Now they know

Salem CC installed as No. 10 seed in JUCO Division III national tournament, draws No. 7 at-large Riverland (Minn.) CC in opening round

TALE OF THE TAPE
TEAMS (Nat. Rank)	REC	OFF (RK)	DEF (RK)	RB (RK)	RBA (RK)
Dutchess CC (1)	26-1	82.5 (22)	62.3 (2)	42.1 (19)	31.8 (15)
Mohawk Valley (3)	26-1	83.5 (19)	61.7 (1)	46.2 (7)	33.7 (21)
Minn. State C&T (4)	29-2	89.7 (5)	70.1 (15)	39.6 (32)	30.5 (9)
Sandhills (5)	27-6	96.5 (1)	84.7 (76)	49.6 (3)	36.3 (35)
Union (7)	23-4	86.6 (8)	71.9 (19)	46.9 (6)	30.6 (11)
Northern Essex (8)	28-3	90.7 (3)	70.8 (16)	45.9 (9)	28.5 (3)
Salem CC	23-7	86.6 (7)	72.4 (24)	43.8 (13)	38.6 (55)
Dallas-Mountain View	15-18	86.2 (9)	86.3 (79)	32.9 (75)	36.5 (37)
x-Riverland (13)	29-3	85.9 (10)	67.3 (6)	39.5 (33)	29.0 (5)
x-Genesee (9)	23-6	85.8 (12)	72.3 (23)	43.0 (15)	37.7 (49)
x-Dallas-Richland (15)	20-11	73.9 (57)	65.2 (4)	35.8 (64)	29.5 (6)
x-Herkimer (2)	23-4	80.9 (25)	62.4 (3)	41.1 (24)	31.5 (13)

Nat. rank is where team appeared in final regular-season poll; x-at large bid.

JUCO DIVISION III TOURNAMENT
At Herkimer (N.Y.) College
March 12
No. 8 Northern Essex (28-3) vs. No. 9 Dallas Richland (20-11), noon
No. 5 Herkimer (23-4) vs. No. 12 Dallas-Mountain View (15-18), 2 p.m.
No 7 Riverland (29-3) vs. No. 10 Salem CC (23-7), 4 p.m.
No. 6 Union (23-4) vs. No. 11 Genesee (23-6), 6 p.m.
March 13
Northern Essex/Dallas Richland vs. No. 1 Duchess (26-1), 1 p.m.
Herkimer/DallasMountain View vs. No. 4 Sandhills (27-6), 3 p.m.
Salem-Riverland winner vs. No. 2 Mohawk Valley (26-1), 6 p.m.
Union-Genesee winner vs. No. 3 Minnesota State C&TC (29-2), 8 p.m.
Salem-Riverland loser vs. Union-Genesee loser, 11 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – Mike Green remembers his first Selection Show when he played in college. The excitement and anticipation were real.

It was pretty much a given that year his Butler team was going to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The drama was where it would go, how high it would be seeded and who they were going to play in the first round.

When their name finally went up on the screen the players leapt out of their seats and the room erupted in cheers.

Green wanted that for his Salem CC basketball team Wednesday as they watched the selection show for the NJCAA Division III Tournament together for the first time. The Mighty Oaks knew they had a spot in the field as North Atlantic District B champions. All they were waiting to hear was their seed and road to the championship.

They didn’t have to wait long. The Mighty Oaks (23-7) were installed as the No. 10 seed and will open the tournament against seventh-seeded 13th-ranked Riverland (Minn.) CC (29-3) at Herikmer College Wednesday at 4 p.m.

When their name finally appeared on the screen, everybody who came to watch the show on three big-screen TVs in the fieldhouse cheered loudly.

“It was a one-in-a-lifetime thing because I’ve never experience this before,” freshman guard Xavier Brewington said. “I feel great for our team. I feel confident in our team. We’re going to try to win it all.”

Teams are guaranteed two games in the tournament. If the Mighty Oaks beat Riverland, they’ll play second-seeded No. 3 Mohawk Valley Thursday at 6. If they lose their opener, they’ll get the loser of Region XIX rival Union and Genesee CC at 11 a.m. They’ll keep playing as long as they keep winning, but they can only win the tournament from the winner’s bracket.

When it revealed the Mighty Oaks could get Mohawk Valley (26-1) in the second round, leading scorer Akeem Taylor didn’t flinch. “We want them,” he said from his seat on the floor. Mohawk Valley leads JUCO D-III in scoring defense.

“We want everybody,” Taylor said. “They’re just ranked so high, why wouldn’t we want to play them? We want to show that we’re the best, so that’s what we’ve got to go through.”

“It seems like he embraces being the underdog,” Green said.

As soon as the show ended, Green headed to his office to do some research on their opening-round opponent.

“I don’t know much about them,” he said. “I just know they’re a higher seed than us.

“We’re not familiar with any of these teams. We don’t watch them all year long; it’s not like the NCAA. You just don’t know. We’ve got to put work in and figure them out. We’ve got seven days to figure them out.”

Riverland was ranked No. 1 for 12 consecutive weeks earlier this season. The Blue Devils are led by Nazih Chehade, a 6-4 sophomore guard from Florida averaging 14.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, shooting 58 percent from the field and has 127 assists.

ACORNS: Salem is one of two unranked teams in the 12-team field … The Mighty Oaks will leave for the tournament Monday, but won’t practice at the facility until Tuesday … Riverland has three scorers averaging in double figures.

SJ Group I boys

Woodstown boys fall to Haddon Twp. in South Jersey Group I semifinals; got within 1 three times in second half, but couldn’t get the lead

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
Tuesday’s boys semifinals
Haddon Twp. 57, Woodstown 49
Woodbury 60, Pitman 50
Friday’s championship game
(5) Woodbury (16-14) at (3) Haddon Twp. (21-9), 7:30 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WESTMONT – M.J. Hall stood in a vacant part of a quiet Woodstown locker room, leaned back against the lockers and pinched his fingers into his eyes to dab away the tears. This one hurt.

There might not have been a lot of people who expected the Wolverines to get this far in the South Jersey Group I basketball playoffs, but there they were Tuesday night, into the game to the end before ultimately falling to third-seeded Haddon Twp., 57-49.

And then it hit him. Not only did it hurt they came up short, it also was the end of his high school career.

“Just knowing you’ll never be able to play with the same boys again that you’ve grown up with is just something you never want to imagine,” Hall said. “I played with everything I had, not just for me and the other seniors, but (for) the coaching staff and all the rest of the boys.”

In another part of the dressing room Eli Caesar was feeling the same sense of loss. He and Hall were the Wolverines’ leading scorers with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

“We worked really hard all season,” Caesar said. “Nobody expected us to make this this far, but we did. To come up short in the semifinals, it sucks.”

The Wolverines went into the season with a first-year head coach and without the benefit of a summer program, but they put together one of their winningest seasons in years that included the program’s first playoff win since 2020. They knocked off the No. 2 seed on the road in the quarterfinals and were oh-so-close to taking down another upper seed on this night.

They were down by eight midway through the third quarter, but Hall hit six straight points to get them back within two with two minutes left in the period. The continued to fight back and actually took a one-point lead with 5:23 to play after an odd six-point play.

While Eli Caesar was hitting a 3-pointer out on the perimeter, Haddon Twp. was called for a foul away from the ball. The Wolverines got the bucket and the ball and Garrett Leyman promptly hit a 3-pointer to put them up 44-43.

But whenever the Hawks needed a basket, Jaden Haltiwanger seemed to always be there to deliver. He made a nice move in the lane and dropped in a layup that put the Hawks back on top for good.

Haltiwanger led the Hawks with 18 points and 13 rebounds. He had seven points and six rebounds in the fourth quarter.

The Wolverines’ comeback was fueled by their ability to attack inside, but they lost that edge late in the game when both big men, Leyman and first-team Diamond Division pick Rocco String, fouled out.

They did get within one on Caesar’s 3-pointer with 1:50 to go, but Nate Keating snuck behind the Woodstown defense while Haddon Twp. worked the clock for a layup and then hit two free throws to make it a five-point game with a minute to play.

A basket by Hall with 50 seconds left made it 52-49, but he missed the and-one and the Wolverines never got closer. The Hawks then closed it out at the free throw line.

“You hate losing more than you love winning,” Wolverines coach Ramon Roots said. “It’s about getting better. It’s a process, a journey. We came a long way since that Salem game (season opener) and just got better and better and better.

“They played hard tonight, we just left a couple plays out there. We fought and fought and we just needed to make that one play to take it over the top. We just didn’t make that one extra play.”

HADDON TWP. 57, WOODSTOWN 49
WOODSTOWN (17-10): Elijah Caesar 7 1-1 17, Blake Bialecki 1 0-0 3, Alejandro Vazquez 1 2-2 5, M.J. Hall 6 2-3 16, Garrett Leyman 1 0-0 3, Rocco String 2 1-2 5, Jalen Markward 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 6-8 49.
HADDON TWP. (21-9): Jaden Haltiwanger 7 4-7 18, Axel Mohr 0 3-6 3, Sean Crawford 1 2-2 5, Peter Black 1 1-1 3, Nate Keating 5 4-4 16, Collin Feeley 3 0-0 6, Eamonn Sheehan 2 0-0 5, Cavan McGovern 0 1-2 1, Joseph Sheehan 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 15-22 57.

Woodstown	9	14	15	11-	49
Haddon Twp.	10	18	12	17-	57

3-point goals: Woodstown 7 (Caesar 2, Bialecki, Vazquez, Leyman, Hall 2); Haddon Twp. 4 (Crawford, Keating 2, Sheehan). Rebounds: Woodstown 22 (Caesar 7, Bialecki 5); Haddon Twp. 25 (Haltiwanger 13, Keating 6). Fouled out: String, Leyman, Hall. Total fouls: Woodstown 22, Haddon Twp. 9.

SJ Group I girls

Woodstown girls fall at Haddon Twp. in South Jersey Group I basketball semifinals

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
Tuesday’s Girls Semifinals
Haddon Twp. 46, Woodstown 44
Wildwood 54, Clayton 38
SJ Group I Championship
Friday’s Game
(3) Wildwood (22-7) at (1) Haddon Twp. (27-3)

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WESTMONT – The Woodstown girls basketball team has been using the last three seconds of last year’s South Jersey Group I championship game as nuclear fuel for this entire season. You know, the kind of fuel that runs hot and never runs out.

That’s about how close they came to getting another crack at what they missed out on last March.

The Wolverines needed to get past top-seeded Haddon Twp. Tuesday night to set up a finals rematch with Wildwood. They were in it all the way to the end, too, but just came up short, 46-44.

“We played our heart out and I’m going to miss playing with all these girls,” Wolverines senior Talia Battavio said. “We made some really good memories.

“We thought we had it just like anyone else would, but it wasn’t the outcome we wanted.”

The Wolverines (19-7) had their chances. They led by seven at halftime and were up by five with 3:40 to play and just couldn’t close the deal.

The Hawks (27-3) came out of a timeout in the fourth quarter and scored the next 10 points – the last seven by Kiersten Callahan – to flip the script. Battavia and Lauren Hengel brought the Wolverines back with buckets to make it a one-point game with 10 seconds to go. Callahan made the second of two free throws with five-tenths of a second left to make it 46-44.

As long as there was time on the clock the Wolverines still had a chance. They were going to have to get something quick, but never got a shot. Their inbounds pass for Battavio was too long and Battavio never got a hand on it.

“They’re a very tough and talented team that we knew wasn’t going to give up til the end,” Woodstown coach Matt Smart said. “I’m just very proud of our girls as well for not giving up. There were shots that were missed, there were things that’s could have changed, but that’s the game of basketball and that’s the game of life.

“I’m super proud of everything we’ve accomplished this year. It sucks that it ends like this, but when we look back, hopefully we look back on this year with fond memories.”

The loss closes the book on the careers of two of the most prolific scorers in Salem County history.

Battavio, with 1,620 career points, and Megan Donelson, with 1,588, leave as the top two scorers in Woodstown girls basketball history and fifth and sixth, respectively, on the Salem County all-time girls list. They are ninth and 11th on the county scoring list regardless of gender.

The Wolverines were 81-28 in their four years with the program (11-4 in the playoffs) and reached as least the South Jersey semifinals all four years. They won the South Jersey Group I title as sophomores in 2023 and played in the final last year.

“It’s been a lot of memories,” Battavio said. “It was very … great.”

“It was a blast from my freshman year up to now,” Donelson said. “I love my teammates. Especially having three different coaches; I had bonds with all of them. I had a blast.”

“They should be proud of everything that they’ve accomplished,” Smart said. “None of that comes without hard work.”

The Wolverines played off their two stars throughout the game, but circumstances separated their collective threat. Battavio was slow to start, but Donelson was there to pick up the slack and scored seven of her 12 points in the final three minutes of the first quarter.

Donelson was on track for a big day, but got in foul trouble and when she came out after picking up her third with 3:35 to go in the second quarter it was Battavio’s turn to go to work. She scored seven of her team-high 17 in the final 2:43 of the second quarter to help the Wolverines open a 25-18 halftime lead.

“I had to do a lot more,” Battavio said. “Having Megan out there makes it a lot easier. She’s such a great player and it helps me be a better player and nice versa.”

Regardless who was doing their scoring, the Wolverines had their way with the Hawks in the first half. They shot 10-of-25 from the floor in the half, compared to 7-of-27 by the Hawks, and outrebounded their hosts a whopping 22-8.

“They were killing us on the glass in the first half; that’s really what we talked about in the first half,” Hawks coach Mark Petito said. “We showed what we were all about (in the second half). “We’re all guts. We play tough. If you’re going to come in and play us it’s going to be very hard for you.

“We didn’t defend real well first half, we didn’t rebound well, and that hurt us, but we got back to what we are and that’s a tough, defensive, gritty team.”

Donelson picked up her fourth 51 seconds into the third quarter and came out for the rest of the period. That’s when the Hawks got back into it, holding the Wolverines to three points in the quarter and forging a 28-all tie heading into the fourth.

“I don’t like being in foul trouble, no one likes being in foul trouble,” Donelson said. “It’s definitely hard to get out of my head to not foul. It was definitely a challenge for me. I love a challenge.”

She was back in the game to start the fourth quarter and the foul trouble didn’t stop her from playing her usual aggressive style. In one particular stretch she hit a free throw, missed the second, rebounded the miss and turned it into a layup to give the Wolverines a five-point lead. Then she dove for a loose ball on the floor, got possession and called time before the refs could call a jump ball.

“Whenever I’m out on that court I give it my all.,” Donelson said. “I do it for my teammates. I do it for myself. I do it for my coaches. I just five it my all. It doesn’t matter how many fouls I have.”

The Hawks called time with 2:48 to play. Abby Wiedeman came out of the break and immediately hit a 3-pointer. Callahan then pulled a loose ball out of a scrum and scored a layup to tie the game at 40. Then she hit a 3-ball from the left corner with 1:24 left and the Hawks never trailed again.

Callahan scored eight of her 13 points in the fourth quarter when the Hawks needed her most.

“In the first half I wasn’t hitting my shots like I normally do, but I knew I had to keep my head up and stay confident and that’s what I did in the second half,” she said.

HADDON TWP. 46, WOODSTOWN 44
WOODSTOWN (19-7): Talia Battavio 6 3-4 17, Megan Donelson 4 2-4 12, Lauren Hengel 2 1-2 5, Kyia Leyman 3 0-4 6, Gianna Maiorini 2 0-2 4, Ryann Foote 0 0-0 0, Emma Perry 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 6-16 44.
HADDON TWP. (27-3): Alli Kamulda 3 0-2 7, Abby Wiedeman 6 1-2 17, Kiersten Callahan 4 3-6 13
Madi Kamulda 2 3-4 7, Kaitlyn Martin 1 0-2 2, Sammy Martin 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 7-16 46.

Woodstown	15	10	3	16-	44
Haddon Twp.	11	7	10	18-	46

3-point goals: Woodstown 4 (Battavio 2, Donelson 2); Haddon Twp. 7 (Callahan 2, Wiedeman 4, A. Kamulda). Rebounds: Woodstown 40 (Hengel 8, Battavio 7, Leyman 7); Haddon Twp. 28 (Wiedeman 8, Callahan 6, Martin 6). Total fouls: Woodstown 17, Haddon Twp. 15.

The competition

Here is a thumbnail look at the AQ teams Salem CC could face in the JUCO Division III national tournament, March 12-15, 4 at-large teams will be announced Wednesday with the bracket

TEAMS (Nat. Rank)	REC	OFF (RK)	DEF (RK)	RB (RK)	RBA (RK)
Dutchess CC (1)	26-1	82.5 (22)	62.3 (2)	42.1 (19)	31.8 (15)
Mohawk Valley (3)	26-1	83.5 (19)	46.2 (7)	61.7 (1)	33.7 (21)
Minn. State C&T (4)	29-2	89.7 (5)	70.1 (15)	39.6 (32)	30.5 (9)
Sandhills (5)	27-6	96.5 (1)	84.7 (76)	49.6 (3)	36.3 (35)
Union (7)	23-4	86.6 (8)	71.9 (19)	46.9 (6)	30.6 (11)
Northern Essex (8)	28-3	90.7 (3)	70.8 (16)	45.9 (9)	28.5 (3)
Salem CC	23-7	86.6 (7)	72.4 (24)	43.8 (13)	38.6 (55)
Dallas Col.-Mountain View	15-18	86.2 (9)	86.3 (79)	32.9 (75)	36.5 (37)

JUCO DIVISION III TOURNAMENT
March 21-15, Herkimer (N.Y.) College
(Automatic qualifiers)

SALEM CC MIGHTY OAKS
LOCATION: Carneys Point, N.J. (Region 19)
COACH: Mike Green (2nd season, 32-16)
RECORD: 23-7 (North Atlantic District B)
NATIONAL RANK: Unranked
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-3 G Tamir Powell (10.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg); 6-6 G Tyrese Fortune (11.3, 6.7); 6-3 G Xavier Brewington (10.7, 4.9); 6-4 G Akeem Taylor (21.2, 5.4); 6-8 F Jyheim Spencer (13.1, 14.1).
NOTES: The Mighty Oaks have won five in a row … Gone 13-3 since Powell, Taylor and Spencer joined the lineup Jan. 7 … Taylor was district tournament MVP … Spencer has 10 double-doubles and would be ranked second nationally (Division III) in rebounding had he played enough games to qualify for the stats … Brewington and Josh Ramos (72 3-pointers) have played in all 30 games

UNION COLLEGE OWLS
LOCATION: Cranford, N.J. (Region 19)
COACH: Devon Stanberry (9th season)
RECORD: 23-4 (North Atlantic A)
NATIONAL RANK: 7
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-6 G/F David McKnight (9.1, 3.4); 6-8 G/F Nick Acosta (17.9, 12.1); 6-3 G Joey Gargiulo (14.1, 3.9); 6-2 G Kayne Brown (6.9, 2.4); 6-11 C Jeremiah Saint Jean (5.9, 7.9).
NOTES: The Owls have won four in a row and 15 of last 16 … Devin Geiger is averaging 17.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg … Acosta has 59 blocked shots, Saint Jean has 46 … Leads the country in shooting percentage (.641)

NORTHERN ESSEX KNIGHTS
LOCATION: Haverhill, Mass. (Region 21)
COACH: Darren Stratton (22nd season, 350-209)
RECORD: 28-3 (East)
NATIONAL RANK: 8
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-2 G Ryan Pacy (9.1, 2.9); 5-10 G Javien Kirmil (11.8, 1.8); 6-2 G Yunosuke Matsuda (4.7, 3.5); 6-7 F Christian Sanders (8.5, 6.9); 6-4 F Alejandro Delgado (15.0, 8.6).
NOTES: The Knights have won five in a row … Led their region championship game a total of 36 seconds. Stratton got his 350th career win in that game … Roster has players from four foreign countries (Cameroon, Japan, France, Turkiye) … Matsuda had 118 assists.

SANDHILLS CC FLYERS
LOCATION: Pinehurst, N.C. (Region 10)
COACH: Mike Apple (14th season, 361-97)
RECORD: 27-6 (Mid-Atlantic)
NATIONAL RANK: 5
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-1 G Kevin Gentry (5.1, 1.5); 6-2 G Mike Fee (5.6, 3.4); 6-5 G Isaiah Upchurch (13.8, 3.7); 6-6 F Damien Robinson (18.5, 12.4); 6-6 F Zack Noel (8.9, 8.2).
NOTES: The Flyers have won 14 in a row, in which they’ve scored 100 points or more seven times … Making seventh straight trip to national tournament … Lead Division III nationally in scoring (96.5).

MOHAWK VALLEY CC HAWKS
LOCATION: Utica, N.Y. (Region 3)
COACH: Harley Fuller (4th season, 106-30)
RECORD: 26-1 (North)
NATIONAL RANK: 3
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-0 G Jamir Smith (14.6, 3.5); 6-3 G Jalen Bradberry (16.2, 3.2); 6-8 C Andre Pasha (14.3, 11.2); 6-10 F Isaiah Earl (9.8, 7.0); 6-6 G/F Alex Barnhill (14.3, 9.0).
NOTES: The Hawks have won eight in a row … Smith has 141 assists … Bradberry has hit 64 3-pointers and shot 40.5 percent behind the arc … Leads the nation in scoring defense (61.7 ppg) and shooting defense (.365)

DUTCHESS CC FALCONS
LOCATION: Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (Region 15)
COACH: Robert Piano (4th season, 78-32)
RECORD: 26-1 (Northeast)
NATIONAL RANK: 1
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-2 G Seiray Sinerna (9.1, 4.3); 6-7 F Quincey Platt (8.4, 7.1); 6-3 G Alijah England (16.8, 6.0); 5-9 G Amadou Diallo (11.8, 3.9); 5-10 G Daniel Ogunleye (5.9, 1.1).
NOTES: The Falcons have won three in a row … Ranked second in scoring defense (62.3 ppg), and shooting defense (.373) and third in turnovers created (18.9). They’re second in the country in steals (15.0) and third in blocks (6.8) … “We had an idea what we had with this roster and, we talked about it in August, that we expect to be great,” Piano told the Poughkeepsie Journal after the region championship game.

MINNESOTA STATE COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE SPARTANS
LOCATION: Fergus Falls, Minn.(Region 13)
COACH: Dave Cresap (2nd season, 43-15)
RECORD: 29-2 (North Plains)
NATIONAL RANK: 4
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-2 G Mason Muir (16.6, 4.0); 6-4 F Fodar Sheriff (21.8, 10.6); 6-4 G Yonis Mohamud (15.9, 4.1); 5-11 G Braylon Baldwin (4.5, 2.7); 6-5 F Tyson McArthur (9.4, 5.3).
NOTES: M State has won 14 in a row … Making first national tournament appearance since 2003-04 … Made 15-win turnaround over last season … Sheriff, who lists Upper Darby as his hometown though he went to high school is North Dakota, was MVP of the region tournament … Muir has 131 assists, Sheriff 137 … Ranked second nationally in 3s per game (9.5) … Cresap won 666 games in 28 years as a high school coach before making the jump to college.

DALLAS COLLEGE-MOUNTAIN VIEW LIONS
LOCATION: Dallas, Texas (Region 5)
COACH: LeRoi Phillips (19th season, 315-249)
RECORD: 15-18 (South Central)
NATIONAL RANK: Unranked
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-5 F Augustine Chibuko (14.2, 8.9); 5-9 G Louis Conner (8.5, 5.1); 6-3 G Noel Duplechain (7.8, 2.7); 6-1 G Adrian Banks (6.2, 1.0); 6-4 G Ashton Price (24.8. 5.7)
NOTES: The Lions have won four in a row and have scored 90-plus in each of their last five … They started the season 3-8 and were 5-11 on Dec. 14 … Ranked ninth nationally in scoring (86.2), but 79th in scoring defense (86.3) … Price has averaged 35 points over the last five games, shooting 63-for-123 from the floor … Chibuko has 66 blocked shots, but he’s fouled out of 11 games … Conner is averaging 8.1 assists per game.

Meet of Champions

STATEN ISLAND – Salem’s Anthony Parker had the busiest day and best showing among the Salem County athletes at the NJSIAA Indoor Meet of Champions Sunday when he placed fourth in the boys long jump.

Parker posted a best jump of 22-5 and just missed a Top 3 finish by half an inch. He also ran in the 55-meter hurdles, but didn’t qualify for the finals, placing 17th in the preliminaries (7.78).

Pennsville’s Megan Morris finished tied for ninth in the girls pole vault (10-6).

Among the athletes who didn’t finish in their respective Top 10s …

Woodstown’s Josh Crawford was 14th in the boys 800 with a PR of 1:57.65, shaving nearly two seconds off his state championship winning time of a week ago

Woodstown’s Jaime Deal went PR sub-60 in her final girls 400 high school race, running 59.69 to place 18th.

Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield was 17th in the girls 3200 (11:05.62) and the Cougars’ David Stewart ran 23rd in the 55-meter dash prelims (6.67).

MEET OF CHAMPIONS
Ocean Breeze Complex, Staten Island
GIRLS
400: 18. Jaime Deal, Woodstown, 59.89
3200: 17. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 11:05.62
Pole Vault: T-9. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 10-6
BOYS
55 Dash (prelims): 23. David Stewart, Schalick, 6.67
800: 14. Josh Crawford, Woodstown, 1:57.65
55 Hurdles (prelims): 17. Anthony Parker, Salem, 7.78
Long Jump: 4. Anthony Parker, Salem, 22-5

A pair for AC

Woodstown’s Vinciguerra, Hyland headed to Atlantic City after finishing top 3 in region; Vinciguerra repeats as region champion

By Riverview Sports News

MONROE – Mateo Vinciguerra has a message for the good folks down in Atlantic City. He’s coming for you.

The Woodstown heavyweight won his second straight region title Saturday when he majored Clifford Dirkes of Ocean City 10-0 to win the Region 8 285 crown for a return trip to the state tournament in Atlantic City.

Last year Vinciguerra went as the region’s 215 champion and this year he defeated the defending heavyweight champion to get there.

“This year is different than last because I’m on a whole ‘nothing level this year than last year,” he said. “The plan for AC is that I’m coming for it all.”

Vinciguerra and Woodstown teammate Greyson Hyland are the only two Salem County wrestlers advancing to AC this year. Hyland finished third at 175.

Vinciguerra won three matches this weekend, including the 100th of his career in Friday’s quarterfinals. He’s the second Woodstown wrestler to hit the milestone this season. Travis Balback did two weeks ago.

On Saturday, he pinned Alex Grippo of Delsea in the semifinals before taking down Dirkes.‘Going into the finals I just knew to trust my work I’ve put in and get to my stuff,” he said.

Hyland went 4-1 in the tournament, including a pair of overtime wins that added about 20 grey hairs to his coach and father’s temples. He lost an 8-4 decision in his semifinal match Saturday, then wrestled back and claimed his spot in Atlantic City by winning an ultimate tie breaker over Vincent Hoag of Mainland.

“I’m really proud of both their performances,” Woodstown coach Adam Hyland said. “Greyson had to gut out two gritty overtime matches to place third and Mateo completely dominated the entire tournament pinning his first two and winning 10-0 over the defending Region 8 heavyweight champion.”

Salem County did have several other placers in the tournament. Schalick’s Ayden Jenkins placed fifth at 150, Penns Grove’s Clinton Bobo was fifth at 175 and Woodstown’s Walter Carter was fifth at 215.

Camden Catholic won the team title, edging Delsea by a point. Woodstown finished tenth with 56 points. Schalick was 22nd (9.5) and Penns Grove 23rd (9.0).

Softball’s successful start

Salem CC softball opens its season with doubleheader sweep at home; baseball loses two on the road

SALEM CC SOFTBALL
Salem 7-19, Monroe Bronx 6-6
SALEM CC BASEBALL
Brookdale 11-20 Salem CC 6-7

By Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – The Salem CC softball team opened its 2025 season in a most dramatic fashion and carried that emotion into an 11-run first inning in the nightcap to sweep Monroe-Bronx 7-6 and 19-6 Saturday at the Pennsville LL Complex.

Lilly Peverelle’s one-out single in the bottom of the seventh plated Ella Hayes with the winning run in the opener. Hayes, last year’s Region XIX Player of the Year, started the rally with a line single to center and stole second before riding home on Pavarelle’s second hit of the game.

The Mighty Oaks came from behind twice to win it. They trailed 3-0 in the second and 5-4 in the fifth.

Peverelle, Hayes, Bella Rappa and Jill Robinson all had two hits in the game. Robinson also had three RBIs and pitched the final inning and a third to get the win.

“It’s early in the season for these feelings but it was an exciting moment for the team,” Salem coach Angel Rodriguez said. “We had to work through some rust in that game. It was an up and down battle, but the team kept their composure and finished strong.”

And it carried over into the nightcap.

The Mighty Oaks sent 16 batters to the plate in the first. Eight of the first nine hitters reached safely with the only interruption being a successful sacrifice. Among the big hits in the inning, Rappa had a go-ahead single, Val Hatterer a two-run double, Robinson a two-run single and Callie Rozak a two-run homer.

Robinson had two hits and four RBIs from the No. 9 spot in the order. Hayes had two hits and two RBIs. Peverelle and Hatterer each had two RBIs and Rozak drove in three.

“The message was clear to the team after Game 1: Enjoy the first win but (have a) short memory and prepare for Game 2,” Rodriguez said. “We learned a lot with our approaches and getting in our first competition, but we had to look back in and get the job done again.

“We talked with some players on adjustments going into the next game and they were ready.”

GAME 1
Monroe Bronx	210 021 0-	6	7	0
Salem CC	030 120 1-	7	12	0

One out when winning run scored
WP: Jill Robinson (W 1-0). LP: Martinez. 2B: Gourdine (M), Rosa (M), Rappa (S), Robinson (S).

GAME 2
Monroe Bronx	103 20-	6	4	0
Salem CC	(11)23 3x	19	9	2

WP: Robinson (W 2-0). LP: Centeno. 2B: Haskie (S), Hatterer (S). HR: Harriott (M), Rozak (S)

Baseball

GAME 1
Salem CC (0-4)	003 102 0-	6
Brookdale CC (5-0)	320 231 x-	11	10	1

Game 2
Salem CC (0-5)	410 100 1-	7
Brookdale CC (6-0)	064 532 x-	20	15	0

Raise a banner

Salem CC wins district basketball title, headed to JUCO Division III nationals for first time in school history; Taylor named tournament MVP

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Salem CC basketball team has been a second-half club all season long. So why should things be any different in its biggest game in school history.

The Mighty Oaks already had a six-point lead when they went into halftime Saturday, then they opened the second on a 12-0 run to take complete control of their Region XIX North Atlantic District B championship game on the way to a 74-66 win over second-seeded Montgomery County CC to earn their first ever trip to the JUCO national Tournament.

“It’s a great feeling, a feeling I’ve never felt before,” freshman swingman Tamir Powell said. “I’ve never won anything in high school, ever before. This is my first championship. It feels great.”

Now they’re headed to Herikmer (N.Y.) College to play for the Division III national title March 11-15. EIght district champions and four at-large selections will make up the field. The bracket will be announced at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Union (Region XIX/North Atlantic A) and Dallas College-Mountain View (South Central) also have locked up tournament bids. The remaining automatic bids should be filled Sunday.

“It feels good just to give these guys another chance to get looked at, to get seen,” Mighty Oaks coach Mike Green said. “I told them all year long the nationals is where you want to be. You’ll have a bunch of coaches there and they only want winners, man, and we’re a winner, so I’m just happy I got a chance to deliver on my promise.

“They (Montco) were the defending champs and we came in and took care of business.”

And it wasn’t that close.

It’s not so much that the Mighty Oaks (23-7) pulled away in the second half to win their first district title – they only outscored the Mustangs 40-38 – but rather the way they did it and the smoothness with which they maintained the lead.

The run out in the first four minutes of the second half gave them an 18-point lead that never fell back into single digits until the final two minutes.

“It was all motivation,” Powell said. “We took what we had the last game and we brought the energy, we brought the fight and the grit. We knew we were the better team so we went out and played like it.”

Sophomore Akeem Taylor, who wasn’t even considered for the All-Region XIX Team because he joined the team at mid-season, was clearly the difference in the game. He went for 27 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots and was named MVP of the District B tournament, basically the Mighty Oaks’ half of the Region XIX bracket.

He had 18 points, four rebounds and six assists in the Might Oaks’ tournament opening win at CC of Philadelphia. Both teams they took down in the tournament beat them in one-possession games during the regular season.

“I feel like the last time they got us because of me,” Taylor said. “I think I went out in the first half with three fouls. I wasn’t playing at 100 percent. It was just all about revenge. That’s what I think motivated me today. There was a lot of extra motivation.”

Green, who orchestrated the best turnaround in the league in his first full season at the helm, was named District Coach of the Year as the coach of Saturday’s winning team.

Powell started the Mighty Oaks’ second-half run with a bucket and 3-pointer. He had 11 points in the half and finished with 19; he’s been averaging 15 over his last five games. Xavier Brewington had 10 points and Jyheim Spencer had another double-double (11/10).

Montco had three scorers in double figures but none of its other four scorers had more than five points.

“Our bench played well; that’s the difference,” Green said. “That’s why everybody says why do you play 12 players – because you can wear teams down.

“They had a short bench. Our bench came and gave us minutes and gave our starters a rest and when they got in they were much stronger. It worked out how we planned it, man.”

And now they’re making plans for an even bigger tournament.

SALEM CC 74, MONTGOMERY COUNTY CC 66
SALEM CC (23-7) – Tamir Powell 7-12 1-1 19, Tyrese Fortune 1-8 1-2 3, Xavier Brewington 2-8 6-11 10, Akeem Taylor 8-18 11-12 27, Jyheim Spencer 5-6 1-2 11, Dontarius Jones 1-2 0-0 2, A.J. Jones 1-1 0-1 2, Tivon Woolford 0-0 0-0 0, Josh Ramos 0-2 0-0 0, Rodney Shelton 0-2 0-0 0, Tajee Jordan 0-1 0-0 0, Stefan Phillips 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-60 20-29 74.
MONTGOMERY CO. (21-6) – Matthew Williams 6-14 6-9 18, Sean Emfinger 9-18 3-4 22, Baasil Sanders 5-14 5-7 16, Jaylon Williams 1-3 2-2 5, John Dinolfi 0-5 2-3 2, Jonathan Brooks 0-0 1-2 1, Steven Hill 0-2 0-0 0, Darrius Gaeta 0-7 0-0 0, Emmanuel Rodriguez 0-2 0-0 0, Isaac Martin 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 22-66 19-27 66.

Salem CC	34	40-	74
Montgomery County CC	28	38-	66

3-point goals: Salem 4-15 (Powell 4-7, Fortune 0-2, Brewington 0-2, Taylor 0-1, D. Jones 0-1, Ramos 0-2); Montco 3-17 (M. Williams 0-3, Emfinger 1-3, Saunders 1-3, J. Williams 1-2, Dinolfi 0-3, Hill 0-1, Gaeta 0-1, Rodriguez 0-1). Rebounds: Salem 49 (Taylor 13, Spencer 10); Montco 40 (M. Williams 13, Emfinger 10). Fouled out: Spencer, Emfinger, Saunders, J. Williams. Total fouls: Salem 21, Montco 25.

JUCO DIVISION III DISTRICT CHAMPS
(Updated Sunday)
East: No. 8 Northern Essex (28-3)
Mid-Atlantic: No. 5 Sandhills (27-6)
North: No. 3 Mohawk Valley (26-1)
Northeast: No. 1 Dutchess (26-1)
North Atlantic A: No. 7 Union (23-4)
North Atlantic B: Salem CC (23-7)
North Plains: No. 4 Minnesota State C&T (29-2)
South Central: Dallas College-Mountain View (15-18)
x-ranking in final regular-season poll

Tyrese Fortune and there rest of the Salem CC basketball team give Akeem Taylor the business after Taylor was named MVP of the North Atlantic District B Tournament. Taylor had 27 points and 13 rebounds in the championship game.

‘Special moment’ ahead

Woodstown boys, girls teams headed to semifinal showdowns at Haddon Twp.; Pennsville’s historic girls season ends under barrage of Wildwood 3s

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
Girls Quarterfinals
Haddon Twp. 35, Glassboro 25
Woodstown 46, Audubon 38
Wildwood 75, Pennsville 55
Clayton 56, Palmyra 38
Boys Quarterfinals
Pitman 61, Burlington City 38
Woodbury 62, Audubon 55
Haddon Twp. 47, Palmyra 43
Woodstown 53, KIPP Cooper 49
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Girls Semifinals
(4) Woodstown at (1) Haddon Twp., 5:30 p.m.
(7) Clayton at (3) Wildwood
Boys Semifinals
(5) Woodbury at (1) Pitman, 6 p.m.
(7) Woodstown at (3) Haddon Twp., 7:30 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – The Woodstown boys and girls basketball teams have taken different roads to success under first-year head coaches this season, but now their paths converge in the same place, against the same opponent, on the same day with a big prize on the line.

The Wolverines’ travel expenses will be reduced greatly Tuesday when both teams travel to Haddon Twp. to play their respective South Jersey Group I semifinals games.

The girls will play at 5:30 p.m. after taking down Audubon 46-38 Saturday. The boys will follow at 7:30 after holding off and upsetting second-seeded KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy on the road 53-49.

“I think it’s a special moment,” Wolverines boys coach Ramon Roots said.

“It’s a very neat and unique experience and we’re looking forward to it,” girls coach Matt Smart agreed.

The two coaches got to know each other working on the Wolverines football staff in the fall and they’ve since admired each other’s work during the basketball season. And the teams have become fans of each other, with the boys Saturday cheering loudly behind the girls’ bench before heading up the highway for their own game and the girls sticking around to watch the boys Tuesday after their game had finished.

The boys plan on leaving a little earlier Tuesday so they can watch the girls play.

“We talked about this in the first round when I heard it was like a chance,” Roots said. “I really wasn’t looking ahead, but now it’s a great feeling.

“It’s great for the school, great for the program. I feel like both teams really have a chance. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. I’m just excited for the city of Woodstown. It would’ve been better if we were both in Woodstown, but I’m glad we’re in the same location. We’re definitely going to be there to support them. Hopefully we both get the win and can go to the South Jersey championship.”

What the boys saw Saturday was the girls take control of their game with a defensive-minded second quarter that saw them hold the Green Wave to four points and take a 24-16 halftime lead.

Megan Donelson took a charge in a big moment, Ryann Foote and Emma Perry grabbed some big defensive rebounds and the Wolverines were on their way.

“We talked at the end of the first quarter to the defense not letting back-door cuts, finding open shooters, playing good help defense, the things we talked about in practice all week and I think the girls took that with stride,” Smart said. “It was about boxing out and rebounding and not letting second- and third-shot opportunities happen.”

With the Green Wave focusing on stopping Woodstown all-time leading scorers Talia Battavio and Donelson, it was imperative for the Wolverines get points from the other players on the floor. Donelson scored 17 to pass Tori Smick as Woodstown’s second all-time leading scorer – with Smick in the stands and later visiting the pair that passed her – but they also got 10 points from Lauren Hengel and seven points and 13 rebounds from Kyia Leyman.

“Coming into the game we figured they were going to triangle-and-two us,” Smart said. “So all week after Gateway our talk was our other three on the court have to produce. If they’re going to try to shut down Megan and Talia, it’s those other three girls’ time to shine and Kyia took advantage of being down low.

“What we’ve talked about with Kyia all year is confidence. She’s a great player. She had a rough go the past two years (with knee injuries), but this is the year she has to shine and she’s improved each and every day in practice and each and every game and we’re very proud of her.”

In the boys game, the seventh-seeded Wolverines took down the No. 2 seed in the bracket, but don’t call it an upset. Roots wouldn’t.

The Wolverines opened up a comfortable lead through three quarters by playing tough defense. When they had a 15-point lead with three minutes left it looked like they were going to cruise into the semifinals, but the Titans didn’t make it easy on them.

They took their press and trap up a notch and quickly began knocking back the deficit and Woodstown had no time outs let some of the steam off. The Titans got it to one with 30 seconds left. The Wolverines went back up two, then Alejandro Vazquez hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left to ice it.

Vazquez was 6-for-6 from the free throw line – all in the second half. He finished with a team-high 12 points.

“They definitely played us tough, we knew they wouldn’t quit,” Roots said. “I think we were just pressing it too much, eager to get the ball down the court and it caused a lot of turnovers. I wasn’t really worried. I trusted the guys.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight and when the fourth quarter came they were going to take their best shot. (His team) did a great job overcoming adversity. They did a great job on us, but we definitely did a good job responding.”

GIRLS GAME
WOODSTOWN 46, AUDUBON 38
AUDUBON (19-7) – Ashley Flynn 3 1-3 7, Emma Speyerer 3 3-4 10, Giavanna Hellter 5 1-2 11, Sophia Homa 3 1-3 8, Molly Sullivan 1 0-0 2, Peyton Marrone 0 0-0 0, Kylie Cannaday 0 0-0 0, Vivian Edwards 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 6-12 38.
WOODSTOWN (19-6) – Talia Battavio 3 0-0 6, Megan Donelson 5 5-6 17, Gianna Maiorini 2 0-0 4, Kyia Leyman 3 1-1 7, Lauren Hengel 4 0-0 10, Emma Perry 1 0-0 2, Ryann Foote 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 6-7 46.

Audubon	12	4	12	10-	38
Woodstown	14	10	11	11-	46

3-point goals: Audubon 2 (Speyerer, Homa); Woodstown 4 (Donelson 2, Hengel 2). Rebounds: Woodstown 38 (Leyman 13, Foote 6).

BOYS GAME
WOODSTOWN 53, KIPP COOPER NORCROSS 49
WOODSTOWN (17-9) – Elijah Caesar 3 0-0 7, Garrett Leyman 2 0-0 5, Rocco String 1 5-7 7, Blake Bialecki 3 2-3 11, Jalen Markward 1 0-0 2, Alejandro Vazquez 2 6-6 12, M.J. Hall 3 0-1 9. Totals 16 13-17 53.
KIPP COOPER (15-11) – Troy Morton 1 0-0 2, Maleake Kelly 2 3-6 7, Noel Campbell 0 0-2 0, TaJon Chambliss 0 1-2 1, Gabe Paul 1 0-0 2, Jeremiah Shelton 6 3-4 17, Tahmir Dixon 7 6-10 20. Totals 17 13-24 49.

Woodstown	16	17	11	9-	53
KIPP Cooper	8	6	5	20-	49

3-point goals: Woodstown 8 (Caesar, Leyman, Bialecki 3, Vazquz 2, Hall); KIPP 2 (Shelton 2). Fouled out: M. Hall, Chambliss. Total fouls: Woodstown 24, KIPP Cooper 21.

Girls game

WILDWOOD 75, PENNSVILLE 55: Wildwood hit a season-high 19 3-pointers, outscoring Pennsville from behind the arc alone – to advance to the South Jersey Group I semifinals and end the Eagles’ historic season.

Macie McCracken and Angela Wilber each hit six treys for the Warriors (21-7), while Rebecca Benichou hit five. McCracken scored a game-high 27 points, Wilber had 19 and Benichou 15. McCracken also had 12 rebounds and seven assists.

The 19 3s were the most the Warriors have hit in a game since draining in 21 against Woodstown on Jan. 25, 2024. McCracken and Wilber each had seven in that game.

“How do you defend a team that makes 19 3-point baskets,” Pennsville coach Steve Merritt said. “The only baskets they made in the first half were 3-point baskets and yet we were closer at half today than we were the first time we played them. Zones or man-to-man, it didn’t matter.”

The one thing that worked in Pennsville favor was its transition/fast break offense. When the Eagles were able to spring her, Taylor Bass ran the floor and converted the layup. She led the Eagles with 18 points to finish her junior year with 894 career points. Since Feb. 1 Bass has averaged 18.3 ppg.

Addie Johnston hit four 3-pointers for the Eagles and added 14 points. Nora Ausland scored nine to finish her high school career with 1144 points – exactly the same number her brother Gate scored before graduating Salem in 2020.

After the game the Pennsville player had a visit from former Wildwood coach Dave Troiano, who won more than 600 games in nearly 40 years as a coach. He praised them for their grit and determination and told them not to be too disheartened – he saw a number of good things, just not enough of them.

“High praise from a man who should know,” Merritt said.

The loss ended the program’s winningest season in nearly 40 years. At one point they won six in a row, their longest winning streak in five years. They had two players pass the 1,000-point barrier.

“It was a great year and all 12 members of the squad deserve the credit,” Merritt said. “Those who didn’t get a lot or any varsity play still came to practice, participated in drills and contributed to their teammates’ and the team’s success. True team players.

“I am unabashedly proud of the season, but even more proud of how they performed. Grateful and thankful to have been given the opportunity to coach (Pennsville’s girls team). I’m looking forward to next year eagerly.”

PENNSVILLE (18-10) – Taylor Bass 7 4-4 18, Marley Wood 2 2-6 6, Nora Ausland 3 2-4 9, Addie Johnston 5 0-0 14, Izzy Saulin 2 0-0 4, Jaida Burns 2 0-2 4. Totals 21 8-16 55.
WILDWOOD (21-7) – Macie McCracken 10 1-1 27, Angela Wilber 5 1-2 19, Bebecca Benichou 5 0-0 15, Addison Troiano 3 2-7 8, Kiana D’Antuono 0 0-0 0, Laila Fathi 1 0-0 3, Julia Ennis 1 0-0 3. Totals 26 4-10 75.

Pennsville	10	12	24	9-	55
Wildwood	18	15	24	18-	75

3-point goals: Pennsville 5 (Ausland, Johnston 4); Wildwood 19 (McCracken 6, Wilber 6, Benichou 5, Fathi, Ennis). Rebounds: Wildwood 32 (McCracken 12, Troiano 9).