Let The Season Begin!

With Jerry Lewis on TV, with his annual MD telethon, that could mean only one thing---another year of high school football is about to begin. It all starts for real on Friday night, with some big games highlighting opening weekend. Many interesting stories are about to unfold on this coming weekend. A football season without Warren Wolf on the sidelines. Most of you who will read this blog, have never seen that happen. We will miss the grey suit and silver hair flowing in the wind. Enjoy your retirement, but don't stay away. John Amabile takes his show to Allentown HS. Although not in the Shore Conf., this will be a must watch this year, and I had to mention it. Can Asbury Park win 3 in a row? Can RBC get over the hump in the playoffs? Can Freehold Boro and Brick Memorial and Manasquan repeat their state runs of last year? You see--many questions to be answered in the next 13 weeks. I'll work my pre-season Top Ten into my Blog this week. Enjoy your favorite team and welcome to the 2009 season.

1-Freehold Boro-Of all the schools I saw in scrimmages, this was the best. Overall speed on offense is outstanding and they have enough letter winners returning to make another run at the title. Look for RB Willie Thomas to have a big year. Defensively, they are led by Rakim Thorpe at LB.

2- RBC- This is a team that has reloaded after a great year last year, when they finished 9-1. Andrew Casten looks to be a big time RB. The key to this year may be who replaces QB Connor O'Leary. That job looks to be filled by Taylor Erdman.

3- Middletown South-How can you have a Top Ten and not include the Eagles? Well, not this year. Sean Campbell returns at LB, where he is a 3 year starter, to lead a aggressive defense. Andrew Suarez provides plenty of speed for the Eagles on offense. Solid team, solid coach.

4-Asbury Park. Back to back Group 1 champs look to be just as good in 2009. RB George Stephens is one of the top backs in the state and he will lead the Blue Bishops. Jamar Smalls at QB, replaces Will Johnson, and will just have to steer this team down the field. Lamar Davenport is a very capable wide receiver.

5-Long Branch-This will be a very dangerous team to play because of their game breaking speed. Miles Shuler, the QB will be one of those burners. They will have a tough opener with Point Boro this week. By the way, it took a while, but the complex at Long Branch is one of the top ones in the shore.

6-Point Boro- Why not put them right here, since they play the team just ahead of them on opening night. 6'5'' Ryan Malleck will be one of the top receivers in the shore. Head Coach Calvin Thompson will have the Panthers ready early, since they come right back with Manasquan in week 2, after the Long Branch opener.

7-Brick Memorial- The returning Central Jersey Group 4 Champs did not get an easy opener this year. They drew Sayreville in a rematch of last years championship game. A game won by BM 24-0. That should be plenty of incentive for the Bombers. Vinny Sabba returns at RB along with Glenn McGinnis and Jarred Aksdal, but the key question mark is Mike DiGuilmi, who will replace all-shore QB Brian Staub. Defense must come along as season progresses.

8-Howell- This American Conf. team will battle with Southern, BM and TR North for bragging rights in the shore's toughest division. Coach Cory Davies has many guns to display and the spread offense is the perfect way to get all the bullets into the gun. This very well could be the best offense in the shore. The schedule was not kind to the Rebels, as they drew State power Piscataway in a game which will be played at 11am next Sunday at Rutgers University as part of a double header.

9- Ocean- The "Big Red" will be heard from this year. They have an excellent 2 way player in Brandon Robinson, who will drive defenses crazy as he lines up all over the field. Coach Don Klein always has his team ready to play and they will be a tough out for anybody on their schedule

10-Toms River North-You can never have a top ten and not have a Toms River school in it. This year, the nod goes to the Mariners. Demetri Davis will run the show for the Mariners, who also have one of the shores best LB in Steve Barrosa, who will also see backfield duty. State power Piscataway is on Mariner schedule in mid-season.

Best of rest:

Manasquan- Pete Cahill begins his 3rd season after taking over following Vic Kabu's death. All Pete did was win another State Championship last year. Can they repeat? It won't be easy, but don't count the Warriors out just yet. Lorenzo Venable seems like he's been around forever and returns at RB. Can they find a QB? Neal Sterling, at 6'5' is a big target on "O".

Raritan- I wanted to put the Rockets in the Top Ten, but no room left. Jessie Raymond returns at RB and the running game is set. Will they be able to throw it down the field?

Toms River East--The Raiders would be in the Top Ten if Nico Steriti had a pre-season. The shores leading RB coming back, has yet to suit up for the Black and Silver. Nursing a calf injury, it remains to be seen if he starts the seaon on the field.

Matawan- This team always seems to self-destruct at some time of the season. They do have a talented QB in Jared Allison and speed is not lacking on this team. Lets see if they can put it all together for long time mentor Joe Martucci, who begins his 25th season.

Rumson-Big and physical can best describe the Bulldog team. A name to keep an eye on is Junior QB Mike Villapianno, the son of former all-pro Phil Villapianno, who according to many observers, is a future star in waiting.

Keport- Mike Ciccotelli, who begins the second longest tenure of any head coach(32 years), looks to come back from 3 straight non winning seasons. 4-6, 4-6, and 5-5 last year does not sit well with this program. DT Bryan Thompson, begins his senior year as their leader.

Lacey- Lou Vircillo(33 years total) has now become the longest tenured shore conf. coach, with the retirement of Warren Wolf and the move of John Amabile to Allentown(non shore conf.). The Lions are always tough and this year they very well may find their way back to the South Jersey Group 3 finals. Junior QB Craig Cicardo will lead the Lions, who will feel the loss of all-shore RB Tom Rickmers early in the season.

Neptune- John Fiore is under some heat at Neptune, not to win, because he has done that, but to win a championship. Talent up and down this team. Jamaal Hubbard is a talented QB, both in the air and on the ground. Transfer Charlie Davis from SJ V will add depth to backfield, who already had Dwayne Gutridge there. Warren Mello can catch the football.

Teams that have to get off early:

Southern Reg., Brick, TR South, Jackson, Wall, Barnegat will have to prove to me they belong with the above teams. Some of them probably do and will prove me wrong, that's what makes high school football such a great sport.

Some interesting sidelights to this season. The Thursday night High School Football Show will again be on every Thursday from 6-8 PM. This year all of the shows will originate from Boston's in Toms River on the corner of Hooper Ave and Fisher Bvd. So why not come down and enjoy the show live, have something to eat and drink, and check out the crew of Matt Harmon, Kevin Williams and yours truly, while we still have our tans. As some of you already know, we will broadcast high school games on Friday night during the regular season, Monmouth University games on Saturdays and New York Jet football on Sundays. Non-stop action all weekend on your dial. Another plus will be the use of 105.7 The Hawk to broadcast our Friday night HS games, along with 1160 AM and 1310 AM. Besides these 3 stations will also will be streamed on your computer and archived for all future listening pleasure. You can't miss us!