1. BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BORO — From a Pan-
ther with four legs to a Sea
Gull with two wings, Point
Boro’s Frank Graziano has
committed to play baseball at
Salisbury University on a full
academic scholarship.
For Point Boro, when
Graziano is not chasing down
balls in centerfield he is usu-
ally throwing strikes from the
pitcher’s mound. With his
commitment to Salisbury he
has the opportunity to con-
tinue showcasing his dual
player abilities as a pitcher
and an outfielder.
“I am also really excited
about having the opportunity
pitch, hit and play the out-
field,” said Graziano. “Not
many college coaches allow
you the opportunity to prove
yourself as a dual player. That
made a big difference in my
decision to commit to SU.”
Another big factor in
Graziano’s decision process
was Salisbury’s head coach
Troy Brohawn.
“Coach Brohawn is such a
nice man and has such an in-
credible background,” said
Graziano. “I can’t wait to play
for him and learn from him,
especially knowing about his
experience as a major league
pitcher.”
Brohawn was a fourth-
round selection for the San
Francisco Giants in the
MLB’s first-year player draft.
This led to a 12-year profes-
sional career as a pitcher
where he spent 11 seasons
within three organizations in
the National League West Di-
vision, which included 82 ma-
jor league appearances. Bro-
hawn earned a World Series
ring in 2001 as a relief pitcher
for the Arizona Diamond-
backs.
2015 was his first campaign
as head coach of the Sea
Gulls and led them all the
way to the first round of the
College World Series and an
overall record of 33-6-1.
“I can’t wait to begin play-
ing at the college level. I’ve
worked really hard to get to
SPORTS
The Ocean Star
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015 PAGE 33
OVERTIME 34
BOYS SOCCER 35
BOYS CROSS-COUNTRY 37
SEE GRAZIANO PAGE 36
LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID DREW RIGHT PHOTO STEVE WEXLER
Frank Graziano signs his letter of intent to play baseball for Salisbury University on a full academic scholarship. Celebrating the moment with him are Point Boro head coach David Drew [from left], parents Frank
Graziano Sr. and Collen Graziano, guidance counselor Karen Lucci and coach Art Gordon. At Salisbury Graziano will major in exercise science and athletic training with a future goal of pursuing sports medicine.
Graziano ready to be a dual threat at Salisbury University
Boro standout will play
baseball for Salisbury U
on a full academic
scholarship
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BORO — The last time the Point
Boro girls cross-country team featured
runners in the Meet of Champions was
back in 2010. It has been a long five
years but on Saturday the Panthers were
out in full force to support junior Katie
Bragen on the big stage at Holmdel Park.
“The whole experience was awesome
for our team. You couldn't miss how ex-
cited the girls were for Katie and to be
part of the whole day,” said head coach
Billy Kostenko. “This is a great group. I
am fortunate to get to work with such a
hard working, caring group of girls.”
Bragen has been one of Boro’s top
runners since her freshman year but this
was her first time making it to the Meet
of Champs for cross-country. The gravi-
ty of the race did not play into her mind-
set though.
“I thought Katie handled the level of
competition very well,” stated Kostenko.
“It was her first cross-country Meet of
Champions, but she made it in indoor
track last year and I think that prepared
her for this kind of race. She didn’t seem
phased by it.”
Against the toughest competition the
state has to offer on the hilly Holmdel
course Bragen clocked in at 19:58 for a
58th-place finish.
While her finish did not earn a medal
it was a great learning experience for
the junior who has one more year to get
back to the Meet of Champs.
“Katie is such a quick learner. She
processes experiences so quickly and so
accurately so I imagine she has already
GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY
Bragen reps
Point Boro
The Panther junior ran a time of
19:58 for 58th in first XC
Meet of Champions appearance
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BORO — Two years in a row the
Point Boro girls soccer team made their
way to the section title game but this year’s
outcome was different than the last.
“We were in the sectional final last year
against Sterling at home 3-2,” said head
coach Mike Edolo. “I don’t think the girls
wanted to feel that again.”
It was a Kaitlyn Seitter overtime goal
that propelled the Panthers to victory and
on to the group championship tournament.
Unfortunately, the Panthers fell one goal
shy but that just becomes the motivation
for next season.
“We want to play for a state final. That is
our motivation moving forward,” stated
Edolo. “We came up just short of that goal
this year but it is there for us. We just have
to stay focused and go after it.”
The Panther squad is a young one but
had the advantage of strong leadership
from their senior players. Amy Bergquist,
Jenna Andujar, Sabina Graziano, Robin
Fiorentino, Lauren Onnembo and Hope
Savino all contributed to the team’s 19 wins
throughout the season while the younger
players picked up on what it takes to win.
The Panthers only lost three games this
fall season and each came by the way of
one goal.
“I think we knew how to be successful
this year whereas last year we were learn-
ing how to be successful. That year’s worth
of experience allowed us to realize what
was on the line and to keep our composure
when things didn’t go our way,” explained
Edolo.
“Tough losses are the ones that stick
with you so hopefully the girls can use that
as motivation moving forward,” he added.
He also pointed out that during those
games the team lost, there were opportuni-
ties to score that they did not capitalize on
POINT BORO GIRLS SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Panthers to continue striving for greatness
STEVE WEXLER THE OCEAN STAR
Robin Fiorentino [No. 18] and Julia Fitzsimmons [No. 5] battle against a West Deptford player for possesion dur-
ing Boro’s sectional title win. The Panthers won 21 seconds into the first overtime period.
Point Pleasant Boro won first sec-
tional title since the 2009 season
SEE POINT BORO PAGE 35SEE GREATNESS PAGE 36

2. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COMPAGE 34 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015 SPORTS
The other day as I perused
the Internet to pass the time I
came across a photo that
peaked my interest.
It was a simple picture of a
person running and the shot
was from the waist down.
Along with it was a line that
read, “I run because I can.”
A simple line to match the
simple nature of the photo-
graph, but as I read it again it
began to hold more and more
meaning.
I searched for the quote to
find the person who spoke it
but I have not been able to
find an attribution, although I
did find that the five words
were part of a bigger quote.
“I run because I can. When
I get tired, I remember those
who can’t run — what they’d
give to have this simple gift I
take for granted — and I run
harder for them. I know they
would do the same for me.”
It’s fitting to come across
this quote with Thanksgiving
being celebrated yesterday
and more holidays just
around the corner but for me,
and, I would like to think for
you athletes out there, this
quote is about much more
than just running.
According to the National
Collegiate Athletic Associa-
tion’s website www.ncaa.org
out of the almost eight mil-
lion students participating in
high school athletics in the
United States, only 460,000
of them will compete at
NCAA schools. That’s a
whopping 5.75 percent, which
means at some point athletic
careers will end for the ma-
jority of those playing sports.
My athletic career ended
after my senior year of high
school but I did and still try
to play recreationally and I
never take it for granted.
What I’m saying is to be
thankful that you have the
opportunity to play sports no
matter how brief you play
them for.
As the quote said, “I run
because I can.”
There are abundant
amounts of people who do
not have the capability to
participate in a sport. There
are numerous reasons for
what limits them and that
makes your ability to partici-
pate in sports that much
more special.
But please do not confuse
the word “special” with the
word “better.” It does not
make you better than some-
one who cannot do what you
do, just different. The real
beauty of it is that more and
more people are finding ways
to include everybody in these
sports you play every day.
Keep in mind that not every-
one can do what you do and
it is better to help those that
cannot than brag about what
you can. That being said,
make sure you take the time
to realize how lucky you are
to reap the benefits of high
school athletics.
Be thankful you can wake
up and run seven miles at the
crack of dawn.
Be thankful that you can
throw a football 50 yards
downfield.
Be thankful that you can
aim and kick a soccer ball
into the net from 25 yards out.
Be thankful that you have
the ability to jump up and
block a spike at the net.
Be thankful that you can
hit the vault board at full
speed, hit a couple midair
tucks and stick the landing
on two strong legs.
Be thankful that you can
swing a tennis racket again
and again and again during a
long match.
Never stop being thankful.
Beyond the actual act of
playing sports, be thankful
for the opportunities that ex-
tend from being a part of a
team. Lifelong friendships,
leadership skills, teamwork
and drive are all things that
contribute to your day-to-day
life for the rest of your life.
Be thankful for those that
have helped you along the
way whether it be a sibling
that always challenged you to
be better or your dad that got
you involved in a sport you
never thought you’d like or
your mother that drives you
to every practice and makes
sure you have the right gear
to stay safe out on the field or
court.
And when someone asks
you why you do what you do,
remember it all starts with
the simple fact that you can.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-
7606 Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter
@dompollio.
The Meet of Champions
is the most prestigious race
when it comes to cross-
country and it is a rare treat
when a runner qualifies
from Point Pleasant.
The last time Point Boro
had a runner reach the final
race of the season was back
in 2008. Freshman runner,
Devin Hart changed that
when he ran in Saturday’s
race at Holmdel Park as the
only Panther that qualified.
“To reach this race it took
a lot of hard work, so I'd
first like to thank my coach
and training partner Dylan
Peters for working with me
through the season to
achieve what I have,” he
said. “I feel that by qualify-
ing for this competition, I
am representing my team
and district.”
Peters, a senior, has
worked with Hart all season
and the two have exchanged
first place finishes through-
out. It is rare for a freshman
to to make the race and this
year only featured eight.
Hart finished second
among the freshman class,
63rd overall and appreciat-
ed the learning opportunity
that came with the difficult
race.
“Competitively, this race
differed from others mostly
due to the level of skill and
talent that was present. The
race went out much faster
than I expected, which
caught me by surprise ini-
tially but by settling in to a
good position I was able to
hold a fairly steady pace the
whole race to finish with a
time 15 seconds off my per-
sonal best at Holmdel,” ex-
plained the freshman.
Boro head coach Kevin
Conheeney sees the future
of the program in Hart and
knows he can only improve
in the comin years if he
stays healthy and dedicated.
“I see instinct in Devin
Hart that you cannot teach,”
stated Conheeney. “I know
that his determinatoin and
desire to achieve will moti-
vate him in sports and
throughout whatever life
has to offer. It is a spirit that
I hope remains unbroken.”
Hart is already gearing up
for the indoor track season
but has clear goals in mind
for his cross-country career,
saying, “I plan to step up my
mileage from this year dur-
ing the summer and attend
some camps so that I can
hopefully win the sectional
race next year, groups as a
junior, and as a senior to
win the meet of Champions
either individually or as a
team.”
Sneakers Plus Athlete of the Week
DEVIN HART
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K-Mart Plaza, Hwy. 35, Wall
732-280-2921
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Freshman Hart represents Boro at MOC
“I see instinct in
Devin Hart that you
cannt teach. I know
that his determina-
tion and desire to
achieve will moti-
vate him in sports
and throughout
whatever life has to
offer. It is a spirtit
that I hope remains
unbroken.”
KEVINCONHEENEY
BoroCross-CountryCoach
OVERTIME BY DOMINICK POLLIO
The sport of being thankful
POINT BEACH TENNIS NOTEBOOK
Gulls look to offseason for much needed recuperation time
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BEACH — Working
with injuries throughout the
season made it difficult for
the Point Beach tennis team
to consistently have the same
players working on the court
each match but they still
managed a productive 11-6
season.
In addition, three out of the
four entrants in the Ocean
County Tournament made it
to the semifinal round.
One player who embodied
progress and improvement
all season was sophomore
Kylee Kells. Most of the sea-
son she played third singles
but when injuries started set-
ting in she would be bumped
up to play second singles.
Kells walked away with the
Ocean County third singles
title after defeating one-seed-
ed Isabella Sierchio of Toms
River North.
“We also had a goal to
qualify for the state tourna-
ment and we made it to the
semifinals,” stated head
coach Kim Pellerito.
This was the result of the
players working hard all sea-
son to continually improve
their craft no matter the situ-
ation.
“Over the past year several
players worked on their game
and really improved. I’m ex-
cited to report that this is
continuing and even more
players are joining in,” said
Pellerito. “Not only do they
enjoy the game but they want
to improve their game.”
The team will look to the
offseason to recover from the
season’s injuries and keep fit.
“Offseason for tennis is
hard. You can’t really play
outdoors and indoor time can
be very expensive,” explained
Pellerito. “I encourage the
girls to stay in shape and heal
what was ailing at the end.
Conditioning is very impor-
tant and can be done in a va-
riety of ways.”
Some of the players on the
team participate in other
sports throughout the school
year that keep them in shape.
This makes it easier to stay
motivated during the offsea-
son and be ready for next
year’s start.
Moving forward with the
program, Pellerito hopes it
can keep growing and that
she can continue to find the
best ways to teach and moti-
vate her players.
“Looking at your team on
day one of the pre-season,
then mid-season and again on
the last day, you see the pros
and cons of their growth. You
want them to play at a specif-
ic level, but certain things get
lost in the mad dash that is
the girls tennis season,” ex-
plained Pellerito. “Next year,
I want to focus on some dif-
ferent items in the pre-season
that will potentially make us
stronger mentally on the
court.”
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-
7606 Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter
@dompollio.
Pellerito hopes to keep
team motivated and
mentally sharp
DOMINICK POLLIO THE OCEAN STAR
Kylee Kells serves a ball during a home tennis match in September.
Kells won the Ocean County title for third singles this season.
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3. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COM FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015 THE OCEAN STAR PAGE 35SPORTS
Subscribe to The Ocean Star! 732-899-7606
POINT BEACH BOYS SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Challenging season paves way for young team’s future
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THEOCEANSTAR
POINT BEACH — The Garnet
Gulls boys soccer team started
the fall season with three loss-
es in a row before righting the
ship to finish the season at 11-9-
1. Along the way they realized
their potential and learned
how working as a team breeds
success.
The young offense coupled
with an experienced defense
really stepped up to every chal-
lenge they faced throughout
the fall.
“Our offense really picked it
up this year. We were scoring
lots of goals and creating more
opportunities than ever,” said
head coach Mike Baiata. “Our
defense and goalkeeper did a
great job keeping games close
to give a chance at winning
games.”
Senior Ryan Franzoni tend-
ed goal for the Garnet Gulls all
year and played his best game
of the season in a 1-0 loss to
Shore Regional in the state
tournament. Fellow senior Joey
LaDuca was an adamant force
on defense with a lot of great
assists up field to the leading
goal scorers who are all sopho-
mores.
Aris Papoutsakis, Danny
Savage and Mike Ciorlian led
the team in goals and stepped
up as young players that have a
lot to offer the team in the
coming years.
Even though Point Beach
did not win a tournament or
the division Baiata knows the
season was a success.
“We were very competitive
in the B Central division as
well as the state tournament,”
he stated. “We definitely have
some improvements to make
in order to win our division
and advance further in the
state tournament but we are
ready for those challenges next
year.”
The offseason work is what
will contribute most to next
year’s squad and the young
players on the varsity team as
well as a handful of freshman
players that were picked up
from junior varsity show
promise. Baiata hopes to foster
a work ethic and drive to con-
stantly work towards improv-
ing all aspects of their game.
“Keep playing, get in the
gym and do anything to better
yourselves for next year,” said
Baiata. “I think kids just need
to be active in the offseason.
Playing soccer always helps
but any activity that keeps
them moving and in shape and
having fun is good for them.”
This year’s senior class is the
first group of players Baiata
has had the honor of coaching
from their freshman year. It
was just as much of a learning
experience for him as it was for
the players. Most importantly,
Baiata has learned to always be
a motivator and encourage his
players in everything they do
in an effort to tap in to their
greatest potential.
“I have learned a lot in the
past few seasons. I am con-
stantly learning from the play-
ers,” he explained. “I will be en-
couraging them all offseason to
keep pushing themselves.”
The Garnet Gulls finish out
with a winning record and only
look to get better in the coming
years.
DominickPollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-7606
Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter @dompol-
lio.
STEVE WEXLER THE OCEAN STAR
Danny Savage, a sophomore, contributed pace and physicality to
the Garnet Gulls offense all season.
STEVE WEXLER THE OCEAN STAR
Sophomore Aris Papoutsakis [No. 8] led the Garnet Gulls in scoring
this year with 17 goals and 6 assists.
POINT BORO BOYS SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Panthers always looking to improve
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BORO — When it
boiled down to the final sec-
ond of the last game of the
season it was one goal that
kept the Point Boro boys soc-
cer team from playing soccer
past the whistle.
A 2-1 loss to lower-seeded
Manasquan knocked them
out of the state tournament
but the effort put forth during
the game explains how they
got there in the first place.
“We had four goals when
the season started,” said head
coach Pete Casalino. “We
only achieved one of them
but 16-3-1 is still a record to
be proud of.”
The Panthers claimed the
B South division title but fell
short in the Shore Confer-
ence Tournament with a 3-2
shootout loss to Colts Neck
and then the 2-1 loss to Man-
asquan ended their run at a
sectional title.
Although these big losses
were difficult, they provided
the team with the most in-
sight on how to improve their
play, which helped achieve
their 16 wins.
“The team learned to at-
tack with pace offensively
and to put pressure on the
ball defensively,” stated
Casalino. “When we did that
we were successful. When
we didn’t we ran into trou-
ble.”
The Panthers offense
surged behind the leadership
taken a lot from this race,” said
Kostenko. “After the race she
had a great mindset about what
she accomplished and how the
whole race went and how she
can keep doing better.”
Consistently looking ahead
Kostenko, Bragen and the rest
of the team in attendance all
got a good show of what the
race is like from the environ-
ment, to the course and the
high level of competition.
“There were 15 to 20 team-
mates who made the trip to
cheer and they outdid them-
selves with face paint and body
paint and megaphones. It was
really cool,” stated Kostenko.
“It was also great just to have
so many of them there and get
a taste of it. Hopefully we’ll be
back there racing as a whole
team in the coming years.”
The Meet of Champions
marks the end of the cross-
country season but Bragen’s
running does not stop there.
She will be back in action for
the indoor track season, con-
tinually improving her times
as well as those of her team-
mates.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-
7606 Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter
@dompollio.
Bragen ready for indoor track season
XCOUNTRY
FROM PAGE 33
SEE PANTHERS PAGE 36

4. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COMPAGE 36 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015 SPORTS
of the senior players on the
team who now leave behind a
legacy of hard work, commit-
ment and success.
For those underclassmen
on the team, a few of which
saw playing time this season,
keeping that legacy alive lies
in working during the offsea-
son.
Casalino asks his players to
continually work on individ-
ual skill in addition to
strength training. Staying
strong and fit is important
since soccer is such a long
game with no timeouts. Plus,
having a little extra reserve in
the tank comes in handy to-
ward the end of a game.
For Casalino, the work off
the field does not just mean
soccer. As the Panthers coach
he strives to make his players
better in any and all aspects
of their lives.
“I want to continue to
make my players better peo-
ple and better students and I
will continue finding ways to
have them give back to the
community and to commit to
education year round,” he ex-
plained.
Point Boro has set the bar
high each season and this
past fall has been no differ-
ent. Although the team will
change, the goals remain the
same and the work toward
reaching them begins now.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-
7606 Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter
@dompollio.
Young Panthers look to build on experience
PANTHERS
FROM PAGE 35
STEVE WEXLER THE OCEAN STAR
Point Boro saw their fair share of challenges all year but their season was defined by a desire and will
to never give up and to keep playing with pace and urgency no matter how late in the game.
as well as goals that could
have been prevented.
Now that the offseason has
started Edolo encourages his
players to continue playing
soccer as much as possible
but to also play other sports.
“I think having the ability
to step away for a little while
but remain competitive is
very important,” he said.
“Other sports give you that
opportunity and they also re-
late in a variety of ways back
to soccer and the things we
are always trying to get better
at.”
These things include field
of vision, focus, determina-
tion and of course, condition-
ing. The offseason is also an
opportunity for Edolo to im-
prove his coaching strategy
for the next season.
Edolo explained how he is
constantly looking for better
ways to teach and utilizes
colleagues in the coaching
world to educate himself.
“I also look for different
ways to get their attention
and motivate them. Some-
times the more creative the
better but I also like consis-
tency,” stated Edolo. “I think
it is important that the play-
ers know what to expect
from me and our program.”
Outside of the soccer pitch,
Edolo also wants to see his
players excel as students so
he tries to keep an eye on that
end of things to make sure
they stay supported and dili-
gent.
Their efforts have paid off
so far with the first sectional
title since 2009 and they con-
tinue to strive toward that
state title.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-
7606 Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter
@dompollio.
Hungry for state title
GREATNESS
FROM PAGE 33
STEVE WEXLER THE OCEAN STAR
April Rivera plays a ball during the Panthers win over West Deptford
for the sectional title. Head coach Mike Edolo was able to utilize
young players like Rivera, a freshman, throughout the season.
this point,” explained
Graziano. “I’m also excited to
play for a college that has such
strong, competitive athletic
programs.”
Graziano had the pleasure
of visiting Salisbury, watching
fall practice and meeting oth-
er new baseball recruits. In
addition, he is happy that his
parents are just as excited for
him and his decision.
“I know they are really
proud of me and can’t wait to
watch me play in college,” he
said. “They both love baseball
and look forward to going to
as many games as they can.”
The recruitment process
was a challenging one but
Graziano made sure to find
his perfect fit at a college that
has his major of choice.
“It was very exciting to visit
so many different colleges and
learn about their academic
and athletic programs and it
was great meeting so many
different college coaches,”
stated Graziano. “But it was
important to me to make sure
that the college had my major
and that I really felt comfort-
able since I knew I would be
living there for four years.”
With the recruitment
process at a close Graziano is
excited to get ready for his fi-
nal season with the Panthers
in the spring. He has already
began his winter training in
preparation for the season.
“I hope to make a positive
impact. I plan to work hard
and do everything that I can to
help my team have a winning
season,” he said. “I can’t wait
for the baseball season but it’s
tough knowing this is my last
year as a Point Boro Panther.”
Graziano has played at the
varsity level for Boro since his
freshman year under the tute-
lage of head coach David
Drew.
“I think Frank and his fami-
ly made a great choice in
choosing Salisbury for their
academics and for their sports
program,” said Drew. “It is an
honor to know that Frank will
be going there because of his
efforts off the field and in the
classroom.”
Drew has always been a
coach to advocate for creating
players that perform off the
field as well as on the field.
Whether that means giving
back to the community or ex-
ceeding at school, Drew is
happy to facilitate the process.
When college recruits or
coaches reach out to the Pan-
thers coach he his more than
happy to explain how his play-
er is as a person since they al-
ready know how they are sta-
tistically.
Graziano is extremely
thankful for all the help Drew
has provide him throughout
his high school career as well
the work his parents have put
in towards helping him have
this opportunity.
“I want to thank my parents
for always being there for me
and giving me the opportunity
to play on my Baseball U trav-
el team and to travel to many
different states for so many
tournaments, showcases and
college campuses,” stated
Graziano. “I also really appre-
ciate all the support and guid-
ance that I have received from
all of my coaches and trainers
over the years. I especially
want to thank Coach Drew for
all of his support and for giv-
ing me the chance to play on
the varsity team all four years
in high school.”
Graziano’s final season as a
Point Boro Panther will be bit-
tersweet but knowing that it is
not the end of his baseball ca-
reer is comforting. He will
never forget his high school
career and looks to make
many more great memories at
the collegiate level.
Drew offers his senior and
any player for that matter ad-
vice as they continue their
athletic careers, saying, “Enjoy
the game of baseball and re-
member why we play the
game. And that’s to play the
game for those who can’t, but
wish they could.”
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-7606
Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter @dompol-
lio.
Graziano excited to play
GRAZIANO
FROM PAGE 33

5. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COM FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015 THE OCEAN STAR PAGE 37SPORTS
633 North Manetta Drive- Use
Variance- Approved
2. TFM Builders LLC, Block
156 Lot 14- 1301 George Street-
Rear Yard Setback-Approved
3. Riehl- Block 385 Lot 1-
1861 Northwest Drive- Front
Yard, Read Yard, Accessory
Structure Height, Building
Coverage and Lot Coverage-
Denied
4. Hughes- Block 275.01 Lot
13- 705 Mount Place- Front Yard
and Rear Yard Setback- Approved
The determination of the
Board is on file at the Municipal
Building 2233 Bridge Ave. Point
Pleasant and is available for public
inspection.
SHARON BESTINE
Zoning Board Secretary
($10.89) (33 ) (11/27)
The Ocean Star
Ave- Use Variance, Preliminary
and Final Site Plan- Denied
The determination of the
Board is on file at the Municipal
Building 2233 Bridge Ave. Point
Pleasant and is available for public
inspection.
SHARON BESTINE
Zoning Board Secretary
($6.93) (21) (11/27
The Ocean Star
___________________________
BOROUGH OF
POINT PLEASANT
ZONING BOARD
OF ADJUSTMENT
NOTICE
TAKE NOTICE that the Point
Pleasant Borough Zoning Board of
Adjustment at a public meeting
held November 4, 2015 memorial-
ized the following Resolutions:
1. Schneider- Block 131 Lot 4-
the bid, to deliver in cash or certi-
fied check the balance of the sum
of the amount of the bid, will
result in the bid being null and
void and the Borough of Point
Pleasant retaining the ten (10%)
percent deposit.
ANTOINETTE JONES
Municipal Clerk
($66.00) (200) (11/27, 12/4)
The Ocean Star
___________________________
BOROUGH OF
POINT PLEASANT
NOTICE
ZONING BOARD
OF ADJUSTMENT
TAKE NOTICE that the Point
Pleasant Borough Zoning Board of
Adjustment at a public meeting
held October 21, 2015 memorial-
ized the following Resolutions:
1. The Cam Trust- 1715 Bay
cash or certified check, ten (10%)
percent of the amount of the bid
payable to the Borough of Point
Pleasant. The bidders whose bid is
accepted shall, with three (3) days
after acceptance of the bid, submit
to the Borough of Point Pleasant in
cash or certified check the balance
of the amount of the bid, which
sum shall be held in an interest
bearing account, with said interest
payable to the Borough of Point
Pleasant until such times as the
license is transferred to the bidder
at which time the said sum and all
interest shall be paid to the
Borough of Point Pleasant. In
addition, the successful bidder
shall promptly complete all
requirements of the ABC in order
for the license to be transferred to
them. Failure of the bidder, within
three (3) days after acceptance of
Municipal Building, 2233 Bridge
Avenue, Point Pleasant, Ocean
County, New Jersey to publicly
announce those applicants who
meet the qualifications for bidding
as fixed by law, Rules, Regulations
and Resolutions. All bids submit-
ted must be sealed and submitted
to the Borough Clerk no later than
11:00 a.m. on December 9, 2015.
At the time of submitting the bids,
all bidders shall enclose with their
bid, written proof from the
Municipal Clerk that they have
qualified as a bidder. A condition
of the award of the license shall be
that the successful bidder apply for
any and all required Municipal
Planning Board and Zoning Board
of Adjustment approvals within
twelve (12) months of the award of
the liquor license to the successful
bidder. All bidders shall submit in
accept the highest bid and reject
any and all bids offered. Bids shall
be accepted only from those bid-
ders who qualify under the New
Jersey Statutes pertaining to intox-
icating liquors and the Rules and
Regulations promulgated by the
Alcoholic Beverage Commission
(ABC). Interested bidders may
obtain copies of the forms neces-
sary to qualify to be a bidder from
the Point Pleasant Borough
Municipal Clerk. All prospective
bidders must complete the forms,
all paperwork associated there-
with, and be determined to be a
qualified bidder no later than five
(5) business days prior to
December 9, 2015. The Municipal
Clerk shall have five (5) business
days prior to the opening bids on
December 9, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at
the Point Pleasant Borough
The Ocean Star
___________________________
BOROUGH OF
POINT PLEASANT
NOTICE TO ACCEPT BIDS
FOR ONE PLENARY RETAIL
CONSUMPTION LICENSE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE
that the Borough of Point Pleasant
will conduct a public sale by
accepting bids for the sale of one
Plenary Retail Consumption
License. The bid will be opened
on the 9th day of December 2015
at 11:00 a.m. at the Point Pleasant
Borough Municipal Building,
2233 Bridge Avenue, Point
Pleasant, Ocean County, New
Jersey. The minimum acceptable
price is $300,000.00 for the
Plenary Retail Consumption
License, and the Borough of Point
Pleasant reserves the right to not
___________________________
BOROUGH OF BAY HEAD
LEGAL NOTICE
PLANNING BOARD
NOTICE OF DECISION of
the Bay Head Planning Board of
the Borough of Bay Head, County
of Ocean, State of New Jersey.
Public Notice is hereby given
to all persons that a Public Hearing
was held on October 21, 2015 at
which time the following applica-
tion was heard and memorialized
on November 18, 2015.
Stanley E. Gang
Revocable Trust,
Michael Gang, Trustee
814 Main Avenue
Block 74, Lot 19
Application approved
CLAIRE S. HENSE
Planning Board Clerk
($7.26) (22) (11/27)
This past weekend the
striped bass fishing was not a
repeat of the previous week-
end’s lights out extravaganza
as Saturday morning was a
blowout with hard north
winds that made the ocean
sideways. A good number of
small boats headed out but
quickly turned around once
outside of either inlet. The
big sporty’s and party boats
had no problem but it was
still uncomfortable. If you
were prone to sea sickness
then Saturday was a day you
were definitely going to get
it. On Sunday the wind came
northwest and not as hard as
predicted so it was a very
nice day out on the water.
What boaters found over
the weekend was that the
major concentration of
bunker that were here have
moved well to our south.
What was left were sporadic
pods of bunker that were
well broken up and scattered
around. Some of the pods
had bass in them and some
did not. A pick bite did mate-
rialize from Spring Lake to
Shark River as the bunker
pods were thicker than in
other areas. A fair number of
boats had 2-4 bass. Boats
trolling bunker spoons did
about the same as boaters
snagging bunker. There was
also a decent late morning
bite off of the Seaside Piers.
Further north up towards
Sandy Hook it was reported
that smaller bass were pres-
ent on Sunday and were easy
to catch by trolling plugs,
shad rigs, or jigging. Water
temperatures are now 54
degrees so this is a good tem-
perature for bass to feed and
gorge themselves on some of
the smaller baits that have
been present along our
beaches. This will create a jig
fishery like it does early year
in the late fall and the timing
couldn’t be better for this big
holiday weekend. Right now
the weather looks like it is
going to cooperate with both
decent wind and seas.
Blackfish season with a 6
fish daily bag limit measur-
ing at least 15 inches is in full
swing and there have been
no complaints as to the catch.
Many boaters are getting
their limits with fish up to 8-
9 lbs. Both the Sea Girt and
Alex Carlson reefs have been
producing well. In the next
few weeks some of the
largest blackfish should be
caught and expect to see a
few blackfish in the 12-15 lb
ranges caught on the inshore
reefs and rockpiles. Blackfish
are a great eating fish with a
thick white flaky meat and
can be prepared in many dif-
ferent ways.
Bob over at Fishermen’s
Den in Belmar reports
“It was a fishing roller
coaster this past week with
all the wind the fishing scene
changed. The larger school
of big bass moved farther
south. This could change
when more big fish move
down from the north. The
boats out the last few days
are jigging more small to
medium bass with a few big
fish mixed in. Many party
boats and charters are taking
advantage of the new bonus
fish program, being able to
keep a bass 24 to 28 inches
has helped put fish in the
boat.
Surf fishing was a little
slower the last few days as
well but many anglers man-
aged to bring in some fish up
to 18 lbs caught on clams and
cut bunker. We have been
getting in reports of bass
from shorts to 36 inches on
plugs but not as many as a
week ago. That should
change with the northwest
wind forecast for this week.
Blackfish has been good
with many boats returning
with limit catches. Ian Eitner
from Jackson brought in a 10
lb beauty taken on a private
boat. White leg crabs seem to
be the best bait so far. Winter
flounder fishing is still super
in the Shark River. Worms
are hard to come by but
clams will get you your limit.
It will just might take a little
longer. Fishing is good, have
fun but keep only what you
eat don't waste.”
Capt Howard Bogan of the
Big Jamaica out of Brielle
reports “For reservation
information call 732-528-
5014.”
Capt Ryan of the Jamaica
II out of Brielle reports
“Incredible 12 Hour Seabass
trip this past weekend with
effortless fishing for giant sea
bass, whopper porgies and a
healthy batch of cod fish
from 8-15 lbs. Most on board
caught a limit of sea bass and
porgies with sea bass up to 6-
1/2 lbs and porgies up to 4 lbs.
A few names Ray Bryant
from South Orange, 15 jumbo
sea bass and 50 big porgies
plus 3 cod, Bob Amee from
Philadelphia 15 jumbo sea
bass, 50 porgies and a pool
winning cod 18 lbs, Corell
and John Castina from
Camden 30 jumbo sea bass,
100 porgies and 4 cod. Many
other limits also. 12 Hour
Seabass/Porgies/Cod- 5 am,
November 25, December 3,
9, 16, 23, 29th. 14 Hour
Seabass/Porgies/Cod- 3 am,
November 28, 29,
December 5, 6, 13. 18 Hour
Seabass/Porgies/Cod-12:30
am, November 27, December
3, 10, 12, 17, 19, 20, 26, 27, 30
and 31. Blackfish-3/4 Day-7:30
am December 1, 8, 15, 22. 9
Hour 6 am-November 30,
December 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21,
Capt Ryan..
Announcements of
Interest: November 25-28,
Surf Turkey Striped Bass
Tournament, Charlie’s Bait
and Tackle, Normandy
Beach, call 732-793-1144 for
info. December 6, 8th Annual
Freehold Fishing Flea
Market, Park Ave Elementary
School, 280 Park Ave.,
Freehold, 9 am-2 pm Vendors
call 732-330-5674.
December 12, 12th Annual
Fisherman’s Flea Market,
Barnegat HS Fishing Club, 9
am-1 pm, call 609-290-7709.
Jim Freda covers fishing for Star News
Group. He can be emailed at jimfre-
da@optonline.net.
FISHING TIPS BY JIM FREDA
Wind cools off hot bass action
TIP OF THE WEEK
FROM JIM FREDA
If you’re trolling and
the bass bite is not hap-
pening along the beach
in the bunker schools
move out to 50-65 feet of
water and troll deep.
Striped bass are always
present at this water
depth at this time of
year.
POINT BORO BOYS CROSS COUNTRY NOTEBOOK
Future of program lays foun-
dation at Meet of Champs
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BORO — The cross-
country Meet of Champions
boasts the top runners in the
state and the majority of
those runners are juniors and
seniors. The sophomore class
has a handful of up and com-
ing competitors but it is the
freshman class that is always
least represented.
In this year’s Meet of
Champions at Holmdel Park
there were eight freshman
runners in the boys race and
one among them was a run-
ner from the Point Boro boys
cross-country team.
Devin Hart, a name that
has been at the top of the re-
sults list all season, repre-
sented the Panthers at Satur-
day’s Meet of Champs. The
last time the team had a run-
ner in the competitive race
was in 2008. That runner was
T.J. Bragen and before him it
was Terence Fagan back in
1992. Both Bragen and Fagan
were seniors at the time of
their race.
“The tremendous opportu-
nity is that Devin has three
more chances at this race
provided he stays healthy and
focused,” explained head
coach Kevin Conheeney.
“Win, lose or draw, Devin
gained invaluable strategy for
his future and it will hone his
racing skills from this day
forward.”
The freshman clocked in
with a time of 16:51 for 63rd.
Hart was the second fresh-
man across the finish line,
only four seconds behind
Wilberforce School’s fresh-
man Acasio Pinheiro.
“Devin Hart is a competi-
tor. His only goal when he is
on the starting line is to give
it 100 percent and I have not
seen that waiver in any race
this year,” praised Con-
heeney. “He handled himself
as a seasoned veteran – jump-
ing right into the mix from
the gun.”
It was a physical race, espe-
cially at the start with so
many more bodies on the
line, and Hart did his best to
push on through.
“Someone with less experi-
ence is going to be pushed
around and beat up more in
this pack and it takes a toll in
the later part of the 5K race,”
explained Conheeney. “I
think as he matures, gets
stronger and builds upon
these racing experiences he
will rise up and shine. His fu-
ture is bright.”
Conheeney also hopes the
future of the team remains
bright and that his runners
who were in attendance to
cheer on Hart use this to
push themselves to continu-
ally improve.
“When a teammate reaches
this level and you train right
alongside them each day you
are bound to reap the bene-
fits of their talent,” he said.
Reaching the Meet of
Champs as a team continues
to be the Panthers’ goal for
next season and having an in-
dividual qualify is a sure first
step toward succeeding. As
the bar gets raised higher, the
Point Boro squad will contin-
ue to push for it with Hart
leading the way.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-
7606 Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter
@dompollio.
Hart, a freshman, ran a
time of 16:51 for 63rd at
Saturday’s MOC

6. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COMPAGE 38 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015