One Last Bow

For Howell, days without Dave Ramos aren't exactly a hot topic to speak about. But with two regular season games left, his high school career, along with Nick Peras, Billy Acquaviva and Nick Barone are quickly coming to a close. As they do leave, many are speculating it will be a rather quick exit due to the Rebels up-and-down season.


Well, I think that's up to them to decide.


Each of those players have an important role on this team, and as their season--and careers--wind down, how far Howell does get will have a lot to do with these seniors.


In their junior year, the Rebels shocked everyone as you are well aware, going 19-4-1, winning the Dowd Cup and making a small splash in the state playoffs.


Good teams can do that in their first season; really good teams do it two years in a row. For those of you who don't recall, those juniors played a major part in that Dowd Cup game, an eventual 9-7 win over Wall.


If Howell wants to repeat, and have these seniors go out as winners, it will have to do a lot with themselves. Everyone knows they all have the individual talent to play with anyone in the conference. But for Howell, individual play never got them anywhere.


Let's see the impact these four men will have on Howell deep in the post-season this year:


Dave Ramos: There's really not much explaining here. Ramos is widely considered the best player in the conference, and arguably the state. If Howell wins any games in the Shore Conference Tournament this season, it will be because Ramos fought off double-teams and being shadowed throughout--something he has had to deal with all season long.


Nick Peras: This power forward for Howell has had a little bit of trouble staying out the box so far this season--and that will be a big key for the Rebels down the stretch. When Peras draws penalties, rather than taking them, he is a huge asset on the power play--and that's something that Howell needs to take advantage of.

Billy Acquaviva: Early in the season, Acquaviva was a major scoring threat for the Rebels. Although this shifty winger has been rather quiet lately, it's only a matter of time until he breaks out. He had both goals in a huge 2-1 win against Freehold Township early in the season, and Howell could really use that as Ramos will be shadowed throughout the playoffs.

Nick Barone: Although Barone hasn't had as much ice time as he may like in his senior year, he still plays a major role on this team. Because of his noticeable hard work, Barone has always been a fan favorite for the 'Rebellion' and is always willing to speak with the media about the team. His leadership will never show up on the score-sheet but it is always recognized.

Not just for these men, but for Howell, it's time to ask: Do you want to go out as a one-hit wonder, or an elite Shore Conference team?

The answer is up to you...