Gloucester puts three scorers in double figures, hands Cougars fifth straight loss
By Riverview Sports News
GLOUCESTER – Keegan Cohan hit five 3-pointers and scored 21 points to lead three Gloucester scorers in double figures in a 63-44 win over Schalick Monday.
Ryan James had 14 and Marcus Flagg 10 for the undefeated Lions (5-0).
Nylan Sutton led Schalick with 15 points. Reggie Allen had 13.
The Cougars have lost five in a row after winning their season opener.
SCHALICK (1-5) – Reggie Allen 5 2-3 13, Nylan Sutton 7 1-3 15, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 2, Justin Iacona 1 0-0 3, Sean Kelly 1 2-2 4, Jacob Schalick 0 0-0 0, Nick Ashwell 1 0-0 2, Jamari Whitley 2 0-0 5. Totals 18 5-8 44. GLOUCESTER (5-0) – Ryan James 5 3-3 14, Keegan Cohan 8 0-0 21, Marcus Flagg 5 0-0 10, Kadon Harris 4 0-0 8, Jake Smith 4 1-4 9, Cole Little 0 1-2 1, Trevin Burkhardt 0 0-0 0, Brian Vazquez 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 5-9 63.
Warrior Holiday Classic At New Egypt Woodstown 51, Pinelands 46 (OT) New Egypt 48, Steinert 46
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
BUENA – There was so much to dissect from the game, Pennsville basketball coach Joe Mecholsky is going to need a day or two and a long session in the film room to get back to you on just what the heck happened.
The Eagles lost to Buena 72-70 in three overtimes Friday in a game that had as many moving parts as Mecholsky has ever been around. And he’s been in a triple overtime game before.
They were down 14 early in the fourth quarter and forced overtime. They were up five in each of the first two overtimes, but couldn’t close it out. They were down in the third overtime and got close before time ran out on them.
“I feel like we blew the game instead of we lost it,” Mecholsky said. “I think I stopped coaching offense at one point. We tried to take the air out of the ball and I think that really killed our offensive momentum, so I’ll go back and watch the game over again and see how I can get better.
“I’m not going to say my young players did or didn’t do anything. They’re a very young team and they did everything they were told today and I’ll just have to look at the film and see how I can get better in nailing down that win when we were up five in the second overtime.”
The Eagles were down 14 (38-24) with 6:30 left in regulation and put on a charge to force overtime. Mason O’Brien’s 3-point play with 34 seconds left tied it at 41. The Eagles had the final shot in regulation. Shiloh Jefferson’s initial shot hit off the rim and Jovanni Rios couldn’t get the tap to fall.
They had five-point leads in each of the first two overtimes, but never had the lead in the third.
They were up five with 2:35 left in the first overtime, but Buena’s Troy Gregory buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie it at 49. It was the first trey Troy had made all season.
They were up five twice in the second overtime, with 2:43 and 2:20 left, but Buena got back-to-back left corner 3s from Nate Nieves and Carlo Spreng to take the lead, 57-56. Nieves finished with 12 points and Spreng had 10. Teammate Josue Cuadrado led all scorers with 23 points.
A free throw by David Knight with seven seconds left tied it at 59. Knight went to the line for two shots and the lead, but only hit one and it stayed that way despite the teams having three combined chances to get the game-winner. Knight came in off the bench as a substitute shooter after Logan Hitt was fouled hard after stealing the inbounds pass and had to leave the floor.
The Eagles got a chance to win it at the end when the Chiefs stepped on the line trying to put the ball in play. The Chiefs got the ball back when Pennsville turned it over and this time Knight stole the inbounds pass to end the session.
“I’ve been in some crazy basketball environments,” Pennsville sophomore guard C.J. McDevitt said, “but triple overtime? I’ve never been in a triple OT game, I’ll tell you that.”
“It was pretty crazy,” Chiefs coach James Bell said. “I just kept telling my kids to keep their minds straight and focus on what we need to do, play solid defense and hit the open shots when we have them. It was a crazy second half and three overtimes.”
Buena looked like it was finally going to put it away, leading by seven with 52 seconds left in the third overtime, pulling away with a 3-pointer by Nieves and three free throws by Cuadrado, but Pennsville battled back again. O’Brien hit a 3 to make it 70-66 with 28 seconds left and Knight and Jefferson wrapped putbacks around a pair of Buena free throws to make it 72-70 with eight seconds to go.
On the last play of the game the Eagles got the ball to O’Brien, who pushed a shot towards the basket at the buzzer that hit off the far iron. The Eagles were looking for a foul as O’Brien hit the deck, but there was no call and the game was over.
“I told my boys the outcome is the result of a thousand little things that happened in that game and that’s just the way it goes; we’ll learn from it,” Mecholsky said. “I’m disappointed we lost the game, but my boys didn’t disappointment me.”
O’Brien apologized to his coach for his play in the first three quarters, but he was a gamer in the fourth quarter and overtimes. He scored all 19 of his points after the third quarter, hitting three 3s and a three-point play in the fourth quarter comeback and seven points in the overtimes.
“The first three quarters were awful,” he said. “I didn’t know where I was. I was trying to find my game and they kept talking to me so I had to do something about it. I came out and matched their energy in the fourth quarter and overtimes.”
Rios added 14 points on his 17th birthday for Pennsville and McDevitt had 11. Both are career highs.
3-point goals: Pennsville 5 (Knight, O’Brien 4); Buena 9 (Cuadrado, Spreng 2, Nieves 3, Gregory, Alexander 2). Technical fouls: S. Rivera. Fouled out: S. Rivera, Alexander, Rios, McDevitt). Total fouls: Pennsville 22, Buena 25.
Pennsville’s Shiloh Jefferson (5) goes in for a potential game-winning layup at the end of regulation against Buena Friday. The bounced off the rim and the teams wound up playing three overtimes before Buena won 72-70.
DELSEA 53, PENNS GROVE 51: By Penns Grove coach Damian Ware’s best measure, his team had three chances to win the Marty Derer Showcase opener, but host Delsea kept coming up with clutch shots and eventually broke the Red Devils’ heart.
The Crusaders hit 3-pointers at the end of regulation and the first overtime to extend the game, then hit two free throws in the closing seconds of the second overtime to seal the victory. Jimmy Reardon hit the 3 at the end of regulation to force overtime, then Jelani Poles beat the buzzer with one at the end of the first extra period to keep it going and he hit two free throws with 3.4 seconds left to win it.
Poles finished with 12 points. Reardon had nine. Luke VanAuken had a huge game for Delsea with 19 points and 20 rebounds. Brandin Robbins and Roman Gipson had 15 points apiece for Penns Grove.
The Red Devils had a chance to take the lead in the second overtime, but missed two free throws. Moments later they fouled Poles and he hit his two free throws. The Red Devils rallied from eight down in regulation to take a three-point lead into the closing seconds before Reardon hit his 3.
“We had a chance, we had three chances to win it – regulation, overtime and the second overtime,” Ware said. “That’s part of our growing pains. We’re young and we’re inexperienced so this is going to be a growing lesson for us. We’re going to be fine but this is just a lesson we had to learn of how to finish games.
“We did everything we were supposed to do, we made the plays, but down the stretch we just didn’t make the defensive plays and that’s kind of what we pride ourselves on. We’ve got to be better on defense at the end of the game and regulation and challenge shots better.”
PENNS GROVE (1-2) – Brandin Robbins 5 4-4 15, Roman Gipson 6 0-0 15, Karon Ceaser 2 1-2 6, Antoine Robinson 3 0-2 7, Haneef Frisbee 2 0-0 4, Jameel Horace 0 2-2 2, Luis Colon 1 0-0 2, William Roy 0 0-0 0, Geonni Conrad 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 7-10 51. DELSEA (2-2) – Luke VanAuken 8 3-8 19, Jimmy Reardon 4 0-0 9, Jelani Poles 4 2-2 12, Blake Bottino 2 2-2 6, Jeadyn Greene 1 0-0 2, Dahmir Hart 1 0-0 2, Exodus DeJesus 1 0-0 3, Ryan Casiano 0 0-0 0, Mike Cunningham 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 7-12 53.
WOODSTOWN 51, PINELANDS 46: Blake Bialecki hit a season-high five 3-pointers and scored 23 points as the Wolverines held off Pinelands in the Warrior Holiday Classic in overtime to give new coach Ramon Roots his first victory as a varsity head coach.
“It’s exciting for me to get the first win in the standings, but I’m just really happy for the kids,” Roots said. “I’ve been waiting to get the win and knew it was going to come sooner or later. We definitely had a lot of chances in the Penns Grove game. It was good to see them believing that they actually can win and what it takes to win.”
The Wolverines (1-2) outscored Pinelands 9-4 in the extra session to win it. Garrett Leyman hit two free throws to put them up three and then Rocco String closed it out with a layup. String scored eight points and dominated the paint with 12 rebounds and nine blocked shots.
Woodstown led by eight in the second half, but Pinelands got back in it through a series of backdoor buckets. The Wildcats went up by three with two minutes to play, but Bialecki hit a 3 to retie the game.
Pinelands had a chance to retake the lead with 12 seconds left but missed two free throws. Bialecki had a shot to win it in regulation but his mid-range jumper went in and out.
“We were able to get a little breathing room, but it was close to the very end,” Roots said. “We just kept fighting. As you’ve seen the team never gives up. They’re always fighting through it.”
Bialecki’s 23 points matches the second-best game of his career. In addition to his outside shot, the junior also also got to the basket and went 6-of-8 from the free throw line.
The Wolverines will play host New Egypt for the championship 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Woodstown (1-2)
15
7
12
8
9-
51
Pinelands (2-2)
17
6
6
13
4-
46
WESTHAMPTON TECH 50, SALEM 45: West Tech used a big third quarter to take the lead and kept the Rams at arms length in the fourth quarter. Alexander Jeanty hit five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Panthers. Xavier McGriff led Salem with 14 points. Tymear Lecator filled the boxscore with 11 points, six assists and two steals.
3-point goals: West Tech 6 (Jeanty 5, Dickerson); Salem 6 (Lecator 2, McGriff 3, Tunis).
CAMDEN TECH 60, SALEM TECH 14: Salvatore Algeri scored 13 points and Shareef Cox had 10 to lead the Warriors in the ACIT Holiday Showcase. Salem Tech will play GCIT in the consolation game Saturday.
Schalick boys, Salem girls fall in post-Christmas events; full schedule for county Friday, listed below
BOYS GAMES West Deptford Holiday Tournament Absegami 54, Lindenwold 49 West Deptford 61, Schalick 55 GIRLS GAME Wildwood Boardwalk Classic Millville 49, Salem 25
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WEST DEPTFORD — It’s tough being the team that plays the host in a holiday tournament. The home team is wanting to play in the championship to enhance the gate and it isn’t going to schedule the perceived next strongest team in the field in the opening round to increase the chances of that happening.
So you know what that leaves.
Schalick was no easy out for host West Deptford in its Holiday Tournament Thursday. It may have started out that way with the Cougars falling behind 19 in the second quarter and down 17 in the third, but they rallied to draw within one inside of 2:30 left before falling 66-51.
The Cougars (1-3) will play Lindenwold (2-2) in the consolation game at the RiverWinds Community Center Friday at noon. West Deptford (2-1) will play Absegami (3-0) for the championship at 4.
“(It was just) execution,” Schalick coach James Turner said. “The guys, when they execute correctly then they’ll be all right. It’s just the consistency of execution is what we need to work on.
“And they work hard. They put everything they’ve got out there in practice, they’re paying attention and we’ve just got to translate what we go over at practice into games and just make sure we execute for 32 minutes and not just eight minutes.”
The press had given Schalick fits all season and although the one Thursday shouldn’t have caused the Cougars the problems it did, they said, it got away from them too quickly. Turner cited a lack of preparation for it because of the holiday weekend had a little bit to do with it.
The Cougars turned it over in the press and trap 10 of their first 15 possessions and the Eagles raced to a 23-8 lead. It was 32-13 midway through the second quarter and 40-23 early in the third before Cougars began to rally.
They made a small adjustment to the press in the second half and executed better. They had only six turnovers in the second half.
Once they broke the press, they worked on their half-court offense. Jase Volovar hit two 3-pointers and had eight points in an 18-3 run that made it a one-possession game with 1:30 left in the third quarter. He scored all 11 of his points in the second half.
“We worked as a team and just played very hungry, jumping on the floor for the ball … to make them go crazy and get them to turn it over,” leading scorer Nylan Sutton said. “I told the team we’ve got to have the intensity, we’ve got to come out like dogs, we’ve really got to play your hardest the rest of the game.”
Sutton didn’t just talk the talk. He led the Cougars with 16 points and 17 rebounds. He had nine rebounds in the second half and two important baskets in the middle of the fourth quarter to keep them in it when it looked like the Eagles were going to pull away again.
“I knew I had to step up,” he said. “I just really wanted that win. There comes a point in time where you get tired of losing and that’s really my mindset coming into the game, like I’m going to give it my all.”
“Nylan loves basketball,” Turner said. “He was out for the first few weeks of practice where he wasn’t allowed to have contact with the ball (recovering from a football injury). Now that he’s back, he’s a big part of it.
“He brings the emotion to our team. He puts everything out there on the court when he plays, even in practice. The guys respond to him and try to keep up with his passion for the game.”
The Cougars just couldn’t get ahead. They got the margin down to one, 54-53, on Jamari Whitley’s 3-pointer with 2:21 to play. But West Deptford’s Michael Joseph answered it with a layup down low and the Cougars didn’t score again until Whitley beat the buzzer with a layup for the final margin. They missed three 3-pointers and a pair of free throws in between.
Carter Watson led West Deptford with 17 points. Nick Senatore and Joseph had 13 points apiece.
WEST DEPTFORD 61, SCHALICK 55 SCHALICK (1-3) – Nylan Sutton 7 2-4 16, Jase Volovar 4 1-4 11, Justin Iacona 1 0-0 2, Sherrod Jones 3 0-0 6, Reggie Allen 3 2-2 10, Jamari Whitley 3 1-2 8, Shawn Kelly 0 0-0 0, Nick Ashwell 0 0-0 0, Kade Camon 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 6-12 55. WEST DEPTFORD (2-1) – Nick Senatore 4 4-5 13, Kyree Eason 2 1-2 6, T.J. Cross 2 3-4 8, Anthony Martello 0 0-0 0, Curtis Pearson 1 2-2 4, Braeden Warren 0 0-0 0, Carter Watson 6 4-5 17, Michael Joseph 5 3-5 13, Cole Stanish 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 17-23 61.
Schalick
11
12
18
14–
55
West Deptford
24
14
10
13–
61
3-point goals: Schalick 5 (Volovar 2, Allen 2, Whitley); West Deptford 4 (Senatore, Eason, Cross, Watson). Fouled out: Volovar, Senatore. Total fouls: Schalick 21, West Deptford 15.
GIRLS GAME MILLVILLE 49, SALEM 25: The Rams fell behind 17-2 in the first quarter at the Wildwood Convention Center and never recovered. Carlysia Pierce led Salem with 12 points. Millville’s Jaylynn Jones led all scorers with 14.
3-point goals: Salem 2 (Pierce 2); Millville 1 (Burkhart).
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE GIRLS GAMES Pennsville at Buena, 10 a.m.
Audubon Tournament Penns Grove vs. Deptford, 12:30 p.m. Cedar Creek vs. Audubon, 3:30 p.m.
ACIT Holiday Tournament Salem Tech vs. Camden Tech, noon ACIT vs. GCIT, 3 p.m.
Haddon Twp. Tournament Woodstown vs. Cherry Hill East, 10:30 a.m. Pennsauken vs. Haddon Twp., 12:30 p.m.
Boardwalk Classic Wildwood Convention Center Salem vs. Bridgeton, 11:30 a.m.
BOYS GAMES Penns Grove at Delsea, 9:30 a.m. Pennsville at Buena, noon Salem vs. Westampton Tech at Deslea, 5 p.m.
West Deptford Holiday Tournament At RiverWinds Community Center Consolation game: Schalick vs. Lindenwold, noon Championship game: Absegami vs. West Deptford, 4 p.m.
ACIT Holiday Tournament Salem Tech vs. Camden Tech, 9:30 a.m. ACIT vs. GCIT, 1:30 p.m.
Warrior Holiday Classic At New Egypt Woodstown vs. Pinelands, 12:30 p.m. Steinert vs. New Egypt, 3:30 p.m.
Penns Grove turns back several Woodstown rallies, wins a thriller; Salem remains unbeaten, Pennsville, Schalick fall
FRIDAY’S BOYS GAMES Penns Grove 63, Woodstown 55 Salem 67, Salem Tech 27 Glassboro 65, Pennsville 51 Overbrook 75, Schalick 41
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – Without an experienced senior who plays appreciative minutes, several new players to incorporate into its style of play and an otherwise athletic but young roster, the Penns Grove basketball team is “learning on the fly” this early portion of the season.
Last year with a senior-laden team it took a while to find the right combination and coach Damian Ware’s lineups changed virtually every game. What the Red Devils learned Friday night was how to handle business down the stretch in a close game of a high-intensity rivalry.
Penns Grove withstood several charges from Woodstown, including a stretch in which the Wolverines took a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter down to two with a little more than two minutes to play, before finally putting them away 63-55 for its first win of the season.
“That’s just the maturation process of a team that’s learning how to play varsity basketball on the fly,” Ware said. “Only two of my guys have played varsity minutes so we’re learning on the fly.
“We grew up a little bit tonight. What I learned (about his team) tonight is we can make some clutch plays down the stretch.”
The Red Devils (1-1) built leads in every quarter with fast starts on the restarts, but each time the Wolverines (0-2) came back.
Penns Grove scored the first seven points of the game, but it was tied 13-all at quarter’s end and was only 26-25 at halftime. The Red Devils opened the second half with a 13-2 run, but by the end of the third quarter led only 45-44.
They had a 10-point lead after Robbins’ flying follow with 6:02 to play, but Woodstown chipped away again and got it back to 56-54 with two minutes left when Blake Bialecki hit two technical free throws after Ware was teed up for being out on the floor all because the officials couldn’t/didn’t hear his frantic pleas for a time out.
The tech got Woodstown with a bucket and it had a shot on the ensuing possession, but it also fired up the Red Devils. They outscored the Wolverines 7-1 the rest of the way.
“When our coach got the tech, that’s when everything started getting fired up,” Ceaser said. “We started getting our coach’s back because we’re a family, a brotherhood. It put more fire in the team to get the win. As a team we back each other’s play.”
“I’m not going to make that a habit,” Ware said of his T as a tool of motivation.
Brandin Robbins led Penns Grove with 15 points, 13 of which came in the second half. Roman Gipson had 12, including a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left that put the Red Devils up six. KaRon Ceaser had nine points and led the Red Devils’ defensive effort down the stretch.
In every case the Red Devils used the press, a smothering trap and quick hands to create turnovers that they turned into baskets.
“My defense was great,” Ware said. “I don’t know what the numbers were, but I know we didn’t give up many shots. We let (Rocco) String get some putbacks, but he’s 6-7, he’s a big, strong kid, so he’s going to get that. What I told my guys was we wanted to limit that as much as possible.”
String did everything he could to bring the Wolverines back when they fell behind. He finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots. He blocked back-to-back shots, grabbed a rebound off a missed Penns Grove free throw and had a putback basket all in the space of about 30 seconds late in the third quarter rally.
Braydon Hall had 16 points and hit four big 3-pointers during the Wolverines’ various rallies.
“We played hard, we just didn’t make enough plays in the end,” said Woodstown coach Ramon Roots, still looking for his first win as a head coach. “If we made just a few more plays we would have won the game today, but we played tough. We played very tough today.”
PENNS GROVE (1-1) – Brandin Robbins 6 0-0 15, Roman Gipson 4 3-4 12, KaRon Ceaser 4 1-2 9, Will Roy 1 0-0 2, Jameel Horace 3 2-6 9, Geonni Conrad 1 0-0 3, Antoine Robinson 1 0-2 2, Haneef Frisbee 5 1-2 11. Totals 25 7-14 63. WOODSTOWN (0-2) – Garrett Leyman 0 2-2 2, Eli Caesar 4 0-1 8, Rocco String 9 0-0 18, Blake Bialecki 3 2-2 9, Braydon Hall 6 0-0 16, M.J. Hall 0 0-0 0, Alejandro Vazquez 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 6-12 55.
Penns Grove
13
13
19
18-
63
Woodstown
13
12
18
11-
55
3-point goals: Penns Grove 6 (Robbins 3, Gipson, Conrad, Horace); Woodstown 5 (Bialecki, B. Hall 4). Rebounds: Woodstown 55 (String 15). Technical fouls: Horace, B. Hall, PG coach Ware. Fouled out: Frisbee, B. Hall. Total fouls: Penns Grove 18, Woodstown 21.
SALEM 67, SALEM TECH 27: Tymere Lecator and Neziah Spence each scored 15 points and dished seven assists as the Rams won their third straight game. Deshaan Williams added 10 points and Antwuan Rogers grabbed 10 rebounds.
3-point goals: Salem Tech (Dougan); Salem 3 (Lecator, Spence 2). Rebounds: Salem 34 (Rogers 10). Total fouls: Salem Tech 10, Salem 12.
GLASSBORO 65, PENNSVILLE 51: Xavier Sabb scored 10 of his 18 points in the first quarter, highlighted by three spectacular dunks, to stake the Bulldogs to a lead they maintained the rest of the game. Glassboro’s Maurice Davis led all scorers with 20 points. After trailing by 10 at halftime, the Eagles cut their deficit to seven with four minutes to play. Giovanni Rios led Pennsville with 13 points, nine rebounds and five steals.
GLASSBORO (1-2) – Hakim Theresa 1 0-0 2, Xavier Sabb 8 2-4 18, Aiden Harris 4 3-4 11, Maurice Davis 10 0-2 20, Davon Barr 2 4-6 8, Alex Adeleye 2 0-0 4, Marley Crowl 1 2-2 4. Totals 28 11-18 65. PENNSVILLE (0-2) – Giovanni Rios 6 1-2 13, Perry Meranti 3 1-2 7, Cole Johnston 3 1-3 8, Logan Hitt 1 0-0 3, Mason O’Brien 2 2-3 7, Daniel Knight 2 0-0 5, Shiloh Jefferson 3 0-0 6. Totals 20 5-10 51.
OVERBROOK 75, SCHALICK 41: Lamar Little led three Overbrook scorers in double figures with 15 points as the Rams picked up their first win of the season. Zair Green added 14 and Xavier Wright 12. Sherrod Jones led Schalick with 14 points.
Woodstown power pair, Battavio and Donelson, have another big game; Pennsville, Schalick, Salem Tech score first wins of the year
FRIDAY’S GIRLS GAMES Woodstown 70, Penns Grove 38 Pennsville 52, Glassboro 44 Schalick 51, Overbrook 29 Salem Tech 36, Salem 22
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE — When he watched them from a distance for scouting purposes last year Matt Smart thought then Woodstown’s dynamic duo of Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson were “phenomenal” players. Now that he sees them up close every day as their coach his appreciation for them is even greater.
Battavio and Donelson are never far apart on or off the basketball floor. On the court Friday night, Donelson scored 28 points with five 3-pointers and Battavio scored 26 with three as the Wolverines took down shorthanded Penns Grove 70-38.
Than, when they discovered one had left behind her water bottle as the team was leaving the gym, both tore out of the team bus and raced across the lawn to go back inside to retrieve it.
“We’ve had two tough tests this year so far and Megan and Talia have been great in both of them,” Smart said. “You see their court vision. They have a way of finding each other in situations that I might not even see. They are just so unselfish right now and they want each other to succeed. It’s not a race to see who can score how many points.
“I scouted them for one game that didn’t end up happening (last year), they were phenomenal. It was how do we stop them offensively and how do we attack them defensively. They are just as advertised, if not better.”
It was the 11th time in their career they both scored 20 in the same game and eighth in the last 30 games. Only 18 points separate them on the career scoring list – Battavio now has 1,240 points, Donelson 1,222.
With the two of them combining for 20 points, the Wolverines (2-0) opened a 24-5 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, although the Red Devils (1-1), playing with only six players, scored the first nine points of second quarter and played them even to halftime.
They weren’t the first points the Wolverines scored in the game. Those belonged to Gianna Maiorini, who hit their first two baskets before the other two got going.
“Today I was most proud of Gianna,” Smart said. “It was a slow kind of start and she comes up and hits two big shots for us. She’s been that way all year. She’s kind of the quiet leader who kind of knows where everybody is.”
Donelson, a Millersville signee, also had seven rebounds and six more steals. Battavio, a Goldey Beacom signee, had six rebounds and seven assists, several of the whip-around variety that usually found Donelson in the corner for a 3.
Donelson was 5-for-8 from behind the arc in the game.
“Working in the summer just really improved my shooting,” she said.
In perhaps the definition of their collaboration, there was a play early in the fourth quarter when Donelson made a steal that sent them off on a 2-on-1 break. She passed it to Battavio and just as they got to the foul line Battavio returned it past the unfortunate Penns Grove defender caught in the flow and Donelson soared in for an easy layup.
The play came right after Battavio hit a 3
“Me and Talia work really well together,” Donelson said. “We both know we play and we just work off that and it’s really good.”
3-point goals: Woodstown 11 (Battavio 3, Donelson 5, Perry, Thomas, Young); Penns Grove 4 (Numan, Wilson 3). Fouled out: Robbins, Washington. Total fouls: Woodstown 19, Penns Grove 23.
PENNSVILLE 52, GLASSBORO 44: Marley Wood helped the Eagles hold it together after two of their top players fouled out in the fourth quarter and Glassboro was rallying to help coach Steve Merritt get his first win with the program.
Wood scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had five assists. It was her third career double-double. She was particularly instrumental after Taylor Bass (11 points, seven rebounds) and Nora Ausland (12 points, six rebounds) fouled out in the fourth quarter while Glassboro cut a 15-point deficit to six.
Although she didn’t do much scoring in the quarter, she was the rudder that steered the ship. Freshman Addison Johnston also played a big role, scoring four points in the fourth, including her first career 3-pointer.
“One-and-one feels a lot better than 0-2,” Merritt said. “I was almost giddy with joy postgame. I was so proud of how they did what I have been drilling into them.”
Glassboro’s Kezia Brackett led all scorers with 18 points. She had 13 in the second half.
SCHALICK 51, OVERBROOK 29: Freshmen Naveah Robinson and Willow Davis knocked down seven of Schalick’s nine 3-pointers and the long-range bombing led the Cougars to their first win of the season.
Robinson hit four 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 18 points. Davis hit three in her first career start and had 14 points. The Cougars (1-2) have hit 12 3s in their first three games. They had 41 in 22 games last season.
The Cougars hit six from behind the arc in the first half while opening a 33-10 halftime lead. Robinson and Davis had five of them.
“The 3-ball is definitely something Nevaeh and Willow bring to this team,” Cougars coach John Whalen said. “It allows us to do much more on offense and really helps us spread the floor.
“I think both (Robinson and Davis) are starting to more comfortable, more confident, and will be a major part of this team’s success.”
SALEM TECH 36, SALEM 22: Shelby Liber hit two 3-pointers among her team-high nine points and the Chargers dominated the boards to win their season opener for the first time in program history. Demajae White had a game-high 12 rebounds. Rylee Doerr didn’t scored, but she grabbed 11 boards.
Kaylin Beardsley and Shelby Drummond both had full boxscores. Beardlsey had four points, five rebounds, six assists and seven steals. Drummond had three points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals.
The Chargers won only one game all last season. They had never beaten Salem before (0-4).
Pennsville’s Pace still wrestling in girls Beast of the East; Schalick takes down Penns Grove in a dual match
By Riverview Sports News
NEWARK, Del. – Haley Pace, one of three Pennsville wrestlers in the field, remained alive in the consolation bracket of the girls Beast of the East tournament at the University of Delaware.
Pace pinned Guadalupe Quiroz Zamores of Kennett in 43 seconds in her first match of the 110 consolation bracket Thursday. She was pinned in the Round of 16 of the main draw.
Bilge Balci (125) and Gina Haubrich (105) both went 1-2. Balci pinned Penelope Leonard of Kennett in 46 seconds in the Round of 32, then lost her next two matches. Haubrich was pinned in her Round of 16 match, pinned Emily Alvarez of Crofton in 4:15 in her first consolation bracket match, then lost by major decision.
The girls tournament wraps up Friday.
SCHALICK 57, PENNS GROVE 21: The Cougars won five of the nine contested weight divisions – three pins, a tech fall and a major decision – and picked up forfeits in five other classes to win the battle of the top two teams in last week’s Schalick holiday tournament.
SCHALICK 57, PENNS GROVE 21 106: Victor Fenske (S) won by forfeit 113: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Avery Curriden, 0:27 120: E’Shion Underwood (S) won by forfeit 126: Luke Silva (S) pinned Devine Arce, 3:03 132: Ryan Miller (S) tech fall over Adam Gonzales, 15-0 (1:59) 138: AbdulMuta’Alie IbnAbdulHailmTart (P) pinned Jacob Potts, 3:11 144: Michael Baisch (S) won by forfeit 150: Ayden Jenkins (S) won by forfeit 157: Riley Papiano (S) won by forfeit 165: Tre Brown (P) pinned Eric Sulik 175: Ricky Watt (S) maj. dec. Clinton Bobo, 18-8 190: Evan Elliott (S) pinned Sumir Brown, 3:35 215: Isaiah Underwood (P) dec. Gerardo Felipe, 11-8 285: Wayne Scott (P) pinned Ezequiel Garcia-Cruz, 0:20
Woodstown’s Roots returns to alma mater as opponent in his first game as a head coach, 3 other coaches also debut with their Salem County teams Wednesday
WEDNESDAY BASKETBALL BOYS GAMES Salem 71, Woodstown 48 Wildwood 54, Pennsville 34 Clayton 87, Schalick 67 GIRLS GAMES Woodstown 61, Salem 16 Wildwood 70, Pennsville 39 Clayton 65, Schalick 21
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
SALEM – Ramon Roots had all the emotions one would expect from the day of his first game as a head coach. He was excited. He was nervous. He was anxious all day.
But for the new Woodstown boys basketball coach there was more to Wednesday’s debut than just a first game as the guy in charge. It was on the road … against the team he used to help coach … in the gym where he used to play.
And he still teaches in the district, so he was embedded with the “enemy” all school day long.
Once the game started, however, it felt like any other game. And it hurt just as bad as any loss he’s ever had before after the Wolverines lost to Salem, 71-48.
“I was just anxious, I was anxious to get out here and start the program, start the journey,” Roots said. “You’re going to hear me say that a lot, we’re starting the journey.
“It was a little weird being on the other side, but I was ready for this moment. Going in I didn’t know what to really expect but I kind of knew how it would be. Things happen, but I was ready for it.”
Roots was one of four Salem County basketball coaches debuting with their teams Wednesday night. The other three were girls coaches Matt Smart (Woodstown), Steve Merritt (Pennsville) and Jerry Macon (Salem).
Merritt has been around the block a time or two, having won more than 500 games across multiple sports in 19 years at Salem and returning to the bench after a two-year break. Smart and Roots are head coaches for the first time. Macon has been a head coach before.
Before and after his game Roots was greeted by acquaintances who welcomed him back to the gym he experienced some of his fondest moments in sports. The Rams and their faithful were a lot less accommodating in the 32 minutes in between.
As the game moved into the final minute a section of fans on the far side of the floor began waving and chanting “Good-bye, Roots,” to which he responded by pointing in the direction of Salem’s 1,000-point scorer banner on which his name appears third from the bottom. A not-so-subtle reminder that no matter where he goes in the world he’ll always be connected to Salem.
“I knew what it would be like,” he said. “I know Salem’s a hostile environment. I know I got love here. I knew how the fans are going to be. It’s all love. I’m used to it already.
“I’ve been living in Salem all my life. I know the environment. I know what to expect. I’ve been on the other side of this. I was a coach for Salem three years and seen how they treat other coaches and other players. It wasn’t nothing I wasn’t used to. But I had a lot of love here tonight that was cheering for both sides.”
“We love him, he’s helped build this program to what it is so we appreciate him and want to see him to well just obviously not tonight,” Salem coach Anthony Farmer said. “It’s a mindset. He knows I’m a competitor. Give him a little high-five, welcome, if we can help you with anything, but (once the game starts) there’s really not much to talk about, there’s no handshakes, no high-fives, until obviously the game is over.”
The two teams gave both sides a lot to cheer about early, playing even for a quarter with Woodstown hitting an acrobatic layup at the buzzer to tie it at 16. Rocco String cleared a rebound to M.J. Hall, who threw an over-the-head backwards pass that found Eli Caesar on the low right block for a wide open layup that beat the horn.
But then Tymear Lecator got in the game in the second quarter, which got the offense going, the Rams turned up the defense and they steadily pulled away. The Rams scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second quarter and never trailed again.
Lecator, held out of the first quarter for an unspecified issue, scored 12 points in the second quarter and then opened the second half with back-to-back 3s. The sophomore guard finished with 27 points – mostly in the second and third quarters – and seven assists.
Antwuan Rogers added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Darrelle Johnson grabbed 10 boards. Woodstown didn’t have a double-figure scorer. Rocco String had 17 rebounds.
“They played us well for a quarter without our best kid, but obviously (Lecator) is a game-changer,” Farmer said. “When you insert him, you’re inserting a game-changer.”
“We definitely started strong, but I think we just turned over the ball a little bit too much and they had momentum plays that really hurt,” Roots said. “I liked our energy coming out. We’ve just got to maintain it.”
It was a physical game, as Roots expected, with 51 total fouls and 49 combined free throws. When Roots protested a call a little too vehemently he got hit with the first technical foul of his coaching career — 13 and a half minutes into his tenure — proving right there he may be a son of Salem but he was going to fight for his new charges.
“Everyone goes to bat for me, I’ll go to bat for them,” he said. “I’ve got their back when they’ve got mine.”
WILDWOOD GIRLS 70, PENNSVILLE 39: It may have been two years ago that Steve Merritt last coached a high school girls basketball game, but he remembers the experience being “every bit as frenetic as I remember it” as he directed his new Pennsville team through its regular-season opener.
The Eagles trailed the defending South Jersey Group I champions 10-8 with two minutes left in the first quarter, but the Warriors scored the last nine points of the quarter coming out of a timeout and steadily pulled away. Wildwood led 36-19 at halftime and 55-24 after three quarters.
“We just didn’t play sharp defense,” Merritt said. “We let Macie (McCracken) go to the baseline too often. We didn’t stay with our player; we switched when I wanted them to get through the screens. It’s not what I had hoped.”
McCracken finished with 36 points (to surpass 1,800 for her career) and 14 rebounds. She hit five 3-pointers. Taylor Bass led Pennsville with 16 points. Nora Ausland had 13.
Before their first scrimmage together, Merritt was so amped for the exercise he had restless night of sleep, took his dog for a walk at 6 a.m. and wound up coming to the gym some two hours before the scheduled tip.
It wasn’t nearly as disquieting awaiting the first real game, but he agreed his emotions he was experiencing were probably on a par with those of the county coaches going into their first games a head coach because he’d been away from it a few year.
“The anticipation for the game seemed to drag on forever … but as soon as it’s over I’m thinking ‘Holy cow, that was fast,’” he said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I go on line and look at all the results and start doing my stat track and everything else. I get excited about that. Chews up the whole morning. The poor dog may not get out.”
WOODSTOWN GIRLS 61, SALEM 16: The Matt Smart Era of Woodstown girls basketball couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. The Wolverines jumped out to a 19-2 first-quarter lead, held the Rams scoreless in the third quarter, put 10 players in the scoring column and enjoyed their biggest opening day win since 2021.
“It was a fun experience, it was a great learning experience as well – for me and the girls,” Smart said. “I get to learn how the girls react to my coaching style, they get to see me in a real game scenario. It was a lot of fun. The girls responded great.”
Both teams were playing under new coaches as Salem’s Jerry Macon was coaching his first game with the Rams.
Smart admitted he was a “little nervous” waiting for the game to start, but once it got underway it was just like any other game.
And it was just like any other Woodstown game.
South Jersey girls basketball observers have gotten used to this phrase: Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson once again led the way. Battavio scored 20 points. Donelson had 13 points and 10 steals.
The Wolverines produced 43 steals in the game; six players had at least four each. They also had 21 assists among their 27 baskets.
“It was a great defensive effort for us,” Smart said. “I was most proud of how unselfish the whole team was. We were playing great defense, making unselfish passes for layups. I think the box score shows that we had 10 contributors scoring, which is awesome.
“We have to play to the Woodstown level and every day we’re just trying to get better. There’s always room to improve and that’s what we’re going to try to do every day.”
Salem coach Anthony Farmer (R) embraces new Woodstown coach Ramon Roots in the post-game handshake line Wednesday. Roots was Farmer’s assistant for three years before getting his first chance to be a head coach this season.
BOYS BOX SCORES SALEM 71, WOODSTOWN 48 WOODSTOWN (0-1) – Eli Caesar 2 0-0 4, John McGinley 0 0-0 0, Blake Bialecki 2 3-3 8, Alejandro Vazquez 2 4-5 9, M.J. Hall 2 2-3 7, Garrett Leyman 1 1-2 4, Anthony Bokolas 0 0-0 0, Andrew White 1 3-4 5, Rocco String 1 2-5 4, B Mall 2 1-2 7. Totals 13 16-24 48. SALEM (2-0) – Donovan Weathers 0 0-0 0, Xavier McGriff 1 1-3 3, Neziah Spence 3 0-0 8, Kyaire Parsons 0 0-0 0, Deshawn Williams 2 0-1 4, Tymear Lecator 7 10-13 27, Darrell Johnson 3 0-0 6, Antwan Rogers 4 4-5 12, Harlem Parsons 1 0-0 3, Joe Tunis 3 2-3 9, Giovanni Talave 0 0-0 0, Cole Sayers 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 17-25 71.
Woodstown
16
10
14
8-
48
Salem
16
24
14
17-
71
3-point goals: Woodstown 6 (Bialecki, Vazquez, Hall, Leyman, Mall 2); Salem 6 (Spence, Lecator 3, H. Parsons, Tunis). Technical fouls: Woodstown coach Roots. Fouled out: Bialecki, Hall. Total fouls: Woodstown 28, Salem 22.
WILDWOOD 54, PENNSVILLE 34: Brian Cunniff led three Wildwood scorers in double figures with 17 points. Trevor Troiano had 12 and Nolan Mawhinney 11. Mason O’Brien led Pennsville with 13 points.
WILDWOOD (1-0) – Eric Jordan 3, Nolan Mawhinney 11, Trevor Troiano 12, Brian Cunniff 17, Jordan Dozier 4, Gianna Groiano 2. PENNSVILLE (0-1) – Mason O’Brien 3 6-10 13, Charles McDevitt 1 3-5 5, Giovanni Rios 2 4-7 8, Perry Meranti 0 1-4 1, Cole Johnston 1 0-0 3, Logan Hill 1 0-0 2, Daniel Knight 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 14-26 34.
CLAYTON 87, SCHALICK 67: Princeton Sackor scored 21 points, Nazir Davis had 20 and two others scored 11 apiece as the Clippers opened their season with a victory.
Clayton
18
22
24
23-
87
Schalick
10
13
25
19-
67
New Pennsville girls coach Steve Merritt (R) watches his team go through pre-game warmups before sending it out to play Wildwood in their first regular-season game together.
CLAYTON 65, SCHALICK 21: Rainelle Blocker dominated the game with 33 points and 26 rebounds. Teammate Ava Delaney had 16 points and 13 of the Clippers’ 24 steals.
The Cougars boys start fast, beat Cape May Tech, girls fall in close one as last-second shot falls short
TUESDAY BASKETBALL BOYS GAME Schalick 49, Cape May Tech 33 GIRLS GAME Cape May Tech 43, Schalick 41
By Riverview Sports News
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The result might not have been what the Schalick girls basketball team wanted from its season opener, but coach John Whalen saw a lot of potential for the year ahead.
The Cougars battled Cape May Tech to the bitter end Tuesday before falling 43-41.
And bitter it was. They got a 3-point shot from near midcourt that was tightly contested and fell short at the horn.
“The outcome was not how we wanted it, but it showed the potential for this team,” Whalen said. “We did everything that we’ve worked on. We played tough.”
There is room for improvement. The Cougars, who were up by seven at one point in the game, were 1-of-10 from the free throw line and missed an agonizing number of layups.
Ava Scurry led Schalick with a career-high 17 points and was engaged in a scoring duel with Cape May Tech’s Anna Delaney in the second half. Delaney had 19 of her game-high 25 points in the second half, including five 3-pointers. Scurry had 11 in the half.
“Ava played a great game, the best of her career by far,” Whalen said. “She was great on both sides of the floor. The other girl got hot and hit some big 3s to get them back in it.”
Freshman Neveah Robinson had 10 for the Cougars in her varsity debut. She had the final shot of the game.
“When she came out for tryouts it was evident right away she’s going to be really good for this program and she can take us in the right direction,” Whalen said.
Cape May Tech led by four going to the final minute. The Cougars missed a pair of free throws that would have cut the deficit to two – they were 1-of-10 from the line in the game – but got a steal and layup on the next possession to make it 43-41.
They had to foul in hopes of getting the ball back and Tech obliged by missing both free throws with three seconds left. The Cougars got it to Robinson who was able to take a couple dribbles before putting up a contested shot from midcourt.
3-point goals: Schalick 2 (Robinson 2); Cape May Tech 7 (Delaney 6, Brophy). Fouled out: Willoughby, Vanacker, Drumm. Total fouls: Schalick 22, Cape May Tech 16.
BOYS GAME SCHALICK 49, CAPE MAY TECH 33: The Cougars jumped out to a 27-10 halftime lead and won their season opener for the second year in a row. Before then, they hadn’t won an opener since 2015.
Here is the schedule for Salem County sports teams for the week of Dec. 16-21; games 4 p.m. unless noted; x-scrimmage
MONDAY, DEC. 16 GIRLS BASKETBALL x-Pennsville at Palmyra x-Woodstown at Kingsway BOYS BASKETBALL x-Clearview at Woodstown x-Palmyra at Pennsville Buena at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m. SWIMMING Woodstown vs. West Deptford at Riverwinds, 3:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, DEC. 17 GIRLS BASKETBALL Schalick at Cape May Tech, 5:30 p.m. BOYS BASKETBALL Cape May Tech at Schalick SWIMMING Schalick vs. Camden Academy Charter at Vineland YMCA, 3:15 p.m. INDOOR TRACK Salem, Penns Grove at Bennett Center, Toms River, 5 p.m. WRESTLING Salem, Palmyra at Pennsville, 5 p.m. BOWLING Salem Tech vs. ACIT WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL Mercer County CC at Salem CC, 5 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18 GIRLS BASKETBALL Wildwood at Pennsville Salem at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m. Schalick at Clayton, 5:30 p.m. BOYS BASKETBALL Wildwood at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m. Clayton at Schalick, 5:30 p.m. Woodstown at Salem, 5:30 p.m. BOWLING Salem in Holiday Showcase at Laurel Lanes, Maple Shade, 3:30 p.m. Salem Tech vs. Gloucester Catholic at Wood Lanes
THURSDAY, DEC. 19 SWIMMING Schalick vs. Gloucester Catholic at GCIT, 4:45 p.m. Woodstown vs. Deptford at GCIT, 7 p.m. WRESTLING Penns Grove at Schalick Timber Creek at Woodstown, 6 p.m. Pennsville girls at Beast of the East Tournament (U of Del.) TRACK Pennsville Polar Bear Meet, 3 p.m. MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC, 5 p.m.
FRIDAY, DEC. 20 GIRLS BASKETBALL Overbrook at Schalick, 5:30 p.m. Pennsville at Glassboro, 5:30 p.m. Salem at Salem Tech Woodstown at Penns Grove BOYS BASKETBALL Glassboro at Pennsville, 3 p.m. Penns Grove at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m. Salem Tech at Salem, 3 p.m. Schalick at Overbrook, 5:30 p.m. WRESTLING Pennsville at William Penn (Del.) Invitational Pennsville girls at Beast of the East Tournament (U of Del.) SATURDAY, DEC. 21 GIRLS BASKETBALL Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic, 1:30 p.m. Boardwalk Classic Wildwood Convention Center Penns Grove vs. Timber Creek, 2:15 p.m. SJIBT Tournament Highland at Woodstown, 11:30 a.m. WRESTLING Salem girls at Jackson Liberty Tournament, 9 a.m. Pennsville at William Penn (Del.) Invitational, 10 a.m. Woodstown in Beast of the East Tournament (U of Del.) TRACK Pennsville, Salem, Woodstown at Ott Center, Philadelphia
Schalick wins its season-opening tournament, Woodstown places fourth at Delaware Valley
By Riverview Sports News
CENTERTON – Schalick won seven of the 14 weight divisions and had three other wrestlers in finals to run away with its Holiday Classic Saturday.
The Cougars, competing as a single-school team this year after being a co-op program with Cumberland Regional, scored 238 points. Penns Grove finished second (132) in the seven-team field.
Emma Cain (107), Caleb Jenkins (114), Luke Silva (127), Ayden Jenkins (151), James Cook (166), Ricky Watt (176) and Evan Elliott (191) all won their weight class. Koen Martin (158), Eric Sulik (166) and Gerardo Felipe (216) wrestled in the finals.
Tre Brown (158) and Wayne Scott (285) won weight classes for Penns Grove. Devine Arce (127) and Clinton Bobo (176) wrestled in finals.
Schalick had 15 wrestlers post top-four finishes. Penns Grove had nine wrestlers place in the top four.
SCHALICK HOLIDAY CLASSIC
TEAM SCORES: Schalick 238, Penns Grove 132, West Windsor-Plainsboro South 122.5, Oakcrest 120, Mainland 117, Haddon Heights 103.5, Holy Spirit 71
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES 107: Emma Cain (Schalick) pinned Ethan Kavanakudiyil (WWPS), 4:30 114: Caleb Jenkins (Schalick) maj. dec. over Michael Ferraro (Haddon Heights), 11-3 121: Cole Denning (Haddon Heights) tech fall over Sanchez Joseph (Oakcrest), 17-0 127: Luke Silva (Schalick) dec, Devine Arce (Penns Grove), 9-5 133: Gavin Mensch (Holy Spirit) pinned Braden Monroe (Oakcrest), 1:31 139: Chris Mazur (Mainland) pinned Erick Montas-Aras (Oakcrest), 4:34 145: James Morley (Mainland) pinned Cameron Blaise (WWPS), 1:02 151: Ayden Jenkins (Schalick) tech fall over Carson Endicott (Mainland), 19-3 158: Anthony Brown (Penns Grove) pinned Koen Martin (Schalick), 1:08 166: James Cook (Schalick) dec. Eric Sulik (Schalick), 11-4 176: Ricky Watt (Schalick) dec. Clinton Bobo (Penns Grove), 10-7 191: Evan Elliott (Schalick) pinned Alex Krapivin (WWPS), 0:43 216: Jackson Broschard (Holy Spirit) dec. Gerardo Felipe (Schalick), 7-3 285: Wayne Scott (Penns Grove) pinned Nate Lelionis (Haddon Heights), 1:33
Wendy Pandy-Leh Invitational
FRENCHTOWN – Four Woodstown wrestlers, including three members of its blonde brigade, won division titles and led the Wolverines to a solid fourth-place finish in their season-opening tournament at Delaware Valley Regional.
Carson Bradway (120), Greyson Hyland (175) and Mateo Vinciguerra (285) all won their weight class, as did 126 Travis Balback. A fourth member of the blonde brigade, Paul Banff, finished third at 190.
Bradway drew a first-round bye, then scored a pair of pins and won his weight class with a major decision. Balback also had two pins and a major. Hyland had two pins and won his title bout by decision. Vinciguerra drew two byes and scored two pins.
Vinciguerra told Riverview Sports News earlier in the week the four friends went for the dye job “for the fun of it, to have fun in the season.”
“I’ve seen other teams do it before,” the Wolverines’ heavyweight said. “It’s just a fun thing to do, just maybe get some team chemistry.”
The Wolverines also got top four finishes from Brett Rowand (second, 157); Alex Torres (fourth, 132); and Bradley Snitcher (third, 215). Rowand had three pins before being pinned in his title bout.
The Wolverines scored 153 points. Ocean Twp. edged Del Val by two points to win the team title.
“While we have a lot of work to do, we wrestled well in spots,” Wolverines coach Adam Hyland said. “Travis Balback looked great all day up a weight from last year and so did Carson Bradway down a weight. Both were attacking and wrestling a fun style to watch.
“Greyson and Mateo got the job done and Brett Rowand looked solid coming in second. Bradley Snitcher also wrestled well pinning three guys while taking third.”
WENDY PANDY-LEH INVITATIONAL
TEAM SCORES: Ocean Twp. 180, Del Val Regional 178, Wall 163.5, Woodstown 153, Westfield 111.5, Williamstown 110.5, Cherokee 83, Princeton 76, Vorhees (Glen Gardner) 56.5, Pascack Hills 28.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES 106: Adam Froehlich (Williamstown) pinned Michael Apicelli (Ocean Twp.), pinned 3:22 113: Tristan Rosemeyer (Williamstown) maj. dec. over Omar Carrillo-Solano (Wall), 21-11 120: Carson Bradway (Woodstown) maj. dec. over Charles Mahoney (Wall), 15-4 126: Travis Balback (Woodstown) pinned Ben Waitzel (Wall), 1:58 132: Jaden Perez (Del Val) pinned Steven Perez (Ocean Twp.), 1:32 138: Dominic Volek (Ocean Twp.) def. Cole Rose (Princeton), inj. (5:15) 144: Michael Volek (Ocean Twp.) pinned Michael Hasson (Del Val), 3:41 150: Blase Mele (Princeton) pinned Parker Quinn (Wall), 1:26 157: Luke Sinkewicz (Del Val) pinned Brett Rowand (Woodstown), 1:45 165: Jeremy Marsella (Wall) tech fall over Olivier Paul (Del Val), 17-1 (2:45) 175: Greyson Hyland (Woodstown) dec. Jack McDermott (Westfield), 8-2 190: Jake Zemsky (Westfield) maj. dec. over Deryk Hannold (Williamstown), 12-1 215: Daniel Farina (Ocean Twp.) pinned Eric Clauburg (Wall), 1:57 285: Mateo Vinciguerra (Woodstown) pinned Luken Alberdi (Del Val), 1:03
Riverview Sports News 