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ABOUT THE COVER
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cean City is well known as one of the Cape-Atlantic League’s best girls soccer programs, and the past few years the Red Raiders have been knocking on the door when it comes to winning the program’s first state championship. Well, this year the Red Raiders kicked that door down with authority, going 6-0 in the state playoffs, including a dominating 3-0 win over a Ramapo team that came into the state title game as the No. 5 team in the state. In this edition we take a look at how the Red Raiders went from thinking they had a pretty good team back in August to becoming one of the best teams in New Jersey. Dave O’Sullivan
GLORY DAYS MAGAZINE General contact: 609-788-4294/advertising@acglorydays.com Dave O’Sullivan, Publisher: sully@acglorydays.com On Twitter: @GDsullysays Giuseppe Ungaro, Managing Editor: gungaro@acglorydays.com On Twitter: @GDgisepu Amy D’Adamo, Graphic Design: advertising@acglorydays.com Bill Lynskey, Director of Advertising: bill@acglorydays.com STORY IDEAS/ADVERTISING: Have a story you’d like to see told in Glory Days Magazine? Want to get your business noticed with a marketing campaign at glorydaysonline.com? Call us anytime at 609-788-4294. Volume: 7 Issue: 5 Overall Issue Number: 139. Cover Photography: Dave O’Sullivan 2019 Glory Days Magazine. All rights reserved.
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MAKING HEADLINES Sully takes a closer look at the athletes, coaches and teams who are generating news and highlights in the Cape-Atlantic League and throughout South Jersey.
u Top of the mountain: This weekend marks the finale of the
2019 high school football season with regional and state championship games at Rutgers University, and there will be a lot of Atlantic County flavor. Linebacker Will Marable and Cedar Creek charged their way into the Group 2 South/Central Regional Championship with a thrilling 31-23 win over Camden in the sectional title game, and Hammonton will get a rematch with Shawnee in the Group 4 regional game. One of the weekend’s most highly anticipated matchups also is a rematch, as Holy Spirit and St. JosephHammonton will tangle in the Non-Public Group 2 state title game for the second straight year. Spirit lost that game a year ago, and fell to the Wildcats during this regular season, so the Spartans will be gunning for some revenge.
glory days digital Want the best high school sports coverage every day of the week? Visit glorydaysonline.com for game coverage, features and more! You can also like us at facebook.com/acglorydays/, and follow Sully on Twitter @GDsullysays. Get the best. Every day.
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CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL
DECEMBER 8 / RUTGERS UNIVERSITY GROUP 2 SOUTH/CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Cedar Creek (10-2) vs. Hillside (11-0), 1 p.m. Cedar Creek Pirates
Wins: Willingboro, Salem, Absegami, Woodrow Wilson, Oakcrest, Delsea, Camden Catholic, Pt. Boro, Bernards, Camden. Losses: Camden, Pleasantville. Points for: 395. Points against: 212. State playoffs: Beat Pt. Boro 49-14, beat Bernards 50-10, beat Camden 31-23. Players to watch: QB Louie Barrios; WR/LB Malachi Melton; WR/DB JoJo Bermudez; OL/DL Tyler Hendrickson; DE Will Marable
Hillside Comets
Wins: Spotswod, Bernards, Johnson, Roselle, South River, St. Thomas Aquinas, Delaware Valley, Bound Brook, Cinnaminson, Haddonfield, West Deptford. Losses: None. Points for: 410. Points against: 40. State playoffs: Beat Cinnaminson 36-2; beat Haddonfield 35-0; beat West Deptford 14-10. Players to watch: WR James Westry; QB Nahree Biggins; DE Akugbe Omokaro; WR/DB Isaiah Johnson; DE/LB Tyrone Gardener.
NON-PUBLIC GROUP 2 CHAMPIONSHIP Holy Spirit (7-4) vs. St. Joseph-Hammonton (9-1), 4 p.m. Holy Spirit Spartans
Wins: Eastern, Camden Catholic, Washington Township, Kingsway, St. Mary-Rutherford, Hudson Catholic, Atlantic City. Losses: Mount St. Joseph (MD), Hammonton, St. Augustine Prep, St. Joseph-Hammonton. Points for: 386. Points against: 229. State playoffs: Beat St. Mary-Rutherford 54-16, beat Hudson Catholic 50-24. Players to watch: QB Trevor Cohen; RB E’lijah Gray; RB/DB Patrick Smith; WR/DB Ahmad Brown.
St. Joseph-Hammonton Wildcats
Wins: Highland, Millville, Atlantic City, Haddonfield, Vineland, West Deptford, Timber Creek, Holy Spirit, Morris Catholic. Loss: St. Augustine Prep. Points for: 345. Points against: 149. State playoffs: Beat Morris Catholic 76-22. Players to watch: RB/DB Jada Byers; LB/TE Chase Lomax; QB Jayden Shertel; RB/DB Cohl Mercado; TE/DL Keshon Griffin; OL/DL Ethan Hunt.
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GREATE PERFORMANCES PRESENTED BY GREATE BAY RACQUET & FITNESS
Creek’s playmakers get job done W hen a high school football team is playing for a championship, it needs to have its best playmakers step up to the challenge and make big plays. That’s exactly what happened for Cedar Creek during the Pirates’ thrilling 31-23 victory over Camden during the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game on Nov. 30 in Egg Harbor City. Senior quarterback Louie Barrios, senior receiver Malachi Melton and sophomore slot receiver JoJo Bermudez have been making big-time plays all season for the Pirates (10-2), and each one came through for their teammates in typical fashion against the Panthers. Barrios completed 9-of-16 passes for 92 yards and also added 45 rushing yards on 18 carries and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Bermudez didn’t find the end zone but contributed 39 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards, and had a big second-half catch that helped set up a score. Melton had four catches for 20 yards, but his impact was felt as a runner, as his 81-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep to the left gave Cedar Creek a 10-7 lead early in the third quarter, and the Pirates never trailed again. Barrios followed with a pair of touchdown runs to help Cedar Creek build a 24-7 lead. Cedar Creek also had some lesser known players step up with some big plays, as linebacker C.J. Resto picked off a pass to set up a touchdown, and defensive lineman Jamal Chapman sealed the win with a scoop-and-score fumble recovery in the final seconds. u Kevin Antczak, Mainland Regional cross country: It’s been a dream season for the Mustangs’ senior, who capped his career with an outstanding performance at the NJSIAA cross country Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park in late November.
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Cedar Creek senior Malachi Melton had more than 100 rushing yards and added 20 receiving yards during the Pirates’ sectional championship win over Camden. He scored on an 81-yard run in the third quarter. Antczak clocked in at 15:29 to finish second, just six seconds behind champion Liam Murphy of Allentown. u Olivia Shafer, Egg Harbor Township cross country: Shafer, a twotime Cape-Atlantic League champion, finished off her stellar career with a sixth-place finish at the MOC, clocking in at 18:49 at Holmdel Park. She was the only CAL runner to finish in the top 100. u Summer Reimet, Ocean City girls soccer: Reimet is just a sophomore, but it seems she enjoys the spotlight, as the striker netted a pair of goals to help the Red Raiders beat Ramapo, 3-0, to win the program’s first state
championship. u Abbey Fenton, Ocean City girls soccer: Fenton might be the best goalkeeper in the state, and she proved that during this postseason, registering six straight shutouts to help the Red Raiders win the state championship. She finished her senior season with a school-record 19 shutouts. u Jada Byers, St. Joseph football: The Wildcats’ do-everything senior needed 10 touchdowns to become the all-time leader in South Jersey history but had just two playoff games to try to accomplish that. Turns out he needed just one, as he rushed for
a boatload of yards and scored 10 touchdowns in just one game as the Wildcats rolled past Morris Catholic in their Non-Public Group 2 semifinal. He finished with a whopping 60 points! u Patrick Smith, Holy Spirit football: Smith, who transferred in prior to this season, has been nothing short of outstanding for the Spartans, and in their semifinal game he scored a school record seven touchdowns. Smith and the Spartans will take on St. Joseph on Sunday for the state championship for the second straight year.
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VIC’S SUBS COVER STORY
All Systems Go Ocean City had everything working during its run to a state championship By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ollowing Ocean City’s 3-0 victory over Ramapo in the Group 3 state championship game, Red Raiders assistant coach Lisa Cuneo said out loud, to no one in particular, “are we really that good?” Umm. Yes. Ocean City put together perhaps the greatest girls soccer season in Cape-Atlantic League history, going 24-1-1 and winning the program’s first-ever state championship. They also won the CAL National Conference with relative ease and made “I knew back in August this was a special team. it to the semifinals of the South Jersey I didn’t quite know what Coaches Association that meant, I just knew Tournament, falling to it was a little bit different Rancocas Valley in a penalty kick shootout. this year. We definitely Ocean City lost just had the talent.” one regular-season Kelly Halliday game, to Rancocas O.C. coach Valley, won the CAL Tournament, finished the season on a 22game unbeaten streak (the tournament loss to R.V. technically is a tie, with a PK shootout needed for one team to advance), scored 122 goals and allowed just nine all season. Goalie Abbey Fenton recorded a school-record 19 shutouts and R.V. was the only team to score more than one goal against her in 26 games. Oh, and she and a Red Raiders defense — which featured just one player with any varsity experience prior to this season — that just happened to pitch six straight shutouts in the state playoffs, including blanking Ramapo, which came into the title game as the No. 5 team in the state. “I knew back in August this was a special team. I didn’t quite know what that meant, I just knew it was a little bit different this year. We definitely had the talent. I just really wanted a South Jersey championship so bad for them because that’s a really big deal down here, and especially for our program. But we took it
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Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Senior defender Delaney Lappin holds up the trophy after Ocean City defeated Ramapo, 3-0, to win the state championship last month. one game at a time. We wanted to make sure we were undefeated in the CAL, which was one of our goals. The road to the South Jersey title was not easy, we had the tougher side of the bracket, in my opinion. I’m really happy with the way things turned out, but I had never dreamed of winning a state championship,” said head coach Kelly Halliday. “I always look forward to our nonconference games so I can really compare how we are in South Jersey, especially with so many convincing wins inside the CAL, I wasn’t sure how we would stack up. Rancocas Valley, although we lost both times, I knew they were a tough
team and we matched up. We had big wins over Williamstown and Clearview — pretty convincing wins — so I knew we were definitely going to be a contender in South Jersey.” “We defied all the odds. No one thought we were going to go this far,” said senior outside midfielder Hannah Keane. “Just being able to be on a team that could go this far was so memorable. Our coaches played a big role in supporting us and doing ev-
See Ocean City, page 11
Dec. 5, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 11 Ocean City, from page 10 erything they can to make us the best team we can be. Winning our last game was the best way to go out (for the seniors).” What made Ocean City’s accomplishments even more impressive is that the Red Raiders lost one of their star defenders, Suzy Deitrich, to an ACL injury in October. That forced Kasey McDonald into a starting role, and she did a tremendous job along with Delaney Lappin, Riley Fortna and Kelsey White in front of Fenton. “I was so upset when that (injury) happened, late in a game we were already winning. It was tough because she’s such a big part of our defense, and our defense was playing so well. Delaney was the only returning starter back there, even though Suzy doesn’t look like a rookie, this was her first year starting. So it took them a while to get gelled together. Suzy is fantastic, and as soon as I moved other girls into her spot she was on the sideline giving Kasey McDonald advice. She’s going to be a great coach someday,” Halli-
day said. “I don’t know if people knew that (we only allowed nine goals). As a coach, I know our strengths and weaknesses, and I’m not saying our defense was a weakness, but we definitely had some inexperience back there. I told one reporter at the state game about our defense. He asked about Riley Fortna and I said she was a freshman, and his eyes almost jumped out of his head. He was like, ‘no way!’ I never doubted their talents, but in playoff situations I think you can rely on experience sometimes and we didn’t have that. But that really points to Abbey and Delaney, they are the glue back there.” While the Red Raiders did play extremely well up and down the lineup, they also were teeming with talent, led by a pair of strikers who put up eyepopping numbers — and both of whom will return next year. Junior Faith Slimmer has been one of the best players in South Jersey throughout her career and this year she played better than she ever has, racking up 35 goals and 28 assists. There were only two games
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Junior striker Faith Slimmer was absolutely dominant this season, See Ocean City, page 13 scoring 35 goals and adding 28 assists.
Dec. 5, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 13 Ocean City, from page 11 all season in which she didn’t record either a goal or an assist, and she had multiple goals on nine occasions, including three goals and three assists in a dominant performance against rival Mainland in the South Jersey Group 3 championship game. Summer Reimet, just a sophomore, was nearly as good, tying Slimmer with 35 goals while adding six assists. That combination, along with great role performances from players like Hannah Keane, Hope Slimmer, Carly Reighard, Katie Mazzitelli, Paige Panico and Kamryn Chisholm — combined with the dominance of Fenton in goal — made the Red Raiders nearly unbeatable. “She came in hurt freshman year, so we’ve only had three years with her, but she has progressed so much in that time,” Halliday said of Fenton. “It’s interesting because she basically had the position, but for her to come out year after year and compete — she’s one of the fittest people on our team. It just goes to show who she is.” Halliday isn’t one for looking at things through a macro lens, as she’d
rather stay in the moment throughout the season, and she said she’s always tried to simplify the approach for her players. Worry about doing your job, and if all 11 players on the field are succeeding in their one-on-one battles, the team ultimately will be successful. “I always tell my team to play simple. As a coach, I try to just win more games than we lose and have a lot of fun. But I also tell them that if everyone can just step up and do the best at their position, win their one-on-one battle, we’ll have a chance,” she said. “Looking at it back-to-front, Delaney and Abbey held down their positions, this player did her job, and that player did her job. Everyone did their job and it all kind of clicked with them focusing on their job. Hope Slimmer came up to me after a game and said, ‘I’m sorry, coach, I didn’t do my best, I should have been better.’ That just shows the accountability and them taking ownership of what they are supposed to do when they are on the field.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Ocean City sophomore Hope Slimmer was all smiles after the Red Raiders beat Ramapo, 3-0, to win the Group 3 state championship at Kean University in November.
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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Hannah Keane, Ocean City Girls Soccer
Playing her part Midfielder Hannah Keane did the little things that helped Red Raiders win their first state title By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer utside midfielder Hannah Keane scored just four goals during her senior season, but the finally tally of her career may have been the biggest in Ocean City girls soccer program history. During the first half of the Group 3 state championship — the Red Raiders’ first appearance in a title game ever — Keane got past Ramapo’s goalie then beat two other defenders and found the back of the net to give her team a 1-0 lead on a cold, blustery day at Kean University’s Alumni Field in mid-November. Sophomore Summer Reimet added a pair of goals and Ocean City beat Ramapo, the No. 5 team in the state at the time, 3-0, to capture the state championship. To win a state championship, a high school team in any sport needs players like Keane — someone who is willing to work her tail off, play her role, and do whatever she can to contribute to a winning program. That goal against Ramapo epitomized Keane’s never-give-up approach to soccer. “I was really nervous before that game. Since we made it that far, I wanted to help us win it all to make the whole season worth it. We came that far so we might as well go all the way. Even though people didn’t take us seriously we knew we could go against a good team and beat them,” Keane said. “It was crazy. I just wanted it so bad. I wanted us to get that first goal so we could settle down and relax. It was hard trying to get past the goalie and their defense. It was definitely a challenge to get past their back line, but I guess I just wanted it so badly. I’ve scored in
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Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Senior outside midfielder Hannah Keane had just four goals and four assists this season, but played a vital role in Ocean City’s offensive attack, and helped the Red Raiders go 24-1-1 and win their first state championship. other games, but that was definitely the most memorable because that was the biggest game I’ll ever play in.” “Hannah is honestly my hype girl. She’s so hyped up every game and every practice. I know she had some big goals, but she was also a big part of our season. She was a great role model for the younger kids. She’s not playing college soccer, she’s just out here doing the best she can and she exceeded our expectations,” said Ocean City coach Kelly Halliday. “During her four years she progressed, but even this season she progressed. She would get minutes here and there, subbing in and out, but then she became a person
I couldn’t take off the field. I knew she could come up with big plays. She didn’t have a ton of goals or stats, but she was always dependable. She had a big goal against Clearview, and that goal in the state final was just pure grit. She willed that goal in.” Junior striker Faith Slimmer collected nearly 30 assists this season, and many of those came on corner kicks that were directly set up by Keane making a hustle play near the end line. “That goes to each player doing their job. Hannah knows she has to get a crossing pass off, or get a corner kick. She knew she had to do some-
thing positive,” Halliday said. “To her and Paige (Panico) I would say, ‘you do all this work, you’re an outside midfielder and you’re running 40 or 50 yards at a time, so to kick it out of bounds and have it go the other way is tough.’ We really worked on that with her throughout the season, just doing positive things.” Keane wasn’t a star at the start of her high school career and she doesn’t plan on playing soccer in college. She took the more traveled route that most high school athletes take, working her way up through the junior varsity level, get-
See Keane, page 15
Dec. 5, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 15 Keane, from page 14 ting some spot minutes as a sophomore, then coming off the bench as a junior. It wasn’t until a few games into her senior year that she became an everyday starter. “I was just hoping I would start, because I’m a senior. I just hoped I would play a lot since this is my last year. I would sub with some of the outside mids, and a couple games into the season I fully started to play and that’s when I became comfortable playing every game. I trained more on my own (in the offseason) just trying to be more ready, more fully prepared going into the preseason,” she said. “I wanted to make this the best year and finish strong. We had good chemistry this year and were working better as a team, and also hanging out together more off the field. We were much closer and we all wanted this year to be the best year, and we wanted to make it all the way.” What kept her in the lineup was her dependability. Coach Halliday wasn’t about to take a player out of the lineup who kept on making positive plays and putting the team in position to score goals. And score goals they did. The Red Raiders finished 24-1-1 and scored 122 goals while allowing just nine. “(Being dependable) was really important. The more games we won, the more important it became for me to go out there and do my job, and for us to work together as a team,” Keane said. “I wanted to
Keane came off the bench as a sophomore and junior, but worked her way into a starting position this season. Glory Days photo/ Dave O’Sullivan
do better myself because I wanted to stay on the field. Every other year I would come in, then go off again, so this year I wanted to have a spot (in the starting lineup).” These days, Keane is focused on finishing out her senior year and hopefully getting into a college to study nursing, but no matter where the future takes her she’ll always have that state championship ring and a bunch of great memories to carry with her. “Winning it all was the best feeling. Just be-
ing able to be on a team that can go that far, our coaches played a big role in supporting us, doing everything they can to make us the best team we can be,” she said. “I was really happy, but on the ride home it was a little sad because (the seniors) knew that was going to be the last game we’ll play together. But winning the last game was definitely the best way to go out.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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BOYS SOCCER
Prosperity through diversity The Egg Harbor Township boys soccer team represented countries all over the world, yet 23 young men came together as one to produce a memorable season By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer bout a decade ago, Somali-Canadian recording artist K’naan released a song called “Wavin’ Flag”, an anthem to inspire the Somalian people in their quest for freedom. The song gained traction when it was chosen as the anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and while it chronicles the desperation of a nation at war, there also is underlying hope for the future, that people could come together for the greater good. That happened right before our eyes on soccer fields throughout the Cape-Atlantic League this fall, as young men from all different types of backgrounds came together for the greater good of one team, one program, one family, and put together perhaps the greatest season in Egg Harbor Township boys soccer history. The Eagles featured 23 players on the varsity roster, and among them 18 different nationalities were represented in one form or another. Yet the Eagles players overcame these differences and in some cases language barriers, and came to embrace the various cultures represented on that sheet of paper handed out to officials prior to every game. They came together
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Kevin Aguiriano, left, and Luan Duong walk off the field after EHT took down Washington Township in the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals. The Eagles finished with 18 wins. Glory Days photo/ Dave O’Sullivan
as one unit, won 18 games and went on a thrilling playoff run that ended in heartbreak with a 2-1 overtime loss to Toms River North in the South Jersey Group 4 championship game. And while EHT didn’t win a CAL American, CAL Tournament or sectional championship, the bonds the Eagles made along the way — and they way they learned to respect different cultures and customs — will mean much more to these players as they go on in life than a trophy on a shelf. “I like it. We had a lot of good chemistry going and worked well as a team. It was a good season. There are so many different backgrounds on this team and it’s really interesting to see. I’ve learned a lot from the guys, they are very open about what’s going on in their lives,” said senior captain Cole Gordon, one of the few players on the team who is more than one generation removed from immigration to America. “Not all these other schools have that going on. We get that here and I think it’s a good thing to have.” “I know our team is pretty diverse. We always consider EHT a melting pot, student-wise, and through the years we’ve had athletes from all over. It’s pretty
See Diversity, page 18
One team, many flags Here is a look at the nationality/heritage of each of the players on the Egg Harbor Township boys soccer varsity roster: Honduran u Kevin Aguiriano; Henry Calix; Manuel Ruiz; Lucas Lainez; Angel Cruz Trinidadian u Jayden Guy African-American u Ahmad Brock (pictured above) Colombian u Nico Rubio; Victor Marin; Brandon Berrio Vietnamese u Luan Duong; Nhan Le Mexican u Luis Ceron Nigerian u Ayotoye Oguntuase Greek u Eleftherios “E.J.” Martin; Christian “C.P.” Paskalides Polish u Dominik Warda German u Nathan Biersbach Italian u Cole Gordon Mixed u Burak Cimen (Turkish & Macedonian); Jefferson Castro (Peruvian & Filipino); Tyler Weller (Puerto Rican & German); Joey Moller (Irish, English, German, Italian)
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Page 18 w Glory Days Magazine w Dec. 5, 2019 Diversity, from page 16 unique to have that many nationalities — and personalities — come together and do what we did this year. From Vietnam to Colombia to Honduras, we’re all over the place. It’s pretty neat,” said head coach Pete Lambert. “We have a lot of fun. We bust each other’s chops a little and we all root for different nations when it comes to soccer, but when you really break it down and start talking to these kids, you really learn a lot about their culture and their family history, where they came from and how they got here. Sometimes they still have family back in their home countries and they go visit. A kid like Brandon Berrio, he went back to Colombia last summer and he had difficulty getting out of the country. He was three weeks late getting back. It was all about paperwork and he almost couldn’t leave the country.” As he has reflected on this season, and having such a diverse roster, coach Lambert said he has gained new respect for what some of his players have to go through. Some are coming to a brand new country as teenagers and have to assimilate into not only a new teen world, but a whole new world in general. “Even a kid like Nhan Le, who came from Vietnam three years ago not knowing a lick of English and he’ll be graduating this year, he’s taking the S.A.T.s and looking to get into a college. It’s neat to see him grow and learn the language — English is not an easy language to learn, and to do it in three years is pretty impressive. We have a lot of kids like that who speak two or three languages and take care of their family at home. Outside of soccer they work a lot to help support their family. It’s unique and something that sometimes I take for granted, and it’s not until we sit down and talk with these kids that we realize what they go through just to get into this country,” Lambert said. “They are all good kids. They all have their own stories and they are fun to be around. We had our banquet recently and it was hard to say goodbye (to the seniors), but I just kept telling them to remem-
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
EHT had an array of nationalities represented on its roster this season, including Burak Cimen, left, who is Turkish and Macedonian, and Niko Rubio, who is Colombian. ber what we did and the fun times we had. We really bought into that family bond that we wanted, and that really helped us move forward this year.” What has made the transition to their new world easier for some is the sport of soccer itself. It’s the most popular sport in the world, and many of the players come from countries where soccer is not just a sport, but a way of life. “These guys are born with a soccer ball at their feet. Soccer has become more and more popular in
America, but these guys come from these other nations where soccer is the No. 1 sport. Here, you have the NBA and NFL, but to these kids soccer is everything,” Lambert said. “And even more so for their parents, they are just as into it as the kids are and they represent their nationalities at games and team dinners. Soccer is one of those sports where you can buy into it from a very young age and support a team
See Diversity, page 19
Dec. 5, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 19 Diversity, from page 18 or a nation for your whole life.” Once the grind of the preseason began in August, these players didn’t see each other as being from Vietnam, or Honduras, or Nigieria — they just saw the black-and-white of the Eagles’ uniforms, and a player next to them who could help them reach their ultimate goal of playing for a South Jersey championship. “A lot of guys don’t see any differences, we’re all just EHT. We might have 10 or 12 different nationalities on the team, but these guys are so used to being around each other through the years that they don’t see that you’re from Colombia, or you’re from Honduras. It’s more of, ‘you’re one of us. You’re a part of EHT and we’re going to support you moving forward,’” Lambert said. “As these kids move on and graduate, they’ll be better for it, just being around these guys and bonding. Getting to know their culture and language, things like that. I’ve learned a lot from being around these guys, learning how tough things can be back in the countries they come from, and how they have overcome that and other obstacles to become the people they are today. I feel like I’m better for it just being around these guys. I think the younger guys are better for it, too.” Many of the guys from this year’s team will be graduating in about seven months, but Lambert said he and his coaching staff — particularly with this group — will be inclined to stay in touch with this year’s seniors to see how they progress through the next stages of their lives. “We get them for four years but as they move on we’ll continue to talk with them about life. It’s neat,” he said. “For some of these guys to overcome playing JV for a couple years and then playing varsity, and making the best of it, it’s pretty awesome.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Kevin Aguiriano (facing) hugs teammate Luis Ceron after EHT beat Washington Township in the sectional semifinals.
“From Vietnam to Colombia to Honduras, we’re all over the place. It’s pretty neat. We have a lot of fun. We bust each other’s chops a little and we all root for different nations when it comes to soccer, but when you really break it down and start talking to these kids, you really learn a lot about their culture and their family history, where they came from and how they got here. Sometimes they still have family back in their home countries and they go visit.” EHT boys soccer coach Pete Lambert
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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Cole Gordon, EHT Boys Soccer
Turning tragedy to triumph Egg Harbor Township’s Cole Gordon finished his career as one of the best players in South Jersey, just three years after losing his brother to a drug overdose By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ole Gordon’s first high school soccer season ended on Nov. 7, 2016, when Egg Harbor Township lost to Washington Township in the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals. He was just a freshmen then and wasn’t really getting any playing time on varsity, but the future was bright and he was eager to work hard in the offseason to hopefully become an impact player on one of the better teams in the CapeAtlantic League the following year. Just two weeks later, his life changed forever. On Nov. 20, 2016, as the Gordon and Wolfe families were preparing for Thanksgiving in less than a week’s time, Gordon’s older brother — 24-year-old Zachary Wolfe — died of an overdose after a long battle with drug addiction that began when Zach was in high school, Gordon said. “Stuff like that is something you can’t prepare for. I was with my mom when we got the call and that was
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Senior Cole Gordon was one of the best midfielders in South Jersey this season and earned invitations to the All-South Jersey and All-State banquets. Glory Days photo/ Dave O’Sullivan
definitely the toughest moment I could have gone through. It was terrible. He was doing well before that — he had been struggling for years and years with going to rehab, but he seemed to be doing well before that,” said Gordon, now a senior. “I didn’t know how hard it was at the time as much as I do now. I knew he was having problems and obviously I was praying for him. It was life changing for us. I don’t think things will ever be the same, but (my family) got through it and we’re managing. He’s always with us. I actually have a tattoo of him on my shoulder, and with that I feel like he’s always with me. “He was always there for me and we always did things together, like backyard football, joking around at family dinners.” “That happened his freshman year, and he being a quiet kid he kind of absorbed it all and kept to himself. Every now and then he would talk about it. For him to open up to (Glory Days) and others about it
a few years later is a good thing,” said Egg Harbor Township head coach Pete Lambert. “It ate away at him for a little bit, but he was able to get himself right mentally and come back and compete. That hurt as far as his family and himself. Aside from his immediate family, soccer is his second family, so we all try to support him and be there for him as needed, and when he was ready to open up about it and talk about it, we were there for him. “He’s come a long way, to overcome something like that at such a young age — especially in high school, having to deal with school and sports and people — it’s really a tribute to his character. He’s the type of kid who can deal with something like that the right way. Sometimes people deal with that the wrong way and find themselves in trouble, too, but he did everything he had to do the right way. Three years later,
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Page 22 w Glory Days Magazine w Dec. 5, 2019 Gordon, from page 20 he’ll be graduating and moving on, and hopefully he’ll be a better person for it,” Lambert added. “I’ve been doing this for a while and I’ve been on both ends. Sometimes kids can’t handle tragedy or failure, and we’re not having a conversation like this. For him to handle it the way he did, rather professionally, and do it with the support he had with his family, and he leaned on us a little bit. We encouraged that because we preach family and that’s who we are and what we’re all about. Again, it’s a tribute to his character to persevere and overcome something like that.” A family tragedy can wreck a young teenager emotionally, and often it does. But not Cole Gordon. He dealt with it and committed himself even more to his budding soccer career. Perhaps soccer was cathartic to him in some ways, or maybe the desire to make his revered older brother proud was the motivation. Whatever fueled him, Gordon became one of the top midfielders in all of South Jersey by the time his career ended recently in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Toms River North in the South Jersey Group 4 championship game. He was voted first-team All-CapeAtlantic League by the league’s coaches and was invited to the All-South Jersey banquet, the South Jersey Senior All-Star Game at Rutgers-Camden, and the All-State banquet along with teammates Ahmad Brock and Brandon Berrio. He helped lead the Eagles to 18 wins and their first sectional title game appearance since the 1990s.
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Gordon reacts after Egg Harbor Township beat Washington Township to earn its first berth in a sectional title game since the 1990s. “As a freshman, he was a little undersized, but sophomore year he started to develop and play some varsity. He really took off his junior year. He won Most Improved Player, he got really technical, and he kind of just kept growing into his frame to become a true center-of-the-field player. He probably logged the most minutes of anybody this year, playing just about every minute of every game. He didn’t have the flashy numbers of a guy like Ahmad — he had four goals and eight
assists — but he was just one of those players who gets the job done. He’s not flashy and isn’t looking for his name in the paper, but at the end of the day people had to recognize No. 13 on the field. When I went to the All-South Jersey and All-Cape-Atlantic League voting, I pushed for him and coaches knew exactly who he was and they totally agreed with me,” Lambert said. “For Cole to get selected to those teams, that’s all him. He worked hard to get where he is today and I think he
can play at the next level. He’s a good kid on and off the field, and to see him develop the way he has was fun to watch. He was named a captain about three games into the season based off his level of play. He’s not the most talkative player out there, but he leads by example and that’s why we chose to make him a captain, so the younger kids and even the other seniors could feed off his play on the field.”
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Dec. 5, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 23 Gordon, from page 22 Gordon played a defensive centermidfielder position, meaning in most games it was his job to mark the opponent’s best player. Gordon not only accepted that role, he flourished in it. “It’s not a position where you’re sprinting all the time, but you’re getting up and down the field. You’re all over the place and you always have to be ready. You get the ball, you’re looking forward and you have to break down what your options are. There’s the skill aspect of it with dribbling and passing, but there is also the knowledge of the sport. Once you get your soccer IQ up there you start to see improvement,” he said. “It was a pleasure (being a captain) this year. Guys like E.J. (Martin) and Burak (Cimen) were great captains and a lot of us have played together our whole lives, so it really worked well. My sophomore year was pretty rough but junior year we got better, and this senior year we had a great season. I knew it was coming because we had a lot of great guys. I felt this coming. In the beginning of the year we had a lot of good players coming off the bench, good starters and a lot of solid seniors. The (South Jersey Group 4) championship would have been nice, but it was a great season and I was very grateful to have it. I was proud to be a part of that (playoff run), it’s something I’m grateful for every day.” Gordon was so good in his role that coach Lambert rarely took him out of the lineup, save for the occasional breather in a three-game week. “He can put the ball anywhere on the field, he has size. He had two huge goals against Moorestown, both off of headers on corners. He knows the game and reads it well,” Lambert said. “He’s just a good kid and fun to be around. He played more of a defensive center-mid — we were pretty deep in the midfield so we needed him to stay home and mark the opposing team’s best player, and just be strong on the ball. We didn’t really have anyone who could fill his shoes if he had to come out of the game.” What’s next for Gordon remains to be seen, although Lambert believes he can play at the college level and is actively pushing college coaches to take a look and consider adding Gordon to their
roster. But whatever direction life takes him, Gordon knows he will be successful because of the strong foundation he has built by overcoming a tragedy, and leaning on his family — and soccer family — to learn how to mature and overcome adversity whenever it presents itself in life. He’s also come to terms with how his brother died, and will remember the bright, funny older brother he once knew and not the disease that ultimately took Zach’s life. “I think you just have to realize that it’s a disease and something he was fighting. It was just too rough for him at the end,” Gordon said. “I just have to look at it like he’s always with me, and to do everything I do for him and for my parents, because I know how rough it has been for them. It’s a life-changing experience. (Drugs) are no joke, it’s bad and it tore my brother apart.” Gordon is the quiet type and until now has rarely spoken of his brother’s overdose. But as he has gotten older and more comfortable in his surroundings, he now is willing to tell his story if it can save some other family from going through what his loved ones have. “I would definitely tell my story to other people if that was a way to support them and get them going in the right direction. I think it’s good to talk about it. It’s a touchy subject, obviously, but at the end of the day if it helps people get their life going down a better track, I’d be open to talking about it. The toughest thing is holidays — especially Thanksgiving, because he passed away right before Thanksgiving. But, you just have to be grateful and realize how quickly things can change. A 14-year-old kid isn’t expecting something like that to happen,” Gordon said. “My teammates are very supportive. They are great guys and have always been there for me. It’s been a pleasure to go through my career with a great bunch of guys.” As for what Zach would think of Cole becoming a shining star in the Egg Harbor Township boys soccer program? “He’d be so proud and tell me to keep it up and do my best in whatever I’m doing, and never go down the wrong path.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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FOOTBALL/CJ GROUP 2 CHAMPIONSHIP
Pirates took different approach vs. Camden
Love for each other, not revenge, was Cedar Creek’s driving force By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer edar Creek has played Camden during the regular season the past four years in what has become a budding rivalry, but a one-sided one. Whether the game has come down to the final seconds or was virtually over by halftime, the Panthers and their purple-and-gold clad fan base have always come out on top, as Camden has posted a 4-0 record against the Pirates since 2016. This year, Cedar Creek made a furious comeback attempt, scoring four touchdowns in the fourth quarter only to lose, 42-41, in the final seconds because of a bad snap on a potential game-tying extra point after quarterback Louie Barrios had hooked up with stud wide receiver Malachi Melton for a touchdown with less than 10 seconds to go. That loss left the host Pirates as frustrated as a toddler who is denied a piece of candy on that Saturday afternoon in September. Cedar Creek head coach Tim Watson had gone
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with football’s tried-and-true playbook prior to that game, trying to tap into the emotion of revenge to get his team fired up to come out with a victory. But before the teams took the field at Cedar Creek on Nov. 30 for a rematch in the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game, Watson had a different message for his players: don’t worry a lick about what Camden does, go out there and play for the brother next to you in the green jersey. Be able to look him in the eye and have him know you did everything in your power to help win this game. Go out there with love in your heart for your teammates, not hate for your opponent. “It wasn’t (about revenge) because we focused on loving each other. I told these guys the first couple times we played (Camden) we focused a lot on being angry and getting them back, and all that stuff. I told them let’s focus on loving each other, and if this is the last time we do it on our field, make sure we can look each other in the eye and know we’re doing
it for each other,” Watson said after the Pirates beat Camden, 31-23, in a wild, nail-biting finish that had fans on both sides on the edge of their seats. The title was the second sectional crown in school history, and Watson said he believed this team — which improved to 10-2 after the victory and will play in the Group 2 Central/South Regional Championship game at Rutgers University on Dec. 8 against Hillside — not only had the mental makeup to make a run like this, but also the heart. “These guys care about each other. Early on we wondered about how we’d get the ball around with all the playmakers we have on offense, but that never was an issue. Early on they recognized that this was a special group and if we all shared in the glory of it, everything was going to work out. They bought into that, and we never looked back once they did,”
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Page 26 w Glory Days Magazine w Dec. 5, 2019 Pirates, from page 24 Watson said. “We have tough kids in this sophomore class, and that’s why they are in there. Some of them aren’t the biggest — C.J. (Resto) is 155 pounds soaking wet — but he’s a tough kid, and he’s a competitor. We wanted to make sure we got competitors on the field. And with those guys, it doesn’t matter who they are playing, they like to grind it out and aren’t afraid to get into a fight.” “This is a great feeling. This is something I’ve always dreamed of, doing something like this, especially with the guys we have. There’s no better feeling than this right now,” Barrios said. “It started with the seniors, we laid the foundation. We have a good group of guys, and during weight room sessions we’d always remind everybody what this is about and what we want. We went out and accomplished our goals. We have one more game, but this one right here means a lot.” The game also provided a measure of redemption for Tyler Hendrickson, Cedar Creek’s long snapper whose bad snap on that extra-point attempt in September cost his team a chance to send the game into overtime, and possibly a victory. After that miscue he began practicing his snaps 100 times a day in hopes of getting a chance to redeem himself. He did exactly that in the championship game, as place kicker Taylor Manning was a perfect 4-for-4 on point-after attempts and also connected on a 26-yard field goal
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Cedar Creek coach Tim Watson told his team prior to the sectional championship to play for each other, and not for a chance to inflict some revenge on rival Camden. late in the first half. All Hendrickson’s snaps were right on target. “This is amazing. It’s the best shot at redemption I’ve ever had, and it’s the best feeling. I never thought I’d be able to do this in the four years I’m here. It’s an amazing feeling. I just love being able to do it with all my brothers. This is the closest bond I’ve ever
had on a team,” said Hendrickson, also a defensive end. “Camden had some fight, too. Nobody quits in a championship game, but we love it because it’s great competition. We love that it wasn’t a blowout type of win. We love the fight.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Dec. 5, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 27
snapshots
Holy Spirit senior running back E’lijah Gray has been wearing special cleats honoring longtime coach Bill Walsh, who passed away last month after a long battle with ALS. Glory Days photos/Dave O’Sullivan
Cedar Creek football coach Tim Watson holds up the trophy as the Pirates celebrate their Central Jersey Group 2 championship victory over Camden.
Ocean City girls soccer assistant coach Ashley Schmid celebrates the Red Raiders’ state championship victory with senior goalie Abbey Fenton.
EHT’s E.J. Martin battles for possession with a Toms River North defender during the South Jersey Group 4 championship game.