March 10, 2015 Volume-VII Issue-5

The first thing fans, players, coaches and parents want toknow after the big game is always,

”Is this going to be on ”

Shore Sports Network Website Features

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

n Get Video Highlights of all theimportant games that Shore Conferencefans will be talking about.

n Catch up on the action you might havemissed

n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finishas well as video interviews with variousathletes.

n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the mostvisited sports site in the Shore Conferenceduring the scholastic year

n Follow us on Twitter (over 18,000followers) & Facebook, we keep fansposted on the latest scores and news

n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

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S t e v e M E Y E RShore Sports NetworkDirector High School Divisions t e v e . m e y e r @ t o w n s q u a r eme d i a . c om7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

S c o t t S T U M PMan a g i n g E d i t o rs t u m p @ a l l s h o r e m e d i a . c o m

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

Shore Sports Network Journalis publ ished by: Townsquare Media8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Copyright© 2015 Townsquare MediaAl l r ights reserved Reproduct ion in whole or in part without the permission of Shore Sports Network is prohibited

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Open MRI and DiagnosticImaging of Wall

has been a proudsupporter of ShoreConference basketball,which continues this yearwith the ShoreConference Basketball CoachesAssociation Senior All-Star Gamesat Wall Township High School. For the third straight year, Open MRI will be the titlesponsor of this season's boys and girls all-star games,which are on March 25 at Wall Township High School.The girls all-star game will be at 6 p.m., followed by theboys game at 8 p.m. As always, the games are a great wayto send off the Shore Conference’s top seniors in theirfinal game as high school players.

“This game has become an importantpart of the basketball calendar everyyear in the Shore Conference, and Open MRI’ssponsorship and support are big reasons for that,’’ saidShore Sports Network’s Steve Meyer. “Their supportallows us to put on a memorable event for theseseniors as they wrap up their high school careers.”

This year’s game will once again feature toptalent from the girls and boys seniorclasses in the Shore. On the boys side,the game will include standouts likeChristian Brothers Academy's JackLaffey, Toms River South's Tymere Berry,Shore Regional's Dan Largey, Southern's

Jake Logue, Colts Neck's ChrisO'Reilly, Point Beach's Jesse Hill

and more.

The girls game also will feature a host ofstandouts, including Rumson-Fair Haven's GraceStant, St. Rose's Jess Louro and Kat Phipps,Neptune's Marajiah Bacon and more.

There also will be a 3-point shootout duringhalftime of the boys and girls games, with

players chosen from the all-star practicescompeting for long-range supremacy.

Once again RKE Athletic is supplying the game shirts forthe boys and the girls.

“These games for the seniors are a great way for themto go out, and we are happy to be a part of it” said RKEowner Ted Maciejewski.

The top player in each of the senior all-star games will receive the Arthur W.Harmon Jr. Most Valuable Player Award, named after the late Art Harmon, along-time official in the Shore Conference.

Check our website for more information:www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Be part of a tradition at the Jersey Shore that reachesa large and enthusiastic Basketball audience fromMonmouth and Ocean counties by having yourbusiness featured in this year's 2015 Open MRI of WallShore Basketball Coaches Senior All-Star Gameofficial game day program. The detailed gameprogram put together by the Shore Sports Networkstaff not only recounts the past season and highlightsthis year's group of All-Stars, it also serves as akeepsake for all the players, coaches and fansinvolved. Not only is the program a chance for yourbusiness to reach a wide and passionate audience, it isa chance to become a permanent part of a lastingmemory for many members of the Shore ConferenceBasketball community.

CALL TODAY 732-233-4460

Powered By

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIESFOR THE 2015 ALL-STAR

GAME DAY PROGRAM

OPEN MRI & DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING OF WALLContinues its Support for the 3 rd Straight Year of the ShoreBasketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star GameBy S c o t t S t ump – Manag i n g Ed i t o r

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Senior Kyle Bradshaw hastaken some good-naturedjoking from his Manasquanteammates all season aboutthe fact that he has neverplayed in the state playoffs inhis career until this year.Bradshaw was part of a Monmouth Regional program that did not

qualify for the postseason for his first three years, including a one-winseason last year, before transferring to Manasquan as a senior. Withonly one chance to shine in the state playoffs, the 6-foot-5 forward ismaking the most of it.

He looked like a postseason veteran in front of a capacity homecrowd on Monday night with a game-high 23 points on 8-for-13shooting along with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks to power Manasquan’s61-45 win over eighth-seeded Bordentown that gave the second-seeded Warriors their first NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II title since2009. Manasquan will now face South Jersey champion Camden at 7p.m. on Wednesday at Perth Amboy High School in the Group IIsemifinals.

“This is my first time ever being in the playoffs in my high schoolcareer so to win a sectional championship is amazing,” Bradshaw said.“I love these guys on this team. This has been so much fun.”

“He’s a great kid, and he’s got some thick skin because we’re alwaysmessing with him, but he’s been a huge addition to our team,” seniorguard Luke O’Shaughnessy said.

Bradshaw teamed with junior forward Ryan Jensen to overpowerthe Scotties (24-5) in the frontcourt, as Jensen finished with 14 points,18 rebounds and 4 blocks.

“That was our gameplan – get the ball to the elbows and the blockswith me and Ryan and let us go to work inside, get a lot of fouls, andget layups and stuff like that because they couldn’t match up with usthat well,” Bradshaw said.

O’Shaughnessy spearheaded the defensive effort by limitingBordentown star Myron Gordon, a junior guard, to 10 points on 3-for-13 shooting, one game after holding Matawan star Jason Dunne tonine points in the semifinals. Gordon had scored 28 points in an upsetwin over Shore Conference Tournament champion Rumson-FairHaven in the semifinals, but O’Shaughnessy never let him find arhythm.

“I knew he was more athletic than me and more of a driver, whereasDunne has a deadly jumper and will rise and fire in your face,” saidO’Shaughnessy, who also had eight assists. “I knew Gordon was goingto be a little more of a driver, so I gave him a step and just tried tocontest every jumper he took.”

“The whole gameplan was stop No. 5 (Gordon),” Manasquan coachAndrew Bilodeau said. “I thought he was the most athletic playerwe’ve played all year. O’Shaughnessy did a great job limitingpenetration and contesting every shot.”

On the occasions when Gordon did get into the lane off the dribble,Jensen and Bradshaw were usually waiting to challenge or alter hisshot.

“The guy I was guardingwasn’t much of a scorer, so coachwanted me to play off him andhelp on No. 5 (Gordon) becausehe’s a big slasher, and really justrebound and block shots and playhelp defense,” Bradshaw said.

The Warriors (22-6) cameflying out of the gate with a 23-point first quarter to take seven-point lead as senior AidanMcMenaman hit a pair of threesand Bradshaw and Jensen set thetone up front by combining for 11points. McMenaman also did agreat job face-guardingBordentown sophomore guardDarnill Brown, who entered the game with 63 3-pointers for theseason but finished with two points on 1-for-7 shooting.

“First and foremost was stopping Myron Gordon, who is a heck ofa player, and after that it was just making sure (Brown) didn’t getanything easy,” McMenaman said.

A 3-pointer by McMenaman and a pair of free throws by Bradshawpushed the lead to double digits at 28-18 with 6:20 left in the secondquarter, and the Warriors went into the break with a 36-28 advantage.

The third quarter was the turning point as Bradshaw scored all eightof Manasquan’s points while the Warriors held Bordentown to twopoints on 1-for-7 shooting and forced five turnovers to take a 44-30lead into the fourth quarter.

“We said in the locker room that the third quarter was where theywere going to make their run if they were going to come back, so weknew we had to shut them down there,” Jensen said.

“I think their confidence wentdown when we went on a littlebit of a run, and once we sawthat, we stepped on the gas pedala little bit more and then afterthat it was over,” Bradshaw said.

After a basket by sophomoreforward Manny Ansong (11points) cut the lead to 12 early inthe fourth quarter, Jensen scoredand was fouled for a 3-pointplay after a nice dish byO’Shaughnessy, and thenBradshaw hit a pair of foul shotsto push the lead to 17 points.Manasquan went to the line 27times in the game, making 21,compared to only 10 attemptsfor Bordentown.

The Scotties never gotcloser than 14 points therest of the way, touchingoff a wild postgame as aroaring Manasquan studentsection dressed in variouscostumes stormed the courtin celebration.

“That was a blast,”Jensen said. “I’ve neverplayed in an atmospherelike that. I couldn’t hear attimes. It was just surreal.

“There’s no gym likethis one,” O’Shaughnessysaid. “I can’t even describeit. We saved the costumetheme for the final, andonce Lakewood lost, weknew it was going through

our gym, and these fans and the entire community, parents andcoaches, there’s nothing like it.”

It was the first time Bradshaw ever experienced anything like it, andhe tried to drink in every moment.

“To go out with a ring is unreal,” he said.

“These guys break his chops all the time about that,” Bilodeau said.“The big thing for him was that he got hurt in October and he missedhalf the year (with a foot injury). This is like mid-season for him nowand he’s rounding into form at the perfect time.”

Kyle Bradshaw Stars as Manasquan BeatsBordentown for its First Central JerseyGroup II Title Since 2009By S c o t t S t ump – Manag i n g Ed i t o r

& Photo by:

Scott Stumpwww.shoresportsnetwork.com

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : S teven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia .com

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The Shore Regional boysbasketball team is morefamiliar than most other ShoreConference teams when itcomes to reaching the NJSIAAsectional quarterfinals, butafter two trips to the CentralJersey Group I semifinals ineach of the previous twoyears, this one has a differentlevel of urgency.With a starting lineup of all seniors, including three three-year

starters and another two-year starter, the Blue Devils are back inthe sectional semifinals after a 56-48 win over Florence on Friday.They are two wins away from finishing the incremental climb totheir first sectional title in school history.

“It’s been a little different this year just knowing in the back ofour minds that this is our last run,” senior Kevin Bloodgood said.“We’ve been trying to bring a state title here for the last threeyears and we’ve been close before so it definitely feels like this isour chance. We took today very seriously because we knew thishas a chance to be our last home game, and we wanted to give our

fans a good game to go out on.”

Shore lost on the road to eventualCentral Jersey Group I championPoint Pleasant Beach in each of thepast two seasons – in the sectionalsemifinals in 2013 and in thesectional championship game ayear ago. The Blue Devils will haveto go through No. 1 seed PerthAmboy Tech Saturday to get backto the sectional final and if they do,there is a chance they could onceagain be headed to the Gulls’ Nestin Point Pleasant to try to get overthe hump.

Against a Florence team thatwould not let Shore put the gameaway despite several threats to doso, the Blue Devils pounded theFlashes on the glass and tookadvantage of their advantage ofheight and length. Senior 6-foot-5swingman Dan Largey scored 21points, lived on the block onoffense and flew around the wingand in the paint on defense to lead

the charge on both ends.

“When I was a sophomore, weplayed Florence in this tournamentand we went to overtime tied at 26,”Largey said, recalling a Blue Devils’win over the Flashes in the 2013tournament. “We knew they weregoing to be well-coached and runvery good sets on offense. Theyhave tough kids, even when we’veseen them in football. We expected abattle tonight, and they were tough.”

Senior Jack Byrne also added 12points while wreaking havoc ondefense with four steals. Bloodgoodadded 17 points, including 13 in thefirst half and 10 in the secondquarter.

After Shore started the game onan 8-2 run, Florence answered witha 7-0 spurt to take its first lead. TheFlashes went up 11-10 early in thesecond quarter on a lay-up by KyleRyan and that was the last leadFlorence would enjoy.

Shore Tops Florence, Back in CJ ISemifinalsBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

Senior Dan Largey

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Bloodgood drove for a lay-upto regain the lead for Shore,fired a pass to a flashing Largeyfor a lay-up, then rimmed in ashort jumper to push the lead to16-11. He later capped his 10-point quarter with two of histhree 3-pointers in the game tosend Shore to the half up 26-18.

Shore also held 1,000-pointscorer and three-point specialistMichael Muchowski to fivepoints and one 3-pointer. TheBlue Devils began the game in a1-3-1 defense and switched overto man-to-man late in the firstquarter.

“I thought we did a reallygood job at the top of the zone,just putting pressure on theirball-handlers and theirshooters,” Byrne said. “Whenwe went to man, we did a goodjob keeping them from gettinginto the paint and staying ontheir shooters.”

Largey, Bloodgood and Byrnehave been the center of Shore’soffense this season andcombined for 50 of the 56 BlueDevils points on Friday.Bloodgood joined the 1,000-point club earlier in the seasonand Largey moved within 12points of the career milestone

with his 21 points on Friday. The seniorscored 34 points in afirst-round win overMetuchen, one of three30-plus-point games byLargey – all within aspan of two weeks.

“I’m just thinkingabout getting wins,”Largey said. “I’m sureI’ll have some idea ofwhen I get (1,000), or atleast I’ll find out fromsomeone in my familyafter the game. They’lltell me which shot I gotit on, or more likely, I’llhear them cheeringwhen I hit it. But I’drather not think about itand just try to go outand help us win achampionship.”

“Dan’s been greatabout it, as you wouldexpect him to be,” saidBloodgood, who scored his 1,000th point in akey divisional game against Rumson-FairHaven in late January. “He just wants to win.It’s similar to my situation. We needed to winthe game, so all the indiviual stuff takes aback seat and with the way he’s been playing,we know he’s going to get it.”

After two successful showings on its homecourt, Shore will head on the road for the rest

of the sectional tournament unless seventh-seeded SouthHunterdon can knock offtwo-time defendingsectional champion PointBeach on Saturday. Shouldthey beat the No. 1 seed onSaturday, the Blue Devilswill either host a sectionalfinal or will get a shot atredemption on the floorwhere their season endedeach of the past two years.

“The last two years, afterwe lost, I can rememberthinking and saying tosome of the other guys,‘Remember this feeling fornext year,’” Byrne said.“This time, there is no nextyear. We don’t want to havethat same feeling from thelast two years because wedon’t get another shot nextyear.”

by:

Matt Manleywww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Ph o t o s b y :

Doug Bostwickwww.SportShotsWLB.comSenior Kevin Bloodgood

Senior Rob Gialanella

We move forward withour healthy habits ofperformance nutritionand explain theimportant of fruits/veggies along withmaking better choices inregards to those breads,pastas and bagels. Tomaximize yourperformance on thefield, we need a healthybalance of all these foodgroups especially duringthis rigorous period ofoff-season training.

Habit #4: Eat healthyfats dailyFat intake is crucial for hormone production for fat loss

and muscle growth, vitamin absorption, balance andstructure and integrity of the cells in the body. It provides a very large energysource and helps provide a feeling of fullness during meals. Why wouldn’t wewant to eat it?

Like carbohydrates, there are different types of fats:· Saturated fats: found in animal fats such as cheese, eggs and meat· Mono-unsaturated fats: found in products such as olive oil and nuts· Poly-unsaturated fats: found in products such as vegetable oils and nuts· Artificial trans-fats: usually listed as “hydrogenated” or “partiallyhydrogenated”

The easiest way to enhance health and performance is to balance out our intakeof the first three types of fats (saturated, mono and poly-unsaturated) whileremoving all types of artificial trans-fats. Trans-fats severely increase the risk ofcardiovascular disease and are often found in packaged food products that tend tohave a long shelf life (think Twinkies and microwaveable waffles).

Balanced intakes of each healthy fat (about 1/3 from each) can actually reducepain in the body and improve how we feel physically and emotionally. NSFcertified supplements such as fish and flax oil have been shown to decreaseinflammation, decrease risk of depression, and improve brain development andimmune system functioning, as well as decreasing body-fat levels.

How Much Healthy Fat Should We Eat During the Day?

Just focus on adding a few servingsof mixed nuts, vegetable/fish oils andolives or avocados per day. Dependingon activity levels and specific eatingplan, this can range anywhere from 1-5servings per day.

How Big is a Serving ofHealthy Fat?

A serving size is approximately thefollowing:· 2 thumbs worth for males, 1 thumbsworth for females more effectiveenvironment.

Take home point:Don’t look to cancel out the fat ofyour diet right away! We often gainfat when we eat too much ofeverything, not just one nutrient! Eatabout 1-2 thumbs worth of healthyfat in most meals. Make smarterchoices throughout the day and besure to keep a healthy amount ineach meal for maximumperformance!

Habit #5: Maximize HydrationAlong with making better choices with fats, drinking fluids also has an

important role in achieving better health and performance. Drinkingdifferent types of beverages throughout the day can either speed up therate at which body-fat is lost or gained. It can also speed up the rate atwhich muscle is gained. Having the ability to gain muscle does not givefree reign to eat or drink whatever is available. Remember, we are what weeat or drink. Drinking and eating unhealthy, sloppy, ineffective foods andbeverages will leave us looking and feeling unhealthy, sloppy andineffective. Here are some quick tips to remember:

· Stick to drinking mostly water throughout the day. By eliminatingcalorie filled drinks like milk, juice, and soda, we are slowly sneakingout calories which ultimately contribute to how much body-fat we willlose. Because most of these beverages are filled with unnecessaryrefined sugary carbohydrates, our ability to burn fat will be dependenton how less of these we are ingesting on a daily basis. Our body is madeup of almost 70% water; why not focus on giving it exactly that?

· Teas, coffees and diet drinks can be used in moderation but shouldnever replace regular water. Remove extra creams, sugars, syrups andtoppings when possible.

· Sports drinks such as Gatorade ® should be drunk based on our specificeating plan. Some plans may allow each athlete to drink these types ofdrinks during the day, while others try and limit them to periods ofphysical activity. Either way, these sports drinks contain many sugars,which should be managed appropriately to gain muscle and lose fat.

How Much Water Should We Drink Per Day?

As a general guide, we should aimto drink half our bodyweight inounces per day.

Bodyweight:200 pounds

Amount of water:200 pounds/2=100 ounces(about ¾ of a gallon)

This can vary due to activity levels,temperature, food intake and rate ofsweating but is a good baseline formost athletes.

Take home point: Focus on calorie free beverages(ideally water) throughout the day to ensure you are providing your bodywith enough fluid to not just perform, but prevail! Try to get at least halfyour bodyweight in ounces of fluid per day and make sure your urine lookslike lemonade, not apple juice!

In our final article, we’ll discuss preparation strategies tomaximize your time during theday as well as trying to fit inthat beloved “cheat meal”.Thanks for reading at#eatRYPT!

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Healthy Fats and Hydration:Are You Forgetting Both?By Adam Feit - Director of Sports Performance (RYPT) Part 3 of a 4 part sersies

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When the dream of winning astate title is over and awrestler falls into theconsolation bracket, one oftwo things can happen.A lot of times the loss crushes a wrestlers’ confidence and the

wrestleback rounds eat them alive. Other times you get to see just howmuch heart and determination a wrestler has. On Sunday at BoardwalkHall, Pinelands senior Tom Poklikuha and Brick senior KyleWojtaszek shook off early losses to plow through the consolationbrackets and conclude their careers on a high note.

Poklikuha won six consecutive bouts in the 145-pound consolations,ultimately beating Edison’s Billy Povalac 5-4 to finish third.Wojtaszek did the same at 170 pounds, winning six straight andpinning Holy Cross’s Kenny Long in the third-place match.

“I kept thinking that I worked so hard that I’m not going to let it goto waste,” said Poklikuha, who became Pinelands’ first state medalistsince Mike Molosky in 2002. “Mentally (the consolation bracket) canfry you. You’ve got to take it one at a time. You just have to grind andgrind and grind.”

“The first one is always the hardest because you’re seeing whereyou’re at mentally,” Wojtaszek said. “You don’t know if your head’s

going to be on straight or if you’re going to sit back and say I lost andnow I don’t care.”

Poklikuha lost 9-7 to Hanover Park’s Christian Bassolino in thepreliminary round on Friday night to fall into the consolation bracket.He began his run to third with a 5-4 win over Buena’s Mason Brestlebefore a 7-1 win over Rutherford’s Mohamed Abdelhamid put himone win away from a state medal.

The problem there was he had to go through St. Peter’s Prep seniorRyan Burkert, a Hofstra recruit who was second in the state at 145 lastseason. That’s where Poklikuha pulled off the biggest win of his careerby pinning Burkert in the first period to secure a top-eight finish.

“That was one of the top-three greatest moments I’v ever felt in mylife,” he said.

He then edged Paramus’sKyle Cochran 6-5 to reach thewrestleback semifinals andpush his finish to at least sixth.In the wrestleback semifinals,he defeated High Point’s JasonGaccione, 2-0, in a rematch ofthis season’s Colt Classic finalwon by Gaccione 4-2.

He didn’t know it at thetime, but spending over a weekat a wrestling camp in Iowa thelast two summers preparedPoklikuha for the gauntlet hehad to run this weekend.

“I went out to Iowa the lasttwo summers in a row and thatdefinitely helped me with mymental toughness,” Poklikuhasaid. “The camp was brutal. Itwas an 11-day intensive campat the University of Iowa andit was crazy.”

Poklikuha finishes his careeras Pinelands’ all-time winsleader (125) and one of sixwrestlers in program history tofinish among the top three inthe state.

“It means a lot to me to get my name on that wall,” he said. “I’vedone a lot, but this really solidifies what I’ve done. They’ll rememberme.”

Wojtaszek’s championship run came to an end in the pre-quarterfinalround on Friday night when he lost 1-0 to eventual state finalist JoshUgalde of Bound Brook. That also put him in the first round ofwrestlebacks and six wins away from third. He pinned Cherokee’sJesse Streb before winning 8-3 over DePaul’s Spencer Carey to movewithin one win of his securing his second state medal. He was seventhat 152 last season.

That next bout was against Wall’s Brett Donner, however, who haddefeated Wojtaszek in the District 23 final and the Region VIsemifinals. Wojtaszek won by injury default in the first period whenboth wrestlers went to shoot and bumped heads, knocking Donnerunconscious. It wasn’t the way Wojtaszek wanted to advance, but hewas now three wins away from fishing third.

He then outlasted Bridgewater-Raritan’s Kyle Murphy 2-1 in doubleovertime before beating Passaic Valley’s Jala’a Darwish 9-6 to reachthe consolation final. In the third-place match against Long, Wojtaszekcountered a takedown attempt by hitting an elevator and planting Longto his back. He finished off the fall in 4:36, blew some kisses to theBrick fans in attendance and ended his career in style.

“I think it’s pretty awesome I lost so early but was able to comeback,” Wojtaszek said. “My parents always told me I was a topcontender int he state tournament, but I was starting to get down onmyself even though I lost to a super opponent and gave him a fight.Wrestling six matches to come back for third proves my abilities.”

Southern’s Matt Wilhelm was also able to shake off a loss towrestle back for third at 152 pounds. Wilhelm fell 10-5 to eventualstate champion Joe Tavoso of Delbarton in the quarterfinals,meaning he needed four wins to finish third. He beat Holy Cross’sAvery DiNardi 7-1 to secure a top-eight medal, then beatManalapan’s Jake Kaminsky 5-3.

The wrestleback semifinals saw Wilhelm beat Cranford’s GavinMurray, last season’s 138-pound runner-up, 10-6.

“That consolation semifinal match is the best I’ve wrestled in myentire career,” he said.

In the third-place match he defeated Paramus senior Joe Trovato, afour-time state medalist, 3-1.

“Saturday morning I was real bummed out,” Wilhelm said. “Theultimate goal is to be a state champ, but sometimes stuff doesn’t goyour way. “Saturday Tabb (assistant coach Jerry Tabbachino) broughtme back to the room and said it’s just as good to comeback and win

Running the Gauntlet: Pinelands’ Poklikuha,Brick’s Wojtaszek Battle Back for Third atNJSIAA Wrestling ChampionshipsBy Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

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

Pinelands senior Tom Poklikuha

Southern’s Matt Wilhelm(Region VI Final file photo by Ray Richardson)

1 1

as many as you can to take third. I made a goal for myself to come back and win the bracket.”

Wilhelm is Southern’s highest finisher since Brian Broderick finished third at 160 in 2011.

Brick senior Dean Sherry finished third at 182 pounds, winning two bouts after losing in the semifinalsthe eventual state champion, Bergen Catholic’sKevin Mulligan. Sherry won by 15-6 majordecision over West Orange’s ChristopherMorgan and then beat DePaul’s Nick DePalma12-3 to finish third and with a 38-1 record.

Jackson Memorial senior Brody Graham wasthird at heavyweight, defeating St. Peter’s Prep’sJose Palomino 3-1 in double overtime. Afterlosing 10-0 in the semifinals to Don Bosco Prep’sZack Chakonis, the No. 1 heavyweight in thenation and the eventual state champion, he beatPaulsboro’s Davontae Randall 2-0 before beatingPalomino for the second time in the tournamentand third time this season.

Graham’s only losses this season were to both state finalists, Chakonis and Brick Memorial’s Nick Rivera.

The Shore had a total of 20 medalists, which was second only to the 24 medalists in Region II, whichhouses powerhouses Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prepand had just six public school medalists.

Finishing fifth were CBA junior Sebastian Rivera at 113and Toms River South’s Owen McClave at 120. Riveralost to eventual state champion Brandon Cray of Steinert3-1 in double overtime in the semifinals. He pinnedKingsway’s Trace Kinner in the fifth-place bout.

McClave lost 7-1 to Bergen Catholic junior NickSuriano in the semifinals. Suriano is undefeated for hiscareer at 121-0. In the fifth-place bout, McClave beatRoxbury’s Troy Stanich 7-4.

Placing sixth were CBA freshman Rich Koehler at 106,Jackson Liberty senior Mike Russo at 126, Brick seniorWill Scott at 160 and Wall’s Matt McKenzie at 195.

Kaminsky defeated DePaul’s Brandon Kui to placeseventh at 152 pounds and Toms River Northsenior Mike Siwiec beat Paulsboro’s NikoSavaiinaea 5-1 to finish seventh at 220.

Rumson-Fair Haven senior Marcus Iwamabecame the Bulldogs first state medalist since2003 and just the third wrestler in programhistory to medal by finishing eighth at 132pounds. Toms River South senior Joe Salvatofinished eighth at 182 pounds.

CBA junior Sebastian Rivera(file photo by Ray Richardson)

Brick’s Dean Sherry(file photo by Ray Richardson) Jackson Memorial Hwt. Brody Graham

by:

Bob Badderswww.shoresportsnetwork.com

WITH HIS LIFE AT ACROSSROADS AS ASOPHOMORE,KEANSBURG’S TYREESUTTON NEARLYGAVE UP WRESTLINGFOR GOOD.

“It was definitely rough because I flunked inschool my sophomore year and didn’t really take

school seriously because I wasn’t competing in anyathletics,” he said. “It was definitely a setback.”

After winning a District title as a freshman, he wasacademically ineligible as a sophomore. Becoming a father ofa son, Tyree Jr., before his junior year could have driven himfurther from the sport while being overwhelmed with prioritiesoff the mat. Instead, it only fueled his drive to be the best wrestlerto ever walk the halls of Keansburg High School.

“At that point, I felt like I didn’t want to wrestle, but I want togive my son a future and wrestling is what is going to get me intocollege, so I had to strive,” Sutton said.

The dark memories of those days have now been replaced by thebright lights of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, where Sutton’sdramatic journey ended on Sunday at the top of the podium as thefirst state champion in Keansburg history. The Titans’ senior wonone of the most thrilling matches of the finals of the NJSIAAIndividual Championships, scoring a takedown in sudden victoryovertime to edge Holy Cross’s Matt Correnti 5-3 at 195 for the title.

With the win, Sutton also made one more piece of school historyby getting his 100th career victory, becoming the first Titans’wrestler to ever reach that milestone.

“I CAN’T USE ANY OTHERWORD BUT‘AMAZING,”’SUTTON SAID.“IT FEELSGOOD THAT IMADE HISTORY AND IT WASMY 100TH WIN, SO IT’S JUSTAMAZING RIGHT NOW.”“Words can’t describe it,” Keansburg head coach Chris

DeTalvo said. “It’s pretty unbelievable.”

Sutton is used to adjusting when life throws him a curveball, and thecalm that he projects under difficult circumstances was instrumental indelivering him a title. After a scoreless first period between the undefeatedwrestlers, Sutton rode Correnti out for the entire second period. It seemedlike the perfect set-up for a win because all Sutton had to do was escape inthe third period and hold on for a 1-0 victory.

However, Correnti was able to tilt Sutton and get three back points for a3-0 lead that appeared insurmountable as time ticked away in the thirdperiod. It marked the first offensive points Sutton surrendered the entireseason, and it was the first time he had trailed in a match all year.

“I was definitely shocked,” Suttonsaid. “At first I didn’t know whowas getting back points until Ilooked at my coach. I hadn’t donethat all year.”Rather than let the moment overwhelm him, Sutton got right back in thefight. He escaped and then bulled his way into Correnti for a takedown onthe boundary with only four seconds left in the third period to tie the boutat three. Correnti was trying to get out of bounds for a restart, but Suttonpulled him back in and then hit a lightning-quick shot to get the two points.

“There were a lot of things going on in my head, but mostly I was scaredbecause I was down 3-1 with like 30 seconds left,” Sutton said. “I drill

those type ofsituations inpractice all thetime. My coach

gives me 30 seconds,telling me I’m down twoand I need to hitsomething. It was justrepetition in practice, so Iwas prepared for it.”

“You can never say it’s over, butwith those type of matches andhow good that kid is, I thought it was

over,” Keansburg assistant DaveAlsieux said. “I saw it on

his face (after he gaveup the three points),but he’s so dynamicwhen he wrestles thatit’s not out of therealm ofpossibil i ty

that he

12

By Scott Stump – Managing Editor

Tyree SuttonBecomes

Keansburg’s FirstWrestling StateChampion

S e e TYR EEs pag e 1 4

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Brick Memorial’s Alec DonovanChampion Thoroughbred

The countless hours spent in the wrestling room honing his craft, the late-night and early-morningruns to stay on weight, and every other sacrifice Alec Donovan has made over the course of hiswrestling career paid off in the biggest of ways on Sunday night at Boardwalk Hall

The senior etched his name into the Brick Memorial record book when he held off BoundBrook sophomore Stephan Glasgow, 1-0, to win the NJSIAA 145-pound state championship.An escape in the third period was all Donovan needed to become the sixth wrestler in BrickMemorial history to claim New Jersey high school wrestling’s ultimate prize.

“WORKING OUT AND DOING THE RIGHTTHINGS EVERY DAY ON AND OFF THE MAT ISWHAT GETS YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE,”DONOVAN SAID. “IT FEELS INCREDIBLERIGHT NOW.”The best word to describe Donovan when he’s on the mat is relentless. He is unyielding ontop and a velcro-like menace inscrambles. It was that tenacity thatcharacterized his entire tournament andfueled the final three victories of hishigh school career.

After a scoreless first period, Donovanrode out Glasgow for the entire secondperiod to keep the bout scoreless and turn thetide his way heading to the third. Donovanchose defense to start the third period, andGlasgow awarded him the free escape, preferringto work from his feet. Glasgow couldn’t penetrateDonovan’s defense,though, and afterstopping adesperation leapby Glasgow in theclosing seconds,Donovan ranacross the mat andjumped into the armsof assistant coach DeanAlbanese.

“I know the work he puts inand I’m proud of him,” saidBrick Memorial head coachMike Denver.Donovan is Brick Memorial’s sixth wrestler to win a statechampionship (seven overall) and first since both Steve Santos andMike Morales won titles at 152 and 130 pounds, respectively, in 2009.He also joins Bob Martin (1986), Nick Angen (1994 and 1996) andSteve Bruscino (1994) in the Mustangs’ pantheon of statechampions.

Donovan’s run to a state championship began with a 12-3major decision over Paramus’s Kyle Cochran in the pre-quarterfinals on Friday night.He made his moveSaturday morning bypinning top-seededTravis Vasquez

of Delbartonwith 30 secondsleft in the thirdperiod in thequarterfinals. The fallwas more of anexclamation point.Donovan had ridden out thereturning third-place finisherand Beast of the East champ inthe second period before scoring areversal in the third to take a 2-0lead.

To reach the final, Donovan useda reversal with seven seconds left towin 3-2 over High Point’s JasonGaccione.

“That’s theway I wastrained in thewrestling room:to take nothingfor granted andto beat the(hell) out ofpeople ontop,”Donovansaid.With a state title now in

hand, Donovan closes thebook on what has been anincredible career. He

See donovan page 17

By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

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FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233 -4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia .com

could’ve scored at the end.”

Sutton rode that momentum intoovertime as a stunned Correnti tried toregroup. Off a restart, Correnti took a shotand Sutton countered it, grabbing ahold ofone leg before being able to snatch bothof Correnti’s legs and get him to theground for the win.

“(Correnti) was more shocked that hegot taken down (at the end of regulation),so he was definitely panicking,” Suttonsaid. “I had to stay focused on the goal.”

He then shared a long embrace withAlsieux, a former Manasquan standoutwho wrestled at Centenary College andhas made Sutton his personal project forfour seasons.

“I’m gonna get choked up, but I’m justso proud that I had the opportunity to bepart of this and part of the Keansburgcommunity,” Alsieux said. “I’m just sothankful for the opportunity. Tyreesacrificed a lot. His life is a lot differentthan most people’s. For him to do it, Ithink for me it’s just that much morespecial.”

Alsieux vividly remembers those daystwo years ago when Sutton’s life andwrestling career could have gone off therails when he faced that fork in the road.

“There were times when he didn’t evenwant to come back to school,” Alsieux said. “Everybody waspulling for him – teachers, his family, coaches – it was atough road, and to be here and do this, it just makes it thatmuch sweeter.”

After the hug with Alsieux, Sutton then made his way tothe front row of the stands, where a cluster of his friendsfrom Keansburg swallowed him up in a group embrace. Itwas a joyous moment on the big stage for the Group I school

from a town that isall of one squaremile.

“I’ve got the wholetown behind me,”Sutton said. “There’sa bunch of them herein Atlantic City, andthey’re blowing up

all my social media right now.”

“It’s special for our town,” DeTalvo said. “Not having thatmuch of a history, it means a lot. We’ve had a solid recprogram now for a few years, the middle school team isdoing well, and for those little guys to be able to see this, it’sawesome.”

Sutton finished the season 41-0 and finished his career100-14 in three seasons after missing his sophomore seasondue to academic ineligibility. He is the first state champion,Region VI champion, two-time place-winner and 100-matchwinner in Keansburg history. The Titans’ record book isessentially his biography.

He said he will most likely wrestle at Nassau CommunityCollege next season as he gets his academics in order, buthe plans on making it a one-year stop on the way to a four-year school.

“I will definitelywrestle at a DivisionI school,” he said.Don’t doubt him, as Sutton has shown that he is aman of his word. He has been saying since finishingsixth at 195 last season that he was going to makeKeansburg history this March, and on Sunday hedelivered on that promise in spectacular fashion.

“Since freshman year I have been dreaming of thisday,” he said. “I’ve had some setbacks, but I knew Ijust had to stay focused and I could do this. Again,the only word I can think of right now is ‘amazing.”’

TYREE Continued from page 12

by:

Scott Stumpwww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Ph o t o s b y :

Larry Murphysportspixnj.smugmug.com/browse

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by:

Bob Badderswww.shoresportsnetwork.com

is a three-time state qualifierand two-time medalist, aRegion VI champion and a four-time District 23 champion. Hehelped the Mustangs capture apair of team state titles in 2013and 2015 and win three ShoreConference Tournament titles.His signature moment beforeSunday was pinning Southern’sMatt Wilhelm to clinch theGroup IV title in 2013. Nowhe’ll be most remembered forbeing a state champion.

There is a wall of championsinside the Shore ThingWrestling Club with the faces ofmembers that have won statechampionships, and Donovan has stared at it every time he’swalked through the doors. He always felt his picture wouldone day be there, and he left Boardwalk Hall Sunday nightwith that dream now a reality.

“It’s right in the front so you can’t miss it, and I walk byit every day saying there’s a spot and my picture belongsright there,” Donovan said. “Now it will be.”

Brick Memorial had four totalfinalists, which matched BergenCatholic for the state-high. Both seniorCliff Ruggiero and sophomore NickRivera were big underdogs at 160pounds and heavyweight, respectively,but both went down fighting againstnationally-ranked opponents.

Ruggiero fell 7-2 to DePaul seniorDave McFadden, who won his secondstate championship and is ranked No. 5in the nation. Ruggiero made anamazing run to the finals by pinningClearview’s Ed Lenkowski in thequarterfinals and defeatingPhillipsburg’s Max Elling 5-3 in thesemifinals. It was Ruggiero’s first tripto the state tournament, and he made itcount by finishing second.

Rivera is ahead of the game as a

sophomore heavyweight. He is the firstheavyweight to reach the state finals as asophomore since Manchester’s JimmyLawson, who ended up being a three-timestate champion. Chakonis took Riveradown in the first period and turned himfor three near-fall points to take a 5-0lead, and held on from there for his first

state title.

Last season as afreshman Riverawas the onlyunderclassman in thestate tournament atheavyweight. This yearhe was one of just threesophomores in the field.Heavyweight is alwaysdominated by the juniorsand seniors, so Rivera isahead of the game in thatrespect. He finished theseason with a 32-2 recordand will likely enter nextseason as the state titlefavorite.

In the 113-pound final,sophomore Gianni Ghione

fell to Steinert junior Brandon Cray, 3-1. Cray’s first-periodtakedown was all he needed to hold off Ghione and becomethe first Steinert wrestler to win a state title. In an interestingtwist, Steinert is coached by former Brick Memorial star

Adam Jankos, who was a state medalist in 1997.

Ghione was lights out in reaching thefinal with impressive wins over St.Peter’s Prep’s Alec Kelly and MorrisKnolls’ Garrett O’Shea. Hedominated Kelly, who was theNo. 1 overall seed, 16-5 in thequarterfinals beforecontrolling O’Shea in a 6-4win in the semifinals. Hefinished with a 35-3 record.

“Sunday wasthe cherry ontop of a greatseason,” saidBrick Memorial

head coach MikeDenver. “We’ll goback with Gianniand Rivera and getbetter. We’ll buildon it.“I’m definitely pumped about the way all my

guys wrestled. People were saying we wereunderdogs in almost every match we had, so for allfour to make it to the state finals shows the kinds ofkids that are on the team.”

Donovan Continued from page 13

P h o t o s b y :

Larry Murphysportspixnj.smugmug.com/browse

Jo in TheShore Sports Network Team Today!

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newspaper and our website(www.shoresportsnetwork.com). Grabyour chance to appear regularly inThe Shore Sports Network by-weeklypublication and posted onwww.shoresportsnetwork.com whilehelping us recognize more athletesand bring more stories to ShoreConference sports fans. This is your

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Just contact Managing EditorScott Stump @stump@allshoremedia.com

18 / /

From the openingminutes of its NJSIAACentral Jersey Group Isemifinal game againstSouth Hunterdon, thePoint Pleasant Beach boysbasketball team showedoff its three-point rangefrom multiple positions inthe lineup.While three different Garnet Gulls players hit a first-

quarter three, Point Beach’s No. 1 three-point threat wassaving his fireworks for later in the game.

Senior Jesse Hill hit seven of his 10 three-point attemptsin the game and scored 24 of his game-high 29 points in thesecond and third quarters to help lead the No. 3 seed andtwo-time defending sectional champions to a 71-50 win overthe No. 7 Eagles.

“I love shooting in this gym,” Hill said of his team’s homecourt. “For some reason, it’s just a great gym to shoot in.The rims look like they’re huge, and it just feels like everyshot you put up is going to go in.”

For the third straight season and the second straight yearin the sectional final, Point Beach will host Shore Regionalin a state playoff game, with this year’s sectional final slatedto tip off on March 10, at 6:30 p.m.

Hill finished with eight rebounds and four blocks tocomplement his red-hot shooting, which also included 9-for-13 shooting overall. After Point Beach stormed out to a 19-7 lead after one quarter, Hill helped thwart a SouthHunterdon run during the second by scoring all 10 of Point Beach’ssecond-quarter points as the Garnet Gulls took a 29-25 lead into thelocker room.

The second quarter proved to be just the beginning for Hill, whowent 4-for-5 from behind the arc in the third quarter and scored 14points total in the quarter. He capped his scoring with a three-pointerin the fourth and sat for a chunk of the final eight minutes with fourfouls.

“When Jesse is feeling it like that, it’s just get him the ball anyay you

can,” junior guard Jimmy Panzini said.

Panzini, meanwhile, sat for a majority of the first half – includingthe entire second quarter – with two fouls and his departure from thelineup and return later in the game marked two major shifts in play.South Hunterdon outscored Point Beach 18-10 in the second quarter,while Panzini returned in the second half to score 20 of his 23 pointsand ignite a second-half surge that saw the Gulls outscore the Eagles42-25.

“It’s no secret, we’re a different team with Jimmy on the floor,”Point Beach coach Nick Catania said of Panzini, who missed time in

February with a sprained ankle. “He’s a ball-handler onoffense, he can get to the rim, and defensively, he’s relentless.We definitely have an edge about us on the defensive endwhen he is out there.”

Senior Mike Frauenheim scored all nine of his points inthe first quarter to help Point Beach storm out to that 19-7lead. Frauenheim added two three-pointers to Point Beach’stotal of 12 as a team. Panzini, junior Mike Rice and seniorRyan Sheehan each added a three for the Gulls.

Frauenheim and fellow senior Chris Schifano are the loneregular players from last year’s sectional championship team,while Hill and Panzini are among the group of newcomerschasing their first state championship.

Panzini has been in the thick of the state championshippicture as a bench player for St. Anthony prior to his transferto Point Beach.

“I remember seeing (Point Beach) play up at the Dan FinnClassic in Jersey City last year and thinking, ‘Wow, theseguys are good. They play ball like this at the Shore? WhereI live?”’ Panzini said.

“It’s been a great experience playing in front of this homecrowd and I’ve heard all about what to expect in the final.The atmosphere is going to be crazy. This is what you lookforward to when you play high school basketball.”

Hill played in the the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs lastyear with Jackson Memorial, which fell to Sayreville in thesectional quarterfinals.

“The level of hunger is as high as it can be,” Hill said.“We’ve heard from Mike and Schifano what this feeling islike, and all year, the rest of us have been working for achance to experience it for ourselves. Just playing in thegame is going to be something we’ll remember, but we came

here to win a championship and that’s our focus.”

Jesse Hill and Jimmy Panzini LeadPoint Beach Back to CJ I FinalBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

& Photo by:

Matt Manleywww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Jimmy Panzini takes the ball to the rim against South Hunterdon

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Notre Dame-bound Manasquanstar Marina Mabrey andChristian Brothers Academysenior Jack Laffey are thisyear’s recipients of theprestigious JamesJ. and Margaret M.Kerwin MemorialAwards, theKerwin family hasannounced.Six members of the Kerwin family

of West Long Branch select the mostoutstanding girls and boys players inthe Shore Conference for an award thathas been given out every year since1974.

Mabrey, a 2,000-point scorer andMcDonald’s All-American who led theWarriors to their second straight ShoreConference Tournament title on Friday,joins her older sister, Michaela, now ajunior guard at Notre Dame, as aKerwin Award recipient. The twoMabreys are the only two femaleplayers in Manasquan history to win

the Kerwin Award.

“She has many outstanding qualities, one of which is her fiercedetermination which allows her to take over games at crucial times,”family spokesperson John Kerwin said in a news release.“Whenever you need a basket, she delivers. Marina goes verystrong to the basket drawing many fouls and if you play offher she’ll drain the 3. What’s best is that she plays both ends

of the court well andis a shutdown playeron the defensiveside.”

Laffey, who isaveraging 19 pointsper game and iscommitted to AdelphiUniversity, becomesthe latest CBAstandout to claim theKerwin Award. Hehas helped the Coltswin the Class A Northtitle and reach theSCT final this season.Laffey’s coach, GeoffBillet, is a formerKerwin Award winnerhimself.

“Jack is truly theteam’s leader on the

court,” Kerwin said. “He is a very unselfish player getting everyoneinvolved in the offense. He handles the ball and passes very well.He always makes a few spectacular drives each game. If you give

him room he easilymakes the 3.”

Kerwin alsonoted Laffey’sability on the otherend of the floor.

“You can tellwho is the otherteam’s best playerby looking out onthe court and seeingwho Jack isguarding,” Kerwinsaid.

Mabrey andLaffey receivedtheir awards priorto their respectiveteams' first-roundstate playoffvictories.

Manasquan’s Marina Mabrey and CBA’s JackLaffey Named Kerwin Award WinnersBy S c o t t S t ump – Manag i n g Ed i t o r

Manasquan’s Marina Mabrey CBA senior Jack Laffey

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