Shore Sports Network Football Players of the Week, 10/1/13

Shore Sports Network Shore Conference Players of the Week

Week Three

*All selections are made by managing editor Scott Stump except for Fans' choice, which is from the voting in the weekly poll in the Rapid Reaction column here.

Fans' choice: Christian Palmer, Jr., QB, Mater Dei Prep - 39 percent of the vote

Overall Shore Conference

Offense - Christian Palmer, Jr., QB, Mater Dei Prep
Palmer had a career day with 14 carries for 137 yards rushing and two touchdowns as well as going 2-for-4 passing for 114 yards to give him 251 total yards in a 49-35 win over a Dunellen team that entered the game giving up only 12 points per game. The victory continued Mater Dei Prep's best start since 1986 at 3-0, and the 49 points were its most in a game since 1972.

The junior running back/linebacker was a force on both sides of the ball in a big 47-21 win over previously unbeaten Toms River South in Class A South. Defensively, he had 11 tackles, 3 sacks, a forced fumble and two other tackles for a loss as the Green Dragons shut out the high-scoring Indians in the second half. Offensively, Fattaruso ran for 112 yards and three touchdowns and also threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mike Muratore on a halfback option play.

Special teams - Pat Davis, So., K, Lacey

Davis booted a career-long 40-yard field goal and also went 7-for-7 on extra points, which proved to be huge in a 45-42 shootout win over Toms River East.

Class A North

Offense

Anthony Gargiulo, Sr., RB, Colts Neck

Gargiulo ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in a 48-0 win over Marlboro to help improve the Cougars to 3-0. For the season, he has 459 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns in three games on an average of 11.2 yards per carry.

Defense

Tayler Hendrickson, Sr., DL, Middletown South

The University of Pennsylvania recruit helped the Eagles stifle a Howell attack that had been averaging 300 yards per game by limiting the Rebels to 110 total yards in a 24-7 victory in a match-up of unbeaten teams. Hendrickson had 8 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 other tackles for a loss and 5 quarterback pressures in the win.

Class A Central

Offense

Tucker Caccavale, Sr., QB, Manasquan

In his first start since taking over for injured starter Will Pezzollo, Caccavale threw three touchdown passes in a 45-3 win over Raritan as the Warriors scored their first offensive touchdowns of the season following a 1-1 start.

Defense

Ryan Kroeger, Jr., DL, Red Bank Catholic

Kroeger helped lead the Caseys to their second shutout in three games, as he had three tackles, a tackle for a loss, a sack and five quarterback pressures in a 45-0 win over St. John Vianney.

Class A South

Offense

Carmen Sclafani, Jr., QB, Brick; Tom Kelly, Sr., QB, Lacey; Khani Glover, Sr., RB, Jackson Memorial

It was a big week for offensive performances in this division, and there are even others that deserve mention. Sclafani ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns and also threw for 82 yards and a touchdown in Brick's 47-21 win over Toms River South.

Glover racked up 170 yards rushing and two scores in a 35-7 win over Brick Memorial. Kelly helped Lacey win a 45-42 shootout with 293 yards and three touchdowns passing on 17-for-25 accuracy. He now has 777 yards passing and nine touchdowns in three games this season. Toms River East running back Matt Gudzak had 185 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the loss in that game, and Southern's Rob Yaiser had 102 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a win over Toms River North.

Defense

Bailey Bellissimo, Sr., DL, Southern

Bellissimo had a great game up front in Southern's 35-7 win over Toms River North with a team-high 8 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble.

Class B North

Offense

Pete Miceli, Sr., RB, Wall

Miceli ran for 97 yards and a career-high four touchdowns on only 11 carries to help the Crimson Knights surpass last season's win total and improve to 3-0 with a 44-7 win over Freehold.

Defense

(tie) Mike Halawani, Sr., LB/DE, Ocean; Myson Pennington, Sr., DB, Long Branch

Halawani had 2 1/2 sacks and nine tackles to spearhead another great effort by the Spartans' defense in a 7-3 comeback win over Matawan. It marked the second straight week that Ocean has held a team to three or less points in B North.

Pennington had an interception in overtime that ended Neptune's possession and set up the Green Wave to pull out a 13-7 win. He was part of a secondary that limited Neptune to minus-two yards passing in the game.

Class B Central

Offense

Brian Miller, Sr., RB, Shore

Miller's 13-yard touchdown run with 15 seconds remaining in the game gave the Blue Devils a 21-14 victory over Metuchen after he helped lead a 40-yard drive in the final minute to win the game.

Defense

Yacir James, Sr., DB, Keansburg

James, a senior cornerback, was the lone bright spot in a 48-6 loss to South River with a school-record 106-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Class B South

Offense

(tie) Isaiah Akers, Sr., WR, Central; Barnegat's offensive line

Akers had a career-high 10 catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns to help lead Central to a 28-0 win over Point Boro.

The imposing Barnegat unit of Sam Madden, Zach Andrews, Greg Moran, Tom Kampo and Xavier Young paved the way for 294 yards rushing, including a pair of 100-yard rushers in tailback A.J. Opre and quarterback Cinjun Erskine, in a 24-18 win over Monsignor Donovan.

Defense

(tie) Greg Moran, Sr., LB, Barnegat; C.J. Bailey, Sr., DB, Jackson Liberty

Moran had 8 tackles, 9 quarterback pressures and a sack in a 24-18 win over defending Class B South champion Monsignor Donovan.

Bailey, a senior safety, had the game-winning 98-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Lions and new head coach Jim Sharples their first win, 13-7, over Manchester.