Palverento, Mighty Oaks put Opening Day setback behind them, score run-rule sweep of Sussex; homegrown talent shines
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE —Despite all the softball she has played over the years, and even with a taste of the college game in the low-intensity fall, Savannah Palverento was as anxious as she’s ever been for a game during Salem CC’s opening-day doubleheader earlier in the week. And it showed.
She was a lot more comfortable with her surroundings the second time out Friday. And it showed.
The freshman from Pennsville collected her first two college hits, including her first college home run, and closed the game in the circle as the Mighty Oaks powered past Sussex 11-2 on the way to a run-rule doubleheader sweep. The Mighty Oaks won the second game 19-5 behind two big innings at the start and four no-hit innings from freshman pitcher Jordyn Busch.
It was a whole lot better for the Mighty Oaks (2-2) in general and Palverento in particular than getting swept by Lackawanna on Opening Day.
Palverento went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts from the leadoff spot in the two games and gave up seven runs in two innings in the circle in the opener. On Friday, hitting out of the 5-hole, she started a six-run second inning with a leadoff single and led off the four-run fourth with a homer. She pitched the fifth inning, giving up an unearned run and striking out the side.
“I was definitely nervous (Opening Day),” she said. “It wasn’t so much nerves — I feel like I got that part out — it was kind of getting in my head because I expected myself to do better than what I did.
“i definitely was a lot more comfortable today. I kind of just gave myself a mental reset and thanks to my coaches for giving us all a pep talk. We have so many more games to look forward to and we can’t just keep our head down on the past, we just have to move on.”
Palverento hit one home run in her four-year high school career (167 at-bats), her junior year against Salem. She called the one she hit Friday, in just her seventh college at-bat, “special” and not just because it was her first in college. Palverento lost her mother, Tina, in 2020 and Friday would have been her birthday.
“I told myself I was going to play hard for her today and I definitely did; I’m really proud of myself,” she said. “I definitely had a moment of clarity, like, oh my God, I just hit a home run and I was like, you know what, it was for her. Everything was for her.”
The Mighty Oaks got a big collective game from their Salem County players. The four local position players in the opener — Palverento, Lilly Peverelle (Pennsville), Ava Ortiz (Salem) and Sawyer Simmons (Pennsville) — were a combined 5-for-8 with five runs and four RBIs. Raegan Wilson (Salem) pitched the first four innings, allowing two hits and an unearned run.
Palverento didn’t play in the nightcap, but the Mighty Oaks’ contingent from Salem County showed out again. Bella Rappa (Pennsville) hit two doubles and together with Peverelle and Ortiz the homegrown players went 4-for-8 with four runs and three RBIs.
“Our goal when we first came in here was to not only try and recruit and let county student-athletes know that we’re here, but also anyone can do it,” Mighty Oaks coach Angel Rodriguez said. “For them, they grew up playing on this field, it’s very exciting to see their hard work pay off and they’re getting better. I know it takes a while to kind of reflect on it, but they’re starting to notice too how advances they’re starting to get at this game.
“I think it’s very cool. I think it opens up a lot of hopeful eyes for the county to say, hey, Salem Community College is here. It’s a good place to be and it’s a great place to be right now. Hopefully that opens up some other people seeing how good they’re doing to want to get behind them and want to do the same thing.”
The Mighty Oaks wasted little time taking control of the nightcap. They sent 13 batters to the plate in each of the first two innings, erupting for 17 runs. Their first eight hitters of the game all reached base and scored. J.J. Aguirre hit a three-run homer in the second inning, her third in the last two games.
Busch took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. She faced only three batters over the minimum to that point, struck out seven and had only five balls put in play. She lost the gem on a bunt single that loaded the bases after a pair of walks, then gave up a hard single off first baseman Rappa’s leg and a bases-clearing triple by Rachel Teague that ended her day. Emme Witter put out the fire with a strikeout, sacrifice fly and game-ending roller back to the circle.
“Knowing I was three outs away I was excited to get there, but I just was happy the way I did after Tuesday because I personally thought I didn’t give it my best on Tuesday,” Busch said. “Coming in and just having a great day on a day like this was nice. I was so close. I need three more outs, so it just makes you want to work harder.”
Top photo: Freshman Jordyn Busch carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning of Salem CC’s second-game run-rule win over Sussex Friday. (Photo by Nolan Dowell)
GAME ONE
Sussex (0-1)
001
01-
2
3
3
Salem CC (1-2)
064
1x-
11
8
2
WP: Raegan Wilson (1-0). LP: Sarah Lafferty (0-1). 2B: J.J. Aguirre (SCC). 3B: Lilly Peverelle (SCC). HR: Savannah Palverento (SCC).
High-flying Salem plays for SJ Group I title after beating KIPP, faces Cinderella New Egypt Saturday; Paige’s dunk highlights the win
SJ GROUP I TOURNAMENT Salem 56, KIPP 42 New Egypt 58, Palmyra 56 Saturday’s game No. 14 New Egypt at No. 1 Salem, 3 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM — Fatah Paige delivered one of the most electric plays of the year and Tymear Lecator had a front-row seat for it.
Paige, Salem’s 6-4 transfer from Delaware, threw down a thunderous dunk in the second quarter of Wednesday night’s South Jersey Group I semifinal with KIPP that turned the gym upside down. The Rams already had the momentum, but the dunk was like hitting the turbocharger and they rode it to a 56-42 victory.
But to call it just a thunderous dunk would not do it justice. It was highlight film material.
It started with Paige’s steal in the backcourt. He got the ball to Lecator and the Rams’ crafty point guard had the presence to give it back to him. A defender came over looking to draw a charge, but Paige flew past him like he wasn’t there and slammed it down bringing the crowd tumbling out of their seats and head coach Anthony Farmer looking for the production truck.
“I’ve got to send it to ESPN, it was that crazy,” Farmer said.
“I didn’t know if he was about to take off; I wanted him to,” Lecator said. “I saw their guy get ready to take a charge and I saw the way (Paige) was going up and I knew he was about to dunk it. It was just crazy. Ref didn’t call a charge or anything. It was clean. He made the dude fall. It was just crazy. People ran on the court. It was just crazy. Momentum shot out the roof. The place erupted.
“That was the first time I ever witnessed somebody put somebody on a poster that bad in my life.”
As if that weren’t enough, the Rams got another steal and layup the very next play and rolled out to a 10-point halftime lead they extended in the third quarter and maintained the rest of the game. They now host New Egypt Saturday for the sectional crown.
Paige’s big play was just part of another big playoff performance from the Rams’ bigs. Deshaan Williams had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Paige grabbed 12 rebounds for the second straight game and Marshall Stephens had five rebounds and four blocked shots.
“Our bigs played amazing,” Lecator said. “I just thankful for my bigs. Honestly, I don’t think anybody has a solution for our size. Keep feeding confidence into them and they’re going to keep doing what they’ve got to do for me.”
In the Rams’ three playoffs wins, Williams has two double-doubles and is averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds, Paige is averaging 8 points and 10 rebounds, and Stephens has had eight points and 18 boards.
“They’ve been big,” Farmer said. “It’s been a strength for us on this run, being big and physical down the stretch and being able to match people inside and match their physicality. Having that trio of bigs has been key for our run.
“It’s definitely something you can’t take for granted, especially in Group 1. Having some size definitely gets you’re an advantage. But you look around the league, Glassboro had a trio of bigs, (but the Rams’) have been phenomenal. They’ve been taking in everything I’ve been preaching, that no one is as big and physical as us and we need to get on the boardboard, we need to impose our will and Fatah over this run has been a grown man. He’s flying around and creating havoc for people.”
The win sends the Rams to their first sectional final since Farmer’s first season with them in 2021-22. They last won a sectional crown in 2008 and played for the state championship. This team exceeded the 2021-22 team’s win total tonight.
Their opponent Saturday has become the talk of the tournament. The Warriors (14-14), entered the tournament as the 14th seed and have upset seeds 3, 6 and 2 in the bracket.
“Obviously they’ve been playing well enough to get there regardless of the seed, so we’ll approach them as a 2 seed,” Farmer said.
GROUP I SECTIONAL FINALS SOUTH New Egypt (14-14) at Salem (22-5) CENTRAL Point Pleasant Beach (21-7) at Thrive Charter (20-5) NORTH I Pequannock (22-6) at Waldwick (20-9) NORTH II Arts (19-8) at Shabazz (26-1)
Hall of Famer Mason returns to the coaching ranks, takes the Woodstown track team for the spring
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
When Tom Mason coached his last indoor track meet in 2019 to pursue other interests in the sport, he was done with that side of the game unless some “special circumstance” drew him back.
The special circumstance surfaced.
Intrigued by a query from team trainer Dan Evans following a mid-season coaching change, Mason looked into the Woodstown track coach’s position. On Wednesday, the longtime Penns Grove coach and state track official confirmed he was getting back in the game as the Wolverines’ coach for the spring season.
He met with Woodstown athletics director Joe Ursino and then superintendent Chris Meyrick, a former Penns Grove administrator and four-year anchor on Buena’s 4×400 relay that battled Mason’s Penns Grove teams back in the day. He starts Monday, the day after the winter Wolverines return from the indoor Meet of Champions.
“I told them there were two reasons as to why I’m accepting,” Mason said. “One is your senior boys. I just love those senior boys. What great people. You take the running ability aside, they are just outstandingly class people. And my second reason was because of (Meyrick) being the superintendent.
“The Woodstown senior boys and the girls and both teams, to be honest with you, I was very impressed with how they were such class people, especially those seniors, and I did not want those seniors for their last year to have to go through a major change. My thinking is veteran coach comes in, can kind of just guide them and help them to get success.”
Mason brings Hall of Fame credentials to the job. In Mason’s 45-year high school coaching career (126 total seasons) includes 396 wins, four state team titles, six South Jersey sectional titles, 15 Salem County crowns and nearly 70 individual and relay state champions. He was inducted into the Salem County Sports (2011) and New Jersey Scholastic Coaches (2016) hall of fames and recently was approved as the cross-country assistant at Salem Community College.
He’s well aware of the Wolverines’ unparalleled strength in the middle distances, he’d like bring hurdles, sprinters and jumpers into the fold to enhance their depth.
“In Salem County history this group is the best in terms of middle distance,” Mason said. “No school in my memory of Salem County sports has had this many star middle distance runners. It’s unheard of.”
The appointment was met with excitement by the Wolverines.
“I’m very excited for this amazing honor to have a Hall of Fame coach for my final high school season,” said senior 800 specialist Josh Crawford, the anchor on the Wolverines’ decorated 4×800 relay team. “I’ll always appreciate the coaches who helped my team and I find our strides and who shaped us to be ready for this next step.
“I’m honored for what’s ahead and grateful for who got me here. I can’t wait to meet him and I couldn’t be more grateful that he is willing to step up and make our senior year memorable.”
No doubt, really: Salem CC draws fourth seed, first-round bye in the JUCO Division III national tournament
JUCO DIVISION III TOURNAMENT March 11-14, Herkimer, N.Y. March 11 No. 8 Northampton (27-4) vs. No. 9 Genesee (23-7), noon No. 5 Dallas Eastfield (20-9) vs. No. 12 Joliet (15-11), 2 p.m. No. 7 Dutchess (26-4) vs. No. 10 Dallas-Richland (20-9), 4 p.m. No. 6 Montgomery County (21-4) vs. No. 11 Ridgewater, (22-6) 6 p.m. March 12 Northampton-Genesee winner vs. No. 1 Northern Essex (30-3), 2 p.m. Dallas Eastfield-Joliet winner vs. No. 4 Salem (30-2), 4 p.m. Dutchess-Dallas Richland winner vs. No. 2 Riverland (29-2), 6 p.m. Montco-Ridgewater winner vs. No. 3 Dallas North Lake (22-10), 8 p.m. At-large berths in italics
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — Some anxious few days turned into cheers of joy (relief, maybe) Wednesday when the Salem CC basketball team landed one of four at-large bids to the NJCAA Division III national tournament next week in Herkimer, N.Y.
The Mighty Oaks (30-2), No. 1 in the country at the end of the regular season but upset in their district championship game to leave their inclusion to the selection committee, were installed as the No. 4 seed. They will play the Dallas Eastfield-Joliet winner at 4 p.m. March 12 after drawing a first-round bye. Ironically, Mighty Oaks assistant coach Scooter Wilkerson had Joliet playing on the office TV before practice.
“I wasn’t really tripping.” freshman Nasseem Wright said. “I knew we were going to go to the tournament. We lost the (district) championship and it was a disappointment but it doesn’t overshadow all the work we put in to this point. I’m excited.
“I told you right after the game I knew were going to get in. That’s how God works. It was in God’s hands and I trusted it.”
The Mighty Oaks had heard rumors earlier in the day they were getting in, which made for a business-like practice Wednesday afternoon, but their spot didn’t become public until the selection show aired later that evening. The team watched the show in the gym after practice.
Three-point threat Zyaire Gibson was the first player to set up a seat in front of the monitor to watch the show. He didn’t have any doubts about the Mighty Oaks getting in, either.
“We worked for this,” he said. “We’re 30-2. We had a heartbreaking loss, but … now that we know we made it, keep our head down, not harp on the last loss, play hard and hopefully win this.”
“I kind of knew we were going to get in,” point guard Saaid Lee said. “I think it’s just another chance at life, basically. Just another run we need to go on to get this one.”
The host of the selection show made a special mention of Gibson’s specialty when he talked about the Mighty Oaks’ spot in the tournament, but the guard said he only got the half of it.
“They talked about my (3-point) shot attempts, they’ve got to talk about the makes,” he said. “I’m No. 1 in the (field) in makes, too.”
The other top four seeds are No. 1 Northern Essex, No. 2 Riverland (Salem’s opening-round opponent last year) and No. 3 Dallas North Lake. The other at-large bids went to Dallas Eastfield (20-9), Dallas Richland (20-9) and Ridgewater (22-6).
Salem’s Region 19 and Dallas’ Region 5 both got three teams in the field. Both sets were separated into different pods so region rivals wouldn’t meet until the semifinals.
“I told you those guys usually get it right,” head coach Mike Green said. “We’re fortunate to get a fourth seed, fortunate to get a bye. When you don’t take care of business the way you’re supposed, you leave it up in somebody else’s hands and we did that, but I think the committee did a good job.”
The Mighty Oaks had a lot going for them. They were ranked No. 1 in the country for six weeks during the season, had the best record in Region XIX and the best record in the country at the end of the regular season.
A year ago the Mighty Oaks went into the tournament as a 10thseeded automatic qualifier and won three games in four days. This year they have a first-round bye and a more focused mindset.
“Last year we were just happy to be there,” Green said. “This year it’s a real business trip, and we’re going to treat it as such.
“Last year’s team fought that first game against Riverland and we didn’t anything that second game (against Mohawk Valley). We got a bye (this year). We get a chance to watch, we get an extra day to scout, so these guys ought to come in with guns blazing.”
Salem CC softball swept by Lackawanna in its season-opening doubleheader, bounced back from rainy rout to play a one-run game in the nightcap
SALEM CC SOFTBALL Lackawanna 21-7, Salem CC 0-6
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — The word of the week through all of Salem CC’s softball practices this week was adversity and the Mighty Oaks had plenty of it in their season opener.
How they learn to overcome it going forward will say a lot about the season they hope to enjoy.
The Mighty Oaks opened their season Tuesday getting swept by Region XIX rival Lackawanna 21-0 and 7-6 at Watson Field. Between playing in the first-game rain that kept their freshman pitcher from gripping the ball in her first college start to having to regroup from a blowout, losing a lead in the nightcap, tying it, falling behind again and trying to rally in the seventh, there was plenty of adversity to go around.
“We were hit with some adversity and that’s kind of been our word of the past week,” coach Angel Rodriguez said. “Just understand we’ve got to be able to battle through some changes and when we’re down it’s never over. You’ve got to look forward to the next best thing that you’re going to do and that’s been our motto.
“You don’t know when adversity is going to hit you in life and how long it’s going to last around, but it’s not something you can wake up and hope it’s gone. I felt they did a really good job of bouncing back after that first game and battling in the second game together. That’s something that didn’t leave them the whole time, which is good, so we can take that away.
“You’ve got to be able to play through it. You’re as good as your next at bat or fielding play. I think they did a good job of that and there’s a lot of stuff there that I think we’re going to take as we keep going forward.”
Not much could’ve been more adverse than the opener. The game started in a cold mist that grew progressively harder as the game went on. At the weather’s worst, in the third inning, Mighty Oaks starting pitcher Jordyn Busch had trouble gripping the ball and her cleats clogged with mud. She walked six and hit a batter in the inning and was charged with 11 of the 12 runs the Falcons scored in it although Reagan Wilson gave up a grand slam to Haleigh Mazol on her first pitch of the season immediately after replacing Busch.
Mazol had a two-run single earlier in the inning and eight RBIs in the game. She drove in what proved to be the winning run in the nightcap on a soft pop in the sixth that landed a couple feet up the third base line and plopped into the soft dirt, coming to rest just inches from rolling foul. It allowed Laniah Tasker to race home from third for a 7-4 lead.
The umpires suspended play after the Might Oaks batted in the fourth inning down 20-0 — before reaching the five-inning run-rule threshold — and the game was delayed 30 minutes while Salem coaches and administrators worked in six bags of drying agent to fix the infield. There was a thought if the game had been suspended earlier, before the rain got heavier, they might not have brought it back at all. Rodriguez called it “a tough call for everyone.”
“I think they did the right call,” he said. “We took the little intermission and got the field prepped what we needed to do and the weather held out for the most part after that. It’s a tough call. We wanted to play. We were ready to still go, but it did surprise us there. That wasn’t on the radar at first, but that’s the weather. We said it earlier. If we’re going to wait for a perfect day in March on the East Coast we’re never going to play. Some of these things you’ve got to be able to battle through.”
Busch went back in the circle after the rain, started the second game. She kept the Falcons off the board in the first two innings and pitched into the fourth before being lifted following Ayahna Fleisher’s two-run homer that put the Falcons in front 4-3.
“It was definitely a way better adjustment (without the rain); I feel like I was actually able to get into a groove and find the strike zone,” she said. “In the first game finding the strike zone was hard. I couldn’t see because my glasses were covered in rain and my towel was soaked so I couldn’t dry my hand off and then my glove, the ball was getting soaked through it so I couldn’t grip it at all.
“It did definitely affect me. Not only I couldn’t grip the ball, but on the mental side because it was my first college game. The rain was just something added to struggle with. I definitely didn’t mind it at first, it was definitely not that bad, but when it started picking up it was very unpleasant.”
The day wasn’t all bad for the Mighty Oaks (0-2). J.J. Aguirre hit two homers in the nightcap. Her three-run blast in the first gave them a 3-0 lead and her two-run shot in the seventh gave them hope. The freshman from Midland, Texas, also had their only hit in the opener against Fleisher, a two-out double in the second.
“The first home run I was just trying to keep it simple and let mechanics take over,” she said. “The second home run I was a little nervous because it was bottom (of the seventh) but I didn’t let it get to me. I just kept it simple: See the ball, hit the ball. I think I was just ready to get another chance with no rain and I was excited and ready to go and just play.”
The Falcons (3-2) broke a 4-4 tie in the nightcap with three runs in the sixth. Aguirre’s second homer made it 7-6. Bella Rappa kept the rally alive with a single and was moved into scoring position by Megan Koski. Sawyer Simmons then lofted a ball into the fog in right field that was caught for the final out.
Salem boys survive Woodstown’s best shot to become the last Salem County team standing in South Jersey Group I playoffs
SJ GROUP 1 TOURNAMENT BOYS No. 1 Salem 64, No. 8 Woodstown 53 No. 4 KIPP 50, No. 12 Glassboro 49 No. 14 New Egypt 47, No. 6 Penns Grove 38 No. 2 Palmyra 57, No. 10 Audubon 33 Wednesday’s semifinals KIPP (17-9) at Salem (21-5) New Egypt (13-14) at Palmyra (21-7) GIRLS No. 1 Haddon Twp. 49, No. 8 Woodbury 34 No. 4 Glassboro 57, No. 5 Palmyra 35 No. 3 Audubon 48, No. 11 Woodstown 29 No. 2 Wildwood 51, No. 7 Gateway 41 Wednesday’s semifinals Glassboro (21-7) at Haddon Twp. (21-8) Audubon (20-8) at Wildwood (21-7)
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM – There really is only one mindset to have when it comes playoff time – survive and advance – and Salem was definitely in survival mode in the second half of its South Jersey Group I playoff game Monday night.
The top-seeded Rams were stuck in one of those cold spells that have hit them on occasion this season and they trailed county rival Woodstown by seven with five minutes left in the third quarter. But they turned to Deshaan Williams and Fatah Paige to get it inside, they got back on track and, with the Wolverines tired from all the energy they spent to get that lead, shook the doldrums and eventually the Wolverines, 64-53.
They now host No. 4 KIPP in Wednesday’s sectional semifinals. The Titans (17-9) edged No. 12 Glassboro, 50-49.
“That’s what it’s about,” Rams coach Anthony Farmer said. “It’s about playing four quarters. We punched them in the mouth early, they responded, give them credit, but it’s a four=quarter game.
“That’s what we’ve been preaching since Williamstown. That game kind of enlightened us and showed us what we need to do. “We’ve been in that situation before. We’ve had leads, lost them, came back. Tonight was just one of those nights where we cranked it up and … survive and advance, man. That’s what it’s about this time of year.”
The Rams (21-5) appeared headed for an easy win, but this was anything but easy. Xavier McGriff “got the party started” as they like to say, hitting three 3-pointers in the first quarter to help the Rams forge a 28-10 lead two minutes into the second quarter, but for the next 15 minutes or so they were in a fight for their playoff lives.
From that point to the end of the half, the Wolverines forced them into 0-for-4 shooting and eight turnovers and got it back to 29-25 at the break. The run was fueled by two 3-point plays by Frankie Hoerst with back-to-back 3s by Blake Bialecki and Elijah Caesar in between.
While the first quarter belonged to McGriff, the second quarter was Hoerst’s. The freshman scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in the second quarter alone and finished with 10 points and 13 boards for the game.
“We’ve been working on him the last couple weeks one-on-one, teaching him different moves and stuff and he really turned it on,” Wolverines coach Ramon Roots said. “And that’s what we expect from him.”
The halftime break did nothing to slow the Wolverines down. They opened the second half on an 11-0 run to grab a 36-29 lead. Bialecki gave them the lead with 6:33 left in the third quarter and Alejandro Vazquez and Caesar hit back-to-back 3s to extend it before Williams finally got the Rams on the board after seven empty possessions with 4:53 left in the quarter.
But all that energy the Wolverines expended getting back in the game and taking the lead took its toll. Vazquez conceded they were spent down the stretch.
“It gassed us out,” he said. “We fought hard and I’m proud of our guys, but we were all tired.”
That’s where Williams and Paige took over. Williams had 12 straight points for the Rams in the third quarter to bring them back and finished with another double-double. Paige was inserted when Marshall Stephens got in foul trouble and just played too good to come out. He neutralized Hoerst in the fourth quarter, grabbing nine of his 12 rebounds.
“The guards weren’t shooting it well so we had to rely on our big guys,” guard Tymear Lecator said. “We had our shot in the first half, it was not our night. A couple 3s we let go fell in, but a lot didn’t so we knew it wasn’t our night and we knew if we wanted to get the job done we couldn’t keep jacking up 3s, we had to attack down there and that’s what we did. We fed it to our big guys and got out of there with a good win.”
“O-o-oh, I can’t talk enough about Fatah, the way he came in and changed the game with his athleticism, energy, effort,” Farmer said. “I challenged him about a week or two ago about getting on that backboard. You’re big and strong, your athletic, you should go in there, you should be getting on that backboard and tonight, man, he just was phenomenal. He was huge for us.”
Williams had 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Paige had six points to go with his boards. Tymear Lecator had 12 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
“They started hitting a lot of shots, so everybody looked toward me to get the ball and score and I feel like that’s what I did,” Williams said of his third-quarter outburst. “It felt good, especially in the playoffs. It was a good environment to do it.”
“We were not losing,” Paige said. “I had that mindset from the jump. They had their little run and I was like, nah, we’re not losing and I did everything in my power to make sure we didn’t. I had to get on the backboard, make sure there were no easy baskets, stay hungry.”
3-point goals: Woodstown 5 (Caesar 2, Bialecki 2, Vazquez); Salem 5 (McGriff 3, Spence, Lecator). Rebounds: Woodstown 27 (Hoerst 13); Salem 39 (Williams 11, Paige 12). Total fouls: Woodstown 17, Salem 15.
Salem’s Deshaan Williams (10) moves in to keep Woodstown’s Blake Bialecki from driving on him during Monday night’s South Jersey Group I playoff game.
NEW EGYPT 47, PENNS GROVE 38: Damian Ware really liked the way the playoff road was laying out in front of his Penns Grove basketball team. First-round upsets left a couple double-digit seeds in the path of the Red Devils’ potential spot in the sectional final. All they had to do was get through it.
They got the desired defensive effort they wanted Monday night, but they didn’t have the shooting success to go with it and they fell to the 14th-seeded Warriors to end their season.
“It was back and forth in the fourth quarter,” Ware said. “We missed a few shots, they hit a few shots and pushed it out to five, then we had to foul and they made their free throws at the end to push it out to nine. But it was really like a two-point game most of the fourth quarter.
“We just missed shots. We missed shots that we normally would make at a decent rate. Got a lot of good looks, got a lot of clean looks, but shots just weren’t falling today. That’s what it came down to. Our game play wasn’t bad, we held them to 47 points. Our goal was to keep teams under 50, but we didn’t make shots.”
The sixth-seeded Red Devils (17-12) held their last lead at 35-34 with 3:30 to play, then hit only one more shot the rest of the game. The Warriors, who upset third-seeded Haddon Twp. in the opening round, meanwhile, scored seven points in a row to take the lead for good, then scored their last six points from the free throw line.
Another crucial stretch came at the end of the third quarter when they suffered three turnovers in the final 20 seconds that the Warriors turned into two buckets for a 27-25 lead.
Nolan Arnold, New Egypt’s all-time leading scorer with more than 1,600 career points, led all scorers with 20 points. Clyde Ferris added 16 with three 3-pointers.
Roman Gipson hit four 3-pointers for Red Devils and led them with 16 points. Geonni Conrad had 10 points.
“I tell the kids the game is the game,” Ware said. “You’re going to make shots, you’re going to miss shots, but you’ve got to hit them when they matter the most and we just didn’t make the shots when they mattered the most.”
NEW EGYPT 50, PENNS GROVE 41 NEW EGYPT (13-14): Nolan Arnold 8-4-20, Clyde Ferris 5-3-16, Dylan Harper 0-0-0, Paul Kennedy 1-3-5, Ryan Reynolds 2-1-6, Jake Milicia 0-0-0, Thomas Marabuto 0-0-0. Totals 16-11-47. PENNS GROVE (17-12): Roman Gipson 6-0-16, Geonni Conrad 4-1-10, Will Roy 0-1-1, Haneef Frisby 1-1-3, Mishawn Brantley 0-0-0, Jameel Horace 2-0-4, Carson Pearsall 1-0-2, Luis Colon 1-0-2. Totals 15-3-38.
New Egypt
9
8
10
20-
47
Penns Grove
5
11
9
13-
38
3-point goals: New Egypt 4 (Ferris 3, Reynolds); Penns Grove 5 (Gipson 4, Conrad 1).
Girls game
AUDUBON 48, WOODSTOWN 29: Third-seeded Audubon never gave the Wolverines a chance to get anything going and rolled into a semifinal showdown at Wildwood.
The Wolverines (12-16) were held to seven points in the first half and were down by 21 going into the fourth quarter, but they did outscore their hosts over the course of the final eight minutes.
“They played extremely tough and aggressive,” Woodstown coach Matt Smart said of the Green Wave. “They made it hard to get into our sets and played great defense.
“I was proud of the way we fought the entire time. There were times we could’ve given up, but the girls wanted to continue to fight. We took some really good shots that just didn’t fall our way today.”
The Wolverines didn’t have a scorer in double figures, but Lauren Hengel and Kendall Young each scored eight points apiece.
Audubon’s Emma Speyerer hit four 3-pointers and led all scorers with 18 points. Kylie Cannaday had 14 points and seven rebounds. The Green Wave had 12 steals as a team and four blocked shots.
It was a tough year for the Wolverines. They had to rebuild after graduating two of the most prolific scorers in school history and doing so meant putting players in positions they may not have been comfortable playing. But they persevered without complaint.
“What I’ll miss most about the senior class is their camaraderie they have,” Smart said. “Tonight when we got back to the locker room, I went to lock it up thinking everyone had left, and the seniors and a couple juniors were hanging out. They didn’t want to leave. We sat there for about an hour sharing stories and laughs from the season.
“When a sad moment like a season coming to the end happens, if you can look back on the good times, it’s very special. When they can look back on the memories that they made with friends, it’s a special group. Yes, there were tears today, but there were a lot of smiles and laughs.”
Mighty Oaks bring in new, familiar faces to join their coaching staffs as assistants
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Salem CC cross country coach Ashley Johnson remembers sharing a bus with Tom Mason when their Pennsville and Penns Grove high school teams competed in the same faraway championship meets. Now, they’re back on the bus together as coaching colleagues.
Mason, longtime Salem County track and cross country coach, has been approved as Johnson’s assistant coach for the coming season.
Call it a double full-circle moment because Mason started the Salem CC cross country program when “I had hair” during the college’s first run sponsoring athletics.
“It is full circle,” he said. “It’s bringing me back, the circle’s complete, but the main I took the job was Ashley, because what a fantastic person she is and what a great experience I had coaching against her. It’s going to be fun to get back to it.”
Mason’s 44-year high school coaching career (126 seasons) includes nearly 400 wins, four state team titles, six South Jersey sectional titles, 15 Salem County crowns and nearly 70 individual and relay state champions. He was inducted into the Salem County Sports (2011) and New Jersey Scholastic Coaches (2016) hall of fames. He also once served on the Salem CC board of trustees and is currently a member of the Pennsville School Board.
On Wednesday, he confirmed his acceptance of the Woodstown High School spring track coaching job, which won’t conflict with the Salem CC post. It’ll give him a chance to impart his wisdom on the Wolverines’ dominant middle distance runners and resume the run for 400 wins (he needs four).
“Coaching in Salem County was one of the best coaching memories I’ve had and the coaching world in Salem County seemed like family,” Johnson said. “Working with the best — Geoff Shute, John Maniglia and Justin Simmons — at Pennsville turned into becoming friendly with Tom … All the coaches I’ve coached with and against became family.
“The best part is when I left I remained in touch with those coaches and seeing them months or even years later we picked up where we left off. Before I took over Salem CC the first person that came to mind was Tom Mason. He started this program, he’s a Salem County and New Jersey legend, and I had to reach out. I am beyond excited to be work with him. We click, he’s got a ton of energy and a very impressive resume.”
And he’s always been there at her biggest moments.
“Tom came to Pennsville when one of our runners was signing to run for him at SCC (in 2019),” Johnson recalled. “I’ll never forget that day because immediately after the signing Geoff Shute and athletic director Adam Slusher drove me home because a few hours later I gave birth to my daughter, Scarlett.”
Mason was one of four new assistants the Salem CC board of trustees approved at its Feb. 19 meeting.
Courtney Gallo and Mike Kerns will join Andrea Bartlett’s volleyball staff. Gallo is a former Chestnut Hill player and Kerns is the swim coach at Camden Academy Charter.
Angel Velez is back with the baseball team after two seasons as a player. The catcher-DH was the Mighty Oaks’ hottest hitter in the second half of last season.
Woodstown’s Ayars commits to play college soccer at RCSJ-Cumberland, picks Dukes over system rival; updated with new material
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
Bryce Ayars is always up for a good rivalry. He played in one of the best during his high school career at Woodstown and he’s about to become part of another now that he’s committed to playing his college soccer at RCSJ-Cumberland.
The Wolverines senior confirmed his commitment in December after several weeks wrestling with his choices. He chose the Dukes over their RCSJ system rival Gloucester, a decision that is bound to heighten the experience even more when the teams play the next two years.
Woodstown’s Bryce Ayars had a big weekend with his travel team in the run-up to tonight’s signing celebration at RCSJ-Cumberland. (Submitted photo)
“There’s always a pretty heated rivalry between the two,” Ayars said. “You know me, I’m always ready for a good rivalry with my past experience with Schalick, so I’m looking forward to that next big rivalry in my career.
“It’s definitely going to be a heated game. It’s something I’m looking forward to, just being out there on the pitch, going against another great team, to see who comes out on top. I’ve always loved the intensity in those games, no matter if we won or lost. Having that intensity is just something you can’t take for granted. You’ve just got to enjoy every minute of it.”
He officially joined program tonight when he joined the Dukes’ signees in soccer, basketball, softball and golf for a formal signing celebration. Woodstown coach Darren Huck was even on hand to support his captain.
Ayars’ senior high school soccer season ended in early November, but he was on the field honing his craft this weekend, captaining his Deptford Premier EDT travel team to a 2-1 record st the Loudoun (Va.) College Showcase. He anchored a defense that allowed only four goals in three games and scored the game-winner in one of the wins on a header off a corner kick.
Ayars was impressed with the consistent communication the Dukes had with him throughout the season. He watched the game with Gloucester during the season and although the Dukes lost, he was impressed with the way they played.
Once he decided he was going to one of the RCSJs, the final decision came down to “what program would fit me better and which one can help me develop into the player I want to be and take my talent to the next level after these two years.”
Ayars was a two-way threat for the Wolverines and that’s what the Dukes like in him. He controlled the game from his center back position, but became a goal scorer this past season.
He scored a team- and career-high 17 goals this year, 27 over the last two seasons, and finished his four-year career with 95 points. The Wolverines were 19-2-1 the last two seasons when Ayars scored a goal. Along with his father, Don (1998-2000), they formed the second-deepest family legacies in Woodstown soccer history — 135 games (83-41-11), seven playoff appearances and 38 combined goals.
Bryce was a first-team Tri-County Diamond Division pick and played in the TCC-Colonial, South Jersey and All-State all-star games.
“I think I played to the best I could, taking a big leap from my junior to senior year,” he said. “Being able to score goals and getting assists doesn’t just help me but helps the team. I feel like I’d done everything I could for the team and it just didn’t go the way I wanted to in the playoffs.”
Woodstown’s Bryce Ayars (seated left) celebrates his signing to play soccer at RCSJ-Cumberland with his family. (Submitted photo)
In anticipation of Salem CC (30-2) receiving an at-large bid to the JUCO Division III national tournament Wednesday, here is a look at the eight teams holding automatic bids
TEAM (District)
W-L
STR
L10
OFF
DEF
Northern Essex (East)
30-3
16
10-0
89.3
71.0
Riverland (North Plains)
29-2
3
9-1
85.6
66.5
Northampton (North Atlantic)
27-4
4
8-2
80.2
67.0
Dutchess (Northeast)
26-4
4
9-1
85.4
65.5
Genesee (North)
23-7
14
10-0
85.7
75.6
Dallas-North Lake (South Central)
22-10
5
8-2
85.5
75.4
Montgomery Co. (North Atlantic)
21-4
7
9-1
83.2
71.0
Joliet (Mid-Atlantic)
15-11
5
8-2
84.8
81.2
AT-LARGE HOPEFULS Salem CC (30-2): No. 1 lost in North Atlantic A finals Dallas-Eastfield (20-9): No. 3 lost in South Central semifinals Dallas-Richland (20-9): No. 4 lost in South Central semifinals Virginia Peninsula (22-7): No. 11 lost in Mid-Atlantic finals North Country (26-4): No. 12 lost in North semifinals Union (22-9): No. 14 lost in North Atlantic B semifinals Herkimer (18-7): No. 15 lost in North quarterfinals (tournament host) Ridgewater (22-6): lost in North Plains finals, national leader in scoring (96.6 ppg)
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of March 2-7
MONDAY MARCH 2 BOYS BASKETBALL South Jersey Group I Tournament Woodstown at Salem, 5 p.m. Glassboro at KIPP, 6 p.m. New Egypt at Penns Grove, 5:30 p.m. Audubon at Palmyra, 6 p.m. GIRLS BASKETBALL South Jersey Group I Tournament Woodbury at Haddon Twp., 5:30 p.m. Palmyra at Glassboro, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Audubon, 4 p.m. Gateway at Wildwood, 5 p.m.
TUESDAY, MARCH 3 COLLEGE BASEBALL Salem CC at Delaware Tech, 3 p.m. COLLEGE SOFTBALL Lackawanna at Salem CC, 1 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 BOYS BASKETBALL South Jersey Group I Semifinals Woodstown-Salem vs. Glassboro-KIPP New Egypt at Penns Grove vs. Audubon-Palmyra GIRLS BASKETBALL South Jersey Group I Semifinals Woodbury-Haddon Twp. vs. Palmyra-Glassboro Woodstown-Audubon vs. Gateway-Wildwood COLLEGE BASKETBALL NJCAA Division III Selection Show, 6 p.m.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5 COLLEGE SOFTBALL Salem CC at RCSJ-Gloucester (2), 3 p.m.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6 WRESTLING Region Tournament COLLEGE BASEBALL Salem CC at Brookdale, 3:30 p.m. COLLEGE SOFTBALL Sussex at Salem CC (2), 1 p.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7 BOYS BASKETBALL South Jersey Group I Championship GIRLS BASKETBALL South Jersey Group I Championship WRESTLING Region Tournament COLLEGE BASEBALL Brookdale at Salem CC (2), noon COLLEGE SOFTBALL Monroe-Bronx at Salem CC (2), noon
SUNDAY, MARCH 8 INDOOR TRACK Meet of Championship, Ocean Breeze, Staten Island WRESTLING Girls Region Tournament
Riverview Sports News 