Although we are just settling into summer, before long, practice for the 2009 fall high school sports season will begin. Before we gear up for the 2009-10 scholastic campaigns, let’s take one last look back at what was one of the great years in recent Freehold Regional High School District history. Every sports season was filled with milestones.
CHRIS KELLY staff Howell High School’s Marc Moskowitz (27) brings the puck up ice flanked by teammate Dave Ramos (11) during the Rebels’ historic victory against Wall High School in the Shore Conference Dowd Cup championship game at the Red Bank Armory. Howell played its first season of interscholastic ice hockey during the 2008-09 school year. The fall sports season belonged to Freehold High School. The Colonials’ girls soccer team and football squad were the focal points.
After back-to-back state championships, Coach Elyse Bizzozzaro’s soccer team was looking for the hat trick. The girls never lost their hunger for victory and stood tall in the face of the daily pressure.
Led by an irresistible force in Shannon Mayrose and the immovable objects — defender Alexandra Eagle and keeper Ashley Lewis — the Colonials marched to a fourth straight Shore Conference division title and a third consecutive NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III state sectional championship.
In the Group III state semifinal, the Colonials beat Seneca High School, 1-0, on a Mayrose goal to advance to the state Group III championship game.
Freehold’s girls have made the third Saturday in November at The College of New Jersey in Ewing their home during their successful run, and the Colonials were back there again facing a familiar opponent, Ramapo High School. It was the third straight year the teams met for the Group III title. On a cold, windswept day, Ramapo took better advantage of the wind, scoring three goals in the second half to end Freehold’s two-year reign with a 3-1 win.
It hardly diminished what the Colonials’ great senior class, led by the trio of Mayrose, Eagle and Lewis, had accomplished. Those players went 77-7-3 over their four years in high school and won 10 championships, an unmatched record of success.
Coach Mark Ciccotelli’s Colonials won a state sectional football championship, beating Middletown South High School, 21-14, in the Central Jersey Group III final at Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway.
It was a storybook season for the Colonials’ quarterback Nick Tyson, who the year before, while playing for Marlboro High School, suffered a broken neck. The injury healed naturally and, after moving to Freehold Borough, Tyson was under center and leading the Colonials to an 11-1 record and the school’s first playoff state title.
Wide receiver Brandon Brown provided electrifying big plays, Tezzy Thorpe ran for 1,000 yards, and a swarming defense led by Rakim Thorpe held opponents in check. Still, it was hard to single out any one player, such was the overall effort of every player on the team.
The Colonials won a Shore Conference division title for a second straight year and then beat Nottingham and Neptune in the playoffs to set up a second meeting of the season with Middletown South.
Freehold left no doubt who ruled Central Jersey Group III with its great triumph. Damar Bivins’ pass interception sealed the victory for the Colonials in the final minute of the contest.
There was a victory parade through the streets of Freehold Borough on the night of the state championship triumph, a reminder of how much the Colonials mean to the community and the support it gave the team.
Colts Neck High School won its first football division title, sharing the Shore Conference Constitution Division crown with Brick Township and Toms River East. Coach Mike McArthur’s Cougars qualified for the Group IV state playoffs, falling to Sayreville War Memorial High School in the first round.
While Freehold’s girls ruled the soccer pitch, other teams did quite well. Led by Amy Carhart, Manalapan High School won the Shore Conference A North Division crown. The Freehold Township High School boys won the Shore Conference A North Division and Shore Conference Tournament soccer crowns. The Patriots edged Marlboro for the division title and then beat the Mustangs in the Shore Conference Tournament final.
Defending Shore Conference Tournament champion Howell High School advanced to the semifinals of the conference soccer tournament, making it the second straight year that three of the four semifinalists were from the FRHSD.
Ryan Clark and Brendan Noesges were Freehold Township’s catalysts, the same role that Hunter Gorskie played for Marlboro.
Manalapan’s Jake Grinkevich, one of the finest keepers in FRHSD history, played his final game, ending the Braves’ most successful four-year run, which included a state title. Grinkevich is headed to Rutgers University.
In the fall, Manalapan High School senior Robby Andrews was just warming up for his record-setting track seasons. He won the FRHSD, Monmouth County and Shore Conference cross country titles en route to his first Central Jersey Group IV and state Group IV crowns. He dipped under 16:00 at Holmdel Park in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (15:58), where he was fifth.
Manalapan’s boys and Howell’s girls were the FRHSD team champions, with Rachel Morris of Colts Neck High School winning the girls title.
Colts Neck continued its Shore ConferenceANorth Division domination, running its streak to seven cross country titles in a row and 35 consecutive dual meet victories. Briana Jackucewicz was the top female harrier, placing second in the county, conference, state sectional and state group meets.
In gymnastics, Howell High School’s Austyn Fobes made history by becoming just the second girl from the FRHSD to win the New Jersey all-around title. Fobes teamed with Brianna Ecklof to lead Howell to another undefeated dual meet season and the Rebels’ first Central Jersey state sectional title.
The Rebels captured their third straight Shore Conference division title and ran their dual meet win streak to 35. They won the Shore Conference title for the second time in three years and then captured the Central Jersey state sectional championship.
Fobes, who will be competing at the University of New Hampshire, won the allaround title at the Shore Conference and state sectional meets before winning the NJSIAA crown with a meet record-tying 38.775 score. She was flawless on the uneven bars, setting a state record during the season with a 9.90 score.
Ecklof, a junior, was second behind Fobes in the all-around in the conference and state sectional meets.
In gymnastics, Freehold High School was undefeated in dual meets as well, winning the Shore Conference B North Division title. Led by freshman Danielle Verdon (fourth in the all-around at the conference and state sectional meets), the Colonials were second to Howell in the Shore Conference and in Central Jersey.
In track, Andrews won the high school mile in the winter at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York City in a time of 4:17.42. It was the prelude to two national records that were to follow.
He ran the 1,000 meters in 2:22.28 at the New York Armory to establish his first national indoor record.
Back at the armory, Andrews smoked the field at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships to set another national record in winning the 800 meters in 1:49.21, making him the first under 1:50 indoors. He also found time to win the Eastern States mile run (4:12.31).
Marlboro High School senior Ada Unachukwu began her final track and field season in fine form. She won the Central Jersey title at 400 meters in a meet-record 58.51. She was the county champion at 55 meters and at 400 meters and the conference champion in the 55-meter dash. She extended her Shore Conference record in the triple jump to 39-5 to place second at the Eastern States.
NJSIAA state Group IV titles went to Colts Neck distance stars Briana Jackucewicz and Mark Leininger in the 3,200- meter run. Leininger anchored the Cougars’ distance medley relay team that earned All- American honors at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships. Mike O’Dowd, Vilius Komskis and Kevin O’Dowd ran the first three legs for the distance medley relay team that finished sixth,
Freehold Township’s boys won four titles: Shore Conference A North Division, Monmouth County, Shore Conference and Central Jersey Group IV.
The 4×400 relay team of Matt Intile, Abe Hamami, Bobby Searby and Ryan Spadola won the state Group IV title, becoming the first relay team in FRHSD history to do so. Spadola was the Central Jersey 400-meter champion.
Also in the winer, Colts Neck gave the FRHSD another basketball team to shout about. Coach John Truhan’s Cougars won the Group IV state title and in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, they dismantled defending champion Shabazz to earn a date with St. John Vianney High School of Holmdel in the championship game.
St. John Vianney, the most decorated girls basketball team in state Tournament of Champions history, added to its aura with a convincing win over Colts Neck in the 2009 final at the Izod Center.
With all of their starters expected back next winter, the Cougars will be primed to make another run at a championship in 2009-10 and to solidify themselves as one of the great teams the FRHSD has ever produced.
During the 2008-09 season, Colts Neck guards Brooke Hampton and Lauren Clarke surpassed 1,000 points for their careers.
Meanwhile, Shannon Mayrose led Freehold to the Jack Kuhnert Holiday Tournament girls basketball title. The talented forward, known more for her soccer exploits, left her mark on the hardwood by scoring 1,726 points in her career, third most in FRHSD history.
Freehold’s boys gave the Colonials a sweep of the Jack Kuhnert Holiday Tournament. Andrew Gerbehy was named the Most Valuable Player.
On the wrestling mat, Coach John Gagliano’s Howell Rebels won the Shore Conference A North Division title for the fourth straight year. The highlight of the season for the Rebels was the NJSIAA District 21 Tournament, where they snapped Jackson Memorial High School’s 11-year reign as the team champion. Howell had last won an NJSIAA district wrestling title in 1994.
Individual champions from District 21 were: Colts Neck’s Tyler Fraley (103), Marlboro’s Vinnie Leone (112), Howell’s Jesse Holzhauer (152), Freehold Township’s Kyle Kasten (171), Colts Neck’s William Somma (189) and Howell’s Dominick Carnevale (215).
Fraley, a sophomore, went on to place fifth in the state tournament.
Freehold’s Tom Post and Freehold Township’s Gene Accardi joined the ranks of local wrestlers who have won 100 career matches.
On the bowling lanes, Howell’s Jessica Henri won the Central Jersey state sectional title, becoming the first bowler from her school to claim a state sectional championship.
Freehold Township’s boys won the Shore Conference B Central Division title, and Howell’s boys won the Monmouth County bowling crown.
In the swimming pool, Freehold High School’s Joe Gallene became the first Colonials swimmer to win a Monmouth County championship, capturing the 50-yard freestyle title.
Chelsea Unger and Lisa Zhang each won two events for the Marlboro girls at the county championships. Unger won the 100 breaststroke in a meet-record time (1:06.81) and captured the 50 freestyle. She was named the Swimmer of the Meet.
Zhang was first in the 100 butterfly and in the 100 backstroke.
Marlboro’s girls won the Shore Conference A North Division crown, and on the boys side it was Freehold Township that captured division honors, led by Andrew Hiss, Sean Byrne, Danny Reed and Ovidijus Alisauskas.
At the Shore Conference swimming championships, the Freehold High School team of Emily O’Neill, Georgia Johnson, Bowie Reilly and Lauren Lo won the 4×200 freestyle relay, another first for the school.
At the season-ending NJSIAA Meet of Champions, O’Neill was third in the 100 backstroke and Gallene was fourth in the 50 freestyle. They became the first Freehold swimmers to win medals at the Meet of Champions. Marlboro’s Unger was fifth in the 100 breaststroke. It was her second straight Meet of Champions medal-winning performance.
But the biggest news of the 2008-09 winter sports season was the introduction of ice hockey as a varsity sport in the FRHSD. Howell, Freehold, Freehold Township, Manalapan and Marlboro all fielded teams that did not resemble novice programs at all. Those teams set the bar very high in their ice hockey debuts.
Howell grabbed the headlines by winning the Shore Conference Class C Division championship, before capturing the Shore Conference Dowd Cup championship. The Rebels defeated Wall High School, 9-7, in the Dowd Cup final at the Red Bank Armory. Dave Ramos scored a hat trick for the champions.
Howell finished its first ice hockey season with a 19-4-1 record. Ramos scored 97 points and his lineman Marc Moskowitz rang up 85 points.
Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro all qualified for the state ice hockey tournament, which was a significant achievement for these first-year programs.
Ice hockey is here to stay and may be on its way to becoming one of the FRHSD’s most successful sports.
In the spring sports campaign, Robby Andrews picked up in outdoor track competition where he had left off indoors — by turning in sizzling times and winning titles.
The Manalapan runner won his first outdoor New Jersey Meet of Champions title by running a meet record 1:48.66 for 800 meters. That time was the second fastest in state history.
There was more to come. Andrews traveled to Portland, Ore., to run a special high school invitational mile. He finished second in 4:03.49, the second fastest time ever by a New Jersey schoolboy.
The final race of his 2009 season and brilliant scholastic career was a win in the 800 meters at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.
Meanwhile, Ada Unachukwu added to her trophy case, beginning with a sweep of the 100, 200 and 400 sprints and the triple jump at the FRHSD championships. It was the third straight time she was a winner of four events at that meet.
Marlboro’s girls won the Monmouth County track and field team championship for the first time in school history with Unachukwu winning four events: the 100, 200,
400 and triple jump. Distance runners Brittany Pietrosh and Lauren Pietrosh scored key points for the Mustangs, and in the throwing events Elaina Mezzasalma (javelin) and Yana Katalevskaya (discus) were winners.
Andrews won Central Jersey state sectional titles in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs.
Colts Neck’s girls ran their track and field dual meet win streak to 35 in winning their seventh straight Shore Conference division title. It took a 71-69 victory over previously undefeated Freehold Township to do it, but the Cougars came through.
On the baseball diamond, Ryan Harvey pitched Manalapan High School to its first Shore Conference division title in 30 years. Behind Harvey, a sophomore class will make them the team to beat again in the spring of 2010.
Freehold Township’s baseball trophy case is now complete. The Patriots had won every championship except the Monmouth County Tournament until this year, when Coach Frank Gualtieri’s squad beat Christian Brothers Academy, 7-3, in the championship game of the county tournament. Pitcher Matt Cadigan was the Most Valuable Player and outfield Steve Talbott was the leading hitter for the Patriots in the county tournament.
In lacrosse, Freehold Township’s boys and girls each won a Shore Conference division title.
Led by Maddie Comfort, Alex Marino and Jennamarie Colicchia, the FTHS girls won their third straight title. The Patriots’ boys were powered by the trio of Adam Miller, John Talamo and Mike Mango.
Howell ruled the golf links, winning a Shore Conference division title and the Shore Conference Tournament for the first time in the program’s history. The Rebels’ Corey Carrick won the Monmouth County golf crown, while Manalapan’s Pat DiLeo and Colts Neck’s Nick Polvino shined at the state competition, tying for second place at the Group IV championships.
Finally, on the tennis courts, it was Marlboro again. Both the girls, led by Monmouth County flight champion Michelle Dasa, and the boys, led by Brian Rau, won Shore Conference A North Division titles.
The 2008-09 school year was a remarkable year of success on the field of competition, one that will certainly be difficult to duplicate.
Contact Tim Morris at [email protected].

