Category: FOOTBALL

Eagles soar against Salem

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

SALWD
91st Downs19
24-72Rushing43-312
4-9-0Passes4-7-0
49Passing67
1-1Fum-Lost0-0
0Punts0
4-24Penalties3-25
Salem (0-7)1515208-58
West Deptford (4-3)01360-19

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Woodstown (1)3-05-0
Glassboro (5)3-06-0
Schalick (2)2-15-2
Woodbury (14)1-22-3
Penns Grove (20)0-31-6
Salem (22)0-30-7

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Camden Catholic (NPB-3)3-05-0
Paulsboro (6)3-14-2
West Deptford (G2-15)3-14-3
Pennsville (10)2-23-3
Audubon (17)1-32-3
Collingswood (G2-13)1-33-4
Overbrook (G2-23)0-32-3-1

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

Schalick wins thriller

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)
161st Downs11
36-147Rushing31-24
7-13-1C-A-I6-9-0
130Passing161
0-0Fum-lost2-2
4-38Penalties4-39
Schalick (5-2)67015-28
Gloucester (2-4)7077-21

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Woodstown (1)3-05-0
Glassboro (5)3-06-0
Schalick (2)2-15-2
Woodbury (14)1-22-3
Penns Grove (20)0-31-6
Salem (22)0-30-7

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.

Bears stand tall

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.

DELPG
151st Downs8
28-116Rushing22-63
12-16-1C-A-I7-13-2
192Passing81
0-0Fum-Lost1-1
0-0Punts3-20.0
3-25Penalties6-38

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)21737-38
Penns Grove (1-6)0008-8

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Woodstown (1)3-05-0
Glassboro (5)3-06-0
Schalick (2)2-14-2
Woodbury (14)1-22-3
Penns Grove (20)0-31-6
Salem (22)0-30-6

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.

Cougars close out

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

SCHALPAULS
141st Downs7
42-176Rushing23-(-5)
3-6-0Passes6-13-0
25Passing46
3-0Fum-Lost3-2
3-30.0Punts3-33.0
7-55Penalties3-25
Schalick (4-2)0000-0
Paulsboro (4-2)07010-17

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Woodstown (1)3-05-0
Glassboro (5)3-05-0
Schalick (2)2-14-2
Woodbury (14)1-22-3
Penns Grove (20)0-31-5
Salem (22)0-30-6

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Camden Catholic (NPB-3)3-05-0
Paulsboro (6)3-14-2
West Deptford (G2-15)3-13-3
Pennsville (10)2-23-3
Collingswood (G2-13)1-23-3
Overbrook (G2-23)0-32-3-1
Audubon (17)0-31-3

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)


This week’s schedule

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

Cover photo by Ellen Sickler

Salem comes up short

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)
121st Downs9
35-176Rushing34-156
5-13-0Passes1-10-2
67Passing42
0-0Fum-Lost0-0
2-20.5Punts2-28.0
4-40Penalties8-60
Middle Twp. 6060-13
Salem7000-7

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Glassboro (4)3-05-0
Woodstown (1)3-05-0
Schalick (7)2-13-2
Woodbury (12)1-22-3
Salem (23)0-30-6
Penns Grove (18)0-31-5

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Camden Catholic3-05-0
West Deptford3-13-3
Paulsboro (5)3-14-1
Pennsville (14)2-23-3
Collingswood1-23-3
Audubon (20)0-31-3
Overbrook0-32-3-1

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.

Pennsville finally gets The Boot

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)
101st Downs16
22-134Rushing36-148
7-14-1Passes9-14-0
86Passing146
1-0Fum-Lost1-1
2-34.5Punts2-29.5
5-36Penalties6-45
Penns Grove (1-5)6060-12
Pennsville (3-3)7606-19

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)6006-12
Woodstown (5-0)73140-24

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Glassboro (4)3-05-0
Woodstown (1)3-05-0
Schalick (7)2-13-2
Woodbury (12)1-22-3
Salem (23)0-30-5
Penns Grove (18)0-31-5

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 DIVISIONDIVALL
Camden Catholic3-05-0
West Deptford3-13-3
Paulsboro (5)3-14-1
Pennsville (14)2-23-3
Collingswood1-23-3
Audubon (20)0-31-3
Overbrook0-32-3

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.

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Sept. 30-Oct. 5; events start at 4 p.m. unless noted

MONDAY
FIELD HOCKEY
Hammonton at Schalick
Woodstown at Cumberland
BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove at Schalick
Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic
Pitman at Woodstown
Salem at Salem Tech
GIRLS SOCCER
Salem Tech at Salem
Schalick at Penns Grove
Woodstown at Pennsville
GIRLS TENNIS
South Jersey Group I Tournament
Audubon at Glassboro
Salem at Lower Cape May, 3 p.m.
Palmyra at Gateway
Wildwood at Haddon Twp.
West Deptford at Woodstown, 3 p.m.
Buena at Schalick, 3 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Timber Creek at Salem Tech

TUESDAY
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville at Clayton
Salem at St. Joseph Academy
Schalick at Gloucester City
Woodstown at Glassboro
CROSS COUNTRY
Pennsville, Penns Grove, Salem, Schalick, Woodstown at Salem Tech, 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Cumberland at Penns Grove
GIRLS TENNIS
Cumberland at Schalick
Pennsville at Woodstown

WEDNESDAY
BOYS SOCCER
Glassboro at Salem
Penns Grove at Gloucester Catholic
Pitman at Salem Tech
Schalick at Wildwood
Woodstown at Pennsville
GIRLS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Penns Grove
Pitman at Woodstown
Salem at Glassboro
Salem Tech at Pennsville
GIRLS TENNIS
Overbrook at Pennsville
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Clearview

THURSDAY
BOYS SOCCER
Collingswood at Pennsville
GIRLS SOCCER
Glassboro at Schalick, 6 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick at Pennsville
Woodstown at Salem
GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville at Glassboro
Wildwood at Salem

FRIDAY
FOOTBALL
Haddon Heights at Camden Catholic
Deptford at Glassboro
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Pleasantville at Woodstown
Sterling at Collingswood
West Deptford at Haddonfield
Woodbury at Gateway
BOYS SOCCER
Gloucester City at Salem Tech
Penns Grove at Cumberland
Sterling at Schalick
GIRLS SOCCER
Penns Grove at Cumberland

SATURDAY
FOOTBALL
Schalick at Paulsboro, 10:30 a.m.
Clayton at Overbrook, 11 a.m.
Middle Twp. at Salem, noon
BOYS SOCCER
Northern Burlington at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
Schalick, Woodstown at Shore Coaches Invitational, Holmdel, 10 a.m.

Cover photo by Heather Papiano

Matinee madness

Schalick gets a Saturday afternoon win, but Salem gets something out of it, too — an emerging quarterback

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM — Mike Wilson still isn’t a big fan of Saturday morning/afternoon football games, but he’ll certainly take the result of his latest one.

Now that his team is playing at least for the next two years in the WJFL Diamond Division where some opponents don’t have lights, the Schalick coach will have to live with these weekend matinees. The Cougars answered the alarm Saturday and were sharp out of the gate on the way to a 37-14 win over Salem.

Early games haven’t been kind of Wilson’s teams in the past. He came into this game 1-4 as a head coach in Saturday Morning Specials (1-5 if you want to count the Cougars’ 9:30 a.m. Friday loss to Cedar Grove in this year’s Battle of the Beach).

As a staunch traditionalist, it’s just not Wilson’s way. But he could be persuaded if he keeps getting results like this.

“If you win, yeah, I love ‘em,” he said. “Just my coaching experience and playing experience, I have coached and played in very little Saturday games.

“We’ll play football whenever you want to play football. Just me, traditionally, I’m just used to playing Friday night. I coached that for 20 years and even when I was in high school we played Fridays.

“But we had a good week of practice and the kids locked in, so we came out and played like I thought we would play. Overall, it’s probably the best game we played all year.”

The Cougars (3-2) may have still been asleep when they played Cedar Grove in the BOTB at Egg Harbor Twp. in their last daytime start, but they were wide awake and ready for this one. 

They scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and three of their first four. Five of their first six plays went for 10 yards or more. They had nine plays in the game that covered 15 yards or more. Quarterback Kenai Simmons, another non-fan of early games, made a statement to future opponents about his ability to pass by completing his first four throws in the first quarter for 98 yards. 

“Three alarms helped me out,” Simmons said. “I might sleep through the first one, but I’m not going to sleep through three. I woke up wanting to make my grandpop (who he lost to COVID in 2020) proud today.”

“Any day I could play football is a good day,” running back Reggie Allen Jr. said. “I went to bed early last night. I woke up at 5 in the morning with so much energy it was like I took a 5-Hour Energy.”

Allen rushed for 127 yards and scored three total touchdowns. He caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Simmons on the second play of the game and had scoring runs of 38 and 55 yards. Simmons also had a 12-yard touchdown run.

“That was the idea, we wanted to manufacture big plays today,” Wilson said. “That’s what the offense has been missing the first month of the season. We’ve been moving the ball, scoring points and stuff like that, but we wanted to manufacture big plays.”

Reggie Allen rushed for 127 yards, had 186 yards of total offense and scored three touchdowns to lead Schalick’s offense. (Photo by Heather Papiano)

Actually, both teams got something out of the game. The Cougars (3-2) found a way to win a division game in the daylight and  despite the loss Salem found a way to get into the end zone, although at a cost.

The Rams (0-5) had been shutout in each of its last two games and scored only seven points all season, but freshman quarterback Quimere Bergen threw touchdown passes to Kaden Robinson on back-to-back possessions in the second half to lift that dark cloud.

Bergen was thrown into the action when junior starter Troy Carrey sustained a hand/wrist injury trying to recover a fumble that was eventually smothered by Schalick’s defensive MVP Riley Papiano on the Rams’ second series of the game. Papiano had 10 tackles and two sacks.

Bergen was 12-of-23 for 173 yards passing. He had played in some of the Rams’ earlier games, but had never thrown a varsity pass until Saturday.

“I just wanted to help my team score,” Bergen said. “We haven’t scored all season but I just wanted to do my part, help my team. I was nervous the first two drives, but then something started clicking; I was doing good. I wanted to catch up (on the scoreboard), but today wasn’t that day, but at least we scored.”

“He showed poise,” Salem coach Kemp Carr said. “Any time a young kid comes in and he plays with that type of poise when he’s under duress and he’s still able to make a couple plays – sometimes with his feet, sometimes with his arm – and move the chains and move the ball … it’s a win for him.”

For the better part of three quarters the Rams looked in danger of being shut out for a third straight game, something that hasn’t happened in the program in more than 20 years. Their only touchdown of the year was a first-quarter 62-yard Pop Jackson dash that opened the scoring in their 14-7 loss to Cinnaminson in Game Two.

They did threaten at the end of the first half, but ran out of time after two failed shots at the end zone from the 19 in the final 10 seconds. They didn’t miss in the second half. Bergen hit Kaden Robinson on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 41.6 seconds left in the third quarter to end the 13-quarter scoreless drought and lift all their spirits.

“That was a great feeling,” Robinson said. “It was like a relief. It was like, ‘finally,’”

“Everyone felt it,” senior edge rusher Tyler Taylor said.

Bergen connected with Robinson for an 8-yard score on the next drive. They also hooked up for a 57-yard play on the first snap of the next possession, but that drive ended when Bergen was sacked by Aiden Torres and friends on fourth down.

Robinson caught six passes for 100 yards.

“I feel like me and Q we’ve got a good connection,” Robinson said. I feel like him coming in as a freshman and me being an upperclassman I feel like it’s my job to get his confidence built up. He’ll probably be the starting quarterback for the rest of his years in high school, I feel like I have to build his confidence up.”

Carr said he’d wait until Monday before making any determination on position going forward.

Schalick, meanwhile, has one more Saturday morning game this regular season and won’t have to step out of their comfort zone to prepare for it. It’s a cross-division matchup next week at Paulsboro in a game that carries major South Jersey Group I playoff seeding implications. The two teams went into the week ranked 7 (Schalick) and 8 (Paulsboro) in the section’s power points standings and both won Saturday.

“It’s nice we’re playing it back to back,” Wilson said. “We can stay on the same schedule. We get a routine. As coaches, we’re creatures of habit and culture and structure, so to be able to stay on the schedule for the week is nice.”

Cover photo: Schalick linebacker Riley Papiano (16) points the way to another Cougars victory. (Photo by Heather Papiano)

Salem freshman quarterback Quimere Bergen (11) and junior receiver Kaden Robinson connected on a pair of touchdown passes on consecutive possessions in the second half to end the Rams’ scoring drought.

Schalick 37, Salem 14

SCH (37)SAL (14)
161st Downs12
39-250Rushing24-12
6-7-0Passes13-25-1
98Passing190
0-0Fum-Lost2-1
1-22.0Punts3-33.0
11-129Penalties13-80
Schalick (3-2)14977-37
Salem (0-5)0068-14

SCORING SUMMARY
SC-Reggie Allen 59 pass from Kenai Simmons (Hunter Dragotta kick), 11:11 1Q
SC-Kenai Simmons 12 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 7:11 1Q
SC-Reggie Allen 38 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 9:05 2Q
SC-Safety, Nick Lopergolo blocks punt out of end zone, 7:14 2Q
SC-Roneem Thomas 31 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 6:37 3Q
SA-Kaden Robinson 7 pass from Quimere Bergen (pass failed), 41.6 3Q
SA-Kaden Robinson 8 pass from Quimere Bergen (Pop Jackson pass from Quimere Bergen), 7:36 4Q
SC-Reggie Allen 55 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 7:25 4Q

WJFL DIAMOND DIVISIONDIVALL
Glassboro (4)3-04-0
Woodstown (1)3-04-0
Schalick (7)2-13-2
Woodbury (13)1-21-3
Salem (21)0-30-5
Penns Grove (19)0-31-4

NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Sept. 21

SATURDAY’S GAME
Schalick 37, Salem 14
NEXT WEEK’S GAMES
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Deptford at Glassboro
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Pleasantville at Woodstown
Woodbury at Gateway
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Schalick at Paulsboro, 10:30 a.m.
Middle Twp. at Salem. noon

WJFL PATRIOT DIVISIONDIVALL
Camden Catholic3-04-0
West Deptford3-13-2
Paulsboro (6)3-14-1
Pennsville (10)2-22-3
Collingswood1-22-3
Audubon (14)0-31-3
Overbrook0-32-3

SATURDAY’S GAMES
Haddon Twp. 20, Collingswood 14
Paulsboro 38, Overbrook 26
West Deptford 42, Audubon 3
NEXT WEEK’S GAMES
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Haddon Heights at Camden Catholic
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Sterling at Collingswood
West Deptford at Haddonfield
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Schalick at Paulsboro, 10:30 a.m.
Clayton at Overbrook, 11 a.m.

Aiden Torres sacks Salem quarterback Quimere Bergen on fourth down just outside the red zone to end the Rams’ final possession of the day. Bergen was trying to get the Rams into the end zone on a third consecutive drive. (Photo by Heather Papiano)

Woodstown gets leg up

Woodstown kicker Jake Ware keeps Wolverines in front until they get a TD late in the fourth quarter to put away Penns Grove; Pennsville misses chance to get back in Patriot race; Schalick, Salem go head to head Saturday

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – In the football land where yards were hard to come by, a player with a big leg is king.

Woodstown kicker Jake Ware was the biggest element for the longest time for the Wolverines Friday night.

The senior kicked an extra point that gave his team its halftime margin and nailed a not-so-routine field goal in the third quarter before Bryce Belinfanti put it away with his second touchdown of the game late in the fourth and the Wolverines turned back Penns Grove 17-6 to remain undefeated (4-0).

“Coming into this game I knew it was going to be tough, but once I saw how the first half was going I knew it was going to come down to a pretty close game and the kicks were going to be crucial,” Ware said. “You saw in the first half we were leading by one and getting that field goal in there helped us separate our lead a little bit more and build some momentum.”

“Having Jake is a huge weapon for us,” Wolverines coach Frank Trautz said. “I’ve said that since the beginning of the season. He just gives us a dynamic that can win us football games. That (field goal) was a huge kick and it was not a short kick. It’s a big-time kick in a big-time moment and he delivered. And I have complete confidence he will.”

Yards were at a premium in the rare Friday night game at Jim Devonshire Field. Penns Grove got the best of it in the second quarter behind Karon Ceaser, putting together two time-consuming possessions for 124 total yards. 

The first one, which would have answered Woodstown’s first touchdown, ended in a costly fumble in the red zone — one of three turnovers they had in the game. The other did produce their touchdown in the final minute of the quarter, but the Red Devils failed on the extra point to leave it 7-6 at halftime.

Each drive had a big run – a 36-yarder by Karon Ceasar on the first play of the first and a 26-yarder by Tre Brown midway through the second.

“I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage fairly well defensively, but you can’t turn the ball over against good teams,” Penns Grove coach Mark Maccarone said. “You can’t lose the turnover battle against bad teams, but you really can’t lose the turnover battle against good teams.

“Obviously things are starting to click (offensively). Last week we were missing five starters. It’s tough to win when you’re missing five starters. This week we had all of our starters back, but, again, turnovers are our killers. If we don’t have turnovers, maybe the outcome comes in our favor.” 

Woodstown’s Corbin Walz (54) gets himself in position to take on whichever Penns Grove player comes out of the backfield with the ball. The Wolverines defense gave up only 22 yards and no first downs in the second half. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)

Woodstown didn’t fare much better moving the ball in the first half. The Wolverines scored their touchdown on the first play of the second quarter when Belinfanti worked through some traffic in the backfield and then raced 44 yards to the end zone, but they only had 16 more yards and one other first down the rest of the half. 

“Yards were hard,” Belinfanti said. “If I made a move somebody else was there, and then the hard yards were there, but I was getting hit hard every time.”

The Wolverines had better luck in the second half. Their defense got even stronger, holding Penns Grove to zero first downs and 22 net yards while holding their opponent out of the end zone in the second half for the third week in a row. Ceaser rushed for 83 yards in the first half, but had none in the second.

“I think we played really good,” senior defensive lineman Braden Gould-Rugenus said. “Everyone was where they were supposed to be. No one tried to do something they weren’t supposed to. We just played as a unit and together we can stop any team.

“(Ceaser) was the main threat. We had to watch him, make sure we didn’t give him any open looks. Besides that second quarter I think we stopped them really good.”

But their offense came to life. They amassed 144 net yards in the half, largely behind the running of Belinfanti. 

Ware kicked a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter complicated by a bad snap to extend the lead to 10-6 and Belinfanti bounced in from the 3 with four minutes left (and Ware hit the PAT) for the final margin. Belinfanti had 107 of his 169 rushing yards and one of his two touchdowns in the second half.

“From the first half we kind of came out dry,” Belinfanti said. “We just have to step it up and not feel our opponent out; we’ve got to come out and just work, really. So at halftime we just had a gut check, really, to see who we were and it was just ground and pound from there.”

Trautz agreed with his senior running back’s terminology.

“I like the word ‘gut check,’” he said. “They’re a tough defensive line. They were tough coming in, they do a lot of tough things to pick up. We made some slight adjustments but ultimately our kids answered the bell. They came out I think with a little attitude in the second half and they were ready to go. I challenged them to come out in the second half and play Woodstown football and that’s what they did.”

Cover photo: Woodstown kicker Jake Ware connects on his 35-yard field goal that gave the Wolverines a 10-6 lead in the third quarter. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)

Woodstown 17, Penns Grove 6

WOODS (17) PG (6) 
111st Downs5
36-183Rush-yards23-148
2-6-0Passing (C-A-I)2-8-1
21Passing yds13
1-0Fum-lost4-2
4-33.5Punts-avg3-34.3
3-30Pen-yds3-20
Woodstown 0737-17
Penns Grove0600-6

SCORING SUMMARY
WO-Bryce Belinfanti 44 run (Jake Ware kick), 11:47 2Q
PG-Melo Erickson 6 run (kick failed), 1:03 2Q
WO-Jake Ware 35 FG, 7:17 3Q
WO-Bryce Belinfanti 3 run (Jake Ware kick), 4:07 4Q

Bad night in a big game

CHERRY HILL – Pennsville had an opportunity to turn the WJFL Patriot Division into a bottleneck and climb back into the title chance, but Camden Catholic never gave the Eagles a chance.

The Irish jumped out to a 30-0 halftime lead and carried on to complete the shutout 44-0.

Had they won, the Eagles (2-3) would have turned the division race into a four-way tie at the top with all the contenders having one division loss. Instead, they are two games down to the division-leading Irish in the loss column.

“They are a really good football team (and) we did not play our best game today, for sure,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “We’re a better team than that.”

About the only highlight from the Pennsville perspective was freshman Kane Green had his first career interception. The Irish, meanwhile, had two quarterbacks throw for 227 yards and three touchdown and Michael Moritz rushed for two scores.

“We just were not able to get going on offense, get the ball moving, and defensively we weren’t able to get off the field on third and fourth down,” Healy said. “We didn’t get done what we had to get done tonight.

“Obviously, this is a road bump for us, but we still have a good amount of season left; we can still do a lot of good things. We wanted a chance at the division, which is now out of our hands and going to be tough to do, but there’s still a lot to play for in terms of playoffs and seedings and all that stuff. It was a frustrating night, but I still believe in our kids and what we’re doing and can bounce back.”

WJFL DIAMOND DIVISIONDIVALL
Glassboro (4)3-04-0
Woodstown (1)3-04-0
Schalick (7)1-12-2
Woodbury (13)1-21-3
Salem (21)0-20-4
Penns Grove (19)0-31-4
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR power ranking through Sept. 21

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Glassboro 34, Woodbury 0
Woodstown 17, Penns Grove 6
SATURDAY’S GAME
Schalick at Salem, noon

WJFL PATRIOT DIVISIONDIVALL
Camden Catholic3-04-0
West Deptford2-12-2
Paulsboro (6)2-13-1
Pennsville (10)2-22-3
Collingswood1-22-2
Audubon (14)0-21-2
Overbrook0-22-2

FRIDAY’S GAME
Camden Catholic 44, Pennsville 0
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Collingswood at Haddon Twp., 10:30 a.m.
Overbrook at Paulsboro, 11 a.m.
West Deptford at Audubon, 11 a.m.