.500 and motivated

Schalick plays one of its most solid games of the year, beats Pennsauken Tech to reach .500 for the third time this season

SATURDAY BOYS BASKETBALL
Schalick 39, Pennsauken Tech 26

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – There’s a different vibe buzzing around the Schalick boys basketball team these days.

Call it a carryover from a very successful football season, one in which many of the players on the basketball team participated in, but there’s regular talk within a program that struggled to win games in the past of .500 records and winning seasons.

“We talk about it all the time in practice,” sophomore guard Jase Volovar said. “This year just felt a lot different. I felt like we were going to do way better.”

The Cougars were better Saturday. They played one of their most solid games of the year on both ends of the floor and beat Pennsauken Tech 39-26.

It was their third win of the season, matching their win total for all of last season (3-20), and more importantly got them back to .500 for the third time this year. The 3-3 record is their best this early in the season since 2015-16 when they were 4-2 on Jan. 5 and 6-2 on Jan. 6 on the way to a 22-8 campaign.

And maybe it’s too early to think about, but they are now No. 18 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings.

“It just keeps them more motivated,” Cougars coach James Turner said. “Not winning or you win one game and you lose eight then get one and (lose) another five, it’s hard to keep the kids motivated, hard to keep them locked in.

“I don’t think it’s so much as we already won three games, I think it’s also the idea that we’re a .500 team. They just want to constantly keep that. You want to get that next one. We lost to Pennsville, it was all right, we’ve got to get that back.”

The Cougars didn’t win their third game last year until the 20th game of the year. It took them two years to get that many before that. The last time they won more than three games was 2019-20 when they were 9-17 and that third win didn’t come until Game 12.

“I think this is really good for us,” Volovar said. “It’s going to get us moving a lot and we’re going to want to chase for more.”

Reggie Allen bounced back from a tough game against Pennsville and led the Cougars with a game-high 15 points, including a clutch three-point play in the fourth quarter that ramped up the bench and got the crowd into it. It was his best game since the season opener.

Dan Lis added 12 points and Volovar hit three 3-pointers at key junctures in the game to keep the momentum on the Cougars’ side. One of the treys gave the Cougars a four-point lead and kept the energy up, one beat the buzzer to give them a nine-point halftime lead and the last one sealed the deal.

Nylan Sutton scored only three points after back-to-back games in double figures, but he led the defensive effort with quick hands and deflections.

“Usually we’re our own worst enemy, but overall they played a great offensive and defensive game,” Turner said. “It was a good offensive game because we didn’t force any shots or any passes, we controlled the ball and took care of the ball. Going into today we really wanted to emphasize being patient on offense and not rush passes and wait for the right shot to come.

“And defensively we were able to put pressure on them and get turnovers, which slowed their team down.”

They’re all the things teams that put together winning seasons do.

SCHALICK 39, PENNSAUKEN TECH 26
PENNSAUKEN TECH (3-6) – Naeem Dale 1 0-0 2, Tyrone Baker 2 0-1 6, Omari Spencer 4 2-3 10, Carlos Cruz 0 2-3 2, Xavier Melendez 1 3-5 6, Jahseem Branch 0 0-0 0, Chris Graham 0 0-0 0, James Stout 0 0-2 0. Totals 8 7-14 26.
SCHALICK (3-3) – Reggie Allen 5 3-7 15, Nylan Sutton 1 1-2 3, Dan Lis 3 4-7 12, Jordan Johnson 0 0-0 0, Jake Siedlecki 0 0-0 0, Ryan Johnson 0 0-0 0, Jase Volovar 3 0-0 9. Totals 12 8-16 39.

Pennsauken Tech	7	8	7	4 –	26
Schalick	10	14	7	8 –	39

3-point goals: Tech 3 (Baker 2, Melendez); Schalick 7 (Allen 2, Lis 2, Volovar 3). Fouled out: Baker. Total fouls: Tech 16, Schalick 13.

Saturday wrestling

Penns Grove’s Brown finishes second in Maryland tournament; Schalick wins three, Woodstown, Pennsville in duals

By Riverview Sports News

CHESAPEAKE CITY, Md. – Anthony Brown wrestled for a title for the second week in a row and this time finished second to return home as Penns Grove’s highest-placing wrestler in the 27th annual Battle at the Bridge.

Brown lost a 13-6 decision to Ryan Sewell of Harford Tech in the 150 final. It was his first loss of the season. Brown pinned all three of his opponents on the road to the final.

Isaiah Upshur placed third, winning by injury default over Jimmy McLane of team champion Sussex Central in the consolation final. Devine Arce finished fifth at 120, pinning Keegan Allan of North East in 0:46 in the fifth-place match.

Upshur went 4-1 in the tournament with three pins. Arce went 3-2 and all three of his wins were by pin.

Four other Penns Grove wrestlers won at least one match in the tournament – Adam Gonzales (126), Reed Clark (132), Jayden Owens (157) and Clinton Bobo (175).

The Red Devils finished 14th as a team with 82 points.

BATTLE AT THE BRIDGE
TEAM SCORES: Sussex Central 333, Plymouth Whitemarsh 183, Harford Tech 170, Penncrest 155.5, Langley 121.5, North Caroline 118, Marple Newtown 114, Aberdeen 107.5, Conrad Science 100, North East 93.5, Queen Anne 92, Middletown 90, Havre de Grace 86, Penns Grove 82, Concord 79, Howard 58, Odessa 52, Linganore 51, Kent County 34.5, Elkton 22, Bohemia Manor 20, St. Charles 8.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
106: Austen Decker (Sussex) pinned Hunter Pettorossi (North East), 1:43
113: Tommy Arms (Conrad) dec. Zaden Tablan (Harford), 5-2
120: Malachi Stratton (Sussex) tech fall over Vincent Kirby (Havre de Grace), 4:33 (15-0)
126: Chase Murray (Sussex) dec. Tremaine Jackson (Queen Anne), 5-4
132: Evan Cordrey (Sussex) pinned Joe Bussell (Plymouth Whitemarsh), 0:54
138: Talan Savage (Sussex) dec. Scottie Ford (Kent County), 8-2
144: John Rovillard (Sussex) pinned Nikolai Chervak (Harford), 5:15
150: Ryan Sewell (Harford) dec. Anthony Brown (Penns Grove), 13-6
157: Ty Bokowski (Plymouth Whitemarsh) dec. Justin Negron (Sussex), 6-0
165: Robert Roncskevitz (Langley) dec. Zak Ettien (Concord), 9-4
175: Gabe Cannon (Sussex) pinned Chris Bruette (Penncrest), 1:15
190: Noah Reed (Penncrest) dec. Jack Ryder (Harford), SV-1 6-4
215: Liam Stauffer (Penncrest) pinned Jeremiah Eastburn (Concord), 5:10
285: Donald Kunf (Plymouth Whitemarsh) dec. Brett Cowan (Marple Newtown), TB-1 3-2

Haddon Heights Quad

HADDON HEIGHTS – There’s nothing better for a young team’s confidence than winning.

The Schalick/Cumberland co-op program has no seniors and started four freshmen and won all three of their matches in a quad meet at Haddon Heights to run their winning streak to six.

They beat Haddon Heights 47-24, Mainland 57-15 and Overbrook 62-13.

“The more we win, the more confident they’re getting, which is a good thing for a very, very young team,” SC coach Joe Frassenei said.

Caleb Jenkins (106), Ayden Jenkins (150), Koen Martin (165) and Ronald Piernikoski (215) all went 3-0. Martin scored three pins to run his record to 8-0, Piernikoski had two pins and a decision. Caleb Jenkins had two pins and a forfeit, while Ayden Jenkins had a pin, tech fall and a forfeit.

SC WRESTLING 57, MAINLAND 15
120: Gabriel McFeeley (SC) pinned Justin Mazur, 5:07
126: Chris Mazur (M) pinned Luke Silva, 3:56
132: Chase Williams (SC) dec. Michael Borini, 10-3
138: Nikko Carfagno (M) pinned Daniel Lloyd, 1:14
144: Riley Papiano (SC) dec. Yeshua Martinez, 4-2
150: Ayden Jenkins (SC) pinned Miguel Melo, 4:17
157: Ricky Watt (SC) dec. Tyler Waters, 12-6
165: Koen Martin (SC) pinned Ian Reed, 0:59
175: Eric Sulik (SC) won by forfeit
190: Chase Hoag (M) dec. Jake Magonagle, 6-4
215: Ronald Piernikoski (SC) pinned Hector Gomez, 1:42
285: Noval Jenkins (SC) pinned Oswaldo Mendoza, 5:33
106: Caleb Jenkins (SC) pinned Jaxon Serra, 0:23
113: DeAnthony Harden (SC) won by forfeit

SC WRESTLING 47, HADDON HEIGHTS 26
126: Luke Silva (SC) pinned Tajon Rivera, 1:10
132: Chase Williams (SC) pinned Benjamin Alexander, 2:35
138: Dom Azzari (H) pinned Daniel Lloyd, 0:59
144: Josh Delgozzo (H) dec. Riley Papiano, 8-1
150: Ayden Jenkins (SC) tech fall over Ryan Bailey, 17-2 (3:47)
157: Liam Wikberg (H) pinned Ricky Watt, 0:36
165: Koen Martin (SC) pinned Adam Marks, 2:52
175: Jake Magonagle (SC) dec. Louis DiNardo, 5-2
190: Eric Sulik (SC) pinned Damian Berger, 4:43
215: Ronald Piernikoski (SC) dec. Nathan Lelionis, 6-4
285: Jayden Trace (H) dec. Noval Jenkins, 5-1
106: Caleb Jenkins (SC) pinned Aniello Napolitano, 2:20
113: Cole Denning (H) pinned Jermaine Cannon, 3:07
120: DeAnthony Harden (SC) pinned Michael Ferraro, 5:07

SC WRESTLING 63, OVERBROOK 13
132: Michael Rosano (O) maj. dec. over Chase Williams, 9-1
138: Daniel Lloyd (SC) pinned Domiano Redrow, 0:29
144: Riley Papiano (SC) pinned Tymere Christmas, 0:37
150: Ayden Jenkins (SC) won by forfeit
157: Ricky Watt (SC) dec. Oscar Calderon, 9-3
165: Koen Martin (SC) pinned Ben Matos, 3:32
175: Jake Magonagle (SC) pinned Vance Elder, 1:04
190: Daniel Keyes (O) dec. Eric Sulik, 10-7
215: Ronald Piernikoski (SC) pinned Angel Martinez, 4:19
285: Noval Jenkins (SC) pinned Aydin Appley, 4:51
106: Caleb Jenkins (SC) won by forfeit
113: DeAnthony Harden (SC) pinned John Coia, 0:18
120: Gabriel McFeeley (SC) won by forfeit
126: KhyRee Hines (O) pinned Luke Silva, 3:20
Records: Schalick/Cumberland 6-1

Dan Trainer Duals

COLLINGSWOOD – Woodstown went 0-2 in the tournament, losing to Cherry Hill West (44-36) and Highland (37-27).

Individually, Travis Balback (120), Greyson Hyland (175) and Paul Banff (190) all had a pair of pins. Brett Rowand (150) and Mateo Vinciguerra (285) had two wins.

Alex Torres lost twice in his return to the Wolverines’ lineup at 132.

CHERRY HILL WEST 44, WOODSTOWN 36
106: Raheem Truluck (CHW) pinned Chance Baionno, 2:55
113: Aidan Maldonado (CHW) won by forfeit
120: Travis Balback pinned Elijah Triche, 1:59
126: Otto Sanchez (CHW) dec. Carson Bradway, 4-0
132: Nate Camacho (CHW) pinned Alex Torres, 3:44
138: Josiah Canales (CHW) pinned Willem Groom, 3:36
144: Kristian Lenny (CHW) pinned Angel Hernandez, 3:39
150: Brett Rowand pinned Gabe Jones, 0:57
157: Danny Market (CHW) tech fall over Zayden Donahue, 18-2 (4:13)
165: Zach Bevis pinned Clayton Tyson, 3:46
175: Greyson Hyland pinned Ricardo Shirley, 2:29
190: Paul Banff pinned Karol Miklus, 4:31
215: JoNathan Valentin (CHW) pinned Josiah Meijas, 2:46
285: Mateo Vinciguerra pinned Ross Worlds, 5:33

HIGHLAND 37, WOODSTOWN 27
106: Erek Schwinge (H) pinned Chance Baionno, 1:30
113: Chris Kulb (H) won by forfeit
120: Travis Balback pinned Aidan Slimm, 1:15
126: Owen Kulb (H) maj. dec. over Carson Bradway, 16-3
132: Matt Tuttle (H) dec. Alex Torres, 9-6
138: Isaiah Garcis (H) pinned Willem Groom, 1:58
144: Michael Williams (H) pinned Angel Hernandez, 1:28
150: Brett Rowand dec. Nick DiCamillo, 4-3
157: Zayden Donahue def. Andrew Silvanio, SV 5-3
165: Jordan Suiter (H) dec. Zach Bevis, 7-3
175: Greyson Hyland pinned Jack Conway, 2:17
190: Paul Banff pinned Marquise Moss, 0:51
215: Xavier Velez (H) dec. Josiah Mejias, 7-2
285: Mateo Vinciguerra dec. William Taylor, 4-0
Records: Woodstown 2-5.

Blue Devil Duals

HAMMONTON – Pennsville bounced back from a tough loss to Absegami the night before to go 2-1 with wins over Buena and Millville.

Gateway scored pins or tech falls in nine of the 14 weight classes and handled the Eagles 58-15. But Pennsville bounced back, winning each of the last four bouts to down Buena 40-30 and scored four straight pins in the middle of the match to dump Millville 48-25.

Lucas Thomas, Christopher Daniels, Joseph Maurer, Travis Hagan, Robbie McDade, Elias Lussi and Daniel Emmons all posted a pair of wins for Pennsville.

GATEWAY 58, PENNSVILLE 15
106: Leo Butler (G) pinned Lucas Thomas, 3:13
113: Christian Snyder (G) pinned Vincent Ciccantelli, 0:54
120: Aidan Barbato (G) pinned Christopher Daniels, 1:49
126: Tavien Benoit (G) pinned Kameron Drummond, 1:41
132: Dante Gismondi (G) tech fall over Ayden Perez, 16-0 (2:52)
138: Chase Rossi (G) dec. Travis Hagan, 9-4
144: Noah Ubil (G) pinned Joseph Maurer, 1:47
150: Andrew Cortes (G) tech fall over Maddox Efelis, 22-7 (5:44)
157: Robbie McDade (P) dec. Evan Lee, 10-5
165: Donte Nocito (G) pinned Cole Campbell, 2:32
175: Brandon Bourdon (G) dec. Connor Ayars, 4-2
190: Elias Lussi (P) pinned Nick Kircher, 4:32
215: Daniel Emmons (P) won by forfeit
285: John Morris (G) pinned Trevor Waddington, 3:09

PENNSVILLE 40, BUENA 30
113: Nicholas Panaro (B) won by forfeit
120: Vincent Ciccantelli (P) won by forfeit
126: Christopher Daniels (P) maj. dec. over Michael Pettit, 13-1
132: Gionni Sharkey (B) pinned Kameron Drummond, 5:03
138: Joseph Maurer (P) won by forfeit
144: Travis Hagan (P) dec. Lucas Gellura, 10-9
150: Dom DiGiovachio (B) dec. Sky Eppes, 8-2
157: Charlie Muzzarelli (B) pinned Robbie McDade, 2:24
165: Cole Chicchi (B) dec. Cole Campbell, 7-2
175: Louie Drogo (B) pinned Connor Ayers, 4:45
190: Elias Lussi (P) pinned Maysen Sandfort, 1:05
215: Daniel Emmons (P) dec. Brian Passamante, 6-2
295: Trevor Waddington (P) pinned Brian Ayres, 2:22
106: Lucas Thomas (P) pinned Brianna Roeder, 1:15

PENNSVILLE 48, MILLVILLE 25
120: Christopher Daniels (P) pinned Caleb Rhoads, 3:15
126: Josh Roman (M) dec. Kameron Drummond, 9-3
132: Patrick Tull (M) maj. dec. over Gabriel Supernovae, 9-1
138: Travis Hagan (P) pinned Ezair Allen, 1:33
144: Joseph Maurer (P) pinned Alexander Mendez, 0:20
150: Sky Eppes (P) pinned Jacob Jones, 3:48
157: Robbie McDade (P) pinned Ryan Tepper, 3:40
165: Marquis Allen (M) pinned Cole Campbell, 2:41
175: Connor Ayers (P) pinned Ricky Brown, 0:20
190: Xavier McBride (M) dec. Elias Lussi, SV 7-5
215: Jayden Jones (M) pinned Daniel Emmons, 1:36
285: Marcus Offer (M) dec. Trevor Waddington, 3-0
106: Lucas Thomas (P) pinned Emerson Lewis, 0:45
113: Vincent Ciccantelli (P) won by forfeit

Cougars paired in Battle

Battle of the Beach pairs Schalick with Cedar Grove in this year’s fourth annual showcase in Ocean City

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – Mike Wilson would watch the Battle at the Beach games on television whenever practice week prep would allow. He always wanted to play in it, but never had the chance.

Well, the Schalick football coach can cross that off his bucket list now.

His Cougars, coming off one of the best years in school history and still loaded with talent, will get one of the Friday games in this year’s fourth annual Battle in Ocean City. They are scheduled to play Cedar Grove in an all-Group I matchup Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. in Carey Stadium. All that awaits is approval from their board.

“I think it’s good because it’s a showcase weekend,” Wilson said. “John (Emel), Mike (McKeown), (Clyde) Folsom, those guys have done a great job of organizing a great weekend. Just to have the opportunity to play in a showcase weekend like that is a big deal. It’s good for the kids. It’s good for the school.

“I’ve watched plenty of it on TV. Usually we’re playing that weekend, so I don’t have time to get down there myself. But last year I watched St. Joe Prep on TV. I watched Mainland play on TV. I played on that field growing up … the ferris wheel in the background … the beach in the background. I played there in high school, played there in youth football. It’s one of the best fields in New Jersey. It’s a great atmosphere.”

It’s just another chance for Schalick administrators to give their athletes a special experience. Later this winter the Cougars’ basketball team will play Clayton in the Wells Fargo Center before a Sixers game.

“To me, as an athletics director, that’s what you’re supposed to do – try to provide opportunities out of the norm for your kids to enhance your programs,” AD Doug Volovar said at the time of the basketball announcement. “That just seems like it’d be a great opportunity as an athletics director to give your kids a chance to do something different, to being a part of something special.”

CEDAR GROVE

While Schalick will be making its Battle debut, Cedar Grove has been there before. The Panthers played in it in 2022 and got crushed by Salem.

The Panthers went 8-2 last year and lost to eventual sectional champion Shabazz in the first round of the North Jersey-2 playoffs. Schalick won its first 11 games before losing to Glassboro in the Central Jersey final.

Other Battle at the Beach games that have been previously announced are George Washington (Phila.)-Glassboro, Winslow-Montclair, Willingboro-Oakcrest, Irvington-Eastside Camden, Millville-Holy Spirit, Mainland-Camden, Washington Twp.-Northern Highlands and Rancocas Valley-Pascack Valley.

Penns Grove is likely to play in the event, but no matchup has yet been made.

Challenge met

Woodstown passes its first major test of the season, Pennsville overwhelms Schalick in a battle of teams fighting the injury bug, Salem gets second straight win

THURSDAY GIRLS SCORES
Woodstown 61, Penns Grove 53
Pennsville 52, Schalick 14
Salem 45, Salem Tech 19

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – As almost everybody’s favorite to win the Tri-County Diamond Division and then some in South Jersey, the Woodstown girls basketball team knows it’s going to get everybody’s best shot every night.

The Wolverines faced their biggest test of the young season Thursday night and answered the bell like the favorites they are.

In a battle between the two best teams in the division, Woodstown grabbed the lead late in the first quarter, endured some anxious moments near the end of the first half and then finally pulled away in the second half for a 61-53 victory over Penns Grove.

“This is probably the biggest challenge we’ll have in all of our division games,” Wolverines coach Kara Straughn said. “They’re athletic, they’re quick, they’re the second-best team in our division, but I’ve got 10 girls who play together. There’s nobody in my opinion in our division who has as much of a team as I do.”

While Megan Donelson (25 points) and Talia Battavio (20) did most of their scoring as usual, the Wolverines (5-1) got contributions from throughout the lineup. Shannon Pieman grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked three shots. Alyssa Baber had 10 boards.

And they needed every bit of it. They took the lead midway through the first quarter, but Penns Grove never let them get comfortable.

The Red Devils were out of sorts during their two games in Wildwood after Christmas, but they were determined to play their game and not get caught up in the early-season enormity of the game. They pressed from the jump and made the Wolverines work for everything they got.

Donelson and Battavio combined for all of Woodstown’s points in the first quarter and 28 of their 30 in the first half.

Penns Grove is a team that likes to drive and attack the basket. But as the first half worn on, the Wolverines’ defense kept forcing the Red Devils farther out for shots and it produced the predictable results.

Woodstown led by 12 with less than two minutes left in the first half, but Penns Grove rallied and things got real intense in the final minute of the half. With 25.8 seconds to go in an eight-point game, Penns Grove’s RiNiyah Wilson was fouled by Battavio driving to the basket and the reaction led to a technical foul on the Wolverines guard.

Wilson hit three of the four free throws to make it a five-point game and the Red Devils had the ball with a chance to cut it to two or three. But Gianna Maiorini thwarted those plans when she stole the possession and fed Donelson who banked in a short jumper in the lane with six seconds to go. Donelson then stole the next inbounds pass and the Wolverines ran out the clock to take a seven-point halftime lead.

“If they would’ve gotten the lead I think it would’ve been a different game,” Straughn said.

The Red Devils got to within four several times early in the second half, but the Wolverines pushed it back out to 10 . They kept the Red Devils at arm’s length the rest of the game to win their fifth in a row while sending their hosts to their third straight loss.

“I think we could’ve done a little bit better than what we actually did, but we ended up pulling out the win and that’s just all that matters,” Donelson said.

While Donelson and Battavio were the big producers for Woodstown, Wilson did all she could to keep Penns Grove in it. The transfer from Kingsway led all scorers with a career-high 33 points and she grabbed nine rebounds.

“My coach talks about mental toughness, fight through the game, if we’re down pick my teammates up, keep going, keep fighting,” Wilson said. “I like playing in big games. I like competition.”

WOODSTOWN (5-1, 2-0) – Talia Battavio 6 6-8 20, Megan Donelson 11 2-2 25, Alyssa Baber 3 2-5 8, Gianna Maiorini 0 0-0 0, Shannon Pieman 2 2-2 6, Lauren Hengle 0 0-0 0, Emma Perry 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 12-17 61.
PENNS GROVE (4-3, 1-1) – Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Brianna Robbins 0 1-2 1, RaNiyah Wilson 14 3-7 33, Arianna Dowe 1 0-2 3, Amani Taylor 0 0-0 0, Meely Horace 6 2-4 14, Rolande Delva 1 0-0 2, Zoey Caesar 0 0-0 0, JaNiyah Cummings 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 6-15 53.

Woodstown	18	12	17	14 –	61
Penns Grove	12	11	14	16 –	53

3-point goals: Woodstown 3 (Battavio 2, Donelson); Penns Grove 3 (Wilson 2, Dowe). Technical fouls: Battavio. Fouled out: Taylor. Total fouls: Woodstown 16, Penns Grove 19.

Pennsville 52, Schalick 14

PENNSVILLE – The Eagles had the best of it in this battle of teams fighting through injuries. They opened a 24-7 halftime lead, then erupted for 21 points in the third quarter and shut out the Cougars in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles were down to four core players because of the injuries and brought up several players from the junior varsity to replenish the ranks. Veterans and newcomers alike got together for a film session before the start of the night’s JV game to hammer out a game plan for the main event.

They got the bulk of their scoring from Marley Wood (20 points) and Nora Ausland (18) while the others help keep it in the road. Wood and Ausland combined for all of Pennsville’s points in the first half.

“The girls who got pulled up stepped up and played the role we needed them to play,” Pennsville coach Sam Trapp said. “Izzie Saulin really stepped up on the defensive end. She had some great blocks and solid rebounding.”

SCHALICK (1-4, 0-2) – Cali Fisler 2 1-1 6, Ava Scurry 2 0-0 4, Gianna Gaines 1 0-4 2, Carly Vicente 1 0-0 2, Katie Little 0 0-0 0, Madison Brown 0 0-0 0, Virginia Basich 0 0-0 0, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-0 0. Totals 6 1-5 14.
PENNSVILLE (4-3, 2-0) – Calli Ausland 1 0-0 2, Nora Ausland 8 0-2 18, Sophia Belitsas 0 0-0 0, Karsen Cooksey 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Malani McGee 2 0-0 6, Izzy Saulin 3 0-0 6, Avery Watson 0 0-0 0, Marley Wood 8 3-3 20, Fredo 0 0-0 0, Lily Edwards 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 3-5 52.

Schalick	4	3	7	0 –	14
Pennsville	12	12	21	7 –	52

3-point goals: Schalick 1 (Fisler); Pennsville 5 (N. Ausland 2, McGee 2, Wood). Total fouls: Schalick 8, Pennsville 12.

Salem 45, Salem Tech 19

SALEM – The Rams put together another strong defensive effort to grab their second straight win. They collected 30 steals and blocked 20 shots against the Chargers.

Ava Rogers had 10 points, nine rebounds and blocked seven shots. QwenNazha Johnson-Logan had nine points, 12 rebounds, eight blocks and had five steals. Ryann Foote had seven steals.

The Rams have recorded 59 steals and 40 blocked shots in their two-game winning streak. Johnson-Logan has had 23 blocks in the two games and is averaging 7.6 per game this season.

SALEM TECH (0-6, 0-2) – Kaylin Beardsley 2 2-2 7, Rylee Doerr 1 1-2 3, Morgan VanDover 2 1-2 6, Demajae White 0 1-2 1, Drummond 1 0-0 2. Totals 6 5-8 19.
SALEM (2-3, 1-1) – QwenNazha Johnson-Logan 4 1-1 9, Ameriyona Hunter 2 0-0 6, Ryann Foote 1 1-4 3, Ava Rodgers 5 0-1 10, Marissa Bower 3 0-0 8, Kashira Patterson 1 0-0 2, Carlysia Pierce 2 1-6 5, Zaniyah Fresno 1 0-0 2, Madison Dixon 0 0-0 0, Kaela Nichols 0 0-0 0, Lyric Hayes 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 3-12 45.

Salem Tech	8	2	3	6 –	19
Salem	10	10	11	14 –	45

3-point goals: Salem Tech 2 (Beardsley, VanDover); Salem 4 (Hunter 2, Bower 2).

Tri-County Conference

CLASSIC	OV	DIV	DIAMOND	OV	DIV
Gloucester Cath.	7-1	2-0	Woodstown	5-1	2-0
Wildwood	5-2	2-0	Pennsville	4-3	2-0
Pitman	4-2	1-1	Glassboro	4-3	1-1
Salem	2-3	1-1	Penns Grove	4-3	1-1
Clayton	2-5	0-2	Schalick	1-3	0-1
Salem Tech	0-6	0-2	Overbrook	1-4	0-2

‘Gio-cashing’

Penns Grove uses 20 seconds of chaos from Giomar Conrad at the end of the first half to take the momentum from Woodstown, Salem uses a big second half to beat Salem Tech, Pennsville’s balanced attack takes down Schalick

THURSDAY BOYS SCORES
Penns Grove 64, Woodstown 54
Pennsville 57, Schalick 37
Salem 84, Salem Tech 52

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Think of all the things you can do in 20 seconds. Maybe sprint from the easy chair to the mailbox and back on a cold winter’s day. How about a quick run to the fridge during a TV timeout of the big game.

Some teams take longer than that to attack the basket, a situation that could be remedied with the introduction of a shot clock, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Penns Grove boys basketball coach Damian Ware isn’t sure he can do anything in 20 seconds, but he’s glad his team can.

That’s all the time Giomar Conrad and the Red Devils needed to flip the script on Woodstown Thursday night and turn a double-digit deficit into a halftime lead and an eventual 64-54 win to spoil the previously unbeaten Wolverines’ long awaited home opener.

Woodstown (4-1) led by double digits most of the first half, but Conrad scored eight straight points over the final 20 seconds to give his team a 32-30 halftime lead they never lost.

“That was crazy,” Conrad said, “but at the same time it felt good. I’d never done anything like that before.”

It started with a 3-pointer from the right side to cut the deficit to 30-27. Then in rapid-fire succession, Mekhi Ballard got a steal and fed him for a layup to make it 30-29, he put back a missed shot after another steal to put the Red Devils ahead, and then Willie Slocum picked off another rushed pass in the backcourt and fed Conrad for one final strike.

With time running out, Conrad drove wildly and appeared to lose his footing. His throw at the basket didn’t go in, but he was fouled right before the horn sounded. With no one else on the floor, he made the first of his two free throws and Penns Grove led by two at the break. If you want to extend the run even farther back, he hit two free throws inside 40 seconds that made it 30-24.

“I’m thinking, ‘finally,’” Ware said. “That’s what we did, honestly, in our heyday. Back when we won the South Jersey championship in 2020, that’s what we did all game long. We were known for that type of play, just tempo, tempo, turning teams up. And we didn’t have to come back, we just blew teams out.

“We’re trying to get this team to that same level to where they understand how they have to play, how hard we have to play and the energy we have to play with. We’re starting to get there. I’ve seen it in spurts for the last three games. Today I think was the culmination of everything and we kind of made a great run.”

The Red Devils (3-5) carried the momentum of those 20 seconds of chaos into the second half. Slocum scored the first three buckets of the third quarter to fuel a 14-3 run that gave them a 13-point lead with just over three minutes to go in the quarter.

The Wolverines tried to come back, but never got closer than six the rest of the game. They were 8-of-27 from the field with nine turnovers in the second half.

Understandably, Woodstown coach Phil Campbell was in no mood to talk about it and declined a post-game interview request.

Conrad finished as the game’s leading scorer with 21 points. Slocum had 11 and Ballard added 10. Rocco String led Woodstown with 17 points.

PENNS GROVE (3-5, 1-1) – Brandon Robbins 0 0-0 0, Roman Gipson 1 2-2 4, Giomar Conrad 8 1-2 21, Karon Ceaser 3 1-2 8, Willie Slocum 4 3-4 11, Mehki Ballard 4 1-3 10, Camron Thompson 1 0-0 2, Khiry Higgs 0 0-0 0, Mr Peterson 3 0-1 6, Jaden Sorrell 1 0-0 2. Totals 25 8-13 64.
WOODSTOWN (4-1, 1-1) – Manny Ortega 2 1-2 7, Blake Bialecki 2 2-3 7, Alejandro Vazquez 0 0-0 0, M.J. Hall 4 2-2 11, Garrett Leyman 2 2-2 6, Anthony Bokolas 1 0-0 3, Max Webb 1 0-0 3, Rocco String 8 1-4 17. Totals 20 8-13 54.

Penns Grove	9	23	17	15 –	64
Woodstown	15	15	9	15 –	54

3-point goals: Penns Grove 6 (Conrad 4, Ceaser, Ballard); Woodstown 6 (Ortega 2, Bialecki, Hall, Bokolas, Webb). Total fouls: Penns Grove 13, Woodstown 14. Officials: Lawler, Montacalva.

Pennsville 57, Schalick 37

PITTSGROVE – Luke Wood led three Pennsville scorers in double figures with 16 points as the Eagles started the new year with a win for the second year in a row. Cohen Petrutz and Jayden Thomas both hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points apiece.

The Eagles trailed after the first quarter, then took the lead for good in the second quarter and steadily pulled away.

Wood is now 66 points away from 1,000 for his career. He has scored in double figures in his last 14 straight games.

PENNSVILLE (4-3, 1-1) – Luke Wood 6 4-4 14, Malik Rehmer 1 0-1 2, Cohen Petrutz 4 0-0 11, Peyton O’Brien 2 1-2 5, Daniel Saulin 1 2-3 4, Jayden Thomas 4 0-0 11, Mason O’Brien 3 0-0 6, Logan Hitt 0 2-4 2. Totals 21 9-14 57.
SCHALICK (2-3, 0-2) – Reggie Allen 3 0-2 7, Nylan Sutton 5 0-2 10, Jordan Johnson 3 0-0 8, Dan Lis 3 1-2 9, Jake Siedlecki 0 0-0 0, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 3, Sherrod Jones 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 1-6 37.

Pennsville	12	13	16	16 –	57
Schalick	13	7	8	9 –	37

3-point goals: Pennsville 6 (Petrutz 3, Thomas 3); Schalick 6 (Allen, Johnson 2, Lis 2, Volovar). Total fouls: Pennsville 6, Schalick 14.

Salem 84, Salem Tech 52

WOODSTOWN – The homestanding Chargers gave the Rams all they could handle for a half, but they changed defenses at halftime and Salem erupted for 58 points in the second half to win going away.

“Momentum killed us,” Tech coach Bryan Riley said. “(Antoine) Robinson got his third foul as soon as the third quarter started and we switched from man to zone (defense) at half.”

Jabez DeJesus and Anthony Farmer took advantage of the switch. DeJesus scored 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half while Farmer had 10 of his 12.

Salem, meanwhile, held Tech’s two main scorers, Robinson and Haneef Frisby, to eight points apiece, but the Chargers got 13 from Tyler Zampino and 12 from Chase Wills.

Zampino had eight in the first quarter. Robinson scored six of his points in the second quarter as the Chargers took a 31-26 halftime lead, but he picking up his third foul early in the second half limited his effectiveness the rest of the game.

SALEM (3-3, 1-1) – Anthony Farmer 4 4-8 12, Ramaji Bundy 3 3-4 9, Jabez DeJesus 11 2-2 26, Paul Weathers 6 0-0 13, Tymear Lecater 4 0-0 9, Xavier McGriff 3 0-0 7, Antwan Rodgers 3 0-0 6, Donaven Weathers 0 0-0 0, Davonte Jackson 1 0-0 2, Joey Tunis 0 0-0 0. Totals 35 9-14 84.
SALEM TECH (0-7, 0-2) – Antoine Robinson 4 0-4 8, Chase Wills 5 2-5 12, Tyler Zampino 6 0-3 13, Josh Muntz 0 0-2 0, Haneef Frisby 3 2-5 8, Joseph Hayes 1 0-0 2, Gio Holmes 2 0-0 4, Charlie Brown 0 0-0 0, Chase Ayers 0 0-0 0, Daviontae Russell 2 1-1 5. Totals 23 5-20 52.

Salem	18	8	28	30 –	84
Salem Tech	17	14	9	12 –	52

3-point goals: Salem 5 (DeJesus 2, P. Weathers, Lecater, McGriff); Salem Tech 1 (Zampino). Total fouls: Salem 15, Salem Tech 12.

Tri-County Conference

CLASSIC	OV	DIV	DIAMOND	OV	DIV
Pitman	7-1	2-0	Overbrook	5-1	2-0
Gloucester Cath.	6-1	2-0	Woodstown	4-1	1-1
Wildwood	5-3	2-1	Pennsville	4-3	1-1
Salem	3-3	1-1	Glassboro	3-3	1-1
Clayton	1-7	0-3	Penns Grove	3-5	1-1
Salem Tech	0-7	0-2	Schalick	2-3	0-2

Getting closer

Woodstown wrestlers start the new year with a win over Pitman that wasn’t as taxing as their post-Christmas gauntlet

WEDNESDAY WRESTLING
Woodstown 46, Pitman 26
Schalick/Cumberland 58, Sterling 18

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – The Woodstown wrestling team needed a breather.

After putting themselves through a gauntlet of nail biters in their three matches after Christmas, the Wolverines clinched their first match of the new year in the middle part of the proceedings Wednesday night and went on to put away Pitman 46-26.

It was a lot less stressful than their last three matches. In those exercises, they lost to Northern Burlington and Cinnaminson and beat Audubon, and all three matches went down to the final bout.

“We want to win matches, but I thought we wrestled well tonight,” Woodstown coach Adam Hyland said. “I thought over the weekend we didn’t wrestle up to our capabilities. We just didn’t wrestle well.

“I thought tonight our performance was better. That’s what we really focus on – how well are we performing, not necessarily if we win or lose. I thought we performed a lot better.”

Speaking of performing, Ryan Polk turned in one of the Wolverines’ better individual ones. With forfeits locked up in the final two weights on the night, Polk’s first pin of the season, over Ayden Epley at 132, provided the points to clinch the match.

Polk is somewhat a man on a mission, trying to earn a spot back in the varsity lineup. The junior wrestled with the varsity at 126 as a freshman, but was relegated to the JVs last year with the emergence of Alex Torres. He was getting his shot at 132 this winter with Torres injured and made the most of it.

“We need to get Polky going,” Hyland said. “He’s had some tough losses recently for us. Tonight he hit the technique we work on in practice. He did his job. I’m really proud of him.”

It was a breakthrough night for Polk. He pulled off a cross-face cradle he’d been working to perfect all season to set up his pin and second win of the season.

“It meant a lot,” Polk said. “Last year I only had one win on the varsity (in three matches).”

Polk’s pin made it impossible for Woodstown to lose, then Brett Rowand pinned Robert Graves in 1:14 at 150 to slam the door. The Wolverines also got a pin from Travis Balback (120) and a major decision from Paul Banff (190) to open the match.

“We’ve been working hard all season,” Hyland said. “I tell them we’re concerned with the end of the season, not the beginning of the season, so it’s a process and in terms of where we are in that process we’re about where we need to be. We’ve still got a ways to go, but we’re getting closer.

“We just need to get matches and get them in the groove. We just haven’t been competing very much, so I think as we progress through the season, get more matches under our belt, get more experience and get some guys back from being out, we’re going to get better as the year goes on.”

WOODSTOWN 46, PITMAN 26
190: Paul Banff maj. dec. over Dom Saffioti, 10-2
215: Aiden Milward (P) maj. dec. over Josiah Mejias, 9-1
285: Mateo Vinciguerro won by forfeit
106: Chase Blandino won by forfeit
113: Skylar Nicola (P) won by forfeit
120: Travis Balback pinned A.J. Starr, 0:12
126: Adriano Platt (P) maj. dec. over Carson Bradway, 10-0
132: Ryan Polk pinned Ayden Epley, 1:29
138: Jacob Lawrence (P) dec. Will Groom, 7-4
144: Jon Bruno (P) pinned Angel Hernandez, 3:01
150: Brett Rowand pinned Robert Graves, 1:14
157: Chase Rollins (P) dec. Zayden Donahue, 7-3
165: Zach Bevis won by forfeit
175: Greyson Highland won by forfeit

SCHALICK/CUMBERLAND 58, STERLING 18
120: Kamrin Johnson (S) pinned Gabriel McFeeley, 3:21
126: Luke Silva (SC) pinned Joseph Rogers, 0:37
132: Chase Williams (SC) pinned Alexander Mexica, 0:12
138: Daniel Lloyd (SC) pinned Jayden Williams
144: Declan Winters (S) dec. Riley Papiano, 6-3
150: Ayden Jenkins (SC) pinned Jermaine Stewart, 2:31
157: Ricky Watt (SC) maj. dec. over Brandon Rebecca, 17-7
165: Koen Martin (SC) pinned John Beasley, 3:23
175: Jake Magonagle (SC) pinned Rene Camacho, 2:43
190: Kenny McArdle (S) dec. Eric Sulick, SV-1 3-1
215: Ronald Piernikoski (SC) won by forfeit
285: Nick Gellien (S) pinned Logan Hancock, 1:33
106: Caleb Jenkins (SC) won by forfeit
113: DeAnthony Harden (SC) won by forfeit

Seeing some signs

Schalick girls draw some positives from their loss to Gloucester, boys get first road win since February 2021

TUESDAY BASKETBALL
Girls
Gloucester 33, Schalick 24
Boys
Schalick 47, Cape May Tech 35

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – The Schalick girls basketball team’s approach hasn’t changed even if the calendar has turned the page to a new year. Their goal remains to continue to improve every game.

A nine-point loss in their first game of the new year – 33-24 to Gloucester Tuesday – may not appear to have done anything to further that agenda, but there were several positive takeaways hidden within the setback.

“I told them this isn’t a game to hang your head,” Cougars coach John Whelan said. “It’s a tough loss, but we played astronomically better on defense today. We played with energy.

“Even before I said anything Cianna (Gaines), one of our team captains, stepped in and said even though it’s a loss it’s a confidence booster because we showed flashes of the way we played. It definitely feels good as a coach to have players step up and speak, especially in that regard. I think they’re coming to the realization of what they’re capable of doing if we can put together four full quarters of basketball.”

Among the positives, the Cougars (1-3) scored 20 points in the second half and were outscored by only two. They cut a nine-point halftime deficit to four with 1:25 left in the third quarter and had a chance to make it a one-point game going into the fourth when Cali Fisler was fouled on a 3-point shot right before the horn, but she made only one of the three free throws.

The Lady Lions (4-3) opened the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run to retake the momentum.

“The second half, you can’t complain about putting 20 points on the board in a half,” Whelan said. “There are a lot of good things to come out of this loss and that’s with missing two key pieces to our team. We just want to continue to grow.”

Of course, they still have things to clean up. The Cougars lost under the weight of 52 turnovers, off which Gloucester scored 29 of its points. They scored only four points in the first half.

Part of their troubles can be attributed to their inexperience. It didn’t help they were missing two key players. Taylor Sparks has been out all season after hurting her knee in the final scrimmage; the Cougars are hopeful she’ll return Friday. Point guard Abby Willoughby also missed the game, having sprained an ankle in a basketball-related activity over the holidays.

With Willoughby on the mend, it felt to Fisler to handle the point and Whelan said the sophomore did a “fantastic” job. Fisler led the Cougars with 11 points, all of them coming in the second half. Ava Scurry had six points and nine rebounds.

GLOUCESTER 33, SCHALICK 24
GLOUCESTER (4-3) – Bailey Schoenfieldt 5 0-0 11, Valerie Hatterer 2 1-2 5, Maya Beringer 2 0-0 4, Elizabeth Shultes 0 2-4 2, Victorina Serrano 0 0-0 0, Logan Thomson 2 3-4 7, Kierstynn O’Donnell 1 2-6 4. Totals 12 8-15 33.
SCHALICK (1-3) – Carly Vicente 2 1-6 5, Cali Fisler 4 3-5 11, Madison Brown 0 0-0 0, Katie Little 0 0-0 0, Ava Scurry 2 2-2 6, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0, Cianna Gaines 1 0-2 2. Totals 9 6-15 24.

Gloucester	6	7	6	14 –	33
Schalick	2	2	12	8 –	24

3-point goals: Gloucester 1 (Schoenfieldt); Schalick 0. Total fouls: Gloucester 13, Schalick 14.

Boys Game

SCHALICK 47, CAPE MAY TECH 35: Daniel Lis scored 14 points and Nylan Sutton had 11 as the Cougars evened their record to 2-2 with their first road win since Feb. 5, 2021 (Woodstown).

It’s the last time they had two wins after four games and marks the earliest they’ve gotten their second win since 2018-19 (Dec. 20). They didn’t get their second win last year until their 14th game, Jan. 24 (Woodstown).

“It’s always nice getting a win in front of your home crowd, but good teams need to find a way to win on the road,” Cougars coach James Turner said.

Lis and Sutton combined for 11 points in the first quarter as the Cougars opened a 13-8 lead. The Cougars were 8-for-14 from the free throw in the fourth quarter to close it out.

SCHALICK 47, CAPE MAY TECH 35
SCHALICK (2-2) – Reggie Allen 3 0-2 7, Nylan Sutton 3 5-8 11, Nasir Sutton 3 2-5 9, Jordan Johnson 1 1-4 3, Dan Lis 4 4-4 14, Jase Volovar 0 0-0 0, Jake Siedlecki 1 1-1 3. Totals 15 13-24 47
CAPE MAY TECH (0-7) – Paul Simmerman 0 0-0 0, Ronnie Neenhola 4 0-0 8, Colin Gery 1 4-6 6, Chance Ginyard 1 0-0 2, Ben Lynch 5 2-3 14, Alec Dooley 0 1-2 1, Tyler Dille 0 2-3 2, Henry O’Brien 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 9-14 35.

Schalick	13	10	Cape May Tech	12 –	47
Cape May Tech	8	12	10	5 –	35

3-point goals: Schalick 4 (Allen, Na. Sutton, Lis 2); Cape May Tech 2 (Lynch 2). Fouled out: Johnson. Total fouls: Schalick 14, Cape May Tech 17.

Kings of the hill

Pennsville’s Lussi win his first career tournament title at Overbrook; Schalick/Cumberland wins Clipper Classic, Penns Grove’s Brown voted Most Oustanding Wrestler

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PINE HILL – Elias Lussi’s rise from a tagalong who knew next to nothing about the sport when he first walked into the wrestling room to becoming the face of a program moved to another level Thursday when he won his weight division in an in-season tournament for the first time.

The Pennsville senior added “tournament champion” next to his name when he took a 7-2 decision from Timber Creek’s Amir Reason-Dallas, an aggressive returning regional qualifier, to win at 190 in the Overbrook Holiday Tournament.

He’s the first Pennsville wrestler to win an in-season tournament title since Mikey Lapalomento took the 138 title in last year’s Gateway holiday tournament. He also had a bye and two pins on the road to his crown.

“I’m proud; I’m pumped, man,” Lussi said. “This is something I was looking forward to, especially after the Howdy Duncan tournament (in Delaware) where I got sixth. I wanted to bounce back after some tough losses. This was my opportunity to make some noise and prove myself.”

Lussi arrived in the Pennsville wrestling room three years ago at the urging of one of his friends knowing absolutely nothing about the sport and has evolved into a leader in that room and captain of the team.

“It’s all a testament to the time he put in during the season, in the offseason, after practice,” Pennsville coach John Starcevich said. “There have been times he’s stayed after practice and asked me to drill extra. That’s like music to any coach’s ear. I’ll leave the light on for anyone who wants to work.”

Lussi was one of four Eagles to place in the tournament. Travis Hagan finished third at 138. Lucas Thomas (106) and Robbie McDade (157) finished fourth in their weight classes. The Eagles finished seventh as a team. Timber Creek won it.

“Actually, it was a pretty tough day,” Starcevich said. “There were a lot of Region 8 teams there we’ll see come the post-season.

“We’re in the grind of the season here. We are entering January. We have been tested in some sense and we have guys who are really figuring out what it means to be competitive. We need to continue to work hard in the room and get after it.”

OVERBROOK HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
TEAM SCORES: Timber Creek 169, Hammonton 146, Burlington Twp. 133, Barnegat 119, Mainland 83, Deptford 77, Pennsville 67, Millville 61, Cherry Hill East 56, Winslow 56, Overbrook 44, St. Joe’s 17.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
106: Ryan Pancoast, Timber Creek dec. Tyler Police, Hammonton, 6-4
113: Eoin Curran, Deptford pinned Matthew Steele, Timber Creek, 5:54
120: Gavin Morris, Hammonton pinned Devin Karge, Timber Creek, 4:04
126: Ethan Christmas, Deptford dec. Patrick Tull, Millville, 6-5
132: Anthony Cook, Burlington Twp. pinned Michael Rosano, Overbrook, 0:34
138: Trey DeMeo, Barnegat dec. Jaylen Huertas, Deptford, 7-2
144: Aiden O’Halloran, Barnegat dec. Nicholas Davis, Burlington Twp., 10-3
150: Logan Kahrs, Burlington Twp. pinned Ryan Kuriger, Timber Creek, 2:55
157: Gavin Bates, Timber Creek dec. Vincent Palermo, Hammonton, 5-3 (OT)
165: Nakeem Powell, Winslow pinned Gary Williams, Mainland, 2:46
175: Chase Hoag, Mainland dec. Jacob Davis, Burlington Twp., 5-3
190: Elias Lussi, Pennsville, def. Amir Reason-Dallas, Timber Creek, 7-2
215: Mark Hartley, Hammonton maj. dec. over Raymere Mahadeo, Barnegat, 16-5
285: Jayson Ross, Timber Creek pinned Camryn Broadnax, Hammonton, 1:54

Penns Grove wrestlers Anthony Brown (L) and Devine Arce show off their brackets after winning their weight classes in the Clipper Classic. Brown also was voted Most Outstanding Wrestler, the Red Devils’ first since 2019.

Dan Allen Clipper Classic

CLAYTON – The Schalick/Cumberland cooperative won the first team title in the recent memory of either school and Penns Grove’s Anthony Brown was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler as Salem County wrestlers dominated the day.

Schalick/Cumberland won the 10-team event with 158 points. They had 13 wrestlers place, including five weight-division winners and two runner-ups.

Caleb Jenkins (106), Luke Silva (126), Ricky Watt (157) Jake Magonagle (175) and Ronald Piernikoski (215) all won their weight classes.

Brown was one of two Red Devil champions at the tournament. He won the 150 class title that got away from him last year with a dramatic 11-10 double-overtime victory over Eduardo Oliveira of Riverside. He is 7-0 this season. He’s the Red Devils’ first MOW since Tyreke Brown (220) in the 2019 Region 8 Tournament.

Devine Arce pinned his way to his second title of the season, with both coming in less than 30 seconds. He is 8-0 this year at 120.

County girls leaders

Here are the Salem County girls basketball statistical leaders through Dec. 25 based on information reported to statewide service

Scoring

PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	PTS	AVG
Talia Battavio	Woodstown	3	58	19.3
Meely Horace	Penns Grove	4	74	18.5
RaNiyah Wilson	Penns Grove	4	69	17.3
Nora Ausland	Pennsville	3	52	17.3
Megan Donelson	Woodstown	3	46	15.3
Marley Wood	Pennsville	3	45	15.0
Brianna Robbins	Penns Grove	4	49	12.3
QwenNazha Johnson-Logan	Salem	2	16	8,0
Ava Rogers	Salem	2	16	8,0
Shannon Pierman	Woodstown	3	23	7.7
Ava Scurry	Schalick	3	20	6.7
Carly Vicente	Schalick	3	20	6.7
Ryann Foote	Salem	2	12	6,0
Morgan VanDover	Salem Tech	3	18	6.0
Ameriyona Hunter	Salem	2	11	5.5
Cali Fisler	Schalick	3	16	5.3
Carlysia Pierce	Salem	2	10	5.0
Marissa Bower	Salem	2	9	4.5
Kaylin Beardsley	Salem Tech	2	9	4.5
Abigail Willoughby	Schalick	3	13	4.3
JaNiyah Cummings	Penns Grove	4	14	3.5
Demajae White	Salem Tech	2	7	3.5
Cianna Gaines	Schalick	3	10	3.3
Zoey Caesar	Penns Grove	3	9	3.0
Alyssa Baber	Woodstown	3	9	3.0

Rebounding

PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	RBS	AVG
Ava Scurry	Schalick	3	36	12
Cianna Gaines	Schalick	3	23	7.7
Shannon Pierman	Woodstown	3	21	7.0
Ryann Foote	Salem	2	14	7.0
QwenNazha Johnson-Logan	Salem	2	14	7.0
Ava Rodgers	Salem	2	11	5.5
Gianna Maiorini	Woodstown	3	15	5.0
Abigail Willoughby	Schalick	3	15	5.0
Carlysia Pierce	Salem	2	10	5.0
Cali Fisler	Schalick	3	12	4.0
RaNiyah Wilson	Penns Grove	4	15	3.8
Katie Little	Schalick	3	11	3.7
Ameriyona Hunter	Salem	2	7	3.5
Zoey Caesar	Penns Grove	3	10	3.3
JaNiyah Cummings	Penns Grove	4	13	3.3
Alyssa Baber	Woodstown	3	10	3.3
Lauren Hengel	Woodstown	3	9	3.0
Marissa Bower	Salem	2	6	3.0
Brianna Robbins	Penns Grove	4	11	2.8
Meely Horace	Penns Grove	4	10	2.5

Free Throw Shooting

PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	FTM	FTA	PCT
Ava Rodgers	Salem	2	4	6	.667
Meely Horace	Penns Grove	4	9	16	.563
RaNiyah Wilson	Penns Grove	4	6	12	.500
Ryann Foote	Salem	2	6	12	.500
QwenNazha Johnson-Logan	Salem	2	2	4	.500
Kaela Nichols	Salem	1	1	2	.500
Megan Donelson	Woodstown	3	4	9	.444
Cali Fisler	Schalick	3	4	10	.400
Ameriyona Hunter	Salem	2	2	6	.333
Brianna Robbins	Penns Grove	4	4	17	.235
Ava Scurry	Schalick	3	2	18	.111

STEALS
PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	TOT
Meely Horace	Penns Grove	4	13
Abigail Willoughby	Schalick	3	11
Brianna Robbins	Penns Grove	4	10
Megan Donelson	Woodstown	3	9
Cali Fisler	Schalick	3	9
Ava Scurry	Schalick	3	8
Ryann Foote	Salem	2	7

ASSISTS
PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	TOT
Talia Battavio	Woodstown	3	11
Gianna Maiorini	Woodstown	3	9
Megan Donelson	Woodstown	3	8
Katie Little	Schalick	3	7
Ryanna Foote	Salem	2	6

BLOCKED SHOTS
PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	TOT
Ava Scurry	Schalick	3	17
QwenNazha Johnson-Logan	Salem	2	10
Talia Battavio	Woodstown	3	4
Ava Rodgers	Salem	2	4
Megan Donelson	Woodstown	3	3

County boys leaders

Here are the Salem County boys basketball statistical leaders through Dec. 25 based on information reported to statewide service

Scoring

PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	PTS	AVG
Anthony Farmer	Salem	3	56	18.7
Luke Wood	Pennsville	4	65	16.3
Giomar Conrad	Penns Grove	5	79	15.8
Antoine Robinson	Salem Tech	3	43	14.3
Jabez Dejesus	Salem	3	42	14.0
Rocco String	Woodstown	2	26	13.0
Blake Bialecki	Woodstown	2	25	12.5
Paul Weathers	Salem	3	35	11.7
Max Webb	Woodstown	2	21	10.5
Haneef Frisby	Salem Tech	4	41	10.3
MJ Hall	Woodstown	2	20	10.0
Daniel Saulin	Pennsville	4	39	9.8
Jayden Thomas	Pennsville	4	39	9.8
Reggie Allen	Schalick	3	29	9.7
Tymear Lecator	Salem	3	29	9.7
Daniel Lis	Schalick	3	25	8.3
Roman Gipson	Penns Grove	5	41	8.2
Josh Muntz	Salem Tech	4	32	8.0
Nasir Sutton	Schalick	3	22	7.3
Chase Wills	Salem Tech	4	28	7.0
Ryan Johnson	Schalick	2	14	7.0
Garrett Leyman	Woodstown	2	14	7.0
Chase Burchfield	Pennsville	2	14	7.0
KaRon Ceaser	Penns Grove	5	30	6.0
Nylan Sutton	Schalick	3	18	6.0
Tyler Zampino	Salem Tech	4	23	5.8
Ramaji Bundy	Salem	3	16	5.3
Willie Slocum	Pnnns Grov	5	24	4.8
Peyton O’Brien	Pennsville	4	19	4.8
Cohen Petrutz	Pennsville	4	19	4.8
Jordan Johnson	Schalick	3	13	4.3
Mason O’Brien	Pennsville	3	12	4.0
Mehki Ballard	Penns Grove	5	19	3.8
Brandin Robbins	Penns Grove	5	18	3.6
Malik Rehmer	Pennsville	4	14	3.5

Rebounding

PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	RBS	AVG
Rocco String	Woodstown	2	21	10.5
Peyton O’Brien	Pennsville	4	38	9.5
Willie Slowcum	Pnnns Grov	5	41	8.2
Daniel Saulin	Pennsville	4	31	7.8
Garrett Leyman	Woodstown	2	13	6.5
Max Webb	Woodstown	2	11	5.5
Giomar Conrad	Penns Grove	5	27	5.4
KaRon Ceaser	Penns Grove	5	25	5.0
Anthony Bokolas	Woodstown	2	9	4.5
Paul Weathers	Pennsville	3	12	4.0
Luke Wood	Pennsville	4	14	3.5
Roman Gipson	Penns Grove	5	16	3.2
Blake Bialecki	Woodstown	2	6	3.0
Elijah Caesar	Woodstown	2	6	3.0
Mehki Ballard	Penns Grove	5	14	2.8

Free Throw Shooting

PLAYER (1.5 FTA/GP)	SCHOOL	GP	FTM	FTA	PCT
Antoine Robinson	Salem Tech	3	12	16	.750
Luke Wood	Pennsville	4	14	19	.737
Ryan Johnson	Schalick	2	4	6	.667
Garrett Leyman	Woodstown	2	2	3	.667
Rocco String	Woodstown	2	4	6	.667
Jabez Dejesus	Salem	3	6	9	.667
Tymear Lecator	Salem	3	10	15	.667
Daniel Saulin	Pennsville	4	9	14	.643
Daniel Lis	Schalick	3	7	11	.636
Anthony Farmer	Salem	3	12	19	.632
Willie Slocum	Penns Grove	5	5	8	.625
Jayden Thomas	Pennsville	4	5	8	.625
Blake Bialecki	Woodstown	2	3	5	.600
Malik Rehmer	Pennsville	4	6	10	.600
Paul Weathers	Salem	3	4	7	.571
Josh Muntz	Salem Tech	4	6	11	.545
Haneef Frisby	Salem Tech	4	10	19	.526
Joseph Hayes	Salem Tech	3	4	8	.500
Max Webb	Woodstown	2	2	4	.500
Mason O’Brien	Pennsville	3	3	6	.500
Nylan Sutton	Schalick	3	6	16	.375
Reggie Allen	Schalick	3	2	6	.333
Nasir Sutton	Schalick	3	4	12	.333
Giomar Conrad	Penns Grove	5	4	17	.236
Chase Wills	Salem Tech	4	2	9	.222

STEALS
PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	TOT
KaRon Ceaser	Penns Grove	5	13
Giomar Conrad	Penns Grove	5	12

ASSISTS
PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	TOT
Giomar Conrad	Penns Grove	5	14
Max Webb	Woodstown	2	11
Brandin Robbins	Penns Grove	5	10
Malik Rehmer	Pennsville	4	9
Black Bialecki	Woodstown	2	5

BLOCKED SHOTS
PLAYER	SCHOOL	GP	TOT
Willie Slocum	Penns Grove	5	6
Luke Wood	Pennsville	4	6
Rocco String	Woodstown	2	4
Paul Weathers	Salem	3	4

Cover photo: Salem’s Anthony Farmer (1) and Pitman’s Elijah Crispin went head-to-head in a game last week.