Cherry Hill West earns ticket back to sectional final; Cherokee gets some payback
First-half goals from Ryan McHugh and Jack Young got Cherry Hill West out in front, as the Lions defeated Hammonton, 3-1, to move into the South Jersey Group 3 championship game. A second-half score by Joe Conte had the defending sectional champs up three before Hammonton's Gavin West pulled a goal back. The Lions have outscored three playoff opponents by a combined 9-1 score. Their final opponent will be top-seeded Shawnee, which needed a penalty shootout to get by 12th-ranked Moorestown.
The Quakers were dangerously close to another upset after Michael Caulder's goal in the 47th minute, but Shawnee equalized on Matt Conger's strike with less than two minutes left. Shawnee won the shootout, 5-2, to move into its second sectional final in three years.
South Jersey Group 4
Brandon Michael scored in overtime as Cherokee avenged last year's sectional final loss by besting Toms River North, 2-1, in semifinal action. Michael's goal came on the second assist of the day for Miguel Graterol, who also set up Jackson Bialy for a first-half goal. Anthony Ruggiero tied for Toms River North, a three-time defending champ in South Jersey 4.
Top-seeded Rancocas Valley survived on a shootout, after Caden Devers' first-half goal was all the Red Devils could muster against Kingsway. Braden Mission countered for the Dragons, but RV keeper Brady Barletta stood tall in the PK round, which the Red Devils took, 3-1.
South Jersey Group 2
Drew Roskos scored his fourth goal of the playoffs and assisted on Gabe Moura's second, as Delran ousted Cinnaminson, 2-0. The sixth-seeded Bears will host Sterling in the sectional final. The Silver Knights defeated Willingboro, 3-0. Braden Sheehan scored a first-half goal for Sterling. Josh Moreland added two in the second half.
South Jersey Group 1
Luke Chatten scored five goals, all in the second half, with three coming off assists by Finn McGovern, as top-seeded Haddon Township moved into the sectional final for the fourth straight year with a 5-0 win over Palmyra. The last team to defeat the Hawks in the South Jersey playoffs was Glassboro in 2019. The Bulldogs will be their opponent in the 2022 sectional final after getting by Penns Grove, 1-0, in the round of four. Paolo Re scored the Glassboro goal in the second overtime off Emirhan Kir's assist.
South Jersey Non-Public B
Preston Galanis had two goals and two assists to lead 12th-seeded Moorestown Friends to a 4-1 win over fourth-seeded Gloucester Catholic in their bracket quarterfinal. Alex Kostopoulos and Jared Kolaris also scored for the Foxes, who'll be on the road again Saturday to face top-seeded St. Rose.
The other semifinal will feature third-seeded Bishop Eustace, a 1-0 winner over Ranney Prep, and 7th-ranked Noor-ul-iman, which ousted second-seeded Doane Academy by the same score Wednesday. Jackson Gatelin was the scorer for Bishop Eustace, with the assist coming from Jackson Adams.
South Jersey Non-Public A
St. Augustine's season ended Wednesday with a 5-0 setback to Pingry in their quarterfinal game. Seventh-seeded Paul VI remains standing, after taking down second-seeded Notre Dame, 4-1. Brandon Velasquez, Chris Taylor, Owen Mead and Stephen Jacobo scored for the Eagles, who broke open a 1-1 game with three second-half goals.
Central Jersey Group 1
Third-seeded Florence took to the road to defeat second-seeded Roselle Park, 1-0, as Chris Krall scored his 19th goal of the season. The Flashes will play on their home ground for their third straight sectional championship, after eighth-seeded Shore's 5-0 win over Point Pleasant Beach. Shore has outscored three playoff opponents, including top-seeded Dunellen, by a combined 18-1 score.
John A. Lewis is a sports writer for the Burlington County Times, the Courier Post and the Vineland Daily Journal. E-mail him at jlewis@thebct.com. Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: Cherry Hill West, Cherokee, Haddon Township move into sectional finals
