Shore Sports Network Football Players of the Week, 10/14/14

Overall Shore Conference Players of the Week

Offense

Matt Cluley, Jr., QB Wall/Dahmiere Willis, Sr., RB, Long Branch

Cluley led the way for the Crimson Knights in their incredible 28-27 double overtime victory over previously undefeated and second-ranked Brick. The junior signal caller threw three touchdown passes and ran for another to give Wall its first victory of the season and first-year head coach Dan Curcione his first win. His 37-yard touchdown pass to Liam Ferguson in the second overtime tied the score at 27 and allowed Nick Maciejewski to kick the game-winning extra point. He also threw a touchdown pass to Ferguson in the first overtime, and had a touchdown pass to sophomore R.J. Janeczek and a rushing touchdown in the first half when Wall took a 14-0 lead.

Willis ran for 245 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries in Long Branch’s 19-7 nondivisional victory over Rumson for its fourth straight win. Willis has run for over 200 yards in each of the last four games and now has 1,143 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in five games this season.

Defense

Manny Bowen, Sr., LB, Barnegat

In a 24-14 victory over Manasquan, Bowen made 11 tackles, including two for a loss, to help the Bengals defeat the Warriors for the first time in five tries. Offensively, he had eight carries for 111 rushing yards, including a 76-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Special Teams

Nick Maciejewski, Jr., K., Wall

Maciejewski was a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points, including the biggest kick this season when he knocked through the PAT in double overtime to give Wall a 28-27 double overtime victory over previously unbeaten Brick. The Crimson Knights had lost 11 straight games dating back to last season, while Brick was the No. 11 team in the state coming into the game.

Also deserving mention: John Cheung, Sr., PR, Manalapan; Shawn Ramcheran, Sr., PR, Matawan.

Divisional Players of the Week

Class A North

Offense

Cole Rogers, Jr., RB, Middletown South

Rogers ran for 182 yards and four touchdowns on just seven carries in No. 4 Middletown South’s 44-0 victory over Howell to improve to 4-1 and set up a mega clash with No. 2 Manalapan this Friday.

Also deserving mention: Matt Pine, Sr., RB, Freehold Township; Jake Curry, Jr., QB, Freehold.

Defense

Troy Thompson, Sr., LB, Middletown North

The Lions two-way standout had a 30-yard fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown to help Middletown North top Ocean, 21-7. Thompson also made his mark at tight end with 8 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown as the Lions improved to 3-2 to equal their win total from last season.

Also deserving mention: Joe Mendez, Sr., LB, Manalapan; Dylan Rogers, Jr., LB, Middletown South

Class A Central

Offense

Derek Ernst, Jr., RB, Raritan

Ernst has been superb since taking over for injured starter Richie Salerno, and rolled up a career-high 215 yards rushing and three touchdowns to help the Rockets rally from a 27-14 second-half deficit and defeat Red Bank, 35-27.

Also deserving mention: Aneesh Agrawal, So. QB, Holmdel; Anthony Brown, Jr., QB, St. John Vianney.

Defense

Frank Condito, Sr., LB Holmdel/Matt McDonnell, Sr., DL, Holmdel

Condito made 13 tackles and also scored a rushing touchdown, and McDonnell had a pair of sacks in the Hornets’ emotional 33-14 victory over Spotswood for their first win of the season.

Class A South

Offense

Tim Santiago, Jr., QB, Brick Memorial

Santiago ran for a career-high 211 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries to lead a 386-yard rushing attack, and also completed all three of his pass attempts for 50 yards in a 35-23 nonconference victory over Old Bridge

Also deserving mention: Matt Castronuova, Sr., WR, Jackson Memorial; Joe DeMaio, Sr., QB, Jackson Memorial.

Defense

Glenn Kipila, Sr., DL, Jackson Memorial

Kipila led a Jaguars’ defense that shut down Toms River North’s versatile offense in a 35-7 victory. The senior had 9 tackles, one sack and one tackle for a loss, while also playing along an offensive line that paved the way for 225 yards rushing.

Class B North

Offense

Jack Navitsky, Jr., QB, Red Bank

Navitsky accounted for all four of the Bucs’ touchdowns in a 35-27 loss to Raritan. He ran for touchdowns of 11 and 64 yards and threw touchdown passes of 46 ad 22 yards to junior wide receiver Sadiq Palmer.

Also deserving mention: Eddie Hahn, Jr., QB, Red Bank Catholic.

Defense

Hunter Baillie, Sr., DE, Long Branch/Brandon Lane, Jr., LB, Long Branch

Baillie made nine tackles and recorded two sacks, and Lane also made nine stops with three tackles for a loss in Long Branch’s 19-7 victory over Rumson-Fair Haven. The Green Wave held the Bulldogs to just 86 yards of total offense and limited sophomore quarterback Mike O’Connor, who ran for 260 yards the week prior, to minus-9 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

Also deserving mention: Jamie Gordinier, Sr., LB, Red Bank Catholic/Doug Zockoll, Sr., DL, Red Bank Catholic.

Class B Central

Offense

Christian Palmer, Sr., QB, Mater Dei Prep

Palmer continues to shred opposing defenses and has the B Central Offensive Player of the Week award on lockdown. In a 54-14 victory over South River, Palmer threw for 267 yards and four touchdowns on 7-for-11 passing, and ran for 78 yards and two touchdown on just five carries.

Defense

Keyport’s entire unit

After allowing 30 points per game over their first four contests, the Red Raiders’ defense rose up and held Highland Park to 12 points in a 14-12 victory for their first of the season and first for head coach John Paczkowski.

Class B South

Offense

Mike Bickford, So., RB, Central

Bickford went over 200 yards rushing for the second straight week when he ran for a career-high 242 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries in a crucial 27-13 victory over Point Boro that forced a five-way tie for first place in the division.

Defense

Kyle Morris, Sr., LB, Barnegat

Morris returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown, his second defensive touchdown of the season, to help the Bengals improve to 4-1 with a 24-14 victory over Manasquan.