Hammonton’s Sandoval boots game-winner again

Hammonton kicker Esteban Sandoval has been getting the star treatment by his teammates lately.

Sandoval kicked a 17-yard field goal to win a tight battle, 16-14 at St. Joseph of Hammonton Saturday in the 48th annual holiday weekend game. Last week the 5-foot-9, 150-pound sophomore kicked a 26-yarder in overtime to beat Seneca.

Both times he was swarmed by congratulatory teammates.

"Two weeks in a row," said Sandoval, who kicked into a cross wind yesterday with 12 seconds remaining and the Blue Devils trailing, 14-13. "Last week definitely felt a little bigger [in a South Jersey Group 3 semifinal]. This week I was nervous but . . . it wasn't a long field goal so I knew it wouldn't be a big deal.

"I missed one [an extra-point attempt] earlier but on that one, I picked my head up. This time, I kept my head down."

Hammonton (10-1) leads the series, 26-21-1, and has won the last three games between the two teams, which are among the elite in South Jersey this season.

The St. Joseph Wildcats (8-3) won the Non-Public Group 2 title with a 28-14 victory over Gloucester Catholic on Nov. 28. Hammonton is scheduled to play Timber Creek for the South Group 3 championship on Dec. 4 at home.

Hammonton coach Pete Lancetta told his players after yesterday's victory that their next game is much more important because it will be for the first South Group 3 football crown in school history.

[St. Joseph is] "tough and very well coached," Lancetta said. "We never thought it would be easy, we just downplayed it all week, we didn't have very much emotion, but somehow the kids pulled it out.

"We were teetering with the idea of not playing the starters the whole game and I said we're going to play to win and we did. We got a few nicks and bruises but nothing major."

Junior wide receiver Pat Casey helped give the Wildcats their first lead when he caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Darryl Smith with 7:44 left in the third quarter. Junior Todd Bockarie kicked the first of two extra points and St. Joseph led, 14-13.

"We wanted to win this game because we lost the last two," St. Joseph receiver Casey said. "This was a big game for us.

"There can be one play in a game that is the turning point and that was when there was a bad snap to the punter and they blocked the punt."

Hammonton's Chris Brennan blocked Max Valles' punt from the Blue Devils' 48-yard line and the ball was recovered by the visitors on the St. Joseph 33. Hammonton quarterback Nick Crescenzo engineered an eight-play drive that put the Blue Devils on the St. Joseph 1-yard line setting up the field goal.

St. Joseph sophomore Kaheem Reynolds led all rushers with 97 yards on 17 carries.

Hammonton   7 6 0 3 - 16

St. Joseph   0 7 7 0 - 14

St. Joseph: 0 7 7 0 – 14

H: Josh Baez 2 run (Esteban Sandoval kick)

SJ: Darryl Smith 1 run (Todd Bockarie kick)

H: Ian Evans 62 pass from Nick Crescenzo (kick failed)

SJ: Pat Casey 14 pass from Smith (Bockarie kick)

H: FG 17 Sandoval

Contact staff writer Bill Iezzi at 856-779-3826 or biezzi@phillynews.com