Sweet 16 of the Shore's Greatest Sports Personalities

Vic Kubu would have loved to coach a football player like Mike Gesicki.

During his 32 years on the sidelines, 22 of them at Manasquan where he won 10 state sectional titles, Kubu had many outstanding players but Gesicki would have stood out. A 6’6 tight end who is just about impossible to cover with his speed and jumping ability Gesicki is among the greatest athletes in Shore Conference history.

Before he focused all of his efforts on football he set a Southern Regional record for points scored on the basketball court and was an All-State volleyball player who had his pick of schools and sports when it came to scholarship offers. Gesicki of course chose football and finished an outstanding career at Penn State and is expected to be a first or second round pick in the NFL draft in just over a month.

Kubu, who died in the summer of 2007 was also an outstanding athlete at Manasquan and one of the most beloved figures in that school’s history. He was a no-brainer when it came to listing the Shore Sports Network’s 64 greatest sports personalities of the last 50 years and voters have moved him into the “Sweet 16” with wins over basketball’s Joe Scott and wrestling’s Frank Molinaro in the first two rounds.

Now though the opponent is Gesicki, who topped broadcaster Bonnie Bernstein and Shore Regional coaching legend Nancy Williams and is by far the youngest member of the 16 left.

It’s round three in our online quest to name the greatest sports personality with direct ties to the shore area which is presented by Sonny’s Recycling in Waretown. As the NCAA “Sweet 16” round begins tonight ours is underway and also provides these intriguing matchups: