The 2007 ALL UNRULY TEAM

It took me a while, and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I finally put together my All Unruly Team. There were tons of great atheletes and kids with heart this year. I had to consider a lot of different factors to come up with this list.

What I did was compile all the notes from the other writers of this site, viewed video's from many of the games I did not see, asked people what they thought, looked at stats, read all the news clippings, etc. I took all that and then I said to myself, If I was going to create one team from a pool of all of the players in the Iron Hills Conference (both Iron and Hills Divisions), who would I want on my team?

Then I started to come up with names. Many of names who are not on the list below came up. But I wanted to make one team so I had figure out who to keep. Then I decided that players who were on winning teams would get extra points.

So without further ado, please welcome your 2007 All Unruly Team:

OFFENSE

QB - Dan Kellner - Morris Hills: Tooks his team to the State Finals. Pure Leader. 3,000 career passing. He is the team leader I would want.

QB - Akeem Cunningham - E.O.: Won his team a State Final. Probably the best QB in the league. Cunningham is the guy I want if Kellner goes down. Reminds me of Vince Young.

RB - Eugene Fowler - Par Hills: In my opinion highly under rated. Fowler is a pure runningback and a real football player.

RB - George Bass - Morristown: Love this kid. Suprisingly he does not have flat out blazing speed but has incredible ability to stop on a time and gun it to full speed in a blink of an eye.

FB - Joe Riposta - Mendham: Runs like a gazelle, yet will run you over like a train. Without him, Mendham does not go 7-2.

WR - Jerry Carter - Morristown: Carter and Colvin were like Manning and Harrison this year. Very deserving of this honor.

WR - Mike Agrifolio - West Essex: Very fast and a total gamer. In my opinion Agrifolio is the glue that kept the Knights together. Not that they were falling apart, but hewas just a very important part of that team and I would love to have this kid on my team.

TE - Luke Mirabella - Morris Hills: I beleive Mirabella had the most receptions for MoHills (if not he was a close number 2). He was just a big target for Kellner and did not go down easily. Very reminesent to Mark Bavarro.

OL - Adam Suckno - Morris Knolls: Suckno also gets the Tough as Nails Award for just being a bully of a blocker while playing with torn tendon in his knee all year. If we made any money at this site we would buy him a Ford F150 for being so tough.

OL - Aaron DeWitt - Mendham: DeWitt was the emotional leader of this team. Not the most talented kid in the league but I would take 11 kids with the heart he had any day.

OL - Brendan Ward - Chatham: Ward took his job seriously all year. Many times he would block three or four guys on one play.

OL - Andy Fender - Par Hills: Fender serves more pankakes than I.H.O.P. I never saw a high schooler put more kids on their back then this guy. And he had fun doing it.

OL - Andrew Sklover - Mendham: Sklover was the big man in the middle for the Minutemen. His size and ability to block down field helped to pave the way for full back Riposta to rush for over 1,000 and his QB Schermerhorn to throw for over 1,000.

Utility - Doug Dudek - Morris Hills: "The Dude", as we so effectionally call him on this site, is the perfect utility guy. This guy just has a knack for being at the right place all the time.

K - Cory Mundt - Morris Hills: Put Cory and Mundt together and you get "Money". And that is what Mundt was all year. He was the Adam Vinetieri of the Iron Hills Conference.

DEFENSE

DL - Chris Zarkoskie - Seton Hall Prep: SHP's defense began with Zarkoskie. I see big things for him in college.

DL - Chris Lloyd - Morristown: I think Lloydd had at least an assist on every tackle this year. It seemed, "Chris Lloydd on the tackle" was the most frequent phrase to come out of the Mo-Town announcers mouth. He also had 11 sacks...which is pretty sick.

DL - Nick Lusardi - Morris Hills: Lusardi was to MoHills defense what DeWitt was to Mendham's offense. This guy added so much heart into this D. The kid of guy you need to be successful.

DL - Tom Bianchi - West Essex: Bianchi's play is reminds me of Osi Umenyiora. Just a fast and vicious defender.

LB - Evan Picariello - Hanover Park: I might have to check this guy's birth certificate because he has been playing for HP for the last 5 years or so...or at least it seems it. Picariello has been playing since his sophmore year and just a fabulous talent. This guy can compete at the next level any day of the week.

LB - Anthony Hayek - West Essex: No name exuded more fear than Hayek's. Just saying his name to opponents gave them goose bumps. And he didn't dissappoint. He had a great year and a marvelous varsity career (which started as a freshman). Hayek walks away with three State Championship rings. Not too shabby.

LB - Keion Wade - E.O.: Wade is a sheer talent. One of the biggest reasons E.O. has a ring this year. He will be playing big time college ball.

DB - Dan Thomsen - Randolph: 50 years from now they will be talking about all of the interceptions Thomsen had this year. I think he had 25 picks...I don't know, who's counting anyhow. Dispite a dismal season for his team, Thomsen had one of the best years of any kid in the state.

DB - Phil Gatti - Hanover Park: Gatti is another one of those guys who I would want on my team. He blocks punts, catches passes, intercepts passes, runs the ball, causes fumbles, recover fumbles, etc. You name it, he does it.

DB - Daniel Stover - E.O.: Stover deserves this better than anyone. He plays like a pro and I would want this guy on my team in a heartbeat.

KR - Rason Vines - Weequahic: Vines reminds me and plays like Devon Hester of the Bears. He is also as deadly as him on the return. Problem is, teams stopped kicking to him because he was so dangerous. Any single player who gives his team good field position by not even touching the ball will earn a spot on my team any day.

TEAM AWARD: I am giving this award to Dover. The Tigers has a dismall season going 1-9. That much losing would kill the spirit of any team. But they did not quit on themselves or their coach. That says a lot about the character of those kids. I see Dover suprising a lot of people next year.

PHOTO CREDIT goes to www.mchss.net. They have the best photo's at the most reasonable prices in the Iron Hills. They do a fabulous job of taking pictures and video's. They are really great people and extremely reliable and easy to deal with.

Tyson Ambrose and His Dream

A STORY OF A MAN'S DREAM OF MAKING IT TO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL...AT 33 YEARS OLD

Do you remember the story of Rudy Ruettiger? Of course you do, but I am going to remind you anyhow. That was the story of a 26 year old iron worker from Ohio who decided to quit his job and chase his dream of playing football for Notre Dame. Of course, they made a movie out of it called Rudy and it is probably the best movie ever made.

If you remember, he was declined admittance to Notre Dame two times and played on their practice squad for four years until his coach put him in on the final play of his final game. He ended up sacking the quarterback on his only play and to this day he was the only Notre Dame player to be carried off the field.

If you liked that story, sit back because you are in for a real treat. This is a story of a 33 year old Bernardsville resident who is a father of three and has spent the last 12 years in the automobile industry who, and get this, is trying to make it into Major League Baseball. And get what else? He hasn’t played baseball since he quit his sophomore year of high school.

Many long time Morris County residents might remember the name Tyson Ambrose. He was an All-County basketball player who graduated from Bayley Ellard in 1992. Ambrose was famous around in Morris County for having blazing speed and for being able to make his 5’4” frame dunk a basketball...and without much effort. He was just a stellar athlete.

But after a respectable two year career at Brown Mackie College in Salinas KS (a Division 1 Junior College), Ambrose decided it was time to start working. He began at car dealerships, learning how to operate and manage service centers. In the past 12 years he has worked for companies like SAAB and Infinity have a successful career managing the service centers at these companies.

But all the while, Ambrose had a slow burning fire inside him that he couldn’t put out. It was his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player. Then two years ago, while sitting at the car dealership, he made a decision that would change the course of his life. It was the decision stop working and dedicate himself to make it to professional baseball. “A few years ago, I just woke up and knew I needed follow my heart.” Ambrose said about his moment of clarity. “I felt if I was going to do this the time was now.”

But Ambrose’s dream doesn’t come out of the clear blue sky. His story actually starts a long time ago. In fact, at one time, many people thought Ambrose had the natural ability, drive and smarts to be a hot prospect for the majors. In fact, he was even being groomed from a young age to do so.

You see, Ambrose is actually the son of Victor Ambrose, a former 2nd basemen for the Cleveland Indians. Baseball is part of the Ambrose family. “I grew up watching my dad play in major league baseball stadiums. There was no question that I was going to play baseball too. It was just what I was going to do.” Ambrose said about his youth.

“As a small kid I would be on the baseball field before games throwing the ball with major leaguers. I even remember being woken up one time by Chris Chambliss of the Yankees who was my dad’s friend.” Ambrose said about growing up with a pro-baseball dad.

Ambrose grew up in Morristown. In Little League he was dominant and brimmed with confidence on the field. “Most kid’s dads were just regular guys tossing the ball to their sons in their backyards. My dad was a professional second baseman playing for the Cleveland Indians.” Ambrose said about his early years. “I would come home from Kindergarten and my dad would be there with a bat, hitting me ground balls. And they would be hard too.”

Ambrose excelled at baseball. He was a nifty hitter, and a great fielder. But his real talent was his speed. For High School he went on to Bailey Ellard for High School and the baseball coach was licking his chops at the idea of having Tyson Ambrose on his team.

But during the early high school years, things started to change for Ambrose. His parents divorced and Ambrose grew defiant. Right in the middle of his sophomore year, Ambrose quit baseball all together.. “When you get older you can look back. Baseball was me and my dad’s connection. So when they divorced, quitting baseball was my way of acting out.”

Ambrose decided to focus all his energy on basketball. “My father didn’t know much about basketball so it was a way of putting distance between us. I always liked it. When I was in high school I told myself that the first sport I get a (college) letter for, I will go to college to play that sport.” Sure enough, a letter came from a college basketball coach interested in Ambrose and baseball was all but forgotten.

But basketball did not come as natural to Ambrose as baseball did. Being 5’4” did not help, but Ambrose immersed himself into the sport. “I focused all my energy to be the best basketball player I could be.” His hard work paid off too, because he received All-County honors and was went on to play at a Divion 1 leve in college.

However, all this time he was focusing on basketball, he was ignoring the promise of a possible pro baseball career. “My father thinks that if I never quit baseball that I would be on a major league baseball team as we speak, enjoying a long career.”

But Ambrose took another path. And now, with his physical ability still in tact, he is trying to go back in time to correct the past. Ambrose actually thinks he has a good 3 to 5 years to perform at a high level. “I don’t have any wear and tear on my body so I still feel like I am in my early 20’s physically. Right now I am in the best shape of my life.”

Ambrose’ enthusiasm could light a room. His energy and drive is so inspirational that you just don't doubt that he will fullfill his dream.

When Ambrose made a decision to follow his dream, people started to come out of the woodwork to help him. “It’s funny, when I decided to follow my dream, all of these guides started came into my life.

The first was Lee Rousan, former New York Giant football player. “Lee just came into the dealership one night and we hit it off.” Rousan, who happens to help people follow their dreams gave Ambrose some much needed advice. “He asked me, ‘Do you know who you are?’ He said, 'don’t answer that question to me, but answer it to yourself.'”

Then Rousan told Ambrose a story about a player he met at a High School All-Star football game back early 80's. He said he went up to him and asked him who he was. The boy responded by saying, “I am the best wide receiver of all time.” Rousan told Ambrose that player was a young Jerry Rice, who ended up being the NFL’s all time receiving record holder.

On His Talent

When Ambrose was in high school he had the speed that major league teams salivate over. Florida Marlin scout Brian Guilianna says, “In high school Tyson was running right around 6.5 in the 60 (yard dash). The league average is 7 seconds. That is Jose Reyes speed. If Tyson played in high school he would have definitely been recruited by a major D1 school, no doubt.”

Ambrose has been working really hard and believes he still has the speed and the skill to play baseball at a very high level. For the last year he has been working out hard for 6 hours a day, seven days a week. “I actually was timed right around 6.5, 6.6 in the 60 a few months back.” Ambrose says of his physical condition. “I have been working really hard so that if I do make it, I will be in the condition of playing the grueling schedule of baseball.”

“Physically, I can do anything. What hurts me not playing all these years has been the lack of repetitions needed to build a good skill set.” Ambrose actually had a few tryouts last year with the Reds and Brewers. “I got a lot of good feedback and encouragement there. The one thing that I lacked was the reps.”

“I don’t just want to play, I want to be successful. If I make it onto a team, I will do everything I can to help myself get better. I will be the first guy at the ball park and the last guy to leave. I will study film, whatever I need to do, I will do.”

“I would like to make it to a pro team. But even if I make it into an independent league to start, that will be great.” If he does make it to an independent league, a guy with his speed could be picked up by a pro team mid season.

Guillianna thinks Ambrose is good enough to play baseball at a high level. “Tyson is in unbelievable shape right now. Do I think he could make it to the pro’s? I think he could get picked up in an independent league at this point. He needs the structure of playing to develop his arm.”

“Tyson is a really inspirational guy. I think no matter what, Tyson could really make a career out of helping young athletes stay on the right path. He could be an inspirational speaker.” Guillianna said about Ambrose.

That would be fine for Tyson too, because according to him he does not seeing himself returning to the automobile industry anytime soon. “I will never work behind a desk ever again.”

“I hope my story inspires young kids to stick with what they are doing. When I was young, I didn’t know that my actions would affect my life down the road. If someone sat me down and told me of the impact of not sticking with baseball, I might have made a better choice.”

Ambrose’s Son

Life has a funny way of repeating history. Ambrose was given the gift of having an athletically gifted son as well. Ambrose’ son, Sean David Ambrose, is only five years old and is glowing with the talent that reminds dad of himself.

Even pro athletes have taken notice of Sean David. “I have never seen a kid, at such a young age, have that much talent.” Said Sam Garnes, former New York Giant and Jet who works out at Parisi Gym where Ambrose works out as well. “Tyson will hit the ball hard to him, and his son gets right in front of it with his whole body and makes a perfect throw. I have never seen a kid with talent like that at such a young age.”

“He is one of my biggest inspirations.” Ambrose says about his son. “One of my biggest goals is for him to see me with my uniform on in the setting of a major league ball park.”

Ambrose’ big test starts in a few weeks. January will begin workouts and tryouts in front of scouts and teams. He will find out if all of his hard work will take him to the next level. And just like Rudy, nothing seems to be getting in the way of Ambrose of at least giving it his all!

Mendham H.S. Fencing Team Poised for Successful Season

The Mendham High School Fencing Team seeks to build upon an impressive third year as it begins its fourth season. The program had humble beginnings three years ago with much enthusiasm. The girls’ team had one win and the boys team none in the first year. In the second year there was tremendous progress with the girls 6-6 and the boys 5-7. Last year was the breakout season for the team with the girls 10-2 and ranked third in the State and the boys 8-4 and ranked in the top ten in the State. With much hard work in the off season by many team members, they are looking to build on this success.

The team continues to be coached by Laura Pelizzoni, who has generated enormous enthusiasm for the program. She is supported by three volunteer assistants who have considerable fencing experience: Tom Tishman, who once trained with the Olympic team, Dr. Steve Dultz who fences all three weapons, and Meimee Persau, who has fenced foil.

Leading the girls’ team is Janelle Krannich, captain of the saber squad. Janelle is a D rated fencer in foil, the only team member who is nationally ranked and was second team all State last year. She will be supported by new starters E rated fencer Julia Melvin and Genele Streitz.

The foil squad should be strong, led by Shannon Cooley and E rated foil fencer Ryan Western. Alice Jacobson who was a strong part of the squad last year rounds out the starting trio.

The entire starting epee squad from last year has graduated. New varsity ans starting fencers are Kimberly Morsch, Alexis Grant and freshman Megan Wallace.

The boys team has several returning rated fencers, with at least one at each weapon.

The saber squad boasts two rated fencers. Chris Bonner is a D rated saber fencer who has been very active in the off season and should have a major impact on the team’s success. Brian Stellingwerf is an E rated fencer and returning starter from last season. They will be joined as starters for the varsity by Will Bruno.

The foil squad also has a strong foundation with two rated fencers. Andy Jung is a C rated foil fencer – the second highest rated fencer on the team. And foil squad leader Michael Striano is a D rated fencer. Both return from outstanding seasons last year. They are joined on the starting team by Adam Brozynski.

Salim Short heads the epee squad. Salim is a B rated fencer – the highest rated fencer on the team and has the top position or A strip in epee for the third consecutive season. He is joined by starters Tim Hains and Hao Du.

Each team will have challenges. The girls’ team lost two top fencers Jill Mahen and Jess Wallace to graduation and their loss will be felt. Janelle Krannich has enjoyed tremendous success in the off season and she will be looking to help lead this year’s team to similar success.

The boys’ team has some very stiff competition in its conference and district including a number of perennial powers starting with State Champion Columbia High School and the previous year’s State Champion Bernards High School. The boys’ team has five rated fencers – Short, Jung, Bonner, Striano and Stellingwerf. Still, it will need support from all other members of its squads if it seeks to improve upon last year’s top ten rating.

That the teams are even in a position to seek such success in only the fourth season is the result of the effort of Coach Pelizzoni and a very knowledgeable and supportive trio of assistant coaches.

Unruly & Fakehead's Boys Basketball Picks

Welcome to another addition of the End of the Week High School Boys Basketball Picks presented by your own IronHillsSports.com. If you haven't told a friend about this site then it is time you do. Link us up to your MySpace pages and text your buddies with our link. This site should definately saved on your "Favorites".

Every week I, Unruly Jets Fan, and Fakehead (my friend since Catholic grade school...yes Fakehead went to Catholic grade school) will weigh our predictions on the end of the week Boys Basketball games.

I will also do a beginning of the week, I will make predictions for another sport (either Girls Basketball, Wrestling, Track, etc.). Plus, we will add another post in the middle of the week (a player profile or something like that) as well to keep the content fresh.

This site is gaining more and more popularity and we appreciate all the emails and feedback you are providing. I am a writer for one of the local papers in Morris County and started this site as a goof. But since it is gaining momentum I have decided to keep it going.

I have employed my long time buddy, Fakehead, to add color commentary. Some people have commented that Fakehead is nuts. Well, I know he is. But he is my friend...and I just don't ditch friends because they had to make a few visits to the Funny Farm.

But we are doing our best to keep this site entertaining and somewhat accurate. If you feel we are missing something or dissagree with what we are saying let us know. Feel free to comment or email us.

Okay, enough with the mushy stuff...lets get into the games!!!

Thursday

7 Columbia (2-0) at East Orange (2-0)

Unruly: This is the biggest game of the year so far in the Iron Hills Conference. Ali Mix has some major skillzzz for East Orange and is money from the 3 point line. Dajuan “Wagner” Williams and Kris “Kross” Taylor help to solidify this team. But I have gotten more emails and phone calls about this Columbia team in the past few weeks it is crazy. People think they are the flat out best team in the conference. And Jameel Grace and Yvon Ramond fell asleep while beating Seton Hall Prep twice last week. I think this has the making of a good game. But Jameel Grace will drop 25 while taking his Cougar team to 3-0.
PICK: Columbia

FAKEHEAD: I don't know if Sir-Mix-A-Lot can help carry the day for East Orange in this early season game of the week, but either way I heard he likes girls with some junk in their trunk. Seriously though, Ramond and Grace are going to show that Columbia is no joke and beating Seton Hall Prep wasn't a fluke. Look for Columbia to win by at least 5 points, it's going to be a close one and a good game.

PICK: Columbia

Friday

7Weequahic (3-0) at Dover (0-1)

Unruly: I like a team that has a lot of people who can score. And that is what Dover has. Henry Saltos, Harriel Lacy and Jaquan Jones can all put up big numbers. Michael Brown can be deadly from the perimeter. But there is one problem, Weequahic is freaking good. Dashwan Eagie can put up 20 points while sitting on the bench. Jashon Mixon can put up 20 points while going to the bathroom. Shahid Brown, Naeem Gayles and Everette Martin hurt ya when you focus too much on Eagie and Mixon. Weequahic is not ready to give up their undefeated status just yet.
PICK: Weequahic

FAKEHEAD: Weequahic rolls in this one. I have nothign at all against Dover High School or their hoops' players, but Dover itself has problems. Like, for instance, I have started a recycling program at work and on three separate occassions I put out the f*cking recycling and it has not been picked up. I spoke to Dover officials three times and they tell me to just keep putting out on the curb. Meanwhile, it is a ton of sh*t, bottles, newspapers, cardboard, magazines, it is an office for Christ's sake. Dover has done nothing to help me out in my effort to "Go Green." Therefore, I have no choice to boycott all things Dover until this is resolved. The Quac are going to win big.

PICK: Weequahic

7Chatham (2-1) at Hanover Park (1-1)

Unruly: My Alma Mater always has a special place in my heart. And I loved what Phil Gatti and Pete Nagy did on the football field this year. Gatti is just explosive on the basketball court as he was on the grid iron. Greg Baruka is good too. I also like Andrew Walsh from downtown. But I am going with my gut and not my heart on this one. Chatham is too many go to guys, and the coach to boot. They begin with Bill Oliver who shoots like J-Mac did in his two minutes of glory. Even if Oliver was not on the team, Chatham would be a real contender with the likes of Josh Toolajian and Pat Bulter (both of whom can put down 15 points a game). Mike Sweeney and Burton Gildersleeve (who might just have my second favorite name in the conference…next to Sassy Weinstein of Mendham girls b-ball) add the perfect support for this team.
PICK: Chatham (Gatti puts up 22 in the loss though)

FAKEHEAD: The "Telfon Guard" Phil Gatti is going to light it up, but I don't know if it will be enough to beat those guys from Chatham. Rumor is, the rats in Chatham have grown so large they scrimmage the boys' hoops' team. Uncovered video footage showed that the Rats almost beat the boys last week. I'm not sure but I think the Rats would beat Dover. (Kidding!)

PICK: Chatham

7Summit (0-2) at Parsippany (1-1)

Unruly: I don’t want to be mean, but I am not exactly going to be calling up PayPerView to make sure I don’t miss this one. I am saying this to call out these two teams to wake up a little bit. I think they have the talent to be better. Kehoe and Baker of Summit can put up the points. Healy can hit from the outside. But basketball consists of defense as well. Parsippany is not going to get off easy hear either. Sean Connolly needs to rally his troops and start playing some ball. And Tariq Yaqoobi needs to have his name in the paper more. Bro, if they pass it to you just shoot it. I don’t care if you are open or not. Just start draining them from down town. Your name needs to be in print more.
PICK: Summit

FAKEHEAD: My brother is buddies with a guy named Steve Connolly, I doubt there is any relation to the Connolly on Parsippany, but I heard that kid is pretty good. I mention Connolly because he owns a bar in Boston that is pretty popular. I always wanted to own a bar but he said it is tough because the bartenders are constantly giving drinks away and getting hammered on the job. It almost convinced me that it wasnt' a good idea, but I think the "Iron Hills Bar" would be pretty successful. Of course, no althletes in the conference would be allowed to drink. Sorry kids, you got about 4-5 more years of being underage. (That being said, I see more kids doing coke and percocets in high school than I even imagined - not for nothing but getting caught with that stuff will f*ck up your whole life, trust me - don't do it).
Regardless, Kehoe and Baker have been bright spots for Summit so it's going to be a close one, but I think the Parsippany Red Storm is going to prevail. (I have no clue what Parsippany is called).

PICK: Parsippany

7Roxbury (1-1) at Morristown (0-2)

Unruly: What is up with my favorite player Georgie Bass??? He must be under the weather. I had one guy email me and tell me that G. Bass was the best player in the league. I love this kid, so I didn’t doubt it. But I need to see more. Georgie, I am calling you out. This is your team pal; let’s show Roxbury what MoTown b-ball is all about. Colvin and the Breeman boys need to get off the schnyde as well. To me, this is Morristown’s playoffs. Because Eric Vaccacio, Alex Szarejko and Tom Rosatelli of Roxbury can all score and gel on D. Brian Mohr is a freaking animal too. But, I am going on a limb here and seeing if the Colonials can answer my call.
PICK: Morristown

FAKEHEAD: The "Vac Attack" is going to lead Roxbury over Motown this week. That's right, Eric Vaccacio has been playing great thus far and will continue to do so, even against Unruly's favorite player of all time, George Bass.

PICK: Roxbury

7Morris Hills (2-0) at Parsippany Hills (1-2)

Unruly: Can somebody please tell me if the “The Dude” plays basketball or not? Is he sick or something? I don’t know why I like Morris Hills so much. Maybe it is because their whole football team basically plays hoops. They really do have the making of a good team this year. They have the perfect point man in Adam Katz, who reminds me of Bobby Hurley of the early ‘90’s Duke team (which I just realized most of the readers weren’t even born for so scratch that analogy). Andrew Zelnick, Dan Kellner & the Marotta bros make a pretty good team. But what makes this team special is King Justin (aka Justin D., The Big D, J-Dog, J.D., Snoop Donilosky, Air Donilosky). King Justin actually swallowed a basketball one time at a party. He is just crazy sick (or whatever the kids say these days) on the court. Hey, I am not taking away from what Par Hills has either. I like them. Justin Thomas can put up some solid numbers. Greg DePugh plays good D. Blake Cruz is money from downtown and Brian Becher can get it done. But not on this night.
PICK: MoHills (King Justin scores 30…18 in the first half)

FAKEHEAD: What is about Mo Hills this year, they are just playing well in everything. I'm not sure how their chess or debate teams are doing but damn, they are good in the majors. Look for Donilinsky and Katz to be like Shaq and Kobe in the early 2000s this year. I respect Par Hills, but they won't score more than 45 in this one.

PICK: Morris Hills by 15

7Morris Knolls (0-3) at Seton Hall Prep (1-1)

Unruly: Morris Knolls is beginning to look like they can get out of their funk with Sean Pauls leading the way. But they need Steve Bellani, JJ Boylasn and Brandon Danzy to be more consistent. They need a win in a bad way to start to build on something. But unfortunately it won’t be this night. Ashton and Sterling Gibbs are about to begin their tear through the IHC. I think this is just he beginning of a 10 game winning streak. Stephon Treadwell and Rahmaan Patton will be adding the much need support on the boards and from the field.
PICK: Seton Hall Prep (don’t bother taking your coats off, it will be over before it starts) *That little remark is to wake you up Knolls!

FAKEHEAD: What the heck is going on with the Prep? It seems unbeliveable that Gibbs and Company are 1-2 but they will certainly even out their record against an overmatched Knolls team this Friday. Look for the Prep to romp, and maybe get some confidence back.

PICK: Seton Hall Prep

7Randolph (1-0) at Livingston (1-0)

Unruly: Kyle Aiken is making a name for himself in the IHC. He is on a nice path to All County honors. Justin Foster seems to be on that same path as well. But I haven’t seen enough of this group to see if they can go anywhere as a team. And Livingston might actually be a real contender this year behind Corey Eisen, Ben White, Zack Lomita and Mike Helweil. The problem for Livingston is they play in a tough division with the likes of SHP, Columbia, Morritown and Mt. Olive to contend with. But I just don’t know if Randolph is in the same breath as those I just mentioned.

PICK: Livingston

FAKEHEAD: Somebody's going to be .500 after this game. I think that Kyle Aiken (I hope to God for his sake he is not related to Clay) and Justin Foster are going to prepel Randolph over Eisen, Lomita and company this week. But it's going to be damn close. Should be a good one.
PICK: Randolph

7West Morris (0-2) at Mount Olive (2-0)

Unruly: I would like to see West Morris start to get good at basketball. I know they live in the boondocks, but come on already. First of all Jared Washkas cannot play all the positions. He needs Josh Boyd and Derek Kanbour to play better defense. And I am giving Famularo to start to take more shots from outside. But Mt. Olive is rolling. The Highlanders/Wolfpacks are led by Brian Bublitz. You may remember him from from football season. Bublitz has an easy job because all he needs to do is dish it off to Russell Halloway who is a scoring machine. In fact, Halloway might be the best in the league from downtown. Gerod Hatcher and Danny Gutman also have the ability to put big numbers.
PICK: Mount Olive (Hatcher & Holloway combine for 38 points in the win)

FAKEHEAD: Dannny "Guts" Gutman and Russell Simmons Halloway are just a few of the weapons Mt. Olive has in its arsenal. Washkas at West Morris is carrying the team right now, and unfortunately it's too big for his shoulders. Look for Mt. Olive to roll, especially if they manage to get Washkas in some foul trouble early.

PICK: Mount Olive

7Mendham (1-1) at West Essex (1-1)

Unruly: This should be an awesome game. Jeff George, who comes with much fan fare, and his West Essex Knights will host the Minutemen of Mendham. Josh Sigler and Chris Jung are scoring threats while Rocco Carnevale and Even Elberg can really pound the boards. There is no team the league who tosses up more three’s than Wessex. But Mendham has a strategy. What they do is lure opponents into their kitchen under a false premise. Then they introduce their point guard who comes out to great you. “Hi my name is Chris Hanson. We are doing a story on basketball teams who have too much hype surrounding them. After squirming around in the chair for 10 minutes, Hanson lets them know they are free to leave. When they walk out the door, Rob Berish and Mark Cisco jump on them, cuff them and drop 20 points a piece on them.
PICK: Mendham (This is the beginning of a long winning streak for the Minutemen too)

FAKEHEAD: Mendham is feeling "Berish" after starting the season 1-1 and they have their hands full with a stocked West Essex team. That being said, I think the "Bear Man" as Rob Berish is affectionally referred to as by his fans, will play his heart out, score 20 and take Mendham above .500 this week. By the way, I had no clue Jeff George is now playing hoops for West Essex. The last time I heard of that guy he was quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. This guy will never stop playing sports. Good for him, but somebody might want to make sure he is taking classes at WE.

PICK: Mendham

Best Boys B-Ball Teams Voted by You

1. Chatham (17% of votes)

2. Seton Hall Prep (16%)

3. West Essex (12%)

4. Morris Hills (9%)

5. Mendham (7%)

Best Boys B-Ball Players Voted by You

1. Jeff George - West Essex (23%)

2. Billy Oliver - Chatham (16%)

3. Ashton Gibbs - Seton Hall Prep (13%)

4. Moss - Livingston - Livingston (7%)

5. Chris Kehoe - Summit (5%)

*Keep voting if you disagree. Or if there is someone else, put their name in the "other" field. Keep voting all season long.

Girls Hoops Picks (Monday & Tuesday Games)

Monday

7Morris Knolls at Newton
We finally get to see what the Knolls has got in their ranks. They have a lot of returning letter-women but it is all question marks right now. But I think all that experience last year will help the Knolls this year. Look for Alyssa Meola and Nicolette Radovic to gel too.
PICK: Knolls

7Columbia at Westfield
Westfield should not even come out tonight. Columbia shouldn't even have to get off the bus. It is not a matter if JJ Sullivan and the Columbia Diva's will beat down on you, it is how bad. Columbia is my pick to go all the way. They are a true team. Abigail Martin has the best game of her career tonight.
PICK: Columbia (easy)

Tuesday

4Chatham at Mendham
Chatham is good...or shall I say Julia Moorehead is good. They broke how big against Par Hills in a 58-24 shilacking. But Mendham is not too shabby behind Kathleen Wiese and my favorite player in the league (strictly because of her name) Sassy Weinstein. But Chatham is too good.
PICK: Chatham

7Morris Hills at Dover
Jessie Bertolli and Coleen Kelly will try to gather the troops to lead a victory over Casey Boyle and the Dover Tigers. But Stephanie Salterelli will be the x-factor in this game.
PICK: Dover

7Hanover Park at Parsippany Hills
Ahh, my Alma mater...back in the '80's nothing was better than HP Girls Hoops. I think they are making a resurgence with head man Doug Wear. Especially when you consider having one of the best girls hoopsters in the conference in Ashley Addison. Lindsey Singer is not too shabby either. Jessica Zabito of Par Hills is no slouch, but what about the rest of the team. They need more than one person scoring to win games.
PICK: HP

7Morris Knolls at Livingston
For the second night in a row Knolls runs wild and beats Livingston. Nicolette Radovic decides she is the best player on her team and leads the team in scoring in this one. Alyscia Zulauf (any relation to the poet from Succassuana anybody?) is good, but she can't play every position.
PICK: Knolls

7Weequahic at Parsippany
Kenyadah Mitchell and Jade Pinkett (Will Smith's wife) will prove to work well together this year. But Parippany has one thing to say to Weequahic, "Elena Noonan", will will unload for 18 in this one. Aysun Malta will also add another 10.
PICK: Parisppany

7Morristown at East Orange
Morristown is good. Teresa Towns and Caitlin McGuire will put on a show this game. However, putting on a show will not get it done. Especially when Shaleah Alston puts up 25 in her best game ever. Ava Burke lets Morristown know that she is not to be messed with as she pulls down 8 boards in this battle.
PICK: E.O. (in a close one)

7Randolph at Mount Olive
Candace Shpock and Kathleen Naddaff both have the ability to put up 15 points a game each. And they will need to both do that if they want to beat the mighty M.O. Autumn Harnish (10pts a game is just too powerful. Plus teammate Breanna Mitchell will be having a breakout game.
PICK: M.O.

7Roxbury at West Morris
Sarah Gage will score 14 and Cori Younghans will score 13 in this battle. The problem is that Haley D'Angelo will score 20 and Emily Peel will score 15 and have 5 rebounds in this Iron Division battle.
PICK: West Morris (but it will be a battle)

8Summit at West Essex
Some people think Ali Cassara is the best in the Iron and the Hills division. I am not sure I can disagree. And Colleen Caprio is perfect in the supporting cast role. I don't know what they are feeding kids in North Caldwell but they seem to be dominating every sport these days. Alex Reese and Jenna Wilson will try to knock Wessex off their perch. But Wessex is too big of a bird.
PICK: West Essex


TOP 5 GIRLS B-BALLERS VOTED BY YOU:

Player - School Votes %
Julia Moorehead - Chatham 137 39%
Ashley Addison - HP 42 12%
Alyscia Zulauf - Livingston 29 8%
Ali Cassara - West Essex 23 7%
Cori Younghans - Roxbury 22 6%

We Had to Add a Few Players since the Daily Record Clearly forgot a Few guys!

Okay, we know that the Daily Record is the ugly step sister of the Star Ledger, but common! There are a few major holes in this year's All Daily Record football picks. Oh, I will not take anything away from the kids who are on this list. But I have a few problems with who is NOT on this list. And since this is the Iron Hills Sports website, I will address all of the Iron Hills boys who are not on the list and who definately should be on the list.

The first major problem I have is why is Dan Kellner on there as a Punter??? If Joe Hoffman had something to do with this list, he dropped the ball big time here. Is Kellner even the punter? First of all, the guy is one of the best QB's and team leaders in the league. I am not going to rattle off all his stats but the freaking guy threw for over 3,000 yards his entire football career. The Daily Record wrote about him every week. And he took his team to a 10-2 record and played in the State Finals. Plus he was a great defensive back. If you need to fill in the blank, then put him as honorable mention. Don't disgrace us by giving Kellner That right there is a travesty!!!

Kellner is the man. Kellner definately deserves more respect. He shouldn't be getting it from here. I will give it to the Daily Record for putting "The Dude" on the first team. I would completely protest the Daily Record for a very long time if they dissed the Dude.

Another guy who I feel went completely under the Radar was John Wiskow from Mendham. He started out the season having a TD in the first three or four games. But he made some really spectacular catches and runs. I saw one real athletic move against West Essex that most kids would have not even caught. But he caught it and made a really nice move to get it in for six. And although the team lost, his play gave them a much need spark. He should have at the very least gotten Honorable Mention.

Also, another guy who should have gotton some props is Frank Vasquez from Dover. That kid makes every catch and every tackle. He was definately deserving of an Honorable Mention here, at the very least. I think he might be an underclassmen as most of that team was, I hope he is so he can get on this list next year. Actually, I like that Dover team. Even though they stunk. But I say that in a good way. This team did more losing than anything else, but they never quit. And you know what, that says a lot about the character of those kids. Beleive me, Dover will be tough next year.

Fowler was probably the best all around back in the Hills Division. Their QB should have gotten an honorable mention. I forget his name, but he is the guy who broke his leg in the middle of the season. Oh yeah, Joe Scialampo. He should be on there because he was a solid guy. In fact, I was sure that was it for their team when he went down. But DePugh who came up in back up did a great job too. He will be solid next year. But Scialampo should at least get a Honorable Mention.

Of course, this is basically Morris County teams and they didn't include West Essex. But if there were I am sure Hayek, Agrifolio and the rest of the New England Patriots would have been mentioned.

Allgood from Chatham, anybody? This guy made every freaking tackle for Chatham. What the hell??? I am not asking for a First or Second Team pick but how about an Honorable Mention?

Anthony Prior from H.P. He comes from a long line of tough Prior boys. For that alone he should have gotten and Honorable Mention. Let me tell you, I saw this guy play a few times. He caught my eye and I wasn't even looking for him. Any player who fearlessly puts his head in front of a steam rolling running back deserves something. I hope Prior is an underclassmen bc I want to see more of him next year.

More on Mendham, Calavero should also be on the Honorable Mention list. He was a major part of that line. Aaron DeWitt definately deserves the First Team. I am glad he got that. He was always the dirtiest player by the end of the game. I see that kid being a coach one day. He was like Chad Pennington on the side lines they way he cheered everybody on.

Also, Mike Salerno should be up there for Honorable Mention. Riposta should have gotten at least Second Team honors. And Santomo is a First Teamer, NOT A QUESTION.

Seton Hall Prep is not on there. But one guy who should have been named but probably won't be is Allen Buzbee. He won't be named because he didn't play. But that was only because he broke his leg in a preseason game. But he was so good he got a D1 scholarship basedon his junior year. He is going to U. of NH. For what I just said, he deserves something. Beleive me, it sucks to lose your last year of HS football.

Well, the point is...is there are tons of great players in our Iron Hills. I know I really didn't touch much on the Iron Division.

With that said, next Football Season, this site will be the number one resource for all of your Iron Hills Football needs. I know it sort of favored the Hills divison for the most part, but the Iron will get its due coverage next year. I will spend the rest of the Winter and Spring Sports getting the kinks out.

If you have some feedback, please take the 10 Question Survey on the right hand side. I really value what you have to say and will make changes based on what you say.

*****Also, and this is the most important. If you are creative and are interested in journalism. Or even if you just like talking smack, and want to say something about teams in the Iron Hills, then this is the place for you. Seriously, I am looking for some writers to contribute to this site. The pay is great and the working conditions are very nice. Okay, the pay sucks (it actually doesnt pay anything) and you work from home. But this will be great for your college resume. Even if you are a dad or a mom, just send me and email and I will lay down the ground rules (which is basically no swearing). You will have all the creative freedom in the world. All interested parties send me an email at unruly@ironhillssports.com. Thank you!*****

FRIDAY NIGHT BASKETBALL PICKS

Okay basketball fans, basketball is back in business starting this Friday Night. And for your reading enjoyment I hired Fakehead to make his much anticipated selections for this Friday Nights' games.

As you know, Fakehead brings his love of the game, knowledge of the Iron Hills and relationships with the players and coaches to the table here. Okay, he doesn't have any of that. But the guy is hilarious. Plus, he picked 75% of the games correct in '06.

Here are Fakehead's Picks for Friday Nights' Games:

Chatham at Parsippany Hills, 7
FAKEHEAD: I don't know if you can say it's a preview to the playoffs this early in the season. Par Hills has always been pretty good at hoops, weren't they coached by Mr. Guiliana or something? Those Guiliana kids could play. Regardless, I'm not sure where Chatham is, (the township or the borough), but last summer Chatham had a rat problem, so just out of the gross out factor I'm going with Par Hills.

Hanover Park at Dover, 7
FAKEHEAD: HP, HP, HP! As many of you can tell, like most people who analyze sports, I was not the best athlete in high school. I only played hoops one year out of the three I tried out. My JV squad was f*cking awesome. Me, Figgs (he occassionally comments on this site), some kid called Goldberg, an indian kid who thought he was black, and some other characters. Our coach was probably 103 years old. Nice guy, but old. We were pretty damn bad, but I have to say that I had a good time and everyone liked one another, so it was cool. I have a great basketball story about my brother at HP but I'll save that for later in the season. Oh yeah, I don't know much about HP hoops, or Dover, but I am going to have to go with HP on this one. For one, it always seemed like Dover had raw talent but couldn't get it together to win when I saw them play. Second, HP is going to be decent this year, I have a feeling.

Morris Hills at Parsippany, 7
FAKEHEAD: Honestly, the "Dude" is officially my favorite player in the Iron Hills Conf. The Dude is going to abide by scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 boards in a Morris Hills victory.

Mount Olive at Morris Knolls, 7
FAKEHEAD: I would never say anything bad about Mount Olive, my work is connected to that town and from what I hear it is very nice, especially if you like country music. On a serious note, why do they call it Morris Knolls? Can anyone explain the Knolls part? I understand Hills and Tech and Prep, but Knolls? Maybe I'm dumb but I don't get it. Mount Olive will win because Knolls makes no sense.

Morristown at Seton Hall Prep, 7
FAKEHEAD: Morristown is going to lose, by at least 12 points by the time it is all said and done and the last foul shot swishes through the net. Let's face it, Georgie Bass can't play every position on the court and besides the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s I've never seen a one-man team win consistently. That's not to say Motown is a one-man team, but they can't hang with the Prep's depth. Plus, I know 5 kids who went to Prep (not counting my cousin). One of them had one leg and didn't play hoops. Two of them were too busy chasing girls to focus on sports (or their schoolwork), one of them was like Michael from the American version of the "Office" in the basketball episode, which, if you haven't seen it you should, it is f*cking hilarious. Anyway, the character Michael literally throws the basketball at the basket like a baseball when shooting and it totally bricks off the backboard. It was funny. That guy ended up being my roomate in college (not the fake TV person, the Prep kid) and finally, a tall guy who actually played hoops while at Seton Hall. The dude was a great hoops player throughtout his life but even he didn't play that much for SHP while he was there. That's how good they were, and that is the point of my long ass story. SHP is good at sports, I guess because the kids just focus on sports instead of girls all day. I wish I could just focus on work instead of stupid blogs and women all day, but I digress.

Randolph at West Morris, 7
FAKEHEAD: Randolph will win this game by 7 points. Why? Well, Randolph has the kid with the two arms and two legs who wears a number on his jersey that is pretty damn good. And West Morris is bascially Sussex County, and we all know how feel about Sussex County. "Deliverance" anyone? Kidding!!!!!!!!! Don't get upset West Morris, I'm just busting your b*lls. Unfortunately, I'm not kidding about Randolph in a close one.

Roxbury at East Orange, 7
FAKEHEAD: I'm a big fan of East Orange after hearing the football coach talk to the media after the State Championship game. What does that have to do with hoops? Nothing, but I don't give a crap. East Orange by 18.

Summit at Mendham, 7
FAKEHEAD: Isn't Chris Hanson that guy from "To Catch a Predator?" That f*cking guy is so young! He looks much older on TV. Plus, they let a guy who hasn't graduated high school yet confront kiddie touchers? That's messed up. Assuming Chris Hanson doesn't have to work in Florida at some f*cking mansion luring pedophiles out to set them up, I think Hanson's team will win.

FANTASY CORNER:

There are five people you need to start on Friday Night. First, is Billy Oliver of Chatham. He should be worth 18 points minimum.

Secondly, if you have George Bass on your team, Start 'em. He might not get the high point totals but he should be good for at least 10-14 points but his value comes with steals.

Ashton Gibbs is a no brainer starter. His value as a fantasy player will just go up as the year moves on.

Alot of people are saying Jeff George is a must starter. But I like Justin D. of Morris Hills for his blocking ability and his jump shot.

My fift pick your fantasy team has got to be Jameel Grace of Columbia. I think he could get some major points and get some blocking and steeling points as well.

Fantasy predictions are basically for fun. This site does not condone playing fantasy sports for high schoolers. The fact that I even have to write this makes me sad for our country.

Unruly's Top 10 B-Ballers (Boys)

1) Seton Hall Prep
2) Chatham
3) Morris Hills
4) West Essex
5) Morristown
6) Columbia
7) Mendham
8) Par Hills
9) East Orange
10) Summit



ANALYSIS: Okay, here is my reasoning for the this Top 10. First, why did I pick Seton Hall Prep? Easy, the ability to recruit. Ha, just kidding. Ashton Gibbs is my main reason. Depth is the second. And Chris Hines is my third. I thought Allen Buzbee would making a huge impact this hoops season. SOB, the freaking guy re-injured the same ankle that forced him to miss the entire football season. That kid cannot catch a break. But don't worry, he'll have plenty of time up at UNH to get his senior HS year out of his system. But beleive me you, if Buzbee was playing hoops this year, SHP would be one of the best teams in the state.

As for not picking Wessex with the number two pick? Well, they could actually be there. But they are so good at football they need to lose at something so I am punnishing them with the four spot. But they do deserve the second ranking here and could even end up in the top spot by the end of the year. Jeff George is as studly as they come...but I am not so convinced about the rest of the team.

But the reason Chatham is number two is because of standout Billy "The Freaking Man" Oliver. B.O. as I will refer to him as for now on has the experience, surrounding players and the coach to take his team all the way. But for now, they will remain at number two.

Here is the reason why I have Morris Hills at number three: TEAM. This is a true team and it is full of guys who have been playing together since childhood. Plus, Rockaway kids are tough and have a lot of heart. Doug "The Dude" Dudek is like Brett Favre the way he plays hard and has fun. Justin Doniloski is a tough SOB and Adan Katz is gold from the perimeter. I see these guys going far. They are one of those teams that could take the title because of their heart.

The "Dude"

Morristown is at number five because of my man Georgie Bass. I don't know why I love this kid so much. I don't even know him. I did actually hear from a friend of a friend of a friend type of thing that his family is really nice. So maybe that is it. I saw Bass score 5 touchdowns during a freshman football game once. That could be why I like him. Plus his brother Dewey was just awesome on the court. And rumor has it is that Georgie is better than his bro.

Columbia gets the number six spot. But you know what, they might actually be better than that. But they always stuck in the shadow of their ugly step sister, Seton Hall Prep. I know some coaches who tremble a little when you mention Columbia.

Mendham gets the seven spot. But they might surprise people too. Mike Salerno is one of the shiftiest guys in the league. Plus, he is one of the hardest working athletes at this level. Between him, Rob Berish and Chris Hanson (formally from the pop group Hanson) this crew will get it done. Plus they have a tall b*stard who I cant think of his name right now.

You know what? It is really difficult to pick a Top 10 in the Iron Hills. Actually, I think I have all the right teams in the Top 10 but the order is hard to predict. I am going with Par Hills with the eighth spot, but you know what? I am not sure now. We'll stick with eight right now, but I think Par Hills has the skills to get into the Top 5. Eugene Fowler is one of the best athletes in the conference. Dan DePugh is a heady athlete too. Add Brian Eswood to the mix and you have a contender I am telling you.

At nine we got E.O. Why? Easy, one reason Akeem Cunningham. I think his sister plays on the girls team actually and is probably better than half the boys in the league. But I see Cunningham making a lot of things happen this year.

And with the tenth spot I am putting Summit. I see Chris Kehoe having the best season of his life.

In summary, I definitely see SHP, Chatham and Wessex in the top 3. I know I put Morris Hills in the number 3 spot. But if Wessex wants that spot they are going to have to earn it. For now, Morris Hills gets it because I like them. But with that said, I see the second tier teams being Morris Hills (I know I am confusing you, shut up!), Mendham, Par Hills, Columbia and Morristown.

But what is so great about HS Hoops is that you never do know until the players take the court. Good luck teams! *I will be predicting all Iron Hills B-Ball games all year so stay tuned.

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This Weeks' Hockey Picks

Monday, December 10th

Mountain Lakes vs. Randolph
The defending Champs roll here after beating Mendham Friday night. I also call Matt Nowicki has a big game.
PICK: Randolph 4-1

Mount Olive vs. Roxbury
Ryan Doll comes up big as Roxbury wins a close one.
PICK: Roxbury 3-2



Tuesday, December 11th

Chatham vs. Morristown-Beard
Mo-Beard usually puts together a solid squad. But Chatham could be the real deal this year behind studs Jeff Keating and Paul Ughetta. Besides having a great hockey name, Ughetta will be one of this conferences' stars.
PICK: Chatham 5-2



Wednesday, December 12th

Morris Hills vs. Morris Knolls
AKA: "The battle of the Rockaways" Knolls usually puts up the better squad and definately has the depth. But I like MoHills taking this one and sending a early message to the league. Dave McAndrew has the biggest game of his career as well.
PICK: MoHills 2-1

Roxbury vs. Montville
Ryan Doll and company keep up their winning ways.
PICK: Roxbury 3-2

Randolph vs. Pingry
Randolph shows some humanness as they get over taken by their first non-public of the year.
PICK: Pingry 5-4



Thursday, December 13th

Parsippany vs. Par Hills
Also known as the "Battle of Route 46". Tough call here. But I always felt like Parsippany Hills Hockey has a chip on their shoulder...and Parsippany always wants to knock it off.
PICK: Parsippany 4-1

Kinnelon vs. West Morris
The only way W. Morris loses this one is if they beat themselves. And after a lackluster football season, the Highlanders/Wolfpack are tired of losing.
PICK: West Morris 6-5

Season's End Shizzle

Ok folks, you have heard me rant and rave for weeks on end now on how much the NJ HS football scene needs fixing. So, I have assembled my thoughts for all of you to crucify me or laugh - mock me if you must - but dammit...consider what I am saying!

But for real dawg - consider this:

1. The VanZile Plan. Mike Van Zile of Walkill Valley gets the BRASS BALLS award for the 07 season.


Yeah, I know, he's whining right? No WAY!! He is merely the one who has the courage to bring to the table the issues that have been f-ing up NJ football for many years. The NJSIAA rulebook says that "schools may not recruit for athletic advantage" (or something like that - YOU can look it up, ok?). Well, guess what - that is the source of all the real problems with HS sports in this state, especially basketball, Football, and Baseball. (Nobody f-ing gives a shizzle in America about "soccer", so get it through your thick pansy skulls ok? - but more on that later.) Private schools can give "scholarships" to anyone they wish, from anywhere in the state with impunity, and it has been happening for years.

The NJSIAA has neither the will nor the means to enforce this on the privates, and they never will. (as an aside, if I was the parent of a kid in Paterson, and I had the opportunity to send my kid to Delbarton on a ride vs. Eastside High - the decision is no brainer - I don't blame the kids or the parents - nor the schools for providing the opportunity). But the problem is real when i comes to athletic advantage...the publics just can't compete with the privates, especially when it comes to playoffs. Simultaneously, publics are scrutinized annually for possible recruiting violations. It is simply unfair.

Goats: NJSIAA (for having their thumbs up their asses)

Villains: Every AD who voted against the VanZile Plan.

Heroes: Mike Van Zile. Those who voted with him.

Victims: The athletes. All of them.

Aftermath. It looks like the NJSIAA finally got off their Herodic asses and put together a team to study how to work out a compromising plan addressing many of the issues. If you ask me, Steve Timko (the "Pete Roselle" of the NJSIAA) just doesn't want to get a pink slip, but at least he recognized that there is problem here, which is more than can be said about his predecessor (whoever the hell that chump was).

2. Why are the NJ state football trophies so lame (in design)? Hey, Robbinsville...WAKE UP. It is 2007. Time to redesign that lame ass trophy that you cheap bastards issue! Gimme a break. You want inspiration? Take a look at the Lombardi trophy. These kids broke their asses for god knows how long and all you can do is issue that lame piece of wood? Football is the premier, distinct, unique, American sport. Act like it and step up. 'Nuff said.

3. Steroids testing. This is where the NJSIAA demonstrates it's biggest amount of authority and where they could have the biggest impact at leveling the playing field. Imagine how the playing field would change if no one used 'roids? Inerestingly enough, this dovetails with the recruiting problem, and is exacerbated by it.

How? Consider this: you live in smalltown A and the genetically best athletes you had ended up going to Seton Hall, and then you still have to play them and expect to be competitive, what are you going to do? If you live in Smalltown B, and you play innner-city schools who have a much larger genetic pool to choose from, what is your alternative to be competitive? Both cases can lead to using.

The current NJSIAA policy only tests a random 2 players from each team in each Championship game. Really. Is that a deterrent? F-NO. If you are a user, you have less than a 5% chance of getting caught - IF YOU ARE ON A FINALS TEAM. That number falls DRASTICALLY (about nil) if you don't make it to the finals because it is basically left to the coaches. The vast majority coaches don't want to know or can't ask if their players are users, because it would cease competitive advantage or is otherwise procedurally or legally limited to ask. On a personal note, I played with at least one kid who was an obvious user - everyone knew it - the coaches looked the other way; he was, of course, a standout. How would he have been had not used? Probably average.

So how do we fix this? By issuing a policy that is ACTUALLY A THREAT TO THE USERS!

Example 1: Test a random sample of 1-2 players, from 20% of teams each week during the regular season and larger samples in the entire postseason.

Example 2: Test all players on all teams in the finals.

Example 3: Test 1 random player from every team prior to every regular season game and all players in all finals.

The bottom line is this. There is still roids use among many HS athletes, especially football players. In order to discourage it propoerly, we need a policy that actually has teeth to stop it. If you are serious about stopping it, then you need to get serious with your policies. The current policy is as useless as the paper (or electrons) it is printed on. It stops no one.

4. Religion and Football.

a. Amazing Grace. Supposedly, according to the mighty Joe Hof, the Mount Olive band played Amazing Grace during one of its home games early this year. Good for them.

b. Team Prayers. Apparently their are some atheistic a-holes out there who make it their mission in life to remove any reference to religion from public life including that of any public high school football coach making any reference to God or prayer during, before, or after a game. My message to you - get a life, and put down the doobie. Remember, it is precisely our Judeo-Christian moral heritage/traditions in this country that instruct us to be tolerant of other religions (or no-religions). Remove that and the tolerance baseline goes bye-bye too.

c. F-The ACLU. American Communist Lawyers Union.

5. The Sissification of America. Here's something I have been preaching for many years. The kind of kids that play football are the kind of kids who would have been the warriors 10-6000+ years ago. You want to sissify this country? You want to let other people conquer us? Start watering down our contact sports, start playing more soccer, take the hitting out of lacrosse, outlaw boxing...and so on. We'll end up with Lesbian-Amazons in charge and we'll be slain by third world a-holes like UBL and AlQaeda.

American Football is one of the last bastions of true masculinity being allowed on a mass level. Football helps our boys become men and has many rewarding life-lessons that cannot be understood well enough unless you have played it. Start messing with the rules on contact and keep participation levels down at the low levels and in the words of Jesse Ventura in PREDATOR, we'll end up with a bunch of "slack-jawed, fagg!t$ 'round here".


6. Racism, Football, and Recruiting. The Mighty JoeHof had an excellent, Pulitzer Caliber, article in the Daily Record, about midseason, speaking to the systemic racism against white men in college football recruiting. Nice job Joe...you are the brass-balls award runner up, for having the courage to speak truth to power, and stand up to the Race-baiters, etc. If you haven't read it, you need to. The brief synopsis is that standout white players have a much harder time getting scholarships to play football, especially at the skill-positions. One things though Joe: You mentioned Martinek in that article...he is poor example of one of these cases as he is not the talent that you wrote him up to be in High School (IMHO). Yeah, he broke* the NJ state rushing record, but he is certainly not anywhere near the level of Craig Heyward (Passaic '83?), Willie Wilson (Summit '73?), etc. If Hayek and others had been starting at RB since they were Frosh as well, where would they stand in total yards? Schiano had good reason to switch him to DB.

7. Iron Hills Divide. There should be a Iron Hills championship game to decide an Iron Hills Champion. The Iron division Champ should play the Hills division champ annually, this would solve any questions about which team the best in MoCo annually (yeah, I know there are other conferences in the county, but who cares? - just kidding).

8. The Star-Ledger. For the love of Peter, DOES THE STAR LEDGER WEBSITE BLOW OR WHAT??? They took a bad site and made it worse. It is the most frustrating site I have ever had to navigate.

9. Thanksgiving Day Games. Bring em back. Especially where you can keep or revive rivalries by doing so, like an annual Mendham-WMC game.

10. West Morris Central. What in the name of Mike is going on at WMC?? Has that program imploded or what? 3 losing seasons in 4 years or something? They should be much better next year, but I feel bad for those kids.

11. (Omitted/Classified)

12. Par Hills. Congrats to their coach for turning that program around, but you need to work on your sportsmanship...remember you set the example...and that is why you are known as the dirtiest team in the Hills.

13. Mendham. You had a great year. You got robbed of a playoff berth. You should have killed Ridge in that consolation game. Next year is probably your best shot at a state-run in 10 years...take advantage...you have the talent...spend your off-season in the Gym and work hard...it is yours for the taking but you have got TO WANT IT BAD ENOUGH TO GET IT. I have hunch you have a few dry years coming up after the '08 season...just a hunch.

14. West Essex. 1) Great Season, and congrats on both titles. 2) You need to find other teams to beat up on than the Hills (see recommendation of an IHC title game above.). 3) Stop paying off the Refs. It's old, and you don't need to do it. ;)

15. Randolph. Lusardi. Suk. Dunn. Good lord. I don't know what the truth is over there, but it sure as hell smells like something stinks over there. If there is corruption, it needs to be addressed. ...And NO SUK is clearly not DI talent...at least not based on his performance this year. (of course neither was Mendham's QB in '06, but he is amazingly playing D-III college ball. Go figure.)

16. HP's Jerkoff annonuncer. This guy is an embarassment to every legitimate announcer out there. Get a life you f-ing loser. A good game announcer's affiliation should be transparent...announce the yardage gain...who carried the ball...who made the tackle...etc. that's it. None of this "another HP [pause] first DOWN!!" crap. A-hole.

17. Joe Hofmann and the Daily Record. Joe, you and the Daily Record, for the most part did a fine job this season. I give you a B+/A-. You get the A- if you want to argue your grade and you can get Megan Fox to show me her breasts...OK, I'll settle for a hooters girl shoeing me her cleavage if I can do the "motorboat".

18. "Mr. Dunn". If that actually was you all year on JH's blog, you need to get a life. I actually sympatized with you early on, but your unintelligible, ridiculous, cruel rantings have jeopardized your credibility. Leave the kids alone. Stop drinking. Shut up.

You are the recipient of the Trojan-ENZ, boner of the Season award. Congrats.

An Interview with Sam Garnes

Former NFL defensive back Sam Garnes spent some time with me this week talking about something that he feels very strongly about; helping young athletes to be the best they can be.

The 6’3, 225 lbs Garnes spent 7 years in the NFL from 1997 to 2004. He was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round and played with them for five years. He was a big part of their defense when they played in the Superbowl in 2000. Then he spent the remaining two years as a part of the Jets, helping them to make the playoffs as well.

Within a few minutes of talking to Garnes, I realized that football was not something that he just fell into, but something he worked really hard at achieving. Garnes’ message he wants to get across to young athletes is that if they want to move to the next level they need to work for it.

He said that many people he played with in high school were at the same talent level as him but didn’t have the right guidance to take it to the next level. “Our running back was Sheldon Cooper. He was definitely good enough to play in the NFL.”

Currently Garnes spends a lot of his time running clinics, camps and one-on-one trainings to help players get to that next level. His approach is all about teaching fundamentals so athletes can improve their skills necessary to excel in football. His goal is to help the people like Cooper who with the right direction and coaching can make it to the next level.

Garnes would really like to see football have more resources dedicated to it in the tri-state area. “In Texas they play football year round. There are so many talented players in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. If there were more focus on developing these kids, this area would put out a lot of great players to colleges and pro's.”

“There is so much money pumped into this area and they should really allocate more to sports for kids. In the city, kids either do battle on the streets or on the playing field.” Garnes said. “When the season ends, the kids go back to the streets.”

Garnes works in partnership with Primo Sports in Florida, NY and Legends Resort & Country Club Vernon, NJ to help youngsters learn skills from a real professional. His football academy is set up for youngsters from 9 to 14 years old. “We want to get them started young before high school because at that level the coaches bring them to football camps in the summer.”

Garnes also spends time doing private training lessons for many local high school atheletes who are serious about excelling. “Being a defensive back, you get to know about every position. I help quarterbacks with their three-step drops. I teach running how to run. We teach runningbacks how to run. We teach the right fundamentals so when they are on the field it just comes as an instint.”

Earlier this year, he helped out with the Montclair High School football team, which ended up making it to the State Finals in Giants Stadium.

When Garnes was in High School at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, he was a defensive back and a wide receiver. Then he was given a scholarship to go to the University of Cincinnati. “I considered myself a wide receiver. I thought I was going to be the next Al Toon or Jerry Rice. But in college they thought I would be better at defensive back.”

Garnes attributes his attitude to his success on the field. “When I was in college, I had an edge that since I was from New York I was tougher than everyone. Not that that was necessarily true, but that was the motivation I used. Our coach said to use whatever motivation works for you, and that is what I did. I told myself that I was better than the kids from Texas and Florida, because I grew up in New York City.”

On his vision to get to the NFL, Garnes said, “I knew I was good enough to play in the NFL. When I was in college my friends used to bust on me because I was so confident about getting to the NFL. It wasn’t a question of ‘NFL or bust’; it was ‘I am going to the NFL’. I didn’t matter, I was going to work as hard as possible and do whatever I needed to do to get to that level.”

Once in the NFL, Garnes made the most of his opportunity. In his first game as a pro, he intercepted a pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown vs. the Eagles. “That moment let me know that I could play at this level.”

He also discussed what it was like playing at the Superbowl. “I can’t even describe in words. It was just a dream come true. The two weeks before the whole country is just focused on the game you are about to play. It was really amazing to watch all those camera flashes coming from the stands during that first kickoff.”

Garnes also talked about how he understands how deflating it was to lose that big game. “It was like you worked so hard and played at the highest level you possibly could to get there. I understand how difficult it is for teams to come back and do it again.”

Garnes actually retired in 2003 after starting every year for the seven years he played. “I played a very emotional and physical type of game. My mind and passion were still there, but your body just cannot bounce back as easily when you get older. It was really hard to retire.”

Now Sam lives in New Jersey and is dedicated to using his experience to helping others. If you are interested in talking to Sam or getting private or group training from him just go to his website at http://www.samgarnesfbc.com/ or email him at sg@samgarnesfbc.com.

Van Zile Foiled Again

You have to give Walkill Valley's Mike Van Zile some credit for trying...but his plan to move away from the Power Point system didn't pass for a second time today. But the margin is getting closer. Seven years ago the NJFART voted 4 to 1 against his proposal. This year, they voted 209 to 155 which I think is closer.

At any rate, his plan which is basically designed to get away from the Power Point system and move to a giant playoff platform reminiscent to what the NCAA does for collect basketball. What would happen is they would put all of the high school teams into a big 64 team bracket and let them battle it out to see who would be the champion.

At least that is the gist of it. If I am wrong you can blame NJ.com because that is were I get all my info. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to navigate their website.

The one thing I love about the Daily Record and Star Ledger's coverage of this plan is that they make Mike Van Zile to be some crazy nut who is proposing all these preposterous ideas. My understanding is that he is not a nut at all. But those articles are like, "Here comes Crazy Old Van Zile with another crazy proposal again!" Read those articles and tell me they are not out to get Van Zile.

OTHER NEWS:

*Put on your swim cap because HS Swimming starts up today! Van Zile has a proposal for HS Swimming as well. He basically wants to keep swimming a winter sport, but wants every team to compete outside instead of indoors. His idea is that would allow more schools to participate in the sport. Normally Van Zile has some crazy ideas, but I see this one passing.

*Hockey starts this week as well. Van Zile's proposal for Hockey is to change from ice hockey to roller hockey. This way every school can play in their school gymnasiums. But that is just crazy old Van Zile stirring up the pot again.