Instant impact

Thursday roundup: Louis Sepers scores a goal in his first game eligible with Schalick soccer team; Schalick’s Romano scores 200th coaching win, and more UPDATED

THURSDAY’S SCORES
BOYS SOCCER
Schalick 3, Pennsville 0
Salem Tech 1, Salem 1
GIRLS SOCCER
Schalick 6, Pennsville 0
Salem 9, Salem Tech 0
Woodstown 4, Penns Grove 0
FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick 7, Cumberland 0
GIRLS TENNIS
South Jersey Group I Tournament
No. 2 Schalick 5, No. 15 Salem 0
No. 3 Woodstown 5, No. 14 Lindenwold 0
No. 4 Middle Twp. vs. No. 13 Penns Grove
No. 8 Pennsville 4, No. 9 Overbrook 1

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Louis Sepers has been chomping at the bit to get on the pitch for the Schalick boys soccer team and when he finally did, he made it count.

Sepers scored his first goal in his first game with the Cougars Thursday, a 3-0 Diamond Division road shutout of Pennsville.

The junior center midfielder transferred from Kingsway to play with his brother and cousin and had to sit out the last 31 days to restore his eligibility. He scored the last goal of the game with 5:15 to play.

“Definitely not,” Sepers said when asked if his debut could’ve gone any better. “It was a great game. We played really well. We knew coming in we need commitment, we need more leaders, so I came in here as a leader and started off.

“I’ve been going crazy. Just getting to go on the field and score a goal, just unbelievable. I never could have thought of it being any better.”

Sepers, who didn’t score in his two years with the Dragons, actually started the play that eventually led to his first Schalick goal. He sent a pass in to Luke Price, but Price got it caught on his foot in the box and fed it back to the trailing Sepers who fired point blank into the upper left corner.

“We had a feeling he would get one,” Cougars coach Joe Mannella said. “He’s been chomping at the bit to get out there. He’s a good player. He should have had one in the first half. He’s going to get his chances.”

Louis was one of three Sepers on the field for the Cougars  Brother Anthony was in the game and cousin Evan posted the shutout.

Louis played his first two years at Kingsway. His brother and cousin were already at Schalick when he decided to join them, but enrolled after the Cougars had already started practicing, hence the delay.

He had been practicing with them since his arrival but was relegated to the sidelines while they went 7-3 in their first 10 games. The embargo ended just in time for him to get in a game before the Cougars’ showdown with rival Woodstown on the Wolverines’ football field Saturday night.

He brings them experience, composure and depth, all of which the Cougars will need Saturday already knowing they’ll go into the game without two starters. He spent 18 days this summer with the Spanish fourth tier club CD Numancia in Soria, and decided upon his return to The States he wanted to play with his sophomore siblings.

“They’ve been bugging me for years,” he said. “Since freshman year I was thinking about it, and I just ended up going to Kingsway, but they’ve been bugging me, especially my uncle.”

Steve Chomo scored the Cougars’ first two goals, both assisted by Oscar Hernandez. The first one was a partial breakaway with 22:01 left in the first half and the second came with 22:35 to play.

SALEM TECH 1, SALEM 1: Clinton Bobo’s goal in the second half earned the Crusaders (3-6-1) their tie. The Rams remain winless in 10 games (0-9-1)

GIRLS SOCCER
SCHALICK 6, PENNSVILLE 0: Emily Miller peppered her 25th and 26th goals of the season in between Quinn Berger’s hat trick — all in the first half — as the Cougars (8-2) overran the undermanned Eagles (3-7-2). Jael Winnberg scored the Cougars’ final goal in the the second half. All but one of the Cougars’ wins have been by shutout.

WOODSTOWN 4, PENNS GROVE 0: Talia Battavio scored two goals and Delaney Walker and Sophie Wells each had one for the Wolverines (5-6). Calista Hunt and Emma Perry each had two assists.

SALEM 9, SALEM TECH 0: Karima Davenport-White scored four goals as the Rams (3-6-1) won for the second time in their last three games. Ryann Foote had a goal and two assists, Xin Shen had two assists, and Carlysia Pierce, Lyric Hayes, Ameriyona Hunter and Jayla Turner each scored a goal.

FIELD HOCKEY
SCHALICK 7, CUMBERLAND 0: Ava Scurry scored three goals and dished two assists. Scurry now has six goals on the season. Phoebe Alward scored her 11th goal, while Lucianna Virga, Caylen Taylor and Casey Widdifield also scored. Lydia Gilligan stopped the only shot she faced for the shutout.

GIRLS TENNIS
Schalick and Woodstown postponed their regularly scheduled showdown Thursday in order to help the opening round of the South Jersey Group 1 Tournament avoid projected bad weather on Friday and both made easy work of their opponents.

Schalick, the No. 2 seed, swept No. 15 Salem 5-0, while Woodstown, the No. 3 seed, swept No. 14 Lindenwold, 5-0. No. 8 Pennsville was the third Salem County team advancing, beating No. 9 Overbrook, 4-1.

Schalick (14-2) won all five of its matches in straight sets, losing only two games in the second set of No. 1 singles, and gave coach John Romano his 200th coaching victory. Undefeated Woodstown (13-0) also won all five matches in straight sets.

“Girls, to say ‘thank you’ would be a disservice,” Romano wrote in appreciation of his milestone on the school’s athletics Facebook page. “I cannot begin to tell you how lucky I am to coach such an unbelievable group of young ladies. You’re the true reason why I come back year after year.

“Years from now when I’m old(er) and have (more) white hairs, I will reminisce on the wins and losses, but ultimately I will think about all of the lives I’ve been able to touch and the friendships and relationships I’ve formed with all of you. A true testament of a coach isn’t wins and losses on the court, it’s the success you young ladies have in life.”

Pennsville now travels to top-seeded Haddon Twp. Tuesday for its second-round match. Woodstown will host Gateway and Schalick will host Audubon. Wins by Woodstown and Schalick in Round 2 would set up a sectional semifinals battle between the two county rivals in Pittsgrove.

SCHALICK 5, SALEM 0
Singles: Rachael Irizarry (Sc) def. Mandarin Castellanos, 6-0, 6-2; Grace O’Neill (Sc) def. Cassidy Werkheiser, 6-0, 6-0; Allyson Green (Sc) def. Olivia Woolman, 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles: Emma Adams-Katelyn Little (Sc) def. Gianna Pelura-Tytiana Miller, 6-0, 6-0; Miya Watkins-Rachel Grandson (Sc) def. Angelina Fothergill-Tahirah Davenport-White, 6-0, 6-0.

WOODSTOWN 5, LINDENWOLD 0
Singles: Abby Melle def. Shanik Leiva, 6-1, 6-1; Gabby Kurds def. Chelsea Ortez, 6-0, 6-0; Cara Delia def. Leczy Estupinian, no match.
Doubles: Julianna Lindenmuth-Molly Curtis def. Fatima Arriaza-Giselle Ontiveros, 6-1, 6-0; Kathryn Milligan-Lauren Lippincott def. Tiffany Lopez-Selena Perla, 6-1, 6-0.

PENNSVILLE 4, OVERBROOK 1
Singles: Madison Newbold (O) def. Regan Witt, 7-5, 6-2; Megan Morris (P) def. Keira Riess, 6-2, 6-1; Lily Edwards (P) def. Mia Costantino, 6-1, 6-0.
Doubles: Emma Cornette-Fanta Kone (P) def. Hillary Cao-Jennifer Giovanni, 6-3, 6-0; Isabell Schrenker-Gabi Forino (P) def. Sophia Burgos-Denovia Cameron, 6-1, 6-0.

Cover photo: Schalick soccer newcomer Louis Sepers is marked by Pennsville’s Brody Wiggins (46) Thursday afternoon.