Hand, Daly looking forward to playing Salem CC games in their old high school stadiums, Tomoney has a connection to the opening-day foe
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – The anticipation around Salem Community College is building for the first football game in the history of the school. But it’s a pretty safe bet two players on the team are probably more excited than anybody because they have connections to either the opening-day opponent or the venue of the historic game.
The Mighty Oaks play their inaugural game against Hudson Valley CC Aug. 29 at Pennsville High School.
Defensive back Raheem Tomoney spent a little time in the Hudson Valley program a couple years ago before leaving and eventually landing with the Mighty Oaks. Right guard Jacob Hand is stoked because he will be playing his first college game in the stadium he played his entire high school career.
“It’s everything to me,” Hand said. “Playing at Lou D’Angelo, it was surreal. Even in high school, under the lights and everything, it’s a beautiful stadium, beautiful setting, but just to be back at home for my first ever collegiate football game its awesome. It really hits back to home and really gets me excited.”
Pennsville athletics officials have said the school is excited to have a Hand homecoming in the stadium as well.
Because the Mighty Oaks don’t have a stadium on campus to call home, they scheduled their four home games this inaugural season in three of Salem County’s five high school stadiums. They play at Pennsville in opener and Oct. 17 for homecoming, and one time each at Schalick (Sept. 12) and Penns Grove (Sept. 19).
“I knew they were going to play at the high school, (but) I was thinking most at Penns Grove,” Hand said. “I didn’t really think we were going to have two games at Pennsville let alone one, but now that we have the two it’s an amazing feeling.”
Tomoney played four games for Hudson Valley in 2023, but left after feeling underutilized. The season opener will give him a chance to show the Vikings what they could have had.
“I don’t want to call anybody out, but it’s (to prove) to the coaches in a sense,” he said. “I feel like they gave up on me. They didn’t give me a chance.”
In time, Salem DBs coach Damon Troy reached out to him through social media channels and “showed me it could be more than what it was.” When Tomoney found out the Mighty Oaks were playing the Vikings “I was totally thrilled.”
He’s currently nursing a shoulder injury but says he’ll be ready for the opener.
The Delaware native had a lot of HVCC gear from his days there, but said he gave it to his younger brother. Perhaps he can find a Hudson Valley tee shirt to wear around practice that week to sharpen his teammates’ focus.
Hand heard about the ploy and yelled across the field.
“Hang that thing up in the locker room,” he said. “Don’t bring it out on the field.”
Tight end Robert Daly shares Hand’s excitement when it comes to the Mighty Oaks playing on his home turf. He said it was going to be a “very cool experience” to return to the stadiums he played in during his high school career at Schalick, and it will be especially meaningful when the Mighty Oaks go to his school for the second game of the season. Both local players are looking forward to being a tour guide that day.
“That’s awesome,” he said. “My last home game was filled with a lot of emotions because I thought it was going to be my last time on the field with my teammates and my friends. That was my school for four years and had a lot of emotion. Coming here and seeing it on my schedule it’s a great opportunity for me to show what I can do there because I know I’m going to have a lot of support, friends, family. I know there are going to be a lot of people going to be there because I played there for four years, so it’ll be an awesome experience.”
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