State Tourny Quick Picks
These picks are for the record, as I will be able to better elaborate later. Time’s a wasting, so let’s get to it.
CJ IV
1st Round
(1) East Brunswick over (16) WWPS
(9) Old Bridge over (8) North Brunswick
(5) Montgomery over (12) Jackson
(4) Howell over (13) Trenton
(3) Monroe over (14) Steinert
(11) Midd South over (6) South Brunswick
(7) Freehold Twp over (10) Manalapan
(15) Rancocas Valley over (2) Colts Neck
Quarters
(1) East Brunswick over (9) Old Bridge
(4) Howell over (5) Montgomery
(11) Midd South over (3) Monroe
(7) Freehold Twp over (15) Rancocas Valley
Semis
(1) East Brunswick over (4) Howell
(7) Freehold Twp over (11) Midd South
Final
(1) East Brunswick over (7) Freehold Twp.
CJ III
1st Round
(1) Princeton over (16) Neptune
(9) Ocean over (8) Hightstown
(5) New Brunswick over (12) Brick
(4) Hopewell over (13) Jackson Lib.
(3) Allentown over (14) Lakewood
(11) Wall over (6) Nottingham
(10) Long Branch over (7) Manasquan
(2) Freehold over (15) Lawrence
Quarters
(1) Princeton over (9) Ocean
(4) Hopewell over (5) New Brunswick
(3) Allentown over (11) Wall
(10) Long Branch over (2) Freehold
Semis
(1) Princeton over (4) Hopewell
(3) Allentown over (10) Long Branch
Final
Princeton over Allentown
(more…)
SCT Round of 16 Picks
The first round of the Shore Conference Tournament had a fair sprinkling of upsets with the road team winning six of the 10 games between Thursday and Friday. One of those wins was No. 16 Rumson beating No. 17 Manasquan at the Sea Girt Army Camp, but other than that, you can consider half the first-round results to be upsets.
Looking a little deeper into the numbers, we find this:
First Round Records
A North: 2-0 (1-0 on the road)
A Central: 2-1 (2-1 on the road)
A South: 1-2 (all at home)
B North: 1-3 (0-1 on the road)
B Central: 0-2 (0-1 on the road)
B South: 2-0 (1-0 on the road)
C Central: 2-2 (2-1 on the road)
The big surprise is that Class A South has struggled so far despite all of its teams playing their first tournament games at home. Granted, Toms River East and Toms River North have yet to play, but Jackson Memorial, Southern and Toms River South all had home games against teams seeded Nos. 21 through 23 and all three struggles. If not for Toms River South’s four-goal outburst in the final 15 minutes of a 5-3 win over Long Branch, A South would have gone 0-for-3.
B North also struggled with Ocean and Freehold losing home games, but to be fair, Middletown South was a very tough draw for Ocean and Long Branch also gave Toms River South trouble before falling apart in the last 15 minutes.
It will be interesting to see how Toms River North handles a Middletown South team that has gained a head of steam lately, as well as Toms River East against crosstown rival Monsignor Donovan. Colts Neck will also try to avoid the same fate as B North co-champ Freehold while keeping B North in the tournament.
Saturday is always one of the more fun soccer days of the year with every team now in action. There only appears to be one game that could be considered a total toss-up, with the other seven games having clear favorites. Actually the second-most even match-up is probably No. 20 seed Middletown South at No. 4 Toms River North, which is probably closer than most people think, but still shouldn’t be one of the most even match-ups of the round of 16. Here’s a look at the lineup.
(16) Rumson-Fair Haven at (1) CBA
It’s going to take some good fortune and some great play for any team to knock of CBA and Rumson will need a lot of each to pull off a stunner. The Bulldogs get some of that luck right off the bat because CBA senior midfielder Nick Villani is out with an ankle injury he suffered Monday against Freehold Township, according to Colts assistant Jeff Matson. Villani will be considered day-to-day after Saturday, so there is a chance that the Colts could be without one of their best players for a sizable chunk of this tournament. Villani is probably CBA’s most athletic player, with the possible exception of Bob Cartas, and he’s also one of its most fearless, so Rumson’s objective should be to be as physical as allowable with the Colts. One good thing about the Bulldogs is that they can play a few different styles competently, so if there is a way to approach playing CBA, Rumson is a team that can play it. At this point though, we’re still all trying to talk ourselves into the notion that CBA might be beatable. They might be, but not yet. The Pick: CBA 3-0
(18) Monsignor Donovan at (2) Toms River East
These two teams were supposed to play a little more than a week ago, but the rain changed that. Instead, the two Toms River schools will face off in the SCT and there are a lot of reasons to like both teams at this point in the season. It’s not hard to see why Toms River East is the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Raiders have lost only one game all season and are a senior-loaded team with a lot of defense and a number of scorers on the roster. The one team that beat the Raiders was Toms River North and the Mariners walloped Monsignor Donovan 5-1, which would seem to bode well for Toms River East. This, however, is a healthier, more confident Monsignor Donovan team that just beat a dangerous Shore side in the first round of the tournament. Monsignor Donovan has players that can hold the ball and hit it with authority, so this won’t be anything resembling a cakewalk for Toms River East. It will, however, be a win. The Pick: TR East 1-0
(14) Manalapan at (3) Howell
Normally, a top-three seed playing a team it has already defeated twice by a combined 8-1 would stick out as a trap scenario for the favorite. But this is Howell vs. Manalapan, and no matter what the circumstances, Manalapan always has Howell’s full attention and vice versa. The Rebels look like the most dangerous team in the tournament not named CBA and their first test will be perhaps its fiercest rival over the last five years, which means the game will definitely be intense. Manalapan has a few dangerous scorers and is always tough in the back thanks to a defense-first approach, so Howell will have to earn it. I don’t see Howell running up the score like it did in the first two games, because Manalapan will definitely throw 10 players behind the ball and commit to keeping the Rebels out of the net. Howell, though, is hard to keep down and eventually the Rebels, on their home field, will figure it out. The Pick: Howell 2-0
(20) Middletown South at (4) Toms River North
It appears Toms River North will have to go through Class A North if it is to win the Shore Conference Tournament and that possible A North gauntlet starts with a revved-up Middletown South team coming off an overtime win against Ocean. Middletown South look good enough to play with Toms River North, but injuries could be an issue. There’s nothing keeping anyone out of the lineup, but the Eagles are playing banged up right now and that might be a factor on Saturday. North, meanwhile, is rested and ready to build on a deep SCT run last year that ended with a loss to CBA in the final. This match-up may give North as many problems as a potential match with Freehold Township on Tuesday, but on turf, with some rest and with tournament experience, North should find a way against a dangerous Middletown South team. The Pick: Toms River North 2-1
(21) St. John Vianney at (5) Freehold Township
The Lancers are coming off the first penalty kick victory of the tournament having survived 100 minutes with Jackson Memorial, maybe the most physical team in the Shore Conference. Vianney has been one of the most Jekyll-and-Hyde teams in the Shore and while this season has been a crazy one for SJV, it seems to be heading in the right direction after a good showing on the road against Jackson. Freehold Township is another physical team that will look to play in the middle of the field more than Jackson does, but the Pats are a bit banged up, which might even up the sides a little bit. The interesting storyline to watch Saturday will be the full-fledged return to goal by Phil Horan, who played the second half of a 3-1 loss to CBA on Monday. With Horan back and SJV’s Matt Niebling playing well, this game might feature the best goalkeeper matchup on Saturday, which may mean a rather low score. I see a little more action, just because that field tends to be conducive to scoring. The Pick: Freehold Township 2-1
(22) Central at (6) Holmdel
I’m running out of opportunities to pick upsets and this is another game I just don’t see the home team coughing up. Holmdel is fired up for another shot at the SCT after last year’s tournament ended in the quarterfinals and the Hornets are rounding into good health in time for a postseason run. Central was impressive in the final 15 minutes of a win over Southern, but the first 65 minutes were an exhibition by the Rams. Still, the young Golden Eagles grew up fast an confidence is huge for a team that relies heavily on juniors, sophomores and a couple of freshmen. With Holmdel’s defense, skilled midfield and dynamic scoring up top, Central’s only hope is that Holmdel struggles finishing. It could happen and maybe this is the upset, but it’s not likely that Holmdel can’t score. The Pick: Holmdel 2-0
(10) Toms River South at (7) Lacey
I’m sure a lot of people expect the tournament-tested team from Class A South to go on the road and beat Lacey again, but I’m thinking the other way. Toms River South was much sharper than Lacey in a 3-1 win earlier this season, but as far as possession and skill goes, Lacey looked basically even with the Indians. Toms River South just finished with more precision in the first meeting, but to give South its due, that’s what makes Toms River South tough: they finish. So this game will probably be more about how Lacey finishes and they showed in a 6-0 win over Point Beach that the Lions can do plenty of that. This is the real toss-up game of the second round and the only one in which a win by either team wouldn’t be considered an upset. I see two even teams that look like they should split a season series, which is bad news for South, good news for Lacey. The Pick: Lacey 3-2
(24) Point Boro at (8) Colts Neck
Class B North took it on the chin in the first round and now Colts Neck is the only team left from said division. The Cougars have played well and were sharp in a win over the Lakewood on Thursday, while the other three B North teams that bit the dust early – Freehold, Long Branch and Ocean – had warning signs that they could be in trouble. Point Boro took out Freehold in the first round, so the Panthers have to feel good about their chances Saturday. They have been coming on strong as some of the new pieces have rounded into form and what was once a team that looked like it was due for a lost season without the injured Tori Remondelli now has something to play for. One more win and the Panthers will have a shot to play CBA for the second straight year, which is certainly a nice way to test yourself for the state tournament. Unfortunately for Point Boro, they are running into a very skilled, young, Colts Neck team that is really coming into its own. The Cougars should take care of business and then give CBA and interesting test on Tuesday. The Pick: Colts Neck 3-1
That makes zero upsets. I’m getting soft in my old age.
SCT First Round Picks
How about some picks?
No. 26 Point Beach at No. 7 Lacey
Point Beach drew the last seed on the basis that it is not a very battle-tested team and hasn’t defeated a tournament team, but the Garnet Gulls will get a test here. Lacey has had trouble in the SCT over the last two years, losing to Holmdel in 2009 and Ocean last year, both at home in the first round. This match-up favors the Lions far more than those two did and although Lacey has played quite a few overtime games this season, this one should be comfortable enough. The Pick: Lacey 3-1
No. 25 Lakewood at No. 8 Colts Neck
The Cougars are playing great, especially considering their youth and now they host a team with quite a big of youth in its own right. Lakewood boasts a pretty young roster around senior scorer Carlos Morales and that roster will hope to capture lighting in a bottle with 80 stellar minutes. Colts Neck should ultimately be fine because the Cougars have scored with some regularity and Lakewood does give up goals. The only downfall for Colts Neck so far is that they usually slip up and allow a goal or two, so if they struggle to finish at all, the Cougars might be in for a struggle. In the end, though, I don’t see them having trouble to score. The Pick: Colts Neck 4-1
No. 24 Point Boro at No. 9 Freehold
It’s hard to figure what to expect from Freehold over the next three weeks, but you have to believe the Colonials are itching to play some meaningful games. It’s not to say the only reason they haven’t been quite as good as most thought is simply a matter of motivation, but this team played with an edge after starting 1-3 last year. Maybe that edge returns after a loss to Jackson Memorial on Thursday, and if it does return, watch out for a potential CBA-Freehold game, which I could see being very entertaining. For now, they will have to get by Point Boro and if the Colonials are looking past the Panthers and toward another match with Colts Neck, Point Boro could pounce. There might be some anxiousness around the net, but I don’t see Freehold sleeping on this one. The Pick: Freehold 2-0
No. 23 Long Branch at No. 10 Toms River South
This is one of the games that has a real chance to be an upset if the right things happen. Toms River South can squash any hope of that with a fast start that puts Long Branch in a hole confidence is key for the Green Wave and nothing shatters confidence like a 2-0 hole. On the other hand, a slow start never buries TR South and if Long Branch can get off to a fast start, it will have to keep attacking to have a chance to win. I see this as a game Long Branch can take control of early, and then it will just be a matter of weathering the storm. Look for the Wave to get out to a 2-0 lead and then, watch the Indians work their postseason match-ups. This one should be a good game and I’m hoping it is, as I’ll spend my night watching it. The Pick: Toms River South 3-2
No. 22 Central at No. 11 Southern
Central took a little bit of luster out of this one by ending a seven game unbeaten streak with a loss Monday to Brick Memorial. As it is, the Golden Eagles will try to go to Southern, where Lacey just nabbed an overtime win in a result that should encourage the Central side. Southern, on the other hand, is hoping to get through Thursday and have a shot to win a big game. The Rams have two wins over Jackson Memorial, but their other wins have come against Brick Memorial twice, Pinelands and Manchester, which are all teams on the wrong side of .500. They had Toms River South beat before allowing a goal in the final 30 seconds in what turned out to be a 1-1 draw, so now it’s a matter of finishing. Southern should be the better team in this one, but Central has a good thing going and its young core can really start heading in the right direction with an upset here. The Pick: Southern 1-0
No. 21 St. John Vianney at No. 12 Jackson Memorial
This is the classic trap game to pick, because you have one team that is on fire right now in Jackson and another coming off a lousy performance in a loss to Middletown South, which I also happened to witness. Here’s the thing: These two teams are probably pretty close and now that the games count, anything can happen. Also realize that St. John Vianney basically had nothing to gain by beating Middletown South while the Eagles had everything to gain and that was basically reflected in the score. Vianney has a good back in Tom Farrell and quality keeper in Matt Niebling and a dangerous scorer in Bryan Walsh, so this is not going to be easy for Jackson. I think the Jags have another win in them. The Pick: Jackson 3-2
No. 20 Middletown South at No. 13 Ocean
The Eagles are flying high coming into the tournament and although this isn’t the easiest draw possible, Middletown South is a tough match-up for anybody in the first round. When Middletown South has struggled, it’s been because they just haven’t finished and that will certainly be a chief concern for the Eagles as they try to pull the upset. Ocean, meanwhile, is scoring at a high rate this season behind Mike Andre, who has made the shift from the back to forward. Ocean is still solid in the back with Tyler Nowak and Greg Loeser, but the element of scoring up top makes them more dangerous than they’ve been in either of the past two years. The Spartans are also a team that typically does well during the early part of this tournament, having beat Lacey in last year’s first round to go with noteworthy runs in 2007 and 2008. Middletown South will probably get the higher shot-total, but Ocean could still take the game on execution. Something tells me the Spartans pull it out at home. The Pick: Ocean 2-1
No. 19 Red Bank at No. 14 Manalapan
At some point, Red Bank could become a team nobody wants to play, whether its in this tournament or in the NJSIAA tournament. The Bucs have a quality keeper in Jack Pebole and pretty balanced attack with some sleeping giants in it. Unfortunately, Manalapan’s dirt patch is not usually the field on which opposing stars are born. The Braves very good on their home field and its nooks and crannies could frustrate the Bucs. Add the field, plus the fact that Manalapan’s talent will be enough of a challenge for Red Bank and this looks like another one where the home team holds serve. The Pick: Manalapan 2-1
No. 18 Monsignor Donovan at No. 15 Shore
It’s about time for a road team to win and I think this will finally make the leap, albeit a small one. I was impressed with the Griffins when I caught them at home against Manasquan. They can move the ball, they put passes together around the net, and they have some boys who can square up a shot. Shore has some scoring in its own right with Jonathan Junqueira, but the Blue Devils have been through a bit of a drought lately. With that in mind, Monsignor Donovan can go up to West Long Branch and get a win, as long as they don’t get caught in a physical game. This should be a really good game with some extra intrigue because Shore coach Christian Pontier is a teacher at Monsignor Donovan and has some of the players in class. The Pick: Monsignor Donovan 1-0
No. 16 Rumson at No. 17 Manasquan
Manasquan gets a home game despite its seed thanks to a division championship that guarantees at least one home game. The Warriors are tough on their pitch, but Rumson should be just fine at Sea Girt Army Camp. Manasquan is always a tough team on which to score but one way to break through against all of those bodies in the box is too finish on set pieces and no team is better on set pieces than Rumson. The throws will be flying and Ben Alderoty will do his thing. The Pick: Rumson 2-0
Boys Soccer Chat, 10/18/11
Check in at 8 p.m. for a live chat to discuss the SCT, state tournament, the regular season and anything else for that matter. The Shore Conference Tournament starts tomorrow night and continues over the next 10 days.
Matawan’s Chris Dhume passes away
Posted by Matt Manley
Chris Dhume, a senior soccer player at Matawan High School, died suddenly early Saturday morning of complications due to Bacterial Meningitis, according to the Monmouth County Department of Health. He only turned 17 years old in September.
“He was a quiet, down-to-earth kid who loved soccer and fishing,” Matawan coach Dave Deegan said. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around how this happened. It’s just terrible.”
According to Deegan, Dhume began feeling sick on Wednesday and missed school on Thursday, when he began vomiting and showing symptoms of a stomach flu. On Friday, his condition worsened and he was taken to Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel. After being diagnosed there, he was rushed by ambulance to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune.
“His blood pressure dropped really low and they were giving him all kinds of medication to get it back up,” Deegan said. “It got to the point where they needed to sedate him and the scariest point – or at least the part when we knew it was bad – was that they told his parents that he might start hitting his face when he comes out of it, and when they tried to bring him out of it, he didn’t respond.”
Dhume’s blood pressure began to rise on Friday night, and Deegan left the hospital at approximately 11 p.m. With the positive turn as the last piece of information that he received. At 2:22 a.m., he received a text from Dhume’s mother, Val, that Chris had passed away at 2:11.
Soccer Accomplishments
Dhume recently completed his varsity soccer career by scoring 13 goals and becoming the program’s all-time and single-season leading scorer. Despite his team struggling to a 4-15-0 record, Dhume was a standout player in the Shore Conference thanks to his scoring prowess. He was a coaches all-division selection in the Shore Conference Class A Central and an All-Shore Media All-Class A Central Second Team member as a midfielder.
“He was a great player on a bad team,” Deegan said. “He got overlooked because we weren’t a very good team, but he was a really good player and a great teammate.”
Deegan said that Dhume was receiving interest from a number of four-year college soccer programs and this past Tuesday, had a conversation with his coach about his interest in playing at Brookdale College.
“He came to me on Tuesday and told me he wanted to play at Brookdale,” Deegan said. “I know (Brookdale) coach (Mike) Costa from when I coached at Jackson and he was the head coach and I was planning on giving him a call this Saturday to tell him he’s got a stud on the way.”
Honoring Dhume
A viewing will be held Tuesday and Dhume’s funeral will be held on Wednesday. According to Deegan, Matawan High School will be open from noon to 3 p.m. for grief counseling and there will be various memorial services over the course of the next week. There is also a Facebook page in his memory, which can be found by going to facebook.com and searching “RIP #21 Chris Dhume”.
“It would take all night to name all the memorials that are going on for him,” Deegan said. “His mother even told me that she knew he was a great kid, but even she couldn’t believe the outpouring of love for Chris that they saw today. That’s the one good thing about this whole tragedy is the way the community has come out in support of the family.”
Dhume’s Legacy
Dhume is survived by mother Val, father Chris, Sr., older sisters Nicole and Danielle, and younger brother Bronson.
Bronson is in seventh grade and plays soccer as his older brother did. Deegan said he plans to save Dhume’s jersey No. 21 for Bronson and will not issue the number next year when Bronson is in eighth grade. He also said that the number will be retired once Bronson graduates or if he chooses another number.
“I don’t know how long we can keep the same jerseys, but I’m going to hold onto these as long as I can,” Deegan said. “If Bronson wants to wear his brothers number, I’d love to see him wear it for his whole varsity career and then retire it. Who knows? Maybe he breaks his brothers record. That would be a fitting tribute.”
Other Tragedy
Dhume’s death is not the first noteworthy tragedy to hit the N.J. high school soccer community this school year. Nick Gazzara, an All-South Jersey selection by the Star Ledger, died in a car accident on Dec. 16 in Vineland. Gazzara scored 42 goals to lead all of South Jersey.
The Shore Conference also suffered a loss in December of 2009 when Toms River North coach Dave Mitchell died of cancer on Dec. 16, exactly one year before Gazzara’s death. Mitchell had just guided the Mariners to an NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championship.
Condolences
As you can imagine, I was shocked and saddened when I read the email about Chris late Saturday night. One of the great things about this job is experiencing the energy of high school kids, which really comes out at sporting events. No time is more exciting than senior year when you can soak up the final weeks of high school life before moving on to a new part of life. That Chris’s time got cut short at that stage is tragic and unfair.
Unlike with coach Mitchell last winter, I didn’t have any interaction with Chris of which to speak. I always wish I could get to more games and talk to more kids and coaches, but something like this puts a different light on things. There are plenty of players who come and go that I never have the pleasure of meeting, and it’s unfortunate that Chris’s story is being told under these circumstances. He was worthy of accolades to begin with and certainly deserved any accolades that came with his success.
My deepest sympathies go out to Chris’s parents, his two sisters, his brother Bronson and the rest of his family and friends. Coach Deegan indicated that the family would prefer donations to local soccer organizations and things of that nature in lieu of flowers.
Note: I originally wrote that the cause of death was Viral Meningitis when it was, in fact, Bacterial Meningitis. I apologize for the mistake.
All-Shore Teams, Chat
All Shore teams will be posted by Monday morning. I was shooting for Thursday, but I wanted to take some time on a few decisions. This weekend is football-heavy, so I don’t want to post the teams while there is a bunch of new football stuff going up, hence the Monday date. I’ll have an all-shore chat on Monday at 7 p.m. to discuss decisions, many of which have been very tough to make and as of this post, I still haven’t necessarily made them. And yes, we can debate CBA vs. Holmdel if you’d like. I know we have some Jets fans out there, so I’ll accommodate them with an earlier start.
Who’s No. 1? CBA vs. Holmdel
As soon as Holmdel lost in the SCT, not only did we miss out on a potential classic final, but now I have to pick a No. 1 between an SCT champ that lost in the toughest section in N.J. and a state champion that beat one very good team (Chatham), two solid teams (Hopewell and Hightstown) and three okay teams.
I know most of the people clamoring for either side have some sort of bias, so as an independent observer, I’ll give you my take on the matter and you can cheer or applaud as you see fit.
In all honesty, I just don’t see how I can rank Holmdel ahead of CBA. I think a head-to-head game would have been a virtual toss-up, but if you’re judging by what actually did happen this season, CBA has the stronger resume. The Colts won the more difficult division, won the Conference Tournament without ever really being up against the wall and technically did not lose since Sept. 11. The only teams CBA did not beat were top 20 teams in the state – St. Joe’s Metuchen and Delbarton. If you switched CBA to Group III and Holmdel to Non-Public A, I feel pretty certain that CBA would have won a state title. Holmdel might have made the championship game, but I think that outcome is a lot more certain.
That’s why state championships – while they mean a lot to the school – don’t mean as much in regional rankings. In fact, you will probably see Holmdel ranked ahead of CBA in the state rankings. The Star Ledger doesn’t have the luxury of matching up all the teams on an even playing field. They have to rank them based on a significant degree of subjectivity, which is not easy, especially when you don’t see much of some of the teams. In my case, or Josh Newman’s case for that matter, we’re ranking a set of teams that ultimately participate in the same tournament just before the state playoffs. This year, CBA won that tournament and in being eliminated from the state tournament, technically did not lose. Holmdel, meanwhile, did lose to someone else in the conference.
I’m also not saying that winning the SCT automatically gets you the No. 1 ranking. Last year, Marlboro won the SCT but Toms River South won Group IV. If Raritan had won the SCT, I would have ranked Raritan No. 1 in the Shore, but since TR South won the same group in which the SCT champion lost, I gave the nod to the state champs, not the SCT champs. In Holmdel’s case, subjectivity does come into play. Non-Public A is tougher than Group III and because of that, CBA’s SCT holds up in the ranking.
A nice little Tournament of Champions would solve the matter, but how do you work that? Thanksgiving is this week, so the semis and finals wouldn’t be until almost December. Maybe you suck it up and do it. They’re playing a senior all-star game on Dec. 5, so they can play meaningful games as well. The Basketball TOC goes to March, which cuts into the spring practice season, so making basketball, wrestling, and other coaches wait a couple days isn’t a big deal.
I can understand the frustration on the Holmdel side. The Hornets have a case to be the No. 1 team in some ways and I think it’s possible that they may have been the best team this year. If hypothetical scenarios dictated the rankings, I might pull the trigger and put Holmdel No. 1. But the rankings have to reflect reality, and in reality, all we can say is that CBA’s 18-1-1 and SCT title stacks up and ultimately exceeds Holmdel’s 22-1 and Group III title.
I’ll be posting the final Top 20 in the next 24 hours and when it goes up, CBA will be the No. 1 team in the Shore.
Evolution of a Champion
I was talking with goalkeeper Dan Marino after Holmdel’s 2-1 win over Chatham on Friday night, and he brought up a game that I kind of forgot about. He recalled saving 35 shots in a 0-0, penalty-kick loss to Nutley as a freshman in 2007, obviously a game that any goalie would remember. The funny thing is, as soon as Marino brought the game up, I remembered it. No, I wasn’t there, but I remember talking to coach John Nacarlo when he called the game in and his tone was both frustrated and extremely excited. He started five or six freshmen that year and while they certainly did not control the game against the No. 1 seed, they did come close to pulling one out.
He was especially complimentary of his keeper that day and while he knew he had a talented class of freshmen that year, I got the sense that it was that game and that performance that created the visions of a title at Holmdel. The Hornets had a loaded class when you think back: Sean Davis, Dan Metzger, Andrew Zheng, Rishi Desai, Matt Sawaged and Marino. Even without Davis, who may be the best of the bunch, Holmdel was the best team in Group III and maybe one of the best five teams in the state.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, and before this year, there wasn’t any smooth sailing. After such a promising first year, three of the six freshman starters elected not to play – Davis, Metzger and Desai. Holmdel was still a formidable team, but when Metzger and Desai came back in 2009, there was something off about the team. Not everyone was on the same page and the team couldn’t put more than a couple of wins together.
This year, the vision came to pass with Metzger playing on another level and a depth of the senior class adding to the mix with players like Tim Centineo, Alex Castiglia and Evan Teitelbaum having breakout seasons. In addition, Desai transformed himself into a sweeper and Matt Sawaged settled into his position on the outside and flourished. Those six transformations – along with the emergence of the underclassmen – helped turn Holmdel from a talented group of players into a really good team. Okay fine, a great team.
(more…)
Bringing it Holm?
For a bit of background on Holmdel’s showdown with Chatham, check out this relatively quick preview. I sawy “quick, because some of the other previews I’ve written were like a college thesis paper.
Onto the picks!
Group III Championship
Holmdel (21-1-0) vs. Chatham (22-1-1), 5:30 p.m. at TCNJ
I went into the year with a little bit of caution toward Holmdel. I knew they were talented, and based on that talent, I was thinking about a top 5 preseason ranking, but we’d been down this road last year with the Hornets. They were a junior-heavy group with a lot of talent, but in the end, they had only a 9-9-1 record to show for it.
Once I got my first regular season look at them, I knew this year was different and I started jumping them up the rankings. Basically, outside of the initial No. 10 ranking to start the season, I’ve believed in this Holmdel team. I still think they are one of the top 15 or so teams in the state and covering a team a lot makes you more attached to them than you might be to other teams when it comes to objective evaluation.
That’s why it’s hard for me to do what I’m about to do. Chatham will be the best team Holmdel sees all year and they are battle-ready to boot. They have a strong midfield to at least hang with Holmdel’s and their defense has been phenomenal all year. In a lot of ways, I think Holmdel would have been better off drawing Montville, another team that was blazing the trail for a program that had never been this far. Instead, they get a Chatham team to a rich history and the talent to add to that history.
Holmdel has been a superior to every team on its schedule this year and it’s possible they are a better team than Chatham too. Dan Metzger will still be the premier player on the field, but he’s been through a long season of high school ball on top of his Red Bulls training and he may finally be feeling the affects of that schedule. If Chatham can come out and possess with Holmdel, I think they have an advantage because of the big game experience from this year against top competition. I actually think Holmdel will have the better of play over the 80 minutes, but this Chatham team strikes me as one that’s not going to break. I would not be the least bit surprised to see this game go 100 minutes and these two might be able to play 200 minutes without anyone scoring. But I’m not here to predict ties. Holmdel could very well put it together and win 2-0. But it’s not a matter of whether or not they can anymore. It’s a matter of whether they will, and the team on the other side will have an awful lot to say about Holmdel’s fate Friday night. Hopefully for Holmdel’s sake, my inept picking skills from last season reappear.
The Pick: Chatham 1-0
Group IV Final
Hunterdon Central vs. Cherokee
Cherokee has been very similar to last year’s version of Toms River South and they’ll have a shot with their size. South Jersey has looked pretty good this tournament, but how do you go against Hunterdon Central right now? They have been as impressive as any team in the tournament and it looks like its finally their year.
The Pick: Hunterdon Central 3-1
Group II Final
Haddon Heights vs. Cliffside Park
Cliffside Park gets another shot after losing in the title game this year and while Haddon Heights has been through the wars, Cliffside Park has paid their dues.
The Pick: Cliffside Park 2-1
Group I Final
Pitman vs. Wallington
Wallington has been a force this tournament and might have been a favorite to win Group II had it been in that field. Pitman is a very good team, and as previously stated, South Jersey has looked good, but I’m picking against the team to the South for the fourth straight time.
The Pick: Wallington 2-0
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