Category: BASKETBALL

Friday girls basketball

Woodstown power pair, Battavio and Donelson, have another big game; Pennsville, Schalick, Salem Tech score first wins of the year

FRIDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Woodstown 70, Penns Grove 38
Pennsville 52, Glassboro 44
Schalick 51, Overbrook 29
Salem Tech 36, Salem 22

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE — When he watched them from a distance for scouting purposes last year Matt Smart thought then Woodstown’s dynamic duo of Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson were “phenomenal” players. Now that he sees them up close every day as their coach his appreciation for them is even greater.

Battavio and Donelson are never far apart on or off the basketball floor. On the court Friday night, Donelson scored 28 points with five 3-pointers and Battavio scored 26 with three as the Wolverines took down shorthanded Penns Grove 70-38.

Than, when they discovered one had left behind her water bottle as the team was leaving the gym, both tore out of the team bus and raced across the lawn to go back inside to retrieve it.

“We’ve had two tough tests this year so far and Megan and Talia have been great in both of them,” Smart said. “You see their court vision. They have a way of finding each other in situations that I might not even see. They are just so unselfish right now and they want each other to succeed. It’s not a race to see who can score how many points. 

“I scouted them for one game that didn’t end up happening (last year), they were phenomenal. It was how do we stop them offensively and how do we attack them defensively. They are just as advertised, if not better.”

It was the 11th time in their career they both scored 20 in the same game and eighth in the last 30 games. Only 18 points separate them on the career scoring list – Battavio now has 1,240 points, Donelson 1,222.

With the two of them combining for 20 points, the Wolverines (2-0) opened a 24-5 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, although the Red Devils (1-1), playing with only six players, scored the first nine points of second quarter and played them even to halftime.

They weren’t the first points the Wolverines scored in the game. Those belonged to Gianna Maiorini, who hit their first two baskets before the other two got going.

“Today I was most proud of Gianna,” Smart said. “It was a slow kind of start and she comes up and hits two big shots for us. She’s been that way all year. She’s kind of the quiet leader who kind of knows where everybody is.”

Donelson, a Millersville signee, also had seven rebounds and six more steals. Battavio, a Goldey Beacom signee, had six rebounds and seven assists, several of the whip-around variety that usually found Donelson in the corner for a 3. 

Donelson was 5-for-8 from behind the arc in the game.

“Working in the summer just really improved my shooting,” she said.

In perhaps the definition of their collaboration, there was a play early in the fourth quarter when Donelson made a steal that sent them off on a 2-on-1 break. She passed it to Battavio and just as they got to the foul line Battavio returned it past the unfortunate Penns Grove defender caught in the flow and Donelson soared in for an easy layup. 

The play came right after Battavio hit a 3

“Me and Talia work really well together,” Donelson said. “We both know we play and we just work off that and it’s really good.”

WOODSTOWN (2-0) – Talia Battavio 7 9-10 26, Megan Donelson 9 5-6 28, Gianna Maiorini 2 0-0 4, Kyla Leyman 1 0-0 2, Lauren Hengel 0 0-0 0, Emma Perry 1 0-0 3, Jala Thomas 1 0-0 3, Kendall Young 1 0-0 3, Talia Guardascione 0 0-0 0, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0, Kailyn Kennedy 0 0-0 0, Brynley Ecret 0 1-3 1, Ava White 0 0-0 0, Mia Waterman 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 15-19 70
PENNS GROVE (1-1) – Brianna Robbins 2 3-8 7, NyAsia Numan 2 0-0 5, RaNiyah Wilson 5 4-6 17, Keziah Patterson 1 0-0 2, MiKayla Washington 0 0-2 0, JaNiyah Cummings 3 1-3 7. Totals 13 8-19 38.

Woodstown24101620–70
Penns Grove5101310–38

3-point goals: Woodstown 11 (Battavio 3, Donelson 5, Perry, Thomas, Young); Penns Grove 4 (Numan, Wilson 3). Fouled out: Robbins, Washington. Total fouls: Woodstown 19, Penns Grove 23.

PENNSVILLE 52, GLASSBORO 44: Marley Wood helped the Eagles hold it together after two of their top players fouled out in the fourth quarter and Glassboro was rallying to help coach Steve Merritt get his first win with the program.

Wood scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had five assists. It was her third career double-double. She was particularly instrumental after Taylor Bass (11 points, seven rebounds) and Nora Ausland (12 points, six rebounds) fouled out in the fourth quarter while Glassboro cut a 15-point deficit to six.

Although she didn’t do much scoring in the quarter, she was the rudder that steered the ship. Freshman Addison Johnston also played a big role, scoring four points in the fourth, including her first career 3-pointer.

“One-and-one feels a lot better than 0-2,” Merritt said. “I was almost giddy with joy postgame. I was so proud of how they did what I have been drilling into them.”

Glassboro’s Kezia Brackett led all scorers with 18 points. She had 13 in the second half.

PENNSVILLE (1-1) – Taylor Bass 4 1-1 11, Marley Wood 5 2-4 14, Nora Ausland 4 1-2 12, Jaida Burns 3 1-1 7, Addison Johnston 1 1-2 4, Izzy Saulin 2 0-0 4, Ashlyn Fredo 0 0-0 0, Calli Ausland 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 6-10 52.
GLASSBORO (0-2) – Tamia Smith 6 1-4 14, Grace Moore 1 0-0 2, Kezia Brackett 6 2-2 18, Kimora Miles 0 0-0 0, Sianna Wedderburn 1 0-0 2, Lily Czubas 4 0-2 8. Totals 18 3-8 44.

Pennsville7171612–52
Glassboro3121613–44

3-point goals: Pennsville 8 (Bass 2, Wood 2, N. Ausland 3, Johnston); Glassboro 5 (Smith, Brackett 4). Rebounds: Pennsville 33 (Wood); Glassboro 28 (Wedderburn 13, Czubas 10). Fouled out: Bass, N. Ausland. Total fouls: Pennsville 16, Glassboro 13.

SCHALICK 51, OVERBROOK 29: Freshmen Naveah Robinson and Willow Davis knocked down seven of Schalick’s nine 3-pointers and the long-range bombing led the Cougars to their first win of the season.

Robinson hit four 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 18 points. Davis hit three in her first career start and had 14 points. The Cougars (1-2) have hit 12 3s in their first three games. They had 41 in 22 games last season.

The Cougars hit six from behind the arc in the first half while opening a 33-10 halftime lead. Robinson and Davis had five of them.

“The 3-ball is definitely something Nevaeh and Willow bring to this team,” Cougars coach John Whalen said. “It allows us to do much more on offense and really helps us spread the floor.

“I think both (Robinson and Davis) are starting to more comfortable, more confident, and will be a major part of this team’s success.”

OVERBROOK (0-2) – Gianna Simon 5 7-14 18, Jael Pressley 1 4-6 6, Rosetta Loibman 0 0-0 0, Lelani Knight 1 0-0 2, Kayla Reynolds 1 1-2 3, Talia Wiggins 0 0-0 0, Leslies Rosario 0 0-0 0, Lily LaFountain 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 12-22 29.
SCHALICK (1-2) – Abby Willoughby 1 1-1 3, Cali Fisler 0 1-2 1, Nevaeh Robinson 7 0-1 18, Ava Scurry 3 1-2 7, Willow Davis 5 1-2 14, Emily Miller 2 0-0 5, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-0 0, Carly Vicente 1 0-0 3, Vic Basich 0 0-0 0, Kyleigh Cutler 0 0-0 0, Emma O’Neill 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 4-8 51.

Overbrook64910–29
Schalick1617108–51

3-point goals: Overbrook 1 (Simon); Schalick 9 (Robinson 4, Davis 3, Miller, Vicente). Fouled out: Lunemann. Total fouls: Overbrook 9, Schalick 17. 

SALEM TECH 36, SALEM 22: Shelby Liber hit two 3-pointers among her team-high nine points and the Chargers dominated the boards to win their season opener for the first time in program history. Demajae White had a game-high 12 rebounds. Rylee Doerr didn’t scored, but she grabbed 11 boards. 

Kaylin Beardsley and Shelby Drummond both had full boxscores. Beardlsey had four points, five rebounds, six assists and seven steals. Drummond had three points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals.

The Chargers won only one game all last season. They had never beaten Salem before (0-4).

SALEM (0-2) – Zaniyah Frieson 1 0-2 2, Nevaeh Hickman 4 0-0 10, Carlysia Pierce 3 3-5 10, Lyric Hayes 0 0-0 0, Marcela Villalpando 0 0-0 0, Taleah Elliott 0 0-0 0, Dakirah Gray 0 0-0 0, Amariah Frye 0 0-0 0, Jania Adams 0 0-0 0, Shyla Parsons 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 3-7 22.
SALEM TECH (1-0) – Kaylin Beardsley 2 0-0 4, Hannah Dewitt 2 3-8 7, Shelby Drummond 1 1-2 3, Shelby Liber 3 1-6 9, Lavae Scott 1 0-0 2, Demajae White 2 2-2 6, Evening Amedee 2 1-1 5, Rylee Doerr 0 0-0 0, Jadelynn Stoffyn 0 0-0 0, Rachel Reed 0 0-0 0, Payton Fitzpatrick 0 0-0 0, Tiara Bazemore 0 0-0 0, Amora Delaine 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 8-19 36.

Salem31126–22
Salem Tech215712–36

3-point goals: Salem 3 (Hickman 2, Pierce); Salem Tech 2 (Liber 2).

Festive in the Fieldhouse

Salem CC men’s basketball team sets modern-era single-game record for points, wins before Christmas in rout of RCSJ-Cumberland; score four double-doubles 

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – Salem Community College had its annual Christmas party in the lobby of the Dupont Fieldhouse Wednesday. The Mighty Oaks basketball team had its own party in the gym Thursday night.

Call it a Festival of Heights.

The coaches were decked out in colorful Christmas sweaters. There was hip-hop holiday music playing over the sound system. And by the end of the night the players were flying around the gym like Santa’s reindeer.

What better way to go into the holiday break than with an historic 114-56 rout of winless RCSJ-Cumberland in their final game of the first semester.

“It makes the holidays really good,” Mighty Oaks coach Mike Green said. “You’re not going anywhere with 99 concerns. You’re going in there building off what you just had.”

“It gives me a really positive attitude going into the holidays,” post Rodney Shelton said.

The game was historic on so many fronts. The Mighty Oaks (10-4) set a modern-era record for points in a game and became the first team since the school revived the program in 2019 to win 10 games before the break. They had six players score in double figures and an incredible four double-doubles, which Green said was “pretty cool.”

They had only six double-doubles all season prior to Thursday night and never more than two in any game. They had had only 11 in the previous 31 Green-coached games.

Their previous single-game high was 113 points against Atlantic Cape on Feb. 4, 2020. They had scored 110 under Green last season and 106 earlier this year (Lancaster Bible JV). The 10 wins are one more than Green won last year after being hired on Dec. 23. Ironically, RCSJ-Cumberland was his first game and first victory.

The 2021-22 team won nine games before its holiday break.

“That’s big time; that’s good,” Green said. “Take your hat off to the guys and our coaching staff. It shows we’re going in the right direction. It’s always great being the first. We want to be the first one with however many wins; is it 25? 30? We want to be the first with everything. That’s how you build programs. We’ve got 10, so we’re better than we were last year already.”

“I kind of knew (they’d do this well), if I’m being honest,” guard Josh Ramos said. “Coming into the season I felt with the group of guys we had, especially after last year with the low number we had, I had so much confidence that we would be one of the best teams in the region and (have) double-digit wins before the break.”

Ramos hit a career-high eight 3-pointers in the game, six in the second half, and led the Mighty Oaks in scoring with 28 points. The double-doubles in points and rebounds went to Shelton (17/13), A.J. Jones (17/10), Tyrese Fortune (14/10) and Xavier Brewington (13/14). Ramos also had five assists and Shelton had five blocked shots. It was the fourth time they went over 100 in Green’s tenure.

“Just everybody chipping in,” Green said. “That’s how we want the team to look. It showed tonight. We just played the right way and shared the ball. It was a good look for us.”

“It really shows how deep we are, how good we actually are,” Ramos said. “I feel like when we all play as a team, everyone’s playing hard, look at the box score, there are four double-doubles, everyone’s in double digits, that’s how we should play every night.”

“When we all share the ball it’s like we’re out there playing outside,” Shelton said. “That’s exactly what it felt like. It felt like an outside game playing with the bros.”

It wasn’t as if the Mighty Oaks were intentionally running it up. They called off the press with 12 minutes left. They only have nine players available, so it’s not like they could empty the bench with deep reserves. And the shot clock keeps them from holding onto the ball.

The Mighty Oaks hit eight 3-pointers in the second half as a team. Ramos, who said his range is all the way to “the parking lot,” was 6-for-9 from a variety of distances behind the arc in the half. He hit three in a row early in the half and had four in the 25-5 run it became. He goes into the break ranked third in JUCO Division III 3-pointers (43-107) while the team is third in 3s made per game (9.6) and attempts per game (29.0).

“My biggest thing is I know if I come out slow I just stay sane,” he said. “I keep myself composed just knowing that there’s a whole ‘nother half to shoot and help win the game. I don’t really dwell too much on the first half and I just come out in the second half.”

Jason Brice led the Dukes (0-14) with 24 points, three 3s and six rebounds. Schalick product Nasir Sutton had a JUCO career high eight points and five rebounds.

SALEM CC 114, RCSJ-CUMBERLAND 56
RCSJ-CUMBERLAND (0-14) – Kyelle Ruiz 0-2 0-0 0, Lemann Johnson 5-17 1-4 13, Ryan Due 3-16 4-9 11, Jason Brice 8-13 5-9 24, Rodrigo Gonzales 0-7 0-0 0, Mike Dougherty 0-4 0-0 0, Nasir Sutton 2-3 4-4 8, Aidan Hobson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-62 14-26 56.
SALEM CC (10-4) – Dontarius Jones 4-5 1-2 11, Tyrese Fortune 4-11 6-6 14, Tivon Woolford 0-4 0-0 0, Xavier Brewington 5-11 2-2 13, Rodney Shelton 8-16 1-1 17, A.J. Jones 6-14 4-4 17, Josh Ramos 9-16 0-0 26, Shyheed Taylor 2-6 3-5 7, Stefan Phillips 4-7 0-0 9. Totals 42-90 17-20 114.

RCSJ-Cumberland2729-56
Salem CC5163-114

3-point goals: RCSJ-Cumb 6-22 (Johnson 2-7, Due 1-3, Brice 3-7, Gonzales 0-2, Dougherty 0-3); Salem 13-31 (D. Jones 2-2, Fortune 0-1, Woolford 0-2, Brewington 1-5, A. Jones 1-4, Ramos 8-15, Taylor 0-1, Phillips 1-1). Rebounds: RCSJ-Cumb 26 (Brice 6); Salem 67 (Fortune 10, Brewington 14, Shelton 13, A. Jones 10). Technical fouls: RCSJ coach Stalling. Fouled out: Woolford, Phillips. Total fouls: RCSJ-Cumb 17, Salem 22.

Salem CC head coach Mike Green (R) and his assistants sport colorful Christmas sweaters for Thursday’s final game before the holidays. Sophomore post Rodney Shelton wanted in on the fun, but it was coaches only.

Deep-rooted debut

Woodstown’s Roots returns to alma mater as opponent in his first game as a head coach, 3 other coaches also debut with their Salem County teams Wednesday 

WEDNESDAY BASKETBALL
BOYS GAMES
Salem 71, Woodstown 48
Wildwood 54, Pennsville 34
Clayton 87, Schalick 67
GIRLS GAMES
Woodstown 61, Salem 16
Wildwood 70, Pennsville 39
Clayton 65, Schalick 21

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM – Ramon Roots had all the emotions one would expect from the day of his first game as a head coach. He was excited. He was nervous. He was anxious all day.

But for the new Woodstown boys basketball coach there was more to Wednesday’s debut than just a first game as the guy in charge. It was on the road … against the team he used to help coach … in the gym where he used to play.

And he still teaches in the district, so he was embedded with the “enemy” all school day long.

Once the game started, however, it felt like any other game. And it hurt just as bad as any loss he’s ever had before after the Wolverines lost to Salem, 71-48.

“I was just anxious, I was anxious to get out here and start the program, start the journey,” Roots said. “You’re going to hear me say that a lot, we’re starting the journey.

“It was a little weird being on the other side, but I was ready for this moment. Going in I didn’t know what to really expect but I kind of knew how it would be. Things happen, but I was ready for it.”

Roots was one of four Salem County basketball coaches debuting with their teams Wednesday night. The other three were girls coaches Matt Smart (Woodstown), Steve Merritt (Pennsville) and Jerry Macon (Salem).

Merritt has been around the block a time or two, having won more than 500 games across multiple sports in 19 years at Salem and returning to the bench after a two-year break. Smart and Roots are head coaches for the first time. Macon has been a head coach before.

Before and after his game Roots was greeted by acquaintances who welcomed him back to the gym he experienced some of his fondest moments in sports. The Rams and their faithful were a lot less accommodating in the 32 minutes in between. 

As the game moved into the final minute a section of fans on the far side of the floor began  waving and chanting “Good-bye, Roots,” to which he responded by pointing in the direction of Salem’s 1,000-point scorer banner on which his name appears third from the bottom. A not-so-subtle reminder that no matter where he goes in the world he’ll always be connected to Salem.

“I knew what it would be like,” he said. “I know Salem’s a hostile environment. I know I got love here. I knew how the fans are going to be. It’s all love. I’m used to it already.

“I’ve been living in Salem all my life. I know the environment. I know what to expect. I’ve been on the other side of this. I was a coach for Salem three years and seen how they treat other coaches and other players. It wasn’t nothing I wasn’t used to. But I had a lot of love here tonight that was cheering for both sides.”

“We love him, he’s helped build this program to what it is so we appreciate him and want to see him to well just obviously not tonight,” Salem coach Anthony Farmer said. “It’s a mindset. He knows I’m a competitor. Give him a little high-five, welcome, if we can help you with anything, but (once the game starts) there’s really not much to talk about, there’s no handshakes, no high-fives, until obviously the game is over.”

The two teams gave both sides a lot to cheer about early, playing even for a quarter with Woodstown hitting an acrobatic layup at the buzzer to tie it at 16. Rocco String cleared a rebound to M.J. Hall, who threw an over-the-head backwards pass that found Eli Caesar on the low right block for a wide open layup that beat the horn. 

But then Tymear Lecator got in the game in the second quarter, which got the offense going, the Rams turned up the defense and they steadily pulled away. The Rams scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second quarter and never trailed again.

Lecator, held out of the first quarter for an unspecified issue, scored 12 points in the second quarter and then opened the second half with back-to-back 3s. The sophomore guard finished with 27 points – mostly in the second and third quarters – and seven assists.

Antwuan Rogers added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Darrelle Johnson grabbed 10 boards. Woodstown didn’t have a double-figure scorer. Rocco String had 17 rebounds.

“They played us well for a quarter without our best kid, but obviously (Lecator) is a game-changer,” Farmer said. “When you insert him, you’re inserting a game-changer.”

“We definitely started strong, but I think we just turned over the ball a little bit too much and they had momentum plays that really hurt,” Roots said. “I liked our energy coming out. We’ve just got to maintain it.”

It was a physical game, as Roots expected, with 51 total fouls and 49 combined free throws. When Roots protested a call a little too vehemently he got hit with the first technical foul of his coaching career — 13 and a half minutes into his tenure — proving right there he may be a son of Salem but he was going to fight for his new charges.

“Everyone goes to bat for me, I’ll go to bat for them,” he said. “I’ve got their back when they’ve got mine.”

WILDWOOD GIRLS 70, PENNSVILLE 39: It may have been two years ago that Steve Merritt last coached a high school girls basketball game, but he remembers the experience being “every bit as frenetic as I remember it” as he directed his new Pennsville team through its regular-season opener.

The Eagles trailed the defending South Jersey Group I champions 10-8 with two minutes left in the first quarter, but the Warriors scored the last nine points of the quarter coming out of a timeout and steadily pulled away. Wildwood led 36-19 at halftime and 55-24 after three quarters. 

“We just didn’t play sharp defense,” Merritt said. “We let Macie (McCracken) go to the baseline too often. We didn’t stay with our player; we switched when I wanted them to get through the screens. It’s not what I had hoped.”

McCracken finished with 36 points (to surpass 1,800 for her career) and 14 rebounds. She hit five 3-pointers. Taylor Bass led Pennsville with 16 points. Nora Ausland had 13.

Before their first scrimmage together, Merritt was so amped for the exercise he had restless night of sleep, took his dog for a walk at 6 a.m. and wound up coming to the gym some two hours before the scheduled tip. 

It wasn’t nearly as disquieting awaiting the first real game, but he agreed his emotions he was experiencing were probably on a par with those of the county coaches going into their first games a head coach because he’d been away from it a few year.

“The anticipation for the game seemed to drag on forever … but as soon as it’s over I’m thinking ‘Holy cow, that was fast,’” he said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I go on line and look at all the results and start doing my stat track and everything else. I get excited about that. Chews up the whole morning. The poor dog may not get out.”

WOODSTOWN GIRLS 61, SALEM 16: The Matt Smart Era of Woodstown girls basketball couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. The Wolverines jumped out to a 19-2 first-quarter lead, held the Rams scoreless in the third quarter, put 10 players in the scoring column and enjoyed their biggest opening day win since 2021.

“It was a fun experience, it was a great learning experience as well – for me and the girls,” Smart said. “I get to learn how the girls react to my coaching style, they get to see me in a real game scenario. It was a lot of fun. The girls responded great.”

Both teams were playing under new coaches as Salem’s Jerry Macon was coaching his first game with the Rams.

Smart admitted he was a “little nervous” waiting for the game to start, but once it got underway it was just like any other game.

And it was just like any other Woodstown game.

South Jersey girls basketball observers have gotten used to this phrase: Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson once again led the way. Battavio scored 20 points. Donelson had 13 points and 10 steals.

The Wolverines produced 43 steals in the game; six players had at least four each. They also had 21 assists among their 27 baskets.

“It was a great defensive effort for us,” Smart said. “I was most proud of how unselfish the whole team was. We were playing great defense, making unselfish passes for layups. I think the box score shows that we had 10 contributors scoring, which is awesome.

“We have to play to the Woodstown level and every day we’re just trying to get better. There’s always room to improve and that’s what we’re going to try to do every day.”

Salem coach Anthony Farmer (R) embraces new Woodstown coach Ramon Roots in the post-game handshake line Wednesday. Roots was Farmer’s assistant for three years before getting his first chance to be a head coach this season.

BOYS BOX SCORES
SALEM 71, WOODSTOWN 48
WOODSTOWN (0-1) – Eli Caesar 2 0-0 4, John McGinley 0 0-0 0, Blake Bialecki 2 3-3 8, Alejandro Vazquez 2 4-5 9, M.J. Hall 2 2-3 7, Garrett Leyman 1 1-2 4, Anthony Bokolas 0 0-0 0, Andrew White 1 3-4 5, Rocco String 1 2-5 4, B Mall 2 1-2 7. Totals 13 16-24 48.
SALEM (2-0) – Donovan Weathers 0 0-0 0, Xavier McGriff 1 1-3 3, Neziah Spence 3 0-0 8, Kyaire Parsons 0 0-0 0, Deshawn Williams 2 0-1 4, Tymear Lecator 7 10-13 27, Darrell Johnson 3 0-0 6, Antwan Rogers 4 4-5 12, Harlem Parsons 1 0-0 3, Joe Tunis 3 2-3 9, Giovanni Talave 0 0-0 0, Cole Sayers 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 17-25 71. 

Woodstown 1610148-48
Salem16241417-71

3-point goals: Woodstown 6 (Bialecki, Vazquez, Hall, Leyman, Mall 2); Salem 6 (Spence, Lecator 3, H. Parsons, Tunis). Technical fouls: Woodstown coach Roots. Fouled out: Bialecki, Hall. Total fouls: Woodstown 28, Salem 22.

WILDWOOD 54, PENNSVILLE 34: Brian Cunniff led three Wildwood scorers in double figures with 17 points. Trevor Troiano had 12 and Nolan Mawhinney 11. Mason O’Brien led Pennsville with 13 points.

WILDWOOD (1-0) – Eric Jordan 3, Nolan Mawhinney 11, Trevor Troiano 12, Brian Cunniff 17, Jordan Dozier 4, Gianna Groiano 2.
PENNSVILLE (0-1) – Mason O’Brien 3 6-10 13, Charles McDevitt 1 3-5 5, Giovanni Rios 2 4-7 8, Perry Meranti 0 1-4 1, Cole Johnston 1 0-0 3, Logan Hill 1 0-0 2, Daniel Knight 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 14-26 34.

Wildwood 7102011-54
Pennsville88612-34

3-point goals: Pennsville 2 (O’Brien, Johnston). Rebounds: Wildwood 35, Pennsville 21 (Rios 6).

CLAYTON 87, SCHALICK 67: Princeton Sackor scored 21 points, Nazir Davis had 20 and two others scored 11 apiece as the Clippers opened their season with a victory. 

Clayton 18222423-87
Schalick10132519-67
New Pennsville girls coach Steve Merritt (R) watches his team go through pre-game warmups before sending it out to play Wildwood in their first regular-season game together.

GIRLS BOX SCORES
WOODSTOWN 61, SALEM 16
SALEM (0-1) – Carlysia Pierce 4 0-2 9, Zaniyah Frieson 0 0-0 0, Lyric Hayes 0 0-0 0, Marcela Villalpando 0 1-2 1, Taleah Elliott 0 0-0 0, Dakirah Gray 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Hickman 3 0-0 6, Amariah Frye 0 0-0 0, Jania Adams 0 0-0 0, Shyla Parsons 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 1-4 16.
WOODSTOWN (1-0) – Megan Donelson 6 0-0 13, Talia Battavio 8 0-0 20, Gianna Maiorini 1 0-0 2, Lauren Hengel 1 0-0 2, Kyia Leyman 2 0-0 4, Emma Perry 2 0-1 4, Kendall Young 3 2-2 8, Lizzy Daly 0 0-2 0, Kailyn Kennedy 1 0-0 3, Talia Guardascione 0 0-0 0, Brynley Ecret 1 0-0 2, Ava White 0 0-0 0, Mia Waterman 1 0-0 3, Monah Green 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 2-5 61.

Salem24010-16
Woodstown 19171114-61

3-point goals: Salem 1 (Pierce); Woodstown 7 (Donelson, Battavio 4, Kennedy, Waterman). Total fouls: Salem 10, Woodstown 8.

WILDWOOD 70, PENNSVILLE 39
WILDWOOD (1-0) – Macie McCracken 14 3-3 36, Angela Wilber 5 1-2 13, Rebecca Benichou 6 0-0 14, Kiana D’Antuono 1 0-0 3, Cydnee Kilian 0 0-0 0, Addison Troiano 0 1-2 1, Sara Bjellal 1 1-1 3, Laila Fathi 0 0-0 0, Lily Atkinson 0 0-0 0, Emma Contreras 0 0-0 0, Julia Ennis 0 0-0 0, Antoinette Cooper 0 0-0 0, Ellasyn Morey 0 0-0 0, Mollie Farrell 0 0-0 0, Janet Conzalez 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 6-8 70. 
PENNSVILLE (0-1) – Taylor Bass 7 1-1 16, Marley Wood 3 2-4 8, Izzy Saulin 1 1-2 3, Nora Ausland 5 2-3 12, Jaida Burns 0 0-2 0, Ashlyn Fredo 0 0-0 0, Calli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Addison Johnston 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 6-10 39.

Wildwood 19171915-70
Pennsville811515-39

3-point goals: Wildwood 10 (McCracken 5, Wilber 2, Benichou 2, D’Antuono); Pennsville 1 (Bass). Rebounds: Wildwood 33 (McCracken 14). Total fouls: Wildwood 12, Pennsville 8.

CLAYTON 65, SCHALICK 21: Rainelle Blocker dominated the game with 33 points and 26 rebounds. Teammate Ava Delaney had 16 points and 13 of the Clippers’ 24 steals.

SCHALICK (0-2) – Abby Willoughby 0 1-2 1, Cali Fisler 0 1-2 1, Neveah Robinson 2 1-2 5, Ava Scurry 0 0-0 0, Olivia Vanacker 2 0-0 4, Willow Davis 2 0-0 5, Emily Miller 1 0-0 2, Olivia Lunemann 1 0-0 2, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0, Emma O’Neill 0 1-2 1, Kyleigh Cutler 0 0-0 0, Carly Vicente 0 0-2 0. Totals 8 4-10 21.
CLAYTON (1-0) – Ava Delaney 7 1-6 16, Rainelle Blocker 12 9-13 33, Rosa Pereira 1 0-0 3, India Williams 3 2-2 8, India Bryant 2 0-0 5, Bella Wiseburn 0 0-0 0, Kayma Revels 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 12-21 65.

Schalick (0-2) 2568-21
Clayton (1-0)1392219-65

3-point goals: Schalick 1 (Davis); Clayton 3 (Delaney, Pereira, Bryant). Total fouls: Schalick 16, Clayton 13.

Schalick season openers

The Cougars boys start fast, beat Cape May Tech, girls fall in close one as last-second shot falls short

TUESDAY BASKETBALL
BOYS GAME
Schalick 49, Cape May Tech 33
GIRLS GAME
Cape May Tech 43, Schalick 41

By Riverview Sports News

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The result might not have been what the Schalick girls basketball team wanted from its season opener, but coach John Whalen saw a lot of potential for the year ahead.

The Cougars battled Cape May Tech to the bitter end Tuesday before falling 43-41.

And bitter it was. They got a 3-point shot from near midcourt that was tightly contested and fell short at the horn.

“The outcome was not how we wanted it, but it showed the potential for this team,” Whalen said. “We did everything that we’ve worked on. We played tough.”

There is room for improvement. The Cougars, who were up by seven at one point in the game, were 1-of-10 from the free throw line and missed an agonizing number of layups.

Ava Scurry led Schalick with a career-high 17 points and was engaged in a scoring duel with Cape May Tech’s Anna Delaney in the second half. Delaney had 19 of her game-high 25 points in the second half, including five 3-pointers. Scurry had 11 in the half.

“Ava played a great game, the best of her career by far,” Whalen said. “She was great on both sides of the floor. The other girl got hot and hit some big 3s to get them back in it.”

Freshman Neveah Robinson had 10 for the Cougars in her varsity debut. She had the final shot of the game.

“When she came out for tryouts it was evident right away she’s going to be really good for this program and she can take us in the right direction,” Whalen said.

Cape May Tech led by four going to the final minute. The Cougars missed a pair of free throws that would have cut the deficit to two – they were 1-of-10 from the line in the game – but got a steal and layup on the next possession to make it 43-41. 

They had to foul in hopes of getting the ball back and Tech obliged by missing both free throws with three seconds left. The Cougars got it to Robinson who was able to take a couple dribbles before putting up a contested shot from midcourt.

GIRLS GAME
CAPE MAY TECH 43, SCHALICK 41
SCHALICK (1-0) – Abby Willoughby 1 0-0 2, Cali Fisler 2 0-5 4, Neveah Robinson 4 0-2 10, Ava Scurry 8 1-2 17 Olivia Vanacker 4 0-1 8, Willow Davis 0 0-0 0, Emily Miller 0 0-0 0, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-0 0, Vic Basich 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 1-10 41.
CAPE MAY TECH (1-0) – Emma Drumm 0 1-2 1, Anna Delaney 9 1-4 25, Amanda Daino 3 0-8 7, Marley Wetzel 0 2-6 2, Emma Oravits 2 0-2 4, Brynn Brophy 1 2-4 5. Totals 15 6-26 43.

Schalick4101710-41
Cape May Tech941911-43

3-point goals: Schalick 2 (Robinson 2); Cape May Tech 7 (Delaney 6, Brophy). Fouled out: Willoughby, Vanacker, Drumm. Total fouls: Schalick 22, Cape May Tech 16.

BOYS GAME
SCHALICK 49, CAPE MAY TECH 33: The Cougars jumped out to a 27-10 halftime lead and won their season opener for the second year in a row. Before then, they hadn’t won an opener since 2015.

Cape May Tech (0-1)37617-33
Schalick (1-0)13141111-49


Still looking for 40

Salem CC women and Mercer deadlocked early in the fourth quarter, then the visiting Vikings pulled away

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – Maggie St. Clair has a simple wish for her Salem CC women’s basketball team for the holiday and into the new year. All the Mighty Oaks want for Christmas is to play 40 minutes.

They had designs on going into their holiday break .500 for the season. They were playing Mercer County CC even into the fourth quarter, then things suddenly got tough.

The Vikings went on an 18-2 run over a four and a half minute stretch to pull away from a tie game and send Salem to a 65-53 setback in the Mighty Oaks’ final game of the first semester.

“Just play through four quarters,” St. Clair, a sophomore from Eastampton, said responding to the holiday wish question. “We just lose focus in stretches. I thought we played good for three quarters. We were hanging with them, everything was good … I just think our mindset kind of just went down after we got down a couple points.”

Two free throws by St. Clair with 9:04 to play tied the game at 42, but things unraveled in a hurry. Over the next 31 seconds the Mighty Oaks missed a shot and lost the rebound out of bounds and then made two turnovers. The Vikings (9-3) scored six straight points in the exchange and were on their way to taking control.

Akira Chambers made a power move to stop the slide, but then Mercer went on a 12-2 run to make it 60-46 with 4:44 to play.

The Mighty Oaks (4-6) outscored their visitors 7-5 the rest of the game, but by then the damage was done.

It was a tough quarter. After getting the game tied, the Mighty Oaks were 3-of-10 from the field and were charged with nine turnovers. They scored on seven of their last 20 possessions, but didn’t have a field goal after St. Clair’s putback with 2:50 play made it 60-50.

“We’re getting to the point where our program is now playing with these teams and the girls are doing a great job,” Marsh said. “I’m not coaching energy right now, but our execution isn’t there. Too many turnovers that one four-minute stretch. 

“It’s the little things. I always say focus for 40 minutes. It’s been 32, now it’s maybe 36, but we’re still missing it.”

Salem CC guard Kathryn Laurence brings the ball up the floor against Mercer County CC Tuesday. (Photo by John Holt)

St. Clair led the Mighty Oaks with 14 points. Chambers had 10 points and Kathryn Laurence had nine on all three of their 3-pointers. Dani Gustin was their leading rebounder with nine. Caroline Zullo had a full boxscore with seven points, six rebounds and four steals.

Mercer’s Gabriella Ross led all scorers with 21 points. She had 16 in the second half after going 1-for-11 from the field in the first half. Alexandra Garcia Galen had 18, eight in the fourth-quarter eruption that gave the Vikings control of the game.

The Vikings led 30-27 at halftime after going 12 of 14 from the free throw line. They hit their first 11 in a row. The Mighty Oaks had only one free throw in the first half (they missed it).

Despite sitting at 4-6 at the break after starting the season 3-0, the Mighty Oaks still have a lot to play for when they return Jan. 7 against Camden County College. They’ll need to go 9-6 in their remaining games to make the Region XIX tournament. 

“Every goal we have is still in front of us, but they have to decide,” Marsh said. “I keep saying what kind of team do you want to be? Do you want to be the ‘but’ team or the ‘what if’ team?

“We’re finally getting to where we’re playing with these teams. Now we’ve got to get to the point where we can beat those teams and we’re just not there yet.”

ACORNS: Marsh is giving his players off until Jan. 3 so they can be home for the holidays … Freshman guard Geovanna Tjaden is scheduled to see an orthopedist Friday to get a better evaluation on the ankle she sprained Saturday against Lackawanna … Mercer is back on the floor this season after a three-year hiatus.

MERCER COUNTY CC (9-3) – Zaakirah Edwards 2-3 0-0 4, Gabriella Ross 7-24 8-10 21, Jayla Jones 1-6 2-2 4, Lia Sakhniashvili 2-11 0-2 4, Alexandra Garcia Galen 6-11 4-4 18, Valerie Rivas 0-1 0-0 0, Jada Queen 3-8 1-2 7, Carla Cencerrero Gallego 2-5 3-4 7. Totals 23-69 16-24 65.
SALEM CC (4-6) – Nyaijah Jackson 2-6 1-2 5, Caroline Zullo 3-8 1-2 7, Maggie St. Clair 6-18 2-2 14, Kathryn Laurence 3-9 0-0 9, Jakayla Jenkins 1-5 2-2 4, RayNescia King 0-1 0-0 0, Dani Gustin 1-1 0-3 2, Akira Chambers 4-6 2-3 10, Alexa Hopkins 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 21-56 8-14 53.

Mercer 18121223-65
Salem13141313-53

3-point goals: Mercer 3-15 (Ross 1-6, Sekhniashvili 0-4, Garcia Galen 2-3, Cencerrero Gallego 0-2); Salem 3-14 (Jackson 0-1, Zullo 0-1, St. Clair 0-6, Laurence 3-6). Rebounds: Mercer 38 (Sekhniashvili 8, Queen 8); Salem 36 (Gustin 9, Jackson 7, Zullo 6). Technical fouls: Chambers. Fouled out: Garcia Gallen, Queen, Jenkins. Total fouls: Mercer 14, Salem 19.

Cover photo: Salem CC sophomore Maggie St. Clair (3) pulls up for a jumper against Mercer County CC Tuesday night. (Photo by John Holt)

Growing pains

After a slow start, young Chargers, Hayes come to life in third quarter to get close, then Buena pulls away

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – When you’re a young team learning the ways of varsity basketball, there are going to be good times and bad times. Consistency is the key.

Salem Tech, with only one senior with varsity experience, struggled out of the gate Monday night against Buena. The Chargers came to life in the third quarter to get back in the game, but then fell back on hard times in the fourth and the Chiefs pulled away to hand them a 45-24 defeat.

“The turnovers, the fundamentals, boxing out, the little things, stuff that you think they learn in like fourth, fifth grade is not translating into high school,” Salem Tech coach Bryan Riley said. “I think these young guys got used to that youth league and think they can get away with it in high school and it’s never going to work.”

The Chargers (0-2) scored only six points in the first half and trailed by 11 early in the third quarter. But they switched to a man defense and Joseph Hayes got hot and they climbed back into it.

Hayes, the team’s lone senior, scored 11 of his team-high 14 points in the third quarter. Ayden Myers’ layup with 5:41 left in the quarter got them within four and forced the Chiefs to call time. Hayes’ third 3-pointer of the quarter got them within five with 25 second left.

“They were finding the open man,” Riley said. “They played a 3-2 zone and the play that we ran worked when we ran it.”

The Chiefs (1-1) got back on track in the fourth. They forced the Chargers into more turnovers and regained control of the boards and pulled away. Hayes’ fourth 3 of the half was Tech’s only points of the quarter.

Josue Cuadrado and Jaevon Alexander scored 14 points apiece for Buena.

BUENA 45, SALEM TECH 24
BUENA (1-1) – Josue Cuadrado 7 0-0 14, Carlo Spreng 1 0-0 2, Nate Nieves 1 0-0 3, Troy Gregory 2 1-2 5, Jaevon Alexander 6 0-0 14, Jayden Rivera 1 0-0 2, Shamel Rivera 2 1-4 5, Ricky Bessix 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 2-6 45.
SALEM TECH (0-2) – Connor Dougan 0 0-0 0, Ayden Myers 1 0-0 2, Joseph Hayes 4 2-4 14, Aiden Bobo 1 0-2 2, Larry Pompper 0 0-0 0, Alex Thomas 2 0-0 4, Raphael Busch 0 0-0 0, Logan Pace 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 2-5 24.

Buena 961218-45
Salem Tech42153-24

3-point goals: 3 Buena (Nieves, Alexander 2); Salem Tech 4 (Hayes 4). Total fouls: Buena 10, Salem Tech 6. Officials: Kutza, Saintlus.

Salem Tech’s Raphael Busch (20) and Buena’s Troy Gregory bang under the basket during Monday night’s game.

Getting to Know …

Rocco String, Woodstown’s man for all seasons

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Rocco String truly is a man for all seasons. If there’s a game to be played any time during the school year, he’s usually right in the middle of it. He plays football, basketball and baseball for Woodstown and is a force in each.

STRING

At 6-foot-6, he’s hard to miss. On the football field he’s a big target as a tight end on offense and a giant terror as a rush end on defense. On the basketball court, of course, he’s the center. And on the baseball diamond, which is his first love, he pitches and plays first base.

The key to being ready in all three is concentrating on diet and doing the things necessary to have his body ready for each very specific grind.

String spent some time with Riverview Sports News before a recent basketball practice where he talked about the demands of being a year-round athlete, how big a grocery sack it takes to fill his gas tank, adjusting to two new head coaches his senior year and his aspirations for the future. The Wolverines open their regular season Wednesday at Salem, where new coach Ramon Roots used to be an assistant.

Here is the full length interview with the Wolverines’ “friendly giant” below.

RIVERVIEW SPORTS NEWS: You really are a man of all seasons. How do you keep up with it all, going from one season right into the other?

ROCCO STRING: It’s more about eating. Drink a lot of water and eating. Every night I go in the hot tub. I make sure my body is all fueled up for the next day. Get cool. Do cold tubs. Mostly my body, just trying to make sure I’m not sore the next day, make sure I’m all stretched out, make sure I’m flexible and able to move into the next sport. 

With football being so physical that was a big toll making sure my body was not all sore, fresh for the next day, fresh for the game, then transition into basketball, make sure my legs were all right. I’m burning 2-3-5,000 calories a day. It’s all about eating.

RSN: OK, give me a sense about your dietary regimen.

RS: In the morning I eat eggs, sausage, bacon. More like 6-8 eggs and then 6 to 8 strips of bacon, four sausages with like four pieces of bread. Sometimes I will miss breakfast because I’ve just got to get up and go. Most of the time I will have time to eat it. I usually do over easy with dipping the toast. That’s good.

Lunch I usually can do like two cheesesteaks or two meatball sandwiches, just anything with two sandwiches and any size. And dinner is more like meat, protein, like getting all the stuff ripped through my body, like steak, chicken, turkey, ham. Whatever my mom cooks. I usually have pasta one or two times a week with different kinds of sauces. Mix it all up.

RSN: Is the multi-sport thing something you’ve always done or just over the last couple years. Some guys might take a break, but you do everything.

RS: When I was younger I played football, baseball and basketball and I stopped playing football just to focus more on baseball. Coming back to Woodstown I wanted to play football again. As I was playing football again it brought back memories about going through all three of the sports.

It really didn’t have a major impact on me because going through three sports it’s more of an athletic thing. I have that, so being able to do that didn’t really affect me as much.

RSN: Luckily the state gives you a little bit of a buffer between each season. Where I was down south the seasons overlapped. How much do you appreciate whatever break you get between seasons and what do you during them to wind down and prep for the next?

RS: We actually went right into (basketball) because of the states (in football) and all that. If I do have that break I’ll kind of relax for a week and if I have two weeks I’ll relax for a week and then start working for a week for the next sport. If I don’t have a break, I’ll relax, eat a lot, drink a lot of water, make sure I’m ready to go for that next sport. If I do have it, I’m taking that week of a break. I think my body needs it, my mind needs it.

RSN: You’re all about maintaining your physical well-being. Have you ever been hurt, outside of the usual stuff that comes with the season?

RS: No. Being my size it’s hard. I’ve seen a lot of guys get hurt really quickly, so the big part is taking care of your body because once you take care of that then you’re basically all right.

RSN: Why do you play these three sports specifically?

RS: I’ve been playing baseball my whole life; that’s my first sport. Basketball, I kind of got into it when I was real young. My sisters played it. I think I was pretty good at it, especially when I got taller; people kept asking me if I played basketball and I would say yeah. I just loved it over the years and it’s my last year of playing all three so I figured to have the most joy out of it.

THE ROCCO FILE
FOOTBALL (TE-DL)RECYDSTDTKLSTFL
20244381260
202300020
BASKETBALL (C-F)PPGRPGASTBLKSTL
2023-249.24.9326529
2022-236.95.903216
BASEBALL (RHP-1B)BARBIHRIPERAK
2024.289263E3.2015
2023.3922048.25.6511

RSN: Have you done any of the other sports – track, wrestling, soccer, golf?

RS: I do golf on my free time for fun with some of my guys who are in college. Town & Country. Centerton. Some courses up north I go to. I’m okay. I wouldn’t say I’m real good, but I’m OK. Some of my buddies are better than me, but I can go with them to where we can play. I played lacrosse for one year (fifth grade), but I didn’t really like it

RSN: What are you – a football player, a basketball player or a baseball player? 

RS: A baseball player. I’ve been playing my whole life. When I real younger I really took it seriously, playing baseball mostly. I really wanted to play just baseball, but my parents really wanted me to play all three sports, so that’s why I kind of play them now. Playing those other two sports helped me out a lot with baseball.

RSN: What are you going to do in college and why is that your sport? You probably have offers in all three.

RS: I want to play baseball. I want to do pitching and hitting and defense, whatever I have to do to help the team.

RSN: What’s the recruiting been like for all three. I’m sure there’s interest across the board.

RS: Basketball is out of the question, like nobody’s been here for basketball, which is obviously; Woodstown basketball is not that great. Football, there’s been a lot of D-II, D-III schools here, which I’ve talked to a lot; all of us guys have talked to them a lot. Baseball I’ve had a lot. I actually went on a visit today to RCSJ in Cumberland. I’ve been to Penn State-Abington and I’ve been to a couple others down south, which were pretty cool, like Alabama and Auburn. I was trying to go down to Florida, but I didn’t have a tournament down there so I couldn’t go.

I just want to play. I want somewhere I can get a degree, but I also want to just play for fun and just have a good time. Everyone says I have a unique size and you can’t teach size, so having that I can definitely work a lot harder with a lot of college guys, help me push a lot harder. And doing one sport at one time is even better.

RSN: Have you given any consideration or asked the programs that are talking to you if you could play multiple sports at their schools?

RS: There are some football coaches in here who say they want dual sport athletes, but I’ll mostly likely just want to focus on one sport.

RSN: Do you think playing multiple sports impacts that recruiting good or bad because they don’t know what sport you favor?

RS: I think it’s good because it shows that you’re very athlete, that you’re a team guy, you play with different people and you learn more about different sports. You’re training for that sport and then you have to transition to a different sport and you have to train for that, which not a lot of people can really do, so I think that’s a special gift to have.

RSN: As a multi-sport guy here you had the unique experience to adjusting to two new head coaches (football with Frank Trautz and basketball with Ramon Roots). That can be a challenge as well. What’s that been like?

RS: Fun, really. Roots was here for football as an assistant and getting to meet him before the (basketball) season was actually a little bit better because you were getting to know him and getting to see how functions around guys.

And Trautz coming in for football, we had him last year as an assistant and with coach (John) Adams stepping down we kind of saw it coming up and being a big part of this team. As we were going through summer camp we kind of thought this could be our year to do the same thing we did last year, which was go pretty far because of Trautz.

He had this big mindset going into the season, brought a lot of new plays in, a lot of new formations and a lot of new guys we had stepping up, which was big.

Even when they were assistants they talked to us about everything. They were there for us, so it really hasn’t changed. They were just always there.

RSN: If I remember right you’re related to Penns Grove football coach Mark Maccarone. That must’ve made that game pretty fun. Are there any other sports luminaries in your family tree?

RS: They’re my dad’s first cousins. It was a real fun game because he actually came over that night after the game, Greg and Mark, and it was real fun. We always talk throughout the season about football games. Even when Greg was at Glassboro coaching for them I always made jokes to him like “You shouldn’t be there, buddy, but you’re there.” He would laugh and whatnot, but we would have our times. Even his son Nick, whose at Montclair State, we talked about football, he gave me some advice and some pointers for it, so they’ve actually been a big help to me. They tell people all around they have a cousin who’s 6-6 who can play all three sports. 

RSN: What makes Woodstown sports so successful every year across the board?

RS: Just working out from freshman year, you’re seeing all the juniors and seniors working and seeing how they move with the game, seeing how their coached and seeing how they are off the field. It’s growing every year, growing every year with your buddies as your group, you get a sense they’re like your brothers and when you’re on the field you’ve got discipline.

All of us as a group, this year as seniors, we all had a mindset we could be how we were last year even with the guys that we lost – and we did it.

RSN: Knowing the story isn’t completely finished, what have been your best one or two all-time Rocco moments so far? 

RS: My first two were the first and second round of the playoffs last year in baseball against Maple Shade and Pennsville. I hit a home run in the fourth inning against Maple Shade to give us a 1-0 lead. That kind of changed the game. And in Pennsville going back-to-back with AP (Andrew Pedrick) that was a cool moment because I don’t that’s been done in a while here at Woodstown and we kind of knew what that game meant. That was our time.

In football it was that championship game against Shore. That was a really fun game for me. That has to be third. Just playing with those group of guys and kicking the crap out of Shore was real fun.

Rocco String stomps on the plate after hitting the back piece of back-to-back homers with Andrew Pedrick in the first inning of last year’s South Jersey Group I baseball playoff game at Pennsville.

RSN: What did you think of the football season and what are you expectations for basketball?

RS: I think we’ll be OK. I don’t think we’ll be as good as a lot of other teams up north because they breathe basketball up there. Basketball isn’t as strong down here, but we do it to the best of our ability. A lot of times basketball is not our strongest sport, a lot of guys just play it for fun, they play it to get exercise, basketball is just here.

For football at the beginning of the season we heard a lot of talk that we weren’t going to be that good, but we kind of had a chip on our shoulder and when Coach Trautz came in he had a chip on his shoulder, too. He was feeling kind of how we were feeling, like, listen, we’re not going to have anyone talk us down. Beating Delsea first game of the season that kind of ran something through our minds that we’ve got this, we can do it, we just have to work hard at it.

RSN: Can you tell any difference already how basketball is different with Roots here?

RS: We’ve been doing a lot more running, a lot more technical work that we didn’t really get to do last year, which has been helping us a lot. Running has been a big part. Last year we didn’t do much of that and we’ve been doing it every day at the beginning of practice, which is good for us. And we’re doing more defensive work, because that was a big struggle last year.

RSN: What’s Rocco all about off the field. What do you do that’s no sports related?

RS: My family has a construction business (MLS Lawns and Landscapes) that I work on a lot with my dad. I do all the hard work. I wake up at 4 in the morning and pour concrete with the guys. I do all the site work with my dad. And I also work on a farm with my uncle in Harrisonville.

When I’m working, that’s kind of my weight room. It takes a toll on your body, but when I’ve got the chance to go to the weight room I’ll go because I know I need to put a lot of weight on. I want to try to get to 240-250 of just lean muscle because I think that’ll help me out a lot in college. I think if I put on 20 pounds of muscle that’ll be perfect for me.

And I’m either fishing or hunting with my buddies that are around here and being around my girlfriend.

RSN: Just from your size, the position you play, your body type, you remind me of former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski. Do you get that? 

RS: I’ve heard a lot about that, like you remind me of a professional player of this sport or that sport. I see that, but I don’t really feel like that because it’s just my size.

A lot of guys tell me I look like, baseball wise, Freddie Freeman, because he’s 6-6. Football wise it’s more like Gronk or Travis Kelce, just a tall tight end. In basketball it’s more like a (Nikola) Jokic, a type of guy who’s real tall but plays the game real lanky. There are a lot of people who say stuff like that. 

RSN: Do you have any advice for kids who are playing multiple sports or may be having a hard time in one of the multiple sports they play?

RS: Just be a competitive person but also an energetic, fun and friendly person off the court and field. When you’re on the field you want to be as competitive as you can, talkative as you can, be a leader. 

For baseball I’m a leader. Because I first base I talk to all the guys. Basketball, I’m a leader because I’m a center, making sure everyone’s in their places. Football, all of us were leaders, all of guys as seniors. When you’re on the field you have to have a mindset that you’re the guy everyone trusts, you’re the guy who puts people in position. I’ve gotten that the last couple years, I’ve kind of built that up. I’ve seen it in myself, telling guys where to go.

Don’t be scared of doing other sports. Try it. Even if it’s the first time. You’ll get coached. When you’re a little kid, like 10-12 years old, just try. Just do as many sports as you can. It won’t hurt you. It’ll just make you better.

RSN: Thanks for taking the time for this. We do these extended interviews in hopes of introducing people to the personalities of the players they watch beyond the arena.

RS: Just a friendly giant, that’s all.

This week’s schedule

Here is the schedule for Salem County sports teams for the week of Dec. 16-21; games 4 p.m. unless noted; x-scrimmage

MONDAY, DEC. 16
GIRLS BASKETBALL
x-Pennsville at Palmyra
x-Woodstown at Kingsway
BOYS BASKETBALL
x-Clearview at Woodstown
x-Palmyra at Pennsville
Buena at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
SWIMMING
Woodstown vs. West Deptford at Riverwinds, 3:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, DEC. 17
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Schalick at Cape May Tech, 5:30 p.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Cape May Tech at Schalick
SWIMMING
Schalick vs. Camden Academy Charter at Vineland YMCA, 3:15 p.m.
INDOOR TRACK
Salem, Penns Grove at Bennett Center, Toms River, 5 p.m.
WRESTLING
Salem, Palmyra at Pennsville, 5 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. ACIT
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Mercer County CC at Salem CC, 5 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Wildwood at Pennsville
Salem at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m.
Schalick at Clayton, 5:30 p.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Wildwood at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
Clayton at Schalick, 5:30 p.m.
Woodstown at Salem, 5:30 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem in Holiday Showcase at Laurel Lanes, Maple Shade, 3:30 p.m.
Salem Tech vs. Gloucester Catholic at Wood Lanes

THURSDAY, DEC. 19
SWIMMING
Schalick vs. Gloucester Catholic at GCIT, 4:45 p.m.
Woodstown vs. Deptford at GCIT, 7 p.m.
WRESTLING
Penns Grove at Schalick
Timber Creek at Woodstown, 6 p.m.
Pennsville girls at Beast of the East Tournament (U of Del.)
TRACK
Pennsville Polar Bear Meet, 3 p.m.
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC, 5 p.m.

FRIDAY, DEC. 20
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Overbrook at Schalick, 5:30 p.m.
Pennsville at Glassboro, 5:30 p.m.
Salem at Salem Tech
Woodstown at Penns Grove
BOYS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Pennsville, 3 p.m.
Penns Grove at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m.
Salem Tech at Salem, 3 p.m.
Schalick at Overbrook, 5:30 p.m.
WRESTLING
Pennsville at William Penn (Del.) Invitational 
Pennsville girls at Beast of the East Tournament (U of Del.)

SATURDAY, DEC. 21
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic, 1:30 p.m.
Boardwalk Classic
Wildwood Convention Center
Penns Grove vs. Timber Creek, 2:15 p.m.
SJIBT Tournament
Highland at Woodstown, 11:30 a.m.
WRESTLING
Salem girls at Jackson Liberty Tournament, 9 a.m.
Pennsville at William Penn (Del.) Invitational, 10 a.m.
Woodstown in Beast of the East Tournament (U of Del.)
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem, Woodstown at Ott Center, Philadelphia

A tough test

Salem CC men have another slow start, play better in second half but still fall to No. 12 Brookdale

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – In the world of wrestling you can’t be the man until you beat the man. In the basketball world, you can’t be somebody until you’ve done something.

The Salem CC basketball team has won nine games this year and came out against the No. 12 team in the country Saturday with a swagger coach Mike Green didn’t think they necessarily earned yet and Brookdale put the Mighty Oaks in their place quickly.

The Jersey Blues opened a 16-point halftime lead and carried it to a 84-76 victory.

“We came out like we were Brookdale, like we were ranked No. 12,” Green said. “As if we had some type of success, as if we won however many national championships they’ve won, and we’re not good enough to do that. We’ve got to come out fighting.

“When you come out like that, they’ll show you who they are.”

The Mighty Oaks (9-4) led only once — 9-8 on a Josh Ramos 3-pointer — but it was at that the Blues (10-3) started putting away.

The slow start was fueled by poor shooting, an oddity of sorts given that Saturday afternoons at home have been some of Salem’s best shooting games, and turnovers. Salem shot only 26 percent from the floor in the first half and hit only two 3-pointers.

Green said it bothered him “big time” the approach his shorthanded team seemed to display approaching the game. The nine wins it has scored this year are the same number it had last year after Green took over, so whatever success they’ve enjoyed has really been a wash in his mind.

“It’s arrogance and I’m not an arrogant person,” he said. “I wasn’t an arrogant player, I’m not an arrogant coach, so it bothered me big time.

“You’ve got to do something. We haven’t done anything. We won nine game. We won nine games last year. We’re right at where we were last year. We’re not OK with that, we’re not satisfied with that.”

They started the second half hot, hitting three 3s in the first 90 seconds, and doubled their offensive productive over the first half. They shot shot 50 percent from the floor in the second half, but Brookdale matched them shooting 52 percent without attempting a 3.

The Mighty Oaks just couldn’t get the deficit to a manageable number. They got it to 10 with 2:25 to play and spent the rest of the time trying to cut into it by putting Brookdale on the foul line, but the Jersey Blues went 9-of-13 to negate that strategy.

Salem did place five scorers in double figures, but only played eight. Josh Ramos was their leading scorer with 15 points. Shyheed Taylor and Dontarius Jones each had 13 and Tivon Woolford and Xavier Brewington each had 10.

Rodney Shelton and A.J. Jones both grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, but Jones didn’t score. Green expected a different type of Salem team, one worthy of producing some swagger, when all the injured players return.

The Mighty Oaks return to the floor Thursday against RCSJ-Cumberland in their final game of 2024. They’ll be looking to win 10 games before Christmas for the first time since the resumption of the program. The 2021-22 team also won nine games before the holidays.

BROOKDALE CC 84, SALEM CC 76
BROOKDALE (10-3) – Anthony Leger 5-8 1-3 11, Bruce Gooding 2-9 4-5 8, Devyn Wright-Myles 4-9 4-6 12, Jack Zink 6-13 2-2 14, Regan Burke 6-10 4-6 16, Shawn Valentine 0-0 1-2 1, Ariel Perez 0-0 1-2 1, Troy DaCruz 2-5 1-2 6, Latrell Thompson 4-5 1-2 9, Keith Allen 1-4 4-4 6. Totals 29-63 23-34 84.
SALEM (9-4) – Dontarius Jones 5-8 1-1 13, Tivon Woolford 3-7 3-4 10, Josh Ramos 6-12 0-0 15, Rodney Shelton 4-10 0-1 8, Shyheed Taylor 2-6 7-14 13, A.J. Jones 0-5 0-0 0, Xavier Brewington 3-13 2-3 10, Stefan Phillips 2-4 3-3 7. Totals 25-67 16-26 76.

Brookdale CC4143-84
Salem CC2551-76

3-point goals: Brookdale 3-11 (Leger 0-1, Zink 2-7, Burke 0-1, DaCruz 1-2); Salem 10-31 (D. Jones 2-3, Woolford 1-4, Ramos 3-9, Taylor 2-5, A. Jones 0-2, Brewington 2-8). Rebounds: Brookdale 35 (Burke 9, Leger 7, Thompson 7); Salem 48 (Shelton 11, A. Jones 11). Fouled out: Thompson, Ramos, Phillips. Total fouls: Brookdale 21, Salem 23.

New number, new focus

Salem sophomore Lecator sports new number, leads Rams to win in Red Devil Classic; host Penns Grove falls to Paulsboro

RED DEVIL CLASSIC
BOYS GAMES
Lindenwold 57, Glassboro 51
Salem 66, Woodbury 45
Paulsboro 50, Penns Grove 45

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – There was something distinctly different about Tymear Lecator when the Salem High sophomore went out for pre-game warmups before Saturday’s season opener in the Red Devil Classic.

The most obvious was he had a different number, gladly surrendering the No. 11 he wore when he burst on the scene last year for his long-time favorite No. 3. In more subtle terms, he has a new role now that the Rams aren’t as experienced as they were a year ago.

But what hasn’t changed in his aggressive drive to succeed. He got off to a solid start, scoring 16 points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing 10 assists as the Rams ran past Woodbury 66-45 on Penns Grove’s new multi-colored floor in Rudy Baric Gym.

“Last year (when he transferred from Winslow) I wanted 3, but a senior had it (Jabez Dejesus) so I just had to wait my turn,” Lecator said. “I wore 3 my whole life, coming up playing football, basketball, everything. It’s just been a childhood number. I just stuck with it my whole life.”

Expect to see that number a lot this season. Last year surrounded by senior scorers he was pretty much a straight point guard who could light it up in his own right. He had seven games of at least 15 points and at least two games with six or more assists.

But this year he knows that role will change as he’s penciled in to fill the shoes of graduated 1,000-point scorer Anthony Farmer, the son of the head coach and now at Rutgers-Newark.

“Now I have to be a leader,” he said. “I don’t have seniors to depend on, so now I have to lead, step it up as a young kid, so my approach definitely has changed.”

“We don’t have the two seniors he had last year, Anthony and Jabez, so a lot of leadership responsibility is on him,” head coach Anthony Farmer said. “It’s growing pains with him right now. He’s trying to learn. We’re on him hard to hold him accountable because he’s a real special player.”

The Rams got a lot of strong efforts in their season opener. Antwaun Rogers had 12 points and 10 rebounds, Desean Williams had nine points and 10 boards, and Donnie Williams had six points, five rebounds and two assists.

“I was really happy with the effort and the energy that was displayed,” Farmer said. “We shared the ball (and) stuck to the gameplan with discipline. I’m proud of them. I’m proud of where we are right now.”

Lecator’s old number didn’t fall far from the family tree. Lecator’s cousin Darrelle Johnson, a transfer from Millville, now has the 11 and he had his own moment in the game.

Johnson threw down his first varsity dunk in the final minute against the Herd. He had two chances at it. The first came with about 30 seconds left. He stole the ball near midcourt and raced in alone on the goal ready to bring the crowd to its feet with a monster jam. But he went for it too soon and the ball loudly banged off the goal.

He got a second chance a few seconds later in a veritable instant replay, midcourt steal and all. Only this time he didn’t miss. The dunk gave him 11 points for the game.

“The first one I flicked my wrist too early,” Johnson said. “I was disappointed, but I looked at the scoreboard and saw I had 30 more seconds.”

“I knew he was going to make it up,” Lecator said. “I just was waiting for it.”

Farmer was happy to see it.

“He’s an explosive athlete,” the Rams coach said. “He came here to showcase what we can do. I’m happy for Derrell. Hope this is a boost of confidence.”

SALEM 66, WOODBURY 45
SALEM (1-0) – Tymear Lecator 4 7-8 16, Darrelle Johnson 5 0-0 11, Deshawn Williams 4 1-6 9, Antwaun Rogers 5 0-0 10, Neziah Spence 1 2-2 5, Kyaire Person 0 0-0 0, Donovan Weathers 3 0-0 6, Xavier McGriff 2 0-0 4, Cole Sayers 0 0-0 0, Harlem Parson 1 0-0 3, Others 0 2-4 2. Totals 25 12-20 66.
WOODBURY (0-1) – Dev Williams 4 2-5 10, Jajuan Soloman 6 0-2 12, Kev Williams 0 0-0 0, C.J. Hood 0 0-0 0, Jaden Farmer 2 2-2 6, R.J. Heigler 4 2-6 10, Omar Johnson 0 0-0 0, Thomas Lewis 1 0-0 2, Curt Stokes 2 0-0 5. Totals 19 6-15 45.

Woodbury1191212-45
Salem17181615-66

3-point goals: Woodbury 1 (Stokes); Salem 4 (Spence, Lecator, Johnson, Parson). Technical fouls: Rogers. Total fouls: Woodbury 15, Salem 14.

Paulsboro 50, Penns Grove 45

If you’re going to watch Penns Grove play this season you’re going to need a couple things, like a seat belt or a neck brace.

One thing was evident in Saturday’s season opener: The Red Devils are going to play at break-neck speed and those who can’t keep up will find themselves behind in a heartbeat.

Sometimes they played a little too fast for their own good Saturday, but it’s the style that suits them. Early in the game it served them well, but in the second quarter they lost control of the throttle and the game started to get away from them. 

“That’s part of the game,” Penns Grove coach Damien Ware said. “We go 100 percent and our last (minutes) we’ve got to slow it down to 75. If we learn how to do that and get under control …

“One of the things on the board for our keys to victory is attack under control. We got out of control today and were moving a little bit too fast. That’s just a result of guys having that first time being in this situation. We’ll get better as the year goes on.”

The fast pace served the Red Devils well early and they jumped out to an 11-3 lead in the first quarter, but their turnovers and missed shots mounted in the second and third quarters. They trailed by nine at halftime and 11 after three quarters, but kicked it back into gear in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance.

Jameel Horace scored six points in a minute to get the Red Devils within one with 2:30 to play, but they got going a little fast for their own good again and couldn’t get the lead. It was a four-point game with 1:22 left when Karon Ceaser made steals on back-to-back possessions to give them a chance but the Red Devils couldn’t convert either and Paulsboro closed it out with a couple free throws.

“We have a solid team; I think we can be a pretty good team this year,” Ware said. “Now, we’re young. We’re very inexperienced. We have guys who really haven’t played at the varsity level  and meaningful minutes like that so this was a good game to get a little barometer and feel what it feels like at that level

“If we just make our layups and free throws we win that game by 15 points. I’m not sure what the numbers looks like but I know we missed at least 10 to 15 free throws (and) we missed at least 10 layups.”

Horace finished with 10 points. He had eight points and four rebounds in the fourth quarter. Antwon Robinson and B.J. Robbins also had 10 points apiece. Ceaser had five points and eight steals. 

Malakhai McKenzie led Paulsboro with 18 points, 10 rebounds and five steals. Eric Scott didn’t score, but he grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots.

PAULSBORO 50, PENNS GROVE 45
PAULSBORO (1-0) – Eric Scott 0 0-2 0, Ty Hodges 4 2-4 11, Malakhai McKenzie 5 4-8 16, Dayvon Kgrsey 3 1-4 7, Stephen Lane 3 0-0 7, Jamal Robinson 1 0-0 2, Aaron Scott 1 0-0 2, Jeremiah Carr 1 3-4 5, Ameel Harrington 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-22 50.
PENNS GROVE (0-1) – B.J. Robbins 4 1-2 10, Roman Gipson 1 1-2 3, Karon Ceaser 2 1-4 5, Antwon Robinson 4 1-2 10, Haneef Frisbee 0 1-4 1, Zane Thomas 2 1-2 5, Gianni Conrad 0 0-0 0, Jameel Horace 5 0-0 10, William Roy 0 1-4 1, Luis Colon 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 7-20 45.

Paulsboro3221510-50
Penns Grove1151416-45

3-point goals: Paulsboro 4 (Hodges, McKenzie 2, Lane); Penns Grove 2 (Robbins, Robinson). Fouled out: Scott, Hodges, Frisbee. Total fouls: Paulsboro 20, Penns Grove 22.