By Ian Roth - Shore Sports Network contributor

MANAHAWKIN - Saying Southern's boys lacrosse team came to play on Wednesday night against Brick was an understatement, as senior star Dylan Jinks hit a career milestone and the Rams beat Brick 17-1 on Senior Night.

Dylan Jinks, Shawn McManus, and Will Johnson led the unbeaten Rams (12-0, 7-0), ranked No. 1 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10, to another important divisional win, combining with their teammates for more than 40 shots on goal. Jinks, who is headed to the University of Hartford, scored five goals, including the 250th of his career.

Southern Regional senior Dylan Jinks scored his 250th career goal in a win over Brick on Wednesday night. (Photo by Cliff Lavelle).
Southern Regional senior Dylan Jinks scored his 250th career goal in a win over Brick on Wednesday night. (Photo by Cliff Lavelle).
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Playing under the lights of the Doc Cramer Sports Complex, the seniors did not disappoint in the first quarter. Jinks scored the first two goals of the game and Chris Smith added one. Johnson, a sophomore, then found the back of the net in the sixth minute.

“Offensively, it’s just moving the ball and finding the open guy,” Jinks said.

In the second quarter, the Rams did plenty of finding the open guy as they exploded for 10 unanswered goals. McManus scored three times, Smith hit two more, and Jinks added one, which marked the 250th of his brilliant career.

Johnson added two more in the quarter while Kyle Mulrane also joined the party with a goal of his own. In all, Southern shot scored 10 goals on 17 shots in the quarter and had 35 shots at halftime.

It was a memorable Senior Night for Dylan Jinks and the rest of the Southern seniors as they rolled past Brick to remain unbeaten. (Photo by Chuck Donohue via Twitter)
It was a memorable Senior Night for Dylan Jinks and the rest of the Southern seniors as they rolled past Brick to remain unbeaten. (Photo by Chuck Donohue via Twitter)
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Up 14-0 at the half, the Rams then worked on their defense in the second half. The Green Dragons also picked up their game after the break, limiting the Rams’ shots while keeping the ball essentially in the middle of the field. Jinks added two goals in the third quarter, and Johnson scored one in the fourth for the final margin.

Richie Cosgrove got Brick on the board in the final quarter when he scored the Dragons' lone goal with 2:17 left in the game.

For Southern, Johnson and Jinks had five goals apiece, McManus and Smith each had three goals, and Mulrane added one. Nick Simonelli had led the Rams with four assists and Jon Manzo added three. Jinks’ five goals give him a total of 54 for the season, putting him among the top 10 scorers in the state. Goalies Brendan Lefanto and Alex Gile combined to stop nine shots.

With a big game on the road against Toms River North on Friday night, Southern looks to achieve the first of its three goals this season and win the Class A South title.

“We want to come out with everything we wanted – the three championships: A South, Shore Conference, and winning Group IV,'' McManus said.

 

 

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