Cougars beat Overbrook to clinch outright WJFL Diamond Division title, undefeated regular season and No. 1 seed in South Jersey Group 1 football playoffs
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PINE HILL — Schalick checked all the boxes in their final regular season game Thursday night.
The Cougars completed an undefeated regular season, clinched the WJFL Diamond Division title outright and sealed up the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group 1 tournament with a 28-16 win over Overbrook.
It wasn’t as easy as it seemed, however. The Rams scored twice in the fourth quarter against the Schalick JVs, prompting coach Kevin Leamy to reinsert raise the starters for the final 4:17.
Kenny Bartee and DezYon Purnell each scored two touchdowns as the Cougars opened a 28-0 lead early in the third quarter. Leamy went with the backups in the fourth and Axcel Bailey scored two touchdowns to raise the temperature.
Bartee rushed for 60 yards and passed for 101. Purnell rushed for 44 yards. Ayden Jenkins rushed for 52 yards. David Stewart had all the receiving yards. The Cougars (9-0) scored on each of their first four possessions.
Bailey’s 83-yard TD run made it 28-16. Leamy said the Cougars could’ve probably gutted out the final minutes with the backups, but he left nothing to chance.
Bailey rushed for 198 yards, but he had 145 in the fourth against the Schalick reserves.
This story will be updated.
Schalick 28, Overbrook 16
| SCHAL | OVER | |
| 14 | 1st Downs | 13 |
| 43-182 | Rushing | 25-210 |
| 3-7-0 | Passes | 10-18-1 |
| 101 | Passing | 63 |
| 2-0 | Fum-Lost | 0-0 |
| 2-41.0 | Punts-Avg | 3-31.3 |
| 3-20 | Penalties | 5-26 |
| Schalick | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0- | 28 |
| Overbrook | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16- | 16 |
SCORING SUMMARY
S-DezYon Purnell fumble recovery in end zone (Shawn Kelly kick), 3:57 1Q
S-Kenny Bartee 1 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 11:57 2Q
S-Kenny Bartee 1 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 1:22 2Q
S-DezYon Purnell 1 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 8:43 3Q
O-Axcel Bailey 6 run (PAT run), 6:26 4Q
O-Axcel Bailey 83 run (Nicholas Duvall pass from Mark Hailstork), 4:17 4Q
