Brandon Flores – Central Jersey Sports Radio

In 2020, COVID was the story, and the inaugural Fundraising University New Jersey “Unsung Hero Scholarship Award” went to St. Joe’s of Metuchen’s Tommy Romond, who kept his team together on the field, despite being apart.

In 2021, the award goes to a Manville senior who helped keep his community together.

That community was, in part, his football team, but in greater part, the entire town of Manville, in the wake of the utter destruction caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida back in early September.

Manville has been through many storms before, and too many to count in recent years, but the tiny Somerset County town probably has never seen a dynamo like Brandon Flores. He had teammates who lost everything. He helped them first, then it was on to anyone who needed assistance, moving out flooded items, passing out bottled water.

*Brandon Flores of Manville (source: Hudl)*

Just taking care of his community.

For his efforts, Flores receives the “Unsung Hero Scholarship Award,” a $500 scholarship coutesy of John Tuohy at Fundraising University New Jersey.

Click below to listen to Brandon Flores recall the night Ida hit Manville, and what he did for his community in the aftermath:

Click the link above to find out how Fundraising University can help sports teams and organizations raise the most amount of money in the least amount of time. Or contact John Tuohy at 732-772-3354 or jtuohy@fundraisingu.net

With touchdowns of four, five, two and 53 yards, Sayreville sophomore Zaimer Wright not only showed the promise of the future for the Bombers, but also made an impact in the present, helping his team knock off the Number One team in the Big Central.

Wright’s four TD’s against North Brunswick gave his team a 35-22 win – on the road, mind you – and earned him the Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Award.

Wright will receive a custom football at the end of the season, and one of the weekly winners will receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving.

Wright’s last touchdown was the longest one, and helped solidify the win for Sayreville, which picked up its first win of the season to move to 1-2 on the year.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Bellamy & Son Paving Week 3 Player of the Week Zaimer Wright of Sayreville:

Honor Roll…

Three other players around the Big Central had notable efforts this week, starting with Old Bridge senior runningback Lawrence Hunter III.

Hunter scored three touchdowns at Mike Elko Field in a 40-11 blowout of South Brunswick in the Big Central Game of the Week, driven by Mark Montenero and his team at the world-famous Autoland, and also earned Player of the Game honors.

The 7th-ranked Knights (2-1) have a big showdown Friday night at home against No. 10 Monroe (3-0).

Two weeks ago it was Shaun Purcell, this time a different Mustang gets on the board as Manville senior Brandon Flores earns a laurel.

Flores got it done on the ground, through the air and on special teams. He rushed a dozen times for 106 yards and three touchdowns, adding two catches for 42 yards, one for a TD. He also kicks extra points, and was 5-of-6 in that department in a 41-0 home win over Montclair-Kimberley Academy.

With that and a season-opening win over Dunellen, the Mustangs have outscored their first two opponents by a combined 89-6.

Hillsboro’s Jay Mazuera also had a solid game in a blowout win over Franklin; 12-of-19 passing for the senior quarterback for 276 yards and four touchdowns. Mazuera and his teammates will play in the Battle of Route 206 Thursday night when the No. 3 Raiders (3-0) visit Brddgewater-Raritan (2-1) Thursday night at 7 pm in the Big Central Game of the Week driven by Autoland.