Changing places

Pennsville, Pitman boys soccer changing divisions in a move expected to benefit both programs; this story will be updated

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

The boys soccer teams at Pennsville and Pitman are changing places in the Tri-County Conference in a move that will benefit both programs.

When the season opens next fall, Pennsville will play in the Tri-County Classic Division, while Pitman will move into the demanding Diamond Division. The change, approved in Tuesday’s conference athletics directors meeting at Kingsway, does not affect the girls alignment.

“Right now, for the next two years, it made sense for our program, it made sense for the Pitman program and it also made sense for the sub-varsity programs within the Diamond Division,” Pennsville AD Jamy Thomas said. “From a conference perspective we’re trying to benefit kids as much as possible and that’s not just from a competitive standpoint it’s from an opportunity to compete standpoint.”

The Diamond Division will now comprise Pittman, Glassboro, Overbrook and Salem County schools Schalick, Woodstown and Penns Grove. The Classic Division is now Pennsville, Clayton, Wildwood, Gloucester Catholic, Salem and Salem Tech.

Five of the six teams in the new Diamond Division lineup won at least 11 games last season. Only one of the teams in the new Classic Division lineup had a winning overall record and won more than seven games.

The move fits Pennsville from a competitive balance and scheduling standpoint. The Eagles finished last in the Diamond Division last season (6-13, 1-9) with a young squad, but the move will allow them to challenge for a division title as they get older and in turn increase interest and participation within the program with growing success.

“I think that gives us a chance to be very successful in our division record,” Pennsville coach Derek Foglein said. “It seemed weird to only go up or down a division and have it swing that much and I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch but with the right work ethic and the right attitude I think a division title is very much a possibility for this team.

“Our team is only going to get better as we get more experience and as the team gets better we’ll find more division success in a division that’s better paired for us and as the program gets more successful it only gets more enticing for us to get more numbers. That chain of events is what I’m most excited about.  and that chain of events is what I’m most excited about. I would love to see a division title go up. Putting up a division banner only drums up interest for boys soccer, and that to me is the most exciting part about all of this.”

Pennsville also was the only team in the Diamond without a junior varsity program. None of the Classic Division programs have JV squads. Pitman, even as one of the smallest Group I schools in South Jersey, has huge soccer participation throughout its community and was the only Classic Division team with a JV.

Actually, the Eagles volunteered to move when Pitman requested the change, but they likely would’ve have gone anyway since the conference sets divisions by the size of schools and Pennsville was the smallest in the division.

Foglein already is working on the schedule for the coming season. In addition to the home-and-home series with their division opponents, the Eagles are expecting to play Woodstown and Penns Grove and have crossover commitments from Gloucester City, Collingswood and the always-anticipated matchup against brother Doug’s Paulsboro team. This year’s Foglein Bowl is Sept. 23 in Pennsville.