Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Sept. 21-26; all events 4 p.m. unless noted
MONDAY, SEPT. 21 BOYS SOCCER Woodstown at Audubon, 3:45 p.m. Salem Tech at Paulsboro GIRLS SOCCER Audubon at Woodstown Millville at Pennsville Pitman at Salem Tech FIELD HOCKEY Salem at Clayton GIRLS TENNIS Schalick at Kingsway VOLLEYBALL Timber Creek at Salem Tech, 5:15 p.m. COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL Atlantic Cape at Salem CC, 6 p.m.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22 (Power points cutoff for girls tennis) FIELD HOCKEY Glassboro at Schalick Gloucester Catholic at Woodstown Salem Tech at Pennsville BOYS SOCCER Glassboro at Schalick Pennsville at Salem Penns Grove at Overbrook Pitman at Woodstown GIRLS SOCCER Overbrook at Penns Grove Salem at Pennsville Salem Tech at Pitman Schalick at Glassboro GIRLS TENNIS Mainland at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m. Glassboro at Penns Grove Pennsville at Overbrook Pitman at Schalick Salem at Timber Creek CROSS COUNTRY TCC Batch Meet at Salem Tech, 3:30 p.m. VOLLEYBALL Salem Tech at Lindenwold
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23 VOLLEYBALL Timber Creek at Salem Tech, 5:15 p.m.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24 FOOTBALL Camden Catholic at Maple Shade, 6 p.m. Haddon Twp. at Middle Twp., 6 p.m. Hopewell Valley at Allentown, 6 p.m. Riverside at Florence, 6 p.m. Gloucester at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m. Williamstown at Cherry Hill East, 6:30 p.m. Delran at Seneca, 7 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Glassboro at Pennsville Overbrook at Woodstown Salem at Salem Tech Schalick at Deptford BOYS SOCCER Clayton at Salem Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech Schalick at Pitman Woodstown at Penns Grove GIRLS SOCCER Penns Grove at Woodstown Pitman at Pennsville Salem at Clayton Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic GIRLS TENNIS Woodstown at Penns Grove, 3:45 p.m. Glassboro at Salem Pitman at Pennville Schalick at Overbrook COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL Anne Arundel at Salem CC, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25 FOOTBALL Buena at Woodstown, 6 p.m. Burlington City at Pennsville, 7 p.m. Cedar Creek at Camden, 6 p.m. Mastery Camden at WW-Plainsboro, 6 p.m. Pleasantville at Burlington Twp., 6 p.m. Lower Cape May at Absegami, 6 p.m. Vineland at Bridgeton, 6 p.m. Atlantic City at Winslow, 6 p.m. Gloucester Catholic at Wildwood, 6 p.m. Glassboro at Holy Spirit, 6 p.m. Delsea at Shawnee, 6 p.m. Lindenwold at Palmyra, 6 p.m. Rancocas Valley at Cherokee, 6 p.m. St. Joe (Hamm.) at Highland, 6 p.m. Sterling at Collingswood, 6 p.m. Washington Twp. at Kingsway, 6 p.m. Ocean City at Mainland, 6 p.m. Paul VI at Willingboro, 6 p.m. Hammonton at Oakcrest, 6 p.m. St. Augustine at Millville, 6 p.m. Eastern at Lenape, 6 p.m. Northern Burlington at Pennsauken, 6 p.m. Trenton at Hightstown, 6 p.m. Pemberton at Clearview, 7 p.m. Atlantic Tech at Egg Harbor, 7 p.m. Notre Dame at Robbinsville, 7 p.m. Haddonfield at West Deptford, 7 p.m. Cherry Hill West at Moorestown, 7 p.m. Audubon at Gateway, 7 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Salem at Salem Tech GIRLS SOCCER Camden Catholic at Schalick FIELD HOCKEY Oakcrest at Pennsville GIRLS TENNIS Salem at St. Joe (Hamm.) COLLEGE FOOTBALL Salem CC at Army Prep, 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26 FOOTBALL Penns Grove at Woodbury, 11 a.m. Schalick at Paulsboro, 11 a.m. Overbrook at Salem, noon Bishop Eustace at Haddon Heights, 11:30 a.m. Bordentown at KIPP, noon Lawrence at Nottingham, noon Ewing at Princeton, noon BOYS SOCCER Schalick vs. Shore, 10 a.m. CROSS COUNTRY Schalick girls at Wild Safari Invitational, Six Flags Great Adventure COLLEGE SOFTBALL Salem CC at Chestnut Hill, noon
Woodstown puts together “most complete game” in beating Woodbury, Pennsville blanked at Paulsboro
By Riverview Sports News
WOODBURY – When Woodstown was relegated to the WJFL Independence Division in the latest shuffling of teams, it meant the Wolverines were headed into a brave new world of teams they hadn’t been used to playing. They seem to be adjusting just well, thank you.
The Wolverines, forever fixtures in the Diamond Division before the realignment, won their second straight game in their new division Saturday, overrunning Woodbury 34-8.
“Any win’s a good one,” Woodstown coach Frank Trautz said. “We’re happy to be 2-0 in the division, but there’s still a lot of football to be played.”
And they’re tied for first with Penns Grove, another Diamond Division stalwart that got moved down to the Independence Division.
Trautz called the game against the Thundering Herd the “most complete game we’ve put together” so far this season. Quarterback Mason Middlemiss ran for one touchdown and passed to Andrew White for another, Ty West ran for two touchdowns and Cole Ware scored at the end of a steady drive. Ware also intercepted a pass. They led 15-0 after the first quarter, 21-0 at halftime and 28-0 entering the fourth quarter.
“We got back to playing tough, disciplined, physical football today and when you’re able to do that and you’re not committing penalties it’s going to put your in position to win games, and that’s really what I was happy to see today,” Trautz said. “We had a really good week of practice. The kids wanted to get that taste out of their mouth from last week. They just played their butts off today, really executed the gameplan well, the defense is flying around. This puts us back on the right track.”
Woodstown
15
6
7
6-
34
Woodbury
0
0
0
8-
8
PAULSBORO 12, PENNSVILLE 0
PAULSBORO – Pennsville had been moving the ball at a pretty good clip this season, but Saturday the Eagles ran into a determined Paulsboro defense and hurt themselves with untimely penalties and suffered a 12-0 loss.
“It was a tough game,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “Defensively they’re a tough team, but we didn’t help ourselves. We had penalties. We didn’t take care of little things.
The Red Raiders scored on a 97-yard touchdown play in the second quarter and a gave up another score in the fourth quarter after a long interception return.
The Eagles had a couple chances to score, but negative plays put them in long-yardage situations where the Red Raiders could just send the defense.
“It obviously was frustrating with how much offensively we’ve moved the ball this year, but they’re a really good team and defensively they fly around and make plays,” Healy said. “They’ve got some good kids there and we didn’t take advantage of our opportunities. If we don’t make mistakes we win that game, but when you play a good team like that you can’t afford to make mistakes like that.”
Pennsville
0
0
0
0-
0
Paulsboro
0
6
0
6-
12
Paulsboro’s Jeremiah Carr (3) lowers the boom on Pennsville’s Tristan Horner. Middle photo: Frank Damminger wraps up Pennsville’s Jake Layfield for one of his multiple sacks. Top photo: Paulsboro’s Paris Graves (1) runs through the Pennsville defense. (All photos by Lucky Shots)
Salem CC uses robust second half, all three phases to win first game in football program history, beating Thaddeus Stevens 18-13
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — Jay Accorsi was soaked to the bone. He was a little cold, but he was happy. And proud. And maybe even a little relieved.
It was an historic day for the Salem Community College athletics. The football program Accorsi has been building since he brought the idea to the college president some 18 months ago scored its first win in school history Saturday, an 18-13 come-from-behind victory over Thaddeus Stevens at Penns Grove High School.
The Mighty Oaks used a robust second half fueled by the disappointment of an empty red-zone possession at the end of the first half to rally from deficits of 7-0 (halftime) 10-6 and 13-12 (fourth quarter). They scored on the first play of the third quarter, took the lead on Malakhai McKenzie’s determined 3-yard fourth-down run with 5:15 to play and secured the win with a fourth-down stop with 1:24 to go and driving to run out the clock.
“That group is the first group that ever got the first Mighty Oaks football win, so their legacy is etched forever and I think they understand at,” Accorsi said. “It’s a lot of responsibility but I think they get that. That’s why they were dancing at the end and enjoying it.”
The win brought Accorsi the traditional water bucket bath. He saw spur-of-the-moment perpetrators Mark Moore and Gio Parente coming around the corner with the cooler in tow. There was no escape.
“At 62, soon to be 63, I ain’t outrunning those dudes, so as long as they don’t hit me in the head – because that happened once before – it’s all fun,” Accorsi said. “It’s good to see. That’s what college football is all about.
“I think it happened a couple times at Rowan and it’s usually for big wins and special moments. It’s good to see them excited, starting to play as a team, pull for one another. It’s always fun when you have that stuff. It doesn’t bother me at all. I actually feel pretty cool right now.”
“We really looking for the Gatorade, but the water was first thing we saw,” Parente said.
Salem CC head coach Jay Accorsi is surrounded by his players in the aftermath of his water cooler bath to celebrate the Mighty Oaks’ first win in program history.
The Mighty Oaks felt they were getting closer to a win each week, but could never put together a complete game to pull it off. They put it together in this last of three straight local dates to open the season. And all three phases made major contributions.
They ran the ball effectively, rushing for a season-high 147 yards. The defense didn’t allow much, giving up a season-low 259 yards and holding the Bulldogs to 5-of-19 on third or fourth down with 10 tackles for loss and two sacks. And they got many happy returns from the special teams, the element that made the biggest difference between Saturday and their previous two games.
“It was a good blend,” Accorsi said. “I think for the most part we played pretty much mistake-free football. We played four good quarters and at times we were dominating with a lot of the return game.”
The offense came alive in the second half, and it started right from the jump. On their first play of the third quarter Aidan Hill unloaded a 68-yard touchdown bomb to Jeremiah Russell for the Mighty Oaks’ first touchdown. They didn’t get the tying extra point, but they let it be known this half was going to be different.
They had only 91 yards at halftime. They nearly doubled that in the second half.
“They said the go ball was there and we were going to go to it,” said Hill, one of three quarterbacks Salem used in the game. “They said the DBs when they think you’re going to run are looking you; you gotta throw it up. Trust your receiver. I got the ball. I trusted my receiver. I threw it up. He caught it and scored.”
It brought the Mighty Oaks such an emotional lift after the way the first half ended. Hill had them knocking on the door for the tying touchdown right before halftime, getting to the Bulldogs 5 with 41 seconds left. They ran five plays and even got a defensive holding penalty on an incomplete fourth-down pass to give them one more chance from the 4 with two seconds left but came away empty.
“They were adjusting to what we were doing, they were predicting what we were doing,” Hill said. “It was too much me. Coach told me to take my time, but I kept rushing, not giving it time to execute.”
It could have been the kind of thing that sent the Mighty Oaks into a second-half tailspin. Instead, with the intermission to talk about it, they turned it into something positive.
“I think they started to believe in themselves,” Accorsi said. “You can only preach and talk to somebody for so long about them and what they’re doing and then it’s got to kind of change. It’s got to be them and they have to believe. As disappointing as it was just before the half, I think they realized they’re that close.
“That heartbreaking stuff that happens, but that’s what creates a team and makes them believe in themselves and each other, and I think that’s really what happened. I think they realized we’re really close, like we can win this, we need to do all these things.
“It’s one of those things you want something and it doesn’t happen and it’s so disappointing and so heartbreaking, but you have to turn that into a positive, and that’s what they did. They started to believe in themselves and they started to believe we can actually win this game. Telling them but having them believe in doing it are completely two different things and I think that’s what occurred today.”
Stevens extended its lead to 10-6 with the first of two Jeremiah Moncreff field goals, but the Mighty Oaks answered with the help of one of those big special teams returns. Demetris Williams brought the ensuing kickoff back 68 yards to get Salem on the edge of the red zone. Two plays later Jamar Smith went 21 yards up the middle to put the Mighty Oaks back in front.
The visitors took a 13-12 lead into the fourth quarter after Moncreff kicked a 32-yard field goal in the final minute of the third.
The Mighty Oaks used another big special teams play to set up their go-ahead touchdown. DJ Binck picked up a punt on the run and returned 46 yards to the Stevens 30. Smith got them inside the 10 with a 23-yard run. They needed all four downs to get in the end zone, but on fourth down from the 3 McKenzie saw open space in front of him and bolted for the end zone.
“It was a wide open hole,” McKenzie said. “I just stepped up in the pocket. I felt a little grab on my jersey, but the touchdown was wide open. I had to dive in there.”
The Mighty Oaks still had to keep the Bulldogs from answering and the defense did that. Linebacker Charlie Shute wrapped up David Akpuru on third down for force a fourth-and-long and when quarterback Thomas McGinnis’ fourth-down pass fell incomplete Shute knew the game was theirs.
The offense took over with 3:51 left and they weren’t letting it get away.
“Before that drive I told the offense you guys have had to overcome a lot of adversity,” Accorsi said. “The defense has carried us a lot, you’ve really had to find your way. You now have an opportunity to pay the defense back and win the game – and that’s what they did.”
When Brian Pritchett picked up the last first down with less than 30 seconds left, the Mighty Oaks knew they had it won. That’s when Moore and Parente starting going for the water bucket. And that’s when the celebration began.
“I’m very excited because yesterday was my birthday as well,” Moore said. “The past couple years we’ve lost before my birthday or after, so this is the first time doing it. I’m really excited for the team.”
Salem CC 18, Thaddeus Stevens 13
TSTEV
SCC
12
First Downs
13
34-87
Rushing
35-147
12-28-1
Passing
8-20-1
172
Passing Yards
123
1-1
Fumbles-Lost
1-1
69
Return Yards
214
5-30.4
Punts-Avg.
5-34.4
10-76
Penalties-Yards
7-74
4-16
Third Down
2-13
1-3
Fourth Down
3-5
33:07
Time of Possession
26:53
Thaddeus Stevens
7
0
6
0-
13
Salem CC
0
0
12
6-
18
SCORING SUMMARY
TS-Kahyear Whaley 27 run (Jeremiah Moncreff kick), 2:17 1Q SCC-Jeremiah Russell 68 pass from Aidan Hill (run failed), 12:53 3Q TS-Jeremiah Moncreff 28 FG, 6:41 3Q SCC-Jamar Smith 21 run (run failed), 5:57 3Q TS-Jeremiah Moncreff 32 FG, 0:52 3Q SCC-Malakhai McKenzie 3 run (pass failed), 5:15 4Q
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING — Thaddeus Stevens: Kahyear Whaley 13-69-1, David Akpuru 11=3, Tariq Thorton-Trice 3-5, Thomas McGinnis 7-0; Salem CC: Jamar Smith 8-55-1, Aidan Hill 5-40, Jahfarri Payne 1-27, Kahmaj Kearney 9-22, Brian Pritchett 2-5; Demere White 2-5; Malakhai McKenzie 1-3-1, Demetris Williams 3-0, Cam Wright 4-(-10).
PASSING — Thaddeus Stevens: Thomas McGinnis 12-28-1-172-0; Salem CC: Aidan Hill 4-11-0-68-1; Malakhai McKenzie 2-5-0-11-0, Cam Wright 2-4-1-5-0.
RECEIVING — Thaddeus Stevens: Damoj Gray 5-105, Kahyear Whaley 3-44, Victor Schlosser 3-21, David Akpuru 1-2; Salem CC: Jeremiah Russell 2-74-1, Darion Joyner 1-20, Lamar McCoy 1-13, Kahmaj Kearney 1-9, Darrell Baldon 1-3, Jahfarri Payne 1-2, Terrin Walker 1-2.
TACKLES — Thaddeus Stevens: Samuel Kelley 4, Andre Gordon 3, Abubakarr Tholley 3, Victor Toliver 3; Salem CC: Ezriah Poutre 5 (2 TFL), Zaahir McNair 5 (2 TFL), Aidan Alexander 4, Quardell Richards 4 (1 TFL), Noah Shields 4 (1 sack).
Penns Grove hits 3-0 for the first time since 2019 after blanking Pitman
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Damian Ware never ceases to be amazed by the things his Penns Grove football team has been able to get done in this turnaround season. And he says the Red Devils have only scratched the surface of how good they can become.
Jaivon Thomas and Terrell Thomas both rushed for over 100 yards and two long touchdowns, the defense held its second straight opponent to a touchdown or less and the Red Devils moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2019 with a 38-0 rout of Pitman Friday night.
They hadn’t won three games in a season since 2023. They were winless last season.
“It kind of is (surprising) because it’s happening so fast,” Ware said. “And especially coming in not knowing what success feels like. That’s kind going on. They’re starting to feel that success and they’re starting to understand.”
Jerry Wooton scored their first touchdown on a 10-yard fumble recovery and Savior Allah scored their last TD on a 26-yard run. In between, Jaivon Thomas rushed for 134 yards and touchdowns of 30 and 54 yards, and Terrell Thomas rushed for 134 yards and TDs of 55 and 15 yards.
After jumping out to the big lead, the Red Devils turned the second half over the their JVs and a running clock. At first the starters were a little perturbed at being taken out of the game, but once the reserves started moving the ball they were leading the cheers.
“We expected to be 3-0 at this point. I didn’t expect us to be winning the way we’re winning, so that’s kind of the shocker. It’s not that we’re winning, but how we’re winning. We’re winning convincingly. They’re starting to just go. They know the expectations and they’re living up to it. That’s what it’s coming down to right now.”
Pitman
0
0
0
0-
0
Penns Grove
26
12
0
0-
38
SCORING SUMMARY PG-Jerry Wooton 10 fumble return (kick failed) PG-Jaivon Thomas 30 run (kick failed) PG-Terrell Thomas 55 run (Avery Batts kick) PG-Jaivon Thomas 54 run (Avery Batts kick) PG-Terrell Thomas 16 run (kick failed) PG-Savior Allah 26 run (kick failed)
Controversial touchdown, two-point conversion in closing seconds cap Schalick’s fourth-quarter comeback against Salem
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — There was no doubt in Schalick coach Kevin Leamy’s mind he was going for two — and the win — when Salem opened the door.
The players all wanted to go for 2 right away after the Cougars scored with 12 seconds left Friday night, but Leamy had a strong-legged kicker who could get them to overtime, a rightful reward after trailing by two touchdowns entering the fourth quarter.
Then Salem did the unthinkable. One of the Rams jumped offsides as the Cougars were lined up for the extra point. The extra yard and a half was enough to convince Leamy to change his mind.
The goal-line offense came back onto the field and Kenny Bartee blasted in for the conversion to lift the Cougars to an emotional 15-14 WJFL Diamond Division win over the Rams.
“There was no hesitation,” Leamy said. “Before they jump offside I was 100 percent kicking the ball playing for overtime. As soon as they jumped offside I was going for 2, no doubt. I was ready for overtime. We just got lucky they jumped offsides and once we got the free yard and a half I liked our chances from one and a half out with the way Pop (Bartee) was running the ball. I will always give the kids the opportunity to make the play and put the ball in their hands for that.”
“When we went for 1, I told my coach, give me the ball I’m ending it right here, I’m tired, I couldn’t go to overtime; I needed the ball,” Bartee said. “Coach was like, ‘Nah, let’s go for 1.’ So when they jumped I looked at my coach and he said do what you were made to do.”
The Cougars set the stage for the winning conversion when a scrambling Bartee hit an equally scrambling David Stewart in the back left corner of the end zone from 24 yards out to bring them within 14-13. Whether Stewart was in bounds on the catch is a matter for debate, but the officials ruled it a touchdown and the Cougars set out to line up for the extra point.
“I didn’t see David,” Leamy said. “He was supposed to be down here (in the right corner of the end zone) and I saw Pop throw the ball across the field and was like who the heck is he throwing it to, and then you see David come out of nowhere. I didn’t even see it. I didn’t know if he was in or not over here, but he ran that ball down like he was a track star and he made a play. That’s what we need. We need our playmakers to make plays when the games on the line and that’s what Pop and David did.”
Video of the touchdown circulating on social media, shot from an angle along the back line of the end zone, appears to show Stewart stepping on or beyond the end line before catching the ball.
“I tried to toe drag; I tried to get the toe in there, drag it,” Stewart said. “He put his arms up, so I think I got it in.”
Salem coach Kemp Carr said immediately after the game he would have to see the film before making a comment on the play. He had since seen the tape and is convinced Stewart was out of bounds and the officials got it wrong. And he cited two infractions on the play. New Jersey has no instant replay challenges or review for high school sports.
“The film and the video don’t lie,” he said. “The official is in position to make the call. (Stewart) is clearly out of bounds before he catches the ball, comes back into the field of play and is still out of bounds. That call has got to be right. It’s not hard to make that call. It’s not a judgment call. Make the proper call. We can obviously see that that was the wrong call to be made.”
Carr said after the game Stewart’s ability to get open or whether he was in or out of bounds was not what lost the Rams the game. It was their inability to get Bartee on the ground in the backfield even beyond the fateful play.
“We stopped tackling,” he said. “How many times did we have him in the backfield? Even on that play he threw the ball. The quarterback needs to be on the ground.
“I thought we played really well til the last 12 minutes of the game. I think the last 12 minutes of the game the momentum switched a little bit. We’re still up 14-7, (but) they act like we’re down. This team has to understand. But I can’t wait to get back to full strength.”
That wasn’t an indictment of the players on the field, but rather the anticipation of the return of quarterback Desmund Thomas and lineman Ray Brown, two stellar seniors who have been sitting out to satisfy NJSIAA transfer rules.
That finish was in stark contrast to the way the Rams’ defense played in the first three quarters. They hardly yielded anything and regularly made the big stop when needed to keep the Cougars out of the end zone. They held up under the pressure of a 10-minute possession in the second quarter right after Cashmir Parsley scored their first touchdown and they made a fourth-down stop on Bartee at the 34 in the third quarter after their second score made it 14-0.
Then in the fourth quarter Quimere Bergern knocked down a fourth-down flea flicker intended for Stewart with 1:33 left that seemed to have sealed Salem’s victory.
But Schalick got another chance to pull it out when Stewart intercepted an ill-advised Kyvion Parsons pass with 1:02 to play. Stewart returned the pick inside the 20, but a major penalty on the Cougars brought the ball back past the 30.
An 18-yard run by Bartee got it back inside the 15, then another major penalty pushed them back. Bartee was incomplete on the next two snaps, but he made it happen on the next play, throwing it submarine-style to Stewart for the touchdown.
“All I told coach was give me a chance; I know I can score,” Stewart said. “I know I can do it for us and that chance came and I scored. It was the scramble drill. We work on it all the time in practice and practice paid off.”
“Not gonna lie, I got lucky; I got lucky,” Leamy said. “I purposely saved the time outs in hopes that we’d get one more chance. I didn’t know if we’d be able to get one more chamnce or if we did how much time we’d have or if we had plays in us to do it, but all the credit in the world to those kids. They stepped up and made plays when they needed to. They never quit.”
Schalick 15, Salem 14
SAL
SCH
6
First Downs
11
24-93
Rushing
49-165
0-4-1
Passes (C-A-I)
2-8-0
0
Passing
60
2-0
Fumbles-Lost
3-1
3-33.3
Punts-Avg.
2-24.5
9-55
Penalties-Yds.
6-45
Salem
0
6
8
0-
14
Schalick
0
0
0
15-
15
SCORING SUMMARY SA-Cashmir Parsley 3 run (pass failed), 10:40 2Q SA-Kyvion Parsons 10 run (Ahmad Tucker pass from Kyvion Parsons), 9:30 3Q SC-Kenny Bartee 12 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 10:15 4Q SC-David Stewart 24 pass from Kenny Bartee (Kenny Bartee run), 0:12 4Q
Schalick’s DezYon Purnell (2) bears down on Cashmir Parsley (6) after the Salem running back takes a handoff from Kyvion Parsons. Top photo: Schalick’s David Stewart (0) heads into the line after taking a handoff from Kenny Bartee (1).
Salem CC football plays Thaddeus Stevens Saturday at Penns Grove HS in search of its inaugural win
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Jay Accorsi didn’t expect success for his Salem CC football program to come overnight. With any new program trying to find its way, the road to victory is taken in small, incremental steps.
The Mighty Oaks have gotten closer to the desired result each week to that historic first win, but in each of the first two games fell short of pulling it off.
They fell behind in the opener after staying close early, but made it close with a touchdown on the very last play. Last week they had their first lead and seemed in control of the game for the longest time until buckling under a series of bad penalties and miscues that reached a head in the fourth quarter.
Nothing to do about it now but live and learn. They’ve got another shot at it Saturday against Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology at Penns Grove High School and this time, like every time, they’re looking to complete the deal.
“I know as coaches we talk about teaching everybody how to win,” Accorsi said. “It’s a new program, new coaching staff, so as coaches we talked about it. We talked about with the players. I know the coaches addressed it in all their meetings. We’re trying to learn to do everything and winning is one of those things.
“When you look at the film you’re like what team showed up for the fourth quarter. That’s the part we’re all kind of perplexed about. Maybe we’re tired, maybe we’re not in good enough shape, so we’re looking at that. Maybe we don’t feel confident in ourselves to win games. That was the message we talked about and the part were trying to piece together.
“I knew we weren’t going to get a lot of wins this first year anyway, just being realistic, but we’re much closer than I thought we’d be. Now what do we have to do to get us over the top? That’s kind of what we’re trying to concentrate on. The first game we played around three quarters or less of football. This one we played three and into the fourth quarter of good football. Now what do we need to do to play four quarters of football?
“I was not really going to try to get caught up in the wins and losses (this first year), but now that we’re that close now you kind of have to figure out how to get closer to be able to do it and finish games off.”
After finishing strong against Hudson Valley and having an open week in between to make adjustments, the Mighty Oaks started sharply last week against Nassau CC. They put together an 80-yard drive in their first possession, getting it all on the ground, and finished it off with Demetris Williams’ 13-yard touchdown run for their first lead in a game that counted. (They led throughout the first half in their scrimmage at Montclair).
They were on their way to a second score and a two-touchdown lead that would’ve made it “a different game,” but were hit with one of those ill-timed penalties and never recovered.
Jamar Smith made a great block to free Jahfarri Payne for a 23-yard touchdown, but the score was called back by a block in the back away from the ball and the Mighty Oaks never scored again. It’s been that kind of thing that’s plagued them the first two games. Nassau scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the half and never trailed again.
Later in the game second-half starting quarterback Cam Wright slid too soon on a fourth-down run that stopped a drive in Nassau territory, they dropped a wide open touchdown pass in the end zone and in the fourth quarter trying to make something happen Aidan Hill was intercepted twice leading to two Nassau touchdowns that inflated the final margin.
“The score is the score and it never changes, but I think we’re doing things at the end of the game to try to win the game that we’re not very good at right now, especially offensively,” Accorsi said. “We need to control the clock, run the ball, minimize mistakes, don’t put our defense in harm’s way and we didn’t do that in that fourth quart“
Going forward, the Mighty Oaks will “juggle some guys around” on both sides of the ball to best match abilities with situations, although they didn’t provide specifics.
“That happens with any team all the time all year long,” Accorsi said. “It’s just different for us because, again, these are all really new players. We have a lot of really good players, we’re just still trying to find out who can do what. That’s going to be probably all the way through the season.”
The Bulldogs come into the game with a 1-1 record, having beaten the New Jersey Warriors, a post-graduate football program whose players can attend any New Jersey community college, after opening the season with a 39-9 loss to Erie. They affiliate with something called the Seaboard Conference, but it’s hoped they would join with Salem, Sussex, Hudson Valley, Nassau and Erie, and perhaps others, to form their own conference.
So it’s another week and another chance to break through. The Mighty Oaks are getting close. The first win might not come this week, but Accorsi knows what it’ll do when it does.
“it validates a lot of things we’re doing,” he said. “I think it more than anything it cements and validates all the things we’re trying to do with the coaches and the players. Even in your first year to get a win, that’s not really easy to do. Whenever it comes, it comes. Whether it’s this year or next year, we’re just going to try to do the best we can to get close and try to get one.”
Salem CC leaders
RUSHING: Aidan Hill 15-52, Jon Pettigrew 7-47, Kahmaj Kearney 11-43, Tre McLeod 6-35, Demetris Williams 5-9-1.
Freshman keeper turns away penalty kick, scores his first career shutout as Penns Grove blanks Pennsville 3-0
THURSDAYSOCCER Penns Grove 3, Pennsville 0
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Mano Massari had a big problem. His all-star goalie had graduated, leaving a big hole on the back line of his Penns Grove defense.
He was just about resigned to promoting last year’s backup who had never played in a varsity game anywhere before and take his chances. Then, about a month before school started, a freshman named Ruben Torres Saenz showed up on his doorstep. Just like that, that backup plan was on permanent hold and the rest, as the world is discovering, is becoming history.
Saenz has proven in five games already to be a reliable replacement, some say even better than his predecessor at that age. He came up big for the Red Devils Thursday night, making 14 saves, surviving two penalty kicks and recorded his first career shutout in a 3-0 win over Pennsville.
“We lucked out with him, we really did,” Massari said. “I don’t think I’m being very biased by it: I think for a freshman he’s really solidified a tough position to play.
“I think we have a tough division historically, a lot of good teams, a lot of good coaches, and having a keeper you can depend on, especially at a young age who can contribute right away, is a blessing for anybody. So, I’m very blessed to have him.”
Of course the freshman has some big shoes to fill. Dwayne Guzman was one of the top goalkeepers in South Jersey and a big reason the Red Devils won 37 games over the last four years. He feels “very honored” and “very excited” to be the next in line.
“I know he was amazing; he was something,,” Saenz said. “I’m very glad to take the position since he left because he graduated. I feel very happy to be in his spot and very proud.”
Ironically, he was thisclose to landing on Pennsville coach Derek Foglein’s doorstep as he considered his options for high school. Ultimately, the family decided Penns Grove was more convenient to where they lived. It didn’t hurt that the goalie already had relatives on the Red Devils roster.
Saenz said he was just a “pretty meh” goalie in the Pitman Summer League as he prepared for his first high school season, but he worked at his it all summer and has turned into a stone wall on the goal line.
He has looked very much like the keeper he replaced, standing his ground without flinching even as opposing attackers came at him one-on-one. He made several acrobatic saves in his debut against Gloucester Catholic and he stoned several Schalick players in the first half of their game last week and was the reason that game stayed as close as it was at halftime. Massari called him the “one bright spot for us” in an otherwise 7-0 loss.
Massari said Guzman told him Thursday night the freshman was better than he was at that age.
“I saw him a couple times in the summer and I’ve seen really big glimpses of myself in him,” Guzman said. “He was scared coming into the first high school match, but I told keep everything calm, play simple and play what you can do. You can only do so much. I just told him he has to control what he can control. I only see really big things for him, really big things.”
While Saenz continually turned back the Eagles in the first half, he faced his biggest channel shortly before halftime when he found himself staring down the first penalty shot of his varsity career. He gave up two in the Pitman league, but said he learned from that experience. This time he turned away Sam Hassler, diving to his right and stopping the low shot at the post to maintain the Red Devils’ 2-0 lead.
He faced a second penalty shot midway through the second half and survived that as Justin Michaca banged a rocket off the crossbar.
“The first penalty, and I’m being completely honest, a teammate pointed at where he was going to go,” Saenz said. “I just went for it and I saved it with one hand and I felt very happy because that’s first penalty I saved in my high school season. I’m going to remember that one.”
Foglein is going to remember him, too.
“A keeper stopping a PK, the odds are against him, so I’m always going to give hat’s off to a keeper who stands tall on a PK,” he said. “I’ll be excited to see what he does for his next four years. He’s a great keeper already and he’s only going to get better as he gets better and better and more refined.”
NOTES: The Red Devils have won all five of their Homecoming Week matches under the portable lights in the football stadium (Pennsville, Gloucester Catholic, Pitman, Salem Tech, Woodstown) … Their goals Thursday were scored by Ricardo Vichi Torres in the sixth minute, Prince Ledbetter (17th minute) and Juan Ortiz (early in the second half)… Penns Grove has won three in a row and is 4-1 for the first time since 2017. Pennsville is 1-5 for the first time since 2023.
Penns Grove’s Juan Ortiz (10) tries to keep Pennsville’s Anthony Michaca from getting the ball during the first half of Thursday’s game. Top photo: Penns Grove freshman goalie Ruben Torres Saenz comes off his line to punch away a Pennsville threat.
