Saturday was the cutoff date for boys soccer, girls soccer and field hockey. Here are the projected South Jersey Group I playoff pairings in each sport based off the current power points standings:
BOYS SOCCER
(R1 Nov. 5; R2 Nov. 8-9)
Cape May Tech (3-15-1) at Schalick (15-2)
Penns Grove (7-9) at Pitman (8-7-1)
Gateway (9-8) at Audubon (12-4-1)
Pensville (10-8) at Haddon Twp. (10-5-2)
Woodbury (6-11) at Palmyra (9-6)
Glassboro (5-10-1) at Riverside (11-5-1)
Maple Shade (9-6-1) at Wildwood (13-3-1)
Clayton (6-10) at Woodstown (14-4)
GIRLS SOCCER
(R1 Nov. 4; R2 Nov. 7)
Woodbury (2-13-1) at Audubon (15-4)
Clayton (10-6-1) at Gateway (11-4)
Pennsville (6-11) at Riverside (11-6)
Buena (8-8) at Haddon Twp. (9-6-2)
Wildwood (5-11) at Woodstown (12-4-1)
Maple Shade (5-9-1) at Palmyra (12-4)
Pitman (8-8-1) at Glassboro (8-4-3)
Penns Grove (2-12-1) at Schalick (12-5)
FIELD HOCKEY
(R1 Nov. 4; R2 Nov. 6)
Pennsville (5-8-2) at Shore (19-1)
Florence (6-9-1) at Salem (8-5-1)
Lower Cape May (6-6-2) at Gloucester (12-5)
Haddon Twp. (4-12) at Haddon Heights (9-6-2)
Maple Shade (8-9) at West Deptford (12-3-2)
Bordentown (7-9) at Gateway (12-4)
Collingswood (6-9) at Woodstown (9-7-1)
South Hunterdon (9-11) at Schalick (16-0-1)
Author: almusky
Playoff bound or missed cut?
Penns Grove remains optimistic about Group I playoff berth after shutting out Salem, awaits official calculations (UPDATE: Late update has Red Devils on the outside)
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE — In college basketball, if a team on the bubble hits a buzzer-beater to win the opening game in its conference tournament they used to call it a $250,000 shot because that’s about what a first-round NCAA Tournament game was said to be worth.
Tre Brown delivered the high school football equivalent to Penns Grove Saturday — minus the monetary incentive, of course — in their regular-season game that they hope won’t be their final game of the year.
Brown’s 25-yard scoop and score in the second quarter was the defining play in the Red Devils’ 27-0 win over Salem that for all intents sent them to the South/Central Jersey Group I playoffs.
At least that’s the way the players felt about it as they left Jim Devonshire Field. In the post-game huddle they talked about playing “a red team or a green team” they had faced previously this season in next week’s opening round. Glassboro is expected to be the No. 1 seed in South Jersey.
“We have a shot; I think we made it,” sophomore running back KaRon Ceaser said.
First-year Penns Grove coach Marc Maccarone wouldn’t speculate on the Red Devils’ fate after the game because the formula for determining the qualifiers is so different than it was when he previously coached.
All of the projections have them landing a spot between 13 and 16 in the UPR ratings based largely on their strength of schedule. One numbers crunch has them landing at No. 15 and winning a tiebreaker over KIPP for the spot and playing Shore Regional in the first round of the Central Jersey bracket.
They went into game No. 16 in the official UPR ratings the state uses to determine the seedings and No. 17 in an unofficial Central Jersey Sports Radio ranking updated Friday night that’s proven to be just as accurate as the official standing. Saturday is the cutoff for calculations and presumptive pairings usually begin appearing in various media as the day wears on.
“Obviously, getting the win was definitely something we needed,” Maccarone said. “We’re down here trying to build a program and if the opportunity for us to get in the playoffs is there you can kind of put your record to bed because everyone is 0-0 going to the playoffs … and it’s not unheard of for a low seed to knock off a top seed. If we’re let into the playoffs, anything can happen.”
(UPDATE: In the 6:45 p.m. Saturday update on Gridiron NJ, the official state UPR source, Penns Grove missed the cut at 17. Projected Group I pairings from the official site are below:)
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 1 TOP 16: Glassboro, Woodstown, Shore, Paulsboro, Schalick, Burlington City, Middlesex, Riverside, Haddon Twp., Pennsville, Woodbury, Manville, Audubon, KIPP Cooper Norcross, New Egypt, Point Pleasant Beach
SOUTH JERSEY
Point Pleasant Beach at Glassboro
Riverside at Haddon Twp. (Sat.)
Manville at Paulsboro (Sat.)
Audubon at Schalick
CENTRAL JERSEY
KIPP Cooper Norcross at Woodstown
Pennsville at Burlington City
Woodbury at Middlesex
New Egypt at Shore
Oh, there was pressure to get in. The Red Devils had to beat the Rams in order to gain the requisite minimum of two wins to qualify; lose and they wouldn’t have even been in the conversation and Salem could celebrate avoiding its first winless season since 2012.
The Red Devils (2-7) would have made things easier on themselves had they not blown a nine-point third-quarter lead against Woodbury last week or held on to several games that went sideways late.
“The pressure was there, it was there,” Ceaser said. “We felt pressure because we felt like this season could have gone a lot better, a lot better. We feel like we could be a team that could compete for the championship.
“In every game we lost we beat ourselves. Turnovers, missed tackles, penalties. We’re just cleaning everything up to get into the playoffs.”
Brown’s scoop and score came in the second quarter with the Red Devils already leading 7-0. It was his first career touchdown.
“That was nice,” he said. “It was a great play from my teammates who blew the play up and all that. I saw the ball on the floor, just picked it up and ran it in.
“It was really important, it boosted the team’s morale and all that, but just that play alone did not get us in the playoffs. It was all the plays the whole game, but that play was really important.”
“That scoop and score, that’s what really put us over the top and let us know we’ve got to go get this,” sophomore lineman Ray Brown said.
In addition to Brown’s score, the Red Devils got three touchdowns from Ceaser. The sophomore scored on runs of 6 and 27 yards and caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Melo Erickson. He rushed for 151 yards in the game, leaving him 139 yards shy of a second straight 1,000-yard season.
Ceaser’s first touchdown capped a 65-yard drive that took up nearly the first eight minutes of the game. He carried it eight times in the 11-play drive.
“It’s good that you’re starting to finally see the fruits of all the hard work,” Maccarone said. “Changing an offense from last year to this year, being able to start to see really the last three weeks offensive production starting to come. The scoreboard wasn’t necessarily indicative of it, but the offense has been taking strides the last four weeks, so it was good to kind of see it come to blossom.”
Penns Grove 27, Salem 0
| SALEM | PG | |
| 1 | 1st Downs | 16 |
| 13-11 | Rushing | 43-273 |
| 8-13-1 | C-A-I | 3-9-0 |
| 38 | Passing | 29 |
| 2-2 | Fum-lost | 1-1 |
| 3-37.3 | Punts | 0-0 |
| 5-50 | Penalties | 9-50 |
| Salem | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0- | 0 |
| Penns Grove | 6 | 14 | 0 | 7- | 27 |
SCORING SUMMARY
PG-KaRon Ceaser 4 run (kick failed), 4:10 1Q
PG-Tre Brown 25 yard fumble return (pass failed), 8:41 2Q
PG-KaRon Ceaser 27 run (Knowledge Young pass from Melo Erickson), 3:08 2Q
PG-KaRon Ceaser 6 pass from Melo Erickson (Tre Brown kick), 10:12 4Q
WJFL Standings
| DIAMOND DIVISION | DIV | ALL |
|---|---|---|
| Glassboro | 5-0 | 8-0 |
| Woodstown | 4-1 | 7-1 |
| Schalick | 3-2 | 6-3 |
| Woodbury | 2-3 | 3-5 |
| Penns Grove | 1-4 | 2-7 |
| Salem | 0-5 | 0-9 |
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Glassboro 20, Woodstown 7
Schalick 27, Woodbury 16
SATURDAY’S GAME
Penns Grove 27, Salem 0
Finding another way
Blocked punt and end zone recovery propels Schalick to win over Woodbury, Cougars await their seeding in South/Central Jersey Group I playoffs
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – The Schalick football team was looking for something to happen. The Cougars were weren’t as sharp as they could’ve been in the first half and needed something to shake them awake.
Two of their most seasoned veterans answered the call.
Kenai Simmons broke in to block a punt and linebacker Riley Papiano fell on it in the end zone for the touchdown that propelled the Cougars to a 27-16 win over Woodbury to clinch third place in their first season in the demanding WJFL Diamond Division.
The Cougars (6-3) were trailing 15-13 in the third quarter when they had the Herd backed up against the end zone. Simmons broke in to block the punt and Papiano fell on the rebound for his first career touchdown.
“I hit their tight end and I sat there and saw the blocked punt,” Papiano said. “I was looking for the ball everything and it kind of landed at my feet and I just dove on it. My eyes got real wide when I saw it and I just dove on it. I was hoping (getting a touchdown) would happen. I didn’t think it would be off a blocked punt, but I’d take anything.
“I felt like it not only was a game-changer points wise and you could see it in our defense’s faces, but I think it was a game-changer morale-wise for the entire team. You could tell after that recovery all their faces lit up. They all knew at that point we could start winning this game.”
Simmons also accounted for two touchdowns on offense, both of which gave his team a lead. He threw a 48-yard pass to Nylan Sutton to put his team up 7-3 and had an 11-yard run in the second quarter to give them a 13-9 halftime lead.
Simmons was 4-of-9 for 117 yards passing and rushed for 46 yards on 13 carriers. Reggie Allen was their leading rusher with 62 yards on 11 carries.
The Cougars carried the lead they gained with the blocked punt into the fourth quarter . They held the Herd to a three-and-out, then put together a time-consuming drive with Roneem Thomas scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run to give them some breathing room.
“We played sloppy the first half and we came out the second half and did the job,” Cougars coach Mike Wilson said. “I thought our kids played hard and we found a way to win tonight. We physically wore them down as the game went on.
“We took control after the blocked punt. The percentages tell you (if) you block a punt you win 80 percent of the time.”
The Cougars now await their fate in the South Jersey Group I super regional bracket after Saturday’s games. The official UPR ratings that are used for the seedings weren’t updated after Friday’s game, but Central Jersey Sports Radio’s unofficial projection has them fifth overall or the third seed in South Jersey.
They were undefeated going into the playoffs last year, but in many ways they believe they’re better positioned going into the post-season with three more losses than they were a year ago. The three teams they lost to this season are a combined 24-1.
“I like where we’re at,” Wilson said. “We’re getting better every week. We’re peaking at the right time and I think our seniors are on a mission right now. They have done everything else. They want to go 1-0 every week.
“I think we’ve been battle-tested. We’ve played playoff teams all year and I think the harder schedule is going to help us.”
Finish with flourish
Woodstown tennis seniors produce memorable finish to their careers with dramatic win over Pennsville; includes all of Friday’s Salem County sports action
GIRLS TENNIS
Woodstown 3, Pennsville 2
By Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – The seniors on the Woodstown girls tennis team knew they had reached the end of the line and they wanted to do something memorable before riding off into the sunset. They sure went out with a flourish.
Three of the Wolverines’ seniors won matches that involved some sort of tiebreaker and their fortitude fueled a 3-2 win over Pennsville that handed the Eagles only their second loss of the season and clinched a share of the Tri-County Diamond Division title.
“I was very proud with how the girls performed today,” Wolverines coach Jesse Stemberger said. “The seniors were a little emotional beforehand knowing this was their last match, but they wanted to have a memorable ending to their careers and season and they were able to achieve that.”
The Wolverines (16-5) clinched the match at No. 1 doubles when senior Julianna Lindenmuth and junior Alyssa Berry took down Emma Cornette and Izzy Schrenker 7-6 (7-3), 7-5.
Before that, senior Camille Osborn won the final match of her high school career over Regan Witt 6-4, 7-6 (12-10) at No. 2 singles and senior Leah Waterman teamed with junior Nathalie Neron to win a 10-4 super tiebreaker after dropping the first set to Naomi Hess and Morgan Holt, 3-6.
Osborn had lost two of her three previous super tiebreakers this season, with one of the losses coming to Witt on Oct. 1. Lindenmuth (with Berry) had been 1-1 in set tiebreakers this season. It was Waterman’s first super tiebreaker of the season.
The Wolverines finished the season with a five-match winning streak and were 7-1 after being eliminated by Haddon Twp. in the South Jersey Group I quarterfinals.
Pennsville (20-2) got its points from first singles Megan Morris and third singles Lily Edwards. Edwards finished the season undefeated (21-0) and has won 32 consecutive matches going back to last season.
WOODSTOWN 3, PENNSVILLE 2
Megan Morris (P) def. Gabby Kurpis 6-1, 6-2
Camille Osborn (Wo) def. Regan Witt, 6-4, 7-6 (12-10)
Lily Edwards (P) def. Aubrie Rennie, 6-1, 6-0
Julianna Lindenmuth-Alyssa Berry (Wo) def. Emma Cornette-Izzy Schrenker, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5
Nathalie Neron-Leah Waterman (Wo) def. Naomi Hess-Morgan Holt, 3-6, 6-3, 10-4
Records: Woodstown 16-5, Pennsville 20-2.
BOYS SOCCER
HADDON TWP. 1, SCHALICK 0: Andres Santiago scored a first-half goal and keeper Collin Feeley made it stand with 15 saves in the net as the Hawks snapped the Cougars’ 10-match winning streak in the opening round of the South Jersey Coaches Cup. It was only the Cougars’ second loss of the season and they remain No. 1 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings.
Haddon Twp. was the No. 4 team in the SJ Group I power points standings, meaning it would be on Schalick’s side of the bracket if the pairings were finalized today. Woodstown is the solid No. 2, Penns Grove is No. 9 and Pennsville No. 13. The cutoff day for the standings is Saturday.
OVERBROOK 4, PENNSVILLE 0: The Eagles moved up the match with the hopes of enhancing their playoff position before the cutoff, but Overbrook kept them off the board. Four separate players lit the lamp for the Rams.
WILDWOOD CATHOLIC 7, SALEM TECH 1: Teddy Woolery and Charlie Flickinger both scored a hat trick as the Crusaders snapped the Chargers’ school-record three-game winning streak. Graham Fields scored the Chargers’ goal in the second half.
FIELD HOCKEY
SALEM 3, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 0: Audrey Boggs broke a scoreless tie with a third-quarter goal and assisted on the Rams’ other two second-half goals by Kashira Patterson and Julliana Love. Ava Rogers made five saves in posting the shutout.
Heading into Saturday’s cutoff, Salem is No. 10 in the South Jersey Group I standings. Unbeaten Schalick is 2, Woodstown 6 and Pennsville 17.
VOLLEYBALL
SALEM TECH 2, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 1: The Chargers rallied from dropping the first set to score their third win of the season. The set scores were 16-25, 25-13, 25-12. Tori Farnkoph had eight kills and 10 aces to lead the way. Tiara Bazemore had six kills and eight assists, Shelby Liber had seven aces and Alan’s James had six assists.
Trending upward
Pennsville carries a winning record into its first playoff game since 2019 after routing Collingswood in its Senior Night regular-season finale
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – While it may be a day or two before the Pennsville football team receives formal confirmation of its place in this year’s South Jersey Group I playoffs, the players at least can wait knowing they’re trending in the right direction.
The Eagles, projected to land its third playoff berth under coach Mike Healy and first since 2019, won its second straight game Friday, 47-14 over Collingswood. The win also gave them their first winning regular season since 2016 – the last time they won a first-round playoff game.
“Winning today was huge,” Healy said. “We finished the regular season with a winning record for the first time in a while. Last year was a winning record after the consolation tournament. There have been a lot of big accomplishments for the kids, especially to be able to take ownership for what they’ve done this year.
“Every year we talk about kind of leaving a legacy. Last year’s group got it back to a winning record. Now, this year’s team was to get us back in the playoffs. That was really our goal this year, to get back in the playoffs and see what we can do from there.”
The Eagles are projected anywhere from a 9 to 11 overall seed. The cutoff date for consideration is Saturday. Last year the Eagles missed making the field by one spot. This year they didn’t want to leave any doubt and after winning their final two regular-season game by a combined score of 82-22 probably won’t.
“We kept preaching how we played these last two weeks was what we were going to carry over to the playoffs,” Healy said. “Finally we’re operating at a much higher level all across the board than we have all year. Everybody is playing our best football now.”
The Eagles spread the wealth Friday, partly in order to get some of their seniors the ball on this Senior Night.
Quarterback Robbie McDade threw touchdown passes to Malik Rehmer and Luke Wood, Rehmer also scored on a 28-yard run, Rylan Hardy had a pair of 5-yard TD runs and Danny Knight scored on a 76-yard kickoff return.
WJFL Standings
| PATRIOT DIVISION | DIV | ALL |
|---|---|---|
| Camden Catholic (NPB-3) | 6-0 | 8-0 |
| Paulsboro (4) | 5-1 | 7-2 |
| West Deptford (G2-14) | 4-2 | 5-4 |
| Pennsville (10) | 3-3 | 5-4 |
| Audubon (16) | 1-5 | 2-5 |
| Collingswood (G2-18) | 1-5 | 3-6 |
| Overbrook (G2-23) | 1-5 | 3-5-1 |
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power rankings through Oct. 19 (G2-Group 2, NPB-Non Public B)
THURSDAY’S GAME
Paulsboro 30, Clayton 7
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Pennsville 47, Collingswood 14
West Deptford 35, Overbrook 12
Camden Catholic 1, Audubon 0 (forfeit)
Bounce back Bulldog
Smith scores 2 long TDs in second half to lift Glassboro over Woodstown for division title, No. 1 seed in South Jersey Group I playoffs
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
GLASSBORO — Kenny Smith couldn’t have been more mad at himself and he knew he had to do something to make amends.
Twice when the game still was tight Smith fumbled away possessions for his Glassboro football team, but just as coach Timmy Breaker has come to expect, when the Bulldogs needed their senior running back most he delivered.
Smith bounced back from his two fumbles to score on an electrifying 71-yard run and later on a 45-yard fourth-down screen pass to lift the undefeated Bulldogs over Woodstown 20-7 Friday night to clinch the WJFL Diamond Division title and the No. 1 seed in South Jersey Group I.
“It was definitely a redemption thing,” Smith said. “It’s my team believing in me that drove me to get those touchdowns. I fumbled. I’ve got to make up for that. I know that. They trusted me, so that’s what we did.
“I hadn’t had more than two fumbles in my career let alone one game, so it was definitely a shock. I had to get my mind right and lock in and get the job done.”
Thanks to the big touchdown burst Smith, a senior transfer from Hammonton, rushed for 99 yards in the third quarter and 149 yards in the game. The screen pass for a score was his only reception.
“That was big for him,” Breaker said. “That’s a senior. Resilient kid. Tough kid. And it doesn’t matter if he makes mistakes. He’s one of those kids who could fumble four times (and) the very next two – boom – it’ll go the distance, and as a coach I’m going to stay behind him and I’m going to keep giving it to him.”
They didn’t go to him down on the goal line late in the first half after Xavier Sabb returned an acrobatic interception inside the 5, but that’s because of the way Woodstown set its defense and stopped Smith for no gain on the first down play. The goal line stand kept the Wolverines ahead 7-6 at halftime.
The touchdown pass Smith caught, on fourth-and-7 on the first play of the fourth quarter, was the game-breaker. It was the first screen the Bulldogs (8-0) had taken for a touchdown all season.
It came from Jack O’Connell, who replaced Kristopher Foster late in the second quarter after the starter had been intercepted twice. The Bulldogs turned it over in each of their first three possessions and five times total, a circumstance that normally gets a team beat.
O’Connell, who lost the starting job after a similar start against Salem, was 9-of-14 for 182 yards passing and Breaker said it “absolutely” would be O’Connell to start next week’s playoff opener.
“Not many high schools have two quarterbacks who can play,” Breaker said. “We’re blessed to have two quarterbacks who can really do it and tonight you go with the hot hand. You never know who’s going to have the hot hand. Even in the backfield with the skill we have … somebody’s going to have a hot night and you try to stick with that guy. So, having two quarterbacks who are like brothers it doesn’t matter who’s out there as long as we win.”
The Wolverines, meanwhile, went with their third quarterback for the second week in a row and their offense was impacted even more when leading rusher Bryce Belinfanti hurt his right ankle midway through the first quarter. They didn’t change what they do because of it and Belinfanti did return to the game, but their effectiveness was limited.
Belinfanti had only 34 rushing yards, his lowest single-game output since becoming the headline back last year.
“Obviously he’s a huge part of our offense and when he’s not at 100 percent it’s tough,” Woodstown coach Frank Trautz said. “But I have all the confidence in all the kids who come in. We’re going to run our offense the way it’s designed to be run. We just didn’t make enough plays tonight.”
Belinfanti scored Woodstown’s touchdown on a 21-yard run late in the second quarter to give the Wolverines a 7-0 lead, but he was limping noticeably as he galloped towards the end zone. The senior said after the game “I’ll be back” next week for the playoffs.
“My ankle is all good,; it was just a game setback,” he said. “I’m good, though, and I’m definitely going to be back.”
The Wolverines are still hoping to get QB1 Jack Holladay back next week from the sprained shoulder he suffered against Haddon Heights, but if he’s not available the offense will be in Garrett Leyman’s hands again.
Leyman was in a different kind of game than his varsity debut at the position last week at Salem. He did complete his first four passes – giving him eight in a row to start his career – but he didn’t throw a touchdown pass after going 4-for-4 with four TDs against the Rams. He was 8-for-13 for 61 yards with two interceptions.
“He played great tonight,” Trautz said. “You look at the stat sheet and it’s not going to reflect that, but he never lost faith out there; he was confident. He stared down the barrel of the gun a few times in that pocket and he did not waver.”
The presumption is Woodstown (7-1) falls to No. 2 in the power rankings and will be the No. 1 seed in the Central Jersey Group I bracket, but that will be determined after Saturday’s games.
The official UPR rankings weren’t updated after Friday night’s games, but a usually reliable unofficial list by Central Jersey Sports Radio has Glassboro, Shore, Paulsboro, Woodstown and Schalick as the Top 5. Its formula has Pennsville 9 and Penns Grove, which plays Salem Saturday, 17 – one spot out of the field.
Glassboro 20, Woodstown 7
| WOOD | GLASS | |
| 6 | 1st Downs | 14 |
| 27-42 | Rushing | 27-199 |
| 8-13-2 | C-A-I | 13-21-3 |
| 61 | Passing | 216 |
| 1-0 | Fum-lost | 2-2 |
| 4-40.0 | Punts | 0-0 |
| 7-45 | Penalties | 8-65 |
| Woodstown (7-1) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0- | 7 |
| Glassboro (8-0) | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7- | 20 |
SCORING SUMMARY
WO-Bryce Belinfanti 22 run (Jake Ware kick), 4:41 2Q
G-Amari Sabb 4 run (run failed), 2:09 2Q
G-Kenny Smith 71 run (Sal Esgro kick), 6:35 3Q
G-Kenny Smith 45 pass from Jack O’Connell (Sal Esgro kick), 11:46 4Q
WJFL Standings
| DIAMOND DIVISION | DIV | ALL |
|---|---|---|
| Glassboro (1) | 5-0 | 8-0 |
| Woodstown (2) | 4-1 | 7-1 |
| Schalick (5) | 3-2 | 6-3 |
| Woodbury (11) | 2-3 | 3-5 |
| Penns Grove (20) | 0-4 | 1-7 |
| Salem (21) | 0-4 | 0-8 |
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Oct. 19
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Glassboro 20, Woodstown 7
Schalick 27, Woodbury 16
SATURDAY’S GAME
Salem at Penns Grove, noon
Battavio notches nifty 60
Woodstown senior becomes fifth player in girls soccer program to hit that milestone, and gets it on Senior Day; also, Thursday’s Salem County results
GIRLS SOCCER
Woodstown 3, Pennsville 1
Schalick 5, Penns Grove 0
Salem at Salem Tech
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – Talia Battavio took up soccer as a way to stay in shape and provide a fun release away from the demands of her first sport, basketball. And, as it turns out, she wound up being pretty good at it.
Four years into it, Battavio scored her 60th career goal and became the fifth player in Woodstown’s girls soccer history to reach that milestone Thursday when got her 13th goal of the season to seal the Wolverines 3-1 Senior Day victory over Pennsville.
The goal came late in the second half and gave the Wolverines (12-4-1) a two-goal cushion, and came in a fashion similar to the way she scores a lot of her points on the basketball court.
Battavio’s initial shot, with her left foot, banged off a defender, but she collected the rebound on her right foot at the 18 and let it fly.
“I didn’t know that was my 60th,” she said. “It was cool to get it on Senior Night and I’m glad we got the win.”
Gina Murray scored Woodstown’s first two goals after the teams played a scoreless first half. Battavio assisted on one of the goals, giving her 25 for her career (ninth on the all-time list). Her 125 scoring points are fifth on that all-time list.
“I actually thought today was her best game,” Wolverines coach Kieran Keyser said. “Talia is a gifted athlete and always finds ways to score, as displayed the last four seasons. But I think her most underrated skill is her ability to see the field and connect with her teammates. She consistently looks to make the final pass and set her teammates up to score.”
Woodstown’s other 60-goal scorers are Tatum Devault (75), Tori Malpezzi (70), Amy Gray (69) and Chelsea Norbuts (65). They’re also the only players ahead of Battavio on the program’s all-time points list.
By the time Battavio graduates this spring she will rank among the top five scorers in two sports at Woodstown. She currently is fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list in basketball (1,194).
“I think I’m very blessed and I’m glad that I got the opportunity to go to the trainers and have parents who will drive me to practices like every day,” she said.
Woodstown leading scorers
| GIRLS SOCCER | G | A | PTS |
| Tatum Devault (2022) | 75 | 42 | 192 |
| Tori Malpezzi (2008) | 70 | 33 | 173 |
| Amy Gray (1993) | 65 | 34 | 164 |
| Chelsea Norbuts (2009) | 69 | 22 | 160 |
| Talia Battavio (2024) | 60 | 25 | 145 |
SCHALICK 5, PENNS GROVE 0: The Cougars (12-4) completed a sweep of their Diamond Division schedule behind Abby Willoughby’s hat trick and single goals by freshman Kassady Sickler and Quinn Berger. Sickler’s goal was the first of her career.
Cover photo: Woodstown’s Talia Battavio takes a shot against Clayton in a match earlier this month.
BOYS SOCCER
SCHALICK 6, PENNS GROVE 0: Luke Price scored two goals and Anthony Sepers recorded three assists as the Cougars (15-1) won their tenth straight game. Brad Foster, Oscar Hernandez, Louis Sepers and Marco Spinnato scored their other goals.
WOODSTOWN 2, PITMAN 1: The Wolverines gave coach Darren Huck his 300th career victory. (See related story)
PENNSVILLE 6, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 1: Michael Veasy scored two goals and Shane Puckett had a goal and three assists for the Eagles (10-7). It was their fifth win in the last six games.
SALEM TECH 4, SALEM 2: Clinton Bobo scored two goals in the second half as the Chargers won their NJSIAA school-record third in a row. Jack McCauley and Christian VanTonder gave the Chargers (6-10) a 2-0 halftime lead.
GIRLS TENNIS
PENNSVILLE 3, SCHALICK 2
(conclusion of susp. match)
Emma Adams (S) def. Megan Morris, 6-2, 6-3
Ally Green (S) def. Regan Whitt, 6-0, 6-0
Lily Edwards (P) def. Miya Watkins, 6-0, 6-0
Emma Cornette-Gabi Forino (P) def. Julia Langley-Helana Tyers, 6-2, 6-2
Izzy Schrenker-Naomi Hess (P) def. Kayleigh Veach-Annie Podehl, 6-3, 6-3
Records: Pennsville 20-1, Schalick 9-8.
FIELD HOCKEY
HAMMONTON 6, WOODSTOWN 1: Sienna Land scored the Wolverines’ goal in the third quarter.
VOLLEYBALL
Timber Creek at Salem Tech
Huck hits 300
Woodstown soccer coach becomes second soccer coach in Salem County to reach the milestone, 60th among boys-only coaches in the state.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITMAN – Darren Huck has experienced a lot of neat things in his 26 years as the Woodstown soccer coach, but it wasn’t until the occasion of his 300th coaching win Thursday that he experienced one of the most rewarding traditions in all of sports.
For all the meaningful and momentous wins he has collected over the years, Huck had never felt the sweet sting of the water bucket being dumped over his head on a chilly October night.
But after the Wolverines finished off Pitman 2-1 at Alcyon Park and the team ran over to greet their parents and fans the ice bucket brigade emerged from behind the bench and got their head coach pretty good.
And there was even a parade and “champagne” (sparkling apple cider, really) celebration waiting for him when the team got back to town. All they needed was Garrett Stubbs and his locker room goggles and overalls to make it complete.
“Cold, cold, but I don’t even feel it anymore,” Huck said of his reaction to the water bucket treatment. “I’m just very, very happy about this.
“This should lock in the No. 2 seed for us, and that was the whole goal anyway. These guys knew it. I talked to them on the bus. It’s not about me, it’s not about them individually, it’s about the guy next to him, the in front of him, the guy behind him, the guy sitting on the bus. It’s about the jersey and the team and program.”
Huck became the second soccer coach in Salem County to earn 300 career victories with the win and all but locked up the No. 2 seed in South Jersey Group I to boot. He is the 60th coach in state history with 300 boys-only wins and the 23rd all-time in South Jersey to hit the milestone (10th active).
Good friend and neighbor Joe Mannella, the Schalick coach who reached the milestone earlier this season, sent him a note earlier in the day that read in part “enjoy the moment.”
“I sent him a message back and said it would be an honor to join him in the same year,” Huck said. “That was the whole goal of mine because I have a lot of respect for Joe Mannella because he is a true soccer guy. To be in the same conversation with him I think is probably not necessary because he is that good of a coach.”
The Wolverines came into the season needing to win a lot of games if Huck was going to join the club. When they lost to Schalick on Oct. 10 it left no room for error if the milestone was going to happen in the regular season. They haven’t lost since and will take a five-game winning streak into the playoffs, but the Panthers weren’t going to be an easy out.
“I really want him to get it,” his son Cole, a freshman on the JV team, said before the game. “He doesn’t talk about it a lot, but I’d really like to see him get it. Everybody does.”
The Wolverines played what Huck called “a good game” to get the milestone win.
Erich Lipovsky and Nick DiTeodoro scored first-half goals for the Wolverines (14-4), who kept constant pressure on Pitman keeper Joey Zubert.
Both of the goals were from point blank range. Lipovsky took a deep cross from Blake Bialecki in front of the goal 13 minutes into the match and buried a shot into the upper right corner. He missed a wide open opportunity from the 18 earlier and told Bialecki if he got another chance he wouldn’t miss again.
“Composure’s been a problem I’ve been struggling with a lot in the front of the net throughout the season, but I have really learned to get better and calm down while I’m taking my shot,” he said. “Nobody was marking me so I knew I wasn’t going to miss my spot next time. I really took my time on it and I put it right in the spot I was looking.
“This means a lot. Not only is this his 300th win, but if we win this we go to No. 2 in the playoffs. It was a super important game we all know we needed to win and we came to play. That’s what we wanted to do and we’re happy about it.”
Four minutes later, DiTeodoro ran onto a through ball from Bryce Ayars just across midfield and beat Zubert one-on-one in the middle of the box for his first goal of the season. He had come close to scoring several times during the season, but just never connected. He changed his cleats before the game and it changed his luck.
Huck told him he was destined for a big moment this season and the junior delivered the game-winner in a milestone game.
“It’s the best way to score your first goal of the season,” DiTeodoro said. “Especially for a coach who just puts everything on the line for us. I couldn’t have done anything more for him. I feel so great not only to score but also to be able to seal that win for him so he could get big No. 300.
“Him, a couple of my teammates, they were all saying it’s going to come when it matters most and I can’t think of a better time for it to come than right now.”
Jonas Trum scored a curling cross-field goal for Pitman with six minutes left in the half to make it 2-1. Keeper Ben Stengel and his Diamond Dome of Defense (Dante Mistichelli, Dante Holmes, Grant Prater, Jake Lewis) stood strong in the second half as Pitman mounted some serious challenges to tie the match.
“The fact I could be his goalkeeper during his 300th is just huge for me,” Stengel said. “Getting his 300th win is what we’ve all strived for. He talked about it more these last five games and that was more motivation for us. You just want it so bad you’re just scared it’s not going to happen. It was very terrifying (ss the closing minutes ticked by).”
Woodstown 2, Pitman 1
| Woodstown (14-4) | 2 | 0- | 2 |
| Pitman (8-7-1) | 1 | 0- | 1 |
GOALS: Woodstown, Erich Lipovsky (Blake Bialecki), 13′; Woodstown, Nick DiTeodoro (Bryce Ayars), 17′; Pitman, Jonas Trum, 34′. SAVES: Woodstown, Ben Stengel 4; Pitman, Joey Zubert 8.
Hadfield wins TCC race
Schalick senior getting back on track after stretch of illness slowed her down, now turns her attention to sectionals, state
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
SEABROOK – Jordan Hadfield is starting to feel like her old self again – just in time for the biggest races of the year.
The Schalick senior had been fighting through an illness she knows not what that combined with a heavy race schedule impacted her from being in top form.
She was still feeling some of it Wednesday at the Tri-County Conference Showcase, but felt a lot closer to being back, winning the girls race for the second year in a row. She covered the Cumberland Regional course in 18:57.51.
“I’m definitely a little bit more happy about where we’re heading toward sectionals,” she said. “Just from getting over being sick it’s hard to get back into it, so running high 18s just for getting back is not bad.
“With the sectionals coming up (at Dream Park) I have a week and a half to get myself together. I’ll definitely have to focus in training. Now that I feel better we’ll definitely do better.”
Race followers sensed something was wrong at the Salem County Championship when Hadfield ran a 19:15.79 to win the race and was physically upset about it. It was part of a grueling stretch of three races in eight days.
It was such a grind she sat out last week’s TCC Batch Meet in which the Cougars clinched their division championship in order to be ready for Wednesday and the rest of the season.
“I typically am not like the person to be sick all the time, I kind of get lucky with that stuff, and this part of the season is not a good time to get sick,” she said. “I’m so thankful it was not during sectionals and things.
“Today’s race was just about seeing where we are after you’re being sick and just getting back into it, and running somewhat close to what you used to be able to so that this week and a half will be just refining that.”
Hadfield went out in Wednesday’s race “a little slower than I would’ve preferred,” but still at a pace she felt comfortable. The contenders ran together for about the first two miles, then she picked up the pace because she didn’t want it to come down to a big push at the end and led the rest of the race.
She beat runner-up Sophia Aldridge of Williamston to the wire by nine seconds. Wildwood’s Macie McCracken was third, another 16 seconds back.
The next fastest Salem County finisher after Hadfield was Woodstown’s Abby Marino, who finished 11th (20:31.07). Salem Tech’s Sarah Seiden was 21st (21:21.04).
Schalick finished sixth as a team. Delsea won the girls team title, squeezing all its counters in a tight 78-second pack between sixth and 15th.
Glassboro’s Ty Blackman won the boys race in 15:49.74. Highland Regional won the team title, placing four of its five counters among the top 13.
Woodstown’s Cole Lucas and county champion Karson Chew finished 11th and 17th, respectively, to help the Wolverines to a fifth-place team finish. Schalick was 11th, Salem Tech 14th and Salem 16th.
Hadfield is still trying to decide her college future, but her choice appears to be coming down between St. Joe’s and the University of Rhode Island.
Tri-County Showcase
BOYS TEAM SCORES: Highland 63, Williamstown 89, Kingsway 96, Glassboro 119, Woodstown 159, Delsea 167, Clearview 172, Washington Twp. 176, Timber Creek 186, GCIT 205, Schalick 306, Pitman 350, Deptford 360, Salem Tech 406, Cumberland 412, Salem 438, Clayton 505.
GIRLS TEAM SCORES: Delsea 57, Williamstown 71, Washington Twp. 74, Kingsway 78, Clearview 79, Schalick 156, Pitman 197, GCIT 204, Cumberland 256.
| BOYS TOP 15 | TIME | GIRLS TOP 15 | TIME |
| Ty Blackman, Glassboro | 15:49.74 | Jordan Hadfield, Schalick | 18:57.71 |
| Matthew Littlehales, Delsea | 16:00.24 | Sophia Aldridge, Williamstown | 19:06.74 |
| Ryan Duffy, Kingsway | 16:17.03 | Macie McCracken, Wildwood | 19:22.13 |
| Mason Wassell, Highland | 16:26.16 | Kaylee Russen, Wash Twp. | 19:34.49 |
| Dominic Burgio, Williamstown | 16:29.94 | Rachael Wilson, Wash Twp. | 19:50.63 |
| Ethan Worst, Clearview | 16:33.71 | Aubrey Bishop, Kingsway | 19::59.63 |
| Hunter Bostwick, Wash Twp | 16:36.96 | Lyana Gutierrez, Highland | 20:03.21 |
| Dylan Saber, Williamstown | 16:40.63 | Juliana Sieminski, Delsea | 20:11.15 |
| Andrew Dopkin, Highland | 16:49.61 | Delaney Harbison, Williamstown | 20:14.38 |
| Logan Pavelik, Williamstown | 16:52.78 | Alaina Zabielski, Kingsway | 20:20.04 |
| Cole Lucas, Woodstown | 16:54.94 | Abby Marino, Woodstown | 20:31.07 |
| Andrew Kellem, Highland | 17:10.19 | Laney Vecchio, Delsea | 20:34.33 |
| Colin Roznowski, Highland | 17:10.57 | Lilla Porter, Clearview | 20:46.91 |
| Ryne Handley, Clearview | 17:15.45 | Julia Burgio, Williamstown | 20:52.87 |
| Jaeden Wesley, Glassboro | 17:18.16 | Emily Luther, Triton | 20:57.50 |
Girls tennis
WOODSTOWN 5, GLASSBORO 0
Gabby Kurpis (Wo) def. Ella Killelea, 6-0, 6-1
Camille Osborn (Wo) def. Kaylee Johnson, 6-1, 6-1
Aubrie Rennie (Wo) def. Halle Lazarus, 6-0, 6-0
Leah Waterman-Julianna Lindenmuth (Wo) def. Alana Killelea-Taylor Adcock, 6-1, 6-0
Melissa Hassler-EvaLouisa Thomsen (Wo) def. Virginia Tarasevich-Alice Dinzeo, 6-0, 6-1
Records: Woodstown 15-5, Glassboro 5-10
Hockey Cougars ‘killing it’
Milestones keep falling for Schalick field hockey; Alward sets single-season assists record, establishes 20-20 Club; team scoring record hits 100 goals with three 20-goal scorers
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — The Schalick field hockey team is such an offensive juggernaut it has reached a point in the season where they seem to hit some kind of milestone every time they take the field.
The unbeaten Cougars reached three individual milestones and hit 100 goals on the season Wednesday in a 7-0 rout of Salem in their final regular-season game before the playoff cutoff date.
The seven goals extended their single-season school record for goals to 100 on the nose. They’ve outscored their last three opponents 26-1.
“We always struggled scoring,” Cougars coach Heather Cheesman said. “We always struggled in past years just getting the ball in the cage and this year they’re killing it scoring-wise. We’re very strong in offense, we’re very strong on defense and I just think collectively they just play very well together.”
Individually, Phoebe Alward set the single-season school record for assists during the game and became the first member of the 20-20 Club, at least under Cheesman’s watch. Luci Virga scored twice to get her 20th goal of the season and give the Cougars three 20-goal scorers in the same season for the first time.
And, of course, Ava Scurry extended her single-season goals record with two more and had an assist. She has 36 goals this year and 56 in her career, which is six shy of the school record.
“I’m happy for all of them,” Cheesman said. “They work so hard and they work so well together. They’ve been playing together for years, like since they were like 10. Maybe even younger. They’ve been playing together for a while.”
Alward scored her 20th goal of the season (and 40th of her career) in the second quarter to give the Cougars a 4-0 lead and her four assists gave her 22 for the season, breaking the previous record of 20 set by Marisa Rizzo in 2010. The junior is two assists shy of joining the 40-40 Club for her career.
“To be honest, I just do what I need to do to get our team going and just to win,” Alward said. “I love doing both (scoring and assisting).”
“Phoebe is just an all-around good player, so she does set up a lot of stuff on the field,” Cheesman said. “She is very generous because she is capable of taking the ball down, doing her stickwork and scoring on her own, but she does set up a lot of stuff on the field, so she’s a team player. I think it’s great she’s hitting these milestones. She deserves it. She’s work hard for it.”
In the best set of statistics publicly available, the Cougars have had only six 20-goal scorers before this year since 2010. The 2011 team had two of them.
Virga became the third Cougar player to notch 20 goals this season when her second goal of the game gave her team a 5-0 halftime lead. The sophomore has 29 goals in her career.
“I kind of knew it was coming up, but I don’t really pay attention to those kind of things,” she said. “I just want our team to win. I want everybody to have an opportunity to do everything. Goals are really important, but it’s also everything that comes into the goal, like all of our great passing and coming down the field as a team.”
At 16-0-1 the Cougars are one of only four remaining teams in the state without a loss and the only one in South Jersey. They are currently No. 2 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings, behind No. 1 Shore and a half-point ahead of No. 3 West Deptford. The cutoff is Saturday.
Schalick 7, Salem 0
| Salem (7-5-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0- | 0 |
| Schalick (16-0-1) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0- | 7 |
SCORING
SCH-Ava Scurry (Phoebe Alward), 11:17 1Q
SCH-Luci Virga (Phoebe Alward), 7:29 1Q
SCH-Addi Shimp (Luci Virga), 4:26 1Q
SCH-Phoebe Alward (Ava Scurry), 14:20 2Q
SCH-Luci Virga (Phoebe Alward), 4:07 2Q
SCH-Caylen Taylor (unassisted), 12:11 3Q
SCH-Ava Scurry (Phoebe Alward), 6:51 3Q
