The 2014 high school football season officially gets underway tonight, and 16 weeks later will end with a host of state sectional championship games. 

Toms River South players and coaches talking during last night's scrimmage against Ocean. Both teams are ranked in the Shore Sports Network Pre-season Top 10. (Kevin Williams, Townsquare Media NJ)
Toms River South players and coaches talking during last night's scrimmage against Ocean. Both teams are ranked in the Shore Sports Network Pre-season Top 10. (Kevin Williams, Townsquare Media NJ)
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While most teams don’t kick it off until next weekend, there are five games around the Shore tonight and tomorrow as part of what’s called “Week Zero.”  The Shore Sports Network begins its broadcast schedule tonight when top-ranked Red Bank Catholic visits Wall in the Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week on 1160/1310AM.  The game will also be streamed live on shoresportsnetwork.com and those with smartphones can listen via our free RadioPup app.

RBC comes into tonight riding a 33-game winning streak against Shore Conference opponents and moves from Class A Central to Class B North where they will be favored to win a fifth straight division title.  The 2014 edition of the Caseys will be led by junior quarterback Eddie Hahn and senior linebacker/tight end Jamie Gordinier, a University of Miami recruit.

Meanwhile. tonight will mark the head coaching debut of Dan Curcione, who was Wall’s defensive coordinator last year and before that spent several seasons as an assistant at Toms River North.

Coming off a 3-7 season in 2013 the Crimson Knights hope to get a boost from junior quarterback Matt Cluley, whose brother Steve was a standout at Wall and is now the starter at William & Mary.

2014 Shore Sports Network football preview print edition
2014 Shore Sports Network football preview print edition (Townsquare Media NJ)
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Among tonight’s other games around the Shore will be Pinelands at Donovan Catholic in a Class B South matchup that might be pivotal to both teams' success this fall.  Elsewhere Howell visits Freehold Township with former New Egypt coach Luke Sinkhorn making his Rebels coaching debut.  Freehold heads to Middletown North tonight and tomorrow Middletown South visits Marlboro.

As mentioned RBC is solidly atop the Shore Sports Network Top 10 to open the season followed by Brick, Rumson, Manalapan and Barnegat.  Toms River South, Middletown South, Ocean, Matawan and Long Branch round out the top ten.

The Shore Sports Network Journal Football Preview is out, a comprehensive 92-page issue which is a must for fans.  Beginning today you can pick up your FREE copy at all Jersey Mike’s Subs locations in Ocean and Monmouth County along with all Super Wawa locations in the two-county area as well as other selected locations.  The online version is now available at shoresportsnetwork.com.

 

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