Shore, Monmouth looking for bounce-back seasons

With their season openers set for this weekend, both the Shore Regional and Monmouth Regional high school football teams are looking to bounce back after each posted a 4-6 record a year ago.

Shore Regional High School’s Pat Maggion (center) runs for tough yardage against Red Bank Regional during their preseason scrimmage game in Little Silver. The Blue Devils kick off their 2010 football season Friday night at 7 p.m. at home in West Long Branch against Keansburg. JEFF GRANIT staff Shore will open the season Friday at home against Keansburg, which is coming off a 5-5 campaign. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. Monmouth opens at home against Carteret (2-8) on Saturday at 7 pm. and then hosts Freehold Borough five days later. Both Shore and Monmouth will play four of their first five games at home.

Last season, Monmouth dropped its first three games but recovered to win four of its next seven. Meanwhile at Shore, the Blue Devils captured their opener, but were 1-4 over the next five games before winning twice and then losing its final two games.

Shore Regional High School defenders tackle a Red Bank Regional running back high and low during their preseason scrimmage in Little Silver. The Blue Devils were tuning up for their season opener at 7 p.m. Friday at home in West Long Branch against Keansburg. PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Shore Regional

Coach Mark Costantino is expecting a physical and tenacious defensive unit to help his Shore Regional High School football team to a successful season.

“Overall, I think our defense can carry us,” the veteran coach said. “It’s not the biggest group, but they’re tough and they play hard all the time.”

Anchoring that ‘D’ is a senior-laden line that includes ends Anthony Lanzano (5 feet 10 inches, 185 pounds) and Mike MacStudy (6 feet, 240 pounds), tackles Frank Canassa (5 feet 10 inches, 220 pounds) and Kevin Rittman (5 feet 10 inches, 210 pounds) and juniors Gary Dietrich (5 feet 11 inches, 190 pounds) and Henry Edmundson (6 feet, 180 inches) who will also see action as ends.

Shore Regional quarterback Evan Ruano unleashes a downfield pass against Red Bank Regional during the Blues Devils preseason scrimmage in Little Silver. Nick Grigos (5 feet 9 inches, 175 pounds) returns as a presence at middle linebacker, where he will split time with fellow juniors Jake Armstrong (5 feet 10 inches, 175 pounds) and Evan Ruane (6 feet 4 inches, 220 pounds). Pat Maggio (5 feet 10 inches, 190 pounds) and juniors Rob Carracino (5 feet 10 inches, 180 pounds) and Stef Kourasaris (5 feet 9 inches, 175 pounds) will patrol the outside.

Costantino plans to shuttle several players in and out of the secondary, including Brendan Dula, Shane Carroll, Eric Lower, and juniors Nick Halper, Nick Mahoney and Tom O’Horo.

“Even though we have some depth, the key for us is staying healthy,” Costantino said.

That’s largely because many of the defenders will be lining up on offense as well. Ruane, who started at quarterback last fall, will again call signals. At 6 feet 2 inches, Lower is an inviting target and split end. Carroll is the other wideout and Armstrong will line up at tight end.

Maggio is back at halfback where he ran for more than 200 yards and scored a trio of touchdowns; while Grigos, who ran for about 100 yards last year in limited duty, is the fullback. Mahoney and sophomore Mark Costantino, the coach’s son, will also get the ball.

Shore’s offensive line includes Dietrich and Edmundson at the guards, MacStudy and Matt Conte (6 feet, 245 pounds) at the tackles, and Pat Magliaccio (5 feet 10 inches, 230 pounds) at center. The versatile Carroll gives the Blue Devils another weapon at place-kicker, where he is dangerous from long range. He will also handle the punting chores.

“With Ruane’s experience and a veteran line, I think our offense will be all right,” the coach said. “We had an excellent preseason and these guys have a great attitude. Now we just want to keep getting better each week.

Monmouth Regional

At Monmouth, coach Sal Spampanato noted that his team is strong in the skill positions with several key starters returning, however, many of them will line up on both sides of the ball.

“We’re not big on numbers — we only have 40 kids in the program, but the players we do have are fighters and they want to win,” the coach said.

Quarterback A.J. Visconti is back to lead the offense. After stepping into the lineup in the third game of the season, Visconti showed he belonged, throwing for nearly 1,000 yards in his eight starts and adding offensive balance to the Falcons ground game. Sophomore Jeff Farrah has been impressive in scrimmages and may see some time behind center as well.

Fullback Davonte Thomas leads the running game where he accumulated over 850 yards a year ago. Tailback Matt Showanes, a tri-captain, is also back after gaining 530 yards last season. Another plus is the return of wing Shayne Henderson, who ran for more than 800 yards as a sophomore but missed the 2009 season with an ACL injury. Junior Tyier Hester rounds out the running backs.

Anthony Truncale and Brandon Ford, who doubles as the place-kicker, are the wideouts. Scott Satcher (6 feet 3 inches, 205 pounds), another captain, returns at tight end.

Captain Bryan Greenwood (6 feet 2 inches, 225 pounds), a three-year starter at tackle, is the leader of a somewhat inexperienced line. He is joined by guards T.J. Eckstein (5 feet 10 inches, 230 pounds) and Brandon Wall (5 feet 11 inches, 250 pounds); tackle Anthony Baklouk (6 feet 2 inches, 210 pounds) and junior center Matt Neis (6 feet 2 inches, 240 pounds).

On defense, Baklouk, Eckstein, Greenwood, Mike Brown (6 feet, 210 pounds), Nick Piserchia (6 feet 1 inch, 215 pounds) and sophomore Sheldon McCue (6 feet, 190 pounds) will shuttle among the line positions. Satcher, Henderson, Thomas, Mark Williams and junior Khone Osey will split time at linebacker. The secondary includes Hester, Neis, Showanes and sophomore Quadhier Rainey. McCue is the punter.

“We know we have a lot of skill and that will help,” Spampanato said. “A lot will depend on how our line gels because we have a lot of new guys there. Still, this team has a lot of potential; the key for us is not getting ahead of ourselves. It’s one game at a time. Right now we’re not looking beyond Sept. 10 and Carteret.