Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Sept. 8-13
MONDAY, SEPT. 8 FIELD HOCKEY Absegami at Pennsville, 4 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Overbrook at Schalick, 4 p.m. Penns Grove at Pitman, 4 p.m. Salem at Clayton, 4 p.m. Salem Tech at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Glassboro, 4 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Glassboro at Woodstown, 4 p.m. Penns Grove at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Pitman at Salem Tech, 4 p.m. Schalick at Overbrook, 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Pennsville at Wildwood, 4 p.m. Penns Grove at Glassboro, 4 p.m. Schalick at Salem, 4 p.m. VOLLEYBALL Schalick at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 9 FIELD HOCKEY Schalick at Pitman, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Deptford, 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Woodstown at West Deptford, 3:45 p.m. CROSS COUNTRY TCC Batch Meet at Cumberland, 3:30 p.m. GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10 FIELD HOCKEY Paulsboro at Salem Tech, 4 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Glassboro at Penns Grove, 4 p.m. Pennsville at Wildwood, 4 p.m. Salem Tech at Salem, 4 p.m. Schalick at Pitman, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Overbrook, 4 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Overbrook at Woodstown, 4 p.m. Pennsville at Schalick, 4 p.m. Penns Grove at Glassboro, 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Schalick at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m. Woodstown at Penns Grove, 3:45 p.m. Salem at Overbrook, 4 p.m.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11 WJFL FOOTBALL Penns Grove at Glassboro, 7 p.m. West Deptford at Collingswood, 6 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Salem at Deptford, 4 p.m. Salem Tech at Clayton, 4 p.m. Schalick at Woodstown, 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Pennsville at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m. Penns Grove at Palmyra, 4 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12 WJFL FOOTBALL Woodstown at Schalick, 6 p.m. Overbrook at Pennsville, 7 p.m. Paulsboro at Camden Catholic, 7 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Salem at Bridgeton, 4 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Pennsville at Overbrook, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Salem Tech, 4 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Bridgeton at Salem, 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Schalick at Cumberland, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Middle Twp., 4 p.m. CROSS COUNTRY Boys Showcase, White Clay Creek State Park, 2 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 13 WJFL FOOTBALL Woodbury at Salem, noon Bordentown at Audubon, 11 a.m. CROSS COUNTRY South Jersey Shootout, DREAM Park, 9 a.m.
FIELD HOCKEY Washington Twp. 4, Schalick 2 BOYS SOCCER Schalick 2, Washington Twp 2 GIRLS SOCCER Audubon 3, Woodstown 0 Bridgeton at Pennsville GIRLS TENNIS Clearview 3, Woodstown 2 Kingsway 4, Pennsville 1 Wildwood at Salem
WEST DEPTFORD — The circumstances producing it may be different, but when you look at where they stand today, the Pennsville football team is in the same spot it was this time last year and things turned out all right. So they have that to consider as they look to bounce back from another 0-2 start.
The Eagles dropped their second straight game to open the season Friday night, 42-7 at West Deptford. They started last season 0-2, too, then rebounded to get into the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs and played two rounds.
Of course, those were two close games against Gloucester and West Deptford last year. The ones this season against the same opponents were not and that’s the worrisome part.
“Record-wise, we’re in the same position, but we’ve got to figure it out as a whole unit,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said after explaining it to his team in a 20-minute post-mortem in the far end zone. “(Have to) better understand why are we out here, why are we doing what we’re doing.
“It’s very frustrating for all of us. We know deep down we are not putting out what we are right now and we’ve got to figure out how to find that within the kids, how to get the best of us on the field because right now we’re just not doing it.
“It’s a long season. We still have time to pull it together and accomplish our goals, but we’ve got to get it done. We can’t let it keep going like this. We have got to get it figured out and get started going. We don’t want to let the opportunity slip and then it be too late and we don’t have the opportunity any more.”
West Deptford, meanwhile, came into the game wanting to play better against Pennsville than it did in last year’s game when it needed a Sports Center highlight touchdown in the final minute from a backup quarterback pressed into action two minutes earlier to win.
The homestanding Eagles dominated this one for their second win of the season. They rushed for 366 yards (234 in the first half), racked up 22 first downs and held Pennsville to four first downs and less than 85 yards of net offense.
They scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions and six of nine in the game. Zamir Davis rushed for 185 yards and three touchdowns. Cole Paskiewicz scored the first two touchdown of the game.
The seized the momentum from the very start. Pennsville fumbled the first snap of the game. West Deptford recovered and turned it into Paskiewicz’ first touchdown of the game.
“We looked for improvement from a year ago,” said West Deptford coach John Emel, who personally beat Pennsville for the ninth straight time. “A year ago they outplayed us.
“I told them before the game this year I want to play better than we did last year against them. I know we’re a better team, but our goal every day is to play better and I want to play better today.”
The highlight of Pennsville’s night was Perry’s Pic-Six, an 85-yard interception return for a third-quarter touchdown by senior defensive lineman Perry Meranti.
“That was nice,” he said. “That’s my first ever career touchdown, so that was a big moment for me. I definitely would have dreamed I was going to get (the first one) on offense more than defense.”
He certainly was in the right place at the right time, taking advantage of the coaches call to turn players loose in the second half for a chance to show what they can do.
West Deptford was on the verge of opening the second half with another touchdown, taking the kickoff and driving to the Pennsville 11. Quarterback Brady Cobb rolled right with the snap and for a moment looked like he was going to run it. Then all of a sudden he pulled up as he got closer to the line of scrimmage, tossed it and Meranti was there to pick it.
“Sometimes the only wrong decision is indecision,” Emel said. “He kind of looked like he wanted to run and at the last second tried to make a mountain out of a molehill and it cost us six points. He’s a smart kid, but that was not a smart play.”
The way the play flowed it didn’t take long for Meranti to clear traffic and once he got into the open field nobody was going to catch him.
“The wing, he rolled out trying to reach me, so I was just doing my job like we practice all week,” the senior said. “I’m trying to stretch the play out and I saw the QB cut up, so I tried to cut in and take him for a sack and he tried to dump it over the top and I kind of just caught it. It was just there.
“I was just trying to stay ready as much as I could. The second he pulled the pin I kind of broke for it.”
Meranti knows what has to happen for his team to get back on track.
“We have a really good team this year within us,” he said, “but us seniors, even me, we need to step up and take a role of leadership. I’ll say what our coaches said: Our leadership graduated last year and we need to take a big step forward and step up. Last year it was an internal change. We had people step up.”
Top photo: Pennsville’s Perry Meranti snags the interception he returned 85 yards for the Eagles’ only touchdown against West Deptford. (Photo by Amory Alleyne)
West Deptford 42, Pennsville 7
PMHS (7)
WDEPT (42)
4
1st Downs
22
27-53
Rushing
40-366
3-8-0
Passing (C-A-I)
5-9-1
29
Passing yds
60
1-1
Fumbles-lost
1-1
4-33.8
Punts-avg
0-0
7-58
Penalties-yds
2-15
Pennsville (0-2)
0
0
7
0-
7
West Deptford (2-0)
14
14
6
8-
42
SCORING SUMMARY WD: Colę Paskiewicz 4 run (Brady Cobb kick), 8:41 1Q WD: Cole Paskiewicz 8 pass from Brady Cobb (Brady Cobb kick), 1:15 1Q WD: Zamir Davis 48 run (kick failed), 10:12 2Q WD: Zamir Davis 6 run (Colę Paskiewicz pass from Brady Cobb), 25.3 2Q P: Perry Meranti 85 interception return (Danny Knight kick), 9:33 3Q WD: Zamir Davis 2 run (kick failed), 2:20 3Q WD: Kameron Simpkins 5 run (Bryce Wynn run), 9:05 4Q
Delsea 35, Woodstown 7
FRANKLINVILLE — Delsea did what Delsea does and what it didn’t do when the teams played a year ago.
The Crusaders rushed for a whopping 465 yards as a team, with three backs each going for more than 100, to avenge their low-scoring, one-point overtime loss to the Wolverines in last year’s season opener.
Milo Gebhard led the crush with 143 yards on nine carries. He scored the first two touchdowns of the game as Delsea opened a 21-0 halftime lead. Nasir Hart had 122 yards and two TDs on five attempts, while Imair Chester had 120 yards on seven carries and the game’s final touchdown.
Freshman quarterback Frankie Hoerst scored Woodstown’s only touchdown, a 6-yard run in the third quarter that answered the coaches’ challenge at halftime. Hoerst had 25 yards rushing and completed six passes for 71 yards.
Cole Ware had an interception for the Wolverines.
“I was happy with the way our kids fought tonight,” Woodstown coach Frank Trautz said. “They (Delsea) were very physical and for our young team to get a taste of that tonight it was good for us. We can take a lot of good things away from it. I do think this will be a positive for us moving forward.”
Delsea 35, Woodstown 7
WOOD (7)
DEL (35)
10
1st Downs
17
26-62
Rushing
32-465
6-17-1
Passing (C-A-I)
1-2-1
71
Passing yds
23
2-0
Fumbles-lost
1-0
2-40.0
Punts-avg
0-0
8-51
Penalties-yds
10-100
Woodstown (1-1)
0
0
7
0-
7
Delsea (2-0)
7
14
7
7-
35
SCORING SUMMARY D: Milo Gebhard 1 run (Logan Cordero kick) D: Milo Gebhard 59 run (Logan Cordero kick) D: Nashi Hart 8 run (Logan Cordero kick) WO: Frank Hoerst 6 run (Frank Hoerst kick) D: Nasir Hart 46 run (Logan Cordero kick) D: Imair Chester 37 run (Logan Cordero kick)
WJFL Standings
DIAMOND DIVISION
ALL
DIV
Glassboro
2-0
0-0
Woodstown
1-1
0-0
Penns Grove
0-1
0-0
Salem
0-2
0-0
Schalick
0-2
0-0
Woodbury
0-2
0-0
PATRIOT DIVISION
ALL
DIV
Collingswood
2-0
1-0
West Deptford
2-0
1-0
Paulsboro
1-0
0-0
Audubon
0-0
0-0
Camden Catholic
0-1
0-0
Overbrook
1-1
0-1
Pennsville
0-2
0-1
Thursday’s Games Cinnaminson 3, Salem 0 Friday’s Games Cumberland 14, Schalick 7 Delsea 35, Woodstown 7 Glassboro 52, Haddon Heights 0 Haddonfield 41, Woodbury 0 West Deptford 42, Pennsville 7 Collingswood 27, Overbrook 14 Saturday’s Games Audubon at Paulsboro Deptford at Penns Grove KIPP at Camden Catholic
Scurry, Virga each score twice as Schalick field hockey opens season of high expectations with a win; will be updated
TUESDAY FIELD HOCKEY Schalick 5, Haddon Heights 2 Pennsville 3, Bridgeton 2
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — Ava Scurry scored a school-record 40 goals on a field hockey team that set a lot of records last season and she wasted little time setting out to break that mark this year.
The Schalick senior scored two goals in the first 100 seconds of the season Tuesday and assisted on another goal, sending the Cougars to a 5-2 win over Haddon Heights.
“We were hyping this game up a lot because we had a target on our backs from last season so we wanted to come out and show everyone we still have it,” Scurry said. “We have our whole team from last year. It was a good way to start the season and a great way to start the game.”
Her goals came on the Cougars’ first two attacks of the season. The first came 20 seconds into the game when Luci Virga lifted a ball into the circle and Scurry knocked in a pass from Phoebe Alward. The second goal came 78 seconds later when she converted a 30-yard flick from Caylen Taylor.
The first goal came so quick Scurry worried that her mother might not have gotten to the game yet to see it.
“That was really quick,” Cougars coach Heather Cheesman said. “The girls made a commitment to themselves, they’re going full force every single time, never giving up. They don’t care how far they’re behind in a game, how far they’re ahead of a game, that was one of their goals. They’re going full force, 100 percent every single time.”
Virga, a 22-goal scorer last year, lit the lamp twice in the second quarter to give the Cougars a 4-0 halftime lead. Addi Shimp scored their final goal in the third off another assist from Alward.
“That forward line (Virga, Alward, Scurry), all three of them are a force to be dealt with,” Cheesman said. “All three of them together have their own strength and just together they get it done.”
NOTES: Lydia Gilligan made 10 saves in the cage on her 17th birthday for the keeper win … The Cougars have been invited to play in the new 16-team South Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Tournament of Championship Oct. 4 at Camden Catholic and Oct. 5 at Clearview.
PENNSVILLE 3, BRIDGETON 2: Izzie Saulin scored twice and Laura Tamburella once as the Eagles won a back-and-forth affair for their first season-opening win since 2020. Kelsey Cook posted her 100th career save during the game while preserving the victory.
Getting to know … Ava Scurry
Schalick senior talks about her love for field hockey, becoming a goal-scoring machine, the expectations for her senior season and playing with his sister.
RIVERVIEW SPORTS NEWS: You play a lot of sports at Schalick, but you’re a field hockey player first. Why did it rise to the top of your sports menu?
AVA SCURRY: I just enjoy it so much. I’ve been playing with all these people, my teammates, since I started in fourth grade. I played softball since I was like 4. (Field hockey) is just so much more fun to me.
RSN: What was the first success you enjoyed in it that told you this was the sport for you?
AS: Probably winning when we were in fourth and fifth grades, winning big games or big tournaments with all of our team, just celebrating. We made so many fond memories and had so many big moments.
My mom told me when I was like 12 I thought softball was going to be it for you and then field hockey just like kind of sucked it away.
RSN: I remember you early on as a big assist person, but last year you turned into a big goal scorer. Was that a conscious effort on your part or did it just happen?
AS: I think it just happened like that because I’m always trying to assist my teammates. I still try, but now being on the right side helps a lot and I think my teammates do great at sending balls (my way), that’s what changed.
I played on the left when I was a freshman and sophomore and I think that helped a lot with me getting a lot of assists. I moved to right last year and I think that made a huge change.
RSN: You guys had a really big year last year and everybody is back from that team, so what are your expectations for this year?
AS: Very high. I think our goal is to win state championship. It’s our last time as a group being together.
RSN: How much better is it now?
AS: I think we’ve progressed all season. We’ve been working in the offseason. We’ve been with each other all summer. We do camps together.
RSN: You’re playing with your sister Renee this year, a year delayed because of her injury, what will that be like?
AS: When we were little I didn’t really like it that much, but now I think it’s so much fun playing with her. We come to school together every day, we come to practice together, it really strengthens our bond. It’s just so much fun doing something that you love with your best friend.
RSN: What’s recruiting like for you?
AS: I’m committed to Montclair State. I’ve been committed since April. I knew I wanted to stay close to home, but not too close. I thought Rowan was way too close. Montclair is a bigger D-III. I liked the size. And the coaches and team atmosphere were really nice.
Tennis
Tuesday’s matches Pennsville 5, Penns Grove 0 Salem at Gloucester Catholic Schalick 5, Overbrook 0 Woodstown 5, Glassboro 0
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Sept. 2-6; x-scrimmage
TUESDAY, SEPT. 2 FIELD HOCKEY Haddon Heights at Schalick, 4 p.m. Pennsville at Bridgeton, 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Glassboro at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m. Penns Grove at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m. Overbrook at Schalick, 4 p.m. Salem at Gloucester Catholic, 4 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3 FIELD HOCKEY x-Gloucester City at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m. x-Salem at Overbrook, 4 p.m. BOYS SOCCER x-Camden Academy Charter at Salem Tech, 4 p.m. x-Salem at Gloucester City, 4 p.m. x-KIPP at Pennsville, 4 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER x-Salem Tech at Pennsville, 3:30 p.m. x-Cumberland at Penns Grove, 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Pennsville at Bridgeton, 3:45 p.m.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 4 WJFL FOOTBALL Salem at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Salem Tech at Sterling, 4 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Washington Twp. at Schalick, 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Gloucester Catholic at Schalick, 4 p.m. Penns Grove at Overbrook, 4 p.m. Wildwood at Salem, 4 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 5 WJFL FOOTBALL Schalick at Cumberland, 6 p.m. Pennsville at West Deptford, 7 p.m. Collingswood at Overbrook, 7 p.m. Woodstown at Delsea, 7 p.m. Haddon Heights at Glassboro Woodbury at Haddonfield FIELD HOCKEY Schalick at Washington Twp., 4 p.m. BOYS SOCCER x-Penns Grove at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Schalick at Washington Twp., 4 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Bridgeton at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Paulsboro at Salem, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Audubon, 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Kingsway at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m. Woodstown at Clearview, 3:45 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 6 WJFL FOOTBALL Audubon at Paulsboro, 11 a.m. Deptford at Penns Grove, noon KIPP at Camden Catholic
Freshman quarterback shows he’d run through a wall to help Woodstown win, Wolverines use big second half to turn back Pitman
SALEM COUNTY FOOTBALL Thursday’s Games Gloucester 44, Pennsville 20 Woodstown 34, Pitman 14
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – Frankie Hoerst came to the Woodstown football program with a reputation of a big arm, the kind of arm that gets a player who’s only a freshman noticed by Power 5 organizations.
The big wing may very well be the thing that gets the quarterback to the next level four years from now, but the biggest play he made in his high school debut Thursday night came with his legs and his body.
Hoerst broke off a 51-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to literally send the Wolverines on their way to a 34-14 season-opening victory over Pitman, but it was the way he scored that had people talking.
PIT (14)
WOOD (34)
10
1st Downs
12
22-76
Rushes-yards
32-192
12-16-1
Passing (C-A-I)
6-11-0
191
Passing yards
88
1-1
Fumbles-lost
1-0
3-37.7
Punts-avg.
3-38.3
7-66
Penalties-yards
7-50
With the game tied at 14, Hoerst called his own number on a play from midfield. He rolled out to his right, saw some open field, pulled the ball down and then took off down the sideline.
The first down was a given, but Hoerst wanted more.
The Panthers were converging on him around the 20, but the 6-4 freshman wasn’t stopping. He lowered the boom on defensive back Sam Adams and just kept trucking into the end zone.
The last time a freshman blew up an opponent that demonstratively on his way to the end zone his name was Herschel Walker and they still talk about the way he ran over Tennessee’s Bill Bates 45 years after the fact.
“That’s just a special athlete making a special play, and sometimes that’s all you need,” Wolverines coach Frank Trautz said. “His playmaking ability, you see that. Yeah, he has a big arm but that’s a special play he made there.
“I know he has the ability to do that. I saw him take off running, I was like, all right, good, first down, thinking next play. Then all of a sudden I see he’s still on his feet running and I start running down the sidelines and we’re in the end zone.”
“It felt good, it felt good stiff-arming those two down there,” Hoerst said.
Hoerst won the starting job after a tight battle in camp with sophomore Mason Middlemiss and played the majority of the game. Trautz said he was in “complete command of the offense.”
Thanks to the big run, he wound up with 49 yards rushing. As a passer he completed six of 11 for 88 yards. After misfiring on his first two passes, his first career completion produced his first career touchdown pass, a 28-yard floater over the middle to Bryceton Rooney.
“I wasn’t really nervous,” Hoerst said. “I felt good going into it.”
Trautz may have put the offense in his freshman’s hands, but Middlemiss didn’t miss his chance to make a mark.
He made a big contribution on defense, recovering a muffed punt in the first quarter to keep the Wolverines’ opening possession alive, breaking up a pass in the second quarter and intercepting a pass at the start of the fourth. The Wolverines converted both turnovers into touchdowns by Cole Ware.
“I came into this game with a mentality that I’m going to do whatever I need to help our team win,” Middlemiss said. “If I’ve got to play defense, that’s the way I’ve got to go to help the team.”
Middlemiss did see some action at quarterback and made the most of it. He went in with two minutes left in the third quarter and the Wolverines in the red zone. He covered the final 12 yards on a pair of carries for the touchdown that made it 27-14. He also was under center in the Wolverines’ final series of the game.
“I went in with the mentality that I was just going to help the team and do what I do every day in practice,” he said. “I came into the game knowing if I want to be great I’ve got to get in there and do what I need to do every single day. Getting in there felt amazing, the first varsity touchdown for the Woodstown Wolverines with me, and it just felt great.”
The touchdown runs by Hoerst and Middlemiss were part of a big second half that carried the Wolverines to their fourth straight Opening Night win. They pulled away from a 14-all halftime tie with 155 yards and touchdowns on their first three possessions while shutting out the Panthers on just 85 yards and never letting them cross midfield.
“Coming into this game I just wanted to see us line up and execute,” Trautz said. “I knew we were going to do some things I was happy with (and) I knew that we were going to make some mistakes. I think the two touchdowns we gave up were very uncharacteristic of us, especially on defense to give up things like that, but that’s going to come with a young team. We’re going to get it fixed.
“I thought the way we responded in the second half was that of a mature team. A lot of young teams, not used to being in close games like that, it could go the other way. I was very happy with how they came out and answered the bell.”
Woodstown 34, Pitman 14
Pitman (0-1)
0
14
0
0-
14
Woodstown (1-0)
14
0
13
7-
34
SCORING SUMMARY WO: Cole Ware 6 run (Frankie Hoerst kick), 5:33 1Q WO: Bryceton Rooney 28 pass from Frankie Hoerst (Frankie Hoerst kick), 1:45 1Q P: Aiden Upham 55 pass from Dane Collum (Christian Camiscioli kick), 9:09 2Q P: Jay Craig 49 pass from Dane Collum (Christian Camiscioli kick), 2:52 2Q WO: Frankie Hoerst 51 run (kick blocked), 6:57 3Q WO: Mason Middlemiss 3 run (Frankie Hoerst kick), 1:27 3Q WO: Cole Ware 1 run (Frankie Hoerst kick), 9:58 4Q
Cole Ware dives into the end zone for Woodstown’s first touchdown of the season. (Top photo) Freshman QB Frankie Hoerst takes a snap early in his varsity debut.
Gloucester 44, Pennsville 20
PENNSVILLE – For a team that is looking to take the next step in its progression, this was not the way Pennsville wanted to open the season.
The Eagles had the game tied 6-6 in the second quarter, but the Lions pulled away.
“We didn’t do the little things right today,” Eagles coach Mike Healy said. “Made too many mistakes.”
One of the early miscues led to the Lions’ go-ahead touchdown. The Eagles had just tied the game and appeared to have stopped the Lions on fourth down near midfield, but they were hit with a facemask penalty that gave Gloucester a new set of chains and two plays later they broke off a 34-yard touchdown run to take the lead.
The Lions scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass later in the quarter to take a 20-6 halftime lead.
Adrian Alleyne, Rylan Hardy and Robbie McDade scored Pennsville’s touchdowns.
THURSDAY’S GAMES Gloucester 44, Pennsville 20 Woodstown 34, Pitman 14 Absegami 21, Egg Harbor 0 Brick Twp. 35, Woodbury 22 Burlington City 30, Ewing 25 Cherokee 27, Middletown South 26 Cherry Hill East 26, Eastern 23 Cherry Hill West 27, Haddon Heights 7 Cumberland 26, Clearview 0 Delsea 35, Vineland 0 Deptford 16, Florence 7 Eastside 21, Triton 7 Hammonton 24, Franklin 14 Gateway 29, Middle Township 7 Kingsway 20, Donovan Catholic 7 Lower Cape May 35, Pinelands 14 Northern Burlington 19, Nottingham 14 Overbrook 14, Cinnaminson 0 Paul VI 34, Timber Creek 8 Pennsauken 34, Camden Catholic 0 Pocono Mountain West 34, Lenape 28 Pope John Paul II (Pa.) 20, Shawnee 19 Riverside 40, Palmyra 6 Seneca 23, Williamstown 15 Trenton 27, Allentown 20
Battle at the Beach, Ocean City Northern Highlands 27, Holy Spirit 12 Ocean City 32, Oakcrest 0 Bergen Catholic 22, East St. Louis 21 IMG Academy 35, Winslow 14
Pennsville falls to Group 4 Vineland in second match in as many days
By Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Playing their second match in as many days, the Pennsville girls tennis team suffered its first loss of the season Wednesday, 4-1 to Vineland.
Lily Edwards scored the Eagles’ lone point with an intense 4-6, 6-2, 12-10 victory over Kaitlyn Jones at first singles. It was Edwards’ 34th consecutive victory.
It was only the second time in her high school career she’s gone to a third-set tiebreaker and first time in singles. She won a 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 10-8 marathon with Regan Witt at No. 2 doubles against Gloucester Tech as a freshman.
Vineland, a South Jersey Group 4 semifinalist last year, won a third-set tiebreaker at first doubles.
Pennsville girls tennis handles West Deptford in county’s first regular-season action of the fall
By Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – The Pennsville girls tennis team got to Salem County fall sports season started on a positive note Tuesday, beating West Deptford 4-1.
The Eagles, last year’s South Jersey Group 1 runner-ups, swept the three singles points in straight sets and split the two doubles matches.
No. 1 singles Lily Edwards won her 33rd consecutive match, taking down Gianna Concordia, 6-0, 6-0. Edwards hasn’t lost a match in nearly two years (Sept. 27, 2003) and has dropped only four games in her last eight matches.
Gabi Forino, recently named Miss Septemberfest and back on the tennis court after a midseason injury, teamed with Naomi Hess to win at first doubles, 6-2, 6-2.
Pennsville looks to take its biggest step yet in steady climb to football prosperity
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – If the Pennsville football team were a post on Facebook or a play on the New York Stock Exchange the Eagles would be, as the kids say, trending.
After years of just spinning their wheels, the Eagles have started gaining traction and have been making steady progress.
PENNSVILLE
Aug. 26: Gloucester
Sept. 5: at West Deptford
Sept. 12: Overbrook
Sept. 20: Audubon
Sept. 26: Camden Cath.
Oct. 3: at Penns Grove
Oct. 9: Paulsboro
Oct. 17: Lawrence
Oct. 24: at Collingswood
When this year’s senior class were freshmen, they had a dreadful 2022 season. The next year they enjoyed a big turnaround, went 6-4 and just barely missed the playoffs, but swept their regional consolation bracket to enjoy a winning season. Last year, in a tougher division, they had their first winning regular season since 2016, made the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and won a playoff game.
This year they want more.
“The seniors have left behind a step we have to keep building on,” senior running back Rylan Hardy said. “I played on that 1-8 team and there wasn’t much spirit or drive; they were so used to this losing atmosphere and no one really believed in themselves or the team. Making it back to the playoffs and maybe winning more games than last year would be great.”
“This year is all or nothing for everybody,” senior quarterback Robbie McDade said. “We’ve got a lot of seniors on the team who want to go out there and win a championship. We’ve made progress every single year I’ve been through. This year we’re trying to go all the way. We’re going in there trying to win a championship this year.”
The Eagles are looking to evolve on both sides of the ball. They have a lot of players with experience but many are new to their positions and the rest are either brand new or haven’t played in a year.
“We still bring back enough we’re not looking at a rebuild,” head coach Mike Healy said. “We have some younger kids we feel are now ready to take those spots we lost and just keep progressing.”
The constants are Hardy and McDade.
Hardy had his breakout season last year, rushing for 1,097 yards and 15 touchdowns. The 1,097 were more yards than the Eagles rushed for as a team in that 1-8 season and the most in a season by a Pennsville running back since Nick Bard’s 1,657 and 18 TDs in 2017.
If he hits his goal of another 1,000-yard season he’d the Eagles’ first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher since Bard (2016-2017).
McDade passed for more than 1,100 yards each of the last two seasons and could end up being a 4,000-yard career passer with a typical year. He also runs the ball like a linebacker and that could send him past 6,000 total yards if he has the kind of year he’s targeting.
He’s showing no signs of the offseason surgery on his right shoulder that kept him out of all the team’s 7-on-7s activity this summer.
“This being the year we’re trying to take the next step we need to be able to do more and control the defense more,” Healy said.
One of the keys to the taking the next step is getting into a better position going into the playoffs and that means getting off to a good start. The Eagles got better as the season went along last year and were playing their best football at the end of the year, but it came after starting the season 0-2.
“I want to start quicker than we did last year,” Healy said.
