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Shore Conference Has Record Day

A Shore Conference record 10 recruits signed letters of intent with NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision programs on Feb. 2

This season’s edition of National Signing Day was like none other seen in the modern history of the Shore Conference, as a record 10 recruits signed binding Letters of Intent to accept scholarships at NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision programs on Wednesday.  

In addition to the FBS recruits, the overall depth of the Shore was revealed with another large group of players signing their LOIs to continue their careers at Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA) programs.  

The talent stretched across the Shore, from Matawan to Pinelands and from Manalapan to Long Branch. Leading the way was a group of four Rutgers recruits, Long Branch quarterback/defensive back Miles Shuler, Neptune defensive back/running back Charles Davis, St. John Vianney kicker/punter Anthony DiPaula, and Manalapan quarterback Mike Bimonte. St. Peter’s Prep running back Savon Huggins, a Jackson resident, also is part of what many recruiting analysts are calling the best recruiting class in Rutgers history. Huggins is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state by Rivals.com, while Shuler, who will play wide receiver at Rutgers, is No. 3.  

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Barnegat, whose program is only five years old, made it two Division I-A recruits in two years, as quarterback Nick SanGiacomo made it official with Tulane one season after tight end Jarrett Darmstatter committed to Boston College. SanGiacomo won’t be the last, either, as junior tight end Ryan Morris already has an offer from Tulane and interest from numerous Division I-A programs. Also, wide receiver Mike DeTroia, SanGiacomo’s favorite target, signed with New Hampshire.  

Point Boro also produced its first Division I-A recruit of the modern era, as wide receiver/safety Ryan Malleck, who projects as a tight end at the next level, signed with Virginia Tech. Malleck had initially verbally committed to Maryland in August, but ended up signing with the Hokies after Maryland decided not to bring back head coach Ralph Friedgen.  

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Shore Regional, which won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I championship in the fall, had two of its top players commit to a pair of Division I-AA programs. Quarterback/defensive end/long snapper Evan Ruane became the only member of this year’s senior class in the Shore Conference to join the incoming class at Monmouth University, while running back/linebacker Mark Coleman signed with Lehigh.  

Coleman’s signing was even more impressive given the fact that he missed a large chunk of his junior season. Before the season, he moved to California, then moved back, endured the death of his father, sat out 30 days because of NJSIAA transfer rules and then missed a majority of the summer before his senior year while rehabbing a shoulder injury he suffered during basketball.  

Another school with two players making commitments on Wednesday was Toms River North, as wide receiver/defensive back Anthony Carrington signed with Wagner, and 300-pound lineman Steve Franco signed with Division II West Chester University. Carrington came back from a broken leg he suffered in the season opener as a junior while playing at Lakewood to have a solid season for the Mariners after transferring back to Toms River North, where he had played as a sophomore.  

One of the more under-the-radar recruits who secured a scholarship to a solid Division I-AA program was Brick linebacker Dylan McDonnell, who signed with Bucknell. An All-Class B South selection by the coaches, McDonnell joined Ocean Township’s Connor Hayes and Pinelands’ Jake Hartman as part of the incoming class at Bucknell.  

Lacey, which finished as the only undefeated team in the Shore Conference and the consensus No. 1 team in the fall, had one signing. Defensive lineman Dylan Joslin will continue his career at Stony Brook. Two of the Lions’ biggest stars, quarterback Craig Cicardo and running back Jarrod Molzon, have received interest from Monmouth University, according to Lions head coach Lou Vircillo.  

Below is a list of the Shore Conference players from the Class of 2011 who made their college commitments on signing day.  

Class of 2011

Jared Allison, QB/DB, Matawan (New Hampshire)

Mike Bimonte, QB, Manalapan (Rutgers)

Shilique Calhoun, TE/DE, Middletown North (Michigan State)

Anthony Carrington, WR/DB, Toms River North (Wagner)

Andrew Casten, RB/S, Red Bank Catholic (Harvard)

Mark Coleman, RB/LB, Shore Regional (Lehigh)

Charles Davis, RB/DB, Neptune (Rutgers)

Mike DeTroia, WR, Barnegat (New Hampshire)

Anthony DiPaula, K/P, St. John Vianney (Rutgers)

John Faccas, DL, Matawan (Wagner)

Steve Franco, OL/DL, Toms River North (West Chester University)

Jake Hartman, WR/S, Pinelands (Bucknell)

Connor Hayes, DE, Ocean (Bucknell)

Andre Hodge, OL/LB, Matawan (Eastern Illinois)

Mike Huttner, LB, Rumson-FH (Cornell for lacrosse)

Matt Intile, RB/S, Freehold Twp. (Holy Cross)

Dylan Joslin, Sr., DL, Lacey (Stony Brook)

Michael Kasten, OL/DL, Freehold (Georgetown)

Rick Lovato, OL, LS, Middletown South (Old Dominion)

Ryan Malleck, WR/TE/S, Point Boro (Virginia Tech)

Christian Marchena, OL/DL, Raritan (Delaware)

Shane Mertz, OL, Raritan (Northwestern)

Dylan McDonnell, LB, Brick (Bucknell)

Tyler Murphy, LB, Raritan (Assumption College)

Evan Ruane, QB/DE, Shore Regional (Monmouth University)

Nick SanGiacomo, QB, Barnegat (Tulane)

Miles Shuler, QB/DB, Long Branch (Rutgers)

Jack Tabb, TE, Red Bank Catholic (North Carolina)

Sean Tobin, LB/LB, St. John Vianney (Georgia Tech)

Brandon Weiss, OL/DL, Freehold (Stonehill College)

Jack Wise, WR/DB, Rumson-FH (Duke)

Ryan Wytanis, OL/DL, Freehold (Wagner)  

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