Six Salem football players heading to Texas this weekend to participate in a national high school combine
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
One of Kemp Carr’s greatest joys of being a high school football coach is getting his players exposure to the next level of the game and this weekend six of his Salem players will get a lot of it on one of the biggest and most competitive stages.
They’ll be participating in the Navy All-American Bowl Combine in San Antonio. None of them will play in the game Saturday at the Alamodome, but they all will take part in the drills and testing to see where they measure up against the top players in the country with the results available to every college coach in the land. They’re leaving Thursday.
The group includes juniors Mahkye Murray, Wyatt Irvine, Kamal Chatum and KaiSiere Muhammad and freshmen Cashmir Parsley and Kyvion Parsons. They earned the opportunity not only by being a quality player but by making a 3.2 or better GPA in the first grading period.
“Everything is earned, not just given,” Carr said. “I’m always trying to build an opportunity I would want if I was a high school student. Then they get to do it on the grand stage. Nothing like doing it on the grand stage.
“But you’ve got to earn it. You have to qualify as a football player and you had to qualify as a student. And this is the way it’s always been. I just don’t pick guys at random and go, you’ve got to earn it and these kids have done a good job of doing that. I expected a bigger group next year because some guys see they got left behind.”
Carr has been taking players to the Combine every year since 2017. He estimated 90 percent of them have gone on to play college football with about a half dozen going to Division I programs.
He said some of the players going this year have “sat at the table already with college coaches,” but this trip opens the door to a world of recruiting possibilities.
They’ve already seen firsthand what it can do for a player’s future. Edge rusher Antwuan Rogers went last year and the experience got him the looks that landed him at Temple. He leaves for the North Philly campus this week to prepare for his first college spring practice.
“It’s bigger than just the opportunity to get looked at,” Carr said. “Here’s a kid who changed the complexity of who he was, the identity of who he was, by getting on a plane and having an opportunity to fly to be around the game of football.
“He says he’s never been out of the Tri-State area, so he looked at it as an opportunity that if I do the right thing maybe this can become a lifestyle. So from a mental standpoint it gives them an opportunity to see if you do the right thing how far a game can take you.”
Former Salem and recently named Deptford head coach Montrey Wright will be coaching in the game. He will be coaching the East squad’s defensive line.
Photo: Mahkye Murray (9) will be one of six Salem players participating in this weekend’s Navy All-American Bowl Combine in Texas. He’s shown here pulling down KIPP running back Torey Jones on the first defensive play of their South Jersey Group I playoff game. (Photo by Julliana Love)
Month: January 2026
Threat averted
Salem CC returns to the court; No. 1 men put away No. 7 Union in biggest challenge to their top billing to date; cold fourth-quarter shooting ruins women’s upset bid of No. 5 Monroe-Bronx
MENS BASKETBALL
Salem CC 74, Union 68
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Monroe-Bronx 51, Salem 46
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – It’s been 18 days since the Salem CC men’s basketball team last played a game and when the Mighty Oaks returned to the floor Tuesday it had to come against the biggest threat to their undefeated record and No. 1 ranking this season.
It’s a new calendar year and the schedule will get infinitely harder from here on out, but the Mighty Oaks got through the first one all right, putting down No. 7 Union College of New Jersey, 74-68.
It’s been so long since this team of mostly first-year college players have played it literally felt like the first time. They had to get used to being back on the floor together and the flow and rhythm of the game again, but they eventually did — just like they’ve always done this season.
“We just had to adjust to the game,” guard Saaid Lee said. “Throughout the game I was just thinking back to our first game of the season. This is exactly like that. You just had to adjust and just get the jitters out. First game of the semester.
“It took a while (to get adjusted), I’m not gonna lie. But once it clicked, it clicked. We were cool.”
Just like in the opener at Atlantic Cape the Mighty Oaks (17-0) fell behind at the outset, and just like in the opener they came to life in the second half to win.
They trailed the team they beat in the third round of last year’s national tournament by 13 in the first half and battled back to within four at halftime. They fell back by nine at the start of the second half, then found their game and did what they’ve always done this season to get a lead.
The game turned for them during a crazy 22-second stretch midway through the half. It started with Zyaire Gibson blocking a shot and Nasseem Wright converting it into a three-point play at the other end to give them the lead for the first time since 5-1 with 8:52 to play. They never lost it.
The next trip Lee picked Kanye Brown’s pocket at midcourt and was fouled driving to the basket. He hit both free throws to make it 52-48.
The Mighty Oaks nearly forced a turnover on the next possession. On the ensuing inbounds play, Idris Rines knocked a ball that appeared to be kicked free and was fouled in the scramble. It was Union guard Tareak Williams’ fifth foul, which set off Owls coach Devon Stansbury and earned him a technical.
Lee made one of the two tech shots and Rines hit both of his free throws. The Mighty Oaks who had trailed by one with nine minutes left were now up seven with 8:30 left.
“I just remember before it I huddled my team and told them we get three stops in a row and the game was ours,” Lee said. “And that’s exactly what we did.”
“We knew we were going to go on a run soon,” Wright said. “Going into the half their two best players didn’t come out of the game so we knew they were tired. Once we put a little more pressure on their guards and made them get out and made the other people score I felt like that’s when the dominoes would start falling.”
They still had some work to do, however. The Owls made it 59-57 with 5:26 to play, then Jarrell Little and Rines wrapped 3-pointers around a UCNJ free throw and the Mighty Oaks were back up seven with 3:27 to go.
“It’s been that way all year for us,” Mighty Oaks coach Mike Green said. “A couple games we were down and had to fight back. This wasn’t any different. This is one of the better teams. We knew it was going to be a war coming in.
“That’s what we do. If we’re behind ,we do what we do, we get back to where we need to be and we’re really good with the lead, really good with the lead. But we showed them this year we can play from behind and grind the game out.”
One of the things the Mighty Oaks did do to maintain the lead was make their free throws. In the six minutes after Wright’s go-ahead three-point play, they were 12-of-13 from the line. They were 19-of-21 in the half and 21-of-29 in the game.
“That’s one thing we’re keying on, even in practice we shoot a lot of free throws,” Wright said. “And at game speed as well. We’ll be running up and down at practice and then we’ll shoot free throws and if we miss we’ve got to run again. So we condition for those late-game moments. Two, three minutes left in the game, we need the free throws, we’re all tired, but we’re able to go to the line and knock them down.”
The Mighty Oaks placed five scorers in double figures. Wright bounced back from a tough first half to score a team-high 16 points. Rines had 13 (11 in the second half), Little 12, and Lee and Gibson 11 apiece. Union’s Jake Zawacki led all scorers with 24 points.
Just like his team, it took Wright a little while to get back in the swing of things. He had four points and four turnovers in the first half, but after the break he hit 3-of-4 shots, got to the foul line more, scored 12 points and had only one turnover.
“Once I realized how physical it was, going into the second half I knew what I had to do coming out,” Wright said. “Going into the half my coaches were telling me not to bail them out, not to get caught up in all that other stuff, just play my own game and coming out the second half that’s what I did.”
SALEM CC 74, UNION 68
SALEM CC (17-0): Jarrell Little 3-6 5-9 12, Saaid Lee 3-7 5-6 11, Zyaire Gibson 4-10 0-0 11, Nasseem Wright 5-11 6-9 16, Stefan Phillips 1-2 1-1 3, Jahseir Sayles 0-1 0-0 0, Qua Smith 1-2 0-0 2, Nayeem Johnson 3-10 0-0 6, Idris Rines 4-10 4-4 13. Totals 24-59 21-29 74.
UNION (11-3): Tareak Williams 1-6 1-2 3, Craig West 1-3 0-0 2, Nicolas Acosta 8-22 3-5 19, Kanye Brown 0-1 0-0 0, Jeremiah Saint Jean 2-10 1-2 5, Anthony Hicks 1-7 2-5 4, Aljanai Best 2-4 0-0 4, Nasir Calloway 3-6 0-0 7, Jake Zawacki 9-18 2-2 24. Totals 27-77 9-16 68.
| Salem CC | 29 | 45– | 74 |
| Union | 33 | 35– | 68 |
3-point goals: Salem CC 5-18 (Little 1-2, Lee 0-1, Gibson 3-7, Wright 0-2, Johnson 0-1, Rines 1-5); UCNJ 5-15 (Williams 0-1, West 0-1, Hicks 0-2, Best 0-1, Calloway 1-1, Zawacki 4-9). Rebounds: Salem CC 40 (Lee 7, Little 6, Wright 6); UCNJ 45 (Acosta 14, Saint Jean 12). Technical fouls: Saint Jean, Union coach Stansbury, Rines, Salem CC coach Green. Fouled out: Williams, Saint Jean. Total fouls: Salem CC 24, UCNJ 17.
Region XIX Standings
| DIVISION III | R19 | ALL | GSAC |
| SALEM CC (1) | 11-0 | 17-0 | 11-0 |
| Northampton (5) | 8-0 | 13-1 | |
| Union (7) | 8-2 | 11-3 | 8-2 |
| Ocean | 8-2 | 8-4 | 5-3 |
| Montgomery (9) | 4-1 | 7-2 | |
| Brookdale | 11-3 | 11-5 | 7-3 |
| Camden | 6-3 | 9-5 | 6-4 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 6-4 | 6-7 | 5-5 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 3-4 | 6-7 | |
| Bergen | 6-8 | 7-9 | 2-6 |
| Atlantic Cape | 4-6 | 5-7 | 3-6 |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 4-10 | 5-11 | 1-6 |
| Sussex | 3-9 | 5-11 | 3-8 |
| Passaic | 3-11 | 3-12 | 3-8 |
| Delaware County | 2-8 | 3-12 | |
| Harrisburg Area | 1-5 | 2-10 | |
| Luzerne | 1-6 | 4-11 | |
| Philadelphia | 1-8 | 6-8 |
Number in parenthesis is JUCO Division III national ranking
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Salem CC 74, Union 68
Miseracordia JV 83, Luzerne 76
Raritan Valley 74, Manhattan CC 69
Orange CC at Middlesex
Howard CC 82, Delaware Tech 59
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Harrisburg Area at Chesapeake
THURSDAY’S GAME
Union at Sussex
Harcum at CCBC Dundalk
Thaddeus Stevens at Miseracordia JV
Bergen at Ocean
Passaic at Atlantic Cape
FRIDAY’S GAME
Penn State DuBois at Lackawanna
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Salem CC at RCSJ-Gloucester
Harrisburg Area at Montgomery
Ocean at Thaddeus Stevens
Raritan Valley at Chesapeake
Delaware at Luzerne
Union at Atlantic Cape
Montgomery (Md.) at Mercer
Bergen at RCSJ-Cumberland
Northampton at Sussex
Morris at Delaware Tech
Camden at Essex
Kingsborough at Middlesex
Women ‘played well, but …’
CARNEYS POINT – The Salem CC women gave the fifth-ranked team in Division III all it could handle, but they went cold from the floor in the fourth quarter and fell to Monroe-Bronx 51-46.
The Mighty Oaks (2-9) made just one of 19 shots in the fourth quarter. They led 46-45 with 6:45 to play, then didn’t score again. The Express (14-1) didn’t shoot it great either in the fourth quarter, but found the bucket enough to earn their seventh straight victory.
“I thought we did what we were supposed to do on defense, but when we needed a basket we just didn’t get it,” Salem coach Brian Marsh said. “The players played hard.”
The cold fourth quarter dropped the Mighty Oaks to 32 percent shooting for the game (19-for-60). They also were just 5-of-15 from the free throw line. The Express shot an even worse percentage (18-for-66), but made six 3-pointers and nine free throws.
Monroe led early on by 10, but the game was close throughout. There were six lead changes and nine ties.
The teams fought to a 13-13 tie in the first quarter with Salem’s Justine Cardona beating the buzzer with a layup to get it even. It was a two-point game at halftime and a one-point game going into the fourth quarter.
It was Cardona’s two free throws that gave the Mighty Oaks the lead in the fourth quarter.
Cardona led the Mighty Oaks with a game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Tanijya Shaw had 10 points and Dani Gustin had eight points and eight rebounds.
“I told the players I’m getting tired of ‘we played well but…’ games,” Marsh said. “We’ve got to finish games and we’ve got to win games. We’ve shown people, especially our last four games, what we’re doing. I think this is the team that we are and they’re starting to come together.”
MONROE-BRONX 51, SALEM CC 46
MONROE-BRONX (14-1) – Jaeda Kelly 0-0 0-0 0, Beverly Williams 4-20 3-8 13, Aniyah McLamb 6-12 2-4 14, Salimah Williams 5-19 2-4 15, D Stephenson 0-2 0-0 0, Jhency Pabon 0-0 0-0 0, Lea Tavarez 1-7 0-0 3, Tyra Williams 0-1 0-0 0, Jazmyne Rios 2-5 2-4 6, Aviah Richards 0-0 0-0 0, Sade Gibbs 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-66 9-20 51.
SALEM CC (2-9) – RayNescia King 1-9 0-2 2, Tanijya Shaw 5-17 0-0 10, Dani Gustin 4-6 0-4 8, Paula Wilson 2-4 0-0 6, Jayda Hunter 0-6 1-2 1, Justine Cardona 6-15 4-7 17, Kasey Oliver 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 19-60 5-15 46.
| Monroe-Bronx | 13 | 20 | 10 | 8- | 51 |
| Salem CC | 13 | 18 | 11 | 4- | 46 |
3-point goals: Monroe 6-36 (B. Williams 2-11, S. Williams 3-14, Tavarez 1-7, T. Williams 0-1, Rios 0-3); Salem CC 3-12 (King 0-3, Shaw 0-1, Wilson 2-4, Hunter 0-1, Cardona 1-3). Rebounds: Monroe 42 (T. Williams 8, Rios 8); Salem CC 43 (Cardona 10, King 9, Gustin 8). Technical fouls: Monroe coach Ling, Salem CC bench. Total fouls: Monroe 15, Salem CC 18.
Region XIX Women’s Standings
| DIVISION II | R19 | ALL | GSAC |
| Harcum (5) | 6-0 | 14-1 | |
| Union (7) | 8-1 | 14-1 | 6-0 |
| Mercer (18) | 6-2 | 10-3 | 3-1 |
| Essex | 6-3 | 9-4 | 4-2 |
| Delaware Tech | 3-4 | 4-11 | |
| Raritan Valley | 3-5 | 6-8 | 3-3 |
| Lackawanna | 2-6 | 2-9 | |
| SALEM CC | 1-5 | 2-9 | 0-3 |
| Middlesex | 1-6 | 6-12 | 0-4 |
| Morris | 0-4 | 0-4 | 0-3 |
Number in parenthesis is JUCO Division II national ranking
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Monroe-Bronx 51, Salem CC 46
Howard CC 72, Delaware Tech 67
Sussex 77, RCSJ-Cumberland 50
Montgomery at Bergen
Middlesex 92, Orange CC 43
Union at Monroe
THURSDAY’S GAMES
RCSJ-Cumberland at RCSJ-Gloucester
Passaic at Atlantic Cape
Bergen at Ocean
Sussex at Delaware County
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Salem at RCSJ-Gloucester
Bergen at RCSJ-Cumberland
Morris at Delaware Tech
Northampton at Sussex
Camden at Essex
Montgomery (Md.) at Mercer
Cecil at Middlesex
Mission statement
Pennsville holds off Woodstown, ending Wolverines’ long-standing hold on Salem County girls basketball; Salem’s girls use big fourth quarter to down Pitman; Penns Grove gets first win; Salem boys pick up big South Jersey Group I win over Pitman, and more
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove 44, Overbrook 39
Glassboro 33, Schalick 15
Pennsville 47, Woodstown 46
Salem 59, Pitman 52
Clayton 62, Salem Tech 24
BOYS BASKETBALL
Clayton 90, Salem Tech 42
Glassboro 63, Schalick 60
Overbrook 62, Penns Grove 45
Woodstown 56, Pennsville 24
Salem 55, Pitman 44
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. Gloucester Catholic
Lindenwold girls 4, Salem 0
INDOOR TRACK
Penns Grove, Schalick at Cherokee Throwdown
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – The balance of power in Salem County girls basketball shifted seismically Tuesday night.
Over the last five-plus years no one in Salem County has beaten the Woodstown girls, but that run came to an end when Pennsville jumped way out early and then held off a hard change in the fourth quarter to beat the Wolverines 47-46.
Woodstown had won 39 straight (and 46 of 47) against in-county competition before the Eagles knocked them off. Pennsville was the last county team to beat the Wolverines – way back on Feb. 22, 2020.
The win also gave the Eagles (5-2) the early upper hand in the Tri-County Diamond Division and dropped Woodstown below .500 (4-5) for the first time since dropping their 2023-24 season opener.
“I gave the girls T-shirts that were screened, ‘On a Mission,'” Pennsville coach Steve Merritt said. “We want to update our championship banner so beating Diamond Division opponents is critical. They thrashed us twice last season and if we hadn’t become so careless with the ball late a greater margin would have been salve on that wound.”
It started out to be a tight game. The teams battled to a 12-12 tie through a barrage of 3-pointers the first quarter, but the Eagles pulled away in the second quarter and extended their halftime lead to 12 entering the fourth quarter. Pennsville hit all nine of its 3-pointers in the first three quarters.
The Wolverines turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter and used it to fuel their comeback. They hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to make it a one-point final.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our kids and the way they competed,” Woodstown coach Matt Smart said. “To be down 15 and continue to believe, continue to defend and continue to play for one another says a lot about the culture we’re trying to build here.
“We didn’t hang our heads, we didn’t splinter, and we gave ourselves a chance late, which is all you can ask for in a game like that.”
Marley Wood led the Eagles with 23 points, five 3-pointers, 10 rebounds and five assists. Taylor Bass, who joined Wood in Pennsville’s 1000-Point Club on Monday, had eight points and six steals.
In seven career games against Woodstown, Wood is averaging 16.0 ppg. She had her career high (27) against the Wolverines as a sophomore.
Lauren Hengel led Woodstown with 14 points. Kyia Leyman and Mia Waterman had 12 points apiece. All of Waterman’s points came on 3s.
Smart said he wasn’t aware of the length of Woodstown’s in-county winning streak, but he wasn’t losing sleep over its ending.
“Obviously, we didn’t get the result we wanted, but there’s value in games like this when you’re building something,” he said. “Our kids are learning how to respond to adversity, how to handle pressure, and how to fight until the final horn. The resiliency is something we can build on moving forward.
“For us, this is another step in the process. We said from the beginning of the year that this year was going to be different but different can be good. We are still trying to figure some things out offensively and defensively, but we are progressing. Our standard is high and nights like this where you’re tested are part of laying the foundation for sustained success.”
PENNSVILLE 47, WOODSTOWN 46
PENNSVILLE (5-2): Taylor Bass 3 2-2 8, Marley Wood 6 6-10 23, Addi Johnston 3 0-0 7, Izzy Saulin 0 0-0 0, Jaida Burns 1 0-0 2, Jaiden Wilson 2 0-0 6. Totals 15 8-12 47.
WOODSTOWN (4-5): Lauren Hengel 5 1-2 14, Kyia Leyman 4 4-6 12, Emma Perry 1 0-0 2, Kendall Young 1 2-2 4, Mia Waterman 4 0-0 12, Talia Guardascione 1 0-0 2, Gina Murray 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 7-10 46.
| Pennsville | 12 | 17 | 10 | 8- | 47 |
| Woodstown | 12 | 7 | 8 | 19- | 46 |
Rebounds: Pennsville 27 (Wood 10), Total fouls: Pennsville 9, Woodstown 13.
SALEM 59, PITMAN 52: Freshman Dyaira Anderson scored 15 of her career-high 26 points in 21-point fourth quarter that lifted the Rams (4-2) to a victory that surpassed their win total of a year ago. She also pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds to complete her first career double-double.
Madison Dixon had 13 points. Carlysia Pierce had eight points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals.
The Rams fell behind 17-4 then went to work.
“I’m proud of the way they won tonight,” Carr said.
PENNS GROVE 44, OVERBROOK 39: The Red Devils (1-5) jumped out to a 25-13 halftime lead on the way to giving coach Daja Cook her first win with the program.
GLASSBORO 43, SCHALICK 15: Too much Kezia Brackett and too many self-inflicted turnovers conspired to send Schalick (3-1) to its first loss of the season. Brackett had 17 points and seven rebounds for Glassboro (6-3).
| Glassboro | 14 | 9 | 13 | 7- | 43 |
| Schalick | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5- | 15 |
Boys games
SALEM 55, PITMAN 44: Cole Sayers came off the bench and gave the Rams nine points and seven rebounds as they continue their march towards a No. 1 seed in South Jersey Group I.
Deshaan Williams was their leading scorer with 15 points. Marshall Stephens grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Xavier McGriff had 10 points and Tymear Lecator dished eight assists.
GLASSBORO 63, SCHALICK 60: Xavier Sabb scored 34 points, but the Bulldogs barely got by the Cougars. Dylan Sheehan led Schalick with 20 points. Julian Dickerson had 14 and Kenny Bartee had 12.
OVERBROOK 62, PENNS GROVE 35: Overbrook’s Lamar Little led all scorers with 17 points. Haneef Frisby led Penns Grove with 11.
CLAYTON 89, SALEM TECH 42: The Clippers put four scorers in double figures, led by James Fritz’ 17. Keidyn Robinson led Salem Tech with 10. Larry Pompper had eight.
WJFL all shook up
As previously reported by Riverview Sports News, the WJFL Diamond Division is shaken up with Glassboro, Woodstown, Penns Grove all out, Pennsville in; 76 teams in different divisions than a year ago
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
The Diamond Division of the West Jersey Football League may look a lot different than it has in the past, but it still appears to be just as strong as it’s ever been.
The ”SEC West” of Group I football is still no country for old men.
Two-time reigning state champion Glassboro may have been moved out in the latest two-year shakeup of WJFL division alignments, but there is still a lineup of heavy hitters residing there.
All six teams in the new division lineup were playoff teams in 2025. But the biggest takeaway locally is both Woodstown and Penns Grove are out, vanquished to the Independence Division. They had been Diamond Division teams since the inception of the WJFL in 2010.
“No problem for us,” Woodstown coach Frank Trautz said Monday, the day the league formally announced the alignments. “The name of the division doesn’t mean anything; they change every two years and teams are constantly moving. The goal is always the same. We want to try and position ourselves the best we can for the post season.”
The new Diamond Division has Pennsville, Schalick, Salem, Burlington City, Overbrook and Paulsboro. The new Independence Division is Penns Grove, Woodstown, Buena, Clayton, Pitman and Woodbury.
Schalick was 5-7, but played in the sectional title game for the third year in a row. Pennsville (5-5, Patriot) was a South Jersey Group I quarterfinalist and Salem (6-5) and Paulsboro (9-2) played in the Group I semifinals. Burlington City, which won an appeal to come out of the Constitution Division and replaces Gloucester in the Diamond reshuffle, was the No. 2 finisher in the South Jersey Group I UPR and No. 1 seed in the Central Jersey bracket and Overbrook (6-4, Patriot) was a playoff team in Group II.
The WJFL granted five of the 11 appeals it heard. More than 20 were said to be filed. Fifteen teams changed divisions from the pre-appeal alignment. Seventy-six of the league’s 96 teams will be playing in different divisions than they did in the 2024-25 realignment.
In the new Independence Division, only Clayton (5-5) had a non-losing record and Woodbury (3-7) was the only team that made the playoffs. Penns Grove went 0-9 and is looking for a new coach, and Woodstown went 3-7 in a season beset by injuries.
“We feel like our division will be challenging, but we must challenge ourselves to get better,” Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas said. “We are familiar with the teams in our division and we are getting back a few Salem County rivals.”
Teams are now awaiting word on their scheduling crossovers. The new alignments may make filling schedules easier.
It has been rare that all five Salem County teams played in the same division. Pennsville plays an annual trophy game with Penns Grove. The last time the Eagles played all four of the other Salem County teams in the same season was 2019.
“(It) would be nice if the scheduling committee added Woodstown as one of our cross-overs so we would once again play all of the Salem County schools during the regular season,” Thomas said.
The WJFL said it was hoping to have the schedules and crossovers in place by mid-January.
WEST JERSEY FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIAMOND: Burlington City, Overbrook, Paulsboro, Pennsville, Salem, Schalick.
INDEPENDENCE: Buena, Clayton, Penns Grove, Pitman, Woodbury, Woodstown.
AMERICAN: Winslow, Washington Twp., Kingsway, St. Augustine, Atlantic City, Millville.
CLASSIC: Camden, Glassboro, Mainland, Cedar Creek, Holy Spirit, Ocean City.
COLONIAL: Cherokee, Shawnee, Rancocas Valley, Burlington Twp., Pleasantville, Delsea.
CONSTITUTION: Paul VI, Delran, Haddonfield, Seneca, West Deptford, Willingboro.
CONTINENTAL: Cherry Hill East, Eastern, Lenape, Northern Burlington, Williamstown, Pennsauken.
FREEDOM: Camden-Eastside, Cherry Hill West, Cinnaminson, Gloucester, Moorestown, Triton.
MEMORIAL: Absegami, ACIT, Egg Harbor Twp., Hammonton, Lower Cape May, Oakcrest.
LIBERTY: Bridgeton, Cumberland, Timber Creek, St. Joe’s (Hamm.), Vineland, Highland.
CAPITOL: Allentown, Ewing, Hightstown, Hopewell Valley, Princeton, Trenton.
VALLEY: Hamilton, Lawrence, Notre Dame, Nottingham, Robbinsville, Steinert.
NATIONAL: Audubon, Bishop Eustace, Collingswood, Gateway, Haddon Heights, Sterling.
PATRIOT: Bordentown, Camden Catholic, Florence, KIPP, Maple Shade, Riverside.
ROYAL: Clearview, Deptford, Holy Cross, Mastery, Pemberton, WW-Plainsboro.
UNITED: Gloucester Catholic, Haddon Twp., Lindenwold, Middle Twp., Palmyra, Wildwood.
Salem County WJFL History
| YEAR | SCHALICK | PENNS GROVE | PENNSVILLE | SALEM | WOODSTOWN |
| 2026 | Diamond | Independence | Diamond | Diamond | Independence |
| 2025 | Diamond | Diamond | Patriot | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2024 | Diamond | Diamond | Patriot | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2023 | Horizon | Diamond | Royal | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2022 | Horizon | Diamond | Royal | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2021 | United | Diamond | United | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2020 | United | Diamond | United | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2019 | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2018 | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2017 | Classic | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2016 | Classic | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond |
| 2015 | Diamond | Diamond | Classic | Classic | Diamond |
| 2014 | Diamond | Diamond | Classic | Classic | Diamond |
| 2013 | Diamond | Diamond | Classic | Classic | Diamond |
| 2012 | Diamond | Diamond | Classic | Classic | Diamond |
| 2011 | Diamond | Diamond | Classic | Classic | Diamond |
| 2010 | Diamond | Diamond | Classic | Classic | Diamond |
Welcome to the club
Pennsville’s Bass passes 1,000-point mark in Eagles’ win over Clayton
MONDAY BASKETBALL
GIRLS
Pennsville 51, Clayton 38
Salem 38, Penns Grove 26
Hammonton 49, Woodstown 37
Wildwood 70, Salem Tech 12
BOYS
Penns Grove 58, Salem Tech 19
Clayton 94, Pennsville 77
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – There were no outward signs in the gym before the game that something special was about to happen but everyone knew about the milestone they came to see.
It just might have taken a little longer than anticipated.
Pennsville senior Taylor Bass became the latest player to join the Salem County 1,000-Point Club Monday when she reached the milestone on a three-point play 15 seconds into the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ 51-38 win over Clayton.
She became the 20th Pennsville player all time – boy or girl – to reach the milestone, the third in its girls program in two seasons and the second still active. Her 16 points against the Clippers left her with 1,008 for her career.
“There wasn’t that much anticipation if I’m lying; it was definitely very anticipated,” Bass said. “I was quite anxious I wasn’t going to get it today when everybody was able to pop out because the next game was going to be away.
“I’m glad I got it today. It was definitely killing me waiting all that time until now.”
It probably should have come last year, when senior Nora Ausland and junior Marley Wood both reached the milestone, but the early part of Bass’ career was beset by injuries. There was a thought she would get it Dec. 27, when she needed only 14 points, but was held to six by Haddon Twp.’s tenacious face guarding.
The balloons and posters came out after halftime and were stashed behind the bench, but, honestly, it was looking like the celebration might be delayed another day as foul trouble kept her on the bench for the better part of two quarters.
She picked up her third foul early in the second quarter after scoring only five points and her fourth in the first minute of the second half that put her on the bench the rest of the third quarter. She still needed three points for the milestone.
“I definitely kept getting frustrated, not with anybody else, but myself because I just kept fouling and fouling,” Bass said. “I was scared a little I wasn’t going to get it, but there was still a whole ‘nother quarter left; I knew I had it.”
She wanted to go back in even with the foul trouble, but coach Steve Merritt didn’t want to run the risk of losing his biggest threat with the game still very much in doubt.
“I told her I love you dearly and if it were up me I’d adopt you, but nobody in his right mind would put you back in the game in the third period with four fouls. Nobody,” Merritt said. “She come over and said can I go back in. I said no. There was anger, I could read that look, but I could not do it.
“I rolled the dice years ago and got lucky to get away with it but I wasn’t going to do it tonight. Not when she was that close. It was absurd.”
Bass reentered the game to start the fourth quarter with the Eagles down 38-37 and immediately went to work. The first time she got the ball she drove hard to the basket and was fouled. The layup for points 998 and 999 gave the Eagles the lead. The free throw that followed gave her 1,000 points on the dot and made it 40-38.
“I never really thought I was going to get a three-point play,” she said. “I wanted some points … because I was not having a good game. I was not playing too good today.
“I’ve never been so scared standing on the foul line (for the milestone and-one) before. I was so nervous. My hands were like shaking.”
The three-point play took the lid off everything. Bass scored eight more points in the quarter, the Eagles seemed to play more relaxed and they held the Clippers scoreless the entire quarter to win by double digits.
“It was like a weight lifted off of all of us,” Bass said. “It obviously wasn’t just me that wanted it. They wanted it for me and when I finally got it we were like OK let’s go, we all just got real excited. Our adrenaline was pushing and everything.”
“That was a very important moment and let’s celebrate that, great, but we still have another important moment ahead of it, let’s go win this thing,” Merritt said. “And they came out and played inspired defense for the first time all season. I told them if you continue to do that the game is yours.”
With Bass struggling early and sitting later, the Eagles needed to find some offense somewhere. Addi Johnson got them going early, scoring six points in the first quarter and 11 in the first half. Then with Bass sitting in third, Izzy Saulin got them back in the game scoring six points, diving for loose balls and grabbing several rebounds.
“I think I just focused in,” Saulin said.
NOTES: Bass also had seven rebounds and five steals … Wood added five points to her career total, but she also grabbed nine rebounds, dished 11 assists and blocked three shots.
PENNSVILLE 51, CLAYTON 38
CLAYTON (1-6): Deondria Simon 1 2-4 5, Janice Blair 0 0-4 0, India Bryant 8 2-2 23, India Williams 3 0-1 6, Gabby Searle 0 0-0 0, Lenaya Carr 1 2-4 4. Totals 13 6-15 38.
PENNSVILLE (4-2): Taylor Bass 7 2-5 16, Marley Wood 2 1-4 5, Addison Johnston 5 1-1 12, Jaiden Wilson 2 0-0 5, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 3 1-2 7, Jaida Burns 3 0-0 6. Totals 22 5-12 51.
| Clayton | 11 | 15 | 12 | 0- | 38 |
| Pennsville | 15 | 8 | 14 | 14- | 51 |
SALEM 38, PENNS GROVE 26: MVP Madison Dixon filled up the box score with 13 points, eight rebounds, four steals and four assists and did a defensive job on Penns Grove’s hottest hand, leading the Rams to the Battle for the Bridge title at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
It was the Rams’ third win of the season, matching their win total of all of last year.
“We’re working, we’re working hard as a group,” coach Kemp Carr said. “The coaches, the players, they’re bought in …. to all the mentality type factors that weren’t there last year.”
The Rams (3-2) weren’t intimidated by the bright lights and the NBA floor.
Freshman Dyaira Anderson had 15 points, nine rebounds, a blocked shot and three steals. Carlysia Pierce had 11 rebounds and six steals.
As the game’s MVP, Dixon will have the opportunity to hand the game ball to the refs prior to the 76ers game against Milwaukee Jan. 27.
HAMMONTON 49, WOODSTOWN 37: The Wolverines (4-4) lost to an undefeated opponent for the second straight game. Gabriella Stevenson led Hammonton with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Lauren Hengel led Woodstown with 15 points.
| Hammonton (7-0) | 11 | 14 | 16 | 8- | 49 |
| Woodstown (4-4) | 8 | 4 | 10 | 16- | 37 |
WILDWOOD 70, SALEM TECH 12: The Warriors hit seven 3-pointers and got scoring from 12 players. Angela Wilber (14), Rebecca Benichou (11) and Joelle Murphy (11) scored in double figures.
| Salem Tech (2-3) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6- | 12 |
| Wildwood (5-4) | 31 | 18 | 14 | 7- | 70 |
Boys games
PENNS GROVE 58, SALEM TECH 19: The Red Devils (5-2) got balanced scoring from 11 players and held the Chargers (1-4) to one point in the first quarter at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. Jerry Wooton, Ahkeen Edwards and Luis Colon had eight points apiece. Jeremy Costacamps had seven and three others scored six apiece.
“That’s kind of what we are,” coach Damian Ware said. “No super star, just balanced across the board.”
| Salem Tech (1-4) | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9- | 19 |
| Penns Grove (5-2) | 18 | 12 | 12 | 16- | 58 |
CLAYTON 94, PENNSVILLE 77: Mason O’Brien scored a career-high 37 points as the Eagles enjoyed their highest scoring game in two seasons, but it still wasn’t enough to overcome the Clippers’ firepower. James Fritz led Clayton with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals. Jack Venuto had 12 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Michael Bull had 10 points and six boards.
| Pennsville (1-7) | 20 | 22 | 19 | 16- | 77 |
| Clayton (3-3) | 28 | 25 | 24 | 19- | 94 |
This week’s schedule
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Jan. 5-10, highlighted by Penns Grove’s basketball doubleheader at Wells Fargo Center and Pennsville’s Taylor Bass’ bid for 1000 (both Monday), and No. 1 Salem CC’s return vs. No. 7 Union
MONDAY, JAN. 5
BOYS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove vs. Salem Tech at Wells Fargo Center, 2:30 p.m.
Pennsville at Clayton, 5:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove vs. Salem at Wells Fargo Center, 1 p.m.
Hammonton at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m.
Clayton at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem vs. Overbrook at Wood Lanes, 4 p.m.
SWIMMING
Schalick vs. West Deptford at River Winds, 3:45 p.m.
TUESDAY, JAN. 6
BOYS BASKETBALL
Clayton at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
Glassboro at Schalick, 5:30 p.m.
Overbrook at Penns Grove, 5:30 p.m.
Woodstown at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
Salem at Pitman, 7 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove at Overbrook, 4 p.m.
Glassboro at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Pennsville at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m.
Pitman at Salem, 5:30 p.m.
Salem Tech at Clayton, 5:30 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. Gloucester Catholic at Westbrook Lanes, 3:45 p.m.
Salem vs. Lindenwold at Wood Lanes, 4 p.m.
INDOOR TRACK
Penns Grove, Schalick at Cherokee Throwdown
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Union at Salem CC, 5 p.m.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Monroe-Bronx at Salem CC, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7
WRESTLING
Deptford at Woodstown, 5 p.m.
Schalick at Gloucester Catholic, 5 p.m.
Penns Grove at Pennsville, 6 p.m.
THURSDAY, JAN. 8
BOYS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Salem, 5:30 p.m.
Penns Grove at Pitman, 5:30 p.m.
Schalick at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
Wildwood at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pitman at Penns Grove
Salem at Glassboro, 5:30 p.m.
Salem Tech at Schalick, 5:30 p.m.
Woodstown at Wildwood, 5:30 p.m.
WRESTLING
Pennsville at Paulsboro, 6:30 p.m.
SWIMMING
Woodstown vs. Highland at GCIT, 7 p.m.
Schalick vs. Cumberland at GCIT, 8:30 p.m.
INDOOR TRACK
Pennsville, Schalick at Bennett Complex, 5 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. Lindenwold at Wood Lanes, 3:45 p.m.
FRIDAY, JAN. 9
BOYS BASKETBALL
Buena at Schalick, 5:30 p.m.
Salem at LEAP, 5:30 p.m.
Triton at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove at Kingsway, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Buena, 5:30 p.m.
WRESTLING
Pennsville, Salem at TCC Girls Jamboree, Kingsway, 5 p.m.
SATURDAY, JAN. 10
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Delsea at Pennsville, 11:30 a.m.
Woodstown at Haddonfield, 1 p.m.
WRESTLING
Deptford at Penns Grove, 9 a.m.
Woodstown at Cinnaminson, 9:30 a.m.
Salem, Gloucester at Washington Twp., 10 a.m.
Schalick, Cumberland, Timber Creek at Buena, 10 a.m.
Pennsville, Millville, Oakcrest at Overbrook, 10 a.m.
INDOOR TRACK
Woodstown at Bennett Center, Toms River
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Gloucester, 2 p.m.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Gloucester, 5 p.m.
Saturday roundup
Results and highlights from Saturday’s wrestling, indoor track action involving Salem County teams
Wrestling
HAMMONTON DUALS
GATEWAY/WOODBURY 51, PENNSVILE 20
106: Mike Graham (GW) pinned Brett Land, 5:53
113: Vincent Toner (GW) maj. dec. Erick Davalos, 14-3
120: Leo Butler (GW) pinned John Sassi, 1:24
126: Christian Snyder (GW) tech fall over Mehki Dicks, 15-0 (2:45)
132: Chase Baker (P) tech fall over Aiden Barbato, 15-0 (4:34)
138: Cameron Torres (GW) pinned Vincent Grether, 4:28
144: Stephen Ericsson (GW) dec. Nathaniel Mason, 11-4
150: Travis Hagan (P) pinned Dylan Letzgus, 2:54
157: Gabe Supernavage (P) pinned Gio Alvarez, 0:27
165: Robbie McDade (P) dec. Daniel Rivera, 12-8
175: Josh Reynolds (GW) won by forfeit
190: Josiah Bradshaw (GW) pinned Cristian Blyler, 1:15
215: Shane Young (GW) won by forfeit
285: Ahmad Fears (GW) dec. Jacob Hand, 3-2
PENNSVILLE 59 WINSLOW 14
113: Christopher Steed (WI) maj. dec. Erick Davalos, 9-1
120: John Sassi (P) won by forfeit
126: Mehki Dicks (P) pinned Alverse Cannon, 5:24
132: Chase Baker (P) pinned Nathan Downey, 4:51
138: Noah Young (WI) maj. dec. Vincent Grether, 9-1
144: Nathaniel Mason (P) dec. Nathan Smalls, 7-4
150: Travis Hagan (P) pinned Joshua Martinez, 1:54
157: Gabe Supernavage (P) pinned Chase Hamilton, 0:47
165: Robbie McDade (P) pinned Luke Vigorito, 0:26
175: Cristian Blyler (P) tech fall over Pablo Hernandez, 16-0 (5:35)
190: Caleb Walderrama (WI) won by forfeit
215: Hunter Coulbourn (P) won by forfeit
285: Trevor Waddington (P) dec. Izuchukwu Ugwuzor, 6-4
106: Brett Land (P) won by forfeit
PENNSVILLE 53, BUENA 28
120: John Sassi (P) won by forfeit
126: Mehki Dicks (P) pinned Konner Raynor, 4:40
132: Chase Baker (P) won by forfeit
138: Thomas Hann (B) pinned Vincent Grether, 1:55
144: Zach Cohen (B) maj. dec. Nathaniel Mason, 14-3
150: Travis Hagan (P) pinned Gionni Sharkey, 2:55
157: Gabe Supernavage (P) pinned Gage Forvour, 1:10
165: Robbie McDade (P) pinned Billy Haslam, 0:44
175: Matt Cohen (B) won by forfeit
190: Larry Spellman (B) pinned Cristian Blyler, 2:40
215: Anthony Trainor (B) won by forfeit
285: Jacob Hand (P) pinned Mason Zaak, 1:40
106: Brett Land (P) pinned John Sutton, 3:28
113: Erick Davalos (P) tech fall over Alex Alicia, 19-2 (5:42)
DAN TRAINER COLLINGSWOOD DUALS
WOODSTOWN 65, CAMDEN/CAMDEN EASTSIDE 6
106: T.J. Conto (WO) won by forfeit
113: Jadon Middlemiss (WO) pinned Fahim Bright, 0:47
120: Carson Bradway (WO) won by forfeit
126: Walker Battavio (WO) pinned Adrian DeJesus, 1:44
132: Barry Coverly (WO) tech fall over Iyzuhs Abreu, 19-4 (4:33)
138: Luke Woronicak (WO) won by pin, 1:31
144: Unknown
150: Unknown
157: Ahmad Clossen (CCE) pinned Mathias Ellis, 3:25
165: Logan Warfield (WO) pinned Nekai Underdue, 3:20
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) pinned Levar Wilson-Morant, 1:05
190: Asher Fitzpatrick (WO) pinned Terrance Rothmiller, 3:41
215: Bradley Snitcher (WO) pinned Gabriel Marshall
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Anthony Nelson
CHERRY HILL WEST 41, WOODSTOWN 29
106: Aiden Sanchez (CHW) pinned T.J. Conto, 0:08
113: Caden Rossi (CHW) dec. Jadon Middlemiss, 4-0
120: Carson Bradway (WO) dec. Aeden Wynne, 6-0
126: Walker Battavio (WO) pinned Mason Hare, 1:34
132: Barry Coverly (WO) tech fall over Jamir Jackson, 16-1 (4:00)
138: Brandon Darling (CHW) pinned Luke Woronicak, 3:16
144: Mason Mahan (CHW) maj. dec. Nehemiah Carter, 14-6
150: Angel Mena-Martinez (CHW) pinned Josh Woronicak, 3:31
157: Jakob Ubarry (CHW) pinned Mathias Ellis, 0:34
165: Gabe Jones (CHW) pinned Logan Warfield, 0:40
175: Clayton Tyson (CHW) maj. dec. Greyson Hyland, 11-3
190: Asher Fitzpatrick (WO) over Praise Okereafor (SV-1 5-2)
215: Bradley Snitcher (WO) pinned Nick Fareas, 0:52
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Anthony Vanella, 0:20
GLOUCESTER 57, WOODSTOWN 16
106: Connor Frenetic (G) tech fall over T.J. Conto, 15-0 (2:00)
113: Jacob Vazquez (G) tech fall over Jadon Middlemiss, 16-0
120: Ethan Santiago (G) pinned Carson Bradway, 2:26
126: Gavin Lee (G) pinned Walker Battavio, 4:17
132: Barry Coverly (WO) vs. Alexander Ekimoglou
138: Aidan Johnson (G) pinned Luke Woronicak, 0:17
144: Darrian Smith (G) pinned Nehemiah Carter, 0:17
150: Greg Harris (G) tech fall over Josh Woronicak, 17-2 (2:49)
157: Michael Eller (G) pinned Mathyias Ellis, 2:46
165: Derek Scruggs (G) pinned Ricky Watts, 3:39
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) maj. dec. Harry Ulmer, 8-0
190: Ashton Wall (G) pinned Asher Fitzpatrick, 1:31
215: Bradley Snitcher (WO) pinned Bryce Busan, 1:07
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Alex Anderson, 0:36
OVERBROOK QUAD
SCHALICK 72, OVERBROOK 12
120: E’Shion Underwood (S) won by forfeit
126: Caleb Jenkins (S) won by forfeit
132: Jacob Potts (S) won by forfeit
138: Colin Bittle (S) pinned Jaden Marshall, 1:53
144: Michael Baisch (S) won by forfeit
150: Mason Hollywood (S) pinned Karter Reed, 0:45
157: Ayden Jenkins (S) won by forfeit
165: Anthony Deaver (S) won by forfeit
175: Xyon Marshall (O) won by forfeit
190: Jayden Devan (O) won by forfeit
215: James Cook (S) pinned Augustus Guzman, 5:21
285: Gerardo Felipe (S) pinned Shyer Scarborough, 1:13
106: Victor Fenske (S) won by forfeit
113: Nicholas Latona (S) won by forfeit
SCHALICK 47, HADDON HEIGHTS 32
113: Aniello Napolitano (H) tech fall over Nicholas Latona, 21-5 (3:59)
120: Cole Denning (H) pinned E’Shion Underwood, 1:18
126: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Joseph DeRosa, 3:30
132: Jacob Potts (S) pinned Gavin Gilliss, 1:11
138: Colin Bittle (S) pinned Brennan Albright, 0:46
144: Michael Baisch (S) pinned Michael Fitter, 0:48
150: Ryan Bailey (H) pinned Mason Hollywood, 2:32
157: Ayden Jenkins (S) pinned Matthew Boone, 3:51
165: Jayden Bonilla (H) pinned Ayden Hubbard, 5:29
175: Andrew Gutkin (H) pinned Ricky Watt, 1:44
190: Evan Elliott (S) pinned Shawn Thompson, 1:16
215: James Cook (S) pinned Cameron Mayo, 0:59
285: Nathan Lelionis (H) dec. Gerardo Felipe, 8-6
106: Victor Fenske (S) tech fall over Andrew Hanchey, 19-3 (3:59)
SCHALICK 59, MAINLAND 12
106: Victor Fenske (S) won by forfeit
113: Nicholas Latona (S) won by forfeit
120: E’Shion Underwood (S) pinned Jaxon Serra, 0:42
126: Mario DiBartolo (M) dec. Caleb Jenkins, 4-0
132: Justin Mazur (M) dec. Jacob Potts, 3-1
138: Colin Bittle (S) tech fall over Archer Burns, 21-5 (3:58)
144: Daniel McKinnon (M) def. Michael Baisch, 12-8
150: Mason Hollywood (S) pinned Yehor Leusenko, 1:32
157: Ayden Jenkins (S) won by forfeit
165: Anthony Deaver (S) won by forfeit
175: Vincent Hoag (M) dec. Ricky Watt, 4-2
190: Evan Elliott (S) won by forfeit
215: James Cook (S) won by forfeit
285: Gerardo Felipe (S) won by forfeit
SALEM QUAD
HOLY SPIRIT 37, SALEM 36
120: Zachary Tortella (S) won by forfeit
126: Nathaniel Quinones-Perez (S) won by forfeit
132: Guilherme Quintanilha (S) pinned Seamus Crowder, 1:30
138: Carmine Lovallo (HS) pinned Christian VanTonder, 2:51
144: Anthony Lovallo (HS) pinned Joseph Goetaski, 1:51
150: Gavin Mensch (HS) pinned Zion Moore, 0:46
157: Patrick Voss (HS) won by forfeit
165: Mason Sproles (HS) won by forfeit
175: Austyn Franklin (S) won by forfeit
190: Kaleb Ewald (S) won by forfeit
215: Double forfeit
285: Abdur Jenkins (S) won by forfeit
106: Double forfeit
113: Ryan Eykyn (HS) won by forfeit
NOTE: Holy Spirit won the tiebreaker.
MANASQUAN 76, SALEM 3
126: Gustavo Ramirez Ortiz (M) pinned Nathaniel Quinones-Perez
132: Donovan Havard (M) pinned Guilherme Quintanilha
138: Padraig Tracey (M) won by forfeit
144: Jaden Sanders (M) pinned Joseph Goetaski
150: Ryan McNulty (M) tech fall over Christian VanTonder, 16-1
157: Torrin Tracey (M) tech fall over Zion Moore, 16-1
165: David Dawson (M) pinned Jordan Brown
175: Ryder Boyle (M) pinned Jaivion Sydnor
190: Abnel Roman Del-Rio (M) pinned Kaleb Ewald
215: Domenic Incolla (M) won by forfeit
285: Abdur Jenkins (S) dec. Ambrose Masons, 8-3
106: Myles Byrne (M) won by forfeit
113: Jack Thomas (M) won by forfeit
120: Liam Cavanagh (M) pinned Zachary Tortella
NORTHERN BURLINGTON 76, SALEM 6
132: Roco Giangeruso (NB) tech fall over Guilherme Quintanilha, 17-1 (2:08)
138: Kellan Bolos (NB) won by forfeit
144: Michael Mayhew (NB) won by forfeit
150: Julian Morgan (NB) won by forfeit
157: Nathan Hyman (NB) pinned Zyion Moore, 3:43
165: Nathanael Beteta-Perez (NB) pinned Jordan Brown, 5:17
175: Logan Berck (NB) pinned Jaivion Sydney, 1:33
190: Aadil Rehman (NB) pinned Kaleb Ewald, 0:53
215: Kody Phillips (NB) won by forfeit
285: Abdur Jenkins (S) won by forfeit
106: Maddox Millan (NB) won by forfeit
113: Niccolo Carnassale (NB) won by forfeit
120: Ryan Thatcher (NB) tech fall over Zachary Tortella, 17-0 (1:56)
126: Jason Marasco (NB) pinned Adrien Morales, 0:56
Indoor Track
PHILADELPHIA — Woodstown’s Karson Chew had a big day at the SJTCA Meet at the Ott Center Saturday.
Chew ran a leg on the winning 4×800 relay team that beat their best time in the building last year by three seconds and blasted his PR by eight seconds in winning the 1600.
“Overall pretty happy about how the day went,” he said. “The 1600 was a really good breath of fresh air. I haven’t had a PR in that event since last indoor season and I felt as though because I ran a 28 lap lap that I totally had more in the tank.”
Joining Chew on the first 4×8 of the indoor season were returnees Josh Crawford and Jake Marino and newcomer David Farrell.
“Overall everyone did pretty well in the first 4×8 of the season,” Chew said. “And although we still have some things to clean up, we’re well on our way for a great season in the relay.”
SJTCA MEET 8
OTT CENTER, PHILADELPHIA
(Top 6 finishes)
BOYS
1600: 1. Karson Chew, Woodstown 4:36.46
Distance medley: 2. Woodstown 10:56.71
4×800: 1. Woodstown 8:20.31
Long jump: 6. Davine Banks, Penns Grove 18-4.75
GIRLS
1600: 4. Abby Marino, Woodstown 5:31.70
High jump: 3. Kami Casiano, Woodstown 34-10
Triple jump: 3. Arianna Dowe, Penns Grove 32-0.75
Back to his old self
Saturday basketball roundup: Lecator getting back into form, just in time for Salem to make a run; Cherokee bombards Woodstown with 3s, and more
BOYS GAMES
Salem 51, St. Joseph 45
Cherokee 65, Woodstown 50
West Deptford 50, Salem Tech 27
Maple Shade 47, Pennsville 36 (OT)
GIRLS GAME
Cinnaminson 56, Woodstown 34
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
SALEM – When Tymear Lecator is at the top of his game Salem basketball coach Anthony Farmer is convinced he’s one of the better guards in South Jersey.
The junior hasn’t been quite up to his form of last season – and there are reasons for that – but Saturday he looked like the Lecator of old. Even he said it was the first time this year he felt like his old self.
Lecator exerted himself early, beating his season high in points by halftime. But he didn’t stop there. Even with foul trouble that kept him out most of the third quarter, he still had 19 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead the Rams past St. Joe’s of Hammonton 51-45.
“I definitely wanted to get back to what I was last year and I knew I was being short of myself and I was hurting the team so I tried to come back,” he said. “I’ve been in the gym consistently getting shots up so that definitely played a big part (in Saturday’s success). I was just ready to go today. I was amped up.”
He didn’t waste any time showing it. He scored the first basket of the game and had nine of the Rams’ 11 first-quarter points. Then he scored six in the 14-0 second-quarter run that gave the Rams an eight-point halftime lead.
That’s 15 points in the half. His best game this year before Saturday was 13 in the season opener against Woodstown.
It was only his third game this season scoring in double figures; he did it 19 times last year, including a triple-double against Clayton. But he also has been dealing with some things he didn’t face last year, either. He underwent off-season wrist surgery and missed most of the Pleasantville game after rolling his ankle.
“I was down on myself for a little bit but I knew I was going to bounce back,” he said. “I wasn’t too hard on myself because I knew what I’m capable of. I just knew I had to let the pieces come together and now I’m back.”
Farmer is glad to see him starting to come around.
“Hopefully this gets him going, he finds his groove,” Farmer said. “We need him to be at full tilt because if we’re going to be the team we need to be down the stretch to try to lock up the 1 seed in Group 1 we need him to be playing at his best.”
Lecator isn’t the only Rams player making his way back. Senior Marshall Stephens is back on the floor after not playing basketball last year in New York.
Providing the Rams the post presence they need with Antwuan Rogers graduating early to join Temple football in the spring, Stephens went for eight points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots against the Wildcats. In six games this year he’s averaging five points, 6.5 rebounds and has 14 blocks. He’s had 26 rebounds and 10 blocks in his last three games.
“I’m still getting back to myself,” he said, “but I feel like when it’s the middle of the season, when stuff really starts to go down, I’ll be back in my element.”
SALEM 51, ST. JOSEPH (H) 45
ST. JOSEPH (4-3): Caden Banks 3 2-2 8, Zehkiy DeJesus 4 0-0 9, Ayden Santiago 0 0-0 0, Chris Hill 2 1-1 6, CJ Mitchell 0 0-0 0, Eddie Drummond 8 2-4 22. Totals 17 5-7 45.
SALEM (5-1): Marshall Stephens 4 0-0 8, Xavier McGriff 0 2-2 2, Neziah Spence 3 4-4 10, Tymear Lecator 8 2-3 19, BJ Robbins 3 0-0 6, Deshaan Williams 2 2-6 6, Kyvion Parsons 0 0-0 0, Harlem Parsons 0 0-0 0, Cole Sayers 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 10-15 51.
| St. Joseph | 13 | 4 | 19 | 9- | 45 |
| Salem | 11 | 14 | 10 | 16- | 51 |
It’s raining 3s
WOODSTOWN — Cherokee’s Johnny Comito set up in the left corner for the first shot of the second half. He let it fly and it found the bottom of the net for yet another 3.
Woodstown coach Ramon Roots just turned away and dropped his head. He’d seen this movie throughout the first half and it was starting all over again.
The Chiefs ended Woodstown’s five-game winning streak Saturday 65-50 under the weight of a season-high 11 3-pointers.
At halftime the Chiefs (6-1) had more points on 3s than the Wolverines (5-3) had points, a trend that carried until midway through the third quarter.
Cherokee’s previous season-high from behind the arc was seven, in the season opener against Cherry Hill West, but they hit six twice thereafter.
Louis Galasso had the hottest hand, hitting six 3s, tying his season high, on the way to 26 points. Tony Fuscia hit three.
“I knew they could get hot,” Roots said. “Everything was going in tonight for them. They shot the ball very well.”
The Chiefs led wire-to-wire. They hit the first two buckets of the game and never trailed. Every time Woodstown got close, they’d hit another 3.
“They shot very well,” Wolverines senior guard Eli Caesar said. “We could’ve contested their shots better, but they were hitting them. It’s kind of hard to defend it when they’re just hitting them. Even when you’re closing out they’re still making them.”
The Wolverines got into the act in the second half. They hit four 3s in the third quarter to keep up – but just to keep up. It helped them score 19 points in the quarter to stay within the seven they trailed by at halftime.
Caesar had three in the quarter and had a career-high six in the game to finish with a game- and career-high 28 points.
“I feel like we’re a good 3-point shooting team, we’re pretty confident shooters,” Caesar said. “I felt like I had to get us back in the game. They went on an 8-0 run to start the third quarter, so I knew we had to flip the switch.”
The Wolverines got within four on a 3-pointer by Alejandro Vazquez with 4:35 to play, but then Galasso hit another 3 and the Chiefs closed it out from the free throw line. In that final stretch Galasso hit two 3s and the Chiefs went 10-for-12 from the foul line.
“I know we have the ability to do that,” Roots said. “We’ve seen it, both of our losses, Woodbury and Salem, coming back in the game, but it’s all about putting ourselves in the hole. We’ve got to stop putting ourselves in the hole. If we weren’t in that hole, we wouldn’t have to come back.”
CHEROKEE 65, WOODSTOWN 50
CHEROKEE (6-1): Louis Galasso 9 2-2 26, John Comito 3 3-4 10, Tony Fuscia 3 3-4 12, Tom Cieslik 4 2-2 11, Chris Walters 2 0-0 4, Jeremiah Shields 1 0-0 2, Josh Shields 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 10-12 65.
WOODSTOWN (5-3): Eli Caesar 9 4-5 28, Blake Bialecki 3 3-3 10, Alejandro Vazquez 3 0-0 8, Josh King 0 0-0 0, Andrew White 2 0-1 4, Lucas Fulmer 0 0-0 0, Connor Miller 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 7-9 50.
| Cherokee | 13 | 11 | 19 | 22- | 65 |
| Woodstown | 12 | 5 | 19 | 14- | 50 |
WEST DEPTFORD 50, SALEM TECH 27
SALEM TECH (1-3): Chase Pompper 1 2-2 4, Brody Kroll 2 0-2 4, Aiden Bobo 2 1-3 5, Keidyn Robinson 1 1-3 3, Larry Pompper 3 0-0 9, Sterling Lewis 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 4-10 27.
WEST DEPTFORD (2-5): Curtis Pearson 2 1-2 5, Kyle Eason 3 4-6 10, Aaron Benson 1 0-0 2, Carter Watson 5 0-0 11, Anthony Martello 2 2-2 7, Michael Garcia 1 2-3 4, Cameron Hoang 0 0-0 0, Michael Joseph 1 1-4 3, Zamir Davis 0 0-0 0, Talib Bogar 1 0-2 2, Cole Stanish 3 0-1 6. Totals 19 10-20 50.
| Salem Tech | 5 | 6 | 10 | 6- | 27 |
| West Deptford | 11 | 7 | 14 | 18- | 50 |
MAPLE SHADE 47, PENNSVILLE 38
| Maple Shade (2-8) | 11 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 10- | 47 |
| Pennsville (1-6) | 9 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 1- | 38 |
Girls game
A tough lesson
WOODSTOWN – The scoreboard showed a 22-point loss to an undefeated opponent every bit as good as their record indicated. But Woodstown girls coach Matt Smart believes in the long run the Wolverines will have done far better for themselves playing this game than beating an easier opponent by the same margin or more.
The Wolverines took one on the chin Saturday, losing to undefeated Cinnaminson 56-34, but in the immediate analysis of a game otherwise better left alone, Smart did find some positives for his team to take away that will serve them well down the road.
“That’s kind of been our theory all year,” Smart said. “We’ll play whoever, wherever, whenever. We always want to challenge the girls and we always want to try to continue to get better and better and better.
“Each game I’ve had to say let’s focus on us, let’s focus on us getting better. I don’t care what the scoreboard says, if we’re up by 30, if we’re down by 30, whatever, we just want to continue to focus on us getting better as a team and as a unit. The scoreboard doesn’t reflect a win today, but I think we truly got a lot better today.”
Smart said there were “a lot of things” the Wolverines did well. Among them were being more patient with the ball than they’ve been in past games, making smart decisions with the ball, looking for open players, spreading out the floor and keeping up their defensive intensity.
The Wolverines (4-3) actually came out of the first quarter with a lead. It was a one-point game early in the second quarter before the Pirates (7-0) started pulling away. The visitors used a 7-0 run to establish control, then ended the half with another seven-point run to take a 14-point halftime lead.
Gabby Harvey had eight of her 16 points in the second quarter and Shiloh Moore had seven of her game-high 17 there. Harvey hit her four 3-pointers across the second and third quarters.
The Wolverines focused on getting the ball inside and didn’t have a 3-pointer in the game. Kyia Leyman was their leading scorer with 14 points.
CINNAMINSON 56, WOODSTOWN 34
CINNAMINSON (7-0): Shiloh Moore 7 3-5 17, Norah Quinn 2 0-4 4, Mia Pacetti 2 0-0 5, Gabby Harvey 6 0-0 16, Mia Szlenderowicz 2 1-2 5, Stevie Ormsby 1 0-0 2, Emily Reynolds 1 2-2 4, Chloe Fudala 1 1-2 3, Julia Latevnas 0 0-0 0, Jaci Cichonoski 0 0-0 0, Ella Repsher 0 0-0 0, Tyler Davis 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 7-15 56.
WOODSTOWN (4-3): Kyia Leyman 7 0-0 14, Kendall Young 4 0-2 8, Emma Perry 2 0-0 4, Talia Guardascione 1 2-2 4, Lauren Hengel 2 0-0 4, Mia Waterman 0 0-0 0, Ava White 0 0-0 0, Kaylin Kennedy 0 0-0 0, Gina Murray 0 0-0 0, Jaelyn McDonald 0 0-0 0, Autumn Paleschic 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 2-4 34.
| Cinnaminson | 10 | 24 | 14 | 8- | 56 |
| Woodstown | 12 | 8 | 8 | 6- | 34 |
Woodstown 26 (Hengel 6, Waterman 6, Leyman 7). Total fouls: Cinnaminson 6, Woodstown 10.
1000-Point Watch
| PLAYER | TODAY | TOTAL |
| Blake Bialecki, Woodstown | 10 vs. Cherokee | 824 |
| Tymear Lecator, Salem | 19 vs. St. Joseph | 732 |
| Taylor Bass, Pennsville | DNP | 992 |
Riverview Sports News 