The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • S12

NORTH JERSEY SPORTS THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011 GIRLS BOWLER OF THE YEAR: Three titles the charm Newark Central 73, Eastside 67, overtime Mustangs' star makes winning seem simple S-12 THE RECORD TYSON TRISHSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Eastside's David Burgos attempting to drive around Newark Central's Tyrell Alston on Wednesday night. Eastside fails to close it out By TIM LEONARD STAFF WRITER Sonja Shirak would like nothing more than to drag her father to a barbershop. It would mean the Clifton senior has bowled the best game of her life and John Shirak would have to live up to a running bet they have and cut his hair. John Shirak prefers to wear his hair long. Sonja isn't crazy about it and talked about how great her Dad looked the one time he actually did cut his hair short a couple of years ago.

It lasted only as long as it took to grow out again. That was when the bet happened. At first, John told Sonja he would get a haircut if she bowled a 300 game. After a while, realizing the difficulty of the task, he lowered the number to 290. It may have been the only goal Sonja Shirak didn't reach this season.

Shirak won the Passaic County tournament while leading Clifton to the team title, fired a 7 18 series to win the North Jersey Singles Classic and placed first at the North Jersey Holiday Classic with a 714 series. She also averaged 211, making her the choice for The Record Girls Bowler of the Year. "The biggest thing was winning the County. Me and my girls wanted it so bad," Shirak said. "We had all the girls back from last year.

There was a lot of fun and Despite seemingly never feeling pressure this season as she won tournament after tournament and had the highest average of any girls bowler in North Jersey, Shirak can tell you exactly which shot was the biggest of her season. It came in the North Jersey Singles Classic, the last ball in the 10th frame. After a spare in the first frame, Shirak had strung together 10 consecutive strikes. A strike would have given her a 290. The shot came up high, leaving a split for a 287.

"I was mad. I wanted that hair gone. I choked," Shirak said. "I only needed that strike and I would've gotten a 290 and he'd have great short hair." John Shirak is easy to spot at tournaments, but not because of his hair. He's the one pacing back and forth like he's in a hospital waiting room instead of a bowling alley, agonizing with every shot his daughter throws and adding up scores in his head.

He makes sure his daughter sees him when he's offering support and tries to stay out of sight when the pressure gets to be a little too much. Ironically, that's when his daughter seems to be at her best. "It's like he's out there. He has his game face on. I love seeing him back there," Shirak said.

"Make sure you put in there that I love him." No matter how long his hair is. E-mail: leonardnorthjersey.com KEVIN R. WEXLERSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sonja Shirak won the Passaic County title, the North Jersey Singles Classic and the North Jersey Holiday Classic. BOYS GIRLS By GREG MATTURA STAFF WRITER TOMS RIVER Eastside simply couldn't protect an 1 1-point lead in the final six minutes and suffered the consequences in overtime. The Ghosts' 73-67 loss to Newark Central in the quarterfinals of the Tournament of Champions on Wednesday night was a bitter pill after they had played so well over the first three quarters at Ritac-co Center.

Central battled back from a 54-43 deficit by demonstrating the same intensity and toughness that Eastside showed in rallying to defeat Linden and Rancocas Valley en route to the program's first State title. "It's sort of like what we did to other teams," said Eastside senior point guard David Burgos, who had a game-high 22 points and six assists. "They just fought back and came out with the win." "We had the game, and they fought back and pulled the game from underneath us," Eastside coach Juan Griles said. "My kids played hard, but you have to give credit to Newark Central as well. They did what we did to Linden and everybody else." Tied at 59 after regulation, Central thoroughly dominated the four-minute OT to earn a semifinal trip to Monmouth on Friday night to face St.

Anthony, ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today. The final six minutes of regulation were filled with Eastside mis-cues. Facing double-teams, the Ghosts committed seven turnovers. And they only shot 50 percent from the line (6-for-12).

"We made some mental mistakes that we normally don't make, we turned the ball over, and that was the key," Griles said. "You do those things at this stage and that's what could happen you could lose that close game." Central has a tall and beefy senior front-line trio that combined for 50 points and 25 rebounds and led the comeback. Kameen McPleas-ant, a 6-foot-5 forward, had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Ramon Johnson, a 6-7 center, had 16 points and Patrick Cole, a 6-4 forward, scored 15. Cole came alive in the fourth to lead Central's comeback.

Cole scored 12 in the fourth quarter and OT, including a three-pointer from the corner in OT to put his team ahead for good, 62-61. His trey started a 13-0 run that opened a 70-61 lead. Central closed regulation with an 8-1 spurt to tie the score at 59. Eastside missed three of its last four free throws in the fourth and Central tied the score with 29 seconds left on a three-pointer from the corner by junior guard Brandon Walters. Eastside held for the last shot in regulation, but all it managed was a hurried air ball on a three-point shot typical of its fourth quarter andOT.

"It feels good to be the first East-side team to win Group 4," Burgos said. "It doesn't feel good right now, but our head is high." Eastside controlled the tempo and dominated the first quarter to forge a 21-1 1 lead. The Ghosts used a 10-run to take a 21-9 lead, with senior guard DeAndre Noble (21 points) starting the spurt with a layup and Burgos finishing it with a 15-foot jumper. The Ghosts didn't play as well in the second quarter, but well enough to own a 36-30 halftime lead. The key here was good foul shooting, as five players combined to go 9-for-ll.

Central 73, Eastside 67 (OT) Eastside 21 15 13 10 8-67 Central 11 19 10 19 14-73 Central (30-4) Tyrell Alston 3-0-6, Rodney Carney 2-0-5, Patrick Cole 4-4-15, Ramon Johnson 7-2-16, Daquan Jones 0-0-0, Alif McCray 2-2-6, Kameen McPleasant 8-3-19, Brandon Waiters 2-0-6, Stephon Woodson 0-0-0. Totals 28-1 1-73 Eastside (21-9) Carl Barrett 2-0-5, Nashian Brimley 0-0-0, David Burgos 8-6-22, Nasir Crawford 0-0-0, Ky're Jackson 2-1-5, Quatier Jackson 2-2-6, Deandre Noble 8-5-21, Najee Ricks 0-0-0, Najee Seabrooks 3-2-8, Jordan Smith 0-0-0, Jason Wright 0-0-0. Totals: 25-16-67 3-point goals: Cent Carney 1, Cole 3, Waiters 2, Barrett 1, ft Tim Scott West Milford Sonja Shirak Clifton Chris Paradiso Lakeland Michelle Sadkin Passaic Val. Richard Gutches Passaic Tech Colette Malyack DePaul Isabelle Nemeh Wayne Hills Dan Giannone Wayne Val. Mike Sorber Ryan Kattine Clifton Wayne Hills Coach John Caillie West Milford Coach Brian Small Clifton Matt Bombard Wayne Hills Ashley Brandecker Clifton Kortney Casperino, Clifton, Sr.

Casperino raised her average to 1 53 and moved up to the first team. She was eighth at the Passaic tournament with a 494 series. Idee: Similarities Kortney Casperino Clifton Julianne Amelia Petrella Silvestro Lakeland Lakeland First team Sonja Shirak, Clifton, Sr. Shirak not only won, but did so with big scores at the Passaic tournament and North Jersey Singles Classic. The four-time first-team selection averaged a County-high 21 1 Colette Malyack, DePaul, Jr.

Malyack again showed why she is among the elite bowlers in the county. This is her third time on first team. She averaged 190 and took second at the Passaic tournament. Amelia Silvestro, Lakeland, Sr. Silvestro, a repeat selection, fired the high game of the Passaic tournament, a 237 that helped the Lancers to a second-place finish.

Silvestro led Lakeland with a 1 70 average. Michelle Sadkin, Passaic Valley, Jr. Sadkin earned first-team honors for the second consecutive season and averaged 164. She rolled a 507 series to place sixth at the Passaic tournament. Isabelle Nemeh, Wayne Hills, Soph.

Nemeh also was on first team last year, when she competed for DePaul. She finished fifth at the Passaic tournament with a 508 series. Julianne Petrella, Lakeland, Sr. Petrella, a repeat selection, had a 157 average. She helped Lakeland to the Big North Independence Division title.

Ryan Kattine, Wayne Hills, jr. Kattine placed fourth at the Passaic tournament with a 61 3 series that led Wayne Hills to a third-place finish. He averaged 191 to earn his second first-team selection. Matt Bombard, Wayne Hills, sr. Bombard gave Wayne Hills a sol-id-1-2 punch, averaging 189.

His 1 93 in the second game of the Passaic tournament helped the Patriots shoot an even 1 ,000. Coach of the Year: John Caillie, West Milford Caillie guided a young West Milford team to third place in the Big North Independence Division and fourth in the Passaic tournament. Second team Peter Bruinooge, Hawthorne, sr. Harry Litchfield, Clifton, sr. Andres Casado, Clifton, sr.

Robert Markovitz, Clifton, sr. Nick Oddo, Pompton Lakes, sr. Ryan Gross, Wayne Hills, sr. Christian Resto, Passaic Tech, sr. Shane Algieri, West Milford, sr.

Honorable mention Andrew Algieri and Mark Waszkiewicz, West Milford; Justin Floyd and Eric Francisco, Manchester; Eric Diamond and Dillon Cilento, Pompton Lakes; Tom Patania and Shawn Lefkowitz, Wayne Hills; Freddy Perez and Nor-berto Arnauanoa, Kennedy; Aaron Cabello and Ian Cabello, Hawthorne; Dennis Pierson, Clifton; Matt Longo and Tom Galanagh, Passaic Valley; Zach Zuravner and Marc Badia, Lakeland; Dean Fiorellini and Jon Schecter, Wayne Valley; Mohammed Ahmed and Gamar Virgin, Passaic Tech; Kerome Hall and Darion Epps, Eastside; Ben Stout and Isaac Marcinuk, Hawthorne Christian; David Kang and Thomas Ursetti, Eastern Christian; Chris Pazden and Phil Penzo, DePaul. First team Tim Scott, West Milford, sr. Scott led Passaic County with a 21 0 average. He won the County tournament with a 672 series that included games of 237 and 236. Dan Giannone, Wayne Valley, jr.

Giannone emerged as a junior, putting up a 206 average to lead the Indians. Giannone will be the only Passaic bowler above 200 to return next season. Chris Paradiso, Lakeland, sr. Paradiso also averaged 206 to lead the Lancers. He placed third at the Passaic tournament with a 628 series and helped Lakeland to a second-place finish.

Richard Gutches, Passaic Tech, sr. Gutches finished a stellar career by averaging 200 to earn first team honors for the third time. He finished second at the Passaic tournament with a 649 series. Soungjin Choi, DePaul, sr. Choi led the Spartans with a 1 97 average that also was fifth-best in the County.

He stayed true to form in the Passaic tournament, with his 588 series earning fifth place. Mike Sorber, Clifton, sr. Sorber was a consistent performer, averaging 191 for the Mustangs. He rolled a 560 in the Passaic tournament and was a steadying influence in the final game with a 199. their Group 4 semifinal against Linden, but beat the North 2, Group 4 champs by one to reach the Group 4 final.

They came back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Linden, before battling back from an 11-point disadvantage to topple Rancocas Valley. "This was a great season," said Noble, who scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds. "We can't focus on this loss. We need to focus on the State champions that we are." Still, it was tough to forget what could've been had they held on to win Wednesday night. They would've been huge underdogs against Bob Hurley's juggernaut, the No.

1 team in USA Today's Super 25 national poll. But simply playing St. Anthony on this stage would've added another memorable night to what already was a superb season for the Ghosts, the first public-school program from Passaic County to win a State group championship in 82 years. All that time to think about how it came apart made for a long ride home from Toms River North. A really long ride.

They could only hope that the memories of the wins that led them there last a lot longer. E-mail: idecnorthjersey.com From Page S-l the game was out of reach." Eastside missed 6 of 12 foul shots in the fourth quarter and missed a wide-open dunk that would've put the Ghosts ahead by eight points with just under three minutes to play. They also committed turnovers on five straight possessions during one disconcerting stretch of the fourth. "You can't go 6-for-12 in a game like this," Eastside coach Juan Griles said. "If we make three or four of those free throws and don't turn the ball over, we win the game." Despite their overwhelming disappointment, Eastside's players and coaches couldn't help but admire Newark Central's resilience.

That trait, more than anything else, was what enabled Eastside to become the second Passaic County boys team to reach the TOC and first since Paterson Catholic in 1994. The Ghosts would've lost to Bloomfield in the first round of the North 1, Group 4 tournament if not for Noble's put-back at the buzzer. Then they recorded impressive easy road wins against top-seeded Livingston and Rox-bury, before beating rival Kennedy by 17 to win their third sectional title in four years. They were underdogs entering Ashley Brandecker, Clifton, Jr. Brandecker finished the Passaic tournament with a flourish, shooting 221 to finish fourth individually and help the Mustangs win.

She averaged 150. Coach of the year: Brian Small, Clifton Small led Clifton to the girls and boys titles at the Passaic tournament. The Mustangs' teams each brought home Big North Liberty Division titles. Second team Jaclyn Yurus, Hawthorne Christian, Soph. Elizabeth Mulcock, Eastern Christian, Jr.

Tiana Warren, Eastside, Sr. Stephanie Cherico, Clifton, Sr. CelinaJoco, Wayne Hills, Sr. Bianca lannacco, Wayne Valley, Sr. Alyssa Piedra, Passaic Valley, Jr.

Ashley Miller, Wayne Valley, Soph. Honorable mention Danielle Phillips and Kayla Leake, Kennedy; Casey Casperino, Clifton; Caitlyn Castillo and Rebecca Dykstra, DePaul; Jni Cain and Erika Bravo, Passaic Tech; Clarissa Bernard and Ya-haira Cabrera, Eastside; Shelby Sulick and Paula Redmon, Mary Help; Mindy Pritcken and Jackie Vogel, Lakeland; Mirna Halawani and Laura Garbarini, Wayne Valley; Lee Ann Butterfield, Hawthorne Christian; Amanda Abene and Casandra Santiago, Passaic Valley; Tahlianna Almonte and Amanda Campbell, Wayne Hills; Sarah Butera, Manchester. Teams selected by Passaic County Coaches Association.