Shore Sports Network Football Players of the Week, 10/29/13

Week Seven

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

Fans’ choice: 1. Raritan RB Jared Collins – 49 percent of the vote

2. Ocean LB Dan Loizos  (21%)

3. LaceyWR Christian Tutela (12%)

Collins was sensational in Raritan’s 38-18 upset of Colonia on the road, as he racked up 334 total yards in the win. He ran for a career-high 158 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, caught two passes for 114 yards and a touchdown, and also had a 62-yard kickoff return in a big win that kept the Rockets’ state playoff hopes alive.

Shore Sports Network Players of the Week

Offense

Khani Glover, Sr., RB, Jackson Memorial

Glover exploded for a career-high 303 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries, five shy of the school record set by Aaron Edwards in 1996, in a 62-44 win over Lacey in which the Jaguars set the single-game school record for points. Glover nearly doubled his rushing total for the season, as he now has 739 yards and nine touchdowns for the season.

Defense

(tie) Chris Noesges, Sr., LB, Manalapan; Dan Loizos, Sr., LB, Ocean

One of the Shore’s top linebackers, Noesges (#4, above) was outstanding in Manalapan’s 48-18 win over Colts Neck in a match-up of unbeaten with 14 tackles, 8 of them solo, 3 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss and a quarterback pressure.

Another one of the Shore’s best, Loizos had 16 tackles, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble in a big 21-6 win over Long Branch that made the Spartans 6-0 for the first time in 20 years and gave them sole possession of first place in Class B North.

Special teams

Manalapan’s entire special teams unit

Junior returner John Cheung has been on fire with three returns for touchdowns this year, two on kickoffs and one on a punt, including a 91-yard kickoff return for a score in Manalapan’s 48-18 win over Colts Neck. Also in the victory, junior kicker Mike Caggiano nailed field goals of 25 and 31 yards, went 6-for-6 on extra points, and had multiple touchbacks. Will Meany also blocked a punt that led to a touchdown, and Saeed Blacknall had a 30-yard punt return that set up another drive. The Braves also recovered a fumble on a punt that set up a field goal. The Braves’ special teams under coordinator Dom Lepore have been outstanding all season and played one of their best games in the biggest game of the season thus far.

Honorable mention

Jake Monteiro, Jr., K, Shore

Monteiro nailed a 43-yard field goal and all of his extra points in Shore’s 38-12 win over Mater Dei Prep. He now has two field goals of 40-plus yards this year.

Mike Creamer, Sr., K, Matawan

A regular in this area, his 29-yard field goal against Red Bank proved to be the difference in a 10-7 victory by the Bucs.

Jarvis Leaks, Jr., KR, Howell

Leaks took the opening kickoff 96 yards to the house to set the tone in Howell’s 21-20 win over Freehold Township.

Tyree Sutton, Jr., DE, Keansburg

Sutton blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown in a 56-35 loss to Keyport.

Divisional Players of the Week

Class A North

Offense

(tie) Tyler Leonetti, Sr., RB, Manalapan; Saeed Blacknall, Sr., WR, Manalapan

Both of Manalapan’s big guns came to play in the showdown with Colts Neck, as Leonetti had 162 yards rushing and a touchdown and Blacknall had six catches, three of them for touchdowns, in a 48-18 win.

Defense

Tyler Smalls, Sr., DB, Howell

Smalls had 7 tackles and also made the game-sealing interception in the end zone in the final seconds of a 21-20 win over Freehold Township.

Class  A Central

Offense

Charlie Volker, Jr., RB, Rumson-FH

Volker rolled up 244 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground on 31 carries in a 42-7 win over Monsignor Donovan to keep the Bulldogs unbeaten. It marked his second straight game of 240 or more yards and put him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Defense

Blaine Birch, Sr., LB, Manasquan

Birch had a team-high 9 tackles as the Warriors posted their second shutout of the season with a 37-0 win over Holmdel.

Class A South

Offense

(tie) Tom Kelly, Sr., QB, Lacey; Christian Tutela, Sr., WR, Lacey; Ken Bradley, Sr., RB, Jackson Memorial

No game in the Shore last week featured more offense than Jackson Memorial’s 62-44 win over Lacey. In the loss, Kelly threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for a score, setting the record for the most passing yards ever against a Jackson Memorial team. Meanwhile, Tutela had 7 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns and also threw a touchdown pass.

Bradley tied school records for most points (30), most touchdowns (5) and most rushing touchdowns (5) in a game and also went over the 100-yard mark to complement a 303-yard effort by senior tailback Khani Glover.

Defense

(tie) Jake Lombardo, Sr., LB, Brick Memorial; Mike Basile, Sr., S, Brick Memorial; Toms River South’s entire unit

The star tandem for the Mustangs led a tough defensive effort in a 12-7 win over Southern in which the Mustangs held the Rams to 152 total yards, including minus-7 rushing. Basile also ran for 124 yards in the win.

Toms River South shut out Toms River East 35-0 after the Raiders had scored 40-plus points in two straight games. The Indians have registered six straight shutout quarters.

Class B North

Offense

Tyler Thompson, So., RB, Ocean

Thompson ran for 155 yards and a touchdown to help power a 21-6 win over Long Branch to keep the Spartans unbeaten and put them on track to win the Class B North title.

Defense

Aliem Shaw, So., LB, Matawan

Shaw had a team-high 11 tackles, 7 of them solo, to help the Huskies knock off Red Bank, 10-7, to bolster their state playoff chances.

Class  B Central

Offense

(tie) Alex Thomson, Sr., QB, Keyport; Brian Miller, Sr., RB, Shore

Thomson passed for 180 yards, ran for 77 and had four touchdowns combined between rushing and passing in a 56-35 win over Keansburg. He also had 9 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and a fumble return for a touchdown on defense.

Miller rolled up 153 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 19 carries to power a 38-12 win over Mater Dei Prep.

Defense

(tie) Drew Bright, Sr., DL, Keyport; Jaedon Stephens, So., LB, Asbury Park

Stephens was part of a brilliant effort by the Asbury Park defense in a 32-0 win over Metuchen, as he had a 58-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

Bright had 13 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 tackles for a loss and an interception return for a touchdown in Keyport’s 56-35 win over Keansburg.

Class B South

Offense

Javon Hardy, Sr., RB, Central

Hardy went over the 100-yard mark and ran for the game-winning touchdown in overtime to help the Golden Eagles pull out a 34-28 win over Lakewood that was crucial for their state playoff hopes.

Defense

Manny Bowen, Jr., LB, Barnegat

Bowen had two tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a sack and a quarterback pressure, all in one half of work in a 40-0 win over Point Boro that kept the Bengals unbeaten. He also had 86 yards rushing and two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass.