He is the No. 1 rated wrestler and football player in the U.S. He has 10 specialized trainers, his own PR guy and has made incredible sacrifices. Is it all worth it? Watch video

He is 15 years old, 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds of cartoonish muscles on top of muscles. He had six-pack abs when he was 6. Today, he bench-presses one-and-a-half times his body weight and can leap from a standing position to the top of a car. He averages four touchdowns per game and hasn't lost a wrestling match since 2012, making him the nation's top-ranked football player and wrestler for his grade. And even though he doesn't begin high school for another two weeks, he already is one of the most talked about athletes in New Jersey.

His name is Josh McKenzie.

But people just call him Man-Child, D-Train, Animal, Machine or Beast, and he is a once-in-a-lifetime physical specimen who looks like he was engineered in a lab, each piece meticulously sculpted, tested and refined.

Josh also embodies the runaway free-for-all youth sports have become. Specialized training. High school coaches lining up to woo players. Working out to the point of total exhaustion. Repeating a grade for athletic advantage. Bouncing from team to team. It's all part of his family's all-in, college-scholarship-or-bust gamble.

Sound extreme? Consider:

This past year, Josh's family spent more than $15,000 on specialized training and thousands more to parade him around at showcases, tournaments and all-star events from Florida to California.

Most of the 10 specialized personal trainers he will see during the year -- that's right, 10 trainers -- rely on state-of-the-art techniques and put Josh through futuristic workouts. He takes it a step further by wearing a Darth Vader-like elevation mask to restrict breathing and simulate training at elevations.

Josh's stable of experts includes a mindset coach, an isokinetic performance trainer, a nutritionist, three sprinting specialists and a power-lifting guru. He also has a family friend who acts as his public relations guy, although Josh already speaks like someone who has had extensive media training.

Even his most mundane activities are meticulously planned and closely monitored. So, for example, he will record every morsel he eats in his iPhone app or log book, making sure to consume exactly 4,500 calories and 175 grams of protein each day.

"In this stage of my life, football's my main focus," Josh says. "My friends and all that partying can take a side seat for now."

Josh's family granted NJ Advance Media extraordinary access during the past year, revealing a remarkable, pressure-packed world in which everyone wants a piece of the Man-Child. When he wasn't visiting schools, making his lunch or doing his own laundry at his family's home in Monmouth County, Josh bounced from school to practices, competitions and workouts. At each nausea-inducing session -- be it in a yoga studio, someone's basement, a sprawling athletic facility or a strip mall gym -- Josh left behind puddles of sweat and any chance someone might outwork him.

When those sessions finished, Josh would return home and torture himself in his family's garage, hanging 10 minutes some nights on an inversion table in an effort to stretch himself taller and erase the one possible Achilles' heel on his path to stardom.

He does this and more -- all before his braces have come off.

Josh McKenzie throws a football on the Fourth of July 2014 in South Beach. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

'A BUSINESS DECISION'

Just after 3 on a humid afternoon 15 months ago, Josh and 316 eighth-grade classmates from Wall Intermediate School take their seats in the high school gym. The graduates, wearing royal blue gowns, tap their phones and crane to find their families.

Josh, 14 at the time, strides confidently across the stage when called. He wears a pink shirt with a black-and-silver striped tie and stylish blue-tinted Ray Ban glasses. He takes his diploma, smiles, hugs a teacher and steps off stage.

Three months later, Josh returns to the eighth grade.

The controversial choice to voluntarily re-enroll at a new school and repeat is based mostly on athletic benefit, and Josh calls it another "business decision."

Josh's uncle and legal guardian, Bill Green, is the mad scientist behind the Man-Child. He says an extra year of middle school will help Josh "grow mentally and physically," and hopefully "get him noticed" by college recruiters. Green also says Josh, with a March birthday, is young for his current grade.

Countless high-profile athletes across the nation repeat, too, but Josh's decision stokes his mostly anonymous critics because he is clearly ready to play in high school. In fact, Josh has been competing against older kids for years and still dominating. Bill, who is 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, thick with muscles and a demeanor that flips quickly, doesn't back away.

"It was kind of my choice, but I did bring it up to him," Bill explains. "I mean, I gave him an option. I told him, 'Look, this is what I want to do. Are you OK with it?' He usually doesn't fight me on much."

Josh admits "it was embarrassing to tell people that I was staying back in eighth grade." But adds, "I just don't really care what other people think. It's, like, my career."

It is a career that has been carefully plotted.

Bill has told Josh and his older brother, Matt, their college money is being spent on training and travel. And Josh knows the smoothest path to his NFL dream is to be recruited to a big-time college program -- a process that can begin in the eighth grade or earlier.

The family is anxious for Josh to receive his first offer, even if there is always that one nagging concern: his height.

During an interview last summer, Josh was asked his biggest fear. For once, he abandoned the carefully scripted responses and admitted he worries that he won't grow to 6 feet tall, roughly the average height of defensive backs in the NFL.

It was the only peek into his soul he revealed during dozens of interviews, but hardly the only question that will arise as he prepares to enter high school.

What if he gets hurt? What if he picks the wrong high school? Can he meet Bill's expectations? How can he hold onto the few remaining shreds of normalcy in his life?

And the big one: What if, after all the money and training and the extra year before high school, he simply isn't good enough?

Bill Green reaches out to shake Josh McKenzie's hand at his eighth grade graduation in June of 2014. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

FOR THE FAMILY

The long stretch of grass is sandwiched between two rows of trees and makes the perfect workout field, right there in the family's Wall Township backyard.

When Josh was 5 and Matt 7, the boys took turns lugging each other 50 yards each way. They did buddy carries (over the back), wedding cakes (carrying in front), fireman carries (over the shoulders), squats (while still holding the other) and pushed each other in a wheelbarrow. When the little boys weren't carrying each other, they mixed in pushups, situps and Russian twist abdominal exercises, using a basketball for the weight.

A family picture from a year later shows Josh shirtless in the backyard, leaning forward and flexing, his abdominal, biceps and shoulder muscles rippling like a miniature bodybuilder. Matt is also bulging out of his skin. It's an image that stays with you.

"We thought we were just having fun, but after a while we kind of understood," Josh says. "(Bill) tried to make it fun, but he really knew we were, like, putting in work."

For Matt and Josh, just having a backyard was something.

They had lived in the gritty Munroe Towers in Asbury Park until 2004. Their mom and Bill's sister, Debra Burgos, was addicted to drugs and alcohol, the family says. Josh says his and Matt's father was in and out of their lives, leaving Bill's mom to raise Josh, Matt and Ashley, their older sister.

The apartment, Bill says, had bed bugs and roaches, and the boys slept on air mattresses. Burgos, as Josh remembers, would come home drunk and start fights with his grandmother or sister.

"We would go in another room and just hope and pray they would stop," Josh says. "We would cry. It was hard to see our mom, like, deteriorate the way she did."

Bill, then single, says he was disgusted by the conditions, so he moved the boys and his mother into his house. That was 11 years ago, and family and friends say it was a courageous decision that forever changed the boys' lives.

"I knew I was taking on a big responsibility, but they're family," Bill says. "It's my flesh and blood. I just couldn't see them -- my mother and these kids -- living like that."

Josh remembers initially being scared of his uncle, but feeling better after Bill took everyone to dinner at Nino Jr.'s in Oakhurst, telling them to order anything. They watched the movie "Elf" over the first sleepover and the boys had the run of the refrigerator.

"He treated me like I was his own son," Josh says.

A 2006 cell phone photo of brothers Matt (left) and Josh McKenzie when they were 8- and 6-years old. (Photo courtesy of Bill Green) 

THE CENTER OF EVERY UNIVERSE 

At 10:45 on a warm September morning, Josh sits in Algebra class at Seashore Day Camp and School, the private school in Long Branch where he's repeating eighth grade. Rob Schnoor, the teacher, talks about number sequences and patterns, and hands out quizzes to 13 students sitting at tiny desks.

Schnoor knows all about the athletic machine in the back of his classroom.

Not that Josh could blend in.

He has broad shoulders, bulging muscles and scraggly facial hair around his upper lip and chin -- the Man-Child hulking over a room of boys and girls.

"So who do you play this weekend?" Schnoor asks.

"Matawan," Josh says.

"Are they still tough?" Schnoor asks. "I'll have to come to a game."

Everyone is friendly and Josh says he is learning, but the situation is awkward, especially early in the school year. Josh had a ton of friends at Wall Intermediate but doesn't know anyone here at his new school, which Bill says will cost $12,000 for the year. He had a girlfriend last summer, but they broke up because "that's a distraction at the moment," Josh says. At his new school, where there are 105 students in grades kindergarten through eighth, he misses being around other serious athletes.

"They're not on a mission like I am," explains Josh, who will finish the year with straight A's, a 98.72 overall average and a nearly perfect behavior report. "So school's kind of, like, just a business day now."

About an hour into algebra, Josh leaves the classroom and returns with a bottle of water and a plastic container of protein powder. He mixes and shakes until the concoction is thick and brown. Then he swigs the drink as he checks his math book.

Later, at lunch, he sits with classmates but hardly says a word.

September also means football, and Josh already has started practicing with his new team, the River Plaza - Lincroft Chargers, the most dominant program in American Youth Football's Jersey Shore Conference.

When Josh walks onto the field for his first practice at Nick Trezza Park in Middletown, his new teammates follow every move. They've seen his YouTube highlights. Now, suddenly, he's one of them and Josh has something to prove -- specifically why he is the highest-rated eighth-grade player in the country.

"People are a lot more intimidated by us because we have Josh McKenzie," teammate Kenny McCarthy says. "Everybody knows about him."

Throughout the season, Josh will be treated more like an idol than a teammate.

The other Chargers ask him what type of touchdown dances he has planned. They offer to share their pre-game snacks. They beg him to pose in their photos. They claw over one another to high-five him after his highlight-worthy scoring plays. And after Josh leads the team through a cheer, one teammate turns to another and says, "You wanna know what makes that chant so cool? Josh does it."

Josh McKenzie (right) folds himself into a lunch table with other students at Seashore Day Camp & School in Long Branch. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

'SUPER-HUMAN'

Another specialized training session begins at Hawk Sports Performance in Neptune Township, and Josh is moving with purpose and focus. His sports performance trainer, Kevin Hawke, explains they're working on posture, low abs, internal and external hips, lower back, balance, coordination, flexibility and more.

Josh leans forward on his knees, holding a 5-pound weight in each hand, then explodes in one motion onto his feet. He squats a weight bar with thick metal chains draped over the sides and several massive plates piled on each end.

Hawke knows he's seeing something otherworldly, asking, "You ever seen a 14-year-old who looks like that?"

The next week, Josh visits professional strength trainer Joe McAuliffe. A year ago, McAuliffe was thinking Josh might be able to bench press 200 pounds by the start of football season. Josh hit 225. By this spring, he blows past 250.

"This is a super-human being," McAuliffe says.

A few days later, Josh works on linear speed and hard sprint starts with Matt Bernardo, another of his 10 trainers and coaches. Toward the end of their session, Josh straps on an electronic belt that catches his time when he crosses a stick 10 yards away.

On his first try, he makes it in 1.7 seconds.

"How fast is the NFL?" Josh asks. "Like, 1.5?"

Bernardo nods.

Josh McKenzie picks up and carries his brother Matt while wearing resistance bands during a workout in Eatontown. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

TURNING HEADS

On opening night of football season, Josh races a quarter of the field for a touchdown, scoops a fumble and returns it for another score, then brings back a punt 75 yards for his third touchdown.

Several former Chargers watching from the sideline can't hide their amazement.

"What do you do to make yourself faster?" asks Chaz Alessi, a freshman at Middletown South High.

"I just run," Josh says.

Minutes later, after Josh smashes an opponent with a monster tackle, Justin Noah, a Red Bank Catholic freshman, says, "He just killed someone."

"Wrote on his tombstone: 'Sorry, Josh McKenzie,'" Alessi says.

River Plaza leads 26-0 a minute into the second quarter. There's no mystery about the outcome or whether Josh needs to be on the field any longer. By mercy rule, the game clock runs without stopping the rest of the game.

Fans head for the parking lot, some jokingly asking Bill for gas money since Josh's night was so brief. Bill smiles.

The next game is another bloodbath. In the first quarter, Josh drills a ball carrier and the boy crumples to the grass. After being helped off the field by his mom and several coaches, the boy sits on the sideline, crying with an ice pack against his forehead.

Josh's teammates know the feeling. During an early practice, Josh's hit during a one-on-one drill gave teammate Gavin Goldbaum a concussion. "It literally feels like you're getting hit by a thousand pounds," teammate Jack Tedeschi says. "It's like you're getting hit by a bus."

At halftime of the second game, Rich Hansen, the head coach of national powerhouse St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, shows up with his son, Rich Hansen III, who is also the team's defensive coordinator. Bill wanders over and the coaches hand him a St. Peter's brochure. Josh comes by and chats. They're all smiling.

Not everyone is a fan.

In a blowout a few weeks later, Josh scores and begins to head off the field when an opposing coach starts screaming and shouting obscenities toward Josh. The coach is upset that Josh isn't playing in high school. Josh stops and stares back, in shock. Once he gets to the sideline, Josh tells Rob Fischer, the Chargers' head coach, who reports the incident to the league.

"This isn't something that should happen, for an adult coach to be yelling at a 14-year-old," Fischer says. "I've been coaching 35 years, I've never yelled at a kid on another team." (Despite repeating the eighth grade, Josh meets the league's age requirements.)

Later in the season, after the Chargers win the conference semifinals, River Plaza's cheerleaders form a line for pictures -- with just Josh.

"You're the bomb!" one gushes.

"Can I have a hug?" another asks.

River Plaza cheerleaders line up to snap photos with Josh McKenzie. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

EVERYONE WANTS A PIECE

The stately Lawrenceville School campus is showing off in the warm morning light. The red brick and brownstone buildings are flawless, a fact not lost on Josh as he passes through the rotunda, Woods Memorial Hall, Cleve House and the Jigger Shop.

The place oozes Ivy League.

Josh and Bill are joined by tour guide Priyanka Chodhari, assistant football coach Chris Malleo and head coach Danny O'Dea.

At one point, Chodhari asks, "So, are you interested in the newspaper, yearbook, science?"

The group smirks before Malleo, an old friend of Bill's, interjects. "All those things," he says.

"Uh, he's a student athlete," Bill says.

The tour ends at the admissions office after 80 minutes and Chodhari leaves. Josh, Bill, Malleo and O'Dea sit at a round table under a high, domed ceiling. O'Dea leans forward and begins his pitch.

"If you come here, you'll get the best of everything," he says.

O'Dea boasts about the school's top-notch academics, the state-of-the-art weight room and plays up Josh's opportunity to put Lawrenceville football on the map.

"I'm not going to tell you, you can come in here and you're going to play right away," O'Dea says. "But looking at your film, you're going to come in here and probably play right away."

Malleo chimes in throughout, playing off his relationship with Josh and Bill.

"I'm invested in you because I care about you and I want to see you do well," Malleo says. "There's going to be people who pretend to care. But people who genuinely care, it's a close circle."

After the visit, Josh calls the day "pretty amazing" and Bill says, "I don't know how you turn that down." Later, Bill says there was no discussion of cost or any type of scholarship. (Lawrenceville is not a full member of the state's governing body for high school athletics, so it does not abide by recruiting rules.)

Josh takes other visits -- to Bergen Catholic, St. John Vianney, St. Peter's Prep, Don Bosco Prep, the Peddie School, Blair Academy, DePaul Catholic and St. Joseph of Montvale. The feeling is similar after each trip.

"It's kind of confusing, really, because you go to one school, you fall in love with them," Josh says. "Then you go to the next school, you fall in love with them."

Visits are just the beginning.

High school coaches and others are texting often, as a look at Josh's phone reveals. And after a Chargers scrimmage, two parents and a River Plaza assistant also playfully make pitches.

"He's going to look good in gold and black," says a parent decked in St. John Vianney gear.

"What are you talking about? Orange is his color," says a parent connected to Middletown North.

"No, navy," counters the River Plaza assistant, referring to Middletown South's colors.

Josh shares a Facebook message from an alum of a prominent North Jersey Catholic school that reads, "Big fan of yours. Hope to see you in (our school colors) someday! If there's anything I can do for ya let me know."

In the fall, Josh says the student section at a St. John Vianney football game he attends spontaneously chants his name: "Josh Mc-Ken-zie! Josh Mc-Ken-zie!"

He says the same thing happens at a Bergen Catholic wrestling match.

Josh doesn't seem to get too wrapped up in all the adulation, but experts in the field of sports psychology worry about the long-term effects of hero worship and families going all-in on sports at such a young age.

Charlie Maher, a professor emeritus of applied psychology at Rutgers University who has consulted for the Jets and Cleveland Browns, does not know Josh or the Green family, but the situation concerns him.

"They're taking a risk putting their child through this -- putting all the eggs in one basket," Maher says. "What happens if he doesn't continue being the exceptional athlete? If he does get injured? If he comes to the conclusion, 'Hey, I just can't keep doing this, day in and day out, year after year.'"

Bill counters and says Josh "understands this isn't just about sports. He knows that he has a purpose here in life; it goes above and beyond sports." Bill points to Josh's near-perfect grades, the way he greets people with a smile, handshake and eye contact, and his goal to attend a strong academic college to pursue a career as an entrepreneur.

"A lot of people would be like, 'I don't understand how he does it. There's no fun in it,'" Josh says. "But I enjoy it. I like the regimented plan and I enjoy getting better and working hard. I like seeing the results."

The family's Christian faith is also "a big part of Josh's life," Bill says. He and Josh talk often about praying for guidance and asking God for signs during trying moments, such as the high school decision process. And Bill is quick to credit God's blessing -- and not training or coaching -- for Josh's athletic abilities.

"We talk about leaving a legacy, making an impact, making a difference in other people -- and not just through sports," Bill says. "He's a smart kid. He gets it."

Bill Green (lower left) and Josh McKenzie (lower right) sit down with assistant coach Chris Malleo (top left) and head coach Danny O'Dea after a visit to the Lawrenceville School. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

JUST ... 3 ... MORE ... INCHES

At the end of another long day of training, Josh heads for his family's two-car garage, sidestepping a weight rack and strapping his ankles into an inversion table. Josh presses a button and the table dips back until he's almost upside-down.

"It's hard because the blood rushes to your head," Josh says. "You can, like, feel your back stretching."

Will it make him taller? Can it help? It doesn't matter. He refuses to not try.

The relentless pursuit of greatness -- and three more inches -- doesn't end on the inversion table. Josh tries downing a disgusting concoction of red cabbage, fava beans and tomato. He read it could spark growth.

It's one of the gems from his nighttime reading: "Grow Taller 4 Idiots."

Josh also follows a supplement program drawn up by sports nutritionist Tom Bilella. He typically downs a protein-rich weight gainer in the morning called "Up Your Mass," followed by a pre-workout carbohydrate drink and a post-workout 3-to-1 mixture of carbohydrates and protein. He also takes a daily multivitamin packet.

He eventually begins carrying a small cooler to workouts, filled with protein bars, apples and peanut butter, so he can fuel his body after training. He logs everything in his iPhone and then by hand in a black, spiraled journal -- detailed entries that include breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, supplements and training, along with how much fat, protein, fiber, carbs and calories are consumed.

As the school year drags on, Josh does get bigger, stronger, faster. But the one thing he can't control -- his height -- has stayed about the same.

"If I don't (grow) I'll just play with my heart," Josh says. "It will just make up for my size."

Josh McKenzie straps himself into an inversion table inside the garage of his Wall Township home. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

'HE'S DEFINITELY THEIR DAD'

Like most of his childhood friends in Asbury Park, Bill, now 47, says he wanted to play in the NFL. But he says he was only an "average athlete" -- a starting linebacker on the high school football team and a bench player during basketball season.

After high school, Bill went to Kean College (now University), where he says his focus shifted from "sports to girls." Then, he partied hard for a while after college. He doesn't divulge much about those years, but says, "I had more bad times than good times."

Bill works as vice president of sales at Atlantic Business Products, an office product and technology solutions company, working from home and the road, logging roughly 55,000 miles a year. His second job is building Josh and Matt into college scholarship material.

When asked why he chose this all-or-nothing college route for Josh, Bill says there wasn't any single reason. He wants Josh to earn a scholarship and to support his passion for sports. But Bill also says emphasizing a commitment to training and putting in more effort than the competition teaches a lifelong lesson that hard work pays off, whether in sports or in life. Josh's around-the-clock dedication doesn't concern Bill because he says it's what Josh wants.

And it's hard to argue with the results.

Matt plays football and wrestles at Wall High. This winter, as a sophomore, he placed sixth overall at the New Jersey State Wrestling Championships.

But Josh is a uniquely gifted athlete, and Bill is fiercely protective. He cuts a familiar figure on the sidelines, almost always in a Southern California ball cap and sunglasses, nervously pacing and puffing on an electronic cigarette. He fumes when people criticize Josh.

During an early season game, another River Plaza parent scolded Josh for standing off to the side and talking to the St. Peter's Prep coaches.

"Your team's over there," the parent said, pointing to the sideline.

Bill is told about it and stalks over to the parent.

"Don't say anything to my kid," Bill warns the man. "You don't know him. You don't know me." Bill later apologizes, but admits the fuse is short when it comes to family.

Bill's wife of six years, Tricia, says her husband has a strong personality but is good-natured and will do "anything for anyone."

Tricia and Bill have three children of their own: Will, 9; Sasha, 4; and Uriah, 3. From time to time, Will joins Josh and Matt for their workouts -- running hills and drilling on the beach. Will plays organized basketball, football and lacrosse, and Bill is devoting similar time and financial resources to his training.

Bill's mother, Marian, also lives with the family. Their home is comfortable but hectic, the wooden front door constantly swinging open to get another kid to another practice or workout.

Josh and Matt's mom, Debra, is now clean and living in Brooklyn, where she works as an administrator/office manager at Brooklyn Teen Challenge, a nonprofit organization supporting youths in need. She is again involved in her boys' lives, but praises Bill for raising them.

"Bill may not be their biological father, but he is definitely their dad," Debra says in an e-mail. "He has sacrificed his own life for their sake."

Tricia says there are few differences between Josh and Matt and their biological children. Josh and Matt have been a breeze to raise, she adds. They never talk back, they do their own laundry and make their own lunches.

When asked what makes Bill happiest, Tricia finds the answer quickly.

"He's so incredibly proud of the accomplishments that Josh and Matt have had," Tricia says. "You can hear it when he talks to people about it. He's so, so happy."

Josh reveres Bill and says his main objective is "just to make him proud." From a young age, Josh recalls being able to please Bill through sports. "I remember (Bill) cheering," Josh says. "He would invite his friends to my games and they were just, like, amazed, he had this nephew who came out of really nowhere."

Still, Josh is often quiet around him. Bill admits it's hard for him to know what Josh is thinking. Josh says he considers Bill his father, but for reasons he can't explain, he has never called him "Dad" -- even in a touching Facebook post that Josh writes this past Father's Day.

"It's just kind of weird," Josh says. "He basically is my dad. (But) I can't, like, call him, 'Dad.' There's just something about it."

Bill Green (left) and Josh McKenzie have a moment together during a River Plaza Chargers scrimmage in Middletown. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

'HE TOOK A BEATING'

River Plaza makes it to Orlando, Fla., in early December for the national championship tournament and Josh is a rock star in shoulder pads. Before the first game against a team from Oregon, he paces the field in full uniform.

"Who is that?!" one parent asks.

"He's in eighth grade?" another says. "God damn!"

Everyone constantly asks Josh where he's going to high school. One coach says, "Forget high school; I want to know where he's going to college!"

Fischer, the Chargers' head coach, says the trip is probably the easiest Josh has had it in months, "like a vacation," because "he's not working out 10 times a day."

Fans push against the fence once the game begins and Josh morphs into a highlight reel. He runs for three touchdowns and passes for two more -- in the first half. River Plaza coasts, 38-0, setting up a huge matchup two days later against the defending AYF national champion, the Winston-Salem, N.C., Rams.

THE PROJECT

Matthew Stanmyre and Andrew Mills began reporting this story in June of 2014, after Bill Green granted total access to chronicle Josh McKenzie's preparation for high school. The story would examine Josh's life on and off the field as the nation's top young athlete repeated eighth grade and eventually made his widely anticipated high school choice. It also set out to examine the personal and financial sacrifices Josh and his family made as a way to detail the new level of commitment required of elite youth athletes. The story would end before Josh started high school. Over the next 15 months, Stanmyre and Mills made several trips to the family's home in Wall Township and attended dozens of workout and training sessions, high school tours, games, practices and tournaments. In addition to their reporting in New Jersey, they accompanied Bill and Josh on trips to Miami and Orlando, Fla. In addition to the family, dozens of other interviews were conducted with coaches, trainers, friends, teammates, opponents, talent evaluators, state athletic officials and a sports psychologist.

ANDREW MILLS is a lifelong New Jersey resident. He has been a staff photographer at The Star-Ledger and NJ Advance Media for two decades. His assignments have taken him across the world, and he was part of The Star-Ledger team that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 for breaking news coverage. He may be reached at amills@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndyMills_NJ.

MATTHEW STANMYRE has been a staff writer at The Star-Ledger and NJ Advance Media since 2009. His primary focus is feature and enterprise stories, with an emphasis on local and high school sports. He has won 10 national writing awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for beat writing, project reporting, feature writing and breaking news coverage. He also has won local prizes from the New Jersey Press Association and the Virginia Press Association. He may be reached at (973) 943-3739 or mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre.

One of the most physical teams in the tournament, the Rams also have the size of a high school team.

Josh shrugs. "They're nothing special."

Once the game begins, the Chargers rely on Josh for everything -- rushing yards, tackles, special teams coverage, even punts. River Plaza's coaches try to conserve Josh, but the team can't move the ball if it's not in his hands.

The game is one violent collision after another. Every time Josh touches the ball, Rams converge and crunch. By the second half, Josh has blood on his forearm and jersey, and the eye black on his face is smeared.

Bill watches from the sideline, screaming after nearly every play, like the other parents. He yells advice, encouragement and criticism. He also begs players to "HOLD ONTO THE BALL!" when someone other than Josh carries.

Late in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 14, Josh plows through the middle, bounces outside, shakes a defender and tip-toes down the sideline for a big gain, with 15 more yards tacked on for a face-mask penalty. A few plays later, Josh spills into the end zone, and River Plaza goes on to win, 20-14.

Afterward, Josh's entire body throbs from the punishment.

"He took a beating," River Plaza assistant coach Tom Fischer says. "But he kept on telling us he wanted the ball. If he lost a leg, he was going to keep on going."

The Winston-Salem coaches are impressed but concerned.

"They put the ball in his hands too many times," defensive coordinator Kelvin Gwyn Sr. says. "The body can't take but so much of a beating. If they continue to do that to him, they're really doing him an injustice."

Later that night, Josh takes an ice bath in his hotel room, squeezing his bruised body into a tiny tub and soaking, even though the two, 10-pound bags quickly melt. Bill relaxes and sips a cup of Johnnie Walker Blue. Josh has only one day of rest before River Plaza faces the tournament's premier team, the Inland Empire Ducks from southern California.

The Ducks have a team filled with Joshes -- 12 players repeating the eighth grade, according to their coach.

River Plaza has no shot, losing 55-6. The beating is so bad Josh is expressionless when it's all over.

He's already thinking about getting back to Jersey, working out and wrestling season.

Josh McKenzie runs through a would-be tackler during a game against a team from Oregon in Orlando, Fla. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

WHEN THERE IS NO OFF-SEASON

The first wrestling match of the day ends in 45 seconds, the second in 28. Just like that, Josh is in the finals of the "War at the Shore" at the Wildwood Convention Center in early February.

The final match is anti-climactic. Josh tortures his opponent, 18-3, and doesn't sound the least bit upset that he has missed a pin.

"I kind of beat him up," Josh says. "Made him cry. That was good."

After the tournament, Josh hops in a coach's car and rides 122 miles up the Parkway to his football team's banquet in Hazlet. He has been asked to speak.

Wearing a light colored collared shirt and bow tie, he walks confidently to the lectern in the packed, dimly lit ballroom. The crowd falls to a hush. Inspired by Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch's reticence for speaking obligations a week earlier during the build up to Super Bowl XLIX, Josh clears his throat and begins.

"I'm only here so I won't get fined," he says into the microphone.

The crowd bursts into laughter.

Josh McKenzie flattens and pins his opponent during the "War at the Shore" 2015 Wildwood Duals. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

THE DECISION

"Where are you going to high school?"

Josh says he has been asked the question nearly every day, in some form, for the past year.

But as winter gives way to spring, Josh and Bill have narrowed the list to four: Bergen Catholic, St. John Vianney, St. Peter's Prep and the Peddie School. That hasn't stopped others from trying. Bill says he still speaks with coaches at St. Joseph of Montvale, DePaul Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, Blair Academy and Immaculata.

Josh struggles to make up his mind.

At St. John Vianney, a group of girls knew about Josh and asked to take pictures, leaving an impression. He's always loved Bergen Catholic and has a close relationship with assistant wrestling coach Joe Trause and other Crusaders coaches. At St. Peter's, he likes the urban campus in Jersey City. And Peddie is now coached by Malleo, the close family friend and former Lawrenceville assistant.

The decision comes down to whether Bill is comfortable with Josh going to high school 72 miles away at a place such as Bergen Catholic. Bill calls the process "one of the most difficult things I've ever done."

Eventually, Josh and Bill narrow the choices to Bergen Catholic and St. John Vianney, which is 21 miles from home. Bill says Josh will make the final call.

On the big night, April 6, Josh sits at the dining room table wearing an AYF hoodie, playing up the decision for a video camera, like a high school senior picking his Division 1 college.

Bill, Tricia, Matt, Will and Larry Musico, the family friend and PR guy, stand in the background.

Josh stares into the camera.

"All right," he says. "After a long, thought-out decision, I finally decided to attend ..."

Josh, smiling sheepishly, peels off his sweatshirt, revealing the winning school's T-shirt.

"... the school in Oradell and become a Crusader of Bergen Catholic!"

Bill grins and claps. Musico bellows, "Yeah!"

Moments later, Josh calls Bergen Catholic football coach Nunzio Campanile. He pretends it's bad news.

"It's just really a hard phone call to make," Josh says, stammering. "But I know we have a really good relationship. But, you know, just, Bergen's kind of way too far. But, you know, I'm willing to make that sacrifice, and I'm glad I'm a Bergen Catholic Crusader!"

It takes a second for Campanile to process the news.

"Oh, that's awesome, man!" Campanile says. "That is great. All right, time to get to work then, huh? We have a friggin' state championship to win."

Josh beams, but the decision will mean huge sacrifices. In the fall, Bill says, Josh will live with a Bergen Catholic teammate's family three or four nights each week. The school's tuition also costs $15,725 annually, according to Bergen Catholic's website, and Bill says he may have to pay in full. Per state athletics rules, any monetary assistance would have to take the form of financial aid or a merit-based academic scholarship.

"We're still working on that," Bill says. "I'm still trying to get them to help me a little bit."

Bergen Catholic will begin the 2015 school year with one of the nation's best high school wrestling teams, and a football squad that will face seven opponents that finished 2014 ranked among the top 100 nationally. The Crusaders also will play on national television at least once.

Josh believes he has found the perfect school.

Josh McKenzie speaks with Bergen Catholic wrestling coach Dave Bell after Josh announced he will attend the school. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

ONE MORE THING TO PROVE

It has been two months since Josh has made his decision to attend Bergen Catholic -- two months of criticism on social media and in online comment sections. People are ripping him for repeating eighth grade and taunting him about his height -- which holds steady at 5-9.

Bill does not let go of the criticism. He is livid, puzzled and deeply hurt. "I've never seen more negative publicity in my life for a 15-year-old," he says.

Josh calls it "a little crazy, but comical," and says it drives him.

On the first Thursday in June, Josh is back at McAuliffe's gym in Eatontown.

It's his second workout of the day and he's looking forward to finishing his second year of eighth grade in less than 24 hours.

The mood is light as he and Matt put in their work.

Josh shows off his progress, bench-pressing 135 pounds 35 straight times.

Matt then lights a fire, challenging his little brother's claim that he can bench 275 pounds, reminding him that his best is 265.

Josh wastes no time.

He loads 275 on the bar, then turns to Matt, who spots him, and warns him not to help. He wraps his chalky hands around the bar. Others stop to watch.

Josh heaves the bar off the rack, then draws it quickly to his chest and fires it back up.

The load stops abruptly halfway between his chest and the cradle. Josh's arms and body quiver.

Josh grunts.

"Don't touch it! Don't ... touch it," he warns Matt.

Just when it looks like Josh is doomed, he draws a final surge to push the 275 pounds up and back onto the rack.

He hops from the bench, eyes bloodshot, a sly grin on his face. He reaches for a drink and looks at his brother and others who were firm on the 265 number.

"You can change that now," Josh says, sounding every bit like the proud little brother who has something to prove.

Portrait of Josh McKenzie, the nation's top ranked incoming freshman football player and wrestler. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Crews spent a portion of Tuesday morning working to pull a tractor-trailer from the woods off Route 18.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Crews spent a portion of Tuesday morning working to pull a tractor-trailer from the woods off Route 18.

The crash occurred some time before 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday when a tractor-trailer traveling southbound on Route 18 left the roadway near the Deal Road overpass and came to a stop in a wooded area adjacent to the slow lane.

A heavy-duty tow truck responded to help pull the vehicle from the woods.

Crews were still working at the scene as of 9 a.m.

The crash caused some traffic delays along a stretch of Route 18 on Tuesday morning.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The shaft was removed but the arrowhead was left in place because a vet said removing it could have further injured the doe

MARLBORO -- A deer that had been roaming Marlboro for months with an arrow lodged in its muzzle got some relief this morning.

Wildlife experts from the state's Division of Fish and Wildlife removed the shaft sometime before 9 a.m., officials said. The workers followed the recommendation of a veterinarian who accompanied them and left the arrowhead in place, though. The vet, an experienced wildlife rehabilitator, said removing it could have further injured the doe since the injury healed around the arrowhead.

Now the deer can go on with its life without risk of the shaft getting caught on branches or other objects and potentially opening the wound.

RELATED: N.J. biologists find injured Rockaway Township deer and remove arrow from its head

Wildlife experts Kim Tinnes, Joseph Burke, and George Garbaravage left corn to draw the doe out on private property off Suffolk Way in the township. They then tranquilized the deer with a dart gun.

The deer, which is believed to be between three and four years of age, is in good health and is a normal weight, according to officials.

It was released into the wild after the procedure.

Fish and wildlife officials made about 10 attempts to tranquilize it earlier in the year but stopped in May when the doe became pregnant. In the winter, fish and wildlife workers struck the deer with a tranquilizer dart, but the object fell out without affecting the animal.

Word of the deer's plight spread on social media during the year. An online petition drew more than 100,000 signatures.

"We thank all of the New Jersey residents and people from all over the world who have expressed concern about the deer, as well as local residents who have been very helpful in providing information on her movements throughout the community and even set up bait stations on their properties," Division of Fish and Wildlife Director David Chanda said in a statement. "Tracking the whereabouts of any single animal is difficult under any circumstances, and this doe was no exception."

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Victim had gone missing Monday night, authorities said

HAMPTON -- The body of an Ocean Township woman was found in Mecca Lake after going missing Monday night, the New Jersey Herald reported.

 

Jenny Marra, 56, was found Tuesday afternoon following a search by the State Police, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office and New Jersey State Park Police. She was last seen on family property on Hampton Road.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday to determine a cause of death.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

 

Firefighters had trouble reaching the family.

UPDATE: Four family members, two children and two adults, were killed in the fire, police confirmed.

LONG BRANCH -- Three members of a family were killed in a late-night house fire in Long Branch, according to reports.

The fire broke out shortly before midnight Wednesday at a home on Joline Avenue, according to a report on WABC-7's website.

Firefighters had trouble reaching the trapped family as thy battled heavy smoke and flames, CBS Philadelphia said.

A fourth resident is in critical condition at Monmouth Medical Center. Two children and two adults lived in the home.

Joline Avenue, also known as Route 36, remained closed in both directions between Rockwell Avenue and Liberty Street as of 7:15 a.m. due  to the ongoing investigation.

Investigators could be seen going door to door along Joline Avenue talking to neighbors.

The fire damaged a two-story home, which now has broken windows and a hole in its roof.

Tom Penn, who lives across the street, said the family who lived in the house had young children.

"I didn't know them, they were fairly new to the neighborhood. ... I just knew they had kids," Penn said. "This is very sad."

NJ Advance Media staff writer Rob Spahr contributed to this report.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Here in New Jersey, 781 people lost their lives to heroin in 2014, marking the fourth straight year the total has increased, state data shows.

Heroin-related deaths in the United States and particularly in New Jersey have reached alarming proportions.

Consider these stark figures: Nationally, more than 8,000 people died from heroin use in 2013, a nearly four-fold increase since 2002, according to a tally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here in New Jersey, 781 people lost their lives to heroin in 2014, marking the fourth straight year the total has increased, state data shows.

If you factor in overdose deaths from other drugs, the toll is much higher.

But the scourge of heroin is rightfully gaining more attention because its use has exploded and the fallout touches not only those who become slaves to the drug but those who witness its destructive nature.

The war on drugs, heralded with great fanfare by President Richard Nixon in 1971, has largely been a bust. It has become patently obvious that we can't "arrest" our way out of this problem.

Thankfully, prevention and treatment are now playing a bigger role.

RELATED: N.J. towns with highest rates of heroin treatment

Earlier this year, Christie signed three bills into law dealing with heroin and opioids, the first of a package of 21 introduced by legislators led by state Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) last fall.

Last month, the White House announced a new strategy proposed by the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program that calls for pairing law enforcement officials with public health workers. The program also touts treatment over jail.

Unfortunately, the demand for treatment greatly exceeds the services available.

Many treatment facilities in New Jersey have waiting lists dozens of people long, frustrating many seeking help. Worse yet, very few addicts ultimately have the means or insurance to pay for treatment, according to substance abuse experts.
Private insurance was used to cover just 10 percent of all treatment admissions in New Jersey in 2014, down from 22 percent the year before.

There clearly needs to be a greater financial commitment to match the rhetoric for treatment.

One of the bright spots in the prevention of heroin overdose deaths has been the opiate antidote naloxone, commonly known by the trade name Narcan.

It proved to be very effective in a pilot program started in April 2014 in Ocean and Monmouth counties, where law enforcement agencies were equipped with Narcan.

Officials reported a 90 percent success rate with Narcan. Two months later, Christie announced he would be expanding the program statewide.

But the price of Narcan has doubled due to rising demand. So a special shout-out of thanks needs to go to Barnabas Health-affiliated hospitals, CentraState Medical Center and Meridian Health-affiliated hospitals that have agreed to replenish Narcan free of charge for law enforcement officers in Ocean and Monmouth counties.

Officials, however, are quick to point out that while Narcan is a lifesaver it does not cure addiction. That's where we still need treatment that is accessible.

The fire broke out shortly before midnight at a home on Joline Avenune.

LONG BRANCH -- The fire in a Long Branch home where a family of four was found does not appear to be accidental, authorities said. 

All four family members -- the father, Lyndon Beharry, 35; mother, Amanda Morris, 29, and their two children -- Brandon Beharry, 7, and 4-year-old Brian --have all died, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

All four were found in the same second-floor bedroom, authorities said. It is possible, authorities said, that the deaths may be a murder-suicide.

The victims were taken to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch where they died despite life-saving efforts, authorities said.

The fire broke out shortly before midnight at a single-family home on the 200 block of Joline Avenue, also known as Route 36. 

Public Safety Director Jason Roebuck said police were the first to arrive at the home, but were overcome by smoke. The fire damaged the two-story home, which had visible damage to the windows and its roof.

The fire prompted a massive response from fire departments from Long Branch, West Long Branch, Sea Bright and neighboring towns. The fire is under investigation by the city fire marshal and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office arson team.

As of 7:15 a.m., Joline Avenue remained closed in both directions, as investigators could be seen going door-to-door talking to neighbors.

Tom Penn, who lives across the street, said he didn't know much about the family other than that they had young children. 

"I didn't know them, they were fairly new to the neighborhood. ... I just knew they had kids," Penn said. "This is very sad."

NJ Advance Media reporter Alex Napoliello contributed to this report.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

It's been a busy first summer season for Marine 1, with 42 total deployments, 15 assists in water searches and two successful search and rescue missions.

PORT MONMOUTH -- When two boats collided in the Sandy Hook Channel Sunday afternoon, the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office Marine 1 unit was one of the first on scene.

And when authorities were searching for the sunken El Jefe vessel and looking for the rider of a personal watercraft who spent the night on a navigational tower off the coast of Sandy Hook, the marine unit was also there to assist.

It's been a busy first summer season for Marine 1, with 42 total deployments, 15 assists in water searches and two successful rescues. 

"There's bound to be incidents in the water and so this is just another tool in the toolbox that will allow us to help our residents and visitors in Monmouth County," Sheriff Shaun Golden said in an interview.

The county has 27 miles of coastline and over 195 square miles of waterway, Golden said. And as resources in all areas of government shrink, especially with the Coast Guard and State Police, Golden said, the sheriff's office collectively decided it needed to help fill the void.

The sheriff's office already had a dive team and boats for lakes and reservoirs, but nothing that could navigate the county's two most active bodies of water -- the Raritan and Sandy Hook bays.

Marine 1 sits at the end of a dock at the Monmouth Cove Marina in Port Monmouth, surrounded by recreational watercrafts and personal fishing boats.

The decision to keep the boat in the northern end of the county was a strategic one, Golden said.

"We have a lot of critical infrastructure up here and obviously with the three ferry terminals feeding New York City, this was the position of boat No. 1," he said.

Marine 1 is out on the ocean at least three times a week, said Sgt. Ron Warwick. They haven't missed a weekend and have scheduled patrols during the week.  

But the unit is always on call, if needed.

"We have a 12 man unit, on multiple shifts," Undersheriff Fred Deickmann said. "So they can deploy a team to the boat and respond (whenever)."

A lot of the action comes from routine homeland security checks on critical infrastructures, like bridges, marinas and ferry terminals. But they also perform security checks on vessels, ensuring boaters have taken all the proper safety precautions.

In the past four months, Marine 1 has completed more than 500 homeland security and safety checks. And with Labor Day weekend coming up, Golden reminds all boaters to be safe.

"Obviously, we want everyone going over their boating safety tips, there's always a lot of traffic on what looks like probably another decent weekend weather-wise," Golden said.

With the influx of visitors to the Jersey Shore during the summer season comes the inevitable misfortune of boating accidents and drownings.

Since the sheriff's office handles 911 dispatch for some of the coastal towns, they are one of the first to receive emergency calls.

When a the sailboat operated by a father and son from Middletown recently turned over, Marine 1 worked closely with the Middletown police marine bureau, fire department and Coast Guard to bring the two to safety.

Though the U.S. Coast Guard and State Police wind up ultimately taking the lead on most of the search missions, Marine 1 is right alongside them.

"It's a total team effort," Deickmann said. "When someone is in the water and they are either injured or floating without a personal flotation device, they only have minutes. So it's easier to scale back (the amount of people assisting) then to call for more help later on."

All the members of the 12-man marine unit have trained with State Police, so they are familiar with the agency's tactics and strategies, Deickmann said.

As for the future of the marine unit, Golden said the department sees a potential need for units near the Shark River and Manasquan inlets. But they'll continue to evaluate the situation and then make a decision whether or not to put more resources there, he said. 

"It took a lot of effort to put this one in the water," Golden said. "It's securing the equipment, securing the vessel and training the officers. Now that we have a lot of that, it probably will be easier to do in the future."  

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Lucky tickets were sold in Union, Monmouth an Atlantic counties

Three jackpot winning Cash 5 tickets were sold for Tuesday's drawing.New Jersey Lottery 

Three tickets matched all the winning numbers for Tuesday's $433,845 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot.

The winning numbers were: 1, 6, 9, 10 and 23.

The tickets were sold at the following locations, state lottery officials announced this afternoon.

Each winner will receive $144,615 before taxes are deducted.

There were no jackpot winners in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing, pushing the jackpot for Friday to $85 million with a cash option of $52 million.

This evening's Powerball jackpot is $120 million with a cash option of $76.6 million.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Former federal highway official steered work through his former father-in-law's company to another firm official ran

TRENTON-- A former federal highway official was sentenced Wednesday to 21 months in prison after he used a straw company to obtain grants, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement.

 

Lawrence Cullari jR., a 43-year-old Tinton Falls resident who served as assistant division administrator for the state division of the Federal Highway Administration, previously pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud.

MORE: Man admits embezzling funds from volunteer fire company

While serving with the FHA between 2006 and 2013, Cullari admitted he used his former father-in-law's engineering firm to obtain funding for Dencore Consulting, another company, which was owned by Cullari's ex-wife and was operated by Cullari. His father-in-law's engineering firm submitted bids prepared by Cullari for work offered by the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation at Rutgers and by the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

After it won the contracts, Cullari completed fraudulent documents and invoices indicating the father-in-law's company had done the work. When the company was paid, it kept a small portion and gave the rest to Dencore Consulting.

Cullari was also ordered Wednesday to pay a $20,000 fine and was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

 

Six Flags Great Adventure announced it would welcome a new 4-D, free-fly coaster named Total Mayhem in 2016. Watch video

JACKSON - Six Flags Great Adventure is no stranger to pushing the envelope with its extreme rides.

On Thursday morning, however, Six Flags officials announced that the theme park would welcome its "most unique" and "most insane" coaster in its history in 2016.

Total Mayhem - a 4-D, free-fly coaster - will lift riders straight up a 12-story, 90-degree hill before flipping them head-over-heels at least six times along a weightless journey. 

Riders will be strapped into churning "wing seats" with no track above or below them as they experience leaps and dives along a horizontal plane, as well as unexpected drops as they tumble from one level to the next.

Six Flags Great Adventure President John Fitzgerald said the park is thrilled to unveil Total Mayhem, which features one of the newest concepts in roller coaster engineering.

 "Six Flags Great Adventure's world-renowned coaster collection will expand into the realm of insanity - or spinsanity - with this new, vertical coaster that delivers gravity-defying somersaults with utter unpredictability," Fitzgerald said in a release. "It is the perfect addition to our dynamic line-up of award-winning roller coasters because this ride delivers next generation, cutting-edge thrills."

The Total Mayhem's design features:

• Massive, imposing, floating and twisting I-box track frame in a unique two-tone design.
• One-of-a-kind onboard magnetic technology featuring smooth head-over-heels free-fly flips providing guests the feeling of weightlessness as they soar outside the confines of a traditional track.
• 4-D wing vehicles that seat up to 8 per vehicle with a total of 5 vehicles.
• Face-off seats that allow riders to face each other as they tumble head over heels.
• A 120-foot-tall, 90-degree hill that is ascended by an elevator-style, chain link lift
• Two beyond 90-degree "raven" drops giving the sensation of free-falling.

Total Mayhem is expected to open in the Spring of 2016.

This was the latest announcement for Six Flags Great Adventure, which unveiled it's 13th coaster - a looping coaster named "El Diablo" in May. And this summer, theme park guests also had the opportunity to experience Batman: The Ride in reverse.

On Thursday, Six Flags Great Adventure also announced the start of its 2016 Season Pass sales with its special Flash Sale through Labor Day weekend, which features savings up to 65-percent off on 2016 passes.

From Sept. 3 through Sept. 7, every guest who purchases a season pass will receive a free upgrade to a Gold Season Pass, which includes admission to Six Flags Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, any other Six Flags theme park, free parking and other special admission offers. 

 

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Middletown police are seeking information regarding the August robbery of a Route 36 gas station. Watch video

MIDDLETOWN - Township police are seeking information regarding the August robbery of a Route 36 gas station.

At 7:25 p.m. on Aug. 15, an unknown suspect pulled into the 76 Gas Station in the Belford section of the township and asked for $10 in fuel.

After the suspect paid the attendant, they grabbed ahold of the attendant's apron - which is where the attendant kept his currency - and then dragged the attendant toward Route 36, Middletown police said in a Facebook post.

The attendant was dragged approximately 35 feet before the apron ripped away and the vehicle then proceeded north on Route 36, police said.

The suspect made off with approximately $1,500 in cash and the nail apron, which had "Fuel One" printed on the front, police said.

The vehicle is believed to be a white, four door 2009-2012 Toyota Corolla LE with tinted windows, no wheel covers and no visible license plates, police said.

The driver was described as a black subject, possibly male, and there was an unknown passenger in the car, police said.

Anyone with information regarding this incident or the vehicle and subject in question are asked to contact the Middletown Township Police Department at 732-615-2100 or Detective Albert Scott at 732-615-2009. Information can also be emailed to ascott@middletownnj.org.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

 

The best things to do in N.J. on Labor Day weekend 2015

ODDBALL COMEDY FEST IN HOLMDEL

The Oddball Comedy Festival starring Aziz Ansari and this summer's break-out screen star, Amy Schumer, will stop at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on Saturday beginning at 5:15 p.m. Tickets are $41.75 to $217.25. Visit oddballfest.com for more information or livenation.com to purchase tickets. PNC Bank Arts Center, 116 Garden State Parkway. 

Amy Schumer performs at the "Oddball Comedy Fest," also starring Aziz Ansari, at the PNC Bank Arts Center, on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. (Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images)
 

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT IN ASBURY PARK

Asbury Park's summer-long tradition of hosting bonfires on the beach is moving into its September mode, when the blazes will be lit on the weekend.

Ward off the night chill at Friday's bonfire event beginning at 8 p.m. by Anchors Bend (on the north side of Convention Hall) at 1300 Ocean Avenue. Admission is free. 

BBQ & CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL AT THE RACETRACK

This is no typical day at the track: Monmouth Park's annual BBQ and Craft Beer Festival kicks off on Saturday.

The three-day event celebrates some of the best BBQ the Jersey Shore has to offer. A team of judges will determine the best ribs, chicken, pulled pork and brisket at the festival; attendees get to vote on who receives the People's Choice Best Pitmaster Award.

More than 40 brews will be poured in the Craft Beer Garden and a spicy-wing eating competition will be hosted each day by Jack's Goal Line stand. 

Admission is $3. Monmouth Park Racetrack is at 175 Oceanport Ave. in Oceanport. For more information call (732) 222-5100 or visit monmouthpark.com.

BUBBA GUMP SHRIMP FEST RETURNS FOR FIFTH YEAR IN A.C.

Shrimp lovers have reason to celebrate. Atlantic City has enough seafood to keep you satisfied. Head to the deck at the Golden Nugget for the restaurant's fifth annual Bubba Gump Shrimp Fest this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.

Inspired, of course, by the 1994 Tom Hanks film "Forrest Gump," the fest will offer popcorn shrimp, shrimp gumbo, Cajun shrimp, steamed shrimp and other shrimp-based delights in sampling-size portions.

Take in the views at the marina as you enjoy live entertainment and drinks. Admission is free; food sold individually. The Deck at Golden Nugget Atlantic City is at Huron Avenue and Brigantine Blvd. 

TOMATO FESTIVAL IN WEST CAPE MAY

The West Cape May Tomato Festival returns to Wilbraham Park, at the corner of Sunset and Broadway on Saturday to celebrate the fruit of summer. The free event begins at 9 a.m. 

The Frenchtown Riverfest takes place on Sunday. (William Brokaw)
 

FRENCHTOWN RIVERFEST

Bring the family to the Frenchtown Riverfest on Sunday.

The all-day celebration in downtown Frenchtown features children's activities, paper boat races on the river, live music from local performers, a pet show, food, a farmer's market and evening fireworks over the bridge.

Admission is free. Location is 49 Bridge Street. For more information, visit frenchtownnj.org.

INDO-AMERICAN FAIR IN WEST WINDSOR

Celebrate South Asian culture on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Mercer County Park in West Windsor.

The two-day event features food, music, a live deejay and ethnic performances including Bollywood dancers. 

On Sunday, there will be a Bollywood dance competition. Admission is $2.

Visit indoamericanfair.com for more information.

Bollywood actress Esha Deol at last year's Indo American fair. (Handout photo)
 

JAZZ IT UP WINE FESTIVAL

How's this for an enticing pairing: Jazz and wine? The Jazz It Up Wine Festival which takes over Allaire State Park on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. features hundreds of wines from 17 New Jersey wineries. There will also be food, crafts, and children's activities.

Tickets for the wine tasting are $25. Allaire State Park is at 4263 Atlantic Ave. near Farmingdale. To purchase tickets or for more information visit newjerseywines.com.

19th ANNUAL AIRFEST IN RIO GRANDE

The 19th annual Airfest returns to the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum Sept. 4 through 7. 

The B-17 Flying Fortress will be on display at the 19th annual Airfest in Rio Grande. (Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Among the aircrafts on display is the B-17 Flying Fortress, P-51 Mustang, B-24 Liberator and NASW's 26 historic aircraft. The event will also include vendors, exhibitors, music and food. See them all at the NASW Aviation Museum, 500 Forrestal Road, Cape May Airport in Rio Grande.

Call (609) 886-8787 for more information. Tickets are $14 for adults; $10 for children. Admission includes a walk-through tour of the bombers.

Janelle Griffith may be reached at jgriffith@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @janellefiona. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

Investigators have found no evidence of foul play, Mueller said.

A Monmouth County woman was found in Mecca Lake Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.South Jersey Times 

HAMPTON -- A Monmouth County woman's death in Mecca Lake has been ruled a suicide by drowning, authorities said.

Jenny Marra, 56, of Ocean Township, was found about 20 feet offshore on Tuesday afternoon, Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Greg Mueller said. She was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

Investigators have found no evidence of foul play, Mueller said.

Marra, who was first reported missing Monday evening, had been staying at a nearby property owned by her family, he said.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Share your favorite photos from this Labor Day weekend, and we'll feature them on NJ.com.

The final days of summer are here and we're thinking about how we're going to cap the season this holiday weekend. We're guessing you are too.

We also have a hunch that whatever you do this Labor Day weekend you're going to produce some great photos - and we want to see them.

RELATED: Earth Day 2015: Photos of N.J.'s most unspoiled places

You can post your Labor Day weekend pictures in comments here or tweet them to @njdotcom with the #LaborDayNJ hashtag. We'll collect the best and show them here on NJ.com.

Let's give summer 2015 the send-off it deserves.

Adya Beasley may be reached at abeasley@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @adyabeasley. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Investigators have not ruled out murder-suicide as the cause of death of Lyndon Beharry, 35; Amanda Morris, 29; and their two sons, Brandon Beharry, 7, and Brian Beharry, 4, officials said.

LONG BRANCH -- A Long Branch couple and their two young sons died after being pulled from their burned home in a fire that authorities say was intentionally set.

Investigators have not ruled out murder-suicide as the cause of death of Lyndon Beharry, 35; Amanda Morris, 29; and their two sons, Brandon Beharry, 7, and Brian Beharry, 4, said Charles Webster, spokesman for the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

The fire, which broke out around 11:48 p.m. Tuesday, prompted multiple 911 calls and a "massive" response from the city's fire department as well as fire companies from several surrounding communities, Webster said.

When firefighters got inside, they found all four family members in a second-floor bedroom, he said. They were rushed to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch where, despite life-saving measures, they died, Webster said.

The deaths came as a shock to neighbors and relatives, who said the couple were friendly and doted on their children.

Ronald Beharry said he went to the couple's home every Sunday for barbecues with Lyndon, who is his cousin, and Amanda, who is his wife's sister. He said they bought the house about two years ago, and Lyndon Beharry had just built a deck in the back.

"They lived very good. They would do anything for the kids," Ronald Beharry said, standing on the side of his 5^th Avenue home where friends and family gathered out back.

"He was a very nice, easy going person," Ronald Beharry said. "No one had problems with him. He's closer to me than my own brother."

Ronald Beharry said his cousin worked at the city's department of public works for about 15 years.

"It's not like he had money problems," he said.

Beharry said he and his cousin's families were planning to take a trip to Trinidad, their homeland.

A memorial with candles and Mylar balloons sits out front of the Beharry family's Joline Avenue home in Long Branch. (Alex Napoliello | NJ.com for NJ Advance Media).

Manny Jones, who lives next door, said he came outside after hearing people trying to get inside the home.

"We were trying to knock the door down and we couldn't get the door down," he said, adding that flames were shooting from the front door.

"I tried to use the hose," Jones said Wednesday evening, as he was wrapping up a garden hose. "I had to take it from one side of the house to get it to the other."

Lulu Langston-King and her daughter Kim King said they saw the first fire trucks arrive after 11 p.m. and watched as firefighters struggled to bash open the front door.

"When the fire department can't break down the door, it's bad," Langston-King said.

By that time, Morris' parents -- her mother dressed in her pajamas -- were standing outside watching the events unfold, Langston-King said.

"She looked like any second she was going to collapse," Langston-King said of Morris' mother.

After a while, emergency personnel brought each victim out one by one, King said.

King and her mother said they saw more smoke than flames.

Langston-King said she was impressed that the couple was always with their children when they were riding their bikes on the sidewalk of the busy street, a major thoroughfare to the oceanfront.

Amanda Morris and Lyndon Beharry. (Courtesy of the Beharry family)

Lyn Jones, Manny Jones' wife, said she frequently visited the home and that the children, Brandon and Brian, were always outside playing around the house.

"He was wonderful with his kids," Jones said of Lyndon Beharry, who friends refer to as Shane. "He bought them the motorized bikes and he put a tire swing out back. ... He was a great father and loved his kids."

Jones say Morris, the boys' mother, was "always laughing and smiling."

"Everyone looked to her as the strongest," Jones said, adding that she had four sisters. "Everyone looked at her as the one they could depend on."

Mayor Adam Schneider called the deaths "incomprehensible."

He said Beharry was "a good guy" who followed in his father's footsteps in becoming a mechanic for the city. Beharry took an active role in his sons' lives, often bringing them to work, Schneider said.

Many of Beharry's coworkers knew the children, he said.

"He was something of a doting father," Schneider said. "When he was not working, he was doing things with the kids."

Schneider said counseling is available for city employees.

Schneider, who is a lawyer, said he represented Beharry and Morris when they bought the house. The children were especially happy with the move, he said.

"They were so excited because they were getting their own bedroom," Schneider said.

Mike Basile, 45, who lives two houses down, said he came out of his home just as one of the fire trucks arrived.

"They were trying to get in there, but they just couldn't because of the smoke," Basile said.

Basile has two kids of his own, who are 6 and 3. He said he's lived in the neighborhood for seven years and has never seen anything like this.

"It's sad, especially having kids of our own," he said. "It (hits) too close to home, very sad."

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Eatontown police responded shortly before 5 a.m. to the intersection of Route 36 and Hope Road for a report of a serious motor-vehicle crash.

The driver was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where he died. (Robert Sciarrino | The Star-Ledger). 

EATONTOWN -- Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash on Route 36 early Wednesday morning that left a 47-year-old Tinton Falls man dead.

Eatontown police responded shortly before 5 a.m. to the intersection of Route 36 and Hope Road for a report of a serious motor-vehicle crash.

The driver of a 2002 Nissan Altima, only identified by police as a 47-year-old male, sustained serious injuries and was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where he died, police said.

Police said a 53-year-old man from Long Branch who was driving a 2012 Ford van was taken to Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank where he was treated and released.

The incident is currently under investigation, and police had no further information about the crash.

Police asked anyone who witnessed the crash to contact patrolman Christopher Bartlett of the Eatontown Police Department Traffic Safety Bureau at 732-389-7830.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation, Eatontown fire department and police, Eatontown EMS, Tinton Falls police, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Monmouth County SCART team all responded to the scene. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Finish off the summer season with a perfect score this week

Time to see where you stack up with other NJ.commers. Take this week's NJ.com News Quiz to see how well you know New Jersey news. Post your score in comments to see how you compare to other NJ.com users. Do you know local news? Prove it now.

Jersey Shore towns are hoping Labor Day Weekend will provide a fitting end to a "record" season.

Perhaps when Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty temporarily halted all incoming traffic from Route 35 one day in June, it was a premonition of what was to come.

It was the first time in nearly a decade such a closure was enforced in the borough, and it was partly due to a record-breaking influx of visitors to the popular Jersey Shore summer destination on that day.

And as the Summer of 2015 winds down, Doherty and officials from other popular Shore towns hit hard by Hurricane Sandy are touting record-breaking revenue numbers this season.  

Belmar beachgoers enjoyed the sun, sand and surf the Thursday before Labor Day Weekend 2015. (Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

"It could not have been better," Doherty said by phone last week. "Our beach revenues are at record-levels and our businesses are doing great. ... We've had more business now than before Sandy." 

Through Aug. 23, Belmar earned a total of nearly $3.4 million from beach badges, parking and beach lockers, Doherty said. By comparison, the borough made $3.2 million for the entire summer season last year. 

"We've already exceeded the entire revenue from last year and we still have two weekends to go, including one of the big three -- Labor Day weekend," Doherty said.

MORE: Chance of rain Friday, but beautiful Labor Day weekend ahead

Doherty said the visitors who come to Belmar during the summer help boost the community as it continues to rebuild from Sandy. 

"There are still people fixing homes and businesses paying off debts," he said. "There's still a lot of work that needs to get done. So this really helps our town really continue to recover from Sandy."

Friends Rachel Nessler, of Bensalem, Pa., and Gwendlyn Heirling, of Bristol, Pa., spent Thursday afternoon on the beach in Belmar with their 2-year-old sons Chase and Bristol.

They said this summer there has been more enjoyable than summers of years past.

"It's been a great summer," Heirling said. "I usually came to the beach on the weekends when it was more crowded, but this year I was hear a lot more during the week. And my son loves it here, it's his favorite place."

Nessler said she thinks crowds were able to spread their beach visits out more, instead of cramming them into fewer days, because the weather was nicer.

"I think the weather was warmer and less humid, but I still think there have been a lot less people on the beach when we're here," she said.

Long Branch hasn't yet fully recovered since the hurricane, with a portion of its boardwalk at the southern end under construction.

Mayor Adam Schneider said that stretch of beachfront had restricted access because, but that it didn't stop hoards of people from enjoying the beaches.

Belmar beachgoers enjoyed the sun, sand and surf the Thursday before Labor Day Weekend 2015. (Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

"It's going great," he said last week in a phone interview. "We have two weekends to go and we're going to have our best summer ever, in terms of beach revenue. And that's with our boardwalk under construction, so we're very pleased."

He said the town is receiving a lot of great feedback from the public on the boardwalk's progress, not complaints.  

The proof is in the numbers, he added.

The revenue from beach badges alone was at $1.8 million through Aug. 23, according to Schneider. Last year, the town earned $1.9 million in revenue from beach badges in the entire summer.

"We're ahead of where we were last year, and we have two weekends left to go. And with our parking revenue, we'll get more," he said.

About 20 miles south of Long Branch, in Point Pleasant, Mayor Vincent Barrella says it's been another busy summer. 

"I think the summer was a great one," Barrella said. "We developed some momentum after Sandy, because we were the first town to be up and running in our area of the shore." 

Barella didn't have the revenue figures on hand, but said, "The crowds were there."

"The place was busy, and people seemed to be behaving themselves," he added. "Unless they find a way to move the beach inland to Manchester, it's always going to be there."

Howell resident Nick Truisi spent Thursday on the beach with a group of friends, which is how he said he plans to spend his holiday weekend.

"I'm not going to lie, it's been a great summer," said Truisi, 16. "I had a good time, I was here a couple times a week. I was able to get more beach time because the weather was a little better and there was a lot more sun, so I got a lot more tan."

Colts Neck residents Vanessa Ciasulli and Michaela Lind, both 15, spent Thursday on the beach in Belmar and said they're hoping to spend more time there throughout Labor Day Weekend.

"We want to spend as much time here as possible before school starts," Lind said.

--NJ Advance Media's Rob Spahr contributed to this report.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Tour de Farm Sussex County, BBQ and Craft Beer Festival at Monmouth Park and Taste of Bordentown highlight three days worth of holiday fun.

TOUR DE FARM

This one of those events in which participants literally ride miles for food. But we are not just talking any food -- we are talking the freshly produced products from Sussex County-based farms. This rain-or-shine event gets underway at 8 a.m. Sunday (all participants must register by 9 p.m. Friday) at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta. The morning starts off with a locally sourced breakfast that includes yogurt, granola, fresh fruit, breakfast pita sandwiches and more.

At 9 a.m., as participants have the option of choosing between one of three rides: 62 miles with 4,000 feet of elevation; 34.3 miles and 2,000 feet of elevation; or 15 miles and 1,000 feet of elevation. Sunset View Farm, Willow Brook Farm, Hidden Pastures Farm, Churutabis Farm, Everlasting Garden, Glenmalure Farm, Vernon Valley Farm, Ventimiglia Vineyards, Ideal Farms and Hillcrest Farm will be among the stops along the way. Participants will be able to to taste and purchase items from the different stops (no worries, there will be someone there to deliver all of the purchased goodies back to the finish line). Tickets are $65 per rider.  

For those who prefer not to remain stationery, there is another delicious option: Vernon Valley Farm, 99 Sand Hill Road, Sussex, is hosting a farm-to-fork celebration dinner (tickets are $125 per person) catered by Andre's, starting at 3:30 p.m. The meal will start off with local fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses from the farms, puree of sweet corn and potato soup and a composed gazpacho salad. It will be followed with a buffet dinner of buttermilk fried chicken with creamy slaw; cedar plank salmon with horseradish and dill; beef brisket with peach barbecue sauce and more. 

BBQ AND CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL 

Labor Dinner Weekend without a barbecue simply seems incomplete. So why not head to Monmouth Park, 1 Oceanport Ave., Oceanport, for the annual BBQ and Craft Beer Festival. This year's edition is a three-day affair (11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday through Monday). There will be BBQ aplenty, as well as more than 40 craft beers to choose from. The festivities will also include a spicy wing eating competition presented by Jack's Goal Line Stand.   

TASTE OF BORDENTOWN

Want to enjoy the best of what Bordentown restaurants have to offer? On Saturday, 3 to 6 p.m., on Farnsworth Avenue, you can enjoy samples from the town's restaurant row. Tickets to this fourth annual event are $15 per person, and advance purchase is strongly recommended. Call 609-324-9909. 

Contact Bill Gelman at bkgelman@hotmail.com.