Step-Up Soph

Schalick blanks Woodstown again, this time behind Whitley’s six strong innings, to reach SJ Group I finals

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I BASEBALL
Semifinals
Audubon 4, Maple Shade 1
Schalick 8, Woodstown 0
Finals
Thursday
No. 2 Schalick (21-2) at No. 1 Audubon (20-7), 4 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE — Schalick coach Sean O’Brien had a lot of options Tuesday if the idea was to save ace Luke Pokrovsky for Audubon in the South Jersey Group I championship game.

Everybody else was relatively fresh, but O’Brien went with the youngest option in a big game – sophomore over senior – and Jamari Whitley came through like a seasoned veteran.

The hard-throwing right-hander, making his first career playoff mound start and second appearance of this postseason, calmly gave the Cougars six strong innings, setting them up for an 8-0 win over Woodstown for a spot in the SJ Group I finals.

The second-seeded Cougars (21-2) now travel to top-seeded Audubon (20-7) Thursday for the sectional final everyone expected to see.

“Lucas (D’Agostino) is a guy who attacks hitters, gets ahead of guys and throws strikes consistently, but Jamari has really tough stuff to hit,” O’Brien explained. “When he’s on, he is really, really good. We put him up against Cherry Hill West (in mid-April) and the way he stepped up in that game that kind of just showed me he was ready for whatever moment we needed him to throw in.

“I know he was nervous going into it, but once things get going, he’s a competitor. He’s been consistent in all aspects of it — hitting, pitching, fielding — and I have all the confidence in the world in him. You can trust him out there. That’s why we put him in this situation today.”

Whitley had plenty of time to prepare for the start. O’Brien likes to give his pitchers ample warning and told him Saturday he was getting the ball. He didn’t believe it at first, but the coach said he wasn’t kidding and he trusted him. He was the Cougars’ first playoff starting pitcher not named Pokrovsky since June 2022.

He threw 102 pitches, allowed just one hit and struck out a career-high 11. He gave up a leadoff single and walk to the first two Woodstown hitters of the game, then retired 15 of the next 16 he faced, including 10 in a row at one point. The Wolverines loaded the bases on him in the sixth, but he got out of it with a fly to shallow left that froze the runners and his final strikeout of the game.

He even drove in the Cougars’ first run with a first-inning double. He also walked and scored in their three-run third.

“I woke up this morning and felt really good,” he said. “During school I had a little nerves, it was one of the biggest (starts) of my career, but after the first inning I shook it off and kept going. It was just trusting my pitches and everything I had.”

“He’s done outstanding this year,” Pokrovsky said. “His head is always up. He worked off of last year and now he’s unbeatable.”

Pokrovsky came in behind him and threw 12 pitches in the seventh, using the outing as his typical tune-up right before his next start.

“We’ve done it all year, he’s done it all his career,” O’Brien said. “I knew he was going to ask me, but I talked to him like ‘Do you want to throw the last inning?’ and he said, ‘Aw, please, yes.’ He’s a guy who needs to throw to be ready for his next start. That’s how he is … so that’s why we did it that way.”

In three games this season (19 innings) the Cougars’ pitching staff has held Woodstown to just two hits and no runs. They’ve given up just two runs in the whole playoffs. Pokrovsky threw a five-inning perfect game at them in his first start of the year.

The Cougars have gotten strong pitching all year long. They haven’t even given up 100 hits this year. After Tuesday’s shutout – their sixth of the season – their team ERA dropped to 1.35. Woodstown, meanwhile, batted just .255 as a team.

“Our pitching has been phenomenal,” O’Brien said. “I was comparing our stats from last year and a lot of our offensive stats aren’t as good as they were last year but our pitching stats are not even close. What they’ve done with whoever’s throwing they give us a chance to compete and especially they’ve stepped up against Woodstown.”

Wolverines coach Marc DeCastro said his team was prepared to face any of the three –Pokrovsky, Whitley or D’Agostino, who they hadn’t seen this year – but they just couldn’t find any offense. Caiden Spinelli had their only hit, a single leading off the game. They had just six baserunners.

“It surprised me just in the fact if they weren’t going to throw Luke that he hadn’t started in a while, but either way they have three pitchers who are all good so we were ready for whichever one happened to throw,” DeCastro said. “He didn’t walk us and he did a good job after the first two batters of settling in; in that situation that could’ve gone a lot of different ways and the game could’ve been a little bit different.

“When you don’t get hits and they’re up 4-, 5-nothing, it’s a lot different than if we would’ve kept it 1 and 2. That was our thing all year. In the two (previous playoff) games alone we scored three runs. Our thing was going to have to be we were going to have to play really clean games and pitch really well and we didn’t play a clean game today.”

Woodstown (16-11)	000 000 0-	0	1	5
Schalick (21-2)	103 121 x-	8	7	2

WP: Jamari Whitley (W), Luke Pokrovsky (7) and Ricky Watt. LP: Aaron Foote (L), Rocco String (4), Michael Valente (4), Jack Holladay (5) and Ty Coblentz. 2B: Luke Pokrovsky (S), Jamari Whitley (S), Enrico Hatz (S).

GROUP I SECTIONAL FINALS
Thursday’s Games
North I: Wallkill Valley (17-6) at Midland Park (19-8-1)
North II: Brearily (14-9) at Verona (19-6)
Central: Point Pleasant Beach (20-7) at Middlesex (20-5)
South: Schalick (21-2) at Audubon (20-7)

STATE SEMIFINALS
June 9
North I at North II
South at Central

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
June 14
Veterans Park, Hamilton, 1 p.m.

Stepping aside

Schalick’s John Romano stepping down as Cougars’ girls tennis coach to enjoy the experiences of being a dad

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – John Romano learned a long time ago to be good at something you have to pour everything you have into it. He knows no other way.

Romano admitted he didn’t know a lot about tennis when former athletic director Mike Clark asked him to take over the Schalick girls tennis program and everything he did, at the beginning at least, he learned from books and videos.

He was a soccer guy, he told them, but Clark said he’d seen him coach, knew how he was with people and he’d pick it up.

So the new tennis coach immersed himself in the subject and after feeling his way the first couple years turned the Cougars into a program that could be counted on to be in the hunt every year.

But the time has come to step away, to go to full bore with family as his children, ages 4 and 8, are starting to discover organized sports before the window for those experiences closes. So, after 17 years the soccer guy is putting that original racquet he bought at Dick’s to learn the game aside and pausing the high coaching side of his career.

Starting next fall the Cougars will have a new girls tennis coach, assistant coach Brandi Petrunis. It had been a decision Romano had been contemplated for a while. He told his team Friday.

“It’s been a lot of fun, I’ve really enjoyed it, I love the kids,” he said. “When I told them on Friday you get teary-eyed and that’s one of the things I’m going to miss.

“I’ve never looked it at as wins and losses. I think where you have your most success when a kid comes back and says you ‘I remember a time …’ and you see the effect you had on them. You realize you have a lot of those moments every year. That’s the stuff I’ll take with me.”

In 17 seasons at the Cougars helm, the 41-year-old health/PE teacher compiled a 219-93 record with seven Tri-County Diamond Division titles (all since 2014) and two sectional crowns, most recently in 2023 when they lost to New Providence in the state semifinals. They were 23-3 that year. This year’s team went 10-8 and lost in the South Jersey Group I quarterfinals, its earliest exit since 2015.

“Had a pretty crummy season (the first year), only won a few games, and I said to myself if I’m going to do this I’ve got to dive in, and I did,” he said. “I started right then and there, came up with a whole slew of rules and expectations for the girls and just what the expectation was.

“I distinctly recall in the next season we had a match at Salem and I gave the girls a heck of a speech. I said this is the point where you guys decide where (you’re going to go). At the time we were competitive with Salem and I said we’re going to need this match in order to get there. I remember one of the kids looking over like I would run through a wall right now for you. We’re not going back.

“It was fun learning with the girls along the way and then it became a thing. We just had a trivia contest and one of the winter pep rallies. They asked a question like what is the winningest program in Schalick history and the kid buzzed in and said ‘girls tennis.’ I graduated from Schalick in 2002 and I know it’s either girls track or boys soccer, but for these kids the past 14 seasons that has been the norm, girls tennis is going to be one of the best programs in Group I year in and year out. That’s what we built up.”

And the experience has changed the soccer guy, too.

“I’m a tennis guy now,” he said.

Photo: Schalick girls tennis coach John Romano celebrates winning the 2023 South Jersey Group I title with his family.

Tri-Cape Cup team

Pennsville’s Burchfield, Schalick’s Pokrovsky return to the Tri-Cape Carpenter Cup team for some unfinished business

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Pennsville’s Chase Burchfield talked earlier this season about how playing in Citizens Bank Park in last year’s Carpenter Cup finals gave him a good idea of what to expect when the Eagles played in Frawley Stadium last month. He may get a chance to rely on that experience again if all goes well.

Burchfield and Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky are back on the Tri-Cape roster for this year’s Carpenter Cup that starts Monday in Philly’s FDR Park. The four finalists play in Citizens Bank Park June 16 with the championship game June 17.

Burchfield, a LaSalle signee, and Pokrovsky, a Penn signee whose Cougars are still alive in the Group I playoffs, are part of another strong Tri-Cape roster.

Burchfield hit .a career-high 486 with 34 RBIs this past season and collected 119 hits and 114 RBIs in his career. Pokrovsky continues to rewrite the Schalick record book with every game he plays. He’s batting .493 with 10 homers, 31 RBIs and has 90 strikeouts and a 0.78 ERA going into today’s SJ semifinal against Woodstown . For his career he has 137 hits, 101 runs, 115 RBIs, 22 homers at a hitter and 347 strikeouts as a pitcher.

Tri-Cape opens the tournament Tuesday against Shore.

Pokrovksy, Burchfield and Pennsville’s Peyton O’Brien were on the team last year that lost to Inter Ac/Independents in the championship game, 3-2. It was Tri-Cape’s fourth straight year in the finals. Evan Taylor (Ocean City), Jake Cagna (Egg Harbor Twp.) and Jack Mustaro (Gloucester Catholic) are also returnees from last year.

Pennsville’s Beth Jackson and Schalick’s Rick Higinbotham again will help coach the Tri-Cape softball all-stars. Their tournament bracket starts June 17 and includes Philadelphia Catholic, Burlington County and SOL/BAL.

Tri-Cape Baseball Roster

POS	PLAYER	YR	SCHOOL
IF	Ethan Dubois	Soph	Delsea
IF	Sawyer Wood	Soph	Clearview
IF	Brayden Thorp	Jr	Kingsway
IF/P	Evan Taylor	Sr	Ocean City
IF	Joe Erace	Sr	St. Augustine
P/OF	Jake Lodgek	Sr	Mainland
IF/P	Alex Weingartner	Jr	St. Augustine
P/IF	Mario Toro	Jr	Vineland
P/IF	Finnegan Haines	Sr	Mainland
P/OF	Adel Villegas	Jr	Atlantic City
P/1B	Andrew Valey	Jr	GCIT
OF	Chase Burchfield	Sr	Pennsville
OF	Ty Costabile	Jr	Holy Spirit
OF/C	Cole Judge	Sr	Deptford
OF/P	Luke Pokrovsky	Sr	Schalick
IF	Jack Mustaro	Sr	Gloucester Cath.
C	Braeden Lipoff	Jr	Gloucester Cath.
P	Jackson Smallets	Sr	Gloucester Cath.
OF	Richie Gonzales	Jr	Cedar Creek
IF/P	Jake Cagna	Sr	Egg Harbor Twp.
UT	Jacob Budd	Jr	Cedar Creek

CARPENTER CUP BASEBALL SCHEDULE
June 9, FDR Park
Game 1: Philadelphia Public vs. Inter Ac/Independents, 9 a.m. (DA)
Game 2: Mercer County vs. Chester County, 10:30 a.m. (RA)
Game 3: Delaware County vs. Berks County, noon (DA)
Game 4: Delaware South vs. Delaware North, 1:30 p.m. (RA)
June 10, FDR Park
Game 5: Olympic-Colonial vs. Lehigh Valley, 9 a.m. (DA)
Game 6: Bux-Mont vs. Burlington County, 10:30 a.m. (RA)
Game 7: Tri-Cape vs. Jersey Shore, noon (DA)
Game 8: SEPA vs. Philadelphia Catholic, 1:30 p.m. (RA)
June 12, FDR Park
Game 9: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 9 a.m. (DA)
Game 10: Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 10:30 a.m. (RA)
Game 11: Game 6 winner vs. Game 5 winner, noon (DA)
Game 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 1:30 p.m. (RA)
June 16, Citizens Bank Park
Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 9 a.m.
Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, noon
June 17, Citizens Bank Park
Championship Game, 9:30 a.m.
DA: Dick Allen Field. RA: Richie Ashburn Field

One last ride

Schalick senior Jordan Hadfield closes a decorated high school track career at the Meet of Champions looking to reach another goal

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Jordan Hadfield had just settled into her seat on the bus, another state championship gold medal and her well-worn but reliable pair of track shoes safely tucked away with her belongings, when the realization of the day finally struck her.

The Schalick senior had just run the last state championship race of her storied high school career – winning the Group I girls 1600 for the second year in a row – and with one more race (maybe two) the time for wearing the Cougars’ green was going to come to an end.

It’ll be an emotional time for one of the most decorated runners in Salem County history and she’ll understandably be sad when it’s over. But while she’s on the track Wednesday she’s determined to make an effort that just might extend her experience a little longer.

“I’m so upset about it, because I’m going to miss it so much,” she said. “My teammates and my coaches, I can’t even think about not having them anymore and starting with a new team. After Wednesday I don’t get to ask them what’s training or what are we doing. It’s just like not them anymore. It’s just, like, crazy.

“After we got on the bus I was like that was my last 4×4, my last states. It just didn’t seem real. I’m sure I’m going to be very upset on Wednesday.”

Jordan will lace up the shoes in an NJSIAA for the final time Wednesday in the Meet of Champions. She’s going in as the 12 seed in the 1600, which should get her in the fast heat, and 20^th with a wildcard spot in the 3200, an event that’s still under debate.

There are a lot of titles and a lot of miles in those shoes. They’ve been with her since she first started running as a sophomore. They’ve been taped together more times than she can count – “they’re pretty bad,” she laughed – but she’d never leave home without them.

In fact, she’s probably putting them with her gear when she runs track and cross country at Rhode Island for old time’s sake.

“I’m definitely keeping my spikes,” she said. “I’ve had them since sophomore year. They were the first pair I got and kept them all the way through. I’m pretty sure we have to wear our team-sponsored spikes, but they (the Schalick shoes) might stay in my dorm.”

They’ve certainly been a faithful to her. They’ve taken her to 20 outdoor track wins in Salem County, Tri-County, Sectional and State Championships. Add her indoor and cross country success and her career win total in the majors is through the Grand Slam rises to 30.

“So much of it is the off-season training and everything you put in to build up for those state moments,” she said. “Winning Salem County, winning Tri-County and all that gives you motivation and confidence and the feeling of having to race hard for those meet before it becomes championship season.

“And they’re all titles you want to get and they all build on each other and you get in so much better shape as you get into May. Once you’re there, you just perform.”

The latest win – Saturday’s 1600 state title – looked close on the clock, but she had it well in hand, winning by 2.45 seconds. Although she trailed briefly right before the bell lap, she ended up regaining the lead and continued a side-by-side battle with Wallkill Valley’s Delana Einreinhofer until the Delaware commitment who edged her for second in the 3200 died off with about 100 meters left.

Hadfield threw it into another gear and left the rest of the field to race hard for the second automatic berth in the Meet of Champions, which went to Riley Fayer of Audubon.

“Ella (Anderson of Metuchen) was on me the whole time; I could actually feel her like hitting my spikes,” Hadfield said. “I was pretty nervous, especially when they passed me, because I knew I had to go around them going to the bell lap. There were like five of us and I felt like anybody could have had it. Going into the meet I was the only one who was sub-five (minutes) so I was trying to get that again.

“it meant so much because it was my last opportunity to get another state title. I lost the 32 (Friday) night and won the mile last year so I wanted the back-to-back titles. Going in with first seed I was like I’m seeded to win so I have to now. I felt like there was a big target on my back. I know they were all going for me, so I knew I had to go out and run my race and not get caught running behind people and trying to pass the whole time because that just never works out.”

So it’s once more into the breach Wednesday. Even though it will be the last NJSIAA race of her high school career, don’t think it will be some nostalgic run. She’s hoping the heightened competition in the 1600 will push her to a 4:58 or better to earn a spot in the New Balance Nationals later this month.

Regardless how the last one turns out, there’s no disputing it’s been a heck of a ride, er, run.

The Hadfield File

Jordan Hadfield’s major career wins
SOPHOMORE
Outdoor: Salem County 1600, 3200; Tri-County 1600, South Jersey Group I 3200
JUNIOR
Outdoor: Salem County 800, 1600, 3200, 4×400; Tri-County 800, 3200; State 1600, 3200
Indoor: South Jersey Group I 1600, 3200
Cross country: Salem County, Tri-County, South Jersey Group I, State Group I
SENIOR
Outdoor: Salem County 800, 1600, 3200, 4×400; Tri-County 1600; South Jersey Group I 1600, 3200; State Group I 1600
Indoor: South Jersey Group I 1600, 3200
Cross country: Salem County, Tri-County

MEET OF CHAMPIONS
(Wednesday, Pennsauken HS)
SALEM COUNTY ATHLETES
GIRLS
1600: 12. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick (5:01.16)
3200: 20. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick (10:59.56)
Shot Put: 23. Tatiyonna Crawford, Pennsville (36-9)
Pole Vault: 10. Megan Morris, Pennsville (10-6)
BOYS
4×800: 5. Woodstown (7:59.15)
400 Hurdles: 16. David Stewart, Schalick (55.04)
4×100: 26. Schalick (42.82)
800: 3. Josh Crawford, Woodstown (1:53.44); 16. Cole Lucas, Woodstown (1:55.01)
4×400: 18. Woodstown (3:23.93)
Javelin: 13. Connor Ayars, Pennsville (172-10)
Long Jump: 10. Anthony Parker, Salem (22-5)
Triple Jump: 24. Bryan Garlic, Penns Grove (44-0)

Wild cards and such

Salem County has athletes in 12 events at Wednesday’s Meet of Champions

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Schalick’s boys 4×100 relay team cut it close, but it’s getting another chance to qualify for nationals.

The Cougars’ relay made the field for the Meet of Champions as the cut off team in their event, giving Salem County athletes in 12 events at Wednesday’s NJSIAA season-finale at Pennsauken High School.

The quartet of Reggie Allen, Michael Eberl, Zaeshawn Mills and David Stewart ran 42.82 to finish third in the Group I Championship Friday and it was good enough to earn one of seven wild card spots Salem County athletes received.

“I’m glad they got in,” Schalick coach James Turner said. “Our goal is to qualify for the New Balance Nationals.

“We already know that we’re capable of running faster than we did at states. One of our runners was sick and another is dealing with an injury. After reviewing the film, I noticed our handoffs did not go as smooth as they did at the sectional meet. We’re going to work on that Monday. The kids are motivated and excited to have another chance.”

The county’s five Group I state champions – Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield (1600), Pennsville’s Megan Morris (pole vault), Woodstown’s Josh Crawford (800), Salem’s Anthony Parker (long jump) and Woodstown’s 4×800 relay team – as well as Woodstown’s runner-up 4×400 relay team received automatic bids. The best of the rest rest were eligible for wild cards.

Of course, even though they’re qualified, the athletes in multiple events may not compete in all of them Wednesday night. Woodstown’s Crawford isn’t likely to run in the individual 800 to focus on the two relays, Schalick’s David Stewart likely won’t run the 400 hurdles that he’s only recently added to his repertoire in order to be sharp for the 4×100, and Schalick’s Hadfield is still contemplating the 3200.

MEET OF CHAMPIONS
SALEM COUNTY QUALIFIERS
GIRLS
1600: 12. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick (5:01.16)
3200: 20. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick (10:59.56)
Shot Put: 23. Tatiyonna Crawford, Pennsville (36-9)
Pole Vault: 12. Megan Morris, Pennsville (10-6)

BOYS
4×800: 5. Woodstown (7:59.15)
400 Hurdles: 16. David Stewart, Schalick (55.04)
4×100: 27. Schalick (42.82)
800: 3. Josh Crawford, Woodstown (1:53.44); 15. Cole Lucas, Woodstown (1:55.01)
4×400: 18. Woodstown (3:23.93)
Javelin: 12. Connor Ayars, Pennsville (172-10)
Long Jump: 10. Anthony Parker, Salem (22-5)
Triple Jump: 24. Bryan Garlic, Penns Grove (44-0)