10-4-10 Issue

O c t o b e r � 4 , � 2 0 1 0Volume-II - Issue-18

www.allshoremedia.com

Jackson Memorial:

Boys Soccer

Page�3�

Shore Regional:

Gunning for Title

Page�6� �

Exceeding

Expectations

Football Feature

Page�8-9� �

Chris Melvin's

Top Recruits

Page�12� �

Coming Home:

Southern's Ethan

Decker

Page�13

Melvin's Review

Page�14

Stumpy’s Corner

Page�15

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October�4,�2010 I Volume-II I Issue-18

For a football program that has only been to the

postseason once since the NJSIAA created the playoff

system in 1974, Monmouth Regional has surprisingly

shown the traits of a team that has instead been

through the fire many times during its impressive 3-0

start to the season.

Week after week, the

Falcons have been down on

the scoreboard, only to come

flying back and claim a

victory. In Week Three

against Colts Neck,

Monmouth pulled off yet

another rally to improve to

3-0 for the first time since

starting 6-0 in 2006, when it

made its only state playoff

appearance in school history.

The Falcons scored 17

unanswered points in the

fourth quarter to come away

with a 17-14 win over Colts

Neck in Class B North on senior Brandon Ford's 21-yard

field goal with 26 seconds left in the game. Monmouth

came back from a 13-0 deficit to Carteret to win its

opener, 41-21, and was down against Freehold before

closing out an eye-opening 27-19 win.

"That's a great thing about our team,'' said senior

quarterback A.J. Visconti, who threw two touchdown

passes to fuel the comeback against Colts Neck. "We have

a great group of kids, and we know what we're supposed

to do and what we have to do to win. We don't give up,

and it's working so far.''

A big key has been an offensive line that has coalesced

quickly, which is no surprise to Visconti.

"They worked harder in the offseason than any unit on

our team,'' he said. "Before, during, and after practice,

they were working harder than any guys on our team all

during the summer and the preseason.''

Monmouth's new spread offense has also proven

difficult to stop and has allowed the Falcons to put points

on the board in a hurry, as the Colts Neck game

illustrated.

"Everyone gets the ball, so the defense can't key on one

guy,'' Visconti said. "The first game it was (senior running

back Matt) Showanes, then (wideout/tight end) Scott

Satcher had a big second game, then Ford had a big game

against Colts Neck.''

In addition to catching five balls for 100 yards and

the game-tying touchdown, Ford also again showed his

mettle under pressure as a kicker. On the road against

Central Jersey Group I finalist Highland

Park last season, Ford booted a last-second

field goal that gave the Falcons a 23-20 win.

“He did it once last year, so once we got

down there (against Colts Neck), I thought,

'He's got it,''' Visconti said.

Monmouth had its bye week after the

dramatic victory over the Cougars, and it came

at an opportune time as senior running back

Davonte Thomas and Satcher suffered ankle

and shoulder injuries, respectively, against

Colts Neck but should be good to go in Week

Five in a big nondivisional game against

Rumson-Fair Haven. The Bulldogs are

also in Central Jersey Group II, so that

is a huge power-point game as

Monmouth tries to qualify for the state

playoffs for just the second time

ever. With their sparkling start,

they know they won't be sneaking

up on anyone.

"We've got to keep playing as

the underdog,'' Visconti said.

"We're going into the big stretch

of our season after the bye week.

We know what people expect of

us. We've just got to go out there

and play football.''

All during the preseason,

Monmouth wasn't mentioned

when talking about the featured

teams in Class B North, left out

of the conversation for teams

like Red Bank Catholic, Ocean,

Long Branch, Neptune and

Freehold. That's what happens

when you only have one state playoff appearance and

one postseason victory in 35 seasons, but this year's

edition of the Falcons has developed a characteristic

that will serve them well in an underdog role.

"It's great to see that overcoming adversity is becoming

the identity of our team,'' head coach Sal Spampanato

said. "(Against Carteret), we fell behind 13-0 and it didn't

faze us. There

was no finger-

pointing, no

helmet

throwing.

Freehold kept

coming back,

but there was

no panic in our

eyes. We

have guys

who are

able to handle

anything.''

The most impressive victory was over Freehold, as the

Falcons fought off the Colonials' second-half comeback

attempt for a victory that Spampanato characterized as the

biggest win in the four seasons he has been at Monmouth.

The Falcons' offense, led by Visconti, has three legitimate

running backs in Showanes, Thomas and senior Shayne

Henderson, and a go-to receiver in Satcher, who had a

pair of touchdown catches in the win over Freehold.

"It's really an offense where

you can't key on one guy,''

Spampanato said. "Our one

question mark was the

(offensive) line, but they seem to

be jelling well now. To beat a

team like Freehold, which has

great athletes and is well-

coached, was a great program

win.''

Now that Monmouth is no

longer a secret, the question

remains as to whether the

Falcons can navigate a fierce

gauntlet that includes Rumson,

Neptune, Red Bank

Catholic, Long Branch

and Red Bank before the

state playoff qualifying cutoff on

the first weekend of November. Those first four teams

were all state playoff teams last season, while Red Bank

is much improved.

Al l �Shore�Media�Sports�review�� www.allshoremedia.com Volume-2 Issue-18��10/4/10 Page�3

FIGHTInG FAlCOnS:MONMOuTh�OFF�TO�3-0�STArTB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

Senior RB Davonte Thomas

Senior QB A.J. Visconti

Photos � by :

C l i f f � Lave l l ewww. c lea r edge .zen fo l i o . com

Senior WR/TE Scott Satcher

FOR ADVERTISInG InFORMATIOnContac t : �S teven �Meye r � 732 -233 -4460 � � � smeyer@a l l sho remed ia . com

www.materdeiprep.org

Usually all the focus going into a high-profile gameinvolving perennial juggernaut Middletown South is all aboutwhat the opponent will not be able to do.

With senior quarterback Scott Meeker out with an injury,senior inside linebacker Matt Saulnier suffering a season-ending knee injury earlier in the week in practice, and Howellentering the game with an offensethat had been unstoppable thus farthis season, a Shore ConferenceClass A North showdown on Oct. 2seemed to be all about whatMiddletown South could not do.

By the end of an emotionally-charged Senior Night in which theRebels honored former player JohnBukowiec, who died at 18 years oldin a car accident in July, it waspreviously unbeaten Howell thatwas searching for answers againstthe Eagles after a resounding 38-14win by the visitors in the firstmeeting between the teams since1999.

"No we can't? Yes we can!''Middletown South head coach SteveAntonucci said after the win as hestalked back and forth in front of histeam while the steam rose off theheads of the victorious Eagles in thecool weather.

"No we won't? Yes we will! Nobody came in here tonightand thought we could do this, but guess what? We did.''

The Eagles were in a rare position as the underdog, and itclearly energized them as they blasted to a 35-14 halftimelead and never looked back.

"We were playing the role of an underdog, and we're notused to being there,'' Antonucci said. "It brings out the animalin people, I guess, if you want to call it that. We wereemotional coming in ourselves. We had a season-ending

injury to Matt Saulnier coming in, and Scotty Meeker goingdown last week, and everybody kept saying we couldn't do it.That's all we kept feeding them all week long.''

Seemingly cast aside and questioned after the key injuries,a sloppy loss to Manalapan and a lackluster win overstruggling Freehold Township in the last two weeks, the

Eagles soared back into thedivision title race by smashingHowell at the point of attack onoffense and harassing prolificjunior quarterback Ryan Davies ondefense. Middletown Southamassed 411 yards of totaloffense, while sacking Davieseight times for a total of minus-75yards and intercepting him twice,despite the fact that he threw for354 yards.

Senior running back AndrewSuarez had a career-high threetouchdowns, including an 85-yardkickoff return for a score, and 133yards rushing on 16 carries to leadthe way. Junior quarterback Howie

Brey, making his firstvarsity start, went 5-for-8for 130 yards with atouchdown pass, a

touchdown run and aninterception, and senior wide receiver Taylor Rogers had fourcatches for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Middletown South's offensive line, which did not returnone starter from last year, dominated up front, paving the wayfor 281 yards rushing on an average of 6.7 yards per carry.Howell had only given up 23 points all season, andMiddletown South had 35 by halftime.

"The coaches worked us all week and asked us if we wantto be the best line in the Shore,'' said junior guard JohnValentine. "We showed it today. All week they were telling usthat this would be the biggest game of our careers so far.''

With the hometeam on its heelsafter MiddletownSouth quicklymade it 14-0, theEagles' defensegot anotherstop when itstuffed Howellsenior running back Eli Blue on fourth-and-2 to get the ballback at its own 45-yard line. Five plays later, Suarez boltedfor a 40-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead with 11:10 left inthe second quarter. After missing almost all of last seasonwith an ACL injury, Suarez showed the explosiveness thathas had Middletown South's coaches talking him up since hebegan his varsity career as a sophomore.

"I've been 100 percent,'' Suarez said. "I've been justwaiting for the opportunity to do it, and the line was greattonight. They came off the ball low, fired out and took themdown.''

The lead was 35-14 by halftime, and the Eagles neverlooked back. Middletown South's victory gives Manalapansole possession of first place in Class A North. The Eagleshave regrouped to put themselves right back in the mix for atleast a share of the division title if Howell can beatManalapan.

"Our kids I think got lulled into it a little bit because theysaw (Freehold) Township playing them very tough, then theysaw Township play Manalapan very tough, and they thought,'How good could (Middletown South) really be?'' Howellhead coach Cory Davies said.

Unfortunately for the home team, they found out theanswer to that question the hard way.


The Empire Strikes Back: Middletown�South�Footbal lB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

Senior RB Andrew Suarez

Senior WR Taylor Rogers

V ideo � by :

Sco t t � S tump

Photos � by :


www.hawksportsperformance.com

Not many teams have just one player who can keepSouthern sophomore forward Ethan Decker at bay foran entire game, but in two meetings with the Rams thisseason, Jackson Memorial has shown that it has atleast two.

With two defensivestarters out due to injury,senior defender Jason Smithshadowed Decker for theentire game on Sept. 30 andhelped the rest of the Jaguarsdefense keep Southern downuntil Kevin Ugarte's goal inthe 59th minute liftedJackson Memorial to a 1-0win over the Rams. TheJaguars battled Southern to ascoreless tie on Sept. 13.

Both sweeper TomDeNoville and stopperBrandon Russo were outwith ankle injuries, andRusso in particular was a keymissing piece in the game. Itwas Russo who markedDecker in the first meeting,and although Jackson hadthree players near Decker atall times in both meetings,choosing the right player asthe primary marking back tofollow Decker was the first order of business for Jacksoncoach Steve Bado.

"I looked at the tape from the first game, and I thoughtJason Smith was the best guy for the job," Bado said. "He'sgot the size and the speed to do it, but I also liked him

because he's a senior and he has the mental toughness andawareness to not make that mistake. Decker's the bestplayer we play, and one wrong move and he can beat you."

"We have a deep team and we have a lot of guys whocan play in the back," Smith said. "It was my turn, and I

just tried to go out there anddo the job."

Southern created limitedopportunities for itself overthe course of the game anddid not take a shot frominside the 18-yard boxagainst the Jackson defense.The two teams played twohours, 38 minutes and 39seconds of scoreless soccerover two games this seasonbefore Ugarte's first goal ofthe season broke the scoringdrought. Freshman forwardGarrett Muzikowski crossedthe ball from right to leftand Ugarte beat a defenderand Southern goalkeeper

Damien Ironsto the ball andchipped it tothe far cornerof the net to

record the winning goal.

Southern appeared to gain confidence in its attack whileDecker was on the bench following a yellow card late inthe second half, and once he re-entered the game, the Ramsstarted to create some opportunities with the ball atDecker's feet. Decker had a chance at a direct kick from 30yards out and shot it high, while he later got just enough

daylight to get a shot off, but the ball was deflected andcleared on its way toward the net.

Jackson Memorial had a number of chances to scorebefore Ugarte broke through, several of which were stonedby Irons. He saved a header by Matt Fryc and made aleaping save on a rip by Connor Saker from 12 yards awayon the right side. Saker also missed an uncontested headerin the first half, while Connor Brown chipped a cross fromSaker just over the crossbar in the 54th minute.

Southern was without sophomore defender ErikKretschmer but still managed to weather the storm untilUgarte finally broke through.

"Injuries were part of it, but they're not an excusebecause it's something everyone has to deal with,"Southern coach Evan Brosniak said. "They did a good jobmarking Ethan. I thought we did some good things when hewas out. I have confidence in our team with Ethan, and Ihave confidence in our team without Ethan."

The Jaguars were looking to get back on track aftergoing 1-2 with two one-goal losses a week earlier. Despitethe slip-up, Jackson appears headed back to the ShoreConference Tournament after a two-year absence with aroster full of players who have been logging varsityminutes since their freshman year.

"It's been a three-year process for a lot of these guys,"Bado said. "They took their lumps a little bit in the last twoyears, but they've developed that toughness it takes to wingames, and it's starting to show."

STAR STOPPERS:Jackson�Memorial�Boys�SoccerB y M a t t M a n l e y – S t a f f W r i t e r


Photos �& � V i deo � by :

Mat t �Man l ey

Jackson Memorial defender Jason

Smith (left) locked down Southern

scoring machine Ethan Decker (right)

Photos � by :


www.professionalortho.com


Championship Inspiration:Shore Regional FootballB y B o b B a d d e r s – S e n i o r S t a f f W r i t e r

DCH Auto Group’s dedication to

driving safety among teens was

recently recognized by the

Governors Highway Safety

Association in the form of a Peter

K. O’Rourke Special Achievement

Award for notable

achievements in

highway safety.

DCH’s “Mindless

Driving, Keep It Out of

Cars’’ initiative aims to

prevent mindless

driving by educating

teens on avoiding

driving distracted,

recklessly or under the

influence. DCH has

made it an important

focus to raise awareness of

the issue throughout local

communities by working with teens

in various capacities, including an

exclusive affiliation with Students

Against Destructive Decisions

(SADD) in New Jersey and parts of

New York, Connecticut and

California. DCH also has focused on

illustrating the dangers of texting while driving.

"DCH is very honored to receive The Peter K.

O'Rourke Special Achievement Award," said Shau-

wai Lam, Chairman of DCH Auto Group, in an

official statement. "This recognition of our efforts

by the GHSA reaffirms our commitment to teen

safe driving and our goal of reducing the number of

car crashes involving teens."

Twenty-seven SADD chapters in the

aforementioned areas are sponsored by DCH that

reach more than 50,000 students in addition to the

larger community.

"We are also grateful to our non-profit partner in

this effort, SADD," Lam said in a statement. "They

recognized early on how dynamic and effective a

partnership with us around this issue could be, and

have been a source for enthusiasm and inspiration

as we've worked together to educated teens about

safe driving."

The most recent focus for DCH has been its

“InTEXTicated’’ program, which highlights the

dangers of text-messaging while driving for teens.

The SADD chapters that work with DCH came up

with the designs for the ad campaign, which are

featured in brochures at various DCH dealerships

and in local advertisements.

DCH Honda Awarded for

Promoting Highway Safety

Mark Costantino had the perfect prop to drive home thepoint of how important a Shore Conference Class B Centralshowdown against Asbury Park on Oct.2 was for his Shore Regional footballteam.

"I brought this out during pregameand at halftime and they went crazy -they loved it," Costantino said whilepulling from his pocket the statechampionship ring the Blue Devilsearned by winning the 1997 NJSIAACentral Jersey Group I title. "This iswhat we're playing for. They have three,and we want one, and to win a divisiontitle and a state title, we have to gothrough them."

The gravity of the game was not loston the Blue Devils' players. Shoreturned in an inspired effort on defenseagainst the Blue Bishops' high-poweredoffense, and when senior Evan Ruanepicked off Asbury Park quarterback Jayvon Britt with under aminute left in the game it sealed a critical 14-7 victory for theBlue Devils at Asbury Park Stadium. It is Shore's first winover Asbury Park, the three-time defending Central JerseyGroup I champions, since a 14-8 win in 2006. It's also thefirst loss for Asbury Park against a Group I team since its 1-9season in 2006.

"We had been waiting for this game all season," Ruanesaid. "We haven't won a division title in 12 years and thispretty much sealed it for us."

Ruane came through with his clutch interception to goalong with three tackles that went for a loss or no gain. Thesenior quarterback also threw a 17-yard touchdown to Pat

Maggio in the second quarter that gave undefeated Shore a 7-0 lead. Mark Coleman led the way on the ground with 87 of

the Blue Devils' 178 rushing yards, andit was his three-yard touchdown runwith 4:22 to go in the game thatextended the lead to 14-0 and allowedShore to absorb a late touchdown bypreviously unbeaten Asbury Park thatmade it a one-score game.

Britt accounted for nearly all of theBishops' offense with 205 passingyards and 32 rushing yards. He broughtAsbury Park down the field quicklylate in the fourth quarter and fired a19-yard touchdown pass to TajHammary that made it 14-7.

Asbury Park's running gamewas held in check all afternoonby Shore as Marquise Johnson,

Simon Press and Britt combined forjust 75 yards on 21 carries. Aside from

the final two drives of the game for Asbury Park, Shorecontrolled the line of scrimmage and also did great work inthe secondary to keep Hammary, Press and Isaiah Crudupfrom running wild downfield.

"We've been really working on our defense getting readyfor this game, especially on third-and-long pass defense,because that's been our Achilles heel, but not in this game,''Ruane said. "We really stepped up big, and it was somethingwe needed to do."

Another play that will got down as a momentum-changercame from junior safety Nick Mahoney in the closingseconds of the first half. With eight seconds left, Brittdropped back from his own 34-yard line and fired a deep pass

down the rightsideline toHammary (sixcatches, 104yards). Hammaryjumped overCarroll to snare thepass and then spunout of a tackle tobreak free downthe right sideline.It appearedHammary wasgoing to make itinto the end zoneand get AsburyPark on the board, but Mahoney, who is wearing a giant club-like cast on his left arm after breaking his hand in thepreseason, was able to dive and sweep out the legs ofHammary at the eight-yard line as time expired.

“The guy jumped over Shane and then stiff-armed me, andI just threw my arm out and hoped for the best,’’ Mahoneysaid. “When I got up, the first thing I looked at was thescoreboard and to see 0:00 on the clock, I just screamed outloud."

Shore has division games against Mater Dei Prep and PointBeach left, and if it can win those games it will capture its firstdivision title since 1998 and its first outright title since 1996.

Senior QB Evan Ruane

Senior RB Mark Coleman

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Sco t t � S tump

Photos � by :

Doug �Bostw i ckwww.sportshotswlb.smugmug.com


www.edgesahc.com

he reason preseason prognostications are

an inexact science is because of teams like

Holmdel, Red Bank, Barnegat, Jackson

Liberty and Monmouth Regional.

Whether i t was their s t ruggles of past seasons,

their inabi l i ty to get over the hump against

qual i ty opponents or the his tory of their

respect ive programs, they were not considered

teams that were going to be r ight in the thick of

ei ther a shot a t a divis ion t i t le or a s ta te playoff

ber th this season. However, af ter four weeks of

the 2010 season, a l l of them are in posi t ion for

one or both of those accomplishments af ter some

eye-opening performances.

Two of those teams, Holmdel and Red Bank,

played a thr i l ler in a Class A Central game in

Week Four, with the vis i t ing Bucs pul l ing out a

24-21 win at Bob Roggy Memorial Field on a 26-

yard f ie ld goal by senior Casey Calmon as t ime

expired. The victory pushed Red Bank to 2-2 on

the season, matching i ts ent i re win total f rom

last year, and marking i ts f i rs t win over a

divis ional opponent s ince 2006. I t came

one week af ter the Bucs bat t led a

sol id Rumson-Fair Haven team in a 9-

3 loss in the f i rs t meet ing between the

teams in 15 years .

“This is a great

group of kids that

has put in a ton of

hard work,’’ said

second-year Red Bank

head coach Nick

Gigl io . “A year ago, a

game l ike ( the Rumson

game) is maybe 20-3 or

something l ike that , but

we are closing the gap.

We’ve just got to keep

improving.’’

In addi t ion to a loaded

sophomore class and some

talented ski l l p layers l ike

junior wideout Thyeem

Crawford and senior Jahmer

Bunch, i t has been the

tangible change in a t t i tude that

has helped spur Red Bank’s

improvement .

“When Holmdel came back to t ie i t

(at 21) late in the game, I thought

kids would s tart put t ing their heads

down, and we would lose l ike we

have in the past , but that didn’t

happen,’’ Calmon said. “We stuck

together and pul led out the win.’’

The victory came at the expense of another

upstar t program, Holmdel , which was off to a 3-0

star t before the hear t -breaker against Red Bank.

The Hornets had only won three games

combined in the las t two seasons before

their impressive s tar t , which included a

31-21 win over a wel l - regarded Point

Boro program in a nondivis ional

game.

A big reason has been senior

quarterback Mike Cantel l i , who has

accounted for near ly al l of Holmdel’s

offense and points between rushing and

passing. Holmdel

changed to a spread

offense and zone read at tack from

a more run-based offense during

the offseason in order to take

advantage of Cantel l i ’s

athlet ic ism.

I t paid immediate

dividends, as Holmdel did

not score more than 14

points in any game las t

season, but has

averaged 27 points

per game through

the f i rs t four

weeks this

season. In

the win over

Point Boro,

Cantel l i threw for 239 yards , ran for 90,

threw two touchdown passes , and ran for

another.

"He and I have spent so much

t ime together watching f i lm that he

sees what I want to do before I do i t , ' ' Holmdel

head coach Frank Papal ia said about Cantel l i .

"I t ' s kind of l ike ( former quarterback Glenn)

Grainger was. With the veer and the zone read,

he can run i t , but he can cer ta inly throw. When

he spr ints out , you can ' t jus t bai l on the

coverage, and you have to respect the run. ' '

This year 's team is s imilar to the 2007

Holmdel team that won a school-record 10 games

in that i t has a large group of seniors (17) , many

of whom have been playing on vars i ty s ince their

sophomore years . The other good

sign is that 2007 also marked

the las t t ime Holmdel beat

Point Boro, and the win

gave the Hornets the

divis ion t i t le that year.

"One of the things I

said to them before

opening

night

was, 'For

most of guys

in here , this your 21st s tar t , ' ' '

Papal ia said. "You've seen

everything, f rom the highest of

highs to the lowest of

lows. We fel t maybe the

game could s low down

for them a l i t t le bi t

this year, and they 've

looked more comfortable . ' '

Senior Adam Covino

has also s tepped in as an effect ive weapon at

wideout in the new spread offense, averaging

nearly 30 yards per catch, while sophomore Bret t

Lambert , the younger brother of former s tandout

l inebacker Mike Lambert , has done a nice job at

l inebacker in place of banged-up s tar ter Matt

Fasciano.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the win

over Point Boro was psychological , g iving the

Hornets the confidence that they can take out a

good team af ter going 3-17 the las t two years .

"I think when the kids looked at the schedule

for the f i rs t t ime, I think they might have looked

at Point Boro as a game they ' re not going to

win, ' ' Papal ia said. "Picking up a win there , they

think, 'We can compete now, ' and games that

maybe they didn ' t th ink they could win, they

think they can be competi t ive in . ' '

Competi t iveness hasn’t been a quest ion for

Barnegat , which had bat t led some good teams in

B y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r


exceeding expecTaTionSexceeding expecTaTionSexceeding expecTaTionST h e S u r p r i S e T e a m S o f 2 0 1 0T h e S u r p r i S e T e a m S o f 2 0 1 0

TT

Senior QB Mike Cantelli

Senior Jahmer Bunch

the four-year his tory of i ts program but was s t i l l

more known for producing great individual

ta lent , l ike current Boston College freshman

tight end Jarret t Darmstat ter, ra ther than as a

formidable team. The Bengals s t i l l

have plenty of great individual

ta lent , including Tulane-

bound senior quarterback

Nick SanGiacomo , s tar wide

receiver Mike DeTroia , and

junior Divis ion I-A prospect Ryan

Morris a t t ight end, but they are

out to change the percept ion of

their program.

Barnegat has never had a

winning season in i ts young

his tory, but is off to i ts

f i rs t 3-0 s tar t ever. That

run includes a 34-27

victory over Rumson-

Fair Haven, which

was a Central

Jersey Group II

semif inal is t las t

season, in the

opener. I t was a

win that head

coach

Rob Davis cal led the biggest

in program his tory to date , and

SanGiacomo threw four

touchdowns, while DeTroia had

three touchdowns and 230 yards

receiving.

The Bengals’ biggest test by far is coming up in

Week Five against undefeated Lacey, the heavy

favorite to win Class B South. Win or lose, Barnegat

is still in position to make its first state playoff

appearance since its inaugural season in 2006.

“Stats real ly aren ' t a big thing, ' ' SanGiacomo

said. "We've got to win games. We can ' t have any

more 4-6 seasons and 5-5 seasons. We know

we're going to get s ta ts in our offense, so that ' s

not what we ' re worr ied about .

"We've been one win or one first

down or a couple inches away from the

playoffs the last few years. A touchdown

here or there, a missed extra point, an

overtime loss - we've been there. We've

lost heartbreakers, and this is the year

for us to get that extra inch to make it

to the playoffs.''

Jackson Liber ty is in a s imilar s i tuat ion and

on the same mission, as the Lions are in their

fourth year as a vars i ty program and have never

had a winning season or made a s ta te playoff

appearance. After f inishing with a school-

record f ive wins las t season, Jackson Liber ty

is off to a 2-2 s tar t that includes the

biggest win in program his tory to

date , a 27-21 win over perennial

contender Wall in Week Two in

a Class C Central game.

That win put Jackson

Liberty in the

conversat ion of

divis ion t i t le contenders with

establ ished programs l ike Wall ,

Point Boro and

Manasquan. Tai lback

Kris t ian Ruiz led the way

with 179 yards rushing and two

touchdowns in the win over Wall , which

was fol lowed by a 21-8 setback against Point

Boro and then a 13-7 win over Monsignor

Donovan.

"We wanted to prove that we're going

to win this division, and we're going to have to take

on the best to do it,’’ Ruiz said. “We were hearing

Wall was the favorite, and we took that to heart. We

were thinking that they are not coming out of this

game with a win.

"I feel l ike the team real ly came together.

Even when things didn ' t go our way, we

stood together. Last year when things

got rough, we would f ight a l i t t le bi t ,

and get more and more down on

each other, but that didn ' t

happen at a l l against

Wall . ' '

That sounds a whole

lot l ike the quotes

coming from Holmdel

and Red Bank, and i t

shows that a big

component of

improvement is bel ief . At

young programs that are s t i l l

t rying to es tabl ish t radi t ion l ike

Jackson Liber ty or Barnegat , or

at places l ike Holmdel and Red

Bank that have endured

plenty of losses in the

past two seasons,

ta lent is not

the only

thing.

Perhaps no team has

more bel ief in i tself than

Monmouth Regional ,

which is f ight ing i ts

his tory as wel l . The

Falcons have only

made one s ta te

playoff appearance

and won one s ta te

playoff game in their

his tory s ince the

creat ion of the

playoff system in

1974, and both came in

2006. This year the Falcons are

off to a 3-0 s tar t and

surpris ingly t ied with Red

Bank Cathol ic a top the

standings in the formidable

Class B North.

In a l l three of their

victor ies , the Falcons have come

back to win, including scoring 17

unanswered points in the fourth

quarter to beat Col ts Neck 17-14 in Week

Three.

That f i rmly added the Falcons’ name to the

l is t of surpr ise teams in the ear ly going of this

season, and so now the big quest ion looms. Can

they keep i t up and grab their l i t t le piece of

school his tory?

Perhaps Red Bank’s Jahmer Bunch sums up

the at t i tude of a l l the teams best .

“We’ve seenthe best andplayed them

tough, sothere’s noone we

can’t hangwith.’’

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All �Shore�Media�Sports�review�� www.allshoremedia.com Volume-2 Issue-18��10/4/10 Page�9

Photos � by :


B i l l � No rm i l ew w w . b i l l n o r m i l e . z e n f o l i o . c o m

Senior QB Nick SanGiacomo

Senior Tailback Kristian Ruiz

Senior WR/TE Scott Satcher


www.theatlanticclub.com


Senior quarterback Mike Reardon may have been theone celebrating a birthday on the day of Red Bank’sthrilling, 24-21 win over previously unbeaten Holmdel inWeek Four, but the Bucs showed that they have grown upas a whole with that victory.

It brought them to 2-2 on the season, tying their wintotal from all of last season. It also marked their firstShore Conference divisional victory since 2006, whenthey stunned Matawan for their only win of that season.They started off this season on a high note, upendingCentral, 26-14, for their first win over a Shore Conferenceopponent since 2007, and continued with that momentum.

The Bucs battled the Shore Conference’s No. 1 team,Matawan, in a 28-7 loss, scoring the only touchdown theHuskies’ defense allowed in Matawan’s first three games.Then they went toe-to-toe with Rumson-Fair Haven,losing 9-3 in the first edition of “The Battle of RidgeRoad’’ between the nearby schools in 15 years.

"'The Battle of Ridge Road,' we would like to say it'sback, and we did our part in making it come back,'' saidRed Bank coach Nick Giglio.

"The game was exactly what we thought it would bebecause Red Bank is a much-improved ballclub,'' Rumsoncoach Shane Fallon said. "It was a hard-fought game. I'msure Red Bank's walking out of here crushed, but theyshould keep their head up becausethat program is headed in the rightdirection, and they're going to winsome ballgames this year.''

Fallon’s comments provedprescient as a week later, the Bucsrallied to beat Holmdel, which wasoff to a 3-0 start, on a 26-yard fieldgoal by senior Casey Calmon astime expired. Calmon figured sinceReardon had done most of theheavy lifting with two huge passeson the Bucs' final drive, Calmonmight as well give his good friendthe best 18th birthday presentReardon could ask for.

With Reardon serving as hisholder, Calmon nailed a field goalinto the wind with no timeremaining to help the Bucscomplete a stirring final drivewith the first game-winningfield goal of his three-year varsitycareer.

"It felt amazing,'' Calmon said. "I was in shockafterward.''

Holmdel senior quarterback Mike Cantelli had helpedtie the game at 21 with a 2-yard touchdown run with justover two minutes remaining, but Reardon went 6-for-6 for

75 yards on the final drive to set upCalmon's game-winning heroics.Reardon found junior ThyeemCrawford for a 30-yard gain onthird down to get to midfield, andthen lofted another fade ball downthe sideline to senior Jahmer Bunch,who leaped over two defenders for a30-yard catch at Holmdel's 9-yardline with just six seconds remainingto set up Calmon’s big finish.

It was the latest sign ofimprovement for a team with aloaded sophomore class that isalready contributing, includingdefensive end Garrett Sickles,as well as playmakers like Crawfordand Bunch along with bruisingfullback Pat Quinn. The most confidence they gained mayhave been in the loss to a loaded Matawan team.

"We've seen the best (Matawan), so after playingthem that tough, there's no one else we can't hangwith,’’ Bunch said.

With seemingly every other team in the ShoreConference having a standout kicker this season, CaseyCalmon has thrown his name right in that group with his

game-winning field goal and a career-long, 49-yard field goal in the fourthquarter of the loss to Rumson.

Calmon also attempted a 50-yarder inthe first half of that game, missing wideleft with a boot that would've been goodfrom 60 yards had it been on target. Thisis his third season kicking for theimproved Bucs, although itnearly didn't come to fruition.Calmon, lives in Union Beach,whose residents have the optionof attending Red Bank orKeyport, and initially hadtransferred to Keyport afterthree years at Red Bank. He wasworking out with the RedRaiders all summer and wasgoing to have to sit out untilOct. 12 under NJSIAA transferrules before becoming eligible.

"I woke up one morning, sawpictures of my brother fromSenior Day (at Red Bank), and

thought, 'I can't graduate from Keyport because Ineed to be playing football at Red Bank,'''Calmon said.

Calmon's older brother, Ryan, is a former kicker for theBucs who inspired Casey to play football after he had

played soccer up until high school. Afterplaying in the preseason with Keyport, Calmoncame back to Red Bank, where he became aninstant weapon for the Bucs, who are off to a1-2 start.

He not only keeps tabs on other top kickersin the Shore Conference, he probably has theirnumbers programmed into his cell phone. Thispast December he attended a kicking combineat Rutgers with Howell's Ryan Handy, now-graduated Rumson standout Tucker Smith, St.John Vianney's Anthony DiPaula and ShoreRegional's Shane Carroll. Calmon alsopreviously worked with kicking coach GeorgeBarnett, who now coaches Middletown South'stalented sophomore kicker, Connor Ryan.

His 49-yard field goal tied Lacey seniorJarrod Molzon for the longest field goal in the

Shore Conference this season. Calmon also showed on thekick that he missed that he has the range to beat RedBank's school record, which is believed to be 53 yards byformer star Greg Montgomery in the 1980s. Montgomerywent on to become an All-Pro punter with the HoustonOilers (now Tennessee Titans).

"When we were doing pregame, I hit one from 52(yards), so I said to coach (Nick Giglio) that I was feelinggood,'' Calmon said. "When he gave me the chance at the50-yarder, I was just pumped. Even though I missed it, Icleared it by 10-15 yards, so that's a greataccomplishment, especially against a hard team likeRumson. Hopefully I can beat that (record byMontgomery) by the end of the year.''

Calmon is also hoping his game-winning boot againstHolmdel can help the Bucs on their way to their first state

playoff appearance since thedays of Kade Weston in 2004and their first winning seasonsince going 10-2 in 2003 andreaching the NJSIAA CentralJersey Group I final.

"Everybody was going crazy,''Calmon said about his winningkick. "Right after I took the laststep after the field goal, I don'teven remember what happeneduntil I got a random cut on myhand and wondered why I wasbleeding. This got us to .500 andgave us a big boost. The power

points, the division race -it's crazy.''


Senior RB Jahmer Bunch

Head coach Nick Giglio

Photos � by :


Senior QB Mike Reardon

Making Strides – Red Bank FootballB y S c o t t S t u m p – M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

www.getrecruitedfilms.com


Class of 2011 All Shore Top College RecruitsC h r i s t o p h e r M e l v i n – H S F o o t b a l l R e c r u i t i n g A n a l y s t – E L I T E R E C R U I T S . C O M

1. Jack�Tabb�–�red�Bank�Catholic – 6-3.5/245

LB/TE – Against Neptunein Week Two, when hetook a pass and outran theFliers secondary for thegame-winning touchdownin the final seconds, Tabbdisplayed the speed andathleticism that has lured inscholarship offers from allover the country. He hascontinued to impress moreand more every time hetakes the field. He hasdominated on both sides ofthe ball for the Caseys.Last year, Tabb was a verygood player. This year he isa great one.

2.Miles�Shuler�–�Long�Branch - 5-10/180

(DB/WR) Athlete – Shuler has continued to be a leader for

Long Branch but has seen his team stumble recently, which

has decreased his productivity as an offensive player. As a

defensive back, he is outstanding. He flies up to the ball and

it’s impossible to get behind the fastest player in the state, if

not the East region (4.3 40 and a 10.3 100 meters).

3. ryan�Malleck�–�Point�Boro – 6-5/235 TE

(Maryland) – Just because he has made a commitment to

college doesn’t mean that this Panther is going to rest. Not a

chance. He is the second leading receiver in the Shore

through three weeks and has continued to shine on defense as

a defensive back. He has has raised the bar even higher in

2010.

4. DaQuan�Kenney�–�Lakewood – 6-3/235

LB/DE/TE – Kenney continues to be one of the top

SLEEPER recruits in the state. Despite the struggles of the

Piners’ program, he has continued to be a leader for his team

and is averaging 10 tackles and a sack per game. Pittsburgh,

Central Florida, and UConn are all quite aware of what his

has to offer. He has shined on both sides of the ball.

5. Mike�Bimonte�–�Manalapan – 6-4/225 QB

(Rutgers) – Bimonte has continued to impress as a leader of

the well-balanced Braves’ offense that has the Shore’s second

leading rusher in senior Josh Firkser through three weeks.

6) Charles Davis – Neptune 5-11/190 Athlete (Rutgers):

7) Shane Mertz – Raritan 6-7.5/280 OT (Northwestern):

8) Anthony Carrington – Toms River North 6-2/180 WR:

9) Dimitrius Smith – Jackson Memorial 6-2.5/280 DT:

10) Michael DeTroia – Barnegat 6-4.5/195 WR:

11) Nate Nickens – Manchester 6-5/215 WR/QB/DE

(Athlete)

12) Shilique Calhoun – Middletown North 6-6/230 DE/TE.

13) Nick SanGiacomo – Barnegat 6-4/200 QB (Tulane)

14) Steve Franco – Toms River North 6-4/300 OL

15) Bobby Schwarzenberger – Pinelands 6-2.5/225 LB

16) Arinze Nwobi – Jackson Liberty 6-5/250 DL.

17) Joe Nolan – Jackson Memorial 6-4/305 OL

18) Jared Allison – Matawan 5-8/180 (WR/RB/DB) Athlete

19) Monwell Brown – Manchester Twp. 6-2/185 WR

20) McArthur Underwood – Matawan 5-7/160 RB/CB

(Athlete)

21) Bill Hill Jr. – Toms River South 6-2/195 SS/WR.

22) Connor Caponegro – Wall Twp. 6-2/215 LB

23) Demetri Davis – Toms River North 5-9/192 RB

(Athlete)

24) Cody Groves – Toms River North 6-0/210 LB/FB

25) Andrew Casten – Red Bank Catholic 6-0/190 RB

26) Jordan Edmonds – Keyport 6-1.5/180 RB/DB/WR

27) Austin Davis – Matawan 5-9.5/170 DB/WR

28) Jack Wise – Rumson – 6-3/185 WR.

29) Brandon Dinkin – Long Branch – 5-11/170 DB/WR

30) Mike Kasten – Freehold Boro – 6-3/270 OG

31) Ryan Handy – Howell 6-1/190 PK (WR)

32) Andre Hodge – Matawan – 6-1/235 MLB

33) Dylan McDonnell – Brick Township 6-2/220 LB/FB

34) Deon Smith – Lacey 6-3/210 DB/WR

35) Andrew Suarez – Middletown South 5-9/195

DB/RB/WR (Athlete).

36) Ahmier Dupree - Lakewood 5-10/185 CB/RB

37) Christian Marchena – Raritan 6-3/290 OG (Delaware)

38) Bryan Sherlotti – Howell 6-5/315

39) Keath Beaty – Matawan 5-10/190 RB/DB

40) Jihaad Howard – Brick Memorial 5-9/180 Athlete

41) Matt McLain – Pinelands – RB

42) Tyler Murphy – Raritan 6-0.5/215 LB

43) Jarrod Molzon – Lacey – 5-8.5/195 RB

44) Jahmer Bunch – RBR 6-0/175 DB/WR (Athlete)

45) Dylan Joslin – Lacey 6-3/260 DL

46) Karon Hair – Long Branch 5-9/165 CB

47) Jordan Loiodice – Brick Memorial K

48) Craig Cicardo – Lacey – QB

49) Josh Firkser – Manalapan – 6-0/210 RB

50) Kevin Furlong – Raritan 6-1/180 DB

Photo � by :

C l i f f � Lave l l ewww .c lea red ge .zen fo l i o . com

www.openmriofwall.com

The game of soccer has taken Southernsophomore Ethan Decker far in his young life,and his skill is sure to take him farther in thefuture, but this past August, there was only oneplace Decker wanted to take his talents: home.

Decker began a stint in the U.S. NationalYouth Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla.,this past February – a commitment that initiallywas to keep him off of the high school pitch forthe next two years at least. When August camearound, however, Decker and his family decidedas high school practices started that he wouldstay up north and play for Rams during hissophomore season.

“I missed my family and my friends,” Deckersaid of his time in Florida. “It was a greatexperience, and I learned a lot while I wasdown there, but I wanted to come back and justlive a normal life.”

So far, the decision has paid off for bothDecker and his hometown team. Through Oct.2, Southern is 4-4-1 while playing in a verydeep Shore Conference Class A South division,and Decker has placed himself among the ShoreConference’s top scorers. He has scored eightgoals in the Rams’ first nine games, accountingfor more than half of Southern’s 14 goals as ateam. The eight goals is tied with Lacey’s DanRatyniak for second in the Shore Conferencebehind Red Bank Catholic’s Ryan King (nine),and his 19 total points are third in theconference behind Ratyniak (23) and ShoreRegional’s Connor McKenzie (20).

The Rams almost had to replace thatproduction this season, and head coach EvanBrosniak planned for life without Decker as theseason approached. Preseason practices beganwith Decker still on the fence, but by thesecond week of the preseason, Decker showedup to practice and began putting in his workbefore taking the field to open the season.

“It was very last-minute,” Decker said. “Itwas a hard decision, but I think it was the bestthing for me.”

Decker has done most of his goal-scoringoutside of Class A South, with five of his goalscoming against Class B South teamsManchester on Sept. 9 – an opening-day gamein which he scored a hat trick – and Pinelandson Sept. 20. He has, however, scored in each ofSouthern’s two divisional wins, the latest ofwhich was a 2-1 overtime win over BrickMemorial. Decker scored the first goal of thegame and assisted on teammate Bailey Young’sgame-winner in the 88th minute.

The most noteworthy goal of Decker’s seasonand one of the most noteworthy goals of theShore Conference soccer season thus far washis goal in the 79th minute to beat then-unbeaten Toms River East 1-0 on Sept. 22.

The Rams have a tough road to hoe throughClass A South before they qualify for theirsecond straight Shore Conference Tournament.As a freshman last season, Decker was a keypiece to a turnaround season at Southern,

scoring nine goalsto go with nineassists as theRams improvedfrom a 1-19 teamin 2008 to a 10-9mark in 2009.

Southern,however, lostleading goal-scorer RobSolorzano tograduation, andwith Deckercarrying thescoring load earlyin the season, hehas seen a steadydose of heavydefensiveattention that has featured triple teams. AsSouthern embarks on its second run through ASouth, Decker’s impact may have to be less in

the goal-scoring capacityand more as a distributor asteams continue to make itdifficult for him to attack.

“It took me like fivegames to get going last year,and I felt like after that, Istarted to get comfortable,”Decker said. “That’s whendefenses started playing mea lot tougher and it gave alot of other players scoringopportunities. It’s fun forme. I look at it as achallenge.”


Coming Back Home: Southe rn ’ sE than �Decke r � �B y M a t t M a n l e y – S t a f f W r i t e r

2010 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE(Games to be broadcast on 105.7FM and 1160/1310AM)

Fri 10/8 Ocean at Wall (7pm)

Fri 10/15 TR North at Southern (7pm)

Fri 10/22 Neptune at Ocean (7pm)

Fri 10/29 Raritan at Point Boro (7pm)

Fri 11/5 Brick Mem. at Howell (6pm)

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

Thr 11/25 Wall at Manasquan (11am)

NJSIAA Playoff Games = TBD

BROADCAST CREWMatt Harmon, Kevin Williams, Ed Sarluca

SIGn uP & BECOME A MEMBER TODAyV i e w � V i d e o � h i g h l i g h t s � & � M u c h � M o r e

Southern's Ethan Decker

Photos �& � V i deo � by :

Mat t �Man l ey

If you read the statistics following every game, you will noticethat there are many players with flamboyant numbers. If you attendgames week in and out, you may notice many players with imposingphysiques. But if you look around the state of New Jersey, it will behard to find many players that week in and out leave football fans ina frenzy and on the edge of their seats like Matawan senior runningback McArthur Underwood and Toms River North seniorquarterback Demetri Davis. Although they may be diminutive insize, these players pack a powerful punch, have big hearts and theypossess the ability to create a HIGHLIGHT FILM every time theytouch the ball.’’

McArthur underwood

Jersey number: 4

High School: Matawan Regional (Huskies)

Nickname: Mac

Reported height and weight: 5-foot-7/160 pds

Actual height and weight: 5-foot-7/155 pds

40-yard dash: “My best time is a 4.45.”

Other sports played: “I wrestle & run track.”

Favorite food: Spaghetti

Favorite TV show: George Lopez – “He’shilarious.”

Favorite class: “I like English.”

Favorite type of music: Hip Hop/R &B

Dream college: “Miami or Alabama – I likethe style of both programs.”

Positions played: Running back, cornerback,slot and returner.

Prefers playing this position in college: “Iprefer cornerback in college. I like defensebetter than offense.”

Biggest highlight thus far in his career:“Jumping over my offensive line against RedBank Regional and running for a score. I hadno idea I could do that.”

Biggest game to date: “My junior yearagainst Long Branch for the division title in2009. I had three touchdowns in the game,but one was called back. Also, winning thestate championship (over Manasquan in

2009) is the game that means to me so far.”

Melvin’s analysis on Underwood: “Don’t look for this guy to throw any passes,that’s the job of fellow teammate Jared Allison. But when it comes to delivering jaw-

dropping moves with the ball in his hands and making defenders miss, then look nofurther than Mac. Throughout his career, Mac has hurdled, stiff-armed, juked, run over,spun on and outrun defenders on his way to the end zone leaving onlookers inamazement and muttering the words “NO, HE DIDN’T!” Put him on defense as acornerback and look out. He has the ability to play either running back or corner at thenext level. He’s an IMPACT player for sure.”

Demetri Davis

Jersey number: 24

High School: Toms River North (Mariners)

Nickname: “People used to call me D-train inPop Warner. Now people just call me “D.”

Reported height and weight: 5-foot-9, 192pounds

Actual height and weight: That’s my actualheight and weight.

40-yard dash: “I’ve run a 4.45.”

Other sports played: “I also play basketballand run track.”

Favorite food: “Macaroni and cheese”

Favorite TV show: Everybody Hates Chris –“It’s just so funny.”

Favorite class: “English is my favoritesubject.”

Favorite type of music: Rap

Dream college: Georgia – “It’s a good schooland a good program.”

Positions played: Quarterback, wide receiver,running back, defensive back and returner.

Prefers playing this position in college:Running back – “I was born to play thatposition. I love running the ball.”

Biggest highlight thus far in his career: “WhenI did a front flip towards the end zone againstToms River East (in 2009) as a junior.”

Biggest game to date: “Last year’s game against Brick Memorial. I had 4 touchdowns, 134passing and 81 yards rushing.”

Melvin’s analysis on Davis: “There aren’t too many things that “D” can’t do. He has

taken coach Chip LaBarca Jr.’s Wildcat offense o a different level in 2010 with the return of

one of the state’s top receivers in Anthony Carrington. Davis has a nice touch on the ball as a

passer but it’s his elusiveness, change of direction, power and his “DID YOU SEE THAT?’’

moves that make him one of the most exciting players in the state.

GETTING TO KNOW THE SHORE CONFERENCE’S

HuMAn HIGHlIGHT FIlMSChristopher Melvin – HS Footbal l Recruit ing Analyst – ELITERECRUITS.COM

Chris Melvin is the recrui t ing analyst for El i teRecrui ts .com and now has joined

th e t eam a t A l l S h or e M ed ia . Ch r i s h as f o l l o wed th e S h or e Con f e r en ce foo tb a l l

s cen e f o r man y year s , an d th i s s eas on h e w i l l p r ov ide h i s in s igh t in to s o me o f

th e p laye r s yo u kn ow an d o th er s you don ' t f r om th e r ec r u i t in g s cen e in o r der t o b r in g you

th e be s t in S h or e Con f e r en ce f oo tba l l cove r age .

Photos � by :

B i l l � No rm i l ewww.billnormile.zenfolio.com


www.eliterecruits.com

In football, the word “family’’ is

inevitably tossed around as a cliché,

often overused and untrue, but the term

has taken on its intended meaning at

Howell this season.

No program in recent memory

has endured the heartbreak that has

washed over the Rebels in the last

three months with seemingly no end

in sight. Every time they tearfully

bury another member of their family

who was lost at a young age, they are

making plans for the next one. It’s sad to

say, but there almost isn’t enough room left

on their helmets for stickers honoring the

members of their football family who have been lost.

In early July, former starting quarterback and team captain

Bobby Dierolf died of a heart attack at 27 years old. Two

weeks later, John Bukowiec, a 2010 Howell graduate who

was a defensive back/wide receiver for the

Rebels, died in a car crash. To compound

the heartbreak, the driver of the car was

another 2010 graduate, star wide receiver

Phil Adamo, a Monmouth University

freshman who was charged by authorities

with driving while intoxicated, underage

driving while intoxicated, reckless driving,

failure to stop for a stop sign and failure to

wear a seat belt.

Before Howell’s 38-14 loss to

Middletown South on Oct. 2, the Rebels

honored their fallen teammate and friend

with an eloquent pregame speech by head

coach Cory Davies amidst a large crowd

that was wearing T-shirts with Bukowiec’s

jersey number, 11, and “Johnny Buk’’

across the back. The team presented a special football,

flowers and a No. 11 jersey to Bukowiec’s family, and

Davies publicly eulogized his former player as tears

streamed down the faces of his players and

the large home crowd. Davies

choked up a few times throughout

the speech, but made it through the

hardest thing he has ever had to do in his

20 seasons as head coach.

“When they told me I needed

to make a speech, I was thinking

about what I wanted to say for a

week,’’ Davies said. “How am I

going to present this? It was very

difficult for me. I kind of looked and saw

some of our players with tears in

their eyes, and I had to take

a deep breath.’’

The football said

“Be An 11,’’ in honor of Bukowiec,

and it mirrored the stickers that are

worn across the back of Howell’s

helmets. No one will wear No. 11

at Howell until Bukowiec’s

youngest brother, Drew, who is

still several years away from high

school, becomes a part of the high

school program. Bukowiec’s older

brother, Kyle, is a former star wide

receiver for Howell, so football is

ingrained in the Bukowiec family.

“Most people are judged from one to 10 -

Johnny Buk blasted through the 10 and was an 11,’’

Davies said in his speech. “We just wanted to

say ‘Thank you.’’’

Standing on the sideline

with his teammates during

the tribute was senior

linebacker Ryan Dambach,

engulfed in his own

personal hell. Earlier in the

week, his father, beloved

former Pop Warner coach

Mark Dambach, died at 47

years old from medical

complications.

Making it even more

difficult was that the game

was also Howell’s Senior

Night. Dambach walked out

in the pregame introduction of all the

seniors with his mother and siblings, a

palpable void present, to a loud and supportive ovation from

the Howell crowd. In times of tragedy, many players often

choose to continue to play because they know that’s what

their father would have

wanted and also know that

there is solace in being

around friends and playing

football for a few hours.

When the alternative is

sitting at home and staring

at the walls while trying to

deal with an unfathomable

pain, the football field is a

sanctuary.

“Ryan was here and he

wanted to play,’’ Davies

said. “He wanted to be here,

and he needed these hours to

help him get through that.’’

Even the visitors, Middletown South, couldn’t help but be

moved, including head coach Steve Antonucci.

“It was emotional for me as a father (of five), just to be

out here,'' Antonucci said. "That's a hard night for those

guys.’’

The Eagles went on to dominate the game, but the Rebels

still know they paid proper tribute to a player whose

infectious enthusiasm made him a memorable teammate.

“We wanted to honor (Bukowiec) and let everybody know

how we felt,’’ Davies said. “I don't know if he can hear you

when you talk to him, depending on what your beliefs are,

but we wanted to get that out there, and then the game was

second.’’

The Rebels hope this

is the end of the

relentless tragedy, a

chance to start mending

hearts that have been

battered with every gut-

wrenching phone call

as news spreads.

“"I don't know,’’ a

weary Davies said.

“You hope sooner or

later something good is

going to come out of all

this (tragedy).

Hopefully it will.”



Photos � by :


www.rkeathletic.com


www.dchkayhonda.com

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