Shuffle the deck

Salem County teams split into two divisions in the new West Jersey Football League alignment; Woodstown, Penns Grove out of Diamond for first time in league history

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

The Diamond Division of the West Jersey Football League may look a lot different than it has in the past, but it appears just as strong as it’s ever been.

The ”SEC West” of Group I football is still no country for old men.

Two-time reigning state champion Glassboro may be gone in the latest two-year shakeup of WJFL division alignments, but there is still a lineup of heavy hitters residing there.

Glassboro, Woodbury, Woodstown and Penns Grove may be out, but Pennsville, Paulsboro, Gloucester and Overbrook are in. All six teams in the new iteration of the division were playoff teams this past season.

Schalick was 5-7, but played in the sectional title game for the third year in a row. Pennsville (5-5, Patriot) was a South Jersey Group I quarterfinalist and Salem (6-5) and Paulsboro (9-2) played in the semifinals. Incoming Gloucester (5-5, Continental) and Overbrook (6-4, Patriot) were playoff teams in Group II.

“We feel like our division will be challenging, but we must challenge ourselves to get better,” Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas said. “We are familiar with the teams in our division and we are getting back a few Salem County rivals.”

To accommodate the shuffle, Salem County’s other two football-playing teams, Woodstown (3-7) and Penns Grove (0-9), were moved into the Independence Division with Buena (3-5), Clayton (5-5), Pitman (4-6) and Woodbury (3-7). Only Woodbury in this group made the playoffs this year, and it was involved in the fight with Paulsboro late in the game.

Glassboro jumps into the Colonial Division with Cedar Creek, Delsea, Holy Spirit, Ocean City and Pleasantville. Reigning Patriot Division champion West Deptford jumps into the Constitution Division with Burlington City, Delran, Haddonfield, Seneca and Willingboro.

Teams had the right to appeal their spots. Deadline for the appeals was Dec. 3; sources said there were more than 20. Five have been granted of the 11 heard, and while there will be changes in the alignment league officials declined to identify them.

“The modifications based on appeals granted have not been completed yet,” WJFL president and Moorestown athletics director Joe McColgan said Wednesday.

The group meets again Monday. “I’m hoping we’ll have some resolution” at that time, McColgan said.

Woodstown and Penns Grove have been part of the Diamond Division since the inception of the WJFL in 2010, but it has been rare that all five Salem County teams played in the same division.

The Eagles play an annual trophy game with Penns Grove. The last time they played all four of the other Salem County teams in the same season was 2019.

“(It) would be nice if the scheduling committee added Woodstown as one of our cross-overs so we would once again play all of the Salem County schools during the regular season,” Thomas said.

WEST JERSEY FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIAMOND: Gloucester, Overbrook, Paulsboro, Pennsville, Salem, Schalick.
INDEPENDENCE: Buena, Clayton, Penns Grove, Pitman, Woodbury, Woodstown.

Salem County WJFL History

YEAR	SCHALICK	PENNS GROVE	PENNSVILLE	SALEM	WOODSTOWN
2025	Diamond	Diamond	Patriot	Diamond	Diamond
2024	Diamond	Diamond	Patriot	Diamond	Diamond
2023	Horizon	Diamond	Royal	Diamond	Diamond
2022	Horizon	Diamond	Royal	Diamond	Diamond
2021	United	Diamond	United	Diamond	Diamond
2020	United	Diamond	United	Diamond	Diamond
2019	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond
2018	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond
2017	Classic	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond
2016	Classic	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond
2015	Diamond	Diamond	Classic	Classic	Diamond
2014	Diamond	Diamond	Classic	Classic	Diamond
2013	Diamond	Diamond	Classic	Classic	Diamond
2012	Diamond	Diamond	Classic	Classic	Diamond
2011	Diamond	Diamond	Classic	Classic	Diamond
2010	Diamond	Diamond	Classic	Classic	Diamond

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Dec. 8-13; x-scrimmage

MONDAY, DEC. 8
BOYS BASKETBALL
x-Triton at Woodstown, 4 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
x-Triton at Salem, 3:30 p.m.
x-Pennsville at Millville, 4 p.m.

TUESDAY, DEC. 9
BOYS BASKETBALL
x-Pennsville at Clayton, 4 p.m.
x-Penns Grove at Vineland, 4 p.m.
x-Salem at Bridgeton, 4 p.m.
x-Schalick at Cumberland, 4 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
x-Bridgeton at Salem, 3:30 p.m.
x-Cumberland at Schalick, 4 p.m.
x-Highland at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. Gloucester at Wood Lanes, 3:45 p.m.
Salem vs. Overbrook at Wood Lanes, 4 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
RCSJ-Gloucester at Salem CC, 7 p.m.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Morris at Salem CC, 5 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10
BOYS BASKETBALL
x-Woodstown at Paulsboro, 4 p.m.
SWIMMING
Schalick at Camden County Tech, 4 p.m.
TRACK
Pennsville Polar Bear Meet, 3 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. Clayton at Bowlero, 3:45 p.m.

THURSDAY, DEC. 11
BOYS BASKETBALL
x-Cinnaminson at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
x-St. Joseph at Schalick, 4 p.m.
x-Salem Tech at Pennsauken Tech
GIRLS BASKETBALL
x-Cumberland at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
x-Schalick at Bridgeton, 4 p.m.
x-Woodstown at Lower Cape May, 4:45 p.m.
SWIMMING
Woodstown at Camden Academy Charter, 3:30 p.m.
Salem vs. Pitman at GCIT, 6 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem vs. Gloucester Catholic at Wood Lanes, 4 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Cumberland, 5 p.m.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC, 5 p.m.

FRIDAY, DEC. 12
WRESTLING
Pennsville girls in TCC Jamboree, 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, DEC. 13
BOYS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove Showcase
Cumberland vs. West Deptford, 10:30 a.m.
Winslow vs. Deptford, 12:30 p.m.
Woodstown vs. Woodbury, 4:30 p.m.
Penns Grove vs. Lindenwold, 6:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove Showcase
Woodbury at Penns Grove, 2:30 p.m.
WRESTLING
Schalick Holiday Tournament, 9 a.m.
Salem at Vineland Tournament
Woodstown at Delaware Valley Tournament
INDOOR TRACK
Salem at Ott Center, Philadelphia
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Brookdale at Salem CC, 2 p.m.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Lackawanna at Salem CC, noon

Stars align for TCC

Tri-County Conference sweeps Colonial in soccer all-star games, boys score five goals in final 10:30, girls score shutout

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CLAYTON — Darren Huck was about 30 seconds away from walking down the sideline to ask his opposite number how he wanted to play it if their all-star soccer game ended in a tie. Overtime? PKs? Coin toss at 20 paces?

Turns out he didn’t have to have that conversation at all.

After nearly 70 minutes of close calls, the Woodstown coach’s Tri-County Conference boys soccer all-stars erupted for five goals in the final 10 and a half minutes of the match and wrecked the Colonial Conference stars 5-1 Monday at Haupt Field.

“Just got lucky,” Huck said with some serious side-eye when asked if he planned it that way. “How did they say it on TV, the ‘A-Team,’ ‘I love it when a plan comes together.’

“It worked out really, really well. We had some weapons we were able to make us look like we knew what we were doing on the sideline.”

Actually, the game went a lot like Huck envisioned, for the first 70 minutes at least. It was a close game between two evenly matched teams, nothing like last year’s 9-1 TCC rout.

The Colonials took a 1-0 lead when Gateway’s Ethan LaCroix hit a shot from about the PK spot that was just out of Pennsville keeper Coen Rinnier’s reach less than four minutes before the break.

And it stayed that way until shortly after the TCC’s last wave of substitutions.

Just about the time Huck was headed over to make his overtime pitch GCIT’s Mike Stanwood got the equalizer when he finished Schalick senior Anthony Sepers’ sharp pass through the box with 10:26 to play.

The coach stopped, turned around and decided to rethink this overtime thing. Then the goals came fast and furious.

Before it was over, Sepers had another assist and GCIT’s Cole Madgey and Williamstown’s Amadu Jalloh had two goals apiece. All five goals came in a span of 9 minutes and 12 seconds.

“Sometimes it just clicks and when you score one, then you’re feeling good and get more adrenaline and you score another and then another and then another,” said Sepers, one of nine Salem County players and four Cougars in the game. “I thought it was going to be a really close game, which it was for the most part, and it just opened up.”

The Tris might not have gotten the first goal if Sepers weren’t so good at reading the field. He was going to shoot it from the left side, but saw Stanwood making a run from behind and pushed the ball through to where he anticipated the receiver would be. It would be the play that changed the game.

“The energy completely shifted,” Madgey said. “It was like no one was really caring and then we scored, then it became a huge energy shift and we all started having more fun and it became more of a game. We scored one and we couldn’t stop.”

Jalloh scored the go-ahead goal two minutes later. About 90 seconds after that Madgey lit the lamp for the first time. Madgey got his second goal moments later off a Sepers corner kick and Jalloh closed the scoring with 64 seconds to play shortly after banging one off the post.

“The corner kick (assist) was actually funny,” Sepers said. “A lot of us all used to play on a club team together so we were messing around and calling that one play and it actually worked.”

“They were all talking about a play they had and I joined in,” Madgey said. “They all said ‘crash,’ and went to the goalie. I just joined in and it kind of found its way to me.”

When the train comes in, everybody rides.

Tri-County 5, Colonial 1

Tri-County	0	5-	5
Colonial	1	0-	1

GOALS — C: Ethan LaCroix, 36:08; T: Mike Stanwood (Anthony Sepers), 69:34; T: Amadu Jalloh, 71:32; T: Cole Madgey, 73:00; T: Cole Madgey (Anthony Sepers), 74:30; T: Amadu Jalloh, 78:46.

**Schalick teammates Quinn Berger (L) and Cali Fisler talk about scoring the first two goals of the match in the Tri-County all-stars’ 3-0 win over the Colonial Conference stars.**

Girls: ‘It’s a Schalick show’

CLAYTON – No sooner had Quinn Berger’s goal from the corner settled inside the goal, Cali Fisler ran over to her teammate and enthusiastically proclaimed, “It’s a Schalick show.”

Fisler and Berger scored the first two goals of the game, about five minutes apart in the first half, and Woodstown’s Ellie Wygand made a big save in the second half as the TCC girls won 3-0.

Fisler, who’s normally assisting other players’ goals, scored the first goal of the night when she lined straight up on Colonial keeper Egypt Bolan (Lindenwold) and buried a shot from about 15 yards out inside the left post with 15:07 left in the first half.

“That was pretty exciting considering I’m not much of a goal scorer in the season, I usually get a lot of assists,” the Cougars’ all-time assists leader said. “But I saw the ball open and I had a shot on net, so I was like I’m just going to take it and it wound up in the back of the net so I’m pretty happy.”

Berger made it 2-0 about five minutes later, and of course it came on a corner kick. The set piece specialist, who had five corner-kick assists on Emily Miller goals in a two-game stretch late in the season and scored directly on a corner in the South Jersey Group I semifinals, put a ball on goal from the right corner that exploded off the keeper’s forearms into the goal.

“That’s literally Quinn,” Fisler said. “That’s the definition of Quinn. That’s what she does.”

Berger had two other corners in the half that had chances to go in. The first was headed over the crossbar by one of her teammates and the other was saved by the keeper and cleared by the defense.

“I honestly don’t know (why it works so well),” Berger said. “I just try to aim for the goal and I have my spot to where I put it on the corner.

“I was always the one who took free kicks, so I was always used to that, but this year is just on a whole different level of excellence. I know where to put it and I know the mindset of where people will be and just put it in the box so they can get it.”

Gianna Simon of Overbrook deposited the TCC’s third goal with 2:36 left in the match.

Wygand played at the end of the first half and started the second. She kept the shutout alive when she reached out with her arm to knock away a shot by Audubon’s Charlie Owens targeted for the upper right corner 11 minutes into the second half.

“I was really focused in that moment when I saw the girl coming at me and all I had to do was make the save,” Wygand said. “I definitely knew she was going toward the back post because of the way she was angled. I kind of just planted and it went the right way.

“Once I made it, I was good and I knew I had people to back me up on the back line and everywhere else. It was awesome.”

Tri-County 3, Colonial 0

Tri-County	2	1-	3
Colonial	0	0-	0

GOALS — T: Cali Fisler (Elizabeth Anderson), 24:53; T: Quinn Berger, 29:19; T: Gianna Simon, 77:24.

All-Star Soccer

The Tri-County and Colonial Conference soccer stars face off in annual all-star games Monday at Clayton

By Riverview Sports News

CLAYTON – The Tri-County Conference will put its recent series dominance on the line with another strong roster of all-stars when the games are played on the artificial turf at Haupt Field here Monday night.

TCC has won the boys game the last two years with one-sided outcomes – 9-1 and 5-2 – that weren’t anticipated but just happened.

“The whole point of the game is for it to be competitive and fun and for these guys to play with some really good players and just have some fun with it; that’s the main part of it,” said Woodstown coach Darren Huck, who has the TCC boys team. “I don’t want to see a blowout on either side, that’s not good for anybody. I’m expecting a close game.”

Salem County is well represented with five players in the 5 p.m. girls game and nine in the boys 7 p.m. nightcap.

Among the girls are Schalick’s set-piece specialist Quinn Berger and all-time assists leader Cali Fisler, Woodstown’s Delaney Walker and Ellie Wygand, and Pennsville’s Taylor Bass.

Schalick has four players on the TCC boys roster – Steve Chomo, Jaxon Weber, Anthony Sepers and Michael Nelson – and they’re joined by Woodstown’s Bryce Ayars and Josh Crawford, Pennsville’s Steve Fatcher and Coen Rinnier, and Salem Tech’s Kameron Brown.

“I think we’re going to have a very good showing,” Huck said. “I think we’re going to be very strong with very quality, quality players. It’s a privilege to coach them.”

Huck hasn’t determined his starters, but he does have a plan for the groups. He’ll play with three forwards, giving each of the two groups 20 minutes per half. The two sets of four midfielders also will get 20 minutes per half and the three sets of four defenders will each get 13-minute shifts. Each keeper will get 20 minutes.

“I expect the Colonial Conference to come out with their strongest lineup in the beginning of the game, so we want to make sure we put our strongest goal keeper out there,” Huck said.

Ten of the TCC girls and 12 of the TCC boys will be playing in the South Jersey Soccer Coaches All-Star Game Tuesday at Rutgers-Camden. The Colonial has seven and four players, respectively, in that game.

Girls rosters, 5 p.m.

NO.	TRI-COUNTY GIRLS	COLONIAL GIRLS
1	x-Taylor Stuart, Washington Twp.	x-Charlie Owens, Audubon
2	x-Carli Scrivana, Williamstown	x-Brielle Connor, Haddon Hts.
3	x-McKenna Eaton, Williamstown	x-Rylee Delaney, W. Deptford
4	Casey Vilary, Clearview	Penny Floyd, Gateway
5	Allison Wiggins, Kingsway	Alexis Nelson, Gloucester
6	Mackenzie Barry, Kingsway	Ayanna Miller, Woodbury
7	Brianna Weiss, Washington Twp.	Montgomery Graham, Sterling
8	Brooke Jones, GCIT	x-Kylie Tocco, Audubon
9	x-Deondria Simon, Clayton	x-Alexis Varela, W. Deptford
10	Alyssa Shinskie, Clayton	Joselyn Hauck, Haddon Twp.
11	LeighAnn Nage, Clayton	Madison Eastlack, W. Deptford
12	Audrey Duffield, Pitman	x-Kayleigh Daley, Gateway
13	Lauren Narolewski, Glou. Cath.	Whitney Okeke, Lindenwold
14	Kaitlyn Capalbo, Glou. Cath.	x-Emily Sewell, Gateway
15	x-Olivia Capecci, Delsea	Madison Sims, Sterling
16	x-Ayress Maitland, Delsea	Mariela Fuentes Ramirez, Lindenwold
17	Emma Serrano, Delsea	Egypt Bolan, Londenwold
18	Gracie Mills, Deptford	Molly Sullivan, Audubon
19	x-Anna Lawyer, Deptford	Sydney O;Loughlin, W. Deptford
20	Ciana Ragonese, Cumberland	Moira Schroeder, Haddon Hts.
21	Elizabeth Anderson, Highland	Jayleen Peebles, Haddon Twp.
22	x-Amina Brown, Glassboro	Lily Henning, Haddon Twp.
23	Quinn Berger, Schalick	Alex Billingsley, Haddon Twp.
24	x-Cali Fisler, Schalick
25	x-Delaney Walker, Woodstown
26	Ellie Wygand, Woodstown
27	Gianna Simon, Overbrook
28	Taylor Bass, Pennsville

x-Playing in SJSCA Game Tuesday at Rutgers-Camden

Boys rosters, 7 p.m.

	TRI-COUNTY BOYS	COLONIAL BOYS
1	William Gallagher, Triton	Connor Wendell, Audubon
2	Mason Henry, Deptford	Phelan Pizzutillo, Collingswood
3	x-Kenny Cockerill, Deptford	Mason McCarthy, Haddon Twp.
4	Brody Rowe, Timber Creek	Ethan LaCroix, Gateway
5	Aidan Worley, Highland	Juan Flores-Sanches, Collingswood
6	Joshua Holt, Cumberland	x-Eammon Sheehan, Haddon Twp.
7	x-Danny Bird, Delsea	x-Riley Yearicks, W. Deptford
8	x-Bryce Ayars, Woodstown	x-Ben Cameron, Audubon
9	Steve Chomo, Schalick	Max Ciavarelli, Haddon Hts.
10	x-Jaxon Weber, Schalick	Allan Medina, Gloucester
11	Anthony Sepers, Schalick	Zach Fayer, Audubon
12	x-Michael Nelson, Schalick	Allen Eastlack, W. Deptford
13	Josh Crawford, Woodstown	Nate Durst, Collingswood
14	x-Joey Zubert, Pitman	Lester Saba, Woodbury
15	Zach Payne, Glou. Cath.	Brendan Rettig, Gloucester
16	Alex Osorio, Wildwood	Shawn Rizzi, Audubon
17	Steve Fatcher, Pennsville	Quinn Dahem, Haddon Hts.
18	Ju’son Stewart, Clayton	Alton Rattle, Gateway
19	Steven Benckert, Clayton	Carter Watson, W. Deptford
20	Coen Rinnier, Pennsville	x-Bayron Guardado, Lindenwold
21	Kameron Brown, Salem Tech	Hendrick Guerrero, Lindenwold
22	x-Connor Brown, Kingsway	Jonathan Rojas, Haddon Hts.
23	x-Ayden Anderson, Washington Twp.	Jack McGarrigel, Haddon Twp.
24	x-Cole Madgey, GCIT	Patrick Farrow, Collingswood
25	Luke Marino, Clearview
26	x-Robbie Finnegan, Washington Twp.
27	x-Amadu Jalloh, Williamstown
28	Cristian Russell, Williamstown
29	Angel Lara, Wildwood
30	x-Sean Tarsatana, Washington Twp.

x-Playing in SJSCA game Tuesday at Rutgers-Camden.

All-TCC boys soccer

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

Diamond Division

POS	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
F	Luke Price, Schalick	Tyler Vanlier, Schalick
F	x-Bryce Ayars, Woodstown	Trevor Leach, Pitman
F	Steve Chomo, Schalick	Josh Lewis, Overbrook
M	Jaxon Weber, Schalick	Nolan O’Toole, Schalick
M	Anthony Sepers, Schalick	Thomas Mason, Overbrook
M	Jake Lewis, Woodstown	Nate Newcomb, Pitman
M	Jake Bowen-Ashwin, Pitman
D	Michael Nelson, Schalick	JT Fleming, Schalick
D	x-Josh Crawford, Woodstown	Rooby Dorival, Penns Grove
D	Cooper Willoughby, Schalick	Tommy Tucci, Woodstown
D	Grady Datz, Pitman	Lucas Razze, Pitman
G	Joey Zubert, Pitman	Dwayne Guzman, Penns Grove

Classic Division

	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
F	Jonathan Rehm, Clayton	Sam Hassler, Pennsville
F	Zach Payne, Gloucester Cath.	Angel Rosario, Wildwood
F	Danny Bunay Coronel, Pennsville	Kameron Brown, Salem Tech
M	Justin Michaca, Pennsville	Edwin Castaneda-Sanchez, Pennsville
M	Jackson Venuto, Clayton	JP Laughrey, Pennsville
M	Alex Osorio, Wildwood	Jason Grossman, Gloucester Cath.
M	Logan Pace, Salem Tech
D	x-Steve Fatcher, Pennsville	Steven Benckert, Clayton
D	Ju’son Stewart, Clayton	Carrington Proffitt, Salem Tech
D	Angel Lara, Wildwood	Oscar DeJesus, Wildwood
D	Brant Regner, Pennsville	Jackson Mecholsky, Pennsville
G	x-Coen Rinnier, Pennsville	Justin Delaney, Clayton

Memorable moment

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.

Tough day

Top-seeded Schalick falls on penalty kicks, Woodstown shut out in South Jersey Group I girls soccer semifinals

SJ GROUP 1 GIRLS SOCCER
Wednesday’s Semifinals
Audubon 3, Schalick 2 (PK, 4-1)
Haddon Twp. 6, Woodstown 0
Friday’s Championship
(6) Haddon Twp. at (5) Audubon, 3 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

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

This week’s schedule

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.

Photo credit: Heather Papiano

Chasing down history

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.

Carrying on

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.”