Finding A Place To Kick – Hometown View

It’s a long way from Bayville, New Jersey to Sacramento, California but that’s the journey Ed Ruhnke has made in search of an opportunity kicking  for a Division One college football team.

The former Central Regional player did not have too many options after finishing his high school career but landed at Moorpark Junior College in California last fall and made the most of that opportunity, making 12 of 15 field goal tries. In one game Ruhnke kicked four field goals in the first half, including a 42-yarder and that performance earned him West Conference Player of the Week honors.

The 5’9, 170 pounder from Bayville used that success and an impressive outing at a January kicking camp in Florida to catch the eye of coaches at Sacramento State, a school of 27,000 students in the California state capital city. Ruhnke was among 24 student-athletes to sign Letters of Intent in February with the Hornets and he’ll be competing for the kicking job this fall. Sacramento State is coming off a 4-7 season which included a season-opening upset of Oregon State. They compete in the Big Sky Conference, which includes Montana and Montana State.

The Ocean County College Foundation will hold their 11th annual Golf Outing on Tuesday, May 1st at Pine Barrens in Jackson. Michael York is Chairperson of the event which has raised over $450,000 to support OCC students and expects to go over the half million mark with this year’s outing. If you are interested in playing you can call the college foundation at (732) 255-0492.

After spending six years in the Florida Marlins minor league system Charlie Frazier decided he had enough of riding buses, living in motels and wondering about the future. The former Toms River South standout returned home and is now teaching in the school district and coaching baseball under Ken Frank at his alma mater.

The 31-year old certainly went to his share of baseball camps growing up and he’s using those experiences and his baseball knowledge to start his own camp. The Frazier Baseball Camp will run from August 13-17 at Toms River Intermediate North for children ages 5-12 broken down into two age groups. For information you can visit frazierbaseball.com.

Meanwhile Charlie’s younger brother Todd is on his way back to the major leagues after starting the season with the Cincinnati Reds Triple-A team in Louisville. Todd will join the Reds in St. Louis today when they open a series against the Cardinals.