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M a y 2 3 , 2 0 1 1Volume-I I I - Issue-10
www.allshoremedia.com
Gridiron Classic
Coming Up
Page�3
Wall's Janeczek
Joins Gridiron
Tradition
Page�4
Jackson Lax
Makes History
Page�6
Remembering
James Volpe
Page�8-9 &�12
RFH Lax Reaches
SCT Final
Page�1 1
Shore's Carroll
Follows in
Father's Footsteps
Page�13
Stumpy's Corner
Page�15
Gridiron Classic
Coming Up
Page�3
Wall's Janeczek
Joins Gridiron
Tradition
Page�4
Jackson Lax
Makes History
Page�6
Remembering
James Volpe
Page�8-9 &�12
RFH Lax Reaches
SCT Final
Page�1 1
Shore's Carroll
Follows in
Father's Footsteps
Page�13
Stumpy's Corner
Page�15
Gridiron Classic
Coming Up
Page�3
Wall's Janeczek
Joins Gridiron
Tradition
Page�4
Jackson Lax
Makes History
Page�6
Remembering
James Volpe
Page�8-9 &�12
RFH Lax Reaches
SCT Final
Page�1 1
Shore's Carroll
Follows in
Father's Footsteps
Page�13
Stumpy's Corner
Page�15
M a y 2 3 , 2 0 1 1Volume-I I I - Issue-10
A multimedia
company that provides exciting and
innovative coverage to high school athletics in
the Shore Conference in order to highlight the
achievements of local athletes in one of the premier conferences
in New Jersey. Whether it’s the star of the team or the last player off
the bench, everyone has a story and it is our mission to recognize as
many athletes as possible and add to the memories for all of the
families, coaches, friends and fans who support Shore Conference
sports. Whether in print or on the Web, All Shore Media is your
main source for all things exciting in the Shore Conference.
All Shore Media Web Site Features
Log on to www.allshoremedia.com regularly to get video
highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be
talking about. Catch up on the action you might have missed and watch
video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big
finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. If you
can’t make it to the game, we’ll bring the game to you, and if
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Two coaches who guidedtheir respective teams toNJSIAA sectional titles thispast fall will lead thesenior all-stars from theircounties when the 34thannual U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classickicks off at 7 p.m. on July14 at Toms River North.
Lacey's Lou Vircillo, who is also the game'sdirector for the Shore Football Coaches Foundation,will head up the Ocean County team on the heels of a 12-0season in which the Lions finished No. 1 in the ShoreConference and won the South Jersey Group IIItitle. Rumson-Fair Haven's Shane Fallon, thereigning All Shore Media Coach of the Year,will lead the Monmouth County all-stars inNew Jersey's oldest all-star high schoolfootball game. Monmouth County has won thelast two meetings and leads the all-time series 18-14-1 since its inception at Wall Stadium in 1978.
Vircillo has been the victorious coach in two previouseditions of the game in 2007 and 1989, and this is his fourthstint as Ocean County's head coach. A host of his players,including All Shore Media first-teamers Craig Cicardo,Jarrod Molzon, Matt Uveges and Jake Dabal, will be suitingup for Ocean County.
"It’s always great to get involved with all-star type kids,’’Vircillo said. “I look forward to having fun and giving mycoaches an opportunity to get involved in it. I'm wearing twohats, trying to run the event and do football, but with all thehelp I'm getting, it's fine.''
This is Fallon's first time serving as the Monmouth Countyhead coach after having previously been an assistant threetimes. It caps a year in which the Bulldogs stunned Matawanto win the Central Jersey Group II title, their first statesectional title in program history. Three of his players -defensive back Andrew Giannotto, quarterback MikeVillapiano and linebacker Mike Huttner -will be playing for Monmouth County.
"The All-Shore game has a lot ofspecial meaning to anyone who growsup in the Shore Conference,’’ saidFallon, who also playedquarterback at Rumson in the late1980s. “As a former player fromthe Shore and coaching at myalma mater, it’s special.’’
The U.S. Army has returned asthe title sponsor, and TheNational Guard has now joined asa sponsor of the 7-on-7tournament that is part of theweek's festivities. Using players who
will bereturning nextseason, teamsfrom eachcounty willplay to a
champion and thenthose winners willsquare off in a 7-on-7
game before the mainevent at Toms River North. Laceybeat Matawan last season in the
inaugural 7-on-7 tournament.
"The U.S. Army is a greatsponsor, they really need an avenueto get closer to the community, andthey love football,'' Vircillo said.
"This is a great opportunity to get neara community that is full of energy
during the course of that week andduring the game.
Now The National Guard hasjumped in to help. In a year when
all the budgets have been crushed,they were able to find money specific to this event. We aremore than happy to have them involved, and it's been a greatrelationship.''
As always, the game will feature some of the top seniortalent from the Shore Conference, including ASM OffensivePlayer of the Year Josh Firkser of Manalapan and DefensivePlayer of the Year Will Wowkanyn of Brick Memorial. Theygathered on Thursday at Wall High School along with a hostof other players participating in the game for an introductorymeeting to their coaches and teammates for a week.
"I've been playing against these guys all year, and now weall get to hang out together, so it should be fun,'' said Firkser,who is headed to Wagner. "We definitely want to win, too.''
The rosters are still being finalized by Monmouth Countygeneral
manager Dom Lepore and Ocean County general managerTim Osborn, but Cicardo, Molzon, Dabal, and Uveges wereall in attendance on Thursday along with a group of fellowASM first-team All-Shore Conference selections: Firkser,Pinelands running back Matt McLain, Howell wide receiverMichael Clark, Barnegat wide receiver Mike DeTroia,Manalapan offensive lineman Steven Carr, Freehold linemanMichael Kasten, Middletown South defensive lineman TomMasi, Freehold defensive back Derrick Bender, and Freeholdquarterback Sterry Codrington. Plenty of other ASM All-Shore picks were also in the house, including Matawanrunning back McArthur Underwood, Middletown South widereceiver Taylor Rogers, Brick Memorial linebacker MikeAcquaviva, Raritan safety Kevin Furlong, Shore Regionalquarterback Evan Ruane and more.
For Cicardo, this will be the last time he will be coachedby his father, Lacey assistant Craig Cicardo Sr., who was theLions' offensive coordinator during his son's career.
"It's definitely going to be a special moment,'' the youngerCicardo said. "We had an awesome year, and we both hadgood careers here as player and coach. This is definitelygoing to be the icing on the cake.''
As always, both teams will have the goal of becoming ateam in less than a week, as the game is now on a Thursdaynight to help fans avoid the summer traffic on Fridays.
"The biggest challenge with this is getting cohesiveness inless than a week and getting the kids to buy into the fact thatthe team is more important than the individual in an all-stargame,'' Fallon said. "Most of these guys are used to being thebest player on the field, the captain of their team and the kidwho never comes off the field, but in an all-star game, that’snot going to happen.''
For Fallon and his Rumson players, nothing would bebetter than ending a historic season with one more victory.
"Hopefully we can duplicate some of the success we had inour last game,'' Fallon said before smiling.
www.allshoremedia.com Volume- I I I Issue-10 5 /23 / 1 1 ASM /
34TH ANNUAL GRIDIRONCLASSIC COMING UPB 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
(from left to right): SFC Gatlcia-Vegga, SCT Naame National Guard,Lacey HC Lou Vircillo, Cpt Toben US Army, SSG Salas & ASM’s Steven Meyer
Lacey's Lou Vircillo, who will coach the OceanCounty squad and also serve as the game's director
for the Shore Football Coaches Foundation.
Photos�by
David�Thornewww.davethorne.smugmug.com
Many Shore Conference players dream of one day
playing in the U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic at
the conclusion of their senior years.
To Wall’s Kyle Janeczek, the game looked like
something fun – for football players. After all, as
early as this past July, Janeczek was a basketball
player who had never played a down of organized
football while in high school.
This July, he will be joining the Monmouth
County senior all-stars as they take on their
counterparts from Ocean County in the 34th
annual U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic at 7
p.m. on July 14 at Toms River North. Thanks to
an outstanding season as a wide receiver in his
one year of football as a senior, Janeczek will
join a long tradition that he never thought he
would be a part of when he was watching Wall’s
Matt Mancino play in last year’s game.
“I’m excited to play being that this was my
first year,’’ he said. “I remember just sitting at
that game watching it last year and thinking, ‘It
would be fun to play in this.’ I didn’t know until
August I was going to play football, so it’s pretty
cool, a year later, to get a chance to play in this
game.’’
“He’s just a great athlete who was such a big help to
our team,’’ said Wall head coach Chris Barnes. “He’s
only just gotten started on what he is capable of doing.’’
It’s not like Janeczek’s selection was any kind of
shock, either, as he stamped himself as one of the
Shore’s top deep threats in his lone season. He was
convinced to give football a try by good friend Steve
Cluley, Wall’s junior quarterback.
He finished with 32 catches for 898 yards, an average
of 28.1 yards per catch. He also had 11 touchdown
catches, and 34 percent of his catches went for scores,
earning him All-Shore Conference Class C Central
honors from the coaches. His All-Division selection
made him eligible to be selected for the Gridiron
Classic, New Jersey’s oldest all-star high school
football game, which started in 1978.
Janeczek, who was a four-year varsity
player and 1,000-point scorer in basketball,
will now play both sports at the next level.
He will continue his career at The College of
New Jersey and play football and basketball.
“I was thinking about that,’’ he said. “I
didn’t play football last year, and now I’m
playing in college. It’s nuts, but I’m really
excited.’’
Janeczek is one of two selections from the
Crimson Knights, who went 7-4 and reached
the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III
semifinals in the fall. Senior linebacker
Connor Caponegro also will be playing for
Monmouth County.
Those two become the latest in line in the
list of Crimson Knights who have
participated in the game, which started at
Wall Stadium in 1978.
“It’s definitely special being on the list of
all the great players who have played here,’’
Janeczek said. “I’m most excited to be able
to compete against the best players in the Shore.’’
4 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-10 5 /23 / 1 1
Wall's Kyle Janeczek
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Getting a win in the ShoreConference Tournamentsemifinals was the last thing onthe minds of Jackson Memorial'splayers during what was a tryingweek for the entire community.But history was on the line oncegame time arrived, and theJaguars honored a fallen friendthe best way they knew how.
James Volpe would be proud.
With the entire school still grieving over the
tragic May 13 car accident that claimed the life of
Volpe, a Jackson Memorial baseball player and
friend to many, the Jaguars lacrosse team delivered
a much-needed positive moment when it defeated
Christian Brothers Academy, 6-5, in the SCT
semifinals at Jackson Liberty High School. It was
the first win ever for Jackson over CBA, and more
significantly, made the Jaguars the first Ocean
County team to ever reach the SCT lacrosse final.
"I can't say I put (Volpe) out of my mind during
the game, but it was good to back get on the field
and great to get the win," said Jaguars senior goalie
Nick Adams. "James was one of my best friends,
and he was with us on that field today."
"I have 23 men who have been to hell and back
this week," said Jaguars head
coach Nick Caruso. "We didn't
practice until Thursday, and for
them to prepare on two days is a
testament to their character, how
hard they work and how much they
want it."
Junior attackman Nick Wolf
pumped in a pair of first-half goals
and the defensive efforts of long
poles Brad Maier, Ryan Totin and
Randy Royle kept CBA's offense at
bay for most of the game. Junior
attackman Donny Finn spearheaded
a fourth-quarter comeback attempt
that brought the Colts (11-3) from
down 6-2 to within a goal, but the
cushion built by the Jaguars (14-1)
over the first 36 minutes was
enough to prevail and send them to
the SCT final. Second-seeded
Jackson Memorial will square off
with top-seeded Rumson-Fair
Haven, a 14-7 winner over fourth-
seeded Holmdel, at 5 p.m. on June 1 at St. John
Vianney. Should a state tournament game conflict,
the final will be June 3.
"It 's a special feeling,"
Caruso said. "We felt
coming into the season
that we were a team to be
reckoned with. These kids
play together in the fall
and in summer, and it has
been our ultimate goal to
be in the Shore
Conference final and to
win it. I 'm really happy,
but I'm really not
surprised."
Even on a still-soggy
grass field at Jackson
Liberty, the Jaguars made
the Colts pay with their
swift transition game. It
all started in the back end,
particularly with Maier,
who was the best player
on the field front start to
finish. He was matched up
on Finn and did a great job against the
shifty playmaker, limiting him to just a goal and an
assist.
"He likes to feed more than he shoots so we
waited until late to slide to take away the pass,"
Maier said. "The whole defense just did a great
job."
What was amazing about Jackson Memorial's effort
was how crisp the whole team looked despite a
limited window of preparation. The transition game
was quick and the passing deft in the offensive
zone. The attack line of Connor Cunningham, Evan
Farrar and Wolf gave CBA's defense a workout
while senior middie Bryan Specht managed the pace
form the top of the box. The question heading into
the game was whether Jackson's offense would work
against the Colts' stingy defense. Did the Jaguars
need to be patient and slow things down, or could
they have success running-and-gunning as they had
all season? They didn't score in double digits like
they have in all but three games this season, but
they certainly made their touches count.
"I think we have three of the top poles in the
county and they're also up there in the Shore,"
Caruso said. "We feel we score a lot of goals
because of our defense. They put a lot of balls on
the ground and we do a great job in transition. It 's
what we practice and it 's what makes us who we
are. We love to run and we love to push it, and you
saw that today."
The Jaguars began the scoring just over three
minutes into the game when sophomore attackman
Corey Chadwick sped into the box, took a feed from
Cunningham and whistled a shot past Colts' senior
goalie Matt Deiner. The Colts answered shortly
after on the first of two goals by junior middie Alex
Roth, but Wolf hit for a pair of goals, including one
off a feed from Farrar, to give Jackson a 3-1 lead.
Jackson Mem. Lacrosse:A Day To RememberB 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
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia .com
Attackman Connor Cunningham
Defensive long pole Brad Maier
Cont i nued � on � nex t � page
Roth's second goal, an unassisted strike, made it 3-2
at halftime.
In the third quarter, Jackson Memorial started to
pull away with three unanswered goals.
Cunningham tallied at early in the third quarter to
make it 4-2 and two goals in the final two minutes
of the period extended the lead to four. First it was
Farrar scoring off an assist from Bryan Specht in
front with 1:33 left before the Nick Specht scored
off a great feed from Austin Letts with just 7.1
seconds left.
The way the game was going it looked like one
more goal for Jackson would do it, but
an experienced CBA squad refused to go
quietly. Finn scored off a faceoff win by
Gino Isola at 10:46 to make it 6-3 and
sophomore Lucas Babich hit at 9:17 to
pull the Colts to within 6-4. The Colts
hadn't looked themselves for the first
three quarters - and credit Jackson for
imposing its will - but key saves by
Deiner had kept the Colts in the game
long enough for their offense to finally
find its groove. CBA clawed to within
one on a goal by junior
attackman Stephen
Deiner after a great
individual effort
Habich, who battled
through several Jaguars
defenders before
dishing to a wide-open
Deiner on the left side
of the cage. The Colts were down
by one with 1:55 left and had
possession with under a minute
left. Adams wasn't called on for
many big saves in the game, but he
made a sliding stop on a shot by
Finn with 33 seconds left to seal
the win. Totin was able to scoop up
the ground ball and get the clear,
and Bryan Specht corralled an
overthrown pass in the waning seconds to allow
Jackson to run out the clock and secure its place in
history.
"I don't even know how I made that save but
when Totin got the ball and cleared it that was an
awesome moment," Adams said.
The pain of losing a dear friend isn't going to go
away anytime soon, but Saturday's game was a
small step in moving forward for the Jackson
community. What the Jaguars really accomplished
won't be recorded in any record books and won't
show up in the box score, but the pride and
toughness they displayed in the most difficult of
times is something they should never forget.
Jackson�Mem.�Photo�by
E l len�Cunningham
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 7
Attackman Evan Farrar
8 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-10 5 /23 / 1 1
f all the pitchers on the
Jackson Memorial baseball
team's roster, junior Alex Daniele
seemed the least likely to start the
Jaguars' first game since the death of
teammate James Volpe in a May 13th
automobile accident. In the end, there
was no more fitting choice.
Eight days prior to a Shore ConferenceTournament round-of-16 game against Manchester onMay 21st, Daniele drove one of the two cars in afatal crash in Lakehurst that took the life of Volpe,his teammate and friend, and left another man incritical condition. Daniele and Jackson senior ChrisRusso, the other member of the baseball team in thecar, were released from Ocean Medical Center thenight of the accident, according to reports, and thedays that followed could only be described byDaniele as "hard."
"Terrible," said Daniele, describing his past week."Nobody ought to know what me and Chris are goingthrough right now, and the whole team for thatmatter. But we're a family and we're going to getthrough it together."
Eight days after their world seemed to fall into astate of chaos in the wake of Volpe's tragic death,Daniele and his teammates finally found somesemblance of control on May 21 at Jackson MemorialHigh School, where Daniele threw three innings that,all at once, were so meaningless yet so significant.
"Every pi tchI throw now isfor James,"said Daniele ,who etched thelet ters "JV #9"with a heartaround theminto the dir tbehind thepi tcher'smound. "Iwanted to makei t meansomething. Ilove the kid todeath andtoday andevery other daygoing forwardis for him."
Jackson Memorial beat Manchester in convincingfashion, 13-1, to advance to the Shore ConferenceTournament quarterfinals with a performance thatsaw all nine starters score at least one run. That,however, was only a the follow-up act to a pre-gameceremony in which the Jaguars players, coaches,parents and community paid one final farewell totheir fallen teammate.
"It's hard to put into words because it's soemotional, but the reaction has been great and it's all
been for the Volpe family," senior centerfielder MattMeleo said.
"We wanted to make a lasting impression todaythat we're here for James and here for his family,"senior catcher Alex Herceg said. "We want everyoneto know that we're still in this thing even though wehad a fatal loss."
After the two teams finished their pre-game warm-up routines, Volpe's mother, father, grandfather andyounger brother Justin all threw out ceremonial firstpitches and remained on the field for a photo withthe entire team. In the middle of the group was ahand-drawn portrait of Volpe.
"At the beginning with the whole ceremony andeverything, it was tough because he's a teammateand one of my best friends," senior secondbaseman Andy Lopez said. "We're around the kidthe whole time, just getting back on the field andplaying our game was rough, but we're a familytoo, so we stick together. Just being around eachother helped out a lot."
As part of the ceremony, Jackson Memorial retiredVolpe's jersey No. 9 and unveiled a banner on theleftfield fence that reads "Volpe #9." The Jaguarsthen lined up along the first base line forthe emotional national anthem, with eachplayer embracing the player next to him.
"Today was tough with the family outthere and going out to the nine (in leftfield)and to (first) base," Jackson Memorialcoach Frank Malta said, referring also to anin-game tribute by the team toward Volpe."When Alex (Herceg) got the hit, it was anemotional roller coaster because you wantto be into this game, you want to get themplaying and they want to be out herebecause this is what they love to do and at
the same time you had all ofthat going on."
The Jaguars' in-game tributestarted when Herceg hit a two-run single to right field togive Jackson a 3-1 lead in thefirst inning, the first timeHerceg reached base thisseason without Volpe there tobe his courtesy runner.Jackson's players and coachespaid homage to the moment -which in the past would haveseen Volpe dart out of thedugout, slap hands withHerceg, and stand on first before stealingsecond base - by all walking out to first
base andtapping the basewith their hand.
"It was ateam idea,"Lopez said. "Wewere just tryingto do as manythings as wecould for thefamily. Justsomethingspecial and wethought that wasone way to dothat."
Herceg thenpaid his ownrespect to Volpe
by stealing second base - his first stealof the season - and scoring on a singleby sophomore third baseman SpencerYoung. Upon arriving home, Hercegstumbled across the plate for Jackson'sfourth run. After his first trip aroundthe bases, he gave way toEddie Guippone, who wasJackson's first courtesyrunner in Volpe's place.
"I went to coachand I was like,'James ran for me,so do you mind ifI run for myselfthe first timesince Jamesisn't hereanymore andno one isgoing totake hisplace?'"Herceg said."And he was
fine with that, andit had a pretty goodturnout."
Daniele allowed thefirst run of the game,a solo home run byManchester senior andWest Virginia Universityrecruit Jon Roszel, but histeammates supported theirpitcher with 13 runs in thefirst two innings, including anappropriate total of nine in thesecond. While Daniele respondedto the support on the fieldSaturday, the support his teammatesgave to him and to one another iswhat helped Daniele take the balland perform as he did.
"He came out, I walkedout to talked to him and
OBy Matt Manley – Senior Staff Writer
J.V. GAME: JACKSON MEMORIALREMEMBERS JAMES VOLPEJ.V. GAME: JACKSON MEMORIALREMEMBERS JAMES VOLPE
Junior Alex Daniele
I said, 'You're out here, no one can touch you now,'"Herceg said about his exchange with Daniele before
the game. "'You're out here on the mound and noone can ask you questions. This is your place to
shine. Now let's go get it for James,' and hewent out and got it."
"The support I got was amazing andhopefully it stays that way," Daniele said."All of these people here are amazing."
In his three innings, Daniele allowed twohits with no walks and a strikeout, facing
one over the minimum.
"He was vocal about pitching today," Maltasaid. "He wanted it."
Meleo considered Volpe one of hisclosest friends and was planning on
rooming with Volpe at KeanUniversity net year. He was
immediately at the scene of thecrash as he was in a car a
short distance behindDaniele's vehicle.
"It's been tough,"Meleo said. "A couple
of us, includingmyself, were at thescene when ithappened so it'sbeen tough - hardto put into words.He was one of myclosest friends. Isaw him every
weekend."
He also had thetask of leading off the
game for Jackson, whichhe did by hi t t ing a t r iple to
lef t -centerf ie ld to s tar t thefour-run f i rs t .
"Pre-game, I kept thinking about (thefirst at-bat)," Meleo said. "I keptdaydreaming about what was going tohappen. I got up to the plate and said'Just do yourself and don't overthink it.'And that's what I did. I found a pitchthat I could hit, that I hit all the time,
and just hit it."
Meleo added to the memories inthe second inning, when he
belted an 0-1 pitch over thefence in right-centerfield forhis first home run of theyear, giving the Jaguars a 6-1 lead. He finished 2-for-4with three RBI and threeruns scored.
"Having the game I hadtoday means a lot to me," Meleo
said. "I'll never forget it. It's probably the bestaccomplishment I've had in my baseball career,
maybe ever. I feel great about it."
Lopez also had a day to remember, going 4-for-4with two doubles and three RBI. Jackson had fivesenior classmates of Volpe's in the starting lineup -Meleo, Lopez, Herceg, Russo and outfielder FredScheer - and the five players combined to go 9-for-14with 10 RBI and eight runs scored. Russo went 1-for-3 with an RBI and was the designated hitter forDaniele.
"We just wanted to do it for James," Lopez said."He was such a good kid and he always wanted to beout on the field, so we wanted to play for him.Russo, that was one of his best friends, and I knowhe wanted it for him."
The Long WaitIn the days following the accident, Malta
described his duties to be one of counselor rather
than coach, a role Malta himselfsaid he did not know how tobest fill that role.
"In school on Monday, we hadthem all in the athletic office andthat's where we found ourstrength. In each other, as agroup," Malta said. "I gotta saythat I think I found strength inthat, because I didn't know whatto do. How do you know? There'sno plan for this, there's nohandbook. We just kind of did itand got through it."
Upon hearing the news thatVolpe, Daniele and Russo werein a serious car accident, every Jackson player andtheir parents drove either to the Ocean MedicalCenter or straight to the scene of the crash inLakehurst on Route 37.
"I was at work when it happened and I rushed overthere," Lopez said. "It just shows that no matter what- team, family, friends - you become so much closer
than you actually think."
From the time the players arrived at the hospital,according to Malta, they never split up, spendingtime at school, on the field and at the houses ofseveral players, most notably those of Herceg andjunior Mike Folk. The school held griefcounselling for its students on that Saturday andoffered additional support leading up to Wednesday'smemorial service for Volpe.
"We found s trength ineach other," Malta said."Our guys did not leaveeach others' s ide fromFriday night unt i lWednesday. We were al lat the hospi tal . Wewere al l together thevery next morning.They s lept at MikeFolk or Alex Herceg'shouse that night . Theyslept at Folk's houseone night andHerceg's houseanother night , al ls taying together thewhole t ime.
"The parents have been fantastic,too. Every parent was at the hospital,every parent was at the school onSaturday when we started ourcounseling. At the services,there was a presence there aswell. I know we have goodkids here. I know what wehave, but in the face of something like this,unfortunately, is when you really find out who thesekids are, what they're made of and, really, where
they're from and who they get that from."
By the time Wednesday came, Malta and his teamhad already heard from a large number of coachesand players, current and former, who offered theirsupport. A number of teams, including Manalapan,Toms River South, both Brick schools, JacksonLiberty, Manasquan and others attended the serviceon Wednesday as well.
"I got so many texts andemails and I passed that alongto all the guys to show them'Hey, this is who's thinking ofyou guys right now,'" Maltasaid. "I think our associationallows that because we allknow each other. Some guyswant to knock the heck out ofeach other, but we know eachother and it's a time like thiswhen all that's thrown asideand it becomes human, andthat's the great part of it."
Most of Malta's jobleading up to the game was tokeep his players thinking
about baseball as much as possible, which includedthe difficult task of convincing to try not to play
better than they were capable.With their late teammate in
mind, the instinct was to try tomake every pitch a home runand in the case of Daniele, to
make every pitch a swing-and-miss.
"The one thing wetalked about was to
be yourself," Maltasaid. "We want to
do special things.I don't want thisto sound thewrong way, butwhen we'reourselves,we're pretty
good. I just saidif everybody'sthemselves, we'll beup here (holding hishand up near hishead). I know
everybody isthinking 'I have
to do this forJames,' and
I understandthat, but do what
you do out there andthen we'll celebratetogether and make thatspecial."
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 9
S e e
Volpep a g e 1 2
10 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-10 5 /23 / 1 1
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 11
The upset alert was on at halftime of the Shore Conference
Tournament semifinals as fourth-seeded Holmdel, a third-
year varsity program, was leading top-seeded and annual
stalwart Rumson-Fair Haven by one goal.
The Hornets came out flying and never allowed the
Bulldogs to find their groove in the first two quarters, but a
quick halftime talk and a reminder of just what was a stake
was all Rumson's group of 15 seniors needed to restore order.
Rumson took its first lead on a goal by P.J. Maher with
6:01 left in the third quarter and dominated the second half,
scoring eight straight goals to turn a one-goal deficit into a
14-7 victory in the SCT semifinals at Jackson Liberty High
School on May 21. Junior attackman Jack Curran paced the
scoring with a game-high four goals while Maher added three
goals and three assists and
sophomore attackman
Michael Clarke filled the
box score with three goals
and four assists. With the
victory, the Bulldogs (13-3)
advance to the SCT final
against second-seeded
Jackson Memorial, which
became the first Ocean
County team to make the
tournament final by beating
CBA, 6-5.
The championship game
is set for 5 p.m. June 1 at St.
John Vianney, although the
game can be moved to June
3 if a conflict with state
tournament games comes
about.
"We came out really slow and everything
was sloppy, we weren't playing as a team," said Rumson
senior middie and Cornell recruit Mike Huttner. "At halftime
we said let's wake up, come together and push ourselves
because we're a better team than this."
Whatever happened during the intermission worked,
because the Bulldogs turned a 6-5 deficit on its ear by
outscoring the Hornets 9-1 over the final 24 minutes. That's
nothing new for Rumson, however, which has made a habit
of turning games around in the third quarter.
"All season we've been a third-quarter team, and if you
look at the stats we've really busted out in the third quarter,"
Curran said. "We just seem to turn it on after halftime in
every game."
"In the first two quarters both teams are trying to
implement what they want to do and feeling each other out,"
said Bulldogs head coach Jim Barbiere. "After that it's all
about punch, counter-punch. Once we've analyzed things we
feel very confident implementing those changes in the third
quarter, and I think that speaks well to our coaching staff and
our kids' ability to execute the game plan."
When Rumson takes on Jackson Memorial in the SCT final
it will mark the third year in a row the Bulldogs will play for
the Shore Conference title. Rumson was defeated by CBA in
2009 and by Red Bank
Catholic in 2010. The
only title for the program
came in a victory over
Colts Neck in 2007, so
it's a bit of an
understatement to say
that Rumson's seniors
want to go out with a
title.
"This is a special
senior class," Huttner
said. "We have 15 of us
and everyone has
contributed and has a
role, and we didn't
always have that in past
years. The camaraderie is
crazy. We don't just want
to win for ourselves. We
want it for each other."
Curran may not be a senior, but he knows that
opportunities that Rumson has had the past three seasons
don't always come along.
"Getting back to the SCT final (and winning) was
definitely one of our goals, and especially for me because I
missed last year with a torn ACL," Curran said. "This year is
kind of our revenge year. We're going to go get this
championship."
Holmdel, which was defeated by Rumson 8-2 earlier in the
season, came out
hard and took a
quick 1-0 lead
when Chris
Scherzer won a
faceoff and
brother Mark
Scherzer
finished a feed
from Dillon Cort
just 16 seconds
into the game.
Rumson
responded with
an unassisted
goal by Curran
at 10:26. The
first half went
back and forth
with the biggest
lead being three
by Holmdel. Senior middie Mike Cantelli and senior
attackman Mike Downey each scored twice in the first half as
the Hornets (11-6) built a 5-2 lead, but Rumson scored three
of the last four goals on tallies by Curran and seniors Ian
Moore and Beau Bennardo to trim the deficit to 6-5 at
halftime.
Curran deposited his fourth goal of the game at 10:42 of
the third quarter to tie the game at six, but Isola countered 46
seconds later to give Holmdel a 7-6 advantage. Few thought
that would be the last time the Hornets would score, but
Rumson flipped a switch over the final 22 minutes and
cruised from there. Michael Rowland's goal at 7:03 knotted
the score at seven and Clarke's first goal at 6:01 put Rumson
in front for the first time and for good. Conor Walsh took a
pass from Clarke and scored for a 9-7 lead with 3:11 left
before Maher converted a quick pass from Bennardo with no
time left in the third quarter, giving the Bulldogs a 10-7 lead.
Clarke and Maher each scored twice more in the fourth
quarter to cap the scoring and send Rumson into the SCT
championship. Junior goalie Artie Tildesley made nine saves
and seniors Sam Waters and Matt Gilbertson scooped up
seven and six ground balls, respectively. First-year senior
goalie Matt Micali stopped seven shots for Holmdel while
Chris Scherzer led all players with 11 ground balls.
Rumson has been in this position before, but Holmdel was
trying to navigate uncharted waters as a growing program
making its SCT semifinals debut. The end result wasn't what
the Hornets were looking for, but to be among the final four
in the Shore in just their third year of varsity competition is a
great accomplishment.
"I'm amazed at what we've accomplished this year," said
Hornets head coach Sal Guastella. "It's the players that have
done just a fantastic job. We've played some of the best teams
in the state and played them very well. It's a credit to how
hard they've worked."
Holmdel aims to one day be at Rumson's level,
where a trip to the SCT final is merely a stop on a ride
that ends with a championship. After falling to a pair
of bitter rivals the past two seasons, second place just
won't do for the Bulldogs in 2011.
"We do take pride in the fact that we're right there every
year, and that speaks volumes of our program," Barbiere said.
"But they're craving that hardware, and they want to bring
home that plaque."
Rumson-FH Boys Lax Reaches3rd Straight SCT Final By Bob Badders – Senior Staff Writer
Photos�by
David�Thornewww.davethorne.smugmug.com
Goalie Artie Tildesley
Attackman Jack Curran
12 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-10 5 /23 / 1 1
A Supernatural Moment?Volpe was quite literally Herceg's legs on the
basepaths over the last two years, running for thecatcher whenever hereached base, whichwas quite oftenconsidering Herceg'sstatus as an FirstTeam All-Shoreplayer. So whenHerceg reached basefor the first time onSaturday, he went tothe same source healways does forspeed: Volpe. Hercegexpounded on his triparound the bases inthe first inning, citingan exchange he hadwith Volpe a weekbefore the accident,all while wearing hisusual grin as hethought of his legs onthe bases.
(Malta) told me tosteal, but I never ranthat fast in my life. James was pushing me from theback on the steal and then the little bastard trippedme at home plate. I stepped on home plate and I justfelt like my neck got whiplash and I looked backand I was like 'That was James. He pushed me.'
Two weeks ago, before he passed, we werelooking at MaxPreps (statistics) and all the runs thathe had scored were going toward me. He was like'What is this? Those are my runs! I scored them!'And he used to keep track every time he crossed theplate. He'd say, 'Guys, that's my ninth run, but don'tworry, they're all going to Herceg.' So when Itouched home today, it was one of those funnythings. He probably pushed me from behind, makingfun of me because I finally scored one this year.
Moving ForwardFollowing the final out - which came on the back-
end of a sparkling 6-4-3 triple play started by juniorshortstop Joe Ogren (2-for-4 Saturday) - Jackson'splayers ran out to left field and swarmed the newbanner sporting Volpe's name and number andstayed for about a minute before returning back tothe dugout to clean up.
There won't be any more games like the oneSaturday. Therewon't be anotherfirst-game-backfrom this tragedy.There won't beanother pre-gameceremony for theVolpe family likethe one onSaturday. Therewon't be anothergenuine momentat first base whenthe entire teamsurrounded andtapped the bag.There won't beanymore trippingover home platefor Herceg, whowill once againgive way to acourtesy runnerfor the remainderof the season.
But there will still be the No. 9's on the hats. Theheartfelt messages written on the jerseys and caps,some like Meleo's that was so long and heartfelt thatit could never be summed up in 140 characters orfewer and thrown on Twitter, will remain. Even thetears will return, likely when the season ends, forbetter or worse.
Some things will never be the same as they wereon May 12 for Jackson Memorial, but it's not allbad. There is a new-found camaraderie about theteam, evidenced by the usual high-fives and first-bumps that have transformed into head-taps and fullhugs. As long as this group keeps playing thisseason - and judging by Saturday's performance,Jackson could play deep into all of its tournaments -
it will play the same way that it always has, but witha new sense of togetherness that is bound togetherby the memory of their teammate and friend.
"We're al l f ly ing highnow," Herceg said with a bigsmile , a genuine air ofcontent and sereni ty abouthim. "James is wi th us, he'ssmil ing down on us, helpingus out . I 'm sure i t 's going tost ick with us and for theyears to fol low."
VolpeC o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 9
P h o t o b y :
B i l l N o r m i l e w w w . b i l l n o r m i l e . z e n f o l i o . c o m
In 1979, what is now known as the U.S.Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic was in itsinfancy, a high school football all-star gametrying to carve out a tradition in only itssecond season of existence.
Known as the All-Shore Classic back then,the game pitting the top seniors fromMonmouth County against their counterpartsfrom Ocean County had debuted to a crowd of8,112 at Wall Stadium in its inauguralincarnation in 1978. Ocean beat Monmouth21-7 in the first year of what has now becomethe oldest high school football all-star gamein New Jersey.
A year later, Monmouth scored its firstvictory of the series with a 7-6 win overOcean in 1979. On that Monmouth Countyroster was a Shore Regional standoutoffensive lineman/middle linebacker namedJohn Carroll.
In the 2011 version of the game that willkick off at 7 p.m. on July 14 on the turf atToms River North, Monmouth County willfeature a standout widereceiver/punter/kicker/defensive back from ShoreRegional by the name of Shane Carroll. The youngerCarroll grew up knowing the history of the game fromhis father, who still has a photo of his MonmouthCounty team from that 1979 game.
“I’m happy to be able to follow in his footsteps,’’Carroll said. “He’s got pictures at home from the teamin his senior year. It’s an honor for me to play.’’
The selection of the younger Carroll shows howmuch of a tradition the game has become now that thesons of players who once participated are popping upon the current rosters.
Carroll’s selection also caps a year in which Shoretook home its first Central Jersey Group I title since1997, finishing 11-1 after beating Dunellen in thechampionship game at Rutgers Stadium. Carroll playedwide receiver, defensive back, kicker, punter, and puntreturner. He averaged 36 yards per punt on 14 punts,and as a kicker, he went 48-for-56 on extra points, andkicked two field goals. As a wide receiver, he had 12catches for 324 yards (27 ypc) and 7 touchdowns, andas a defensive back, he had 4 interceptions, includingone for a touchdown. He also averaged 18 yards on 10punt returns, taking two of them back for touchdowns.
He is one of three Shore players participating in thegame, as lineman Matt Conte andquarterback/linebacker Evan Ruane, a Monmouth
University recruit, also will be part of theMonmouth County squad.
Ruane finished with 4 sacks, 3 pass blocks, 2blocked kicks and also had an interception thathelped clinch the win over Dunellen in the statefinal. As a quarterback, Ruane was 37-for-78for 721 yards and 13 touchdowns and only 3interceptions, while also rushing for 6touchdowns.
“You couldn’t ask for a better way to finishafter the year we had,’’ Ruane said.
The small-school players will try to showthey can compete with any of the big-nameplayers from the Group IV and Group IIIprograms. The U.S. Army All-Shore GridironClassic always seems to bring out thecompetitiveness from the Group I players.
“Everybody says we play scrub schools, butI think we can play with any of these guys,’’Carroll said. “It will be like a preview ofcollege, where everyone is good.’’
“We will play with a chip on our shoulder asalways,’’ Ruane said.
Carroll will also get to carry on what is now a proudfamily tradition, getting his own photo with a group ofall-stars to show just how far the game has come sinceits beginnings all those years ago.
“I’m excited,’’ Carroll said. “I can’t wait to get outthere and compete against the best.’’
Like Father, Like SonBy Scott Stump – Managing Editor
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 13
Photo � by :
www.sportshotswlb.com
Join The
All Shore MediaTeam Today!
Interested in joining our team
and think you have what it takes
to be covering sports in the
Shore Conference for All Shore
Media? We are looking for local
writers interested in covering
sports like Lacrosse, Basketball,
Wrestling, Track, Soccer, and
more as part of our Bi-weekly
newspaper and our website
(www.allshoremedia.com). Grab
your chance to appear regularly
in The All Shore Media Bi-
weekly issues and on
www.allshoremedia.com while
helping us recognize more
athletes and bring more stories
to Shore Conference sports fans.
This is your chance to become a
regular contributor to a growing
business on the cutting edge of
covering sports in Monmouth
and Ocean County.
Just contact Managing EditorScott Stump@ [email protected]
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATIONContact : Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 smeyer@al lshoremedia .com
14 / ASM Vo lume- I I I Issue-10 5 /23 / 1 1
2011 Game Day Offical Program
Be part of a Jersey Shore institution that reaches a large andenthusiastic audience from Monmouth and Ocean countiesand is an annual rite of summer for all local football fans byhaving your business featured in this year's US Army AllShore Gridiron Classic official game program. The detailedgame program put together by the All Shore Media staff notonly recounts the rich history of New Jersey's oldest footballall-star game as well as highlighting this year's group of all-
stars, it also serves as a keepsake for all the players, coaches and fans involved. Not onlyis the program a chance for your business to reach a wide and passionate audience, it is achance to become a permanent part of a lasting memory for many members of the ShoreConference football community.
S P O N S O R S H I P & A D V E R T I S I N GOPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
For This Years
Space is Limited Call Today!
7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0
www.allshoremedia.com ASM / 15
This
spring’s Shore Conference basebal l
season has been about so much more
than what has transpired inside the
l ines .
Seemingly every week brings another hardship,another moment that is about more than baseball.Certainly the primary example is Jackson Memorialdealing with the death of senior outfielder James Volpefrom a car crash on May 13, which is detailed in thisissue, but unfortunately that has been just the latest ofnumerous instances.
Holmdel junior first baseman Eric Scamardella was hitin the left temple with a fastball and briefly knockedunconscious in a game against Red Bank earlier thismonth. He was rushed to the hospital and luckily onlysuffered a concussion after an event that had veterancoaches saying it was the scariest thing they had everwitnessed on a baseballfield.
On April 5, St. Rosesenior pitcher/infielderNick Morrisseyendured the death ofhis older brother,Chris, a 20-year-oldstudent at theUniversity of Marylandand former St. Roseplayer, who died fromunknown causes.Morrissey, a Howellresident, went out andpicked up a win on themound against HowellHigh School in his nextstart in honor of hisbrother.
On April 16, thefather of Rumson-FairHaven head coach Kevin James died at 79 years old inGeorgia. The Bulldogs soon rallied from a 2-7 hole afterthat event to improbably claim a share of the Class ACentral public title.
Amidst all the gloom, a consistent theme has been the
tight-knit nature of the Shore Conference baseballcommunity. There have been countless players showingsolidarity with the other team, like Manchester did bywriting Volpe’s jersey number, 9, on theirhats in the Shore Conference Tournament
game that marked the Jaguars’ firsttime back on the field sinceVolpe’s death. Jackson Liberty
also wore armbands with No. 9 onthem in support of a player that many
Lions players were friends with.
Another instance was theHowell players engulfingMorrissey in encouragement
after the loss to the Purple Rosesbecause they knew how emotional
that game was for Morrissey and hisfamily.
When James lost his father, his threesenior captains, Liam Ryan, Dan Miller andMatt Sinopoli, made a 70-mile trip north toRamsey in Bergen County for the funeral inthe town where James grew up.
Miller might as well have been speakingfor players on Jackson, Holmdel, St. Roseand more when he talked about how muchthis trying season has meant to him.Rumson may end up being the first sub-.500 divisionchampion in recent memory and perhaps ShoreConference history, but the wins and losses have taken aback seat this year.
“There were a lot of life lessons learned this season,not just baseball,’’ Miller said. “I see that you can alwaysbounce back, and if I have a bad season in baseball, that'sa pretty good life that I've led.’’
“Things like this make you appreciate baseball and lifeand being on the field a lot more now,’’ said Manalapan
senior pitcher JakeWinston, who isclose with severalJackson playersand also lostanother friend, 18-year-old HunterdonCentral playerKevin Gilbert, whodied in a car crashin March.
“I definitelythink it brings usall together. Wemight be rivals onthe field, but wesupport each otheroff it.’’
JacksonMemorial headcoach Frank Maltahas noted the
outpouring of support from all corners of the ShoreConference in the wake of Volpe’s death. Holmdel headcoach Dan Mondelli has detailed how the Red Bankplayers and coaches were so supportive and helpful onthe scary day when Scamardella fell to the ground and
drifted in and out of consciousness as the crowd wentsilent.
“They talk about the Shore Conference like abrotherhood, and itshowed (that day),’’Mondelli said. “Theirkids were upset, andthey were all prayingfor him in the dugout. Itwas greatsportsmanship by them,and a real class act ofcompassion by them.’’
While the ShoreConference is oftennoted for the cutthroatlevel of its competition,this season has shownthat there is a heartbeating underneath thatsteely exterior. Thereare just certain thingsthat rivalries take aback seat to. That’s whyVolpe’s wake wasattended by playersfrom numerous ShoreConference rivals and
not just his Jackson Memorial teammates.
I would call this “The Season of Perspective” – areminder that wins and losses don’t always tell the wholestory. This season, more than any in recent memory, hasshown that all the talk about the Shore Conference beinga true community where others are always there tosupport those enduring hard times is no cliché.
As the years pass, it might be hard to remember whichteam won a county tournament or the Shore ConferenceTournament or a state title in 2011, but the memory of thegenerosity toward the families of Volpe, James, andMorrissey will be fresh. It will not be forgotten on theirend, either.
“It’s all been very inspiring,’’ James said.
Throughout it all, the Shore community has not onlybeen there, but so has the game of baseball. That hasbeen the best therapy of all. Just ask Jackson Memorialpitcher Alex Daniele, who lobbied Malta to start thegame against Manchester. Daniele was in the car withVolpe in the accident on the night he died.
Just ask Morrissey, who told St. Rose coach JerryFrulio that there was no way he was not going to startthat game against Howell.
Just ask James, who found solace in coaching baseballagain after having to make the trip to Georgia andeventually bury his father.
“Every day, I just kept saying that the best thing aboutbaseball is that you have a chance to wake up tomorrowand play another game,’’ James said.
Rumson �Photo � by :
Cha r l i e �Gutch
Ho lmde l � Photo � by :
Sco t t � S tump
Holmdel's Eric Scamardella
Rumson players and head coach Kevin James
16 / ASM www.allshoremedia.com Vo lume- I I I Issue-10 5 /23 / 1 1
