Tag: WOODSTOWN

It takes a team

Pierman plays through illness, plays big role in supporting cast lifting Woodstown past Highland to win tournament title

WOLVERINE HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Bridgeton 41, Paulsboro 35
Woodstown 51, Highland 32

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN — Whenever teams play the Woodstown girls the focus always has to be slowing down Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson and making the other three players on the floor beat you.

The Wolverines know that going in and it’s their job to get the other three involved.

They did that Friday and it paid off in a 51-32 win over Group III Highland Regional to win the Wolverine Holiday Tournament title.

The Tartans did a nice job in their triangle-and-two on Battavio and Donelson, who went for 28 and 29 Thursday. And while they both ended up scoring in double figures — 15 and 13, respectively — it was the supporting cast that made all the difference.

“That’s how we won the game,” Woodstown coach Kara Straughn said. “I mean, Shannon Pierman stepped up. Alyssa Baber stepped up on offense. Gianna Maiorini was phenomenal on defense.

‘That’s what I tell them — it’s five of you; it’s not one or two. If they’re going to take one or two of them out of the game, OK, that’s why we have five on the floor. That’s why it’s so important that they’re all involved in the offense because in games like this I’m going to need two or three of the other ones to step up, and that’s exactly what they did today.”

Pierman had the biggest impact. The senior post kept the ball moving through the paint, she rebounded and she made almost every layup she took. She finished with 11 points, eight in the first quarter as the Wolverines (4-1) were trying to get the upper hand.

She scored Woodstown’s first and last baskets of the first quarter and battled Highland bigs London Sutton and Alonsa Thomas in the paint all day.

“She is such a fantastic person on their team,” Highland coach J.W. Senft said. “She’s willing to do all the hard stuff. She rebounds. She sets screens. She makes just about every layup. You’ve got to love a kid like that on your team.

“She doesn’t get as much of the press as Battavio and Donelson, and they deserve it, but I’ll tell you what, that team isn’t as good without (Pierman). She does a fantastic job.

“The other two kids do a nice job, too. They know their role and they’re fine with their role. As a basketball coach you love when you see kids who are willing to play their role and take the team glory instead of my own, so good for her.”

Shannon Pierman (32) pushed herself through illness to play a big role in Woodstown’s win over Highland Regional.

Actually, the Wolverines almost didn’t have her Friday.

Pierman called Straughn earlier in the morning complaining of a sore throat and just not feeling good. It wasn’t altogether certain if she was going to make it. She took some medicine and about 90 minutes before the noon tip she decided to give it a shot and wound up giving an MVP type performance.

She said she would have regretted not playing if she had stayed home.

“It feels so much better,” she said. “I felt like I had it in my mind like I don’t feel good; I’m just going to relax at home. But then around 10:30 I was like I can do this, I feel like I have it in me. I’m glad I was able to push myself and was able to come out.”

Battavio and Donelson both went for 20 in each of the Wolverines’ previous two games, but the Tartans locked onto them with Katie Punch on Battavio and Dacia Mack on Donelson and they just made it difficult for the two Woodstown aces to get comfortable. While they were doing other things to stay engaged, they only had one basket each in the first quarter and had 11 combined points at halftime.

“I thought they played really good defense, but I played tough and I think I did everything I could have done,” Battavio said. “When other teams face guard us we have three other players who can put the ball in the basket, so it’s pretty hard to defend us.”

It was a close game early with six ties and three lead changes, but things changed about two minutes into the second quarter when Battavio and Donelson started to recognize what had to happen as they were being covered up by the Tartans.

The Wolverines went on a 12-4 run the rest of the quarter to take a 26-18 halftime lead they never relinquished. They held the Tartans scoreless on 10 of their last 12 possessions of the half, forcing it into 2-of-7 shooting from the floor and four turnovers.

“I think we just figured out a more effective way to beat that triangle-and-two,” Straughn said. “That’s when I think Megan and Talia kind of clicked, like, OK, we’re not getting everything we’re used to getting, so let’s just hammer it home underneath. Those blocks were wide open and I think it finally started to settle with them.

“They were forcing it a little bit in the beginning and I told them be OK with the assist, be OK with the rebound, you don’t have to go, go, go all the time, and I think once they kind of settled into that it made a big difference. They like to just go. You don’t need to go all the time. Trust the other three and they did and we won the game.”

WOLVERINE HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
WOODSTOWN 51, HIGHLAND 32
WOODSTOWN (4-1) – Talia Battavio 5 2-4 15, Alyssa Baber 2 1-2 5, Emma Perry 1 0-0 2, Talia Guardascione 0 1-2 1, Lauren Hengel 1 0-0 2, Gianna Maiorini 1 0-0 2, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0, Shannon Pierman 4 3-4 11, Megan Donelson 6 1-2 13, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0, Jala Thomas 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 8-14 51.
HIGHLAND (4-3) – Katie Punch 0 2-2 2, Sejeida Jordan 0 1-2 1, Tajai Webb 0 0-0 0, Breelynn Leary 4 0-0 9, Jalena Lee 0 0-2 0, Dacia Mack 4 0-0 8, Yoselin Basantes 0 0-0 0, Hanilyah Williams 1 0-0 2, London Sutton 2 0-2 4, Alonsa Thomas 3 0-2 6. Totals 14 3-8 32.

Woodstown14121510 –51
Highland10895 –32
3-point goals: Woodstown 3 (Battavio 3); Highland 1 (Leary). Total fouls: Woodstown 12, Highland 12. Officials: Kahlbom, Rosenberger, Johnson.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Brookelyn Graham (Paulsboro), Jayla Bowman (Bridgeton), Adelina Wilks (Bridgeton), Breelynn Leary (Highland), London Sutton (Highland), Talia Battavio (Woodstown), Megan Donelson (Woodstown), Shannon Pierman (Woodstown).

Feels like a win

Woodstown’s boys come up short on the scoreboard, but everything about the scrimmage left the feeling of a win

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – It’s a good thing preseason scrimmages aren’t about winning or losing – they’re about getting better – or Woodstown coach Phil Campbell might not have been as upbeat when Saturday’s exercise was over.

The Wolverines lost to Brandywine (Del.) both ways – on the scoreboard (55-49) and in the scorebook (47-46) – but Campbell considered the day a win because of what his team got out of it.

The difference in the results reflects the way game was scored. The scoreboard reflected the scoring system used to award points on free throws to reduce delays at the line while the scorebook indicated the points that actually went through the basket.

Regardless how it was counted, the Wolverines got more out of it than not.

“I was just telling them this was a great learning experience for us,” Campbell said. “We’ll see some teams that are similar – they’re fast, they’re athletic, they have a really good point guard – so it’s a good learning experience.

“I thought our offensive execution at times was fantastic. To be able to do that against a team that’s fast defensively, has long arms, and be able to compete really well with teams that are so athletic I think is a really good learning experience for us. I feel like (it’s) a win as far as we’re learning how to play our game and how our execution can affect other teams.”

Brandywine big Shamar Samuel (R) making sure Woodstown’s Rocco String doesn’t get too far away.

Campbell was quite familiar with the team Woodstown played. He used to be the Bulldogs’ head coach and their current head coach, Lorenzo Gales, was his assistant. Gales bragged on his point guard, Dadrien Howell in their conversation and Campbell believed it when he saw him. 

Howell had 11 points in the scrimmage. Sincere Miller led all scorers with 16.

“He said No. 50 (Howell) had better court vision than anybody we ever had play for us (there), and now I agree after watching him,” Campbell said. “I was pretty amazed at some of the passing that he did. And he’s good getting to the rim.”

The Wolverines, meanwhile, came out with a hot hand and hit four 3-pointers among their first six baskets – two by Eli Caesar – and jumped out 16-5. Then Howell got involved and the Bulldogs rallied.

Alejandro Vazquez hit a couple 3s and the Wolverines went back up by nine, but the Bulldogs rallied again and wound up winning the first half.

Rocco String got the best of Brandywine big man Shamar Samuel and finished with eight points and 11 rebounds. Garrett Leyman gave the Wolverines seven points and seven boards and Blake Bialecki gave them his usual consistent effort at the point.

Defensively, they’re tweaking their approach and learning to be more aggressive in the half court. If there was any shortcoming it was handling the endgame, but if it were a regular-season game Campbell would have been a lot more strategic.

“I feel good about what we saw today,” Campbell said. “It was a good learning experience for us because our scrimmage against Gateway on Tuesday was a little sloppy.”

The Wolverines are back at it Monday against Maple Shade.

BRANDYWINE 47, WOODSTOWN 46
BRANDYWINE – Jahzier Penn 2 1-2 6, Crisdon Wright 1 2-2 4, Zion Charles 4 0-0 8, Sincere Miller  8 0-2 16, Mohamed Sankoh 0 0-0 0, Shamar Samuel 1 0-0 2, Dadrien Howell 5 1-3 11. Totals 21 4-9 47.
WOODSTOWN – Blake Bialecki 2 0-0 5, Alejandro Vazquez 3 0-0 8, M.J. Hall 1 0-0 3, Garrett Leyman 3 1-2 7, Max Webb 3 0-1 7, Rocco String 4 0-1 8, Zyaire Caesar 0 0-0 0, Eli Caesar 3 0-0 8, Anthony Bokolas 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 1-4 46.

Brandywine1115129 –47
Woodstown1812106 –  46
3-point goals: Brandywine (Penn); Woodstown 7 (Bialecki, Vazquez 2, Hall, Webb, E. Caesar 2).
Woodstown guard Max Webb drives to the basket in Saturday’s scrimmage against Brandywine. (Photo by Ellen Sickler)

Back and ready

Baber back in Wolverines’ backcourt after missing junior season, comfort level growing with each game

FRIDAY’S SCRIMMAGES
Girls
Woodstown 55, Camden Tech 12
West Deptford 43, Pennsville 32
Boys
Salem def. Bridgeton

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – In the overall scheme of a 33-point blowout in a preseason scrimmage it was a rather insignificant basket, but it sure meant a lot to Alyssa Baber.

When the Woodstown senior guard broke in on a 2-on-1 with Talia Battavio off the tip and scored the layup to open the second half scoring against Camden Tech, it wasn’t just another basket.

It was the first basket she has scored against somebody not wearing a Woodstown uniform in 21  months.

“She needed that confidence,” Wolverines coach Kara Straughn said. “She hasn’t played a full game or a natural game in years. She’s a good shooter. I think she just kind of needs a little confidence and kick start herself again.”

Baber missed her entire junior season following twice-delayed surgery on the ACL she tore in her right knee in one of her team’s last AAU games the May of her sophomore year.

The layup Friday was her first points in a game since a 3-pointer against Pennsville on March 3, 2022. You can look it up. (We did in the gym, and the result surprised her).

“I don’t remember that,” she said. “I didn’t get to shoot a lot my sophomore year, now I can have that feeling of what it’s like to make a basket and I’ve been wanting that. Unfortunately, at Gateway I didn’t get to make anything, but I was just happy being out there and today I made my shot and I was really happy.” 

Baber was so excited to get back into it, she couldn’t wait to text Straughn to remind her she had been cleared by her doctors to start practicing. Straughn eased her back into the action in the first scrimmage at Gateway Tuesday playing her only two quarters, but she played all four quarters Friday against the Warriors.

She didn’t score in the first scrimmage or in the first half Friday. But she had two buckets in the third quarter against the Warriors, finished with four points, grabbed four rebounds, dealt three assists and collected five steals before retiring for the day with 2:56 left in the scrimmage.

“Recently I’ve been really anxious about the games so I have a lot of jitters,” she said. “But every time I play it just all comes back to me, even if I’d played two years ago. It just comes back to me and I just love being out here with all the girls again.”

Sitting out while her teammates played made for one of the hardest years of her life. She tried to put on a brave face, but admitted it was tough watching while others play while she couldn’t. Now that she’s back, she’s pushing hard to get back where she was before the injury as a facilitator.

Her return strengthens an already deep array of Woodstown guards and gives Straughn even more options on how to attack an opponent.

“It makes us that much harder to defend,” Straughn said. “Because now I have not just two phenomenal guards, I have three, and then I have two girls underneath who can score 8 to 10 to 12 points. You’re going to overplay Megan or Talia, I have Alyssa Baber who will score. You’re going to overplay my forwards, I have three girls over the top who can score. I have five who can play pretty much any position.”

But scoring isn’t Baber’s game. She’d rather do the things that gets her teammates involved.

The Wolverines won big (55-12) even without top returning scorer Megan Donelson, who didn’t play due to illness. Her absence gave sixth-man Lauren Hengel a chance to shine and she responded with 16 points, four rebounds and four steals.

Battavio led all scorers with 24 points, Shannon Pierman had nine points and eight rebounds, and Gia Maiorini grabbed 10 rebounds.

WOODSTOWN 55, CAMDEN TECH 12
CAMDEN TECH – Ryan Jones 1 1-1 3, Carlee Miller 0 0-0 0, Kiara Miller 1 0-0 3, Vianny Fernandez 2 0-0 4, Brena Stiles 0 0-0 0, Daniya Forrest 0 0-0 0, Erica Bennett 0 0-0 0, Jaelyn White 1 0-0 2. Totals 5 1-1 12.
WOODSTOWN – Talia Battavio 8 3-4 24, Alyssa Baber 2 0-0 4, Shannon Pierman 4 1-2 9, Gianna Maiorini 0 0-0 0, Lauren Hengel 6 3-4 16, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0, Jaia Thomas 0 0-0 0, Others 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 7-10 55.

Camden Tech6420 –12
Woodstown1616212 –55
3-point goals: Camden Tech 1 (K. Miller); Woodstown 6 (Battavio 5, Hengel). Total fouls: Camden Tech 9, Woodstown 6.

WEST DEPTFORD 43, PENNSVILLE 32: The teams were locked in a tight battle in the first half, but West Deptford held the Eagles to one field goal in the third quarter and pulled away. Reyanna Jamison (12) and Alivia Arena (10) combined for 15 points in the second half for West Deptford.

Taylor Bass led Pennsville with 10 points. Marley Wood and Nora Ausland had nine each.

“We lost, but everything came together a lot better and I’m excited for Monday (when they host Palmyra),” Pennsville coach Sam Trapp said. “We’ve got to keep improving on defense, finding ways to create opportunities to finish and knowing our personnel.”

WEST DEPTFORD 43, PENNSVILLE 32
PENNSVILLE – Celli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Nora Ausland 3 2-4 9, Taylor Bass 4 2-2 10, Sofia Belitsas 0 0-0 0, Bella Farina 1 0-4 2, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Anikka Macalino 0 0-0 0, Malani McGee 0 0-0 0, Isabelle Saulin 1 0-0 2, Avery Watson 0 0-0 0, Marley Wood 3 2-4 9. Totals 12 6-14 32.
WEST DEPTFORD – Janie Cross 2 2-6 6, Alivia Arrera 5 0-0 10, Jesce Diaz 1 0-0 3, Reyanna Jamison 5 1-3 12, Ciara Moss 1 0-2 2, Olivia Smith 0 2-2 2, DeaOnna Lawrence 3 0-0 6, Kallie Christy 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Taylor 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 5-13 43.
Pennsville78512 –32
West Deptford981214 –43
3-point goals: Pennsville 2 (M. Ausland, Wood); West Deptford 2 (Jamison, Diaz). Total fouls: Pennsville 8, West Deptford 16.

Boys

Salem went to Bridgeton for its final preseason scrimmage and came back with a win.

The biggest takeaway was the Rams being able to pull it back together after losing the lead. They led by six to eight points most of the game, fell behind 45-44 in the third quarter and then went on a run to pull away.

“That was good,” Rams coach Anthony Farmer said. “We have upperclassmen, so that’s my expectation. You have to stay poised. They’ve been around. I’m not looking for those guys to get rattled. We were sloppy at times, but later in the game we got it back together.”

Freshman Tymier Lecator showed poise beyond his years, hitting two big 3-pointers and taking two charges.

The Rams now start working towards their opener next Saturday against Woodbury in Penns Grove’s Red Devil Classic.

On a roll

Monday roundup: Woodstown boys soccer heading into sectional tournament on five-game winning streak; roundup includes girls soccer, field hockey

MONDAY’S SCORES
BOYS SOCCER
Woodstown 2, Glassboro 1
Pennsville 4, Salem Tech 1
GIRLS SOCCER
Woodstown 2, Glassboro 2
Pitman 5, Salem 0
Pennsville 7, Salem Tech 0
FIELD HOCKEY
Clearview 2, Woodstown 0
Gloucester City 7, Pennsville 0
GIRLS TENNIS
Schalick 5, Woodstown 0

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

GLASSBORO – The Woodstown soccer team goes into the South Jersey Group I tournament feeling good about the turnaround it has put together during the season and on a roll after beating Glassboro 2-1 in its final regular-season game Monday.

Adrian Ibarra and Kaleb Gerace each scored a goal in the second half for the Wolverines in the battle of top four sectional seeds.

Ibarra opened the scoring seven minutes into the second half. Gerace made it 2-0 13 minutes later. Emirhan Kir’s penalty kick off an “unfortunate foul” in the box with 11 minutes left was the only thing that kept the Wolverines from posting a fifth straight shutout.

It was, however, their fifth win in a row, their second over Glassboro in the last four days and their sixth in the eight games (with one tie) since a 6-2 Alumni Night loss to Schalick in the football stadium.

“We had a lot of games over the last two weeks, so it’s been a grind, but we came in and kind of came out on top,” Woodstown coach Darren Huck said. “We didn’t play well against Audubon (the only loss in the home stretch), but when you play Schalick and two Colonial Conference teams, it wasn’t so much about wins and losses in that one, it was to see how we were going to battle and compete.

“We circle the wagons and bring them all back and remind them what the big picture is and remind them how one game doesn’t identify you in a good way or a bad way; let’s stay focused on what we need to do and they responded. I’m happy with my goalkeeper, how he responded from that tough night against Schalick, and defensively I’m happy with where we’re at right now.”

That would be 13-3-1 and the No. 3 seed in the SJ-I tournament;. A year ago they were 5-10-3 with seven one-goal losses and were something like 3-27 in the offseason going all over South Jersey playing larger schools. But they were playing and learning and growing.

Huck never lost faith and he was grateful the players didn’t either.

“I told them it’s not about the now, it’s preparing guys for the future,” he said. “I need all of you to believe and I will take you there, but do not lose confidence in what we’re doing.

“I had a parent today say I remember what you said in August in that last tournament; you said we’ll be just fine. I’m glad it worked this way. It made them believe they believed in me. I said this was going to happen.”

Ibarra’s goal was his 23rd of the season and 30th of his career. The nephew of Woodstown’s all-time leading goal scorer, Oscar Hernandez, Ibarra now has the second-most goals in a season by a junior in school history and has moved into the top 15 on the Wolverines’ all-time goals list.

“He’s really put it together,” Huck said. “He takes a lot of pride in being a complete soccer player, not just a scorer. He’s on the other end of assists, gets back defensively to help out. A lot of times he’ll ask me if I want him to drop back to help out the defense. He’s willing to take himself out of a scoring opportunity so we can get a win. 

“He puts a tremendous amount of time into it. Many, many times I can go up to the park and he’ll be out there all by himself with a bag of soccer balls and some cones and he’s just working on his game. It’s good to see it all pay off for him.”

While Woodstown is going into the playoffs on a roll, Glassboro is looking to get back on track. The Bulldogs (12-5) have lost five of their last eight against some of their toughest opposition of the year after starting the season 9-0.

“We had a good regular season,” Huck said. “We can look back and say we had a nice season. We know the second season starts (Wednesday) and we’re going to try to go as far as we can.”

Pennsville 4, Salem Tech 1: Jake Isaac scored two first-half goals and assisted on the Eagles’ other two goals. It was his third multi-goal game of the season and fifth of his career. Stone Mumink gave the Eagles (6-12) a 3-0 lead and Kameron Brown got the Chargers (3-13-1) on the board before the end of the half. Shane Puckett scored Pennsville’s final goal in the second half.

GIRLS SOCCER
Woodstown 2, Glassboro 2: Emma Perry and Talia Battavio scored goals for the Wolverines (9-7-1), but Glassboro scored a goal in the second half to tie the match. 

Pitman 5, Salem 0: Emery Sharpnack scored her 15th goal of the season to open the scoring and assisted on Alaina Williams’ goal in the second half. The Classic Division champion Panthers (13-4-1) are one of two teams to go through their Tri-County Conference schedule undefeated (10-0).

Pennsville 7, Salem Tech 0: Reagan Wariwanchik, Molly Gratz and Karsen Cooksey scored first-half goals and Cooksey completed the hat trick in the second half.

FIELD HOCKEY
Clearview 2, Woodstown 0: Marley Dutch scored a goal and assisted on Destiny Joseph’s score. The Group III Pioneers (12-5) peppered Woodstown goalie Shelby Foote with 29 shots. 

Gloucester City 7, Pennsville 0: Lauren Perry scored four goals to lead the Lions (12-4). 

County leaders

With the football playoffs beginning this week, here is a look at the Salem County leaders in rushing, passing and receiving through the end of the regular season

Rushing

PLAYERATTYDSTD
Bryce Belinfanti, Woodstown149114614
Pop Jackson, Salem13110238
Bryce Wright, Penns Grove1558479
Karon Ceaser, Penns Grove1197435
Reggie Allen, Schalick9258810
Sky Eppes, Pennsville1095479
Jared Pew, Salem833853
Kenai Simmons, Schalick793448
Robbie McDade, Pennsville763306
Levi Feeney-Childers, Schalick503012
Max Webb, Woodstown612655
Ramaji Bundy, Salem472601
Alex Torres, Woodstown382303
Sophomore quarterback Robbie McDade will have a chance to give Pennsville its first 1,000-yard passer since 2019 Thursday when the Eagles host New Egypt in the regional consolation tournament. Top photo: Bryce Belinfanti and Max Webb give Woodstown a dynamic backfield combination. (Photos by Lorraine Jenkins, Ellen Sickler)

Passing

PLAYERCOMPATTINTYDSTD
Robbie McDade, Pennsville7013649486
Kenai Simmons, Schalick335207157
Max Webb, Woodstown447455555
Ramaji Bundy, Salem155352361

Receiving

PLAYERNO.YDSTD
Malik Rehmer, Pennsville396045
Bryce Belinfanti, Woodstown131290
Zach Bevis, Woodstown121893
Ty Young, Pennsville121181
Terrence Smith, Salem111461
Sky Eppes, Pennsville111280
Jake Siedlecki, Schalick92683
Dylan Sheehan, Schalick91402
Karon Ceaser, Penns Grove81130

Kicking

PLAYERFGM-FGAXPM-XPAPTS
Jake Ware, Woodstown3-425-2734
Hunter Dragotta, Schalick2-425-2731
Jackson Leino, Pennsville4-615-1927

Defense

SACKS
6.5: Dameon Wilson, Penns Grove
5.5: Bobby Donahue, Woodstown
4: Nasir Stewart, Penns Grove
3: Jermaine Loney, Schalick; Mando Johnson, Salem
2.5: Zach Bevis, Woodstown; William Slouch, Penns Grove

TACKLES FOR LOSS
17: Bryce Wright, Penns Grove
15: Nasir Stewart, Penns Grove
11: Dameon Wilson, Penns Grove
9: William Slocum, Penns Grove
8: Justin Martin, Penns Grove
6.5: Bobby Donahue, Woodstown
6: Zach Bevis, Woodstown; Walter Carter, Woodstown; Mando Johnson, Salem
5.5: Bryce Belinfanti, Woodstown
5: Max Webb, Woodstown; Thomas Hymer, Schalick
4.5: Pop Jackson, Salem
4: Jack Knorr, Woodstown; Najee Panter, Penns Grove

INTERCEPTIONS: 2: Malik Rehmer, Pennsville; Karon Ceaser, Penns Grove; Bryce Wright, Penns Grove

FUMBLE RECOVERIES: 2: Connor Ayers, Pennsville; Cole Campbell, Pennsville

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)