Football: DeCaesar leads West Deptford past Glassboro

By Phil Anastasia

Kevin DeCaesar kept seeing the same thing, play after play: Room to run.

"Everytime I got the ball, there was a hole for me to run through," DeCaesar said after leading West Deptford to a 45-16 victory over Glassboro Friday night in the first round of the South Jersey Group 2 football tournament.

DeCaesar, a senior fullback, carried 26 times for 246 yards and a career-high five touchdowns as the fifth-seeded Eagles improved their record to 8-1 and advanced to face surprising Collingswood in the second round.

Eighth-seeded Collingswood stunned top-seeded Camden 18-7 and will visit West Deptford on Friday night.

"Another home game -- that's awesome," West Deptford senior two-way tackle Jake Kull said. "Coach always says there's no better place to be on a Friday night than West Deptford."

Senior wide receiver Juwan Johnson caught two touchdown passes and ran for a two-point conversion for fourth-seeded Glassboro (7-2).

The Bulldogs, who have won 10 South Jersey Group 1 titles since the creation of the state playoffs in 1974, were moved up to South Jersey Group 2 this season.

"That's a great team with a great tradition," West Deptford coach Clyde Folsom said of Glassboro. "We were very fortunate come in here and come away with a win.

"I like the way we played. I loved our effort."

West Deptford controlled the game along the front lines. The Eagles' offensive line, led by Kull, senior Tyler Garrison and junior Bobby Brewer, cleared the way for strong performances by DeCaesar and senior halfback Luke Cornelius (10 carries, 127 yards).

"Line-wise, I thought we took control," Folsom said.

West Deptford set the tone for the game on the first play as Cornelius went 65 yards off right tackle.

Or maybe it was the second play, when DeCaesar went 20 to the 1.

Or the third, when DeCaesar scored the first of his touchdowns.

"That was huge," DeCaesar said of the fast start. "We knew we wanted to come in there and take control."

It was 21-0 after one quarter and 24-0 at halftime, as Cornelius booted a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter.

DeCaesar and Cornelius, as linebackers, also led a strong West Deptford defense that contained Glassboro running back Ronnie James, a Rutgers recruit, and came up with interceptions by Isaiah Easterling, Gio Gismondi and Matt Novak.

Glassboro grabbed some momentum in the third quarter when Johnson, a Penn State recruit, used his 6-foot-4 frame to outleap two defenders for the football and raced into the end zone with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Mike Maldonado.

"He's a beast," Kull said of Johnson. "He deserves a Penn State scholarship."

But on the ensuing series, West Deptford junior tight end Nick Diaco made a diving catch of an Easterling pass on third-and-10. DeCaesar ran 29 yards on the next play and scored from 11 out three plays after that.

"Our line did a great job," DeCaesar said. "Every time I touched the ball, there was a huge hole. Every time anybody touched the ball, there was a huge hole."

Wes Deptford 21 3 7 14 -- 45

Glasssboro 0 0 8 8 -- 16

WD: Kevin DeCaesar 1 run (Luke Cornelius kick)

WD: Preston Harcum 26 pass from Isaiah Easterling (Cornelius kick)

WD: DeCaesar 20 run (Cornelius kick)

WD: Cornelius 30 FG

G: Juwan Johnson 39 pass from Mike Maldonado (Ronnie James pass from Maldonado)

WD: DeCaesar 11 run (Cornelius kick)

WD: DeCaesar 1 run (Cornelius kick)

WD: DeCaesar 37 run (Cornelius kick)

G: Johnson 66 pass from Maldonado (Johnson run)

-- Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com

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