Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of March 15-22; all games weather permitting; x-scrimmage
MONDAY, MARCH 16 COLLEGE BASEBALL Northampton at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, MARCH 17 BASEBALL x-Gateway at Salem Tech SOFTBALL x-Paulsboro at Penns Grove x-Salem Tech at Pennsauken Tech BOYS LACROSSE x-Woodstown at Absegami COLLEGE BASEBALL Salem CC at Northampton (2), noon
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 BASEBALL x-Millville at Pennsville x-Salem Tech at Camden Academy Charter SOFTBALL x-Camden Academy Charter at Salem Tech x-Middle Twp. at Schalick TENNIS x-Millville at Pennsville BOYS LACROSSE x-Delran at Woodstown
THURSDAY, MARCH 19 BASEBALL x-Bridgeton at Salem x-Schalick at Paulsboro SOFTBALL x-Gateway at Woodstown x-Salem at Bridgeton BOYS GOLF Woodstown vs. Delsea, Wild Oaks GC TENNIS x-West Deptford at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m. BOYS VOLLEYBALL Salem Tech at Riverside
FRIDAY, MARCH 20 BASEBALL x-Atlantic Tech at Salem Pennsville at West Deptford SOFTBALL x-Salem at Lower Cape May x-Salem Tech at Schalick COLLEGE BASEBALL Atlantic Cape at Salem CC, 3:30 p.m. COLLEGE SOFTBALL Bucks at Salem CC, 3 p.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 21 COLLEGE BASEBALL Salem CC at Atlantic Cape (2), noon
SUNDAY, MARCH 22 COLLEGE SOFTBALL Salem CC at Delaware Tech, noon
Here are the results of the Region 8 Championships, these four placers advance to the state championship in Atlantic City
NJSIAA REGION 8 TEAM SCORES: Southern Regional 229, Delsea 181.5, St. Augustine 165, Lower Cape May 153, Red Bank Catholic 126, Kingsway 113, WOODSTOWN 52, Clearview 51.5, Middle Twp. 43, Paulsboro 41. Also, Pennsville 9, Schalick 2.
106 1st Place Match Jonas Lusker (Southern Regional) dec. John Tarantino (Red Bank Catholic), 5-1 3rd Place Match Will Cruz (Paulsboro) maj. dec. Adam Froehlich (Delsea), 13-0
113 1st Place Match Tristan Rosemeyer (Lower Cape May) dec. Evan Villecco (Kingsway), 4-1 3rd Place Match Nick Banos (Southern Regional) dec. Liam Kisby (Absegami), 5-3
120 1st Place Match Cade Collins (Southern Regional) dec. Bryce Paley (Lower Cape May), 3-0 3rd Place Match Casey Pekula (St. Augustine) pinned Joseph Vezzosi (Red Bank Catholic), 3:21
126 1st Place Match Anthony Mason (Southern Regional) dec. Dante DePaul (Delsea), 6-0 3rd Place Match Chase Sudano (St. Augustine) def. Cole DeAngelo (Red Bank Catholic), SV-1 12-9
132 1st Place Match Greyson Pettit (Delsea) tech fall over Jayden Jardine (Eastern), 20-3 (4:42) 3rd Place Match Eli Glover (Lower Cape May) dec. Wyatt Tolson (Ocean City), 7-1
138 1st Place Match Chase Hansen (Lower Cape May) dec. Amari Vann (Delsea), 10-4 3rd Place Match Ryan Preziosi (Kingsway) tech fall over Robbie Fritz (Red Bank Catholic), 16-0 (2:31)
144 1st Place Match Anthony Depaul (Delsea) def. Attila Vigilante (Southern Regional), UTB 3-2 3rd Place Match Adrian Arbelo (St. Augustine) maj. dec. Luken Ramos (Red Bank Catholic), 9-1
150 1st Place Match Ryan Glenn (Kingsway) dec. Anthony Russo (Red Bank Catholic), 6-4 3rd Place Match Jean Paul Bonnette (St. Augustine) tech fall over Anthony Molinaro (Southern Regional), 17-0 (4:54)
157 1st Place Match Matthew Miranda (Kingsway) 35-3, Fr. over Johnny Chirico (St. Augustine), 8-6 3rd Place Match Daniel Byrne (Lower Cape May) pinned Elijah Beatty (Clearview), 3:19
165 1st Place Match Vincent Esposito (Southern Regional) dec Cameron Pote (Delsea), 3-1 3rd Place Match Robert Attenborough (Middle Township) dec. Cristian Rodriguez (Red Bank Catholic), 7-2
175 1st Place Match Vincent Palermo (Hammonton) maj. dec. Greyson Hyland (Woodstown), 12-3 3rd Place Match Nicholas Daddona (Southern Regional) dec. Shane Morrell (Lower Cape May), 4-1
190 1st Place Match Levi Foote (Southern Regional) dec. Brody Taylor (St. Augustine), 11-5 3rd Place Match Brian Garcia (Red Bank Catholic) dec. Greg Sawyer (Delsea), 9-8
215 1st Place Match Salvatore Marchese (Delsea) tech fall over Daniel Francis (St. Augustine), 20-5 (3:18) 3rd Place Match Jacob Chapman (Ocean City) dec. Aaron Veytsman (Clearview Regional), 11-5
285 1st Place Match Mateo Vinciguerra (Woodstown) pinned Braden Shields (St. Augustine), 2:54 3rd Place Match Slayton D`Amico (Cedar Creek) dec. Ahmad Fears (Gateway/Woodbury), 8-2
Here are the qualifiers for the regional wrestling tournament from districts involving Salem County Teams; top 3 finishers in each weight class advance
106 1st Place Match Adam Froehlich (Delsea) dec. Geno DiJoseph (Cumberland), 10-4 3rd Place Match Brett Land (Pennsville) pinned Alex Alicea (Buena), 1:39
113 1st Place Match Jayson Garcia (Egg Harbor) maj. dec. DeAnthony Harden (Cumberland), 8-0 3rd Place Match John Sutton (Buena) pinned Jadon Middlemiss (Woodstown), 5:48
120 1st Place Match Carson Bradway (Woodstown) maj. dec. Maruf Reza (Egg Harbor), 8-0 3rd Place Match Caleb Jenkins (Schalick) pinned Reid Lightfoot (Delsea), 2:32
126 1st Place Match Dante DePaul (Delsea) pinned Kolton Sheppard (Cumberland), 3:10 3rd Place Match Ruben Cruz (Millville) pinned Hector Villarrubia-Torres (Cedar Creek), 7:29
132 1st Place Match Greyson Pettit (Delsea) pinned Chase Baker (Pennsville), 1:02 3rd Place Match Brian Tennant (Egg Harbor) over Chase Bordley (Vineland), forfeit
138 1st Place Match Amari Vann (Delsea) pinned Nathaniel Mason (Pennsville), 1:10 3rd Place Match Colin Bittle (Schalick) pinned Jayden Cinkowski (Vineland), 3:30
144 1st Place Match Anthony Depaul (Delsea) pinned Gabriel Supernavage (Pennsville), 0:33 3rd Place Match Graham Schlemo (Egg Harbor) pinned Michael Baisch (Schalick), 4:30
150 1st Place Match Ayden Jenkins (Schalick) maj. dec. Patrick Tull (Millville), 12-4 3rd Place Match Lionel Lertora (Egg Harbor) dec. Lucas Coesfeld (Delsea), 13-9
157 1st Place Match Jamison Devlin (Delsea) maj. dec. Chase Williams (Cumberland), 12-3 3rd Place Match Travis Hagan (Pennsville) pinned Jake Hardiman (Cedar Creek), 3:35
165 1st Place Match Cameron Pote (Delsea) pinned Robert McDade (Pennsville), 0:24 3rd Place Match Jared Hoffman (Millville) pinned Marcos Concepcion (Egg Harbor), 6:43
175 1st Place Match Greyson Hyland (Woodstown) dec. Christian Solano (Egg Harbor), 6-1 3rd Place Match Eric Sulik (Schalick) dec. David Seeger (Cumberland), 8-4
190 1st Place Match Greg Sawyer (Delsea) pinned Evan Elliott (Schalick), 1:07 3rd Place Match Ralph Hitchner (Cumberland) dec. Asher Fitzpatrick (Woodstown), 7-1
215 1st Place Match Salvatore Marchese (Delsea) pinned James Cook (Schalick), 0:19 3rd Place Match Anthony Trainor (Buena) dec. Tyshawn English (Millville), 3-0
285 1st Place Match Mateo Vinciguerra (Woodstown) pinned Jacob Hand (Pennsville), 0:53 3rd Place Match Slayton D`Amico (Cedar Creek) pinned Andrew Pinnock (Millville), 1:46
DISTRICT 32 (Qualifiers from Penns Grove, Salem) Team scores: 1. Lower Cape May 231, 2. Red Bank Catholic 225.8, 3. Clearview 159, 4. Deptford 122, 5. Paulsboro 81.5, 6. Clayton/Glassboro 60, 7. Pitman 31, 8. Salem 18, 9. Penns Grove 10
285 1st Place Match John Hearon (Lower Cape May) dec. Abdullah Jenkins (Salem), 1-0 3rd Place Match Daniel Maguire (Deptford) dec. Philip Bertole (Red Bank Catholic), 3-2
Woodstown girls come up with late steal and layup, last-second free throws to complete comeback against Pennsville; Schalick, Salem both fall in the South Jersey Group I opening round
SJ GROUP I GIRLS TOURNAMENT Friday’s games Woodbury 48, Burlington City 10 Palmyra 40, New Egypt 23 Glassboro 60, Cape May Tech 15 Audubon 54, Salem 35 Woodstown 51, Pennsville 47 Gateway 43, Schalick 21 Monday’s games Woodbury at Haddon Twp. Palmyra at Glassboro Woodstown at Audubon Gateway at Wildwood
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — There’s a power in sports even stronger than the will to keep a rival from beating you three times in the same season. It’s the will to keep a legacy alive.
That’s the power that drove the Woodstown girls team Friday night.
The Wolverines have made deep playoffs runs so regularly in recent years it’s almost an expectation. They haven’t lost a first-round playoff game since 2019, and if they had any say in it weren’t about to start in what many would consider a rebuilding year. They did face their biggest challenge to that legacy Friday and found a way to keep it alive.
Emma Perry’s dramatic steal and layup with 13 seconds left snapped a 47-all tie and Lauren Hengel hit two free throws in the final second to send the Wolverines past sixth-seeded Pennsville 51-47 in the opening round of the South Jersey Group I playoffs.
“It was big for us because our team the past four years we’ve had a very good program,” senior forward Lauren Hengel said. “It’s not even about losing about them the past two games but keeping the tradition alive of a good, solid Woodstown girls basketball team. For the players who went before us and the older girls that we played with the past four years and the younger girls who are coming up, showing them what it means to play for Woodstown.
“No one’s really brought it up with us because they didn’t want to stress us out, but we knew. We knew this is Woodstown basketball. Show up for your school, for the tradition, for the girls before you and keep it going.”
The 11th-seeded Wolverines (12-15) lost to the Eagles (16-8) twice during the regular season and were in danger of being the first Woodstown team in a long time to lose to the same team three times in one season trailing by seven with 3:39 to play.
It was at that point Pennsville star Marley Wood picked up her fifth foul and her departure changed so much of what the Eagles could do on both ends of the floor.
The Wolverines chipped away and finally got it tied at 45 on Hengel’s 3-pointer from the right corner right after Kyia Leyman kept the possession alive by banging a loose ball off a Pennsville defender out of bounds.
“I didn’t have time to think, “ Hengel said. “That that was just me doing what I love and playing basketball, not even thinking and just taking the shot. I was practicing in our gym before we left trying to fix my shot and get it just right before the game. It was a big deal to me.”
The game was tied again at 47 and stayed that way until 13 seconds remained when Pennsville set up for a routine inbounds play at midcourt opposite of the benches.
The Eagles wanted to get the ball into Taylor Bass and give her a chance to push to the basket and either get a shot or, depending on how the Wolverines played it, kick out for a 3-pointer, but Perry threw a wrench into all that. She ran up on Bass to knock the inbounds pass away (and Bass along with it) and after a frozen few seconds to realize there was no foul, Perry scooped up the loose ball and drove in alone for the go-ahead layup.
“I knew she was coming right to the ball so I kind of cheated out a little bit and was able to get there and took it out of her hands,” Perry said, admitting there was contact on the turnover. “The play was supposed to be for me to stay back but I just remember cheating out a little bit. I knew there wasn’t that much time left and anything I could do to get my hand on the ball I was trying to do it. I try to pop out and get steals as much as I can, but that was definitely a highlight.”
“She’s insane,” Hengel said of Perry. “She has some crazy footwork and she’s a pest on defense. I just think that was just huge and nobody deserved that play more than her.”
“It was a big play by her, but there were big plays made by everybody all game and that’s what I’m so proud of,” coach Matt Smart said. “For the most part the girls played extremely hard. That’s kind of what we preach in practice all week and that’s what they preach to each. They knew what they had to do win this game and then we went out and accomplished it.”
There was still time on the clock to get an equalizer or maybe a game-winner, but the Eagles lost the ball out of bounds attacking the basket with 2.8 seconds left. When the Wolverines put the ball back in play Hengel was fouled immediately and went to the line for her game-sealing free throws.
Hengel got Woodstown going early while the Eagles were still settling into the game and led the Wolverines with 15 points. Kendall Young had 14, Leyman 12 and Perry 10.
Pennsville’s Wood led all scorers with 20 points and finished her high school career as the Eagles’ second all-time leading girls scorer with 1352 points and 12th all-time in Salem County. Bass had 11 points and finished with 1237, tied for 19th on the all-time county girls list.
The Wolverines now play at third-seeded Audubon in the quarterfinals Monday.
“It just feels nice to not be done playing basketball,” Smart said.
Top photo: Woodstown’s Emma Perry (13) knocks away an inbounds pass intended for Pennsville’s Taylor Bass leading to her tie-breaking layup late in the fourth quarter that sent the Wolverines to playoff victory.
GATEWAY 43, SCHALICK 21: Down 12 with 90 seconds left in the third quarter, Schalick coach John Whelan figured it was time to roll the dice. He rolled out something the Cougars hadn’t practiced – a full-court man defense – with the aim of getting his team back in the game.
It worked for a while. The Cougars cut the deficit in half with about six and a half minutes left, but the Gators regrouped and made the plays to open it back up.
The Cougars were without Ava Scurry, the county’s leading shot-blocker by a wide margin, and guard Emmalyn Weir was excused in the third quarter for a school event. The Gators also clamped down on leading scorer Neveah Robinson, holding her without a field goal and to only two points.
“But our girls battled to the end and I am extremely proud of all they accomplished this season,” Whelan said.
Indeed. The Cougars made an 11-win turnaround from the season before and enjoyed their winningest season since 209. They won their first three games of the season and were never below .500 at any point.
Sophomore guard Liv VanAcker had three assists in the game set the Cougars’ single-season record with 91.
AUDUBON 54, SALEM 35: Emma Speyerer scored 22 points and two of her Green Wave teammates also scored in double figures. Dyaira Anderson had a double-double for the Rams (12 points and 12 rebounds).
The loss brought a close to Kemp Carr’s first season as the Rams’ coach. His team produced the program’s winningest season since 2022-23, made a six-win improvement over the year before and was .500 as late as Feb. 17.
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Fev. 23-28; all events subject to the weather; first-round South Jersey Group I basketball tournament games now on Friday
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Region XIX/North Atlantic District A Tournament Ocean at Salem CC
THURSDAY, FEB. 26 BOWLING NJSIAA Top 100, Lucky Strikes, North Brunswick
FRIDAY, FEB. 27 BOYS BASKETBALL South Jersey Group I Tournament Riverside at Salem, 5 p.m. Paulsboro at Woodstown, 5 p.m. Glassboro at Burlington City, 6:30 p.m. Wildwood at KIPP, 6 p.m. New Egypt at Haddon Twp., 7:30 p.m. Pitman at Penns Grove, 4 p.m. Audubon at Woodbury, 5:30 p.m. Gateway at Palmyra, 6 p.m. GIRLS BASKETBALL South Jersey Group I Tournament Paulsboro at Haddon Twp. Burlington City at Woodbury New Egypt at Palmyra Cape May Tech at Glassboro Salem at Audubon, 5 p.m. Woodstown at Pennsville, 5 p.m. Schalick at Gateway, 5 p.m. Clayton at Wildwood BOWLING Group I Championship At Lucky Strikes, North Brunswick Salem vs. Kinnelon, 9 a.m. Middlesex vs. Rutherford, 9 a.m. Title match to follow COLLEGE BASEBALL Ocean at Salem CC, 3 p.m.
SATURDAY, FEB. 28 INDOOR TRACK NJSIAA Group I Championship, Toms River WRESTLING NJSIAA District Tournament COLLEGE BASKETBALL Region XIX/North Atlantic District A&B finals, Northampton CC COLLEGE BASEBALL Salem CC at Ocean (2), noon
Here are the Salem County boys and girls basketball stats leaders for the 2025-26 season; minimum 50 percent of team games, stats contingent on accuracy of reports to state service
Schalick girls earn a spot in the TCC Postseason Bracket title game, host Deptford Saturday morning; includes TCC Tournament scores and Salem County consolation games
PITTSGROVE — John Whelan held his breath a little bit when the Tri-County Conference officials were seeding their annual tournament and he let out a small sigh of relief when they finished their business.
Whelan’s Schalick girls basketball team was having one of their best seasons in a while, but its power points on Super Bowl Sunday left it on the bubble of making the TCC Championship Bracket reserved for the the league’s 12 heaviest hitters or the Postseason Bracket with what was left.
A power point here or there or a team jump-seeding its neighbor in the standings and a lot of things could change. When it all shook out, the Cougars fell on the Postseason Bracket side of the line — the No. 1 seed, if fact — and now, instead of facing an upper seed in the first round of the upper bracket with the expected consequences, they have a chance to win a championship.
The Cougars earned a spot in the Postseason Bracket championship game Thursday night when they dumped Salem 47-33. They now host Deptford (12-14) for the title Saturday at 10 a.m.
“It’s exciting,” Whelan said. “The girls deserve it. They’ve earned it. They put the work in all season, in the offseason in here, every practice, in the weight room, so it’s kind of come full circle for us. It’s exciting times to have this opportunity.”
In the past, the TCC split its tournament into three divisions – the top 8 (A), the eight in the middle of pack (B) and the also-rans (C),. This year they decided to expand the upper bracket to reward the league’s four division winners that sometimes didn’t make the A Bracket with first-round byes
They seeded it straight on the power points among the conference’s 23 teams – with the exception of the division winners who earned the top four seeds – and went to a 12-team upper and 11-team lower bracket.
The Cougars came in at No. 13, despite having as many or more wins than seven teams in the Championship Bracket at the time of the seeding, meaning they were the first team out and the whole Postseason Bracket went through them. They were the winningest team in the bracket by five wins.
“You always want to strive to play for that higher competition, but we fell where we fell,” Whelan said. “The 1 seed, that would be extra home games for us. We approach it the same way we would any other bracket or championship or any other game. This is just as important to us as it would be if we were in the other bracket.
“It definitely gave us an opportunity to be where we are, for sure. Some of the upper-tier teams is something we’re striving to work towards and we’re making good strides. This is definitely a bracket with good competition, as seen in the past two games, and we’ll see again Saturday. This is the start of our post-season.”
Nevaeh Robinson led Schalick with 14 points and nine rebounds. Cali Fisler had a career-high 13 points, including 7-of-8 from the free throw line. She was 5-for-6 in the fourth quarter, undermining the Rams’ strategy for getting back in the game.
The Cougars were 18-of-27 from the line for the game, while the Rams were 13-of-29.
“We talked about the importance of free throws, especially in a playoff game,” Whelan said. “We knew it was going to be physical and we prepared for that mentally and physically. We spent a lot of time with free throws (in practice) and to their credit they knocked them down.”
“I just was really confident this game,” Fisler said. “I knew what I could do at line. I knew my percentages overall have not been very good this season, but I knew what I could do, so I stayed calm despite the noise they were trying to make and I just did what I do.”
Point guard Liv VanAcker got the Cougars through some of the more chaotic moments of the fast-paced game and dished seven assists to move within four of Abby Chomo’s single-season school record (89). Ava Scurry blocked four more shots, leaving her four shy of her single-season record (85).
“It was chaotic, yes, but our team is very good with chaos,” VanAcker said. “At first we start off a little shaky, but we get our groove after a while.”
DyAira Anderson led Salem with 14 points and 20 rebounds. Carlysia Pierce had 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Rams forced Schalick into numerous turnovers early and led 5-4 after a turnover-filled first quarter, but they were negatively impacted throughout by missing too many shots in close and struggling at the free throw line.
“You’ve gotta have the ball go through the circle.,” Salem coach Kemp Carr said. “You can’t get four and five shots at the basket, two feet, and you don’t make it. It’s not so much what they did more than what we didn’t do. We just didn’t execute what we needed to execute. You’ve gotta make shots.”
SCHALICK 47, SALEM 33 SALEM (9-10): Madison Dixon 3 0-2 6, DyAira Anderson 3 8-13 14, Carlysia Pierce 3 5-14 11, Jaryn Weathers 0 0-0 0, Tricia Wilson 1 0-0 2, Kaliyah Taylor 0 0-0 0, Samiyah Moore 0 0-0 0, Zanyah Frieson 0 0-0 0, Timmiyah Simmons 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 13-29 33 SCHALICK (17-6): Cali Fisler 3 7-8 13, Ava Scurry 4 0-0 8, Willow Davis 1 2-2 5, Nevaeh Robinson 5 2-5 14, Liv VanAcker 0 5-8 5, Vicky Basich 0 0-0 0, Emmalyn Weir 0 2-2 2, Jaelynn Jarmon 0 0-0 0, Emma O’Neil 0 0-2 0. Totals 13 18-27 47.
Salem
5
7
10
11-
33
Schalick
4
16
12
15-
47
3-point goals: Schalick 3 (Davis, Robinson 2). Rebounds: Salem 55 (Pierce 12, Anderson 20); Schalick 26 (Scurry 5, Robinson 9, VanAcker 6). Technical fouls: Fisler. Fouled out: Pierce, Scurry. Total fouls: Salem 22, Schalick 20.
PENNSVILLE 57, CUMBERLAND 36: Marley Wood scored 10 of her game-high 24 points in the second quarter as the Eagles pulled away from this TCC Championship Bracket consolation game. Jaiden Wilson added a career-high 12 points Next up for the Eagles is a Wednesday date with Woodstown in the South Jersey Group I tournament.
WASHINGTON TWP. 44, WOODSTOWN 20 WOODSTOWN (11-15): Kendall Young 2, Emma Perry 10, Lauren Hengel 4, Kyia Leyman 2, Talia Guardascione 2. WASHINGTON TWP. (16-9): Frankie Begley 1 2-2 4, Shyla McLean 3 0-0 9, Julianna Cassidy 1 0-0 2, Elena Dabrowski 2 0-0 6, Aubrey Mack 6 1-2 13, Jade Mazzuca 1 0-0 2, Tessa Reilley 2 0-0 4, Lena Giannini 2 0-0 4. Totals 18 3-4 44.
Woodstown
2
4
10
4-
20
Washington Twp.
7
17
8
12-
44
3-point goals: Washington Twp. 5 (McLean 3, Dabrowski 2).
Schalick’s Ava Scurry (C) denies Salem’s Kaliyah Taylor entry into the lane during their TCC Postseason Bracket semifinal game Thursday night.
Boys game
WOODSTOWN 77, CLEARVIEW 50: Blake Bialecki led a balanced scoring attack with 18 points that featured five 3-pointers, as the Wolverines snapped a three-game losing streak that tied the longest in coach Ramon Roots’ two-year tenure. Bialecki had 11 points in the first quarter fueled by three 3s. Andrew White had 15 points, 13 in the third quarter, and Alejandro Vazquez had 10.
CLEAVIEW (10-17): Jonah Turner 3 1-2 7, Georgia Kritikson 3 1-1 8, Mike Pellecchia 3 1-2 8, Darren Riddick 4 0-0 9, Alex Whitwork 2 0-0 6, TJ McGovern 1 0-0 3, Logan Poletti 1 0-0 3, David Carter 2 0-0 6, Ethan Munch 0 0-0 0, Patrick Furfari 0 0-0 0, Jake Bernstein 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 3-5 50. WOODSTOWN (16-11): Elijah Caesar 4 0-2 8, Jalen Markward 0 0-0 0, Andrew White 7 1-2 15, Trey Markward 1 0-0 2, Lucas Fulmer 1 0-0 2, Blake Bialecki 6 1-2 18, Bryce Ayars 0 0-0 0, Frank Hoerst 4 0-2 8, Connor Miller 2 2-2 6, Alejandro Vazquez 3 3-3 10, Brian Booker 1 0-0 2, John Hood-McGinley 0 0-0 0, Josh King 3 0-0 6. Totals 32 7-13 77.
Woodstown boys win 4×400 relay in record time, but it left them one point short of winning the South Jersey Group I indoor sectionals; the difference was Glassboro’s third-place finish by 0.10 seconds
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
TOMS RIVER – Blink your eyes. That’s how close it was to determining the South Jersey Group I boys indoor track sectionals champion Sunday.
As these meets always seem to do lately, it came down to the final race between Woodstown and Glassboro in the 4×400 relay.
Woodstown had to win it and have Glassboro finish fourth or worse – or some other combination of a six-point swing – to win it all at the Bubble.
The Wolverines did what they needed to do, winning the race in a PR meet record (3:30.30), but Glassboro raced to third (3:37.78), a scant 0.10 seconds ahead of fourth-place Gateway, to grab just enough points to win the team title by one point.
Glassboro scored 54.60 points overall to Woodstown’s 53.60.
The Wolverines relay team of Karson Chew, Anthony Costello, Kyle Reitz and Josh Crawford obliterated the old 4×400 record of 3:32.09, set by Woodbury last year. Salem finished second in the race.
“We knew going into the 4×4 that we needed two things to happen,” Chew said. “We needed to win and Glassboro couldn’t get third or better. Unfortunately, only one of those things was in the cards for us.
“Everyone ran a great race and we all did the best we could with what we could control. Now it just comes down to regaining our confidence and going into states with a good mentality.”
Through five events both teams were lagging behind leader Haddon Twp., but after the completion of the high jump and 800, the Wolverines had pulled in front, bringing Glassboro with them. The margin was seven points..
Glassboro made a big move in the 3200, the next-to-last event in the meet. Top-seeded Bulldog Joseph Saicic won the race and Jaeden Wesley, the 18th-seeded runner, finished fourth. Jacob Marino gave Woodstown its only points in the race, finishing sixth.
Salem County produced three individual champions. Crawford won the 400 (51.13) and 800 (1:59.87, going 1-2 with Chew), and Woodstown’s Kami Casiano won the girls high jump (5-0). In addition, there were four other runner-ups — Penns Grove’s Kylee Goodson (400), Woodstown’s Aiden Taulane (shot put), Woodstown’s Lia Covely (girls 55 hurdles) and Pennsville Kallie Morrison (girls high jump).
In all, Salem County qualified 28 individuals and three relays to the state group championships back here on Feb. 22.
This is the second major win for Casiano this year. She won the Tri-County Showcase with a jump of 5-2. She started the new year with a third-place finish in Penn’s Ott Center on Jan. 3 (4-10) and finished fourth in a batch meet here on Jan. 10 (5-0).
“I’m so happy about winning sectionals today,” Casiano said. “A big goal I had for myself this season was consistency. I’m getting past my nerves and giving it my all.”
Here are the event winners and Salem County qualifiers to the state group championships. The top six in each event score points and qualify for state.
This story will be updated.
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I SECTIONALS BOYS TEAM SCORES: Glassboro 54.60, WOODSTOWN 53.60, Haddon Twp. 36, Camden 32.60; SALEM 29.60, Gateway 22, PENNS GROVE 20, Audubon 17, Woodbury 14, Burlington City 12, Palmyra 8.60, SCHALICK 6, West Deptford 2, Buena 2. 400: 1. Josh Crawford, Woodstown 51.13; 2. Kylee Goodson, Penns Grove 52.07; 4. Timothy Gregory, Salem 52.41. 1600: 1. Joseph Saicic, Glassboro 4:33.47; 4. Jacob Marino, Woodstown 4:36.50; 6. David Farrell, Woodstown 4:42.96 55 Hurdles: 1. Jaleel Dickerson-Dempsey, Camden 7.83; 4. Timothy Gregory, Salem 8.42; 5. Gradin Buzby, Salem 8.64 55 Dash: 1. Donte Davis, Burlington City 6.55; 3. Jelani Beverly, Salem 6.70; 6. Kyle Reitz, Woodstown 6.81 800: 1. Josh Crawford, Woodstown 1:59.87; 2. Karson Chew, Woodstown 2:00.56 3200: 1. Joseph Saicic, Glassboro 9:52.30; 6. Jacob Marino, Woodstown 10:14.36 4×400: 1. Woodstown (Kyle Reitz, Karson Chew, Anthony Costello, Josh Crawford) 3:30.30 (meet record, old record 3:32.09, Woodbury 2025); 2. Salem (Quimere Bergen, Gradin Buzby, RaShar Stevenson, Jerry Seals) 3:37.61 High Jump: 1. Moses Robles, Glassboro 6-2; 3. Tommy White, Penns Grove 5-6; T5. Jerry Seals, Salem 5-2; T5. Anthony Costello, Woodstown 5-2 Pole Vault: 1. Bobby McIlvaine, Haddon Twp. 12-0; 3. Salvatore Longo, Schalick 11-0; 4. Gradin Buzby, Salem 11-0 Shot Put: 1. Kyle Stephens, Haddon Twp. 47-9; 2. Aiden Taulane, Woodstown 46-2.5; 3. JaKai Ingram, Penns Grove 45-7; 6. Jailon Fletcher-Wilson, Salem 43-2
GIRLS TEAM SCORES: Audubon 90, Glassboro 47, Haddon Twp. 46, West Deptford 32, WOODSTOWN 31, Buena 20, Woodbury 12, PENNSVILLE 8, Lower Cape May 8, SALEM 5, PENNS GROVE 4, Palmyra 2, Burlington City 2, Gateway 2 400: 1. Kayla Romanoski, West Deptford 1:00.72 1600: 1. Riley Fayer, Audubon 5:08.61; 4. Abby Marino, Woodstown 5:29.58 55 Hurdles: 1. Casey Birdwell, Haddon Twp. 8.83; 2. Lia Covely, Woodstown 9.40 55 Dash: 1. Kathryn McGuire, Audubon 7.60 800: 1. Kayla Romanoski, West Deptford 2:19.05 3200: 1. Riley Fayer, Audubon 11:20.98; 3. Abby Marino, Woodstown 11:58.23 4×400: 1. Audubon 4:18.72; 4. Salem (Dynastie Tucker, Brooklynn Jackson, Amaia Massengill, Alysha Williams) 4:24.47; 6. Woodstown (Maria Holmes, Angelina Lindenmuth, Abby Marino, Lia Covely) 4:38.23 High Jump: 1. Kami Casiano, Woodstown 5-0; 2. Kallie Morrison, Pennsville 4-10 Pole Vault: 1. Morganna Makuszewski, Audubon 9-0 Shot Put: 1. Sunny Moore, Glassboro 37-6.75; 4. Zoey Caesar, Penns Grove 30-11.25; 5. Sara Lodge, Woodstown 30-5.75; 6. Ava Rodgers, Salem 29-10.5
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Feb. 15-22
SUNDAY, FEB. 15 INDOOR TRACK South Jersey Group I Sectionals at Bennett Complex, 9 a.m.
MONDAY, FEB. 16 WRESTLING Cedar Creek at Salem, 10 a.m. NJSIAA Team Tournament At Paulsboro Buena vs. Paulsboro, 5:30 p.m. Pennsville vs. Schalick, 5:30 p.m. Winners to follow At Audubon Haddon Twp. vs. Woodstown, 5 p.m. Maple Shade vs. Audubon, 5 p.m. Winners to follow COLLEGE BASEBALL Salem CC at Bryant & Stratton (Va.)
TUESDAY, FEB. 17 BOYS BASKETBALL TCC Tournament Championship Bracket Timber Creek at Kingsway Deptford at Overbrook Cumberland at Delsea Williamstown at Salem, 5 p.m. Consolation game Woodstown at Penns Grove, 5:30 p.m. Postseason Bracket Clayton at GCIT Glassboro at Triton Wildwood at Pitman Highland at Washington Twp. GIRLS BASKETBALL TCC Tournament Championship Bracket Delsea at Gloucester Catholic Clearview at Timber Creek Kingsway at Glassboro Washington Twp. at Wildwood Consolation game Woodstown at Triton, 5:30 p.m. Postseason Bracket Pitman at Schalick Salem at Williamstown Clayton at GCIT Penns Grove at Deptford
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18 WRESTLING Pennsville at Pennsauken, 6 p.m. Team Sectional Finals BOYS BOWLING South Jersey Group I Tournament Salem vs. Doane Academy, Wood Lanes, 3 p.m. Asbury Park at Camden Catholic
THURSDAY, FEB. 19 BOYS BASKETBALL TCC Tournament Championship Bracket Timber Creek-Kingsway vs. Deptford-Overbrook Cumberland-Delsea vs. Williamstown-Salem Postseason Bracket Clayton-GCIT vs. Glassboro-Triton Wildwood-Pitman vs. Highland/Washington Twp. GIRLS BASKETBALL TCC Tournament Championship Bracket Delsea-Gloucester Catholic vs. Clearview-Timber Creek Kingsway-Glassboro vs. Washington Twp.-Wildwood Postseason Bracket Pitman-Schalick vs. Salem-Williamstown Clayton-GCIT vs. Penns Grove-Deptford Consolation game Cumberland at Pennsville, 4 p.m. WRESTLING Salem at New Egypt, 5 p.m.
FRIDAY, FEB. 20 BOYS BASKETBALL Camden County Tech at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m. GIRLS BASKETBALL Medford Tech at Salem Tech, 4 p.m. WRESTLING St. Joseph (Hamm.) at Salem, 5 p.m. Penns Grove at Cherry Hill West, 6 p.m. State Team Semifinals
SATURDAY, FEB. 21 BOYS BASKETBALL TCC Championship, Washington Twp., 11 a.m. GIRLS BASKETBALL TCC Championship, Washington Twp., 1 p.m. BOYS BOWLING South Jersey Group I Championship WRESTLING Pennsville, Ewing at Pt. Pleasant Beach, 10 a.m.
SUNDAY, FEB. 22 TRACK NJSIAA Group Championships, Bennett Center, 9 a.m.
Scores, details and projected playoff pairings highlight the Saturday Salem County sports report; Salem projected to pull down No. 1 boys seed in South Jersey Group 1; will be updated with more
SATURDAY, FEB. 14 BOYS BASKETBALL Salem 66, Salem Tech 44 Steinert 55, Schalick 30 Haddonfield 49, Woodstown 44 GIRLS BASKETBALL Middle Twp. 55, Schalick 26 TCC Tournament Delsea 47, Pennsville 30 WRESTLING Highland, Mainland at Pennsville Woodstown at Delran Quad
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM — All year long the carrot Salem’s boys basketball team had been chasing was the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group I tournament. It appears the Rams have claimed their prize.
After dispatching Salem Tech 66-64 on Saturday’s final day of power points qualifying, the Rams (19-4) appear to have secured the No. 1 seed by nearly two full points over No. 2 Palmyra. If the tournament were seeded as of 5 p.m. Saturday night, they would host No. 16 Riverside in the opening round of the playoffs.
It’s the first time an Anthony Farmer-coached Salem team is No. 1 in South Jersey. The Rams went to the South Jersey finals in his first season as the No. 2 seed.
“We’ve been taking care of business all season long, we’ve been finding ways to win, so this is the result,” Farmer said. “We’re excited about being the 1 seed and having everything come through Salem and having home court advantage. Now we’ve just got to get to work and see how far we can go with this thing.”
Here are the top 16 South Jersey Group I boys qualifers (and projected matchups) based on the power points standings at press time:
1. Salem (19-4), 2. Palmyra (17-6), 3. Haddon Twp. (20-5), 4. KIPP (15-6), 5. Burlington City (12-11), 6. Penns Grove (15-10), 7. Woodbury (11-14), 8. Woodstown (15-10), 9. Paulsboro (11-11), 10. x-Audubon (12-12), 11. Pitman (10-14), 12. Glassboro (7-15), 13. Wildwood (12-11), 14. New Egypt (11-13), 15. Gateway (13-11), No. 16 Riverside (9-14). x-LEAP, No. 10 in the power points standings, is ineligible for the playoffs.
Projected pairings based off those seeds: Riverside at Salem, Paulsboro at Woodstown, Glassboro at Burlington City, Wildwood at KIPP, New Egypt at Haddon Twp., Pitman at Penns Grove, Audubon at Woodbury, Gateway at Palmyra.
Projected pairings based off those seeds: Clayton at Haddon Twp., Burlington City at Woodbury, New Egypt at Palmyra, Riverside at Glassboro, Cape May Tech at Audubon, Woodstown at Pennsville, Schalick at Gateway, Salem at Wildwood.
In Farmer’s mind, having the home court is the biggest advantage to being the No. 1 seed.
“That is the big deal,” he said. “Kids have a tendency to get behind the home crowd and play with more energy and play better at home. Salem has a lot of support, our fans come out, so it’s great for us to be at home.”
The Rams were home Saturday and sent their seniors off in style. Farmer played the seniors on Senior Day and they made it happen.
Donnie Weathers led them with 13 points. Xavier McGriff had 12, and Kaden Robinson and Marshall Stephens had 10 apiece. All the players will be available for their next start, Tuesday against Williamstown in the Tri-County Tournament quarterfinals..
“We’ve been playing good basketball the last few weeks, I’m excited where we are,” Farmer said. “You want to be playing your best basketball around this time and I feel like we’re more disciplined, we have a better understanding of who we are as a group, so I’m excited about the run we’re going to make.”
HADDONFIELD 49, WOODSTOWN 44: The Wolverines cut a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to three with five seconds left, but couldn’t come all the way. Haddonfield missed a free throw with 4.7 seconds left and the Wolverines had the ball, but couldn’t get the tying shot to fall and the Bulldogs escaped with their 11th straight win.
Blake Bialecki led Woodstown with 12 points, but was held without a 3-pointer for the first time in 21 games and the first time at home since last year’s opening-round win in the South Jersey Group I tournament. He remains at 199 for his career. He had a good look at one with about 30 seconds left and the Wolverines down five, but rattled the rim three times before falling out. Elijah Caesar and Alejandro both hit two 3s and both finished with 10 points.
Chris Beane led Haddonfield (21-3) with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Chase Stadler hit three 3s and finished with 10. The Bulldogs are the projected No. 1 seed in South Jersey Group 2.
HADDONFIELD (21-3): Mike Douglas 2 1-6 6, John Scipione 1 2-4 5, Chris Beane 4 4-8 12, Jack McKeever 1 0-0 2, Mike Mooney 3 1-4 7, Ryan Guyeiyian 1 5-9 7, Chase Stadler 3 1-4 10. Totals 15 14-35 49. WOODSTOWN (15-10): Elijah Caesar 4 0-0 10, Andrew White 3 0-3 6, Blake Bialecki 6 6-7 12, Alejandro Vazquez 3 2-3 10, Josh King 1 4-4 6. Totals 17 12-17 44.
STEINERT 55, SCHALICK 30: The Spartans from Mercer County dominated the first and third quarters to take control of the game. Steinert’s Michael Shaklin hit four 3-pointers and led all scorers with 18 points. Christian Guagliardo went 6-of-9 from the line and added 10. Julian Dickerson led Schalick with 14 points.
Steinert
16
18
15
6-
55
Schalick
9
13
3
5-
30
Girls games
DELSEA 47, PENNSVILLE 30: Peyton Parker scored 22 points and the Crusaders held Pennsville’s top two scorers to a combined 13 points to win in the final game of the opening round of the Tri-County Conference Championship Bracket. The loss snapped Pennsville’s seven-game winning streak and was the Eagles’ first in the six games since changing coaches Feb. 2.
Taylor Bass was Pennsville’s leading scorer with 10 points. Marley Wood was held to three. She tried to play through illness in the first half, but sat out the second.
“Delsea came out to play,” Eagles coach Robin Efelis said. “They were aggressive and played well. We had a few days of good practices, but it wasn’t enough.”
MIDDLE TWP. 55, SCHALICK 26: The Panthers went looking for a last-minute game addition to enhance its power points position and the Cougars answered the call to test themselves against the projected No. 1 team in South Jersey Group 2.
Middle (21-4) jumped out quickly and held the Cougars (15-6) to two points in each of the first two quarters. Interestingly, the Panthers didn’t put a scorer in double figures, but had 11 players scored. Vicky Basich led Schalick with eight points. Nevaeh Robinson had seven points and 10 rebounds.
Schalick benefitted from the game as well. The Cougars earned enough power points to project to No. 10 in the South Jersey Group 1 standings, the second-highest team from Salem County.
