November 25 2014 Volume-VI Issue-21

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Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholasticsports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlightclips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

”Is this going to be on ”

Shore Sports Network Website Featuresn Get Video Highlights of all the important games

that Shore Conference fans will be talking about.n Catch up on the action you might have missedn Watch video clips of everything from the

action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes.

n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year

n Follow us on Twitter (over 16,000 followers) and Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news

n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

The f irs t thing fans, players , coaches and parents want to know after the big game is always,

S t e v e M e y e rShore Sports NetworkDirector High School Divisions t e v e .m ey e r@ t o wn s q u a r em e d i a . c om7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

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Sen ior Content Prov idersMattManley // Mmanley21@gmail.comBobBadders // Badders@allshoremedia.com

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Do You Know The #1 Cause ofFatal Car Crashes?It turns out what New Jersey drivers aren’t doing on the roads isactually the most dangerous behavior. According to the NewJersey State Police, the top contributing factor to fatalaccidents in our state isDRIVER INATTENTION.

WHAT WAS THAT?That’s right — driving distractions, such as

talking on the phone, reading a text orgetting something out of the back seat,are the leading cause of fatalities inour state and around the country.

Did you know that sending orreceiving a text, which is one ofthe most serious forms of visualdistraction, takes a driver’s eyesoff the road for an average of 4.6seconds, according to theVirginia Tech TransportationInstitute? At 55 miles per hour,that’s equal to driving the lengthof an entire football field with youreyes closed.

No wonder distracted driving hasbecome the number one factor in road accidents in New Jersey since 2008. According to the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration, 80% of accidents and 16% of highway deaths are the result ofdistracted drivers.

DO YOU HEAR ME NOW?To better understand the behavior of New Jersey drivers, Plymouth Rock Assurance, one of the largest

car insurance groups in the state, commissioned a series of studies over the past two years. What wasrevealed was the need for increased awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. Key findings includethese jarring statistics:

• Nearly 60% of drivers polled witnessed other drivers texting with passengers in the car

• 26% admitted to texting while driving

• Of those who said they text behind the wheel, over 50% confessed to texting while driving atleast weekly over the past six months

WHAT CAN BE DONE?Creating awareness to this issue is a critical factor to reducing accidents and fatalities. While there

is still much work to be done, Plymouth Rock’s studies demonstrate that focus does make adifference:

• Approximately 50% of passengers polled asked a driver to stop texting while the car was inmotion

• Nearly 33% attempted to alert the driver in another vehicle to stop texting

• The number of drivers who now park their car before texting has doubled from 27% in 2013 to55% in 2014

WHAT CAN YOU DO PERSONALLY?There are three easy and immediate actions you can take to reduce driving distractions:

1. Make a Pledge. Join over 32,000 fellow New Jersey drivers who have committed to stay focused onthe road 100% of the time they are behind the wheel. By taking the Pledge Against Distracted Driving,you agree to refrain from cell phone usage, texting and any other activities that divert your attention.It’s easy and takes less than two minutes at FightDistractedDriving.com. This important effort has

earned participants and Plymouth Rock a Guinness World Records® title for Most Pledges to a SafetyCampaign. Join the fight and encourage others to do so too.

2. Lead by Example. Let your family know that while they are on the road, no phone call or email is moreimportant than their safety. To prove this point, defer any contact with friends and

family who you know are on the road until they’ve arrived safely at theirdestination.

3. Set Rules and “Zones.” After talking on the phone and texting, theleading cause of driver distraction is other passengers. Reaching towardthe back seat, turning to talk, checking on kids or pets in the rearviewmirror ... anything that takes your focus and attention away from theroad can be a dangerous distraction. Establish rules and “zones” tokeep everyone safe. For instance, put children in the “kid zone,” theset of seats directly behind the driver. Equip the zone with everythingthey’ll need — juice boxes, books, remotes — in easy-to-accesspockets. This way, the driver never needs to turn his or her head tolook for something out of reach. Keep pets safely in car carriers orcrates in the “pet zone” in the rear of the car.

ABOUT

Located in New Jersey and proudly serving Jersey drivers,Plymouth Rock is leading the charge against distracted driving to

make our roads a safer place. To learn more or request a car insurancequote, please call 844-430-ROCK.

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FOR ADVERTIS ING INFORMATIONContact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

The final Team of the Week for 2014is Jackson Memorial, which endedRed Bank Catholic’s 40-game winningstreak against Shore Conferencecompetition by winning a 33-27overtime thriller in a nondivisionalgame to stamp themselves as the newNo. 1 team in the Shore. The Jaguarswere given a special game ball andtreated to free Jersey Mike’s subsafter practice on Tuesday.

Sophomore running back MikeGawlik rolled up 149 yards and threetouchdowns, including the game-winning 18-yard touchdown inovertime, as part of a 258-yardrushing night for the Jaguars. Theoffensive line of senior center RyanFrasier, senior right guard GlennKipila, senior left tackle Brad

Greenway, senior left guard TylerRauch and junior right tackle DylanSmith, along with senior fullback ColeCollins and senior tight end BrodyGraham, led the way up front.

Defensively, senior linebacker ZachTetro had 16 tackles, including two fora loss, junior Kyle Johnson had aninterception that set up a field goal,and Gawlik recovered a fumble thatled to another score. Collins added 14tackles and a sack, and Graham,Greenway and junior Tyler Townseach registered a sack. On specialteams, junior Jared Calhoun bootedcrucial field goals of 34 and 35 yardsin the win, and senior MattCastronuova had a key kickoff returnthat set up another touchdown.

Head coach Walt Krystopik and Jackson Memorial received a special game ball from JerseyMike’s Area Director Chad Tirpack as well as free subs from Jersey Mike’s for their huge win

over previously unbeaten Red Bank Catholic.

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New For This SeasonIn conjunction with Shore Sports Network, Jersey Mike’s willhonor one team a week that showed the character,perseverance and hard work emblematic of The Jersey Mike’sCompany during its performance that weekend. A Jersey Mike’sGame Ball and free subs will be presented to that team duringpractice that week in honor of a great showing.

Week 9 11/7/14

Jackson Memorial - 33Red Bank Catholic - 27 (ot)

Week 2 9/19/14

Central - 21Barnegat - 15

Week-1 9/12/14

Neptune - 30Ocean - 27

Week 3 9/26/14

TR North - 44TR South - 34

Week-5 10/3/14

Wall - 28Brick - 27 (2OT)

Week 7 10/24/14

RBC - 35Manalapan - 7

Week 8 10/31/14

Shore - 17Pt. Beach - 0

Week 4 10/3/14

SJV - 35RFH - 28

Thr 11/27 Wall at Manasquan (11am)NJSIAA Playoffs

Thr 12/6 Middletown South at Jackson Memorial (7pm)Rutgers University

All games to be broadcast on News Talk Radio andstreamed live at www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Week 6 10/10/14

Manalapan - 21Midd. South - 3

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After two straight years of having to hear abouthow it didn’t measure up to North Jersey powerSt. Joseph’s-Montvale, second-seeded Red BankCatholic released all its frustration in anexhilarating blast with a stunning 44-14 rout ofthe three-time defending Non-Public Group IIIchampions at Count Basie Field.

“In June, when we had our meeting, we all wrote down on a sheetthat we wanted to win a state championship,” Caseys senior runningback Tommy Spernal said. “That’s everyone’s goal. This game, it’s ahuge win for us. But the goal is in two weeks.”

Making its first state final appearance since 1980, Red BankCatholic (10-1) will face top-seeded Delbarton at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7at MetLife Stadium in search of its first state title since 1976. Fridaynight’s win gave them a school-record 10 victories for the fourthstraight season, and they can become the first 11-win team in RBChistory by taking home a victory in two weeks.

First they had to vanquish a St. Joe’s program that has won 17state titles in its history and had been a cut above the Caseys the lasttwo years. Much of the talk was about RBC closing the gap, and theCaseys more than did that in handing the Green Knights their mostlop-sided loss to a New Jersey team since a 41-0 setback to DonBosco Prep in 2011.

“We always say, ‘We don’t carry a burden from other teams, wecarry their strength,’” Red Bank Catholic coach Jim Portela said.

“And the school was buzzingtoday…there was an energy aboutour kids and our school today.”

Despite the lop-sided final score,the win did not come easy for theCaseys, who battled from behindthroughout the first half. St. Joseph’squarterback Jack Walsh ran for onetouchdown and threw for another – a65-yard bomb to J.T. Giles-Harrisone play after Red Bank Catholichad tied the game – to lead his team.

n fact, the Green Knights (7-3)tallied 168 yards on 17 plays overtheir first three drives. Save for afumble deep in Red Bank Catholicterritory on the first possession, theylooked to be unstoppable. But unlikethe past two years, when the Caseyswere unable to move the ball in thesemifinals and bowed out to theGreen Knights by scores of 48-7 and 28-7, this time there was aresponse.

Junior quarterback Eddie Hahn evaded pressure, rolled to his leftand lobbed a perfect pass into the stride of Trevor Cowley to tie thegame at 14 with a 30-yard touchdown pass with 6:59 beforehalftime. From that point forward, it was all Red Bank Catholic,which ended the night with 324 total yards, including 278 on the

ground.

“It was a matter of getting used to the speed at which they playat,” Portela said. “They were running the ball very effectively thefirst two drives. The kids got used to the speed of the game and thephysicality. You’re going against big, strong kids. As hard as we goin practice, we try to get our best on our best and our scouts do agreat job, but they’re not like St. Joseph’s.”

RBC Roars to Its First State Final Since 1980By Matt Stypulkoski – Shore Sports Network contributor

Senior RB Nick Cella

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Once they settled in, the Caseys assertedthemselves and controlled the game, especiallydefensively.

Red Bank Catholic was the first team from NewJersey to keep St. Joseph’s under 20 points in agame this season – the only other opponent tomanage the feat was Good Counsel (Md.). TheCaseys allowed just 29 yards on 15 plays after thehalftime break, refusing to allow the GreenKnights to get in a rhythm.

“It’s priceless, coming out, playing like we did,”Hahn said. “It was 14-14 at halftime and it ended44-14. We shut them out in the second, third andfourth quarters.

“Coach Portela preached that we would playchampionship defense and that’s what we didtonight. I mean, they moved the ball on us, they’rea great football team, but we were the better teamtonight and the feeling right now is priceless.”

ith Hahn at the helm, the Red Bank Catholicoffense hit its stride in the game’s final 24minutes.

Senior Nick Cella kicked things off with a 54-yard touchdown run two minutes into the thirdquarter. Hahn then tacked on a four-yard

touchdown pass to senior wideout Nick Lubischerto extend the lead. Senior tailback Mike Cordovaadded a 21-yard score before Spernal, whofinished the night with 169 yards and twotouchdowns on 20 carries, capped the scoring witha four-yard touchdown run.

The Caseys also benefited from a safety early inthe fourth quarter when the snap on a St. Joseph’spunt cleared the back of the end zone.

In Hahn’s mind, the offensive success – and 173second-half rushing yards – had everything to dowith his offensive line.

“They’re incredible,” Hahn said. “From the firstgame of the season to this game, they’ve beenincredible every week. They work hard in theweight room, they work hard at practice. They’rethe hardest working people on the team and I feelthey just pushed around St. Joe’s defensive lineand Tommy found the holes.”

As a result, the Caseys will have a chance toplay for the school’s first football statechampionship in 38 years.

“This was a huge game,” Spernal said. “But Ican’t wait to go to MetLife.”

P h o t o b y :

Mark Brownwww.b51photography.com

Video H igh l i ghts by :

Matt Stypulkoskiwww.shoresportsnetwork.com

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As the fall competitive season winds down,I can’t help but get excited for the workahead of us this winter. As playoffs finish upand athletes prepare for their next step, Iknow it’s time to start from the ground up andbuild a foundation necessary for success.Whether they are upcoming spring athletesor simply preparing for next football season,the quest for ultimate preparation begins.

But beyond the search for “bigger numbers and fastertimes”, what do our athletes really need this off-season?

While we'll do everything in our power to physicallyprepare our athletes for their return to their, much of ourtime is spent at the beginning of the off-season healingwounds of self-doubt and lack of confidence, often theresult of fellow coaches and teammates failing toremember the power of their words. Some of our athleteswill come back defeated, struggling to accept that fact thatthe coaches didn’t mean what they said this past season.They'll sit in our office, frustrated due to lack ofacknowledgment, injury or the false promise of playingtime. It's up to us to change their outlook, help themthrough this difficult time and to continue to move forwardtowards self-satisfaction and peace.

It's during this time, before or after training, we begin toexplore what it is that makes them so unhappy. They beginto tell us of the punishment runs or verbal abuse, headgames and the ever reaching but always coming up shortdesire to please their coaches.

Did you ever have a coach that no matter what you did,nothing seemed to work? Maybe you got off on the wrongfoot or just didn't perform up to THEIR standards at onepoint?

Unfortunately, this happens a lot more than we think.First year college athlete transfer rates on the rise.Practices are being videoed and then exploited on themedia and team meetings are being secretly recorded.Something has gone wrong! Athletes are no longer trustingthe methods and motivational tactics that their coaches areusing. Not all of these athletes are right, but unfortunately,a lot are.

Many of these coaches are referred to as what CoachJoe Ehrmann, author of “Inside Out Coaching”, calls“transactional coaches.” They are often associated withthe “what can you do for me mindset” and display alaundry list of negative and poison producing behaviorsaround their athletes. These coaches are the ones whoseem just interested in the end result of their team's effortson the scoreboard or the sweet bowl bonus at the end ofthe year. They get their team to “buy-in”, make them giveeverything they've got, only to take the next job as soon asit's available.

They're the ones who put their personal needs first andthe needs of their team second. They're looking for thequick fix, the easy way out, the “do just enough”mentality. Transactional coaches use the power of theirplatform to validate their personal needs for status andidentity.

Are transactional coaches bad people? I don't think so.Coaching can bring out the best in a person or the worst,and sometimes, both at the same time. As a coach, we areexpected to do everything it takes to win. We are expectedto get results. Unfortunately, the results and the “wins”are measured on the playing field, and not in life. Take aminute and look at yourself.

Is coaching bringing out the best or worst in you? Areyou following the vicious cycle of ream, recover andrepeat?

Below are different coaching personalities to watch outfor as you analyze your coaching style. Are you any ofthese? Do you exhibit some of these traits from time totime? Or can you find some parallels between your child’scoaches and these very same examples?

THE DICTATOR: My Way or the Highway

You don't like it? TOO BAD.

• The Dictator allows no bend or slack in his/her ruling.There are no maybe’s, possibly’s or what if’s when itcomes to communication. If you don’t like it, too bad.Go somewhere else. Talk to someone who really cares…

• The Dictator fails to individualize and empathize

situations based off the person. They treat everyoneequally, not fairly.

• The athlete is never right. It’s always his/her fault.

THE BULLY: I Dare YouTry me. Go ahead. Pull that again andwatch what happens…

• The Bully instills fear and doubt into his/her athletes byassuming dominance in every aspect of coaching.Physical and mental abuse may be noted.

• Shouting, cursing and the occasional “you disgust me”or “you will never play here” can be heard once inawhile.

• The Bully manipulates minds. He/she comes across ascaring at first only to slice and dice your confidencewhen the opportunity presents itself.

THE NARCISSIST: It’s About Me, Not ThemI was responsible for that championship. I keptthe team healthy. I am really the MVP… • The Narcissist craves the center stage. He/she takes

every opportunity to put a new highlight video on theInternet; brag about his/her program to the media andgloat about how nice the facility is, to everyone.

• The Narcissist uses personal matters that athletesconfided in them to exploit and get what they want.

• The Narcissist is so preoccupied by thy self that he/sheis blind to what is really going on.

THE SAINT: I’ll Fix ThatNobody else cares. Someone has to do it. • The Saint feels he/she must save the world throughout

the role of coaching. Everyone can be changed for thebetter. There are no lost souls.

• The Saint excessively empathizes with players, makingsure no matter what happens, the players like them(Player’s Coach).

• The Saint often rescues players from tough situationsinstead of teaching them how to solve problems on theirown.

THE MISFIT: I’m Supposed to Be HereJust call me Coach. • The Misfit needs to be a part of a team. He/she feels lost

without belonging to something, even if it’s somethingthey know nothing about.

• The Misfit acts out when challenged by players due toembarrassment and lack of knowledge.

• The Misfit painfully tries to satisfy a personal desire tobe liked and respected by others

Unfortunately, we cannot always attribute onepersonality of coaching to only one coach. Moreappropriately, we are faced with battling a variety ofdifferent coaching styles that seem to peek their ugly headsthrough challenging times. And I’ll be the first one to tellyou that I have had every single one of these coachingstyles pop up over my career, some more than others, allbefore I figured out who I really was and needed to be.

• When I started coaching as a graduate assistant strengthand conditioning coach, I felt I needed to prove mydominance and prove to my teams that I meant businessand there were no if’s, and’s or but’s about it. I threwkids out of the weight room, gave cold shoulders andignored pleas for extra help (Dictator).

• When I had to fill in for my boss and took over teamsessions occasionally, I acted out my “alpha-male”. Ithreatened, I lied, and I tried to be someone I wasn’t(Bully).

• When a player of mine received extensive post-seasonaccolades or accepted an offer to play at a prestigiousinstitution, I looked to validate that I was responsiblefor that and it couldn’t of been done without me(Narcissist).

• When I became a head coach for a program thatstruggled to build a culture of winning, I immediatelyfelt a compassion for the players and wanted to makesure they liked me. I figured, “if they liked me, whywouldn’t they respect me?” (Saint).

• When I entered what some may call the highest echelonof coaching in the NFL, I made myself believe that Ineeded to be there and tried desperately to fit in, only tocause strain on my personal health (Misfit).

Looking back, I realized that I wasn't just acting outvarious personalities; I was modeling the very samebehaviors of those who impacted me along my owndevelopment as a coach. Every situation I thought of, Icould point to a specific colleague, a coach, a “role model”and trace back my roots to why I was acting the way I was.Who would've thought an alcoholic little league coach orformer lifting partner could have such an effect on mycoaching style and demeanor today?

As Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich”says, “Think twice before you speak, because your wordsand influence will plant the seed of either success orfailure in the mind of another.” As a new parent, I'vecertainly taken a new view on what, when, how and whothings are said around. We have no idea what the peoplewe care about most will pick up and plant for later.

In my next article, I'll explore the positive platform oftransformational, not transactional coaching, and its role indeveloping and empowering the athletes of today to shapeand mold the coaches of tomorrow.

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Transactional Coaching TakingMore Than You ThinkBy Adam Feit - Director of Sports Performance (RYPT)

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Amid the postgame celebration, Holmdel seniorgoalkeeper Helen Burleigh did not put down the gameball from her team’s NJSIAA Group II championshipwin against perennial power Ramapo on Saturday atKean University. As tight as her clutch was on the ballafter the game, it paled in comparison to her nose for itduring the biggest match in the history of the Hornetsprogram.

Burleigh made five critical saves and the Holmdel defensemade a 16th-minute direct kick goal by junior Gabby Bair standup as the Hornets knocked off the 12-time Group championRaiders, 1-0, to capture the Group II championship, the first inthe history of Holmdel girls soccer.

“It’s great, this is amazing,” Burleigh said. “I’m glad it’s over,but I’m even more glad that we won. We worked really hard toget to this point, and it’s a great feeling to win it.”

The five Burleigh saves, combined with the defensive effort,helped the Hornets overcome a 9-5 disadvantage in shots and aRamapo pressure-possession combination that asserted itself formore than three quarters of the game.

“Our defenders in the back have been solid all year, and Helen– oh my God,” Holmdel coach Jennifer Conroy said, referencingher four-year starter in goal. “I knew they were going to putpressure on and float balls into the box, and I was okay with thatbecause I knew Helen would get to all of them. That’s just howshe is back there.”

The Hornets had the option to play defensive because of aperfect strike by Bair in the 16th minute, the 27th goal of herjunior season and 12th during this tournament. With Ramapobeginning to seize control of the game, the Hornets counteredand earned a foul on the left side of the field, 25 yards away fromthe goal. With a slight wind at her back for the ensuring directkick, Bair tucked a shot just under the crossbar, inside the farright post and out of the reach of Ramapo goalkeeper LizzyStellakis for the game’s only score.

“It was close enough for me to shoot it, and I knew I had togo to the far post because of their wall,” Bair said. “Honestly, Ithought she was going to save it or it would hit the post, but onceI saw it go over her head, I knew it was in. It was a great feeling.”

From the moment Ramapo kicked off following Bair’s goal inthe 16th minute, the Raiders controlled the pace of play and heldthe ball in Holmdel’s end for the vast majority of the remaining63:54 of game time. Holmdel played the game with threedefenders in the back of the formation, anchored by junior CaseyMatthijs in the center.

While the defense stayed in front of the Raiders attack,Burleigh did her part by making one key stop in the first half andthree after halftime. She came out to smother a shot in the 47thminute to thwart a one-on-one chance for Ramapo and latermade a lunging save to her lower right to deny a shot in the 65th– her two most acrobatic saves.

“She’s phenomenal,” Bair said of Burleigh. “She works sohard, she’s a great captain and she helps us through everything.Whenever our shoulders are slumped, whenever we’re down,she’s the one who lifts us up. She’s an amazing keeper and aneven better leader.”

“It was tough, but this is what I train for,” Burleigh said.“We’ve done a lot of training, trying to prepare for games likethis when the pressure is on. We were able to handle it becausewe were well-trained.”

Matthijs also saved Burleigh from having to handle a one-on-one chance when she recovered to knock the ball out of boundsafter Ramapo broke open a free run at the goal in the 71st.

Holmdel junior forward Hannah Lee – who scored the game-winning overtime goal to beat Sterling in the Group semifinalson Wednesday – nearly gave Holmdel an insurance goal threeseparate times. She hit a breakaway shot on frame in the 35thminute that was saved by Stellakis, then had two more chancesat an open net in the second half.

The first of the two second-half chances was a contested shot

from 35 yards away that Ramapo’sdefense recovered to clear, while thesecond shot rolled just wide of the farleft post in the 73rd minute.

Holmdel’s first statechampionship in its first Group finalappearance capped a postseason runthat began during the ShoreConference Tournament and carriedinto the Group II playoffs. Betweenthe two tournaments, the Hornetswent 8-1 with the lone loss coming atby a score of 2-1 against Wall in theSCT quarterfinals. Wall went on towin the SCT and also reached theCentral Jersey Group III championship game.

Of Holmdel’s eight postseason wins – six of which cameduring the NJSIAA Tournament – six were decided by a one-goal margin. Prior to Lee’s game-winner to beat Sterling onWednesday, Bair scored a 52nd-minute goal to down GovernorLivingston on the road in the Central Jersey Group II final, 2-1.The Hornets also opened their Group II run with a 2-1 win overMatawan, which they won thanks to a late goal by Bair to breaka 1-1 tie.

Bair also led the two blowout wins during the run, scoringfour goals in a 6-0 victory over A.L. Johnson in the sectionalquarterfinals and five in a 7-1 drubbing of Bordentown in thefollowing round.

“We started the season 10-0 and then lost four games, and atthat point, it seemed like it was going to be tough to bounceback,” Bair said. “Then, we beat Ocean in the Shore ConferenceTournament and things just kind of took off from there. We wontwo games, 6-0 and 7-1, against two good teams, and we’ve beenplaying great ever since.”

Fittingly enough, the Hornets’ first Group championshipseason ended with a win over the program with more state titles

than any other public school program in the state.“You hear from a lot of your friends when you go to the state

final and mine were telling me the same thing: ‘I’ve heardRamapo is really good,’” Conroy said. “I’m just kind of like,‘Believe me, I know.’ I just figured if we could play our game,keep possession a little bit and Helen did her thing, we wouldhave a chance to win.”

Burleigh is one of five seniors who will not be back to defendthe title next season, but only three of them – Burleigh, defenderCassidy Wall and midfielder Danielle Pantaleone – are starters.With 43 goals returning between Bair and Lee and plenty ofexperience around the formation, the Hornets may not have towait long for a second banner to join the one they finally won onSaturday.

“I think this is the beginning of a great two or three yearsfor this team,” Burleigh said. “We have another good goalie in(sophomore) Maddy Milkowski ready to step up and help carrythe team. We have a very good back line coming back, so thedefense will be solid. Hopefully this is just the beginning. Ithink they have a great chance to come back and win statesagain next year.”

Holmdel Knocks off Ramapo for 1st Group TitleBy Matt Manley – Staff Writer

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his could be a historicyear for ShoreConference football in

the state playoffs as there is achance a single-season-recordsix state champions could becrowned as seven teams chaseimmortality at their respectiveprograms. Seven Shore Conference teams have reached

NJSIAA sectional finals across six brackets, and allof them have a legitimate shot to bring homechampionships. Here is a look at each game inadvance of state championship weekend on Dec. 5-7.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP VManalapan (10-1) vs. South Brunswick (10-0),10 a.m. on Dec. 6 at Rutgers University

Manalapan has become the first Shore Conference teamsince Middletown South did it from 2000-06 toreach at least four straight state finals. TheBraves, who dispatched of Old Bridge andHillsborough in the firsttwo rounds, arearguably the onlyShore Conferenceteam that will be anunderdog against anonconferenceteam in this year’sstate finals, asundefeated SouthBrunswick has beenone of the state’s bestteams all year.

Manalapan isseeking its first statetitle in school historyafter losing threestraight finals,including a loss toSouth Brunswick inthe 2012 CentralJersey Group Vchampionship game.

Led by senior tailback Imamu Mayfield,who has run for 1,743 yards and scored aShore Conference-best 30 touchdowns, the Braves’ offense isaveraging 38.7 points per game going into the final. Seniorquarterback Dan Anerella has complemented Mayfield’srunning with 17 touchdown passes and over 1,300 yardspassing.

Senior Kyle Mullen has had a sensational all-around year asa defensive end and tight end, leading the team in tackles andsacks and catching five touchdowns on offense. He is a leaderof a defense that features a stellar linebacking group that alsoincludes Simon Bublis, Carlos Teixiera and Joe Mendez, aswell as a strong secondary led by senior Dan Debner. TheBraves’ defense enters the final allowing 13 points per gameand will face one of its biggest tests of the season against anexplosive South Brunswick unit that is averaging 30 points pergame.

Manalapan also has a major special teams weapon in seniorkicker Mike Caggiano, who became the state’s all-time leaderin points by a kicker with 234 after booting four extra points inthe semifinal win over Hillsborough.

The Braves will have to find a way to contain Syracuse-bound South Brunswick star Dontae Strickland, a 1,000-yardrusher who averages more than 12 yards per carry and is one ofthe fastest players in New Jersey. Strickland and the Vikingsshowed their potential early in the season with a 36-24 winover a Middletown South team that has six shutouts thisseason and has advanced to the Central Jersey Group IV final.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP IVJackson Memorial (10-1) vs. Middletown South (8-2), Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at Rutgers University

No team in the Shore Conferencehas been hotter in the lastmonth than JacksonMemorial, which is rankedNo. 1 in the Shore SportsNetwork Top 10. TheJaguars’ explosiveoffense will face theshutdown defense ofMiddletown South, whichhas tied a school recordwith six shutouts this season.

For the first time in schoolhistory, Jackson Memorial has two1,000-yard rushers in the sameseason, as junior Vinny Lee andsophomore Mike Gawlik haveboth crossed the four-digit mark.

Senior quarterback Joe DeMaio is also a playmaker who excelsin the secondary on defense as well. Senior widereceiver/safety Matt Castronuova is yet another weapon alongwith junior wideout/defensive back Kyle Johnson. The Jaguars’offensive line averages 260 pounds across and is arguably thebest line in the Shore. Junior kicker Jared Calhoun also is ascoring threat who nailed a 40-yard field goal in thesemifinals. It all adds up to an offense that has scored 402points (36.5 ppg), which is one shy of the single-season schoolrecord set by the undefeated 2001 team.

That group will face off against an Eagles’ defense allowing8.1 points per game through the semifinals, led by defensivelinemen Pat Crowe and Dan Servidio and a great group of

linebackers featuring senior SergioGonzalez, junior Dylan Rogers

and sophomore JamesMcCarthy, as well as asecondary anchored bysenior Nolan Pereless.Offensively, the Eaglesare averaging 33 pointsper game led by junior1,000-yard rusher ColeRogers, Dylan’s twin

brother, versatilerunning andreceiving threatSpencer Pereless,and junior

quarterback MattMosquera, who is also

one of the state’s topkickers with 11 field goals

through 10 games.

The Jackson defensethat looks to shut themdown is led by senior

linebacker ZachTetro and

senior

defensiveend Brody

Graham, who isalso a devastatingblocker as a tightend, lead aJackson

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

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Memorial defense allowing 14.2 points per game. The Jaguars’defense, where Gawlik and Johnson are also playmakers in thesecondary, just shut out a Brick team averaging 38 points pergame in a 44-0 wipeout in the semifinals to avenge Jackson’sonly loss of the season.

Jackson Memorial is looking to win its first state title sincegoing undefeated in 2005 and its fourth in school history.Middletown South is appearing in the state finals for a mind-boggling 11th time in the past 14 seasons and a ShoreConference-record 20th time in its history. The Eagles are 0-4in their last four state final appearances, so they will belooking to get over the hump and win their first title since 2006and their 10th in school history.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP IIIMatawan (7-4) vs. Carteret (7-3), 7 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Kean University

A young and talentedMatawan team has cometogether at the righttime to make a run tothe championshipgame after a 3-4start to theseason. TheHuskiesfeature

freshmanquarterback

George Pearson,the nephew of

former DallasCowboys great

Drew Pearson,who has thrownfor 1,755yards and12

touchdowns,which is believedto be a ShoreConference

record for passingyards by afreshman.

With a trio oftalented receivers inShawn Ramcheran,DeJohn Rogers andJustin Ferrara as wellas senior tailbackDevon Spann,Pearson and theHuskies haveplenty ofweapons attheir

disposal.They enterthe finalaveraging 25 points per game, while the defense entersallowing 17 points per game. The junior linebackertandem of Aliem Shaw and Isaiah Phillip and senior

defensive lineman Jake Weber lead the frontseven, while Ramcheran, Rogers and

Ferrara are all standout defensive backsas well. Junior kicker Adam Elliottalso has been huge with seven fieldgoals, including a 26-yarder withnine seconds left that beat Ocean inthe semifinals.

The Huskies, who are in theirfourth final in the past six years and

first since winning Central JerseyGroup II in 2011, face a Carteret teamcoming that upset a Long Branch teamin the semifinals that beat Matawan andCarteret during the regular season. TheRamblers are led by senior quarterbackNelson Baez, who has 1,025 yardspassing and seven touchdowns, and

senior Ra’keem Bennett, a 1,000-yardrusher.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP IIRumson-Fair Haven (8-2) vs.Delaware Valley (7-3), 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 Kean University

The Bulldogs are the only team in the five CentralJersey brackets that has a shot to repeat as thechampion as they seek back-to-back state titles for thefirst time in school history. Rumson is led by Princeton-bound senior running back Charlie Volker, theprogram’s all-time leading rusher, who has missed threegames with an ankle injury this year and still run formore than 1,200 yards. He forms an explosive rushingtandem with sophomore quarterback Mike O’Connor,whose top targets in the passing game are wideoutMurray McHeffey and tight end Kenny Ferrare.

The Terriers run a single-wing offense straight out ofthe 1950s that focuses almost exclusively on the

running game led by junior Corey Shedlock, whohas 1,277 yards and 23 touchdowns. It will be upto a Rumson team led by defensive lineman BenEisenstadt, linebackers Max Pfrang and TuckerBriggs and with Sam Eisenstadt and JacksonReid in the secondary to stuff the run game on a

Bulldogs defense that was allowing 15 points pergame through 10 games and has shown steady

improvement as the season has progressed.

Rumson is gunning for its third state title as it makesits fifth final appearance since 2007 after having only

reached the finals once in its history up to that point. BryanBatchler would become the rare head coach in ShoreConference history to win state titles in each of the first twoseasons of his tenure.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP IShore Regional (9-1) vs. South Hunterdon (8-2), 10 a.m. on Dec. 6 at Kean University.

The Blue Devils have made threestraight state finals for the firsttime in their proud history andare looking to get over thehump after losing twostraight. They are seekingtheir first state title since2010 and feature one ofthe Shore Conference’sstingiest defenses,having allowed aconference-low49 pointsthrough theirfirst 10 games.SeniorlinebackerJames Bedell hasbeen one of the

Magnificent Continued on page 14

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conference’s best with more than 100 tackles as well as threeinterceptions, two of which he has returned for touchdowns.Junior Doug Goldsmith is another standout linebacker who alsois one of the team’s top rushing threats out of the Wing-T atfullback. Senior Mike Moore is another standout two-wayplayer at safety and as the team’s second-leading rusher.

Junior running back Tyreek McCain has come on strongdown the stretch to give Shore a home run threat in the runninggame, as he rolled up 168 yards and two touchdowns on theground in a semifinal win over Middlesex. The Blue Devils ranfor 2,459 yards as a team through 10 games, and it has been ateam effort, with six different backs over 150 yards rushing forthe season, led by Goldsmith with 525 and McCain with 506.Shore also has a talented special teams weapon in seniorkicker/punter Jake Monteiro.

Shore is out to win its sixth state title overall at the expenseof the Eagles, who boast a tough defense of their own withthree shutouts that stifled a potent Palmyra offense in a 28-14win in the semifinals. Senior safety Miles Mosby leads that unitwith over 90 tackles, and senior linebacker Clayton Hope isanother playmaker.

Offensively, South Hunterdon likes to put it in the air behinddual threat quarterback Tyler Frazee, who has over 1,400 yardspassing and also over 800 yards rushing. Senior Brennan Careyis his main target with more than 500 yards receiving.

NON-PUBLIC GROUP III Red Bank Catholic (10-1) vs.Delbarton (9-1), Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at MetLifeStadium, East Rutherford

Red Bank Catholic made the entirestate sit up and take notice when itthrashed three-time defendingchampion St. Joseph’s-Montvale,one of the state’s perennialheavyweights, in the semifinalsto reach its first state final since1980.

The Caseys are out to bring home just their second state titlesince the playoff system began in 1974 and their first since1976. They feature an explosive offense that rolled up 333yards on the ground on St. Joe’s and has already set the schoolrecord for points in a season (498) as the highest-scoring teamin the Shore Conference. Junior dual threat quarterback EddieHahn is one of the Shore’s best and has accumulated 1,735 totalyards and 30 touchdowns between rushing and passing. Therunning game features seniors Mike Cordova and TommySpernal, who have combined for more than 1,300 yards rushingbehind a stellar offensive line that includes junior FBS prospectLiam Smith and Fordham recruit Ryan Kroeger. The receivingcorps is led by seniors Trevor Cowley and Nick Lubischer, who

have combined for 38 catches and 12 touchdowns.

Defensively, the Caseys enter allowing just 9.1points per game and just shut down one of thestate’s best offenses in the St. Joe’s win. Miami-bound senior linebacker Jamie Gordinier, seniorNick LaGrippo and junior Dylan Murphy form aferocious linebacker trio, and seniors Doug Zockolland Dan Wilen get after the quarterback up front.The secondary is also solid with Cordova, Hahnand seniors Mike DeMonte and Nick Lubischer.

They will face a Delbarton team that handed St.John Vianney its only loss of the season in thesemifinals thanks to explosive sophomore talent

Andrew Papantonis, who had 178 yards rushing andfour touchdowns against the Lancers, including one

receiving and one on a 90-yard kickoff return. It will beall about stopping Papantonis and the Green Wave’s runninggame, which is the foundation of their offense.

Magnificent SevenContinued on page 13

P h o t o b y :Doug Bostwick

www.sportshotsw lb .comMark Brown

www.b51photography.comBi l l Normi le

www.billnormile.zenfolio.comLarry Murphy

www.sportsPixNJ.com

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For seven straight weeks Jackson Memorialboiled, waiting for a chance to avenge its onlyloss of the season from an overtime setback toBrick.

In the Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week on Friday night at KellerMemorial Field, the third-seeded Jaguars unleashed that pent-up adrenalineby blasting the second-seeded Green Dragons, 44-0, with a dominantperformance on offense, defense and special teams, to advance to their firstNJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV final since going undefeated in 2005. A30-24 overtime loss to Brick (9-2) in Week Four seemed like a distantmemory as the Jaguars (10-1) outgained the defending Central Jersey GroupIV champs 362-131, forced five turnovers, and shut out an offense thatentered averaging 38.6 points per game.

“The whole entire month-and-a-half we waited,” said junior runningback/safety Mike Gawlik. “We were so happy when we found out we weregoing to play them again.”

Jackson will now face top-seeded Middletown South in the championshipgame at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 at Rutgers University in search of its fourth statetitle in program history. The first order of business was showing that theJaguars, who are ranked No. 1 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, werethe better team after that initial loss to Brick.

“Right after we lost, we wanted revenge,” said junior wide

receiver/defensive back KyleJohnson. “We wanted revengesince Week Four, and we gotit.”

Gawlik ran for 101 yardsand three touchdowns andsenior quarterback/defensiveback Joe DeMaio had anoutstanding all-around gamein going 7-for-10 for 142yards and a touchdownpassing while also registeringan interception and three passbreak-ups on defense.

“I think we’re the best teamin the Shore, and we can scoreon anybody,” DeMaio said.“We’re sky-high right now.”

The Jaguars caught an earlybreak and never looked backin zooming to a 31-0 lead athalftime that Brick was unableto recover from. Jackson wentthree-and-out to start the game, but got new life when a roughing-the-punter penalty extended the drive, one of 13 penalties for 128 yards in thegame for Brick. The Jaguars seized that immediate momentum and polished

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Senior quarterback/DB Joe DeMaio

Jackson Routs Brick toReach CJ Group IV FinalBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Senior LB Cole Collins (left) &junior OL/DL Austin Ostrander

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off a 10-play, 65-yard drive with a two-yardtouchdown run by junior tailback Vinny Lee for a7-0 lead with 6:56 left in the first quarter that wasset up by a 44-yard pass from DeMaio to Johnson.

“We executed everything perfectly from there anddidn’t let up,” Gawlik said.

On the ensuing kickoff, senior Nick Shimonovichrecovered a Brick fumble to put the Jaguars right backin business at the Green Dragons’ 26-yard line. Fourplays later, Gawlik punched it in from four yards outafter a 20-yard run by DeMaio to make it 14-0 with5:26 left in the first quarter.

Brick looked like it was putting together its firstscoring drive on its next possession, but DeMaio dovein front of a short pass for the first of three JacksonMemorial interceptions against Brick senior standoutCarmen Sclafani on the night. Sclafani entered thenight with a combined 2,782 yards and 34 touchdownsbetween rushing and passing. He had only thrown threeinterceptions all season, yet Jackson held him to 54total yards and nearly had as many interceptions (3) ashe had completions (4).

“All week in practice our goal was to stop Sclafani,and that’s what we did tonight,” said Jackson seniorwide receiver/safety Matt Castronuova. “We gotpressure on him all night, and they didn’t know what todo.”

“We watched film every day before practice for anhour and were just really prepared,” Johnson said.

DeMaio’s interception set up a nine-play, 58-yarddrive that culminated with a 7-yard touchdown run byGawlik that pushed the lead to 21-0 with 10:43 left inthe second quarter. Brick came back and drove toJackson’s 36-yard line on its next possession, butGawlik, Castronuova, senior defensive end BrodyGraham and senior linebacker Zach Tetro ganged up tostuff Brick’s Ray Fattaruso for a two-yard loss onfourth-and-1 to kill the drive.

After the teams traded three-and-outs, the Jaguarsballooned the lead to 28-0 when DeMaio unloaded a53-yard bomb down the sideline to Castronuova with1:13 left in the half. With Sclafani getting the lion’sshare of the attention between the two quarterbackscoming into the game, DeMaio was eager to remindeveryone that Jackson has a pretty talented signal-caller, too.

“I know I get overlooked, but I’m a team player,”DeMaio said. “I don’t care about all those articlesabout one guy. I don’t care if I go 0-for-11 for no yards.I just want to win.”

“I’ll take him any day of the week,” Castronuovasaid. “He can run, he can pass, he’s smart with the ball.He’s the perfect quarterback for us.”

The speedy Castronuova sat out the first meeting withBrick due to NJSIAA rule after transferring fromJackson Liberty, so he was eager to make an impact onFriday night.

“I was pumped,” Castronuova said. “Sitting on thesideline in Week Four was a tough one, seeing thatclose game, wishing I could do something for the team,and tonight we just clicked. (On the touchdown pass),we just drew it up and ran right by them. Our athletesare better than their athletes, so let’s go.”

The Jaguars got the ball back with under a minute togo thanks to an interception by Johnson and put threemore points on the board when junior kicker JaredCalhoun boomed a career-long 40-yard field goalthrough the frigid air with about 10 yards to spare astime expired for a 31-0 lead at the half.

Brick then came undone in the second half, gettingflagged for three of its seven personal fouls in thegame and having Fattaruso ejected.

“At halftime we went up 31-0 and they came out andthey were just flat,” DeMaio said. “I think they knewit was over. It got ugly at the end.”

Jackson Memorial never took its foot off Brick’sthroat, dominating the second half in holding the GreenDragons to 52 total yards after the break, 46 of whichcame on a run by Fattaruso to the 10-yard line onBrick’s second possession of the third quarter. Gawlikthen preserved the shutout with a leaping interceptionat the one-yard line. Brick only ran nine plays fromscrimmage in the entire second half.

Gawlik then added an 18-yard touchdown run thatcapped an 11-play, 99-yard drive, and back-up runningback Connor Testa then put the cherry on top of the

win with a 35-yard touchdown run as time expired inthe game for the final margin.

Lee and Gawlik each went over 1,000 yards rushingfor the season in the victory, giving Jackson Memoriala pair of 1,000-yard backs in the same year for the firsttime in school history. It was the latest highlight in aseason full of them, including a win over Red BankCatholic, which stunned perennial state power St.Joseph’s-Montvale 44-14 to reach the Non-PublicGroup III final on Friday night.

“We’re on a high right now,” Castronuova said.“We’re No. 1 in the Shore, and we’re rolling.”

Video Highlights by:

Scott Stumpwww.shoresportsnetwork.com

File Photos by: Bill Normilewww.billnormile.zenfolio.com

There was no doubt that theNeptune team that came into “TheSwamp” for Friday night’s NJSIAACentral Jersey Group IV semifinalgame was much different than theone Middletown South saw twomonths ago. None of that seemed tomatter, however, against a defensethat continues to swallow opposingoffenses whole.The Eagles’ stingy unit stifled Neptune’s

offense yet again, holding the Scarlet Fliers to71 total yards to key a 27-3 victory that hasMiddletown South playing for a sectional titlefor the 20th time in program history. Juniorrunning back Cole Rogers ran for 149 yards andtwo touchdowns and senior Joe Timmins turnedthe tide with a kickoff return touchdown justbefore halftime as the Eagles beat the ScarletFliers for the 10th straight time.

“The defense has been great all year,” saidMiddletown South head coach Steve Antonucci.“These kids just have a knack for playing big.We have some solid kids that run around andhave a good time, and with Al (defensivecoordinator Al Bigos) behind the scheme if youbuy into it and play the way we ask you to play,you’re going to win football games.”

“It’s just a great group of guys that want to goout and hit people and have fun,” said juniorlinebacker Dylan Rogers.

Junior quarterback/kicker Matt Mosquerakicked field goals of 30 and 25 yards to give hima school-record 11 this season, and that wasenough for a defense that held Neptune to minus-4 yards and zero first downs in the second half.The Eagles will play third-seeded JacksonMemorial in the finals at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 atRutgers University in search of their first statetitle since 2006 and their 10th in school history.

“It’s the best thing ever,” Rogers said. “Thatgame is like nothing else you’ll ever play in inyour life. It’s something special.”

In the teams’ first meeting, Middletown Southblanked Neptune, 41-0, on September 19. Sincethen the Scarlet Fliers added quarterback RoyalMoore to their lineup and got a few more piecesback to spearhead a six-game winning streak.During the run it was the Scarlet Fliers’ defensethat set the tone, and they came out equalling theEagles over the game’s first 24 minutes.

Field position was in favor of MiddletownSouth all night, and the Eagles turned a shortfield into the game’s first points whenMosquera’s 30-yard field goal with 2:31 left inthe opening quarter capped a six-play, 38-yarddrive.

An interception by junior Marcque Ellington atNeptune’s 25-yard line set the table for a 13-

play, 55-yard drive that chewed up 7:11 in thesecond quarter. Senior Hunter Daly bangedthrough a 35-yard field goal that pulled Neptuneeven at 3-3 with 1:02 left in the half.

Just when Neptune had built some momentum,however, Middletown South’s special teams unitsnatched it right back. Timmins fielded theensuing kickoff at his own eight-yard line andreturned it 92 yards for a touchdown to give theEagles a 10-3 lead at the break, and that sparkcarried over to the second half, where they putthe game away.

“That was the backbreaker,” Antonucci said.“They’ve got some momentum and we go 92yards on a kickoff return, and it changed thewhole game, really. We went into the halfconfident knowing we were getting the ball tostart the second half.”

“That was the best possible thing we couldhave got,” Rogers said. “It got everyone pumpedup going into the half and brought them down.”

Middletown South’s defense gave its offenseanother short field to work with on its seconddrive of the third quarter, and Mosqueraconverted the opportunity with a 25-yard fieldgoal for a 13-3 lead with 6:20 left in the third.Of Middletown South’s 10 possessions, three ofthem started in Neptune territory and just threehad the Eagles start more than 60 yards from theend zone.

Rogers had just 27 yards rushing at halftime,but started to get going in the second half andscored on a one-yard run to cap a seven-play, 37-yard drive late in the third quarter that pushedMiddletown South’s lead to 20-3.

All the while, Middletown South’s defense keptNeptune in check, and that started withcontaining Moore. The Neptune seniorquarterback’s dual-threat ability was theforemost challenge for Middletown South’sdefense, and the unit did a phenomenal job inholding him to minus-3 rushing yards on 18carries and 19 yards on 4-of-15 passing whilealso intercepting him once. The Eagles sackedMoore five times and dropped him for a loss fiveother times. Rogers led the way with 2 1/2 sackswhile senior defensive end Pat Crowe had 1 1/2sacks and senior defensive end Dan Servidio hadanother.

“They got their quarterback back and he canmake things happen with his feet,” Rogers said.“Against him, we just wanted to hit him. We justwanted to play football.”

“Northern Burlington was the same kind ofanimal so the gameplans were a bit similar,”Antonucci said. “We had to contain thequarterback and not let him beat us with his feet,and I thought we did a great job of that tonightbecause he can flat-out run.”

Ironically, Middletown South’s best drive ofthe game ended without points when, aftermoving from their own 33 down to the Neptune

17, the Eagles turned it over on downs whenMosquera’s pass on fourth-and-four fellincomplete. Cole Rogers intercepted Moore onthe next play, however, and then took a handoff45 yards to the house for a 27-3 lead with 5:40 toplay, cementing the Eagles’ 11th trip to asectional final in the last 14 years and first since2012.

Since a 36-24 loss to South Brunswick, whichis undefeated and will play Manalapan for theCentral Jersey Group V title, Middletown Southhas won seven of eight with a school-record sixshutouts. The 24 points the Eagles scored is the

most any teamhas put on theVikings thiss e a s o n .Knowing whatkind of teamthey were upagainst that day,they feltc o n f i d e n tmoving forwardthey could get toanother statefinal in a ruggedbracket.

“I thought when we left that game we playedwell enough to win, honestly,” Antonucci said.“We hung in and had an opportunity to make animpact. Now we’re back playing for a title, andI’m excited for our kids and excited for theopportunity.”

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Middletown South Reaches 11th StateFinal in 14 YearsBy Bob Badders – Staff Writer

Video Highlights by:

Bob Badderswww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Junior running back Cole Rogers

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Rumson-Fair Haven is now one stepaway from back-to-back state titles forthe first time in school history after a 49-13 rout of third-seeded Cinnaminson inthe Central Jersey Group II semifinals atBorden Stadium.

The defendingchampion Bulldogs (8-2) rolled into their fifthstate final in eightseasons by routing thePirates (8-2) assophomore quarterbackMike O’Connor threw a30-yard touchdown passto tight end KennyFerrare and also ran fora 6-yard score, whilesenior tailback CharlieVolker ran for 126 yardsand a pair of 15-yardtouchdowns in the win.

Senior defensive backJackson Reid added a60-yard interceptionreturn for a touchdownand Lucas Seckler and

Seamus Walsh each had touchdown runs for theBulldogs, who will play Delaware Valley in thefinals on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at Kean University.

Manalapan is going to see if the fourth time isthe charm as the Braves advanced to their fourthstraight sectional final with a 28-6 win oversecond-seeded Hillsborough to reach the

NJSIAA CentralJersey Group Vchampionship game insearch of their elusivefirst state title. Seniorquarterback DanAnerella threw twotouchdown passes,senior tailback ImamuMayfield ran for 185yards, including a 16-yard touchdown run,and senior fullbackBen Sieczkowski hada 32-yard scoring runand a fumble recoveryon defense as theBraves (10-1) beat theRaiders (9-2) bydominating the secondhalf after the twoteams were scorelessat the break.

Senior kicker Mike Caggiano hit four extrapoints to become the state’s all-time leader incareer points by a kicker with 234. The Bravesbecame the first Shore team since MiddletownSouth from 2000-06 to reach four straight statefinals. They will play top-seeded SouthBrunswick (10-0) at 10 a.m. at RutgersUniversity on Dec. 6 to try to make schoolhistory.

Manalapan’s defense forced five turnovers inthe win, including interceptions by defensivebacks Dan Debner, Tyson Plummer and Anthony

Bassani. Debner also caught a 22-yardtouchdown pass, and senior tight end KyleMullen added a 4-yard touchdown catch.

Shore Regional is back in the NJSIAA CentralJersey Group I final for the third straight yearthanks to a 28-13 win over fourth-seededMiddlesex in which the top-seeded Blue Devilsregistered a second-half shutout to close out thewin.

The Blue Devils (9-1) advanced to their thirdstraight state final for the first time in schoolhistory by topping the Blue Jays (7-3) as juniorrunning back Tyreek McCain ran for a career-high 169 yards and scored on touchdown runs of1 and 14 yards in the second half to help thempull away for the win.

Shore will face third-seeded South Hunterdonat 10 a.m. on Dec. 6 at Kean University in searchof its first state title since 2010. Connor Rempeladded a fumble recovery in the end zone for atouchdown and quarterback Ryan Campi had aone-yard touchdown run in the victory.

Manalapan, Shore, Rumson Book Return Tripsto State FinalsBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Senior tailback Charlie Volker

Jr defensive lineman Erik Graham

P h o t o b y :Doug Bostwick

www.sportshotsw lb .comMark Brown

www.b51photography.com

22 / /

Every week this season, Shore Conference football fans will get their chance to vote for the Ace OutdoorPower Equipment Football Player of the Week on our website, with more than 230,000 votes already cast

in the first eight weeks.

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Week-0 9/5/14

Donovan CatholicJr. K GianCarlo Stigliano

Week-1 9/12/14

Brick Sr. QB Carmen Sclafani

Week-2 9/19/14

Freehold Boro jr. QB/S Jake Curry

Week-3 9/19/14

Toms River North jr. TB Asante Moorer

Week-4 10/4/14

Central RegionalSoph. RB Mike Bickford

Week-5 10/11/14

Middletown North Sr. TE/LB Troy Thompson

Week-6 10/17/14

Southern Regionaljr. K Brandon Barnetti

Week-8 10/4/14

Red Bank RegionalJr. QB Jack Navitsky

Week-9 11/7/14

Jackson MemorialSoph. RB Mike Gawlik

Week-10 10/21/14

Red Bank CatholicSr. CB Mike DeMonte

Week-7 10/17/14

Point Beach Sr. RB/DB Mike Frauenheim

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