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Current News
Watch Thursday 4.25 JSZ Lacrosse Highlights
Jersey Sports Zone brings you a pair of lacrosse match-ups from Southern New Jersey on Thursday. We have the highlights of Haddonfield knocking off rival West Deptford on the boys side. Plus we have the Southern Regional girls improving to 10-0 after an Ocean County win over Toms River North. Haddonfield 17 West Deptford 13 – Boys Cornell commit Aiden Blake went off for six goals in the win for the Haddons. Finn Morgan and Max Norton each scored three goals for Haddonfield, which gets back to the .500 mark as it faces a difficult schedule. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from this high-scoring rivalry game: Coverage of Haddonfield is brought to you by NJM Insurance. Southern Regional 10 Toms River North 3 – Girls The Rams busted open a 2-2 game in the first half with four straight goals and the Southern defense held a Toms River North attack that averaged 11 goals per game to three to reach the 10-0 mark. Holly Yannacone had a hat trick to lead Southern and freshman Rylee Johnson added two goals and an assist. JSZ has the highlights and post-game reaction of Southern already matching last year’s win total: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Toms River North is made possible by CJA Construction.
Watch Thursday 4.25 JSZ Baseball Highlights
JSZ brings you exciting baseball highlights from a trio of interesting public school matchups including wins from Notre Dame, Rutherford and Toms River North. Enjoy the highlights! No. 20 Notre Dame 9 Piscataway 4 No. 20 celebrated their first day in the NJ Top 20 with a 9-4 victory over Piscataway. The Irish having dominated […].....Read More »
Game Ball Tour Stops In New Monmouth and Succasunna!
Jersey Sports Zone made a couple of pit stops on Thursday morning, delivering Game Balls to Mater Dei Prep and Roxbury High School. Thursday morning’s first pit stop was at Mater Dei Prep to deliver Morgan Hurst the Central Jersey Softball Game Ball for her performance during the game against Ranney. She finished 4-5 and […].....Read More »
Ella Tozduman Wins Softball North Jersey Game Ball!
Lyndhurst’s Ella Tozduman took home the North Jersey Softball Game Ball for her performance during the game against Palisades Park. She walked away with a No-Hitter, 5 IP and 12 Ks. Check out Ella’s full ceremony right now:.....Read More »
Mastro is Masterful! Mater Dei pitcher hurls 2-hitter to top South River
Patrick Mastro throws a complete game on the hill and drove in a run in Mater Dei Prep’s 3-1 win at home over South River. JSZ has the highlights from Middletown! Mater Dei Prep 3 South River 1 Patrick Mastro throws a two-hitter striking out four and drove in a run with an RBI double […].....Read More »
"JSZ Polls"
60 more nominees from the diamond are up for JSZ Game Balls
Vote Every Sunday
Each week JSZ will bring you ten nominations, for current sports in different regions for our Game Ball Awards. These nominations are composed of athletes who had top, player of the week-worthy, performances across the State. You’ll be able to vote for your favorite athlete…the votes tallied, and the winners will be awarded a JSZ Game Ball & Game Ball Ceremony. (Polls closes every Tuesday at 3PM)
A sample of some polls are below.
Download our app to keep up to date with our latest news!
Reminder!
You can always nominate a deserving player for a Game Ball! Just email us (rich@jerseysportszone.com) with the following information:
- The player’s Name
- The player’s School
- The game/date played this week
- The player’s stats for that game
Game Ball Presentations
Game Ball Tour Stops In New Monmouth and Succasunna!
Jersey Sports Zone made a couple of pit stops on Thursday morning, delivering Game Balls to Mater Dei Prep and Roxbury High School. Thursday morning’s first pit stop was at Mater Dei Prep to deliver Morgan Hurst the Central Jersey Softball Game Ball for her performance during the game against Ranney. She finished 4-5 and had 5 RBIs: Take Our Poll The second pit stop was at Roxbury High School to deliver Ryan DiTrolio the North Jersey Baseball Game Ball. He finished the game against Seton Hall Prep with a 3-Run HR and 4 RBIs: Take Our Poll
Ella Tozduman Wins Softball North Jersey Game Ball!
Lyndhurst’s Ella Tozduman took home the North Jersey Softball Game Ball for her performance during the game against Palisades Park. She walked away with a No-Hitter, 5 IP and 12 Ks. Check out Ella’s full ceremony right now: Take Our Poll
60 more nominees from the diamond are up for JSZ Game Balls
The Jersey Sports Zone team has scoured the state nominating the top players and performances from the diamond. Cast your vote now for our third edition of Game Balls of the 2019 spring sports season! We have ten nominees from baseball and softball in North, Central and South Jersey. Our polls stay open through Tuesday at 3:00 pm. The winners of our polls will receive a JSZ Game Ball at a mid-week practice or game. Coaches, players, and fans can nominate a player for a JSZ Game Ball by emailing us by Saturday night: North Jersey- Jay Cook (Jay@JerseySportsZone.com) South Jersey – Mike Frankel (MikeFrankel@JerseySportsZone.com) Central Jersey- Rich Chrampanis (Rich@JerseySportsZone.com) South Jersey Game Balls (Presented by NJM Insurance) Take Our Poll Take Our Poll North Jersey Game Balls Take Our Poll Take Our Poll Central Jersey Game Balls Take Our Poll Take Our Poll
Manchester’s Naya Darnowski Wins Week 2 Game Ball!
Manchester Township’s Naya Darnowski took home the Week 2 Central Jersey Softball Game Ball for her Walk-Off hit during the game against Jackson Memorial. Check out her full ceremony right now:
Mainland’s Brody Levin Wins NJM Insurance Week 2 Game Ball
Mustangs infielder Brody Levin earned the South Jersey Week 2 Baseball Game Ball for his performace against Middle Township. Levin hit a grand slam in Mainland’s win over the Panthers. Take Our Poll South Jersey Game Balls are brought to you by NJM Insurance! Please send nominees to mikefrankel@jerseysportszone.com by Saturday night. Voting begins each Sunday!
Roselle Catholic’s Dan Keane Wins Week 2 Game Ball!
Roselle Catholic’s Dan Keane took home the Week 2 Game Ball for his performance during the game against University. He had his first career win and finished the game with 10 Ks. Check out Dan’s full ceremony right now:
Feature Stories
Seibel Strong: Notre Dame senior inspires team during cancer fight
Lauren Seibel is battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and the Notre Dame girls lacrosse senior showed what kind of fight she has on the field. As she’s set to begin a second round of chemotherapy, it would have been understandable for Seibel to put lacrosse on the back burner, but her love of the game and desire to be side by side with her team during her senior season was too strong. Her three goal, three assist performance in the Irish’s 16-2 win at Point Pleasant Beach on Thursday is a shining example of her spirit and determination. Seibel knows that she’s not in this battle alone. The support of Notre Dame and the entire lacrosse community shows how sports truly unites us all together. Watch JSZ’s feature on “Seibel Strong” and get ready to be inspired by one courageous athlete: Notre Dame coach Bryan Fisher is appreciative from the outpouring support from the lacrosse community. 1st class from @CoachGaravente and her @AtownRedbirds girls lacrosse team. Thanks for the kind card for Lauren and our @Notre_Dame_HS family. #oneheart pic.twitter.com/X9wShnyoIv— Bryan Fisher (@CoachFishND) March 29, 2019 Special thanks to @LTPSAthletics Boys and Girls Lacrosse Teams for their support of Lauren Seibel. First class gesture. #SeibelStrong @CoachFishND pic.twitter.com/1AcP30Aq7C— Notre Dame HS Athletics (@NDNJAthletics) March 28, 2019 A special thanks to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring JSZ”s coverage of Notre Dame and all Mercer County sports. Our sponsors allow us to tell stories that go beyond the score.
Devils Rooney wowed by JSZ Top Hockey Goals from February
Jersey Sports Zone’s Top 5 Goals from February were honored during the New Jersey Devils game against the Boston Bruins. Devils forward Kevin Rooney visited our honorees during pre-game and had quite a reaction to five tremendous goals! JSZ thanks the New Jersey Devils for giving high school kids in New Jersey lifetime memories. After our pre-game visit with Kevin Rooney, the goals of the month winners had pre-game dinner and their goals were on full display during the first intermission of the Devils Bruins game. Watch our recap from another special night: Kevin Rooney was quite impressed with each and every goal. Here’s his take on JSZ’s Top Goals: Congratulations to our JSZ February Goals of the Month winners #5: Matt Keane, Chatham #4: Gehrig Eckoff, Morris Knolls #3: Dan Quiles, Middletown North #2: Nick Ochlan, Freehold Boro #1: Michael Balzarotti, Delbarton Jersey Sports Zone wraps up the season with our second annual 2019 All-State Hockey Banquet. The top players in the state will be honored prior to the Devils/’Sabres game this Monday night and we will announce our 2019 JSZ Hockey Player of the Year!
NJ’s speaker and Woodbridge Mayor team up in broadcast booth
For the past 20 years, Craig Coughlin and John McCormac have been broadcasting high school and youth sports in Woodbridge. But the familiar duo wearing headsets on the sidelines at Woodbridge, Colonia and JFK High are known more for their high profile day jobs. Coughlin is the speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and McCormac is the former New Jersey state treasurer and the current mayor of Woodbridge. When the headsets go on, the business of politics and government take a back seat to breaking down the keys to victory and spotlighting the kids battling on the court. “For both of us, this is just an awful lot of fun and something we love to do,” Coughlin said. “We’ve done football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, wrestling, swimming – the only thing we haven’t done is tennis.” “How often do you get to call a game when a 1000 point scorer is in the game,” McCormac said. “The fact that the team did it at home and did it in a state tournament game just puts the icing on the cake of a terrific night.” JSZ spent time with Coughlin and McCormac during their broadcast of Colonia’s 56-36 boys basketball state playoff win over Cranford. Watch our feature “From the State House to the Broadcast Booth”
Miles Wood watches JSZ Top Goals, then lights the lamp for Devils!
The New Jersey Devils honored the Top 5 Goals from New Jersey high school hockey in January captured by JSZ cameras during the NHL team’s 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night at the Prudential Center in Newark. Once again, the Devils rolled out the red carpet and gave the VIP treatment to five great high school hockey standouts. From a pregame film session with Miles Wood, to five awesome goals on the scoreboard at the second intermission, it was another special night provided by the Devils. Watch our recap of another special evening: New Jersey Devils winger Miles Wood met with our players prior to faceoff and watched the Top 5 goals from January captured by JSZ cameras. There’s no question that the players were inpsired to see an NHL player talk about their goal and Wood’s pre-game video session paid off as well. Wood scored his sixth goal of the season in the Devils 4-1 win over Buffalo. Here’s Miles Wood breaking down the Top 5 goals from January: Congratulations to our Top 5 goals from January #5: Tommy Kleinman, Bergen Catholic #4: Dom Troisi, Saint John Vianney #3: Ty Pezzolla, Saint Peter’s Prep #2: Dyland Idland, Morris Knolls #1: Andrew Kutzman, Freehold Boro On March 21, the Devils will honor the Top 5 goals from February during their home game against the Boston Bruins. On March 25, the Devils and JSZ host our 2nd annual All-Zone hockey banquet during their game against the Buffalo Sabres.
SportsCenter Top 10 Features Highlight-Reel Goal from Delbarton’s Balzarotti
By Jay Cook Delbarton’s Michael Balzarotti was admittedly modest about his jaw-dropping goal Wednesday night, but the decision-makers in Bristol, Conn. knew they were watching something special later that evening. Balzarotti’s highlight-reel dangle and goal in a Gordon Cup semifinal game — captured by JSZ cameras — was featured as the No. 3 play in America on SportsCenter’s Top 10 on Feb. 13. “I have the high school package on the DIRECTV and I was watching this — look at your boy Michael Balzarotti of Delbarton School,” ESPN anchor and noted hockey aficionado John Buccigross remarked during the Top 10 breakdown Wednesday evening. “That is some nice dancing,” Buccigross added. Michael Balzarotti, #9 in your programs, #3 on the @espn @SportsCenter Top 10! @Delbarton wins 3-0 over CBA to advance to Gordon Cup Finals. #delbartonsports #playoftheyear pic.twitter.com/xyMmYdWM9D— Delbarton Sports (@DelbartonSports) February 14, 2019 Early in the third period of a Feb. 13 Gordon Cup semifinal game against Christian Brothers Academy at Aspen Ice, Balzarotti wrangled in a clear from teammate Max Williams, gathered the puck before dangling past a CBA defender. He then finished with a Sidney Crosby-eqsue backhand, all while playing shorthanded on a CBA power play. Balzarotti’s goal gave the Green Wave an emphatic 2-0 lead — they’d go on to capture a 3-0 win and move into the Gordon Cup finals. Michael Balzarotti…are you for real? 🤯🤯 This wild dangle and backhand helped @DelbartonHockey into the Gordon Cup finals after a 3-0 shutout against CBA. @DelbartonSports stay tuned for the full highlights tonight! pic.twitter.com/iskC89koDc— Jersey Sports Zone (@JSZ_Sports) February 13, 2019 “Yeah, so it was a great clear by Max Williams on the PK; I saw him going for the ice so I figured I’d kind of blow the zone and see what happened,” Balzarotti described to JSZ after the game. “After that, the puck came to me and I found myself in a one-on-one with the puck a little behind me. I tried to put it in an area and get to it. Luckily, it paid off and I had a nice backhand into the net. It was good to pad the lead there.” That viral goal comes in the midst of a career-season for Balzarotti. His 53 points (24 goals, 29 assists) have him as third leading scorer in New Jersey’s uber-competitive Gordon Conference, a collection of private schools across the state littered with talent. Delbarton now sits at 16-5-4 on the season and will look to capture their third-straight Gordon Cup title Friday night. “I think it’s going to be incredibly hard to beat us when we’re locked in this,” Balzarotti added. Watch JSZ’s full highlights from the 3-0 win over CBA: Balzarotti’s goal now becomes the second score shot by JSZ cameras to make it to the SportsCenter Top 10. JSZ Chief Operating Officer Rich Chrampanis captured a wild goal between Freehold Township’s Julian Kislin and Max Halvorsen in the 2014-2015 season which took the internet by storm and quickly became the No. 1 play on SportsCenter. As always, stay tuned for plenty more high school hockey coverage from Jersey Sports Zone through the rest of the winter season.
NJ basketball continues to rally for Ranney coach and his son’s cancer battle
As Ranney begins their quest to finish the season as New Jersey’s top-ranked boys’ basketball team, the Panthers have a perspective that their battles on the court pale in comparison to the battles of real life. Head coach Tahj Holden’s 2-year old son, Max, has been fighting pediatric neuroblastoma for over a year. With overwhelming medical bills mounting, the New Jersey basketball community continues to rally and raise money for the Holden family as Max continues his fight against cancer. The Jersey Shore Challenge featuring Ranney and Roselle Catholic gave a portion of the proceeds from the sold-out game to Max Strong, a fund that helps with the Holden family’s medical expenses. On Saturday, Tahj’s high school alma mater stepped up with a fundraiser. All the proceeds from the RBR/RFH and Ranney/Asbury Park doubleheader benefitted Max Strong. Watch JSZ’s feature on how Max Holden has inspired the Ranney basketball team and how everyone continues to support the Holden family. To learn more about Max Strong and how you can contribute, please visit this link: MAX STRONG GoFundMe Page
Recruiting
Recruiting Heating Up for Roselle Catholic 2020 Center Cliff Omoruyi
It didn’t take long for Cliff Omoruyi to become a household name in the New Jersey basketball scene and now the 6’11” Roselle Catholic center is making waves as a major Class of 2020 recruit. Omoruyi, who played alongside Kentucky commit Kahlil Whitney and Temple-bound guard Josh Pierre-Louis this past season, is becoming one of the hottest recruits in America. The Nigerian-native has begun piling up some major offers after his junior season and also playing in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders showcase. Watch JSZ’s highlight reel of Cliff Omoruyi’s junior season here: Here’s just some of the most recent recruiting news featuring Omoruyi: #Pittsburgh will host fast-rising 4 ⭐️6’11” Cliff Omoruyi’20 of @rc_basketball & @NY_Lightning for an unofficial visit Friday. He has a 7’6” wingspan 👀#H2P 📷 @brandondorf5 pic.twitter.com/IgMSMcEGJu— Andrew Slater (@Andrew__Slater) April 19, 2019 Kentucky just offered top-60 junior big man Cliff Omoruyi, a source tells @Rivals @RowlandRIVALS https://t.co/5wmT93evNh— Corey Evans (@coreyevans_10) April 12, 2019 Omoruyi exploded onto the scene this season and was arguably the most dominant paint player across the Garden State. He averaged 10.2 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per contest on a Roselle Catholic team that went 28-4 and won New Jersey’s Non-Public “B” North sectional title. His list of offers already includes (in no particular order): Seton Hall, UCLA, Kentucky, Virginia, Pitt, Xavier, Illinois, UMass, UConn, South Carolina, Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, NC State, Syracuse, Florida, Rutgers, Miami, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Butler, Western Kentucky, Auburn, Georgia and Indiana. Omoruyi was named to Jersey Sports Zone’s 2019 All-Zone team, a collection of the best 40 players in New Jersey. Stay tuned in with Jersey Sports Zone as we follow Omoruyi’s recruitment, along with the other top Class of 2020 players from the Garden State.
RBC’s Gordinier commits to Boston College
One of the top returning players from Red Bank Catholic’s state championship team has committed to play football in the ACC for the Boston College Eagles. Charlie Gordinier saw his offers skyrocket following an outstanding junior season that saw 83 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and an interception. He also came on late in the season at tight end making a number of key catches. He’s projected at tight end at the next level. Gordinier held 14 FBS offers including LSU, UCLA, Michigan State, Syracuse and Maryland before choosing the Eagles. Gordinier will be reunited with teammates (QB Steve Lubischer) at BC, but first Charlie will be one of the top players in the Shore Conference looking to lead the Caseys to back to back state titles. Watch JSZ’s highlight reel from Charlie Gordinier’s junior season: I am extremely blessed and excited to say that I am committed to Boston College to further my academic and athletic career! #DecideToFly 🦅 pic.twitter.com/SJOWksw191— Charlie Gordinier (@cgordinier22) April 10, 2019
RC’s Josh Pierre-Louis to Reunite with Brother at Temple
Roselle Catholic guard and JSZ Player of the Year finalist Josh Pierre-Louis is officially back off the market. Pierre-Louis has given a verbal commitment to play Division I basketball in Philadelphia for Temple University and new head coach Aaron McKie. Noted for his thunderous high-flying dunks and competitive demeanor, Pierre-Louis teamed with Kentucky-commit Kahlil Whitney to create one of the most dynamic one-two punches in New Jersey basketball. He averaged 14.2 points per game in his senior season at Roselle Catholic and was a major reason why they won repeat titles in the Union County Championship and Non-Public B North sectional finals. Watch JSZ’s highlight reel from Pierre-Louis’ explosive senior season: Josh will reunite with his brother, Nate Pierre-Louis, who averaged 13.3 points per game as a sophomore at Temple. Josh was originally committed to UNLV but recently reopened his commitment following the dismissal of former head coach Marvin Mensies. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez also profiled Josh Pierre-Louis earlier this month. Learn everything about the future Temple Owl: Josh and Nate both shared the news on their social media accounts: PHILLY YALL READY🤷🏽♂️?? pic.twitter.com/nFgzBZafs2— Nate Pierre-Louis (@Nate_PL) March 29, 2019
Hillside’s Brian Ugwu Commits to Rutgers
Hillside’s senior linebacker and running back, Brian Ugwu, officially made his decision and put the pen to paper on Wednesday afternoon. The 6-3, 228-pounder will attend Rutgers University next fall. Ugwu has had an accomplished high school career, leading his team to their first sectional title in 32 years. The multifaceted player received many offers from other Division I football programs such as University of Pittsburgh and Temple University. But, Ugwu decided to stay local and loyal to the team who has shown him love since the start of his recruitment process. JSZ’s Madison Bess was in Hillside for Ugwu’s special day:
Woodrow Wilson’s Stanley King Staying Home, Commits to Rutgers
Stanley King is ready to represent his home state at the next level. The 6-5, 175-pound wideout hailing from Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden put pen to paper Wednesday morning and officially signed his National Letter of Intent with Rutgers University. King has left a legacy as one of the best playmakers in South Jersey history. He was named an Under Armour All-American this season and posted 148 receptions, 2,516 yards and 28 touchdowns over his high school career. Watch JSZ’s highlight reel from King’s senior season: No. 8 was the main offensive weapon on a Woodrow Wilson squad that scored 34 points per game, accrued a 9-4 record and won the South Jersey Group 3 sectional title in a 22-14 win over Burlington Township. King was one of 12 wide receivers selected to JSZ’s All-Zone statewide team, joining the likes of Charles Njoku (UCLA), Jaaron Hayek (Villanova), John Metchie (Alabama), Ayir Asante (Holy Cross) and fellow Rutgers commit John Guaimano. This play making WR is staying home! Welcome to the Brotherhood, @StanleyK_‼️ pic.twitter.com/m2yfH8MxDq— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) February 6, 2019 King selected Rutgers over Western Michigan, where his high school quarterback and JSZ Zoneman Finalist Nick Kargman is committed to. King was initially verbally committed to Louisville but decommitted just before his senior year started.
Bergen Catholic’s Tyler Devera Commits to Maryland
Tyler Devera emerged as New Jersey’s top tight end during his senior season and the Bergen Catholic product has officially made his college commitment. The 6-4, 225-pound Wayne native revealed he will continue his football career at Maryland. Devera made the official announcement via his Twitter account during Super Bowl LIII. C O M M I T T E D❗️…. LOCKS LESSONS🐢🐢#FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/Sh5Eoo8jpe— ₮Đ (@TylerDevera) February 3, 2019 Devera was the top receiving option in on an explosive Bergen Catholic offense that made it to the Non-Public Group 4 title game. Devera had a team-high 45 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns. Watch JSZ’s highlight reel of Tyler Devera’s senior season here: Tyler Devera was one of four tight ends named to JSZ’s 2018 All-Zone team, alongside Red Bank Catholic’s Kevin Bauman (Notre Dame), West Deptford’s Jason Collier (Pitt) and Hun’s Dylan Deveney (Georgia Tech). Devera whittled his Top 5 list down to Maryland, Colorado, Louisville, UMass and Rutgers, where he decommitted from prior to the 2018 season.
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