Parity Hits The Shore

Usually by this point of the high school football season you have clearly separated the contenders from the pretenders when it comes to possible championships. Welcome to 2008 where parity has hit the Shore Conference like never before and 19 of the 43 teams are still alive for the six division titles and more than half could still qualify for the state playoffs.

More then in recent years there’s a feeling that there is no great team with only Asbury Park, Red Bank Catholic and Freehold undefeated heading into week #7. However there are plenty of good stories coming out of this season including turnarounds at schools like Central, Shore, Middletown North, and Raritan who were a combined 9-31 last year and so far this fall are 14-6.

Toms River North and Middletown South started the season as the consensus top two teams at the shore but both were upset in week one. Reports of their demise though were greatly exaggerated because led by strong defenses the Mariners and Eagles have not lost since that opening weekend. On the subject of defense, Southern, Ocean and RBC have all held their opponents to an average of three points per game and while that’s very impressive then there is Point Pleasant Boro. The Panthers have scored 114 points in five games and allowed just 3 and are not undefeated. Their four victories are all by shutout but in week two they lost at Manasquan 3-0…a defeat which will probably cost them the Shore National title to the Warriors. Don’t be surprised if the two border rivals meet again in the Central Jersey Group 2 Playoffs.

This weekend’s schedule features a host of big games including Neptune at Middletown South tonight which we’ll broadcast on the Shore Sports Network. Saturday’s top matchups find Lacey visiting Colts Neck, Ocean hosting Matawan and Toms River East battling Middletown North.

In this unpredictable season you never know what each weekend will bring but one thing you can be sure of is some good stories will be told on the field.