Shore Sports Network Football Players of the Week, 11/18/14

Shore Conference Overall Players of the Week

Offense

(tie) Marcus Blackman, Sr., WR, Ocean; Christian Palmer, Sr., QB, Mater Dei Prep

Blackmon scored all three of Ocean’s touchdowns in its 19-14 upset of top-seeded Hopewell Valley in the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III playoffs. The senior caught touchdown passes of 30 and 55 yards from sophomore quarterback Kenny Pickett, and also ran for a 28-yard touchdown. Ocean snuck into the playoffs on the last game of the regular season, and made the most of the opportunity by ousting the defending champions in the first round. The Spartans will play at fifth-seeded Matawan in the semifinals.

Palmer piled up 394 yards of offense and six total touchdowns in the Seraphs’ 48-0 wipeout of Morristown-Beard in the first round of the Non-Public Group I playoffs. Palmer threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He threw a 49-yard touchdown to sophomore Eddie Lewis, a 78-yarder to senior Tysaun White and saw senior Tyson Stamper take screens of 69 and 23 yards to the end zone. He ran for a 40-yard score and a two-yard touchdown. He now has 41 total touchdowns on the season, which is believed to be a Shore Conference single-season record.

Defense

Da’shon Copes, Jr., DL, Toms River North

Copes was a force yet again to help the Mariners stun top-seeded and previously-undefeated Lenape, 19-10, in the first round of the South Jersey Group V playoffs. Copes made 13 tackles, 11 of which were solo, along with two tackles for a loss, three sacks and a forced fumble to help limit a Lenape offense that entered the game averaging 28.2 points per game. The Mariners will play at fourth-seeded Cherokee in the semifinals as they try to reach their first sectional final since going 12-0 in 2007.

Special Teams

Matt Mosquera, Jr., QB/K, Middletown South

Mosquera kicked three field goals in the Eagles’ 25-0 win over Burlington Township in the first round of the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs. Mosquera connected twice from 36 yards out and kicked one from 27 yards, while also throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass. He and the Eagles host Neptune in the semifinals on their quest for the program’s 10th sectional title.

Divisional Players of the Week

Class A North

Offense

Imamu Mayfield, Sr., RB, Manalapan

Mayfield exploded for a career-high 277 yards rushing while scoring two touchdowns in Manalapan’s 39-14 victory over Old Bridge in the first round of the Central Jersey Group V playoffs.

Defense

Kyle Mullen, Sr., DE, Manalapan

Mullen recorded seven tackles, including one for a loss, and also recovered a fumble in the Braves’ 39-14 victory over Old Bridge in the first round of the Central Jersey Group V playoffs.

Class A Central

Offense

Anthony Brown, Jr., QB, St. John Vianney

Brown accounted for 261 total yards while throwing four touchdowns and running for another in the Lancers’ 56-7 blowout of Pope John in the first round of the Non-Public Group III playoffs. Brown leads the Shore Conference with 25 touchdown passes.

Also deserving mention: Charlie Volker, Sr., RB, Rumson-Fair Haven; Devon Spann, Sr., RB, Matawan.

Defense

Isaiah Phillip, Jr., LB, Matawan

Phillip made 10 tackles, including two for a loss, and registered a sack in the Huskies’ 27-6 victory over Raritan in the first round of the Central Jersey Group III playoffs. Matawan held Raritan to 164 total yards, including just 15 and zero first downs in the second half.

Class A South

Carmen Sclafani, Sr., QB, Brick

Sclafani finished with 322 yards of offense and four touchdowns in a 48-12 win over Princeton in the first round of the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs. He finished with 173 yards passing and two touchdowns and carried 13 times for 149 yards and two scores.

Also deserving mention: Vinny Lee, Jr., RB, Jackson Memorial.

Defense

Brody Graham, Sr., DE, Jackson Memorial

Graham had a pair of sacks in the Jaguars’ 45-7 victory over Middletown North in the first round of the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs, including one on fourth-and-goal that stopped a Middletown North drive.

Class B North

Offense

Dahmiere Willis, Sr., RB, Long Branch

Willis ran for 295 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries in the Green Wave’s 31-0 victory over Hamilton West in the first round of the Central Jersey Group III playoffs. It was Willis’ seventh game of 200 or more yards rushing and made him Long Branch’s first 2,000-yard rusher in program history.

Defense

(tie) Andrew Holland-Samuels, Jr., DL, Neptune; Mike DeMonte, Sr., DB, Red Bank Catholic

Holland-Samuels has been one of the leaders on a Neptune defense that has set that tone for six straight victories. He finished with nine tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss in the Scarlet Fliers’ 21-7 victory over Freehold in the first round of the Central Jersey Group III playoffs.

DeMonte made seven tackles and returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown in the Caseys’ 62-7 rout of Bishop Eustace in the first round of the Non-Public Group III playoffs. DeMonte as also voted by the fans as the Ace Outdoor Power Equipment Player of the Week.

Class B Central

Offense

Chase Bright, Sr., RB, Keyport

In his final high school game, Bright ran for a career-high 191 yards and scored four touchdowns on 14 carries in the Red Raiders’ 41-21 win over Wood-Ridge in an NJSIAA consolation game.

Defense

James Bedell, Sr., LB, Shore

Bedell led the Blue Devils’ defense with seven tackles and an interception in their 49-0 shutout of Point Beach in the first round of the Central Jersey Group I playoffs. Shore now has five shutouts this season, including four in a row, and has allowed a Shore Conference-low 36 total points.

Class B South

Offense

Mike Bickford, So., RB, Central

Bickford ran for 246 yards and three touchdowns on a career-high 41 carries as the Golden Eagles rode their sophomore star to a 28-14 victory over Oakcrest in the first round of the South Jersey Group III playoffs for their first playoff win since 1994 and second in program history.

Defense

Adam Ricci, Sr., DL, Barnegat

It came in a losing effort as Barnegat feel to undefeated Buena, 28-7, in the first round of the South Jersey Group II playoffs, but Ricci was an impact player with a season-high six tackles, a sack and two tackles for a loss.