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RUMSON: ‘RIVAL’ TEENS UNITE TO SAVE LIVES

The student leaders behind the Ridge Road Run 5K, as seen on Ridge Road, are (left to right): RBR senior Michael Eulner, Shrewsbury; sophomore Claudia Kelly, Little Silver; senior Thomas Lloyd, Shrewsbury; RFH senior Ellie Gibney, Fair Haven; RBC senior Lily Salcedo; RFH senior Teddy Sourlis, Rumson; and RBC senior Courtney Carroll, Middletown. 

[Press release from Red Bank Regional]

The sports rivalries among three Two River schools are legendary.  It is always a super sweet victory when the Red Bank Regional (RBR) Buccaneers can defeat Red Bank Catholic (RBC) Caseys or Rumson Fair Haven’s (RFH) Bulldawgs, and vice versa for all three teams, two of which are located on Ridge Road, and the other not too far away.

However, seven students from all three schools have recently collaborated to use that rivalry to generate a very positive event.

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FAIR HAVEN: TOWN, R-FH SPLIT COURT COSTS

The new complex will serve as the home courts for the Rumson-Fair Haven girls’ and boys’ tennis teams. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High girls’ tennis team initiated a new five-court tennis facility that officials hailed last Thursday as smart partnering between Fair Haven and the school.

And its got something for fans of the fast-growing sport of pickleball, too.

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FOOTBALL: RFH WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT TITLE

Rumson-Fair Haven topped South Plainfield in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship game to claim its fourth straight state title Saturday night.

The cameras of Shore Sports Zone were at Rutgers University’s High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway to capture all the highlights on video. Check them out here(Video courtesy of Shore Sports Zone)

RUMSON: SURF TEAM WRAPS UP FIRST SEASON

emily-grossarth-101316-1elizabeth-sullivan-101316Rumson-Fair Haven Regional’s surfing team recently wrapped up its first season of existence, giving nine girls and 21 boys a chance to indulge their passion for the sport in a structured program. Freshman Emily Grossarth, above, who placed second overall in the women’s division at the National School Surfing Association High School Championships last month, will compete at the NSSA Nationals in California in June. 

“I’m kind of sad when I’m out of the water,” said sophomore Grace Lehman, of Rumson. Unlike other sports, “you’re not worried about the score, or how much time is left in the game,” she said. “It’s just you and your friends in the water.”

The team, which practices on the beach opposite Via Ripa in Sea Bright, resumes in the spring, said coach Kevin Pfister. Meantime, here’s a video lookback at the debut season. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

rfh-surf-101316-4

FOOTBALL: RBC, RBR AND RFH HIGHLIGHTS

On the final regular-season Friday night of the 2016 high school football campaign, Manasquan topped Red Bank Catholic at Count Basie Field in Red Bank, Raritan beat Red Bank Regional in Little Silver and Rumson-Fair Haven topped Carteret at home.

Shore Sports Zone caught the highlights of that game and more on video. (Video courtesy of Shore Sports Zone)

FOOTBALL: DAWGS TOP BUCS; SJV TOP RBC

Friday night football highlights from the Greater Red Bank Green…

Led by backup quarterback Jack Volker, who threw two touchdown passes, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional beat host Red Bank Regional, 24-7 to claim victory in this year’s Battle of Ridge Road.

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CASEYS SOAR LB AS BULLDOGS FALL TO SJV

In local high school football action Friday night, undefeated Saint John Vianney of Holmdel continued its 2016 juggernaut with a 28-3 win at Rumson-Fair Haven, which fell to 3-2. 

Meanwhile, on the road against Long Branch, Red Bank Catholic went to the air to produce a 35-20 win that improved the Caseys’ record to 4-2. Third-string quarterback Nick Brusca found his groove as a thrower, tossing his first — and second, third and fourth — touchdown passes of his varsity career while racking up 206 air yards.

Rich Chrampanis and crew have the highlights of those games and more at Shore Sports Zone(Video courtesy of Shore Sports Zone)

M’SOUTH EDGES RFH; RBC SQUEEGEES COLONIA

Rich Chrampanis and the video cameras of Shore Sports Zone got to seven rainy games in Monmouth and Ocean counties Friday night, starting at Middletown South, where the Eagles hosted Rumson-Fair Haven in a matchup of unbeaten 2016 state champs. In the end, a missed point-after-touchdown, lost fumbles and a swarming Eagles defense made the difference in the 14-13 outcome, with the Eagles now 4-0.

Across the river at Count Basie Field, Red Bank Catholic played host to Colonia, and quickly established dominance on a fumble recovery that led to a one-yard TD. Third-string QB Nick Brusca was dominant, posting three running TDs. Final score: 35-0.

As previously reported, the Holmdel v. Red Bank Regional game scheduled for Friday at Little Silver was postponed due to illness on the Holmdel squad.

(Video courtesy of Shore Sports Zone)

RUMSON: STADIUM SECURITY BOOSTED

RFHNew security measures will go into effect at Borden Stadium beginning with tonight’s football game, school officials said. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

HOT-TOPIC_03

Rumson-Fair Haven Regional football fans, stripped of their signs and giant heads for the first home game of the season, won’t be able to bring backpacks and bottles to the second and future games, school officials announced Thursday.

Citing last weekend’s bombing spree in Seaside Heights, New York City and Elizabeth, school officials have imposed new restrictions at Borden Stadium, officials said in a letter sent to community members Thursday.

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RUMSON: BATCHLER RESIGNS AS RFH TEACHER

batchler 062716 7Former RFH head football coach Bryan Batchler, seen here working out with college players at Red Bank’s Count Basie Fields in June. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

HOT-TOPIC_03

Ousted Rumson-Fair Haven Regional football coach Bryan Batchler has resigned as a teacher in a secret settlement with the school, redbankgreen has learned.

In a statement issued Thursday, the school’s board of education said it had accepted Batchler’s resignation on August 9.

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RUMSON: RFH CELLPHONE POLICY CHALLENGED

james-rue-092016Rumson-Fair Haven senior James Rue before the start of Tuesday night’s school board meeting. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

HOT-TOPIC_03

A Rumson-Fair Haven Regional senior wants the school to drop a ban on student use of cellphones in school hallways between classes.

James Rue, 17, of Fair Haven, presented the school’s board of education with a petition Tuesday night calling for changes to the policy, which administrators said is being enforced anew after some unintended laxity.

Students, however, contend the crackdown was triggered by an incident last year in which a male student took “upskirt” videos of female students in stairwells without their knowledge.

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REELING AND ROCKING: 2016 HS FOOTBALL

Sportscaster Rich Chrampanis and the video cameras of Shore Sports Zone are once again seemingly everywhere as this highlight reel from the the opening weekend of year 2016 high school football on the Greater Red Bank Green illustrates. 

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RUMSON: BATCHLER BACKERS DEMAND ACTION

batchler 071216Former R-FH head football coach Bryan Batchler at Tuesday’s board meeting. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

HOT-TOPIC_03

Five months after former Rumson-Fair Haven Regional football coach Bryan Batchler was cleared of criminal wrongdoing over alleged inappropriate contact with a student, several dozen supporters demanded Tuesday night that he be reinstated.

Batchler, who has been on paid administrative leave from teaching for eight months and was stripped of his coaching job in February, told redbankgreen that Superintendent Pete Righi is now trying to oust him, via a tenure-revocation case, from the job he’s held since 2008.  More →

SUMMIT ENDS RFH GIRLS LACROSSE SEASON

Four days after winning their first ever group championship on Saturday, the girls’ lacrosse squad of Rumson-Fair Haven fell to Summit, 10-4, in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions at Monmouth University Wednesday.

Kyra Weiner led the Bulldogs with two goals and Jacqueline Littleson and Elizabeth Scarrone accounted for the other RFH tallies, but the Hilltoppers scored six straight goals to break a 4-4 second half tie.  RFH finished an historic season with a 25-2 record.

Watch the highlights and post-game interviews here from Shore Sports Zone.

RFH GIRLS ARE STATE LACROSSE CHAMPS

On a hot day on the turf at Kean University, the Rumson-Fair Haven girls lacrosse team never gave up the lead in a 14-11 win over Bernards to capture their first-ever Group 2 state championship finals Saturday.

RFH put together a balanced scoring attack. Kyra Weiner had 3 goals and 2 assists and Morgan Steinhacker also had a hat trick to lead the Lady Bulldogs. Bernards got as close as 5-4 in the first half, but RFH pulled away to take an 8-5 lead at the half and scored the first three goals of the second half.  Watch the highlights and post-game interviews here from Shore Sports Zone .

RFH GIRLS TAKE FOURTH STRAIGHT SCT TITLE

Morgan Steinhacker scored back-to-back goals to start the second half to give Rumson-Fair Have a five-goal lead over Shore Regional in the Shore Conference Tournament final at Monmouth University Monday, and the Bulldogs never looked back. Brittany Bruno and Kyra Weiner ended up with three goals apiece for RFH to lead the Lady Bulldogs to their fourth straight SCT title with the 13-5 win. Shore Sports Zone has all the highlights and post-game reaction from Monmouth University on video.

RFH is the top seed in South Jersey Group 2, and will host number 16-seed Paul VI in the first round on Wednesday.  

RFH REGAINS SCT LACROSSE TITLE

Rumson-Fair Haven’s Robbie Garavente posted a “natural” hat trick of three straight goals to lead the Bulldogs to their fifth Shore Conference boys’ lacrosse title in the last six years with an 8-5 victory over Manasquan Monday. Charlie Curran scored the game winner with 4:15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter,a nd Shore Sports Zone was there at Long Branch High to catch it all on video.

The teams could square off again in the South Jersey Group 2 playoffs: Manasquan is the top seed with RFH coming in at number two.  

RFH WIN EARNS SHOT AT SCT TITLE

Rumson-Fair Haven’s Rob Garavente scored three goals and goalie Kyle Knapp had 15 saves as the Bulldogs topped Christian Brothers Academy, 6-4, in Long Branch Thursday advance to the Shore Conference Tournament lacrosse final. Shore Sports Zone was there to catch it all on video as the game went down to the wire.

The top-seeded Bulldogs will now face number-two seed Manasquan for the championship Monday at 6 p.m. at Long Branch High School.

RUMSON: SPRINGSTEEN TOSSING KEYS TO FOYE

SPRINGSTEEN signsBruce Springsteen signs autographs outside the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank in 2009. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

[UPDATE: Monmouth County records show the deed to the property described in this article was transferred on March 2, when Foye paid the Springsteen trust $1.737 million.]

By JOHN T. WARD

HOT-TOPIC_03Bruce Springsteen is selling one of two neighboring homes in Rumson, and the buyer is a pro basketball player with New Jersey roots, redbankgreen has learned.

According to a contract filed with the Monmouth County Clerk, Springsteen has agreed to sell a Bellevue Avenue property he owns through a trust to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Randy Foye.

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RFH’S BARRY HEADING TO DARTMOUTH

brendan barryRumson-Fair Haven’s top all-time scorer Brendan Barry will continue his basketball career at Dartmouth, Shore Sports Zone reports. Check out the video showing the secret to Barry’s success here.

R-FH TOPS OCEAN AFTER 11 INNINGS

Jackson Russicci pitched five innings in relief and scored on a walk-off bases loaded walk in the 11th inning to give Rumson-Fair Haven its fifth straight win Monday. Watch the highlights from a well played game at Shore Sports Zone. (Video courtesy of Shore Sports Zone.)

RFH: SOURLIS ENDS 30-YEAR WINNING CAREER

George-Sourlis-610x343 (1)Rumson-Fair Haven girls’ basketball coach George Sourlis, the Shore Conference’s all-time winningest coach, announced his retirement Wednesday. Sourlis ends his 30-year leadership of the Lady Bulldogs after five state championships, 14 sectional titles and a record of 653-198, including a 22-7 tally in his final season.

In an interview with NJ.com, Sourlis credited his players, assistant coaches and school administration for the team’s success, which he said has been “not because of George Sourlis and George Sourlis alone. We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to withstand the test of time.” (Photo courtesy of Shore Sports Zone.)