 5 LongBranch to boost their push for a high seed inCentral Jersey Group II, where they are thedefending champions.

“This was our first step getting out of thehole,” Ferrare said.

P h o t o b y :

Mark Brownwww.b51photography.com

Video Highlights by:

Scott Stumpwww.shoresportsnetwork.com

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Senior RB Charlie Volker

Rumson Wins Thriller in Volker's ReturnBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Lately, I've been meeting a lot with our internson programming and planning of training

sessions. It's something I truly enjoy and often go"off the script" when the opportunity presentsitself. I get caught up in all the wow's andwoah's of sets & reps, percentages, andsequencing of movements. To most interns, this isthe meat and potatoes of coaching and programwriting and they want to soak up as much aspossible, because to them, this is game changing.This is what separates coaches that are hired

verse those that get fired, right?Not so much. Instead of focusing on what I call the "aftermarketproducts" of coaching like relative intensities, complextraining and French contrast methods, I now want toprioritize the very foundation of coaching first;relationships. After a short number of years going fromorganization to organization as I advanced my career,there was always one absolute, one never changingpillar of performance for success; relationships. It didn'tmatter if I was in the best weight room in theconference, had the smallest budget or the freshest"gear" from the equipment manager, everything camedown to relationships and managing the process ofbuilding and maintaining them.

So before you ask yourself if the latest trick play willhelp your score more points or if you should invest inthe newest weight room equipment, make sure you askyourself the following four questions from InsideOutCoaching and take the time to evaluate your role in acareer that can bring so much change to the world.

Why do you Coach?Is it because of the glitz and glamor of working withlocal athletes from your old high school? Is it theexcitement of being on the sideline of the game of theweek? Or maybe the newest Nike gear or access toamazing facilities and supplements from the boosterclub?

Do you ever lose sight of exactly why you do, what you do? I know Ihave. When I became a head coach, I was so engrossed inadministration, building a staff and establishing a new culture, that I

forgot the very premise of why Ientered this field; to make adifference in the lives of myathletes. And to me, that isthrough COACHING.

Now, I'm not here to tell you toget all mushy, break out theSpotify Coffee House mix andtalk about your feelings withyour athletes. But, I amencouraging you to take someserious time to think about whyyou're in a career that requires somuch. Sacrificing time withfamily, having the possibility ofbeing fired due to the poorperformance of your players andadjusting your personal andprofessional life around teammeetings and training camps.The greatest programs andcoaches are not dictated by playscripts or playoffs. Just watchhow coaches and athletes interactwith each other. That should beenough.

What is the driving force

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The Four Most Important Questions in CoachingBy Adam Feit - Director of Sports Performance (RYPT)

behind your coaching? Why do you go to bed late and get up earlyevery morning? What is the "ALL SPARK" in your life?

Why do you Coach the Way You Do?Have you ever thought about why you handle certain situations theway you do? If an athlete screws up, do you berate them infront of everyone and make them feel inferior to youand his/her teammates? Do you pace up anddown the weight room shouting andscreaming because that's what your coachdid? Do you dis-engage from yourathlete, talk through the side of yourmouth and change your voice whenyou address the group? Or are youYOURSELF?

For many of us, we got intocoaching because someoneimpacted us. Someone took thetime out of his/her life andimprinted his/her values onto us.Some experiences were bad andforced us to crusade against theworld and try to change what wentwrong thought our peewee and teenageyears. For others, it was because someonemade a difference. We felt connected. Wefelt a part of something. Essentially, we feltthat somebody really understood us as people andhelped us through tough times.

I challenge you to ask yourself why you do something a certain wayand see if you can find the root of your behaviors, personality and/orstyle. If there is anything I've learned over my short career, it's that youcannot be someone else! Your athletes will give their very best once youcan do the same!

What does it Feel Like to be Coachedby You?This is truly an eye opener. Have you ever felt that no matter what yousay to an athlete, he/she simply doesn’t get it? I mean, how can you notbasic fundamentals that were taught during our youth years? You justdo it! What’s the problem? You get so frustrated with that athlete that

you write them off and move on.

Or you’ve got a walk-on doing everything he can tomake the team and prove himself but because he’snot part of your “preferred group”, you throw himaway and let someone else deal with him.

Like many relationships in life, successreally comes down to the delivery of yourmessage. How many times have we heard“it’s not what you said, it’s how you saidit”? Just because we practice our craftanywhere between 8-12 hours per day doesnot mean our athletes, who see usanywhere from 8-12 hours PER WEEK,understand and register what we’re trying toteach them. Don’t assume they get it!

The next time you find yourselfin a situation that requires

more patience than usual, tryto put yourself in their shoes.

Are you explaining it simply,with passion and purpose?

Are you communicating your expectationsas clear as possible?

Are you showing visual or audible frustration infront of them?

How do You Define and MeasureSuccess?Lastly, how do you know if what you’re doing is working?

Do you base it off post-testing results throughout the year?

Is it defined by outweighing the W’s > L’s?

Is it your paycheck?

John Wooden defined success by having peace of mind, which is adirect result of the self-satisfaction in knowing that you did your best tobecome the best you are capable of becoming.

Joe Ehrmann defines success as the content of people’s character,leadership and contribution to the betterment of their families, theircommunities and the world around them. He recommends waiting 20years and assessing the quality of the lives of the people you coached.

Personally, I think it’s a combination of both. Success is knowingyou’ve done everything you could to teach your athletes that the lessonsthey learn in training with you are really lessons in life. What they doand how they do it in training will have a direct carryover to when theybegin employment, start a family and advance their lives.

We all want stronger, faster, and tougher athletes, but do we rememberthe little things during the process of chasing those qualities?

In my next post, I’ll be addressing two distinctive models ofcoaching, transformation and transactional, and I will explore theinner workings of each and their roles in today’s world. Hopeyou can check it out.

Remember, it’s about changing lives, not justnumbers…

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With the game on the line in a crucialdivisional showdown, Shore Regionalboldly showed how much confidence ithas in its running game.It seemed Mater Dei Prep had gotten the stop it

needed to give its offense one more opportunity totie the score. Shore was stuffed on third down andwas now facing fourth-and-inches from its own 25-yard line with 2:01 left in the game.

Instead of punting and relying on their defense toclose out a victory, the Blue Devils sent out theiroffense and converted on a 9-yard run by juniorDoug Goldsmith to seal a key 14-8 ShoreConference Class B Central victory on Saturdayafternoon at Bulman Stadium.

“Coach Cos (head coach Mark Costantino) wasasking us if we wanted to go for it and we all wantto go for it,” Goldsmith said. “We knew we were getting it.We were driving the whole game and barely had anynegative plays. In our minds we knew we’d get it easily.”

“Cos got us together in the timeout and asked us if wewanted to go for it, and it was 100 percent yes,” said seniortwo-way lineman James Bedell. “We knew we were going toget it. We ran it behind our big tackle Steve Fiumefreddo and

Doug broke through and that won the game for us.”

Shore (4-1, 3-0) remains undefeated in B Central to set upa Halloween clash with Point Beach, which is also 3-0. TheBlue Devils play host to South River next week while theGarnet Gulls take on Highland Park at home.

Shore’s defense was playing well against Mater Dei’shigh-octane offense led by quarterback Christian Palmer, but

the Seraphs’ big-play capability still worriedCostantino. The best way to eliminate any doubtwas to make sure they never got the ball back, andhe put it on his offense to deliver.

“Whether we give it to them at the 25 or the 50they’re going to be throwing it, and they’re scarywith their athletes,” Costantino said. “I didn’t wantto give them the ball back, I could smell it. So youknow what? Let’s go for it. That sends a messagewe’re going for it this year.”

Having Goldsmith back in the lineup certainlyhelped make the decision a little easier for Shore.The junior standout running back and linebackerplayed in his first game of the season afterrecovering from a preseason knee injury to run fora game-high 141 yards and two touchdowns on 25carries He was also a force on defense to help theBlue Devils keep Palmer from running wild.

“I was anxious to get back on the field,”Goldsmith said. “We had a hard loss to Dunellen(16-7) I think we could have won if we were at full

strength , so coming back and getting the (win) is all thatmatters.”

“Having Doug coming back full strength takes pressure offthe other backs,” Bedell said. “He had some great runs,scored both touchdowns and had the big run at the end of thegame.”

Mater Dei (4-2, 3-1) entered the game averaging 40 points

Goldsmith's Return Boosts BlueDevilsBy Bob Badders – Staff Writer

Junior RB Doug Goldsmith

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per game behind Palmer, wholast week accounted for 345total yards and six touchdowns.Palmer finished with 122 yardsrushing on 17 carries and threwfor 133 yards on 9-of-18passing with one interception,and was kept out of the endzone. He did run for a 2-pointconversion after TysaunWhite’s 11-yard touchdown rungave the Seraphs an 8-0 lead inthe first quarter.

“The key to defending himwas making sure our secondarystayed covering their receivers(when he scrambled) and forour defensive line to getpressure,” Bedell said. “Whenhe scrambled we had to get himdown and not let him get anyextra yards. Everything runsthrough him. Their receiversare great but without No. 7 they can’t do anything.”

“We had me spying on him in case he scrambled,”Goldsmith said. “The defensive (line) was getting greatpressure and our corners stopped the long ball, which theyhave been getting on most teams.”

“The main thing was to team-tackle,” Costantino said.“He’s going to make plays and he did. The few times we lostcontain he killed us. When he’s in trouble, we’re in trouble.”

Palmer accounted for all but 11 of Mater Dei’s 266 totalyards. Sophomore Eddie Lewis had six receptions for 44

yards, and White had a 50-yardcatch on the game’s opening drivethat set up his touchdown run. MaterDei really hurt itself with both thevolume of penalties it committedand the timing of those. The Seraphswere flagged 12 times for 90 yards,and had a 28-yard passing playwiped out late in the game on anillegal motion penalty.

Palmer and Mater Dei showed offtheir explosive potential on the firsttwo drives of the game to take an 8-0 lead. A 34-yard run by Palmerhelped the Seraphs move to the BlueDevils’ 23-yard line before the drivestalled. After forcing Shore three-and-out, the Seraphs started an 8-play, 79-yard drive to strike first.Palmer connected with White for a50-yard pass on third-and-7 from the37, and two plays later White scoredon an 11-yard jet sweep. Palmer ran

in the two-point conversion.

Shore answered on its next drive, an 8-play, 58-yard drivewhere Goldsmith broke a 31-yard run to eventually set up hisown 3-yard plunge that cut Mater Dei’s lead to 8-6. JuniorGeorge Notte, who was kicking in place of injured standoutJake Monteiro (shoulder), converted the extra point to bringthe Blue Devils to within one.

An interception and 27-yard return by Shore sophomoreMatt Pennell on the next series gave the Blue Devils the ballat the Seraphs 42-yard line with 6:37 to play in the first half.

Goldsmith converted three first downs on the drive with apair of third-down runs and a 10-yard catch on a screen passon third-and-7 from the Mater Dei 27. He finished off the11-play drive with another 3-yard touchdown. Notte’s extrapoint put Shore up 14-8.

Mater Dei drove to Shore’s 38-yard line on its finalpossession of the first half, but a sack for a 15-yard loss byjunior linebacker Devin McLaughlin ended the threat. MaterDei had a long drive early in the third quarter in whichPalmer moved the Seraphs from their own 17 down toShore’s 25, but three penalties for 30 yards killed the driveand kept Mater Dei from putting any points on the board.

Mater Dei would have just two possessions the rest of thegame, and would gain only one first down – on a penalty.The return of Goldsmith and its offensive and defensive lineswinning the battle at the line of scrimmage – along with agutsy call - was enough for Shore to hang on for a criticalvictory.

“This really gives the defense so much confidence to holda team that scored 38 on Dunellen and 54 on South River tojust eight points,” Goldsmith said. “It gives us confidencewe can do that against most teams.”

Junior RB Doug Goldsmith

P h o t o b y :Doug Bostwick

www.sportshotsw lb .com

V ideo H igh l i ghts by :

Bob Badderswww.shoresportsnetwork.com

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game

between two

Shore Conference

heavyweights that fans

have anticipated for two-

plus years is finally here.

On Friday, Manalapan, ranked No. 2 in the Shore SportsNetwork Top 10, will head to Count Basie Field in Red Bankto face No. 1 Red Bank Catholic in a monster showdown. TheCaseys enter with a 38-game winning streak against ShoreConference competition dating back to 2010, while theBraves arrive with a 30-game winning streak of their ownagainst Shore teams, so something will have to give. Therewill be no division title at stake, as the teams are in separatedivisions, but bragging rights, an argument for Shoresupremacy, and a host of power points for playoff seedingwill be on the line.

RBC has been the No. 1 team in the Shore since 2011, withManalapan often right behind the Caseys in the rankingsthanks to four straight division titles and three straight statefinal appearances

“It’s not hard to get our kids’attention in a week like

this” Manalapan

head coach Ed

Gurrieri said.

“We love to

play in big

games. This is

what you work so

hard for.”“I can appreciate people being

excited about a game like this,’’Red Bank Catholic head coachJim Portela said. “From thelooks of things, it’s going tobe a lot of fun, and becauseit is No. 1 vs. No. 2, thatadds more to it.”

While Red BankCatholic ultimately

has itseyes on itselusive firststate title since 1976 in thealways-rugged Non-PublicGroup III bracket, andManalapan has the primarygoal of getting over the top inCentral Jersey Group V afterlosing three straight state finals,this is finally a chance to seehow two top programs stack upagainst one another on the field.

Here’s a breakdown of what

to watch for in the game:

The two teams are similar offensively, employingpower running games in pro-style systems featuring standouttailbacks. Manalapan enters averaging 45.8 points per game,

while RBC is the Shore’s highest-scoringunit at 47.3 points per game.Again, the teams are 1-2.

Manalapan is led by seniorImamu Mayfield, who leadsthe Shore Conferencewith 21 touchdowns togo with his 934yards rushing on8.2 yards percarry.

“I’m definitely excited for thegame,” Mayfield said. “It’s another

statement game. It’s a goodgame to see if we’regetting better or not.They are a goodmeasuring stick.”

Red Bank Catholicfeatures two dynamicseniors in TommySpernal and MikeCordova, whohave combined for686 yards rushing on

an average of 9.1 yardsper carry. JuniorDylan Murphy alsohas come on inrecent weeks asanother weapon atfullback.

“We’re kind ofmirror images of eachother as far as that’sconcerned,’’Gurrieri said.

However,RBC also hasa majorweapon injunior

quarterbackEddie Hahn, one of

the most explosiveplayers in the Shore. He has

thrown for 660 yards and 11touchdowns on 67 percent accuracy,averaging 17.8 yards per completion.

Unlike past years, where teams couldtry to load up everything against the RBCrun game, Hahn can bury teams who don’trespect the pass. Seniors Trevor Cowley andNick Lubischer have combined for 23 catches,399 yards and 7 touchdowns, and senior NickCella also has a pair of touchdown catches.

RB Imamu Mayfield QB Eddie Hahn

15V O L U M E - V I / I S S U E - 1 9 / 1 0 / 2 1 / 1 4

“Coach Ahearn(offensivecoordinator MattAhearn) has beenreally effectivecalling the passgame,’’ Hahn said.“Getting the timing

down atpracticeis

important,and it’sbeentranslatingto thegames.”

A dualthreat, Hahnalso has run for265 yards and 7touchdowns onan average of 11yards per carry.His ability to runzone read plays outof the shotgun addsan extra wrinkle to

defend out of theCaseys’ usual pro-style

attack from under center withbread-and-butter plays like power,

counter and dive.

“I am very impressedwith him,’’ Gurrieri said.“I would think that he’sprobably the best all-around player in the Shoreas an all-around athletic kid.I don’t know if he’s a DivisionI quarterback, but he’sdefinitely a Division I athlete.

He eats up five yards in two

strides, which is the definition of explosive.”

“Our offensive line has done a good jobgiving me a pocket and time to throw,’’Hahn said. “Because of how well weare running the ball, it definitely helpsour pass game. (Cordova, Spernal andMurphy) would be starting on anyteam they played for if they went totheir hometown teams.”

Manalapan has a veteranleader at quarterback in seniorDan Anerella, who hasthrown for 701 yards and 7touchdowns on 59 percentaccuracy and is an efficientplaymaker who hits throws offplay-action. Senior wideoutGerard Hodge-Rocourt leadsthe team with 14 catches for221 yards and twotouchdowns, senior TysonPlummer is another threatsplit wide, and seniortight end Kyle Mullenhas 6 catches for 114yards and twotouchdowns.

As always, theCaseys have one of theShore Conference’sbest offensive lines,although they haveexperienced someinjuries up front. Fordhamrecruit Ryan Kroeger, a285-pound senior, is aleader on a unit that alsofeatures FBS prospectLiam Smith, a 270-pound junior, as well as265-pound seniorcenter Nick Roy andthe tandem of 300-pound senior NeilHorenburg and 275-pound senior DannyWilen, both ofwhom were

recently offered by St. Francis (Pa.). Plus they have twophysical tight ends in seniors Jamie Gordinier and DougZockoll.

Manalapan has its own imposing offensive line. When youlook at the All-Shore teams at the end of the year, you canalways bet on some RBC and Manalapan linemen populatingthe list, so the action in the trenches should be some of thebest in any regular-season game in the Shore this year. TheBraves are led by junior guard Joe Sellmeyer, who was asecond-team All-Shore pick as a sophomore. He looks to bematched up against Kroeger, who is also a defensive linestandout, so that is a great match-up to watch. Manalapan’sline only features one senior, guard Pete Williams. Juniortackles Reily Radosevich and Jake Levine are others towatch, as Gurrieri said Sellmeyer, Radosevich and Levine

are all getting Ivy League and Patriot Leagueinterest as juniors because they are alsoall 4.0 students.

“It’s going to be exciting,’’ Sellmeyersaid. “We’re looking forward to thechallenge.”

“Offensively, they’re putting up 50points every week, so they have atremendous offense,’’ Portela said.“They’re very well-coached, and theirscheme is outstanding. Their runningback obviously is outstanding, but theyhave a lot of weapons. They have twogood wide receivers, two good tightends, and other backs who can hurtyou.”

Red Bank Catholic enters having allowedonly 23 total points in six games, with onlyone team cracking double-digits on them,and that was a 42-10 win over St. Joseph’s-Metuchen. Manalapan is coming off astellar performance in a 21-3 win overMiddletown South and is allowing 13.2points per game.

The Caseys employ a physical 4-3scheme led by Gordinier, alinebacker who has verballycommitted to the University ofMiami and is tied with fellowsenior linebacker Nick Lagrippofor the team lead with 64tackles. Gordinier is a versatileplayer who can stuff the runbut also is very dangerous

ShowdownContinued on page 16QB Dan Anerella OL/DL Liam Smith

16

coming off the edge as a rusher incertain blitz packages.

Murphy is also a standoutlinebacker with 48 tackles.The defensive front is led byKroeger in the interior andZockoll at defensive end, where heis a quarterback assassin with sevensacks to go with 35 tackles.

“They have a very good front seven,’’Gurrieri said. “Their four down linemen arebig and physical. It will be the best front seventhat we go against. You know where they’regoing to be. They’re not going to draw it up inthe dirt. They’re a 4-3, Cover 2 team, so youknow where everybody’s going to be, but they’rewell-coached. It’s going to be a challenge.”

Their secondary is also experienced and athleticwith Hahn and Cordova at safety, FCS prospectMike DeMonte at cornerback, and Lubischer at theother corner spot. The Caseys have registered eightinterceptions in six games.

Manalapan runs a 3-4 scheme and has plenty of stars in itsown right among its front seven. Mullen, a defensive end, andsenior linebacker Joe

Mendez are both FCS prospects having strong years with acombined 88 tackles and 9 sacks, including a team-high

57 tackles by Mullen. Senior defensive end BenSieczkowski also has been a force with

43 tackles and 5 sacks,and seniorlinebacker Simon

Bublis is comingoff a game in which he made a hugefumble return to set up a touchdown inthe win over Middletown South.Senior Carlos Teixiera is anothertalented linebacker who is thirdon the team with 42 tackles.

“They’re No. 1,we’re No. 2,and it’s been

that way for a

while, but we never had a

chance to prove

anything” Mullensaid. “Now we

get a chance to

see who’s thebest.”

“They’re definitely a well-coacheddefense,” Hahn said. “They have a couple

kids that are very talented, and theyall fly to the ball.”

The secondary is a senior-laden group featuring safetiesCharles Lombana and

Marc Goldstein aswell as seniorcornerback DanDebner, with junior

Anthony Bassanimanning the other cornerback spot.Plummer also sees time in the secondary andhas two interceptions this season out of the sixfor the team.

Manalapan has one of the best special teamsweapons in the state in senior Mike Caggiano,who has carved out a career as one of the greatkickers in Shore Conference history. With threeextra points in the win over Middletown South,he became the Shore’s all-time leader in points by

a kicker with 215 for his four-year varsity career. Inaddition, he has 16 touchbacks this season, so he

doesn’t give many teams a chance to make plays in the

ShowdownContinued on page 15

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LB Joe Mendez LB Jamie Gordinier

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return game, and he has already hit a 39-yardfield goal this year. Caggiano also is anoutstanding punter capable of pinning teamsdeep in their own territory. Rutgers, Marylandand Penn State have all shown interest in him.

The Braves also have a lethal return team onkickoffs and punts led by Debner, Bassani,Goldstein and senior John Cheung. Bassaniand Cheung have each returned punts fortouchdowns this season, and the Bravesaverage 12 yards per punt return.

“What strikes you more than anything is thatthey can beat you any way you can beat a team– offense, defense, and special teams,’’ Portelasaid. “They are a challenge in every facet ofthe game. They are the type of team we play inthe second round of the playoffs.”

Red Bank Catholic’s special teams have alsobeen strong in its undefeated start. Seniorkicker Vince Gallo came out from the soccerteam and has gone 36-for-38 on extra pointsand 2-for-2 on field goal attempts. Lubischerhas been a force in the return game, taking onepunt to the house and averaging 27.5 yards perpunt return. Cowley has averaged 17 yards per

return on six punt returns, so he is anotherfactor.

It all adds up to a whale of a match-up forShore Conference fans under the lights atCount Basie Field, and the players havesharpened their focus amidst the hype.

“So far everything is inplace for the week,”Gurrieri said. “We’re allready to go. The kids are

being very attentive to

detail. (RBC) is going to beone of the better teams,

if not the best, team we

play this year.”“Coach Portela does a great job telling us to

stay away from that, to stay away from Twitterand all that,’’ Hahn said. “We’ll have greatpractices, get better each day and then be ableto ball out on Friday night.”

P h o t o s b y :

LarryMurphywww.sportsp ixn j .com

Mark Brownwww.b51photography.comBi l l Normi lewww.billnormile.zenfolio.com

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Everyone likes a good fairytale story. Unless, of course, youare the one tasked withinforming Cinderella that it isabout to strike midnight.Senior tailback Josh Dixon rushed for acareer-high 282 yards and five touchdowns asthe beat went on for No. 9 Freehold in a 33-16nondivisional win over last week’s darlings,Wall, which had snapped an 11-game losingstreak in stunning then-No. 2 Brick in doubleovertime, 28-27, on Oct. 10.

“First and foremost, that was a huge win overBrick for them,” Freehold coach Dave Ellissaid. “We told our kids that they’d be lookingto knock us off, too, and try to make a run atthe playoffs. They are a good football team andthey’re getting better every week.”

Freehold (6-0) managed to solidify its ownstanding in what will surely be an intriguingCentral Jersey Group IV bracket for ShoreConference football fans. Brick, JacksonMemorial and Middletown South are all

expected to join Freehold in the playoff field,with Jackson Liberty and Middletown Northalso in the hunt for berths.

Wall (1-5) held the ball for much of the firsthalf, putting together three lengthy drives andmore than doubling Freehold in time ofpossession, but trailed 14-10 at the break.However, with a late second-quarter touchdownfrom junior quarterback Matt Cluley to PaulCallamaras, followed by a stop of theColonials’ ensuing drive and what appeared tobe a hobbled Dixon, the Crimson Knightslooked to have seized momentum heading intothe locker room.

Dixon shook off a left leg injury sustained ona tackle by Cluley at the end of a 31-yard,second-quarter run to combine with the effortsof his team’s defense to take over the gameafter halftime. Freehold forced turnovers onthree of Wall’s first four possessions of thesecond half and scored three Dixontouchdowns for a 33-10 lead.

“I wanted to get Josh going tonight,” saidEllis. “We had some guys on the O-line thatweren’t 100 percent, but they battled. I knew if

he could take over the game that we’dhave a good chance of winning.”

Freshman Ashante Worthy recovered aCluley fumble near midfield on the thirdquarter’s first possession. Two playslater, Dixon took a last-second optionpitch from quarterback Jake Curry up theleft sideline for a 49-yard score and a 21-10 lead.

“That was a new play we did thisweek,” Dixon said. “To be honest, Jake’sa good quarterback and good runner, andI thought he was just going to take it.But the ball made it to my hands and Ijust took off.”

“They had the play defended well,”Curry said. “I saw a guy covering(Dixon), but when the kid came up totackle me the other kid stopped and Iwas able to get it out to Josh.”

After forcing Wall to punt, Freeholdrode its workhorse on the next drive. Dixoncarried the ball eight straight times to finish offan 11-play, 71-yard drive, barreling over a Walldefender on his way to a 6-yard touchdown

run. Freehold finished with 340 yards ofrushing offense on 40 carries.

“Josh Dixon did us in tonight,” said Wallcoach Dan Curcione. “He played a fantastic

Senior tailback Josh Dixon

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Career Night for Josh DixonKeeps Freehold UnbeatenBy Scott Clayton – Shore Sports Network contributor

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game. He’s an awesome player. I’m going tothrow this on the defense. I coach the defenseand it’s got to be better coached. I’ve got todo a better job preparing them, and we’ve gotto do a better job tackling.”

Dixon’s final scoring run of the night will godown as a 1-yard score, but was as exciting asa 1-yard touchdown can be. After picking up afumbled exchange and finding himself at the15-yard line, Dixon eluded tacklers along theright sideline to reach the end zone. The shortscoring drive was set up by a 65-yard

interception return to the Wall 7-yard line byJamel Smith-Rush, one of two second-halfpicks for the Colonials.

“We just had to mix up our coverages,” Ellissaid. “That quarterback is able to extendplays.”

“Matt Cluley is a hell of a player,” saidCurry, who also leveled some big hits on Wallreceivers from his position in the secondary.“He gave us some tough looks and it felt likewe had to cover our men for 10 secondsbecause he was able to avoid the rush and get

out of the pocket.”

Cluley finished the game 21 of 30 with twotouchdowns to match the two interceptions.Wall completed the scoring on the night withLiam Ferguson hauling in a 4-yard pass with4:32 to play.

Ferguson appeared to have made atouchdown grab on the second play of thesecond quarter, but Wall was ruled to have anillegal lineman downfield. Rather than take a10-7 lead, the Knights turned the ball over ondowns. Three minutes later, Dixon’s 12-yard

run made it 14-3 in favor of the Colonials.

P h o t o b y :Bi l l Normi le

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

Video Highlights by:

Scott Clytonwww.shoresportsnetwork.com

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Last year’s Shore Conferenceboys soccer season ended with No. 1Manalapan defeating No. 2Rumson-Fair Haven in the ShoreConference Tournamentchampionship game, a testament tothe two teams for proving to the bethe best in the conference fromstart-to-finish and to the group ofcoaches who assigned thetournament seeds in the first place.

Good luck pulling that offagain this year

The Shore Conference Tournament was seeded onMonday night with no obvious order for the topseeds and even more uncertainty in the middle of thefield. While there is still likely a short list oflegitimate contenders to win the crown, the road tothe Nov. 1 championship game at Memorial Field inNeptune will be lined with the dashed dreams of atleast a few championship hopefuls.

The Top Crop

Many of the usualsuspects make up the top ofthe field. These are the teamsthat have either won or comewithin a hair of winning aShore Conference division title,and they include ChristianBrothers Academy, Manalapan,Toms River South, Toms RiverNorth, Wall and Shore Regional.While the first five of the six teamsare either teams that were expected tobe in the running early in the season(Manalapan, CBA, Wall and Toms RiverSouth) or deep programs capable ofturning new starters into a formidable side(Toms River North), Shore stands as thesurprise team of the group.

The Blue Devils have gonethrough their ShoreConference schedule withonly a tie against divisionrival St. Rose standingout as a mark againstthem. After losing toSouth Plainfield ofthe GreaterMiddlesexConference,Shore has rolledthrough the Shore

Conference, includinga 3-0 win over Ocean,the second-place teambehind Wall in Class

B North. The Blue Devils also won their seasonopener 3-0 against Middletown North, whichwent unbeaten (3-0-1) against traditionalClass A North powers Manalapan and

Freehold Township. A Shoredivision-championship team istypically pushed to the fringesof the top 10 for a perceivedweak schedule in Class B

Central, but these BlueDevils have proventhemselves outside of thedivision as well.

The Middle Classof the SCT

The next group of teamsstretches from No. 7 to No.22 and it includes everythingfrom division champions, toupstarts, to talented rostersthat haven’t yet puteverything together. PointBoro and Matawan both

overcame clear favorites to win their respectivedivision titles, Point Boro in B South and Matawanin A Central. Central Regional returned two four-year varsity scoring threats in Blake Czajkowski andDoug Jensen, as well as a standout senior goalkeeperin Bryan Jones, but Point Boro managed to split theseason series with the Golden Eagles and run thetable in the rest of Class B South to win the divisionchampionship. The Panthers’ current 13-gamewinning streak matches a school record, one Point

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Shore senior Cole Allem

Shore Conference Boys SoccerTournament PreviewBy Matt Manley – Staff Writer

Wall senior Brendan Barcas

Boro can eclipse witha first-round homewin.

Matawan,meanwhile, is one ofthe feel-good storiesin the ShoreConference throughthe end of the regularseason. The Huskiesclinched their firstever divisionchampionship in boyssoccer by beatingManasquan, 2-0, onFriday. Matawandethroned four-timedefending divisionchampion Holmdel,with whom theHuskies split theseason series. Lastyear’s Rumson teamappeared poised toend Holmdel’s run ofdivisional dominance,but Hornets battledthe Bulldogs all theway to a shareddivision championship.

This year’s Matawan team, however, will not shareits title with anyone, a proposition that seemed far-fetched just two years ago, when the Huskies wentwinless during the Class B North schedule and 4-14for the season. After qualifying for the SCT lastseason with a senior-heavy team, this year’sMatawan team has relied on the emergence of anumber of seniors and juniors, a deep sophomoreclass and on-field chemistry that jumped out tocoach Dave Deegan from the early part of theseason.

Still Hungry for a Title

The two division champions could be dangerousout of the SCT middle class, but the most interestingteams could be those that fell short of their goal to

win a division title.Central and Holmdellead that list of teams,although Central willhave to overcome aserious obstacle justto survive the firstround. Czajkowski,who eclipsed the 50-goal mark for hiscareer earlier thisyear, was issued a redcard for his part in analtercation with Lionsdefender NickPellegrino during awin over JacksonLiberty on Thursdayand will have to sitthe Golden Eagles’first-round game, adecision with whichcoach Rob Bechtloffdisagreed on thepremise that,according to hisaccount, onlyPellegrino threw apunch.

Holmdel, meanwhile, enters the tournament on aroll after beginning the season 3-6. Senior GinoD’Agostino has found his scoring touch after a slowstart to the season scoring goals and returning All-Shore goalkeeper Tyler Marchiano has overcome ahandful of nagging injuries to settle into the season.

One respected Shore Conference official weighedin on his two favorites to win the tournament: CBAand Long Branch. While the Colts come in as a topseed, the Green Wave are fortunate just to be in thetop 20 thanks to a résumé that includes only twowins over tournament teams. The Green Wave do,

however, have a dangerous scorer up top inGuilherme DeNovaes and a wealth of talentthroughout the midfield. That combination couldpresent problems for a top team that hosts the GreenWave in the early rounds.

Ocean and Red Bank know all about Long Branch,

having seen the Green Wave twice. Both theSpartans and Bucs have championship aspirations aswell thanks to a standout crop of forwards on eachside. Red Bank’s Justin Gilson has picked up wherehe left off last season when his scoring sparked asecond-half surge into the SCT. The Spartans’ juniorduo of Wadneson Alexis and Marlhens Nasanes,meanwhile, nearly led Ocean to a division title.

Freehold Township coach Todd Briggs said he sawchampionship potential for the 2014 team as early as2011. In order for this Patriots team to live up to thatpromise, they will have to win the SCT as anunderdog. While the Patriots are just 4-4-1 against

teams in the field, they are the only team to win atCBA and shut out Manalapan.

Streaking into the Postseason

Freehold Boro beat Freehold Township last weekas part of an unbeaten week that qualified theColonials for the SCT for the first time since 2011.Freehold began the season 1-6-1 and has since gone6-0-3, officially qualifying for the tournament with a4-0 win over Monmouth on Saturday. In addition tobeating Freehold Township, the Colonials alsoearned ties against CBA, Middletown North andManalapan to go with an early-season draw againstJackson Memorial.

Speaking of Jackson Memorial, the Jaguarscracked the top-10 seeds thanks to a 6-0-1 run over aseven-game stretch before the SCT cutoff. Aftersome early-season injuries led to a 4-5-1 start, theJaguars have hit their stride behind a balancedattack, led by junior striker Andrew Jozwicki.Jackson Memorial, Brick Memorial, Toms RiverEast and Lacey are all battle-tested Class A Southteams who are well-prepared for the week ahead.

There have been a handful of surprises that haveshaped this SCT landscape, but those could pale incomparison to the surprises that happen over thenext week.

Matawan junior Alex Pierce

Defending SCT champion Manalapan

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Long Branch’s Gibranni Padilla

Photos by:Doug Bostwick

www . s p o r t s h o t s w l b . c om

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Every week this season, Shore Conference football fans will get their chance to vote for the Ace OutdoorPower Equipment Football Player of the Week on our website, with nearly 180,000 votes already cast in the

first six weeks.

Six players so far have earned the honor of Ace Outdoor Power Equipment Shore Conference Player of the Week after brilliant performances.

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Week-0 9/5/14Donovan Catholic - 10Pinelands - 7

Donovan Catholic Jr. kicker GianCarlo Stigliano

Week-1 9/12/14Brick Township - 42Brick Memorial - 0

Brick Sr. quarterback Carmen Sclafani

Week-2 9/19/14Freehold Boro - 41Howell - 0Freehold Boro jr. QB/safety Jake Curry

Week-3 9/19/14Toms River North - 44Toms River South - 34

Toms River North jr. tailback Asante Moorer

Week-4 10/4/14Central Regional - 26Pinelands - 12

Central Regional Soph. RB Mike Bickford

Week-5 10/11/14Middletown North - 21Ocean - 7

Middletown North Sr. TE/LB Troy Thompson

Week-6 10/17/14Southern - 16

Toms River South - 13

The winner for Week Six's action was Southern Regional junior kicker Brandon Barnetti, who nailed thegame-winning 27-yard field goal with 1.6 seconds left in regulation to give the Rams a big win over Toms River Southin Class A South that bolstered their state playoff hopes.

It was the first field goal attempt of Barnetti's varsity career. He also handles kickoffs for the Rams, who improved to 3-2 with the win to put themselves in the hunt for a spot in the South Jersey Group V playoffs.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact: Steven Meyer 732-233 -4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

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

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

Fri 11/7 Toms River South at Brick (7pm)or Red Bank Catholic at Jackson Memorial (7pm)

Thr 11/27 Wall at Manasquan (11am)

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

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