Jags Leave No Doubt

The Jackson Memorial football team arrived at the Warren Wolf Complex at 5 p.m. on Friday with one thing in mind: Leave no doubt in anyone's mind as to who the No. 1 team in the Shore is. 

Having knocked off previously unbeaten Red Bank Catholic in overtime to end the Caseys' 40-game winning streak against the Shore a few weeks prior, there was one blemish on a 9-1 record.  That one loss was to Brick on Oct. 4 at home in a 30-24 overtime setback.  Well, five hours later, after a 44-0 romp over the Green Dragons (9-2), the Jaguars are one win away from their fourth state title in school history. That game will be against one of the storied programs in the Shore Conference - Middletown South.  It will be played on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. on the turf of High Point Solutions Stadium on the campus of Rutgers University.

It was a team effort of major proportions. There were many standouts, including Mike Gawlik, the phenomenal sophomore who has become a star in 2014.  Gawlik scored three TDs and ran for 101 yards. Gawlik has played great in the two biggest games of the year so far. Junior running back Vinnie Lee scored the first touchdown after a roughing-the-punter penalty on Brick kept the opening drive going. That penalty perhaps turned the whole game around.  Instead of a three-and-out for Jackson, the drive continued and Jackson was in the end zone a few minutes latter and never looked back.

Senior Matt Castronouva, who came over from Jackson Liberty and missed the first four games of this year due to the NJSIAA transfer rule, has added an outside dimension to the ground attack and strengthened the secondary. Tight end/defensive end Brody Graham sets up the corner on offense and takes away the corner on defense. He is a force and the glue  who anchors both sides of the ball.  Unsung, yes, but appreciated by head coach Walt Krystopik and his staff.

Perhaps the player on the Jackson team who is really underappreciated by the media is senior quarterback Joe DeMaio.  The Shore has many great quarterbacks - Carmen Sclafani from Brick, Anthony Brown from St. John Vianney, Christian Palmer from Mater Dei Prep, Eddie Hahn from Red Bank Catholic.  But given his choice, Krystopik would have DeMaio leading his team. He's a "leader by example and is the perfect fit for our team,'' Krystopik said.
DeMaio's talent was on full display on both sides of the ball Friday night.  He threw for 143 yards and a 53-yard touchdown to Castronuova and directed the ground game without a mistake.  On defense he was great, holding Sclafani to 30 yards passing and helping to create five turnovers by Brick.

A few other odds and end from this past weekend.

• RBC finally beat St. Joe's-Montvale, and did it convincingly, 44-14. The Caseys will play the last game of the New Jersey football season at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 7 against Delbarton.

• Manalapan has made their its fourth straight sectional final with a 28-6 win over Hillsborough.  Up next is unbeaten South Brunswick in the Central Jersey Group V championship game on Dec. 6 at Rutgers University.

• Middletown South is back in the finals for the 20th time, looking for its 10th championship. Crazy numbers. The Eagles will play Jackson.
• Matawan (7-4) will play Carteret for the Central Jersey Group III title.
• Shore (9-1) and Rumson (8-2) will play for championships in Central Jersey Group I and II in two weeks, but first they will play each other on Wednesday night at Shore in the first edition of their new Thanksgiving rivalry. The crazy playoff system in New Jersey.

How about the fall Shore Regional has had? Six sectional championships already in the trophy case, with football another possibility.  The Blue Devils have won in girls and boys soccer, boys and girls cross country, girls tennis and field hockey. If the football team pulls it off in two weeks, that will be seven sectional titles.

Unbelievable for a program to achieve, and we are only one-third of the way through the school year. Not sure if that's ever been done in the history of the Shore?  Congrats to superintendent Tom Farrell and his staff of coaches who get the job done.

Congrats go out to the Monmouth University football team, which completed their season with a 31-15 Big South victory over Gardner-Webb to finish 6-5 on the year.  It was Senior Day at Monmouth, and the team is loaded with Shore players up and down the roster.  Dan Sullivan (Manasquan), Neal Sterling (Manasquan), just to mention a few, have had great careers at MU.  Sterling specifically could be the next  NFL player from the Hawks program. He has the size and tools to play on Sundays.

Join us Tuesday this week, for the Investors Bank High School Football Show from Water Street Grille in Toms River from 7-8 p.m. Joining us this week will be first-year head coach Dan Curcione from Wall High School. Curcione will lead his team on Turkey Day against Manasquan in a game we will broadcast at 11 a.m. on News Talk Radio WOBM 1160 and 1310 AM and ShoreSportsNetwork.com

Prior to our show at 7 p.m., the Kevin Callahan Monmouth University show will be live, also from the Water Street Grille. Callahan will be in house.