Tag: FOOTBALL

Next group up

With only two returning starters, Woodstown faces ‘a different challenge’ heading into Trautz’ second season

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – It used to be real easy to find a seat in the Woodstown quarterback room. Now, not so much.

In the years coming out of COVID, the position was clearly Max Webb’s domain and he sat in the front row. When he graduated, the torch passed to his cousin Jack Holladay, who stepped in seamlessly despite not playing much as a junior and carried it until a shoulder injury derailed him in the sixth game of the season.

WOODSTOWN
Aug. 19: x-Audubon
Aug. 28: Pitman
Sept. 5: at Delsea
Sept. 12: at Schalick
Sept. 20: at Woodbury
Sept. 26: Penns Grove
Oct. 2: at Pleasantville
Oct. 9: Haddon Heights
Oct. 17: Salem
Oct. 24: Glassboro
x-scrimmage

This year, though, you’ve got to get in early to find a seat as the Wolverines have no fewer than six players with quarterback experience/designations attached to their name – but only two with (limited) varsity experience at the position and none of whom have thrown a varsity pass in a Woodstown uniform.

“It’s the first time (me) being at Woodstown we’re having a true QB competition heading into camp,” second-year head coach Frank Trautz said. “Competition is good for every position. It’s what drives everybody. It’s a good thing.”

Offseason workouts and experiences have created some separation. When the Wolverines open preseason camp Monday, the depth chart will show sophomore Mason Middlemiss and freshman Frankie Hoerst at the top of the list.

Middlemiss has the most varsity experience. He was with the Wolverines last summer, then moved to Absegami, where he completed 4-of-7 passes for 64 yards – all in a win over Cumberland. He’s more of a dual-threat quarterback, like Webb, and has been getting glowing reviews from his offseason camp/showcase work.

Hoerst is a prototypical pocket passer, like Holladay or second-half starter Garrett Leyman, with a big arm. The 6-4, 195-pounder already has an offer from Syracuse after throwing in a private session for the coaches after five games at a camp in which he twice produced wins on the final play.

Trautz said he’ll have to see more of them with live action in camp to determine who might emerge as the starter and what other roles they may play, but he’s excited with the prospects.

“It’s going to be a tough competition between the two of them,” he said. “It already has been in the summer, so it’s just going to heat up as we get into camp with the pads on and everything.

“I’m excited to see what both of them are able to do. They might be inexperienced in terms of varsity stats, but the talent is there and they’re not inexperienced in terms of their quarterback skills.”

For better or worse, after running through what Trautz called “two really good senior classes” the Wolverines have plenty of open spots in the lineup for those who don’t win the quarterback sweepstakes to find spots on the field.

Senior Lucas Fulmer, who finished the Haddon Heights game after Holladay got hurt and led the offense to a fourth-quarter touchdown with a reduced playbook in his varsity debut, will be a starting receiver.

Sophomore Cole Ware moves into leading rusher Bryce Belinfanti’s spot at running back. He ran for 35 yards in last year’s playoff opener with KIPP and is coming off a big summer in which he played in the national flag football tournament and was a finalist for 14U Player of the Year.

Senior Anthony Costello and junior Noah Chiu also are listed with quarterback experience and will be receivers and defensive backs.

The Wolverines have just come through one of the most successful cycles in the program’s history, but as Trautz admits, “we’re replacing a lot of guys.” With just two returning starters – RB/DB Bryceton Rooney and lineman Aiden Taulane – the cycle begins anew. And it starts with a couple young quarterbacks in a crowded room.

While It may be “the next group up,” the standard remains the same.

“I’m excited about everybody we have, really,” Trautz said. “I know we’ve had two really good senior classes that have just graduated, but we have a lot of good young talent, so it’s not just these two at the quarterback position. We have good young talent across all positions.

“It’s a different challenge for sure this year, but it’s an exciting one because of what I think we’ll be able to build with this young group. It’s the next group up; it’s their turn now. They’re very excited, too, to be the ones on Friday night now. I’m excited to see what they can do. It’s a group we have for the next two, three years and they’re going to do, hopefully, some special things together. This is the beginning of it.”

A clear view

Former Schalick head coach Wilson approved as Clearview’s new football coach; also includes Wednesday night’s sports results

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

It didn’t take long for former Schalick coach Mike Wilson to find a landing spot.

Five days after resigning as the Cougars football coach, Wilson, as anticipated, was approved Wednesday night as the new head coach at Clearview Regional.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I think it’s a good fit. I like the direction everything is going in. I’m excited. I’m ready to get to work.”

Wilson, who did not attend the rescheduled board meeting approving his appointment, plans to visit the Gloucester County school Thursday “to get a lay of the land” and hold a parent-player meeting Monday with offseason workouts starting next week. It is anticipated a number of his Schalick assistants will join him at Clearview.

He will remain a history teacher at Schalick until the end of the school year and while the Cougars search for his successor.

In his five years at Schalick, Wilson took the Cougars from zero wins to back-to-back regional championship games and increased its profile in other ways. With a 30-21 record, he is the program’s winningest football coach in terms of percentage (30-21).

“I enjoyed my five years at Schalick and look forward to the rest of the school year,” he said. “As I said before, my decision to pursue other opportunities had nothing to do with the football players.”

With a few exceptions he moves into a situation similar to the one he took at Schalick. The Pioneers have had success in their past and Wilson remembers having some good battles with them when he was an assistant at Mainland, but the team was 0-8 this past season and have had only one winning season since COVID.

“It’s a rebuild,” he said, “but our goal is to be as competitive as possible as quickly as possible.”

One thing is certain: He won’t have to change a lot of his wardrobe. Clearview wears green, too.

Wednesday’s results

WRESTLING
PENNSVILLE 48, PENNS GROVE 30
106: John Sassi (P) pinned Jose Santiago, 1:13
113: Brett Land (P) pinned Avery Curriden, 0:55
120: Mekhi Dicks (P) won by forfeit
126: Devine Arce (PG) pinned Vincent Ciccantelli, 0:32
132: Nathaniel Mason (P) pinned Adan Gonzales, 3:59
138: Gave Supernavage (P) pinned AbdulMuta’Alie IbnAbdulHailmTart, 4:27
144: Telvin Duk (P) won by forfeit
150: Travis Hagan (P) won by forfeit
165: Tre Brown (PG) pinned Juan Velasquez, 0:41
175: Clinton Bobo (PG) pinned Joseph Halstead, 4:42
190: Connor Ayars (P) pinned Sumir Brown, 3:30
215: Antonio Cooper (PG) won by forfeit
285: Wayne Scott (PG) pinned Jacob Hand, 0:28

WOODSTOWN 47, DEPTFORD 29
190: Paul Banff (WO) pinned Najee Johnson, 1:28
215: Walter Carter (WO) pinned John Friffith, 3:32
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Daniel Maguire, 0:33
106: Corey Hoffman (D) won by forfeit
113: Hunter Allen (WO) pinned Julian Colon, 5:12
120: Carson Bradway (WO) pinned Dylan Smith, 1:13
126: Travis Balback (WO) pinned Amir Barnes, 3:50
132: Ethan Christmas (D) tech fall Barry Coverly, 18-2 (5:03)
138: Jaylen Huertas (D) dec. Ryan Polk, 5-2
144: Quentin Boyce (D) pinned Diego Mondragon, 0:49
150: Odess Myers (D) pinned Thomas Lacy, 1:50
157: Brett Rowand (WO) pinned Devin Trotter, 1:03
165: Mel Maguire (D) dec. Laitton Roberts, 4-0
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) tech fall Joseph Crowley, 17-1 (2:26)
Records: Woodstown 3-4, Deptford 5-1.

SCHALICK 77, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 6
175: Ricky Watt (S) pinned Michael Lazorko, 0:40
190: Evan Elliott (S) pinned Jamel Ward, 0:26
215: Gerardo Felipe (S) pinned Brody Driscoll, 0:32
285: Julian Reid (S) pinned Diego Torres, 0:19
106: Victor Fenske (S) won by forfeit
113: Caleb Jenkins (S) won by forfeit
120: E’Shion Underwood (S) won by forfeit
126: Luke Silva (S) won by forfeit
132: Ryan Miller (S) won by forfeit
138: Michael Baisch (S) pinned Joseph Slavin, 0:32
144: Ayden Jenkins (S) tech fall Jude VanAuken, 18-1 (4:14)
150: Koen Martin (S) pinned Luke Goss, 2:17
157: Riley Papiano (S) pinned Alejandro Melendrez, 2:35
165: Mason Toal (G) pinned Ayden Hubbard, 4:58

Salem at Cumberland

INDOOR TRACK
Top eight finishes by Salem County athletes in the SJTCA Meet 10 at the Bennett Center in Toms River
GIRLS
1600: 2. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 5:23.08 (Liliah Gordon, N. Burlington, won at 5:03.72)
4×200: 5. Salem (Amala Massengill, Kashira Patterson, MaKayla Smith, Anyzha Williams), 1:57.39; 8. Schalick (Sarah Torpay, Allyson Green, Brooke Valentina, Gia Martellacci), 1:59.31.
Shot put: 3. Ava Rodgers, Salem, 30-1.25; 4. Allyson Green, Schalick, 29-9.
Pole vault: 2. Morgan Morris, Pennsville, 9-6 (Rebecca Hoover, Haddonfield, won at 11-6)

BOYS
800: 7. Steve Chomo, Schalick, 2:09.20
55: 3. David Stewart, Schalick, 6.7; 5. Anthony Parker, Salem, 6.76
SHR: 6. Salem (Jelani Beverly, Gradin Busby, Timothy Gregory, Anthony Parker), 34.20
4×200: 4. Salem (Terrance Smith Jr., Anthony Parker, Timothy Gregory, DaviYonn Jackson), 1:36.11; 8. Schalick (Steve Chomo, Levi Feeney-Childers, Jacob Carter, David Stewart), 1:39.06.
4×400: 4. Schalick (Levi Feeney-Childers, Steve Chomo, Romeen Thomas, David Stewart), 3:42.87
Shot put: 3. Sheldon Goldsboro, Schalick, 42-8
Pole vault: T-7. Salvatore Longo, Schalick, 11-6



Tough one to lose

Pennsville gives its best effort in Foglein’s six seasons as coach, but falls on an overtime golden goal; includes full schedule of Salem County games

WEDNESDAY’S BOYS SOCCER
Pitman 2, Pennsville 1 (OT)
Schalick 7, Clayton 0
Woodstown 8, Gloucester Catholic 1
Wildwood 4, Penns Grove 2
Salem at Overbrook
Salem Tech at Glassboro

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Coen Rinnier buried his head in his hands as he sat in the middle of the bench after the game. He was brilliant in the Pennsville goal all afternoon, but there was one shot he just couldn’t get at.

The Eagles had one of their best chances to beat long-time nemesis Pitman and, in fact, played what Derek Foglein called their best full-game effort in his six years as coach. But it just wasn’t to be as Panthers senior Jaiden Ammons headed back a rebound just beyond the keeper’s reach five minutes into overtime to send the Eagles to a bitter 2-1 defeat.

“That was the best 80 minutes of soccer I’ve seen in my six years,” Foglein said. “We were already down guys because I have a guy who was suspended from the first game with Wildwood, one of our center mids went down in the first half with an injury and never came out.

“I made zero subs in the second half. Every single guy on the field gutted out the second half and overtime. And that’s because they were fit. They played soccer every day since May and they were fit enough to hang with them.

“All I needed them to do was battle. We knew this was going to be a battle and they really battled. They battled really hard for 85 minutes.”

The Eagles (2-2) were trying to buck a lot of history. They hadn’t beaten the Panthers since Sept. 13, 2017 – that’s 11 in a row now – and hadn’t beaten them at home since before 2010. But they gave the Panthers (4-1) all they could handle.

And they struck first, and early to show they meant business. Shane Puckett took a through ball from freshman J.P. Laughrey, found Pitman keeper Joey Zubert out of position and ripped it into the back of net just 4:41 into the game.

“We specifically talked in film today about the fact off the tap and early we didn’t want to give up possession in the defensive third,” Foglein said. “We wanted to send the ball down their way quickly and force them to defend or do something with it.

“We’ve seen that other teams have been able to get on them quick. We saw Wildwood scored on them in the first five minutes as well. The first five minutes is going to be our chance to jump on them and then we’ve got to see if we could hold on and we held on for as long as we could.”

The Eagles kept the lead until Owen Hurley converted a throw-in from Nate Newcomb that bounced crazily in the box to tie it. After that the teams battled to keep the other from scoring again, with the Pennsville defense clearing numerous Pitman challenges and Rinnier turning back several shots to keep the game tied.

Newcomb got the game-winning exchange started with a throw-in from deep down the left sideline. Pitman’s Jake Bowen-Ashwin fought through the defensive challenge of Stevie Fatcher to keep it alive along the baseline and flicked it into the middle of the box. It deflected into the air off Pennsville senior Maddox Efelis’ foot, Trevor Leach moved in and headed it off the middle of the crossbar, Eagles’ back Jake Steiner appeared to clear it away, but Ammons charged in from the right side and headed it back into the left side of the goal just past the outstretched arms of a diving goalie.

“It was very hard,” Rinnier said. “It was deflected I think twice. There was just so much going through my head when that happened and unfortunately it just went in.

“As a goalie you know when the ball is going to go in. As soon as he headed that second ball in I know the game’s over. I still dove for it, but as soon as he heads the ball I know the game’s over.”

The goalie agreed with his coach that it was the best the Eagles have played in a while and the loss notwithstanding it bodes well for their fortunes going forward.

“We’ve never been close to Pitman, never, well, besides last year it was 1-0, but we didn’t play well,” he said. “This year we played amazing. He’s right, it’s the best soccer we ever played today.

“I’m just looking forward to the next games now. If we can compete with Pitman, we can compete with every other team. Competing with Pitman, we can beat Wildwood and win our division for the first time in God knows how long.”

Cover photo: Pitman’s Jaiden Ammons heads a shot back towards the Pennsville goal for the game-winner in overtime.

Pitman 2, Pennsville 1 (OT)

Pitman (4-1)101-2
Pennsville (2-2)100-1

SCORING
Pv-Shane Puckett (JP Laughrey), 4:41
Pt-Owen Hurley (Nate Newcomb), 13:14
Pt-Jaiden Ammons (Nate Newcomb), 84:59

SCHALICK 7, CLAYTON 0: Freshman Marco Spinnato assisted on the Cougars’ final goal against Woodstown in its last game Monday and he followed that with the first two goals of his career against the Clippers. Anthony Sepers also scored twice for the Cougars (3-0), while Steve Chomo, Mikey Nelson and Louis Sepers all scored once.

The shutout was coach Joe Mannella’s 296th career win. The earliest he could reach the 300-win milestone is Sept. 30 against Penns Grove.

WOODSTOWN 8, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 1: The Wolverines got goals from eight different players. Bryce Ayers, Blake Bialecki, Adrian Ibarra, Great Prater, Tyler Szatny and Brendon Curtis scored in the first half. Sid Leevy and Connor Williams scored in the second half.

The win was the 288th of coach Darren Huck’s career. The earliest he could reach the 300-win milestone is Oct. 16 at Salem Tech.

WILDWOOD 4, PENNS GROVE 2: The Warriors (4-1) scored a pair of goals in each half to win its fourth game in a row. Noureddine Bedderi broke a 1-1 tie in the first half and extended the lead to 3-1 with the first goal of the second half. Edwin Aviles and Edward Swank scored Penns Grove’s two goals.

Girls soccer

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES
Glassboro 6, Salem Tech 0
Pitman 2, Pennsville 0
Schalick 2, Clayton 1
Woodstown 2, Gloucester Catholic 1
Overbrook 7, Salem 1
Penns Grove at Wildwood

SCHALICK 2, CLAYTON 1: Quinn Berger scored the game-winner on a free kick in the final 20 minutes of the second half. Abby Willoughby scored the Cougars’ first goal. It was their third straight win.

WOODSTOWN 2, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 1: Lia Covely and Emma scored goals in the first half for the Wolverines (3-2). Ellie Wygand made 10 saves to turn the Rams away.

PITMAN 2, PENNSVILLE 0: Emery Sharpnack scored her fifth goal of the season in the first half and Madison Peek got her fifth in the second half.

GLASSBORO 6, SALEM TECH 0: Marianna Dempster and Amina Brown both scored a pair of goals for the Bulldogs.

OVERBROOK 7, SALEM 1: Gianna Simon and Maria Olea-Vinalay scored two goals apiece for Overbrook. Isla Bohn scored Salem’s goal in the first half.

Emel on the move

New challenge awaits as the Penns Grove football coach is approved as West Deptford’s next coach tonight (UPDATED)

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – John Emel has been at Penns Grove for virtually his entire high school coaching career. He likely could have stayed at the Salem County school forever. It would take something extraordinary to lure him away.

Extraordinary has arrived.

Emel was approved Monday night to become the next head football coach at West Deptford High School. He will succeed Jason Morrell, who stepped away from the Eagles’ sidelines after six seasons to move into administration.

“It’s just an opportunity to go to a place that … is a premier job in the state of New Jersey,” Emel said. “They’ve won seven sectional titles in 21 years; we’ve won three here in the last 12; it’s comparable. It’s a Group II school. With a bigger school you get some more assistant coaches, more players, a freshman program … That’s an advantageous situation.”

There were seven initial interviews, cut to four, then two, and Emel rose to the top of the list in every aspect in all three rounds. He was approved with a minimal amount of pushback from the board 6-1 with two abstentions in the roll call vote.

“I’m excited for the challenge,” said Emel, who didn’t attend the two-plus-hour meeting but listened in remotely. “It’s a great community and they’ve got great kids, and I know that from being there before. That’s the two things that I’m sure about so I’m ready to get to work.”

Emel, 39, had an “emotional” conversation with Penns Grove athletics director Anwar Golden earlier in the day. It was that working and personal relationship he has with Golden, a former Salem High teammate, that made his decision so difficult.

He plans to meet with his new team Tuesday and start the conditioning program there over the winter break while continuing to teach at Penns Grove until the end of the school year.

The change does not impact his position as president of the the West Jersey Football League Coaches Association and he will continue as director of the Battle of the Beach football series. Penns Grove and Schalick are both expected to play in that event in 2024.

Emel has been coaching high school football for 20 years, 18 at Penns Grove and the last 10 as the Red Devils’ head coach. He was the second-longest tenured head coach at his current school in Salem County, a distinction that now falls on Pennsville’s Mike Healy.

The move to West Deptford marks a return to the only break in his tenure. He was an Eagles assistant for two years (2012-13) before returning to Penns Grove as head coach in 2014.

“I only left there because of my love for this place,” Emel said. “When I was there as an assistant that was the kind of place I could stay forever … So it’s very similar to this.”

That admiration is the driving force in West Deptford never playing Penns Grove as long as he is the coach there.

“I want them (Penns Grove) to win every game,” he said. “The reason I went to West Deptford (previously) was because I knew we would never play Penns Grove. I’ve had opportunities to go (other nearby programs) and turned them down because I didn’t want to compete against this place.”

With the opening, Penns Grove is expected to post the position to find what Golden called “the best candidate for the school district and for the students to lead the football team on the field and off the field.” It plans to appoint a committee whose members are “engrained and entrenched in Penns Grove High School” to ascertain the best fit. There is no timetable.

The successful candidate will be taking over what Emel called “a big job” in a community “that demands a ton of attention and work into the program” but with an administration that is “super supportive of football.”

He set the standard. His Red Devils teams were 70-41, made the South Jersey Group I playoffs every year and won at least one playoff game five of the last six years. They won three division titles and two of the school’s three sectional crowns (2018 and 2019) during a three-year stretch in which they went 35-3 with a 25-game winning streak. He currently has five players in college football at the Division II level or higher.

He tried to be as much a mentor to his players as he was a coach, and many of his former players have messaged best wishes and words of encouragement since the news was released.

“It’s been productive,” Golden said of the Emel Era. “He was ahead of the curve. He was always available communication wise, he did what he needed to do from a coaches perspective, he was a competitor. He advocated extremely well for the team and the district and represented us well as a coach among his peers. He definitely gave us an edge about things.”

This past season the Red Devils went 6-6 with a win over a Group I state finalist after a 1-4 start and trailing 19-0 at halftime of their sixth game. They played for the WJFL Diamond Division title on the last weekend of the regular season and produced two 1,000-yard rushers who are both eligible to return with most of the 32 players he finished last season with. The JV team went undefeated and they have a weight room Emel calls one of the best setups in South Jersey.

“The future is bright here; there’s a lot to look forward to,” he said. “So it’s (the move) not even about next year. It’s just an opportunity long term. I was comfortable staying here and I really like my administration here. It’s nothing to do with all that stuff. … It was time for a new challenge.”

Penns Grove coach John Emel accepts the runner-up trophy on behalf of his team during this summer’s Taliaferro Foundation 7-on-7 tournament. Emel was approved Monday to become West Deptford’s head coach.

Eagles moving

Pennsville appeal to WJFL approved, moving into what should be a more competitive division for a team on the rise that went 6-4 last season

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Pennsville enjoyed its best football season in eight years this fall and were rewarded for it by being moved into a weak division with more travel when the initial West Jersey Football League division reshuffle was announced last month.

The Eagles knew they were going to appeal .

They had that appeal heard and approved 6-0 Friday and now they will play in a division more closely aligned with their upward trend and program goals.

“When you look at what we’re trying to do as a program, the West Jersey Football League was set up to help teams that were at all areas and all levels, whether you were trying to rebuild your program, whether you were trying to maintain your program or whether you were trying to be a competitive program,” Pennsville athletic director Jamy Thomas explained. “We want to be a competitive program. That division we were in was not going to allow us to continue to do that for the next two years.”

Basically, the Eagles changed places with WJFL newcomer Mastery Charter and – pending the outcome of other appeals – are now set to play in a division that includes Audubon (5-5), Camden Catholic (3-7), Collingswood (4-6), Overbrook (6-4), Paulsboro (1-7) and West Deptford (3-8). The other teams in that alignment are a mix of Group I and Group II programs that had a combined record of 22-37 last season.

They initially were assigned a division with Buena (0-8), Clayton (5-5), Gateway (2-8), Gloucester Catholic (2-7), Lindenwold (1-9) and Pitman (6-4). The other teams in that alignment had a combined 16-41 record.

Mastery Charter was 2-5 as an independent this past season, 4-8-1 over the last two years. In terms of the WJFL geographic footprint, Pennsville would only add one-tenth of a mile to its prospective travel had it played all its games in the new division on the road. Mastery Charter, which does not have its own field, would have traveled a total of 58 miles in its initial placement; it now travels 112 miles.

The outcome of other appeals was not immediately known. WJFL member schools now have until Dec. 20 to vote to approve the changes.

“I’m very excited about it,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said of the change. “I think it’s going to give us more opportunities to get in the playoffs, the big reason we wanted to move up.

“We bring back most of our team and we really want to kind of help our competition level because we believe we’re ready to start handling that.”

Given the relative strength of the division, the initial alignment would have made it difficult to bank power points necessary for playoff consideration. Essentially, the Eagles could have won their new division and not made the playoffs, which teams in stronger divisions could have a lesser record and not even won a division game and made the postseason field.

Pennsville finished tied for second in the Royal Division and was the first team out of this year’s South/Central Jersey Group I playoffs, but won the regional consolation tournament.

“That was the concern we had,” Healy said. “Just looking at how the playoffs have shaken out the last couple years, the number of wins, whether right or wrong, is not the most important thing. It’s who you’re playing, the group of schools you’re playing and their competitiveness.”

The Eagles graduate only four seniors, but they could not use their projection of experience as an argument towards their appeal. There is no guarantee they will have immediate success in their new division, but the alignment will better allow them to pursue those goals.

“I see the trajectory of our team moving up; we need to challenge ourselves,” Thomas said. “We want to be a playoff team and a South Jersey contender and a state contender and we have to do that from a division that provides us those challenges throughout the regular season to get better.”

Cover photo by Lorraine Jenkins