Category: FOOTBALL

Sending a message

Schalick laying a claim to be in conversation for the best team in Group 1 after second straight dominant win; Bartee runs for 238 yards, 4 TDs

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE — For the second week in a row Schalick opened the game with something unexpected. It didn’t work out as planned, but in the grand scheme of things it didn’t impact the end result.

The Cougars might not have been as prolific as they were in last week’s season opener, but once they got in gear they were just as dominant. And dominant was the operative word.

Quarterback Kenny Bartee rushed for a career-high 238 yards and four touchdowns, the defense held their opponent to less than 100 yards until the final play and it all added up to a 28-6 win over Burlington City in the WJFL Diamond Division opener for both teams.

“We started a little slow,” Cougars coach Kevin Leamy said. “It’s still September, the second week of the week, we don’t have to be good all the time right now.

“We have to learn from our mistakes. We have to continue to get better. And we have to be more consistent through games, not do it only in the second half or only in the first half. We just have to be more consistent. If we can figure that out by November, we’ll be all right.”

Bartee scored on runs of 28, 61, 17 and 56 yards for the second four-TD game of his career. He would have had a fifth and close to 300 yards rushing had another big run not been called back by a penalty. His first and third touchdowns were Bartee Bulldozers, runs in which he simply bowled over potential tacklers at various points in the run.

The first one he steamrolled BC’s Donato Perro at the goal line to get into the end zone. On the other he blew up a challenger in the backfield to open a running lane.

“I just felt like I had something to prove,” Bartee said. “Last week I didn’t have the game I wanted to have, so this week I came out with the mentality like I’m here for my team. This is going to be a really hard game, they were a really good team last year – they went 12-1 – I just gotta come out and prove to them that we are the best team in Group 1 and we’re going to show them.”

He also came in with a different pair of shoes. It had to be the shoes. He did all his damage in the old-school black cleats, scrapping the dazzling green-and-gold pair he sported in last week’s 63-6 rout of Maple Shade.

“Today I came in with my old cleats and I just felt great out here,” he said. “The cleats were hurting my feet. It was either SWAG or the feet not hurting, and I chose feet not to hurt.”

The Cougars never really got going until the second half. They had a 7-0 lead at halftime, but had almost as many yards in penalties as they did in total offense. It was a different story in the second half as they rolled up 290 yards of offense — all on the ground — and scored three touchdowns.

They showed they meant business right off the bat with Bartee going 61 yards on the second play from scrimmage. But it wasn’t just the quarterback being the big mover. Ayden Jenkins ran for 51 yards on seven hard-nosed carries in the third quarter.

“The linemen really locked in in the third quarter,” Jenkins said. “They did what they had to do. There were a couple holes, but they were making it happen. It’s hard to get going when it’s hot outside. I think the second half it really turned on. We got a little energy coming out of halftime.”

The Burlington City line does a good job of protecting quarterback Mason Shansey (2) on this play, but the Schalick defense had him on the run all game.

The defense was stout throughout. They kept Blue Devils quarterback Mason Shansey on the run all night, intercepted three passes, and held them to 81 yards of net offense until Darius Davis broke off an 82-yard run with 40 seconds left in the game to ruin the shutout.

“The way the defense played, we came out there and dominated,” said cornerback Gio Alicea, who had two of the three picks and now has three in two games. “On the pass we were playing pressure, every time he had to run, scramble, so he was getting nervous back there. He kept throwing it up and my defense got it.”

“All you need to know is we’re coming, we’re coming and we’re the best Group 1 team in South Jersey,” linebacker DezYon Purnell said. “Our chemistry is there. Everybody has been playing together since we were kids, since we were like 5-6. All our chemistry is just here. We’re locked in. That’s what makes the defense better, like the whole team is better.”

Most coaches would bristle at hearing a player throw down the “we are the best” gauntlet like Bartee and Purnell have. It might be OK to think it, they’d usually say, but keep it in the house. But Leamy likes the outward expression of confidence, even if it is his job to temper it a little.

“That has been their mentality the whole year,” Leamy said. “They’re 15-, 16-year old kids, they should feel like that; they should want to be the best in Group 1. The coaching staff counterbalances that by repeatedly saying that is not our goal. We have very different goals as the coaching staff than they do as kids, which I think is healthy.

“I want them to be confident, but our job is to humble them and to change those ways to make it more micro. We need to be good at practice. We need to be good day-to-day. We want them to be confident, we want them to be aggressive, but it’s our job to pull that into the right direction.”

For the second week in a row the Cougars tried to catch everyone off guard with a novel play at the start. Last week on their first snap of the season they opened with Bartee throwing a long pass to David Stewart for a touchdown that was called back by a penalty. This week they opened with an onsides kick the officials ruled didn’t go the requisite 10 yards before kicker Shawn Kelly, who followed the ball off the tee, touched it and awarded it to the Blue Devils; the Cougars insisted he didn’t touch it early.

In any event, it was a play the staff rolled out to show the players the confidence they had in their ability to respond.

“We want to send the message to the players that the coaching staff believes in them to win so we’re going to be super aggressive in putting them in situations to take advantage of things we feel going into the week we can take advantage of,” Leamy said. “We’re always going to push those boundaries to be aggressive because we believe they’re good enough to make the plays when they’re called.”

BCSCH
8First Downs16
13-82Rushing42-368
9-24-3Passing (C-A-I)1-7-0
81Passing Yards35
1-1Fumbles-Lost0-0
2-26.5Punts-Avg.4-35.0
4-30Penalties-Yards16-145
Burlington City0006-6
Schalick07714-28

SCORING SUMMARY
S-Kenny Bartee 28 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 10:59 2Q
S-Kenny Bartee 61 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 10:55 3Q
S-Kenny Bartee 17 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 11:19 4Q
S-Kenny Bartee 56 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 2:39 4Q
BC-Darius Davis 18 run (pass failed), 0:40 4Q

Schalick’s Nick Lopergolo (8) draw a bead on Burlington City’s Darius Davis.


Wolverines bounce back

Woodstown rebounds from tough loss in opener, scores a late touchdown to turn back Clayton

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CLAYTON – The last time Woodstown’s football team stepped onto Haupt Field, the Wolverines pulled off a victory to bring a positive close to an otherwise disappointing 2025 campaign. They returned to the scene Thursday night, this time hoping to jump start a new season.

The Wolverines bounced back from a season-opening overtime loss six days earlier to beat Clayton 7-6. Mason Middlemiss scored the tying touchdown on a quarterback sneak and Jack Bucksar kicked the go-ahead extra point with four minutes left in the game.

“It’s always good to get the first win of the season,” Woodstown coach Frank Trautz said. “We definitely are going to use this hopefully to jump-start our season now and get it rolling.”

Trautz called it an “old-school, smashmouth, grind-it-out, physical football game.”

The Clippers found the end zone first, converting an turnover into a touchdown drive midway through the second quarter, but Wolverines’ defensive back Andrew White broke up the conversion attempt in the back of the end zone to keep it 6-0. The Wolverines’ defense held them out the rest of the game and Noah Chiu sealed the win with an interception after they took the lead.

“I thought our defense played their tails off all night,” Trautz said. “They really came to play tonight. I was super proud of them. (Assistant coach Matt Smart) called the defense, did a great job, so it was awesome.”

Clayton’s defense was having the same kind of success, but the Wolverines put together a drive in the fourth quarter punctuated by several big runs by Middlemiss, Nehemiah Carter and Cole Ware dragging tacklers to set up the winning touchdown.

“I think our guys were very focused all week, eager to get back on the field after what happened last week,” Trautz said. “They’re a big, physical football team. We knew it was going to be that kind of a dogfight and it was.

“I thought our kids really answered the bell well and rose to the challenge. Another away game, a tough opponent, coming off an overtime loss, I thought we handled it well and it’s kind of the message I said to the kids last week: We’ve got to learn how to win these tough, close games and this was a big step forward in to doing that.”

Woodstown (1-1)0007-7
Clayton (1-1)0600-6


Eagles come up short

Pennsville’s two-point conversion attempt in the final minute falls incomplete, Overbrook wins a close one for the second year in a row

WHAT TO KNOW
Pennsville’s two-point conversion pass in final minute falls incomplete, Eagles fall 28-26
Eagles QB Jake Layfield throws for 268 yards, 3 TDs; Johnson catches 8 for 117 and 2 scores
Overbrook’s Axcel Bailey rushes for 153 yards, 3 TDs

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – The home team made play after play in the fourth quarter – on both sides of the ball – to keep itself in the game. It needed to make one more play on offense in the final minute to extend the game, but just came up a little short.

Jake Layfield’s potential game-tying two-point conversion pass with 47.9 seconds to play Thursday night fell incomplete in the end zone, sending Pennsville to a 28-26 loss to Overbrook in their WJFL Diamond Division opener instead of a chance to win in overtime for the second week in a row.

It was the second year in a row the Overbrook-Pennsville game was decided by two points or less.

“I’ve been doing this now long enough where it’s going to suck no matter what,” Eagles coach Mike Healy said. “It goes that way sometimes and you’ve gotta understand it’s a tough loss, but I have more confidence in this team now, and they should feel more confident with the way they been playing, fighting back.

“Sometimes plays are gonna go your way, sometimes they’re not. It’s frustrating, but I think the big thing for us is to not put ourselves in a hole where we have to depend on one play.”

Chase Johnson had another big game at receiver Thursday, catching eight passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

The Eagles fell behind 16-0 midway through the second quarter after the second of Axcel Bailey’s three Overbrook touchdowns, but once they got their bearings they gave themselves every chance to change the outcome.

They put together a 17-play drive in the second quarter to score their first touchdown right before the half. They turned the Rams back twice from inside the 10 – once after they had reached the 1 – to keep it a two-point game. Then in the fourth quarter, when there were four touchdowns in the final 4:39, they twice turned away the Rams’ two-point conversions to keep it a one-score game. Of course, they didn’t make either of their conversions, either.

“We’ve played Pennsville now for 7-8 years and it’s been a battle every year,” Overbrook coach Frank Wilczynski said. “I said to the guys at halftime it’s going to be a battle of attrition. We were lucky to make the last play tonight. That takes some years off you.”

The Eagles moved into position to tie the game when Layfield connected with C.J. Johnson on a 34-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. It was one of six fourth-down conversions they made in the game. On the two-point try to tie, Layfield rolled out and was looking for his options in the end zone, but his pass fell in a void between Tristan Horner and Aiden Collazo. The Rams recovered the short ensuing kickoff and took a knee twice to run out the clock.

“We liked the play, we ran the play,” Healy said. “It’s a play we feel confident in running. We feel confident with that at any point. We’ve had a lot of success with it, it’s just that we didn’t execute that time and get the play done. We ran it earlier in the game. We’ve run it already this season. We like the play, it’s just that time we just didn’t execute it and it was an incomplete pass.”

“It was a pocket pass,” Layfield said. “I was looking for a quick five-and-out, which I’ve hit a lot in the  game, but it wasn’t there, so I started to roll with it, hoping something would pop open like it did last time. I saw my guy in the back of the end zone and I just led him too far. That’s one of the ones I need to hit like that. That’s detrimental. That needs to be a better throw. I just missed him.”

“I thought we did a good job on that play of really stringing it out,” Wilczynski said. “They did a good job with their ball-handling in the backfield on the (touchdown) play before. Our defensive end comes unblocked but the quarterback gives a good fake and gets outside and beats the leverage. On that (conversion) one we were able to flush him and the defensive backs did their jobs and didn’t give him an opportunity to complete the pass.”

Layfield completed 27 of 43 passes for 268 yards in the game with three touchdowns and two interceptions on batted balls – three picks if you count the one on an conversion attempt – but lamented missing a number of throws. Johnson caught eight passes for 117 yards. Lucas Thomas and Collazo caught seven and six, respectively.

Pennsville’s decision to keep going for two wasn’t due to any misgivings they had about a kicker. It was simply in response to Overbrook going for two. Extra points do no good when the other team keeps going for two.

The Rams appeared to have delivered the knockout blow several times in the fourth quarter, but every time the Eagles answered.

The first came with 4:39 left when Andrew Powell blocked a Pennsville punt and Xyon Marshall fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown, but Pennsville stopped Axcel Bailey on the two-point try to keep it an eight-point game.

Danny Knight got the Eagles right back in it when he returned the kickoff 75 yards to the Overbrook 15 and Horner eventually got into the end zone from 4 to make it 22-20 with 2:37 to play. The Rams intercepted the conversion pass to maintain their lead.

It surely should’ve been over when Rams star running back Axcel Bailey went 56 yards up the left sideline for his third touchdown of the game, making it 28-20 with 2:16 left. But the Eagles still had a chance after Jacob Kimani blew up the conversion attempt to give them one last chance to tie. Bailey finished the game with 153 yards rushing on 26 carries, but outside of the big fourth-quarter run, he had only 14 other yards rushing in the second half.

“It’s two straight weeks starting slow,” Healy said. “We need to understand when the game starts we don’t have time for that lull. Last week we put ourselves in a hole (14-0 in the second quarter), we were able to come back. This week we put ourselves in a hole, we fight back and do a good job, but we put ourselves in that hole to start. The one thing I’m really happy about is the last two weeks we played hard to the end of the game, but we make things difficult on ourselves.”

Tristan Horner cuts through a hole and looks for running room during Thursday’s game against Overbrook.

Overbrook 28, Pennsville 26

OVER (28)PMHS (26)
11First downs14
36-162Rushing-yards20-25
4-10-1Passing (C-A-I)27-43-2
130Passing yards268
0-0Fumbles-lost0-0
0-0Punts-average0-0
4-25Penalties-yards4-16
Overbrook (1-1)88012-28
Pennsville (1-1)08612-26

SCORING SUMMARY
O-Axcel Bailey 4 run (Andrew Gattuso run), 5:21 1Q
O-Axcel Bailey 1 run (Nicholas Duvall pass from Mark Hailstork), 5:38 2Q
P-Lucas Thomas 6 pass from Jake Layfield (Danny Knight pass from Jake Layfield), 0:30 2Q
P-CJ Johnson 6 pass from Jake Layfield (run failed), 5:07 3Q
O-Xyon Marshall recovered blocked punt in end zone (run failed), 4:39 4Q
P-Tristan Horner 4 run (pass failed), 2:37 4Q
O-Axcel Bailey 56 run (run failed), 2:16 4Q
P-CJ Johnson 34 pass from Jake Layfield (pass failed), 0:48

Pennsville’s Danny Knight (2) races past several Overbrook defenders on his 75-yard kickoff return that set up Eagles touchdown. (Photos by Lucky Shots)


This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Aug. 21-Sept. 5; weekday events 4 p.m. unless noted; x-scrimmage

MONDAY, AUG. 31
BOYS SOCCER
x-Absegami at Woodstown
x-Pennsville at Penn Tech
GIRLS SOCCER
x-Penn Tech at Pennsville
GIRLS TENNIS
West Deptford, at Pennsville 3:45 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 1
FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick at Gateway, 9 a.m.
x-Woodstown at Gloucester, 3:45 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
x-Salem Tech at Paulsboro
Woodstown at Vineland

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2
BOYS SOCCER
Cape May Tech at Salem Tech (NJTAC Tournament)
FIELD HOCKEY
x-Woodstown at Washington Twp.
VOLLEYBALL
Buena at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Middlesex at Salem CC, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 3
FOOTBALL
Overbrook at Pennsville, 6 p.m.
Woodstown at Clayton, 6 p.m.
Paul VI at Delran, 6 p.m.
Wildwood at Lindenwold, 6 p.m.
Egg Harbor at Lower Cape May, 6 p.m.
Hunterdone Central at Hillsborough, 6 p.m.
Cherry Hill East at Eastern, 6 p.m.
Camden Eastside at Gloucester, 6 p.m.
Moorestown at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m.
Hopewell Valley at Trenton, 6 p.m.
Bishop Eustace at Gateway, 6 p.m.
Haddon Twp. at Palmyra, 6 p.m.
Timber Creek at Vineland, 6 p.m.
Williamstown at Pennsauken, 6 p.m.
Cedar Creek at Ocean City, 6 p.m.
Pleasantville at Shawnee, 6 p.m.
Seneca at Haddonfield, 7 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Penns Grove at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Overbrook at Schalick
Pennsville at Pitman
Salem at Glassboro
BOYS SOCCER
Woodstown at Pennsville
GIRLS SOCCER
Pennsville at Woodstown

FRIDAY, SEPT. 4
FOOTBALL
Burlington City at Schalick, 6 p.m.
Penns Grove at Buena, 6 p.m.
Woodbury at Pitman, 7 p.m.
Cherokee at Burlington Twp., 5 p.m.
Ewing at Hightstown, 6 p.m.
Glassboro at Mainland, 6 p.m.
Millville at Washington Twp., 6 p.m.
Florence at Bordentown, 6 p.m.
Belmont Charter (Pa.) at Southern, 6 p.m.
Northern Burlington at Lenape, 6 p.m.
Princeton at Allentown, 6 p.m.
Audubon at Sterling, 6 p.m.
Delsea at Rancocas Valley, 6 p.m.
Holy Spirit at Camden, 6 p.m.
St. Joe (Hamm.) at Cumberland, 6 p.m.
Bridgeton at Highland, 6 p.m.
Atlantic Tech at Hammonton, 6 p.m.
Absegami at Oakcrest, 6 p.m.
Nottingham at Notre Dame, 6 p.m.
Clearview at WW-Plainsboro, 6 p.m.
Hamilton West at Lawrence, 6 p.m.
Triton at Cherry Hill West, 6 p.m.
Kingsway at Winslow, 6 p.m.
Steinert at Robbinsville, 6 p.m.
Gloucester Catholic at Middle Twp., 6 p.m.
Willingboro at West Deptford, 7 p.m.
Riverside at Camden Catholic, 7 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Paulsboro at Salem
FIELD HOCKEY
Salem at Paulsboro
Schalick at Delran
COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY
Salem CC in West Chester Open
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Salem CC at Harcum, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 5
FOOTBALL
Paulsboro at Salem, noon
Collingswood at Haddon Heights, 11:30 a.m.
Maple Shade at KIPP, noon
Holy Cross at Pemberton, noon
St. Augustine vs. Atlantic City, 4 p.m.

Opening Day notebook

There was a dream, there was a plan, and Saturday’s inaugural game is the fruition of Salem CC;s work, includes a list of firsts, inaugural starters

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Mike Gorman was in his customary seat on the top row of the bleachers as he is for every Salem Community College athletics event he attends. As an old lineman he’d rather be in the end zone because he says it gives the best perspective on the game, but where he positioned himself Saturday provided a better chance to mingle with the all the people who came to share this important day in the college’s history.

As the college president looked out on the field at Lou D’Angelo Stadium as he greeted both the well-wishers and the curious, the first Salem CC football team was going through its pre-game warmup. A little over a year ago, the idea of the school having a junior college football team was the vision of only a few. But Saturday afternoon that vision became a reality for all as the Mighty Oaks took on Hudson Valley Community College in the first game in the Carneys Point school’s history.

The Mighty Oaks lost the game 26-18, but they sent the crowd of about 850 home buzzing after Aidan Hill, their third quarterback of the game, threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jahfarri Payne on the final play of the game to tighten the margin.

“It’s been a dream for a long time, it’s been a plan for the last two years, and today is the fruition of all those labors,” Gorman said before the game. “Once the kickoff occurs it’s another game and everything else just kind of leans to the side and we focus on the field and the athletes on the field.

“I was walking the dog early this morning and there was that flavor in the air that tells you football season’s here and guess what – it is.”

Bringing a junior college football program to South Jersey was a vision of former Rowan head coach Jay Accorsi, who would ultimately become the Mighty Oaks’ head coach. Accorsi brought his vision to Gorman, and the proposal went to the college’s board last fall. Their shared vision was one of not just having a football team but changing lives of prospective students who would be attracted to to the college who might not have had the opportunity to attend college otherwise.

The board unanimously approved the project, the school officially launched the program in January and the athletics department spent the next seven month bringing everything together culminating in Saturday’s inaugural game.

“I told the team, last year at this time these guys were all over the place,” Accorsi said. “All the coaches were all over the place. I was trying to convince the school to start football. So, to think in less than a year we’re eight points from a team that went 9-1, that’s crazy. You couldn’t draw up a script, and I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Gorman; SCC board chairman Jason Supernavage; Pennsville Schools Superintendent Dr. Kyle Baker-Plale; Marc Ray, the college’s new CFO; Billy Mays, an associate professor of mathematics representing the SCC faculty; and Maura Cavanagh Dick, SCC’s associate dean of academic affairs, served as honorary captains for the inaugural game. They stood behind the team’s game captains – Ben Secouler, Jermar Jones, Brian Pritchett and Aidan Alexander – at midfield for the traditional coin toss.

The school also recognized Matt O’Brien and Beth Blohm at halftime. They are two Pennsville Middle School teams who are Pennsville High School and Salem CC alumni.

Honorary captains also will be named for the team’s three other home games later in the season. The honorary captains for the Homecoming Game Oct. 17 will be former alumni association presidents.

The Salem CC defense comes out of the tunnel to take the field for the first ever regular-season game in program history.

A DAY OF FIRSTS

An inaugural game brings a plethora of firsts for the new program. Here are a few for the Mighty Oaks:

Play: Kahmaj Keamey off left tackle for 8 yards, 1Q (Several Riverview Sports News readers suggested a first-play run)
Pass completion: Cam Wright 12 yards to Darion Joyner, 1Q
Touchdown: Jerrell Burns 85-yard interception return, 2:13 2Q
Offensive TD: Malakhai McKenzie 2 run, 6:17 3Q
First Down: by penalty, 1Q
Tackle: Jermar Jones on Jayden Hines for 7-yard loss, 1Q
Sack: Still up for grabs
Turnover: Brian Pritchett fumble, 1Q
Takeaway: Ezzy Poutre fumble recovery, 2Q

SALEM’S INAUGURAL STARTERS

KICKOFF RETURN: Gio Parente, John Pettigrew, Charlie Shute, Terrin Walker, Jermar Jones, Tre McCloud, DJ Binck, Darion Joyner, Stephen Little, Aidan Hill, Jeremiah Russell

OFFENSE: Lamar McCoy, Bryson Cox-Patterson, Kahmaj Kearney, Darion Joyner, Marcus Williams, Brody Selfridge, Hayden Miller, Robert Daly, Jacob Hand, Terrin Walker, Cam Wright

DEFENSE: Raheem Tomoney, Jermar Jones, Charlie Shute, Lee Xavier, Ben Secouler, Sam DaSilva, Mark Moore, Sam Rowley, Ezzy Poutre, Aidan Alexander

SCARY MOMENT

The game was delayed for several minutes with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter as medical personnel attended to Raheem Tomoney, who appeared to have suffered a neck injury in an apparent collision with a teammate. Tomoney, a cornerback who played at Hudson Valley earlier in his career, was transported from the field to a local hospital for evaluation. He had movement in all his extremities when he left the field.

“I think that just precautionary,” head coach Jay Accorsi said. “They wanted to make sure he got looked at. They couldn’t get the face mask off because the face mask was twisted, so we couldn’t get the screws off, so that’s what made it challenging. “

ON FAMILIAR GROUND

Salem CC lineman Jacob Hand was back in his old stomping grounds for his first college game and just walking through the gates at Pennsville’s Lou D’Angelo Stadium being back a flood of happy memories.

“Playing here was nice,” he said. “Going back in the locker room and seeing our JV quarterback from last year (now varsity starter Jake Layfield) having my locker kind of fired me up a little bit. See that, it was nice. It brought back some memories.”

Rams on the road

Salem makes trip to Ohio more than a football game; Carr: ‘it’s way bigger than football, things they’ll never forget for the rest of their life’


By Paul Boggs
Ironton Tribune
 
IRONTON, Ohio — The Salem Rams made an eight-hour football business trip to the Tri-State, but as the Ironton Fighting Tigers often do, they simply took care of business.

That’s because Ironton opened by scoring the game’s first 28 points, quickly reached the threshold for the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s running-clock rule, made freshman Owen McDonald’s debut to high school football a difficult one, and simply smoked the Rams 55-14 on a sun-soaked Saturday afternoon inside Ironton’s historic Tanks Memorial Stadium.

In fact, this season is the 100th year of football for “The Tank” — as Ironton is, after all, even known nationwide for its gridiron success, history and tradition. The original tenants of the stadium went on to become the NFL Chicago Bears.

The Fighting Tigers (2-0) put on a display of what Ironton football is all about. They took care of what needed to be — starting with defense, then eventually offense, and also some special teams to reach the running clock for almost all of the second half.

“Any time you bring a team in from out-of-state, you see on them on film and film normally tells a lot, but it doesn’t tell the whole story,” said Ironton acting head coach Todd Knipp. “You’re gauging speed, gauging some of these kids’ athletic ability. They have a bunch of guys that are aggressive to the ball and can run and can move. We were able to weather the storm, then we got rolling offensively.”

Five of those guys – Tony Merendino, Kamal Chatum, KyVion Parsons, Quimere Bergen and Ahmad Tucker — were all extended offers by nearby Shawnee University, which is starting a football program in 2028 (top photo). The college exposure was a big part of the Rams’ trip. They had hoped to show the players West Virginia University and Marshall University during the trip, but the NCAA recruiting calendar prevented those visits from happening.

“This trip is huge for us; it’s a lot bigger than wins and losses,” Rams coach Kemp Carr said. “These kids got an opportunity to travel. You’re doing almost what colleges do. We came down the day before (Friday), stayed in a hotel, get ready and go play a game, the bonding that happens and the brotherhood that occurs.

“This ride made us closer. This is what we want to be. So you go find that. We don’t run from anything. We accept all challenges and experiences that come our way. These guys are bonding from this. We want to bring three teams back here from New Jersey. Football is the greatest sport in the world, but it’s also one of the greatest networks outside of golf. This was a beautiful thing and it’s bigger than wins and losses for us.”

As Ironton opens yet another season 2-0, as it has done so every year now since 2019, the Fighting Tiger defense held another opponent to minus yards in rushing — minus-20 on 22 attempts for the young Rams to be exact.

From the get-go, the Orange and Black attack overwhelmed McDonald — a freshman quarterback in his very first varsity game. Ironton’s blitzkrieg defense sweltered McDonald and the Rams’ rushing game, stymying Salem to minus-42 first-half yards on 16 carries. McDonald only completed three first-half passes on six attempts, resulting in minus-two yards for a minus-44 first-half total.

“We never got moving until late and we gave up short fields all day,” Carr said. “Early on, we made some stops, but you can’t keep stopping a good team and giving them the ball inside the 40-yard-line. You just can’t start the game that slow against a very good team. Getting out of the mud against that type of team is very hard.”

The Rams picked up the game’s first first down on an Ironton pass interference penalty, but they punted four first-half times in the first half. They never got beyond their own 42 until their final possession, which featured four first downs, seven plays and 75 yards — mainly against the Fighting Tigers reserves, as McDonald completed a 34-yard pass prior to the 14-yard touchdown toss to Bergen.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Carr said. “He got tested and took a hell of a shot and got back up. Checked back in and kept fighting. That showed me more than anything as a freshman. He’s learning what this level is all about. Tough lessons against a really good football team but he never quit.

“I know days like this are what makes and builds good football players and he will be one.”

Ironton opened the scoring late in the first quarter on Tyson Harvey’s 6-yard touchdown run, then scored 21 second-stanza points as Salem punted twice and turned the ball over on downs at its own 34.

Wyatt Wolfe capped scoring drives of eight plays and 25 yards and three minutes and 46 seconds, and seven plays and 58 yards and a minute and 32 seconds, with scoring sneaks of two and three yards. The sophomore quarterback was 10-of-13 for 115 yards, throwing two incomplete passes in the second-half after 11 total attempts in the first.

The goal of the second half was to reach the running clock, and Easton Caudill’s carries to open the third quarter quickly accomplished that. He took the first snap for a 56-yard scamper, then ran in the touchdown from 10 yards out to get the running clock started.

The Rams averted the shutout following the Fighting Tigers’ sixth score as Adrian Alleyne returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards to the house.

SAL (14)IRON (55)
5First Downs17
22-(-20)Rushing26-158
6-12-1Passes (C-A-I)10-13-0
45Passing115
2-1Fumbles-lost1-0
5-32.0Punts-avg.2-41.0
10-53Penalties4-17
Salem (0-1)0068-14
Ironton (2-0)7211413-55

SCORING SUMMARY
I-Tyson Harvey 6 run (Beckham Waginger kick), 0:17 1Q
I-Wyatt Wolfe 2 run (Beckham Waginger kick), 7:20 2Q
I-Kayden Edwards 30 pass from Wyatt Wolfe (pass failed), 4:49 2Q
I-Wyatt Wolfe 3 run (Kayden Edwards run), 0:37 2Q
I-Easton Caudill 10 run (Beckham Waginger), 10:39 3Q
I-Brycen Mullins 32 run (Beckham Waginger kick), 6:12 3Q
S-Adrian Alleyne 84 kickoff return (kick failed), 5:01 3Q
I-Ayden Justice 3 run (Barrett Waginger kick), 6:15 4Q
S-Quimere Bergen 14 pass from Owen McDonald (Sincere Cook-Reese pass from Owen McDonald), 1:10 4Q
I-Easton Caudill 83 kickoff return (no attempt), 0:00 4Q

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING — Salem: Adrian Alleyne 4-22, Izaiah Santiago 6-(-9), Owen McDonald 8-(-14), Cashmir Parsley 1-(-3), Quimere Bergen 1-1, Kevin Parsons 1-(-16), Team 1-(-1); Ironton: Easton Caudill 10-85-1, Tyson Harvey 6-26-1, Brycen Mullins 2-56-1, Kayden Edwards 2-5, Wyatt Wolfe 4-(-1)-2, Ayden Justice 1-3-1, Team 1-(-16).
PASSING — Salem: Owen McDonald 6-12-1-45-1; Ironton: Wyatt Wolfe 10-13-0-115-1.
RECEIVING — Salem: KaiSiere Muhammad 1-34, Quimere Bergen 1-14-1, Izaiah Santiago 2-1, Adrian Alleyne (1-(-1), Kevin Parsons 1-(-3); Tyson Harvey 3-37, Kayden Edwards 3-36-1, Bryson Kerns 2017, Easton Caudill 1-18, Bryce Mullins 1-7.

WJFL scoreboard

Here is the weekend schedule for the West Jersey Football League, Diamond and Independence Divisions games listed first; scores will be updated throughout the day


SATURDAY’S GAMES
Ironton (Ohio) 55, Salem 14
Clayton 28, Riverside 6
Paulsboro 40, KIPP 17
Steinert 47, Burlington City 12
Lenape 26, Seneca 20
Southern 34, Bridgeton 14
Atlantic Tech47, Lakewood 6
Morris Knolls 49, Hamilton West 7
Simon Gratz (Pa.) 37, Camden Eastside 28
Cedar Grove 35, Gloucester 14
Pinelands 40, Collingswood 6
Monsignor Farrell (NY) 28, Holy Spirit 14
Camden at Imhotep Charter (Pa.)
Erasmus Hall (NY) vs. Millville
Winslow vs. Neptune

THURSDAY’S GAMES
Woodstown at Pennsville, ppd.
Haddonfield 34, Overbrook 12
Pitman 28, Wildwood 0
Brick 34, Allentown 7
Cherry Hill West 20, Pemberton 0
Delsea 12, Vineland 6
Donovan Catholic 51, Kingsway 7
Eastern at Hunterdon Central, ppd.
Gateway 34, Middle Twp. 7
Gloucester Catholic at Paul VI, ppd.
J.P. Stevens 21, WW-Plaiinsboro 6
Lacey 12, Lawrence 0
Lower Cape May 28, Cinnaminson 7
Mainland 7, Pleasantville 6
Ocean City 39, Princeton 0
Pt. Pleasant Boro 24, Sterling 10
Rahway 30, Willingboro 28
St. John Vianney 29, Cedar Creek 28
Seneca at Lenape, ppd.
Shabazz 32, Atlantic City 19
Washington Twp. 14, Pope John 6

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Pennsville 28, Woodstown 21 (OT)
Schalick 63, Maple Shade 6
New Egypt 23, Buena 22
Deptford 30, Woodbury 6
Barnegat 26, Absegami 7
Cherokee 42, Middletown South 28
Clearview 27, Cumberland 8
Conwell-Egan (Pa.) 39, St. Joe (Hamm.) 7
Delran 24, Cherry Hill East 17
Eastern 17, Hunterdon Central 14
Egg Harbor 35, Robbinsville 0
Ewing 33, Franklin 21
Glassboro 40, Immaculata 20
Haddon Heights 40, Mastery Camden 6
Hammonton 47, Long Branch 0
Holmdel 45, Hightstown 14
Hopewell Valley 34, Montgomery 0
Moorestown 40, Bishop Eustace 0
Northern Burlington 51, Nottingham 0
Notre Dame 23, St. Mary (Ruth.) 0
Oakcrest 18, Highland 0
Passaic Tech 49, Burlington Twp. 36
Pennsauken 55, Camden Catholic 0
Pennsbury (Pa.) 14, Trenton 0
Rancocas Valle 23, Wayne Valley 0
St. Augustine 24, Bonner Predergast (Pa.) 20
Shawnee 43, Old Bridge 35
Simon Gratz (Pa.) 37, Camden Eastside 28
West Deptford 49, Kinnelon 3
Williamstown 20, Timber Creek 14

A debut to remember

Mighty Oaks lose the inaugural game in their football program’s history, but they send their fans home with something to cheer about

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE — After three hours of watching the first-year college football team trying to find its way in its first-ever game, upstart Salem CC sent the crowd home with a game-ending play that laid the claim to their head coach’s desire of being a legitimate college football program.

The Mighty Oaks were going to lose their inaugural game as a program to Hudson Valley regardless what happened when they lined up for a final play from the Vikings’ 44 with eight seconds left on the clock. Aidan Hill, the third quarterback they used, rolled out to his left and with the clock just about to zero found Jahfarri Payne in the end zone to make it a 26-18 final instead of the 14-point deficit it was headed to before the play.

No, it wasn’t a game-winning play, but it may have won something bigger.

HV (26)SCC (18)
19First Downs14
29-149Rushes-yards46
18-34-2Passes (C-A-I)8-17-0
239Passing117
1-1Fumbles-lost3-2
4-26.3Punts-avg7-27.4
15-155Penalties10-68
5-16Third downs4-13
28:51Possession31:09

“I think it just shows the team understands we’re just going to have to play every game to the bitter end,” Mighty Oaks head coach Jay Accorsi said. “I think we easily could have packed it in when they got a pretty good lead, when we gave up the score down there and it was looking bleak, but the coaches didn’t, the players didn’t. We went right down to the end, fought for every last second.

“I think it makes us a legitimate junior college football program, and we did that within less than a year. That one play (did that). But I think it gets when they got up on us. we could’ve easily folded, we could’ve given up, we could’ve stopped. We’re playing (three) different quarterbacks, we’re playing different backs, we’re all trying to figure it out. I think it makes the program legitimate and we’re competitive and the future is really bright. My goal was for this program to be competitive early and I think today we were competitive.”

It was a winnable first game but the Mighty Oaks simply made too many mistakes, first game or otherwise, to keep it from happening. 

The offense and special teams fumbled the Mighty Oaks into some tough spots early in the game, but luckily the defense kept them it in by holding the Vikings to only one field goal in three possessions inside the 17. The first produced the field goal after three straight plays from the 6 netted nothing and the Oaks created a turnover at the 4 to end the second. On the next one the Vikings took themselves out of easy field goal range with a delay penalty on fourth down from the 26.

“It says a lot about our heart up front and as a defensive unit in general,” cornerback Jerrell Burks said. “We’re there to help the offense. We have their back when they slip up and make mistakes just like they’re there for us when we make mistakes. It just showed our heart, man, our heart and how mentally strong we have been, bend but don’t break.”

“We talked all camp that we were going to be the backbone of the team,” linebacker Ben Secouler said. “It confirmed with me that we knew what our identity was as a team and as a defense we knew this unit was going to be big for us.”

Burks scored the Mighty Oaks’ first official touchdown in program history when he returned an interception 85 yards to get his team within 12-6. He had a second pick in the end zone late in the third quarter to keep the Vikings from extending their lead.

“It meant a lot to contribute to the team in general, but it gives you a little bit more to toot your own horn to score the first program touchdown ever,” he said. “I was on a blitz and I saw the QB step back and pop it up. It was in the air for a little bit, so I was waiting for it, caught it and the rest is a done deal.

“I ain’t gonna lie, I’m tired. Once I hit the end zone I was tired. When I came to sideline, it was like being in a room full of little kids yelling. I’m definitely excited about it. I will say I called those shots this whole week, and I called it before the game even started. I told coach I was getting a pick-six today.”

He was reminded that most people don’t believe it when players make those type of predictions. Burks scoffed.

“I know they do now,” he said.

Secouler believed.

“Right before I walked out I told Eric Worley we’re going to get one of them for us and – boom – he picks it off, takes it all the way to the house,” he said.

Jerrell Burks (6) races into the end zone with his pick-six for the first touchdown in Salem CC’s football history. Burks later ended another Hudson Valley threat with an interception in the end zone. (Photo by Zachary Ahl)

The offense, meanwhile, struggled. It had only 48 yards rushing in the first half and surrendered a safety in the second quarter that made it 5-0.

Despite all it did to keep the Mighty Oaks in it, the defense had its problems, too. The Mighty Oaks scored their first two touchdowns of the season, but each time the Vikings answered within two minutes as blown assignments led to big plays.

“I felt, as players, we were better than them, but the mistakes we made were just so major it changed the game,” Secouler said. “We’ve just got to fix that this week.”

The Mighty Oaks used all three quarterbacks. Cam Wright was the surprise inaugural game starter, getting the call about 20 minutes before kickoff. He played the first quarter and put together a drive that ran between the 30s, but that was the extent of his appearance.

“Honestly, it was pretty cool,” he said. “They were very closed off about who was going to be the guy because I’m sure they wanted us all to try our best to compete for that spot. I ended up getting it, so that was very cool to be able to start. I went out there and tried to do my best. I obviously need to do a little better; there’s always room for improvement.”

Cam Wright (7) got the word that he was going to be the Mighty Oaks’ inaugural game starting quarterback about 20 minutes before kickoff. (Photo by Zachary Ahl)

Malakhai McKenzie followed him and played the second, third and most of the fourth quarters. He wasn’t all that effective – his first series ended with the safety – but he did score their first offensive touchdown on a quarterback sneak in the third quarter. He was 5-of-11 for 41 yards passing and netted minus-15 yards rushing on 10 carries.

“It means something to me to be the first person (on offense) to score from Salem,” McKenzie said. “I was looking to get one. I told them to get me that.”

On the offense’s struggles he said, “there’s definitely room for improvement. We’re going to get it together, though.”

Hill got his shot to run the offense when the Mighty Oaks took over at their own 30 with 1:31 to play. He got them across midfield with a 17-yard run and an 18-yard pass to Jeremiah Russell. He then took a 9-yard loss that set the Mighty Oaks on the 44 with only a few seconds left.

They sent everybody out hoping to find just one to make a play. Payne and HV’s Christopher Festa were hand-fighting all the way down the sideline, but Payne wrestled the ball away in the back corner of the end zone for the score that changed everybody’s mood.

“I was just ready for my opportunity,” Hill said. “I knew I wasn’t playing, they told me I wasn’t playing because I had mistakes in the scrimmage. Once my time came, I had to do what I’ve been asked, had do my job. I knew I had to throw a touchdown. That play, it was literally everybody go deep, whoever I see.”

“It was just get it in the end zone, do what you can to be a playmaker,” Payne said. “I just wanted to get down the field as fast as possible. I know he was a little physical, but I just used all my speed and I just made a play. Be a playmaker. It was like don’t drop it, ice in my veins, finish it off strong and make everybody leave excited.”

And he means everybody.

“I was ready to run to the end zone myself it was a great catch,” Burks said.

All in all, the inaugural game “exceeded my expectations,” Accorsi said. “They’re a really good program, established program, it’s one of the better junior college football teams you’ll play against and, shoot, we lost by eight, so in the grand scheme of things, after Montclair (scrimmage), after this, I’m extremely pleased.

“I asked the team, did they beat us or did we beat ourselves. All of them said we beat ourselves. Too many mistakes, too many penalties, too many miscues, too many assignments blown, too many missed calls. Those things are just going to catch up to you when you play a really good team.”

The Mighty Oaks have two weeks to figure it out. They’re open this week before returning to action Sept. 12 against Nassau CC at Schalick High School.

Hudson Valley (1-0)31670-26
Salem CC (0-1)0666-18

SCORING SUMMARY
HV-Samuel Locarno 24 FG, 11:18 1Q
HV-Safety, Malakhai McKenzie tackled in end zone, 13:50 2Q
HV-Jayden Hines 29 pass from MaKao Taylor (Connor Jackson kick), 7:08 2Q
SCC-Jerrell Burks 85 interception return (run failed), 2:13 2Q
HV-Julian Colon 12 pass from MaKao Taylor (Connor Jackson kick), 0:20 2Q
SCC-Malakhai McKenzie 2 run (run failed), 6:17 3Q
HV-Tevonte Williams 53 pass from MaKao Taylor (Samuel Locarno kick), 4:23 3Q
SCC-Jahfarri Payne 44 pass from Aidan Hill (no attempt), 0:00 4Q

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Hudson Valley: Tyquan Rush-Esdale 13-103, MaKao Taylor 3-34, Aaron Barnes 3-15, Dylan Maye 2-5, Daniel Olmstead 3-4, Cartier Joshua 1-0, Alex Lenoir 2(-1), Jayden Hines 2-(1-11); Salem CC: Tre McCloud 6-35, Kahmaj Kearney 7-30, Demetris Williams 5-9, Aidan Hill 2-8, Brian Pritchett 1-0, Jamar Smith 4-(-5), Malahkai McKenzie 10-(-15), Team 1-(-16).
PASSING — Hudson Valley: MaKao Taylor 14-28-2, 181 yards, 3 TDs; Daniel Olmstead 4-6-0, 58 yards. Salem CC: Aidan Hill 2-3-0, 44 yards, 1 TD; Malakhai McKenzie 5-11-0, 41 yards; Cam Wright 1-3-0, 14 yards.
RECEIVING — Hudson Valley: Trevonte Williams 1-53-1, Cartier Joshua 5-51, Jayden Hines 3-39-1, Dylan Maye 2-35, Julian Colon 3-30-1, Cameron Margeson 2-15, Raymere Mahadeo 1-15, Myquan Rush-Edsaile 1-1; Salem CC: Jahfarri Payne 1-44-1, Darion Joyner 2-21, Jeremiah Russell 1-18, Lamar McCoy 1-16, Kahmaj Kearney 2-12, Jon Pettigrew 1-6.

The Hudson Valley defense made life difficult for Salem CC quarterback Malakhai McKenzie (10). (Photo by Zachary Ahl)

Schalick, Stewart start strong

Cougars score 63 straight points after having opening-play TD called back and falling behind, Stewart scores 4 TDs in first 18 minutes

FRIDAY’S WJFL SCORES
(Diamond, Independence Divisions)
Schalick 63, Maple Shade 6
Pennsville 28, Woodstown 21 (OT)
New Egypt 23, Buena 22
Deptford 30, Woodbury 6

WHAT TO KNOW
Schalick wins first season opener since 2023, when it started the season 11-0
David Stewart scores the Cougars’ first four touchdowns and had another called back
After first play TD called back by a penalty and falling behind, Cougars score 63 straight points, most in more than 20 years

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE — When Schalick’s David Stewart talked about his goals for the season ahead, he let it be known deep down he really wanted to be first team all-state on defense.

If he keeps doing what he did in the Cougars’ season opener Friday night, he just might end up as a two-way honoree, if there is such a thing.

The speedy senior scored four touchdowns in 18 minutes of gametime in the Cougars’ 63-6 pasting of Maple Shade. He would have had a fifth, too — all in the first half — had a 64-yard catch from Kenny Bartee on the first snap of the season not been called back by an odd pass interference penalty.

He scored on runs of 18, 6 and 58 yards and had a 38-yard punt return helping the Cougars open a 42-6 halftime lead.

“The offense tonight, everything came together,” Stewart said. “All of our guys were blocking, everything just really came together and started working. Even though we had some mess-ups in the beginning, which happens, we just came together as a team and I just started running the ball, started getting the yards, started scoring.

“That’s just the way it ended up working out tonight and it definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things, because now I know I can go out, score a lot, get yards when the team needs, so it does change my perspective. Now, I really want to go for first team on offense and maybe defense, too. I don’t know if you can only get one, but go for both.”

Stewart finished with 114 yards rushing on seven carries. The Cougars rushed for 309 yards as a team. Head coach Kevin Leamy joked the line blocked so well against the Wildcats even his 40-year-old body could have gotten through the holes, but Stewart is dangerous anytime he gets the ball in his hands.

He runs from in the backfield, he runs from the outside. He catches passes and runs. He picks off passes and returns kicks. Doesn’t matter. He gets in the clear, he’s gone.

“We have a lot of kids who can carry the football,” Leamy said. “Obviously he looked phenomenal (tonight). All he needs is a step. He’s that special kid where he can accelerate to 100 before anyone else. He gets a step he’s just different.”

Bartee, meanwhile, watched the Cougars’ two preseason scrimmages from the sidelines while a nasty gash on his left big toe was healing. All the while he couldn’t wait to get back on the field and do something big when he finally did.

It didn’t take long. The Wildcats won the toss and deferred putting Schalick’s offense on the field to start the game. 

The Cougars had been itching to run the play they called to open the game since Monday. Stewart got behind the defense and Bartee laid a long throw into his arms in the open field for a season-opening score. The play was called back when the officials said Stewart wasn’t lined up properly and it turned into pass interference when he caught the ball.

“The first play tonight was about sending a statement to tell everybody we’re here,” Bartee said. “Last year we folded a little bit, but we’re here to make a statement. Our initial goal was to make a big play and then run the ball down their throat. It was definitely a mood killer (to be called back) because we practiced this play so much to perfect it, came here and perfected it and then it got called back. We just had to get back on the field and just play.”

“I’m happy that it worked because now know we can come out with a big play if we need to,” Stewart said. “It not working hurts your soul a little bit because it was a big play.” 

They eventually lost the possession on a fumble and the Wildcats responded with a 39-yard touchdown pass. It was their longest play of the game.

Stewart answered with his first touchdown and it was all Schalick the rest of the way. They scored 63 straight points. They set up the running clock for the entire second half on cornerback Gio Alicea’s 54-yard pick-six on the final play of the second quarter.

“When I caught it I was like, get to the end zone, don’t let anybody tackle me,” he said. 

Bartee ran 31 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and the Cougars turned it over to the JVs for a little fun in the fourth.

Freddie Allen broke off a 26-yard touchdown run on the JV’s first snap to open the quarter and later senior Shawn Kelly, who had been kicking extra points all game, scored his first touchdown since eighth grade when he hauled in a 32-yard pass from Gabe McFarland.

Leamy told him if the Cougars didn’t the get the first down when they put him in the game they would let him test his ample leg for a long field goal. He thwarted those plans when he caught McFarland’s pass along the far sideline and raced into the end zone.

“I loved it,” Kelly said. “I love playing receiver. It’s so much fun. I do it at practice all the time. It’s like practice. I’m just going out there, catching the ball – touchdown. I liked the touchdown way more (than the field goal option). I wanted the touchdown 100 percent.”

MS (6)SCH (63)
6First downs15
18-(-4)Rushing-yards27-309
8-14-2Passing (C-A-I)2-2-0
92Passing yards28
3-0Fumbles-lost2-1
3-35.3Punts-average0-0
3-25Penalties-yards8-80
Maple Shade (0-1)6000-6
Schalick (1-0)636714-63

SCORING SUMMARY
MS-Brayden Howard 39 pass from Donovan Overby-Washington (kick blocked), 9:24 1Q
S-David Stewart 18 run (kick blocked), 5:50 1Q
S-David Stewart 6 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 11:00 2Q
S-David Stewart 38 punt return (Shawn Kelly kick), 8:52 2Q
S-David Stewart 58 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 5:55 2Q
S-Kenny Bartee 22 run (Evan Elliott pass from Ayden Jenkins), 4:29 2Q
S-Gio Alicea 54 interception return (Shawn Kelly kick), 0:00 2Q
S-Kenny Bartee 31 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 3Q
S-Freddie Allen 21 run (Shawn Kelly kick), 11:32 4Q
S-Shawn Kelly 32 pass from Gabe McFarland (Shawn Kelly kick), 4Q

Pennsville wins a thriller

Eagles beat Woodstown in overtime, Layfield passes for 300 yards in first career start at quarterback

FRIDAY’S WJFL SCORES
(Diamond, Independence Divisions)
Pennsville 28, Woodstown 21 (OT)
Schalick 63, Maple Shade 6
New Egypt 23, Buena 22
Deptford 30, Woodbury 6

WHAT TO KNOW
Pennsville’s Tristan Horner scores go-ahead TD in OT, defense holds on through Woodstown’s attempt to match
Pennsville QB Jake Layfield passes for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns (0 INTs) in first start
Woodstown had won last 4 openers, had 5-game win streak in series, Healy beats them for first time since his first game as Eagles head coach


By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE — Tristan Horner blasted in from the 2 at the start of overtime and Pennsville’s defense knocked away a fourth-down pass in the end zone to deny Woodstown’s bid to tie and outlasted the Wolverines 28-21 in a weather-delayed season-opener for both teams.

It was Pennsville coach Mike Healy’s first win over the Wolverines since his first game as the Eagles’ head coach in 2017. 

“This was a monumental win,” Eagles defensive back Lucas Thomas said.

Indeed. The Wolverines had won the last five games in the series and seemingly had their way in everything in the rivalry the last couple years. This game originally was scheduled for Thursday night, but was postponed to Friday in the fallout of the day’s storms. It gave a handful of Pennsville players a chance to rewatch the 2023 playoff game between the teams together, firing them up even more for a game they’ve had circled on their calendars for a while.

“There’s no other game I wanted to win this year,” quarterback Jake Layfield said. “If we win one, I want it to be Woodstown. Between this and Homecoming. I don’t even care about Senior Night. It was just Woodstown. If anybody I wanted to beat it was Woodstown and we came out here and did it. There’s just no better feeling than beating a county rival.”

Both teams had chances to win the game that Healy said held “the highest of highs and lowest of lows.”.

Woodstown led 14-0 a minute into the second quarter and then 21-14 early in the fourth on Mason Middlemiss’ 33-yard run during which at least two officials’ whistles were heard when the Wolverines quarterback ran into traffic. Layfield brought the Eagles right back with three straight completions, highlighted by a 52-yard throw to C.J. Johnson and capped by a 15-yard scoring pass to Jacob Kimani.

The Eagles had the ball at the end of regulation, but Layfield’s pass to Johnson in the back of the end zone on the final play was incomplete.

Layfield completed 23 of 37 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in his first career start at quarterback. That would translate to a 161.6 NCAA passer rating. Johnson caught 11 balls for 196 yards and a touchdown in what he called “my wakeup game,” his indication of how the season is going to go..Kimani caught four for 68 and a score. Dante Cummings caught the other touchdown pass

“We have 72 plays on the wrist band and all three of those plays (on the tying drive) are plays we don’t normally run,” Layfield said. “Coach (Ryan) Wood says it in the headset and we’ll run it on to the field. I feel like sometimes you kind of just know when things are going to go well.

“Kimani was telling me, we watched film on them and someone caught a 10-yard in, and he said if I ever catch a ball over the middle in the end zone I’m going to dunk it on the goalpost. I think he forgot to dunk it on the goalpost and got hit pretty hard.

“Sometimes you just know when you’ve got two guys who know they can go up and get the ball the confidence is there. The line was giving me time. CJ, dawg on the outside, he was there for me all game, and then Kimani just finishing in the end zone. I knew he would win the route.”

Pennsville quarterback Jake Layfield (15) passed for more than 300 yards and threw three touchdowns.

Pennsville got the ball first in overtime and needed just two plays to score and take their first lead of the game. Layfield hit Kimani for 23 yards and then Horner punched it in.

“We were pretty efficient in the passing game today so that’s what we wanted to start it with,” Healy said. “We felt those fourth down stops early in the game we actually had the opportunity for the first down but one or two little things (got in the way), so we felt good going with that play. Tristan ran hard, ran into contact. Coach Wood always tells the kids ‘run through the smoke.’ He did it and got in the end zone .”

Woodstown’s bid to tie got off to a balky start with a holding penalty on its first snap. The Wolverines fumbled but recovered the next play. Thomas stopped Cole Ware for a 2-yard gain on the next play and then Middlemiss threw incomplete on third down. 

On the final play of the game, Middlemiss rolled right and found Ware in the end zone, but Thomas, Danny Knight and David Biddle converged on the receiver to knock the ball free and seal the victory

“Honestly, the best thing about it was how we all swarmed to it,” Thomas said. “The QB was rolling out, we already knew it was a pass play –they had to get in the end zone — and we just put our best players in the right positions and broke down the pass. It was the best feeling in the world. I honestly just wanted to lay down there on the ground for a second, that was the best feeling, but I wanted to celebrate with my boys so I was running around the field.”

In the early going it was Pennsville that struggled on fourth down. The Wolverines denied them three times on the make-or-break down in consecutive possessions in the first half and scored their second touchdown of the game on a fourth-down Middlemiss pass to Andrew White to take a 14-0 lead. They also had four sacks between Rax Hannah and Xavier Csazar in the second quarter to disrupt the Eagles even more.

“I was happy with how we played in the first half; we’ve just got to be able to put a full game together,” Woodstown coach Frank Trautz said. “I know it’s an old saying, but it is what it is. You can’t just win on a half of football. We had too many busted coverages and missed assignments and things like that that came back to bite us.”

WHSPMHS
9First downs11
27-137Rushing-yards21-13
6-11-2Passing (C-A-I)23-37-0
54Passing yards320
3-0Fumbles-lost2-1
3-26.0Punts-average1-36.0
5-55Penalties-yards4-30
Woodstown (0-1)77070-21
Pennsville (1-0)06877-28

SCORING SUMMARY
WO-Mason Middlemiss 14 run (Jack Bucksar kick), 4:44 1Q
WO-Andrew White 28 pass from Mason Middlemiss (Jack Bucksar kick), 11:01 2Q
P-CJ Johnson 33 pass from Jake Layfield (kick failed), 1:01 2Q
P-Dante Cummings 3 pass from Jake Layfield (Lucas Thomas run), 6:45 3Q
WO-Mason Middlemiss 33 run (Jack Bucksar kick), 10:41 4Q
P-Jake Kimani 15 pass from Jake Layfield (Dante Cummings kick), 8:56 4Q
P-Tristan Horner 2 run (Dante Cummings kick), OT

Woodstown quarterback Mason Middlemiss (3), shown here trying to elude Pennsville’s Danny Knight (2), accounted for all three of the Wolverines’ touchdowns. (Photos by Lucky Shots)