(Hometown View returns on Tuesday, December 5)

Practice for the winter sports season is well underway but for eight shore high schools, including Toms River North, Lacey and Point Boro there’s a final football game to be played with state sectional championships on the line.

Tonight Point Boro goes for its fourth state title and second in three years when they host West Deptford in the South Jersey Group 2 Finals at Al Saner Field. The 10-1 Panthers are led by quarterback Shane O’Connor and got a big boost with the return of receiver Bob Stowe two weeks ago from a knee injury. Kyle Coleman anchors a defense that’s posted three shutouts.
At Rutgers tonight, Asbury Park battles Keansburg for the Central Jersey Group 1 title in an all-shore showdown and following that Howell tries to win its first ever state championship when they play West Windsor-Plainsboro South.

Saturday afternoon will find the North Mariners looking to complete a perfect season with their first state crown in ten years. Ranked first at the shore and #9 in the state, North hosts Mainland, who has won 10 in-a-row since an opening week loss. The 11-0 Mariners are led by quarterback Anthony Penna and linebacker Zach Kane anchors a suffocating defense that’s allowed only 65 points all season. The game kicks-off at 1pm and will be broadcast on 1160AM and our Shore Sports Network.

At the same time Lacey will look to make it back-to-back South Jersey Group 3 titles when they welcome Shawnee into the Lions den. Lacey has won 7 games in a row and is peaking at the right time of the season. Justin Pandorf, Tom Rickmers, RJ Roe and Warren Smith are two-way standouts who will look to give the school its fourth sectional crown.

There’s a shore doubleheader Sunday at Rutgers with Rumson playing Carteret at 2pm followed by Long Branch and Moorestown. Those games will also be broadcast on our Shore Sports Network.

The NJSIAA will hold their annual meeting and award luncheon Monday at which time schools will vote on a pair of proposals that would call for major changes in the structure of high school football in New Jersey. Special sports awards will be handed out to recently-retired CBA basketball coach Ed Wicelinski and the late Al Kunzman, who won over 300 games as the baseball coach at Central Regional High School and did so with grace and dignity.

The Observer Goes Weekly

While I was told it was coming more than a year ago the news that the Ocean County Observer will no longer be a daily newspaper beginning in January is both a sign of the times and a loss. The Observer will become a weekly paper with officials citing diminishing circulation as the main reason for the move. Of course a large reason for that was due to the fact that much of what appeared in the Observer was a duplication of the Asbury Park Press since both papers are owned by Gannett. However the Observer was often a true local newspaper and gave space to stories that might not have been big enough for the Press. As lifestyles have changed newspapers all across the country are losing readers and can’t reach the younger generation, now accustomed to getting information when they want it…not the next day.
We in the radio business are dealing with the same realities and as I’ve said more than once…the only constant is change.

This is truly a good time to be a student, alumnus or fan of West Virginia University. Not only are the Mountaineers closing in on playing for college football’s national championship but they’ve reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship and a big reason why is the play of sophomore midfielder Carolyn Blank. The former Toms River East standout has had a great season, earning 2nd team All Big East Honors before being named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Big East Tournament.
The Mountaineers upset Penn State last weekend in the round of 16 in which Blank went up against former Toms River South star Sheree Gray.
West Virginia hosts USC Friday night in Morgantown with the winner advancing to the National Semifinals in College Station, Texas.

The high school football season ends this weekend with Toms River North, Point Boro and Lacey among the eight shore teams playing for state championships. Tonight’s season-finale of The AutoLenders High School Football Show will preview this weekends games and guests will include Mariners linebacker Nick Foukarakis, Lacey’s Warren Smith and Bob Stowe of the Panthers. The show begins at 6pm and can be heard on 1160AM and on the web at www.shoresportsnetwork.com

Men And Weather

Even before global warming talking about the weather has always been one of those great “ice breakers”….probably the #1 conversation starter of all-time. “Men’s Health” magazine surveyed us guys on the subject of weather and while the results may not be very scientific, they are what we think…and after all we are the superior sex. (Chill out…I’m kidding).

* 75% of us don’t grab an umbrella even if we know there’s a 100% chance of rain.

* 40% of us check the forecast before getting dressed in the morning and 1in 6 of us follow the forecast during the course of the day…I assume listening to Alan Kasper qualifies for that.

* Our ideal temperature is 75 degrees, high humidity bothers us more than anything else and we’re fascinated by lightning although we better be careful because 84% of those struck by lightning are men.

* 78% of men surveyed said they have lived through a tornado or hurricane and more than 60% said they don’t have insurance to cover a weather-related disaster.

* Since December is just around the corner here’s some numbers to consider. 17% of accidents are caused by winter weather, nearly half of us use cold temperatures as an excuse to not exercise, more than 1-in-10 have taken part in a polar bear plunge and most would do it again and we shovel about 3,000 pounds of snow when clearing our driveway after a 5 inch snowfall.
By the way if we were snowed in the average guy would like to be stuck with Jessica Biel.

* On to warmer thoughts. 75% of us would not give up our air conditioner in the summer for a date with a supermodel and 35% of
Men ask their wives before adjusting the AC.

* 64% of us believe global warming is a serious problem and our dream weather scene is surfing under the Hawaiian sun although 20% would be just as content to lounge outside on a warm day and watch the clouds roll by.

WOBM Moves To The North Pole

A little of this and a little of that today…the first of 29 consecutive days on
92.7 WOBM in which you will hear nothing but Christmas music. This will no doubt result in some calling our Program Director and saying they have had enough of White Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and especially the Christmas Shoes song. On his behalf let me say that for every one of those cries to “please stop playing Christmas music” there are 3 or 4 calls of “thanks for putting me in the holiday spirit.” I’ll be the first to admit that while it may get to me after a while it’s only four weeks and before you can say “Happy New Year” it’s back to Billy Joel, Elton John and that Delilah Song.

By the way the 24th annual WOBM CHRISTMAS CLASSIC opens it’s 7-day, 56-game schedule on Saturday, December 22nd in the Poland Spring Arena at the Ritacco Center in Toms River. You’ll be hearing more about that in the coming weeks.

The most famous basketball team in the world is also coming to the Poland Spring Arena on Tuesday, March 4th. The Harlem Globetrotters are celebrating their 82nd consecutive year of touring and I can’t ever recall them playing in this area outside of places like Madison Square Garden and the Meadowlands. Tickets are now on sale for the March 4th game in Toms River and you can purchase them online at www.ritaccocenter.com. For information on group or scout tickets visit the team’s web site: www.harlemglobetrotters.com

Gateway Toyota of Toms River is once again working with the US Marines on their annual Toys for Tots Program. This is the 60th campaign the Marines have run to help children in need and last year they helped out over 22,000 children in Central Jersey. You can drop off a new, unwrapped toy at Gateway Toyota on Route 37 East during their normal business hours until December 17th. As a thank you from them, if it’s worth more than $10 they will give you a certificate for a complimentary oil change.

The Toms River High School South Junior Class is holding a gift auction in their cafeteria this Saturday with doors opening at 2pm. Admission is $10 per person and include of sheet of tickets for prizes and complimentary desserts. There will be a variety of prizes and baskets at the auction.

Sweet Sixteen

I never thought of 16 as being one of those milestone birthdays but of course I was that age many, many years ago and I’m not a girl. Today it’s a big deal for young girls and I found out first-hand the other night as my daughter Alex and her best friend Sami Raymond celebrated the occasion with a “Sweet 16 Party” that left the host parents exhausted and thrilled.

The planning started three months ago although to be honest my part was limited to securing the disc jockey and taking care of the food both which turned out to be home runs. Kyle from Above and Beyond Entertainment was the perfect DJ and how can you miss with food for teen-agers when you have it catered by Surf Taco. Honestly outside of that I didn’t do too much with mothers and daughters handling all the other details but that changed on Saturday morning. We met at the Beachwood Fire House to begin setting-up and with many neat touches turned the room into a beach-like setting by the time guests arrived shortly before 7pm.

With over 90 exuberant teen-agers to serve food too and monitor we had plenty of help. Alex and Sami are not only best friends with birthdays two days apart but have older brothers who are the same age and with both home from college they were recruited as bouncers…just in case. Well truth is the kids were great and never once gave us cause for any concern. Most of them danced during the entire four hours and they were well-behaved and simply a lot of fun. By the time the last song was played our clean-up efforts were well under way and an hour or so later we were home…my wife had sore feet, my back was killing me but we had smiles a mile wide because the day was simply perfect.

We got together with Sami’s parents Jackie and Tom yesterday and looked at some pictures and talked about how smoothly the party went and how terrific all the kids were. That’s a great feeling but then I realized my Alex turns 16 tomorrow and will now be able to drive. All of a sudden I feel very old.

Doing Away With Thanksgiving Football

(The Hometown View returns on Monday, November 26)

I consider myself a traditionalist but high school football on Thanksgiving Day should join the Edsel, leisure suits, the Susan B. Anthony Dollar and jug handles as things we no longer need or want and those insisting the games remain a fixture should wake up and smell the coffee. Yes there was a time when rival high schools ended their seasons by playing one another and it seemed like the whole town turned out to watch the game. However that was before towns became divided because they had more than one high school and prior to the NJSIAA Playoffs coming into play in 1974.

As we approach Thanksgiving Day there are still football games in New Jersey that mean quite a bit and are as much a part of the holiday as turkey and stuffing. But that number is dwindling and more than ever big games on Thanksgiving are the exception rather than the rule.

I continue to scratch my head over those who insist these games must stay because a quick look at the pros and cons would leave just about anyone knowing that it’s time to end a ritual which meant much more in the past than it does today.

Those in favor of Thanksgiving games tell you that in many cases it’s the only game that draws big crowds. This is true but for the most part only applies to lousy programs with little support. Good teams often get a school and community excited…they don’t need a holiday to have a reason to attend a game. Plus if these rivalry games are so special then many would be a big deal whenever they were played during the season.

Now here are reasons why the tradition should end. If there was no Thanksgiving game than Saturday, November 10th would have been the end of the season for all but the teams involved in the state playoffs. This would mean that athletes would have a two-week break before the winter sports season begins. Some will play on Thanksgiving and then have basketball or wrestling practice the next day…how does that make sense?

While fans who attend a game can leave when they want and head to Grandma’s house players and coaches have to finish the game, sometimes travel on a bus back to school, take a shower and then go on their way. Ask coaches what time they finally sit down to eat dinner…it’s when most of us are on coffee and desert.
I could go on and on and I have not even discussed how stupid it is that we play regular season Thanksgiving games in between state playoff games.
For now let me close by saying I love and embrace tradition but time has passed his one by. Thanksgiving football should be reserved for watching the NFL games in the comfort of your home with your family. Case closed!

The weekly “AutoLenders High School Football Show” airs tonight at 6pm on 1160AM and shoresportsnetwork.com. Guests include Ryan Dolan of Toms River East and a discussion on a proposal to be voted on next month which would drastically change the face of high school football in the state.

Black Thursday

Over the next few weeks we have three of what we would consider the “big holidays” in Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Of all the holidays these were the ones in which you could count on the following….just about everyone had the day off, you filled your tank with gas the night before and when you forgot something you just hoped 7-11 had it and was open.

When I say just about everyone had the day off I realize that there are certain professions in which working on holidays comes with the territory. There will always be policeman, doctors and nurses and even those on the radio for whom a holiday does not always mean a day at home. However what I find bothersome is the growing trend in which retail businesses now open on days in which the only cars on the road used to be those on their way to grandma’s house. I’m sure in some cases those that work on these holidays do so by their choice but obviously there are many who are forced to work when they would prefer to be spending time home with their family. Am I alone in finding it somewhat sad that some stores are open on Thanksgiving and especially New Year’s Day and that number will probably grow in an effort to add some dollars to the bottom line? Or is it in fact a case of consumers wanting to be able to shop on these days and retailers just giving them the opportunity they want?

I don’t know but I just liked it when the roads and parking lots were basically empty and you would see a sign like “closed today so our employees can spend time with their families.”

This is a case of how the good old days really were a bit better at times.