The 2016 autumn athletic season is in full bloom on scholastic fields and gyms around the area. Here is a look at some of our local athletes who delivered sparkling performances this past week.
Football provided plenty of heroes this past weekend.
Freehold Township went to the air to score a 44-7 victory over Colts Neck in Shore Conference, Class A North action on Sept. 17 in Colts Neck. Quarterback Charles Sabbah directed the air attack for Freehold Township when he hit on 25 of his 42 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns.
Quarterback Eddie Morales completed eight of his 16 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns to guide Howell to a 41-21 victory over Freehold Borough in a matchup of Shore Conference, Class A North rivals in Freehold on Sept. 17.
A calm and cool Ryan O’Hara connected on a 23-yard field goal with 58 seconds to play in the fourth quarter on Sept. 16 when Red Bank Catholic trimmed Middletown North in Shore Conference, Class B North play.
Zack Bair contributed to the RBC victory that evening in Middletown when he rushed for 153 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Another kicker who shined this past weekend was Jon Sot, who established a school record at Saint Joseph of Metuchen when he delivered a 55-yard field goal in his school’s 43-15 victory over Perth Amboy in Greater Middlesex Conference, White Division action in Perth Amboy. He also kicked a 29-yard field goal and five conversions.
His Saint Joseph mate, Manny Resto, pumped out 149 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns.
St. John Vianney, sparked by Chris Chukwuneke’s five rushing touchdowns, rolled past Raritan, 41-14, on Sept. 16 in Shore Conference, Class A Central play in Hazlet.
Quarterback Jayson DeMild passed for 252 yards and three touchdowns when he guided Sayreville past Edisoon, 18-13, in Greater Middlesex Conference, Red Division action on Sept. 16 in Edison.
On the boys’ soccer pitch., Matt Thorsheim banged in a goal in the 79th minute on Sept. 17 when he provided Christian Brothers Academy with the winning score in a 2-1 triumph over Don Bosco Prep in a showdown of parochial state powers in Lincroft.
In field hockey, Hallie Hallard connected on the lone goal —7:52 to go in the first half — on Sept. 18 when Middletown North edged Freehold Township, 1-0, in Shore Conference, Class A North action in Middletown.
On the running paths, Catherine Wimmer of Red Bank finished in 9:55 to capture the Freshman Division girls’ cross-country championship at the Bernie Magee Class Meet that was run at Greystone at Central Park in Morris Plains on Sept. 17.
On the college scene, David Nigro, a senior forward for Monmouth University, was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Week in men’s soccer. The Marlboro native collected two goals and one assist in Monmouth’s 4-3 loss to Columbia on Sept. 14.