Monday, February 4, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013

POSTED: Sunday, February 3, 2013, 2:31 PM

By Phil Anastasia

Here's the new Top 10, as of Sunday, Feb. 3, with previous ranking in parentheses:

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POSTED: Saturday, February 2, 2013, 9:25 PM

By Phil Anastasia

This time, Camden Catholic made its most dramatic statement after the pre-game introductions.

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POSTED: Saturday, February 2, 2013, 3:19 PM

By Phil Anastasia

With his big brother on the bench with concussion symptoms, junior Alec Walker made the shot of his varsity career -- a buzzer-beating layup to lift Eastern to a 55-54 victory over Bishop Eustace on Saturday afternoon.

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POSTED: Saturday, February 2, 2013, 1:17 PM

By Phil Anastasia

These South Jersey players have committed to attend NCAA Division I colleges on football scholarships:

Eli Apple, Eastern, DB, Ohio State
Jarred Alwan, Camden Catholic, LB, Temple
Anthony Averett, Woodbury, DB, Alabama
Brandon Bell, Oakcrest, LB, Penn State
Conner Bor, Bishop Eustace, DB Lafayette
Buddy Brown, Williamstown, LB, Temple
Anthony Bonett Moorestown, WR, Old Dominion
Calvin Cass St. Augustine, RB Navy
Eric Church, Timber Creek, DB, Kent State
Corey Clement, Glassboro, RB, Wisconsin
Jim Cooper, Mainland, K, Temple
Julien Davenport Paulsboro, OL Bucknell
Dajaun Drennon, Timber Creek, DL, North Carolina
Zach Grant, Paul VI, WR, Temple
Gabe Hemighaus, Cumberland, TE, Monmouth
Wesley Hill, Wildwood, RB, Delaware
Kerron Johnson, Highland, DB, Coastal Carolina
Rashad Kinlaw, Absegami, DB, Notre Dame
Zach Madden, Cherokee, DL, Penn
Damon Mitchell, Cedar Creek, QB, Georgia Tech
Myles Nash, Timber Creek, LB, Rutgers
Jake Pisarcik, Shawnee, OL, Oregon
Shane Rafter, Moorestown, OL, Temple
Ahmaad Randall, Highland, OL Rhode Island
Dayshawn Reynolds, Atlantic City, DB, Temple
Zach Smeakal, Shawnee, DL, Buffalo
Jullian Taylor, Williamstown, DE, Temple
Alex Thompson, Haddon Heights, OL, Delaware
Robert Thompson, St. Joseph, WR, Old Dominsion
Greg Webb, Timber Creek, DL, North Carolina
Eric Wiafe, Egg Harbor, DL Rutgers
Zaire Williams, Timber Creek, RB, Temple

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POSTED: Friday, February 1, 2013, 2:48 PM

By Phil Anastasia

The only thing more frustrating than Rashad Kinlaw's junior season was his senior season.

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POSTED: Thursday, January 31, 2013, 8:28 PM

By Phil Anastasia

Unlike most teams, Willingboro has two records.

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POSTED: Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 7:08 PM

By Phil Anastasia

 
Cedar Creek quarterback Damon Mitchell has decided to make an official recruiting visit this weekend to Arkansas.
 
The surprsing development has an interesting side effect: Rutgers could emerge as a destination for the All-South Jersey athlete.
 
Mitchell, who ran for 22 touchdowns and passed for 21 in leading Cedar Creek to a 10-2 record and the SJ Group 2 title game, said he made the decision after a home visit by Arkansas coach Bret Bielema on Sunday.
 
Bielema was the coach at Wisconsin when Mitchell visited there in the fall.
 
"It's an SEC school and I feel like I owe it to myself to check it out," Mitchell said. "I have to take a look at it."
 
Mitchell said he knows that he is risking his scholarship offer from Georgia Tech by visiting Arkansas. Mitchell committed to Georgia Tech in July and said two weeks ago that he wasn't visiting any other schools and was set on playing for the Yellow Jackets.
 
Georgia Tech coaches have told Mitchell that they might pull his scholarship offer if he visits another school, according to Cedar Creek coach Tim Watson.
 
"I'd rather somebody quit on me now than quit on me two years from now," Mitchell said.
 
National Signing Day is Feb. 6.
 
Watson said he believed the level of competiton in the SEC is a lure for Mitchell.
 
"You're talking about the SEC West with Bama, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida," Watson said. "He'll have to step up but it would force him to be the best player he can be."
 
The 6-3, 205-pound Mitchell said Arkansas projects him as a quarterback, not a defensive back.
 
Watson said Mitchell had some misgivings that he would not fully develop his passing skills in Georgia Tech's triple-option attack.
 
"I think he had that splinter in his mind," Watspon said.
 
If Mitchell decides not to accept Arkansas' scholarship offer, and Georgia Tech pulls its offer, he could end up at Rutgers, Watson said.
 
"This could open up the back door for Rutgers," Watson said.
 
 
REYNOLDS COMMITS TO TEMPLE
 
Atlantic City's Dayshawn Reynolds, an All-South Jersey first-team selection as a wide receiver, has commited to Temple, Atlantic City coach Thomas Kelly said Tuesday.
 
The 6-1, 185-pound Reynolds caught 50 passes for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns last season for the Vikings. He was recruited to play cornerback for the Owls, Kelly said.
 
"As much as I'd like to see him still catching balls, I think he can play for a long time at cornerback," Kelly said. "I watch those NFL games on Sundays. You don't see a lot of 6-1 corners. With his explosiveness and his speed, the sky is the limit for him."
 
A top athlete, Reynolds also is a standout guard for the Atlantic City basketball team. He started last season as the Vikings won the Group 4 state title and he has been a key contributor this year's team, which is No. 1 in The Inquirer's South Jersey Top 10.
 
-- Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com or @PhilAnastasia on Twitter.
 
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POSTED: Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 7:07 PM

By Phil Anastasia

 
Cedar Creek quarterback Damon Mitchell has decided to make an official recruiting visit to Arkansas.
 
The surprsing development has an interesting side effect: Rutgers could emerge as a destination for the All-South Jersey athlete.
 
Mitchell, who ran for 22 touchdowns and passed for 21 in leading Cedar Creek to a 10-2 record and the SJ Group 2 title game, said he made the decision after a home visit by Arkansas coach Bret Bielema on Sunday.
 
Bielema was the coach at Wisconsin when Mitchell visited there in the fall.
 
"It's an SEC school and I feel like I owe it to myself to check it out," Mitchell said. "I have to take a look at it."
 
Mitchell said he knows that he is risking his scholarhsip offer from Georgia Tech by visiting Arkansas. Mitchell committed to Georgia Tech in July and said two weeks ago that he wasn't visiting any other schools and was set on playing for the Yellow Jackets.
 
Georgia Tech coaches have told Mitchell that they might pull his scholarship offer if he visits another school, according to Cedar Creek coach Tim Watson.
 
"I'd rather somebody quit on me now than quit on me two years from now," Mitchell said.
 
Watson said he believed the level of competiton in the SEC is a lure for Mitchell.
 
"You're talking about the SEC West with Bama, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida," Watson said. "He'll have to step up but it would force him to be the best player he can be."
 
The 6-3, 205-pound Mitchell said Arkansas projects him as a quarterback, not a defensive back.
 
Watson said Mitchell had some misgivings that he would not fully develop his passing skills in Georgia Tech's triple-option attack.
 
"I think he had that splinter in his mind," Watspon said.
 
If Mitchell decides not to accept Arkansas' scholarship offer, and Georgia Tech pulls its offer, he could end up at Rutgers, Watson said.
 
"This could open up the back door for Rutgers," Watson said.
 
 
REYNOLDS COMMITS TO TEMPLE
 
Atlantic City's Dayshawn Reynolds, an All-South Jersey first-team selection as a wide receiver, has commited to Temple, Atlantic City coach Thomas Kelly said Tuesday.
 
The 6-1, 185-pound Reynolds caught 50 passes for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns last season for the Vikings. He was recruited to play cornerback for the Owls, Kelly said.
 
"As much as I'd like to see him still catching balls, I think he can play for a long time at cornerback," Kelly said. "I watch those NFL games on Sundays. You don't see a lot of 6-1 corners. With his explosiveness and his speed, the sky is the limit for him."
 
A top athlete, Reynolds also is a standout guard for the Atlantic City basketball team. He started last season as the Vikings won the Group 4 state title and he has been a key contributor this year's team, which is No. 1 in The Inquirer's South Jersey Top 10.
 
-- Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com or @PhilAnastasia on Twitter.
 
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POSTED: Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 6:37 PM

By Phil Anastasia

Junior guard Tavaris Headen scored 20 points, including 5 in the final 8 seconds of the third quarter, to lead Camden to a 54-48 victory over Bishop Eustace on Tuesday afternoon.

Senior center Amir Maddred addd  13 points and 8 rebounds and freshman forward Jamal Holloway grabbed 10 rebounds for Camden (9-6, 3-2 in the Olympic National).

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POSTED: Monday, January 28, 2013, 9:29 PM

By Phil Anastasia
Zack Valentine said he began preparing for the end of his coaching career at the start of his coaching career.

"I said I would do it for one year," Valentine said of taking over as head coach of the Woodbury football program in 2002. "Every year I was like, 'Am I going to do it?'"

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About this blog
Born and raised in South Jersey, Phil Anastasia prefers standing on the sidelines at high school football games on Friday nights to sitting in the press box at Eagles games on Sunday afternoons. He’s a graduate of Rowan University with a degree in English. Reach Phil at panastasia@phillynews.com.

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