Shore Sports Network Journal Setting the Bar in the Shore Conference

September 22, 2015 Volume-VII Issue-17

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S t e v e M E Y E RShore Sports NetworkDirector High School Divisionsteve.meyer@townsqua remedi a.com7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

K e v i n W I L L I A M SShore Sports Network Directorkev in .w i l l i ams@townsqua remed ia.com

Sen ior Content Prov idersMattManley // [email protected] // [email protected]

Shore Sports Network Journalis published by: T o w ns q ua re Me d i a8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

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Jersey Mike’s Continues TheirSupport With the Team of The WeekBy Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

Week-19/ 1 1 / 15

Raritan - 26Manaquan - 14

The Team of the Week for Week One is Raritan,which exorcised years of demons at Vic KubuWarrior Field by besting Manasquan 26-14 for itsfirst win at Manasquan in program history. TheRockets and head coach Anthony Petruzzi werepresented with a special game ball at practice byShore Sports Network’s Steve Meyer and JerseyMike’s NJ/NE Area Director Chad Tirpack, a formerstandout quarterback/defensive back at Wall, onSept. 15th. The players were also treated to freeJersey Mike’s subs.

Senior running back Derek Ernst ran for 130yards and two touchdowns to lead the way and

help the Rockets start off 1-0 with a historic win.Junior quarterback Marc Carnivale threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end MasonSheehan and junior defensive tackle Paul Bavaroreturned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown afterjunior defensive tackle Matt Thompson knockedthe ball free.

“No matter how much the coaching staff stayed

away from talking about (having never won atManasquan) there was always someone talking aboutit,” Petruzzi said. “I’m proud of the effort the kidsshowed and very proud how they handled it.”

The Rockets are the first recipient of the JerseyMike’s Team of the Week this season, which isselected by the Shore Sports Network staff.

Rari tan’s head coach Anthony Petruzzi and his varsi ty team are honored by Jersey Mike’s as Week One’s Team of the Week.

In conjunction with Shore Sports Network, Jersey Mike’swill honor one team a week that showed the character,perseverance and hard work emblematic of The JerseyMike’s Company during its performance that weekend. AJersey Mike’s Game Ball and free subs will be presentedto that team during practice that week in honor of agreat showing.

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By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

Week Two in the Shore Conference saw over a third of the conference - 15 teams to be exact - move to 2-0 and continue thegood start they began last week. Having a zero in the loss column this early in the season doesn’t mean that much, however.

There is still plenty of football to be played, and that goes for the 1-1 and 0-2 teams as well.There were several big performances in Week Two, both individually and team-wise. Two teams were sent packing from last week’s Shore Sports Network Top 10,

including previous No. 3 Toms River North. After a 30-point loss to rival Brick in Week One, Brick Memorial rebounded in a historic way with a 52-20 victory overthe Mariners in which the Mustangs ran for over 500 yards and quarterback Tim Santiago set the program’s single-game rushing record.Matawan also tumbles out of the rankings after a 17-0 loss to Rumson dropped the Huskies to 0-2. Brick Memorial jumps back into the top 10 after one week out,

and Middletown North enters for the first time this season.Middletown South and Red Bank Catholic each won in convincing fashion to remain at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Jackson Memorial moved up two spots to No.

3 after thrashing Lacey, while St. John Vianney holds strong at No. 4 after a blowout win over Holmdel. Rumson moves up one spot to No. 5 and Brick jumps up threespots to No. 6 after a 35-0 win over Southern. Ocean and Manalapan switch spots at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. The Spartans had another great offensive showingin a 48-21 win over Wall, while Manalapan needed a late touchdown to escape with a 21-20 win over Freehold Township. Shore, Red Bank and Howell are among the 2-0 teams that are just outside the top 10 looking to make a splash in Week Three.

1.Middletown South (2-0) Last week: No. 1Senior running back Cole Rogers ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns and senior quarterback MattMosquera tossed a pair of touchdown passes in a 42-0 wipeout of Neptune. Junior running back JamesMcCarthy added a touchdown run and the Eagles defense limited the Scarlet Fliers to 141 total yardsand four first downs. Middletown South has been as good as advertised so far this season and will lookto run its record to 3-0 when it hosts Marlboro (0-2) on Friday night in Class A North.

2. Red Bank Catholic (2-0). Last week: No. 2Senior quarterback Eddie Hahn made his season debut in a big way by going 14-for-18 passing for 301yards and three touchdowns in a 32-18 victory over St. Joseph-Metuchen. Hahn had been recoveringfrom a knee injury sustained during the preseason. He gave a glimpse as to who his go-to receiver maybe by connecting with senior Mike Balzofiore six times for 145 yards and a touchdown. Senior DylanMurphy ran for 91 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and also made a team-high 13 tackles. SeniorMike Wilen added 80 yards and a touchdown on just five carries and two receptions for 54 yards anda touchdown. The Caseys return to action on Friday night at Neptune (0-3) in a Class B North game.

3. Jackson Memorial (2-0). Last week: No. 5Junior running back Mike Gawlik put together another fantastic performance by rushing for 132 yardsand three touchdowns on just six carries as the Jaguars handled Lacey 41-10. Senior running backVinny Lee ran for a 49-yard touchdown and also caught a 46-yard touchdown pass from senior receiverKyle Johnson. Johnson had a receiving touchdown of his own, a 70-yard score from junior quarterbackDan Barker. Senior linebacker Tyler Towns led the defensive effort with three sacks. The Jaguarstravel south to Manahawkin on Friday to take on Southern (1-2) in a Class A South game.

4. St. John Vianney (2-0). Last week: No. 4Junior running back Chris Chukwuneke ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries tolead the Lancers to a 49-0 win over Holmdel. Senior quarterback Anthony Brown threw for 118 yardsand a touchdown on 6-of-8 passing, firing a 10-yard score to senior Khalil Haskins. Senior Jeff Sheardreturned two interceptions for touchdowns and Zyaire Sterling added a short touchdown run. TheLancers look to remain perfect on the season when they travel to Ocean County on Friday night to takeon Central (2-1) in the Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week.

5. Rumson-Fair Haven (1-0). Last week: No. 6The Bulldogs began their season with a 17-0 win over Matawan in which the Rumson defense wascompletely dominant. The Bulldogs held the Huskies to 41 total yards while forcing a pair of turnoversand registering six sacks. Junior linebacker Mike Ruane finished with 10 tackles and a sack and MikeMurdock added eight tackles, a forced fumble and an interception to lead the way. Junior quarterbackMike O’Connor ran for 115 yards and a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass to sophomorewide receiver Elijah McAllister. Thomas Chapin added a 21-yard field goal. Rumson travels to TintonFalls to face Monmouth Regional (1-1) on Saturday at noon.

6. Brick (2-0). Last week: No. 9The Dragons blanked Southern 35-0 to improve to 2-0 and have now outscored their opponents 71-6through the first two Class A South games. Junior wide receiver Ja’Sir Taylor caught a 59-yardtouchdown pass from senior quarterback Tom Zbranak and also ran for a 42-yard touchdown. Juniorrunning backs Jay Obenauer and Rashon McCall and Zbranak each added touchdown runs while thedefense held Southern to 119 total yards. Brick plays a night game at Toms River East (0-3) onSaturday.

7. Ocean (2-0). Last week: No. 8Senior running back Tyler Thompson had his second monster game in as many weeks in rushing for209 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-21 Class B North victory over Wall. Junior Kenny Pickettadded 170 yards and three touchdowns on 9-of-12 passing, tossing touchdown strikes to Ruquan Dean,Greyson Stoothoff and Joey Aldarelli, as the Spartans rolled up 442 yards of offense. Stoothoff alsohad an interception on defense. The Spartans host Red Bank on Friday night in a crucial Class B Northbattle between 2-0 teams.

8. Manalapan (2-0). Last week: No. 7L.J. Holder’s 10-yard touchdown reception off a deflected pass from junior quarterback Cody Wienerwith 17 seconds left in the game allowed the Braves to come from behind for a 21-10 win and avoida stunning upset at the hands of Freehold Township. Holder’s touchdown catch tied the game at 20 andWiener’s extra point gave Manalapan the lead thanks to senior David Blumenberg blocking a FreeholdTownship extra point earlier in the game. Senior running back Marcus Salinas ran for a career-high233 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries as the Braves won their 33rd straight Class A Northgame. The Braves have a nonconference game Friday night when they travel to face Sayreville (2-0).

9. Brick Memorial (1-1). Last week: not rankedOne week after a demoralizing loss to rival Brick, the Mustangs unleashed their frustration on previousNo. 3 Toms River North with a 52-20 victory in Class A South to avoid an 0-2 start. Senior quarterbackTim Santiago exploded for program-record 320 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 19 carries whilealso throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Elie Lavarin. Sophomore runningback Tony Thorpe added two touchdowns and Lavarin finished with 102 yards rushing on four carries.Brick Memorial will try to keep the momentum going when it travels to Lacey on Saturday at 1 p.m.

10. Middletown North (2-0). Last week: not rankedJunior quarterback Donald Glenn completed 11 of 14 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns andsenior defensive end Jacob Dean blocked a punt and recovered another blocked punt for a touchdownto help the Lions to a 40-14 Class A North victory over Marlboro. Sophomore running back ConnorWelsh caught three passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, junior Brendan Kube had four receptionsfor 74 yards and a touchdown and senior Demetrius Redway ran for a touchdown. Sophomore AustinDewise led the defensive effort with six tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack. The Lions travel toFreehold (1-1) on Saturday at 1 p.m. for a Class A North game.

Dropped out: Toms River North, Matawan


Brick Memorial’s loss is a gain for the New JerseyState Interscholastic Athletic Association as Bill

Bruno ends a long career in public education onSeptember 30th and begins work the next day as anAssistant Director with the NJSIAA. Bruno wasappointed to his new position in August and will be incharge of cross country, winter and spring track, sportshe has always had a special passion for. Bruno hasspent the last 13 years working in the Brick SchoolDistrict and for a period was the athletic director atboth high schools and middle schools but for the last 7years has been in charge of the programs at BrickMemorial High School and Veterans Memorial MiddleSchool.Prior to coming to Brick the 62-year old served as athletic director atMarlboro High School and Howell High School and had a long coachingresume before that, including a stint as the head football coach at

Pinelands. However track and cross country have been among hisfavorites and he seemed like a perfect choice when longtime NJSIAAassistant director Don Danser died in June. Bruno will use hisfamiliarity with the sports and as an administrator to slide right into theposition at the organization’s offices in Robbinsville.Bruno is highly respected by fellow athletic directors and in Marchwas honored as the New Jersey Athletic Director of the Year by theDirectors of Athletics Association. He is also well known in coachingcircles and many of those he coached with and against will be on handto salute him during a retirement party on Sunday, October 4 at theBrick PAL building on Drum Point Road (2pm). The event is beingorganized by Hall of Fame wrestling Coach Denny D’Andrea, a friendof Bruno’s for more than 40 years. Those wishing to attend can contactD’Andrea at (732) 278-7276.Bruno has spent the last several weeks working with his replacement,Ed Sarluca Jr., who was hired by the Board of Education in August.Sarluca is a 1993 Brick Memorial graduate who coached the Mustangsbasketball team for nine years and previously coached football andsoftball at the school. Bruno and his wife Jeannette (Assistant Principalat Marlboro HS) live in Howell.

Change Of Scenery For Bill BrunoBy Kevin Williams – Shore Sports Network Director

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The third 2015 installment of the boys soccer top 10 featuresthe first rearranging of the top five this season. There were

two games this past week that featured top 10 teams squaring offagainst one another and all four of the teams involved in thosegames remain in the top five.

With one of the preseason top five dropping down in the top 10,that means there is a new team in the top five for the first timethis year and it is one of the two remaining teams in the ShoreConference with a perfect record. The rest of the top 10 featuresa team that fell out last week and climbed back in, as well as a

new team from the jungle that is Class A North.

1. Christian Brothers Academy(4-1, 4-0) Last Week: 2

Although the Colts are the first-place team in ClassA North and their only loss was a 1-0game to Peddie, they are not a lockNo. 1 at this point. If not for a red cardagainst Freehold Township on

Sept.17th and a penalty kick with five minutes left in the second overtimeagainst Freehold Boro on Sept. 19th, CBA would likely be a two-win team. Alas,the Colts pulled out both and since both are very good wins, CBA is indeed theNo. 1 team this week.

(Pictured is Junior Ryan Nigro)

2. Shore (5-0, 3-0) Last Week: 5CBA’s high-wire act at the end of the week left open the possibility for Shore tostorm through the door and take over the top spot in the rankings. The Blue Devilswere convincing in beating Ocean 3-1 and if the Spartans go on to have the kind of

season they are expected to have, that is going to be a huge win when it comesto SCT seeding and power points. The B Central schedule could possiblymake Shore’s hold on the No. 2 spot somewhat tenuous, but the win overOcean coupled with a 5-0 record has the Blue Devils next in line for thetime being.

3. Freehold Township (2-1-1, 2-1-0)Last Week: 1On one play, Freehold Township went from the undisputed No. 1 team to one that will have to scratch andclaw to stay in the top five by the time next week rolls around. Not only did goalkeeper Mike Christina’sred card open the door for CBA to rally from a 2-0 second-half deficit on Thursday, but it also leaves thePatriots without their No. 1 keeper for Monday’s showdown with Manalapan. If Freehold Township canget by the Braves, they should be able to chip away and get back into the discussion for No. 1

4. Ocean (3-1, 2-0) Last Week: 3The Spartans mauled three inferior teams by a combined score of 21-1 to open the season, but struggledto stop Shore on corner kicks while also failing to execute in the final third in a 3-1 loss to the Blue Devils.Ocean can put a ton of pressure on a defense with its speed and creativity on the attack, but the Spartansfound a few things to clean up in that loss to Shore. The meat of the B North schedule gets underway thisweek with Long Branch and Colts Neck on the slate.

5. Rumson-Fair Haven (6-0, 4-0) Last Week: 7The goal differential is not as eye-popping as the one that Shore owns, but like the Blue Devils, the Bulldogsjust keep winning. Five of Rumson’s six wins are by a one-goal margin, including three straight 2-1 winsover Manasquan, St. John Vianney and Holmdel. The wins over Long Branch and Manasquan are bothquality, and Holmdel’s win over Toms River South outside the division gives A Central some clout.

6. Wall (3-0-1, 2-0-1) Last Week: 8The only goal Wall has allowed in four games this year was the own goal Long Branch scored against theCrimson Knights in their 1-1 draw on Friday. Wall has already survived games against Colts Neck and LongBranch and will play the bottom two teams – Neptune and Red Bank Catholic – in the B North standingsthis week before a non-divisional rivalry game with Manasquan on Saturday.

7. Long Branch (3-1-1, 1-0-1) Last Week: Not rankedThe Green Wave lost to Rumson and survived a couple of close calls against Asbury Park and Neptune,but the young Long Branch roster showed its chops in a 1-1 tie at Wall Friday and has battled its way to a3-1-1 record. Long Branch will again be tested right out of the gate this week when it travels to Ocean fora night game on Monday, which has shaped up to be a big game for both teams.

8. Marlboro (1-1-1, 1-1-1) Last Week: Not rankedMarlboro has only one win, but it was a big one against preseason No. 4 Manalapan this past week. Eventhe two non-wins are solid showings, with the Mustangs falling to No. 3 Freehold Township in a 1-0decision and tying a Howell team that also played Manalapan tough and beat a quality Freehold Boro side.The Mustangs play the Middletowns and Red Bank Catholic this week, so the schedule gives them achance to build on their record.

9. Manalapan (2-1, 2-1) Last Week: 4Like Freehold Township, Manalapan has had a little trouble finding the back of the net out of the gate, butthe Braves are still in decent shape in the early going. CBA has had to survive a couple of close calls andFreehold Township will travel to Manalapan on Monday with their goalkeeper still on the bench becauseof a red card. If Manalapan can put a big week together against the Patriots, CBA on Friday andMiddletown North on Saturday, the Braves will catapult back into the top five.

10. Toms River North (2-1-1, 2-0-1) Last Week: 6After battling Brick Memorial to a 1-1 draw, Toms River North bounced back nicely with a 2-1 win overrival Toms River East. To this point, Class A South hasn’t had some of the definitive non-divisionalvictories that it did at this point last year, so we’re still learning about the top teams in the division. To thispoint, with wins over Lacey and Toms River East and a good showing in a loss to a very talented Kearnyteam, Toms River North appears to be the A South team with the highest ceiling.

Boys Soccer – Week of Sept. 20th Top 10Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer


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Christian Brothers Academyjunior Matt Thorsheim is only

in the early stages of his third varsityseason, but he has been in plenty ofintense, wild games in his time.The game he and his Colts – ranked No. 2 in the Shore SportsNetwork Top 10 – wwon on Sept. 17 against No. 1FreeholdTownship topped the list for the junior centermidfielder.

Junior Matt Mawson capped a run of three CBA goals inunder eight minutes following a Freehold Township red cardand the Colts rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Patriots,3-2, in Class A North.

Thorsheim scored the first two goals for CBA and set up thewinner with a diagonal through-ball that made it across the boxto Mawson, who finished for the go-ahead score in the 72ndminute.

“That is probably the craziest game I’ve ever played in,” saidThorsheim, who has an overtime penalty kick golden goal inthe NJSIAA playoffs during his freshman season on hisresume. “Just crazy plays that you don’t normally see over thecourse of ten games.”

Freehold Township goalkeeperMike Christina was issued a redcard for a push to a CBA playeraway from the play with 16:16 leftto play and his team leading 2-0.Thorsheim made the ensuingpenalty kick to pull CBA within 2-1.

The official who made the callindicated that Christina swungwith a closed fist, which promptedthe red card. The seniorgoalkeeper, who is a former CBAstudent and left the field tohandshakes and hugs from bothCBA and Freehold Townshipplayers alike, will have to sit forthe next two games per NJSIAArules.

“I didn’t see it,” FreeholdTownship coach Todd Briggs said.“I was just about to make two situational substitutions and asI was talking to those guys, it occurred. So I don’t even knowwhat happened. I can only go by the explanation I got from thereferee and my goalie admitted to it so I can’t react much tohow egregious it was. The referee was five yards away from the

play and made the right call.”

Backup goalkeeper JakeKonig was whistled for aviolation for dropping the ballinside the 18-yard box andpicking it up again, whichgave CBA an indirect kickfrom the spot. After a touch onthe ball, Thorsheim buried ashot to the lower left of thegoal to tie the game in the 69thminute.

“We were supposed to have asecond player run over the ballbefore I shot it and at first,nobody came,” Thorsheimsaid. “They (FreeholdTownship) jumped up and Iwas expected a card or awhistle or something andwhen it didn’t happen, they

were still getting set, the second guy (senior John Frycz) ranover the ball and I just went for the lower left.”

“I think the thing that hurt us more than anything was playinga man down,” Briggs said. “I wouldn’t put it on the keeper

Junior Matt Mawson

CBA Rallies to Beat Short-handed No. 1Freehold TownshipBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM 1 1

change at all. I know Jake expecting to do better, because that’sthe kind of kid he is, but you can’t put that on him. I thinkplaying a man down slanted the field and that’s what made thedifference.”

With Freehold Township playing a man down for the final63:46, CBA attacked the Patriots on the right side of theformation, where they built up the attack for Mawson’s winner.Thorsheim's diagonal ball went past junior Ryan Nigro, wholet the ball go through him as he was making a run. That gaveMawson space to settle the ball and hit a low shot past Konig.

“When they went down aman, they took away anoutside midfielder, so wehad to expose the side thatthey didn’t have a playeron,” Thorsheim said. “Soinstead of just playing itthrough, we were playingaround with the ball, forcingthem to step out and thenwhen they did, that’s whenwe’d hit the outsides and tryto attack down the flanks.”

“That was a really gooddecision by Nigro to let it goand then for Mawson to beable to stay composed,settle the ball and hit a solidshot is a great job by ajunior playing in his firstreal big game at the varsitylevel,” CBA assistant coach

Jeff Matson said.

Nigro came off the bench to give the Colts quality minutes inthe defensive central midfield, drawing praise from bothThorsheim and Matson.

“When we put in Nigro, he was a huge help,” Thorsheim said.“He kept the ball for us and we were able to move the ballaround really well and created some opportunties.”

“Nigro came in and did a great job,” Matson said. “He andJoey Paolillo do all the dirty work. They hold the ball, they winthe ball, they distribute it. Joey was getting a little gassed and

Nigro came in and gave us alittle different look and reallydid well. They scored rightaway, but that wasn’t hisfault.”

The Patriots broke ascoreless tie in the 48thminute on a goal by NickFacendo, who played a give-and-go with senior ChrisHoskins, took a touch towardthe middle and buried a shotto the far right post.

Hoskins gave the Patriots a2-0 lead in the 53rd with anear-post header off a freekick by senior Mike Maltesefrom outside the 18-yard boxon the left side. Up until thered card on Christina, whichoccurred after the Freehold

Township defense had cleared the ball out of its own box on theplay, the Patriots were in firm control.

“It’s disappointing on a lot of levels, but at the same time, itwas 2-0 before the game changed,” Briggs said. “At that point,it was a definitive victory. It wasn’t like last year when we wereheading in some fluke goals. We came out with a purpose, wecame out with an intention to the lineup and the formation andit was executed to perfection. That’s the killer.”

The second-half offensive outburst followed a tame first halfin which Christina stuffed the lone dangerous opportunity byblocking an attempt by CBA senior Nick Meyer on the left sideof the 18-yard box. The Patriots made a late push to score in thefinal five minutes, but the Colts were able to stave off the surge,highlighted by senior defender Tom Lozowski, who headed aball over the crossbar when CBA goalkeeper Aedan Boriottiwas off his line.

Freehold Township was without 6-foot-5 senior defenderAdrian Barajas at that point due to a calf injury that Briggs saidcould keep him out for some period of time going forward.

“I think they might have been better off pushing up on us likethey did at the end, but you can’t blame them for defending,”Matson said. “Our guys know how to score goals. Once theyknow the flaw in the formation, they are going to attack it andonce the red card came out, it definitely changed things.”

by:

Matt Manleywww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Senior Nick Meyer

The ShoreConferencefootball seasonhas just begunand already there

have been somesensational individual

performances andplayers off to red-hotstarts.

There are 15 teams there were perfect throughWeek Two, and behind several of thoseprograms has been a player that has lit upthe scoreboard.

After breaking his leg during aWeek Eight loss to Red BankCatholic last season, Oceansenior running back TylerThompson entered 2015 with

plenty to prove both to himself andthose that doubted he would be the same. Thompson ran for over1,000 yards as a freshman and sophomore and was well on his waylast season before getting injured, finishing with just over 800.

Thompson was able to rehab quickly from the break, enough sothat when he was cleared to return he was in the Spartans’ wrestlingroom during the winter season looking to get on the mat and helphis teammates prepare.

“For people to questionwhether he would be thesame coming off theinjury has really fueledhis fire,” Ocean headcoach Don Klein saidduring the preseason.

“His mindset is toattack this thing.”

Through two games that is exactly what Thompson has been doing.Thompson is charging hard at his third 1,000-yard season already with 397yards and seven touchdowns for the 2-0 Spartans. In a season-opening34-28 victory over Neptune, Thompson ran for 188 yards andthree touchdowns, including a 71-yard scoring run that tiedthe game and a 13-yarder that proved to be the winningscore. In a Week Two victory over Wall, Thompsonwent for 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead theway in a 48-21 win. He has also been a force ondefense as a safety. He had a forced fumble that wasrecovered for a touchdown and made double-digittackles in the win over Neptune.

The Spartans host a 2-0 Red Bank team in WeekThree in a key Class B North game and have anondivisional showdown with Manasquan inWeek Four.

Top-ranked Middletown South has startedexpectedly strong with a 2-0 mark and 83points scored, and it really has been a teameffort for the well-rounded Eagles.Junior running back James McCarthywas a force with 156 yards and twotouchdowns in a season-openingwin over South Brunswick.Senior running back ColeRogers was hampered bycramps in Week One, butbounced back with 135 yardsand three touchdowns in a 42-0win over Neptune. The defense hasbeen outstanding again led by linebacker Dylan Rogers, and the specialteams have been on point, even scoring on a punt return touchdown by TomMarron.

Even with all those players performing at a high level, arguably thebiggest difference-maker has been senior Matt Mosquera. As theEagles’ quarterback and kicker, Mosquera has constant pressure toget the job done, and he has not flinched in his second year startingat both positions.

In the win over South Brunswick in which the Eaglesrallied from a 21-3 deficit with 38 straight points to win41-21 over the No. 1 team in the Greater MiddlesexConference, Mosquera threw for 119 yards and atouchdown, ran for 57 yards and a touchdown andscored 11 kicking points with five extra points, a35-yard field goal and a booming 47-yard fieldgoal. In the Neptune win where the Eagleswere up 42-0 at halftime, Mosqueracompleted 5-of-8 passes for 87 yards

12

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

Ocean senior running back Tyler Thompson

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and two touchdowns and was again perfect on extra points.

If you're asking what else Mosquera could possibly do,that brings us to kickoffs. Mosquera neutralized greatkick-return talent on both South Brunswick andNeptune by booting touchbacks on seven of hiseight total kickoffs.

“He is multifacetedand helps us in somany ways,” saidMiddletown Southhead coachSteve Antonucci.“Now he’s a two-year starter sohis experienceis so valuableto us.”

A season that figured to bepromising for Brick Memorial seniorquarterback Tim Santiago started in thecomplete opposite direction. TheMustangs were taken down thoroughly

by rival Brick, 36-6, to open theseason, and their triple optionrushing attack spearheaded bySantiago was shut down.Facing an early crossroadsto the season, Santiagostepped up in a historicway the following week.

The Mustangsrudely welcomedthen-No. 3 TomsRiver North with a 52-20 blitzkrieg to get backon track, and Santiagodelivered with a career-high andBrick Memorial single-game record 320rushing yards on 19 carries. He scored fourtouchdowns on the ground and also threw a32-yard touchdown pass. The Mustangsfaced an 0-2 start, which in Class ASouth would have been brutal to fightback from. Instead they sit at 1-1 andremain in the hunt for the divisiontitle.

The team they would have togo through to win said title isdefending NJSIAA CentralJersey Group IV championJackson Memorial. TheJaguars have picked up rightwhere they left off in 2014when they won their finaleight games en route tofinishing No. 1 in theShore and No. 2 in NewJersey. Their 2-0 starthas been dominant witha 41-0 win over JacksonLiberty and a 41-10victory over Lacey.

The Jaguars haveseveral weapons with1,000-yard runningbacks Vinny Lee andMike Gawlik andbig-play widereceiver KyleJohnson, andj u n i o r

13

Middletown South senior QB/K Matt MosqueraS e e Setting the Bar pag e 1 4

SHORESPORTSNETWORK.COM

Brick Memorial senior quarterback Tim Santiago

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quarterback Dan Barker has been excellent in taking over as the starter. Despite having toreplace a big chunk of its overpowering offensive line, the Jaguars running game has been asscary as ever.

No player has come out of the gates like Gawlik, though in two games he has just 16 carries,and what he has done with those touches has been remarkable. In the win over Jackson LibertyGawlik needed just 10 carries to run for 170 yards and two touchdowns. In there was a 95-yardtouchdown run that is the second-longest play from scrimmage in Jackson Memorial history.Against Lacey, Gawlik took half of his six carries to the end zone and finished with 132 yards.He is averaging a ridiculous 18.9 yards per carry this season.

If you talk about a player playing bigger than his size Gawlik is a perfect example. Judginghim by his 5-foot-8, 155-pound frame would be foolish.

“For his size he breaks a lot of tackles,”said Jackson Memorial headcoach Walt Krystopik. “Hehas great balance andvision. He’s patientthrough the hole and then

he explodes.”

Staying in Class A South, Brick’sJa’Sir Taylor has proven a lot inthe first two weeks. Taylor playeda lot as a freshman and was one ofthe best wide receivers in the

Shore Conference as a

sophomore. Histalent was unquestionedgoing into his junioryear, but there still wassome wonder about howhe would contributewithout sensationalquarterback Carmen

Sclafani throwing the ball.The answer has been to gethim the ball any way possible, and so far it’syielded major dividends for the 2-0 Dragons.

In a colossal 36-6 victory over Brick Memorial toopen the season, Taylor ran for 107 yards, including an

80-yard touchdown. On defense he returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown inhis first start in the secondary. Then in a 35-0 win over Southern, Taylor caught a 59-

yard touchdown pass and ran for a 42-yard touchdown.

“We’ve been using him in as many different capacities as we can to get the ball in hishands,” said Brick head coach LenZdanowicz. “He had done everything wehave asked him to do. He might be themost talented player on the team but heis also most open to coaching. He wantsto make the team better.”

Red Bank Regional is 2-0 and lookingto make some noise after narrowlymissing the playoffs last season.Syracuse recruit Sadiq Palmer, a ShoreSports Network first-team All-Shorewide receiver last year, has been a big-play machine again for the Bucs. In winsover Wall and Colts Neck, Palmer haseight receptions for 105 yards and threetouchdowns. He also has a pair ofinterceptions.

Central is 2-1 and one game out offirst place in Class B South. Juniorrunning back Mike Bickford, who ranfor over 2,000 yards last season, is at itagain with 458 yards and eighttouchdowns in three games.

St. John Vianney quarterback AnthonyBrown, a Boston College recruit, has four touchdowns in two games for the 2-0 Lancers.

Red Bank Catholic senior quarterback Eddie Hahn made his season debut in Week Two afterhurting his knee in the preseason and threw for a career-high301 yards and three touchdowns in a 32-18 in over St.Joseph-Metuchen.

Manalapan senior running back Marcus Salinas ran for acareer-high 233 yards in a 21-20 win over FreeholdTownship.

Lakewood’s Amir Tyler, a Temple recruit, has fivetouchdowns in two games. He scored four times - threerushing and one interception return - in the first half in a 40-34 win over Central and had an 87-yard touchdown run in a25-8 win over Pinelands.

Point Boro senior quarterback Noah Husak ran for acareer-high 201 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-7 winover Donovan Catholic for the 2-0 Panthers.

Howell is 2-0 and a big reason is senior quarterback MarkIacobino, who has five touchdown passes in two games.

P h o t o s b y :Mark Brown

www.b51photography.com

Ray Rich Photographywww.rayrichphotography.smugmug.com

Bi l l Normi lewww.billnormile.zenfolio.com

Doug Bostwickwww.SportShotsWLB.com

Phi l St i l tonJTOWN Magaz ine

14

Setting the BarContinued from page 13

Brick Township WR Ja’Sir Taylor

Jackson Memorial's Mike Gawlik

Red Bank WR Sadiq Palmer


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Shore Regional senior J.T.Kessler admits his team’s

schedule is not as challengingas some of the other topteams in the ShoreConference, but when theBlue Devils boys soccerteam gets to face anothertop 10 team in theconference, they relishthe opportunity.Junior Dante Montesinos andfreshman Leonardo Montesinos eachscored first-half goals Sept.19th andKessler added his 10th goal of the seasonearly in the second half as the Blue Devils – rankedNo. 5 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 –upended No. 3 Ocean in a match-up of unbeaten,top-five teams in the Shore Conference.

“We don’t get to face top 10 teams in our division,so we get pumped for games like this,” Kessler said.“We see it as a chance to prove ourselves as one ofthe top teams in the Shore. I don’t know if Oceansees us in the same way. They probably see us as

just another game, which probably helps.”

Prior to Sept. 19th, Ocean was 3-0 and hadoutscored its three opponents – Brick, Red

Bank Catholic and Red Bank Regional– by a combined score of 21-1,scoring at least six goals in each ofthe three games.

“Ocean is a great team and withthe guys they have up top, theyare never out of a game, so wenever felt like we had the gameput away,” Shore coach ChristianPontier said.

Senior goalkeeper Evan Coffeysaved six shots for Shore, helpingthe Blue Devils offset a 10-6 Oceanadvantage in shots.

“Before the game, I told Evan hewas going to have to come out and be

aggressive and to play almost like a sweeperkeeper,” Pontier said. “They pounded theball up to their forwards and our defense wasworking to keep those guys in front and I

wanted Evan to be aggressive aboutgiving those guys help and closingoff the space.”

Montesinos rifled home an eight-

yard shot in the eighth minute off a deflected pass fromjunior Matt Dutra for the game’s first goal. The goalfollowed two restarts and a corner kick, with Shore settingup a 35-yard free kick thanks to a foul that occurred after aquick restart in its own end. Senior Brett Norman set up thecorner kick with a free kick that sophomore Matt Quesadaheaded on frame, with Ocean sophomore goalkeeper TomGleason punching the ball over the crossbar and off thefootball crossbar.

Younger brother Leonardo beat Gleason inside the highnear post in the 25th after a deflection in the box following

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 [email protected]

Senior J.T. Kessler

Junior Dante Montesinos

No. 5 Shore Cools Off No. 3 OceanBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer


a throw-in.

“We always talk about making the most of ouropportunities and today, when we got the ball in their thirdwith a chance to score, we were dangerous,” Montesinossaid. “On my goal, I just tracked the ball to the far post andit bounced back to me in the middle and I just hit it as hardas I good at the goal.”

Kessler made it 3-0 in the 43rd with Shore’ssecond goal off a corner kick. Norman played theball on the ground out of the corner and juniorStevie Johnson set Kessler up with a dummy, afterwhich Kessler ripped a bending shot to the leftcorner of the goal from the top of the 18-yard box.

“We usually like to play it pretty conventionalon the first corner and hit it to the back post, andthen when we see what the other team is doing,it’s coach’s call,” Kessler said. “I saw they wereplaying a zone in the box and none of them werestepping to the ball so when Stevie just dummiedit, no one moved and I just picked a corner andput it in.”

Ocean trimmed its deficit to two goals in the 49th minutewhen senior Marlhens Nasanes took a pass from seniordefender Luis Araya up the left side, beat a defender alongthe end-line and slotted a shot to the far right side netting.

Montesinos appeared to score a second goal in the 53rdminute that would have given Shore a 4-1 lead, but the goalwas disallowed because Montesinos was ruled offsidebefore Kessler flicked a header to the front of the goulmouth.

Spartans senior center midfielder and Monmouth

University recruit Wadneson Alexis did not start the gamebecause he had been sick in recent days, according toOcean coach Tom Reilly. Once Alexis entered 10 minutesinto the game, he did not come out

Leonardo Montesinos and junior Stevie Johnson battledAlexis in the midfield for most of the game and the BlueDevils countered the Ocean skill in the middle by playing

with three center midfielders – with Kessler and DanteMontesinos checking back to the midfield at differentpoints.

“Leo played great,” Dante Montesinos said of his youngerbrother. “He worked really hard and went up against a greatplayer and was still able to score a goal.”

“I thought the key for us was going to be the three centermidfielders against their two,” Pontier said. “Waldo(Alexis) still played great, but I think our ability to play

with an extra midifielder and still be able to win in ourdefensive third and in their third was huge.”

Ocean was also without senior goalkeeper YanniKavarakas, who has not played yet this season because ofa back injury. According to Reilly, Kavarakas is close toreturning, but there is not currently a specific return date.

Shore will go back to division play and whilethe Blue Devils typically play their toughestgames outside of the Class B Central division,upcoming games against Ranney (3-1), St.Rose (2-2) and Asbury Park (2-2) will testShore, which had to hold off a second-halfcomeback by division rival Point Beach in a3-2 win on Sept. 11.

“I think our guys got the message with thatsecond half against Point Beach,” Pontiersaid. “Teams in our division are going to giveus 80 hard minutes and with some of thestyles we’re going to see, it’s not going to beeasy. We learned last year that we can’t justtake these games for granted, so I think they’llbe ready for the day-to-day challenge.”

by:

Matt Manleywww.shoresportsnetwork.com

P h o t o s b y :Doug Bostwick

www.SportShotsWLB.com

By now, many of us in thelacrosse community were

deeply saddened by the passingon of Kyle Kirs t , age 47, thelong t ime assis tant coach forthe legendary Summit HighSchool Lacrosse program. Kyleleaves behind his wife and f iveyoung sons, ages, 17-9.The New Jersey Interscholastic High SchoolLacrosse Coaches and Referees Associations arerunning a Coaches Clinic in honor of Kyle as apure fund raiser with all proceeds going to theKirst Family Educational Foundation.

The event will take place on Saturday, November14th, from 8:00 am-1:00 pm, at Goodsports inWall.

Special guest presenters will be Chris Wojcik, the

head coach at Harvard as well as Bill Pilat, thehead coach at Roanoke.

A presentation on rules interpretation will begiven by Tom Carr, current NCAA Official.

Additionally, Tim Flynn (Mountain Lakes), JimDavidson (Summit) and Chuck Apel (Bridgewater)will be making presentations throughout the day.

All six of these presenters are in the NJ LacrosseHall of Fame.

Registration is now open for all attendees. Thedonation at the front door is $45.00.The playersfrom Brookdale Community College will bepresent to help out with all the half and full fieldpresentations.

This event is being organized and sponsored bythe lacrosse clubs of Manasquan, Wall, MountainLakes and Summit.

If anyone would like to make a donation inadvance, please send to:

Kirst Children Educational FundPO Box 1352Summit, NJ 07901Tax ID number 26-3962440

Thanks for your support and hope to see many ofyou there. For more information about thisCoaches Clinic, please email Bob Sheridan, thePast President of the NJ Lacrosse Foundation, [email protected]

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2015 Kyle Kirst Lacrosse CoachesClinic Honors One of its Own


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Every week th is season, Shore Conference footba l l fans w i l l get the i r chance to vote forthe SSN Footba l l P l ayer of the Week on our webs i te , w i th near l y 50,000 votes a l ready

cast in the f i r st two weeks.

Two players so far have earned the honor of SSNs Shore Conference Player of the Week after brilliant performances.

Week-0 9/4 / 15

Pinelands junior running back

Justin Kirkpatrick

The first recipient of the 2015 season is Pinelands junior running back JustinKirkpatrick, who needed just 12 carries to rush for 200 yards and three touchdowns in a39-33 loss to Donovan Catholic. Kirkpatrick ran for touchdowns of 44, 41 and 27 yardsin the back-and-forth battle to lead a Wildcats rushing attack that finished with 450 yardsrushing on 10.5 yards per carry.

The Pinelands fans overwhelmingly voted Kirkpatrick the winner, as he received 63.8percent of the vote to top Donovan Catholic senior running back David Calderon, whoran for 136 yards and two touchdowns, including the eventual game-winning score.Calderon finished just ahead of Central junior running back Mike Bickford, who ran for207 yards and one touchdown in a 27-20 overtime victory over Southern.

Week-1 9/11/15Jackson Memorial junior running back

Mike Gawlik

The Week One recipient is Jackson Memorial junior running back Mike Gawlik, whoran for 170 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries in a 41-0 victory over JacksonLiberty. Gawlik’s signature play was a 95-yard touchdown run in the third quarter thatput the finishing touches on the Jaguars’ eighth straight victory over the Lions to claimthe Connor Cup. The 95-yard touchdown is the second longest in Jackson Memorialprogram history.

The Jaguars fans came out in full force as Gawlik was the runaway-winner with 41.17percent of the vote to top Raritan senior running back Derek Ernst, who ran for 130 yardsand two touchdowns in a 26-14 win over Manasquan.

Fri Sept. 25 St. John Vianney at Central (7pm)

Fri Oct. 2 Jackson Memorial at Brick (7pm)

Fri Oct. 9 Jackson Memorial at T.R. North (7pm)

Fri Oct. 16 T.R. North at T.R. East (7pm)

Fri Oct. 23 Middletown South at Brick Memorial (7pm)

Fri Oct. 30 Shore at Point Beach (7pm)

Fri Nov. 6 Jackson Memorial at Red Bank Cath. (7pm)

Thr Nov. 26 Manasquan at Wall (11am)

NJSIAA Playoffs TBD

Schedule is subject to change

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


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Documents

Shore Sports Network Journal Setting the Bar in the Shore Conference