S. Jersey football: Team effort led Collingswood to upset of Camden

Collingswood coach Jack McConnell knew his team was the No. 8 seed. He knew Camden was the No. 1 seed.

He also knew this was a special season in South Jersey Group 2.

"That's one of the things we told the kids, that this wasn't a typical 8 vs. 1," McConnell said. "South Jersey 2 this year, the whole group had seven losses. We were the 8 and they were the 1, but this wasn't a typical year."

The first game of the 2014 postseason was the shocker of the 2014 postseason, as Collingswood stunned Camden, 18-7, in an opening-round clash that started at 6 p.m. Friday.

But by 8:30 p.m., word was spreading around South Jersey that the visiting Panthers had stunned the previously unbeaten and host Panthers.

"We just talked about having confidence," McConnell said of his team's approach to playing Camden in Farnham Park. "We wanted the kids to be themselves, to enjoy themselves."

Senior quarterback Jordan Wallace scored two touchdowns on short sneaks, and senior outside linebacker Marquon Lawrence made the play of the game with a fourth-quarter interception return for a touchdown for Collingswood (7-2).

But McConnell said the victory was a true team effort.

"You can go through the list - it was everybody," McConnell said.

Collingswood faces a daunting challenge Friday in a visit to fifth-seeded West Deptford (8-1), which beat fourth-seeded Glassboro, 45-16.

West Deptford beat Collingswood, 34-7, on Oct. 17. The Panthers have lost 16 times in a row to the Eagles, with the last win in 1998.

"We talk about opportunities," McConnell said. "This is another opportunity for us."

Surging Braves. Williamstown (7-2) has won four in a row. In those games, the Braves have allowed a total of three points, with three consecutive shutouts.

"They are flying to the football," Williamstown coach Frank Fucetola said of his defensive players. "They've matured so much since the beginning of the year. They are believing in each other."

Williamstown, the No. 3 seed, beat sixth-seeded Atlantic City, 42-0, in the first round of the South Jersey Group 5 tournament on Friday night.

Fucetola said the defense has been led by senior linemen David Sanchez and Paul Flagg, junior lineman Deven Lewis, senior linebacker Jarius Ransom, and senior backs Isaiah Perkins and Anthony Racabaldo, among others.

"We've got five or six guys who are just playing out of the sky and the rest of the guys are drawing their energy from them," Fucetola said.

Williamstown lost, 42-7, to Shawnee on opening night. But the Braves are 7-1 since then, and are in position to advance to the sectional title game for the second time in three years with a victory at second-seeded Rancocas Valley (7-2) on Friday night.

"We had some inexperienced guys that needed to mature," Fucetola said. "These guys have worked hard and gotten better. I don't want to say I'm surprised because I knew they could do it."

Hail, DeCaesar. West Deptford coach Clyde Folsom believes senior fullback/linebacker Kevin DeCaesar is one of the best players in the history of the program.

DeCaesar ran for 246 yards and five touchdowns in West Deptford's victory over Glassboro on Friday night.

"I've been fortunate enough to coach a lot of great players," Folsom said. "He's right up there at the top of the list."

Trotman's feat. Timber Creek quarterback Khalil Trotman is about to become the first New Jersey player to pass for more than 2,000 yards at two different schools, according to South Jersey sports historian Chuck Langerman.

Trotman, a senior, has 1,998 passing yards this season for top-seeded Timber Creek (9-0), which will host fourth-seeded Kingsway (6-3) in the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals on Friday.

As a sophomore and junior at Burlington Township, Trotman passed for a total of 2,898 yards.

This and that. Maple Shade (4-6) senior quarterback Charlie Davis has set a school record for touchdown passes in a season (21), and senior wide receiver Kevin Williams has set school records for career catches (89) and career yardage (1,670). . . . Shawnee (9-0) senior Jake Parola (29) and junior Mike Welsh (11) have combined for 40 touchdowns. . . . Paul VI (6-3) junior Matt Vitale has nine touchdown passes in the last two games and 21 for the season.

Cedar Creek (7-2) has won five in a row by a combined score of 195-7, as sophomore quarterback Jesse Milza has thrown 14 touchdown passes and junior wide receiver Ahmir Mitchell has caught eight of them. . . . Palmyra (8-1) junior quarterback Max Smyth leads South Jersey in touchdown passes with 27 and junior wide receiver Kelvin Harmon is tied for the lead in touchdown catches with 14.