Top 10 Plays of the Week, 9/10/14

Welcome to the inaugural 2014 edition of the Shore Sports Network’s top plays, highlighting the most dazzling and exciting moments from Shore Conference football action.

This week we take a look at the top clips from Week Zero. We can’t be filming every game at once, so if you have a great clip on YouTube, Vimeo or some other service where it can be embedded, or if you have the raw video file, feel free to email me a link at stump@allshoremedia.com or tweet it to me at @Scott_Stump.

We had five games to work with during a light Week Zero, and I'm looking forward to plenty more highlights as the rest of the Shore gets going in Week One.

Away we go.

10. Let's start with a bang.

Or let's let Middletown South sophomore linebacker James McCarthy start things with a bang, like he did on the first play from scrimmage in the Eagles' win over Marlboro. Not a bad way to begin your first game as a varsity starter.

9. "You stick together!" A fired-up Freehold team is ready to turn things around after a 2-8 season.

Yes, I get it, it's not a highlight play, but you have to love the fire from the Colonials' players, assistant coach Andrew Mandeville and head coach Dave Ellis after a season-opening victory on the road at Middletown North.

 8. Joe Timmins flies like an Eagle.

The Middletown South senior wide receiver takes a handoff and shows his speed with a 30-yard burst to the house vs. Marlboro.

7. Oh, right, James McCarthy plays on offense, too.

Here he is with a 50-yard touchdown run against Marlboro. Eager to see how he and the Eagles do against state-ranked South Brunswick at "The Swamp" on Friday night.

6. Pine star. 

When Freehold Township senior Matt Pine wasn't busy running for three touchdowns in the first half against Howell, he took this interception to the house.

5. Lion on the loose.

Middletown North junior tailback Chad Freshnock tears off a 66-yard touchdown run against Freehold. Three things about this one: 1. Nice clear out block by Middletown North senior lineman Joe Antonio (#66). 2. Strong downfield blocking by tight end Troy Thompson to spring the play. 3. Great vision by Freshnock. He picks his way through a few defenders as the play develops and then bursts through the seam when it opens.

4. "He's one of the fastest running backs in the Shore. Who can catch him?" "Nobody!"

Freehold senior Josh Dixon went nuts for 217 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Middletown North. Here are the three long ones he broke off. They show the whole package - speed to beat the defense to the perimeter and turn the corner, the power to run through arm tackles, and the breakaway burst to finish the run.

3. Field goooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllll!!!!

In his first football game after playing for Christian Brothers Academy's soccer team last year, Donovan Catholic junior GianCarlo Stigliano, the reigning Sport Clips Player of the Week, bangs home a 35-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the game to beat Pinelands. As for the strength of his leg, this pretty much sums that up.

2. The Rebel return.

Howell junior safety Mike Reilly zigs, he zags, he runs about 120 yards against Freehold Township while criss-crossing the field for a 94-yard interception return in which he was tackled one yard short of the goal line. The good news for him, after I'm assuming he was removed from the oxygen tank on a hot and humid night, is that Howell then scored. You can make a strong argument this could be the top play, although finishing it for the TD would have really capped it off.

1. Hahn dynasty mode.

Red Bank Catholic junior quarterback Eddie Hahn accounted for five touchdowns between rushing and passing in a win over Wall, but this one was the capper. A blitzer right in my face? Oh, OK then, I'll just completely reverse field and run for a ridiculous 55-yard touchdown. This was our most-viewed clip of Week Zero, and it's worth seeing again.