2007 Asbury Park Press Baseball Coach of the Year
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
When he signed on eight years ago to launch varsity baseball at Colts Neck High School, Mike Yorke had a dream.
""I had a vision a couple of years back of building a beautiful field, of having a great place for kids to come who were passionate about baseball,'' Yorke said. ""Now I see a lot of these things coming true.
""A lot of what I thought about a bunch of years ago is now coming to fruition.''
Never more so than this spring.
Yorke, who guided the Cougars (22-7) to a school record for wins, their first Shore Conference divisional championship (Class A North Public) and, to their first Shore Conference Tournament championship, is the 2007 Asbury Park Press Baseball Coach of the Year.
A mostly veteran team, led by seniors Dom Hayes and A.J. Rusbarsky, and with a pitching staff anchored by jnior Anthony DeSclafani, Colts Neck powered through the SCT.
The Cougars eliminated No. 1 seed Toms River North and No. 4 seed Ocean to reach the SCT final vs. No. 2 CBA.
Though Colts Neck had been swept by CBA in the regular season, it was a different story in the SCT championship at FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood. Hayes unloaded a game-sealing grand slam and DeSclafani muffled the Colts as the Cougars recorded an 8-2 win.
DeSclafani said Yorke always kept the team on en even keel.
""We always play to win the game at hand and never look ahead,'' said DeSclafani, an eight-game winner. "That's what we did this year, and it paid off as we kept moving on to the next round (in the SCT).''
""That game (the final vs. CBA) was electric, at least that's the way I felt,'' Yorke said. ""I felt good for all the kids who had a chance to play in that atmosphere.''
Now, Yorke said, the challenge is to consistently be among the upper echelon in the Shore Conference.
""At least in my mind, I'm thinking about 20 wins and some kind of championship every year,'' Yorke said. ""That's where it seems like all the real good programs … the Oceans, the CBAs, the Walls and the Toms River schools get to.''
And that's where Yorke wants Colts Neck to be.
STAFF WRITER
When he signed on eight years ago to launch varsity baseball at Colts Neck High School, Mike Yorke had a dream.
""I had a vision a couple of years back of building a beautiful field, of having a great place for kids to come who were passionate about baseball,'' Yorke said. ""Now I see a lot of these things coming true.
""A lot of what I thought about a bunch of years ago is now coming to fruition.''
Never more so than this spring.
Yorke, who guided the Cougars (22-7) to a school record for wins, their first Shore Conference divisional championship (Class A North Public) and, to their first Shore Conference Tournament championship, is the 2007 Asbury Park Press Baseball Coach of the Year.
A mostly veteran team, led by seniors Dom Hayes and A.J. Rusbarsky, and with a pitching staff anchored by jnior Anthony DeSclafani, Colts Neck powered through the SCT.
The Cougars eliminated No. 1 seed Toms River North and No. 4 seed Ocean to reach the SCT final vs. No. 2 CBA.
Though Colts Neck had been swept by CBA in the regular season, it was a different story in the SCT championship at FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood. Hayes unloaded a game-sealing grand slam and DeSclafani muffled the Colts as the Cougars recorded an 8-2 win.
DeSclafani said Yorke always kept the team on en even keel.
""We always play to win the game at hand and never look ahead,'' said DeSclafani, an eight-game winner. "That's what we did this year, and it paid off as we kept moving on to the next round (in the SCT).''
""That game (the final vs. CBA) was electric, at least that's the way I felt,'' Yorke said. ""I felt good for all the kids who had a chance to play in that atmosphere.''
Now, Yorke said, the challenge is to consistently be among the upper echelon in the Shore Conference.
""At least in my mind, I'm thinking about 20 wins and some kind of championship every year,'' Yorke said. ""That's where it seems like all the real good programs … the Oceans, the CBAs, the Walls and the Toms River schools get to.''
And that's where Yorke wants Colts Neck to be.
posted by Tony Graham at 9:11 PM
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