Here are the projected South Jersey Group 1 Tournament pairings, based on the power points standings at Saturday’s cutoff; NJSIAA has the final say on the brackets; Salem County matchups in bold
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 1 PAIRINGS
SOUTH JERSEY FOOTBALL
(8) Audubon (2-5) at (1) Glassboro (9-0)
(5) Salem (5-4) at (4) KIPP (6-2)
(6) Schalick (3-6) at (3) Pennsville (5-4)
(7) Woodbury (3-6) at (2) Paulsboro (8-1)
Football practice projections by Central Jersey Sports Radio and the GridironNJ rankings, the official rankings of the NJSIAA, match; NJSIAA listing comes out Sunday, brackets become official Monday.
BOYS SOCCER
(16) Woodbury (5-9-2) at (1) Haddon Twp. (11-5-1)
(9) Pennsville (10-6-2) at (8) Glassboro (7-10-1)
(12) Clayton (11-7) at (5) Pitman (9-5-2)
(13) Palmyra (8-6-3) at (4) Woodstown (10-2-4)
(14) Wildwood (7-9) at (3) Audubon (13-2-1)
(11) Maple Shade (8-5-2) at (6) Riverside (10-3-2)
(10) Gateway (9-6-2) at (7) Penns Grove (8-4-3)
(15) New Egypt (7-12) at (2) Schalick (12-3-2)
GIRLS SOCCER
(16) Penns Grove (2-13) at (1) Schalick (12-5-1)
(9) Glassboro (8-8) at (8) Pitman (10-6-1)
(12) Maple Shade (3-13-1) at (5) Audubon (9-8-1)
(13) Buena (7-8-2) at (4) Palmyra (10-5-1)
(14) Wildwood (5-8-2) at (3) Clayton (12-5)
(11) Riverside (5-10) at (6) Haddon Twp. (7-9-1)
(10) Pennsville (8-8) at (7) Woodstown (12-3-1)
(15) Woodbury (4-8-2) at (2) Gateway (14-1)
FIELD HOCKEY
(16) Collingswood (3-12-1) at (1) Shore (18-0-1)
(9) Gateway (8-7-2) at (8) Haddon Heights (8-8-1)
(12) Bordentown (8-9) at (5) South Hunterdon (13-3)
(13) Lower Cape May (6-6-1) at (4) Gloucester (11-8)
(14) New Egypt (7-9-1) at (3) Haddon Twp. (11-6)
(11) Florence (7-7) at (6) Schalick (12-6)
(10) Woodstown (9-7-1) at (7) Audubon (11-5-2)
(15) Pennsville (7-8-1) at (2) West Deptford (15-2)
Author: almusky
Maccarone steps aside
Penns Grove coach cites demands of his outside profession for ending his two-year stint with the Red Devils
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
SALEM – Mark Maccarone says he’s “at peace” with a decision that’s usually fraught with emotion.
The long-time coach, who had some great teams at Glassboro and some not-so-great teams at Penns Grove, coached his final game as a high school coach Saturday when Penns Grove wrapped up its regular season at Salem.
He told the 25 players who stuck out the season in the post-game huddle after their 27-6 loss to complete a winless regular season he was not going to be their coach next season.
He cited the demands of his outside profession as the reason for his decision. For the past two seasons Maccarone has been coming to Penns Grove to coach the Red Devils after his 9-to-5 as a high-level administrator in the Camden County Technical school system.
“I’m a district-level administrator in charge of curriculum at two different high schools,” Maccarone said. “It’s too much to try and do this and do that. That takes precedence. That’s what puts food on the table.
“They were good enough to work with me last year at my district. They thought I was going to step down last year. I asked to coach one more season and they worked with me, but it’s time. My career in education is what pays the bills. It’s time to walk away.”
Penns Grove athletics director Anwar Golden says the Red Devils would play a consolation game for non-playoff teams next week if Maccarone were the coach and Maccarone told the players there could be the possibility of another game, but before Saturday’s game he didn’t sound too confident about his involvement.
Maccarone, 43, is 45-49 in nine years as head coach at Glassboro and Penns Grove. He has two South Jersey Group I titles with the Bulldogs and played in the semis two other times. He is 2-16 in his two years at Penns Grove, including this year’s 0-9, the school’s first winless season in memory.
Interestingly, he was the first of three head coaches hired in Salem County during a three-day stretch in March 2024, one day before Frank Trautz at Woodstown and two days before Kemp Carr at Salem. Ironically, Maccarone’s head coaching career started in 2011 with a loss against Kemp at Penns Grove (54-0) and apparently it will close with a loss to Kemp at Salem (27-6).
“He beat me in a big one though,” Kemp said. “He beat me in a championship game at Rowan. I like Mac. Anytime I invite you over to my house they must be good people. Not a lot of people go past my threshold, so I like him as a person.”
There was a lot of anticipation around the school board building the night Maccarone was approved. Talk of what could and needed to be, but some of the plans and support systems just never materialized.
“When I took the position I didn’t realize the midget program had folded the way it had and there was really a lack of support system among the town,” he said. “Everyone thinks it’s easy to win, but no one wants to actually put in the work to win.
“When you don’t have a feeder program and you have kids who for the first time are playing high school football and it’s their first exposure to football or they’re playing in a midget program somewhere else and it’s a hot spot you can’t be successful. Until that changes, it’ll be the concern of someone who is following me.”
Golden said he understood Maccarone’s decision and appreciated the honesty, professionalism work the coach has done in his two seasons at the school.
He said the Red Devils are going to “move swiftly” in their search for a successor and have been putting opportunities in place since Maccarone told them of his plans at midseason. They already have some interest in the opening from as far away as Tennessee and Utah, he said.
With this chapter of his life is ending, Maccarone said he wouldn’t rule out coaching in college, where he got his start, but he’s done with the high school game.
“When I left Glassboro I didn’t leave on my own terms, so there was still a part of me that kind of wanted to get back into it in the right situation,” Maccarone said. “I can say definitively with where high school sports is going right now, where the NJSIAA is right now, where the officiating is right now, I will never pick up a whistle and coach high school football again.”
Eagles continue to soar
McDade passes for 4 TDs, intercepts a pair of passes and Pennsville rolls over Collingswood for fifth win in six games; turnaround gets them a home playoff game
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
COLLINGSWOOD – Robbie McDade is literally doing it all for the Pennsville football team this season and Friday night he basically did.
The senior quarterback, linebacker and special teams blocker threw four touchdown passes and had two interceptions as the Eagles swamped Collingswood 36-15 to finish the regular season with a winning record and presumptively procure a home game in the opening round of the South Jersey Group I playoffs.
Not bad for a team that started the season 0-3.
“We came in today and we executed in all three phases of the game,” McDade said. “The O-line played a great game and the receivers came up big and made big-time plays.
“Defensively, I had to step up and make big-time plays when we needed them most.”
McDade threw a pair of touchdown passes to Perry Meranti and one each to Adrian Alleyne and Kane Green. The touchdown throws covered 25, 43, 21 and 60 yards.
“He’s been coming back from surgery and his arm is getting better,” Eagles coach Mike Healy said. “It’s a huge difference that we can now throw the ball, push the ball downfield, compared to earlier this year.
“Obviously, we’re a running football team. Now we can take advantage of teams trying to stop the run and win some matchups. That’s gonna be a huge help.”
McDade’s first interception was as big a play as any of his touchdown throws. He stopped a potential go-ahead drive inside the 10 with the Eagles leading 14-8, Then he turned around on offense and directed a 95-yard drive that gave the Eagles a 20-8 halftime lead.
“Robbie doesn’t just play offense and defense, Robbie plays everywhere,” assistant coach Ryan Wood said. “He’s even a blocker on our kickoff team.”
“The only thing he’s not on is PAT and punt – and we don’t do much of either right now,” Healy said.
The Eagles went into the game ranked sixth in the South Jersey Group I power points standings and a projected 3-seed in the South Jersey bracket after a big jump the week before. The official GridironNJ UPR index won’t be updated until after Saturday’s games, but the Central Jersey Sports Radio projection that’s as good as any entity’s has them still sixth after Friday night’s results. (It also has Salem 9 and Schalick 13, but both play Saturday)
“The way we’ve matured offensively and defensively, we’re playing much better now; in a much better position,” Healy said. “Kind of the same thing we did last year, but this year we’re going to get a home playoff game out of it.”
Pennsville 36, Collingswood 15
| Pennsville (5-4) | 8 | 12 | 8 | 8- | 36 |
| Collingswood (5-4) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7- | 15 |
SCORING SUMMARY
P – Kane Green 60 pass from Robbie McDade (pass good)
CO – John Antrilli 1 run (Semaj Trotman pass from John Antrilli)
P – Perry Meranti 25 pass from Robbie McDade (run failed)
P – Adrian Alleyne 21 pass from Robbie McDade (run failed)
P – Perry Meranti 43 pass from Robbie McDade (Kane Green pass from Robbie McDade)
P – Rylan Hardy 4 run (Robbie McDade run)
CO – Terrance Goffney 34 run (Lino Bataloni kick)
Waking up the 1
Schalick projected the South Jersey Group I girls soccer top seed after beating Clayton; Woodstown eyes a home game after edging Pennsville; includes boys tennis, field hockey, tennis results
FRIDAY’S SCORES
GIRLS SOCCER
Woodstown 2, Pennsville 1
Schalick 4, Clayton 1
BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove 3, Wildwood 1
Pennsville 3, Gloucester City 0
South Jersey Coaches Tournament
Shawnee 1, Schalick 0
FIELD HOCKEY
Overbrook 3, Salem Tech 2
Woodstown 1, Gloucester Catholic 0
GIRLS TENNIS
Woodstown 4, Cumberland 1
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – The prospect of waking up Saturday morning as the No. 1 team in South Jersey Group I makes Schalick girls soccer coach Will Kemp smile.
The Cougars moved into the top spot overnight after taking down Clayton 4-1 Friday behind Emily Miller’s first career hat trick.
The TCC Diamond Division champions jumped over once-beaten Gateway in the sectional power points standings and if they hold their two-point lead through Saturday’s cutoff, they will earn their first No. 1 seed since 2018. They were No. 2 in 2024 and 2021.
“I’m quite sure we got it, it just switched up,” Kemp said after checking the standings. “It feels great. If that happens and that’s our official spot, it’s exactly where I believe we belong and then now it’s time to handle business because it’s the business end of the season.
“It’s something the girls deserve; they’ve worked hard all season. Being the No. 1 seed is not the end all, be all, but it sets us up nicely for the actual playoff run. It gives our girls that confidence boost that they actually need going into the playoffs.”
Miller scored all three of her goals on headers off corner kicks by Quinn Berger. Berger scored the Cougars’ other goal and with her five scoring points in the game she is now four points shy of joining Cali Fisler in the 100-Point Club this season.
“I think Quinn played the perfect ball and I was just in the right spot,” Miller said. “It’s worth the headache after the game.”
Miller isn’t as prolific a goal scorer as the other Emily Miller that roamed the pitch for the Cougars a couple years ago, but she sure knows how to use her head to get the job done. She ran through two defenders to win the header on her first goal. The second came by redirecting a rebound off the post and the third came after losing her mark and heading it home.
Berger, meanwhile, distributes it as well as she scores. The three corner assists Friday gave her 16 this season and 36 in her career. The goal, which came off a pass from Fisler and gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead, was her 13th of the season and 30th of her career.
“Quinn’s service today was phenomenal,” Kemp said. “I know she was striking the ball extremely well, whether it was in play or from a restart. And Emily Miller is probably one of our best players in the air; she loves going for any type of aerial challenge and she was consistent with winning the ball.
“Quinn continued to find her every single time, so it was just a great combination today. A mix of wanting to get the ball and wanting to get the ball to the right place.”
As the projected No. 1 seed, the Cougars would line up with a first-round game against No. 16 Penns Grove, but school officials have said the Red Devils were opting out of the playoffs. If they draw a bye, the Cougars’ first tournament game would be against the winner of the 8-9 game, currently Woodstown and Glassboro.
Whoever it’s against, as the No. 1, the Cougars will be home all the way through the sectional playoffs.
“It makes me feel great that we will be the No. 1 seed because I think home field advantage will be good for our soccer team,” Miller said.
Covely’s left is all right
WOODSTOWN 2, PENNSVILLE 1: Lia Covely found the upper left corner from the middle of the box with 9:12 to play to give the Wolverines a two-goal lead and they survived a late goal by Taylor Bass to win their first match since falling to Schalick in the division title match eight days ago.
Covely could’ve picked any corner when she got the ball on a throw in the dead center of the box, but chose the upper left to prove a point to her teammates.
“I saw the defender go for it and I knew I could beat her there, so I just got my foot on it, looked for the top left corner and that’s where it went,” Covely said. “They make fun of me for not knowing my left from the right.”
Covely has known right where to go in the last couple weeks. She has had three two-goals games in her last four, the best run of her career., and has scored from all three forward spots.
“It’s my team,” she said of her recent success. “I wouldn’t be able to score if it wasn’t for them. I just happened to be the one who finished today. We just really know how to work the field and I’ve been able to find the back of the net, which I have not in the beginning of the season, so we finally turned that around.”
The Wolverines needed the game to get some separation from the Eagles; the teams were ranked eighth and ninth in the South Jersey Group I power points standings. With the win, the Woodstown remained eighth – the final spot for an opening-round home playoff game – but closed to within 0.167 of a more favorable seventh. Pennsville dropped to 10th ahead of Saturday’s cutout date.
“An eighth seed is fine, “ Wolverines coach Kieran Keyser said. “We’re happy with having a home game, but I think that seed is not reflective of how our season has gone. We’re probably a little better than that, but that’s how it goes.”
The Wolverines dominated the play, but both teams’ defenses kept either team from getting an upper hand. Pennsville kept Woodstown’s threats at bay and Woodstown kept the Eagles’ attack from getting going.
Covely scored the first goal of the match on a bouncy ball she redirected that got away from Pennsville keeper Tatyana Crawford. She made it 2-0 in the second half.
“She’s one of the hardest workers we have in the field,” Keyser said. “It’s not just right place, right time; she’s making things happen for us.”
The Eagles closed to 2-1 on Bass’ goal with 5:10 to play. Her initial shot was stopped by Woodstown keeper Ellie Wygand, but the momentum of the play left the goal open and Delia Hahn came in to clear away the rebound.
But Bass flagged it down and the angle of her shot back towards the goal was just steep enough to catch the net inside the far post.
Boys soccer
SHAWNEE 1, SCHALICK 0: Cooper Adinolfi’s goal in the 77th minute was the only goal in the South Jersey Coaches Cup opening-round match. The fourth-seeded Renegades (9-4-2), the defending tournament champions, now play fifth-seeded Egg Harbor in the quarterfinals. The Cougars (12-3-9) are currently No. 2 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings going into Saturday’s cutoff.
PENNS GROVE 3, WILDWOOD 1: Stuart Mondragon, Juan Ortiz and Mario Fuentes scored goals for Penns Grove. The Red Devils (8-4-3) look solidly in command of a first-round home playoff game as they currently sit seventh in the South Jersey Group I power points standings going into Saturday’s cutoff.
PENNSVILLE 3, GLOUCESTER CITY 0: Justin Michaca scored three second-half goals to help the Eagles wrap up the TCC Classic Division title they clinched earlier in the week. Coen Rinnier made 10 saves in recording the shutout. The Eagles (10-6-2) are currently ninth in the South Jersey Group I power points standings, but are hoping to secure a home game going into Saturday’s cutoff.
Field hockey
OVERBROOK 3, SALEM TECH 2: Argenita Llugani, Amani Grace and Lucylaine Bannan scored goals as the Rams snapped a seven-game losing streak. Reagan Gillespie and Olivia Lydon scored for Salem Tech. The Chargers (8-5) are eligible for postseason play, but are currently 19th in South Jersey Group 2 going into Saturday’s cutoff.
WOODSTOWN 1, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 0: Estella Hitchner’s converted a pass from Zoe Lipovsky in the second quarter for the only goal of the game. The Wolverines (9-7-1) go into Saturday’s cutoff date No. 10 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings.
Girls tennis
WOODSTOWN 4, CUMBERLAND 1
Nathalie Neron (WO) def. Alex Stebbins, 6-4, 6-4
Alyssa Berry 
def. Mollie Willis, 6-1, 6-1
Hannah Gray (C) def. Noelle Neron, 7-5, 2-6, 10-8
Madison LaPalomento-Emilee Kehr (WO) def. Jordan Anderson-Emily Marchand, 6-1, 6-1
Elliana Norman-Angelina Lindenmuth (WO) def. Kami Johnson-Gabryella Keener, 6-1, 6-0
Records: Woodstown 17-6, Cumberland 5-15.
Different plans
Woodstown to miss playoffs for first time since 2010 after 47-0 loss to projected No. 1 Glassboro, although coach believes it’s worthy; O’Connell sets Glassboro TD pass record in win
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – Things will look a lot different around Clint Ware Field these next couple weeks than it has been at this time of year for nearly a generation of Woodstown football players.
For the first time since 2010 – before many of the current players were even born – the Wolverines will miss the South Jersey playoffs after ending their regular season Friday with a 47-0 loss to undefeated Glassboro.
It’s just been a tough season for the Wolverines (2-7). They came into the year with a young team as it was, having graduated another strong senior class that included the majority of their skill position players, and then were gutted by an historical spate of injuries.
They fell out of the top 16 of the power points standings for the first time since the inception of the OSI after their Oct. 9 loss to Haddon Heights and went into Friday night 20th in the South Jersey Group I rankings. They were last in the rankings after two games in 2018 under the old Born Power Index, but made the playoffs that year at 2-6.
“Our goal’s every year is to get to the playoffs; it’s disappointing, it really is,” Woodstown coach Frank Trautz said. “When you kind of look around at the whole landscape of football in South Jersey, I don’t think we should be out of the playoffs. Given, especially, the schedule we have played and everything, I think 100 percent we deserve a shot in the playoffs.
“I understand the system is the system and it is what it is. We’ve got to abide by it and that’s the situation. At the end of the day we’ve got to get more wins to get in. At the end of the day it’s on us. I’d love for these kids to get a shot to compete in the playoffs, but it didn’t work that way, but I’m super proud of them.
“We’ve got a lot of guys coming back and I think it’s going to be a special group. We’ll play our consolation game (likely Thursday) and hopefully try to end on a positive note.”
This Woodstown-Glassboro matchup has been one of the best games in the state the last couple years, but it wasn’t much of a contest Friday.
As if it needed any extra hype, amped by the season return of senior lineman Tyler Bright, the Bulldogs’ “stifling” defense smothered the Wolverines, holding them to minus-38 yards of net offense and one first down. That came on sophomore Mason Middlemiss’ 14-yard run in the third quarter, the Wolverines’ only play over two yards from scrimmage..
“Glassboro is a great team and we just tried our best to get the farthest we could on the field,” said Middlemiss, who played the whole game at quarterback with freshman Frankie Hoerst in concussion protocol. “Props to our line for battling. I’m really proud of them, especially Aiden (Taulane). He tried his best to protect me back there.”
“That’s one of the best front sevens you’re going to see in Group I, probably the best front seven you’re going to see in Group I football this year and they might be one of the best front sevens in most groups in New Jersey,” Trautz said. “I thought our kids fought, they were fighting and scrapping and clawing for every yard they could and that’s all we can ask of them.”
The Glassboro offense didn’t have it easy. The Wolverines held it to 139 yards and 19 points in the first half and made them look as uneasy as they did last week against Schalick. They fumbled away each of their first two possessions inside the Glassboro 25, but the Bulldogs only got one touchdown out of it and needed seven total plays in the two possessions to get that.
“It was best (effort) we’ve ever given; I was really happy about it,” said Taulane, who shut down several Glassboro plays in the first half. “Obviously, the score wasn’t too good, but it was a great defensive effort. It took everything. They just put us in tough situations.”
“That was the challenge for today, go out and fight and just keep fighting until you can’t do it anymore,” Trautz said. “The message was if you can do that for 48 minutes then you’re going to be able to look yourself and your teammates in the eyes and be proud of the job you did tonight. They answered. They came in and they were ready to fight and scrap.”
Bulldogs coach Timmy Breaker chalked up his offense’s balkiness to the learning curve that comes with getting comfortable with new plays and rotations for a long postseason run.
Glassboro quarterback Jack O’Connell threw five touchdown passes to break Sakeen Wright’s 25-year-old single-season school record for passing touchdowns (27); he now has 31, 49 in two years as a Bulldog.
He was 14-of-23 for 199 yards in the game, an NCAA-style passer rating of 205.29, 8-of-10 for 108 yards and three TDs in the second half. Amari Sabb and Xavier Sabb each caught two of the tournament passes and JoJo DeLecce ran for two scores. Amari caught six passes for 111 yards and had a 31-yard run.
“He did a great job today,” Breaker said of his quarterback. “Battled a little adversity in the beginning, but for him to battle back in that second half and have the game he did in the second half and lead that offense that was great to see. You don’t get to see that sometimes throughout the year, but to see it at the last game was beautiful because you’re going to the playoffs with that momentum. Tonight was a big night for him.”
It was the Wolverines’ fourth straight loss, by a combined score of 161-6.
Glassboro (9-0) has now won 22 in a row and is 30-2 since dropping back-to-back games in early 2023 – a run that started with a 13-7 overtime win at Woodstown. The Bulldogs are expected to be the overall No. 1 in the South Jersey Group I super section and the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group I playoff bracket.
Glassboro 47, Woodstown 0
| GLASS | WOOD | |
| 12 | 1st Downs | 1 |
| 9-100 | Rushing | 22-(-37) |
| 14-23-0 | Passing | 1-5-2 |
| 199 | Passing yds. | (-1) |
| 0-0 | Fumbles-lost | 2-2 |
| 0-0 | Punts-avg | 3-20.3 |
| 6-40 | Penalties | 3-30 |
| Glassboro (9-0) | 13 | 6 | 14 | 14- | 47 |
| Woodstown (2-7) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0- | 0 |
SCORING SUMMARY
G – Amari Sabb 12 pass from Jack O’Connell (Sal Esgro kick), 6:38 1Q
G – JoJo DeLecce 25 run (kick failed), 1:22 1Q
G – Amari Sabb 43 pass from Jack O’Connell (kick failed), 8:33 2Q
G – Mekhi Parker 9 pass from Jack O’Connell (Davon Barr run), 10:18 3Q
G – Xavier Sabb 12 pass from Jack O’Connell (kick failed), 2:10 3Q
G – Xavier Sabb 16 pass from Jack O’Connell (kick failed), 7:00 4Q
G – JoJo DeLecce 19 run (Mekhi Parker pass from Jack O’Connell), 1:14 4Q
WJFL Standings
| DIAMOND | ALL | DIV |
| Glassboro | 9-0 | 5-0 |
| Salem | 4-4 | 3-1 |
| Schalick | 2-6 | 2-2 |
| Woodbury | 3-4 | 2-2 |
| Woodstown | 2-7 | 1-4 |
| Penns Grove | 0-8 | 0-4 |
| PATRIOT | ALL | DIV |
| West Deptford | 8-1 | 6-0 |
| Paulsboro | 7-1 | 5-1 |
| Overbrook | 6-3 | 3-3 |
| Pennsville | 5-4 | 3-3 |
| Collingswood | 5-4 | 2-4 |
| Audubon | 2-5 | 1-4 |
| Camden Catholic | 0-8 | 0-5 |
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Pennsville 36, Collingswood 15
Glassboro 47, Woodstown 0
West Deptford 21, Overbrook 8
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Clayton at Paulsboro
Penns Grove at Salem
Schalick at Woodbury
Seeing what they need
Mighty Oaks women have a lot to work on after one-point scrimmage loss at home to Penn State-Brandywine; visitors won it on FT with five seconds left
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — Scrimmages are supposed to teach a team things they just can’t get in a regular practice. And in the case of the Salem CC women, it’s a practice with a limited number of players.
One of the things the Mighty Oaks learned in their first scrimmage of the season Thursday is they have to be prepared to take a team’s best punch at the start of the second half.
The Mighty Oaks took an eight-point lead into halftime, but they were outscored 13-1 in the first three minutes of the third quarter to lose that lead. They did get back on their feet and actually regained the lead, but eventually fell to Penn State-Brandywine 45-44 on a free throw with five seconds to play.
They only had seven regulars available and on some days have to send their assistant coaches into action just to have enough to practice.
“We’re a young team, we’ve been coming off a lot of injuries, we’re just finally getting healthy,” coach Brian Marsh said. “They haven’t seen (a) a 5-on-5 and (b) a team that plays this hard, this scrappy. It’s really hard to run an offense against a team like this.
“Even though that defense is trying to speed you up and speed you up, that’s when you have to calm down and run some things. That’s exactly why we’re doing these scrimmages. We’re just trying to get this thing straightened out.”
Salem took a 20-12 lead into halftime, but the Lions came out of the break with energy, turned the Mighty Oaks over at an alarming rate and had as many points in those opening three minutes of the third quarter as they’d scored the entire first half.
At one point in the second half, Salem had as many turnovers in the game as Brandywine had points (35) and finished with 43 for the game. Their final turnover led to the game-winning free throw.
“They gave us a lot of problems, but our guards have to do a better job and our coaches have to do a better job,” Marsh said. “Unfortunately, with so many injuries, we weren’t able to put that kind of pressure on our point guards. They don’t see it until today, so it’s kind of hard to know what you’re going to go up against if you haven’t gone up against it yet.”
The run actually became 18-2 and the Mighty Oaks fell behind 30-22. They didn’t hit a field goal in the first seven minutes of the half.
But they were never too far back to make a comeback. They moved their defense up closer to half-court, got the game tied on Raynescia King’s steal and layup with 4:07 to play and actually regained the lead on Tanijya Shaw[s layup off Justine Cardona’s steal with 2:24 left.
Brandywine retied it at 44 with less than a minute to play. The Mighty Oaks called time with 18.2 seconds left to set up their end game. They put the ball in play from in front of their bench, but lost it on the baseline. The Lions got it to midcourt where King collided with Tejanae Ballin with five seconds left.
Ballin, a freshman, hit her first free throw to break the tie, but missed the second. Salem’s Paula Wilson corralled the rebound and got it out to Jayda Hunter, who got it to Shaw, but Shaw got turned around on the left side of the 3-point line and couldn’t get off a shot before the horn sounded.
Shaw led the Mighty Oaks with 24 points and was their only scorer in double figures. Kasey Oliver was their top rebounder with 15, but Dani Gustin, Wilson and Shaw each had five.
“Give our girls credit, we played really hard,” Marsh said. “I said I thought our effort was great, our execution needs a lot of work. We have five scrimmages to get this thing straight for (the season opener) Nov. 4.
“I think the girls did an excellent job of not giving up. They didn’t hang their head and they just kept fighting and fighting. That’s what this program is going to be built upon, the toughness and the never-say-die attitude.”
The Salem CC men’s team, preseason ranked No. 5 in JUCO Division III, went to Alvernia for a scrimmage and “got handled.” Jarrell Little led the Mighty Oaks with 16 points. Lamar Anderson had 12.
| PSU-Brandywine | 7 | 5 | 23 | 10- | 45 |
| Salem CC | 8 | 12 | 9 | 15- | 44 |
Salem scoring: Jayda Hunter 0 0-2 0, Tanijya Shaw 9 5-10 24, Dani Gustin 2 0-0 4, Kasey Oliver 0 5-8 5, Raynescia King 2 1-2 5, Paula Wilson 1 0-0 2, Imara James 0 1-2 1, Justine Cardona 0 3-4 3.
Salem rebounding: Jayda Hunter 3, Tinijya Shaw 5, Dani Gustin 5, Kasey Oliver 13, Raynescia King 4, Paula Wilson 5, Imara James 1, Justine Cardona 1.
Free throws: Salem CC 15-28, PSU-Brandywine 8-24.
Turnovers: Salem CC 43, PSU-Brandywine 32.
Top photo: Salem CC women’s basketball coach Brian Marsh makes a point to guards Raynescia King (00) and Justine Cardona during the first quarter of their scrimmage with Penn State-Brandywine.
Keeping hope alive
Harris nets two as Pennsville field hockey edges Overbrook to keep playoff hopes alive, Penns Grove boys soccer wins in OT to enhance position for a home playoff game, and more
THURSDAY’S SCORES
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville 2, Overbrook 1
BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove 2, Maple Shade 1 (OT)
Audubon 1, Woodstown 0 (OT)
GIRLS SOCCER
Salem 6, Salem Tech 0
WJFL FOOTBALL
Atlantic Tech 33, Egg Harbor Twp. 7
Burlington Twp. 21, Cinnaminson 0
Pennsauken 40, Clearview 6
Seneca 28, Willingboro 21
Shawnee 21, Hammonton 0
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Timber Creek 2, Salem Tech 0 (25-11, 25-20)
GIRLS TENNIS
Schalick 3, Woodstown 2
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – The Pennsville field hockey team had a lot to play for Thursday and it delivered on all counts.
The Eagles were playing in their final home game and wanted to send their seniors out on a good note. They also were playing for their playoff lives. And they were playing for their coach, Lisa Doran, a Pennsville Hall of Famer who missed the game for health reasons.
But they made good on all of it, beating a late-arriving Overbrook team 2-1. Kylie Harris scored both goals for the Eagles, slamming home the game-winner in traffic with 4:22 to play.
“They did it for a lot of reasons,” said assistant coach Cassandra Kirk, who ran the team in Doran’s absence. “They did it for the playoffs, they did it for the seniors and they did it for Coach Doran. She’s a huge missing piece right now I think the girls wanted to really step it up for her.”
“We all love Doran to bits and pieces,” Harris said. “She’s such an important person for me, in my career, so I wanted to do it for her. I wanted to do it for her, I wanted to do it for the seniors, for the underclassmen, to show them you don’t stop fighting. It was for everyone, especially for Doran, because she loves all of us to bits and pieces.”
It was a game the Eagles (7-8-1) had to have if they wanted any chance of making the playoffs. They entered the game holding the 16th and final qualifying spot in the South Jersey Group I field hockey power points standings, 0.975 points ahead of Paulsboro, idle through Saturday’s cutoff. The calculation after the win still wasn’t updated at midnight.
(As of Friday morning, the Eagles remained 16, but lost a few percentage points on their lead over Paulsboro.)
| SJ GROUP i (thru Thurs.) | W-L-T | POWER |
| 15. New Egypt | 6-8-1 | 10.280 |
| 16. Pennsville | 7-8-1 | 10.042 |
| 17. Paulsboro | 5-9-1 | 9.121 |
If the Eagles hold onto the 16th spot through Saturday, they would draw projected No. 1 Shore Regional in the tournament’s opening round. They last made the playoffs in 2021, when they went in as an eighth seed and lost in the opening round.
“I do think with this win it can push us in there, or at least keep us there,” Kirk said. “We would love to keep our season going, especially for these seniors. They’ve worked super hard, so I know having an extra game will be really important to them.”
Harris has become quite adept at scoring since the Eagles moved her big stick to the front line from the top of diamond. She has scored all 13 of her goals this season since Sept. 23 and is now the Eagles’ leading scorer. The Eagles are now 4-2 this year, 10-2 during her career, in games she has scored a goal.
She gave Pennsville a 1-0 lead with a big shot with 9:40 left in the second quarter. She was able to swing both goals despite constantly being hawked by Rams’ junior Lula Bannon.
The Rams got the equalizer literally with no time left in the third quarter when Rosie Loibman scored after the Eagles failed to clear the zone on a corner that was set on the line with three seconds left in the quarter.
“That was a huge decision that we made and I really think it was pivotal for us,” Kirk said. “Kylie is amazing in circle and has great stickwork. Even during corners we thought she was the one who knows how to carry the ball and shoot, so we just figured let’s try it up there. I know that we need her in the backfield, but we also need her up front to score some goals.”
The best part is Harris is really enjoying it.
“I really like it – a lot,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Boys soccer
PENNS GROVE 2, MAPLE SHADE 1: Juan Ortiz scored a long-distance goal with less than three minutes left in the first overtime to give the Red Devils the win and possibly a first-round home game in the South Jersey Group I playoffs.
The Red Devils (7-4-3) were a solid No. 7 in the SJ Group I power points standings going into the match and beat a seven-win team that was No. 13 in the standings and remained there with one more game before Saturday’s cutoff.
If the standings remain as they are, the Red Devils would host Pennsville in the opening round. They haven’t had a home playoff game since 2022, when they host the first two rounds.
I think it would validate to this town, the community and my players that we belong at the top with the other top teams,” coach Mano Massari said of the importance of getting a home playoff game. “We’d have something other than my words telling them that they belong. Something to show for it. They deserve it.”
Prince Ledbetter gave the Red Devils a 1-0 halftime lead, also from long distance. They are 4-1-2 in their last seven games.
| SJ GROUP I (thru Thurs.) | W-L-T | POWER |
| 7. Penns Grove | 7-4-3 | 18.573 |
| 8. Glassboro | 7-10-1 | 15.117 |
| 9. Gateway | 9-5-2 | 14.743 |
| 10. Pennsville | 9-6-2 | 14.327 |
AUDUBON 1, WOODSTOWN 0: The teams went back and forth for nearly 100 minutes before the Green Wave (13-2-1) broke the ice on Aiden Stallard’s breakaway in the second overtime. The Wolverines (9-2-4) were headed to their fifth tie of the season before the golden goal.
Girls soccer
WOODSTOWN – Abigail Leuallen and Julia Hewitt Friebel each scored a pair of goals and Ava Robinson scored three assists as Salem Tech routed Salem, 6-0, to snap a four-game losing streak. Olivia Blais and Peyton Pratt scored the Chargers’ other goals.
Girls tennis
WOODSTOWN — Schalick won third-set tiebreakers at third singles and first doubles to edge Woodstown 3-2 and end its season with a victory.
Third singles Macy Clow and the first doubles team of Olivia Lunemann and Sabrina Bradford won their tiebreakers after dropping their second sets. Clow, in the final match of her high school career, held off Noelle Neron, 7-5, 1-6, 10-6, to clinch the victory and Lunemann-Bradford finally outlasted Madison LaPalomento-Emilee Kehr, 6-2, 4-6, 10-3.
Lunemann-Bradford lost both of their previous matches to the Wolverine pair in third-set tiebreakers.
Second doubles Sammi Twigg and Jasmine Hunt won the Cougars’ other point. Singles players Nathalie Neron and Alyssa Berry secured Woodstown’s points.
The win avenged a South Jersey tournament loss in which Woodstown won three of its four points in third-set tiebreakers. Clow took a third-set tiebreaker from Neron for Schalick’s only point of that match.
“Every member of our team put their heart and soul into (the) match,” Cougars coach Brandi Petrunis said on the program’s Facebook page. “Their perseverance and positive mindset shined through. We are so proud of our girls, both on and off the coach. Congratulations girls! Way to finish our season with a match we’ll never forget.”
SCHALICK 3, WOODSTOWN 2
Nathalie Neron (WO) def. Miya Watkins, 6-4, 6-2
Alyssa Berry (WO) def. Annmarie Podehl, 6-2, 6-0
Macy Clow (S) def. Noelle Neron, 7-5, 1-6, 10-6
Olivia Lunemann-Sebrina Bradford (S) def. Madison LaPalomento-Emilee Kehr, 6-2, 4-6, 10-3
Sammi Twigg-Jasmine Hunt (S) def. Emma West-Angelina Lindenmuth, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
Records: Schalick 10-8, Woodstown 16-6.
Wednesday roundup
Woodstown boys fourth in Tri-County XC Showcase, girls fifth; Wolverines’ Abby Marino finishes third in girls race; also includes tennis results
By Riverview Sports News
SEABROOK — The Woodstown boys by all accounts ran well in Wednesday’s Tri-County Conference Cross Country Showcase, just not well enough to overthrow the loaded field.
The Wolverines, the Salem County champions, put three runners in the top 20 and finished an expected fourth in the race at Cumberland Regional. They had the third-fastest team average in the field.
Jacob Marino led the Wolverines across the line with a 10th-place 16:35.47. Karson Chew finished 13th and David Farrell was 18th. The top 20 finishers received medals.
“I think we landed right where I expected,” Woodstown coach Steve New said. “We could have maybe done a little better, but sectionals is what matters.”
Woodstown’s girls finished fifth, with Abby Marino running third (19:41.62), the highest individual finish among all Salem County runners. Teammate Anabel Schaal was 17th.
Glassboro, with three of the top four finishers, won the boys title. Delsea won the girls crown.
Tri-County Showcase
| BOYS TEAM: Glassboro 48, Highland 98, Timber Creek 115, WOODSTOWN 121, Kingsway 134, Washington Twp. 161, Delsea 180, Williamstown 207, Clearview 211, SCHALICK 236, Pitman 275, GCIT 284, SALEM TECH 341, Cumberland 371, Deptford 402, SALEM 431, PENNSVILLE 506. |
| GIRLS TEAM: Delsea 58, Clearview 76, Kingsway 79, Highland 122, WOODSTOWN 144, Washington Twp. 150, Williamstown 180, SCHALICK 192, Pitman 214, GCIT 232, Cumberland 297, SALEM TECH 315. |
| BOYS TOP 20 | GIRLS TOP 20 | ||
| Joseph Saicic, Glassboro | 15:58.55 | Sophia Aldridge, Williamstown | 18:36.81 |
| Logan Pavelik, Williamstown | 16:07.62 | Aubrey Bishop, Kingsway | 19:07.06 |
| Zacchaeus Harrigan, Glassboro | 16:07.86 | Abby Marino, Woodstown | 19:41.62 |
| Jaeden Wesley, Glassboro | 16:09.71 | Lyana Gutierrez, Highland | 20:00.09 |
| Michael Beaver, Kingsway | 16:16.09 | Brooke Mashburn, Delsea | 20:16.48 |
| Matt Littlehales, Delsea | 16:29.45 | Julia Burgio, Williamstown | 20:19.59 |
| Dominic Burgio, Williamstown | 16:32.77 | Tori-Loren Powell, Highland | 20:25.96 |
| Trevor Szilier, Wash Twp | 16:33.27 | Julianne Roes, Clearview | 20:30.13 |
| Ryan DeVecchis, Wash Twp | 16:34.15 | Olivia Mashburn, Delsea | 20:33.44 |
| Jacob Marino, Woodstown | 16:35.47 | Rhea Remaly, Clearview | 20:44.02 |
| Aaron Johnson, Glassboro | 16:39.85 | Ava Buchanan, Kingsway | 20:48.49 |
| Andrew Dopkin, Highland | 16:43.18 | Isabella Moran, Delsea | 20:50.60 |
| Karson Chew, Woodstown | 16:43.72 | Katelyn Gallinaro, Kingsway | 20:59.94 |
| Payton Veilleux, Kingsway | 16:44.03 | Ziada Nassradine, Delsea | 21:05.07 |
| Liam Murphy, Highland | 16:45.00 | Julia Blanchard, Wash Twp | 21:08.41 |
| Ryan Pancoast, Timber Creek | 17:03.70 | Leah Hagerman, Clearview | 21:13.39 |
| Olu Fadulu, Highland | 17:06.01 | Anabel Schaal, Woodstown | 21:17.92 |
| David Farrell, Woodstown | 17:14.85 | Sofia Moran, Delsea | 21:18.51 |
| Logan McKeever, Kingsway | 17:23.38 | Layla Chain, Wash Twp | 21:25.01 |
| Wyatt Evans, GCIT | 17:24.94 | Kate Yanek, Clearview | 21:39.77 |
Top finishers among other Salem County teams:
PENNSVILLE – Boys: (90) Logan Cowperthwait 20:11.09; Girls: (23) Sawyer Slad 21:58.38.
PENNS GROVE – Boys: (67) John Johnson 19:08.72.
SALEM – Boys: (72) Gavin Conrath 19:14.73.
SALEM TECH – Boys: (50) Levi Seals 18:24.74; Girls: (51) Paityn Harrington 24:28.63.
SCHALICK – Boys: (22) Collin Bittle 17:27.50; Girls: (21) Helen Lillia 21:41.66.
Girls tennis
WEDNESDAY’S SCORES
Woodstown 5, Glassboro 0
Salem 5, Overbrook 0
SALEM 5, OVERBROOK 0
Angelina Fothergill (S) def. Sophia Burgos, 6-1, 6-2
Tahirah Davenport-White (S) def. Isabella Sepulveda, 7-5, 6-2
JaNye Hubbard (S) def. Anne Mason, 6-2, 1-6, 13-11
Heaven Jones-McCullough-Erica Brewer (S) def. Sophia Perticari-Heaven Williams, 4-6, 6-3, 10-8
Evangeline Jimenez Barreto-Phoenix Holland (S) def. Liana Grant-Williams-Emma Acevedo, 7-5, 6-6 (10-7)
Records: Salem 4-11, Overbrook 3-19.
WOODSTOWN 5, GLASSBORO 0
Nathalie Neron (WO) def. Alana Killelea, 6-0, 6-0
Alyssa Berry (WO) def. Alice Dinzeo, 6-0, 6-0
Noelle Neron (WO) def. Virginia Tarasevich, 6-1, 6-0
Madison LaPalomento-Emilee Kehr (WO) def. Sofia Dungea-Amani George, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)
Elliana Norman-Emma West (WO) def. Ijeoma Ufomba-Conception Soriano, 6-2, 6-1
Records: Woodstown 16-5, Glassboro 6-10.
Eagles clipped
Clayton stuns Pennsville girls with three goals in the final 8:30, gets game-winner with 1:12 left; Schalick’s Fisler hits 100 career points; Penns Grove’s Dowe nets four
GIRLS SOCCER
Schalick 5, Pitman 1
Clayton 3, Pennsville 2
Overbrook 6, Salem Tech 0
Penns Grove 6, Salem 0
BOYS SOCCER
Collingswood 1, Pennsville 0
Overbrook 3, Salem Tech 0
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — Eight minutes might not seem like a lot of time to the people in the stands, but for the soccer teams on the pitch it can feel like an eternity.
For the team that’s ahead in the match, the time can’t go by fast enough to get to the victory. For the team that’s behind, there’s never enough time to catch up.
Pennsville’s girls came within nine minutes on its Senior Night Wednesday of moving closer to securing a home playoff game, but Clayton snatched that away, scoring three goals in the final 8:28 to stun the Eagles 3-2.
“Eight minutes,” Eagles coach Casey Slusher said. “The girls played hard, they really played hard. We’re coming off a game being really banged up, we had a lot of injuries and everything, and these girls really dug deep and played hard.”
Deondria Simon scored the game-winner with 1:12 to go, curling a long shot just over the outstretched reach of Pennsville keeper Tatyana Crawford and into the left side of the cage.
“Luck and some praying,” the Clippers’ 50-goal scorer said, explaining how she got such a long shot to go. “Honestly, our girls’ hard work, that’s how that ball went in. We did not give up, even when we were (down) 2-0, 15 minutes left in the second half, our girls just never gave up once.”
Nicole Lemon scored the Clippers’ first two goals. She got them on the board with 8:28 to play and notching the equalizer with 3:18 left when a Pennsville clearing attempt ricocheted off her body and into the goal.
“She just put her body on the line and it ricocheted off her head (and) went past the goalie,” said Simon, who took the initial shot into the box.
Seniors Taylor Bass and Kallie Morrison gave the Eagles (8-7) a 2-0 halftime lead and they had several other good scoring chances they just couldn’t get to go. Molly Gratz hit the left goalpost at the crossbar three minutes into the second half.
The Eagles went into the game ninth in the South Jersey Group I power points standings, three points behind No. 8 Woodstown for the final opening-round home slot, with No. 4 Clayton and Woodstown left before Saturday’s cutoff.
They remained ninth after the loss and actually closed the points gap on Woodstown, but even a win over the Wolverines Friday might not be enough for them to jump. The Eagles haven’t had a home playoff game since 2022.
Clayton (12-4), meanwhile, moved up to No. 3, just 0.31 points behind No. 2 Schalick.
“You always want a home game if you can; it’s just unfortunate for us,” Slusher said. “We have to have a lot of things fall in our favor. Not just our game, but I think other things would have to fall in our favor.”
SCHALICK 5, PITMAN 1: Cali Fisler added another milestone to her career when she surpassed 100 career points with a goal and an assist. Fisler, who set the Cougars’ all-time assist record earlier this season, scored her 28th career goal in the second half and reached the milestone point with her 48th assist on Olivia Vanacker’s final goal of the game. Quinn Berger had two goals and an assist and is now at 91 on the points list.
“Getting 100 points was definitely a huge accomplishment, not only on my part but it’s a total team effort,” Fisler said. “I couldn’t have done it without the girls I’ve been playing with my four years.
“It’s definitely not a feeling that will overcome breaking the assist record because that was something I had my mind set on for a while. However, getting 100 points is nothing short of an example of hard work, determination and excitement.”
PENNS GROVE 6, SALEM 0: Arianna Dowe scored four goals. They were the most goals in a game by a Red Devils player since A’Mani Taylor pumped in five against the Rams in 7-6 loss in 2022.
OVERBROOK 6, SALEM 0: The Rams (9-8) scored five goals in the first half.
Boys games
COLLINGSWOOD 1, PENNSVILLE 0: The Eagles’ bid to get a home playoff game took a hit when Steve Carrillo dropped a volley from outside the box into the bottom corner in the second half and they couldn’t get the equalizer. The loss left the TCC Classic Division champions No. 10 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings with one game to play before the cutoff (at 5-11-1 G2 Gloucester Friday).
Successful start-up
Salem Tech blanks Absegami to assure a winning regular season, still in the running for a playoff berth
FIELD HOCKEY
Salem Tech 2, Absegami 0
Gateway 3, Pennsville 0
GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville 3, Schalick 2
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
GALLOWAY – Every first-year athletic program has a set of benchmarks it aspires to meet for a successful start.
They’re pretty easy early in the year – first game, home opener, first win. As the year goes on, they tend to become a little more complicated – winning season, playoff berth, things like that.
Salem Tech’s first-year field hockey program reached a pretty big milestone Tuesday. The Chargers blanked Absegami 2-0 to guarantee a winning regular-season record. They’re now 8-3 with three regular-season games remaining – all on the road.
They have beaten all three of the remaining teams on their regular-season schedule, two by shutout.
“Having a winning record in our first season means a lot,” coach Maureen Lewis said. “To see all their hard work pay off with wins is really rewarding. It shows what’s possible when a team plays together and has fun.”
The Chargers got goals from Hazel Eachus and Jessilyn Chambers and another shutout from Caroline Tighe. Chambers got the assist on Eachus’ team-leading seventh goal of the season with 3:10 left in the second quarter and then scored her fifth goal 4:16 into the third quarter.
The shutout was Tighe’s seventh of the season. After giving up 12 goals in their first four games of the season, Tighe has surrendered only two since.
“We started off a little slow, but once the girls settled in, they found their groove and played really well,” Lewis said. “They moved the ball nicely down the field and communicated well. We are proud of how they adjusted.”
The school started field hockey this year as part of an athletics expansion that includes baseball and softball in the spring. The new teams play as a Tri-County Conference independent until the next conference scheduling cycle, but are eligible for the playoffs.
At 8-3, the Chargers are No. 18 in the South Jersey Group 2 power points standings, less than one point out of the 16th and final qualifying spot for the tournament. All three of their remaining games come before Saturday’s cutoff.
They have the highest winning percentage of any SJ Group 2 team outside of the top five, playing a schedule designed to promote success. They’ve won six of their last seven.
“Being a first-year team it’s hard to say exactly where we’ll end up, but I couldn’t be prouder of the effort and growth we’ve shown,” Lewis said. “If we make the playoffs, that would be great. It would be a nice bonus to an already successful season.
“But no matter what, this is just the beginning. These girls have set the foundation for something special.”
GATEWAY 3, PENNSVILLE 0: Emma Mason had a goal and two assists as the Gators scored three times in the second quarter. Isabella Egenoff and Lucy Matthews had the other goals.
GIRLS TENNIS
PENNSVILLE 3, SCHALICK 2
Lily Edwards (P) def. Miya Watkins, 6-2, 6-1
Annmarie Podehl (S) def. Isabell Schrenker, 6-4, 6-4
Morgan Holt (P) def. Macy Clow, 6-3, 6-0
Naomi Hess-Graillyn Weber (P) def. Olivia Lunemann-Sebrina Bradford, 6-2, 7-5
Sammi Twigg-Jasmine Hunt (S) def. Emma Hankin-Yerlian Charon, 6-1, 6-2
Records: Pennsville 13-7, Schalick 9-8.
Riverview Sports News 