It isn’t easy being a first-year head football coach and in Salem County it’s been particularly challenging
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
Every football coach who comes into a new situation brings with him enthusiasm and optimism. He usually gets his first win even before the team takes the field, winning the introductory press conference.
Winning on the field, well, that takes a little longer as he tries to make headway against the reality of the underlying circumstances that brought him to the position in the first place.
It isn’t easy being a first-year head football coach and in Salem County it’s been a particularly bumpy ride.
This year has seen the largest turnover of head coaching spots among the county’s five football-playing schools since 2006 – three (Penns Grove, Salem, Woodstown) – and for two of them it’s been a tough go.
Woodstown’s Frank Trautz has had the best of it, going 6-0 with two regular season games remaining after being promoted from within an already winning staff. But it hasn’t been quite so rosy for Penns Grove’s Marc Maccarone or Salem’s Kemp Carr, two outside hires who are 1-6 and 0-7, respectively, going into this weekend’s games.
But the struggles have been the norm for new Salem County coaches. Of the 18 first-year head coaches over the last 21 years, only four have had winning first-year campaigns – Seth Brown (Schalick), Ryan Wood (Pennsville), Montrey Wright (Salem) and Trautz – but they’re the unicorns. Eleven have had losing seasons and three have broken even.
Only eight have gotten to the playoffs in their first year, with Trautz expected to join that list this year. The Wolverines are currently the No. 1 team in the South Jersey Group I power points standings.
“Where a school is hiring a football coach it’s rarely a good situation,” said Schalick head coach Mike Wilson, who went 0-7 his first year with the Cougars to 11-1 last season. “Most of the time the program has struggled and there’s a reason why they’re looking for a coach. There’s not too many programs where you just hand it off and they keep it rolling. It does happen, but usually it’s not a great job when you get that first job; there’s a lot of work to do.”
The chart below documents the struggles of Salem County’s most recent first-year coaches. It’s not an indictment on their coaching ability. Almost all of them have gone on to produce multiple winning/championship seasons once they got their program in place; Carr and Maccarone won championships at other postings. It’s just an illustration of how hard it is to get it started.
“The coach can only control so much,” Wilson said. “They need the support of the school, the administration, the community, the parents; it’s a total group effort. And you need patience because a year turnaround doesn’t happen. You need patience, your school needs patience and if you don’t have support of those other things there’s only so much you can do.
”It really comes down to how much does the school, the administration and the community want football to be successful, because if you’re trying to build a program you need all those things. It takes time and patience. Just show up and play football from August to November, you can’t do that anymore.”
Once that first-year coach gets his program blueprint established and starts to taste a little success, a whole new set of challenges present themselves. The next goal becomes finding a way to maintain that success. That, friends, is a whole different conversation.
Cover photo: Salem County’s three new head football coaches (from left) Woodstown’s Frank Trautz, Salem’s Kemp Carr and Penns Grove’s Marc Maccarone.
First Year Salem County Football Coaches (Since 2003)
Here is the high school sports schedule for Salem County teams for the week of Oct. 14-19
MONDAY, OCT. 14 BOYS SOCCER Palmyra at Schalick Woodstown at Clayton, 11 a.m. GIRLS SOCCER Woodstown at Clayton, 1 p.m.
TUESDAY, OCT. 15 GIRLS TENNIS Salem at Penns Grove Wildwood at Schalick, 4:15 p.m. Group I Sectional Finals Pennsville at Pitman, Shertel Park, 3 p.m. Glen Ridge at Hanover Park New Providence at Highland Park Pascack Hills at Glen Rock CROSS COUNTRY TCC Batch Meet at Kingsway, 3:30 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Deptford at Pennsville Glassboro at Salem St. Joe’s at Schalick BOYS SOCCER Salem at Highland GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Salem Tech at Cape May Tech
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16 BOYS SOCCER Penns Grove at Pennsville, 3:30 p.m. Pitman at Salem Woodstown at Salem Tech GIRLS SOCCER Gloucester at Schalick Penns Grove at Paulsboro Salem at Pennsville, 6 p.m. Salem Tech at Woodstown GIRLS TENNIS Haddon Heights at Schalick Pennsville at Millville, 3:45 p.m.
THURSDAY, OCT. 17 FIELD HOCKEY Overbrook at Schalick Pennsville at Bridgeton Salem at Clayton Woodstown at Clearview GIRLS TENNIS Overbrook at Woodstown Penns Grove at Schalick Salem at Glassboro
Group I Final Four Mercer County Park Semifinals, 11 a.m. Championship Match, 1 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER Penns Grove at Pitman, 6:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, OCT. 18 FOOTBALL Pennsville at Lawrence, 6:30 p.m. Collingswood at Camden Catholic Glassboro at Schalick Paulsboro at West Deptford FIELD HOCKEY Egg Harbor Twp. at Woodstown BOYS SOCCER Clayton at Salem Tech Salem at Gloucester Catholic Schalick at Glassboro Woodstown at Overbrook GIRLS SOCCER Clayton at Salem Tech Gloucester Catholic at Salem Pennsville at Penns Grove Overbrook at Woodstown GIRLS TENNIS Pennsville at Salem, 3:45 p.m. Penns Grove at Pitman Schalick at Glassboro VOLLEYBALL Salem Tech at Triton
SATURDAY, OCT. 19 FOOTBALL Penns Grove at Woodbury, 10:30 a.m. Audubon at Overbrook, 11 a.m. Woodstown at Salem, noon GIRLS SOCCER Cherry Hill West at Schalick
Saturday football: Pennsville’s loss at Paulsboro turns on three big miscues in second half; Woodstown hits 6-0 for first time since 2013, but facing adversity
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PAULSBORO – Pennsville came out for the second half Saturday brimming with confidence. After a flat first half and long halftime, they were convinced things were going to be different.
And they did start fast, getting two long touchdown bursts from Rylan Hardy to take their first lead of the game. Sure, it was only a two-point lead, but momentum was building on their side. Even their sideline sounded louder after the first score tied the game.
But then things went south. In a hurry. Like a Jenga tower when the wrong block gets pulled.
The Eagles gave up a big play and a touchdown on the next possession to lose the lead and then made three huge mistakes over the next five minutes of game clock they couldn’t recover from and lost to Paulsboro 36-24.
They gave up a 48-yard run to Sawyer Cabanas on the first play after Hardy’s 65-yard touchdown run and Robbie McDade’s conversion pass to Malik Rehmer gave the Eagles a 16-14 lead with 4:39 left in the third quarter. That eventually led to Aundre Hill’s second touchdown of the quarter to put the Red Raiders back on top.
But it got worse. It was still only a six-point game, but the Eagles mishandled a bouncing ball on the ensuing kickoff and Paulsboro recovered. They made the Red Raiders work for it, but Jahsir Johnson tossed a 2-yard TD pass to Jeremiah Carr on fourth-and-goal to stretch the lead.
On the next possession Hardy had a for-sure 47-yard touchdown run, but it was called back by a holding penalty. The Eagles started going backwards after that and then on fourth down they snapped a ball over the punter’s head for a 23-yard loss.
Paulsboro took over in the red zone and Cabanas eventually scored on a 1-yard run.
“You can call it bad luck, but you’ve got to make your own luck also in football, and we just didn’t do some things right today,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “It kind of started compounding and we weren’t able to settle down and get control of the game again. We just kept making mistakes one on top of the other and that’s what happens.
“It’s frustrating but at the same time we put ourselves in that position by not playing well in the first half.”
The first half was kind of a snoozefest with very little action, but that changed in the second half. The teams traded touchdowns on the first four possessions and then it broke on the mishandled kickoff.
The play happened on the far side of the field and Healy didn’t get a clear look at it so he deferred comment except to chalk it up to cascade of mistakes that was to come.
“We’ve got to coach that up better,” Healy said.
The loss spoiled a big game from Hardy. The junior running back came to life in the second half and picked up 127 of his 145 yards rushing in the third quarter with runs of 28, 29 and 65 yards. And he was denied another 47 yards in the fourth.
Paulsboro, meanwhile, spread the wealth. KyAire Harvey rushed for 113 yards in the first half, including a 64-yard touchdown for the only points of the half. He finished with 193 yards rushing. Cabanas had 73 yards and Hill had 70.
The Eagles did salvage a bit of pride when they drove 45 and scored on Robbie McDade’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Malik Rehmer with just under a minute to play.
“I was glad to us playing there til the end,” Healy said. “Defensively we were still trying to get after kids. It’s frustrating all around, but it’s always good to see kids are still trying to move the ball and do what they’re supposed to do. You’re still to coach ‘em the whole time even when it’s in a situation like that.”
Paulsboro 36, Pennsville 24
PENN
PAUL
8
1st Downs
12
22-161
Rushing
40-343
6-11-0
Passes
5-8-0
67
Passing
29
2-1
Fum-Lost
2-1
3-28.7
Punts
1-25.0
7-45
Penalties
7-50
Pennsville (3-4)
0
0
16
8-
24
Paulsboro (5-2)
8
0
14
14-
36
SCORING SUMMARY PB-KyAire Harvey 64 run (Jeremiah Carr pass from Jahsir Johnson), 6:36 1Q PV-Rylan Hardy 29 run (Malik Rehmer pass from Robbie McDade), 7:18 3Q PB-Aundre Hill 30 run (pass failed), 5:36 3Q PV-Rylan Hardy 65 run (Malik Rehmer pass from Robbie McDade), 4:30 3Q PB-Aundre Hill 9 run (Jeremiah Carr pass from Jahsir Johnson), 1:10 3Q PB-Jeremiah Carr 2 pass from Jahsir Johnson), 10:21 4Q PB-Sawyer Cabanas 1 run (kick failed), 4:14 4Q PV-Malik Rehmer 9 pass from Robbie McDade (Robbie McDade run), 58.1 4Q
Woodstown backup quarterback Lucas Fulmer (2) watches starter Jack Holladay throw a pass in the first half against Haddon Heights. Fulmer directed the offense in the second half after Holladay got hurt late in the second quarter. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)
Wolverines win, but face adversity
HADDON HEIGHTS – Throughout his first season as Woodstown’s head coach, Frank Trautz has preferred to focus on the progress of his players and their team above any buzz their season-opening winning streak is creating.
The Wolverines won again Saturday, beating Haddon Heights 17-8 to reach 6-0 for the first time since 2013, but they’re about to face the first real challenge to that all-for-one mindset they’ve embraced.
Senior quarterback Jack Holladay suffered an upper body injury in the collarbone/shoulder area late in the second quarter and didn’t play the second half. The extent of his injury won’t be known until further evaluation Monday.
The Wolverines are currently tied with Glassboro for the WJFL Diamond Division lead and are the No. 1 team in the latest South Jersey Group I power points standings, meaning they would be a No. 1 South or Central Jersey seed for the third year in a row if the playoffs started today.
Holladay was in his first year as the Wolverines’ starter, stepping into the role following the graduation of his four-year starter cousin, Max Webb. In the first five games of the season he completed 17 of 35 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns. He was 3-for-3 for 53 yards, including a 42-yard pass to Garrett Leyman shortly before getting hurt.
“I think you know what I’m going to say about (the winning streak) – we’ll enjoy the win, let’s get ready for next week,” Trautz said. “We’re just a complete team. We can do it in a lot of different ways. The kids just pick each other up and it doesn’t matter really who’s doing it. We find a way to get it done.”
With Holladay on the sidelines, the Wolverines turned to backup quarterback Lucas Fulmer to run the offense in the second half. The junior has been the Wolverines’ JV quarterback and his appearance in the second half was his first varsity action.
“In my opinion in sports that’s one of the toughest spots to go in as a backup quarterback,” Trautz said. “He handled the offense well. He got us in and out of the huddle, controlled everything. I was very proud of the way he handled himself out there today.”
Of course, the playbook shrunk “a lot” with Fulmer in the game and the second half became more about “grind it out and get the win any way necessary,.”
“Football is all about facing adversity,” running back Bryce Belinfanti told Brian Tortella of South Jersey Glory Days after the game. “That’s what we had to do is face adversity. It’s a football game and at the end of the day we still had to go out and win the second half.”
The Wolverines were leading 10-0 at the time Holladay got hurt. Belinfanti capped their first possession with a 2-yard touchdown run and Jake Ware kicked a 25-yard second-quarter field goal. Belinfanti rushed for 98 yards in the game.
It stayed that way until the final minute of the game when Bobby Donahue scored from two yards out. The Garnets returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to avoid the shutout.
“That was huge to get that extra touchdown there at the end,” Trautz said.
If Holladay can’t go next Saturday at Salem Trautz has “complete faith” in Fulmer stepping up and doing the job. The 2013 team whose start this year’s team matched started 11-0.
“These guys play for one another and they pick each other up,” Trautz said. “I have no doubt if Jack can’t go next week then these guys will be ready to go.”
Woodstown 17, Haddon Heights 8
WOOD
HH
8
1st Downs
7
43-138
Rushing
25-35
3-3-0
Passes
5-8-1
53
Passing
11
4-20
Penalties
NA
Woodstown (6-0)
7
3
0
7-
7
Haddon Heights (1-5)
0
0
0
8-
8
SCORING SUMMARY WO-Bryce Belinfanti 2 run (Jake Ware kick) WO-Jake Ware 25 FG WO-Bobby Donahue 2 run (Jake Ware kick) HH-Camaj Matthews 75 kickoff return (Damier Outterbridge-Ali pass from Amare Ridley)
Lucas Fulmer (2) turns to hand the ball to Bryce Belinfanti in the second half against Haddon Heights. Belinfanti rushed for 98 yards in the game. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)
WJFL Standings
DIAMOND DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Woodstown (1)
3-0
6-0
Glassboro (4)
3-0
6-0
Schalick (6)
2-1
5-2
Woodbury (11)
1-2
2-4
Penns Grove (20)
0-3
1-6
Salem (23)
0-3
0-7
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Oct. 12
THURSDAY’S GAME Glassboro 40, Cinnaminson 10 Delran 38, Penns Grove 8 FRIDAY’S GAMES Schalick 28, Gloucester City 21 West Deptford 58, Salem 19 SATURDAY’S GAMES Willingboro 43, Woodbury 30 Woodstown 17, Haddon Heights 8
PATRIOT DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Camden Catholic (NPB-3)
4-0
6-0
Paulsboro (5)
4-1
5-2
West Deptford (G2-13)
3-1
4-3
Pennsville (12)
2-3
3-4
Audubon (13)
1-3
2-3
Collingswood (G2-16)
1-3
3-4
Overbrook (G2-25)
0-4
2-4-1
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power rankings through Oct. 7 (G2-Group 2, NPB-Non Public B)
FRIDAY’S GAMES Audubon 7, Collingswood 0 West Deptford 58, Salem 19 SATURDAY’S GAMES Camden Catholic 41, Overbrook 6 Paulsboro 36, Pennsville 24
West Deptford puts up season-high 58 points, collects nearly 400 yards of offense as Emel gets big win against his alma mater
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WEST DEPTFORD — Coaches try to tell their players that every game carries the same weight, whether it’s a long-time rivalry or some random team in the middle of the schedule, but you know there are some games that are just bigger than others.
On the emotional scale, the games that get West Deptford coach John Emel’s heart racing a little more are, no matter where he’s coaching, the ones he gets to face Salem.
WEST. DEPTFORD NEXT: Paulsboro, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.
He played there as a high schooler and cut his coaching teeth there before getting his first head coaching job at Penns Grove. On Friday night, for the 13th time as a head coach, he got on that emotional rollercoaster again and this time it was happy reunion as his team rolled over the Rams 58-19.
“I’m a graduate of Salem, my brother’s a graduate of Salem; we bled Salem Blue while we were players and all through college,” Emel said. “Once I went to Penns Grove that was always the most emotional game.
“To tell you the truth, I was a lot more nervous, not necessarily to play Salem, but to play (Rams) coach (Kemp) Carr. Have tremendous respect for him. Coached with him for eight years. Battled against him when he was an assistant coach, but this is the first time we went against each other as head coaches. He’s got passion. He was an assistant coach when I was a player at Salem. We were in the same huddle for eight years trying to get guys ready at Penns Grove.
“Playing him and playing Salem, all those things mean something, so you want to perform well. I know I was ready to go and I feel like I coached a pretty good game on offense.”
Indeed. The Eagles (4-3) scored their most points in a game this season – the most since putting 70 on Sterling in 2022 – and amassed nearly 400 yards of offense. They scored all seven times they possessed the ball and answered the Rams’ first touchdown by returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown.
But Emel wasn’t the only person on the West Deptford sideline to whom the game meant something special.
Senior running back Bryce Wright went 1-2 against the Rams when he played for Emel at Penns Grove and Friday was his last chance to even the score. He responded by rushing for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Last year, in a different uniform, he went for 118 yards and a touchdown against the Rams.
“Me being down in the rivalry 2-1 just made me go out there and give it my all,” Wright said. “It’s my last year I get to play my rival so I had to go 100 percent. I definitely think I ran harder this game. A lot of the kids on the other side of the ball I know them personally, so roughing up on them is like childhood days.
“Last night (Emel) was like yeah, bud, you know it’s personal for us. Man, we’ve got to go out here and get a big one, four hard quarters of football, and that’s what we gave him.”
SALEM NEXT: Woodstown, Oct. 19, noon
The game was entertaining for a while. The Eagles jumped out to a 15-0 first-quarter lead, but the Rams didn’t fold.
One of the biggest faults of the Rams all season had been their ability to move the ball between the 30s but not being able to finish. They went about their business Friday alternating quarterbacks Troy Carey and Quimere Bergen on virtually every snap with an occasional direct snap to Pop Jackson as a change of pace.
“It’s a rhythm thing,” Carr said. “Both of the guys have their talents and their skills so we wanted to try to use them.”
The Rams got into the red zone three times in the first half and Carey got them in the end zone twice. Jackson pushed in from the 2 and Carey threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Robinson.
“It felt good (getting into the end zone),” Carey said. “Guys were working together, we played together as a team. Everything was working well.”
But the Eagles answered both times – once on an 88-yard kickoff return by Zamir Davis and once on Brady Cobb’s TD pass to Michael Joseph with 29 seconds left in the half.
It was the time the Rams didn’t get in from the red zone, however, that had Carr upset. Jamaal Shockley raced 72 yards with the kickoff after Joseph’s score to set the Rams up at the West Deptford 5. On what amounted to the final play of the half, freshman Isiah Santiago dropped Carey’s pass in the front left corner of the end zone.
The halftime horn sounded shortly after the ball hit the ground, but Carr contended – and his sideline replays confirmed — there should have been time on the clock. That would have been enough to take another shot at the end zone or give Andrew May a shot at a field goal. Instead, they went into the break down 30-13.
“We didn’t get in when we should have gotten in,” Carr said. “You’ve got to score there and that’s the point. I don’t want to talk about us getting it in. I want to talk about we didn’t get it in and we should’ve gotten it in and we had the ball with 1.9 seconds on the clock and they said the time expired. That’s what makes me mad.”
The Rams had high expectations for the second half, but those were quickly dashed when Kaden Robinson mishandled the second half kickoff and Bergen fumbled in the next series while absorbing a 13-yard loss. The Eagles recovered both miscues and converted both times for a 44-13 lead.
“We’ve got to do those things better,” Carr said. “We do those things better and we’re in a different situation. Everybody can see we can play football … It’s like I’ve said: You can’t build a house from the ceiling down. You’ve got to build from the foundation. We saw some good things and we’ll take the good things that we did.”
West Deptford 58, Salem 19
SAL
WD
9
1st Downs
19
24-72
Rushing
43-312
4-9-0
Passes
4-7-0
49
Passing
67
1-1
Fum-Lost
0-0
0
Punts
0
4-24
Penalties
3-25
Salem (0-7)
15
15
20
8-
58
West Deptford (4-3)
0
13
6
0-
19
SCORING SUMMARY WD-Cole Paszkiewicz 41 run (Brady Cobb kick), 9:15 1Q WD-Bryce Wright 13 run (Zamir Davis run), 2:31 1Q S-Pop Jackson 2 run (Andrew May kick), 10:17 2Q WD-Zamir Davis 88 kickoff return (Brady Cobb kick), 10:03 2Q S-Kaden Robinson 17 pass from Troy Carey (kick blocked), 5:20 2Q WD-Michael Joseph 10 pass from Brady Cobb (Bryce Wright run), 28.9 2Q WD-Bryce Wright 6 run (pass failed), 9:10 3Q WD-Zamir Davis 4 run (Michael Joseph pass from Brady Cobb), 6:05 3Q WD-Bryce Wright 26 run (kick failed), 8.8 3Q S-Pop Jackson 84 kickoff return (kick failed), 0:00 3Q WD-Logan Rivell 2 run (Bryce Wynn run), 1:11 4Q
WJFL DIAMOND DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Woodstown (1)
3-0
5-0
Glassboro (5)
3-0
6-0
Schalick (2)
2-1
5-2
Woodbury (14)
1-2
2-3
Penns Grove (20)
0-3
1-6
Salem (22)
0-3
0-7
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Oct. 7
THURSDAY’S GAME Glassboro 40, Cinnaminson 10 Delran 38, Penns Grove 8 FRIDAY’S GAMES Schalick 28, Gloucester City 21 West Deptford 58, Salem 19 SATURDAY’S GAMES Willingboro at Woodbury, 11 a.m. Woodstown at Haddon Heights, 11 a.m.
WJFL PATRIOT DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Camden Catholic (NPB-3)
3-0
5-0
Paulsboro (6)
3-1
4-2
West Deptford (G2-15)
3-1
4-3
Pennsville (10)
2-2
3-3
Audubon (17)
1-3
2-3
Collingswood (G2-13)
1-3
3-4
Overbrook (G2-23)
0-3
2-3-1
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power rankings through Oct. 7 (G2-Group 2, NPB-Non Public B)
FRIDAY’S GAMES Audubon 7, Collingswood 0 West Deptford 58, Salem 19 SATURDAY’S GAMES Camden Catholic at Overbrook, 11 a.m. Pennsville at Paulsboro, noon
Senior transfer receiver Mills grabs game-winning touchdown pass with less than 30 seconds left to lift the Cougars past Gloucester
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
GLOUCESTER — Schalick coach Mike Wilson opened up the playbook a little Friday night and found Zaeshawn Mills inside.
Mills, a senior transfer from Cumberland in only his second year playing high school football, made three big catches for the Cougars, two for touchdowns, including the game-winner with 26 seconds left to beat Gloucester, 28-21.
“The bottom line, and we’ve been talking about it for a couple weeks, for the offense to take it to the next level we’ve got to be able to throw the ball,” Wilson said. “It just makes us much more difficult to defend. Zaeshawn had a great game.”
Mills scored the first touchdown of the game on a 30-yard pass from Kenai Simmons and the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yarder from Simmons. He also made a leaping 37-yard catch to get the Cougars in the red zone on the winning drive.
“I’d say that’s my biggest catch,” Mills said of his game-winner. “I knew the ball was coming to me because my quarterback looked me in the eye and he was like, be ready, make it count. He told me to make it count. I came off the line, got in position, the ball was right in my hands.”
Simmons was 8-for-12 for 133 yards passing. Mills caught three balls for 78 yards.
Mills played lot of football in his youth, but he took time off after the COVID pandemic. He returned to the game last year as a junior at Cumberland — he even caught one of his eight passes in the game against Schalick — and then transferred to the Cougars for his senior year.
As a senior transfer he was required to sit the first three games of the season, but he’s assimilated well into the team’s culture.
“He’s a good addition to our locker room,” Wilson said.
Mills caught eight passes for 127 yards last year for Cumberland. He had caught only one pass for the Cougars prior to Friday night’s breakout.
“I want to thank my coaches for putting me in that position and my quarterback for trusting me,” Mills said. “That felt good.”
The game was a back-and-forth affair with each team answering the other’s touchdown. The lead changed hands four times before the Lions tied it at 21 with less than three minutes to play.
The Cougars started the winning drive from their own 37 with 2:50 to play with two time outs. They ran three straight running plays to get near midfield, then Simmons threw his big ball to a leaping Mills with a minute left. Reggie Allen picked up 6 on the next play to get it inside the 10 and then Simmons found Mills over the middle for the game-winner.
“We knew that at the very least we could get a field goal to win the game,” Wilson said. “We started moving the ball, we get the big chunk play to Mills and then we’re like, all right, we’ll take a shot in the end zone and if we don’t get it we’ll kick the field goal. We’ve got a kid with a great foot (Hunter Dragotta). Then we threw the slant to Mills and won the game that way.
“The real neat thing with this team is every week we have enough depth, enough kids, where this week it’s Mills, next week it could be somebody else. We’re more than just one person, which is really nice to coach and could be really nice down the stretch. Who knows who it’s going to be next week. I think it’s going to be one of those years, which I’m OK with.”
The Cougars (5-2), the No. 2 team in the South Jersey Group I power points standings, have won four in a row.
Cover photo: A screen grab from DW Broadcasting’s live stream shows Schalick receiver Zaeshawn Mills’ making the game-winning catch against Gloucester.
Schalick coach Mike Wilson presents senior receiver Zaeshawn Mills (R) with the offensive game ball. Mills caught two touchdown passes from Kenai Simmons (1), including the game winner in the final 30 seconds. (Photo by Heather Papiano)
Schalick 28, Gloucester 21
SCHAL (28)
GLOU (21)
16
1st Downs
11
36-147
Rushing
31-24
7-13-1
C-A-I
6-9-0
130
Passing
161
0-0
Fum-lost
2-2
4-38
Penalties
4-39
Schalick (5-2)
6
7
0
15-
28
Gloucester (2-4)
7
0
7
7-
21
SCORING SUMMARY S-Zaeshawn Mills 30 pass from Kenai Simmons (kick failed) G-Mason Widman 6 run (Ashton Wall kick) S-Kenai Simmons 5 run (Hunter Dragotta kick) G-Kevin Boulden 1 run (Ashton Wall kick) S-Kenai Simmons 7 run (Nyzier Wonder pass from Levi Feeney-Childers) G-Trevin Buchardt 2 run (Ashton Wall kick) S-Zaeshawn Mills 9 pass from Kenai Simmons (Hunter Dragotta kick)
WJFL DIAMOND DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Woodstown (1)
3-0
5-0
Glassboro (5)
3-0
6-0
Schalick (2)
2-1
5-2
Woodbury (14)
1-2
2-3
Penns Grove (20)
0-3
1-6
Salem (22)
0-3
0-7
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Oct. 7
THURSDAY’S GAME Glassboro 40, Cinnaminson 10 Delran 38, Penns Grove 8 FRIDAY’S GAMES Schalick 28, Gloucester City 21 West Deptford 58, Salem 19 SATURDAY’S GAMES Willingboro at Woodbury, 11 a.m. Woodstown at Haddon Heights, 11 a.m.
QB Sacca accounts for four first-half touchdowns and Delran goes on to rout Penns Grove 38-8; Red Devils avoid shutout in fourth quarter
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE – Delran coach Colin Hewko couldn’t help feeling like a stranger in a strange land and he was sure his players felt the same way.
The Bears were playing a Penns Grove team they’d never faced before, on the road in a stadium they’d never played in before, on a Thursday night in the middle of the season they’d never played on before.
DEL
PG
15
1st Downs
8
28-116
Rushing
22-63
12-16-1
C-A-I
7-13-2
192
Passing
81
0-0
Fum-Lost
1-1
0-0
Punts
3-20.0
3-25
Penalties
6-38
The best way to combat all that, Hewko told his players, was just focus on being themselves, staying in the moment and doing something that would make them comfortable.
They didn’t wait. On the third play of the game, Bears quarterback Vinny Sacca hit sophomore Jayden Alford with a pass over the middle. The play looked like it was going to get a modest gain, then suddenly Alford rolled off the bodies of his would-be tacklers, regained his footing and raced 50 yards to the end zone.
The Bears went on to score three more times in the first half and eventually hand Penns Grove its fifth straight loss, 38-8.
“That set the tone,” Sacca said.
Hewko said he only called the play to get some space to make the next down a little more manageable. But, he pointed out, when you do the little things right like Alford did, sometimes they turn into big plays.
“I just kept my feet moving and made a great play,” Alford said. “Our coach does a great job telling us to keep our feet moving until you’re down and just dominate. Don’t stop.
“He alligator rolled me and I rolled over his back, then once I was up it was all open because everybody else just gave up on the play and thought I was down. That’s one thing our coach tells us, never give up on the play, always give 100 each play. Once he rolled off me, he thought I was down. He gave up and I didn’t and that’s what it comes down to.”
The play caught everyone by surprise. Hewko, who was dealing with a drone issue on the sideline, didn’t see it until they showed him the replay on the I-pad. Sacca didn’t know what was happening even while it was happening.
“I was surprised because I thought he initially got tackled and I looked at the sticks to see if he got the first down,” the quarterback said. “Then I looked back over at him and he’s still running and people are cheering. I’m thinking what’s going on. It was a great play.”
Sacca connected on his first seven passes in three first-quarter touchdown drives and accounted for four scores total in the first half. He threw touchdown passes to Alford and Justin Mary in the first quarter and ran for a pair of 1-yard scores as the Bears (6-1) opened a 28-0 halftime lead.
The Bears scored on their first three possessions and four of five in the first half. And the one they missed was turned away by Karon Ceaser’s interception in the end zone. Sacca completed 12 of 16 passes for 192 yards in the game. He also rushed for 34 yards.
Alford’s big play was his only reception of the night. Mary caught four passes — all in the first half — for 86 yards.
“I’d say it was a better (start than usual), but my teammates really make it easy for me,” Sacca said. “I knew it was a pretty good start. I just wanted to keep it going. We’ve got a special team here and we’re looking for special things.”
The Delran defense held Penns Grove (1-6) to 83 yards through the first three quarters.
The Red Devils’ offense came to life in the fourth quarter. Knowledge Young caught a 17-yard pass from Melo Erickson for the Red Devils’ touchdown with 2:34 to play. Erickson completed three passes in the 53-yard drive for 40 yards. The Red Devils had three plays of 10 yards or better in the drive.
Cover photo: Delran quarterback Vinny Sacca (9) looks towards the bench for a play during Thursday night’s game at Penns Grove.
Delran 38, Penns Grove 8
Delran (6-1)
21
7
3
7-
38
Penns Grove (1-6)
0
0
0
8-
8
SCORING SUMMARY D-Jayden Alford 50 pass from Vinny Sacca (Shane Palena kick), 10:26 1Q D-Vinny Sacca 1 run (Shane Palena kick), 5:50 1Q D-Justin Mary 14 pass from Vinny Sacca (Shane Palena kick), 13.3 1Q D-Vinny Sacca 1 run (Shane Palena kick), 05.0 2Q D-Shane Palena 22 FG, 4:11 3Q D-Zahir Cobbins 1 run )Shane Palena kick), 9:45 4Q PG-Knowledge Young 17 pass from Melo Erickson (Melson Erickson run), 2:34 4Q
WJFL DIAMOND DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Woodstown (1)
3-0
5-0
Glassboro (5)
3-0
6-0
Schalick (2)
2-1
4-2
Woodbury (14)
1-2
2-3
Penns Grove (20)
0-3
1-6
Salem (22)
0-3
0-6
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Oct. 8
THURSDAY’S GAME Glassboro 40, Cinnaminson 10 Delran 38, Penns Grove 8 FRIDAY’S GAMES Schalick at Gloucester City, 6 p.m. Salem at West Deptford, 7 p.m. SATURDAY’S GAMES Willingboro at Woodbury, 11 a.m. Woodstown at Haddon Heights, 11 a.m.
Schalick blanks Paulsboro 17-0, moves to No. 2 in South Jersey Group I power standings; game was moved from Friday after host school discovered a threat specific to the football game on social media
MONDAY’S GAME Schalick 17, Paulsboro 0
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PAULSBORO — Kenai Simmons was growing tired of the game being so close. His Schalick team had the best of the play, but had only one touchdown and a slim lead to show for it.
Finally, he had had enough. After the Cougars defense forced their hosts into a deep hole following a bad snap in the third quarter, Simmons walked through the bench area and said to anyone within earshot “this is where we put them away.”
Then he went out and made it happen. The senior quarterback led the Cougars on scoring drives the next two times they touched the ball and the defense did the rest to complete a 17-0 win over Paulsboro in a rare Monday game that carried big South Jersey Group I playoff seeding implications.
“I noticed they were off a little bit,” Simmons said. “This is what we like. We like capitalizing off the other team’s mistakes so I was ready to put them away. I was just trying to get us up.”
In the two scoring drives that put the game away, the Cougars (4-2) got a touchdown and a field goal in the fourth quarter.
Simmons led a seven-play 50-yard drive that started in the third quarter and ended with Reggie Allen’s 10-yard touchdown run two plays into the fourth quarter to break the ice.
In the next drive, Hunter Dragotta kicked a 36-yard field goal into a stiff wind with 5:48 left to make it 17-0.
“What we talked about all week was this game could go a couple different ways,” Cougars coach Mike Wilson said. “One way we talked about was being tight and we would take over in the second half. I think we wore them down and I think that’s what Kenai was echoing. The idea that we are a second-half team with everything we do.”
In their four wins this season, the Cougars have outscored their opponents 45-16.
Simmons threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Sherrod Jones in the final minute of second quarter for the game’s first score. That capped a 10-play drive that covered 80 yards. After wearing down the Red Raiders on the ground, Simmons found Jones wide open over the middle for the score.
“They’ve got to respect our run,” Simmons said. “When you’ve got a defense that’s aggressive and hungry going against a team who runs hard, you’re going to bite at some point. When the outside linebacker ran to the run commit, it was right over his head.”
Schalick quarterback Kenai Simmons (1) led the Cougars on two scoring drive in the second half to put Paulsboro away. On the cover, Sherrod Jones jumps for joy after grabbing a touchdown pass right before halftime. (Photos by Heather Papiano)
Despite the close margin at halftime, Schalick dominated the first half. The Cougars had the ball for nearly 18 minutes and ran 30 plays to the Red Raiders’ 12.
When Paulsboro did get the ball, the Cougars’ defense never gave it a chance. Schalick held the Red Raiders to 41 yards of net offense, minus-5 yards net rushing, and ended two drives with fumble recoveries by linebackers Riley Papiano and Alec Bramell.
The Red Raiders (4-2) lost a huge chunk of yardage on the bad snap over their quarterback’s head and their two biggest gaining plays of the game were facemask and pass interference penalties against the Cougars.
It was Schalick’s third win in a row, second shutout of the season and the third time they held an opponent to fewer than three points.
“We played very fundamental,” said lineman T.J. Hymer, the recipient of the Cougars’ defensive game ball. “We were definitely a lot more physical than them. You can’t really have an offense to where you run around and just try to throw the ball up against a natural defense like us. Coach Wilson does a lot of planning and we’re not just some midget football defense. We have a scheme.”
Paulsboro came into the game fourth in the South Jersey Group I power points standings, while Schalick was sixth. The Cougars moved to No. 2 behind Woodstown with the win and would be the Central Jersey Group 1 top seed if the playoffs started this week. If Paulsboro and Schalick finish on consecutive lines in the final standings and Paulsboro somehow is ahead, the Cougars would draw the better seed by virtue of the head-to-head win.
“It’s a pretty big win,” Hymer said. “When you really look it, this team was like our most legitimate win. No offense to the other teams, but there’s a reason one team is oh-and-whatever and the other team maybe has one win.
“This is a really good stepping stone because people now know after we lost to two pretty good teams (Woodstown and Cedar Grove, both No. 1 in their sections) we’re not just some middle of the pack people. We’re coming to win.”
The game was moved to Monday after Paulsboro officials learned early Friday of a specific threat against Saturday’s game and took action. The alleged perpetrator of the threat reportedly has been arrested.
The players said it felt a little odd playing on what normally was a JV day. Wilson tried to keep the routine as normal as possible and the players made the best of it.
“It felt kind of weird playing on a Monday, I’m going to be honest,” Simmons said. “I never played in a JV game, but it felt like a JV game on a Monday at 4 o’clock.”
“It definitely messed our schedule up a little bit,” Hymer said, “but I think we came out to play.”
Schalick’s Reggie Allen (4) wraps up Paulsboro quarterback Malakhai McKenzie (2) with three of his teammates – T.J. Hymer (56), Riley Papiano (16) and Roneem Thomas (25) – in pursuit. The Cougars’ defense held Paulsboro to minus-5 yards net rushing. (Photo by Heather Papiano)
Schalick 17, Paulsboro 0
SCHAL
PAULS
14
1st Downs
7
42-176
Rushing
23-(-5)
3-6-0
Passes
6-13-0
25
Passing
46
3-0
Fum-Lost
3-2
3-30.0
Punts
3-33.0
7-55
Penalties
3-25
Schalick (4-2)
0
0
0
0-
0
Paulsboro (4-2)
0
7
0
10-
17
SCORING SUMMARY S-Sherrod Jones 12 pass from Kenai Simmons (Hunter Dragotta kick), 42.5 2Q S-Reggie Allen 10 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 11:10 4Q S-Hunter Dragotta 36 FG, 5:48 4Q
WJFL DIAMOND DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Woodstown (1)
3-0
5-0
Glassboro (5)
3-0
5-0
Schalick (2)
2-1
4-2
Woodbury (14)
1-2
2-3
Penns Grove (20)
0-3
1-5
Salem (22)
0-3
0-6
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Oct. 7
THURSDAY’S GAME Glassboro at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m. Delran at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m. FRIDAY’S GAMES Schalick at Gloucester City, 6 p.m. Salem at West Deptford, 7 p.m. SATURDAY’S GAMES Willingboro at Woodbury, 11 a.m. Woodstown at Haddon Heights, 11 a.m.
WJFL PATRIOT DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Camden Catholic (NPB-3)
3-0
5-0
Paulsboro (6)
3-1
4-2
West Deptford (G2-15)
3-1
3-3
Pennsville (10)
2-2
3-3
Collingswood (G2-13)
1-2
3-3
Overbrook (G2-23)
0-3
2-3-1
Audubon (17)
0-3
1-3
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power rankings through Oct. 7 (G2-Group 2, NPB-Non Public B)
FRIDAY’S GAMES Audubon at Collingswood, 6 p.m. Salem at West Deptford, 7 p.m. SATURDAY’S GAMES Pennsville at Paulsboro, noon Camden Catholic at Overbrook, 11 a.m.
Riley Papiano (16) is congratulated by Schalick teammate Reggie Allen after coming out of the pile with the first of the Cougars’ two fumble recoveries Monday. (Photo by Heather Papiano)
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for Oct. 7-12, featuring Schalick’s rescheduled football game, SJ girls tennis tournament and County XC Championship; all events 4 p.m. unless noted
MONDAY FOOTBALL Schalick at Paulsboro, 4 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Pennsville at Salem Schalick at Glassboro Woodstown at Deptford BOYS SOCCER Pennsville at Gloucester City Woodstown at Gateway GIRLS SOCCER Paulsboro at Penns Grove Pennsville at Gloucester City, 7 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Schalick at Mainland Woodstown at Kingsway
TUESDAY GIRLS TENNIS South Jersey Group I quarterfinals Woodstown at Haddon Twp., 3 p.m. Schalick at Pennsville, 3 p.m. Lower Cape May at Gateway, 3 p.m. Audubon at Pitman, 4 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Overbrook at Schalick Penns Grove at Woodstown Pennsville at Salem Tech Salem at Clayton, 6 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Clayton at Salem Glassboro at Pennsville Salem Tech at Pitman Schalick at Overbrook Woodstown at Penns Grove VOLLEYBALL Highland at Salem
WEDNESDAY FIELD HOCKEY Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville Schalick at Woodstown GIRLS TENNIS Haddon Heights at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m. Woodstown at Millville, 3:45 p.m. OLMA at Salem CROSS COUNTRY Salem County Championship, Salem Tech, 3:30 p.m.
THURSDAY FOOTBALL Delran at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS South Jersey Group I semifinals Woodstown-Haddon Twp. winner vs. Schalick-Pennsville winner Lower Cape May-Gateway winner vs. Audubon-Pitman winner BOYS SOCCER Glassboro at Penns Grove Pennsville at Salem Salem Tech at Wildwood Schalick at Woodstown GIRLS SOCCER Penns Grove at Glassboro Overbrook at Pennsville Salem at Pitman Wildwood at Salem Tech Woodstown at Schalick FIELD HOCKEY Gateway at Pennsville Salem at Maple Shade Schalick at Mainland, 4:15 p.m. VOLLEYBALL Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech
FRIDAY FOOTBALL Audubon at Collingswood, 6 p.m. Glassboro at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m. Schalick at Gloucester City, 6 p.m. Salem at West Deptford, 7 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Cumberland at Salem Woodstown at Ocean City, 3:45 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Audubon at Schalick Salem at Gateway BOYS SOCCER Haddon Heights at Salem Schalick at Audubon GIRLS TENNIS Pennsville at Bridgeton Vineland at Woodstown
SATURDAY FOOTBALL Willingboro at Woodbury, 10:30 a.m. Camden Catholic at Overbrook, 11 a.m. Woodstown at Haddon Heights, 11 a.m. Pennsville at Paulsboro, noon CROSS COUNTRY SJCTA Meet at Dream Park
Rams score first and hold first halftime lead, but fall in first-ever meeting with Middle Twp.; Schalick-Paulsboro to be played Monday, 4 p.m.
SATURDAY’S GAMES Middle Twp. 13, Salem 7 Clayton 42, Overbrook 42 Schalick at Paulsboro, ppd.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM — Kemp Carr looked over his Salem football team during pre-game warmups Saturday and thought this was going be a different team this week.
“At times” it was different as the Rams returned several injured regulars to the lineup and have grown closer after a 16-hour Friday bonding experience. But, alas, they still can’t shake some of the shortcomings that have plagued them throughout the season and lost to Middle Twp. 13-7 to remain winless through six games.
“I’m looking for 48 minutes to be a different team,” Carr said. “We got three guys back. The guys we started with at the beginning of the summer are finally starting to get here, and that’s huge when you don’t have personnel issues.
“That’s the first thing: Do I line up with the strongest team I can possibly line up with? Two is can we execute? Three, can we go win the game?”
If Saturday is any indication, the Rams are getting closer to No. 1, but they have work to do on the other two elements – and No. 2 directly impacts No. 3.
The most frustrating element to the Rams’ start is their ability to move the ball between the 30s, but can’t punch it into the end zone. They’ve scored only four touchdowns all season.
They got the ball inside the 10 twice, inside the 20 three times and had five plays inside the 30 in the fourth quarter and had only seven points to show for it. That was Pop Jackson’s 6-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter that gave the Rams their second lead of the season.
They missed a field goal attempt and turned it over on downs in the other two situations.
“We can’t move the ball inside the 10 and don’t score,” Carr said. “We just ran the ball all the way down the field with no problem. We did a lot of good things to get down there. We’ve got to compound those things and do them even better.
“We’ve got to block better, we’ve got to run harder and that’s the things that we’re not sustaining and finishing drives. It’s been an all-year situation. We get down there and don’t complete the task. I don’t just want to flip field position and pin a team back. We need to come out with bonus points on the scoreboard saying we got seven points.”
The way the game started it looked like the Rams were shifting the focus of their offense to Pop Jackson the way it did last season. Last season, coach Danny Mendoza looked to Jackson on a rainy day at Rutgers to jump start his struggling offense. Jackson responded with 249 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries and it stayed The Jackson Show the rest of the year.
On this day, he ran it six times for 60 yards on the Rams’ second possession of the game and pin-balled his way into the end zone from the 6 for the first touchdown of the game and their first lead since scoring first on Cinnaminson in their second game. He wound up with a season-high 146 yards on 22 of the team’s 35 carries. He also went 42 yards with one of Quimere Bergen’s jump passes, bouncing off multiple defenders and dragging several others inside the 15.
Kemp was quick to caution reading anything more than the Rams taking what they were given in the game.
“He was one of our workhorses, of course, but he’s not the only guy,” Kemp said. “We’ve got other guys. We want to utilize everybody. We’re a more dangerous team when we use a lot of guys. If you put all your eggs in one basket and just have one donkey you’re going to be in trouble. You have to be versatile.”
Even Jackson disputed the notion.
“The offense has weapons; I’m just a weapon to the offense,” he said.
Middle Twp. took the lead with two third-quarter touchdowns. The Panthers tied the game on a short-field touchdown, then after holding the Rams on downs near midfield set off to get the go-ahead score.
Salem’s defense made three fourth-down stops in the first half (including a missed field goal attempt) and appeared to have stopped the Panthers at the 13 with another one. Quarterback Tommy Gontz appeared down short of the line to gain, but stretched and made it less than the length of the football.
On the next snap, Remi Rodriguez changed into the end zone from the 14 with 23.9 seconds left in the quarter. Rodriguez rushed for 140 yards on 22 carries.
“I thought he (Gontz) was well short of the line,” Kemp said. “The film may say different, but my eye at real speed tells me I thought he was short.”
Bergen drew his first career start for the way he played in relief of injured Troy Carrey last week against Schalick and the moment was a little too big for the freshman. Carrey returned under center in the third quarter right after the Panthers got the go-ahead score. The junior got the Rams in position to get the tying touchdown – twice – but neither drives came to fruition.
Carrey took a big shot on the first drive but his pass to the end zone, one of the best he’s thrown all year, was just off the fingertips of Kaden Robinson. The second drive ended when Middle tipped away a fourth-down pass intended for Omarion Pierce.
The Panthers took over with 4:01 to play and held it the rest of the game.
If the Rams looked like a closer bunch during their Senior Day game, credit the trip Kemp took them on Friday. After being in school all day, the Rams went to a gaming education center in Wilmington, had a nice meal together, then went to the Penns Grove-Pennsville game as a team.
“I saw something magical last night,” Kemp said. “We spent all day together. That’s what matters to me, the brotherhood outside the game. To me, that’s magical. That’s where the stuff happens. The Xs and Os are going to come. You know, you only need one spark to start a wildfire, you only need one snowflake to have an avalanche. You just have to get there.”
Middle Twp. 13, Salem 7
MT (3-2)
SAL (0-6)
12
1st Downs
9
35-176
Rushing
34-156
5-13-0
Passes
1-10-2
67
Passing
42
0-0
Fum-Lost
0-0
2-20.5
Punts
2-28.0
4-40
Penalties
8-60
Middle Twp.
6
0
6
0-
13
Salem
7
0
0
0-
7
SCORING SUMMARY S-Pop Jackson 6 run (Andrew May kick), 33.6 1Q MT-Ayden Howell 18 pass from Tommy Gantt (PAT kick), 8:47 3Q MT-Remi Rodriguez 14 run (kick failed), 23.9 3Q
Schalick game on again
PAULSBORO — The first-ever regular season meeting between Schalick and Paulsboro is on again and it has been rescheduled for 4 p.m. Monday.
The game was originally scheduled for Friday night, but was postponed due to a security concern being investigated by the host school district. Paulsboro officials learned of a threat specific to the football game circulating on social media and took action. The perpetrator reportedly has been arrested.
Now, the game will go forward at Paulsboro without restrictions.
“The waiting game is over, so now we can get ready to play a football game,” Schalick coach Mike Wilson said. “The waiting is the horrible part.”
It’ll put the Cougars is a short week – they play at Gloucester City Friday – but Wilson said none of their plans with change.
“You control the controlables, so we play Paulsboro on Monday and we move forward from there,” he said. “We’re going to keep our same schedule on game day. We’re going to keep everything as normal as possible.”
The teams have met four times previously, all in the South Jersey Group I playoffs. Monday’s game carries serious playoff seeding implications as both teams are currently in the top seven of the SJ Group I power points standings.
WJFL DIAMOND DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Glassboro (4)
3-0
5-0
Woodstown (1)
3-0
5-0
Schalick (7)
2-1
3-2
Woodbury (12)
1-2
2-3
Salem (23)
0-3
0-6
Penns Grove (18)
0-3
1-5
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Sept. 28
SATURDAY’S GAMES Schalick at Paulsboro, ppd. Middle Twp. 13, Salem 7 NEXT WEEK’S GAMES MONDAY Schalick at Paulsboro, 4 p.m. THURSDAY Delran at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m. FRIDAY Glassboro at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m. Schalick at Gloucester City, 6 p.m. Salem at West Deptford SATURDAY Willingboro at Woodbury, 10:30 a.m. Woodstown at Haddon Heights, 11 a.m.
WJFL PATRIOT DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Camden Catholic
3-0
5-0
West Deptford
3-1
3-3
Paulsboro (5)
3-1
4-1
Pennsville (14)
2-2
3-3
Collingswood
1-2
3-3
Audubon (20)
0-3
1-3
Overbrook
0-3
2-3-1
SATURDAY’S GAMES Schalick at Paulsboro, ppd. Clayton 42, Overbrook 42 NEXT WEEK’S GAMES FRIDAY Audubon at Collingswood Salem at West Deptford SATURDAY Pennsville at Paulsboro, 10:30 a.m. Camden Catholic at Overbrook, 11 a.m.
Eagles end seven-year drought with Penns Grove to take the Wildman Willey Boot; Woodstown handles Pleasantville to go 5-0 for second time in three seasons; Saturday’s Schalick-Paulsboro game postponed due to security threat
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — Mike Healy has been trying to get his hands on The Boot his entire coaching career.
Once he finally got his mitts on it Friday night and raised it above his head during the joyous post-game celebration, he said it was “a little bigger than I thought,” but beyond that, holding the trophy was “just perfect.”
Pennsville claimed the Pennsville Lions Club Award that goes to the winner of the Pennsville-Penns Grove game – better known as the Norm Wildman Willey Boot – for the first time since 2016 Friday when it made big play after big play on critical downs, especially in the second half, to secure a 19-12 victory.
It was the first time Healy had won it in his seven-year coaching tenure with the Eagles. The Red Devils’ seven-game winning streak in the Riverview Rivalry was the longest by either team in the series.
“It was awesome to finally do it,” said Healy, who also got soaked by the ice bucket in the celebration. ‘This game means so much to our kids and our town.
“We had our pep rally today and everyone was excited. Everyone kept asking me ,‘Are we going to get it? Are we going to get it?’ I felt good, but just to finally get that feels so good. There’s not much else I can say.”
It means a little more residing in the Eagles’ trophy case. Willey was a three-time Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro way back in the day and a teacher in the Pennsville school district for more than 30 years. One of his original game cleats adorns the top of the trophy.
The trophy was a late arrival at Lou D’Angelo Stadium. The Red Devils left it back at school and Penns Grove athletics director Anwar Golden drove back to retrieve it, returning with trophy in hand just as they started playing the national anthem, and it stayed on their sideline until it wound up in the Eagles’ hands at the end of the game.
“It was everything I thought it would be,” quarterback Robbie McDade said. “We came in here wanting to get The Boot, knowing we had to get The Boot. It’s been so long, it felt really good.”
The Eagles never trailed in the game, but they never could relax.
Penns Grove closed to within 13-12 on MahKye Murray’s 40-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter. But Pennsville answered it with another long touchdown drive to push its lead to 19-12.
The Eagles went 73 yards in 10 plays that included three long completions on crucial downs to move the chains.
McDade hit Luke Wood in stride down the sideline on a 48-yard pass on third-and-21. He hit Rylan Hardy for 24 yards on third-and-20. And the Eagles scored on an 18-yard pass to Wood on fourth-and-17 with 8:10 to play. They ran the same play to Wood on the snap before, but to the other side of the field, that was out of his reach.
The Eagles converted a fourth-down situation in each of their two touchdown drives in the first half, too.
“That’s what we’ve been looking for on offense,” Healy said. “When we’re in those big moments are we going to step up and get it done and tonight we stepped up and got things done. We know our kids are capable of it. They’ve just got to constantly believe they can do it. If they buckle down they’re capable of doing anything.”
“It’s just all about trusting your guys,” McDade said. “You’ve got to trust your receivers, you’ve got to trust the offensive line. I trusted myself to make that play all the time. We’ve just got to do our job and I think we did that and we got big plays out of it.”
McDade was 9-of-14 for 146 yards passing. Wood, a senior playing his first year of varsity football, caught four balls for 81 yards.
“They used to play this game on Thanksgiving Day and the centerpiece of our table would be The Boot whenever my dad would win it,” said Wood, whose dad Ryan was a longtime Eagles head coach and now a Healy assistant. “So, if there was one game I had to win it was this one.
“I grew up every Thanksgiving looking at that in the middle of my table and we haven’t had it in so long it feels so good.”
There was still plenty of time after Pennsville scored for the Red Devils to come back and retain The Boot.
They got it down in the red zone, but Melo Erickson’s fourth-and-5 pass to KaRon Ceaser from the 10 with less than four minutes to play fell incomplete.
“That’s me; I’m an athlete, I can make a play,” Ceaser said. “That’s on me. The quarterback put in a route to get it. I should’ve went to go get it.”
Ceaser was a big part of the Red Devils’ offense all night. He had two 11-yard runs and a 17-yard catch to keep that drive moving. He finished with 107 yards rushing and 17 yards receiving.
There was some confusion late in the drive that may have cost the Red Devils a down. The pass to Ceaser gave the Red Devils a first down at the 15. Erickson ran for 2 yards on the first-down play, then the Red Devils were flagged for delay of game. The next play they ran was third down.
Erickson hit Knowledge Young for 8 yards, but it left the Red Devils to face what the down marker read as fourth-and-5 for The Boot.
They lost another scoring chance at the end of the first half on a similarly confusing situation. Erickson looked like he spiked the ball at the 8 to stop the clock with 15.8 seconds left, but it later was explained to Healy the quarterback took too long making the spike and that’s what drew the flag for grounding.
The Red Devils lost yardage, lost the down and eventually time expired.
Pennsville 19, Penns Grove 12
PG (12)
PV (19)
10
1st Downs
16
22-134
Rushing
36-148
7-14-1
Passes
9-14-0
86
Passing
146
1-0
Fum-Lost
1-1
2-34.5
Punts
2-29.5
5-36
Penalties
6-45
Penns Grove (1-5)
6
0
6
0-
12
Pennsville (3-3)
7
6
0
6-
19
SCORING SUMMARY PV-Malik Rehmer 8 run (Luke Wood kick), 4:02 1Q PG-KaRon Ceaser 39 run (kick failed), 2:22 1Q PV-Robbie McDade 1 run (kick failed), 4:03 2Q PG-MahKye Murray 40 pass from Melo Erickson (pass failed), 2:17 3Q PV-Luke Wood 18 pass from Robbie McDade (pass failed), 8:10 4Q
Woodstown’s Bryce Belinfanti is about to leave the Pleasantville defense in the dust on the way to his game-breaking 50-yard touchdown Friday night. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)
Woodstown remains undefeated
WOODSTOWN — Bryce Belinfanti rushed for 189 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns and went 60 yards on a screen pass to set up their first score as Woodstown handled winless Pleasantville 24-12 to go 5-0 for the second time in three seasons.
The Wolverines were 5-0 in 2022 as well, but coach Frank Trautz doesn’t get caught up in all that.
“Obviously it’s another win and it feels great, but we’re not looking at 5-0,” he said. “We’re not looking at 2, 3, 4 weeks down the line. We’re on to Week No. 6 and trying to get that one.
“It’s our approach and our staff’s approach to take it a week at a time and we try to do our best to win that game. It’s our goal to try to win every week. If you were to ask me at the beginning of the season, I was focused on Week No. 1. Now, I’m focused on Week No. 6. We’re not done writing the story yet. We’re focused on the next chapter.”
For Belinfanti it’s never a case of if he’s going to break a long one but when. The Homecoming crowd didn’t have to wait long on this night. The senior took a screen pass from Jack Holladay and bolted downfield 60 yards to set the stage for the Wolverines’ first touchdown. Holladay finished it off with a 1-yard run.
In the third quarter, Belinfanti scored on a 50-yard run and a 1-yard run to help the Wolverines stretch their lead to 24-6.
He had a 25-yard touchdown run in overtime to win the opener against Delsea and has had other scores of 35, 85, 37 and 44 this season.
“He’s got that big play capability,” Trautz said. “We do a good job up front with our blocking, he sees a little window and he’s got the ability to go.”
Woodstown 24, Pleasantville 12
Pleasantville (0-6)
6
0
0
6-
12
Woodstown (5-0)
7
3
14
0-
24
SCORING SUMMARY W-Jack Holladay 1 run (Jake Ware kick), 3:30 1Q P-Nazir Griffin 55 run (run failed) W-Jake Ware 37 FG, 4:56 2Q W-Bryce Belinfanti 50 run (Jake Ware kick), 7:09 3Q W-Bryce Belinfanti 1 run (Jake Ware kick), 0:57 3Q P-Dajaun Martin 6 pass from Ahmad Jones (pass failed), 8:09 4Q
Woodstown’s Rocco String (21) tries to sake off a block so he can chase down a Pleasantville ballcarrier. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)
Schalick-Paulsboro ppd.
PAULSBORO — Schalick’s first-ever regular-season meeting with Paulsboro Saturday has been postponed due to a “security concern” that is being investigated by the host school district. According to sources, Paulsboro became aware of a threat specifically linked to the football game earlier Friday and took action.
“Both school districts have collectively determined that postponing the game is in the best interest of our students and families while the investigation is underway,” Schalick principal Yvette DuBois Trembley and athletic director Doug Volovar said in a joint statement from the Cougars. “The safety of our students, staff and community remains our top priority.”
It wasn’t immediately known if or when the game would be rescheduled. The game does have South Jersey Group I playoff seeding implications as both teams are currently ranked in the top seven in the sectional power points standings.
The teams have played four times previously, all in the South Jersey Group I playoffs.
WJFL DIAMOND DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Glassboro (4)
3-0
5-0
Woodstown (1)
3-0
5-0
Schalick (7)
2-1
3-2
Woodbury (12)
1-2
2-3
Salem (23)
0-3
0-5
Penns Grove (18)
0-3
1-5
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Sept. 28
THURSDAY’S GAME Woodbury 35, Gateway 6 FRIDAY’S GAMES Glassboro 51, Deptford 0 Pennsville 19, Penns Grove 12 Woodstown 24, Pleasantville 12 SATURDAY’S GAMES Schalick at Paulsboro, ppd. Middle Twp. at Salem. noon
WJFL PATRIOT DIVISION
DIV
ALL
Camden Catholic
3-0
5-0
West Deptford
3-1
3-3
Paulsboro (5)
3-1
4-1
Pennsville (14)
2-2
3-3
Collingswood
1-2
3-3
Audubon (20)
0-3
1-3
Overbrook
0-3
2-3
FRIDAY’S GAMES Camden Catholic 48, Haddon Heights 22 Collingswood 20, Sterling 6 Haddonfield 30, West Deptford 28 Pennsville 19, Penns Grove 12 SATURDAY’S GAMES Schalick at Paulsboro, ppd. Clayton at Overbrook, 11 a.m.
Riverview Sports News 