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)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Pre Season 2010
What does September mean on the Jersey shore: Cooler nights, the Jerry Lewis MD Telethon, cars heading north on the parkway, the beaches clean and empty and the "Jersey shore crew putting the camera's away for another season. But to us true football fans--it means high school football season is just around the corner! As Darelle Rivas signs a multi-million dollar deal to make all Jet fans happy and the New York Giants get ready to open a new billion dollar stadium, the pro's are set to begin, but my focus with be on whether Matawan HS can continue it's winning ways and win back to back championships, or whether Middletown South can break a 2 year losing streak in the state finals, or whether Brick Memorial can get to their 5th title game in the last 8 years(they have won twice), or whether Head Coach Don Solfilkanack can pull off his magic at Neptune HS as he did at Asbury Park, where he won 3 State Championships in a row, or whether Lacey can run the table to another championship under Lou Vircillo, or whether Manasquan can add to their shore conference 11 State Championships that they have won, or whether Toms River East, with the last of the Steiti brothers(Mario) leading the way, win their first ever State title, or whether Manalapan, with their best team ever, get over the hump and win their first State title. Yes many interesting stories to the 2010 season and we will get it going this Friday night and I will be commenting through-out the season. Hope you enjoy my less than perfect analysis of the games to be played. Lets have some fun this year and my best to all the teams as they approach opening weekend.
The best way to break down the season is with my pre-season top 10: Keep into account, I tried to see as many scrimmages as possible and also realize they don't mean a whole lot as coaches like to play game when other coaches are watching!
1-Matawan- Has to be the #1 team going in since they return many key players from their 2009 State run to their championship. Led by QB Jared Allison and RB McArthur Underwood, the Huskies are loaded with skill players and the program looks to be in good shape for the future. Joe Martucci begins his 26th year as the head coach and he has to be chomping at the bit to start this new season. As mentioned above Allison is a highly recruited athlete, who has set his sites on Rutgers University, where he may possibly move to the secondary or WR. The Huskies will go as he goes, however there are many others to carry the load if necessary. Underwood and RB Keith Beatty are both game breakers and can take it to the house whenver they touch it. Frosh QB Kayshon Barnes has proved that he may be ready sooner than expected, and that may help move Allison around the field. The defense took some graduation hits, but Coach Sam Turner has done an excellent job coordinating this unit and expect them to be as tough as ever. It's yours to lose Huskies.
2-Lacey-All indications show this to be one of Lacey's best teams in years. They return 1200 yard rusher Jake Dabal at RB and have one of the top QB's in the shore to run it's attack in Craig Cicardo Jr. Lou Vircillo, in his 30th year, will run the "D" which always plays tough and they will have to play that way this year as a non-conf. schedule from hell, which include Wall(week 1), Middletown South and Neptune awaits the Lions. Lakewood transfer Tyrell Smith(6'5", 300 lbs.) a junior is Division 1 material and will be tested this year on defense. Mike D'Addario(6'2", 240lbs.) anchors the "O" line. Interested match-up week 1, as they travel to face a tough Wall team.
3-Wall-I think the 2 teams above are clearly the best of the shore. You can throw the rest into a hat and wherever they come out you could have an argument. I'll put Wall at 3 and guess from there. Junior Steve Cluley, a 6'3" 190lb QB, will lead the Knights. He began as a backup last year and took over week 3, and the rest could be history in the making. I look for a big year from him and they need him to come up big. Will Avon at RB will take some of the pressure off Cluley, but with only Matt Pisarchik back on the "O" line, the running game must step up quickly, in order for the Knights to contend. Week 1 vs. Lacey, will not break their season with a loss, however a win will make the shore take notice.
4-Brick Memorial-Coming off another trip to the finals in the States, the Stangs are deep and experienced as they head into the 2010 season. QB Mike DiGuilmi will lead the option attack for the second year. It's always important to have a veteran at the QB position and Mike is a good one. He can run with the best of them, but his passing is where I think he has made the most improvement. A load of RB's led by Juniors Vin Diodato and Jared Eccles, along with Jordan Lodice, Shane Panuska and sprint champion Jihad Howard give Coach Walt Currie many options. Outside receivers include 6'4" Dyan Walsh and Mike Acquaviva. Defense will be better this year in all phases, led by new nose tackle Will Wowkanyn, who will create havoc similar to what Billy Miller did last year for the Stangs.
5-Middletown South-You cannot have a top ten and not have the Eagles in it. Steve Antonucci in his 12th year has put together quite a program. There is only one problem for Mid South--they have lost in the finals the last 2 years, and that doesn't sit well at the "swamp". They were well on their way to another title when they ran into a strong Monroe team which beat them 30-10. That game was not easy to take over the off season and the Eagles will get better from it. QB Scott Meeker(1100 passing and 15 TD's) and Kyle Bunke(1000 rushing) return from last year and will lead them this year. DC Al Bigos, who for my money is one of the best in the shore, Will have LB Matt Saulnier to build around. The Eagles lost their entire "O" line, but that's nothing new for them.
6-Neptune-This could be the best story in the shore this year if Don Sofilkanich can turn the Fliers around and make a run for a State title. Sofilkanich comes over from Asbury Park, where all he did was win 3 State titles in a row, in his 3 years there. Not too bad for the 1st 3 years of his career as a head coach. He will inherit much talent on this Flier team. We can start with Rutgers bound Charlie Davis. He will be the horse in the Delaware Wing T offense Sofilkanich has installed. Ike Calderone, David Gutzmore and new QB Jaheem Woods are big time threats any time they touch it. Defensively they will run a 4-4 and be tested there. It will not be easy for Neptune with Freehold Boro, RBC, Ocean, Long Branch Lacey and Asbury Park on the schedule.
7-Manalapan- If they can straighten out the coaching situation the Braves can be contenders. Tom Gallahue, last years head coach has been elevated to administration. That comes with the deal that he is not allowed to coach in the system. In what I have seen, it looks like he is still the coach even though he is officially a volunteer. Dom LaPore and Eddie Gurrieri are also on the staff and potential "head coaches" But it is about the kids and the Braves certainly have some horses. Mike Bimonte(Rutgers bound) will QB and comes off a 2009 where he threw for 1800 yards and 17 TDs. The RB will be Josh Firkser who ran for 1100 yds. and scored 14 TDs last year. That is 31 TDs between the two dynamic players. That will get fans excited, but defense wins championships and the switch to a 3-4 alignment will dictate how far the Braves go.
8-Toms River East- Only 2 more years for opponents to worry about stopping a Steriti! This year its Mario, who takes over from Nico, who set Raider records last year as a senior. Mario must now carry this Raider team. He will have help with RBs Dan Wasilick, Jake Palmer, Devin Kennedy and Eric Rokisky. Vinny Arminio at TE, can catch the ball, if new QB Joe Clarizio can get it to him. Cory Cardini is also a threat outside at WR. Coach Jim Dempsey will coordinate the defense this year. The Raiders must have made somebody pretty mad when they were dishing out the schedule--Besides the always tough A-South, the Raiders will play RBC, Lacey and Sayreville outside their division. Not easy, if the Raiders are to win their first state title.
9-RBC-Well if you ever attend a game at RBC on their new turf field, be sure to bring an autograph book. They have son's of past star's and players you just may want a signature from. Lets start with Josh Klecko, yes that former Jet will be there watching his son play football. How about Greg Golden, son of current head coach of Temple University and former Notre Dame alumnus. He just just try to make a game or 2 when his schedule permits. Then there's senior TE/LB Jack Tabb, who most observers feel could very well be a future NFL player. He has had 20 or so Div. 1 offers already and the season hasn't started yet. Enough said, there are others, like Mike Dorsi who will run the ball and play LB, and Joe Coscarelli who is only a junior and has size to be a college lineman. Does this personnel translate to wins. Well head coach Jim Portela, in his 2nd year, certainly hopes so. A 6-4 season last year in which 3 loses were to 3 state champions could have been the experience he was looking for. A great schedule awaits the Casey's. The B-North powers like Ocean, Freehold, Long Branch,Neptune and non-conf. foes TR East, Rumson, and Southern Reg. will test the Casey's. If they get there they will earn it.
10-Toms River North-You can't have a top Ten without the Mariners in it. This program has been one of the top ones in the shore under former coaches Bob Fiocco, Bob Nanni and now Chip LaBarca Jr. Throw in DC Dave Oizerowitz(I should get a gold star if I spell his name correctly), an excellent staff and you have a great program. Dave is right up there with the best as far as designing the "D" and the Mariners rely heavily on that side of the ball. Demetri Davis returns at the QB slot for North and has reunited with Anthony Carrington, who was at North his soph year, transfered to Lakewood his Junior year and now is back at North his senior year---did you follow that? I guess the officials who decide those matters did. Cody Groves will be the main runner behind Davis. Up front Steve Franco returns to the "O" line--all 6'4" 310 lbs of him. everybody else will be new. How far North goes will ride with Davis and the Mariner "D".
Well I know what your saying. Where is Manasquan, Ocean, Rumson and Freehold Boro among others. Well its a top ten, not 14 or 15. You must draw the line in the sand somewhere. Anyway, you know what they say--it's not where you start, it's where you finish. Yes the oldest of football BS.
Let me mention just a few of the top players in those just outside top ten: Ocean has Greg Moore and Kevin Rodgers running the ball. Squan has Tyler Saito at QB and Tariq Turner, who is a man running the ball. Rumson has one of the top receivers in the shore in Jack Wise and throwing him the ball will be Mike Villapiano. Sterry Codrington and Derrick Bender will lead Freehold Boro.
Be sure to catch the St Barnabas High School Football Show at Boston's in Toms River from 7-9 PM each and every Thursday.Kevin Williams, Matt Harmon and myself will interview coaches, players, Kevin Callahan(MU head coach) and media members each week. Check the schedule each week, as some shows will run Wed night if we are broadcasting a football game on Thursday, such as week 2. By the way all games and shows will be on 105.7 the Hawk on the FM dial this year.
Our opener takes us to Toms River South for the annual rival game with Toms River East. 7PM Friday night.
The best way to break down the season is with my pre-season top 10: Keep into account, I tried to see as many scrimmages as possible and also realize they don't mean a whole lot as coaches like to play game when other coaches are watching!
1-Matawan- Has to be the #1 team going in since they return many key players from their 2009 State run to their championship. Led by QB Jared Allison and RB McArthur Underwood, the Huskies are loaded with skill players and the program looks to be in good shape for the future. Joe Martucci begins his 26th year as the head coach and he has to be chomping at the bit to start this new season. As mentioned above Allison is a highly recruited athlete, who has set his sites on Rutgers University, where he may possibly move to the secondary or WR. The Huskies will go as he goes, however there are many others to carry the load if necessary. Underwood and RB Keith Beatty are both game breakers and can take it to the house whenver they touch it. Frosh QB Kayshon Barnes has proved that he may be ready sooner than expected, and that may help move Allison around the field. The defense took some graduation hits, but Coach Sam Turner has done an excellent job coordinating this unit and expect them to be as tough as ever. It's yours to lose Huskies.
2-Lacey-All indications show this to be one of Lacey's best teams in years. They return 1200 yard rusher Jake Dabal at RB and have one of the top QB's in the shore to run it's attack in Craig Cicardo Jr. Lou Vircillo, in his 30th year, will run the "D" which always plays tough and they will have to play that way this year as a non-conf. schedule from hell, which include Wall(week 1), Middletown South and Neptune awaits the Lions. Lakewood transfer Tyrell Smith(6'5", 300 lbs.) a junior is Division 1 material and will be tested this year on defense. Mike D'Addario(6'2", 240lbs.) anchors the "O" line. Interested match-up week 1, as they travel to face a tough Wall team.
3-Wall-I think the 2 teams above are clearly the best of the shore. You can throw the rest into a hat and wherever they come out you could have an argument. I'll put Wall at 3 and guess from there. Junior Steve Cluley, a 6'3" 190lb QB, will lead the Knights. He began as a backup last year and took over week 3, and the rest could be history in the making. I look for a big year from him and they need him to come up big. Will Avon at RB will take some of the pressure off Cluley, but with only Matt Pisarchik back on the "O" line, the running game must step up quickly, in order for the Knights to contend. Week 1 vs. Lacey, will not break their season with a loss, however a win will make the shore take notice.
4-Brick Memorial-Coming off another trip to the finals in the States, the Stangs are deep and experienced as they head into the 2010 season. QB Mike DiGuilmi will lead the option attack for the second year. It's always important to have a veteran at the QB position and Mike is a good one. He can run with the best of them, but his passing is where I think he has made the most improvement. A load of RB's led by Juniors Vin Diodato and Jared Eccles, along with Jordan Lodice, Shane Panuska and sprint champion Jihad Howard give Coach Walt Currie many options. Outside receivers include 6'4" Dyan Walsh and Mike Acquaviva. Defense will be better this year in all phases, led by new nose tackle Will Wowkanyn, who will create havoc similar to what Billy Miller did last year for the Stangs.
5-Middletown South-You cannot have a top ten and not have the Eagles in it. Steve Antonucci in his 12th year has put together quite a program. There is only one problem for Mid South--they have lost in the finals the last 2 years, and that doesn't sit well at the "swamp". They were well on their way to another title when they ran into a strong Monroe team which beat them 30-10. That game was not easy to take over the off season and the Eagles will get better from it. QB Scott Meeker(1100 passing and 15 TD's) and Kyle Bunke(1000 rushing) return from last year and will lead them this year. DC Al Bigos, who for my money is one of the best in the shore, Will have LB Matt Saulnier to build around. The Eagles lost their entire "O" line, but that's nothing new for them.
6-Neptune-This could be the best story in the shore this year if Don Sofilkanich can turn the Fliers around and make a run for a State title. Sofilkanich comes over from Asbury Park, where all he did was win 3 State titles in a row, in his 3 years there. Not too bad for the 1st 3 years of his career as a head coach. He will inherit much talent on this Flier team. We can start with Rutgers bound Charlie Davis. He will be the horse in the Delaware Wing T offense Sofilkanich has installed. Ike Calderone, David Gutzmore and new QB Jaheem Woods are big time threats any time they touch it. Defensively they will run a 4-4 and be tested there. It will not be easy for Neptune with Freehold Boro, RBC, Ocean, Long Branch Lacey and Asbury Park on the schedule.
7-Manalapan- If they can straighten out the coaching situation the Braves can be contenders. Tom Gallahue, last years head coach has been elevated to administration. That comes with the deal that he is not allowed to coach in the system. In what I have seen, it looks like he is still the coach even though he is officially a volunteer. Dom LaPore and Eddie Gurrieri are also on the staff and potential "head coaches" But it is about the kids and the Braves certainly have some horses. Mike Bimonte(Rutgers bound) will QB and comes off a 2009 where he threw for 1800 yards and 17 TDs. The RB will be Josh Firkser who ran for 1100 yds. and scored 14 TDs last year. That is 31 TDs between the two dynamic players. That will get fans excited, but defense wins championships and the switch to a 3-4 alignment will dictate how far the Braves go.
8-Toms River East- Only 2 more years for opponents to worry about stopping a Steriti! This year its Mario, who takes over from Nico, who set Raider records last year as a senior. Mario must now carry this Raider team. He will have help with RBs Dan Wasilick, Jake Palmer, Devin Kennedy and Eric Rokisky. Vinny Arminio at TE, can catch the ball, if new QB Joe Clarizio can get it to him. Cory Cardini is also a threat outside at WR. Coach Jim Dempsey will coordinate the defense this year. The Raiders must have made somebody pretty mad when they were dishing out the schedule--Besides the always tough A-South, the Raiders will play RBC, Lacey and Sayreville outside their division. Not easy, if the Raiders are to win their first state title.
9-RBC-Well if you ever attend a game at RBC on their new turf field, be sure to bring an autograph book. They have son's of past star's and players you just may want a signature from. Lets start with Josh Klecko, yes that former Jet will be there watching his son play football. How about Greg Golden, son of current head coach of Temple University and former Notre Dame alumnus. He just just try to make a game or 2 when his schedule permits. Then there's senior TE/LB Jack Tabb, who most observers feel could very well be a future NFL player. He has had 20 or so Div. 1 offers already and the season hasn't started yet. Enough said, there are others, like Mike Dorsi who will run the ball and play LB, and Joe Coscarelli who is only a junior and has size to be a college lineman. Does this personnel translate to wins. Well head coach Jim Portela, in his 2nd year, certainly hopes so. A 6-4 season last year in which 3 loses were to 3 state champions could have been the experience he was looking for. A great schedule awaits the Casey's. The B-North powers like Ocean, Freehold, Long Branch,Neptune and non-conf. foes TR East, Rumson, and Southern Reg. will test the Casey's. If they get there they will earn it.
10-Toms River North-You can't have a top Ten without the Mariners in it. This program has been one of the top ones in the shore under former coaches Bob Fiocco, Bob Nanni and now Chip LaBarca Jr. Throw in DC Dave Oizerowitz(I should get a gold star if I spell his name correctly), an excellent staff and you have a great program. Dave is right up there with the best as far as designing the "D" and the Mariners rely heavily on that side of the ball. Demetri Davis returns at the QB slot for North and has reunited with Anthony Carrington, who was at North his soph year, transfered to Lakewood his Junior year and now is back at North his senior year---did you follow that? I guess the officials who decide those matters did. Cody Groves will be the main runner behind Davis. Up front Steve Franco returns to the "O" line--all 6'4" 310 lbs of him. everybody else will be new. How far North goes will ride with Davis and the Mariner "D".
Well I know what your saying. Where is Manasquan, Ocean, Rumson and Freehold Boro among others. Well its a top ten, not 14 or 15. You must draw the line in the sand somewhere. Anyway, you know what they say--it's not where you start, it's where you finish. Yes the oldest of football BS.
Let me mention just a few of the top players in those just outside top ten: Ocean has Greg Moore and Kevin Rodgers running the ball. Squan has Tyler Saito at QB and Tariq Turner, who is a man running the ball. Rumson has one of the top receivers in the shore in Jack Wise and throwing him the ball will be Mike Villapiano. Sterry Codrington and Derrick Bender will lead Freehold Boro.
Be sure to catch the St Barnabas High School Football Show at Boston's in Toms River from 7-9 PM each and every Thursday.Kevin Williams, Matt Harmon and myself will interview coaches, players, Kevin Callahan(MU head coach) and media members each week. Check the schedule each week, as some shows will run Wed night if we are broadcasting a football game on Thursday, such as week 2. By the way all games and shows will be on 105.7 the Hawk on the FM dial this year.
Our opener takes us to Toms River South for the annual rival game with Toms River East. 7PM Friday night.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Week Of 12/4 + 12/5
Scanning the High School football scene with Ed Sarluca: Final edition.
The 2009 season concluded with 4 championship games, held at 2 sites over the weekend. The loudest roar heard around the shore came on Friday night, from Matawan, with their 28-12 pounding of Manasquan which resulted in a Central Jersey Group 2 championship. The Huskies, who had not won one since 1992, came up big on the biggest of stages. QB Jared Allison was at his best, as he led the Huskies on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. All Allison did was throw for 152 yards and 1 TD, run for 69 yards with a TD, and intercept 2 passes on “D”. Good enough to be voted our “player of the game” and take home the hardware that goes with it. Manasquan, looking for championship #12, never got into the flow of the game, despite 9 penalties by Matawan, which kept the “Warriors” in the game in the 1st half. They were devastated by injuries to key players which hurt their chance at any comeback in the 2nd half. QB C.J Davis went down with a hip pointer in the 1st half and never returned, 2 way demon, Dan Sullivan, went down with a concussion early in 2nd half and never returned and numerous other minor injuries hampered the “Big Blue” all night. With that said, take nothing away from Matawan, which by far, was the better team and deserved to win their championship. They had 350 yards of offense to control the game and win their 5th State title, and 4th under current head coach, Joe Martucci. With the seconds winding down at TCNJ, where the game was played, Matucci’s eyes began to tear, as one assistant coach after another hugged the head man to congratulate him on completion of a mission which began in early summer. Joe has been at it a long time and this victory comes after many years of frustration for him and his teams over the years and no one deserves this trophy more than him. Congratulations to the Huskie’s for getting the job done in 2009 and completing what was a dream season, and to all shore conference opponents; Juniors Jared Allison, RB MacArthur Underwood, RB Keith Beaty, DB Joe Urciuoli, OL John Faccas, among others, all return in 2010.
The biggest surprise of the weekend came on Saturday morning, also at TCNJ, when little known Monroe(11-1) won their first State Championship, as they pounded previously #1 Middletown South 30-10. Outstanding RB Blake Bascom ran for 201 yards and scored 3 times to lead the Falcons to the easy victory. Bascom, who surpassed 100 yards late in the 2nd quarter, ran at will against the best defense the shore had to offer. Remember this was a defense that had only given up 431 yards total on the ground and had yielded only 45 points all year. So dominate, on both sides of the ball, were the Falcons, that the Eagles(11-1) were held to -30 yards in the 2nd half and totaled only 110 yards on the day. 80 of those yards came on 1 drive on their second possession of the morning, but that was it, as QB Scott Meeker was consistently harassed. The Eagles fumbled 6 times losing 2 of them, including 1 on their own ½ yard line, creating a Falcon TD which ended the scoring and also snapped a ball over the punters head which caused a safety. All phases of their game came apart in the 2nd half and as Head Coach Steve Antonucci said following the game-“I think they played with a chip on their shoulder, to be honest with you. Everybody kept saying how good we were and forgot to mention how good they are. Any time you come in here playing defense like we did through-out the year, to give up 30 points in one game, it says a lot about (Monroe). It is unfortunate that it had to end this way”. This team had a great year and should not be judged by this one game. Year in and year out they are among the best in the state and 1 loss will not hurt a program of their stature.
If I said give me the teams in the shore, that have won 3 State Championships in a row—you would list Brick(1981-83), Manasquan(1998-2001) and Middletown South(2003-06). Well add another to that list! Asbury Park became the 4th team in shore conference history to 3-peat, as they won the CJ Group 1 title for the 3rd year in a row. They demolished Highland Park 44-6 at Kean University on Sat. Morning. QB Jamar Small had a career day on defense for the “Blue Bishops”, as he intercepted 3 passes, returning 1 for a 90 yard TD, to close out the rout. He also threw for a TD on offense. Despite a combined 19 penalties being called for 138 yards, it was Asbury’s day from the beginning. Playing against one of the top RBs in the state, Nate Smith, they used a suffocating defense which held him to 108 yards and forced the Owls to put Smith at QB to try and win the game. That move didn’t have the success they had hoped for, as Smith was intercepted 2 times and the chant of “dynasty” began in the Bishop stands. Outstanding RB George Stephens began the second half by returning the kick 98 yards and a TD and the rout was. Stephens has been the leader of the Bishops on the field during this recent run of championships, and he must receive a lot of credit for what they have done. The other main component has been head coach Don Sofilkanich, who came here in 2007 and put together three, 11-1 seasons. Not bad for a coach who commutes back and forth from his teaching job at New Brunswick High School. While the word dynasty should not be used to often, I think it’s justified here. With the Pop-Warner coaches in Asbury Park continuing to turn out championship teams, this is another program that is in good shape for the future. Congrats to Coach Sofilkanich and his accomplishments at Asbury Park.
In the final game of the 2009 season, the “Stangs” of Brick Memorial could not survive the driving snowstorm that hit TCNJ at 3PM and fell to the Bears of East Brunswick 9-0. The Memorial finesse flexbone offense could not get going and the weather only made it that much harder to move the ball. Take nothing away from East Brunswick, who won their second State Championship, as they controlled the Mustangs from the second quarter on. The Stangs had 3 chances inside the Red zone of EB, but came away empty on all 3 possessions, and then the snow, wind, and frozen field turf took over and limited both offenses for the remainder of the game. The second half became a matter of survival as the driving storm only got worse and an East Brunswick TD “iced” the game as they fought off Memorial’s threats to win it and send their fans home in a happy mood. Memorial finishes their season at 7-5 and with their QB, Mike DiGuilmi back for his senior year, the Stangs will be in capable hands next year. The Memorial program, under Fred Sprengel and now Walt Currie, has made it to 4 finals in the last 7 years and show no signs of letting up.
The final Shore Sports Network Top Ten:
1-Matawan(11-1) A dream season ends with a CJ 2 championship, as they handled Manasquan 28-12. With Jared Allison, MacArthur Underwood back for the Huskies, it should not be 17 years between championships again.
2-Toms River East(10-1) Why not the Raiders in this spot? Only loss was to SJ 4 finalist Egg Harbor, who lost to Cherokee 14-0 in finals. Still waiting for the “big” trophy, but a solid season was topped off with a victory over tough TR North.
3-Asbury Park(11-1) 3 consecutive CJ 1 championships and the word “dynasty” has surfaced for the Blue and Black Bishops. Demolished Highland Park 44-6 on Sat. at Kean Univ.
4-Middletown South(11-1) Couldn’t finish the job, as they were humbled by Monroe. The “D” had no answer for RB Blake Bascom as he rushed for 200 yards and 3 TDs.
5-Howell(9-2) Just think if Howell would have made the finals at TCNJ on Sat. and faced the snowstorm with their spread offense. That would have been interesting! Anyway, a great season for Jimmy Ryan and the guys, culminated with an American Division Championship.
6-Toms River North(7-3) Lost to Howell, TR East and Williamstown, that’s a 29-4 cumulative record. QB Demitry Davis is back to give A-South teams fits next year.
7-Brick Memorial(7-5) Not a good indication of what might have been in finals, but both teams were playing in same conditions. Mike DiGuili returns next year to lead flexbone attack.
8-Lacey(8-3) Began season 0-2, and then won 7 straight before losing to Timber Creek in semi-finals of SJ 3. Return all of their skill backs and will be a pre-season top 5 team.
9-Wall(8-2) Beat Manasquan on Turkey Day to finish one spot ahead of them in final poll. Many players back in 2010 and the Knights will be a major player.
10-Manasquan(9-3) Finished with 2 consecutive losses to Wall and Matawan. Injuries hit them hard in finals and they never recovered.
Just missed:
Raritan(8-3) Opponents will be happy to say good-bye to Bennett Jackson and Jessie Raymond!
Ocean(8-3) Losses to Matawan, Monroe and RBC. Solid season for “Big Red”
Rumson(9-2) Solid program, couldn’t finish Manasquan off when they had them beat.
RBC(6-4) Had some big wins(Matawan), but some bad losses(Manchester).
Well, I hope you enjoyed my comments through-out the year. As always, my comments are my opinions, and should be taken that way. As an ex-coach, I know how hard staffs and players work and I only hope the many fans who watch them play, realize the dedication they have. Happy holidays to all. See you next year.
The 2009 season concluded with 4 championship games, held at 2 sites over the weekend. The loudest roar heard around the shore came on Friday night, from Matawan, with their 28-12 pounding of Manasquan which resulted in a Central Jersey Group 2 championship. The Huskies, who had not won one since 1992, came up big on the biggest of stages. QB Jared Allison was at his best, as he led the Huskies on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. All Allison did was throw for 152 yards and 1 TD, run for 69 yards with a TD, and intercept 2 passes on “D”. Good enough to be voted our “player of the game” and take home the hardware that goes with it. Manasquan, looking for championship #12, never got into the flow of the game, despite 9 penalties by Matawan, which kept the “Warriors” in the game in the 1st half. They were devastated by injuries to key players which hurt their chance at any comeback in the 2nd half. QB C.J Davis went down with a hip pointer in the 1st half and never returned, 2 way demon, Dan Sullivan, went down with a concussion early in 2nd half and never returned and numerous other minor injuries hampered the “Big Blue” all night. With that said, take nothing away from Matawan, which by far, was the better team and deserved to win their championship. They had 350 yards of offense to control the game and win their 5th State title, and 4th under current head coach, Joe Martucci. With the seconds winding down at TCNJ, where the game was played, Matucci’s eyes began to tear, as one assistant coach after another hugged the head man to congratulate him on completion of a mission which began in early summer. Joe has been at it a long time and this victory comes after many years of frustration for him and his teams over the years and no one deserves this trophy more than him. Congratulations to the Huskie’s for getting the job done in 2009 and completing what was a dream season, and to all shore conference opponents; Juniors Jared Allison, RB MacArthur Underwood, RB Keith Beaty, DB Joe Urciuoli, OL John Faccas, among others, all return in 2010.
The biggest surprise of the weekend came on Saturday morning, also at TCNJ, when little known Monroe(11-1) won their first State Championship, as they pounded previously #1 Middletown South 30-10. Outstanding RB Blake Bascom ran for 201 yards and scored 3 times to lead the Falcons to the easy victory. Bascom, who surpassed 100 yards late in the 2nd quarter, ran at will against the best defense the shore had to offer. Remember this was a defense that had only given up 431 yards total on the ground and had yielded only 45 points all year. So dominate, on both sides of the ball, were the Falcons, that the Eagles(11-1) were held to -30 yards in the 2nd half and totaled only 110 yards on the day. 80 of those yards came on 1 drive on their second possession of the morning, but that was it, as QB Scott Meeker was consistently harassed. The Eagles fumbled 6 times losing 2 of them, including 1 on their own ½ yard line, creating a Falcon TD which ended the scoring and also snapped a ball over the punters head which caused a safety. All phases of their game came apart in the 2nd half and as Head Coach Steve Antonucci said following the game-“I think they played with a chip on their shoulder, to be honest with you. Everybody kept saying how good we were and forgot to mention how good they are. Any time you come in here playing defense like we did through-out the year, to give up 30 points in one game, it says a lot about (Monroe). It is unfortunate that it had to end this way”. This team had a great year and should not be judged by this one game. Year in and year out they are among the best in the state and 1 loss will not hurt a program of their stature.
If I said give me the teams in the shore, that have won 3 State Championships in a row—you would list Brick(1981-83), Manasquan(1998-2001) and Middletown South(2003-06). Well add another to that list! Asbury Park became the 4th team in shore conference history to 3-peat, as they won the CJ Group 1 title for the 3rd year in a row. They demolished Highland Park 44-6 at Kean University on Sat. Morning. QB Jamar Small had a career day on defense for the “Blue Bishops”, as he intercepted 3 passes, returning 1 for a 90 yard TD, to close out the rout. He also threw for a TD on offense. Despite a combined 19 penalties being called for 138 yards, it was Asbury’s day from the beginning. Playing against one of the top RBs in the state, Nate Smith, they used a suffocating defense which held him to 108 yards and forced the Owls to put Smith at QB to try and win the game. That move didn’t have the success they had hoped for, as Smith was intercepted 2 times and the chant of “dynasty” began in the Bishop stands. Outstanding RB George Stephens began the second half by returning the kick 98 yards and a TD and the rout was. Stephens has been the leader of the Bishops on the field during this recent run of championships, and he must receive a lot of credit for what they have done. The other main component has been head coach Don Sofilkanich, who came here in 2007 and put together three, 11-1 seasons. Not bad for a coach who commutes back and forth from his teaching job at New Brunswick High School. While the word dynasty should not be used to often, I think it’s justified here. With the Pop-Warner coaches in Asbury Park continuing to turn out championship teams, this is another program that is in good shape for the future. Congrats to Coach Sofilkanich and his accomplishments at Asbury Park.
In the final game of the 2009 season, the “Stangs” of Brick Memorial could not survive the driving snowstorm that hit TCNJ at 3PM and fell to the Bears of East Brunswick 9-0. The Memorial finesse flexbone offense could not get going and the weather only made it that much harder to move the ball. Take nothing away from East Brunswick, who won their second State Championship, as they controlled the Mustangs from the second quarter on. The Stangs had 3 chances inside the Red zone of EB, but came away empty on all 3 possessions, and then the snow, wind, and frozen field turf took over and limited both offenses for the remainder of the game. The second half became a matter of survival as the driving storm only got worse and an East Brunswick TD “iced” the game as they fought off Memorial’s threats to win it and send their fans home in a happy mood. Memorial finishes their season at 7-5 and with their QB, Mike DiGuilmi back for his senior year, the Stangs will be in capable hands next year. The Memorial program, under Fred Sprengel and now Walt Currie, has made it to 4 finals in the last 7 years and show no signs of letting up.
The final Shore Sports Network Top Ten:
1-Matawan(11-1) A dream season ends with a CJ 2 championship, as they handled Manasquan 28-12. With Jared Allison, MacArthur Underwood back for the Huskies, it should not be 17 years between championships again.
2-Toms River East(10-1) Why not the Raiders in this spot? Only loss was to SJ 4 finalist Egg Harbor, who lost to Cherokee 14-0 in finals. Still waiting for the “big” trophy, but a solid season was topped off with a victory over tough TR North.
3-Asbury Park(11-1) 3 consecutive CJ 1 championships and the word “dynasty” has surfaced for the Blue and Black Bishops. Demolished Highland Park 44-6 on Sat. at Kean Univ.
4-Middletown South(11-1) Couldn’t finish the job, as they were humbled by Monroe. The “D” had no answer for RB Blake Bascom as he rushed for 200 yards and 3 TDs.
5-Howell(9-2) Just think if Howell would have made the finals at TCNJ on Sat. and faced the snowstorm with their spread offense. That would have been interesting! Anyway, a great season for Jimmy Ryan and the guys, culminated with an American Division Championship.
6-Toms River North(7-3) Lost to Howell, TR East and Williamstown, that’s a 29-4 cumulative record. QB Demitry Davis is back to give A-South teams fits next year.
7-Brick Memorial(7-5) Not a good indication of what might have been in finals, but both teams were playing in same conditions. Mike DiGuili returns next year to lead flexbone attack.
8-Lacey(8-3) Began season 0-2, and then won 7 straight before losing to Timber Creek in semi-finals of SJ 3. Return all of their skill backs and will be a pre-season top 5 team.
9-Wall(8-2) Beat Manasquan on Turkey Day to finish one spot ahead of them in final poll. Many players back in 2010 and the Knights will be a major player.
10-Manasquan(9-3) Finished with 2 consecutive losses to Wall and Matawan. Injuries hit them hard in finals and they never recovered.
Just missed:
Raritan(8-3) Opponents will be happy to say good-bye to Bennett Jackson and Jessie Raymond!
Ocean(8-3) Losses to Matawan, Monroe and RBC. Solid season for “Big Red”
Rumson(9-2) Solid program, couldn’t finish Manasquan off when they had them beat.
RBC(6-4) Had some big wins(Matawan), but some bad losses(Manchester).
Well, I hope you enjoyed my comments through-out the year. As always, my comments are my opinions, and should be taken that way. As an ex-coach, I know how hard staffs and players work and I only hope the many fans who watch them play, realize the dedication they have. Happy holidays to all. See you next year.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Weekend Of 11/28 + 11/29
Scanning the High School football scene with Ed Sarluca:
Championship Week: With 5 teams still vying for State Championships, which will be held on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, 38 teams in the shore conference have put the equipment away for the year. I will sum up the 2009 season with a wrap of some of those teams and a look at the 4 games this week that will determine our possible champs.
First let’s look at the championship games:
Friday night will find Manasquan and Matawan hooking up in the CJ Group 2 championship. This has all the makings of a classic. Matawan(10-1) comes in as the #2 team in the shore looking for their 5th title, but first since 1992. Yes it has been a long time since the “Huskies” have been in this situation, but they certainly have the players to get the job done. QB Jarrod Allison, although only a junior, has shown he is the leader of this team. His athletic ability, his poise under fire, and his determination to lead the Huskies to the top has been evident all year. He is ably supported by RB McArthur Underwood, who is a threat to go the distance any time he touches the football. This is an offense that has averaged 33 ½ point a game, and the scary part is; both of the above are both juniors, and will be back next year. Although offense excites the fans, it’s the defense that has impressed me. It is led by defensive coord. and long time assistant coach, Sam Turner. They have playmakers on that side of the ball also. LB Dave Incle, DB Johnny Short, DL Malik Gumbs, and DL Tom Cleary have produced all year and lead a defense that has given up only 10 points a game. They will have to be at their best on Friday night as they face a team in Manasquan that will be looking for a 12th championship, which leads all shore conf. teams in trophies won. The “Big Blue Warriors”(9-2) were knocked off on Turkey Day by rival Wall Twp. by a 31-28 score, but one must look past this game, as it’s always tough to play a game before a championship game. That’s the way they do it in New Jersey, which has been discussed before. My disagreement with the playoff system will have little to do with the outcome of this game, as Squan will have no ill-effects of that loss, when they take the field on Friday at TCNJ at 7PM. Manasquan is led by QB C.J. Davis and the passing attack that they have developed over the course of 2009. He has 3 outstanding big-time receivers in 6’4” Neal Sterling, 6’3” Ryland McTighe, and 6’2” Ryan Casey. All 3 can go up and catch the ball and are dangerous from anywhere on the field. The ground game is led by Zack Ogden, James Stovall and lately, Dan Sullivan. Stovall has been nursing an injury and has not played the last 2 weeks and his return is key to the ground game. Remember, this is a group of runners, which wasn’t counted on at the beginning of the season. They had returning RB Lorenzo Venable (1500 yard and 17 TDs); set to lead the running attack, but Venable quit the team before game 1. When something like that occurs on a team, they can go one of two ways; pack in the season or move on. Well the answer was easy for the above group, as they have not skipped a beat on the ground, and have more than carried the load. Assit. Coach Rich Reed has coordinated the offense to the tune of 24 points per game, while the defense gives up 11pts./game. This is a game which is very close to call. This is the big stage and Manasquan has been here so many times, while Matawan makes infrequent trips to the finals. If Matawan, who at times makes mistakes, can limit those miscues, they will win it, because of their game breaking potential. Do not give Manasquan multiple chances to score, as they will take advantage and run from there. Who has the best defense? I think I’ll go with Matawan, in a very close ball game. We will broadcast this contest on Friday night at 7PM on the Shore Sports Network of 1160am or 1310am or ShoreSportsNetwork.com.
Saturday will have 3 games, all in Central Jersey:
CJ Group 4 has Brick Memorial(7-4) looking for back to back championships against a team in East Brunswick(7-4) that they have already beaten this year, back in week 8, by a 37-34 score. Throw that game out, because it doesn’t mean anything now. The “Mustangs” have found the magic to win in the playoffs this year, as they did last year. They have beaten an undefeated Hunterdon Central team in the first round(21-17), avenged an early season loss to Howell in the semi-finals(31-28) and are playing at a very high level at the right time of the year. Junior QB Mike DiGuilmi has replaced graduated Brian Staub, and has directed the flexbone attack without missing a beat. He is joined in the backfield by 1000yard RB Vinnie Sabba, and Glenn McGinnis. Offensive line coach Bob Merola must get some credit with the much improved line play which has opened the holes for this option attack. With a few underclassmen on that line, and DiGuilmi returning in 2010, it looks like the “Stangs” will continue to be a program that wins. The Mustangs will be looking for their 3rd championship in the last 7 years. The Bears from East Brunswick will provide a formable opponent, as the Marcus Borden led team will go to school after the week 8 loss. Look for a shootout here, with Brick Memorial winning and celebrating their 2nd consecutive championship. This game will also be broadcast from TCNJ on the shore sports network of stations,(1160am or 1310am) or ShoreSportsNetwork.com for fans outside listening area, at 3PM Saturday afternoon.
Middletown South(11-0) looks to win their 10th championship as the travel to TCNJ for an 11am game vs. a very good Monroe team. The story of this one is easy; the shore’s best defense against the offensive minded Monroe Falcons. The Falcons come in at 10-1, scoring 31 ½ points a game. Ironically, their only loss was in week 2 against the above East Brunswick team by a 23-21 score, so they are 2 points from being undefeated. This is a classic match-up of great defense vs. great offense, and you know what they say; offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships! That’s why the Eagles will win their 10th on the strength of a defense that has given up only 45 points on the year, that’s 4pts./game. LB Sean Campbell, DL Nick Bricker, and LB Matt Saulnier lead a suffocating “D” that does not allow you to breathe, let alone score. Although the defense gets the headlines, the offense has done enough to get the Eagles to the championship. Junior QB Scott Meeker has replaced graduated Ryan Mullan and led an offense that also has RB Kyle Bunge to hand the ball to. The loss of Junior playmaker Andrew Suarez to a knee injury early in the year, has allowed others to step up and carry the load. The Eagles score just under 30 pts/game, so they are capable on both sides of the ball. This is a 2 TD game and the Eagles will be celebrating as the Mustangs take the field for their game.
Asbury Park(10-1) looks to make it 3 in a row in CJ Group 1. Led by RB George Stephens, the Bishops will not have an easy time, as they play a pretty good Highland Park(8-3) team for the second time this year. This game will take place at Kean University at 11am on Saturday morning. The Bishops beat Highland Park 20-12, in week 8, as the Owls ran the ball for 274 yards, but game up short, and they must stop Division 1 RB, Nate Smith. This will not be an easy task for the Bishop defense as Smith is very dangerous anywhere on the field. One thing to look at in this contest is the 3 losses that the Owls have. One was to Asbury Park, one was to Keyport(7-3) and the 3rd was to Monmouth Reg.(4-6). All 3 losses have come against shore conf. teams. That doesn’t bode well for the Owls. Look for Asbury to turn up the “D” on Smith and although they may not contain him on every play, they will do enough to win their 3rd straight and we can start using the word ‘dynasty” when we talk about Asbury Park.
There you have a short capsule look at the 4 championship games. Good luck to all 5 teams as they carry the well wishes of all teams in the shore as they represent the best of 2009.
Odds and ends of Turkey Day weekend:
Wall, upsetting Manasquan, 31-28 before 6000 fans on a beautiful Thanksgiving morning. This is the best argument to continue Thanksgiving Day football. Wall finishes 8-2 and makes my top ten and is surely a team of the future.
Toms River East(10-1) beat Toms River North 14-7 on Friday night in front of a huge crowd at East. Nico Steriti finishes his career as the best player in the shore in 2009. A TD pass from Sr. Charlie Diskin to Junior Vinnie Arminio early in the 4th quarter, was the game winner. No State championship for East, but a great season, in which they tied a school record with 10 wins.
Lacey(8-3) playing Central for the last time on Turkey Day(29-13) completes a great year and returns Cicardo, Molzon and Dabel in 2010. Enough to make them a pre-season top ten team.
Howell(9-2) gets a sluggish 20-9 win over Free. Twp. and wins the American Division championship and completes the career of the shores best QB Jimmy Ryan and Rec. Nick Adamo. The championship was their 2nd in 3 years. This program is feared by all teams that have to play them with their wide open spread offense that averaged 28pts/game.
Point Pleasant Boro(5-5), as I predicted, recovered from a 0-4 start to finish .500 on the year. With many underclassmen back, look out for the Panthers in 2010.
Ocean(8-3) completed a very good season with a 34-14 win over Monmouth Reg. Coach Don Klein has a couple of fine RBs, one of which is Greg Moore to go into 2010 with.
Brick Memorial took care of cross-town rival Brick, 34-21 on Friday night as Vinnie Sabba ran for 205 yards and 3 TDs. This was memorable because it was the first Turkey Day when retired Warren Wolf was not on the sidelines.
Raritan(8-3) will graduate 2 of the best players in the shore in Rec./DB Bennett Jackson(Notre Dame) and RB Jessie Raymond(Monmouth University). They brought excitement to shore fans whenever they played.
Mon Don(6-4) completed their season with an unlikely 6-3 win over Manchester. Not unlikely because they won, but because there were only field goals in the game. This concludes the outstanding senior year of QB Kevin Carter who ran the Griffin flexbone offense to perfection.
Bottom line of 2009:
20 teams finished with winning records.
8 teams finished with .500 records.
15 teams under .500 for the year.
2 winless teams in 2009.
Here’s my Top Ten before the playoff finals:
1-Middletown South(11-0) Have answered all comers and look to complete undefeated season with 10th championship title.
2-Matawan(10-1) The year of the Huskie can be completed with a CJ Group 2 title if they defeat Manasquan on Friday night.
3-Toms River East(10-1) Accomplished all goals but the big one, but none the less, they had an incredible season.
4-Manasquan(9-2) Caught looking ahead on Turkey Day? Maybe so, but they lost to a good football team in Wall. Look to win trophy # 12 on Friday night vs. Matawan.
5-Howell(9-2) The Jimmy Ryan career is over and boy was it a good one! Lost to Sayreville and Brick Memorial.
6-Toms River North(8-2) 2 losses have been to 10-1 East and 10-1 Williamstown. Enough said, it was solid season, but disappointing for this perennial playoff contender.
7-Brick Memorial(7-4) Looking for back to back titles in CJ Group 4. The Mustangs seem to play well when it counts. They have won 4 in a row and averaged 31pts./game. The offense is rolling and the defense has played better of late. They will be a tough out in finals.
8-Asbury Park(10-1) Only loss was to Rumson by 26-18 score. Look for 3rd straight in CJ 1.
9-Lacey(8-3) Solid year and all the key players are back. Top Ten preseason team in 2010.
10-Wall(8-2) The best team in shore that did not make the playoffs. I promised Chris Barnes, in my post game interview, that they would find a spot in my top 10. Well here they are; with Soph. QB Steve Cluley calmly going 9-9 for 152 yards, they beat playoff finalist Manasquan 31-28 before 6000 fans on Thanksgiving morning. With many other underclassmen dotting the roster, watch out for the Knights in 2010.
Just outside looking in: Raritan(8-3) RBC(6-4) Ocean(8-3)Neptune(7-4) Long Branch(7-3) Rumson(9-2) Keyport(7-3)
Join us Thursday night at Boston’s in Toms River at 6pm as we will preview the 4 State games and talk high school football. For 2 hours. Also catch us on the radio or on line as we broadcast two championship games on Friday night(7pm) and Saturday afternoon(3pm). 1160am or 1310am on the radio or on line at shoresportsnetwork.com. will handle the games
Championship Week: With 5 teams still vying for State Championships, which will be held on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, 38 teams in the shore conference have put the equipment away for the year. I will sum up the 2009 season with a wrap of some of those teams and a look at the 4 games this week that will determine our possible champs.
First let’s look at the championship games:
Friday night will find Manasquan and Matawan hooking up in the CJ Group 2 championship. This has all the makings of a classic. Matawan(10-1) comes in as the #2 team in the shore looking for their 5th title, but first since 1992. Yes it has been a long time since the “Huskies” have been in this situation, but they certainly have the players to get the job done. QB Jarrod Allison, although only a junior, has shown he is the leader of this team. His athletic ability, his poise under fire, and his determination to lead the Huskies to the top has been evident all year. He is ably supported by RB McArthur Underwood, who is a threat to go the distance any time he touches the football. This is an offense that has averaged 33 ½ point a game, and the scary part is; both of the above are both juniors, and will be back next year. Although offense excites the fans, it’s the defense that has impressed me. It is led by defensive coord. and long time assistant coach, Sam Turner. They have playmakers on that side of the ball also. LB Dave Incle, DB Johnny Short, DL Malik Gumbs, and DL Tom Cleary have produced all year and lead a defense that has given up only 10 points a game. They will have to be at their best on Friday night as they face a team in Manasquan that will be looking for a 12th championship, which leads all shore conf. teams in trophies won. The “Big Blue Warriors”(9-2) were knocked off on Turkey Day by rival Wall Twp. by a 31-28 score, but one must look past this game, as it’s always tough to play a game before a championship game. That’s the way they do it in New Jersey, which has been discussed before. My disagreement with the playoff system will have little to do with the outcome of this game, as Squan will have no ill-effects of that loss, when they take the field on Friday at TCNJ at 7PM. Manasquan is led by QB C.J. Davis and the passing attack that they have developed over the course of 2009. He has 3 outstanding big-time receivers in 6’4” Neal Sterling, 6’3” Ryland McTighe, and 6’2” Ryan Casey. All 3 can go up and catch the ball and are dangerous from anywhere on the field. The ground game is led by Zack Ogden, James Stovall and lately, Dan Sullivan. Stovall has been nursing an injury and has not played the last 2 weeks and his return is key to the ground game. Remember, this is a group of runners, which wasn’t counted on at the beginning of the season. They had returning RB Lorenzo Venable (1500 yard and 17 TDs); set to lead the running attack, but Venable quit the team before game 1. When something like that occurs on a team, they can go one of two ways; pack in the season or move on. Well the answer was easy for the above group, as they have not skipped a beat on the ground, and have more than carried the load. Assit. Coach Rich Reed has coordinated the offense to the tune of 24 points per game, while the defense gives up 11pts./game. This is a game which is very close to call. This is the big stage and Manasquan has been here so many times, while Matawan makes infrequent trips to the finals. If Matawan, who at times makes mistakes, can limit those miscues, they will win it, because of their game breaking potential. Do not give Manasquan multiple chances to score, as they will take advantage and run from there. Who has the best defense? I think I’ll go with Matawan, in a very close ball game. We will broadcast this contest on Friday night at 7PM on the Shore Sports Network of 1160am or 1310am or ShoreSportsNetwork.com.
Saturday will have 3 games, all in Central Jersey:
CJ Group 4 has Brick Memorial(7-4) looking for back to back championships against a team in East Brunswick(7-4) that they have already beaten this year, back in week 8, by a 37-34 score. Throw that game out, because it doesn’t mean anything now. The “Mustangs” have found the magic to win in the playoffs this year, as they did last year. They have beaten an undefeated Hunterdon Central team in the first round(21-17), avenged an early season loss to Howell in the semi-finals(31-28) and are playing at a very high level at the right time of the year. Junior QB Mike DiGuilmi has replaced graduated Brian Staub, and has directed the flexbone attack without missing a beat. He is joined in the backfield by 1000yard RB Vinnie Sabba, and Glenn McGinnis. Offensive line coach Bob Merola must get some credit with the much improved line play which has opened the holes for this option attack. With a few underclassmen on that line, and DiGuilmi returning in 2010, it looks like the “Stangs” will continue to be a program that wins. The Mustangs will be looking for their 3rd championship in the last 7 years. The Bears from East Brunswick will provide a formable opponent, as the Marcus Borden led team will go to school after the week 8 loss. Look for a shootout here, with Brick Memorial winning and celebrating their 2nd consecutive championship. This game will also be broadcast from TCNJ on the shore sports network of stations,(1160am or 1310am) or ShoreSportsNetwork.com for fans outside listening area, at 3PM Saturday afternoon.
Middletown South(11-0) looks to win their 10th championship as the travel to TCNJ for an 11am game vs. a very good Monroe team. The story of this one is easy; the shore’s best defense against the offensive minded Monroe Falcons. The Falcons come in at 10-1, scoring 31 ½ points a game. Ironically, their only loss was in week 2 against the above East Brunswick team by a 23-21 score, so they are 2 points from being undefeated. This is a classic match-up of great defense vs. great offense, and you know what they say; offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships! That’s why the Eagles will win their 10th on the strength of a defense that has given up only 45 points on the year, that’s 4pts./game. LB Sean Campbell, DL Nick Bricker, and LB Matt Saulnier lead a suffocating “D” that does not allow you to breathe, let alone score. Although the defense gets the headlines, the offense has done enough to get the Eagles to the championship. Junior QB Scott Meeker has replaced graduated Ryan Mullan and led an offense that also has RB Kyle Bunge to hand the ball to. The loss of Junior playmaker Andrew Suarez to a knee injury early in the year, has allowed others to step up and carry the load. The Eagles score just under 30 pts/game, so they are capable on both sides of the ball. This is a 2 TD game and the Eagles will be celebrating as the Mustangs take the field for their game.
Asbury Park(10-1) looks to make it 3 in a row in CJ Group 1. Led by RB George Stephens, the Bishops will not have an easy time, as they play a pretty good Highland Park(8-3) team for the second time this year. This game will take place at Kean University at 11am on Saturday morning. The Bishops beat Highland Park 20-12, in week 8, as the Owls ran the ball for 274 yards, but game up short, and they must stop Division 1 RB, Nate Smith. This will not be an easy task for the Bishop defense as Smith is very dangerous anywhere on the field. One thing to look at in this contest is the 3 losses that the Owls have. One was to Asbury Park, one was to Keyport(7-3) and the 3rd was to Monmouth Reg.(4-6). All 3 losses have come against shore conf. teams. That doesn’t bode well for the Owls. Look for Asbury to turn up the “D” on Smith and although they may not contain him on every play, they will do enough to win their 3rd straight and we can start using the word ‘dynasty” when we talk about Asbury Park.
There you have a short capsule look at the 4 championship games. Good luck to all 5 teams as they carry the well wishes of all teams in the shore as they represent the best of 2009.
Odds and ends of Turkey Day weekend:
Wall, upsetting Manasquan, 31-28 before 6000 fans on a beautiful Thanksgiving morning. This is the best argument to continue Thanksgiving Day football. Wall finishes 8-2 and makes my top ten and is surely a team of the future.
Toms River East(10-1) beat Toms River North 14-7 on Friday night in front of a huge crowd at East. Nico Steriti finishes his career as the best player in the shore in 2009. A TD pass from Sr. Charlie Diskin to Junior Vinnie Arminio early in the 4th quarter, was the game winner. No State championship for East, but a great season, in which they tied a school record with 10 wins.
Lacey(8-3) playing Central for the last time on Turkey Day(29-13) completes a great year and returns Cicardo, Molzon and Dabel in 2010. Enough to make them a pre-season top ten team.
Howell(9-2) gets a sluggish 20-9 win over Free. Twp. and wins the American Division championship and completes the career of the shores best QB Jimmy Ryan and Rec. Nick Adamo. The championship was their 2nd in 3 years. This program is feared by all teams that have to play them with their wide open spread offense that averaged 28pts/game.
Point Pleasant Boro(5-5), as I predicted, recovered from a 0-4 start to finish .500 on the year. With many underclassmen back, look out for the Panthers in 2010.
Ocean(8-3) completed a very good season with a 34-14 win over Monmouth Reg. Coach Don Klein has a couple of fine RBs, one of which is Greg Moore to go into 2010 with.
Brick Memorial took care of cross-town rival Brick, 34-21 on Friday night as Vinnie Sabba ran for 205 yards and 3 TDs. This was memorable because it was the first Turkey Day when retired Warren Wolf was not on the sidelines.
Raritan(8-3) will graduate 2 of the best players in the shore in Rec./DB Bennett Jackson(Notre Dame) and RB Jessie Raymond(Monmouth University). They brought excitement to shore fans whenever they played.
Mon Don(6-4) completed their season with an unlikely 6-3 win over Manchester. Not unlikely because they won, but because there were only field goals in the game. This concludes the outstanding senior year of QB Kevin Carter who ran the Griffin flexbone offense to perfection.
Bottom line of 2009:
20 teams finished with winning records.
8 teams finished with .500 records.
15 teams under .500 for the year.
2 winless teams in 2009.
Here’s my Top Ten before the playoff finals:
1-Middletown South(11-0) Have answered all comers and look to complete undefeated season with 10th championship title.
2-Matawan(10-1) The year of the Huskie can be completed with a CJ Group 2 title if they defeat Manasquan on Friday night.
3-Toms River East(10-1) Accomplished all goals but the big one, but none the less, they had an incredible season.
4-Manasquan(9-2) Caught looking ahead on Turkey Day? Maybe so, but they lost to a good football team in Wall. Look to win trophy # 12 on Friday night vs. Matawan.
5-Howell(9-2) The Jimmy Ryan career is over and boy was it a good one! Lost to Sayreville and Brick Memorial.
6-Toms River North(8-2) 2 losses have been to 10-1 East and 10-1 Williamstown. Enough said, it was solid season, but disappointing for this perennial playoff contender.
7-Brick Memorial(7-4) Looking for back to back titles in CJ Group 4. The Mustangs seem to play well when it counts. They have won 4 in a row and averaged 31pts./game. The offense is rolling and the defense has played better of late. They will be a tough out in finals.
8-Asbury Park(10-1) Only loss was to Rumson by 26-18 score. Look for 3rd straight in CJ 1.
9-Lacey(8-3) Solid year and all the key players are back. Top Ten preseason team in 2010.
10-Wall(8-2) The best team in shore that did not make the playoffs. I promised Chris Barnes, in my post game interview, that they would find a spot in my top 10. Well here they are; with Soph. QB Steve Cluley calmly going 9-9 for 152 yards, they beat playoff finalist Manasquan 31-28 before 6000 fans on Thanksgiving morning. With many other underclassmen dotting the roster, watch out for the Knights in 2010.
Just outside looking in: Raritan(8-3) RBC(6-4) Ocean(8-3)Neptune(7-4) Long Branch(7-3) Rumson(9-2) Keyport(7-3)
Join us Thursday night at Boston’s in Toms River at 6pm as we will preview the 4 State games and talk high school football. For 2 hours. Also catch us on the radio or on line as we broadcast two championship games on Friday night(7pm) and Saturday afternoon(3pm). 1160am or 1310am on the radio or on line at shoresportsnetwork.com. will handle the games
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Weekend of 11/20 + 11/21
Scanning The Scene With Ed Sarluca
We are now in week 11 of Jersey Shore football and the semi-finals of the playoffs are in the books. While 5 teams are still alive to play for a State Championship, 7 teams took a major hit and now must look to Thanksgiving as their last game of the 2009 season. Here is what happened in a wild week of playoff football:
In 2 of the most exciting games you will ever see, Manasquan scores 2 TDs in the last 1:24, on the road, at Rumson to win and advance, 23-11. In the other unbelievable ending, Brick Memorial came back from 28-7, to score 24 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, to stun Howell, 31-28. Let’s break these 2 down.
Manasquan(9-1) had a lead of 9-2, until Rumson(9-1) took the lead with 1:30 left on the clock, 11-9. That’s when the fireworks began. First was a kickoff that Squan’s Zack Ogden fielded on his 5 and went down from a tremendous hit on the Squan 24 yard line. The hit was so dynamic, it knocked Ogden out of the game, as he was carried off the field. With the trainer working on Ogden on the sidelines, QB C.J. Davis hit Ryland McTighe for 28 yards and the “Big Blue” had the ball on the “Bulldog” 48 yard line. 2 plays later, Ogden trotted back onto the field and into the Squan huddle, Davis rolled right and hit a streaking Ogden on the left sideline for a 39 yard gain, and Manasquan had the ball on the 9 yard line. RB Dan Sullivan took care of the rest, with a 9 yard TD carry, and Squan re-took the lead, after just 35 ticks had come off the clock. Corner-back Neal Sterling sealed it with 38 yard pick six and Manasquan had themselves a 23-11 victory, and a chance to play for their 12th State Championship on Dec. 4th at 7PM, on the campus of TCNJ. If you don’t believe what I just told you, you can listen to the calls on the shoresportsnetwork.com, since it was our game of the week.
In the other stunner, Brick Memorial ran 80 plays from scrimmage to Howells 34, they amassed 342 yards on offense to Howell’s 253(including just 7 yards rushing), had 23 first downs to 11 for Howell and scored 24 points in the 4th quarter to stun the Rebels 31-28. This game came down to 1 key play which turned the whole game around. It occurred at the 10:52 mark of the 4th quarter, when a host of Memorial tacklers trapped QB Jimmy Ryan in his own end-zone, for a safety, to make the score 28-16. Howell was never the same after the safety, as Memorial’s Jihaad Howard, ran the ensuing kickoff back 51 yards and 2:26 ticks later, Glenn McGinnis scored to make it 28-23 and Howell was in trouble. Memorial got the ball back with 5:55 left and used all but 8.6 seconds, to score the game winner on a Mike DiGuilmi to Glenn McGinnis TD pass. With Howell trying numerous laterals and backward passes the game finally ended on their own 30yard line, which set off a raucous celebration in the center of the Rebel field. Brick Memorial will try to make it back to back championships in CJ Group 4, as they now play for their 3rd State Championship in the last 7 years.
While these 2 games certainly provided their fans enough excitement to last till, well, to at least Thanksgiving Day, Matawan took care of business early and often and demolished a pretty good Raritan team, 46-7. QB Jarrod Allison and McArthur Underwood proved why they are 2 of the most exciting players in the shore. Underwood ran for 3 TDs in the 1st half, on runs of 5, 15 and 80 and Allison ran for 2TDs and threw for 1 as the Huskies ran for 346 total yards, and held Raritan to only 57 on the ground. Matawan will now try to crack the team with the most championships in the trophy case, Manasquan. This has all the makings of a classic. The methodical, disciplined, controlled offense of Manasquan, vs. the game breaking capabilities of Matawan. Who possesses the best defense, just might decide this one. The Huskies have given up 117 points to Manasquan’s 93. Pretty even there, while Matawan has scored 95 more points on offense, edge to Matawan. Too bad numbers don’t win football games. My pick, you’ll have wait till next week, after Turkey Day games. Manasquan will visit 7-2 Wall, while Matawan will visit S J Vianney. These are obviously trap games for both schools, as their opponents may catch the state final participants looking down the road. Coaches beware; it could be your toughest job of the year.
Asbury Park(9-1) will play for their 3rd CJ Group 1 championship in a row. Quite impressive for a school that wasn’t even on the map, 4 years ago. Asbury Park’s head coach Don Sofilkanich, has done a tremendous job since he has been at Asbury. They have bought into his guidance and leadership and they have moved to the highest level of respect in the shore. RB/S George Stephens continues to impress, and will try to end his career with those 3 championships. He is the leader of the Bishops on the field, and makes them go. Discipline, desire and dedication are 3 words that can best describe Mr. Stephens. I’ll make this call right now. Make some room in the trophy case!
Middletown South(10-0) remains as the only unbeaten team in the shore. They beat Neptune for the 2nd time this year and look to claim their 10th championship in their storied history. With a dominating defense led by LB Sean Campbell, the Eagles have not allowed more than 1 TD in any game this year. They scored all 17 points in the first half and held off Neptune(7-3), 17-6. RB Kyle Bunge and QB Scott Meeker lead an offense that has scored 292 points on the year, that’s almost 30/game. So when people say they are all about defense, look at the offense and you’ll see why they are undefeated. They draw a different opponent this year, in the finals, with Monroe’s win over Ocean by a 31-20 score. Monroe is 9-1 so far this season, and is very capable on offense. Guess what? The Falcons better live in the film room and break down the Eagle defense, or it will be a long afternoon on Dec. 5th.
Those are the 4 teams left from the shore. They carry the best wishes from the other 39 teams who will put the equipment away after this week’s Thanksgiving Day games. Let’s look at some of the tough luck losers this week.
Of all the disappointments over the weekend, none were bigger than the 41-30 loss by Toms River East against Egg Harbor Twp. This was to be the year the Raiders(9-1) got the monkey off their back and win that elusive first championship in school history. They have the best player in the shore(in my opinion), in Nico Steriti, they had a senior led team that came in 9-0 and was playing at a very high level, they had a Constitution Division title already in the bag, Mario Steriti ran the opening kick-off back 76 yards for a TD and they were off and running, they had a lead in the 4th quarter after brother Nico led the Raiders from the “wildcat” formation, to a TD with 9:35 left in the contest, but it just wasn’t meant to be, as the next 13 seconds will be forever on the minds of T R East. Egg Harbor(10-0) returned the kickoff 80 yards for a TD and the Eagles regained the lead 34-30, a lead they would never lose. East would have 1 more chance as they held and forced a punt in the middle of the 4th quarter, but Egg Harbor used a fake punt to pick up a first down and a few minutes later scored from 1yard out for the clinching TD and the 41-30 win. A win that advances them to the SJ Group 4 championship against top seeded Cherokee(10-0). The Raiders must regroup quickly as a good football team and cross-town rival T R North(8-2) awaits on Friday night. Will this loss in the semi’s define T R East’s season? I don’t think so; this is an outstanding program, run very well by Charlie Diskin and his staff. There will be other chances down the road to win that title, but the sting of this loss will hurt for a while. It just wasn’t meant to be in 2009, but you have nothing to be ashamed of. It has been a great season and another lesson has been learned, which will help future Raider players, as this program is on solid ground.
Lacey(7-3) came up on the short end of a 13-2 score against Timber Creek from Gloucester Township. The story here, was turnovers, as Lacey just never recovered from a fumble at the 1 yard line which cost them 6 points and a possible tie at 7-7. After the fumble, Lacey did record a safety to make it 7-2, but a 23 yard run for a score by Timber Creek iced it for the “Chargers”, and they will advance to the finals against a good Hammonton team. Lacey concludes their season against Central on Saturday afternoon, the last time these 2 rivals will play on Thanksgiving weekend.
In non-playoff action, Mon Don used 2 field goals by Anthony Huth to edge Manchester 6-3. This concludes the outstanding season QB Kevin Cater had this year, and also capped a 6-4 season for the Dan Duddy led team. Manchester finished at 5-5.
Pinelands also finished on a winning note, with their 36-32 win over a John Amabile led Allentown team that finished 4-6 in his first season at Allentown. Pinelands 5-5 record was the first time they have finished at .500 in 5 years.
Now the senseless Thanksgiving weekend football games are upon us. Not senseless in the fact that these games are played, but it’s when they are played that bothers me. The archaic system of New Jersey High School football playoffs and the way they are played must be changed. To have to wait 2 weeks to play the finals, just doesn’t make sense! Then you ask a team to play a game in between, makes no sense at all. Believe me, this is not the first time you are hearing this from someone who would like to play 3 weeks in a row, and to further expand the playoffs to get an over-all group champion, but maybe one of these years, the people who make these decisions will figure it out. Enough from my point of view, enjoy your holiday, enjoy your game on Thursday morning or Friday night, whenever your favorite team plays and save some antipasto and stuffed mushrooms for me when I come visit.
Here is this week’s new Top Ten:
1-Middletown South(10-0) The best defense in the shore, makes them the best team in the shore. I’ve had them there all here and see no reason why they don’t end up as #1.
2-Matawan(9-1) Can we now stop the talk about whether this team is for real? They are the real deal, as they pummeled Raritan for the 2nd time this year and cruised into CJ 2 finals. Now they must deal with the shore’s best playoff team in recent history, 11 time champion, Manasquan.
3-Manasquan(9-1) The miracle on “Ridge Road” is what they are calling last Friday night’s victory over a solid Rumson team. When you think you have them down, they rise to the occasion every time. A tough Wall(7-2) team will not be an easy one on Thanksgiving morning.
4-Howell(8-2) Devastating loss to Brick Memorial knocked them from playoffs, but not from being a top five team.
5-T R East(9-1) Another great year ends in disappointment in semi-finals as frustrated Raiders must regroup quickly and face TR North on Friday night.
6-TR North(7-2)What could have been, as they sat and watched last weekend. Can salvage an 8-2 season with a “W” against cross-town rival TR East.
7-Rumson(9-1) Tough team, tough loss to Manasquan which knocked them from playoffs and from unbeaten ranks. Tough closing game against RBC.
8-Brick Memorial(6-4) In last 3 weeks the Mustangs have beaten 3 teams with a combined 25-5 record. They will defend their CJ 4 crown against East Brunswick, a team they have beaten already, but before that face a Brick team looking to finish .500 on year.
9-Asbury Park(9-1) The little giant that gets no respect! They look to win their 3rd straight CJ Group 1 championship.
10-Lacey(7-3) Tough loss at the hands of Timber Creek knocked them out of playoffs, in a game which they just could not get into end-zone. Solid season ends with Central on Sat afternoon.
Just outside looking in: Raritan(7-3) Long Branch(6-3) Neptune(7-3) Ocean(7-3) Wall(7-2)
No Thursday night football show this week because of Turkey Day, but 2 games will be broadcast on shore sports network. Wed night the Jackson Liberty vs. Jackson Memorial game at 6pm and Thursday morning, Wall vs. Manasquan at 11am. Join us on the radio or on line for these 2 games.
We are now in week 11 of Jersey Shore football and the semi-finals of the playoffs are in the books. While 5 teams are still alive to play for a State Championship, 7 teams took a major hit and now must look to Thanksgiving as their last game of the 2009 season. Here is what happened in a wild week of playoff football:
In 2 of the most exciting games you will ever see, Manasquan scores 2 TDs in the last 1:24, on the road, at Rumson to win and advance, 23-11. In the other unbelievable ending, Brick Memorial came back from 28-7, to score 24 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, to stun Howell, 31-28. Let’s break these 2 down.
Manasquan(9-1) had a lead of 9-2, until Rumson(9-1) took the lead with 1:30 left on the clock, 11-9. That’s when the fireworks began. First was a kickoff that Squan’s Zack Ogden fielded on his 5 and went down from a tremendous hit on the Squan 24 yard line. The hit was so dynamic, it knocked Ogden out of the game, as he was carried off the field. With the trainer working on Ogden on the sidelines, QB C.J. Davis hit Ryland McTighe for 28 yards and the “Big Blue” had the ball on the “Bulldog” 48 yard line. 2 plays later, Ogden trotted back onto the field and into the Squan huddle, Davis rolled right and hit a streaking Ogden on the left sideline for a 39 yard gain, and Manasquan had the ball on the 9 yard line. RB Dan Sullivan took care of the rest, with a 9 yard TD carry, and Squan re-took the lead, after just 35 ticks had come off the clock. Corner-back Neal Sterling sealed it with 38 yard pick six and Manasquan had themselves a 23-11 victory, and a chance to play for their 12th State Championship on Dec. 4th at 7PM, on the campus of TCNJ. If you don’t believe what I just told you, you can listen to the calls on the shoresportsnetwork.com, since it was our game of the week.
In the other stunner, Brick Memorial ran 80 plays from scrimmage to Howells 34, they amassed 342 yards on offense to Howell’s 253(including just 7 yards rushing), had 23 first downs to 11 for Howell and scored 24 points in the 4th quarter to stun the Rebels 31-28. This game came down to 1 key play which turned the whole game around. It occurred at the 10:52 mark of the 4th quarter, when a host of Memorial tacklers trapped QB Jimmy Ryan in his own end-zone, for a safety, to make the score 28-16. Howell was never the same after the safety, as Memorial’s Jihaad Howard, ran the ensuing kickoff back 51 yards and 2:26 ticks later, Glenn McGinnis scored to make it 28-23 and Howell was in trouble. Memorial got the ball back with 5:55 left and used all but 8.6 seconds, to score the game winner on a Mike DiGuilmi to Glenn McGinnis TD pass. With Howell trying numerous laterals and backward passes the game finally ended on their own 30yard line, which set off a raucous celebration in the center of the Rebel field. Brick Memorial will try to make it back to back championships in CJ Group 4, as they now play for their 3rd State Championship in the last 7 years.
While these 2 games certainly provided their fans enough excitement to last till, well, to at least Thanksgiving Day, Matawan took care of business early and often and demolished a pretty good Raritan team, 46-7. QB Jarrod Allison and McArthur Underwood proved why they are 2 of the most exciting players in the shore. Underwood ran for 3 TDs in the 1st half, on runs of 5, 15 and 80 and Allison ran for 2TDs and threw for 1 as the Huskies ran for 346 total yards, and held Raritan to only 57 on the ground. Matawan will now try to crack the team with the most championships in the trophy case, Manasquan. This has all the makings of a classic. The methodical, disciplined, controlled offense of Manasquan, vs. the game breaking capabilities of Matawan. Who possesses the best defense, just might decide this one. The Huskies have given up 117 points to Manasquan’s 93. Pretty even there, while Matawan has scored 95 more points on offense, edge to Matawan. Too bad numbers don’t win football games. My pick, you’ll have wait till next week, after Turkey Day games. Manasquan will visit 7-2 Wall, while Matawan will visit S J Vianney. These are obviously trap games for both schools, as their opponents may catch the state final participants looking down the road. Coaches beware; it could be your toughest job of the year.
Asbury Park(9-1) will play for their 3rd CJ Group 1 championship in a row. Quite impressive for a school that wasn’t even on the map, 4 years ago. Asbury Park’s head coach Don Sofilkanich, has done a tremendous job since he has been at Asbury. They have bought into his guidance and leadership and they have moved to the highest level of respect in the shore. RB/S George Stephens continues to impress, and will try to end his career with those 3 championships. He is the leader of the Bishops on the field, and makes them go. Discipline, desire and dedication are 3 words that can best describe Mr. Stephens. I’ll make this call right now. Make some room in the trophy case!
Middletown South(10-0) remains as the only unbeaten team in the shore. They beat Neptune for the 2nd time this year and look to claim their 10th championship in their storied history. With a dominating defense led by LB Sean Campbell, the Eagles have not allowed more than 1 TD in any game this year. They scored all 17 points in the first half and held off Neptune(7-3), 17-6. RB Kyle Bunge and QB Scott Meeker lead an offense that has scored 292 points on the year, that’s almost 30/game. So when people say they are all about defense, look at the offense and you’ll see why they are undefeated. They draw a different opponent this year, in the finals, with Monroe’s win over Ocean by a 31-20 score. Monroe is 9-1 so far this season, and is very capable on offense. Guess what? The Falcons better live in the film room and break down the Eagle defense, or it will be a long afternoon on Dec. 5th.
Those are the 4 teams left from the shore. They carry the best wishes from the other 39 teams who will put the equipment away after this week’s Thanksgiving Day games. Let’s look at some of the tough luck losers this week.
Of all the disappointments over the weekend, none were bigger than the 41-30 loss by Toms River East against Egg Harbor Twp. This was to be the year the Raiders(9-1) got the monkey off their back and win that elusive first championship in school history. They have the best player in the shore(in my opinion), in Nico Steriti, they had a senior led team that came in 9-0 and was playing at a very high level, they had a Constitution Division title already in the bag, Mario Steriti ran the opening kick-off back 76 yards for a TD and they were off and running, they had a lead in the 4th quarter after brother Nico led the Raiders from the “wildcat” formation, to a TD with 9:35 left in the contest, but it just wasn’t meant to be, as the next 13 seconds will be forever on the minds of T R East. Egg Harbor(10-0) returned the kickoff 80 yards for a TD and the Eagles regained the lead 34-30, a lead they would never lose. East would have 1 more chance as they held and forced a punt in the middle of the 4th quarter, but Egg Harbor used a fake punt to pick up a first down and a few minutes later scored from 1yard out for the clinching TD and the 41-30 win. A win that advances them to the SJ Group 4 championship against top seeded Cherokee(10-0). The Raiders must regroup quickly as a good football team and cross-town rival T R North(8-2) awaits on Friday night. Will this loss in the semi’s define T R East’s season? I don’t think so; this is an outstanding program, run very well by Charlie Diskin and his staff. There will be other chances down the road to win that title, but the sting of this loss will hurt for a while. It just wasn’t meant to be in 2009, but you have nothing to be ashamed of. It has been a great season and another lesson has been learned, which will help future Raider players, as this program is on solid ground.
Lacey(7-3) came up on the short end of a 13-2 score against Timber Creek from Gloucester Township. The story here, was turnovers, as Lacey just never recovered from a fumble at the 1 yard line which cost them 6 points and a possible tie at 7-7. After the fumble, Lacey did record a safety to make it 7-2, but a 23 yard run for a score by Timber Creek iced it for the “Chargers”, and they will advance to the finals against a good Hammonton team. Lacey concludes their season against Central on Saturday afternoon, the last time these 2 rivals will play on Thanksgiving weekend.
In non-playoff action, Mon Don used 2 field goals by Anthony Huth to edge Manchester 6-3. This concludes the outstanding season QB Kevin Cater had this year, and also capped a 6-4 season for the Dan Duddy led team. Manchester finished at 5-5.
Pinelands also finished on a winning note, with their 36-32 win over a John Amabile led Allentown team that finished 4-6 in his first season at Allentown. Pinelands 5-5 record was the first time they have finished at .500 in 5 years.
Now the senseless Thanksgiving weekend football games are upon us. Not senseless in the fact that these games are played, but it’s when they are played that bothers me. The archaic system of New Jersey High School football playoffs and the way they are played must be changed. To have to wait 2 weeks to play the finals, just doesn’t make sense! Then you ask a team to play a game in between, makes no sense at all. Believe me, this is not the first time you are hearing this from someone who would like to play 3 weeks in a row, and to further expand the playoffs to get an over-all group champion, but maybe one of these years, the people who make these decisions will figure it out. Enough from my point of view, enjoy your holiday, enjoy your game on Thursday morning or Friday night, whenever your favorite team plays and save some antipasto and stuffed mushrooms for me when I come visit.
Here is this week’s new Top Ten:
1-Middletown South(10-0) The best defense in the shore, makes them the best team in the shore. I’ve had them there all here and see no reason why they don’t end up as #1.
2-Matawan(9-1) Can we now stop the talk about whether this team is for real? They are the real deal, as they pummeled Raritan for the 2nd time this year and cruised into CJ 2 finals. Now they must deal with the shore’s best playoff team in recent history, 11 time champion, Manasquan.
3-Manasquan(9-1) The miracle on “Ridge Road” is what they are calling last Friday night’s victory over a solid Rumson team. When you think you have them down, they rise to the occasion every time. A tough Wall(7-2) team will not be an easy one on Thanksgiving morning.
4-Howell(8-2) Devastating loss to Brick Memorial knocked them from playoffs, but not from being a top five team.
5-T R East(9-1) Another great year ends in disappointment in semi-finals as frustrated Raiders must regroup quickly and face TR North on Friday night.
6-TR North(7-2)What could have been, as they sat and watched last weekend. Can salvage an 8-2 season with a “W” against cross-town rival TR East.
7-Rumson(9-1) Tough team, tough loss to Manasquan which knocked them from playoffs and from unbeaten ranks. Tough closing game against RBC.
8-Brick Memorial(6-4) In last 3 weeks the Mustangs have beaten 3 teams with a combined 25-5 record. They will defend their CJ 4 crown against East Brunswick, a team they have beaten already, but before that face a Brick team looking to finish .500 on year.
9-Asbury Park(9-1) The little giant that gets no respect! They look to win their 3rd straight CJ Group 1 championship.
10-Lacey(7-3) Tough loss at the hands of Timber Creek knocked them out of playoffs, in a game which they just could not get into end-zone. Solid season ends with Central on Sat afternoon.
Just outside looking in: Raritan(7-3) Long Branch(6-3) Neptune(7-3) Ocean(7-3) Wall(7-2)
No Thursday night football show this week because of Turkey Day, but 2 games will be broadcast on shore sports network. Wed night the Jackson Liberty vs. Jackson Memorial game at 6pm and Thursday morning, Wall vs. Manasquan at 11am. Join us on the radio or on line for these 2 games.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Weekend Of 11/13 - 11/15
Scanning the High School Football Scene with Ed Sarluca:
We started with 18 and we are down to 12, as the first week of the State H.S. playoffs are off and running. With 12 getting by, I would consider it a very successful opening weekend to the 2009 playoffs. There are 3 #1 seeds still alive (Middletown South(9-0), Asbury Park(8-1) and Matawan(8-1)). We are guaranteed at least 1 State winner(CJ 2), where the 4 teams who remain are all from the shore. There will be 3 rematches in the semi-finals. CJ 4 will have an all-shore matchup in the bottom bracket, as Howell(8-1) and Brick Memorial(5-4) will play again this year. Howell won a 37-27 game in Oct. Middletown South and Neptune(7-2) will have a second game in CJ 3, with Mid South having beaten Neptune 16-0 earlier this year. As a matter of fact, Neptune has not beaten Mid South since 1998. Matawan and Raritan(7-2) will go at it again in CJ 2. Matawan won by 30-7 the first time they played. These games show the excellence in shore football, as all except Raritan, beat out of area teams on their way to the semi’s. Rumson(9-0) will put its undefeated record up against a very good Manasquan(8-1) team. This very well may be the best matchup of the weekend, as they are 2 evenly matched teams. Lacey(7-2), had its un-scored upon streak broken on Sat., but prevailed 33-14 over Pemberton. Toms River East(9-0), try’s to win its first championship ever, and they will have to do it on the road, as they travel to #2 seed Egg Harbor(9-0). Ocean(7-2) will travel to Monroe in another CJ 3 game, and Asbury Park(8-1) looks for their 3rd championship in a row in CJ 1 and gets Brearley in the semi’s. We know now, all of these teams are well coached, and are playing their best football of the year, at the right time. The high level of shore football excellence is clearly evident with the quality of the remaining teams. Let’s look how they got there:
Perhaps the biggest upset of the week occurred in Hunterdon Central as the 5-4 Mustangs of Brick Memorial, seeded #6, shocked the #3 seed by a 21-17 score. With time running out, a Mike DiGuilmi to Cody Cutter 40 yard TD pass with 19 seconds remaining was the game winner for the “Stangs”. The Mustangs ran for 410 yards on the night and dominated the Red Devils, but needed the TD pass to win it. The Mustangs seem to rise to the occasion in the playoffs and are the defending CJ 4 champs. It won’t be easy for them to get to the finish line, as they must get by 2 opponent that have beaten them already; Howell and probably #1 seed Sayreville. None the less, Brick Memorial will not be an easy out for either team.
Raritan used 2 picks by Kevin Furlong, both of which, were returned for TDs to upset the #4 seed Green Wave of Long Branch 28-7. Jessie Raymond(174 yards) proved why he is one of the top backs in the shore, as he tore through the Wave repeatedly. Notre Dame bound Bennett Jackson hit a “rocket” screen for 67 yards and a touch, after he had a 91 screen pass called back. Jackson also kicked field goals of 35 and 37 yards. Next up, Raritan gets a rematch with Matawan, who defeated them 30-7 on Sept 25th. Raritan has 1 title in the trophy case, 2004 when they won CJ 2.
In a driving rain storm on Friday night, the Raiders of TR East used Nico Steriti not once, nor twice, but 45 times for 206 yards and 3 TDs. Nico was my pre-season player of the year, and he certainly has made me look good, as he scored his 26th, 27th and 28th TD of the year. Sr. QB Charlie Diskin threw a 23 yard TD to Anthony Chiacchio, to put the game away in the 4th quarter. With winds howling at 40-50 miles per hour and the rain driving sideways into the faces of the Raiders, Diskin hit for 3 of 4 passes in key situations of the game to aid the running of Steriti. #2 seed, Egg Harbor(9-0), is next for the #3 seed Raiders, as they try to win their first championship in the 30 year history of East. If Nico has anything to say about that, the trophy may very well be sitting in the East showcase come December.
The Bishops of Asbury Park may have found a new way to get the ball to power runner George Stephens. As Stephens is closing in on 1000 rushing yards, it was his pass catching ability( 120 yards) on Sat afternoon that led them to a 22-6 win over Shore Reg. Stephens accounted for all 3 TDs vs. Shore, 2 on the ground and 1 in the air. The win was the second time Asbury has beaten Shore(13-10 on opening day) and put them one step closer to their 3rd consecutive CJ 1 championship. Quite a feat for a program that struggled to a 1-9 record 4 years ago. Next up is David Brearley, at home, on Sat. afternoon.
Matawan, the top seed in CJ 2, easily beat New Brunswick on Sat. night 37-13. The Zebra’s had come into this one a hot team and Matawan jumped all over them and never let up. QB Jared Allison ran for 2 TDs and threw 2 TDs to lead the Huskies to the easy victory. Matawan is peaking at the right time, but will have to continue to play well, as Raritan will test them this week. The Huskies took no prisoners(30-7) the first time around, and revenge is on the minds of the Rockets. Matawan is looking for their first title since 1992.
Rumson remains unbeaten with a shutout win over A.L. Johnson 23-0. Always reliable John Riley, ran for 117 yards and a TD and the Bulldog defense held A.L. Johnson to 3 first downs and 50 total yards. The Rumson “D” was so dominate, that Johnson did not have a first down in the 2nd half. They recorded 4 sacks, had 2 turnovers and blocked a punt. Now you see why this team is undefeated! It doesn’t get any easier for them, as 11 time State Champions, Manasquan comes to town on Friday night. Rumson has never won a State title. The Shore Sports Network will broadcast that one on 1160 WOBM AM and Fox Sports 1310 am as well as 105.7 The Hawk.
Lacey, although scored upon, got it going big in the 2nd half, and cruised to a 33-14 win over Pemberton. Jarrod Molzon(213 yards) filling in for Jake Dabal(167 yards) had himself a huge 2nd half, after Dabal left with a pulled muscle in his side. These 2 RBs are only juniors as is QB Craig Cicardo, so the Lions are set for next year, but they aren’t thinking about next year just yet. They have their eyes on the prize this year and are playing very well at the right time. The Lions travel to Timber Creek this week for the semi-finals.
Neptune put 51 on the board vs. Lawrence, as RBs Ike Calderone(118 yards) and Charlie Davis(111 yards) led the Flier attack. Neptune led 37-7 at the half and cruised in the 2nd half and gets a rematch with a team they haven’t beaten since 1998, Middletown South. That streak includes a 16-0 win this year. Neptune last won the state title in 1986.
Playing without their starting QB C.J. Davis, due to disciplinary reasons, Manasquan defense came up big in a 14-7 victory over Keyport on Sunday. Soph QB Tyler Saito filled in admirably for Davis as he threw for 126 yards and had a rushing TD for the Blue Warriors. Manasquan will look for their shore leading 12th championship as they continue the run in CJ 2, when they travel to Rumson on Friday night.
Middletown South, the #1 seed in CJ 3, demolished West Windsor North by a 43-6 score. Kyle Bunge ran for 141 yards and 3 TDs to lead the Eagles to the easy victory. The Eagles have not won the whole thing since 2006, losing to Freehold Boro in last year’s final.
Howell Twp. the #2 seed in CJ 4 playing on Monday night due to field conditions, which didn’t look too bad to me, beat an undermanned Montgomery team 41-18. Jimmy Ryan, the shore’s best QB, threw for 5 TD passes in only 3 quarters of action, as the Rebels parlayed turnovers and field position, into points and more points. Howell continues next Sat. night, at 6pm, against Brick Memorial, a team it beat 37-27 earlier in the year.
Ocean, last won a State title in 2005 under Sal Spampanato, looks to win one with Coach Don Klein, in CJ 3. The shutout victory over Steinert(35-0) gets them to the semi’s against a good Monroe team on the road. Brandon Robinson, Greg Moore and Christian Bailoni, R.J. D’Apolito and Kevin Rodgers lead the “Big Red” in their quest.
Losing last weekend were Toms River North, who put up a game effort vs. Williamstown, who won their first ever state tournament game, 21-13, and Middletown North, who lost to #1 seed Sayreville in CJ 4 by a 21-0 score.
Top Ten-Week 10(Nov. 17th)
1-Middletown South(9-0) Impressive as ever in 1st round. Get a rematch with Neptune(16-0-first time around) who have not beaten them since 1998, enough said!
2-Toms River East(9-0) Got the job done vs. Wash Twp. in horrendous weather on Friday night. Nico Steriti(45 carries for 206 yds. and 3 TDs) proved to everyone he is a candidate for “Player of the Year”.
3-Howell(8-1) finally played their 1st round game after 2 postponements(why the second one on Sunday is a mystery??). Their reward, a rematch with Playoff savvy defending CJ Group 4 champions, Brick Memorial, a 21-17 winner over previously unbeaten, 9-0, Hun. Cen.
4-Matawan(9-1) The Huskies have made a statement that this could be their year back to the championship, which has eluded them, since 1992. They get Raritan, who they have defeated already 30-7, earlier this year.
5-Rumson(9-0) Anyone unbeaten at this point deserves a top 5 spot. The “Dawgs” have answered every caller and now host Manasquan who have won 11 championships in their storied history. This is the game of the week!
6-Toms River North(7-2) The Mariners suffered their 2nd loss of the year vs. Williamstown on Sat. night(21-13). I witnessed the problem that has plagued North throughout the year; a failure to get the ball into the end zone. Drew Kollman was the best player on the field, but he was not enough as the Mariners now set their sights on cross-town rival TR East on Friday Nov. 27 at 7pm at East.
7-Manasquan(-8-1) In a game played on Sunday, the Warriors playing with a back-up at QB, beat Keyport 14-7. This 1st round win gets them a trip to unbeaten Rumson, on Friday night, in the game of the week in the shore.
8-Raritan(7-2) Because of the rain this weekend, I was also able to see this postponed game vs. Long Branch. They were the better team on the field Sat afternoon, as they won 28-7. A rematch with Matawan awaits the Rockets, which will be played Sat. night at 6PM.
9-Lacey(7-2) The Lions scoreless string was snapped, but they took care of Pemberton 33-14 on Sat. afternoon. They now travel to Timber Creek for a semi-final contest.
10-Asbury Park(8-1) The Bishops are more than capable of getting their 3rd straight CJ Group 1 championship this year. Up next is Brearley at home Sat. afternoon at noon.
Just outside looking in:
Ocean(7-2)- Still alive in tough CJ 3. Must visit tough, Monroe HS, this Friday night at 7PM.
Neptune(7-2) they better be ready, as Middletown South awaits a visit on Friday night.
Brick Memorial(5-4) The Mustangs know how to win in the playoffs. Their tough Group 4 schedule has helped them out.
Long Branch(6-3)- I’ll keep them in the almost top ten. One game remains, and that should be a “W” on Turkey day vs. Red Bank.
We received many complimentary comments on our Thursday night interview with Ron Signorino Sr. In case you would like to hear it again, or may have missed it the first time, check it out on line on the audio page at shoresportsnetwork.com, where every Thursday football shows can be heard.
This week at Boston’s we will have on site, none other than the legendary Warren Wolf. Also on the phone line will be former RBC player and now Temple University Head Coach, Al Golden. This is sure to be a great 2 hours of football talk. We will breakdown the 1st round of the State games and look to the semi’s this weekend. That’s Thursday night at 6-8PM at Boston’s Sports bar and Restaurant on the corner of Fischer and Hooper Ave in Toms River.
We started with 18 and we are down to 12, as the first week of the State H.S. playoffs are off and running. With 12 getting by, I would consider it a very successful opening weekend to the 2009 playoffs. There are 3 #1 seeds still alive (Middletown South(9-0), Asbury Park(8-1) and Matawan(8-1)). We are guaranteed at least 1 State winner(CJ 2), where the 4 teams who remain are all from the shore. There will be 3 rematches in the semi-finals. CJ 4 will have an all-shore matchup in the bottom bracket, as Howell(8-1) and Brick Memorial(5-4) will play again this year. Howell won a 37-27 game in Oct. Middletown South and Neptune(7-2) will have a second game in CJ 3, with Mid South having beaten Neptune 16-0 earlier this year. As a matter of fact, Neptune has not beaten Mid South since 1998. Matawan and Raritan(7-2) will go at it again in CJ 2. Matawan won by 30-7 the first time they played. These games show the excellence in shore football, as all except Raritan, beat out of area teams on their way to the semi’s. Rumson(9-0) will put its undefeated record up against a very good Manasquan(8-1) team. This very well may be the best matchup of the weekend, as they are 2 evenly matched teams. Lacey(7-2), had its un-scored upon streak broken on Sat., but prevailed 33-14 over Pemberton. Toms River East(9-0), try’s to win its first championship ever, and they will have to do it on the road, as they travel to #2 seed Egg Harbor(9-0). Ocean(7-2) will travel to Monroe in another CJ 3 game, and Asbury Park(8-1) looks for their 3rd championship in a row in CJ 1 and gets Brearley in the semi’s. We know now, all of these teams are well coached, and are playing their best football of the year, at the right time. The high level of shore football excellence is clearly evident with the quality of the remaining teams. Let’s look how they got there:
Perhaps the biggest upset of the week occurred in Hunterdon Central as the 5-4 Mustangs of Brick Memorial, seeded #6, shocked the #3 seed by a 21-17 score. With time running out, a Mike DiGuilmi to Cody Cutter 40 yard TD pass with 19 seconds remaining was the game winner for the “Stangs”. The Mustangs ran for 410 yards on the night and dominated the Red Devils, but needed the TD pass to win it. The Mustangs seem to rise to the occasion in the playoffs and are the defending CJ 4 champs. It won’t be easy for them to get to the finish line, as they must get by 2 opponent that have beaten them already; Howell and probably #1 seed Sayreville. None the less, Brick Memorial will not be an easy out for either team.
Raritan used 2 picks by Kevin Furlong, both of which, were returned for TDs to upset the #4 seed Green Wave of Long Branch 28-7. Jessie Raymond(174 yards) proved why he is one of the top backs in the shore, as he tore through the Wave repeatedly. Notre Dame bound Bennett Jackson hit a “rocket” screen for 67 yards and a touch, after he had a 91 screen pass called back. Jackson also kicked field goals of 35 and 37 yards. Next up, Raritan gets a rematch with Matawan, who defeated them 30-7 on Sept 25th. Raritan has 1 title in the trophy case, 2004 when they won CJ 2.
In a driving rain storm on Friday night, the Raiders of TR East used Nico Steriti not once, nor twice, but 45 times for 206 yards and 3 TDs. Nico was my pre-season player of the year, and he certainly has made me look good, as he scored his 26th, 27th and 28th TD of the year. Sr. QB Charlie Diskin threw a 23 yard TD to Anthony Chiacchio, to put the game away in the 4th quarter. With winds howling at 40-50 miles per hour and the rain driving sideways into the faces of the Raiders, Diskin hit for 3 of 4 passes in key situations of the game to aid the running of Steriti. #2 seed, Egg Harbor(9-0), is next for the #3 seed Raiders, as they try to win their first championship in the 30 year history of East. If Nico has anything to say about that, the trophy may very well be sitting in the East showcase come December.
The Bishops of Asbury Park may have found a new way to get the ball to power runner George Stephens. As Stephens is closing in on 1000 rushing yards, it was his pass catching ability( 120 yards) on Sat afternoon that led them to a 22-6 win over Shore Reg. Stephens accounted for all 3 TDs vs. Shore, 2 on the ground and 1 in the air. The win was the second time Asbury has beaten Shore(13-10 on opening day) and put them one step closer to their 3rd consecutive CJ 1 championship. Quite a feat for a program that struggled to a 1-9 record 4 years ago. Next up is David Brearley, at home, on Sat. afternoon.
Matawan, the top seed in CJ 2, easily beat New Brunswick on Sat. night 37-13. The Zebra’s had come into this one a hot team and Matawan jumped all over them and never let up. QB Jared Allison ran for 2 TDs and threw 2 TDs to lead the Huskies to the easy victory. Matawan is peaking at the right time, but will have to continue to play well, as Raritan will test them this week. The Huskies took no prisoners(30-7) the first time around, and revenge is on the minds of the Rockets. Matawan is looking for their first title since 1992.
Rumson remains unbeaten with a shutout win over A.L. Johnson 23-0. Always reliable John Riley, ran for 117 yards and a TD and the Bulldog defense held A.L. Johnson to 3 first downs and 50 total yards. The Rumson “D” was so dominate, that Johnson did not have a first down in the 2nd half. They recorded 4 sacks, had 2 turnovers and blocked a punt. Now you see why this team is undefeated! It doesn’t get any easier for them, as 11 time State Champions, Manasquan comes to town on Friday night. Rumson has never won a State title. The Shore Sports Network will broadcast that one on 1160 WOBM AM and Fox Sports 1310 am as well as 105.7 The Hawk.
Lacey, although scored upon, got it going big in the 2nd half, and cruised to a 33-14 win over Pemberton. Jarrod Molzon(213 yards) filling in for Jake Dabal(167 yards) had himself a huge 2nd half, after Dabal left with a pulled muscle in his side. These 2 RBs are only juniors as is QB Craig Cicardo, so the Lions are set for next year, but they aren’t thinking about next year just yet. They have their eyes on the prize this year and are playing very well at the right time. The Lions travel to Timber Creek this week for the semi-finals.
Neptune put 51 on the board vs. Lawrence, as RBs Ike Calderone(118 yards) and Charlie Davis(111 yards) led the Flier attack. Neptune led 37-7 at the half and cruised in the 2nd half and gets a rematch with a team they haven’t beaten since 1998, Middletown South. That streak includes a 16-0 win this year. Neptune last won the state title in 1986.
Playing without their starting QB C.J. Davis, due to disciplinary reasons, Manasquan defense came up big in a 14-7 victory over Keyport on Sunday. Soph QB Tyler Saito filled in admirably for Davis as he threw for 126 yards and had a rushing TD for the Blue Warriors. Manasquan will look for their shore leading 12th championship as they continue the run in CJ 2, when they travel to Rumson on Friday night.
Middletown South, the #1 seed in CJ 3, demolished West Windsor North by a 43-6 score. Kyle Bunge ran for 141 yards and 3 TDs to lead the Eagles to the easy victory. The Eagles have not won the whole thing since 2006, losing to Freehold Boro in last year’s final.
Howell Twp. the #2 seed in CJ 4 playing on Monday night due to field conditions, which didn’t look too bad to me, beat an undermanned Montgomery team 41-18. Jimmy Ryan, the shore’s best QB, threw for 5 TD passes in only 3 quarters of action, as the Rebels parlayed turnovers and field position, into points and more points. Howell continues next Sat. night, at 6pm, against Brick Memorial, a team it beat 37-27 earlier in the year.
Ocean, last won a State title in 2005 under Sal Spampanato, looks to win one with Coach Don Klein, in CJ 3. The shutout victory over Steinert(35-0) gets them to the semi’s against a good Monroe team on the road. Brandon Robinson, Greg Moore and Christian Bailoni, R.J. D’Apolito and Kevin Rodgers lead the “Big Red” in their quest.
Losing last weekend were Toms River North, who put up a game effort vs. Williamstown, who won their first ever state tournament game, 21-13, and Middletown North, who lost to #1 seed Sayreville in CJ 4 by a 21-0 score.
Top Ten-Week 10(Nov. 17th)
1-Middletown South(9-0) Impressive as ever in 1st round. Get a rematch with Neptune(16-0-first time around) who have not beaten them since 1998, enough said!
2-Toms River East(9-0) Got the job done vs. Wash Twp. in horrendous weather on Friday night. Nico Steriti(45 carries for 206 yds. and 3 TDs) proved to everyone he is a candidate for “Player of the Year”.
3-Howell(8-1) finally played their 1st round game after 2 postponements(why the second one on Sunday is a mystery??). Their reward, a rematch with Playoff savvy defending CJ Group 4 champions, Brick Memorial, a 21-17 winner over previously unbeaten, 9-0, Hun. Cen.
4-Matawan(9-1) The Huskies have made a statement that this could be their year back to the championship, which has eluded them, since 1992. They get Raritan, who they have defeated already 30-7, earlier this year.
5-Rumson(9-0) Anyone unbeaten at this point deserves a top 5 spot. The “Dawgs” have answered every caller and now host Manasquan who have won 11 championships in their storied history. This is the game of the week!
6-Toms River North(7-2) The Mariners suffered their 2nd loss of the year vs. Williamstown on Sat. night(21-13). I witnessed the problem that has plagued North throughout the year; a failure to get the ball into the end zone. Drew Kollman was the best player on the field, but he was not enough as the Mariners now set their sights on cross-town rival TR East on Friday Nov. 27 at 7pm at East.
7-Manasquan(-8-1) In a game played on Sunday, the Warriors playing with a back-up at QB, beat Keyport 14-7. This 1st round win gets them a trip to unbeaten Rumson, on Friday night, in the game of the week in the shore.
8-Raritan(7-2) Because of the rain this weekend, I was also able to see this postponed game vs. Long Branch. They were the better team on the field Sat afternoon, as they won 28-7. A rematch with Matawan awaits the Rockets, which will be played Sat. night at 6PM.
9-Lacey(7-2) The Lions scoreless string was snapped, but they took care of Pemberton 33-14 on Sat. afternoon. They now travel to Timber Creek for a semi-final contest.
10-Asbury Park(8-1) The Bishops are more than capable of getting their 3rd straight CJ Group 1 championship this year. Up next is Brearley at home Sat. afternoon at noon.
Just outside looking in:
Ocean(7-2)- Still alive in tough CJ 3. Must visit tough, Monroe HS, this Friday night at 7PM.
Neptune(7-2) they better be ready, as Middletown South awaits a visit on Friday night.
Brick Memorial(5-4) The Mustangs know how to win in the playoffs. Their tough Group 4 schedule has helped them out.
Long Branch(6-3)- I’ll keep them in the almost top ten. One game remains, and that should be a “W” on Turkey day vs. Red Bank.
We received many complimentary comments on our Thursday night interview with Ron Signorino Sr. In case you would like to hear it again, or may have missed it the first time, check it out on line on the audio page at shoresportsnetwork.com, where every Thursday football shows can be heard.
This week at Boston’s we will have on site, none other than the legendary Warren Wolf. Also on the phone line will be former RBC player and now Temple University Head Coach, Al Golden. This is sure to be a great 2 hours of football talk. We will breakdown the 1st round of the State games and look to the semi’s this weekend. That’s Thursday night at 6-8PM at Boston’s Sports bar and Restaurant on the corner of Fischer and Hooper Ave in Toms River.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Weekend of 11/5 + 11/6, 2009
Scanning the High School Football Scene with Ed Sarluca:
Let the playoffs begin.
No fewer than 18 schools will begin their quest to become state champions. The shore is well represented with 3 programs earning top seeds; Middletown South(CJ3), Asbury Park(CJ1) and Matawan(CJ2). Mid. South’s road to the finals may include #4 seed, Neptune, in round 2. Ocean(#3) is in the bottom bracket in this group, and has lost 2 of their last 3 going in. Asbury draws Shore Reg. in a rematch of a week 1 game won by AP, 13-10. The very tough South Jersey Group 4 will have 2 shore powers in TR East(#3) and TR North(#5). The good thing about their seeds is that, if they win, East and North will not meet until the finals.
The rampaging Lacey Lions, winners of 6 in a row, with 5 shutouts, received a #3 seed and have an excellent chance of getting to the finals. Hammonton is the #1 seed here. Brick Memorial, the defending CJ4 champ, won a big game on Friday night(37-34 vs. East Brunswick), to qualify as a #6 seed, and will have to win on the road, if they are to get their 3rd championship. To me, Howell(#2) is the team to beat in that section and with wins by them and BM, they would meet in the semi’s. Middletown North(#8) will also compete in this Group. Manasquan(#3), draws a shore opponent in Keyport. This will not be easy for the defending CJ2 champs, as they would probably get Rumson in round 2 if they escape Keyport.
This Group also has Matawan(#1), Raritan(#5), Long Branch(#4) and Rumson(#2) in it. Bet the house, that a shore school will win this section. RBC(#8) will get the #1 team in the state(Don Bosco), in the 1st round of Non-Public 4.
If I had to make some picks here in the 1st round, I would say there are 6 possible winners out there to take home the trophy on the weekend of Dec.4,5,6. More than likely, 3 or 4 will be celebrating. Let’s see how week 1 plays out, and next week I’ll tell you who will survive the 3 rounds.
A quick review of week 9:
The undefeated! Middletown South(8-0) and Rumson(8-0) had byes and were able to rest up for the States. TR East(8-0) easily defeated Old Bridge by a 41-21 score, as Nico Steriti continues to have a huge year, with 4 more TDs. By the way, the Raiders lead the shore in points scored with 283, that’s 35 points per game. Enough said!
Manasquan was knocked from the unbeaten ranks by Long Branch by a 21-14 score. Unfortunately, the story of this game was not who played well, but who did not play for the Blue Warriors. Manasquan sat 8 key players, due to breaking of team rules. Some of those who did not play were; C.J. Davis(starting QB), Neal Sterling(Receiver and DB), Dan Sullivan(DE), Ryan Dullea(Center), Kevin Callahan(Receiver/DB).
I am not taking anything away from Long Branch’s victory, but obviously these players could have made a difference. I credit head coach Pete Cahill for the fortitude to make this tough decision. All are expected to play this week. Long Branch also had to deal with problems of their own. QB Miles Schuler missed most of the week of practice, as he attended the funeral of his grandmom in California. Also Billy George, did not practice all week with a badly bruised bone in his knee. Both players played Friday night and Schuler was the difference, as he ran for 195 yards, including a 84 yard TD run, and passed for 116 yards including a TD of 55 yards to Ezra Kelly.
Head Coach Pete Cahill, said it best; “Miles is a legitimate Division 1 kid. He’s the second fastest kid in New Jersey”.
1 loss teams!
TR North had to sweat a little vs. Jackson, but a 4th quarter rally earned them a 17-7 victory. North’s defense, co-ordinater by Dave Oizerowitz, continues to play lights out. They have given up only 21 points all year, and as the old saying goes, DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. It won’t be easy for the Mariners in SJ4, with the likes of Cherokee(possible 2nd round opponent) and cross town rival TR East, but the Mariners have been there before and know what it takes to win the whole thing.
By the way, don’t forget, the Raiders and Mariners have a date on Thanksgiving. Could they play 2 weeks in a row? Howell had an easy tune-up with Southern(37-19), as Jimmy Ryan threw for 387 yards and 4TDs. With the summer weather we are experiencing, the Rebels just may go a long way in CJ 4. Matawan ran for 399 yards as they rolled over Bishop Ahr 52-29. They got them the #1 seed in CJ 2. The Huskies are hot at the right time of the year. Manasquan and Asbury Park are the other 1 loss teams and they were mentioned up top.
How about Mon Don’s game! They put 73 points on the board against Metuchen, who by the way scored 45 on their own. QB Kevin Carter had himself a career day running for 210 yards and passing for 141 more yards. Carter ran for 5 TDs and threw for another. All in all the 2 squads combined for 1,101 yards of offense with 713 in the first half and 31 first downs. Yes, the defensive co-ordinators, missed the bus for this one! The scoreboard ground crew was last seen putting new lights in the board, as some blew out after this one.
Let’s give Calvin Thompson and his Point Pleasant Boro Panthers some credit. They opened the season with 4 straight losses, included in that streak was a 7 point loss, a 3 point loss and another 7 point loss. Very easily they could have packed it in at that point. Now they stand at 3-5, with 2 winnable games left, they could finish at 5-5. That would be quite an accomplishment for the Panthers. Nice job keeping them together.
Top Ten-week of Nov. 9th.
1-Middletown South(8-0) #1 seed in CJ3. Looking for another championship to put in their trophy case.
2-TR East(8-0) #3 seed in SJ 4. The Raiders are looking for their 1st State championship in school history. This is a tough group, but I believe the Raiders are ready to take the next step.
3-Howell(7-1) #2 seed in CJ 4. Open against Montgomery who is 5-4 on the season.
4-TR North(7-1) Great defense, must be tough on the road in playoffs. #5 seed in SJ 4.
5-Matawan(7-1) Only loss to RBC. The Huskies are for real. #1 seed in CJ 1.
6-Rumson(8-0) They have answered all comers. Now they begin their second season. #2 seed in CJ 2.
7-Lacey(6-2) Hottest team in shore right now. 6 straight wins and 5 shutouts in a row. #3 seed in SJ 3.
8-Manasquan(7-1) Perfect season over with loss to Long Branch last week. Sometimes losses are good, we shall see.
9-Long Branch(6-2) I know they just beat the team up above, but they have 2 losses to Ocean and Matawan. They are battle tested, with most of their games close and that will aid them down the line.
10-Asbury Park(7-1) Looking for 3 in a row in CJ 1. They are top seed and that will get them 2 home games and maybe 3 depending on where they play for the championship.
Just missed: RBC(5-3), Ocean(6-2), Raritan(6-2), Keyport(6-2), Wall(6-2)and Neptune(6-2)
The Shore Sports Network will broadcast the Washington Twp. at TR East 1st round game Friday night at 7pm at the home of the Raiders. Also join us on Thursday night for 2 hours of high school football talk at Boston’s in Toms River. We are on from 6-8pm every Thursday, except Thanksgiving week. Coaches, players, reporters and MU Head Coach Kevin Callahan join us every week. If you can’t come down, tune us in on 1160am or 1310am or on line at shoresportsnetwork.com.
Let the playoffs begin.
No fewer than 18 schools will begin their quest to become state champions. The shore is well represented with 3 programs earning top seeds; Middletown South(CJ3), Asbury Park(CJ1) and Matawan(CJ2). Mid. South’s road to the finals may include #4 seed, Neptune, in round 2. Ocean(#3) is in the bottom bracket in this group, and has lost 2 of their last 3 going in. Asbury draws Shore Reg. in a rematch of a week 1 game won by AP, 13-10. The very tough South Jersey Group 4 will have 2 shore powers in TR East(#3) and TR North(#5). The good thing about their seeds is that, if they win, East and North will not meet until the finals.
The rampaging Lacey Lions, winners of 6 in a row, with 5 shutouts, received a #3 seed and have an excellent chance of getting to the finals. Hammonton is the #1 seed here. Brick Memorial, the defending CJ4 champ, won a big game on Friday night(37-34 vs. East Brunswick), to qualify as a #6 seed, and will have to win on the road, if they are to get their 3rd championship. To me, Howell(#2) is the team to beat in that section and with wins by them and BM, they would meet in the semi’s. Middletown North(#8) will also compete in this Group. Manasquan(#3), draws a shore opponent in Keyport. This will not be easy for the defending CJ2 champs, as they would probably get Rumson in round 2 if they escape Keyport.
This Group also has Matawan(#1), Raritan(#5), Long Branch(#4) and Rumson(#2) in it. Bet the house, that a shore school will win this section. RBC(#8) will get the #1 team in the state(Don Bosco), in the 1st round of Non-Public 4.
If I had to make some picks here in the 1st round, I would say there are 6 possible winners out there to take home the trophy on the weekend of Dec.4,5,6. More than likely, 3 or 4 will be celebrating. Let’s see how week 1 plays out, and next week I’ll tell you who will survive the 3 rounds.
A quick review of week 9:
The undefeated! Middletown South(8-0) and Rumson(8-0) had byes and were able to rest up for the States. TR East(8-0) easily defeated Old Bridge by a 41-21 score, as Nico Steriti continues to have a huge year, with 4 more TDs. By the way, the Raiders lead the shore in points scored with 283, that’s 35 points per game. Enough said!
Manasquan was knocked from the unbeaten ranks by Long Branch by a 21-14 score. Unfortunately, the story of this game was not who played well, but who did not play for the Blue Warriors. Manasquan sat 8 key players, due to breaking of team rules. Some of those who did not play were; C.J. Davis(starting QB), Neal Sterling(Receiver and DB), Dan Sullivan(DE), Ryan Dullea(Center), Kevin Callahan(Receiver/DB).
I am not taking anything away from Long Branch’s victory, but obviously these players could have made a difference. I credit head coach Pete Cahill for the fortitude to make this tough decision. All are expected to play this week. Long Branch also had to deal with problems of their own. QB Miles Schuler missed most of the week of practice, as he attended the funeral of his grandmom in California. Also Billy George, did not practice all week with a badly bruised bone in his knee. Both players played Friday night and Schuler was the difference, as he ran for 195 yards, including a 84 yard TD run, and passed for 116 yards including a TD of 55 yards to Ezra Kelly.
Head Coach Pete Cahill, said it best; “Miles is a legitimate Division 1 kid. He’s the second fastest kid in New Jersey”.
1 loss teams!
TR North had to sweat a little vs. Jackson, but a 4th quarter rally earned them a 17-7 victory. North’s defense, co-ordinater by Dave Oizerowitz, continues to play lights out. They have given up only 21 points all year, and as the old saying goes, DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. It won’t be easy for the Mariners in SJ4, with the likes of Cherokee(possible 2nd round opponent) and cross town rival TR East, but the Mariners have been there before and know what it takes to win the whole thing.
By the way, don’t forget, the Raiders and Mariners have a date on Thanksgiving. Could they play 2 weeks in a row? Howell had an easy tune-up with Southern(37-19), as Jimmy Ryan threw for 387 yards and 4TDs. With the summer weather we are experiencing, the Rebels just may go a long way in CJ 4. Matawan ran for 399 yards as they rolled over Bishop Ahr 52-29. They got them the #1 seed in CJ 2. The Huskies are hot at the right time of the year. Manasquan and Asbury Park are the other 1 loss teams and they were mentioned up top.
How about Mon Don’s game! They put 73 points on the board against Metuchen, who by the way scored 45 on their own. QB Kevin Carter had himself a career day running for 210 yards and passing for 141 more yards. Carter ran for 5 TDs and threw for another. All in all the 2 squads combined for 1,101 yards of offense with 713 in the first half and 31 first downs. Yes, the defensive co-ordinators, missed the bus for this one! The scoreboard ground crew was last seen putting new lights in the board, as some blew out after this one.
Let’s give Calvin Thompson and his Point Pleasant Boro Panthers some credit. They opened the season with 4 straight losses, included in that streak was a 7 point loss, a 3 point loss and another 7 point loss. Very easily they could have packed it in at that point. Now they stand at 3-5, with 2 winnable games left, they could finish at 5-5. That would be quite an accomplishment for the Panthers. Nice job keeping them together.
Top Ten-week of Nov. 9th.
1-Middletown South(8-0) #1 seed in CJ3. Looking for another championship to put in their trophy case.
2-TR East(8-0) #3 seed in SJ 4. The Raiders are looking for their 1st State championship in school history. This is a tough group, but I believe the Raiders are ready to take the next step.
3-Howell(7-1) #2 seed in CJ 4. Open against Montgomery who is 5-4 on the season.
4-TR North(7-1) Great defense, must be tough on the road in playoffs. #5 seed in SJ 4.
5-Matawan(7-1) Only loss to RBC. The Huskies are for real. #1 seed in CJ 1.
6-Rumson(8-0) They have answered all comers. Now they begin their second season. #2 seed in CJ 2.
7-Lacey(6-2) Hottest team in shore right now. 6 straight wins and 5 shutouts in a row. #3 seed in SJ 3.
8-Manasquan(7-1) Perfect season over with loss to Long Branch last week. Sometimes losses are good, we shall see.
9-Long Branch(6-2) I know they just beat the team up above, but they have 2 losses to Ocean and Matawan. They are battle tested, with most of their games close and that will aid them down the line.
10-Asbury Park(7-1) Looking for 3 in a row in CJ 1. They are top seed and that will get them 2 home games and maybe 3 depending on where they play for the championship.
Just missed: RBC(5-3), Ocean(6-2), Raritan(6-2), Keyport(6-2), Wall(6-2)and Neptune(6-2)
The Shore Sports Network will broadcast the Washington Twp. at TR East 1st round game Friday night at 7pm at the home of the Raiders. Also join us on Thursday night for 2 hours of high school football talk at Boston’s in Toms River. We are on from 6-8pm every Thursday, except Thanksgiving week. Coaches, players, reporters and MU Head Coach Kevin Callahan join us every week. If you can’t come down, tune us in on 1160am or 1310am or on line at shoresportsnetwork.com.
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