Category: SCHALICK

Hall of Fame induction

Salem County Sports Hall of Fame to enshrine seven remaining members of this year’s induction class Thursday at Salem CC; Salem NFL running back Jonathan Taylor was enshrined earlier this summer

From Salem Community College

CARNEYS POINT – The seven remaining members of this year’s Salem County Sports Hall of Fame induction class will go marching into the Hall Thursday night in ceremonies at Salem Community College’s Davidow Theatre.

The Salem County SHOF Board has selected these individuals for induction in the latest ceremony. Former Salem High School current NFL running back Jonathan Taylor was inducted in a separate ceremony earlier in the summer.

Lex Bleckley (professional baseball) 
Jaymes Dennison (track) 
James Dickerson (track) 
Nick Elmer (football)
Steve Merritt (coach)
Donna O’Leary (coach)
Latika Ross (basketball) 

In addition, the Hall board will recognize Vince Gioia and Steve Lopes for their decades of service to Salem County sports as well as the following high school state champions:

Penns Grove’s three-time NJSIAA Group I state champion Boys Track Team (2013-15); 

Penns Grove’s two-time NJSIAA Group I state champion Girls Track Team (2013-14); 

Pennsville’s  Megan Morris (2024 Pole Vault); Salem’s DaviYonn Jackson (2023-24 Triple Jump); Salem’s 2024 girls 4×100 Relay (Sairis Jimenez, Karima Davenport-White, Morgan Van Dover, Rhi’Onna Timmons); Salem’s 2024 girls shot put relay (Dominique Lewis and Ryann Mulhorn); Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield (2023 cross country 2024 1600); and Woodstown 2024 boys 4×800 Relay (Karson Chew, Joshua Crawford, Jacob Martino, Cole Lucas).

Admission is free and no tickets are required. The ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m.


Here is a thumbnail look at the Hall of Fame inductees

LEX BLECKLEY was a product of the Pennsville sports system, playing football and baseball. He is most proud of the baseball championships from an early age through his decorated career at Pennsville Memorial High School.  The championships include district titles in Little League, State and Mid-Atlantic Champions in Babe Ruth and a state championship his senior year with a 25-0 record and the No. 1 ranked team in the state. The undefeated season has not been duplicated. 

His personal accomplishments include three-time All-Salem County, two-time Tri-County, two-time South Jersey Group II, two-time All-South Jersey, Group II All State, All-State First Team and Today’s Sunbeam Player of the Year. He finished his career at Pennsville with a .503 batting average and a team win-loss record of 66-6. He was taken in the major league draft twice.

The Kansas City Royals drafted Bleckley after his high school career, but he elected to attend the University of Delaware, where he was a three-year starter at shortstop. During his UD career, the Blue Hens were East Coast Conference champions twice and missed making it to the College World Series by one game, losing in the finals. Lex came in second for the Division I batting title with a .455 average his junior year and was named ECC Player of the Year. He was drafted and signed by the Montreal Expos. After his playing career ended, he was head coach at Salem Community College for two years. Currently, he resides in Florida with his wife and son.

JAYMES DENNISON excelled in track at Penns Grove High School. A member of the Class of 2013, Jaymes was a two-time state champion. He won the 800 in his junior year and the 400 in his senior year. He helped lead the team to a Group 1 team state championship in 2013, and holds school records in the 800.

He was a three-time South Jersey champion in the 800 meters. As a senior, he finished seventh in the Meet of Champions in one of the most competitive 800-meter races in its history.

His post-high school accomplishments may be more impressive. In two years at Iowa State, he was a two-time NCAA All-American in 2018, Second Team All-American in the 4×400 meter relay and Honorable Mention All-American in the 800 meters. He was the Big 12 indoor champion in the 600 meters. Before enrolling at Iowa State, he was a two-time junior college indoor national champion in the 600 meters.

JAMES (JIMMY) DICKERSON graduated from Salem High School in 1964. Following high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force for eight years and traveled extensively throughout Europe. While serving in the military, Jimmy was a medic.

In addition to his medic responsibilities, he played in the European Conference, on the track and field team, where he placed first in high jump at 6-10 and excelled in the triple jump. He also made the All-Europe Football Team as a running back and kick returner. After his tour of duty, Jimmy was an OSHA inspector at BF Goodrich in Pedricktown until his retirement.

In 1976, Jimmy was invited to attend Philadelphia Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil’s tryout camp. Although not selected, he considered meeting fellow tryout attendee Vince Papale, who went on to make the Eagles’ roster, an experience of a lifetime.

At 34, Jimmy enrolled at Gloucester County College and competed in the track and field high/triple jump. He never lost a match during his two seasons. Community focused, Jimmy is involved in coaching youth basketball and mentoring.  In addition, he is an active member of his church and sings in the senior choir.

NICK ELMER was a multi-sport athlete (football, wrestling, track and field) at Penns Grove High School.

In football, he set school records for passing yards (4,580) and passing touchdowns (61). He also helped lead PGHS to a record-breaking 2012 season and a South Jersey Group 1 championship in which he rushed for a record 308 yards in the title game. The 2012 team still holds the record for most points scored in a season in South Jersey history. He earned All-State First Team honors in 2012 and was the Philadelphia Inquirer South Jersey Player of the Year.

As a wrestler, Nick amassed a school-record 137 victories and qualified for the state tournament on twice, ultimately earning a seventh-place finish in 2013. He continued his academic and athletic career in wrestling at Drexel University, where he was a varsity starter for two years, accumulating 31 wins and a spot on the podium in the 2016 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Conference Tournament and earned an EIWA Academic Achievement Award in the same year.

He went on to medical school at Thomas Jefferson University, where he graduated cum laude and as a member of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honors society. He is currently a plastic surgery resident at NYU Langone Hospital in New York City.

DONNA O’LEARY graduated from Paulsboro High School and was a two-sport varsity athlete (field hockey and tennis) there. She also swam competitively year-round at the Woodbury YMCA.  

She earned a degree from Glassboro State College as a health/physical education major. Playing field hockey and swimming in college were important milestones in her path to becoming a coach. After graduation, she became the head women’s swim coach at Glassboro State. During those six years, she produced six All-Americans. 

In 1988, Salem City hired her as a full-time health/physical education teacher in the elementary school and as the field hockey head coach at Salem High School. After taking the reins from Liz Pappas, she put her heart into making the field hockey program successful and she accumulated 315 wins and seven Tri-County championships.  She was a two-time Coach of the Year. 

LATIKA ROSS, a 2001 Salem High School graduate, excelled in both basketball and track and field. In track, she broke the 800-meter record as a sophomore. In basketball, she became the third Lady Ram to join SHS’s 1000-point club and pulled down over 1,000 rebounds as a four-year varsity player. Latika earned numerous accolades, including All-Tournament Team and First Team for All South Jersey Group 1 and Tri-County Conference Classic Divisions for two consecutive years. Today’s Sunbeam named her Player of the Year in 2001.

Moving on to Salem Community College, Latika amassed 1,130 points and 1,028 rebounds over two years, earning National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Second Team honors. She holds the NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball regular-season record for rebound average (23.2 per game in 2002-03).

After attending Drexel University for one year on a full athletic scholarship, Latika transferred to Saint Augustine’s University (SAU), where she made the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association All-Tournament Team and averaged a double-double her senior year (10 points, 10 rebounds per game). Graduating from SAU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and 3.9 grade point average, Latika embarked on a successful 15-year career in accounting. 

Today, she channels her talents into entertainment as an actress, producer and stand-up comedian, performing under the name Latika Sye (a family surname).

STEVE MERRITT was never the last to be picked for any of the seasonal schoolyard games, until he turned 12 and lost a game of “chicken” with the front end of a Buick or Pontiac. It’s not clear to this day. A significant injury cost him any speed he might have had or would have.  Nonetheless, it is difficult to temper a Type A personality and there was always some kind of competition at home with three brothers.

A single junior varsity season of baseball and senior year “cup of coffee” as a wrestler sums up his high school athletic career.  Intramural softball and volleyball were competitive outlets at Glassboro State College.

After college, long-distance running became his outlet for competition. His omnipresent opponent became the stopwatch.  No longer did he have to finish first to win. He ran the New York City Marathon twice, the Marine Corps Marathon twice and the Boston Marathon in 1992.

A combined 50 varsity seasons (tennis, soccer, basketball and softball) as a head coach at Salem High School yielded over 500 victories, four South Jersey Championships, three Tri-County Classic titles and helped to satisfy his yen for competition. Earlier this summer he was named the girls basketball coach at Pennsville High School.

Community Service

VINCENT GIOLA JR. graduated from Penns Grove High School in 1968 and began working for DuPont Chambers Works in 1969, retiring in 2010. To say his life revolved around sports would be an understatement. 

Vince first coached in 1969 and over the next 50 years spent countless hours coaching, managing and maintaining the fields at the Carneys Point Recreation Complex for the Carneys Point-Penns Grove-Pedricktown Little League and Penns Grove Soccer Club. 

Vince played and coached in both the Salem County Men’s Baseball League (1969-1976) and the PG-CP Men’s Softball League (1975-2015) while also serving as a league officer and a liaison with Salem County. He coached for the PG mini-wrestling organization (1979-1986), managed for the PG-CP Women’s Softball (1978-1982), and for the PG Babe Ruth (1985-1987). Vince also coached PG Twins 130 lb. football team (1985-1991) and was head coach of the SCC’s softball team (1991-1995, 2011-2013). 

Vince has been a member of the South Jersey Officials Association (football) since 1999 and Unified Umpire Association of Southern New Jersey since 2007. He served on the Carneys Point Recreation Commission (1999-2023) and was chairman (2004-2023). Vince managed the CP Recreation Complex (2004-2023) and was president of the Servicemen’s Memorial Home (2015-2023). Today, Vince can be found on a field or in a gym in South Jersey officiating, umpiring or just watching his grandchildrens’ games or any game, for that matter.

STEVE LOPES graduated from Penns Grove High School in 1964, after playing three years of varsity basketball with coach Rudy Baric. 

For 45 years, Steve has officiated over 800 high school football games. He had the honor of officiating over 50 state playoff games, including several state championship games at Rutgers, Giants and MetLife Stadiums. Steve has served as the president of New Jersey Football Officials Association – South, the organization representing football officials in South Jersey. Additionally, he is an official for the NFL’s Girls Flag Football program and officiated the Big 33 tournament sponsored by several NFL teams. In addition, Steve has umpired high school, college and semi-pro baseball for 17 years.

For 16 years, Steve managed in the Penns Grove-Carneys Point-Pedricktown Little League and Babe Ruth League, where his teams won several league and district titles. He has played and managed a senior (ages 50, 60, 70) baseball team in Carneys Point.  For over 20 years, Steve has played in men’s senior baseball national tournaments in Florida and Arizona. 

Salem football +

Here is the 2024 West Jersey Football League schedule for the divisions involving Salem County’s teams

2024 WEST JERSEY FOOTBALL LEAGUE
(Divisions involving Salem County teams; all games 7 p.m. unless noted, x-scrimmage)

AUG. 19
x-Mainland, Cape May, West Deptford at Schalick, 10 a.m.
x-Pennsville at Salem, 10 a.m.
x-Woodstown at St. Joseph’s Academy

AUG. 23
x-Schalick at Buena, 10 a.m.
x-Salem at Absegami, 6 p.m.

AUG. 29
Collingswood at Clayton, TBA
West Deptford vs. Manchester Twp., 10 a.m. (at Ocean City)
Pennsville at Gloucester City

AUG. 30
Schalick vs. Cedar Grove, 9:30 a.m. (at Egg Harbor Twp.)

AUG. 31
Willingboro at Salem, noon

SEPT. 6
Overbrook at Collingswood, 6 p.m.
Penns Grove at Deptford, 6 p.m.
KIPP Cooper Norcross at Camden Catholic, TBA
Cumberland at Schalick
Delsea at Woodstown
West Deptford at PennsvilleSEPT. 7
Paulsboro at Audubon, TBA
Haddonfield at Woodbury, 10:30 a.m.
Glassboro at Haddon Heights, 11 a.m.
Cinnaminson at Salem, noon

SEPT. 13
Audubon at Bordentown, 6 p.m.
Collingswood at West Deptford
Pennsville at Overbrook
Schalick at Woodstown

SEPT. 14
Camden Catholic at Paulsboro, TBA
Salem at Woodbury, 10:30 a.m.
Glassboro at Penns Grove, noon

SEPT. 20
Overbrook at Florence, 6 p.m.
Paulsboro at Collingswood, 6 p.m.
Salem at Glassboro, 6 p.m.
Audubon at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Schalick
West Deptford at Camden Catholic
Woodbury at Woodstown

SEPT. 27
Woodbury at Glassboro, 6 p.m.
Woodstown at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m.
Pennsville at Camden Catholic

SEPT. 28
Collingswood at Haddon Twp., 10:30 a.m.
Overbrook at Paulsboro, 11 a.m.
West Deptford at Audubon, 11 a.m.
Schalick at Salem, noon

OCT. 4
Haddon Heights at Camden Catholic, TBA
Deptford at Glassboro
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Pleasantville at Woodstown
Sterling at Collingswood
West Deptford at Haddonfield
Woodbury at Gateway

OCT. 5
Schalick at Paulsboro, 10:30 a.m.
Clayton at Overbrook, 11 a.m.
Middle Twp. at Salem, noon

OCT. 11
Audubon at Collingswood, 6 p.m.
Glassboro at Cinnaminson, 6 p.m.
Schalick at Gloucester City, 6 p.m.
Salem at West Deptford

OCT. 12
Pennsville at Paulsboro, 10:30 a.m.
Willingboro at Woodbury, 10:30 a.m.
Camden Catholic at Overbrook, 11 a.m.
Woodstown at Haddon Heights, 11 a.m.
Delran at Penns Grove, noon

OCT. 18
Pennsville at Lawrence, 6 p.m.
Collingswood at Camden Catholic
Glassboro at Schalick
Paulsboro at West Deptford

OCT. 19
Penns Grove at Woodbury, 10:30 a.m.
Audubon at Overbrook, 11 a.m.
Woodstown at Salem, noon

OCT. 25
Woodstown at Glassboro, 6 p.m.
Audubon at Camden Catholic, TBA
Paulsboro at Clayton, TBA
Collingswood at Pennsville
Overbrook at West Deptford
Woodbury at Schalick

OCT. 26
Salem at Penns Grove, noon

NOV. 27
Camden Catholic at Paul VI, TBA

NOV. 28
Haddon Twp. at Audubon, TBA

Inter-active

InterAc All-Stars rally in late innings again, topple Tri-Cape All-Stars in bottom of ninth for first Carpenter Cup title

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA – Over the past four summers the Tri-Cape All-Stars have experienced almost every emotion a baseball team can feel. They’ve been over the moon winning Carpenter Cup championships in 2021 and 2022 and they felt the despair of losing in the championship game last year.

But even as the rosters change each year nothing could compare to the hurt they felt Wednesday when they lost this year’s title game in Citizens Bank Park after leading with six outs to go.

InterAc, a championship game first-timer with at least one big-league prospect on its roster, pushed across two runs in the eighth inning to tie the game and then scored an unearned run in the ninth to pull out a 3-2 win.

“It’s awful,” Pennsville junior Peyton O’Brien said. “To come all this way and then to lose, especially when we were up the whole game and we thought we were going to win and to lose it late it just sucks. You always hate losing no matter what.”

Tri-Cape led 2-0 going into the bottom of the eighth, but InterAc tied the game on Cole Kirschner’s two-run double to right center. They scored the game winner off William Grayson (Oakcrest), one of two pitchers Tri-Cape manager D.J. Gore added late Tuesday night to give them enough arms to compete.

The ninth started when Tri-Cape third baseman Guy Lynam misplayed leadoff man Lucas Albert’s bunt into a two-base error. Albert (Germantown Academy) went to third on a wild pitch and scored the game-winner with a head-first slide on Jimmy Amplo’s sacrifice fly to left field.

It was a familiar scenario for InterAc. They won their semifinal game against defending champion Jersey Shore Tuesday with a four-run rally in the ninth.

“I like them,” Gore assessed of the InterAc team. “It’s an all-star team. For us, when we talk about, like, our St. Augustine Prep and Gloucester Catholic, it’s similar to what that is over there.

“Very good franchise. You see a Louisville commit, potential major-league draft pick, start the game against us. We had our 1 going, too, and I think it was a treat for the fans to watch there. It’s a really good franchise. They do things the right way. We just needed to play a little better today.”

Tri-Cape All-Stars manager D.J. Gore gathers his team after it just lost to InterAc in the bottom of the ninth inning of the Carpenter Cup championship game. Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky (44) is in the foreground.

Tri-Cape did have the go-ahead runner in scoring position twice in the top of the ninth, but couldn’t bring it home. They also came up empty with a runner at second and one out in the fourth and bases loaded with two outs in the seventh after having Jack Mustaro (Gloucester Catholic) cut down in a collision at the plate earlier in the inning.

“There were opportunities; I think we could have put the game away and we just didn’t do it,” Gore said. “You can’t do that in all-star caliber kind of baseball. Give credit to them for what they did and being able to withstand and make some plays when they needed to make some plays. 

“You have to execute in some situations. There were some things we’d like to have back to do but we didn’t, but you can’t fault anybody’s effort or anything like that. These kids have given up three weeks of the summer to represent the Tri-Cape franchise and I couldn’t be any prouder of a group of kids.”

InterAc started Tague Davis (Malvern Prep), the son of former major-leaguer and Phillies studio host Ben Davis, and Tri-Cape countered with Miami commitment Tate DeRias (Gloucester Catholic). Both pitched the first three innings. Davis gave up two hits, an unearned run and struck out five. DeRias pitched three no-hit innings.

Tri-Cape’s first three pitchers threw seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and one walk.

“It feels really good getting a chance to go out there and throw (in a major-league stadium),” DeRias said. “You step on the mound and it’s kind of like, ‘Wow, this is where all the pros play, this is where the guys I look up to pitch.

“It’s pretty cool to soak it in and go out there and throw three hitless innings. Not many guys might have the chance of that happening in the future, so hopefully it was taste of the future for me. I’d love to come back as a major league ballplayer and pitch (here).

”All three Salem County players batted in the game.O’Brien (first base) and Chase Burchfield (designated hitter) drew starts and Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky went into right field late in the game and chased down Kirschner’s game-tying double in the eighth.

O’Brien was a last-minute addition to the starting lineup and went 1-for-2. He drove in Tri-Cape’s second run of the game with a single in the fourth after fouling off three straight payoff pitches. He went 3-for-7 with two RBIs in the tournament.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I was up in a big spot, man on third, one out and I was refusing to strike out. I knew I had to put a ball in play and try to make things happen and that’s what I did and got the RBI.”

Burchfield was 0-for-2 and Pokrovsky, who pitched in each of Tri-Cape’s first three games and was given his first chance to hit Wednesday, went 0-for-1 and hit by a pitch.

Carpenter Cup Championship Game
InterAc 3, Tri-Cape 2

Tri-Cape001100000-281
InterAc000000021-372
One out when winning run scored.

WP: Hunter West (1-0). LP: William Grayson (0-1). 2B: Hunter Ray (TC), Jack Mustaro (TC), Sergio Droz (TC), Cole Kirschner (IA).

InterAc’s Lucas Albert slides head first into the plate with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. (Photo courtesy of The Phillies)

Cover photo: The players from the InterAc All-Stars raise the Carpenter Cup after beating Tri-Cape in the tournament championship game. (The Phillies/Miles Kennedy)

Back in the finals

Pennsville’s O’Brien plays big role in eighth-inning rally that sends Tri-Cape to Carpenter Cup finals for fourth year in a row

CARPENTER CUP
Tuesday’s semifinals
at Citizens Bank Park
InterAc 5, Jersey Shore 4
Tri-Cape 6, Delaware County 3
Championship Wednesday
at Citizens Bank Park
InterAc vs. Tri-Cape, 9:30 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA — Peyton O’Brien never took part in Kids Run The Bases at Citizens Bank Park when he was growing up, but given the chance Tuesday afternoon, he ran like the wind.

The rising Pennsville senior might not have the wheels of Trea Turner, but his Bryce Harper-like base-running savvy played a big part in the eighth-inning rally that lifted his Tri-Cape All-Stars past Delaware County 6-3 and into the Carpenter Cup championship game for the fourth year in a row.

Tri-Cape will play the InterAc/Independent stars in CBP Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. They raised the Cup in 2021 and 2022 and lost in the title game last year.

“Man, it’s awesome,” O’Brien said. “For one, to just be able to play in this park and, two, to be to be able to play for something makes it’s even better.”

The Tri-Cape/Delco game was tied at 3 after Delco scored twice in the top of the eighth, but Tri-Cape answered quickly in what manager D.J. Gore called “the epitome” of the secret to the program’s success in this four-year run: Buying into what the coaches ask the players to do.

Hunter Ray (Lower Cape May) led off the bottom half of inning with a walk and with one out O’Brien, who entered the game in the sixth for starting Pennsville teammate Chase Burchfield, sent a shot into right centerfield for his second hit of the tournament. Ray drew a throw to third and O’Brien smartly took the extra base when the infielders drifted away from the bag.

Zach Maxwell (Delsea) then dropped a “terrific” bunt in front of the plate that Gore called the difference in the game. Delco third baseman Harrison Maull charged and tried to backhand flip it toward home, but the ball sailed well past the catcher allowing Ray to score the go-ahead run. O’Brien kept coming and slid in well ahead of the ball getting back to the pitcher covering to make it 5-3.

“I always try to stay aggressive,” O’Brien said. “I might not be the fastest kid, but whenever I can get an extra bag I try to take it and try to do my best on the bases because that’s a big asset in the game that people forget about.

“On the ball I hit I was just trying to get an extra bag. I took a peek at second and saw there was no one covering and I thought the outfielder was going to try to throw the guy out at third so I knew I had an advantage so I took the extra bag. (On the bunt) I was down to third as quick as I could and as soon as I saw that ball go by the catcher I didn’t think twice, I just went straight home.”

“It was good baserunning,” Gore said. “It was a good baseball play.”

The burst of speed certainly impressed O’Brien’s teammates.

“I just think he must have been put on the treadmill lately,” Burchfield said. “He can run now.”

Burchfield drew the start at DH and reached base in both his plate appearances after falling behind 0-2 in both at-bats. He coaxed a walk in the third inning and scored Tri-Cape’s first run and singled to left to load the bases in the fourth.

“I went down 0-2 and I knew I just had to put something in play,” he said. “I didn’t want to strike out on three pitches; I was like I’ve got to work an at-bat here. It landed in the right spot, so it felt pretty good. I wasn’t nervous. I thought it was pretty fun to be out here and get a hit.”

Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky threw an inning out of the bullpen. He got Tri-Cape out of a jam in the sixth, but left with two on and one out in the seventh.

He replaced Travis Large (Ocean City) after Campbell McCormack one-hopped the fence to plate Delco’s first run. He put the tying run on base with a walk, but got out of the trouble with an fielder’s choice that put runners at the corners and an inning-ending strikeout.

His seventh started well with a ground out to first, but he was lifted after a walk and a single. Nate Bott (Kingsway) put out that fire and wound up getting the win.

“I was kind of nervous (but) no more nervous than other places, like normal ball parks,” Pokrovsky said. “I just tried to throw strikes, but I was pulling off a lot.”

It was likely the left-hander’s final pitching outing of the tournament as Gore said he would be used as a position player/hitter in the championship game. Pokrovsky has pitched in all three of Tri-Cape’s tournaments games thus far. In 3 2/3 innings he allowed two hits, no runs and struck out five.

After today we’re going to be able to flip Luke to be able to hit tomorrow so we’re going to look to see that side of him,” Gore said. “I know that’s a really special side. He’s done a really good job for us on the mound, but he’ll be a position player for us tomorrow.”

In the other semifinal, InterAc scored four runs in the ninth inning to take the lead, then held off a rally in the bottom of the ninth to eliminate defending champion Jersey Shore 5-4. They will be playing in the championship game for the first time.

Tri-Cape 6, Delaware County 3

Delaware County000001020-374
Tri-Cape00102003X-671
WP: Nate Bott (1-0). LP: Sabo Graham (0-1). S: Benedetto Andreoli (1). 2B: Campbell McCormack (DC), James Quici (DC).

InterAc 5, Jersey Shore 4

Inter-Ac000001004-561
Jersey Shore000100201-451
WP: D.J. Peterson (1-0). LP: Dylan Shaffer (0-1). 2B: Tague Davis (IA), Joe Maier (JS). 3B: Tommy Markey (IA)

Meet of Champions

Salem’s Jackson, Schalick’s O’Neill bring top 10 finishes back to Salem County

By Riverview Sports News

PENNSAUKEN – Salem’s DaviYonn Jackson and Schalick’s Grace O’Neill both posted top 10 finishes – the highest finishes among Salem County athletes – at Wednesday’s NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Pennsauken High School.

Jackson, the Group I champion, finished fifth with a jump of 46 feet, 6.5 inches. O’Neill finished eighth in the girls discus with a throw of 134 feet, 3 inches that broke a 12-year-old school record. Her throw was two feet better than her third-place throw in the Group I meet.

Here is how the Salem County athletes fared at the TOC Meet.

BOYS
Triple jump: 5. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 46-6.5); 14. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 43-7.25.
4×800: 18. Woodstown (Karson Chew, Joshua Crasford, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas), 8:15.98).

GIRLS
4×100: 11. Salem (Sairis Jiminez, Karima Davenport-White, Morgan VanDover, Rhionna Timmons), 49.3.
400: 13. Anna Buzby, Salem, 59.11.
3200: 13. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 11:05.33.
Discus: 8. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 134-3.
Pole vault: 21. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 10-0.
Long jump: 26. Karima Davenport-White, 16-0.

Back to the Bank

Tri-Cape All-Stars score second win in Carpenter Cup, reach semifinals in Citizens Bank Park for fourth year in a row; all 3 Salem County players contribute

CARPENTER CUP
Thursday’s Games
Urban Youth Academy Fields, FDR Park
Inter-Ac/Independents 18, SEPA 5
Jersey Shore 9, Chester County 6
Tri-Cape 5, Philadelphia Catholic 2
Delaware County 10, Philadelphia Public 9

June 24 Semifinals
At Citizens Bank Park
Inter-Ac/Independents vs. Jersey Shore, 9 a.m.
Tri-Cape vs. Delaware County, 12:30 p.m.

June 25 Championship Game
At Citizens Bank Park
Semifinal winners, 9:30 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA – D.J. Gore has taken the Tri-Cape All-Stars to the Carpenter Cup rounds in Citizens Bank Park so much the last couple years he could probably set up shop next to Rob Thomson’s office and nobody in the Phillies’ organization would think twice.

Meanwhile, the three Salem County players on the team have all been in the Bank before but never from the place they’ll be come next Monday.

The Tri-County/Cape Atlantic League stars coached by Gore punched their ticket to the Carpenter Cup semifinals for the fourth year in a row Thursday when they beat the Philadelphia Catholic League 5-2 on the Dick Allen Urban Youth Academy Field in FDR Park.

They’ll now play the Delaware County stars in the 12:30 p.m. June 24 semifinal at Citizens Park Bank, looking to reach the finals for the fourth year in a row. Inter-Ac/Independents will play Jersey Shore in the 9 a.m. semifinal. Jersey Shore beat Tri-Cape in last year’s championship game. The finals are 9:30 a.m. June 25.

“We’ve been fortunate because we’ve had a run of really good, successful kids and they’re extremely talented,” said Gore, the head coach at Highland Regional. “It really is easy to have them in the dugout. That’s how we’ve been able to have the success that we’ve been able to have.

“It’s always a big deal to get a new group of kids there. There are probably 10 kids who haven’t been there, so you get a new group to experience Citizens Bank Park and were all still probably little boys at heart so any time you can walk on the field and get on the field and get into the bullpens, get on the home plate, the pitching mound, it’s a memory that lasts a lifetime.”

All three of the Salem County players on the team – Pennsville’s Peyton O’Brien and Chase Burchifield and Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky – have been in Citizens Bank Park before. O’Brien has even been on the field once for a meet-the-players session, but for the most part all of their experience has been from the stands.

Now, they’ll be able to experience it from a whole different perspective.

“That’s going to be really cool,” Burchfield said. “I’m going to have to take some videos of that.”

“It’s going to be crazy,” O’Brien said. “A field you grew up watching, now you have the opportunity to play on that field, it’s going to be awesome.”

Pokrovsky hadn’t really given any thought to throwing of the CBP mound before, but after Thursday’s win, he said, “I’m going to start thinking about it now.”

“We have a really good team,” he said. “I feel like we’re going to win the next one and get to the championship.”

All three Salem players played a part in Thursday’s victory.

O’Brien and Burchfield each collected their first hit of the series in the sixth inning. Burchfield beat out an infield single to third with one out and in somewhat a reversal of fortunes, O’Brien punched an opposite-field single into left to score his high school teammate and extended Tri-Cape’s lead to 4-1. 

During the high school season it was usually Burchfield, the Eagles’ cleanup hitter, knocking in O’Brien, who hit third.

“Tuesday I struck out with a guy on third base and I was not happy about it,” O’Brien said. “I wanted to get a run home, so I tried to do whatever I could and put the ball in play and it found a spot. To be able to hit him in is awesome.”

“It was pretty cool to have that happen, especially in this game where not all of us are from the same (high school) team.”

Pokrovsky pitched for the second game in a row. This time, instead of finishing the game, the left-hander pitched two innings of one-hit shutout middle relief immediately behind starter and winner Tate DeRias (Gloucester Catholic/Miami).

Pokrovsky was lifted in mid-count for Mainland’s Brady Blum after putting the first two runners on in the sixth, but, in one of the biggest moments of the game, after he loaded the bases with none out Blum got out of the jam with three straight strikeouts similar to what he did in the opener.

“Today was a lot better due to the fact I was more loose,” Pokrovsky said. “Tuesday I warmed up in the beginning of the game and it was like three hours later that I threw on the mound. Throwing in the middle of game it felt way better than Tuesday.”

The PCL stars hit DeRias’ first pitch for a triple and scored a run in the first inning, but got not more. They were 2-for-21 with runners on base, 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base.

Tri-Cape took the lead with three in the second. They tied the game on an RBI infield single by Chris Smith (Washington Twp.), took the lead when Hunter Ray (Lower Cape May) scored on a wild pitch and extended the lead on another RBI infield single by Evan Taylor (Ocean City).

“it’s fun playing with all these kids,” Burchfield said. “You know they’re all so good. I feel like I’ll be up to bat and the next thing I’ll be right back up because all the kids are hitting. It’s fun.”

Phila. Catholic (1-1)100000001-270
Tri-Cape (2-0)03000101X-5111

WP: Tate DeRias (1-0). LP: Kyle Tuthill (0-1). S: Matt Kouser (1). 2B: Noah Danza (TC), Jake Cagna (TC), Frank Master (TC). RBI-Phila. Catholic: Harry Carr, Michael Coleman; Tri-Cape: Evan Taylor, Noah Danza, Peyton O’Brien, Chris Smith.

Cover photo: Pennsville’s Peyton O’Brien is poised to take a cut during his plate appearance for the Tri-Cape All-Stars in the eighth inning of Thursday’s Carpenter Cup game.

Tri-Cape wins opener

Combo league stars drill Burlco 13-6, all 3 Salem County stars play, give ‘solid’ performances

CARPENTER CUP BASEBALL CLASSIC
Tuesday’s Results
Urban Youth Academy Fields, FDR Park
Philadelphia Catholic 4, Bux-Mont 1
Tri-Cape 13, Burlington County 6
Philadelphia Public 4, Delaware North 3
Delaware County 6, Delaware South 3
Thursday’s Games
Urban Youth Academy Fields, FDR Park
Inter-Ac/Independents vs. SEPA, 9 a.m. (Dick Allen Field)
Chester County vs. Jersey Shore, 10:30 a.m. (Richie Ashburn Field)
Philadelphia Catholic vs. Tri-Cape, 12:30 p.m. (Dick Allen Field)
Philadelphia Public vs. Delaware County, 2 p.m. (Richie Ashburn Field)

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA – It just goes to show the kind of team the Tri-Cape all-stars draft every year when they don’t get to work out together before they play in the Carpenter Cup and then have the kind of success they enjoy in the tournament.

The Tri-Cape stars’ opened their bid for a fourth straight trip to the Carpenter Cup championship game Monday with a 13-6 win over Burlington County on the Urban Youth Academy Fields at FDR Park.

In the highest-scoring game of the opening round, the Tri-Cape stars pounded 14 hits and scored almost as many runs as the day’s other three winners combined. They answered Burlco’s three-run third with seven runs in the bottom of the inning to take control.

Actually, in all three innings Burlington scored Tri-Cape answered with at least one run to maintain its lead. 

“We’ve never done it,” Tri-Cape manager D.J. Gore said of a pre-tournament practice. “It’s not that we wouldn’t like to, but at the same time Gloucester Catholic, Delsea, St. Augustine are playing in state championship games on Friday and Saturday and that takes precedent. This is a showcase. It’s to represent our two conferences.

“They’re all-star caliber kids,. They’re All-South Jersey kids. They’re kids that hit most likely in their high-school lineup either first, second, third or fourth, and you have a collection of them. They’re the best of what I think we have to offer in the Tri-County/Cape Atlantic Conferences.  (The result) is a byproduct of that.”

You can’t argue with their results. Tri-Cape has been a fixture in the finals, nailing down the title in 2021 and 2022 and playing for it again last year.

All three Salem County players on this year’s Tri-Cape roster – Schalick’s Luke Pokrovsky and Pennsville teammates Chase Burchfield and Peyton O’Brien – got in the opener and gave what Gore called  “a solid performance.”

Pokrovsky was the last of seven pitchers Gore used in the game. The Cougars’ junior left-hander got the final two outs to preserve the victory. He faced two batters, walked one and struck out one. One of his outs was recorded at the plate.

He was part of a back end of the Tri-Cape bullpen that pitched four shutout innings and allowed just three hits and a walk. Mainland senior Brady Blum struck out all three batters he faced in an eighth-inning jam. St. Augustine senior J.P. Podgorski worked the first three innings and was credited with the win.

“The idea behind it all was with Luke you need to be able to close games out and we needed to be able to be in a position to where we had an elite arm at the end of the game because at one point it was an 8-6 game,” Gore said. 

Burchfield was hitless in three at-bats off the bench as the designated hitter, but he hit the ball hard all three times he came to the plate and drove in a run. One of the his rockets was misplayed in centerfield for an error. He almost beat out a grounder in the infield in his last at-bat.

O’Brien played first base and went 0-for-1 with a walk. Still, it was a red-letter day for the Eagles junior. On top of being part of the deepest team he’s ever played on, it was his 17th birthday and he passed his driver’s test before arriving at the ballpark.

“It was awesome,” O’Brien said. “There were a lot of good players out there and it was a really cool experience. I can’t speak for everybody else, but me and Chase were extremely honored to get the chance to go out there and play for Tri-Cape because we know how big a deal it is.”

Despite having a freshly printed New Jersey driver’s license in his back pocket, O’Brien didn’t drive himself to the game.

“My dad wasn’t ready for that yet,” he said.

The team now now plays the Philadelphia Catholic League stars Thursday at 12:30 p.m. The winner gets a spot in Monday’s semifinals in Citizens Bank Park. The PCL stars advanced with a 4-1 one-hitter over Bux-Mont.

Gore’s plan is to have a similar approach with his pitchers.

“We’re going to get some guys back who we didn’t have available today,” he said. “It’s the next game to win. This next game is what gets you into Citizens Bank Park, which has always been the No. 1 goal: To get these kids on that field, give them that experience in a major-league stadium.“

As for the newest driver on the team, he probably has a better chance driving home a run Thursday than driving to the game.

“It’s still up in the air,” O’Brien said, “but I’m guessing probably not.”

Burlington County003120000-6104
Tri-Cape00711031X-13143

WP: J.P. Podgorski (1-0). LP: Ben Hudson (0-1). 2B: Andrew Shank (BC), Guy Lynam (TC). 3B: Noah Danza (TC). RBI-Burlington County: Reid Uccello, Andrew Shank 2, Nick Merunka; Tri-Cape: Frank Master 2, Evan Taylor, Jack Mustaro, Tommy Popoff 2, Jake Slusarski 2, Ryan Manning, Jake Meyers, Matt Johansen, Ethan Mitnick, Chase Burchfield.

Hadfield doubles

Schalick junior wins 1600 to go along with the 3200 she won Friday; Woodstown’s boys 4×800 relay also brings home gold Saturday

By Riverview Sports News

SOMERSET – Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield became a double winner, Woodstown’s boys won the 4×800 relay and the Salem and Schalick girls finished 4-5 in the team standings to highlight Saturday’s final day of the NJSIAA Group I track championship at Franklin High School.

HADFIELD

Hadfield used a strong closing kick for the second day in a row to win the girls 1600 to go with the 3200 she pulled out at the finish on Friday. Her winning time was 5:07.66.

Interestingly, the order of finish in the 1600 was the same as the 3200 the day before: Hadfield, Wallkill Valley’s Delana Einreinhofer and Audubon’s Riley Fayer.running fourth most of the race with Fayer and Einreinhofer running 1-2 and Kinnelon’s Grace Mougalian third.

She had been running fourth most of the race with Fayer and Einreinhofer running 1-2 and Kinnelon’s Grace Mongolian in third, but put on a burst over the final 400 meters, running the leg in 1:11.64. It was the fastest closing leg in the race and second overall only to Fayer’s opening 1:10.86.

Woodstown 4×800 boys relay (Karson Chew, Joshua Crawford, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas) took the lead from Hasbrouck Heights in Split 5 and kept it the rest of the race. Their winning time of 8:11.67 beat runner-up Woodbury by nearly a second. The Wolverines’ girls 4×8 finished third in their race. They were as far back as 10th early in the race, but made up five spots by the midpoint and were running second after split 7 before being overtaken.

Salem’s girls finished fourth as a team with 40 points. Schalick pulled within one point of the Rams with its fourth-place finish in the 4×400 relay.

Third-place finishes by Salem County athletes Saturday included Salem’s Anna Buzby (400) and Karima Davenport-White (100 hurdles) and Schalick’s Grace O’Neill (discus).

O’Neill missed her goal of setting the school discus record by seven inches, but she is a projected wildcard qualifier for next week’s Meet of Champions.

This story will be updated.

NJSIAA GROUP I CHAMPIONSHIP
SOMERSET – Here are the Saturday Day Two results for Salem County’s qualifiers in the Group I state meet at Franklin HS (Friday’s results have been previously posted). The top 2 finishers in each event qualify for Meet of Champions (plus next 16 best regardless of class); top six finishers in each event score points for their team:

BOYS FINAL TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Woodbury 78, Glassboro 57, Hasbrouck Heights 38, Riverside 38, Audubon 31, Manville 30, Gloucester City 26, Cresskill 20, Burlington City 20, Florence 18. T-18 Salem 10, T-18, Woodstown 10, 26. Schalick 6, 29, Penns Grove 4
4×800: 1. Woodstown (Karson Chew, Joshua Crawford, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas), 8:11.67; 8. Schalick 8:39.61; 11. Salem 8:45.24.
1600: 12. Matthew Tozer, Schalick, 4:39.22
4×400: 4. Schalick (Reggie Allen, Jacob Carter, David Stewart, Steve Chomo), 3:30.55
Javelin: 7. Cole Campbell, Pennsville, 156-10; 10. Connor Ayars, Pennsville, 150-2
Long jump: 9. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 20-4.5
Pole vault: 5. Salvatore Longo, Schalick, 11-6

GIRLS FINAL TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Hasbrouck Heights 70, Audubon 52, Clayton 46.33, Salem 40, Schalick 39, Woodbury 35, Ridgefield Memorial 30, Dayton 24, Wallkill Valley 18.33, Emerson 18. T-17 Pennsville 10, T-19 Woodstown 8.
400: 3. Anna Buzby, Salem, 57.80
4×800: 3. Woodstown (Kayla Ayars, Sarah Seiden, Arie Still, Lillian Norman), 10:05.92; 8. Schalick 10:39.28
100 hurdles: 3. Karima Davenport-White, Salem, 15.85; 5. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 15.87
200: 6. Rhionna Timmons, Salem, 26.75
1600: 1. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 5:07.66; 17. Lillian Norman, Woodstown, 5:53.15
4×400: 4. Schalick (Alivia Klancic, Grace O’Neill, Jordan Hadfield, Gia Martellacci), 4:09.94
Discus: 3. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 132-2
Triple jump: 11. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 33-6.75; 13. Calista Hunt, Woodstown, 33-3.75; 18. Molly Curtis, Woodstown, 32-4
High jump: 5. Kami Casiano, Woodstown, 4-10

Striking gold

Three Salem County individuals and one relay win events on Day One of the NJSIAA Group I track championships; Salem’s girls current third in team standings

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SOMERSET – Three individual athletes and one relay team brought back gold to Salem County Friday in the first day of the NJSIAA Group I state track meet at Franklin High School.

DAVENPORT-WHITE

Salem’s DaviYonn Jackson won the boys triple jump, Pennsville’s Megan Morris won the girls pole vault, Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield won the girls 3200 and Salem’s girls won the 4×100 relay to highlight the locals’ first day of competition.

Salem’s girls are currently third in the team standings with 27 points, three behind second-place Audubon. Hasbrouck Heights leads with 42 points.

“Today was a great day all around,” Salem senior Karima Davenport-White said.

The Rams’ relay team won with a school-record time of 49.63 and hit the tape five-hundredths of a second ahead of runner-up Woodbury after Rhionna Timmons ran what coach Spencer Jarrett called “the best anchor of her life.” 

The other members of the relay were Sairis Jimenez, Davenport-White and Morgan VanDover.

“For me, it’s a huge deal since I’ve been on the 4×1 relay since my freshman year,” Davenport-White said. “So this is everything finally paying off, all the hard work and sacrifice.”

Davenport-White also finished third in the long jump, breaking Timmons’ school record with a jump of 17-2; Timmons finished fifth. Teammate Anna Buzby finished third in the girls 800 and sixth in the 400 hurdles and pole vault, and Dominique Lewis was sixth in the shot.

“Today was a great day,” Jarrett said.

MORRIS

Jackson gave the Rams their second state champion of the day when he repeated in the boys triple jump with a career-best jump of 46-feet, 4-inches. The man they call “Pop” led after the first round of jumps, hit his eventual winning jump on his second attempt and nearly matched it on his third jump. 

He won by eight inches, but had to sweat it out as Cresskill runner-up Joshua Yoon (45-8) and Cartrell Moore of Glassboro (45-7) came after him hard.

“I knew out of the box it was going to be a dogfight, I tried to put my head down and just fight,” Jackson said. “I kept telling myself at the back of the runway I’m there, I’m knocking on the door, they’ve got to let me in.”

Morris won the girls pole vault with a personal-best 10-0. She hit all three of her progressive heights on the first attempt and made her winning jump on the second try at the height. She made an effort at 10-3 after securing the victory but fatigue got the best of her.

“I’ve been working really hard throughout the whole season,” Morris said. “I was really excited when I got it. Once I got 9-6 I knew I had 10 in me and that’s what made me win.

“The whole entire time the main thing I was excited for is to get my name on the banner for state championships so I could make my mark in Pennsville. I was definitely excited, but I think the person who was more excited than me was my dad with the video. He was screaming and going crazy.”

Hadfield won the girls 3200 in a time of 11:03.29.

It was a three-person race the whole way with Hadfield, Wallkill Valley’s Delana Einreinhofer and Audubon’s Riley Fayer running up front and Hadfield and Einreinhofer swapping leads every lap. Finally, with about 50 meters to go, Hadfield decided she was going to win the race, went for it and hit the tape first with more than a second to spare.

HADFIELD

“Last week (at sectionals) wasn’t her best performance and she was kind of upset about that, so she wanted to make sure she went out strong and ran better this weekend and did really well,” Cougars coach Missy Pine said. 

All the event winners and runner-ups automatically qualify for the Meet of Champions. The rest await word of wildcard berths to the next 16 best times in each event regardless of classification.

Schalick’s Grace O’Neill scored with a third-place finish in the 400 hurdles and the Cougars’ 4×1 relay placed sixth. On the boys’ side, Khalim Smith of Penns Grove was fourth in the triple jump.

The meet wraps up Saturday.

NJSIAA GROUP I CHAMPIONSHIPS
SOMERSET – Here are the results of Salem County’s qualifiers to the Group I state meet Friday at Franklin HS. The top 2 finishers in each event qualify for Meet of Champions (plus next 16 best regardless of class); top six finishers in each event score points for their team

BOYS TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Glassboro 37, Woodbury 30, Manville 22, Riverside 18, Hasbrouck Heights 17, Gloucester 15, Salem 10, Audubon 10, Burlington City 10, Florence 10.
4×100: 7. Schalick (Reggie Allen, Michael Eberl, David Stewart, Levi Feeney-Childers) 43.95
800: 8. Joshua Crawford, Woodstown, 1:59.49; 15. Cole Lucas, Woodstown, 2:07.24
3200: 15. Jacob Marino, Woodstown, 10:40.68
Discus: 13. Ethan McLean, Schalick, 130-0
Triple jump: 1. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 46-4, 4. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 44-3.5; 7. David Stewart, Schalick, 43-0.5.

GIRLS TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Hasbrouck Heights 42, Audubon 30, Salem 27, Clayton 18, Schalick 17, Woodbury 16, Dayton 14, Verona 13, Pennsville 10, Haddon Twp. 10, Ridgefield 10, Kinnelon 10, Mountain Lakes 10.
4×100: 1. Salem (Sairis Jiminez, Karima Davenport-White, Morgan VanDover, Rhionna Timmons) 49.63; 6. Schalick (Zoe Jenkins, Gia Martellacci, Caileigh Schalick, Brooke Watt) 51.44
800: 3. Anna Buzby, Salem, 2:21.26
400 hurdles: 3. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 1:07.03; 6. Anna Buzby, Salem, 1:08.57
3200: 1. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 11:03.29
Shot put: 6. Dominique Lewis, Salem, 34-3; 9. Ava Rodgers, Salem, 32-9
Javelin: 7. Allyson Green, Schalick, 101-1
Long jump: 3. Karima Davenport-White, Salem, 17-2; 5. Rhionna Timmons, Salem, 16-7
Pole vault: 1. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 10-0; 6. Anna Buzby, Salem, 8-6

One last hurrah

With priorities shifting going forward, Schalick’s Siedlecki looking to have some fun in his final high school football game

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – The toughest day for any competitive athlete is the day they take the field for the last time. Jake Siedlecki wasn’t sure when that day might come while he was playing except to know it was going to come someday.

SUNDAY, 5 P.M.
KEAN UNIVERSITY

Now that it’s upon him, instead of wallowing in sadness and nostalgia, he intends to embrace the experience and have fun with it.

The Schalick senior will play the final game of his four-year high school football career Sunday when he takes part in the Phil Simms NJ North-South All-Star Classic at Kean University. But instead of feeling down about reaching the end of the competitive line, he plans to have as much fun as the day allows.

“In terms of it being my last football game ever, I haven’t really thought about it in that way,” Siedlecki said. “I feel like my ‘last football’ football game, one that meant something I would remember on the field, would be the (Central Jersey Group I) championship game (against Glassboro).

“This I feel like is going to be a fun experience. I’m playing against some major competition and I get one last hurrah. It’s not like I’ll be playing the whole game. Whatever time I get out there it’s like one last hurrah that I get to have fun all weekend. Yeah, it’s my last football game, but it’s not really like a football game, it’s more of just an experience, the last experience on the field. This is kind of something that I earned and I’m able to just go out there and have fun.”

During his high school career Siedlecki has evolved from one of the few freshmen on coach Mike Wilson’s first Schalick team – the freshman with the broken arm – to one of the mainstays in the Cougars’ resurgence. 

This past season he made 32 tackles and a team-leading five interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown against Gloucester Catholic. He also was their leading receiver with 321 yards and four TDs.

He’ll be one of three Salem County players in the game. Woodstown defensive end Damien Eichler and Penns Grove tight end Willie Slocum are also on the South roster. The players check in Friday for two days of workouts and other activities then play 5 p.m. Sunday.

Just like all the players in the game, Siedlecki is heading off to college later this summer. Unlike those guys, however, he doesn’t plan to play football there. He’s going to Villanova to pursue a business degree, and unless he gets a walk-on opportunity (which he hasn’t completely ruled out) the next snap he takes will be in an intramural game with his fraternity buddies.

“Part of me thinks he really means that,” Wilson said. “The other part of me is going after he hits somebody for the first time he might change his mind, like, ah, I kind of miss this.”

He’ll have plenty of chances to make a play. According to the rules of the game everybody has to play the same amount, so with four safeties on the team each will play half the game. 

It’s not like Siedlecki didn’t look into playing football in college. He considered two local options, Rowan and Ursinus, and had the promise of roster spots at two elite Division III colleges in New England. He also was accepted to numerous Power 5 universities for academics, but when he looked at the big picture, Villanova even without sports was better in the long run for his future.

“I’m sure one of the biggest questions that’s going to be passed around is where you guys going to commit,” he said. “They’re probably all going to say their college and I’m going to be like I’m going to Villanova but not for football. It might be a little weird, but at the same time I’m sure once I say I’m one of the top in my class and I got a good deal at Villanova they’ll understand.”

Adding to the emotion of the weekend is player and coach will get one more go-round together. Wilson is the South’s defensive coordinator. 

“It’s bittersweet that we get to do one more game together, because usually you don’t get that opportunity,” Wilson said. “I’m biased because I think he can play another four or five years, but he gets the opportunity (this weekend), he deserves the opportunity. Either way, we’re going to take it for what it’s worth, enjoy the weekend, have fun and hopefully the South wins.”

That would be historical. The series is tied 20-20-2. The South hasn’t won the game since 2018.

While Siedlecki is preparing to have fun this weekend, there’s going to come a time Sunday when the clock runs out and it’ll all be over. He’s prepared.

“There’s definitely going to be sadness,” he said. “The closest thing to that was the championship game. When that clock hit 0:00 there was a moment of realization when I thought this is the last time I’ll be on this field, the last time I’ll be doing these things. 

“Your mind just goes through all the experiences you’ve had over and over again because football is life and now it’s not anymore. I’m assuming it’ll be the same experience on Sunday. I’ll probably take a few minutes on the field to take it all in.”