FOOTBALL NOTES: A look around the region
The Pennsville High School football team is the defending South Jersey Group 1 champion and owner of two sectional titles overall.
St. Joseph, No. 9 in the Courier-Post Mean 15, is a seven-time defending state champion in the Non-Public ranks. The Wildcats have 18 titles under longtime coach Paul Sacco – the winningest coach in South Jersey history.
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When the two meet for the first time Friday night, the West Jersey Football League interdivision game will give the Eagles an opportunity to gauge themselves against one of the state’s finest programs.
“We’re excited to play a program of their stature,” Pennsville coach Ryan Wood said. “That’s a great program that has earned everything over the years, no doubt.
“Any time you play a program as good as St. Joe, it’s a barometer. It gives you a chance to see where you stand. People say all the time, ‘who should be ranked where, who is better than who?’ At the end of the day, the only way to find out is to play.”
Pennsville comes into game at 3-0, while the Wildcats are 3-1. Both have displayed the ability to score points and hold opponents in check. While it’s likely to be the Eagles’ toughest challenge to date, his team is planning to approach it no differently than any other week.
“We have to look at it as the next team on our schedule,” Wood said. “Our preparation is the same as always and we’ll show up to play the same way we always play.
“I feel great about our football team. We have good kids and they’re trying to do what we ask them to do – play good football.”
Hard work pays off: Pleasantville snapped its 21-game losing streak with a 40-14 win last week over Riverside. It was the first since defeating Ocean City 15-14 in the final game of the 2013 season.
“It was a huge win, we needed it,” second-year coach Chris Sacco said. “The kids have been working very hard since January in the weight room. We kind of got a late start last year but were able to lay the foundation and this year the kids are buying into it.
“We’re definitely on our way. I feel really happy with where we are and I’m excited for the kids. Losing for so long, it was definitely nice to see them excited and see their hard work pay off.”
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Junior quarterback Le’Quai Athill has been the team’s offensive leader. Wide receivers Malik Morgan and Tay’Shon Evans are also off to strong starts. Running back Daniel Samuel, Mohamed Toure (TB/LB) and two-way lineman Josue Valerius (6-3, 365) have also been impact players.
The Greyhounds host Pitman on Friday.
“In school (Monday), they were smiling and happy,” Sacco said. “People in school were excited for them and they were happy to get that positive recognition.
“You can just tell they’re excited at the opportunity to go out and win again. They want to prove they’re not complacent with one win. They want to keep building.”
Been a while: After back-to-back 1-9 seasons, Eastern improved to 2-1 with a 35-0 victory over Cherry Hill East. A program that traditionally sent teams deep into the playoffs, the Vikings are starting to turn things around.
“It definitely feels good. The morale is really up at school and everyone is excited with what’s going on,” coach Dan Boguszewski said. “The biggest thing is to keep the kids focused. Absegami (on Friday) is a big test to see where we stand. We really have to stay the course and make sure they stay on point.”
Shaun Davis led the offensive attack last week, rushing for 218 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries.
“It was nice to see him have a breakout moment,” the coach added.
“We have a hungry group and we have a good group of leaders that keep their fingers on the pulse of what’s going on. If we make a mistake, we turn the page and don’t harp on it. Everyone on the team knows they have a role.”
National scene: In this week’s CBS MaxPreps Northeast Regional rankings, St. Augustine is No. 6. Timber Creek is No. 16, breaking into the rankings this week.
St. Joseph’s Prep of Philadelphia is the No. 1 team, with Bergen Catholic at No. 2.
No breathing room: No. 5 Shawnee remains among the unbeaten, but by a slim margin.
The Renegades go into their bye week at 3-0, winning by a total of 13 points – a seven-point decision over Allentown and three-point victories over Cherokee and Washington Township.
Running hard: Darius Dowd has been the leader of Deptford’s offensive attack. Through the first three games, the 5-8, 170-pound junior running back has rushed for 454 yards and five touchdowns on 61 carries.
Dowd went for a career-high 161 yards and two TDs on 18 carries in last week’s loss to Pennsville. The Spartans travel to Sterling on Friday.
“He’s done a phenomenal job of leading our team,” coach Chris Crowley said. “He’s been very productive on the field and the kids are responding to his leadership.
“He’s a quite leader, a business-type guy who leads by example. He really worked hard in the offseason to put himself in position to have some success.”
Turning it around: Haddon Township is off to its best start since opening the 2009 season with three consecutive wins. The Hawks are 2-1 under first-year coach Mike Sheridan and riding a two-game win streak.
"Our players have been working on and off the field to become better football players," Sheridan said. "They have been getting better every week. The players have made significant gains in the weight room and have also worked hard to improve their field skills. Our goal is to get better every week."
Sheridan is the third coach in the last four years. The Hawks went 0-10 last season, while posting 2-8 campaigns in 2013 and 2014. The last winning season came under Dave Dale when they went 6-4 in 2012.
Kevin Minnick; (856) 486-2424; kminnick@gannettnj.com