Schalick rallies after losing big lead, beats Paulsboro for spot in SJ Group I finals, 200th all-time win
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
Friday’s Semifinals
Schalick 33, Paulsboro 28
Glassboro 55, Riverside 8
Nov. 15 Championship
(2) Schalick at (1) Glassboro
GROUP I SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Central: Shore (10-0) at Woodstown (9-1)
South: Schalick (8-3) at Glassboro (10-0)
North Jersey I: Mountain Lakes (6-4) at Butler (10-0)
North Jersey II: New Providence (9-2) at Cedar Grove (11-0)
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – The Schalick Cougars couldn’t help feeling like another local team in green with the way their South Jersey Group I playoff game went Friday night.
The Cougars, reminiscent of the Philadelphia Eagles last week against Jacksonville, lost a 21-point second-quarter lead in the second half, but pulled it back together and eventually escaped with a 33-28 win over Paulsboro to reach the South Jersey Group I championship game.
“You always worry about complacency as a coach and I think we got a little complacent,” Cougars coach Mike Wilson said. “But we figured it out. Games are swings of momentum. They got the momentum, then we got it back and we finished on top. As an Eagles fan, I can see why you’d say that.”
It also was the 200th win in the history of the program. Thirty have come on Wilson’s watch (30-20).
The Cougars (8-3) shook off an opening interception and early 6-0 deficit to lead 27-6 in the second quarter before enduring a 15-minute stretch of what Mike Wilson called “some unfortunate stuff” that found them trailing 28-27 after three quarters.
“Anything that could go wrong went wrong,” Wilson said. “But we battled back and found a way to win. There wasn’t a light-bulb moment. We just calmed down and played football again.”
They put together the game-winning drive capped by Reggie Allen’s second touchdown of the game, a 6-yard run with less than five minutes to play.
“We just needed to take a deep breath, relax and start playing like we played earlier in the game,” Wilson said. “We just had to settle down.”
The Cougars built their lead on a 3-yard run by Kenai Simmons, a 57-yard run by Sherrod Jones, Matthew LaMazza’s fumble recovery in the end zone and Allen’s 2-yard run.
Paulsboro (8-3) brought it back to take the lead with a touchdown three seconds before halftime, a 73-yard touchdown pass, a short run after recovering a Schalick fumble and a pair of two-point conversions.
“I knew if we would just settle down and relax, do our jobs, we were fine,” Wilson said. “Our senior leadership kicked in, the kids calmed themselves down, they all looked at themselves and said hey we’ve done this before, we’re fine and that’s what they did.
“It was great as coach to see because you see the maturation of your team. A group of sophomores might panic, but these seniors have seen everything … and they did a great job tonight.”
The win earned the Cougars a trip to Glassboro next week for the sectional championship. It’s a tall task considering the top-seeded Bulldogs (10-0) have beaten their first two playoff opponents by a combined score of 119-15.
The two teams played last year in the Central Jersey final with Glassboro winning 20-0. The Bulldogs won this year’s regular-season meeting 20-10.
“Let’s go,” Wilson said. “This is our third time playing them within the last calendar year. We feel that we’re only a few plays away and we’ve just got to play good football.”
Schalick 33, Paulsboro 28
| Paulsboro (8-3) | 6 | 6 | 16 | 0- | 28 |
| Schalick (8-3) | 6 | 21 | 0 | 6- | 33 |
SCORING SUMMARY
P-24-yard pass (PAT failed), 1Q
S-Kenai Simmons 3 run (kick failed), 1QS-Sherrod Jones 57-run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 2Q
S-Matthew LaMazza fumble recovery in end zone (Hunter Dragotta kick), 2Q
S-Reggie Allen 2 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 2Q
P-NA, 2Q
P-73-yard pass (conversion), 3Q
P-Quarterback scramble (conversion), 3Q
S-Reggie Allen 6 run (PAT failed), 4Q
Cover photo of Reggie Allen by Heather Papiano
Riverview Sports News 