Looking to Bounce Back

Week two of the season for the Hawks presents a tough challenge in the form of the Black Bears of Maine. Going into the fall, I would have put this game as maybe the most difficult of the three non-conference games that MU has on the schedule. That doesn't change after what happened in week one with a comeback that fell six inches short against Colgate has left Monmouth in that position of avoiding an 0-2 start.

There are certainly positives that the coaches and players can take out of the loss to Raiders which most importantly includes battling back from a 30-13 deficit and have an opportunity to win in the last two minutes when it could've gotten a whole lot worse. The downside for Monmouth is that there are no moral victories in sports and 0-2 can be tough to bounce back from for any team so the pressure is on for this batch of Hawks.

Maine is in a similiar situation as the Black Bears got blanked on the scoreboard by Albany in a 3-0 loss last Thursday. UM plays in arguably the best FCS conference in the country in the Colonial Athletic Association and a look at their schedule would tell you that this game is equally as important to Maine as it is to Monmouth to get an early win. Next up after Monmouth for Maine in order; Syracuse, William and Mary, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Villanova. YIKES.

Keys to this one for the Hawks ..

Get off to a good start on both sides of the ball .. The defense, which has been hampered by injuries, needs to make some first half stops and help get the offense the ball more then four times in the first 30 minutes. Some fault falls to the offense who had three seperate 3 and outs in the first half. It has to be more balanced with both sides of the ball are helping out each other.

Open the field up & get it deep .. There was a lot of talk in the preseason about the receiving core for this team and the great mix of speed and possession that the wideouts had. Several of them got a touch or two against Colgate but missing was freshman Mitchell Pollard who is the speed guy for this offense. An early touch for #88 would only open things up for names like Romeo, George, and Folsom.

Keep kicking game rolling .. Jack Daniels looks like a different punter than the past couple years and is crushing the ball right now. Eric Spillane performed very well in his first collegiate game. Coverage units need some work but Bobby Giles took one back 90 yards for a score.

Kickoff is at 1pm in the home opener at Kessler Field .. Pregame at 12:45pm .. 1160/1310 AM

Let the Games Begin

One of the hottest weeks of the summer wouldn't make you think about the football season getting started but there a lot of teams hitting the gridiron this weekend to start off the 2010 season. Among those teams are the Monmouth University Hawks under the direction of the only head coach the school has ever known, Kevin Callahan. MU has a repeat season opener as they head back up to Colgate for a 6pm kickoff on Saturday night.



There are many questions that surround this year's edition of the Blue and White. Here are some the big ones that I see;



>>>How does MU survive the first three non-conferernce games?



Colgate, Maine, and Old Dominion .. That is a tough way to start the season as the Raiders are picked to win the Patriot League and start the year in the top 25 while Maine is a usually a very solid playoff type team and one would think ODU is seeking revenge after Monmouth took a 31-28 decision in 2009.



The positives in the schedule for this stretch would be two of these games are at home with a bye week sandwiched in between weeks two and three. So what is an acceptable start to the season? 2-1 would be great I think and part of that is to try to grab the first one against Colgate. 1-2 would be OK as long as the team plays well and stays healthy because it really boils down to the conference slate in the big picture and trying to grab the first ever automatic bid into the FCS playoffs for the Northeast Conference.

>>>Can the defense be better than it was a year ago?

The easiest answer is, let's hope so. At times last year the defense won a game or two for the Hawks but more often than not on that side of the ball gave up too many big plays at bad times. The concern is the front seven with only Dave Ogden back in the front four and the linebacking corps battling thru some injuries. Monmouth will need to mix and match a little bit until everyone is healthy or some other players emerge from a talented group of underclassmen.

The good news is the secondary could be loaded with Jose Gumbs and Kendall Haley both all conference type players and the corners should be solid as well with names like Bynum, Phillips, Amsel, and Avent. This could be the deepest group that MU has had in the back four in a long time.



>>>What does Monmouth do to replace Dave Sinisi?

This is a tough one because he was everything for this team week in and week out. I think gone are the days where anyone carries the ball more then 20 times a game and the passing game is crucial to the Hawks success this year. Replacing Sinisi can't be done but spreading the ball around can be done and you might be surprised by the balance of this unit this season and how it helps out.

Kyle Frazier being back at QB helps a ton and names like Giles & Sloan El will have to carry the workload in backfield because no team can win without at least a presence of a running game. The receiving unit is as loaded as it has been in years with a potential of 7 receivers really making an impact and that doesn't even include TE Tyler George who is a favorite target of Frazier.



>>>How much has Kyle Frazier improved in the offseason?

He has looked pretty good in the two scrimmages I saw and you would have to think that with a whole year under his belt that things will be much smoother for Frazier. He has an excellent arm and with the offense having some new weapons for him to throw to, it might make the transition away from Sinisi much easier.

He has the tools and showed flashes of brillance last season and now this is his team for sure. There will be a lot expected from him this season and he really does hold the key for the Hawks to have a successful season. With a very good offensive line in front of him, it should make life better for #10.

>>>Can the special teams be an asset this year?

With Jack Daniels booming kicks in preseason it looks like the punting game is in good shape and the kicking game should be better and more consistent with Eric Spillane and Jared Goodarz sharing the load for now. MU has some explosive guys returning kicks as well with names like Romeo, Pollard, & Giles all having the ability to take one back to the house.

Round 2 plus more

Pretty solid weekend for the Shore Conference in last week's opening round of the state playoffs here in NJ. I would have to say no big surprises, even Brick Memorial winning as a road underdog is not a major shock. I have always thought the second round, or section semifinals, is the best round of the tournament. Teams are fighting for a birth in the finals and really the teams we weren't sure about have been eliminated.

Really looking forward to working the RFH-Manasquan game on Friday night. Can't think of too many times that the Warriors have had to travel this early in the tournament in the past and one has to wonder if the 9-0 record that Bulldogs have posted so far this season will stand up. This is one of those statement games for RFH; playing at home with an undefeated record against a team with so much tradition it could compare to a Big Ten school. A win for the Dawgs shows how far Head Coach Shane Fallon has taken this program as RFH has gotten more attention the past few years but for so long they were the team that missed the playoffs because of a heavy Group 1 schedule.

I am not sure who has more pressure on them to win this game but I could bet that both Fallon and Manasquan Head Coach Pete Cahill are trying to play the underdog role. Tough for the Big Blue to ever consider themselves a true dog with all that they have accomplished since 1990. Being a Shore Conference fan, this is a special group with Matawan & Raritan playing a rematch game on the other side of the bracket. Four very good teams should make for a great weekend of football.


The Hawks of Monmouth wrap things up this weekend at home against Robert Morris on Saturday at 12 noon. My broadcast partner, Eddy Occ, during this past MU season will take over the play by play reins for this game and work with Ed Sarluca. I am off to Staten Island to cover Wagner and Albany as the NEC TV game of the week. Gonna miss my Hawks this weekend as it has been nothing short of a pleasure to cover them this season. Good Luck MU!!!

Let the playoffs begin

Gotta love when the postseason starts here in NJ for high school football. With a new and revamped playoff system, all the teams that qualified are ready to roll this weekend. Looking forward to getting back behind the microphone with Kevin & Ed on Friday night, down at the home of Raiders (seems like it has been forever but only two weeks).

I don't think there is a team around the Shore Conference with more to prove than Toms River East. The Raiders bring an undefeated record, 8-0, and a high powered offense into their first round matchup with Washington Township. Why all the added pressure on Charlie Diskin's bunch, because all the talent that TRE has had over the years they have not one state title to show for it. Now, let's be fair, state titles are not easy to come by so I think in a way it is a little over the to brand the Raiders a bust in the states. They play in a very tough group, South Jersey IV, and do not get the benefit of a very difficult regular season schedule.

This year is a good case in point as they breezed thru the Constiution division, blowing out most by sizable margins, and not able to play the toughest team (TRN) on their schedule until Thanksgiving week. It is not easy to win games in the postseason let alone state titles BUT I think it is fair to expect the Raiders are not one and done this year as they have been in the past.

This is a year that all the Central Jersey brackets have a good shot to have a Shore team win the section. Asbury is a clear favorite in Group 1, seems like every team in CJ II is a Shore Conference team, Middletown South is the top seed in CJ III and would love a return to the top, and Howell will look to avenge its only loss of the season as one of the top dogs in CJ IV. I don't see any state champs coming from South Jersey this season and of course RBC has a crazy draw.

GOOD LUCK ALL SHORE TEAMS!!!

Well deserved for Coach Cal

Normally I wait until the middle of the week to post my thoughts but sitting here now late on a Saturday night or early on a Sunday morning I couldn't hold those thoughts any longer. After broadcasting the Monmouth-Bryant football game this afternoon I reflected back on the school's football history. Today was an incredible milestone both for MU and Coach Callahan as win #100 didn't easy with a 10-6 victory over the Bulldogs. It seems like just yesterday the announcement was made that Monmouth College was starting a football program and Kevin Callahan was going to take over the Hawks in his first ever college head coaching position. Now in his 17th year, Coach Cal has been the foundation for a school that really needed this experiment to work.

I have often wondered why Coach Callahan has never left Monmouth for greener pastures; a bigger school, more money, more scholarships, and a better atmosphere would all seem to make sense. His credentials would certainly indicate he could have left many times over with five conference championships, a mid-major national championship, and a recipient of the NEC Coach of the Year award three times. He has turned out dozens all-conference players but even more important he has shown every player who paid attention the right way to act toward others and there are things more important than football. I'm not even sure I have ever asked Coach the question about leaving MU because in a way I along with many others wouldn't even want to think about him not being on the sidelines for the blue and white.

Being part of the first ever team in 1993, I remember a lot about that first season. The wintertime workouts before the incoming freshman had ever stepped foot on campus, the first summer, the first game (Stonehill College), the first win (St. Peters), and for me the disappointment of being hurt most of the year. My football career stopped before the 1994 season as a variety of injuries had made my body breakdown and I still remember going into Coach Callahan's office right before camp started in August and telling him I was unable to keep playing.

Classy as ever, he told me to take care of myself, thanked me for my time and effort in the program, and let me know the door was always open to come back. I never was able to return to the playing field but I have entered the side door to get back in the program on three different occasions; once as a student broadcaster on WMCX and twice as a professional. The constant has always been the way I have been treated by Coach, the way he runs the football program, and the care he shows for other people.

I was reminded of this caring over the last two weeks as I dealt and continue to deal with the sudden passing of my own father. Our regular weekly meeting turned into a counseling session where Coach Cal knew just when to talk and just when to listen. He didn't pull any punches or say everything was going to be alright because he knew it wasn't going to be having lost his own father at a young age as well. He promised tough days ahead, more tears, and a grieving process that never really ends. So far, he has been right on the money. The hour I spent in his office was an hour that I needed to cry, be angry, and express my disbelief that this had all happened. He didn't hesitate to push the pause button on his busy day, close the door and give me all the time I needed. It was an hour I can never repay him for but one I will never forget anytime I do anything Monmouth football related.

In typical fashion, when asked about the game against Bryant and his 100th win, Coach Callahan said this win was about the program and its players. I wouldn't expect anything less because in a way it is a tribute to anyone who has donned a Monmouth helmet but from someone who has been a MU supporter since we started in 1993 I am here to say this milestone has more to do with Coach Cal than anyone else associated with MU football. If you ask me, back in 1992, Monmouth found the perfect balance of a coach who can win but who also knows the importance of life off the field.

That coach and man is Kevin Callahan. Congratulations Coach Cal on win #100.

Midpoint swing games ..

We are at the midpoint of the regular season for both high school football and the Monmouth University season and each of our games this week have striking similiarties. They are what we would call a swing game as a win and your season either takes a major upturn or at the very least you keep alive chances for something positive to happen later on during the fall. A loss can be dooming on so many levels for any of these three teams which we will see this weekend.

Let's start first with our Friday night game between Toms River North and Southern Regional. This has developed into a pretty solid rivalry over the last few years and was very one sided until the state playoffs last season when the Rams finally won a game. The 2009 game features several sidebars that will dictate how far either of these teams can go.

A win for TRN and the Mariners keep alive their chances for a share of an American division championship and bolster their state playoff chances with a win over a fellow group 4 school. A loss and it will be anchors away at the division title and a second loss will mean no more slip-ups before the state playoff cutoff or it will be very tough to qualify. On the flip side, the Rams already have two losses, only one of which is the division, and still have to play the #1 team in the Shore (Howell). The way things shake out right now for both Southern & TRN is that they each need to keep winning and the Rebels to lose at some point in the division to have a shot at a co/tri championship. So this becomes a divisional elimination game coupled with the fact that a third loss for Southern will likely doom their chances of getting back into the state playoffs.

For Monmouth, there are some of the same aspects that follow the Hawks into their game with Sacred Heart this Saturday. A disappointing effort last weekend against Wagner has MU with their backs against wall in what now is a must win game before Albany comes to West Long Branch on October 24th. Monmouth can ill afford a second conference loss if they have any chance of a NEC title or a postseason birth. With a win, there will be a lot of juice for the Albany game as going into the season most would have figured that the Hawks were one of the only teams that could challenge the Great Danes. A win also gets MU back to .500 at 3-3 overall. A loss this weekend against Sacred Heart and the season could take a downward swing that would tough to change.



Broadcast Information ..

THURSDAY: The High School Football Show 6PM - 8PM .. Live from Boston's (Toms River)
FRIDAY Game Of The WeekSouthern @ Toms River North6:45PM pre-game on 1160 WOBM AM, FoxSports1310 & 105.7 The Hawk
SATURDAY Monmouth University FootballMonmouth @ Sacred Heart12:50PM pre-game on 1160 WOBM AM and FoxSports1310

Not sold on it yet ..

There has been a good deal of attention placed on the games this high school football season that involve teams from the Shore Conference and teams from Middlesex county. I am well aware that there are both positives and negatives to be taken from this arrangement but one of the things I am not sure the powers that be really took into account was the impact on the fans.

First, there is increased travel in a lot of cases and that goes for both teams. A bus ride down to Monmouth or Ocean county wouldn't be anything as a fan or parent I would be looking forward to coming from Middlesex Cuonty and vice versa. I realize making a trip to Pinelands or Matawan wouldn't be a whole lot of fun either depending on where you are coming from but at least those are still Shore Conference teams so it has some logic to it.

Second, it does not do a whole lot to booster fan support. Take this weekend as an example, how much interest could there possibly be in the school or community for these games; Freehold Township at Sayreville, Carteret at Red Bank Catholic, Long Branch at South Plainfield, Colonia at Ocean, Monmouth at Highland Park, or Holmdel at JFK-Iselin. I would be shocked if anyone outside of the coaches and maybe a few players knew the nicknames of any of the teams they were playing this week. Is that a big deal? Probably not in the grand scheme of things but wouldn't be nice when talking about game with a fellow fan to say, "Those (fill in the blank with a team name) have a great defense and tough running game." Let's be honest, most schools have a hard time getting big crowds out to watch games anyway and to me these games do not help at all.

Third and finally, I am not sure how to make the system better and the people that in charge of the process will never make everyone happy and certainly know more about it than I do. That being said, I would much rather go back to the days when teams scheduled who they wanted as non-conference games as you are talking about three games anyway and they usually work as a home and home series. So at worst you stuck playing a team twice before you can find another matchup that might work better. It really didn't work when the computer did it for the past several years as we got major mismatches each and every year but at least they were Shore Conference mismatches and not teams with no connection at all.

Not sure how many of you heard the discussion we have been having on the Thursday night show about the new football divisions for next year and while I think this a step in the right direction, I see some big flaws in this plan too. Why was there 7th division created with the same number of teams playing football (43)? I like the idea of going back to a more local division schedule but why label one division a "C" division when there are three "A" and three "B" divisions? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me especially when you look at the teams in it. I like the divisions having the names that they do now and finally when everyone has gotten used to them it goes back the other way. I am sure in two more years there will be another plan but I would love coming up with something that could stick around for awhile.

Have a great football weekend!!!



Broadcast info this week/weekend .. 10/8 .. High School Football Show .. Live @ Boston's in Toms River .. 6pm to 8pm .. 1160 WOBM AM & FOX Sports 1310 .. 10/9 .. TRN @ Brick Memorial .. 7pm kickoff .. 1160 WOBM AM & FOX Sports 1310 & 105.7 FM The Hawk .. 10/10 .. Monmouth vs Wagner .. 1pm kickoff .. 1160 WOBM AM & FOX Sports 1310 .. listen to all three broadcasts on the web at shoresportsnetwork.com