Here is the high school sports schedule for Salem County teams for the week of Sept. 5-9
Sept. 5 SCRIMMAGES GIRLS SOCCER Bridgeton at Salem, 4 p.m. Clayton at Penns Grove, 4 p.m. Pennsville at Gloucester City, 4 p.m. Timber Creek at Woodstown, 4 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Gloucester City at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Penns Grove at Clayton, 4 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Woodstown at St. Joseph Academy, 9 a.m. Our Lady of Mercy at Woodstown, 3:30 p.m. Highland Regional at Salem, 4 p.m. Millville at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
REGULAR SEASON GIRLS TENNIS Penns Grove at Glassboro, 4 p.m. Pennsville at Overbrook, 4 p.m. Salem at Pitman, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Sept. 6 GIRLS TENNIS Woodstown at West Deptford, 4 p.m.
Sept. 7 FIELD HOCKEY Clayton at Salem, 4 p.m. Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Schalick at Woodstown, 4 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Overbrook at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Penns Grove at Glassboro, 4 p.m. Salem at Pittman, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Schalick, 4 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER Glassboro at Penns Grove, 4 p.m. Pennsville at Overbrook, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Deptford Twp., 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Penns Grove at Woodstown, 4 p.m. Pitman at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Sept. 8 FOOTBALL Salem at Pleasantville, 6 p.m. Schalick at Wildwood, 6 p.m. Lower Cape May Regional at Pennsville, 7 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Pennsville at Gateway, 4 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER Woodstown at Deptford Twp., 4 p.m. Sept. 9 FOOTBALL Penns Grove at Woodbury, 10:30 a.m. Woodstown at Paulsboro, 10:30 a.m. BOYS SOCCER Gateway at Schalick, 10 a.m.
Former Salem coach returns with Camden and gets out with a win in the next-to-last game on his former field
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM – Rob Hinson has some nice memories of his one year playing on Walnut Street Field. He made a final one Saturday in the last time he’s going to play on it.
Hinson was the head coach at Salem for only one break-even year (2005) that started with an upset of a defending state champion but was part of the fabric that made the field historic. He coaches Camden now and in the next to last game to be played on the Rams’ longtime off-campus facility, his Panthers came in and gave their coach a 34-0 victory.
Camden 34, Salem 0 NEXT: at Pleasantville, Friday, 7 p.m.
“That’s significant, man, because my year here the previous coach, Montrey (Wright), played for me and he’s like a son,” said Hinson, who still lives in Carney’s Point. “When we got the schedule last year I was like it’s going to be great to go back to Salem and coach against Montrey on that field. But obviously it didn’t work out that way.
“Living in Salem County, we would come down here and watch games. I love the people in Salem. They have a lot of passion, very similar to the people in Camden; they love their Rams. So coming here and getting a win regardless of the score is a big deal. It’s pretty good to be here.”
The Panthers (1-1) parlayed three big scoring plays — one in each phase of the game — and Salem’s inability to create offense to win the next last high school game expected to be played at The Nut.
The game originally was scheduled for Wilmington’s Abissinio Stadium as part of the Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic, but conflicts at the site forced the teams to pull out. It was Salem’s home game, but they couldn’t play there because the Rams’ on-campus stadium was still under construction. And they couldn’t play at Camden, because the Panthers’ stadium was still undergoing renovations as well.
The Rams had played at Walnut Street for decades and the old-timers can remember times when fans ringed the fences many times deep to watch the game, but they ended that relationship at the end of last season when the bleachers fell into disrepair and they started work on an on-campus stadium. The City of Salem had been working to bring Walnut Street back for the youth teams and earlier this week confirmed to the Rams the venue would be ready with limitations for Saturday’s game.
The field was ready, the bleachers were occupied and the public address system was operational. There was no power to the scoreboard, so the official timing was kept on the field. Beyond that, it was business as usual.
The Rams will use the field one last time in two weeks when they host Penns Grove. Their stadium is expected to be ready for their Oct. 7 game with Paulsboro.
Camden’s Braheem Long will take away fond memories of the field, too. His late father used to live in Salem and the senior defensive back remembers playing on the field growing up. He came back Saturday as a Syracuse commitment to block a punt, return the second half kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and – his personal favorite – return an interception 40 yards for the game’s final score.
“This is actually the field I grew up on, so I decided to play real hard; I did it for him,” Long said. “It was definitely special. People usually don’t throw my way, so when they threw my way, I made it count.”
It wasn’t such a good experience for the Rams. Salem coach Danny Mendoza said if he could put last week’s offense with this week’s defense they could have something to build on, but they just made too many mistakes.
With the exception of one coverage bust on fourth down that cost them a touchdown in the first half and tiring in the second half, the defense held up its end. They held the Panthers to 38 yards rushing and 126 yards total in the first half and turned them
The offense, however, could never make any headway against Camden’s imposing defensive presence. They barely had over 100 net yards — 71 of it came on two Ramaji Bundy pass completions — and through three quarters they were held to negative rushing yardage.
Their deepest penetration into Camden territory was the 29 (on the first play of the second quarter) and that snap produced an interception. It didn’t help three starters went down in the first quarter.
Special teams were equally problematic. The Rams (0-2) had two punts blocked, the ones they did get away didn’t go far, and they had that kickoff return by Long.
“You’re not going to win any games with that, no matter how good you play,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got to go back to the drawing board, do some soul searching and change some things offensively and see what’s the best package for us.
“We’ve got have the energy in all three phases of the game. If we can ever get all three phases relatively similar production-wise, I think we’ll be able to pick it up. We’ve got to fix some things.”
Camden 34, Salem 0
CAM (34)
SAL (0)
13
1st Downs
5
27-151
Rushes-yds
26-18
11-24-0
Passes
7-18-2
114
Passing yds
89
0-0
Fumbles-lost
1-0
1-24.0
Punts-avg
7-14.0
9-75
Penalties-avg
5-35
Camden (1-1)
0
7
13
14 –
34
Salem (0-2)
0
0
0
0 –
0
Scoring plays C – D’hani Cobbs 47 pass from Jaythan Candelario (Jah’Rodd Hamilton kick), 4:14 2Q C – Braheem Long 89 kickoff return (Jah’Rodd Hamilton kick), 11:38 3Q C – Judah Anthony 11 run (kick failed), 1:46 3Q C – Judah Anthony 17 run (Jah’Rodd Hamilton kick), 6:24 4Q C – Braheem Long 40 interception return (Jah’Rodd Hamilton kick), 4:45 4Q
Pennsville feeling good about season going into opener; all 5 county football teams in action this week
SALEM COUNTY SCHEDULE Thursday’s games Pleasantville at Penns Grove, 10 a.m. Pennsville at Lindenwold, 6 p.m. Haddon Heights at Woodstown, 7 p.m. Friday’s game Pitman at Schalick, 7 p.m. Saturday’s game Camden at Salem, noon
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Sky Eppes had never played running back on any level of organized football until Pennsville’s season opener last year against Lindenwold. But his first game – heck, his first carry – seemed to set him up as a natural.
Pennsville (0-0) at Lindenwold (0-1), Thursday, 6 p.m.
The then-junior admittedly was a little nervous going into it, but the first time he ever carried the ball in a varsity game he broke off a 20-yard run. He had two other long runs later, went for 200 yards and two touchdowns on 24 busy carries and the Eagles won by outscoring their visitors 34-26 when the clock ran out on the Lions.
The boys in blue seemed to be on their way to something special. But it didn’t continue. That spectacular beginning would be their only win as a bad mixture of internal and external forces conspired to tear their season apart.
Eppes and the Eagles open the new season against the same opponent Thursday – this time on the road — hoping for similar first-game results and confident about the needle trending upwards as they move forward.
“We won the game, but they had the ball driving it with time running out for a chance to tie it up, so it wasn’t like it was an easy game or anything for us,” Eagles coach Mike Healy said. “Obviously, it was great to get a win, but we knew we had some issues.
“This year I feel more confident going into it, for sure. I think we’re just better overall (on) offense and defense right now going into it. We think we’re better prepared this year, better ready to go. We’ve played much better this preseason. We’re limiting a lot of mistakes. We still have some, but we’re doing a better job of limiting them going forward.”
The issues of last year behind them, the Eagles have brought in some new coaches with links to their most recent decorated past and the players are buying into what the coaches are selling. Now, it’s a matter of executing when they get on the field.
Lindenwold spread the Eagles out last year and exposed their coverage issues, but the Lions showed to be heavy run last week in their 19-0 season opening loss at Sterling.
“We just want to execute properly, that’s really what it is,” Healy said. “We feel if we execute properly we can be in and win any game this year. I’m very excited with the group we have going this year. We’re still a young team but we have more experience coming back. There’s definitely anticipation because we think we can accomplish better stuff this year.
“We’re not dealing with internal things right now. We’re all focused on what the goal is. Everyone seems to have bought into their role on the team and understand that if we’re going to be successful we need all 11 guys on that field to do their job each time. We’re playing more as a team instead of 11 individuals.”
Eppes was as much a victim of whatever implosion was going on with the Eagles as anybody. He got moved to running back because Healy wanted some speed in the backfield and the move paid off with the 200 yards against Lindenwold, but he had only 452 in the eight games that followed.
His best rushing game the rest of the year was 97 yards against Schalick. In his defense, he also was used as a receiver and had 115 yards receiving against Cumberland.
“I was hyped,” he said about his first game at running back. “I was like we’re going to have a good year … and turn Pennsville around and bring it back to where it was in 2014. But it didn’t happen that way.”
This year promises to be better because attitudes are different and the Eagles have a scheme in place designed to put Eppes and the offense in situations to be able to do better. Now, he wants to set school rushing and touchdown records – once he learns what they are – and for the offense to have big games every week.
“This is my senior year; I’m trying to run as hard as I can and put up numbers,” he said. “I want to hit a big score again, I want to go hit a big score on everybody.
“We had bigger linemen (last year) but it isn’t about how big and strong you are, it’s about the heart that we have. The heart we have in this team will go very far. The heart and compassion for this team is what’s going to bring us along.”
PLEASANTVILLE (0-1) at PENNS GROVE (0-1): After suffering seven turnovers in their season opener – six lost fumbles – the Red Devils spent the week working on the highest priority for the offense – ball security. They moved the ball well enough to win, rushing for 328 yards, but the turnovers killed them.
There wasn’t an idle moment in practice this week when a Penns Grove player didn’t have a football tucked tightly on their person. The thing coach John Emel didn’t want to see was a ball on the ground or the Red Devils would have, um, the hot place to pay.
“We made it a point of emphasis,” Emel said. “We practiced a lot of ball security drills. It’s not something we don’t talk about. Everybody has a Big 3 keys to win – we’ve done it forever – and the No. 1 on our board is always been ball security. If you take care of the ball, you win the turnover battle, no matter what else happens you have a better opportunity to win the game.
“We didn’t do that; that’s disappointing. We’ve definitely got to be better. I’m optimistic we’ll go out and play a lot better on Thursday and we’ll fix the things where we made mistakes. It wasn’t just a bad game, it’s the worst turnover game we’ve ever had in my 20 years of coaching high school.”
The most positive takeaway from the game was the debut of freshman Karon Ceaser. The Red Devils’ first true freshman skill position starter in 20 years rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns, but he wasn’t immune to fumbling either. The difference was he recovered his.
Pleasantville also is looking to get on the right track. The Greyhounds are coming off a 14-6 loss to Ocean City in the Battle at the Beach. They beat Penns Grove last year 26-2.
PITMAN (0-0) at SCHALICK (1-0): The Cougars’ dramatic season-opening win over their longest-tenured rival sets them up for another piece of history this week.
The Cougars have a chance to go 2-0 for the first time since 2017 when they opened the season with back-to-back shutouts of Wildwood and Riverside and set up what some observers think can be an even more historic start.
Coaches are notorious for not looking ahead (publicly, at least) so coach Mike Wilson’s focus this week was correcting the mistakes that were made in the opening – and there were some – and simply going 1-0 this week.
“It’s like I told the kids Saturday when we watched the film, we still haven’t played our best football yet,” Wilson said. “We did a lot of good things, but we left a lot of points on the field and made a lot of opening-game mistakes we’ve been fixing this week.
“The kids know we did a good job, but that’s over with now and we’ve got to get better. There’s a lot of room for growth. I expect us to make a big jump this week.”
Another thing the film revealed was just how good a game junior nose T.J. Hymer had. Hymer made the back-to-back stops on the goal line to keep Gloucester City from taking the lead at that point in the fourth quarter, but he did more than that.
“We knew T.J. played a great game, but he played probably the best football game of his life Friday night,” Wilson said. “What he did at nose Friday night, he played well, but watching the film, he played excellent. If I was grading his film, he would get high grades across the board.”
The Cougars lead the series 21-17. They have won 12 of the last 13 by some substantial margins, including an 11-game winning streak that was snapped in 2020.
CAMDEN (0-1) at SALEM (0-1): Now that they’ve sorted out where they’re going to play, the Rams can get back to the bigger business of fixing the things that went wrong in their opening-game loss to Executive Education.
The focus of the week has been tightening up their defense. The Rams were as close as 14-13 in the third quarter, then got outscored 28-6 the rest of the game.
“Our guys knew what we do, we just didn’t do it,” Rams coach Danny Mendoza said. “The discipline part of defense is what we need to focus on to get us on the right track. We’ve got guys who can make plays, we’ve just got to get those guys to do what we’re telling them.”
Now that he’s seen what his team has and needs at the speed of a real game, Mendoza can go about tweaking the defense to put players in more advantageous positions for their skill sets.
It’s a new experience for Mendoza, too. His experience has long been on offense, but the late timing of his hiring dictated Mendoza take the role of overseeing a defense for the first time. He’s brought a different look to the unit and it’s a work in progress for both sides.
“It’s a new role,” he said. “As an offensive guy you always make the defense the villain. Now, you have to even it out. The offense will always be solid, but we’ve got to make sure we’re just as solid on that side of the ball as well.”
The game was supposed to be part of the Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic at Wilmington’s Abessinio Stadium, but conflicts at the site led to both teams pulling out. The game now will be played at Salem’s Walnut Street Field, the Rams’ long-time stomping grounds that fell into disrepair and led to the school building an on-campus stadium.
Photo: Pennsville’s Sky Eppes (1) runs the ball back during a recent scrimmage against Haddon Heights. Eppes and the Eagles make their regular-season debut Thursday night at Lindenwold. (Photo by Lorraine Jenkins)
Salem will return to its old home field, Walnut Street Field, to play Saturday’s game with Camden; team plans walk-through Thursday
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM – Once (maybe twice) more, for old time’s sake.
The headache that was trying to find a venue for this week’s Salem-Camden high school football game got resolved Tuesday morning when Salem High School and city officials confirmed the Rams’ old Walnut Street Field will be available, with limitations, to host the teams.
Camden (0-1) at Salem (0-1), Walnut Street Field, Saturday, noon
The facility has been undergoing repairs and on target for the Junior Rams youth team to play there Sept. 17. Salem City Administrator Ben Angeli told Riverview Sports News today crews “kind of rushed things a little” and have the bleachers ready for Sept. 2 occupancy. However, the press box and electrical will not be available at that time.
Salem athletics director Darryl Roberts confirmed this morning the game will be played at Walnut Street Saturday at noon. He is hoping they can find power for the scoreboard that can be operated remotely.
“I’m extremely pleased,” Roberts said. “We planned on going to Camden, but (Camden AD Will Hickson) called me yesterday and let me know their field’s not ready because they’re getting new bleachers and they’re not completed yet, so that kind of put us in a situation where we really didn’t have anywhere to play at this point.”
The Rams had played their home games at Walnut Street until the bleachers there fell into disrepair expediting plans for the high school to build its own stadium. The campus project is on-going and is expected to be finished in time for the team to play two games at home in October, but everything else it played had to be on the road.
The Salem-Camden game originally was scheduled as part of Saturday’s lineup in the Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic at Abessinio Stadium in Wilmington, but conflicts at the site prompted the teams to pull out and seek alternate venues.
“The field was great and people obviously came out,” Roberts said of Walnut Street. “The concern was always just the bleachers being unsafe, but the field is really great. We always said if we could just pick that field up and put it over here behind the school we’d be perfect.”
Rams coach Danny Mendoza doesn’t know a lot about the field except what he has heard, and he has heard some great things about its history. The plan is to take the team over for a walk-through Thursday.
“We’re excited to get back there,” he said. “There are a lot of years of tradition there. It’s a sacred field for the city there.
“There are a lot of great players who played there, all those guys who played on that field for like 60 years. The field’s been there a long time. It’s right in the center of the city and people come out to watch games from their porches and front yards. From what I hear it’s a great atmosphere and a place where a lot of people came together from the city to do a lot of good.”
Both teams are looking to bounce back from out-of-state season-opening losses. The Rams fell to Executive Education Academy of Allentown, Pa., 42-19, in Mendoza’s first game with the team. Camden lost 37-18 at Lake Taylor in Norfolk, Va.
Saturday’s game may not be the last time the Rams play in their old home this year.
“We might bring our (Sept. 16) Penns Grove game back over here also,” Roberts said. “If everything goes fine. As long as the City is fine with it. So, Penns Grove should technically be our last home game there at Walnut Street.”
Here is the Salem County high school sports schedule for the week of Aug. 27-Sept. 2. The football games are regular season, all others are scrimmages. For additions or cancelations, email al.muskewitz@gmail.com
Aug. 28 GIRLS SOCCER Schalick at Kingsway, 9 a.m. Cumberland at Penns Grove, 10 a.m. BOYS SOCCER Clearview at Schalick, 9 a.m. FIELD HOCKEY Woodstown at Timber Creek, 9 a.m. Deptford Twp. at Pennsville, 10 a.m. GIRLS TENNIS Williamstown at Pennsville, 10 a.m. Woodstown at Ocean City, 11 a.m.
Aug. 29 FIELD HOCKEY Salem at Hammonton, 4 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Penns Grove at Cumberland, 10 a.m. Woodbury at Salem, 10 a.m. GIRLS SOCCER Pennsville at Buena, 10 a.m. Salem at Woodbury, 10 a.m. GIRLS TENNIS Woodstown at Kingsway, 9 a.m.
Aug. 30 FIELD HOCKEY Salem, Schalick, Bridgeton at Cumberland, 8:30 a.m. GIRLS SOCCER Schalick at Cumberland, 9 a.m. Penns Grove vs. Gloucester Co. Christian at Paulsboro, 10 a.m. BOYS SOCCER Cumberland at Schalick, 9 a.m. Williamstown at Woodstown, 9 a.m. GIRLS TENNIS Cumberland at Schalick, 9 a.m. Woodstown at Timber Creek, 9 a.m. Pennsville at Deptford Twp., 10 a.m.
Aug. 31 FOOTBALL Pleasantville at Penns Grove, 10 a.m. Pennsville at Lindenwold, 6 p.m. Haddon Heights at Woodstown, 7 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Delsea at Pennsville, 10 a.m. Penns Grove at Haddon Twp., 10 a.m. Salem at Bridgeton, 10 a.m. GIRLS SOCCER Gloucester City at Woodstown, 9 a.m. Haddon Heights at Pennsville, 9 a.m. Penns Grove at Salem, 10 a.m. BOYS SOCCER Salem at Bridgeton, 10 a.m.
Sept. 1 FOOTBALL Pitman at Schalick, 7 p.m. FIELD HOCKEY Salem at Buena, 10 a.m. BOYS SOCCER Woodstown at Haddon Twp., 4:15 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Haddon Twp. at Woodstown, 4:15 p.m.
FRIDAY’S COUNTY SCORES Burlington City 33, Penns Grove 22 Executive Education 42, Salem 19 Schalick 17, Gloucester City 14
By Riverview Sports News
EASTON, Pa. – The Danny Mendoza Era of Salem football got off to a rough start Friday night as Executive Education Academy of Allentown, Pa., played an inspired second half and pulled away from the Rams 42-19 in Lafayette College’s Fisher Stadium.
Executive EACS 42, Salem 19 NEXT: vs. Camden, Sept. 2, site TBA
The Rams were in the game for two and a half quarters, then the Raptors, playing for their starting quarterback Salem knocked out in the first quarter, outscored them 28-6 the rest of the way.
The Rams trailed 14-7 at the half and had a chance for a tie. They were driving for a potential game-tying touchdown late in the second quarter and had it fourth-and-1 from the 16, but a false start knocked them back and they didn’t get it on the next snap.
They did get to within 14-13 on a Ramaji Bundy touchdown pass to Terrance Smith with about seven minutes left in the third quarter, but they didn’t get the extra point and the Raptors started pulling away.
“The backup came in and those guys just rallied around their guy,” Mendoza said. “They really wanted to take care of business for their quarterback so they played with a different intensity and for a different purpose that we didn’t match.
“They just ran the ball down our throat. We couldn’t stop the run. We couldn’t hold contain. Plays were they to be made. They didn’t run anything out of the ordinary. They ran three run plays that we couldn’t stop. It was a game for a good amount. They took the wind out of us.”
Smith scored Salem’s first touchdown and Bundy scored its third to make it 28-19.
“I lost my first game as a head coach (in Florida), so it’s all right; we’ve lost before, you just figure it out,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got some soul searching to do.”
Season opener on a college campus will be a business trip for Salem in new coach Danny Mendoza’s debut
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
The Salem Rams may still have some questions about their second game of the season next week, but there’s no question what their season opener is all about.
Under first-year coach Danny Mendoza, the Rams open the season Friday night in a college stadium some two hours away against a team whose coach runs his program by the major-college principles he learned as a P5 player.
FRIDAY: Salem vs. Executive Education, at Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., 7 p.m.
With all that as a backdrop, suffice to say the game against Executive Education Academy of Allentown, Pa., in Lafayette College’s Fisher Stadium is no sight-seeing trip.
“For them it’s a great thing because they’re going to understand what a business trip is,” Mendoza said. “Locked in on the way up. When we get there, the atmosphere of the stadium and the locker room. Coming out of the tunnel. Getting that experience now.
“These guys have been at Rutgers, they’ve been at the big stadium, so I think getting that experience early as opposed to later will help us handle certain atmospheres throughout the year.”
The Rams are going to be a lot of places this season as their stadium moves closer to completion, racking up nearly 700 round-trip miles before the regular season ends. It took them weeks to find this Week Zero game and now they’re in a similar search mode to find a venue for next week’s game against Camden after logistics issues within the event forced led to the teams pulling out of the Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic in Wilmington.
The players are looking forward to the adventure.
“It’s a great opportunity to show everybody what we can do,” senior lineman Darius Brooks said. “With a new coach everybody’s doubting us pretty much and it gives us an opportunity to let everybody know we’re still here.”
“It’s time to set a statement for everybody,” added quarterback Ramaji Bundy. “Let them know what we’re going to do, how we’re coming this year.”
And it might be a little different than people remember. Mendoza was approved as the Rams’ head coach in mid-June, charged with keeping the train moving after two straight sectional titles. He’s trying to infuse the flash of his Florida football background with Jersey grit already in place while installing new schemes on offense and defense. It’s catching on.
“It was a little different for me at first, but now we’re just rocking and rolling,” massive lineman Detric Simmons said.
In their only outside scrimmage of camp, the Rams demonstrated an ability to move the ball with decorated receiver Bundy moving to quarterback and an aggression and cover package on defense that isn’t inclined to give up much.
It should be a good test for the secondary. The Raptors, a third-year program coming off its first district title, are a spread team that averaged 354 yards a game last year, 256 through the air. Kris Cruz moves into their starting quarterback slot after backing up a 2,900-yard passer last year. Their top returning receiver, 6-4 Damon Young, had 684 yards receiving and seven touchdowns last season.
Mendoza said his secondary – Omarion Pearce, Terrance Smith, Kaden Robinson and Raymere Jones – has played “very well” in camp as they adjust to the new concepts.
“We’re ready to get up there, test the waters up there in a different state and get our guys in that atmosphere,,” Mendoza said. “It’s going to be a fun deal for them.”
Logistical issues within the event prompt move of Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic game to a yet-to-be-determined alternate site
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM – The Salem Rams were looking forward to another early-season game on a big stage, but now find themselves in a game without a home.
Logistical conflicts at the site prompted a change in game times that will prevent the Rams’ Sept. 2 game with Camden from being played in the Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic at Abessinio Stadium in Wilmington.
“It’s just unfortunate,” director of operations John Schmid said. “We had to make some logistical changes because of the streaming and the stadium and we were unable to work out a time that fit both schools.”
The changes would have prompted a time change to 11 a.m. or 2 p.m., but the schools couldn’t agree on a compromise. It was originally scheduled for a noon start.
The game is Salem’s home game, but the Rams are still working on their stadium so it can’t be played there, so an alternate site must be found.
It is still expected to be played Sept. 2 at its original noon start time, but at a site to be determined. Several nearby college and high school sites are being considered, making an already lengthy team travelogue that much longer.
“Right now we’re trying to find a place to play since technically it’s our home game,” Salem athletics director Darryl Roberts said. “If we can’t find anywhere to host, we’ll play at Camden.”
The Rams already are putting nearly 350 one-way miles on their team bus this season, not counting last weekend’s scrimmage in Wilmington. Camden’s home stadium is 18 miles farther from Salem than Abessinio Stadium.
The Rams open their season Friday night at Lafayette College’s Fisher Stadium against Executive Education Academy of Allentown, Pa. Later this season they will play at Rutgers University.
Here is the Salem County high school sports schedule for the week of Aug. 20-26. The football games of Aug. 25 are regular-season openers, everything else listed is a scrimmage
Aug. 21 FOOTBALL Buena at Pennsville, 10 a.m.
Aug. 23 GIRLS TENNIS Millville at Schalick, 9 a.m. Vineland at Pennsville, 10 a.m.
Aug. 24 FOOTBALL Haddon Heights at Pennsville, 6 p.m. Delsea at Woodstown, 7 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Pleasantville at Penns Grove, 10 a.m. GIRLS TENNIS Salem at Deptford Twp., 9 a.m. Woodstown at Triton Regional, 9 a.m. West Deptford at Pennsville, 10 a.m.
Aug. 25 FOOTBALL Burlington City at Penns Grove, 10 a.m. Gloucester City at Schalick, 7 p.m. Salem vs. Executive Education Academy at Lafayette College, 7 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS Penns Grove at Pleasantville, 10 a.m. Pennsville at Millville, 10 a.m.
Salem’s only preseason scrimmage before season opener nets good results for new coach Mendoza; Schalick, Woodstown also scrimmage Saturday
TRI-STATE SCRIMMAGE at Thomas McKean HS, Wilmington McKean 8, Olney 0 Salem 0, Olney 0 Salem 14, McKean 0
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WILIMINGTON, Del. – It was about an hour before the not-so-meaningless preseason scrimmage and new Salem football coach Danny Mendoza was standing in the end zone inspecting the field on which his team was about to play.
As he watched the other two teams on the program – Philly’s Olney High and host Thomas McKean – warm up, he didn’t mind saying he was feeling butterflies for the first time in a while. It was a lot like the feeling he had before his first spring game as a head coach in Florida.
Here he was, a new coach with a new team, teaching a whole new offense and defense to a team that was about to face a couple outside opponents in live action for the first time – and only time before opening the season for real next week. What was there to be nervous about?
“It’s the new beginnings, taking over a program with the tradition that we have here,” Mendoza said. “It’s the unknown right now and seeing if they bought into what we were selling and what we were doing and hoping all the work we put and the belief that we have in them showed and it came to fruition.
“That’s always the deal. Not nervous for myself, more nervous for them and it worked out well at the end.”
Outside of the usual glitches that accompany a first time on stage, the Rams acquitted themselves well in their two halves of action.
They dominated Olney in their first half and by rights should have scored two touchdowns, but had to settled for a scoreless tie after two fumbles from inside Trojans territory killed their possessions. They came back and beat McKean 14-0, yielding only 31 net yards, with most of those coming on one disputed pass completion late in the game.
“I think they were a little nervous going out there and once we warmed up a little bit and got it going … we definitely saw what we wanted to see in the second half,” Mendoza said. “The offense we’ve got to clean some stuff up, kind of believe in what we’re doing, but at the end of the day solid performance from everybody. Without the mishaps, we should be a team to be reckoned with.”
Salem QB Ramaji Bundy watches his defense at work in Saturday’s scrimmage.
One of the more intriguing parts of Mendoza’s first camp in Salem is implementing a new offense while replacing an All-Diamond Division quarterback with an All-Diamond receiver.
Ramaji Bundy, who has nearly 1,500 receiving yards the last three seasons, has been handed the keys to the Rams’ offense and even though he’s learning on the go, it’s as if he’s never left.
“I like it well,” Bundy said of the transition. “I played quarterback all my life since pee-wee league, so coming up playing quarterback again, it’s not really too hard. I just have to get that experience again because it’s on the high school level this time.
“(The offense) kind of fits me well. We’ve got a 50-50 pass-run offense and we’re mixing in a lot of stuff. Everything is running well, to be honest. It’s like the Baltimore offense and (he’s like) Lamar Jackson … I’m a big Lamar fan, but I like Jalen Hurts better.”
Bundy was 1-for-5 passing in the scrimmage with a 36-yard completion to Omarion Pierce against Olney, and had a couple other nice throws that didn’t connect. He rushed for 57 yards in the two halves and scored on a 13-yard run against McKean. He would’ve had more against Olney, but was charged with a big loss when he lost the handle preparing to pass and tried to kick the ball out of bounds.
“He’s a ballplayer and we knew that coming into it,” Mendoza said. “We saw a hell of a player that’s going to have a hell of a season and we just look forward to watching that kid shine.”
Terrance Smith scored the first touchdown of the Mendoza era with a 25-yard burst in the first series against McLean. Ethan Young kicked both extra points. Smith rushed for 38 yards and Jared Pew had 44.
The defense made several big plays with Markhai Brown delivering a bone-jarring hit, Kyree Little packing a sack, Detric Simmons making life miserable for opposing ballcarriers and Kaden Robinson snaring an interception. The Rams held their two opponents to a combined 1 net yard rushing on 10 total carries.
“Seeing guys fly around like that, I’m excited for our defense,” Mendoza said.
The Rams play their first real game of the Mendoza era Friday in Lafayette College’s Fisher Stadium against Executive Education Academy of Allentown, Pa.
Terrance Smith (4) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring Salem’s first touchdown for new coach Danny Mendoza in Saturday’s scrimmage.
Cougars come alive
DEPTFORD – Schalick played two live-ball varsity quarters against Deptford Twp. and after a slow start scored on its last two possessions to win that portion of the scrimmage 14-6.
Deptford opened the scrimmage with a 19-play drive, pushing it in from the 1, and then held the Cougars to a three-and-out. Once the Cougars got comfortable, they came alive.
Quarterback Kenai Simmons found the end zone from the red zone and Reggie Allen scored from the goal line. The defense had a three-and-out and takeaway on downs after the opening drive.
Sophomore kicker Hunter Dragotta hit both extra points, including a long first one backed up by a celebration penalty. Dragotta was 19 of 23 on PATs last season and at one point made 16 in a row.
“We kind of woke up a little bit, shook the cobwebs off and generated a lot of pressure,” Schalick coach Mike Wilson said. “We could’ve played a whole game today. Our kids aren’t even tired. I like our conditioning. We’re definitely in football shape.
“We’ve got to clean stuff up, there’s things we have to get better, but for a game scrimmage we got better since Wednesday. Just get better next week and get ready for when it gets real.”
The Cougars open their season at home Friday 7 p.m. against Gloucester City.
Woodstown focuses on passing
PINE HILL – Woodstown continues to work towards enhancing its passing game and that was its main focus at Overbook. During some evenly matched 10-and-10 segments with the 1s, the Wolverines ran it only a couple times.
“We threw the ball a ton,” Wolverines coach John Adams said. “We really didn’t work our run game in much and when we did work our run game in we had some good runs.”
Garrett Leyman caught a touchdown pass from Max Webb and had another big play on a nice screen.
“I thought we got what we wanted out of it,” Adams said. “We really wanted to see the on film the route running, making sure our spacing’s correct, the timing’s correct, the O-line pass block a lot and set the pocket for Max and I thought we did really, really well with it.”
The defense also continued its progression. For the second scrimmage in a row it didn’t give up a live-ball touchdown.
“The last scrimmage was more split, pass and run, this one was more pass and the next one (Thursday against Delsea) will be more game-like, like calling it in the flow of the game,” Adams said.
Top photo: New Salem football coach Danny Mendoza gives his team a thumbs up after it dominated two opponents in Saturday’s scrimmage.
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