West Jersey Football League teams learn crossovers, schedules; Woodstown, Pennsville, Schalick all play the four other county teams this cycle despite being in different divisions, Salem-Penns Grove off the schedule
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
Three of the five football-playing high schools teams in Salem County are playing all four of their county rivalries this upcoming football season, while one long-standing rivalry is missing from the mix to make it a true Big Five slate.
The West Jersey Football League schedule is out and what it reveals locally is for only the second time since 2000 — unless they get together in Week Zero (unlikely) or the playoffs — Penns Grove and Salem will not play each other over the next two seasons.
Salem’s crossovers are Audubon, Woodstown and Clayton. Penns Grove’s crossovers are Lindenwold, Pennsville and Schalick.
It’ll be only the third time in the history of the series (early 90s, 2000-01) they will not have played in a home-and-home cycle. The series has been ongoing since 1912 with Penns Grove leading 57-46-6. They met three times in the playoffs.
“It don’t feel right, don’t look right,” said Salem coach Kemp Carr, a Salem native who played in the rivalry and has been head coach on both sides of it. “It goes back for a while. It’s your crosstown rivalry. It’s our second biggest rivalry in the county, realistically.
“It’s for the township, it’s for the people, that’s what matters. It’s giving the community what they look forward to every year no matter what the records are. You can throw the records out.”
Pennsville, Schalick and Salem will play each other as part of the WJFL Diamond Division schedule. Pennsville and Schalick both picked up Woodstown and Penns Grove, lifetime Diamond Division teams demoted this round to the Independence Division for the next two-year cycle.
“It’s an exciting opportunity,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “Being in a county with just five high schools that play football really turn each of these into a rivalry game. The kids all know each other and you can see in other sports how fired up they are to play each other.”
Woodstown will play all three Salem County Diamond Division teams, with Pennsville as its Week Zero game not incorporated in the WJFL schedule release.
“We are excited about the new schedule and the new challenges it brings,” Woodstown coach Frank Trautz said. “I love that we have those crosstown rivalries and I think it’s great for the community.”
Photo: Penns Grove and Salem battle during their 2024 game.
| DIAMOND | PENNSVILLE | SALEM | SCHALICK |
| Week 0 | at Woodstown | vs. Maple Shade | |
| Week 1 (9/4) | Overbrook | Paulsboro | Burl City |
| Week 2 (9/11) | at Pitman | Audubon | at Woodstown |
| Week 3 (9/18) | at Paulsboro | at Schalick | Salem |
| Week 4 (9/25) | Burlington City | Overbrook | at Paulsboro |
| Week 5 (10/2) | Penns Grove | Woodstown | at Cumberland |
| Week 6 (10/9) | at St. Joe Hamm | at Clayton | Penns Grove |
| Week 7 (10/16) | at Schalick | at Burl City | Pennsville |
| Week 8 (10/23) | Salem | at Pennsville | Overbrook |
| INDEPENDENCE | PENNS GROVE | WOODSTOWN |
| Week 0 | Pennsville | |
| Week 1 (9/4) | at Buena | at Clayton |
| Week 2 (9/11) | Lindenwold | Schalick |
| Week 3 (9/18) | Pitman | at Woodbury |
| Week 4 (9/25) | at Woodbury | Buena |
| Week 5 (10.2) | at Pennsville | at Salem |
| Week 6 (10/9) | at Schalick | Overbrook |
| Week 7 (10/16) | Woodstown | at Penns Grove |
| Week 8 (10/23) | Clayton | Pitman |
DIAMOND/INDEPENDENCE DIVISIONS
WEEK 1 (Sept. 4)
Burlington City at Schalick
Overbrook at Pennsville
Paulsboro at Salem
Penns Grove at Buena
Woodstown at Clayton
Woodbury at Pitman
WEEK 2 (Sept. 11)
Hopewell Valley at Burlington City
Highland at Overbrook
Paulsboro at West Deptford
Pennsville at Pitman
Audubon at Salem
Schalick at Woodstown
Buena at Mastery
Clayton at Haddon Twp.
Lindenwold at Penns Grove
Woodbury at Gateway
WEEK 3 (Sept. 18)
Burlington City at Overbrook
Pennsville at Paulsboro
Salem at Schalick
Buena at Clayton
Pitman at Penns Grove
Woodstown at Woodbury
WEEK 4 (Sept. 25)
Burlington City at Pennsville
Overbrook at Salem
Schalick at Paulsboro
Buena at Woodstown
Penns Grove at Woodbury
WEEK 5 (Oct. 2)
Palmyra at Burlington City
West Deptford at Overbrook
Paulsboro at Woodbury
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Woodstown at Salem
Schalick at Cumberland
Wildwood at Buena
Gateway at Clayton
Pitman at Gloucester Catholic
WEEK 6 (Oct. 9)
Burlington City at Riverside
Overbrook at Woodstown
Haddonfield at Paulsboro
Pennsville at St. Joe’s (Hamm)
Salem at Clayton
Penns Grove at Schalick
Lindenwold at Buena
Salem at Clayton
Pitman at KIPP
Woodbury at Collingswood
Woodstown at Overbrook
WEEK 7 (Oct. 16)
Salem at Burlington City
Overbrook at Paulsboro
Pennsville at Schalick
Buena at Pitman
Clayton at Woodbury
Woodstown at Penns Grove
WEEK 8 (Oct. 23)
Paulsboro at Burlington City
Schalick at Overbrook
Salem at Pennsville
Woodbury at Buena
Clayton at Penns Grove
Pitman at Woodstown
THANKSGIVING GAMES
Clayton at Pitman
Riverview Sports News 