Class A Central

1. Manasquan

Based on returning talent, no one in A Central is close to the Warriors. Andy Pinella, Zack Groezinger, and Moises Iniguez all return as dangerous scorers up front, while Colin MacMahon, Ben Tumas, and keeper Taylor Weiss were all major pieces to last year's team, which reached the Central Group II semifinals after a struggling to reach the .500 mark just to get in. Coach Mark Levy thought his team took the regular season for granted last year, but from the looks of their play in the preseason, Manasquan is determined to play well before the postseason. The Warriors were not a factor in the Shore Conference Tournament last year, but with all the scoring up front, and the sprinkling of youth and experience behind that scoring, Manasquan is good enough to not only make noise in the SCT, but to win it as well.

Big Three: Andy Pinella (Sr., M/F), Zack Groezinger (Sr., F), Moises Iniguez (Sr., F).



2. St. John Vianney

The now-graduated Rhyan Nelson was the top goal-scorer (24 G) in the Shore Conference by a large margin last year, but the 14-5-1 Lancers still could not overcome Holmdel for the division title. St. John Vianney returns talent to a program that's always in contention, but again will be trying to overcome an even more talented team to get to the top of A Central. Senior Shawn Gilpin played Robin to Nelson's Batman last year, and this year, Gilpin will be the man for the Lancers. Whereas Nelson used his size and skill to torture opposing defenses, Gilpin is smaller, but faster and similarly skilled, attributes that will make him one of the top players in the division.

Big Three: Shawn Gilpin (Sr., M/F), Jess Moller (Sr., M), Steven Tolas (Sr., G).

3. Raritan

The Rockets rode Bill Voutsinas' scoring foot, Bryan Broderick' play-making ability in the middle, and Alex Wanless' prowess in goal throughout the 2006 regular season. This year, they'll have to find a way to win without those weapons. Broderick and Wanless are gone to graduation, while Voutsinas will have a more limited role while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last winter during wrestling season. The bright side for coach Mike Alosco's team is his team got used to playing without Voutsinas during its run to the Central Group II finals, where the Rockets fell to Somerville. The best case scenario appears to be that Voutsinas will be back, but not at full strength, while players like Drew Illingworth and Corey Hahn will have to pick up the slack, along with a talented sophomore class. If Voutsinas can serve as a scoring threat to any degree, Raritan will push for the division.

Big Three: Bill Voutsinas (Sr., F), Drew Inningworth (Jr., M), Corey Hahn (Jr., D).



4. Red Bank

In a division that has seen teams suffer a lot of losses to graduation, Red Bank has almost as much back as Manasquan does. The question is, how much better can the returning Bucs be with an extra year of experience? Marty Stern is a stud in the center-midfield, and has some experience in front of him to score the ball, and behind him to protect the net. Rob Brandt and Rob Child are versatile and experienced players, and Luke Nathan will team up with Stern in to control the midfield. The Bucs were not that far from Manasquan's level last year, and if they can get off to a decent start, they can compete for this division.

Big Three: Marty Stern (Sr., M), Luke Nathan (Sr., M), Rob Brandt (Sr., M/D).

5. Holmdel

The best team in A Central from a year ago looks much different this year. Fourteen seniors graduated from last year's roster, including two All-Shore level players in Anthony Ferraioli and Albert Zheng. Rumblings around the Shore Conference were that coach John Nacarlo was concerned about his prospects for this season headin into the summer, but as the younger players started to show off their promise, Nacarlo has come around on this season. He has likened this team to the one he had four years ago, when players like Ferraioli and Zheng were freshman. The names this time around are freshmen Dan Marino (starting keeper), Andrew Zheng (brother of Albert), Sean Davis, and Dan Metzger to name a few. Nacarlo is carrying nine freshman and sophomores, and seven juniors and seniors, so the rebuilding phase is on at Holmdel.

Big Three: Ghilhurme Borges (Sr., F), Pat Nizza (Jr., M), Dan Marino (Fr., G).



6. Red Bank Catholic

The hope at RBC is that with the losses Holmdel, Raritan, and SJV suffered this offseason, the Caseys can close the gap between them and the top of A Central. The problem they face is that the gao was very wide last year, and it's going to take a considerable step to close it, even if half the other teams in the division experience down years. Six starters return from last year's 2-14 club, with Scott Van Iderstine, Drew Wilson, and Andrew and Phil Anzivino, but it still looks like another rebuilding year at RBC.

Big Three: Phillip Anzivino (Sr., M), Scott Van Iderstine (Sr., M), Drew Wilson (Sr., F).


Fab Five

1. Zack Groezinger - Manasquan

2. Shawn Gilpin - SJV

3. Andy Pinella - Manasquan

4. Marty Stern - Red Bank

5. Drew Illingworth - Raritan