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Current News
The JSZ Top Play Belt is up for grabs again – vote for Week 6’s best!
Offense, Defense and Special Teams – we’ve got it all covered in JSZ’s Week 6 Top Plays. Once again, we have the best plays captured by JSZ cameras in every part of the state. Watch them now and cast your vote! The polls are open now through Tuesday at 3:00 pm. The winner of our poll will receive the JSZ Top Play Belt and a visit from Jersey Sports Zone at a mid-week practice. Thanks again to all the great athletes who give us these great plays each and every week! Watch our ten nominees and then cast your vote below: Take Our Poll Last Week’s Top Play Belt Winner Congratulations to Holy Cross’ Nasir Abney for taking the Week 5 Top Play Belt
Wild TD Totals Highlight Week 6 Game Ball Polls
Just like that, Week 5 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 10.19 JSZ Football Highlights
Week 6 wraps up with plenty of action all over the Garden State. Our highlights are posted – watch JSZ’s teaser and then scroll down to watch some big-time games along with post-game reaction Don Bosco Prep 35 St. Joe’s (Mont.) 14 Game of the year? Win of the year? You tell us. All-American Jalen […].....Read More »
Watch Friday 10.18 JSZ Football Highlights
It definitely feels like football weather now! Warm up with JSZ’s Week 6 highlights featuring eight games around New Jersey including an OT thriller in North Jersey, a streak buster by Somerville and a wild finish in Manalapan between the Braves and RBC Ramapo 35 Wayne Hills 28 (OT) Another iteration of one of North […].....Read More »
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 […].....Read More »
"JSZ Polls"
WILD TD TOTALS HIGHLIGHT WEEK 6 GAME BALL POLLS
Game Ball Presentations
Wild TD Totals Highlight Week 6 Game Ball Polls
Just like that, Week 5 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 Take Our Poll Central Jersey Take Our Poll
Matawan’s Marc Gagneron takes home Central Jersey Week 5 Game Ball!
After starting the year off with back-to-back losses Matawan has began to turn its season around under new head coach Jay Graber. In the Huskies latest 49-42 overtime victory over Toms River South, Marc Gagneron rushed for five touchdowns against the Indians. The fans have spoken and he is this Week’s JSZ Central Jersey Game Ball Winner! Nery Rodriguez stopped by practice for another electric acceptance ceremony: Take Our Poll
JSZ Game Ball Tour Visits Hanover Park
Mike Fillipone was Mr. Reliable for Hanover Park last Friday night. The Hornets were looking for their first win of the 2019 season and it was Fillipone who rushed for 176 yards on 11 carries with three fourth-quarter touchdowns to help power Hanover Park to a rousing 61-38 win over Hackettstown. Fillipone gathered 10,838 votes — or 37.7% of the polling — to win JSZ’s Week 5 North Jersey Game Ball. Take Our Poll JSZ’s Jay Cook visits the Hornets for the game ball presentation:
Clearview’s Mike Ancona Wins JSZ Week 5 Game Ball
Mike Ancona had a monster performance for the Pioneers in Week 5. The senior threw two touchdown passes and ran for a pair of scores. He also caught a pass and made three tackles on defense to lead Clearview to a 41-15 win over Burlington Township. Ancona dominated the polls, earning almost 80% of the vote to take home the NJM Insurance South Jersey JSZ Week 5 Game Ball. Watch the presentation here: Take Our Poll South Jersey Game Balls are made possible by NJM Insurance. Please send nominations to MikeFrankel@jerseysportszone.com by Saturday evening.
Insane Stat Lines Highlight JSZ Week 5 Game Ball Polls!
Just like that, Week 5 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 Take Our Poll Central Jersey Take Our Poll
Matt Croteau brings JSZ Central Jersey Week 4 Game Ball to Colonia
Colonia’s Matt Croteau has been a driving force throughout the Greater Middlesex Conference this season and after starting 0-2 the Patriots have won their last three to put themselves in good position to make the playoffs. In Colonia’s latest matchup against South Plainfield, Croteau racked up 258 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The people have spoken and he is JSZ’s Central Jersey Week 4 Game Ball winner! Nery Rodriguez stopped by practice for another high energy ceremony: Take Our Poll Be sure to catch all of our weekend football coverage and cast your vote for top play and JSZ Game Balls. Polls are open Sunday morning- 3P.M. Tuesday!
Feature Stories
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
Four-Star DB Jordan Morant Named 2020 All-American
Jordan Morant, a four-star defensive back prospect committed to the University of Michigan, was the first player in the United States to receive his jersey as part of being selected to the 2020 All-American Bowl. The Bergen Catholic product has been one of the country’s premiere defensive players through his four-year career at Bergen Catholic. Morant is only the second Crusader player selected to the game in its 20-year history — the other was former NFL first round draft pick and Houston Texans great Brian Cushing. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the feature story from Oradell: Sponsor Shoutout! Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all Bergen Catholic athletics is brought to you by Rothman Orthopaedics.
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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