all shore media 11-7-11 volume iii issue-20

N o v e m b e r 7 , 2 0 1 1V o l u m e - I I I - I s s u e - 2 0

www.allshoremedia.comwww.allshoremedia.comwww.allshoremedia.com

National Guard

Team of the Week

Page 3

Rumson Wins

Battle of

Unbeatens

Page 4-5

Brick Memorial's

Zach Santos

Page 6

Football State

Playoff Preview

Page 8-9

CBA Soccer Wins

SCT Title

1

Lacrosse Training

Tips

Page 12

Melvin's Review

Page 15


National Guard

Team of the Week

Page 3

Rumson Wins

Battle of

Unbeatens

Page 4-5

Brick Memorial's

Zach Santos

Page 6

Football State

Playoff Preview

Page 8-9

CBA Soccer Wins

SCT Title

Page 1 1

Lacrosse Training

Tips

Page 12

Melvin's Review

Page 15


National Guard

Team of the Week

Page 3

Rumson Wins

Battle of

Unbeatens

Page 4-5

Brick Memorial's

Zach Santos

Page 6

Football State

Playoff Preview

Page 8-9

CBA Soccer Wins

SCT Title

Page 1 1

Lacrosse Training

Tips

Page 12

Melvin's Review

Page 15

A multimedia company

that provides exciting and innovative

coverage to high school athletics in the Shore

Conference in order to highlight the achievements of local

athletes in one of the premier conferences in New Jersey. Whether it’s

the star of the team or the last player off the bench, everyone has a story and

it is our mission to recognize as many athletes as possible and add to the

memories for all of the families, coaches, friends and fans who support Shore

Conference sports. Whether in print or on the Web, All Shore Media is

your main source for all things exciting in the Shore Conference.

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of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about.

Catch up on the action you might have missed and watch video clips of

everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as

video interviews with various athletes. If you can’t make it to the game, we’ll

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All Shore Media is proud toannounce that it has partneredwith a North Jersey group toexpand its type of coverageinto Northwest Jersey AthleticConference, this fall.

The All Sports MediaNorthern Review, anewspaper in the mold of theAll Shore Media bi-weeklypaper, will make its debut inSeptember. The free,

advertiser-supported paper will cover scholasticsports at all of the schools in the Northwest JerseyAthletic Conference, which consists of schoolsfrom Morris County and a handful of teams inSussex and Warren counties.

“We're hoping it will be as big a success as theAll Shore Media Shore Conference program, andthe early returns are promising,’’ said PaulMencher, who will be the lead writer and editor ofthe new paper. “People seem excited about it, andadvertisers are excited about it. It’s somethingdifferent than what exists up here.

“There’s a lot of interest in highschool sports in the Northwest JerseyAthletic Conference, and I think thatpeople will be interested in having anew resource.’’

The partnership also broadens the scope of AllShore Media’s coverage to include a presence inNorth Jersey.

“We're excited about expanding ourniche in the market and the way wecover sports,’’ said All Shore MediaDirector/CEO Steve Meyer. “We'reexcited to start here with the objectivethat we want to expand to other parts ofthe state as well. This is the first step inour expansion.’’

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November 7, 2011 I Volume-I I I I Issue-20

All Shore Media Expandinginto North Jersey

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WEEk-1 WEEk-2Ocean Township Red Bank Catholic

WEEk-3 WEEk-4Jackson Memorial Central Regional

WEEk-5 WEEk-6Southern Regional Pt Pleasant Beach

WEEk-7Barnegat

WEEk-8The National Guard Team

of the Week for Week Eightis Manalapan, which

picked up a thrilling23-21 comebackvictory over BrickMemorial in anondivisional game

with important CentralJersey Group IV implications.

After Brick Memorial scored with 1:46left in the game to take a one-point lead,Manalapan (6-1) drove down and won thegame on a 37-yard field goal by freshman

kicker Mike Caggiano with two seconds remaining.It was Manalapan's sixth straight victory and helpedkeep the Braves in the hunt for the No. 2 seed andpotentially two home games in the state playoffs.

Junior quarterback Mike Isabella was 19-for-22for 177 yards and a touchdown passing, and juniorwide receiver Anthony Firkser had 12 catches for124 yards and a touchdown in the win. Seniortailback John Sieczkowski added 112 yardsrushing and two touchdowns. Defensively, VitoGadaleta had an interception that helped set up ascoring drive.

WEEk-9The National Guard

Team of the Week forWeek Nine is Rumson-Fair Haven, which won amatch-up of undefeatedteams when it knocked offAsbury Park, 28-6, in aShore Conferencenondivisional game.

The Bulldogs (8-0) earned the No. 1 seed in theNJSIAA Central Jersey Group II bracket, wherethey are the defending champions, thanks to the winover the Blue Bishops. The Rumson defense, led bysenior defensive tackle Jack Eisenstadt’s fourtackles for a loss, held the an Asbury Park offenseaveraging 35 points per game to 76 total yards andtwo first downs in the win. In the second half, theBulldogs limited the Blue Bishops to 7 total yardsand zero first downs, and they held Asbury Park tominus-five yards rushing in the game.

Offensively, junior quarterback Danny Robertoled the way with 202 yards passing and twotouchdowns. His main target was wide receiverBlake Potter, who had 157 yards receiving and atouchdown on eight catches. Roberto also threw atouchdown pass to senior Nico Giaimo, and

Potter’s touchdown catch came on a double passin which Roberto threw it to Kevin O’Connor

behind the line of scrimmage, who thentossed a 22-yard scoring pass to Potter.

Senior tight end Jake Clapp added a15-yard touchdown catch from

Roberto, and senior fullback JackMiles had a 3-yard touchdown runin the win. It marked Rumson’sfourth win over Asbury Park intheir last five meetings.

New For This SeasonIn conjunction with All Shore Media, The National Guard will honor

one team a week that showed the character, perseverance and

hard work emblematic of The National Guard during its

performance that weekend. A plaque will be presented to that

team during practice that week in honor of a great showing.

The playoffs may off ic ial ly s tart for

defending Central Jersey Group II

champion Rumson-Fair Haven this

week, but the Bulldogs' path to what

they hope ends in a second s traight

s tate t i t le began on Saturday against

fel low unbeaten Asbury Park.

"For two weeks, the coaches and the seniors have been

saying that this is a playoff game for us,'' said senior

defensive tackle Jack Eisenstadt. "We were out to prove

something. We want to be the best team to ever come

through our program.''

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 in the All Shore Media Top

10, certainly added their argument by dismantling No. 9

Asbury Park, 28-6, at Asbury Park Stadium in a

nondivisional game. The defense held an offense

averaging 35 points per game to 76 total yards and

two first downs, including 7 total yards and zero

first downs in the second half for the Class B

Central champions.

"Asbury Park is a great team with a lot of good

players, so it's a great accomplishment to hold a

team like that to six points,'' said Eisenstadt, who

had three sacks in the win.

The victory put Rumson-Fair Haven (8-0) in

position to grab the No. 1 seed in CJ II, which

unofficially looks like it will come down to a coin

flip at NJSIAA headquarters in Robbinsville on

Monday with fellow unbeaten Manasquan since the

two teams are tied in power points and on criteria

(strength of schedule, winning percentage). Asbury

Park (7-1) still looks to be the No. 1 seed in Central

Jersey Group I despite the loss, as it seeks its fourth

dawg day Afternoon:Rumson Football Wins Battle ofUndefeated TeamsB 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

4 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-20 1 1 /7 / 1 1

QB Danny Roberto

C o n t i n u e d o n n e x t p a g e

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CJ I title in the last five years.

Offensively, junior quarterback Danny Roberto threw for

202 yards and two touchdowns, and wideout Blake Potter

had 157 yards receiving and a touchdown on eight catches

against a defense that had given up a Shore Conference-

low 35 points total entering the game. After four straight

incompletions to start the game, Roberto settled into a

groove as he acclimated to Asbury Park's speed, which he

said was a little bit in his head at first. Roberto's passing

was crucial considering Rumson was held to 32 yards

rushing in the game.

"They put like 10

guys in the box,

and they were

jamming us and

coming hard off

the end, so we

knew we had to

execute on our

passes because that

was going to be the

only way we were

going to win the

game,'' Roberto

said. "I realized it's

a high school

football game, and

I just need to do

my thing and relax.

I got (worries

about Asbury

Park's speed) out

of my head, and I

found my rhythm with Blake. He bails me

out. I wouldn't be anything without that guy.''

"Danny and I always feel like we can do something

against anyone, pass-wise,'' Potter said. "It really opened

up for us when they started stopping the run and playing

us man, and we took advantage of that.''

Defensively, Eisenstadt set the tone from the outset

when he stuffed senior Amir Conover for no gain on

Asbury Park's first play from scrimmage, which was

indicative of a day in which the Blue Bishops finished

with minus-five yards rushing for the game. After each

team went three-and-out to start, Rumson finally broke

through when it took over on Asbury Park's 16-yard line

following a short punt out of the end zone by the Blue

Bishops. Two plays later, Roberto found tight end Jake

Clapp for a 15-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead with

4:24 left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs drove 80 yards in 11

plays, scoring on a double pass when Roberto threw

behind the line of

scrimmage to wideout

Kevin O'Connor, a

converted

quarterback, and

O'Connor lofted a

22-yard touchdown

pass to Potter for a

14-0 lead. That

marked the second time

Rumson has done that

against Asbury Park in the last

three years, as wideout Ian Moore

threw one to fellow wide receiver

Jack Wise in a 26-18 win in 2009.

"I think we've always had it in the

back of our playbook, and we

decided to break it out this week,''

Potter said.

Asbury Park answered with its

only drive of the game when

senior Armond Conover took a

swing pass out of the backfield

and ran for a 54-yard gain,

followed three plays later by

a 20-yard catch by senior

wideout Tajh Hammary on

third down that set up first-

and-goal. Armond Conover then took a direct snap

and ran in a 5-yard touchdown that cut the lead to

14-6 after Conover was stuffed on the two-point

conversion attempt with 4:22 left in the half.

Rumson nearly had a chance to make it 21-6 right before

halftime when Roberto hit Potter for a 31-yard gain to the

2-yard line on 3rd-and-23 with six seconds left in the

second quarter. However, his pass attempt on the last

play of the half was deflected and landed in the

hands of offensive lineman Andrew Brunetto, who

was tackled at the one-yard line as time expired.

All that did was temporarily halt Rumson's

domination, as the Bulldogs owned the second half.

The defense forced two three-and-outs to start the third

quarter before the offense put together a seven-play, 38-

yard drive that ended on a 3-yard touchdown run by

senior fullback Jack Miles for a 21-6 lead with 3:02 left

in the period. It was set up by a 20-yard catch by Potter

on third-and-12 in which Potter wrestled the ball away

from a defender.

"I knew we needed a big play,'' Potter said.

Senior defensive back Mike Morralle then recovered an

onside kick following Miles's touchdown,

keeping the ball out of Asbury Park's

hands and putting Rumson in business at

the Blue Bishops' 47-yard line. The

Bulldogs scored seven plays later

when Roberto found a wide-open

Nico Giaimo for a 22-yard

touchdown pass on third-and-14 for

a 28-6 lead on the first play of the

first quarter to all but ice the game.

Rumson can now focus on

making a run at its second straight

state title after winning the

school's first sectional

championship in history last year.

The Bulldogs are trying to become

the first 12-0 team in Rumson

history.

"We don't think about it too

much,'' Potter said. "We don't

really think about the long run. We

just want to take every game one at

a time and win.''

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 5

V i d e o

H i g h l i g h t s b y :

S c o t t S t u m pwww.al lshoremedia.com

P h o t o s b y :

Bi l l Normi lewww.bi l lnormi le.zenfol io.com

WR Blake Potter

RB Connor Riley


Brick Memorial head coach Walt Currie

acknowledges that senior cornerback Zach Santos is an

excellent athlete with good instincts in the secondary.

Still, would Currie have thought that Santos would be

second in the Shore Conference after Week Nine with

six interceptions, including three that he has returned for

touchdowns?

“No, if you had told me in the spring time that Zach

would have six interceptions at this point of the season, I

hate to say I would have laughed at you,’’ Currie said.

“But I would have laughed at you.’’

That’s not a knock on Santos, that’s just a reaction to

the eye-opening impact that Santos has made in his one

and only season with the playoff-bound Mustangs. Up

until this year, Santos had never played organized

football, instead focusing on playing baseball year

round.

The Mustangs’ centerfielder now snatches up

opposing passes like flyballs and has made some of the

biggest plays of Brick Memorial’s season on defense.

He is second only behind Manchester senior safety Joe

Johnson, who has seven interceptions, for the most in

the Shore Conference.

“I would have never thought that it would be like

this,’’ Santos said. “I just wanted a break from playing

baseball all year, so I tried football. Now I love it as

much as baseball.’’

During the offseason, Santos got the hard sell from his

three good friends, senior wide receiver/defensive back

Jack Phair, senior lineman Dan Cuccinello, and senior

running back/cornerback Justin Mueller. They told him

about the long walk to the Brick Memorial field as the

butterflies build in pregame, the roaring of the crowd,

and the adrenaline of the game.

“My friends have been nagging me since sophomore

year to play,’’ Santos said. “I figured it was my senior

year, so why not give it a shot?’’

Before he could officially throw the pads on, he had to

convince an important skeptic.

“My dad didn’t want me playing at all,’’ Santos said.

“I had to convince him. My dad’s a big baseball guy, but

he loves football now. He’s always at every game, and

he supports it 100 percent.’’

Currie and his staff immediately pegged Santos for a

defensive back because of his athleticism and because

learning Brick Memorial’s flexbone option offense can

take more time than Santos really had to get it down.

Santos also already had a good hip turn for a cornerback

because of his experience as a centerfielder.

In addition, it helped that the Mustangs graduated four

of five starters in their secondary, which employs two

strong safety/linebacker hybrid positions, from last

year’s Central Jersey Group IV finalists. Spots were

available, and Santos was part of the group auditioning

for them.

“We didn't have to simplify anything, specifically at

corner, because his job is to just make sure nobody

beats him deep,’’ Currie said. “All the skills and

techniques are a lot to learn, but the reads are fairly

straightforward, which is perfect for a kid like Zach.

He has a nose for the football, and he understands

where to be instinctively. You add a little technique, a

little preparation and weight training, and that really

can go far.’’

Secondary coach Ed Sarluca helped Santos get down

the basics, and he was one of nine players competing for

three spots in the offseason. He won the job as one of

the starting cornerbacks along with senior Anthony

Fontana and has flourished. It also helped that the

position was up for grabs considering the potential

bitterness that might have bloomed if a player who had

been in the program for four years had his position taken

by a kid who decided to play as a senior.

“There was nothing like that,’’ Currie said. “Zach just

performed the best at his position and won the job. He’s

made the most of his opportunity.’’

“I was working my butt off,’’ Santos said. “I just

wanted to get on the field. I had no clue I was going to

have this kind of year. I just wanted to start and excel at

my position.’’

That still doesn’t mean his heart wasn’t beating out of

his chest in the season opener against cross-town rival

Brick when he realized he had gone from watching the

game in the stands a year earlier to right in the middle of

a pressurized town rivalry.

“I was really nervous,’’ he said. “I didn't know what to

think. We’re playing for a town championship, it’s a big

rivalry, all the fans are chanting, and all I could think

was that I didn’t want to get beat. I didn’t want to be the

person they pick on to lose the game for my team.’’

Santos was part of a defensive effort that kept the

Green Dragons under wraps in a 17-10 victory for the

Mustangs. A week later, Brick Memorial suffered what

Santos considers its most gut-wrenching loss when

Jackson Memorial beat the Mustangs 19-14 on a

touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jimmy

Celidonio to senior Johntel Thomas with just 50.9

seconds left in the game.

“That’s when the secondary realized that we had to

pick it up because we hated losing that last-second game

because of a touchdown pass,’’ Santos said.

A week later, the Mustangs held Toms River East to a

field goal in a 7-3 win, and then suffered another

heartbreaking loss with a 21-20 defeat at the hands of

eventual Class A South champion Southern. Santos

helped ease the sting of that defeat with two interception

returns for touchdowns in a 42-0 wipeout of Toms River

South, and then made a huge play in what turned out to

be another narrow defeat.

Santos had a 50-yard interception return for a

touchdown that led to a game-tying, two-point

conversion in the fourth quarter of what ended as a 17-

14 overtime loss to Middletown South. His crucial pick

showed how much of the game he has absorbed in a

short time. Eagles receiver Matt LaMattina had been

beating him with 3- and 5-yard hitch routes all game,

and when LaMattina lined up in a trips formation, he

correctly figured that LaMattina was going to now try to

break inside for a slant pattern. He jumped the route,

took it to the house and helped at least get Brick

Memorial to overtime.

“He's made some huge plays in huge spots, and to be

honest, he didn't even realize how big of a spot it was

most of the time,’’ Currie said. “When given the

opportunity to make a big play, he makes it.’’

In Week Seven, his sixth interception of the season

finally was paired with a big win. He snagged a pass

from Toms River North’s Scott Buxbaum inside the

final five minutes to help preserve a crucial, 27-21

victory that ultimately was huge in Brick Memorial

qualifying for the playoffs in Central Jersey Group IV,

where it has reached three straight finals. The seventh-

seeded Mustangs will now have a rematch with second-

seeded Manalapan, which beat them 23-21 on a

last-second field goal during the regular season.

Santos has had experience covering some dangerous

wideouts this season like LaMattina, Southern’s Alec

Morris and Mike Gesicki, Toms River North’s Kyle

Carrington, Manalapan’s Anthony Firkser and Howell’s

Brandon Yaegel.

“I don’t let the names faze me,’’ Santos said. “It’s the

whole defense as a unit that is the reason I have been

able to get interceptions, so I just do my role. I can’t

strategize for players like Firkser. He’s 6-4 and over 200

pounds, and I’m just a 5-8, 170-pounder, but this team

has the heart and desire to get to the playoffs, which is

all that matters. We don’t care who we face, as long as

we get in.’’

For the first time in years, Santos has not even picked

up a bat and a ball since August, and now he says he

would welcome to the opportunity to play either

baseball or football in college. His loose approach to just

having fun and working hard at football is emblematic

of a team that always seems to back itself into a corner

before fighting its way out to wind up at Rutgers

Stadium in the Central Jersey Group IV final. When

everyone around them proclaims the sky is falling as

their state playoff hopes are in jeopardy, the Mustangs

just go play because they love being out there, and it

usually results in their best football.

“Zach is all about just getting out there, giving it all

he’s got and whatever happens, happens,’’ Currie said.

“That’s the way a lot of our guys play football. Our guys

play loose, and Zack is the epitome of that. He’s been an

amazing pickup for us.’’

He also is apparently only two interceptions away

from tying the single-season school record. A player

who is in the program for only one year might find his

name at the top of the record book for a while if he

continues at this pace.

“Everybody’s been nagging me, saying ,’Are you

going to get the record?’’’ he said. “I just play the

game.’’

Of course, Santos’s success makes you wonder what

kind of career he might have had if he had come out for

the team earlier in high school.

“Honestly, I think this was perfect timing,’’ Currie

said. “Maybe if he played four years, he would be

burned out right now. Instead, he’s having a blast, and

we’re more than happy to have him here.’’

One-Year Wonder: Brick Memorial’s Zach SantosB 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

Zach Santos

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


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and Shore are all threats to win the whole thing, with Asbury

getting the nod because it already beat those two other

teams.

Point Beach should have a pretty solid challenge with New

Egypt on the road but is more than capable of winning that

game to set up a rematch with Asbury Park, which beat the

Garnet Gulls 24-8, in the semifinals. Point Beach has only

won one playoff game in its program history, and that was in

1982, so the Garnet Gulls hope to add a chapter to their

history this season.

The dangerous team is Shore. The defending CJ I

champion Blue Devils have won four straight and their

offense is starting to come alive. They only lost 14-13 to

Asbury Park and had the Blue Bishops dead to rights until

allowing a 70-yard touchdown pass with four minutes left in

the game, so they know they can play with the Blue Bishops.

Dunellen, the team that Shore beat in last year's

final, is an explosive offensive team but is beatable.

Shore could certainly knock off the unbeaten

Destroyers and possibly have a rematch with

Asbury Park. The craziest scenario would be a

Shore-Point Beach final because the two

teams would play each other two weeks in a

row because they also play one another on

Thanksgiving.

I still think this is Asbury Park's title to lose,

and it would be their fourth CJ I crown in the last five

years. As Rumson showed, Asbury Park's Achilles' heel

is its pass defense, but I don't think there are any teams

that have passing attacks close to Rumson's in this

bracket. Most of them are Wing-T, run-oriented teams,

which plays right into Asbury Park's hands because its run

defense is one of the best in the Shore Conference.

South Jersey Group IV

(8) Atlantic City at (1) Pennsauken

(5) Triton at (4) Southern

(6) Washington Township at (3) Williamstown

(7) Rancocas Valley at (2) Millville

My Take: I think Southern is in a

decent spot. Triton is tough, but all

the teams in this bracket are

always tough. That is a

winnable game for the

Rams, and the

atmosphere should

be exciting

because it's

Southern's

first home

playoff game

in program

history.

Triton is a

high-scoring

team, so

Southern's

defense will

have to rise

to the

occasion in

this one.

Talking to

South Jersey

football

followers and reporters, they feel that Southern has a real

legitimate shot to win its first state sectional title in school

history. The Rams made their first and only final in 2008

when they lost to undefeated Mainland in the championship

game. With a balanced team that has multiple playmakers on

offense and a solid line on both sides of the ball, Southern

has the goods to pull this off.

There is no juggernaut team in this bracket like the

Cherokee squads of recent years, so even though Southern

may have to go to No. 1 Pennsauken, it can win that game.

This may be a historic year for the Rams.

South Jersey Group III

(8) Lacey at (1) Timber Creek

(5) Central at (4) Woodrow Wilson

(6) Oakcrest at (3) Moorestown

(7) Kingsway at (2) Hammonton

My Take: Central's loss to St. John

Vianney nudged Lacey down

to that eighth seed, and it

looks like it will be one-and-

done for the Lions because

Timber Creek is an athletic,

explosive team that is the

favorite to win this

bracket.

Central, meanwhile, is in the

playoffs for the first time since

2001. The Golden Eagles are the

underdogs against Woodrow

Wilson and are coming off a

disappointing loss, but they

are never out of it with

senior tailback Kalyph

Hardy on the field.

Woodrow Wilson is an

explosive offensive team

that plays high-scoring games, so I wouldn't be surprised to

see a crazy game in which Hardy is going back and forth

with the Woodrow Wilson offense as they replace the bulbs

on the scoreboard.

I would say that if either Shore team wins a game in this

bracket, that's a big accomplishment. Lacey is the defending

champion, and I think the Lions will be a force in this

bracket next year because they have a young team with some

good up-and-coming talent. As for this year, I would say it

will go chalk and be a Timber Creek-Hammonton final, with

Timber Creek getting the edge.

(8) Willingboro at(1) Haddonfield

(5) Woodstown at (4) Cinnaminson

(6) Pt. Boro at (3) Barnegat

(7) Pemberton at (2) West Deptford

My Take: That's a real

fun first-round matchup

between Barnegat and

Point Boro, and it's

Barnegat's first home playoff

game in program history. Point

Boro has come alive with three

straight wins and just annihilated a

Manchester team that beat Barnegat.

The Bengals, meanwhile, have won

five of six and are playing some of

their best football. It's Point Boro's

grind-it-out option attack and

senior quarterback John

Dunbar against Barnegat's

big-play, passing attack led

by senior quarterback Mark McCoy.

The winner of that game should savor it because a trip to

West Deptford probably means the end of either team's

playoff hopes. Haddonfield is the favorite to win this section

and will probably meet West Deptford in the final.

Non-Public Group III

(8) Bishop Ahr at (1) St. Joseph-Montvale

(5) Immaculata at (4) DePaul

(6) Pope John XXIII at (3) Red Bank Catholic

(7) Msgr. Donovan at (2) Delbarton

My Take: Well, is this finally going tobe the year? Red Bank Catholic has notwon a state playoff game since 1998,and this chance is as good as any.The Caseys will be home atCount Basie Field, and theyface a Pope John team thatis 5-4. Pope John is oneof the most storiedprograms in statehistory as far as theplayoffs are concerned,but this is not one ofits vintage teams.RBC is alsocarrying the torchfor the ShoreConference as itsNo. 1 team, so aloss would lookbad in general.Plus, the choruswill grow louderthat RBC can beatall the publicschools in theShore but when theplaying field is leveled inthe playoffs against other schools that can draw talent frommultiple towns, the Caseys can't get it done. Granted,playing the likes of Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep inthe Bracket of Death (Non-Public Group IV) in the last fewyears, no team in the Shore would have gotten that done.

Certainly, they have the talent and coaching to end thedrought this season, and a defense that can keep them inany game.

If RBC beats Pope John and then can find a way to beatDelbarton and give a tough game to St. Joseph-Montvale, atop-seven team in the state and perennial state playoffjuggernaut, that would be a tremendous run. I will tell youwho is rooting hard for RBC to win - Rumson. That wayboth teams will most likely only have a week to prepare fortheir hugely-anticipated Thanksgiving showdown becausethey are coming off playoff games, rather than RBC havingits customary two weeks to prepare for the Rumson gamelike it's the Super Bowl.

As for Monsignor Donovan, the main accomplishmentis just making it. If the Griffins win that game against

Delbarton, Dan Duddy should be the state Coachof the Year. Duddy has done a great job buildingup the small parochial program, and theGriffins' players should be commended for theirfirst state playoff appearance since 2004.

Monsignor Donovan also happens to be the onlyone of four Toms River high schools to reach the

state playoffs this year. Who saw that coming?

Central Jersey Group IV

(8) Hillsborough at (1) South Brunswick

(5) Sayreville at (4) Jackson Memorial

(6) North Brunswick at (3) West Windsor South

(7) Brick Memorial at (2) Manalapan

My Take: The winner of the

Brick Memorial-Manalapan

game is in a good spot. It either

gets an underdog North

Brunswick team or a Mercer

County squad, West

Windsor South, that is 6-

15 all time in the playoffs

and has never won a state

title. The first meeting

between the Mustangs

and the Braves was a

classic two weeks ago,

with Manalapan

freshman kicker Mike

Caggiano booting a 37-

yard field goal in the final

seconds for a 23-21 win.

That's a tough draw for

Manalapan in the sense

that it's not easy to beat

the same team

twice in the

span of three

weeks, and anyone following recent Shore Conference history

knows Brick Memorial has been scary as a low seed playing

on the road in the playoffs. The Mustangs have made three

straight CJ IV finals, and in 2009 they did it as a No. 6 seed,

and they won it all in 2008 as a No. 5 seed.

Meanwhile, Jackson Memorial got the

bracket of death on the other side. The

Jaguars have to deal with defending CJ

IV champion Sayreville and Rutgers-

bound dynamo Delon Stephenson in

the first round, and if they survive

that, it means a date with

undefeated South Brunswick,

which is a top 10 team in the

state. South Brunswick has

already beaten Piscataway and

Sayreville, so that is a major hurdle

if Jackson can get by Sayreville

first. One thing going for Jackson

is that South Brunswick has

never been in this spot before. It

has only won one playoff game

in its program history and has

only played in four postseason

games, never even reaching a

sectional final. That means this is all

uncharted territory for the Vikings, who

have never had the pressure of being the

heavy favorite or playing in a championship game, for

whatever that's worth. I also think Jackson's defense is tough

enough to let it hang around in any game, so you can't count

the Jaguars out.

(8) Midd. South at(1) Northern Burlington

(5) Neptune at (4) Allentown

(6) Woodbridge at(3) Burlington Township

(7) Steinert at (2) Wall

My Take: A correction in the

math gave Middletown South the

No. 8 seed instead of 7, so the

Eagles will travel to top-seeded

Northern Burlington. The

Eagles may be the first No. 8 seed

to be unanimously picked to win across

the board, and then it could be a

showdown with Neptune, whom

Middletown South has not lost to in 13

years, in the semifinals. Middletown

South has made a sectional

final in nine of the last 10

seasons.

The road got a little easier for Wall, which avoids seeing

Middletown South or Neptune until the championship game.

The Crimson Knights should roll past Steinert in the first

round and then deal with a tough Woodbridge team.

Woodbridge is the sleeper in this bracket, which has been

ruled by Shore Conference teams, which have won 15 of the

21 CJ III titles since 1990.

It's almost a shame that the Middletown South-Neptune

game would have to be a semifinal, but that's the way it goes.

Neptune should roll past Allentown, which is playing its first

state playoff game in school history, in the first round. The last

time Neptune won a state title was in 1998, when it routed

Middletown South 58-13 to win this bracket. That also

happens to be the last time that Neptune beat the Eagles.

(8) Rahway at (1) Rumson-FH

(5) Delaware Valley at (4) A.L. Johnson

(6) Matawan at (3) Carteret

(7) Red Bank at (2) Manasquan

My (updated) Take: Rumson won a coin

flip on Monday morning at NJSIAA

headquarters in Robbinsville to determine the No. 1 seed

between Manasquan and Rumson because the teams tied in

power points and on criteria (strength of schedule, winning

percentage, etc.). That's huge for Rumson because it helps the

Bulldogs avoid a second-round match-up with rival Matawan

or undefeated Carteret and instead gives them a more

winnable game against the A.L. Johnson-Delaware Valley

winner. However, Rahway could be a handful in the first

round because it has great team speed and explosive offensive

players.

Matawan, which has reached the last two CJ II finals, lurks

as a threat at No. 6. Undefeated Carteret will have its hands

full with the Huskies, and I would not be surprised at all to

see Matawan win that game. Red Bank is in the playoffs

for the first time since 2004. Rumson already thrashed

the Bucs, 30-0, in the regular season, so I think it

worked out somewhat for them that they drew

Manasquan thanks to the coin flip. Manasquan is at

least a more winnable game, although the Warriors

have been unbeatable at home in the last three years.

Rumson is the favorite to repeat as champion, plain

and simple. The Bulldogs' undefeated record was

compiled against tougher competition than

Manasquan's undefeated slate. However,

Manasquan has won 11 sectional titles, more

than any program in Shore Conference history,

so even though the Warriors have looked shaky

against inferior competition, counting them out

would be foolish. The sleeper is Matawan, which has had a

chaotic season but has a defense that can allow it to pull

upsets. The Huskies would love nothing more than to return

the favor to Rumson after being stunned in the finals by the

Bulldogs last year after beating them during the regular

season.

(8) Middlesex at(1) Asbury Park

(5) Point Beach at (4) New Egypt

(6) Shore at(3) Florence

(7) Metuchen at (2) Dunellen

My Take: Asbury Park

may not have looked its

best against Rumson on

Saturday, but it is still the

favorite in this bracket.

This essentially looks

like a B Central mini-

tournament with

maybe Dunellen

thrown in. Asbury

Park, Point Beach

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

RBC's Chris Donald

Point Boro's Kevin O'Connor

Photos by

C l i f f L a v e l l eww w. c l ea re dg e. z en fo l i o . c om

Bi l l Normi leww w. b i l l n orm i l e . z en fo l i o . c om

Central Jersey

Group II

Central Jersey

Group I

South Jersey Group II

Jackson Memorial's Jimmy Celidonio

Rumson's Connor Riley

Midd. South's Tim McArdle

Asbury Park's Armond Conover

Southern's T.J. Bellissimo

Central’s Kalyph Hardy

Central Jersey Group III

It's hard to imagine anything less than a perfect game being goodenough to beat the Christian Brothers Academy soccer team, andfewer than two minutes into the top-seeded Colts' Shore ConferenceTournament game against No. 6 seed Holmdel, it broke up theHornets' perfect game and got more than enough help.

Holmdel put two goals in the back of its own net in the first 12minutes and the Colts added two more on their own to roll to a 4-0win and capture their second straight SCT championship and eighthoverall.

With the victory, CBA extended its unbeaten streak to 36 gamesand became the first team to repeat as champion since BrickMemorial won in 1996 and 1997. With four more wins in theNJSIAA Non-Public A Tournament, they can become the first CBAteam ever to go unbeaten and untied in a season. The 2000 teamfinished 20-0-2 and won the Non-Public A championship.

"Our goal at the beginning of the season was a statechampionship," senior forward Bob Cartas said. "Wenever talked much about being undefeated oranything like that, but once we got to this game,the focus moved to winning today. Now thatwe've won, we're thinking about the statetournament and if we do what we want to do, theundefeated record will take care of itself."

CBA pushed forward from the opening whistleand its pressure forced Holmdel into the first oftwo critical mistakes that took the Hornets out ofthe game. Cartas dribbled around a defender tohis right and sent the ball in the generaldirection of the goal. Holmdel goalkeeperMitch Walier tracked the shot and had the savelined, but Holmdel defender Tyler Shieldsattempted to clear it away first andinadvertently poked the ball into the near rightcorner 1:41 into the game.

"You could definitely see they werediscouraged by that," CBA senior midfielderChris Thorsheim said. "We tried to putpressure on them right from the start andwhen they made that mistake, I think theyput their heads down a little. I'm sure theyweren't banking on being down a goalthat early and they played tough afterthat, but once it happened again, Ithink it took a lot out of them."

Holmdel began to settle into thegame over the next 10 minutes,but disaster struck again, thistime thanks to pressure fromCBA senior midfielder MattJelinsky. Jelinsky took on ahost of defenders and after one

knocked the ball away from Jelinsky, it struck Casey O'Gormantrailing the play and the senior accidentally hit it past Walier and intothe goal just 11:55 into the game.

Again, Holmdel responded by keeping CBA from creating anythinginside the 18-yard box for the next 10-plus-minute stretch, but theColts found a soft spot in the 25th minute when Alex Bialko slid a

well-placed through-ball between two defenders.Jelinsky ran onto the pass and one-timed a shot

over Walier and to the upper right part of the netto stretch the CBA lead to 3-0. The shot wasonly the third of the half for CBA, but the Coltstallied three goals on those three shots.

"It was a good feeling out there today," saidJelinsky, who was one of four starters Sunday who

did not start last year's final. "Last year was a goodfeeling too, but it's always better when you're outthere, especially if you can score a goal. Alex has

stepped up big for us too, and he gave me a greatthrough-ball, and I just had to knock it in."

From that point on, CBAdominated possession andcompletely shut downHolmdel's attack by

limiting junior forward ZachBond's touches. Bond has 16 goals and 13 assists this

season, but did not makea dangerous run in thegame. At one point,

CBA owned a 16-0advantage in shots

before Holmdel'sFergal Cluskey-

Gallagherripped a longshot onframe thatCBAkeeper

SteveDonato

saved.

Just asJelinsky scored an

actual goal aftercreating an own goal, so

too did Cartas. Walier

attempted to roll apass out to his right,but Cartas pouncedon it, dribbled atWalier, and chipped ashot into the net tomake it 4-0 in the56th minute. It wasCartas' team-leading15th goal of theseason.

CBA looks toround into completehealth for a state tournament run that could end with the Coltsfinishing with a perfect record for the first time in school history, thetop ranking in the state and a top 10 ranking in the country by at leastone national media outlet.

A Class of Their Own:

CBA Soccer Wins SCT TitleB y M a t t M a n l e y – S e n i o r S t a f f W r i t e r


Senior Chris Thorsheim

Photos & Game Video

H i g h l i g h t s b y :

M a t t M a n l e ywww.al lshoremedia.com

Zach Hicks

2011 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE

(Games to be broadcast on WOBM 1160/1310AM)

Thr 11/24 Manaquan at Wall (11am)

NJSIAA Playoff Games = TBD

BROADCAST CREWMatt Harmon, Kevin Williams, Ed SarlucaVisit www.shoresportsnetwork for details

11-7-11 16pg Issue_Layout 1 11/8/11 10:13 AM

During my 24 years as a strength and conditioning coach, I have

learned many great lessons that have helped my methodology evolve.

Joining the National Strength and Conditioning Association in 1987

really helped me clarify my direction in my career while studying

kinesiology at CSU.

That year I volunteered for the local high school to train the football

team. Since then I have been a part of 22 winning teams and only 2

losing years. I learned about excellence in coaching from Hall of Fame

legend George Allen during my time at Long Beach State when he taught

us how to build a winning team. Over the years, I remember helping

seven young men fulfill their dream of the NFL, and two were picked in

the first round in 2008. While standing on the sidelines watching my No.

1 Red Bank Catholic Caseys finish undefeated in our division recently, it

was time for reflection.

I think back to when I met Frank Edgerly to talk about the revival of the

RBC program back in 1997 when was hired as the strength coach. Today

some of that "old school" program still lives in our current team. I

remember evaluating Donnie Brown and seeing how complete dedication

to a training , nutrition and recovery program could completely transform

a player’s body. He gained 50 pounds of muscle in high school while

improving his 40-yard dash time from 4.8 to 4.27. Also, watching

Middletown South’s Knowshon Moreno develop a perfect the bench press

was amazing.

Even though my heart will always be with the Cayeys (RBC Class of

1983), I have had had the opportunity to work with some of the Shore

Conference’s best players in my private practice. I have worked with All-

Shore studs from Manasquan, Middletown South, Wall, Ocean, Raritan,

Colts Neck, Holmdel, Long Branch, and yes, our rival, Rumson-Fair

Haven, since 1997.

A COACH’s VIEWPOINTThere is no doubt that my experience running team training programs at

RBC and other schools has made me a better personal trainer to the

individual. Since football is a team sport, it is crucial to understand how

important the school-based programs are.

The weight room is a great place to build team chemistry. It also helped

me understand the limitations in school-based programs. As a strength

coach, you must develop a program with the help of the head coach . I

think too many personal trainers who have never coached don't

understand this teamwork approach. Many schools do not have a CSCS

(to find out what a CSCS is, log onto jmpoweru.com) and the football

staff does the best they can.

Even when the program on the board is good, these programs often fall

short in a few critical areas that a trained professional can help with. The

technique on the Olympic and power lifts is hard to teach. Most players

and coaches get caught up in the weight on the bar for max outs while

forgetting perfect form. Most kids will skip warm-ups unless you ride

them. They also don't like to stretch or do corrective exercise to prevent

injuries. My Fast Football program is designed to complement your high

school program and fill in the gaps to improve performance and reduce

injury risk.

WHAT IS FAST FOOTBALL?The art of evaluating a player is the key to designing an individual

program that complements what they do at their school. The factors to

look at are game film, power, agility, strength, speed, balance, flexibility,

injury history, lean body mass-to-body-fat ratio, nutritional habits and

goals.

Typical school-based programs are three days per week. Motivated

players should address their off season program five to six days per week

especially if they are not playing winter or spring sports. Kids that are

involved in other sports usually will train three days per week.

SPEEDSpeed development science is still misunderstood by the public. Current

research tells us that the body’s ability to produce muscle force against

the ground while propelling your body is the most important factor when

developing speed. You must be strong to be fast. Other factors affecting

speed are technique, flexibility and body composition (too much body fat

will slow you down).

POWERPower is best developed with a combination of Olympic lifts (clean-

and-jerk snatches, hang cleans, power cleans) and plyometrics done with

medicine balls and body weight. Senior running back John DiStefano

really developed his explosiveness in the offseason and is now the latest

member of the long line of 1,000-yard rushers at RBC.

AGILITYThere are two types of agility for football players. Offensive agility is

where your actions will cause a reaction from your opponent. Defensive

agility is when you react to your opponent’s movement. One of the

hardest things to do on the field is stop your body. It requires a

tremendous amount of leg and core strength. Here you can see the

importance of good habits in the weight room. Research shows that lifting

significantly helps agility.

STRENGTHStrength training programs that I have seen work well are full body,

three days per week, or splitting upper body with lower body four to six

days per week. Make sure that 70 percent of your program is done on

your feet (just like football). If you want big arms, focus on dips and chin-

ups first, then tricep extensions and curls to follow. I know some big-time

college strength coaches that don't let their players do curls at all. Chin-

up to pump up! Use barbells(squats, bench press) dumbbells, kettlebells,

rubberbands, chains, tires and sledgehammers to name a few.

SIZETo pack on size (hypertrophy), you must understand that the lifting

program should be designed to maximize your natural testosterone.

Research shows that multi-joint exercises should be done in the 6-12 rep

zone, with three or four sets and no more than 2 minutes’ rest between

sets. Supersetting is a great way to achieve results. Defensive end James

Cowen (Jackson Memorial) gained 30 pounds of muscle doing these

workouts this past offseason and has had a great season thus far, making

him a candidate to play college football.

FLEXIBILITYDynamic (moving) stretching before workouts works best, and static

(sitting or standing) stretching works best after workouts. Hold these

stretches for 30 seconds or more. Championship athletes stretch every

day. This is a habit. (Read more about the habits of champions at

jmpoweru.com newsletter #1).

BALANCEA great way to build your balance is to do your standing dumbbell

exercises while standing on one foot. Try to incorporate physioballs,

boards, air discs, foam pads and BOSU balls each session to address this

often forgotten component of football fitness.

NUTRITIONYou can’t outrun a bad diet. If you skip meals, don't drink enough water

and eat lots of junk food, then maybe you should re-evaluate your

commitment to being the best player you can be. Please refer to my “EAT

TO WIN” newsletter at www.jmpoweru.com to learn what other

successful players have done. Eating right helps recovery as well as sleep.

INJURY RISK REDUCTIONInjuries are a part of the sport. Looking at my Fast Football alumni it

makes me feel good that my players are more durable than the ones who

do the minimum training. Most athletes have some type of movement

issue or medical history that they must work on to prevent future

problems. Being involved with lots of good doctors and therapists over

the years has helped me help my kids with these exercises. Do not ignore

this area. You have to be in it to win it.

God Bless and Play Fast Footbal l .

Coach McAuliffe

I can be reached at 908-433-9584 orjoemcauliffets@aol .com for Quest ions.

Footbal l : There is No OffseasonB y J o s e p h M c A u l i f f e M . A . C . S . C . S . S p o r t P e r f o r m a n c e D i r e c t o r T E S T S p o r t s C l u b / S t r e n g t h C o a c h R B C


Joe McAuliffe stretches out RBC’s John DiStefano



Tim Flynn has never been afraid to shareinformation. The Mountain Lakes High Schoolboys lacrosse coach has found that in mostinstances, he has always received more than hehas given. On Saturday, November 12, Flynn, thecurrent Under-19 U.S. National Team men’slacrosse coach, will be sharing some of hisknowledge once again for a cause he believes in.

Flynn, Summit coach Jim Davidson and manyof their friends are giving a clinic for youth andhigh school coaches at GoodSports in Wall, N.J.as a fundraiser for the National Team. The moneywill help the Under-19 squad travel and competein the ILF World Championships being held inTurku, Finland next July.

“Every little bit helps,’’ Flynn said. “I think themoney goes into a pool and we meter it out as wego. It goes for food, transportation, gettingaround. It’s pretty important.’’

The Under-19s have tough standards to keep onthe field. They have captured the gold medal inall six of the past ILF World Championships(1988, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2008). Flynnwants to keep that winning streak intact.

The contending team was chosen last year aftera grueling tryout period. Flynn is thrilled aboutthe players that he and his assistant coaches havechosen. He believes they possess distinctqualities that will get them through even the mostdifficult opponents.

“I am very, very excited,’’ Flynn said. “We

have a tremendousgroup of kids. Theywere very tough onground balls, reallygood hustling players.There was a lot oftoughness. The kidsrose up and they wereable to distinguish

themselves over the grueling five days in the heatof Baltimore. It takes a certain level of player toaccomplish that.’’

The 23 players are from all across the nationand reflect the growth of the sport outside thetraditional east coast hotbeds of Baltimore andLong Island.“We picked the 23 kids we thoughtwere the best,’’ Flynn said. “We didn’t even seewhere some of the kids were from. Then we werelike – wow! This kid is from Colorado and thiskid is from California. It became geographical.’’

It is hoped that at least one if not all threeplayers from New Jersey that were selected forthe team will be able to attend next month’sclinic. Immaculata’s Ralph D’Agostino,Bridgewater-Raritan’s Tyler Barbarich and St.Augustine Prep’s Steven Pontrillo alldistinguished themselves during the tryouts.

“Tyler was great at faceoffs and going onto theattack,’’ Flynn said. “Ralph was relentless onguys and really fought for ground balls. Pontrillohad a great surge. He was in the middle of thepack and when others wore down he stepped up.It’s a game a day and you go from day, to day, today.’’

Flynn believes they all have that element oftoughness that ultimately wins the day.

“You play to win from the start,’’ Flynn said.“You look for the 23 guys that will battle hard.’’

At the coaches clinic Flynn, who has the mostvarsity victories of any New Jersey high schoolboys lacrosse coach, will answer questions aboutthe national team. He will also lecture about asubject he likes the best – the transition game forboth offense anddefense. His drillswill be exhibited withhelp from themembers of theBrookdaleCommunity Collegemen’s lacrosse team,which is coached bySteve Heller.

“I’m alwayslooking for new drillsthat will put the kidsin tight situations,’’Flynn said.

There will be somehalf-field and full-field drills. There willalso be talks anddemonstrations onfaceoffs and goalie play.

Four-time All-American and current ESPNanalyst Matt Danowski and Reid Jackson, aformer Rutgers player and U.S. National teamcaptain, will talk about the honor of playing foryour country and of playing lacrosse on aninternational level.

In the clinic portion of the program, Davidson,whose Summit team just had the state’s longestwinning streak for lacrosse come to an end, willgive tips on running an efficient practice.

New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Famer and veteranofficial Tom Carr will go into rulesinterpretations for the coaches.

They will also be raffling lacrosse equipmentduring the six-hour event from chapter sponsorsWarrior, BoatHouse Apparel, Power-Tek andUniversal Lacrosse. B&B Trophy, MassivePlaybook and the New Jersey Sports Center for

Concussion are alsosponsoring the event.

The clinic, which isbeing held in South Jerseyfor the second consecutiveyear, is expected to buildon last year’s success andit is all for a good cause.

“In our inauguralattempt 130 coachescame,’’ South JerseyChapter President DaleOehler said. “It’s a greattime of year to do it.People learned a lot. Timand Jim presented it andthey enjoyed it.’’

Oehler is hoping for aneven greater turnout thisyear to help the U.S. team

meet its financial needs for next summer’stournament.

“It’s a great cause and it’s a lot of fun,’’ Oehlersaid. “It’s a good chance to pick up some things.Coaches can rub elbows with other coaches.There’s a lot of networking going on.’’

There is a $40 fee to attend the clinic andadditional donations for the U.S. team areappreciated. Although walk ups are allowed,coaches attending the event are encouraged toregister online at www.njsouthlacrosse.org. Liveregistration for the event starts at 8 a.m. atGoodSports. Directions for the event can befound at www.goodsportsusa.com

NJ South Lacrosse Chapter’s 2nd Coaches Clinic &Fund Raiser for Team USA to be held at GoodSportsB y M a r k K i t c h i n

Coach Tim Flynn instructing a playerduring one of last years clincs

Steve Heller was named the first head coach in Brookdale men’s lacrosse history in 2008. In the program’s inauguralyear, Heller guided the team to an 8-14 record. Prior to coming to Brookdale, Steve was the assistant coach at West

Point Prep School from 1996-2007. He was also a three-time men’s lacrosse all-American at Army, andis a graduate of West Point.

In a 4-part series Steve will highlight key elements that will help with a successful pre-season training program for any level of lacrosse.

At Brookdale, we place a strong emphasis on conditioningthroughout fall and spring practices. The military has anexpression that we use to try to set the tone for our conditioningsessions:

“The more you sweatin peace, the less youbleed in war.”

This means the more time we prepare ourselves physically forthe season, the better we are going to be come game time.

We do not want our level of conditioning to determine theoutcome of the game. When you’re tired, you tend to make moremistakes, which means more bad passes, bad shots, missedground balls, etc. We want to eliminate conditioning as a factorat game time. In order for us to do this we need to work on ourconditioning long before the spring season begins.

With lacrosse season fast approaching the time to begin toprepare for the season is now, not in March when you meet foryour first practice. Don’t make a common mistake that manyplayers make by getting on the road and running long distances.Lacrosse is a game of constant starts and stops, and yourpreseason training routine should be the same.

Typically attackmen and defensemen will run between 20 -40yards (distance from GLE to the restraining line and GLE to the

midfield line), and midfielders will run between40-60 yards (distance between the two restraininglines and dodging distance inside the box). Makesure your running program matches thesedistances.

For attackmen and defensemen, begin byrunning a series of 20- and 40-yard sprints, and formidfielders, you’ll be running distances of 40-60yards. For the first few sessions it is all right torun at 50 to 75 percent of max speed. Make sureyou work yourself up to full speed to preventinjury (and always properly stretch before and after yourworkouts). Increase the number of reps each week and increasethe intensity of the workouts. Remember the more you put into

the workouts, the more you get out. Rest and drink waterbetween reps. You do this in a game, so do it with your workouts.

Mix up your sessions to keep it interesting and challenging.Some days run for a certain amount of rep (i.e. 4X20, 4x40,4x60, etc.), and other days run for time over those same distancesby repeatedly going “down and back” until your time is finished(i.e. 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, up to 45 seconds, andrepeat several times).

The key to getting in shape for the season is to try and replicatethe distances you run during the game. Preparing for the springin this manner rather than doing distance running will make youbetter physically and put you at a mid-season level for

conditioning.Eliminateconditioning as afactor before theseason, and bydoing that you canfocus on yourlacrosse skills andimproving thosebefore your firstgame. Good Luck,work hard, andhave fun!

Next Issue: WALL BALL and Stick Skill Improvement

Part 1 of 4

Pre-Season Training: C o n d i t i o n i n gBy Steve Heller – Brookdale Community College lacrosse head coach, Region 19 champions 2010 and 2011

Co-director of Lax Team Six with Reid Jackson, individual and small group lacrosse training. (www.laxteamsix.com).



Lonnie Burgess, Richie Caldwell, Kevin Brown,Donald Brown II, and Andrew Casten are just a few namesthat come to mind when you look at the history ofimpressive running backs who have shined for the RedBank Catholic program. Now, despite measuring withinthe 5-foot-8, 165-pound range, you can now add seniorJohnny DiStefano to that list of Casey ballcarriers

Don’t look for DiStefano on any preseason “top player”lists or being tabbed as a key returner for the Caseys,because you won’t find him.

But after the preseason and the first few games of theseason, it clearly became evident that the sight of third-year head coach Jim Portela scratching his head to find areplacement for Casten, a two-time, 1,000-yard rushernow at Harvard, would be short-lived.

out Goes Casten – in comes diStefano!

“Being able to sit back and watch (Andrew) Casten lastseason was a blessing for me. He was such a great leaderand person to look up to,” said DiStefano. “He taught methat you don’t always have to rush things and that youshould wait patiently for holes to form and develop. Hemade me aware that it’s good to throw moves and go eastand west, but the objective is to go north and south if youwant to be a productive ballcarrier.”

With key returning starters on both sides of the ballincluding strong-armed senior quarterback Ryan Spahr,relentless two-way senior lineman Joe Coscarelli,versatile tight-end/linebacker Doug Whitlock, ball-hawking defensive back James Taylor, one of the state’stop senior linebackers in Chris Donald, and juniordefensive lineman Josh Klecko, DiStefano hasconsistently found a way to shine week in and week out.

Recently, DiStefano led the Caseys to a 49-0victory over the Toms River East Raidersby carrying the ball times for 197 yardsand 4 touchdowns. With the win theCaseys have compiled an 8-0 recordheading into the NJSIAA Non-PublicGroup III playoffs, where they are theNo. 3 seed. DiStefano also has givenRBC a 1,000-yard rusher for the ninthstraight season.

“It was a great win for us and wehave worked so hard to be in thisposition that we are in,” saidDiStefano, who scored on runscovering 23, 4, 15 and 8 yards in

only two quarters of footballagainst theRaiders. “Wenever lookpast the

opposition andface each opponent and

prepare for each game thesame way.”

On the season DiStefanohas amassed 1,227 yardsrushing and 19 touchdowns

on just 137 carries, a mind-boggling average of nine

yards per carry.

“Stats are good and all, but itdoesn’t mean anything if we’re notclicking as a team, and that’s what

we are doing,” said DiStefano. “Weare one unit.”

Although there are various games ofwhich DiStefano has delivered the

unexpected, one game stands out a bit more than theothers.

“Our game against Colts Neck (on Oct. 4) – that gamewas tough and went back-and-forth the entire game,” saidDiStefano, who carried the ball 25 times for 185 yardsand four scores in a win over the the Cougars.

“That was an intense game. They had some toughplayers, including their junior nose-tackle GiovanniZefforino. He never gave up.”

Great vision, strength, speed, elusiveness, hole-awareness, soft hands out of the backfield, power, lateralquickness and acceleration are all attributes to DiStefanobeing a complete back despite being a smaller back.

“I realize I may not be the biggest or fastest back, but Iplay with a lot of heart,” said DiStefano, whose favoriteprofessional athlete is the late Walter Payton.

“Walter Payton was a great running back. He was so elusiveand had great power and vision.”

Although saying that no one expected such a productiveseason from DiStefano would merely be considered an

understatement, the back still managed to scribble out some2011 season goals.

“My goals were to break 1,000 yards

rushing, to stay undefeated and to win

states,” said DiStefano. “Seems like

they were all reachable goals.”With his impressive season, the back has caught the

attention of various colleges.

“I have Division I-AA, Division II and Division IIIschools showing interest in me now,” said DiStefano, whocarries a grade-point average in the 2.6-2.7 range.

With the 2011 regular season stored away, nowDiStefano and his teammates can focus on the stateplayoffs and a state title.

“That’s our goal (to win a state title),” said DiStefano,whose team has a slightly easier route to reaching theirgoal compared to years past when the Casey’ wereguaranteed to face a Don Bosco Prep, St. Peters, orBergen Catholic in the opening rounds of the Non-PublicGroup IV playoffs.

With the realignment of the playoffs, the Caseys arenow competing in Non-Public Group III with teams suchas Holy Spirit, Pope John XXIII, Delbarton, and St.Joseph-Montvale.

“We still have a tough schedule ahead of us, but wehave a team that can win it all,” added DiStefano.

Photo by

C l i f f L a v e l l ew ww . c le a r e d ge . z en fo l i o . c om

The 2011 season has delivered an abundance of talentat the running back position throughout the Shore

Conference, but not too many of those backs havethe heart and desire that Red Bank Catholic’sJohnny DiStefano possesses.

By Christopher Melvin – Eliterecruits.Com/All Shore Media


What Makes diStefano Such An Elite Player?

www.allshoremedia.com Volume- I I I Issue-20 1 1 /7 / 1 1 ASM / 16

all shore media 11-7-11 volume iii issue-20

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