The Shore Daily, 1/31/15
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The Shore Conference Tournament semifinals are all set today after a big night of wrestling in which three of the top four seeds advanced and sixth-seeded Toms River South got some revenge to also punch its ticket to the final four.
Also, in boys basketball, Southern junior Peyton Wejnert hit a career milestone with a big night that included taking down the No. 1 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10.
WRESTLING
I'll start with wrestling, where I took in fourth-seeded Jackson Memorial's 35-15 win over fifth-seeded Long Branch for what is believed to be the Jaguars' 17th straight trip to the SCT semifinals. It was a quintessential Jackson match, as it won three 1-0 decisions, two of them in key toss-up bouts, by getting third-period rideouts. The Jaguars have long been known for their ability on the mat from the offensive position, and they showed it against a scrappy Long Branch team that wasn't giving them much bonus points at all. The gutsiest of all was sophomore Tanner Kelly, who has a torn MCL, LCL and hamstring in his right leg and found a way to pull out a 1-0 win over Long Branch's Lamont Reid (18-5) at 170.
Now the Jaguars have to deal with a top-three team in the state in undefeated Howell, which rolled past ninth-seeded Jackson Liberty, 47-12, in the semifinals today at 3 p.m. today at Jackson Liberty. There's a good chance this is the first of two meetings because they are both in South Jersey Group V. (Howell is South Jersey now? Did the tectonic plates shift under New Jersey while I was sleeping?) Bob Badders will have full coverage of today's action, which culminates in the championship match at 5:30 p.m. at Jackson Liberty.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Brick Memorial rolled to a 51-13 win over No. 7 Wall to set up a meeting with sixth-seeded Toms River South, whom the Mustangs beat 45-22 during the Class A South schedule. The Indians avenged a regular-season loss to No. 3 Brick with a 33-27 win last night despite forfeiting three bouts, which is a tremendous performance. Joe Salvato got a big 5-1 decision at 195 and the Indians picked up some key bonus points in other spots before Owen McClave sealed the win with a 5-2 decision at 126.
Also, congrats to Ocean's Zach Hertling and St. John Vianney's Paul Piccione, who each picked up their 100th career win during Round-of-16 matches last night.
BOYS BASKETBALL
The big story was Southern's 73-62 win over No. 1 Toms River North in Class A South, thanks to 33 points by junior Peyton Wejnert, who hit 1,000 on the nose with his final point on a free throw. The stat that jumped out at me from Matt Manley's story is that Southern is 8-0 at home with an average margin of victory of 17 points this season. For a school where wrestling is often the headliner in the winter, they have done a great job of creating a big and loud student section to give the Rams' a true homecourt advantage.
Wejnert now makes two 1,000-point scorers on the Rams along with senior teammate Jake Logue. That also makes six 1,000-point scorers in two days after five reached the mark on Thursday. Wejnert, who played his first two seasons at Point Boro, now has a shot to make a serious run at Southern's all-time scoring record of 1,867 points set last season by four-year starter Mike Gesicki, who is now a tight end at Penn State. Wejnert and Christian Brothers Academy's Pat Andree are the only juniors to hit 1,000 in the Shore this season, although Rumson's Brendan Barry looks to join that club at some point.
The win puts Southern one game behind the Mariners in the Class A South race, and it also means Pine Belt Arena is the place to be on Monday when rival Toms River South visits for a game that will be for sole possession of first place in the division and could go a long way toward deciding the title. Toms River North is hoping for the return of junior starter Pat Marinaccio, who sat out Friday's game with an ankle injury and is day-to-day.
In other action from Friday, No. 3 Freehold Township survived an overtime scare by Marlboro thanks to 19 points apiece from Jason Czajkowski and Tyree Wilson, while Mater Dei Prep kept itself right in the running for a Shore Conference Tournament berth with a win over Keyport to get to .500 thanks to 15 points by senior Tysaun White.
Also, Lakewood continues to just own Class B South, as the Piners romped to a 62-39 win over a Donovan Catholic team that had won four straight. Lakewood has now won 33 straight divisional games dating back to 2013.
FOOTBALL
The University of Maine is really recruiting the Shore hard this season, as the Bears have secured a commitment from another Shore standout, Long Branch senior defensive end John Mimes, according to Green Wave coach Dan George. Mimes also had an offer from Rhode Island, and he joins Toms River North tight end Jordan Craig in Maine's recruiting class. Toms River South star quarterback Tymere Berry is taking an official visit to Maine this weekend, so he is another potential target for the Bears.
Long Branch senior running back Dahmiere Willis, the Shore Sports Network Offensive Player of the Year, has gotten some late FBS interest as a pair of MAC programs, Kent State and Akron, have come in this week to give him a look, according to George. Willis' lone offer is currently from American International, where Green Wave linebacker Hunter Baillie committed earlier this week. Akron and Kent State may be looking to see how things shake out by National Signing Day on Wednesday to see if they have an available spot for Willis, who set the single-season Shore Conference rushing record with 2,589 yards this past fall.
A pair of Red Bank Catholic senior linemen, Pat Cino and Neil Horenburg, announced their college choices on Friday. Cino is headed to Hobart College, while Horenburg committed to a scholarship at Division II St. Anselm College.
There are two current Shore players and a former Shore star in action in bowl games today. Mater Dei Prep sophomore wide receiver Eddie Lewis and sophomore defensive lineman Artis Hemmingway are playing for the U-17 national team against a team of Canadian all-stars at 8:30 p.m. down in Dallas at the International Bowl. You can watch it live on ESPN3. Lewis was just offered by Iowa two days ago.
Also, former Manasquan star Neal Sterling, who wrapped up a brilliant career at Monmouth University this fall, is playing in the College Gridiron Showcase, which also also down in Dallas, where he has impressed scouts with his size and route-running in practice this week. That game, featuring college players from across the country, is live online at 2:30 p.m.
ICE HOCKEY
My long-lost, hockey-playing cousin from San Diego! (I have no idea who this actually is)
More on Saturday:
- Former Raritan star Mike Aaman is back in action to help Wagner basketball after missing nine games with an injury.
- Millville star running back Rob Ennis had aggravated assault charges against him dropped, but still had his scholarship pulled by Purdue only six days before Signing Day.
- The Minnesota men's basketball team is banned from using Twitter.
- J.J. Watt is going full Rocky IV this offseason.
- The screenwriter of "American Sniper" speaks out on why he wrote the controversial movie.
- The one place where Marshawn Lynch does talk.
On tap for today: As previously mentioned, the Shore Conference Wrestling Tournament semifinals are at 3 p.m., followed by the championship match at 5:30 p.m., both at Jackson Liberty, as No. 1 Howell tries to win back-to-back titles.
The games to watch in boys basketball are the annual "Battle of Ridge Road" rivalry game with No. 9 Rumson heading down Ridge Road to play at No. 4 Red Bank at 3 p.m. in a nondivisional game, and No. 5 Lakewood going out to the Jeff Coney Classic at Rancocas Valley to play Trenton Catholic Academy, a top 10-ranked team in New Jersey, at 6 p.m. Also out at that showcase at Rancocas will be Camden vs. Ewing at 4 p.m., which is another great game.
I'll end with a pair of videos. Re-live Jackson Memorial football's march to the Central Jersey Group IV title and the final No. 1 ranking in the Shore from this fall, and then have a moment of Zen with a wingsuit guy gliding over the pyramids of Egypt.
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