Calderon to Milford Academy, Coaching Vacancies

All Shore Media first-team All-Shore selection Ikie Calderon, a running back/slot receiver/linebacker for Neptune’s Central Jersey Group III champions, said Tuesday that he will play a post-grad season at Milford Academy in New Berlin, N.Y.

Milford has become a regular destination for Shore Conference players, as this past fall the team featured former Jackson Memorial defensive tackle Dimitrius Smith, who is now at Monmouth University, as well as former Freehold Township linebacker/punter Kevin Borden and former Toms River North linebacker Cody Groves. Milford routinely sends players to FBS programs, including running back Montrell Dobbs (Temple) and safety Jevonte Pitts (Pittsburgh) from this past season.

On the coaching front, Wall’s Chris Barnes stepped down this week to spend more time with his family after a great run with the Crimson Knights that included the third state sectional title in school history in 2002 and a trip to a state sectional final in 2004. As for who could possibly be Barnes’s replacement, current assistants Jim Rochford and John Legere are certainly candidates. Another name floating around is former Bergen Catholic coach Fred Stengel, who lives in Spring Lake. Another possibility could be Manasquan assistant Rich Read, who was a finalist for the Warriors job before current head coach Jay Price was selected, although bringing over a coach from the Crimson Knights’ Thanksgiving rival may not be the easiest sell.

The other vacancy is at Matawan, where I’m hearing that veteran assistant John Kaye looks like the front-runner to replace Hall of Famer Joe Martucci after he left to take a coaching position at Kean University. Kaye has been at Matawan nearly 20 years and already has head coaching experience with the baseball program, so he is more than familiar with the inner workings of the program.

Most school districts, which certainly could include Wall, are staying in-house because budgets are so tight. In the old days, new positions could be created to lure high-profile outsiders and money could be moved around a little, but it appears those days have come to an end. Schools seem to be looking more inward than outward when it comes to grooming replacements for big-name coaches.

 

Offensive Explosions Highlight Opening Night

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There was no lack of offense on opening night, as nine teams scored 34 or more points, headlined by the 62-point firebombing Neptune put on a rebuilding Bishop Ahr team in the debut of new Scarlet Fliers head coach Don Sofilkanich.

I did not have Neptune ranked in my preseason top 10, which definitely raised some eyebrows, and even our basketball man, Mr. Nep84 himself, who was at the game on Friday night, jokingly texted “It’s now 62-0. Is this enough to be in the top 10 next week?”

All of the stars took turns making plays, but I think the most encouraging sign was the performance of junior Jaheem Woods. We all know about Charles Davis and Ikie Calderon, who did their thing on Friday, including a 50-yard punt return by Davis to get the avalanche rolling. Woods, however, is an excellent athlete who has been buzzed about since his freshman year, and he had a great day offensively and also returned an interception for a touchdown defensively. If he becomes a genuine threat at quarterback, whether running or passing, Neptune will be fearsome and I will be well on my way to looking like an idiot for not ranking them (although they could be ranked by the end of this weekend. We’ll see). They face No. 5 Red Bank Catholic, which was impressive in a 34-7 win over a young Southern team on Friday night, next week, which is a huge early game in the Class B North race.

Sabbagh to Globe, Hubbard to Lackawanna

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A few more college commitments from the Class of 2010 that recently graduated. Neptune quarterback/defensive end Jamaal Hubbard, who battled through injuries to his elbow and knee during football and basketball season, is headed to Lackawanna (Pa.) College, a competitive juco, where he will join Neptune teammate Warren Mello, a cornerback, and Asbury Park running back George Stephens in this year’s recruiting class.

Also, Howell offensive lineman Rob Sabbagh, an All Shore Media first-teamer who did not allow a sack this season while protecting the blind side of record-setting quarterback Jimmy Ryan, will continue his career at Globe Institute of Technology, according to his father. Globe plays in the same league as Lackawanna and Nassau Community College, two frequent destinations of Shore players, as well as Milford (N.Y.) Academy, where former Howell star Ryan McGuinness played before moving on to New Hampshire and where 2010 Red Bank Catholic graduate Lorenzo Coscarelli, a defensive tackle, is headed.