West Deptford remains a power

SOMERDALE – Rebuilding isn't a word the West Deptford High School football team even uses.

"I don't think we are rebuilding, we are just replacing the (running) backs we had last year," Eagles senior captain Jake Kull said after West Deptford made a statement in a 27-10 win over Sterling Friday night.

West Deptford, 9-1 last year, lost star running back Gerald Owens from last season's team. The school's all-time leading scorer is now a freshman at Michigan State.

"I like the talk, I like being the underdogs," West Deptford senior linebacker Luke Cornelius said. "I heard that a lot as well.

"I don't think it is a rebuilding year at all."

Not even a little bit.

In the season opener for two teams that figure to slug it out again for the Colonial Conference Liberty Division title, the Eagles looked like a team determined to and capable of avenging a first-round Group 2 playoff loss last season to eventual champion Haddonfield.

"We are all best friends as well," Cornelius added. "We have the togetherness, the pride, the heart and all that. I really hope this season goes to the states this year."

West Deptford is No. 13 in the Courier-Post Top 15.

"It is just one game," said Clyde Folsom, in his 24th season at West Deptford.

Sterling earned the talk of being poised to challenge West Deptford this season after going 8-2 last year for its best record since 1993. Sterling was 4-1 in the Liberty Division behind West Deptford (5-0).

But Sterling hasn't beaten West Deptford since 2005.

The Silver Knights have lost to West Deptford five times in the last four years. Last year, Sterling lost 35-7. Before Friday, West Deptford had outscored Sterling 333-65 over the last eight seasons.

"Sterling is a great physical team," West Deptford senior quarterback Isaiah Easterling said. "We had to come out and compete."

Easterling threw a pair of touchdowns to senior Preston Harcum and finished an economical 5-for-8 passing for 82 yards in his first varsity start at quarterback.

"I honestly have to give a huge credit to the coaching staff, they pushed us hard," Easterling said.

Sterling opened the scoring on Jurgen Bocoj's 32-yard field goal off the game's first drive. The Silver Knights were up 3-0 early in the second and on the Eagles' 29-yard line.

However, a fumble was recovered by Cornelius on the Sterling 46.

West Deptford capitalized when Harcum caught a 16-yard scoring pass from Easterling. Cornelius added the kick for 7-3 lead.

"Coming to the sideline after that, all the players were extremely excited, everyone was really excited about the play and we punched it in after that," Cornelius said about his fumble recovery. "It gave us a complete momentum switch."

The Eagles struck quick on their next possession when Harcum took a short pass from Easterling for a 49-yard score. Cornelius kick kicked the point after for a 14-3 late in the second quarter.

West Deptford took the second half kickoff 68 yards on eight plays capped by Cameron Wadding's 5-yard touchdown run for a 20-3 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Sterling cut the Eagles' lead in half when senior running back Devon Tucker scored on a 2-yard run to make it 20-10. The rugged 5-foot-11, 190-pounder who has made a verbal commitment to Western Michigan, battled for 100 yards rushing on 19 carries.

West Deptford seized a 27-10 lead late in fourth quarter on senior Kevin DeCaesar's 3-yard run.

"We came into this game and everyone, I don't know if they were doubting us, but they thought Sterling would be the new big thing," said DeCaesar. "But we came out ready to play and we took it to them."

Reach Kevin Callahan at kcallahan@courierpostonline .com and follow on Twitter @CP_KCallahan