Author: almusky

In his element

Penns Grove’s Guzman Silva makes 20 saves as Red Devils draw with Woodstown, Cooksey’s golden goal lifts Pennsville; Egan scores in Schalick rout

BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove 1, Woodstown 1
Pennsville 1, Clayton 0
Schalick 6, Glassboro 0
Wildwood 6, Salem Tech 0
Salem at Gloucester Catholic

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Penns Grove goalie Dwayne Guzman Silva lives for these moments. The kind that keeps him on his toes, the kind that mean the difference between winning and losing (or tying as the case may be). He certainly was in his element Thursday.

GUZMAN SILVA

Penns Grove and Woodstown were locked in a tight battle for 100 minutes. And while the keeper at the other end did his part to keep the drama going, it was Guzman Silva who made the difference in the Red Devils coming out with a 1-1 tie instead of absorbing a fifth straight loss to the Wolverines.

The Penns Grove senior keeper was credited with 20 saves in the game. He was challenged throughout the second half and overtime but continually stood his ground. 

“I live for these type of moments,” Guzman Silva said. “Competitive, especially with my friends, family (around). I like to think of it like it’s an honor to have pressure on you. People like to hate. I like haters.”

You’ll get no argument from Red Devils’ coach Mano Massari when it comes to his goalie holding up under pressure. He’s been a fan of his keeper for a long time.

“I’ve been preaching about this kid for the last four years,” he said. “I really do think he’s an absolute stud. I think he doesn’t get a lot of credit and a lot of looks because of our score sometimes. We haven’t had the strongest defense in the past. I think he has saved games from being 3-1 (instead of) 6 or 7 to 1.

“That kid, in my mind, is the greatest keeper to come through Penns Grove. In the last 20 years easily. I’ve played here, I’ve coached here. In the last 10-15 years he’s easily the best to come through here. He saved us today, he really did. He stood on his head. I told him yesterday at practice for us to be in this game you’re gonna have to stand on your head and that’s what he did. He rose up to the occasion. I think we tied the game because of him. I wholeheartedly believe that.”

The only goal Guzman Silva allowed was by Ayden Ellis with 7:50 left in the first half. He said he got his fingers on the shot in traffic around the left post, but not enough to keep the ball from getting into the goal.

Woodstown coach Darren Huck would have liked his team to have put more pressure on the keeper.

“The keeper’s good (but), I think we only tested him once and that was shot by Landon (Gugliemo early in the second half),” he said. “I don’t think we tested him enough. I give all the credit on that save, but I would have liked to have tested him more.

“Right now we’re not doing that enough. We’re not testing the goalkeepers enough. That’s happened in the Glassboro game (a 1-0 win), that’s happened in the Overbrook game (a 3-2 win), and now it’s happened in this game. We’re trying to get that linkage with each other.”

Woodstown keeper Trey Markward, meanwhile, equally stood his ground. He was credited with 13 saves. The only goal he allowed was Mario Fuentes’ game-tying penalty kick midway through the second half. The penalty came as the result of a hand ball in the box within the wall defending a free kick.

Woodstown had the best chance to end it in overtime. Jack Bucksar broke in on the left side. Guzman Silva came off his line to challenge and turned the shot away, but he left the goal open. Bryce Ayars had a clean shot at the open net, but Penns Grove’s Rooby Dorival raced back into the box and cleared the ball away, paying a physical price in the process.

“Kudos to Rooby; that kid can cover some ground,” Massari said. “He’s got long strides, he’s not scared to put his body on the line. I want my other guys to take some stock out of that. That kid put his body on the line non-stop. He saved the goal there; he flat out did. Rooby’s not there, that’s a goal and we lose the game.”

That was the Wolverines’ best chance. Seconds before the end of the first overtime Ayars redirected a corner kick with his head that Guzman Silva saved.

It was a particularly chippy game with nine yellow cards.

Cooksey golden for Eagles

PENNSVILLE – Lucas Cooksey spent the last two years playing electric guitar in the Pennsville marching band before joining the Eagles’ soccer team for the first time this season. He struck the right chord on the pitch Thursday.

Cooksey ripped home a rebound in the first minute of the second overtime to give the Eagles a huge 1-0 win over Clayton.

After the teams battled for 90 minutes, mostly in the midfield, Pennsville turned up the attack. The Eagles won the ball quickly in the second overtime and Danny Bunay Coronel fired a shot from about 20 yards out. Clayton keeper Justin Delaney made a great diving save that deflected to the other side of the goal but Cooksey was right there to tap in the golden goal.

It was his second goal of the season.

“I told him he could do both, but he’s like, no, I just want to commit to soccer,” Pennsville coach Derek Foglein said. “I said OK. I’m not going to say no to that.”

The win gave the Eagles (3-2) the early upper hand in the Tri-County Classic Division and comes on the heels of a 1-0 own-goal loss to Glassboro earlier in the week.

Pennsville keeper Coen Rinnier made two one-on-one saves on Clayton striker Jonathan Rehm in the second half to keep the game scoreless. All three of the Pennsville’s wins this season have been shutouts.

“Tuesday it didn’t fall for us, but today it did,” Foglein said. “This is absolutely huge. We’ve got a stretch of three division games in a row and this is the one we had circled that we knew was going to be the challenge and the one we needed to go get. Now we can get healthy over the weekend and fly high into hopefully games where we should be favored.”

Egan gets his goal

GLASSBORO – Unbeaten Schalick spread the wealth for the second straight game, with six different players scoring goals, but none of the goals were more well-received than the one punched home by John Egan V in the second half.

Egan, a senior fan and player favorite who’s spent much of his career on the JV side, scored the first goal of his career in the second half of the Cougars’ 6-0 victory.

Ten days earlier, in the home opener against Overbrook, the Cougars set up Egan with three good chances to score in the second half without success. Against the Bulldogs, he was right on time.

“Everybody, of course, saw what happened in the Overbrook game, everybody was rooting for him,” Schalick coach Joe Mannella said. “It was actually a pretty nice goal.

“It came from (Luke) Price being really unselfish and set him up again. This time, he was on the left side and came in with the right foot. Everybody was recording everything, cheering for him. He was so over the moon. It was good for the team.”

Egan said he was “excited” to get the goal and admitted the occasion brought him tears of joy.

‘it was a great honor to get the goal and will be cherished for the rest of my life,” he said.

The Cougars’ other goals came from Marco Spinnato, Steve Chomo, Ryan Loper and Price in the first half, and Jaxon Weber in the second. They had seven players score goals in their 7-1 win over Clayton Tuesday.

Actually, Egan had a chance to get his goal earlier. Price approached Mannella at halftime and suggested if he got taken down in the box in the second half to let Egan take the penalty kick. As fate would have it, five minutes into the second half he gets taken down in the box and Egan gets to try the PK. But the keeper stopped it.

“I’m glad he was able to get one in regular play,” Mannella said.

Fancy passer

Fisler sets Schalick girls soccer all-time assists record with a pair in Cougars’ 8-0 rout of Glassboro

GIRLS SOCCER
Schalick 8, Glassboro 0
Woodstown 6, Penns Grove 0
Gloucester Catholic 7, Salem 0
Salem Tech at Wildwood

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – Cali Fisler is the kind of soccer player who would rather help her teammates score goals than put the ball in the back of the net herself and, frankly, she’s gotten pretty good at it.

And now there is no one better in school history.

Schalick girls soccer coach Will Kemp (R) congratulates Cali Fisler on becoming the program’s all-time assists leader.

Fisler set the Schalick school record for assists Thursday when she set up two Abby Willoughby’s three first-half goals in an 8-0 pasting of Glassboro. The senior center defensive midfielder now has 44 career assists, breaking the record held by Sara Copare since 2005.

“I love to cheer my teammates on,” Fisler said. “I would definitely rather have an assist than a goal because you just get the satisfaction of your pass getting completed and knowing you were the reason that that happened.

“Goals still feel great, but I just love seeing my teammates and celebrating them. I just think it’s so awesome.”

The East Stroudsburg commitment “honestly never thought” she would get the career record when she started because “it’s a really high number,” but she set her sights on it after setting the school’s single-season assist mark (22) her sophomore year. Most of her assists that year fueled Emily Miller’s 48-goal season.

She has recorded at least one assist in 29 games. In terms of getting it past the keeper herself, she has 19 career goals, one this season.

“There’s been many a time when Cali had an opportunity to score but she passes it off; that’s Cali for you,” Cougars coach Will Kemp said. “You always compare it to (NBA assistant great) Steve Nash, just seeing the game differently than anybody else.

“Obviously, being able to have somebody who can put that ball in the back of the net as well, that helps out, too, and Cali’s had so many players around her who have been able to score multi-goal games. When you have those players playing in front of you, it makes your life as an assister earlier and vice versa it makes your life as a goal scorer easier when you have a person who can be playing you in a ball like that.”

Fisler wasted little time getting the tying assist, sending a through ball into Willoughby to finish in the third minute of the match. She got the record-breaker in the 18th minute when she sent Willoughby off to split two defenders and finish at the near post for the natural hat trick.

Before the half ended, Izzy Desantis, Olivia Vanacker and Karlie Bakley extended the lead to 6-0. Vanacker and Kassady Sickler scored goals in the second half. 

Now that she has the “lot of weight” of the assists record off her shoulders Fisler can start to concentrate on becoming the additional goal scorer Kemp would like her to be. Right?

“Right,” she said, “but I want to build on the record, too.”

WOODSTOWN 6, PENNS GROVE 0: The Wolverines broke open a close game with five goals in the second half. Bailey Arnold Peters scored twice. 

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 7, SALEM 0: Seven different players score to keep Gloucester Catholic undefeated, Salem winless.

Thursday roundup

Big soccer day: Woodstown, Penns Grove boys play to draw; Pennsville boys bounce back to beat Clayton in 2 OTs; Schalick’s Fisler sets Schalick assist record; also field hockey, tennis; stories will be updated

BOYS SOCCER
Pennsville 1, Clayton 0: Lucas Cooksey taps home a rebound in the first minute of the second overtime for the game’s only goal.
Penns Grove 1, Woodstown 1: Penns Grove’s Dwayne Guzman makes 20 saves to preserve the draw.
Schalick 6, Glassboro 0: Senior John Egan V, a fan and teammate favorite, scores his first career goal.
Wildwood 6, Salem Tech 0: Michael Blanda scored twice in the Warriors’ four-goal first half.
Salem at Gloucester Catholic

GIRLS SOCCER
Schalick 8, Glassboro 0: Senior Cali Fisler sets school all-time assist record (44), setting up two of Abby Willoughby’s three goals.
Woodstown 6, Penns Grove 0: The Wolverines broke open a close game with five goals in the second half. Bailey Arnold Peters scored twice.
Gloucester Catholic 7, Salem 0: Seven different players score to keep Gloucester Catholic undefeated, Salem winless.
Salem Tech at Wildwood

FIELD HOCKEY
Glassboro at Pennsville

GIRLS TENNIS
PITMAN 4, SCHALICK 1
Anna Fisicaro (P) def. Miya Watkins, 6-0, 6-0
Colette Rollins (P) def. Annmarie Podehl, 6-2, 6-1
Ava Mollenhauer (P) def. Macy Clow, 6-1, 6-0
Kendall Bennett-Amanda Bradley (P) def. Olivia Lunemann-Sebrina Bradford, 6-4, 6-3
Sammi Twigg-Jasmine Hunt (S) def. Ella Ralph-Abigail Heil, 6-3, 6-4
Records: Pitman 9-3, Schalick 3-3.

WOODSTOWN 5, PENNS GROVE 0
Nathalie Neron (WO) def. Andrea Restrepo, 6-0, 6-0
Alyssa Berry (WO) def. Ada Lopez, 6-0, 6-0
Noelle Neron (WO) def. Valaria Pedroza, 6-0, 6-0
Madison LaPalomento-Emilee Kehr (WO) def. Yanet Cruz-Elif Sagir, 6-0, 6-0
Elianna Norman-Emma West (WO) def. Emma Giffins-Gianco Tirado, 4-0, ret.
Records: Woodstown 6-2, Penns Grove 0-5.

Local flavor

Schalick, Woodstown among 8 teams in inaugural South Jersey field hockey tournament of champions

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Two of Salem County’s finest field hockey programs will be in the field when the South Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Association’s inaugural in-season tournament gets underway next month.

Schalick and Woodstown are among the eight teams committed to play in the NJSIAA-sanctioned South Jersey Tournament of Champions. The tournament, first reported by Riverview Sports News earlier this month, will be played Oct. 4 at Camden Catholic and Oct. 5 at Clearview.

The other four teams are Bishop Eustace, West Deptford, Delran and Gloucester. The bracket, pairings and schedule are still to be determined.

“It’s a go,” said Clearview coach Britney Ewan, president of the SJFHCA. “We’ve been working on it for the past couple years because North Jersey has a tournament, Cape (Atlantic) has a tournament, and there’s been a lot of strong teams in our area that play in the MAX Tournament, and what was happening is because we’re choosing to play in that tournament, which are amazing strong teams and are good for the teams to play, it was hurting us power point wise when it came to rankings for our playoffs and our state tournaments. Not to mention it was great preparation (for the post season).

“So, (Camden Catholic coach and SJFHCA board member) Mark Vittese and I decided to put our heads together and get this thing going.”

Originally there were 16 teams considered for the tournament, largely based on last season’s rankings, but the others opted out for various reasons.

“We were excited to be invited, we’re excited to take part in the tournament,” Schalick coach Heather Cheesman said. “It’s the first one for field hockey down here so we’re super excited. The girls are super excited.

“I know on the original list we were the last to be invited, so we’re honored to be included and excited to see what it is when we get there and the competition we’re going to have.”

The Cougars have already played two of the teams in the field. They beat Woodstown 3-0 last Thursday and lost to Camden Catholic 9-1 Tuesday.

“(Vittese) was like, ‘I’ll see you in two weeks,’” Cheesman said.

Brian Tortella contributed to this report.

Not their day

Pennsville soccer falls 1-0 on a deflected goal; includes scores and details from Tuesday’s Salem County sports action

BOYS SOCCER
Glassboro 1, Pennsville 0
Schalick 7, Clayton 1
Penns Grove at Wildwood, canceled
Overbrook at Salem

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Derek Foglein knew from Pennsville’s experience in the Pitman summer league Tuesday’s match with Glassboro was going to be a tight battle. On another day it might have come out differently, but on this day it went the other way.

The teams battled tightly all game, but Glassboro cashed in on a flukey goal late in the first half and held off Foglein’s Eagles 1-0 for its first win of the season.

“We had seen these guys in the championship game of the summer league and it was a tight game, too, so we knew it was going to be tight and there was gonna be a lot of speed both ways,” the Pennsville coach said. “You could’ve played that game 100 times and 50 times it would’ve went our way and 50 times it would’ve went theirs.

“We talked about it at halftime, too, that sometimes soccer is not a game that cares about your feelings. It just doesn’t. I don’t think we deserved to lose that game, but I guess today we were supposed to lose that game.”

If not for an odd deflection, it might have gone the other way.

Mohammad Naib Khil scored the only goal of the match with 5:58 left in the first half on a shot that deflected off a Pennsville defender.

The Bulldogs’ sophomore midfielder got the ball in the middle of the box off a Lucas Kudless corner kick and fired straight on at the net. Stevie Fatcher, the Eagles’ strongest defender, stepped in to clear as he’s done hundreds of times in his career, but this time the ball glanced off “the wrong part” of his knee and instead of carrying away from the goal deflected just inside the left post.

“It felt like the heart and soul of the game just got ripped out,” Fatcher said. “We still battled (after that) but I felt like it just went down after that.”

The Eagles (2-2) had two good chances to score earlier in the half. They thought they had a goal 10 minutes into the match that was cleared off the line and a couple later Ugur Elmali had a shot hit the left post and carom into the keeper’s arms.

Glassboro (1-2-1) appeared to have the best of it in the second half, although the Eagles turned up the heat in the final five minutes without getting the equalizer. Pennsville is now 5-6 in 1-0 games and 9-16 in one-goal games since 2020. Glassboro came into the game with two one-goal losses and a tie.

“I don’t know if it was necessarily a lack of attacking (in the second half), I just think it was a lack of an execution,” Foglein said. “We shifted the bodies forward, we had the talent in the front of the field where we normally do, we couldn’t find that last little pass to get us into (the right) places.”

SCHALICK 7, CLAYTON 1: The Clippers scored five minutes into the battle of unbeaten cross-division co-leaders, then it was all Schalick. Seven players scored goals for the Cougars (3-0-1): Ryan Loper, Luke Price, Connor Jackson, Steve Chomo, Jake Sepers, Marco Spinnato and Tyler Vanlier. The goals by freshmen Loper, Sepers and Manlier were the first of their careers.

“It’s great that we are trusting each other and playing unselfish soccer,” Cougars coach Joe Mannella said.

GIRLS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic 3, Pennsville 2
Overbrook 7, Salem 1
Wildwood 7, Penns Grove 0
Woodstown 6, Salem Tech 0

WOODSTOWN 6, SALEM TECH 0: Six different players scored goals in the Wolverines’ third straight victory: Emma Perry, Gina Murray, Hailey Kucharczuk, Kyia Leyman, Genevieve Flynn and Krysten Dussault. For Leyman, Flynn and Dussault, it was their first career goals. The Wolverines (3-1) have outscored their opponents 20-2 since dropping their season opener.

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 3, PENNSVILLE 2: Alexa Battaglia scored two goals for the winners. Reagan Wariwanchik and Sloan Marquette scored Pennsville’s goals.

WILDWOOD 7, PENNS GROVE 0: Aubrey Bradway scored three goals and had two assists. Nyara Alves had two goals. The Red Devils (0-3) are still looking for their first goal of the season.

OVERBROOK 7, SALEM 1: Gianna Simon had a hat trick and Leiani Knight had two for Overbrook. Isla Bohn scored Salem’s goal in the second half.

FIELD HOCKEY
CAMDEN CATHOLIC 9, SCHALICK 1: The Irish (3-0), who’ve scored 29 goals in three games, jumped on the Cougars (3-2) with five in the first quarter; they took 39 shots in the game. Sophia Stazi had four goals in the game and Savannah Freeland scored three. Phoebe Alward scored Schalick’s goal in the first quarter on an assist from Luci Virga. The nine goals were the most Schalick has allowed since an 8-0 loss at Shore in the 2011 Group I final.

GIRLS TENNIS
WOODSTOWN 3, AUDUBON 2
Nathalie Neron (WO) def. Helena Kuchmek, 6-1, 6-1
Alyssa Berry (WO) def. Sophia Tessitore, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
Isabella Lamancusa (A) def. Noelle Neron, 6-3, 6-1
Bridget Mattson-Finola Witherington (A) def. Emilee Kehr-Madison LaPalomento, 6-2, 6-2
Emma West-Angelina Lindenmuth (WO) def. Bea Herman-Yesica Palillero, 6-4, 6-2
Records: Woodstown 5-2, Audubon 4-1.

HADDON HEIGHTS 4, SCHALICK 1
Miya Watkins (S) def. Ellie Mazzucco, 6-4, 3-6, 11-9
Sophia Acute (H) def. Annmarie Podehl, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)
Nora Miller (H) def. Macy Clow, 6-4, 6-0
Ellie Clapper-Molly Walker (H) def. Olivia Lunemann-Sebrina Bradford, 6-1, 6-3
Luca Durand-Erin Lewandowski (H) def. Sammi Twigg-Jasmine Hunt, 6-1, 6-3
Records: Haddon Heights 7-1, Schalick 3-2.

CROSS COUNTRY
SALEM TECH BATCH MEET
BOYS TOP 15: Matthew Littlehales, Delsea 16:09.03; Zacchaeus Harrington, Glassboro 16:11.44; Joseph Saicic, Glassboro 16:24.73; Jaeden Wesley, Glassboro 16:29.27; Jacob Marino, Woodstown 16:39.00; Michael Beaver, Kingsway 16:42.21; Karson Chew, Woodstown 16:54.35; David Farrell, Woodstown 16:57.10; Wyatt Evans, GCIT 17:04.54; Trevor Szilier, Washington Twp. 17:10.09; Dominic Burgio, Williamstown 17:17.70; Logan Pavelik, Williamstown 17:19.83; Gavin Rakitis, Glassboro 17:21.15; Payton Veilleux, Kingsway 17:21.33; Oluwanifemi Fadulu, Highland 17:22.80.
Schalick: 20. Chase Riley 17:32.53; Salem Tech: 50. Levi Seals 18:47.74; Salem: 62. Gavin Cronrath 19:16.25; Pennsville: 125. Logan Cowperthwait 22:00.22.

GIRLS TOP 15: Sophia Aldridge, Williamstown 18:55.49; Aubrey Bishop, Kingsway 19:15.01; Lyana Gutierrez, Highland 20:24.27; Yazmire Bonhomme, Williamstown 20:33.39; Abby Marino, Woodstown 20:36.86; Toni-Loren Powell, Highland 20:40.90; Brooke Mashburn, Delsea 20:51.53; Julia Burgio, Williamstown 21:00.65; Jordan Moczydlowski, GCIT 21:01.61; Julia Blanchard, Washington Twp. 21:28.63; Anabel Schaal, Woodstown 21:33.64; Isabella Moran, Delsea 21:38.72; Ava Buchanan, Kingsway 21:44.53; Allison Reinierz, Washington Twp. 21:51.82; Katelyn Gallinaro, Kingsway 21:56.76.
Schalick: 18. Helen Lillia 22:11.39; Pennsville: 23. Sawyer Slad 22:56.05; Salem Tech: 77. Paityn Harrington 27:24.53

Winning combo

Mease, Saulin lead Pennsville field hockey past Salem; includes all of Monday’s Salem County sports results, will be updated

FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville 6, Salem 1
Cumberland 5, Salem Tech 1

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM – Gracie Mease and Izzy Saulin are inseparable when it comes to the field hockey field. They sit together on the team bus on the way to games. They do pre-game warmups together. They’re as close to a Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid combination a team can have.

So it just goes to figure they connected together on all three of Mease goals in the first half and played some role in all six of Pennsville’s goals in total in a 6-1 victory over Salem Monday afternoon.

Mease, a senior left forward, figured in all four Pennsville goals in the first half with her first career hat trick and an assist. Saulin, a senior center mid, had a goal in the fourth quarter and a career-high four assists.

“We do try to partner up in as much as we can and then we just find each other,” Saulin said. “We don’t, like, plan it necessarily, but it happens. It’s funny because we don’t really talk (about it), we’ll just be partners.”

“For all four years we’ve been partners for everything,” Mease said. “I just think we work very well together.”

The Eagles have had 1-2 combinations like them in the past, but none coach Lisa Doran could recall in recent years.

“They just work together well, they talk to each other and they’re just a good combination, so that’s why they’re where they are, because they play well together,” Doran said. “They’re really starting to connect.”

Pennsville’s Gracie Mease (2) crosses the ball against Salem.

Before Monday’s game, Mease had scored only four goals in her three previous seasons with the Eagles (3-1). Saulin had only five career assists. But they were on target against the Rams (0-3).

Mease opened the scoring less than three minutes into the match. Julliana Love answered for the Rams 30 seconds later to tie it, then it was all Pennsville. Kendall Hoyt (on an assist from Mease) and Gina Haubrich (on an assist from Saulin) scored the other two goals. The Eagles outshot their hosts 17-5 and had a 14-2 edge in corners.

“I think we just really came together as a team and just focused on playing all as one instead of 11 different players on the field,” Saulin said. “I think that’s really what was the difference between this game and the last one (Thursday’s 1-0 loss to Gloucester Catholic).

“We made a point this year that we want everybody to be involved in everything. It’s not just I have to go in this game and I have to score and I have to get this many goals; we just want to help each other. It showed a lot this game with so many different people scoring. This game, when we have all these different people scoring is more fun than just one or two people.”

CUMBERLAND 5, SALEM TECH 1: Alaina Miletta scored three goals assisted on two others, and the Colts pulled away from a 1-0 game with four goals in the second half. Jessilyn Chambers scored the Chargers’ goal in the fourth quarter.

Pennsville 6, Salem 1

Pennsville (3-1)2211-6
Salem (0-3)1000-1

SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
P-Gracie Mease (Izzy Saulin), 12:18; S-Julliana Love (unassisted), 11:48; P-Gracie Mease (Izzy Saulin), 4:09
Second quarter
P-Kendall Hoyt (Gracie Mease), 10:26; P-Gracie Mease (Izzy Saulin), 9:09
Third quarter
P-Gina Haubrich (Izzy Saulin), 1:13
Fourth quarter
P-Izzy Saulin (Abby Bohn), 4:10

BOYS SOCCER
PAULSBORO 4, SALEM TECH 0: Matt Hill had a hat trick for the Red Raiders (2-2).

GIRLS SOCCER
CLAYTON 7, SALEM 0: Madi Traister had two goals and three assists for the Clippers (2-2). Deondria Simon also scored two goals.
TIMBER CREEK 2, SCHALICK 0: The Cougars outshot their visitors 20-5, but just couldn’t find the back of the goal.

GIRLS TENNIS
WOODSTOWN 5, OVERBROOK 0
Nathalie Neron (WO) def. Sophia Burgos, 6-0, 6-0
Alyssa Berry (WO) def. Natasha Hreiz, 6-0, 6-0
Noelle Neron (WO) def. Isabella Sepulveda, 6-0, 6-0
Madison LaPalomento-Emilee Kehr (WO) def. Anna Mason-Leah Wilde, 6-1, 6-0
Angelina Lindenmuth-Elianna Norman (WO) def. Charlotte Gall-Liana Grant-Williams, 6-2, 6-0
Records: Woodstown 4-2, Overbrook 1-6.

SCHALICK 5, PENNS GROVE 0
Miya Watkins (S) def. Andrea Restrepo, 6-0, 6-0
Annmarie Podehl (S) def. Alease Stewart, 6-0, 6-0
Macy Slow (S) def. Ada Lopez, 6-0, 6-0
Olivia Lunemann-Sebrina Bradford (S) def. Yanet Cruz-Nathalie Dominquez, 6-1, 6-0
Sammi Tigg-Jasmine Hunt (S) def. Valaria Pedroza-Andrea Chapone, 6-0, 6-0
Records: Schalick 3-1, Penns Grove 0-4.

Pitman at Pennsville
Salem at Glassboro

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
GCIT 2, SALEM TECH 1: GCIT took the third set 25-7 to score its first win of the season. The games were 25-10, 19-25, 25-7.

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Sept. 15-20; all 5 football teams play on Saturday

MONDAY, SEPT. 15
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville at Salem, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Cumberland, 4 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Paulsboro at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Clayton at Salem, 4 p.m.
Timber Creek at Schalick, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Overbrook at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Pitman at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Salem at Glassboro, 4 p.m.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
GCIT at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 16
FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick at Camden Catholic, 4 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Glassboro at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Overbrook at Salem, 4 p.m.
Penns Grove at Wildwood, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Clayton, 4 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic, 4 p.m.
Salem at Overbrook, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Woodstown, 4 p.m.
Wildwood at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Schalick at Haddon Heights, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Audubon, 4 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
TCC Batch Meet at Salem Tech, 3:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17
FIELD HOCKEY
Glassboro at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Haddonfield at Woodstown, 4 p.m.
Overbrook at Salem, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Gloucester Catholic, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Schalick at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Pennsville at Overbrook, 4 p.m.
Pitman at Salem, 4 p.m.
Wildwood at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Triton, 4 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18
BOYS SOCCER
Clayton at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Penns Grove at Woodstown, 4 p.m.
Salem at Gloucester Catholic, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Glassboro, 4 p.m.
Wildwood at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Salem, 4 p.m.
Pennsville at Overbrook, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Wildwood, 4 p.m.
Glassboro at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Pitman at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 19
WJFL FOOTBALL
Camden Catholic at West Deptford, 7 p.m.
Florence at Overbrook
FIELD HOCKEY
Overbrook at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Salem at Clayton, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Cherry Hill West at Schalick, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Glassboro at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Salem at Woodstown, 4 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
TCC Batch Meet at Delsea
Woodstown at Stockton Univ. Showcase
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Buena, 4 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 20
WJFL FOOTBALL
Collingswood at Paulsboro, 11 a.m.
Pennsville at Audubon, 11 a.m.
Woodstown at Woodbury, 11 a.m.
Glassboro at Salem, noon
Schalick at Penns Grove, noon
BOYS SOCCER
Bordentown at Schalick, 10 a.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Perth Amboy Tech at Salem Tech, 1 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC in RCSJ-Cumberland Showcase, 9 a.m.

Photo by Heather Papiano



Rams break the ice

Salem snaps 13-game losing streak with dominating 31-8 win over Woodbury, hands Carr his first win as its coach

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM — As a coach, Kemp Carr wasn’t so much focused on how long it’s been since he’s tasted victory on the football field. He was more concerned with its impact on more recent history.

Carr’s Salem football team got its first win of the season and snapped a 13-game losing streak that preceded him as its coach Saturday with a dominating 31-8 win over Woodbury.

It was the Rams’ first victory since Oct. 24, 2023, when they beat West Deptford 38-14 under then head coach Danny Mendoza. They had two-game losing streaks on either side of last year’s 0-9.

“It’s like it was a cycle and today we broke the cycle,” senior receiver Kaden Robinson said.

“We came here with the mentality we’ve got to win,” lineman Abdur Jenkins added. “We’re tired of losing.”

For Kemp the drought has been a lot longer — eight years, to be exact, Nov. 9, 2017, when he was coaching at Winslow. Of course, he was out of coaching in private business for seven years before taking the Salem gig last year.

Because it had been so long and it was his first win with the Rams, Salem athletics director Darryl Roberts tossed Carr the game ball. Then, in keeping with his “it’s not about me” mindset, the coach flipped the ball to Jenkins and praised the offensive line for its play in the game.

“It’s never about me,” he said from his office that used to be the team’s weight room when he played here. “I had my time. Those (memory) books over there, I’ve got like five of those books. They’re old. The papers are turning brown. It’s never about me, it’s about how can I move these kids forward and how can I make them get as close to understanding how to be a man. We’re team driven.

“We try to come in and work as hard as we can to win the day and the day we happened to win today. Not just a win on the scoreboard, but a good win for an emotional feeling. We got that good taste in our mouth. Everybody’s gonna sleep a little better. We responded the way this coaching staff is looking for those guys to respond.”

The Salem players celebrate their first win since 2023 after Saturday’s game with Woodbury goes final. (Photo by Julliana Love)

Even with four starters out for internal reasons, the Rams (1-2) dominated Woodbury in every phase.

The offense didn’t bleep this time, Carr’s description of it after they anemically lost to Cinnaminson last week 3-0. They racked up 363 yards of offense against the winless Herd (0-3) and scored five touchdowns in a game for the first time since their last win.

Desmund Thomas looked like a different quarterback than he had in the first two games, completing 12-of-19 passes for 217 yards and long touchdowns to Robinson and William Dunn. The ball to Dunn was particularly majestic, dropping it in over the receiver’s shoulder in stride behind the defense for a 78-yard bomb. Thomas also had a 5-yard touchdown run.

“I played my own game,” said Thomas, a Salem kid who was playing in Georgia when the Rams’ losing streak began. “Just being me, being who I am. That’s exactly what it was. I’m still listening (to the coaches), but it’s just feeling to be me.”

Salem QB Desmund Thomas (7) enjoyed his best game since joining the program, passing for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns and running for a third. (Photo by Julliana Love)

The Rams scored on their first possession, just like they did in their season-opening loss to Pleasantville and last year’s loss to Cinnaminson, but the difference between those games and Saturday was the offense kept scoring and the defense gave up nothing.

They led 18-0 at halftime. They already had almost 200 yards of offense, Thomas was 10-of-17 passing and the defense held the Herd to just one first down and minus-3 yards of net offense.

“I was extremely impressed,” Robinson said. “They played the way I know that they can play … Back in our groove.”

“I liked how we played the first half of football,” Carr said. “If we could play that first half like that I think we could play against anybody.”

Even in the fourth quarter they were stepping on the accelerator. Senior Troy Carey, the former quarterback, got his first turn at running back and rushed for 65 yards and the Rams’ last touchdown in the quarter.

The defense, meanwhile, was physical and relentless. They held the Herd to minus-49 yards net rushing by keeping quarterback Noel Huertas on the run all day, had at least nine sacks and by the middle of the third quarter had the Woodbury offensive line back-peddling with extended arms.

Of course there were some things that needed to be cleaned up. Like the senseless major penalties that cost them the shutout or took the Herd out of a third-and-51 hole deep in their own territory, but overall the positives of the day far outweighed the shortcomings. 

“We just hadn’t put it together; today we put it together,” Carr said. “I’m glad we broke the ice. Who knows where this goes from here.”

Photo: Salem AD Darryl Roberts tosses the game ball to football coach Kemp Carr after earning his first win as coach, and Carr promptly tossed it to a lineman in recognition of the line’s contribution to the win.

Salem 31, Woodbury 8

WOOD (8) SAL (31)
71st Downs17
17-(-49)Rushing32-146
10-28-2Passing (C-A-I)12-19-0
86Passing yds217
1-0Fumbles-lost1-0
5-21.2Punts-avg1-31.0
11-78Penalties-yds15-155
Woodbury (0-3)0008-8
Salem (1-2)61267-31

SCORING SUMMARY
S-Torryn Ransome 4 run (pass failed), 6:03 1Q
S-Kaden Robinson 44 pass from Desmund Thomas (pass failed), 4:03 2Q
S-Desmund Thomas 5 run (pass failed), 0:33 2Q
S-William Dunn 78 pass from Desmund Thomas (pass failed), 5:47 3Q
S-Troy Carey 7 run (Izaiah Santiago kick), 6:19 4Q
WO-Eli Young 13 pass from Noel Huertas (Thomas Lewis pass from Noel Huertas), 3:05 4Q

WJFL Standings

DIAMOND DIVISIONALLDIV
Glassboro3-01-0
Schalick1-21-0
Salem1-21-0
Woodbury0-30-1
Woodstown1-20-1
Penns Grove0-30-1
PATRIOT DIVISIONALLDIV
West Deptford3-02-0
Paulsboro3-02-0
Collingswood2-11-1
Overbrook2-11-1
Audubon0-20-1
Camden Catholic0-30-1
Pennsville0-30-2

Thursday’s Games
Glassboro 63, Penns Grove 0
West Deptford 48, Collingswood 0
Friday’s Games
Overbrook 22, Pennsville 21
Schalick 33, Woodstown 37
Paulsboro 38, Camden Catholic 20
Saturday’s Games
Salem 31, Woodbury 8
Bordentown 34, Audubon 14

Other Saturday WJFL Games
Allentown 22, Nottingham 6
Burlington City 60, Pemberton 34
Cedar Creek 45, Atlantic City 34
Rancocas Valley 21, Camden Eastside 6
Steinert 34, Hightstown 14
Ewing at Princeton
Trenton at Hamilton West

One that got away

Pennsville scores 3 TDs in first quarter, but can’t hold the lead, falls to Overbrook to remain winless

By Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE — Things couldn’t have started better for the Pennsville Eagles in their quest for a first win of the season and then the well went dry.

The Eagles looked well on their way to securing their first Friday night. They scored three touchdowns in the first 10 minutes of the game and opened a 21-point lead in the first quarter, then the points stopped coming and they lost to a Overbrook 22-21 at Lou D’Angelo Stadium.

The Rams (2-1) took the lead on Axcel Bailey’s 14-yard touchdown run and quarterback Tariq Moore’s two-point conversion run 62 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Eagles (0-3) had three possessions to retake the lead but couldn’t find the end zone. They had two shots to the end zone from the 34 in the final eight seconds and both fell incomplete.

The Eagles took advantage of Overbrook mistakes to set up short fields and scored touchdowns on their first three possessions for a 21-0 lead with 2;22 left in the first quarter.

A botched punt snap set them up at the 10 and moments later Aiden Collazo scored from the 5.

The Rams failed to cover the ensuing kickoff and Pennsville set up at the 26  Six plays later Robbie McDade hit Adrian Alleyne with a 14-yard TD pass. McDade needed 101 passing yard to reach the 3,000-yard career mark and he threw for 53.

The Rams fumbled their next snap at the 30. Five plays and a fourth-down penalty later Rylan Hardy scored from the 5.

The Rams came to life at that point and scored on their next two possessions to make it 21-14 with 7:35 left in the second quarter. 

It stayed that way to halftime even though the Eagles had another possession that reached the Overbrook 21 before stalling.

Pennsville’s first 15 plays of the game and 23 plays in the half came in Overbrook territory.

Overbrook 22, Pennsville 21

OVER (22)PMHS (21)
101st Downs12
34-165Rushing38-122
5-10-0Passing (C-A-I)7-19-0
13Passing yds53
2-1Fumbles-lost0-0
3-28.0Punts-avg4-24.0
8-85Penalties3-20
Overbrook (2-1)8608-22
Pennsville (0-3)21000-21

SCORING SUMMARY
P-Aiden Collazo 5 run (Adrian Alleyne kick), 9:25 1Q
P-Adrian Alleyne 14 pass from Robbie McDade (Adrian Alleyne kick), 5:42 1Q
P-Rylan Hardy 1 run (Adrian Alleyne kick), 2:22 1Q
O-Tariq Moore 21 run (Nicholas Duval pass from Tariq Moore), 1:38 1Q
O-Axcel Bailey 23 run (run failed), 7:35 2Q
O-Axcel Bailey 14 run (Tariq Moore run), 10:58 4Q

Friday WJFL scoreboard

FRIDAY’S WJFL GAMES
Schalick 33, Woodstown 27 (3 OT)
Overbrook 22, Pennsville 21
Atlantic Tech 21, Deptford 0
Bergen Catholic 41, Winslow 14
Bishop Eustace 44, Lindenwold 0
Bridgeton 48, Egg Harbor Township 7
Burlington Twp. 41, Haddon Heights 14
Cherry Hill East 28, Triton 14
Cherry Hill West 42, Clearview 6
Clayton 48, Haddon Twp. 0
Cumberland 41, Oakcrest 34
Delran 35, Cinnaminson 0
Haddonfield 39, Willingboro 8
Holy Cross 28, Palmyra 6
Holy Spirit 32, Hammonton 7
Hopewell Valley 34, Notre Dame 14
Kingsway 36, Timber Creek 21
Lawrence 17, Florence 0
Lower Cape May 42, Middle Twp. 0
Millville 22, Mainland 21
Northern Burlington 35, Moorestown 7
Ocean City 22, Lenape 0
Paulsboro 38, Camden Catholic 20
Paul IV 30, Gloucester 14
Pitman 45, Gloucester Catholic 7
Robbinsville 56, WW-Plainsboro South 7
St. Augustine 35, Cherokee 0
Seneca 32, Pleasantville 6
Shawnee 21, Camden 20
Washington Township 40, Delsea 0
Williamstown 28, Chichester (Pa.) 13

Saturday’s Games
Bordentown at Audubon, 11 a.m.
Hightstown at Steinert, 11
Rancocas Valley at Eastside, 11
Allentown at Nottingham, noon
Burlington City at Pemberton, noon
Woodbury at Salem, noon
Atlantic City at Cedar Creek, 1:30 p.m.
Ewing at Princeton, 2 p.m.
Trenton at Hamilton, 2 p.m.