J u l y 2 5 , 2 0 1 1Volume-I I I - Issue-14
J u l y 2 5 , 2 0 1 1Volume-I I I - Issue-14
J u l y 2 5 , 2 0 1 1Volume-I I I - Issue-14
www.allshoremedia.com
Sam Mills
Awards
Page 3
Howell
Wins
7-on-7
Page 6
Gridiron
Classic Recap
Page 8-9
Making Up for
Lost Time
Page 10
Honoring a Friend
Page 1 1
SJV's Dragonetti
Plays for Two
Page 13
Offseason
Basketball Notes
Page 15
Stumpy's Corner
Page 15
Sam Mills
Awards
Page 3
Howell
Wins
7-on-7
Page 6
Gridiron
Classic Recap
Page 8-9
Making Up for
Lost Time
Page 10
Honoring a Friend
Page 1 1
SJV's Dragonetti
Plays for Two
Page 13
Offseason
Basketball Notes
Page 15
Stumpy's Corner
Page 15
Sam Mills
Awards
Page 3
Howell
Wins
7-on-7
Page 6
Gridiron
Classic Recap
Page 8-9
Making Up for
Lost Time
Page 10
Honoring a Friend
Page 1 1
SJV's Dragonetti
Plays for Two
Page 13
Offseason
Basketball Notes
Page 15
Stumpy's Corner
Page 15
Sam Mills
Awards
Page 3
Howell
Wins
7-on-7
Page 6
Gridiron
Classic Recap
Page 8-9
Making Up for
Lost Time
Page 10
Honoring a Friend
Page 1 1
SJV's Dragonetti
Plays for Two
Page 13
Offseason
Basketball Notes
Page 15
Stumpy's Corner
Page 15
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www.allshoremedia.com Volume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1 ASM / 3
Heading into the
2010 season,
Lakewood was
stuck in football
Siberia in the midst
of a losing streak
that would reach 33
games.
In this year’s U.S.
Army All-Shore
Gridiron Classic at
Toms River North's
Gernerd Field, a
special moment for
defensive end
Da'Quan Kenney
illustrated how the
Piners have started
to pick themselves
off the mat.
Kenney, who
finished with 123
tackles and 27
tackles for a loss as a senior,
was selected as Ocean County's recipient of this year's Sam
Mills Award. The award goes to one player from each team
that personifies the character, perseverance and
determination of the late Sam Mills, a Long Branch legend
and former All-Pro linebacker with the New Orleans Saints.
"I didn't know I was getting it, but it's a great honor and I
accept it on behalf of me and my team,'' Kenney said. "It's a
great achievement.''
Sam Mills starred at Long Branch and in the NFL before
Kenney was even born, but the Lakewood star promised to
soon learn about a man who inspired many before his death
from cancer in 2005.
"Right after this, I will look him up,'' Kenney said.
Kenney's award capped a season in which Lakewood finished
3-7 to end its losing streak and win its most games since
2002. It also marked the one and only season under
legendary head coach Warren Wolf, 84, who retired after the
season with the second-most wins (361) in state history. Wolf
spent his first 51 seasons as the only coach in Brick history.
"He was a great coach, ' ' Kenney said. "He acted l ike a
young kid l ike us . I t was a great experience. ' '
Kenney and running back Ahmier Dupree
represented the Piners in Ocean 's 6-3 win
over Monmouth County, as Kenney had a hi t
for a loss and Dupree rushed for 24 yards on
7 carr ies .
"This game, Ahmier and I were looking to
put Lakewood back on the map and le t
everybody out there know that Lakewood
has got ta lent , ' ' Kenney said.
The Monmouth County recipient of the Sam
Mills Award was Manalapan defensive
l ineman James DeBlase, who f inished with
two tackles for a loss or no gain in the loss .
DeBlase persevered to have a great career
for the Braves despi te losing his fa ther in
the terror is t a t tack on the World Trade
Center on Sept . 11, 2001.
Kenney, DeBlase Win SamMills AwardsB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r
Manalapan’s James DeBlase
Photos by
C l i f f L a v e l l ew ww . c le a r e d g e. z e nf o l i o .c o m
Lakewood’s Da’Quan Kenney
4 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 5
The Shore Footbal l
Coaches Foundat ion
inducted four new members
into i ts Hal l of Fame, two posthumously. Former
Manasquan/Middletown North coach Vic Kubu and former
Freehold great Hal Schank received posthumous
induct ions, while former Asbury Park/Ocean Township
coach George Conti Jr. and former Keansburg/Toms
River South coach Chip LaBarca Sr. were honored
in person at half t ime. SFCF president Dan Duddy
lis ted their accomplishments and they were
honored at midfield.
Four Inductees into the SFCFHall of FameB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r
P h o t o s b y :
C l i f f L av e l l ew w w . c l e a r e d g e . z e n f o l i o . c o m
Photos by
C l i f f L a v e l l ew ww . c le a r e d g e. z en fo l i o .c o mGeorge Conti Jr.
Vic Kubu Family
Chip LaBarca Family
Former player accepts award for Hal Schank
6 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1
Howell beat Toms River North 27-22 in an exciting National Guard Shore
Conference 7-on-7 championship game to become the second winner of an event
that began last season with Lacey beating Matawan.
Senior quarterback Ryan Davies, the son of head coach Cory Davies, looked
sharp for the Rebels, who run a no-huddle, spread passing attack. Davies threw
for a Shore Conference-record 2,864 yards and a record 36 touchdowns as a
junior in his first year as a starter. Six-foot-five back-up quarterback John
Quinlan, a junior, also impressed in the win.
The 30-minute game, which was played with a running clock, came down to
the final play. New Toms River North quarterback Scott Buxbaum just missed a
connection with sophomore wide receiver Joe Fields in the end zone as time
expired. The Mariners, who won the Ocean County 7-on-7, showed their new
attack featuring Buxbaum and a talented group of sophomore wideouts that
include Fields, Kyle Carrington and R.J. Bromell as well as promising Toms
River South transfer Jesse Tate, a tight end.
It also was a preview of Week One, as the two teams will play one another in
a nondivisional game to open the 2011 season.
Howell QB Ryan Davies
Photos by
C l i f f L a v e l l eww w. c le a r e d g e .z e nf o l i o .c o m
Sgt John M Naame with the Howell 7 on 7 team
Howell Wins 7-on-7 TitleB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 7
8 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1
hen it came time for
Ocean County to seal
its first win over
Monmouth County in three years on
July 14, it turned to a group of players
who won more than anyone in the
Shore Conference this past season.
Lacey linebacker Brian Mykoliw picked off a
screen pass to set up Lions kicker Jarrod Molzon for a
22-yard field goal with 7:39 left in the game that
proved to be the difference in Ocean County’s 6-3
victory in the 34th annual U.S. Army All-Shore
Gridiron Classic. Lacey defensive back Jake Dabal
then recovered a fumble on a
muffed punt with under a
minute remaining to seal the
win in front of more than
3,000 fans at Gernerd Field at
Toms River North.
It capped a year in which
Lacey went 12-0, winning the
NJSIAA South Jersey Group
III title and finishing No. 1 in
the Shore Conference. Lacey
head coach Lou Vircillo also
served as the Ocean County
head coach, tying the
legendary Warren Wolf for the
most wins in Gridiron Classic
history with his third. Ocean
County trimmed Monmouth’s
all-time lead in the series to
18-15-1 in the lowest-scoring
game since Ocean beat
Monmouth 6-3 in 2001.
“It's crazy with this
(Lacey) team,’’ Mykoliw
said. “If it's not one guy
stepping up, it's another.
It's like something out
of a fairy tale. It's a
great way to end it and
go off to college.’’
“It feels great to
finish the last
one with a win
and getone
more
with
these
guys,’’ said Molzon,
who is headed to
Wagner. “That's
basically Lacey. One
person always steps up.’’
Mykoliw, who also had two
interceptions in a 56-7 win over
Delsea in the state final, helped the
Lions recover after a sensational
play by Raritan safety Kevin
Furlong thwarted a scoring drive
with the game tied at three. Ocean
County had second-and-goal from
the 3-yard line in the midst of a
10-play, 60-yard drive when Lacey
quarterback Craig Cicardo tried a
Tim Tebow-style play. He faked a
run up the middle, stepped back
and lobbed a pass toward Pinelands
tight end Bobby McCormick.
Furlong, who also was a standout
point guard on the Shore
Conference’s No. 1 basketball team
this winter,
leaped and
snared the pass
with one hand
for an
interception in
the end zone before taking a knee
for a touchback with 11:30 left in
the game to keep it tied. It was
one final highlight in a brilliant
football career that has come to
an end, as Furlong is headed to
Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham to
play basketball.
“At first I came up the middle
to clog up the run,’’ Furlong said.
“I saw (Cicardo) getting ready to
throw it, and I just took a few a
steps back, saw the ball, jumped
up and caught it with one hand. I
guess basketball was helping out
on that one.’’
After having
the wind taken out
of it, Ocean County
recovered
immediately
thanks to Mykoliw. On
Monmouth’s first play
following Furlong’s
pick, Mykoliw stepped
in front of a screen
pass by Rumson-
Fair
Haven quarterback Mike
Villapiano, returning it to the 3-
yard line to swing the momentum
back to the home side.
“In practice, our scout offense
ran that play so many times, and it
was burning us,’’ Mykoliw said.
“What do you know, I saw the
offensive line retreat and let the
D-line step up, and I just came up
and made the play.’’
It concluded a somewhat
frustrating night for Villapiano,
who was still named
Monmouth’s offensive MVP
in the loss. He finished 7-for-
15 for 64 yards but had two
potential touchdown passes
dropped by wideouts
Michael Clark of
Howell and
Taylor Rogers
of Middletown
South.
After
Mykoliw’s interception return,
Monmouth’s defense dug in its
heels for its third stop inside its
own 10-yard line in the game.
Keyport defensive tackle Greg
Velasco, who was named
Monmouth’s defensive MVP, hit
Lakewood running back Ahmier
Dupree for no gain on first down. On
third-and-goal from the 1-yard line,
he and Middletown South’s Tom Masi
stood up Dupree again, forcing a
fumble that was recovered by Brick
Memorial offensive lineman Russ
Clayton to at least allow Molzon to
attempt what proved to be the game-
winning field goal.
“It was a great honor,’’
Velasco said about
getting the defensive
MVP. “Being from a
small school, we
don't get that
much recognition.’’
Velasco is headed to
Rider University
to continue his
outstanding wrestling career, as he
finished 42-1 and third in the state
as a heavyweight this winter. Like
many others, Thursday night marked his
final football game.
“It’s killing me already that it’s all over,’’ he said.
Monmouth got the ball back with 6:02 remaining
trailing by three points, driving 34 yards to the Ocean
45-yard line. After a diving pass break-up by
Manchester linebacker Anthony Prendimano on third
down, Monmouth Regional tight end Scott Satcher
B y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r
Lakewood’s Ahmier Dupree
Lacey’s Craig Cicardo
Brick Mem.’s Mike Acquavivatackles Mon. Reg.’s Scott Satcher
was stopped one yard shy of the
first down by Prendimano and
Brick linebacker Dylan McDonnell
on fourth-and-six after catching a
pass from Villapiano.
“We knew what they were going
to run all game with (Manalapan
running back Josh) Firkser and
their quarterback, and we didn't let
up a touchdown, so we did our
job,’’ said McDonnell, a Bucknell
recruit who had a strong game. “I
just wanted to prove myself
being from Brick because we
didn't have many wins this
year, and in my last game
in front of all these fans,
we got the win.’’
Monmouth had one
final chance with
less than 30 seconds to play
when Toms River East punter
Joey Clarizio booted a 45-
yard punt that was muffed and
then recovered by Dabal to
allow Ocean to take a knee
and seal the win. In what is
believed to be a Gridiron
Classic first, Clarizio, a
punter, was named the
defensive MVP. He
averaged 46 yards per
punt on five punts,
including a
career-
long 68-
yarder
near the
end of the
first half from the
Ocean County end
zone.
“It feels good to end
my last high school
game like that,’’
Clarizio said. “(On the 68-
yard punt), I treated it like
any other play. You can't be
nervous or you'll shank
one. When I hit it, it felt
great.’’
Monmouth took a 3-0
lead in the first quarter
with a 12-play, 42-yard
drive that culminated in
a 39-yard field goal by
Howell’s Ryan Handy.
Satcher had two catches
for 23 yards to help
spearhead the drive.
Handy, who normally
wears No. 5, was wearing
No. 11 in honor of friend
and former teammate
John Bukowiec,
a Howell
wide receiver/defensive back
who died in a car crash last
summer.
Ocean tied the game with a
13-play, 68-yard drive that
lasted nearly nine minutes and
concluded with a 24-yard field
goal by Brick Memorial’s
Jordan Loiodice. The big play
on the drive was a 24-yard
strike from Cicardo to Barnegat
wide receiver Mike DeTroia,
who is headed to the University
of New Hampshire. Monmouth
got three straight stops at its
own 7-yard line, with Freehold
Township linebacker Kevin
Borden and Manalapan
defensive lineman James
DeBlase combining on a hit for
no gain on first down before Freehold’s Derrick
Bender broke up a pass intended for DeTroia in the
end zone on second down.
Monmouth nearly got on the scoreboard near the end
of the first half when Long Branch defensive end Billy
Baillie came charging up the middle along with Red
Bank Catholic defensive end Matt Paolillo and sacked
Cicardo right near the end zone. The officials ruled
that it was not a safety, allowing Clarizio to unleash
his 68-yard punt to get Ocean out of danger.
It set the tone for the
lowest-scoring Gridiron
Classic game since
Ocean’s 6-3 win in
2001. The lowest-
scoring
game
in the series was
Ocean’s 7-0 victory
in 1984.
At the conclusion
of the third
quarter, DeBlase
and
Lakewood
defensive
end
Da’Quan
Kenney
were the
recipients
of the Sam
Mills
Awards for
their
respective
teams.
Ocean 6, Monmouth 3
(Monmouth leads al l - t ime series 18-15-1)
Ocean Monmouth
First downs 11 5
Rushes-yards 28-99 17-41
Passing 7-13-1 7-16-1
Passing yards 76 64
Fumbles- lost 2-0 3-1
Penalt ies
Ocean 0 3 0 3 – 6
Monmouth 3 0 0 0 – 3
Scoring summary:
M: Handy 39-yard f ie ld goal .
O: Loiodice 24-yard f ie ld goal .
O: Molzon 22-yard f ie ld goal .
Individual stat ist ics
Rushing – M: Firkser 10-27, Underwood 1-3,Beaty 2-9, Codrington 4-2. O: McLain 4-19,Howard 2-5, Dupree 7-24, Molzon 5-20, Cicardo8-30, DiGuilmi 1-2, Wilkoski 1-(-1) .
Passing – M: Villapiano 7-15-1 64, Codrington 0-1-00. O: Cicardo 5-9-1 52, DiGuilmi 2-4-0 24.
Receiving – M: Rogers 1-8, Satcher 3-28,Cantel l i 1-7, Clark 1-3, Codrington 1-18. O:Arminio 1-4, Carr ington 3-38, DeTroia 2-30,Molzon 1-4.
Interceptions – M: Furlong 1-0. O: Mykoliw 1-13.
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 9
Manalapan’s Josh Firkser
Photos by
C l i f f L a v e l l ew ww . c le a r e d g e. z e nf o l i o .c o m
Lacey’s Craig Cicardo
Rumson’s Michael Villapiano
Lacey Head Coach Lou Vircillo
When Cory Cardini thinks back on his senior footballseason at Toms River East, there is one feeling he cannotshake.
“I wish I had more time,’’ he said. “I wish I had anotherseason.’’
While that is a common sentiment for players whose highschool careers have come to an end, it makes even moresense in Cardini’s case. The wide receiver/defensive backmissed nearly half of the Raiders’ season while being stuckin a hospital bed with strong antibiotics coursing throughhis body trying to stop a runaway infection. That is whatmade him so grateful to be able to play in one morefootball game than most of the seniors in the ShoreConference this season when he was part of OceanCounty’s 6-3 win over Monmouth County in this summer’sU.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic.
On the first day of school in September of 2010,Cardini’s left elbow began to swell up with an infection.He had suffered a small scratch while diving for a ball onthe artificial turf at Toms River East in a preseasonpractice, and that tiny area became infected,. Cardini spentthe first day of his senior year in the hospital.
After missing the entire week of practice, he was releasedfrom the hospital and cleared to play on a Thursday, oneday before the Raiders’ season opener against cross-townrival Toms River South. Cardini started his season with abang, finishing with an interception and a touchdown catchin Toms River East’s 40-10 victory, but by the fourthquarter his left arm had blown up to twice the size of hisright arm.
“Before the end of the game, they had to cut the sleeveoff that I was wearing over my elbow,’’ he said.
Before the fourth quarter was even over, Cardini wasrushed to see the infectious disease specialists at JerseyShore Medical Center in Neptune because it wasdetermined that he had a case of methicillin-resistantstaphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA. It is abacterial infection that is highly resistant to antibiotics andusually enters through a cut or sore, like the tiny scratch onCardini’s elbow from preseason practice. MRSA can spread
rapidly and cause aserious staph infectionthat can lead to bloodpoisoning and more.
While the doctorsworried about stoppingthe infection, Cardiniwas more worried aboutwhat might become ofhis final high schoolfootball season.
“That’s all I caredabout at the time,’’ hesaid. “I was asking,‘Am I going to be ableto play this week?’They were like, ‘I don’tthink you’re going to beable to walk out of herefor a month.’ Theydidn’t think I was goingto play again thisseason.’’
He had to undergosurgery to help containthe infection. Thecatheter that was usedto help administer theheavy antibiotics was moved multiple times because hesaid that some of his veins became worn out.
Meanwhile, the Raiders lost to Sayreville and BrickMemorial before picking up a win over Jackson Memorialwith their top wide receiver and one of their top defensivebacks in the hospital. Unable to stand the frustration ofbeing sidelined, Cardini admitted that he returned too earlywhen he came back to the lineup for a 27-0 loss toundefeated Lacey on Oct. 16.
“It was painful the whole rest of the year,’’ he said. “Myelbow is still sensitive.’’
Cardini came back armed with disinfectant wipes that
killed any type of bacteriaand was constantly wipinghimself down in practice andduring games to prevent anyfurther infection. He playedthe rest of the season in painfor a team that finished 5-5.
“I was never really afraidof contact with it,’’ he said.“It just hurt like hell, and Igot over it because theadrenaline kicked in.’’
Cardini even won several“hammer’’ awards from thecoaching staff for the biggesthit every week in the game.However, no matter howhard he belted anyone atsafety, it couldn’t bring backthe time he missed and whatmight have been.
“I just wish I had put aBand-Aid on my damn cut,’’he said before smiling.
After having the negativememory of returning in alop-sided loss against Lacey,he was part of an Ocean
County featuring several Lacey players that endedMonmouth County’s two-game winning streak in GridironClassic games. He will now head off to East CarolinaUniversity as a student after concluding his football careerwith a victory.
“After everything, at least I could put a good memory atthe end of it all,’’ he said.
Gridiron Classic: Making Up forLost TimeB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r
10 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1
TR East's Cory Cardini
Photo by
C l i f f L a v e l l eww w. c le a r e d g e .z e nf o l i o . co m
When Howell ' s Ryan
Handy played in this year ’s
U.S. Army All-Shore
Gridiron Classic a t Toms
River North, footbal l
wasn ' t the only thing on his
mind.
A year ago this month, an
automobile accident
claimed the l i fe of one of
Handy's best f r iends,
former Howell
wideout /defensive back
John Bukowiec. Handy
sported No. 5 on his jersey
for Howell this season, but
on this night , the Rebel
s tandout chose to wear No.
11 in honor of "Johnny
Buk. ' '
The Gridiron Classic is
meant to showcase the most
ta lented footbal l players
from Monmouth and Ocean
County as they prepare to
go off and play at their
respect ive univers i t ies . But
for Handy, i t meant much
more.
"Not a day goes bye when I
don ' t think of him [Bukowiec] ," said Handy. "This game was
dedicated to him. I t r ied to play as hard as I could for him".
Playing with a heavy hear t , Handy put together an impressive
season in helping the Rebels qual i fy for the NJSIAA playoffs for
the f i f th t ime in the las t s ix years . The mult i faceted senior had
73 tackles and an intercept ion as a defensive back as wel l as 32
catches for over 500 yards and s ix touchdowns as a wide
receiver. Perhaps where he was most impressive, however, was
on special teams. Handy averaged over 34 yards per punt , and
hi t 34 of 39 extra points and two f ie ld goals .
Albei t impressive to col lege scouts - pr ior to making his
commitment to Stonehi l l , Handy considered schools such as
Lehigh, Bucknel l , Rutgers , and Towson - Handy views his
success on the f ie ld as a t r ibute to his best f r iend.
"Every play I 'm always thinking about him," said Handy. "He
was one of my best f r iends. He was one of my goofy fr iends,
always get t ing a laugh out of everyone. Once you met him,
everyone
just loved
him. The sad
part is that
no one
expected him
to go. I t was
just big. I t ' s
s t i l l unreal
that i t
happened. ' '
Fol lowing in
the foots teps
of his older
brother, Rob, who
played in las t
year 's rendi t ion of
the Classic , Ryan
made his presence
fel t a t the end of
the f i rs t quarter on
Thursday night .
He booted a 39-
yard f ie ld goal
with 1:29
remaining in the
opening per iod to
give Monmouth
County a three-
point lead. Li t t le did he know, Handy's kick would amount for one-
third of the game's total points .
The nine-point contest was the lowest scoring Gridiron Classic in a
decade. I t was also a s tory of the f ie ld goal . Brick Memorial ' s Jordan
Loiodice would t ie the score with a 24-yard boot in the second quarter.
The f inishing touches were provided by Lacey 's Jarrod Molzon. The
kicker f rom Lacey put Ocean up 6-3 when he spl i t the uprights f rom 22
yards with 7:39 remaining in the game for what proved to be the
winning points .
Handy's team may have fal len short in las t night ' s low-scoring affair,
but for the Howell graduate , the number 11 was more important than
the numbers on the scoreboard. In wearing the number of his fa l len
fr iend on one of the biggest s tages of his footbal l career thus far,
Handy succeeded.
Despi te his team ul t imately fal l ing short , Handy was s t i l l able to
accomplish his ul t imate goal las t night : honor Bukowiec by making an
impact on the game.
"He was one of the best , funniest kids I 've ever known, ' ' Handy said.
Gridiron Classic: Honoring a FriendB y C h r i s J o h n s o n – A l l S h o r e M e d i a C o n t r i b u t o r
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 11
Howell’s Ryan Handy
Photo by
C l i f f L a v e l l ew ww . c le a r e d g e. z e nf o l i o .c o m
2011 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE(Games to be broadcast on 105.7FM and 1160/1310AM)
Fri 9/9 Brick Memorial at Brick (7pm)
Fri 9/16 Manchester at Barnegat (7pm)
Fri 9/23 Point Boro at Jackson Liberty (7pm)
Fri 9/30 Toms River North at Toms River South (7pm)
Fri 10/7 Manchester at Central (7pm)
Fri 10/14 Middletown South at Brick Memorial (7pm)
Fri 10/21 Toms River East at Southern (7pm)
Fri 10/28 Middletown North at Toms River East (7pm)
Fri 11/4 Howell at Brick Memorial (7pm)
ADDITIONAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE(Games to be broadcast on WOBM 1160/1310AM)
Sat 9/10 Howell at Toms River North (7pm)
Sat 10/22 Brick Memorial at Toms River North (7pm)
Thr 11/24 Manaquan at Wall (11am)
NJSIAA Playoff Games = TBD
BROADCAST CREW
Matt Harmon, Kevin Williams, Ed Sarluca
Visit www.shoresportsnetwork for details
12 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 13
When recent St . John Vianney graduate Nick
Dragonet t i took the footbal l f ie ld for the f inal
t ime in his l i fe , he remembered the person who
inspired him to put a helmet on in the f i rs t place
al l those years ago.
On July 14, Dragonet t i capped his
career by playing l inebacker for the
Monmouth County senior a l l -s tars in
their 6-3 loss to Ocean County in
the 34th annual U.S. Army All-
Shore Gridiron Classic . Dragonet t i
wil l not be playing footbal l in
col lege, so the game in f ront of
more than 3,000 fans at Toms River
High School North was his f inal
t r ibute to the person who has
inspired his footbal l journey.
“I played every game for him,’’
Dragonet t i said .
At 2 p .m. on Jan. 10, 2007,
Dragonet t i ’s older brother, Michael ,
17, was ki l led in a head-on col l is ion
when his Cadi l lac CTS col l ided
head-on with another car in
Freehold Township. The elder
Dragonet t i was a beloved captain of
the footbal l team at Freehold
Borough High School , and he died
instant ly in the crash along with two
other Freehold s tudents .
In the Gridiron Classic , Nick took
a moment to remember what was
taken from him in an instant . He
remembered the player who was an
undersized l ineman ful l of hear t just
l ike his younger brother would one
day become.
“He’s played such a big par t in my l i fe , ’’ Nick
said. “I know he would have loved to see me play
in this game, and I wil l make him proud.’’
“He was the type of kid you wanted your son to
be l ike,’’ former Freehold head coach Mark
Ciccotel l i sa id at the t ime. “He was an incredible
kid.’’
Playing in Dragonet t i ’s memory in 2008, the
Colonials went f rom a team that had been s tuck
near the bot tom of the s tandings to one that has
captured two NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III
t i t les in the las t three seasons af ter not having
won any s ince the incept ion of the current s ta te
playoff system in 1974.
Dragonet t i ’s name adorned T-shir ts worn by the
team and was invoked by Ciccotel l i , who is now
the head coach at Neptune, af ter every victory.
Nick at tended both championship games at
Rutgers Stadium and the family was given
mementos from Freehold’s t i t le runs.
“They real ly honored my family and my brother
well , ’’ Nick said. “They made us feel l ike we
were a par t of i t . ’’
While Nick decided to a t tend St . John Vianney,
he s t i l l wore his brother ’s No. 68 on his jersey.
Just l ike Michael , Nick was an undersized
l ineman and l inebacker who played with hear t
and determinat ion for a Lancers team that had
two different head coaches during
his tenure while fa i l ing to reach
the postseason. He admits that he
sometimes wonders what i t might
have been l ike had he gone to the
same school as his brother.
“Watching kids I played with
play for (Michael) and win
championships , i t was bi t tersweet
because I wasn ' t a par t of i t , but
I 'm so happy for them,’’ he said.
“A lot of people ask me, i f you
could go back and go to Vianney
or Freehold, would you do i t
different ly? I would have loved to
play with the kids I played with
since Pop Warner and win
championships , but I real ly have
had the t ime of my l i fe a t
Vianney.’’
The Lancers went a combined
11-19 in the las t three seasons,
one under Shore Footbal l Coaches
Foundat ion Hal l of Famer John
Amabile and two under former
coach Skip Edwards. Andy
Carls t rom is now the new head
coach heading into 2011, making
him the Lancers’ third coach in
four years .
“I loved playing for Amabile , I
loved playing for coach Skip, and
i t was a great r ide,’’ Nick said. “I
met some real ly cool kids and
great players , and unfortunately we were never
able to put i t together and make the playoffs . I f I
had to do i t a l l over, I would go back to
Vianney.’’
Gridiron Classic:Dragonetti Plays for Two in Final GameB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r
SJV's Nick Dragonetti (#68)
Photo by
C l i f f L a v e l l ew ww . c le a r e d g e. z e nf o l i o .c o m
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia .com
14 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1
Basketball Offseason NotesBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor
With Shore Conference boys basketball stars likeJarelle Reischel, Matt McMullen and Sean Grennanmoving on to their college careers, the spotlight nowturns to the next group of upcoming standouts in thearea.
Here is a look at how some of the top players andteams have fared during this offseason.
Senior point guard Brian Kenny, a three-year varsityplayer at Colts Neck, has transferred to JacksonMemorial because his family has moved to Jackson.Kenny has been playing with the Jaguars in the 19-team summer league at Hoop Group Headquarters inNeptune, getting acclimated to a team featuring someof the top returning talent in Ocean County.
Kenny joins a squad that includes senior forwardBrandon McDonnell, the younger brother of Templeforward Jimmy McDonnell. The younger McDonnell,who is a 6-foot-6 swingman with 3-point range,recently picked up scholarshipoffers from Navy and NewHampshire, and Dartmouth isalso heavily interested.McDonnell looks to be one ofthe most highly recruited smallforwards in the ShoreConference along withMiddletown North senior JasonHuelbig, who has offers fromDivision II St. Michael’s andUMass-Lowell and interest fromseveral mid-major Division Iprograms.
Jackson also returns seniorswingman Brandon Holup, a 6-5forward who is also a standoutbaseball pitcher. Another playerwith good size, 6-5 sophomoreEric Carter, should give Jacksonone of the biggest lineups in theShore considering Kenny is 6-3as a point guard. Kenny,meanwhile, has garnered interestfrom Columbia, the Universityof Pennsylvania, Colgate,Lafayette, Navy, Davidson, NJITand Monmouth University inaddition to Division II CaldwellCollege.
What has also helped is thatJaguars head coach Joe Fagan isalso the coach of Kenny’s AAUteam, the ShoreShots, so he has been able to acclimateto his offense during this summer.
“It’s been easy to fit in right in,’’ Kenny said aboutadjusting to his new team. “This is a great group of
guys and they have made it a smoothtransition.’’
Kenny had also considered possiblygoing to Peddie School but said hewould have had to reclassify as a juniorand did not want to go that route. IfKenny decides to do a post-grad seasonat a prep school after this season atJackson Memorial, he said it will be atPeddie.
Another one of the Shore’s topreturning point guards, St. Rose seniorMark Kukoda, has helped a large groupof newcomers get acclimated to thevarsity level while playing at the leagueat Hoop Group Headquarters. ThePurple Roses graduated a majority oftheir lineup and will be more of aguard-oriented squad this year.
“It’s all aboutadjustment right nowwhen you have awhole team of JVplayers coming up,’’ Kukoda said.“Last year we had a lot of size butnow we’re purely guards so we’regoing to have to rely on that as moreof a strong point than a weakness.I’ve been shooting a lot more becauseI know I’m not going to be able to getinto the lane as much. I’m alsoworking on rebounding because Iknow we will need some help inthere.’’
Like Kenny and McDonnell,Kukoda is also an excellent student.He will be taking visits to Wesleyanand Brandeis University in the firsttwo weeks of August.
A player who has generated interestin multiple sports is Neptune seniorguard Jaheem Woods, one of the mostexplosive returning guards in theShore. Also a football player, Woodshas received interest from Temple,Rutgers, Syracuse and Miami as adefensive back. Woods, who alsoplays AAU basketball for theShoreShots, has gotten interest fromMonmouth University on thebasketball side.
He is part of a Neptune team that returns its entirelineup except for one reserve forward. Woods, seniorpoint guard Ikie Calderon, senior forward JoshJenkins, senior swingman Fuquan McDonald, junior
swingman Keith Kirkwood andsophomore shooting guardShakeem Richardson form oneof the more talented coresreturning. Kirkwood has drawninterest from Iona, MonmouthUniversity, Rutgers and WakeForest, according to Neptunecoach Ken O’Donnell.
That group is hoping torebound from a disappointingseason in which the ScarletFliers made early exits in theShore Conference and NJSIAATournaments.
“It’s been stuck in our headssince we lost to Howell (in theSCT) and Freehold (in the statetournament)’’ Woods said.“We’re determined this year.Everybody has to becommitted to playing defenseand everything will fall intoplace.’’
One team with a new coach that has lookedimproved this summer is Toms River North. TheMariners are now coached by former Ocean CountyCollege head man Rory Caswell and return 6-foot-8senior Bill Wrightson as well as sharpshooting guardAlex Levchenko.
“We’re in the gym four days a week, and the kids arereally responding,’’ Caswell said. “We have some skill.We just need to get it all together.’’
The Mariners also have some promising sophomoresin guards Kyle Carrington and Jimmy Cleveland.Wrightson has size that not too many Shore teams canmatch, while Levchenko has become a more efficientscorer.
“(Wrightson) has got some size and athleticism,’’Caswell said. “Right now, we’re just trying to get himto go hard on every possession.’’
Finally, a Lakewood team that looked like it wouldtake a step back from graduation losses has lookedvery solid this summer. Despite losing standoutsJarrod Davis and Anthony Walker, point guard WillieHawkins and big man Da’Quan Kenney to graduation,the Piners return junior guard Tyrice Beverette andsenior guard Jameer Jones as well as some upcomingtalent.
Photo by
C l i f f L a v e l l eww w. c le a r e d g e .z e nf o l i o . co m
St. Rose's Mark Kukoda
Neptune's Jaheem Woods
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia .com
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 15
While the
summer is usually a time for athletes to
work on their respective games away from
the glare of the spotlight during the school
year, more and more it has also become a
time for something else – giving back.
A refreshing trend during the offseason, particularlythe summer, has been teams using charity work as ateam-bonding exercise in addition to helping out thecommunity or the larger world.
A perfect case from earlier this summer is theKeansburg baseball team. Under head coach Brian Kmak,who is also Keansburg’s head football coach, the baseballteam took part in the inaugural Titan 5K on June 10. Thefive-kilometer run/walk went to benefit the WoundedWarrior Project, a non-profit organization that providesprograms and services to severely injured armed servicemembers during the time between active duty andtransition to civilian life.
Kmak had come across the Wounded Warrior Project’swebsite online and donated money himself beforerealizing it could be a great charity that his team couldget involved in helping.
“One of the things I was looking to do this year was tofind ways for our athletes to do more for others,’’ Kmaksaid. “When I went on the (WWP) website, I saw therewas a section for planning events, and that’s where theidea came from.’’
Kmak and the team, in conjunction with players fromKeansburg’s softball team, began to solicit help from thecommunity. They were soon inundated with assistancefrom all corners of the small town in the Bayshore area ofMonmouth County. Two area sponsors signed on as wellas a sponsor from New York City, and Beacon Awards &Signs in Middletown donated the awards.
“It was unbelievable,’’ Kmak said. “The kids were allexcited. I was completely overwhelmed with the helppeople were giving us, whether it was sponsorships orfood donations from the businesses in town.’’
In its inaugural running, the race attracted more than200 participants. Members of the baseball and softballteams either participated in the race or served asvolunteers, directing runners and manning water stations.Bronawyn O’Leary, a Keansburg physical education
teacher and competitive runner, brought some friends andmembers of a local running club as well.
The race started and finished at the high school, with27 intersections in town, and members of the Middletownand Holmdel police
departmentsalso helped out.
Several membersof the military,
including formerKeansburg
football andbaseballplayers, also
participated.
In all, the eventraised nearly $10,000
for the WoundedWarrior Project, showingthe power of thecommunity in a town thatis only one square mile.
“It’s definitelysomething that we wantto continue,’’ Kmak said.“I think it shows our kidsthat there is more tobeing part of a team thanjust playing, and that theycan have an impact on thecommunity.’’
Kmak, who is aKeansburg graduate, hasadded the Titan 5K eventto the football team’sannual Thanksgivingcharity work, whenmembers of the Titanshelp provide aThanksgiving dinner tolocal families at afirehouse in Keansburg.The charity events notonly give the athletes ameaningful experiencebut also show that thereare good thingshappening in a town thathas had its troubles.
“I think sometimes thatthere can be so manynegative headlines about Keansburg that it’s nice to showthat there are some positive things going on in our townas well,’’ he said.
The events also function as team-bonding exercises.Players have to work together for the common goal ofpulling off a successful event, and they get to know oneanother better off the field. They also know that the guyputting in hours to help assist in a charity event issomeone who shows the type of dedication that earnsthem trust from teammates when the season rolls around.
These charity functions also broaden athletes’ horizonsand give them some perspective. They realize that thereis a world out there beyond the narrow prism of theirsport and their friends. In Keansburg’s case, they realizethe toll that a succession of wars overseas has taken on
American soldiers and the sacrifices they have made.
On Thanksgiving, the Titans’ football players realizehow fortunate they are to have dinner on their table whenthey give it out to those who don’t have it. It’s a great
lesson that the world does not always revolve aroundthem or their sport. It provides the perspective thatwinning or losing a game is not the end of the world.
Also, as Kmak indicated in his comments about theKeansburg community, these events often serve as areminder that the world isn’t as harsh a place as itsometimes seems. Just when civility and knowing yourneighbors seem to be archaic concepts, a communityrallies for a great cause to show that people still do careabout more than themselves and their families.
P h o t o s C o u r t e s y o f :
Keansburg Ath let ics Newsletter
www.allshoremedia.com Volume- I I I Issue-14 7 /25 / 1 1 ASM / 16
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