Woodstown’s Roots returns to alma mater as opponent in his first game as a head coach, 3 other coaches also debut with their Salem County teams Wednesday
WEDNESDAY BASKETBALL
BOYS GAMES
Salem 71, Woodstown 48
Wildwood 54, Pennsville 34
Clayton 87, Schalick 67
GIRLS GAMES
Woodstown 61, Salem 16
Wildwood 70, Pennsville 39
Clayton 65, Schalick 21
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
SALEM – Ramon Roots had all the emotions one would expect from the day of his first game as a head coach. He was excited. He was nervous. He was anxious all day.
But for the new Woodstown boys basketball coach there was more to Wednesday’s debut than just a first game as the guy in charge. It was on the road … against the team he used to help coach … in the gym where he used to play.
And he still teaches in the district, so he was embedded with the “enemy” all school day long.
Once the game started, however, it felt like any other game. And it hurt just as bad as any loss he’s ever had before after the Wolverines lost to Salem, 71-48.
“I was just anxious, I was anxious to get out here and start the program, start the journey,” Roots said. “You’re going to hear me say that a lot, we’re starting the journey.
“It was a little weird being on the other side, but I was ready for this moment. Going in I didn’t know what to really expect but I kind of knew how it would be. Things happen, but I was ready for it.”
Roots was one of four Salem County basketball coaches debuting with their teams Wednesday night. The other three were girls coaches Matt Smart (Woodstown), Steve Merritt (Pennsville) and Jerry Macon (Salem).
Merritt has been around the block a time or two, having won more than 500 games across multiple sports in 19 years at Salem and returning to the bench after a two-year break. Smart and Roots are head coaches for the first time. Macon has been a head coach before.
Before and after his game Roots was greeted by acquaintances who welcomed him back to the gym he experienced some of his fondest moments in sports. The Rams and their faithful were a lot less accommodating in the 32 minutes in between.
As the game moved into the final minute a section of fans on the far side of the floor began waving and chanting “Good-bye, Roots,” to which he responded by pointing in the direction of Salem’s 1,000-point scorer banner on which his name appears third from the bottom. A not-so-subtle reminder that no matter where he goes in the world he’ll always be connected to Salem.
“I knew what it would be like,” he said. “I know Salem’s a hostile environment. I know I got love here. I knew how the fans are going to be. It’s all love. I’m used to it already.
“I’ve been living in Salem all my life. I know the environment. I know what to expect. I’ve been on the other side of this. I was a coach for Salem three years and seen how they treat other coaches and other players. It wasn’t nothing I wasn’t used to. But I had a lot of love here tonight that was cheering for both sides.”
“We love him, he’s helped build this program to what it is so we appreciate him and want to see him to well just obviously not tonight,” Salem coach Anthony Farmer said. “It’s a mindset. He knows I’m a competitor. Give him a little high-five, welcome, if we can help you with anything, but (once the game starts) there’s really not much to talk about, there’s no handshakes, no high-fives, until obviously the game is over.”
The two teams gave both sides a lot to cheer about early, playing even for a quarter with Woodstown hitting an acrobatic layup at the buzzer to tie it at 16. Rocco String cleared a rebound to M.J. Hall, who threw an over-the-head backwards pass that found Eli Caesar on the low right block for a wide open layup that beat the horn.
But then Tymear Lecator got in the game in the second quarter, which got the offense going, the Rams turned up the defense and they steadily pulled away. The Rams scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second quarter and never trailed again.
Lecator, held out of the first quarter for an unspecified issue, scored 12 points in the second quarter and then opened the second half with back-to-back 3s. The sophomore guard finished with 27 points – mostly in the second and third quarters – and seven assists.
Antwuan Rogers added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Darrelle Johnson grabbed 10 boards. Woodstown didn’t have a double-figure scorer. Rocco String had 17 rebounds.
“They played us well for a quarter without our best kid, but obviously (Lecator) is a game-changer,” Farmer said. “When you insert him, you’re inserting a game-changer.”
“We definitely started strong, but I think we just turned over the ball a little bit too much and they had momentum plays that really hurt,” Roots said. “I liked our energy coming out. We’ve just got to maintain it.”
It was a physical game, as Roots expected, with 51 total fouls and 49 combined free throws. When Roots protested a call a little too vehemently he got hit with the first technical foul of his coaching career — 13 and a half minutes into his tenure — proving right there he may be a son of Salem but he was going to fight for his new charges.
“Everyone goes to bat for me, I’ll go to bat for them,” he said. “I’ve got their back when they’ve got mine.”
WILDWOOD GIRLS 70, PENNSVILLE 39: It may have been two years ago that Steve Merritt last coached a high school girls basketball game, but he remembers the experience being “every bit as frenetic as I remember it” as he directed his new Pennsville team through its regular-season opener.
The Eagles trailed the defending South Jersey Group I champions 10-8 with two minutes left in the first quarter, but the Warriors scored the last nine points of the quarter coming out of a timeout and steadily pulled away. Wildwood led 36-19 at halftime and 55-24 after three quarters.
“We just didn’t play sharp defense,” Merritt said. “We let Macie (McCracken) go to the baseline too often. We didn’t stay with our player; we switched when I wanted them to get through the screens. It’s not what I had hoped.”
McCracken finished with 36 points (to surpass 1,800 for her career) and 14 rebounds. She hit five 3-pointers. Taylor Bass led Pennsville with 16 points. Nora Ausland had 13.
Before their first scrimmage together, Merritt was so amped for the exercise he had restless night of sleep, took his dog for a walk at 6 a.m. and wound up coming to the gym some two hours before the scheduled tip.
It wasn’t nearly as disquieting awaiting the first real game, but he agreed his emotions he was experiencing were probably on a par with those of the county coaches going into their first games a head coach because he’d been away from it a few year.
“The anticipation for the game seemed to drag on forever … but as soon as it’s over I’m thinking ‘Holy cow, that was fast,’” he said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I go on line and look at all the results and start doing my stat track and everything else. I get excited about that. Chews up the whole morning. The poor dog may not get out.”
WOODSTOWN GIRLS 61, SALEM 16: The Matt Smart Era of Woodstown girls basketball couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. The Wolverines jumped out to a 19-2 first-quarter lead, held the Rams scoreless in the third quarter, put 10 players in the scoring column and enjoyed their biggest opening day win since 2021.
“It was a fun experience, it was a great learning experience as well – for me and the girls,” Smart said. “I get to learn how the girls react to my coaching style, they get to see me in a real game scenario. It was a lot of fun. The girls responded great.”
Both teams were playing under new coaches as Salem’s Jerry Macon was coaching his first game with the Rams.
Smart admitted he was a “little nervous” waiting for the game to start, but once it got underway it was just like any other game.
And it was just like any other Woodstown game.
South Jersey girls basketball observers have gotten used to this phrase: Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson once again led the way. Battavio scored 20 points. Donelson had 13 points and 10 steals.
The Wolverines produced 43 steals in the game; six players had at least four each. They also had 21 assists among their 27 baskets.
“It was a great defensive effort for us,” Smart said. “I was most proud of how unselfish the whole team was. We were playing great defense, making unselfish passes for layups. I think the box score shows that we had 10 contributors scoring, which is awesome.
“We have to play to the Woodstown level and every day we’re just trying to get better. There’s always room to improve and that’s what we’re going to try to do every day.”
BOYS BOX SCORES
SALEM 71, WOODSTOWN 48
WOODSTOWN (0-1) – Eli Caesar 2 0-0 4, John McGinley 0 0-0 0, Blake Bialecki 2 3-3 8, Alejandro Vazquez 2 4-5 9, M.J. Hall 2 2-3 7, Garrett Leyman 1 1-2 4, Anthony Bokolas 0 0-0 0, Andrew White 1 3-4 5, Rocco String 1 2-5 4, B Mall 2 1-2 7. Totals 13 16-24 48.
SALEM (2-0) – Donovan Weathers 0 0-0 0, Xavier McGriff 1 1-3 3, Neziah Spence 3 0-0 8, Kyaire Parsons 0 0-0 0, Deshawn Williams 2 0-1 4, Tymear Lecator 7 10-13 27, Darrell Johnson 3 0-0 6, Antwan Rogers 4 4-5 12, Harlem Parsons 1 0-0 3, Joe Tunis 3 2-3 9, Giovanni Talave 0 0-0 0, Cole Sayers 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 17-25 71.
| Woodstown | 16 | 10 | 14 | 8- | 48 |
| Salem | 16 | 24 | 14 | 17- | 71 |
3-point goals: Woodstown 6 (Bialecki, Vazquez, Hall, Leyman, Mall 2); Salem 6 (Spence, Lecator 3, H. Parsons, Tunis). Technical fouls: Woodstown coach Roots. Fouled out: Bialecki, Hall. Total fouls: Woodstown 28, Salem 22.
WILDWOOD 54, PENNSVILLE 34: Brian Cunniff led three Wildwood scorers in double figures with 17 points. Trevor Troiano had 12 and Nolan Mawhinney 11. Mason O’Brien led Pennsville with 13 points.
WILDWOOD (1-0) – Eric Jordan 3, Nolan Mawhinney 11, Trevor Troiano 12, Brian Cunniff 17, Jordan Dozier 4, Gianna Groiano 2.
PENNSVILLE (0-1) – Mason O’Brien 3 6-10 13, Charles McDevitt 1 3-5 5, Giovanni Rios 2 4-7 8, Perry Meranti 0 1-4 1, Cole Johnston 1 0-0 3, Logan Hill 1 0-0 2, Daniel Knight 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 14-26 34.
| Wildwood | 7 | 10 | 20 | 11- | 54 |
| Pennsville | 8 | 8 | 6 | 12- | 34 |
3-point goals: Pennsville 2 (O’Brien, Johnston). Rebounds: Wildwood 35, Pennsville 21 (Rios 6).
CLAYTON 87, SCHALICK 67: Princeton Sackor scored 21 points, Nazir Davis had 20 and two others scored 11 apiece as the Clippers opened their season with a victory.
| Clayton | 18 | 22 | 24 | 23- | 87 |
| Schalick | 10 | 13 | 25 | 19- | 67 |
GIRLS BOX SCORES
WOODSTOWN 61, SALEM 16
SALEM (0-1) – Carlysia Pierce 4 0-2 9, Zaniyah Frieson 0 0-0 0, Lyric Hayes 0 0-0 0, Marcela Villalpando 0 1-2 1, Taleah Elliott 0 0-0 0, Dakirah Gray 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Hickman 3 0-0 6, Amariah Frye 0 0-0 0, Jania Adams 0 0-0 0, Shyla Parsons 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 1-4 16.
WOODSTOWN (1-0) – Megan Donelson 6 0-0 13, Talia Battavio 8 0-0 20, Gianna Maiorini 1 0-0 2, Lauren Hengel 1 0-0 2, Kyia Leyman 2 0-0 4, Emma Perry 2 0-1 4, Kendall Young 3 2-2 8, Lizzy Daly 0 0-2 0, Kailyn Kennedy 1 0-0 3, Talia Guardascione 0 0-0 0, Brynley Ecret 1 0-0 2, Ava White 0 0-0 0, Mia Waterman 1 0-0 3, Monah Green 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 2-5 61.
| Salem | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10- | 16 |
| Woodstown | 19 | 17 | 11 | 14- | 61 |
3-point goals: Salem 1 (Pierce); Woodstown 7 (Donelson, Battavio 4, Kennedy, Waterman). Total fouls: Salem 10, Woodstown 8.
WILDWOOD 70, PENNSVILLE 39
WILDWOOD (1-0) – Macie McCracken 14 3-3 36, Angela Wilber 5 1-2 13, Rebecca Benichou 6 0-0 14, Kiana D’Antuono 1 0-0 3, Cydnee Kilian 0 0-0 0, Addison Troiano 0 1-2 1, Sara Bjellal 1 1-1 3, Laila Fathi 0 0-0 0, Lily Atkinson 0 0-0 0, Emma Contreras 0 0-0 0, Julia Ennis 0 0-0 0, Antoinette Cooper 0 0-0 0, Ellasyn Morey 0 0-0 0, Mollie Farrell 0 0-0 0, Janet Conzalez 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 6-8 70.
PENNSVILLE (0-1) – Taylor Bass 7 1-1 16, Marley Wood 3 2-4 8, Izzy Saulin 1 1-2 3, Nora Ausland 5 2-3 12, Jaida Burns 0 0-2 0, Ashlyn Fredo 0 0-0 0, Calli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Addison Johnston 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 6-10 39.
| Wildwood | 19 | 17 | 19 | 15- | 70 |
| Pennsville | 8 | 11 | 5 | 15- | 39 |
3-point goals: Wildwood 10 (McCracken 5, Wilber 2, Benichou 2, D’Antuono); Pennsville 1 (Bass). Rebounds: Wildwood 33 (McCracken 14). Total fouls: Wildwood 12, Pennsville 8.
CLAYTON 65, SCHALICK 21: Rainelle Blocker dominated the game with 33 points and 26 rebounds. Teammate Ava Delaney had 16 points and 13 of the Clippers’ 24 steals.
SCHALICK (0-2) – Abby Willoughby 0 1-2 1, Cali Fisler 0 1-2 1, Neveah Robinson 2 1-2 5, Ava Scurry 0 0-0 0, Olivia Vanacker 2 0-0 4, Willow Davis 2 0-0 5, Emily Miller 1 0-0 2, Olivia Lunemann 1 0-0 2, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0, Emma O’Neill 0 1-2 1, Kyleigh Cutler 0 0-0 0, Carly Vicente 0 0-2 0. Totals 8 4-10 21.
CLAYTON (1-0) – Ava Delaney 7 1-6 16, Rainelle Blocker 12 9-13 33, Rosa Pereira 1 0-0 3, India Williams 3 2-2 8, India Bryant 2 0-0 5, Bella Wiseburn 0 0-0 0, Kayma Revels 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 12-21 65.
| Schalick (0-2) | 2 | 5 | 6 | 8- | 21 |
| Clayton (1-0) | 13 | 9 | 22 | 19- | 65 |
3-point goals: Schalick 1 (Davis); Clayton 3 (Delaney, Pereira, Bryant). Total fouls: Schalick 16, Clayton 13.
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