Lady Hawks draw inspiration from dedicated coach

Last Updated on Thursday, October 18, 2012 11:14 am Written by Brian Cunniff Thursday, October 18, 2012 09:59 am

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – Marty Franco has been a member of the Cape May Beach Patrol for 36 years, a job that requires him to be in top physical condition. And back when he graduated high school, he earned a baseball scholarship to Appalachian State University, only to quit that sport and walk on to the football team.

So being strong physically has never really been a problem for the 54-year-old Cold Spring resident.

Over the past five months, however, Franco has learned pretty quickly how to be strong mentally. And he’s gotten a lot of support in doing so.

A couple months ahead of his second season as the head girls soccer coach at the Cape May County Technical High School, Franco went to his doctor for a routine physical, one that he gets periodically in order to pronounce him fit to work on the beach each summer.

Only this time, his blood count wasn’t right. So he went and got more tests. Tests he didn’t pass.

Franco was eventually diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Read more: Lady Hawks draw inspiration from dedicated coach

Vogelei, Panthers pull away from Raiders

Last Updated on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 04:48 pm Written by Brian Cunniff Saturday, October 13, 2012 03:59 pm

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The seniors on the Middle Township High School football team are finally over .500.

After struggling to win just one or two games a year over the past few seasons, the Panthers moved to 3-2 for the season with Saturday’s 41-21 victory over Ocean City on Homecoming day.

Middle did most of its damage offensively on the ground, with senior fullback Zack Vogelei posting career highs with 203 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

The Panthers raced out to a 20-0 lead and seemed on the verge of taking total control midway through the second quarter. But Ocean City scored two touchdowns in the final few moments of the first half to get to within 20-14 at the half. Owen Dierolf made a diving reception in the end zone of a Joey Keyes pass for a 28-yard score with 24 seconds to play to put the Raiders on the board. Then, with one second to go in the half, Jon Torro picked off a Panther pass and raced all the way to the end zone from 70 yards out.

Read more: Vogelei, Panthers pull away from Raiders

Warriors fall to Schalick, 32-20

Last Updated on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 04:49 pm Written by Brian Cunniff Friday, October 12, 2012 09:51 pm

WILDWOOD – The Wildwood High School football team ran into a good running back and got decimated by injuries Friday night.

Tyrell Hart ran 25 times for 255 yards and four touchdowns and also ran back a kickoff 92 yards for another touchdown to lead Schalick to a 32-20 win over the Warriors, who had a two-game winning streak snapped with the loss.

Wildwood (4-2) played the entire second half without two two-way starters in quarterback/linebacker Devon Bradshaw and RB/LB Jose Valentin, who both left the game at halftime with concussion-like symptoms. Another two-way starter, Marchal Howell, also missed time in the second half with a leg injury.

Read more: Warriors fall to Schalick, 32-20

Beware the purple and gold

Last Updated on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 04:49 pm Written by Brian Cunniff Thursday, October 11, 2012 01:53 pm

There will be no need to make an appointment with an optometrist after you see the Middle Township High School football team rush onto the field for this Saturday’s 1 p.m. Homecoming game against Ocean City at Memorial Field.

Yes, the team will be wearing purple and gold jerseys, partly eschewing, for one game at least, the Panthers’ traditional colors of orange and black.

It’s all part of head coach Frank Riggitano’s continuing plan to send a bolt of energy through the school’s football program.

The purple and gold color scheme isn’t something he concocted out of thin air. It is an ode to the original colors of the school back when it opened early in the 20^th century.

“The kids are really excited about it,” Riggitano said. “I’m always looking for ways to energize the kids and our community. … I’ve been reading a lot of things about the origins of our school when it was built and the development of the school in general, and then at some point I came across stuff about the first sports teams at the school, and how the original school colors were purple and gold.”

Read more: Beware the purple and gold

Middle earns Coaches Tournament bid

Last Updated on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 04:50 pm Written by Brian Cunniff Monday, October 08, 2012 09:45 pm

The Middle Township High School boys soccer team received some good news early this week.

The Panthers were informed Monday that they have been selected to participate in the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Tournament. The annual tournament annually invites the top 16 teams in South Jersey to compete in a single-elimination tournament that, in theory, produces a true South Jersey champion regardless of enrollment group size.

Read more: Middle earns Coaches Tournament bid

Warriors pound Salem, move to 4-1

Last Updated on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 04:50 pm Written by Brian Cunniff Friday, October 05, 2012 10:03 pm

WILDWOOD – Wes Hills and the Wildwood High School football team keep on rolling.

Hills ran for 203 yards and scored five touchdowns to pace the Warriors to a 42-16 win over Salem in front of a large crowd at Maxwell Field Friday night. The victory sends Wildwood into unchartered waters at 4-1 through five games.

Hills scored another five touchdowns to up his total to a ridiculous 21 for the season. And his 203 yards increased his season rushing total to 1,271.

Ahead 14-8 late in the second quarter, Hills gave Wildwood tremendous momentum going into halftime by returning a punt 60 yards for a touchdown with 31 seconds to play. After Salem turned the ball over on its third offensive play of the second half, Hills ran in from five yards out to increase the Warrior lead to 28-8.

Read more: Warriors pound Salem, move to 4-1

Cowan's golden goal lifts Middle over LCM

Last Updated on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 04:50 pm Written by Brian Cunniff Friday, October 05, 2012 09:09 am

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – Jacob Cowan finally got one to go in.

After several near misses and a handful of wonderful saves by the opposing goalkeeper, Cowan converted a cross from teammate Alijah Broadnax 3 ½ minutes into the second extra-time period to send the Middle Township High School boys soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Lower Cape May Thursday afternoon.

The win upped Middle’s record 9-1. The Panthers lost their previous game at Buena, 2-0, for their first defeat.

“We needed this,” Middle coach John Maher said. “We had to keep pace with Buena” in the National Conference race.

On the scoring play, Broadnax secured possession at midfield, carried the ball toward the left corner flag, turned in toward goal and sent a low cross into the area. The pass was slightly deflected along the way, but found its way near Cowan, who made a sliding effort to toe-poke the ball into the left corner of goal.

Read more: Cowan's golden goal lifts Middle over LCM

McKeown breaks record as Lower holds off Middle

Last Updated on Friday, October 05, 2012 01:50 pm Written by Brian Cunniff Friday, October 05, 2012 09:08 am

ERMA -- Rivalry games are never supposed to be easy. Perhaps that’s why the Lower Cape May Regional High School girls soccer team had to endure some anxious late moments to beat its biggest rival even after opening up a four-goal lead.

Lower (9-2) survived Middle Township’s extraordinary comeback effort, 5-4, and saw its standout player, Gabriella McKeown set a program record for career goals in the process.

McKeown started the scoring with her 52^nd career goal, which moved her into first place in career scoring ahead of former teammate Frankie Gibson, who finished with 51 goals in a career that ended in 2010.

Read more: McKeown breaks record as Lower holds off Middle

Frank Vogel eager for new NBA season

Last Updated on Thursday, October 04, 2012 12:20 pm Written by Brian Cunniff Thursday, October 04, 2012 07:53 am

Frank Vogel

Frank Vogel is no longer the young guy an NBA franchise decided to take a shot on when they handed him the reigns to their team a little more than a year and a half ago.

Sure, he’s still only 39 years old. But now entering his third go-round and second full season as the coach of the Indiana Pacers after more than a decade in the league as an assistant coach and scout, the 1991 Wildwood High School graduate is firmly entrenched as the leader of one of the league’s up-and-coming teams.

But even though he’s got some head coaching experience now, this season marks the first Vogel will have a full, regular training camp with his team. He took over midway through the 2010-11 season, guiding the Pacers into the playoffs before they lost in the first round to Chicago. Last season, due to the NBA lockout, the team was able to play just two preseason games before starting a shortened season, one in which the Pacers again made the playoffs, defeated the Orlando Magic in the opening round and held a two games to one lead on the eventual champion Miami Heat before losing that second-round series in six games.

Vogel and the Pacers were scheduled to begin training camp on Tuesday.

Read more: Frank Vogel eager for new NBA season

LCM's McKeown surpasses 50 goals, ties program record

Last Updated on Thursday, October 04, 2012 12:18 pm Written by Brian Cunniff Wednesday, October 03, 2012 05:20 am

LCM's McKeown surpasses 50 goals, ties program record

Lower Cape May Regional High School junior Gabriella McKeown, just a junior, recorded the 50^th and 51^st goals of her career and tied former teammate Frankie Gibson’s program goal-scoring record in the process as the Lower Cape May Regional girls soccer team wilted Wildwood Catholic, 8-0, on Tuesday afternoon.

The goals in Tuesday’s victory were McKeown’s 21^st and 22^nd of the season, which, as of Tuesday afternoon, was tops in the state.

McKeown also entered this week leading the state in assists with 13. That’s not by accident, either. McKeown’s field vision and the presence of other teammates who can finish, in particular sophomore Madie Gibson, has led to McKeown being as much a distributor as she is a scorer. Gibson scored four times in Tuesday’s win over Catholic, which improved the Lady Tigers to 8-2.

Read more: LCM's McKeown surpasses 50 goals, ties program record