Eagles soar in opener

Pennsville plays complete game, erupts for 33 points in second quarter, routs Lindenwold

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

LINDENWOLD – It’s been a couple years since Pennsville put together as complete a game as it did in its opener Thursday night. It may never have had a more prodigious second quarter.

The Eagles dominated in all three phases and erupted for 33 points in the second quarter to open their season with a 49-6 rout of Lindenwold.

“Obviously we’re excited because we played a full game how we’re capable of doing; that we can show up and do what’s expected from the first snap to the last snap,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “Even our younger kids when they were in at the end of the game, they still kept playing, kept moving the ball, played well defensively. The entire program I was happy with.

“It’s the first time in a couple years I really felt like we played a full game start to finish and, more importantly, didn’t have any letdown at any point during the game.”

Their first two drives of the game netted in a field goal and a fumble out of the end zone trying to score for a touchback. After that, they were relentless.

Sky Eppes rushed for 118 yards and four touchdowns and Rylan Hardy rushed for 60 yards and two scores. Quarterback Robbie McDade completed 4-of-6 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown to Malik Rehmer. Rehmer caught three balls for 88 yards.

The Eagles scored their 33 points in the second quarter in a span of about 10 minutes. Eppes scored the first three touchdowns and Hardy scored the last two. The first four came over a stretch of about four minutes.

“We’re setting the tone early and we’re going to finish the same way, letting everybody know we’re different this year and we’re not letting up any time soon,” Eppes said. “Before the game when we’re breaking it down I told everybody that we’re going to try to break records this year and they stepped up and tried to make it happen.”

The Eagles play their home opener next Friday against Lower Cape May looking to go 2-0 for the first time since 2020.

The loss was Lindenwold’s 16th in a row going back to 2021. Pennsville won last year’s game 34-26, but the Lions were driving for a potential game-tying score when time expired.

Pennsville 49, Lindenwold 6

Pennsville (1-0)	9	33	7	0 –	49
Lindenwold (0-2)	0	0	0	6 –	6

Scoring plays
P – Jackson Leino 34 FG, 7:40 1Q
P – Malik Rehmer 43 pass from Robbie McDade (PAT failed), 2:36 1Q
P – Sky Eppes 48 run (PAT failed), 11:36 2Q
P – Sky Eppes 1 run (Jackson Leino kick), 10:34 2Q
P – Sky Eppes 14 run (PAT failed), 7:53 2Q
P – Rylan Hardy 20 run (Jackson Leino kick), 7:30 2Q
P – Rylan Hardy 20 run (Jackson Leino kick), 1:49 2Q
P – Sky Eppes 9 run (Jackson Leino kick), 5:09 3Q
L – Denny 1 run (pass failed), 5:15 4Q