Scanning the High School Football scene with Ed Sarluca:
With week one in the books, this looks like every week will look like 4th of July with offensive explosions all around the shore. With good weather and packed house around the shore there was plenty of action to make fans happy. Lets look at just a few of the many good games of week 1.
Lets start with Neptune and new head coach Don Sofilkanich. All they did was put up 62 points against an under-maned Bishop Ahr team, which may get coach a raise in week 1. Rutgers bound Charlie Davis scored early and often(3 times), and put this one out of reach early.
Howell unveiled the latest, of what has been all-shore caliber QBs, when Ryan Davies(who happens to be head coach Cory) made his debut on Saturday night. All Ryan did was throw for 454 yards and 7 TDs. To make it more impressive, he did it against TR North. Nobody has done that to North in quite sometime. 6 different receivers caught his passes. You have heard of receiver and kicker Ryan Handy(he's the lone returner), but Mike Clark(3 TD catches), Jack Gailing, Benton Burdin---who are these guys and where do they find them? Opponents better learn their names, I warn you.
Barnegat's QB Nick SanGiacomo, not to be outdone by Davies, threw for 407 yards and 4 TDs in their upset win over Rumson 34-27. Nick has verbally committed to Tulane Univ. already, but there will be other offers, as this strong armed QB is getting better every week.
In another defensive nightmare, Middletown South threw up 58 on a pretty good Ocean Twp. team. QB Scott Meeker leads the Eagles for the second year in a row. You can read about him below in my Top Ten for this week. Mid. South seems to me, to be playing with a chip on its shoulder this year, still smarting from the finals last year, when Monroe took them down at The College of New Jersey. Why do I believe that they will be back there this year with a different ending?
Keyport HS wins 48-21 over Metuchen, and they pulled the horses in and didn't score in the 4th quarter. Mike Konish and Lamar Hill look like good ones for the Red Raiders. By the way, how old is Mike Ciccotelli, the Red Raider head man? Well I know how old I am, and he replaced me when I left Keyport in 1973 to go to TR North! All Mike does is win, so why should he retire. Keep the "Ws" coming Mike.
In a year where picking an all-shore team will be impossible, Miles Shuler of Long Branch, just might be the best of the best. He led Long Branch to an easy 34-14 win over Colts Neck.
Asbury Park continues to roll along for new old head coach, Matt Ardizzone, who was the head man in 2006 and an assistant from 2007-2009. They beat Highland Park 34-12 as Marquise Johnson leads them this year. he scored 4 times in the win.
Pinelands scores 50 points, as Matt McLain runs for 322 yds. and 4 TDs, including a 90 yarder. I guess I have to mention that they gave up 36 points to Mon Don, in another game that makes defensive coordinators go home at night and throw their playbook away and start over. If only we could get Bob Fiocco to come out of retirement and have a seminar on defensive football! I'll sell the tickets.
In the high-lite game of the week, Lacey beat Wall 27-7. If you didn't thing Craig Cicardo should be mentioned with the great QBs of the state this year, think twice, because he belongs in the conversation. He is the leader of this team and his play could very well make this a memorable one for the Lions.
Brick Memorial's shutout effort over Brick, 34-0, cannot sit well in Dragon territory. They were expected to be better this year and although 1 game does not make a season, the Dragons must now face Lacey, a top ten team in the state! can Coach Dowling keep them together after an 0-2 start. We'll keep our eyes on them. Meanwhile the Stangs continue to run the town under Walt Currie. His offensive game plans continue to give teams nightmares when trying to defense the option attack. The Stangs are shooting for their 5th trip to the finals in the last 8 years. Under Fred Sprengle and Walt Currie, the Stangs are looking for their 5th trip to the state finals in the last 8 years.
Yes a very interesting 1st week of football and if week 1 is any indication, it's going to be a wild year.
Week 2 Top Ten:
1-Matawan(1-0) After a slow start(3-2) halftime lead) the Huskies scored 19 4th quarter points on their way to a 22-12 win over a game Freehold Boro team. perhaps the most interesting aspect of this game was the emergence of freshman QB Kashaun Barnes, who threw 2 TD passes in that 4th quarter, as he replaced Jared Allison, who went down with leg cramps. We all knew this kid could play and now we have seen it when it counts. Week 2 brings a visit to Red Bank on Thur night.
2-Lacey(1-0) A very impressive win for the Lions in one of the marquee games of week, as they beat Wall 27-7 behind the very talented QB Craig Cicardo Jr. Cicardo threw an 80 yard TD pass and ran one in from 1 yard, to lead the Lions. He also rushed for 114 yards, while throwing for 128. Jared Molzon also played well for the Lions who visit Brick on Friday night in a game we will broadcast on the Shore Sports Network.
3-Middletown South(1-0) The Eagles move up 2 spots after demolishing a pretty good Ocean team 58-13. They rolled up 487 yards of total offense on route to the rout. QB Scott Meeker threw 4 TD passes and ran one in to lead the Eagles offensively. This is a team with many weapons and seems to be playing with a chip on their shoulder after the tough loss in last years State finals. Watch out for the Eagles in 2010. Upset loser, but dangerous Manalapan, visits the "swamp" on Thursday night.
4-Brick Memorial(1-0) The "Stangs" were firing in all phases of the game on Friday as they threw a zero at Brick. Holding the Dragons to 26 yards of offense and 1 first down in the 1st half, the Mustangs led by nose guard Will Wowkanyn, showed everyone that this is not a one dimensional offensive team. With a variety of play-makers back on defense, if the Stangs play defense like this all year and get the solid offense that has been a trademark of Walt Currie, they will be tough to handle in 2010. Tougher test Thursday at Jackson, who upset Manalapan over the weekend.
5-Neptune(1-0) The Fliers move up this week with their 62-0 pasting of Bishop Ahr. Charlie Davis returned a punt 50 yds. the first time he touched the football, and that set the tone of the night. 3 TDs later on runs of 10, 27 and a 95 yd. kickoff return and Davis was done for the night. Don Sofilkanach's 1st game as Flier head coach will be tough to forget, but the Fliers don't have too much time to savor it, as they have a date with RBC on Friday night at home.
6-RBC(1-0) As mentioned above, the Casey's travel to Neptune in the high-lite game of week 2. They ventured into the A-South and christened their new turf field as they took care of Southern Reg. fairly easily and recorded a 34-7 win. Andrew Casten rushed for 206 yds. and 3 TDs on a night when the Casey's came out pumped up and proved they are a solid contender in the B-North race. It should be a battle, which very well may decide the championship in the division.
7-Howell(1-0) The Rebels were the most impressive team I saw this weekend! QB Ryan Davies, of Howell, threw for 454 yds. and 7 TDs. Those are amazing #s and if I didn't witness it in person, I wouldn't have believed it. Who did the Rebels pound 48-17--none other than one of the top defensive units of the last 5 years--Toms River North. You just don't do that to the Mariners, plain and simple. The receivers names have changed, but the run and shoot offensive philosophy of the Rebels just gets better with age. I apologize to the Rebels for leaving them out of my thought last week. You made me a believer Saturday night. Short turn around for them as they visit Freehold Twp. on Thursday night.
8-Toms River East(1-0) The Raiders opened up against cross town rival TR South and had some things to prove. They handled the Indians rather easily 40-10, but the score was probably not indicative of the effort the Indians game. For 23 minutes of the 1st half the score was 7-3 Raiders. A double pass with a lateral in the middle gave the Raiders a TD as Mario Steriti threw to Dan Wasilick for 23 yds. with just 47 seconds left before half. that TD seem to take the starch out of South. The Raiders dominated the 2nd half with QB Joe Clarizio showing everyone there, that the Raiders can throw the football this year. It gets a little tougher for them as they have to travel North on the parkway to perennial power Sayreville on Sat. night.
9- Manasquan(1-0) Trailing 11-0 to Point Boro in the 1st half and doing nothing offensively. The Big Blue Warriors scored 3 second half TDs to defeat Boro 21-11. Tariq Turner's int. return for a 32 yard TD nailed down the victory. QB Tyler Saito has a very strong arm, and Zack Ogden is a nice change of pace RB to go with Turner. Squan looks to be in the thick of things in the C-Central division. Manasquan get Raritan on Sat. this week.
10-Jackson(1-0) The Jags get the last spot this week over Long Branch, because of their 15-8 victory over previous #7 Manalapan. The Jags used 116 yards rushing from Junior Brandon Winston, who may be more famous for what he does on a wrestling mat, and came from behind for the win. Jackson has had a rough few years of late for a program that always wins, but this year may vault them back to the top of A-South. They will get a real test Thursday night, at home, when the Stangs of Brick Memorial come visiting.
Teams that are just outside: Long Branch(1-0), Barnegat(1-0) Shore(1-0) Asbury Park(1-0)
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