Every week this regular season, Shore Conference football fans will have their chance to vote for the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey/Shore Sports Network Football Player of the Week on our website, with tens of thousands of votes cast already this week.

The Week One recipient is a fan-favorite and frequent nominee for Player of the Week, Jackson Memorial senior running back Mike Gawlik. This past Friday, Gawlik ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries in the No. 5 Jaguars' 50-6 win over rival Jackson Liberty to claim the Connor Cup for the ninth straight year.

Gawlik's three touchdowns give him 41 for his career, which is a new Jackson Memorial record and breaks the old mark of 39 set by Nick Castellano, an all-time Shore Conference great who starred on the Jaguars' state championship teams in 2000 and 2001, according to Jackson Memorial historian Jim Colbert.  Gawlik, a two-time Shore Sports Network first-team All-Shore selection, will enter Friday night's game versus No. 9 Brick 152 yards shy of breaking Castellano's career rushing record of 2,992 yards, also according to Colbert.

Jackson Memorial senior running back Mike Gawlik. (Photo by Ray Richardson).
Jackson Memorial senior running back Mike Gawlik. (Photo by Ray Richardson).
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The always-supportive Jackson Memorial fanbase brought Gawlik from the middle of the pack early in the voting period to a runaway winner with 45 percent of the vote. He beat out Howell junior quarterback Eddie Morales, who had 238 yards passing and three touchdowns in a 35-13 win over Colts Neck.

 

Football editor Bob Badders can be reached at badders@allshoremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bob_Badders. Like Shore Sports Network on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest video highlights.

 

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