ASM 9-19-11 Volume III Issue-17

S e p t e m b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 1V o l u m e - I I I - I s s u e - 1 7

www.allshoremedia.comwww.allshoremedia.comwww.allshoremedia.com

National Guard

Team of the WeekPage 3

RBC Wins

Heavyweight

BattlePage 4

Boy Soccer: Spanning

the ShorePage 6-7

On a Mission

For A FriendPage 8-9

Wall’s Band of

Brothers 1

Howell’s Lyon in

WaitPage 13

Lacey's Powell

Survives ScarePage 14

Stumpy's CornerPage 15


National Guard


RBC Wins

Heavyweight

BattlePage 4


the ShorePage 6-7

On a Mission


Wall’s Band of

BrothersPage 1 1

Howell’s Lyon in

WaitPage 13

Lacey's Powell




National Guard


RBC Wins

Heavyweight

BattlePage 4


the ShorePage 6-7

On a Mission


Wall’s Band of

BrothersPage 1 1

Howell’s Lyon in

WaitPage 13

Lacey's Powell




National Guard


RBC Wins

Heavyweight

BattlePage 4


the ShorePage 6-7

On a Mission


Wall’s Band of

BrothersPage 1 1

Howell’s Lyon in

WaitPage 13

Lacey's Powell



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www.allshoremedia.com Volume- I I I Issue-17 9 / 19 / 1 1 ASM / 3

Week-1

The inaugural National Guard Teamof the Week for week-1 was OceanTownship, which pulled out a 20-17overtime thri l ler against r ivalMiddletown South in a nondivis ionalgame in the season opener.

Week-2

The National Guard Team of theWeek for Week Two is No. 1 RedBank Catholic, which won ashowdown of heavyweights bypulling out a 20-14, double-overtime victory againstNeptune in a Class B Northclash between two of theShore's top teams. The Caseyswon it on a 12-yard touchdownrun by senior fullback ChrisDonald to touch off a wildcelebration at a packed CountBasie Field in Red Bank.

RBC had its back against thewall on multiple occasions but wasable to keep fighting untilsecuring the victory. The Caseys

came up with a forced fumbleand a fumble recovery in the endzone with 1:31 left in the fourthquarter to keep the game tied at14 and also weathered a missed25-yard field goal by Neptunein the first overtime. Seniordefensive tackle Joe Coscarelli

led an excellent defensive effortwith 16 tackles and two sacks, and

senior tailback John DiStefanohad 114 yards rushing and atouchdown to lead the offense.

Sgt. John Naame of the New Jersey National Guardpresents the team of the Week Football to Ocean’s Head

Coach Donald Klein & team (photo by Dave Thorne)

Senior FB Chris Donald

RBC Photo by

C l i f f L a v e l l eww w. c l ea r e d g e . ze nf o l i o . co m

New For This SeasonIn conjunction with All Shore Media, The National Guard

will honor one team a week that showed the character,

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Guard during its performance that weekend. A plaque will

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honor of a great showing.

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Chris Donald's spinning, game-winning touchdown run thatlooked like something out of "The Matrix'' was the perfectsymbol of Red Bank Catholic's electrifying, 20-14 win in doubleovertime over Neptune on Sept. 16 in a match-up between two ofthe Shore Conference's top teams.

Every time it looked like No. 5 Neptune (1-1, 0-1) had the No.1 Caseys (2-0, 1-0) dead to rights, RBC was able to spin out oftrouble and turn it into something positive to break the ScarletFliers' heart again. It was the second pulse-racing Class B Northshowdown won by RBC in two years between the two squads,and it was before a roaring crowd of 2,750 at Count Basie Field.

Both teams had major opportunities to win it up to that point, asNeptune fumbled on the goal line in a tie game with 1:31 left inregulation and missed a potentially game-winning 25-yard fieldgoal in the first overtime, while RBC dropped two potentialtouchdown passes and missed a 42-yardfield goal in the waning seconds ofregulation. Eventually, the Caseyspulled it out on Donald's scintillating,12-yard touchdown run on a fullbacktrap in which a diving Neptune tacklerlunged to swipe the ankle of the 240-pound senior at the six-yard line,spinning Donald sideways in the air, buthe somehow kept his balance to find theend zone and set off a wild celebration.

"It was just a reaction,'' Donald said."I was spinning thinking, 'Oh my God,I'm going down,' but then I landed onmy feet and got in the end zone.''

"I've never seen a kid that big dosomething that acrobatic,'' said RBCsenior quarterback Ryan Spahr. "Hemoves very well for a big man, but thatwas insane.''

Playing a large role in the victory was Red Bank Catholic'sdefensive line of senior Joe Coscarelli and juniors Josh Klecko,Richie Curran and Ron Robinson, which helped hold Neptune'sexplosive flexbone option running attack, led by seniorquarterback Jaheem Woods, to 96 yards rushing. The Caseys onlyallowed three plays longer than 11 yards in the game and came upwith three turnovers.

"We wanted to keep (Woods) in the pocket,'' said Coscarelli,who had three sacks, including one in double overtime. "It wastough doing that because he is a tremendous athlete, but webuckled down and flew to the ball.''

Neptune stopped RBC on downs in the first overtime and had achance to win it, but a 25-yard field goal attempt by DonaldAreus was wide right to send the game into a second overtime.The Scarlet Fliers got the ball first in double overtime, andCoscarelli promptly sacked Woods for a four-yard loss to putthem in a hole. Three straight incompletions, the last of whichwas swatted away by RBC senior cornerback Kyle Vill, put the

Caseys in position to win the game with a score. Senior tailbackJohn DiStefano, who ran for a game-high 114 yards, ran for sixyards on third-and-5 from the 20 to keep the drive going. Donaldran for two yards on first down and the polished off the win withhis touchdown run on only his second carry after halftime andthird of the game.

"I kick out my guy on that play, I see (Donald) getting cut, I seehim flip up in the air and I'm like, 'Oh my God,' and he runs rightin the end zone,'' said Coscarelli, who also plays on the offensiveline. "Ridiculous.''

Neptune had tied the game with 11:23 left in the fourth quarteron a 30-yard touchdown pass from Woods to junior wideoutGeoff Fairbanks, who sidestepped a defender and burst into theend zone. The Scarlet Fliers were standing on the doorstep ofvictory when Woods found senior Ikie Calderon for a 66-yard

gain on third-and-14 tomake it first-and-goal atRBC's 9-yard line withunder two minutes to play.Two plays later, Calderonappeared headed for the endzone when he took ahandoff on a jet sweep tothe left side, but RBCdefensive backs JamesTaylor and James Hickeypoked the ball loose for afumble. DiStefano pouncedon it at the back of the endzone for a touchback with1:31 left in regulation.

"My eyes opened upwide, and I knew I had tojump on it,'' DiStefano said.

Calderon was nearlyinconsolable in the end zone before several teammates picked uphim and encouraged him to stay with the game.

"We went right back to him,'' said Neptune coach MarkCiccotelli. "I said, 'You're my guy.' The kid is a player. He's agamer, he's a winner. He's a tough guy, and he's a very goodfootball player.''

The Caseys then had a chance to put it away in regulation whenDiStefano ripped off a 37-yard run on the first play following thetouchback, and then Spahr hit senior wideout Greg Golden for an18-yard gain to Neptune's 25-yard line. Sophomore kicker PatToomey attempted a career-long 42-yard field goal with 18seconds remaining, but it was wide left to send the game intoovertime. RBC also had a chance on its previous possession whentwo deep passes by Spahr were dropped.

"I don't think either team is thrilled about how either teamplayed, but effort-wise, you can't fault anybody,'' said RBC headcoach Jim Portela. "They played their hearts out, and we playedour hearts out.''

Neptune hadtaken a 7-0 leadin the firstquarter with a13-play, 62-yarddrive that endedwith a 10-yardtouchdown passfrom Woods toCalderon, whofinished with 99yards receivingon five catches.However, RBCwas able to putthe clamps onNeptune formuch of theremainder of thegame by notallowing Woods, an electrifying runner, to break the pocket or getto the sideline frequently.

"My job the whole game was to mirror him,'' said Donald, whois also a linebacker. "I think we did a great job of containing himbecause he is an outstanding quarterback.''

RBC tied the game with a seven-play, 17-yard drive in thesecond quarter that was kickstarted by a 49-yard punt return byjunior Chris Whitlock. Spahr polished it off on a 1-yard keeper onthird down with 8:38 left in the second quarter. The Caseys thenmade it 14-7 after a wild sequence in which Donald intercepted apass by Woods and appeared headed for the end zone before theball was knocked lose for a touchback that returned possession toNeptune. However, two plays later, Woods fumbled, and Villpounced on it at Neptune's 23-yard line.

Five plays later, DiStefano went around the right side for a 4-yard touchdown to give the Caseys the lead going into halftime.That was the way it would remain until the Fairbanks'stouchdown tied it to set up the furious finish. The wild fourthquarter and overtime seemed eerily similar to another game fromlast year for the Caseys. RBC lost 26-25 in overtime to Freehold,whose head coach, Ciccotelli, is now the head coach at Neptune.

"It honestly felt like the Freehold game all over again, evenwith the same coach on the other side,'' Coscarelli said. "We allsaid, 'This isn't happening again. Not on our home field.'''

"These kids fought their butts off right to the end,'' Ciccotellisaid about his team. "They played very hard and I'm very, veryproud of them. I love every one of these kids. Right now, it hurts.If it doesn't hurt, you're not a winner. If this doesn't hurt you,guess what? Don't show up Monday.''

RBC Wins HeavyweightShowdown With NeptuneB 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

P h o t o s b y :

C l i f f L ave l l ew w w . c l e a r e d g e . z e n f o l i o . c o m

RB Chris Donald

Even with a host of new starters and a

challenging non-divisional schedule

earlier in the year, the Lacey boys soccer

team is off to a fast start for the third

straight season. Now, the Lions will look

to carry that momentum all the way into

the postseason.

Teams that lose 15 goals and eight assists from oneplayer, not to mention an all-division sweeper, do notgenerally come back stronger than the year before, butLacey is making a bid to be the exception to that rule.

With All-Shore players Dan Ratyniak and MaxDolphin last year, the Lions went 14-6 and reached theNJSIAA South Jersey Group III semifinals, but oneteam Lacey could not solve was Toms River East,which pounded the Lions 4-0 at home.

Lacey played Toms River East, the No. 3 team in theAll Shore Media Top 10, to a 1-1 draw on Friday toimprove to 3-0-1 and outshot the Raiders 16-12 in theprocess, a sign that despitelosing two high-caliberseniors, Lacey may be ascomplete as it has been in theseven-year tenure of headcoach Joe Humenik.

"We're a younger team,but the sophomores got tosee the field a little bit lastyear and they're ready toplay at this level,"Humenik said. "Eventhough we lost two studsin Ratyniak and Dolphin,the talent is a little morespread out across the

field. We look like a deeper team this year."

Seniors Joe Stapleton and Chris Thompson havestepped into more significant scoring roles and giveLacey experience and leadership on the attack, which isa far cry from the situation in the back. First-yearsenior goalkeeper Logan McDonald is playing in frontof senior outside back Dan Moore and threesophomores in the defensive backfield. Brendan Byrne,Tyler Dickson and Eric Reitmeyer have settled right inalong with Moore and the result is that the Lions haveallowed three goals in four games with shutouts ofManchester and Brick. In the win over Manchester, theLions not only pitched a shutout, but did not allow ashot.

The player who can put Lacey over the top is juniorKevin Tonkovich, who missed a significant chunk ofhis sophomore season with a hip injury. Tonkovich is a

potentially electric scorer asevidenced by his four goals infour games, but his hip has beenbothering him again. Althoughhe did not start against TomsRiver East, he played more thanhalf of the 100 minutes and got

off three shots.

"His hip's beenbothering him a

little bit," Humeniksaid of Tonkovich."It 's not like itwas last year, but

we're still going totry to be careful about it. Wewant him to be healthy for thepostseason, so we're not goingto push him too hard if he'shaving any trouble."

Wildcats Go Back to the Well

For the second straight year, an impact transfer fromout of state has landed at Pinelands and this time, it 'sfrom way out of state.

Pablo Rubio, a Spanish exchange student making hisfirst trip to the United States, has injected somecreativity into the Wildcats, scoring six goals to gowith five assists in his first four high school gamesacross the pond.

According to Pinelands coach Jason Asch, the 16-year-old Rubio is taking classes as a junior and is stilladjusting to life in a new country. Rubio is from asuburb of Madrid, and Asch believes his familiarity tocity life has made the transition a little easier. Hisunderstanding of the game, meanwhile, has made histransition on the field almost seamless.

"He has really advanced vision for this level," Aschsaid. "He sees the game better than most players in thehigh school game and his skill-level is high enough towhere he can get the ball where it needs to be. He seesthe play, and he delivers those perfectly-weightedthrough balls that you don't see from most guys."

In each of Pinelands' first four games, Rubio hasassisted the Wildcats' first goal of the game. He alsohas two multi-goal games, including a hat trick in hisfirst high school game, a 6-1 Pinelands win over HolySpirit on Sept. 10. With Rubio in the fold, Pinelandshas started 2-2, but its 3.0 goals-per-game scoringaverage is tied for seventh in the Shore Conferencewith Holmdel and Rumson-Fair Haven. Of the teamsscoring at least three goals per game so far, only RedBank (2-2) and Pinelands do not have a winning record.

"The rest of our guys are definitely energized havingPablo around," Asch said. "If we're behind, they alwaysfeel like we're in the game, because Pablo can beat thedefense, hit a shot or create a chance in a short periodof time. It hasn't worked out since we're only 2-2, butthat belief that you're never out of it is a big advantageto have."

Last year, Antonio Aguilar transfered in from anIllinois high school to register seven goals and eightassists while leading the Wildcats to a 9-9-1 record anda third-place finish in Class B South one year after a 2-16 season.

"Antonio was a true center midfielder who kind ofheld everything together," Asch said. "We could winthe ball in the back, get the ball to Antonio, and hewould get the attack moving. Pablo is more of aforward, and we have to get him the ball first, but oncehe gets it, he's a similar player in the opportunities hecreates."

C o n t i n u e d o n n e x t p a g e

Boys Soccer: Spanning The ShoreB y M a t t M a n l e y – S e n i o r S t a f f W r i t e r


Joe Stapleton ( lef t ) of Lacey batt les Toms River East 's Alex Stergiou

Phil-ling up the stat sheet

Freehold Township goalkeeper Phil Horan has beenone of the top keepers in the Shore Conference sincehis freshman year in 2008, when he helped the Patriotswin the Shore Conference Tournament championship.Now battling a pinky injury that inhibits his ability ingoal and with the Patriots thin in scoring, the senior isshowing that he could have had quite the career in thefield as well.

Through five games this season, Horan has as manygoals and assists (one each) as he does shutouts for 4-1Freehold Township. He converted a penalty kick andrecorded his lone shutout in a 3-0 win over MiddletownSouth on Sept. 10 and assisted T.J. Zirkman's game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Manalapan onWednesday.

According to coach Todd Briggs, Horan's pinkyinjury could keep him out of the goal until next week,but in the meantime, the senior can help in other ways,as he has proven already. With Horan out, freshman T.J.Shushkovsky will fill in, which he did in impressivefashion with a shutout in his first game on Wednesday.

Crimson Killers

The going has been tough at Brick Memorial over thelast two seasons and this season appeared to be headingin a similar direction after an 0-3 start.

Despite their overall struggles however, the Mustangshave found the formula to give Wall fits and appliedthat formula in a 3-2 win over the Crimson Knights onSaturday. Last year, Brick Memorial played Wall to a 1-1 tie, a performance that sparked the Mustangs to takeColts Neck to overtime before losing 2-1 and knock offToms River North, all in the same week.

The hope at Brick Memorial is that the youngMustangs will improve exponentially over the next fewweeks and become a factor in the Class A South race.

"We're still relatively young, but I feel better about

where we are now than where we were last year,"Mustangs coach Kevin Bliem said.

One vs. Two

In the first 10 days of the 2011season, Christian BrothersAcademy and Howell havearguably been the twomost dominant teamsin the Shore

Conferenceand on the 12th

day, the two Class A Northpowers will square off in anearly-season showdownbetween the top two teams inthe All Shore Media Top 10.

Anyone who follows soccerin the Shore area, and in thestate for that matter, expectedCBA to start the season 4-0and do so in dominant fashion.The Colts opened their season asthe No. 15 team in the ESPN RiseTop 50 teams in the country andhave since moved up to No. 10with wins over Delbarton,Freehold Township, MiddletownSouthand

Manalapan. Up until Saturday,CBA held on for one-goal wins overDelbarton and Freehold Township and labored fora 2-0 win over a 1-4 Middletown South team,prompting some questions about how sharp theColts might be at this early stage of the season.

On Saturday against Manalapan, the Colts

vanquished any doubt about their ability by routing theBraves 8-0 with six second-half goals. Scott Thomsenand Nick Villani are off to fast starts, with Thomsencoming all the way back from a torn ACL that sidelinedhim for the entire 2010 season.

Before Saturday's scoring explosion, Howell hadstolen some of CBA's thunder with a dominant firstfour games. The Rebels steamrolled through

Middletown North,Middletown South,

Marlboro and Manasquanby outscoring the fouropponents by a combined

16-1. Howell did trail atone point early in the

Marlboro win, buttook the lead byhalftime andpulled away with a4-1 win and a 20-5 advantage inshots.

The Rebels gaveCBA as much

trouble as any ShoreConference team lastseason, during which CBAwent 18-0 against teamsfrom the Shore Conference.

The Colts beat Howell 5-1in the first meeting, but only

after a red card cost the Rebelstheir top scoring forward, Ozcan

Onder, with CBA leading 2-1.With a full squad on the field the

second time around, CBA outlastedHowell 2-1 at Howell.

CBA senior Nick Villani


Howell senior Drew Lyon

Photos by

C l i f f L a v e l l ew ww . c le a r e d ge . z en fo l i o . c om


eptune seniors Jaheem Woods andIkie Calderon may be standing under

a gray September sky only a fewdays before the start of the 2011 ShoreConference football season, but in theirminds, they are still in the 100-degreeheat and horrific chaos of an early day inJune.

Staring at the ground on the Scarlet Fliers’ muddy practice field on a

dreary afternoon, their eyes glass over as they remember the life-

altering day when the athletic ability that makes them some of

the Shore Conference’s top athletes wasn’t enough to stop a

tragedy. They think back to June 10, a sunny day at the

beach that morphed into disaster in an instant.

“It was like being caught in a nightmare,’’ Calderon said.

Fateful dayCalderon, Woods and a host of other Scarlet Fliers had

just taken a sports physical exam and decided to head

over to Bradley Beach around 5 p.m. that day in June,

just a regular group of teenagers trying to soak up as

much of summer as they could as the 2010-11 school

year trickled to an end. They were met at the beach by

Neptune football teammate Naisere Nelson, a 15-year-

old sophomore who had been dropped off along with his

16-year-old girlfriend, ShaynaMeggs.

The group decided to take a dip in the ocean to take

sanctuary from the relentless heat. All good swimmers, they

were regulars at the sparkling new Neptune Aquatic Center in

town. No lifeguards were on duty that day because it was a

Thursday and the lifeguards did not work on weekdays until

school was over. The group of friends didn’t

see any harm in it considering they were not

going too far offshore.

At first, Meggs thought the fun-loving

Nelson was simply clowning around when

she saw his arms waving frantically in the

surf. Meanwhile, Calderon and Neptune

teammate James Clouse, a senior

offensive lineman, had been swimming

back to the shore against what they

noticed had become a strong current.

“We were trying to get back (to the

beach), but it was really hard," Calderon

said. “By the time we got in to where we could

touch our feet to the bottom, everyone was

yelling Nas’s name and pointing. We felt the

tide, but we didn’t want to panic."

Nelson was caught in a powerful rip

current, which frequently occur near the

jetties where Nelson was swimming. He was being swept out to sea and was in a full

panic.

Woods, an electrifying athlete who is receiving Division I-A interest as a

quarterback/defensive back for the football team and as a standout guard on the

basketball team, was within swimming distance of Nelson. He began

chopping through the ocean with powerful strokes until he

reached his friend, grabbing ahold of Nelson as he flailed in

sheer terror.

Woods tried to get Nelson to calm down in order to

pull him to safety, but Nelson’s adrenaline and fear

made him hard to control.

“Nas was panicking and pushing me down," Woods

said. “I was losing breath, and it was hard for me

to stay above water."

Woods said another man appeared in the

vicinity to try and help, buthe, too, was

losing breath and struggling with the

current. Meanwhile, Nelson continued to

fight off Woods in a panic, and Woods

eventually had to let him go for Woods’s

own safety. Nelson soon was sucked

under the water.

Nelson was not the only one caught in the

powerful current, as 28-year-old Elizabeth

resident Stephanie Crespo was able to escape

harm by climbing on to the jetty, while 27-

year-old Elizabeth resident Victor Pierez

was rescued by an off-duty lifeguard

who was jogging nearby and another

local man on a Jet Ski.

Nelson, however, had

disappeared under the murk of

the Atlantic Ocean. Minutes

after a 911 call had been

made indicating that Nelson

was in trouble, 75

emergency personnel

members from Bradley

Beach, Neptune, and

Avon responded. They

were not able to find

Nelson. The search had

to be suspended that

night because of a fierce

storm, but resumed in the

morning.

The next day, hundreds of Nelson’s family members,

friends and school mates lined up ankle deep in the ocean,

hands linked in a moment of silence. The Bradley Beach

police chief told the Newark Star-Ledger that in his 31

years on the job, he had never seen that type of outpouring

of support. Nelson’s family and friends waited for any sign of

him. Calderon had even gone back that Friday night, scanning

the sea, hoping for a miracle.

Four days after the rip current sucked him under, Nelson’s body washed up around

5:30 p.m. on June 14 under the Ocean Avenue bridge between Avon and Belmar.

Nelson is survived by his parents, AlfredaHolsey and Nairobi Nelson, his stepfather,

John Holsey, his three sisters, a stepbrother, his grandparents, and Meggs, his

girlfriend of more than a year.

"(Woods) had no option but to come back," a choked-up

Calderon said. “Or he might have drowned, too. I just can’t

believe Nas is gone."

On a Mission for a FriendB 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

N

Senior RB Ikie Calderon


“It hurt me the most," Woods said as tears streamed down his face. “I had my

hands on him last. I could have saved him. I was the last one to touch him who knew

him before he was gone.’’

Mourning a FriendA devastated Neptune community was left

to remember a young man who lit up every

room he entered. The 15-year-old safety

on the Neptune football team was so

beloved that about 50 students at

Neptune High School walked right out

of class the day after his

disappearance in order to attend a

candlelight vigil at the beach in his

honor. Their teachers did not try to

stop them, and grief counselors were

made available that day.

“He was a funny kid,’’ Woods said. “He never had a frown on his face. You could never make him mad. You would get mad trying to make him mad.’’

Nelson loved football, including the

Tennessee Titans and star running back Chris

Johnson. Anyone who tried to challenge him on

“Madden Football’’ on Xbox 360 was in for an

earful.

“He never shut up on X-box,’’ Calderon said,

laughing through the tears. “He would keep playing

and beating you, talking trash until you finally won.’’

It was particularly devastating for Calderon because it

was the second straight summer in which he had lost a

close friend. On June 30, 2010, 16-year-old Jason Glisson, a

former Asbury Park Pop Warner captain, was shot to death on

the corner of Bangs Avenue and Ridge Avenue in Asbury Park.

Glisson had been out on $50,000 bail for two weeks on aggravated

assault and weapons charges before he was shot twice in the back.

“I remember 20 people in my living room at four in the morning

that night (of Glisson’s murder),’’ Calderon said. “And now Nas.

That’s two in two years, and I wear the No. 2 jersey, so now it

reminds me of the friends I’ve lost. I don’t know how much more I

can take.’’

Calderon’s summer job involved working down at the beach in

Asbury Park, and he requested a position in the parking lots because he

does not want to even be close to the water.

“I go to the beach as little as possible now,’’ he said.

On a MissionIn between making people laugh, repping Chris Johnson and trash-talking on Xbox,

Nelson also had another regular topic of discussion – Neptune’s quest for its first

NJSIAA sectional championship since winning Central Jersey Group III in 1998.

“It’s all he talked about was ‘Ring this, ring that,’’ Woods said. “All he talked about

was us winning a championship.’’

With a senior-dominated team that features top talent like Woods, Calderon,

linebacker/running back David Gutzmore, Freehold transfer JazzmarClax, Toms River

North transfer Eevan Sutton and Colonia transfer Geoff Fairbanks, this Neptune team has

its sights set on its first division or state title in 13 years.

Neptune also has added head coach Mark Ciccotelli, who came over from

Freehold after his teams won two NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III

titles in three seasons at a program that had never won a sectional

title up to that point. Ciccotelli has also unfortunately been through

tragic situations before, as one of his former captains at Freehold,

lineman Mike Dragonetti, died at 17 years old in a car crash in

2007.

“I did not get to know the young man (Nelson) personally, but

you can tell that the kids are driven by his memory,’’ Ciccotelli

said. “They know that the best way to honor him is to play with

maximum effort and dedication.’’

Neptune’s chances at a Class B North title took a hit when it

dropped a 20-14, double-overtime heartbreaker against No. 1

Red Bank Catholic on Sept. 16, only three days after Naisere

Nelson would have turned 16 years old. Still, the Scarlet Fliers

are very much a contender to take home the Central Jersey

Group III title this year.

On Sept. 13, family and friends gathered together to

celebrate what would have been Nelson’s birthday. They

remembered the smiling teenager who sported a Crocodile

Dundee hat, and they posted their birthday wishes on a Facebook

page titled “I Love you Naisere’’ that is dedicated to his memory.

A rap song titled “Live in the Sky’’ by local artist Dash P that was

recorded in Nelson’s memory has been played more than 13,000

times on YouTube.

Woods took a trip down to the beach that night to remember

Nelson and renew a promise he and the Scarlet Fliers have made to

their fallen friend.

“For him, he would want us to keep going,’’ Woods said. “He wouldn’t

want us to break down and not do what we’re supposed to do.’’

Nelson won’t be there on the sidelines encouraging his teammates

any more. He won’t be there to give Calderon a pep talk in the lay-up

line before the school’s basketball

games. However, the disbelief,

rage, and grief over his death

will be pumping

through the veins

of his

friends all

season.

“You

build up all that

anger, and you just want to take

it out on the other team,’’ Calderon said.

Standing under the overcast sky on the Neptune practice field on a

September day, Calderon and Woods snap back into focus, the tears dry on their faces

and their minds returned from that 100-degree day of chaos. The mission is clear.

“All Nas wanted was that ring,’’ Woods said. “Now that he’s gone, we’re gonna go

get it for him."

Senior QB Jaheem Woods Photos by



Band of BrothersB 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

When Wall senior offensive lineman Matt Pisarciktragically lost his father in a motorcycle accident thissummer, fellow lineman Matt Ford was able to offer aperspective that none of his other good friends couldprovide.

On an offensive line unit where chemistry betweenmembers is almost as important as the physical execution,the two Crimson Knights seniors are bound by theprofound loss of the men who helped shape their love offootball.

On May 24, David “Tiny’’ Pisarcik, 49, was struck andkilled on Route 35 in Neptune by a motorist who wassubsequently charged with drunk driving. The accidentsnatched away a husband and father of three, a former PopWarner coach and supporter of all Wall athletics, and aformer football standout at Ocean Township in his ownright.

Ford never even had the chance to have his father watchhim play one down of football. His biological father,former Mater Dei and Kean University star Andy Ford,died from colon cancer when Matt wasonly two months old. His mothermarried his stepfather, Steve Zakutney,when Matt was heading into sixthgrade, but Zakutney was gone byFord’s freshman year.

Zakutney died on July 1, 2008, of aheart attack while mowing the lawn at43 years old.

“It’s weird that it happened to meand Pisarcik,’’ Ford said. “We didn'treally need any help, especially thatkind of help, to bring us togetherbecause since freshman year all of thelinemen have been great friends. Ithink me being able to tell him how itwent with me helped him out. We justwant him to know that we’re here forhim as a team and as friends.’’

When Wall takes the field for itsfirst home game of the season againstClass C Central rival Jackson Libertyon Friday night, Pisarcik knows thevoid will be palpable.

“Everyone knew him because he wasat all of our games and went to gamesin a lot of other sports in Wall,’’Pisarcik said. “I will look up and hewon’t be there where he always was.’’

The Wall community has rallied around the Pisarcikfamily, raising more than $30,000 for them this summerafter Tiny’s death. Nearly 4,000 people attended his wakeat the Orender Family Home in Manasquan, honoring aman whose nickname was of the ironic sort considering hewas larger than life at 6-foot-5 and more than 300 pounds.He also had a famous last name in these parts, as Tiny’scousin is former New York Giants quarterback Joe

Pisarcik.

“He was a fixture at our games,’’ said Wall head coachChris Barnes. “You could find him in the stands easily. Hewas a man that was not only big in stature but had a bigheart. He was a tremendous supporter of the program anda really pleasant person to be around.’’

“The Pisarcik family is one of those families thateveryone in Wall is close to, so when it happened, it reallybrought the whole community and the football teamtogether,’’ Ford said.

Football can either be a painful reminder of the one youlost or a place to go to remember in these situations. It’sclear what purpose it serves for Pisarcik.

“When I play football it’s like a memory of him,’’ hesaid. “Some people might not want to do it because itwould remind you, but I like doing it. Running out beforethe game, he’s one of the top things in my head, but once Iget to just playing, it’s all about football.’’

Pisarcik is surrounded by closefriends on Wall’s vaunted offensiveline, which paved the way for 160yards, including a career-high 127 bysenior tailback Jim Guiliano, in aseason-opening, 21-14 nondivisionalwin over a Lacey team that was on aShore Conference-best 13-gamewinning streak.

In addition to Pisarcik and Ford,who are the guards, the line includescenter Matt McDonough, tackles MattVialonga and Mike Tomasuolo andtight end Derek Gardner, all of whomare seniors and returning starters.

“I don’t think any other offensiveline has what we have, talent-wiseand chemistry-wise,’’ Pisarcik said.

“They have a great friendship thathas developed from middle schoolon,’’ said Barnes, who is now in his12th season at the helm. “They areprobably one of the better units we’veever had.’’

College coaches have taken notice,as Pisarcik, Ford and McDonoughhave received Division I-AA interestfrom schools in the Patriot League,Ivy League, Northeast Conferenceand Colonial Athletic Association,

according to Barnes. They also are excellent students, ledby Pisarcik, who has a 3.8 grade-point average.

They also can lean on one another during the hard times,as Pisarcik learned this summer.

“I remember Matt (Ford) telling me how he felt when helost his stepfather, and his mom came up to me and saidthat if I ever need anything, they will be there for me,’’

Pisarcik said. “How everyone came together for us andhow everyone is still there – it’s nice to know that becauseof what my father did when he was here, people want tohelp me because of how much he helped them.’’

“I just told him how that first week after it happens,everyone is there, but it gets harder once everyoneleaves,’’ Ford said. “That’s when you really need yourfriends there. I only knew my stepdad for a few years,while he had his father his whole life, so I think it mightbe a little bit harder and a little bit different for him.’’

Wall was able to pull out a wild, 33-30 win over JacksonLiberty in its home opener on Sept. 16 to improve to 2-0in the first home game without Tiny Pisarcik cheeringfrom the stands.

Tiny Pisarcik, Andy Ford and Steve Zakutney are part ofthe fire burning inside two seniors bound by tragedy anddetermined to succeed and make the men who shaped themproud. The wound of the loss of Tiny Pisarcik is stillfresh, but the football field is where his son can come sayhello for three hours.

While the Wall community will grieve his loss andcelebrate his life, there is one group that may benefit fromTiny’s absence.

“It might be a little better for the refs,’’ Matt said beforelaughing. “That’s usually when you heard him the most.’’

“That’s something I think everyone is going to miss,’’Ford said while laughing. “Except for the refs.’’

P h o t o b y :

Bi l l Normi lewww.billnormile.zenfolio.com

Senior OL Matt Ford

Matt Ford (#79) and Matt Pisarcik (#77)


Howell senior Drew Lyon stepped up for a penalty kick inthe 54th minute of his team's 4-1 win over Marlboro earlyin the season with a chance to give the Rebels a two-goalcushion heading into the final 25 minutes of play. For Lyonand the Rebels, this kick meant a little more than a two-goal, second-half lead in early September.

Flash back to Oct. 28 of last year. Howell took a 1-0 leadinto the final minutes of the Shore Conference Tournamentsemifinal against Toms River North, a game the Rebelsdominated for the first 60 minutes of play. With one headerfrom Toms River North's Tanner Sica, the Mariners tied thegame at one and sent the Rebels season careening into awall.

"Unfortunately, we've had some bad losses over the lastfive years or so and bad endings to seasons," Howell coachRich Yuro said. "Losing to Manalapan in the sectional finaland then losing to Steinert the next year after going up 3-1in the second half. Those were bad, but last year was rightup there."

Toms River North won the game in a shootout after Lyonmissed a breakaway opportunity and later an attempt in theshootout. A few days later, Howell would lose in even morestunning fashion to Trenton in the first round of NJSIAACentral Jersey Group IV.

"The way our season ended really left a sour taste in ourmouths," Lyon said. "To have a lead with two minutes to go

in the SCT final and then to lose was apretty crushing way to lose. I don't think wewere able to recover from that in the nextgame. Before we knew it, our season wasover."

Lyon had little to do with surrendering thelead against Toms River North, and in fact,he is the reason the Rebels had the lead inthe first place. His goal on a direct kickearly in the second half put Howell on top 1-0 and his play in the midfield stood out morethan that of any other player in that game.But it wasn't his first 70 minutes of play thatstuck with Lyon this offseason. It was thefinal 30 and that one forgettable swing of hisleft leg in the shootout.

"I've thought about it, but I don't let itaffect what I do or how I play," Lyon said."If anything, it's motivated me to get evenbetter and to come back even stronger thisyear."

Upon hearing the referee's whistle againstMarlboro, Lyon stroked a low, easy shot tothe right side of the netting to give Howellits third goal of the game and its 12th goalin the first 214 minutes of the season. With 13 goals scored- Zach Allen scored his first varsity goal to cap the scoring

in the 72nd minute -and only one allowedin three games to startthe season, Howellhas made it clear thatthe frustration andheartbreak that souredan otherwisesuccessful 2010season is behind itand that this is ahungry Rebels team.

"We've been doingall the right things sofar," said Universityof Richmond recruitChris Hill. "We don'thave anybody outthere trying to be asuperstar or get all theglory. Everyone isjust working hard andtrying to make theright play that helpsus win. Our focus isjust about winningthis year and so far,it's been workingout."

Lyon and Hill arethe only two seniorstarters who alsostarted on openingday last year, andboth are off to strongstarts to their seniorseasons. With his two-goal game againstMarlboro, Lyon hasthree goals in sixgames, and Hill addedan assist to go withtwo goals over theteam's first twogames.

"You can kind oftell when a kid comesinto the season on a

mission," Yuro said."You see that in ourseniors. You definitelysee that in Drew, yousee that in Chris Hill,and we have a lot ofyounger guys who taketheir cues from thoseseniors. So you'd liketo have a group ofhard-working guyssetting the example,and I think we've hadthat."

On top of the seniors,which include defenderRandy Stout, theyounger players are offto fast starts, withsophomores JeremyHoops and KevinKappock contributingearly on. Hoops scoreda goal and fired threeshots on net againstMarlboro, andKappock picked up his

second assist of the season by setting up Lyon's first goal, aheader off Kappock's corner kick. The sophomore defenderalso saved a potential goal by clearing a shot off the end-line with goalkeeper Luke Weber off his line.

With six senior starters graduating, Howell needs its waveof young talent to keep up the early production around Lyonand Hill. Although the 3-0 start and dominant goaldifferential signify another potential Shore ConferenceTournament run, those three wins came against three teams- Marlboro, Middletown North and Middletown South - thatwent a combined 13-33-2 last year and are currently acombined 0-8-1 this season. Their upcoming scheduleincluded No. 1 Christian Brothers Academy and rivalManalapan, both of which put a reinvigorated Howell to thetest.

"If there's something we learned from last year, it's totake things one game at a time," Lyon said. "We know CBAis a big game, but there are going to be a lot of other gamesthis year, and we're going to have to play our best in those,too. We feel like we can go out and beat anybody, but wealso know that if we don't bring our best game, anybody canbeat us."

As the games become more meaningful, it's possible thatthe nightmare finish of last season begins to stalk thememory of the returning Howell players, but should thegames continue to be meaningful, it would appear theRebels have already learned to forget.

"That was a tough way for those seniors to go out," Hillsaid. "I played with all of those guys growing up, and it wastough to see them go out like that. I'm fortunate to getanother shot at it this year, and we all want to make themost of it."

The penalty kick that Lyon finished on Wednesday wasthe first time he has taken one in a meaningful game sincethe Toms River North loss. It was such a small part of hiscontribution Wednesday, just as the failed conversion lastyear was only a small part of his game, but Lyon's strike tothe right side of the net served as an assurance that he, Hilland the rest of the Rebels indeed want one more shot.

Lyon in Wait: Howell Soccer offto Fast StartB y M a t t M a n l e y – S e n i o r S t a f f W r i t e r

Senior Drew Lyon

P h o t o s &

V i d e o H i g h l i g h t s b y :

M a t t M a n l e ywww.al lshoremedia.com

At first it was nothing more than a zit on hischin, something teenagers are known to have apassing familiarity with.

Lacey senior linebacker/tight end JordanPowell thought nothing of it, practicing onSept. 8 with a Band-Aid on his chin with someNeosporin on it. A day later, that spot startedto feel hard as he got ready to partake inLacey's scrimmage against Matawan thatFriday night.

"Halfway through the scrimmage, it gothuge, and it hurt whenever I hit it,'' Powellsaid.

Powell went home and put a hot compresson it, but awoke at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday witha pounding headache and a swollen throat. Hefinally broke down and told his mother that heshould go to Southern Ocean Medical Centerto get checked out. When he arrived, he wasdiagnosed with a fever of 102.6 degrees. Itturned out that he had methicillin-resistantStaphlococcus aureus, better known as MRSA,a drug-resistant bacterium that can bepotentially fatal. Every six hours, anotherround of powerful antibiotics wereadministered intravenously to Powell.

A study by the Texas State Department ofHealth found that football players are infectedby MRSA at a rate that is 16 times higher than the national average, often contracting it inlocker rooms or when bacteria gets into an open abrasion. While many players contract it ontheir legs and arms, the fact that it was on Powell's chin was even more dangerous. An inch-long incision had to be made in his throat to drain the bacteria.

"I didn't realize how bad it was, and the doctors told me that if I hadn't said anything about itfor another two days, I could've been dead,'' Powell said. "The infection could've gone right tomy brain and killed me.''

As a result of that scary incident, Powell had to sit out Lacey's 21-14 loss to Wall in theseason opener. The star linebacker/tight end, one of the Shore's top returning two-way players,was standing on the sidelines with a large Band-Aid under his chin and watching as the youngLions, who only returned four players with significant experience from last year's 12-0 team,battled a Wall team ranked No. 3 in the All Shore Media Top 10. Wall's running game endedup producing 160 yards rushing, including 127 by senior tailback Jim Guiliano, with Powellout of the lineup for a team that did not allow a 100-yard rusher all of last season. The goodnews is that made his return on Sept. 17, but the bad news is that the Lions were upset, 16-7,by Brick.

"Standing there and having to watch us lose was the worst,'' he said. "I can't wait to get outthere and hit some people.''

Powell also will have to make up for lost time. He has received interest from programs likeRutgers and Boston College as well as a host of Division I-AA programs, but has noscholarship offers as of this time. Most of the schools want to see senior film from his firstthree or four games, so missing a full game did not exactly come at the right time.

FOR AdVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia. com


2011 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE

(Games to be broadcast on 105.7FM and 1160/1310AM)

Fri 9/23 Point Boro at Jackson Liberty (7pm)

Fri 9/30 Toms River North at Toms River South (7pm)

Fri 10/7 Manchester at Central (7pm)

Fri 10/14 Middletown South at Brick Memorial (7pm)

Fri 10/21 Toms River East at Southern (7pm)

Fri 10/28 Middletown North at Toms River East (7pm)

Fri 11/4 Howell at Brick Memorial (7pm)

ADDITIONAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE

(Games to be broadcast on WOBM 1160/1310AM)

Sat 10/22 Brick Memorial at Toms River North (7pm)

Thr 11/24 Manaquan at Wall (11am)

NJSIAA Playoff Games = TBD

BROADCAST CREW

Matt Harmon, Kevin Williams, Ed Sarluca

Visit www.shoresportsnetwork for details

Photos by

Lacey’s Powel l Surv ivesMRSA ScareB 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


Before

this Shore

Conference

football season even entered its first week of action,

one of the main headlines had nothing to do with

anything that was transpiring on the field.

Neptune senior linebacker/fullback Jazzmar Clax had to sit outthe Scarlet Fliers’ season-opening, 28-7 win over Bishop Ahrbecause his eligibility was under question. Clax had transferredto Neptune from Freehold during the offseason, and his formerschool was challenging his transfer on the grounds that it wasdone for athletic advantage because Clax was following headcoach Mark Ciccotelli, who also left Freehold for Neptune.

Clax was eventually cleared to play during the following weekwhen the NJSIAA Eligibility Appeals Committee decided by a5-1 vote that he did not have to sit out 30 days or longer becauseit determined he did not switch schools for athletic advantage.

Clax’s status created a spirited debate among the ShoreConference community. One side was happy that someone wasfinally trying to do something about transfers that appeared tobe completely for athletics, while the other side felt that Claxhas the right to attend a school if he lives in the district and thatthis was unnecessary meddling and sour grapes by Freehold.One side wonders why you even have rules at all if nothing isever going to get enforced, while the other believes that this isAmerica, and parents and their children should have thefreedom to change schools if they legitimately establishresidency in a town.

To me, this is just how the landscape works now. It’s sodifficult to prove that a transfer was done for athletic advantage

that it’s almost impossible. Plus,the family structure simply isn’twhat is once was 20 years ago.Many of these players now comefrom families where the parents areseparated and live in separate

towns, giving them thefreedom to technically bounce

back and forth to any schoolbecause they can legitimately

establish residency.

Plus, even if the playersaren’t staying at the housethey are claiming to live at,

the NJSIAA does not havethe resources to have an army of

private investigators set up acrossthe state who are going to followthese kids around to make sure theyare living where they say they areliving. That makes it awfullydifficult to enforce even if a kid isflouting the rules.

Clax grew up in Neptune and his mother is a Neptune resident,so the residency issue was not at stake. Neptune also happens tobe Clax’s third high school, as he attended St. John Vianney as afreshman before transferring to Freehold after Lancers headcoach John Amabile, a legendary former head coach at Neptune,stepped down.

Essentially, high school sports has become almost likeunfettered free agency. Players who have parents who live inmultiple towns, plus grandparents who might live in anothertown, can pick and choose where they want to go that will givethem the best chance to succeed and grab some of the spotlight.Coaches complain to me all the time about losing players andhow certain kids should not be at certain schools, but myresponse, for better or worse, is, “Deal with it.’’

That’s just the way the system works right now, and it’s sobeyond repair that simply slapping an athlete on the wrist, likeClax missing one game, is about as far as things are going to goright now. The NJSIAA only has so many resources, so it has tokeep an eye on the big parochial fish up in North Jersey and theparochial basketball juggernauts. Player movement is going tocontinue fairly unfettered unless more schools challengestudents leaving, which I don’t foresee happening.

Many of these players are also from communities withtransient populations. For every player who has transferred to

Neptune, Asbury Park, Long Branch,Lakewood or Matawan, those sameschool s have watched other talent walkout the door and go to another schoolbecause their parents, or a single parent,moved to another town for a betteropportunity.

In addition, many of these playershave difficult home situations. Peoplerailing against them transferring toanother school and living with anotherparent may have no idea that it’s simplynot in the teenager’s best interest to livein that former town with that parent anymore. A player should not have topublicly air his family’s dirty laundryjust to placate the people who are angryover him changing schools.

I’ve spoken to several coaches whoare exasperated by the playermovement or disillusioned with the waythings have become and my main

response is that they better learn to live with it because it’s anissue that is not going away. Parents who may not have themeans to pay for their children to go to college will go to greatlengths to secure a scholarship, and if that means renting anapartment in another town, transferring to a loaded team so thattheir son can get more media coverage, or going to a team withDivision I prospects on it so that their son can get on that sameradar, parents will unapologetically do it. And while everyonewill know why it was done, it will be hard to produce concreteevidence of why it was done, and parents know that.

While I am depressed by the situation, I’m not naïve about it,either. High-profile players changing high schools has beengoing on for a long time. There’s just more media coverage nowalong with online message boards that feed the 24-hour appetiteof football fans. The system is rigged in favor of playersflaunting the rules at this point because it’s so hard to prove thatthey are bending regulations and the resources of the watchdogs,from the NJSIAA to cash-strapped school districts, are notenough to keep up with all of the behind-the-scenes action.

Neptune's Jazzmar Clax

Photos by


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ASM 9-19-11 Volume III Issue-17

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