Schalick off for second week in a row after Bishop Eustace forfeits Friday’s game, gives Cougars share of Horizon Division title UPDATED

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – The undefeated Schalick football team finds itself with an unexpected open date for the second week in a row after athletics department officials were informed Monday of Bishop Eustace’s intention to forfeit Friday night’s WJFL Horizon Division game due to a lack of players to safely field a competitive varsity team.

The Cougars also received a forfeit win from division opponent Lindenwold last week for the same reason. They have not played on the field since Sept. 22 when they beat Pennsville 38-20.

Eustace was said to have 16 players available for the game against a Schalick program with more than 60.

With the forfeit, the Cougars, now 7-0 for the first time since 2006 after the forfeit, clinch a share of their second straight Horizon Division title. They can claim the crown outright Friday if Riverside beats Gloucester Catholic since they own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Riverside and everyone else in the league will have at least two losses.

The Cougars were No. 1 in the UPR power ratings that determine playoff seedings before the first forfeit and fell to No. 2 afterwards. While they will collect ratings and power points from the game – Eustace is 3-2 and No. 8 in NJSIAA Non-Public Group B – it was uncertain what this latest forfeit would do to their position.

They could have found a replacement opponent for last week’s forfeit but “in the best interest of the team” that had been going without a break since the first day of practice they decided to take the forfeit. They did seek a replacement opponent this week, but no team in the WJFL had an open date and the unnamed Shore Conference team in North Jersey they found that did have a corresponding open date declined the game.

Both forfeits were winnable games for the Cougars, but head coach Mike Wilson would prefer to play on the field.

“They’re claiming they don’t have enough kids and they’ve got injuries, but they’ve had low numbers all year,” Wilson said. “The league cannot allow this to happen. If you’re committed to varsity, you play varsity football, they should not allow them to play varsity the rest of the year. It’s not fair.

“Yes, they’re wins on paper, but these kids need to play football. It’s not going to hurt us on playoff seeding, it’s not going to hurt us winning our division … but it kind of loses its luster when you don’t actually play the games.

“It’s not fair. You’re taking games away from these kids, and especially my seniors – and I don’t have a lot of them. These were the COVID kids. They lost games their freshmen year because of COVID. It’s not fair. The league has to do something about it. It’s frustrating because the kids have worked so hard.”

Wilson and Schalick athletics director Doug Volovar have reached out to various West Jersey Football League officials to express their concerns. Volovar was told by WJFL president Joe McColgan, the Moorestown AD, there was no recourse in place at this time either for relief or sanctions for a situation that impacts a wide range of institutional constituencies. Riverview Sports News sent an email to McColgan seeking comment and is awaiting a reply.

“We just have to accept it and move on, that’s really all we’re allowed to do,” Volovar said. “It’s just unfortunate for us that it’s happened to us twice.”

Penns Grove head coach John Emel, president of the WJFL coaches association, doesn’t like seeing the forfeits but his group doesn’t have power to make changes. He feels for the Cougars.

“I don’t like it,” he said. “It’s not good for the sport; the forfeits aren’t good for the competitiveness of the league and the competition and things like that. My position is I want to try to avoid them at all costs. I feel bad for Schalick in terms of their kids and the seniors and things like that. It stinks. I don’t think there’s a solution for it short term.”

In a sense, Shalick is a victim of its own success. After some down seasons, the Cougars were relegated to a weaker division in the last WJFL reshuffle and Wilson has been building them back for inclusion in a stronger grouping that’s expected to occur in the realignment after this season.

It wasn’t immediately known if the Eustace position would be just for this week or longer, but Schalick officials would be “really disappointed” if either forfeiting team would drop down to play a JV schedule in their current state and then return to varsity play during the same season when convenient. The Crusaders are scheduled to play Florence, currently No. 3 in the SJ-I UPR, at home next week

“To me that’s one of the more disturbing issues,” Volovar said. “The feeling is if you have players and you say that you’re going to commit to a varsity schedule, but then you’re dropping down to a JV schedule, that’s concerning to me because if you have enough players to play a game of football you should be playing a game because that’s what you committed to at the beginning.

“Maybe some schools aren’t as fortunate as we are, but at the same time, because we’ve done what we’re supposed to do and we’re trying to do what’s better for our kids and our programs we’re unfortunately getting penalized.”

As for the Cougars, they reduced their practice week schedule last week, but they’re going through this one just as if they were playing a game Friday. 

“When you look at the grand scheme of things we’re going to be OK, that’s what I told the kids,” Wilson said. “If you came out to practice yesterday you would’ve never even known we didn’t have a game; we had a great practice. I think the kids get the importance of what we still have to accomplish this season. 

“And I think there’s maturity there. They’ve finally learned to control what you can control.”

Schalick is scheduled to play Cumberland next week. There’s close to 100 percent chance that game will be played .

It’s the trophy game between the two schools —
the Tom Lake & Mike Hars Memorial Game, formerly known as The Neighborhood Game. 

School District’s $14-million Promise of Progress referendum passes convincingly, bringing necessary upgrades to facilities

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – Schalick High School football coach Mike Wilson is a big-picture kind of guy. He always has an eye towards the future, a vision of what the sports facilities at his school could be like if it had the means to upgrade. But it was always a wish list.

Now that list can become a reality.

Voters in Pittsgrove Twp. Tuesday night voted convincingly to support a $14 million bond referendum that will shape the future of facilities, athletics and otherwise, throughout the township.

In a special election, The Promise of Progress Referendum passed 551-336. It not only will benefit the athletics facilities at the high school, but also fund essential upgrades throughout the district. All seven of the township’s precincts voted in favor of the referendum.

“This referendum will drastically upgrade our sports programs and facilities,” Pittsgrove Twp. school superintendent Dr. Courtney McNeely said. “…This was our opportunity to elevate our athletes’ experience and strengthen our community spirit.

“Our community made this possible. We are so proud to promise our student athletes the progress and facilities they deserve.”

Specifically for the high school athletics facilities, plans call for building a field house, concession stand, community restrooms and bleachers for the football field, upgrading sound and lighting, and updating the boys and girls locker rooms. The playing surface on the football field will not be affected.

“First thing, it’s great for the district because it’s necessary repairs and upgrades,” Wilson said. “The high school is turning 50 years soon, the district’s buildings are on the older side, so it’s great for the Township of Pittsgrove and it’s a great way where the taxpayer is going to see minimal increase if any at all for repairs that have to be done anyway.”

Wilson just read news reports where a community in football-mad Texas is about to build a $94 million football stadium. Another Texas program recently built a $35-million home. The Pittsgrove upgrades won’t be quite as extreme, but it will enhance what the Cougars have to offer.

“These are necessary facility upgrades for the athletics program,” Wilson said. “Right now our varsity athletes don’t have a varsity locker room. They’re going to have space to call their own – for all sports, not just football. Just necessary stuff to bring us to the 21st Century. I just think it’s nice that these kids work so hard in all our sports that they’re going to have facilities they can be proud of.

“I always think big picture, I always think grand, I want things now. Since we got here me and my staff have said we’d love to have X, Y and Z, and with this referendum we’re going to get X, Y, Z. Again, it’s not extravagant, it’s not unnecessary, these are the necessary things that these student-athletes deserve. We have good athletics at Schalick and it’s nice to see our facilities are going to reflect the success we’ve bene having on the field for so many years before I was there.”

The New Jersey Dept. of Education has pledged nearly $6.5 million for eligible projects under the State Share program, while the school district is responsible for the remaining $8,217,744. The bond issue will increase the tax bill for the average assessed home in Pittsgrove by less than $1 per month (approximately $11 per month in Elmer) over the next 20 years compared to existing debt service payment for the 2023-24 school year.

It was not immediately known what the athletics portion of the upgrades would cost or when construction would begin.