Hanover Park stuns Wessex!

Volleyball Semi's - Preview

Again, my ghost volleyball expert has thrown in some info … assuring that I get a semi-final’s preview in. Last week, I was caught up at family event at night, so I was unable to attend the Saturday games. But, without delay here’s the out-look.

What’s happened?

The ghost said: The tournament to date has really been without much drama. There has been only 1 “upset” with Morris Knolls over Mt. Olive, but that was probably a pick’em match to begin with. Mt. Olive has a hard time with their serve receive and with rally scoring that is usually a major problem. Briana Horohoe did a nice job of running the offense and Bernadette Ventre and Kaylee Monga put the balls down.

The Coach says: It’s true, most seeds held to form and usually do. Home court is a huge advantage in volleyball and always seems to be. Mt. Olive has been running a dream season and pushed Chatham in their 2nd game, falling 25-23. Hannah Ensel became the Mauraders all time leader in assists in the MCT game against Knolls. The advancement of Morris Knolls to the Semi’s should not surprise anyone. Coach Denure will always have his team improving as the year progresses. Let’s see what “The Master” can do in rematch with Chatham.

The Ghost’s take on the semi-finals:

#1- Chatham vs. #5 – Morris Knolls:

Chatham is clearly the class of Morris County (if not the state). They are one of the most well rounded teams in Morris County history. They have one of the top setters in Marika Racibarskas, an outstanding outside hitter in Casey Read, a much improved middle in Emily Flanigan and a fine libero in Lindsay Gill. Morris Knolls will have their work cut out for them. MK is a very scrappy team that does not let many balls hit the ground. The setter, Briana Horohoe, gives them excellent senior leadership and they do have some hitters that can terminate. MK needs to be at the top of their game and hope for Chatham to have a really off day….

#2 – West Morris Central vs. # 3 Mendham

This has a chance to be the match of the tournament. Last year the 2 sister schools met in the semis and WMC sweated out a 3 game match with the game 3 final at 25-23. Of course, WMC went on to win the MCT as they have in each of the 7 years of the tournaments existence. This year’s WMC team is truly a team effort. The team has no real superstars, but they have great depth and may play together as well as any team in the tournament. They have height in the middle with Sophomore Kelly Maguire and strength at the outside with senior Rebecca Martini. But the key will be the play of much improved setter, Kelly Mulcahy. Mendham has perhaps the county's best all around player in junior outside hitter, Megan Lynch. However, a big question mark is how well she can respond to a recent illness that kept her our a week (see Daily Record article).

Mendham has a terrific serving team and will rely on how well senior setter, Danielle Vanderbulke can get the ball to Lynch and Danielle’s sister, Sophomore middle, Dominique. I expect this match to go to 3 games again.

On the WMC/Mendham match: It was a great match, Mendham won in 2 (27-25 and 26-24)... I believe that is the first time WMC has lost to Mendham.... I wonder when they last lost to another Morris county team? It should be a great rematch on Saturday. Mendham was very poised and won despite being down 23-21 in both games.... Megan Lynch of Mendham is a great player and although she still looked sick she had many big kills (probably 10,11), a couple of aces and passed very well... the opposite Jen Scala hits the ball very hard and had many key kills...... WMC setter, Kelly Mulcahy is much, much improved and really got the balls to her hitters.. a few less hitting errors and WMC could have won... the gym was quite crowded and loud... all in all it was a fun match to watch with a high level of skill... I am looking forward to seeing the rematch on Saturday and the Chatham/Morris Knolls match as well....

The Coach’s take on the semi-finals: It’s volleyball and anything can happen. You never want to see anyone have an off day in this tournament, but it has been known to happen. Look for Morris Knolls to throw as much blocking as they can at Chatham. Basically anything to throw off their swings. Do not expect Chatham to be phased as playing in the mid-season tournaments will really help the Cougars on Saturday. One thing is for sure, it is very difficult to play at such a top notch level and win so many games consecutively at the high school level. The games are getting tougher for Chatham, who has been breezing through teams until this week. If there is a team that can upset the Cougars and not be intimidated, it is Knolls. But in all honesty, the Eagles will have to be dead on with their swings, cause havoc at the net and maintain their excellent serving ratio. Plus the status of Marika Racibarskas’ injury is key. Obviously Chatham has been doing well and has kept on their winning ways.

West Morris and Mendham split (home & home). You can bet that this will the match of the night! My question is: Who has the advantage? Mendham finally beating West Morris? Or West Morris – since do you see a team beating West Morris twice in row? I love the idea Coach Grasso as instilled in her players about searching for treasure. I am sure the Highlanders will show up ready to play.

Mendham @ Par Hills - Preview

Mendham (5-1) at Par Hills (5-1)

Last year: Par Hills, 42-7 2005: Par Hills, 28-13 2004: Mendham, 28-15

Last week: Mendham was in control from the opening kickoff in a 26-0 shutout victory over Dover. See Highlights. Parsippany Hills traveled to Summit and handed the Hilltoppers a 28-11 loss. Summit was able to cut into a 14-0 lead in the 2^nd Quarter with a touchdown and field goal. The Vikings played a solid second half finishing the game with the final two touchdowns.

Mendham 9/7 H Summit W 27-3 9/15 A Chatham W 19-13 9/20 A West Essex L 6-20 9/29 H Parsippany W 21-7 10/6 H Weequahic W 36-22 10/12 A Dover W 26-0 10/20 A Par Hills 10/27 H Morris Hills 11/2 A Hanover Park ** Links are to games covered by MCHSS.net ** Game Scrimmage vs Jefferson

Parsippany Hills 9/8 H Chatham W 36-32 9/14 A Hanover Park W 19-7 9/21 H Morris Hills L 13-28 9/29 H Dover W 42-0 10/5 A Parsippany W 35-7 10/13 A Summit W 28-11 10/20 H Mendham 10/26 A West Essex 11/3 H Weequahic ** Game Scrimmage vs. Roxbury

Mendham will win if ... their defense can do what they’ve done all year … play tight, come up with big plays and stop the Vikings long drives, thus keeping the offense in a position to win the game … AND THEN stop the big play. Locking down Fowler while keeping Scialamapo from connecting on that famous Vikings’ fade are big keys for Mendham’s defense. The Minutemen could benefit from a big play on special teams to be the game breaker … ala Rutgers’ 1^st drive against South Florida on Thursday night.

Par Hills will win if ... the Vikings keep to their game plan. They have to keep Mendham on defense and continue to put the ball in the end zone the way they have all year. It’s tough to find a good point from a loss, but the loss to Morris Hills has allowed the Vikings to duck under the radar. I case you forgotten, they’re the same team they’ve been all year, but for some reason the papers (and myself) have looked the other way while the Vikings are averaging 35 points a game since the loss.

What will happen: Mendham will do what they’ve done all year. Pound the ball out and throw in a few timely passes and that patented screen pass that I hated in High School, hated as a coach and LOVE as a media man. Unfortunately for the Minuteman, the last time they saw a line like the Vikings, it was a 20-6 loss to West Essex. Granted, it was a tighter game at the half, but Parsippany Hills can pound it right back at Mendham. This match up features two solid defenses and two contrast offenses. The difference in the game may be the arm of Colin Shermerhorn or the Fowler-Kudlacik combination. Schermerhorn, given the time, will allow patterns develop. The sharp junior has already proven that he has the poise to wait for the open receiver, but do not look for Mendham to go to the air often. That is, until they have to. The Vikings have too many weapons and the offense is running smoothly as we enter week 7. The Parsippany Hills playmakers will do just that. Prediction: Par Hills 22-14

Extra Point: Dave Albano in his 8^th season at the helm of the Vikings … That puts him #4 on the longevity scale after Wilkens (Mtn Lakes-42), Reagan (Knolls-33); Gallagher (Montville 11) and Hennelly (West Morris 11).

Quick Slants: The Star Ledger has Par Hills as #4 in Morris, while Mendham has snuck in quietly and moved up to #6. The Daily Record has Par Hills #5 and Mendham at #8 – exclude Lenape Valley, a non-Morris team, and Mendham would be ranked #7. Defenses – Par Hills has allowed 85 points thus far, while Mendham has only allowed 65, and do not forget the late TD’s by Weequahic against the 2^nd teamers.

Essex-Morris Picks: Week 7

The Coach & Swami Now Tackle Essex-Morris Picks In Week 7

In an on-going effort to better enjoy the high school football season in both Morris and Essex counties, the Sideline Swami from sidelinechatter.com and the capable 'Coach' from mchss.net partake in their weekly take on some of the football games involving their respective areas of expertise. But, remember, the swami rules!

The Coach: I fight … I kick … I call Vegas … I call Joey Two-toes & Sammy the Gator for all the HS shoe-in sports info. I do my homework. I watch endless hours of film. I even go 12-0 in the past two weeks … and for what? I get one game back. One measly stinking game for all that hard work. You better watch out Swami, I’m like one of those Ice Road Truckers or even one of the Crab Fisherman from the Deadliest Catch. (* Side note, I am wondering if the Swami is actually Mike Rowe who narrates the Crab show and stars on Dirty Jobs? … think about it! *)

That being said … I used to idolize the Swami, but not anymore. I am beginning to dislike that Oracle – yes … I can say that … so this pick ‘em game has come to this! Think of me as the Warren Wallace kid from the Geico commercial and the Swami as Mike Wallace … NO NOT Warren from “There’s something about Mary!”

The Swami: Coach, you are very dramatic, indeed. Perhaps, a supporting role on “The Young and the Restless” would be a good daytime gig for you in between classes. Now, as far as your weekly pigskin picks, we know you have put in a lot of work in your research, but you have to realize there is no standing up-over the long haul-to the trusty crystal ball of the Sideline Swami. And, now, with this wonderful, somewhat cooler weather, the guru himself is especially primed for a huge stretch run, wearing his cape, turban and riding the magic carpet in flight from Essex to Morris. So, alas, to our picks for the week!

Friday Night:

Delbarton at Montville:

The Coach: How many people predicted that Montville would be 4-1 in conference and have a chance to spoiler for Delbarton again this year? Unfortunately for the Mustangs, Delbarton was running on all cylinders last week against Lakeland. The Green Wave jumped to a 28-0 halftime lead despite committing almost 10 first half penalties. Delbarton, now 5-1 and ranked #16 in NJ by The Star-Ledger, has too many weapons offensively for Mustangs. Terry White and Murphy McCurdy will be just too much for the Montville. Delbarton 35-14

The Swami: I too am very impressed with the job Coach Gerry Gallagher and his staff have done in guiding a rebuilt Mustang squad into playoff contention while being as highly competitive as they’ve been in every game. Unfortunately for the Montville faithful, Delbarton is just rounding into top form. Quarterback Brian McMahon has emerged as one of the best in Morris County and linemen Matt Van Orden and Mike Passaro give the Green Wave their typical strong push up front. The Mustangs will certainly hang for a while with Eric Toporoff’s running, but in the end, well, you know, the wave tends to always break at the right time. Delbarton 28-14

Morris Hills at Weequahic:

The Coach: Ahh … the Scarlet Knights. They are finding ways to win. Luke Mirabella has joined the group of high flyers out of the Knights backfield and is now the go-to guy near the end zone and on third downs. Oddly enough, despite their 2-4 overall record, Weequahic has only been outscored by a total of 10 points. The Indians need to knock off two in a row – MH here and Summit next week, in order to allow their power points to work them into the playoffs. Morris Hills will do what they need to do – again. Morris Hills 17-6

The Swami: The Morris Hills defense has picked it up a notch since the West Essex game, the ground game, even with Justin Doniloski on the shelf, has had no let-up. We still like the savvy of QB Dan Kellner and the array of weapons for the Scarlet Knights. Weequahic, still feeling the effects of starting eight sophomores at key spots, is going to be hard-pressed to be a factor here, but at home, and with speedy Rashon Vines able to break loose at any time, they could hang for a while. Still, in the end, the red-clad visitors emerge. Morris Hills 21-7

Roxbury at Livingston:

The Coach: Livingston is well on its way to a playoff appearance and a win here could lock up a playoff spot, maybe even a home game. There are 17, yes seventeen, teams in Livingston’s’ Section that could finish at or above .500 – unlikely but true. Livingston has proven week after week that they are a quality team with the ability to turn away anything you throw at them. Roxbury has struggled and things do not look promising this week either … Livingston 33-13

The Swami: Back in September, after witnessing the all-around potential of the Lancers I told some unsuspecting Essex County aficionados that Coach Bill Tracy’s team could be heard from. Now, after almost knocking off East Orange, and winning impressively on the road at Mount Olive, Livingston is gearing up for a likely berth in North 1, Group 4. One of the up and coming stars for the Lancers is fullback-linebacker-kicker Zach McGehee, who finally had a breakout game at Mount Olive and provides the perfect complement to fleet-footed Vinny Fischer in the backfield. Greg Romagnoli is a superb linebacker and John Alston is a force on the D-Line. It all adds up to just too much for the Gaels, who have Jon Carroll, but not a lot else. Livingston 28-7

Whippany Park at Kinnelon:

The Coach: With Mike Bizzarro healthy and Chris Neinstedt coming off a week’s rest, this could be one of those games where you just hand the ball off and watch them go! It’s Homecoming at Kinnelon on Friday night. Trevor Dunn has emerged as nice complement for Bizzarro and adds another dimension to the Wildcats’ offense. Kinnelon is on a rough losing streak, but had an extra week to prepare. Whippany snapped their streak with a memorable victory over Mo-Beard. I’m going with the over – laid out on the Vegas underground – at 74.5. But since I think the Swami will not let that pick go towards my yearly total. This is a tough one … coin flip goes to the home team: I’ll go with a coin flip – home team by 2 – Kinnelon 42-40

The Swami: When Jim DeSarno left Kinnelon a couple of years back to try and resurrect Westfield’s once glorious program, I thought that the Colts would be up against it trying to find a worthy replacement. But, Kevin White has been a perfect fit and AD Scott Rosenberg should be thrilled with the job he is doing, especially with football once again energizing the local populace. We all like Neinstedt, but the Colts have a wealth of capable role players like tackle-linebacker Chris Dolci and two-way end Marcin Rosol. It’s a decent football team and one which we feel will be able to offset the scoring machine that Whippany Park can sometimes be with Bizzaro. It will be a festive Homecoming Night for the Colts! Kinnelon 28-20.

Saturday afternoon:

Boonton at Verona:

The Coach: The Bombers found their game last week against Pingry and finally were able to put it all together. The 14-7 loss to Cedar Grove may have actually been the turning point of their season. Boonton will need to keep their play at that level if they hope to be in the game against Verona. Boonton is a 3-3 and at win this week will really help the Bombers playoff chances. The Hillbillies are also heading in the right direction coming off of three straight wins. Verona has scored 3 or more touchdowns in each of their four victories. I do not think Boonton can hold them under 21 points and that seems to be the magic number for a win. Verona 28-14

The Swami: Dan Allen would make an interesting choice to open with a video montage of yelling and screaming and pleading by the head coach on Mike Quick’s High School Sportsweekly on MSG. Somehow, I know Coach Allen is ready to explode, but it won’t matter in this spot. This is by no means a vintage Verona team, but it is one that is simply more talented than Boonton. The Hillbillies are gearing up for a strong second half and a playoff berth in North 2, Group 1. The defense, with Carlo Calabrese at linebacker, Hunter Mason up front and Chris Looney in the secondary, is first-rate, and Coach Lou Racioppe has been putting the pieces together slowly but surely since an early-season one-sided loss to Mountain Lakes. Look for a breakout game for the home team. Verona 35-13

Immaculate at Morristown-Beard:

The Coach: In case you did not notice, Morristown-Beard moved Mike Betz all over the field. The result – an offense that gives any defensive coordinator head aches! Something needs to be said about the turnaround the Crimson program has taken over the past few years and the promise of the future ahead. If you remember, wasn’t Morristown-Beard’s varsity program on sabbatical a few years back? Now, with a new staff, a prefect field and two very talented seniors, the Crimson face a must win in order to even sniff a playoff birth. In walks winless Montclair Immaculate. Do not look ahead, anything can – and usually does – happen in HS Football. But with the senior leadership of Colin Larmond & Betz, the Crimson will be one win away from a playoff birth come Sunday morning. Morristown-Bread 34-20

The Swami: We spent some time inbetween rare raindrops a week ago Thursday with Coach Steve Romano at Mo-Beard talking about this season and how he envisions making the Crimson a small-school, Non-Public, Group 1 program to be reckoned with. Betz has been recovering well from his cracked ribs and he could be at full tilt this weekend. That’s not good news for Immaculate, which has not been able to stop very many people and is mistake-prone with such a young lineup under patient Coach Sean Morris. We like the potential of many Lions, particularly soph QB Marcus Hackett, whose dad was once a pro wide receiver. Still, the Crimson are older, better and just ready for that aforementioned push toward a playoff berth. Mo-Beard 28-8.

Morris Hills 2-1 Morristown

Girls MCT Quartfinals

MCT Semi's - Field Hockey

Delbarton 35-6 Lakeland

Delbarton Dominates Lakeland, 35-6
By Andrew Sidebottom for mchss.net

In Morristown, Delbarton looked as focused and sharp as they have all year as they pummeled Lakeland 35-6 on Homecoming. Delbarton’s Homecoming is the Morris County Version of the Great American Cookout, with an amazing selection of free food and droves of alumni returning to support the Green Wave. Delbarton controlled the line of scrimmage and took control of the race for the NHC Suburban crown with the resounding victory.

After its only punt of the game, the Green Wave received a Lancer punt, systematically marched down the field, and jumped out to a 7-0 lead when Terry White scored on first 2-yard touchdown run. Andrew Bell added the PAT for the home team. On the next Lakeland possession, the Lancers had a 4-14 and run their rugby punt, with disastrous results. The punter had a hard time deciding on whether or not to run the ball or punt as he pulled up to kick but run three times anyway, but the last time the punter kicked the ball only to have it blocked. On the next play, White founded Bell on a short pass but Bell made a few tacklers miss and run 45 yard for the score. Bell then booted the extra point to add to the 14-0 Green Wave advantage.

In the second quarter, Delbarton got an interception, which set up another Green Wave score, by Greg Bickenese on a run from 6 yards out. Bell’s extra point was way good as he extended the Green Wave surge to 21 points. Then like clockwork, Delbarton got the ball again and White again scampered in from 2 yards out as the Green Wave rolled into halftime with a 28-0 lead.
On Delbarton’s first possession, White again scored from two yards out and Bell again tacked on the extra point as the Green Wave pushed their lead to 35 as their starters left the game. Lakeland added 6 points on a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The intercepted Hail Mary on the final play of the game epitomized Lakeland’s day.

Delbarton is rolling towards their third straight NHC crown but they must first meet the Montville Mustangs this Friday on Montville’s homecoming, where Green Wave will try to avenge their home regular season defeat last year. Delbarton’s Homecoming Game is great for all those people who like football and even more so for those who just want to see want the atmosphere for a high school game should be, plus all the food is a nice bonus. The only downside to this game is the lack of parking and the amount of this it takes to leave after a game. For those of you that complained about the parking for the Mt Olive-Seton Hall Prep game, that was cake walk compared to leaving Delbarton.