Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Sept. 14-19; all events start at 4 p.m. unless noted
MONDAY, SEPT. 14 FIELD HOCKEY Schalick at Salem Tech Woodstown at Deptford BOYS SOCCER Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville Overbrook at Schalick Penns Grove at Pitman Salem Tech at Clayton Woodstown at Glassboro GIRLS SOCCER Clayton at Salem Tech Glassboro at Woodstown Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic Pitman at Salem Schalick at Overbrook Woodbury at Penns Grove, 6 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Schalick at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m. Buena at Pennsville Salem at Bridgeton Timber Creek at Penns Grove COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL Salem CC at Atlantic Cape, 6 p.m.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 15 FIELD HOCKEY Clayton at Pennsville Gloucester Catholic at Salem GIRLS TENNIS West Deptford at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m. Pennsville at Penns Grove, 6 p.m. VOLLEYBALL Salem Tech at GCIT, 3:45 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 16 FIELD HOCKEY Gateway at Woodstown Pennsville at Schalick Salem Tech at Overbrook BOYS SOCCER Gloucester Catholic at Woodstown Pennsville at Glassboro Salem Tech at Penns Grove Schalick at Cumberland GIRLS SOCCER Cumberland at Salem Glassboro at Pennsville Penns Grove at Salem Tech Woodstown at Gloucester Catholic GIRLS TENNIS Pennsville at Glassboro, 3:45 p.m. Pitman at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m. Penns Grove at Schalick
THURSDAY, SEPT. 17 FOOTBALL Buena at Clayton, 6 p.m. Pleasantville at Cherokee, 6 p.m. Cumberland at Vineland, 6 p.m. Gateway at Sterling, 6 p.m. Bridgeton at St. Joe (Hamm.), 6:30 p.m. Lindenwold at Haddon Twp., 7 p.m. West Deptford at Paul VI, 7 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Schalick at Delsea BOYS SOCCER Pennsville at Penns Grove, 6 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Cumberland at Salem Penns Grove at Gloucester Catholic Schalick at Cherry Hill West GIRLS TENNIS Pennsville at Millville VOLLEYBALL Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic, 5:15 p.m. COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL Salem CC at Morris, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 18 FOOTBALL Salem at Schalick, 6 p.m. Pitman at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m. Burlington City at Overbrook, 7 p.m. Shawnee at Rancocas Valley, 6 p.m. Eastern at Northern Burlington, 6 p.m. Allentown at Trenton, 6 p.m. Atlantic Tech at Lower Cape May, 6 p.m. Absegami at Hammonton, 6 p.m. Gloucester at Triton, 6 p.m. Lenape at Williamstown, 6 p.m. Mainland at Holy Spirit, 6 p.m. Millville at Kingsway, 6 p.m. Washington Twp. at Atlantic City, 6 p.m. Pennsauken at Cherry Hill East, 6 p.m. Lawrence at Notre Dame, 6 p.m. Highland at Timber Creek, 6 p.m. Maple Shade at Bordentown, 6 p.m. Seneca at Willingboro, 6 p.m. Camden at Ocean City, 6 p.m. Oakcrest at Egg Harbor, 6 p.m. Clearview at Deptford, 6 p.m. Cinnaminson at Cherry Hill West, 6 p.m. Middle Twp. at Wildwood, 6 p.m. Collingswood at Bishop Eustace, 6:30 p.m. Ewing at Hopewell Valley, 7 p.m. Florence at Camden Catholic, 7 p.m. Camden Eastside at Moorestown, 7 p.m. Delran at Haddonfield, 7 p.m. Burlington Twp. at Delsea, 7 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Salem at Woodstown GIRLS SOCCER Bridgeton at Pennsville FIELD HOCKEY Absegami at Salem Tech Pennsville at Bridgeton Salem at Winslow GIRLS TENNIS Pitman at Salem Schalick at Timber Creek Woodstown at Overbrook
SATURDAY, SEPT. 19 FOOTBALL Woodstown at Woodbury, 11 a.m. Pennsville at Paulsboro, 11 a.m. Hightstown at Princeton, 11 a.m. Mastern Camden at Holy Cross, 11 a.m. Palmyra at Gloucester Catholic, 11 a.m. Haddon Heights at Audubon, 11 a.m. Nottingham at Steinert, 11 a.m. Riverside at KIPP, noon WW-Plainsboro at Pemberton, noon Glassboro at Cedar Creek, 1:30 p.m. Robbinsville at Hamilton West, 2 p.m. Buena at Clayton, 3 p.m. Winslow at St. Augustine, 6 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Haddon Twp. at Schalick COLLEGE FOOTBALL Thaddeus Stevens vs. Salem CC, Penns Grove H.S., noon
Salem rallies from early deficit to score its first win, denies tying conversion attempt in final minute of game
By Riverview Sports News
SALEM – They trailed by two touchdowns in the first half, but never gave up. Their diligence was rewarded with their first win of the season.
Salem came from 14 points down to take the lead, then denied Audubon a potential game-tying two-point conversion with 16.8 seconds left to preserve its first win of the season, 22-20.
“They were able to have a little resolve and showed a little fortitude when it came to being down,” Rams coach Kemp Carr said. “That’s something in the past we haven’t been able to do real well.”
The Rams (1-2) took a 22-14 lead with 1:45 to play when Kyvion Parsons threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Ahmad Tucker and KyShann Long ran for the two-point conversion. Audubon moved the ball back downfield with the help of a couple broken plays and quarterback Jude Cotter found the end zone with 16.8 to go.
Facing either overtime or a win on one play, the Rams lined up to defend the two-point conversion. Cotter threw under pressure from Myshon Barnes and Cashmir Parsley intercepted the pass to turn the Green Wave (0-2) away.
“Everybody did their job, hit their keys,” Carr said. “The quarterback had to throw the ball because he was under duress and Cash just happened to be there to make the play. Being in the right place at the right time is always pivotal when it comes to this game and he was where he needed to be.”
There was still time for Audubon to pull off a last-second miracle, but Long recovered the onsides kick to effectively end the game.
Audubon scored its first two touchdown in short-field situations, one from the 1 when the Rams fanned on a punt against their goal line. But the Rams started their comeback after the second touchdown when Tucker returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to get them on the board and within a score at halftime.
“That gave us a little spruce right before the half,” Carr said. “It wasn’t in the driver’s seat, but not so removed from the game knowing you’re only a touchdown away from (being tied).”
Parsons, who started the game at quarterback, was back at the position in the third quarter and drew the Rams even with a 15-yard touchdown run on a broken play and Tucker made the conversion. It stayed that way until late the fourth quarter.
“I think he got more comfortable as the game went on,” Carr said. “It comes down to if you’re willing to play that position you have to have mindset. It’s easy to play when you’re a frontrunner as a quarterback. When you’ve got to come from behind and the pressure’s on, the lights are a little different. I think he was able to withstand the bright lights today.”
Schalick soccer bounces back after rare season-opening loss; roundup includes results and highlights from Thursday’s Salem County sports calendar
BOYS SOCCER Clayton 3, Pennsville 0 Overbrook 2, Woodstown 1 Salem at Salem Tech, ppd. Schalick 7, Penns Grove 0 GIRLS SOCCER Pennsville 3, Clayton 2 Salem Tech 7, Salem 1 Schalick 8, Penns Grove 0 Woodstown 5, Overbrook 0 FIELD HOCKEY Salem Tech 6, Gloucester Catholic 0 Pennsville 4, Salem 1 Woodstown 2, Schalick 0 GIRLS TENNIS Woodstown 4, Pennsville 1 Schalick 5, Salem 0
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Mano Massari’s Penns Grove soccer team was coming off an inspiring season-opening win looking forward to getting off to a good start. Then he looked at the schedule.
There was Schalick on the next line. Massari knew what that meant, but it was going to be even more challenging than usual. This was a Schalick team coming off a loss. He’d seen this movie before.
The Cougars are a tough out under normal conditions, but don’t get them when they’re mad.
In three of the previous four regular-season meetings between the teams Schalick came into the Penns Grove game reeling from a loss or a tie and handled the Red Devils pretty well. It happened again Thursday, 7-0.
Last year the Cougars came to Penns Grove off a loss to rival Woodstown — and back-to-back losses at that — and won 7-1. In the return game, they were coming off a scoreless tie with the Wolverines and won 4-0. The year before they beat them 5-0 coming off a loss to Cinnaminson. They have now won eight in a row in the series.
“Schalick is Schalick,” Massari said. “I think there’s a big gap between us right now. I think there has been for a few years. They’re a talented group. You can tell they’re very well coached. They listen, they’re very disciplined and they execute. They finish their opportunities; that’s something we need to be better at. We had little to no opportunities today.
“They proved they’re still a top dog. They’re the measuring stick for us right now. We knew it was going to be tough. I think the last couple times we’ve played them they’ve come in off of a loss. I don’t know if they have extra motivation because they’re coming off of a loss, but they really have been our Kryptonite for the last few years.”
Schalick coach Joe Mannella called it purely coincidental Penns Grove has fallen as the next team on the schedule so many times after a rare Schalick loss, but the Cougars were very much in need of a win to get their season started. They were coming off a season-opening 3-0 loss to Delran, the first time since 2022 they lost a season opener and the first time since 2018 they were blanked in one. You have to go back before 2010 to find the last time they started a season 0-2.
“We finally scored,” Manella said. “We had a bunch of scrimmages and the Delran game we weren’t scoring goals. Scoring goals and winning games cures a lot of ailments and we started to question our confidence, question ourselves and wonder how good are we. This helps. We’ve still got a lot to do, but this certainly is what we needed.
“To most competitors your pride gets bruised (in a loss) and you want to get out there and prove yourself. We certainly made a point that we wanted to get the taste of that loss Tuesday out of our mouth and start feeling good about ourselves. We don’t want to hit a losing streak or anything like that so you definitely dig down a little bit, try a little harder, and don’t give them anything.”
The Cougars went right at their hosts. Sophomore Josh Stecher scored their first goal of the season and the first of his two in the game when he buried a shot from the right side of the box into the far left corner two minutes into the match. He was credited with the game’s second score 17 minutes later when his crossing pass caromed home off a Penns Grove defender into the goal. Connor McQuade and Nolan O’Toole made it 4-0 with two quick goals in the 23rd minute.
Marco Spinnato scored two goals a minute part in the second half and Jake Sepers scored on a penalty kick. Stecher scored the Cougars’ first two and Spinnato scored their last two.
“We knew we could win this game by a lot and we just wanted to smash this team because of what happened to us last year,” Stecher said. “Every time we play this team we play very well. I don’t know why we play really well against this team, but we always play pretty good.”
The Cougars could’ve had a lot more. Penns Grove freshman keeper Ruben Torres Saenz stoned Luke Price and Spinnato three times one-on-one between Stecher’s two goals and the Cougars hit the post three times in the game. The goalie was credited with 30 saves on the reporting form.
“I’m very happy with how my keeper performed today,” Massari said. “I think a lot of their goals were second opportunities. I think he made really good saves and my defense was caught lacking. I think as a freshman going against that team and showing what he showed today, he showed a lot guts. I think he shows he can play with these guys.
“He’s a calm kid every day and I don’t think he gets rattled very much. He knew we were playing a very good team. I don’t think he realized how good, but I think he stepped up and showed us something. Dwayne (Guzman) left a big hole for us and last year I didn’t know what we were going to do. I had nobody and now we have this kid, who, quite frankly, looked better as a freshman his first game than Dwayne did. It’s the first game of the season, but it’s promising. That was the one bright spot for us today.”
Top photo: Penns Grove’s Esvin Padilla (5) slides in to deny Schalick’s Marco Spinnato a scoring chance in the first half.
CLAYTON 3, PENNSVILLE 0: Jonathan Rehm scored all three goals in the battle of TCC Classic Division contenders. Rehm scored early in the first half and then converted a pair of King Mosley passes in the second. Justin Delaney made 10 saves in recording the shutout.
OVERBROOK 2, WOODSTOWN 1: Brian Reyes broke a 1-1 tie with a goal eight minutes before halftime and the teams slugged it out in a scoreless second half. Don Milhomme scored Woodstown’s game-tying goal in the 18th minute. Woodstown peppered the goal with 24 shots, but couldn’t get the equalizer.
Girls soccer
PENNSVILLE 3, CLAYTON 2: Sloan Marquette bent a corner kick around the near left post with 3:16 left in the first overtime to bring the Eagles the victory.
The Eagles fell behind 1-0, but took a 2-1 lead on a pair of goals less than two minutes apart late in the first half. Karson Cooksey tied the game with 8:19 left in the half off another Marquette corner kick. Abby Marandola made it 2-1 with 6:31 left in the half.
Clayton’s Madi Traister tied the game with her second goal with 22:18 left in regulation.
SCHALICK 8, PENNS GROVE 0: Nicolette Bloomer and Mackenzie Talarico both scored a pair of goals for the second game in a row and Kyleigh Cutler had a goal and three assists to lead the Cougars. Emily Miller, Karlie Bakley and freshman Giuliana Martin, notched Schalick’s other goals.
WOODSTOWN 5, OVERBROOK 0: Freshman Korynn Hernandez scored her second hat trick in three games. Bella Lucas and Krysten Dussault had the Wolverines’ other goals and Hailey Kucharczuk dished three assists. Mazie Mazzoni made three saves in recording her second shutout.
“She’s a threat anywhere on the field and capitalizes on all her opportunities,” Woodstown coach Kieran Keyser said of Hernandez. “She’s very technically sound, aggressive, fast, and just has a knack for finding the back of the net.”
SALEM TECH 7, SALEM 1: Allie Wentz and Abigail Leuallen each scored a pair of goals and the Chargers tied the program record for goals in a game while winning their season opener for the first time in school history. Kapri Holmes, Olivia Blais and Peyton Pratt scored the Chargers’ only goals and Bryn McLaughlin had two assists. Lyric Hayes scored Salem’s goal in the second half.
Field hockey
PENNSVILLE 4, SALEM 1: The Eagles scored their first goal of the season and gave coach Cass Massari her first official career coaching win.
Massari guided the Eagles to three October wins during head coach Lisa Doran’s medical leave last season, but the win in Thursday’s home opener was all her own.
“It feels really good and it feels really good for the girls to have this under their belt, too,” Massari said. “They were coming off the 8-0 loss to a win; it felt very good to them. They kept their spirits up even though they were coming off that loss and they wanted it today.”
Junior Brianna Hill, one of 10 Eagles playing the sport for the first time, scored the Eagles’ first goal of the season. Massari brought defender Addy Hitt up after the goal as a reward for her impressive early-season stick work and the sophomore responded with the game’s second goal. Kendall Hoyt and Polina Wright scored their other two goals.
“We played well,” Massari said. “We have a very inexperienced team. We have 17 girls on our roster and 10 of them have never played before. We have a ton of girls who this is their first year ever picking up a stick. They’re learning, but they’re learning quick, which is good, because they want to learn. They’re all very motivated to learn the sport, learn the game, and they have positive attitudes.”
WOODSTOWN 2, SCHALICK 0: Joey Foote and Lexi Taylor both scored goals on first-half penalty corners and the Wolverines snapped a five-game winless streak in the series. Kendall Higgins made three saves in posting the shutout.
It’s starting out to be a different kind of year for the Cougars. They fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2013 and have yet to score a goal.
SALEM TECH 6, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 0: Hazel Eachus and Hayden Crispin each scored a pair of goals as the Chargers bounced back from a season-opening loss. Araya DiGregorio and Jessilynn Chambers scored the other goals.
Abigail Beals had a pair of assists and senior goalie Caroline Tighe made five saves in recording the shutout, with a defensive assist from Chambers to keep the sheet clean. The Chargers won nine games in their inaugural season last year, eight by shutout, so the trend continues.
Girls tennis
SCHALICK 5, SALEM 0 Olivia Lunemann (SC) def. Heaven Jones-McCullough, 6-3, 6-0 Sebrina Bradford (SC) def. JaNye Hubbard, 6-1, 6-0 Jasmine Hunt (SC) def. Erica Brewer, 6-0, 6-0 Janae White-Abigail Sotela Hernandez (SC) won by forfeit River Wojcik-Brooke Brown (SC) won by forfeit Records: Schalick 4-1, Salem 0-3.
Mighty Oaks fall to DelTech in three sets, roundup includes results from Wednesday’s Salem County high school sports calendar
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — When you’re starting a program from scratch you can expect more ups and downs than a rollercoaster. Take a step forward, then move a step back. It’s the dance card on the way to consistency.
For the upstart Salem CC volleyball team Wednesday night qualified as a step back, although the Mighty Oaks were starting to take step forward in the final set of the night.
The Mighty Oaks remained winless in their maiden season after Delaware Tech dispatched them 3-0 in 58 minutes. They lost the first two sets 25-5 and 25-1, but came back to a grab an early lead in the third set before falling 25-13.
“We saw Del Tech, they were our very first scrimmage of the season, and they are very solid and really good,” SCC coach Andrea Bartlett said. “Absolute kudos to them; they are a fantastic team, and I think the girls were intimidated. Even though they know they put the work in and they know they’ve gotten better, they were still intimidated from the get-go.
“Our game is such a mental game we took longer than anticipated to get through that mental block. We started turning things around a little bit in the third set.”
The Mighty Oaks (0-4) scored only two points on their own serve in the first two sets. They fell behind in the first set 11-1 and Del Tech (3-4) closed it out with 14 of the last 15 points. The visitors scored the first 18 points of the second set before a serving error ended their run and gave Salem its only point.
The Mighty Oaks could have packed it in after nearly being shutout in the second set, but they were determined to make something of the evening. They held leads in the third set of 6-4, 9-5 and 11-9. A kill by Kelianne Swartz gave them a 12-10 lead, then DelTech stormed back with 15 of the last 16 points to close out the match.
“We are working on those mental skills,” Bartlett said. “Mental skills are just as important as the physical skills, so we have to practice working through that because we are going to run into situations like that and it’s how we prepare for them so we are able to push through like we did in that third set.
“I keep telling them we have 11 personalties here that we are trying to put into a six-piece puzzle. Some nights it works, some nights it doesn’t work. Some nights I’ve got to flip the puzzle around. We are still figuring out what works for each player. But they’re still working, they have not given up. They’re all in.”
Prep volleyball
TRITON 2, SALEM TECH 0: The Mustangs won a tight second set to complete the sweep and remain undefeated. The set scores were 25-13, 25-23. No other details were available. The loss snapped the Chargers’ two-game winning streak.
Girls tennis
SEWELL — The Minutemaids won three third-set tiebreakers to sweep the Wolverines.
WASHINGTON TWP. 5, WOODSTOWN 0 Jillian Lai (WT) def. Madison LaPalomento, 6-2, 6-3 Julia Agli (WT) def. Emma West, 6-3, 6-4 Taylor Minchin (WT) def. Angelina Lindenmuth, 6-4, 1-6, 12-10 Julianna Delosso-Kourtney Spina (WT) def. Elliana Norman-Emilee Kehr, 5-7, 7-5, 10-4 Hannah Thomas-Emily DeVecchio (WT) def. Isabella Lindenmuth-Eleanore Lawson, 5-7, 6-2, 10-7 Records: Washington Twp. 1-2, Woodstown 2-3.
Cross country
PILESGROVE — Woodstown’s David Farrell and Abby Marino were the top Salem County finishers in their respective races at the Tri-County Batch Meet at Marlton Park.
Farrell ran 18:25.20 to finish 15th in the boys race. Marino ran 23:15.85 to finish 11th in the girls race. Trevor Szilier of Washington Twp. won the boys race (16:52.44) and Kingsway’s Ava Buchanan won the girls race (20:21.15).
Here are the fastest runners from the other Salem County teams at the meet:
BOYS: 24. Levin Seals, Salem Tech, 19:02.75; 30. Aidan Cain, Schalick, 19:13.84; 48. Carter Marts, Pennsville, 19:59.59; 81. Aidan Dominguez, Penns Grove, 21:15.58; 82. Dominic Finfinger, Salem, 21:16.25.
GIRLS: 25. Emma Wilbur, Schalick, 24:35.85; 28. Sawyer Slad, Pennsville, 24:47.53; 84. Paityn Harrington, Salem Tech, 31:38.94.
Penns Grove freshman Thomas makes impressive high school debut, has third-best game in state last week; includes Salem County football leaders through Sept. 5
THIS WEEK’S GAMES Friday’s Games Schalick at Woodstown, 6 p.m. Pennsville at Pitman, 7 p.m. Saturday’s Games Audubon at Salem, noon Lindenwold at Penns Grove, noon
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Jaivon Thomas may have surprised the world in his first ever high school football game last Friday night, but the folks around the Penns Grove football program have known the freshman was special for a long time.
“Ever since he was 5 years old he was good,” Red Devils coach Damian Ware said.
Thomas burst on the scene with the third-best rushing performance in the state last week in the Red Devils’ 48-20 win at Buena. He ran for 290 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries, threw a touchdown pass and had an interception on defense. Only Gateway’s Lamar Smith (30-344-3) and Camden Catholic’s Nymir Daily (31-305-4) had more yards on the ground last weekend..
The Red Devils’ leading rusher all last season only collected 293 yards.
Ware called Thomas a “future phenom” when he talked about him in the preseason, but the 5-6, 145-pound freshman showed the future is now against the Chiefs. He has the potential to have another big night this week when the Red Devils play Lindenwold Saturday.
Thomas scored on runs of 17, 70 and 60 yards and had another 59-yard burst that didn’t reach the end zone, often squirming his way through traffic to break into the open field. He threw a 65-yard TD pass to Jerry Wooton. His interception came at the 1, then he covered the 99 yards going the other way on the next two plays.
“He has some instincts and some things he does and his understanding of the game when you talk to him about it … he’s a different type of player,” Ware said. “During a timeout I was throwing it out there that I think I want to run the halfback pass. He looked at me and said, ‘yeah, yeah, run it coach. I’m gonna dime that thing.’ He definitely dimed it. It was right on stride, Jerry caught it and kept running.”
The last freshman running back to make such an impact on the Red Devils’ program was Karon Ceaser, and he was the program’s first true freshman skill position starter in nearly 20 years when he started against Burlington City in the 2023 opener. Ceaser ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries in that game on his way to a 1,000-yard season.
Thomas made his developmental bones with the Olympus youth football program. That group produced several Penns Grove natives currently starring in other programs in the region, but Thomas is “locked in” to his hometown school.
“We knew who he was, he had a reputation coming into high school,” Ware said. “He came up to me in the beginning of the summer and said, ‘Coach I’m staying here. I don’t want to play anywhere else. I want to play for Penns Grove.’ He was locked in from the start.
“Everybody wanted him. Everybody still wants him. He’s going to have great success in Penns Grove. It’s not about where you’re at, it’s about what you do where you’re at.”
Here are the scores and highlights from Tuesday’s Salem County sports calendar
BOYS SOCCER Cumberland 9, Pennsville 0 Penns Grove 4, Gloucester Catholic 2 Delran 3, Schalick 0 Woodstown 1, Gateway 1
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — This year’s Pennsville soccer team may be better than some of coach Derek Foglein’s early teams and it may catch up to last year’s division champion in time, but on this day they were overwhelmed by a superior force on this day.
Izzy Benigno got a hat trick and a water bottle shower, captain Fernando Santiago scored twice and Brodey Willis and JV call-up Cristian Villagomez scored their first career goals to lead Cumberland over the Eagles 9-0 Tuesday. The Colts scored their nine goals on 17 shots and had chances for three other goals (offsides, two posts).
Sam Hassler had perhaps the Eagles’ best attempt at a goal when his semi-breakaway and shot across the box four minutes into the second half was turned away at the right post.
“What I just told them in the circle was that I think this year’s team beats the first team that Coach Joe (Mecholsky) and I had eight years ago 9-0 and I think it shows how far our program has come,” Foglein said, “but at the same time if you want to be an elite soccer program in South Jersey we’ve still got a long way to go.
“And that’s OK. It just reminds us that when we’re in practice, the basics matter. We have to do the basics with intensity, we have to compete with intensity and we have to move the ball with intensity. They’re a fantastic team. Yes, they have great kids, but they were a fantastic team. We’ll learn.”
Top photo: Cumberland’s Andrew Rebollo heads the ball away from Pennsville’s Brant Regner (2) during Tuesday’s game.
Cumberland (2-0)
6
3-
9
Pennsville (0-2)
0
0-
0
GOALS — Fernando Santiago (CR), 5:22; Izzy Benigno (CR), penalty kick, 14:14; Ruben Lopez (CR), 15:13; Izzy Benigno (CR), 17:07; Fernando Santiago CR), 23:02; Izzy Benigno (CR), 32:43; Brodey Willis (CR), 42:00; Matt Lucas (CR), 47:48; Cristian Villagomez (CR), 54:55.
PENNS GROVE 4, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 2: Juan Ortiz got his junior season off to a rousing start, scoring all four of the Red Devils’ goals, including two in the final 25 minutes after the Rams rallied to tie the game.
Ortiz, who scored six goals last season and 11 in his first two seasons, staked his team to a 2-0 halftime lead. The Red Devils came out of the break a little complacent and the Rams scored twice to tie it. Ortiz put Penns Grove back on top and then added an insurance goal by curling a corner kick into the top corner.
“He’s a special player, there’s no doubt it,” Red Devils coach Mano Massari said. “Sometimes he tries to do too much and his play drops when he tries to do too much, but when he lets the game come to him and plays his game, I always put him as one of the top players on the field at all times.
“He’s still maturing on the field … but I think when he plays poised and calm and lets the game come to him his game goes to another level and I think today was a good showing of that.”
After giving up the two goals early in the second half, freshman keeper Ruben Torres Sinz kept the Rams out of the net the rest of the game.
WOODSTOWN 1, GATEWAY 1: Both teams scored in the first half and then battled through a scoreless second half and overtime. Jake Lewis scored Woodstown’s goal and Vincent Toner lit the lamp for the Gators. Eddie Fuller made six saves in the Woodstown goal.
The Wolverines played to four draws last season.
DELRAN 3, SCHALICK 0: Three different players scored as the Bears handed the Cougars their first season-opening loss since 2022. The Cougars tied Washington Twp. in last year’s season opener and went on to play in the South Jersey Group I championship game.
Girls soccer
TUESDAY’S GAMES Schalick 7, Deptford 2 GCIT 3, Woodstown 2 Paulsboro at Salem Tech
PITTSGROVE — Schalick coach Will Kemp has gotten excited about a lot of teams he’s had over the years, but he’s starting to develop a special kind of affinity for the one he has this season. It all goes to the way they go about their business.
Freshmen Nicolette Bloomer and Mackenzie Talerico each scored two goals and Kyleigh Cutler had a goal and two assists to help the Cougars open their season with a 7-2 win over Deptford.
“This one of those squads I’m actually really excited for,” Kemp said. “I don’t have any type of nerves for, it’s just like pure excitement. Everyone understands it now. The culture is fully established within. We have a lot of selfless players who are focused on rebuilding the tradition and legacy of what Schalick soccer used to be. The work ethic is through the roof. It’s been really nice.”
The Cougars led wire-to-wire, but broke it open with three straight goals from Karlie Bakley, Talerico and Cutler to take a 5-2 halftime lead. Cecilee Bell and Bloomer scored in the second half. It was their first opening day win since 2023.
“The ladies really showed up for the first part of the season, dominated the whole entire game,” Kemp said. “Obviously there are a few things we still need to work on, but for the most part they came to play today, which was really good to see.”
GCIT 3, WOODSTOWN 2: The Cheetahs scored three goals in the first half and held on to hand the Wolverines their first loss of the season. Jorja Widmer scored twice and Khloe Leacott once for GCIT. Hailey Kucharczyk and Korynn Hernandez scored Woodstown’s goals.
GCIT led wire-to-wire, but the Wolverines put up a fight against a team that beat them 3-0 last season. Kucharczyk got them on the board with a left-footed goal from the left side. The Cheetahs made it 3-1, but right back Sadie Moore kept it close with a nice defensive save off a corner kick.
Hernandez scored Woodstown’s second goal off a Delia Hahn free kick with about 10 minutes left to bring the Wolverines within one. She brought it down to her foot, made a move to create space and ripped a shot past GCIT keeper Gwen Marvil from 22 yards out to make it 3-2.
Even in the last minute the Wolverines had a chance to tie. Freshman Bella Lucas put a long throw-in into the box with 10 seconds left, but they couldn’t get a shot on net.
“We were pressing; if we had five more minutes …,” Woodstown coach Kieran Keyser said. “It was a hard-fought battle for our girls. They beat us 3-0 last year, so to go 3-2 and be there with some of South Jersey’s Group 4 good strong teams is definitely a win.”
Field hockey
TUESDAY’S GAMES Audubon 8, Pennsville 0 St. Joe (Hamm.) 5, Woodstown 0 Highland 9, Salem 0
AUDUBON 8, PENNSVILLE 0: The Green Wave scored three goals in each of the first two quarters to spoil the official coaching debut of Pennsville’s Cass Massari.
Massari guided the Eagles to three wins last year filling in during coach Lisa Doran’s medical leave, a stretch that included a division-clinching win, and was promoted following Doran’s retirement.
HIGHLAND 9, SALEM 0: Kiersten Heverly scored the first four goals of the game and the Tartans scored three goals in each of the first three quarters to hand the Rams their second straight 9-0 loss.
Girls tennis
TUESDAY’S MATCHES Overbrook 4, Penns Grove 1 Pennsville 5, Salem 0 Schalick 3, Glassboro 2 Woodstown 5, Timber Creek 0
PENNSVILLE 5, SALEM 0 Graillyn Weber (P) def. Heaven Jones-McCullough, 6-0, 6-0 Naomi Hess (P) def. JaNye Hubbard, 6-0, 6-0 Jaisley Weber (P) def. Erica Brewer, 6-1, 6-2 Audrey Sauermilch-Mariangela Rangel (P) won by forfeit Marissa Dowell-Juliana Thomas (P) won by forfeit Records: Pennsville 2-1, Salem 0-2.
Here is this week’s Salem County sports schedule for the week of Sept. 7-12; all events 4 p.m. unless noted
TUESDAY, SEPT. 8 BOYS SOCCER Cumberland at Pennsville Gloucester Catholic at Penns Grove Schalick at Delran Woodstown at Gateway GIRLS SOCCER Deptford at Schalick GCIT at Woodstown FIELD HOCKEY Pennsville at Audubon St. Joe (Hamm.) at Woodstown Salem at Highland GIRLS TENNIS Glassboro at Schalick Penns Grove at Overbrook Woodstown at Timber Creek CROSS COUNTRY TCC Batch Meet at Kingsway, 3:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9 VOLLEYBALL Triton at Salem Tech, 5:15 p.m. COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL Delaware Tech at Salem CC, 6 p.m.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 10 FOOTBALL Clayton at Haddon Twp., 6 p.m. Atlantic City at Eastern, 6 p.m. Williamstown at Washington Twp., 6 p.m. Vineland at Pennsauken, 6 p.m. Hopewell Valley at Burlington City, 6 p.m. Lenape at Cherokee, 6 p.m. Trenton at Northern Burlington, 6 p.m. Delran at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m. Gloucester Catholic at WW-Plainsboro, 6 p.m. Woodbury at Gateway, 6 p.m. Hightstown at Moorestown, 6 p.m. Shawnee at Cherry Hill East, 6:30 p.m. Egg Harbor at Clearview, 7 p.m. Princeton at Robbinsville, 7 p.m. Mainland at Seneca, 7 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech Salem at Pennsville Woodstown at Schalick BOYS SOCCER Overbrook at Woodstown Pennsville at Clayton Salem at Salem Tech Schalick at Penns Grove GIRLS SOCCER Clayton at Pennsville Penns Grove at Schalick Salem Tech at Salem Woodstown at Overbrook GIRLS TENNIS Woodstown at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m. Schalick at Salem
FRIDAY, SEPT. 11 FOOTBALL Schalick at Woodstown, 6 p.m. Pennsville at Pitman, 7 p.m. Buena at Mastery Camden, 6 p.m. Paulsboro at West Deptford, 7 p.m. Highland at Overbrook, 7 p.m. Bordentown at Steinert, 3:45 p.m. Timber Creek at Triton, 6 p.m. Deptford at Oakcrest, 6 p.m. Burlington Twp. at Willingboro, 6 p.m. Lower Cape May Cumberland, 6 p.m. Cherry Hill West at Lawrence, 6 p.. Allentown at Collingswood, 6 p.m. Palmyra at Florence, 6 p.m. Riverside at Holy Cross, 6 p.m. Notre Dame at Ewing, 6 p.m. Cedar Creek at Pleasantville, 6 p.m. Rancocas Valley at Kingsway, 6 p.m. Atlantic Tech at Middle Twp., 6 p.m. Haddon Heights at Maple Shade, 6 p.m. Hammonton at Bridgeton, 6 p.m. Holy Spirit at St. Augustine, 6 p.m. Winslow at Glassboro, 6 p.m. Camden Catholic at Bishop Eustace, 6:30 p.m. Sterling at Gloucester, 7 p.m. St. Joe (Hamm.) at Paul VI, 7 p.m. Haddonfield at Delsea, 7 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Bridgeton at Salem BOYS SOCCER Gloucester at Salem Salem Tech at Camden Academy Charter GIRLS TENNIS Haddon Heights at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m. Trenton at Penns Grove VOLLEYBALL Highland at Salem Tech, 5:15 p.m. COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY Salem CC in Bill Fritz Open, Dream Park
SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 FOOTBALL Audubon at Salem, noon Lindenwold at Penns Grove, noon KIPP at Wildwood, noon Pemberton at Nottingham, noon FIELD HOCKEY Woodstown vs. Delsea, Rowan, 2:30 p.m. COLLEGE FOOTBALL Nassau CC vs. Salem CC, Schalick H.S., noon
Here is this week’s schedule and scores around the West Jersey Football League; Salem County, WJFL Diamond, Independence Division games listed first
SATURDAY’S GAMES Paulsboro 8, Salem 6 Haddon Heights 36, Collingswood 12 Deptford 44, Mastery Camden 0 Maple Shade at KIPP, noon Pemberton 35, Holy Cross 0 St. Augustine vs. Atlantic City
FRIDAY’S GAMES Schalick 28, Burlington City 6 Penns Grove 48, Buena 20 Woodbury 53, Pitman 8 Bordentown 28, Florence 6 Bridgeton 35, Highland 0 Burlington Twp. 28, Cherokee 0 Camden 24, Holy Spirit 15 Camden Catholic 26, Riverside 20 Clearview 62, WW-Plainsboro 7 Ewing 56, Hightstown 10 Glassboro 38, Mainland 6 Hamilton West 25, Lawrence 16 Hammonton 21, Atlantic Tech 7 Northern Burlington 35, Lenape 0 Notre Dame 38, Nottingham 0 Princeton 17, Allentown 16 Sterling 28, Audubon 21 Rancocas Valley 47, Delsea 0 St. Joe (Hamm.) 19, Cumberland 7 Steinert 34, Robbinsville 12 Triton 20, Cherry Hill West 15 Washington Twp. 39, Millville 20 West Deptford 21, Willingboro 6 Winslow 38, Kingsway 0
THURSDAY GAMES Overbrook 28, Pennsville 26 Woodstown 7, Clayton 6 Paul VI 13, Delran 0 Camden Eastside 35, Gloucester 0 Eastern 24, Cherry Hill East 13 Egg Harbor 28, Lower Cape May 13 Gateway 38, Bishop Eustace 37 Haddon Twp. 15, Palmyra 8 Hopewell Valley 21, Trenton 12 Middle Twp. 41, Gloucester Catholic 0 Moorestown 17, Cinnaminson 7 Oakcrest 40, Absegami 20 Ocean City 6, Cedar Creek 2 Pennsauken 14, Williamstown 6 Seneca 34, Haddonfield 0 Shawnee 28, Pleasantville 14 Vineland 40, Timber Creek 36
Rams appeared to control game with Paulsboro, but give up go-ahead touchdown and conversion with less than four minutes to play
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM – Kemp Carr walked down the air-conditioned hallway after a hot afternoon of football a defeated man.
“It’s a horrible loss,” the Salem coach said three times as he approached the door to his office.
And all for the want of making a play. The Rams had several chances to make one Saturday but didn’t. Paulsboro did when it counted and handed them an 8-6 loss.
Paulsboro quarterback Jahsir Johnson connected with Jeremiah Carr on a 15-yard touchdown pass and the go-ahead two-point conversion with 3:27 to play, then the Red Raiders intercepted an Owen McDonald pass with 1:31 to play to seal it.
“We needed to make two plays,” Carr said. ”We got them in fourth-and-16 and we don’t make the play; our kids have to understand we don’t need an interception there we just need to knock the ball down – and we know where the ball’s going. We didn’t make a second play, it’s 6-6, they go for 2, we know it’s pass, they hadn’t run the ball all day. We know it’s power fade. We knew that. We just have to knock the ball down.
“That’s what makes it a bad loss because we controlled the game. We controlled the clock. We controlled the score. We controlled the ball. In the fourth quarter we shouldn’t fold. We had them exactly where we wanted them. We’ve got to go down there and execute.”
Instead, it was the Red Raiders (2-0) who made the crucial play. Johnson had three huge completions in the go-ahead drive. He hit his Carr on a jump ball with the defensive back there for 24 yards on fourth-and-10 from his own 35 early in the drive. He later hit Julian Gaines for 21 following a big sack to get into the Red Raiders into the red zone, and then hit Carr for the score and then went back to him for the conversion.
“We didn’t play good, I don’t even know what to say; we gutted it out,” Paulsboro coach Kevin Harvey said. “Made a couple plays and that was the game. We just made a play, man. That’s why they’re out there, to make plays. I don’t know what to say.”
“Jeremiah Car made a big play,” Johnson said. “Always. He’s a playmaker. You can’t say too much, he’s just special.”
Salem’s Kamal Chatum (2) and Tony Merendino (52) converge on Paulsboro quarterback Jiyayre Thomas in the first half of Saturday’s game.
There was nothing more gutsy than the fourth-down call from the 35. With more than half the quarter left, some coaches would choose to punt, figuring they’d get a stop and then get the ball back with time to mount a winning drive. The players, receiver Marques Eli in particular, convinced their coach go for it with 7:33 to play and it paid off.
“I thought about punting but the kids wanted to go for it,” Harvey said. “I said all right, we’ll go for it. Put our best guy out there, threw it to our guy and he made a play.”
The Rams still had time to answer and drove it to the Paulsboro 31, but McDonald was intercepted to end the threat. In the freshman’s defense he was blasted as he was throwing the ball leaving it up for grabs. The Red Raiders took a couple knees to run out the clock.
The Rams (0-2) scored their touchdown earlier in the quarter when Cashmir Parsley returned to the field after receiving treatment for leg cramps and blasted his way into the end zone on fourth down from inside the 2. The play came right after Jeremiah Carr was flagged for pass interference on Ahmad Tucker in the end zone, a penalty that no longer carries an automatic first down but got them a few feet closer to the goal line.
“My mindset was we had to go score; I just took my opportunities and did what I could do,” Parsley said.
Trainers were working on his leg when the pass interference got called, but the sophomore asked to go back in after the penalty put the Rams on the doorstep. He said the leg felt good when he went back into the game, but he was back in the trainer’s care after the score when someone hit the back of his leg on the play.
Parsley was the Rams’ workhorse in the third quarter, carrying it on eight of the first nine plays of the drive before cramping.
The teams slugged through a scoreless first half that included little offense and a bizarre final six minutes that had a little bit of everything except a score. There were 12 plays and eight penalties in the drive that only covered 22 net yards start to finish.
It started with a Paulsboro timeout after change of possession and then Myshon Barnes caught Jiyayre Thomas for a 13-yard sack on the first play followed by back-to-back Paulsboro penalties. The Rams appeared to have stopped the drive when they forced Paulsboro to punt on fourth-and-38 from the 21, but they came after the punter and were called for roughing, then were hit with a personal foul on the next snap that brought the ball across midfield.
The Red Raiders came up empty when the Rams’ Blue Storm defense that Carr said “played extremely well” swamped Jackson for another sack and fumble that David Harris recovered with 25 seconds left in the half. And even that play, the coach explained, could’ve been handled better.
PAULS (8)
SAL (6)
11
First Downs
9
30-58
Rushing
28-116
10-19-1
Passes (C-A-I)
3-14-2
96
Passing
31
1-1
Fumbles-Lost
1-1
3-33.0
Punts-Yards
3-33.3
17-105
Penalties-Yards
11-100
Paulsboro (2-0)
0
0
0
8-
8
Salem (0-2)
0
0
0
6-
6
SCORING SUMMARY S-Cashmir Parsley 1 run (kick failed), 11:13 4Q P-Jeremiah Carr 15 pass from Jahsir Johnson (Jeremiah Carr pass from Jahsir Johnson), 3:27 4Q
