Joe Montano, who guided the Red Bank Catholic (RBC) High School girls basketball team to the NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship this winter, was named the Shore Conference Coach of the Year by his peers.
The Shore Conference Basketball Coaches Association released its year-end All-Shore and All-Division picks, led by the RBC’s head coach.
Montano’s Caseys went 29-2 in 2012-13 and dominated the Shore Conference, winning both the A Central Division and Shore Conference Tournament championships. They won the Non-Public South state sectional en route to the state championship and a trip to the Tournament of Champions semifinals.
Point Pleasant Borough High School’s Kelly Hughes was the Player of the Year.
Grace Fallon, the Caseys’ allaround forward, joined Hughes on the All-Shore First Team. Point Pleasant Beach High School’s Katelyn Flaherty and Marina Mabrey, as well as Jackson Memorial High School’s Hannah Missry, filled out the other First Team spots.
RBC’s Caroline Corcoran, St. John Vianney High School’s Lindsey Rowe, Middletown High School South’s Jackie Dluhi and Holmdel High School’s Tara Inman made up the Second Team with Monsignor Donovan High School’s Dana Carbone.
Third Team picks were Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School’s Grace Stant, Matawan Regional High School’s Lauren Postell, Freehold High School’s Camerin Spahn, Neptune High School’s Ivy Harrington and Point Pleasant Borough’s Kerry Malleck,
Dluhi and teammate Kiera Gannon headed the coaches All A-North Division First Team with Marlboro High School’s Haley Unger, Colts Neck High School’s Rachel Krauss and Middletown High School North’s Emily Lavin.
Second Team picks were Middletown North’s Mia Ehling and Nicole Tollevsen, Middletown South’s Carissa Gray, Freehold Township High School’s Samantha Famulare and Colts Neck’s Jessie Fifield.
Dluhi was the A North Player of the Year and Eagles’ head coach Tom Brennan was the Coach of the Year. The Eagles were the division champions.
Fallon was the A Central Player of the Year and Montano was Coach of the Year.
Joining Fallon on the First Team were Corcoran, Row, Inman and Stant.
Second Team picks were RBC’s Alex Alfano and Mary Kate Caverly, St. John Vianney’s Kelly Campbell, Rumson-Fair Haven’s Jess Harvey and Manasquan High School’s Amanda Hagaman.
In B North, Postell and teammate Montana Bertoli were on the First Team along with Spahn and her teammate Kim Dana, as well as Neptune’s Harrington.
Making the Second Team were Red Bank Regional’s Zoe Curtis, Freehold’s Rebecca Cobb, Wall High School’s Kelsey Thompson and Ellen Dougherty, and Neptune’s Iyonna Crenshaw. Harrington was the Player of the Year, and Freehold’s Jenn Brzucki was the Coach of the Year.
Ranney School’s Tom Moriau, who picked up his 400th career win during the season, was named the B Central Coach of the Year. Ranney’s Brynn Bresnahan was named to the First Team with Point Pleasant Beach’s Flaherty and Mabrey, as well as St. Rose High School’s Sarah Kurtz and Kat Phipps. Keyport High School’s Rachel Trigg and Samantha Cortez and Mater Dei High School’s Lindsey Florio made the Second Team with Keansburg High School’s Kim McNelis and St. Rose’s Cindy Napolitano.
The Shore Coaches named Manalapan High School’s Anthony Firkser the Co-Player of the Year with Lakewood High School’s Tyrice Beverette.
The Piners’ Randy Holmes was the Coach of the Year. Lakewood won the Shore Conference Tournament and South Jersey Group III state sectional titles.
Firkser, Beverette, Colts Neck’s Brandon Federici, and Manasquan’s Jimmy Walsh and J.R. Hobbie made the coaches’ First Team.
Second Team recognition went to Toms River High School North’s Solly Stansbury and Damian Singleton, Jackson Memorial’s Eric Carter, Point Pleasant Beach’s Matt Farrell and Southern Regional High School’s Mike Gesicki.
In the all-division selections, Middletown North’s Cody Thompson and Christian Brothers Academy’s (CBA) Lou Pillari were First Team A North picks with Firkser, Federici and Freehold Township’s John Horrigan.
CBA’s Pat Adree and Middletown North’s Will Boman were Second Team selections with Colts Neck’s James Sobieski and Chris O’Reilly, as well as Howell High School’s Aaron Trimble.
Firkser was the Player of the Year and Manalapan coach Rick Garretson was the Coach of the Year.
In A Central, Holmdel’s Robbie Cantelli, Rumson-Fair Haven’s Jack Hermann and Shore Regional High School’s Dan Pillari were First Team, as were Walsh and Hobbie.
Second Team members were RBC’s Quenton Nelson, St. John Vianney’s Vinny Facchino, Shore’s Kevin Bloodgood, Monmouth Regional’s Nyrique Smith and Manasquan’s Tommy Toole.
The Hornets’ Sean Devaney was the Coach of the year and Walsh was the Player of the Year.
Long Branch High School’s Terrell Cox was the B North Player of the Year. Joining him on the First Team was his Green Wave teammate Dwight Clark, Ocean Township High School’s Eric Musto, Neptune’s Shakeen Richardson and Wall’s Trent Mitchell.
Long Branch’s Hassan Foster, Ocean’s Alex Cirlincione, Matawan’s Joe Piscopo and Jason Dunne, and Neptune’s Keith Kirkwood were B North Second Team.
Wall’s Mike Puorro was the division’s Coach of the Year.
Mater Dei’s Sam Miles and Ryan Branagan were named to the B Central Second Team.