Oakcrest makes up for lost time

The Oakcrest football team hadn't been to the postseason since 1986 and hadn't achieved a winning record since 1998. But neither fact deterred the Falcons from making the biggest splash in the first week of the playoffs.

Seeded No. 7, Oakcrest defeated second-seeded Williamstown, 38-13, in a South Jersey Group 4 quarterfinal.

Five Cape Atlantic League teams were among the eight South Jersey Group 4 qualifiers, and Oakcrest led three into this weekend's semifinals. Atlantic City, which beat fellow Cape team Millville, 32-24, and Egg Harbor, a 22-7 winner over Shawnee, also represent the Cape in the semifinals.

Top-seeded Cherokee, which beat yet another Cape team, Absegami, 35-14, is the lone semifinalist from outside the conference.

"People have said they think the Cape is down this year, but there is some pretty good football down here," said Oakcrest's first-year coach, Chuck Smith.

Oakcrest, coming off a 5-5 season, wasn't expected to be a postseason contender. Smith, who was an assistant for 21 years at Mainland, built a team with a solid defense and an offense that has continued to grow.

A key, he said, has been the development of sophomore quarterback Quaashie Jetter, a transfer from St. Augustine.

Joe Sprigg had been penciled at quarterback but was moved to running back, and he scored three touchdowns against Williamstown. Sprigg, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury last year, also is a defensive back, return man, and punter.

"He does it all for us," Smith said.

So does senior middle linebacker Bill Fursin, who is among the defensive leaders.

Oakcrest will play Atlantic City this week. The teams didn't play this season, but did meet in a preseason scrimmage.

"That is one very talented Atlantic City team," Smith said.

The same can be said of Oakcrest, by far the biggest surprise of the first week of playoff action.

Turning the table. Delsea's only regular-season loss was a 41-21 defeat to Woodrow Wilson on Oct. 23.

In a Group 3 quarterfinal Friday, Delsea defeated the Tigers, 38-0.

"I think the first time we played them we didn't prepare right," Crusaders coach Sal Marchese Jr. said.

Since then, Delsea has moved sophomore Josh Awotunde to quarterback and switched Tyler Coulbourn to running back. In the playoff win, Coulbourn had two touchdown runs.

As a starter, Awotunde has completed 17 of 24 passes for 329 yards and seven touchdowns.

On Friday, Delsea will host Hammonton in a rare matchup of defending sectional champions. Delsea is the two-time defending champion in Group 2, and Hammonton was last year's Group 3 champion.

These are teams with similar offenses, defenses, and winning traditions.

"They are Wing-T [offense] and 50 [defense], and we know each other well," Marchese said. "We run the same offense and defense, so it will be a matter of execution."

Semifinal schedule. Here are the second-round playoff games involving South Jersey teams:

Group 4: Egg Harbor at Cherokee and Oakcrest at Atlantic City, both at 7 p.m. Friday.

Group 3: Hammonton at Delsea at 7 p.m. Friday. Winslow Township at Lacey Township at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Group 2: Haddonfield at Willingboro at 6 p.m. Friday. Barnegat at West Deptford at 7 p.m. Friday.

Group 1: Pennsville at Glassboro at 7 p.m. Friday. Paulsboro at Woodbury at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Non-Public 2 and 1: St. Mary at Holy Cross at 7 p.m. Friday. St. Joseph at St. Anthony at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Non-Public Group 3: Pope John at Holy Spirit at 7 p.m. Friday.

Alston returns. Timber Creek linebacker Quinton Alston returned to action Saturday for the first time since suffering a meniscus tear against Delsea in the second game of the season. Alston, who has earned a football scholarship to Pittsburgh, played most of the 27-6 quarterfinal loss to top-seeded Lacey Township.

"He played well," coach Rob Hinson said. "It's tough coming back from an injury like that and to play as hard as he did I give him a lot of respect."

Sacco recuperating. St. Joseph coach Paul Sacco continues to recuperate and rest at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center-City Division. He was admitted Thursday for high blood pressure and headaches, then had a procedure to alleviate bleeding on the brain, said Rhonda Bianchini, the director of advancement for St. Joseph. More tests need to be run, she said.

The Langerman file. Area historian Chuck Langerman's leading playoff note centers on Holy Spirit.

He reports that Holy Spirit is the only school of the 149 in the state playoffs whose scoring average (38 points per game) is higher than the total number of points it has allowed (27). Spirit (9-0) has recorded five shutouts.

Also from the file:

Burlington and Bergen Counties lead the state with three undefeated teams apiece: Cherokee, Willingboro, and Holy Cross from Burlington, and Don Bosco Prep, Old Tappan, and Rutherford from Bergen.

West Deptford running back Vaughn Scott has scored 29 touchdowns, three shy of tying the single-season school record set by current Rutgers player Kordell Young.

New Egypt's 21-14 win over Florence was the first playoff victory in Warriors history and the first win over the Flashes after nine losses.

Unbeaten but banged up. Pennsville (9-0) was at less than full strength during Friday's 27-25 South Jersey Group 1 quarterfinal win over Audubon, a game in which the Eagles had to overcome a 25-14 third-quarter deficit.

According to Langerman, it was Pennsville's first postseason victory in 29 years.

Quarterback Ken Emmons played his second game since suffering a fractured fibula and high ankle sprain Oct. 2 against Salem.

"He moved a little better this week, but he can't really run well, and he is limping around out there," Pennsville coach Ryan Wood said.

The Eagles' top wide receiver, Mitch Weiser, injured a hamstring during the win, and he is doubtful for Friday's semifinal at Glassboro, Wood said.

On the first offensive play of the game, Pennsville lost leading rusher Tim Haslett (855 yards rushing, 17 rushing touchdowns) with an ankle injury. Haslett, also a mainstay at middle linebacker, where he has averaged a team-high eight tackles a game, is also doubtful this week, Wood said.

Friday's game is a rematch; Pennsville defeated Glassboro, 21-12, on Oct. 15.