Big-man defensive touchdown kicks off Pennsville’s rout of Burlington City, Eagles’ first playoff win since 2016; Next up: Woodstown
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP I
Friday’s Games
(1) Woodstown 31, (8) KIPP Cooper Norcross 8
(5) Pennsville 41, (4) Burlington City 20
(6) Woodbury 35, (3) Middlesex 28
(2) Shore 21, (7) New Egypt 0
Nov. 8 Semifinals
Pennsville at Woodstown
Woodbury at Shore
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
BURLINGTON – Jayden Gurnovich has been dreaming of scoring a touchdown his whole life. It’s the No. 1 dream of defensive linemen everywhere.
He just couldn’t believe his good fortune when the Burlington City quarterback just laid the ball in his hands less than two minutes into their playoff game Friday night.
Recognizing the screen pass that was about to come, the big Pennsville junior defensive end jumped the route, got his big paws in the air and simply absorbed the football he couldn’t believe came his way.
Then he effortlessly changed directions and motored his 290-pound frame through 31 yards of open field for the early touchdown that sent his Eagles off on an historic 41-20 win over Burlington City in the Central Jersey Group I playoffs.
“I’ve been dreaming of this my whole life; it’s very rare to happen,” Gurnovich said. “When I caught the ball I thought I was in a dream. When I was running I was just ready to wake up because it didn’t feel real at all. It was something special … the best thing ever.”
“There’s nothing better in football than a big-man’s touchdown,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said.
And once he caught the ball, it wasn’t like he was some big lumbering hulk plodding his way downfield just hoping he’d make it before somebody ran him down. Nobody was catching him.
“Every day in practice we work on jet sweeps, getting the timing down,” senior receiver Malik Rehmer said. “Gurney’s supposed to pull and block for me and every day when I’m running I cannot catch him. It’s unbelievable. I’m pretty fast for my weight, but he gets 10 yards ahead of me and I can’t catch him.
“He’s a tremendous athlete. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a big man get a pick-six in high school. He doesn’t practice that. He’s a great athlete.”
What it did was energize the Eagles even more than the day. It was their first playoff game since 2019 and their first playoff win since 2016. They also made the playoffs in 2017. The Eagles (6-4) now play top-seeded Woodstown in the sectional semifinals next week.
“It’s kind of a weight off the back, just like winning The Boot earlier this year,” Healy said, referencing the Eagles’ rivalry win over Penns Grove for the Wildman Willey Trophy. “We set these goals each year and we want to get them. Keep checking them off. It’s kind of a relief. It’s excitement. I’m just really fired up right now, to be honest.”
The Eagles dominated the Blue Devils on both sides of the ball when their regulars were in the game. They started the half with Gurnovich’s defensive score and ended the half with Rehmer’s 58-yard pick-six. In between they scored on three consecutive offensive possessions on 18 total plays, including a 55-yard score by Rehmer on the jet sweep.
Rylan Hardy scored the other two touchdowns, on a 25-yard pass from Robbie McDade and a 2-yard run. Hardy, the Eagles’ first 1,000-yard rusher since 2016 (Nick Bard), ran for 61 yards to bring his season total to 1,064.
“Overall in the first half we did everything we set out to do and executed,” Healy said. “Earlier this season that was lacking but the last couple games we’ve been really executing a lot better.”
Pennsville 41, Burlington City 20
| PVILLE | BC | |
| 13 | 1st Downs | 9 |
| 27-223 | Rushing | 27-68 |
| 2-3-0 | C-A-I | 8-12-2 |
| 21 | Passing | 97 |
| 1-1 | Fum-lost | 4-1 |
| 1-30.0 | Punts | 4-36.0 |
| 3-25 | Penalties | 6-75 |
| Pennsville | 13 | 21 | 7 | 0- | 41 |
| Burlington City | 0 | 8 | 0 | 12- | 20 |
SCORING SUMMARY
P-Jayden Gurnovich 31 interception return (kick failed), 10:05 1Q
P-Malik Rehmer 55 run (Malik Rehmer kick), 1:56 1Q
BC-Caleb Hilton-Ingram 10 pass from Kysir Hodges (Malachi Sadler run), 6:49 2Q
P-Rylan Hardy 25 pass from Robbie McDade (Malik Rehmer kick), 3:48 2Q
P-Rylan Hardy 2 run (Malik Rehmer kick), 31.7 2Q
P-Malik Rehmer 58 interception return (Malik Rehmer kick), 9.3 2Q
P-Jovanni Rios 55 run (Luke Wood kick), 3Q
BC-Malachi Sadler 19 pass from Kysir Hodges (run failed), 8:40 4Q
BC-Malachi Sadler 30 pass from Kysir Hodges (run failed), 5:56 4Q
Riverview Sports News 