Some random thoughts on a Monday morning:
The calendar says winter does not officially arrive until December 21st but
for all intents and purposes it made its debut this weekend. Unfortunately it
will be here for a long time.
67 years ago today President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his famous speech to congress in which he said “yesterday December 7th, 1941…a date which will live in infamy….the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” Within an hour a formal declaration of war was passed and we were officially involved in World War II. December 7th, 1941 always will be a significant date in our history but sadly each year less and less people who remember it well are around to reflect back on the attack which took over 2,400 lives.
I have marveled at the ability of the Giants to not let anything get in their way this football season from injuries to player issues. However it did appear Sunday they could not recover from the Plaxico Burress hangover
As they played like a team which could not focus on the task at hand. The only good news after the loss to the Eagles was later in the day they would clinch the NFC East title when Dallas lost in Pittsburgh. As for the Jets…there is no excuse for their poor effort in San Francisco.
Belated congratulations to the Brick Memorial Mustangs for winning the second state football championship in school history with a dominating performance against Sayreville Saturday night at Rutgers University. Earlier in the day Southern showed their character in almost coming back from a 21-point deficit before falling to undefeated Mainland. Saturday was a good day for Shore Conference schools as Manasquan, Freehold and Asbury Park also won state sectional titles at Rutgers.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ocean County held a very successful “Thanks for Giving Gala” Friday at the Crystal Point Yacht Club. Honorees included
Architect and builder Paul Barlo, the Lakewood BlueClaws, Ocean County YMCA and artist Francis McGinley.
Showing posts with label NJSIAA Football Playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NJSIAA Football Playoffs. Show all posts
Monday, December 8, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
NJSIAA Football Playoffs Begin
The NJSIAA Football Playoffs begin tonight with 17 Shore Conference schools among the nearly 160 who have a chance to claim a state sectional championships the first weekend of December. It’s a terrible playoff system which leaves us with 20 schools claiming state titles based on geography and school size. Even that’s questionable as you have Pennsauken, which is near Camden competing in the same 8-team Central Jersey bracket with schools like Colts Neck, Brick Memorial and Middletown North. Anyone studying New Jersey in school would also question Burlington Township traveling 51 miles to play Point Pleasant Borough but they are in the same group.
However like college football’s imperfect BCS system what he have in New Jersey is what we have and it will stay that way until archaic minds accept that it’s time to do away with Thanksgiving Day games which prevent any real playoff. But you do the best you can with what you have and to coaches and players the ultimate remains calling yourself a state sectional champion so that’s what they’ll aim for.
Toms River North and Asbury Park are the only two shore schools with a chance of defending their championships and they will have very different paths. The Mariners will not only have to get past rival Southern tonight but would likely have to beat top ten state powers Cherokee and Mainland on the road to win in South Jersey Group 4. Asbury Park’s Blue Bishops on the other hand are expected to cruise through the Central Jersey Group 1 bracket where they could face Shore Regional in the final.
No team comes into the playoffs hotter than Point Pleasant Borough and even though the Panthers are seeded third in Central Jersey Group 2 they might be the team to beat. Boro has won all 7 of their games via shutout and allowed their only points of the season in a 3-0 loss to Manasquan in week two…the two rivals could face each other in the sectional final.
The Shore Sports Network will broadcast tonight’s Southern-Toms River North game from Gernerd Field. It’s the fourth time the Rams and Mariners have faced each other over the last two seasons with North winning the previous three meetings. Tonight’s game can be heard on 1160 WOBM AM, Fox Sports 1310 and at www.shoresportsnetwork.com
However like college football’s imperfect BCS system what he have in New Jersey is what we have and it will stay that way until archaic minds accept that it’s time to do away with Thanksgiving Day games which prevent any real playoff. But you do the best you can with what you have and to coaches and players the ultimate remains calling yourself a state sectional champion so that’s what they’ll aim for.
Toms River North and Asbury Park are the only two shore schools with a chance of defending their championships and they will have very different paths. The Mariners will not only have to get past rival Southern tonight but would likely have to beat top ten state powers Cherokee and Mainland on the road to win in South Jersey Group 4. Asbury Park’s Blue Bishops on the other hand are expected to cruise through the Central Jersey Group 1 bracket where they could face Shore Regional in the final.
No team comes into the playoffs hotter than Point Pleasant Borough and even though the Panthers are seeded third in Central Jersey Group 2 they might be the team to beat. Boro has won all 7 of their games via shutout and allowed their only points of the season in a 3-0 loss to Manasquan in week two…the two rivals could face each other in the sectional final.
The Shore Sports Network will broadcast tonight’s Southern-Toms River North game from Gernerd Field. It’s the fourth time the Rams and Mariners have faced each other over the last two seasons with North winning the previous three meetings. Tonight’s game can be heard on 1160 WOBM AM, Fox Sports 1310 and at www.shoresportsnetwork.com
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