South Jersey football notes

The best football team in South Jersey got a lot better on Wednesday.

That's when All-South Jersey star Zaire Williams enrolled in Timber Creek after transferring from Cherokee.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Williams projects as a workhorse running back for Timber Creek, which likely will be the No. 1 team in the preseason rankings.

"I wish him luck," Cherokee coach P.J. Mehigan said of Williams, who transferred to Timber Creek when his family moved to Sicklerville.

Williams ran for 1,621 yards and 28 touchdowns last season for Cherokee. He was an Inquirer All-South Jersey selection as a defensive back.

Williams finished the season with seven consecutive 100-yard games. He set Cherokee records with 385 yards and six touchdowns in a 57-56 overtime loss to Cherry Hill East on Nov. 5.

Timber Creek next season also will feature defensive tackle Greg Webb, one of the state's top recruits, as well as projected Division I recruits in defensive ends Dajaun Drennon and Myles Nash and cornerback Eric Church.

The Chargers should return more than a dozen starters from last year's 12-0 team, which won the South Jersey Group 3 title.

Woodard commits. Eastern junior cornerback Eli Woodard, one of the state's top recruits, has committed to Ohio State.

The 6-1, 180-pound Woodard, ranked No. 28 in the class of 2013 by Rivals.com, said he made his decision after taking an unofficial recruiting visit to Ohio State last week and meeting with new coach Urban Meyer and the coaching staff.

"I just felt really comfortable," Woodard said. "I know they're going to have the program going in the right direction and are going to win a championship in a couple of years."

Woodard also seriously considered Rutgers and Notre Dame, with Michigan State and Miami in the mix, as well. National champion Alabama also had made an offer.

"It's really a relief," said Woodard, who can't sign until Feb. 6, 2013, the NCAA's National Signing Day for football. "Now I can just concentrate on getting ready for having a great senior year and preparing for college."

Bor stands out at combine. Bishop Eustace junior defensive back Conner Bor finished fourth out of 1,160 participants in the Nike SPARQ combine last Sunday at the Eagles' NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia.

The 6-0, 200-pound Bor finished with an overall rating of 102.51. He had the best kneeling power-ball throw at the combine at 44 feet and the fifth-best vertical jump, 35.8 inches.

West Catholic running back David Williams finished second overall with a 111.30 rating and had the fastest 40-yard dash time in 4.44 seconds.

Penns Grove sophomore running back Anthony Robertson finished 45th overall with a 80.16 rating, and Absegami sophomore running back David Hood was 49th with a 79.29 rating.

Hammonton sophomore wide receiver Alessandro Padovani ran a 4.7-second 40-yard dash and placed 98th overall.

Tinsley to West Virginia State. Triton offensive tackle Seth Tinsley has signed with Division II West Virginia State.

"We're going to miss Seth's leadership," Triton coach Pete Goetz said. "With the way he works, he has a great future at West Virginia State."

Cape-Atlantic future. Mainland athletic director Mike Gatley said the league will look to merge with the West Jersey Football League for the 2014 season.

The CAL realigned for football for the 2012 and 2013 seasons on Tuesday, returning to a two-division format with a powerhouse American Division and a much weaker (on paper, anyway) National Division.

Gatley conceded that the setup is a "stopgap" arrangement since the league expects American Division heavyweight Hammonton to leave for the Tri-County Conference in 2014. Gatley said league officials will meet with West Jersey officials this spring with an eye toward creating an expanded superconference for the 2014 and 2015 schedule cycles.

"We have to look at that," Gatley said.

This and that. Alabama is the top suitor for Camden Catholic junior linebacker Jarred Alwan, according to Irish coach Gil Brooks. "They must send him a piece of mail every day," Brooks said. Penn State also is pushing hard for Alwan, Brooks said. . . . Paul VI junior wide receiver Zach Grant is drawing recruiting interest from Rutgers, Alabama, Ohio State, and Penn State, according to Paul VI coach John Doherty. . . . Holy Cross senior running back Myles Pressey and senior wide receiver Lloyd Smith are each making their second recruiting visits to St. Francis in Loretto, Pa., this weekend. Holy Cross coach Frank Holmes said Pressey is expected to decide between St. Francis and Merrimack College, a Division II program in North Andover, Ma., by next week.