Shore Sports Network Journal Brother's Keeper

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October 6, 2015 Volume-VII Issue-18

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10-6-15 Issue -18 Volume VII Brother's Keeper Matawan's Bronson Dhume

Transcript of Shore Sports Network Journal Brother's Keeper

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October 6, 2015 Volume-VII Issue-18

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S t e v e M E Y E RShore Sports NetworkDirector High School Divisionsteve.meyer@townsqua remedi a.com7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

K e v i n W I L L I A M SShore Sports Network Directorkev in .w i l l i ams@townsqua remed ia.com

Sen ior Content Prov idersMattManley // [email protected] // [email protected]

Shore Sports Network Journalis published by: T o w ns q ua re Me d i a8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

Copyright 2015 Townsquare MediaAll rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in partwithout the permission of Shore Sports Network is prohibited

The first thing fans, players, coaches & parentswant to know after the big game is always,

Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Oceancounties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature

stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

”Is this going to be on ?”

Shore Sports Network Website Featuresn Get Video Highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about.

n Catch up on the action you might have missedn Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes.

n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year

n Follow us on Twitter (over 16,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted onthe latest scores and news

n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

Thursday, 7-8:30 on 1160 & 1310AM andwww.shoresportsnetwork.com.

The only weekly radio and online show that coversMonmouth and Ocean County High School Football.

Award-winning broadcasters KevinWilliams, Matt Harmon and Ed Sarluca

cover the entire Shore Conferencefrom Matawan to Pinelands.Broadcast live from Baker’sWater Street Bar & Grille inToms River, the weekly show

features players,coaches and apreview ofupcoming games.

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The Team of the Week for Week Three was Red Bank, which useda great defensive performance to top Ocean 16-6 and start the season3-0 for the first time in over a decade. The Bucs and head coach NickGiglio were presented with a special game ball at practice by ShoreSports Network’s Steve Meyer and Jersey Mike’s representativeStephen LaCicero, manager of the Red Bank Water Street location,

on Tuesday. The players were also treated to free Jersey Mike’s subs.

Linebacker Chris Outterbridge led a Red Bank defense that shut

down an Ocean offensethat entered WeekThree averaging 41points per game. Hemade 10 total tackles,had 4 tackles for loss, 2sacks and returned afumble 28 yards for atouchdown. Seniorquarterback JackNavitsky threw for 188yards, including an 88-yard touchdown pass toMatt Reardon whileJack O’Connor kickeda 32-yard field goal.

Syracuse recruit Sadiq Palmer caught five passes for 85 yards.

Red Bank was ranked in the Week 3 Shore Sports Network Top 10

Jersey Mike’s representative Stephen LaCicero, manager of the Red Bank WaterSt. location presented the Team of the Week game ball to the head coach

Nick Giglio and the RBR team

In conjunction with Shore Sports Network, Jersey Mike’s will honor one team a week that showedthe character, perseverance and hard work emblematic of The Jersey Mike’s Company during its

performance that weekend. A Jersey Mike’s Game Ball and free subs will be presentedto that team during practice that week in honor of a great showing.

Jersey Mike’s Continues TheirSupport With the Team of The WeekBy Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

Week 3 9/25/15

Red Bank - 16Ocean - 6

The Team of the Week for Week Two was Brick Memorial,which lit up the scoreboard in a 52-20 victory over formerly third-ranked Toms River North for a crucial Class A South victory thatevened their record at 1-1. The Mustangs and head coach WaltCurrie were presented with a special game ball at practice byShore Sports Network’s Steve Meyer and Bob Badders and JerseyMike’s representative Mika Langan on Tuesday. The players werealso treated to free Jersey Mike’s subs.Senior quarterback Tim Santiago ran for a Brick Memorial

single-game rushing record 320 yards along with five totaltouchdowns as part of a 526-yard rushing outburst by the Santiagohad rushing touchdowns of 28, 46, 52 and 7 yards, and also threwa 32-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Eli Lavarin.Sophomore fullback Tony Thorpe ran for 69 yards and twotouchdowns and Lavarin added 102 yards rushing on just fourcarries. Senior Matt Cuppari also kicked a career-long 47-yardfield goal.

“It was aformidable task toprepare for a verygood Toms RiverNorth team with avery good coachingstaff,” Currie said.“We knew we hadour work cut out forus, especiallycoming off a loss andplaying the No. 3 team in the Shore, but the kids responded. Fromscout-teamers all the way up they practiced their tails off to get readyfor that game.”“But still, nobody could have foreseen the outcome of that game,”

Currie added. “It was just really a product of Tim playing a really,really great game.”

Santiago broke theprevious record of 307 yardsset by current Mustangsassistant Brian Staub in a2007 game versus JacksonMemorial. He did it all on 19carries to average 16.8 yardsper rush.“I’ll never forget the Staub

game and I certainly won’tforget this one,” Currie said.“It was a great night and ateam effort on offense, defenseand special teams, but Timreally had a special night. It’sone he’ll never forget and wewon’t either.”

Week 2 9/18/15

Brick Memorial - 52Toms River North - 20

Jersey Mike’s representative Mika Langan of the Brick Rt 88location presented the Team of the Week Game ball to the

head coach Walt Currie and the Brick Mem. team

Week-1 9/11/15

Raritan - 26Manasquan - 14

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It was somewhat ironic that at about the sametime Warren Hills senior Evan Murray died

tragically while playing football I received apress release announcing Russell Athletics’ fifthannual “Fight Like Dylan Award.” That’sbecause the award honors high school teams thathave shown determination, inspiration andperseverance through sports, and clearly WarrenHills will need a big dose of that to get throughthis season.The award is named after Dylan Rebeor, who was diagnosed

with colon cancer in the spring of 2010 while his Columbia,Tennessee, team was about to start spring practice. Despitefighting the illness and not be able to play, he still attendedgames and remained an important part of the football program.Through the Make A Wish Foundation he made a last wish,

not for himself but for his teammates, and it was that theyreceive new uniforms for the following season, which theydid. Dylan died at the age of 16 on the day his team won astate championship, eight months after he was diagnosed. Hisinspiring story led Russell Athletic to join forces with theRebeor family and create the “Fight Like Dylan Award” which

comes with a$50,000 grant inathletic apparel andsports equipment to aschool.Last year’s winner

was Shoreham-Wading River HighSchool from LongIsland, New York,who dedicated their season to a 16-year -old teammatewho died after colliding with another player in a gameon October 1st. The team went on to finish a perfect 10-0 and win the Long Island championship. Previouswinners of the award were Buena Vista High School(Colorado), Williamsport High School (Maryland) andEdmondson High School (Kentucky).The panel of judges includes former NFL head coach

and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy andrepresentatives of the four previous recipients alongwith Dylan’s mother Heather Rebeor. Teams that haveovercome adversity and challenges through sports cansubmit their entries at FightLikeDylan.org. The deadlinefor submission is December 5, 2015.

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Who Fights Like Dylan on theJersey Shore?By Kevin Williams – Shore Sports Network Director

Dylan Rebeor with his teammates on the Columbia,Tennessee high school football team (FightLikeDylan.org)

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By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer

With a driving rain and gusty winds battering theShore for the better part of the weekend, the

story in Week Four was as much about the weatherconditions as the several impact games on the schedule.By the time the clouds parted, the results on the field had taken their rightful

place in the headlines and given a makeover to the divisional landscapes.Middletown North pulled a stunner over last week’s No. 7 team, Manalapan, withan 18-8 victory to end the Braves’ 33-game Class A North winning streak andbump the defending NJSIAA Central Jersey Group V champions out of the top 10. One game the weather had a severe impact on was the Class A South rumble

between Brick and Jackson Memorial. The Dragons’ defense shut down theJaguars’ running game and got the only points it would need on a first quartersafety to win 2-0 and take over sole possession of first place.

St. John Vianney outlasted Rumson-Fair Haven, 13-6, in a critical Class ACentral game that was the the favorite to decide the division title. Raritan,however, has thrown itself into the title picture with a 3-0 start after blanking asolid Freehold team 34-0.Red Bank continued its best start in over a decade with a 28-7 win over Neptune

to improve to 4-0. The Bucs will head to Raritan this week in a matchup of rankedteams, and also has Red Bank Catholic in two weeks. Top-ranked Middletown South and No. 2 Red Bank Catholic both improved to

4-0 with shutout victories, while No. 7 Brick Memorial and No. 8 Toms RiverNorth rolled to lopsided wins. Shore, Lakewood and Point Boro also remainedundefeated and at the top of their respective divisions. Two big divisional games highlight the Week Five schedule with Central hosting

Point Boro in B South and Toms River North hosting Jackson Memorial in ASouth. There are also two crucial nondivisional games between Ocean andMiddletown North and the aforementioned Red Bank-Raritan game. BrickMemorial hosts Old Bridge in a key nonconference game.

1.Middletown South (4-0) Last week: No. 1The Eagles continued to roll with a 42-0 Class A North victory over Freehold Township. Seniorquarterback Matt Mosquera tossed three touchdown passes in the first half and junior running backJames McCarthy ran for 173 yards and a touchdown. The defense was lights-out once again in allowingjust 55 total yards and scored a touchdown on Maxx Imsho's 67-yard interception return. Tom Marronalso had a fumble return for a touchdown. The Eagles have been impressive with their consistency andare beating teams in every phase of the game right now. And they get 1,800-yard rusher Cole Rogersback from injury this week. Middletown South hosts Howell (2-2) on Friday night in a Class A Northgame.

2. Red Bank Catholic (4-0). Last week: No. 2Senior Dylan Murphy had a big day in a 20-0 Class B North win over Wall with 108 yards rushingand three touchdowns while also making 14 tackles at linebacker. Max Hazard had an interception andCharlie Gargiulo had a fumble recovery as the Caseys’ defense notched its third shutout of the season.Red Bank Catholic travels to winless Colts Neck for a B North game on Saturday afternoon.

3. St. John Vianney (4-0). Last week: No. 4The Lancers move up one spot after a 13-6 victory over No. 6 Rumson-Fair Haven in a critical ClassA Central game. Senior quarterback Anthony Brown made one of the best plays of the weekend on a75-yard touchdown pass through the rain to Marcque Ellington, and senior Calvin Beaty scored on ashort touchdown run after a key sack on a punt by junior linebacker Tyler Tedeschi. St. John Vianneymade a big statement in the win by proving it can line up and run the ball against a formidable defense.This is a very good team in all areas. The Lancers travel to winless Manchester on Friday night in anondivisional game.

4. Brick (4-0). Last week: No. 6The Dragons got a safety in the first quarter when the snap on a punt sailed out of the end zone, andtheir defense did the rest in 2-0 win over Jackson Memorial to take control as the only unbeaten teamin Class A South and move up two spots in the rankings. The weather conditions were abysmal, butthe Dragons were able to find a way to come out victorious. Brick’s defense has been unbelievable sofar in allowing just six points the entire season. Those six points were late in the game to a BrickMemorial team that is averaging 48 points per game since. The Dragons are out of the division thisweek and the holdovers from last year’s team will be looking for a bit of revenge against Wall onFriday night.

5. Jackson Memorial (3-1). Last week: No. 3The Jaguars fall two spots after a 2-0 loss to Brick in miserable conditions this past Friday. JacksonMemorial will look to shake off the loss against another ranked opponent when it travels to GernerdField on Friday night to take on No. 8 Toms River North.

6. Rumson-Fair Haven (2-1). Last week: No. 5The Bulldogs drop one spot after a hard-fought 13-6 defeat at the hands of No. 3 St. John Vianney inan A Central game. Junior quarterback Mike O’Connor ran for over 100 yards and scored Rumson’sonly touchdown, and also had an interception on defense. Rumson will look to rebound against LongBranch in a nondivisional home game on Friday night at Borden Stadium.

7. Brick Memorial (3-1). Last week: No. 8The Mustangs rushing attack was unstoppable for a third straight game as sophomore fullbackTony Thorpe ran for 212 yards and four touchdowns and senior quarterback Tim Santiago ranfor 170 yards and a score in a 44-6 Class A South win over Toms River East. Brick Memorialbegins what could be a season-defining three-game stretch this Friday night when it hosts OldBridge (3-1) in a nonconference game. That game is followed by matchups with JacksonMemorial and Middletown South.

8. Toms River North (3-1). Last week: No. 9Junior quarterback Mike Husni ran for 155 yards and four touchdowns on seven carries and also threwa touchdown pass in a 42-0 nondivisional victory over Marlboro. Senior running back Asante Moorerran for a touchdown and the Mariners’ defense recorded its first shutout of the season. Toms RiverNorth began the season ranked No. 3, but fell out of the top 10 after a 55-20 loss to Brick Memorial.The Mariners now have a chance to make a big jump back up the rankings when they host No. 5Jackson Memorial on Friday night.

9. Red Bank (4-0). Last week: No. 10The Bucs are now 4-0 for the first time in over a decade after a 28-7 Class B North win over Neptune.Senior running back Alim Godsey ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns and senior quarterback JackNavitsky addd another 90 yards rushing and a touchdown. Red Bank’s defense was stout again andhas allowed just 20 points all season. The Bucs have another stern test this Friday when they travel toHazlet to meet No. 10 Raritan in a nondivisional game..

10. Raritan (3-0). Last week: not rankedSenior running back Derek Ernst ran for 219 yards and three touchdowns and the Rockets’ defense shutout a solid Freehold team 34-0 in a nondivisional game. Raritan is playing as well as any team in theShore right now with wins over Manasquan, Matawan and Freehold and a point differential of plus-83 (100-17). The Rockets have two huge games in a row, starting this Friday with a nondivisionalgame at home against No. 9 Red Bank and continuing next week at No. 3 St. John Vianney.

Dropped Out: No. 7 Manalapan (3-1)

Teams to Watch: Shore (4-0), Middletown North (3-1), Ocean (3-1), Lakewood (4-0), & Point Boro (4-0)

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There were no hiccupsor mistakes from

Middletown South onOctober 3rd, just aworkmanlike performancefrom a team that is rol l ingin al l phases of the game.The Eagles, ranked No. 1 in the Shore SportsNetwork Top 10, took care of host FreeholdTownship 42-0 in a Shore Conference Class A Northgame to improve to 4-0. Senior quarterback MattMosquera threw three touchdown passes, juniorrunning back James McCarthy ran for 173 yards anda touchdown and the Eagles defense recorded itssecond shutout of the season. It all added up toanother dominating performance from the Shore’s

top team.

“This is what we expect to do every week, to comeout and dominate with the talent we have,”Mosquera said. “It doesn’t matter the conditions orthe time, we’re going to come out and do our jobs.”

“I think this is what you have to do,” saidMiddletown South head coach Steve Antonucci.“We have lofty expectations so every week the targetgets bigger and bigger. We have to come out andexecute. That lurking team is out there. We’re goingto run into that team at some point where we’regoing to be in a toe-to-toe battle and we’ll have torespond.”

That team may have already shown up in the formof South Brunswick. The Eagles rallied to beat theVikings 41-21 in Week One, scoring 38 straightpoints after being down 21-3. Since then they havecrushed everyone in their paths, averaging 44 points

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 [email protected]

Senior QB Matt Mosquera (17) and junior wide receiver Samson Dube (1)

Top-Ranked Middletown SouthContinues to RollBy Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

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per game with two shutouts.

“It’s definitely good to know our team isn’tgetting complacent and we are playing everygame like it’s the best team we’ll face allyear,” Mosquera said.

The Eagles got on the board late in the firstquarter when junior defensive back MaxxImsho cut in front of a pass by FreeholdTownship quarterback Jack O’Brien andreturned it 67 yards for a touchdown with3:25 left in the first quarter.

Once the Eagles got on the board thescoring plays came quickly. An interceptionby senior defensive back Tom Coffey on theensuing drive set the Eagles up with the ballat the Freehold Township 27-yard line. A 14-yard run by McCarthy moved the ball to the13, and two plays later Mosquera foundjunior wide receiver Samson Dube for a 12-yard touchdown anda 14-0 lead.

The Eagles then scored 21 points in the final five minutes of thesecond quarter to blow the game open. Mosquera connected withDube again, this time on a 29-yard touchdown pass to cap a 7-play, 57-yard drive. McCarthy continued to produce yards inchunks with his power running, carrying four times for 21 yardson the drive before Mosquera tossed his second touchdown pass.

On the kickoff that followed, Middletown South’s specialteams unit got in on the scoring. The Eagles stripped FreeholdTownship’s kick returner and senior Tom Marron picked up theloose ball and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to putMiddletown South up 28-0.

“I said to the kids after the game that if we are going to be achampionship-caliber team we have to create turnovers andscore on defense and special teams,” Antonucci said. “It puts somuch pressure on the opponent and it’s a game-changer.”

The Eagles forced a three-and-out on the next series to get theball back with 3:19 left in the first half, and needed just six playsto reach the end zone again. McCarthy bulldozed his way to theFreehold Township 34-yard line with an 11-yard run on third-and-8, and two plays later Coffey got behind the defense andhauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Mosquera for a 35-0lead.

The Eagles actually got the ball back again with under a minuteleft and threatened to score once more, but Freehold Township

junior defensive back Anthony Lottiintercepted Mosquera at the goal line to endthe threat.

With a running clock to start the second halfbecause of Middletown South being up by35, the Eagles extended their lead to 42-0with an 8-play, 70-yard drive to begin thethird quarter. McCarthy had a 28-yard run tomove the ball inside the Patriots’ 20-yard linebefore finishing off the drive with a 5-yardtouchdown run and a 42-0 advantage.

With senior Cole Rogers, who ran for 1,859yards and 27 touchdowns last season, outwith an injury, the Eagles’ running gamehasn’t missed a step with McCarthy. WhenRogers returns it will give Middletown Southone of the best backfield duos in New Jersey.

“It’s such a luxury to have a kid like(McCarthy),” Antonucci said. “He’s a different kind of runner,a powerful runner, where Cole is more of a slasher. Cole will beback next week and hopefully we get him back into the flow.”

The Eagles take on Howell next week before a highly-anticipated showdown with Manalapan in Week Six.

& Photos by:

Bob Badderswww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Middletown South defense

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The Shore Conference Tournament will be seeded in exactlytwo weeks, and the last three weeks have seen consistency

in the top seven teams in the top 10. The order has changed overthe course of the season and it has changed again this weekthanks to a big win by Wall over Ocean. At this rate, it will bedifficult for any new team to break into that top seven but thatNo. 8 spot is still valuable and a lot can happen in twoweeks.

1. Christian Brothers Aca1emy(8-2, 7-1) Last Week: 1

The Colts’ No. 1 spot will be put to the test this week when they travel toplay No. 3 Freehold Township on Tuesday. A win would deal FreeholdTownship a serious blow in the Class A North title chase and would make itvery tough to pass CBA for a division crown, even though the Colts wouldstill have some work to put in to win an outright division title.

2. Shore (9-0, 7-0) Last Week: 2The Blue Devils have looked unbeatable within the B Central division, butPoint Beach has a habit of giving Shore some uneasy moments, and therematch at Point Beach was washed out on Thursday. Shore will face agood test Friday against Ranney at home, where Holmdel transfer BrendanWall is expected to debut for the Panthers.Shore’s J.T. Kessler pictured right

3. Freehold Township (5-1-2, 5-1-1) Last Week: 3

The Patriots have made it tough for opponents to score but almost as toughfor themselves. They have played two scoreless draws this season and have notscored more than two goals in any game this season. Strangely enough, oneof the three games in which Freehold Township has scored two goals wasits only loss. The Patriots lineup is starting to round back into form justin time for a rematch against CBA Tuesday at Freehold Township.

4. Rumson-Fair Haven (10-0, 8-0) Last Week: 5

The Bulldogs move up a spot in the rankings with two more wins this week combined with a loss byOcean. A rainout this past week will force Marlboro off of the schedule, so Rumson is running out ofnon-division opponents to strengthen the résumé. Despite that, the Bulldogs are still unbeaten, alreadyhave a solid win over Long Branch, and will get a crack at Shore Regional right before the cutoff.

5. Manalapan (6-2, 6-2) Last Week: 6Winners of four straight, Manalapan appears poised to make a push for the Class A North title and willlook at any CBA-Freehold Township result as a win-win scenario, so long as the Braves can handletheir own business. If Freehold Township beats CBA, then the Braves will control their own destiny forthe overall title, while a CBA win over Freehold Township would mean Manalapan moves ahead ofFreehold Township in the public division title standings and could still guarantee no worse than a shareof the overall division title by winning out.

6. Wall (8-0-1, 6-0-1) Last Week: 7No team picked up a bigger win in the weather-shortened week than Wall, which scored early and heldon to beat Ocean. The win gives Wall an early lead in the Class B North race, but the tie against LongBranch looms large because it means Ocean still can win B North by beating Wall and it gives Rumsonan edge in common opponent over Wall when it comes to SCT seeding. For Wall to emerge from thisweek against Ocean and Colts Neck with one goal allowed this season is quite the statement.

7. Ocean (7-2, 6-1) Last Week: 4The Spartans have swallowed two frustrating results against Shore and Wall in which they won thebattle in shots and, in the case of the Wall loss, dominated the possession. Ocean is still a dangerousteam and if the Spartans can find their scoring touch against the better competition on the schedule, theywill still be an SCT and Central Jersey Group III favorite, especially with the return of goalkeeperYanni Kavarakas coming soon.

8. Colts Neck (5-3-1, 3-3-0) Last Week: 10The Cougars inched into the top 10 last week and solidified their spot in the rankings by beating ASouth leader Lacey at home. They later lost to Wall, but played the Crimson Knights tough again in a1-0 loss, the second to Wall by that margin this season. They have not yet been able to get over the humpagainst Wall or Ocean, but the Cougars have proven they can play with teams of that caliber.

9. Marlboro (4-3-1, 3-3-1) Last Week: Not ranked

The carousel of Class A North teams to take a back-end spot in the top 10 continues with theMustangs moving back into the field this week. Marlboro got back over .500 this week bybeating Freehold Boro, which had climbed into the top 10 last week. Couple that impressiveperformance with a win over Manalapan and a tight game with Freehold Township, andthe Mustangs look like a formidable side now that October is here.

10. Lacey (8-2, 6-1) Last Week: 9Lacey lost a close game at Colts Neck Monday that ended a six-game winning streak,but got right back on the horse when the Lions beat Jackson Memorial the next day. ClassA South is going to be short on non-division wins when it comes time to seed the SCT,but whichever team wins the division should be able to carve out a case for the top 10.

Boys Soccer – Week of Oct. 5th Top 10Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

P h o t o b y :Doug Bostwickw w w . S p o r t S h o t s W L B . c o m

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It is not uncommon for highschool athletes to request

and even compete to weara specific number on theirjersey, but doing so as afreshman is bound tolead to some seriousridicule from olderteammates.Under normal circumstances, Bronson Dhume

would not strike anyone as the kind of personwho would demand any such specialtreatment. Now a senior, Dhume isdescribed by coaches and teammates as aquiet leader who commands respectthrough his play and his work ethic,and yet on his first day of camp as ahigh school soccer player forMatawan High School back in thesummer of 2012, he already hadthe number 21 waiting for him.

There was no formalrequest, no bartering andcertainly no opposition:Dhume was ready to be avarsity player as af r e s hman

and hewas the only person

at Matawan worthy of thejersey.

The last person prior to Dhume towear the No. 21 for the Matawan boys

soccer team was Bronson’s older brother, Chris. During his career at Matawan, Chrisset the program record for career goals that stood until last season, as well as thesingle-season record for goals scored.

“He was a leader on the field,” Bronsonsaid of Chris. “I went to every gamewhen I didn’t have soccer myself andwatching him lead the team was aninspiration to me. He was a leader anda role model and when I put on hisnumber, it just reminds me to try to doeverything that he did.”

Bronson Dhume, while talented for his age and eventually a significantpart of the program’s turnaround later in his career, was not given specialtreatment because of his soccer abilities or even the abilities of his older

brother, but rather for the adversity he endured in the face of a family tragedy.

Dhume has spent his life wanting to be like his older brother and Bronson hasalready exceeded Chris in a way that neither he nor any member of his familyever wanted the younger Dhume to surpass his older brother.

In January of 2011, Chris Dhume died due to complications from bacterialmeningitis, less than 72 hours after he began experiencing symptoms of theillness. Chris was four months past his 17th birthday at the time of hispassing, meaning Bronson has already outlived his brother by two

months. January of 2016 will mark the five-year anniversary ofChris’s passing, which is nearly one month before Bronsonwill turn 18.

“He was 17 years old and now I’m older than he waswhen he died,” Bronson said. “That (17th) birthdaywasn’t that hard for me as much as it was for my mother.She takes dates and remembers them.”

TRAGEDY STRIKES

Bronson was in seventh grade when his brother was a senior at Matawanand watched Chris all the way through his record-setting varsity career.By the end of his senior season, Chris had set the Matawan record forcareer goals (22) and even set the single-season record for goals with 13in his senior season, which still stands as a Huskies record. His career goalsmark stood until last year, when Alex Cella scored 12 goals and set the newcareer mark of 33.

During his 13-goal senior season, Matawan won only four games but Dhumedelivered the Huskies two of those wins in dramatic fashion. He scored goldengoals in wins over both Monmouth Regional and Barnegat, and Bronsonremembers both of those days.

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By Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer

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“I remember the first time he scored agame-winner and it was a goldengoal,” Bronson said. “I wasn’t therebecause I was at one of my soccergames, but he said he wanted to do itagain when I was there, and could seehim and he ended up doing it again. Idon’t remember what team it was, butit was beautiful to watch.”

Longtime Matawan head coach Dave Deegan said at the time that he had adiscussion with Chris during the winter about Chris playing for BrookdaleCommunity College, but not long after that discussion, tragedy struck theDhume family.

Like many who knew Chris Dhume, Bronson remembers his brother as ahard-working, tough player with an outstanding work-rate on the field. He wasa hard player to tire out, which is why Bronson remembers the night ofWednesday, Jan. 19, 2011. Chris came home from school that afternooncomplaining of feeling weak, and the gravity of the situation began to sink inthe next day.

“I was doing a project and he just wasn’t feeling good,” Bronson recalled.“He just got really weak which was really weird to me because he alwaysseemed like he was built to push through anything.

“Even when he would get sick, he was always up and trying to do stuff. Henever just slumped around like he was then. We literally had to help him get offthe couch, which was scary.”

Chris’s condition worsened overnight and into Friday. The first 24 hoursincluded flu-like symptoms and on Friday morning, Bronson recalls seeing hisbrother’s body being overrun by the disease, which as Bronson recalls, turnedthe skin on parts of his brother’s body black and blue.

“His left leg, which was his dominant leg, started hurting and he could barelyeven use it,” Bronson said. “It just started taking over his body.”

While his parents, Chris Sr. and Val Dhume, went to the hospital with Chris,Bronson recalls riding around the car with his two older sisters to pick up hiscousins from school before finally making it to the hospital on Friday evening.

What followed was a hectic, mostly-sleepless night of waiting. Deeganrecalled leaving the hospital at approximately 11 p.m. on Friday night afterChris’s blood pressure showed signs of stabilizing, but the momentary goodnews did not help Bronson sleep any easier. And when sleep finally did come,it did not last long.

“It was around three o’clock in the morning and I couldn’t fall asleep. Wewere in the hospital with my family, I was in a room with my grandma and Iwasn’t asleep for five minutes when the doctor came in and told me, ‘He’sgone. That’s enough, we can’t put him through anymore.’”

Dhume passed away in the early-morning hours of Jan. 22, 2011, just four

months after his 17th birthday. The community helpedsoothe the devastation of the days and weeks that followedby turning out in mass for the memorial services and withemotional support for the family.

“The whole town came together after that, but especiallythe team,” Bronson said. “He died, and thousands of peopleshowed up at his wake. It brought people together becauseit’s not something that’s supposed to happen.”

All of a sudden, 13-year-old Bronson was without his mentor, friendand older brother, who would talk soccer with him on car rides from games,play soccer with him whenever the two could, and would also take himfishing when it was time to get away from the pitch.

“I had to cope with not playing with him and just not having himaround,” Bronson said. “He was my brother, but he was also my friend.We’d go fishing, we’d do everything together.

“We had to cope with, not so much replacing him, but there’s gotto be that somebody. I have abrother-in-law now andhe spends a lot oftime with me. Hefishes with me,he lovessoccer, so Ih a v esomebodyto playwith andt h a t ’ shelped. It’sstill hardand it’s notthe samebut you justhave to tryto live withit.”

HONORING CHRISA year-and-a-half after losing his older brother,

Bronson set out to honor his memory by beginninghis high school career. Although Matawan struggledthrough a 4-14 season during his freshman season,Bronson made a mark as a rookie with four goals andfive assists. A year later, he scored three goals as astarting outside midfielder for a much-improvedHuskies team that qualified for both the ShoreConference and NJSIAA Tournaments.

As a young spectator watching his older brother,

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Bronson Dhume hoped that one day he could perform likehis brother did while playing for a team that accomplishedthings that Chris’s teams never could. Matawan didmanage to qualify for the NJSIAA Tournament duringChris’s career, but spent most of the time as a middlingprogram that struggled to stay above a .500 winningpercentage. That did not, however, deter Dhume fromworking to help lead his team to those elusive wins.

“He was always quiet,but I was his brother, so Ialways knew what he’dexpect,” Bronson said.“Deegan would alwayssay, ‘You never heardhim talk on the field buteverybody on thefield heard him.’ Hegot his word aroundwhen he needed to.”

Over the last two seasons, Matawan has enjoyed asmuch success over a two-year stretch as any Huskies teamin recent memory and Bronson Dhume has gone fromyoung contributor to undisputed leader. Last year,Bronson scored five goals and had five assists whileplaying center midfielder as a junior for Matawan’s firstdivision championship team in program history, as hehelped lead the Huskies to the Shore Conference Class ACentral regular-season championship.

This year, the Huskies are again battling for a spot inthe postseason while fighting to stay in the race for theClass A Central title as they chase front-runner Rumson-Fair Haven. Dhume has already tallied a career-high sixgoals and a run at his brother’s single-season record,which is now seven goals away with six regular-seasongames left, plus the postseason, is within his sights.

“It doesn’t make me feel any pressure because I knowhow he would want me to play,” Bronson said. “Of courseI have to live up to what he did and with that comes someexpectations, but not too much pressure. Just playing mygame for him is enough, I know that.”

While joining his brother in the Matawan record booksand leading his team to postseason glory would be a fitting

way to end his career and honor his brother’smemory, Bronson has been more concerned withremembering him in the way he plays the game andcarries himself on the field and off. In addition towearing the captain’s sleeve on the field, Dhume alsowears a bracelet with his brother’s name at all timesexcept for when he is on the field, when players areprohibited from wearing anykind of jewelry.

“Every day, I thinkabout him,” Bronsonsaid. “I go on the field,and I remember him.There arememories atMatawan andmemo r i e s

everywhere. I wearthis bracelet all the timeand I hold it, say a prayerbefore every game, put it inmy back pocket and put itright back on after the game.Everything is for him.”

With or without thebracelet, the recordsor thechampionships ,Bronson hasalways been ableto pay homageto Chris withthe No. 21 onhis back andhe will be thelast one tohonor hisbrother in thatway. After thisseason, per therequest of Deegan –who has sincestepped downas the headcoach of

the program and givenway to assistant TylerIsaacson – the No. 21 willbe retired by the Huskies

soccer program and donated to the Dhume Family.

“That’s definitely aspecial thing to me,”Bronson said. “Otherpeople could play with it,but I like that he wantedto retire the number, andI'm sure my family lovesthat, too. I would like it tostay with our family.”

Just like Bronson’s birthdays, every game he takes thefield is a reminder both of what the Dhume family has lostand also what they still have. With his accomplished highschool career coming to an end, Bronson Dhume has beena positive affirmation of both.

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FOR INFORMATIONON HI-RES COLOR PRINTS OF ANY PAGES& IMAGES IN ANY OF OUR PUBLICATIONSCONTACT: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 s [email protected]

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It might be the slowest time of year for sportsperformance facilities across the area, but the

coaches at Reach Your Potential Training (RYPT)are staying busy with their latest project, one thatwill do more than simply get you bigger, faster andstronger for the next competitive season. But this time, it involves your wallet and a chin-up bar. “Last year we launched our pink GET RYPT t-shirts for all of

our local athletes and parents to purchase. 100% of the proceedswent to Mary’s Place By The Sea (Ocean Grove); a home built tohelp women cope with the stress of cancer. When we started talkingwith the staff, we knew we could’ve done more. We knew that gymowners like us could make a bigger impact if we did it the rightway, we just didn’t know how yet” said Bobby Smith, owner andfounder of RYPT. Smith and his Director of Sports Performance, Adam Feit, began

brainstorming ideas for next year right away. They were lookingfor a way to generate as much awareness and donations as possiblethrough the power of health and fitness. And then came the tipping point.“Unfortunately, some close friends of mine in the field of

coaching were diagnosed very recently this past year with varioustypes of cancer. I remembered how successful the ice bucketchallenge was for ALS awareness so I thought, why couldn’t wedo something like that? Chris Kennedy helped launch a campaignthat raised over 100 million dollars by dumping buckets of icewater on people. Why not use the power of health and fitness to aidin the awareness and fight against cancer? Hence, #chinups4cureswas born.” said Adam Feit. He credits the two coaches he has had the honor of learning and

working with over the years, Krista Schaus (Precision Nutrition)and Megan Young (University of Auburn) for being the unfortunatecatalyst for this movement. “Trending social media tags such as #pullingforkrista and

#meguhstrong started appearing. We thought “How can we taketheir message and ensure EVERYONE sees it? How can we tap intothe field of training, coaching and nutrition and make a difference?”The more they talked, the more they realized other individuals

close to them were fighting the same battles. These include coachessuch as Brendon Rearick of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning,Jerry Martin, formerly of University of Connecticut and LukeBradley, an 11-year old boy that Adam’s college football team atSpringfield College (MA) has adopted, fighting through his secondbout of leukemia. “Almost every single one of us got into the field of coaching

because we had that one coach who believed in us. That one personwho took the time to truly make us better and help us reach ourpotential. We owe this campaign to those coaches that shaped ourpath allowing us to continue making a difference in the lives of kidstoday” said Bobby Smith. So what can you do? Just follow these four easy steps:

1. Grab your camera and take a video of yourself or your groupperforming 4 chin-ups.

2. Challenge at least 3 people or groups to rise to the bar andaccept the challenge.

3. Add the hashtag #chinups4cures to your post and share onyour choice of social media, whether that be Facebook,Twitter, Instagram or Youtube.

4. Head to www.chinups4cures.com and make a donation to anyof our local recommended charities and colleagues or anorganization of your choice.

Because as Coach Jeff Oliver from the College of the Holy Crossreminds us…People will forget what you've said...People will forget what you’ve done...But they will never forget how you made them feel!So please stand up, grab a hold of a bar and let’s challenge each

other’s strength and generosity towards the fight against cancer!

Head to www.chinups4cures.com for more information onhow you can help.

Sincerely, Bobby Smith and Adam FeitRYPT, Inc.

RYPT Launches Nationwide#chinups4cures Campaign

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Student-athletes and theirfamilies often make significant

investments into the physical part ofimproving a young man or woman’sperformance. Whether it's speed orweight training, specializedinstruction, or even the use of videotools, everyone is looking for thatedge. However, what often separatesathletes in a very crowded field isnot just their physical attributes buttheir ability to be leaders on and offthe field.The Victory Road High Performance Leadership Speaker Series is designed to helptoday’s young athletes become leaders and help them achieve success not just in sports butin life. Following a well-received program in June the founders will be launching a seriesof four unique platforms that bring together three driving forces of innovation to one singlestage: Leadership Development, Overcoming Adversity and Performance. The series will

bring together an extraordinary community of passionate and highly motivated young menand women from schools across the region where they will hear from some fascinatingleaders, world-changing thinkers and those that push the limits. This will all take placesat the Collins Arena on the campus of Brookdale Community College in a setting that isdesigned to inspire, motivate, educate and challenge those who attend.

The 2015-16 speaker series takes on the theme “Breaking Boundaries BeyondExpectations” and highlights the compelling stories of some of the most influential and

Victory Road Series Aimed atStudent-AthletesBy Kevin Williams – Shore Sports Network Director

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dynamic leaders and innovators. These menand women will share their personalexperiences and help the future leaders oftomorrow to attain the goals they set forthemselves.

The first program is set for Wednesday,October 28th (10-11:30am) and will featureEric Kapitulk, Founder and CEO of “TheProgram” and a former United States MarineCorps Operations Officer. Eric has spoken tohigh schools and colleges all across thecountry and his topic “Leadership andOvercoming Adversity” is one that willresonate with student-athletes. The series

also has programs scheduled on December 16,2015, March 1, 2016 and May 17, 2016.

The idea behind the series is for schools andteams to send some of their top leaders toattend the program with the hopes they willbring back much of what they learn to sharewith teammates. However individuals canalso attend on their own or in small groups ifthey wish. There are still openings for thosewho want to sign up and information isavailable at myvictoryroad.com. You can alsocall (732) 927-1581.

ERIC KAPITULIKFOUNDER & CEO OF 'THE PROGRAM' &USMC SPECIAL OPERATIONS OFFICER

TREVOR MOAWADSPORT'S MOST RECOGNIZED MENTAL

PERFORMANCE COACH

DR. NATALIE STAVASBOSTONIAN OF THE YEAR BY THEBOSTON GLOBE CAPTAIN

TOM CHABYCOMMANDING OFFICERSEAL TEAM FIVE

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Any questions regarding how St.John Vianney would respond if its

passing game was taken away wereanswered on a stormy night on Oct. 2nd.The Lancers, ranked No. 4 in the Shore Sports NetworkTop 10, proved they are an all-weather team by defeatingfifth-ranked Rumson-Fair Haven 13-6 in a crucial ShoreConference Class A Central game on a miserable night ofwind and rain on St. John Vianney’s artificial turf.

Senior quarterback Anthony Brown threw a 75-yardtouchdown pass to senior wide receiver Marcque Ellingtonand junior linebacker Tyler Tedeschi made a great specialteams play to set up Calvin Beaty’s go-ahead touchdownrun in the second half as the Lancers (4-0, 3-0) took amajor step toward the division title.

“Everybody told us we only have a passing game and canonly throw the ball,” Brown said. “Nobody pays attentionto our (offensive) line and everybody else.”

“We were kind of surprised with a lot of the predictionssaying the weather would play to Rumson’s behalf,” saidSt. John Vianney head coach Derek Sininsky. “If we didn’thave Anthony at quarterback we could really run the ball

and be very effective, but we have a quarterback and manyreceivers so our running game gets hidden a little.”

With a dynamic offense led by Brown, a Boston Collegerecruit who led the Shore Conference in passing yards lastseason and also ran for over 800 yards, St. John Vianneyappeared it would get the worst of the weather conditionsFriday night. With the wind and rain making it difficult tothrow the ball, it looked like that would be an advantagefor Rumson, which employs a run-heavy offense. Insteadit was St. John Vianney using a power running game anda tenacious defense to come away with an importantvictory.

“We prepared for it in practice, staying outside in the rainand trying to throw the ball,” Brown said. “But today itwas different. The wind was blowing a lot harder and itwas raining harder. Today we knew we had to have a bigpush up front and run the ball.”

The Lancers did exactly that, moving the ball on theground with junior running back Chris Chukwuneke andBrown leading the charge.

“We are very confident in our offensive line and ourrunning game,” Sininsky said.

Even with all the wind and rain making for terribleplaying conditions, it didn’t stop St. John Vianney from

making one huge play in the passing game. That came inthe second quarter when Brown, with the wind at his back,dropped in a perfect pass to a streaking Ellington for a 75-yard touchdown that tied the game 6-6. Exactly that typeof play seemed impossible to complete Friday night, butsomehow Brown made it happen.

“I didn’t know how hard the wind was going to beblowing at the time, and as soon as I dropped back I feltthe wind pushing a little so I tried to not put so much onit,” Brown said. “The wind kind of carried it through theair and it landed in his hands.”

“We had the wind at our back and we were just hopingAnthony didn’t overthrow it,” Sininsky said. “Marcquehad one-on-one coverage on the back side and it was agreat throw and a great catch.”

The big play was just the elixir St. John Vianney neededafter Rumson had taken a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter.

“It was a very big lift,” Tedeschi said. “We all went crazyand it picked up our spirits going into the half. We cameout ready to punch them in the mouth and take the lead.”

The Lancers did in fact take the lead in the third quarterafter Tedeschi tackled Rumson punter Tom Chapin to setup Beaty’s touchdown. Rumson was punting from its own45-yard line and the snap back to Chapin bounced to him

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Running Game and Defense Lead St. John Vianney Past RumsonBy Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

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on one hop. He bobbled the wet ballslightly, but that was enough time forTedeschi to whip around the edge and drophim for a big loss and a turnover on downs.

St. John Vianney took over on the Rumson27 and used the short field to take the leadfor good on Beaty’s 3-yard touchdownplunge. Joe Rice kicked the extra point forthe seven-point lead.

“I came off the edge and when I saw himbobble it I knew I didn’t have to go for theblock, I could just tackle him,” Tedeschisaid.

“In this game we felt it wasn’t going to bepossible to punt and they would most likelygo for it on fourth down because of theweather conditions,” Tedeschi added. “Weweren’t really expecting it but we said whynot go for (the block). Even if we miss itwe get good field position.”

St. John Vianney’s defense also showedits ability to go toe-to-toe with a potentrushing attack. Aside from a few long runsby Rumson quarterback Mike O’Connor,the Bulldogs couldn’t get much goingoutside of their first-quarter scoring drive.The Lancers also came up with a few fourthdown stops, including a goal line stand inthe second half after Rumson had first-and-goal at the 5-yard line.

Rumson entered the game having recorded

two straight shutouts to start the season andlooked to have an advantage in the badweather because of their running game andphysical defense. St. John Vianney provedthat beyond the glitz and glamour of itsaerial attack is a hard-nosed team that canwin in the trenches on both sides of theball.

“They are a great football team, you can’ttake that away from them,” Brown said ofRumson. “They are a great program withgreat tradition, but today I feel we kind oftook their role in the game.”

On a perfect weather day maybe thingsplay out differently. Maybe St. JohnVianney’s offense unleashes all its weaponsand lights up the scoreboard. Perhaps that’sthe case, but getting past their biggestobstacle to a division title in less than idealconditions showed the Lancers somethingabout their resolve.

“Today we bonded,” Brown said. “Wefound out who we really are.”

by:

Bob Badderswww.shoresportsnetwork.com

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Every week this season, Shore Conference football fans will get theirchance to vote for the SSN Football Player of the Week on

our website, with nearly 55,000 votes already cast in thefirst three weeks.

Three players so far have earned the honor of SSNs Shore ConferencePlayer of the Week after brilliant performances.

Week-2 9/ 19 / 15Freehold sophomore running back

Ashante WorthyThe Week Three recipient is Freehold sophomore Ashante Worthy, who ran

for 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 26-20 victory over Middletown North thatmoved the Colonials to 2-1. Worthy ran for scores of 28 and 19 yards in the firstquarter to help Freehold jump out to an 18-0 lead at halftime and a 26-0 lead in thethird quarter. Worthy is averaging 8.4 yards per carry this season with 518 yards on 62carries with 5 touchdowns, averaging 173 yards per game.

The Freehold fans made a late push to bring Worthy from the back of the pack to edgeJackson Memorial junior quarterback Dan Barker with 32.25 percent of the vote. Barkertossed four touchdown passes in a 42-0 win over Southern.

Week-1 9/11/15Jackson Mem., Jr. RBMike Gawlik

P h o t o b y :Melba Losiewicz/ASAP Photography

w w w . a s a p p h o t o g r a p h y . n e t

Week-0 9/4 / 15Pinelands Jr. RBJustin Kirkpatrick

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Fri Oct. 9 Jackson Memorial at T.R. North (7pm)

Fri Oct. 16 T.R. North at T.R. East (7pm)

Fri Oct. 23 Middletown South at Brick Memorial (7pm)

Fri Oct. 30 Shore at Point Beach (7pm)

Fri Nov. 6 Jackson Memorial at Red Bank Cath. (7pm)

Thr Nov. 26 Manasquan at Wall (11am)

NJSIAA Playoffs TBD

Schedule is subject to change

All games to be broadcast on News Talk Radio and streamed liveat www.shoresportsnetwork.com

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