Here are the first and second team selections for the Tri-County Conference Diamond and Classic All-Star Teams; 27 Salem County players recognized; x-known TCC-v-Colonial All-Star Game picks
Woodstown siblings run in Meet of Champions together, only second brother-sister combo to run same race, same year
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
HOLMDEL – Jacob Marino has made a lot of memories during his cross country career, but none likely compared to the piece of his history he and sister Abby carved out at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions Saturday.
While several family members have run together in the elite race over the years, the Woodstown siblings became only the second brother-sister combination to run in it the same year. Both qualified with top 10 finishes in last week’s state Group I meet here.
“It was very cool,” Jake said of the experience as the family drove back from Holmdel Park. “We got to practice together all week and we just really bonded over the week. Really, were trying to do something special this weekend and it was great to be able to race with her.”
Jacob and Abby Marino wore throwback Woodstown uniforms to commemorate their historic running in the MOC. (Submitted photo)
Jacob finished 94th in the final cross country race of his high school career, coming home in 17:10.07, some 30 seconds better than his MOC time of a year ago and about eight seconds off his PR for the course.
Abby, a sophomore, was running with a cold and went the distance in the girls race, placing 153rd in 22:03.78.
“For my race I had a great race, I’m very happy with the way I’m ending off my career,” Jacob said. “In the top 100 of runners throughout the state, so that was great for me. A big improvement from last year (125th, 17:41), so really happy with how I ended off there.
“I was feeling really great going up to the big hill and I just didn’t recover fast enough to break that 17 mark, but I’m still really happy with how it turned out.”
Abby said not feeling well made it “just difficult” to get through the race, but she was going to run “no matter what” and was determined to finish. She, too, enjoyed the week training and running with her brother.
“I kind of wish it did go better because I am sick right now, but I still raced,” she said. “For being sick, I’m not completely disappointed in my time, but I did wish I did a lot better.”
Luke Hnatt of team champion Christian Brothers Academy won the boys race (15:22.86) and Leah Starkey of Ocean Twp. won the girls race (17:14.33). Union Catholic won the girls team title.
Top photo: Woodstown siblings Abby (L) and Jacob Marino celebrate after winning their respective races in this year’s Salem County Cross Country Meet.
PITTSGROVE — Schalick coach Will Kemp searched for the right words. The top-seeded Cougars had just come off the pitch after falling to Audubon 3-2 in a South Jersey Group I semifinal penalty kick shootout and he wanted to make a point, but he wanted to with the proper amount to decorum.
The wind blew steadily throughout the game and although it calmed in the overtime and shootout the Cougars’ coach said it was “another type of influence” that impacted the way his team could play the game.
Several Schalick players were taken to the ground for some extended medical attention and the only yellow card issued was assessed to the Cougars for a contact foul that occurred on the sideline near the Audubon bench.
“It’s a game where we have multiple players who are trying to play proper but kind of get held on a short leash when it comes to the way that we usually play,” Kemp said. “Taking our players out of the game and not being able to get back to our style obviously influenced our game in a negative way.
“Audubon is a tough team to play against. They’ve been to the South Jersey final multiple times. It’s a program that continues to challenge at the top, but at the same exact time we’re a program that challenges at the top as well. I definitely believe we deserved a lot more than what we got today and for this game to go to pens (PKs) it’s unfortunate.”
The Cougars held a 2-0 lead, but Audubon scored twice in the second half with the wind to force extra time. After a scoreless overtime, the Green Wave hit all four of their penalty kicks and won the shootout 4-1.
Kylie Tocco, Charlie Owens, Gi Heller and Molly Sullivan scored in the shootout for Audubon, all of them going for the left post. Cali Fisler hit Schalick’s penalty kick to make it 2-1 in the shootout.
Green Wave keeper Kylie Cannaday stoned Quinn Berger on the Cougars’ first attempt PK and not just for that save Kemp said “in my true heart she actually saved this game for them.”
It was the second year in a row the Cougars were eliminated on PKs, having gone out that way against Glassboro in the quarterfinals last year. The Green Wave is now 3-0 in playoff PK shootouts since 2018.
“I believe the 2-0 lead should have stuck,” Kemp said. “You see the way their players react when it comes to getting touched and things like that, so it’s unfortunate our players get taken out of the game over inexperience from the officiating crew. I hate to say that, but at the same time it’s just the truth.
“Our players get absolutely destroyed and they get nothing for it. I hate that. For that type of influence to happen inside of a high-level game like this, it takes away from two teams out there very competitive that want to win. “
The Cougars (13-6-1) built their lead on a left side corner kick by Berger that sailed into the upper right corner with 5:19 left in the first half and Olivia Vanacker’s breakaway six minutes into the second half. The Green Wave (12-8-1) tied it on goals by Sullivan and Owens three and a half minutes apart midway through the second half.
“We have a group of fighters,” Green Wave coach Bill Scully said. “We played an incredibly tough schedule this year. There were a lot of times when we could have given in a little bit and they never did. Down 2-0 is tough and sometimes you can see a team have doubt, but the fight was actually stronger at that point. They’re just so relentless. This team, they just refused to stop fighting. They’re not going to stop until somebody says it’s done. We have a tough group of kids.”
“That’s something every team says about us, no matter what,” Sullivan said. “We could be losing 4-0 and then come back. We’re going to keep fighting whether we win or lose.”
The goal by Berger gave her 100 career points (31 goals, 38 assists). Fisler joined the 100-Point Club earlier this season.
“For Quinn, it’s an amazing feat to join the 100-Point Club,” Kemp said. “I’m not sure exactly how many players are in there, but even if there are a lot of players in there it’s still an amazing feat especially when it comes to Schalick soccer. We have a special group that’s up there and I’m glad that Quinn will join it.”
Audubon will host Haddon Twp. (11-9-1) Friday, 3 p.m. for the South Jersey Group I championship.
HADDON TWP. 6, WOODSTOWN 0: Aubrey Carson scored two goals in the second half to complete her first career hat trick and set the game on track for a mercy-rule finish. The sophomore also had two assists and now has seven goals and six assists in the Hawks’ three playoff games.
Kaitlyn Martin scored a pair of goals for the Hawks and Abby Wiedeman had their other goal.
“It just didn’t go right for us,” Wolverines coach Kieran Keyser said. “We started off slow and Haddon Twp. didn’t back down. From the first minute to the last minute of the game they poured it on. They were solid throughout. Everyone was on on their team.”
The Wolverines fell behind in the first three minutes when Carson scored on a ball knocked loose after Woodstown keeper Ellie Wygand appeared to make an initial save.
About five minutes later freshman Hailey Kucharczuk had a good chance to tie the game. She gathered the rebound after her initial shot was stopped and had an open goal with the goalie beaten when Hawks’ center back Jocelyn Hauck came out of nowhere, threw her leg up and deflected the ball over the crossbar. Keyser called it “one of the better defensive saves I’ve ever seen a high school center back make.”
Wiedeman made it 2-0 and then Martin scored her first goal on a penalty kick to make it 3-0.
“From that point on it was really an uphill battle,” Keyser said. “Mistakes that we made today we did not make against Gateway (in the quarterfinals), we did not make in the regular season. It wasn’t our best showing today. Sometimes you just don’t always have it. It was an unfortunate way to end the season, but still lots to be proud of.”
GROUP 1 GIRLS SOCCER Saturday’s Section Finals South (6) Haddon Twp. at (5) Audubon, Friday Central (9) Point Pleasant Beach at (6) Shore North I (5) Pequannock at (2) Midland Park North II (11) Glen Ridge at Verona or Mountain Lakes
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Nov. 10-16
TUESDAY, NOV. 11 BOYS SOCCER South Jersey Group I semifinals Palmyra at Haddon Twp. Audubon at Schalick, 2 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12 GIRLS SOCCER South Jersey Group I semifinals Audubon at Schalick, 2 p.m. Woodstown at Haddon Twp.
THURSDAY, NOV. 13 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Bergen at Salem CC, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOV. 14 FOOTBALL South Jersey Group I Championship Schalick at Glassboro, 6 p.m.
Central: Shore at Burlington City, 6 p.m. North II: Cedar Grove at New Providence, 6:30 p.m. North I: Kinnelon at Butler, 7 p.m. BOYS SOCCER South Jersey Group I Championship Palmyra-Haddon Twp. vs. Audubon-Schalick
SATURDAY, NOV. 15 GIRLS SOCCER South Jersey Group I Championship Audubon-Schalick vs. Woodstown-Haddon Twp. COLLEGE BASKETBALL Penn Highlands Turkey Classic Salem CC vs. Bryant Stratton, 5 p.m. Sandhills at Penn Highlands, 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOV. 16 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Penn Highlands Turkey Classic Salem CC at Penn Highlands, 3 p.m.
Woodstown boys place third as a team, Marino siblings post top 10 finishes in their respective races to qualify for Meet of Champions; further research indicates best finish ever
NJSIAA Group I XC Championship
BOYS TEAM: Glassboro 70, Metuchen 109, Woodstown 140, Indian Hills 160, Dayton 195, Haddon Twp. 201, Manville 221, Shore 239, Mountain Lakes 264, McNair 280, New Milford 299, Secaucus 305, Park Ridge/Emerson 306, Bogota 323, Kinnelon 331, Audubon 357, Highland Park 382, Rutherford 413, Verona 415, Schalick 514.
GIRLS TEAM: Shore 45, Metuchen 76, Bogota 110, Audubon 116, Mountain Lakes 142, New Providence 179, Rutherford 253, Haddon Twp. 260, North Warren 270, Hanover Park 286, McNair 337, Hasbrouck Heights 342, Maple Shade 358, Newton 364, Pequannock 370, Dayton 392, Woodstown 393, Saddle Brook 402, South Hunterdon 480, Schalick 490.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
HOLMDEL – Steve New doesn’t mind digging deep when it comes to chasing cross country history. Some might find it painstaking and tedious, but he’s digging because he thinks he’s going to find treasure.
That’s the reason the Woodstown cross country coach will be happily diving into the history of the state cross country championship today looking to find the last time the Wolverines did as well as they showed Saturday at Holmel Park.
The Wolverines came in third at the Group I boys meet, and that’s as good as New can ever remember. They scored 140 points, pulling behind team champion Glassboro and runner-up Metuchen and solidly ahead of fourth-place Indian Hills. All five of their counters placed in the top 50 among runners competing on teams.
“In all honesty I would have loved to have gotten second; you can actually come home with a pretty cool trophy,” New said. “But I can’t complain. They got up on the podium, they got to get up on the stage, they got recognized for a third-place finish.
“I’ve never seen that in my years coaching here, and I’ve looked back a decent amount and I’ve never seen anything like that. I was pumped by it. I couldn’t have been more pleased with how they ran. Everyone ran tough. That made that two-hour school bus ride well worth it.”
(Upon a deep dive into the records Sunday morning, New discovered this was indeed the Wolverines’ best finish ever. He went all the way back to 1919 and they had never finished higher than 11th (last year) before.)
One of the keys to their high finish was the showing of Torsten Duva and Jackson Perry. Normally fifth and sixth finishers, they were the Wolverines’ fourth and fifth runners across the line on this day. Jake Marino, Karson Chew and David Farrell were their first three.
“Third place doesn’t move us on to MOC as a team but it’s a really good place for us and I’m happy with how everyone did,” Chew said. “We all finished close to each other and all around did everything we needed to do to have a great states.”
The Wolverines grabbed another piece of history that was even harder to find. Siblings Jake and Abby Marino both scored top 10 finishes in their respective races to qualify for the Meet of Champions. Jake was ninth in the boys race (17:15.87) and Abby was tenth in the girls race (20:45.22). The top 10 go.
With the help of AI, Jake learned they are only the second brother-sister combination since 1986 to qualify for MOC in the same year. Chris and Cate DeSousa, running for Christian Brothers and Red Bank Catholic, respectively, in 2019 are the only others to do. There have been seven sets of siblings since 1986 making it in the same year, but they’ve all been sisters or brothers.
“It’s crazy to think about,” Jake said. “To be able to have the opportunity to be able to compete at states together, but to not only capitalize on that and cement ourselves as one of two brother-sister duos going to the Meet of Champions the same year – and the only ones to go to the same school – is phenomenal. It’s something I will never forget.”
BOYS TOP 10
GIRLS TOP 10
Jayran Rodriguez, Manville
16:35.39
Alexandra Klein, Shore
18:54.88
Joseph Saicic, Glassboro
16:50.42
Ella Andersen, Metuchen
19:13.97
Frank Coppa, Indian Hills
16:51.42
Riley Fayer, Audubon
19:16.47
Michaelangelo Lepore, Mt. Lakes
17:00.82
Violet Page, Mt. Lakes
19:46.66
Zacchaeus Harrigan, Glassboro
17:04.27
Grace Montanari, Shore
20:27.61
Elliott Reines, Dayton
17:07.15
Micah Dalello, Sussex Tech
20:34.58
Jaeden Wesley, Glassboro
17:11.57
Erin Dushinka, DelVal
20:37.59
Maddox Paulin, Shore
17:37.27
Taylor Zaneto, Metuchen
20:39.79
Jacob Marino, Woodstown
17:15.87
Milla Scalise, Shore
20:42.63
Kai Englert, Metuchen
17:20.90
Abby Marino, Woodstown
20:45.22
LOCAL BOYS COUNTERS (Number in parentheses is overall place) WOODSTOWN: 9. Jacob Marino (9) 17:15.87, 18. Karson Chew (18) 17:46.75, 27. David Farrell (30) 18:13.11, 28. Torsten Duva (43) 18:30.15, 39. Jackson Perry (53) 18:42.55. SCHALICK: 76. Collin Bittle (84) 19:28.66, 82. Salvatore Longo (90) 19:39.22, 112. Joshua Weiner (120) 20:59.41, 119. Mason Cain (127) 21:43.83, 125. Chase Riley (133) 22:12.31.
LOCAL GIRLS COUNTERS (Number in parenthesis is overall place) WOODSTOWN: 8. Abby Marino (10) 20:45.22, 50. Anabel Schaal (60) 23:37.64, 99. Arianna Mott (115) 26:19.04, 113. Lucianna Mannella (129) 27:13.15, 123. Alice Bowser (139) 29:37.37. SCHALICK: 42. Helen Lillia (50) 23:10.65, 97. Emma Cain (113) 26:17.01, 115. Emma Wilbur (131) 27:33.37, 117. Sarah Torpey (133) 27:47.21, 119. Ava Melnick (135) 28:48.01. PENNSVILLE: IND. Sawyer Slad (68) 24:04.77.
Woodstown, top-seeded Schalick pick up quarterfinal wins in SJ Group I girls bracket, remain on collision course for sectional final
GIRLS SOCCER SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I TOURNAMENT Saturday’s Quarterfinals Schalick 2, Glassboro 0 Audubon 2, Palmyra 0 Haddon Twp. 6, Clayton 0 Woodstown 4, Gateway 3 Wednesday’s Semifinals (5) Audubon at (1) Schalick (7) Woodstown at (6) Haddon Twp.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WOODBURY HEIGHTS – Kieran Keyser has been around the game of soccer a long time as a player and a coach, so when he tells you his Woodstown team’s South Jersey Group I playoff game against Gateway was one of the most exciting he’s been involved with you can just about take it to the bank.
The teams went back and forth for 80 minutes Saturday trading goal for goal before Emma Morgan fired back a rebound with less than four minutes left to stun the second-seeded Gators 4-3 win and send the Wolverines into the semifinals for the first time since 2019.
It was the Gators’ first loss since the season opener and snapped their 16-game winning streak.
“It was one of the most exciting games I’ve been a part of as a player or a coach,” Keyser said. “It was about as back-and-forth as you could have it.
“It was stressful, I will say. I talked to a couple of the parents at the game and they said I did not need that stress. I said I did not either. I am 31 years old and that was the most stressful thing … It put some gray hairs on my head, for sure.”
Gateway scored first midway through the first half – its only lead – but Morgan tied it with her first goal on a “textbook play” with Emma Perry and freshman Hailey Kucharczuk put Woodstown up 2-1 at halftime. The Gators tied it early in the second half, Perry gave the Wolverines a 3-2 lead, but Gateway retied it less than two minutes later.
“They just kept coming back on every goal we got,” Morgan said. “It was like every goal we got near the end we were like this is the one (that ends it), like we’re going to park the bus now, we’re going to settle down and just play defensive and then they’d get another one and then we’d have to fight again. It was almost like we really thought we were going to have to go into overtime because they’d answer every goal.”
She saw to it they didn’t. Delia Hahn sent a free kick into the box, Kucharczuk headed it off the crossbar and Morgan beat the defender to the rebound to finish it into an open goal. It was her ninth goal of the season and first multi-goal game of her career.
“I was happy how our girls responded,” Keyser said. “We rose to the competition. We didn’t play super good against Pennsville, but we got the job done. I mean, that’s what the playoffs are all about. We rose to how good (Gateway) were and we pulled out the win. I was so proud of how our girls stepped up. We left everything out on the field today.”
The seventh-seeded Wolverines (15-3-1) now travel to sixth-seeded Haddon Twp. (10-9-1) Wednesday for the semifinals. They are the highest seeded team remaining in the bracket.
SCHALICK 2, GLASSBORO 0: The corner kick combination of Quinn Berger and Emily Miller struck again, this time connecting on a pair of first-half goals to send the top-seeded Cougars to the sectional semifinals.
It’s the fifth time in the last two games the two have teamed up to light the lamp. Berger now has 18 assists this season, 38 in her career and is now two shy of 100 points for her career.
“It’s just a connection, especially on corner kicks,” Schalick coach Will Kemp said. “Emily Miller is very good in the air, so she’s constantly finding the ball, and Quinn’s service is second to none.”
The Cougars (13-5-1) now host fifth-seeded Audubon (11-8-1) in the semifinals Wednesday.
The score wasn’t a true indicator of how much the Cougars dominated their tournament opener. They outshot the Bulldogs 21-0.
“The results are the results, it’s the way the game goes sometimes,” Kemp said. “One of the things Glassboro did well was their goalkeeper performed extremely well again. She made some really good saves.”
Woodstown strikes in final minute of first half, beats Pennsville in opening round of South Jersey Group I girls soccer tournament; top-seeded Schalick draws first-round bye
SJ GROUP 1 GIRLS SOCCER TOURNAMENT
FIRST ROUND GAMES
SATURDAY QUARTERFINALS
Schalick bye
Glassboro at Schalick, 10 a.m.
Glassboro 2, Pitman 0
Audubon at Palmyra
Audubon 6, Buena 0
Haddon Twp. at Clayton, 2:30 p.m.
Palmyra 7, Wildwood 0
Woodstown at Gateway
Clayton 9, Woodbury 1
Haddon Twp. 8, Maple Shade 0
Woodstown 2, Pennsville 0
Gateway 7, Cape May Tech 0
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN — The two teams on the pitch were locked in a scoreless tug-of-war. Woodstown was getting the best of it but after repeated attacks had nothing to show for it. As the clock hit the final minute Wolverines coach Kieran Keyser was starting to make mental plans for the second half.
Then in the blink of an eye the whole complexion of the match changed.
Sophie Wells sent a bouncing ball towards the goal that the Pennsville keeper couldn’t corral and just that quickly the Wolverines had the lead 30 seconds before halftime.
It was the kind of jolt that energized the Wolverines and sent the Eagles, who had thought they were holding their own, into the break looking to regroup.
With a renewed sense of fire, Woodstown kept the pressure up in the second half, added a more conventional goal from freshman Hailey Kucharczuk in the eighth minute of the half and went on to win 2-0 in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 1 girls soccer tournament.
“Our first half we started off really strong, really fast,” Keyser said. “We came out firing right away and I think our girls maybe got a little frustrated when we didn’t score when we had a couple chances early and I thought we deflated a little bit about halfway through the first half. We didn’t have that intensity.
“Having that goal right before the half gave us the momentum we needed. It was a lucky goal. Sometimes you gotta get shots, sometimes you get lucky. That carried us into the second half and I thought we played way better in the second half. We played our game the second half.”
Wells admitted it was weird goal and a shot she didn’t expect to go in. “I thought it was just going to be an ordinary shot,” she said. She agreed it did bring the Wolverines energy after a “stressful” first half.
Pennsville’s Marley Wood clears away another first half Woodstown threat.
As shocking as the goal was in its arrival, it didn’t devastate the Eagles as much as one might think. They created more chances in the second half although the Wolverines were successful keeping the ball down in Pennsville’s end.
The Eagles got their first real shot of the game three minutes into the second half when Marley Wood broke in on the keeper and Ellie Wygand saved a soft shot. Wygand turned back a sharper shot from Taylor Bass 10 minutes later and went on to complete her ninth shutout of the season.
“At halftime we just needed to get the girls’ heads back in the game, get them to lock in and refocus,” Pennsville coach Casey Slusher said. “They kept playing the whole game; they played the whole game. They didn’t give up. At all.”
Kucharczuk gave the Wolverines a little more breathing room with her 10th goal of the season. She took a throw-in from Ally Sheppard, deked around several defenders in the box and put one inside the near post from the 6.
“When I have the chance I definitely take them and it’s definitely great when it all works out,” Kucharczuk said.
The seventh-seeded Wolverines (14-3-1) now play at Gateway (16-1) in Saturday’s quarterfinals. The second-seeded Gators routed Cape May Tech Wednesday 7-0.
Pennsville’s Cameron Robbins (3) keeps an eye on Emma Perry as the Woodstown senior tries to take the ball down the sideline. (Top photo) Woodstown’s Hailey Kucharczuk takes a shot in the first half.
Penns Grove freshman takes game to next level in playoffs; Red Devils, Pennsville score historic wins in SJ Group I boys soccer tournament; also includes opening round of field hockey tournament
SJ GROUP I BOYS SOCCER
SJ GROUP I FIELD HOCKEY
Tuesday’s first round
Tuesday’s first round
Haddon Twp. 5, Woodbury 0
Shore 6, Collingswood 0
Pennsville 1, Glassboro 0
Haddon Hts. 2, Woodstown 0
Pitman 2, Clayton 0
S. Hunterdon 2, Bordentown 1
Palmyra 1, Woodstown 0
Gloucester 5, Lower Cape May 0
Audubon 4, Wildwood 0
Haddon Twp. 6, New Egypt 0
Riverside 2, Maple Shade 0
Schalick 2, Florence 1
Penns Grove 3, Gateway 1
Gateway 1, Audubon 0
Schalick 2, New Egypt 0
West Deptford 11, Pennsville 0
Friday’s quarterfinals
Thursday’s quarterfinals
Pennsville at Haddon Twp., 4 p.m.
Haddon Heights at Shore
Palmyra at Pitman
S. Hunterdon at Gloucester
Riverside at Audubon
Schalick at Haddon Twp.
Penns Grove at Schalick, 2 p.m.
Gateway at West Deptford
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE – Prince Ledbetter came off the pitch with about 10 minutes to play and a two-goal lead to series of high fives on his way to the bench. The celebration started early, but coach Mano Massari warned his players it wasn’t over.
It was necessary to do, but it really wasn’t.
Necessary because only three weeks ago the Red Devils held a two-goal lead on a high-powered opponent with a lot less time remaining and left with a draw that felt a lot worse. Unnecessary because they played a strong second half and continued to after their flashy freshman came off the field, putting away Gateway 3-1 in the opening round of the South Jersey Group I boys soccer tournament.
It was the Red Devils’ first win in the tournament since 2022. They now travel to second-seeded Schalick Friday for the quarterfinals.
“The history is we were up 2-0 on a very good team (Woodstown), dominated that game for a while, but we took our foot off the gas and got comfortable, complacent, and you know how that ended,” Massari said. “It ended in a tie with a good team, but it felt like a loss to us.
“All season long they’ll say we’ll fix it tomorrow, we’ll fix it tomorrow, and the message today was there is no tomorrow. I’ve got a good team, but they’re very inconsistent at times and to be the best you’ve got to be consistent.”
The Red Devils (9-5-3) had a lot of messages sent their way during the game.
Huddled in the goal at halftime trailing 1-0, Massari told them to just take a breath and “clear the mechanism.”
They had the best of the opportunities, but still were behind. Watching Mario Fuentes’ penalty kick slam off the crossbar in the 19th minute got them out of sorts and their fears intensified when Gateway’s Max Hohl parked a shot just out of the reach of PG keeper Dwayne Guzman Silva 17:38 before halftime. They needed to regroup.
They got it back together in the second half. They continued to have the best of the chances, but this time they finished, scoring three goals in 17 minutes.
“I wanted them to fight out of a hole and they did,” Massari said.
Ledbetter had a part in all three goals, but a more direct one in the second two.
Poyrez Erdonmez got the equalizer three minutes into the second half off a rebound of a Ledbetter shot. The freshman put the Red Devils ahead with a bullet into the upper left corner on a free kick from just outside the box nine minutes later and then made a nifty side-boot flick to set up Erdom Yardim’s insurance goal with 20:24 to play.
“I saw the open gap and saw the keeper was off his line a little bit and I took a hard rip to the top corner and it went in,” Ledbetter said of his goal. “I was anticipating (the final goal). I was waiting for the perfect moment (to make the pass). I knew that play was going to happen and it just came out how I wanted it and we got the goal.”
Ledbetter figures his freshman season is “going pretty well.” His goal is to become the best player he can. Massari believes he went to a another level Tuesday.
“I’ve been praising this kid since August,” Massari said. “I said to my assistant coach (Jesus Lopez) today this is the day Prince is going to take over this game and take over this team, and I really do believe he just did that.
“He is a special kid. If he can get out of his own way at times and make smart decisions, my God is he going to be a problem for the next couple years. He is going to be a problem in this conference, I really do think that.
“I am petrified to lose Dwayne next year, but having a kid like Prince kind of softens the blow a little bit.”
This defense doesn’t rest
GLASSBORO – Pennsville just keeps checking off historical boxes.
The Eagles won their first division title in 32 years earlier this season and Tuesday they picked up their first playoff win in 11 years with a 1-0 victory over eighth-seeded Glassboro. It also was coach Derek Foglein’s first playoff win as head coach.
The ninth-seeded Eagles (11-6-2) now travel to top-seeded Haddon Twp. for Thursday’s quarterfinals.
“Today just solidifies how hard this year’s team has worked, especially this group of seniors,” Foglein said. “Even these guys have been working in May, but Coen (Rinnier) and Steve (Fatcher), in particular, have been working their butts off all four years. It’s really nice to see them kind of get something out of all that labor and everything that they’ve put into the program.
“Yeah, it feels nice to win this game today, but it really is a win for Pennsville soccer and that, to me, is bigger than anything else, for sure.”
It was the first time the Eagles have beaten Glassboro in nine games since the teams began playing regularly in 2018, including a 1-0 own-goal loss earlier this season. They had been 0-9 against the Bulldogs since 2010, the first year records are publicly available.
“It feels really good to get it done especially after the season we are having and especially on Glassboro because that’s a team me and my coaches, I’m pretty sure, have never beaten,” Fatcher said. “We had lost to them in the summer league championship and earlier in the season so it felt like we had a little something to prove as well as continuing me and the other seniors’ careers.”
Sam Hassler scored the game’s only goal two minutes before halftime, cashing in a free kick by Edwin Castaneda-Sanchez from 35 yards out.
“We’ve been focusing on set pieces all year,” Foglein said. “We got plenty of opportunities in the first half and we took advantage of the one that we needed.”
Much of the credit for the historic victory goes to the Eagles’ defense, led by stopper Fatcher and defensive mid J.P. Laughrey. Rinnier was credited with seven saves in goal, but thanks to the play of the back line he was rarely tested. It was their 11th shutout in 19 games.
“Coen’s leadership and his calm demeanor at the back was super helpful for us, for sure, but overall this was our best team defensive effort of the season and it wasn’t even close,” Foglein said. “Once we scored that goal, in the second half everybody on the field was committed to defending as a team and making smart choices when they were on the ball.”
“I talked to the boys before the game and said we need to win me and the other seniors another game because this team deserves that,” Fatcher said. “I also felt a little bit of pressure being that this could have been my last high school soccer game so I felt like I had to prove something any way I could and tried my best to limit shots on goal. It feels really good to know that me and the team left everything out on the field and won.”
Cougars find a way
PITTSGROVE – Schalick ran into another team that didn’t want to play with them, but the Cougars still had plenty of firepower to overtake their opponent’s conservative approach.
The second-seeded Cougars scored two goals in the second half to push past No. 15 New Egypt 2-0. They now host Penns Grove in the quarterfinals Friday.
The Warriors seemed not to want to push the ball forward , instead just nudging it up towards the front and hoping to capitalize on a Schalick mistake. But once Nolan O’Toole broke the ice it opened things up for the Cougars.
“When teams are playing like that, (if) you get that early goal that kind of opens things up and makes it less frustrating,” Schalick coach Joe Mannella said. “We didn’t do that, so we did a good job of just continuing to play at it and keep poking away until we found a breakthrough and then it clearly opened up after that.”
Jaxon Weber had a hand in both goals. He assisted on O’Toole’s goal and then scored the insurance goal on an assist from Tyler Vanlier.
Mannella expects “a lot of teams” to take a conservative approach against his team the deeper they get into the playoffs.
“We’re still trying to find our way without Luke (Price) and with some young guys, figuring out a way to integrate some of the other guys whose roles have now changed,” Mannella said. “We need Jaxon Weber to get more involved in the offense.”
No pal of theirs
WOODSTOWN – An old nemesis did it to Woodstown again.
Palmyra, the team that knocked the Wolverines out in the sectional semifinals three times in the last four years, did it to them again, this time in the opening round, 1-0 in overtime.
The Panthers beat them in a shootout last year and with shutouts in 2021 and 2023.
“I guess we’re just destined to run into them,” Woodstown coach Darren Huck said. “For a while there when I was in Group 2 it always seemed like we were going against Cinnaminson. Then the one year we didn’t have Cinnaminson, we had Delran. For us right it’s just that Palmyra is the team we’re running into.
“When you look at South Jersey Group 1, I’ve said it for many years, the team that wins it they have to go through either Palmyra, Woodstown, Haddon Twp. or Schalick. If you want to win it, you have to beat one of those teams or we’re all beating each other, that’s what it comes down to.”
Patrick Broadbelt scored the golden goal two minutes into overtime when he ran onto a bending free kick Kian Briant sent into the box and headed into the goal.
The fourth-seeded Wolverines (11-4-4) had several good chances in the first half that keeper Deakon Haines came out to stop. Meanwhile, they played their typically gritty defense to keep the Panthers out of the goal through regulation.
“Disappointed we lost, but all in all, looking back on it, we played 19 games this year and only lost four of them,” Huck said. “I’m proud of that. I’m proud of the 4-seed. Who else would have to play a 13-seed Palmyra team. If anybody would have said that in the soccer world they would have gone that must be a different sport than boys soccer.”
Field Hockey
SCHALICK 2, FLORENCE 1: Caylen Taylor and Luci Virga scored goals in the first quarter and goalie Lydia Gilligan made 15 saves to help the sixth-seeded Cougars hang on. Ryann Smith scored in the second quarter for Florence and the teams battled through a scoreless second half.
“It was a tough one, for sure,” Schalick coach Heather Cheesman said. “I don’t think the girls were expecting Florence to come out like they did. They were fast and aggressive.”
HADDON HEIGHTS 2, WOODSTOWN 0: Abigail Lovelidge and Lily Paul scored goals in the second quarter and the Garnets completed the shutout to bring the curtain down on Gloria Byard’s first season as the Wolverines’ head coach. The loss snapped Woodstown’s four-game winning streak
WEST DEPTFORD 11, PENNSVILLE 0: The Eagles were just too strong and overpowered Pennsville in coach Lisa Doran’s return to the sideline. Avery Gasparovic, Isabella Gibbons and Julia Barger scored two goals apiece and five other players had individual goals
Woodstown gets fourth-down stop at the 5 in final minute to preserve 21-14 win over Clayton in final game of a tough season
WJFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Woodstown 21, Clayton 14 Wildwood 22, Haddon Twp. 8
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
CLAYTON — Aiden Taulane and Liam Reed were determined not to lose the final game of their high school careers. The two linemen did everything in their power to make sure they won the last game of a tough senior season Monday night and at the crucial moment they delivered in a game-saving way.
The moment of truth came in the final minute of their final game. Taulane batted down a fourth-down pass from the 5 and Reed crushed the unfortunate lineman who caught the deflection to preserve Woodstown’s 21-14 win over Clayton at Haupt Field.
“I saw the quarterback pick his arm up and I jumped,” Taulane said. “It wasn’t very high, but I tried to jump and I ended up hitting it and then the emotions just flipped and it was straight excitement. I gave it everything to make sure we could all have one last win.”
“We all knew this was it,” Reed said. “It’s been a long four years … Adversity kept coming this season. This was kind of our chance to prove that we could overcome adversity. We just came together. We just made sure we could lock you down.”
Reed was in on another big stop in the third quarter when he and Mason Middlemiss sandwiched Clayton running back Willie Weathers short of the goal line to deny a two-point conversion that would have given the Clippers the lead. Instead, the stop kept the game tied at 14.
The Wolverines (3-7) had one chance to go out on a good note after a season beset with injuries left them out of the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. They went out fast, scoring on two of their first three possessions to take a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Cole Ware scored the first touchdown on a 43-yard burst up the middle and Middlemiss scored the second on a 24-yard run in the first minute of the second quarter. Ware rushed for 79 yards on 10 carries and Middlemiss rushed for 88 yards on 13 carries.
The Clippers (4-5) started getting Michael Ball involved in the offense in the second quarter and they answered Middlemiss’ touchdown with a 65-yard drive that ate up five and a half minutes. Quaddy Walls’ 7-yard run and quarterback Gabriel Hill’s two-point conversion got them on the board.
Woodstown had a chance to extend its lead right before halftime, but missed a 33-yard field goal attempt in the final minute of the half.
Clayton opened the second half with a 66-yard scoring drive that consumed nearly eight minutes with Weathers scoring on a 12-yard run to tie the game.
Middlemiss put the Wolverines up 21-14 on a 4-yard run with 9:02 left in the game. Clayton held it virtually the rest of the game.
The Clippers kept the ball from the time Middlemiss scored to 48 seconds left when the Wolverines forced Hill to his right on fourth down, Taulane batted the pass and Reed crushed Roderick Harper after the Clayton lineman came down with the rebound.
“He was not getting that ball,” Reed said. “He was not scoring.”
“We just knew if we didn’t give everything we had they were going to get in,” Taulane said. “So, we left it all on the field.”
The drive covered 75 yards in 16 plays and was nearly flawless until the end.
The Clippers converted three third-down plays to keep the chains moving, including a 17-yard run by Deron Williams to get the ball inside the 10. The next two plays got them to the 5. They took a shot on third down, but Middlemiss and Bryceton Rooney broke up a pass intended for Michael Bull just inside the goal line. Taulane and Reed then sealed the victory on the next play.
“It just shows the resilience and toughness of this group,” Wolverines coach Frank Trautz said. “It’s the bones of this program. They were going to do whatever it took to get that stop and sometimes that’s all it comes down to, just the will to compete and the will to win.
“They gave it everything they had all year. That was the message all week – win it for the seniors. Give them what they deserved. We didn’t have the season we wanted to but these guys have worked their tails off for this program. They worked so hard and they deserve this and I’m just super proud they got to go out their last high school game with a win.”
Woodstown senior linemen Aiden Taulane (77) and Liam Reed (68) share a special moment with coach Frank Trautz after Monday night’s win. (Top photo) Mason Middlemiss (3) and Sincere Cook-Reese celebrate after scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Woodstown 21, Clayton 14
WOOD
CLAY
9
1st Downs
12
26-204
Rushing
48-232
0-3-0
Passing
2-4-0
0
Passing yds
(-3)
2-2
Fumbles-lost
1-0
0-0
Punts-avg
0-0
4-30
Penalties
4-40
Woodstown
7
7
0
7-
21
Clayton
0
8
6
0-
14
SCORING SUMMARY W-Cole Ware 43 run (Anthony Costello kick), 6:46 1Q W-Mason Middlemiss 24 run (Anthony Costello kick), 11:01 2Q C-Quaddy Walls 7 run (Gabriel Hill run), 4:35 2Q C-Willie Weathers 12 run (run failed), 4:05 3Q W-Mason Middlemiss 4 run (Anthony Costello kick), 9:02 4Q
Riverview Sports News 