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After a torrid finish to the 2007 season, Marlboro is primed for a championship run in '08.
E-mail: badders@digitalsports.com
It's that time of year again, the time when every team is undefeated and has high hopes for turning in a championship season. Some will realize those dreams, while others will fall short of expectations. It's also time for a little piece of literature that always seems to generate plenty of opinions and cause more than a few arguments: the DigitalSports Boys Soccer Preseason Top 10.
As always, 2008 should be a very interesting season because, while there are plenty of very good teams and even a few excellent ones, the races for division titles should come right down to wire. With that being said, here's my stab at ranking the top 10 teams in the Shore Conference as we get ready to dive headfirst into the season. It always seems like ranking the teams before the season starts is an exercise in futility, as there is seemingly always a couple big upsets in the opening days. Here's hoping this next bit of text isn't obsolete by early next week.
Before we get down to business, just a reminder to stay tuned in the coming days for feature stories and of course our comprehensive game coverage throughout the season. Well, here goes nothing. Ready...aim...
1. Howell - Final 2007 ranking: No. 2: The Rebels lost talented scorer Kyle Bethel to graduation, but otherwise return the majority of their Class A North and Shore Conference Tournament championship squad. Senior midfielders Cody Calafiore and Billy Kappock make this team go, but players like lock-down defender George DiCharo, sweeper Matt Salvatore and goalkeeper Brian McDonough, to name a few, make Howell the most well-rounded team in the Shore Conference.
2. Marlboro - Final 2007 ranking: No. 7: The Mustangs looked like just another below-average team for most of last season, but, coinciding with the move of Alex DeJohn to sweeper, Marlboro made a surprising sprint to .500 before a Cinderella run in playoffs. With eight returning starters, including DeJohn and senior midfielder Hunter Gorskie, the Mustangs certainly have the pieces to parlay their postseason run into a complete season of success.
3. Freehold Township - Final 2007 ranking: not ranked: Following a strong start, the Patriots fizzled down the stretch last season and couldn't win against the same teams they beat the first time through the schedule. This year they are hoping for a similar start and a better finish behind a stellar midfield that features seniors Brendan Noesges and Ryan Clark. Also look out for junior forward Nick Composto, who flashed a great scoring touch last season.
4. Manalapan - Final 2007 ranking: No. 1: After a phenomenal 2007 season in which they were crowned co-Group IV champions, the Braves are looking to remain one of the state's elite teams. They will have to do it with a new cast of offensive players, but have a great defense and a solid midfield to go along with one of the best goalkeepers in the state, four-year starter Jake Grinkevich.
5. Brick - Final 2007 ranking: not ranked: Losing their top player from a season ago, DigitalSports first-team defender Andrew Smith, will not lessen the expectations of the Green Dragons, who return their remaining 10 starters for what looks to be a promising season for a team that has steadily risen through the ranks in recent years. Seniors Rob Wroblewski and A.J. Colesa will ensure Brick plays solid in its own end while senior Dan Wroblewski returns in goal. Four-year starter Dan Durnian will lead the offense from his center-midfielder position.
6. Toms River North - Final 2007 ranking: not ranked: Injuries decimated the Mariners last season, but the silver lining is that they now have a much more experienced team than they otherwise would have. Look for sophomore Jeff Sheck and junior Jordan Subai to spark the offense while senior Justin Kohler and junior Dan Klien will spearhead the defensive efforts.
7. Christian Brothers Academy - Final 2007 ranking: No. 3: The Colts have lost eight seniors from last year's team that reached the Non-Public A final and were described by head coach Dan Keane as 'a work in progress'. That may not bode well for CBA in the early part of the season, but this is program that always produces and should be there in the end fighting for a division title and a spot in the later rounds of the Shore Conference Tournament. Senior forward Pat Rafferty is one to watch from an offensive perspective and freshman Scott Thomsen is a phenom with a chance to be a special player.
8. Wall - Final 2007 ranking: not ranked: For a program that had been consistently among the Shore Conference's best, the last two seasons for the Crimson Knights (last in B-North in 2006, 7-7-5 last season) had to have been frustrating. This, however, looks like the year when Wall will reassert itself as a top-10 team. There isn't one star that will dominate the field, but players like senior midfielders Connor Powell, Taylor Gregory and Sean Raffetto, and senior forward Harrison Wagner will keep the Crimson Knights playing consistently solid soccer throughout the year.
9. Holmdel - Final 2007 ranking: not ranked: Losing two marquee players - Sean Davis and Dan Metzger, who decided to play club soccer instead of high school with Davis joining the U17 National Team - brings the Hornets down a peg, but they are still without question a team on the rise. With a promising sophomore class and even a talented freshman, defender Casey O'Gorman, the Hornets should be a contender for years. Senior forwards Pat Nizza and John Bjurling are the Hornets' veteran leaders and should definitely help this young team reach its potential.
10. Shore Regional - Final 2007 ranking: not ranked: The talent is there for the Blue Devils to blow through their Class B Central schedule and make a run in the Shore Conference Tournament as well as the Central Jersey Group II playoffs. Senior Roberto Novoa, the Shore Conference's leading returning scorer, headlines a talented midfield that also sports junior Taylor Scarpino and sophomore Connor McKenzie. Games outside of B Central are what Shore will be judged on, and the Blue Devils will have a chance to silence the doubters with games against Red Bank, Toms River East, St. John Vianney and Ocean, as well as the Shore Conference Tournament.
Teams that just missed the cut - Brick Memorial, Manasquan, Ocean, Rumson-Fair Haven, Monsignor Donovan, Toms River East.
