Week Zero Brings Surprises

The 2014 high school football season got underway this weekend, in what the state calls Week Zero. Five games were played in the Shore Conference, and we already have some surprises.

Our Game of theWeek was not one of those surprises. Red Bank Catholic (1-0) demolished a young Wall team 55-6.  Two questions here - is RBC that good?  Yes, they are!  Is Wall that bad?  No, they are not!  First-year head coach Dan Curcione will continue to develop this young team and they will get better each week. Junior quarterback Matt Cluley is the leader of the Crimson Knights this year.
Red Bank is up next and that's a winnable game on their schedule. RBC will be challenged this year by a tougher-than-ever schedule. They have won 34 straight against Shore opponents. This year, with teams like Long Branch, Ocean, Neptune, Jackson Memorial, and Manalapan, that streak just may be in jeopardy.

Head coach Jim Portela has some big-time players. Junior Eddie Hahn is a game-breaking quarterback who can run and pass with the best quarterbacks in the state. The run game is solid, and with a good group of receivers, the Caseys can throw the ball if they have to. Size up front on both sides of ball completes a solid team.

You have to feel good after Freehold Township's 40-20 victory over Howell.  For a program that has struggled for a long time (they were 1-9 last year), this win was their first opening day victory since 2008. With a new spread offense, running back Matt Pine scored three touchdowns on only five carries and had another touchdown on a pick six. That's the luxury of the spread - load up on the receivers and the run lanes open up.

The Patriots jumped on the Rebels early and played great defense in the first half, holding them to one first down to lead 34-7 after one half of play. Head coach Mike D'Antonio was excited about getting his Patriots ready, and they proved they will be no pushover this year. Howell must now regroup after a disappointing effort. They get Colts Neck at home next week.

Freehold Boro (2-8) was another team that surprised some around the Shore. Running back Josh Dixon, of Freehold Boro ran for 217 yards and four touchdowns in the Colonials' 26-14 win over Middletown North. This contest saw another running back emerge as a force to be reckoned with in 2014. Junior Chad Freshnock of Middletown North ran for 250 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. The victories by these two schools sets up a very interesting battle next week between Freehold Boro and Freehold Township.

It hasn't been an easy time for head coach Dan Duddy since the sudden death of his son a few months back, but the Griffings of Donovan Catholic put together a solid opener and gave him a 10-7 victory over Pinelands. It was a 35-yard field goal by junior kicker GianCarlo Stigliano, playing in his first football game ever, that made the difference.The game-winner came with nine seconds left. It had been a game of mistakes, as Pinelands fumbled 8 times (losing 3) and threw an interception while the Griffins fumbled twice, losing one.

After a 7-7 tie during the first half, it was Stigliano's game-winner that sent the home crowd home happy. Pinelands running back Conner Bussey ran for a touchdown,while running back Jaylin Roman ran for 73 yards to lead the Wildcats. Next up is Point Boro on the road. Boro was Pinelands' lone win last year. The Griffins (1-0) entertain the Indians of Toms River South.

Congrats go out to Middletown South head coach, Steve Antonucci who in his 16th season won his 150th game with a very loud 56-0 victory over Marlboro. Doesn't take a genius to figure that's 10 wins per year. An amazing record for a great coach.The Eagles come off a 5-5 season in 2013, and they will be back in the title hunt this year with a very solid team. Some say they may be a year away, as they still have some good underclassmen playing, but not me. They are back as strong as ever and will challenge Manalapan in Class A North.

Junior running back Cole Rogers had three touchdown runs and sophomore running back/linebacker James McCarthy looks like a star on the rise for the Eagles, as he scored two touchdowns.They won't see Manalapan until Oct. 17, so the Eagles have to take care of business until then. Doesn't get much easier for Marlboro, as it has to face Manalapan next week.

Our Investors Bank High School Football Show resumes this week from the Water Street Grill in Toms River at 7 p.m. Joining us this week are two of the top FBS recruits in the state- Barnegat linebacker Manny Bowen, who is verbally committed to Penn State, and Red Bank Catholic senior linebacker Jamie Gordinier, who is committed to the University of Miami.

News Talk Radio WOBM 1160 and 1310 a.m. is where you'll find us on the radio or online at ShoreSportsNetwork.com. This year we will also have live streaming video of the show, so remember video makes you look 10 pounds heavier when you view us on the screen.