Phil's South Jersey Pigskin Picks
Given the option of playing perennial small-school, non-public power St. Joseph, lots of South Jersey coaches said, "Why?" Pennsville's Ryan Wood said, "Why not?"
Given the option of playing perennial small-school, non-public power St. Joseph, lots of South Jersey coaches said, "Why?"
Pennsville's Ryan Wood said, "Why not?"
Pennsville is the defending South Jersey Group 1 champion. The Eagles have won 10 games in a row. They are 14-1 since the start of the 2015 season and 31-6 since the start of the 2013 season.
Can they compete with the better programs in South Jersey?
Wood is honest about that: He isn't sure.
He's also determined to find out.
That's why Wood pushed for his team to play St. Joseph in the newly expanded West Jersey Football League.
Pennsville will host St. Joseph on Friday, and the teams will play again in 2017 at St. Joseph.
"We might lose by 40," Wood said. "I honestly don't know. But there's only one way to find out and that's to play the game."
Wood said that St. Joseph is one of the "legacy programs" in South Jersey football and that Paul Sacco is "one of the great coaches around in any sport."
St. Joseph (3-1) has won seven straight non-public state titles. The Wildcats are one of the premier programs in the state despite representing a school with just 232 students in grades nine through 11.
Pennsville (3-0), which has 345 students in those three grades, has developed into a South Jersey small-school program under Wood, who has a 61-19 record in his eighth season.
But as do most small-school football programs, the Eagles battle a perception that they would have a hard time competing with better teams that represent larger schools.
On a game-in and game-out basis, that's probably true. It's hard to imagine the Eagles or any other Group 1 team holding up through the grind of a WJFL American Division-caliber schedule, because the wear and tear of the demanding competition probably would create injuries and expose the team's lack of depth.
But one game?
"When you're a Group 1 team, people don't know how good you are," Wood said. "They always say, 'Oh, they're not that good,' and maybe they're right.
"It's hard to gauge. There really aren't common opponents. This is a measuring stick game for us, a chance to see if our kids can compete against a program like this. Our kids are excited. And win, lose or draw, it's going to be a great experience."
Lots of public-school coaches wanted nothing to do with playing St. Joseph in the expanded WJFL, citing the Wildcats' advantages in attracting football-focused players from a wide geographic area.
It's the old public-vs.-non-public argument, and there's certainly some validity to it.
Wood deserves credit for looking at things from another angle, for pushing for the opportunity for his players and his program to compete against one of the best in South Jersey.
Pick Six
No. 10 St. Joseph (3-1) at No. 20 Pennsville (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
The Wildcats have sturdy front lines led by senior Mike Mascioli and an explosive backfield featuring junior Qwahsin Townsell, who has scored eight touchdowns, and sophomore Nate Johnson, who is averaging 12.4 yards per carry. Pennsville has a top two-way lineman in senior Rob Saulin, a UConn recruit, and an experienced quarterback in senior P.J. Halter.
Pick: St. Joseph, 20-14.
Buena (2-1) at Collingswood (1-1), Friday, 7 p.m. The visiting Chiefs, led by former Audubon coach Jon Caputo, are 21-4 since the start of the 2014 season. They are led by senior quarterback Jake Maxwell. Collingswood is coming off an early bye. The Panthers have seniors to watch in quarterback/defensive back Jovan Allie, running back/linebacker Mike Taulane, and two-way lineman Nick Barnes, among others.
Pick: Collingswood, 14-13.
No. 9 Holy Spirit (3-0) at No. 14 Delsea (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m. This is an interesting crossover clash between two of the more accomplished programs in South Jersey history. Holy Spirit is riding high with an early-season upset of St. Joseph under its belt. The Spartans have top seniors such as Reggie Jean-Charles and Justin Figueroa. Delsea started 0-2 but bounced back in a big way with a 35-0 win over Paul VI last Friday. Senior linebacker Jake Hallowell leads the Crusaders defense.
Pick: Delsea, 22-20.
No. 18 Williamstown (1-2) at No. 17 Millville (2-1), Friday, 6 p.m. This game is loaded with South Jersey Group 5 playoff implications as both teams are angling to qualify for the tournament, and the winner will emerge with a lot of power points. Williamstown can ill afford to fall to 1-3 with games against No. 6 Shawnee, No. 2 Timber Creek, and No. 7 Cherokee before the cutoff. Sophomore quarterback J.C. Collins has been an impact player for the Braves. Millville is looking to bounce back from a tough loss to No. 1 St. Augustine last Friday. Junior all-purpose Clayton Scott leads the Thunderbolts.
Pick: Millville, 27-24.
No. 24 Oakcrest (3-0) at Overbrook (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m. The host Rams can kick-start their season with an upset of the Falcons. Senior running back Marques DeShields, a Monmouth recruit, and junior quarterback Xavier Martin lead the Rams. Oakcrest is looking to get to 4-0 ahead of a tough stretch that includes No. 10 St. Joseph, No. 22 Highland, and No. 3 Cedar Creek before the playoff cutoff. Senior quarterback Kendall Elliott leads the Falcons.
Pick: Oakcrest, 30-24.
Washington Township (1-2) at No. 11 Rancocas Valley (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m. The Minutemen lost a tough game to Shawnee by 17-14 last Friday and need to bounce back to stay in South Jersey Group 5 playoff contention. Junior Colin Meintel is emerging as a playmaker for the Minutemen. Rancocas Valley can't get caught loooking ahead to next Friday's showdown with division rival Lenape. Senior Rob Hawkins has led the way for the Red Devils.
Pick: Rancocas Valley, 24-17.
Last week: 7-0.
Year to date: 19-2.
@PhilAnastasia
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