GMC Hoops Blogosphere

Benefit For Eric LeGrand Set For July 23rd

Former JFK Standout Eliot Solop Will Host And Run Event At Woodbridge High School

ISELIN, NJ–On Tuesday afternoon, GMC Hoops received word from Founder and Chief Editor of The Sports Tomato, Eliot Solop, that a benefit will be held for former Colonia and Rutgers football standout, Eric LeGrand on July 23rd at Woodbridge High School.

It has almost been six months since LeGrand suffered an injury in a collision during the Scarlet Knights football game against Army that left him paralyzed from the neck down, but he has refused to give up, and is making more and more progress each day.

The benefit will have a number of musical guests and sponsors. Proceeds from 52 Fest will go towards renovations to Eric’s house including a handicapped ramp, bathroom, and an additional room. The event will run from 1:00 to 8:00 PM. For more information, or to get involved, check out the 52 Fest web site at http://www.52fest.com.

Division I Players From The GMC

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–With all the traveling and coverage GMC Hoops has been doing as of late, it hasn’t had the chance to sit back, and think about all the Division I talent from the Greater Middlesex Conference in both football and basketball. Here are some former basketball standouts, and what they’re doing now in D-I.

Former GMC Basketball Standouts Playing Currently In Division I

• Marqus Blakely–Vermont
• Mike Burwell–South Florida
• Sean Baptiste–FDU
• Vince Rosario–Central Connecticut State
• Brandon Hall–St. Peter’s
• Darren Smith–Penn
• Zach Rosen–Penn
• Marquis Jones–Rhode Island
• Dan Stonkus–NJIT
• Chris Matagrano–New Hampshire
• Mohammed Sanu–Rutgers (football)
• Shamar Graves–Rutgers (football)
• J.D. Griggs–Iowa (football)
• Brandon Smith–Michigan (football)
• DeJuan Miller–Oklahoma (football)

If there are any names that I left out, feel free to e-mail me at gmachos@gmchoops.com, and I’ll add them to the list. Thanks.

Site Change For NJSIAA Football Sectional Championships

On Thursday morning, GMC Hoops learned from an article in the Star-Ledger that there have been changes to the sites for the 2009 NJSIAA Football Sectional Championship Games. Over the past few years, Rutgers Stadium has been the site for many of these games. However, due to a scheduling conflict resulting from a Rutgers matchup against West Virginia on December 5th, the facility will not be available.

As a result, the NJSIAA has selected Kean University and The College of New Jersey as additional sites to Giants Stadium for Championship Weekend. In addition, Giants Stadium was made available for an extra date. It will host games on December 3rd (two games), December 4th (two games), and December 5th (four games). Kean and TCNJ will have one game each on Friday, December 4th, and two each on Saturday, December 5th.

South Brunswick’s Sanu Standing Tall For Scarlet Knights

PISCATAWAY, NJ–So far this season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have won two of their first three contests including a 45-7 rout of Howard, and a 23-15 victory over Florida International in non conference games. However, the Knights started out dubiously with a ugly loss on Labor Day to defending Big East Champion, Cincinnati (47-15). One of the real bright spots in that loss was Mohammed Sanu.

Sanu, the younger brother of former Sayreville standout, Samir Sanu, was a reserve on the South Brunswick Boys Basketball team that reached the semifinals of the 2007 Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, won the Central Jersey Group IV State Tournament Championship over Freehold Township, and reached the Group IV State Final before losing to defending state champ, Linden. However, his better sport is football, where he starred as Quarterback for South Brunswick while also playing wide receiver and safety.

Entering Rutgers University as a freshman this past January, Sanu raised eyebrows over the course of the offseason with his effort at wide receiver for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers, which lost Kenny Britt, who is now playing for the Tennessee Titans, and former Notre Dame of Lawrenceville standout, Tiquan Underwood, was looking for someone to help fill the void there, and Sanu has done that, and more. In the defeat to the Bearcats on Labor Day, Sanu caught 10 passes for 101 yards while rushing one time for 9 yards.

In the two games since against Howard and Florida International, Sanu has performed more modestly. Against Howard, Sanu caught two passes for 22 yards including one 17 yard play, and returned 4 punts for a total of 21 yards. Versus Florida International, Sanu caught three passes for 35 yards including a 19 yard pass play, threw a pass, and returned two punts. In total, Sanu has caught 15 passes for 158 yards for an average of 10.5 yards per catch. Joining him in the receiving corps is former Woodbridge football and basketball standout, Shamar Graves, who has caught two passes for 14 yards this season including a touchdown against Cincinnati. Graves has caught four touchdown passes in his career at RU.