Kirchner comes up big at Shore Gridiron Classic
BY DOUG McKENZIE Correspondent
In his final opportunity to show just how good he really is, on as big a stage as he's been on, Rumson-Fair Haven's Ryan Kirchner did not disappoint.

PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff Above: Rumson-Fair Haven High School wide receiver Ryan Kirchner tries to break free from the grips of a defender during the first quarter of the 2008 Shore Football Coaches Foundation Shore Gridiron Classic at Brick Township High School on July 18. Below: Kirchner's RFH teammate, Matt Wassel, tries to find an open receiver during the contest.

The talented wideout gave an encore performance on Friday night, hauling in three catches for 36 yards and two touchdowns, as the Monmouth County All-Star team fell, 27-20, to their counterparts from Ocean County in the 31st Shore Gridiron Classic in Brick Township. With the win, Ocean improved to 2-0-1 in the last three games, while Monmouth still leads the overall series, 16-4-1.

For his efforts, the Albany Universitybound Kirchner was named Monmouth's offensive Most Valuable Player - a distinction that came as no surprise to his coach at RFH, Shane Fallon.

"Ryan is a kid that throughout his career has shown his ability regardless of the competition," Fallon said. "In his junior and senior years, when we made the state playoffs and he got matched up against the bigger, better competition, his production never wavered. He's always known he has the abilities to play with anyone, and has always been able to rise to the occasion."

Friday night was no different, as Monmouth took the early lead when Keansburg quarterback Anthony Valle hit Kirchner from 17 yards out.

"Ryan put a nice move on the [defensive] back, and the QB put the ball right on the money," Fallon said.

Ocean came right back with a 15-play, 69-yard scoring drive to get within 7-6, before Monmouth scored again to make it 13-6. But Ocean took a 14-13 lead into the half when Lacey quarterback Warren Smith hit Toms River North's Adam Carey with a 33-yard scoring strike.

Ocean padded its lead to 20-13 with a 13-play, 65-yard drive to start the second half, then made it 27-13 when Brick Township's Kurt Loftus broke loose with a 70- yard punt return for a touchdown late in the third quarter. Monmouth's final score came late in the fourth, when a familiar duo connected for one last scholastic touchdown pass. RFH quarterback Matt Wassell hit Kirchner from 11 yards out to cap the scoring, and give the Bulldog teammates one last touchdown to celebrate together.

"Matt made a nice throw, and Ryan made a nice play on the ball," Fallon said. "We were thrilled that they were able to make a play like that together, because we knew how honored they both were to play in the game, along with John Lembeck, our second wide receiver, who made two catches and had a touchdown called back because of a penalty. All three of our representatives really played well."

Kirchner in particular showed that he is every bit as good as his coaches have been saying all along.

"I think a lot of people down in Ocean County heard about how good Ryan is, and it was nice for them to be able to see it firsthand on Friday," Fallon said. "I can't say that it really surprised me, even though this was an all-star game."

As both Kirchner and Wassell get ready to launch their collegiate careers, Fallon is confident that both players are ready to play at the next level.

"For any kid going to college, freshman year is really going to be mostly an adjustment period," the veteran coach said. "It's an opportunity to get stronger and see what college football is all about.

"For Ryan, he just needs to get next year under his belt, get red-shirted, and get ready to compete. I expect him to do what he always does, and that's work hard at being the best player he can be. Nobody is going to out-work him, I know that. He's got the talent and the work ethic to be a very good player at the next level."

Wassell is heading to Middlebury College, where Fallon expects him to undergo a similar learning process.

"They already have a quarterback that started for them last year, so Matt is going to go there and compete for playing time, which is all he asked for," the coach said. "I think the coaching staff will be very pleased with what they see from Matt."