Week Nine

We will get back to the Fans' Choice voting for Player of the Week following this weekend's playoff and consolation games.

Shore Sports Network Players of the Week

Offense

Charlie Volker, Jr., RB, Rumson-Fair Haven

(Photo by Bill Normile)
(Photo by Bill Normile)
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The Shore Conference's leading rusher stepped up in the Bulldogs' biggest game of the season with 130 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries in a 22-15 win that kept Rumson unbeaten and halted a five-game winning streak by Manasquan. The victory also secured the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group II for Rumson. He also had the game-sealing interception in the final seconds on defense in the victory. Volker now has 1,512 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on an average of 8.4 yards per carry.

Defense

Ken Bradley, Sr., LB, Jackson Memorial

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Bradley had 12 tackles and was a sideline-to-sideline force in the Jaguars' 9-7 victory over Brick that gave them the Class A South title, their first division title in eight years. He also ran for two crucial first downs on offense at the end to seal the win.

Special teams

Jared Calhoun, So., K, Jackson Memorial

(Photo by Cliff Lavelle)
(Photo by Cliff Lavelle)
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Calhoun's 26-yard field goal in the first quarter proved to be the difference in a 9-7 victory over Brick that gave the Jaguars the Class A South title.

Honorable mention

Colby Jones, Jr., DB, Raritan; Tom Pulcine, Sr., K, Raritan

Jones blocked a potential go-ahead field goal by St. John Vianney in the fourth quarter of Raritan's 23-20 win over the Lancers. He also had the game-winning touchdown catch with 45 seconds remaining and forced a fumble on defense that led to a first-half touchdown.

Pulcine nailed a 29-yard field goal as time expired in the first half that proved to be crucial in the three-point win.

Rob Yaiser, Sr., K, Southern

Yaiser's first career field goal, a 27-yarder, proved to be crucial in a 17-14 win over Toms River East that denied a playoff berth to the Raiders.

Hunter Daly, Jr., K, Neptune

Daly's 32-yard field goal was a big one in the end as Neptune held off Wall 17-14 to guarantee a state playoff berth.

Dan Debner, Jr., KR, Manalapan

In this week's edition of "Manalapan Special Teams Digest,'' Debner continued his stellar season as a returner with a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a 56-7 win over Howell that clinched at least a tie for the Braves' fourth straight Class A North crown. Debner now has returned four kicks or punts for touchdowns this season, and teammate John Cheung has three.

Kwaku Owusu, Jr., LB, Manchester

Owusu blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown for a crucial touchdown in the Hawks' 18-13 upset of Central in Class B South.

Ryan Ulrich, Jr., K, Barnegat

Ulrich booted a career-long 37-yard field goal in a 17-6 win over Red Bank.

Collin Ansbach, So., K, Point Boro

Ansbach's extra point on Point Boro's final touchdown was the difference in a 19-18 upset of Lakewood that gave the Panthers their first win of the season.

Mike Cordova, Jr., PR, Red Bank Catholic

Cordova returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown in a 49-7 win over Monmouth Regional, and also had a touchdown run. Defensively, he added five pass break-ups and an interception.

Divisional Players of the Week

Class A North

Offense

Chad Freshnock, So., RB, Middletown North

Freshnock ran for two touchdowns and 95 yards and also had a 47-yard touchdown catch in a 33-0 win over Freehold Township that gave the Lions their first state playoff berth since 2009.

Defense

Anthony Gargiulo, Sr., LB/DE; Nick Gargiulo, So., LB; Dan Calabro, Jr., DB; Colts Neck

The Colts Neck trio led the way to a 27-21 overtime victory against Middletown South with three great performances. Anthony Gargiulo had a team-high 17 tackles, his younger brother Nick added 15 tackles and a sack, and Calabro had 6 tackles and an interception return for a 71-yard touchdown in the win.

Class A Central

Offense

Riley Sullivan, Jr., QB, Raritan

Sullivan went 14-for-20 for 217 yards and three touchdowns passing to key a 23-20 comeback win over St. John Vianney, including throwing the game-winning 2-yard touchdown pass to Colby Jones on fourth-and-goal with 45 seconds left in regulation.

Defense

Tom Martello, Sr., LB, Rumson-FH

Martello had 12 tackles and also played snaps at safety to help compensate for the loss of injured starter Chris Hubler as the Bulldogs' defense registered a second-half shutout in a 22-15 win over Manasquan in a showdown of Top 10 teams.

Class A South

Offense

Rob Triano, Sr., QB, Brick Memorial

Triano erupted for a career-high 229 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 22 carries and also threw a pair of touchdown passes to power a 40-7 win over Lacey.

Defense

Mason Fazekas, Sr., DL, Southern; Ray Fattaruso, Jr., LB, Brick

Fazekas had 7 tackles and 2 sacks to help lead the Rams to a 17-14 win over Toms River East that denied the Raiders a state playoff berth.

Fattaruso had a great game in defeat in a 9-7 loss to Jackson Memorial in a game that decided the Class A South title. He had 8 tackles, including three for a loss, and a forced fumble. He also ran for 103 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

Class B North

Offense

Tyler Thompson, So., RB, Ocean

Thompson rolled up 181 yards rushing and three touchdowns to go over the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season and power a 35-19 win over Freehold that clinched the outright Class B North title for the Spartans.

Defense

Myles Mooney, Sr., DB, Neptune; Mi'Jaut Berry, Jr., LB, Neptune

Mooney's 55-yard interception return for a fourth-quarter touchdown was crucial in giving Neptune a 17-7 lead on Wall in an eventual 17-14 victory that guaranteed the Scarlet Fliers' a spot in the postseason.

Berry had the hit on the quarterback that helped cause Mooney's interception, and Berry also had a 35-yard interception return of his own that set up a touchdown.

Class B Central

Offense

Christian Palmer, Jr., QB, Mater Dei Prep

Palmer ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, including the game-winning 16-yard touchdown run in overtime as the Seraphs upset Spotswood 30-24 to guarantee their first non-losing season since 1999. He also threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to freshman Eddie Lewis with 42 seconds left in regulation that helped send the game to overtime.

Defense

Doug Goldsmith, So., LB, Shore Regional

Goldsmith had a tremendous all-around game in a 35-7 win over Keyport for Shore's seventh straight victory that secured the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group I. He had 3 sacks for minus-17 yards on defense, and also ran for a career-high 158 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

Class B South

Offense

Jack Fitzsimmons, Jr., QB, Point Boro; Vinny Grasso, Sr., QB, Msgr. Donovan

Fitzsimmons ran for two touchdowns and also threw a touchdown pass to Brendan O'Hara in a 19-18 upset of Lakewood that gave Point Boro its first win of the season.

Grasso ran for 195 yards and a pair of scores in a 28-25 win over Jackson Liberty.

Defense

Shaquille Benjamin, Sr., RB/DB, Manchester

Benjamin had six pass break-ups in an 18-13 upset of Central, and also had two rushing touchdowns and 140 yards in kickoff returns.

 

 

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