By Scott Stump - Senior Editor
E-mail: stump@digitalsports.com
Posted 8/22/08, 1:05 a.m.

      I saw two camps on Thursday morning and was going to write a quick blog, but since I went to two more after that, I might as well give you the whole enchilada at once. First of all, thank God gas prices have stabilized at least a little bit or I might have to throw a meter in the front and start asking people if they need a taxi to Long Branch or Manasquan or Middletown or wherever I am going that day.
      Anyway, there's tons of stuff to get to, so let's get started. If you're looking for news on Keyport, Raritan, St. John Vianney, Holmdel, Asbury Park, Manasquan, Wall or Long Branch, plus some quotes/stories from camp, this is the place.

      KEYPORT
    
      The Red Raiders are going to have some good size across the line this year. They have four starters back on an offensive line that averages about six feet and 237 pounds, so they will have some beef up front in their Wing-T attack. Their quarterback, Tim Snyder, is back, and watch out for sophomore Yusuf Francis at fullback and at linebacker and senior Aaron D. Lee in the backfield. Coach Mike Ciccotelli also said that junior wideout Jake Bellamy is similar to the graduated Justin Diaz, who was their best weapon in the passing game last year.
       The schedule gods still hate Keyport, as their nondivisional games are Matawan and Manasquan after having been Point Boro and Red Bank Catholic the last two years. However, this team should at least have some size to compete this year. Their junior class is really a big bulk of the team and they still might be a year away, but they think that they should be able to make some noise in the Patriot Division this season. Keep an eye on junior linebacker Cody Carroll, who has started since his freshman year and should be an impact player. The most prominent player in that junior class is two-way lineman Bryan Thomson, a I-AA prospect who could be one of the top defensive players in the Patriot Division along with Rumson-Fair Haven defensive tackle Taylor Brown.
       In the totally random department, the Red Raiders also have a junior named Mike Miele who will see time at halfback and safety. Not to be confused with the Mike Miele that played for Manasquan recently, or the other Mike Mele (with no 'i') who starred for Manasquan and is now at Syracuse.

     RARITAN

      This looks like it should be a much-improved team coming off last year's 2-8 season, and the first thing I noticed is that there is just more energy from Raritan's leaders during practice this year. This group is hungry, and they were practicing at a high tempo compared to what I remember from last year. The players are getting on each other to perform at a high level and taking ownership of the fact that they want to bounce back to the team that was perennially in the top 10 in the Shore.
       The Rockets really struggled offensively last year, but I think with the return of running back Jesse Raymond, wideout Bennett Jackson and tight end Matt Facendo as weapons, they should be more dangerous. Also, their quarterback situation looks to be more settled with senior Mark Stancati behind center. In the season opener last year, Raritan lost its first two quarterbacks to injury in a loss to St. John Vianney.
       Stancati replaced Brian Kalarjian after he hurt his foot, and then Stancati ended up suffering a season-ending broken collarbone only a handful of plays after entering the game. He's back, and the Rockets also have another experienced quarterback in junior Joe Pensebene, who started several games last season because of injuries. We'll see how they look once the scrimmages get underway, but I think this group will make things happen offensively compared to the one that struggled to move the ball last year. They have two starters back on the line and were dealt a blow when promising 250-pound sophomore Christian Marchena was lost for the season with a knee injury, but they always seem to be able to mold together a solid line in Hazlet.
       They return all of their linebackers (Jerome Dean, Chris Raitano and Marc Cogliano), so that will be a strength on defense. Their secondary also looks to be more athletic than in recent seasons with Jackson and Raymond back there along with junior returner T.J. Murray.
        I think with a hungry attitude and some experienced playmakers on offense, this is a dangerous team that can be in the hunt for the National Division title. Their schedule is interesting in the early going in that they will open with a Mater Dei team that looks to struggle mightily after a winless 2007 season, and then they have to go right into a huge game with St. John Vianney and sophomore sensation Charles Davis, who had a huge night against Raritan in the season opener last year in his first varsity game.

     HOLMDEL

      Just like at Keansburg and Rumson the other day, it was strange heading into the Hornets' Nest and not seeing too many familiar faces other than the coaching staff. That's because the only returning starters are senior linebacker Pat Clarke, senior fullback Mike Sasso (who started on defense last year) and senior wideout/cornerback Jason Hyland. That doesn't include their top returner, senior Kenny Laplante, who suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier this month in conditioning drills after being penciled in as the starting fullback (a key position in Holmdel's flexbone offense) as well as a starting linebacker. Losing Laplante was a huge blow, and I should have more of my conversation with him posted on the site on Friday.
       The defense is going to start seven sophomores, so the Hornets will be learning on the fly. With a talented sophomore class that includes two transfers from last year's Red Bank Catholic freshman team who will start for Holmdel this year, defensive end Steve McGrory and linebacker Matt Fasciano, the hope is that in two years this class can mature into the type of senior class that Holmdel had last season when it won the National Division title.
       Holmdel's quarterback with also be a sophomore, J.J. Cuccurello, with Sasso taking over for Laplante at fullback. Despite playing so many young players, Carlstrom said they are not going to deviate from their usual approach. They are going to play physical, hard-nosed defense and try and pound teams on offense. The offensive line is a bit undersized, so we'll see how that goes, but the goal is really to just keep the program headed in the right direction and prove the success wasn't just one outstanding senior class.

     ST. JOHN VIANNEY

     I almost did a double take when I saw sophomore Charles Davis. The sophomore standout has packed on about 20 pounds of muscle since starting at quarterback as a freshman. He has been moved to running back this season to combine for a formidable backfield with three-year starter Chris Mayo. Davis was at camp at Rutgers in the offseason and has already drawn notice from the Scarlet Knights, so we'll see how he does as a pure runner in St. John Vianney's multiple offense, which incorporates aspects of the spread, the Wing-T and the I-formation. Last season, he tried to stretch defenses to the sideline with his speed and rarely ventured up the middle into the teeth of defenses, but now he has the size to bull for yards.
      However, the major question mark is an offensive line that returns only one starter (Greg Arrington) and will start two sophomores. One of the sophomores is Nick Dragonetti, the younger brother of former Freehold captain Mike Dragonetti, who died tragically in a car accident in January of 2007 and was a big inspiration to the Colonials in their improbable run to the Federal Division title last season. In other words, the Lancers have a loaded backfield that will also feature fullbacks Anthony Corona and Julian Mayo, but it remains to be seen how quickly the line will come together in order for the Lancers to make a run at the National Division title.
      Senior Ken Dietrich and junior Joe Carlucci are both experienced quarterbacks and will replace Davis, who almost never threw the ball unless absolutely necessary last year. It's up to those two and the wideouts to do enough in the passing game to let Davis, Mayo and Co. go to work without teams stacking the line, like they did most of the time last year. An interesting thing about Davis is that he has only played two years of organized football after playing mainly basketball in middle school, so he has done most of his damage so far on raw talent.
      SJV also has yet another Neptune product who, like Davis, will start as a freshman. Jazzmar Clax is already about 195 pounds and will start at linebacker, according to Lancers coach John Amabile. The linebackers and secondary should be solid, with some newcomers on the defensive line being the main question marks. 
      One jarring sight at practice was that there were only 25 players practicing on the varsity. Amabile said he had eight players hurt, and a few others were missing, so depth could be a huge issue with this team.

     ASBURY PARK

     Blue Bishops coach Don Sofilkanich says his biggest fear is complacency when it comes to defending their Central Jersey Group I title. He isn't kidding, as he had star players down to back-ups running laps like crazy for being lackadaisical or failing to show enough commitment at practice. Some heads may have swelled during the offseason, and he is trying to bring them down to size and focus on the task at hand.
     This team will be as explosive as it gets on offense again, led by four-year starter Will Johnson at quarterback. Already a dangerous runner, he looks a little more polished in the passing game this year and could do some damage out of spread formations. Junior George Stephens appears poised for another big season at running back, and could get some help from promising sophomore Devonte Thomas, who could be the next star in the making in the backfield depending on how much he progresses and grasps the Wing-T offense. He actually saw some time in a regular-season game against Keansburg last year as a freshman. In other words, it's not inconceivable that Asbury could have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers for the second straight year after Stephens and Rashawn Roberts did it last year. I wonder when the last time that happened in the Shore Conference.
      Senior wideout Derrell Bell also returns and looked as dangerous as ever in going up high for passes in practice on Thursday, although he knows teams will be ganging up on him after seeing too many highlight-reel plays on jumpballs down the field last year. That could be good news for newcomer Joe Anderson, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior who is also a basketball player. Anderson could develop into a receiver who could make teams pay for focusing on Bell, who has a scholarship offer from Akron and heavy interest from numerous high-level I-AA programs.
       Despite losing two key linemen in Knowryl Hammary and Paul Zarella, they still return three starters on the line. One of Sofilkanich's other concerns is leadership, as he is waiting for vocal leaders to emerge to fill the shoes of Roberts, the punishing fullback/linebacker from last year's team whom Sofilkanich said was also a key leader. The team certainly knows that the pressure will be on this time because it is not a 1-9 Cinderella squad any more but a team with expectations of repeating as state champs and winning an outright division title after sharing the Patriot Division title last year. This team has set finishing No. 1 overall in the Shore Conference rankings as a goal as well, a lofty goal for a Group I team.

     MANASQUAN 
    
     The Warriors coaches are going to hate me for saying this because everyone wants to stay under the radar in the preseason, but after seeing them on Thursday, I might be leaning toward picking them to win the National Division. Certainly I have to study all of it a little more and a team like Point Boro is probably the team brought up the most as the favorite, but I liked what I saw. When a Manasquan staff and players say that the strength of their team is going to be the offensive and defensive lines, that's always a great sign because so much of their approach is based on brute strength up front in the running game and a rugged defense that stops the run.
      While they don't have a ton of returning starters from last year (3 on offense, 3 on defense), more than half of these players have seen some type of varsity action, which is a far cry from last year, when head coach Pete Cahill said that it took a little while to get acclimated because nearly the entire team had never played in a varsity game because they all sat behind the juggernaut 2006 senior class that went 12-0. Senior Rich Dulski is the lone returning two-way starter on the line, but there are plenty others with experience, including junior Dan Sullivan, who returns at defensive end after starting as a sophomore. 
       Junior tailback Lorenzo Venable returns after showing flashes of game-breaking ability last year before injuries really slowed him down. Cahill said that he has good vision and does a good job of moving the chains and always getting positive yardage. Sophomore fullback Tariq Turner looks like he also could have an impact in the running game, and last year's fullback, Dan Kerrigan, is now an extra blocker and target at tight end.
       I think this team has more explosive skill players than last year, particularly at wideout. Senior Chaz Bush, who I believe makes Manasquan the first team in Shore Conference history to have a starter named "Chaz" for two consecutive seasons on the heels of running back Chazz Coursey last year, is an elusive target at wide receiver, and senior Bryan Nadrowski is also a solid target.
        By far the most intriguing prospect is junior Neal Sterling, who is about 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. He looks like a tight end, but will line up as a wide receiver and has good speed. He missed last season with a knee injury and is also a basketball player. He could become an absolute match-up nightmare when he gets into an opposing secondary because of his size. It will be up to new quarterback Mike LaSala, a senior, to hit those passes when he gets an opportunity in Manasquan's run-dominated offense. LaSala also will mainly be playing one way this season as the coaches noted that last year's quarterback, Steve Kircher, was often less effective later in games because he was also a standout linebacker who was chasing everyone all over the field on defense.
      The Warriors also have good talent at the freshman and jayvee levels, so the factory appears to be churning out some more stars who could help either later this year or next year. So, to sum up - good coaching, good young talent, optimism along the offensive and defensive line - sounds like a pretty good Squan team to me.

     WALL
    
     The main focus during the offseason for this team was shoring up the running game. The Crimson Knights have to establish the run to set up everything else. It helps to have standout senior tailback Blaze Caponegro back, and head coach Chris Barnes feels the big key will be that they will not have as many linemen playing both sides of the ball this year.
     From the Middletown South game to four straight losses to end the season, Barnes just felt they got worn out up front late in the season and in the second half of big games against Top 10 opponents. The effort was there, but it was just too much to ask against an unforgiving schedule and the lack of a running game allowed opponents to gang up on wideout Tim Wright, who is now a freshman at Rutgers.
      This year there will only be a pair of two-way linemen (Kevin Orender and Dave Janssen) compared to four or five from last year, which should help. Senior Dan Russo replaces Jim Louro at quarterback, and needs to make enough plays to keep defenses off of Caponegro. Caponegro, who has a scholarship offer to Temple, recently visited Villanova and has a few other high-level Division I-AA schools pursuing him.
       Defensively, this team should be strong up front, with five of its front seven returning. Orender is moving to three-technique at defensive tackle after playing defensive end last year. It seemed like every Wall game I saw last year, Orender was making big plays, whether forcing fumbles, recovering fumbles or making big hits on third down. The funny part is that he may not make as many flashy plays this season, but might be even more important because he will command a double team that will allow his teammates to run free and reap the highlight-play glory. Still, Orender is one to watch, and has received interest from Wagner and Monmouth among others.
       All in all, this looks like another Wall team that has the ability to make a run to the playoffs and make the Federal Division race interesting because it always plays nemesis Middletown South tough. It also opens with Long Branch, in what is usually a classic when these teams meet.

     LONG BRANCH

     Everyone get the defibrillators ready in case your heart can't take the shock - It's official, Long Branch's unveiling of its new artificial turf stadium will go down as scheduled against Red Bank Catholic on Sept. 19, according to Green Wave coach Dan George. Now they can replace the "@'' key on their keyboards replaced because of its overuse in typing their schedule for the last four years. I've heard rumors of Long Branch home games, which once were held in a galaxy far, far away, many years ago. Like Halley's Comet, few have seen them but swear they existed. (Actually, it's been since 2003).
     The team was taken on a tour of the new stadium on Thursday and it will be all ready to go on Sept. 19 after some speculation that the initial home game might be pushed back. With two gleaming new scoreboards, two big parking lots, a seating area that holds about 2,500 just on the home team side and gleaming new turf, Long Branch is ready to say goodbye to the endless road trip.
      "I told my wife that I almost won't know what to do with myself on game day,'' George said. "I'm so used to going to the school early, getting everything on the bus and traveling that I won't know what to do with all that time now.''
      The team is still practicing on the dust scrap known as a practice field on Morris Avenue, but will most likely be able to practice on the turf at the school after its first game, which is on the road against Wall, according to George. 
      Oh yeah, right, you want to know about the actual team. I couldn't tell you completely because several of their top players left practice early to attend an SAT prep class (never a bad reason), but I think this team will reload rather than rebuild after losing six first-team DigitalSports Legends of the Fall players to graduation.
      The reason is I think this team will be different than the one that struggled two years ago after graduating a good class is because they return some experience on the line in seniors Mark Caldwell, Sean Williams and Ameer Washington. Their new skill players are talented, but just need experience, so having a solid line in front of them is huge. Senior quarterback Randy Rodriguez is not the running threat that Isaiah Hall was, but he has a big arm and has the size to lower his shoulder and knock defenders back. You know he has got to be tough considering that he is the ultra-rare defensive end/quarterback combination.
      A player who could take a big step forward this season is senior cornerback/wideout Larry Morris, who has gotten some Division I-A looks and should be an impact player on both sides of the ball after being overshadowed by last year's stars. There are three players competing for time at tailback to replace the Shore's leading rusher, Travis Patterson, but all are good athletes. Junior Devron Clark is another wideout target along with returning starter Ben Kanach at tight end.
      An up-and-coming prospect who should see more time on offense as he grasps the scheme is sophomore Miles Shuler, a playmaker who will start at cornerback and also could see time at quarterback and in the slot as a receiver. They want to get the ball in his hands in space, so it's just a case of getting the playbook down and getting varsity experience.
     Junior Billy George, Dan's nephew, is a three-year starter at linebacker and also should see time at tailback. He and Washington are two of the biggest impact returners on a team that people may write off because of the graduation attrition, but I think this team will be in the mix in the Liberty Division. The talent is there, so it comes down to experience and chemistry to make a team rather than a collection of individual talent.
     Plus, the Green Wave are now down in Central Jersey Group II from CJ III, away from the Middletown Souths and Moorestowns of the world, so if they qualify and get into a bracket that could feature the likes of Rumson, Matawan, Raritan, Monmouth, Manasquan, Point Boro and others, they could have a shot to reach a second straight sectional final because of their physical brand of football and playmakers.

     OK, now I will wrap this up with a few quick quotes/anecdotes:

     --"Great play, great play. That looked great, just great. It's just one thing. That was not at all what I just called.'' - Keyport coach Mike Ciccotelli, setting his troops straight.

     --"The ball doesn't like you. It bounces off of you anytime you come near it. Thank God you're not a receiver.'' - Raritan assistant Keith Rescorl, having some fun with a defensive player.

    --"If that was a harpoon, it would have killed you.'' - Keansburg coach Brian Kmak to a receiver who dropped a ball that went right off his pads.

    --"Are you Italian? Fragile? (pronounced frah-jee-lay)" - Asbury Park assistant Keith Killea, to a player who barely hit the ground yet acted like he had been hit by a bus in practice.

    --"We just stopped thinking about it because it hasn't been an option. I haven't been waiting for Christmas for five years, and now suddenly Christmas is here. It's awesome.'' - Long Branch coach Dan George, about finally being able to play a home game after four years on the road.

     --The brother of Holmdel defensive coordinator Frank Papalia is on the staff at Monsignor Donovan, which spent this week at a camp up in Sussex County, where there are apparently regular bear sightings. Before his brother left for camp, Frank took the poker out of the fireplace, and he gave it to him with a straight face, saying, "You might need this because I wouldn't want you to get eaten or anything. Oh, and don't bring any sandwiches in your cabin.''

     --I can't post the clip here because the language is a little shaky at the beginning of the video, but if you do a Google search for "Josh Shields'' and "Make A Wish,'' you will see a YouTube clip featuring last year's kicker from Wall, Josh Shields, who is a cancer survivor, getting called up on stage to play the drums at a Foo Fighters concert at Madison Square Garden as part of the Make a Wish Foundation. He gets behind the kit for Taylor Hawkins and doesn't miss a beat. It's awesome. Josh is now a kicker at Albright College, where seemingly half of the Shore Conference alumni are currently playing. Look under the answer for "Dream Jobs'' in his team bio.

     And finally, a random fact of the day - Manasquan has not played Ocean since 1985, which was the Warriors' first year under the late, legendary Vic Kubu. Ocean won 14-7, and the two teams meet again for the first time since then in this year's season opener for both teams.