All Shore Media Winter Previvew 12-19-11 Volume III Issue-22

December 19, 2011 I Issue-22December 19, 2011 I Issue-22

ASM DivisionalPicks

ASM Top 10

Boys BasketballFeature Story

Girls BasketballFeature Story

WrestlingFeature Story

Boys BasketballDivisional Previews

Girls BasketballDivisional Previews

Wrestling DivisionPreviews

Hockey Update

ASM FootballAll-ConferenceTeams

School Directions

ASM DivisionalPicks

ASM Top 10







Hockey Update


School Directions

ASM DivisionalPicks

ASM Top 10







Hockey Update


School Directions

Cover Illustration by: Philip SloanCover Illustration by: Philip SloanCover Illustration by: Philip Sloan

A multimedia company that providesexciting and innovative coverage to high school athletics

in the Shore Conference in order to highlight the achievementsof local athletes in one of the premier conferences in New Jersey.

Whether its the star of the team or the last player off the bench, everyonehas a story and it is our mission to recognize as many athletes as possible and add

to the memories for all of the families, coaches, friends and fans who support ShoreConference sports. Whether in print or on the Web, All Shore Mediais your main source for all things exciting in the Shore Conference.

All Shore Media Web Site FeaturesLog on to www.allshoremedia.com regularly to getvideo highlights of all the important games that Shore Conferencefans will be talking about. Catch up on the action you might havemissed and watch video clips of everything from the action earlyin the event to the big finish as well as video interviews withvarious athletes. If you cant make it to the game, well bring thegame to you, and if you were at the game and want to relive theexcitement, www.allshoremedia.com is all you needto get inside the action.

StevenMeyerDirector/CEO/[email protected] 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

ScottStumpDirector/Managing [email protected]

Senior Content ProvidersBobBadders // [email protected] // [email protected]

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Decemberr 19, 2011 I Issue-22

All Shore Media is proud to announce thatit has partnered with a North Jersey group toexpand its type of coverage into NorthwestJersey Athletic Conference, this fall.

The All Sports Media Northern Review,a newspaper in the mold of the All ShoreMedia bi-weekly paper, will make its

debut inSeptember. Thefree, advertiser-supported paperwill coverscholastic sportsat all of theschools in theNorthwestJersey AthleticConference,which consistsof schools fromMorris Countyand a handful ofteams in Sussexand Warrencounties.

We're hopingit will be as biga success as the

All Shore Media Shore Conference program,and the early returns are promising, saidPaul Mencher, who will be the lead writerand editor of the new paper. People seemexcited about it, and advertisers are excitedabout it. Its something different than whatexists up here.

Theres a lot of interest in highschool sports in the NorthwestJersey Athletic Conference, and Ithink that people will be interestedin having a new resource.

The partnership also broadens the scope ofAll Shore Medias coverage to include apresence in North Jersey.

We're excited about expandingour niche in the market and theway we cover sports, said AllShore Media Director/CEO SteveMeyer. We're excited to starthere with the objective that wewant to expand to other parts ofthe state as well. This is the firststep in our expansion.

www.asmnorth.com

All Shore Media Expandinginto North Jersey

2012 Winter Preview V o l um e - I I I I s s u e - 2 2 www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 3

Table of ContentsASM DivisionalPredictions...............................................Page 4

Boys BasketballDivisional Previews..........Pages 6 thru 18

Wrestling DivisionalPreviews.......................................Pages 19 thru 22

Boys & GirlsBasketball Feature................Pages 24 - 25

Wrestling Divisional Previews (cont)...........................Pages 26 thru 31

Wrestling Feature...........................Pages 29

Girls BasketballDivisional Previews..........Pages 32 thru 42

All Shore MediaAll-Conference FootballTeams.......................................................Pages 43-44

Ice Hockey Update.........................Pages 45

Ocean County School Directions............................Pages 46

Monmouth County School Directions............................Pages 47

Boys Basketball 1. Neptune2. Asbury Park3. Middletown North 4. CBA5. Colts Neck6. Jackson Memorial 7. Raritan8. Lakewood9. Point Boro10. Manalapan

Teams to watch:Freehold Township, St.Rose, Manasquan, Lacey,Rumson, TRN, Holmdel

Girls Basketball 1. Manasquan2. St. Rose3. Point Boro4. St. John Vianney5. Red Bank Catholic6. Jackson Memorial7. Neptune8. Rumson-Fair Haven9. Middletown South10. Central

Teams to watch:Holmdel, Freehold, ColtsNeck, Freehold Township

Team to watch:Jackson Liberty

Wrestling1. Jackson Memorial2. Brick Memorial3. Southern4. Howell5. Toms River South

6. Ocean7. Raritan8. CBA9. Long Branch10. Brick Township

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

Class A NorthMiddletown NorthCBAManalapanFreehold TownshipMiddletown SouthHowellMarlboro

Class A CentralRaritanRumson-FHHolmdelMatawanShore RegionalRed BankSt. John Vianney

Class A SouthJackson MemorialToms River NorthSouthernBrick Memorial Toms River SouthToms River East

Class B NorthNeptuneColts NeckFreeholdOceanLong BranchMonmouthRed Bank Catholic

Class B CentralAsbury ParkSt. RosePoint BeachKeyportKeansburgMater Dei PrepHenry Hudson

Class B SouthManchesterBarnegatLacey Central BrickPinelands

Class C CentralLakewoodPoint BoroManasquanMsgr. DonovanWallJackson Liberty

BOYS BASKETBALL (In predicted order of finish)

Class A NorthHowellCBAMiddletown SouthMarlboro Freehold TownshipManalapanMiddletown North

Class A CentralRaritanSt. John VianneyMatawanRed BankShore HolmdelRumson-FH

Class A SouthJackson MemorialBrick MemorialSouthernToms River SouthToms River EastToms River North

Class B NorthOceanLong BranchMonmouth NeptuneColts NeckFreeholdRed Bank Catholic

Class B CentralPoint BeachKeansburgSt. RoseKeyportAsbury Park

Class B SouthBrickCentralManchesterBarnegatLaceyPinelands

Class C CentralJackson LibertyPoint BoroWallMsgr. DonovanManasquanLakewood

WRESTLING (In predicted order of finish)

Class A NorthMiddletown SouthFreehold TownshipManalapanHowell Marlboro Middletown North

Class A CentralSt. John VianneyRumson-FHHolmdelRed BankRaritanMatawanShore Regional

Class A SouthJackson MemorialToms River EastToms River NorthSouthern Brick MemorialToms River South

Class B NorthRed Bank CatholicNeptuneColts NeckFreeholdMonmouthOcean Long Branch

Class B CentralSt. RoseMater Dei PrepKeyport Point BeachAsbury ParkHenry Hudson

Class B SouthCentralPinelandsLacey ManchesterBrickBarnegat

Class C CentralManasquanPoint BoroMsgr. DonovanWall Jackson LibertyLakewood

GIRLS BASKETBALL (In predicted order of finish)

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

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 5

FOR EXTENDED TEAM PREVIEWS & INFO GO TO WWW.ALLSHOREMEDIA.COM


Brandon McDonnell, Sr., F/C, Jackson Mem.A three-year starter, McDonnell is a 6-7 matchupnightmare because he can step out and hit up to 22feet. He has offers from Navy, New Hampshire andDivision II Stonehill and also has interest fromDavidson, Lafayette, Dartmouth, Siena, Colgate andUMass-Lowell.

Brian Kenny, Sr., G, Jackson MemorialA four-year varsity player, Kenny starred for Colts Neckat point guard before transferring to Jackson. At 6-4, hehas good size for a point guard and can dunk witheither hand, so he has solid athleticism. He has an offerfrom Caldwell College and other Division II interest aswell as Ivy League interest.

Mike Gesicki, So., G/F, SouthernA tremendous all-around athlete, at 6-6 he also is afootball and volleyball star. He started generatingDivision I looks in basketball as a freshman, and is atough wing player with good shooting range who is adifficult matchup for any team.

Alex Levchenko, Sr., G, Toms River NorthOne of the more improved players in the division,Levchenko is a solid shooter and scorer who will beleader on a Toms River North squad looking for abreakthrough season.

Vince Lombardi, Sr., G, Brick MemorialOne of the top point guards in the Shore lastseason as far as dishing out assists, Lombardiwill quarterback a guard-heavy Brick Memorialoffense.

Zach Ligouri, Sr., F, Toms River SouthLigouri has the brute strength to overpower mostforwards and also has enough finesse to step outand hit mid-range shots.

Solly Stansbury, Jr., F, TRNBrandon Holup, Sr., F, Jackson Mem.T.J. Bellissimo, Sr., G, SouthernElijah Dupree, Sr., G, TRSJoe Funicelli, Sr., G, TRERyan Cieplinski, Jr., G, Brick Mem.

For the first time in history last winter,Jackson Memorial won A South titlesin boys basketball, girls basketball andwrestling in the same season.

The Favorites:Jackson Memorial is the defending

champion and is a heavy favorite torepeat after going unbeaten in thedivision last season. With the addition ofstandout point guard Brian Kenny to analready talented group led by seniorswingman Brandon McDonnell, theJaguars have the talent to make a run at

their first Central Jersey Group IV titleafter reaching the final last season. Theyalso could be the first Class A Southteam to make noise in the ShoreConference Tournament in the last six orseven years.

Southern has sophomore stud MikeGesicki leading the way, while TomsRiver North looks to be dangerous with anew coach, some good returning guardsand big man Bill Wrightson, and somekey additions. Brick Memorial is alwayssolid but may be a little undersized in adivision with some tough matchups inthe paint and on the wing. Toms RiverSouth and Toms River East look to makestrides in the division after finishing atthe bottom of the standings last season.

(In predicted order of finish)

JACKSON MEMORIAL Head Coach: Joe Fagan, 4th season Last Year's Record: 21-9 (10-0)

The Jaguars went unbeaten in thedivision last season and is the heavyfavorite to do it again with almosteveryone back and the addition of ColtsNeck transfer Brian Kenny at pointguard. Senior Brandon McDonnell is a 6-7 Division I recruit and a three-yearstarter, 6-5 senior Brandon Holup is areturning starter, and senior point guardElliot Bell is a four-year varsity player.This is also one of the biggest teams inthe Shore, as Kenny, Holup, McDonnell,senior Anthony Skwiat and sophomorecenter Eric Carter (6-8) are all at least 6-3. This team has size, experience,scoring and defense in addition to a goodcoaching staff, so this is the highest thepreseason expectations have been inyears at Jackson.

TOMS RIVER NORTHHead Coach: Rory Caswell, 1st seasonLast Year's Record: 8-15 (4-6)

The Mariners have generated somepreseason buzz with new head coach RoryCaswell and a stable of talent that includessenior guard Alex Levchenko, 6-9 seniorBill Wrightson, veterans in Sean Martinand Karl Blum, speed in the backcourt inDamian Singleton and Kyle Carrington,and an intriguing newcomer in 6-6 juniorSolly Stansbury, a transfer from Delawarewho is the son of former Temple star andIndiana Pacers guard Terence Stansbury. Ifthis team can get acclimated to the newcoach and his system and get on the samepage quickly, the Mariners could be a thornin Jackson Memorials side this season.

The Contenders:SOUTHERNHead Coach: Eric Fierro, 2nd seasonLast Year's Record: 9-16 (5-5)

Sophomore Mike Gesicki is poised tomake the leap from a very talentedfreshman to one of the top five or sixplayers in the Shore Conference to leadSouthern. The 6-6 wing player hasexplosive leaping ability and 3-point rangeand has already drawn Division I interest.Senior point guard T.J. Bellissimo is asteady returner at point guard who starredfor the football team at running back, andsenior Zach Policastro is another returning

starter. Other teams may be a little deeperthan the Rams, but Gesicki is capable ofhaving a huge season in this division.

BRICK MEMORIALHead Coach: Ed Sarluca, 6th seasonLast Year's Record: 12-11 (5-5)

This team is always competitive undercoach Ed Sarluca and looks to once againbe in the mix in A South thanks to a veteranbackcourt led by seniors Vince Lombardiand Justin Oakley. Junior guard RyanCieplinski, who starred as the quarterbackon the football team, also should be a keycontributor. The main issue is finding solidfrontcourt play to compete with teams likeJackson Memorial and Toms River Norththat will have a size advantage.

TOMS RIVER SOUTHHead Coach: John MacIntosh, 7thseasonLast Year's Record: 10-12 (3-7)

Senior Zach Ligouri starred as afullback/linebacker on the Toms RiverSouth football team and is a physicalpresence at forward with the ability to stepaway and knock down mid-range jumpers.Elijah Dupree has good quickness andshould be one of the better guards in thedivision. The main issue is experience, asthe Indians will be breaking several newplayers into the lineup who will have to getup to speed quickly to keep up in thisdivision.

TOMS RIVER EASTHead Coach: Mike Konopka, 3rdseasonLast Year's Record: 5-17 (3-7)

The Raiders can only improve on lastseason after a tough campaign. They havesome good athletes, most of whom areknown for their work in other sports likeseniors Joe Funicelli and Mario Steriti, twotop football players, along with senior MattWedding, a baseball standout. They havegood experience in the backcourt, so it willbe a question of developing a balancedoffensive attack with some frontcourtscoring.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

BREAKOUTPLAYERS TO WATCH

KEY FACT

By Scott Stump - Managing Editor

Jackson Mem. Sr. BrandonHolup & Sr. Brandon McDonnell



Jason Huelbig, Sr., G, Middletown North:Committed to Division II Assumption College, Huelbig isan athletic wing player with 3-point range who shouldbe one of the better scorers in the Shore Conference.

Eric Youncofski, Sr., PG, Middletown NorthHe led the Shore Conference with 7.5 assists per gameas a junior. Very quick off the dribble and a gooddecision-maker, he is the key to making everything gofor the Lions.

Tom Aldridge, Jr., PG, CBAPlayed in some huge games as a sophomore and didnot shy away from the pressure, leading many tobelieve he is the next star at CBA. Last season he wasmainly a distributor, but the Colts will need him to help inthe scoring department with the departure of MattMcMullen and J.P. Koury.

Eric Shaw, Sr., F, CBAOne of the top 3-point shooters in the Shore, Shaw isout to show that he can also put it on the floor and getto the rim this season. He will have to increase hisscoring output after being a complementary player inorder for CBA to continue its winning ways.

Anthony Firkser, Jr., G, Manalapan: One of the top three or four returning players in theShore Conference, Firkser is an athletic wingman withsize (6-4, 215) who can overpower fellow guards in thepaint and hit from behind the arc. He has receivedinterest from Army, Lafayette, Columbia and Yale forbasketball and also has Division I interest as an All-Shore wide receiver in football.

Casey Skievaski, Sr., G, Freehold Twp.A good shooter with a quick first step who iscapable of getting in the lane and scoring, settingup teammates and knocking down threes. He isable to score in bunches in Freehold Townshipsfrenetic system.

Tim Frawley, Sr., G, Middletown NorthRaquan Haynes, Sr., G, HowellJohn Horrigan, Jr., C, Freehold TownshipJim Dzugan, Sr., F, Middletown SouthKieran Hughes, Sr., F, CBA

Middletown North has never wonback-to-back overall division titlesin school history.

The Favorites:Middletown North and Christian

Brothers Academy shared the overall titlein this division last season, and those twolook to be right in the mix again thiswinter. Middletown North has now had awhole offseason of playing withoutformer standout Shilique Calhoun, andthe drama associated with his tenure isnow gone. The Lions return with atalented and experienced starting lineupthat will look to get them deeper into thepostseason.

CBA is out to prove that it is not goinganywhere despite being somewhat of anunknown after losing stars MattMcMullen and J.P. Koury to graduation.The main sleepers are Manalapan, led bystandout junior guard Anthony Firkser,and Freehold Township, which returns thebulk of its lineup and always is a factorunder coach Brian Golub. MiddletownSouth and Marlboro should be improved

after taking some lumps last season, whileHowell was hit very hard by graduationand will try to rebuild after a 15-winseason.

The hierarchy in this division looks tobe Middletown North and CBA, thenFreehold Township and Manalapan, andthen the rest in the final group.


MIDDLETOWN NORTHHead Coach: Mike Iasparro, 5th season

Last Year's Record: 22-5 (11-1)

The Lions had one of their best seasonsin school history last year, but it was stilla case of what-might-have-been becauseof star Shilique Calhoun being dismissedfrom the team at the end of the regularseason. This senior group is out to get asectional title and make a deep run in theShore Conference Tournament in additionto repeating as division champs. Theywon at CBA for the first time in schoolhistory last season and most likely willhave to do it again in order to repeat aschampions. Their main question mark isinside, as they are very strong on theperimeter but do not have an establishedpost presence. CBA may be inexperiencedinside, but it has some size, so well see ifthat causes the Lions major problems.

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMYHead Coach: Geoff Billet, 5th seasonLast Year's Record: 19-5 (11-1)

CBA is somewhat of an unknown aftergraduating its top two scorers and notnecessarily returning the usual big-namestar, but that doesnt mean the Colts stillcannot be one of the Shore Conferencestop teams. Shaw is one of the top 3-pointshooters in the Shore, while Hughes is atough defender and solid rebounder. Themain player with star potential isAldridge, who made some big plays inpressure spots as a sophomore pointguard. Saker and Gross add depth in thebackcourt, while Gordinier is 6-4 and 235pounds and looks to split time withBloodgood at center and add size to thefrontcourt. Will this be a year where thesystem is proven effective without one ortwo big-time scorers to emerge like lastseason, or will it be a rare down seasonfor one of the states top programs? Thesmart bet is usually the former.

The Contenders:MANALAPANHead Coach: Rick Garretson, 18thseason

Last Year's Record: 15-9 (6-6)Clearly the main buzz with this team

centers around junior guard AnthonyFirkser, who is 6-4, 215 pounds and oneof the top scorers in the ShoreConference. However, with the loss ofanother high-scoring Division I athlete,Kyle Rubbinaccio, to graduation, thequestion is whether there is enougharound Firkser to truly make a run at thedivision title and be a factor in thepostseason. Players like Presby and Pyzikwill get opportunities from behind the arcwith teams trying to smother Firkser, andthere also will be chances on theoffensive glass. Well see if there isenough depth to have another solid seasonafter a good showing last season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH


KEY FACT


(continued on page 9

Middletown Northsenior Jason Huelbig

Middletown Northsenior Eric Youncofski


FREEHOLD TOWNSHIPHead Coach: Brian Golub, 17th season


With six returning seniors, the Patriots have a good chance tobe the sleeper in this division and sneak up on everyone. Golubperennially has his teams playing as hard as anyone in theShore, so you know they will defend. The main question isoutside shooting, which was the Patriots Achilles heel lastseason. Skievaski is one of the better guards in the division,while Horrigan gives them size and a good offensive rebounderin the middle. If they can consistently knock down open looksoff kickouts from penetration and forcing turnovers with theirpress, they will be right in the mix for the division and as a Top10 team in the Shore.

MIDDLETOWN SOUTHHead Coach: Kevin Cullen, 6th season


The Eagles are still trying to dig their way out of the wholeleft by the graduation of the Kyle Cancillieri-led class from two

seasons ago. Brodsky is a solid guard, while Castellano andMcDonough give the Eagles an experienced backcourt. Themain question marks are in the frontcourt, where severalnewcomers will see time. Well see if the return of someexperience can help them finish ahead of a Howell team thatgraduated almost everyone but does have some quality athletesfrom the football team that will make the Rebels dangerous.

HOWELLHead Coach: Brian Quick, 6th season


The Rebels graduated eight seniors, including all-time leadingscorer Ryan Keegan, from a team that upset Neptune in lastyears Shore Conference Tournament Round-of-16. They willtry to rebuild behind last seasons sixth man, Raquan Haynes,

as well as the size of Quinlan (6-5) and the athleticism ofRobinson, who was a standout receiver on the football team. Atalented trio of freshmen could see some time as well as this isessentially an entirely new team.

MARLBOROHead Coach: Mark Truhan, 2nd season


It looks like more growing pains for the young Mustangsunder head coach Mark Truhan as they try to rebuild theprogram after a banner season in 2009-10. Its never easy tryingto compete in the always-tough A North with an inexperiencedgroup, but that is what Marlboro will be facing this season.

ACLInjuryPreventionTraining



Mike Aaman, Sr., F/C, RaritanThe 6-9 Wagner recruit is the reigning All Shore MediaPlayer of the Year and could potentially lead the ShoreConference in scoring, rebounding and blocked shotsas a senior. He has added range out to 17-18 feet onhis jumper and more moves to his arsenal in the post,so there is no team out there who has a player who canmatch up with him one-on-one. His biggest challengemay be keeping his head as teams try to cheap shothim off the ball to try to get him out of his game.

Jack Donnelly, Sr., G, RFHOne of the top shooters in the Shore Conference,Donnelly averaged 16 points per game last season andhas committed to Hamilton College. He will have toshoulder a good portion of the Bulldogs' offense withthe graduation of standout point guard Kevin Alter.

Larry Smith, Sr., G, MatawanSmith showed flashes of good scoring ability lastseason and is very quick off the dribble to make up forbeing a little undersized. He will have to do even morescoring now that standout Larry Alston III has decidednot to play this season.

Christian Vikse, Sr., G/F, Holmdel An excellent 3-point shooter at 6-3, Vikse is a veteranplayer who looks to lead Holmdel to a darkhorse run fora title in this division.

Seph Williams, Sr., G, Red Bank RegionalAnother veteran guard who is quick off thedribble, Williams should have some post help thisseason to give him more room to operate andgive him some finishers under the basket if teamscollapse on him.

R.J. Bohnert, Sr., G, Shore RegionalJJ Conklin, Jr., C, Rumson-FHCody Regueiro, Sr., G, RaritanAlbert Martin, Jr., F, Red BankDan Baumlin, Sr., C, HolmdelArick Sodini, Sr., C, St. John VianneyKashaun Barnes, So., G, Matawan

Raritan is the only team besidesChristian Brothers Academy andNeptune to win more than oneShore Conference Tournament titlesince 1993.

The Favorites:

Raritan is the reigning champion andreturns 2011 All Shore Media Player of theYear Mike Aaman, but the Rockets stillhave to replace four quality starters from ateam that played mainly five guys lastseason. That means this division is no lockby any means and looks to be a wide-openaffair for the most part

Rumson-Fair Haven should again be inthe mix behind senior guard Jack Donnelly,and a team generating a lot of enthusiasmin the preseason has been Holmdel. TheHornets return four starters and should be afactor. Matawan took a big hit with the lossof Larry Alston III as well as 6-4 forwardAnthony Castaneda, while Red Bank andShore look to be darkhorses with potential.St. John Vianney graduated almosteveryone with any varsity experience, so itwill be a challenge for first-year coachMatt Conklin. Almost any team in thisdivision has a chance to win it, so thisshould be a wild race.


RARITANHead Coach: Denis Caruano, 7th seasonLast Year's Record: 24-3 (11-1)

Even though Raritan lost four of fivestarters to graduation from a team thatfinished No. 1 in the Shore last season,the Rockets still are the favorites torepeat because of the presence of seniorforward center Mike Aaman, thereigning All Shore Media Player of theYear. The main question mark is theguard play, as players like TylerGurczeski, Chris Lehan and CodyRegueiro will be asked to step up in abig way after playing scant minutes lastseason. The Rockets will have a wallaround the basket on defense withAaman, a 6-9 shot-blocking force, andsenior Connor Flynn, who is 6-6. Muchof their success will come down to howthey handle opposing full-court pressure,as teams will try to turn their guardsover to prevent the ball from getting toAaman in a good spot to score.

RUMSON-FAIR HAVENHead Coach: Chris Champeau, 3rd seasonLast Year's Record: 18-8 (9-3)

This season's group of Bulldogs has atough act tofollow aftertheyreachedtheir firstSCT finalin schoolhistory lastseason aswell as theCentralJerseyGroup IIsemifinals.They lostASM first-team guardKevinAlter, whowas a hugepart of theiroffense, as well as big men Jack Keatingand Jack Wise. Senior guard Donnelly willlead the way, as he is one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the Shore Conference.The main question involves how much hewill have to handle the ball, which ishopefully where guard Drew Corsi, aChristian Brothers Academy transfer, canhelp. Junior JJ Conklin is nearly 6-foot-6,so he will be the main inside presence.

The Contenders:

HOLMDEL Head Coach: Sean Devaney, 7th season


The Hornets could be poised for abreakthrough season with four returningstarters in Kyle Nodes, Dan Baumlin,Christian Vikse and Mike Cantelli. Vikse isone of the top 3-point snipers in the Shore,Cantelli is an athletic, hard-nosed pointguard, Baumlin has good size at 6-6, andNodes is a solid veteran. Matt Nasra andBrett Lambert, a pair of football players,add strength and size to the frontcourt. Thislooks like the sleeper team to rise up andpossibly win the division.

MATAWANHead Coach: Tom Stead, 17th season


The Huskies looked like a serious threatto take the division but was dealt a heavyblow when senior forward Larry Alston,who averaged 13 points and 10 boards asa junior, decided not to play basketball inorder to focus on his football career.Another football player, 6-4 seniorAnthony Castaneda, also decided not toplay in order to get knee surgery, andanother football lineman, 6-6 SeamusWeldon, also decided not to play,essentially removing all of Matawanssize up front. It will be more of a guard-oriented team led by the tandem of seniorLarry Smith and sophomore KashaunBarnes, who are both very quick off thedribble and can get into the lane.

SHOREHead Coach: Doug Shaw, 4th season


Senior RJ Bohnert and hard-nosed seniorNick Mahoney return as the mostexperienced players on a Shore Regionalteam whose success will be determined byhow the veterans mesh with a strong


Rumson senior guardJack Donnelly

(continued on page 11)

PLAYERS TO WATCH


KEY FACT

Raritan senior center Mike Aaman

sophomore class. Sophomore Dan Pillari hasgreat open court speed and should see significantminutes, while sophomore Matt Muh is aHolmdel transfer who could also see time.Juniors Ben Hess and Brian Dubois and seniorguard Adrian DAverso also have plenty ofexperience and look to help this team surprisesome people in this division.

RED BANK REGIONAL Head Coach: Scott Martin, 11th season


The Bucs finally have some size to go with itsgood guard play to make a darkhorse run at adivision title by avoiding getting killed on theboards like in recent seasons. Albert Martin, a 6-3, 230-pound junior, is out with a wrist injury butshould be good to go early on. He willcomplement a backcourt with good speed led bysenior Seph Williams and be part of a frontcourtthat also includes Stephen Skop, who is 6-5, 210.

ST. JOHN VIANNEYHead Coach: Matt Conklin, 1st season


The Lancers have a new head coach in formerLancers player Matt Conklin, who has his workcut out for him with a team that essentially has nosignificant varsity experience. They also lost oneof the Shore Conferences top players, Mike

Balkovic, to graduation. Senior center ArickSodini is 6-5 and could be a bright spot afterbeing stuck behind Balkovic and Ryan Gille lastseason. Junior Steve Callari will be playing alittle out of position at point guard, and hisadjustment should be a key to the Lancers beingable to surprise some people.

www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 1 1



Anthony McGugan, Sr., Guard, Barnegat McGugan has been a top scorer in B South ineach of the past two seasons, and now the teamis ready to make the leap that the senior guardhas already made. There is still room to grow forMcGugan, but with a better team, more peoplewill see what most people in Class B Southalready knew.

Mason Jones, Jr., Guard, Manchester By the end of the season, Jones was the Hawks'best scorer as a sophomore and even with aninflux of transfers, Jones will be the man forManchester. He is on pace to be a 1,000-pointscorer and could approach the number this yearwith a major scoring season.Ryan Morris, Sr., Center, Barnegat Morris has been a little overlooked because ofthe fact that Barnegat has a talented set of twinsin the McGugans. There are not many athletes inthe Shore Conference superior to Morris and hehas more than enough basketball skills to turnthat athleticism into a double-double every night.

Jeremy Wozniak, Sr., G/F., Central Wozniak emerged as a 15-point a gamecommodity last season and by the end of theseason, he was the best true scorer Central had.He will have to shoulder more of the load thisseason with the graduation of JoJo Hardy andthe transfer of Damiun Moore to Manchester.

Damiun Moore, Sr., Guard, Manchester Moore flew under the radar within the division onCentral last year, but with his transfer toManchester, he will be running the point for ateam with a legitimate shot to win the division.

Tasheen Carrow, Sr., Guard, Lacey Isaiah Torney, Jr., Forward, Manchester Pat Zanzalari, Jr., Forward, Barnegat Austin DeRose, Jr., Guard, Central Jimmy Truitt, Jr., Forward, Brick

Manchester reached its first statesectional final in school historylast season.

The Favorites:

Shore Conference realignment opened upthe door for Manchester to resurface as adivision winner last season and impending

realignment for next year makes thisseason one with a great deal of urgency forboth the Hawks and an upstart Barnegatteam. The Hawks were a good team in thegrand scheme of things last year, but in theold realignment, they would have had tocontend with a loaded Lakewood team andgetting away from that level of competitionopened the door to win a share of adifferent division.

With one more year in the current ClassB South, Manchester will now go after anoutright title before going back into the oldClass B South with the likes of Lakewoodand Monsignor Donovan. Barnegat is notonly up against the realignment clock, butis also facing its best opportunity to win adivision title in the six years of the programthanks to a strong senior class.

There is an element of desperation thatcomes with playing in Class B South thisyear and that dynamic combined with ahandful of talented teams should make for

an entertaining race for the top spot.(In predicted order of finish)

MANCHESTERHead Coach: Ryan Ramsay, 7th season


Mason Jones is back from last year andwill be the top scoring option forManchester. Senior captain A.J. Thomasand junior Isaiah Torney also return andwill have help in the form of transfersSir Ismail, Lance Wakefield and DamiunMoore. Ismail and Wakefield aretransfers from San Antonio, Texas.Moore started for Central last season andwas slated to be their top player thisyear. Instead he heads over toManchester, where he may help theHawks keep their spot at the top of thedivision while trying to hold off ahungry Barnegat team.

BARNEGATHead Coach: Erik Mazur, 6th season


This is the year Barnegat has beenbuilding toward since Anthony McGugan,Aaron McGugan and Ryan Morris allentered the program four years ago. TheBengals have taken their lumps over theselast three years, but they started to see thelight at the end of the tunnel last year, whenthey qualified for the Shore ConferenceTournament for the first time in the shorthistory of the program. Anthony McGuganand Morris are one of the best inside-outside duos in Ocean County and DanDeCapua emerged as a quality point guardas well. If experience and team chemistrydecide the division this year, then Barnegatwill take home its first division title.

The Contenders:LACEY Head Coach: Ryan O'Rourke, 4th season


In terms of quantity, Lacey ranks rightthere with Barnegat. The Lions have fourplayers back with starting experience, butwill have to replace top scorer andrebounder Deon Smith, which may putthem behind the eight ball relative toManchester and Barnegat. Logan

McDonald and Tyrell Smith give the Lionsplenty of size in the front court and shouldbe able to account for the loss ofrebounding, and both have the potential toadd some scoring. Tasheen Carrow andDylan Ramos have developed nicely in thebackcourt.

CENTRALHead Coach: Mike Clemente, 30th season


The Golden Eagles had an up-and-downseason last year, with the high pointcoming in the form of two wins overManchester. While now-graduated JoJoHardy and junior Damien Moore - nowplaying for Manchester - were the team'stop two players from start to finish, JeremyWozniak began to emerge as a reliablescoring option. Outside of Wozniak andsenior center Devante Bernier, the roster isgeared toward making a run in a couple ofseasons when sophomore Andrew DiPiazzaand freshman Evan Lang develop further.

BRICKHead Coaches: Chris Hughes and TimPuglisi, 2nd season


Last season was the first for the Brickcoaching tandem of Chris Hughes and TimPuglisi and even with a lot of new players,Brick showed it could be more competitive.There is not enough talent to compete withthe top teams in the division night in andnight out, but on a given night, Brick iscloser to having the firepower to give agood team a scare with the likes of guardsJames Parlow and Chris Parlow.

PINELANDS Head Coach: John Tierney, 7th season


The Wildcats look a lot like Brickbecause of a loss of good seniors with thereturn of a lot of role players. This is thefirst year in a while Pinelands will not havea Hartman in the lineup after the departureof Jake Hartman last year.. Pinelands hassome good front-court ability in juniorsZac Schepp, Dom Hernandez and JimmyTruitt, but the key will be finding the back-court play to go with the junior trio.

PLAYERS TO WATCH


KEY FACT

By Matt Manley Senior Staff Writer

Manchester junior Mason Jones




Ikie Calderon, Sr., Guard, Neptune Few players in the Shore can rival the first step ofCalderon and his pass-first mentality is perfectlysuited to play on a team with a nice balance ofinside and outside talent. If his shot showsimprovement, Neptune will be hard to beat, buteven without an exceptional perimeter game,Calderon can be a great weapon for the Shore'sdeepest team.

Jaheem Woods, Sr., Guard, NeptuneWoods emerged as Neptune's most well-roundedplayer last year after entering the season withless fan-fare than other Neptune plyaers. Woodsis a top perimeter defender, and he also madestrides shooting the ball.

Sean O'Reilly, Sr., Guard, Colts NeckThe Cougars have a point guard to replacetransfer Brian Kenny in Lucas LaLima, howeverO'Reilly's role figures to increase. He will have theball in his hands more this season and with agood cast of players around him, he'll have achance to put up good numbers for a good team.

Keith Kirkwood, Jr., G/F, NeptuneIf there was such a thing as a Shore Conferencefantasy basketball league, Kirkwood would be agood first pick with his ability to score, rebound,pass, force turnovers, block shots and shoot the3-pointer. He has received Division I interest andlooks to be a top player for the Class of 2013.

Hunter Wysocki, Sr., Forward, Colts Neck Perhaps the most complete player in theconference, Wysocki can score inside or outside.One of the refreshing aspects of Wysocki's gameis that he has learned from inside out, enteringhigh school with an advanced post game andexpanding his scoring range with each season.

Brandon Federici, Jr., G., Colts NeckFuquan McDonald, Sr., F., NeptuneHassan Foster, So., F., Long BranchShakeem Richardson, So., G., NeptuneDan McGuckin, Sr., G., Ocean

Neptunes Ikie Calderon and the ColtsNeck tandem of Sean OReilly andHunter Wysocki are all rare four-yearvarsity players.

The Favorites:

Over the last half-decade, Class B Northmight be the most talent-rich division in theShore Conference and has certainly beenamong the two deepest divisions in theconference - even by a wide margin insome years. Last year, however, thedivision took a step back relative to theconference, with top teams Neptune, ColtsNeck and Red Bank Catholic all failing toreach the Shore Conference Tournamentquarterfinals.

A major reason for that could have beenage, as neither Colts Neck nor Neptunesported a single senior in the regularstarting lineup while each played only onesenior in theregular rotation.While that mighthave been ahindrance to bothof those teamslast season, it alsomeans the ScarletFliers andCougars return awealth of talentfrom last seasonand after lastseason'sshortcomings, itwill be hungrytalent at that.

An extra year todevelop the rostershould make bothNeptune andColts Neckcontenders for theShore ConferenceTournamentchampionship,but unlike inyears past, the rest of the division appearsto be a few levels below the top two teams.RBC must replace virtually its entire roster,while past contenders Freehold, Monmouthand Long Branch are much younger andless proven than they've been in recentyears. Ocean has been a scrappy team

capable of giving good teams trouble andwill try to jump into the top half of thestandings after a rough 2010-11 season.

Last year, three teams turned were head-and-shoulders above the rest of the field bythe end of the season. This year, thatnumber may shrink to two as Colts Neckand Neptune duel for the division title.


NEPTUNEHead Coach: Ken O'Donnell, 21st seasonLast Year's Record: 17-7 (11-1)

The Scarlet Fliers return a vastmajority of its roster from a 17-7 team

that never really had the benefitof playing with its full roster.Strangely enough, on the fewoccasions which Neptune didhave all of its players suited up,the team struggled with differentplayers in different roles. Withseniors Fuquan McDonald andRasul Holland available from theonset of the season andpromising junior KeithKirkwood healthy, Neptune willbe able to run out a strong five

with a deep bench behind them. Thechemistry was never quite there for theFliers last season, but this group hasbeen playing together for a while andsenior guards Ikie Calderon and JaheemWoods should help bring it all together.

COLTS NECK Head Coach: Lou Piccola, 14th seasonLast Year's Record: 17-7 (9-3)

Neptune may not run into much of achallenge within its own division, but ifthere is a challenger to the Scarlet Fliers inClass B North, Colts Neck is that team.While last year's Colts Neck squad playedonly one senior, this year's group is stilldifferent, with point guard Brian Kennytransferring to Jackson Memorial for hissenior year. With Kenny at the point andclassmate Sean O'Reilly on the wing, ColtsNeck could run with Neptune last year,especially considering how well forwardHunter Wysocki can run the floor inaddition to his post game. This season,Colts Neck's strength lies more in its sizethan its perimeter play, although juniorpoint guard Lucas LaLima is capableenough to keep the Cougars moving.

The Contenders:

FREEHOLD Head Coach: Ben DiBiase, 6th seasonLast Year's Record: 13-15 (3-9)

This current group at Freehold got a bitof a head start on this year thanks toinjuries and the departure of a number ofplayers on last year's team. Given sometime, Freehold could round into a toughteam to handle within the division, led byseniors Matt Devorin and Pat Mullin.Mullin emerged as a solid scorer forFreehold last season and is just aboutrecovered from a broken arm that hesuffered playing in Orlando during an AAUtournament over the summer. Scoring isgoing to be a question for most of theteams in the division and for Freehold, theanswer to their particular scoring questionis probably Mullin.

PLAYERS TO WATCH


KEY FACT


Neptune senior guardJaheem Woods

NeptunesJosh Jenkins

(continued on page 15



OCEAN Head Coach: John Terlecsky, 4th seasonLast Year's Record: 6-18 (1-11)

Ocean has the most experience of any team in this divisionoutside of the top two, led by seniors Dan McGuckin and NickGallombardo. Last year, Gallombardo emerged as a go-to scorerfor Ocean as the team struggled to a 1-11 divisional record. Withmost of its roster back, the Spartans best fit the profile a teamready to make the jump to the head of an inexperienced cluster ofteams.

LONG BRANCH Head Coach: Donald Covin, 1st season (seventh overall)Last Year's Record: 7-14 (3-9)

Long Branch is typically a wild card in Class B North and withonly two seniors in the program, the Green Wave's wild-cardstatus is as pronounced as ever. Terrell Cox quietly had a greatshowing for a freshman last season and classmate Hassan Fosteralso saw significant time as a high school rookie. Junior guardDwight Clark is the on-floor leader, and beyond those thee, thereis a lot of youth on the floor for first-year coach Don Covin, whoreturns to the program after taking it to the Tournament ofChampions in the late 1990s.

MonmouthHead Coach: Quinton Schwartz, 2nd seasonLast Year's Record: 11-15 (6-6)

With a lot of question marks heading into his first season as theMonmouth Regional head coach, Quinton Schwartz got a gooddeal out of his team by leading a group of new starters to a

respectable 6-6 division record. This year's team is charged with asimilar task and will rally around returnees Ra'Quan Gardner andKenwyn Peters as the Falcons try to climb back to the top of thedivision. Six-foot-3 freshman Kyle Bradshaw will get a chance toplay right away and is a prospect to watch at Monmouth.

RED BANK CATHOLIC Head Coach: Devitt Gillroy, 3rd seasonLast Year's Record: 18-7 (9-3)

Red Bank Catholic had one of its best seasons in a decade lastyear, but will have to replace its entire starting lineup. There maybe some growing pains this season with seniors Ryan Grover andRyan Byrne being the only returners with any experience, butthird-year head coach Devitt Gillroy has the program heading inthe right direction, even if it is going to be hard to move in theright direction with regards to the standings.



Mark Kukoda, Sr., G., St. RoseKukoda led a balanced St. Rose attack last yearthat is sure to be a lot less balanced with noreturning starters around the senior point guard.Kukoda can score and distribute alike, but withouta proven scorer around this year, he figures tolook for his own shot more often as the PurpleRoses go for their second straight division titleafter winning a share of Class B Central last year.

Thomond Hammary, Sr., G., Asbury ParkHammary started the season as the BlueBishops' steadiest scorer until Amir and ArmondConover joined the team, when Hammary scaledback his shooting. With Maurice Dickersonmoving on, Hammary will re-emerge as a primaryoption on the wing alongside the Conovers.

Amir Conover, Sr., F., Asbury ParkOf the Conover twins, Amir was the moreconsistent offensive contributor of the two. Oncehe and Armond became consistent fixtures in thelineup, Amir Conover became the second scoringoption to Maurice Dickerson. Conover is aslasher and is excellent on the offensive glass, anideal player in Asbury Park's full-court attack.

Armond Conover, Sr., F., Asbury ParkWhile Amir was a steady scorer, Armond was aworkhorse on the boards and on the defensiveend, but his contribution to the Asbury cause wasnot limited to the little things. Armond Conover hitthe go-ahead jumper with nine seconds left in theGroup I semifinal against Pitman to break a 56-56tie and send the Blue Bishops to their secondGroup I championship game in three years.

Riley Calzonetti, Jr., F., Point Beach As a sophomore, Calzonetti was the GarnetGulls best post player. He posted a double-double in a Primetime Shootout game againstMontgomery, his best all-around game, and withstar Jarelle Reischel gone, he becomes PointBeach's top scoring option in the paint.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

P.J. Kineavy, Jr., G., Point BeachAnthony McNeil, Sr., F., Asbury ParkJim Rockstedt, Jr., G., St. RoseAlex Thomson, So., G., KeyportMatt Farrell, So., G., Point Beach

Asbury Park became the first Group Iteam in Shore Conference history toreach the NJSIAA Tournament ofChampions last season.


KEY FACT

The Favorites:

Considering it has been comprised of twosmall non-public schools and five Group Iteams, Class B Central has been a ratherimpressive division over the past twoseasons with several strong Asbury Parkteams, solid St. Rose squads, and the JarelleReischel-led Point Beach. Reischel is out ofthe mix for the first time in four years, butthe division still sports a bona fide ShoreConference Tournament title contender, aborderline top 10 team, and an interestingteam that could make some noise before abig run next year.

There may not be a Jarelle Reischel orMaurice Dickerson as there were last year,but Asbury Park has an exciting amount oftalent, St. Rose has one of the top pointguards in the conference and Point Beachhas the makings of a good young team,even without the marquee player in thedivision. The division is still a competitiveone and in this Asbury Park squad, BCentral has another legitimate contenderfor the SCT title after Point Beach came upa little short last year.


ASBURY PARK Head Coach: Dave Johnson, 4th season(27th overall)Last Year's Record: 25-6 (11-1)

Fresh off its first NJSIAA Tournamentof Champions appearance in programhistory, Asbury Park is back with asenior-laden group in 2011-12 and willonce again attempt to chase down a

Group I championship. The one domainstill left to conquer for the Bishops is theShore Conference Tournament, in whichAsbury Park has not advanced to thesemifinals during the last five yearsdespite some talented squads. AlthoughAsbury Park must replace All-Shoreswingman Maurice Dickerson, seniorsThomond Hammary and Amir Conoverreturn as scoring threats from last seasonand Armond Conover and DanronMorrisey return to the rotation and figureto have bigger impacts this year. TheBishops will add some size with AnthonyMcNeil earning more minutes and 310-pound Winslow Township transferRa'Zahn Howard to the frontcourt.

ST. ROSEHead Coach: Dennis Devaney, 26th seasonLast Year's Record: 21-7 (11-1)

AsburyPark isclearly theclass of ClassB Central,but St. Rosecould veryhave thedivision'sbest player insenior pointguard MarkKukoda. Thereturn ofKukoda willmake thetransition toa new waveof starters a

little easier because he has already led agroup of older players. If St. Rose canstrike a balance between riding its pointguard and developing new talent, thePurple Roses might be a threat to AsburyPark when the teams meet for the second oftwo meetings, which will be at St. Rose onJan. 19.

The Contenders:

POINT BEACHHead Coach: Nick Catania, 8th seasonLast Year's Record: 17-8 (8-4)

With the departure of Jarelle Reischel toRice University, the natural reaction of thedistant observer is to dismiss Point Beachas a potential threat in the ShoreConference Tournament. There is reasonfor optimism at Point Beach because theGarnet Gulls return two talented juniors inRiley Calzonetti and P.J. Kineavy that willkeep them competitive this season andcould set them up for a run at the divisiontitle next year. Sophomores Matt Farrelland Noah Yates factor into that long-termpicture, as well as freshman Chris Schifano,

who will have a chance to play this season.

KEYPORTHead Coach: Phil Recco, 7th seasonLast Year's Record: 8-17 (5-7)

If Point Beach or St. Rose has troublereloading, Keyport could be the team thattakes advantage with a run at a top-threefinish. Returning players Connor Thomson,Alex Thomson, Rich Smith and ConnorHubler got a chance to play top competitionwhile battling to an 8-17 record last season.Keyport is a little like Point Beach in thatthe Red Raiders may need one more year ofseasoning before they take off, but a returnto the Shore Conference Tournament is notunrealistic.

KEANSBURGHead Coach: Jim McCarthy, 3rd seasonLast Year's Record: 6-12 (3-9)

There may be a drop-off from the No. 4spot to the No. 5 if returning talent is anyindication, but Keansburg does return ahandful of players from a team that wascompetitive in a tough B Central lastseason. Brian Woods took a step forwardlast year and Tyler Walters had a strongshowing as a sophomore, so whileKeansburg might not make the top half ofthe division this year, the Titans figure toclose the gap.

MATER DEI PREP Head Coach: Bob Klatt, 16th seasonLast Year's Record: 4-19 (3-9)

Mater Dei Prep is still trying to buildback to the level it reached two years agowhen they had a good senior class thatchallenged for a Class B Central title. Thatrebuilding job got a little harder with thetransfer of John Dini to Middletown North,leaving the Seraphs with a void in thefrontcourt. Ryan Yetman, ConnorStimpson, Bobby Klatt and Alex Deahl areamong the players that will try to fill thatvoid to help the Seraphs get back tocompeting with the rest of the division.

HENRY HUDSON Head Coach: Vinnie Whitehead, 6th seasonLast Year's Record: 3-16 (1-11)

Last year was a tough one for HenryHudson, but on the bright side, theAdmirals were able to snag a win againstKeansburg and that could be somethingupon which to build. Andrew Grogan flewunder the radar for Henry Hudson last yearand is a good athlete on the perimeter, thekind of player that can be the centerpiece ofa turnaround.


St. Rose seniorMark Kukoda

Asbury Park senior ThomondHammary


Tyrice Beverette, Jr., G, Lakewood:A Division I-A football prospect, Beverette is atremendous all-around athlete with good speedand leadership abilities. He will be a problem ondefense for opponents and also has a good burstto get to the rim.

Jameer Jones, Sr., G, LakewoodAnother solid scorer, Jones stepped up in somebig spots as a junior when the Piners' stars werestruggling. Now a senior, he will shoulder more ofthe scoring burden.

Jimmy Walsh, Jr., F, ManasquanA versatile 6-6 forward with a nice shooting touchand improved strength, Walsh is on the verge ofa breakout starter in his third year as a varsityplayer. He should be a difficult matchup for anyteam because of his ability to put it on the floor athis size.

Shaun Cooke, Sr., G, Point BoroA four-year varsity player, Cooke is one of the topreturning point guards in the Shore. He morphedinto more of a scorer last season out of necessityand looks to increase his production even furtherafter some graduation losses for the Panthers.

Jordan Petitta, Sr., G, Wall He finished in the top 10 in the Shore in 3-pointers made last season and looks to continueto launch even more this season now that theCrimson Knights have to replace the scoring ofKyle Janeczek.

J.R. Hobbie, Jr., G, ManasquanTim Mindnich, Sr., F, Msgr. DonovanConor Mulholland, Sr., G, WallJames Sofield, So., G, Jackson LibertyJarrod Craddox, Jr., F, Lakewood

Lakewoods last Shore ConferenceTournament title came in 1991.

PLAYERS TO WATCH


KEY FACT

The Favorites:

Lakewood buzz-sawed through thisdivision last season unscathed, and thePiners look like the favorite again.However, considering they lost a pair of1,000-point scorers and a point guard tograduation, it may not be as easy. Still,there is plenty of talent in Piner-land, ledby guards Tyrice Beverette and JameerJones.

Point Boro is always a physical, hard-nosed defensive team that battles everyone,and that should be no different with thisseason's team led by senior point guardShaun Cooke. The sleeper in the division isManasquan, which has two standoutplayers in juniors Jimmy Walsh and J.R.Hobbie and will look to make a serious runat Lakewood.

Monsignor Donovan, Wall and JacksonLiberty comprise the next tier of teams.Monsignor Donovan lost two stars in SeanGrennan and Anthony Duszczak, whileWall and Jackson Liberty will look to makestrides after winning a combined twodivisional games last season.


LAKEWOOD Head Coach: Randy Holmes, 6th season Last Year's Record: 21-4 (10-0)

The Piners rolled through this divisionunbeaten last season, and while it maynot be as easy this season, the firepoweris there to make it two in a row. Their

backcourt featuring junior TyriceBeverette and senior Jameer Jones is oneof the best in the Shore Conference, butthey still have to replace a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Jarrod Davis andAnthony Walker as well as a top pointguard in Willie Hawkins. If thenewcomers can mesh quickly, this teamhas the chance to surpass last season'sstar-studded group and make a run to theShore Conference Tournament final afterreaching the semifinals.

POINT BOROHead Coach: Kevin Hynes, 17th seasonLast Year's Record: 18-8 (7-3)

The Panthers return one of the ShoreConference's top point guards in seniorShaun Cooke but lost some experiencedinterior players, including bruisingcenter/forward Ryan Malleck. Senior centerAlex Lorenz will try to fill that void alongwith senior Chuckie Krohn and junior KyleMcGarry. Jashon Woodard, Ryan Thrunkand Andre Taylor give depth to thebackcourt, and head coach Kevin Hynesalways seems to find players who will playhard-nosed defense.

The Contenders:MANASQUAN Andrew Bilodeau, 4th seasonLast Year's Record: 9-10 (4-6)

Manasquan has a young player, juniorforward Jimmy Walsh, ready to make theleap to the elite in the Shore Conferenceand take his team upward in the standings.

Junior J.R. Hobbie is another key weaponwith some of the deepest 3-point range inthe Shore. Senior Alex Waga is a solidguard who has battled injuries in his career,while senior Bryan Abadrabo is a goodathlete who was a football standout.Sophomore Matt Forst gives them a bigbody up front to complement Walsh. Thisteam has the makings of a darkhorsedivision title contender if the newcomerscan do enough to augment Walsh andHobbie.

MONSIGNOR DONOVANHead Coach: Mike Kearney, 13th seasonLast Year's Record: 16-9 (7-3)

It's the dawn of a new era at MonsignorDonovan as four-year varsity star SeanGrennan has moved on to Seton Hall andstandout forward/center Anthony Duszczakhas also graduated. Senior Tim Mindnich isone of the more athletic defenders in theShore, while senior Mitchell Hall is alacrosse standout and good all-aroundathlete. Seniors Andrew Gomez and AdamKing are three-year letter-winners who willlook to boost their production.

WALL Head Coach: Michael Puorro, 4th seasonLast Year's Record: 11-15 (1-9)

The Crimson Knights made some stridesoverall but struggled inside the division lastseason, and it graduated 1,000-point scorerKyle Janeczek. This team will bomb itfrom 3-point land behind seniors ConorMulholland and Jordan Petitta. SeniorDerek Gardner is a 3-year starter in thepaint who has good size after starring attight end for the football team. The goal isto try to break into the top three in thedivision and maybe pull an upset or two inthe postseason to continue the enthusiasmthat coach Michael Puorro has generated inhis tenure.

JACKSON LIBERTY Head Coach: Mark Lax, 5th seasonLast Year's Record: 8-18 (3-9)

The Lions rebounded from a winless2009-10 season to make strides in the wincolumn, but 10 of their 11 came outside thedivision. The Lions will try to be morecompetitive in C Central this season with abackcourt led by seniors Bobby Brown andAhmed Shalabi, but this team is veryundersized. Sophomore James Sofield is apromising guard with good size at 6-foot-3,while some other young players should seetime in the frontcourt.

By Scott Stump Managing Editor

Lakewood senior Jameer Jones

Point Boro senior Shaun Cooke



By Bob Badders Senior Staff Writer

HowellReturns one of the deepest and well-balanced

units in the Shore Conference and is thedefending division champ. The Rebels finished22-4 last season, good for No. 4 in the ShoreConference and No. 16 in the state. Despite theloss of 100-matchwinner and two-time Region VImedalist MikeShaughnessy,Howell is loadedwith threereturning 30-match winnersand a total of 10wrestlers with atleast 14 victories.Senior District 21champ ZachBohm returns at160 pounds aftergoing 34-6 lastseason and seniorCody Kirk helps bolster the middle/upperweightscoming off a 25-9 season. The lower portion ofthe lineup has some great youngsters withsophomore Jimmy Slendorn (106), 23-13 and adistrict runner-up, junior Ben Esposito (120), 27-13 and a region medalist, sophomore MattLindemann (126), 24-12, senior Cole Cameron(138), 31-11 and a region medalist and juniorAshanti Maurice (145), who went 30-10 andfinished fourth in Region VI. Add in sophomoreJoey Schultz at 152 (22-13), senior MattSulkowski (3rd in District 21) and sophomore St.John Vianney transfer Nate Litowsky (19-15) at182 and you have the makings of a championshipsquad. The question in whether the Rebels can getpast Jackson Memorial and Brick Memorial inCentral Jersey Group IV, where they are seekingtheir first sectional title in program history.

Christian Brothers AcademyRuss Witt, a state champion for Lacey in 1997,

takes over at the helm for Christian BrothersAcademy, which will field one of its best squadsin the last 10 years. Six wrestlers who won 20matches or more return for the Colts, led bysenior state medalist Vin Favia. The 152/160

pounder was sixth in New Jersey last season at152 pounds and finished up with a 40-5 record.Sophomore Erik Beshada (27-6) was a District 22champion, as was sophomore Christian Casselli(21-16). They will wrestle at 113 and 126,respectively, and anchor the lowerweights with

freshmen ConorCunningham (106)and Nick Koutzen(120), andsophomore TylerMabry (132)stepping in asstarters. SeniorMike Matlaga willbe at 138 and 145pounds after a 29-9season and fourthplace region finish.Senior MikeHoeglar (160/170)posted double-digitwins last seasonand was second in

districts and senior Hayden Hrymack leads theupperweights coming off a 31-6 season in whichhe captured a district title. Also in the fold isBrick transfer Nick Melon. The junior has to sitthe first 30 days, but when he returns will give thea solid lowerweight. He was third in District 23last season at 103 pounds and finished with a 22-5record.

Middletown SouthSenior Nick Herring is Middletown Souths

hammer, coming off a 33-3 season that saw himcapture a Region VI title and his second District 22championship. Herring has a chance at history ashe enters with 92 career wins, 22 shy of breakingthe school mark by the legendary Glenn Pritzlaf(1991-1994). Sophomore Garrett Rumsby (120),21-11 and third in districts, senior Tim Cody (138),a district bronze medalist, and junior Drew Blasco(145), 17-9 and a district third-place finisher are theother key returners the Eagles. In order forMiddletown South to keep pace with Howell andCBA and do some damage in the postseason it willneed will need contributions from its perimeterwrestlers. Look for sophomore Dom Franciosi(106), senior Tom Koehler (132), junior Mo Jrad(183) and senior Sam Fowler (220) to approach the20-win plateau this season.

MarlboroThe Broncos lost 119 wins from last season to

graduation in the form of Mitch Seigel, VinnieLeone, Anthony Anzalone and James Stewart. Theleading returner for Marlboro is senior ZachGoldrosen, a district runner-up who will wrestle atboth 160 and 170 after his 22-12 junior campaign.Senior Tyler Kugler (132) was 19-13 a year agoand will look to build on that. Sophomore JeffGoldrosen was 16-13 last season and will be at138. Junior Dan Hwang (160/170) and senior RobCuccinelli will look to approach 20 wins, whichwould be a big boost. Incoming freshman DannySaraiva at 113 and Pete Powell at 120 both havesolid potential.

Freehold TownshipWith eight seniors and nine wrestlers coming of

double-digit win totals last season, FreeholdTownship is a sleeper in Class A North. Senior145-pounder Rocco Hernandez led the team with a25-8 record last season and will be joined in themiddle weights by junior Nick Conti (15-13) at152, senior Carmine Romano (11-12 in 2010) at160 and senior JT Baumann (16-10) at 170. ThePatriots will be able to close with a solidupperweight run of senior Tom Boylan (16-10) at195, senior Gary Figueroa (16-7) at 220 and seniorEric Kakauridze (20-9) at heavyweight. Down low,sophomore Nick DePierro (20-10) and senior NickButtita (18-5) lead the way at 113 and 120,respectively. Last season the Patriots went 13-7 toend a string of three straight losing seasons andlook like a team ready to take a step forward.

ManalapanJuniors Mike Aronson (25-6) and Ed Chandler

(19-10) anchor the lower portion of the Manalapanlineup that features several experiencedunderclassmen. Junior John Smith (106),sophomore Grant Paplin (120) and senior ConnorWilson (126) each return as starters in front ofAronson and Chandler while senior ChrisObermeyer leads the middleweights from his 145-pound position. The Braves strength will be in theupperweights with four of five spots being mannedby a wrestler with double-digit victories lastseason. Junior heavyweight Johnny Appice was26-4 last season with 20 pins and placed third indistricts. Sophomore Anthony Benedetti is at 170,senior Geoff Kelman is at 182 and junior LukeBecker is the 195-pounder. Appice is the Bravesbest shot at their first district champ since 2008.

Middletown NorthThe Lions have just one senior after the

graduation of 115-match winner Zach Torchia andsolid upperweights Matt Morrell and RobMercantante. There are four wrestlers returning off10-plus win seasons, led by junior 220-pounderAmani Rodriguez (14-10). The top half of thelineup is where the Lions have their mostexperienced wrestlers with junior Tyler Wilton andsophomore Tristan Sweeney switching between160 and 170 pounds. Sophomore Matt Winz willanchor the lightweights at 113 pounds afterwinning 14 matches as a freshman.

Nick Herring, Jr., 152Middletown South

Vin Favia, Sr., 152/160CBA

Zach Bohm, Sr., 160Howell

Cole Cameron, Sr., 138Howell

Johnny Appice, Jr., HwtManalapan

Matt Lindemann, So., 126Howell

Erik Beshada, So., 113CBA

Garrett Rumsby, So., 120Middletown South

Rocco Hernandez, Sr., 145Freehold Twp.

Jeff Goldrosen, So., 138Marlboro

Howell has won the lastsix Class A North divisiontitles

Teams listed in predicted order of finishWRESTLERS TOWATCH

BREAKOUTWRESTLERS TOWATCH

KEY FACT


Howell senior Zach Bohm


RaritanThere aren't many teams as balanced and

talented in the Shore and even all of Group IIas Raritan. Rob Nucci's Rockets return ninestarters from last season's 20-4 squad that

finished third it he Shore Conference, won theClass A Central title and captured the District22 team title. Senior Nick Ligouri is back atRaritan after transferring to Toms River Southin the fall and then back to Raritan shortlyafter. Ligouri had a brilliant run to a statefourth-place medal at 125 pounds last seasonand finished at 27-8. The District 22 champanchors a great group of lowerweights thatincludes senior Matt Lindo (24-7, D22 champ)at 113, junior Vin Masi (20-15, D22 runner-up) at 120, junior Anthony Scarcella (21-13,D22 third.) at 126 and junior Jason Bohal (32-7, D22 runner-up) at 138. Senior DevinHolmes will hold down the middle of thelineup after going 15-11 last season. TheRockets lost a trio of 20-match winners amongthe upperweights with the graduation of JoeMasi, Ryan Lynch and Adam Daniels. Theycombined for 89 wins last season with Lynchcapturing the Region VI title at 171 pounds.Senior Steve Corona (18-11, 3rd D22 in 2010)will be at 170, senior Vic Ianello (16-10) is at195 and senior Nick Rice (13-11) will be a220 to give Raritan experience up top. Theingredients are there for the Rockets to chasetheir second sectional title in Central JerseyGroup II.

St. John VianneyThe Lancers have progressed every season

under head coach Pat Smith and staff, andreturns four wrestlers who won at least 20matches last season for the 24-5 squad. Twoof those won 30 matches, as junior AnthonyFerraro (160) is coming off a 31-7 season anda District 21 title. Sophomore Terrance Davis(138) had an outstanding freshman year witha 33-3 record and should be even better thisseason. The Lancers are solid throughoutwith sophomore Pete DeRosa (16-15) at 126,junior Tim Duffy (20-11) at 132, senior NickCioffi (28-12) at 145 leading thelower/middleweights. Matt Caracappa, ajunior transfer from Freehold Township,should make an immediate impact at 113while sophomore Nick Barrett could be in fora breakout season among the lowerweights.Expect the Lancers to push Raritan in thedivision and challenge for a spot in the Non-Public South A sectional final.improve andshow last year was no fluke.

MatawanThe Huskes return nine starters from last

season's 14-12 team, led by senior FrancisPolumbo and junior Glenn Cross. Palumbowas second in District 21 and led Matawanwith 29 wins. Cross captured the District 21title and finished with a 24-10 record. WithPalumbo at 220 and heavyweight and Crossat 170 and 182, the top of the lineup is solidfor the Huskies. Add in senior Matt Morenz(220/Hwt), a double-digit match winner lastseason and sophomore Chris Hartigan(152/160), 18-15 and second in districts, athe top half of the lineup looks even morebalanced. From 106 to 145, the Huskiesreturn five wrestlers with at least 10 wins lastseason. Junior Mike Sansone (17-7) is at 106,senior Timmy Birch (12 wins) is at 113 andsenior Hakan Yuksel (14-6) is the 120-pounder. At 138 and 145, senior SteveVarsanyi (18-16) and junior Tim Leo (11wins) close out a solid stretch oflower/middleweights.

Red Bank RegionalRegion qualifier Dillon Stambaugh leads

Red Bank after an impressive sophomorecampaign that saw him tie for the team leadin wins with 26. Aside from the standoutjunior, the Bucs return eight wrestlers thatwon at least 10 matches last season. Thelowerweights include junior Alphonse Muolo(25-9, 3rd in District 22 at 112), seniorWilliam Terrarosa (15 wins) and junior BenSwanson (26-8). In the middle, Red Bank cantrot out senior Cesar Sosa (15-14), juniorEvan Brown (19-11) and junior YouvanniRuiz (20-12). Red Bank graduated three of itsupperweights, so Stambaugh will have tohold down the fort there.

Shore RegionalThe Blue Devils will have the fill the void

left by Luke Bush, who went 42-4 last seasonand holds program records for career wins(132) and single-season victories (42). Alsogone is 171-pounder Kevin Chapman (30-8,80 career wins) and 16-match winner ConnorArnette. Senior 132-pounder Derek Arnette isthe top returner coming off a 33-7 season anda District 23 title. Junior Connor Feroce won12 bouts last season and will be at 126pounds and sophomore Sam Koenig couldapproach 30 wins after going 23-12 as afreshman. Koenig will be at 138 pounds.Senior Brian Clayton at 145, junior NickSalles at 152 and junior Dan Baillie all wonat least 10 matches last season, andimproving on those totals will be a major keyfor Shore. The development of sophomoresDave Musselman (220) and Chris Okupski(Hwt) could turn the tide for the Blue Devils.

HolmdelNew head coach Danny Franke takes over a

Holmdel squad that will have to deal withlosing four double-digit winners tograduation. The top of the lineup is whereHolmdel looks the strongest with seniorJimmy Ilvento (170) returning after going 24-7 last season. At 195 will be senior TomFazio (18-13) and at heavyweight will bejunior Anthony Fernicola (11 wins). SeniorDylan Hyland won 10 matches a season agoand will be at 132 pounds.

RumsonSenior Taylor Avino, Rumson-Fair Havens

wins leader from last season, leads the way at220 pounds. He went 24-6 last season andplaced third in the District 22 tournament.Senior Dillon Kean was a 10-match winnerlast year and will be at 170, and 15-matchwinner Connor Briggs, a junior, will be at138. In all, Rumson has seven lettermanreturning.

Nick Ligouri, Sr., 132Raritan

Anthony Ferraro, Jr., 160St. John Vianney

Glenn Cross, Jr., 170/182Matawan

Dillon Stambaugh, Jr., 171/182Red Bank

Derek Arnette, Sr., 132Shore

Sam Koenig, So., 138Shore

Jason Bohal, Jr., 138Raritan

Chris Hartigan, Jr.,152/160Matawan

Pete DeRosa, So., 126St. John Vianney

Taylor Avino, Sr., 220Rumson-Fair Haven

Raritan will send out fiveconsecutive districtmedalists from 113 to 138pounds.

WRESTLERS TOWATCH


KEY FACT


Teams listed in predicted order of finish

Raritan junior Anthony Scarcella


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Jackson MemorialThe Jaguars, the back-to-back defending

NJSIAA Group IV champions, is loaded onceagain with a pair of returning state medalists andloads of talent up and down the lineup. AaronGottesman takesover as the Jagshead coach afterDougWithstandleystepped downand is now anassistant. SeniorDallas Winstonleads thereturning castafter going 40-3, winningDistrict 21 andRegion VI titlesand placingsecond in thestate at 189pounds. Junior Brian Hamann battled throughinjuries last season and did not wrestle in thepostseason, but placed fourth in the state at 103as a freshman. Down low the Jags have juniorAlec Huxford (28-10, region runner-up) at 106leading into the mat of Jackson's order at 126.Hamann at 126 gives way to senior Brad Royle(20-10) at 132, junior Spencer Young (25-13) at138, junior Dylan McLaughlin at 145 and seniorRandy Royle (21-11) at 152. Most matches willbe won during that stretch for Jackson. SeniorDylan Harrington is an 11-match winner at 170and Winston will be at 182. Look out forsophomore Ken Bradley at 195. Bradley missedlast season due to injury but was a standoutmiddle school wrestler and was a top linebackeron the Jaguars football team. The schedule willbe brutal once again, but Jackson has run thegauntlet before is still the team to beat.

Brick MemorialIf you gave up on Brick Memorial after the

first half of the season last winter you sorelymissed out. A young Mustangs group stumbled

out of the gate thanks to some stiff competition,but went 16-3 to close out the season and returna group that is very strong, experienced and stillyoung. Sophomore Joe Ghione led the Mustangsin wins last season with a 41-6 mark andfinished sixth in the state at 103 pounds. He'll be

at 113pounds withsenior SeanStephenson(25-6,District 23champ) at120. JuniorConnorMaliff won15 matchesas asophomoreand will beat 126. From132 to 145theMustangs

will inject some highly-regarded freshman intothe lineup as middle school standouts AlecDonovan (133/138) and twins Cliff (138) andRob Ruggiero 145 take center stage. SeniorEvan Berti follows after going 35-5 andqualifying for the state tournament. From 160 to195 the Mustangs have sophomore Nick Costa(18-12, district runner-up), junior TylerRichardson (17-16, district runner-up), seniorJarred Eccles (13-8), junior Matt Moore (29-8,4th in regions) and junior Anthony Miller (25-14, district runner-up). That is some seriousfirepower for the seven-time Group champs,who will try to unseat Jackson Memorial in boththe division and section races.

Southern RegionalThe Rams lost a ton to graduation, 145 wins

from last year alone and almost 400 altogether.However, John Stout always has his team readyto wrestle, and they take on the best so they'll bebattle tested in February. Sophomore ZachWilhelm is the squad's top returner at 120/126pounds after placing eighth in the state at 112

pounds. The lower half of the lineup alsofeatures junior Kyle Davis (20-12) a District 24runner-up. In the middle, junior Jake Campana,a district champion, and junior Chris Serpico, adistrict medalist, return along with veteran'sSteve Johns and Corey Case (3rd in districts).Up top, Connor Case, Steve Hodgson, ZebCollins and junior district runner-up CodySmead complete a balanced lineup.

Toms River SouthTalk about a tough division. Toms River South

would win most divisions of the ShoreConference, but the Indians have to battle withJackson Memorial, Brick Memorial andSouthern just to win A South. South is stackedfrom 113-170, led by junior state runner-up B.J.Clagon, who went 36-1 last year at 130 pounds.Entering the fold this season are twins Matt andKen Theobold, who transferred fromManchester. Ken was 38-5 last season andfinished seventh in the state while his brotherMatt was 23-4 and second in the regiontournament. Junior Kevin Corrigan went 33-4last year and captured a region title and will beat 113/120 pounds. Junior Zack Maikisch (11-8)is at 126 with Matt Theobold, junior GarrettApplegate (16-15), Clagon, Ken Theobold andjunior Matt Maroukis through 145 pounds.Promising freshman Joe Salvato is at 152, seniorNick Osborn (22-10, two-time district medalist)is the 160-pounder and senior Anthony Ravallo(15-13, third in districts) is at 170. The top ofthe lineup has its question marks, but this is ateam to be reckoned with.

Toms River EastToms River East returns four wrestlers

that won over 15 bouts last season as theytry to snap a string of three straight losingseasons in head coach Warren Reid's 32ndseason. Junior Rich Lewis is the squad'stop returner coming off a 28-5 season inwhich he won a region title and finishedseventh in New Jersey. Lewis will wrestleat 132 this season after competing at 119last year. Senior Jacob Maher (20-13, thirdin districts) is the 106-pounder, juniorMike Veneziano (20-7, district runner-up)is at 126 and senior Fernando Perez (16-15,district runner-up) is at heavyweight.

Toms River NorthSenior Dan SaSilva (13-10) at 145 and senior

Kyle Lake (12-6) at 152 will anchor the middleof the lineup for Toms River North, who will tryto rebound from a 3-16 season in head coachBill Wilbert's second season. Returning startersinclude juniors Ryan Angelos, Nick Tardibuonoand Anthony DeRosa.

Dallas Winston, Sr., 182Jackson Memorial -

B.J. Clagon, Sr., 132/138Toms River South

Joey Ghione, So., 113Brick Memorial

Rich Lewis, Jr., 132Toms River East

Zach Wilhelm, So., 120/126Southern

Nick Costa, So., 152/160Brick Memorial

Ken Bradley, So., 195Jackson Memorial

Chris Serpico, Jr., 145/152Southern

Garrett Applegate, Jr., 132/138Toms River South

Mike Veneziano, Jr., 126Toms River East

Class A South has four teamsranked in the preseason NewJersey Top 20.

Jackson Mem. winning Group IV last year

WRESTLERS TOWATCH


KEY FACT


Teams listed in predicted order of finish


uring a monster junior season, Raritanforward/center Mike Aaman knew he just had tofocus on his responsibilities pound the boards,be relentless inside and try to swat any shot in his

vicinity.

It added up to a season in which he averaged 17.1 points,13.1 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game on his way to helpingthe Rockets finish No. 1 in the Shore Conference and win theShore Conference Tournament to earn him All Shore MediaPlayer of the Year honors. In the SCT semifinals, he had a 34-point, 23-rebound eruption against Lakewood and followedthat with a 22-point, 24-rebound showing in a win overRumson-Fair Haven in the SCT final.

During that run, the 6-foot-9, Wagner-bound star wassurrounded by four senior starters who had been playingtogether since they were old enough to dribble, and that grouphandled all of the leadership responsibilities.

One season later, Aaman, a four-year varsitystarter, is the only returner onRaritan with anysignificant varsityexperience. TheRockets used onlyfive players in amajority of theirgames last season.That means thatnot only doesAaman have tokeep theproductioncoming on thecourt, he has togrow into muchmore of a leader aswell.

Its definitelydifferent,Aaman said.Last year thoseguys had playedtogether since fifthgrade. They knew howto play, and they showedme how to play the rightway. Now Im just showingthese new guys how I wantthem to play. They will comearound, and everyone will havetheir day.

A season-opening loss toFreehold Township showedthat the Rockets are a workin progress with an entirelynew backcourt that includesjunior point guard JordanJoaquin and junior guardsCody Regueiro, TylerGurczeski and Chris Lehan

as well as senior guard JonKaminski. Six-foot-five seniorConnor Flynn is next to Aaman onthe block to form a wall in thepaint, with senior forwards MarcPizanie and Jamie Pasquin alsodown low.

I did get frustrated, but Irealized after the game that it wastheir first varsity game for most ofthem, Aaman said. I understandcompletely. Everyone hasbutterflies in that first game. Wedid a lot of good things. There wasjust about 7-8 minutes that weplayed bad basketball.

Aaman worked hard on hisballhandling in the offseason and

has taken a much bigger role inthat department, admitting thathe was exhausted by the

fourth quarter of the lossFreehold Township from

having to get the ball acrosshalfcourt frequentlyagainst the Patriotspress. He also hasworked on extendinghis shooting range to 18 feet, makinghim much harder to defend becauseteams just cant collapse on him onthe block.

A lot ofpeople aregoing to tryto keep me outof the post , butwhen I 'm able toput i t on the f loorand shoot off thedribble as wel l as goin the post , teams

won't real ly know howto cover me, Aamansaid. Certainly one tactic teams will try is to frustrate

Aaman by cheap-shotting him or being physicalwith him off the ball or when officials have

their heads turned. Aaman is a fieryplayer, but that emotion can boil oversometimes. Last season, he hadthe crew of senior guards to

calm him down or bear hug himand pull him away from an opponentbefore the situation escalated. Thisseason, he is the senior leader.

In the loss to Freehold Township,Aaman was hit with a technical foulinside the final two minutes after thegame was no longer in doubt andrealized he cannot let that happen again.

(That tactic) did work for themwhen we played (Freehold) Township,which I realized, and its going tochange, he said. The kid was cheap-shotting me, but that turned out to besmart basketball because he got in myhead. I realized I hurt my team, and itlooked like a selfish play by me becausewe were on our way to losing. Im not aselfish player.

He realizes he needs to be a leader ona team that has talent that just needstime to develop. Joaquin has goodspeed at point guard, Flynn has goodsize inside, and Regueiro looks like hecan be the complementary scorer theRockets need to take some of the heatoff Aaman. The new players also haveto get acclimated to playing heavyminutes because Aaman said theirjayvee team only lost one game last

season and had numerousblowouts, so those playerswerent used to logging 30minutes in a game like thevarsity starters.

The feeling is that once allthe newcomers getacclimated to the varsityatmosphere, this could be a

different squad by the timethe tournaments roll around.

By the time mid-January comes, weshould be a completely different team,

Aaman said. Hopefully well startplaying well from now on and a

month from now we canbecome a contender foranother Shore Conference

championship.

Despite losing four starters,Aaman feels that the pressure is

still there for Raritan to performsimply because it is the defending

SCT champion.

Everybody wants to play Raritanbecause were still the Shore Conference

champs, he said. Even if wegraduated everybody, everyonewould still want a piece of us. Wejust have to answer that challenge.

By Scott Stump Managing Editor

I l lustrations by: Phi l ip Sloan


t was only three years ago whenManasquan senior Michaela Mabrey first

flashed her vast potential as a freshmansixth man on St. John Vianneys NJSIAATournament of Champions winning team, but

with three years, a transfer and morethan 1,500 points in her rearviewmirror, 2009 feels like a differentworld to the senior standout.

In her mind, Mabrey now hasthe best of both worlds: she hasthe hunger of a player who hasnever won a championship, butthe big-game experience on whichto fall back. The Notre Damerecruit also has something else for

the first time as a high school player a younger sister on her team.

The Warriors opened their 2011-12 with aslew of returning talent from a 20-5 team and

to that slew, they add a freshmanphenom in Marina Mabrey and a

legitimate inside presence insophomore Amanda Hagaman, atransfer from MonsignorDonovan. Combined with

Michaela Mabrey andsophomore point guard

Katelynn Flaherty, theexpectations are higherthan they have ever beenfor Manasquan.

Weve beenbuilding upfor the lasttwo yearsand I thinkthis year is

going to be areally good year

for us, Mabreysaid. Last year, weadded Katelynn andthat put us onanother level, and

this year, addingMarina is going tomake us even better.Were just so talented,and we think wereready to win a statechampionship.

Ever since the elder Mabreytransferred from St. John

Vianney toManasquan for hersophomore year, theWarriors havesteadily developedtalent around her a20-plus points-per-game scorer inFlaherty last yearand another versionof herself in heryounger sister thisyear. Chemistry isoften a question for ateam that adds newpieces every year,but that will be lessof a problem for ateam led by threeplayers in theMabrey sisters andFlaherty who have

played together for nearly a decade.

Im so happy I get a chance to play with Marina,Mabrey said. Her game is a lot like mine and we playreally well together. And Katelynn, shes like my littlesister, too. We have been playing together for almost 10years and were really good friends, so when were on thecourt, were pretty much always on the same page.Whether its pick-and-rolls, give-and-gos, werealways thinking the same thing.

During the early part of the season, the Warriors havebeen without both Flaherty and Marina Mabrey,with Flaherty dealing with an allergic reactionand Mabrey a sprained medial collateralligament in her knee. Even without thetwo players, the Warriors have notstruggled, outscoring twoopponents by a combinedmargin of 119-36.

In the twogames,Mabrey hasdone her part.She entered theseason 455 points shy of 2,000career points and in the teams firsttwo games of the season, she alreadyknocked 48 points off of herobjective with 26 points in a 54-18win over Brick and 22 points in a65-22 triumph over Barnegat in theWOBM Christmas Classic fi

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