Weekend Football

While it will feel more like summer than fall the high school football season reaches the midway point this weekend with some very big games…none bigger than tonight’s showdown in Manahawkin between Southern and Toms River East. The fact that Southern is playing a big game in October is news in itself as more often than not the Rams would be licking their wounds by this point of the season. There’s been occasional success under Coach Chuck Donohue and even a couple of trips to the state playoffs but the word championship has not been uttered in quite some time. The Rams have not won a title since the 1972 squad quarterbacked by Joe DePasquale finished in a three-way tie for the then-Class C championship and that was before the building boom made Southern one of the biggest schools in the state.

While wins over Jackson, Marlboro and Brick Memorial have allowed the Rams to go 3-0 for the first time since 1990 everyone who wears the black and gold knows that Toms River East is by far the best team they’ve played to this point. The Raiders might be the best team in the shore and on their way to not only another American Division championship but their first-ever state sectional crown. East has won their first three games by an average of 34 points and they were all pretty much over by halftime. Led by two-way standouts like Ryan Dolan and Mike Murphy this just might be a very special Raider team and we’ll have a better idea later tonight. I’m sure there will be madness in Manahawkin as players like Todd Kaiser, Glenn Carson and Brad Gesser look to pull off what would be a major upset.

East & Southern are among the 11 undefeated teams at the shore and among the most surprising in that group is Holmdel, who will host Barnegat tonight in key National Division contest. Barnegat has quickly become a title contender thanks to quarterback Brandon Clarke and all-purpose back Erik Smithman. After winning 14 straight games Lacey has lost it’s last two and can’t afford another if they have hopes of repeating as champions of the Constitution Division. The Lions host another title contender, Brick Saturday afternoon in what should be a close, low-scoring contest.

Our broadcast schedule on the Shore Sports Network will find us in Rumson tonight for the Bulldogs game with Manasquan. Saturday night we are at
Toms River North where the 4-0 Mariners host Jackson. The games can be heard on 1160AM and via the web at www.shoresportsnetwork.com