September 23, 2014 Volume-VI Issue-17

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Week-1 9/12/14Neptune - 30Ocean 27

Our inaugural winner for 2014 is Neptune, whichwent on the road and knocked off defending Class BNorth champion Ocean in a 30-27 thriller for a big winin the season opener. The Scarlet Fliers and head coachRodney Taylor, who picked up his first career win inthe victory over the Spartans, were presented with aspecial game ball at practice on Tuesday and theplayers were treated to free Jersey Mike’s subs.

In the win over Ocean, senior running back Jaree

Parrish had 156 yards rushing and two touchdowns on21 carries in the win, and senior quarterback RalphMcLean threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to wide

receiver Isaiah Calhoun and also ranfor a 10-yard touchdown.

“Beating Ocean was a bigconfidence-builder because going wehad a lot of people banking on uslosing, and a lot of people weredoubting us,” McLean said. “Itshowed that you can’t sleep on usand that we will stay strong for fourquarters.”

The defense came up with three bigturnovers in the fourth quarter to stallOcean’s comeback attempt, as seniorsafety Savior King recovered afumble caused by teammate O’ShaneCurate at Neptune’s 9-yard line,cornerback Zaire Alston had a drive-killing interception, and seniorlinebacker Diondre Dunn picked off a

pass with 1:27 left in the game to seal the win.

Neptune’s head coach Rodney Taylor and his team are honored by Chad Tirpack NJ/NE Area Director of Jersey Mike’s as the

Team of the Week for Week One.

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New For This SeasonIn conjunction with Shore Sports Network, Jersey Mike’s willhonor one team a week that showed the character,perseverance and hard work emblematic of The Jersey Mike’sCompany during its performance that weekend. A Jersey Mike’sGame Ball and free subs will be presented to that team duringpractice that week in honor of a great showing.

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For the third straight year,the Ocean girls soccer teamplayed an early-Septembergame to honor a 10-year-oldgirl who they all saw as amember of their family. Oneplayer on the Spartans teamwas actually related to MyaLin Terry, an Ocean Townshipgirl who lost a five-and-a-halfyear battle with cancer andfor whom this year's thirdannual Mya's Cup is named.Senior forward Alex Pickett, Mya’s older cousin, isa captain on the Spartans varsity team and was asinvolved and invested as anyone in this year's event,which raised money for the family of a child strickenwith a form of pediatric cancer. While the Sept. 12game against defending Shore ConferenceTournament champion Red Bank Catholi wassecondary to the work being done off the field,Pickett’s work on the field put a ribbon on a specialnight for the program and the cause.

Pickett scored two goals to lead Ocean to a

resounding 3-0win over RedBank Catholic andgive the Spartans avictory in theirthird straightMya’s Cup. Aftermissing lastseason – which, of

course, included missing Mya’s Cup – with a kneeinjury, Pickett has started her senior season withthree goals in two games and, given thecircumstances, it is hard to picture any of the goalsshe will score during the rest of the seasonmeasuring up to the two she scored Thursday night.

“It was amazing,” Pickett said. “Knowing I scored,and I was working hard for Mya is a great feeling.It’s just a great night all around.”

Pickett nearly scored on a breakaway in the eighthminute and eventually broke through in the 20th witha goal on a shot from the left side of the 18-yardbox, beating Red Bank Catholic goalkeeper JackieRobinson high and inside the near post.

With 4:17 left before halftime, Pickett added asecond goal when she punched in a rebound off asaved shot by senior Michelle Fahey to make thescore 2-0. Pickett was finished scoring for the game,but Ocean added another goal by sophomore CarlaAnderson in the 47th minute.

I was trying get Alex to be a little more selfish inthe second half because I think we all wanted to seeher get that last goal,” Ocean coach Rob Curran said.“If she could have finished off the hat trick, thatwould have been something special. But for her to gettwo goals in this game with everything it means forher and her family, I couldn’t be happier for her. Thiswas a special night for her and, really, our wholeteam.”

The 3-0 margin reflected an overall spirited effortby the Spartans that saw them dominate the SCTchampions to the tune of a 15-5 shot advantage.Junior goalkeeper Ali Chomsky set the tone in theearly going by pushing a shot by Red Bank Catholicsenior Sabrina Graziano over the crossbar to keep thegame scoreless. Chomsky later saved a close-rangeshot off a corner kick to preserve a two-goal leadgoing into the half.

“We came out with a lot of intensity, which I thinkwe expected,” Curran said. “Ali Chomsky made a bigsave for us early that kept (RBC) from getting off andrunning and from there, we settled in and started tocreate some chances.”

Following the win over Red Bank Catholic, 15-year-old Brielle resident and Ocean native JustinCondoluci presented Ocean with the Mya’s CupTrophy, which was donated by Perry’s Trophies inLong Branch. Proceeds from Thursday will go to thefamily of Condoluci, who is battling leukemia for thefourth time in seven years and is scheduled toundergo an experimental treatment at the Children’sHospital of Philadelphia in the coming weeks.

“It’s encouraging to see so many fans come out tosupport us and support Justin,” Pickett said. “It’suplifting to the team, even on the field. We get energyfrom seeing all of these people here and seeing all of

the support that people are showing.”

Mya’s Cup began in 2012 with the money raised atthe event going to Mya, who had recently relapsedfollowing one of her three stem-cell transplants. Myawas close to the Spartans soccer program and whennews of her relapse reached the team, the playerswere compelled to help.

“The girls on the team were very close to Mya andwhen they heard the news about her relapse, theywere devastated,” said Alex Pickett’s mother KaceyPickett, who has played a significant role in bothMya’s Cup and The Mya Lin Terry Foundation.“They wanted to do something to help in any waythey could. They came up with this idea to play agame to raise money to help pay for the treatmentsand they played it the same night that Mya washaving her bone marrow transplant at St. Jude(Children’s Hospital).”

Mya passed away on April 10, 2013 at the age of 10,but the team did not want to end the effort after onetry. Mya’s Cup continued in 2013 as a fundraiser fortwo Ocean Township children, Tori Lee and LoganParker, both of whom were in attendance Thursdaynight.

“It’s becoming a wonderful tradition for theprogram and it’s something the girls are very proudof,” Kacey Pickett said. “It’s not just limited to Oceaneither. RBC has been unbelievable in their support.The parents, coaches and people at the school havebeen so eager to help in any way they can. They are abig reason why this game has happened.”

Ocean now has another reason to keep the traditionalive: it has given the Spartans three wins in threeyears. With overtime wins in each of the first twogames – one against Red Bank Catholic and the otheragainst Brick – Ocean is now 3-0 in Mya’s Cupmatches, with this year’s win the most resoundingyet, thanks, in large part, to Mya’s older cousin.

“The seniors on this team are playing in this gamefor the last time, but we definitely want it to keepgoing,” Alex Pickett said. “We want it to be atradition that gets passed down every year, and wewant to be able to help different kids every year.Unfortunately, there are a lot of kids in the area – notjust in Ocean, but in other towns close by – who arebattling. We have a chance to do some good for them,and we want to keep that going.”

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A Night to Remember for Ocean’sPickettBy Matt Manley – Staff Writer

by:Matt Manley

www.shoresportsnetwork.com

From left, Tori Lee, Logan Parker andJustin Condoluci with Mya’s Cup.

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With each passing day, CalebThompson gets a little morefeeling back in his arms and legsin the aftermath of a catastrophicinjury.The Toms River East senior thinks a certain bottomlesssource of energy may have something to do with it.

“The support of everyone at my school really has mademe a lot stronger,” Thompson said during a phoneinterview from his hospital bed in West Orange. “All thestuff they have been doing for me is unbelievable. Itmotivates me.”

On Sept. 2, a day at the beach on Second Avenue inSeaside Park turned into disaster when he suffered aserious neck injury. He was at the bottom of an incline nearthe ocean’s edge when a wave hit him and snapped hishead back into the shallow sand, crushing his C5 vertebraand fracturing his C6 vertebra.

He immediately lost feeling in his arms and legs, andluckily his quick-thinking friends, fellow TomsRiver East seniors Jimmy Van Valkenburg andSean Sosa, were able to move him out of thewater and stabilize him while calling 911for help. Thompson, 17, who is a pitcheron the Raiders’ baseball team, was airliftedto the trauma unit at Jersey Shore UniversityMedical Center in Neptune, where heunderwent a four-hour surgery tostabilize his neck.

“The initial realization of itbeing so severe came whenI walked into the roomand saw him in a neckbrace, and he told mehe couldn’t move,”said NatalieThompson, who hasraised Caleb as a singlemother. “It was just devastation andfear for him and what was next.”

“When I walked in the room where Caleb was, hismom was there and she was crying,” long-time familyfriend Joe Muzzicato said. “That’s when I knew itwas bad.”

Caleb said he could not feel anything in hisarms and legs after the surgery, but by thenext morning he could flex his leftquadriceps muscle. He can now movethree fingers in his left hand and isgetting some feeling in his right hand.

“Every day, I’ve been getting a littlemore and more back,” he said.

Road to RecoveryIn the wake of Thompson’saccident, the Toms River Eastcommunity has gone intooverdrive to help him and hisfamily. Shortly after his

accident, principal Pat Thomas andassistant principal Vernon Rutter came andvisited him along with numerous friendsand students from the school. AGoFundMe page has been set up for himonline to raise money for his medical billsthat has currently brought in nearly $8,000,and there is also a Facebook page keepingeveryone up on his progress.

The football team created white “TeamCaleb” T-shirts that it sold for $10 to helpraise money for his medical bills. Theshirts were worn by the student sectionduring the Raiders’ game against Southernto open the season last weekend, and Toms River East headcoach Charlie Diskin said the team has raised $1,467 so farto help Caleb. There should be plenty of Team Caleb shirtsin the stands at Detwiler Stadium across town at TomsRiver South during the Raiders’ game there on Fridaynight.

“The kids have been great because they really want tohelp Caleb,” Diskin said. “He’s a fighter. He’s got a great

attitude.”

During the game, the students had a “whiteout”with their “Team Caleb” T-shirts and alsoFaceTimed with Caleb on his iPhone while hewas in his bed at Kessler Institute forRehabilitation in West Orange, where he is

recovering.

“There’s really no word todescribe it,” his mother

said. “The best wordI can come upwith is‘amazing.’They’ve beenincredible andraised his spirits

from Day One.”

Caleb also received aphone call from EricLeGrand, who has been aninspirational figure sincebeing paralyzed whilemaking a tackle for Rutgersin a game in 2010.

“It was awesome,” Calebsaid. “I didn’t expect it all.

When he called me that night, Ihad the biggest smile. He really gave

me some good words. He made mebelieve in myself, and he really made me feel

that everything was going to be all right.”

Caleb also received an in-person visit from MikeyNichols, the Monroe High School ice hockey playerwho was paralyzed during a game in January whenhe was checked into the boards from behind. Nicholswas able to make it through his own difficult timewith the support of the Monroe community, andwanted to pass along encouraging wordswhile also pledging money for Caleb’s

recovery.

Caleb also has enjoyed thesupportive texts as well as tweetsto him on his Twitter account

@crock222. He has a stylus cuffed around his right handthat allows him to text and tweet back.

“That’s really cool because it’s from people that youwouldn’t expect, and that’s what makes a difference,” hesaid. “Even if it’s someone I don’t know that well, it stillmakes me feel like I have that support, and that’s reallywhat keeps me going.”

As much support as he has gotten from Toms River East,Caleb has reciprocated it by remaining relentlesslypositive.

“I haven’t seen him shed a tear or feel sorry for himselfever,” Natalie said. “He’s super determined. He’s the typeof kid where you put a challenge in front of him and he’llbeat it.”

His background as an athlete should serve him wellduring the long road ahead.

“It’s definitely helped me a lot because during baseballseason, there’s always little challenges that we have to beatand overcome,” Caleb said. “We’re always working onlittle tiny things each day in practice, so I can kind of relatehere in rehab. I know that if you work on the little things,then eventually the big things will all come together.”

“He’s very determined, and I think being an athlete, he isused to having that goal to strive for,” Muzzicato said.

A straight-A student, Caleb is looking to stay on pace tograduate with his class in June with help from tutors atToms River East and also by potentially taking classes atWest Orange High School near the Kessler Institute.

After having his life turned upside down, he has alreadyset a concrete goal.

“I want to walk for graduation,” he said. “The doctors aresaying I’m going to be the one that blows everybodyaway.”

As he takes each step toward realizing that goal, heknows he has a black-and-white army from Toms Riverbehind him.

“The support has just been crazy,” he said. “That’s reallywhat keeps me positive. That is what makes me work sohard every day.”

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Toms River East Community Rallies AroundCaleb Thompson After Serious InjuryBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor

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Sophomore running back MikeBickford rushed for two touchdowns61 seconds apart in the fourthquarter to lead Central to one of themost surprising results of the youngShore Conference football season, a21-15 win on the road overBarnegat, the defending Class BSouth champion and No. 5 team inthe Shore Sports Network Top 10, inweek two.Bickford’s first score from 5 yards out

brought the Golden Eagles (1-1, 1-1) to withintwo points at 15-13 with 2:48 to play, but hewas stuffed at the line on a conversion attemptthat would have tied the game. After seniorJordan Hardy recovered an onside kick at theBarnegat 46, Bickford was back in the endzone four plays later, this time from 21 yardsout.

“I knew it was a big game, and it was

important,” said Bickford, who rushed for 120yards, 105 in the second half. “I was excited. Iknew there were going to be some scouts herewith three (Division)-one kids going.”

Barnegat appeared to be the class of thedivision heading into the season, both on thestrength of its recent history and individualtalent. Wide receiver/linebacker Manny Bowen(Penn State) and two-way lineman SamMadden (Wisconsin) are both Big 10 commits,while quarterback Cinjun Erskine will continuehis playing career for FCS program Bucknell.While all three flashed some standout momentsFriday, including a 41-yard Erskine-to-Bowentouchdown strike in the second quarter, theycould not overcome a determined second-half effort by Central.

“If you want to model yourprogram aftersomebody, it’swhat (Barnegathead coach) RobDavis has been doing,”Central coach WillieJacobs said. “Their kids are awesome kids.They are aggressive, and they’re big.”

Coming out of halftime down 9-0, it wasCentral that played the role of the aggressor.Bickford carried the ball nine times on a 13-play, 64-yard drive that wascapped when juniorquarterback MichaelMiserendino kept the balland scooted around theleft end for a 12-yardtouchdown,trimming thedeficit to 9-7. On theGolden

Eagles’next drive,

however, Barnegatsenior RickyGerena pickedoff Miserendinoand returnedthe ball tothe Central26-yardline.

WhenErskine

found juniorJosh Bowen, Manny’s

brother, in the rightcorner of the end zone for

a 15-yard score four playslater, Barnegat appeared to

have the game back in itscontrol. However, Brandon Vuonoblocked the second extra point of

the night for Central, keeping theEagles within a score at 15-7. Bickford’s

5-yard score then capped the ensuing 11-

play, 62-yard drive.

“We missed on two extra points, which washuge,” said Davis. “They did an outstandingjob preparing their guys, and they outcoachedus. This loss stuns me. I’m not going to makeany excuses. They outcoached me, but we’llbounce back. We’ve been 0-2 before and cameback and went pretty deep into playoffs.”

Barnegat managed two more opportunities inCentral territory in the final two minutes. Onepossession ended with Central junior MatthewAires making an outstanding one-handedinterception on the Eagles’ 25.

“The ball was sailing over the receiver’s headand I knew I had to do something,” Aires said.“That ball just stuck to my hand, and I tried tobring it in and held it as tight as I can.”

After a three-and-out and a punt byCentral, Barnegat gained 29 yardson a strike on the left sidelinefrom Erskine to Manny Bowen.The home crowd wastemporarily whipped into afrenzy when Erskine connectedwith Gerena in the end zone

on the next play with justnine ticks left on theclock, but an illegalshift penaltynegated the playand helped

Central sealthe win.

“We knewwe had achance if ourkids believed,and our kids believedtonight,” Jacobs said. “Iknew we had a shot in thesecond half. Did I know itwould go like this? No,I’m still dreaming.”

“We’re just rolling,”said Central’s emotionalleader, seniorlinebacker/center LiamChristensen. “This is onlythe beginning.”

Central's Mike Bickford scores the game-winner from 21 yards out

P h o t o b y :Bi l l Normi le

www.b i l l no rmi le .zenfo l i o .com

Video Highlights by:

Scott Claytonwww.shoresportsnetwork.com

Mike Bickford, Defense Lead Centralto Upset Win Over BarnegatBy Scott Clayton – Shore Sports Network contributor

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Long Branch senior GuilhermeDe Novaes knew long beforeSept. 5 that his surgically-

repaired left knee was healed andhealthy enough to handle thedemands of a soccer game,specifically one played by adynamic striker with theball at his feet.

Until that date came, however, De Novaes was stillplagued by some level of uncertainty. No matter howmany preseason goals he scored, minutes he played,compliments he accepted or reassurances he got,nothing was certain until he could perform in his firstregular season since his sophomore year.

“I was really nervous before the game,” DeNovaes said, referencing the team’s openeragainst Rumson. “I hadn’t played a realgame since my sophomore year, and Ididn’t know how I would feel or if I couldstill play like I used to.”

lmost a year to the day after tearing theanterior cruciate ligament in his left kneeduring the team’s final game of thepreseason, De Novaes unleashed aperformance that may not have completely made up forlost time, but showed his teammates and anyonewatching what they missed last season and, moreimportantly, what might be to come this year.

In his first regular-season game back since the surgeryto repair the torn ACL, De Novaes scored all five LongBranch goals in the Green Wave’s 5-1, opening-night winat Rumson-Fair Haven – last year’s Shore ConferenceTournament and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II runner-up,as well as the Class A Central co-champion. In six games sofar this season, De Novaes has already scored 10 goals, thesecond-highest total in the entire Shore Conference.

“It’s an incredible feeling just tobe out on the field and playing again,”De Novaes said. “I never imaginedscoring five goals in the first game, so tobe able to do that and to win that firstgame together as a team, I’m just sohappy.”

After spending his first two high school seasons on the MonmouthRegional varsity team, last year was supposed to be De Novaes’ first yearat Long Branch and the prospects were exciting for both him and histeammates. According to Long Branch coach Adrian Castro, De Novaeshad scored six goals during his first four preseason games and the GreenWave were generating plenty of buzz as a potential sleeper to contend fortournament championships later in the year.

Then, in the fifth and final preseason game, De Novaes went downclutching his left knee in pain. Later that week, he was diagnosed with acomplete ACL tear and underwent surgery on Oct. 1.

“It had a big effect on us because we had to move guys into differentroles at the last minute and we just never got comfortable with the newpositions and new assignments for everybody,” Castro said. “WithGuilherme back now, everybody goes back to the role they had before andnow we have that option up top that allows us to play direct if we need to.Last year, we could play side to side, but we weren’t much of a threatgoing forward.”

While De Novaes sat on the sidelines, his team suffered as well.Despite returning seven starters from a team that reached the Central

Jersey Group II final, Long Branch floundered without its topscoring threat, finishing 6-10-2 overall and last place in theShore Conference Class B North division.

“The hardest part was notknowing if I was ever going to beable to play like I used to,” DeNovaes said. “That, and knowing

I couldn’t help my team when theywere struggling.

“I started thinking my career might be over, but my physicaltherapist told me that a lot of players make a full recovery. Ijust got right to work and I told myself I was going to get backas soon as possible.”

De Novaes was able to get back on the field for trainingwithin six months and by the time camp opened up in mid-August, he had already shed his knee brace, a common accessory ofACL recoveries for at least the first year back.

“He didn’t wear the brace for long,” Castro said. “After a few days,he threw it off to the side and said, ‘Forget this thing. Let’s go.’”

There is still plenty of season left for things to go one way oranother for De Novaes and his team. Long Branch is 4-2 to startthe year, with De Novaes scoring in each of the team’s four winsand being shutout – along with the rest of the team – in the twoGreen Wave losses. He and his coach expect defenses to startkeying on him even more as the season progresses, which is achallenge De Novaes welcomes. Finally, his challenges insoccer are once again relegated to the field.

“I don’t know if I feel all the way back yet, but I’mgetting closer every day,” De Novaes said. “I’m justhappy I made it back for my senior year and for myteam.”

Hertgen Hurt No More

Joey Hertgen’s path back tothe varsity soccer field wasdifferent from that of De Novaes, but the impact he hasmade upon his return has been similar. Unlike De Novaes,Hertgen spent his freshman year playing in the lowerlevels of a deep Toms River North program beforegetting his varsity opportunity as a sophomore in 2013.

He also made it to the field on opening night as astarting midfielder for the Mariners, but four gamesinto the season, Hertgen suffered a broken tibia,ending a promising first season with the Mariners.

“It was obviously veryfrustrating watching from thebench last year knowing that Ihad to wait until next year toplay,” Hertgen said. “I felt like Ihad a chance to help the team last year.We had a good season,but it wasdisappointingthat I couldn’tbe a part ofit.”

Stronger Than Ever:De Novaes, Hertgen

Bounce Back from InjuriesBy Matt Manley – Staff Writer

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Hertgen was cleared to play again on Jan. 1 of this year and beganworking his way back to competitive play. In preparing to pick up where heleft off last year, Hertgen found he was able to refine his game more than hehad in any other offseason.

“I’ve definitely improved since last year,” Hertgen said. “I’ve beentraining non-stop and working on every aspect of my game that I can. Ithink I could have been a help last year too, but I got hurt.”

The results of his preparation have helped Hertgen start this season witha flurry. Playing for a Toms River North team that returned only nine of its33 goals from 2013, the junior center midfielder has been a major catalyst

in helping the Mariners get off to one of the best starts ofany team in the Shore Conference. Since losing toKearny, 4-0, on opening day, Toms River North is4-0 with 14 goals, including 13 during a three-game stretch against Wall, Lacey and BrickMemorial.

Hertgen’s deciding goal against Lacey on Sept.12 was the first of his high school career and he

promptly followed that achievement by scoring hisfirst career hat trick in a 6-2 drubbing of BrickMemorial four nights later.

“He’s got a great engine,” Toms RiverNorth coach Joe Mahon said of Hertgen.“He’s not only an offensive guy, but he’sa defensive guy, so he’ll get back. So tohave that element, which you don’talways get from an offensive centermidfielder, is huge. Plus, he’s a greatkid – he’s smart on the field, he’ssmart in the classroom, he works hardand he’s a dangerous player. Toughkid.”

UnderdogsMatawan coach Dave Deegan is hoping for

his team to fly under the radar for as long aspossible this season, but as the Class A Centralstandings begin to take shape, it’s hard to ignorethe team at the top at the moment.

With just one loss on its ledger – a 1-0 defeat atthe hands of defending division co-champion andperennial Shore Conference power Holmdel – Matawanis off to a 4-1 start that suggests the Huskies are ready tobuild off a solid 2013 season and are far-removed from adifficult 4-14 campaign in 2012.

“I’ve seen a lot of the teams out there that are supposed tobe some of the favorites in the Shore Conference,” Deegan said. “I’m

not saying we’re better than those teams or even as good as those teams,but I think we can play with teams of that caliber. We have a very fastand a very intelligent group, and I think we can still get better.”

The Huskies’ latest victory came Saturday against their neighbor fromdown the road, St. John Vianney. Although the Lancers outshot theHuskies and peppered the Matawan goal over the final 10 minutes insearch of the equalizer, Matawan emerged with a 1-0 win that leftDeegan hopeful his team could improve on its effort and impressed by itsability to fight through what he thought was an off day.

Senior Matt Isaacson scored Matawan’s lone goal in the win over St.John Vianney off a through ball from his fellow center midfielder, juniorBronson Dhume. Isaacson pushed up to play forward while fightingfatigue in the second half, illustrating the Huskies’ versatility to move

pieces around and create scoring threats to go with senior striker andleading scorer Alex Cella.

“Speed is huge in soccer,” Isaacson said. “Speed and intelligence is whatwins you games. We just need to get after fifty-fifty balls and try to play toour speed, especially with Cella up top, and we feel like we’re a dangerousteam.”

Cella is off to another strong start to 2014 after scoring eight goals as ajunior last year. The senior already has seven goals this season with at leastone goal in three of the four Huskies wins. He scored four goals in a 7-1win over Manchester to open the season and also scored two in a 2-1 winover Raritan on Wednesday.

South’s Iron WallIt took Holmdel only 14 minutes to score its first goal of the season

against Toms River South in the opener for both teams back on Sept. 8.That was the last time any team has scored on Toms River South.

In 306-plus minutes since allowing that goal to Holmdel sophomoreBrendan Wall, the Indians have shut out the opposition, which included acome-from-behind, 2-1 victory over Holmdel in that initial game. TomsRiver South has managed only six goals themselves, but a defense thathelped carry a 9-9-2 team last year has been even better to start 2014, led bysenior goalkeeper Kollin White and seniors Kieran Murphy and MichaelBraun.

“Having that experience in the back is huge,” said senior centermidfielder Jordan Urbaczek, who scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win overJackson Memorial on Thursday. “Those guys did a great job last year andwith another year of experience, we’ve just been more composed playing inclose games.”

Toms River South will put its defense to the test over the next eight days,which include games against high-powered attacks of Brick Memorial onMonday and Toms River South on Sept. 30.

“It would be nice to score more, but we know a lot of times, with thedefense we have, one goal is going to be enough,” Urbaczek said.

Hornets Stungby InjuryHolmdel is off to a surprisingly pedestrian 3-3 start and a lack of health

could have a lot to do with it. After missing center fullback Nick Zolofra forthe first four games of the season with a foot injury, the Hornets have beenwithout All-Shore goalkeeper Tyler Marchiano for the last three games dueto a number of nagging ailments, according to coach John Nacarlo.

According to Nacarlo, Marchiano will likely be out for another week, aspan during which Holmdel has only one game scheduled – a Saturday slateagainst Monmouth. The Hornets open up the following week at crosstownrival St. John Vianney.

Arrow PointingNorthMiddletown North got off to a disappointing start with a senior-heavy

roster, but came on strong this past week, beginning with a pair of bizarredraws. The Lions handed unbeaten Manalapan its first tie of the season byrallying from a late 2-0 deficit despite playing a man down following a redcard earlier in the game.

Two days after beating the defending Shore Conference Tournamentchampion while playing a man short, Middletown North was on the otherend of a red card and played with a man advantage against Howell for

nearly 70 minutes. This time, the Lions were the team that failed to takeadvantage of the extra man and settled for a 1-1 draw.

After the two 100-minute battles earlier in the week, Middletown Northfinished its challenging week by handing Freehold Township its first loss ofthe season on a penalty kick in the final 15 minutes. After surrendering 10goals over their first seven halves (280 minutes) of soccer this year, theLions have limited opponents to just one goal over their last 240 minutes.

T R N P h o t o s b y :

LarryMurphywww.sportsp ixn j . com

Sport Shots WLBwww.sportshotsw lb .com

Matawan senior Alex Cella

Middletown North senior Garret Wegner

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Fixed vs. Growth Mindset and itsImpact on Today's CoachingBy Adam Feit - Director of Sports Performance (RYPT)

Fall is finally upon us. As I swap out the sandalsand shorts for jeans and a hoodie, I can’t helpbut get excited for the Friday night and weekendfootball games. Despite many first-hand sidelineexperiences with the game itself, I’ve never beenable to truly enjoy any of it until I left college andprofessional athletics. I now have the opportunityto talk and check in with parents and watch ourvery own athletes perform on the gridiron, underthe lights and away from the pressures of schooland life. It’s here with the scents of fresh cutgrass and sliced oranges that I find peace at theend of a long week (and before the arrival of mynewborn daughter any day now).But unfortunately, at a game this past weekend (Go BUCS!), I overheard aconversation that immediately triggered this post. My hope is to remind eachand everyone of you of what we might be doing wrong and how our MINDSETcan negatively affect our coaching.

Between watching the game and running around chasing my toddler son backand forth, I overheard two adults who CLEARLY knew how to coach in thelower area of the stands converse about a particular athlete who they bothseemed to know or at least, take notice of. Maybe their son played PEEWEE

football with him or they went to school together. Whatever. The conversationwent something like this…

“He ain’t got a shot. I don’t know why they’re putting him inanyways”.

“The kid’s a NONNER. Look at him.”

“Would love to see what this kid’s parents look like.”

“Just bad genetics. I mean look at the kid. For cryin’ out loud.”

You get the idea. Now, if you’ve ever attended a high school football game, orany game for that matter, you know that you’ve got the SUPERFANS,ASSISTANT COACHES and overall CRITICS all around you. They’re the oneswho don’t keep their mouths shut, offer their opinion on every play and evensuggest their own play calling right from the stands.

It immediately made me realize that if these very people, parents of players onthe same team, were so critical of someone they probably didn’t know well, howcould it be any different than those who ACTUALLY knew the player?

Could the athlete’s coach(es) be saying the same thing? Limiting the potentialof a young man simply because they saw him for what he is now, not for whathe could become?

A topic that I have begun to read more and more about refers to this verypremise; fixed versus growth mindsets and its impact in coaching.

Take the above scenario and find maybe three words that describe the parent’sinteraction best.

Pre-judged?Negative?Unfair?Now, take the same situation described above and apply a hint of personalvalue to it. Let’s say, that was your son out there. How would you describe hisability and actions that were portrayed in front of the stands that moment?

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Still learning?Not there yet, but closer?Determined not defeated?The ideas of fixed and growthmindsets are explored in detail by oneof my latest readings, Mindset byCarol Dweck. In Mindset, Caroldescribes two types of beliefs inregards to intelligence and aptitude.

Within the “fixed” mindset,individuals simply have it. They’vegot the talent and are natural at thetasks they are given. They’ve got thejuice and just go with it.

Then there is the “growth” mindset,where the abilities are developed andlearned over time, through trials andtribulations, personal values, and whatwe are willing to work on.

So, my question to you is…Are you “fixing” your mindset before you even give theathlete a chance?Coaches who hold a fixed mindset limit their options for success by narrowingtheir vision so tight, they can’t see the forest from the trees.

They reply back in recruiting meetings with answers like “Can’t change that.Bad genes. No shot. Complete nonner. Who’s next?”

They look at an athlete who is nothing but skin and bone and crush his spiritswhen he says he wants to put on 25lbs of muscle.

They refuse to work with the walk-ons because they’re not good enough.

But what about the coaches who open up their eyes, hearts andminds to the unknown, to the possibilities that lie ahead?They’re the ones who reply “I can fix that. Not his/her fault, let’s see what wecan do. We can work with that. Let’s get to work!”

They see each athlete as a blank canvas, a masterpiece waiting to come tofruition.

They view each experience as an opportunity to not just change numbers, butlives as well.

Fixed mindset coaches don’t ask questions. They go with the flow.They look to others worse than them to make themselves feel better.Growth mindset coaches seek to understand. They demonstratepoise under adverse situations. They look to others better thanthem to learn and grow.If you’re a collegiate strength and conditioning coach, there’s no doubt thatyou’re looking at physical attributes on recruiting visits. You’re thinking “Whatdoes this athlete have and how can he/she help our program?” But, aren’t yousurprised by the few that maybe don’t catch your eye at the beginning or take alittle bit longer to mature and turn out to be your MVP’s, team captains andIRON award winners?

Maybe you’re heading up a high school program where you simply don’t havethe numbers to field a great team and you can’t perform cuts. More often or not,you’re going to have players that can’t get the job done for you now, but isn’tthat why they call you COACH?

Or better yet, you’re the awesome parent who volunteers to coach the littleleague team and teach them about hard work, discipline and having fun but onlyplay the stars of the team because we all know how much ESPN wants tohighlight YOUR success with a bunch of 6-8 year olds.

Whether it’s coaching at the college, high school or even private sector level,

we all have pre-conceived notions and opinions as soon as we set our eyes onour athletes. But, if we’re getting paid to DEVELOP athletes, we have todismiss these notions and get to work, regardless of who is in the program. Weshould be developing and constructing the next set of all-stars and maximizingeach and every athlete’s potential, both on and off the field.

Do you wish you had some extra toys or better athletes around the facility tohelp you write some really AWESOME programs? Do you tell yourself “If Ionly had A, then I could do B and C would happen?”

Well, often more times than not, the best programs are coached and writtenwithout fancy auto-regulators, accessory equipment and thoroughbred athletes.

Do you feel stuck in a position where there is no growth? Maybe you’recoaching at one of the worst ranked schools in terms of winning and you feellike if you were only at a better school with better incentives, you would coachbetter?

Why don’t you maximize and continue to grow as a coach regardless of whereyou’re blowing the whistle or coaching squat depth? Or listen to Joe Kenn andbecome the very best in the job you’ve got before you worry about the job youwant?

If there is one piece of advice I’ve heard over and over throughout mycoaching career, it is…

“Do the best you can, with what you have, where you are”(Theodore Roosevelt).So instead of looking for a way out, search for a way into the athletes that youhave the opportunity to mold and develop.

Look for bright spots along the way and illuminate the path for all to see.

And remember that we’ll never know where effort and time will take someonein their endeavors and aspirations, and that potential simply requires a littlepatience and persistence.

Special thanks to my nutrition coach, KSD, for the insight

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While his team suffered their firstloss of the season Sunday therewas some consolation for Houston

Texans tight end Garrett Graham who gotto play in front of a large contingent offamily and friends as he returned to NewJersey. The former Brick Memorial HighSchool standout came into the gameagainst the Giants with just one receptionbut caught 5 passes for 41 yards in a 30-17loss.

There were many sporting Graham’s #88 jersey at MetLife Stadiumas a bus load of 56 made the trip from Brick. The ex-Mustang signed athree-year, $11 million contract following a 2013 season in which hecaught 49 passes and scored 5 touchdowns.

It’s been largely a struggle for the Cincinnati Reds Todd Fraziersince July’s All-Star game but the Toms River resident did hit his 27thhome run and drive in his 76th run of the season in Sunday night’s winover St. Louis. Frazier carried the Reds for much of the first half ofthe season but since the All-Star game has just 8 home runs and 23

RBI’s. Despitethat it has been abreak-out seasonfor the formerToms River SouthHigh Schoolstandout and itmay result in along-term contract following the season.

The word upset is too often used incorrectly when it comes to sports.With that said Central’s 21-16 football victory over Barnegat thisweekend was not only an upset, it was a shocker. Most, includingyours truly expected a blow-out victory by the Bengals, theoverwhelming favorite to not only win the Class B Southchampionship but do so without a loss.

The Golden Eagles spoiled that with the help of sophomore runningback Mike Bickford, who scored two touchdowns in the final threeminutes as part of a 120 yard performance. Bickford is one of the topnominees for this week’s SportClips Player of the Week. You can castyour vote at shoresportsnetwork.com

Today is not just noteworthy because it’s the first day of fall,it’s alsothe birthday of the very popular Bob Levy. Happy Birthday Bob. Iknow you will enjoy your day.

Garrett Graham Comes Hometo New JerseyBy Kevin Wil lams – Shore Sports Network Director

Brick nat ive Garrett Graham #88of the Houston Texans

Ed Sarluca with formerBrick Memorial player

Garrett GrahamGarrett Graham with fans from Brick

Every week this season, Shore Conference football fanswill get their chance to vote for the Sport Clips

Football Player of the Week on our website, with nearly90,000 votes already cast in the first three weeks.

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

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Week-0 9/5/14Donovan Catholic - 10P ine lands - 7

After only the first varsity football game of his career, DonovanCatholic junior kicker GianCarlo Stigliano is the inaugural SportsClips Shore Conference Player of the Week coming off his performance inWeek Zero.Stigliano booted the game-winning 35-yard field goal with only nine seconds

left in regulation to give Donovan Catholic a 10-7 victory over Pinelands inClass B South to open the season. Stigliano played soccer at ChristianBrothers Academy last season before deciding to transfer and play football forthe Griffins this fall. He had missed an earlier field-goal attempt but came upclutch when his team needed it most.With 45 percent of the vote, he just edged out Freehold Township senior

running back Matt Pine, who had a career-high four touchdowns, all in the firsthalf, in a 40-20 win over Howell. Pine finished with 126 yards rushing andthree touchdowns on only five carries, and also had a 25-yard interceptionreturn for a touchdown on defense.

Week-2 9/19/14Freehold Boro - 41Howe l l - 21

One of the leaders of a Freehold Boro team off to its best start since winning astate title in 2008, junior quarterback/safety Jake Curry has beenvoted by the fans as the Sport Clips Shore Conference Football Player of theWeek for his performance in a Week Two victory over Howell in Class A North.

Curry was making plays all over the field as he ran for a career-high 143 yardsand two touchdowns on only 12 carries, including an 80-yard touchdown run, ina 41-21 win over the Rebels. Curry also threw a 40-yard touchdown pass in thewin. Defensively, he returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown to helpcement the Colonials’ 3-0 start and stamp them as a darkhorse contender inClass A North.

Week-1 9/12/14Brick Township - 42Brick Memorial - 0

Brick senior quarterback Carmen Sclafani is the Sport ClipsShore Conference Player of the Week for his brilliant performance in a 42-0win over rival Brick Memorial on Saturday.

Sclafani, who was a Shore Sports Network first-team All-Shore selection asa junior, amassed 305 total yards and accounted for three touchdowns as theNo. 2 Dragons rolled to victory in their season opener. Sclafani ran for 148yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and was 12-for-15 for 157 yards passing,tossing a pair of touchdowns to tight end Simon Bingelis and wide receiver JoePhillips.

With 34.6 percent of the vote, Sclafani just edged out the quarterback at hisformer school, Toms River North, as sophomore Mike Husni got 33 percent ofthe vote with 15,700 votes out of the more than 47,000 votes cast overall.

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Fri 9/26 Toms River North at Toms River South (7pm)

Fri 10/3 Brick at Jackson Mem. (7pm)

Fri 10/10 Manasquan at Barnegat (7pm)or Wall at Brick (7pm)

Fri 10/17 Lacey at Brick (7pm)or Barnegat at Point Boro (7pm)

Fri 10/24 Jackson Mem. at Toms River South (7pm)

Fri 10/31 Toms River South at Brick Memorial (7pm)or Lakewood at Barnegat (7pm)

Fri 11/7 Toms River South at Brick (7pm)or Brick Memorial at Southern (7pm)

Thr 11/27 Wall at Manasquan (11am)

NJSIAA Playoffs TBDAll games to be broadcast on News Talk Radio and

streamed live at www.shoresportsnetwork.com

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