The Ocean Star from Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey • 24

PAGE 24 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015 WWW.STARNEWSGR0UP.COM SPORTS Boro grad Ryan Malleck makes TD catch in bowl game Hokie Ryan Malleck made his second TD catch of the season in the second quarter BY GREG DOMORSKI THE OCEAN STAR ANNAPOLIS, Md. The Virginia Tech football squad wrapped up the 2014 season with a 33-17 win over the University of Cincinnati Saturday to claim the Military Bowl presented by Northrup Grumman at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The win gave the Hokies their seventh win of the season and assured them of their 22nd straight winning season. Tight end Ryan Malleck of Point Pleasant caught his second touchdown pass of the season to open the third quarter, completing an 11-play, 75-yard drive. This season, Malleck caught 24 passes for 195 yards.

"There had to be at least 50 people there from the Point Boro," Point Boro coach Sean Henry said. "We were going crazy when he got in the end zone. The town couldn't be prouder. It is unbelievable." Malleck was a standout tight end for the Panthers and caught 36 passes for 652 yards and seven touchdowns his senior year. Also as a senior, playing safety on defense, he finished with 18 pass breakups, three interceptions and 63 tackles, including four sacks.

Malleck was ranked as the No. 22 player in the State of New Jersey by Rivals.com and the No. 40 tight end in the country by ESPN.comScouts, Inc. Malleck has one more year of eligibility. In all, Malleck played 13 games, making seven starts which included 576 plays as a sophomore, but missed all of last season after being medically redshirted.

He suffered a left rotator cufflabral tear just days before the season opener against the University of RYAN MALLECK TIME OUT BY GREG DOMORSKI NJ pro sports fans deserve more OTHER LOCAL ATHLETES PERFORM WELL IN COLLEGE Many Point Pleasant Borough and Point Pleasant Beach graduates continue to excel at the college level. Boston College Sophomore Kelly Hughes of Point Pleasant Borough notched her third double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds in a 79-51 home win over Providence College. Point Pleasant Beach graduate Jordan Wejnert recently scored a team-best 22 points for Georgian Court in a 82-74 road loss in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game against Wilmington University in Delaware. Tori Remondelli of Point Pleasant Borough was recently named to the NSCAA all Mid-Atlantic men's soccer team, and also named to the MAC conference all sportsmen team. Remondelli is a junior at Widener University in Pennsylvania.

Greg Domorski covers sports for The Ocean Star. He can be contacted at 732-899-7606 Ext. 15 or at Follow him on Twitter gdomorski. Super Bowl XLIX is still over a month away, the NFL playoffs haven't even started, we are in the middle of basketball season and baseball season is right around the corner, but the vibe of professional sports seems different in the New Jersey area. I'm not usually a Debbie Downer, but quite frankly, many of our teams stink.

And it affects all of us looking to go to a game in the local area. When it comes to football, the New York Giants finished 6-9 overall and the Jets, 3-12. Jets coach Rex Ryan lost his job and Giants coach Tom Coughlin is in the hot seat. This isn't the first time the Giants and Jets had losing seasons together. Both teams had bad showings in 1980, 1976 and 1973.

In 1995, the Jets and Giants finished 4-12. In 1996, the Jets were 1-15 and the Giants, 6-10. Eighteen years is a long time for programs to struggle, something the local community is not used to as it was a time most high school students weren't even born. What makes the season especially painful for Big Blue fans is the Giants also have the recent memory of winning the Super Bowl in 2011 in one of the most thrilling pigskin games of the decade, defeating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Since then, they have been on the decline.

The Giants haven't made the playoffs the past three seasons, including this year. The Jets haven't made the playoffs or had a winning record since 2010. When football falls though, why not move on to basketball right? Wrong. The Brooklyn Nets have a losing record, which shows watching the Giants' Odell Beckham amazing catch again and again that still, weeks later, will not get off your Facebook feed from a friend who is a Big Blue fanatic. Is this what professional sports in this area has come to the only joy coming from funny graphics in the New York Post, calling for coaches to step down, rather than wins? The lack of winning has showed a lack of interest around this state.

Whenever I drive home and pass a bar on a game night, the place seems less full than usual. I remember when bars used to be packed with plenty of fans walking in not-quite-straight lines on the way, either celebrating after a big win or clearly angry from a tough loss. I believe New JerseyNew York sports fans deserve more. Overall in the professional sports world in this state, it is a dark time. However, I believe the darkest hour is just before the dawn.

Greg Domorski covers sports for The Ocean Star. He can be reached at or 732-899-7606 Ext 15. how bad the Atlantic Division is, with them being second. Five of the six teams in the Atlantic Division have a losing record. The Knicks are hopeless, winning just five of their first 33 games.

They could be as bad as the Nets in 1962 that finished 40-120 or the 2009-2010 team that was 12-70. Unless there is a complete miracle, the Knicks will be missing the playoffs for their second straight season. Let's move on to baseball. The New York Mets had losing seasons the past six years. The New York Yankees, the most prestigious team with the richest history in Major League Baseball, finished just 84-78 without a trip to the playoffs for their second straight year.

Can you see why I am a frustrated New JerseyNew York sports fan now? I don't believe these results are acceptable at all. New York and New Jersey have so much to offer professional athletes, yet our teams are getting their butts kicked by inferior franchises from around the country. There is very little to get excited about for the home professional sports teams this season, unless you are an NFL Draft guru or love fapnss ptit tplwims In a Utter tki itiititl The Ocean Star 421 River Avenue, Pt. Pleasant Bch. 08742 Rice makes instant impact for Gulls role on the team and continued to prove his value when he scored 12 points, which included 10 in the second half, to defeat Colo-nia 55-52 on Tuesday night in the Butch Kowal Tournament, held at Rahway High School.

Point Pleasant Beach junior guard Mike Rice is new in town and is already making a positive difference at the high school. Rice, who moved to Point Pleasant Beach two weeks before the basketball season started, nabbed a starting Storaae Solutions WAV and Decorative Hardware, "He worked for everything that has came his way," Point Beach coach Nick Catania said. "He is a great competitor, skilled shooter and defends great. He knows how to score and has lot of toughness, mental and physical. He is just a winner and it shows on the court with how he plays the game." Rice sank a three-point shot from the left wing to put the Gulls within just one point against Colonia.

The shot cut the Patriots' lead to 52-51 with under two minutes remaining. He would also put the Gulls ahead by three late from the free-throw line, with two shots under intense pressure that hit nothing but the bottom of the net. Rice said he felt confident taking a big shot from behind the arc and sinking two baskets from the charity stripe. "He is just a winner and it shows on the court with the way he plays the game." NICK CATANIA Basketball Coach, Point Beach "I think my shot is the best part of my game," he said. "I put a lot of work into it, but also believe I can defend well, too." Rice, who is a first-year varsity starter, transferred from Red Bank Regional High School.

When Rice isn't playing for the Garnet Gulls, he plays AAU basketball for the New Jersey Shore Shots, a team that also has Garnet Gulls starting guard Jimmy Panzini. Rice said he has enjoyed his time so far at Point Pleasant Beach. "I really like it here," he said. "It is a small community that really rallies around the school teams." Crystal Cabinet Knobs 50 OFF 1 Oldtown Georgetown Styles While supplies last I NIQI HOLIDAY GIFTS GIFT CARD SPECIALS Stop in and say WOW! Sneakers Plus K-Mart Plaza, Hwy. 35, Wall 732-280-2921 2171 Hwy 34 South Wall, NJ www.theclosetpros.com 732-292-9191 MIKE RICE Log onto our website: www.sneakersplus.com SHOP LOCAL.

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