Month: January 2025

Saturday basketball

Penns Grove takes a step forward even though it comes at the expense of a loss; Pennsville splits with Cumberland

BOYS GAMES
Eastern 56, Penns Grove 43
Cumberland 70, Pennsville 49
GIRLS GAME
Pennsville 61, Cumberland 25

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – His young team had just taken another loss to one of the bluebloods it schedules early in the season to teach and toughen for the road ahead. The loss in itself would be enough to dampen a day that still had a lot of left in it, but Penns Grove coach Damian Ware didn’t feel all that bad and told his team that after the loss’ initial sting wears off it shouldn’t either.

The Red Devils absorbed a 56-43 loss to an Eastern team now on an eight-game winning streak Saturday. It came less than a week since they took their lumps in a 30-point loss to St. Augustine on the Wildwood boardwalk, but this one felt different.

In the St. Augustine game, the Red Devils fell behind and the deficit just kept growing. Saturday against the Vikings they fell behind after taking a lead out of the gate, but instead of watching the gap grow larger, they kept it in a manageable range.

It did get to be a 20-point game midway through the third quarter, but the Red Devils brought it back to 10 early in the fourth.

“We’re still getting there,” Ware said. “The thing is, against St. Augustine the lead went from 10 to 15 to 20 to 30; it kept building. Today, it got to 20 and we cut it back down. That shows me that we’re growing and we’re getting better.

“I’m not happy with the loss, but I’m proud of the effort.”

The roadmap for this one is pretty easy to follow. The Red Devils started fast. They scored the first 10 points of the game and for a brief moment gave rise to the idea they might be able to pull off the upset.

But the Vikings finally got on the board a little more than halfway through the first quarter and the fortunes of both teams quickly turned. The Vikings went on a 16-2 run that carried into the second quarter to take control and after Nasir Benjamin turned into a one-man wrecking crew at the end of the quarter they had a 13-point halftime lead. That’s a 23-point swing over the last 13 minutes of the half.

“One of the keys to the game with this team was they’re a Group 4 squad and they’re very, very solid, so we knew we had to execute on offense,” Ware said. “That’s exactly what we did to start the game: We executed. We ran a couple sets, we got the open shot and we knocked the shots down.

“Later in the first quarter they went to a little 2-2-1 press and we started going too fast. We started pressing a little bit. Instead of staying calm and making the right play we started to try to put our head down and just drive through guys that are 6-5. Not gonna happen when we’re 6-foot.”

Brandin Robbins and Roman Gipson played big roles in the Red Devils’ fast start. They opened the game with 3-pointers and then each had a layup. Robbins’ layup was a scoop in traffic that looked more like a softball pitch at the basket, but it went in as one of those circus shots teams need to hit that give rise to an upset.

Robbins cooled off, but Gipson stayed hot. He led the Red Devils with a career-high 21 points. Whenever it looked like the Vikings were about to pull away, Gipson or Antoine Robinson hit a bucket to keep it from getting too far out of reach. Robinson had 11 points 

Gibson is averaging 12.5 points a game this season, but he’s had 40 points in his last two games.

“Gipson’s starting to play,” Ware said. “I’ve been trying to get him to play like this for two years now and now he’s finally starting to get downhill and he’s playing with supreme confidence.

“That;s the thing about Roman. When he plays with confidence and he plays strong, he’s tough to deal with because he has a lot of moves. And as the kids say, ‘he’s got a deep bag.’ He’s got a deep bag of tricks. If he uses them and learns how to implement them at the right time he’ll be very successful.”

Sean Karbach led Eastern with 15 points. Jake Tulman and Kaedon Harper had 10 points apiece. Chase Huggard had eight points seven rebounds, seven assists and six of the Vikings’ 15 steals. Connor Henry didn’t score, but he had nine rebounds. 

EASTERN 56, PENNS GROVE 43
EASTERN (8-1) – R.J. Gadson 0 0-0 0, Nasir Benjamin 4 0-1 8, Devansh Shah 1 0-0 2, Jake Tulman 4 0-0 10, Logan Dawson 1 0-0 3, Nate Zanetich 0 0-0 0, Chase Huggard 3 2-2 8, Connor Henry 0 0-0 0, Colin Virastek 0 0-0 0, Sean Karbach 7 1-1 15, Kaedon Harper 5 0-0 10, Ashton Fedore 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 3-4 56.
PENNS GROVE (2-4) – Karon Ceaser 2 0-0 4, Brandin Robbins 2 0-0 5, Jameel Horace 0 1-2 1, Luis Colon 0 1-2 1, Roman Gipson 8 3-4 21, Antoine Robinson 5 0-0 11, Caleb Foster 0 0-2 0, Haneef Frisbee 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 5-8 43.

Eastern16201011-56
Penns Grove148912-43
3-point goals: Eastern 3 (Tulman 2, Dawson); Penns Grove 4 (Robbins, Gipson 2, Robinson). Rebounds: Eastern 33 (Henry 9, Huggard 7, Karbach 6); Penns Grove 22 (Frisbee 5, Robinson 4). Total fouls: Eastern 15, Penns Grove 7.

CUMBERLAND 70, PENNSVILLE 49: The Colts used a big second half to pull away from a tight game and hand the Eagles their third straight loss.

The Eagles led 28-27 at halftime, but it was all Cumberland in the second half. Kaleb Green scored 14 of his 24 points and Pat Crawford 11 of his 19 after halftime. And Kevin Fiorani scored seven of his nine second-half points in the third quarter.

“We just ran out of gas,” Pennsville coach Joe Mecholsky said.

Mason O’Brien did all he could to keep Pennsville in it. He had all 16 of the Eagles’ points in the first quarter and finished with a career-high 28 points and is now averaging 16.2 ppg through the team’s first six games.
 
The Eagles made a couple shots in the first half that left the impression that this was going to be their day.

O’Brien hit a 3-pointer from the right corner that gave Pennsville its first lead, then hit an off-balanced one right before the buzzer to tie the game at 16. The second 3 touched off a 13-point run that gave the Eagles a 10-point lead with 4:20 left in the first half. Their first basket of the second quarter was C.J. McDevitt’s equally acrobatic throw that made it through the hoop.

Perry Meranti’s bucket off an inbounds pass put Pennsville up 26-16. At that point the Colts went to a zone and it changed the game. Cumberland used it to spark an 11-0 run to retake the lead. Jovanni Rios stopped the run and gave the Eagles a 28-27 halftime lead, but it didn’t stop the Colts’ momentum. They outscored Pennsville 43-21 in the second half.

“We just couldn’t penetrate the zone, couldn’t outshoot the zone, couldn’t do the things we needed to do to beat the zone, so the zone took them home,” Mecholsky said. “(His team) showed a lot of heart after getting beat by 50 the night before coming back to the gym the next day ready to work and were doing the things we wanted to do, we just weren’t able to continue that for four quarters.”

CUMBERLAND (2-6) – Kaleb Green 8 7-7 24, Jay Davis 3 0-0 6, Kameron Fiorani 0 2-2 2, Pat Crawford 8 3-5 19, Major Martin-Dunn 1 0-0 2, Troy Collins 2 0-0 4, Khalif Dawkins 1 0-0 2, Kevin Fiorani 4 1-1 9, Sincere Sadler 1 0-0 2. Totals 28 13-15 70.
PENNSVILLE (1-5) – Mason O’Brien 9-23 6-8 28, Jovanni Rios 5-6 1-4 11, Cole Johnston 2-4 0-0 5, Shiloh Jefferson 0-1 0-0 0, C.J. McDevitt 1-2 1-2 3, Perry Meranti 1-1 0-0 2, Daniel Knight 0-2 0-0 0, Jacob Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Logan Hitt 0-1 0-0 0, Noah Owen 0 0 0, Griffin Hern 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-40 8-14 49.

Cumberland16111924-70
Pennsville16121011-49
3-point goals: Cumberland 1 (Green); Pennsville 5-18 (O’Brien 4-13, Johnston 1-3, Knight 0-1, Hitt 0-1). Fouled out: Ka. Fiorani. Total fouls: Cumberland 16, Pennsville 16.

Girls game

PENNSVILLE 61, CUMBERLAND 25: The Eagles jumped out to a big lead and placed four scorers in double figures for the first time this season while winning its third game in a row.

The Eagles got their expected scoring from their Big Three – Marley Wood (17), Nora Ausland (14) and Taylor Bass (12) – but this time added fourth to the mix. Freshman Addie Johnston, a 5-foot-7 freshman, scored a career-high 12 points.

The last time they had four scorers in double figures in a game was a Feb. 9, 2024 win over Millville – Wood (12), Ausland (11), Bass (10) and Bella Farina (13).

Johnston scored only 20 points in her previous five games, but had 16 in her last two. Four times Saturday she ran the floor leading the transition and finished with the layup. Interestingly, all four games in which she has scored this season, the Eagles (4-2) have won.

“She’s really coming into her own,” Pennsville coach Steve Merritt said. “She is not playing as a typical freshman. Not free of freshman mistakes, but clearly playing at a higher level than most her age. I foresee an exceptional future/career.”

PENNSVILLE (4-2) – Taylor Bass 5 0-0 12, Marley Wood 8 0-0 17, Nora Ausland 5 1-2 14, Jaida Burns 1 0-0 2, Addison Johnston 5 0-0 12, Izzy Saulin 0 0-2 0, Sofia Belitsas 0 0-0 0, Ashlyn Fredo 1 0-0 2, Kylie Harris 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 1-4 61.
CUMBERLAND (3-6) – Isabella Albert 0 0-0 0, Elizabeth Pflieger 1 0-0 2, Addison Weist 4 0-0 9, Ellie Bodine 1 1-2 4, DeMyra Spence 1 0-2 2, Gabby Albert 2 0-0 4, DaNya Gould 0 0-0 0, Aleena Fennal 0 0-0 0, Kamila Ramos 1 0-0 2, Mikaylah Piccioni 1 0-0 2, JaLynn Brown 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 1-4 25.

Pennsville 2214178-61
Cumberland4669-25
3-point goals: Pennsville 8 (Bass 2, Wood, N. Ausland 3, Johnston 2); Cumberland 2 (Weist, Bodine). Rebounds: Pennsville 11 (N. Ausland 4).

Active scorers watch

SALEM COUNTY SCORING LISTPOINTS
Talia Battavio, Woodstown1332
Megan Donelson, Woodstown1295
1000-POINT WATCH
Nora Ausland, Pennsville
(Salem 462/Pennsville 427)		889
Marley Wood, Pennsville799
x-RaNiyah Wilson, Penns Grove
(Kingsway 251/Penns Grove 492)		743
Through games of Jan. 4; x-Missing Dec. 27 game vs. Deptford

Happy Hengel

Friday’s girls roundup: Woodstown junior comes to game in good mood, has career night as Wolverines get back on track

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Pennsville 57, Overbrook 20
Penns Grove 50, Schalick 14
Salem Tech 36, Camden Academy Charter 32
Wildwood 77, Salem 27
Woodstown 62, Glassboro 39

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Lauren Hengel came to the gym Friday in a good mood. That was a good sign for the Woodstown girls basketball team looking to get back on the winning track.

Hengel came into the game with confidence and it translated to a big game as she helped the Wolverines beat Glassboro 62-39 to snap a two-game losing streak.

The 5-8 junior scored a career-high 14 points on the strength of 5-for-7 shooting from the floor and a pair of 3-pointers. She also had two rebounds and two steals. She scored 10 points in the third quarter.

Hengel gave the Wolverines a trio of double-figure scorers for the first time this season, joining Talia Battavio (19) and Megan Donelson (15). Battavio and Donelson combined for seven of Woodstown’s 11 3-pointers in the game. Hengel had two. Donelson scored all of her points in the first half.

“Lauren was amazing today,” Woodstown coach Matt Smart said. “She came in today with a big smile on her face. She’s a big Notre Dame fan, so I think she just had a positive mindset (after watching the Irish beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to reach the CFP semifinals).

“We’ve always known that Lauren is a phenomenal basketball player. This whole season our big thing (with everyone except Battavio and Donelson) is confidence. They are phenomenal basketball players and a lot of times they’re open for great shots and they’re not confident to take it. Lauren today was confident with every single shot she took. She stepped into it. She made some big plays for us. She was fearless and smart at the same time, which really helped us.”

The Wolverines (5-2) came into the game having been swept in their appearance in the Haddon Twp. Holiday Tournament. They started out on a road towards three in a row Friday, falling behind the Bulldogs 9-2 in the first two minutes, but then Smart called the time out that turned their game around.

“We challenged the girls at practice this week to box out,” Smart said. “We were going for rebounds, but we weren’t finding a girl, being physical and boxing out. Glassboro at the beginning of the game kind of punched us in the mouth a little bit, we called time out and responded very well.

“Instead of just turning around looking for the ball off the back end of a shot, we were finding a girl, we were physical, we were letting the ball hit the ground one or two times and then attacking it. Basketball is a contact sport, a physical sport, so let’s find a girl, let’s box her out and then go attack that rebound. I think that set the tone for the whole game for us.”

With that mindset they climbed back in the game and eventually led 17-14 at quarter’s end. They stretched the lead to 14 at halftime and 23 after three quarters.

During the run, Battavio and Donelson hit a couple 3s, Kyia Leyman had a strong putback and Hengel had a bucket.

Somewhere in there was Smart’s favorite play of the game that summed up the approach to the day. Gianna Maiorini was battling under the boards and although she didn’t get this particular rebound she boxed out her man for a good five or six seconds which allowed a teammates to swoop in and secure the rebound.

The Wolverines grabbed 32 rebounds as a team. Eleven players had at least one, which was more than the number of players who scored points for them. Leyman and Donelson each had six boards. Maiorini had five.

The win extended Woodstown’s winning streak over TCC Diamond Division rivals to 34 in a row.

WOODSTOWN 62, GLASSBORO 39
GLASSBORO (2-4) – Sanaa Thomas 2 0-0 5, Tamia Smith 4 3-11 11, Kezia Brackett 5 4-10 15, Kimora Miles 0 1-2 1, Sianna Wedderburn 2 1-2 5, Grace Moore 1 0-0 2, NiJha Norzon Clark 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 9-25 39.
WOODSTOWN (5-2) – Talia Battavio 5-18 6-7 19, Megan Donelson 4-11 3-4 15, Gianna Maiorini 1-4 0-0 2, Kyia Leyman 1-1 0-0 2, Lauren Hengel 5-7 2-3 14, Emma Perry 1-3 0-0 2, Kendall Young 1-1 0-0 3, Jaia Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Mia Waterman 0-2 0-0 0, Brynley Ecret 2-2 0-0 5, Kailyn Kennedy 0-0 0-0 0, Lizzy Daly 0-0 0-0 0, Talia Guardascione 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-50 11-14 62.

Glassboro 147612-39
Woodstown17181511-62
3-point goals: Glassboro 2 (Thomas, Brackett); Woodstown 11-28 (Battavio 3-11, Donelson 4-8, Hengel 2-4, Perry 0-1, Young 1-1, Waterman 0-2, Ecret 1-1). Rebounds: Woodstown 32 (Donelson 6, Leyman 6). Total fouls: Glassboro 12, Woodstown 18.

SALEM TECH 36, CAMDEN ACADEMY CHARTER 32: Shelby Drummond and Demajae White scored 11 points apiece and the Chargers (2-3) dominated the backboards to snap a three-game losing streak and double their win total of a year ago. 

According to the game’s statistical report, the Chargers cleared 76 rebounds. White had 24, Kaylin Beardsley 14 and Rylee Doerr had 12. Drummond had nine. The Chargers are now 2-3 for the season. They won once all last season.

SALEM TECH (2-3) – Shelby Liber 1 0-0 2, Hannah Dewitt 1 0-2 2, Lavae Scott 0 0-0 0, Demajae White 4 3-3 11, Shelby Drummond 4 0-0 11, Rylee Doerr 1 0-2 2, Kaylin Beardsley 2 2-2 8. Totals 13 5-9 36.
CAMDEN ACAD. (3-2) – Yomeidy DeLaRosa 3 2-8 8, Leslie Ramirez 1 0-0 2, Aishaara Davis Bonilla 2 0-3 4, Skylar Goods 1 0-0 2, Nyeema Torres 5 2-5 16. Totals 12 4-12 32.

Salem Tech107811-36
Camden Academy71294-32
3-point goals: Salem Tech 5 (Drummond 3, Beardsley 2); Camden Acad. 4 (Torres 4).

PENNSVILLE 57, OVERBROOK 20: Taylor Bass led three double-figure scorers with 19 points and Marley Wood had a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists as the Eagles (3-2) went over .500 for the first time in coach Steve Merritt’s tenure. Nora Ausland had 10 points, eight rebounds and four steals for the Eagles.

PENNSVILLE (3-2) – Taylor Bass 8 0-0 19, Marley Wood 5 0-0 12, Nora Ausland 5 0-0 10, Jaida Burns 3 1-2 7, Addison Johnston 0 1-1 1, Izzy Saulin 1 0-0 2, Sofia Belitas 0 0-0 0, Ashlyn Fredo 0 0-0 0, Calli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 2-3 57.
OVERBROOK (1-6) – Gianna Simon 6 2-2 16, Rosetta Loebman 0 0-0 0, Lelani Knight 0 0-0 0, Ahlani Knight 0 0-0 0, Kayla Reynolds 0 0-0 0, Lily LaFountain 0 0-0 0, Talia Wiggins 1 1-2 4, Kiya Townsend 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 3-4 20.

Pennsville192486-57
Overbrook32411-20
3-point goals: Pennsville 5 (Bass 3, Wood 2); Overbrook 3 (Simon 2, Wiggins).

WILDWOOD 77, SALEM 27
WILDWOOD (6-0) – Macie McCracken 12 4-4 33, Angela Wilber 2 2-2 6, Rebecca Benichou 6 4-8 18, Cydnee Killian 1 0-0 2, Kiana D’Antuono 0 0-0 0, Addison Troiano 2 3-6 7, Sarah Djellal 0 1-2 1, Laila Fathi 1 2-2 5, Julia Ennis 1 0-0 2, Emma Contreras 0 0-0 0, Ellasyn Morey 0 0-0 0, Antoinette Cooper 1 0-0 2, Lily Atkinson 0 0-0 0, Mollie Farrell 0 1-2 1. Totals 26 17-26 77.
SALEM (0-5) – Carlysia Pierce 3 1-1 8, Nevaeh Hickman 2 0-0 4, Lyric Hayes 0 1-3 1, Zaniyah Frieson 2 0-0 4, Shyla Parsons 1 0-2 2, Timmiyah Simmons 2 0-0 6, Triscia Wilson 1 0-0 2. Totals 11 2-4 27. 

Wildwood26161619-77
Salem7929-27
3-point goals: Wildwood 8 (McCracken 5, Benichou 2, Fathi); Salem 3 (Pierce, Simmons 2). 

PENNS GROVE 50, SCHALICK 14
PENNS GROVE – RaNiyah Wilson 9 6-7 28, Brianna Robbins 2 2-4 6, Ialliyah Cummings 3 3-7 9, Keziah Patterson 3 0-0 6, Sianna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Mikayla Washington 0 1-2 1. Totals 17 12-20 50.
SCHALICK (1-3) – Abby Willoughby 0 0-0 0, Cali Fisler 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Robinson 2 0-2 5, Ava Scurry 2 0-0 4, Willow Davis 0 0-0 0, Emily Miller 0 0-0 0, Olivia Lunemann 1 0-0 2, Carl Vicente 0 0-0 0, Olivia VanAcker 0 0-2 0, Vic Basich 0 1-2 1, Kyleigh Cutler 0 0-0 0, Emma O’Neill 1 0-0 2. Totals 6 1-6 14.

Penns Grove10121018-50
Schalick3704-14
3-point goals: Penns Grove (Wilson 4); Schalick 1 (Robinson). Total fouls: Penns Grove 10, Schalick 16.

Active scorers watch

SALEM COUNTY SCORING LISTPOINTS
Talia Battavio, Woodstown1332
Megan Donelson, Woodstown1295
1000-POINT WATCH
Nora Ausland, Pennsville
(Salem 462/Pennsville 413)		875
Marley Wood, Pennsville782
x-RaNiyah Wilson, Penns Grove
(Kingsway 251/Penns Grove 492)		743
Through games of Jan. 3; x-Does not include 12/27 game vs. Deptford

Total package

Friday boys roundup: Frisbee, Robinson getting comfortable in their new surroundings back home in Penns Grove; story will be updated

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Gloucester Catholic 85, Salem Tech 42
Overbrook 72, Pennsville 26
Penns Grove 69, Schalick 37
Salem 65, Wildwood 48
Woodstown 57, Glassboro 39

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – Haneef Frisbee and Antoine Robinson looked into the future last year and knew they were going to play somewhere different this basketball season. They didn’t know quite where at the time, but they did know they were going to go there together.

Where one decided to go, the other one would, too. That’s just the way they roll. Ultimately, the two Salem Tech teammates decided there was no place like home. They came back to their roots in Penns Grove to give the Red Devils the benefit of their size and length.

It’s taken some time getting used to a new school, a new team, a new floor, but Friday night they were the most comfortable they’ve been in their new surroundings all season and helped the Red Devils rout Schalick 69-37 in Rudy Baric Gym.

Frisbee, a lean 6-2 junior forward, had nine points, 10 rebounds and a couple steals. Robinson, a thick 6-1 junior guard, had eight points and six rebounds. 

“We were definitely more comfortable than we have ever been,” Frisbee said.

Frisbee was hot early, scoring six of the Red Devils’ first eight points and grabbing five of his rebounds in the quarter. Robinson gave them a steadier game, spreading his production across all four quarters.

It’s not like they’re coming into a totally new environment. The two players are originally from Penns Grove and played there all the way through middle school. They went to Salem Tech for the academy there and naturally joined the basketball team.

Frisbee had 381 points, 292 rebounds and 77 blocked shots in 49 career games with the Chargers. Robinson had 365 points, 107 rebounds and 46 assists in 44 career games.

But two tough seasons in the win-loss column had them reassessing their choices and prospects for playing at the next level and they came – together – to Penns Grove to enroll in its Early College program.

“We came as a package,” Robinson said. “We thought about it hard, we even talked to our parents about it to bring them along and we made the decision to come to Penns Grove High School.”

“Twan’s basically my brother,” Frisbee said. “I put my trust in him wherever I go. Wherever I am I can always count on him to be there, like my right hand man. He’s not my brother, but I consider him like a brother.”

The bonus is the basketball team benefits from their size and length, elements that were missing with the graduation of last year’s class. 

In the five games they’ve played at Penns Grove, Robinson has 27 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists and 10 steals. Frisbee 31 points, 25 rebounds and six blocked shots.

Penns Grove coach Damian Ware didn’t know they were coming until Frisbee’s grandmother told him, but he knew of them. He had seen them play in middle school and, of course, when the Red Devils played Tech the last two years. The players already knew them from going to middle school together.

So with that familiarity, the transition was a little smoother than most. Now, it was a matter of getting them up to speed with the way the Red Devils play.

“As far as the play on the floor they have a lot to learn because they didn’t understand what we do here compared to what they did at their other school,” Ware said. “Haneef has played with great energy since Game 1, but he’s fouled out of three of our five games. Antoine’s thing is just understanding the speed of our game and how we play. Here, we move.

“That’s the thing with Antoine. When he picks up the pace of the game he’s going to be great. By the end of the season I guarantee he’ll be one of the studs in South Jersey, for sure.”

Penns Grove’s Roman Gipson led all scorers with 19 points. 

PENNS GROVE 69, SCHALICK 37
SCHALICK (1-6) – Reggie Allen 2 3-5 7, Nylan Sutton 0 0-0 0, Justin Iacona 2 0-0 5, Sherrod Jones 2 0-0 5, Jase Volovar 2 0-0 6, Sean Kelly 1 1-2 4, Jamari Whitley 1 3-5 6, Jacob Schalick 1 2-2 4, Guage Cramer 0 0-0 0, Nick Aswell 0 0-2 0, Ryan Horner 0 0-0 0, Kade Macom 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 9-16 37.
PENNS GROVE (2-3) – Karon Ceaser 2 2-4 7, Brandin Robbins 1 2-2 5, Will Roe 1 0-0 2, Jameel Horace 3 1-2 8, Luis Colon 1 0-0 2, Roman Gipson 8 3-6 19, Geonni Conrad 1 1-2 3, Antoine Robinson 4 2-2 10, Caleb Fowler 2 0-0 4, Haneef Frisbee 4 1-2 9, Mishawn Brantley 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 12-20 69.

Schalick 69715-37
Penns Grove1914279-69
3-point goals: Schalick 6 (Volovar 2, Iacono, Jones, Whitley, Kelly); Penns Grove 3 (Ceaser, Robbins, Horace). Rebounds: Schalick 16 (Sutton 8); Penns Grove 34 (Frisbee 10, Robinson 6, Gipson 6, Horace 6). Total fouls: Schalick 18, Penns Grove 13.

SALEM 65, WILDWOOD 48: Tymere Lecator scored 22 points and Deshaan Williams and Antwuan Rogers both had double-doubles to lead the Rams (6-1) to their third straight win. It’s their second three-game winning streak of the season.

Williams, a 6-2 sophomore transfer from Cumberland, had a career-high 20 points and 11 rebounds and got the game ball for his effort. He had 11 rebounds twice las a 5-11 freshman ast year for the Colts. 

Rogers had 10 points and 14 boards, his third double-double in seven games this season. Lecator had seven rebounds and seven assists to go with his points. Xavier McGriff had 10 points.

WOODSTOWN 57, GLASSBORO 39: Blake Bialecki scored 19 points, Rocco String 16 and Elijah Caesar added a career-high tying 11 as the Wolverines (3-2) won their third straight. Bialecki and String both had double-doubles with Bialecki grabbed 11 rebounds and String snaring a career-high 20. String also blocked seven shots.

WOODSTOWN (3-2) – Rocco String 7 2-6 16, Garrett Leyman 0 1-2 1, Blake Bialecki 7 2-2 19, M.J. Hall 2 0-0 4, Alejandro Vazquez 2 0-0 6, Eli Caesar 5 0-0 11. Totals 23 5-10 57.
GLASSBORO (1-5) – Xavier Sabb 5 4-8 16, Davon Barr 1 0-0 2, Maurice Davis 2 4-6 8, Kenny Smith 3 0-2 8, Tashean Thomas 2 0-0 4, Aiden Harris 0 0-0 0, Will Boggans 0 0-0 0, Marley Crowl 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 8-16 39.

Woodstown 2017911-57
Glassboro713613-39
3-point goals: Woodstown 6 (Bialecki 3, Vazquez 2, Caesar); Glassboro 5 (Sabb 3, Smith 2). Total fouls: Woodstown 14, Glassboro 12.

OVERBROOK 72, PENNSVILLE 26
OVERBROOK (5-2) – Zair Green 10, Xavier Wright 7, Lamar Little 14, Bilal Robinson 4, Elvin Santiago 4, J.R. Stanley 3, Jaden St. John 6, Rashon Jones 5, Jayden Wilkerson 4, Gavin Cajuste 3, Cody Harris 9, Jason Boyd 3.
PENNSVILLE (1-4) – Mason O’Brien 4-1-10, Jovanni Rios 3-1-7, Perry Meranti 0-0-0, Cole Johnston 0-0-0, Shiloh Jefferson 1-0-2, Daniel Knight 1-0-2, C.J. McDevitt 1-1-3, Jacob Miller 1-0-2. 

Overbrook 22241313-72
Pennsville9728-26
3-point goals: Pennsville 2 (O’Brien 2).

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 85, SALEM TECH 41
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC (3-5) – Carlos Mendez 6 2-2 15, Jack Mustaro 10 7-7 31, Jack Pund 2 2-4 6, Danny Zellner 3 0-0 6, Ben Cook 3 0-4 6, Kybron Ricks 2 2-4 6, Zack Payne 0 0-0 0, Gary Connelly 1 0-0 2, Jordan Mendez 0 0-0 0, Kimani Pyram 1 2-2 5, C.J. Mitchell 3 0-0 6, Anthony Polidoro 1 0-0 2. Totals 32 15-23 85.
SALEM TECH (0-7) – Connor Dougan 5 3-4 15, Joseph Hayes 2 2-4 8, Larry Pompper 4 4-7 13, Logan Pace 0 0-4 0, Alex Thomas 3 0-1 6, Aiden Bobo 0 0-2 0. Totals 14 9-22 42.

Gloucester Catholic26171715-85
Salem Tech131586-42
3-point goals: Gloucester Catholic 6 (C. Mendez, Mustaro 4, Pyram); Salem Tech 5 (Dougan 2, Hayes 2, Pompper).

Wilson on the move

Schalick football coach, a Group I sectional finalist the last two years, has resigned after five seasons ‘to pursue other opportunities’

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – Mike Wilson, an old-school football coach who took Schalick from zero wins to regional contender, resigned Friday after five seasons at the school “to pursue other opportunities.”

He told the players earlier this morning. It was one of the hardest things he’s had to do in coaching, he said. “Definitely not easy.”

“I’m stepping away to pursue other opportunities,” he said. “This has nothing to do with the kids who play football. We’ll see what the future holds.”

Wilson declined to comment on what those “other opportunities” might be. He is said to be a leading candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Clearview, a position that is expected to come before its board next week. Clearview officials declined to comment on their search.

Schalick athletics director Doug Volovar said his school would work quickly to bring in a new coach who is “really going to take hold of what’s there and kind of run with it.” He suspects the opening will attract a large pool of quality candidates and he already has had “a lot of people reach out” in advance of the job being posted sometime next week.

Volovar has experience as a head football coach but is not expected to be a candidate.

“I’m disappointed that he’s leaving, obviously,” he said. “He built the program up after it was down a few years and did a really good job (of it). He created a good foundation for the school and the program moving forward and I think there’s an opportunity for someone new to build on what he’s leaving behind.

“It’s not as it was before when it was a little bit bare before. I think there’s more there and there’s a ton of talent coming back. There’s an opportunity for somebody to take the program and continue to make it grow.”

Schalick hadn’t had a winning season since 2016 prior to Wilson taking over the program in 2020 with fewer than 25 players on the roster. The Cougars didn’t win a game that first season, but he steadily increased their profile every year since, ultimately playing Glassboro for the Central Jersey sectional title in 2023 and again for the South Jersey crown this past season. 

He leaves the program as its winningest coach in terms of percentage. He was 30-21 (.588) in his five seasons, 30-14 the last four years and 19-5 the last two. Their season wins total increased every season until this past year when the Cougars went a respectable 8-4 against the toughest schedule in Wilson’s tenure. The 2023 team started the season 11-0.

They played in the demanding WJFL Diamond Division this season and finished third; they won the Horizon Division each of the two previous years. Their four losses this past season came to three Group I sectional champions, including both state finalists – state champion Glassboro (twice), runner-up Cedar Grove in the season-opening Battle at the Beach and Woodstown.

The Cougars had more than 60 players across grades 9 through 12 this past season.

“We’re leaving it in a better spot than we came from a numbers point of view, from competitiveness, resources,” Wilson said. “Whoever gets to take over is taking over a football program. They’re going to have great kids, great talent. They’re going to be in a good spot.”

“We didn’t hit our ultimate goal, but considering where this program was on Day 1 Year 1 to where it is today, Mike accomplished a lot and there is certainly nothing to be ashamed of or apologize for,” special teams coordinator and team historian Frank Amar said. “I think we’re leaving it way better than we found it. Anybody who thinks otherwise knows as much about football as I know about quantum physics.

“Real football people, people who know and understand the game and what it takes to build a successful program, understand what Mike accomplished and why it was the right thing to do at this time.”

Volovar said that foundation, the quality of players coming back and the support for the program within the school makes the opening attractive.

“The cupboard’s far from bare; things have been established,” he said. “We have tons of kids who are coming back with a lot of potential to be right back in the mix of things like we were this year and last year.”

Wilson’s resignation leaves Salem County with only one head coach with more than one football season at their respective school — Pennsville’s Mike Healy. Woodstown (Frank Trautz), Penns Grove (Mark Maccarone) and Salem (Kemp Carr) all were hired within the past year.

“Mike’s and our style of coaching may not have been everybody’s cup of team, but the proof is in the pudding,” Amar said. “The success we sustained hasn’t been achieved at Schalick in 20 years and the reason we were able to reach those levels is because of what we tried to instill in our players — accountability, commitment, things like the year-round weight lifting program that enabled our guys to withstand the rigors of our schedule. The kinds of things lay people (complain) about is what made us who we are.

“When people think of South Jersey Group I football, Schalick is a part of the conversation. It didn’t happen by accident or luck. That was the result of the hard work and sacrifices made by the players and coaching staff. When the dust settles, that will be Mike’s ultimate legacy at Schalick.”

Schalick football coaches

COACHOVERALLPCT.PLAYOFFS
Mike Wilson30-21.5884-3
Josh Hedgeman37-27.5786-1
Seth Brown84-68.5522-10
Al DeJulio39-51-1.433
Ed Denton5-12-1.244
Mike McGowan5-57-1.080
Vince Tartaglione0-18.000

Salem County stats

Here are the Salem County high school basketball statistical leaders through Jan. 1, disclaimer: stats based on games inputted by schools to state reporting service

Boys

SCORING

PLAYER, SCHOOLGPFGFTPTSAVG
Tymear Lecator, Salem6382811819.7
Mason O’Brien, Pennsville414105914.8
Blake Bialecki, Woodstown417155814.5
Nylan Sutton, Schalick41875313.3
Jovanni Rios, Pennsville41264411.0
Rocco String, Woodstown41954310.8
Brandin Robbins, Penns Grove41554010.0
Reggie Allen, Schalick4114369.0
Antwuan Rogers, Salem6237538.8
Roman Gipson, Penns Grove4135358.8
Neziah Spence, Salem6205528.7
Karon Ceaser, Penns Grove4133328.0
Sherrod Jones, Schalick3102248.0
C.J. McDevitt, Pennsville335227.3
Joseph Hayes, Salem Tech593267.2
Deshaan Williams, Salem61414427.0
Xavier McGriff, Salem6173427.0

REBOUNDING

PLAYER, SCHOOLGPTOTAVG
Rocco String, Woodstown46115.3
Antwuan Rogers, Salem6569.3
Darrelle Johnson, Salem5326.4
Deshaan Williams, Salem6386.3
Haneef Frisbee, Penns Grove4256.3
Antoine Robinson, Penns Grove4205.0
Garrett Leyman, Woodstown4205.0
Jovanni Rios, Pennsville4205.0

3-POINT GOALS
14: Tymear Lecator, Salem
10: Neziah Spence, Salem
9: Blake Bialecki, Woodstown
8: Joseph Hayes, Salem Tech
6: Brayden Hall, Woodstown
5: Reggie Allen, Schalick; Xavier McGriff, Salem; Brandin Robbins, Penns Grove

BLOCKED SHOTS
25: Rocco String, Woodstown
6: Haneef Frisbee, Penns Grove
5: Deshaan Williams, Salem

ASSISTS
39: Tymear Lecator, Salem
17: Neziah Spencer, Salem
14: Alejandro Vazquez, Woodstown; Brandin Robbins, Penns Grove

STEALS
27: Karon Ceaser, Penns Grove
16: Tymear Lecator, Salem
12: Blake Bialecki, Woodstown; Brandin Robbins, Penns Grove
10: Xavier McGriff, Salem; Darrelle Johnson, Salem; Jovanni Rios, Pennsville; Antoine Robinson, Penns Grove

Girls

SCORING

PLAYERS, SCHOOLGPFGFTPTSAVG
RaNiyah Wilson, Penns Grove22144824.0
Talia Battavio, Woodstown6431711919.8
Megan Donelson, Woodstown636199916.5
Nora Ausland, Pennsville42265814.5
Marley Wood, Pennsville 41865012.5
Brianna Robbins, Penns Grove2932311.5
Naveah Robinson, Schalick31313311.0
Carlysia Pierce, Salem41674310.8
Taylor Bass, Pennsville4144358.8
Ava Scurry, Schalick3102227.3
JaNiyah Cummings, Penns Grove261136.5
Keziah Patterson, Penns Grove250136.5
Nevaeh Hickman, Salem4110256.3
Willow Davis, Schalick371196.3
Olivia Vanacker, Schalick260126.0
Shelby Drummond, Salem Tech371155.0

REBOUNDING

PLAYER, SCHOOLGPTOTAVG
Rylee Doerr, Salem Tech4358.8
Ava Scurry, Schalick3237.7
Olivia Vanacker, Schalick2157.5
Naveah Robinson, Schalick3227.3
Shelby Drummond, Salem Tech3217.0
JaNiyah Cummings, Penns Grove2136.5
Kyia Lehman, Woodstown6386.3
Cali Fisler, Schalick3186.0
Lauren Hengel, Woodstown6335.5
Megan Donelson, Woodstown6335.5
Abby Willoughby, Schalick3165.3
Jaida Burns, Pennsville4205.0
Marley Wood, Pennsville4205.0
RaNiyah Wilson, Penns Grove2105.0

3-POINT GOALS
16: Talia Battavio, Woodstown
8: Megan Donelson, Woodstown
6: Naveah Robinson, Schalick
4: Carlysia Pierce, Salem; Willow Davis, Schalick

BLOCKED SHOTS
7: Rylee Doerr, Salem Tech
6: Kyia Leyman, Woodstown
5: Cali Fisler, Schalick

ASSISTS
22: Megan Donelson, Woodstown
19: Marley Wood, Pennsville
16: Talia Battavio, Woodstown
11: Navaho Robinson, Schalick
10: Gianna Maiorini, Woodstown; Nora Ausland, Pennsville
8: Shelby Drummond, Salem Tech
7: Rylee Doerr, Salem Tech; Abby Willoughby, Schalick

STEALS
38: Megan Donelson, Woodstown
18: Lauren Hengel, Woodstown
16: Talia Battavio, Woodstown
15: Naveah Robinson, Schalick
13: Gianna Maiorini, Woodstown; Taylor Bass, Pennsville
10: Nora Ausland, Pennsville; Shelby Drummond, Salem Tech; Abby Willoughby, Schalick
7: Kaylin Beardsley, Salem Tech; Kendall Young, Woodstown; Ava Scurry, Schalick
6: Lizzy Daly, Woodstown; Emma Perry, Woodstown; Marley Wood, Pennsville

Salem County schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the remainder of this week and the first full week of the new year

JAN. 2
BOWLING
Salem vs. Lindenwold at 30 Strikes
Salem Tech vs. Gloucester City at Wood Lanes

JAN. 3
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Woodstown
Pennsville at Overbrook
Penns Grove at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Camden Academy Charter
Wildwood at Salem
BOYS BASKETBALL
Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech
Overbrook at Pennsville
Salem at Wildwood
Schalick at Penns Grove
Woodstown at Glassboro
WRESTLING
Penns Grove in Bohemia Manor (Md.) Tournament
Schalick at Egg Harbor Twp.
SWIMMING
Woodstown vs. Timber Creek at GCIT, 7 p.m.
Schalick vs. Glassboro at GCIT, 8:30 p.m.

JAN. 4
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Cumberland, 11:30 a.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Cumberland at Pennsville, 11:30 a.m.
Eastern at Penns Grove, 1 p.m.
WRESTLING
Pennsville at Hammonton Duals
Penns Grove, Paul VI, Willingboro at Audubon
Haddon Heights, Mainland, Overbrook at Schalick
Salem, Burlington City, St. Joe at Pitman
Woodstown in Collingswood Duals
INDOOR TRACK
Salem, Woodstown at Ott Center, Philadelphia

JAN. 5
WRESTLING
Schalick at Williamstown Tournament
Pennsville girls at Williamstown Tournament

JAN. 6
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove at Haddon Twp., 7 p.m.
Pennsville at Woodstown, 7 p.m.
Schalick at Buena
BOYS BASKETBALL
Buena at Schalick
Camden Tech at Salem Tech
Pennsville at Woodstown
WRESTLING
Paul VI at Pennsville
SWIMMING
Schalick vs. West Deptford at River Winds
Woodstown vs. Lower Cape May

JAN. 7
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Clayton at Salem Tech
Overbrook at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Salem at Pitman
Schalick at Glassboro
BOYS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Schalick
Penns Grove at Overbrook
Pitman at Salem
Salem Tech at Clayton
BOWLING
Salem vs. Kingsway at Wood Lanes
Salem Tech vs. Lindenwold
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Camden County at Salem CC, 7 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Camden County at Salem CC, 5 p.m.

JAN. 8
WRESTLING
Gloucester Catholic at Schalick
Pennsville at Penns Grove
Salem at Cumberland
Woodstown at Deptford
SWIMMING
Salem at Lower Cape May
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem, Schalick at Bennett Center, Toms River

JAN. 9
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Salem
Penns Grove at Pitman, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Salem Tech
Triton at Pennsville
Wildwood at Woodstown
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic
Pitman at Penns Grove
Salem at Glassboro
Salem Tech at Schalick
Woodstown at Wildwood
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. Kingsway at Wood Lanes
SWIMMING
Schalick at Camden County Tech
Salem vs. Gloucester Catholic at GCIT, 8:30 p.m.
Woodstown vs. Highland at GCIT
TRACK
Penns Grove at Cherokee
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC, 5 p.m.

JAN. 10
BOYS BASKETBALL
LEAP at Salem
Pennsville at Clayton
WRESTLING
Collingswood at Schalick

JAN. 11
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Delsea at Woodstown, 11:30 a.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Woodstown at Camden Catholic, 11:30 a.m.
St. Joseph at Penns Grove, 1 p.m.
Schalick at Collingswood
WRESTLING
Pennsville, Oakcrest, Overbrook at Millville
Penns Grove at Deptford
Salem at Cherokee
Schalick, Cumberland, Timber Creek at Buena
Woodstown in Cinnaminson Duals
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
RCSJ-Gloucester at Salem CC, noon
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Middlesex, noon