Shore 44

The name may be different and the game might have lost a bit of its luster but for the 80 plus players in uniform tonight’s Shore 44 holds the same meaning it has for three decades in that it gives them a chance to play in front of family and friends and represent their high schools one more time.

The 30th annual All-Star football game at Brick Township’s Keller Memorial Field kicks off at 6:30 and features many of best recently-graduated seniors from Ocean and Monmouth County. The teams played to a 7-7 tie last summer with Monmouth winning the previous three games and leading the overall series 16-12-1.

The game was founded by former Asbury Park Press Sports Editor Dick Brinster in 1978 and was known as the All-Shore Football Classic until the Press stopped running it three years ago. Point Pleasant Boro coach Calvin Thompson did much of the work in keeping the game going the last couple of years and is the games General Manager, working in conjunction with the Shore Football Coaches Association.

Lacey’s Lou Vircillo is the head coach of the Ocean County team and has a trio of outstanding running backs including his own Chris DiMicco, who helped the Lions to a 12-0 season and state sectional title last December. DiMicco will have plenty of help carrying the ball with Brady Doyle of Toms River East and Brick Memorial’s Vinnie Falkiewicz, who was the offensive MVP of the North-South game last month. Toms River North’s Arin West is expected to make the start at quarterback and has some very talented receivers to throw to including Matt Puorro of Point Boro.

Monmouth County head coach Cory Davis of Howell will have his quarterback running the show at the start with Sean O’Reilly expected to put the ball in the air quite a bit. When they do run expect Donald Porzio of RBC and Monmouth’s Louis Haynes to get their share of carries.
Monmouth has a huge size advantage on both lines as the Ocean County team lost several players to injury who they had expected to help.

While winning and losing is always important tonight’s game is the culmination of a players high school careers…many of course will play in college but for some tonight is the last time they’ll put on a uniform.

On an unrelated note….congratulations to the Point Pleasant 12-year old All-Stars for winning the South New Jersey 46/60 Cal Ripken State baseball title. Point Pleasant beat Mt. Laurel 14-4 and now advances to the Mid-Atlantic Regional with teams from New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and North Jersey. The winner of that tournament heads to the Cal Ripken World Series in Arkansas.