April 21, 2015 Volume-VII Issue-8

The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want toknow after the big game is always,

”Is this going to be on ”

Shore Sports Network Website Features

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n Get Video Highlights of all theimportant games that Shore Conferencefans will be talking about.

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n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

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Facing a five-goal deficit on its homefield in the third quarter, Christian

Brothers Academy was in the midst of doingwhat it has done several times already thisseason in storming back to take a lead. AndHowell, admitted senior Mark Buannic, hadnot been the best at protecting fourth-quarter advantages over the past fewseasons.

“I can’t tell you the amount of times we’ve lost games in thefourth quarter, so we just wanted to finish it,” he said. “I walkedinto the fourth quarter huddle and said let’s finish this game, andthis time we did it.

Buannic scored twice and the Rebels also got a goal fromsenior Zack Ornstein while keeping CBA off the scoresheet inthe final 12 minutes to compete a stunning upset as Howell,ranked No. 5 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, took down theNo. 3 Colts on April 17 in a pivotal Shore Conference Class ANorth game.

Buannic, a senior attackman, scored a game-high five goals and added three assists, seniorattackman Jake Sherman had a hat trick andOrnstein helped Howell (8-1, 3-0) control thepace by winning 17-of-21 face-offs. It alladded up to Howell’s first win over CBAin program history and the Colts’ firstdivisional loss since 2010.

“All I can say is it’s great, Icouldn’t be more proud of thisteam,” Ornstein said.

“We set goals as a team and weachieve goals as team,” Buannic said.“That’s what we’ve been preaching allyear, and we won today as a team.”

Howell led from the start, jumping on the Colts3-1 in the first quarter and quickly pushing itsadvantage to 5-1 with two goals in the first 1:18 ofthe second quarter. CBA got it as close as 10-8 byscoring the final three goals of the third quarter, butthe Howell offense pumped in the only three talliesof the fourth while senior goalie Ian Colmorgan,who was phenomenal with 17 saves, and adefense led by senior Anthony Pozsonyi shut thedoor.

Pozsonyi had the task of marking CBAsophomore attackman Nick Casner, who createsso much of the Colts’ offense from the Xposition.

“He certainly got his looks, but we thought he’dgo toe-to-toe with him,” said Howell head coachAnthony Bonjavanni. “He’s just a competitor.That’s the matchup we focused on, and he came uphuge when it mattered most.”

Freshman attackman Mike Carroll led CBA (5-3,2-1) with three goals while Casner and juniorattackman Shay Walscak each finished with twogoals and two assists. Evan Bynoe made 10 saves.

Junior midfielder Nic Rossi opened the scoring with the first ofhis two goals off a feed form Buannic just 46 seconds into thegame. Rossi then returned the favor by setting up Buannic at7:04 to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead. Casner tallied unassisted at3:17, but Howell responded on a goal by sophomore midfielderNico Lorenzo off another assist from Buannic at 2:05.

Ornstein was 12-for-14 on draws in the first half, and that wasa big reason why Howell was able to put together some quickscoring plays. His face-off win to open the second quarter led toBuannic’s unassisted goal at 11:30, and another win started apossession that ended with Rossi taking a pass from EvanWesley and beating Bynoe for a 5-1 lead at 10:42.

“It starts at face-off X with Zack and it’s huge,” Bonjavannisaid. “We can let goals in because – and it went the other waylast year where we lost almost every single one and were stillclose (11-7 in the Shore Conference Tournament) – we figuredwe could reverse that. Regardless of how many goals they pumpin, we knew we could get the ball back right afterwards and stayeven.”

Walscak fed Carroll for a goal at8:57 to pull CBA within 5-2, butjunior middie Jason Kenny

scored off an assist fromsenior attackman J.T.

Pojero at 6:00 on a man-

advantage, and Sherman sank an unassisted goal at 3:02 to givethe Rebels a 7-2 lead. Casner scored at 2:15 before setting upCarroll in front for a goal with 1:43 left in the half, but Buannicgot it right back by scoring with 17 seconds left to make it 8-4.

“We always talk about coming out fast, and we try to do itevery game,” Buannic said. “We came out fast today, but we saidin the huddle that it was 0-0, and that’s how we kept ourmindset.”

“It definitely helped, but whether we’re down 5-1 or up 5-1we’re going to fight,” Ornstein said. “That’s the biggestdifference this year. We’re not going to take our foot off thepedal.”

A pair of goals by Sherman in the first three minutes of thethird quarter sandwiched around a goal by Carroll had the Rebelsup 10-5, but CBA’s M.O. began to play out as the Colts scoredthree goals in the final 5:20 to make it 10-8. Walscak set upjunior midfielder Justin Shea-Katz at 5:20, scored off a dish fromjunior middie John Salcedo at 3:54 and scored again with 12.9seconds left from a pass by Casner.

It wouldn’t have been surprising to see the Colts come all theway back. This program has been there before and Howell hasnot. But the Rebels had other ideas, instead playing like achampionship team in the fourth quarter to close out the biggestwin in program history. Buannic scored unassisted at 8:39 beforeOrnstein won the ensuring face-off and took it in himself for a12-8 lead. Buannic sealed the win with a goal with 2:32 left.

“On one hand I was a nervous wreck, and on the other hand, Ihave faith in my kids,” Bonjavanni said.

“A lot of times when you’re going against a team rankedhigher in the Shore and in the state you start to slowdown a bit, but we just knew what we had to do,”Ornstein said.

The Rebels will take the rest of the weekend to baskin the glow of a monumental victory, but they know a

regular-season win, no matter how big, won’t meanmuch if they let their game slip from here on out.

As far as they’re concerned, this is only thebeginning.

“It’s a reallysentimental win,butchampionshipsaren’t won on

April 17,” Ornstein said. “We’re notputting a ring on our fingers today. Wehave to take this momentum and go rightinto Monday and not overlook anybody,and just keep fighting.”

HOWELL LACROSSE MAKES H ISTORYIN WIN OVER CBABy Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

by:

Bob Badderswww.shoresportsnetwork.com

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

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For first-year Red BankCatholic boys lacrosse coachDave Erdman, the key wordthis season has been “finish.”

Finish they did on April 17 as the Caseys pulled out a 10-9 double-overtime thriller over crosstown rival Red Bank in a Class B Northgame.

“(Going into the second overtime) I told my guys what we’ve beensaying all year – finish,” Erdman said. “The same kid who made themistake in the regular time was able to come back and win it for us,and we were able to seal the deal in overtime.”

That “same kid” was senior attackman Tim Barile, who got off to arocky start in the first half, but led the Caseys’ comeback in the second.

Barile’s game-winning goal came just 10 seconds into the secondovertime for the Caseys (5-2, 2-0), who are ranked No. 6 in the ShoreSports Network Top 10. Julian Esposito led the Caseys with fourgoals, Barile added three goals and an assist, and Brett Habich addeda pair of goals and two assists. Goalie Matt Benjamin had 16 saves.

Despite the fact that Red Bank (3-7, 1-2) led for the majority of thegame, Barile helped make sure that his teammates and coach nevergave up hope of a comeback. The halftime score of 6-3 in the Bucs’favor and the limited amount of shots on goal (only 28 for the Caseysin the whole game), made things difficult for RBC heading into thethird quarter.

“I think going into the second half, we were definitely down, and Ineeded to have confidence to lift my team,” said Barile, who is

committed toplay at VirginiaM i l i t a r yInstitute thisfall. “I felt likewe coulddefinitely pushthrough, andwe did.”

E r d m a nbelieved thatall that wasneeded toinspire histeam at all thed e c i s i v emoments –headed into the second half, the last two minutes of regulation, thefirst overtime and the second overtime – was a good pep talk.

“I told my goalie that he needed to step up, and he did a hell of a jobshutting them down in the third quarter, and my guys kind of ralliedaround that,” said Erdman. “We were able to shut it down on defense,and the offense was finally able to work things out for us.”The Bucsdidn’t go down without a fight, though. Juniors Cole

Smolokoff, Brian Fagan and Ryan Gilmartin all contributed to leadthe offense. Smolokoff finished with four goals, Fagan had two, andGilmartin shined with two quick goals to open the game before theRBC defense picked up on him. The game was Gilmartin’s firstofficial game in the maroon and white after sitting out because ofNJSIAA transfer rules after coming over from Christian Brothers

Academy.Red Bank goalie Jon Pierce played a large part in

keeping Red Bank right in the game. The junior, whose.630 save percentage last season put him on the list of the Shore’s topreturning goalies this year, was sensational with 27 saves on Fridaynight.

Other than being another instant classic chapter in the history booksof the RBR-RBC rivalry, it was also a separation game in Class BNorth with everyone chasing division favorite Rumson-Fair Haven,which RBC plays on April 29. Next up for Red Bank is MiddletownNorth at home on Monday, while the Caseys face off against Holmdelat home on Wednesday.

RBC’s Brett Habich

RBC’s Tim Barile

P h o t o s b y :Mark Brown

w w w . b 5 1 p h o t o g r a p h y . c o m

RBC Wins Double-Overtime ThrillerOver Rival Red BankBy Ella Brockway – Shore Sports Network Contributor

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In consecutive at-batsSaturday against FreeholdBoro, Ocean senior AnthonyBartolomei did two things herarely, if ever, does. First, hehit his first career varsityhome run in the fourth inningand then, for the first time thisseason according to Oceancoach Cip Apicelli, Bartolomeistruck out.

In his final at-bat, with the game tied in the bottom of theeighth inning, Bartolomei would repeat one of those rarities.Fortunately for the Spartans, it was not the strikeout.

Bartolomei blasted a game-winning solo home run off thescoreboard in right field in the bottom of the eighth inning –his second solo shot of the game – to deliver the No. 7 rankedSpartans a 3-2, extra-inning win over the Colonials Saturday inthe second game of a Strike Out Autism Challenge double-header at Ocean Township High School.

“I felt good today,” Bartolomei said. “I was taking goodhacks when I got pitches to hit, and I really got a hold of thatlast one.”

“We’ve been talking to (Bartolomei) about picking out apitch in advantageous counts like 2-0, 1-0, and trying to takea shot at really driving the ball,” Apicelli said. “He’s usuallynot that kind of hitter. He’s got a great approach at the plate

and normally he’s gap-to-gap with the ability to take balls theother way, especially in RBI situations. We tell all of our guysto model their approach after his. If there is one thing he coulddo more of, it’s take his shots in hitter’s counts, and today, hegot two pitches and he crushed them.”

The first of Bartolomei’s home runs cut a 2-0 Ocean deficitin half in the fourth inning, but Freehold starter DanteCuzzolino would get the better of Bartolomei in a sixth-inningencounter that ended with Bartolomei flailing at strike threeon an offspeed pitch on the outside corner.

“That’s the first time I can remember him striking out thisyear,” Apicelli said. “If his plan was to set (Cuzzolino) up forthe next at-bat, then good for him, because he looked bad (onthe strikeout). He has a great plan at the plate and even aftera bad at-bat, he gives himself a chance to do damage the nexttime he’s up.”

After looking bad in his previous at-bat, Bartolomei zonedin on a pitch, and when Cuzzolino gave him a chance to hit iton a 1-0 count, he did not miss.

“After striking out, I just got it in my head that I was goingto look for a fastball in and that was the only pitch I was goingto swing at early in the count,” Bartolomei said. “On 1-0, theonly thing on my mind was a fastball in and he (Cuzzolino)put it on a tee for me.”

Bartolomei also threw seven innings on the mound,allowing two runs on two hits while walking three andstriking out seven. The senior-right-hander – who swings fromthe left side – struck out the side in the seventh after walkingthe leadoff batter in the inning to finish his day.

Bartolomei Stars in Ocean's StrikeOut Autism VictoryBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Ocean’s Anthony Bartolomei

7

“I went out to the mound(after the first out of theseventh) and told him,‘This is it, so empty thetank here,’” Apicelli said.

Blake DeMeter pitchedaround a leadoff single byMarco Meleo in the eighthto throw a scoreless inningof relief and earn the win.

Ocean tied the gamewith a two-out rally in thebottom of the sixth. BrianOlesen ripped a two-outdouble to the gap in left-center field and gave wayto pinch-runner BoBritton. Marc Cherninthen delivered a ground-ball single through theright side to score Brittonfrom second.

“We knew coming intothe year we were going to rely a lot on our top three in the battingorder, which is our three guys back from last year – (Sam)Maxwell, (Brian) Kochenash and Bartolomei,” Apicelli said.“Olesen has been a big run producer for us this year, and he got a

pitch to drive and he hit it hard. Chernin had been scuffling but hegets a ground ball through the right side there. We need that waveof guys behind the top three to give us quality at-bats, and thatwas a big part of why we won today.”

Freehold jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth on a

wild pitch with the bases loaded that allowed courtesy runnerSteve Rullo to score from third on an RBI single by FrankGranato. Nick Belka tried to score from second on theGranato single, but Ocean center fielder Sam Maxwell threwhim out at the plate to end the inning. Cuzzolino began theinning with a double off the very top of the left-field fence.

Cuzzolino went the distance in taking the loss, allowingthree runs on eight hits while walking none and striking outfour.

Bartolomei earned Player of the Game honors at the event,which was one of nine sites throughout the Shore Conferencethat hosted the benefit to raise money and awareness forautism.

“It feels good to win like this, not just to hit the walk-off,but to do it on a day where we’re playing for a good cause,”Bartolomei said. “This was about more than baseball today,and I’m glad we were able to help spread some awareness andhopefully raise some money for the kids.”

by:

Matt Manleywww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Ocean players mob Anthony Bartolomei after the senior hit a game-winning home run

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

Six key question to askabout how to improve thesuccess of your studentathletes, both on and offthe field

Ever have trouble figuring out what to feed your1athletes before a big game?Have you noticed your team getting weaker and2slower as the season dragged on?Do you have a star athlete that simply cannot get3out of a slump?Is your team plagued by concussions or ACL4tears?Do you know how to prepare your athletes for5playing at the next level?Are you in looking to develop a CHAMPIONSHIP6team?

If you answered YES to any of those questions, I hope you’ll considerjoining us on May 2nd as we educate and empower high school sport, clubcoaches and trainers on what they can do to improve the success of theirstudent athletes, both on and off the field.

At 9am, we will start presenting a host of local area experts throughout thevarious aspects of sports performance. Ranging from college recruiting to sportpsychology, our clinic will address every end of the spectrum when it comesto preparing your athlete or team for maximum success. For more informationon our speakers and topics, please see below:

College Recruiting 101Patti Adorna- Owner/Founder of Turn2 Sports Consulting

High school student-athletes & their parents expect a level of help in thecollege selection & recruitment process. This session will help provide theknowledge to educate athletes & parents back on your school campusincluding

NCAA eligibility & academic requirements •

Best practices for getting recruited •

How the recruiting process works•

Coaches role in the recruiting process•

Recruiting game-plan & timeline•

Mastering the Mental Side of the Game-Dr. Mitch Abrams

Founder of Learned Excellencefor Athletes

For the sport psychologist, thegoal is to assist the athlete (orcoach or team…) be limitedonly by their physical limitations;and then learn to exceed them.In the heart of competition,high achievers haveexperienced the zone – a stateof being where performancebecomes easier. Thispresentation will describe thenecessary conditions for athletesto be in the Zone with greaterfrequency and how coaches can assist theprocess. Specific attention will be paid tothe relationship between emotions and performance, while explaining the toolsnecessary to optimize success in sport and in life.

Nutrition for Today’s AthleteMary Kate Feit- Associate Director of Sports Performance for RYPT, Inc.

With the countless hours spent on practices, games and training, often highschool athletes forget about the importance of eating properly. Athletes areconstantly on the move and finding the easiest possible source of foodbecomes the priority rather than finding the best source of nutrients. Thissession will give practical information on ways to improve the high schoolathlete’s diet. From examples of meals to be eaten “on the go” to nutritionbased competitions that can be held within a team, each coach will leave thissession with a plan of how to improve the eating habits of their team.

ACL Prevention & Post-ConcussionRehabilitationDr. Sharon Wenworth- Owner of Elite Sports Physical Therapy

The first part of this session will discuss some general background regardingACL injuries, demographics of ACL injuries, anatomy and etiology of ACLinjuries, and steps that can be taken to lower the risk of ACL injuries. Next, wewill discuss the hot topic of concussions in sports, the physiology andneurology of a concussion, the signs of a concussion, what to do if you suspectyour athlete has a concussion, the rehabilitation of concussions, and return tosports following a concussion.

In-Season Training & ConditioningAdam Feit- Director of Sports Performance for RYPT, Inc.

Far too often athletes spend countless hours and amounts of money toimprove their sport performance, only to see their gains diminish during thecompetitive season. During the in season period, it is vital to maintain andeven improve their physical performance traits to reduce the risk of injury andensure success deep into the post season. This session will explore simple andapplicable methods of in season training and conditioning for the high schoolsport coach. Emphasis will be placed on program design for coaches whooperate on a small budget and/or have little time or space within their facility

.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Keys to Success:Getting the Most out of Your PlayersNancy Williams, All-time winningest coach in high school history

With over 800 wins, 43 Divisional titles, 19 Shore Conferencechampionships and 13 state championships, Coach Nancy Williams knows afew things about success. Be sure to stay for our key note address as sheexplains how to build a championship team and culture for years to last.

Registration begins at 8am on May 2nd. Continuing education creditsthrough the NSCA (0.5) and NATA (4) are available for certified strength andconditioning coaches and athletic trainers.

Questions?Contact Adam Feit at adam@igotrypt.com or call 732-800-2614

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2015 High School SportsPerformance ClinicBy Adam Feit - Director of Sports Performance (RYPT)

9

hile thisyear's Strike

Out Autism Challengeacross the ShoreConference was allabout some excitingbaseball and raisingmoney for a greatcause, it also put aface on a disorderthat for so long washidden away.

The big grins on the faces of Dayton Frulio, Connor Poll,

Brick’s Anthony Starego, Wall student James MacInnes

and several others as they threw out first pitches before

Saturday’s games showed how children with autism have

become much more integrated into the fabric of their

schools and communities. The days of children with autism

being isolated from their peers have been replaced by

compassion and support as awareness spreads.

“The mindset has changed in the special education

system from separation to involvement,” said Central head

coach John Scran, who has been part of the event for all

three years of its existence. “In our school, we have a great

autism program, a great special ed program, and the kids

within the school are great with those kids and make them

feel like part of the school environment.”

Dayton, 7, is the son of Challenge director Jerry Frulio, a

former head coach at St. Rose and his alma mater, Central,

whose wife, Jo-Dee, is a teacher in the autism program at

Central Regional Middle School. He has gone from a child

who didn’t even speak when he was three to a chatty 7-

year-old who spent a good chunk of Freehold Township’s

5-1 win over host Central hanging out in the Patriots’

dugout.

“He’s a really nice kid, reallyenergetic,” said Freehold Townshipsenior pitcher Kyle Fenton, who gotthe win with a two-hitter. “He got usall pumped up before the game.”

Starego did the same for the games at Jackson Memorial,

throwing out the first pitch in

advance of Brick’s eventual loss to

Manalapan. For those not living

under a rock for the past two

years, Starego is the standout

kicker from Brick with autism

who became a mini-celebrity for

his feats on the field and for his

family’s successful fight against

the NJSIAA for an

unprecedented fifth year of

eligibility in 2013. He is beloved

by the student body at Brick,

showing how students with special

10

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Freehold Township senior Kyle Fenton threw a complete-game two-hitter in hisfirst varsity start to get the win

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1 1

S e e Str ik in g O ut pag e 1 2

needs

can become a vital

part of a school’s identity.

“The other kids love seeing those kids because

they’re so positive and enthusiastic,” Southern

coach John Natoli said before the Rams’ win over

Mater Dei Prep at Central. “The kids love

interacting with them.”

Certainly part of the reason for the

continued acceptance of children with

autism by the other students is because

there are simply more of them, so

almost everyone has a family member

with the disorder or knows someone

with it. One in 68 children

nationally has an autism spectrum

disorder, and New Jersey has the

highest rate in the country of

one in 45, including 1 in 28 in

boys, according to the Centers

for Disease Control.

The growth in awareness about autism has been

mirrored by the growth of the Strike Out Autism

Challenge, which has gone from four teams in its

inaugural year in 2013 to 36 teams playing 18

games across nine sites in Monmouth and Ocean

counties on Saturday.

“I think the more educated weare towards autism or to anyonewith special needs is important,”Jerry Frulio said. “These playersget more educated, and theygrow more compassionateabout it. I think they’regenuinely proud to play inthis event. It’s not justanother game.”“I think when our kids saw the pictures of our

guys hanging out with Jerry’s son at last year’s game in

this (event), it hit them that this is pretty cool,” Mater

Dei Prep coach Pat Riddell said. “They were pumped to

come down here, and they were all willing to donate the

money to help.”

Every team did fundraising on its own in addition to

the $12 T-shirts that were being sold at all nine sites.

There also was a carnival-like atmosphere at Central

with bouncy houses and food stands. The proceeds go

toward a donation to Autism Speaks as well as funding

to help programs at local schools. Money from last

year’s games helped buy iPads for the autism and

special needs programs at Central, Wall and Howell.

Freehold Township coach Todd Smith gave Frulio an

envelope with more than $1,600 that his team raised for

the event. Last year’s games raised $10,000, and this

year’s games look to at least double and possibly triple

that amount.

“We were just excited to come down here and play for

a bigger cause,” Smith said. “I said to the kids to keep

things in perspective that the baseball game is a small

part of what is going on today. Everything else that goes

along with it is something that you guys can say you

were proud to be a part of.”

The game also had special meaning for Freehold

Township starting sophomore shortstop Ralph Gambino

and his older brother, Peter, a junior pitcher. They are

Frulio’s cousins.

“Over the years we’ve gotten closer to (Frulio), and

we’ve gotten to know the kids more,” Peter said. “It’s

been a great experience.”

“Dayton has come a long way,” Ralph said. “To have

this for him is very special, and to be part of it is special,

plus we got the win.”

While the beautiful weather and the money raised for

the cause were certainly things to savor, the action on

the field was also memorable. In his first varsity start,

Fenton threw a complete-game two-hitter, striking out

five and hitting one batter. He retired 14 straight to end

the game, polishing off the win on 88 pitches.

Lead-off hitter Brandon Roth went 2-for-2 with a

walk, a hit-by-pitch and a run scored, and senior catcher

Joe Silvestrone earned Player of the Game honors. He

Central freshman DH Tom Ruscitti had an RBI double in the loss to Freehold Township

12 / /

finished 2-for-3 with a

walk and a two-run blast

over the center field fence

for his Shore Conference-

leading sixth home run of

the year.

“It definitely feels good

to represent the school,

our program and

ourselves for a great

cause like this,”

Silvestrone said.

“I know a lot of kids

who have (autism), so it

was good to give back,”

Fenton said. “It was a

beautiful day and a great

game.”

There were plenty of

great games, including Jackson Memorial’s Rich Rountree

clubbing a walk-off grand slam in an 8-4 win over rival

Jackson Liberty, and Ocean’s Anthony Bartolomei smacking

a walk-off solo shot in extra innings to give the Spartans a 3-

2 win over Freehold Boro.

Red Bank beat Monmouth

Regional 9-8 on a suicide

squeeze in the bottom of the

ninth inning, and

Brick Memorial

knocked No. 2

Colts Neck from

the ranks of the

unbeaten with a

5-3 upset helped

by a two-run

homer by junior

Matt Cuppari.

Beautiful

weather, great

baseball, and

most importantly,

increased

awareness and

funding for a cause that touches thousands of

lives in New Jersey – Frulio couldn’t have

asked for anything better than that. The day also showed that

children with autism are part of the game, too, when it comes

to their communities.

“A lot of these kids really become the most popular kids at

their schools,” Frulio said. “I just think we’ve seen so much

more empathy and compassion for them.”

Dayton has become

so popular that he

started to walk with

the Freehold Township

players toward the

parking lot after the

game and was ready to

board the bus. He was

just another one of the

guys before mom

intervened.

“No, Dayton, you

can’t go home with

them,” Jo-Dee Frulio

said before smiling.

Striking Out Continued from page 11

Freehold Township brothers Ralph (left) and PeterGambino celebrated a special day with their cousins,Strike Out Autism Challenge director Jerry Frulio, his

wife Jo-Dee, and their three children.Raritan assistant Ron Poll with son Connor, 4,

who has autism & threw out the first pitchbefore the games at Rocket Park.

(Photo courtesy of Ron Poll)

Cover & Photos by:

Ray Rich Photography w w w . r a y r i c h p h o t o g r a p h y . s m u g m u g . c o m

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Agroup of former ShoreConference standout athletesdecided to dust off theirgloves and cleats for amagical ride in Myrtle Beach,S.C., in January to win theslow-pitch softball FreedomSports Winter World Series.

At the a tournament with some of best talent south of the Mason-Dixon line, the team from the Shore completed a 6-0 run over theweekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 1 to win the World Series title. The teamrallied from deficits of five runs and eight runs in the final inning oftwo games it pulled out in extra innings.

As a coach and veteran of the game, my playing time was limited,but it was a joy watching these 20-year-old kids display the sametype of ferocity they displayed in their high school days. Men'ssoftball is a dangerous sport. Everybody can play, but it's theexceptional ones who push themselves to be the best. This team andits players did just that.

"This is the greatest mix of speed, power, and defense I've everbeen a part of,'' said 29-year veteran and softball legend Vinny Ap,who led the team in batting average in limited at-bats. The

championship team consisted ofthird baseman Bobby Mcminn(Southern Regional 2010);outfielder Mike Bush (SouthernRegional 2010); outfielder ColeGhigliotti (Southern Regional2010); shortstop Kenny Donelson(Pemberton High School 2004);pitcher Auggie Guarnere III (St.John Neumann, Pa., 1991;outfielder Bruce Munro (Matawan2008); first baseman Nick Velotti(Shore Regional 1999;catcher/designated hitter VincentApicelli (Wall 1989); middleinfielder Greg Senna (Howell2003); catcher/designated hitterVincent D'Esposito (Ocean Twp.1998); second baseman KennyNieves (Lakewood 2009);player/coach Stephen "Ruff" Paduano (Wall 1990); and player coachBilly Shimko(Wall 1982).

Just Like when the team from Paul's Tavern won the title in 1992,we used the same formula of homegrown talent, taking local kidsdown south, where they play softball year round and getting thesame results. Local high school star athletes go down there to see ifwe still have it, so to speak. I couldn't be more proud of them for

the effort and heart they showed throughout the weekend. I havelived a small part of my personal American Dream with this victory.We also had seven players make the All-World Team, includingMcMinn winning the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Alsomaking the All-World Team was Bush, Shimko, Senna, Velotti,Guarnere, and Donelson.

Former Shore Athletes Win Slow-PitchSoftball Winter World SeriesChampionship

All World Team: Mike Bush, Billy Shimko, Greg Senna, Nick Velotti, AuggieGuarnere III, Kenny Donelson, and MVP Bobby Mcminn.

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Red Bank Catholic’s LiamSmith, one of the toplinemen in New Jerseyfrom the Class of 2016,announced that he hasverbally committed toDuke University.

Smith, who had 11 FBS offers, gives RBC an FBSrecruit for the sixth straight year, including linebackerJamie Gordinier from the current senior class, who isheaded to the University of Miami. Smith is thesecond standout from the Shore Conference juniorclass to verbally commit to an FBS program,following on the heels of Red Bank receiver SadiqPalmer, who verballed to Syracuse over the weekend.

A first-team All-Shore selection by Shore SportsNetwork this fall, Smith helped the Caseys win theNon-Public Group III title, their first statechampionship since 1976, as well as their fifth

straightdivision title toearn All-Class B Northhonors from the coaches. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound tackle was a key cog in an RBC offensethat scored a school-record 543 points to lead theShore Conference with an average of 45 pointsper game. The Caseys ran for 2,804 yards as ateam on an average 7.5 yards per attempt and had4,289 total yards for an average of 357.4 yardsper game.

Red Bank Catholic Offensive LinemanLiam Smith Commitsto DukeBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

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Red Bank Regional juniorwide receiver/safety SadiqPalmer, a Shore SportsNetwork first-team All-Shoreselection in the fall, verballycommitted to Syracuse inearly April.

Palmer’s commitment, which was first reported byScout.com, makes him the first star from the ShoreConference Class of 2016 to verbal to an FBS program.Syracuse offered Palmer earlier on Saturday and hecommitted that night. The Orange were the first FBSprogram to offer Palmer, who is also a basketballstandout.

One of the most explosive skill players in the Shore,Palmer had a breakout junior year in his second fullseason on varsity. He finished with 36 catches for 748yards (20.8 ypc) and seven touchdowns and scored 13total touchdowns between receiving, rushing,interceptions on defense and a pair of kickoff returns fortouchdowns. Palmer also was a standout safety for theBucs with three interceptions.

Palmer is the Bucs’ first FBS recruit since current PennState junior defensive end Garrett Sickels committed in2012. Syracuse, whose recruiting coordinator is former

MonmouthRegional head coachBobby Acosta, has been recruiting the Shore hard, as St.John Vianney quarterback Anthony Brown, Toms RiverNorth running back Asante Moorer and defensive tackleDa’shon Copes, Middletown South offensive linemanThomas Lopez, Ocean running back Tyler Thompson,Red Bank Catholic lineman Liam Smith and Matawandefensive back Dejohn Rogers and linebacker AliemShaw are all targets that Syracuse has either offered orshown interest in from the Class of 2016.

Red Bank Wide Receiver SadiqPalmer Commits to SyracuseBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

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