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high school soccer team doesn’t win 70 games in four years by accident. You have to have good players. And, not only that, a coach needs players who can develop into game-changers and leaders throughout their career. Senior Carly Reighard certainly has become that during her four-year varsity career as Ocean City’s starting center midfielder. She has become the type of player who can not only control the pace of a game, but also continuously put her teammates in position to be successful in the offensive third. But above and beyond her soccer talents, perhaps more important is the quiet confidence she brings to the field. Her teammates just know that she is going to get the job done, every time. It’s not even a question. And even when things affect her off the field, like her mother being diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, she still comes out and does her job every day. — Dave O’Sullivan, Staff Writer
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 on our website or digital magazine? Call us anytime at 609-788-4294. Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Overall Issue Number: 138. 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 Of rivalries and revenge: The Ocean City football team was
disheartened after a 21-6 loss to rival Mainland on Nov. 1 that cost the Red Raiders a chance at winning the West Jersey Football League Independence Division championship. But their spirits brightened a few days later when it was revealed that Mainland would be their first-round opponent in the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs. Ocean City exacted the revenge it was looking for, rallying from a 7-0 deficit to beat the Mustangs 21-14 and advance to the sectional semifinals. u CAL soccer on the rise: The sectional playoffs featured six CAL teams in title games this year. St. Augustine Prep and the Ocean City girls won, while the Mainland girls and EHT, Ocean City and Oakcrest boys came up on the short end in their championship game appearances. Prep advanced to the state championship game, where it lost to St. Peter’s Prep in overtime.
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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OLD CAPE RECYCLING SCHOLAR ATHLETE: Luke Santiago, Buena Regional football
Santiago carrying on family tradition Senior quarterback’s father once led the Chiefs on Friday nights By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer f you’re trying to find somebody to say a bad word about Buena Regional senior quarterback Luke Santiago, you’ll have to travel well outside the limits of Buena Vista Township. And, certainly, all you’ll get is high praise from head coach Jonathan Caputo, and deservedly so. Not only has Santiago been the starting signal caller in Buena’s wing-T offense the past three seasons, he’s also been one of the school’s best students. Oh, and he also plays pretty much every down on defense as a safety. “He’s awesome. We’re going to miss him. Not many times in high school can you give a kid a couple plays to run and let him decide based on what the defense is giving him. I can do that with him, which is nice. He can sort out what he sees and call the right play, and that’s nice to have. It’s not every play, but with teams that like to be multiple, instead of just calling one play I give him an option to check and that helps us get into the right play,” Caputo said. “Last year he started to really get comfortable with it and get a feel for the option game. You have to be a good decision-maker, so when you have a kid like him you’re usually in the right place. Every year we’ve had a different fullback, so he’s had to get used to that and that makes it a little more complicated, but he knows just what we want to do. High school football is a game where you want to get the ball in the hands of your best decision maker, and if you make the right decisions you’ll have a good chance to be successful.” It’s been almost a birthright that Santiago would end up as the Buena quarterback once he got into high school. He’s following in the footsteps of his father, who had and impressive career at quarterback and safety during his days as a Chief and led his team to a state championship game appearance. He also wore No. 7. His father, Mike, and mom Joy — both 2004 Buena Regional graduates — have been big supporters of Luke, not only on the football field, but in the classroom as well. “I have big shoes to fill, but he taught me every-
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Senior quarterback Luke Santiago has the Chiefs on the charge again for a second straight South Jersey Group 1 championship game appearance, and also is one of the top students in the school, carrying a 4.3 GPA. thing I know and I give all credit to him. Through the Taxi Braves he was my coach. He’s been my role model, my mentor and my best friend, and it’s great having him there. It’s something very special, I cherish it and love it,” Luke said. “I’ve been running this offense for as long as I can remember. My sophomore year I faced some adversity trying to battle for the starting spot, but I feel like that helped me in the end. I think confidence is a huge thing when you’re playing football, so I think now having three years under my belt, I’m not thinking as much, I’m just playing football.” Buena annually is one of the best teams in South Jersey Group 1 and this year has been no different. The Chiefs improved to 8-2 with a dominating victory over Burlington City in the opening round of the state playoffs and are looking to make a return trip to
the sectional championship game. To make it that far they’ll need a big effort from Santiago, but he’s used to it. There are less than 30 players on Buena’s roster, so Santiago has had to play both offense and defense throughout his career. And at 5-foot-11 and just 170 pounds, his body takes a beating. That’s why he spends so much time in the offseason getting ready for the grind of October and November. “I’ve been grinding all spring and summer to get my body ready (to play both ways). I love running the football, I love throwing the football and I love playing defense. I’m blessed to be in a situation where I can play everything. I have a lot of bumps and bruises, but the Saturday lifts help with the sore-
See Santiago, page 7
Nov. 12, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 7 Santiago, from page 6 ness and I rest on Sundays to get ready for the next week,” he said. “It’s the same thing every week, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Honestly, your body never really stops because Saturday we’re lifting, Monday we’re lifting and Tuesday and Wednesday are the grind days — by Thursday, my body is probably as healthy as it’s going to get.” Through all of that he still has to find time and energy to do all his class work, but Santiago is motivated to do well academically because he knows his football career likely will come to an end at the high school level. “I just try to manage my time as best I can. Whenever I have time off I try to catch up on school work and watch film, not only get myself prepared for the game on Friday night but for my classes all week,” said Santiago, who was awarded a Brooks Irvine scholarship this year. “I give it all to my parents, they’ve always taught me that school comes first. Football is great but it’s not going to be there forever, and school is going to take me to where I want to be in life. School has always been my top priority. “I try to use every minute for something good. Of course, I give myself time to rest and be a normal kid, but a lot of times I’ll be up until 11 p.m. studying for a test the next day. I just try to use my time as wisely as I can.” “Even playing in youth football, kids always seemed to gravitate toward
him,” Caputo said. “He plays hard every play and gets back out there. He plays safety but I think sometimes he’d rather play linebacker, then we put him on offense and he has to make a bunch of decisions there. That takes a special kind of kid. He wants to win, and with him leading us, we have a shot to win Central Jersey Group 1.” Santiago, who carries a 4.3 gradepoint average and scored better than 1200 on his SATs, said he knows it won’t be easy taking off that Buena Chiefs jersey for the final time, whenever that time comes in the next few weeks. “I’m sure I’m going to be emotional. These last four years, I wouldn’t trade them for the world,” he said. “I love Buena, I love our mentality and what we’re about. I’ll always cherish this school. This jersey is something bigger than myself. My dad played safety and quarterback at Buena — I can’t put into words how much this town, the atmosphere and Chiefs football mean to me. Everybody is a family here. You go to school with the same kids your whole life, it’s just a great place to be.” Caputo, however, knows there are much bigger and better things awaiting this young man once he earns his diploma. “He’s just aces,” the coach said. “He wants to focus on his education and get a good job. He’s got it figured out.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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GREATE PERFORMANCES PRESENTED BY GREATE BAY RACQUET & FITNESS
O.C.’s Slimmer showing why she’s a Rutgers recruit
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aith Slimmer, a junior at Ocean City, gave a verbal commitment to Rutgers University before this season even began, and if she didn’t already have a target on her back from opposing defenses, that name recognition surely brought one. But, when you’re as talented as Slimmer is with a soccer ball on her foot, whatever defenses throw at you doesn’t really matter all that much. Slimmer, despite intense pressure from playoffcaliber defenses, has been thriving in the postseason and last week led her team to its second sectional title in three years by going for a hat trick during the Red Raiders’ dominating 6-0 win over rival Mainland Regional in the championship game. Heading into the Group 3 semifinals against Hopewell Valley on Nov. 13, Slimmer had scored at least one point in every playoff game. In the sectional opener against Timber Creek she netted three goals and added two assists, had an assist in a 1-0 win over Cherry Hill West in the next round, and in the semifinals she scored two goals and added an assist in a 5-0 rout of Toms River South. In four playoff games, Slimmer was directly responsible for 15 of Ocean City’s 20 goals. u Hope Slimmer, Ocean City girls soccer: Faith’s little sister, a sophomore, has been equally impressive in the midfield, distributing the ball along with senior Carly Reighard and helping the Red Raiders outscore their playoff opponents 20-0. u Kaylin Flukey, Absegami girls volleyball: The Braves won a pair of playoff matches, and the senior was a big reason why. In a 2-0 win over Nutley in the opening round, Flukey led Absegami with 10 kills and added five digs, and in a 2-1 win over Brick Memorial in the second round she finished with seven kills, two blocks and five digs u Kailin and Jackie Fortis, Absegami girls volleyball: This sister duo complimented Flukey’s outstanding play throughout the playoffs. Kailin had 45 assists in the first two rounds while Jackie chipped in with 10 kills in the win over Brick Memorial. u Jake Cook, Mainland Regional football: Cook had one of his biggest games of the season against rival Ocean City when the Mustangs beat the Red Raiders 21-6 during regular-season action that put them in position to win the West Jersey Football League Independence Division title with a win over Egg Harbor Township on Thanksgiving. Cook finished with six catches for 137 yards and a pair of
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Ocean City junior striker Faith Slimmer has been tearing it up this season, scoring 35 goals and adding 26 assist. For her career she has amassed 70 goals and 46 assists. touchdowns, including one in which he broke two tackles on his way to the end zone. u Joe Repetti and Jake Inserra, Ocean City football: During the Red Raiders’ playoff victory over rival Mainland, Repetti passed for 98 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 54 yards and another score. Inserra had a huge day on defense, finishing with 11 tackles and also blocking a field goal attempt. u Kevin Aguiriano, Egg Harbor Township boys soccer: With so much attention being paid to star striker Ahmad Brock during the playoffs, the Eagles needed somebody else to step up and provide some scoring, and Aguiriano was that guy. He had an assist in an opening-round, 4-3 win over Lenape, scored in
the next round, a 3-2 win over Shawnee, and also provided the only tally in the sectional championship overtime 2-1 loss against Toms River North. Aguiriano helped the Eagles reach the title game for the first time since the late 1990s. u Gina Geraci, Mainland Regional girls soccer: Not only did the senior provide outstanding leadership this year, she also came through when her team needed her most. She scored a goal in Mainland’s playoff quarterfinal win over Lacey Township, then added another in a 2-0 victory over Gloucester Tech that put the Mustangs into the sectional title game for the first time in school history.
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VIC’S SUBS COVER STORY
center of it all Senior center-midfielder Carly Reighard has helped Ocean City orchestrate one of its best seasons ever, even as her mother, Tracy, battles breast cancer By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer arly Reighard transferred to Ocean City just before the start of her freshman year. A few weeks later she was thrown in as the starting center midfielder for the Red Raiders girls varsity soccer team. Reighard is naturally quiet and reserved anyway, so all of this sudden change took some time to adjust to. Four years later, Carly has found her voice. In a big way. She’s still quiet, and careful with her words in a post-game interview, but on the field she has blossomed into a confident player who can not only control an entire game from her position in the center of the field, but breath an air of confidence into the lungs of younger players with her almost robotic consistency. “She won the unsung hero award for us last year and that’s really been the story of her career. She’s been a four-year starter for us, and we have a saying, ‘when Carly wins, we win.’ That’s how important she is to our program. She doesn’t come off the field very often, but when she is off the field it’s very noticeable. She wins every ball — I don’t know how she does it. She has great timing and she’s smart, fit and fast. I think her soccer IQ is the best thing about her,” said Raiders head coach Kelly Halliday, who is in her seventh season. “She kind of reminds me of (2019 graduate) Anna Devlin, very consistent and very level-headed. She has such a game face and is laser-focused. She’s a captain and has some of the younger girls under her wing and it’s really awesome to see her coming out of her shell this year. She’s always somebody we could rely on but this year it’s
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Senior Carly Reighard has been one of the best midfielders in South Jersey throughout her career, and heading into this year’s Group 3 state semifinal had helped Ocean City to 22 wins and the Red Raiders’ second sectional title in three years. cool to see her transform. She’ll leave a legacy here — and a huge hole in our team — but it’s really nice to see (how she has developed). If Carly wins, we win, and she knows that and is willing to put that on her shoulders. We 100 percent rely on her. I never have to ask her if she’s ready to play.” “(Freshman year) Everyone else was a junior or senior, and in the center of the field you’re asked to control the whole field, so it was big shoes to fill. Coach Halliday just wanted us to control the center of the field and I think me and Dara (Hennessy) did a
good job of that. I was pretty comfortable with (varsity) because I’ve been playing soccer since I was about 4 years old. And from club soccer I was used to the fast pace and the competitiveness of it,” Reighard said. “I’ve learned that working as a team is more important than working by yourself. You can have all the talent in the world but if you’re not working together then it’s not going to show. “My team relies on me to win 50-50 balls and
See Reighard, page 11
Nov. 12, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 11 Reighard, from page 10 coach is always saying, ‘get the second ball’ because she has confidence I’ll get the first. There’s a lot of pressure, but I think I’ve done a good job handling it,” she added. “Being in the center of the field you have to talk to everybody on the field and help everyone work together. The three years before this year I felt like I did pretty well, but this year the whole team is doing so well and that’s helped me feel like I’ve been doing even better.” With Reighard directing things in the middle of the field, Ocean City has been dominant in the Cape-Atlantic League and beyond, winning 70 games the past four years and capturing two South Jersey Group 3 championships, one in 2017 and another just last week in a 6-0 win over Mainland. “The things you take for granted are so good — her passing, her accuracy, the weight of her passes — and her skills in the air are unmatched. There aren’t too many girls who love to head the ball but she sees it as a challenge. She’s such a tough kid,” Halliday said. “It’s relatable to a quarterback in football. This year she has quite a few assists, but throughout her career she’d be the one who assists whoever gets the assist. She’s in on every play. That was something she progressed with. Early in her career she was the workhorse, the way Hope (Slimmer) is now, but now she’s the quarterback out there telling everyone what to do and how to do it. Her vision on the field is fantastic and she’s just been a steady center-mid for four years.” “I’ve always considered her the heart of our team. When she has a good game, we have a good game. She’s such a huge factor in the midfield and brings a dynamic to our team that pushes us to be better — not only in the games, but every day in practice,” said star junior forward Faith Slimmer. “Even though she’s quiet, she’s a threat on the field. We count on her and she stepped up to the chal-
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Reighard is a four-year starter for the Red Raiders and has helped See Reighard, page 13 her team win 70 games during her career.
Nov. 12, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 13 Reighard, from page 10 lenge. She plays the best she can every day and we don’t even ask that of her, she just knows it’s her job.” “She’s an unbelievable player. She wins the ball out of the air every single time. She’s a huge contributor and as forwards, we wouldn’t be able to get the ball without midfielders like her. Without her, we wouldn’t be here,” added sophomore Summer Reimet, who herself is a big reason why the Red Raiders are battling for a state championship this season. What coach Halliday said she’s most impressed with this season is Reighard’s maturation as a leader, and part of that can be traced back to life events off the field. Earlier this year, Tracy Reighard, Carly’s mom, was diagnosed with breast cancer and what followed was a summer filled with chemotherapy treatments. At the recent sectional championship game Reighard had to celebrate only with her father, Scott, as her mother couldn’t be there — but not because cancer had her down for the count, but because she was back at work and the game was played at 11 a.m. But missing a game because of work was great news for Carly because she knows that’s a step in the right direction. “She’s doing well now. It was challenging over the summer watching her go through what she was going through, but I’m lucky to have the support I do with Ocean City soccer. They gave her flowers during the breast cancer awareness game and I thought that was really nice of them to do that for her,” Carly said. “I felt bad because I didn’t really know how to handle it because I had never been in that kind of situation before, but I try to just do as much as I can. She doesn’t want me to be worried about her, but I just try to be there for her when she’s hurting. I know that she wouldn’t want me to be worried, so I try to focus on soccer and getting through the day. I know she’ll be there watching me — it’s not like she’s stuck at home — so I know she’s there supporting me even if she might not be feeling the best. “I’m so glad to have her as one of my biggest supporters. We’ve been pretty happy at home. I’ve helped her get through her stuff, and she’s helped
“I’ve always considered her the heart of our team. When she has a good game, we have a good game. She’s such a huge factor in the midfield and brings a dynamic to our team that pushes us to be better — not only in the games, but every day in practice.” Faith Slimmer Ocean City junior me get through things my whole life.” “That leadership role has been her biggest progression. She’s always been fit and her soccer skills have improved. She battled through some injuries her sophomore year, and in her junior year I challenged her to complete a season. She’s battled through some injuries but she’s figured it out. She’s a tough kid and that leadership has progressed,” Halliday said. “Her family is so close to our team and we played for her during our breast cancer awareness game. I think this has been a special season for her. I think she was honored that we recognized her family, and this is kind of her season. Her mom is her role model and her biggest fan.” “She’s been handling it very well. We’re all here to support her, and she knows that, we just all have to step up as a team for her and have her back through anything. She doesn’t let it get to her,” Slimmer added. “It’s definitely a factor in her life that would affect anybody, but she handles it better than most people would. Before anything, we’re best friends and we’re always going to be here for everyone no matter what. That’s just how we are as a team.” Defender Delaney Lappin is another Ocean City player who doesn’t say much, but when it comes to her words about the future Thomas Jefferson University student, not much needs to be said to understand the impact Reighard has had on this program. “She’s a great kid who treats everyone well,” Lappin said. “There are no problems with her, either on or off the field. She’s a great person.” Well said. Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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MARCHING BAND
Cedar Creek making big strides By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer hen the Cedar Creek High School football team traveled to district rival Oakcrest on Oct. 18, Manny Martinez got to witness a state championship band. The second-year band director at Cedar Creek viewed the Falcons’ halftime show and said to his 18 marching Pirates, “that’s what we want to be.” Oakcrest, Absegami and Mainland Regional have set the standard in Atlantic County when it comes to high school marching bands, and Cedar Creek is taking its first steps toward building into a full marching band this fall. The Pirates are the new kids on the block and they are trying to soak up not only everything Martinez tells them, but also what other bands in the area have to offer in terms of style and technical ability. Cedar Creek’s progression began with a pep band in the stands during Saturday afternoon home games under former director Jim Goodrich, and Martinez wants to take things to the next level. He earned his bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey and a master’s in saxophone performance from Temple, and brings orchestra experience to the table. He said
Glen Bucikowski, Nathan Mangold and Kyle Heck perform during a Cedar Creek halftime show earlier this season. Halftime performances have become more common for a band that now has nearly 20 participants.
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the first step in turning Cedar Creek from pep band to marching band was getting a deeper commitment from the musicians and their parents. “The first thing was, last year we just had a pep band where the kids play in the stands — kind of the same thing that Jim Goodrich did — we were just trying to get them excited about playing in the stands at the football games. The biggest first step that I took with this
band was getting a legitimate signed contract and asking for a commitment for a full season. That was never done before. With a small school these kids are into so many different sports and activities, so the first big step was giving them a calendar and telling them they had to be at rehearsal. We wanted to see which kids would partake in that commitment,” Martinez said. “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a huge num-
ber going into this year. I thought there would only be about six kids because it is such a commitment, but fortunately we were able to get 18 full members.” Learning to play an instrument well is difficult for any teenager, and adding marching movements to the mix is quite a first hurdle to get over. That’s why Martinez said the Pirates spent the
See Creek, page 17
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Band Director Manny Martinez said Troy Deman and the rest of the marching Pirates are planning a trip to Florida in 2020 as part of an effort to increase interest in the band and take another step toward becoming a full-fledged marching band.
Nov. 12, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 17 Creek, from page 14 entire first week of summer band camp simply learning how to step and move on a football field when putting on a halftime show. “The first day of band camp over the summer they had to learn how to march. Our kids make it look easy, but marching is really tough. It’s not the same thing as just walking in place, you have to do a roll step, you have to walk a certain way, keep your posture a certain way. What we did for the first two days was, can we walk in step and can we do the proper step placement, roll steps, and can we keep a line? That’s literally all we worked on for the first four days. We just started with the basics,” he said. “Kids were used to playing a tuba sitting down in concert band and now they were in this realm where they have to move with the tuba, play it at the same time and hold it on their shoulder. Getting used to the strength that entails and the physicality that is needed for marching band was our first step.” Martinez also told his band members that they had to earn the right to wear the Cedar Creek uniform and perform during halftime for the Pirates fans, meaning there was a little more intensity to this past summer’s band camp than in 2018. “I made it a thing during band camp that they had to earn their uniforms. I said, ‘if we can’t march right by the end of band camp, we’re not wearing
Band Director Manny Martinez said he makes sure band members such as Mei McGarvey watch other, more established bands perform to learn more about halftime shows. uniforms,’” he said. “When they wear that uniform, they’ve earned it and they feel that, and not everybody can wear that uniform. I still remember putting my uniform on (in high school) and to me it was like suiting up for the game. That was my uniform, and these kids are starting to get that.” So far, band members have earned their uniforms and continue to get better each week. Martinez has big plans for the future, including a trip to Disney
in 2020 to perform. He wants his students to understand that it’s not just enough to be in a marching band, they have to embrace the culture. His said his kids are beginning to understand how cool it can be when their high school has a full performing band, and what a rush it can be to put on that halftime show for the hometown fans. “A couple years ago Cedar Creek did a halftime show and they did a nice job. When I took over, I didn’t want to overwhelm them with a lot of different things so we took a step back from marching band. As opposed to taking on all fronts at once we first wanted to solidify a class, so this is officially ‘Year One’ of being recognized as a marching band and the kids understanding the culture. The kids were elated (when we first performed in September),” Martinez said. “Personally, I’ve been involved with marching band, have done solos with orchestras, but I still get that same feeling when my kids line up and get ready to take the field. One kid said to me, ‘I’m really nervous, but excited at the same time.’ I said, ‘that’s exactly what it feels like.’ When they come off the field, it’s an amazing feeling having done a performance. There’s something different about marching band and the feeling it gives you. I tell them to let me do the critiquing, their job is just to enjoy themselves out there.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Angelo Fodera, St. Augustine Prep football “All these guys are my brothers, and especially in our school’s community, we are a brotherhood in the truest sense. ... I see myself as a guardian, in a way, protecting my boys. I have their back and they have mine.” Angelo Fodera, St. Augustine Prep left guard
THE GUARD(IAN) Fodera anchors one of the best offensive lines in the state, and he takes his job seriously By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer ike just about every other kid who puts on a football helmet for the first time, Angelo Fodera once had dreams of throwing passes and scoring touchdowns. But when you’re bigger than all the other youth players you get thrown onto the offensive and defensive lines. Fodera was lucky in that regard, because being a lineman is something he’s grown to love down to his bones, and he’s become one of the best in South Jersey. St. Augustine Prep got off to a slow start this year, losing three of its first four games, but with Fodera leading one of the best offensive lines in the state the Hermits have turned things completely around. Following a 14-7 overtime loss to Shawnee, Prep ripped off five straight wins — including a 21-7 victory over Williamstown, then the No. 1 team in South Jersey — and ascended to the No. 9 ranking in nj.com’s Top 20 poll heading into the state playoffs. “I don’t think I ever wanted to become a lineman, to be honest. I was just bigger than everyone else so they kind of stuck me there to be able to hit kids my size, and I just kind of stayed there because I liked it. I played linebacker for about a year, but other than that it has been offensive and defensive line,” said Fodera, a 6-foot, 250-pound
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Senior left guard Angelo Fodera leads an offensive line that has helped St. Augustine Prep crank out nearly 2,000 rushing yards and win five straight games after a 1-3 start. senior from Galloway Township. “I’ve played all over, center, tackle, guard, defensive tackle, defensive end — all over the place. Since my freshman year I’ve played offensive line, but as time went on I got to play some defensive line because they saw how fast I am for my size. I’m also pretty good on special
teams, and it scares the receiving team a little bit when they see a 250-pound guy running at them.” During the Hermits’ five-game winning streak to close out the regular season, Prep scored more than 20 points in each game, and for the season the Hermits have racked up nearly 1,800
rushing yards and another 800-plus through the air behind an offensive line anchored by Fodera at left guard, Jake Ketschek at left tackle, Chandler Bird at center, Dylan McNally at right guard and Gavin Smith and Nick Meduri get-
See Fodera, page 20
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Page 20 w Glory Days Magazine w Nov. 12, 2019 Fodera, from page 18 ting time at right tackle. Fodera said offensive linemen typically don’t get a lot of recognition, as it is the quarterback and running backs or receivers who spend time doing post-game interviews, but that’s quite alright with this group of hard-working young men. “I have a helluva team behind me, and even right next to me. All these guys are my brothers, and especially in our school’s community, we are a brotherhood in the truest sense. There isn’t a day that goes by and I go to practice and am not motivated. No matter how tired I am from the day, somebody is always there to bring the energy even when I can’t, and I’m thankful for that. I see myself as a guardian, in a way, protecting my boys. I have their back and they have mine,” Fodera said. “Our running backs are really good and they have their skills, they make things happen when we can’t. Their success is our success. We celebrate in silence, that’s how we like to roll. When they have big games they are the first ones to come in the locker room and clap us up, tell us we did a good job. We get recognition at practice, trust me.” Fodera made the decision to attend St. Augustine Prep and said it has been life changing for him. He said he’s become a much better lineman having to face guys like Joe Bonczek (2019 graduate and Princeton recruit) and Isaiah Raikes (current senior and Texas A&M recruit) every day in practice. “There is so much talent floating around this place that you can’t help but be good, or at least get better. I know back when Raikes had some college coaches come in, they flew in here and stayed to watch me lift as well. I wasn’t any huge prospect like him, but they shook my hand and told me I did a good job and that I’m doing the right thing. Even Joe Bonzcek, we used to go to a sushi place a few times a week, and I can’t explain how much of a brother all these guys have been to me,” he said. “I wouldn’t be half the lineman I am right now if it wasn’t for all the competition here. It starts in the classroom and spills over into the weight room and out onto the field. Without these guys pushing me and the all-boy atmosphere — everybody here wants to be the top dog — I wouldn’t
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Fodera and the Hermits recently beat South Jersey’s top-ranked team, Williamstown, and this week Prep was ranked No. 9 in the state by nj.com. be half the player I am now.” He’s also made some important friendships along the way, he said. “I’ve made some serious friends along this journey. I couldn’t stand Chandler before he was on my team, but now he’s one of my closest friends. Jake Ketschek was like my younger brother when he came on the team, he was a freshman and I was a sophomore, and we clicked right away. Even Raikes, when he transferred in — he was in my study hall and we were complete polar opposites, but there was one thing we had in common, and that was where we stood in the weight room. To this day we’re still lifting partners. I like to take some of the credit and say I helped him get into Texas A&M, but I can’t take too much of the credit,” Fodera said. “That’s the greatest feeling in the world being able to step out there (at St. Augustine) on Friday nights because I’m a part of something that’s a lot bigger
than myself. There’s a lot of tradition in this program and being able to go out on the field and be every other team’s Super Bowl — we’re pushed to compete at such a high level. Some teams have cupcake games but every team we play comes at us full force, ready to knock us off the top, but the good thing about that is we’re looked at as being at the top. “Our trenches are a lot closer than others. I can’t really put it into words, but every day in school we’re hanging out with each other and whenever we step onto the field we know what time it is — that we have to protect our guys in the backfield and keep them looking good by the end of the game.” Fodera said he plans to play football at the college level and currently is considering his options, as he has been recruited by several high academic universities to play defensive line. Soon, his high school football career will be over, and when that moment
comes Fodera isn’t too proud to say he’s going to be very emotional walking off the field for the final time as a high school football player. “I’m choking up just thinking about it. They say, ‘smile because it happened,’ and I’m so thankful (my career) happened. I’m going to miss the guys. I already miss my old teammates. I know this team will be in good hands, but it’s sad to think I won’t be strapping up on Friday nights anymore. I hope there are no cameras around (when it ends). There is so much time you put into this, and when I step off the field for the last time, that’s going to be pretty heartbreaking,” he said. “It’s always been academics first but I can’t give football up, I love it too much. I’m so blessed I’ve been able to play this much and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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bunting family pharmacy FOOTBALL REPORT
A rivalry worth the price of admission When Ocean City and Mainland get together, the edge of your seat is all you’ll need
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hen rivals the likes of Ocean City and Mainland get together, no matter what the sport, you can bet on an intense, action-packed game. The intensity level is heightened even further when these two neighboring schools get together on the football field, especially in consecutive weeks with a lot on the line. The teams met on Nov. 1 during a regular-season matchup that had West Jersey Football League Independence Division implications, as well as a bit of bad blood from last season. In late October of 2018, Mainland went across the 9th Street bridge to Carey Stadium and won in dramatic fashion as then-senior Sean Carey booted a field goal in the waning seconds to give the Mustangs a 24-21 win and a chance to win the division title on Thanksgiving, which they took care of with a victory over Egg Harbor Township. At the end of that game, a Mainland player grabbed his school’s flag and “planted” it on the artificial turf of Ocean City’s home field. That gave the Red Raiders plenty of motivation this year, but Mainland has been a darn good football team since the beginning of the 2018 season and wanted to prove it was the class of this division. The Mustangs did that with a huge defensive effort that limited Ocean City to just one score in a
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Mainland Regional defensive back Amir Vick leaps high for an interception against Ocean City’s Brian Beckmann, but Beckmann and the Red Raiders came back to win, 21-14, in the opening round of the state playoffs on Nov. 9. 21-6 victory by Mainland. But, as fate would have it, the rivals were selected to square off against each other the following Saturday in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs,
with Mainland as the host No. 2 seed and Ocean City coming in as the No. 7 seed. This time it was Ocean City providing the heroics, as junior quarterback
Joe Repetti, who was completely shut down the week prior, threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another. The
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Nov. 12, 2019 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 23 Report, from page 22 victory was the first postseason triumph for the Red Raiders in 18 years and put Ocean City into the sectional semifinals against No. 6 Long Branch. “I can’t even explain, I’m just so happy for everyone over here. We haven’t won a playoff game in I don’t know how long — I know it’s been a while. It just feels great. This feeling is awesome. I never want it to go away,” said Ocean City senior Brian Beckmann. “These are the games, the playoffs, you always want to play in. These are the games you look forward to, and playing this type of game makes you think about all that we’ve done all year, all the way back to January until now. We got together and thought about all the hard work we’ve put in.” u Bigger challenges ahead: Pleasantville rolled past Collingswood, 35-0, in its opening round game in Central Jersey Group 2, but the Greyhounds know the real test comes this week when they welcome in Camden. Either Cedar Creek or Bernards await in the championship from the other side of the bracket, so this is one of the more stacked brackets in Central/ South Jersey. Keep an eye on Pleasantville senior running back Joshua Kotokpo, he’s healthy now after battling an ankle injury earlier in the year, and also wide receiver Keon Henry. The Greyhounds didn’t have to throw the ball much against Collingswood, but expect him to be a factor as a receiver and also in the return game. u Collision course?: Parochial rivals St. Joseph and Holy Spirit, who met recently during the regular season, could meet again in the Non-Public Group 2 championship game. St. Joe received the No. 1 seed and a bye straight into the semifinals, while Spirit has to tangle with St. Mary’s of Rutherford in the opening round. But the Wildcats and Spartans are clearly the class of this group, so, barring a huge upset we could be looking at a rematch of last year’s championship game. u Boro-bound: Buena Regional made it to the sec-
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Senior wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner Keon Henry will be a key player to watch when Pleasantville takes on Camden in the second round of the state playoffs. tional title game a year ago, but if the Chiefs want to make it back they’ll have to take down one of the most talented teams in South Jersey in Willingboro. The Chimeras have been red-hot since a seasonopening loss to Cedar Creek and are playing some of the best football in South Jersey right now. u Top-seeded Devils: St. Joseph isn’t the only good football team in Hammonton, as the Blue Devils are proving. Hammonton garnered the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group 4 and blasted No. 8 Brick Township, 35-0, in the opening round. The Blue Devils will take on No. 4 Middletown South this weekend with No. 2 Jackson Memorial hosting No. 3 Toms River East on the other side of the bracket. u Central? South? Which is it?: If you’re confused about what the heck is going on with the state playoffs this year, you’re not alone. But here’s the short answer as to how things are working now: In each group, 16 teams qualified. Think of it like a regional in the NCAA basketball tournament. So once the best
16 teams are identified they are broken up into two eight-team brackets, with the winners squaring off in the “bowl” games. Basically, we’re one step away from having a true state champion in each group. So, for instance, in Group 2, West Deptford and Pleasantville were selected as the top two teams, so West Deptford gets the No. 1 seed in South Jersey Group 2 and Pleasantville the top seed in Central Jersey Group 2. Teams were then slotted in behind those two teams in sort of a snake fashion, i.e. the third best team gets put in Pleasantville’s bracket as the No. 2 seed, the fourth-best team goes into West Deptford’s bracket as the No. 2 seed, and so on. While it does make for some pretty crazy travel in some cases, it also does allow for some pretty cool playoff matchups with teams from the western part of the state facing Monmouth County teams, perennial Shore Conference powers facing Cape-Atlantic League teams, and so on.
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FISHING
EHT teen wins national bass fishing title A.J. Elmore lands 5.9-pound large-mouth bass to claim top honors at competition By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer .J. Elmore, a 17-year-old from Egg Harbor Township, has been a passionate fisherman his whole life, but he never thought his passion and skill would lead him to Idaho — and a junior national championship. Elmore said he typically is a saltwater fisherman, but earlier this year he entered a statewide tournament sponsored by Big Bass Junior Championship.
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The winner from each state got a chance to travel to Idaho in October to compete in the Big Bass national championship for ages 14 to 25 and Elmore — the New Jersey state champion — won it all. “I won the Big Bass Junior tournament and that is a nationwide tournament where each kid competes in their state to go to the main tournament out in Idaho. I won for the state of New Jersey, so I get to go out there and battle all the champions from other states,” Elmore said before heading west with his brother, Dorian, and father, James, in a pickup truck provided by the Elmore family’s sponsor, Nissan of Atlantic City. Elmore topped 45 other contestants with a 5.90-pound bass, and for his efforts got to take home a fully loaded Bass Cat Boats “Margay” as well as a trip to film with Joe Thomas on the Outdoor Channel
for Stihl’s Reel In The Outdoors. Elmore, who has won several other events in the area the past couple of years, said the key to his success has been simply listening to what other, more experienced fishermen have to say. “It’s really just what kind of tackle a fisherman uses and how they use it. I mostly do saltwater fishing but it just so happened that I was fishing in that freshwater tournament. Whoever catches the biggest fish (advances) and it’s a year-long event. When you sign up they send you a ruler so you can send them pictures of the width, the length and the girth so they can calculate the weight, things like that,” he said. “It’s just been a lot of hard work. Basically, you just have
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Page 26 w Glory Days Magazine w Nov. 12, 2019 Fishing, from page 25 to take advice from people who have been fishing for a long time. I know a lot of guys who have been fishing their entire lives. I know a lot of people from New York and North Jersey, and their advice and the way they fish is a lot different than guys down here.” A.J.’s budding fishing career also has become a family industry of sorts. His father spends time home schooling A.J. and older brother Dorian runs the family’s website, reelmaxlife.com, and
A.J. Elmore is helped out by his older brother, Dorian, who runs social media and a website devoted to A.J.’s promising fishing career.
handles all of A.J.’s social media. As with any venture these days, self promotion is paramount. “I’m the videographer, I document everything, do the website design. It’s very important. You need to have Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube — you need to have all the social media. It’s very important to have a handle on your media,” Dorian said. “It takes hours and hours of sitting in front of the computer just typing into the keyboard. It’s tedious, but it’s fulfilling. I’m very proud of him. He’s come a long way in
the five or six years we’ve been doing this. It’s incredible.” Before heading out to the national tournament, A.J. tempered his expectations, not wanting to get caught up in the fantasy that a national championship was within reach. “It’s pretty cool. We’ve worked hard to get to this point, so it’s very exciting. I don’t really have any crazy expectations, I’m just going to have fun fishing the tournament. I don’t expect to win, but obviously I’m going to give it my all,” he said.
Winning a national title certainly will inspire Elmore to dive even further into his fishing career, but he also has a lot of other things going on, including making YouTube videos and helping kids learn how to fish. He and his brother are also dedicated to their website, which includes things such as tide charts, information on bait stores, and interested parties can even book trips with the Elmore family. Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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snapshots Ocean City QB Joe Repetti celebrates as he crosses the goal line with a rushing touchdown during the Red Raiders’ 21-14 playoff victory over rival Mainland Regional on Nov. 9. Glory Days photos/ Dave O’Sullivan
Pleasantville senior linebacker Ernest Howard looks for the call from the sideline during the Greyhounds’ 35-0 win over Collingswood in the opening round of the state playoffs.