Schalick Cougars plan to honor the memory of Anthony Allen with helmet decal, retiring number
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – There’s not a football player in the game who doesn’t love applying decals to the back of their helmets every week. Those tiny badges of honor that signify goals met during the season.
Every player on the Schalick football team will have a special decal on their helmets this year, one that holds special meaning to everyone in the community and one player in particular.
The Cougars will be wearing a “42” decal on the back of their helmets going forward to honor the legacy of former Schalick standout Anthony Allen who died last November after a battle with cancer. He was 48. The jersey number also will be retired.
“If you are from Pittsgrove and you’re from Schalick, the Allen family stands everywhere,” Cougars head coach Mike Wilson said. “Aunts, uncles, everybody. They’re a cornerstone of Schalick. The Allens are Schalick.”
There are still a number of school records with Allen’s name on them – and he graduated in 1993. After starring for the Cougars, he went on to play small college football. His brother, Freddie, runs the community’s youth football program and other family members sit on the boards of other sports.
The last Schalick player to wear the 42 was a freshman last year. The Cougars didn’t wear a No. 50 last season as a tribute to Chris Jambor, a rising senior player who died from injuries suffered in a roadside bicycle accident the previous April.
“Freddie called me one night and goes, ‘With Anthony passing away what do you want to do?’” Wilson recalled. “I said we’re going to honor him all season. We’ll do a moment of silence at a couple games. We’ll work through it. The Allen family is such a big part of Schalick and Pittsgrove we had to do something.”
Reggie Allen remembers he cried the day school officials told him they were going to honor his uncle with the special decal and it will “mean a lot” to him when he sees it for the first time. A three-sport athlete at the school, he plays the same type position on the football field as his uncle, a linebacker-safety hybrid.
“It means a lot to me because he was a big part of my life,” the junior said. “He’s one of my inspirations to play football. He lived in Atlantic City and didn’t come down, but when I’d see him he’d ask me how I did and we’d talk about things I needed to improve on. I’m glad Coach Wilson realized that and is retiring his number.”
Reggie hasn’t suited up since his uncle passed. He isn’t quite sure what he’ll do during the season to honor his uncle, but he knows he’ll do something appropriate.
“I might write something on my cleats,” he said. “He’s always going to be with me when I’m out there. The last time seeing him was when he left my house and he told me he loved me.”
Schalick football coach Mike Wilson talks with Reggie Allen (center) and quarterback Kenai Simmons (right) during a break at a recent 7-on-7 camp.
Penns Grove jumps out early in title game, but Woodbury rallies to win; 4 Salem County teams compete
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
VOORHEES — Coaches will tell you all the time it’s not about winning and losing in these off-season 7-on-7 passing tournaments, just about getting better.
Still, you couldn’t help feel this one stung Penns Grove a little.
The Red Devils lost to Woodbury in the finals of the Adam Taliaferro Foundation Larry Ginsburg 7-on-7 Classic Saturday 21-12 in a championship game they were within inches of putting away.
They opened a 12-0 lead on the defending Group 1 state champions and appeared to take an 18-point lead when freshman Ka’Ron Ceaser raced into the end zone to complete a long pass play from Romello Erickson.
But although it looked from many angles and both sidelines Ceaser had scored, he was ruled down at the 1 on a touch by Woodbury linebacker Jasir Hawkins.
Caesar thought he was in. Penns Grove coach John Emel thought Ceaser got in — and so did Woodbury coach Anthony Reagan, leaving him to believe his Thundering Herd had a big mountain to climb with little time to do it.
But that’s where the game turned.
With the touchdown denied, on the next play Herd linebacker and tournament MVP Kahsir Nesmith intercepted Erickson in the end zone.
Now, not only did the Red Devils not have an 18-0 lead with a chance to add more, Woodbury cut the deficit to 12-3 and had the ball, which it promptly turned into a touchdown and two-point conversion to make it a one-point game.
“We’re up 12-0 and they call him down on the one-inch line in a touch league; very close,” Emel said. “The game’s over if it’s 18-, 19-nothing. Instead of 18-, 19- or 20-nothing it’s 12-3 and they have the the ball. Winning and losing, what do they say, a game of inches, there’s a good example.
“We had the game won, but I told (his team) in the huddle and I’ll tell them again, we’ll see them a couple more times. We’ve got them in the regular season and we’ll see them in the playoffs. They’re the defending state champs. To be the man you’ve got to beat the man. We’ll see them again.”
The Herd stopped Penns Grove on the possession after their touchdown to take the lead and then extended it on the following offensive possession with a touchdown from Marquis Taylor. A defensive stop on the final possession capped the 21 consecutive points and brought the final margin.
Ceaser thought he was “definitely in” on the play. He admitted feeling a touch, but it was after he was in the end zone. Reagan had to say it had him worried, which made the comeback all the more satisfying.
“It showed the guys’ grit,” Reagan said. “That’s one of the things we talk about (as) the Woodbury way, always welcome competition. Early on, we were up on Woodstown in pool play and they came back to win. We talked about when you have a chance to get ahead of somebody you’ve got to learn how to finish.
“That’s the first time we really got behind and had to claw back and come back on top. The biggest thing it showed there was their grit.”
Penns Grove won its bracket in a three-team tiebreaker with Timber Creek and Eastern “by playing good defense” and then beat Woodstown in overtime in the semifinals to reach the tournament finals for the first time. Woodbury made the semifinals as the wildcard and won a close one over Oakcrest to reach the finals.
The Red Devils held two of their pool opponents to fewer than 10 points and gave up 37 total. They beat Collingswood in their opener 10-7, lost to Eastern 24-17 when they couldn’t convert in the final minute and beat Timber Creek 7-6 with a goal-line stand.
“You want to learn how to win close games right now when it doesn’t count officially,” Emel said. “Nobody remembers your 7-on-7 record, nobody wins a scrimmage, it’s about getting better.
“That’s every big game I’ve ever seen. You watch the NFL, every game comes down to a team needing a score or a stop. We were able to get a stop there (against Timber Creek) and when the offense needed to get a score in the previous game and didn’t get it, we lost. That’s what this is about, getting experience.”
Pennsville coach Mike Healy (L) and Woodstown’s John Adams talk football during a break in the action Saturday.
Woodstown won its bracket with a three-game sweep that included come-from-behind wins over Schalick (13-10) and Woodbury (11-10) and a battle with Nottingham (22-16).
They led Penns Grove in the semifinals 12-2 and 15-5 with five minutes left before the Red Devils rallied with two defensive stops and a touchdown by Omarion Pierce. The Wolverines built their lead on Max Webb’s touchdown pass to Carter Orlandini and interceptions by Alex Torres, Anthony Mordell and Orlandini.
Penns Grove scored first in overtime on Bryce Wright’s touchdown catch and the Red Devils denied three straight passes when they went out on defense.
“We were just out here today; we don’t practice for 7-on-7,” Wolverines coach John Adams said. “We had about three practices and weight room sessions so far this year, so we just look at it as a day to come out, have fun, let the kids run around. It’s kind of whoever can make it can make it and we had some young guys today who may have had their first ever experience in 7-on-7.
“I said to them just now going 3-0 in pool play and making the semifinals is something we haven’t done since they started this tournament. We’ve always seemed to be 2-1 and that team outside of the semifinals and I said for some of you guys who have never played 7-on-7 before coming in and being able to go 3-0 and get to the semifinals is pretty good and something to build off of for our practices.”
Schalick coach Mike Wilson (dark shirt) watches his team during its first game in Saturday’s tournament.
Schalick is one of those teams that doesn’t focus on wins and losses in these 7-on-7s, just getting better. Their final game loss to Woodbury (29-0) notwithstanding, the Cougars are convinced they got better.
They opened the day with a close loss to Woodstown (13-10) after building an early 10-2 lead and then beat Nottingham (20-11).
“We wanted to compete today, we’re finding our way to win and that’s part of the process,” Cougars coach Mike Wilson said. “We had to learn to win. That’s why we do this.”
Pennsville didn’t win a game in pool play, but the Eagles got better the longer they played. They lost their opener to Oakcrest 28-2, fell to Paulsboro 30-22 and then earned a 16-16 tie with Kingsway in their final game, turning back a potential game-winning extra point to preserve the result. There was no overtime.
“I’m proud of what we did, but I would’ve loved another chance to win the game,” Eagles coach Mike Healy said.
The Eagles just finished their first week of summer workouts, so they’re a work in progress. They brought only three senior skill-position players to the tournament and only had about eight pass plays in their offense.
“Our first game we played terrible, we just didn’t play with an aggressive strategy; we were a little unsure of ourselves,” Healy said. “But the second and third game we played with some more attitude and aggressiveness and we kind of got a roll going offensively and defensively, kids started stepping up and just played a lot better overall. We can take a lot of positives from the way we finished today.”
Adam Taliaferro Foundation Larry Ginsburg 7-x-7 Classic
BRACKET I
W-L
BRACKET II
W-L
BRACKET III
W-L
Penns Grove
2-1
Woodstown
3-0
Oakcrest
3-0
Timber Creek
2-1
Woodbury
2-1
Kingsway-x
1-1
Eastern
2-1
Schalick
1-2
Paulsboro
1-2
Collingswood
0-3
Nottingham
0-3
Pennsville-x
0-2
x-Pennsville, Kingsway played to a 16-16 tie.
SEMIFINALS Penns Grove 21, Woodstown 15 (OT) Woodbury 11, Oakcrest 9 CHAMPIONSHIP Woodbury 21, Penns Grove 12
Penns Grove quarterback Romello Erickson throws a pass in the Red Devils’ 7-on-7 semifinal game against Woodstown Saturday. Top photo: PG coach John Emel accepts the tournament’s runner-up trophy.
Penns Grove football: Red Devils have impact freshman, an all-name All-American and a budding entrepreneur on the roster
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE – The game is coming at Ka’Ron Caesar fast. Really fast. But he’s confident in his abilities and ready to take it head on.
Last year around this time the Penns Grove freshman was getting ready to play another season of youth football. This week he was out on the field with the high school varsity preparing to play a big role in the Red Devils’ run for a West Jersey Football League Diamond Division title.
It’s not unusual for a freshman to play, but you have to go back a ways to find one at the positions Caesar will play – running back, wide receiver, corner and safety – having this big an impact this early.
He’s already ticketed to be the Red Devils’ first opening day freshman skill position starter since Aaron Hayward in 2005. Hayward starred for the Red Devils for four years, then took his talent to Rutgers.
“He’s that high up on the board,” PG coach John Emel said. “We’ve had freshmen start by the end of the year, but we’ve never had a freshman this high on the depth chart. That’s a credit to where he’s at and the work he’s put in.
“I think he’s a D-I scholarship player. He’s on that pace at a high level. A lot of times when you’re a freshman going somewhere you’re at the bottom because the other guys have been there more, but he’s been there as much as anybody. He’s prepared his way. He’s ready to go. I have no doubt.
“And he has six more weeks to train. He’ll be really ready by August, believe me.”
The freshman isn’t nervous about making the jump at all. He would watch the Red Devils play and remembers thinking “I can hang with them.”
“It’s not really like pressure,” he said. “I love this sport and I know what I can do. I’m ready.”
He showed it last week at a 7-on-7 camp where Emel said confidently the youngster had one of the top performances of the day with several catches and interceptions.
“If you ask me why I think he’s ahead of the curve it’s because a lot of guys will come in and aren’t as physically ready, but he’s physically ready,” Emel said. “He’s fast, put work in the weight room and he’s getting stronger. On top of that, he’s a good football player.
“A lot of guys come in and they have the football stuff down but they don’t have the speed and physicality. To me, he’s physically ahead of other freshmen you have come in and that’s what’s given him an opportunity to go right in.”
Caesar isn’t the only player who has benefitted from his time in the Red Devils’ expanded weight room. Designed by Emel with the support of athletics director Anwar Golden, the room more than doubled in size from a cramped 1,500 square feet to a cavernous 3,500 with a full array of apparatus and weights. It was completed in September.
Freshman Ka’Ron Caesar (L), Bryce Wright (C) and Knowledge Young are all expected to play big roles for Penns Grove this football season.
Knowledge is power
If there’s one thing sportswriters have a lot of at this time of year it’s time on their hands. And that’s the fuel to create all kinds of clever offerings.
A lot of them has to do with the quirky things one can discover putting together the rosters of the high school football teams for the season ahead.
One of the more popular pursuits when time is aplenty is coming up with an all-name team, a compilation of the most intriguing names in the game.
Penns Grove has a player who definitely qualifies as a first-round all-name pick, a veritable all-name All-American – Knowledge Young.
His full name is equally unique – “the longest one in America” one of his teammates said overhearing the interview: Knowledge Born Reality Young.
Now if that’s not a name for the ages. And just when you thought the name game couldn’t get any better, his siblings have names just as interesting – Messiah, Savior and Precise.
People ask the Red Devils’ junior receiver/safety “all the time” the origin of his name. It’s actually a family legacy and rooted in, well, the book of knowledge.
“My name came from my dad; he actually has the same name as me,” Young said. “It’s his studies. He gets most of our names from that. All of our names come from his studies. He likes to be in books a lot.”
Don’t get the idea Knowledge is just another name on the Penns Grove roster. He’s an impact player, a returning all-conference pick capable of making something happen every time he touches the ball.
He caught 27 passes for a team-leading 337 yards and two touchdowns last season, had 600 all-purpose yards and made 48 tackles – fifth on the team and tops among DBs – with a fumble recovery and an interception.
“He’s got a good name because he’s a smart kid,” Red Devils coach John Emel said. “A good name like Knowledge, you’ve got to do well in school and have your head on straight.”
“You’ve got to hold up to it,” Knowledge agreed. “I prioritize school. You have to be a student first over an athlete, so I always have to keep my grades up. Four-point-oh. Gotta keep straight A’s.”
He’ll be in action Saturday when Penns Grove plays in the Coach Larry Ginsburg 7-on-7 Classic at Eastern High School. The Red Devils are one of four Salem County teams in the field.
The Iceman cometh
It didn’t take long for Jameel Clark to find a summer job after school let out.
He created one.
CLARK
Two weeks ago, the Penns Grove freshman wide receiver/defensive back started a water ice business – PG Ice – with his cousin Julian King out of their house on Penn Street. He saw it as an enterprise to bring something positive to the neighborhood, create some jobs and put a little spending money in his pocket.
“Our main thing is to bring more positivity to the community,” he said. “When I first moved here (from Southwest Philadelphia), I never saw any kids outside and when I did they were just going into the house or going to the store. There really was nothing fun to do.”
They’re not just a couple guys moving some water ice out of the house like some sidewalk lemonade stand. Clark says they have activities outside for the kids and they have a business license.
Right now the business is working with about seven flavors they get from a distributor in Philadelphia, but in time they’d like to double the menu. Clark admitted he was nervous about launching at first because he was uncertain how the business would be received in his small town, but then he remembered what his grandmother told him – “Don’t ever be scared to try” – and he quickly warmed to the idea.
Their water ice has hit the spot. The icemen already have reordered three times to keep up with demand. Mango and strawberry lemonade seem to be the most popular flavors.
There’s a lot of competition in the water ice business, but these entrepreneurs aren’t frozen by the challenge of the establishment.
“We did say that,” Clark said. “We were going to be the next Rita’s.”
Red Devils coach John Emel only learned about his player’s business a couple days ago and has yet to sample their wares. But he’s all for his players embracing the entrepreneurial spirit.
“I want them work,” he said. “That’s why we try to do workouts in the morning so they can work and we can give them off on the weekend so they can make some money because there’s so much they have to take care of on their own.”
A big cup of water ice sure is a nice treat to have after a hot day of August practice. He just might make some available. He isn’t sure if he’ll charge.
Four of Salem County five high school football teams will be in action Saturday in the Adam Taliaferro Foundation’s Coach Larry Ginsburg 7×7 Classic at Eastern High School. Woodstown and Schalick are in the same bracket and play the first game at 10 a.m.
Bracket I (Field 1A) Timber Creek vs. Eastern, 10 a.m. Gloucester Cath. vs. Penns Grove, 10:30 Gloucester Cath. vs. Timber Creek, 11:30 a.m. Eastern vs. Penns Grove, noon Timber Creek vs. Penns Grove, 1 p.m. Eastern vs. Gloucester Cath., 1:30
Bracket II (Field 1B) Schalick vs. Woodstown, 10 a.m. Nottingham vs. Woodbury, 10:30 Schalick vs. Nottingham, 11:30 Woodstown vs. Woodbury, noon Schalick vs. Woodbury, 1 p.m. Nottingham vs. Woodstown, 1:30
Bracket III (Field 2A) Collingswood vs. Oakcrest, 10 a.m. Kingsway vs. Collingswood, 11:00 Kingsway vs. Pennsville, noon Kingsway vs. Oakcrest, 1 p.m. Collingswood vs. Pennsville, 1:45
Bracket III (Field 2B) Paulsboro vs. Kingsway, 10 a.m. Paulsboro vs. Oakcrest, 11:00 Paulsboro vs. Collingswood, noon Paulsboro vs. Pennsville, 1 p.m.
Bracket I winner vs. Bracket II winner, 2:30 p.m. (Field 1A) Championship game: I-II winner vs. Bracket III winner, 3:30 p.m. (Field 1A)
SALEM — Danny Mendoza opened the doors of the Salem football program — his Salem football program — to his players for the first time Tuesday with no expectations of what he might see.
But even with that he admitted he was pleased with the number of players who came through the door.
Mendoza was approved as the Rams’ new football coach last Wednesday. After an introductory meeting with his players the next day and a weekend to soak it all in, a group of 30 players went through their paces in the work-in-progress that is the Rams’ new weight room.
There’s a hope of another dozen or so joining the ranks in the coming days, but what he saw from the attitude and effort of those in the room the first day was enough to excite the new coach.
“It was a good first day,” Mendoza said. “Coming in new with them – the coaching change, the variables of what we lost and what we gained – I just hoping for a good turnout. I was hoping we’d have three-quarters of a team here, which we did.
“When I saw those guys come in, the majority on time – which is 15 minutes early for us – ready to go, ready to learn … that was a positive result for Day One. You want to hear kids talking about what they’re doing, kids competing with each other. Seeing that today was probably the most positive thing to me. I’m excited to see what’s coming.”
The Rams are expected to have some rebuilding to do. Beyond the seniors that graduated, six players have transferred to other programs in the transition. Mendoza doesn’t have time to worry about that. You play with what you have.
“There will be a new leading receiver, there will be a new leading rusher, there will be a new leading passer, a new leading tackler,” he said. “So, these guys have to look at it more as an opportunity to put their names on the map.”
There’s a lot of new coming to Mendoza’s program, including a big new premium right outside the back door. Work continues on the Rams’ first on-campus football stadium, a 1,500-seat facility replete with a Jumbotron, to replace the historic Walnut Street Park venue they really had to leave.
The natural-turf stadium is expected to be done this year, in time for the Rams to play the first of their two home games, Oct. 7 against Paulsboro.
It’s all part of a plan the ‘Jersey-born and Florida-bred’ head coach has to “take the grittiness and toughness of Jersey and … put a little bit of Florida flavor and flash on top” of it.
While Tuesday’s first day is a start, perhaps the most important day is Day Two.
“That’s what we’ve got to see,” Mendoza said. “How many guys are going to come back tomorrow.?You hope to get the same number or more, and if we do get that then we’re moving in the right direction.”
Salem football coach Danny Mendoza holds the new style of Rams’ helmet.
Danny Mendoza returns to state as Rams’ new football coach looking to combine Jersey grit with Florida flash
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM – Danny Mendoza has logged a lot of frequent flier miles between his playing and coaching stops in New Jersey and Florida. He hopes to inject the best football qualities of both states as his newest adventure brings him back home.
MENDOZA
Mendoza was approved as Salem High School’s new head football coach Wednesday night. He succeeds Montrey Wright, who stepped away in February after eight years at the helm and back-to-back section titles.
Mendoza, 33, spent the past two seasons in his back and forth sojourn up I-95 as the head coach at Wellington (Fla.) High School, where he posted a winning record and took a team to the playoffs that hadn’t been since 2018, but he is a true man of two states. He calls himself “Jersey-born and Florida-bred” and his football resume reflects that.
He was born in Jersey City, but grew up in Orlando. He played at Florida A&M, then transferred to Kean. His high school coaching trail included stops at Red Bank, Apopka (Fla.) – going to the state title game – and JFK-Iselin before getting his first head coaching job at Wellington.
Each state has a distinct approach to the way it plays the game and it’s Mendoza’s aim to bring them both together to keep the Rams rolling.
“Football in Florida is raw talent, raw speed and just dog mentality; it’s just so competitive,” he said. “From the bottom to the top, left to the right. The kids are hungry, man, because we don’t have a lot down there. As Florida guys, we always carry that chip on our shoulder.
“When it comes to Jersey, Jersey’s tough, man. Jersey kids are great, they’re gritty, tough kids, well coached. If you had to define Jersey football, I’m thinking bone-chilling hitting, sound football and tough, gritty kids. Then you get the glitz and glamour and the flash of Florida.
“We’re going to take the grittiness and toughness of Jersey and we’re going to put a little bit of Florida flavor and flash on top of that. I think you’re going to see a great product.”
Mendoza was one of three new coaches the Salem board approved Wednesday night. Former Rams player Dion Alston is returning as an assistant football coach and Shanna Scott has been promoted to head coach of the field hockey program after six years as legendary coach Donna O’Leary’s assistant.
Six months ago the new Jersey football coach “never would have expected I’d be named the head coach at Salem High School in June,” but the chips had a way of falling his way. The Rams actually had their new coach earlier in the process, but that candidate was active military and learned he was going to be deployed in September.
Athletics director Darryl Roberts posted the search on an AD’s website. It got seen by an administrator in Red Bank who knew of Mendoza’s desire to return. They reached out and after a series of conversations with some other Garden State coaching buddies Mendoza threw his hat into the ring and quickly rose to the top of the pile.
“I wouldn’t have imagined (getting a coach from Florida) at all, but his resume was very impressive with some of his experiences,” Roberts said. “We were coming down to the wire trying to find a coach and when he gave me a call it was just a blessing. It was great to hear.
“Obviously, he’s about academics and making sure the kids are doing what they’re supposed to be doing and, really, trying to create young men who can contribute to their community. He has a vision. He has a plan for the team … I think once he gets in and establishes his program we’ll be fine.”
Mendoza led Wellington to the FHSAA playoffs in 2021, transforming a team that was 3-7 the year before to 7-4. He was 6-5 in 2022. He oversaw the renovation and expansion of the Wolverines’ weight room and updated uniforms and equipment. During his watch, the team’s GPA rose from 2.8 to 3.3.
And he’ll fight for his players as evidenced by the intensity he has shown on the sidelines.
“It’s always the kids first,” he said. “Being a football kid growing up I know what football can do for young men, I know what football can do for young men in this type of community as well.
“I’m a product of a community similar to Salem City. I grew up in East Orlando and it’s not the greatest place, so you have to learn to get around and navigate to get out, so always putting the players first and giving them everything you can possibly give them within your means and ability is what I’ve done. If you’re going to ask kids to run through a wall for you, you’d better be running through a wall for them. That’s what I’m about. I’m always fighting for my kids.”
The Rams are still working on their schedule. They may wind up getting a Week Zero game, but as of now Mendoza’s first game back in Jersey is a big one – Camden in one of the Mid-Atlantic Classic games in Wilmington Labor Day weekend.
He knows it’s a lot closer than you think.
“We’re behind the eight-ball four, five months,” he said. “I’m used to starting my off-season program second week in January. We’re having to get some stuff ready. Strength and conditioning is a big part of our program and you’re going to see a difference on that with what we’re going to with it with these guys and take it to the next level.
“We’re trying to make sure everything is good to go for these kids when they come back. We want them to come back to a different look to hopefully build some excitement and have them more productive, so we’re going to put our effort forth and make sure they have everything they need to go to get their summer work taken of because they are starting a little bit later than everybody else.”
