SOUTHERN OCEAN Times
The
Vol. 11 - No. 4
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 8-11
Dr. Izzy Sound News Page 14
Classifieds Page 18
Inside The Law Page 22
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
July 29, 2023
Southern Boys Volleyball: The Hype Is Real
By Chris Christopher STAFFORD - In material promoting the numerous achievements of the Southern Regional High School boys volleyball team, it states, “Tradition of Success. 23 years of achieving excellence through hard work, enthusiasm, dedication and passion. Creation of a family called Southern Regional Volleyball. Southern volleyball consists of a group of UNCOMMON PEOPLE achieving UNCOMMON RESULTS!” There are plenty of successes to back up the bravado. Coach Eric Maxwell, who began the program in 2000, has guided the Rams to numerous titles, including six overall championships in the NJSIAA Tournament. Their latest title - the Group IV state crown - was captured this season. Maxwell arrived at Southern in the fall of 1999 after working for 11 years at Pinelands Regional where he coached several seasons of boys basketball, the final three at the
Photo courtesy Chuck Donohue Jr. The Southern Regional High School boys volleyball team enjoys its NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV title. varsity level. Then-Southern athletics director Kim DeGraw-Cole had just approved the start of girls volleyball for the fall of 1999 season. Maxwell’s sister-in-law, Cathy Maxwell, was the first coach of the girls team. Fast forward to this season. Smarting from the fact they had not won a state title since 2017, the Rams were determined to make it back to the top of the mountain. Losses to Old Bridge in the
state championship match during the last two seasons further fueled the Rams’ fires. “We were on a mission to change those results,” Maxwell said, “so we went to work like we always do.” The Rams worked out with their club program, the Southern Ocean Volleyball Club, from September through February. Its coaching staff consists of former Southern players Robert Kraft (2006-09),
Brennan Davis (2014-17), Matt Jones (2015-18), Anthony LeBlanc (2016-19) and Justin Kean (2017-20). The hours and hours and hours of hard work and training paid off. The Rams (31-1) captured the Group IV state title with a 2-0 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan (18-7). The game scores were 25-17 and 25-18. The team consisted of senior outside hitter Lucas Kean, senior defensive specialist Cameron Nu-
Short, sophomore middle blocker-opposite Aiden Krinic, sophomore opposite Jonah Krinic, junior defensive specialist Colin Olcott, junior setter-defensive specialist Angelo Addiego, junior setter Nick Gatto, senior middle blocker Chris Prosperi and freshman setter Logan Homme. “I think the fact that our previous state title was won in 2017 makes this title special,” Maxwell said. “We don’t like finishing second. Add to that the fact that Old Bridge was standing in our way again. We wanted this one badly. And they were considered the favorite.” The so-called experts were wrong. The Rams toppled Old Bridge in the South Jersey championship match. Southern captured overall state titles in 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2010 and 2009. Maxwell owns a 711104 overall record at the helm. He has coached the Rams’ girls team to a 542-129 overall record from 2002-2022.
gent, senior middle blocker Kyle Caufield, junior outside hitter Jack McKenna, senior opposite Patrick Gaffney, senior libero Landon Davis, junior middle blocker Dane Calsyn, junior opposite-defensive specialist Caden Schubiger, senior setter Ethan Brummer, junior defensive specialist Max DiRocco, junior outside hitter-opposite Ian Batchelor, junior opposite-outside hitter Matthew Hoosack, senior outside hitter Jonah (Volleyball - See Page 12)
Behind Every Face Is A Story In Newly Discovered Homeless Camp
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan One of the many faces of the newly created homeless encampment.
By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER – A clandestine homeless encampment has managed to defy discovery since last October, catching local authorities completely off guard. The revelation came to light during a recent weekend summer sunset patrol
by diligent members of the Ocean County Air Support Squadron (OASS). From the vantage point of their small aircraft, volunteers took a double take as they gazed down upon the landscape below. Amidst an area nestled near high tension wires, rows of tents and people
moving about revealed a hidden world that had successfully eluded scrutiny for eight months. Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy oversees OASS, which serves as the county law enforcement agency’s air wing. Utilizing their own aircraft, skilled pilots
conduct surveillance over waterways, roads, and wooded regions. Through the submission of photographs, any unusual discoveries are diligently documented. Mastronardy credited the sharp-eyed team with discovering the hidden encampment, which had
been alluded to in a social media post that same day. Upon identifying the setup, Toms River Police were notified of the situation. Local authorities dispatched a targeted group to the camp to engage with them and evaluate
(Homeless - See Page 4)
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