Tag: salem county

Finding the right fit

Penns Grove has been shuffling lineups all season in hopes of finding the right combination; freshman’s defense sparks Pennsville’s fourth-quarter comeback, Woodstown wins, Schalick falls

THURSDAY’S BOYS SCORES
LEAP 52. Schalick 44
Penns Grove 69, Salem Tech 56
Pennsville 61, GCIT 52
Woodstown 59, Cumberland 24

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Damian Ware is still trying to get a handle on his young Penns Grove basketball team and that usually means a plethora of starting lineups before hitting on the one that sticks for the rest of the year.

Ware rolled out his fourth different starting lineup in as many games Thursday night and it produced the Red Devils’ second win of the season, 69-56 over Salem Tech.

“We’re just tooling around with stuff early in the season, plus giving guys an opportunity to play who really haven’t played that many minutes yet,” Ware said. “I’m figuring guys out. I’m figuring out who can play well with who. I’m figuring out whether we should play with two bigs or one big.

“It’s all experimental at this point in the season. It’s really an extended preseason of sorts. I just want to see what all my guys got. I got 14 guys on the team, so I want to see what all of them got in extended minutes, so that’s what we were all about today.”

Up to now, Ware has been starting any combination of four guards with one big. One game he started all guards. The lineup against Thursday featured two bigs for the first time and it gave the Red Devils a defensive bent against their hosts. They held the Chargers to 16 points in the first half while building a 34-16 halftime lead.

The same group started the second half.

The new starter in this mix was Jaden Sorrell, a 6-4 senior who “did a decent job” playing the 5 alongside 6-3 senior Willie Slocum. Sorrell scored four points — all in the second half — grabbed a couple rebounds and blocked a couple shots before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Slocum scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

“It was good because I had more opportunities because I was the 4,” Slocum said. “Other games I was the 5, so it was nice.

“We’ve just got to find the five toughest guys. To me, if I’m not playing that way, the next man up. If somebody else is not playing that way, next man up. We’ve got to five tough guys.”

As that search continues, Ware said it was “very possible” the Red Devils will start even another combination when they host Cherokee Saturday afternoon.

Salem Tech coach Bryan Riley expected to see Roman Gipson among their starters as he was when Riley saw them in the all-guard lineup in person last Saturday, but he didn’t sweat it. He still had to send his guys out there against whomever was on the floor.

The Chargers fell behind 55-30 after three quarters, but they brought it back in the fourth against the Red Devils’ young reserves. Haneef Frisby led the charge with 13 of his game-high 21 points.

“He and Antoine Robinson go back and forth,” Riley said. “We just played Gloucester Catholic, Antoine was the guy that game (16 points). The game before we played GCIT, Haneef was the guy (14). We played Schalick for opening day, Antoine was the guy (19). So, those two just go back and forth.

“I need them both on the same level and once we get that it’s going to be special.”

PENNS GROVE 69, SALEM TECH 56
PENNS GROVE (2-2) – Willie Slocum 4 3-6 11, Mehki Ballard 2 1-4 5, Khiry Higgs 0 0-0 0, Jaden Sorrell 2 0-0 4, Giomar Conrad 8 2-3 19, Mr Peterson 1 0-0 2, Roman Gipson 4 2-3 10, KaRon Ceaser 2 0-2 4, Will Roy 0 0-0 0, Neziah Spence 1 0-0 3, Cameron Thompson 3 0-0 6, Brandon Robbins 2 0-0 5, Luis Colon 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 8-18 69.
SALEM TECH (0-4) – Chase Wills 2 0-4 4, Haneef Frisby 7 7-9 21, Joseph Hayes 2 1-2 6, Daviontae Russell 2 1-2 5, Josh Muntz 2 3-6 7, Tyler Zampino 1 1-1 3, Antoine Robinson 3 0-0 7, Gio Holmes 1 1-2 3, Chase Ayars 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 14-26 56.

Penns Grove16182114 –69
Salem Tech971426 – 56
3-point goals: Penns Grove 3 (Conrad, Spence, Robbins); Salem Tech 2 (Hayes, Robinson). Fouled out: Sorrell. Total fouls: Penns Grove 25, Salem Tech 17. Officials: Woody, McGough.

PENNSVILLE 61, GCIT 52: If you’re occupying a seat on the Pennsville varsbench you’re expected to contribute when your name is called.

Eagles coach Joe Mecholsky called upon Mason O’Brien for a very specific task in the fourth quarter and the freshman delivered in a veteran way.

It was O’Brien’s job to put a wrench in GCIT scoring machine Mark Hallman as the “one” in the rare box-and-one the Eagles threw out there when nothing else seemed to work. O’Brien held Hallman scoreless the entire quarter and it helped the Eagles rally from five points down to snap a two-game losing streak.

“We put freshman Mason O’Brien on him and we said, ‘Son, you’ve got one job – lock him down,’” Mecholsky said. “He held the kid scoreless in the fourth quarter, let us get our feet and then we came down and executed on offense.

“I went with him because he’s fast afoot, he knows the game of basketball. He’s a freshman by grade … but he’s a little bit older than a freshman (in game sense), but we made it very simple for him. We said stay between (Hallman) and the ball and he was awesome.”

Hallman, who went for 30 against Salem Tech on Monday and was averaging 19.5 coming into the game, had 14 points with four 3-pointers over the first three quarters, but he got nothing in the fourth. Pennsville, meanwhile, outscored GCIT in the quarter 26-12 to beat the Group IV Cheetahs and gain a lot of valuable power points.

“(Mecholsky) told me to do one thing and not allow him to score a point,” O’Brien said. “I tried my best and I exactly did what he asked me to do.

“I just had to stay really close to him, had to follow him around. I tried my best not to let him get the ball. He didn’t do anything against me.”

O’Brien didn’t get a lot of playing time in the first half, but the Eagles were getting players in foul trouble and needed a fresh body. With Chase Burchfield out with a separated shoulder, O’Brien was the next man up.

“It felt great because I’m a freshman and people don’t think I’m that good or anything and I cone through and helped my team get a big win in the early-season going to Christmas break,” he said. “It felt amazing helping my team and my teammates out today.”

O’Brien’s older brother, Peyton, had a three-point play in the rally that extended the Eagles’ lead to five. They were his only points for the game, but he ripped down 14 rebounds. Jayden Thomas led the Eagles with a career-high 17 points, 10 coming in the fourth quarter.

Pennsville had been mired in a shooting slump during its two-game losing streak, but broke out in this one. The Eagles were 18-for-42 from the field (2-of-12 from 3-point range) and 23-for-31 from the foul line, a product of their attacking the rim.

PENNSVILLE 61, GCIT 52
GCIT (2-3) – Trent Phillips 4 3-4 11, Michael Stanwood 8 0-0 17, Mark Hallman 5 0-0 14, Charles Donaldson 1 0-2 2, Patrick Monaghan 1 0-0 2, Carl Schmidt 0 0-0 0, Ian Malgapo 2 0-0 6, Brady Johnson 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 3-6 52
PENNSVILLE (2-2) – Luke Wood 5-5-15, Cohen Petrutz 1-3-5, Peyton O’Brien 1-1-3, Daniel Saulin 2-3-7, Jayden Thomas 6-13-17, Malik Rehmer 1-7-9, Mason O’Brien 2-1-5. Totals 18 23-31 61.

GCIT9151612 –52
Pennsville1610926 –61
3-point goals: GCIT 7 (Hallman 4, Stanwood, Malgapo 2); Pennsville 2 (Thomas 2). Fouled out: Monaghan. Total fouls: GCIT 21, Pennsville 11.

WOODSTOWN 59, CUMBERLAND 24: Rocco String started fast, scoring eight in the first quarter and 10 in the first half, as the Wolverines built a 15-point halftime lead and added to it.

String, a 6-6 junior, was among three Wolverines to score in double figures and had his second double-double in as many games with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Blake Bialecki had 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals and Max Webb had 10 points, seven boards and five assists.

WOODSTOWN 59, CUMBERLAND 24
WOODSTOWN (2-0) – Manny Ortega 0 0-0 0, Blake Bialecki 6 0-0 14, Alejandro Vasquez 1 0-0 2, M.J. Hall 3 0-0 9, Garrett Leyman 3 0-0 6, Anthony Bokolas 0 0-0 0, Lucas Fulmer 1 0-0 3, Max Webb 4 0-0 10, Rocco String 5 3-6 13, Zyaire Caesar 0 0-0 0, Elijah Caesar 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 3-6 59.
CUMBERLAND (0-2) – Kaleb Green 3 2-2 9, D.J. Mosley 3 0-0 6, Stephen Wilchensky 1 2-2 4, Jalen Stewart 0 0-0 0, Marcus Fortune 0 0-0 0, Deshaan Williams 0 2-2 2, Dumajze Cartwright 0 0-0 0, James Guaciaro 0 0-0 0, Khalif Dawkins 1 0-0 3, Kevin Fiorani 0 0-0 0, Kam Fiorani 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 6-6 24.

Woodstown1991318 –59
Cumberland6747 –  24
3-point goals: Woodstown 8 (Bialecki 2, Hall 3, Fulmer, Webb 2); Cumberland 2 (Green, Dawkins). Rebounds: Woodstown 48 (String 10, Leyman 8); Cumberland 28 (Stewart 7). Total fouls: Woodstown 12, Cumberland 11.
Woodstown’s Garrett Leyman (10) puts up a shot in the lane against the pressure of two GCIT defenders. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)

LEAP 52, SCHALICK 44: LEAP Academy hasn’t won many games in recent years, so any victory is reason to celebrate.

The Lancers won only two games last season, but they won their second game this season with their come-from-behind victory over the Cougars.

Schalick had an early lead in the game, but LEAP rallied and seized control in the second quarter. Xavion Ayala led LEAP with 22 points. Nylan and Nasir Simmons led Schalick with 12 points apiece.

LEAP 52, SCHALICK 44
LEAP (2-3) – Xavion Ayala 9 4-7 22, Gregory Shoultz 4 0-0 10, Angel Mieses 2 2-4 7, Jalen Thomas 1 0-0 2, Benjamin Noel 1 0-0 2, Terrell Hurst 4 1-1 9. Totals 21 7-12 52.
SCHALICK (1-2) – Reggie Allen 3 0-0 7, Daniel Lis 1 0-0 2, Nylan Sutton 4 4-10 12, Nasir Sutton 5 2-3 12, Ryan Johnson 1 2-4 4, Jordan Johnson 2 0-0 4, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 3. Totals 17 8-17 44.

LEAP10151116 –52
Schalick1191311 –44
3-point goals: LEAP 3 (Shoultz 2, Mieses); Schalick 2 (Allen, Volovar).


Cover photo: Salem Tech’s Haneef Frisby (2) guards Jaden Sorrell, the latest new starter in Penns Grove’s evolving starting five.

First of many

Woodstown’s Straughn gets her first win as head coach as Wolverines race past Schalick; Pennsville, Penns Grove also score division wins

TUESDAY’S GIRLS SCORES
Gloucester Catholic 65, Salem Tech 14
Penns Grove 66, Glassboro 41
Pennsville 65, Overbrook 35
Woodstown 60, Schalick 18

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Kara Straughn and her dad, longtime Woodstown coach Dave Wildermuth, have spent a lot of time over the years just talking ball. Most of the time it’s been father to daughter, coach to player, head coach to assistant, but now they’ve got some common ground.

Wildermuth has won a mountain of games in various sports as a head coach and an assistant, but now when they talk about coaching legacies his daughter can speak with a similar frame of reference having experienced victory as a head coach.

Straughn won her first game as a head coach Tuesday night when she guided the Woodstown girls basketball team to an easy 60-18 victory over Schalick. 

“It’s over, I did it,” she said while gathering her things by the bench well after the gym had cleared. “I like that I did it at home. I grew up on this court, I played on this court, so it was nice to get my first win as a head coach on this court.”

And she did it with her former basketball coach, current Woodstown AD Joe Ursino, and about a dozen former players and teammates in the stands and her dad at her side.

Wildermuth has coached a number of sports in a variety of capacities at Woodstown for 21 years. Just as a head coach alone he won 50 games in four seasons as the boys basketball coach (2018-2022) and he’s working on 35 wins as the Wolverines head softball coach the last two years (42, if you count his year at Salem). 

There’s no telling how many games he’s won in various sports as the JV and freshmen coach. And Straughn has been around for most if not all of them.

“I grew up watching him coach, so it’s always been the goal to coach and then become half the coach that he was,” Straughn said. “He’s like, well, you’re gonna beat my record … and it’s only going to take you half as much time. That’s been like the joke: When you get to how many games that I won then we can talk.”.

Well, she’s only 49 away now and she’s gunning for it.

“I can do that,” she said. “I can chip away at that goal.”

The players were glad to have delivered the first one.

“I’m just very happy that she’s the coach and she truly wanted to be and I’m really happy to get a win under her,” junior Megan Donelson said. “I know she’s happy about it.”

First-year Woodstown girls basketball coach Kara Straughn makes in-game adjustments in the huddle as he dad and assistant coach Dave Wildermuth looks on from the side.

The Wolverines missed the first chance to give Straughn her first win Friday when they lost their season opener at Gloucester Catholic. They took the drama out of this one early. 

They scored on their first three possessions – two on  offensive rebounds – and opened a 16-0 lead in the first four minutes of the game. They scored the game’s first 22 points before Carley Vicente’s 3-pointer with 1:51 left in the quarter put Schalick on the board. It was 27-3 at the end of the quarter after Donelson hit a 3 at the buzzer.

Donelson had 11 points in the quarter and finished with 14 points, four assists and eight steals. Talia Battavio was their leading scorer with 15 points, three steals and four blocked shots. 

“Our main goal is to come out strong,” Battavio said. “Like what Wildo likes to say, the first four minutes is the most important part of the game, so I think we try to bring all we’ve got and get off to a good start.”

“I was proud of the fact we executed on offense,” Straughn said. “Friday night we couldn’t piece together enough, but tonight I said we really have to focus our offense and running the plays and moving the ball effectively and utilizing all five of us getting the ball in the post, not just relying on jump shots. They executed all the little things, I was really proud of them for that.”

There were a lot of other firsts in the game. It was Straughn’s first win over a Salem County opponent and extended the Wolverines’ winning streak against county opponents to 23 games. Sophomore Jala Thomas, who’d only scored one basket all last season, scored her first points of the year and raised her hands over her head as she raced back to her defensive position and sophomore Lizzy Daly and freshman Kendall Young both scored the first points of their varsity careers.

WOODSTOWN 60, SCHALICK 18
SCHALICK (0-2) – Abigail Willoughby 0 0-0 0, Cali Fisler 3 0-1 6, Ava Scurry 2 1-4 5, Cianna Gaines 0 0-0 0, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0, Carley Vicente 2 0-0 5, Katie Little 1 0-0 2, Madison Brown 0 0-0 0, Danae Woodsacam 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 1-5 18.
WOODSTOWN (1-1) – Talia Battavio 7 0-0 15, Megan Donelson 6 0-0 15, Alyssa Baber 2 0-0 5, Gianna Mairoini 2 0-0 4, Shannon Pierman 3 0-2 6, Lauren Hengel 3 0-0 6, Emma Perry 2 0-0 4, Jala Thomas 1 0-0 2, Lizzy Daly 1 0-0 2, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0, Kendall Young 1 0-0 2, Talia Guardascione 0 0-0 0. Totals 28 0-2 60.

Schalick3456 –18
Woodstown2791212 –60
3-point goals: Schalick 1 (Vicente); Woodstown 4 (Battavio, Donelson 2, Baber). Total fouls: Schalick 3, Woodstown 8.

PENNSVILLE 65, OVERBROOK 35: The Eagles bounced back from a rough season-opening loss on the road to play one of their best games of the season. They looked sharp in all areas and hit shots from long range.

Salem transfer Nora Ausland hit seven 3-pointers and scored 25 points. Marley Wood had three 3s and finished with 22.

“The girls shot the lights out tonight,” Pennsville coach Sam Trapp said. “The offense looked good, running plays a lot more smoothly and creating an offensive threat in the half court just by identifying open space, finding good cuts and lots of pick-and-roll.

“Defensively we had a lot of good stops and grabbed several rebounds, minimizing two or three possessions in one trip down the court. Without a doubt there’s still plenty of room for growth, but the girls really bounced back and played very well tonight.”

Wood tied her career-high with the fifth 20-point game of her career. She had 22 last year against Salem. The Eagles are 7-2 when Wood scorers 18 points or more.

Ausland’s seven 3s were a career high, topping the five she had in a game against Clayton as a freshman. The 25 points were the second-best of her career.

“After I made the first 3 and then the second I knew I was going to be on tonight,” said Ausland, who hit 61 3s in the two years she spent at Salem. “When I’m hitting my 3s, my coach and my team do a great job of getting me the ball and keeping me hot.”

PENNS GROVE 66: GLASSBORO 41: The Red Devils got off to a quick start and never let the visitors get back in the battle of early-season unbeatens.

Meely Horace and RaNiyah Wilson combined for 21 points in the first quarter as Penns Grove sprinted to a 26-9 lead. Horace finished with a team-high 24 points, giving her 771 for her career, and Wilson scored a career-high 23. Wilson’s previous best was 21 last December against Hammonton when she was playing at Kingsway.

Glassboro’s Tamia Smith led all scorers with 29 points.

PENNS GROVE 66, GLASSBORO 41
GLASSBORO (3-1) – Sanaa Thomas 1 5-8 7, Tamia Smith 12 5-14 29, Kimora Miles 1 0-2 2, Anye Davis 0 0-0 0, Sianna Wedderburn 1 0-0 2, Grace Moore 0 0-0 0, Jayde Darling 0 0-0 0, Samyra Lane 0 1-2 1, Naveah Cox-Clement 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 11-26 41.
PENNS GROVE (3-0) – RaNiyah Wilson 11 1-3 23, Meely Horace 10 1-2 24, Brianna Robbins 5 2-6 12, Amani Taylor 1 0-0 3, Rolande Delva 0 0-0 0, Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Arianna Dowe 0 0-0 0, Zoey Caesar 1 0-0 2, Semijah Hines 0 0-0 0, Jamira Lewis 0 0-0 0, JaNiyah Cunnings 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 4-11 66.
Glassboro99716 – 41
Penns Grove26111019 –66
3-point goals: Glassboro 0; Penns Grove 4 (Horace 3, Taylor). Technical foul: Penns Grove coach. Total fouls: Glassboro 3, Penns Grove 13.

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 65, SALEM TECH 14: The Rams took control early, opening a 35-2 halftime lead, and had three scorers with as many or more points than Salem Tech scored in the game.

Julianna DiFebbo scored a game-high 15 points, while Jahzara Green and Talia Schumate had 14 apiece. Morgan VanDover was the Chargers’ leading scorer with six points on a pair of 3-pointers.

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 65, SALEM TECH 14
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC (2-0) – Jahzara Green 6 2-2 14, Julianna DiFebbo 7 0-0 15, Talia Schumate 6 2-3 14, Katherine Lange 3 0-0 6, Jalyn Moore 2 0-0 4, Yazaniah Schumate 2 0-0 5, Maya Hutchinson 2 0-0 4, Ashlynn Eggers 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 4-5 64.
SALEM TECH (0-3) – Allyson Scioli 1 0-0 2, Demajae White 2 0-0 2, Morgan VanDover 2 0-0 6, Lavae Scott 1 0-0 2. Totals 6 0-0 14.

Gloucester Cath.16191614 –65
Salem Tech2066 –14
3-point goals: Gloucester Catholic 2 (DiFebbo, Schumate); Salem Tech 2 (VanDover 2). NOTE: Five make a team, but only players who scored are listed in available box score.




Tough Tuesday

Boys roundup: Woodstown opens its season with a win at Schalick, Pennsville, Penns Grove and Salem Tech all lose

TUESDAY’S BOYS SCORES
Glassboro 71, Penns Grove 32
Gloucester Catholic 85, Salem Tech 53
Overbrook 67, Pennsville 35
Woodstown 61, Schalick 27

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – When you’re playing a team expected to be one of the best in Group II – even without its full complement of players that will make it even better later in the season – it takes a complete game to have a shot.

Pennsville played what coach Joe Mecholsky considered pretty good defense against Overbrook in its Diamond Division opener Tuesday night, but the Eagles were cold from the field for the second game in a row and fell 67-35.

“We played really good defense, we just couldn’t convert,” Mecholsky said. “Every time we did a (defensive) stand we’d go down and miss a basket. We made probably three D stands and then they’d make the fourth.

“It was 14-8 at the end of first quarter and we missed 10 shots, but we played great 2-3 (defense), we ran them off the 3-point line. They hit a 3 at the (halftime) buzzer or we hold them to 24 points in the first half; that’s something to hang your hat on. We did what we wanted to do, we were happy … we just couldn’t put the ball in the daggone basket.”

The Eagles (1-2) were just 13-for-55 from the field, 3-of-21 from 3-point range. They scored only four points in the second quarter. The Rams (3-0) eventually hit 11 3s and placed four scorers in double figures.

In its last two losses, Pennsville has shot 31-of-120 from the field, 7-of-46 from behind the arc. They hit five 3s in their season-opening victory over Clayton.

“A lot of balls were on the rim, in the rim, out of the rim; we’re just gonna say it was one of those nights,” Macholsky said. “I don’t count Saturday as part of our slump because it was off a back-to-back after running up and down with Clayton (the night before). Tonight, in our own gym, the ball just wouldn’t go in.”

Luke Wood led the Eagles with 11 points. Daniel Saulin had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Peyton O’Brien grabbed 10 boards. Overbrook’s Amare Kee led all scorers with 17 points.

OVERBROOK 67, PENNSVILLE 35
OVERBROOK (3-0) – Shaun Mills 4 1-1 10, Zair Green 5 1-3 12, Amare Kee 6 0-0 17, Lamar Little 5 0-0 14, Kevin Satchell 1 0-0 2, Xavier Wright 3 0-0 6, Elvin Santiago 1 0-0 2, Tory Scott 2 0-0 4. Totals 27 2-4 67.
PENNSVILLE (1-2) – Luke Wood  4 2-2 11, Peyton O’Brien 1 2-3 5, Daniel Saulin 4 2-6 10, Jayden Thomas 1 0-0 2, Malik Rehmer 1 0-0 2, Cohen Petrutz 2 0-0 5. Totals 13 6-11 35.

Overbrook14131723 –67
Pennsville84149 –35
3-point goals: Overbrook 11 (Mills, Green, Kee 5, Little 4); Pennsville 3 (Wood, O’Brien, Petrutz).
Total fouls: Overbrook 14, Pennsville 11.
Woodstown’s Max Webb brings the ball up the floor against Schalick’s Jordan Johnson (2) and Daniel Lis (23). (Photo by Ellen Sickler)

WOODSTOWN 61, SCHALICK 27: The Wolverines were the last team in Salem County to open their basketball season and they looked like a team that couldn’t wait to get on the court for real.

Rocco String had 13 points and 11 rebounds, the Wolverines (1-0) placed four scorers in double figures and held the Cougars (1-1) scoreless in the second quarter while opening a 25-7 halftime lead. Blake Bialecki, M.J. Hall and Max Webb each added 11 points to the effort and had all four of the Wolverines’ 3-pointers.

Woodstown’s defense collected 19 steals, with String and Garrett Leyman getting four apiece.

WOODSTOWN 61, SCHALICK 27
WOODSTOWN (1-0) – Blake Bialecki 3 3-5 11, Alejandro Vazquez 1 1-2 3, M.J. Hall 5 0-1 11, Garrett Leyman 3 2-3 8, Max Webb 4 2-4 11, Rocco String 6 1-1 13, Elijah Caesar 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 9-16 61. SCHALICK (1-1) – Reggie Allen 2 0-0 5, Daniel Lis 2 6-8 11, Nylan Sutton 0 1-2 1, Nasir Sutton 1 0-0 2, Jordan Johnson 2 0-0 4, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 3, Sherrod Jones 0 1-2 1. Totals 8 8-12 27.

Woodstown14111818 –61
Schalick701010 –27
3-point goals: Woodstown 4 (Bialecki 2, Hall, Webb); Schalick 3 (Allen, Lis, Volovar). Fouled out: Ny. Sutton. Total fouls: Woodstown 14, Schalick 20.

GLASSBORO 71, PENNS GROVE 32: Charles Graves (26) and Clinton Suggs (24) combined to outscore the Red Devils by themselves.

Graves and Suggs combined for 30 points in the first half. Michael Dougherty joined the fun with all four of his 3-pointers in the second quarter. It added up to a 44-16 Glassboro lead at the break.

GLASSBORO 71, PENNS GROVE 32
PENNS GROVE (1-2) – Roman Gipson 3 0-0 6, Camren Thompson 1 1-2 3, Giomar Conrad 3 1-4 8, Mehki Ballard 0 1-2 1, Khiry Higgs 2-0-0 4, Willie Slocum 2 0-0 4,  Karon Ceaser 1 0-2 4, Luis Colon 0 0-0 0, Mr Peterson 1 0-0 2, Brandon Robbins 0 0-0 0, Neziah Spence 0 0-0 0, Jaden Sorrell 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 3-10 32.
GLASSBORO (1-1) – Xavier Sabb 1 0-2 2, Charles Graves 10 5-5 26, Clinton Suggs 9 5-6 24, Michael Dougherty 4 0-0 12, Josh Buff 1 0-0 3, William Boggans 1 0-0 2, Ziaire Tate 1 0-0-2, Marley Crowl 0 0-0 0, Demier Towle 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 10-13 71.

Penns Grove8811 5 –32
Glassboro21231413 –71
3-point goals: Penns Grove 1 (Conrad); Glassboro 7 (Graves, Suggs, Dougherty 4, Buff). Total fouls: Penns Grove 14, Glassboro 14.

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 85, SALEM TECH 53: The Chargers hit 10 3-pointers in the game to keep up with Jack Mustaro’s game-high 30 points, but the Rams had too many other weapons.

Six players hit at last one 3 for the Chargers (0-3), with Josh Muntz hitting 3 on his way to a team-high 15 points.

The Chargers trailed by only two after the first quarter, then Mustaro really got going and erupted for 22 points over the next two quarters to help the Rams pull away. The junior guard is averaging 23 points a game this season.

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 85, SALEM TECH 53
SALEM TECH (0-3) – Josh Muntz 5 2-3 15, Chase Wills 3 0-0 7, Tyler Zampino 3 0-1 7, Haneef Frisby 3 0-0 8, Antoine Robinson 3 3-4 11, Chase Ayars 1 0-0 3, Daviontae Russell 1 0-0 2, Brown 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 5-8 53.
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC (3-0) – Carlos Mendez 3 2-2 8, Jack Mustaro 12 3-6 30, Trey Battle 5 3-3 15, Billy Ginipro 3 0-0 6, Kyle Guldin 1 0-0 2, Ehthan Dugue 2 0-0 6, Nick Calzonetti 0 2-2 2, Brody Gates 1 2-2 4, Jack Punt 3 0-0 7, Pancoast 0 0-0 0, Kybron Ricks 1 2-2 4. Totals 31 14-17 85.

Salem Tech1813814 –53
Gloucester Cath.20212321 –85
3-point goals: Salem Tech 10 (Muntz 3, Wills, Zampino, Frisby 2, Robinson 2, Ayers); Gloucester Catholic 9 (Mustaro 5, Battle, Dugue 2, Pund). Fouled out: Frisby. Total fouls: Salem Tech 14, Gloucester Catholic 17. 

Cover photo: Woodstown’s Blake Bialecki fires up a shot from the top of the key in the Wolverines’ season opener against Schalick. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)



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.

The new girl

Pennsville’s Ausland makes a smooth transition to new team after transferring from Salem, could be Eagles’ final piece

MONDAY’S SCRIMMAGES
Girls
Pennsville 63, Palmyra 40
Penns Grove 30, Kingsway 30 (3Q)
Boys
Penns Grove 49, Kingsway 46
Woodstown 58, Maple Shade 29
Pennsville 50, Palmyra 46 (3Q)
Bridgeton 68, Schalick 40

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Nora Ausland had a lot of time to think about her future after a broken foot prematurely ended her sophomore season last year.

She wanted a basketball team capable of winning that would appreciate the skills she would bring to the table. Pennsville coach Sam Trapp wanted that one piece that would complete her team and make it a contender.

The two wants merged at the intersection of William Penn Avenue and South Broadway, right up the road from where Ausland used to play.

Ausland has merged seamlessly into the Pennsville program after transferring from Salem. On Monday she scored 27 points with five 3-pointers to lead the Eagles past Palmyra 63-40 for their first preseason victory.

“I’m glad it wasn’t difficult (to transition) because I was really scared to come here,” Ausland said. “I didn’t think people were going to accept me having this new girl, she’s going to take over, whatever. I was really scared people weren’t going to like me because I’m just coming in, taking over their stuff, but that’s not the case at all.

“It was really easy coming in here. Everybody was really accepting. I feel like I’ve known them since I was little. They all care for me and want me to do good and succeed, which I’m very thankful for. The first day of school I was just everywhere by myself, but then people were coming up to talk to me. Now I have a bunch of friends.”

The 5-foot-10 junior forward has made an immediate impact on the Eagles, who have designs on challenging Woodstown for the Tri-County Diamond Division title this year. She scored 17 points in her scrimmage debut against Millville and had nine the next time out against West Deptford.

Had Monday been a regular-season game, the 27 she scored against Palmyra would have been the second-best game of her high school career.

Nora Ausland (L) has fit into the Pennsville girls basketball program nicely after transferring from Salem before her junior year.

In two seasons at Salem she had 462 points, 61 3-pointers, 305 rebounds and 101 blocked shots. She had 179 points, 76 rebounds and 33 blocked shots when she broke a bone in her left ankle in late January. The Rams already were in the midst of a losing streak when she got hurt and they lost seven of their next eight without her.

The time away allowed Ausland to think long and hard about what she wanted from the game.

“I didn’t really have a good year because I broke my foot and the team wasn’t the best; they didn’t really give enough effort to care to win,” she said. “I was tired of that because I wanted to play, I want to win.

“I was just looking around at other schools, like what’s close, what’s easy for me to go to and also a good team. Last year they (Pennsville) got fourth seed out of the 16 (in South Jersey Group I) so OK it’s pretty good, it’s pretty easy to come here, so that’s what I did. I came here.”

Her arrival certainly was welcomed by Trapp. Ausland brings a dynamic the Eagles haven’t had since Ryane Wood, their last 1,000-point scorer who graduated in 2022.

She completes a lineup that returned three starters – senior Bella Farina, Taylor Bass and point guard Marley Wood – and includes elevated reserve Isabelle Saulin. Wood had 12 points on four 3-pointers against Palmyra.

“She just really incorporates a lot more offensive threat for us,” Trapp said. “We needed to be able to balance that responsibility between all five players and it helps with another player who can score.

“I like that she brings that competitiveness to practice because now it’s somebody that’ll push other girls and she can get pushed by other people, so I think it’s a real key component that is helping all the way around.”

PENNSVILLE 63, PALMYRA 40
PALMYRA – Cadence Anderson 8 0-0 20, Kylie Hines 0 0-0 0, Angie Sauls 2 0-0 4, Amanda Gilburn 1 0-0 2, Clara Cannouli 1 0-0 2, Cam DiMeo 2 0-0 4, Jada Colsee-Eli 1 2-3 4, Ava Sims 0 0-0 0, Anna Paszkiewicz 1 2-2 4. Totals 16 4-5 40.
PENNSVILLE – Nora Ausland 9 4-4 27, Taylor Bass 4 4-4 12, Sofia Belitsas 1 0-0 3, Bella Farina 1 2-2 4, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Anikka Macalino 0 2-2 2, Isabelle Saulin 1 1-2 3, Avery Watson 0 0-0 0, Marley Wood 4 0-0 12. Totals 20 13-14 63.

Palmyra1310710 –40
Pennsville22131513 – 63
3-point goals: Palmyra 4 (Anderson 4); Pennsville 10 (N. Ausland 5, Belitsas, Wood 4). Total fouls: Palmyra 13, Pennsville 4.

PENNS GROVE 30, KINGSWAY 30: Penns Grove’s Raniyah Wilson, the other dynamic transfer in the county this year, returned to her old stomping grounds and although she wasn’t as sharp as she might have been for the occasion scored 11 points as the varsities played to a tie in three quarters of action.

Wilson is in her first year with Penns Grove after transferring from Kingsway, where she would have been the Dragons’ top returning scorer and rebounder this season. She had six points in the first half as the Red Devils grabbed an 18-16 lead.

“We started her against her old team and I don’t think she had her best game at all,” Penns Grove coach Jennifer Denby said. “She was a little nervous. I wanted as a player, even as a coach, for her to come in and let them know how much they miss her and tonight just wasn’t her night.”

Jameelyonna Horace led Penns Grove with 12 points, including two 3-pointers. She had half of the Red Devils’ points at halftime.

Kingsway hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to force the tie.

“In the beginning of the game it was a struggle,” Denby said. “It’s hard to play with one person on the floor and everyone else’s mind is not there. Right now we’re still looking for chemistry.”

The Red Devils scrimmage again Tuesday and then open their season Friday against Clayton.

PENNS GROVE 30, KINGSWAY 30
PENNS GROVE – Raniyah Wilson 4 3-4 11, Jameelyonna Horace 5 0-1 12, Brianna Robbins 1 1-3 3, Zoey Caesar 2 0-0 4, Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Jamira Lewis 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 4-8 30.
KINGSWAY – Ava Valente 2 2-2 7, Emily Leshik 0 0-0 0, Bella Archer 3 0-0 7, Olivia Myers 1 3-4 5, Paige Horton 1 0-0 2, Gabbi Bruno 4 1-2 9. Totals 11 6-8 30.

Penns Grove71112 –30
Kingsway13314 –30
3-point goals: Penns Grove 2 (Horace 2); Kingsway 2 (Valente, Archer). NOTE: Varsity played three quarters.

Boys

PENNS GROVE 49, KINGSWAY 46: After running through numerous combinations in the first three quarters, Penns Grove coach Damian Ware stuck with his Super Six in the fourth and they went on a 20-2 tear that carried the Red Devils to a come-from-behind victory.

The Red Devils jumped out 19-7 in the first quarter, but were outscored 37-10 over the next two quarters to fall behind 15. Ware got on his team before the fourth quarter began, subbed in his better athletes and off they went.

They started Mehki Ballard, Willie Slocum, Roman Gipson and freshmen KaRon Ceaser and Brandon Robbins and scored the first 10 points of the quarter. Giomar Conrad entered three minutes into the quarter and help the Red Devils close it out.

“We had a lot of good possessions in the third quarter, but a couple guys missed some layups; we make those layups it changes the third quarter,” Ware said. “In the fourth quarter I went with my main six guys. We just played our pressure defense and turned them over a lot with the main guys I feel are going to be the guys going forward.”

Conrad and Ballard led the Red Devils with 15 points apiece and combined for 13 points in the fourth quarter. Ballard, their best 3-point shooter a year ago (59 made), hit two of his three 3-pointers in the rally.

“I got on them in the third quarter and lit a little bit of a fire under them,” Ware said. “The fourth quarter they turned it up and played the type of defense I want to play. If we can bottle up what we did in the fourth quarter today, we’re going to be really good. It’s going to be tough to score on.”

PENNS GROVE 49, KINGSWAY 46
KINGSWAY – Dylan Lewis 1 0-2 2, Dasir Williams-Bey 3 0-0 6, Jaden Martin Cooper 2 0-0 4, Mikah Hart 4 2-3 11, Gregg Campbell 0 0-0 0, Maurice Tavares 3 2-2 10, Luca Kuzmick 2 0-0 6, Kai Tolley 0 0-0 0, Brady Shelton 0 0-0 0, Sean Steckler 0 0-0 0, Christian Conklin 1 2-2 4, Terrence Collier 2 0-0 4, Peter Frey 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 6-9 46.
PENNS GROVE – Roman Gipson 3 0-4 6, Camren Thompson 0 1-2 1, Giomar Conrad 6 1-2 15, Mekhi Ballard 6 0-0 15, Nizah Spence 0 0-0 0, Khiry Higgs 0 0-0 0, Willie Slocum 0 0-0 0, Brandon Robbins 0 0-0 0, Will Roy 0 0-0 0, Karon Ceaser 4 1-2 10, Luis Colon 1 0-0 2, Mr Peterson 0 0-2 0. Totals 20 3-12 49.

Kingsway720172 –46
Penns Grove194620 –49
3-point goals: Kingsway 4 (Hart, Tavares, Kuzmick 2); Penns Grove 6 (Conrad 2, Ballard 3, Ceaser). Total fouls: Kingsway 13, Penns Grove 9.

BRIDGETON 68, SCHALICK 40: Jameel Purnell led three Bridgeton scorers in double figures with 29 points and the Bulldogs were just too much for the Cougars on the glass.

Zikown Anderson (14) and Zamir Chance (10) also scored in double figures for the Bulldogs. Purnell and Anderson combined for 18 points in the first quarter. Nasir Sutton led Schalick with 10 points.

BRIDGETON 68, SCHALICK 40
SCHALICK – Nylan Sutton 3 0-2 6, Reggie Allen 2 1-2 7, Jake Siedlecki 1 0-0 2, Jordan Johnson 1 0-0 2, Dan Lis 1 4-5 6, Ryan Johnson 2 0-0 4, Nasir Sutton 4 0-2 10, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 3, Sharod Jones 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 5-11 40.
BRIDGETON – Kyion Gray 3 0-0 7, Zikwon Anderson 6 1-3 14, Zamir Chance 5 0-2 10, Azhone Burden 3 0-0 6, Jameel Purnell 12 4-6 29, Richard Mills 1 0-0 2, Martavian Brown 0 0-0 0, Raheem Jacobs 0 0-4 0. Totals 30 5-15 68.

Schalick1110109 –40
Bridgeton20171615 –68
3-point goals: Schalick 5 (Allen 2, Na. Sutton 2, Volovar); Bridgeton 3 (Gray, Anderson, Purnell). Total fouls: Schalick 7, Bridgeton 3.

PENNSVILLE 50, PALMYRA 46: Luke Wood poured in 17 points and drew several charges and the Eagles moved a step closer to their Opening Night lineup, beating flu-ridden Palmyra in a scrimmage reduced to three quarters.

With a limited time to get something accomplished, the Eagles got off to a slow start, but they picked up the pace in their final two quarters to squeeze out the win. Wood and Cohen Petrutz both hit 3-pointers in the third quarter when Pennsville finally took the lead.

“Everything is coming together,” Eagles coach Joe Mecholsky said. “We’re starting to get the hang of it. I think last week I said defense is always ahead of the offense and now, T-minus four days (to the opener), we’re rounding into form.”

PENNSVILLE 50, PALMYRA 46

Pennsville122117 –  50
Palmyra191512 – 46
NOTE: The teams played three quarters.


Playoff pairings

Four of five Salem County teams qualify for Group I football playoffs; non-football playoff projections based on power points also listed

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Four of the five football-playing schools in Salem County are in the NJSIAA Group I playoffs this year and two have pulled down No. 1 seeds.

In the final regular-season UPR ratings produced by the gridironnj website and released this evening, Woodstown and undefeated Schalick pulled down the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in the South Jersey Group I top 16 and will be the No. 1 seeds in the South Jersey and Central Jersey brackets, respectively, when the NJSIAA makes it official.

Only two-tenths of a UPR point separated the two teams. Schalick had the winningest team in South Jersey Group I (9-0), but Woodstown (6-2) had the highest OSI.

Horizon Division champion Schalick, with its first undefeated regular season since 2006, had been in line for the overall No. 1, but Woodstown overtook it after Saturday’s 21-6 win over Penns Grove for the Diamond Division title.

We’re guaranteed home field advantage through the sectional final,” Schalick coach Mike Wilson said. “Strength of schedule is a very important indicator. From where we went from last year – we were the 15th seed last year now we’re the No. 2 seed – that’s a huge improvement in one year.”

Penns Grove (4-5) came in at No. 9 and sets up a potential second-round rematch with Woodstown. Salem (2-7) came in at No. 14. Both will open the playoffs on the road.

“We would’ve liked to been home but obviously too many times we came up a little short,” Penns Grove coach John Emel said.

Pennsville wound up being the county’s odd-man out. The Eagles came in at No. 17, 1.8 UPR points behind the final qualifying spot, which went to Dunellen. They went into the week as the No. 16 team, then lost Friday night at Pitman.

It would have been the first time since 2017 all five county teams made the field. Four teams have made it four of the six years since.

“We didn’t take care of business last night so it’s on us,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “We didn’t get the job done. We still improved a ton this year but obviously would have loved a shot in the playoffs.”

The Eagles will now play in the four-team sectional consolation tournament.

The playoff bracket did undergo some changes after the original 1-16 standings were posted due to various tiebreakers. South Hunterdon and Middlesex switched places due to South Hunterdon’s head-to-head win; Woodbury, Glassboro and Shore tied for fifth and shuffled by the OSI tiebreaker; as did Clayton and Keyport, who were tied for 10th.

Here are the projected first-round matchups (lower seeds at home). All games Friday unless indicated otherwise:

No. 1 Woodstown (1) vs. No. 8 Dunellen (16)
No. 4 Florence (8) vs. No. 5 Penns Grove (9)
No. 2 Middlesex (4) vs. No. 7 Burlington City (13)
No. 3 Woodbury (5) vs. No. 6 Riverside (12), Saturday

No. 1 Schalick (2) vs. No. 8 Audubon (15)
No. 4 Shore (7) vs. No. 5 Clayton (10)
No. 2 South Hunterdon (3) vs. No. 7 Salem (14)
No. 3 Glassboro (6) vs. No. 6 Keyport (11)
NOTE: Number in parenthesis is South Jersey Group I UPR rank

Soccer, field hockey projections

Based on the power points in each sport posted Saturday, here are the projected first-round pairings in the South Jersey Group I tournament for boys soccer, girls soccer and field hockey. The NJSIAA will determine the official brackets later.

BOYS SOCCER
No. 1 Schalick (14-4) vs. No. 16 Pennsville (5-12)
No. 8 Maple Shade (10-6) vs. No. 9 Pitman (12-4-1)
No. 5 Audubon (11-5-2) vs. No. 12 (Burlington City (7-10)
No. 4 Glassboro (12-4) vs. No. 13 Penns Grove (6-9-1)
No. 3 Woodstown (12-3-1) vs. No. 14 (Haddon Twp. (5-10-2)
No. 6 Buena (12-4) vs. No. 11 Wildwood (10-5-1)
No. 7 Riverside (12-3-2) vs. No. 10 Gateway (9-8-1)
No. 2 Palmyra (14-2-1) vs. No. 15 Woodbury (8-8)

GIRLS SOCCER
No. 1 Audubon (15-1-2) vs. No. 16 Penns Grove (1-11-1)
No. 8 Glassboro (9-6-1) vs. No. 9 Clayton (10-5-1)
No. 5 Pitman (12-4-1) vs. No. 12 Gateway (7-9)
No. 4 Maple Shade (11-4) vs. No. 13 Buena (6-9)
No. 3 Schalick (13-4) vs. No. 14 Salem (4-12-1)
No. 6 Haddon Twp. (6-9-2) vs. No. 11 Pennsville (5-9-3)
No. 7 Gloucester (12-5) vs. No. 10 Woodstown (9-7)
No. 2 Palmyra (13-3) vs. No. 15 Woodbury (1-14-1)

FIELD HOCKEY
No. 1 West Deptford (9-3-3) vs. No. 16 New Egypt (7-5)
No. 8 Salem (11-4) vs. No. 9 Haddon Twp. (7-7)
No. 5 Woodstown (12-2-1) vs. No. 12 Bordentown (4-10-1)
No. 4 Collingswood (8-5-2) vs. No. 13 Gateway (5-9)
No. 3 Middle Twp. (12-2-1) vs. No. 14 Pennsville (5-10)
No. 6 Schalick (11-5-1) vs. No. 11 Maple Shade (8-4)
No. 7 Gloucester (11-4) vs. No. 10 Lower Cape May (6-6-4)
No. 2 Florence (13-2-1) vs. No. 15 Audubon (7-6)

Cover photo: Riley Papiano (16) and Reggie Allen celebrate a touchdown in Schalick’s win over Gloucester Catholic Friday night. (Photo by Heather Papiano)