Boys Soccer – VOTE: Week 1 Player of the Week
Each week during the 2021 boys soccer season, Shore Sports Network recognizes the top performers in each Shore Conference division and the SSN readers have a chance to vote for the overall Player of the Week.
Below are the top players from each of the Shore Conference's six divisions plus two wild cards who are in the running for the award reflecting the first week of the season. Read about their accomplishments from the past week and vote for the player who should be recognized as overall Player of the Week.
Vote once every hour at the bottom of this post until the poll closes at 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
Class A North Player of the Week
Jeremy Hernandez, Long Branch
Both Hernandez and senior teammate Davenson JoinVilmar scored two goals in three games last week and in Hernandez’s case, both came in Long Branch victories. The junior extended his team’s lead to 2-0 in a win over Middletown South on Thursday, with that same score holding up as the final tally. Hernandez added another goal on Saturday in a 1-0 win over Monmouth to give the Green Wave a winning week following the opening-day loss at CBA.
Class A North Honorable Mention: Herman Colbert, Freehold Twp.; Daniel McNamara, CBA; Dylan Cupo, CBA; Davenson JoinVilmar, Long Branch; Alex Fischler, Marlboro
Class A Central Player of the Week
Brendan Worobel, Holmdel
Holmdel has lost a slew of scoring over the past several seasons but through two games this year, the Hornets once again have the conference’s top scorer. Worobel was starting to find his footing as a junior last year when an injury derailed his season and now as a senior, he has been dominant up top. Worobel kicked off his senior campaign by scoring four times in a 5-1 win over a solid Monmouth roster, then scored the golden goal in a 1-0 overtime win at Middletown North.
Class A Central Honorable Mention: Nico Gonzalez, Red Bank Catholic; Jadyn DeRosa, Shore; Aidan Tisony, Ocean; Dylan Gargulinski, Ocean; Jake Schwartz, Ocean; Lupo Ryder, Raritan; Ethan Wallace, Monmouth; Prabnoor Singh, Monmouth
Class A South Player of the Week
Gianni Smith, Central
There were some big goals and eye-opening performances in Class A South’s first week but the nod goes to Smith for playing a key role in two Central wins and a tie to open 2021. The senior scored at least once in all three games for a total of six goals and one assist to get Central off to a 2-0-1 start after going winless in 2020. Smith scored twice in a 5-0 win over Point Beach, once in a 2-2 tie vs. Brick Memorial and picked up a hat trick in a 4-1 win over Barnegat.
Class A South Honorable Mention: A.J. Emnace, Toms River North; Jared Brown, Toms River North; Evan Walenty, Jackson Memorial; Mario Addiego, Southern; Anthony Ruggiero, Toms River North; Jon Fitzgerald, Toms River South; Mike Azzerone, Central; Pat Schlagenhaft, Brick Memorial
Class B North Player of the Week
Johnny Troiano, St. John Vianney
Troiano has been a starter since his freshman season in 2018 but winning has not been a prominent part of his career as a Lancer. The senior striker helped get started on changing that when he scored two second-half goals to help St. John Vianney rally from a 1-0 deficit and beat Colts Neck – ranked No. 5 in the preseason Top 10 – 2-1. The win helped Vianney bounce back from a 1-0 loss to Manasquan on opening day and could prove a critical win in the Lancers’ pursuit of a spot in the Shore Conference Tournament.
Class B North Honorable Mention: Cooper Harmon, Wall; Matt Murphy, Wall; Tharnthong Phua, Freehold Boro; Ernst Louisius, Neptune; Aidan MacAnee, Neptune; Matt Karolak, Manasquan; Matt Lynch, Red Bank; John Zavala, Red Bank
Class B Central Player of the Week
Charlie McCann, Ranney
McCann and the Panthers are off to a hot start, with Ranney scoring 12 goals in two games and McCann accounting for a team-high four of them. The senior put in two goals in a 7-1 drubbing of Asbury Park on Wednesday, then notched two more Friday in a wild, 5-4, overtime win over Manchester, which ended on an own goal off a throw-in.
Class B Central Honorable Mention: Luke Hamill, St. Rose; Tommy Boyan, Ranney; Josh Boyan, Point Beach; Luke Zylinski, Point Beach; Tanner Curtis, Point Beach; Elvis Gonzalez, Henry Hudson; Josh Wenzel, Point Beach
Class B South Player of the Week
Alex Baginski, Point Boro
For the last three years, Point Boro has been a shell of the team that was perennially at or near the top of the Shore Conference Class B South standings. In two games to this point, the Panthers appear to be back and Baginski has been their breakout star. The junior struck for two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win over Manchester, including the overtime winner, then put in two more goals in a 4-0 rout of Brick on Saturday morning.
Class B South Honorable Mention: Stephen DeMilio, Pinelands; Jared Elliot, Point Boro; Gerard Cerino, Jackson Liberty; Elton Canka, Jackson Liberty; Owen Edwards, Manchester; Joey Kurak, Manchester; Peyton Calvetto, Donovan Catholic; Jake Guarino, Barnegat; Jesse Hedlund, Barnegat
Wild Cards
Lupo Ryder, Raritan
Raritan had to wait until Saturday to open its season and it turned out to be worth the wait. The Rockets exacted some revenge on Manchester, which ended Raritan’s 2020 season in dramatic fashion during the NJSIAA sectional semifinal round. Ryder came through for Raritan with two goals, including the overtime winner to cap the exciting, 3-2 victory for the Rockets.
Elvis Gonzalez, Henry Hudson
The Admirals got in the win column early by outlasting Keyport in a wild, back-and-forth, 5-4 win. Gonzalez was the star for Henry Hudson, recording a hat trick to lead the high-scoring effort.
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