Shore's best suiting up for all-star game
Freehold Township hosting March 19 basketball event
High school rivals will become teammates at the March 19 Shore Basketball Coaches Association's Senior All-Star Game.

Freehold Township High School is hosting the annual event that brings together the top senior girls and boys in the Shore Conference in a North-South battle.

The girls will tip off at 6 p.m. and the boys at 8 p.m. At halftime of each game, there will be a three-point shooting contest.

Among the rivals who will become teammates are Red Bank Catholic's (RBC) Kristina Danella, the Kerwin Award winner as the best player in the Shore, and Rumson-Fair Haven's Candice Green.

RBC and Rumson waged a number of memorial battles during the four-year careers of Danella and Green, and now they will be able to appreciate each other's talents as teammates on the North All- Star team.

Joining them on the North squad are: Samia Boynton, Keyport; Deanna Mendelson, Red Bank Regional; Kandace Johnson, Raritan; Theresa Sparaco, Ocean Township; Jen Mocanu, Middletown North; Dana Graziano, Holmdel; Lauren Florio, Mater Dei; Erika Reckage, Wall; Kim Fiorentino, Holmdel; Jill Gannon, Middletown South; Kate Benedit, Shore Regional; Tia Curtis, Monmouth Regional; and Shawna Hagen, Middletown South.

Besides one-time rivals becoming teammates, the game also allows teammates to play one last game together. Denise Crudup and Michelle Blum led Howell to a 22-5 season and a share of the Shore Conference A North title this winter. They head up the South team.

Adj Tepedino of Freehold Township, who competed against Crudup and Blum the last four years, will be on their side this time.

Completing the South squad are: Janine Mullin, St. Rose; Amanda Feldman, Pinelands; Katy Grissler, Point Pleasant Boro; Stephanie Mayfield, Lacey; Annie McCarthy, Brick Memorial; Danielle Thomas, Toms River East; Becky Metzger, Point Pleasant Borough; Amanda Malkiewicz, Lacey; Quasonna Moore, Freehold Borough;Adrian Hunter, Toms River North; and Erica Kane, Toms River East.

Frank Mohler (Red Bank Regional), Darren Ault (Mater Dei) and Liz Keene (Middletown North) are the North All- Star coaches, while Patty Cooke (Lacey), Rayna Post (Brick Memorial) and Keith Lowe (Pinelands) are the South's coaching trio.

Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) has developed quite a rivalry with Freehold Township, and most recently Colts Neck. The players from these teams can put the rivalries aside at the Senior All-Star Game and join forces.

CBA's Mike Kuhn and Freehold Township's Kevin Fischer are representing their teams on the North squad while Colts Neck is sending the Shore's best one-two combo, Mitchell Kates, the male Kerwin Award winner, and Steve Spinella, who led the Shore in scoring.

This quartet makes for a very strong team that has the likes of Gary Foster and Terry Hicks of the Shore Conference Tournament champion Neptune and Garrett Thiel of Central Jersey Group III championMiddletown South. RBR'sMatt Pebole and Will Sanborn will suite up for the last time in high school as teammates.

Completing the North's roster are: Eric Devllin, Keyport; Tony Ganter, St. John Vianney; Ryan Kresge, Holmdel; Chris Saray,Manalapan; Josh Vital, Keansburg; and Andrew Walsh, RBC.

Tom Carter and Kyle Milana, who led Monsignor Donovan to a division title and the Shore Conference Tournament final, and Asbury Park's tandem of Steve Raymond and Darryl Jefferson, who took the Blue Bishops to a division crown in '08, head the South stars.

Others on the team are: Marvin Brodie, Manchester; Brandon Carter, Freehold Borough; Ricardo Ferguson, Barnegat; Chris Heine, St. Rose; Justin Hodges, Jackson Memorial; Paul Huch, Pinelands; James Plummer, Central Regional; Tim Reddan, Brick Township; Ben Tumas, Manasquan; CoryWeissman, Jackson Memorial; and Jordan Young, Wall Township.