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Watch 11.13 JSZ Girls Soccer State Semifinal Highlights
The state championship matchups are set in New Jersey high school girls soccer. The weather forced games to go from neutral sites to home fields around the Garden State. JSZ has action from four state semifinals. Hunterdon Central 1 Eastern 0 | Group 4 Semifinal Emily Mason’s header on a corner kick from Maddy Brennan in the 13th minute was the game’s lone goal as the Red Devils avenge last year’s overtime loss to the Vikings and end a 42 game unbeaten streak by the current #1 ranked team in the national polls. Mason, a junior committed to Rutgers, was able to crash the net after Brennan’s corner hit off the crossbar. Hunterdon Central will play Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the state title game this Saturday at Kean University. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from the upset Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of the Eastern Vikings is made possible by Cooper University Hospital Wall 2 Haddonfield 1 (OT) | Group 2 Semifinal After battling back from a 1-0 deficit in the second half, Wall senior forward Mackenzie Tranberg hammered home a golden goal with :47 seconds left in the first overtime period to punch the Crimson Knights a ticket to the Group 2 championship game. Freshman Kiersten Brown also scored for Wall in the win. Wall will face Parsippany Hills in the Group 2 final on Saturday. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Wall: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all Haddonfield athletics is proudly brought to you by NJM Insurance. Shore Regional 6 Audubon 0 | Group 1 Semifinal Julia Eichenbaum had a hat trick, the seventh of her senior season as Shore avenged a loss to the Green Wave in last year’s state semifinal. Barbara Grimm got the scoring started in the 5th minute and Lauren Sapanaro gave the Blue Devils a 2-0 halftime lead. Sydney Sears had three assists including a cross to Meli Pekmezian to make it a 3-0 game before Eichenbaum closed out the scoring with three straight to give her 34 for the year. Shore will face Mountain Lakes in the Group 1 state championship this Saturday. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from West Long Branch: Why did we have highlights from Shore’s huge win in the state semifinal? Because of the support of Reach Your Potential Training who is our partner on Shore Regional coverage on JSZ. The Shore girls soccer team trains at RYPT and it showed! Ocean City 1 Hopewell Valley 0 | Group 3 Semifinal After a dominating 23-1-1 season Ocean City advanced to their first ever Group 3 Final with a close 1-0 win over Hopewell Valley. The Red Raiders got a lift from Summer Reimet who found net in the 70th minute for the games only score. Ocean City more aggressive on offense won the shots on goal 14-8 and goalie Abbey Fenton finished with eight saves. They will take on Rampo at Kean University on 11/16. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Hopewell Valley coverage.
Cooper Hosts Athletic Trainer’s Symposium
Athletic trainers from all over the region were on hand in Mount Laurel on Tuesday for the Cooper University Health Care Athletic Trainer’s Symposium. Dr. David Gealt and other professionals spoke about a wide range of topics, as the athletic training community came together to share insights that can be applied at New Jersey high […].....Read More »
Wall Wallops Allentown in Atypical Sunday Playoff Game
It’s been an odd week surrounding three high school teams — Wall, Allentown and Robbinsville. Robbinsville and Allentown played a “play-in” game Wednesday night, with Allentown securing a 28-10 win advancing to play Wall in the Central Jersey Group 3 quarterfinal. Then, in the interest of time, the Crimson Knights and Redbirds had to play […].....Read More »
Watch Sunday 11.10 JSZ Championship Soccer Highlights
Championship Sunday at Kean University features four exciting soccer matchups to determine who are the garden state’s best Non-Public teams. We have coverage from all four finals on Sunday. Come back throughout the night and enjoy the highlights! Seton Hall Prep 1 St. Augustine 0 (2OT) | Boys Non-Public A Final It took 91 minutes […].....Read More »
Vote now for a playoff edition of JSZ Top Plays!
The New Jersey high school football playoffs are here and Jersey Sports Zone got some big moments from the opening round. We have the Top Plays captured by our cameras (with some help of a viral video courtesy of Monroe High!). Watch the best of the best from Week 9 and cast your vote through […].....Read More »
"JSZ Polls"
Vote now for a playoff edition of JSZ Top Plays!
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
How our polls work
Every Vote Counts
Our voting polls work very simply…every vote for someone counts. You may vote as many times as you’d like, but you cannot use a bot to vote continuously or automatically…we have software that detects bots and then disqualifies those votes.
Don’t be alarmed…
Because the votes come in very fast and in large numbers, there are times when you vote for someone and you might see their percentage of the actual vote drop. This is due to the fact that during the voting period, thousands of votes can be registered in a matter of a few minutes, so if another athlete is receiving a larger number of votes, their percentage will increase, while the people with fewer votes will see their overall percentage decrease.
How the Voting Works
Every Vote Counts
Our voting polls work very simply…every vote for someone counts. You may vote as many times as you’d like, but you cannot use a bot to vote continuously or automatically…we have software that detects bots and then disqualifies those votes.
Don’t be alarmed…
Because the votes come in very fast and in large numbers, there are times when you vote for someone and you might see their percentage of the actual vote drop. This is due to the fact that during the voting period, thousands of votes can be registered in a matter of a few minutes, so if another athlete is receiving a larger number of votes, their percentage will increase, while the people with fewer votes will see their overall percentage decrease.
Game Ball Presentations
West Essex’s Tyler Logan Brings Home Final JSZ Game Ball of 2019
It all came down to Tyler Logan. On fourth down in the first overtime period, the West Essex kicker lined up from 36 yards out with the game on the line. Logan delivered in crunch time, helping his Knights win a conference championship in a nail-biting win over Newark West Side. Logan collected 9,632 votes (or 58.2 percent) and was awarded with the final North Jersey football game ball of the 2019 season with his heroic kick. Take Our Poll JSZ’s Jay Cook visited West Essex to award Logan:
Chris Moyer of St. Joe’s Metuchen Wins Final Central Jersey Game Ball
After beginning the year with a loss, St. Joseph (Metuchen) won its last eight games to end the regular season at (8-1). The Falcons are the seven seed heading into the Non-Public Group 4 playoffs. In their Week 8 clash against Rahway, the Falcons locked in to a tight battle and were able to pull out a 9-7 victory thanks to a 28-yard game-winning field goal from kicker Chris “No Miss” Moyer in the final 30 seconds. The fans have spoken and Chris is our final Central Jersey Game Ball winner of the football season! JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by practice for another unforgettable ceremony: Take Our Poll
Top Play Belt and a Game Ball; Mainland’s Cook & Bradley Earn Week 8 Awards
Mustangs fans came out in force on the JSZ Week 8 polls! Sean Bradley recorded four sacks in Mainland’s win over Ocean City. Bradley received nearly 4,000 votes to earn the NJM Insurance South Jersey JSZ Week 8 Game Ball. Jake Cook broke a tackle along the sideline en route to a dazzling touchdown catch against the Red Raiders. Cook received well over 18,000 votes to edge out Woodbridge’s Jahmir Brown for the JSZ Week 8 Top Play Belt. Check out the Mainland double presentation here: Take Our Poll South Jersey Game Balls are made possible by NJM Insurance. Take Our Poll
Vote for the final JSZ Game Balls of the 2019 football season!
Just like that, the 2019 high school football regular 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 Take Our Poll Central Jersey Take Our Poll
Holmdel’s Evan Jennings wins JSZ Week 7 Central Jersey Game Ball
We got to the defensive side of the ball for this week’s JSZ Central Jersey Game Ball. Evan Jennings had both touchdowns in the Hornets 17-14 win over Raritan. Jennings had a 10-yard TD run and a 70-yard scoop and score as well as another fumble recovery. We paid a visit to Holmdel practice to give Evan his JSZ Game Ball: Take Our Poll Thanks to everyone who voted. This week’s we’ll have 10 more nominees from Central Jersey. The winner of our poll will get another JSZ Game Ball Thanks to the Law Offices of Lawrence Luttrell for supporting JSZ’s coverage of Holmdel all year long
Holy Spirit’s Trevor Cohen Wins JSZ Week 7 Game Ball
Trevor Cohen threw four touchdown passes to lead the way for Holy Spirit in Week 7. The Spartans sophomore helped Spirit beat Kingsway 47-27 in Absecon. Cohen edged out Hammonton’s Caleb Narty in a close vote, to earn the NJM Insurance South Jersey JSZ Week 7 Game Ball. Check out the presentation here: Take Our Poll South Jersey Game Balls are brought to you by NJM Insurance. Please submit nominations with statistics to MikeFrankel@jerseysportszone.com by Saturday evening.
Feature Stories
Cooper Hosts Athletic Trainer’s Symposium
Athletic trainers from all over the region were on hand in Mount Laurel on Tuesday for the Cooper University Health Care Athletic Trainer’s Symposium. Dr. David Gealt and other professionals spoke about a wide range of topics, as the athletic training community came together to share insights that can be applied at New Jersey high schools. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the story: Cooper University Health Care is a proud sponsor of Jersey Sports Zone.
Delran Celebrates All-American R.J. Moten
Delran senior standout R.J. Moten received his U.S. Army All-American jersey in front of a packed gymnasium on Friday afternoon. The Michigan recruit is one of just five All-Americans from New Jersey, and the lone player selected from South Jersey. Moten will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas in early January. JSZ’s Mike Frankel was on hand for the jersey presentation and has the story:
Family Tradition Thrives as Cody Simon Named All-American
As a sophomore at St. Peter’s Prep, Cody Simon watched his older brother, Shayne, received his All-American jersey. Fast forward two years and now it’s Ohio State-commit Cody Simon unfurling his 2020 All-American Bowl jersey. Outside of being a Top 100 player in the Class of 2020, Simon is a natural born leader who’s accepted the role as team captain and an ambassador on campus. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the story from Jersey City:
Jalen Berger Heading to San Antonio as All-American
Chapters are continuously being added to Jalen Berger’s prolific high school story. The four-star recruit hailing from Don Bosco Prep became the 11th Ironmen player in school history to be selected to the All-American Bowl — a high school all-star game featuring the Top 100 players in America. Berger, who is among the top uncommitted recruits in the entire country, will make his college commitment public during the NBC broadcast of the All-American Bowl on January 4, 2020 from San Antonio, Texas. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the story from Ramsey: Other New Jersey All-Americans Berger is the third of five Garden State players selected to play in the game. Bergen Catholic DB Jordan Morant and St. Joseph (Mont.) OL Luke Wypler received their jerseys in the past week.
No. 1 Center in USA, Luke Wypler, is a 2020 All-American
As an eighth-grader, Luke Wypler began dreaming about becoming an All-American athlete. That dream came true on October 11, when Wypler became the second player in St. Joe’s (Mont.) history to earn the honor. Wypler, a four-star recruit committed to Ohio State, is tabbed as the No. 1 players in New Jersey and the top center prospect in the country. It’s easy to see why he’ll be representing the Green Knights in San Antonio, Texas on January 4. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the feature from Montvale: Sponsor Shoutout! Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all St. Joe’s (Mont.) athletics is brought to you by Rothman Orthopaedics.
Surf Dynasty: Manasquan wins 6th straight NJ state title
The North Pavilion in Spring Lake hosted the NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) Northeast Championships which featured New Jersey high school surfing teams competing for team and individual state titles. While not officially recognized by the NJSIAA, there were over 200 competitors on the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday showcasing their impressive talents. From 1988 to 2012, Ocean City dominated the high school surfing landscape winning every year with the exception of 1997. There’s a new surf dynasty as Manasquan captured their sixth consecutive state championship narrowly edging Ocean City for the team crown. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the story on how the Warriors have built a surf dynasty: NSSA NJ State Surfing Championships – Sunday, October 12, Spring Lake, NJ Team Results 1st: Manasquan 2nd: Ocean City 3rd: Long Beach 4th: Rumson-Fair Haven 5th: Shore Regional Girls Short Board 1st: Morgan Iglay, Manasquan 2nd: Audrey Iglay, Manasquan Boys Short Board 1st: Jack Richards, Long Beach 2nd: Joe Kelly, Ocean City Boys Long Board 1st: Jesse Hulsart, Manasquan 2nd: Ryan Devins, Point Pleasant Boro
Recruiting
Bergen Catholic Big Man Heading to South Bend
Bergen Catholic does it again — the Crusaders have produced yet another D-I basketball talent. Matt Zona, a 6-9 force on all areas of the court, announced Monday his commitment to join the Notre Dame Men’s Basketball program. The Class of 2020 power forward averaged 12.7 points per game, balancing his scoring between the low post and his high percentage three-point shot. Zona chose Notre Dame over other programs like Rutgers, Penn State, St. Joseph’s and George Washington, among a handful of other schools. Zona commanded a Bergen Catholic front court alongside Zach Freemantle, a Class of 2019 Xavier commit, en route to a Non-Public A state championship and a spot in the New Jersey Tournament of Champions final. The Crusaders ultimately lost to Ranney School in that game. Watch his JSZ junior year highlight reel here: Sponsor Shoutout! Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all Bergen Catholic athletics is brought to you by Rothman Orthopaedics.
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:
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