He’s ba-a-a-ck

County football preview: Woodstown’s Hill eager to play first game; Schalick, Pennsville focused on the details

SALEM COUNTY FOOTBALL
Friday’s games
Riverside at Schalick, 6 p.m.
Woodstown at Deptford, 6 p.m.
Gateway at Pennsville, 7 p.m.
Saturday’s game
Penns Grove at Salem, noon

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Woodstown running back James Hill has been looking forward to Friday night’s game at Deptford for six months. So has Wolverines’ coach John Adams. The rest of the WJFL, because they know the impact, not so much.

Hill makes his long-awaited season debut against the Spartans, six months removed from the knee injury and surgery during wrestling season.

He was cleared to return for football with limitations in late August and was cleared for full contact last week in time to fulfill his six padded practice embargo in time to play Friday night.

“I’m looking forward to it – a lot,” Hill said. “It’s been the last 6-7 months of rehabbing really strong. Every day I look at the clock and it just inches closer and closer. It’s kind of like Christmas and a birthday put together. No one wants to get older, but everyone wants to get the gifts.”

The plan is to rotate him between inside and outside linebacker this week and ease him into the offense where they need him. Hill has repped at multiple positions this week and, coach John Adams says, “knows the playbook from couple different spots.” Just don’t look for him to be running between the tackles on the Spartans’ artificial turf in his first game back.

He has rushed for more than 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns over the last two seasons.

“It’s tremendous (to get him back),” Adams said. “He’s a two-time captain, so getting his athleticism on the field is going to be phenomenal, him getting some of the rust out and stuff like that and get some confidence back in his leg will be big for him, but for us, having that leadership on the field is huge.

“The last two weeks he’s been doing everything he could from the sideline and having that leadership on the field is going to be really, really big for us.”

Hill said he has “no fear in playing football” coming back and is hoping for a big game capped by a victory.

“I just want to individual feel 100 percent confident in everything,” he said. “I don’t want to have any worries about making a cut. I just want to go out there and run around and play a high school football game and not have two thoughts of my ACL was torn seven months ago.”

**Schalick’s Reggie Allen (4), coming off a game in which he rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns, is emerging as the backbone of the Cougars’ offense. (Photo by Heather Popiano)**

RIVERSIDE (2-0) at SCHALICK (3-0): In an early-season battle of unbeatens this week is all about details for the Cougars – the I-dotting and T-crossing things that take a good team to great and a great team to special.

It’s things like finishing drives and finishing blocks that lead to bigger runs, winning first down, locking up on tackles and reading keys, and staying focused on extra points.

“That’s what we’ve been preaching all week in practice and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish,” Cougars coach Mike Wilson said. “Getting better at the little things.”

Through three games, junior running back Reggie Allen is emerging as the backbone of the team. He rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s victory at Wildwood and has done most of the heavy lifting on the Cougars’ scoring drives.

He now had 246 yards on 52 carries this season after his 144-yard, three touchdown game last week. He already has half as many touchdowns as he had a year ago, when losing two games to an injury robbed him of a 1,000-yard season.

“Reggie is legitimately our unsung hero,” Wilson said. “I said this his freshman year: Reggie gets lost in the shuffle a little bit, and I don’t know why. Reggie is the backbone of this team. I know a lot of people talk about (quarterback) Kenai (Simmons), but Reggie is the lynchpin of this team, I really believe that.”

Depending on what else happens around the division, this winner could come out of the week in sole possession of first place in the Horizon Division and be its last undefeated team standing.

GATEWAY (1-1) at PENNSVILLE (1-1): The Eagles stand in a bit of a crossroad. A year ago, they won their opener, lost their second game and didn’t win again. They face the same scenario this week after a flat game in their home opener, but this time are confident of flipping the script with the proper approach.

It’s all about players doing their job and trusting the player next to them. Last week’s 28-7 loss to Lower Cape May was about a lot of players trying to do too much that took them out of position.

This week, back to a regular practice schedule in the first full week of school, it’s all about getting back to basics.

“This whole year is really about getting respect back for the program and we need to show we can consistently play at a high level and go out there and compete like we can as opposed to last week,” Healy said. “We did not show who we really were, I felt like.”

Last year’s Gateway game got away from them and was the turning point in their season. It has the potential to be the springboard for this year as well.

“They’re 1-1 right now, same as us, so we can’t go in there, especially after last week how we played, thinking too much of ourselves,” Healy said. “We’ve got to understand we’re both even going into this game so we’ve got to show up.”

Coming next: Penns Grove’s Emel reflects on Salem’s Walnut Street Field on the eve of its final game

Eagles trio ‘on’

Tuesday roundup: Pennsville boys erupt for three rapid-fire goals to get first W of the season, Penns Grove coach gets first win, Schalick goes to 4-0; Salem, Penns Grove, Salem girls play to draws

WEDNESDAY’S SCOREBOARD
BOYS SOCCER
Pennsville 5, Clayton 0
Penns Grove 6, Salem 2
Schalick 3, Gloucester Catholic 0
Woodstown 7, Salem Tech 0

GIRLS SOCCER
Pennsville 2, Clayton 2
Salem 3, Penns Grove 3
Schalick 4, Gloucester Catholic 1
Woodstown 6, Salem Tech 0

GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville 5, Salem 0
Schalick 5, Glassboro 0

By Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – One minute the game is scoreless and the next time Pennsville boys soccer coach Derek Foglein looked his team had a three-goal lead. Things can happen that quickly when you have the kind of strikers the Eagles have.

After a slow opening 10 minutes, the Eagles erupted for three goals in the 10 minutes before the first half water break and went on to beat rebuilding Clayton 5-0 for their first win of the season.

Shane Puckett and Jake Isaac both scored twice in the first half and Dylan Waller scored in the second.

“I felt like I blinked and we were up 3-0; it was like three in a matter of five minutes,” Foglein said. “It’s definitely not typical, but when you look at Stone (Mumink), Shane and Jake, they have the quality, they have the talent and they have the offensive vision from working together for a few years, and they’ve got speed, too. If they’re on, they’re on and just like that a game can really turn positively for us.

“I know we have quality offensive pieces. With those front three, that’s really where our offense is going to be from and they were quality today. They worked hard on the ball. They worked hard off the ball. They connected passes and (when you do that) you find yourself in spaces and they found their spaces and they finished. So that was really awesome.”

Puckett scored his two goals around Isaac’s first counter in that rapid-fire stretch. Isaac notched his second goal shortly after the water break. Puckett, Isaac and Mumink each had two assists.

The Eagles (1-2) already had control of the game, but turned up the defense in the second half and the back line helped keeper Coen Rinnier nail down the shutout.

PENNS GROVE 6, SALEM 2: After two gut-wrenching overtime losses to open the season, the Red Devils got goals from five different players to give new coach Mano Massari his first victory.

Junior Sebastian Hernandez scored twice to lead the charge. Captains Ashton Harris and Joey Schultz, Edward Swank and Jayden Merga had the other goals.

“It was really good to get the win; not for me, but for the guys, they deserve it,” Massari said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but a win is a win and we’ll take it.”

As with any new coach and a new team, it took a little time to adjust the pieces. Massari moved junior Frankie Juarez Reynosa to center midfield and the offense blossomed. The six goals were the most the Red Devils have scored in a game since beating Gloucester 7-1 in their final regular-season game last year. Juarez Reynosa had two assists.

“After the first two losses I needed to move some guys around and it really helped open the offense up; Frankie being a huge reason for that,” Massari said. “He started the first two games as a striker but wasn’t getting the ball enough, so I dropped him to a center midfielder and he really controlled the game. He really excelled in that position.”

Salem scores again

UPDATED
Rams field hockey team has scored 15 goals in two games, Schalick, Woodstown open their seasons with a win; cross country off and running

TUESDAY’S FIELD HOCKEY SCORES
Salem 5, Pennsville 1
Schalick 5, Gloucester Catholic 1
Woodstown 9, Deptford 0

By Riverview Sports News

SALEM – Shanna Scott’s tenure as Salem’s field hockey coach certainly has gotten off to an explosive start.

Scott was elevated to the head coach this year. In her first two games her Rams have presented her with two explosive victories. They beat Pennsville Tuesday 5-0.

The Rams rushed right out of the gate, scoring four goals in the first quarter. Tamya Driver, who assisted on Boggs’ goal that opened the scoring, scored in fourth quarter to make it 5-0.

Isabella Saulin scored Pennsville’s goal.

The Rams peppered Pennsville keeper Kylie Harris with 33 shots. They took 29 shots in their win over Clayton.

“Our goal is to work hard and do our best,” Scott said. “It sounds cliche, but coach Kayla Chapman and I spend a lot of time laying a firm foundation of what is expected on and off the field, how we aim to carry ourselves as a team, together and in unity. In order for us to prosper, we must be united as one and we must respect one another.

“While our aim is to come out aggressive with anticipation of winning, it is also important to do so humbly … We don’t expect to be perfect and we may not always do the best, but how the girls respond to that is what is important to us … We are very proud of them so far and cannot wait to see what the remainder of the season looks like.”

SCHALICK 5, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 1: Phoebe Alward had a hat trick, and Ava Scurry and Lucianna Virga had the other goals as the Cougars opened their season with a victory. Caylen Taylor assisted on the Cougars’ first two goals of the game and Ella Shimp had the assists on Alward’s last two goals. Lydia Gilligan made five saves in posting the shutout.

WOODSTOWN 9, DEPTFORD 0: Braeley DiGregorio had a hat trick and Tulana Mingin scored twice as the Wolverines opened their season in a big way.Hannah Hitchner, Kayla Brown, Megan Donelson and Val Treijo had the other Woodstown goals.

Cross country

SEABROOK – Schalick junior Jordan Hadfield and Kingsway freshman Ryan Duffy were first across the line in their respective races in Tuesday’s Tri-County Batch Meet at Cumberland Regional.

Hadfield won the girls race in 19:56.32, eight seconds ahead of Williamstown senior Alyssa Boucher. Woodstown freshman Lillian Norman was ninth in the race (21:19.99).

Duffy won the boys race in 16:25.69. Schalick’s Charles Fuerneisen was ninth (17:44.46).

Chargers on 3

Salem Tech flexes its sports footprint with the first varsity boys soccer game in school history, a 2-0 win over Salem

MONDAY’S COUNTY SOCCER SCORES
Boys Games
Salem Tech 2, Salem 0
Woodstown 3, Penns Grove 2
Schalick 5, Pennsville 0
Girls Games
Salem 5, Salem Tech 0
Schalick 6, Pennsville 0
Woodstown at Penns Grove, ppd.,

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Salem Tech may have only had a soccer team for two years, but in truth Monday’s match was five years in the making.

When school administrators green-lighted an athletics program five years ago, the plan was to play two major sports in each of the academic year’s three sports seasons.

They steadily put teams on the field and Monday was the first varsity boys game in school history. And it was a strong debut, a 2-0 shutout of Salem.

“I was happy with the way the guys played; they played hard for each other,” Chargers coach Rob Polk said. “I think they had a sense coming in of what this meant for the school. The effort they showed kind of put that all on display that they understood the meaning of today’s game.

“This is definitely a good start. I couldn’t have asked for a better start. Maybe a couple more goals.”

As satisfying as the outcome was for the Chargers, the day ended on a somber note. The game was halted with three minutes to play due to weather issues and was called altogether a few minutes later when a Salem player collapsed coming off the field.

Trainers raced to the aid of midfielder Christian Hymer in the Rams’ bench area. After working on him on the field, they lifted him onto the back of a golf cart and rode off to the school to await an ambulance. He was reported to be alert in a locker room off the gym as Mannington Fire Rescue prepared to transport him from the scene.

Boys and girls soccer are the newest varsity sports at Salem Tech. When they first rolled out the ball, the Chargers offered just cross country and basketball. Today, the school sponsors varsity teams in cross country, volleyball and basketball for boys and girls, bowling and golf. Officials are now exploring the possibility of adding baseball and softball in Spring 2025.

“It wasn’t even rooted in competition, it was rooted more in student involvement,” principal Jason Helder said of the introduction of athletics. “We wanted there to be structured activities that kids could be involved in after school, where they could work with mentors and coaches and teachers and see them in a different capacity.

“I think it’s remarkable this is our first varsity soccer game. It’s significant because it was literally something that even five years ago didn’t exist and the fact now we’re here playing soccer against a county rival on a home field is significant.

“The establishment of sports gave us an identity we didn’t have. There was no Chargers. Sports gave us a reason to solidify our identity.”

The soccer teams debuted on the junior varsity level last year, then jumped right into varsity play. Polk’s boys team was supposed to make its varsity debut last week at Gloucester Catholic, but the game was postponed due to vandalism to the Rams’ field.

The Chargers only had one 11-on-11 varsity game together before Monday, but they dominated on both ends in their regular-season debut. Most of the match was played in the Salem end until the Rams picked up their attack in the second half.

Sophomore Graham Fields scored both goals for the Chargers. He scored the first varsity goal in school history seven minutes into the match when he took a through ball from Travis Hagan and beat Rams keeper Eithan Longo to the upper right corner. He put home an insurance goal right before the game was called.

He scored the first goal for the JV Chargers last year, too.

“I’ve been playing soccer since I was like 2 or 3 and I’m 15 now so it really does mean a lot to me,” Fields said. “The second I got that goal I was so happy. I was really happy.”

Just as Fields was a force up front peppering the Salem goal at regular intervals, Clinton Bobo was just as impressive for the Chargers on the back line. The Rams didn’t mount many attacks, but when they did, Bobo usually was there to break it up and clear it away. He also won a lot of challenge balls.

“He’s the rock on our defense back there; he’s a safety net for us,” Polk said. “You got to see that a lot with his speed and his physicality. He’s really good at reading plays and timing balls. He settled a lot of things down, especially in the second half. When that ball gets played in behind and it’s a footrace with Bobo, I’m pretty confident he’s coming out on top.”

Graham Fields reacts after missing a scoring chance for Salem Tech in the second half of Monday’s first varsity game against Salem. Fields had numerous chances and scored both of the Chargers’ goals.

BOYS GAMES
WOODSTOWN 3, PENNS GROVE 2: Bryce Ayars scored the game-tying goal with five minutes left in regulation and then scored five minutes into overtime to lift Woodstown its first victory of the season and hand Penns Grove its second straight overtime loss.

Ashton Harris and Jayden Murga Santos staked the Red Devils (0-2) to a 2-0 lead early in the second half. Adrian Ibarra got the Wolverines (1-1) on the board 10 minutes into the second half.

SCHALICK 5, PENNSVILLE 0: Bradford Foster scored two goals and Evan Sepers made nine saves as the Cougars won their third straight game. Foster has four goals and shares the team lead with Luke Price, who scored his fourth goal to give the Cougars a 2-0 halftime lead. Steve Chomo and Jaxon Weber had second-half goals for the Cougars.

GIRLS GAMES
SALEM 5, SALEM TECH 0: Ryann Foote scored two goals, Ameriyona Hunter had a goal and two assists and Marcela Villapando made three saves in posting the shutout. Karima Davenport-White and Carlysia Pierce had the Rams’ other goals. It was the season opener for both teams and Salem Tech’s first ever girls varsity game.

SCHALICK 6, PENNSVILLE 0: Cali Fisler and Emily Miller each scored a pair of goals as the Cougars opened their season with a six-goal first-half explosion. Olivia Devoe and Kyleigh Cutler scored their other two goals.

**Clinton Bobo was a rock for the Salem Tech defense Monday, disrupting several Salem attacks before they ever got started.**

Salem seats (updated)

Rams’ football rivalry with Penns Grove will be played at Walnut Street Field Saturday with crowd limitations

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM – The football rivalry between Penns Grove and Salem will be played as scheduled Saturday at Salem’s Walnut Street Field but with restrictions on the number of fans who can pass through the gates.

The game, which will be the final high school game played on the field before the Rams move into their on-campus stadium in October, is scheduled to kickoff at noon.

“We are able to go ahead and get the game in,” Salem athletics director Darryl Roberts said.

Administrators from both school districts met Monday to talk about tickets, access and operations for the game after reports of a threat surfaced after last week’s Camden-Salem game and recommendations were made by local police.

The schools plan to put out a statement Tuesday regarding the particulars about spectators, but Riverview Sports News has learned students from either school with proper ID will be admitted and the schools will do a Salem-heavy 60/40 split on 500 presale adult tickets. Officials said there is really nothing they can do about spectators lining the fence outside the gate.

The Salem School District’s statement read in part “Due to a set of incidents in the community, the school district is going to limit the number of fans from the general public.”

Tickets for entry will be provided by the Athletic Directors or coaches representing each school. Attendance will be limited to three groups of people: Staff, currently enrolled Salem and Penns Grove High School students, and Parents/Grandparents of players.

No one else from the general public will be permitted on the premises.

The idea of playing the game without fans in attendance Roberts said was “something that was suggested, but just an idea considering some of the concerns that were out there.”

He declined to comment on those concerns.

The police presence at the field is expected to be similar to a normal game day operation.

Because of the Rams’ stadium project, the game – Salem’s home date – was moved to Penns Grove’s stadium, but it was officially moved back to Walnut Street earlier this month after city officials got the facility back into shape.

Penns Grove football coach John Emel played on the field as a Salem High starter during his high school career, as did most of his football-playing family members.

Both teams will be looking for their first victory of the season. It will be Salem’s Diamond Division opener.

This week’s schedule

Here is the schedule for Salem County high school sports for the week of Sept. 11-16

Sept. 11
BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove at Woodstown, 4 p.m.
Pennsville at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Salem at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.

GIRLS SOCCER
Salem Tech at Salem, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.

GIRLS TENNIS
Glassboro at Salem, 4 p.m.
Penns Grove at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Pitman, 4 p.m.

Sept. 12
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville at Salem, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Gloucester Catholic, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Deptford Twp., 4 p.m.

Sept. 13
BOYS SOCCER
Clayton at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Penns Grove at Salem, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Gloucester Catholic, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.

GIRLS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Pennsville at Clayton, 4 p.m.
Salem at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Woodstown, 4 p.m.

GIRLS TENNIS
Overbook at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Pennsville at Salem, 4 p.m.

Sept. 14
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville at Glassboro, 3:45 p.m.
Salem at Deptford Twp., 4 p.m.
Schalick at Clearview, 4 p.m.

GIRLS TENNIS
Penns Grove at Palmyra, 4 p.m.

Sept. 15
FOOTBALL
Gateway at Pennsville, 7 p.m.
Riverside at Schalick, 7 p.m.
Woodstown at Deptford Twp., 7 p.m.

FIELD HOCKEY
Cumberland at Woodstown, 4 p.m.

BOYS SOCCER
Buena at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Pitman at Woodstown, 4 p.m.

GIRLS SOCCER
Gateway at Salem, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Cherry Hill West, 4 p.m.

GIRLS TENNIS
Woodstown at Cumberland, 4 p.m.

Sept. 16
FOOTBALL
Penns Grove at Salem, noon

GIRLS SOCCER
Schalick at Delsea, 10 a.m.

What might have been

Defending state champ Woodbury scores four first-quarter touchdowns, sends Penns Grove to third straight loss

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODBURY – Coaches will tell you no one single play in a game as one-sided as Saturday’s Penns Grove-Woodbury matchup is any more important than another, but you still have to wonder how things might have changed had Penns Grove’s Kylee Goodson brought down that interception in the end zone in the first quarter instead of having it slip through his hands.

Woodbury 42,
Penns Grove 6
NEXT: at Salem,
Saturday, noon

The game was still scoreless when the heavily favored Thundering Herd lined up at the 6 after being pushed off the 1 by a penalty. Goodson, a sophomore in his first year of football, got perfect position between Herd quarterback Donta Viccharelli and the receiver. He had his left hand on the ball, but couldn’t to bring in and it fell harmlessly incomplete.

With a new life, the Herd scored on the next play on AJ Reagan’s 6-yard touchdown run and added three more touchdowns in the 47-minute quarter on the way to a 42-6 victory.

In the game of what-ifs, had Goodson made the pick, perhaps the early momentum would have swung towards the Red Devils (0-3), who were needing something good come their way, and maybe put some doubt in the minds of the defending state champions for allowing a team to hang around.

“I thought that, too,” Goodson agreed. “I was so close, but unfortunately I dropped it.”

There’s no blame there, just a missed opportunity. After Reagan ran it in for the first touchdown of the game, the Thundering Herd (2-0) stopped the Red Devils’ offense on a pair of three-and-outs and a first-snap fumble and converted all three into touchdowns.

Reagan scored on a 62-yard run, Viccharelli ran in from 18 yards out and then hit Jayden Johnson with a 12-yard touchdown pass for a 26-0 lead. And there were still more than two minutes left in the quarter.

“When you’re playing a team that good, you can’t miss any opportunities,” Penns Grove coach John Emel said. “Those are the kinds of plays you have to make if you’re going to upset somebody, that’s for sure, and there’s no doubt about it they’re a big favorite.”

Woodbury coach Anthony Reagan wouldn’t call the missed pick a game-changer, but he agreed the Herd caught a break.

“That’s the thing about life,” he said. “As you’re going through these seasons you look back on certain points and you do see where good fortune goes in your favor and in that moment it did

“When you’re playing in a football game early on both teams believe so if you give anybody the opportunity to stay in the football game you never know what the outcome will be. For us to be able to capitalize on that allowed us to be able to build on the momentum moving forward in the game.”

AJ Reagan rushed for 105 yards in that big first quarter and had 149 yards in the game. Viccharelli threw for 190 yards and three touchdowns – two to Marquis Taylor – and accounted for four touchdowns altogether.

On the two scoring throws to Taylor, the receiver lunged over a defensive back in the end zone to pull down one and the other he caught in stride over the middle. Viccharelli had a fourth touchdown pass wiped out by a penalty in the fourth quarter.

“It was great for us to get out to a fast start,” Anthony Reagan said. “We wanted to be better than what we were last week, so for us to be able to come out and really execute what we wanted to do early on was a great sign for us.”

Penns Grove nearly doubled its offense in the second half that was played with a running clock and went faster than the first quarter. The Red Devils got most of their yards on a 60-yard Bryce Wright run that opened the half and freshman KaRon Ceaser’s 55-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

The Red Devils look to end their losing streak next week at Salem. Even though both teams are winless, but because the teams play in the tough WJFL Diamond Division Emel likens the game to a playoff qualifier. Penns Grove opened last season 1-6 and still made the playoffs even though it didn’t win in a game in the division.

“We’ve just got to go win games,” Emel said. “We play a tough enough schedule. The winner of next week’s game is getting in. We’re not looking for anything else but the game next week.”

Woodbury 42, Penns Grove 6

PG (6)		WOOD (42)
8	1st Downs	14
20-152	Rushes-yds	23-178
6-12-1	Passes	10-13-0
60	Passing yards	217
3-2	Fumbles-lost	1-0
2-39.5	Punts-avg	1-33.0
5-40	Penalties-yds	8-63

Penns Grove (0-3)	0	0	0	6 –	6
Woodbury (2-0)	26	8	8	0 –	42

Scoring plays
W – AJ Reagan 6 run (run failed), 9:40 1Q
W – AJ Reagan 62 run (pass failed), 6:55 1Q
W – Donta Viccharelli 18 run (pass failed), 3:42 1Q
W – Jayden Johnson 12 pass from Donta Viccharelli (Jayden Johnson pass from Donta Viccharelli), 2:20 1Q
W – Marquis Taylor 38 pass from Donta Viccharelli (Doran Dunbar from Donta Viccharelli), 3:33 2Q
W – Marquis Taylor 61 pass from Donta Viccharelli (Donta Viccharelli run), 1:40 3Q
PG – KaRon Ceaser 55 run (kick failed), 10:42 4Q

Top photo: Woodbury quarterback Donta Viccharelli (L) and running back A.J. Reagan (C) had big games against Penns Grove. (Photo by Jada Sayers. Jada’s photos on South Jersey football can be found on her Instagram platform: @flicksbyj4)

**Penns Grove running back Bryce Wright (1) breaks through the line looking for yards against Woodbury. Wright had the Red Devils’ biggest gain of the game, a 60-yard burst to open the second half.**

Living the dream

Woodstown’s Bump Carter lives a lineman’s dream, returning a fumble for a touchdown in Wolverines’ road win

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PAULSBORO – When Bump Carter saw the football fly into his hands and saw all that green grass in front of him, he thought exactly what you’d expect of a lineman who had the dream of a lifetime laid out in front of him.

“I was just thinking about trying to get in there for a touchdown, and try not to get tackled,” he said. “I tried not to fall over when it fell into me. I couldn’t really believe it at all.”

Woodstown 28,
Paulsboro 7
NEXT: at Deptford,
Friday, 6 p.m.

The 5-foot-6, 200-pound junior reached lineman nirvana Saturday when he chugged 12 yards with a fumble in the closing seconds of the first half to score the first touchdown of his high school career in Woodstown’s 28-7 win over Paulsboro.

It couldn’t have unfolded more perfectly. The Red Raiders had just turned the Wolverines away on an end zone interception, but defensive end Corbin Walz broke in and stripped Paulsboro quarterback Roman Onorato. The ball never hit the ground. It landed right in Carter’s hands and the defensive tackle took off for the goal line.

Carter would often joke with his linemates about scoring a touchdown, but in reality he thought the only way he’d ever get close to scoring in a high school game was by getting in on a safety, but he checked all the boxes on the elements that concerned him once the ball landed in his hands. He did have a front-row seat when senior DL Shawn Gerrity returned a fumble for a touchdown in a scrimmage last year against Camden.

“Earlier in the game Bump almost picked off a screen and would’ve had a touchdown there, too,” Woodstown coach John Adams said. “He just tipped it and couldn’t come down with it and we were like ‘aw, he’s so close to scoring a defensive touchdown’ and then he comes away with one at the end of the half.

“It’s huge for the whole defensive line unit. I tell those guys from Day One we have to be the hardest workers on the field and we have to set the tone every game. We literally did that drill two days ago and it was textbook execution that came to life today on the field. It was pretty neat to see that and for Bump to get that, he’s just a great kid for that ball to bounce the right way into his hands.”

Woodstown fans celebrate as lineman Bump Carter (71) carries the fumble he recovered across the goal line for a Wolverines’ touchdown at Paulsboro. Top photo, the players celebrate with him in the end zone. (Photos by Ellen Sickler)

Covering the 12 yards to the end zone he said felt “like I was running on air.” Once he got in to extend the Wolverines’ lead to 21-0, he was mobbed by his teammates. As he passed Adams coming off the field there might have been a side-eye suggestion about having him help out the running backs until James Hill returns to that side of the ball in a couple weeks.

“It was great,” Wolverines running back Bryce Belinfanti said. “I’ve been waiting for it all year, really, and I watched it happen right in front of my eyes (from his outside linebacker spot). We were all hyped.”

A lot of Wolverines were having fun. Quarterback Max Webb ran for 45 yards and a 1-yard touchdown that capped a 96-yard drive and passed for 57 yards. Belinfanti rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a 67-yard burst in the fourth quarter with moves that had folks comparing him to Hill, a 3,000-yard career rusher due to return from knee surgery next week.

“I came down and James gave me a high-five and I was like ‘I looked like No. 22 out there,’” Belanfanti said.

It was the second game in a row Belinfanti proved to be reliable option in the running game as the Wolverines wait for the return of Hill. He had 132 yards and two touchdown in the season opener against Haddon Heights.

“I know we only have two running backs right now, me and Alex Torres,” Belinfanti said. “We knew we had to step up and we knew that we could and we were the guys to do it. A lot of the fans and people were nervous about not having James but the team knew what we had to do the first couple weeks and we did it and continue to do it.”

Woodstown 28, Paulsboro 7

Woodstown (2-0)	7	14	7	0 –	28
Paulsboro (0-2)	0	0	0	7 –	7

Scoring plays
W – Bryce Belinfanti 6 run (Jake Ware kick)
W – Max Webb 1 run (Jake Ware kick)
W – Walter Carter 12 fumble recovery (Jake Ware kick)
W – Bryce Belinfanti 67 run (Jake Ware kick)
P – Sharif Green 43 pass from Roman Onorato (PAT kick)

Bryce Belinfanti led the Woodstown running game for the second week in a row, this time going for a career-high 180 yards and two touchdowns. In the last two weeks he has rushed for 312 yards (Photo by Ellen Sickler)

Friday roundup

Here’s a quick look at Friday’s soccer and field hockey action involving Salem County teams

GIRLS SOCCER
PITMAN 4, WOODSTOWN 1: Emery Sharpnack scored a hat trick and Alaina Williams had two assists as Pitman won the consolation game of Deptford’s Spartan Kickoff Tournament. Calista Hunt scored the Wolverines’ goal in the second half.

BRIDGETON 5, PENNSVILLE 1: Adelina Wilks scored a hat trick and had a hand in all five Bridgeton goals. Karsen Cooksey scored the Eagles’ goal in the second half.

FIELD HOCKEY
GATEWAY 8, PENNSVILLE 0: Eagles coach Lisa Doran was hoping for better things in her team’s second game in two days, but was disappointed. Gateway dominated play and squeezed eight goals into the first three quarters. Bella Fini had a hat trick and Angie Zagone had two goals and two assists.

Shutout by the shore

Schalick hits the road for first time, shuts out Wildwood; Cougars sit 3-0 for first time since 2016

HORIZON DIVISION SCORES
Schalick 25, Wildwood 0
Riverside 59, Lindenwold 0
Bishop Eustace 36, Gloucester Catholic 0 (Sat.)

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WILDWOOD – Schalick went on the road for the first time this season looking to find a complete game. The offense got closer but still has a little work to do, but the defense played what coach Mike Wilson called its best game in his four years with the program.

The Cougars posted their first shutout of the season and fifth in Wilson’s four years as their coach, 25-0, over Wildwood.

It was their first shutout since last October, when they blanked Bishop Eustace 52-0, and their first shutout on the road since last Sept. 30 (50-0 at Lindenwold). It was their sixth shutout in the series they now lead 15-1.

They held Wildwood to 89 yards of net offense. Riley Papiano had a team-high 5.5 tackles and Jermaine Loney had 4.5 tackles and a sack.

“The defense played amazing tonight, probably the best defensive game since I’ve been here,” Wilson said. “The kids executed the game plan flawlessly.

“We contained No. 2, Junior Hans, that quarterback who’s the real deal. He probably had maybe two meaningful scrambles. We kept him in the pocket. We defended their passing game very well. We stopped the run. We played well all game. The kids did amazing. Tonight they did their job; they trusted everybody. Honestly, they executed as well as you could draw it up on the board.”

The defense collected a pair of takeaways, including an interception by Jake Siedlecki to set up the first of Reggie Allen’s three touchdowns. The pick came early in the second quarter, shortly after the Cougars misfired on a fourth-and-goal pass from the 4.

Levi Feeney-Childers scored the Cougars’ other touchdown. Allen finished with 144 yards rushing on 25 carries and Feeney-Childers had 103 yards on 12 carries.

The Cougars led only 7-0 at halftime, then put up more points in the second half they had in either of their previous two games.

“Offensively, it’s the same problem as the first two games,” Wilson said. “We look great in one drive and then we sputter the next drive. The offense is befuddling me right now. We’ve got to clean it up.”

The win was their third straight to open the season and left them 3-0 for the first time since 2016.

Schalick 25, Wildwood 0

SCHAL (25)		WWOOD (0)
16	1st Downs	4
43-237	Rushes-yds	21-57
2-6-0	Passes	5-19-2
18	Passing	32
0-0	Fumbles-lost	0-0
2-27.5	Punts-avg	NA
4-59	Penalties-yds	9-67

Schalick (3-0)	0	7	6	12 –	25
Wildwood (1-1)	0	0	0	0 –	0

Scoring plays
S – Reggie Allen 2 run (Hunter Dragotta kick)
S – Reggie Allen 6 run (run failed)
S – Reggie Allen 8 run (kick failed)
S – Levi Feeney-Childers 17 run (pass failed)

Cover photo: Riley Papiano gets in position to make a tackle in Schalick’s game with Pitman two weeks ago. Papiano was the Cougars’ leading tackler in their shutout of Wildwood Friday night. (Photo by Heather Papiano)