All Shore Media High School Sports 9-6-12 Issue - 15 - Volume IV

September 6, 2012 I I ssue - 1 5

Feature Leading The Way

Feature In Good Hands

Class A North Previews

Class A Central Previews

Class A South Previews

Class B North Previews

Class B Central Previews

Class B South Previews

ELITE/ASM Top Recruits

Stumpy's Top 10










Stumpy's Top 10










Stumpy's Top 10










Stumpy's Top 10

September 6, 2012 I I ssue - 1 5 September 6, 2012 I I ssue - 1 5 September 6, 2012 I I ssue - 1 5

Cover Illustration by: Philip Sloan

2 / ASM 2012 Footba l l Prev iew

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September 6, 2012Vo l ume - I V I I s sue - 15

www.allshoremedia.com Volume-III Issue-16 9/6/11 ASM 2011 Football Preview / 3www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 3

Table of ContentsELITE/ASM Future Top

Recruits...............................................................Page 4

Class A North....................................Pages 6 thru 13

Class A Central...............................Pages 14 thru 22

Class A South................................Pages 24 thru 36

Feature Stories

Leading the Way.........................................Pages 34

In Good Hands..............................................Pages 35

Class B North..........................Pages 38 thru 47

Class B Central.................Pages 48 thru 54

Class B South.....................Pages 55 thru 64

Week-by-weekShore Conf. Schedule................................. Page 65

Ocean County

Field Directions.....................Pages 66

Monmouth County

Field Directions..................Pages 67

1.Red Bank CatholicThe Caseys ended last season No. 1 and they startthis year in the top spot with seven startersreturning on defense, including Rutgers recruitJosh Klecko at defensive tackle. The offensive lineis 260 pounds across and the backfield is loadedwith talented tailbacks like junior Larry Redaelliand sophomore Mike Cordova. This team is gearedup for a run at its fifth division title in the last sixyears and a deep trip in the Non-Public Group IIIplayoffs. The Caseys look to go two straight yearswithout losing to a Shore Conference opponent.

2. NeptuneThe defending Central Jersey Group III championshave reloaded to defend their crown while alsomaking a run at the Class B North title. Seniorwideout Geoff Fairbanks, senior linebacker DavidCalderon and senior running back Myles Martin areseveral key returners on a team with plenty oftalented newcomers. Senior Ajee Patterson takes overat quarterback to help Neptune repeat as statechamps for the first time since 1997-98.

3.ManalapanThe two-time defending Class A North champions aim toget back to a state sectional final and win the schools firststate championship, and they have the ingredients to do it.Anthony Firkser and Saeed Blacknall, a pair of Division Iprospects at wide receiver, are back along withquarterback Mike Isabella, standout two-way linemanJohn Appice, talented linebacker Chris Noesges and plentymore talent. They look to be the inaugural champions in thenewly-created Central Jersey Group V.

4. SouthernThe defending Class A South champs are looking tobecome the first Rams team to ever win consecutivedivision titles and look to make a deep state playoff run inthe newly-created South Jersey Group V. The Rams havea senior-dominated team that includes quarterback DanHiggins, a group of solid linemen and game-breakingjunior wide receiver Mike Gesicki. The goal is to make it toa state final for only the second time in school history andbring home their first state title ever.

5. Lacey The Lions suffered through an uncharacteristic 4-6 season lastyear after graduation losses, but with a majority of the lineupreturning and passing game architect Cory Davies added to thecoaching staff, Lacey looks to roar back this fall. Senior KyleSpatz, a 1,000-yard rusher last year, returns along withquarterback Tom Kelly and a host of other weapons, includingChristian Tutela and Brandon Boos. Linebacker Casey Sirotniakleads a tough defense for a team that will play a more difficultschedule after moving from Class B South to Class A South.

6. Brick Memorial Just like Lacey, the Mustangs struggled to a 4-6mark last year, but have a strong group ofreturners looking to restore them to their usualspot among the Shores elite. Losing seniorfullback/linebacker Anthony Miller to a season-ending injury hurt, but the Mustangs stillreturn senior quarterback Ryan Cieplinski,junior running back/defensive back MikeBasile and three starters on the offensive line tomake a run.

7. Rumson-Fair HavenThe Bulldogs have reached two straightCentral Jersey Group II finals and have thegoods to make it three in a row this season afterlosing to Matawan last year. Seniorquarterback Danny Roberto, senior runningback/linebacker Travis Clark and seniorrunning back/defensive back Conor Walshform the core of a team that should keep thewins coming while trying to defend its Class ACentral crown.

8. MatawanIts a new era for the Huskies under new coachJohn Kaye, but with three straight trips to astate final, they have earned the benefit of thedoubt despite losing several talented players tograduation. Junior quarterback KashaunBarnes, senior running back/safety Glenn Crossand senior running back/linebacker Dan Inclewill lead the defending Central Jersey Group IIchampions, who are now in the North II, GroupIII bracket.

9. Middletown SouthThe Eagles finished out of the top 10 for thefirst time in more than a decade last year, sothey look to break back into the Shores elite.Senior fullback/linebacker Ryan Patterson,standout kicker Connor Ryan, junior defensivetackle/tight end Taylor Hendrickson, a veteranbackfield and dynamic senior newcomer EliSmith hope to get Middletown South back onthe championship track.

10. BarnegatThe Bengals will try to repeat as Class B Southchampions with a team that will only get betteras the season progresses. Sophomore CinjunErskine is a star in waiting at quarterback, andhas to sit out the first four games aftertransferring from Holy Spirit. Versatile seniorstar Pat Moran will hold the fort in front of amassive offensive line headlined by junior ZachAndrews as the Bengals look to reach a statesectional final for the first time in school history.

Other teams to watch:TR North, Jackson Mem., Howell, LongBranch, Red Bank, Manasquan, Asbury Park,Point Beach, Shore, Point Boro.

4 / ASM 2012 Footba l l Prev iew V o l um e - I V / I s s u e - 1 5 / 9 / 6 / 1 2

CLASS OF 2013GARRETT SICKELS RED BANK REGIONAL 6-4/240 *DE/TE (COMMITTED TO PENN STATE):One of the nations top players and one New Jerseys top defensive ends for the Class of 2013 Held offers from just about every conference including schools like Rutgers, Florida, Georgia, CentralFlorida, Tennessee, Stanford, Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami, West Virginia, Boston College amongothers before committing to Penn State. Big, fast, tough and agile as defender and has soft andreliable hands as a tight end Committed to play in the Army All-American game in San Antonio inJanuary of 2013 I project him to be a stand-out defensive end at the collegiate level. Has run the40 in sub 4.7 and has great athletic ability, which allows him to play in various schemes. REMINDS MEOF JUSTIN TRATTOU, a former Don Bosco Prep, University of Florida and current New York Giantsdefensive end.

BRAD HENSON JR. MONSIGNOR DONOVAN 6-5/295 C/OG/OT (COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA)

Analysis on the Shore ConferenceClasses of 2013, 2014 & 2015By Chris Melvin - Eliterecruits.Com/All Shore Media *For analysis on every player,go to the full list at www.allshoremedia.com

The FutureTop Recruits to keep an eye on

Dwight Clark Long Branch 5-9/185 RB Ishmael Hyman St. John Vianney 6-1/175 WR/DB/RetTyrice Beverette Lakewood 6-2/185 Athlete (FS/QB/WR)Josh Klecko Red Bank Catholic 6-2/255 DLGeoff Fairbanks Neptune 6-1/170 *WR/DB/ReturnerChris Gulla Toms River North 6-2/180 P/PKDamien Singleton Toms River North 6-0/170 *WR/DBManny Maragoto Freehold Township 6-5/240 DE/TEShaquille Gittens Neptune 6-3/240 DERyan Kasten Freehold Boro - 6-6/285 OLConnor Ryan - Middletown South PKAnthony Firkser Manalapan 6-3/215 WR/TEKyle McGarry Point Pleasant Boro - 6-3/205 *WR/DBIsaac Coates Jr. - Red Bank Regional 5-11.5/275 DT/NGGlenn Cross Matawan 6-0/195 LB/*SSDavid Calderon Neptune 6-1.5/210 DE/*OLBChris Oliphant Point Pleasant Boro 5-11.5/190 DB/AthleteJohn Quinlan Howell 6-4/195 QBKyle Spatz Lacey Township 5-9/180 *RB/DBGerard Grimes Pinelands 6-0.5/180 AthleteKevin Barreau Southern Regional 5-11/180 *CB/WRJohn Appice Manalapan 6-3/270 DT/OG/*CDamiun Moore Manchester Twp. - 5-10/190 WR/DB/Ret.Anthony Cook Lakewood 6-3/190 WR/DE (transferfrom Manchester Township)Travis Clark Rumson Fair Haven 6-0.5/220 LBJeff Farrah Monmouth Regional 6-0/175 QBAvry Griffin Long Branch 5-11.5/185 QBDanny Roberto Rumson Fair Haven 5-11.5/195 QBTyron Wimberly Lakewood 6-0/180 CBPat Moran Barnegat 5-9.5/178 WR/KJohnny Gaboff Jackson Memorial 6-3/215 DE Matt Hicks Ocean Township 6-3/330 OG Jahimere Hinton Red Bank Regional 5-10/190 Athlete (RB/DBDoug Cuccinello Brick Township 5-9/170 RBTajhi Tomaino Red Bank Regional 6-foot/170 Athlete(WR/Ret./DBLucas Jordy Point Pleasant Beach 6-3/235 DEDylan Hroncich Red Bank Catholic 6-1/210 MLB/OLBJoscil Jackson Long Branch 5-11/190 LB/SS

Todd Bitsko Freehold Twp. 5-11/215 MLB: Kenneth Bozarth - Pinelands 6-5/280 - OT/DLJesse Flaherty Red Bank Catholic 6-0/185 DB/TBMatt Parke Freehold Boro 6-4.5/300 OLBrett Roach Long Branch 5-8/170 DBConnor Grogan Manasquan 5-9/175 WRTory Robinson Howell - 6-2/240 TE

CLASS OF 2014Mike Gesicki Southern Regional 6-6/210 TE

A multi-sport athlete who has great size andathleticismAs a receiver he has super-soft hands andcreates separation from defenders with his speed androute-runningHe projects to becoming one of thenations top tight endsHas an offer from Rutgers andinterest from Penn State, Delaware so farResemblesformer Southern and Rutgers tight end and currentBengals long-snapper Clark Harris, but with moreathleticism and upside.

Saeed Blacknall - Manalapan 6-3/195 WR/KR/DB

Quenton Nelson Red Bank Catholic 6-5/290 DT/*OL

Joey Fields II Toms River North 5-9/160 WR/*RB/DB/Returner

Alex Thomson Keyport 6-5/190 QB

Taylor Hendrickson Middletown South 6-2/228 TE/DE

Matt Muh Shore Regional 6-4/215 QB (Transfer from Holmdel)

Donald Bedell - Rumson Fair Haven 6-4/230 - DE

Anthony Gargiulo Colts Neck 6-2/220 (OLB/DE/FB/TB)

Kashaun Barnes Matawan 6-1/180 Athlete (QB/DB)

Chris Okupski Shore Regional 6-5/300 DT/OT

Kyle Carrington Toms River North 6-2/165 *WR/DB/Returner

Toran Mitchell Howell 6-0/180 Athlete

Kenneth Bradley Jackson Memorial 5-10/210 *LB/FB

Zach Andrews Barnegat 6-3/290 *OG/DT

Justin Gille St. John Vianney 6-5/230 DE/TE

Robert Barksdale Asbury Park 6-1/190 QB

Shabazz Shuler Long Branch 5-11/165 DB/WR

Mike Creamer Matawan Kicker

Cadell Kennedy Wall Township 5-9/180 *DB/WR/Returner

Amani Richardson Manchester 5-10/170 *RB/DB

Matt Proto Shore Regional 6-0.5/255 DL

Mike Isabella Jr. Manalapan 5-11/180 QB

Matt Forst - Manasquan 6-3.5/270 OL

Matt Golden Red Bank Catholic 6-2/220 TE/LB

Kevin Dougherty Toms River North 5-8/155 PK

Marcus Ademilola - Jackson Memorial 6-2/200 TE

CLASS OF 2015Cinjun Erskine - Barnegat - 6-2/205 *QB/DB: A lefty whohas displayed great talent and promise at events and isready to put it on display in the Shore Conference this falland in years to come. A strong-armed, skilled and poisedpasser and leader.

Datrell Reed Lakewood 6-3/230 DE/TE/OLB

Royal Moore Ocean Township 6-1/165 ATHLETE

Adam Kakar - Toms River North 6-3/300 *DT/OG

Clay Kemp - St. John Vianney 5-10/280 DT/NG(Transfer from St. Peters Prep):

Frank Condito Holmdel 5-11.5/215 FB/*LB

Manny Bowen Central Regional 6-2/190 WR/LB

Jamie Gordinier Red Bank Catholic 6-3/230 TE/LB

Charlie Labana Jackson Memorial - 5-9/175 QB

Valdez Santiago Toms River North 6-2/185 DB

Ben Watson Lakewood 6-5/310 OL/DL

Sam Madden Barnegat 6-6/305 OL/DL

Ryan Kroeger Red Bank Catholic 6-1/255 OG/DT

Shaquille Benjamin Manchester 5-9/150 DB/WR

Nick Lubischer Red Bank Catholic 5-8/160 Athlete

Mike Caggiano Manalapan 5-9/150 PK

Hunter Baillie Long Branch 5-11/180 LB

Mike Cordova Red Bank Catholic 5-7/155 RB

Aamir Ledet Toms River North 6-3/260 OG/DT

Joe Phillips Brick Township 5-11/175 QB

CLASS OF 2016 *Check out www.allshoremedia.com for the complete list.

This list was compiled by Chris Melvin, a HS Football Recruitinganalyst for www.EliteRecruits.com. Melvin has been scouting theregion for the past decade beginning with his CMRecruitingsourcesite before becoming the talent evaluator for the Elite CollegeCombine, the BigTime Football Showcase, the NJ-NY Governors Bowl,and the NJ-Northeast All Star Classic. Melvin is currently affiliatedwith the Shores Best Football Camp (NJFootballCamp.com), theJunior Rank Proving Grounds Combines and the Under ArmourCombine Circuit. To be considered for evaluation for Melvins listplease contact him on EliteRecruits.com or by send an email [email protected] or [email protected].

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 5


While Middletown South has remained aperennial state playoff contender, it hasnot been able to find a way to solve the

faster and more explosive teams it has facedin the postseason in recent years.

Teams like Freehold and defendingchampion Neptune have become the newstandard-bearers in Central Jersey Group III,which was Middletown South's playgroundfor most of the last decade. The Eagles aimto reclaim their place this season with asolid group of returners and an importantnew addition after being stunned byNorthern Burlington for their earliest stateplayoff exit in 11 years.

"We've got to be able to play with askilled team like Neptune,'' said head coachSteve Antonucci. "They've got talented kids.Our problem has been we can't finish thejob. We can't throw the haymaker. We've losta little bit of that edge, maybe. You're stillgoing to have to play hard to beat us, but wejust can't seem to get that big play when weneed it.''

Many of the issues against playoff-caliberteams have stemmed from an offense thathas had to grind out drives with very fewplays of 20 yards or more. Under newoffensive coordinator Joe O'Connor, whohas returned for his second stint as an Eaglesassistant after coaching at Kean Universitythe past two seasons, Middletown South hasmade changes. The Eagles are now runninga pistol offense rather than the flexboneoption.

"The stack defenses and some of the otherstuff that's out there right now have beengiving us a hard time with what we've beendoing,'' Antonucci said about the reason forthe change.

The revamped offense also means achange to a zone blocking scheme. Newoffensive line coach Rich Read, a longtimeassistant at one of the Shore Conference'sother storied programs, Manasquan, ishelping the linemen make the transition.

"We're still trying to grasp it a little bit,but I think it's definitely going to help outonce we grasp it,'' said senior fullback Ryan

Patterson. "We just got to playtogether.''

Junior Kyle Brey steps in for hisgraduated older brother, Howie, atquarterback. Senior Jake Ripnickis a returning starter at tailback,and junior Jeremy Concepcion,who also started last year in theflexbone backfield, will see carriesthere as well. Junior Andrew Wisialko is areturning starter among a group of widereceivers that also includes senior AnthonyCitarella and sophomores Joe Timmins andNolan Peerless.

The X-factor in the whole success of theoffense is senior Eli Smith, a transfer fromSt. John Vianney with breakaway speed andthe ability to play tailback, quarterback andslot receiver. Smith is also a dangerousreturn man on special teams, so he may beable to affect field position simply by teamspunting or kicking away from him.

"He gives us that guy that we've beenmissing the past few years,'' Antonucci said."He gets out in the open field, and he's gone.Against the teams on our schedule, he isgoing to be a lot to handle.''

"He's a very explosive player,'' Pattersonsaid. "He's going to help us.''

Junior Taylor Hendrickson, a three-yearvarsity player, returns at tight end, and theoffensive line brings back three starters.Seniors Dylan McCabe and Mike Roibalreturn at guard, and senior Keith Wiley isback at tackle. Junior Jon Low is anewcomer who will start at center, and theother tackle spot is being contested betweensenior Luke Lawson and promisingsophomore James Wilson.

The Eagles also return a major weapon onspecial teams in senior kicker Connor Ryan,an ASM first-team All-Shore selection andfour-year varsity player who has range outpast 50 yards. Ryan also will handle thepunting duties this year after only doing theplace-kicking last season.

Defensively, the Eagles should have oneof their better front lines in recent years in

their aggressive 4-4 scheme. Hendrickson,who has received interest from PatriotLeague schools, moves over to defensivetackle from defensive end. Senior DerekNoah is a returning starter at defensivetackle, and junior Conner Spreen should alsosee time in the tackle rotation.

"I think we're going to have one of theShore's best defenses,'' Hendrickson said.

"I think we're better up front than we'vebeen in some time,'' Antonucci said. "Wecan protect our linebackers a little bit.''

Roibal and Wiley give the Eagles twoexperienced players at defensive end, wheresenior Eric Maynes could also see sometime. Patterson is a returning starter at insidelinebacker at a program known for routinelyproducing All-Shore-caliber linebackers.Senior Justin Chenoweth is at the otherinside linebacker spot. Concepcion andsenior Rob Martini are the projected startersat outside linebacker, with senior VinnieD'Agati also pushing for time there.

Smith, Misialko, Timmins and juniorDrew O'Connell are all in the mix for thetwo cornerback spots, and Citarella is thestarting safety.

The goal is the same as it always is at aprogram that is second in Shore Conferencehistory with nine state sectional titles - statefinals or bust.

"There's always pressure to get to thechampionship game,'' Hendrickson said."That's what you play for at South, so it's onus to help get back there.''

Reclaiming Their PlaceBy S c o t t S t ump Manag i n g Ed i t o r

CONNOR RYAN (SR. , K/P)

TAYLOR HENDRICKSON (JR . , TE/DL)

RYAN PATTERSON (SR. , RB/LB)

JAKE RIPN ICK (SR. , RB)

09-14-12 @ Brick Township09-21-12 Howell09-28-12 Manalapan10-05-12 Manasquan10-12-12 Freehold Twp.10-20-12 @ Marlboro10-26-12 Red Bank Cath.11-03-12 @ Colts Neck11-22-12 @ Middletown North

Head Coach:Steve Antonucci, 14th SeasonCareer Record: 136-25Assistant Coaches: Al Bigos (asst. headcoach/def. coord.); Joe O'Connor (off. coord.);Steve Roberts (LB/RB/spec. teams); Rich Read(OL); RJ Read (WR); Andy Nicholes (spec.teams/video coord./quality control); Joe Mirault(def. asst.); Tom Grier (off. asst.); Rob Wells (def.asst.); George Barnett (kickers); Rod Murchie,Tom Nicholes, Frank Illiano, Rick Taylor(freshman); Stacy White (athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 7-3 (4-1)

RANDOM FACT: Steve Antonucci's fivestate sectional titles are tied for thethird-most of any coach in ShoreConference history. The late Vic Kubuhas the record with 11.BIG SHOES TO FILL:Ryan Patterson, Sr., FB/LB. IMPACT NEWCOMER:Eli Smith, Sr., RB/WR/QB/DBPIVOTAL GAME:Sept. 28 at home vs. Manalapan

Senior kicker Connor Ryan

F O R E X T E N D E D T E A M P R E V I E W S G O T O W WW.A L L S H O R E M E D I A.C O M

Photo byC l i f f L a v e l l e

w w w . c l e a r e d g e . z e n f o l i o . c o m


While Howell is known for lighting upscoreboards, there has been a renewedemphasis on defense under new head coachDerek Reichenbecher in a bid to help theRebels get back into the postseason.

Reichenbecher was a veteran assistantunder former coach Cory Davies beforeascending to the top spot when Daviesstepped down after 21 seasons. He looks toachieve more balance on a team that led theShore Conference in offense but also gaveup some record-setting rushing totals toopponents last year.

"We're trying to change some things interms of the way we practice,''Reichenbecher said. "We're making it aboutthe whole team, and trying to change thepersonality of that (defensive) unit. It wasn'tgood enough last year.''

The Rebels averaged 27 points per gamebut gave up 26 in finishing 4-6 last season,and much of the success of this season willdepend on how quickly the youngnewcomers on both sides of the line canmake an impact.

As always, the offense returns plenty oftalent at the skill positions in the no-huddlespread passing attack that has producedrecord-setting numbers over the past sixyears. First-year starter John Quinlan, a 6-foot-5 senior, takes over for Ryan Davies,who set the Shore Conference record with3,060 yards passing last year and led theShore with 32 touchdown passes.

"Of course I feel pressure because the pastfour or five quarterbacks were all studs, butI'm excited to have my chance to finally bethe starter,'' Quinlan said. "This season wehave the mentality that we'll do whatever weneed to do to win, so if that means running75 percent of the time in one game, we'll doit, and if it means passing 75 percent of thetime, we'll do it.''

Quinlan will have four seniors as hisprimary wideouts, led by returning standoutTory Robinson and flanker Toran Mitchell.

Senior Dave Jimerson steps in at slotreceiver after seeing time last year, andsenior Walter DeCanio will be the Xreceiver. Juniors Tyler Smalls and JoeySchultz add depth to the receiver group.

"We've had guys like Mike Clark andBrandon Yaegel, and now we're just fillingtheir shoes,'' Jimerson said. "Now it's ourturn. Last year was a real disappointment.I've been going to Howell football games fora while, and I remember only one losingseason like that, so we're looking to be muchbetter this year.''

"The offense is as good or better than ithas been,'' DeCanio said. "We're reallydistributing the ball to everyone. Tory is justa monster, and Toran is one of the fastestkids I know of."

Senior Nick Carelli will start at tailback,where senior Jermaine Flournoy should alsosee some carries. Senior Cody Hubbs is areturning starter at kicker and punter.

The main question mark is the offensiveline, which graduated all five starters. JuniorConnor Bradley will start at center, withsophomore Jeremy Subjinski at left tackleand junior Rob Hering at left guard. SeniorJoe Sportiello will be the right guard, andsenior Evan Fleischman will be the righttackle.

"The new group is doing well,'' Quinlansaid. "They are really starting to jelltogether.''

"They are starting to get the hang ofprotection and blocking schemes, getting afeel for each other, and improving theirfundamentals,'' Reichenbecher said. "It is agroup that I expect to continue to improveand get stronger as the year goes on.''

A defense that was shredded for a ShoreConference single-game record 425 yardsrushing by Manalapan's John Sieczkowskiand gave up more than 500 yards rushing ina loss to Middletown South last year looksto make a marked improvement. The Rebels

have a new defensive coordinator, formerColts Neck assistant Dennis Bruck.

"There's been a bigger emphasis on ourdefense,'' said Jimerson, who also will startat outside linebacker. "I feel like our defenseis going to be tough this year. We definitelychanged our mentality.''

The Rebels will employ a 4-4 scheme andare young and inexperienced up front, buthave good size. Sophomores AnthonyUjhazy and George Hidalgo and 330-poundsenior Kameron DiDonato make up thedefensive tackle rotation, while juniorsJimmy Leefe and Kevin MacWilliams alongwith sophomore Liam Baldwin will be thedefensive ends.

That group looks to tie up blockers infront of junior inside linebacker SteveBontimino, who saw some time last season,and fellow junior Nate Litowsky. Robinsonwill be at one outside linebacker spot, whileJimerson will play a hybridsafety/linebacker spot. Schultz, who sawtime on defense last season, will be the othersafety, and Mitchell and Smalls will be thecornerbacks.

After stumbling last season, the Rebelshope that defense can help ensure that theywill have the commensurate number of winsto go with all of their gaudy offensive stats.

"People have us sitting at the bottomof the charts, but they are going to haveto watch out for Howell football,''DeCanio said.

Balancing ActBy S c o t t S t ump - Manag i n g Ed i t o r

TORY ROBINSON (SR., WR/LB)

TORAN MITCHELL (SR., WR/DB)

DAVE JIMERSON (SR., WR/DB)

WALTER DECANIO (SR., WR)

09-08-12 @ Toms River North09-14-12 Marlboro09-21-12 @ Middletown South10-05-12 @ Toms River East10-12-12 St. Joseph (Met.)10-19-12 Freehold Twp.10-26-12 Middletown North11-02-12 @ Manalapan11-21-12 Colts Neck

Head Coach:Derek Reichenbecher, 1st seasonCareer Record: 0-0Assistant Coaches:Dennis Bruck (def. coord./LB); Mike Sinisi(WR/DB, spec. teams); Kyle Bukowiec(DB/WR); Ryan Klusewicz (RB); Pat Mahan(OL/DL); Joe Santopietro, John Baum(freshman); Amy Ghione (athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 4-6 (2-3)

RANDOM FACT: The last three Howellquarterbacks (Ryan Davies, Jimmy Ryan,Tim Lamirande) have led the ShoreConference in passing yards during theirsenior seasons.BIG SHOES TO FILL:John Quinlan, Sr., QB. I M PA C T NEWCOM ER :John Quinlan, Sr., QB. P I V O T A L G A M E :Sept. 21 at Middletown South.

Senior quarterback John Quinlan




After the bottom fell out last yearfollowing the graduation ofMarlboros most successful senior classin a more than a decade, the Mustangsare trying to build back up tocompetitiveness out of the ashes of awinless season.

With a majority of their lineup returningon both sides of the ball, the Mustangs havemade a major change on offense and look tobe more physical on defense after giving up37 points per game last year. Earlyindications in the preseason are that thedefense will lead the way as long as it canget healthy, as four starters have dealt withinjuries early on.

Were extremely confident, said seniorquarterback Parker Hoch. We are lookingfor redemption.

One of our main challenges is depth,said head coach Derek Sininsky. Ourstarting lineup can be very competitive withanyone, but when guys start getting hurt itcan be hard to fill spots.

The Mustangs return their entire defensiveline in their 4-3 scheme, with seniors DennisPang and Mario Vitale back at defensivetackle, and seniors Matt Vogel and JustinMenasse returning at defensive end. SeniorTommy Vetrano is a returning starter atmiddle linebacker, and he will be flanked bysophomore newcomer Josh Zemlock, atransfer from Red Bank Catholic, atstrongside linebacker. Seniors Ryan Alvesand Carl Morehead will see time atweakside linebacker.

Senior Jayson Kaplin, a three-year varsityplayer, will be at cornerback, with juniorBrian Prestigiacomo at the other cornerbackspot. The safeties will be returners DustinJensen and Chris Coyle, a pair of juniors.

Were the same kids, just bigger, strongerand faster than last year, Kaplan said.

Offensively, the Mustangs have gone from

the triple option to apass-based, no-huddlespread in Parkers secondyear as the startingquarterback.Conditioning has been apriority as the Mustangslook to tire out opposingdefenses by getting backto the line of scrimmageand running plays as fastas possible.

We changed itbecause of thepersonnel, Sininskysaid. There are thosethick-headed coachesthat cant be flexible, butI listened to our staffabout what kind ofplayers we had back andfelt this took advantageof our strengths.

Hoch will go from barely having put theball in the air last year to throwing it 20 ormore times a game every time out this year.

Its hard to adjust because I wasnt reallya passer last year, Hoch said. We threwlike 10 times a game and now werethrowing like 30 times a game, but I like it.

Morehead will be at tailback, wherePrestigiacomo and Zemlock could also seetime. The most intriguing prospect issophomore Dewann McCallister, a 6-foot,200-pound back with game-breaking speedwho has already drawn a few calls toSininsky from Football Bowl Subdivisionprograms. He saw some time as a freshmantoward the end of last season and couldmake a much bigger impact this year.

The Mustangs will often be going fourand five wide, and that group of receiverswill include Coyle and Kaplin, a pair ofreturning starters, along with Jensen andseniors Kevin Manu and Nick Decollibus.

The offensive line returns plenty ofexperience with Alves at center, Menasse atleft tackle, and senior Joe Fern at righttackle. Vetrano, who played fullback lastyear, has moved to right guard, and Vitalewill be at left guard. The Mustangs are stillsearching for a placekicker, and Vogel, whoalso may see some time on the offensiveline, will be the punter.

The last time Marlboro went 0-10 was in2008, and it played a large group of youngplayers who became the senior class that ledthe Mustangs to a 4-6 record in 2010, theirbest mark since 1999. The current seniorsdont have another year to wait, so theurgency is there to get back to being acompetitive squad in Class A North thisseason.

We knew how it felt as sophomores, sonow hopefully the team will come together,and we can have another strong season likewe did that year, Hoch said.

Out of the AshesWri t t e n b y S c o t t S t ump - Manag i n g Ed i t o r

PARKER HOCH (SR ., QB)

TOMMY VETRANO (SR. , RB/LB)

JAYSON KAPLIN (SR. , WR/DB)

CHRIS COYLE (JR. , WR/DB)

09-08-12 J.P. Stevens09-14-12 @ Howell09-22-12 @ Colts Neck09-28-12 @ Freehold Twp.10-12-12 @ Middletown North10-20-12 Middletown South10-27-12 Perth Amboy11-02-12 @ Edison11-21-12 Manalapan

Head Coach:Derek Sininsky, 5th Season (9th overall)

Career Record: 25-55Assistant Coaches: Jason Dagato (def.coord.) Matt Wisniewski (WR/DB); Kirk Wagner(RB/DL); Jack Nascimento (QB); Brian Moore(RB/LB); Nick Scalzo, Cory Varrial (freshman);Jonathan Phillips (video coord.); Mark Bramble(athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 0-10 (0-5)

RANDOM FACT: Sophomore runningback Dewann McCallister is a relativeof former Matawan star and NFLrunning back/kick returner CharlieRogers. BIG SHOES TO FILL:NoneI M PA C T NEWCOM ER :Dewann McCallister, So., RB.P I V O T A L G A M E :Sept. 8 at home vs. J.P. Stevens

Senior quarterback Parker Hoch


Photos by : B i l l Normi leb i l lno rmi le. zenfo l io. com



With some experienced playmakers onoffense as well as a defense thatreturns veterans in key spots, MiddletownNorth is out to secure the state playoff berththat was just beyond its grasp last season.

"It was disappointing last year,'' seniorlinebacker Dom Pedone said. "We're goingto get after it this year, and last yeardefinitely gave us motivation.''

The Lions were in the hunt for apostseason spot until the cutoff, when a lossto Class A South champion Southerndoomed them to a consolation game.Competing in the always-tough Class ANorth, the Lions look to get back into theplayoffs for the first time since makingconsecutive appearances in 2008-09.

Much of Middletown North's success willcome down to whether the offense can takea jump forward after averaging 14.9 pointsper game in the first year of running thespread option. Senior quarterback CodyThompson, also a standout guard on thebasketball team, returns for his second yearat the helm and has looked much morecomfortable in the preseason with a year ofexperience.

"Last year I felt like I was a step slowerthan what I should've been and now I feellike I'm up to speed,'' Thompson said. "Iplayed quarterback my whole life but therewas never really reads, there was just alwaysa set receiver. The whole read thing I had toget used to, and I think I'm used to it now.''

The one wrinkle that has been added isthat Thompson operates more out of a pistollook than the shotgun.

"I felt like we were very predictable with

the way we shaded our back,''said head coach Joe Trezza."It's the same scheme, but wejust put (the tailback) directlybehind the quarterback to tryto balance us out so we don'tplay our hand out.''

Senior Jared Mosier steps inat tailback for graduatedstandout Joey Racioppi afterMosier saw some time whenRacioppi was injured last season. Thompsonalso will have a comfort level with his widereceivers as seniors Rob Spinelli and NickWelsh are both returning starters. JuniorsBrandon Piccini and Jake Betkowski arealso back at receiver after seeing time lastyear.

"We have plenty of weapons, and Jaredcan get the job done,'' Thompson said.

The offensive line returns a pair ofstarters, senior right tackle Tom Klemm andsenior right guard Anthony Migliaccio, tolead the way. Senior Nick Corrado andjunior John Quinn are battling for thestarting spot at center, senior James Corrwill be the left guard, and senior PatAnderson and junior Doug Bornhoeft arecompeting for the left tackle spot.Sophomore Nick Banta returns as the kickerand punter.

"I think we are very capable of beingsuccessful,'' Trezza said. "It's going to hingeon what we have up front. I think if wecontinue to improve, we can make theplayoffs.''

"The offensive line is better than theywere last year,'' Thompson said. "I have a lotmore time in the pocket to throw.''

The Lions should be strong up the middlein their multiple 3-4 scheme, as they returnseveral All-Division talents from last year.Senior Mike Galluccio, should again be oneof the top defensive linemen in Class ANorth at noseguard, and he will be flankedat defensive end by seniors Tom Bacci andKyle Gebhardt the latter of whom playedlinebacker last year.

"Our line is definitely stepping it up thisyear and getting a better pass rush on thequarterback,'' Pedone said.

Pedone, an All-Division inside linebacker,returns along with Spinelli, who will be atoutside linebacker. Junior Dan Napolitanowill be at the other inside linebacker spot,and there is a competition at the otheroutside linebacker position between seniorNick Wallace and sophomore TroyThompson. Welsh is a returning starter atsafety, and junior Ryan McMahon will startat the other safety spot. The cornerbacks arePiccini and Betkowski, who started multiplegames at safety last year.

"I think we're very good inside and verygood up the middle,'' Trezza said. "Gallucciois very hard to block up front, and our twomiddle 'backers are very good.''

CODY THOMPSON (SR. , QB)

ROB SP INELL I (SR. , WR/LB)

DOM PEDONE (SR. , LB)

MIKE GALLUCC IO (SR . , DL)

09-14-12 Brick Memorial09-21-12 Manalapan09-29-12 @ Colts Neck10-05-12 @ Old Bridge10-12-12 Marlboro10-19-12 South Brunswick10-26-12 @ Howell11-02-12 @ Freehold Twp.11-22-12 Middletown South

Head Coach:Joe Trezza, 7th SeasonCareer Record: 19-41Assistant Coaches:Nick Trezza (DL); Travis Boff (def. coord.); Mike D'Allessio (DB/spec. teams); Brian Kroeper (OL); Dan Terracciano (OLB);Dana Webster (WR); Matt O'Connor (DL); Jay Pino (freshman); Danielle Kanski(athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 4-6 (3-2)

RANDOM FACT: Former MiddletownNorth star Shilique Calhoun isexpected to see significant time atdefensive end as a redshirt freshmanat Michigan State this year.BIG SHOES TO FILL:Jared Mosier, Sr., RB. I M PA C T NEWCOM ER :Dan Napolitano, Jr., LB. P I V O T A L G A M E :Oct. 26 at Howell

Food for the LionsBy S c o t t S t ump Manag i n g Ed i t o r

Senior quarterback Cody Thompson


With two division titles, a trip to a state final,a pair of 2,000-yard rushers and a school-record for wins in the past two seasons,Manalapan has accomplished everything possibleexcept for one major piece of school history.

"We want to go back to Rutgers, and our goal isto win a state championship,'' said head coach EdGurrieri. "We've taken all the steps necessary.Now we've got to take the big one.''

The Braves reached their second Central JerseyGroup IV final in school history last season butcame up short of winning their first championshipwith a 23-11 loss to defending championSayreville. It concluded a season in which theBraves won a school-record 10 games andcaptured their second straight outright Class ANorth title. With an offense loaded with dynamicskill players and the bulk of the defense returning,the Braves are armed to finish the job this year bymaking a run at a title in the newly created CentralJersey Group V.

"We're definitely working as hard as we can toget back there and win the championship thisyear,'' said senior wide receiver Anthony Firkser,who was an ASM first-team All-Shore selection asa junior.

Manalapan has become known for its punishingground attack, having produced a 1,000-yardrusher every year since 2003. The Braves madeShore Conference history by having back-to-back2,000-yard rushers after current MonmouthUniversity freshman John Sieczkowski ran for aschool-record 2,207 yards to lead the Shore in2011. However, this year's unit looks to be a littledifferent because of the type of personnel returningfrom a unit that averaged 28 points per game lastyear.

The Braves have two standout wide receivers inFirkser, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound playmaker, andjunior Saeed Blacknall, a 6-foot-3 target withgame-breaking speed. Firkser, who is also abasketball star, boasts offers from Buffalo,Harvard, Monmouth University and Colgate.Blacknall already has offers from Rutgers andBoston College and interest from a host of FBSschools. With senior quarterback Mike Isabellareturning for his second year as the starter afterthrowing for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns, theBraves plan to put the ball in the air a little more in

their multiple-I attack."A leopard can't change its spots,''

Gurrieri said. "We're going to run the ball,but I'd have to be a moron not to throw the ball tothose guys. (Isabella) has got the keys to the car. Ifwe run the ball, it's going to make the play actionthat much better. We would be crazy if we didn'tthrow the ball more.

"In all these 7-on-7s, no matter who we played,there was nobody who could cover Firkser, andSaeed ran by everybody. We have a dynamicvertical stretch receiver and a big target, so wehave to figure out how to take advantage of it.''

"(Isabella's) improvement has been amazingand that makes us almost unguardable,'' saidFirkser, who had 45 catches for 646 yards and 8touchdowns last year. "They can't double either ofus, and if they do that, then we have the run game.''

The Braves' feature tailback isn't a physicalpunisher in the mold of Sieczkowski and former2,000-yard rusher Josh Firkser, but has game-breaking speed. Junior Tyler Leonetti, who ran for432 yards on 8.2 yards per carry in limited dutybehind Sieczkowski last year, slides into thestarting role.

"(Leonetti) is a lot smaller, but his speed isridiculous,'' said senior two-way lineman JohnAppice. "If he gets in the open field, he'll score andbreak it, but he won't be able to wear downdefenses.''

Senior David Debner and junior Jake McCourtare two others who should get some carries attailback. Junior Chris Noesges, a standoutlinebacker, will also play fullback, with seniorNelson Rivera spelling him at that spot. In additionto Firkser and Blacknall, the Braves also have 6-foot-4 senior Dennis Girolamo as yet anotherweapon at wide receiver. Junior R.J. Krause is alsoa returning starter at tight end.

Manalapan has become known for highly-productive offensive lines, and it returns Appice atleft tackle along with senior Derek Brooks at rightguard. Senior center Alex Salzman also returnsafter starting the final five games last season.Senior Jason Forkowitz steps in at left guard, andthe right tackle spot is being contested betweensenior Christian Pierre-Louis, who is 6-foot-3 and285 pounds, and junior Shane Peles.

The Braves also return a weapon on special

teams in sophomore Mike Caggiano, one of thebest young kicker/punter combos in the ShoreConference.

Defensively, Appice looks to be one of theShore's best at defensive end in his third year as astarter in Manalapan's 3-4 scheme. Matt Colellaand Nick Douglas will both see time at the otherdefensive end spot, and a combination ofForkowitz and junior Andy Lizama will man themiddle up front.

Noesges returns at inside linebacker aftermaking All-Class A North as a sophomore. Riveramoves from noseguard to the other insidelinebacker spot. The outside linebackers will bejuniors Will Meany and Mike D'Angelo.Blacknall will play safety, with the other spotbeing contested between junior Anthony Baroneand senior Brendan Higgins. Junior Chris Cruz,who started multiple games last season, is back atcornerback, and Leonetti will most likely play atthe other cornerback spot depending on the statusof senior returning starter Sam Mahon, who iscurrently injured.

"I think Johnny Appice is going to be dominantup front, Chris Noesges is very good in themiddle, and Saeed is going to be a very goodplayer,'' Gurrieri said. "We have somebody at allthree levels. The defense will be better than lastyear's defense.''

"Our run defense will definitely be a strength,and our pass defense has gotten a lot better fromlast year,'' Appice said.

Manalapan is the clear favorite to make it threestraight Class A North titles, and it has no problembeing the hunted.

"I don't shy away from it,'' Gurrieri said. "I likethe fact that we're on the map. We have 106 kidson the varsity, and football is starting to becomeimportant in the town of Manalapan."

"You've just got to go into every practiceknowing you're the guys to beat and work hard towin,'' Appice said.

The Final StepBy S c o t t S t ump Manag i n g Ed i t o r

ANTHONY FIRKSER (SR., WR)

SAEED BLACKNALL (JR., WR/DB)

CHRIS NOESGES (JR., RB/LB)

JOHN APPICE (SR., OL/DL)

09-07-12 @ Jackson09-14-12 Freehold Twp.09-21-12 @ Middletown North09-28-12 @ Middletown South10-12-12 East Brunswick10-20-12 @ Colts Neck10-26-12 Toms River North11-02-12 Howell11-21-12 @ Marlboro

Head Coach:Ed Gurrieri, 6th seasonCareer Record: 37-17Assistant Coaches: Steve Vella (off.coord.); Joe Tetley (OL); Tim Fleming (WR); BillSmith Sr. (LB); Andy Sliwoski (footballoperations); Justin Fumando (def. asst.); CodyHigh (asst.); Bill Smith Jr., Corey DeCastro, BobbySchreck, Jon Harrison (freshman); ShannonTomasula (athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 10-2 (5-0)

RANDOM FACT: Manalapan has never wonthree straight division titles.BIG SHOES TO FILL:Tyler Leonetti, Jr., RB. IM PA CT NEWCOM ER :Dennis Girolamo, Sr., WR. P I V O T A L G A M E :Sept. 28 at Middletown South.

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 1 1

Senior quarterback Mike Isabella





Aprocess that started in head coachMike D'Antonio's first year in 2010 ishopefully coming to a satisfyingculmination this year for FreeholdTownship.

The Patriots have a whopping 35seniors, many of whom are three-yearvarsity players. It's now or never for aprogram that has only made oneplayoff appearance in its history, andthat was 11 years ago. It will take adramatic improvement coming off a 2-8 season, but the Patriots feel theyhave the experience and ingredients toopen some eyes.

"Clearly, the expectation levelrises,'' D'Antonio said.

"We've only been to the playoffsonce before here, so we're looking tobe that second team,'' said seniordefensive end Manny Maragoto.

The unit that will have to ratchet upits production for that to happen is anoffense that averaged only 8.5 pointsper game last year. This is now thethird year of the triple option underD'Antonio, so there are no more excusesabout grasping the system.

"We're expecting the offense to step it up,''D'Antonio said. "We're putting a lot ofpressure on those guys, especially up front.We expect to turn the corner offensively.''

Senior Dan Bloodgood takes over atquarterback after playing wide receiver lastyear, and senior Taylor Pine gives thePatriots a capable back-up. Senior fullbackShane McGhee is a three-year starter, andsophomore Collin Bitsko could also seesome carries at that spot.

Pine and returning starter Drew Intileheadline a deep group of slotbacks that alsoincludes seniors Justin Albarin and HaydenShapiro along with sophomore Billy Sasso.Senior J.T. Blanco is a returning starter atwide receiver, where junior Jake Dirienzo

and senior Nick Boutote are also expected tomake an impact.

The offensive line returns junior JoshRosario at guard and senior MattKucziemski at tackle while also moving the6-foot-6, 240-pound Maragoto to tackleafter he started on defense last year. SeniorMark Colatrella and junior Alex Mattinawill work for minutes at center, and talentedsophomore Jimmy Purcell steps in at theother guard spot. The Patriots have recruitedsenior Justin Miller, a former soccer player,to be the placekicker, and Bloodgood willhandle the punting.

"I've seen a lot of improvement on the

offense from last year,'' Maragoto said. "Weshould be much better on that side of theball.''

The Patriots have had one of the Shore'smore underrated defenses in recent years.This unit promises to be equally stingy,particularly if they can get more rest if animproved offense can chew up the clock.

The front line of their 3-4 scheme shouldbe tough with senior noseguard HunterGellman returning as a starter, wherehe will be flanked by Maragoto andsenior Brandon Wong. Maragoto had10 sacks as a junior and has gotteninterest from Rutgers, UConn, OldDominion and Monmouth University,according to D'Antonio. Zach Wolfeand Mike Ryslik add depth atnoseguard and defensive end.

Freehold Township also returns All-Division talent Todd Bitsko, a seniorinside linebacker who had 100 tackleslast year. The other inside linebackerspot is still being contested. SeniorMatt Alimena is a returning starter atoutside linebacker, and Shapiro andsenior Sean Koubek give the Patriotsdepth at the other outside spot.

"It's our third year in the system, sowe know what's expected of us,''Bitsko said. "We always play tough

defense, and the goal is to start putting winsunder our belt.''

Blanco and Intile are both returningstarters at cornerback, and Bloodgood andMcGhee give Freehold Township one of thetop safety tandems in Class A North.Sophomore Matt Pine can play corner orsafety and adds depth to the secondary.

"Defensively, we continue to play the waywe play, and with the offense, we look to putit together,'' D'Antonio said.

Now or NeverWri t t e n b y S c o t t S t ump - Manag i n g Ed i t o r

MANNY MARAGOTO (SR., OL/DL)

DAN BLOODGOOD (SR., QB/DB)

SHANE MCGHEE (SR., RB/DB)

TODD BITSKO (SR., LB)

09-07-12 Southern09-14-12 @ Manalapan09-28-12 Marlboro10-05-12 Sayreville10-12-12 @ Middletown South10-19-12 @ Howell10-26-12 Colts Neck11-02-12 Middletown North11-21-12 Freehold Boro

Head Coach:Mike D'Antonio, 3rd seasonCareer Record: 4-16Assistant Coaches: Mike D'Ambrosio (off.coord.); Dan Cooper (OL); Gene Blanco (def.

coord./LB); Dan Shine (DL); Mike Gaeta (DB);

Mike Stoia (RB); Mark Migliori, Brian Glick,

Gerard England (freshman); Cindy Carter

(athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 2-8 (1-4)

RANDOM FACT: Former Freehold Townshipdefensive lineman Matt Hardison wassigned by the New York Jets as anundrafted free agent out of the Universityof Delaware this summer.I M PA C T NEWCOM ER :Jimmy Purcell, So., OL.P I V O T A L G A M E :Sept. 14 at Manalapan

Senior ful lback Shane McGhee

Photos b y: B i l l Normi leb i l lno rmi le. zenfo l io. com


I f Colts Neck is going to grab the playoffspot that was just out of its reach lastseason, it will take a host of newcomersmeshing quickly with a handful of talentedreturners.

The Cougars graduated all but twostarters on defense and all but onelineman on offense, along with record-setting running back Victor Scalici andstarting quarterback Dylan Cottrell. Thatdoes not mean there isn't talentremaining, but Colts Neck will have topatch a lot of the holes it as it moves fromClass B North to Class A North thisseason.

"Our guys need to carry over from thesuccess that team had,'' said head coachGreg LaCava. "Our biggest goal is gettingour inexperienced players to perform atthat level.''

Senior Mike Campbell makes the movefrom wide receiver to replace Cottrell atquarterback in Colts Neck's multiple prooffense. Filling the considerable shoes ofScalici, who ran for a school-record 1,693yards and 20 touchdowns last year, isanother talented back, junior batteringram Anthony Gargiulo. Junior JakeMullaney also could see some carries attailback.

"(Gargiulo) is going to be verysuccessful,'' LaCava said. "He's adifferent type runner than Vic was. He isa bruising, physical runnerthat does have some speed.''

Senior Gio Zefferino willbe at fullback, where hewill be spelled bysenior Nick Nespoli.Campbell has a deepand talented group ofreceivers led by seniorTim Vangelas, who has offers fromColgate, Lafayette and Bucknell andinterest from several other FCS schools.Seniors Nick LoSordo and Lucien

Dellaferra also return after seeing timelast season, and junior Craig Russo givesthe unit some depth. Senior tight endConnor Canonico, a lacrosse star, isanother big target.

"We need to find another receiver to getthe ball to so Timmy will have someopportunities,'' LaCava said. "Ourquarterback can't have tunnel visionthrowing to one receiver.''

"With those other guys it willbe hard for teams to focus onsticking me,'' Vangelas said.

An inexperiencedunit that will need toget up to speed in ahurry is the offensiveline. Senior rightguard FrankLefkowitz is theonly returningstarter. Senior PhilOlson steps in atcenter, senior MikeKapnick is at leftguard and 6-foot-3, 265-pound juniorRyan Wetzel isthe new lefttackle. JuniorsRyan McGowanand Martin Hooperare competing forthe right tacklespot.

"Our offensive line is ourmain issue for us,'' LaCavasaid. "Right now we're very

inexperienced.''

That is also a theme on defense, whereZefferino and Gargiulo are the onlyreturning starters. However, many otherplayers did see time last year, as theCougars had a rotation of 17 to 19 playerson defense in most games.

Senior Ray Garcia and Wetzel willbe at defensive tackle in Colts

Neck's 4-4 scheme, with Hooperand Canonico as the defensiveends. Zefferino anchors themiddle at inside linebacker,where Lefkowitz, senior Mike

Monda and junior MikeVeverka should all be inthe rotation.

Gargiulo, who was animpact player at defensive

end as a sophomore,moves to outside

linebacker. JuniorNick Volpe will beat the other outsidelinebacker spot.

Junior Dylan Campbelland Nespoli are the cornerbacks, andsenior Tom Miller will be the safety.

"We changed from a 50 front to a four-man front because we have more athletic-type linebacker kids than D-linemen rightnow,'' LaCava said. "We're a smallerGroup IV school playing four or fiveGroup V schools this year, and we'removing from a speed type division tomore physical, big kids, so we have toworry about how we execute.''

"It's a brand new scheme and abrand new attitude,'' Zefferino said. "We

are just forgetting about the past andstarting fresh. Of course you want to wina championship, but as far as now we'rejust focusing on our first game.''

Getting up to SpeedWri t t e n b y S c o t t S t ump - Manag i n g Ed i t o r

TIM VANGELAS (SR., WR)

ANTHONY GARGIULO (JR., RB/LB)

GIO ZEFFERINO (SR., RB/LB)

FRANK LEFKOWITZ (SR., OL/LB)

09-08-12 Toms River East09-14-12 @ North Brunswick09-22-12 Marlboro09-29-12 Middletown North10-12-12 @ St. John Vianney10-20-12 Manalapan10-26-12 @ Freehold Twp.11-03-12 Middletown South11-21-12 @ Howell

Head Coach:Greg LaCava, 4th Season (9th overall)

Career Record: 25-56Assistant Coaches: Tom Letson (def.coord./DL); Greg Hope (DB); Sam Kinningham(OL); Chris Cuccia (LB); K.C. Keenan (WR); JohnAndl (QB); Dennis Cotter (DL); Robert Kilmurray(OL); Vince Tesi, Larry Nikola, Kevin Gaul(freshman); Eric Nussbaum (athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 6-4 (4-2)

RANDOM FACT: Junior lineman RyanWetzel is a first cousin of former SanFrancisco 49ers standout tight endEric Johnson, who is currentlyengaged to singer Jessica Simpson.BIG SHOES TO FILL:Anthony Gargiulo, Jr., RB. I M PA C T NEWCOM ER :Ryan Wetzel, Jr., OL/DL. P I V O T A L G A M E :Oct. 20 at home vs. Manalapan.

Senior wideout Tim Vangelas




In his first season last year, St. John Vianneyhead coach Andy Carlstrom said the key tobuilding a successful program was changingthe culture.

He wanted the players to expect to winevery time they stepped on the field. Themessage was not fully understood at first, butafter finishing the season with a 5-5 recordand four straight wins, the goals became a lotclearer.

That late-season surge, which included aThanksgiving win over Central Jersey GroupII champion Matawan, set the tone for theprogram.

"In those last four games, the offense putup big numbers, and the defense startedshutting people down,'' Carlstrom said. "Thestaff set up a high level of expectations. Wetold them we were there to help them getbetter and reach these goals. They slowlydeveloped a trust and started to believe us,and we started to get better. The kids nowexpect big things and are working hard toattain these goals.''

"Winning those last four games reallyhelped us out for this year,'' said senior widereceiver Ishmael Hyman. "We feel confidentcoming into this season. Our senior class went8-1 freshman year, and we're trying to havethat kind of success at this level.''

The offense, which averaged 29.4 pointsper game last season, must find a way toreplace quarterback Anthony Carlucci, whothrew for a school-record 2,405 yards and 24touchdowns to earn ASM third-team All-Shore honors.

This year offensive coordinator Jim Reid ishoping that they can become more balanced.Taking snaps at this time is Bishop Ahrtransfer Billy DeMato, a junior who was atwo-year starter for the Trojans. Also gettingwork is freshman quarterback AnthonyBrown, a highly-touted prospect who was astar in Matawan's Pop Warner system.

"Billy has been doing a really good job,''Hyman said. "We have a young offensive line,

but if they give him time, he canthrow any ball.''

The running game is in goodhands with junior Matt Falco andsenior Chris Colapinto, the latter ofwhom will also start at outsidelinebacker. The offensive linereturns two starters in seniors LoganPasquale (6-foot, 250 pounds) and DrewDiakos (6-4, 240), who will lead a group thathas impressive size. Senior Kevin Steurer (5-11, 245), junior Brandon Furrer (6-2, 300) andsophomore Kyle Gibson (6-4, 310) form therest of an imposing line.

The main target in the Lancers' spreadoffense will be Hyman, one of the top widereceivers in the state. Hyman, who hasdouble-digit scholarship offers between FBSand FCS schools, had 29 catches for 951yards (32.7 ypc) and 10 touchdowns last yearwhile also returning two kickoffs for scores.The main challenge will be finding productivereceivers to make teams pay for double-teaming him.

Last season, senior Anthony Pante had 40catches for a school-record 1,027 yards and12 touchdowns playing on the other side fromHyman. This year it will be seniors NickAnzevino, Steve Callari, Tom Wagner and 6-foot-4 target Garrett Clifton rounding out thereceiving group along with senior SteveRosso, a converted quarterback.

"I have three other good receivers in thestarting lineup, so if they double team me,they will make them pay,'' Hyman said. "Itwill be dumb for a team to double team me.''

In defensive coordinator John Bird's new3-4 scheme, the Lancers return eight playerswho saw plenty of action last year, led byColapinto at outside linebacker, as they try toimprove on a unit that gave up nearly 27points per game. Justin Gille, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound junior, is a prospect to watch who willstart at defensive end along with senior ChrisGreen. St. John Vianney also has a promisingprospect at nosetackle in 6-foot-2, 290-poundsophomore Clay Kemp, a Keyport residentwho transferred from North Jersey power St.Peter's Prep.

Seniors Tom Turi and Eric Gomez bothreturn at inside linebacker, and the otherlinebacker will be sophomore Carlos Teixiera,a 6-foot, 220-pound transfer from Manalapanwho should make an impact. Falco shouldalso be part of the linebacker rotation.

The defensive backfield is deep withreturners in Callari, Wagner, Rosso and seniorJohn Sullivan plus sophomore newcomerLiam Casey.

The Lancers will compete in the newlyaligned Class A Central division, where theywill have to bang heads against rival RedBank Catholic and defending divisionchampion Rumson-Fair Haven. They arelooking to make a run at their first stateplayoff berth since 2006. The Lancers openthe season with Monsignor Donovan,Rumson, Red Bank Catholic and Manasquanin succession, so they will know where theystand quickly.

"Those are four hard games right there,''Hyman said. "We have to prove to everybodythat we're up to the challenge and that we're awinning team that can make it to theplayoffs.''

The staff and players are trying to build aprogram and feel they have a good chance tostart the foundation this year. They realizethat in order to build a program they have todevelop a system where they simply replacegraduating seniors with players who battledthose seniors for positions and now it's theirtime to step in and continue to succeed.

"Last year we said, 'Can we?''' Colapintosaid. "This year we are all saying, 'We can.''

ISHMAEL HYMAN (SR., WR)

CHRIS COLAPINTO (SR., RB/LB)

JUSTIN GILLE (JR., DL)

CHRIS GREEN (SR., DL)

09-07-12 @ Msgr. Donovan09-14-12 Rumson09-21-12 @ Red Bank Cath.09-28-12 Manasquan10-12-12 Colts Neck10-20-12 @ Monmouth10-26-12 Holmdel11-02-12 @ Raritan11-21-12 Matawan

Head Coach:Andy Carlstrom, 2nd Season (5th overall)Career Record: 21-20 Assistant Coaches: John Bird (asst. headcoach/def. coord.); Jim Reid (off. coord./QB);Greg Altmajer (OL); Ed Hernandez (RB); JeffPapcun (WR); Jim Papcun (DB); Ricky Vesce(DL); Rich Lamberson (ILB); Garrett Marron(OLB); Ruthanne Rutledge (athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 5-5 (2-3)

RANDOM FACT: St. John Vianney hasnot won a division t i t le sincewinning Class B North in 1982. BIG SHOES TO FILL:Bi l ly DeMato, Jr. , QB.IMPACT NEWCOMER:Clay Kemp, So. , DL. PIVOTAL GAME:Sept. 14 at home vs. Rumson-FH.

Playoff PushBy Art Gordon - All Shore Media Contributor

Senior wide receiver Ishmael Hyman

Photos b y: B i l l Normi leb i l lno rmi le. zenfo l io. com


Following a second straight season withouta playoff berth, the Raritan players didn'thave to go far to be reminded of theexpectations in Hazlet.

"Even going out doing our fundraisers doorto door, we hear it,'' said senior safety AndrewStenger. "People are like, 'Areguys going to make the playoffsthis year?''

The Rockets have been right inthe hunt for berths the past twoseasons, but several close losseshave doomed them to NJSIAAconsolation games. With a new-look offense and a defensereminiscent of some of the nastyRaritan units of the past, theRockets look to make a run at aspot in their new state bracket,North II Group III, where theywere realigned from CentralJersey Group II. They had reachedthe postseason in 11 of 13 yearsbefore missing out the last twoyears following the graduation ofstars like Bennett Jackson andJesse Raymond.

"That's all we want to do is getback to the playoffs, and I thinkthis year we have the best chancewith the new offense that we'rerunning,'' said senior running backSteve Winetsky.

"We want to get back to theplayoffs,'' said head coachAnthony Petruzzi. "I think we'rebetter than last year, and I'mconfident the kids are going to compete.''

A healthy Winetsky would go a long waytoward achieving that goal. He played all oflast season with a broken left wrist, whichhindered his ability to protect the ball becausehe is a natural lefty. He has missed some timein the preseason with turf toe, but is expected tobe ready to go after showing great promisewhen he was healthy as a sophomore.

"I've worked hard in the offseason,'' he said."I've gotten my squat and bench up and justtried to prepare myself.''

The Rockets are going to more of a spreadlook to take advantage of some speedy skill

players after averaging 17 points per game lastyear. Senior C.J. Pulcine, the catcher on thebaseball team, takes over as the startingquarterback, with Winetsky at tailback. Twoversatile players will be junior Jared Collinsand senior Dom Guida, who will line up atwideout and also take handoffs out of certainformations.

"We have all of our athletes moving aroundmore than they have been,'' Winetsky said. "Wehave a lot of plays that no one has ever seenfrom Raritan.''

Senior Jordan Joaquin returns as Raritan'smost productive receiver from last year. Twoother wideouts expected to see time are seniorRyan O'Connor and junior James Wines.

The offensive line returns four starters, with315-pound senior Matt Kolbert at center, juniorErik Friedman and senior Pat Thorpe at theguard spots, and senior Matt Beslanovitz attackle. Pat Toal, a 275-pound junior, will manthe other tackle spot. He is the Rockets' bestoffensive lineman, according to Petruzzi, but

was kept on defense as a sophomore to keephim fresh. Pulcine will handle the kickingduties, and junior Francisco Cordiero will bethe punter.

The Rockets will have some depth up fronton defense in their 4-3 scheme, with a rotationof Toal, Beslanovitz, and seniors Christian

Cruz and Kevin Noble at defensivetackle. Senior Rob Cowan, juniorConnor Sheehan and senior PeteBurtone will be the defensive ends.

Talented junior Tyler Jones is areturning starter at middle linebackerand the vocal leader of the defense.The two outside linebackers will bejuniors Vinny Caporrino and MikePorpora. Senior Nick Pasquenza is areturning starter at cornerback, andGuida and senior Eric Mojica willsee time at the other cornerback spot.Stenger, a senior captain, is at onesafety spot, with junior Luke Wernerand sophomore Colby Jones battlingfor the other starting safety position.

Raritan will find out where itstands early on with a brutal four-game stretch to start the season. TheRockets open with defending CentralJersey Group III champion Neptune,then face perennial playoff teamCarteret, followed by anotherperennial playoff team, Manasquan,and then Red Bank Catholic, whichfinished No. 1 in the ShoreConference last year.

"We're going to go into every gameas the underdog and people are goingto underestimate us, but we'll beready,'' Stenger said.

"We are really excited for the challenge,''Tyler Jones said. "You want to face the best.''

The hope is to still be playing meaningfulgames in November for the first time since2009 and avoid becoming the first Raritan teamto miss the playoffs for three straight seasonssince 1994-96.

"I don't necessarily feel pressure for that,''Petruzzi said. "We've been doing the littlethings and building a strong foundation thatwill hopefully pay dividends sooner rather thanlater.''

A Return to TraditionBy S c o t t S t ump Manag i n g Ed i t o r

ANDREW STENGER (SR., DB)

STEVE WINETSKY (SR., RB)

TYLER JONES (JR., LB)

PAT TOAL (JR., OL/DL)

09-08-12 @ Neptune09-14-12 Carteret09-22-12 @ Manasquan09-28-12 Red Bank Cath.10-06-12 @ Monmouth10-12-12 @ Rumson10-19-12 Colonia11-02-12 St. John Vianney11-22-12 Holmdel

Head Coach:Anthony Petruzzi, 3rd season

Career Record: 10-10Assistant Coachs:John Principe (def. coord.); John Oxley (DB);Keith Rescorl (DL); Mike Nunes (WR); A.J. Roque(QB); David Ernst (RB); George Gibson (OL); JeffStruble (asst.); Kyle Thomas (asst.); MattDempsey, Joseph Schroeck, Chris Raitano,Nicholas Sparacello, Michael Thaner (freshman);Amanda Stump (athletic trainer)

2011 Record: 4-6 (2-3)

RANDOM FACT: Raritan has never wona game on Manasquan's home field.The Rockets travel to Vic KubuWarrior Field this year.BIG SHOES TO FILL: Dom Guida, Sr. , WR/RB.

IMPACT NEWCOMER:Jared Co l l ins , Jr. , WR.

PIVOTAL GAME:Sept. 22 at Manasquan


F O R A D V E R T I S I N G I N F O RMA T I O NC o n t a c t : S t e v e n M e y e r 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0 sm e y e r@ a l l s h o r eme d i a . c om

Junior linebacker Tyler Jones



N ow that a turbulent anddisappointing 2011 season is inthe rearview mirror, Holmdel is hopingthat a fresh start means a run at a stateplayoff berth against a challengingschedule this fall.

Only days before Holmdel'sThanksgiving game against Raritan lastyear, starting quarterback Matt Muh, asophomore, transferred to ShoreRegional. The Hornets had built theirentire spread offense around him as theirquarterback of the future. This was aftersophomore lineman Quenton Nelson, amajor FBS prospect, transferred to RedBank Catholic in the preseason. It wasall part of a frustrating 1-9 season.

"Last year we had some suspensions, we had(Muh) leaving, Quenton (Nelson) leaving, butthis offseason we've been a tight-knit team,''said senior quarterback Robbie Cantelli."There's been no drama.''

"We've grown a lot as a team,'' said seniorlinebacker Brett Lambert. "When (Muh) left,we barely talked about it and just moved on.We had a great offseason, and we're looking tohave a great year and make the playoffs.''

The Hornets have scrapped the spreadoffense and gone back to the Navy-style tripleoption attack that they employed in 2010 whenCantelli's older brother, Mike, was thequarterback. In similar fashion, head coachFrank Papalia has moved Robbie Cantelli fromrunning back to the quarterback spot in anoffense that takes advantage of his runningability.

"It's my first time ever doing it so I have toget used to my reads and what to look for in thedefense, but it's coming along,'' Cantelli said.

"We feel we have an offense that fits ourdefense, because we look to kill the clock andput the ball in our two best kids' hands,'' Papaliasaid.

The other player Papalia is referring to is

sophomore fullback Frank Condito, apunishing 200-pounder who was one of the topfreshman players in the Shore Conference lastyear.

"We expect Frankie to be an impact playeron both sides of the ball,'' Papalia said. "He andCantelli are real humble kids. They are the twohardest-working kids on our team. Both ofthem can make plays, so we're hoping the twoof them can raise the level of everyone aroundthem.''

Joining Condito in the backfield will bejunior slotbacks Matt Dixon and MarkScherzer, who both saw time last year. Thewide receivers will be a pair of newcomers,sophomore Jeff Harris and senior Josh Gayner.

"We turned the ball over a tremendousamount of times last year,'' Papalia said. "Onething we've really stressed this year isprotecting the football.''

On the offensive line, senior tackle FrankDeLucia leads the way as a returning starter.Junior Kevin Brady will start at center, andsenior Kyle Kameika, who saw time last year,is at the other tackle spot. Senior Jack "RootBeer'' Wheeler will start at one guard spot, withLambert and senior Brandon Gross working inat the other guard spot. The Hornets are stillsearching for a placekicker, and Condito will

handle the punting.

Lambert looks to be one of the ShoreConference's best at his middlelinebacker spot in Holmdel's 4-3defense. Condito will be at outsidelinebacker after starting as a freshman,and senior John Dascione is at the otheroutside linebacker spot. Trying to keepblockers off that group will be the frontline of Brady and junior Sam Avellino atdefensive tackle and DeLucia and seniornewcomer Ryan Maddox at defensiveend.

"Defense is what we preach here atHolmdel,'' Lambert said. "My goal is tolead the Shore in defense, and I think wecan do that with a good and experiencedgroup of guys.''

The secondary returns two starters, Cantelliat cornerback and Scherzer at safety. Dixonwill be the other safety, while senior EvanWong will man the other cornerback spot.

Just like last season, depth is a concern withseveral players going both ways. The Hornets'record was somewhat deceiving because theywere in dogfights with several top teams beforefading in the second half of games last year.

"I think last year it came down to us having alack of numbers sometimes,'' Cantelli said. "Wewould be in the game for the first half, up 14-12 or down 7-6 or something like that, and wewould lose steam because a lot of guys wentboth ways. This year we have more experience,and we have more players stepping up.''

Six of the nine teams on Holmdel's schedulemade the playoffs last year, so a trip to thepostseason will require a big leap forward fromlast season.

"That's how it's supposed to be,'' Cantellisaid. "You're supposed to beat the best teams ifyou want to be the best. We like the challenge.''

Starting FreshBy S c o t t S t ump Manag i n g Ed i t o r

ROB CANTELLI (SR., QB/DB)

BRETT LAMBERT (SR., OL/LB)

FRANK CONDITO (SO., RB/LB)

MARK SCHERZER (JR., RB/DB)

09-07-12 Barnegat09-14-12 @ Middlesex09-21-12 @ Rumson09-28-12 Monmouth10-05-12 Shore10-12-12 Red Bank Cath.10-19-12 Manasquan10-26-12 @ St. John Vianney11-22-12 @ Raritan

Head Coach:Frank Papalia, 4th SeasonCareer Record: 7-23Assistant Coaches: Rick Haupt (asst.head coach/off. coord.); Bill Beining (assoc.head coach/QB); Joe Zaccone (spec.teams/strength & conditioning/WR/DB); ScottCannon (spec. teams/DL); Ken Kapler (DB/WR);Gary Foulks, Colin Hart (freshman); Mark Haupt(video coord.); Makenzie Atherton, ShannonDavis (athletic trainers).

2011 Record: 1-9 (0-5)

RANDOM FACT: Holmdel's only appearancein a state final came in 1991, when theHornets lost 28-13 to Manasquan in theCentral Jersey Group II championship.BIG SHOES TO FILL:Jack Wheeler, Sr., OL.I M PA C T NEWCOM ER :Jeff Harris, So., WR.P I V O T A L G A M E :Oct. 5 at home vs. Shore Regional

Senior quarterback Rob Cantel l i


F O R A D V E R T I S I N G I N F O RMA T I O NC o n t a c t : S t e v e n M e y e r 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 60 sm e y e r @ a l l s h o r eme d i a . c o m

The good news for Monmouth Regional inthe wake of a 1-9 season is that the overallparticipation numbers are up and the Falconsreturn a talented player at one of the mostimportant positions on the field.

Senior quarterback Jeff Farrah isback to run the spread offense out ofthe shotgun for the Falcons, and hispresence alone is enough to givethem a chance to take a step forwardthis year. Moving from Class B Northto A Central this year, they will needa dramatic increase in offensiveproduction after averaging 8.5 pointsper game last year.

"The quarterback position is setwith Jeff, who is probably one of thebest that ever came through theschool,'' said second-year head coachJason Morrell. "Plus our skill guysare talented. He's got more weapons,and everybody overall is morecomfortable in the second year.''

"I feel stronger, I feel faster, I feelsmarter,'' Farrah said. "I just feel morecomfortable.''

Junior Mike Reardon takes over asthe starting tailback after seeing timelast season, and junior Azavia Gibsonwill also see some carries out of thatspot. Junior Dylan Brown is areturning starter at fullback.

Farrah's most experienced target issenior returner Jose Suarez at wide receiver,and he will be joined by seniors SeanSanderson and De'von Lockley. Anotherplaymaker in the passing game is returningstarter Sheldon McCue at tight end. He willalso handle the placekicking and punting.

"Sheldon looks great,'' Farrah said. "Hebroke the school squat record and has gottenhimself ready for a big season.''

Senior center Alec Guarino is the lonereturning starter on the offensive line, andjuniors Joe Pietz and Abe Alsoub will take overat the tackle spots. Junior Jalen Ramsey is anewcomer at one guard spot, and the other oneis still being contested.

The offense started to come on at the end oflast season, scoring 33 points in a win overEwing in an NJSIAA consolation game andthen 26 in a hard-fought loss to Ocean onThanksgiving.

"We came into the offseason with a lot ofconfidence,'' Morrell said. "Our numbers areback up in the 50s, and it's been a veryproductive and busy offseason. The kids are

excited, and we're starting to build somedepth.''

"Last year was a hard season,'' Farrah said."Brand new program, brand new head coach.We were just catching a groove at the end andhopefully that will carry over to this year.''

Defensively, the Falcons havereturners at all three levels of their 4-3 scheme. McCue and senior LydellWilson are returning starters atdefensive end. Guarino, Pietz andsophomores Mike Thomas and LiamKennedy make up the rotation atdefensive tackle.

Senior Nigel Fitzgerald is areturning starter at outsidelinebacker, which is the only one ofthe three linebacker spots that is setright now. Brown is a returningstarter at strong safety, and juniorKalil Thomas will be at the othersafety spot. Suarez will be one of thecornerbacks, and the other spot isstill up for grabs.

Now in Class A Central,Monmouth will have to deal withRed Bank Catholic, Manasquan,Rumson-Fair Haven and others, butit is used to having a difficultschedule.

"We're not the team we were lastyear,'' Farrah said. "We're definitelya more developed program.''

"I don't think we're in any positioncoming off a 1-9 season to be saying, 'Let's getto the playoffs and make a state title run,'''Morrell said. "Let's win Game One and gofrom there.''

JEFF FARRAH (SR., QB)

SHELDON MCCUE (SR., TE/DL/K)

DYLAN BROWN (JR., RB/DB)

JOSE SUAREZ (SR., WR/DB)

09-08-12 Pt. Pleasant Boro09-15-12 @ Long Branch09-28-12 @ Holmdel10-06-12 Raritan10-13-12 @ Manasquan10-20-12 St. John Vianney10-27-12 Rumson11-02-12 @ Red Bank Cath.11-22-12 @ Ocean Twp.

Head Coach:Jason Morrell, 2ND season

Career Record: 1-9Assistant Coaches: Rich Mosca (def.coord.); Jason McQuay (TE/LB); DaveFleming (QB); Dan Wendel (spec.teams/WR/DL); Rick Farrah (QB/LB); JoeNappi, Joe Yglesias (freshman); Lee-annPearce (athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 1-9 (0-5)

RANDOM FACT: New assistant coachJason McQuay is a former Monmouthstar who played linebacker at UTEP.BIG SHOES TO FILL:Joe Pietz, Jr., OL. IMPACT NEWCOMER:Liam Kennedy, So., DL. PIVOTAL GAME:Sept. 8 at home vs. Point Boro.

Building a FoundationBy S c o t t S t ump Manag i n g Ed i t o r


Senior quarterback Jeff Farrah

Pho tos by : Dav id Tho rnewww.davetho rnephotography.com



A t the conclusion of last season, Rumson-Fair Haven got a bitter taste of its ownmedicine.The Bulldogs entered the Central Jersey Group IIchampionship game as the heavy favorites, butwere upset, 3-0, by the same Matawan team thatthey shocked the year before to win the school'sfirst sectional title.

Not only are they trying to redeem themselvesafter being shut out in their final two games, theymust also weather the loss of the program's bestsenior class in recent memory that helped set aschool record with 10 wins.

"We know whatit's like to beon both endsof thespectrum,having won(the statefinal) in

2010 andthen coming

up short lastyear," said headcoach ShaneFallon, whoenters theupcomingcampaign onewin shy of 100in his career. "Ireally felt bad

for our seniorsbecause they won

a lot of footballgames for us, and it

was a tough way forthem to go out.""It helped fire everyone up

during the course of the

offseason," said senior linebacker Travis Clark,who led the team in tackles with 124 as a juniorlast fall, good enough for ASM third-team All-Shore honors.

Clark has been getting heavy interest fromMonmouth University and Wagner out of theNortheast Conference, as well as Princeton, theUniversity of Pennsylvania and Bucknell.

Defensively, the Bulldogs' 4-3 set has to fill a hugevoid left by all four members of a monster defensiveline that included Class A Central Defensive Player ofthe Year Jack Eisenstadt, now at Monmouth. SeniorsDanny Wojciehowski and Andrew Brunetto, afterspending most of last season solely on the offensiveline, may see time on the defensive line.

Six-foot-four junior Donald Bedell got someexperience as a backup defensive end as asophomore and will add size to the front line, andsenior John Greeley will be a starter at defensivetackle. Junior Connor Phillips has shown promiseat defensive end, and junior Kevin Clayton isanother who should see time in the rotation atdefensive end.

Clark, a three-year starter, should be one of theShore's best at middle linebacker, and junior J.T.Jennings is a returning starter at outsidelinebacker. Those two each had a team-high eighttackles in the title game loss. Junior ThomasMartello will step in as the other outsidelinebacker.

The secondary also graduated four starters, butreturns a solid, senior-laden group. Addison Nittoand senior Michael Clarke will occupy thecornerback positions. Davis Nitto, Addison'sbrother, started most of last season at linebacker

before a bout of mononucleosis kept him outof the postseason. He'll be making theswitch to safety and will start alongside

junior Chris Hubler. Walsh will rotatein at cornerback and safety.

"I think we've been looking good,"Clark said about the defense."We've still got some things towork on, but it's early."

"I'm excited - it's going to be agreat year," said Jennings abouthis bigger role this time around."We're going to bring a lot ofenergy."

Senior quarterbackDanny Robertowill lead a spread

offense after he accounted for 1,594 passing yardsand nine touchdowns while also being named tothe ASM third team a year ago. He's been gettingstrong interest from the University of NewHampshire, where his older brother Mike played,as well as a handful of NEC programs. Hisconfidence is even higher after his first season asthe starting signal-caller.

"The whole game just slows down," Robertosaid. "We've only had one scrimmage, but wheneveryone matures, the mentality of the whole teamchanges."

Roberto plans to go from taking snaps out of theshotgun to playing under center a lot more. He willhave a strong 1-2 punch at tailback in Clark andWalsh. The offensive line, while forced to replacestandout tackle Matt Jewett, returns Wojciehowskiand Brunetto as the starting guards. SeniorsGunnar Tilly and Henry Rosenberg are back atcenter and tight end, respectively.

The coaching staff has been encouragingcompetition in the preseason, especially at widereceiver, where senior John Ryan will provideleadership for a young group of wideouts. JakeD'Amelio, a junior, will handle the kicking andpunting duties.

"I've just been putting the ball where it needs tobe so we'll see how it all works out," Roberto said."A lot of guys have been stepping up."

Despite losing over half of its starters,"rebuilding" is not in Rumson's vocabulary. Thesideline will once again be fairly crowded, as theBulldogs roster is a whopping 81 names long,something very unusual for a Group II school.

"It's huge," Fallon said about the advantage thatcomes with the participation numbers. "The PopWarner (now American Youth Football) programhas been a great pipeline of talent for us."

Despite its recent success, Rumson's staff doesnot force a system on the players, but evaluates thepersonnel and molds a system around them.

"Every group that we have is special," Fallonsaid. "We're used to making our system fit thetalents of our players rather than make our playersfit the system. Most of (our coaches) are teachers,and they're used to doing the same thing withstudents in the classroom.

"With that being said, we now expect to make itto that final weekend year-in and year-out becausethat's the standard we've set for ourselves andthat's what's expected of us."

Road to RedemptionBy J ohn G i bn e y - A l l S h o re Med i a Con t r i bu t o r

DANNY ROBERTO (SR., QB)

TRAVIS CLARK (SR., RB/LB)

CONOR WALSH (SR., RB/DB)

ANDREW BRUNETTO (SR., OL/DL)

09-07-12 Shore09-14-12 @ St. John Vianney09-21-12 Holmdel09-28-12 @ Red Bank10-12-12 Raritan10-19-12 Msgr. Donovan10-27-12 @ Monmouth11-03-12 @ Manasquan11-21-12 Red Bank Cath.

RANDOM FACT: Head coach Shane Falloncould potentially get his 100th careervictory in the season opener against ShoreRegional, the same team he beat for hisfirst win back in 1998. BIG SHOES TO FILL: Conor Walsh, Sr., RB. IMPACT NEWCOMER:Thomas Martello, Jr., OLB. PIVOTAL GAME:At Manasquan, Nov. 3.

Senior QB Danny RobertoPhotos b y: B i l l Normi le

b i l lno rmi le. zenfo l io. com

Head Coach:Shane Fallon, 15th SeasonCareer Record: 99-48 Assistant Coaches: John Corneliusen(off. coord./QB); Jerry Schulte (def. coord./LB);Jeremy Schulte (DL); Bryan Batchler (DB/spec.teams); Bill Lagrotteria (DL); Joe Murphy (OL);Rob Orrok (RB); Joe Passo (WR); Jerry Gagliano,Jason Lippart, Chris Quinn, John Bellevance(freshman); Alex Stein (athletic trainer).

2011 Record: 10-2 (5-0)



As the participation numbers swell and the talentpipeline gushes, Red Bank Catholic has set itssights on more than just Shore Conferencedominance.

"We're not looking for just No. 1 in the ShoreConference anymore,'' said senior defensive endRichie Curran. "We want more than that. We want tobe one of the top teams in the state.''

In finishing No. 1 in the All Shore Media Top 10last year, the Caseys also showed they can rumblewith some of the North Jersey powers in Non-PublicGroup III, beating perennial playoff team Pope JohnXXIII and then taking Delbarton to double overtimebefore falling in the semifinals. St. Joseph-Montvalestill lurks as the 800-pound gorilla in the bracket, butbeing able to compete on that level is something theCaseys have been working diligently toward.

"We're no different than anybody else,'' saidhead coach Jim Portela. "We want to win astate championship just like any other team. Itwas great to win a playoff game last yearand great to get close (to the final),but that's not our goal. Our goalis to finish the whole deal. It'seasier said than done, but we'reworking at it.''

"Last year was reallydisappointing at the end,'' saidsenior two-way lineman JoshKlecko. "I've never felt like thatbefore in my life. I've never beenhungrier in my life to come backand win states.''

The Caseys finished ranked No.1 in the Shore for the second timein five years and won their fourthdivision title in five seasons on theirway to a school-record 10 wins lastseason. While they lost some ofthe Shore Conference's top talentto graduation, reinforcements areon the way to help them attemptto improve on last year's record-setting season as they move fromClass B North to Class ACentral. RBC is still in searchof its first berth in a state finalsince 1980 and its first state titlesince 1976.

"To be that close (to a statechampionship) and not get it makesyou want it that much more,'' saidsenior wide receiver/defensive backJames Taylor. "We learned a lot from

last year's seniors, so we have a good idea of what ittakes to get it there.''

RBC has become known for a physical offensiveline and a punishing running game that has produceda 1,000-yard rusher for nine straight years, and thisseason should be no different after avera

Documents

All Shore Media High School Sports 9-6-12 Issue - 15 - Volume IV