The Shore Daily, 1/29/15
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There is plenty to discuss across the spectrum of Shore Conference sports today, but I'll start by congratulating Manasquan girls basketball star Marina Mabrey, who has been named a McDonald's All-American.
Mabrey duplicates the feat of her older sister, Michaela, a junior guard at Notre Dame, who played in the 2012 McDonald's All-American Game. There's a good chance we might never see two siblings from the Shore make a game of that level again, although Warriors freshman Dara Mabrey could make it three from the same family by the time she's a senior. Marina is one of two New Jersey players on the East roster in the game featuring the top 24 players from across the country, which will be at 6:30 p.m. on April 1 at the United Center in Chicago.
Marina, who is averaging 26.5 points per game for the Shore's No. 2 team, will be joined in the game by two of her future Notre Dame teammates, Ali Patberg and Arike Ogunbowale.
There also was plenty of football news on Wednesday as several Shore Conference standouts all made their college commitments and Colts Neck removed the interim tag from head coach Darian Barnes.
A trio of SSN All-Shore selections, Long Branch linebacker Hunter Baillie, Brick defensive back Ja'Quez Johnson, and Barnegat defensive lineman Xavier Young, all announced their college commitments. Baillie, a second-team All-Shore pick who led the Shore with 15 sacks to go along with 82 tackles, is headed to American International College, which currently includes offensive lineman Zach Andrews (Barnegat). Johnson, a third-team All-Shore selection who had 42 tackles, 5 pass break-ups and 3 interceptions for the Class A South champions, has committed to Assumption College, where he will join former Red Bank Catholic star running back Larry Redaelli and former Manalapan star linebacker Chris Noesges on the Greyhounds.
Young, a second-team All-Shore pick who was the Class B South Co-Defensive Player of the Year, has committed to Stonehill College, giving the Bengals four scholarship players along with quarterback Cinjun Erskine (Bucknell); linebacker Manny Bowen (Penn State); and offensive lineman Sam Madden (Georgia). Young will join a Skyhawks team that includes former Monmouth Regional running back Dylan Brown, former Donovan Catholic linebacker Tommy Farrell and former Matawan offensive lineman Seamus Weldon.
Another Shore Conference standout who has made his commitment is Raritan senior defensive back Colby Jones. An All-Class A Central pick by the coaches, Jones will continue his career at Hamilton College.
A star from the Class of 2017 also picked up his first FBS offer as Mater Dei Prep wide receiver Eddie Lewis was offered by Iowa, according to coach Steve Sciarappa. He is the first Mater Dei player I can remember getting an FBS offer in the last 20-plus years, and I'm sure it's the first of many. He had 47 catches for 873 yards and 10 touchdowns in earning second-team All-Shore honors this fall. Also, Lewis and sophomore teammate Artis Hemingway will both be playing for the U-17 team in the International Bowl on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Dallas against a team of Canadian all-stars.
On the coaching front, Darian Barnes has been approved by the Board of Education as Colts Neck's new coach. He served as the interim coach in the final two games of last season after Peter Shaw was removed as head coach during the season. Barnes, a former Toms River North star who won a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, led the Cougars to their lone win, a consolation game victory over Hightstown in their final game. He is the Cougars' third coach in three years, as former coach Greg LaCava stepped down after leading them to their first NJSIAA sectional final in 2013.
In boys basketball, it was a light night with only four games, but one of them was a big one as unranked Neptune won its fourth straight by taking down No. 4 Red Bank, 57-56, to shake up the Class B North race. Wall and Colts Neck are now tied for first place with Red Bank's loss, while Neptune seems to be putting it together to reach the .500 mark after a rough 3-7 start under new coach Joe Fagan. Senior Kerry Kirkwood hit the game-winner with 40 seconds left last night and led the team with 15 points. While any shot at a division title is remote, Neptune appears to be rounding into form to be a sleeper in the Shore Conference and state tournaments.
Finally, there was a noteworthy wrestling performance on Wednesday when Keansburg senior Tyree Sutton bumped up to 220 and beat two-time state medalist Tyreek Smith of Moorestown, 9-3, for an impressive victory. Smith was ranked as the No. 1 wrestler in the state at 220, while Sutton is currently ranked as the No. 2 195-pounder in New Jersey. Sutton became the first medal-winner in Keansburg history last season in finishing sixth at 195, and now he has a good shot to win it all this season.
More on Thursday:
- Make sure to get your vote in for former Middletown North star Jason Huelbig, whose dunk for Drew University is up for the GEICO Play of the Year in college basketball.
- Despite being down to 10 scholarship players, CBA grad Andy Toole has the Robert Morris men's basketball team tied for first in the Northeast Conference.
- If you're a football player frustrated with your recruiting, you've probably got nothing on this quarterback from New Mexico.
- Paulsboro wrestling coach Paul Morina is now South Jersey's all-time wins leader.
- Talk about a roller-coaster: A high school basketball player in North Carolina hit a game-winning shot on Tuesday, then hours later was woken up as his house was burning down.
- A girls basketball team in Detroit beat an opponent 80-0 last night.
- Catching up with Office Linebacker Terry Tate and more Super Bowl commercial stars of yore.
- Olympic sailors to Brazilian Olympic organizers: Please make your disgusting water less polluted for the Olympics. Organizers: Uh, no, that's not gonna happen.
On tap for tonight: There's a full slate of boys basketball action, headlined by a big Class A Central showdown between old rivals. No. 9 Rumson-Fair Haven will travel to No. 10 Shore, as Shore tries to remain tied for the division lead with Manasquan, with Rumson only a game behind. Shore senior Kevin Bloodgood also enters the game 13 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
In Class B North, Colts Neck, which is tied for first with Wall, heads to face a resurgent Neptune team that looks to play spoiler in the division race. Red Bank also heads to Matawan to try to bounce right back from last night's loss to Neptune. No. 3 Freehold Township travels to Middletown North to try to stay a game ahead of the Lions and others in the race for the Class A North public title.
I will sign off with the return of "Kickalicious," otherwise known as Norwegian kicker Havard Rugland, who produced a crazy YouTube video of him making trick kicks that got him a tryout with the Detroit Lions. Now he has done Part 2.
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