The Shore’s best tandem and best player head the Shore Basketball CoachesAll-Shore First Team.
Mitchell Kates and Steve Spinella are the tandemwhomade ColtsNeck one of the best teams in the conference. Kates, a point guard, led the conference in assists (7.4) and steals (4.9), and averaged 16 points a game. Spinella, the beneficiary of Kates’ passing, topped the conference in scoring (23.3) and pulled down 7.3 rebounds a game.
Gary Foster,who led theNeptune Scarlet Fliers to the B North Division and Shore Conference Tournament championships in 2007-08, was named the Player of the Year by the coaches. He averaged 14 points and 8.0 rebounds a game for the 25-5 Fliers.
Completing the Coaches First Team are KyleMilana ofMonsignorDonovan andWill Sanborn of Red Bank Regional.
Second Teamrecognitionwent toGarrett Thiel of Middletown South, Mike Kuhn of Christian Brothers Academy, Darryl Jefferson of Asbury Park, Joe Willman of Monmouth Regional and James Plummer of Central Regional.
Neptune’s Ken O’Donnell and Middletown South’sKevinCullen shared theCoach of the Year award. Donnell led the Fliers to the B North and SCT title and top ranking in the Shore, while Cullen’s Eagles upset Neptune to capture the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV title.
The Division Coach of the Year winners were: Cullen, A North; Kurt Fenchel, Manasquan, A Central; Andrew Bilodeau, Toms RiverNorth,ASouth;BenDiBiase, Freehold Borough, B North; Barry Baity, Asbury Park, B Central; andMike Kearney,Monsignor Donovan, B South.
Kates and Spinella head the CoachesAll- Division All-A North First Team. Kuhn, Thiel and CBA’s BrianNeller round out the First Team selections.
Matt Devine and Kevin Fischer, who helped Freehold Township share theANorth title with CBA, top the Second Team. Middletown South’s Kyle Cancillieri, Manalapan’s Chris Saray and Middletown North’s John Nardi are the other selections.
Sanborn and teammate Matt Pebole, Rumson-Fair haven’s Matt Blumel, Red Bank Catholic’sAndrewWalsh and St. John Vianney’s Tony Ganter are the A Central First Team members.
InASouth, TomsRiverNorth’s SteveNyisztor, Toms River East’s Mike Murphy, TomsRiver South’s TylerGebler, Lacey’s Jon Pierce, Jackson Memorial’s Justin Hodges and Brick Memorial’s Matt O’Brien are the First Team picks.
Neptune’s TerryHicks and Jabari Joyner head the Second Team that includes Long Branch’s Kevin Gillard and Monmouth’s Neil Thompson andAnthony Gibson.
Jefferson and Steve Raymond, who sparkedAsbury Park’s run to the B Central title this winter, head the division’s First Team. St. Rose’s Chris Heine, Keansburg’s Josh Vital and Keyport’s Mark Ziobro complete the squad.
Milana and teammate Tom Carter led Monsignor Donovan to the division title and a berth in the SCT final, top the B South First Team. Central’s Plummer and Ibn Moye and Manchester’s Marvin Brodie round out the squad.