H.S. football: Roundup of Week 0 games for South Jersey

Tom McGurk, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
·5 min read
Spectators watch the football game between Salem and Cedar Grove played during the second annual Battle at the Beach football showcase at Ocean City High School on Friday, August 26, 2022.
Spectators watch the football game between Salem and Cedar Grove played during the second annual Battle at the Beach football showcase at Ocean City High School on Friday, August 26, 2022.

It was a beautiful day to be at the beach.

It was an even better day to be at the 2nd annual Battle at the Beach.

The 2022 high school football season kicked off at Ocean City’s Carey Stadium on Friday with four games.

Here’s a recap:

Mainland 37, Egg Harbor Twp. 0: The Mustangs chalked up the first victory of the season in the Garden State and accomplished the feat in dominating fashion.

Junior Jamie Tyson scored two touchdowns and had two takeaways in a three-minute span late in the first half as Mainland galloped to a 23-0 lead.

Ja’Briel Mace rushed 11 times for 84 yards and a touchdown while Cohen Cook and Rocco DeBiaso also ran for touchdowns for the Mustangs.

Salem 53, Cedar Grove 13: Senior quarterback Jahki Coates enjoyed a sizzling start to his season as he rushed for three touchdowns and threw for three more.

Trailing 7-6 in the second quarter, Coates ran for TDs of 10, 61 and 1 yard as the Rams emerged with a 26-7 lead before intermission.

Abdoul Bell returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown and hauled in a 62-yard TD pass from Coates in the third quarter to spark the rout.

Downingtown West (Pa.) 48, Highland 13: Angelo Rodriguez rushed for two touchdowns to open and close the score, but it was all Whippets in between as the Pennsylvania squad rolled over the Tartans.

Neshaminy (Pa.) 21, Ocean City 0: Markus Barnett rushed for 256 yards and two touchdowns as Neshaminy knocked off the host team to close out the first day of the event.

In other action:

Shawnee 30, Northern Burlington 28: Joe Papa’s 44-yard quarterback keeper went for a pivotal touchdown with 1:18 left in regulation, but it was the Renegades’ defense thwarting a two-point conversion attempt with 50 seconds left that clinched the win.

Papa threw for two scores and rushed for two more for Shawnee.

Other scores:

Rancocas Valley 21, Williamstown 14: Montre Wilson’s ankle-breaking 25-yard touchdown run with 7:11 left in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference as the Red Devils prevailed in their first game under new head coach Garrett Lucas on Friday night.

Wilson had only touched the ball one time before the fourth quarter, but he set up the game-winning score with a 47-yard carry on the first play of a drive that began at Rancocas Valley’s own 7-yard line, and he found pay dirt four snaps later.

Kevin Burr and Nicholas Lingle also had rushing scores for the winners while Williamstown’s second-half comeback bid was led by Zach Zerbe, who ran for 89 yards and a score and had 5 grabs for 71 yards, and quarterback Drew Craig, who had a 1-yard sneak for a touchdown with 3:57 left to get within 21-14.

Gloucester 21, Schalick 0: Jacob Zearfoss and Ibyn Obey rushed for touchdowns and Jake Seibert hauled in a pass to close out the scoring for the Lions.

Cherry Hill West 42, Clearview 7

Timber Creek 26, St. Thomas Aquinas 21

Oakcrest 7, Vineland 6: Samil Miller returned a fumble seven yards for an Oakcrest touchdown and the Falcons held Vineland to 74 yards of offense and six first downs on a the way to a 7-6 win over the Fighting Clan in the season opener for both West Jersey Football League teams.

A hit by Tauheed Hill knocked the ball loose after a botched Vineland punt attempt.

The Fighting Clan answered with a 22-yard pass from Daniel Russo to Tyrell Powell on their next possession, but failed on a two-point conversion, and the score was unchanged after the teams combined for just two first downs in the second half.

Hammonton 20, Notre Dame 14: Kenny Smith ran for 112 yards and a touchdown as the Blue Devils opened its season with a home win.

Moorestown 28, Burlington Twp. 8

Woodbury 38, Maple Shade 14Penns Grove 48, Burlington City 14Collingswood 21, Kensington 6Bernards 21, Overbrook 6

Saturday

Wayne Valley 17, Delran 13

Toms River North 28, Washington Township 21

St. Peter’s Prep 41, St. Augustine 7

Chardon (Ohio) 33, Camden 6

Spotswood 28, Bishop Eustace 14

Sunday

Millville 41, Thomas Jefferson (Pa.) 10: Lotzeir Brooks had 4 catches for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 69-yarder with only one shoe, as the No. 1 Thunderbolts delivered on their expectations and handed first-year head coach Humberto Ayala his first win.

Quarterback Jacob Zamot was 7-of-18 passing for 360 yards and 4 scores, the other three being a 74-yarder to Ta’Ron Haile, a 95-yarder to Brooks and an 85-yarder to Thomas Smith III. Naeem Sharp added 119 yards and a TD on the ground.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Week 0 recap as South Jersey high school football kicks off '22 season