Maryland Football Coaches Association | Archive | January, 2008

BOYS HOOPS: OCEAN COUNTY CHALLENGE SCHEDULE FOR JAN. 20

Posted on 16 January 2008 by new_league.

     The sixth annual Ocean County Challenge showcase event will be held at Southern on Sunday, Jan. 20, featuring eight Shore Conference boys basketball teams competing against one another or against nonconference squads.
      Tickets at the door are $5 for adults and $2 for children under 12. The inclement weather date is Monday, Jan. 21, and the schedule is as follows:

11:00 am     Egg Harbor
Twp. vs. Jackson Memorial

12:30
pm    Atlantic Christian vs. Barnegat

2  pm         Brick
Twp. vs. Pemberton

3:30 pm      Lakewood vs. Irvington

5   pm         Middletown South vs. Holmdel

6:30
pm      Southern vs. Jackson Liberty

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GIRLS HOOPS – SJV ON A ROLL/BIG THURSDAY COMING UP

Posted on 16 January 2008 by new_league.

     In talking with Bob Badders, who covered St. John Vianney’s 22-point win over Rumson-Fair Haven on Tuesday, it appears the Lancers’ defense might have been the best it has been all season.
     Junior guard Katelyn Linney has also really taken a quantum leap forward, as previously mentioned here several times. SJV’s depth is what separates it from the pack so far this season, as it can just run player after player off the bench to play intense, pressing defense for a 3-4 minute stretch, and then send someone else in. They just attack, attack, attack, on both ends. Also, with the way Rumson plays, its offense is not built to come from behind from a double-digit deficit in the second half unless the defense literally records a shutout or holds a team to two or four points for a long stretch.
     I watched Freehold cruise to a win over Neptune, and Shannon Mayrose has to be among the top three players in the Shore right now. We’ll see what happens against a team that has the personnel and game plan to really shut her down like a Rumson, RBC, SJV, etc., but right now she operates at will inside and might be the best offensive rebounder I’ve seen this season. A Freehold-Colts Neck match-up would be interesting because of Mayrose’s advantage inside and Colts Neck’s advantage in the backcourt, although Freehold does have experienced guards and a dangerous swing in sophomore Sehmonyeh Allen. Their game against Rumson at the end of the month is shaping up to be a huge one for Shore Conference Tournament seeding purposes.
     While Neptune fell short yesterday, this team is going to be scary in a season or two. I don’t know too many defenders who can keep freshmen Shakena Richardson and Syessence Davis in front of them one on one. If they can get a little more interior scoring, pick up the intensity on defense and learn to finish better around the rim, which comes with experience, look out. This team will run good teams out of the gym. They will see a ton of zone defenses because no individual defenders can stop the penetration of Davis and Richardson, but those two have shown the ability to hit the three along with several other shooters on the team.
     Thursday is a big day with Howell and Colts Neck all but settling the Class A North race, and Red Bank Catholic hosting St. John Vianney in their second grudge match. I think Howell is probably a little bothered by all the talk of Colts Neck as possibly the Shore’s No. 1 team while they don’t get as much mention, considering the Rebels are the only team to beat Colts Neck this season and have not lost a game since the season opener. Colts Neck, meanwhile, is looking to send a message that it is a team that can win its first SCT title in school history.
    The RBC-SJV game will be between two much different teams, as the Lancers are on fire right now, while the Caseys are trying to show the depth of their program and talent by defying the naysayers who claim that they cannot overcome the wave of ACL injuries that have wiped out three starters. Look for the Lancers to double- and triple-team Kristina Danella and see if RBC’s guards are capable of making big shots. I wouldn’t be shocked if RBC jumps into a zone to see if SJV can consistently knock down jumpers.

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BOYS HOOPS – NEPTUNE NOTES, TUESDAY EXTRAS

Posted on 16 January 2008 by new_league.

     Neptune appears to be putting it all together, as I took in its 66-39 win over Freehold, and a huge key going forward for them could be senior forward/center Brennan Fitzsimmons.
     Known primarily as an excellent soccer player, Fitzsimmons is the guy who takes charges, dives for loose balls and grabs rebounds in traffic. However, he has had trouble finishing around the rim and at the foul line this season, but last night he dropped in a career-high 14 points. If he can fill the lane and finish on the break and also capitalize on his offensive rebounding opportunities for second-chance points, he makes this team that much more dangerous. One Neptune assistant coach jokingly compared him to former Nets center Chris Dudley, in that he does all the dirty work and intangible stuff and provides decent scoring, which a coach couldn’t hope but love, but he can’t shoot free throws, an area where Dudley struggled mightily. Also, Fitzsimmons is an excellent student, and Dudley went from Yale to the NBA.
     Their guard depth is unmatched in the Shore, as well. D.J. Gutridge was in foul trouble all night and had to sit for a few stretches, while Terry Hicks sat out the first half, yet you would hardly have noticed because the Scarlet Fliers still have Lem Walker, Jabari Joyner and Thomas Jones out there. It’s just an endless bench right now.
     Gary Foster has also noticeably picked it up a notch offensively. He started slow out of the gate, struggling to get shots, but now he attacks right from the beginning. He pretty much has to play well in big games for Neptune to win. He is an underrated defender as well, as he did a nice job on Freehold standout Christian Garcia. Gutridge and Joyner have also become a tough tandem that Neptune coach Ken O’Donnell sics on opposing guards to great effect.
     Despite the loss, Freehold still has the talent to cause trouble in the postseason. I’m interested to see how they do in the remainder of their Class B North schedule because most of their big wins in the division came at home, so they’ll have to get it done on the road against the likes of a rejuvenated Monmouth Regional team. Guard Andrew Gerbehy also showed flashes of being able to take over games by being able to put it on the floor and also hit from 2-3 feet from behind the 3-point line.
     As for the other games, you have to be impressed by the job done by Pinelands coach John Tierney this season. The Wildcats upended Point Boro and continue to play well in Class B South despite losing one of their best players, Paul Huch, to a broken hand. They have already surpassed their win total (4) from last season with six wins, and they are still right in the thick of the divisional race behind heavy favorite Monsignor Donovan. For a program that has been in basketball Siberia for so long to be on track to make the Shore Conference and state tournaments despite the adversity it has endured is a real tribute to the Wildcats. I hope they keep it going.
     Another eyebrow raiser was St. John Vianney’s win over Rumson-Fair Haven. The Lancers had been struggling in Class A Central, but showed that you can never take it easy against anyone. Rumson now has lost three straight heading into a tough game against a Red Bank team looking for revenge on Thursday. Manasquan, meanwhile, continues to roll through the division as it beat RBC.
     Mater Dei is hovering right around the .500 mark after an overtime thriller against Henry Hudson, and this is a team that I think could be very dangerous in the early rounds of the SCT and state tournament if they are able to qualify.
     Toms River North is going at full throttle right now, having won 12 straight after routing the only team that has beaten the Mariners this season, Toms River South, last night. I knew Steve Nyisztor primarily as a rising baseball star and Pat Szukics primarily as a kicker/wideout on the 12-0 football team, but both have been integral to North’s success under new coach Andrew Bilodeau.
     At the Neptune game last night, I saw a couple Freehold Township players watching their cross-town rivals, and that will be a game to watch on Thursday as CBA heads to play in the Patriots’ raucous home gym for a key Class A North game. CBA won the first meeting between the two teams.
    Finally, a quick story recommendation on Wednesday. Check out the feature in the new Sports Illustrated on Corey Gahan, a champion in-line skate whose father is in jail for providing him with steroids and HGH since he was 13. Just when you think parents can’t get any crazier, you are sadly mistaken.
      
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BOYS/GIRLS HOOPS – CN BOYS END SKID, FREEHOLD/NEPTUNE DOUBLEHEADER

Posted on 15 January 2008 by new_league.

     Not a crazy night on either side with everything coming out pretty status quo, but we’ll start with the boys side.

BOYS
St. Rose handled Shore with little problem to stay on Asbury Park’s heels in Class B Central, one game after Shore upended Freehold. It shows how tough Shore’s half-court defense is that St. Rose decided to go up-tempo, which is against the Purple Roses’ usual style. That’s how Shore can slay solid teams like Freehold, whose best players, Christian Garcia and Lance McKenzie, are best when they can slash to the rim in transition, but not as effective in the half-court game just yet because they are still learning as sophomores.

That’s why Freehold matches up a little better with tonight’s opponent, Neptune, because the Scarlet Fliers love to push the tempo. Freehold beat Neptune at the buzzer in the season opener and is the only Shore Conference team to defeat the Fliers, which means Neptune will be looking for a rout in its home gym. We will see how Freehold’s young nucleus will respond in a hostile atmosphere tonight while also seeing the top two teams in Class B North, where the Colonials are currently alone in first place. Freehold will probably actually try to slow the game down a little bit, because getting into a track meet with the deeper Fliers is not a good idea. Just ask Red Bank, which came out flying up and down the floor against Neptune but ran out of gas in the fourth quarter.

Another team looking to avenge its only loss to a Shore Conference team is Toms River North, which will play rival Toms River South in Class A South after losing to the Indians. A win here and the Mariners might not have any other losses heading into the Shore Conference Tournament. However, given the parity-riddled nature of this season, it’s hard to imagine a team not slipping up at this point.

Colts Neck also righted the ship with a 73-70 win over Marlboro in Class A North thanks to 32 points from senior forward Steve Spinella. While the victory is certainly a good sign because it ended a four-game losing streak that followed a 7-0 start, having Spinella carry that much of the load still might be a troubling sign. While he is one of the better offensive players in the Shore, the more that others don’t get involved and he has to be the whole show, the tougher time they will have against deeper, talented teams in the Shore Conference and state tournaments. In other words, if a team is going to really rely heavily on one guy to go far, it usually has to be a Dajuan Wagner or some other megastar who literally might drop 50 on someone on any night.

GIRLS

On the girls side, the two big games are Rumson vs. St. John Vianney and the girls game preceding the Neptune-Freehold boys game. A win by Rumson and the Bulldogs have a solid claim at the No. 1 spot, although a second win by Howell over Colts Neck in their showdown on Thursday might have the Rebels at No. 1. Or, if Colts Neck wins, the Cougars could be No. 1 because they have a win over Rumson. St. John Vianney wants to make all of this a moot point by going out and winning tonight in a battle of styles, as the Lancers want to play up-tempo and trap full court, while Rumson wants to walk it up the floor most of the time and pick its spots to push the ball with Candice Green and Kate Miller.

As for Freehold, this is a good test against Neptune and its super freshmen Shakena Richardson and Syessence Davis, who have improved as the season has gone along after losing to the Colonials in the season opener.

Speaking of St. John Vianney, Lancers transfer Nicole Lentini, a guard who is now at Raritan, made her debut with the Rockets after sitting out because of transfer rules. She had nine points in a 53-39 win over Brick Memorial on Monday night.

It also looks like the injury madness has continued, with senior guard Kathryn Fox became the third Red Bank Catholic starter in less than two weeks to go down with an ACL injury, as she and Kelsey Woehnker went down with knee injuries in a win over St. Rose on Friday. Woehnker hurt her MCL but should return this season, whereas Kristina Coppolino, Kim Talbot and now most likely Fox are all done for the season.

As for St. Rose, a win over Shore on Monday night was pretty much the last step to the Class B Central title other than one final meeting with a scrappy Mater Dei team.

Finally, a few quick links/recommendations for Tuesday:

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GIRLS BASKETBALL – THE SHORE REPORT/TOP 10, 1/13/08

Posted on 13 January 2008 by new_league.

By Scott Stump – Senior Editor

      I broke everything up in segments so you can jump right to what you want to see.

THE TOP 10

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK

COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT
Chakhia Cole, Sr., F, West Virginia University

     The senior starter and former Marlboro star is fourth on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game and second on the team with 5.4 rebounds per game for the Mountaineers, who 11-2 and ranked No. 16 in the nation. During her junior season at Marlboro, she helped the Mustangs win the Group IV title and reach the Tournament of Champions final.

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BOYS BASKETBALL – THE SHORE REPORT/TOP 10, 1/13/08

Posted on 13 January 2008 by new_league.

By Scott Stump – Senior Editor

      Everything is broken up into the different segments so that you can just jump right to what you want to see.

THE TOP 10

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK

COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT

    Chris Smith, Fr., G, Manhattan
    The former Lakewood and St. Benedict’s Prep star and younger brother of Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith initially committed to Seton Hall but ended up landing at Manhattan, where he has averaged 17.7 minutes and 8.8 points per game in six games for the Jaspers. Smith did not academically qualify at Seton Hall, but went to Manhattan and became eligible for the Jaspers in the second semester, which is why he has played in six of their 16 games. He scored 21 points in 21 minutes off the bench against Niagara in his third game.

E-mail: [email protected].

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GIRLS HOOPS: COLTS NECK CONTINUES ITS WINNING/RBC AT ST. ROSE

Posted on 11 January 2008 by new_league.

     It’s clear so far that Class A North is a two-horse race now that Colts Neck easily handled Middletown South 60-38 to keep the pressure on division-leading Howell, which is unbeaten in Class A North. The Cougars are really gaining steam and seem to be improving with each game with their loaded sophomore class. Check out the highlights on our main page if you haven’t seen them.
     The rest of the Thursday slate was pretty much blowout city, but one game to take notice of was Brick Memorial’s 55-46 nondivisional win over Central. Under head coach Rayna Post, the Mustangs have already won four games after winning six all of last season. They also beat Southern for the first time in school history and recorded their first Class A South win in two seasons, so they have had a nice start so far. Their next game is a tough test against Raritan on Monday.
     The story of Friday night will be Red Bank Catholic’s trip to St. Rose, as the Caseys are trying to regroup after losing their second starter to a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear, point guard Kim Talbot. Since Talbot’s injury, RBC has had to play Rumson and now St. Rose, both top-five teams in the Shore. It also will be interesting to see if the Caseys play Hack-a-Clark, as St. Rose senior center Kelly Clark, one of the best pivot players in the conference, struggled mightily from the foul line in a loss to St. John Vianney.
      St. Rose will also try to heavily pressure RBC’s guards now that Talbot is out, so that should be another key factor in the game, because if they can’t get it up the floor and to Kristina Danella in a position to score, that’s a big advantage for St. Rose.
      Other games to check out are Central at Point Boro as the Panthers try to stay on top in Class B South and Southern at Lacey, as the Rams will get their second crack at the Lions, who have had some close calls but have not lost to an Ocean County team. Their only loss is to Colts Neck from the WOBM Classic. The Rams will try to get back into the Class A South race while Lacey looks to tighten its grip on the division.

E-mail: [email protected]
    

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BOYS HOOPS: MIDD. SOUTH ON A ROLL, NEPTUNE MILESTONES/FRIDAY GAMES

Posted on 11 January 2008 by new_league.

      First off, congrats to Neptune seniors Terry Hicks and Gary Foster for each recording their 1,000th career point in a win over Long Branh on Thursday. I wonder when the last time two players on the same team both hit 1,000 for their careers in the same game?
     I took in Middletown South’s 56-45 win over Colts Neck that added another quality win to the Eagles’ resume and kept them tied for first place in Class A North. The duo of senior guard Garret Thiel and sophomore forward Kyle Cancillieri was electric, with a combined 39 points, 27 of which came in the second half.
     Thiel has really been a revelation thus far, a player who made a little noise last season as Middletown South’s program continued to improve, but who has made a big leap forward this season. There are better scoring guards than him, but not too many better all-around guards. He is an excellent defender who has now shut down Colts Neck’s Mitchell Kates and Rumson’s Matt Blumel in big games while also playing CBA’s Mike Kuhn, one of the best scoring guards in the Shore, tough for a half in a win over the Colts.
      Cancillieri, meanwhile, continues to impress more and more with each game. He sometimes looks too passive while trying to see when to be aggressive and when to defer to teammates, but when he goes to the rim hard, there aren’t too many players who can stop him because he has a long wing span and he finishes. He had three baskets that he converted while being fouled against the Cougars. He just needs to tighten up the free throw shooting, as he went 0-for-4 last night, or teams will just start hacking him in the final minutes of close games. He flashed the ability to completely take over games with a combination of defense, offensive rebounding, and power moves in the paint.
      As for Colts Neck, the Cougars are searching for some answers after dropping their third straight game following a 7-0 start. Senior forward Steve Spinella has shown the ability to fill it up in spurts, but unless Kates or someone else steps up with at least about 15 points or more against a quality opponent, it hasn’t been enough. There also were a lot of instances where Thiel and others got into the lane and had easy, unchallenged lay-ups because the help defense didn’t rotate in time, and they are getting beat to a lot of loose balls and offensive rebounds. In a parity-filled Shore Conference, it’s certainly not the end of the world for Colts Neck right now, but they do need to tighten up some areas.
      I was a little surprised at the atmosphere at Colts Neck as the home fans were pretty subdued throughout, whereas the most vocal rooters came from the visiting student section, which has dubbed itself “Cullen’s Corner,” after head coach Kevin Cullen, a former player at South who has helped lead the hoops renaissance at a program that was winless four seasons ago. Also, the Eagles players and bench just have more emotional fire than most teams. You can tell they are really burning with something to prove against the more established programs. They face a Manchester team tonight that does not have leading scorer Marvin Brodie thanks to an injury.
      Finally, one good reason for attending a game at Colts Neck comes down to three magic words. Delicious. Orchards. Doughnuts. Delicious Orchards is around the corner from the high school on Route 34, and their powdered and apple cider doughnuts are worth going to the hospital to clear a blockage for.
      The other big game on the night was Manasquan’s four-point win over Rumson-Fair Haven in Class A Central. The Warriors are most likely going to take a big jump up in the DigitalSports Top 10 rankings after grabbing sole possession of first place, and their top three scorers of Ben Tumas, Kyle Wehner and Keiron Halton all had strong games against the Bulldogs, who have come back to earth a little bit with two straight losses after a strong start.
       Marlboro has also cooled off, as the Mustangs have lost two straight to CBA and now Howell, which got a career-high 17 points from guard Tom Martino in a win on Thursday night.
       As for Friday night, here are the games to check out: Monmouth at Colts Neck, 6:30 p.m.; Monsignor Donovan at Lakewood, 6:30 p.m.; and St. Rose at Red Bank Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
       If I had to choose, I’d probably go check out Monsignor Donovan at Lakewood because it’s such a contrast in styles, and because Class B South is nuts this season, so you never know what’s going to happen when two solid teams in this division meet. The Griffins are starting to get some breathing room in first place like many thought they would from the outset, so we’ll see if that continues against the Piners and scoring machine Nyrahn Smith.

E-mail: [email protected].
     
    
     

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GIRLS HOOPS: RBC’S KIM TALBOT OUT FOR SEASON WITH ACL INJURY

Posted on 09 January 2008 by new_league.

      Red Bank Catholic point guard Kim Talbot is out for the season with an anterior cruciate ligament tear on a drive to the basket in the first quarter against Holmdel last week, according to RBC coach Joe Montano, which would make two ACL tears in barely over a week for the Caseys after senior star Kristina Coppolino went down with the second one of her career in the finals of their Christmas tournament. That now leaves two starters down for the year, and junior guard Sarah Gray and freshman Mary Kate Byrnes are the main candidate to replace Talbot. Talbot did not play in RBC’s first loss of the year, a loss to Rumson-Fair Haven on Tuesday.
       “I think we’re more disappointed because those two girls (Talbot and Coppolino) have meant so much, and to not have them in the lineup in the thick of things, I’m disappointed for them personally,” Montano said.
      Nobody is crying for RBC, as Montano knows, and no one is crying for Goliath, but three out of the projected four starters for this season for RBC are gone. Out of the four projected returning starters – Kiki Belen (transferred back to a school in Las Vegas that is currently ranked No. 4 in the nation), Coppolino, and Talbot – three are gone. UMass-bound senior Kristina Danella is the other returning starter.
      “We’ve never worried about what everybody else says,” Montano said. “Nobody worries about us. Nobody cares, and to be quite honest, I don’t care what goes on with the other schools. We’ve got to worry about us.”
      Montano is hoping this season can be like 2004, when RBC had five freshmen out of the top 10 in the rotation but made it to the Tournament of Champions.

E-mail: [email protected]

      
     

   

     

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WEDNESDAY LINKS/WOMEN’S COLLEGE ALUMNI UPDATE

Posted on 09 January 2008 by new_league.

     Here are some links/thoughts/recommendations for Wednesday since there is really not too much going on tonight.

     Here are some updates on some former top Shore Conference girls hoops players now in college (see the most recent Shore Report in Girls Basketball Central for an update on Alisa Apo (St. John Vianney/Sacred Heart):

I’m sure I’m missing others, particularly at the Division II or Division III level, so let me know if I left anyone out.

E-mail: [email protected].

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