All Shore Media High School Sports 9-17-12 Issue - 16 - Volume IV

3 Army Teamof the Week

4 Academy Soccer RuleAffects the Shore

8-9Time to Make it Happen

10 Singh-ingEndorsement

1 1 Shore Reg. SendsEarly Message

14 Lacey's VircilloGets Win No. 250"

17 Stumpy’sCorner

September 17, 2012 Volume-IV Issue-16

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The f irs t thingfans, players , coaches

and parents want to knowafter the big game is always,

"Is this going to be on All Shore Media?"All Shore Media has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports

coverage in Monmouth and Ocean count ies , providing more videohighl ight c l ips , in-depth report ing, feature s tor ies and regular updatesthan ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

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Week-1 9/7/12Rumson 13Shore 10

The inaugural Army Strong Team of theWeek for 2012 is Rumson-Fair Haven,which showed all the qualities of a tight-knit team in a hard-fought, 13-10 comebackwin in overtime against rival ShoreRegional in the season opener. The Bulldogsendured miscues and a key injury withoutpointing fingers or getting down on oneanother to finally find a way. After juniorkicker Jake D'Amelio missed a 21-yard fieldgoal in the first half, his teammates boostedhim up on the sidelines, and he bouncedback to make a game-tying 29-yard fieldgoal as time expired in regulation and then

hit a 36-yarder in overtime to win the game.

After junior wideout Sam Shaud droppedwhat could have been a game-winningtouchdown pass in the end zone in thefourth quarter, his teammates told him toshake it off, and he made a sensational, 34-yard catch on fourth-and-10 late in the

fourth quarter to keepthe game-tying drivealive. The Bulldogsalso overcame severalother key drops andkept fighting. Seniorrunning back ConorWalsh, who had anoutstanding game with136 yards rushing, leftthe game with a kneeinjury in the fourthquarter, and seniorTravis Clark stepped upin his place withseveral big runs,including converting afourth-and-1 in the

final seconds to help setup D'Amelio's field goal. The victory alsowas the 100th win of head coach ShaneFallon's career, making him Rumson-FairHaven's career wins leader by passingformer longtime coach Joe Rosati, who had99 wins.

Rumson-Fair Haven head coach Shane Fallon and his team arehonored by Sgt. Smith of the U.S. Army as the Army Strong Team of

the Week for Week One.

New For This SeasonIn conjunction with All Shore Media, The US ARMY willhonor one team a week that showed the character,perseverance and hard work emblematic of The USARMY during its performance that weekend. An ARMYGame Ball will be presented to that team duringpractice that week in honor of a great showing.

If there is anyone in the Shore Conference familiar withthe relationship between the high school soccer gameand the game taught by United States Soccer

Federation Youth Developmental Academies, it is ColtsNeck head coach Art Collier.

Over the last four seasons, Collier has seen playersshuttle in and out of his program while honoring variousacademy soccer commitments, including RutgersUniversity freshman Ross Tetro, his brother andcurrent Colts Neck junior Brandon Tetro, and seniorAlex Ramos, the son of former U.S. Soccer and NewYork-New Jersey Metro Stars standout Tab Ramos.

“I always had a good relationship with the academycoaches because there was communication,” Colliersaid. “If there was ever a conflict between the twoteams, I always knew about it, they always knewabout it, and we made it work without anyproblems.”

Prior to this year, the relationship between thehigh school team and the academy team was aworking one in which the player had the optionof playing on any team he pleased and theresponsibility of balancing whichevercommitments he made. For this first time everthis season, the academies are taking theinitiative and making the decision for thesoccer players of New Jersey.

USSF director Claudio Reyna – astandout at St. Benedict’s Prepin Newark prior to hisprofessional career –informed the participating

academies in the USSF program this winter that itsplayers would not be allowed to play highschool soccer while simultaneouslytraining with the club teams. Thefallout of the decision is one Collierhas become accustomed to dealingwith, but now coaches all over theShore Conference are feeling his painfor the first time.

“There’s nothing necessary about it,”Collier said. “The stated reason for thepolicy is to improve the U.S. NationalTeam. The real reason behind it ismoney. It’s dollars. It’s a stream ofincome for people who want tocoach the game who don’t playit anymore.”

Among the primaryacademies in compliance with

the USSF policy are the Red BullsDevelopmental Academy, the PlayersDevelopment Academy (PDA), Matchfit Academyand New Jersey Developmental Academy(NJSA), which is run out of Matawan by TabRamos.

Ramos’ son, Alex, played for Collier at Colts Neckfor three years and will miss his senior year whileplaying for NJSA.

“Having spoken to him, Tab supports highschool soccer,” Collier said. “From thediscussions we’ve had, he’s not in lovewith the policy, but he’s obviously goingto comply. Alex has been a pleasure tocoach for three years and I wish him the

best, along with Brandon Tetro, Jake Areman and JakeConnors. It’s not their fault they can’t play with us.”

While no two academies are identical, most do not trainevery day of the week – a key point made by Reyna in aletter to the clubs this past winter in trying to convey thatyouth players play too much soccer – and practices aregenerally in the early evening. The schedule of theacademy training is a point of contention for coaches whobelieve that a high school student’s time would be betterserved doing something school related rather than to havean idle 2-3 hours between the end of school and thebeginning of soccer training.

“You’re going to have kids leaving school at twoo’clock and what are they going to do? Go home andwatch TV? Play video games?,” posited Toms RiverNorth coach Joe Mahon, whose team lost four players tothe new policy. “A lot of them will probably go watch thehigh school game that they could have been playing in.Instead of letting a kid be a part of the team and spend histime productively after school, they’d rather the kid justsit around waiting for academy practice to start. It makesno sense.”

Wall coach Garry Linstra lost only one player – seniorConnor Nichols – to a soccer academy and he is used tolosing potential players due to the reach of privateinstitutions like Christian Brothers Academy and St.Rose. Linstra, however, has his concerns about the rule,particularly the message it sends about the perceivedqualifications of the high school coaches throughout thestate.

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S e e Varsity BluesC o n t i n u e d o n P a g e 7

Varsity Blues: Academy SoccerRule Affects High School ProgramsB y M a t t M a n l e y - S t a f f W r i t e r

Holmdel's Zach Bond


A s the weather coolsdown and athletes

return back to school, weremember the excitement offall sports; the smack of thefield hockey stick, thealmost acrobatic ballhandling of the soccer ball,and the electrifying crowdsof a Friday night footballgame. It will be easy to seewho prepared themselvesduring the summer for therigors and demands of thesemonths. Many athletes willstrive to stay strong andhealthy to make a lasting impact on their team…tomake a playoff run or win the Shore Conference. Withgreat coaching and playing comes great training, andthe best teams have the perfect combination of both.

But where does training fit in? Many sport coachesfocus their efforts solely on improving their sport. Itmakes sense, doesn’t it? The season is here, so weneed to practice, practice, practice! With limitedhours and daylight being stolen each and everyday,coaches want to milk everything they can out of theirkids to maximize their performance on game day.Parents will manage their children’s schedules tomake sure the homework gets done and there areplenty of snacks and pasta dinners ready for them the

night beforethe games. Bythe end of thenight, ourathletes havegone to schoolfor more thanhalf the day,practice orplayed up tothree hours,attempted toeat dinnerwhile finishingmore hours ofhomework and

possibly a part time job. What else is their time for?

Ask yourself this: Why would I allow myself (orson/daughter) to become weak, gain/lose weight,become slow and increase the risk of injury during themost important time of the year, which is the in-season? It’s unfortunate, but many athletes work sohard during the off-season to improve all of theirperformance variables only to see them go awaybecause of a lack of in-season training. Remember, itdoesn’t matter how big, strong and fast you are if youare sitting on the bench due to injury or lack ofperformance!

In the next five articles, we will explore what we callour “Five Pillars of Performance” and how they still

need to be trained, even during the in-season.They include strength, power, movement(speed/agility/conditioning), nutrition, andrecovery. A progressive and scientificallyresearched program, written and coached bycertified strength and conditioning coaches canhave you or your children starting strong andfinishing fast, even late into the post-season.Stay tuned for the next article as we discuss whatstrength really is and why it’s important for yoursuccess.

In-Season Train ing :What ’s The B ig Deal?B y A d am F e i t - D i r e c t o r o f S p o r t s P e r f o r m a n c e ( RY P T ) P a r t 1 o f 6

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 s m e y e r @ a l l s h o r e m e d i a . c o m

Photos by :David Thorne

www.davethorne.smugmug.com

“Connor Nichols can’t play for his high school soccerteam, but he can go play for the basketball team in thewinter,” Linstra said. “And I’m glad he can and he shouldbe able to play basketball just like a kid should beallowed to play baseball or lacrosse, or whatever, but itsends a message that there is lack of faith in the highschool game and the high school coaches, which I think iskind of silly considering so many of the guys who coachat the Shore have played in major college programs and insome cases professionally. You’re not going to find muchbetter coaching than some of the guys who are around thisarea, so there has to be something else there.”

According to many of the high school coaches likeCollier, that something is the money. With the exceptionof the Red Bulls Academy, all of the academies in N.J.charge dues, most in the range of $2,000 to $5,000 peryear, according to mostestimates. The attraction forhigh school players is theforum of strong competitionin which they can performfor college coaches andwhile the league dues maybe worth it for many of thehigh-level players, theymay also be an excessiveexpense for parents ofplayers who will end uplosing out on playing timeto players who are better or,as some speculate, havepaid dues over a longerperiod of time.

“Academies float theDivision I scholarship infront of these kids andunfortunately, most of themand most of their parentsdon’t realize just how fewof those scholarships thereare out there,” Collier said.“The fact of the matter isthat most of the kids who end up where they do wouldhave ended up there anyway without going through all thetrouble.”

“In some cases these clubs are carrying 30 players, andevery club has their high-level kids who are going toplay,” said Toms River East coach Ted Gillen, who playedfor the Metrostars after starring at Toms River East and

Penn State. “If you’re in that group of kids, you’re fine,but if you’re not in the top 10 kids in the academy andyou’re fighting for playing time, who do you think isgoing to get the benefit of the doubt? The kid whoseparents have been paying dues since he was nine or theone who just made the team? It’s the nature of thebeast when you’re dealing with pay-to-play.They’re serving a different master than the highschool coach is.”

Gillen welcomed back his senior captain, BuddyGibbons, who considered playing for NJSA insteadof for the Raiders this season. Gibbons’ decision,along with the decisions of some of the Shore’s topreturning players like Zach Bond of Holmdel,Kevin Tonkovich of Lacey and Vinny Ignatowicz ofToms River South, reflect a still-pervasive feelingamong high school athletes that playing for one’shigh school still does mean something to many.

“Buddy is like a kid again,” Gillen said. “He’shappy to be playing with his friends and he doesn’t

have to worry about the decision.Maybe some other kids who chosethe academies feel that way, but Iknow for a lot of them, high schoolsoccer was a chance to represent theirtown and to walk through the halls atschool and have other kids acknowledgethem for accomplishing something on thefield.”

By the same token, Mahon fears that inthe event that his team – which is off to a 2-1 start through Sept. 15 – has a greatseason, his former players will end upwatching postseason games in late Octoberand early November and lament being leftout of the high school game.

“Those guys still go to school, andthey’re still friends with the players whoare still here,” Mahon said. “If we make arun, they’re going to feel like they missedout on something. They’ll be watching fromthe stands, wishing they could be out there,playing for a championship with theirfriends and for their school. And the sadthing is, it doesn’t have to be like that.”

As the USSF attempts to streamline its playerdevelopment, fewer players will have the high schoolgame taken away because it will never have been anoption. For the players in the middle of the tug-o-warright now, however, a better course of action could havemade the transition easier, according to Linstra.

“What they should have done is grandfathered in an

exception to the rule so the current group of high schoolplayers could keep playing,” Linstra said. “You make it sothat, starting with the class of 2016, no player can playhigh school and with an academy. That way you’re nottaking anything away from the kids, and in that case,

there wouldn’t be as muchuproar and you wouldn’t makeso much ill will.”

In all, 24 players who haveplayed on a varsity team in theShore Conference in a priorseason or seasons are notplaying this year in order tohonor an academycommitment. In addition tothose 24, Christian BrothersAcademy – which had eightplayers on its all-senior 2011team earn a scholarship toplay in an NCAA Division Iprogram – lost three playersfrom its program to theacademy rule.

“Under these rules, you maynever have seen a team like

the one we had last year,” said 35th-year head CBA coachDan Keane, referring to a 2011 team that went 21-0-0while winning the NJSIAA Non-Public A championship.“Those kids grew up playing together and maybe theywould have decided to play for CBA anyway, but I’m surea lot of them would have decided to play with theiracademy.”

Quantitatively speaking, Colts Neck, Toms River Northand Howell suffered the heaviest losses, with eachprogram losing four players to the rule. Toms River Northand Howell lost four starters from last year’s teams.

“I don’t know what soccer around the state is going tolook like,” Collier said. “I just know that we’re movingon, and I’m sure everyone else is, too. We’re fortunate tohave a lot of players in our program who haveexperienced the academies and have played with some ofthose top- level kids at our practice. Our expectationsdon’t change, and I think that even if the level of playsuffers, you’ll still see kids getting opportunities andmaking the most of them.

“You hope that happens. That would be the good tocome out of this.”

Varsity BluesC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 4

Holmdel goalie Mitch Walier

Photos byCliff Lavelle

www.c learedge.zenfo l i o .com

Holmdel's Zach Bond


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Lacey wide receiverBill Belford and RedBank Catholic tailbackJesse Flaherty are doingtheir best to make upfor lost time.

Both have missed thepast two seasons and areplaying their one andonly year of varsityfootball. Their urgency tosavor every moment has shown intheir performance early in theseason.

The first time Bill Belfordever touched the ball in a varsitygame, he went 55 yards to thehouse on the first play fromscrimmage in an eventual 50-point win over Pinelands in theseason opener.

He later added a 60-yardtouchdown catch for his secondscore of the game, making hisvarsity debut a night he won'tsoon forget. He followed thatup with three touchdowns in a37-20 win over Toms RiverNorth in Week Two. Two ofthem were of the dazzlingvariety, as he returned akickoff 99 yards for atouchdown and caught ahalfback pass from ChristianTutela for a 62-yardtouchdown.

“This has been the greatest experience of mylife,’’ Belford said.

Belford's saga began on the first day the Lionswere in pads duringthe preseason ofhis sophomoreyear. Heleaped tocatch a passand was hitwhile in anawkwardposition,

thenfelt aboltofpainshoot

throughhis leftshoulder. Heinitiallythought hedislocated hisshoulder, but soon

grew very pale andwas rushed to KimballMedical Center inLakewood. He had internalbleeding and was diagnosedwith a torn spleen.

"I was praying to God that Ididn't have to have it removedbecause I'm not a surgery person,''Belford said.

Belford ended up avoiding surgerybecause his spleen was able to healwithout it. However, he was out for his

entire sophomore season. Missing a gamehe had played his entire life then snowballed

into a situation of his own making that erasedhis junior season on the gridiron.

"Junior year was completely on me,'' he said."After I was out (as a sophomore), I basicallygave up with everything and did really bad in

school. My head wasn't right. Being withoutfootball just broke my heart.''

He watched from the stands as the Lions went4-6 last season after suffering heavy graduationlosses from an undefeated 2010 team. Lacey'spassing game struggled mightily as the Lionswere breaking in a sophomore quarterback, TomKelly, and had to rely heavily on junior tailbackKyle Spatz. His friends not only encouragedhim to get his grades right on principle, but alsofor the fact that Lacey could use a top receiverlike Belford to go along with establishedplaymakers like Brandon Boos, Christian Tutelaand R.J. Kurtz.

"I remember justwatching and missing itso much and pushingmyself to work harder inthe classroom,'' Belfordsaid. "The whole teamtold me they needed meback. Tutela, Boos - theywere all begging me to getback on the right track.Those guys helped me outa lot.''

L

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He now has become anindispensable part of a Lacey teamlooking to roar back into the ShoreConference elite after a season out ofthe spotlight.

“(Belford) is a rising star right now,''said junior defensive back Chris Jensen."He's unbelievable. I had never seenhim play until this year, and he's a greatathlete.''

"When I was failing and had my spleen injury,I completely gave up,'' he said. "Going andwatching them last year got me so pumped upto do better. Now that I'm back, it's themost rewarding thing ever.''

Flaherty knows the feeling, as healso spent the last two years tryingto get back on the field. Hemade his triumphant returnwith 70 yards rushing and atouchdown on 10 carries in a47-0 rout of Red Bank in theseason opener and followed thatup with 130 yards rushing and a 75-yard touchdown run in a 10-0 winover Manasquan.

His frustrating journey into football limbostarted when a pain that began in Flaherty's legas a freshman mushroomed into major backsurgery in December of his sophomore year.

"The doctor diagnosed a condition where youhave a slipped disc in your vertebra and nerveirritation in your spine and legs,'' Flaherty said."They weren't saying that my football careerwas done, but they didn't really know.''

Flaherty played basketball as a junior, butstayed away from the contact of football ashe continued to heal.

"I had it in my mindthat I would make acomeback senior year,''he said. "Last year on thesidelines, I was itching toplay, but I just had towait it out.''

He alsocould look tohis

ownfamily forinspiration,as his olderbrother Jakehasenduredmultiple

torn ACLs toearn a startingwide receiverspot atBucknell

University.

"(Jake)basically said to

just keep workinghard to come back,''

Flaherty said. "I alwaystried to keep that mindset.''

Flaherty spent this preseasonadjusting to the speed of the gameand calming any fears about his back

by getting used to the contactagain. His value became apparentwhen starting tailback LarryRedaelli left the Red Bankgame with an ankle injury inthe first quarter and did notreturn. Flaherty andsophomore Mike Cordova

made sure RBC didn'tmiss a beat andshowed the depthof capablerunning backs inthe Caseys'stable.

"It was kind of arelief,'' Flaherty saidabout his first gameback. "I'm happy itwent well and thateverything is good.Now against(Manasquan) I'mjust going to go outand do my best, and

keep it going after theRBR game.''

Jesse Flaherty is the youngest offour sons of RBC assistant coach HarryFlaherty Sr. to play for the Caseys. The

elder Flaherty also was an RBC star in the1970s, so green-and-gold football runs

through the family's blood.

"A lot of people in myfamily have done verywell playing football atRBC,'' Jesse said. "I justwant to keep thattradition going.''

P ho t o s b y :B i l l N o rm i l e

www.b i l l norm i l e .zenfo l i o .com

Toms River East coach Ted Gillen said he and juniorMatt Singh have had a love-hate relationship overthe seven years that Gillen has coached him, but

with the way Singh has been scoring in his two years as avarsity player, Gillen has nothing but love for the goal-scorer extraordinaire.

Singh scored two more goals Saturday, including thegame-winner in the 55th minute, and the Raiders upendedToms River South - the No. 2 team in the All Shore MediaPreseason Top 10 - 3-1 to remain unbeaten while handingthe Indians their fourth straight loss in the ShoreConference Class A South to open the season.

Gillen said he has coached Singh since he was nineyears old and from an early age, the junior showed apropensity for goal-scoring.

"There are times when he's doing nothing, half-defending, not checking back and I'm screaming at him,and then all of a sudden, he's scoring the game-winninggoal and waving to me at midfield as he passes by,"Gillen said. "From the time I started coaching him, I justtold him to just be ready for the ball, because he just has aknack. I can't say I taught it to him, because he had itwhen I first saw him play, and he's never lost it."

Singh opened the scoring in the 36th minute byfinishing a well-executed combination started by forwardAnthony Batelli, forward Nolan Gottshall and outside

midfielder EnzoScala. Botelli rana give-and-gowith Gottshalland then playedthe ball to Scala,who beat his manaround thecorner andcrossed the ballto the middle.Singh got to theball and drilled itinto the net frominside the six-yard box for a 1-0 lead.

"We knewwhat we had todo today," Singhsaid. "South isgoing to comeout hard, andthey're going tokeep playing no matter what the score is. No lead is safeagainst them, and if we got a goal, we knew we had to getanother and then another, because they keep coming."

The Indians tied the game in the 7th minuteof the second half when Justin Voelker skiedover the defense to head in a corner kick byJoey Esposito to the back post.

The Raiders answered eight minutes laterwhen Singh read the ball off the head of JoshSommerer - who was the first to get a head onBuddy Gibbons' throw-in - and hit a shotthrough a sea of shin guards and into the net togive Toms River East a 2-1 lead.

"I don't try to go where the ball is. I go wherethe ball is going to be," Singh said. "To scoregoals, you have to be able to anticipate wherethe ball is going to go and that's how I end upwith the chances that I get."

Sommerer added a goal of his own in the64th minute when he scored on a reboundfollowing an initial shot by Scala, who wasonce again set up by a carry and cross byBatelli from the left side.

"We always have guys who step up," Singhsaid. "Everyone wants to contribute and be part

of winning here. You saw Josh Sommerer make some bigplays, Anthony Batelli did a great job getting to thecorners and sending in crosses. Our defense played greatlike it always does. It's always a team effort here andthat's what we had today."

Toms River East has been strong in the back with allthree of its returning starters from last season playing inthe back four. Senior stopper Kyle Smyth is a three-yearstarter and senior Nick Diem shifted from outside back tosweeper. The biggest change to the formation was movingsenior Buddy Gibbons from center midfield to leftfullback, where he played as a sophomore.

"I love playing in the center midfield, but the bottomline is, I want to do whatever it takes for us to wingames," Gibbons said. "This program has always beenabout winning, and we just want to keep up with thattradition. Our defense is a big part of that and if that'swhere I need to be, then that's where I want to be, and I'mgoing to give it a hundred percent."

Senior goalkeeper Anthony Correia needed to makeonly two saves to pick up the win, but both were on point-blank shots early in the first half that thwarted an earlyToms River South push.

"Anthony Correia is the key to our team right nowbecause we only have three returning starters in thefield," Gillen said. "We're going to make mistakes, butwith Anthony out there, we're able to cover them becausehe's there to make the big save or just to take control ofthe box."

The Raiders were one of the Shore Conference's topdefensive teams last season once Correia took over in netand although the team has seven new starters, Gillen seesthe potential for another Class A South title and deeppostseason run.

"We're going to make our share of mistakes, but onething I'll never have to ask of this group is effort," Gillensaid. "They're new starters, but there are a lot of seniorsin this group who have been giving me everything Icould ask for since day one and while it's certainly notperfect yet, their attitude and effort has really made us alot better than I thought we'd be at this point. How itturns out, we'll have to see, but I'm encouraged by whatI've seen so far."


Toms River East junior Matt Singh

Singh- ing EndorsementB y M a t t M a n l e y - S t a f f W r i t e r

Game V ideoH i g h l i g h t s b y :

M a t t M a n l e ywww.a l l shoremed ia .com

Photos by: Cliff Lavellewww.c learedge.zenfo l i o .com

One game after showing it can hang with a heavyweightGroup II program, Shore Regional sent a message to therest of its Group I competition in Week Two.

The host Blue Devils dismantled defending Central JerseyGroup I and Class B Central champion Asbury Park, 37-12, tomake it clear that they intend on reclaiming the state anddivision titles they won during an 11-1 season in 2010. Shore (1-1, 1-0) shook off a gut-wrenching 13-10 overtime loss toRumson-Fair Haven in the opener to dominate from beginningto end against the Blue Bishops (1-1, 1-1)."This shows that we're for real,'' said head coach Mark

Costantino. "We gave Rumson all they could handle, and weshould've won that game. We had a great week of practice, andthey're a loose group.''Shore's defense limited the Blue Bishops to 120 total yards,

including 13 yards passing. Senior defensive end Luis Bernardeshad three sacks and a hit for a loss to lead the way. The BlueDevils' defense caught more passes (three) than Asbury Park'sreceivers (one), including a tipped pass thats senior defensivelineman Chris Vaccaro returned 50 yards for a touchdown.Shore now has six interceptions in two games. "We were scared to death of their throwing game, so we

worked extra hard on disrupting their routes,'' Costantino said."We had combination zone-man things, and we were doingsome pretty sophisticated things. My son (safety MarkCostantino Jr.) was able to check things off to the linebackers,and we were doing all sorts of disguises out there, and itshowed. We were all over the place.''The defense set the tone from the outset, as Bernardes sacked

junior quarterback Robert Barksdale on the second play fromscrimmage in the game and then senior defensive back KevinMasica intercepted a pass on the next play. The Blue Devils alsowon the field position battle from the beginning, forcing AsburyPark to punt from its own 4-yard line on its second possession.That set up a six-play, 20-yard drive that was capped by a 1-yardrun from senior fullback Jack Kelly for a 7-0 lead with 3:30 leftin the first quarter.After Shore's defense forced another three-and-out thanks to a

sack on third down by junior defensive end Dennis Vaccaro, theBlue Devils were in business at Asbury Park's 41-yard line. A

sensational, 35-yard catch by senior wideout Tyler Vivianover a defender helped set up a 28-yard field goal bysophomore kicker Jake Monteiro, who booted three fieldgoals in the win.The score remained 10-0 until a wild flurry in which the

two teams combined for 23 points in the final 1:48 of thesecond quarter. Kelly scored on a 1-yard run for hissecond touchdown of the game to polish off a nine-play,44-yard drive for a 17-0 advantage. On Asbury Park'sensuing possession, Chris Vaccaro snatched a tipped passout of the air and rumbled 50 yards to the end zone for a24-0 lead."That's our center,'' Costantino said. "He was rumbling,

bumbling, and stumbling and then he dove in the endzone.''The Blue Devils then recovered a fumble on the

ensuing kickoff after Vaccaro's pick six. However, ablindside hit by Asbury Park senior Kedar Johnson on juniorquarterback Matt Muh resulted in a fumble that Blue Bishopsjunior Daquane Bland-Bennett returned 40 yards for atouchdown to get Asbury Park on the board and cut the lead to24-6 with 1:13 left in the half.Shore came right back when it recovered an onside kick at

midfield and then reached the Asbury Park 19-yard line after a27-yard run by Kelly. Monteiro was able to nail a 35-yard fieldgoal as time expired for a commanding 27-6 lead at the break."Our sophomore kicker is outstanding,'' Costantino said. "He's

a game-changer.''Last season, the Blue Devils let Asbury Park hang around until

the Blue Bishops burned them with a 70-yard touchdown pass inthe fourth quarter that was the difference in a 14-13 win. Thistime, there would be no letdown. Shore took the opening kickoffof the second half and went 43 yards in six plays, scoring whenMuh found Masica for a 31-yard touchdown pass and a 34-6lead."(Muh) is still learning,'' Costantino said of the transfer from

Holmdel. "To have him is great because now we stretch the fieldeverywhere. We brought back some old-school Wing-T today,running some unbalanced (line), which is what we're known for.

That with the throwing dimensions, I think is going to make us atough out (in the playoffs).''By that point, Asbury Park had abandoned the passing game,

going to a wildcat look with different running backs taking turnsreceiving direct snaps and taking off. The Blue Bishops cut thelead to 34-12 when sophomore Tyquis Davis scored his firstvarsity touchdown on a 25-yard burst up the middle with 1:57left in the third quarter.Shore answered with one final scoring drive, going 51 yards

on 11 plays and scoring on a 26-yard field goal by Monteiro forthe final margin. With the victory, the Blue Devils avoided thedreaded 0-2 hole after two tough opponents to start the seasonwhile stamping themselves as a prime contender for the Class BCentral and CJ I titles. There certainly is the possibility theycould see Asbury Park again in the state playoffs."Now we have control,'' Costantino said. "It's in our hands.

Our goal is to be 7-1 (at the playoff cutoff) and get in there.'

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Senior defensive lineman Chris Vaccaro

Shore Regional Sends EarlyMessage in B Central RaceB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

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To reach a milestone like Lacey head coach LouVircillo attained on Saturday afternoon, a coach

not only needs successand longevity, but alsothe ability to adapt.

Vircillo joined Bricklegend Warren Wolf andlate Manasquanluminary Vic Kubu asthe only coaches inShore Conferencehistory to reach 250career victories whenthe Lions, ranked No. 5in the All Shore MediaTop 10, beat No. 10Toms River North 37-20in a Class A Southgame. While Lacey'sdefense scored twotouchdowns, the Lions(2-0, 1-0) alsoshowcased a much moreproductive offense thanthe unit that averaged14.4 points per game ina 4-6 season in 2011. Abig reason for the leapforward is the new facesin the lineup and on thesideline, who helped bring Vircillo's career record to250-112-3 and put him in a select group on Saturday.

"I'm going to be very honest about you, I forgot allabout it,'' Vircillo said about the milestone. "I didn'teven know until the kids said it to me at the end of thegame. I don't really think about those numbers. It's justnice to be a part of the tradition of hard-working guysthat loved the game and endured.''

In the offseason, Vircillo, who is the only head coachin Lacey history since its inauguration in 1981,brought in former Howell head coach Cory Davies, thearchitect of some of the most explosive offenses inShore Conference history. He wanted Davies to meldhis passing game attack to the old-school, smashmouthrunning game that Vircillo prefers.

He also added former Pinelands offensivecoordinator John Tierney, who ran the show when MattMcLain set the single-season Shore Conferencerushing record in 2010. The ability to set his ownphilosophy aside and trust a capable coach is the samething Vircillo did when he brought in former assistantCraig Cicardo in the early 2000s. The Lions went on towin two state championships in the last six seasonsbefore Cicardo left to take a college coaching positionlast year.

Allowing Davies to run the show has meant a muchmore balanced offensive attack than the one-dimensional running game the Lions had last year. The

Lions threw for 176 yards as a team, including 114 byjunior quarterback Tom Kelly, and also ran for 108yards against the Mariners (1-1, 0-1).

"I said (to Davies) inthe offseason when wetalked, do you think wehave enough talent to doyour bread-and-butterstuff?'' Vircillo said. "Aslong as it's working, youtry not to screw with it.There is a blend instyles, and right now it'slike, how do you blendit?''

The straw stirring thatblend has been speedysenior wideout BillBelford, who has scoreda combined fivetouchdowns in his firsttwo varsity games afterfinding the end zonethree times in the firsthalf on Saturday.Belford missed hissophomore seasonbecause of a torn spleensuffered in practice, andmissed last year becauseof academic

ineligibility, so he is making up for lost time.

"It's been the greatest experience of my life,''Belford said.

The first fireworks from Belford came after TomsRiver North took the opening kickoff and drove 55yards in five plays to score on a 3-yard run bysophomore quarterback CarmenSclafani, who ran for 138 yardsand three touchdowns in the loss.Belford returned the ensuingkickoff 99 yards for a touchdownto tie the game at 7-7 with 9:18left in the first quarter. He alsohad luck on his side as his backfoot touched the end zone, whichshould've been a touchback, butthe official missed it and thetouchdown stood.

"I cut to the right just to fakethem out and as soon as I cut tothe left, it was completely open,''Belford said. "I just took it rightto the house full speed.''

"Billy Belford obviously is alittle bit of a secret weapon,''Vircillo said. "We said inpreseason that he was alegitimate guy.''

Toms River North was then dealt a blow whenstarting center Nick Silva went down with a season-ending broken left leg and had to be removed by EMTworkers. The Mariners initially shook it off to take thelead back when Sclafani ripped off a 37-yardtouchdown run off an option fake on fourth-and-2 for a14-7 advantage with 3:09 left in the first quarter.Lacey answered when junior wideout Christian Tutelatook a handoff on a jet sweep and threw a pass to awide-open Belford for a 62-yard touchdown thatknotted the game at 14 with 7:49 left in the secondquarter.

"We've been working on that in practice especiallyfor this week,'' Belford said. "We ran a lot of jets atPinelands (in the season opener), and we never did apass off that, so we worked hard on getting that down.We knew it would fake them out the first time becausethey had never seen us do that, and I was completelywide open.''

After the defense came up with a stop, the Lionsmounted a nine-play, 83-yard drive that ended whenKelly found a diving Belford for a 7-yard touchdownpass on third-and-goal with 1:24 left in the half. Thekey play on the drive was a 51-yard run by seniortailback Kyle Spatz, and the touchdown gave Lacey a21-14 lead at the half.

"(Belford) is a rising star right now,'' said juniordefensive back Chris Jensen. "He's unbelievable. I hadnever seen him play until this year, and he's a greatathlete.''

The Lions took the opening kickoff of the thirdquarter and drove down to the Mariners' 8-yard line,but Toms River North ended up blocking a field goalattempt by Liam Dolly to keep the lead at sevenpoints. However, the Mariners then fumbled on theirfirst play to give the ball right back to the Lions.Lacey converted it into a 28-yard field goal by Dolly

Lacey's Lou VircilloReaches Rare Milestone" B y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

Lacey coach Lou Vircillo


Junior QB Tom Kelly

2012 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE(Games to be broadcast on 105.7FM and 1160/1310AM)

Fri 9/21 Toms River North at Southern (7pm)Fri 9/28 Jackson Memorial at Toms River North (7pm)Fri 10/5 Neptune at Brick Memorial (7pm)Fri 10/14 Barnegat at Central (7pm)Fri 10/19 Toms River South at Toms River East (7pm)Fri 10/26 TO BE DETERMINEDFri 11/2 Lacey at Brick Memorial (7pm)

Sat 11/9 NJSIAA Playoff Games

Sat 11/16 NJSIAA Playoff Games

Thr 11/22 Wall at Manaquan (11am)

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to extend the lead to 24-14 with 5:39 left in the thirdquarter.

Toms River North was still in striking distance whenJensen made a game-changing play. Sclafani ran to hisright on an option play and wasin the grasp of linebackers TylerWalsh and Casey Sirotniak whenhe tried to pitch the ball toteammate Joey Fields. Jensenread it perfectly and snatchedthe pitch out of mid-air, takingoff the other way for a 30-yardtouchdown and a 30-14 leadwith 3:55 left in the thirdquarter.

"I just saw him coming withthe option, broke on it, caught itand headed for the end zone,''Jensen said.

The Mariners would not goaway as Sclafani scored on a 5-yard run in the final seconds ofthe third quarter that cut thelead to 30-20 after a two-pointconversion attempt failed. Afterforcing a punt, Toms RiverNorth drove to Lacey's 40-yardline, but Lions' defensive back

Justin Longo intercepted a pass and returned it 50yards to the Mariners' 20-yard line.

Toms River North came up with a stop on downs andhad one last chance to make it interesting. The

Mariners drove down to theLacey 11-yard line in thefinal seconds, but Spatzstepped in front of a passand took it 95 yards theother way for the icing onthe cake with 15.4 secondsleft in the game.

The victory not only addedanother line to Vircillo'simpressive resume, it alsostamped Lacey as a primecontender to Southern'ssupremacy in Class A South.

"Honestly, this was aplayoff win right here,''Jensen said.

For Vircillo, it was a chance to quickly savor aspecial moment in a career in which his teams havewon four NJSIAA sectional titles and 12 division titlesduring his tenure at Lacey.

"If you don't have the fortune to have good kids andbe surrounded by good coaches, you don't coach verylong,'' Vircillo said. "If you're fortunate enough to besuccessful and crazy enough to stay in the game thislong, you can reach things like this. God bless WarrenWolf. I don't know how the heck he did this into his80s.''

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Junior DB Justin Longo

Through thepreseason and the f irs t two games ofthis Shore Conference footbal l season,there has been one injury af ter anotherto some prominent players . Southern wideout Kevin Barreau, Red Bank Catholic

quarterback Mike Corcione and Brick Memorialfullback/linebacker Anthony Miller, all seniors, were lostto season-ending knee injuries in the preseason. LongBranch senior tailback Dwight Clark broke a bone in hisankle and will miss half the season. Howell seniorquarterback John Quinlan had an MCL tear in his kneethat will cut his season in half.

Then the regular season began, and Rumson-FairHaven standout tailback Conor Walsh went out with atorn ACL in his left knee in the opener against ShoreRegional. In Week Two, Toms River North starting centerNick Silva broke several bones in his left leg, ending hisseason in a loss to Lacey.

Every time I witness or hear about another one of theseinjuries, I feel the worst for the seniors. I could only haveimagined what it would have been like having to watchmy senior season from the sidelines after all the hardwork I had put into going out with a great year.

This is perhaps the ultimate test of character for theseathletes. If leadership is doing what’s right when no oneis watching, a season-ending injury is a test of that. Willthe athlete go through the rehabilitation, still support histeam and maintain a positive outlook knowing that thereis no chance to get back on the field this year?

It’s not easy to do. I’ve interviewed numerous playersover the years about what it’s like to go throughsomething like this, and many of them say they feel likeghosts. They’re on the team, but they don’t feel like theyare a part of things and can’t share in the locker roomcamaraderie that comes from the shared blood and sweat

of being out on the field together.

While it can be a devastating event, I have seen plentyof proof that it can be overcome. Clearly, the advances inmedicine and the rehabilitation process make the physicalpart of it the easier part. It’s the mental side that can

destroy an athlete. Just listen to the words of Laceysenior wideout Bill Belford that are detailed in this

issue. He freely admits that when his sophomore seasonwas wiped out due to a spleen injury, he fell apart in

school and ended up being academically ineligibleas a junior. He realized he had to change andgot his grades in order as a senior, but it showsthe toll a major injury can take on the other

aspects of an athlete’s life.

The success of coming back from something like thatmay not always be measured on the field, but thecharacter it takes to progressthrough this type of ordealwill manifest itself down theroad.

In 2004, Manasquanrunning back KaysonneAnderson had his seniorseason derailed by apersistent hamstring injuryon the heels of a 2,000-yardrushing year as a junior. Allof the FBS schools that wererecruiting him backed off,dashing his dreams ofplaying at that level.However, instead of givingup or letting it affect hisgrades and his future, hewent on to play at theUniversity of NewHampshire. He earned hisdegree and now works in thefinancial sector in NewYork.

Former Red Bank Catholic standout Jake Flaherty torehis ACL in the state playoffs his senior year and did notget to play in his final Thanksgiving game againstRumson-Fair Haven. When he reached BucknellUniversity, he suffered another torn ACL. At that point, itmight seem pointless to go through the rehab process allover again, but he didn’t give up and is now a startingwide receiver at Bucknell.

Rob Boutote was a promising player at Freehold whojust finished his freshman season in December 2004when he was the passenger in a car accident. He suffereda back injury so severe that it ended his football careerbefore it could really take off. Boutote had to be on home

instruction for the next two years because his mobilitywas limited and it was too painful to sit at a desk all day.

As a senior, he was a constant positive presence on theFreehold sideline when the Colonials won the FederalDivision title to begin their rise under then-head coachMark Ciccotelli. He never stepped foot on the field as aplayer, but now he is back on it as an athletic trainer.Rather than let that injury send his life into a tailspin,Boutote went on to earn a degree in athletic training andphysical science from the College of Charleston. He isnow a graduate assistant at William Paterson, where heworks as an athletic trainer with the school’s sportsteams.

It’s not always about getting back on the field toachieve athletic success. Moving on to get a collegedegree and start a career is a success in my book.

It’s about how you aregoing to respond whensomething you love istaken away. While theseinjuries are terrible for theplayers mentioned aboveand you wish they couldhave been avoided, theypresent a chance forgrowth. They present anopportunity for theseplayers to build somearmor to steel themselvesagainst much bigger thingslater in life.

A torn ACL senior yearwon’t seem like muchcompared to the death of aloved one or getting laidoff from a well-paying joband having to support afamily. But the experienceof going through a

devastating event and coming out the other side throughhard work will not be new. The discipline anddetermination it takes are what will be needed to getthrough a real world problem.

So to all the Shore Conference seniors going throughthese rough times with injuries right now, don’t take it asthe end of the world. Take it as an opportunity to start therest of your life.


Rumson senior Conor Walsh


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All Shore Media High School Sports 9-17-12 Issue - 16 - Volume IV

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