Pitching is the name of the game in the preseason Shore 16 and for the second straight year, the non-public teams of the Shore are leading the field to open the season.
Saint John Vianney's Anthony Knox, Rumson-Fair Haven's Sonny Amato, Southern's Matt Henrich, and Brick Memorial's Harvey Ludington won boys state titles while Howell's Kylie Gudewitz, Middletown South's Thea Rowland, and Central's Liliana Alicea won NJSIAA state titles on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
The Shore Conference has eight NJSIAA state finalists after Southern's Anthony Mason, Saint John Vianney's Anthony Knox, Donovan Catholic's Kurt Wehner, CBA's Alex Nini, Rumson's Sonny Amato, Southern's Matt Henrich, Brick Memorial's Harvey Ludington, and Hudson Skove won their semifinal matches on Friday night at Boardwalk Hall.
Howell's Kylie Gudewitz, Middletown South's Thea Rowland, and Central's Liliana Alicea won their semfinal bouts to advance to Saturday's NJSIAA state finals.
Red Bank junior Kevin Ruland advanced to the quarterfinals as the No. 24 seed and Howell freshman Tanner Hodgins showcased his skills and smarts to upset the No. 6 seed and reach the quarterfinals on Thursday at Boardwalk Hall.
With a multi-faceted attack led by a senior that has embraced his role as point guard, Manalapan has pushed into the NJSIAA sectional semifinal for the first time since 1999.