Alumni Update: Calderon, Firkser, Thomson, Patterson and More Shine in College Ranks

It was another great week for a host of Shore Conference football alumni at the higher levels.

Here is this week's alumni update. You can email me at stump@allshoremedia.com if I missed anyone.

NFL

---It was a memorable day for Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Neal Sterling (Manasquan/Monmouth Univ.), who had one catch for 10 yards in a 30-27 win over the Colts in London for his first NFL catch.

---Clark Harris (Southern/Rutgers) is a veteran starting long-snapper for the Cincinnati Bengals, who beat the Dolphins last Thursday.

---Defensive end Vinny Curry (Neptune) is part of a Philadelphia Eagles team off to an unbeaten start. The Eagles were on their bye week this week.

---Shilique Calhoun (Middletown North) is a rookie defensive end for the Oakland Raiders who has seen significant snaps thus far. He did not have a tackle in their win over Baltimore on Sunday.

---Tight end Tim Wright (Wall/Rutgers) is on the Detroit Lions but is currently injured.

COLLEGE

---Senior defensive back Ikie Calderon (Neptune) tied for the team high with 12 tackles, including 7 solo stops, along with a sack and a pass break-up in Eastern Michigan's 28-25 win over Bowling Green.

---Linebacker Manny Bowen (Barnegat) had 7 tackles, 2 for a loss, and tight end Mike Gesicki (Southern) finished with 5 catches for 70 yards as Penn State outlasted Minnesota 29-26 in overtime.

---Starting guard Quenton Nelson (Red Bank Catholic) was part of a unit that paved the way for 654 total yards in Notre Dame's 50-33 win over Syracuse up at MetLife Stadium to get the Fighting Irish back on track. Pro Football Focus rated Nelson as a mid-season All-American as one of the best guards in the country with an 87.8 run blocking grade.

---Freshman wide receiver Sadiq Palmer (Red Bank) had one catch for 23 yards and kicker Mike Caggiano (Manalapan) went 3-for-3 on extra points for UMass in a 31-24 loss to Tulane.

---Wide receiver Keith Kirkwood (Neptune) had 3 catches for 41 yards in Temple's 45-20 win over SMU and redshirt freshman linebacker Chapelle Russell (Lakewood) had 7 tackles, including 2 for a loss and a sack as well as a pass break-up in the win.

---Former Red Bank Catholic star and SSN Defensive Player of the Year Jamie Gordinier is part of the Miami team that is off to a 4-0 start and ranked in the top 15 after a 35-21 win over Georgia Tech. Unfortunately the redshirt freshman linebacker is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in a season-opening blowout of Florida A&M.

---Defensive tackle Pat Toal (Raritan) was in on a tackle for a loss in Old Dominion's 52-17 wipeout of Charlotte.

---Tight end Anthony Firkser (Manalapan) had a career day with 5 catches for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns as Harvard picked up a 31-17 win over Georgetown.

---Quarterback Alex Thomson (Keyport) had a big day, going 15-for-28 for 276 yards and 3 touchdowns and defensive back Jesse Flaherty (Red Bank Catholic) had 6 tackles and an interception he returned 29 yards in Wagner's 45-20 win over Sacred Heart. Defensive back Shawn Ramcheran (Matawan) had 3 tackles in the loss.

---It was a barn-burner in West Long Branch as Monmouth University pulled out a 42-41 overtime win over my dad's alma mater, the Fordham Rams, as the Hawks went for the two-point conversion in OT to win the game. Monmouth safety Mike Basile (Brick Memorial) had 8 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss and a sack, defensive lineman Manny Maragoto (Freehold Twp.) had 4 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, and defensive lineman Dimitrius Smith (Jackson Mem.) had 4 tackles and got in on a sack for the Hawks. For the Rams, senior wideout Robbie Cantelli (Holmdel) had 4 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

---Running back Matt Gudzak (Toms River East) had a team-high 71 yards rushing on 12 carries along with 2 catches for 20 yards and a touchdown in Villanova's 42-7 win over Elon. Ryan Morris (Barnegat) also starts at tight end for the Wildcats, serving primarily as a blocking tight end while wearing a shoulder brace for both arms due to torn labrums.

---Junior defensive lineman Nick Tomkins (Matawan) had 5 tackles, including one for a loss, and a pass break-up in Dartmouth's 37-24 loss to the University of Pennsylvania.

---Sophomore running back Nick Cella (Red Bank Catholic) had a big day with 18 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown as Rensselaer rolled up 456 yards rushing in a 51-13 win over Rochester.

---Defensive back Darrius Hart (Toms River South) had a pair of tackles in Maine's 35-31 win over Bryant.

---Defensive end Kyle Mullen (Manalapan) had 9 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, in Yale's 63-35 loss to Lehigh.

---Sophomore running back Charlie Volker (Rumson-FH) had 10 carries for 38 yards and offensive lineman Reily Radosevich (Manalapan) helped pave the way for 439 total yards as Princeton rolled over Columbia with a 48-13 win.

---Defensive end Shawn McCord (Red Bank Catholic) was in on a sack in a 52-10 win by St. Francis (Pa.) over Malone.

---Wideout Tim Vangelas (Colts Neck) had 3 catches for 31 yards in Lafayette's 38-28 loss to Holy Cross.

---Quarterback Steve Cluley (Wall) was 8-for-20 for 61 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in William & Mary's 21-12 loss to New Hampshire.

---Neptune grad Ajee Patterson continues to shine as the quarterback at New Haven, as he went 15-for-20 for 257 yards passing and 3 touchdowns in a 38-20 win over Southern Connecticut. Sophomore defensive lineman Ari Nwobi (Jackson Liberty) had 3 tackles and a pass break-up in the win.

---Running back Mike Cordova (Red Bank Catholic) had a big day with 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 carries in Stonehill's 31-6 win over Merrimack. Defensive lineman Xavier Young (Barnegat) added a tackle in the win.

---Junior linebacker Dan Loizos (Ocean) was sensational with a career-high 20 tackles, a forced fumble, 2.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks to lead Ithaca to a 23-14 win over Utica.

---Sophomore wide receiver Kyle Morris (Barnegat) had 4 catches for 36 yards as Johns Hopkins routed Juniata, 52-17.

---Quarterback Riley Sullivan (Raritan) was 2-for-5 for 9 yards, running back Khani Glover (Jackson Mem.) had 9 carries for 29 yards and defensive lineman Erik Graham (Shore Regional) had 5 tackles in The College of New Jersey's 41-6 loss to Salisbury.

---Sullivan's old teammate, freshman wideout Jordan Smith (Raritan), had 4 catches for 78 yards, tight end Kyle Rooney (Holmdel) had 3 catches for 35 yards and Steve Ferlisi (Brick) averaged 33.7 yards on 6 punts in Kean University's 25-18 loss to Frostburg State. A pair of Raritan grads, Nick Buzzo and Chris Vurchio, both start on the offensive line for Kean.  Defensive back Dave Jimerson (Howell) had 6 tackles and defensive back Austin Davis (Matawan) had a pair of tackles and a pass break-up in the loss.

---Senior defensive back Pat Moran (Barnegat) continued a strong season with 6 tackles and an interception to help William Paterson knock off Montclair State, 18-13, on homecoming. Running back John DiStefano (Red Bank Catholic) had 16 carries for 44 yards, wideout Julanee Prince (St. John Vianney) had 3 catches for 52 yards and a touchdown, and wideout Jaedon Stephens (Asbury Park) had 3 grabs for 40 yards in the loss for the Red Hawks. Defensively, sophomore defensive lineman Jake Weber (Matawan) had a big game in defeat with 11 tackles and a forced fumble, and junior defensive lineman Nick Volpe (Colts Neck) added 8 tackles, including 2 for a loss, and a forced fumble.

---Running back Danny Tighe (Pt. Beach) had 7 carries for 20 yards in Albright's 27-7 win over King's College.

---Liam Casey (St. John Vianney) had 3 tackles in FDU-Florham's 32-28 win over Wilkes University that came in the final minute. Defensive back Jordan Billups (Jackson Liberty) had 2 tackles, including one for a loss, and a pass break-up for Wilkes.

---Sophomore linebacker Jack Fitzsimmons (Pt. Boro) had 5 tackles and defensive back Nate Corvil (Freehold Twp.) had 3 tackles and a pass break-up in Muhlenberg's 33-30 win over Susquehanna.

---Sophomore defensive back Jake Fioretti (Pt. Beach) had 10 tackles and a pass break-up for Gettysburg in a 38-23 win over McDaniel College. Linebacker Drew Scott (Brick) had 6 tackles, including one for a loss, in the loss for McDaniel.

---Old Raritan teammates Jared Collins and Vinny Caporrino reunited in Moravian's 33-32 win over Ursinus.

---Running back Dahmiere Willis (Long Branch) had 3 carries for 4 yards in American International's 30-10 win over St. Anselm. His old Green Wave teammate, defensive end Hunter Baillie, added a pair of tackles in the win.

---Senior linebacker David Gutzmore (Neptune) had 6 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass break-up in Seton Hill's 47-39 loss to Indiana (Pa.).

---Defensive back Myles Martin (Neptune) had a pair of tackles in Pace's 28-0 loss to Bentley.

---Defensive lineman Joe Odebode (Toms River South) had 2 tackles, including one for a loss, in East Stroudsburg's 54-12 win over Cheyney.

---Brothers Mike and Anthony Nobile (Brick Memorial), a pair of defensive linemen, plus offensive lineman Mike Post (Colts Neck) and running back Tyler Thompson (Ocean) are playing a post-grad season at highly-regarded Milford Academy up in New Berlin, N.Y. You can catch up on them here.