Game of the Week: Roselle Rams @ Middletown North – Boys Basketball, Dec. 30 Last Friday proved to be a great start to the holiday weekend for the Middletown North basketball team. The Lions steamrolled the previously undefeated team of Roselle High School Abraham Clark by a final score of 74-56 to record their fourth consecutive win. North’s Jason Huelbig led all scorers with 24 points, while receiving help from Tim Frawley, who recorded 16 points of his own. Cody Thompson and Eric Youncofski each chipped in with 13 points. North looks ahead to a two-game road trip starting with a game at …

Game of the Week: Red Bank Regional vs. St. John Vianney – Boys Basketball, Dec. 19 After defeating cross-town rival Red Bank Catholic 45-42 in their season opener, the Bucs of RBR defeated St. John Vianney, 67-64, in their second game of 2011 but needed overtime to do so. Regional outscored the Lancers 9-6 in the extra period, receiving double-digit contributions from Asim Jules and Matt Raybon, who each scored 16 and 10 points, respectively. Additionally, Blake Brandon scored nine points for the Bucs and Seph Williams added eight. Regular season action continues for Red Bank Regional after …

After four of the area’s six teams made impressive runs in their respective NJSIAA tournaments last spring, it will be tough for Monmouth County girls basketball to offer a repeat performance in 2011-12. It is possible, however, for the season to be just as or perhaps even more exciting if said successful teams show their same level of play and those who lacked last season improve for the upcoming one. At the bottom of the barrel in 2010-11 were both Middletown North and Monmouth Regional. The two schools each had a mere six wins and 15 and 14 losses, respectively. Two Monmouth County Group …

It’s a sad truth, but after Rumson-Fair Haven’s devastating 3-0 loss to Matawan High School in the Central Jersey Group II Football Final, fall sports have finally come to a close for 2011. The leaves have fallen off the trees, the sky turns dark much earlier than most are used to, and our beloved high school sports are moving indoors as student athletes prepare for their respective seasons. After an exciting 2010-11 season for Monmouth County boys basketball, fans have plenty to look forward to in 2011-12. Plenty of familiar faces will continue to shine, new stars are sure to rise and all …

Games of the Week: Thanksgiving Football   As expected, all of Monmouth County’s favorite high school football teams competed last week in Thanksgiving games. What might not have been expected, though, were some of the outcomes that fans saw Wednesday night and Thursday morning. On Wednesday night, both Red Bank teams were in action, with Regional squaring off against 4-5 Long Branch High School and the Caseys of Red Bank Catholic matching up with previously undefeated Rumson-Fair Haven. Red Bank Regional suffered its fifth loss of 2011, putting the team with a final record of 5-5 for the …

Game of the Week: Delaware Valley @ Rumson-Fair Haven – Football, Nov. 18 In the NJSIAA Group 2 semifinal game on Friday night, the Bulldogs of Rumson-Fair Haven showed no signs of slowing down their then 9-0 record. It took less than a quarter for the Bulldogs to take their first lead of the game, scoring after a mere six plays after the opening kickoff. The team’s second score came thanks to a Delaware Valley punt and a 70-yard return from senior running back Connor Riley, giving Rumson-Fair Haven a 14-0 lead. 21 points and more than 400 all-purpose yards later, Rumson-Fair Haven clinched …

Game of the Week: Red Bank Catholic vs. Pope John – Football, Nov. 11 While the 42-6 victory for the Red Bank Catholic in their playoff debut might seem to be just a stepping stone to some, it marked much more than that for the Caseys. The victory over Pope John was Red Bank Catholic’s first postseason win in 13 years. The Caseys got off to a quick start behind John DiStefano as the running back rushed for two of his total four touchdowns before the end of the first quarter. DiStefano received plenty of opportunities to make his mark in this one, as he rushed thirty times, recording 270 yards…

Game of the Week: Bishop Ahr @ Red Bank Catholic – Girls Soccer, Nov. 7 The Caseys of Red Bank Catholic once again earn “Game of the Week” honors, this time, thanks to the school’s girls soccer team. RBC took on the Bishop Ahr Trojans in the NJSIAA South Non-public A girls soccer semifinal on Monday afternoon, making, what seemed like, easy work of the tournament’s third seed. Four of the team’s goals came at the hands, or feet, of juniors Mackenzie Cowley and Jackie Cajigal, the first of which came from Cowley in the game’s third minute. Other goals came from Grace Fallon, Christine Balacco…

Game of the Week: Middletown North vs. South Brunswick – Field Hockey, Nov. 1 It’s not often that a game with a final score of 5-0 can take “Game of the Week” honors, but in the case of Middletown North’s state playoff performance against South Brunswick in the second round, an exception had to be made. The fifth-seeded Lions made an example out of South Brunswick on Tuesday afternoon, receiving notable contributions from several players. The team had five separate goal-scorers in the win, including Colleen Dean, Devon Freshnock and Jillian Richards, who also recorded three assists …

Game of the Week: Haddonfield @ Red Bank Catholic – Girls Tennis, Oct. 25 It was déjà vu for the Red Bank Catholic Caseys on Tuesday afternoon, as they repeated their success of 2010 by defeating the Haddonfield Bulldogs in the NJSIAA/Star Ledger Tournament of Champions semifinal round for the second consecutive year, this time, by a score of 3-2. In the match’s first singles contest, Red Bank Catholic’s Dana Tanenbaum defeated Haddonfield’s Taylor Ng, who very recently won the title of state singles champion. The three sets, which Tanenbuam won 2-6, 6-2, and 6-0, gave the Caseys their first …