FIGHTIN' TO THE END: EAGLES TAKE THIRD PLACE IN TRIPLE OT

In a triple-overtime thriller, Middletown South took down St. John Vianney in the third-place game of the Bayshore Holiday Tournament 81-77.

The Lancers were able to control the first half, taking a 28-23 lead into the locker room, but the Eagles battled back in the second half. With the game tied in the final seconds, Kyle Cancilleiri had a chance to end it, but a jump shot hit off the rim and the teams went to overtime. Last second drives by St. John Vianney in the first two overtime periods tied the game up again, leading to the third overtime, where the Eagles finally pulled away on free throws by Matt Calliori, Rob Callori, and Will Low.

Cancilleiri finished with 26 point despite early foul trouble and Jake Brodsky made his first start of the season and put in 18 points for the Eagles (3-2).

EAGLES FALL IN HOLIDAY TOURNEY SEMIS

The Eagles lost to Curtis High School (NY) in the semi-finals of the Bayshore Holiday Tournament by a score of 56-50. South got off to a quick start, taking an 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. But 24 points by the Warriors in the second quarter pushed Curtis ahead, and they never looked back. After being held to only 2 points in the third quarter, the Eagles rallied in the fourth, but fell short.

Matt Callori continued to show his range from behind the arc, knocking down three 3-pointers on his way to 19 points. Kyle Cancilleiri added 14 of his own. The Eagles (2-2) face St. John Vianney in the third-place game tomorrow at 5:30 at St. John Vianney High School.

MOVING ON: EAGLES WIN FIRST-ROUND GAME

Middletown South took down St. Joseph’s By-The-Sea High School (NY) with a 72-60 win in the first round of the Bayshore Holiday Tournament at Saint John Vianney.

The teams played a close first half, with the Eagles holding a slight 3-point advantage, 28-25, but came out firing in the third quarter. South outscored the Vikings 19-6 in the quarter to take a 16-point lead heading into the final quarter.

St. Joseph’s put up 29 points in a fourth quarter comeback attempt, but it was not enough, as Matt and Rob Callori knocked down a combined 14 free throws to ice the game.

Matt Callori finished with a double-double, 25 points and 10 rebounds. Rob Callori scored 16, while Kyle Cancilleiri dropped in 15 of his own.

The Eagles (2-1, 1-1) move on to face Curtis High School (NY) in the second round of the tournament on Monday night at 7:00 PM.

EAGLES UPSET BY COUGARS

Colts Neck upset the Eagles with a 59-49 win on the road at Middletown South. The Cougars led the entire game after getting out to a quick 5-0 lead.

Kyle Mobbs led Colts Neck with 19 points, but was not alone with his offensive efforts, with Hunter Wysocki, Sean O’Reily and Cassidy each added 10 points.

Mobbs help put the game away by going 8 for 12 from the free throw line. The Cougars forced 24 Eagle turnovers on their way to a huge opening night upset.

Matt Callori led South in the losing effort, with 15 points. Kyle Cancilleiri added 14 of his own while Will Low chipped in 10.

The 1-0 Cougars take on Marlboro while South (0-1) heads across town to take on rival Middletown North.

WINTER SEASON STARTING UP, WRAPPING UP THE FALL SEASON

There were some post season awards handed out to Middletown South athletes this past week.

In football, seniors Matt Martino and Chris Bunge were named to the First team All-Conference on the defensive side. Martino was also the runner up Most Valuable Player by All-Shore Media.

Sophomore Christie Wong was named first-team All-Shore in gymnastics while senior teammate Megan Porter was named to the third team.

Senior Katie Bruno was named third-team All-Shore in field hockey.

The following athletes were named to the All-Divisional teams in their respective sports.

Field Hockey: Katie Bruno, Megan Pierce, Audrey Lowenstein, Katelyn Johnson, and Kelly Scheurer.

Girls Soccer: Megan McDermott

Football: Travis Soden, Steve Coluccio, Mike Farrell, Nick Bricker, Matt Martino, Sean Campbell, Chris Bunge, and Brian Benedetto.

Now that the fall season is taken care of, the winter season begins in earnest tomorrow with both the boys and girls basketball teams opening up their seasons.

The boys will host Colts Neck at 6:30 while the girls travel to take on the Cougars at the same time.

In the Asbury Park Press, the boys were ranked fifth in the Shore in the preseason polls and the girls were ranked tenth. Look for All-Shore Media's rankings and rankings to come out withing the next day or so. Until then, take a look at Scott Stump's Preseason Burning Questions.

The hockey team skated to a 4-4 tie on December 7 as they begin another season

EAGLES GROUNDED IN STATE TITLE GAME

Despite a valiant second half comeback, South's quest to return to championship glory fell short as they lost to Freehold Boro by a score of 21-14. Senior Ryan Mullan threw two touchdown passes, one to sophomore Andrew Suarez, and the other to junior Sean Campbell. The Eagles finish with a record of 10-2 on the season, with both losses coming to Freehold Boro.

UPDATE

Ok, it's been a while, but here's a quick update:

The football team will take on Freehold Boro in the championship game on Saturday at Rutgers Stadium at 4:00 PM. Boro is coming off their first loss of the season to Colts Neck on Thanksgiving. The Eagles's only loss of the season came against Freehold in the opening week of the season. South is the three seed, taking on top-seeded Freehold.

Also, Knowshon Moreno finishes up the regular season with 1338 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had 27 receptions for 329 yards and a touchdown. Moreno was recently named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the best running back in college football. The award winner will be announced on December 11. He is also eligible to declare for the NFL Draft, but it remains to be seen whether he will go or stay at Georgia for another season. A decision by the NFL owners in May about the Collective Bargaining Agreement may affect Moreno's decision.

GIRLS XC MOVES ON TO GROUPS

Yesterday, the girls cross country team placed 5th in the Central Jersey Group III sectional to qualify for the Group race. The Eagles raced at Thompson Park in Jamesburg and had a team average of 21:11 and recorded 118 points. The girls will race next Saturday at Holmdel Park in the Group III race.

15 Brittany Ryan 20:40
21 Kirsten Anderson 21:00
26 Meghan McGuiness 21:17
27 Taylor Landis 21:20
29 Grace Watters 21:38
42 Kristen Ingegnere 22:30
56 Emily Baratta 23:18

The boys team placed seventh and did not qualify. They were led by Ryan Ure, who finished eleventh with a time of 17:03.

EAGLES PASS TEST VS NEPTUNE

Senior Matt Martino ran for a touchdown and brought home a score on an athletic interception return for a touchdown to help the Eagles to a 28-0 shutout over Neptune.

After controlling the ball for almost eight minutes on a drive that ended with an 8-yard run by Martino, senior Chris Bunge gave the Eagles offense the ball right back with an interception.

South dominated time of possession and their defense responded by holding the Scarlet Fliers to 58 yards. The defense put up 14 points of its own with Martino's interception return and a fumble return by junior Nick Bricker in the closing minute of the first half.

Neptune's star running back Michael Peavy was stopped cold, totaling only 32 yards on the game.

Bunge finished out the scoring on a misdirection pitch play from the five-yard line to make it 28-0.

The Eagles came into tonight's game fourth in the Central Jersey Group III Power Rankings with 34 points. The win over Neptune will certainly help their playoff position as they look to return to the championship game.




Also, as you may know Digital Sports-Shore Conference no longer exists, and Scott Stump and Co. have moved to All-Shore Media.com. Look for stories on Middletown South and the rest of the Shore Conference there.

BOYS, GIRLS XC TAKE HOME HARDWARE

This morning the boy cross country team raced at Garret Mountain in the Passaic County Coaches Invitational. The Varsity squad placed second in the Boys Group III race.

Results
3rd Ryan Ure 16:51
5th Jay Malejki 17:04
16th Connor Givens 17:39
24th Mac Norman 17:59
29th Jim Geant 18:04
42nd Steve Musto 18:37
64th Ricky Fuentes 19:16

The girls team ran at the Old Bridge Class Meet at Thompson Park in Jamesburg. The senior team of Kirsten Anderson (2nd place 21:12), Emily Baratta (10th 22:22), Kristen Ingegnere (12th 22:36) Brittany Ryan (22nd 24:01), Jenna Ambrosi (26th 24:18), Molly Sapia (38th 26:18), and Rebecca Clark (40th 26:28) secured 1st place with a team average of 22:03.

There was only one junior for the Eagles, Katie Brookes, who finished 9th with a time of 21:42.

MULLAN LEADS EAGLES OVER JACKSON LIBERTY

Jackson Liberty hung with Middletown South through the first quarter, but the Eagles pulled away with 20 points in the second period.

Senior Ryan Mullen had his breakout game in his first season as the starting quarterback by throwing two long touchdown passes.

South started off the scoring in the second quarter with a short plunge to the endzone by senior Matt Martino. Martino’s score was set up by a 60 yard run by sophomore Andrew Suarez. That combination combined again when Suarez brought the ball inside the five-yard line to set up another Martino touchdown.

Suarez finally found the endzone himself when he hooked up with Mullan for a 60 yard catch and run with less than two minutes left in the first half to put the Eagles up 20-0.

Mullan hit senior Mike Farrell with a 40 yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to cap off South’s second win of the season to improve to 2-1.

THIRD TIME'S A CHARM FOR ANTONUCCI, EAGLES

After two unsuccessful attempts at securing head coach Steve Antonucci’s 100th career win, the Eagles fought off a tough Freehold Township team to win 21-14. Antonucci becomes the fastest coach in the Shore Conference to reach 100 career victories.

Senior quarterback Ryan Mullan led the Eagles, running for two touchdowns, including the game-winner from a yard out with a little over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

South got on the board early when senior running back Chris Bunge scampered for a 48 yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Township was able to battle back from a 14-0 deficit with help from a 60 yard touchdown run from senior Jonathan Bennett. The Patriots were later able to tie the game on a touchdown run from inside the five-yard line, which was set up by a pass interference penalty in the end zone.

Freehold had one final chance with less than two minutes in the fourth quarter, but junior safety Brian Benedetto intercepted a pass by junior quarterback Cameron Beatty.

The Eagles even their record at 1-1 while the Patriots fall to 1-1 on the year. The Eagles will face Jackson Liberty on September 26, at the Swamp.

HEALY'S RETURN SPARKS GOOD RESULTS

Former Eagle and current Quinnipiac Bobcat John Healy raced at Holmdel Park, his former home course, today in the Monmouth Invitational. He ran a time of 29:38 as the Bobcats won the invitational as a team. Their next race is at his new home course as the Bobcats host the Quinnipiac Invitational next Satuday. (Photo from QuinnipiacBobcats.com)

In other Alumni news, another former South runner, Carly Clifton is also running in college, at University of North Carolina Wilmington. Last week, she completed the 4K in 16:42 and place 23rd of 38 runners.

FALL SEASON KICKS INTO ACTION TOMORROW

Tomorrow, the fall sports season gets going in full swing, with the field hockey and soccer teams facing off against Colts Neck. The boys soccer team is home, while the girls are away. Both the field hockey and boys soccer games start at 10:00 AM at South. The football team will look to return to the State Championship when they look for revenge against Freehold Boro, who handed the Eagles a loss at The Swamp last fall.

Alumni Report
Knowshon Moreno looks to continue his excellent start to the season when the Georgia Bulldogs take on South Carolina. You can watch the game on CBS at 3:30 PM

Former Eagle harrier Rob George will run for the Washington and Lee Generals tomorrow at the James Madison Invitational a week after running a time of 31:34 in the 8K at the Washington and Lee Invitational .

TCNJ freshmen Shaun McGeever and Rob Dill will get their first taste of NCAA cross country at The Old Nassau Run at Princeton University.

John Healy, now a freshman at Quinnipiac University, ran a time of 31:19 at the Fordham Invitational last week. Next Friday, Healy will be returning to Holmdel Park, the Eagles home cross country course, as the Bobcats run in the Monmouth Invitational.

If there is any other former Eagle athlete currently playing in college, send me a meesage or leave a comment and let me know.

Moreno on cover of ESPN The Magazine

Last year, Knowshon Moreno was on the cover of the sports section in the Asbury Park Press , which has about 150,000 subscribers. Well, yesterday, he appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine, which has a little over 2 million subscribers. The article talks about Moreno's journey through Middletown South on his way to be a Heisman Trophy hopeful for the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. On Wednesday he appeared on ESPN2's First Take to talk about the upcoming season. Click here to see the interview.

EAGLES OVERCOME EARLY DEFECIT TO WIN SECTIONAL TITLE

The softball team overcame a 2-0 deficit in the first inning to come back and win the Central Jersey Group III State Sectional by a score of 3-2. This marks the first time the Eagles have one a sectional title since 2002, when they were the overall Group III Champions. They will play Kingsway Regional on June 3 at Rancocas Valley High School.

SOFTBALL TEAM MOVIONG ON TO SECTIONAL FINALS

Yesterday, the softball team defeated top-seeded Wall by a score of 5-2 to advance to face sixth-seeded Monroe in the finals. Liza Kuhn was the winning pitcher, improving her record to 14-4.

The Lady Eagles play in the Shore Conference Tournament at home today against Saint John Vianney. The NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III final will take place at South tomorrow.

RUNNIN' WILD: 4x800 TEAM PLACES 6TH AT EAST COAST RELAYS

The 4x800 meter relay team, which set a school record during the Indoor track season, raced at the East Coast Relays today. John Healy ran the first leg in 2:01 while Rob Dill, who ran a 2:04, took the second leg. Dave Liepa also ran 2:04 before handing the baton off to Shaun McGeever, who ran the anchor in 1:59. The time of 8:10 was good enough for sixth place at the meet.

LEVY LEVELS CASEYS

Seniors Tom Waski and Jay Levy sent their teammates home happy on Senior Night with a 14-6 victory over Red Bank Catholic. Waski pitched four innings allowing only two hits and no runs. Levy opened up the floodgates with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.

The Eagles got on the board in the third inning after junior Kevin Slavin walked, senior Jack Provine got hit by a pitch, and sophomore Craig Sweeney hit an infield single.

Junior Tyler Cotterell and senior Eric Dunn led off the fourth with singles to set up Levy’s homerun. Senior Jon Altino walked and later scored on a single by Provine. Senior Miles Santo worked a bases-loaded walk to drive in another run and junior Mike Farrell capped off the nine-run inning with an RBI single

RBC got on the board with a five-run fifth inning highlighted by senior Kyle O’Neil’s grand slam, but South was able to hold off the Casey’s comeback attempt.

Farrell came back with an RBI double in the sixth, followed by a Cotterell sacrifice fly. Sophomore Scott Bruno then blasted a two-run homerun over the left-field wall to finish off South’s scoring for the night.

WASKI, ALTINO LEAD EAGLES OVER VIKINGS

Senior righty Tom Waski pitched a complete game while senior Jon Altino sparked the offense from the leadoff spot in a non-conference matchup to give the Eagles a 9-1 win over the South Brunswick Vikings.

South jumped ahead in the bottom of the second inning with a seven-run second inning.

Senior Miles Santo started off with a single, who then scored on an error on a fly ball by junior Tyler Cotterell. Then senior Eric Dunn and sophomore Scott Bruno both singled to set up a two-run double by Altino.

Altino eventually scored on an error on a pickoff throw, and the inning was capped off by a run-scoring triple by sophomore Craig Sweeney and an RBI double by Santo.

Waski was able to hold that lead by working his way out of several jams. He stranded three runners on base in the third inning after loading the bases with one out. In the fourth, he allowed two runners to reach before getting an out, but wiggled out of that situation without giving up a run.

Three consecutive singles in the sixth, by Altino, junior Kevin Slavin, and senior Jack Provine, followed by a sacrifice fly by Sweeney brought in another Eagles run. Provine later scored on a wild pitch.

Waski scattered 8 hits over seven innings and allowed only one run, on a wild pitch in the seventh inning. Altino finished 2-4 with two RBI’s and two runs scored. Sweeney finished 2-4 with 2 RBI’s, while Santo went 3-4.

EAGLES SWEEP AWAY COLTS

A day after getting no-hit, the Eagles won a slugfest against CBA 16-12 with a 19-hit barrage. Miles Santos went 3-4, including a first inning homerun. This is the first time that Middletown South has swept CBA in the regular-season series since 1999.

SLAVIN THE DAY: EAGLES COME BACK TO BEAT NORTH

MIDDLETOWN - Down 8-0 after just 1 1/2 innings on Friday night, Middletown South's baseball team battled back to beat cross-town rival Middletown North 10-9 in a Class A North thriller on Friday night under the lights.
The over three-hour-long game was decided in the bottom of the seventh when an RBI double by junior Kevin Slavin
tied it and a walk-off, bases-loaded walk by senior Jack Provine won the game for South.
Everything looked to be going North's way through the first part of the game when the Lions (4-5 4-4) scored five runs off of senior righty Tom Waski in 1 1/3 innings, but the bullpen came in and controlled the bleeding.
Eagles junior Tim Ens allowed another three runs to cross home in the top of the second for South (3-5, 3-5), but helped quiet the Lions down after that. Senior Ben Hammond came on after that to hold them scoreless, while junior Kenny Paterson allowed a run in the top of the seventh inning.
Despite the large deficit, South stayed in the game, and began chipping away at the lead. A three-run bottom of the second and two runs in the fourth cut the lead to 8-5. Another score in the bottom of the sixth pulled the Eagles within two, but the insurance run by North extended the lead back to three.
Sophomore Craig Sweeney and junior Mike Farrell got on base to start off the inning, with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, respectively. Junior Tyler Cotterell then singled home Sweeney and moved Farrell to third before being thrown out trying to advance to second. An RBI single by senior Jay Levy brought the score to 9-8 in favor of North before Slavin's double tied the game.
Senior Eric Dunn singled to give the Eagles runners on first and third with only one out. After an intentional walk to senior Jon Altino, junior Connor Delepine came in to face Provine with the bases loaded. Provine worked a full count before drawing the game-winning walk.
Slavin was awarded the MVP of the Rich Veth-Walter Woods Memorial Game for his 2-for-4, three-RBI performance. Cotterell finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs and Patterson picked up the win in relief.

TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE

Today’s Middletown South varsity sports schedule for 4/18/08:

Softball @ Middletown North 3:45 PM

Tennis @ Colts Neck 3:45 PM

Baseball vs Middletown North 7:00 PM

TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE

Today’s Middletown South varsity sports schedule for 4/17/08:

Golf @Manalapan 3:45 PM

EAGLES ACE REBELS

The Eagles tennis team brought the record to .500 with a 4-1 victory over the Howell Rebels today at Normandy Park.

Antonio Garcia of Howell was able to defeat Andrew Rosenbloom in the first-singles matchup 6-4, 6-2, but the rest of the Eagles stepped up from there. Nils Svensson won the second singles handily, 6-1, 6-1, to even up the score.

Jon Blank and Ryan Clapp worked together to win the first-doubles contest in two sets, 6-2, 6-1, while Rohan Bhandari and Mohammed Shahid won the second doubles, 6-3, 6-2, to clinch the victory for the Eagles.

Eric Cho won his third-singles matchup, 6-1, 7-5, by coming back from behind in the second set.

The Eagles (3-3, 3-3 A-North) take on the Colts Neck Cougars (3-2, 3-2 A-North) on Friday looking to jump over the .500 mark with less than two weeks before the Shore Conference Tournament.

TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE

Today’s Middletown South varsity sports schedule for 4/16/08:

Baseball @ Colts Neck 3:45 PM

Softball @ Colts Neck 3:45 PM

Tennis vs. Howell 3:45 PM

TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE

The Middletown South varsity sports schedule for 4/15/08:

Boys Track vs. CBA 3:45 PM

Golf vs. Freehold Township 3:45 PM

TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE

The Middletown South varsity sports schedule for 4/14/08:

Baseball vs. Howell 3:45 PM

Softball vs. Howell 3:45 PM

Tennis @ Marlboro 3:45 PM

Golf vs. Middletown North & Manalapan 3:45 PM

TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE

The schedule for Middletown South Varsity sports for 4/12/08:

Softball @ Toms River North 11:00 AM

Girls Track @ Husky Relays at Matawan High School 9:00 AM

ANOTHER SOLID OUTING FOR DUDZINSKI

Former Middletown South and current Seton Hall righty Brian Dudzinski put on another effective in his fifth apperance in his freshman season. Dudzinski came in with two runners on in the bottom of the third against Fordham on April 9. He proceeded to pick off the runner at second base and then force the batter to ground out to short. In all, Dudzinski pitched 1.2 innings and allowed no runs on one hit and one walk. This performance lowered his ERA to 2.45 in 11 innings of work. Seton Hall has won 7 straight games and began a three-game series against West Virginia today.

MIDDLETOWN SOUTH COMBS OVER CBA

Middletown South snapped a 15-game losing streak to No. 4 ranked Christian Brothers Academy with a 3-1 victory over the Colts on the strength of a brilliant performance by senior righty Nigel Combs.

Combs pitched six innings for the Eagles, scattering four hits and surrendering an earned run to pick up his first victory of the season.

South and CBA were tied 1-1 after the first inning, and that score held up until the fourth.

Junior infielder Kevin Slavin led off the inning with a bunt base hit, and advanced to second base on an error. After a leaping catch by Tyler Cuming moved Slaving to third and junior Chris Bunge walked, senior Jon Altino came to the plate.

Altino delivered a one-single into center field to bring Slavin home what would be the game-winning run.

“I just went up there knowing we needed that run.” Altino, who finished 1 for 3 with a run batted in, said. “We practice situational hitting every day, so I just did what I needed to do to get the run in.”

Slavin drove in an insurance run an inning later, driving in senior Eric Dunn for a 3-1 lead at the end of the fifth.

Junior Kenny Paterson came out of the bullpen in the seventh, and immediately surrendered a bloop hit to right field. After retiring the next two batters, an infield single put the tying run on base, and the go-ahead run at the plate, with two outs.

But Patterson forced a groundball in the hole between the second and first basemen, where Slavin fielded it and threw it to Paterson covering the bag at first to close out the victory.

With their second straight win, the Eagles push their record over .500 at 2-1 (2-1) while the Colts fall to 1-1 (1-1). South looks to ride this wave of momentum into a contest with Freehold Township (3-0, 2-0) on Wednesday.

Video highlights of the game is available here.

EAGLES RUN PAST NORTH IN OPENER

Despite the crazy weather that produced anything from bright sunshine to heavy downpours, the Eagles girls track team won their first dual meet of the season against cross-town rival Middletown North on Wednesday.

South picked up key points in the throwing events, outscoring North 18-9 on the strength of a first place finish by Marissa Aversa by throwing 31' 7.75". Kelly Watters also won the 400 meter race with a time of 1:01.9 and then helped the 4x400 meter relay team pick up another 5 points for the team with a combined time of 4:26.4. Lexi Tarabour placed first in the pole vault with by clearing a height of 7' 6". Alexa Dubrosky won the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 18.9 seconds.

Both teams head to the Howell Rebel Relays on Saturday April 5.

DUDZINSKI A WINNER AGAIN FOR PIRATES

Former Middletown South pitcher Brian Dudzinski came out of the bullpen against Rider today for his second collegiate win. Dudzinski pitched four innings, gave up only 3 hits and one walk while allowing one unearned run. He now has a record of 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA and 6 strikeouts in nine and one-third innings of work.

NEW VIDEO CAPABILITIES

I have now been provided with a camera by DigitalSports and ShoreConferenceSports.com. I will be uploading videos to ShoreConferenceSports.com so they can be seen there as well as here, where all the Middletown South videos I upload will be placed. There will also be a link under the "Links" sidebar that will lead to the site. There are a few from the first track meet of the year against Middletown North, as well as some videos from the end of the basketball season.

EAGLES BASKETBALL EARNS POSTSEASON AWARDS

Scott Stump released his post-season All-Star teams and final top ten yesterday, and Middletown South was well represented. On the boys side, head coach Kevin Cullen won the 2007-2008 Coach of the Year, while senior guard Garret Thiel was named to First Team All-Shore. Sophomore Kyle Cancillieri was named Third Team All-Shore. In the final Top 10, the Eagles were ranked second behind Neptune, the team they defeated in the Central Jersey Group III Championship game. Thiel was unable to play in the Shore Conference Boys Senior All-Star Game, but was still present as the North fell to the South 114-110. Cullen was also on the coaching staff for the North squad.

On the girls side, junior Danielle Pankey received Honorable Mention in the All-Shore selections. At the Shore Conference Girls Senior All-Star Game, Jill Gannon and Shawna Hagen were on the North side, which routed the South team 115-83. Gannon and Hagen both scored 13 points to contribute to the victory.

DUDZINSKI PICKS UP FIRST COLLEGIATE WIN FOR PIRATES

Former Middletown South pitcher Brian Dudzinski pitched his first game for the Seton Hall Pirates on Wednesday against Army. He pitched three innings of no-hit ball coming out of the bullpen to pick up his first win of the season. Dudzinski entered with a runner of second base with the Pirates in the fourth inning and was able to strand the runner. Seton Hall came back to score 13 unanswered runs after that and Dudzinski picked up the win. His final line was 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. The Pirates head to Tampa to play South Florida this weekend.

LADY EAGLES HAVE SUCCESSFUL "REBUILDING" YEAR

After losing many seniors to graduation last year, many thought that the Middletown South girls basketball team would not be as successful and suffer through the dreaded rebuilding season. The Eagles proved people wrong, however, as they compiled a 16-8 record. They were not able to win their third straight A-North Divisional Title, finishing third behind strong Colts Neck and Howell teams. The Eagles will obviously lose players after this year as well, and they include Jill Gannon and Shawna Hagen. Gannon was the inspirational story this year, coming back from a horrific head injury last year, but was far more than that. She was a team captain and averaged just over 11 points a game. She was an important key to the team's defense and will be missed. Hagen was huge on the both the offensive and defensive glass while also averaging 7.7 points per game. Their leading scorer Danielle Pankey, who averaged 16.6 points this season, will be returning next year. The Eagles will have several young players in the fold for next year's squad including: Kelly Scheur, point guard Taylor McFarland, Kerry Healy, Megan McGuiness, and Kerry Kinsella.

EAGLES RUN ENDS AT GROUP SEMIS

Last night the Eagles lost to a quick, athletic Timber Creek team by a score of 58-32, but that will be a mere footnote in the story of this amazing year. This season, the Eagles their first Sectional Championship since 1979, and won 21 games, more than the last three years combined. The team battled through injuries, illnesses, and an unforgiving Class A-North schedule to have one of the best seasons in school history. Senior Garret Thiel and Peter Clabby have now finished their careers and South, where they were instrumental to the resurgence of the boys basketball program. Thiel has been a three-year starter and been the team's unquestioned leader on the floor. He may not have put up gaudy numbers, but was the heart and soul of the team. Thiel's ability to control the floor and handle pressure were huge during South's playoff run. Also, he showed his perseverance by playing and through the NJSIAA tournament with a badly sprained ankle, and still contributing to the team. Clabby was Mr. Consistency for the past two years. He was a team leader on the floor, and often came up with clutch three-pointers just when the team needed them. Clabby was the silent superstar, who did not always get the coverage and accolades he deserved.
Even with their two starting guards leaving after this season, the Eagles will not be a "one-and-done" team. They will have their entire frontcourt returning next year. Kyle Canilleiri was one of the best players in the Shore this year and will only improve during his junior season. Matt Callori developed into another offensive threat during the playoffs, showing his ability to hit the outside jumpshot and three-pointers while also being able to use his size down low. Will Low is a solid finisher at the basket and a huge asset in the rebounding department. Other players that saw major minutes during the season include: Steve Gisondi, who is a tough defender and a solid ball-handler, Rob Callori who can hit a three pointer from about anywhere on the court, and Brian Clabby who showed this season that he is an offensive, defensive and rebounding threat.

IMPORTANT TICKET INFORMATION FOR BOYS BASKETBALL GAME

Tickets for Middletown South's game WILL NOT be sold at the door. You must buy tickets at Middletown South in the nurse's office between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Also there will not be a fan bus for the game again so you can click on this link for directions to Winslow Township High School.

EAGLES ARE CHAMPIONS

The boys basketball team brought home the Central Jersey Group III title with a 45-33 victory over Neptune. This is the team's first sectional title since 1979. Matt Callori's 17 points led the Eagles while Kyle Cancilleiri added 11. Click here for Scott Stump's story and video highlights. The Eagles play on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Winslow Township High School.

BRING ON NEPTUNE

The Eagles overcame a 10-point defecit at halftime to beat Red Bank Regional 61-47 in the Central Jersey Group III semi-finals. South will take on Neptune in the finals.

Click here for Scott Stump's story and video highlights, including an interview with Garret Thiel.

On the girls side, the Lady Eagles fell to number one seed Freehold Boro on the road 71-58 in the CJ Group III semi-final.

HIGH CALLORI DIET: EAGLES BIG MAN LEADS TEAM TO SEMI-FINALS

A career night from Matt Callori propelled the Eagles into the semi-finals of the Central Jersey Group III with a 52-36win over Freehold Boro. The win, according to head coach Kevin Cullen, was the first playoff win for the program since 2001.

Callori scored 8 points in the third quarter to help the Eagles finally pull away from the Colonials after a highly contested first half.

The Eagles were on fire from the perimeter early in the game, with Pete Clabby and Garret Thiel knocking down several three-pointers and jump shots in the first period.

Despite this, South led only 15-11 at the end of the first. The Eagles extended their lead slightly until about midway through the quarter, when Freehold grabbed the momentum.

The Colonials forced several turnovers which led to fast break opportunities but several missed lay-ups cost them a chance at the lead. A three point shot at the end of the half brought them within three points, 23-20.

This is where Callori took over. He was wide open several times after setting screens and knocked down easy jump shots from the short corners. He finished with 17 points, along with 5 rebounds.

Freehold tried to make a late push at the end of the game, but the Eagles made enough of their free throws to put the game out of reach.

The two players who are usually the leading scorers for South, Thiel and Kyle Cancillieri, were by no means absent. They both netted 12 points and Cancillieri pulled down 8 rebounds.

Brandon Carter led the Colonials with a team-high 15 points in the final high school game of his career. Teammate Lance McKenzie added 9 points in the loss.

The Eagles will get a chance at revenge on Saturday as they host Red Bank Regional, the team that defeated South in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament two weeks ago. The game will be at 7 p.m. at South and the winner will go on to the Central Jersey Group III championship game.

EAGLES RIDE DEFENSE TO STATE PLAYOFF VICTORY

A strong third quarter showing by Middletown South gave the Eagles a win over Nottingham in the quarter-finals of the Central Jersey Group III, 39-33.

The game was a defensive battle throughout, with both teams playing zones for large periods of time and not allowing many offensive rebounds.

Nottingham held the lead at the end of the first half 19-16, but the game was still up for grabs.

The teams continued to halt each other’s offenses during the third quarter and a fee throws by the North Stars’s Brianna Lucas at the end of the third period gave Nottingham a one point advantage, 26-25, as the teams headed into the final eight minutes of play.

Still in their zone defense, the Eagles sat and watched as the North Stars crossed the half-court line for the first possession of the final period. But as they crossed the timeline, the Nottingham point guard stood their and let the seconds tick away off the clock.

After almost burning two minutes of time, Danielle Pankey sprinted towards the ball. After a couple of quick passes by the North Stars, Pankey stole the ball at the high post.

Pankey pushed the ball up the floor and found teammate Megan McGuiness in the corner for a three-pointer, and the lead, which the Eagles would never give back.

On the ensuing possession, McGuiness blocked a pull-up jump shot attempt and drove down the floor for a lay-up.From there, South’s defense took over. The Eagles held Nottingham scoreless until there was just 1:55 left in the game and after South had built up a substantial lead.

Shawna Hagen was the leading scorer with 11 points, while Pankey netted 9 of her own after coming off a stretch where she scored 60 points in her last two games.

SEMI-FINALS FOR BOTH EAGLES BASKETBALL TEAM

The girl's basketball team defeated Nottingham 39-33 tonight and advance to play at Freehold Boro on Saturday in the semi-finals.

The boys defeated Freehold Boro 52-36 and will get a shot at revenge when RBR comes into South once again for a semi-final matchup on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

I'll have stories on the games later on tonight. For news on the other games around the Shore, go to ShoreConferenceSports.com.

BASKETBALL DOUBLE HEADER

Tonight, both the girls and boys basketball teams play in the second round of the state tournament. The girls game against Hamilton North tips off at 5 p.m. while the boys team faces Freehold Boro at 7 p.m. Both games will be in the bigger gym.

PANKEY POWERS EAGLES TO VICTORY

Danielle Pankey's 27 points led the Eagles over Westampton Tech 60-45in the first round of the Central Jersey Group III tournament.

Jill Gannon added 17 points to continue South's season, as they willplay at home on Thursday in the second round.

The Eagles went out ahead early, scoring on several fast-break andsecond-chance opportunities, to take a 14-6 lead at the end of thefirst quarter.

The two teams played an aggressive, fast-paced second quarter, whichended on a breakaway lay-up by the Panthers.

South came out in the third quarter ready to put Westampton away andsucceeded in extending the lead to 14 by the end of the quarter, witha 48-34 advantage.

Clutch free throws down the stretch from Pankey and Megan McGuinessclosed the door on the Panthers and ensured the Eagles of theirvictory.

RBR UPSETS EAGLES IN SCT

A second-half run by Red Bank Regional, helped by 17 points by Matt Pebole after halftime, gave the Buccaneers a 45-33 upset victory over the number seven seed, Middletown South.

The Eagles were without Garret Thiel for the entire second half after he came out of the game mid way through the second quarter with an ankle injury, and finished with only 3 points.

South was intense early and, thanks to Matt Callori’s 6 points in the first quarter, held a 10-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Eagles were able to fight on even with their point guard at the end of the second quarter and extend their lead to 20-14 at the half.

The Buccaneers quickness and aggressiveness won out in the second half with RBR winning the third quarter 12-5 to go up by one point going into the final period.

More clutch shots from Peoble and turnovers by South led to the Bucs extending their lead to 11 late, and were able to kill the clock effectively for the 12 point win.

Pebole finished with a game-high 18 points, while Will Sanborn netted 14 despite a quiet second half. Matt Callori recorded a double double with a team-high 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Red Bank Regional plays second seeded Monsignor Donovan on Sunday afternoon at Brookdale Community College in the quarterfinal round.

Unfortunately, the girls team also lost in their SCT game to Howell. Both the boys and girls teams will continue playing, as the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 3 starts at the end of the month.

Also, this was the Pep Band's last performance of the year, as they are not allowed to play during state tournaments. They played at every home basketball game this season, playing during timeouts and quarter/halftime breaks, and provided a lot of energy to the gym every night.

PANKEY'S CAREER-HIGH 33 POINTS LEAD MIDDLETOWN SOUTH OVER BRICK MEMORIAL IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE SCT

A 33-point explosion from Middletown South's Danielle Pankey helped the Eagles fight off an upset bid from Brick Memorial in an exciting 65-58 win in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament.

The Eagles were without Jill Gannon for the game, and Pankey stepped up in a big way to score more than half her team's points.

Pankey came up clutch in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 3-point play with 3:50 left in the game. Then two key free throws gave South a 61-55 lead with 1:15 left on the clock.

Brick Memorial came out on fire, hungry for the upset victory. The Mustangs were leading 10-4 early, but the Eagles came alive a few minutes in and went on a 7-0 run to take an 11-10 lead. South held a 17-16 advantage at the end of the first period.

The Eagles and Mustangs played evenly in the second quarter. At the end of the quarter, a steal by the Eagles turned into a fast break lay-up opportunity for Pankey, but she was fouled at the very end of the half. After initially calling a shooting foul, the referees changed the call and said there was no foul and the half was over. After a lengthy discussion with the officials, head coach Tom Brennan and his team went into the locker room with a 33-29 lead.

The two teams continued to play a close game throughout the second half, with the third quarter ending on a Kerry Kinsella put-back lay-up to give South a 42-39 lead heading into the final quarter.

Megan McGuiness added 9 points for the Eagles, while Annie McCarthy and Bethany Butka scored 13 and 10, respectively for Brick Memorial. Middletown South advances to the next round of the Shore Conference Tournament to play at Howell on Friday at 4 p.m.

LADY EAGLES #11 IN SCT; WILL HOST BRICK MEMORIAL

The girl's bracket was released just minutes ago and the Middletown South girl's were awarded the number 11 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament and will host Brick Memorial in the first round. I am not certain, but I believe that this game will take place on Wednesday night at 6:30 PM.

EAGLES CLAIM 7 SEED IN SCT; SET TO PLAY RBR

When the bracket for the Shore Conference Tournament came out this afternoon, the boys basketball team had been placed in the seventh seed, with a first round bye. They will play Red Bank Regional High School, the 10 seed. This game will be played at South, and I believe it will be Friday night at 6:30 PM.

The girl's results will be announced later and I will get them to you as soon as I find out.

JUNIOR DOMINATES ON SENIOR NIGHT

Jill Gannon, Shawna Hagen, Paula Lopez and Vanessa Ward were honored during Senior Night before the Eagles 56-37 win over Toms River North, but it was junior Danielle Pankey who stole the show.

Pankey’s 24 points paced South to their second straight non-divisional win.

The Mariners of TR North were able to stay within five points at the end of the first quarter, with the score at 16-11. But the Eagles came out in the second quarter and pulled away on a three pointer from Gannon, and a stolen inbounds pass for a lay-up by Pankey, and they never looked back, going into halftime with a 30-18 advantage.

Things got even better for the Eagles in the third quarter, holding TR North to 6 points, while scoring 12, including a buzzer beater by Taylor McFarland, coming off a screen set by Lopez.

Head coach Tom Brennan was able to get all of his seniors into the game for one last time in the fourth to put away the 19 point win.

To go along with Pankey’s 24 points, Jill Gannon scored 12 points in her last regular season home game. The Mariners’ Dana Coranado scored a team-high 10 points, while teammate Adrian hunter netter nine.

The Lady Eagles take a record of 13-5 into the Shore Conference Tournament seeding meeting. South has already been seeded number four in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III bracket.

I have discovered that I can upload video to my blog now, and I actually have a video for you. Press play below for the buzzer beater shot by Taylor McFarland at the end of the third quarter.

EAGLES IMPROVE PLAYOFF POSITION WITH WIN OVER TR NORTH

For yet another game, the Eagles rebounded from an early deficit to come back and beat Toms River North 41-39.

TR North took an early lead thanks to the outside shooting of Steve Nyisztor, who hit two three-pointers in opening period. A quick bucket at the end of the half gave the Mariners a 19-14 advantage.

Middletown South picked up their play in the second half and was able to climb closer as the third period ended. After taking the lead in the fourth, key free throws by Garret Thiel, Kyle Cancilleiri, and Pete Clabby, helped South put the game away.

Nyisztor finished with a game high 19 points, leading the Mariners. Thiel paced the Eagles with 16 points and 7 boards. Matt Callori netted 13 points, as well as grabbing 6 rebounds. Cancilleiri may have only scored 9 points, but was a huge presence on the glass with 10 rebounds.

The Eagles and Mariners both wait for the Shore Conference Tournament Seeding Meeting, which will take place Sunday night. South takes a record of 18-5 and impressive road wins over CBA and Colts Neck into the meeting. Also on their tournament resume is this win over TR North, and the Bayshore Holiday Tournament Championship.

When the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Brackets were released earlier this evening, the boys team recieved the number 1 seed and a first round round bye. The girls bracket showed the Lady Eagles with the 4 seed and preliminary round match up with BCIT Westampton, the 13 seed, on February 26.

HUGE THIRD QUARTER HELPS EAGLES TO VICTORY

Rebounding from a lackluster first half, the Eagles scored 22 points in the third quarter to help them defeat cross-town foe Mater Dei, 46-31.

It was a slow game in the first half, with a 19-10 Eagles advantage at halftime. South cam out on fire offensively in the third quarter thanks to the guard combination of Garret Thiel and Pete Clabby, and went on a 22-7 run in the quarter.

The starters were able to get some rest in the fourth quarter and let their teammates finish off the win.

Thiel led all scorers with 18, while Clabby knocked down 11. Mater Dei’s Chris Jeter scored all of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter. Mike Gallo chipped in 7 while Glen Holk netted 6 points.

The Eagles will host Toms River North, who holds a 17-3 record. The game will be a key game for both teams for seeding purposes in the Shore Conference Tournament. When these two teams met last year, Thiel's three-point buzzer beater gave the Eagles a one point victory.

DISTANCE TRACK TEAM SETS RECORD

During the NY Varsity Classic in New York City on Monday evening, the boys 4x800 meter relay team set a new school indoor track record with a time of 8:17. John Healy, Rob Dill, Dave Liepa, and Shaun McGeever worked together to break the previous mark of 8:21, which was set during the 1996-1997 season.

EAGLES COME UP SHORT AGAINST COLTS NECK

The Eagle of Middletown South fought back from an 11 point deficit, but were unable to overcome Steve Spinella, Mitchell Kates, and the Colts Neck Cougars in a 50-49 loss. Check here for video highlights and Scott Stump's story.

The girl's team was also defeated by Colts Neck in a close matchup with the Cougars winning 43-41.

The boys track team ran today, and I'll hope to have those results later on.

EAGLES FIGHT OFF UPSET BID FROM RARITAN

Garret Thiel and Peter Clabby both scored over 20 points to help theEagles squeak by Raritan in overtime, 57-52.
Middletown South started out with the lead, 11-6 at the end of thefirst, in large part to Thiel's 7 points in the opening quarter. TheEagles and Rockets played to an 8-8 tie in the second, leaving thescore 19-14 at halftime.
Raritan came out in the third quarter and was able to hold South'soffense to only 7 points while scoring 15 and came out of the thirdquarter with a 29-26 advantage. The Eagles were able to tie the gamelate and Raritan had the ball with 15 seconds left in regulation.
Thiel stole the ball just after Bennet Jackson crossed halfcourt andwent towards the Raritan basket as time was winding down. A Raritandefender was able to beat Thiel down the floor and get between him andthe basket. Thiel went up for a lay-up and drew contact, but no foulwas called.
In overtime, the Eagles went ahead early and were able to hold off theRockets thanks to a combined 11 points from Clabby and Thiel.
Thiel went 8 of 9 from the charity strike in the fourth quarter andovertime, and finished with a team-high 23 points. Clabby netted 21points, 13 of them in those final two periods. Raritan guard CoreyHahn contributed a game-high 24 points in the Rockets loss.

EAGLES DOWN REBELS DESPITE DEPLETED ROSTER

The Eagles pulled out another A-North victory to improve to 15-4 with a win over Howell. Brian Clabby led the scoring with a career-high 13 points for South, who was without starters Kyle Cancilleiri and Matt Callori, as well as key role player Rob Callori.

The Eagles got out to an early lead, but once again played a slow-paced, methodical game. Howell was in the game, with the score 11-5 at the end of the first, but the second quarter would belong to South’s defense.

The Rebels were only able to score 1 point in the second because of a strong team zone defense by the Eagles. Garret Thiel helped hold Howell to one opportunity per possession with a strong rebounding effort, finishing with 16 boards to go along with 10 points, picking up his second double double in row.

Ten points on the offensive end of the floor gave the Eagles a 15 point lead at halftime, with the score 21-6.

A 15-9 advantage in third quarter scoring extended South’s lead to 21 at the end of the period.

With the game in hand, head coach Kevin Cullen was able to get his starters, who played most of the game, off the floor with a little less than two minutes to go and preserve the victory.

Will Low picked up his presence in the post in the absence of Matt Callori, scoring a career-high 10 points. Peter Clabby picked up 9 points of his own, by knocking down three three-pointers, the same amount younger brother Brian had.

The Rebels were led by Tom Martino, who netted 8 points. Brandon Patterson and Ryan Keegan both contributed 6 points in the loss.

The Eagles hope to have their roster healthy again as the final weeks of the season continue. Their seed in the Shore Conference and Central Jersey Group III Tournaments will be decided by key games against Raritan, Colts Neck, Mater Dei and Toms River North.

On the girl's side Howell earned a sweep of Middletown South on the season with a 54-44
victory on the Eagle's home floor. Densie Crudup led the Rebels with 16 points, while Michele Blum added 11. Danielle Pankey scored a game-high 19 points for South.

EAGLES GET REVENGE OVER 'STANGS

A double double by Garret Thiel and outstanding team defense helped the Eagles get revenge against Marlboro with a 47-34 win.

South dominated on the defensive end of the floor, holding the Mustangs to four points in each of the first two quarters. They worked the ball around slowly, however, and were up by only 11 at the half, with a score of 19-8.

The pace of the game picked up in the third quarter and the Eagles extended their lead to 13 as the final period began.

While Marlboro made attempted to make a run late, the Eagles turned them away to avenge a 56-51 loss at Marlboro on January 3.

Thiel recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds for his second double double of the season, the first of which came against Marlboro. Pete Clabby continued his senior season with another solid performance, scoring 10 points, including two three-pointers. Matt Callori and Will Low both added 6 points. The Eagles were able to hold the leading scorers for Marlboro, Zach Kutner and Cory Piskin, both to six points apiece.

EAGLES END SLIDE WITH WIN OVER SOUTHERN

The Eagles led early and held on late to snap a two game losing streak with a win over Southern Regional 37-33.

The game was slow and sluggish from the beginning with the score only 9-4 at the end of the first quarter. Nevertheless, in the second quarter the Eagles picked it up and extended their lead to 9 points, as the score was 24-15 at halftime.

The Eagles struggled in the second half for the second straight game and Southern took advantage of South’s mistakes. After leading by eight at the end of the third, the Eagles saw the Rams cut the lead to three with less than two minutes to go in the game.

Pete Clabby hit three free throws in the fourth quarter to give the Eagles just enough breathing room to put the game away. Clabby finished with 5 points.

Garret Thiel led the team with 12 points and six rebounds, both team highs. Matt Callori added another solid offensive night, netting 9 points while grabbing 4 boards.

Joe Tomczuk scored a game high 15 for the Rams in the loss.

The Eagles will be out for revenge as the Marlboro Mustangs come to South for a game on Monday. The last time the two teams matched up at Marlboro, the Mustangs upset the Eagles 56-51. Unfortunately, for the Eagles, they will be heading into this game just as they did the last one, without Kyle Cancilleiri, who will most likely not play.

SOUTH DROPS ONE TO CBA AT HOME

CBA avenged a loss against Middletown South earlier in the year by beating the Eagles 54-37 on their home floor. Brian Neller led the way by knocking down a game high 16 points.

The Colts started off strong out of the gate, going on an 8-0 run to start the game, which forced the Eagles to take a quick timeout very early in the game. South responded well after the timeout, holding CBA to only 2 more points in the quarter while getting on the board with 4 points.

The Eagles took off in the second quarter, by outscoring the Colts 17-13 in the period to go into half down by 2 with a score of 23-21 CBA.

The second half belonged to the Colts, though, as they forced the Eagles to make costly mistakes. After South tied the game at 27, CBA scored a couple of quick baskets and never looked back winning the third quarter 14-9 to extend their lead to 37-30.

In the fourth quarter, CBA put the game away for good by holding South to only 7 points.

Along, with Neller, Mike Kuhn scored 12 while Patrick Light and Roy Mabry added 8 apiece. Garret Thiel led the Eagles with 13 points, while Matt Callori continued on his recent hotstreak, scoring 9. Rob Callori added 8, including a pair of three-pointers in the third quarter to keep the game close.

EAGLES FALL TO TOWNSHIP IN OT

Last night the Eagles lost 53-52 in overtime to Freehold Township. You can check here for a Scott Stump's story and videos, including a controversial jump ball call at the end of regulation.

The girls team also took on Township and won 46-35.

The boys team takes on CBA tomorrow night at 6:30 at home.

CANCILLEIRI, EAGLES TAKE DOWN HOLMDEL IN OCEAN COUNTY CHALLENGE

A double double by game MVP Kyle Cancilleiri helped the Eagles improve to 12-2 with a 48-31 win over Holmdel in the Ocean County Challenge.

Cancilleiri got off to a fast start, scoring 9 points in the first quarter, helping South to a 15-6 advantage at the end of the first.

The Eagles extended their lead over the Hornets by four because of the play of Garret Thiel, who spread the ball around and hit a few key jump shots to make the score 27-14 at halftime.

The Hornets attempted to battle their way back into the game by winning the third quarter and pulling within 34-22 but Thiel, Cancilleiri, and South would not give the game away.

Six more points from Cancilleiri and tough defense by Thiel before fouling out helped the Eagles put the game away despite an impressive effort from Holmdel.

Cancilleiri finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, including 8 on the offensive glass. Thiel contributed 13 points and 6 rebounds. Matt Callori netted 7 points and brought down 4 boards.

The Eagles defense held all of Holmdel’s scorers under ten points, with Mike Kelly leading the Hornets with 9 while Erik Shirvanian chipping in 8 points.

Middletown South has a tough week ahead of them with a slate of games that could very well decide the A-North title, with an away game at Freehold Township on 5:30 Tuesday evening, before playing CBA at home on Thursday.

EAGLES HOLD IN FOURTH TO BEAT LIONS

A huge fourth quarter rally by Middletown North could not stop Middletown South (10-2, 6-2) from winning their fifth straight game and helping their position for the Class A-North divisional race.

The Eagles led the entire game, starting out on fire, and went up 16-5 at the end of the first quarter. The Lions came back fighting in the second quarter, but the Eagles matched them and extended their lead to 12 points, 28-16, at the half.

South appeared to be in the drivers seat as Kyle Cancilleiri and Garret Thiel helped the Eagles extend their lead even further, to 41-27 going into the final period.

Middletown North, however, would not go away quietly on their home floor. They forced a lot of Eagles mistakes and turnover while winning the quarter 20-12. However, in the end it was not enough to beat the experienced Eagles team, who hit clutch free throws down the stretch, with Cancilleiri going 3-3 from the charity stripe after a bad streak at the free throw line in the last week.

Cancilleiri paced the Eagles while recording his second double double of the year by scoring a game-high 19 points and bringing down 11 rebounds. Thiel added 17 points of his own while Matt Callori continued his current hot streak by scoring 11 and grabbing 5 boards. Callori is averaging 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game over the course of South’s current five game win streak.

Shilique Calhoun scored a team high 16 points in the losing effort. Thiel did a good job slowing down John Nardini and holding him to 12 points.

The Eagles will welcome the Manalapan Braves onto their home court on Thursday for another tough A-North divisional match up.

EAGLES FLYING HIGH AFTER FOURTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

Garret Thiel led the Eagles with 18 points to win over Manchester 55-36 in a slow, methodical match up on the day after a big Middletown South win over Colts Neck.

Kyle Cancilleiri sat out most of the first half after picking up two quick fouls in the first minute and a half, but still came back in the second with 12 points and 3 rebounds.

With both teams running zone defenses, the game was extremely slow paced. A buzzer beater lay up from the Hawks brought the score within 13 at 25-12 at halftime.

The Eagles picked up in the second half, especially the fourth quarter where the scored 16 points, and were able to rest their starters after a tiring week.

Matt Callori had another productive night with 10 points and 5 rebounds while Pete Clabby continued with his consistent season by adding 6 points and 5 rebounds for the Eagles.

Jermaine Jackson and Matt Vaughn set the pace for Manchester, who was without leading scorer Marvin Brodie, with 10 points apiece. Darnell Williams chipped 7 points of his own.

EAGLES TAKE CONTROL OF A-NORTH WITH BIG ROAD WIN OVER COLTS NECK

Kyle Cancilleiri capped off the Eagles 56-45 win at Colts Neck with a dunk, sending a message that will surely resonate throughout the Shore Conference, if not farther.

No. 3 Middletown South went into a usually hostile Colts Neck environment and came back with a win that puts them in the driver seat in the A-North.

Trailing 24-21 at halftime, South needed more defensive pressure on the Cougars. Cancilleiri and Garret Thiel stepped up big time in the second half and shut down the lethal combination of Mitchell Kates and Steve Spinella to a combined 7 points after halftime.

The Eagles took the lead and gave themselves breathing room with a huge rally at the end of the third quarter, capped off by a Thiel buzzer beater from just inside the three-point line to take a 37-30 lead.

The final quarter was very emotional and energetic, with Colts Neck applying lots of pressure to try to get back in the game. The Cougars did, pulling within 3 points with a little more than 2 minutes left in the game, but South went on an 8-0 run to pull away for good.

Cancilleiri succeeded in slowing down Spinella in the second half, allowing him only 4 points. Thiel, if at all possible, did an even better job on Kates, who scored only 3 points, all on free throws.

Thiel finished with a game high 21 points, also adding 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Cancilleiri continued his current hot streak by scoring 18 points, recording 4 steals, and 3 rebounds. Cancilleiri is now averaging 22.7 points in his last three games since sitting out with severe hydration. Matt Callori pitched in 9 points and five rebounds.

Spinella recorded a team high 16 points in the Cougars third straight loss since starting 7-0. Adam Dombrowski scored 11 off the bench, all in the second half. Kates was held to 8 points on the night.

The Eagles have a quick turnaround as they play Manchester tomorrow night at home.

LADY EAGLES FALL TO COLTS NECK

After winning 29 straight A-North games, Middletown South has now lost two straight after Lauren Clarke’s 24 points led Colts Neck to a big 60-38 win over the Eagles.

The Cougars came out strong and dominated a large part of the game. Colts Neck extended their 5 point first quarter lead with a 15-3 second quarter run.

From there, the Cougars took over the game and never looked back as they held the Eagles to only 20 points in the second half while their offense put up 25 to extend their lead.

To go along with Clarke’s game high 24, Brittany Hawes added 10 of her own for Colts Neck. Danielle Pankey and Jill Gannon scored 15 and 12 points, respectively for the Eagles in a losing effort.

CANCILLEIRI DOMINATES; LEAD EAGLES TO A-NORTH VICTORY

Kyle Cancilleiri propelled Middletown South to a 66-52 victory over the Howell Rebels by dominating the game with a career high thirty-point night for the Eagles.

The Rebels held on early in the game by staying within 6 points in the first quarter, at 17-11 Eagles. Howell’s defense helped limit South to 30 points first half points, despite 12 of them coming from Cancilleiri alone, and the score was 30-20 Eagles at halftime.

The Eagles extended their lead in the third quarter by outscoring Howell 20-14.

The Rebels never went away though, as it seemed that whenever South started to pull away, Howell would find a way back into the game.

The Eagles finally were able to pull their starters off the floor in the last two minutes when they went up by 12.

Along with his 30 points, Cancilleiri recorded a double-double by bringing down 12 rebounds. He also had 7 steals, which led to many fast break points, including two dunks.

Matt Callori and Garret Thiel also contributed in the scorebook and on the boards, with Callori netting eleven and securing six rebounds. Thiel added 10 points of his own and tracked down 5 rebounds.

Billy Kappock and Tom Martino paced the way for Howell, tying for a team-high 11 points. Tom Callahan contributed 10 points in the losing effort.

The Eagles, number three in the latest DigitalSports Top 10, take their 7-2 record into Colts Neck on Thursday to take on the number five Cougars in a huge Class A-North match up.

EAGLES WEEKEND SPORTS WRAP UP

At yesterday's Monmouth County Girls Swimming Championships, freshman Morgan Foran led the way for the Eagles eighth place finish by being named the Swimmer of the Meet. Foran won the 200 and 500 freestyle.

On Friday night the both the boys and girls track teams raced in Toms River for the Shore Conference Divisional Championships. On the boys side, Shaun McGeever, John Healy, and Dave Liepa race in the 1600 meter finals. McGeever finished fifth with a time of 4:41. Healy and Liepa ran times of 4:48 and 4:50 respectively, earning themselves a ninth and thirteenth place finish. Ryan Ure and Jay Malejki finished first and second in the Section 2 race of the 3200 meter run. For the girls, Kelly Watters and Chelsea Mak ran the 800 and finished fourth and seventh in the Section 1 race with times of 2:38 and 2:44. Megan Pierce finished sixth in the 1600 meter race with a time of 5:45.

The basketball teams will take on the Howell Rebels tomorrow, the boys will play at home while the girls hit the road. The ice hockey team takes on Brick while the wrestling team will wrestle Lakewood.

CANCILLEIRI AND THIEL PROPEL EAGLES TO UPSET OVER CBA

The dynamic duo of Kyle Cancilleiri and Garret Thiel helped Middletown South go on the road and beat CBA and their pair of high scorers, Mike Kuhn and Brian Neller by a score of 51-47.

The Eagles led the entire way, starting with a 9-5 advantage at the end of the first quarter. South extended their lead even further in the second quarter, but CBA battled back at the end of the half so that the teams went to the locker with the score 23-11 in South’s favor.

A key component to the Eagles halftime lead was Thiel playing tough defense on Kuhn and holding him to only 2 points.

Kuhn and the Colts would not go away quietly; however, as Kuhn netted 18 second half points. Kuhn’s huge second half kept the game close and helped get Thiel into foul trouble.

After the Eagles led 39-30 at the end of the third, CBA made a strong push, pulling it to as close as three points. The Colts had a chance to tie the game but the three-point attempt from Neller was off and South breathed a sigh of relief.

Key free throws down the stretch from Cancilleiri and Will Low helped the Eagles pull away at the end and quell a late Colts rally.

Cancilleiri finished with 20 points and four rebounds. Thiel finished with 15 points, despite sitting out for part of the third quarter because of foul trouble. Matt Callori added 8 points and 6 rebounds.

Kuhn led the way for the Colts in the losing effort with 20, but the key was Cancilleiri holding Neller to seven total points. Pat Light netted seven, while Travis Farrell chipped in six.

According to Kevin Cullen, this was the first Middletown South victory over CBA since 1981; the year South’s 26 year old coach was born.

GANNON AND PANKEY COMBINE FOR 41 IN EAGLES WIN

Holding off a late second half push by the Marlboro Mustangs, Middletown South won their fourth straight divisional game, 47-38.

Jill Gannon and Danielle Pankey powered the Eagles scoring 21 and 20 points, respectively.

South had a 23-11 lead at the half, but the Mustangs pulled within four by the end of the fourth quarter by winning the quarter 13-3 to make it a 28-24 South advantage as the final quarter started.

South started to pull away slightly at the beginning of the quarter, but Marlboro rallied late to pull within 5 points with 27 seconds left on the clock.

Pankey downed two free throws with 20 seconds left to close the door on the Mustang rally.

THIEL'S 24 CAN'T SAVE EAGLES

Marlboro upset visiting Middletown South with a 56-51 win for a big victory for the Mustangs at home with strong help from sophomore guard Zach Kutner’s team high 18 points.

Garret Thiel recorded a double double for the Eagles with a game high 24 points and 10 rebounds in the losing effort.

South led throughout the first half, in large part to Thiel’s 14 points before halftime, but the Mustangs went on a run to end the quarter and get within 2 points as the score was 26-24 South at half.

Marlboro played a strong third quarter and was helped by many South lapses on defense to take a 40-39 lead heading into the final period.

The Mustangs hit crucial free throws in the latter part of the fourth quarter to extend their lead further. After stopping a later try by the Eagles to come back and tie the game, Marlboro walked away with a huge upset in Class A-North.

Mike Norber scored 13 to contribute to the Mustangs victory. Pete Clabby added 9 for the Eagles who missed the contribution of sophomore Kyle Cancilleiri, who was sick and unavailable to play.

MORENO SCORES TWICE IN BULLDOG BOWL WIN

Knowshon Moreno only carried the ball 9 times in Georgia's 41-10 win over Hawaii, but made the most of his carries. Running for 61 yards, and average of almost 7 yards a carry, and punching in two touchdowns helped the Bulldogs win their 7th straight game. An ankle injury he reagravated did not seem to bother him much. With senior Thomas Brown and Kregg Lumpkin graduating, Moreno looks primed to get even more carries as the full-time starter next season. He'll look to improve on his 1,334 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Bulldogs who could open up at the top spot in the polls next season.

MORENO GOES BOWLING

As I write this post, the Nokia Sugar Bowl has already started and Georgia's offense is about to take the field. Knowshon Moreno is not starting as senior Thomas Brown will start his last career game. The Bulldogs take on Hawaii and are looking to avoid what happened to Oklahoma last year against Boise State. I'll post the results of the game and Moreno's stats sometime tomorrow.

I was about to wrap up this post until the sideline reporter said that Moreno re-injured his left ankle last week in practice but that he should be good to go.

Any one wanting to watch the game can jump to FOX.