A-Ware of history

Woodstown kicker will extend a family legacy when Wolverines open season Thursday, provides a needed piece to offense 

SALEM COUNTY SCHEDULE
THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Thursday
Pleasantville at Penns Grove, 10 a.m.
Pennsville at Lindenwold, 6 p.m.
Haddon Heights at Woodstown, 7 p.m.
Friday
Pitman at Schalick, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Camden at Salem (Walnut Street), noon

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – The first game of every team’s season is always an exciting time, some more than others. Woodstown kicker Jake Ware has been looking forward to Thursday night’s season opener against Haddon Heights since the day he came back to the school last January.

Of all the places the junior could think of to play his first varsity game, the Wolverines’ Clint Ware Field could not be more appropriate or special. The place has his grandfather’s name on it. His father ran into the school record books there. It’s the reason he wanted to transfer back to Woodstown to finish his high school football career.

Jake has kicked on the field already this summer – in the Wolverines’ two home scrimmages against St. Joe (Hammonton) and Delsea – but this time it’ll mean a little more because now it’s for real.

“It’s going to be really cool,” he said. “My grandfather coached for over 20 years, my dad (Steve) had the running record, he still might have it.

“With all the history of my family being here for so long and then my dad playing here being coached by his dad, I think it’s just cool. I think it will be very exciting. I’m not too nervous about it because if I’m nervous about it I’ll think about it too much and I’ll get out of my flow of hitting it normal every time.“

Jake didn’t ever know his grandfather; he was born in 2007 and Clint died in 2001 at age 59 of complications from ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. But through all the stories he’s heard over the years he knows his granddad was a giant in the community.

Clint was the longest tenured coach in Woodstown’s history, leading the football team to a 164-139-10 record over a 34-year Hall of Fame career. As a player, he starred in football, basketball and baseball in high school and went on to play college football at the University of Delaware. He also was active in the community, serving as a Salem City Councilman for six years and a county freeholder for more than a quarter-century, initiating numerous programs that are still in force today.

“I just know he used to be really nice, and a really good coach,” Jake said. “I don’t really know too much.”

Jake went to the Woodstown schools through the eighth grade, then transferred to Wilmington’s Salesianum School to be part of the Sallies’ nationally ranked soccer program. He was still living in Woodstown and regularly attended Wolverine games on Friday nights, but drove back and forth across the bridge every day to go to school. 

Actually, he never started kicking a football until about a year ago and when he kicked for Salesianum it was on the junior varsity and only extra points. It wasn’t the commute to Delaware every day that ultimately led to his return, but rather a return to his roots to fulfill his destiny and rejoin his childhood friends.

“I’m just really excited to be able to start my first varsity game and it makes it even better that it’s here with all my friends I grew up with,” he said.

When Woodstown coach John Adams learned of Ware’s return in January, it was like getting a late Christmas gift. The kicker immediately brings the Wolverines an element they haven’t had in a while.

They could have used a reliable leg in each of their last two playoff losses. He’s true on PATs, regularly kicks off into the end zone and is comfortable kicking field goals from beyond the 30; he’s kicked a 55-yarder once in a private workout. And he can punt it high and deep depending on the need.

The Wolverines were just 8-of-16 on PATs last season and had no field goals. They didn’t even attempt to kick an extra point the year before. Over the past 10 seasons they’ve only attempted 10 field goals. Ware kicks that many every practice.

It was a real shortcoming in the biggest games of the year. They missed their two-point conversion attempt in last year’s 15-6 sectional semifinal upset to Paulsboro. It was an even more glaring deficiency the year before when they lost to Woodbury 8-6 in the sectional final. They missed a two-point conversion in the second quarter and were in the red zone two other times and came away with no points.

“Ever since we lost Conner Batten, our kicker who went to Rowan to kick, we struggled with kicking,” Adams said. “Last season we had to go with two-point plays and spent a lot of practice time on all that. To have a guy transfer in who’s a great kid, who’s a really good kicker and only going to be a junior, we were like this is awesome.

“It filled a need for us and he works on his craft every day out here. We’re excited to have him because in Group I that can be a blessing for you. We’re excited that if it gets to be fourth down and we’re in the red zone we can go get points now and that changes how defenses have to play you and all that stuff. It’s going to be huge for us.”

Jake has been aware the name on the scoreboard is his grandfather’s from the time he was in first grade, so the charge of seeing it has worn off a little. But that doesn’t diminish the strong sense of pride he carries every time he goes on the field. It’ll just be a lot stronger Thursday.

Adams called the chance for Ware to kick on the field that bears his granddad’s name “special for him, special for his family” and there will be many members of the family on hand to witness it.

The coach will feel something, too.

“For him to come and kick on the field that’s named for his grandfather is just unreal,” he said. “It’s a great story.”