Salem CC survives Essex in 2 OTs to remain undefeated, Little goes for 42; women remain winless
SATURDAY BASKETBALL Salem CC 109, Essex 106 (2 OT) Essex women 64, Salem CC 35
By Riverview Sports News
NEWARK – Mike Green knew his Salem CC basketball team was going to face its share of tests during the season. The Mighty Oaks faced their biggest test so far Saturday and came through it — in double overtime.
Zyaire Gibson hit a 3-pointer with 36.7 seconds left to give second-ranked Salem the lead, then hit a pair of free throws with 12.2 seconds left to seal a 109-106 road win over Essex to remain undefeated.
“Every time on the road get it and go, whether it’s by 20 or two, get it and go,” Green said. “Road wins are tough … You’ve got to win ugly.”
The Mighty Oaks (8-0), who trailed by as many as 12 in the game, had the ball at the end of regulation and the first overtime, but couldn’t get off a shot either time.
Jarrell Little led the Mighty Oaks with 42 points. He was 16-of-28 from the field, 8-of-14 from 3-point range. It’s the most points by a Salem player in the Green Era and the most since Akeem Taylor scored 33 against Camden in his Mighty Oaks debut last January. Niame Scott had 33 against Sussex in February 2024.
Lamar Woody scored 50 for the Mighty Oaks in a February 2020 game against Atlantic Cape. He was 23-of-30 from the floor in that game.
Saaid Lee had 22 points (and five assists), Nasseem Wright 18 (with 16 rebounds and six assists), and Gibson 14.
The Division II Wolverines (2-5) missed an off-balanced 3-pointer contested by Idris Rines for the tie at the end of the second overtime. The 106 points they scored were the second-most against the Mighty Oaks in the Green Era and only the third time a team has scored 100. Brookdale put 107 on them in Green’s second game as coach in 2024.
“Wild, really wild,” Green said of the game. “I’m sure it was good to watch, but it was a tough one.
“They (Essex) were protecting their home. They were up to play against the No. 2 team in the nation and our guys didn’t anticipate that. But they (his team) made winning plays at the end and we got the stop that we were begging for all game long. We finally figured it out.”
The Mighty Oaks entered the game ranked sixth in NJCAA Division III in scoring. It was their fourth game this year scoring more than 100 points and third in a row.
They’ve now won 10 in a row going back to last season. They had two six-game winning streaks last year.
SALEM CC (8-0): Jarrell Little 16-28 2-4 42, Saaid Lee 9-17 3-4 22, Nasseem Wright 6-14 6-8 18, Zyaire Gibson 3-18 5-6 14, Qua Smith 2-5 4-6 8, Stefan Phillips 1-5 1-3 3, Idris Rines 1-7 0-0 2, Jahseir Sayles 0-1 0-0 0 0. Totals 38-95 21-31 109.
Salem CC
48
39
5
17-
109
Essex
46
41
5
14-
106
3-point goals: Salem CC 12-37 (Little 8-14, Lee 1-1, Gibson 3-15, Phillips 0-2, Rines 0-4, Sayles 0-1). Rebounds: Salem CC (Wright 16, Lee 7, Rines 8). Total fouls: Salem CC 17.
.
HIGHEST SCORING GAMES IN GREEN ERA
PTS
OPPONENT, DATE
119
at RCSJ-Cumberland (53), Jan. 14, 2025
114
RCSJ-Cumberland (56), Dec. 19, 2024
113
Ocean (90), Nov. 18, 2025
112
Luzerne (67), Feb. 1, 2025
111
at Passaic (73), Nov. 20, 2025
110
Harrisburg Area (66), Feb. 10, 2024
109
at Essex (106), Nov. 22, 2025
106
Lancaster Bible JV (71), Nov. 21, 2024
106
RCSJ-Gloucester (70), Jan. 13, 2024
102
Bergen (69), Nov. 13, 2025
Region XIX Standings
DIVISION III
R19
ALL
GSAC
Union
6-0
6-0
4-0
SALEM CC
5-0
8-0
4-0
Northampton
5-0
8-0
Montgomery
3-0
3-1
Camden
4-1
5-1
3-0
Brookdale
5-2
5-4
2-2
Ocean
4-2
4-3
2-2
RCSJ-Gloucester
3-3
3-4
1-3
Bergen
3-4
3-4
1-2
Atlantic Cape
2-3
2-3
1-3
RCSJ-Cumberland
2-3
2-3
2-1
Thaddeus Stevens
1-2
3-3
Passaic
2-5
2-5
2-4
Delaware County
1-5
1-5
Sussex
1-5
1-6
0-3
Luzerne
0-3
2-4
Harrisburg Area
0-3
0-6
Philadelphia
0-6
2-6
SATURDAY’S GAMES Salem CC 109, Essex 106 (2 OT) Ocean 96. Philadelphia 86 RCSJ-Gloucester 77, Harrisburg Area 72 Northampton 87, Luzerne 53 Camden 69, Passaic 50 RCSJ-Cumberland 87, Sussex 74 Bergen at Thaddeus Stevens Union 76, Delaware County 56 Morris 100, Montgomery (Md.) 88 Lackawanna 68, Delaware Tech 61
TUESDAY’S GAMES Salem CC at Camden Delaware County at Northampton Union at Passaic Philadelphia at Harrisburg Area Essex at Morris Thaddeus Stevens at RCSJ-Gloucester RCSJ-Cumberland at Atlantic Cape Bergen at Sussex Montgomery at Lackawanna Mercer at Middlesex
Women’s game
NEWARK – The Salem CC women were in a tight battle early, then Essex went on an 21-2 run on the way to an 18-point halftime lead and rolled to a 64-35 victory to keep the Mighty Oaks winless.
The Mighty Oaks (0-4) are shorthanded as it is, but their options were even more limited after their two posts fouled out. Injured point guard Justine Cardona remains out, but the team is hoping to have her back for Tuesday’s game against Delaware Tech.
“Our play is very inconsistent right now,” coach Brian Marsh said. “We will keep working hard and get this straightened out.”
Salem CC
14
5
9
7-
35
Essex
14
23
13
14-
64
Region XIX Standings
WOMENS DIVISION II
R19
ALL
GSAC
Union
3-0
8-0
3-0
Mercer
2-0
5-1
1-0
Lackawanna
2-0
2-3
Harcum
1-0
5-1
Essex
1-1
4-1
1-1
Delaware Tech
0-1
1-7
Morris
0-1
0-1
0-0
Middlesex
0-2
4-6
0-1
SALEM CC
0-2
0-4
0-1
Raritan Valley
0-2
1-3
0-2
SATURDAY’S GAMES Essex 64, Salem CC 35 Mercer at Harcum Union 92, Middlesex 35 Philadelphia 82, Ocean 46 Passaic67, Camden 56 Montgomery 79, RCSJ-Cumberland 29 Lackawanna 68, Delaware Tech 64
TUESDAY’S GAMES Salem at Delaware Tech Harcum at Raritan Valley Bergen at Sussex Mercer at Middlesex RCSJ-Cumberland at Atlantic Cape Essex at Morris Union at Lackawanna
Accorsi hits the recruiting trail in first day as Salem CC’s interim head football coach, would like to be the permanent leader when inaugural game comes next fall
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Jay Accorsi really thought he was done with coaching. When he told the Rowan football team he coached for 30 years – the last 22 as the head coach — on the last day of spring practice 2024 he was retiring he thought that was it. When his time was done, he was done and never looking back.
ACCORSI
But like a lot of people of that certain age it didn’t take him long to get tired of being retired. Oh, the break was fun for a while, he got to follow his son’s final year of college soccer, but then he got the itch to do something familiar.
There was this little project he’d been quietly dabbling in for a while, this burning question of why there was no junior college football in New Jersey in general and South Jersey in particular when there were so many high school players either going elsewhere to play on the next level or just giving up the game (and the possibility of going to college) because they had no options.
He had been gathering information in his travels with the Profs, and his retirement days gave him a chance to do an even deeper dive on the subject. The more he worked it, the more he believed this could really work in the right environment.
He took his data to Salem Community College president Mike Gorman and, guess what, he’s back in the game.
On Thursday night, the junior college’s board of trustees approved adding a football program to the school’s lineup of sports and installed Accorsi, who had been the paid consultant in the exploration, as interim head coach (and the betting favorite to become the permanent guy when that move is made.)
Suddenly, the man with the Santa Claus look was given the gift he had always been giving.
As the interim head coach, it’ll be Accorsi’s mission to recruit players and do whatever it takes to “help the athletic director with everything that’s needed to help the program” as it moves towards a Fall 2026 Opening Day. His first task: Hit the recruiting trail Friday, starting with all the football-playing schools in Salem County (and Pennsville on Monday).
“It’s funny, I never thought I was (going to get back in); I walked away and was happy,” Accorsi said. “Everybody said I would get bored. I was OK for a while and then I got bored.
“Then the football bug hit. The concept of this idea really helped me be creative and put some information together and think if this could actually work. For me, the great part is, that was kind of validated tonight by a board to go ahead and proceed with something that I’ve thought about forever and really started to work on last winter.”
Salem athletics director Bob Hughes couldn’t be happier with the direction things are moving. The Mighty Oaks were going to announce the interim head coaching move Friday in conjunction with their classifying the sport with the NJCAA, but Hughes went ahead and pulled the trigger after Thursday’s board meeting.
“I’m excited to continue to grow the relationship with Jay,” he said. “He’s been a fantastic addition to the college and the athletic department and I’m excited with him to help us get this program truly off the ground.”
Gorman remembers that first conversation with Accorsi about the possibility of bringing football to Salem. Although he was familiar with the former coach and it was that association that got him in the door, Gorman thought they were talking about something else until about five minutes into the conversation.
“I honestly thought he was selling something,” Gorman said. “I knew of him as a football coach, but I didn’t know he was bringing in a proposal of that nature. I thought maybe he was representing a company that was doing equipment or whatever, but until we got into that conversation I didn’t know what we were specifically talking about.’
Actually Accorsi was selling something. He was selling football to a school that had never had it before.
As a former high school and college football player himself and visionary for the college, Gorman could see the merits of bringing the sport to campus. The college had done an analysis five years earlier and thought it was feasible, but with the onset of the COVID pandemic and other factors decided it wasn’t the time to proceed.
Sure, there’s is a financial risk – it’ll run nearly a half-million dollars in startup costs – but the college is said to be fiscally aligned to handle it, but in its mission of “changing lives,” as Gorman puts it, there was really no other capacity that could bring on such increased enrollment in such a rapid period of time.
(The news of the decision is spreading so quickly the athletics department received a half-dozen inquiries from prospective student-athletes before 10 a.m. Friday.)
The timing was absolutely right. As Accorsi had discovered in his research there was a plethora of underserved high school football athletes in the region and only one junior college football program between Central New York and Louisburg, N.C.
It was in that opportunity Accorsi and the college converged.
A national search will get underway to find a permanent leader of the program. It’s a safe bet Accorsi will be the odds on favorite — and he does want the job — but he knows nothing is guaranteed. And frankly he prefers it that way.
“When I was the assistant coach at Rowan and KC (Keeler) left to go to Delaware, I met with the AD several times and it was decided to do the national search and at the time I was very happy about that because I said I just don’t want you to hand me the job,” he said. “I want to earn it against everybody in the country and I feel the same way about this. I want to put myself in a position to earn the title and be able to do it down the road.
“They (Rowan) went to a national search, I had to interview, I had to go through the process. I learned a lot. I was very happy that I became head coach, but I was happy they did it that way and they didn’t hand it to me. I believe you earn things in life; you’re just not given things.”
From there he became the longest-tenured head coach in the program’s history, posting a record of 143-78 with seven conference titles and seven trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Two of his teams reached the national semifinals.
He seems to fit at least one of the criteria the policymakers are looking for in the permanent head coach.
“I want somebody who belongs to this area,” Gorman said. “I want somebody who’s really invested in Salem County and the region as a whole and believes in what we’re saying. This isn’t about the X’s and O’s about the game. This is about changing lives for young people.”
But what if he doesn’t become the guy after putting in all the legwork to get the program off the ground? As he has said nothing’s guaranteed.
“I’d still feel like I accomplished something because my main goal was to provide an opportunity for students and especially those in New Jersey to play football in an opportunity where they hadn’t,” Accorsi said. “So if I helped create that which we’re doing today then I’ve reached my goal and I helped do that.
“I firmly believe that’s why I decided to do this and be involved in this because I wanted to make sure an underserved population was getting what they needed and that’s what I’m really proud of.”
And if he doesn’t land the job he can go back into retirement mode again — until the next big thing comes along to pique his interest.
Scorching No. 2 Salem CC makes it seven in a row; women give No. 17 Palm Beach a battle, but can’t get last shot to fall
SALEM CC BASKETBALL Salem CC 111, Passaic 73 WOMENS BASKETBALL Palm Beach State 59, Salem CC 56
By Riverview Sports News
PATERSON – Salem CC enjoyed one of its best shooting nights in coach Mike Green’s head coaching career, placed six scorers in double figures and scored 67 points in the second half to beat Passaic 111-73 for its seventh win in a row.
Nasseem Wright led the second-ranked Mighty Oaks (7-0) with 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Zyaire Gibson and Idris Rines had 16 points apiece, Saaid Lee and Jarrell Little each had 15 and Stefan Phillips had 10 without missing a shot. Little had six assists
The Mighty Oaks shot a season-high 58.1 percent from the floor (43-of-74), the second-best night in their 2 1/2 seasons under Green. They shot .596 in a February win at Luzerne in Green’s first season.
Phillips was 4-for-4, Lee 6-for-7 and Rines 6-for-9. Phillips is 14-of-15 from the floor in his last four games.
They scored 100 points for the second game in a row and third time this season.
Salem CC 111, Passaic 73
SALEM CC (7-0): Nasseem Wright 8-13 4-8 20, Zyaire Gibson 6-11 0-0 16, Idris Rines 6-9 2-2 16, Saaid Lee 6-7 3-3 15, Jarrell Little 5-10 3-4 15, Stefan Phillips 4-4 2-2 10, Qua Smith 3-8 2-3 8, Lenar Anderson 2-4 0-0 4, Jaiayre Wright 1-4 1-2 3, Jahseir Sayles 1-3 0-0 2, Michael Goodwin 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 43-74 17-24 111. PASSAIC (2-4):
Salem CC
44
67-
111
Passaic
31
42-
73
3-point goals: Salem CC 8-24 (N. Wright 0-1, Gibson 4-9, Rines 2-4, Lee 0-1, Little 2-3, Smith 0-2, Anderson 0-2, J. Wright 0-1, Sayles 0-1). Rebounds: Salem CC 52 (N. Wright 7, Rines 6, Lee 6, Little 6). Total fouls: Salem CC 20.
Region XIX Standings
DIVISION III
R19
ALL
GSAC
Union
5-0
5-0
4-0
SALEM CC
5-0
7-0
3-0
Northampton
4-0
7-0
Montgomery
3-0
3-1
Camden
4-1
4-1
2-0
Brookdale
4-2
4-4
1-2
Atlantic Cape
2-2
2-2
1-2
RCSJ-Gloucester
2-2
2-4
1-3
Bergen
3-4
3-4
1-2
Ocean
2-3
3-3
2-2
Passaic
2-3
2-3
2-2
Thaddeus Stevens
1-2
3-3
RCSJ-Cumberland
1-3
1-3
1-1
Delaware County
1-4
1-4
Sussex
1-4
1-5
0-2
Luzerne
0-2
2-3
Harrisburg Area
0-2
0-5
Philadelphia
0-5
1-5
THURSDAY’S GAMES Salem CC 111, Passaic 73 Luzerne 95, Miseracordia JV 85 Northampton 59, SUNY-Broome 51 Middlesex 77, Bucks 67 Raritan Valley at Mercer Philadelphia at Georgian Court JV Atlantic Cape at Brookdale Ocean 80, RCSJ-Gloucester 79 Bergen 80, Sussex 74
SATURDAY’S GAMES Salem CC at Essex Philadelphia at Ocean Harrisburg Area at RCSJ-Gloucester Luzerne at Northampton Passaic at Camden Sussex at RCSJ-Cumberland Bergen at Thaddeus Stevens Union at Delaware County Montgomery at Morris Delaware Tech at Lackawanna
Women’s game
CARNEYS POINT – The Salem women bounced back from a rough loss in its last game to give the 17th-ranked team in the country a full-game battle Thursday, but just couldn’t get their final shot to fall.
The Mighty Oaks held the halftime lead, then rallied from nine down in the fourth quarter to tie the game in the final minute, but they couldn’t get a game-tying 3-pointer with a second left to go and fell to No. 17 Palm Beach (Fla.) State 59-56.
“We gave them everything we had,” Salem coach Brian Marsh said. “They had a really good third quarter and we battled back to get back into the game.
“I’m really proud of our team. They played really hard coming off a really bad loss (at Mercer) and that’s really all you ask for. They gave me everything they had.”
The Mighty Oaks took a 29-25 halftime lead, shooting 50 percent from the field and holding Palm Beach leading scorer Janiah Suprius to 10 points, but the visitors from Florida used a big third quarter to take a 44-37 lead into the fourth. The Panthers scored the first eight points of the third quarter and 12 of the first 14.
Salem scored the first seven of the fourth quarter to tie the game with 8:01 to play. Palm Beach went up by nine three minutes later, but the Mighty Oaks rallied again and tied it at 56 on Paula Wilson’s 3-pointer with 36 seconds left.
A pair of free throws by Suprius with six seconds left made it 59-56. The Mighty Oaks called time to get the ball to midcourt. They inbounded to Shaw and got a good look, but her 3-pointer from the right side with a second left hit the back of the rim and they couldn’t get the rebound before the horn sounded.
“Being down three we wanted to get a good look at a 3-pointer and we got a good look from TJ and she just didn’t make it,” Marsh said. “I could definitely live with that shot. I thought we got the shots that we needed down the stretch. We need to make them.”
Shaw led the Mighty Oaks with 16 points. Jayda Hunter grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds. Suprius led all scorers with 31 points.
“The things that we’ve been focusing on they really took to heart tonight and put it towards the game and that’s we had the result that we did,” Marsh said. “Even though we came up short I told them I was extremely proud of the way they played. We got to shots we wanted down the stretch. The next time we’ll make them.”
3-point goals: Palm Beach 3-14 (Kline 1-1, Suprius 2-4, Kovach 0-3, Todd 0-3, Pire 0-3); Salem CC 4-11 (King 0-1, Shaw 2-6, Hunter 0-1, Wilson 2-3). Rebounds: Palm Beach 26 (Suprius 7, Nguyen 6); Salem CC 41 (Hunter 19, Gustin 9). Fouled out: Oliver. Total fouls: Palm Beach 23, Salem CC 20.
Region XIX Standings
WOMENS DIVISION II
R19
ALL
GSAC
Union
2-0
7-0
2-0
Mercer
2-0
5-1
1-0
Harcum
1-0
4-1
Lackawanna
1-0
1-3
Delaware Tech
0-0
1-6
Essex
0-1
3-1
0-1
Middlesex
0-1
4-5
0-0
Morris
0-1
0-1
0-0
SALEM CC
0-1
0-3
0-1
Raritan Valley
0-2
1-3
0-2
THURSDAY’S GAMES Palm Beach (Fla.) State 59, Salem CC 56 RCSJ-Gloucester 101, Ocean 38 Mercer 88, Raritan Valley 54 Northampton 80, SUNY-Broome 35 Sussex 48, Bergen 46 Atlantic Cape 67, Brookdale 62 Philadelphia 93, RCSJ-Cumberland 29 Bronx 72, Middlesex 64 Union 86, Essex 59 Five Towns 96, Lackawanna 38 Allegany (Md.) 55, Camden 51
FRIDAY’S GAME Palm Beach State at Harcum
SATURDAY’S GAMES Salem at Essex Mercer at Harcum Union at Middlesex Ocean at Philadelphia Passaic at Camden Montgomery at RCSJ-Cumberland Morris at Raritan Valley Delaware Tech at Lackawanna
Former Salem High lineman Brooks excited about having the chance to play football again; he’s the type student-athlete who fits the Mighty Oaks’ mold
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – When the Salem High School football team took the final snap of the 2023 season, Darius Brooks resigned himself to the fact his playing career was over. It was great fun while it lasted, but with no immediate opportunities to play at the next level in front of him it was time to get on with the rest of his life.
BROOKS
There was a year in trade school and then enrolling at Salem Community College to start pursuing his degree. Then, the college began to explore adding a football program to its sports offerings, and when its board of trustees approved the initiative Thursday all of a sudden Brooks had a place back in the game.
“I thought it was over with, I kind of accepted that, but I always wanted to get back to it somehow, someway,” Brooks said. “I’m excited, for sure. Definitely ready to lace them back up at least one more year.”
It’s players like the former Rams lineman that interim head coach Jay Accorsi was thinking about when he pitched the idea of starting football to Salem president Mike Gorman. Accorsi, the former Rowan head coach, knew there were hundreds of players in the region who still had the ability and desire to play the game, but were shut out of places to continue after high school.
There was only one two-year college in New Jersey playing NJCAA-sanctioned football and it was way up in North Jersey. Before the Salem board green-lighted the initiative, there was no JUCO football between Central New York and Louisburg, N.C.
“Believe it or not in this (consultant’s) role I’ve had several conversations with coaches and different people specifically about several of those type of players and several of those type of players have already reached out to me,” Accorsi said. “There’s already that population that even at the beginning of this process of doing this is already reaching out.
“I already have several names on a bulletin board for that. And that just validates why I wanted to get involved in this and why I wanted to do this and why I feel so strongly about it.”
While the talk of the Mighty Oaks adding football circulated, Brooks told the many friends who asked that he’d be interested in playing if it became a reality and started “getting ready.” He hadn’t spoken to anyone in the athletic department about it, but you can bet he’ll be among the first in line when the door opens.
“I was definitely excited,” Brooks said. “Believe it or not somebody asked me if I would be interested in coaching, but I’m not old enough for that yet. If I’m doing anything I’ve got to play. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
Top photo: Lineman Darius Brooks (52) is joined by some Salem High School teammates at a preseason media event before the 2023 football season.
Salem CC board of trustees OK bringing football to campus for first time, inaugural game expected in Fall 2026; Accorsi named interim head coach
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — The Salem Community College board of trustee Thursday approved the president’s recommendation to bring junior college football to the campus, an initiative the college president says will “change lives.”
The athletic department isn’t expected to formally launch the program until January, but Thursday’s vote gives the administrative green light to proceed with hiring coaches, recruiting players, buying equipment and building a schedule for the Fall of 2026.
“And the adventure begins,” president Mike Gorman said after the unanimous vote.
On Friday, the Mighty Oaks are expected to classify the sport with the National Junior College Athletic Association (Division III) and interim head coach Jay Accorsi will hit the road recruiting while a national search gets underway for a permanent leader of the program.
Accorsi, the retired Rowan University head coach, has long been intrigued with the idea of having junior college football in New Jersey. He pitched it to Gorman in the spring and has been a paid consultant on the project since August. His favorite saying throughout the process was “to make it hard for them to say no.”
“That’s kind of what I thought my job was all through the process, to help Bob (Hughes, Salem’s athletics director)) present the material with Dr. Gorman and make it really hard for them not to make the decision to do it,” Accorsi said. “That’s really what my goal was and so far we’ve done that. We’ve got a ways to go, but so far we’ve done that.”
Supporters of the initiative said adding football would, among other things, raise the visibility of the college locally and regionally and increase enrollment not just through the 80-100 student-athletes the program would attract but through the ancillary programs that go with it such as cheer, band and support groups.
To maintain Title IX balance the school will be starting women’s volleyball in the fall. The board approved the appointment of Delaware club coach Andrea Bartlett as that program’s first head coach Thursday.
With the addition of the two newest sports, Salem now offers cross country in the fall, men’s and women’s basketball in the winter, and softball and baseball in the spring.
“We’re thrilled to have the board’s support; it’s a big day for Salem athletics,” Hughes said. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring football to Salem County at the collegiate level and we’re looking forward to getting to work. The best times are ahead.”
With the board approval and Accorsi’s interim head coaching tag, the school can now begin to recruit players for spring practice, build a schedule and enter formal discussions for a permanent practice site. Among the sites being considered are the preferred Carneys Point Recreation Complex, which could become home to all the Mighty Oaks’ outdoor sports; the local YMCA fields, the Walnut Street Field in Salem City, and the middle school fields adjacent to the Carneys Point/Penns Grove School District offices.
Home games are expected to be played in the Pennsville and Penns Grove High School stadiums.
The Mighty Oaks now join Sussex CC as the only two-year colleges in New Jersey that offer NJCAA-sanctioned football, a void proponents say will help the program attract players. Additionally, two other JUCOs in the region, Lackawanna (Pa) and Monroe (N.Y.), will be reclassifying to NCAA Division II, further opening the door for players.
The team is expected to play initially as an NJCAA Division III independent with a modified seven- or eight-game first-year schedule drawn from regional NJCAA Division I and III programs, four-year junior varsities and two-year technical colleges in the area. They must play a minimum of six games against NJCAA programs to qualify for the playoffs.
The college examined the feasibility of starting a football program five years ago, but decided not to pursue it at that time. This latest exploration was a “much deeper dive.” It was anticipated the board would vote on the proposal last month, but policymakers wanted more time to digest all the information laid out in a detailed report researched by Accorsi and presented Hughes.
The success of the vote was said to hinge on the amount of risk the board was willing to take to launch a program said to have start-up costs of nearly $500,000. Gorman said the college’s budget is aligned in a manner that leaves him confident they could afford it, adding if they couldn’t afford it he wouldn’t have proposed it in the first place. Athletic department officials have said those costs could be recouped within the first two years of operation.
The result of the vote seemed to indicate the risk was acceptable.
“I think once the board realized the commitment we had made on students, not just the game and the expenses, the finances surrounding it, but the commitment we were making to young people who currently don’t have this option and are not necessarily purusing higher education, once they grasped that I really think it turned the tide on everything and they realized everything else will fall into place,” Gorman said.
“If we’re doing this for the right reasons, and I firmly believe that we are, I really look at it that it’s going to change lives and that’s what we’re in the business of doing, changing lives. The whole idea is let’s make sure we are giving as many people an opportunity to pursue their dreams as they possibly can. This is a way we can do it that can change the lives of 100 people tomorrow we couldn’t do any other way.”
Top photo: Salem CC president Mike Gorman (L) talks football with athletics director Bob Hughes (R) and interim head coach Jay Accorsi after the school’s board of trustees approved starting a program for play in the Fall of 2026.
NJCAA DIVISION III FOOTBALL Central Lakes-Brainerd (Minn.) College of DuPage (Ill.) Erie (N.Y.) CC Hocking (Ohio) College Hudson Valley (N.Y.) CC Louisburg (N.C.) College Minnesota North-Mesabi Range Minnesota North-Vermilion Minnesota State C&T Minnesota West C&T Nassau (N.Y.) CC North Dakota College of Science Rochester (Minn.) C&T Salem CC
No. 2 Mighty Oaks make it six in a row, back home over Ocean; Salem women play first game in two weeks, fall at Mercer
MENS BASKETBALL Salem CC 113, Ocean 90 WOMENS BASKETBALL Mercer 88, Salem CC 39
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – One of the biggest keys to Salem CC’s deep run to the national tournament last year was its ability to get contributions from throughout the roster. The starters were the engine, but when the reserves went in the game the Mighty Oaks could count on getting something from them to keep the train rolling.
The new group of starters still make the Mighty Oaks go this year, but the new group of reserves are still trying to find their niche.
Second-ranked Salem won its sixth straight Tuesday night, returning home from a weekend away to beat Ocean 113-90.
All five starters scored in double figures (82 points) for the second time this season and had the Mighty Oaks (6-0) on pace to break the scoreboard, but when coach Mike Green gave the second group a chance to show their stuff with a comfortable lead, the Vikings kept it from getting further out of hand.
They hadn’t given up that many points in a game since a 102-93 loss at Camden in the eighth game last season.
“We gave those guys who don’t play as much … some game reps so they can help us later on down the road,” Green explained. “A few of them didn’t appreciate those minutes, so we might have to pull them back.
“We were good offensively, we were good defensive with our first five, six guys. Those guys seven, eight, nine, ten, they’ve got to give us something. If they think they’re going to outscore those starters, they got it all wrong. They’ve got to come guard, they’ve got to make that extra pass, they’ve got to come get a rebound because those five who start are going to score the ball – all year long. Last year we were good from one to 11. We’ve got to get that again.”
“Any team shouldn’t be scoring 90 points on us,” freshman guard Jarrell Little said. “Ninety points is way too much for a team like that, especially if we’re blowing them out.”
It’s not that they’re down on the non-starters, the group just didn’t deliver on this particular night.
“They’ve got it, they’ve just got to come show it,” Green said. “If they come in with the wrong mindset they’re going to struggle more and more and more. But we recruited them for a reason. They have to understand their role on the team.”
The Mighty Oaks’ shooting stroke came around. They were 38-of-132 from 3-point range coming into the game, but hit a season-high 14-of-29 against the Vikings (2-3), tying for third-most in Green’s 58-game tenure as coach. Seven players hit at least one; the starters were 11-for-16. The reason they had a 22-point halftime lead is because they had seven more 3s than the Vikings in the half.
“We want to be around double-digit 3s and we got 14 of them today – and a good percentage, too,” Green said. “We were shooting 28 percent from 3, that’s why teams were zoning us.”
“We were just shooting the ball today,” Little said. “It’s our home gym, we’re supposed to be lighting it up.”
Little was 0-for-10 from beyond the arc the last time the Mighty Oaks played at home, but he nailed the first 3 of the game from the right corner and had three on the night en route to a game-high 23 points. In the three games since that cold home debut, he’s averaging just under 22 points a game and is 8-of-21 from behind the arc.
“My coach always gave me the confidence to shoot the ball; either way, I’m just going to keep shooting,” Little said. “That’s all he put in my brain, just keep shooting, and I worked on it the next day at practice. I was just focusing on being consistent, taking better shots and working on my game.”
He wasn’t the one who’s shot came around. Zyaire Gibson was 2-of-12 from behind the arc in the Mighty Oaks’ two wins at Penn Highlands last weekend, but he hit 4-of-5 in the first half and finished with 14 points.
“He can shoot the ball; we’re just trying to get those guys confident in the shot they’re taking,” Green said. “Saving face when you miss is when you make. You can’t go out there feeling sorry for yourself, the basketball gods don’t care. You can go 0-for-10, they don’t care.”
The Mighty Oaks also got big games from starters Nasseem Wright and Saaid Lee. Wright had 20 points, five rebounds and four assists. Lee, the point guard, bounced back from fouling out Sunday seven minutes into the second half with 15 points and eight assists
“I just wanted to make up for this week; it made me want to be there for my team,” Lee said. “I left them on the water by themselves last game, so I wanted to make sure I was there to do what I’ve got to do and be there for them.”
Salem CC 113, Ocean 90
OCEAN (2-3): A.J. Lemons 6-12 5-6 18, Myles Marabuto 2-4 2-2 7, Jamari Smith 7-10 8-10 22, Aiden Sosinov 4-6 0-0 8, James Gibbons 3-3 0-0 6, Jack Malek 2-3 0-0 4, Kai Barckley 3-5 0-0 6, Omar Hadid 1-2 0-0 2, Aiden Falduto 0-0 0-0 0, Jeremy Grospe 1-5 0-1 2, Mattox Watson 1-1 1-3 4, Tristan Ulrich 0-1 0-0 0, Mason Krye 2-6 0-0 5, Liam Yefet 2-2 0-6 4, Joseph Witter 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 35-63 16-28 90. SALEM CC (6-0): Jarrell Little 9-15 2-2 23, Saaid Lee 7-10 0-0 15, Zyaire Gibson 5-7 0-1 14, Nasseem Wright 8-15 3-5 20, Stefan Phillips 4-4 0-0 10, Jahseir Sayles 0-3 0-0 0, Jaiayre Wright 1-3 1-2 3, Qua Smith 1-4 5-8 7, Lenar Anderson 3-7 0-1 7, Idris Rines 4-9 4-4 14, Michael Goodwin 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 42-78 15-23 113.
Ocean
41
49-
90
Salem
63
50-
113
3-point goals: Ocean 4-18 (Lemons 1-4, Marabuto 1-2, Sosinov 0-1, Barckley 0-2, Grospe 0-4, Watson 1-1, Ulrich 0-1, Krey 1-3); Salem 14-29 (Little 3-6, Lee 1-1, Gibson 4-5, N. Wright 1-2, Phillips 2-2, Sayles 0-3, Smith 0-1, Anderson 1-4, Rines 2-5). Rebounds: Ocean 32 (Yefet 8); Salem 38 (N. Wright 5, Smith 5, Rines 5). Technical fouls: Gibbons. Fouled out: J. Smith. Total fouls: Ocean 20, Salem 19.
Region XIX Standings
DIVISION III
R19
ALL
GSAC
Union
5-0
5-0
4-0
SALEM CC
4-0
6-0
2-0
Camden
4-0
4-0
2-0
Northampton
3-0
5-0
Montgomery
2-0
2-1
Brookdale
3-2
3-4
1-2
Atlantic Cape
2-2
2-2
1-2
RCSJ-Gloucester
2-2
2-3
1-2
Bergen
2-3
2-3
1-1
Ocean
2-3
2-3
1-2
RCSJ-Cumberland
1-2
1-2
1-1
Delaware County
1-3
1-3
Passaic
1-3
1-3
1-2
Sussex
1-3
1-4
0-2
Thaddeus Stevens
0-2
2-3
Luzerne
0-2
1-3
Harrisburg Area
0-2
0-5
Philadelphia
0-4
1-4
TUESDAY’S GAMES Salem 113, Ocean 90 Prince George’s 105, Essex 94 Union 84, Atlantic Cape 66 Sussex 68, Luzerne 64 Allegany (Md.) 103, Harrisburg Area 66 Delaware County at Thaddeus Stevens Brookdale 63, Philadelphia 54 Morris 88, Lackawanna 76 RCSJ-Cumberland at Northampton Montgomery 67, Camden 65 Passaic 89, Bergen 80
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES CCBC Dundalk at Delaware Tech Harcum at Cecil
THURSDAY’S GAMES Salem at Passaic Miseracordia JV at Luzerne SUNY-Broome at Northampton Bucks at Middlesex Raritan Valley at Mercer Philadelphia at Georgian Court JV Atlantic Cape at Brookdale Ocean at RCSJ-Gloucester Sussex at Bergen
Women’s game
WEST WINDSOR – The Salem CC women were playing just their second game of the season and first game in two weeks, and the layoff was evident.
The Mighty Oaks were held to 14 points in the first half and fell on the road to Mercer, 88-39.
“It helped us in a way because our players got healthy,” Salem coach Brian Marsh said of the layoff, “but (it) affected our timing, for sure.”
The Mighty Oaks were shorthanded as it was, but they already were without injured point guard Justine Cardona and Neicy King fouled out in the first half.
“It definitely affected our press break and we had 41 turnovers,” Marsh said. “But they still played hard even very short-handed.”
Mercer’s Alexandra Galan-Garcia led all scorers with 29 points. Evangelina Fransisco had 20. Kasey Oliver and Tanya Shaw led Salem with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
SALEM CC (0-2): Ray’Nescia King 0-1 0-0 0, Tanijya Shaw 4-12 4-5 12, Kasey Oliver 5-11 3-9 13, Dani Gustin 4-9 0-2 8, Breanne Ruhl 0-0 0-0 0, Jayda Hunter 0-6 3-5 3, Paula Wilson 1-8 1-2 3. Totals 14-47 11-24 49. MERCER (4-1): Evangelina Fransisco 7-14 1-2 20, Mayah Alford 6-10 0-2 12, Zaakirah Edwards 5-16 0-3 10, Gabriella Smith 3-8, 0-0 6, Qui-Mia Wilkins 2-9 1-4 5, Alexandra Galan-Garcia 13-22 2-4 29, Patricia Moore 2-5 0-0 4, Emma Wilke 1-6 0-0 2. Totals 39-91 4-12 88.
Salem CC
6
8
10
15-
39
Mercer
22
20
18
28-
88
3-point goals: Salem 0-7 (King 0-1, Shaw 0-1, Oliver 0-3, Hunter 0-2); Mercer 6-24 (Fransisco 5-9, Edwards 0-3, Smith 0-4, Wilkins 0-1, Galan-Garcia 1-2, Moore 0-1, Wilke 0-3). Rebounds: Salem 48 (Hunter 12, Oliver 6); Mercer 49 (Wilkins 10, Alford 7). Fouled out: King, Moore. Total fouls: Salem 13, Mercer 22.
Region XIX Standings
WOMENS DIVISION II
R19
ALL
GSAC
Union
1-0
6-0
1-0
Harcum
1-0
4-1
Mercer
1-0
4-1
0-0
Lackawanna
1-0
1-3
Essex
0-0
3-0
0-0
Delaware Tech
0-0
1-6
Middlesex
0-1
4-4
0-0
Raritan Valley
0-1
1-2
0-1
Morris
0-1
0-1
0-0
SALEM CC
0-1
0-2
0-1
TUESDAY’S GAMES Mercer 88, Salem CC 39 Essex 53, Prince George’s 46 Harcum 113, Middlesex 45 Union 84, Raritan Valley 60 Montgomery 44, Camden 43 Passaic 82, Bergen 51 Philadelphia 74, Brookdale 67 Northampton 84, RCSJ-Cumberland 23 Lackawanna 69, Morris 56 Atlantic Cape 73, Sussex 41
THURSDAY’S GAMES Palm Beach (Fla.) State at Salem CC Ocean at RCSJ-Gloucester Raritan Valley at Mercer SUNY-Broome at Northampton Sussex at Bergen Atlantic Cape at Brookdale RCSJ-Cumberland at Philadelphia Middlesex at Bronx Union at Essex Lackawanna at Five Towns Allegany (Md.) at Camden
No. 2 Salem CC makes it five in a row with hard-fought win over host Penn Highlands, Mighty Oaks show moxie pulling away in final six minutes
PENN HIGHLANDS TURKEY CLASSIC Sunday’s Games Sandhills 115, Bryant & Stratton 58 Salem CC 80, Penn Highlands 70
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – When Mike Green went looking to replace all the players who moved on from last year’s national tournament run – and there were a lot of them – he recruited for games just like this.
It was toughness the Salem CC coach went looking forward and the players he signed showed how much of it they had down the stretch Sunday to lift the second-ranked Mighty Oaks past Penn Highlands 80-70 in the Black Bears’ Turkey Classic.
The Mighty Oaks (5-0) lost an 11-point halftime lead in the second half and had their point guard foul out with 13 minutes left, but after getting back into the game they outscored their hosts 17-4 over the last five minutes to win going away.
“This team has a toughness about them,” Green said. “I think last year around this time they would have lost that game until we got Akeem (Taylor) and Jyheim (Spencer). This team has a lot of toughness, and it shows.”
Jerrell Little was particularly strong down the stretch. He had the bulk of the Mighty Oaks’ points in the closing run and finished with 23 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Nasseem Wright had 17 points and 13 rebounds and made the all-tournament team. Saaid Lee had four points, but was big on hustle points (three rebounds, three assists, four steals) and Zyaire Gibson had nine points, three rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
“It was a collective (effort),” Green said. “They posed a threat to us and I said that coming here, and our guys stepped in there and battled. This team has a nastiness about them and it’s a good nastiness. We did a good job recruiting. We’ve got to see it through.”
Top photo: The Salem CC basketball team talks things over Sunday during a second-half timeout down by four with eight minutes to play
Salem CC 80, Penn Highlands 70
SALEM CC (5-0): Jahseir Sayles 1-3 0-0 2, Jerrell Little 8-16 7-10 23, Saaid Lee 1-3 2-2 4, Jaiayre Wright 0-2 0-0 0, Qua Smith 1-3 1-2 3, Zyaire Gibson 2-8 3-5 9, Nasseem Wright 7-12 3-6 17, Lenar Anderson 3-4 0-0 8, Idris Rines 1-5 2-2 5, Stefan Phillips 2-3 3-4 9. Totals 26-60 21-29 80. PENN HIGHLANDS (1-6): Keyshawn White 2-5 0-0 4, Alex Moise 1-2 0-0 2, Wes Simon 0-0 0-0 0, Anthony Ross 2-4 3-4 7, Ahmad Boone 4-10 4-4 12, B.J. Lavender 7-20 1-2 18, Jay Brumbaugh 1-3 2-3 5, Manny Brannon 0-0 2-2 2, Des Handon 5-19 3-4 13, Victor Raymond 3-5 1-2 7. Totals 25-68 16-21 70.
Salem CC
45
35-
80
Penn Highlands
34
36-
70
3-point goals: Salem CC 7-23 (Sayles 0-2, Little 0-4, Gibson 2-7, Anderson 2-2, Rines 1-4, Phillips 2-3); Penn Highlands 4-24 (White 0-1, Boone 0-4, Lavender 3-12, Brumbaugh 1-2, Handon 0-5). Rebounds: Salem CC 40 (Little 6, N. Wright 13). Penn Highlands (White 9, Raymond 9). Total fouls: Penn Highlands 22. All-Tournament: Nasseem Wright, Salem; B.J. Lavender, Penn Highlands; Isaiah Upchurch, Sandhills; Donovan Barnes, Bryant & Stratton.
Region XIX Standings
DIVISION III
R19
ALL
GSAC
Camden
4-0
4-0
2-0
Union
4-0
4-0
3-0
SALEM CC
3-0
5-0
1-0
Northampton
3-0
5-0
Montgomery
2-0
2-1
Atlantic Cape
2-1
2-1
1-1
Ocean
2-2
2-2
1-1
RCSJ-Cumberland
1-1
1-1
1-0
RCSJ-Gloucester
2-2
2-3
1-2
Brookdale
2-2
2-4
0-2
Bergen
2-3
2-3
1-1
Delaware County
1-3
1-3
Passaic
1-3
1-3
1-2
Luzerne
0-1
1-2
Thaddeus Stevens
0-2
2-3
Harrisburg Area
0-2
0-4
Sussex
0-3
0-4
0-2
Philadelphia
0-4
1-4
SUNDAY’S GAMES Salem CC 80, Penn Highlands 70 Morris 59, Howard CC 55 Camp CC 51, Essex 37 Raritan Valley 88, Cecil 64 Richard Bland at Harcum Delaware Tech at Montgomery (Md.)
TUESDAY’S GAMES Ocean at Salem Prince George’s at Essex Union at Atlantic Cape Luzerne at Sussex Harrisburg Area at Allegany (Md.) Delaware County at Thaddeus Stevens Philadelphia at Brookdale Morris at Lackawanna RCSJ-Cumberland at Northampton Camden at Montgomery Bergen at Passaic
No. 2 Salem CC runs over Bryant & Stratton in Penn Highlands Turkey Classic, plays host team Sunday
PENN HIGHLANDS TURKEY CLASSIC Salem CC 89, Bryant & Stratton 55 Sandhills 107, Penn Highlands 98 Sunday’s Games Sandhills vs. Bryant & Stratton, 1 p.m. Salem CC vs. Penn Highlands, 3 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Second-ranked Salem CC regained some of its 3-point shooting touch, started fast and ended even faster in overrunning Bryant & Stratton (Ohio), 89-55, Saturday in the opening game of the Penn Highlands Turkey Classic.
The Mighty Oaks were cold from behind the arc in their home opener (7 of 37), but went 10-of-28 in the Penn Highlands gym. Jerrell Little, 0-for-10 from 3 in the last game, hit their first 3 of the game and went on to shoot 5-of-11 on deep balls against the Bobcats. The Mighty Oaks are 24-of-73 from 3-point range in their three road games this season.
“It’s a win, another road win, feisty team, feels great getting another one,” coach Mike Green said. “This is the third team that’s zoned us in a row, so most of the teams must think we can’t shoot the ball and we haven’t proved it yet.”
Little finished with 19 points. He also had five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Nasseem Wright led all scorers with 20 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. Jaiayre Wright had five points, but grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots.
Stefan Phillips, the only returning player from last year’s national tournament team, scored a career-high 14 points without missing a shot. He was 5-for-5 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line and hit his only 3-point attempt.
“That’s what we expect from him the whole year,” Green said. “The kind of game he played today is what’s expected of him. It’s good to see he finally put it together. He’s done a good job leading us. it felt good to see him play the way we envision him playing.”
The Mighty Oaks (4-0) opened the game with an 11-2 run and steadily stretched the lead. The Bobcats got within 22 with about eight minutes left, then Salem went on a 20-4 run to slam the door.
“We kept our foot on the pedal the whole game,” Green said. “We’re here to pile up wins. However they look it doesn’t even matter, it’s winning.”
On Sunday they play host Penn Highlands, a team that puts up 35 3-pointers a game.
Salem CC 89, Bryant & Stratton 55
BRYANT & STRATTON (2-3): Aaron Wilson 3-5 0-0 7, Caron McClendon 0-2 1-2 1, Kevon Clay 0-1 0-0 0, Donovan Barnes 6-12 1-2 14, Curtis Granger 1-3 0-0 2, Zavionn Thurman 2-5 0-0 4, Remi Gilmore 3-7 1-2 9, Jack Smith 0-4 0-0 0, Jayshaun Lewis 3-6 0-1 6, Blake Brookenthal 3-10 0-0 8, Hunter Graham 2-6 0-1 4. Totals 23-71 3-8 55. SALEM CC (4-0): Jahseir Sayles 1-4 1-2 4, Jarrell Little 7-15 0-0 19, Saaid Lee 4-9 0-0 9, Jaiayre Wright 1-1 3-4 5, Qua Smith 1-2 2-2 4, Zaire Gibson 1-8 0-0 2, Nasseem Wright 9-13 2-4 20, Lenar Anderson 2-4 0-0 5, Idris Rines 2-4 0-0 5, Stefan Phillips 5-5 3-3 14, Michael Goodwin 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 34-67 11-15 89.
Bryant & Stratton (Ohio)
26
29-
55
Salem CC
47
42-
89
3-point goals: B&S 6-36 (Wilson 1-10, McClendon 0-1, Barnes 1-4), Granger 0-1), Thurman 0-3, Gilmore 2-6, Smith 0-4, Lewis 0-1, Brookenthal 2-6); Salem CC 10-28 (Sayles 1-2, Little 5-11, Lee 1-3, Smith 0-1, Gibson 0-6, N. Wright 0-1, Anderson 1-2, Rines 1-1, Phillips 1-1). Rebounds: B&S 29 (Brookenthal 7, Graham 5); Salem CC 44 (Gibson 6, J. Wright 8).
Region XIX Standings
DIVISION III
R19
ALL
GSAC
Camden
4-0
4-0
2-0
Union
4-0
4-0
3-0
SALEM CC
3-0
4-0
1-0
Northampton
3-0
5-0
Montgomery
2-0
2-1
Atlantic Cape
2-1
2-1
1-1
Ocean
2-2
2-2
1-1
RCSJ-Cumberland
1-1
1-1
1-0
RCSJ-Gloucester
2-2
2-3
1-2
Brookdale
2-2
2-4
0-2
Bergen
2-3
2-3
1-1
Delaware County
1-3
1-3
Passaic
1-3
1-3
1-2
Luzerne
0-1
1-2
Thaddeus Stevens
0-2
2-3
Harrisburg Area
0-2
0-4
Sussex
0-3
0-4
0-2
Philadelphia
0-4
1-4
SATURDAY’S GAMES Salem CC 89, Bryant & Stratton (Ohio) 55 Union 77, Harrisburg Area 52 RCSJ-Gloucester 87, Luzerne 70 Morris 79, Cecil 76 Camden 60, Thaddeus Stevens 58 Frederick 71, Mercer 66 Montgomery 65, Philadelphia 58 Atlantic Cape 81, Sussex 57 RCSJ-Cumberland at Brookdale Bergen 86, Delaware County 82 Northampton 81, Ocean 75 Raritan Valley 81, Howard CC 73 Essex 87, Delaware Tech 85
SUNDAY’S GAMES Salem CC at Penn Highlands, 3 p.m. Morris vs. Howard CC Essex vs. Camp CC Raritan Valley at Cecil Richard Bland at Harcum Delaware Tech at Montgomery (Md.)
Response to Salem CC’s proposal to start football has been favorable, but it all rests on Thursday’s board vote; without sharing her vote, current board chair would be surprised if it didn’t pass
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – The out-going chairman of the Salem Community College board of trustees said earlier this week she would be surprised if the proposal to bring football to the two-year college for the first time this fall was not approved when it comes to an expected vote at next week’s board meeting.
While sentiment within the athletics department, college community and community at large remains positive, it will be up to the board to decide whether the plan goes forward and that decision hinges largely on the amount of risk policymakers are willing to accept.
Ida M. Bowen, in an interview following the banner-raising ceremony for last year’s Salem CC basketball success, declined to disclose the way she’ll vote on the measure, but she recognizes all the positives adding football would bring to the campus – as well as the risks.
“It would surprise me if it did not pass,” she said. “I can see the cons behind it and I can see the pros behind it. It’s all determined by whether we want to take that risk or not. We’ve done that before. We’ve taken the risk.”
The college has been formally exploring the possibility of bringing football on line since August, when it approved the contract of former Rowan University head coach Jay Accorsi as consultant to the project. Accorsi, the presumptive head coach if the Mighty Oaks add the sport, has been intrigued with the possibility of junior college football in New Jersey for some time and brought his ideas to SCC president Mike Gorman in May.
If the initiative is approved, the Mighty Oaks would begin play in the fall of 2026. They would be one of only two junior colleges in the state to offer NJCAA-sanctioned football, and the only one between Newton, N.J. (Sussex CC) and Louisburg, N.C.
A vote was anticipated at the October board meeting, but members wanted more time to digest the volume of information presented by athletics director Bob Hughes so it was delayed for another month and Accorsi’s consultant contract extended. Vice-chair Jason Supernavage said after the October meeting he wanted time to review the details before casting his vote.
The board held a work session last week and there was a sentiment when it was over of “everybody feeling comfortable” their concerns had been addressed.
“I think we’ve answered some of their questions that put them in doubt whether to do it or not,” Gorman said. “I don’t think there’s anybody who looks at this as a bad idea. What they’re doing is a risk analysis in their own mind … We don’t want to put the college in any jeopardy and honestly if we thought we were doing that, this proposal never would have seen the light of day.”
Bowen said she has not discussed the football issue with other board members individually and to her knowledge they have not discussed it outside the confines of board meeting discussions.
“We left the last meeting knowing next Thursday we’re going to vote,” she said. “We will find out on Thursday.”
Gorman would not presume to speak for the board or speculate on the outcome of the vote. There is history that suggests, however, major initiatives Gorman has brought before the board get approved.
“I’ve been in this business a long time, so I try not to have surprises,” the president said. “If we didn’t think we had support we wouldn’t force this onto the table for a review. It would have stopped by now.”
“It’s a lot for us to undertake,” Bowen said. “It’s a lot of commitment up front. It’s a risk. There’s hesitation of taking that risk, but there have been explanations to try to clear up any of that hesitation, and the comparison of other things we have taken risks on that have succeeded. Because we have that direction with president Gorman, he’s been successful in everything he’s done and we have full confidence in him, and I don’t think he would even offer this if he (was unsure of its success).”
Among the larger issues is securing a permanent practice site for the team. College officials have had informal discussions with potential stakeholders, but have been told no formal talks would occur until the board green lights the project.
Potential sites include the preferred Carneys Point Recreation Complex that currently serves as the Mighty Oaks’ baseball home, the Carneys Point YMCA fields, the Walnut Street Field in Salem and a piece of property currently held by the Penns Grove/Carneys Point School District. A key piece to the site for Salem is whether the property could be built upon.
Even if the board approves the proposal, the plan could be scrapped in January if the Mighty Oaks don’t secure a practice facility, have at least 20 prospective players in the fold and a schedule. Athletic department officials don’t believe the latter two issues are a problem at all.
Top photo: Salem CC athletics director Bob Hughes explains the finer points of the proposal to bring football to the college at the October board of trustees meeting.
Salem CC unfurls four banners commemorating last season’s success on the court, then No. 2 Mighty Oaks crush Bergen CC in home opener
REGION XIX BASKETBALL Thursday’s Games Salem CC 102, Bergen 69 Chesapeake 92, Montgomery 58 Middlesex 76, LaGuardia 72 Union 67, Brookdale 53 Albright JV at Thaddeus Stevens Ocean 89, Delaware County 55 RCSJ-Cumberland 87, Passaic 82 Cecil 71, Mercer 69
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — Stefan Phillips was standing off to the side as Salem Community College president Mike Gorman read off all the accomplishments of last year’s Mighty Oaks basketball team and it brought out a wave of emotions.
Then the president called for the big ripcord to be pulled and four banners unfurled over the second-floor railing above the entrance to the gym and the thought that struck Phillips was he wanted another.
The Mighty Oaks recognized last year’s Region XIX and North Atlantic District championships and top five finish in the JUCO Division III national tournament Thursday, then the current team, ranked second in the nation, went out and crushed Bergen in its home opener 102-69.
“It brought back a lot of memories,” Phillips said. “Winning our first championship, how enthused everybody was. It brought back the memory of going to the national tournament (and) winning that first game. It brought back the heartbreak of losing in the second round. But most impressively it brought back (memories of) teammates, the camaraderie, the brotherhood, we instilled in each other, the belief that we could win it all.
“I’m proud of what we accomplished. When I saw those banners go down I was like, man, that feels good, I want another one. This team here, we can do it again. I believe every day we can do it again.”
Stefan Phillips (25) holds the distinction of being the only player on this year’s Salem CC basketball team who played on last year’s team that won region and district championships and played in the national tournament.
Phillips is the only player on the current Salem CC roster who played on that historic team, so it was understandable he was touched by the moment. But the banner raising did something to inspire the newcomers, too.
Nasseem Wright scored 19 points in the first half, hitting 9 of 10 shots from the field, and finished with a game-high 25 and seven rebounds. Saaid Lee had 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists. All five starters, including Phillips, scored in double figures. Jaiayre Wright had a double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds) off the bench.
“Especially with the banner dropping today it was a big night,” Nasseem Wright said. “I pay a lot of respect to last year’s team, they paved the way for us this year ending up No. 5 in the nation. We’re chasing the same thing this year.
“We’ve got a huge circle on our back, so I’m not taking any game lightly. I wanted to come out aggressive because I know my energy is what’s going to get my team started.”
Nasseem Wright (10) scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the first half thanks in part to 9-for-10 shooting from the field.
The Mighty Oaks (3-0) broke it open with a seven-minute stretch in the first half that was some of the best ball they played in coach Mike Green’s two and a half seasons at the helm. They outscored the Bulldogs 23-1 to take a two-point lead to 24 before the visitors stopped the run with a 3-pointer with 3:47 left in the half.
The spree started with a 3-pointer by Saaid Lee, but really got rolling coming out of the timeout Bergen called after the shot. There were rebounds, steals and a whole lot of running. The Mighty Oaks were 10-of-19 from the field in the run, while holding the Bulldogs to 0-for-10 shooting and seven turnovers.
“We just showed in those seven minutes to let everyone know in the nation we are No. 2 for a reason,” Phillips said.
“Once we lock into the game, get the pre-game jitters out, we get running and I’d definitely say it’s fun,” Wright said. “I definitely felt the energy. They came out kind of flat and wanted us to play at their speed, so once we sped them up and had them playing our style of basketball I think that’s when it started to go downhill for them and everything started clicking for us.”
“This is going to be really good team, a really fun team,” Green said. “We’ve got to get the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth man where they’re supposed to be. When they’re there, then we’ll be an even better team because we can run a lot of bodies at you. Once we get them in the right places it’s going to be really good.”
The only place the Mighty Oaks were lacking on this special night was beyond the arc. But they were so strong everywhere else, they shot only 7-of-37 from 3-point range — 4-of-34 before Zyaire Gibson hit three in a row over a one-minute span late in the second half — and still won by more than 30.
Green didn’t seem too worried about it. He said the same thing happened last year before the Mighty Oaks snapped out of it and starting hitting from everywhere.
“Don’t bother me at all; law of averages,” he said. “One of our better shooters went 0-for-10, our other best shot 5-for-16. I can’t imagine that happening again.”
Top photo: Salem CC president Mike Gorman presides over the raising of four banners commemorating the Mighty Oaks’ accomplishments last season.
Salem CC 102, Bergen 69
BERGEN (1-3): Kross Ford 0-1 0-0 0, Ezana Negusse 2-5 0-0 4, Jayden Rivera 5-12 6-6 16, Jeremy Polanco 8-20 3-3 25, Evan Meberg 2-6 1-2 5, Jaheim Best 0-4 0-0 0, Thomas Munoz 2-6 0-0 6, Din Kastrat 0-0 0-0 0, Xavier Townes 3-9 1-4 7, Jarris Bertram 1-5 2-2 4, Tyler Brown 0-3 0-1 0, Justin Price 1-3 0-0 2, Sean Peter-Akor 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-72 13-18 69. SALEM CC (3-0): Jarrell Little 5-18 0-0 10, Saaid Lee 6-10 3-4 17, Zyaire Gibson 6-17 0-0 17, Nasseem Wright 12-16 1-2 25, Stefan Phillips 4-7 2-2 10, Jaiayre Wright 4-5 2-2 10, Qua Smith 4-5 1-2 9, Lenar Anderson 0-5 2-4 2, Idris Rines 1-6 0-3 2, Michael Goodwin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 42-89 11-16 102.
Bergen
26
43-
69
Salem CC
44
58-
102
3-point goals: Bergen 8-21 (Ford 0-1, Rivera 0-2, Polanco 6-9, Meberg 0-2, Munoz 2-4, Townes 0-2, Price 0-1); Salem CC 7-37 (Little 0-10, Lee 2-2, Gibson 5-16, Phillips 0-3, Anderson 0-3, Rines 0-3). Rebounds: Bergen 33 (Townes 8); Salem CC 59 (J. Wright 12, Phillips 9, N. Wright 7). Technical fouls: N. Wright. Total fouls: Bergen 16, Salem CC 18.
Region XIX Standings
DIVISION III
R19
ALL
GSAC
Camden
3-0
3-0
2-0
SALEM CC
3-0
3-0
1-0
Union
3-0
3-0
3-0
Northampton
2-0
4-0
Montgomery
1-0
1-1
Ocean
2-1
2-1
1-1
Atlantic Cape
1-1
1-1
0-1
RCSJ-Cumberland
1-1
1-1
1-0
Brookdale
2-2
2-4
0-2
Delaware County
1-2
1-2
RCSJ-Gloucester
1-2
1-3
1-2
Bergen
1-3
1-3
1-1
Passaic
1-3
1-3
1-2
Luzerne
0-0
1-1
Thaddeus Stevens
0-1
1-2
Harrisburg Area
0-1
0-3
Sussex
0-2
0-3
0-1
Philadelphia
0-3
1-3
Jaiayre Wright had a double-double for Salem CC in 16 minutes off the bench. He had 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Riverview Sports News 