Author: almusky

Emel on the move

New challenge awaits as the Penns Grove football coach is approved as West Deptford’s next coach tonight (UPDATED)

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – John Emel has been at Penns Grove for virtually his entire high school coaching career. He likely could have stayed at the Salem County school forever. It would take something extraordinary to lure him away.

Extraordinary has arrived.

Emel was approved Monday night to become the next head football coach at West Deptford High School. He will succeed Jason Morrell, who stepped away from the Eagles’ sidelines after six seasons to move into administration.

“It’s just an opportunity to go to a place that … is a premier job in the state of New Jersey,” Emel said. “They’ve won seven sectional titles in 21 years; we’ve won three here in the last 12; it’s comparable. It’s a Group II school. With a bigger school you get some more assistant coaches, more players, a freshman program … That’s an advantageous situation.”

There were seven initial interviews, cut to four, then two, and Emel rose to the top of the list in every aspect in all three rounds. He was approved with a minimal amount of pushback from the board 6-1 with two abstentions in the roll call vote.

“I’m excited for the challenge,” said Emel, who didn’t attend the two-plus-hour meeting but listened in remotely. “It’s a great community and they’ve got great kids, and I know that from being there before. That’s the two things that I’m sure about so I’m ready to get to work.”

Emel, 39, had an “emotional” conversation with Penns Grove athletics director Anwar Golden earlier in the day. It was that working and personal relationship he has with Golden, a former Salem High teammate, that made his decision so difficult.

He plans to meet with his new team Tuesday and start the conditioning program there over the winter break while continuing to teach at Penns Grove until the end of the school year.

The change does not impact his position as president of the the West Jersey Football League Coaches Association and he will continue as director of the Battle of the Beach football series. Penns Grove and Schalick are both expected to play in that event in 2024.

Emel has been coaching high school football for 20 years, 18 at Penns Grove and the last 10 as the Red Devils’ head coach. He was the second-longest tenured head coach at his current school in Salem County, a distinction that now falls on Pennsville’s Mike Healy.

The move to West Deptford marks a return to the only break in his tenure. He was an Eagles assistant for two years (2012-13) before returning to Penns Grove as head coach in 2014.

“I only left there because of my love for this place,” Emel said. “When I was there as an assistant that was the kind of place I could stay forever … So it’s very similar to this.”

That admiration is the driving force in West Deptford never playing Penns Grove as long as he is the coach there.

“I want them (Penns Grove) to win every game,” he said. “The reason I went to West Deptford (previously) was because I knew we would never play Penns Grove. I’ve had opportunities to go (other nearby programs) and turned them down because I didn’t want to compete against this place.”

With the opening, Penns Grove is expected to post the position to find what Golden called “the best candidate for the school district and for the students to lead the football team on the field and off the field.” It plans to appoint a committee whose members are “engrained and entrenched in Penns Grove High School” to ascertain the best fit. There is no timetable.

The successful candidate will be taking over what Emel called “a big job” in a community “that demands a ton of attention and work into the program” but with an administration that is “super supportive of football.”

He set the standard. His Red Devils teams were 70-41, made the South Jersey Group I playoffs every year and won at least one playoff game five of the last six years. They won three division titles and two of the school’s three sectional crowns (2018 and 2019) during a three-year stretch in which they went 35-3 with a 25-game winning streak. He currently has five players in college football at the Division II level or higher.

He tried to be as much a mentor to his players as he was a coach, and many of his former players have messaged best wishes and words of encouragement since the news was released.

“It’s been productive,” Golden said of the Emel Era. “He was ahead of the curve. He was always available communication wise, he did what he needed to do from a coaches perspective, he was a competitor. He advocated extremely well for the team and the district and represented us well as a coach among his peers. He definitely gave us an edge about things.”

This past season the Red Devils went 6-6 with a win over a Group I state finalist after a 1-4 start and trailing 19-0 at halftime of their sixth game. They played for the WJFL Diamond Division title on the last weekend of the regular season and produced two 1,000-yard rushers who are both eligible to return with most of the 32 players he finished last season with. The JV team went undefeated and they have a weight room Emel calls one of the best setups in South Jersey.

“The future is bright here; there’s a lot to look forward to,” he said. “So it’s (the move) not even about next year. It’s just an opportunity long term. I was comfortable staying here and I really like my administration here. It’s nothing to do with all that stuff. … It was time for a new challenge.”

Penns Grove coach John Emel accepts the runner-up trophy on behalf of his team during this summer’s Taliaferro Foundation 7-on-7 tournament. Emel was approved Monday to become West Deptford’s head coach.

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County high school sports calendar for the week of Dec. 18-23

MONDAY
BASKETBALL
Girls
Penns Grove at Paulsboro, 4 p.m.
Pennsville at Kingsway, 5:30 p.m.
Pitman at Salem, 5:30 p.m.
Salem Tech at GCIT, 5:30 p.m.
Boys
GCIT at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
Salem at Wildwood Catholic, 6 p.m.

WRESTLING
Millville at Schalick, 5 p.m.

INDOOR TRACK
Salem, Schalick in SJCTA Meet, Toms River

SWIMMING
Woodstown vs. West Deptford at Riverwinds, 3:30 p.m.

BOWLING
Salem vs. Lindenwold, Wood Lanes, 4 p.m.

TUESDAY
BASKETBALL
Girls
Glassboro at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Gloucester Cath. at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
Pennsville at Overbrook, 5:30 p.m.
Schalick at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m.
Boys
Overbrook at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
Penns Grove at Glassboro, 5:30 p.m.
Woodstown at Schalick, 5:30 p.m.
Salem Tech at Gloucester Cath., 5:30 p.m.

BOWLING
Salem Tech at Gloucester City, 4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
BASKETBALL
Pitman at Salem, 7 p.m.

WRESTLING
Schalick, Salem, Egg Harbor Twp. at Pennsville, 5 p.m.
Penns Grove at Clayton, 6 p.m.

WINTER TRACK
Penns Grove, Salem in Polar Bear Meet, Pennsville, 3:30 p.m.

BOWLING
Salem in Holiday Tournament, Laurel Lanes, 3:30 p.m.

THURSDAY
BASKETBALL
Girls
Schalick at LEAP, 4 p.m.
Clearview at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m.
Pennsville at Gloucester Tech, 5:30 p.m.
Salem Tech at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Boys
Gloucester Tech at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
LEAP at Schalick, 5:30 p.m.
Penns Grove at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
Woodstown at Cumberland, 5:30 p.m.

SWIMMING
Schalick vs. Gloucester Cath. at GCIT, 4:45 p.m.
Salem vs. Triton Regional at GCIT, 7:15 p.m.

SATURDAY
BASKETBALL
Boys
Cherokee at Penns Grove, 1 p.m.

WRESTLING
Pennsville, Penns Grove, Schalick in Cumberland Duals
Woodstown, Seneca, St. Joseph at Mainland, 9 a.m.

INDOOR TRACK
Salem vs. TCC, Toms River, 9 a.m.

Getting it done

Penns Grove scores its first victory of the season with Conrad taking over in the final 40.6 seconds

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – Former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson used to call it 40 minutes of hell when teams came to play his Razorbacks. Giomar Conrad reduced it to 40 seconds of hell unleashed on Lindenwold Saturday night.

The final game of the Red Devil Classic was a 32-minute battle of wills, for sure, but it was what happened in the final 40.6 seconds that made all the difference.

Conrad grabbed two big rebounds and calmly sank four straight free throws – all in the final 40.6 seconds – to help Penns Grove pull out its first victory of the season, 60-54.

The teams had been punching and counterpunching all game. The Red Devils (1-1) had an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but not even that was safe. With less than a minute to go Lindenwold’s Tajamir Brown hit a 3 and it was a tied game.

Karon Ceaser broke the tie with 40.6 seconds left when he hit a layup from the underside of the basket and was fouled. The Lions falled time before the free throw to ice the freshman and make plans.

The Red Devils made plans as well.

“I told all my guards we had big Willie (Slocum) down there working his behind off but at the same time I need all the guards to crash and help out,” PG coach Damian Ware said. “We stressed that during that final time out that we need everybody to crash the boards. Crash, crash, crash.

“Everybody crashed the boards in that final 30 seconds because we knew if we just get one rebound we can finish the game out from the free throw line. That’s what we were really looking for at that point.”

No one took that message to heart more than Conrad. Ceaser missed the free throw, but Conrad raced in to get the rebound. He was fouled and with 29 seconds left made both free throws to extend the lead to 58-54.

The Lions (1-1) needed to make something happen quickly and Brown missed a 3-pointer. Conrad was there again to corral the rebounds and was fouled again with less than four seconds left. He made those two free throws to complete a 27-point night and the final margin.

“I just had to catch the ball, make sure I hold it, waste some time and when they fouled me make sure I made two free throws and the game was over after that,” Conrad said. “At the end of the game when it’s close like that I always go get the ball. I had to make sure we got it.”

PENNS GROVE 60, LINDENWOLD 54
LINDENWOLD (1-1) – Jaden Farmer 4 2-3 10, Becaye Drame 2 0-0 4, Jabril Simmons 3 2-2 8, C.J. Matthews 5 1-2 12, Tajamir Brown 5 0-0 12, Jermaine Hughes 1 0-0 3, Wes Cholopy 0 0-0 0, E. Hernandez 2 1-2 5. Totals 22 6-9 54.
PENNS GROVE (1-1) – Willie Slocum 1 0-0 2, Mekhi Ballard 0 0-0 0, Khiry Higgs 0 0-0 0, Jaden Sorrell 1 0-0 2, Mr. Peterson 1 0-2 2, Roman Gipson 3 1-2 7, Karon Ceaser 6 2-7 14, Brandon Robbins 2 0-0 6, Giomar Conrad 9 6-6 27. Totals 23 9-15 60.

Lindenwold16 161012 –54
Penns Grove14171316 – 60
3-point goals: Lindenwold 4 (Matthews, Brown 2, Hughes); Penns Grove 5 (Robbins 2, Conrad 3).
Fouled out: Farmer. Total fouls: Lindenwold 19, Penns Grove 14


What a start

Salem opens its season with an intense victory over Woodbury behind MVP Farmer, Bundy

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – Anthony Farmer was the last one to get back to the locker room for the post-game meeting. His father, the coach, had already begun his remarks. When you’re the player of the game there are a lot of demands on your time.

FARMER

Farmer scored 19 points and was right in the middle of all the key moments in the game leading Salem to a 67-56 victory over defending Group I champion Woodbury in their season opener Saturday in the Red Devil Classic.

Before rejoining his teammates in their sanctuary, the senior guard had to negotiate a gauntlet of well-wishers and interviewers following the MVP trophy presentation. But it’s an experience he wouldn’t trade for the world.

“It’s a hassle, everybody asking questions, but I embrace that kind of stuff and that’s what I do it for,” he said. “I love the feeling, it’s a very good feeling and I hope to feel that plenty more times.”

Salem had several leads that seemed comfortable, but Woodbury rallied every time. The Rams never put the Herd away until the final two minutes.

It was a 10-point game early in the third quarter, but the Herd rallied behind some big shots by Jajuan Solomon and Troy Lindsey and eventually took a 42-41 lead on R.J. Heighler’s 3-pointer right before the horn.

The most important minute of the game came early in the fourth quarter and Farmer was right in the middle of it.

The Rams had regained the lead 45-41, but the way teams were making runs in the game that could change in an instant. Farmer went the length of the floor for a layup and then made a steal near midcourt and finished the play with a layup from underneath the basket.

When freshman Ty Lecator followed with a 3-pointer to cap an 11-0 run, Salem led by 10 once again. This time they didn’t let it go. The Herd got within five with two minutes left, but the Rams didn’t let them get any closer.

“I knew I had to make a play,” the guard said. “I’m one of the leaders on the team and they need me, they’re depending on me, and I felt like at that time I know I needed to make a play. Thank the man above I was able to do that.”

“That definitely was a big stretch for us; we needed to make plays,” Farmer the coach said. “That’s his job, he’s a senior, he’s been around. He’s a calm kid, he made the plays that needed to be made as a senior.”

Ramaji Bundy also played a big role. He banked home a 3 from the side-court logo at the end of the first quarter to put Salem up by six. He plunged in the dagger with a minute to go when he hit a 3 to put the Rams up eight.

“Bundy was special all night, man,” Farmer the coach said. “Just some of the plays down the stretch that maybe didn’t show up in the box score. He was huge, getting deflections, chasing balls around, just being active. That’s what he is for us.

“When he’s making shots and scoring for us that’s a bonus, but his energy and effort and leadership is really what we rely on.”

SALEM 67, WOODBURY 56
WOODBURY (0-2) – Troy Lindsey 6 0-0 15, Jajuan Solomon 4 2-7 10, Dorian Dunbar 3 4-6 11, Amara Sacko 1 1-4 4, Isaiah Dulaney 0 0-0 0, R.J. Heighler 7 1-6 16. Totals 21 8-20 56.
SALEM (1-0) – Ramaji Bundy 6 1-1 16, Anthony Farmer 7 4-6 19, Jabez DeJesus 3 1-2 9, Paul Weathers 6 4-4 16, Xavier McGriff 0 0-0 0, Ty Lecator 1 4-4 7, Antoine Rogers 0 0-0 0, Kyree Little 0 0-0 0, Joe Tunis 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 14-17 67.

Woodbury11151614 – 56
Salem1717726 –67
3-point goals: Woodbury 6 (Lindsey 3, Dunbar, Sacko, Heighler); Salem 7 (Bundy 3, Farmer, DeJesus 2, Lecator). Technical fouls: Lecator. Fouled out: Heighler. Total fouls: Woodbury 18, Salem 17.
Anthony Farmer (R) is congratulated by his teammates after winning Player of the Game honors for his effort against Woodbury.



Tough turnaround

After a strong opener, Pennsville goes out on the road less than 18 hours later and struggles

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

DEPTFORD – Now you know why major-league managers rest their everyday catchers the day off during an afternoon game that follows a night game. It’s all about getting the proper rest.

On the high school basketball floor Pennsville coach Joe Mecholsky calls it the “Clayton Effect,” a phenomenon tracked at some length and named by Clippers coach Frank Rago on what happens to teams who play early Saturday after a late night against the Clippers the night before.

It didn’t turn out too well for the Eagles Saturday. They were as cold as a mid-winter morning shooting the ball and lost to Deptford 76-50 after getting their season off to a big start the night before.

While the Eagles succeeded in cutting their turnovers in half from the night before, the rest of their game wasn’t as sharp. 

They shot 18-for-65 for the game – 14-for-40 from the field, 4-for-25 from 3-point range – and 10-for-22 from the free throw line. And they got in foul trouble early and 6-7 post Daniel Saulin, who gave them 17 points and 14 rebounds the night before, fouled out with seven minutes to go.

“We were in a very physical game today and we did not respond to it,” Mecholsky said. “They wore us down and grinded us out. It’s tough to play back-to-back with a noon start on Saturday.”

The Eagles trailed by eight at the half and went into the dressing room to talk about how they were going turn it around. It didn’t happen and Deptford steadily stretched its lead.

It didn’t help they lost one of their key pieces early in the second quarter. Chase Burchfield suffered a shoulder injury lunging for a loose ball and Mecholsky admitted it “took the air out of the balloon.”  The Eagles likely will be without their 3-point threat for at least the next two weeks.

DEPTFORD 76, PENNSVILLE 50
PENNSVILLE (1-1) – Luke Wood 3 4-4 12, Malik Rehmer 2 1-2 5, Jayden Thomas 5 2-7 13, Peyton O’Brien 5 0-0 11, Daniel Saulin 2 0-0 4, Chase Burchfield 0 0-0 0, Coen Petrutz 0 0-0 0, Mason O’Brien 1 2-2 4, Logan Hitt 0 1-2 1, Cole Johnston 0 0-2 0, Carlos Marandino 0 0-2 0. Totals 18 10-21 50
DEPTFORD  (2-0) – Bryce Dunn 3 0-0 6, Carter Cooper 5 1-4 11, Deiyon Rowland 4 0-0 11, Ayden Copestick 5 0-0 14, Brian Ono 5 2-4 15, Luke Vilary 0 0-0 0, Jordan Williams 1 0-0 2, Jayden Minter 0 0-0 0, Alonzo Hernandez 3 0-0 7, Grahem Karley 1 1-1 3, Joe Crawley 1 1-2 3, Sean Castello 0 0-0 0, Anais Usher 0 0-0 0, Kenny Cockerill 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 5-11 76.

Pennsville15141110 – 50
Deptford22151722 –76
3-point goals: Pennsville 4 (Wood 2, Thomas, P. O’Brien); Deptford 11 (Rowland 3, Copestick 4, Ono 3, Hernandez). Fouled out: Saulin. Total fouls: Pennsville 12, Deptford 20.




Goal oriented

Penns Grove’s Horace marching towards 1,000 career points on the way to a deep run in the playoffs

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – Meely Horace really wants 1,000 points. And she really wants a championship banner.

There’s no reason those two items have to be mutually exclusive.

The Penns Grove senior guard moved a little closer to that personal goal and helped her team gain a lot of power points for the other when she went for 22 points to earn Player of the Game honors in the Red Devils’ 63-27 rout of Group IV Bridgeton in the only girls game of this year’s Red Devil Classic.

She now has 747 career points after two games this season. At her current pace – 19 points a game – she’s reach the milestone sometime late next month.

Just how much does she want it? She has 1K written on one of her pairs of shoes. She figures averaging five points a quarter should do the trick.

“I want to get to my 1K, my 1,000 points,” she said. “I want to break the record for them. It’s been a while since somebody hit 1K. I want to do that before I leave.”

There’s banner hanging high on the gym wall containing the names of the six 1,000-point scorers in Penns Grove girls basketball history, The last name went up in 2018 (Natrice Reed, 1,065).

There’s a piece of tape covering the next line on the banner. No one will say what the tape is covering, but it’s presumed that’s where Horace’s name will go when she hits the number.

“She’s going to get her 1,000 points and we want her to get that,” Red Devils coach Jennifer Denby said. “This is why we’re trying to coach her so she can become a better player mentally and physically on the court. 

“It is reachable. She most definitely is going to get her thousand, but she wants to win a championship. This is why we’re doing all this work now.”

Denby knows a little about scoring points as the all-time leading scorer in the Rowan women’s basketball program. She’s personally placed four of the six names on the banner during her tenure.

Meely’s mental toughness was put to the test early in the game. The Bulldogs held her scoreless in the first quarter and she admitted her game was “all over the place” in the early going. But as the game went on she fixed her mistakes, became a defender and turned it into offense to help her team.

Even as she struggled to get on track, the Red Devils were building a 13-2 lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter she hit a couple 3s and Penns Grove extended the lead to 13 at halftime. She scored 13 points in the second half.

“Meely did struggle in the first half,” Denby agreed. “We pulled her off and talked to her and she got back in there and did her defense assignment, and she played offense. So, she deserves that reward that she got.”

And a bigger reward is yet to come.

PENNS GROVE 63, BRIDGETON 27
BRIDGETON (0-2) – Diara McGriff 0 0-0 0, Karina Perez 0 0-0 0, Alyanna Ridgeway 0 0-0 0, Kahmya Johnson 0 0-0 0, Adelina Wilks 3 11-12 17, Madison Garner 0 0-0 0, Kimona Notice 1 0-0 2, Imara James 4 0-2 8, Jayla Bowman 0 0-0 0, Tatiyanna Crawford 0 0-2 0. Totals 8 11-16 27.
PENNS GROVE (2-0) – Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Brianna Robbins 5 1-7 12, RaNiyah Wilson 7 0-0 17, Arianna Dowe 1 0-0 2, Amani Taylor 1 0-0 3, Semijah Hines 1 0-0 2, Meely Horace 8 3-6 22, Zoey Caesar 1 2-2 4, JaNiyah Cummings 0 1-2 1, Jamira Lewis 0 0-2 0, Ruiande Delva 0 0-0 0, Totals 24 7-19 63.

Bridgeton21564  –27
Penns Grove13171716 –63
3-point goals: Bridgeton 0, Penns Grove 8 (B. Robbins, Wilson 3, Taylor, Horace 3). Total fouls: Bridgeton 19, Penns Grove 13.

Back big time

Schalick’s Magonagle wins in SC Holiday Classic in first tournament back from a season-ending injury, Penns Grove’s Arce wins his first title in same event; Pennsville, Woodstown also in action

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – The flex Schalick junior Jake Magonagle did after winning his weight division in the SC Holiday Classic Saturday might be all the evidence one needed to prove it just might be the most satisfying title claim of the early wrestling season.

Magonagle won the 175-pound division with a 5-3 decision over Chase Hoag of Mainland. It was his first tournament back after having last season cut short by an injury. He was seeded second, drew a first-round bye, then won a pair of decisions.

“I think he needed that,” Schalick coach Joe Frassenei said. “He was definitely one of the more happy kids.

“He’s very confident to begin with, but I think the win was a nice start for him. He was super happy after the match and I was very proud of him.”

The Schalick-Cumberland co-op team finished fourth in the team race with five individual medalists (top three finishers) and eight placers (top four). DeAnthony Hardin was runner-up at 113, while Daniel Lloyd (144), Ayden Jenkins (150) and Keon Martin (165) all placed third.

Point Pleasant Beach won it handily with three individual champions and seven wrestlers in the finals.

Magonagle wasn’t the only wrestler from Salem County to bring home a title from the tournament.

Penns Grove’s Devine Arce holds his medal and his bracket after winning the SC Holiday Classic title at 120.

Penns Grove’s Devine Arce won his first tournament title when he pinned Mainland’s Garrett Chew to win at 120. His road to the title featured an opening-round bye and two pins in two minutes of elapsed time..

“I was amazed at myself like how I did it,” Arce said. “My freshman record was 8-13. Last year I went twenty-something and four or five, and this year I’m starting off 3-0.”

With two pins.

“He’s probably our most dedicated wrestler, especially the early part of this season,” Red Devils coach John Emel said. “To be at a weight that a little higher than he’s going to wrestle later in the year and have success that’s bodes well for him going forward.”

Arce was one of four Penns Grove wrestlers place in the top three. Isaiah Upshur was runner-up at 190, while Jayden Owens (157) and Antonio Cooper (215) both won consolation finals for third. For Cooper it was the best tournament finish of his career.

“I was actually pretty excited with the way we wrestled,” Emel said. “We have a lot of kids who have never won a match in districts.

“This type of tournament experience is what we’ve tried to get them early in the season. We haven’t done an opening weekend tournament in a few years, probably pre-COVID, and we’re going to get four tournament-type atmospheres early in the season. I just hope it prepares them for districts later on. Getting in these type tournaments early in the season I think it gives our guys good experience going forward.”

SC HOLIDAY CLASSIC
TEAM SCORES: Point Pleasant Beach 186.5, Haddon Heights 119, WW-Plainsboro North 117, Schalick-Cumberland 96, Mainland 83, WW-Plainsboro South 81, Penns Grove 74, Oakcrest 50.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
106: Cole Denning (HH) tech fall over Brandon Stizza (PPB), 15-0
113: Bruce Bellace (O) def. DeAnthony Hardin (SC), med. forf.
120: Devine Arce (PG) pinned Garrett Chew (M), 1:00
126: Zachary Owens (WWPN) pinned Luke DeBenedett (PPB), 1:00
132: P.J. Niethe (PPB) dec. Ryan Brown (WWPN), 11-4
138: Jude Bowers (PPB) tech fall over Joaquin Poventud, (O) 15-0
144: Jordan Blaise (WWPS) dec. Antonio Acevedo (PPB), 10-3
150: Josh Delgozzo (HH) dec. Christian Tardieu (WWPS), 1-0
157: Evan DeJong (WWPN) pinned Liam Wikberg (HH), 1:00
165: Gary Williams (M) dec. Sam Yedman (PPB), 6-3
175: Jake Magonagle (SC) dec. Chase Hoag (M), 5-3
190: Darren DeJong (WWPN) pinned Isaiah Upshur (PG), 0:55
215: Marcos Kaiafas (PPB) dec. Jason George (WWPS), 6-0
285: Jayden Trace (HH) pinned Youssef Abouelela (WWPS), 1:10

Wendy Pandy-Leh Invitational

FRENCHTOWN – Woodstown’s Zach Bevin and Mateo Vinciguerra wrestled for championships in their weight classes at the Wendy Pandy-Leh Invitational at Delaware Valley High School and just came up short.

Bevis was pinned in the 165-pound final by Logan Wiecoreck of Voorhees and Vinciguerra lost a decision in the 285 final to Cameron Baumann, also of Vorhees.

The Wolverines had four wrestlers win consolation finals – Travis Balback (120), Carson Bradway  (126), Greyson Hyland (175) and Paul Banff (190) – and two others finish fourth.

The Wolverines finished fourth in the 10-team field.

WENDY PANDY-LEH INVITATIONAL
TEAM SCORES: Delaware Valley 257.5, Ocean Twp. 168, Vorhees 160, Woodstown 125, Westfield 99, Princeton 85.5, Pascack Hills 78, Wall 66.5, Williamstown 66.5, Cherokee 64.0

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
106: Justin Penta (OT) pinned Michael Apicelli (OT), 1:42
113: Johnny D’Andrewa (V) maj. dec. over Justin Farina (OT), 10-1
120: Jake Taylor (DV) maj. dec. over Christian Bollette (V), 13-5
126: Jaden Perez (DV) maj. dec. over Cole Rose (P), 9-0
132: Matt Roche (DV) pinned Luke Sluberski (We), 0:32
138: Blasé Mele (P) pinned Dominic Volek (OT), 1:01
144: Jackson Bush (DV) dec. Michael Volek (OT), 11-9
150: Jake Wacha (PH) pinned Ben Levy (DV), 4:33
157: James Farina (OT) maj. dec. over Jeremy Marsella (Wa), 13-1
165: Logan Wiecoreck (V) pinned Zach Bevis (Wo), 0:35
175: Kevin Roman (DV) dec. Travis Cryan (V), 10-8
190: Anderson Olcott (DV) pinned Jake Zemsky (We), 4:52
215: Trevor Zabroski (V) pinned Cody Lagun (DV), 4:50
285: Cameron Baumann (V) dec. Mateo Vinciguerra (Wo), 5-3

Howdy Duncan Classic

NEW CASTLE, Del. – Three of the four Pennsville wrestlers who reached the quarterfinals of the Howdy Duncan Classic at William Penn High School placed in the top six of their respective weight divisions Saturday.

Christopher Daniels (120) was their highest finisher, placing fourth. Kameron Drummond (126) and Elias Lussi (190) both finished sixth in their weight classes. Daniels was seeded eighth in his weight class and Drummond was seeded tenth. 

The Eagles finished 13th in the 32-team field.

“It was a tough tournament, very competitive, and we got a lot of mat time,” Eagles coach John Starcevich said. “A couple guys got seven matches this weekend.”

Among those who didn’t place Sky Eppes lost in overtime in the pre-quarterfinals and just missed getting a spot and freshman Luke Thomas showed a lot of potential in going 2-2 at 106.

HOWDY DUNCAN CLASSIC
TEAM SCORES: Exeter Twp. 246, Lower Dauphin 243.5, Red Lion Christian 193, New Oxford 168, St. Frances Acad. 165, Palisades 158, Central Bucks West 157.5, Milford Senior 126, William Penn 125, Unionville 100, Tower Hill 94, Middleton 85.5, Pennsville 78.5, Appoquinimink 76.5, Charter-Wilmington 74, Episcopal 68, First State MA 68, Wilmington Friends 67.5, Dickinson 57.5, Odessa 57, Christian 56, Delcastle 54.5, Conrad Science 42, Tatnall 42, Hodgson VoTech 40, Howard Tech 37, McKean 32, Archmere 30, AI Dupont 23, John Carroll 23, West Nottingham 19, Mt. Pleasant 7.

PENNSVILLE FINALS
Third Place Match 120: Sam Johnson (Exeter) pinned Christopher Daniels, 4:59
Fifth Place Match 126: Kamren Griffin (St. Frances) maj. dec. over Kameron Drummond, 11-3
Fifth Place Match 190: Jacob Julier (Unionville) maj. dec. over Elias Lussi, 10-1

Eagles in the mix

4 Pennsville wrestlers reach quarterfinals in Delaware tournament; Woodstown falls in its first match of the season

By Riverview Sports News

NEW CASTLE, Del. – Pennsville has four wrestlers still alive in the championship bracket of the Howdy Duncan Invitational after Friday’s first day of competition at William Penn High School.

Christopher Daniels (120), Randy Hall (132), Robbie McDade (157) and Elias Lussi (190) are all in the quarterfinals when the tournament resumes Saturday morning.

Lussi, the No. 5 seed in his weight class, advanced with a pair of pins. McDade, the 3-seed in his division, won a first-round decision and advanced in a DQ. Hall, a 6-seed, and Daniels, an 8-seed, both received first-round byes and won a second-round decision.

The Eagles have 43,5 points and are tied for 14th with Delcastle and Middletown in the team standings. Lower Dauphin (81.5) is currently in first place, 5.5 points ahead of New Oxford.

W. Deptford whacks Woodstown

WEST DEPTFORD – The Woodstown wrestling team opened its season with a 52-15 loss at West Deptford. Brett Rowand (144) and Mateo Vinciguerra (285) scored pins for the Wolverines, while Travis Balback recorded a decision at 120.

WEST DEPTFORD 52, WOODSTOWN 15
144: Brett Rowand (W) pinned Nate Benner, 3:01
150: James Lorman (WD) maj. dec. over Laitton Roberts, 14-3
157: Nick Graziano (WD) maj. dec. over Zayden Donahue, 19-7
165: Caleb Jackson (WD) dec. Zach Bevis, 9-3
175: Chris Andujar (WD) dec. Greyson Hyland, 12-10
190: Marcus Carter (WD) won by forfeit
215: Andrew Tighe (WD) pinned Josiah Mejias, 2:49
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (W) pinned Van Galbraith, 0:44
106: Ryan McConaghy (WD) pinned Chase Blandino, 1:36
113: Talen Terinoni (WD) won by forfeit
120: Travis Balback (W) dec. Brayden Curcio, 12-6
126: Anthony Conway-Popeskic (WD) dec. Carson Bradway, 8-2
132: Owen Entrekin (WD) pinned Ryan Polk, 0:25
138: Trevor Lundfelt (WD) tech fall over Willem Groom, 18-1 4:40

Cover photo: Pennsville wrestling coaches plot out their lineup before a recent match.

Man with a plan

Pennsville’s boys follow a plan to combat Clayton, Schalick wins first season opener since 2015, Penns Grove challenged by strong competition

FRIDAY BOYS SCORES
Pennsville 80, Clayton 66
Pitman 69, Penns Grove 41
Schalick 65, Salem Tech 43

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Clayton came into David Salberg Gym Friday night having scored 96 points the night before and the reputation for firing 3-pointers at will. That made the Clippers a dangerous opening-night opponent for anyone.

But Pennsville coach Joe Mecholsky had a plan – guard the 3, rebound and play tight man defense.

It proved to be the winning formula as the Eagles clipped their visitors 80-66, missing by just one point the score the coach had predicted before the game.

“We knew coming in that their game is to shoot the 3 and give us the 2,” Mecholsky said. “We tried to be very diligent guarding the 3-point shot. At one point to start the fourth quarter I told the boys let them drive, give up the 2. They want to shoot the 3 to get back in this game.

“That’s just their system. When it’s working that’s a much tighter game. When the system doesn’t work we ended up with a favorable outcome. They’ve got a South Jersey title with that system, his kids love playing that system, but I think tonight it just came down to we were the better team.”

Clayton came out firing – and missing. The Clippers missed their first 11 shots from the field – most of them 3s – and Pennsville ran out to a 12-2 lead despite not being very sharp themselves. The Clippers, 9-of-30 from behind the arc in their opener at Pennsauken Tech, were 1-for-10 from behind the arc in the first quarter against the Eagles, 4-for-18 in the half and 10-for-38 for the game..

Instead of going into the locker room at halftime to discuss strategy, the Clippers spent the entire halftime on the floor putting up shots. They shot a better percentage in the second half, but never got closer than eight points and that was early in the third quarter.

The more they missed, the more the Eagles rebounded. Danny Saulin, a 6-foot-7 senior starting in his final season opener, pulled down 14 rebounds to go with 17 points, many off putbacks. 

“We have a saying – long shot, long rebound,” Saulin said. “When you’re jacking it up from 3 you just have to know you have to back up and get ready to box out and jump up for the ball. For them not playing so much in the paint it made it easier for us to score 2-pointers, made it easier for the whole team to score.”

Saulin wasn’t the only one clearing the boards. Peyton O’Brien, who spelled Saulin off the bench, grabbed 13 rebounds. The Eagles had 49 rebounds in the game. 

“He was so noticeable out there,” Mecholsky said. “When Danny comes out and Peyton can control the boards like that, that’s a big relief as a coach. Not only can he grab the boards, he starts the transition. He can turn and go.”

“I just try to contribute the best I can,” O’Brien said. “It feels good just to know I contributed some way to the win.”

The Clippers hit their only 3 of the first quarter with 2:13 left and it touched off a flurry that got them to 12-11 with a chance to tie. They missed the free throw on a potential three-point play, Saulin made a bucket on the other end and that started a 14-0 Pennsville run across two quarters that put the Eagles safely back in front for good.

“It’s an old cliché,” Mecholsky said, “the better team should win the game and tonight we were the better team.”

In most areas they were. One that left Mecholsky wiping his brow was the 24 turnovers charged to his team.

“We were incredibly lucky tonight that they didn’t shoot well; let’s be honest,” he said. “I didn’t see what Clayton shot from the field but we had 20-plus turnovers. How many games do you win when you turn the ball over 20 times? To have 24 turnovers you just start shaking your head and say all right we got one tonight.”

PENNSVILLE 80, CLAYTON 66
CLAYTON (1-1) – Dillon Jones 3 1-2 8, Princeton Sackor 5 1-1 14, Nazir Davis  1 0-0 2, John Carter 1 0-0 3, Khamari Farley 7 0-0 17, Demetris Williams 4 0-0 8, Jon Cox 0 0-2 0, Cristan Scott 0 0-2 0, A’Shaud Hine-Pope  3 0-1 6, Nasir Carter 3 0-0 8, Jayden Prince 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 2-8 66.
PENNSVILLE (1-0) – Mason O’Brien 1 0-0 3, Luke Wood 10 2-4 24, Cohen Petrutz 5 0-0 11, Chase Burchfield 7 0-1 14, Peyton O’Brien 2 0-0 4, Jayden Thomas 3 0-2 7, Malik Rehmer 0 0-0 0, Daniel Saulin 8 1-1 17. Totals 36 3-8 80.

Clayton 11181522 –66
Pennsville19192220 –80
3-point goals: Clayton 10 (Jones, Sackor 3, J. Carter, Farley 3, N. Carter 2); Pennsville 5 (Wood 2, M. O’Brien, Petrutz, Thomas). Total fouls: Clayton 10, Pennsville 16.

SCHALICK 65, SALEM TECH 43: The Cougars won only three games a year ago, but got their new season off to a rousing start – 25-4 in the first quarter and 39-11 at halftime – and won their season opener for the first time since 2015.

Reggie Allen led the way with 17 points. Daniel Lis had 12 and Ryan Johnson had 10. Junior Nylan Sutton added five points for the Cougars, and had one of the night’s biggest highlights when he threw down the first dunk of his career in the fourth quarter. 

“I think it is meaningful for our program overall,” Schalick coach James Turner said. “It’s nice to finally open up the season with a win and for these guys to carry that same winning mentality from one season to the next, which was what our goal was, and they did a good job today.”

The Cougars got off to what Turner called “a great start.” Their press forced several turnovers that led to some transition baskets and they held the Chargers without a field goal in the first quarter.

“The game plan going in was to put pressure on them and try to get up early,” Turner said. “We tried our best to keep them from getting set in their offense.”

The Cougars didn’t secure their first win last season until after the first of the year. It’s the earlier they’ve gotten a win since beating Collingswood at home on Dec. 15, 2018 – Turner’s second game as their coach. 

The last time they opened a season with a win, they beat Clearview 57-42 in 2015 and went on to go 22-8. They’ve won 22 games the previous five seasons combined.

“I think it was just a little bit of a relief, to say OK we got that first win out of the way, we got that first game out of the way,” Turner said. “I’d just say it was a feeling of relief because of what we’ve gone through the last few years.”

Salem Tech’s Antoine Robinson led all scorers with 19 points.

SCHALICK 65, SALEM TECH 43
SALEM TECH (0-1) – Antoine Robinson 5 8-11 19, Chase Wills 3 2-4 9, Josh Muntz 1 0-0 3, Tyler Zampino 1 0-0 3, Haneef Frisby 3 0-0 6, Joseph Hayes 0 1-4 1, Gio Holmes 0 0-0 0, Daviontae Russell 1 0-0 2, Chase Ayers 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 11-19 43.
SCHALICK (1-0) – Reggie Allen 6 2-6 17, Daniel Lis 5 1-3 12, Sherrod Jones 1 0-0 2, Justin Iacona 0 0-0 0, Nylan Sutton 2 1-4 5, Nasir Sutton 3 2-9 8, Ryan Johnson 4 2-2 10, Jordan Johnson 2 1-2 5, Jake Siedlecki 2 0-0 4, Jase Volovar 1 0-1 2. Totals 26 9-27 65.

Salem Tech472012 –43
Schalick2514818 –65
3-point goals: Salem Tech 4 (Robinson, Wills, Muntz, Zampino); Schalick 4 (Alllen 3, Lis).
Fouled out: Frisby, J. Johnson, Siedlecki. Total fouls: Salem Tech 21, Schalick 21.

PITMAN 69, PENNS GROVE 41: Some days you play well and some days you learn well. Red Devils coach Damian Ware hopes his team is learning to see what takes to play at a high level because they’ve seen those teams that do twice since practice began.

The Red Devils got their second dose of it Friday and the Panthers put their skill and experience together to show them how the other half lives.

“For our guys the difference in the game was the intensity of the game,” Ware said. “It was actually a good learning lesson and that’s why I told the guys. I said now you see what it looks like to be a contender. If you want to be a contender this is the level you have to play to.”

They got a taste of it last week when they played Egg Harbor Twp., but that was a scrimmage so when they came up short in that one it was no harm, no foul. Friday night’s game counted in the standings.

Penns Grove was in it early and only trailed 15-12 after the first quarter, but then Pitman’s Elijah Crispin and Michael Fisicaro started hearing up and the Panthers started pulling away. Crispin hit three 3s from NBA range and the lead started to grow. It was 16 at halftime, 25 after three quarters.

Crispin led all scorers with 17 points. Fisicaro had 15. Crispin hit three 3s, Fisicaro hit four. Meanwhile, Penns Grove was 0-for-16 from behind the arc.

Roman Gipson led the Red Devils with 13 points off the bench and he may have earned himself a promotion.

“He’s the first sub off the bench, he’s our sixth man, which actually might change,” Ware said. “I might put him in the starting lineup, we’ll see.

“In two of the three scrimmages he came off the bench and did some work there. I’m trying to give guys a little bit of rope to see what they do, but when these young guys come up ,you can’t deny them. You’ve got to let them play.”

The first chance for that possibility is Saturday when they play Lindenwold in the nightcap of their own Red Devil Classic. Pitman opens the event against Burlington City at 11 a.m., followed by Salem and Woodbury. Both Penns Grove teams play in the evening session.

PITMAN 69, PENNS GROVE 41
PITMAN (1-0) – Porter Kostiuk 5-3-13, Stephen Devanney 4-1-10, Hudson Rue 4-0-8, Elijah Crispin 6-2-17, Chris Wyllie 2-0-4, Michael Fisicaro 6-1-15, Greg Petersen 1-0-2, Jake Epting 0-0-0, Trey Tinges 0-0-0. Totals 27-7-69. 
PENNS GROVE (0-1) – Roman Gipson 5-3-13, Camren Thompson 0-1-0, Giomar Conrad 2-8-12, Mehki Ballard 1-0-2, Willie Slocum 1-2-4, Brandin Robbins 2-0-4, KaRon Ceaser 2-0-4, Luis Colon 0-1-1. Totals 13-15-41.

Pitman15182113 –69
Penns Grove1251212 –41
3-point goals: Pitman 8 (Devanney, Crispin 3, Fisicaro 4); Penns Grove 0.


Tough way to start

Gloucester Catholic goes out fast against Woodstown to spoil Straughn’s coaching debut; Penns Grove pulls away from Clayton for county girls’ only win of the night

FRIDAY’S GIRLS SCORES
Glassboro 44, Salem 29
Gloucester Catholic 69, Woodstown 41
Penns Grove 47, Clayton 38
Pitman 52, Schalick 14
Wildwood 64, Pennsville 30
Overbrook at Salem Tech

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

GLOUCESTER CITY – The moment she saw it on the schedule Kara Straughn knew her first game as the Woodstown girls basketball coach was going to be a tough one.

Straughn made her head coaching debut Friday night and it didn’t go well as the Rams handed her and the Wolverines a 69-41 loss.

“I knew it was going to be a tough game even if it wasn’t my first game,” Straughn said. “I was still going to have the same amount of nerves just because of who they are. They’re a team, a program, a coach … you cannot not honor and respect them as a whole.

“I knew it was going to be a difficult game because of who they are and going up there adds a whole ‘nother level of anxiety. I knew off the bat it was going to be a difficult game and we just didn’t match up.”

The Rams took advantage of their size and placed four scorers in double figures. Jazhara Green led the way with 17 points. Talia Schumate had 15, Jalyn Moore 13 and Julianna DiFebbo 12.

Talia Battavio led Woodstown with five 3-pointers and 17 points, but their next two scorers – Megan Donelson and Shannon Pierman – had 12 apiece.

The Rams jumped out to a 21-11 lead in the first quarter and Woodstown just couldn’t put enough together to overcome the deficit. 

“Matchup-wise it wasn’t there tonight,” Straughn said. “My girls played their hearts out, but we just couldn’t piece things together. We would get a couple stops and then we would throw the ball away sometimes. We just couldn’t put it all together.”

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 69, WOODSTOWN 41
WOODSTOWN (0-1) – Talia Battavio 5 2-2 17, Megan Donelson 4 3-4 12, Alyssa Baber 0 0-0 0, Gianna Maiorini 0 0-0 0, Shannon Pierman 5 2-2 12, Lauren Hengel 0 0-0 0, Jala Thomas 0 0-0 0, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 7-8 41.
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC (1-0) – Jahzara Green 7 3-3 17, Julianna DiFebbo 5 0-0 12, Talia Schumate 6 3-5 15, Katherine Lange 4 0-0 9, Jalyn Moore 5 2-2 13, Alyssa Elliott 1 0-0 3, Yazaniah Schumate 0 0-0 0, Maya Hutchinson 0 0-0 0. Totals 28 8-10 69.

Woodstown1114124 –41
Gloucester Cath.21171912 –69
3-point goals: Woodstown 6 (Battavio 5, Donelson); Gloucester Catholic 5 (DiFebbo 2, Lange, Moore, Elliott). Total points: Woodstown 8, Gloucester Catholic 10.

PENNS GROVE 47, CLAYTON 38: A veteran and a newcomer took over a close game in the fourth quarter and led the Red Devils to their opening-night victory

Jameelyonna Horace and transfer RaNiyah Wilson combined for 15 of their team’s 17 points in the fourth quarter as Penns Grove pulled away.

Horace knocked down two of her three 3-pointers and scored eight of her game-high 16 points in the fourth quarter. Wilson went 3-for-4 from the free throw line and scored seven of her 11 in the quarter.

The Red Devils held a 19-14 halftime lead, but the Clippers closed the margin to 30-29 entering the fourth quarter behind eight of Rainelle Blocker’s 13 points.

PENNS GROVE 47, CLAYTON 38
PENNS GROVE (1-0) – Jameelyonna Horace 6 1-2 16, Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Brianna Robbins 5 0-0 10, Amani Taylor 0 0-7 0, Rolande Delva 0 0-0 0, RaNiyah Wilson 4 3-4 11, Arianna Dowe 1 0-0 3, Zoey Caesar 1 1-2 3, Semijah Hines 0 0-2 0, Jamira Lewis 0 0-0 0, JaNiyah Cummings 2 0-0 4. Totals 19 5-17 47.
CLAYTON (1-1) – Jordyn Jones 1 0-2 2, Rainelle Blocker 4 5-6 13, Rosalina Pereira 2 0-2 4, Janice Blair 0 0-0 0, Napria Loatman 0 0-0 0, Sophia Petsch 0 0-0 0, Deondria Simon 1 0-0 2, Ava Delaney 5 0-0 14, India Williams 0 0-0 0, LaNiya Carr-Archie 1 1-4 3. Totals 14 6-14 38.

Penns Grove8111117 – 47
Clayton113159 – 38
3-point goals: Penns Grove 4 (Horace 3, Dowe); Clayton 4 (Delaney 4). Total fouls: Penns Grove 3, Clayton 7.

WILDWOOD 64, PENNSVILLE 30: After enduring a 90-minute bus ride to the game, the Eagles had trouble getting on track and fell behind 46-14 at halftime.

The Warriors took advantage of the friendly confines to hit eight 3-pointers in the first half to open up their big lead. Leading scorer Macie McCracken (22) and Rebecca Benichou (13) both hit three 3s in the half.

Nora Ausland led Pennsville with nine points. She had the Eagles’ five points in the first quarter.

“They played in the South Jersey Group I championship last year (against Woodstown) for a reason; (coach Teresa Cunniff) has always had a solid program,” Pennsville coach Sam Trapp said. “They are a very good shooting team and executed man defense well, which we struggled against. We had several open looks, but could not finish at the basket.

“We are still figuring out who we are and what our strengths are as a team. Hoping to have a better showing and boost our confidence next week.”

WILDWOOD 64, PENNSVILLE 30
PENNSVILLE (0-1) – Calli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Nora Ausland 3 1-2 9, Taylor Bass 3 1-1 7, Sofia Belitsas 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Anikka Macalino 1 0-0 2, Malani McGee 0 0-0 0, Isabelle Saulin 1 2-4 4, Avery Watson 0 0-0 0, Marley Wood 2 4-6 8. Totals 10 8-14 30.
WILDWOOD (1-0) – Sophia Wilber 2 4-6 8, Angela Wilber 4 0-0 11, Macie McCracken 9 1-1 22, Kaliah Sumlin 3 1-1 7, Rebecca Benichou 5 0-0 13, Cydnee Silian 0 0-0 0, Ashley Nagle 1 0-0 3, Janet Gonzalez 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 6-8 64.

Pennsville59124 – 30
Wildwood202617 1 – 64
3-point goals: Pennsville 2 (N. Ausland 2); Wildwood 10 (A. Wilber 3, McCracken 3, Benichou 3, Nagle).Total fouls: Pennsville 7, Wildwood 11.

GLASSBORO 44, SALEM 29: Tamia Smith (17) and Kezia Brackett (15) combined to outscore the Rams (0-1) themselves. Ava Rodgerss led Salem with 11 points.