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Special Teams, Game-Winners and Deep Tosses Highlight JSZ Week 2 Top Play
Who wants the belt? We’ve got ten great nominees captured by JSZ cameras that are up for this week’s Top Play. The polls are open NOW through Tuesday at 3:00 pm. The winning play will get a visit from JSZ cameras at a mid-week practice and the presentation of the JSZ Top Play Belt. Watch the Top Play nominees below and then cast your vote! Take Our Poll Last Week’s Top Play Belt Winner Hillsborough fans voted early and often as the Raiders secured the Week 1 JSZ Top Play belt for Thomas Amankwaa’s 49-yard touchdown catch against Bridgewater-Raritan.
The Polls are Open! Vote NOW for JSZ Week 2 South, Central and North Game Balls!
Just like that, Week 2 of the 2019 high school football season in New Jersey has come and gone. Jersey Sports Zone is highlighting another batch of stellar performances with game ball voting where players in every corner of the state are honored. The polls stay open through Tuesday at 2:00 pm. Thanks to everyone […].....Read More »
Watch Saturday 9.21 JSZ Football Highlights
Week Two finishes with fantastic Saturday action across the Garden State. We’ve got eight great games including an incredible Power 6 opener between Saint Peter’s Prep and Bergen Catholic. Watch our teaser to get a taste of our coverage and then scroll down to watch all the action! St. Peter’s Prep 33 Bergen Catholic 30 […].....Read More »
Watch Friday 9.20 JSZ Football Highlights
Week Two is well underway! JSZ has eight games from around New Jersey including a Shore Conference shocker, new turf at Phillipsburg, and an impressive win streak continues in South Jersey. Watch our Teaser to get a taste of the menu and scroll down to watch all of our highlights and post-game reaction! Middletown South […].....Read More »
Watch Thursday 9.19 JSZ Football Highlights
Week Two gets started a little early up in North Jersey. JSZ brings you to the Super Football Conference for a pair of public school matchups. Stay tuned throughout the night for all the highlights! Eastside 24 Bergen Tech 7 Sophomore playmakers Amir Smith and Ahsin Jacobs carried the load offensively for Eastside in this […].....Read More »
"JSZ Polls"
Clutch plays, big grabs and long runs up for JSZ Week One Top Play
The Polls are Open! Vote NOW for JSZ South, Central and North 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
Special Teams, Game-Winners and Deep Tosses Highlight JSZ Week 2 Top Play
Who wants the belt? We’ve got ten great nominees captured by JSZ cameras that are up for this week’s Top Play. The polls are open NOW through Tuesday at 3:00 pm. The winning play will get a visit from JSZ cameras at a mid-week practice and the presentation of the JSZ Top Play Belt. Watch the Top Play nominees below and then cast your vote! Take Our Poll Last Week’s Top Play Belt Winner Hillsborough fans voted early and often as the Raiders secured the Week 1 JSZ Top Play belt for Thomas Amankwaa’s 49-yard touchdown catch against Bridgewater-Raritan.
The Polls are Open! Vote NOW for JSZ Week 2 South, Central and North Game Balls!
Just like that, Week 2 of the 2019 high school football season in New Jersey has come and gone. Jersey Sports Zone is highlighting another batch of stellar performances with game ball voting where players in every corner of the state are honored. The polls stay open through Tuesday at 2:00 pm. Thanks to everyone for voting! South Jersey Our South Jersey game ball poll includes players from the West Jersey Football League. Thanks to NJM Insurance for sponsoring our South Jersey Game Balls! Take Our Poll North Jersey Our North Jersey game ball poll includes players from the Super Football Conference and the Mid-State 38. Take Our Poll Central Jersey Our Central Jersey game ball poll includes players from the Shore Conference, Mercer County and the Greater Middlesex Conference. Take Our Poll
Watchung Hills’ Jack Taub Wins JSZ Week 1 North Jersey Game Ball!
Look up the definition of work horse in the nearest dictionary — a photo of Watchung Hills running back Jack Taub should appear beside the entry. Taub put together a masterful performance in Week 1, carrying the rock 19 times for 195 yards and three touchdowns, while also chipping in two catches for 94 yards. For his top-tier performance, Taub was voted in by New Jersey football fans to win the Week 1 North Jersey Game Ball. Take Our Poll JSZ’s Jay Cook has the presentation from Warren:
Rahway’s Rashon Bradford wins Central Jersey Week 1 Game Ball
Rahway kicked off the 2019 season in a big way by defeating Voorhees 50-0. The Indians were led by Rashon “RaRa” Bradford who finished with three scores that included a receiving, rushing and a 51 yard defensive touchdown on an interception to cap off the night. The fans have spoken and he is JSZ’s Central Jersey Game Ball Winner for Week 1. Nery Rodriguez caught up the Bradford and his teammates on Wednesday afternoon’s practice: Take Our Poll Be sure to catch our Friday/Saturday football coverage every week through December and vote for top performance and play nominees Sunday-3 P.M. Tuesday for a chance to see your school bring home a JSZ Game Ball.
Ocean City’s Joe Repetti Wins JSZ Week 1 Game Ball
Joe Repetti had a strong performance against Egg Harbor Township as the Red Raiders roughed up the Eagles 49-0. The junior quarterback threw for 145 and two touchdowns, and ran for a pair of scores as well. Repetti earned 35% of the vote to take home the NJM Insurance South Jersey JSZ Game Ball. Check out the ceremony here: Take Our Poll South Jersey Game Balls are made possible by NJM Insurance. Please send nominations with game stats to mikefrankel@jerseysportszone.com by Saturday evening.
The Polls are Open! Vote NOW for JSZ South, Central and North Game Balls!
Just like that, Week 1 of the 2019 high school football season in New Jersey has come and gone. Jersey Sports Zone is highlighting another batch of stellar performances with game ball voting where players in every corner of the state are honored. The polls stay open through Tuesday at 2:00 pm. Thanks to everyone for voting! South Jersey Our South Jersey game ball poll includes players from the West Jersey Football League and the Colonial Valley Conference. Thanks to NJM Insurance for sponsoring our South Jersey Game Balls! Take Our Poll North Jersey Our North Jersey game ball poll includes players from the Super Football Conference and the Mid-State 38. Take Our Poll Central Jersey Our Central Jersey game ball poll includes players from the Shore Conference , Mercer County and the Greater Middlesex Conference. Take Our Poll
Feature Stories
Mater Dei Prep has a Carli Lloyd of their own – meet Claire Gaston
Claire Gaston is the student liaison for Mater Dei Prep’s Women’s Leadership Committee and the senior is without question leading by example. The senior who is committed to play college soccer as a goalkeeper at Misericordia University has joined the Mater Dei Prep football team serving as the team’s kicker on extra points and field goals. Gaston credits the entire team and fellow kicker Richie Pekmezian for helping her with the transition from soccer to football. Pekmezian will join the team following his required 30-day transfer rule. Until then, it’s up to Gaston to put the ball through the uprights for a team that is currently ranked No.5 in the latest state polls. And she’s quickly made an impact. After going two for four on extra points in her football debut against Brick Township, Gaston delivered five straight extra points in the Seraphs 41-7 win over Jackson Memorial. While Carli Lloyd ponders a future kicking in the NFL, JSZ profiles another Jersey soccer standout who’s already kicking through barriers: Claire is helping raise money for the Kevin Attridge Women’s Leadership Challenge. Named in honor of a legendary Mater Dei coach who championed women’s sports, you can learn more about what the Seraphs are looking to do to give increased opportunities and female athletes here: LINK – Kevin Attridge Women’s Leadership Challenge
South Jersey Basketball Academy Reaches New Heights
The South Jersey Basketball Academy was created by Drew University Basketball alum, Kevin Hagan, and Rowan Men’s Basketball coach, Brian Bouchard in 2014. The camp is for boys and girls ages six to 15. This year, the SJBA has over 100 campers in attendance. Hagan and Bouchard not only teach the young players physical aspects of the game, but also the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship. JSZ’s Madison Bess has the full story from St. Mary of the Lakes School in Medford:
USA Softball Legend Jennie Finch and Her Platform to Empower Young Women
It’s been nine years since Jennie Finch last threw a professional pitch, but the USA Softball Hall of Famer arguably has a bigger platform than ever before. Finch, who has become the de facto American softball ambassador, uses her success on the diamond to inspire the next generation of young female athletes. Her reach goes far and wide — from working with Major League Baseball to face-to-face interactions on a personal level. Finch spoke with JSZ’s Jay Cook at Diamond Nation after the start to two new programs — the Jennie Finch Northeast Nationals and the National Softball College Camp: Sponsor Shoutout! Thanks to Diamond Nation for being a loyal sponsor of Jersey Sports Zone — they’re the reason we were able to be on hand and tell this story.
Flipping Into Fall: SJV’s Grace Costello Preps For Upcoming High School Gymnastics Season
Grace Costello competes for St. John Vianney’s high school gymnastics team and Head Over Heels as a Level 10 USAG gymnast. The incoming senior is committed to William and Mary’s Class of 2024 to continue her athletic and academic careers. Costello is at Head Over Heels 25 hours a week, and will start her high school practices at the end of August. Costello was the Shore Conference All-Around winner last year, and took second place on Floor in the Individual State Championships. This fall she will compete for SJV in her final year of high school gymnastics with high expectations for herself and her teammates. In order to go to college for gymnastics, it is necessary to compete for a club team. Costello and some of her other teammates compete for their high school teams for the fun as well as the team culture. JSZ’s Madison Bess has the full story from Sayreville:
South Jersey Pitchers Petty and Nunan Get Set for Area Code Underclass Games
Rising juniors Chase Petty and Matt Nunan play for rival schools, but the two pitchers will become teammates in August at the Area Code Underclass Games in California. The two train together at the Baseball Performance Center, which is also sending a pair of rising seniors to the Area Code Games. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the story from Pleasantville:
Robert Howard Hungry for Team USA Gold Medal
New Jersey wrestling aficionados know Robert Howard as a three-time state finalist, winning an NJSIAA championship in 2018. But casual wrestling fans might not know Howard holds a U.S. wrestling record — he’s the only American wrestler to ever make three Cadet freestyle world teams. Howard placed ninth in 2017 and fell short at 13th last summer, but those finishes are long by the wayside. Robert Howard, is totally geared up to win a 55 kg (121 pound) gold medal for Team USA in Sofia, Bulgaria from July 29 to August 4. JSZ sat down with Howard and his club coach, Rich Bitetto, as he prepares for the biggest tournament of his life: Stay tuned with Jersey Sports Zone throughout the summer as we bring you behind-the-scenes feature stories and highlight reels of the top athletes in the Garden State.
Recruiting
Lance Ware Commits to Kentucky
Lance Ware will be making the jump from the Olympic Conference to the SEC next year. The Camden senior committed to play basketball at the University of Kentucky, choosing the Wildcats over his other finalists; Michigan, Miami, Ohio State and Providence. Ware is considered a four-star recruit, and averaged 11.6 points per game to go along with 9.6 rebounds per game last winter. Ware is following in the footsteps of Camden legends Dajuan Wagner and Arthur Barclay, who played for John Calipari at the University of Memphis nearly 20 years ago. Watch future Kentucky Wildcat Lance Ware in action here: Coverage of Camden is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care.
How Did Former D-I Hooper Victor Konopka Become a High D-I Football Recruit?
When Victor Konopka graduated from Don Bosco Prep this past spring, his plan was to enroll at Army West Point where he was committed to play Division I basketball. But after contemplating his athletic career, the former JSZ All-Zone basketball player decided to leap and make a change. A big one. Konopka, a 6-7, 245-pound defensive line prospect, has joined the football team at Blair Academy and looks to follow in the footsteps of Jayson Oweh (Penn State) and David Ojabo (Michigan) as basketball-turned-football players who greatly benefitted from stellar coaching at Blair. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the story from Blairstown:
Wheels Up….to Italy. Ranney’s Phil Wheeler skips high school and college for pros
Phil Wheeler electrified JSZ highlights last winter helping Ranney to its first Tournament of Champions title. The rising senior in high school who was reported to be transferring to the Patrick School has made the decision to forgo his final season of high school to sign a professional contract to play for Stella Azzurra’s academy which is a feeder program to their pro team in Italy. By playing overseas, Wheeler will not be able to play college basketball. This story was first reported stateside by Adam Zagoria of Zags Blog and Josh Newman of the Asbury Park Press: Here’s the Instagram post from Phillip Wheeler’s agent on his plan to sign with an Italian youth team. Wheeler did not have the grades for college and they felt this was the best route for him. pic.twitter.com/Zup9wjNKJl— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) August 7, 2019 NEW: Phil Wheeler, who helped Ranney to a Tournament of Champions crown last season as a junior, has signed with an Italian club. Wild move amidst rumors of an imminent transfer. MORE COMING: https://t.co/p9XytKlcZL pic.twitter.com/YSGGJKYRgb— Josh Newman (@Joshua_Newman) August 7, 2019 Wheeler spent his first two years at Rumson-Fair Haven before joining Ranney in his junior campaign. He made his season debut on January 13 and went on to average just under 11 points a game providing an athletic burst to Ranney’s rotation matching skyscraping dunks with Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis. The class of 2020 recruit had picked up five Division I offers from Saint John’s, Richmond, Monmouth, Seton Hall, and Providence, but college is now off the table as Wheeler looks to make an impact in Italy with the hopes of getting an NBA opportunity down the road. Watch JSZ’s highlight reel of Phillip Wheeler’s junior season:
Delbarton’s Kirst Headed to Ivy League
After a breakout junior season with a career-best 66 goals, Delbarton’s top returning goal scorer has committed to Cornell University. No. 61 junior CJ Kirst, A/M, Delbarton (N.J.) / @LeadingEDGEHS committed to @CornellLacrosse. Blowing up for 66G/28A this season, the polished lefty playmaker is a strong candidate to reach five-star status.— Ty Xanders (@tyxanders) July 24, 2019 Kirst was one of New Jersey’s most dynamic goal scorers for the entirety of 2019 — only Manasquan star and Penn State commit Canyon Birch had more goals than Kirst last year. Watch JSZ’s highlight reel of C.J. Kirst: He scored hat tricks in 12 different games and shined with a seven-goal game against Summit and his six-goal explosion against Don Bosco Prep powered the Green Wave to yet another Non-Public A state title. Kirst is far from the first New Jersey player to join Cornell University’s lax squad. He’ll join Class of 2019 Under Armour All-Americans Michael Long (Delbarton) and Aiden Blake (Haddonfield) as Garden State players on the team. Follow along with Jersey Sports Zone for all the latest updates and highlights from the top athletes in New Jersey.
Thweatt Picks His Elite Eight
Wildwood Catholic forward Taj Thweatt is one of the state’s top Division I basketball prospects. With the summer AAU slate coming to a close, Thweatt has narrowed his college choices to eight schools: Thweatt scored 20.9 points per game in his junior campaign and teamed up with recent Temple commit Jahlil White to lead the Crusaders to a 27-2 record. Here’s JSZ’s highlight reel of a dynamic inside-outside threat:
Wildwood Catholic Guard Commits to Temple Owls
Wildwood Catholic guard Jahlil White suffered a knee injury during the critical summer recruiting season, but it didn’t stop the Temple Owls from winning the services of the talented rising senior. White averaged 18.6 points and over six boards a game. He made his decision official via social media: 110% COMMITTED 🍒⚪️ pic.twitter.com/P47IDcL78Y— jahlil (@jahlilwhite13) July 19, 2019 White teamed with fellow D1 prospect Taj Thweatt to lead Wildwood Catholic to a 27-2 record in 2018-19. With both players returning, the Crusaders will be one of New Jersey’s top teams this season and will contend for the Tournament of Champions title. Here’s JSZ’s highlight reel of the newest Temple Owl:
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