From Toms River to Norfolk ...

It has been a little different for me this season as the play by play voice for the Shore Sports Network adding Monmouth University football into the mix along with our award winning high school broadcasts. This weekend is a perfect example as we broadcast the Toms River South vs. Toms River East game on Friday. The biggest change is rather than the normal Saturday afternoon game somewhere around the Shore Conference I will jumping a plane in the morning and flying down to Virginia where the Hawks will try and even their record at 2-2.



The way I see it right now is I have the best of both worlds, doing the high school games on Friday and keep up with the area teams and the spot I have occupied now for over ten years and Monmouth on Saturdays where everything moves a little faster on the field. That being said, I can't wait for both matchups this weekend.


First up, the all Toms River matchup that features the Indians and the Raiders. I have always loved these games that involve real rivals and if you toss in Toms River North you have a great and natural trio. TRE is off to a great start with one of the shore's best in Nico Sterti running the ball and always a hard hitting defense. TRS has one thing going for it heading into this game, the hope of a let down by TRE. The Raiders have started off with two wins including a tough 14-7 conquest of Lacey last week while the Indians got beat up by TRN in week one and blew a big lead against the Midd North last weekend. The status of Robert Whitfield (TRS RB) is still up in the air with a shoulder injury but it sounds he will give it a shot. That is good news for South as he is the one big time player the team has.


Saturday night, the Hawks wrap up their non-conference schedule playing at Old Dominion. The Monarchs have gotten off to a great start winning their first three, not bad when you consider this the first time that ODU has had football since 1940. I would guess this is a similiar situation to when Monmouth traveled down to Coastal Carolina two weeks ago. CCU is a fairly new program with a great staduim, tons of support, and aspirations of becoming a big-time football program either that the FCS or eventually the FBS level. ODU looks to have much of the same with a stadium that seats almost 20 thousand fans and an area of Virginia that was really missing a college football program (a rarity in the South).


Good things for Monmouth going into this one, a week three victory over Duquesne for a Hawk team that had battled hard in losses to Colgate & Coastal. Nothing cures a team's ills more than winning, at home and in the conference no less. The defense is still giving up too many yards and needs some more consistent play but made huge plays when they needed to last week against the Dukes. Offensively, MU still needs to find some balance between David Sinisi carrying too much of the load and having each of their QB's look for some more down the field throws that will open up the ground game.


Broadcast Information .. Friday Night .. TRS @ TRE .. 6:50 pregame on 1160 WOBM & Fox Sports 1310 .. Kick off is at 7pm and 105.7 the Hawk will join the broadcast .. Saturday night .. MU @ ODU .. 5:45 pregame .. 6pm kickoff .. 1160 WOBM & Fox Sports 1310 .. Both broadcasts are streamed on the web at shoresportsnetwork.com ..