all shore media high school sports 2-27-12 issue - volume iv issue-4

February 27, 2012 - Volume-IV - Issue-4

www.allshoremedia.com

3Army Joins SeniorAll-Star Games

4-5St. Rose Girls Win SCT Title

7Baseball Loaded With D-I Talent

8-9NEPTUNEBOYSWIN SCT T ITLE

11Boys Basketball State Playoff Preview

12Region VI Wrestling Recap

13Melvin's Review

14Lacrosse Pre-Season Training

15Stumpy’sCorner







13Melvin's Review


15Stumpy’sCorner







13Melvin's Review


15Stumpy’sCorner

13Boys Basketball:St. Rose Ends Drought

14Brick Memorial WinsSCT Wrestling Title

15Stumpy’sCorner

A multimedia company thatprovides exciting and innovative coverage to

high school athletics in the Shore Conference in order tohighlight the achievements of local athletes in one of the premier

conferences in New Jersey. Whether it’s the star of the team or the lastplayer 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.

All Shore Media Web Site FeaturesLog on to www.allshoremedia.com regular ly to getVIDEO HIGHLIGHTS of all the important games that Shore Conference

fans will be talking about. Catch up on the action you might have missed and watchvideo 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 bring the game to you,and if you were at the game and want to relive the excitement,www.allshoremedia.com is all you need to get inside the action.

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February 27, 2012Volume-IV I Issue-4

Advertising Opportunitiesfor the 2012

All-Star Game DayProgram

Be part of a tradition at theJersey Shore that reaches alarge and enthusiasticBasketball audience fromMonmouth and Oceancounties by having yourbusiness featured in thisyear's 2012 US ARMYShore Basketball CoachesSenior All-Star Gameofficial game day program.

The detailed game program put togetherby the All Shore Media staff not onlyrecounts the past season and

highlights this year's group ofAll-Stars, it also serves as akeepsake for all the players,coaches and fansinvolved. Not only is theprogram a chance foryour business to reach a

wide and passionateaudience, it is a chance to become apermanent part of a lasting memoryfor many members of the ShoreConference Basketball community.

FOR ALL-STAR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia .com

www.allshoremedia.com Volume- IV Issue-3 2 /7 / 12 ASM / 3

The U.S. Army has continued itssupport of local high school

athletics by joining the ShoreBasketball Coaches AssociationSenior All-Star Games thisyear as the title sponsor. The support of the U.S. Army allows thecoaches’ association to give this year’s seniors on theboys and girls sides a great send-off after anotherexciting season of Shore Conference basketball. Thegames will be held on March 21 at the newlyrefurbished facility at Central Regional HighSchool. The girls game will be at 6 p.m., followedby the boys game at 8 p.m.

“We’re very excited to have the supportof the U.S. Army in helping to make thisgame as great as possible for theseseniors,’’ said Matawan head coachTom Stead, who is the head of the SBCA“We’re always trying to make this game better, and the Army has beensuch great supporters of local sports and helping to build leaders out of ourstudent-athletes that this will only help us achieve our goal.’’

This year’s games promise to be exciting on both sides as usual, with

multiple Division I players on the girlsside, as well as a host of talent on

the boys side. Manasquan seniorMichaela Mabrey, who becamethe first Shore Conference girlsplayer to be selected to the

prestigious McDonald’s All-AmericanGame this year, headlines the

girls group along withDivision I talents like

St. Rose’s Samantha Clark (Fordham) andteammate Kasey Chambers (Monmouth),Manalapan’s Jasmine McCall (Seton Hall)and more.

The boys side will feature three playerswho became the all-time leading scorersat their respective schools this season in

Colts Neck’s Hunter Wysocki, Raritan’sMike Aaman and Point Boro’s Shaun Cooke, as

well as high fliers like Middletown North’sJason Huelbig and twins Amir and ArmondConover from Asbury Park.

“It’s always an exciting event and it has a proudtradition at the Shore, so we’re thankful that theArmy has come aboard to be a major part of keepingthat tradition going,’’ Stead said.

US Army to Serve as Title Sponsorfor Senior All-Star Basketball GamesB 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 Volume- IV Issue-4 2 /27 / 12

Three days before taking the court against top-seededManasquan in the Shore Conference Tournamentchampionship game, the St. Rose girls basketball team faceda potential semifinal loss for the fourth straight year. On Feb. 24 at the Multipurpose Activities

Center at Monmouth University, the PurpleRoses handed the No. 1 team in thetournament its first loss within the ShoreConference and won their first ShoreConference Tournament title in nearlytwo decades.Senior center Samantha Clark scored 28

points to go with 10 rebounds to head asparkling championship performance bySt. Rose, which upended Manasquan 65-56 to win its first SCT title since 1993.

"I'm so proud and sohappy for these girls," St.Rose coach Joe Roman said. "Theseniors have been working for this forfour years now and have been closebefore without doing it. To see the lookson their faces and the joy in the lockerroom, it makes it all worth it."St. Rose never trailed against the same Warriors team that

went into the Purple Roses' gym on Feb. 11 and won 43-39.While Manasquan kept Clark in check during the first meeting,the Warriors had no answer for the Fordham University recruitin the final. She shot 7-for-10 from the floor, with five fieldgoals in the paint andtwo from behind the

three-point arc."We know Sam is capable of this kind ofgame any time she takes the floor," seniorpoint guard Kasey Chambers said. "Shehas been such a great player, and whenshe plays like that, there's nobody better.

She was awesome tonight."Clark, Chambers and fellow senior DianaMalanga have played in the programtogether for four years and sufferedthrough the heartache of the last threesemifinal defeats before finallybreaking through this season. The trioof seniors could not have finished thejob without senior Morgan Barry -who transferred from Red BankCatholic before the start of lastseason - sophomore Sarah Kurtzand freshman Catherine Phipps."I think one of the keys forthe younger players is that theseniors are so good withthem," Roman said. "Sarahand Cat are very goodplayers, and the seniorshave worked with them

and helped them along inpractice so they can make themost of their ability at ayounger age."

Phipps scored 13 pointsoff the bench and Kurtzadded 11. Kurtz led thePurple Roses inscoring in each of the

last two rounds, including a career-high 18 points in aquarterfinal win over Point Pleasant Boro."I thought one of the things that opened things up for Sam

Clark was Sarah Kurtz," Roman said. "They had to respect hermore than they did in the first game and that cleared out room forSam."Barry scored seven points, her lone field goal coming on a

three-pointer as time expired in the third quarter to put St. Roseup 48-37. She also withstood an intentional foul by Sam Sullivan,gathered herself and hit two free throws to put St. Rose up 55-51,ending a 7-0 Manasquan run with 2:22 left.Phipps made two free throws after Barry made her two, giving

the Purple Roses a four-point possession to stretch its lead back

Senior Kasey Chambers

Freshman Catherine Phipps

Rose to the Occasion:St. Rose Wins SCT TitleBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Cont i nued on ne xt page

to six afterManasquan hadchopped the St.Rose lead fromnine down to two.Sophomore

guard KatelynnFlaherty ledManasquan with 18points, scoring onconsecutivepossessions to pullManasquan withintwo points. Seniorguard Michaela Mabrey scored 15 points while freshman guardMarina Mabrey added 10 for Manansquan. While the heraldedtrio combined for 43 points, they combined to shoot 15-for-40.Malanga fouled out for St. Rose midway through the fourth

quarter, but the Purple Roses took advantage of Manasquan's foultrouble. Warriors forward Amanda Hagaman fouled out duringthe middle of the fourth quarter, while five other Manasquanplayers finished the game with four fouls. Michaela Mabreypicked up her third foul before halftime and Flaherty and MarinaMabrey played most of the fourth quarter with four.

"We knew going in that ifwe got them down, we couldget them frustrated," Clarksaid of Manasquan. "Theyfell behind and got in foultrouble and that might havethrown them off their gamea little."St. Rose shot 27-for-38

from the free-throw line,including 15-for-22 in thefourth quarter to close outthe game."When you're playing

Manasquan, the game isnever over," Roman said."They have so manyweapons that they can erasea lead in the blink of an eye,so I never felt like we hadthe game in the bag. Butwith about 15 seconds left, Irealized we were going towin this thing."

Sophomore Sarah Kurtz

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 5

Game Video H i gh l i gh ts by :

Mat t Man l eywww.al lshoremedia.com

Senior Samantha Clark

Photo byDavid Thorne

www.davethorne.smugmug.com

On a court where a lot of things glittered in this year’s ShoreConference Tournament championship, Samantha Clark wasgold. The St. Rose senior center had the game of her life on the

biggest stage, outshining the other bright lights in a gamepacked with Division I talent to help the PurpleRoses take down top-seeded Manasquan,65-56, at Monmouth University to wintheir first SCT title since 1993. The 6-foot-2 Fordham recruit was nearlyflawless, scoring a game-high 28 pointson 7-for-10 shooting from the field and 12-for-13 shooting from the foul line while alsograbbing 10 rebounds to finally get herteam over the hump after so many near-misses and disappointments duringtournament season the past fewyears. She shared the court with luminaries

like Manasquan McDonald's All-AmericanMichaela Mabrey, sophomore guardKatelynn Flaherty, freshman guard MarinaMabrey and her own teammate, MonmouthUniversity-bound senior point guard KaseyChambers, and stood out above all the rest.The bottom line is that she essentially hadto have that kind of performance for St.Rose to pull this off, and she delivered.

"That's Sam Clark,'' said St. Rose coachJoe Roman. "Those are the types of gamesshe can have. I've been on her a little bit inthe last couple days to really play at thatlevel because I know that's what she'scapable of. Tonight you saw the real SamClark.'' Clark had not played well in a 43-39 regular-

season loss to the Warriors, who had not lostto a Shore Conference team all season beforethe championship game. She knew thatManasquan forward Amanda Hagaman hadgotten the best of her in that game, and thatthe Warriors won by being more physical. OnFriday night, she pushed back. Hagaman fouledout. "We were trying to open up inside today

because last time Amanda (Hagaman) stopped

me, and today I tried to get her down low and finish,'' Clarksaid. "It's so exciting. I love it because I didn't play good in thefirst few games of the Shore Conference, so to come out withsuch a big game it feels great.''Clark is not only a star, she is beloved by her teammates. It

says something about the chemistry of the Purple Roses, whichplayed a critical role in helping them beat a Manasquan groupthat resembled a collection of talent more than a team. It washarder to tell who was happier after the game, Clark clutchingroses with a perma-grin on her face or her appreciative

teammates and coaches. "I've been playing with Samsince I was eight and toshare this championshipwith her is one of the bestfeelings in the world,''Chambers said. "For her to

do what she did tonight, I ambeyond happy for her and for ourteam. I can't even describe it.'' "I was very happy for Sam tocome up and step up big on a bigstage like that,'' Roman said. All night, Clark carved out deep

position on the block, and once shegot the entry pass, she finishedwith authority. She also drained apair of 3-pointers, showing theversatility that made her a covetedrecruit. It's clear that she is thekey to unlocking the gate that hasbarred St. Rose fromchampionship success in recentseasons. "I know she can,'' Chambers said. "I think she is an

amazing player, but tonight she really stepped up andshowed how good she can be. She's what got us theretonight.'' These chances to bring home an SCT title don't come

around too often in the land of the juggernauts in theShore Conference, the toughest girls basketballconference in the state. You could argue it's harder to winthe SCT than the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions giventhe caliber of competition you have to go through in thefinal three rounds. Clark knew that it was now or never if St.Rose was going to claim the SCT crown for the first timesince before she was born.

Therewere a lotofknowingglancesgoingaround theSt. Rosecontingentafter the

big win, all thinking the same thing. IfSam Clark is going to play like that,we are good enough to finish No. 1 inthe state and take this NJSIAATournament of Champions crown.That one performance against apowerhouse like Manasquan mademany across the state re-think the

potential of this St. Rose team. "I knew they were going to try to stop me first before other

girls on my team so that was pressure,'' Clark said. "But myteam played great. (To reach the final) feels great, and to get thewin is even better.''

Her T ime to Shine:St. Rose’s Samantha ClarkBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor



B i l l No rm i l ewww.bil lnormile.zenfol io.com


We are pleased to present the 2012 New Jersey South Sectional Group 1Bowling Champions from Monsignor Donovan High School!Pictured above: Giovanni Testa, Vinny Colantuoni, Captain Joe Picone, Matt McCarthy,Mike Kilkenny, and Brandon Toro

Bowling Champions for the 2nd Yearin a Row & the 4th Time in 5 Years

Congratulations goout to senior AlexisHarrison who was adouble winner at theNew Jersey CatholicTrack Conferenceindoor trackchampionships at theJersey City Armory.Alexis won the 55

meter dash, shatteringthe school record witha blazing time of 7.32seconds. That time wasthe second fastest inthe history of the meetand ranks Alexis as the#1 55 meter runner in

the Shore Conference this season and #10 in the state. Alexis alsowon the high jump with a season best jump of 5 feet 2 inches.

CALL TODAY TO GET YOURALL-STAR GAME DAY

ADVERTISING INFORMATION!Be part of a tradition at the Jersey Shore that reaches a large and enthusiasticBasketball audience from Monmouth and Ocean counties by having your businessfeatured or a SPECIAL PLAYER ACKNOWLEDGMENT AD in this year's 2012 USARMY Shore Basketball Coaches Senior All-Star Game’s official game day program.Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 [email protected]

The baseball season is just about a monthaway, and it’s already clear that this is aspecial senior class across the ShoreConference. Through the end of February, there were already 18

Shore Conference seniors already committed to Division Iprograms, as well as three high-profile juniors who have madeverbal commitments to eitherACC or Big East programs.

Four teams have at least twoDivision I recruits. Red BankCatholic outfielder AndrewLaMura (East Carolina) andpitcher Ryan Spahr (Wagner)lead a loaded Caseys team thatalso includes another DivisionI senior prospect in outfielderNick Liggett. While Manalapanlost a tremendous class tograduation after winning theGroup IV title, it does returnsecond baseman Brian Lamboy(Sacred Heart) andpitcher/third baseman JoeSerrapica (Fordham).

Christian Brothers Academyhas senior infielder Sean Arnott(Temple) in addition to star

juniors Joe Dudek, a pitcher/first baseman who hasverbally committed to the powerhouse University of NorthCarolina program, and pitcher Matt Pidich, who hasverbally committed to Pittsburgh. Defending Class CCentral champion Wall returns a pair of MonmouthUniversity recruits in senior pitcher Harry Paytas andcatcher Connor White.

Perhaps the most high-profilereturner is Barnegat senior pitcherMark McCoy, who is headed toWake Forest in the highly-competitive ACC. JacksonMemorial junior catcher/outfielderMatt Thaiss also has committed toan ACC program after verballing toVirginia.

Rutgers has also added a pair ofShore recruits to a roster thatalready includes several of them.Middletown South senior pitcherHowie Brey and Toms River Southsenior hurler Kyle Driscoll are bothcommitted to play for the ScarletKnights.

The other Division I recruits inthe senior class also includeHolmdel pitcher Cole Whatley(Northern Kentucky); Brick catchBrian Mayer (Delaware); Howellshortstop/catcher Carmine Palummo

(Iona); Jackson Memorial shortstop Joe Ogren (Bucknell);Freehold Township centerfielder Nick Cardamone (St.Peter's); Manasquan first baseman Tyler Saito (MonmouthUniversity); St. Rose catcher Chris Reynolds (Manhattan),and Monmouth Regional pitcher/third baseman LukeCahill (Seton Hall).


Photos by :B i l l No rm i l e

www.bil lnormile.zenfol io.comMonmouth's Luke Cahill

RBC's Andrew LaMura

Baseball: Senior Class Loaded WithDivision I TalentBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor


laying against a team witha core of players it hadfaced four times in the last

two seasons, the Neptune boysbasketball team was prepared fortop-seeded Colts Neck in the ShoreConference Tournamentchampionship game not justbecause of its past four gamesagainst the Cougars, but becauseof the battle-tested mentality it hasdeveloped over the past threeyears.Four years after the Scarlet Fliers' last Shore

Conference Tournamentchampionship, thecurrent group ofNeptune

seniors added a 22nd SCT title to their ShoreConference-record total by beating Colts Neck 37-33on Feb. 24 in the lowest-scoring championship gamesince 1946.

"We've played in somany big games sinceI've been here andwe've learned that wehave to play defense towin," said senior pointguard Ikie Calderon,

who is the only member of this year's team to playpostseason minutes in 2009, when Neptune lost toCBA in the SCT final and won the Group IIIchampionship. "One thing you have to give coach

(Ken) O'Donnell credit for is hemakes usplay

tough competition so when weget in a game like this, wedon't feel like there's anythingwe can't handle.

"When you play at Neptune,you're expected to winchampionships and I think we'vehad the talent to do it the lastcouple of years, but we just didn'tput it together. We've been playing alot better and we played a good teamtoday that knows us and we know them.We didn't shoot the ball well today, but ourdefense won it for us."

The championship game was the fifthmeeting between Neptune and Colts Neckin the last two seasons, with Neptune nowholding a 4-1 advantage. The Scarlet Fliershave played stiff competition over the pastthree seasons with nothing to show fortheir efforts until Friday. In addition totwo regular-season tilts with the Cougars,Neptune took on the likes of TrentonCentral, Trenton Catholic Academy,Seton Hall Prep and Chester (Pa.), thefourth-ranked team in the country,according to USA Today.

The Fliers lost all of thosegames, but the byproduct ofNeptune's six losses is ateam experienced inplaying high-levelcompetition, whichNeptune provedagainst Colts Neck.

"We've played inenough games against

good competition to knowthat you're not always goingto shoot the ball well and noteverything is going to beeasy," O'Donnell said. "This seasonhasn't been easy, but our guysneeded to learn how to play inthese tough games and win them.That's why we play the schedulewe play.

"Colts Neck is right up there, andit's always competitive when weplay each other. This was the way itshould be. These were the two bestteams playing for the championshipand we were fortunate enough to comeout on top tonight."

By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Senior Ikie Calderon


Both teams struggled from the field, as Neptune wonthe game despite shooting 25 percent (14-for-56)from the floor. During the first half, it shot just19 percent (6-for-31) from the field. At one pointduring the early stages of the third quarter,Neptune missed five straight put-back attemptsfrom point-blank range.

As much as the winning team struggled from thefield against Colts Neck, the Cougars had even

more trouble against Neptune's defense.Colts Neck finished the game 10-for-44from the field (22.7 percent) aftershooting just 16 percent (4-for-25) inthe first half.

"We knew it was going to be adefensive game,"Calderon said.

"Both

teamsknow each otherso well. We knew theywere going to come out and sit in azone and try to get the ball inside andthey knew we were going to try topress them. In this kind of atmospherewith this kind of intensity when it'stwo teams that know each other, it'sgoing to be low-scoring."

Colts Neck actually started thegame on a high note, jumping outto a 9-2 lead by hitting threestraight shots during a 9-0 run.Neptune responded with a 10-4second-quarter run, capped byconsecutive three-pointers byKeith Kirkwood and Calderon

that put Neptune up 15-11.

"I consider myself a true pointguard, but if they're going to dare meto score to beat them, the competitorin me comes out," Calderon said. "Iwant to get everyone involved, butI'm not going to let teams sag offme and not make them pay for it."

The Cougars never trailed bymore than seven and had achance to tie the game withthe final seconds tickingaway, but Hunter Wysockicould not convert insideand Fliers senior Fuquan

McDonald grabbed the rebound.McDonald hit two free throws with5.7 seconds left to put the game onice.

Colts Neck cut the Neptune lead to33-31 and brought the ball up thecourt with a chance to tie the game,but Kirkwood stole the ball andconverted an acrobatic lay-up to pushthe lead back to four.

"That was a big play," Kirkwoodsaid. "I've been dreaming aboutplaying in a game like this my wholelife and I wanted to make any play Icould to help us win. When we neededa big stop, we were able to get it andthat's why we won the game."

Calderon and Kirkwood each had10 points to lead Neptune, withCalderon handing out five assistsand Kirkwood grabbing a game-high15 rebounds. Sean O'Reilly led ColtsNeck with a game-high 11 points andjunior Brandon Federici added 10 points and 11rebounds.

Kirkwood also headed the effort in holding Wysockito eight points, although the Cougars senior did grab 10rebounds.

"I just had tostay on my feetand challengeeverything,"Kirkwood said."He has a lot ofmoves andpump-fakes, soyou just have tostay with himand keep him toone shot."The championship loss

continues a successful, yetfrustrating narrative forColts Neck over the pastthree seasons. O'Reilly andWysocki are four-yearvarsity starters and haveplayed in three different

championship games in thelast three years. The Cougarslost to Montgomery in the2010 NJSIAA Central JerseyGroup IV championship, andagain last season toBurlington in the CentralJersey Group III final.

Last year's loss wasparticularly devastatingbecause it came on theCougars' home floor afterthey built a 15-point fourth-

quarter lead. After another championship gameheartbreak, the Cougars will attempt to regroup intime to make a run in the Central Jersey Group IVplayoffs.

"Everyone wants to talk about the championshipgames, but how many teams can saythey've been to three championshipgames in three years and won twodivision titles?" Colts Neck coach LouPiccola said. "I'll admit, last year wasbad, a very tough loss, but tonight, weplayed hard and just came up a littleshort. We only have two seniors, we'vebeen banged up and we're going to befine. We'll be ready to get back at it onTuesday."

Neptune, meanwhile, will hope to ridethis wave of momentum to a CentralJersey Group III championship as theNo. 3 seed.

"I told the team, 'No matter whathappens, we're practicing on Saturday,'"O'Donnell said. "As much as we'd liketo give the guys some rest and givethem a chance to enjoy the win, wehave a state tournament game onMonday. When you get to this time ofyear, there's no rest if you want to keepplaying."


Junior Keith Kirkwood



Senior Josh Jenkins

Senior Ikie Calderon

Senior Fuquan McDonald


With the NJSIAA Tournament set to get underway on Feb. 27,here’s a look at the Shore Conference’s chances in the ninebrackets in which it has teams in the field. Asbury Park is the lone returning Group or sectional champion

after reaching its first Tournament of Champions by capturing theGroup I crown last season.

Central Jersey Group IV: A loaded bracket that goes about 10deep. There looks to be a Freehold Township-Jackson Memorial rematchin the quarterfinals after Jackson pulled out a three-point win in their firstmeeting. Manalapan got a tough draw by having to go on the road to agood Montgomery team in the first round. Top-seeded Colts Neck isgoing to have its hands full in the quarterfinals, most likely with a Trentonteam that has already beaten Neptune and Asbury Park. There has apotential to be a semifinal between Middletown North and JacksonMemorial, which would be their third meeting of the season afterMiddletown North won the first two.

Central JerseyGroup III: With ColtsNeck moving up to GroupIV, this looks to be adogfight between top-seeded Lakewood andthird-seeded Neptune. Thesleeper is Manasquan,which could run intoLakewood in the semifinalsafter having stunned thePiners in the ShoreConference Tournamentquarterfinals. Lakewoodwill be on a mission to dosome damage after beingshocked by No. 16 seedBridgeton in the first roundlast season as the No. 1seed in South Jersey GroupIII and then making anearly exit in the SCT thisseason. ConsideringNeptune just won the SCT,the Scarlet Fliers are thefavorite to win this bracket.

The one sleeper is Ocean, which could give Manasquan trouble in aquarterfinal game.

Central Jersey Group II: Defending champion Ewing is still avery solid squad despite some injuries/transfers and is the favorite to winthis bracket. The team equipped to make a run is Raritan with MikeAaman, although the Rockets may have to play at Ewing in thesemifinals, which is a tall order. Rumson always has sleeper potential aswell, and Holmdel will have to regroup to make some noise. Anotherteam to watch is Point Boro, which has a knack for pulling stunningplayoff upsets in the early roundand will most likely have to go toCarteret for a quarterfinal.

Central Jersey Group I:Bound Brook will get somehype, but Asbury Park has ownedthis bracket, so until somebodytakes it from them, the BlueBishops are the favorite. PointBeach is most likely going tohave to go to top-seeded SouthHunterdon in the quarterfinals,but the Garnet Gulls are a battle-tested group and can win thatgame. We could haveKeansburg-Asbury Park RoundThree in the quarterfinals afterAsbury Park swept the Titans inB Central and beat them in theSCT. If Asbury Park wins thisbracket, it will most likely haveto face a tough Paulsboro, theSouth Jersey favorite, in theGroup I semifinals as the BlueBishops try to defend theirGroup I title.

South Jersey Group IV: Toms River South and Toms RiverNorth will play each other for the third time this season in a first-roundgame, so one of them will be out quickly. Southern got a tough draw inthe 8-9 game and will have to go to Eastern, a Top 15 team in the state, inthe quarterfinals. Essentially all the Shore teams in this bracket are a longshot to even reach the final. A run to the semifinals by any of them wouldbe a great finish.

South JerseyGroup III: Lacey is theNo. 1 seed and the Lionscan legitimately win abracket that is pretty wideopen. They lost toManchester in thesemifinals last season, sothey will be eager to finishthe job this year. Theirbiggest obstacle looks tobe second-seeded Delsea,although they could runinto Manchester for a thirdtime in the semifinals afterbeating them twice inClass B South already.This is a good opportunityfor the Lions to hang a state playoff banner for the first time in a longtime, so we’ll see if they seize it.

South Jersey Group II: Barnegat is the only Shore team in thisbracket and considering Willingboro and Haddon Heights are two of thebest Group II teams in the state, the Bengals are a heavy underdog to getvery far. They are having their best season in their short program history,so if they can get a win, that’s another step in their evolution.

Non-Public South A: The main fun in this bracket is CBA and St.Rose having a rematch in the first round after St. Rose beat the Colts atthe buzzer in the regular season. The end will probably be swift after thatas the winner gets top-seeded St. Joseph’s-Metuchen, a top-five team inthe state.

Non-Public South B: Mater Dei Prep is the only Shore team inthis bracket. They were realigned to the 15th seed after the initialprojections and now get Timothy Christian in the first round instead ofgetting fed to the wolves out at Trenton Catholic, but their overall staywill probably be short given the likes of St. Pat’s, Gill St. Bernards andTrenton Catholic form one of the toughest brackets in the state.

Photo byC l i f f Lave l l e

www.c lea redge .zen fo l i o . c om

B i l l No rm i l ewww.bil lnormile.zenfol io.com

Colts Neck'sHunter Wysocki

Asbury Park'sArmond Conover

Lacey's Ryan Reitmeyer

Boys Basketball: State Playoff PreviewBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor


A battle at 220 pounds between a pair of football starshighlighted this season’s NJSIAA Region VI wrestlingTournament as the Shore Conference’s best fought for achance to make it to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City tocontinue their quests to win an overall title at the NJSIAAIndividual Championships.

Lacey senior Lex Knapp stunned Ocean senior ColtonBigelow, 5-2, at 220 in a matchup of unbeatens at PineBelt Arena in Toms River. Bigelow had been the consensusNo. 1 wrestler in the state at 220 before Knapp registeredtwo second-period takedowns to build a 5-1 lead and heldon to become Lacey’s first Region VI champion sinceBowen Daly in 2003. Knapp, a standout two-way linemanfor the Lions’ football team, was named the tournament’sMost Outstanding Wrestler for his performance.

Knapp takes a 39-0 record to Atlantic City, where he hasstamped himself as a serious contender to bring home theoverall state title at 220. Bigelow, a standout defensivetackle/fullback for the Ocean football team, will take a 36-1 mark to Atlantic City in a bid to gain his spot at the topof the podium.

Toms River South had three Region champions crownedfor the first time since 1978, as Kevin Corrigan (113) andB.J. Clagon (138) repeated as champions and KenTheobold (145), a Manchester transfer, won his first

Region title.

It also was a banner day forChristian Brothers Academy , whichhad a pair of Region champs for thefirst time since 1969. UndefeatedHayden Hrymack (195), who has agood chance to make a run at a top-four spot in the state in AtlanticCity, captured a title along with VinFavia (160). Those two marked theColts’ first region champions innine years. They now will each tryto become CBA’s first statechampion since Pete Black becamethe program’s only state championby winning at 141 in 1969.

Heavyweight John Appice, also a standout two-waylineman in football, ended a nine-year drought forManalapan when he won his first Region title.

Junior 170-pounder Nick Zak made school history bybecoming Jackson Liberty’s first Region VI champion inschool history. Middletown South senior Nick Herring(152) was a repeat champion, becoming just the fourthwrestler in Eagles history to win multiple Region titles.

The other winnersincluded a pair of youngstars in Brick Memorialsophomore Joe Ghione(106) and Oceanfreshman Zach Hertling(120). Jackson Memorialjunior Brian Hamann(126) won his first title,and Jaguars teammateDallas Winston, whofinished second in thestate last year, took homethe crown at 182. TomsRiver East junior RichLewis took home the titleat 132.

Brick Memorial’s Dan O’Cone was named the Region VICoach of the Year after leading the Mustangs to the ShoreConference Tournament championship and a berth in theNJSIAA Group IV final.

Wrestling: Lacey’s Lex Knapp Stars atRegion VI Tournament By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Lacey senior Lax Knapp

P h o t o b y :An thony Payne

www.paynesphotov i s i on . c om

Here is a look at the top football prospects tokeep an eye on for next season from the currentjunior class. Garrett SickelsRed Bank Regional - 6-4/240 *DE/TE: One of the nation's

top players for the Class of 2013... Holds offers from just aboutevery conference includingschools like Rutgers, Florida,Georgia, Central Florida,Tennessee, Stanford, Alabama,Notre Dame, Miami, WestVirginia, Boston College amongothers. Big, fast, tough and agileas defender and has soft andreliable hands as a tightend ...Offered and committed to play inthe Army All-American game inSan Antonio, Texas in January of2013 ... I project him to be a

stand-out defensive end at the collegiate level. REMINDS MEOF JUSTIN TRATTOU, a former Don Bosco Prep, University ofFlorida and current New York Giant defensive-end.

Brad Henson Jr.Monsignor Donovan - 6-4/290 C/OG/OT: There aren'ttoo many players in the country that can play every position onthe offensive line, but Henson can. Attributes like size, intensity,quickness, intelligence, ability to be coached, all are reasons whyBoston College, Miami, Rutgers, Central Florida, West Virginia,East Carolina, Connecticut, and Duke were among the first tooffer Henson, who has already been invited to play in the 2013Semper Fidelis All American game by National RecruitingAnalyst Tom Lemming and Junior Rank. REMINDS ME OFSHAUN O'HARA, a former center from Hillsborough HS (NJ),Rutgers and the New York Giants.

Tyrice BeveretteLakewood - 6-2/185 Athlete (FS/QB/WR): Beverettehas all the attributes and skills to be a star at the collegiate level.

Blessed with great speed, change of direction, intelligence,leadership skills, hard-hitting and tackling ability (94 tackles in2011), cover and ball-hawking ability, superb size and strength -he can line up on either side of the ball and be a GAMECHANGER ... Has schools like Rutgers interested ... Threw formore than 1,500 yards as a quarterback, was one of the area’s topinterceptors (4 interceptions) as a defensive back, and carries a3.6 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the classroom ... Simply a well-roundedstudent-athlete. REMINDS ME OF JOSH EVANS, a formerIrvington HS (NJ) and current Florida defensive back.

Dwight ClarkLong Branch - 5-9/185 RB:A quick, smart, and dart-like

runner who makes SOMETHINGout of NOTHING. Clark has goodsize and speed for a running-back,with soft hands as a receiver,precise change of direction andimpressive field vision ... The backwho topped a 1,000 yards rushingin 2011 has schools like UConnhighly interested. REMINDS MEOF RAY RICE (Baltimore RavensRB) and former Blair Academy(NJ) and University of PittsburghRB DION LEWIS (PhiladelphiaEagles RB).

Chris GullaToms River North - 6-2/180 P/PK: Has the ability topunt or place-kick for any college team in the country ... Hasgreat hang-time as a punter (averaging 40 yards a punt), cancover the range of 50 yards on a field goal and on kick-offs.Gulla consistently places the opposition inside the twenty oreliminates any chance of a return by booting the ball throughthe back of the end zone.

Connor Ryan Middletown South - PK:Anthony Firkser - Manalapan - 6-2/215 WR/TE:Kyle McGarry - Point Pleasant Boro - 6-3/185 *WR/DB:

Isaac Coates - Red Bank Regional 6-0/305 - DT/NG:Josh Klecko - Red Bank Catholic - 6-1.5/245 DL:Glenn Cross - Matawan - 6-0/195 LB/*SS:Geoff Fairbanks - Neptune - 6-2/175 *WR/DB/Returner: John Quinlan - Howell - 6-4/195 QB: Kyle Spatz - Lacey Township - 5-9/180 *RB/DB:Gerard Grimes - Pinelands - 6-0/180 Athlete:Chris Oliphant - Point Pleasant Boro - 5-11.5/190 DB:John Appice - Manalapan - 6-3/245 - *DE/TE:Anthony Sasso - Monsignor Donovan - 5-8/175RB/DB/*Returner:Pat Moran - Barnegat - 5-9.5/178 WR/K: David Calderon - Neptune - 6-1.5/210 DE/*OLB:Anthony Cooke - Manchester Township - 6-2.5/190 WR: Danny Roberto - Rumson Fair Haven - 6-0/190 QB:Avery Griffin - Long Branch - 6-0/185 QB:Mike Criscitelli - Point Pleasant Beach - 6-4/260 Center:Travis Clark - Rumson Fair Haven - 6-0/220 LB:Doug Cuccinello - Brick Township - 5-9/170 RB:Lucas Jordy - Point Pleasant Beach - 6-3/215 DE:

For a full report on the Class of 2012 along withthe classes of 2013, 2014 and 2015 by ChrisMelvin, go to www.allshoremedia.com.

This list was compiled by Chris Melvin, a HS FootballRecruiting analyst for www.EliteRecruits.com. Melvin iscurrently affiliated with the Shore's Best Football Camp(NJFootballCamp.com), the Junior Rank Proving GroundsCombines and the Under Armour Combine Circuit. To beconsidered for evaluation for Melvin's list please contact himon EliteRecruits.com or by sending him an email [email protected] or [email protected].

Melvin’s ReviewB y C h r i s M e l v i n – E l i t e r e c r u i t s . c o m / A l l S h o r e M e d i a


Photos by :B i l l No rm i l e

www.bil lnormile.zenfol io.com

www.sportshotswlb.com

Preseason can be a funnything, and for mostcoaches, a very different

thing. How does a coach define preseason? Is it thefew weeks prior to the beginning of practice or justthe few weeks before the first game – perhapssomewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas?For most high school lacrosse coaches,preseason begins the day after the last gameof the spring season – a time to takeinventory regarding successful andunsuccessful strategies for practicesand games, player performance,returning personnel, teamcomposition, skill sets, etc….Such considerations signal thebeginning of preseason! Andafter careful evaluation of allcomponents mentioned comesthe goal setting and planning.

Evaluation of returningplayers is perhaps the mostimportant part of preseasonplanning. What are the skill sets ofthe returning attack, middies, anddefense? What type of speed do wehave in different parts of the field? Whatis our goalie situation? Where will theleadership come from on next year’s team? Allquestions that stick with a coach until the officialbeginning of the season – Friday, 2 March. Who’sbeen working hard to improve physically andathletically on your team? Who drills themselves todeath with respect to fundamentals – wall ball,

ground balls, shooting mechanics, playing defensewith feet first, working the off hand, and overallstick skill? These questions and many more will beanswered on the first day of practice!

As the

playersprepare themselves both in the weight room and onthe field prior to the season, coaches gather to plantheir teaching curriculum. Choices regarding types

of offenses are critical with respect to the skill set ofreturning players possess. So, does the coachremain with his/her institutionalized structure ordoes he/she tweek it a bit to better ”fit” thepersonnel of the team, risking delayed chemistry,testing the patience of both team and coaching staff?

Best preventions for such situations are offeredthrough communication and honesty, not

stubbornness and ego – a perfectopportunity for coaches to practicewhat they preach.

Are you ready to 16 – 0?Perhaps 0 – 16? Manymeasure the success of ahigh school lacrosseprogram by the number ofwins and/or championships– after all, score is kept fora reason. But the conteststhat lead to those wins(and losses) is also a largepart of why coaches coach.It’s about the preparation, theplanning, the player

development, and the ability toget the team to meet the goals set

before them. Preparing a team for theunexpected is the true genius in coaching.

There is no playbook for it, just experienceand feeling.

Let the season begin!!!

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia. com


Part 6 of 6

A Coach’s Perspective:Start ing the 2012 Season

For the pasttwo years, everyone from coaches to other players toboys basketball fans across the Shore Conferenceacknowledged Neptune's talent, but it always camewith a caveat.

"Yeah, they are thebest team...if theyfinally put it alltogether.''"They're better than anyone

around...when they play their best, butyou never know if that is going tohappen.''

"They have the most talent...but youdon't know if it will show in the end.''

On Feb. 24 in front of a capacity,roaring crowd at Monmouth University,in a game from out of the peach basketera, the Scarlet Fliers got rid of the ifs,ands and buts. They are the best team inthe Shore Conference.

They beat top-seeded Colts Neck 37-33in the lowest-scoring Shore ConferenceTournament final since Red Bank beatManasquan 34-27 in 1946. Theirtrademark suffocating defense saved theday on a night when it seemed like therewas a lid on the rim for both teams, butthe end result was all that mattered.

The team that had always been aboutso much potential had finally becomereality. The Scarlet Fliers won a record22nd SCT title and their first since 2008,and any other result would have beencrushing for a senior-laden team thatwanted more than a pair of Class BNorth titles as part of its legacy.

"We needed way more than that,'' saidsenior forward Fuquan McDonald, whonailed two pressure-packed free throwswith 5.7 seconds left to seal the win.

"Most of the team is seniors, and wewere in the locker room before thegame thinking, 'This is our senior year.We can't graduate without a title underour belt. We want to leave and havesomething to be remembered by.'''

The victory erased the memoryof stunning exits in the SCT

Round of 16 and the Central JerseyGroup III quarterfinals last seasonwhen the Scarlet Fliers fell way shortof expectations. They entered thisseason ranked No. 1 in the All ShoreMedia Top 10, only for Colts Neck totake that designation by beating themin their second meeting to force theScarlet Fliers to share the Class BNorth title with the Cougars. Steeled bytheir usual challenging schedulefeaturing the likes of Seton Hall Prep,Trenton, Trenton Catholic andnationally-ranked Chester (Pa.), theywere eager to reclaim their place.

"(Neptune coach Ken) O'Donnell said we started out first,and now we have to finish first,'' said senior point guard IkieCalderon, who had 10 points and five assists in the win. "Wehave to take back the throne. With all the talk leading up to

this, it would've been a bigdisappointment if we didn't get this.''

"We knew we could beat them, butwe had to play a good game,''O'Donnell said. "I'm just really happyfor these kids. It's a great group ofkids that have had their ups anddowns, but they work hard.''

As time started to tick away and thetension mounted amidst an electrifiedatmosphere Friday, the seniors werethe ones who made the winning playsalong with some help from talentedjunior forward Keith Kirkwood. Aftersenior guard Ikie Calderon missed thefront end of a one-and-one withNeptune leading by two points, seniorguard Jaheem Woods darted in frontof a pass for a steal that killed achance for Colts Neck to potentiallytie or go ahead.

After Woods missed the front endof the ensuing one-and-one,Kirkwood challenged a shot in thelane by Colts Neck senior forwardHunter Wysocki that resulted in amiss.

McDonald, who began his career atAcademy Charter before transferringas a junior, snatched the rebound

after Wysocki's miss before beinghacked. He then went to the foulline for the two biggest freethrows of his life and the buildingshaking. All of the pressure, all ofthe expectations on this seniorclass melted away, and it justbecame about basketball at thatpoint.

"My head just got empty,''McDonald said. "It was like me bymyself in the gym just shootingfree throws. The crowd got out ofmy head. It was just me, the balland the court.''

McDonald nailed them both, andNeptune won the rubber match togain a 4-1 edge over Colts Neckbetween last season and thisseason. Not only were the Neptuneplayers battling for their place inhistory, they were trying to fightoff a determined Cougars groupeager to carve out their own pieceof immortality. Colts Neck wasplaying in its first SCT final in its14-year program history, and

seniors like Wysocki and guard Sean O'Reilly had workedfour long years to get to this point, so they were not goingdown without a fight.

In the end, the power of O'Donnell simply pointing at thebanners in Neptune's gym and the trophies in the hallway waspalpable. O'Donnell not only preaches that tradition, he livedit. The first time the SCT final was ever played at MonmouthUniversity, which at the time was Monmouth College, was in1967. Neptune beat Lakewood 48-45, with a youngO'Donnell starting in the backcourt.

"When you put on a Neptune uniform, that tradition isalways there,'' Woods said. "It would have been nothing but adisappointment if we didn't win this, especially because wewent out badly last year. We were supposed to live up toexpectations last year, and we had to do it this year.''

The only player who had experienced anything close to theeuphoria of Friday night was Calderon, who was a freshmanreserve on the team that won the Group III title in the 2008-09 season. That team also reached the SCT final, only to fallto nemesis Christian Brothers Academy, so Friday night wasa new feeling for Calderon, who was also a star along withWoods on the Neptune football team that won its first CentralJersey Group III title since 1998 in the fall.

"O'Donnell always talks about the banners on the wall,''Calderon said. "He says 'Put your name on the banner on thewall.'''

That's exactly what this talented group of Scarlet Fliers did,and now they are on top like everyone expected them to be atthis point of the season. No ifs, ands or buts about it.


Neptune senior Ikie Calderon

Neptune senior Jaheem Woods



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