By CHRIS CHRISTOPHER
A cancer victim and his family came away thousands of dollars richer.
The Ocean Township High School girls soccer team came away with a thrilling victory.
Senior captain Charlotte Palumbo scored in the first overtime, giving the host Spartans a 1-0 win over Raritan in the ninth annual Mya Cup.
Palumbo drove the ball into the net from just outside the 18-yard line.
“It was a beautiful goal,” Ocean coach Cassie Della Pesca said after her Spartans earned the Mya Cup as the winning team.
More than $3,000 were raised for The Mya Lin Terry Foundation. Proceeds were generated by donations, mask and T-shirt sales and a 50-50 raffle. The money was donated to Ashton VanDorne, a 12-year-old Ocean cancer victim. VanDorne, who suffers from Medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer, is a seventh grader at the Township of Ocean Intermediate School.
Ocean Deputy Mayor John Napolitani presented the Foundation with a proclamation declaring September as Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. Miss Mare’s All About Dance Competition Team provided the entertainment.
The event was created by the Spartans to show their love and support for Mya Terry, who died April 10, 2013 at the age of 10 after a 5 1/2-year battle with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Secondary AML. She was a fifth-grade student at the Township of Ocean Intermediate School.
Terry’s mother, Kelly Lynn Terry, an Ocean resident who played for the Spartans in the early 1980s and is an event organizer, made pre-match remarks.
“We are pleased to welcome Raritan and are so thankful you are able to share this special tradition with us,” she said. “After her battle, Mya grew her angel wings. She continues to inspire us to make a difference and what better way to continue to honor Mya’s memory than to support other pediatric cancer warriors in our community as pediatric cancer is not rare. At this game, we are showing our love and support for Ashton, who unfortunately was not able to join us as he is in active treatment. However, I do see a few of our Ocean Township warriors with us today–Tori, Anna, Allison and Carter!
“A huge thank you to all of the Ocean Township families and friends who are supporting this event, especially in lieu of all of the accommodations we had to make to assure that the COVID-19 protocols are properly followed and that our attendees and teams remain safe. We thank Ms. Kazooba, Mr. Stefankiewicz, Mr. Todd, Mrs. Hagerman, our Mya Cup announcers (Tori Lee and Maggie Halsey) as well as all of the players, coaches and fans. Additional shout outs to Kasey Pickett, my sister, for assuring and enabling this event to take place every year and to Beth Conti for the amazing Mya Cup shirt designs every year. This night could not take place without your help.
“This is a fantastic tradition here at Ocean and I am proud to be a part of it–kids helping kids to kick cancer’s butt one game at a time.”
Mrs. Terry led a moment of silence in memory of her daughter and pediatric cancer angels Logan Parker and Matthew West. The latter two resided in Ocean. The Foundation has gifted more than $600,000 to the pediatric cancer warriors and their families.
The Foundation partnered with Ocean resident Gino Dellomo of Shrewsbury Volkswagen in Tinton Falls to donate a car to a cancer warrior last year. The Foundation again partnered with the dealership and The Frances Foundation and The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation to donate a mini van to a local warrior and their family of six.
In other news concerning the Foundation, the Ocean Township Mayor’s Ball has been moved from May 22 to Sept. 25 at The Gibbs Estate in Eatontown.
In football:
Asbury Park 58, Roselle Park 20: Jai’Sun Brown completed 15 of 23 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns for the Blue Bishops (2-2) in their win over Roselle Park (2-3).
Teammate Najier Massey rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries and caught one pass for 12 yards. Teammate Makai Brown Jones, who caught eight passes for 243 yards, hauled in three touchdown aerials. Teammate Nasir Alston caught four passes for 51 yards and added six tackles and one forced fumble.
The Blue Bishops’ Jarrett Chathuant made seven tackles and added one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Jones added eight tackles and one forced fumble. Lydel Brown added six tackles and caught two passes for 29 yards. Naiheem Crooms added six tackles. Anthony Swearine added four tackles. Exiever Chathuant added four tackles.
Ocean 21, Red Bank Regional 15: Tyler Douglas ran for one touchdown and threw for another to lead the Spartans past the Bucs.
Douglas sped 40 yards for one touchdown and threw a 12-yard pass to Shane Garrett for another score. Christian LaRosa scooted 37 yards for an Ocean touchdown.
Manasquan 35, Neptune 14: Nino Bua scored on a short touchdown run and tossed a 33-yard scoring pass to Zahnier Hornsby-Carter for the Scarlet Fliers in their loss to the Warriors.
Neptune 25, Point Pleasant Boro 20: Bua threw two touchdown passes to Kelly Beaubrun and Jaquan Smith scored on two touchdown runs to lead the Scarlet Fliers (2-3) past the Panthers (1-4).
Tian Blake added two interceptions.
Mater Dei Prep 34, Long Branch 20: Christian Rodriguez tossed touchdown passes to Sekou Kamau, Jyshon Presley and BaSean Fisher for the Green Wave in its loss to the Seraphs.
Red Bank Catholic 14, Long Branch 0: The Green Wave (1-4) fell to the Caseys (4-1).
Point Pleasant Boro 41, Monmouth Regional 20: The Falcons fell to the Panthers.
Neptune 34, Jackson Liberty 7: Shane Fallon, the Scarlet Fliers’ first-year coach, enjoyed his initial career win at the helm with a conquest of the Lions.
Neptune’s Isaiah Weeks scored on runs of 55 and seven yards. Jaquan Smith added a 34-yard touchdown sprint. Davon Craft added a 2-yard touchdown burst.
Keansburg 22, Asbury Park 16: Jai’Sun Brown completed 15 of 23 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns for the Blue Bishops in their loss to the Titans.
One touchdown was a 15-yarder to Makai Brown-Jones. Another score was a 70-yarder to Najier Massey. Brown-Jones, who caught six passes for 86 yards, added eight tackles. Teammate Lydel Brown gathered in three passes for 60 yards.
In pro football:
Philadelphia 22, New York 21: Defensive end Vinny Curry, the former Neptune standout, recovered quarterback Daniel Jones’ fumble with 21 seconds left in the fourth quarter preserving the Eagles’ win over the Giants.
In college football:
Pickett stars: Ex-Ocean standout Kenny Pickett, a senior quarterback, completed 24 of 47 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns for the University of Pittsburgh in the Panthers’ 31-30 overtime loss to Boston College.
Pickett, who left the game because of an ankle injury, tossed one interception. He rushed for 36 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries.
In boys soccer:
Asbury Park 4, Keyport 1: Jean-Roody Salomon scored two goals to lead the Blue Bishops past the Red Raiders.
Also contributing to the win were Luckerson Pierre (one assist), JaQuan Lunsford (one goal), Gustabo Lazo-Garcia (one assist), Davenson Joinvilmar (one assist), Woodley Cagilus (one goal), Edgar Zuniga (four saves), Jayden Ellis (three saves) and Eduardo Vargus-Cruz (four saves).
St. Rose 5, Red Bank Catholic 0: Led by James Vitale’s three goals and one assist, the Purple Roses (5-1) downed the Caseys (0-6).
Also aiding the win were Luke Hamil (one assist), Kyle Corrigan (one goal, two assists), Lucas Hope (one assist), Matt Kirkpatrick (one goal), Shane Killeen (five saves) and Jack Harmon (two saves).
Ranney School 5, Keyport 0: Charles Anyichie’s two goals and one assist paced the Panthers (6-0) past the Red Raiders (0-6).
Tom Boyan added one goal and one assist. Charles McCann added one goal and Kevin Mortenson contributed one assist. Mitchell Oldham scored one goal.
Ranney School 6, Keyport 1: Boyan netted three goals and added one assist for the Panthers (5-0) in their conquest of the Red Raiders (0-5).
Anyichie added one goal and one assist. Trent Redman and Ari Malek each added one goal and McCann handed out two assists.
Ranney School 5, Asbury Park 2: Boyan scored one goal and dished off four assists and Anyichie added two goals for the Panthers in their win over the Blue Bishops.
Redman and McCann each scored one goal.
In girls soccer:
Mater Dei Prep 2, Monmouth 0: Fatima Aw made 10 saves for the Falcons in their setback to the Seraphs.
Trinity Hall 4, St. Rose 3: Cameryn Keane’s two goals and Alexandra Popham’s two assists propelled the Monarchs past the Purple Roses.
Anna Torres and Yasmin Henke each added one goal and Olivia Fazzolari contributed 13 saves.
In field hockey:
Ocean 7, Middletown North 1: Taylor Cerafice scored three goals and Allison Tanasy added two goals and one assist for the Spartans in their conquest of the Lions.
Eric Pardon added one goal and two assists. Taylor Hough added one assist. Jordan Dorbin added one goal. Sofia Chebookjian added two saves.
Ocean erupted for four second-period goals en route to a 5-0 first-half lead.
Ocean 5, Middletown North 0: Pardon’s three goals and two assists led the Spartans past the Lions.
Tanasy added one goal and one assist. Cerafice added one goal. Ally Walk and Dobin each handed out one assist.
St. John Vianney 5, Neptune 1: Aaliyah Gerard turned in three saves for the Scarlet Fliers in their loss to the Lancers.
Freehold 5, Neptune 2: Ava Carlson and Majiah Foster scored goals and Janiya Clay added two saves or the Scarlet Fliers in their loss to the Colonials.
St. Rose 2, Trinity Hall 0: Sarah Peters and Colleen Ragan netted one goal each and Ella Rossetti added one assist for the Purple Roses in their win over the Monarchs.
Anya Gloster added seven saves. The Monarchs’ Fiona Corrigan made two saves.
In girls tennis:
Ranney School 5, Mater Dei Prep 0: Sandy Wilderotter, competing at first singles, won 6-0, 6-0 to lead the Panthers past the Seraphs.
Also winning at singles were Gabby Goldwert (6-0, 6-0) and Sarah Marty (6-0, 6-1). Doubles victors by 6-0, 6-0 scores were Anna Chalnick-Summer Wilderotter and Gianna Pappalardo-Adele Sobieski.
Ranney School 5, Keansburg 0: The Panthers (5-2) downed the Titans (0-10).
Winning at singles were Pappalardo (6-0, 6-0), Sobieski (6-0, 6-0) and Anisha Mann (by forfeit). Prevailing at doubles were Alexandra Presutti-Priya Guptya (6-0, 6-0) and Sophia Lennon-Emilia Redman (6-0, 6-0).
Trinity Hall 5, Henry Hudson Regional 0: The Monarchs (10-0) downed the Admirals (5-6).
Winning at singles were Lauren Ward (6-0, 6-0), Bryce Krampert (6-0, 6-1) and Hanna Noorigian (6-0, 6-1). Doubles victors were Meredith Sheftel-Emma Freeman (6-4, 6-4) and Hayden Rummler-Ayla O’Connor (6-0, 6-0).
In girls cross country:
Holmdel 27, St. Rose 30: Tilly O’Connor crossed the finish line first in 20:21, but it was not enough to prevent the Purple Roses from falling to the Hornets.
In boys cross country:
St. Rose 28, Holmdel 28: The Purple Roses bested the Hornets on a tiebreaker.
Brian Theobald paced the winners, placing second in 17:34.
Contact Chris Christopher at cchristopher1259@gmail.com. Follow Chris on Facebook (Chris Christopher) and Twitter (@cchristophernj).