Skip to content
Sports
Link copied to clipboard

Football: Clement and Averett to play final game together

By Phil Anastasia

Corey Clement and Anthony Averett live around the corner from one another.

They will cross the country to finally play on the same team.

"How ironic," Clement said of the circumstances that will put the two best friends on the same football team.

Clement, the Glassboro senior running back, and Averett, the Woodbury senior quarterback, each will receive their invitation and game jersey on Friday to participate in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl Jan. 4 in Carson, Cal.

"We are really looking forward to playing on the same team," Averett said. "We have always talked about doing something like this."

Clement and Averett live in Glassboro. Averett attends Woodbury because his mother, Carmen Davis, is a teacher in the Woodbury school system.

The two have been best friends since fourth grade. But they never played on the same youth football team -- although they were members of the same basketball and track teams.

"It's a great feeling knowing that I finally get to put on the same jersey as my friend and get to play against another team," Clement said.

Clement is South Jersey's all-time leading rusher with 5,591 yards. He recently withdrew his commitment from the University of Pittsburgh and is seriously considering scholarhsip offers from Notre Dame, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Averett has committed to attend Alabama. He is projected as a defensive back for the top-ranked and defending nstional champion Crimson Tide.

With 1,669 rushing yards on 130 carries, Clement has led Glassboro to a 6-1 record.

With 824 rushing yards on 78 carries, Averett has led Woodbury to a 6-1 record.

The players and teams could meet in the South Jersey Group 1 tournament, which begins the weekend of Nov. 16-17 and runs through the championship game the weekend of Dec. 7-8.

Before the season, Clement and Averett talked about their hopes of meeting in the playoffs, perferrably the South Jersey Group 1 title game.

But they never expected to be able to finish their high school careers on the same team.

The Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl will feature many of the top players in the country in an East vs. West format. The game will be played in the Home Depot Center and will be televised live on The NFL Network.

"I'm sure this is going to be a lot of fun," Clement said. "I can't wait to just go play my last game with my best friend."


Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com or @PhilAnastasia on

Twitter.