Month: July 2026

Mighty Oaks in ‘good spot’

Other in-state program says emerging Salem CC program good for conference, region and JUCO football, days before opening of camp, AD who provided guidance says Mighty Oaks have ‘done everything they need to get this thing moving’

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

When Todd Pottersdorf heard there was another junior college on the other end of the state exploring the possibility of starting a football program he got genuinely excited.

The idea that Salem Community College was going to bring a program online this year was an opportunity not only to find a reasonably close opponent to fill another spot on Sussex CC’s schedule but provide a competitive partner to help fill the 500-mile void that was JUCO football between New York and North Carolina.

It’s not just an idea anymore. The Mighty Oaks are just days away from opening their first preseason football training camp with their inaugural game in an eight-game Year One schedule set for Lou D’Angelo Stadium in Pennsville the end of August.

The response has been overly favorable locally and beyond.

“I think it’s great for the region and the conference; it gives us another opponent to play,” said Pottersdorf, the Skylanders’ head coach when they launched and now the school’s athletics director. “In junior college football you’re either D1 or D3. Since 2019 we were a Division 1 program. That included Lackawanna, Monroe – those schools were relatively on the East Coast – but now that Lackawanna went four-year school, Monroe went four-year school, we decided to go down to Division 3 status, where now Hudson, Nassau, Erie, they have to play us. They can’t dodge us.

“Adding Salem really has helped us. It’s been kind of nice to have somebody else in the mix, to be honest with you. From our perspective it’s been great to have. It’s great for the Garden State Athletic Conference, it’s great for Region 19 and it’s great for NJCAA football.”

Jay Accorsi, the long-time Rowan head coach who would become the Mighty Oaks’ first head coach, called on Pottersdorf several times during Salem’s exploratory phase to pick his brain about all that was in store for starting a program from scratch.

Accorsi often wondered why there wasn’t a local junior college option available to players in a region that was filled with players who had the ability and desire to play but either went out of state to play or fell through the recruiting cracks without a place to land. He knew Pottersdorf from the days his Rowan teams scrimmaged Sussex in camp and acknowledged his insights many times in earlier interviews.

The Skylanders were the first junior college in the state to have football when they launched in 2019 with the big-picture aim of increasing student enrollment. They were ready to hit the field with a 90-man roster in the fall of 2020, but then COVID hit and disrupted the world. They played a five-game schedule when normalcy returned and have been on the field every year since. (Salem’s plan will have taken 10 months from the time they first brought the proposal before the board to Opening Day).

“It wasn’t hard for us to get it up and running; it was a pretty smooth process, as far as finding kids to play,” Pottersdorf said. 

The biggest questions Accorsi had were the ability to secure a practice facility and playing venues. During the process, the Mighty Oaks acquired a piece of property adjacent to the Carneys Point Rec Complex for their practice facility and will play games this first season at three of five Salem County high school stadiums. They are still trying to finalize the coaching staff.

Since their initial conversations, Pottersdorf has watched with interest as Salem has navigated the same issues Sussex did when it started and he’s been impressed with what he’s observed from afar.

“We haven’t talked in a while, but I understand things are going pretty good,” he said. “(Accorsi’s) got good numbers and is just going through the internal stuff now.

“I think they’re in a good spot. They’re ready to roll. I think they’ve done everything they need to do to get this thing moving. it’s a lot work behind the scenes and not a lot of people realize how much of that there is, but everything we see it seems like they’re going to be in a really good spot.”

The addition of Salem to the landscape opens a world of possibilities for JUCO football in the region. The Mighty Oaks will play their first season as a Division 3 independent, but Pottersdorf, who recently was voted onto the D-3 football board, is about to introduce a proposal for a conference that would include the two New Jersey schools, Hudson Valley, Nassau and Erie.

In a perfect world, they would play home-and-home within the conference so they wouldn’t have to hunt for games and have eight guaranteed JUCO games that would qualify them for the playoffs. The Mighty Oaks play the other four teams in its inaugural schedule – Sussex twice — plus have games with the service academy prep schools and a technical college. 

“My goal this year is to create a Division 3 junior college football conference where we each play each other twice,” Pottersdorf said. “I want to try to get some credibility so we can be in the national polling so we can compete for a national title, somebody from our conference.”

2026 Fall Schedule

Here is the master schedule for the 2026 fall high school and college season in Salem County; weekday events start at 4 p.m. unless noted; football games listed for WJFL; x-scrimmage

MONDAY, AUG. 17
FOOTBALL
x-Clearview at Woodstown, 9 a.m.
x-Haddon Twp. at Penns Grove, 9 a.m.
x-Salem at Absegami, 10 a.m.
x-Triton at Pennsville, 10 a.m.

TUESDAY, AUG. 18
FOOTBALL
x-Delsea at Schalick, 10 a.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
x-Pennsville at Middle Twp., 10 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19
GIRLS TENNIS
x-Clearview at Schalick, 10 a.m.
Woodstown at Sterling, 10 a.m.

THURSDAY, AUG. 20
FOOTBALL
x-Wildwood at Penns Grove, 10 a.m.
x-Audubon at Woodstown, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUG. 21
FOOTBALL
x-Salem at Camden, 10 a.m.
x-Schalick at Buena, 9 a.m.
x-Poly Tech (Del.) at Pennsville, 6 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
x-Schalick at Cumberland, 9:30 a.m.
x-Millville at Pennsville, 10 a.m.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
x-Salem CC at Montclair, 5 p.m.

MONDAY, AUG. 24
BOYS SOCCER
x-Penns Grove at Deptford, 10 a.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
x-Deptford at Penns Grove, 10 a.m.
Woodstown at Lower Cape May, 10 a.m.

TUESDAY, AUG. 25
FIELD HOCKEY
x-Audubon at Schalick, 10 a.m.
x-Highland at Salem Tech, 10 a.m.
x-Salem at West Deptford, 10 a.m.
BOYS SOCCER
x-Vineland at Schalick, 9:30 a.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
x-Salem at Cumberland, 10 a.m.
x-Schalick at Vineland, 10 a.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Schalick at Buena

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 26
BOYS SOCCER
x-Medford Tech at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
x-Camden Academy Charter at Salem Tech
GIRLS SOCCER
Woodstown at Haddon Twp., 9 a.m.
x-Bridgeton at Salem, 10 a.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
x-Williamstown at Pennsville, 10 a.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
x-Pennsville at Vineland, 10 a.m.
Woodstown at Ocean City, 11 a.m.
Schalick at Middle Twp.
VOLLEYBALL
x-Lindenwold at Salem Tech, 10:30 a.m.

THURSDAY, AUG. 27
FOOTBALL
Pitman at Wildwood, 11 a.m.
Woodstown at Pennsville, 6 p.m.
Riverside at Clayton, 6 p.m.
Overbrook at Haddonfield, 7 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
x-KIPP at Pennsville, 10 a.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
x-Millville at Schalick, 10 a.m.
x-Pennsville at Palmyra, 10 a.m.
x-Penns Grove at Highland, 10 a.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
x-Friends Central at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
x-Salem, Bridgeton, Nottingham at Cumberland, 10 a.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
x-Bridgeton at Salem, 10 a.m.

FRIDAY, AUG. 28
FOOTBALL
Maple Shade at Schalick, 6 p.m.
New Egypt at Buena, 6 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
x-Salem at Camden Academy Charter, 3:45 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
x-Pennsville at Gloucester, 9 a.m.
x-Woodstown at Deptford, 9 a.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Cedar Creek at Schalick, 10 a.m.
Woodstown at Audubon, 10 a.m.

SATURDAY, AUG. 29
FOOTBALL
Salem at Ironton (Ohio), 1 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
x-Woodstown at Williamstown, 9 a.m.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Hudson Valley CC vs. Salem CC, Pennsville H.S., 1 p.m.

MONDAY, AUG. 31
BOYS SOCCER
Absegami at Woodstown, 9 a.m.
x-Pennsville at Penn Tech
GIRLS SOCCER
x-Penn Tech at Pennsville
GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville at West Deptford, 3:45 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 1
FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick at Gateway, 9 a.m.
x-Woodstown at Gloucester, 3:45 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
x-Salem Tech at Paulsboro
Woodstown at Vineland

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2
BOYS SOCCER
Cape May Tech at Salem Tech (NJTAC Tournament)
FIELD HOCKEY
x-Woodstown at Washington Twp.
VOLLEYBALL
Buena at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Salem CC at Middlesex, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 3
FOOTBALL
Overbrook at Pennsville, 6 p.m.
Woodstown at Clayton, 6 p.m.
Paul VI at Delran, 6 p.m.
Wildwood at Lindenwold, 6 p.m.
Egg Harbor at Lower Cape May, 6 p.m.
Hunterdone Central at Hillsborough, 6 p.m.
Cherry Hill East at Eastern, 6 p.m.
Camden Eastside at Gloucester, 6 p.m.
Moorestown at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m.
Hopewell Valley at Trenton, 6 p.m.
Bishop Eustace at Gateway, 6 p.m.
Haddon Twp. at Palmyra, 6 p.m.
Timber Creek at Vineland, 6 p.m.
Williamstown at Pennsauken, 6 p.m.
Cedar Creek at Ocean City, 6 p.m.
Pleasantville at Shawnee, 6 p.m.
Seneca at Haddonfield, 7 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Penns Grove at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Overbrook at Schalick
Pennsville at Pitman
Salem at Glassboro
BOYS SOCCER
Woodstown at Pennsville
GIRLS SOCCER
Pennsville at Woodstown

FRIDAY, SEPT. 4
FOOTBALL
Burlington City at Schalick, 6 p.m.
Penns Grove at Buena, 6 p.m.
Woodbury at Pitman, 7 p.m.
Cherokee at Burlington Twp., 5 p.m.
Ewing at Hightstown, 6 p.m.
Glassboro at Mainland, 6 p.m.
Millville at Washington Twp., 6 p.m.
Florence at Bordentown, 6 p.m.
Belmont Charter (Pa.) at Southern, 6 p.m.
Northern Burlington at Lenape, 6 p.m.
Princeton at Allentown, 6 p.m.
Audubon at Sterling, 6 p.m.
Delsea at Rancocas Valley, 6 p.m.
Holy Spirit at Camden, 6 p.m.
St. Joe (Hamm.) at Cumberland, 6 p.m.
Bridgeton at Highland, 6 p.m.
Atlantic Tech at Hammonton, 6 p.m.
Absegami at Oakcrest, 6 p.m.
Nottingham at Notre Dame, 6 p.m.
Clearview at WW-Plainsboro, 6 p.m.
Hamilton West at Lawrence, 6 p.m.
Triton at Cherry Hill West, 6 p.m.
Kingsway at Winslow, 6 p.m.
Steinert at Robbinsville, 6 p.m.
Gloucester Catholic at Middle Twp., 6 p.m.
Willingboro at West Deptford, 7 p.m.
Riverside at Camden Catholic, 7 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Paulsboro at Salem
FIELD HOCKEY
Salem at Paulsboro
Schalick at Delran
COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY
Salem CC in West Chester Open
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Salem CC at Harcum, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 5
FOOTBALL
Paulsboro at Salem, noon
Collingswood at Haddon Heights, 11:30 a.m.
Maple Shade at KIPP, noon
Holy Cross at Pemberton, noon
St. Augustine vs. Atlantic City, 4 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 8
BOYS SOCCER
Schalick at Delran
Woodstown at Gateway
GIRLS SOCCER
Deptford at Schalick
GCIT at Woodstown
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville at Audubon
St. Joe (Hamm.) at Woodstown
GIRLS TENNIS
Glassboro at Schalick
Woodstown at Timber Creek
CROSS COUNTRY
TCC Batch Meet at Kingsway, 3:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9
VOLLEYBALL
Triton at Salem Tech, 5:15 p.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Delaware Tech at Salem CC, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 10
FOOTBALL
Clayton at Haddon Twp., 6 p.m.
Atlantic City at Eastern, 6 p.m.
Williamstown at Washington Twp., 6 p.m.
Vineland at Pennsauken, 6 p.m.
Hopewell Valley at Burlington City, 6 p.m.
Lenape at Cherokee, 6 p.m.
Trenton at Northern Burlington, 6 p.m.
Delran at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m.
Gloucester Catholic at WW-Plainsboro, 6 p.m.
Woodbury at Gateway, 6 p.m.
Hightstown at Moorestown, 6 p.m.
Shawnee at Cherry Hill East, 6:30 p.m.
Egge Harbor at Clearview, 7 p.m.
Princeton at Robbinville, 7 p.m.
Mainland at Seneca, 7 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech
Salem at Pennsville
Woodstown at Schalick
BOYS SOCCER
Overbrook at Woodstown
Pennsville at Clayton
Salem at Salem Tech
Schalick at Penns Grove
GIRLS SOCCER
Clayton at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Schalick
Salem Tech at Salem
GIRLS TENNIS
Woodstown at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick at Salem

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11
FOOTBALL
Schalick at Woodstown, 6 p.m.
Pennsville at Pitman, 7 p.m.
Buena at Mastery Camden, 6 p.m.
Paulsboro at West Deptford, 7 p.m.
Highland at Overbrook, 7 p.m.
Bordentown at Steinert, 3:45 p.m.
Timber Creek at Triton, 6 p.m.
Deptford at Oakcrest, 6 p.m.
Burlington Twp. at Willingboro, 6 p.m.
Lower Cape May Cumberland, 6 p.m.
Cherry Hill West at Lawrence, 6 p..
Allentown at Collingswood, 6 p.m.
Palmyra at Florence, 6 p.m.
Riverside at Holy Cross, 6 p.m.
Notre Dame at Ewing, 6 p.m.
Cedar Creek at Pleasantville, 6 p.m.
Rancocas Valley at Kingsway, 6 p.m.
Atlantic Tech at Middle Twp., 6 p.m.
Haddon Heights at Maple Shade, 6 p.m.
Hammonton at Bridgeton, 6 p.m.
Holy Spirit at St. Augustine, 6 p.m.
Winslow at Glassboro, 6 p.m.
Camden Catholic at Bishop Eustace, 6:30 p.m.
Sterling at Gloucester, 7 p.m.
St. Joe (Hamm.) at Paul VI, 7 p.m.
Haddonfield at Delsea, 7 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Bridgeton at Salem
BOYS SOCCER
Gloucester at Salem
Salem Tech at Camden Academy Charter
GIRLS TENNIS
Haddon Heights at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Highland at Salem Tech, 5:15 p.m.
COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY
Salem CC in Bill Fritz Open, Dream Park

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12
FOOTBALL
Audubon at Salem, noon
Lindenwold at Penns Grove, noon
KIPP at Wildwood, noon
Pemberton at Nottingham, noon
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Nassau CC vs. Salem CC, Schalick H.S., noon

MONDAY, SEPT. 14
FIELD HOCKEY
Clayton at Pennsville
Gloucester Catholic at Salem
Schalick at Salem Tech
BOYS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville
Overbrook at Schalick
Penns Grove at Pitman
Salem Tech at Clayton
GIRLS SOCCER
Clayton at Salem Tech
Glassboro at Woodstown
Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic
Pitman at Salem
Schalick at Overbrook
Woodbury at Penns Grove, 6 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Schalick at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Salem at Bridgeton
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Salem CC at Atlantic Cape, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 15
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at GCIT, 3:45 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 16
FIELD HOCKEY
Gateway at Woodstown
Pennsville at Schalick
Salem Tech at Overbrook
BOYS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Woodstown
Pennsville at Glassboro
Salem Tech at Penns Grove
Schalick at Cumberland
GIRLS SOCCER
Glassboro at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Salem Tech
GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville at Glassboro, 3:45 p.m.
Pitman at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Schalick

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17
FOOTBALL
Buena at Clayton, 6 p.m.
Pleasantville at Cherokee, 6 p.m.
Cumberland at Vineland, 6 p.m.
Gateway at Sterling, 6 p.m.
Bridgeton at St. Joe (Hamm.), 6:30 p.m.
Lindenwold at Haddon Twp., 7 p.m.
West Deptford at Paul VI, 7 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick at Delsea
GIRLS SOCCER
Cumberland at Salem
Penns Grove at Gloucester Catholic
Schalick at Cherry Hill West
GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville at Millville
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic, 5:15 p.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Salem CC at Morris, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 18
FOOTBALL
Salem at Schalick, 6 p.m.
Pitman at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m.
Burlington City at Overbrook, 7 p.m.
Shawnee at Rancocas Valley, 6 p.m.
Eastern at Northern Burlington, 6 p.m.
Allentown at Trenton, 6 p.m.
Atlantic Tech at Lower Cape May, 6 p.m.
Absegami at Hammonton, 6 p.m.
Gloucester at Triton, 6 p.m.
Lenape at Williamstown, 6 p.m.
Mainland at Holy Spirit, 6 p.m.
Millville at Kingsway, 6 p.m.
Washington Twp. at Atlantic City, 6 p.m.
Pennsauken at Cherry Hill East, 6 p.m.
Lawrence at Notre Dame, 6 p.m.
Highland at Timber Creek, 6 p.m.
Maple Shade at Bordentown, 6 p.m.
Seneca at Willingboro, 6 p.m.
Camden at Ocean City, 6 p.m.
Oakcrest at Egg Harbor, 6 p.m.
Clearview at Deptford, 6 p.m.
Cinnaminson at Cherry Hill West, 6 p.m.
Middle Twp. at Wildwood, 6 p.m.
Collingswood at Bishop Eustace, 6:30 p.m.
Ewing at Hopewell Valley, 7 p.m.
Florence at Camden Catholic, 7 p.m.
Camden Eastside at Moorestown, 7 p.m.
Delran at Haddonfield, 7 p.m.
Burlington Twp. at Delsea, 7 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Salem at Woodstown
GIRLS SOCCER
Bridgeton at Pennsville
FIELD HOCKEY
Absegami at Salem Tech
Pennsville at Bridgeton
Salem at Winslow
GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville at Penns Grove
Pitman at Salem
Schalick at Timber Creek
Woodstown at Overbrook

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19
FOOTBALL
Woodstown at Woodbury, 11 a.m.
Pennsville at Paulsboro, 11 a.m.
Hightstown at Princeton, 11 a.m.
Mastern Camden at Holy Cross, 11 a.m.
Palmyra at Gloucester Catholic, 11 a.m.
Haddon Heights at Audubon, 11 a.m.
Nottingham at Steinert, 11 a.m.
Riverside at KIPP, noon
WW-Plainsboro at Pemberton, noon
Glassboro at Cedar Creek, 1:30 p.m.
Robbinsville at Hamilton West, 2 p.m.
Buena at Clayton, 3 p.m.
Winslow at St. Augustine, 6 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Haddon Twp. at Schalick
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Thaddeus Stevens vs. Salem CC, Penns Grove H.S., noon

MONDAY, SEPT. 21
BOYS SOCCER
Woodstown at Audubon
GIRLS SOCCER
Audubon at Woodstown
Millville at Pennsville
FIELD HOCKEY
Salem at Clayton
GIRLS TENNIS
Schalick at Kingsway
VOLLEYBALL
Timber Creek at Salem Tech, 5:15 p.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Atlantic Cape at Salem CC, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 22
(Power points cutoff for girls tennis)
FIELD HOCKEY
Glassboro at Schalick
Gloucester Catholic at Woodstown
Pennsville at Salem Tech
BOYS SOCCER
Glassboro at Schalick
Pennsville at Salem
Penns Grove at Overbrook
Pitman at Woodstown
GIRLS SOCCER
Overbrook at Penns Grove
Salem at Pennsville
Salem Tech at Pitman
GIRLS TENNIS
Mainland at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Pitman at Schalick
Salem at Timber Creek
CROSS COUNTRY
TCC Batch Meet at Salem Tech, 3:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
FOOTBALL
Camden Catholic at Maple Shade, 6 p.m.
Haddon Twp. at Middle Twp., 6 p.m.
Hopewell Valley at Allentown, 6 p.m.
Riverside at Florence, 6 p.m.
Gloucester at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m.
Williamstown at Cherry Hill East, 6:30 p.m.
Delran at Seneca, 7 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Glassboro at Pennsville
Overbrook at Woodstown
Salem at Salem Tech
Schalick at Deptford
BOYS SOCCER
Clayton at Salem
Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech
Woodstown at Penns Grove
GIRLS SOCCER
Penns Grove at Woodstown
Pitman at Pennsville
Salem at Clayton
Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic
GIRLS TENNIS
Woodstown at Penns Grove, 3:45 p.m.
Glassboro at Salem
Pitman at Pennville
Schalick at Overbrook
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Anne Arundel at Salem CC, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25
FOOTBALL
Buena at Woodstown, 6 p.m.
Burlington City at Pennsville, 7 p.m.
Cedar Creek at Camden, 6 p.m.
Mastery Camden at WW-Plainsboro, 6 p.m.
Pleasantville at Burlington Twp., 6 p.m.
Lower Cape May at Absegami, 6 p.m.
Vineland at Bridgeton, 6 p.m.
Atlantic City at Winslow, 6 p.m.
Gloucester Catholic at Wildwood, 6 p.m.
Glassboro at Holy Spirit, 6 p.m.
Delsea at Shawnee, 6 p.m.
Lindenwold at Palmyra, 6 p.m.
Rancocas Valley at Cherokee, 6 p.m.
St. Joe (Hamm.) at Highland, 6 p.m.
Sterling at Collingswood, 6 p.m.
Washington Twp. at Kingsway, 6 p.m.
Ocean City at Mainland, 6 p.m.
Paul VI at Willingboro, 6 p.m.
Hammonton at Oakcrest, 6 p.m.
St. Augustine at Millville, 6 p.m.
Eastern at Lenape, 6 p.m.
Northern Burlington at Pennsauken, 6 p.m.
Trenton at Hightstown, 6 p.m.
Pemberton at Clearview, 7 p.m.
Atlantic Tech at Egg Harbor, 7 p.m.
Notre Dame at Robbinsville, 7 p.m.
Haddonfield at West Deptford, 7 p.m.
Cherry Hill West at Moorestown, 7 p.m.
Audubon at Gateway, 7 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Camden Catholic at Schalick
FIELD HOCKEY
Oakcrest at Pennsville
GIRLS TENNIS
Salem at St. Joe (Hamm.)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Salem CC at Army Prep, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26
FOOTBALL
Penns Grove at Woodbury, 11 a.m.
Schalick at Paulsboro, 11 a.m.
Overbrook at Salem, noon
Bishop Eustace at Haddon Heights, 11:30 a.m.
Bordentown at KIPP, noon
Lawrence at Nottingham, noon
Ewing at Princeton, noon
BOYS SOCCER
Schalick at Shore, 10 a.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Chestnut Hill, noon

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27
COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY
Salem CC at Brookdale

MONDAY, SEPT. 28
BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove at Glassboro
Salem at Gloucester Catholic 
Salem Tech at Pennsville
GIRLS SOCCER
Glassboro at Penns Grove
Gloucester Catholic at Salem
Pennsville at Salem Tech
Schalick at Woodstown
FIELD HOCKEY
Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville
Salem Tech at Clayton
Salem at Deptford, 6 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Salem at Pennsville
Timber Creek at Woodstown

TUESDAY, SEPT. 29
BOYS SOCCER
Woodstown at Schalick
GIRLS TENNIS
Delsea at Schalick
First-round Group I playoffs
CROSS COUNTRY
TCC Batch Meet at Cumberland
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Williamstown, 5:15 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30
BOYS SOCCER
Glassboro at Salem Tech
Penns Grove at Salem
Pitman at Pennsville
GIRLS SOCCER
Pitman at Woodstown
Salem at Penns Grove
Salem Tech at Glassboro
FIELD HOCKEY
Cumberland at Salem Tech
Overbrook at Pennsville
Schalick at Salem
Woodstown at Hammonton
GIRLS TENNIS
West Deptford at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 1
FOOTBALL
Princeton at Northern Burlington, 6 p.m.
Clearview at Highland, 6 p.m.
Collingswood at Deptford, 6 p.m.
Palmyra at Burlington City, 6 p.m.
Oakcrest at Ocean City, 6 p.m.
Cherry Hill East at Washington Twp., 6 p.m.
Egg Harbor at St. Joe (Hamm.), 6:30 p.m.
Camden at Permian (Tex.), 7 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Clearview at Schalick
GIRLS TENNIS
Second-round Group I playoffs
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Salem CC at Chesapeake, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCT. 2
FOOTBALL
Schalick at Cumberland, 6 p.m.
Penns Grove at Pennsville, 7 p.m.
Wildwood at Buena, 6 p.m.
West Deptford at Overbrook, 7 p.m.
Gateway at Clayton, 7 p.m.
WW-Plainsboro at Lindenwold, 6 p.m.
Paul VI at Eastern, 6 p.m.
KIPP at Lawrence, 6 p.m.
Holy Cross at Florence, 6 p.m.
Seneca at Hopewell Valley, 6 p.m.
Nottingham at Delran, 6 p.m.
Kingsway at Williamstown, 6 p.m.
Delsea at Triton, 6 p.m.
Notre Dame at Allentown, 6 p.m.
Shawnee at Lenape, 6 p.m.
Timber Creek at Absegami, 6 p.m.
Rancocas Valley at Millville, 6 p.m.
Maple Shade at Sterling, 6 p.m.
Lower Cape May at Middle Twp., 6 p.m.
Burlington Twp. at St. Augustine, 6 p.m.
Atlantic City at Mainland, 6 p.m.
Holy Spirit at Pleasantville, 6 p.m.
Willingboro at Glassboro, 6 p.m.
Cherokee at Cedar Creek, 6 p.m.
Hightstown at Bordentown, 6 p.m.
Cinnaminson at Camden Catholic, 6 p.m.
Riverside at Gloucester, 7 p.m.
Bishop Eustace at Haddon Twp., 7 p.m.
Moorestown at Robbinsville, 7 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Salem Tech at Buena
Woodstown at Highland
GIRLS SOCCER
Buena at Salem Tech
Cherry Hill East at Schalick
Cumberland at Woodstown
FIELD HOCKEY
Delran at Woodstown, 4:15 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Woodstown at Kingsway

SATURDAY, OCT. 3
FOOTBALL
Paulsboro at Woodbury, 11 a.m.
Pitman at Gloucester Catholic, 11 a.m.
Woodstown at Salem, noon
Mastern Camden at Audubon, 11 a.m.
Bridgeton at Atlantic Tech, noon
Pennsauken at Trenton, 1 p.m.
Cherry Hill West at Ewing, 2 p.m.
Pemberton at Hamilton West, 2 p.m.
Hammonton at Steinert, 2 p.m.
Winslow at Red Bank Catholic, 6 p.m.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Salem CC at Sussex CC, noon
COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY
Salem CC at Cairn Highlander Invitational
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Morris at Salem CC, noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC in Delaware Tournament

MONDAY, OCT. 5
GIRLS TENNIS
Moorestown Friends at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Salem at Cumberland
Schalick at Vineland
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Triton, 5:15 p.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Salem CC at Cecil, 6 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Bucks County at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, OCT. 6
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville at Salem
Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic
Schalick at Woodstown
BOYS SOCCER
Clayton at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Schalick
Salem Tech at Salem
GIRLS SOCCER
Overbrook at Woodstown
Pennsville at Clayton
Salem at Salem Tech
Schalick at Penns Grove
GIRLS TENNIS
Salem at Triton

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7
BOYS SOCCER
Camden Academy Charter at Salem
GIRLS TENNIS
Third-round Group I playoffs
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Highland, 5:15 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
Salem County Championship, Schalick
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
RCSJ-Gloucester at Salem CC, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 8
FOOTBALL
Robbinsville at Bordentown, 6 p.m.
Mainland at Millville, 6 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Burlington City at Salem Tech
Deptford at Woodstown
Pennsville at Clayton
Salem at Gloucester Catholic
Schalick at Haddon Heights
BOYS SOCCER
Clayton at Salem Tech
Glassboro at Woodstown
Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic
Pitman at Penns Grove
Schalick at Overbrook
GIRLS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville
Salem at Pitman
Salem Tech at Clayton
GIRLS TENNIS
Woodstown at Schalick

FRIDAY, OCT. 9
FOOTBALL
Overbrook at Woodstown, 6 p.m.
Salem at Clayton, 6 p.m.
Penns Grove at Schalick, 6 p.m.
Pitman at KIPP, 6 p.m.
Lindenwold at Buena, 6 p.m.
Woodbury at Collingswood, 6 p.m.
Burlington City at Riverside, 5:30 p.m.
Paulsboro at Haddonfield
Cherry Hill East vs. Cherry Hill West, 6 p.m.
Ewing at Delran, 6 p.m.
Washington Twp. at Cherokee, 6 p.m.
Pleasantville at Lower Cape May, 6 p.m.
Eastern at Rancocas Valley, 6 p.m.
Triton at Highland, 6 p.m.
Allentown at Sterling, 6 p.m.
Gateway at Deptford, 6 p.m.
Mastern Camden at Wildwood, 6 p.m.
Vineland at Oakcrest, 6 p.m.
Lenape at Trenton, 6 p.m.
Camden Eastside at Cedar Creek, 6 p.m.
Seneca at Hammonton, 6 p.m.
Kingsway at Camden, 6 p.m.
Steinert at Hopewell Valley, 6 p.m.
Maple Shade at Palmyra, 6 p.m.
St. Augustine at Shawnee, 6 p.m.
Northern Burlington at Notre Dame, 6 p.m.
Middle Twp. at Ocean City, 6 p.m.
Nottingham at Timber Creek, 6 p.m.
Cumberland at Egg Harbor, 6 p.m.
Lawrence at Hightstown, 6 p.m.
Bishop Eustace at Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Williamstown at Delsea, 7 p.m.
Moorestown at Clearview, 7 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Salem at Absegami
Salem Tech at Maple Shade
GIRLS TENNIS
Schalick at Pitman

SATURDAY, OCT. 10
FOOTBALL
Pennsville at St. Joseph (Hamm.), noon
Haddonfield at Paulsboro, 11 a.m.
Princeton at Hamilton West, 11 a.m.
Gloucester at Haddon Heights, 11:30 a.m.
Absegami at Pemberton noon
Cinnaminson at Willingboro, noon
Florence at Gloucester Catholic, 1 p.m.
Bridgeton at Pennsauken, 1 p.m.
Glassboro at Burlington Twp., 1:30 p.m.
West Deptford at West. Nassau (Fla.), 6 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Mainland at Schalick, 10 a.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville at Nottingham, 11 a.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
South Jersey Open, Dream Park
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC Jamboree, 10 a.m.

MONDAY, OCT. 12
FIELD HOCKEY
Maple Shade at Schalick
BOYS SOCCER
Glassboro at Salem
Overbrook at Pennsville
Pitman at Salem Tech
Penns Grove at Gloucester Catholic
Schalick at Bordentown
GIRLS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Penns Grove
Pennsville at Overbrook
Salem at Glassboro
Woodstown at Clayton
GIRLS TENNIS
Schalick at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Woodstown at Glassboro, 3:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Salem 
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Salem CC at Delaware Tech, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY, OCT. 13
FIELD HOCKEY
Paulsboro at Salem Tech
Woodstown at Millville
Salem at Bridgeton, 6 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Sectional finals
VOLLEYBALL
Clearview at Salem Tech, 5:15 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14
BOYS SOCCER
Overbrook at Penns Grove
Salem at Pennsville
GIRLS SOCCER
Pennsville at Salem
Penns Grove at Overbrook
Pitman at Salem Tech
FIELD HOCKEY
Deptford at Pennsville
Glassboro at Salem Tech
Overbrook at Salem
GIRLS TENNIS
Glassboro at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Schalick at Penns Grove
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Middlesex at Salem CC, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 15
FOOTBALL
Millville at Atlantic City, 6 p.m.
Florence at Maple Shade, 6 p.m.
Allentown at Ewing, 6 p.m.
Timber Creek at Bridgeton, 6 p.m.
Hopewell Valley at Hightstown, 6 p.m.
Mastern Camden at Clearview, 7 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Gloucester at Salem Tech
Salem at Cape May Tech
Schalick at Sterling
West Deptford at Penns Grove
GIRLS SOCCER
Paulsboro at Penns Grove
GIRLS TENNIS
State finals, Mercer County Park

FRIDAY, OCT. 16
FOOTBALL
Pennsville at Schalick, 6 p.m.
Salem at Burlington City, 6 p.m.
Buena at Pitman, 7 p.m.
Northern Burlington at Williamstown, 6 p.m.
Camden Eastside at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m.
Vineland at St. Joe (Hamm.), 6 p.m.
Ocean City at Holy Spirit, 6 p.m.
Pennsauken at Eastern, 6 p.m.
Burlington Twp. at Shawnee, 6 p.m.
St. Augustine at Kingsway, 6 p.m.
Camden at Glassboro, 6 p.m.
Rancocas Valley at Pleasantville, 6 p.m.
Lenape at Cherry Hill East, 6 p.m.
Camden Catholic at KIPP, 6 p.m.
Cedar Creek at Mainland, 6 p.m.
Steinert at Notre Dame, 6 p.m.
Collingswood at Audubon, 6 p.m.
Gloucester at Cherry Hill West, 6 p.m.
Winslow at Washington Twp., 6 p.m.
Middle Twp. at Lindenwold, 6 p.m.
Highland at Cumberland, 6 p.m.
Sterling at Bishop Eustace, 6:30 p.m.
Willingboro at Haddonfield, 7 p.m.
Lawrence at Robbinsville, 7 p.m.
Gloucester Catholic at Haddon Twp., 7 p.m.
WW-Plainsboro at Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Paul VI at Seneca, 7 p.m.
Haddon Heights at Gateway, 7 p.m.
Delran at West Deptford, 7 p.m.
Cherokee at Delsea, 7 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Clayton at Salem
Salem Tech at Pennsville
BOYS SOCCER
Salem Tech at Overbrook
GIRLS SOCCER
Schalick at Clearview
GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville at Timber Creek
Salem at Woodstown

SATURDAY, OCT. 17
FOOTBALL
Clayton at Woodbury, 11 a.m.
Woodstown at Penns Grove, 11 a.m.
Overbrook at Paulsboro, 12:30 p.m.
Wildwood at Palmyra, 11 a.m.
Trenton at Princeton, 11 a.m.
Hamilton West at Nottingham, noon
Oakcrest at Atlantic Tech, noon
Lower Cape May at Hammonton, noon
Egg Harbor at Absegami, noon
Triton at Moorestown, 1 p.m.
Bordentown at Riverside, 1:30 p.m.
Deptford at Pemberton, 2 p.m.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Sussex CC vs. Salem CC, Pennsville H.S., 1 p.m.
COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY
Salem CC in Border Battle, Dream Park

MONDAY, OCT. 19
GIRLS SOCCER
West Deptford at Schalick
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville at Absegami, 4:30 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Timber Creek, 5:15 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
NJTAC Championships, Salem Tech
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Union at Salem CC, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY, OCT. 20
BOYS SOCCER
Pennsville at Audubon
Penns Grove at Woodstown
Pitman at Schalick
Salem at Clayton
Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic
GIRLS SOCCER
Clayton at Salem
Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech
Pennsville at Pitman
Woodstown at Penns Grove
FIELD HOCKEY
Salem Tech at Salem
GIRLS TENNIS
Overbrook at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Salem at Pitman
Timber Creek at Schalick

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Buena, 5:30 p.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Harcum at Salem CC, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 22
FOOTBALL
Schalick at Overbrook, 7 p.m.
Ocean City at Glassboro, 6 p.m.
Willingboro at Delran, 6 p.m.
St. Joe (Hamm.) at Timber Creek, 6 p.m.
Cherokee at Shawnee, 6 p.m.
Eastern at Williamstown, 6 p.m.
KIPP at Florence, 6 p.m.
Gateway at Collingswood, 6 p.m.
Delsea at Pleasantville, 6 p.m.
Highland at Vineland, 7 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Glassboro at Penns Grove
Gloucester Catholic at Salem
Pennsville at Salem Tech
Schalick at Woodstown
GIRLS SOCCER
Penns Grove at Glassboro
Salem at Gloucester Catholic
Salem Tech at Pennsville
Woodstown at Schalick
FIELD HOCKEY
Salem at Glassboro
Salem Tech at Deptford
CROSS COUNTRY
TCC Showcase, Dream Park, 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Washington Twp. at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Delsea at Schalick
Deptford at Salem
Pennsville at Kingsway

FRIDAY, OCT. 23
FOOTBALL
Salem at Pennsville, 6 p.m.
Pitman at Woodstown, 6:30 p.m.
Paulsboro at Burlington City, 6 p.m.
Cherry Hill East at Northern Burlington, 6 p.m.
Palmyra at Middle Twp., 6 p.m.
Hightstown at Allentown, 6 p.m.
Hammongton at Egg Harbor, 6 p.m.
Washington Twp. at St. Augustine, 6 p.m.
Kingsway at Atlantic City, 6 p.m.
Princeton at Hopewell Valley, 6 p.m.
WW-Plainsboro at Deptford, 6 p.m.
Cinnaminson at Triton, 6 p.m.
Mainland at Camden, 6 p.m.
Pennsauken at Lenape, 6 p.m.
Agsegami at Atlantic Tech, 6 p.m.
Cumberland at Bridgeton, 6 p.m.
Steinert at Lawrence, 6 p.m.
Holy Spirit at Cedar Creek, 6 p.m.
Winslow at Millville, 6 p.m.
Wildwood at Haddon Twp., 7 p.m.
West Deptford at Seneca, 7 p.m.
Bordentown at Camden Catholic, 7 p.m.
Haddonfield at Paul VI, 7 p.m.
Moorestown at Gloucester, 7 p.m.
Holy Cross at Clearview, 7 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove at Paulsboro
GIRLS SOCCER
Salem Tech at Woodbury
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Salem CC vs. Navy Prep, Annapolis, 11 a.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 24
(Power points cutoff for football, field hockey, soccer)
FOOTBALL
Clayton at Penns Grove, noon
Woodbury at Buena, 6 p.m.
Lindenwold at Gloucester Catholic, 11 a.m.
Audubon at Bishop Eustace, 11 a.m.
Notre Dame at Hamilton West, 11 a.m.
Riverside at Maple Shade, 11 a.m.
Trenton at Ewing, 11 a.m.
Oakcrest at Lower Cape May, 11 a.m.
Sterling at Haddon Heights, 11:30 a.m.
Robbinsville at Nottingham, noon
Burlington Twp. at Rancocas Valley, noon
Cherry Hill West at Camden Eastside, 1 p.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Raritan Valley at Salem CC, noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Jefferson University, noon

SUNDAY, OCT. 25
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Lincoln University, noon

MONDAY, OCT. 26
FIELD HOCKEY
Williamston at Schalick
GIRLS SOCCER
Salem Tech at Gloucester
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Cape May Tech, 5:15 p.m.

TUESDAY, OCT. 27
FIELD HOCKEY
Clayton at Salem Tech
Glassboro at Woodstown
Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28
BOYS SOCCER
Clayton at Penns Grove
Pennsville at Schalick
Salem at Overbrook
Salem Tech at Woodstown
GIRLS SOCCER
Overbrook at Salem
Penns Grove at Clayton
Schalick at Pennsville
Woodstown at Salem Tech

FRIDAY, OCT. 30
FOOTBALL
First-round playoffs
BOYS SOCCER
Salem at Paulsboro
Schalick at Audubon
FIELD HOCKEY
Paul VI at Woodstown

SATURDAY, OCT. 31
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Salem CC at Erie CC, noon
FIELD HOCKEY
Woodstown at Bishop Eustace, 11 a.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
NJSIAA Sectionals
COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY
Salem CC in Region XIX Meet, Lancaster, Pa.

MONDAY, NOV. 2
FIELD HOCKEY
Group I first round playoffs

TUESDAY, NOV. 3
FIELD HOCKEY
Group 2 first-round playoffs
GIRLS SOCCER
First-round playoffs

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4
FIELD HOCKEY
Group 1 second-round playoffs
BOYS SOCCER
First-round playoffs

THURSDAY, NOV. 5
FIELD HOCKEY
Group 2 second-round playoffs

FRIDAY, NOV. 6
FOOTBALL
Second-round playoffs
GIRLS SOCCER
Second-round playoffs

SATURDAY, NOV. 7
BOYS SOCCER
Second-round playoffs
CROSS COUNTRY
State Championship Meet

MONDAY, NOV. 9
FIELD HOCKEY
Third-round playoffs

TUESDAY, NOV. 10
GIRLS SOCCER
Third-round playoffs

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11
FIELD HOCKEY
Sectional finals
BOYS SOCCER
Third-round playoffs

FRIDAY, NOV. 13
FOOTBALL
Sectional finals
GIRLS SOCCER
Sectional finals

SATURDAY, NOV. 14
FIELD HOCKEY
State finals, Bordentown H.S.
BOYS SOCCER
Sectional finals

MONDAY, NOV. 16
BOYS SOCCER
State semifinals

TUESDAY, NOV. 17
GIRLS SOCCER
State semifinals

SATURDAY, NOV. 21
GIRLS SOCCER
State finals, Franklin H.S.

SUNDAY, NOV. 22
BOYS SOCCER
State finals, Franklin H.S.

THURS., NOV. 26
FOOTBALL
Clayton at Pitman, 10:30 a.m.

Salem CC notebook

Single-game football ticket prices set, softball coach nearing milestone, Mighty Oaks hire full-time strength coach

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – It’ll cost you a little something to follow the Salem Community College football team on its tour around the county during its inaugural season this fall.

The athletics department has set single-game ticket prices for the Mighty Oaks’ four home games at $7. Children under 12 and SCC students with valid ID are free. 

“It’s a little bit higher than the high school one, (but) not too high that it’s a crazy amount,” SCC assistant athletics director Angel Rodriguez said Wednesday. “Our goal (in setting the price) was just to kind of find something that was like a happy medium and just to kind of get started.”

Their four home games are the historic inaugural game Aug. 29 at Pennsville (vs. Hudson Valley CC), Sept. 12 at Schalick (vs. Nassau CC), Sept. 19 at Penns Grove (vs. Thaddeus Stevens) and the Homecoming game Oct. 17 at Pennsville (vs. Sussex CC). 

There is no season-ticket package since the Mighty Oaks will play at multiple venues. All of their ticket transactions will be conducted electronically and will be available at the gate. The school is hoping to start marketing its ticketing procedures “within the next few days.”

“We’re going to use some of the high school processes right now just to make it an easy transition,” Rodriguez said. “Maybe something in the future, when we kind of move maybe to our own ticketing system, we’ll probably have that option, but right now it’s just the smooth option to kind of get going.”

Administrators at three of the Mighty Oaks’ road opponents – Erie CC, Sussex CC and Navy Prep (game at the U.S. Naval Academy) – said they do not charge for home football games with one saying they “wouldn’t recommend “ doing so. Their other road game is against Army Prep at West Point.

By comparison, the two four-year football-playing colleges closest to Salem CC – NCAA Division III Rowan University and Division I Delaware – sell single-game general admission tickets for $10 and $15-$30 (depending on opponent), respectively. The high schools are $5 for adults.

Head coach Jay Accorsi opens training camp Aug. 3 with practice getting underway Aug. 6. In addition to getting their new practice facility ready, the Mighty Oaks recently unveiled their game-day uniform combinations (top photo). They also recently ran their list of players to 100.

“We’re definitely excited to get football going,” Rodriguez said. “Having an actual game and that we’re going to have a season is first and foremost the most exciting part of what we have going on … We’re pretty confident that we’re ready from a game-day perspective, so now it’s just the countdown.”

Salem CC softball coach Angel Rodriguez oversees game-day operations as part of his duties as the Mighty Oaks’ assistant athletics director.

NEARING A MILESTONE: Rodriguez enters his fifth season as the Mighty Oaks’ softball coach on the cusp of a milestone. He’s six wins shy of 100 for his career.

YEARW-L
202628-20
202519-25
202431-14
202316-18
TOTAL94-77

The 29-year-old coach is 94-77 with four straight region playoff appearances since coming aboard in 2022 to restart the program. The milestone could come as early as March 16 at Delaware Tech if the Mighty Oaks can find an earlier season opener, but likely will happen on their Southern swing.

“When you think of where we were five years ago and coming into a program and starting it from scratch after 13 years or whatever it was, I think it’s very meaningful,” Rodriguez said of the milestone. “Who would’ve thought we would’ve gotten here?

“Hats off to, No. 1, the first group that started here to make this happen – and there were only two of us (coaches), we probably zoomed with 5-600 players in a six-month span. It was such a fun time to talk to so many people and get it started and then to look back and think, holy cow, five years later were about to hit 100 wins.

“I’m excited, but I did the minimum work. The players do all the work, so really the 100 wins are really for them. I hope they take it meaning something, too. It’s definitely not just mine alone, I can tell you that.”

BULKING UP: The Mighty Oaks have hired former Kingsway baseball standout Justin Szestowicki as their full-time strength and conditioning coach. After starring at Kingsway, Szestowicki played collegiately at North Carolina, Elon and finished up this spring as LaSalle’s starting shortstop. He starts working with the Mighty Oaks’ athletes Monday.

The World (Cup) view

Salem County soccer coaches weigh in on Sunday’s World Cup final. Is it Spain or Argentina? It’s a split decision

All the world’s a stage and the biggest stage in the futbol world is set. The FIFA World Cup final.

Spain v. Argentina. Euro champs v defending World Cup champs. Yamal v Messi. Prodigy v Legend.

One can argue whether it’s the best matchup for this year’s final, but after 39 days and 103 matches it’s the one they’ve got. The game already has been dissected and analyzed from every angle in every corner of the globe, and no doubt will be in the weeks that follow.

Riverview Sports News reached out to some of Salem County’s high school soccer coaches to bring some local flavor to the international analysis and provide their pick to raise the golden trophy Sunday night in MetLife Stadium. The consensus is as close as the game is expected to be. Here are their insights, and picks, as told to Al Muskewitz.

Mano Massari, Penns Grove: Passing the torch


THE PICK: Spain.

THE REASON: Spain is going to win the game because of their dominance in their possession and build up play. They are patient with their attack and really do a nice job with their positional rotations. Their midfielders control the pace and tempo of the game. Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz, they are great at overloading and work around compact defenses. I also think Lamine Yamal is going to really control the right side of the pitch on the attacking side.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT: It’ll be the passing of the torch from Messi to Lamine Yamal. I think Lamine Yamal is going to take over the game. I think he’s going to put a goal in the back of the net and have an assist as well. I think he’s going to take over. He looked really good in their semifinal game against France. This is going to be like closing the door on Messi and now it’s Lamine Yamal’s turn. I think he’s going to solidify himself in this tournament with this game. I think it’s just going to be like a passing of the torch moment.

As for the best moment of the World Cup it’s got to be the Cape Verde story, with them being the smallest island ever to get to the World Cup, making it out of the knockout round and then going toe-to-toe with Argentina. That goal that kid scored against Argentina to tie the game was absolutely electric. Cape Verde, to me, is the story of the entire World Cup. I just love it. It’s such a good message to send. I look at it like my guys are small-town players and that’s what happens when you’re believing in a goal. You guys can go toe-to-toe with the defending champs if you all believe and you all put the work in. I just think it’s a great message and why the World Cup is so great.

Will Kemp, Schalick: Always my pick


THE PICK: Spain

THE REASON: They were actually inside my original pick. I said it was either going to be Spain or France that could actually be able to win this, just because France is such a powerhouse. But it’s Spain. Their midfield is unbelievable. The same exact thing for their backline. I’m definitely nodding towards Spain.

When you have a team that has only let up two open-play goals inside the entire tournament, especially with one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Unai Simon, you have Rodri, who is probably one of the best midfielders without a doubt pulling the strings, and then you have Lamine Yamal, there are so many different variables that go into this Spanish team. It seems like they’re finally clicking, especially with the way they played against France; that was the best match that they had, they controlled it completely, shut down the best attack inside the world on the international stage and prevented them from even getting any type of hope.

Now they’re going against Argentina and arguably one of the best players ever inside this same format, a struggling Argentina that really only scores goals inside the last 15-20 minutes of a match. I think if Spain gets up early and controls the game they’re going to have a really good shot at winning this thing.

So my bet’s on Spain, just from their forward attack. You’ve got Lamine Yamal, who’s finally starting to really get back into a groove after his hamstring injury. Then you have one of the best, if this were basketball you’d say sixth man, but inside this the 12th man (Mikel Merino), with him coming off the bench and scoring vital goals; plus he’s an Arsenal player, so, of course, I’m going to root for them.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT: I don’t think the championship moment inside this match is going to be a goal; I think it’s going to be a save. I think it’s actually going to come from the goalkeeper to actually save them and win the match. Unai Simon has been actually amazing this whole entire tournament. There’s been a debate between him and David Raya, once again an Arsenal player. I’m not showing any bias right now, but I should, but Unai Simon’s clearly better than David Raya. I think the moment of the match is actually come from a goalkeeper save – in open play. It’s definitely not going to go to PKs.

Derek Foglein, Pennsville: One more magical day


THE PICK: Argentina.

THE REASON: I honestly think it’s going to be a very close game, and it could go either way. I will definitely be watching the match up between the explosive offense of Argentina and Spain’s defense that has already set the record for most shutouts in a single World Cup. It does seem like Messi and Argentina have that something special that has helped them pull out games (maybe even when they weren’t the better team), so I’m going to take them to have one more magical day and Messi can secure his place atop soccer history.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT: I think it’s going to be a close game, will likely go to PKs, so I’ll say the defining moment will be Lamine Yamal missing his PK and that secures the win for Argentina.

Joe Mannella, Schalick: More Messi magic


THE PICK: Argentina.

THE REASON: I think it’s really hard to pick. It can go either way. I’m going to go with Argentina just because they seem to be playing that style that gets you through this type of situation. They remind me of Haddon Twp. They play a lot of those physical mind games that you see and then they have the quality on top of it. They don’t care how they win, they just win. They just seem to get it done and I think they’ll get it done.

I don’t know if technically they’re better than Spain. They’re kind of a complete team in that they all know their roles and are crazy resilient and they just kind of wait for their opportunity. Obviously they’ve got the best player in the world. If Spain can figure out a way to neutralize him, which no one has ever really been able to do, then certainly it’ll be tough for Argentina to score.

Spain’s probably going to have the ball most of the time and it’s not like Argentina is a fast, counter-attacking team, they just kind of wear you down and punish you when you make a mistake. If I’m going to put my money on somebody, I’m going to put it on the team that’s done it and has done it the whole tournament.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT: If you’re going to put money on anything it’s on Messi doing something outrageous. That’s the easy money on Messi scoring some amazing goal or having a ridiculous pass to set up a goal. Not on the conspiracy side, but I’ve seen VAR have too much to say in some of these games and I’d hate the thing to remember about this World Cup final is that VAR pulled a goal back that shouldn’t have been or allowed a goal that shouldn’t have been.

Argentina plays on such of an edge there could be a red card. I could see them going down to 10 men and winning anyway. Just your backs are against the wall – again – red card, a guy getting his second yellow in the second half and them just holding on, holding on and then Messi putting the ball in the box and somebody getting a head on it. Game over.

Darren Huck, Woodstown: Spain is too solid


THE PICK: Spain

THE REASON: I think Spain overall plays very well defensively and I think they’re going to be a little bit better than some of the teams so far that Messi has gone up against. I think they’re going to contain him pretty well. I think they’re going to keep him in front and I think they’re going to not let him all of a sudden break free. Defensively, they stay very tight, very organized, they don’t give up a whole lot of shots let alone goals, so I think with their defense and the way they work together as a team defensively is what’s going to do it. I think Yamal is going to score the game-winner. I think they’re going to win 2-1.

Spain plays a very simplistic game. They keep it very simple and they’re very disciplined. They’ve been through this before, they know the game is not going to be won in the first 10 minutes. It’s not going to be won in the first 20 minutes. It’s not going to be won in the first half. So, they’ve got stay organized, which they will, and they’ll stay compact and they’ll have good possession. This game is not going to be a bunch of risks. It’s not going to be like that England-France game. It’s going to be a very close game. They’re going to stay behind the ball and they’re not going to give any big transition type goals or breakaways. They’re just too good, they’re too solid. Argentina might want to open it up a little bit, but I don’t think they’re going to be able to.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT: One of Yamal’s gifts, and he’s so young which is so impressive that he can do this, is he’s really good on set pieces. If Argentina gets a little chippy and they play a little too aggressive – it’ll be very interesting to see how the referee calls the game in the beginning – Spain’s going to be looking to take a foul 20-22 yards out and I think the game winner is going to come from something like that. I think he’s going to have a direct kick and he’s going to put it in a spot the Argentinian goalkeeper is not going to be able to get.

Ready to work

Penns Grove’s Thomas ready to do whatever it takes to have a big senior year and help the Red Devils on the road back

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – When Jason Avant spoke to the Penns Grove football team earlier in the week he talked about some of the sacrifices he had to take his game to the next level. The former Eagles receiver wasn’t specifically talking to Terrell Thomas, but he could have been.

THOMAS

Thomas was an absolute beast for the local youth league powerhouse coming up and the Red Devils were hoping that rep would translate once he got on the high school field last year. He, of course, was hoping that, too.

It hadn’t gone that way for various reasons but as the running back/linebacker approaches his senior year he’s made some sacrifices on and off the field to help him make the most of his football potential.

“I’m going into my senior year, I have to make something shake,” he said. “I can’t settle for anything less. I have to go my hardest. I have to play my hardest. I have to put in work. I have make some sacrifices.

“What stuck with me was when he said he didn’t come in to college football and start; he had to work to get into that position. That was a lot of fuel right there. I’ve got to be better, even if I wasn’t coming in as the starter or whatever. If I’m trying to get better and get where I want to go, I’ve got to be better.”

One of those sacrifices was giving up some hours from his job as a host at a local restaurant. Teens like having their own money to spend, so that was a big move. His supervisors understand and are working with him so everyone’s goals are satisfied. The restaurant keeps a valued employee and Thomas gets to continue his quest to play college football with the ultimate goal of helping his family. 

“I’ve been playing football since I was 6 or 7; I’ve got a lot of love for football,” he said. “I don’t know where I would be without football.”

The Red Devils are looking for Thomas to take them places as well. He is expected to have what head coach Damian Ware calls a “major impact” and as one of only four seniors in the program he needs to.

Thomas, they say, was The Man while he played for the Twins, but since those days life intervened to keep him off the football field until last year. The time away took its toll.

The Red Devils were looking for big things from him last year and he did have flashes, but conditioning issues kept him from being all that he could be.

He led the team in carries and rushing yards, but he had only 293 yards on 73 carries in an offense that struggled to score. He also had 21 tackles on defense.

He went for 94 yards and a 42-yard touchdown against Schalick and had 146 yards on 31 carries in his last two games. But in between had back-to-back games with eight for minus-4 and four for 0. 

“Last year his conditioning didn’t allow him to play at a high level for long periods of time; that’s just the hiatus of not playing for 3, 4 years,” Ware said. “Going from the eighth grade to varsity football no matter what age you are is a big difference if you don’t play for 2, 3 years and I think that was the major difference for him, getting his feet back underneath of him and getting his conditioning right.

“That’s really the crux of what we’re doing right now. We’re out practicing, we’re conditioning, we’re running, we’re doing drills, we’re in the weight room, and that’s all stuff he didn’t really, I guess, take seriously last year. Now he’s taking it more seriously, he’s starting to realize this is my last year, so it’s now or never.”

And to make it all happen it takes making sacrifices.

Words to inspire

Former Eagles receiver Jason Avant visits Penns Grove workout, shares insights of qualities that got him on the field at Michigan, NFL and can help the Red Devils succeed

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – Damian Ware wasn’t sure exactly when or where the conversation with Jason Avant took place, but he’s almost certain it happened on, of all places, a salsa dance floor.

The two have known each other for several years in a friendship that’s carried from the basketball court to the salsa circuit. They talk whenever they’re in the same place and it was during one of those conversations Ware shared he was in the running to become Penns Grove’s next head football coach and if it happened he wanted his friend to come talk to his team. If the timing worked out, Avant told him, he’d be there.

The former Eagles receiver fulfilled that promise Tuesday, spending about an hour with the Red Devils as they worked out on the practice field.

This wasn’t one of those call the local NFL Alumni chapter and hope they can send a player to talk to your team kind of things. Ware has a genuine friendship with the 10-year veteran who played eight seasons for the Eagles and finished his career in Kansas City in 2015.

It goes back to their days as teammates in the very competitive Don Polk Basketball League in Camden. Avant, a three-sport athlete growing up in the southside of Chicago before going on to play at the University of Michigan, was the small forward who could take it to the hole and was, Ware said, “a monster on the glass,” Ware, a reserve on an FDU basketball team that nearly upset UConn in the 1998 NCAA Tournament, was the guard who could bury it when Avant kicked it back out.

“He’s a shooter,” Avant said. “He definitely can score, but for our team he was the shooter. I would drive and he was the kick guy and he would splash that thing.”

When Polk died unexpectedly in 2022 and the league disbanded, they reconnected on the Mid-Atlantic salsa dancing circuit.

“We’re both very good, actually,” Ware didn’t mind saying (and there are YouTube videos to prove it). “We just get out there and have some fun. It comes back to being athletic because you’ve gotta have footwork. If you don’t have footwork, you can’t salsa dance. If you don’t have footwork, you can’t play football. If don’t have footwork, you can’t play basketball. It all ties together.”

There was no dipping into the salsa on this morning. This day was all about football.

Avant spoke to the team for about 15 minutes, sharing the life lessons that got him out of the toughest part of his city and helped get him on the field and become a reliable player on the levels many of the Red Devils aspire to reach.

“You love the opportunity because you try your best to say something that can be impactful to the next generation of kids,” Avant said. “I do it as much as I can. It can become overwhelming with the requests so I kind of limit it to the people I kind of know. It’s a blessing to be able to share as much information as I can. Hopefully it takes root.

“I remember doing a camp when I played and giving a speech after the camp. I was at the Eagles’ facility not too long ago and I get a tap on my shoulder and it’s (first-round draft pick) Jihaad Campbell. I’m like, oooh, you were one of the kids at the camp. He said I want to thank you, man, because what you said at the camp really inspired me, and that was many years ago and now he’s at the Eagles.

“Those are the things that kind of make it realistic for you, and that’s happened to me on maybe 10-15 occasions with guys around the league, so it’s a blessing to be able to do these type things in whatever facet it is. It’s not about the NFL as much as it is we want these kids to be successful in their endeavors in life, whatever that is, and we know football can be an avenue for them to be successful.”

Former NFL receiver Jason Avant points out the nuances of a particular pass pattern to Penns Grove’s Amonte Stone after addressing the team earlier in the day. Isaac Wright (9) listens intently.

The players listened intently as Avant talked about how, as receiver with less-than-NFL receiver speed, he was willing to do all the things it took to become an exceptional player, get on the field at Michigan and kept him in the NFL. It was by having the desire, work ethic and a love of the game that drove him to do what it took, sometimes doing it well into the night with a high school coach who recognized his potential.

It didn’t go unnoticed. Legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler recognized that a sophomore receiver named Jason Avant was always open on the film he saw and never dropped a pass, so he asked head coach Lloyd Carr what the player was doing standing between the two coaches and not on the field.

“It wasn’t that I was doing spectacular things,” he said. “It’s just that I got to a point where when you looked at the tape I was always open, so the quarterback and Bo Schembechler and everybody else realized I’m going to make the coaches look dumb (by not playing).

“That’s what you need to do at your position,” he told the players. “Don’t worry about the ball. You can affect the game without the ball. Everyone wants to talk about what they want rather than putting the action and the work in. So you’ve got to think about this: What am I doing to be exceptional?”

The message of working hard to get better is what stuck with the players most, where one day they’ll be the guy tapping Avant on the shoulder the way Jihaad Campbell did in Eagles camp not so long ago.

“It was inspirational,” said freshman quarterback Avery Batts, who raised his hand to answer Avant’s question about the meaning of leadership. “It was helping me out, telling what to do so I can be a better person than I am. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to end up like him, work as hard as I can so I can be on top.”

After addressing the players, Avant spent some time with the Red Devils’ receivers, giving them pointers on one play in particular.

“I ain’t going to lie, it was pretty cool,” junior Isaac Wright said. “It was very cool. Just the way he moved off the line, I could tell that’s an NFL type structure. It’s something different than high school. Kids in high school don’t really move that swiftly, for real. He’s still got it. And he’s not even in cleats.”

Ware was hoping Avant’s visit would be a source of inspiration for his young first team that’s coming off an 0-9 season that relegated them to the WJFL Independence Division. Looks like it has.

“We’re young, we have a lot of guys who are inexperience,” Ware said. “We’re finding out who can play what positions, who has the skills to play at the varsity level. Coming off an 0-9 season everything is fair game.”

Top photo: Penns Grove football coach Damian Ware introduces his friend and former NFL receiver Jason Avant to the Red Devils Tuesday morning.

Alcohol-free zones

Salem CC wants its fans to have an enjoyable college football experience, but will not be promoting tailgating as they’ll be playing on high school campuses 

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

With the countdown clock reading 28 days before camp opens and 54 days before the inaugural game, Salem Community College officials are fine-tuning the details for the first season of football. 

Everyone involved with the start-up want all who come to their four home games this inaugural season to have an enjoyable college football experience, but due in part to the nature of their scheduling the Mighty Oaks will not be promoting one of the more spirited elements of its traditions.

Because all their home games will be played on various high school campuses around the county that are alcohol- and tobacco-free, the college will not be promoting tailgating.

“We can’t do tailgating,” said SCC assistant athletics director Angel Rodriguez, who duties include overseeing game-day operations. “It’s a high school field and it’s a high school complex, ‘tailgating,’ that word, because it’s not an actually college venue, we can’t advertise for tailgating. We’re working through the fan experience so we do have ideas … about what’s going to actually be able to happen, but as far as the word ‘tailgating,’ we’re not promoting tailgating.

“We’re not advertising anything along those lines right now, just because it’s not our full-staff function. If it were an on-campus location, we could be flexible with a lot of that. Because it’s off-site and we’re utilizing a lot of the game-day staff already for each venue, it’s not something that we’re promoting. Plus, we’re on school grounds, so school grounds prohibit drinking and alcohol and all those … things.”

That’s not to say fans can’t create team spirit in spirit-less ways. Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas, whose school hosts the August 29 opener with Hudson Valley CC and the Oct. 17 game against Sussex CC, said he encourages grilling and other tailgating activities in the parking lots before the game, but alcohol is out. Police will have a presence in the lots to enforce compliance.

“We going to do things a little differently than we would do at a high school game,” Thomas said. “Obviously, we are alcohol- and tobacco-free, that’ll be something the police will be looking at, but in terms of the environment and cooking out, bringing a grill, we support all those things and we want people to come to Pennsville, come to our campus, have a good time, but do it in a safe way that follows the rules of a high school venue.

“We’re not going to control what happens off campus. Obviously, we don’t want people coming in super intoxicated, things like that, at games, but we realize it’s a little different environment than high school, but we still have to maintain the laws and the requirements we have when you do host an event on our campus.”

SCC athletics department officials are scheduled to meet Tuesday to solidify their game-day details. Thomas is schedule to meet with them Wednesday.

Ticket prices and packages also are among the items to be finalized. They are expected to fall in the $5-$10 range on a per game basis and purchasable through an electronic ticketing system.

In the games at Pennsville, the Mighty Oaks will use the Eagles’ stadium locker room, while the visiting team will use the middle school for pre- and in-game operations and then have access to the high school locker room and showers post-game.

The Mighty Oaks’ other two first-year home games will be played at Schalick Sept 12 and Penns Grove Sept. 19. Those schools’ game-day operations were not immediately known.

The games at Schalick and Penns Grove are scheduled for noon kickoffs. Game times for the two Pennsville games are not set, but are believed to be 1 p.m. (to accommodate Hudson Valley’s travel) and noon, respectively.

Since the school’s announced its plan to start football last fall, the program has received overwhelming support from within the region. Head coach Jay Accorsi and his evolving staff are expected to welcome more than 80 players when camp opens Aug. 3. Thomas, for one, is “very excited” to have the Mighty Oaks football program on his campus.

“I think this is an awesome opportunity for Salem County,” he said. “It’s an awesome opportunity for Pennsville and our community to really show off our great facility that we have here. There are a lot of our student-athletes who will benefit from this program even in this coming year.

“(Lineman) Jacob Hand is one who has already signed on to play, so we’re excited to be able to see Jacob at the next level on his home field again. I think there are going to be a lot of other kids who come through our program that this opportunity is a great opportunity that then provides further opportunities after the community college setting to move on to a D-I, D-II, D-III school and still have eligibility.”

It’s a waiting game

Satisfied with all he’s done to get here, Woodstown’s Swain a little ‘ansty’ as he waits out the final week leading up to the MLB Draft

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Chase Swain figures he has done all he could to put himself in position for a chance to play at the next level. Now all that’s left is the waiting. The agonizing waiting.

SWAIN

After a full and productive high school and college career, the 2021 Woodstown grad is hoping to have his name called in next weekend’s MLB Draft.

This year’s 20-round MLB Draft is this coming weekend at the Philadelphia Convention Center in the run-up to the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Swain isn’t listed among the MLB’s pre-draft top 250 prospects, so he could go in the typical Senior Signs segment (college players who’ve exhausted their eligibility) in Rounds 8 through 10, later or not at all, and that’s what creates the anxiety for those hoping for a life-changing opportunity.

“I’m trying to keep myself busy with lifting and stuff and hanging out with friends and family, but, yeah, just kind of patiently waiting,” he said before the Fourth of July weekend, a week and a half before the draft. “I’m just kind of seeing where my life could go. I could be in Palm Beach, Fla., with a team next week living down there or I could be at home starting a job.

“I’ve a little, I don’t want to say nerve-wracking because I’m not nervous, but I’m just antsy to find of where my life is going to go.”

Swain just wrapped up his final season of college baseball at LaSalle, a year that capped a productive college career that spanned four programs. He spent the early part of the summer with the Trenton Thunder of the MLB Draft League, but the team terminated his contract after he attended private workouts for the Dodgers and Cubs that went “really well, I thought,” not because of the workouts, but to make room for a couple pitching prospects who needed to get some pre-draft innings.

In the meantime he’s been working out, lifting and training – the things there really wasn’t time for when he was at the ballpark every day – and, of course, waiting.

He brings to the table a bat that produced 86 hits and 60 RBIs at Woodstown, more than 250 hits and 150 RBIs in a college career that spanned Penn State-Abington, Manhattan, West Virginia and LaSalle and a steady glove in the infield throughout. But at 23, he’s also one of the oldest prospects in the draft; only 14 players on the top 250 list are over 21 and just one is as old as him.

Several clubs have reached out to inquire about his signability, which he called “encouraging,” but which club drafts him and in what round is the great unknown. And actually it might not even be a team that has made contact. (Just as an aside, how neat would it be if he were drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals; a Woodstown guy being taken by a Woodstown guy. Zach Mortimer is a former Woodstown player who earlier this spring became the Cardinals director of amateur scouting in charge of their drafts.)

If he is drafted, he’ll be the eighth player from Salem County taken in the MLB draft and first since Pennsville’s Max Dineen in 2018 (35th round, Reds).

Of course, if he doesn’t get caught in the draft, there’s always the possibility of signing as a free agent, a process that usually follows pretty quickly after the draft. It’s likely there is more baseball in Swain’s future, but if not, he’s prepared for the next step satisfied with all that he’s done.

“I’m at the point now in my life, just like a lot of guys in my position, I’ve been playing baseball since I was 4-5 years old,” he said, “If I get drafted or sign I’m going to give that everything I’ve got, but at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve done everything in my power as a college player to get the opportunity. I’m not saying that I deserve an opportunity because nobody deserves anything, but … I feel like I’ve given it all I’ve got and if it weren’t to happen I’m happy with laying my baseball career to rest.

“It’s not a love thing – like I still love baseball – but I think my focuses will change. I want to start making money and start my life elsewhere.”

The first four rounds of the draft are Saturday starting at 1 p.m. with Rounds 5 through 20 Sunday starting at 11:30 a.m.. It can be followed through various draft trackers on the internet, NBC, Peacock and MLB Network. Swain won’t be fixated on his phone like he was last year, but he won’t be far from one, either. Ben Davis, the Phillies’ TV analyst who played at Malvern Prep, was on a tractor mowing the lawn when he got the call from San Diego making him the second overall pick in the 1995 Draft.

“I’m definitely not going to be watching it, I’m not going to be glued to it,” he said. “I was last year because there were kind of talks about me potentially getting picked up after West Virginia. And I found being glued to it doesn’t help one way or the other and if anything it just makes everything worse, especially if you don’t get picked up. If you see your name pop up on your phone, it’s awesome.

“I’m going to just try to keep myself busy and, obviously, keep my phone around anticipating the call, but at the same time I just want to find something to kind of just keep my mind straight and if it happens, it happens, and if doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m going to go about my day as I would. I can’t do what I did last year, because it frustrated me a lot and I don’t want to see that happen again. Either way I’ll be bummed if it doesn’t happen, but with my friends, family around me, that makes it a little bit better.”

Top photo: LaSalle University Athletics

Pool play finales

Pennsville denies Woodstown’s bid to advance in District 3 Little League Tournament; East Vineland, Franklin Twp. to rep American Division in finals

AMERICANRECRUNSNATIONALRECRUNS
E. Vineland3-138-20Buena3-033-8
Franklin Twp.3-145-17S. Vineland2-123-22
Woodstown2-226-26S. Cumberland1-223-15
Elmer1-320-45N. Vineland0-33-43
Pennsville1-331-52

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Franklin Twp. 20, Elmer 2
Pennsville 7, Woodstown 2
Buena 8, South Vineland 7

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – One team had everything to gain and the other had nothing to lose. As it was, the one that could afford to play loose had the best of it and the one that had to win couldn’t get going.

The Pennsville Little League All-Stars played what manager Vinnie Cascaden called its “most complete game” of the tournament Wednesday night and despite not winning a game beforehand denied Woodstown’s bid to reach the district finals, upsetting the Orange 7-2 on the final day of District 3 Tournament pool play.

Woodstown had several ways to make it to the next stage, but came up short on all of them. As a result, East Vineland (a team it beat earlier in the week) and Franklin Twp. advanced to the four-team district finals that start next week.

“I kept saying first things first, we have to win the game,” Woodstown manager Dave Murnane said. “Tiebreakers aside, we’ve gotta win the game and if you looked at some of these other games (Pennsville played) they did hit the ball and they did put up runs. 

“There are a lot of factors involved. First and foremost, we didn’t get the job done. We had six errors, which is uncharacteristic of us, and they took advantage of them.”

Two of the errors led to two Pennsville runs in the first inning that took Woodstown out of the run-ratio tiebreaker in the event they finished in a three-way tie for the division lead. Pennsville starter Dante DiMarco then set them down in order in the bottom of the inning on nine pitches. Two more errors helped Pennsville extend the lead to 5-0 in the fourth and another miscue brought home their final two runs in the fifth.

DiMarco pitched 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball before coming out after 83 pitches. He allowed two hits, struck out six and walked four. He didn’t allow a ball out of the infield until the fourth inning.

Woodstown scored its only two runs in the sixth on Mason Fackler’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly and Xander Shimp’s RBI single.

“I think if we were able to take back some of the momentum it would’ve been easier on us,” Murnane said. “However, I do think it was a little bit of a hostile atmosphere we were dealing with. That goes hand in hand with the first inning where, in my opinion, they missed two tag outs that were clear as day. What do you tell a 12-year-old?

“I told them all game all we can control is ourselves. Our attitude. We can’t control the other team. We can’t control the umpires. All we can control is how we deal with it. And then I just thought the strike zone was erratic all night. I hate to point to that stuff, but it goes into why we couldn’t get rolling.”

The frustration reached a peak in the fifth inning when Woodstown reliever Ashton Wadman took exception to a called ball to Drew LaPalomento he clearly thought was a strike. He raised his arms in frustration and let out a very loud “Come on” in the direction of plate umpire Mike Messick.

Wadman immediately was ejected, followed by a Woodstown coach who came to his pitcher’s defense and a fan in the bleachers. Messick refused to restart the game until the fan left the playing area and even requested police assistance to have him removed. The police arrived after the fan had left.

“The reaction Ashton had on the mound obviously you don’t want to see that, but there’s a reason he had that reaction,” Murnane, the president of the Woodstown LL, said. “I’m more angry at the way everything peripherally played out tonight. You win or lose like a man. We lost. The sun still rises tomorrow. But it was the other stuff that really aggravates me.”

Pennsville, meanwhile, left with a sense of accomplishment. They lost the coin toss, but it actually played right into their hands.

It allowed them to hit first and they scored two runs in the first inning with the only hit being Tyler Colomy’s leadoff bunt single. They put up two more in the second when Michael Genna hit an RBI double and later scored on a passed ball.

“The first two games we were the home team and the last two games we decided to go with the visitors so we could bat first so we were not in the position where they score some and we have to come out and retaliate,” Cascaden said. “That was just a great start from the boys getting the runs early on and then Dante coming out and having like 10 pitches and getting us right back out there and we scored some more runs.”

Pennsville also played some crisp defense that kept Woodstown off the board and added to its frustration. First baseman Guage Hill turned an unassisted double play with runners at the corners to end the second inning. Ryan Lucas and Mason Seaver made back-to-back plays on the left side of the infield to end the third after Woodstown loaded the bases with one out.

“Just proud I was able to get at least one win for the boys before we were done,” Cascaden said. “Proud they didn’t come out here and hang their heads; they could’ve easily done that. Dante did a great job pitching today. I’m just proud of the boys to come out here fighting. They fought all four games that were played, two of them we weren’t really in.

“There were some games we had better batting, but fielding, pitching, everything-wise, I felt like it was the best complete game we played. We showed what Pennsville baseball should look like when everything is going good.”

Pennsville220120-771
Woodstown000002-246

WP: Dante DiMarco. LP: Ryan Garton. 2B: Michael Genna (P)

Big innings bring Franklin Twp. through

ELMER – Franklin Twp. wasted no time making its case to be one of the American Division teams advancing to the district championship bracket.

It scored 10 runs in the first inning, then followed it up with 10 more in the second and routed Elmer 20-2.

The winners sent 15 batters to the plate in each of their big innings. The first 11 reached safely in the first with Caden Goodwin delivering the big blow, a bases-loaded triple that made it 8-0. Goodwin had two hits and four RBIs in the game.

They scored 10 runs on nine hits in the second. Luke Hudson, Henly Jacurak and winning pitcher Vincent Coia all had two-run doubles in the inning. Noah Brown had a two-run single.

Roman Allen got Elmer on the board with a two-run double in the third inning.

The win lifted Franklin Twp. into a tie with East Vineland atop the American Division standings, but East Vineland earned the No. 1 seed from the division by virtue of its 2-0 head-to-head win Tuesday night.

The four-team district finals start July 6. The district champion will open Section 4 tournament play against the District 15 winner July 17 in Hammonton, then play either the District 16 winner or the 13-14 loser in their second game July 18.

Elmer002-243
Franklin Twp.(10)(10)x-20132

WP: Vincent Coia. LP: Roman Allen. 2B: Roman Allen (E), Henly Jacurak (FT), Luke Hudson (FT), Vincent Coia (FT). 3B: Caden Goodwin (FT)

DISTRICT FINALS
July 6
at Buena LL
Game 1: East Vineland vs. South Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
Game 2: Buena vs. Franklin Twp, 8 p.m.
July 7
at North Vineland LL
Game 3: Winner G1 vs. Winner G2, 5:45 p.m.
Game 4: Loser G1 vs. Loser G2, 8 p.m.
July 9
at Pennsville LL
Game 5: Loser G3 vs. Winner G4, 7 p.m.
July 10
at South Vineland LL
Game 6: Winner G3 vs. Winner G5, 7 p.m.
July 11
at South Vineland LL
If necessary, 7 p.m.
Winner advances to Section IV Tournament at Hammonton, July 17