In honor of this week’s Penns Grove-Woodstown playoff matchup, here are some notes and charts specifically for Salem County football
Making strides
Three of the five Salem County football teams this season have improved records over the year before with one basically a wash. Woodstown could match its 2022 record with a playoff win over Penns Grove this week. The chart tracks this year’s senior class.
TEAM
2020
2021
2022
2023
22-23 +/-
4YR +/-
Pennsville
2-5
3-7
1-8
5-4
+4
+2
Schalick
0-7
4-6
7-3
10-0
+3
+8.5
Penns Grove
6-3
6-5
3-8
5-5
+2.5
-1.5
Woodstown
4-4
9-3
8-2
7-2
-0.5
+2
Salem
6-1
11-2
8-5
2-8
-4.5
-5.5
Playoff head-to-head
Here are the records of Salem County teams in head-to-head playoff matchups since 2003.
TEAM
PG
SAL
PVL
WOO
SCH
TOTAL
Penns Grove
—
2-1
0-1
1-0
3-0
6-2
Salem
1-2
—
1-0
1-0
1-1
4-3
Pennsville
1-0
0-1
—
1-1
NA
2-2
Woodstown
0-1
0-1
1-1
—
1-0
2-3
Schalick
0-3
1-1
NA
0-1
—
1-5
The Games
2022 Woodstown 45, Schalick 8
2019 Woodstown 47, Pennsville 14 Salem 31, Woodstown 6
2018 Penns Grove 40, Woodstown 6 Penns Grove 14, Salem 7
2017 Penns Grove 52, Schalick 30
2016 Pennsville 21, Woodstown 6
2014 Salem 22, Penns Grove 14 Salem 56, Pennsville 7
2013 Salem 41, Schalick 13 Penns Grove 22, Salem 17
2011 Pennsville 21, Penns Grove 14
2009 Penns Grove 14, Schalick 6
2006 Penns Grove 35, Schalick 34
2003 Schalick 7, Salem 0
The Rematches
When the playoff game is a rematch of a regular season meeting, the winner of the regular season game is 8-3, the home team in those playoff game are 8-3 (since 2003). Bold playoff team was at home
YEAR
REGULAR SEASON
PLAYOFF GAME
2023
Woodstown 21, Penns Grove 6
Penns Grove at Woodstown
2019
Woodstown 35, Pennsville 0
Woodstown 47, Pennsville 14
2018
Penns Grove 33, Woodstown 0
Penns Grove 40, Woodstown 6
2018
Penns Grove 26, Salem 20
Penns Grove 14, Salem 7
2016
Pennsville 28, Woodstown 7
Pennsville 21, Woodstown 6
2014
Salem 12, Penns Grove 0
Salem 22, Penns Grove 14
2014
Pennsville 23, Salem 19
Salem 56, Pennsville 7
2013
Schalick 30, Salem 18
Salem 41, Schalick 13
2013
Penns Grove 24, Salem 19
Penns Grove 22, Salem 17
2009
Penns Grove 36, Schalick 0
Penns Grove 14, Schalick 6
2006
Schalick 20, Penns Grove 8
Penns Grove 35, Schalick 34
2003
Schalick 26, Salem 0
Schalick 7, Salem 0
NOTE: The 2019 Salem-Woodstown and 2011 Pennsville-Penns Grove regular season games were played after the playoff meeting
Cover photo: Woodstown and Penns Grove will mix it up for the second time this season Friday night. The first one was for the division title, this one will be to stay alive in the playoffs. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)
Woodstown advances to boys soccer sectional semifinals, Ibarra ties junior scoring record; top-seeded Schalick survives Pitman
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I Second-round games Schalick 1, Pitman 0 Haddon Twp. at Audubon, Sat. Woodstown 2, Wildwood 0 Riverside at Palmyra, Sat.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN — Adrian Ibarra tied the school record for goals by a junior and the defense posted another shutout as Woodstown blanked Wildwood 2-0 Friday in the South Jersey Group I playoffs.
The third-seeded Wolverines now play the winner of Saturday’s Riverside-Palmyra game in the sectional semifinals.
Trips to the sectional semifinals are rare for the Wolverines, prompting coach Darren Huck to tell his players in the post-game huddle they were making history.
This might be the second time in three years the Wolverines have made it to the sectional semis, but it’s only the fifth time since 2010.
“We’ve only made the semifinals maybe three or four times in school history … so this is quite an accomplishment for the program,” Huck said. “I can think of many teams we come across (that have kept them out). For a lot of those years it was tough because Woodstown was a Group One school and we were in a division, conference where we had to beat Group Three and Four schools to get into it. A lot of times we’d get that 8-9 draw and then we get the No. 1 seed the next one.”
This one won’t be any easier to get through, either. Seventh-seeded Riverside put nine goals on Gateway in the opening round and Palmyra is the No. 2 seed that opened the season with a 12-game unbeaten streak and could be a No. 1 with an earlier win over Schalick.
“As a coach you’re never satisfied always looking for one more when it comes to playoffs; you hold onto it and treasure it as much as you can,” Huck said. “Am I proud of my players? Absolutely. We’re further along than I was anticipating. I knew we were going in a good direction, I knew we were going to be doing some really good things, but they’re being done a little sooner than anticipated.”
Ibarra (pictured) scored his 26th goal of the season with 8:07 left in the first half to put the Wolverines on top. He took a cross from Kaleb Gerace, settled the ball on his foot and fired a precise and powerful shot inside the left post.
He tied the record set by Geoff Schaefer in 2014 and has at least one more game left to break it. But that’s not really on his mind.
“I’m all about team wins, so I’m just grateful that we’re advancing to the semifinals,” Ibarra said. “I could care less about the record as long as we’re advancing. I hope we take the title this year.”
His uncle, Oscar Hernandez, scored 29 goals in his best season at Woodstown and Ibarra would like to top that – within the framework of helping the Wolverines advance, of course.
“I would like to score more than him,” he said softly.
It looked like it would be the only goal of the game until Bryce Ayars found the net the hardest way possible, on a cross-field shot in the final minute. Ayars had been trying all half to score and nearly got one earlier on a header that went from the ground to the crossbar before finally getting his first career playoff goal on a long shot from the left side into the upper right corner.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “This is my first playoff goal ever out of my two years. Putting the game away for my team was a relief and then my coach was nailbiting all the second half with me not finishing but I finally put it in to secure the win.
“When it came down to it, man, did he put a really nice one away,” Huck said.
The win was the Wolverines’ seventh straight. The only goal they’ve given up in the streak has been in a penalty kick. Ben Stengel collected five saves in the latest shutout.
“It’s definitely my defense,” Stengel said. “We’ve got a good line this year, a very good line. We’ve got strength everywhere. They’re all doing great for me. With them in front of me, I didn’t have to do anything, really.”
SCHALICK 1, PITMAN 0: Mike Nelson headed home a free kick from Anthony Sepers with less than three minutes left in the first half and Evan Sepers made eight saves in another shutout to help top-seeded Schalick avoid the upset and advance to the sectional semifinals.
“It was very much a defensive battle,” Cougars coach Joe Mannella said. “Both teams were fighting tooth and nail to keep the ball out of the net.”
The Cougars await the winner of Saturday’s Audubon-Haddon Twp. match to complete its semifinal matchup. Haddon Twp. is the No. 13 seed that upset No. 4 Glassboro in the first round.
“We owe Twp. after several defeats to them over the past four years,” Mannella said.
Schalick has won seven in a row, the last five by shutout. They’ve only allowed one goal during the winning streak.
Schalick uses running attack, strong defense to shut down Audubon in Central Jersey playoff opener; Salem falls at South Hunterdon
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP I PLAYOFFS Friday’s games No. 1 Schalick 35, No. 8 Audubon 0 No. 4 Shore 14, No. 5 Clayton 0 No. 3 Glassboro 28, No. 6 Keyport 0 No. 2 South Hunterdon 16, No. 7 Salem 6 Semifinals games Shore at Schalick Glassboro at South Hunterdon
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – Old habits die hard.
Whenever he was asked about it, Schalick coach Mike Wilson said the reason the Cougars invested so much time in the offseason improving their passing game was because they got exposed for the lack of one in the playoffs last year.
If you’re going to beat the better teams, especially those you’ll see in the playoffs, he said, you have to throw the football.
But two weeks after quarterback Kenai Simmons set all kinds of career highs passing the football and now in the first round of those playoffs, the Cougars were back to pounding the ground. They ran it 42 times for 269 yards Friday night and threw only five passes (completing three).
But you can’t argue with the results. They beat Audubon 35-0 for their first playoff win since 2007 and their first playoff shutout since 2003.
The undefeated top seed in the Central Jersey Group I playoffs (10-0) will now host Shore Regional (6-3) in the sectional semifinals Friday.
“It was odd because our game plan coming into this week was really to pass the ball more,” Simmons said. “We saw last year, first round of the playoffs, that’s where we failed at. We ran the ball so much and Woodstown stopped us, so we felt we had to step it up and pass the ball.
“But after we saw Reggie Allen breaking a couple plays we figured like he was hungry so let’s feed him and keep it on the ground.”
Allen led the rushing attack with 117 yards on 21 carries. He scored two touchdowns. Simmons had 98 yards, including a 60-yard dash in the fourth quarter that was more than the Green Wave rushed as a team the entire game. Levi Feeney-Childers had 44 yards on eight carries and a touchdown.
Eighteen of the Cougars’ first 19 plays were runs and they only really started throwing it on their last possession of the first half. They threw one pass in the second half, a 34-yard completion to Jake Siedlecki.
“Here’s the thing, as that game went on we threw when we had to,” Wilson said. “Last year we couldn’t do that. So it’s not the volume, it’s can we make the timely pass when you need it.
“We liked the tempo of the game, we were playing great defense, the stuff they gave us was (by) us not them; we were getting a surge all night. The gameplan was with the question mark on Kenai’s (shoulder), we’re just going to run the football this week. And then Kenai looked like his old self so the training wheels are going to come off.”
Dylan Sheehan looks back into the field after reaching the end zone on his pick-six in the second quarter. (Photo by Heather Papiano)
The Cougars’ defense also played a big role in the win. It was led by Dylan Sheehan’s one-handed pick-six and three sacks by freshman first-time starting nose Aiden Torres.
Wilson said the Cougars were back to the form they displayed prior to the slowdown brought on by back-to-back forfeit wins in the middle of the schedule.
“It was a good, complete first-round game,” he said.
Sheehan played with a thick black cushion wrapped around his right hand to protect a fractured knuckle in his pinky he suffered in last week’s game. It didn’t hurt his chances making the interception, though, as he snared it with his left hand and used the pad to help bring it into his body.
Then he took off down the left sideline for the first pick-six of his high school career. It gave the Cougars a 14-0 lead they carried into halftime.
“As soon as it was in my hands I knew it was in the crib,” Sheehan said.
Torres, meanwhile, had been elevated to the varsity three games ago after giving the regulars fits on the scout team and originally was used as a rotational player. He was told after last week’s regular-season finale he was going to start in the playoff game, had a whole week to mentally prepare for the biggest game of his life and made the most of his opportunity.
“First play I’m always nervous, but it wasn’t anything really big, I just had to play like I always play, do what I’ve got to do,” the 5-10, 250-pounder said, clutching a game ball in his massive hands. “It was fun. I like it. I really like it. It’s more intense, everything is more fast paced. I like it way better.”
Schalick freshman Aiden Torres (70) wraps up Audubon quarterback Breyson McCracken for one of his three sacks in his first varsity start. (Photo by Heather Papiano)
No. 1 Schalick 35, No. 8 Audubon 0
AUD
SCH
12
1st Downs
16
14-56
Rushing
42-269
11-22-2
Passes
3-5-0
100
Passing
46
0-0
Fum-lost
0-0
2-30.5
Punts
1-44.0
4-33
Penalties
7-62
Audubon (3-5)
0
0
0
0 –
0
Schalick (10-0)
0
14
7
14 –
35
Scoring plays: S – Reggie Allen 12 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 7:57 2Q S – Dylan Sheehan 64 interception return (Hunter Dragotta kick), 6:28 2Q S – Levi Feeney-Childers 4 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 3:39 3Q S – Reggie Allen 1 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 10:15 4Q S – Kenai Simmons 5 run (Hunter Dragotta kick), 3:07 4Q
Salem haunted by missed opportunities
LAMBERTVILLE – Salem missed several opportunities to take control of the game in the first half and it came back to bite it in the end.
Second-seeded and once-beaten South Hunterdon stopped turning the ball over in the second half and scored 16 straight points to end the Rams’ playoff dreams and first season under coach Danny Mendoza 16-6.
The Rams stopped South Hunterdon four times with takeaways in the first half, all of them setting up inside the Eagles’ 30, but had only a 6-0 lead on Jared Pew’s 13-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to show for it. The defense collected three interceptions and a fumble recovery to hold the Eagles (9-1) back. They returned one of the picks for a touchdown, but it got called back for a block in the back.
As the seventh seed in the Central Jersey Group I bracket, the Rams (2-8) were destined to play on the road throughout the playoffs. But it wouldn’t have fazed them. They played four of their previous, but were only scheduled for two before their old field was reopened after undergoing repairs.
South Hunterdon 16, Salem 6
Salem (2-8)
0
6
0
0 –
0
South Hunterdon (9-1)
0
0
7
9 –
16
Scoring plays: S – Jared Pew 13 run (run failed) SH – Ryder Manfready 14 run (PAT kick) SH – Safety, Ramaji Bundy tackled in end zone SH – Ryder Manfready 12 run (PAT kick)
Schalick’s attacking style rewarded with quick goals at the start of each half in sectional field hockey opener
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I First-round games Haddon Twp. at Salem, Fri., 2 p.m. Maple Shade at Woodstown, Fri., 2 p.m. Gateway at Collingswood, Fri., 2 p.m. Middle Twp. at Audubon, Fri., 2 p.m. Schalick 3, Bordentown 0 Gloucester 5, Lower Cape May 0 Florence 6, New Egypt 0 Second-round games Haddon Twp.-Salem winner at West Deptford Woodstown-Maple Shade vs. Gateway-Collingswood Middle Twp.-Audubon vs. Schalick Gloucester at Florence
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — If you were late getting to your seat at the start of Schalick’s South Jersey Group I playoff opener or getting back to it at the start of the second half, you missed a lot of the home team’s scoring Thursday.
The Cougars came out fast at the start of each half and rode that momentum to a 3-0 victory over Bordentown.
Proving they mean business in this year’s playoffs, the Cougars scored just over a minute into the match and extended their lead with a goal 30 seconds into the third quarter.
“The girls are pumped up,” Cougars coach Heather Cheesman said. “We always try to go out with intensity and be the aggressors and have pressure on goal constantly.
“We’ve always been a second half team, but this team’s different. This team is not like that. I’ve been coaching 10 years now and Schalick has always been a second half team, but this team is different.”
Leading scorer Phoebe Alward announced the Cougars’ presence in the playoffs. The fans sitting across the way hardly settled into their seats when the sophomore banged home a cross from Ava Scurry 62 seconds into the match. It was her 16th goal of the season, a surprising number to her that matches her jersey number.
Cheesman couldn’t ever remember scoring that quickly to open a game, regular season or playoffs.
“I was excited,” she said. “I like getting the first goal because it gets them pumped up. They were excited.”
Scurry gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead when she scored with 2:46 left in the first half. It was her 12th goal, to go with 16 assists.
“I knew this could have been our last game because the playoffs are single elimination,” Scurry said. “So I put it all out there and tried to do what was best for the team.”
Lucy Virga didn’t waste any time when the teams came out the break. She got the Cougars’ third goal being “in the right place at the right time” to bang home a rebound 30 seconds into the second half.
“Our plan is to come out really strong and just not let up after any restart,” Scurry said.
The Cougars, the sixth seed, now play the winner of today’s Middle Twp.-Audubon game at a site and date to be determined. Middle is the third seed.
Schalick’s Miller sets school’s single-season goal-scoring record with five in Cougars’ 7-0 win over Salem
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I TOURNAMENT Thursday’s games Audubon 9, Penns Grove 0 Clayton 2, Glassboro 1 Pitman 5, Gateway 0 Maple Shade 8, Buena 0 Schalick 7, Salem 0 Haddon Twp. 6, Pennsville 0 Gloucester 4, Woodstown 1 Palmyra 9, Woodbury 0 Second-round games Clayton at Audubon Pitman at Maple Shade Haddon Twp. at Schalick Gloucester at Palmyra
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – For a player who didn’t want to be a striker, Schalick’s Emily Miller has sure made the most of it playing there.
Miller has turned into a veritable goal-scoring machine this season for the Cougars. She scored five goals Thursday in their 7-0 rout of Salem in the South Jersey Group I girls soccer tournament and set the school record in the process.
The senior now has 45 goals on the season, breaking the record of 43 set by Kerri Jackson last year. It was the second time this season she has scored five in a game.
It was her 14th multi-goal game this year and seventh with three goals or more. She has scored 23 goals in the 10 games since the Cougars (14-4) were shut out by Sterling on Sept. 29, the only game she hasn’t scored in this season.
“She definitely fell into the role,” Schalick coach Will Kemp said. “She had this inside her last year, but I think was a little timid. She had just returned last year (after missing the previous two seasons) and when one of our strikers went out for an injury we moved her there.
“She never wanted to be a striker. I told her she was going to be and she is one, and now she loves it.”
The Cougars scored their seven goals in 15 minutes.
Miller scored their first two to inch closer to the record. She tied the mark by converting a cross from Olivia Bergholz into the upper corner to make it 4-0 and then broke on the goal that made it 5-0.
They stopped the game after she got the record-setting goal and Schalick thletics director Doug Volovar presented her the game ball on the spot. Her teammates all gave her a hug.
“It was a great, great moment,” Kemp said.
But Miller wasn’t finished. She punched in goal No. 45 moments later to make it 6-0.
The Cougars’ other two goals were scored by Cali Fisler and Karlie Bakley.
“Our girls played at the top of their game today,” Kemp said. “I was really impressed with them.”
The third-seeded Cougars will host fourth-seeded Haddon Twp. (8-9-2) in the second round Monday.
Asked if he thought his record-breaking scorer had 50 goals in her, Kemp didn’t hesitate.
“Yes, I definitely believe so,” he said.
GLOUCESTER 4, WOODSTOWN 1: Anabelle Conley scored in the first half to snap a 1-1 tie and the seventh-seeded Lions ((14-5) added two goals in the second half to put away the Wolverines, who had been unbeaten in their last six games.
Talia Battavio scored the tying goal for Woodstown (9-8-1). It was her 15th goal of the season and 10th in the last five games.
AUDUBON 9, PENNS GROVE 0: Nine different players scored for the top-seeded Green Wave (16-1-2). Erin Connelly, Molly Sullivan and Emily Powers all had a goal and an assist. Morgan Wiltsey had a goal and two assists.
HADDON TWP. 6, PENNSVILLE 0: The sixth-seeded Hawks (8-9-2) scored all their goals in the first half with Emerson McDonald getting three. McDonald has 16 goals this season.
Chomo’s hat trick lifts Schalick soccer to opening-round victory over Pennsville and a tasty reward
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I TOURNAMENT Wednesday’s first-round games Schalick 9, Pennsville 0 Pitman 2, Maple Shade 1 Aubudon 1, Penns Grove 0 Haddon Twp. 1, Glassboro 0 Woodstown 4, Burlington City 0 Wildwood 2, Buena 1 Riverside 9, Gateway 1 Palmyra 5, Woodbury 0 Second-round games Pitman at Schalick, Friday, 2 p.m. Haddon Twp. at Audubon Wildwood at Woodstown, Friday, 3 p.m. Riverside vs. Palmyra
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — For the record, Steve Chomo likes his steak medium rare.
That otherwise trivial piece of information became an important detail Wednesday after the top-seeded Schalick soccer team swamped Pennsville 9-0 in the opening round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group I playoffs.
That’s because steak is on the menu after Chomo continued his current goal-scoring tear with his first career hat trick.
It’s all about motivation and Schalick assistant coach Mike D’Orio, a former Cougars striker, delivered a prime cut of it when he told Chomo before the game a steak dinner was in the offing if he scored a hat trick against the Eagles.
“I love steak,” Chomo said. “I think he wanted me to show out today and I just went out there and did my best.
“It was just out of nowhere, before the game, he said it. I think back when Mr. (Bruce) Konyak was coaching, he used to say if you had a diving header you got a steak dinner. I guess D’Orio continued that one.”
Chomo admitted he started thinking about a juicy ribeye “a little” after he scored two goals off rebounds in the first 22 minutes of the game to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead.
D’Orio and head coach Joe Mannella added the garnish at halftime when they reinforced the deal and the sophomore got his steak 10 minutes into the second half. He almost added the baked potato three minutes later with a bicycle kick that just went wide.
“It’s definitely some motivation,” D’Orio said. “Chomo’s starting to get out of his shell a little bit. I always hype him up at practice to try to do the best he can, so having that added motivation makes a player hungry on the field. And when you get that confidence from your coach it makes you want to play a lot better.
“He went out there, he got the job done and I’ll gladly pay up.”
His hat trick was Schalick’s third this season. Anthony Sepers got one against Woodstown and Louis Sepers got one against Penns Grove. But apparently previous purchases are not included in the deal.
“This was the first time I brought it up,” D’Orio said. “It might be a new thing we do for the year, we’ll see, I don’t know.”
Chomo has been on a roll of late. He has scored six of his 12 goals this season in the Cougars’ last three games. He’s scored six against Pennsville this season.
It’s been a combination of getting more opportunities with injuries to other strikers, getting more aggressive, his teammates getting him the ball and being in the right place at the right time.
“I don’t have anything against the Pennsville people,” Chomo said. “It may have felt like that, but I’ve got to give it really all to my teammates. They set me up with some great balls and I’ve just done my job.”
“With (Luke) Price going down and Lance (Creighton) not playing the whole season, Steve was going to have to step up and score goals for us and so far he has,” Mannella said. “Just keeping him hot and confidence is kind of what it’s all about right now. Any goal scorer being confident is huge and they’re confident in him. They know if they put it in front of the net, he’s going to deliver for them.”
The Cougars controlled the action from the opening kickoff. Chomo’s first two goals helped them build a 6-0 halftime lead. Louis Sepers opened the scoring five minutes into the game. Jaxon Weber, Reyli Reyes and Ethan Suppi also scored in the first half.
Bradford Foster, who assisted on Chomo’s third goal, made it 8-0 and keeper Evan Sepers came out of the goal to net the final goal of the match.
“You don’t want to come out and be sluggish and play down to the opponent and have to spend the next two days trying to get sharp,” Mannella said. “We had worked on some things in practice and they brought it right out to the field and their intensity was good. Everything was good, so now you just have to keep it sharp and focus on the next opponent.”
The Cougars (15-4) will host Pitman in the second round Friday at 2 p.m. The Panthers (13-5-1) beat Maple Shade 2-1 on Charlie Duffield’s goal two minutes into the second overtime.
Pennsville (6-13)
0
0 –
0
Schalick (15-4)
6
3 –
9
GOALS – S: Steve Chomo 3, Evan Sepers, Louis Sepers, Bradford Foster, Jaxon Weber, Ethan Suppi, Reyli Reyes.
WOODSTOWN 4, BURLINGTON CITY 0: The third-seeded Wolverines (14-3-1) won their sixth in a row with leading scorer Adrian Ibarra scoring twice in the first seven minutes of the game and Ben Stengel posting the shutout. Five of the Wolverines’ wins in their current winning streak have come by shutout.
“We were at home and we wanted to establish that we can control the tempo and the pace and we did that right from the start,” Wolverines coach Darren Huck said. “Adrian found the back of the net early and that set the tempo even more for us.”
Ibarra scored his first goal off a cross from Blake Bialecki. His second came on a penalty kick after the Blue Devils knocked down a shot by Ibarra that was headed to the net with a hand. Ibarra now has 25 goals on the season, moving within one of tying Geoff Schaefer’s 2014 school record for goals by a junior.
Grant Prater moved back to the midfield upon the return of center back Dante Holmes and scored the first goal of the second half off a pass from Bialecki. Cole Lucas scored the Wolverines’ final goal. Bialecki has 14 assists this season.
With Holmes back in the lineup and directing the defense, keeper Stengel was rarely tested. “He controlled everything,” Huck said of Holmes.
The Wolverines now host No. 11 seeded Wildwood (12-5-1) at 3 p.m. on a busy Friday in Woodstown.
Burlington City (6-11)
0
0 –
0
Woodstown (14-3-1)
2
2 –
4
GOALS – W: Adrian Ibarra 2, Grant Parker, Cole Lucas.
AUDUBON 1, PENNS GROVE 0: Ronald Homa’s first goal of the season was the game’s only goal in a match Penns Grove controlled much of the day. The goal came eight minutes before halftime.
That’s how the season has gone for the Red Devils (6-10-1). Of their 10 losses this year, eight have been decided by one goal.
Schalick girls tennis completes home-and-home sweep of Woodstown to win Diamond Division title
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – The Schalick girls tennis team may have come up short in its bid to win a state championship, but the Cougars did secure the last goal open to them Tuesday when they edged rival Woodstown 3-2 to win the Tri-County Conference Diamond Division crown.
With more than 100 fans ringing the courts on Senior Day, the Cougars won the first three points to clinch their 10th division title all-time and sixth under coach John Romano. They locked it up with a 6-3, 6-2 win by senior Rachel Goranson and Miya Watkins at No. 2 doubles.
“This is icing on the cake,” Romano said. “Like we said yesterday, it was one of those short term goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year, a stepping stone. Obviously it came after they crowned a state champion, but it’s still sweet.”
The Cougars earned at least a share of the division title with a 5-0 sweep of the Wolverines on Monday. The clincher got tighter when the Wolverines’ 1 and 3 singles both won 10-point tiebreakers after the match was decided.
“Jesse (Stemberger) had them coached up, ready to go,” Romano said of his Woodstown counterpart. “I think they felt they left a little on the court yesterday. They have two seniors in those spots and those girls were a little bit better than us today.”
The win was Schalick’s 21st of the season. They are one of only three teams in the state (any classification) currently with 20 wins. It’s the second time in three years and the third time since 2015 they’ve had a 20-win season.
“And it’s not like we’re playing any cupcakes,” Romano said. “When you pick up 20 wins with the schedule we had, it’s definitely another feather in the cap that this program is where it needs to be and now we need to keep it there.”
This story will be updated.
SCHALICK 3, WOODSTOWN 2 Singles Abigail Mille def. Rachael Irizarry, 4-6, 6-3, 10-4 Grace O’Neill (S) def. Gabby Kurpis, 6-1, 6-0 Cara Delia def. Ally Green, 1-6, 6-3, 10-8 Doubles Emma Adams-Katie Little (S) def. Vivian Ward-Nathalie Neron, 6-2, 6-0 Miya Watkins-Rachel Grandson (S) def. Julianna Lindenmuth-Molly Curtis, 6-3, 6-2 Records: Schalick 21-3, Woodstown 18-3.
Cover photo: Schalick’s No. 2 doubles team of Miya Watkins and Rachel Goranson won the match that clinched the Diamond Division title.
Schalick girls tennis team bounces back from Final Four loss to sweep rival Woodstown, rematch Tuesday for division title
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – The Schalick girls tennis team bounced back from a loss in the state semifinals to move a step closer to a division title and coach John Romano never doubted it would.
The Cougars grabbed at least a share of the Tri-County Conference Diamond Division crown Monday with a 5-0 sweep of Woodstown in the much-delayed and much-anticipated home-and-home series with the Wolverines.
They can clinch the division outright by beating the Wolverines at home Tuesday. A Woodstown win would create co-champions.
“The girls played really well, they did bounce back nicely,” Romano said. “Woodstown is a very good team. I expect them to come back (Tuesday) even tougher than they played us today. I don’t think it’ll be easy by any stretch of the imagination. We’ll go about it business as usual, like we did all year long.”
The last time the Cougars (20-3) were on the court, they were swept by eventual state champion New Providence 5-0 in the Group I state semifinals. They had beaten post-season nemesis Gateway and top-seeded Haddon Twp. in the last two matches to get there, but were a different environment at the Mercer County Tennis Center.
“It’s no knock (on who they played along the way), but you’re playing a top-caliber team in New Providence; it’s just a different level,” Romano said. “We had a fantastic win against Haddon Twp., a fantastic win against Gateway and we weren’t ready for it (the Final Four).
“Coming back down to the level we are here, we knew what to expect. We knew they were going to put their best foot forward. It was pretty straightforward. We handled business and that was it.”
The teams were supposed to get the series started at the beginning of the season, but that match got postponed by weather. It later was postponed to accommodate the opening round of the sectional tournament, and then the sectional finals.
They knew the high-intensity rivalry would be squeezed into a couple days and now the division will be decided after a state champion was crowned.
“In the beginning of the year we have short-term goals and this is one of them,” Romano said. “Long term is try to win a state championship. The first one to be checked off we hoped would be the division and now it’s the last one.
“It makes it just as sweet. We’re just as happy for it as if this would’ve been in September. We’re happy to get a chance to lock this up tomorrow.”
Woodstown (18-2) had won five in a row – all by 5-0 sweeps – after bowing out in the second round of sectional tournament.
SCHALICK 5, WOODSTOWN 0 Singles Rachael Irizarry (S) def. Abigail Melle, 6-3, 7-5 Grace O’Neill (S) def. Gabby Kurpis, 6-1, 6-0 Ally Green (S) def. Cara Delia, 6-4, 6-2 Doubles Katie Little-Emma Adams (S) def. Vivian Ward-Nathalie Neron, 6-0, 6-1 Miya Watkins-Rachel Goranson (S) def. Julianna Lindenmuth-Molly Curtis, 6-4, 6-4 Records: Schalick 20-3, Woodstown 18-2.
Monday roundup: Woodstown boys soccer heading into sectional tournament on five-game winning streak; roundup includes girls soccer, field hockey
MONDAY’S SCORES BOYS SOCCER Woodstown 2, Glassboro 1 Pennsville 4, Salem Tech 1 GIRLS SOCCER Woodstown 2, Glassboro 2 Pitman 5, Salem 0 Pennsville 7, Salem Tech 0 FIELD HOCKEY Clearview 2, Woodstown 0 Gloucester City 7, Pennsville 0 GIRLS TENNIS Schalick 5, Woodstown 0
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
GLASSBORO – The Woodstown soccer team goes into the South Jersey Group I tournament feeling good about the turnaround it has put together during the season and on a roll after beating Glassboro 2-1 in its final regular-season game Monday.
Adrian Ibarra and Kaleb Gerace each scored a goal in the second half for the Wolverines in the battle of top four sectional seeds.
Ibarra opened the scoring seven minutes into the second half. Gerace made it 2-0 13 minutes later. Emirhan Kir’s penalty kick off an “unfortunate foul” in the box with 11 minutes left was the only thing that kept the Wolverines from posting a fifth straight shutout.
It was, however, their fifth win in a row, their second over Glassboro in the last four days and their sixth in the eight games (with one tie) since a 6-2 Alumni Night loss to Schalick in the football stadium.
“We had a lot of games over the last two weeks, so it’s been a grind, but we came in and kind of came out on top,” Woodstown coach Darren Huck said. “We didn’t play well against Audubon (the only loss in the home stretch), but when you play Schalick and two Colonial Conference teams, it wasn’t so much about wins and losses in that one, it was to see how we were going to battle and compete.
“We circle the wagons and bring them all back and remind them what the big picture is and remind them how one game doesn’t identify you in a good way or a bad way; let’s stay focused on what we need to do and they responded. I’m happy with my goalkeeper, how he responded from that tough night against Schalick, and defensively I’m happy with where we’re at right now.”
That would be 13-3-1 and the No. 3 seed in the SJ-I tournament;. A year ago they were 5-10-3 with seven one-goal losses and were something like 3-27 in the offseason going all over South Jersey playing larger schools. But they were playing and learning and growing.
Huck never lost faith and he was grateful the players didn’t either.
“I told them it’s not about the now, it’s preparing guys for the future,” he said. “I need all of you to believe and I will take you there, but do not lose confidence in what we’re doing.
“I had a parent today say I remember what you said in August in that last tournament; you said we’ll be just fine. I’m glad it worked this way. It made them believe they believed in me. I said this was going to happen.”
Ibarra’s goal was his 23rd of the season and 30th of his career. The nephew of Woodstown’s all-time leading goal scorer, Oscar Hernandez, Ibarra now has the second-most goals in a season by a junior in school history and has moved into the top 15 on the Wolverines’ all-time goals list.
“He’s really put it together,” Huck said. “He takes a lot of pride in being a complete soccer player, not just a scorer. He’s on the other end of assists, gets back defensively to help out. A lot of times he’ll ask me if I want him to drop back to help out the defense. He’s willing to take himself out of a scoring opportunity so we can get a win.
“He puts a tremendous amount of time into it. Many, many times I can go up to the park and he’ll be out there all by himself with a bag of soccer balls and some cones and he’s just working on his game. It’s good to see it all pay off for him.”
While Woodstown is going into the playoffs on a roll, Glassboro is looking to get back on track. The Bulldogs (12-5) have lost five of their last eight against some of their toughest opposition of the year after starting the season 9-0.
“We had a good regular season,” Huck said. “We can look back and say we had a nice season. We know the second season starts (Wednesday) and we’re going to try to go as far as we can.”
Pennsville 4, Salem Tech 1: Jake Isaac scored two first-half goals and assisted on the Eagles’ other two goals. It was his third multi-goal game of the season and fifth of his career. Stone Mumink gave the Eagles (6-12) a 3-0 lead and Kameron Brown got the Chargers (3-13-1) on the board before the end of the half. Shane Puckett scored Pennsville’s final goal in the second half.
GIRLS SOCCER Woodstown 2, Glassboro 2: Emma Perry and Talia Battavio scored goals for the Wolverines (9-7-1), but Glassboro scored a goal in the second half to tie the match.
Pitman 5, Salem 0: Emery Sharpnack scored her 15th goal of the season to open the scoring and assisted on Alaina Williams’ goal in the second half. The Classic Division champion Panthers (13-4-1) are one of two teams to go through their Tri-County Conference schedule undefeated (10-0).
Pennsville 7, Salem Tech 0: Reagan Wariwanchik, Molly Gratz and Karsen Cooksey scored first-half goals and Cooksey completed the hat trick in the second half.
FIELD HOCKEY Clearview 2, Woodstown 0: Marley Dutch scored a goal and assisted on Destiny Joseph’s score. The Group III Pioneers (12-5) peppered Woodstown goalie Shelby Foote with 29 shots.
Gloucester City 7, Pennsville 0: Lauren Perry scored four goals to lead the Lions (12-4).
def. Rachael Irizarry, 4-6, 6-3, 10-4
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