Cover Illustrationby: Yannis RoumbouliasLettering: Andreas Pefanis
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The Shore Sports Network and Jersey Mikes Subs have announceda partnership for the upcoming Shore Conference high schoolfootball season. The nationally acclaimed sub chain will be thepresenting sponsor of weekly football broadcasts on the Shore SportsNetworks 1160 & 1310AM and will also sponsor the Team of theWeek program on www.shoresportsnetwork.com. In addition theShore Sports Network Journal will be distributed at all 24 JerseyMikes locations in Ocean and Monmouth counties beginning withthe popular football preview issue in early September.Jersey Mikes was founded in 1956 in Point Pleasant has under the direction
of Peter Cancro and has grown to over 800 franchises around the country.
Despite their growth and success they maintain many of the ideals from thedays of being a one-store business and still make the most authentic submarinesandwich available.
In addition Jersey Mikes has been saluted for their philanthropic endeavorssuch as their annual Month of Giving campaign.
Sports Sports Network Director Kevin Williams said partnering with such aprestigious company like Jersey Mikes will enable us to expand our coverageof high school football in the Shore area. Williams added that all of us atTownsquare Media are excited to work with an organization who constantlyseeks to make things better for those in their community.
As part of Jersey Mikes sponsorship they will bring subs to each of theTeam of the Week recipients during the 2014 football season.
Perfect TogetherJersey Mikes &
Shore Sports Network
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Table of Contents
SSN Top ReturningRecruits ..........................................................Page 4
Class A North............................Pages 10 thru 20
Class A Central..........................Pages21 thru 29
Class A South............................Pages 30 thru 44
Feature StoryTransforming the Shore ................Pages 46-48
Class B North............................Pages 49 thru 62
Class B Central.......................Pages 63 thru 71
Class B South..........................Pages 72 thru 84
Week-by-weekShore Conf. Schedule ................................................. Page 87
Ocean County Field Directions...............................Pages 88
Monmouth County Field Directions..............................Pages 89
1.Red Bank CatholicThe Caseys have gone wire to wire as the Shores No. 1 team forthe past three years, and they are geared up for another bigseason. They enter the year having won four straight divisiontitles and 33 straight games against Shore Conferencecompetition. The only mountain left to climb is finding a way todethrone Non-Public Group III champion St. Josephs-Montvaleafter consecutive playoff losses to the Green Knights in the pasttwo seasons. Leading the way this year is Miami recruit JamieGordinier at linebacker, standout two-way linemen Liam Smithand Ryan Kroeger, junior dual threat quarterback Eddie Hahn,senior running back Tommy Spernal, senior tailback/safety MikeCordova and senior wideout/cornerback Mike DeMonte. Now inClass B North, they have a schedule where eight of their nineopponents were playoff teams last year, including four divisionchampions, so they should be tested before the playoffs.
2. BrickThe defending Central Jersey Group IV champions are coming offthe programs first sectional title since 1994, and they are loadedup to try to become the first back-to-back state championshipteam at Brick since the Green Dragons won three straight from1981-83. First-team All-Shore selections Carmen Sclafani andRay Fattaruso return at quarterback and running back,respectively, with Fattaruso also back as a top player on thedefense at linebacker. The offense features numerous weapons,including senior wideouts JaQuez Johnson and Joe Phillips,sophomore JaSir Taylor and senior tight end Simon Bingelis.Leading tackler James Juliano returns at linebacker, and Johnsonis also a standout defensive back. It all adds up to the favorite towin Class A South and make another run to a title.
3. Rumson-Fair HavenThe Bulldogs are coming off a school-record 11 wins in a year inwhich they captured their second NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IItitle in four seasons, and they return the centerpiece of theiroffense in Princeton recruit Charlie Volker at tailback. Volker ledthe Shore Conference with a school-record 2,108 yards rushingand 24 touchdowns to earn SSN Offensive Player of the Yearhonors. One of the Shores best defenses from last year returnssenior noseguard Ben Eisenstadt, linebackers Max Pfrang andTucker Briggs, and a strong secondary featuring seniors SamEisenstadt and Jackson Reid. They also have a talented sophomoreclass ready to contribute. They look like the favorite in Class ACentral, and will try to become the first team in school history towin consecutive state titles.
4. ManalapanThe Braves may have graduated some big names, but the four-time defending Class A North champions plan on keeping thewins coming and making another run to a state final. Theyreached their third straight sectional final last season but cameup short of winning the programs first state title, so they arehungry to finish the job. Senior quarterback Dan Anerella,running backs Imamu Mayfield, John Cheung and Dan Debner,wideout Tyson Plummer and junior right guard Joe Sellmeyerlead the offense. The defense features senior defensive end KyleMullen, senior linebackers Joe Mendez and Carlos Teixeira andDebner in the secondary, and the special teams feature one ofthe states top kickers in senior Mike Caggiano. The Braves havewon 25 straight games against Shore Conference competitionand look to make another run to a state final.
5.BarnegatThe Bengals are coming off a season in which they won a school-record 10 games and reached their first NJSIAA final, so now they arelooking to finish the job and take home the programs first state title.The defending Class B South champions return some of the Shoresbiggest names in senior linebacker Manny Bowen, a Penn Staterecruit, senior offensive lineman Sam Madden, a Wisconsin recruit,and senior quarterback Cinjun Erskine, who is committed to Bucknell.Defensive back Ricky Gerena, defensive lineman Xavier Young,linebacker Kevin Hoffman, running back/linebacker Tyler McGuinness,and running back Paul Wickwire also return to help the Bengals makea run to another division title and the South Jersey Group II crown.
6. Toms River SouthThe Indians won eight games and reached the South Jersey Group IVsemifinals last season to continue their resurgence, and they return anexplosive offense as they try to make a deeper playoff push andchallenge for the Class A South title this fall. Senior quarterback TymereBerry returns after earning second-team All-Shore honors last year, andhe is joined in the backfield of the Indians triple option attack by seniorKhaleel Greene, who is poised for a breakout season as the primaryballcarrier. Senior Mike Rutter returns to lead the offensive line, andseniors Quintin DeCarlo and Jimmy Allen lead the defensive line, withsenior Joe Odebode returning to anchor the linebackers.
7. Middletown SouthThe Eagles are coming off an uncharacteristic .500 season, but have a strongcore of sophomores and juniors along with some talented seniors to bounceright back and make a run at Class A North and Central Jersey Group IV titles.Almost the entire offensive line returns, led by FCS prospect James Wilson, andthe backfield should be a standout unit featuring junior Cole Rogers, senior CoreyGrant and promising sophomore James McCarthy. Junior Matt Mosquera stepsin at quarterback and has senior tight end Pat Crowe and brothers Nolan andSpencer Pereless as targets in the passing game. Crowe, senior defensivelineman Dan Servidio, linebackers Dylan Rogers and Sergio Gonzalez and ColeRogers in the secondary highlight the defense.
8. OceanThe defending Class B North champions are coming off a 10-win seasonand a trip to the state semifinals. They are out to prove they can weatherheavy graduation losses, particularly on defense, but return theingredients for another strong season in junior tailback Tyler Thompson,one of the Shores best, along with senior wideout Marcus Blackman.Sophomore newcomer Kenny Pickett steps in at quarterback to replacesenior Royal Moore, who transferred to Neptune. Senior safety FrankHenry returns to anchor the defense after making 111 tackles last year,senior Pat Ellison is back at defensive end, and Blackman returns atcornerback. That group will look to finish the job after Ocean lost in theCentral Jersey Group III semifinals last year to eventual championHopewell Valley. They will be tested immediately by a veteran Neptuneteam that also has Top 10 potential in the opener.
9. MatawanComing off a seven-win season in which they were the only winningteam in the Shore to miss the playoffs, the Huskies are hungry to chaseafter Class A Central and Central Jersey Group III titles. They return first-team All-Shore linebacker Aliem Shaw, a junior who will also playtailback, and will have the tandem of senior Jimmy Pierce and promisingfreshman L.C. Pearson at quarterback. Leading rusher Devon Spann andtop wideouts Dejohn Rogers, Justin Ferrara and Shawn Ramcheran alsoreturn. Those same players plus lineman Jake Weber and linebackerIsaiah Phillip also will be leaders of the defense, which was one of theShores best last season. The Huskies will get a serious test in theiropener against an improved St. John Vianney team.
10. Long BranchThe Green Wave return some top individual talent on both sides of theball coming off a seven-win season in which they were knocked out inthe first round of the Central Jersey Group III playoffs. Seniorquarterback Jordan Rodriguez, senior tailback/safety Dahmiere Willisand senior linebacker Hunter Baillie will lead them as they face one ofthe Shores toughest schedules. They also return a veteran offensive lineand senior tight end/defensive end John Mimes, a promising prospectwho transferred from Middletown North late last season. If they survivethe schedule, they should be one of the most battle-tested teams in theirbracket come playoff time.
Other teams to watch:Neptune, Point Beach, Lakewood, St. John Vianney, Jackson Memorial,Shore Regional, Lacey, Manasquan, Brick Memorial, Middletown North.
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S t e v e M e y e rShore Sports NetworkDirector High School Divisions t e v e .m ey e r@ t o wn s q u a r em ed i a . c om7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0
S c o t t S t u m pMan a g i n g E d i t o rs t u m p @ a l l s h o r e m e d i a . c o m
Sen ior Content Prov idersMattManley // [email protected] // [email protected]
Shore Sports Network Journalis published by: T ownsquare Media8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753
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The f irs t thing fans, players , coaches and parents wantto know after the big game is always,
Is this going to be on
Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Oceancounties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories
and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.
Is this going to be on
Shore Sports Network Website Featuresn Get Video Highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans
will be talking about.n Catch up on the action you might have missed
n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes.
n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year
n Follow us on Twitter (over 16,000 followers) and Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news
n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.
Thursday, 7-8:30 on 1160 & 1310AMand www.shoresportsnetwork.com.
The only weekly radio and online show that coversMonmouth and Ocean County High School Football.
Award-winning broadcasters Kevin Williams,Matt Harmon and Ed Sarluca cover the entireShore Conference from Matawan to Pinelands.Broadcast live from Bakers Water Street Bar& Grille in Toms River, the weekly show
features players, coaches, specialsegments with Scott Stump and apreview of upcoming games.
The Shore Conference once again has some of thetop-tier talent in New Jersey spread across multipleclasses, led by a senior class that already has five FBSverbal commits heading into this fall. A stellar group of linebackers lead the way this year,
with Manasquans Tanner Cowley (University ofVirginia), Red Bank Catholics Jamie Gordinier(Miami) and Barnegats Manny Bowen (Penn State) allheaded to FBS programs. Lakewood senior
quarterback/linebacker Chapelle Cook (Temple) is thePiners first FBS recruit since former defensive endThomas Carroll, who played at Miami in the early2000s. Barnegat offensive lineman Sam Maddenrounds out the group as a Wisconsin commit who isone of New Jerseys best. There also is depth to thesenior class, with a host of players receiving FCS offersand interest. Right behind them is a junior class that features FBS
prospects like Ocean running back Tyler Thompson,Red Bank Catholic lineman Liam Smith and Caseysquarterback Eddie Hahn, Lakewood linebacker AmirTyler and Matawan linebacker Aliem Shaw. All commitments noted below are verbal
commitments. Players decisions will not becomingbinding until they sign a National Letter of Intent on orafter National Signing Day on Feb. 4, 2015.
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QUARTERBACKSCinjun Erskine Sr., BarnegatAlready committed to Bucknell, Erskine is a dual threatquarterback who has the potential to run for 1,000 yards andthrow for 1,000 yards. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he hasgood size and has worked on his arm strength and accuracy.Look for him to put the ball in the air more often in his thirdseason as the starter. n Carmen Sclafani, Sr., Brick n Tymere Berry, Sr., Toms River South n Anthony Brown, Jr., St. John Vianneyn Eddie Hahn, Jr., Red Bank Catholic n Donald Glenn, So., Middletown North
RUNNING BACKSTyler Thompson, Ocean (Jr.)One of the top running backs in New Jersey for the Class of 2016,Thompson already boasts offers from Penn State, Virginia, BostonCollege, Syracuse, UConn, Old Dominion and Temple as well asinterest from Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Maryland andreigning national champion Florida State. At 5-foot-11 and 190pounds, he has great feet and agility and has continued to work onhis speed. He is a three-year starter on pace to become only thesecond back in Shore Conference history to record four 1,000-yardrushing seasons, joining Miami Dolphins running back KnowshonMoreno, a Middletown South legend. Look for Thompson to show hisreceiving skills out of the backfield more this season.n Charlie Volker, Sr., Rumson-FH Committed to Princetonn Asante Moorer, Jr., Toms River North n Dahmiere Willis, Sr., Long Branchn Imamu Mayfield, Sr., Manalapann Jaree Parrish, Sr., Neptunen Calvin Beaty, Jr., St. John Vianneyn Josh Dixon, Sr., Freehold Boron Chad Freshnock, Jr., Middletown North
WIDE RECEIVERSSadiq Palmer, Jr., Red Bank RegionalWith the graduation of top talents like Manalapans Saeed Blacknall,now at Penn State, there are a lot of up-and-coming talents at widereceiver in the Shore who should put themselves on college radarthis season. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Palmer scratched the surfaceof what he could do last year by making All-Class B North, and hehas started receiving FBS interest from Northeast programs andsome Big Ten schools. He has good length and soft hands and hascontinued to work on his route-running and speed. Hes also atalented basketball player. n Tyson Plummer, Sr., Manalapann JaSir Taylor, So., Brickn Jaedon Stephens, Jr., Asbury Park
n Dan Calabro, Sr., St. John Vianneyn Jordan Pitts, Sr., Middletown Northn Dylan DeWysockie, Sr., Raritann Jordan Hardy, Sr., Centraln Darrion Carrington, So., Toms River Northn Marcque Ellington, Jr., Neptunen Karl Kumm, Sr., Brick Memorial
TIGHT ENDSJordan Craig, Sr., Toms River NorthThe 6-foot-5, 225-pound Craig currently has offers from Buffalo andUConn and interest from Boston College and Duke. He is a versatile H-back/tight end who has good speed and hands for his size and iscapable of outrunning linebackers and overpowering safeties. He also is a standout at linebacker.
n Simon Bingelis, Sr., Brickn Troy Thompson, Sr., Middletown Northn Pat Crowe, Sr., Middletown Southn Kenny Ferrare, Sr., Rumson-FHn Kyle Morris, Sr., Barnegat
OFFENSIVE LINEMENSam Madden, Sr., BarnegatA 6-foot-7, 345-pound mauler, Madden is committed to Wisconsinand rated as a four-star recruit by most recruiting services. He hadmore than two dozen FBS offers. Madden battled a nagging footinjury that required surgery after last season, so he should showmore of his potential with a healthy senior year. He has good agilityfor his size and has been working mainly to improve his footworkand technique heading into this season.
n Liam Smith, Jr., Red Bank Catholicn Ryan Kroeger, Sr., RBC Committed to Fordhamn James Wilson, Sr., Middletown Southn Joe Sellmeyer, Jr., Manalapann Nyeem Calhoun, Sr., Donovan Catholicn Ryan Demian, Sr., Howelln Dylan Smith, Jr., Jackson Memorialn Joe MacAvoy, Jr., Laceyn Jimmy Allen, Sr., Toms River South
KICKERS/PUNTERSMike Caggiano, Sr., ManalapanA first-team All-Shore selection as a junior, Caggiano is a three-yearvarsity player who can play either punter or kicker at the next level. He has field goal range out past 50 yards, and last season hit 40touchbacks and averaged 34.3 yards per punt. He has received FBSinterest as one of the top kickers in the Northeast region.
n Jake Monteiro, Sr., Shore Regional
n Hunter Daly, Sr., Neptunen Pat Davis, Jr., Laceyn Matt Mosquera, Jr., Middletown South
ATHLETESChapelle Cook, Sr., LakewoodCommitted to Temple, Cook will move from tailback to quarterback for the Piners this year and also play at outside linebacker. He also hadoffers from Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Boston College and was recruited by some as a linebacker and by others as a tailback. At 6-foot-2, 215pounds, he has good speed and lateral quickness and also is adedicated presence in the weight room.
n Ray Fattaruso, Sr., RB/LB, Brickn Isaiah Searight, Sr., WR/RB/DB, Monmouth Committed to Fordham
n Khaleel Greene, Sr., RB/DB, Toms River Southn Joe Hans, Sr., QB/DB, Brick Memorialn Tyquis Davis, Sr., RB/LB, Asbury Parkn Arkeyel Brown, Jr., WR, Keansburgn Tysaun White, Sr., RB/WR/DB, Mater Dei Prepn Marcus Blackman, Sr., WR/DB, Oceann Mike Frauenheim, Sr., RB/LB, Point Beachn Christian Sanchez, Sr., QB, Colts Neck
DEFENSIVE LINEMENAdam Kakar, Sr., Toms River North A four-year starter, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound Kakar had a strongoffseason that put him on the radar of Rutgers along with severalother FBS and FCS programs. He moves well for his size and hasgood strength and explosion off the ball to the point where he isagile enough to play defensive end for Toms River North. He formsa fierce tandem with teammate Dashon Copes up front in theMariners 3-4 scheme.
n Datrell Reed, Sr., Lakewoodn Dashon Copes, Jr., Toms River Northn Mike Nobile, Jr., Brick Memorialn Brody Graham, Sr., Jackson Memorialn John Mimes, Sr., Long Branchn Xavier Young, Sr., Barnegatn Brandon Burdge, Jr., Toms River Eastn Kyle Mullen, Sr., Manalapann Clay Kemp, Sr., St. John Vianneyn Jake Weber, Sr., Matawann Tarique Smith, Jr., Lacey
LINEBACKERSManny Bowen, Sr., BarnegatA four-star recruit, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Bowen was the most highly-recruited out of an outstanding crop of linebackers in the senior classthis year. Committed to Penn State, Bowen is a versatile athlete capable
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of rushing off the edge, covering the slot and stopping the run. He is theprototype of the hybrid-style player many college defenses covet, and he had30-plus offers from Alabama to Michigan State to Oregon to Oklahoma. n Jamie Gordinier, Sr., RBC Committed to Miamin Tanner Cowley, Sr., Manasquan Committed to Virginian Amir Tyler, Jr., Lakewoodn Aliem Shaw, Jr., Matawann Hunter Baillie, Sr., Long Branchn Joe Mendez, Sr., Manalapann James McCarthy, So., Middletown Southn Frank Condito, Sr., Holmdeln Jacob Post, Jr., Laceyn Joe Wegrzyniak, Sr., Point Beach
n Doug Goldsmith, Jr., Shoren Tyler McGuinness, Sr., Barnegat
DEFENSIVE BACKSDejohn Rogers, Jr., MatawanA top cover corner, Rogers has gotten interest from North Carolina State,UConn, Rutgers, Michigan State and Nebraska, with some also looking athim as a wide receiver. He has high-level speed, good instincts and quickclosing speed at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds.
n Matt Castronuova, Sr., Jackson Memorialn Darryl Gamble, Sr., Monmouthn Mike Cordova, Sr., Red Bank Catholicn Royal Moore, Sr., Neptune
n Khalil Haskins, Jr., St. John Vianneyn JaQuez Johnson, Sr., Brickn Cole Rogers, Jr., Middletown South n Dan Debner, Sr., Manalapann Ricky Gerena, Sr., Barnegatn Frank Henry, Sr., Ocean
FRESHMEN TO WATCHn L.C. Pearson, QB, Matawann Tommy Ferrante, RB/LB, Toms River Eastn Josh Lezin, OL/DL, Lakewoodn Ashante Worthy, WR/DB, Freehold Boro
Fri 9/5 Red bank Catholic at Wall (7pm)
Fri 9/12 Jackson Memorial at Jackson Liberty (7pm)
Sat 9/13 Lacey at Toms River North (7pm)
Fri 9/19 Toms River East at Toms River South (7pm)
Fri 9/26 Lacey at Brick Memorial (7pm)or Toms River North at Toms River South (7pm)
Fri 10/3 Brick at Jackson Mem. (7pm)or Red Bank Catholic at Wall (7pm)
Fri 10/10 Manasquan at Barnegat (7pm)or Wall at Brick (7pm)
Fri 10/17 Lacey at Brick (7pm)or Barnegat at Point Boro (7pm)
Fri 10/24 Jackson Mem. at Toms River South (7pm)
Fri 10/31 Toms River South at Brick Memorial (7pm)or Lakewood at Barnegat (7pm)
Fri 11/7 Toms River South at Brick (7pm)or Brick Memorial at Southern (7pm)
Thr 11/27 Wall at Manasquan (11am)
NJSIAA Playoffs TBD
Fri 9/5 Red bank Catholic at Wall (7pm)
Fri 9/12 Jackson Memorial at Jackson Liberty (7pm)
Sat 9/13 Lacey at Toms River North (7pm)
Fri 9/19 Toms River East at Toms River South (7pm)
Fri 9/26 Lacey at Brick Memorial (7pm)or Toms River North at Toms River South (7pm)
Fri 10/3 Brick at Jackson Mem. (7pm)or Red Bank Catholic at Wall (7pm)
Fri 10/10 Manasquan at Barnegat (7pm)or Wall at Brick (7pm)
Fri 10/17 Lacey at Brick (7pm)or Barnegat at Point Boro (7pm)
Fri 10/24 Jackson Mem. at Toms River South (7pm)
Fri 10/31 Toms River South at Brick Memorial (7pm)or Lakewood at Barnegat (7pm)
Fri 11/7 Toms River South at Brick (7pm)or Brick Memorial at Southern (7pm)
Thr 11/27 Wall at Manasquan (11am)
NJSIAA Playoffs TBD
F O R A D V E R T I S I N G I N F O RMA T I O NContac t: Steven Meyer 732-233 -4460 steve.meyer@shoresportsnetwork .com
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At most programs, throwing a bunch ofsophomores into the starting lineup andriding the roller coaster to a .500 seasonwouldnt raise many eyebrows.At a Shore Conference standard-bearer like
Middletown South, however, it resulted in theEagles first non-winning season in 29 yearswhen they made a first-round playoff exit andfinished 5-5. The reason no one is worried thatthe sky is falling at a program that has reached10 NJSIAA finals and won five state titles since2000 is because those sophomores now form astrong junior core complemented by a group oftalented senior returners and a loaded sophomoreclass with several players expected to make asignificant impact.At some point, we had to go through some
kind of rebuilding Id guess youd call it, said16th-year head coach Steve Antonucci, who isone win shy of 150 in his brilliant career. It washard, but we knew going in we were going to beyoung we played eight sophomores on defenselast season. As the season wore on, peoplestarted to see that those kids were sophomores,and they started taking advantage of some of thethings that they werent used to. The outlooknow is, can we take the next step now thattheyve played 10 games as sophomores and geton a playoff run and hopefully get back to afinal.With one of the more athletic groups of skill
players they have had in recent years plus aveteran offensive line and a defense that returnsalmost the entire lineup, everything is in placefor the Eagles to reclaim their spot among theShore Conference elite.I see a bright future for this program, said
senior offensive lineman James Wilson.The Eagles caught fire offensively in the final
two games last season, combining for 88 points,and hope to carry that momentum into this fallwith a deep group of skill players. Junior MattMosquera, who was outstanding as theplacekicker and punter as a sophomore, takesover at quarterback in the spread option for KyleBrey, who was fourth in the Shore Conference inpassing yards as a senior last season.(Mosquera) is developing, and thats what we
need him to do, Wilson said. We also needhim to add that extra dimension and run more.Everything is fitting in well so far.The backfield is filled with potential between
junior Cole Rogers, who started on defense lastyear, promising sophomore James McCarthy, andsenior Corey Grant. Rogers ran for 148 yards anda touchdown on an average of 7.8 yards per carryin limited duty last year.We have three really good running backs,
said senior tight end/defensive end Pat Crowe.They all have great speed and power.McCarthy starred on an undefeated freshman
team last season and is one of multiplesophomores expected to make significantcontributions this season. At 6-foot-1 and 190pounds, he reminds the coaching staff of PeteTactikos, who starred at running back for theEagles in the mid-1990s and was known as a
physical runner who relished contact but also hadgood speed to the outside.James McCarthy is an animal, Wilson said.
He is lightning a tough kid who takes a hit.Sophomore Kevin Higgins will be at fullback
in certain packages, and the 6-foot-4 Crowereturns after catching seven passes for 140 yardsand a touchdown at tight end, where senior DomTobacco also will see time. Mosquera has twoexperienced targets at wide receiver in seniorNolan Pereless and his younger brother, juniorSpencer Pereless. With 30 catches last season for336 yards and a touchdown, Spencer Perelesshad more catches than any other returningreceiver in the Shore this season.Nolan Pereless finished with 21 catches for
245 yards and a score, and those two lead agroup that will also include junior Tom Coffeyand senior Joe Timmins as threats.Receiver-wise, were not the biggest kids, but
they are great route runners with good hands whoare dangerous in space, and we can stick PatCrowe out there from time to time for amismatch, Antonucci said. I think from anoffensive standpoint, were going to be prettygood.Bolstering that confidence in the offense is the
fact that five players return with startingexperience up front. Junior center JoeyRutkowski, senior left tackle Brian Joyce, andjunior right tackle Tom Lopez are all back alongwith senior Kyle Maynes, who is being pushed atright guard by senior Mike Spendio. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Wilson returns at left guard and hasoffers from Old Dominion, Youngstown State,Sacred Heart, Monmouth University, Fordhamand St. Francis (Pa.), with Youngstown Statelooking like the front-runner. His youngerbrother, sophomore Mike Wilson, is alsoexpected to see time in the offensive linerotation.Our offensive line this year is just so hungry
to get after people, Wilson said.Mosquera will once again handle the
placekicking and punting after a sophomoreseason in which he earned SSN third-team All-Shore honors by going a perfect 40-for-40 onextra points and 5-for-5 on field goals.Defensively, the Eagles have added some new
wrinkles under veteran coordinator Al Bigos.They have moved from a 4-4 scheme to more ofa 4-2-5 look after being shredded by the spreadoffense of Burlington Township in a wild, 52-45loss in the first round of the Central JerseyGroup IV playoffs last year. The Eagles gave up24 points per game over the course of lastseason.Traditionally, weve been a defense-dominant
team, and were going through a transition like alot of other teams because nobody is lining up inthe I and trying to run power and iso anymore, Antonucci said. Now everybody isspreading it around. Weve got to be able toadjust.We had to come up with a way where we
could defend the pass and still be sound in therun game. Were still going to be a pressureteam, but were going to do things a little bit
differently, almost like the philosophy of theSeahawks, playing from the top down. Weregoing to let you catch the ball in front of us, butwere going to make you pay for it.Senior Dan Servidio is a returning starter at
defensive tackle, with sophomore Will Gullickexpected to start at the other tackle spot. Joyceand sophomore Robert Burke are also expectedto be in the defensive tackle rotation. Crowe is areturning starter at defensive end, with Grantmanning the other other end and Tobacco alsoexpected to see time there.Its been better, Crowe said about the new
scheme. Ive been playing more of an outsidelinebacker, and coming off the edge is a loteasier.The linebackers look to be a particular
strength, with junior Dylan Rogers, Coles twinbrother, returning at inside linebacker along withsenior Sergio Gonzalez. Higgins also should seetime at inside linebacker, while McCarthy willslide into an outside linebacker spot, where hehas the potential to be an FBS-level recruit.Another promising sophomore, Maxx Imsho, willplay a hybrid safety/linebacker spot, with NolanPereless, who led the team with fourinterceptions last year, returning to play the otherhybrid spot.Cole Rogers is a returning starter at
cornerback, and junior Rob Hulse will start at theother cornerback spot after seeing time last year.Junior Ed Pinto is also in the rotation atcornerback.I think right now from a defensive standpoint,
were a hell of a lot better than we were a yearago, Antonucci said.They enter the Class A North race chasing
Manalapan, which has won the division fourstraight years, becoming one of the rare teams tobeat Middletown South four straight times. TheEagles look to be once again be one of theprimary obstacles to the Braves quest foranother division title.I like being the underdog because the
underdog can always prove someone wrong,Wilson said.The returners are also trying to rid their minds
of the memory of the Burlington Township lossand make last season seem more like a temporaryhiccup during a long stretch of success than anominous sign of things to come.During the offseason, we couldnt get it out of
our minds, Crowe said. We just have to pushthrough that and get back to the statechampionship.
Reclaiming Their PlaceBy S c o t t S t ump Manag i n g Ed i t o r
Junior RB Cole Rogers
09-06-14 @Marlboro09-12-14 South Brunswick09-19-14 @Neptune10-02-14 Freehold Twp10-10-14 @Howell10-17-14 @Manalapan10-24-14 Brick Memorial11-07-14 Freehold Boro11-27-14 @Middletown North
Head Coach:Steve Antonucci, 16th SeasonCareer Record: 149-34Assistant Coaches: Al Bigos (asst. headcoach/def. coord.); Joe OConnor (off. coord.);Steve Roberts (LB/WR/spec. teams); Joe Passo (QB); Nick Trezza (OL); Rich Read(off. coord./OL); Howard Barbieri (OL); R.J. Read(WR); Joe Mirault (DL); Tom Grier (off. asst.); Rod Murchie, Rick Taylor (freshman); Stacy White (athletic trainer)
2013 Record: 5-5 (4-2)
BIG SHOES TO FILL: Dan Servidio, Sr., DTServidio will have to help fill the void in productionleft by the graduation of the defensive tackletandem of All-Division talent Conner Spreen and oneof the Shores best, University of Pennsylvaniafreshman Tayler Hendrickson
X-FACTOR: Matt MosqueraIf the junior quarterback can help give the Eaglesa balanced attack by being efficient in thepassing game and also hurt teams in the optionby running the ball, this offense should be ahandful with a talented backfield behind him.
GLUE GUY: Cole Rogers, Jr., RB/DBRogers should be a key piece in the backfield and is afixture in the secondary. He has been playing in bigvarsity games since his freshman season and is aseasoned veteran by this point.
IMPACT NEWCOMER: James McCarthy, So., RB/LBMcCarthy should instantly boost the Eagles runninggame and also has All-Shore potential as a linebacker.He starred on the freshman team last year and saw alittle bit of varsity action later in the season, so he isready to make an immediate impact.
PIVOTAL GAME: Oct. 17 at ManalapanThis game should once again go a long way towarddeciding the Class A North title and net the winner ahaul of power points for a high playoff seeding. TheEagles will try to find a way to solve the Braves afterfour straight Manalapan wins.
1 1V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
W ith a new coaching staff and a complete systemoverhaul on both sides of the ball, Howell is readyfor the dawn of a new era under Luke Sinkhorn as itlooks to regain its championship form.Sinkhorn comes to Howell after serving as New
Egypts head coach for the last five seasons. AManasquan grad who played under legendary head coachVic Kubu, Sinkhorn began his coaching career as anassistant at Point Boro before returning to his alma materfor three seasons. He served as an assistant under TomFarrell for two seasons at New Egypt before being hiredas the head coach.Sinkhorn and defensive coordinator P.J. Gibbs, another
Manasquan grad who has coached with the Warriors andalso at Matawan, bring with them a defense-firstphilosophy that will be accompanied by a power runningattack. Its a drastic change from the no-huddle spreadpassing aerial onslaught installed by former head coachCory Davies (now an assistant at Lacey) that led to fiveplayoff appearances, twosectional finals, the 2007Central Jersey Group IVtitle and many sleeplessnights for opposingdefensive coordinators.The Rebels havent had a
winning season since 2010,however, so the challengefor Sinkhorn is to getHowell back to competingfor championships with anew identity.Its going to be a little
bit of a culture change,Sinkhorn said. We came inwith the idea of leadingwith defense, and that goesin line with running the ball.They need to see a littlesuccess before it clicks, andits not going to happenovernight. But the guys arebuying in and were gettingthere.There came a point in
the offseason where we allcame together and said nomatter who our coach endsup being, we all have tocome together on the field,said senior two-waylineman Mike McGuinness.Coach Sinkhorn came in, and we all bought in. Werereally loving it.The offensive linemen are excited for the switch to a
system that will see them blocking for running playsmuch more than in the past. The line also looks to beHowells strength on offense as it has size and experiencereturning. McGuinness (6-foot-1, 253 pounds) is thecenter and will be flanked by 220-pound senior JohnnyFurmato at left guard and 6-foot-1, 280-pound senior
Jorge Hidalgo at right guard. Atleft tackle is 6-foot-4, 270-poundsenior Jeremy Subjinski and atright tackle is senior EvanCofrancisco.As offensive linemen we dont
ever shy away from contact,McGuinness said. We lovehitting, and we have a lot of sizeon the O-line, so were lookingforward to it.Having all those guys back
works in our favor, Sinkhornsaid. There still needs to be achange with them getting used toplaying downhill instead ofbacking up, but theyre all excited about it.The starting tailback in Howells multiple-I offense is
senior Jarvis Leaks, with junior Mike Reilly as thefullback. Leaks sawmore action as areceiver out of thebackfield last seasonand finished with 27receptions for 379yards and a touchdown.The tight ends aresenior Matt Prusan andsophomore MikeIoannides. Widereceiver isnt the samestar-making position atHowell like it was inthe previous offense,and the Rebels will bereplacing their top threereceivers anyway, sothe adjustment hasntbeen as stark. SeniorsJoe Salafrio andAnthony Sarullo are thestarters with juniors NicRossi and NickChianca, andsophomore DanCacciatore also vyingfor playing time.Weve all adjusted
pretty quickly and weknow this offense isgoing to be effectivebecause it fits us,Leaks said.
It adds a new dimension in that we can still pass it,but well run it a lot better, McGuinness said. You cantjust have three defensive linemen up and have themchase the quarterback. Its going to be a lot harder todefend.Working in at quarterback have been senior Colin
Mastowski, junior Mark Iacobino and sophomore BobbyCavallero. Whoever isnt playing quarterback will be atanother position on defense, and Mastowski already
starts on defense. Cavallero brings a dual-threat skill setto the position, but with a senior in front of him itremains to be seen how much hell play quarterback.Cavallero is kind of a throwback guy hes not afraid
to take a hit, Sinkhorn said. He probably gives us ourbiggest dual threat, but were still developing him.Defense has been an area that, even when they were
successful as a team, was where the Rebels struggled.Run defense was the biggest problem, but Sinkhorn andGibbs philosophy starts with defending the groundgame. Up front in Howells 4-3 alignment will be 6-foot-3, 300-pound senior Ryan Demian along with seniorJames Bast at defensive tackle. The defensive ends areMcGuinness and 6-foot-4, 275-pound senior LiamBaldwin.We have a lot of guys with experience coming back,
and this offseason we really hit the weight room hard,Demian said. Were a harder-hitting bunch, and weregoing to show teams what we can do.The middle linebacker is junior Justin Jarosz with
Cacciatore and Mastowski as the outside linebackers.Sarullo and Salafrio are the starting cornerbacks withReilly as the strong safety and Rossi as the free safety.Its how I was brought up as a player and a coach, so
wherever I would have gone its always defense first andrunning the ball, Sinkhorn said. They did some greatthings here wed love to match offensively, but it startswith defense.R.J. Grey and Josh Arenas have been working for the
starting kicker position, while Ioannides will be thepunter.Howell enters the season as an unknown because of
the new coaching staff and drastic change in offensivescheme while being more committed to defense. Afteryears of opposing teams knowing exactly what to getfrom Howell, 2014 and beyond will be much different.The excitement to show the rest of the Shore the new-look Rebels is evident.I think we know who we are, and were ready to
play, McGuinness said. Were going to bring the woodevery time and fight to every whistle.
A New IdentityBy Bob Badd e r s - S e n i o r S t a f f Wr i t e r
12 V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
Howel l of fensive l ine
09-05-14 @ Freehold Twp09-12-14 Colts Neck09-20-14 @ Freehold Boro10-05-14 @ Southern10-10-14 Middletown South10-17-14 @ Middletown North10-24-14 Monroe11-01-14 @ Marlboro11-07-14 Manalapan
Head Coach:Luke Sinkhorn, 1st season (6th overall)Career Record: 0-0 (25-26 overall)Assistant Coaches:P.J. Gibbs (def. coord./DB); Bob Mussari (LB); Zac Cooper (DL); Joe Migliore (RB/spec. teams);Ryan Klusewicz (OL/DL); Joe Santopietro, Shane Baldwin, Chris Provo (freshman); Amy Ghione (athletic trainer).
2013 Record: 4-6 (2-4)
BIG SHOES TO FILL: Colin Mastowski, Sr., QB/LBMastowski appears to be the favorite to win thestarting quarterback job, but this applies towhomever the Rebels start. Last years quarterback,Connor McGlynn, led the Shore in passing yards(2,123) and touchdowns (22). Although the system ismuch different, thats a void in production that hasto be somewhat replaced.
X-FACTOR: Run defenseIf Howell can dramatically improve its rundefense it will give itself a chance to win everytime out, while also changing its perception andthe way teams have to attack.
GLUE GUY: Mike McGuinness, Sr., OL/DLMcGuinness is the only Howell lineman playing bothways, which tells you how much the coaches valuehim. The lines look to be the teams strength early onand McGuinness is their leader.
IMPACT NEWCOMER: Bobby Cavallero, So., QBWith good size for a sophomore at 5-11 and 180pounds, Cavallero looks like the future quarterback forthe Rebels and could seize the starting job this season.His ability to run and pass with equal talent hasintrigued the coaching staff.
PIVOTAL GAME: Sept. 12 vs. Colts NeckThe Rebels open with a Week Zero game againstFreehold Township, but their rivalry game with theCougars, who also have a new coach and arecoming off a run to the Central Jersey Group IV titlegame, will give a better idea of where the Rebels arethis season.
Senior RB Jarvis Leaks
13V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
14 V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
Sat. Sept. 13 Wagner West Long Branch, NJ 1:00pm
Sat. Sept. 20 Duquesne Pittsburgh, PA 1:00pm
Sat. Sept. 27 Lehigh Bethlehem, PA 12:30pm
Sat. Oct 4 Robert Morris Moon Township, PA 1:00pm
Sat. Oct. 11 Columbia West Long Branch, NJ 1:00pm
Sat. Oct. 25 Presbyterian* Clinton, S.C. 2:00pm
Sat. Nov. 01 Charleston Southern* West Long Branch, NJ 1:00pm
Sat. Nov. 08 Liberty* Lynchburg, VA 3:30pm
Sat. Nov. 15 Coastal Carolina* Conway, S.C. 3:00pm
Sat. Nov. 22 Gardner Webb* West Long Branch, NJ 12:00pm
The Shore Sports Network is the radio home of Monmouth University Hawks Football, with Matt Harmonand Eddy Occhipinti in the broadcast booth for every game on 1160/1310 WOBM-AM, online atWOBMAM.com and ShoreSportsNetwork.com. You can also listen on your free radioPup smartphone app!
F O R A D V E R T I S I N G I N F O RMA T I O NContact : Steven Meyer 732 -233-4460 s teve.meyer@townsquaremed ia .com
15V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
09-06-14 Middletown South09-13-14 Manalapan09-19-14 @ Middletown North10-02-14 Toms River North10-11-14 @ Freehold Boro10-18-14 Freehold Twp10-25-14 East Brunswick11-01-14 @ Howell11-01-07 @ J.P. Stevens
Head Coach:Jason Dagato, 2nd season
Career Record: 2-8Assistant Coaches:Matt Wisniewski (off. coord./QB); Steve Vella (WR); Cory Varrial (RB);Justin Bloss (OL); Matt Levi (LB); Nick Scalzo (DB/freshman); TylerPalagonia, Mitch Nock (freshman); Mark Bramble (athletic trainer).
2013 Record: 2-8 (0-6)
BIG SHOES TO FILL: Joe Catena, Jr., QBCatena is still trying to nail down the starting joband whoever wins the battle between Catena andMike Wolff will have to fill the void left by DustinJensen. Last year, Jensen accounted for 1,200combined yards passing and rushing, including ateam-leading 627 yards on the ground.
X-FACTOR: Jared Moffet, Sr., OL/DLThe Mustangs need both the offensive anddefensive lines to step up this season and Moffethas a chance to be a dominant player on eitherside. If he has a big year, that could set the tonefor the rest of the group.
GLUE GUY: David Wiener, Sr., OL/DLA senior leader on both lines, Wiener shows a goodmotor that will serve him well while playing on bothlines center on offense and defensive end on theother side.
IMPACT NEWCOMER: Dewann McAllister, Sr., WRAfter spending a year down at Lacey, McAllister is backin Marlboro and will make an immediate impact in theMustangs spread offense.
PIVOTAL GAME: Oct. 18 vs. Freehold TownshipA lot can and will happen between opening weekendand Oct. 18, but regardless of how things start forMarlboro, this is a game the Mustangs will have tohave in order to make the claim that they madeprogress. Freehold Township picked up its lonedivision win against Marlboro last year.
M arlboro seniors Mo Omar and DewannMcAllister have both played in programswith high expectations, so forgive them if theycant help but ignore the recent past of theircurrent team and dream of the possibilities.Coming off a rough 2-8 season under a first-
year head coach, Marlboro is gearing up for whatit hopes to be a resurgent season behind Omarand McAllister its two best offensive threats and perhaps more importantly, a bigger, moreconfident line on both sides of the ball.Second-year coach Jason Dagato took over a
team that went 4-6 and had moved close to itsfirst winning season since 1999 before losingmuch of its talent to graduation. With a year toput his stamp on the program and for theunderclassmen to improve, Dagato has seenprogress even before the first day of practice.Last year was a struggle because we were
pulling guys from all over the field and trying tofit them into other positions, especially on theoffensive and defensive lines, Dagato said.This year, we have guys who know how to playtheir position across the board, and thats made abig difference in practice alone. Its been a muchmore positive mood around camp and there is anintensity that wasnt all there before.Omar will be at the center of the effort after
emerging as the teams top playmaker followinghis transfer from St. John Vianney before lastseason. He was second on the team in all-purposeyards (492) behind quarterback Dustin Jensen,who accountedfor more than1,200 yardsbetween hisarm and hislegs.Omar
averaged underfour yards perrush attemptlast year, anumber Dagatoexpects tospike now thatOmar is a yearbetter and hasa retooledoffensive linebehind whichto run.Theres an
obviousdifference thisyear, Omarsaid. I camein last year notreally knowingwhat to expect,coming overfrom anotherprogram andhaving to waitto becomeeligible. Thisyear, theres
just moreconfidence.McAllister,
meanwhile, spentlast season atLacey afterbeginning hiscareer atMarlboro.Although Laceyhad a rare downseason, the Lionsstill went 5-5 andMcAllisterpicked up plentyfrom a programthat expects towinchampionshipsevery year.McAllister bringsback some ofthoseexpectationswithout the samelevel of pressure to win every game.It was good to play in a different program
with a different coaching staff to get someperspective, McAllister said. It was a goodlearning experience for me, but Im glad to beback here. I feel like I can bring some of what Ilearned down at Lacey here and help this programget to that next level.For Omar and McAllister to play to their
potential, theMustangs willneed to make acollective leapon the offensiveline. So far,Dagato and hissenior leadershave beenpleased with thework that theline has put inunder newoffensive linecoach JustinBloss, aManalapanalumnus whopreviouslycoached on thestaff atMatawan.There is a
huge differencewith ouroffensive line sofar, Omar said.Last year, a lotof guys didntreally knowwhat to do andnow, they arehitting people,getting loud andplaying with a
lot more swagger.Coach (Bloss) bringsa lot of intensity, andits definitely rubbingoff.Seniors Jared
Moffet and DavidWiener will anchorboth the offensiveand defensive lines,with Moffet playingon the end of bothand Wiener playingcenter and defensiveend. Moffet has anathletic 6-foot-3,220-pound frame, andwith an extra year ofexperience and asummer camp tobecome a leader, hisconfidence level hasgrown to match thatframe.
Just having that year of experience to learnand find out what its like to play the position hasmade a difference, Moffet said. In our division,you have to be physical and sometimes its hardto be as physical as you want to be when yourestill learning the position and thats pretty muchwhere a lot of our guys were last year. This camphas been way more physical.The final piece for the offense will be at the
most important offensive position. Juniorquarterback Joe Catena has impressed thecoaching staff during the preseason, but is stilllocked in a close position battle with sophomoreMike Wolff. Marlboro has been operating out of atwo-back spread offense that will move seniorfullback Josh Zemlock around the backfield.Dagato expected his team to endure some
growing pains last season after losing a goodportion of a 4-6 team from 2012. This season, themood in camp has been much different, accordingto Dagato.The expectations are a lot more defined than
they were a year ago, not necessarily in terms ofwins and losses, but in terms of the level weexpect from each player, Dagato said. We wantto reach a level of performance and once werethere, the wins will follow.Marlboro is working quickly to get all of its
players up to speed, keeping in mind that theseason opens with home games againstMiddletown South and Manalapan.Why not? Dagato said of playing the two
most accomplished programs in the division overthe last several seasons. Were going to find outreal fast what kind of football team weve got,and were okay with that.We look at it like were playing two teams
that are the class of the Shore Conference rightoff the bat. Lets see how we fare against thebest.
Line in the SandBy Ma t t Man l e y - S e n i o r S t a f f Wr i t e r
Senior wide receiver Dewann McAl l ister
Senior running back Mo Omar
09-05-14 Freehold Boro09-12-14 @ Perth Amboy09-19-14 Marlboro10-02-14 @ Manalapan10-10-14 @ Ocean10-17-14 Howell10-31-14 @ New Brunswick11-07-14 Freehold Twp11-27-14 @ Middletown South
Head Coach:Steve Bush, 2nd season (15th overall)Career Record: 3-7Assistant Coaches:John Denuto (def. coord./LB/WR); GeorgeKostas (OL/DL); Geoff Massimini (TE/DB); Jason Pino (RB/OLB); Larry McKnight (OL/DL); Randy Kalman (WR/LB); Dana Webster, Lyndon Johnson, Matt Rosner (freshman); Danielle Kanski (athletic trainer).
2013 Record: 3-7 (3-3)
BIG SHOES TO FILL: Jordan Pitts, Sr., WRJake Betkowski set a school record with 54 catchesto go with 686 yards and 6 touchdowns last seasonas the Lions top wideout to earn second-team All-Shore honors. Pitts now moves into that No. 1 slotand needs to keep the production high.
X-FACTOR: The DefenseIf the defense can take a jump forward aftergiving up 30 points per game last season andensure that teams cant bleed the clock and keepthe offense off the field, the Lions can make thatleap to the six- or seven-win mark.
GLUE GUY: Troy Thompson, Sr., TE/LBA two-way starter at tight end and outside linebacker,Thompson plays crucial roles on both sides of the balland also has emerged as a team leader.
IMPACT NEWCOMER: Aaron Borrero, Sr., RB/DB.The 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior has just come out forthe team this year and looks to give the Lions anotherweapon in the backfield to complement Freshnock whilealso being a factor in the secondary.
PIVOTAL GAME: Oct. 2 at Manalapan.If they have any designs on competing for the Class ANorth title, the road goes through four-time defendingchampion Manalapan, which beat them 42-14 lastyear. A win over the Braves would be the type ofstunner that shows this team has arrived as a seriouscontender, and it also would be a huge boost to theirplayoff hopes.
With the Shore Conferences top returning passerand a 1,000-yard rusher back to ignite theoffense, Middletown North is hoping the promise ithinted at last season can translate into a jump in thewin column this fall.
The Lions returned to the state playoffs for the firsttime in four years last season, giving Nottingham all itcould handle in a 35-33 loss in the Central JerseyGroup IV quarterfinals. They may have only won threegames, but their prolific spread attack under coachSteve Bush has Lions fans looking forward to twomore years of watching the tandem of sophomorequarterback Donald Glenn and junior tailback ChadFreshnock.
We work together, Freshnock said about Glenn.He keeps them out of the box, I keep them in the box.When they come in the box, we throw, when they goback up to cover the passing, then I run all over them.
Glenn was thrown into the fire as a freshman andresponded with 1,557 yards passing and 15touchdowns, which are believed to be ShoreConference records for a freshman quarterback. Now inyear two in Bushs spread offense, Glenn will look toboost his accuracy after going 116-for-241 (48 percent)and throwing 14 interceptions while making the leapfrom youth football all the way to varsity. Hisimprovement should help the Lions take a step forwardafter averaging 21 points per game last year.
This team, we worked a lot harder in theoffseason, Glenn said. The players helped me a lotbeing with me in the offseason. Im a lot morecomfortable with this team, the coaching staff and allthe players.
I expect big things, Bush said. Hes a hardworker, a guy who wants to be good. Hes gotten muchbetter command of the offense and a lot more poise andunderstanding of defenses. He did a great job as afreshman playing that position at the varsity level,throwing for 15 touchdowns and over 1,500 yards. Hethrew a lot of interceptions, too, because his age andinexperience showed up at times, and I think we caneliminate some of those things and take what thedefense gives us.
While the Lions have to replace leading receiverJake Betkowski and his 54 catches, they do return twoprimary playmakers poised for big seasons. Seniorwide receiver Jordan Pitts is a returning starter who had24 catches for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns, andversatile senior tight end Troy Thompson is back aftermaking 13 catches for 283 yards and three touchdowns.Thompson is athletic enough that he can line up at tightend, in the slot, and split wide to make the Lions moredifficult to defend.
Jordan Pitts has done some good things, and TroyThompson has gotten bigger, stronger and faster, so
those two guys will be real good, Bushsaid.
Senior Keshawn Williams will beanother part of the wide receiving corpsand has had a good preseason thus farafter making five catches as a junior. Hewill be joined by 6-foot-2 junior JoshGomez and sophomore Dwight Wilkersonas other targets for Glenn.
Freshnock, who is also a standoutwrestler, returns to lead the running gameafter finishing with 1,056 and 11touchdowns on 175 carries as asophomore. He underwent surgery for atorn meniscus in his right knee that hesuffered during a 7-on-7 tournament atRutgers this summer, but has beenpracticing and said he will be at 100 percent going intothe season.
He worked very hard in the offseason, Glenn said.You can only expect great things from him.
His presence makes defenses think twice aboutselling out to send pressure at Glenn. Aaron Borrero, agood athlete who has come out for the team as a senior,also could see some carries at tailback along withjunior Demetrius Radway.
We were almost exactly 50-50 last year in run-pass,so wed like to be balanced and make teams defendboth, Bush said.
Crucial to the offenses success will be the offensiveline, which returns only one starter, senior captainVincent Pianoforte, who will be at tackle. Junior MikeHoverson steps in at center, 275-pound senior JoeAntonio will be at guard after starting one game as ajunior, 6-foot-2, 260-pound junior Pat McGowan willbe at the other guard spot, and senior ConstantineDudzinski will be at the other tackle spot, with seniorParker Anderson also seeing time in the offensive linerotation.
The offensive line is looking really good,Freshnock said. Theyre working really hard.
Were a lot further ahead this year than we were thistime last year as far as them knowing who to block andthe protections and just understanding what weredoing, Bush said.
Senior Nick Banta is a returning starter as theplacekicker and punter after booting 20 extra pointsand a pair of field goals last season.
An area the Lions have to improve to take a stepforward is the defense, which gave up 30.6 points pergame last season against a tough schedule. The front intheir 4-4 scheme will be especially important becauseseveral of their opponents will try to control the clockand keep the ball out of Glenns hands by pounding
the Lions with the running game.
Dudzinski, Antonio, and juniors Tyler Vivian andMike Behan make up the rotation at defensive tackle,while Pianoforte, Anderson, junior Matt Dombrowskiand senior James Courtney will all see time atdefensive end. Freshnock returns with experience atinside linebacker, and Pianofortes twin brother,Anthony, will be at the other inside linebacker spotafter coming out for the team as a senior. Junior BrodieDiGennaro should also see time at inside linebacker.
I think were running to the ball better, and I thinkon that side of the ball we understand better what weresupposed to be doing, Bush said about the defense.Were further along as far as people knowing theirresponsibilities.
Thompson (86 tackles, 3 sacks) and senior captainDylan Hallard (56 tackles) are both returning starters atoutside linebacker, where sophomore Nick Kish couldalso see some time. Pitts returns to anchor thesecondary at free safety after making 44 tackles lastyear. Junior Matt Harrison also should see some time atsafety, and the cornerbacks will be Wilkerson andBorrero, with Radway also in the mix.
After generating some excitement with their playoffberth last season, the Lions have now set their sightshigh in Central Jersey Group IV while also looking tobe a factor in the Class A North race.
I expect to go all the way, Freshnock said.
Bush is hoping the inconsistency that came withyouth and inexperience last year can be eradicated tomake Middletown North a threat every week.
I thought we got better as the season went on lastyear and started to make some real progress, but Ithought we took a step backwards in our Thanksgivinggame (a 43-6 loss to Middletown South), Bush said.Now weve got to be able to take the next step andplay more consistently and play up to the higher levelof competition.
On the RiseBy S c o t t S t ump Manag i n g Ed i t o r
16 V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
Soph. QB Donald Glenn
For three straight years, Manalapan has been one winaway from its first state title in program history, only toleave a state final in frustration.Last year it was a 21-0 loss to Hunterdon Central in the
NJSIAA Central Jersey Group V final that put the onlyblemish on the Braves record and once again left themdetermined to finish the job. Despite graduating a host ofAll-Shore talent, including Penn State freshman widereceiver Saeed Blacknall and Shore Sports NetworkDefensive Player of the Year Chris Noesges, the Braves areintent on filling in the only gap in their resume during abrilliant run over the past three seasons.Were all pushing forward again, said senior
quarterback Dan Anerella. When you fall so many times,the fire really burns brighter.Were proud of what weve done the last four years,
head coach Ed Gurrieri said. We feel that this program haseverything in place. The great thing about these guys is thatnobody feels sorry for themselves and everybody knowsthat what doesnt kill you makes you better, so they workharder. Our goal as a team hasnt changed. We want to win astate championship this year.With an experienced quarterback, a deep backfield, some
promising receivers and a defense that returns talentedveterans on the defensive line, at linebacker and in thesecondary, the Braves will look to continue their dominationof Class A North and make another march to a state final.They enter the season having won 25 straight games againstShore Conference competition and four straight divisiontitles without a divisional loss. Red Bank Catholic andManalapan are each bidding to be the first Shore team towin five straight division titles since Middletown South wonseven straight from 1999-2005.Coach Gurrieri always says that we have a target on our
back and every game we play is everyone elses biggestgame, so we just have to be ready and bring our best nomatter who it is, said senior defensive end Kyle Mullen.Anerella is back for his second year as the starter in
Manalapans pro-style offense after engineering a unit thataveraged 36.3 points per game last year. He threw for 913yards and 14 touchdowns on 57 percent accuracy with onlyfour interceptions in his first season as the starter. For thefirst half of last season, he rotated series during games withclassmate Charles Lombana, but now Lombana will start atsafety this year while serving as the back-up quarterback.I think Dan Anerella from last year to this year has
grown, Gurrieri said. His arm is certainly stronger, and hehas a very good grasp of the offense. This year well givehim a little more of the reins, and we think he is going tohave a great year.He also will have plenty of help, as the Braves return one
of the Shore Conferences deepest backfields. Even thoughthey graduated leading rusher Tyler Leonetti, they returnseniors Imamu Mayfield, John Cheung and Dan Debner.Cheung and Debner are also special teams dynamos asreturners, and Mayfield hinted at his potential with 469yards rushing and eight touchdowns on nearly seven yardsper carry last year to generate FCS interest in the offseason.Its definitely a different feel because I have more
responsibilities, Mayfield said about stepping into thestarting role. Ive been trying to lead the team in the weightroom and other areas.The Braves should be able to roll out fresh backs all game
with Cheung and Debner also capable of making big plays.All three are also dangerous receivers out of the backfield inthe passing game.I think that Imamu is one of the best football players in
the Shore, not just as a running back, but as a two-wayplayer, Gurrieri said. That three-headed monster attailback, theyre going to have a good year.Its unlimited what we can do with those three,
Anerella said. We could have two of them out on the field,one of them catching passes, forget about it.analapan also has three capable fullbacks who will rotate
between seniors Ben Sieczkowski, Nick Surhoff and CarlosTeixeira. Mullen and senior Brian Conforth will be at tightend, where the Braves graduated three-yearstarter R.J. Krause. At wide receiver, theylose Blacknall, who had 52 catches for 707yards and 15 touchdowns, and will breakin 6-foot-2 senior newcomer TysonPlummer, who has received FCSinterest, and senior Gerard Hodge-Rocourt.Its never going to be easy when
you lose stars like that, but wehave a bunch of reallygood players that makeone great team,Anerella said.Youre never
going to replace a kidwho has a chance tobe an NFL player,but I think thisnew group isgoing to befine,Gurrierisaid.The
Braves offensive line, which isperennially one of the Shoresbest, brings back a pair ofstarters in 6-foot-2, 295-pound junior right guard JoeSellmeyer, who was asecond-team All-Shoreselection as a sophomore,and 280-pound senior leftguard Pete Williams.Six-foot-4 junior ReilyRadosevich steps in atright tackle, juniorAnthony Tardognowill be at center, andleft tackle is acompetition betweenjuniors Jake Levineand Mitchell Trabb.Manalapans
special teams,which were astandout unit lastseason, return oneof the topkicker/puntercombos in New
Jersey in first-team All-Shore selection Mike Caggiano, asenior. The All-Class A North selection averaged 34.3 yardsper punt with a long of 56 yards and dropped 12 puntsinside the opponents 20-yard line. As a kicker, he blasted40 touchbacks out of 74 kickoffs and led all ShoreConference kickers in scoring by going 57-for-60 on extrapoints and 3-for-6 on field goals. Cheung also returns afteraveraging 50 yards per kickoff return, and Debner is backafter averaging 15 yards per punt return.Defensively, the Braves will have to replace a pair of All-
Shore first-teamers in Krause at noseguard and Noesges atlinebacker in their 3-4 scheme, but return a host ofexperienced talent from a unit that allowed only nine pointsper game last year. Mullen, who has received FCS interest,is back at defensive end after finishing with 70 tackles and 2 sacks last year. Sieczkowski returns with experience atthe other defensive end spot, where Radosevich also shouldsee time. Senior Noah Groninger steps in for Krause atnoseguard, where Surhoff and junior Alec Mahon are alsoexpected to see minutes.
Senior Joe Mendez, an All-Division selection lastseason who has received FCS interest, returns atoutside linebacker after making 42 tackles andfinishing second on the team with five sacks. Teixeirasteps in for Noesges at inside linebacker and has thecoaching staff believing hes poised for a big yearafter being stuck behind one of the Shores best.Mayfield will be at the other inside linebacker spot,with senior Simon Bublis manning the other outside
linebacker position.They all played in games last year
because most of our games were lop-sided,and coach Fumando (defensive coordinatorJustin Fumando) did a great job of gettingthem all time, Mendez said about thenewcomers. We have depth at a lot ofpositions.Lombana steps in at safety, and Debner is
a returning starter at cornerback to anchor thesecondary after making a pair of interceptionslast year. Senior Marc Goldstein will be thestarter at the other safety spot, and juniorAnthony Bassani will man the other cornerbackposition.Were never going to replace Chris Noesges,
Gurrieri said. He was like having another coach onthe field, but the players that we have in place, Ithink that well be all right. Last year we gave up onescore a game, and I think it might not be that good,but I think well be fine.That group will look to keep its grip on the Class A
North crown and prove those wrong who think theymight take a step back because of the graduation losses.Were still the kings, Anerella said.
They will also need seniors to fill the leadership void ofthose who graduated in order to get back to the state finaland finish the job.We have to find more leaders on the team because a lot
of the people who graduated, they led us very well and nowtheyre gone, so people need to take charge, Mayfield said.We felt that pain of what it was like to lose last year, and
now were going to do everything we can to get back there,Anerella said. Well be back, dont worry.
09-13-14 @ Marlboro09-19-14 Freehold Twp.09-27-14 Sayreville10-02-14 Middletown North10-11-14 @ Lacey10-17-14 Middletown South10-24-14 @ Red Bank Cath.11-01-14 @ Freehold Boro11-07-14 Howell
Head Coach:Ed Gurrieri, 8th season
Career Record: 59-19Assistant Coaches: Justin Fumando (def.coord.); Dan DAvanzo (off. coord./QB); Joe Tetley (OL); Dom Lepore (DB/spec. teams);Bill Smith Sr. (LB); Jimmy Papcun (WR); AndySliwoski (football operations); Bill Smith Jr., JonHarrison, Alex DeCastro, Bobby Schreck, ReggieGrant (freshman); Shannon Tomasula (athletictrainer).
2013 Record: 11-1 (6-0)
BIG SHOES TO FILL: Carlos Teixeira, Sr., LBTeixeira, who started his career at Manalapan,transferred to St. John Vianney and then transferred backbefore last season, takes over for Shore ConferenceDefensive Player of the Year Chris Noesges at insidelinebacker. He has been waiting for his chance and hasthe ability to make sure there wont be a major drop-offin production from this spot. Senior Tyson Plummer alsowill be counted on to help fill the shoes of Penn Staterecruit Saeed Blacknall at wide receiver.
X-FACTOR: The Passing GameNearly every touchdown pass Dan Anerella threw lastyear was to Saeed Blacknall, so the new group ofreceivers will have to step up and try to approximateBlacknalls production. Teams know Manalapan is goingto run the ball, so if Anerella can keep them honest bygoing over the top, this offense should once again be oneof the Shores best.
GLUE GUY: Dan Anerella, Sr., QBAnerella has emerged as a team leader and now has aseason under his belt in running the offense. He seizedthe job last season and looks to become more of aplaymaker as a senior.
IMPACT NEWCOMER: Carlos Teixeira, Sr., LBStuck behind some of the Shores top linebackers lastseason, Teixeira is poised for a breakout year in his oneand only season as a starter.
PIVOTAL GAME: Oct. 17 vs. Middletown SouthThis once again looks like a huge game that will go along way toward deciding the Class A North title andboosting the playoff seeding of the winner. The Bravesare the rare team that has had Middletown Southsnumber four straight times, and they will look to keepthe upper hand.
Ready for Another RunBy S c o t t S t ump Manag i n g Ed i t o r
Photo by : C l i f f L a v e l l ewww . c l e a r e d g e . z e n f o l i o . c o m
17V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
Senior QB Dan Anerella
09-05-14 Howell09-12-14 Freehold Boro09-19-14 @ Manalapan10-02-14 @ Middletown South10-10-14 @ Toms River East10-18-14 @ Marlboro10-24-14 New Brunswick10-31-14 @ Edison11-07-14 Middletown North
Head Coach:Mike D'Antonio, 5th seasonCareer Record: 10-30Assistant Coaches:Gene Blanco (def. coord/LB); Dan Shine(DL); Mark Migliori (QB); Dan Cooper (OL);Kevin Popek (DB); Ed Von Nessen (LB);Gerard England (off. asst.); Mike Burlew,Brian Glick, Frank Ferrara (freshman); MikeStoia (scout); Cindy Carter (athletic trainer).
2013 Record: 1-9 (1-5)
BIG SHOES TO FILL: Nick Galanti, Jr., LBThere were not many seniors on last years FreeholdTownship team, but among them was the teams leadingtackler and All-A North linebacker Dan Weissman. Galantiis a standout athlete who is built for the position, so thephysical part of anchoring the middle of the defenseshould not be too tall an order.
X-FACTOR: Jimmy Purcell, Sr., OLAfter losing his junior season to a list of injuries,Purcell is back to 100 percent and will help anchor anall-senior offensive line to open the season. With anall-division sophomore season already under his belt,Purcell will be one of the biggest additions of anyteam in Class A North, especially for a team thatneeds help on the offensive line.
GLUE GUY: Al Santorelli, Sr., OL/LBSantorelli is the kind of player who can line up in anumber of positions, and his coaches will put thatversatility to use this year. The senior will move fromfullback to left guard this season while also playing oneof the middle linebacker spots on defense.
IMPACT NEWCOMER: Shane Laricy, Jr., LBA transfer from Freehold Boro, Laricy will see time atoutside linebacker along with senior Chris Maguire.
PIVOTAL GAME: Sept. 12 vs. Freehold BoroNot only is this a rivalry game that is now also adivision game, but for Freehold Township, it is followedby consecutive games against Manalapan andMiddletown South, with a bye week mixed in. IfFreehold Township cant get off to a fast start againstHowell and Freehold, 0-4 will be a strong possibilityfor a team that is desperate to turn things around.
With one of the youngest rosters last year in adeep Shore Conference Class A Northdivision, Freehold Township head coach MikeDAntonio expected to watch his team take itslumps against the top teams in the division whilehardening his players with an eye on this season.However, a disappointing 0-5 start wrecked any
thought of earning just the second state playoffberth in program history. The silver lining is thatthe Patriots went 4-1 to finish the season, and that'swhat they are looking to build on heading into thisfall despite the heavy graduation losses.It has become commonplace to expect Freehold
Township to take its lumps in one of the Shoresmost grueling divisions, senior-laden or not. ThePatriots have made the NJSIAA Tournament justonce in the history of the program and are comingoff a 1-9 season.There have been other seasons in which the
Patriotsplayers andcoacheshave felt onthe cusp ofbreakingthrough, butDAntonioand hissquad areexcited thatthis is theFreeholdTownshipteam thatwill finallymake thepush towarda winningrecord andstate playoffberth.Freehold
Townshipsmakeoverstarts onoffense,where the Patriots have overhauled the scheme andpersonnel. With junior quarterback Jack OBrienback under center, DAntonio and his staff are fullycommitting to the spread offense with a heavy doseof no-huddle. The hope is that the offense willbetter employ outside threats like senior TyreeWilson, who still managed 27 catches while playingin the run-heavy flex bone offense.Weve never had this many high-quality athletes
who can run and catch the ball, so it just makessense, said DAntonio, a former wide receiverscoach at Staten Island power Tottenville. Wevebeen contemplating making the move to this kindof offense once we felt like we had the players, andwe have the players.As a receiver, this offense fits me well because I
feel like were looking to get the ball down thefield more, Wilson said. Im excited to see how itall pans out, not just for me but for everybody toget an opportunity and hopefully be a betteroffense.
Although the spreadoffense will give the skillplayers like OBrien,Wilson and senior runningbacks Matt Pine and ColinBitsko differentresponsibilities, thecoaching staff has pouredmore focus into improvingthe offensive line than anyother position, according toDAntonio. After scoringonly 81 points in 10 games,the Patriots offense willlook to improve behind anoffensive line of fiveseniors, with a number ofsophomores who are pushing for playing time aswell.You definitely dont realize the potential of all
our players until you see them in this system, Pine
said. The system gives us a chance to exploit all ofour tools.Right tackle Mike OBrien, center Mike Petrula
and left tackle Tommy Benedict are all back on theoffensive line, while senior Al Santorelli moves toleft guard after playing fullback in the flex bonelast year. Freehold Townships biggest addition onthe line and perhaps anywhere on the field issenior guard Jimmy Purcell, who missed all of lastseason with various ailments after being named tothe coaches All-Class A North team as asophomore.Its been great to see him 100 percent healthy
again, DAntonio said of Purcell. Last year washard on him, and we definitely suffered not havinga guy like that. Bringing him back this year isalmost like signing a big free agent. It gets youpumped.At 6-foot-5 and 279 pounds, junior Alex
Schlumpf leads a wave of younger line talent thatcould push for time on the offensive line and, at the
very least, provide some depth for the senior group.Pine and Bitsko are the two leading returning
rushers from last season, with Bitsko amassing 470yards and Pine rushing for 293. They will provideOBrien with two options out of the backfield, butthe offense will revolve around the juniorsouthpaw slinger. OBrien threw for 974 yards andsix touchdowns while completing just under 50percent of his passes out of the flex bone, and alsorushed for 233 yards.Obviously, as the quarterback, Im probably
more excited than anyone about this offense,OBrien said. Its been awesome. Weve got a lotof good athletes to get the ball to so it should befun.A fast and experienced secondary will lead
Freehold Township on the defensive side of theball. Sophomore Anthony Lotti and senior NateCorvil make up a formidable cornerback duo.Corvil intercepted two passes last year andcovered the top opposing receiver throughout theseason. Pine will play both ways, playingalongside senior Nas Haines to account for thetwo safety positions.Junior Nick Galanti and Santorelli are athletic
linebackers who provide some balance to thedefense while trying to pick up the slack leftbehind by the graduation of All-Divisionlinebacker Dan Weissman. Galanti will also seetime as a tight end, as will Haines, who is also oneof the top sprinters in the Shore Conference.There have long been quality athletes that have
passed through the halls of Freehold Township andit has translated into success in other sports. A lotof those athletes have even played football andbeen successful on an individual basis. DAntoniois hopeful that the same quality of athlete isabundant on the roster this season and will begin totranslate to wins right now. With a large group thatwas thrown into the proverbial fire last year, thiswill not be another rebuilding year by the teamsexpectation.We had a lot of young guys running around out
there last year, and we knew there were going to begrowing pains, DAntonio said. The plus side tothat is guys learn, they get better and they comeback this year with more confidence. When youthrow in some of the speed and skill were seeing,we like what we have. Were in a brutal A Northdivision, so its going to be a challenge. But werecautiously optimistic.
Spreading the WealthBy Ma t t Man l e y - S e n i o r S t a f f Wr i t e r
18 V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
Senior Al Santorel l i
Freehold Township defensive coordinator Gene Blanco withseniors Frank Sugl ia (24) and Nate Corvi l (7) .
19V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
20 V O L UM E - V I / I S S U E - 1 6 / 9 / 4 / 1 4
09-05-14 @ Middletown North09-12-14 @ Freehold Twp09-20-14 Howell10-02-14 Raritan10-11-14 Marlboro10-17-14 @ Wall10-25-14 @ Toms River East11-01-14 Manalapan11-07-14 @ Middletown South
Head Coach:Dave Ellis, 4th season
Career Record: 7-23
Assistant Coaches:Andrew Mandeville (off. coord./QB/DB);Jason Blum (OL); John Kinzel (OL/DL);Greg Elias (RB/LB); Matt Whalen(WR/DB); Rob Keys, Paul Zambito(freshmen); Len Rivers (quality control);Mike Stehle (athletic trainer).
2013 Record: 2-8 (1-5)
BIG SHOES TO FILL: Todd Burger, Jr., OLYou could also throw junior Joel Perez and seniorMitchell Johnson in here, as all three arestepping in as first-year starters and replacingClass B North all-division lineman John Bostic.
X-FACTOR: An improved offenseThe Colonials averaged just 13.9 points per gamelast year, so a big year out of Dixon and Currywould certainly help Freehold improve its wintotal.
GLUE GUY: Jake Curry, Jr., QB/DBCurry enters his first full season as the startingquarterback and Ellis praised his leadershipability, calling him the true definition of aleader.
IMPACT NEWCOMER: Ashante Worthy, Fr., WR/DBWorthy will almost literally do it all for theColonials as a freshman. This could be the startof a superstar career.
PIVOTAL GAME: Sept. 20 vs. HowellThe Colonials and Rebels are somewhat in thesame boat in terms of potential within thedivision, so this Week Two matchup will be agood gauge of Freeholds progres.
With its starting quarterback and runningboth returning, and with an exciting
group of underclassmen, Freehold hopes it canturn the corner and produce its first winningseason since 2010.
The Colonials are four years removed froma state sectional title, but havent made theplayoffs since. With an improved offense anda nine total returning starters, Freehold feels itcan be much improved in year four under headcoach Dave Ellis.
I feel like all we have to do is gel and buyin and everything will be fine, said seniorrunning back/defensive back Josh Dixon.
Dixon and junior quarterback Jake Curryreturn to lead the Colonials spread offense,which knows its needs to improve on its 13.9points per game average from last year. Currystarted a handful of games down the stretchlast season and enters his junior year withmore confidence.
Last year we asked Jake to manage theoffense, Ellis said. Hes a true quarterbackin that hes cool and calm, and hes a smartkid. He understands what were trying to doand he leads the offense. Hes the truedefinition of a leader.
Dixon was a Class B North all-divisionrunning back last season and is one of themost underrated backs in the ShoreConference.
Jake and Josh are both very good players,two of the better ones in the division, Ellissaid. Up front we have to get better.Well be breaking in threenew guys and it all startsup front. Were talentedbut we have to protectthem.
A pair of startersreturn along theoffensive line in225-pound seniorleft guard DavidAlpaugh and 220-poundsenior center WillFraumeni. At left tacklewill be senior MitchellJohnson, the right guard isjunior Joel Perez and theright tackle is 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior Todd Burger.
The four starting wide receivers are juniorJamel Smith-Rush, junior Matt Curcio, seniorBailey Indursky and freshman AshanteWorthy. Senior Jahsim Fenn will also seetime at receiver. Worthy, who is Dixonscousin, has impressed Ellis with both hisathletic skillsand poise of
an upperclassmen. His versatility is offthe charts, as he can play running back,slot receiver, linebacker, cornerback andsafety as well as returning kicks andpunting with a range of 35-40 yards.
Hes a humble, smart kid and a hardworker, Ellis said. I dont really look athim as a freshman. To me he acts like ajunior or a senior because of the way hecarries himself.
We have a lot of weapons, so its myjob to get those guys the ball on the perimeteror go deep on play action, Curry said. Thoseguys can make a lot of moves in the openfield.
The Colonials will run a 3-3-5 stack ondefense, and hope to tighten up a unit thatallowed 30 points per game last season. Thenose guard is senior Nick Kousoulides withFraumeni and Johnson, a returning starter, asthe defensive ends.
Senior MorganQuinones is areturningstarter atmiddle
linebackerand will beflanked byinsidelinebackersXavier Madera,a sophomore,and eithersophomore
Nick Eccelston or Jared Vandysen. Theoutside linebacker/strong safeties are Smith-Rush and Indursky.
All three true defensive backs are returningstarters with Dixon and Fenn as thecornerbacks and Curry as the safety. Worthywill also see time in the defensive backfield.
On special teams, Worthy will serve as thekicker and punter.
We have some weapons, its just a matterof putting it all together, Ellis said.
Both Dixon and Curry said a big differencebetween last season is team unity.
Last year we had a lot of problems withinthe team individually, Curry said. So thisyear the focus is on being a family. We go outto eat, catch a movie, watch film together, andit carries over to the field.
Last year we really werent as close as weare this year, Dixon said. Most of us havebeen playing together for so long and asseniors we feel like we could go far thisyear.
The Colonials have moved from therugged B North division to A North,which should help them on their quest toget back over .500. The bottom line forFreehold to succeed will be to maximizeits offensive potential and play solid inthe fourth quarter, which is something ithas struggled with.
Ive been telling the kids since thespring that it doesnt matter what offenseor defense we run, we just have to finishfootball games, Ellis said. Thatsbeen our Achilles heel the past coupleof years. Weve been winning gamesand cant sustain it. Weve worked onour conditioning and mentaltoughness. You have to be able toget that stop or get that conversionin a big spot.
Every week were going tohave to fight, Dixon said. Ourmotto is to never give up.
Turning the CornerBy Bob Badd e r s S en i o r S t a f f Wr i t e r
Freshman RB Ashante Worthy
Junior quarterback Jake Curry
09-12-14 Manasquan 09-26-14 Matawan10-02-14 @ Freehold Boro10-10-14 @ Red Bank Regional10-17-14 St. John Vianney10-24-14 Point Boro10-31-14 @ Rumson-Fair Haven11-08-14 @ Monmouth Regional11-27-14 Holmdel
Head Coach:Anthony Petruzzi, 5th seasonCareer Record: 13-27Assistant Coaches: John Principe (def.coord.); Jeff Struble (off. coord./QB); Billy Kvalheim(DB); Matt Dempsey (OL); George Gibson (DL);Chris Raitano (DL); Matt Walsh (WR); Mike Nunes,Mike Thaner, Nick Sparacello (freshman); Amanda Stump (athletic trainer)
2013 Record: 3-7 (2-4)
BIG SHOES TO FILL: Sean Ennis, Jr., LBAfter a solid sophomore season, Ennis will be called upon toreplace the production lost by leading tackler Tyler Jones atlinebacker. Senior safety Colby Jones will also try to fill theleadership void left by his older brother.
X-FACTOR: Offensive line. If the improvementsthe coaching staff has made in being able to pick uppressure can be executed by this unit, it should go a longway toward boosting the offense to one that can average20-plus points per game. An improved running gamewould also help keep Raritan out of obvious passingdowns and prevent defenses from consistently bringingpressure on Sullivan.
GLUE GUY: Riley Sullivan, Sr., QB. In his secondyear as a starter, Sullivan is an indispensable part ofRaritans success. He has to boost his production andefficiency while cutting down on mistakes for theRockets to make the leap to a playoff team.
IMPACT NEWCOMER: Jahciere Jones, Jr., WRJones was plagued by nagging injuries all last season,but should be a weapon at wide receiver with his speedand elusiveness to complement the big-play threat onthe outside of wide receiver Dylan DeWysockie.
PIVOTAL GAME: Sept. 12 vs. Manasquan.This game is huge for the Rockets for multiple reasonsbeyond just being the season opener. A victoryimmediately makes them a darkhorse contender in ClassA Central, gives them the confidence that they can beat astrong program like Manasquan, and most likely netsthem crucial power points that would put them in a goodposition to make a run at a playoff spot right off the bat.While Raritan has never won on Manasquans field, thisgame is on their home turf, where they have knocked theWarriors off multiple times in recent years.
R aritan took an important step forward inrebuilding its program last year, so now thetask is making that next leap to become a stateplayoff team for the first time in five years.With one of the Shore Conferences top passers
returning along with a solid group of skill playersand an experienced defense, the opportunity isthere for the Rockets to continue their rise fromthe ashes of a winless season two years ago toreach the postseason.We thought we worked hard last year to get
those three wins, but if we put in the sameamount of work, that will just keep us where weare, said head coach Anthony Petruzzi. Wehave to work much harder than we thought weworked last year in order to get where we want togo.Senior quarterback Riley Sullivan returns to
lead Raritans multiple pro offense under newcoordinator Jeff Struble after throwing for 1,385yards and nine touchdowns in nine games lastyear, the second-most yards of any returningquarterback in the Shore Conference. Raritanaveraged only 12.7 points per game last seasonand was shut out twice, so the offense will haveto improve to make a playoff push.Our offense has to be more efficient, and I
think were working towards that now, Sullivansaid. I learned how to read defenses a lot better,and now Im learning when to run and when topass, and other situational things. I think ouroffense is going to surprise people.Petruzzi has stressed to the strong-armed lefty
that the high-percentage short throw can be justas effective as bombing it deep.We just want him to take control of the game
and protect the football, Petruzzi said. He canmake all the throws, and he wants to take deepshots, and he has weapons, but we have to stayout of bad situations, move the chains and keephim upright.Six-foot-4 senior Dylan DeWysockie returns at
wide receiver, where he should be a threatdownfield and in the red zone with his height andlong arms. Last year, he had 14 catches for 404yards, an average of 28.9 yards per catch, whichincluded a 99-yard touchdown. Junior JahciereJones brings a speed element and should beanother weapon, while senior Colby Jones, areturning starter on defense, also should see timeat wide receiver along with junior Nick Pasquin.
Junior tight end/H-back Mason Sheehan alsoreturns as another target.Senior Rich Salerno takes over at tailback
after rushing for 198 yards in relief ofgraduated starter Jared Collins last year, andjunior Derek Ernst also will see plenty ofcarries in the running game.Our running game has been good so far,
Petruzzi said. I like our two backs, and I like theguys up front. I think we have enoughcomplementary players at all posi
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