Catching up on some local sports notes ...

Lower Cape May star catcher Matt Szczur has been named first team all-state by the Associated Press. The 38th round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers hit .681 with 32 hits in 47 at bats this season. He walked 30 times , stole 19 bases and scored 34 runs.

In soccer news, brothers Anthony and Matt Maher, both graduates of Middle Township, are currently playing professional soccer together. Matt singed last week with the USL's Carolina Railhawks, the team for which Anthony has been playing since the spring. The USL is the second highest level of pro soccer in this country behind Major League Soccer. Anthony has also enjoyed a productive pro indoor soccer career; Matt will be playing in the MISL for the first time this winter.

Finally, the NJSIAA recently released its enrollment figures for the 2007-08 scholastic year. The big news locally is that Middle Township will return to Group II for all sports next scholastic year. Middle was in Group III in 2006-07 for all sports except football and wrestling.

Be sure to check out next week's papers for area high school Athlete of the Year selections, as well as baseball, softball and boys tennis all-stars.