Tag Archives: RBC

Somerville has exploded onto New Jersey’s public school scene over the past two years and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Despite losing JSZ Zoneman Player of the Year Jalahn Dabney to graduation, head coach Dallas Whitaker believes his team has the mentality and necessary tools to be champions once again. Ethan Hilliman and Kyree Hinton are a pair of top returning two-way players who will look to power the Pioneers back to a sectional championship for a third straight season. JSZ’s Jay Cook previews Somerville and their 2019 squad: Somerville 2019 Schedule Friday, Sept. 6 — vs. Hamilton Friday, Sept. 13 — at North Plainfield Friday, Sept. 20 — at Voorhees Friday, Sept. 27 — at Cranford Saturday, Oct. 5 — at Summit Friday, Oct. 11 — vs. Warren Hills Friday, Oct. 18 — vs. Rahway Friday, Oct. 25 — vs. Gov. Livingston Friday, Nov. 1 — vs. Immaculata

The Lincoln Lions have one word to describe themselves going into this season: Aggressive. The Lions have a mixed demographic of rookies and veterans going into this 2019 season. Lincoln has their sights set on putting big points up on the board. JSZ’s Madison Bess has the full preview: Lincoln Lions 2019 Schedule Friday, Sept. 6 — at Demarest Friday, Sept. 13 — vs. Hoboken Friday, Sept. 20 – at West Side Friday, Sept. 27 – vs. Caldwell Friday, Oct. 4 – vs. West Essex Thursday, Oct. 10 — at Shabazz Saturday, Oct. 19 – at Nutley Saturday, Oct. 26 — vs. Newark Central Saturday, Nov. 2 — at Snyder

The Shabazz Bulldogs are hungry walking into their 2019 football season with new Head Coach, Tyrone Turner. The Bulldogs finished last season with a 10-2 record. Prior to facing their rival, Cedar Grove, Shabazz had a 17-game winning streak. JSZ’s Madison Bess has the full preview: Shabazz Bulldogs 2019 Schedule Friday, Sept. 6 — vs. Glen Ridge Saturday, Sept. 14 — at West Side Friday, Sept. 26 – vs. Hoboken Friday, Oct. 4 – at Verona Friday, Oct. 10 – vs. Lincoln Friday, Oct. 18 — vs. Cedar Grove Friday, Oct. 25 — at Newark Collegiate Friday, Nov. 1 — at Hudson Catholic Thursday, Nov. 28 – vs. Weequahic

The Nutley Raiders closed out the 2018 campaign with a three-game win streak to get to 4-6. JD Vick is the interim coach as Steve DiGregorio is on the mend. DiGregorio is expected to rejoin the team on October 1st. Justin Lucia is back to lead the Raiders offense at quarterback. The Raiders open the season on September 7th at the Oval against Bloomfield. JSZ caught up with Nutley at the Super Football Conference Media Day at Wayne Valley High School: Nutley Raiders 2019 Schedule Saturday, Sept. 7 — vs. Bloomfield Saturday, Sept. 14— vs. Montclair Friday, Sept. 20 — at Wayne Valley Saturday, Sept. 28 — vs. Newark Central Friday, Oct. 4 — at West Side Friday, Oct. 11 — at West Essex Saturday, Oct. 19 — vs. Lincoln Saturday, Oct. 26 — vs. Snyder Friday, Nov. 1 — at Caldwell

Bergen Catholic has been the model of consistency in North Jersey over the past two seasons, going a combined 20-4 over that time with brothers Nunzio and Vito Campanile each serving as head coach in that span. The Crusaders captured a Non-Public Group 4 title in a 2017 blowout against St. Peter’s Prep but suffered their first shutout in over three decades in last season’s 13-0 loss to St. Joe’s (Mont.). Bergen Catholic hit the reset button coming into 2019, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have a state title on their minds. JSZ’s Jay Cook previews the Crusaders coming into the 2019 season: Bergen Catholic 2019 Schedule Saturday, Aug. 31 — at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) Saturday, Sept. 7 — vs. Imhotep Charter (Pa.) at Rutgers Saturday, Sept. 21 — vs. St. Peter’s Prep Friday, Sept. 27 — at Don Bosco Prep Friday, Oct. 4 — at Irvington Saturday, Oct. 12 — vs. St. Joe’s (Mont.) Saturday, Oct. 19 — at Pope John Friday, Oct. 25 — at Paramus Catholic Saturday, Nov. 2 — vs. DePaul Catholic

The Lakeland Lancers are coming into the 2019 season with mostly fresh faces, and a few seasoned veterans. This year, the Lancers will have a different offensive backfield as well as a new quarterback. Junior Todd Geyer will step in as the quarterback. Six of Lakeland’s starters have played out on the Varsity field before, but there will be several first-year starters in the mix as well. JSZ’s Madison Bess has the full preview story: Lakeland 2019 Schedule Friday, Sept. 6 — vs. Ramsey Friday, Sept. 13 — vs. Passaic Valley Saturday, Sept. 20 – at Lenape Valley Saturday, Sept. 27 – at West Milford Friday, Oct. 4 – vs. Westwood Saturday, Oct. 11 — at Fort Lee Friday, Oct. 18 — at Pascack Hills Friday, Oct. 25 — vs. Dumont Friday, Nov. 1 — vs. Mahwah

The JSZ Camp Countdown Preview tour takes us to Red Bank Catholic where the Caseys know they can’t do better than last year’s 10-0 record with a Non-Public Group 3 state championship. Coach Frank Edgerly’s team has always been focused on the task at hand and with a selfless attitude across the entire roster, the Caseys will once again be a team to watch not just in the Shore Conference but the entire Garden State. The Caseys have two of the top-ranked seniors in the state. Notre Dame commit Kevin Bauman is one of the best tight ends in the country and Charlie Gordinier is Boston College bound at tight end and will be a key factor at linebacker for the Caseys defense. Ryan Edgerly is poised to take the reins of the offense at quarterback for the graduated Steve Lubischer. Watch JSZ’s preview of Red Bank Catholic: Red Bank Catholic 2019 Schedule Friday, Sept. 6 — vs. Rumson-Fair Haven Saturday, Sept. 14— at Manasquan Friday, Sept. 20 — vs. Middletown South Friday, Sept. 27 — vs. Long Branch Friday, Oct. 4 — at Toms River North Friday, Oct. 18 — at Manalapan Friday, Oct. 25 — at Donovan Catholic Friday, Nov. 1 — vs. Freehold Township

In the their previous four seasons Lenape accumulated an impressive 40-4 record that included their first and only Sectional Championship. However, in 2018 the Indians under first year coach Joe Wojceichowski fell to 5-6 with an exit in the South Group 5 Semifinals.  Wojceichowski now in year two has inspired a young Lenape team to take on more responsibility. With the help of Purdue University commit Clyde Washington and running back Xavier Coleman who holds offers from West Virginia, Baylor, Temple and Rutgers, the Indians will look to see if they can return to glory in 2019. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by training camp: Lenape 2019 Schedule Friday, Sept. 6 — vs. Tottenville (N.Y.) Friday, Sept. 13 — at St. Augustine Saturday, Sept. 20 — at Vineland Friday, Sept. 27 — at Williamstown Friday, Oct. 4 — vs. Allentown Friday, Oct. 18 — at Camden Catholic Saturday, Oct. 26 — vs. Rancocas Valley Friday, Nov. 1 — at Cherokee Thursday, Nov. 28 — vs. Shawnee

From the countless championships to the number of undefeated seasons, tradition is everything at Don Bosco Prep. However, after a couple of down seasons, tradition is exactly why the Ironmen are feeling so good coming into 2019. Former Rutgers and NFL quarterback Mike Teel is out after two seasons at head coach, meaning Dan Sabella is the man in charge. Don Bosco will wield one of, if not the best backfields in the entire state featuring four-star All-American Jalen Berger and his running mate Kyle Monangai. Senior leadership on defense will also be a major part of the success Don Bosco Prep finds this season. JSZ’s Jay Cook previews the 2019 Ironmen from Ramsey: Don Bosco Prep 2019 Schedule Friday, Aug. 30 — at St. John Bosco (Calif.) Friday, Sept. 6 — vs. Gonzaga College HS (D.C.) Friday, Sept. 20 — vs. West Orange Friday, Sept. 27 — vs. Bergen Catholic Saturday, Oct. 5 — at Pope John Saturday, Oct. 12 — at St. Peter’s Prep Saturday, Oct. 19 — at St. Joe’s (Mont.) Friday, Oct. 25 — vs. DePaul Catholic Friday, Nov. 1 — vs. Paramus Catholic

DePaul Catholic has proven to be one of the most consistent programs — not only in North Jersey, but the entire state — over the past decade. But the Spartans now find themselves in unfamiliar territory coming into 2019. Last season was the first since 2012 that DePaul Catholic wasn’t in a sectional championship game — but you can bet the Spartans are gunning for a title berth this year. DePaul Catholic will be led by four senior captains in 2019: TE/OLB Charles Finley, OL/DL Eddie Bierals, WR/DB Teddy Afful and RB/FS Sean Kelly. They also welcome junior QB Andrew Butler into the huddle. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the full preview from Wayne: DePaul Catholic 2019 Schedule Friday, Aug. 30 — vs. Pope John Friday, Sept. 6 — vs. Seton Hall Prep Saturday, Sept. 21 — at St. Joe’s (Mont.) Saturday, Sept. 28 — at Delbarton Friday, Oct. 3 — vs. St. Peter’s Prep Friday, Oct. 11 — vs. Paramus Catholic Friday, Oct. 18 — vs. Hudson Catholic Friday, Oct. 25 — at Don Bosco Prep Saturday, Nov. 2 — at Bergen Catholic

The pendulum of power in the Super Football Conference swings from year to year, but 2019 is looking more and more like the year for the boys at St. Joe’s (Mont.). The Green Knights won the Non-Public Group 4 state championship after a suffocating 13-0 performance against Bergen Catholic at MetLife Stadium. Seniors heading to Penn State, Boston College and Notre Dame departed from the program, However, St. Joe’s will return a host of new senior core players that will set the pace all season long. Those include OL Luke Wypler (Ohio State), DE/OLB Amin Vanover (Penn State), QB Michael Alaimo (Purdue), ATH Te’Rai Powell (Rutgers) and DB Elijuwan Mack (Rutgers). JSZ’s Jay Cook spent the afternoon in Montvale and has the story on what New Jersey can expect from the champs: St. Joe’s (Mont.) 2019 Schedule Saturday, August 30 — at JSerra Catholic (Calif.) Saturday, Sept. 14 — vs. Cardinal Hayes (N.Y.) @ MetLife Stadium Saturday, Sept. 21 — vs. DePaul Catholic Saturday, Sept. 28 — vs. St. Frances Academy (MD.) Saturday, Oct. 5 — vs. Paramus Catholic Saturday, Oct. 12 — at Bergen Catholic Saturday, Oct. 19 — vs. Don Bosco Prep Saturday, Oct. 26 — at Seton Hall Prep Saturday, Nov. 2 — at St. Peter’s Prep

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.

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:

Jersey Sports Zone is about capturing great video highlights. As we get ready to turn the page towards the 2019-20 school year, we take one more look back at the top games captured by our cameras. Our series continues with wrestling. A game so beautiful it’s played on a diamond. When it comes to baseball New Jersey has produced top tier talent at both the Division I and Pro level. 2019 kept that theme going. Big names, big plays and big at-bats filled your social media for weeks, here are our most viewed games from this past baseball season. 10. Bergen Catholic 10 DePaul 0 In this regular season matchup between Big North Conference rivals Bergen Catholic and DePaul Catholic, University of Michigan commit Jacob Denner pitched a 9 K shutout against the Spartans. 9. Delbarton Kinnelon 3 Morris County Tournament favorites Delbarton continued their hot streak with a close one run victory over Kinnelon. 8. Pope John 5 Delbarton 4 Not many can say they stared down the barrel of a gun and lived to tell the tale, but Nate Pallotta can relate. In the bottom of the seventh Pallotta knocked in a game-winning RBI to defeat No. 1 Delbarton 5-4 in walk-off fashion. 7. Delbarton 9 Red Bank Catholic 7 Jack Leiter and the Green Wave swept through the mid-season Autism Awareness Challenge. In Delbarton’s battle with Red Bank Catholic, Leiter had 10 strikeouts while Shawn Rapp added a 3-run home run. 6. Delbarton 2 Don Bosco 0 Delbarton no strangers to high pressure games. In the Non-Public A North Final, the Green Wave captured their third straight title with a 2-0 shutout against Don Bosco. 5. Bergen Catholic 6 Delbarton 2 Bergen Catholic’s Ryan Cancellieri pitched the game of his life against top ranked Delbarton in the regular season. Thanks to his 11 strikeouts and two earned runs the Crusaders were able to top the then No. 7 team in country 6-2! 4. Delbarton 2 West Morris 1 The Morris County Tournament Final came to a thrilling conclusion as Delbarton ace Jack Leiter propelled the Green with 14 strikeouts to another MCT Title. 3. Delbarton 7 Seton Hall Prep 5 Aside from having Major League caliber talent on the squad, Delbarton’s strength is in its depth chart. In the Non-Public A Semifinal Justin Kim knocked in the game-winning RBI against Seton Hall Prep for a 7-5 win. 2. Delbarton 4 St. Augustine Prep 3 These two are no strangers to each other, the last three Non-Public A State Finals have featured both St. Augustine Prep and Delbarton. Well Vanderbilt University commit Jack Leiter and New York Yankees signee Anthony Volpe ended their final high school games with one more piece of hardware. 1. Delbarton 7 Montville 1 Before the conclusion of the Morris County Tournament, Jack Leiter pushed Delbarton to the MCT Final for their eventual third straight title with 11 strikeouts against Montville.

Jersey Sports Zone is about capturing great video highlights. As we get ready to turn the page towards the 2019-20 school year, we take one more look back at the top games captured by our cameras. Our series continues with wrestling. Plain and simple, New Jersey high school wrestling never disappoints. The state produces legit Division I talent year in and year out, and the 2018-2019 season was no different. Our list is a mix of the most viewed dual meets and state championship bouts from the season. #10: St. John Vianney’s Dean Peterson wins the 113-Pound State Championship It was a year to remember for Dean Peterson. The super sophomore rolled through his opponents all season long to a 39-0 record and his first state title. #9: Hunterdon Central’s Brett Ungar win the 106-Pound State Championship Brett Ungar and Tyler Klinksy each hadn’t lost a match all season long, but that would change when Ungar earned a major decision on his way to a state title. #8: Wall’s Rob Kanniard wins the 160-Pound State Championship Rob Kanniard might have had the most dominating season ever in New Jersey high school wrestling. He completed an undefeated 46-0 season, did not allow a single offensive point to be scored on him and won his first state. Kanniard now heads to Rutgers University to wrestle. #7: Howell 30 South Plainfeld 28 Howell and South Plainfield boast two of the most storied public school programs ever in New Jersey. The two powers clashed for bragging rights as the top public team in the Garden State. #6: Bergen Catholic’s Jacob Cardenas wins the 195-Pound State Championship Jacob Cardenas became the seventh wrestler in Bergen Catholic history to win multiple state championships after defeating Paramus’ Kyle Jacob, 6-3, in the state final. #5: Pope John’s JoJo Aragona wins the 138-Pound State Championship JoJo Aragona was ranked as the consensus No. 1 138-pound wrestler all season long and proved it once more by winning his first state championship. #4: Bergen Catholic 48 Delbarton 17 | Non-Public A North Sectional Final Bergen Catholic won 10 bouts and cruised through Delbarton to win its eighth-straight sectional crown. #3: Camden Catholic’s Lucas Revano wins the 145-Pound State Championship Anyone that’s seen Lucas Revano wrestle knows he has a thing for theatrics. Revano won his second consecutive state championship with an overtime pin. #2: St. Joseph (Mont.)’s Sammy Alvarez wins the 126-Pound State Championship It was the most heart-pounding, tense bout of the night in Atlantic City and it did not disappoint. In the first overtime period, Alvarez blocked, shrugged and spun for two against Robert Howard to win his first ever state championship. Alvarez, now committed to Rutgers University, also was named Most Outstanding Wrestler. #1: Blair Academy 45 Bergen Catholic 20 Bergen Catholic’s defeat of Blair Academy in 2018 was one of the most wild wins in all of America. The Bucs, however, used that loss as motivation to get revenge on Bergen Catholic at Lehigh University and secure their spot as the No. 1 high school team in America.

Camden’s Lance Ware has had a huge summer on the AAU circuit and some of the nation’s top programs have made offers to the rising senior. Jersey Sports Zone drops some of our best Ware highlights! 15 Division I schools have offered 6-foot-9 forward Lance Ware of Camden and that number should grow. Michigan and Oregon are the most recent basketball powers to extend an offer to the rising senior. Watch Jersey Sports Zone’s highlight reel of Lance Ware now!

Middlesex 23 Union 7 – Autoland Classic Fans gathered at Kean University for the annual gridiron clash between Middlesex and Union County. Featuring a new name, the Autoland Classic needed an additional 45 minutes to begin due to weather, but once the skies cleared a close back and forth battle would ensue. Aaron Ahr of North Brunswick hit two early field goals to give Middlesex a 6-0 lead nearing the end of the second quarter. Just before halftime Union would score on a Ja’Kir Robinson touchdown to take a one point lead at halftime. Ahr would kick another field goal in the second act which would be accompanied by a Jordan Davis touchdown to put Middlesex ahead 16-7 midway through the fourth quarter. Aaron Ahr received MVP honors for his nine points that accumulated to 92 yards total. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has all the action: 

Jersey Sports Zone is about capturing great video highlights. As we get ready to turn the page towards the 2019-2020 school year, we take one more look back at the top games captured by our cameras from the 2018-2019 season. We continue this series with girls soccer. #10 St. Rose 1 Trinity Hall 0 – Non-Public B Final Rutgers commit, Julianne Leskauskas, scores the lone goal for St. Rose, giving them the 2018 Sectional win. #9 Old Bridge 1 Monroe 0 CJG4 Semifinals Emmi DeNovellis scores the lone goal in overtime, and the Knights walked away with the Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinal win. #8 Hunterdon Central 4 Ridge 0 Hunterdon Central’s Corinna Zullo finishes with two goals and one assist. Emily Mason scores one goal and one assist. #7 Toms River North 1 Red Bank Catholic 0 – Shore Conference Tournament Alexa Peto scores the game-winning goal against Red Bank Catholic in the 28th minute. #6 Governor Livingston 1 Delsea 0 – Group 2 Semifinal Allie Post scores the lone goal for Governor Livingston, giving them the Group 2 Semifinal victory. #5 Middletown North 3 St. John Vianney 2 Katelyn Reid scores the game-winning goal with 16 seconds left in the game. #4 Eastern 1 Bridgewater-Raritan 0 – Group 4 Championships Kelli McGroarty scores the lone goal with a header in the 76th minute. #3 Northern Highlands 1 Middletown North 0 (OT) – Group 3 Semifinal Reagan Klarkmann scores the Golden Goal in overtime. #2 Middletown North 3 Middletown South 1 The Middletown South Eagles lead 1-0 going into the second half. But, the Middletown North Lions score three goals in the second half, walking away with the win. #1 Ramapo 3 Northern Highlands 2 (2OT) The Ramapo Raiders upset the #1 Nationally Ranked Northern Highlands Highlanders in double overtime!

Jersey Sports Zone is about capturing great video highlights. As we get ready to turn the page towards the 2019-20 school year, we take one more look back at the top games captured by our cameras. Here are the Top 10 most viewed boys soccer games games on JSZ from the 2018 season: #10 St. Benedict’s 8 Lawrenceville 0 Ronald Mafunzwaini led St. Benedict’s with a hat trick as the Gray Bees rolled past the Big Red: #9 St. Benedict’s 5 St. Peter’s 0 Julian Gomez pumped in three goals to lead the way, as the Gray Bees took care of the Marauders: #8 Ocean 2 Colts Neck 1 – Group 3 Central Final James Schutz and Santieno Harding scored as the Spartans captured the Group 3 sectional title: #7 Long Branch 4 Middletown South 3 (2OT) The Green Wave stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to force overtime, before Reynaldo Guzman scored the golden goal for Long Branch in the second overtime period: #6 Ocean 1 Christian Brothers Academy 0 (2OT) – Shore Conference Tournament Final After over 90 minutes of scoreless soccer, Leo Montesinos found the net in double overtime to clinch the Shore Conference Tournament championship for the Spartans: #5 Ocean 2 Holmdel 2 (Ocean advances 4-2 in PKs) – Shore Conference Tournament Semifinal The Spartans and the Hornets battled it out for 100 minutes before Ocean advanced in penalty kicks: #4 Delbarton 2 Seton Hall 2 (Delbarton advances 4-3 in PKs) – Non-Public A North Final The Green Wave captured the Non-Public A sectional title, outlasting the Pirates in penalty kicks. Delbarton keeper Kyle Swift came up clutch in net: #3 St. Benedict’s 5 Pennington 2 Celio Pompeu scored a pair of goals to lead the Gray Bees past Pennington in the pouring rain: #2 Christian Brothers Academy 2 Delbarton 1 (2OT) – Non-Public A State Final Luke Pascarella scored in double overtime as the Colts won the Non-Public A State championship in a thriller over the Green Wave: #1 St. Benedict’s 7 Pennington 0 – Prep A Final The Gray Bees dominated the Red Raiders to win the Prep A title. St. Benedict’s put the finishing touches on an undefeated season and a #1 national ranking in our most viewed game of 2018:

Monmouth 21 Ocean 6 The longest running football All-Star game in the garden state was worth the wait. After a day of postponement due to weather the 42nd Annual All-Shore Gridiron Classic kicked off with an opening ceremony featuring former New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers superstar, Plaxico Burress. From there Monmouth would control the tempo for the rest of the evening. Long Branch duo Marc Dennis and Matt Clark would start with a nine yard passing touchdown for an opening drive score. Dennis would then find Ocean Township’s Alex Bryant on another short pass to help Monmouth eventually go ahead 21-0 at the half. Quarterback Marc Dennis and Manalapan Linebacker Da’Shaun Taylor would take home MVP honors. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: 

For four years, JSZ cameras chronicled the incredible high school career of Ranney’s Scottie Lewis. The McDonald’s All-American is set to begin his college career with the Florida Gators. We salute his endless highlights on Jersey Sports Zone with Scottie Lewis Dunkology. We went through the archives and found every dunk we shot of Scottie in a Ranney uniform and here they are in chronological order! Lewis was one of our finalists for JSZ Mister Hoop Zone as he teamed with JSZ Player of the Year Bryan Antoine to give Ranney its first Tournament of Champions title

East 14 West 7 The Annual Sunshine Football Classic is one of the most talked about events of the year in Mercer County and this year’s finale will surely have fans buzzing for some time. Notre Dame High School played host to the All-Star Game featuring athletes from Mercer, Burlington and Hunterdon County. East would score early in the first following a 61 yard reception from Liam Monohan of Hightstown to West Windsor-Plainsboro North’s Jahmiq Johnson, it would lead to a short rushing touchdown from Florence’s Jujuan Hays. West would counter to tie the game midway through the second before a lightning delay stopped action for over thirty minutes. Once play resumed Hays would then score once again to help East take the lead. Unfortunately with lightning still being an issue the game was called in the third quarter, ending West’s four year win streak. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez was there for all the action:

The Hun School is hosting Prep schools from ten other states in an NCAA certified scholastic event. Saint Benedict’s Prep joined the Raiders playing with teams from ten other states. With two courts running simultaneously throughout the weekend, over 50 college coaches are expected to visit Princeton this weekend. On the opening night of action, there were over two dozen coaches on hand to see Saint Benedict’s Prep dominate Malvern Prep. Shortly after the game, two Gray Bees picked up Division I offers. Aaron Estrada earned an offer from Drexel while Toby Okani was offered by Mount Saint Mary’s. The host school has six rising seniors who are all hungry to pick up their first college offer. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the story on the Mid-Atlantic Independent School Shootout: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of the Hun School is made possible by our friends at Princeton Orthopaedic Associates

It’s the end of an era and the start of a new one at Rowan University. After 27 years, the Taliaferro Senior All-Star Game is gone. In its place comes the Adam Taliaferro Foundation Coach Larry Ginsburg 7-on-7 Classic. The format is changed, but the mission remains the same: to benefit the Adam Taliaferro Foundation, which helps people who suffer catastrophic head or spinal injuries. Camden defeated Cherry Hill West to take home the title. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the story from Glassboro: Coverage of Camden is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care.

Four-star basketball forward, Jabri Abdur-Rahim will announce his Top 8 college choices in the near future. The son of former NBA player, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, has over 30 colleges to choose from, some of which have the best college basketball programs in the country. Rahim is waiting to go on some upcoming college visits to help him determine where he would like to end up. His soonest visit will be with University of Virginia on June 28. JSZ’s Madison Bess caught up with Rahim at the Mid-Atlantic Shootout on Sunday to discuss his plans and goals moving forward:

Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores was in Middletown to reunite with Mater Dei Prep’s Dino Mangiero for a youth football camp. Flores was not the only NFL name on hand to spend time with over 100 middle schoolers. Watch JSZ’s feature on a great message delivered to youngsters about succeeding in much more than football Mater Dei Prep head football coach Dino Mangiero made a name for himself as an NFL player with the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks. Before he built the Seraphs into a New Jersey power, he was the head man at Poly Prep in Brooklyn. One of his former players has followed in his coaching footsteps and made it all the way to the NFL. Brian Flores spent 15 years on Bill Belichick’s staff in New England winning four Super Bowls along the way. He’s ready to make his NFL head coaching debut this fall when he takes the reins of fellow AFC East rival Miami. The Dolphins head man enjoyed speaking with the middle schoolers and credits Mangiero for helping him on his path to an NFL head coach. Flores wasn’t the only NFL flavor on hand. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Keith Kirkwood talked to the campers about the importance of academics. The Neptune native made his NFL debut last year catching two TD passes from Drew Brees. The camp also featured a number of former Mater Dei players who are now in the college ranks including Army’s Isaiah Alston, Boston College’s Izaiah Henderson, and Rutgers wide receiver Eddie Lewis. Watch JSZ’s feature on a great experience for future high school football players in Middletown:

Burlington County 4 Lehigh Valley 2 – Carpenter Cup Final Burlington County captured the Phillies Carpenter Cup Classic championship with a victory at Citizens Bank Park. It’s the franchise’s fourth title all-time and BurlCo’s first since 2012. Jedier Hernandez of Trenton Catholic broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning. Shawnee’s Joey Moore, Pennsauken’s Robby Barrientos and Lenape’s Cade Hunter also drove in runs in the win. Kyle Kato of Bordentown pitched three scoreless innings, with Rancocas Valley’s Bryce Mangene once again closing things out. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from South Philadelphia:

Devil Dogs 28 Leathernecks 17 – Basilone Bowl All-Star Game 2019 Despite challenging weather the seventh annual Basilone Bowl at Bridgewater-Raritan High School did not disappoint Somerset County fans. The All-Star game sponsored by the United States Marine Corps kicked off with an early score from two hometown heroes as Bridgewater-Raritan’s Greg Verano found Anthony Goffe for a 60 yard touchdown to draw first blood for the Devil Dogs. Verano would score again on 75 and 86 yard TD’s in the second quarter to make it a 21-17 lead at halftime. He finished the night with 217 passing yards three passing touchdowns and one rushing to earn offensive MVP honors. Defensive MVP went to Bernards Ryan Bender who had three and a half sacks. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: 

Big moments, amazing athleticism and pure power highlight Jersey Sports Zone’s spring sports plays of the year. We have over 40 nominees in three categories. Watch the best highlights captured by our cameras and cast your vote now! The 2019 spring sports season has come to a close and JSZ went through all of our games to pick the best plays captured by our camera. We’ve got nominees for the JSZ Lax goal of the year, web gem of the year (baseball and softball) plus the spring sports clutch play of the year featuring walk-off wins on the diamond, overtime lax thrillers and great arms from the outfield on the diamond. Our polls will stay open through Friday at 3:00 pm and we will honor our plays of the year winners this summer. A special thanks to all the athletes who are responsible for these fantastic clips! JSZ Lax Goal of the Year Take Our Poll JSZ Spring Sports Clutch Play of the Year Take Our Poll JSZ Web Gem of the Year Take Our Poll

Mountain Lakes 12 Delbarton 5 – Boys Tournament of Champions Final No. 2 Mountain Lakes stunned lacrosse fans across the Garden State when they shocked No. 1 Delbarton 12-5 to win their first Tournament of Champions crown since 2008. The Lakers trailed 2-0 midway through the first quarter until four unanswered goals saw them lead entering the second. From there Mountain Lakes began piling up goals to eventually go ahead by four. Matt Palazzi finished with four scores. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights:  Oak Knoll 10 Moorestown 8 – Girls Tournament of Champions Final The matchup between defending Tournament of Champion winner’s Moorestown and Oak Knoll was nail biting from start to finish. Both teams traded blows early on as we remained tied for most of the first half. Nearing the break following two scores from Keelin Schlageter, Katie Duttenhofer landed a hat trick to give Oak Knoll a 7-5 lead at halftime. The duo would continue their success in the second act as Schlageter finished with three goals while Duttenhofer had four. This is the Royals second TOC Title overall since winning their first in 2015. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: 

Delbarton shortstop Anthony Volpe closed out his high school career in style with a two run homer and a state championship. Now the New York Yankees first round pick is ready to fulfill a lifelong dream of wearing pinstripes and making it to the big leagues. Anthony Volpe could have went to the MLB Studios in Secaucus and soaked in the moment of being a first round MLB Draft pick, but he was more focused on Thursday’s state championship game and achieving the goal of winning a state title to close out his Delbarton career. It’s that kind of focus and character that should make New York Yankees fans excited for the future. Volpe was the #30 pick in the first round by New York and the Vanderbilt commit will begin negotiations on starting his professional baseball career. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis talked with Volpe after his final high school game where he begins to shift his focus from Delbarton Green to New York pinstripes: JSZ has all the highlights from Volpe’s dynamic senior season with Delbarton: The final hit of Volpe’s career was memorable with this two run homer to start off Delbarton’s 4-3 win over Saint Augustine in extra innings:

DeMeo Field in Hamilton hosted the Non-Public state championships on Thursday. JSZ has two great finals starting with Delbarton and Saint Augustine Prep in the Diamond National Game of the week followed by St. Mary (Rutherford) and Gloucester Catholic vying for the Non-Public B title. Delbarton 4 Saint Augustine Prep 3 (8 innings) – Non-Public A State Championship Shawn Rapp hit a flare to shallow right field in the top of the 8th to drive in the go-ahead run and pitched 1 2/3 innings of shutout ball in relief to give the Green Wave an extra innings win in Hamilton. New York Yankees first-round draft pick Anthony Volpe hit a two-run homer as the second batter of the game to give Delbarton a quick 2-0 lead. It was the only hit Delbarton would have in the first seven innings of the game. Saint Augustine took a 3-2 lead in the 4th thanks to a bases loaded walk by Cole Vanderslice. Hermits starter Jayson Hoops threw six innings of one-hit ball while Jack Leiter threw 6 1/3 innings striking out seven. Delbarton broke through in the 8th thanks to a Vinci double off the wall in centerfield and Rapp’s RBI single. This is the third straight year that Delbarton and Saint Augustine squared off for a state title. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from an outstanding title game: Thanks to Diamond Nation for parterning with Jersey Sports Zone to allow us to show extended highlights of top high school baseball matchups all year long. St. Mary (Rutherford) 4 Gloucester Catholic 3 – Non-Public B State Championship Rider commit Kenny Quijano struck out 12 in a complete game effort to lead the Gaels past the two-time defending champion Rams. St. Mary scored all four of its runs in the second inning, including a RBI single from Mehki Hinds. Rider commit Luke Lesch homered for Gloucester Catholic in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from St. Mary’s first state title since 1998: Coverage of Gloucester Catholic is brought to you by NJM Insurance.

The first week of June was a big one for a handful of high school players in the Garden State. Stay tuned with JSZ over the next day as we break down all of New Jersey’s selections in the 2019 MLB Draft. Anthony Volpe, Delbarton, SS — New York Yankees (Round 1 | 30th overall) Volpe’s selection by his hometown team made waves across the tri-state area on Monday night. The Delbarton star shortstop was selected in the first round the Bronx Bombers after hitting .500 with seven home runs and 33 RBI with one more game to go. His signing bonus would be $2.37 million, according to MLB.com Round 1 | Pick 30: The New York Yankees select SS Anthony Volpe out of Delbarton School (NJ). #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/cF2mdD9m0X— NYYPlayerDev (@NYYPlayerDev) June 4, 2019 Watch JSZ’s highlight reel of Anthony Volpe: Jack Leiter, Delbarton, RHP — New York Yankees (Round 20 | 615th overall) There’s simply no argument about it — Jack Leiter was one of the most prized arms available in the 2019 MLB Draft. So far, Leiter’s posted an 8-1 record with a 0.54 ERA across 52.1 innings pitched. He collected 88 strikeouts, 19 walks and surrendered only 23 hits and allowed only four earned runs. It just so happens that instead of heading right to the pro’s, Leiter seems dead-set on honoring his full-ride college commitment to Vanderbilt University, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman and various other media reports: RHP Jack Leiter, from The Delbarton School in NJ, hasn’t been picked in draft because his father Al informed teams he was going to honor his Vanderbilt commitment. Said one scout: “Kid’s a stud … would have gone top 10 picks easy.”— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 4, 2019 Jack Leiter, is, of course, the son of two-time MLB all-star Al Leiter. Al Leiter stepped away from the broadcast booth at the YES Network to experience his son’s final high school season. Al was a constant figure behind home plate all season long charting pitches. JSZ covered Jack Leiter’s high-profile senior season extensively. Here’s a breakdown for each of the outings JSZ was on hand for during the 2019 year. April 13, 2019 — 5 IP, 10 K’s, 2 ER vs. Red Bank Catholic: Leiter’s second game of the 2019 season was a scout-filled bonanza in North Brunswick for the annual Strike Out Autism challenge. He fanned 20 batters and wowed those in attendance as Delbarton captured a 9-7 win. April 30, 2019 — 2 IP, 5 K’s vs. Pope John: Delbarton traveled out to Sparta for an inter-conference showdown against Pope John to close out the first month of the season. Leiter got the start but threw only 35 pitches in a brief outing. Delbarton eventually lost on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning. May 4, 2019 — 6 IP, 11 K’s, 1 ER vs. Montville : As tournament and post-season play increased, Leiter became a mainstay on the mound. This outing came on his home field in the Morris County Tournament semifinals. The 11 strikeouts against Montville would be his third-highest single game total during the 2019 season. May 11, 2019 — 7 IP, 14 K’s, 1 ER, 1 Hit vs. West Morris: This was, far and away, Leiter’s best outing all season long. He was perfect through 6.2 innings before surrendering a questionable fourth ball on a 3-1 count. Leiter would then allow an RBI double right after, but righted the ship and led Delbarton to its sixth Morris County Tournament championship in school history. May 24, 2019 — 5 IP, 7 K’s, 3 Hits vs. Oratory Prep: Leiter got the call again early in the state sectional playoff tournament and pitched five innings of stress-free baseball, helping the Green Wave advance into the next round. May 31, 2019 — 6.2 IP, 8 K’s, 3 Hits vs. Don Bosco Prep: With the season on the line, Jack Leiter was nearly flawless as he led the charge to the Green Wave’s 2-0 win over Don Bosco Prep to capture the Non-Public A North sectional title. Leiter hit his in-game pitch limit of 113 with one out to go in the seventh inning but did more than enough work to help seal the win. Breyln Jones, Rutherford SS — Los Angeles Dodgers (Round 29 | 881st overall) Breyln Jones was a dynamic playmaker for the Rutherford Bulldogs over the 2019 season. He was the team’s leadoff hitter and also split time between shortstop and as a starting pitcher. Jones finished the 2019 campaign with a .403 batting average, 27 hits, 29 runs, eight RBI and 19 stolen bases. On the mound, he commanded a 5-1 record with a 0.25 ERA through 28.1 innings with 48 strikeouts, 14 walks but surrendered only eight hits and one earned run. Vincent Bianchi, Red Bank Catholic RHP — Los Angeles Angels (Round 34 | 1,051 overall) Vin Bianchi had just won the Shore Conference Tournament title with his friends in what would be his last high school game. Then it got even better — Bianchi immediately found out he was selected by the Los Angeles Angels. Bianchi was one of the Shore Conference’s top arms all season long as he led the Caseys in innings pitched (38.2), strikeouts (41) and wins (five) in his senior season. Bianchi is committed to Saint John’s University and is leaning towards college baseball. Cade Hunter, Lenape C — Colorado Rockies (Round 35 | 1,059 overall) The Virginia Tech commit was the first South Jersey player to come off the board this year. Hunter led the Indians to a 12-9 record this season and an appearance in the Group 4 South playoffs. He hit eight home runs and finished with a .463 batting average. Ryan Ramsey, Pascack Hills LHP — Cleveland Indians (Round 36 | 1,090 overall) It would be hard to argue the point that Ryan Ramsey has been the best public school pitcher over the last two seasons in New Jersey high school baseball. In a pair of varsity seasons, Ramsey has a 16-3 record, a 0.53 ERA over 119 innings, 221 strikeouts to only 29 walks while allowing only nine runs. Staggering numbers indeed. Ramsey is committed to the University of Maryland so it’s yet to be seen what his decision will be, but he’ll most likely be on the mound one last time Saturday as Pascack Hills plays for a Group 2 state championship Jayson Hoopes, St. Augustine Prep RHP — Chicago Cubs (Round 36 | 1,092 overall) Jayson Hoopes has been as solid as they come for New Jersey pitchers. The University of Virginia commit pitched to a 6-0 record so far in 2019 with a 0.70 ERA through 32 innings. He recorded 58 strikeouts and surrendered only 19 walks on the season while helping St. Augustine Prep reach a 24-4 record. Hoopes is expected to be on the mound on Thursday night when the Hermits face Delbarton in the Non-Public A final.