Woodstown strikes in final minute of first half, beats Pennsville in opening round of South Jersey Group I girls soccer tournament; top-seeded Schalick draws first-round bye
SJ GROUP 1 GIRLS SOCCER TOURNAMENT
FIRST ROUND GAMES
SATURDAY QUARTERFINALS
Schalick bye
Glassboro at Schalick, 10 a.m.
Glassboro 2, Pitman 0
Audubon at Palmyra
Audubon 6, Buena 0
Haddon Twp. at Clayton, 2:30 p.m.
Palmyra 7, Wildwood 0
Woodstown at Gateway
Clayton 9, Woodbury 1
Haddon Twp. 8, Maple Shade 0
Woodstown 2, Pennsville 0
Gateway 7, Cape May Tech 0
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN — The two teams on the pitch were locked in a scoreless tug-of-war. Woodstown was getting the best of it but after repeated attacks had nothing to show for it. As the clock hit the final minute Wolverines coach Kieran Keyser was starting to make mental plans for the second half.
Then in the blink of an eye the whole complexion of the match changed.
Sophie Wells sent a bouncing ball towards the goal that the Pennsville keeper couldn’t corral and just that quickly the Wolverines had the lead 30 seconds before halftime.
It was the kind of jolt that energized the Wolverines and sent the Eagles, who had thought they were holding their own, into the break looking to regroup.
With a renewed sense of fire, Woodstown kept the pressure up in the second half, added a more conventional goal from freshman Hailey Kucharczuk in the eighth minute of the half and went on to win 2-0 in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 1 girls soccer tournament.
“Our first half we started off really strong, really fast,” Keyser said. “We came out firing right away and I think our girls maybe got a little frustrated when we didn’t score when we had a couple chances early and I thought we deflated a little bit about halfway through the first half. We didn’t have that intensity.
“Having that goal right before the half gave us the momentum we needed. It was a lucky goal. Sometimes you gotta get shots, sometimes you get lucky. That carried us into the second half and I thought we played way better in the second half. We played our game the second half.”
Wells admitted it was weird goal and a shot she didn’t expect to go in. “I thought it was just going to be an ordinary shot,” she said. She agreed it did bring the Wolverines energy after a “stressful” first half.
Pennsville’s Marley Wood clears away another first half Woodstown threat.
As shocking as the goal was in its arrival, it didn’t devastate the Eagles as much as one might think. They created more chances in the second half although the Wolverines were successful keeping the ball down in Pennsville’s end.
The Eagles got their first real shot of the game three minutes into the second half when Marley Wood broke in on the keeper and Ellie Wygand saved a soft shot. Wygand turned back a sharper shot from Taylor Bass 10 minutes later and went on to complete her ninth shutout of the season.
“At halftime we just needed to get the girls’ heads back in the game, get them to lock in and refocus,” Pennsville coach Casey Slusher said. “They kept playing the whole game; they played the whole game. They didn’t give up. At all.”
Kucharczuk gave the Wolverines a little more breathing room with her 10th goal of the season. She took a throw-in from Ally Sheppard, deked around several defenders in the box and put one inside the near post from the 6.
“When I have the chance I definitely take them and it’s definitely great when it all works out,” Kucharczuk said.
The seventh-seeded Wolverines (14-3-1) now play at Gateway (16-1) in Saturday’s quarterfinals. The second-seeded Gators routed Cape May Tech Wednesday 7-0.
Pennsville’s Cameron Robbins (3) keeps an eye on Emma Perry as the Woodstown senior tries to take the ball down the sideline. (Top photo) Woodstown’s Hailey Kucharczuk takes a shot in the first half.
Mighty Oaks women drop season opener, men open their season Thursday at Atlantic Cape
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — The Salem CC women’s basketball team was out to keep its record in home openers under coach Brian Marsh perfect, but in the end the little things and a little roster conspired against it.
The Mighty Oaks opened their season with a 62-53 loss to Hagerstown (Md.) CC. It’s the first time in three years under Marsh they have dropped their home opener.
“It’s a tough loss at home,” Marsh said. “That’s a team I thought we could definitely compete against; we just saw them in the super jam last week. It’s definitely a game I thought was a winnable game, but I don’t think we did the little things well. We have to play better.”
The Hawks won the battle of the boards, the turnover differential and shot free throws better.
After a slow start, the Mighty Oaks picked up the pace in the second quarter and grabbed a 31-29 halftime lead. When they opened the second half with a 9-0 run, they held an held an 11-point lead with 5:52 left in the third quarter. But then the Hawks increased their energy and held Salem to only five points over the next 13 and a half minutes to grab their own 11-point lead.
“They won the 50-50 balls, they out rebounded us,” Marsh said. “At some point we have to dig deep and say this is our game. We’re trying to win our first game at home. We have a tough next couple of games and we just made that hill a little harder to climb. We’ve got to get better.”
It wasn’t all a downer. Marsh said he saw some nice things. One of the brightest spots was the play of point guard Justine Cardona. The true freshman from South Philly gave the Mighty Oaks a game-high 19 points off the bench in her college debut on a bigger floor than she was used to playing.
“Compared to the games we played before today I think I did pretty well,” she said. “I tried to calm my mind because I was playing really rushed the first two or three games. I feel like I’ve got the plays down, ran them a little bit.”
“She’s a different type of point guard than we’ve had,” Marsh said. “She can really shoot. She can score. Obviously she provided that spark and when she got hurt and was out for extended minutes trying to get wrapped it affected us. We were stuck on 40 for probably seven minutes.”
The limited roster hurt the Mighty Oaks in the end. They had two bigs foul out and were down to their last available player to put five on the floor.
“It sucks (losing a winnable game), but it’s First Game,” Cardona said. “I think we did well considering we only had five at the end. We’re just going to work to get better.
“It’s the first game. I’m not holding my head down. Usually I’d be mad al all, I’d go crazy, but I really think we didn’t do bad.”
HAGERSTOWN 62, SALEM CC WOMEN 53 HAGERSTOWN (1-0) – Tyra Hobbs 0-2 0-2 0, Andrea Elder 6-12 3-4 115 Gabbie Ball 5-13 2-3 12, Ella Bennett 2-13 0-1 6, Brianna King 6-14 1-2 13, Cylvia Prout 0-1 0-0 0, Kayla Dangerfield 3-11 0-0 6, Janae Bradley 2-10 6-7 10, Addie Shall 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-76 12-19 62. SALEM CC (0-1) – RayNescia King 1-6 1-1 3, Tanijya Shaw 6-16 3-6 17, Kasey Oliver 3-7 0-2 6, Daniella Gustin 0-1 1-2 1, Jayda Hunter 1-7 0-0 2, Justine Cardona 6-12 6-11 19, Paula Wilson 2-4 0-2 5. Totals 19-53 11-24 53.
Hagerstown
12
17
12
21-
62
Salem CC
9
22
9
13-
53
3-point goals: Hagerstown 2-13 (Bennett 2-7, King 0-3, Prout 0-1, Dangerfield 0-2); Salem CC 4-13 (Shaw 2-3, Hunter 0-3, Cardona 1-4, Wilson 1-3). Rebounds: Hagerstown 48 (Elder 11, Bradley 13); Salem CC 34 (Oliver 9, Gustin 6, Shaw 6). Fouled out: Elder, Oliver, Gustin. Technical fouls: Salem CC coach Marsh. Total fouls: Hagerstown 17, Salem CC 17.
MEN OPEN ON ROAD: The Salem CC men’s basketball team opens its road back to the nationals against Atlantic Cape as the hunted. The Mighty Oaks won a district title and finished fifth at the national tournament last year. They were ranked No. 5 in the preseason JUCO Division III ratings.
“It’ll be a tough one,” coach Mike Green said. “They’re one of the better teams in the league.
“Our guys have a target on their back that really wasn’t meant for them. We’ll get everybody’s best shot.”
In this case, the Mighty Oaks are a victim of their own success. They were 23-8 last year, but the majority of players have gone on to four-year programs.
As of practice Tuesday, Green wasn’t sure of his starting five for the game. He said he’s “got an idea” who’d like to start, but wasn’t quite ready to commit.
Penns Grove freshman takes game to next level in playoffs; Red Devils, Pennsville score historic wins in SJ Group I boys soccer tournament; also includes opening round of field hockey tournament
SJ GROUP I BOYS SOCCER
SJ GROUP I FIELD HOCKEY
Tuesday’s first round
Tuesday’s first round
Haddon Twp. 5, Woodbury 0
Shore 6, Collingswood 0
Pennsville 1, Glassboro 0
Haddon Hts. 2, Woodstown 0
Pitman 2, Clayton 0
S. Hunterdon 2, Bordentown 1
Palmyra 1, Woodstown 0
Gloucester 5, Lower Cape May 0
Audubon 4, Wildwood 0
Haddon Twp. 6, New Egypt 0
Riverside 2, Maple Shade 0
Schalick 2, Florence 1
Penns Grove 3, Gateway 1
Gateway 1, Audubon 0
Schalick 2, New Egypt 0
West Deptford 11, Pennsville 0
Friday’s quarterfinals
Thursday’s quarterfinals
Pennsville at Haddon Twp., 4 p.m.
Haddon Heights at Shore
Palmyra at Pitman
S. Hunterdon at Gloucester
Riverside at Audubon
Schalick at Haddon Twp.
Penns Grove at Schalick, 2 p.m.
Gateway at West Deptford
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE – Prince Ledbetter came off the pitch with about 10 minutes to play and a two-goal lead to series of high fives on his way to the bench. The celebration started early, but coach Mano Massari warned his players it wasn’t over.
It was necessary to do, but it really wasn’t.
Necessary because only three weeks ago the Red Devils held a two-goal lead on a high-powered opponent with a lot less time remaining and left with a draw that felt a lot worse. Unnecessary because they played a strong second half and continued to after their flashy freshman came off the field, putting away Gateway 3-1 in the opening round of the South Jersey Group I boys soccer tournament.
It was the Red Devils’ first win in the tournament since 2022. They now travel to second-seeded Schalick Friday for the quarterfinals.
“The history is we were up 2-0 on a very good team (Woodstown), dominated that game for a while, but we took our foot off the gas and got comfortable, complacent, and you know how that ended,” Massari said. “It ended in a tie with a good team, but it felt like a loss to us.
“All season long they’ll say we’ll fix it tomorrow, we’ll fix it tomorrow, and the message today was there is no tomorrow. I’ve got a good team, but they’re very inconsistent at times and to be the best you’ve got to be consistent.”
The Red Devils (9-5-3) had a lot of messages sent their way during the game.
Huddled in the goal at halftime trailing 1-0, Massari told them to just take a breath and “clear the mechanism.”
They had the best of the opportunities, but still were behind. Watching Mario Fuentes’ penalty kick slam off the crossbar in the 19th minute got them out of sorts and their fears intensified when Gateway’s Max Hohl parked a shot just out of the reach of PG keeper Dwayne Guzman Silva 17:38 before halftime. They needed to regroup.
They got it back together in the second half. They continued to have the best of the chances, but this time they finished, scoring three goals in 17 minutes.
“I wanted them to fight out of a hole and they did,” Massari said.
Ledbetter had a part in all three goals, but a more direct one in the second two.
Poyrez Erdonmez got the equalizer three minutes into the second half off a rebound of a Ledbetter shot. The freshman put the Red Devils ahead with a bullet into the upper left corner on a free kick from just outside the box nine minutes later and then made a nifty side-boot flick to set up Erdom Yardim’s insurance goal with 20:24 to play.
“I saw the open gap and saw the keeper was off his line a little bit and I took a hard rip to the top corner and it went in,” Ledbetter said of his goal. “I was anticipating (the final goal). I was waiting for the perfect moment (to make the pass). I knew that play was going to happen and it just came out how I wanted it and we got the goal.”
Ledbetter figures his freshman season is “going pretty well.” His goal is to become the best player he can. Massari believes he went to a another level Tuesday.
“I’ve been praising this kid since August,” Massari said. “I said to my assistant coach (Jesus Lopez) today this is the day Prince is going to take over this game and take over this team, and I really do believe he just did that.
“He is a special kid. If he can get out of his own way at times and make smart decisions, my God is he going to be a problem for the next couple years. He is going to be a problem in this conference, I really do think that.
“I am petrified to lose Dwayne next year, but having a kid like Prince kind of softens the blow a little bit.”
This defense doesn’t rest
GLASSBORO – Pennsville just keeps checking off historical boxes.
The Eagles won their first division title in 32 years earlier this season and Tuesday they picked up their first playoff win in 11 years with a 1-0 victory over eighth-seeded Glassboro. It also was coach Derek Foglein’s first playoff win as head coach.
The ninth-seeded Eagles (11-6-2) now travel to top-seeded Haddon Twp. for Thursday’s quarterfinals.
“Today just solidifies how hard this year’s team has worked, especially this group of seniors,” Foglein said. “Even these guys have been working in May, but Coen (Rinnier) and Steve (Fatcher), in particular, have been working their butts off all four years. It’s really nice to see them kind of get something out of all that labor and everything that they’ve put into the program.
“Yeah, it feels nice to win this game today, but it really is a win for Pennsville soccer and that, to me, is bigger than anything else, for sure.”
It was the first time the Eagles have beaten Glassboro in nine games since the teams began playing regularly in 2018, including a 1-0 own-goal loss earlier this season. They had been 0-9 against the Bulldogs since 2010, the first year records are publicly available.
“It feels really good to get it done especially after the season we are having and especially on Glassboro because that’s a team me and my coaches, I’m pretty sure, have never beaten,” Fatcher said. “We had lost to them in the summer league championship and earlier in the season so it felt like we had a little something to prove as well as continuing me and the other seniors’ careers.”
Sam Hassler scored the game’s only goal two minutes before halftime, cashing in a free kick by Edwin Castaneda-Sanchez from 35 yards out.
“We’ve been focusing on set pieces all year,” Foglein said. “We got plenty of opportunities in the first half and we took advantage of the one that we needed.”
Much of the credit for the historic victory goes to the Eagles’ defense, led by stopper Fatcher and defensive mid J.P. Laughrey. Rinnier was credited with seven saves in goal, but thanks to the play of the back line he was rarely tested. It was their 11th shutout in 19 games.
“Coen’s leadership and his calm demeanor at the back was super helpful for us, for sure, but overall this was our best team defensive effort of the season and it wasn’t even close,” Foglein said. “Once we scored that goal, in the second half everybody on the field was committed to defending as a team and making smart choices when they were on the ball.”
“I talked to the boys before the game and said we need to win me and the other seniors another game because this team deserves that,” Fatcher said. “I also felt a little bit of pressure being that this could have been my last high school soccer game so I felt like I had to prove something any way I could and tried my best to limit shots on goal. It feels really good to know that me and the team left everything out on the field and won.”
Cougars find a way
PITTSGROVE – Schalick ran into another team that didn’t want to play with them, but the Cougars still had plenty of firepower to overtake their opponent’s conservative approach.
The second-seeded Cougars scored two goals in the second half to push past No. 15 New Egypt 2-0. They now host Penns Grove in the quarterfinals Friday.
The Warriors seemed not to want to push the ball forward , instead just nudging it up towards the front and hoping to capitalize on a Schalick mistake. But once Nolan O’Toole broke the ice it opened things up for the Cougars.
“When teams are playing like that, (if) you get that early goal that kind of opens things up and makes it less frustrating,” Schalick coach Joe Mannella said. “We didn’t do that, so we did a good job of just continuing to play at it and keep poking away until we found a breakthrough and then it clearly opened up after that.”
Jaxon Weber had a hand in both goals. He assisted on O’Toole’s goal and then scored the insurance goal on an assist from Tyler Vanlier.
Mannella expects “a lot of teams” to take a conservative approach against his team the deeper they get into the playoffs.
“We’re still trying to find our way without Luke (Price) and with some young guys, figuring out a way to integrate some of the other guys whose roles have now changed,” Mannella said. “We need Jaxon Weber to get more involved in the offense.”
No pal of theirs
WOODSTOWN – An old nemesis did it to Woodstown again.
Palmyra, the team that knocked the Wolverines out in the sectional semifinals three times in the last four years, did it to them again, this time in the opening round, 1-0 in overtime.
The Panthers beat them in a shootout last year and with shutouts in 2021 and 2023.
“I guess we’re just destined to run into them,” Woodstown coach Darren Huck said. “For a while there when I was in Group 2 it always seemed like we were going against Cinnaminson. Then the one year we didn’t have Cinnaminson, we had Delran. For us right it’s just that Palmyra is the team we’re running into.
“When you look at South Jersey Group 1, I’ve said it for many years, the team that wins it they have to go through either Palmyra, Woodstown, Haddon Twp. or Schalick. If you want to win it, you have to beat one of those teams or we’re all beating each other, that’s what it comes down to.”
Patrick Broadbelt scored the golden goal two minutes into overtime when he ran onto a bending free kick Kian Briant sent into the box and headed into the goal.
The fourth-seeded Wolverines (11-4-4) had several good chances in the first half that keeper Deakon Haines came out to stop. Meanwhile, they played their typically gritty defense to keep the Panthers out of the goal through regulation.
“Disappointed we lost, but all in all, looking back on it, we played 19 games this year and only lost four of them,” Huck said. “I’m proud of that. I’m proud of the 4-seed. Who else would have to play a 13-seed Palmyra team. If anybody would have said that in the soccer world they would have gone that must be a different sport than boys soccer.”
Field Hockey
SCHALICK 2, FLORENCE 1: Caylen Taylor and Luci Virga scored goals in the first quarter and goalie Lydia Gilligan made 15 saves to help the sixth-seeded Cougars hang on. Ryann Smith scored in the second quarter for Florence and the teams battled through a scoreless second half.
“It was a tough one, for sure,” Schalick coach Heather Cheesman said. “I don’t think the girls were expecting Florence to come out like they did. They were fast and aggressive.”
HADDON HEIGHTS 2, WOODSTOWN 0: Abigail Lovelidge and Lily Paul scored goals in the second quarter and the Garnets completed the shutout to bring the curtain down on Gloria Byard’s first season as the Wolverines’ head coach. The loss snapped Woodstown’s four-game winning streak
WEST DEPTFORD 11, PENNSVILLE 0: The Eagles were just too strong and overpowered Pennsville in coach Lisa Doran’s return to the sideline. Avery Gasparovic, Isabella Gibbons and Julia Barger scored two goals apiece and five other players had individual goals
Woodstown gets fourth-down stop at the 5 in final minute to preserve 21-14 win over Clayton in final game of a tough season
WJFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Woodstown 21, Clayton 14 Wildwood 22, Haddon Twp. 8
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CLAYTON — Aiden Taulane and Liam Reed were determined not to lose the final game of their high school careers. The two linemen did everything in their power to make sure they won the last game of a tough senior season Monday night and at the crucial moment they delivered in a game-saving way.
The moment of truth came in the final minute of their final game. Taulane batted down a fourth-down pass from the 5 and Reed crushed the unfortunate lineman who caught the deflection to preserve Woodstown’s 21-14 win over Clayton at Haupt Field.
“I saw the quarterback pick his arm up and I jumped,” Taulane said. “It wasn’t very high, but I tried to jump and I ended up hitting it and then the emotions just flipped and it was straight excitement. I gave it everything to make sure we could all have one last win.”
“We all knew this was it,” Reed said. “It’s been a long four years … Adversity kept coming this season. This was kind of our chance to prove that we could overcome adversity. We just came together. We just made sure we could lock you down.”
Reed was in on another big stop in the third quarter when he and Mason Middlemiss sandwiched Clayton running back Willie Weathers short of the goal line to deny a two-point conversion that would have given the Clippers the lead. Instead, the stop kept the game tied at 14.
The Wolverines (3-7) had one chance to go out on a good note after a season beset with injuries left them out of the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. They went out fast, scoring on two of their first three possessions to take a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Cole Ware scored the first touchdown on a 43-yard burst up the middle and Middlemiss scored the second on a 24-yard run in the first minute of the second quarter. Ware rushed for 79 yards on 10 carries and Middlemiss rushed for 88 yards on 13 carries.
The Clippers (4-5) started getting Michael Ball involved in the offense in the second quarter and they answered Middlemiss’ touchdown with a 65-yard drive that ate up five and a half minutes. Quaddy Walls’ 7-yard run and quarterback Gabriel Hill’s two-point conversion got them on the board.
Woodstown had a chance to extend its lead right before halftime, but missed a 33-yard field goal attempt in the final minute of the half.
Clayton opened the second half with a 66-yard scoring drive that consumed nearly eight minutes with Weathers scoring on a 12-yard run to tie the game.
Middlemiss put the Wolverines up 21-14 on a 4-yard run with 9:02 left in the game. Clayton held it virtually the rest of the game.
The Clippers kept the ball from the time Middlemiss scored to 48 seconds left when the Wolverines forced Hill to his right on fourth down, Taulane batted the pass and Reed crushed Roderick Harper after the Clayton lineman came down with the rebound.
“He was not getting that ball,” Reed said. “He was not scoring.”
“We just knew if we didn’t give everything we had they were going to get in,” Taulane said. “So, we left it all on the field.”
The drive covered 75 yards in 16 plays and was nearly flawless until the end.
The Clippers converted three third-down plays to keep the chains moving, including a 17-yard run by Deron Williams to get the ball inside the 10. The next two plays got them to the 5. They took a shot on third down, but Middlemiss and Bryceton Rooney broke up a pass intended for Michael Bull just inside the goal line. Taulane and Reed then sealed the victory on the next play.
“It just shows the resilience and toughness of this group,” Wolverines coach Frank Trautz said. “It’s the bones of this program. They were going to do whatever it took to get that stop and sometimes that’s all it comes down to, just the will to compete and the will to win.
“They gave it everything they had all year. That was the message all week – win it for the seniors. Give them what they deserved. We didn’t have the season we wanted to but these guys have worked their tails off for this program. They worked so hard and they deserve this and I’m just super proud they got to go out their last high school game with a win.”
Woodstown senior linemen Aiden Taulane (77) and Liam Reed (68) share a special moment with coach Frank Trautz after Monday night’s win. (Top photo) Mason Middlemiss (3) and Sincere Cook-Reese celebrate after scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Woodstown 21, Clayton 14
WOOD
CLAY
9
1st Downs
12
26-204
Rushing
48-232
0-3-0
Passing
2-4-0
0
Passing yds
(-3)
2-2
Fumbles-lost
1-0
0-0
Punts-avg
0-0
4-30
Penalties
4-40
Woodstown
7
7
0
7-
21
Clayton
0
8
6
0-
14
SCORING SUMMARY W-Cole Ware 43 run (Anthony Costello kick), 6:46 1Q W-Mason Middlemiss 24 run (Anthony Costello kick), 11:01 2Q C-Quaddy Walls 7 run (Gabriel Hill run), 4:35 2Q C-Willie Weathers 12 run (run failed), 4:05 3Q W-Mason Middlemiss 4 run (Anthony Costello kick), 9:02 4Q
NJSIAA identifies 16 Paulsboro player for disqualification and suspension for Saturday’s playoff game with Schalick; game still on as scheduled
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
Schalick’s South Jersey Group I semifinal playoff game Saturday remains on as schedule, but with host Paulsboro playing with a highly limited roster.
The Red Raiders had 16 players, to date, “identified for disqualification,” and by NJSIAA rules subject to a one-game suspension for their involvement in a wild altercation in the fourth quarter of their 38-0 quarterfinals win over Woodbury Saturday. Game officials terminated the game with 4:41 left to play.
The NJSIAA identified four Woodbury players for the same penalties.
The NJSIAA said Monday Paulsboro is scheduled to host the Cougars Saturday in the second round and the game is on without with DQ’d players. Kickoff is set for noon.
“Our kids are excited that they’re actually going to play,” Schalick coach Kevin Leamy said. “All of them wanted to play.”
Here is the NJSIAA’s statement:
“Late Saturday, NJSIAA learned that the Paulsboro–Woodbury football game had been terminated with approximately four minutes remaining and Paulsboro leading 38–0. An altercation broke out along the Paulsboro sideline which escalated onto the field. Video review confirmed that multiple Paulsboro players engaged in fighting and left the bench area, along with several from Woodbury.
“As required by NJSIAA rules, any player engaged in fighting or leaving the bench area during an altercation is disqualified. Based on the review, 16 Paulsboro players and 4 Woodbury players, to date, have been identified for disqualification and will be subject to a 1-game sit. Both schools have been notified, and disqualifications have been entered into the NJSIAA system.
“The situation is certainly unfortunate, and NJSIAA appreciates the cooperation of both schools as the review process continues.”
Messages have been left for Paulsboro officials for further comment. Schalick athletics director Doug Volovar said he spoke briefly with Paulsboro AD Paul Morina after the NJSIAA’s announcement without much detail.
A Paulsboro senior player responding to a Riverview Sports News post on X said “several” people were ejected for passing the 25-yard-line bench boundary to get away from the melee, the “only” direction they could go he said after they “were instructed” to get away.
The NJSIAA did not identify the 16 disciplined players in its statement; a roster from a game with Penns Grove earlier this year lists 36 players on the Paulsboro roster. Schalick officials were working to identify who they were going to play against, but the team is preparing as if the Red Raiders would be at full strength. The winner draws the Salem-Glassboro winner in the sectional finals. Several starters are said to be among the sanctioned.
“We’ll see who those players (suspended) are,” Leamy said. “It could be all JV players, could be a handful of varsity players, we have no idea right now.
“We’re still preparing as if they’re full strength. We’re preparing that they’re not losing anyone and they have to sit a bunch of JV kids. That’s the way we’re preparing.”
The teams played earlier this year at Schalick with Paulsboro winning 6-0 in a game basically played between the 30s.
Paulsboro controlled the clock in the first half and scored a touchdown late in the second quarter. The Cougars had the ball with five minutes left and mounted a threat for the winning score, but the drive was gutted by back-to-back penalties.
It was the first of three straight losses (among four in a row) the Cougars sustained with quarterback Kenny Bartee in concussion protocol. Bartee returned for the regular-season finale against Woodbury and the Cougars have won two straight since.
So in the rematch, Paulsboro will be without 16 players who played in that game and the Cougars will be with one big piece who didn’t.
“I’m glad there wasn’t a forfeit; I’m glad we get to play,” Leamy said. “We’ll see what happens, but I’m glad there’s a game.”
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Nov. 3-8
MONDAY, NOV. 3 FOOTBALL Woodstown at Clayton, 6 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER South Jersey Group I Tournament Wildwood at Palmyra, 2 p.m.
TUESDAY, NOV. 4 BOYS SOCCER South Jersey Group I Tournament Woodbury at Haddon Twp., 4 p.m. Pennsville at Glassboro, 2 p.m. Clayton at Pitman, 2 p.m. Palmyra at Woodstown, 2 p.m. Wildwood at Audubon, 2 p.m. Maple Shade at Riverside, 3 p.m. Gateway at Penns Grove, 2:30 p.m. New Egypt at Schalick, 2 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY South Jersey Group I Tournament Collingswood at Shore, 6 p.m. Woodstown at Haddon Heights, 2 p.m. Bordentown at South Hunterdon, 2 p.m. Lower Cape May at Gloucester, 3 p.m. New Egypt at Haddon Twp., 2 p.m. Florence at Schalick, 2 p.m. Gateway at Audubon, 2 p.m. Pennsville at West Deptford, 1 p.m. WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL Hagerstown at Salem CC, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5 GIRLS SOCCER South Jersey Group I Tournament Glassboro at Pitman, 2 p.m. Buena at Audubon, 3 p.m. Woodbury at Clayton, 3 p.m. Maple Shade at Haddon Twp., 4 p.m. Pennsville at Woodstown, 2 p.m. Cape May Tech at Gateway, 2 p.m.
THURSDAY, NOV. 6 FIELD HOCKEY South Jersey Group I Tournament Collingswood-Shore vs. Woodstown-Haddon Heights Bordentown-South Hunterdon vs. Lower Cape May-Gloucester New Egypt-Haddon Twp. vs. Florence-Schalick Gateway-Audubon vs. Pennsville-West Deptford COLLEGE BASKETBALL Salem CC at Atlantic Cape, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOV. 7 FOOTBALL South Jersey Group I Playoffs Salem at Glassboro Schalick at Paulsboro BOYS SOCCER South Jersey Group I Tournament Woodbury-Haddon Twp. vs. Pennsville-Glassboro Clayton-Pitman vs. Palmyra-Woodstown Wildwood-Audubon vs. Maple Shade-Riverside Gateway-Penns Grove vs. New Egypt-Schalick
SATURDAY, NOV. 8 GIRLS SOCCER South Jersey Group I Tournament Glassboro-Pitman winner at Schalick Audubon-Buena vs. Palmyra-Wildwood Clayton-Woodbury vs. Maple Shade-Haddon Twp. Woodstown-Pennsville vs. Cape May Tech-Gateway COLLEGE BASKETBALL Salem CC at Delaware County
Woodstown, Schalick boys and girls advance to Group I state race after top five finishes at DREAM Park
By Riverview Sports News
LOGAN TWP. – The boys and girls teams from Woodstown and Schalick and an individual runner from Pennsville all advance to the Group I cross country state championship meet after posting qualifying finishes in the South Sectionals at DREAM Park Saturday.
Woodstown and Schalick finished 3-4 in the boys standings, while they went 4-5 in the girls standings.
Woodstown’s Jacob Marino finished sixth overall in the Boys Group I race and the Wolverines placed all five counters in the top 15 to score 75 points. Chase Riley was Schalick’s fastest runner, finishing 10th. Collin Bittle was 15th.
Woodstown’s Abby Marino finished second overall in the girls race, running 19:44.80. Teammate Anabel Schaal was seventh. The Wolverines finished two points behind third-place Maple Shade. Helen Lillia led Schalick across the line with an 11th overall finish.
Pennsville’s Sawyer Slad qualified individually after finishing 13th in the girls race.
The top five teams and individual runners in the top 15 not already qualified advance to the state meet. The top 10 runners received medals.
The championship meet is Nov. 8 in Holmdel. The Meet of Champions is there Nov. 15.
Group I South Sectional
BOYS TEAM SCORES: Glassboro 25, Haddon Twp. 58, Woodstown 75, Schalick 117, Audubon 127, Pitman 173, Maple Shade 184, Cape May Tech 253, Riverside 276, Buena 280, Paulsboro 315, Salem 330, Pt. Pleasant Beach 367, New Egypt 378.
GIRLS TEAM SCORES: Audubon 43, Haddon Twp. 61, Maple Shade 86, Woodstown 88, Schalick 108, Pitman 135, Cape May Tech 163,
Salem unloads on KIPP, rolls in South Jersey Group I playoff opener for first playoff win since 2022; Paulsboro, Woodbury brawl in their playoff opener, could impact Schalick semifinal
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I PLAYOFFS Quarterfinals Glassboro 41, Audubon 0 Salem 47, KIPP 0 Schalick 21, Pennsville 16 Paulsboro 38, Woodbury 0 Semifinals Salem at Glassboro, Friday, 6 p.m. Schalick at Paulsboro, Saturday, noon
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CAMDEN — It takes a certain mindset to navigate the perils of a long regular season. Then, after getting through that, teams that make it into the playoffs are asked to compress all that urgency into each specific week knowing that game could be its last.
Streaking Salem really locked into the playoff mentality Saturday and gave an absolutely dominant performance in their 47-0 rout of KIPP in the 4-5 game of the South Jersey Group I quarterfinals. The Rams (6-4) now visit top-seeded Glassboro in the sectional semifinal Friday.
They have won three in a row and five of their last six.
Dominant is the operative word. The Rams ran 37 of their 44 offensive snaps on the Titans’ side of the field. The deepest they were backed into their own territory all game was their 38 – in the third quarter after a punt with a lot of roll – and then it only took them one play to get back to the other side of the field.
Meanwhile, the defense didn’t let the Titans breathe. They had amassed 2800 yards and scored 270 points in their first eight games, but had only 52 net yards and never got close to the end zone against the Rams. Their deepest penetration was the Salem 46. KIPP ran just two total plays on the Salem side of the field and both of those produced interceptions.
“It does change,” Rams coach Kemp Carr said of the approach. “It’s a new season. It’s mental toughness. One and done. There’s no tomorrow.
“We talked about mental toughness all week long I was beating that in their head. You’ve got to let the bad things that happen to you expire quickly and get back to the next play. The mentality is we’re trying to play every down like it’s our last down and we’re never going to get to play football again. That’s got to be the mentality in the playoffs.”
Salem’s Antwuan Rogers (44) draws a bead on KIPP quarterback Davion Ross-Ways in his relentless pursuit of the Rams’ sack record.
Senior defensive lineman Antwuan Rogers certainly embraced the mentality. Facing the prospect of playing his final high school game if the Rams didn’t win, the Temple commitment took up residence in the Titans’ backfield. Carr called him “relentless.”
He was credited with seven sacks in the game, breaking Amare Smith’s 2021 single season school record. Rogers now has 20 sacks this season with at least one more game to play.
“I saw I was close; I had 13,” Rogers said. “At first I was like I’m probably just going to try to get three (Saturday) and try to finish it out the next game, but then I’m like no, we can go home today, you never know, so I’m like I’ve got to get it today.
“We got super locked in. This is the first time we’ve been in the playoffs in a couple years so we were coming to dominate. We came in with the mindset that we were going to be dominate, so nobody on KIPP Cooper could mess with us – at any position. We came and dominated every position. That’s why we won the game.”
Salem sophomore Izaiah Santiago (25) had the best game of his career in Saturday’s South Jersey Group I playoff opener against KIPP.
Sophomore Izaiah Santiago also played a huge role keeping the season alive. He scored three touchdowns. Santiago scored on runs of 1 and 3 yards and two plays after his second rushing touchdown he anticipated an out route, picked it off and returned it 50 yards for another score.
“He was locked in on a different mindset,” Carr said. “Whoever fed him make sure they give that to him for the rest of his life.”
“It was just hearing number called,” Santiago said. “All week in practice, running through the plays, getting ready for the game. It was just coming out here and doing what I was supposed to do. I’m just thankful for Coach Carr calling my number.”
The Rams’ domination commenced right from the start, when KIPP touched its game-opening onside kick before it had traveled 10 yards. It took the Rams three plays to get in the end zone and the rout was on.
It was 20-0 at halftime and easily could have been 35-0 with a little more sharpness. Quarterback Desmund Thomas ran for two scores. Freshmen Cashmir Parsley ran for their first touchdown and Kyvion Parsons ran for their last one. Quarterback Desmund Thomas ran for two scores in between.
“I thought we played pretty well,” Carr said. “We left some plays out there; we’ve still got some things we need to execute up front. At first I wasn’t happy with the way we were able to establish the run and then we were able to get it going.
“We’re just trying to figure it out. We’re just tryng to get better every week. Like I said at the beginning of the season I thought we would be pretty good at the end of the season and we are.”
SCHALICK WATCHING: The Schalick football program will be watching closely for any ruling that may come down as a result of the brawl that ended the Woodbury-Paulsboro playoff game Saturday but is going forward with its plan to play a game next week.
The Cougars are scheduled to play the winner (Paulsboro) in the next round Saturday, but the status of that game (and opponent) is potentially in jeopardy after the fight broke out on the Paulsboro sideline after Red Raiders quarterback Malakhai McKenzie was hit out of bounds. Paulsboro was leading the game 38-0 when both benches emptied as a fight erupted on the field. The officials called the game with 4:41 to play.
Reports indicate there were several late hit penalties on Woodbury before the incident that sparked the fight
The NJSIAA is awaiting further information on the incident.
“It’s obviously something you never want to see in high school football,” said Schalick coach Kevin Leamy, who was not at the game. “Whatever the circumstances are you never want to see those type of incidents with that many players involved, people running off the bench. That’s not what any coach wants and I feel bad for both of those staffs that have to deal with that.
“You never know what the results are going to be. The state comes in and makes rulings on these things. Usually, they don’t make the quickest ruling either … We’ll be preparing tomorrow and Monday like we’re playing Paulsboro next Saturday. Until that changes we are preparing for Paulsboro.”
Repercussions could include both teams get kicked out of the playoffs — giving Schalick a bye into the sectional final against the Salem-Glassboro winner in two weeks — multiple player suspensions with the game to continue as scheduled, and even a change to a neutral site.
In any event, the Cougars are going forward with business as usual until they hear otherwise.
“We’ve got to prepare like we’re playing,” Leamy said.
Last year’s Schalick-Paulsboro regular-season game got caught up in a threat that forced officials to postpone the game, at Paulsboro, until the following Monday afternoon.
Salem 47, KIPP 0
SALEM
KIPP
13
1st Downs
3
28-97
Rushing
20-14
7-14-0
Passing
4-13-3
105
Passing yds
38
0-0
Fumbles-lost
1-1
0
Punts-avg
3-33.0
8-60
Penalties
8-62
Salem
14
6
20
7-
47
KIPP
0
0
0
0-
0
SCORING SUMMARY S-Cashmir Parsley 48 run (Desmund Thomas run), 10:42 1Q S-Desmund Thomas 15 run (PAT failed), 0:28 1Q S-Izaiah Santiago 1 run (kick failed), 4:25 2Q S-Desmund Thomas 9 run (kick failed), 7:22 3Q S-Izaiah Santiago 3 run (pass failed), 1:44 3Q S-Izaiah Santiago 50 interception return (Jonathan Bower kick), 0:07 3Q S-Kyvion Parsons 4 run (Jonathan Bower kick), 5:03 4Q
GROUP I PLAYOFFS NORTH I Butler 42, Hawthorne 7 New Milford 35, Bogota 21 Kittatinny 12, Wallkill Valley 7 Kinnelon 26, Park Ridge 7 NORTH II Mountain Lakes 42, Brearley 0 Cedar Grove 35, Glen Ridge 20 New Providence 38, Secaucus 0 Hasbrouck Heights 45, Wood-Ridge 14 SOUTH Glassboro 41, Audubon 0 Salem 47, KIPP 0 Schalick 21, Pennsville 16 Paulsboro 38, Woodbury 0 CENTRAL Burlington City 49, Bound Brook 0 Manville 35, Asbury Park 0 Pt. Pleasant Beach 42, Riverside 14 Shore 34, New Egypt 0
Salem’s Makhye Murray (9) sets the tone for the Rams’ defense by dragging down KIPP running back Torey Jones on the first defensive play of the game. (Photo by Julliana Love)
Riverview Sports News 