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ABOUT THE COVER
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ouie Barrios had high expectations for himself and his teammates when he became the starting varsity quarterback as a sophomore. He had excelled at the youth level and thought he was going to be able to replicate that on the high school stage. And while he had a pretty good debut as a sophomore and showed a lot of potential that year, the following year Cedar Creek went 4-5 and got blasted, 57-0, by Pleasantville in the state playoffs. Barrios knew he had to rededicate himself in every aspect of his game if he was going to live up to the potential he had coming into high school, and he did that and more in one of the more memorable senior seasons in recent South Jersey history. Flip over to page 10 to read more about Louie’s journey to a championship. Dave O’Sullivan, Publisher
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: 7 Overall Issue Number: 141. 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 Champions: After two unsucessful attempts to win a state
championship under current head coach A.J. Russo, Holy Spirit got the job done this year with a playoff run inspired by the death of former coach Bill Walsh, who put up a valiant fight against ALS for nearly three years before passing away on Nov. 15. The Spartans won big that night, cruised in the Non-Public Group 2 semifinals, then blanked rival St. Joseph, the team that had beaten them in the state title game the year before, 38-0 to bring home the hardware. All-state performer Patrick Smith, who had transferred in this past summer, made a huge impact for the Spartans. u Moving on: After guiding Pleasantville to perhaps the greatest turnaround in South Jersey football since 2000 during his five-year coaching stint, head coach Chris Sacco, who was hired this year as a guidance counselor at Absegami, recently announced he was stepping down at The Ville.
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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FOOTBALL 2019/SEASON REVIEW
Tragedy, triumph defined a memorable season
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very high school football season is unique in its own way, but the seventh I have covered as publisher of Glory Days Magazine truly was memorable in so many ways, and for so many different reasons. There were sectional and state champions, record-breaking performances, outstanding coaching jobs done throughout South Jersey, and athletes we had never heard of as recently as this past summer beginning to make a name for themselves in the headlines (Elijah Steward, anyone?). The football season is so much fun because of when it occurs, at the beginning of the school year, so much hope for so many teams throughout the area. The grind of summer practices over, the clashing of helmets and shoulder pads ensues in earnest as boys turn into young men right before our eyes. It has been a pleasure to bring you, our fans, the best of high school football for the past seven years, and 2019 was no different. In fact, in many ways it was our best year ever. Here’s a quick look at some of the teams, players, coaches and moments that stood out in my mind as I roamed South Jersey sidelines on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons this past fall.
Dave O’Sullivan
Responding to a tragedy
Perhaps the story of the year — unfortunately, for so many — was the shooting that occurred at Pleasantville High on Nov. 15 as the Greyhounds were taking on Camden in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals. Shots rang out in the stands and several people were injured, including a young boy, 10-yearold Micah Tennant. Chaos, confusion, sadness, anger, hurt — all were emotions that flowed out of that stadium on that crisp Friday night. It wasn’t clear until early the following week when — and even IF — the game would be resumed, as it had been halted with about five minutes left in the third quarter and Camden holding a 6-0 lead. Eventually, the game was finished on the Wednesday of the following week, with the Philadelphia Eagles stepping up and providing Lincoln Financial Field as a safe, secure facility that families of the players and media could enjoy for the final 17odd minutes of game time that was left to play. On the way to Philadelphia, Pleasantville players learned that young Micah had died from the inju-
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Pleasantville’s Ernest Howard switched his jersey number to 10 late in the season to honor Micah Tennant, a 10-year-old boy who was shot in the stands during the Greyhounds’ playoff game against Camden, and who ultimately died from those wounds. ries he suffered the previous Friday night. The news crushed the Greyhounds emotionally and they were never able to recover, losing the game 22-0 to Camden. But the fact that they played showed a lot of character among a team that coach Chris Sacco and his staff have worked tirelessly the past five years to mold into a group of young men who understand that life is bigger than football. I can’t say enough about the leadership of senior linebacker Ernest Howard, and some of the other upperclassmen, who took it upon themselves to provide emotional support for younger players who were scared, hurt and confused. In the end, Micah’s death is a senseless tragedy, but hopefully it will serve as a reminder that all of us in South Jersey need to come together and chose love and caring, not guns and violence.
The Greatness Getback
Cedar Creek made a commitment — after getting blasted 57-0 by Pleasantville in the 2018 playoffs — to get back to their roots of championship football. Not taking anything for granted, grinding in the weight room, having each other’s backs and being committed to an idea that was team before self. Coach Tim Watson’s message resonated with this
group of players, and the Pirates earned a Central Jersey Group 2 championship after navigating through one of the toughest regular-season schedules in all of South Jersey. “I feel very good about this season. It’s a group that really earned it and deserved it. It was a very satisfying season, for sure. One of the big keys was our sophomore guys stepping up. We knew we had some key guys at the skill positions but it was going to be how quickly some of those sophomores matured and how quickly our offensive line developed. We knew if we could do those things we’d have a chance to score some points and be a pretty good football team,” Watson said. “That’s probably one of the things that was a key that most people won’t appreciate. That offensive line wasn’t going to be mauling any teams or pushing teams up and down the field, but they were very technical, they were tough kids and were probably one of the most intelligent groups we’ve ever had. We needed them to be able to do their thing, and they did.” Cedar Creek was a fun team to watch with Louie Barrios running the show, Malachi Melton doing his
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Jan. 7, 2020 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 9 Season, from page 6 thing on both sides of the ball, guys like diminutive running back Jordan Taylor contributing in little ways. They also had some of the best uniforms in the state!
Back on the sideline
Mark Trible, a former sports reporter at the CourierPost in Cherry Hill, joined the Glory Days staff as a special football writer this past fall and bringing him on board provided a huge boost to the interest in our online coverage of high school football. He brought his unique prose to our URL and delighted — while sometimes frustrating — fans with his weekly broadcast of “The South Jersey Football Frenzy” show on Facebook Live. The addition of Trible boosted our online numbers to about 20,000 page views per month and also served as a way for Glory Days to introduce itself and its platform to different parts of South Jersey. In addition, the weekly Facebook Live show averaged more than 2,000 views each time. We’re planning to do even bigger and better things with Mr. Trible on board again next fall!
The rivalry continues
Mainland vs. Ocean City. Not much more needs to be said when those schools get together, and this year saw a dramatic new addition to rivalry lore. Mainland senior lineman Brayden Pohlman was expected to be out for the season with a torn ACL suffered in early October, but by the end of the month he had made it back, albeit heavily braced, to play against Ocean City and lead his team to a victory that secured the second straight West Jersey Football League Independence Division championship for the Mustangs. However, just one week later the teams were matched up in the opening round of the state playoffs, and Ocean City, led by junior quarterback Joe Repetti, returned the favor with a postseason victory. That sparked the Red Raiders’ run all the way to the sectional championship, where they lost to a power-
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Holy Spirit, inspired by the death of beloved former coach Bill Walsh, captured the first state championship for this group of players as well as current head coach A.J. Russo. ful Shawnee team. But despite the loss, I thought this was one of the best coaching jobs Kevin Smith and his staff did during their tenure. The Mainland vs. Ocean City rivalry also go introduced to one of the most exciting rookies in South Jersey, as Ja’Briel Mace of Mainland had a tremendous freshman season, rushing for more than 1,000 yards and a bunch of touchdowns. He’s one of several young players who will be on everybody’s radar next fall.
Championship elusive no more
Holy Spirit came into this season having been to a pair of state championship games the past couple of years, but coming out on the short end. They lost to Mater Dei on a wild hook-and-lateral play in the waning seconds, then last year tried valiantly to come
back but ultimately couldn’t against a very strong St. Joseph of Hammonton team. Those two teams met up again in December, this time at Rutgers University, and all that frustration from being denied twice before came flowing out in a 38-0 win by Holy Spirit, one of the more impressive victories that I’ve seen in my seven years with Glory Days. In the pages that follows you’ll read more about the outstanding young men we chose as award winners and nominees, and I’d just like to say to our fans out there, the players, the coaches, the cheerleaders, the bands — everybody involved in high school football — it’s been a pleasure bringing you the best we see from week to week, and it’s only going to get bigger and better from here! Thanks for spending some time with us on this journey.
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VIC’S SUBS COVER STORY
Getting back to greatness Once a star in the youth leagues, Cedar Creek’s Barrios put it all together for a memorable senior season By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer football player’s junior season is huge, especially for a quarterback. That’s when a signalcaller wants to prove not only that he belongs on the varsity level, but that he can be the type of prospect that college coaches take an interest in. Louie Barrios’ junior season didn’t go anything like what he had planned back in August of 2018. Cedar Creek limped to a 4-5 record, losing four of its final six games, and the season ended with a 57-0 drubbing at the hands of Pleasantville in the opening round of the state playoffs. Barrios had some tough questions to ask himself. Was he really the right guy to lead this football program back to prominence? Was he doing enough to be the leader people inside and outside of the program expected him to be? Was he as good as he thought back when he was leading the Egg Harbor City Crusaders youth program to championships? A loss like that can either crush a young football player or motivate him. Clearly, it motivated Barrios. Glory Days Magazine’s Football MVP came out this fall and put together one of the best seasons a South Jersey quarterback has ever had, throwing for nearly 2,700 yards and 34 touchdowns while cutting down his turnovers and leading the Pirates to the Central Jersey Group 2 championship, a 10-3 record, and a spot in the Cen-
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Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Senior quarterback Louie Barrios led Cedar Creek to 10 wins this year, including a victory over Camden in the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game. tral/South Regional Championship. He also rushed for nearly 700 yards and 12 more scores. Cedar Creek’s theme this year was “The Greatness Getback” and Barrios fulfilled all the promise he had shown as a gifted athlete when he arrived on campus four years ago. “It all started in the summer, especially after that Pleasantville game in the first round (of the 2018 playoffs). We all established a mission in the weight room and all the drills we did, we did those with intention. When coach Watson came up with ‘The Greatness Getback’ it hit home on everything
we were trying to work for. We had a great group of seniors this year with me, Malachi (Melton), Manny (Reid) — all of us — and we all started with watching what we did wrong last year as juniors so we could help the team more. We knew we didn’t want to have any regrets this year and I think we did what we had to do,” Barrios said. “I think it was just having a better relationship with coaches and understanding the game more. My sophomore year wasn’t that bad but my junior year wasn’t anything I expected at all, so I kind of restarted a lot of things. I talked
to different coaches, went to a different trainer, kind of just got back to the basics. Me and coach Watson talked all the time and I told him after my junior season that I didn’t want to leave Cedar Creek not being the best I could be. We all just started on a mission. He understood where I was coming from and he wanted the best for me.” Pirates coach Tim Watson said he always knew Barrios had this kind of potential, but there were times during his career when Barrios tried to
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Jan. 7, 2020 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 11 Barrios, from page 10 do too much. Watson said he had to get Barrios to believe in trusting his instincts and just be the player he had always been, not try to be something he wasn’t. “We knew Louie was going to be special when we got him as a freshman. He fought his way into a starting role as a sophomore, and he did have a little bit of a letdown his junior year. I think he expected to do a little better. But we made a few adjustments with the staff and brought on some new people, and I think that was good for his spirits. I’m a big believer in that if your heart is right, your game is going to be right, and I think his heart and mind were in a good place. We put him in position to make plays and take advantage of our strengths, and he was the perfect guy to make it happen,” Watson said. “(Taking what the defenses gave him) was a big adjustment for him. Another one was trusting his legs. He was so good at extending plays that for a little while in the beginning of this season he wasn’t content with running it, he wanted to try to extend the play and make some magic with his arm. But as the season wore on, we were like, ‘Louie, with the way you run the ball, you can pick up a first down a lot easier (by running) and if you get to the second level there’s a pretty good chance you can make some guys miss and you might have a chance to score.’ So (this year) he was a lot smarter and more mature with his decision making on certain downs, and he
“... we made a few adjustments with the staff and brought on some new people, and I think that was good for his spirits. I’m a big believer in that if your heart is right, your game is going to be right, and I think his heart and mind were in a good place. We put him in position to make plays and take advantage of our strengths, and he was the perfect guy to make it happen.” Tim Watson Cedar Creek head coach started to really develop the understanding of when to just take off and run and put the opposing defense in a bind.” Barrios said he spent the offseason studying high level college quarterbacks to see how they reacted in certain situations, and having a great 7-on-7 season helped boost his confidence as well. “It just came with experience and watching film. This offseason I watched a lot of college quarterback highlights. I tried to watch what they see, understand situations like down and distance, and what kind of defense I’m going up against. And I got a lot of reps in playing 7-on-7,” he said. “As a team, after that Camden game when we came back from being down by 28 points — even though we ended up losing, 4241, on a bad snap — that showed us who we were as players. We all knew there was no quit in us and that loss kind of jump-started a lot of things for us.” That bad snap was made by Tyler Hendrickson, and
he was distraught about costing the Pirates the game. So much so that he went out and practiced snapping 100 times a day for the next two weeks. Part of being the quarterback of a high school football team is showing leadership, and Barrios made it clear to Hendrickson that the Pirates won as a team, and lost as a team. “He took that hard and apologized to all of us, but I told him we shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place,” Barrios said. “It wasn’t all on that snap and he knows we all support him. We’re a team and we can’t put the blame on one person.” Especially at a school with the proud football tradition of Cedar Creek, being the quarterback is more than just throwing touchdown passes. You have to speak to the media after games, you have
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Jan. 7, 2020 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 13 Barrios, from page 11 to understand that young boys look up to you and idolize you. You have to carry yourself a certain way, and Barrios really embraced that role as the “face of the franchise” during his senior year. “Coach Watson does a great job with us throughout our four years and I realized a lot by picking up on little things. If I was in the weight room and playing around a little bit I realized I had to get down to business. I realized I had a lot of guys looking at me and what I do, and I have to be on my game if we’re going to do what I want us to do,” Barrios said. “Everybody always says everyone watches the quarterback and I didn’t really realize that until that first varsity snap. I realized that a lot of things were on my shoulders and I had to hold myself up the best I could.” “He’s been somebody who was a young Creek boy in the making, him and Malachi. They won championships together with the Crusaders and came up together, looking up to those older guys. And this year he really took ownership of what his role was in terms
of the community. It was awesome to see,” Watson said. “He’s a special leader and we’re glad he was able to play the type of football he was capable of playing. That’s the biggest thing — all these guys, we talked about the idea of greatness, and these guys lived out what we saw for them and what we thought they could accomplish, which doesn’t happen all the time.” Barrios said he’s still hoping to catch the eyes of college recruiters, and no doubt the stats he put up with open up some eyes. But no matter what happens after he graduates in June, Barrios will always have a championship season to look back on, years from now. “This year was probably my favorite year playing football ever, just the team we had, the vibe we had and the success. It’s a great feeling,” he said. “Me and Malachi have been playing together since we’ve been 5 years old, so to experience a championship — we won back in youth league, but it’s even crazier now to think about how we were at the bottom last year and this year we finished on top.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Barrios threw more than 30 touchdowns against one of the toughest schedules in South Jersey.
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Remembering a legend
BILL WALSH 1967-2019/HOLY SPIRIT COACH/HUSBAND/FATHER/FRIEND By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer urrent Holy Spirit head football coach A.J. Russo has to sit back and laugh when he thinks about those times in the early 2000s, back when Bill Walsh took over the Spartans program. Following games, once all the post-game speeches had finished up and the locker room buttoned up for the night, Russo and Walsh would sit in Walsh’s back yard in Galloway and just tell stories — sometimes carrying on until 3 a.m. And, surprisingly, most of those stories had nothing to do with football. Sure, there was some pigskin talk, but more often than not these two friends and Spirit alumni would talk simply about life, kids, work, good times they had throughout the years. Maybe even bust out the guitar and sing a couple of songs. That’s the kind of guy Bill Walsh was. A good ol’ boy you didn’t mind sitting in the back yard telling stories with until the wee hours of the morning. And maybe that says more about the man than any state championship ever will. Mostly, Walsh was known during his life as the guy who — and this might not be an exaggeration — saved Holy Spirit. At the turn of the new century, the Spirit football program, and the school itself, was going through some tough times and needed somebody to step up and breath life back into the once proud hallowed ground in Absecon. Walsh was the perfect man for the job with his never-ending enthusiasm and love for the school. He had played there, wore the now iconic No. 16, and often credited the success he enjoyed in life to the school. Four years after taking over as head football coach, Walsh led the Spartans to a 12-0 record and a state championship. His time as head coach was brief, but he later returned
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Glory Days file photo/Dave O’Sullivan
as an assistant when Russo took over a few years ago, and a new generation of players became enthralled with the hard-charging, joke-cracking assistant coach. There may be a former Holy Spirit player or two who wouldn’t run through a brick wall — sans helmet — for coach Walsh, but they’d be tough to find. You’d have to do some serious digging. Walsh passed away in November — fittingly enough, on Game Day, as the Spartans were preparing to start a run that would end in another state championship. He was just 52 years old and had battled ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, for nearly three years. He leaves behind wife Cindy and daughter Kelly, who is a senior
at Holy Spirit and a big part of the field hockey and softball programs. And an honorary member of the football team, as she has grown up on the sidelines. “Bill came in at a time when the Holy Spirit football program had a little bit of a downturn, and the school was in a little bit of a downturn. They brought Bill in here as the advancement director and head football coach, and he had a huge, huge impact on turning not only the football program around, but turning the direction of the school around. I can’t stress enough how important that was to the Holy Spirit community. The fact that he was an alum, the fact that he played football here, he was able to draw people back into the building and back into the community,” Russo said.
“You add on top of that his personality and the way he handled himself — he was a professional through and through and did everything he could to not only help the kids at Holy Spirit, but he helped kids at other high schools as well. Helping them get into schools, find jobs. He worked for the City of Margate for many years in the summer, working with the beach badge checkers, and he would get kids from other high schools jobs. He helped everyone he could, it wasn’t just Holy Spirit people. “The turnaround the school had was huge,” Russo continued. “Obviously there were other faculty members who jumped on board and did things, but
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Jan. 7, 2020 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 15 Legend, from page 14 Bill was the impetus to getting us back to where we needed to be, and hopefully continuing to move us forward.” Aside from becoming an icon among South Jersey coaches throughout his career, Walsh also was a huge inspiration to coach Russo, who has been battling through colon cancer for more than a year. Russo said he looked at how Walsh was handling ALS and knew he couldn’t let his buddy down by not beating cancer and giving in to the fears that go along with having a potentially deadly disease. “To have a person like Bill in your program means so much. To be the type of guy he was and the type of friend, I can’t explain how much he meant to me. I was going through my issues with cancer at the same time he was going through his. Obviously, they are two different types of situations, but he was always talking to me about stepping up, swinging the bat each and every day, and moving forward,” Russo said. “He had a lot to do with the positive attitude I was able to maintain. Even though he was going through what he was, he still was picking me up and picking up other people who were down at certain points, and that’s a credit to the type of man he was.” Sadly, for his own family and for the extended South Jersey football family, Bill Walsh is no longer with us. But his spirit, energy, positive attitude and
profound effect he had on so many lives in this area no doubt will live on for generations to come. For the first time, during this past season’s playoff run, Holy Spirit donned logos on its helmets. On one side was the Spartan logo, and on the other was Walsh’s No. 16. “Most of the time we were just telling stories,” Russo remembered about those post-game get togethers many years ago. “The football stuff, we got that done quick and short, we kept things simple for the kids, then he and I would just talk about football stories and life in general. He was a student when my mom was teaching here. Just good ol’ buddy stories, and that’s the best part about it. Even through his illness, he was still the same Bill Walsh he always was. Even when he couldn’t speak he was still telling sto-
ries, texting you or writing on the white board, and just having a laugh — and that means so much that he could keep things on a normal basis. He did that better than anyone I’ve ever seen who is facing that situation. The football stuff was one thing, but the things I’ll remember most are the stories, the ribbing, just being a normal guy. He was a normal, blue-collar guy and he loved every minute of it. He was a true family man. “The first couple years we would go back to his house after every game and be hanging out until 2 or 3 in the morning, just hanging out in his backyard having a beer and telling stories. We’d be playing guitar, singing songs. It was a pretty good time.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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Glory Days FOOTBALL MVP NOMINEE E’LIJAH GRAY u HOLY SPIRIT
Finishing at top the ultimate testament to Gray’s character School, transferred in to Holy Spirit By DAVE O’SULLIVAN this past summer and suddenly Gray Staff Writer very day of his Holy Spirit wasn’t alone in the backfield as Holy football career, current senior Spirit’s running back. He now had to E’lijah Gray has been willing share carries with a back who had allto do whatever it takes to bring a state state potential, but in true E’lijah Gray championship back to Absecon. There form, he didn’t show any frustration were games when he played hurt, with having the limelight shine on games when he carried the ball up- someone else. He viewed the situation wards of 30 times or more, he’s played as making the team better, even if his running back, quarterback, even wide numbers might take a hit during the course of the season. receiver and kick returner. See, it has never been about numbers Winning has always been important to Gray, but so, too, has been the abil- for Gray, unless you’re talking about ity to do so with pride, purpose and the No. 1, which is where he wanted character. Gray, with his wide smile his Spartans to be in Non-Public Group and signature dreadlock hairstyle, has 2 on Dec. 8. “He’s a leader. I follow in his footbecome one of the most beloved teamsteps and evmates in recent erything he Spartans history, so it was no “Even if we didn’t win the state does, I try to surprise that afchampionship, E’lijah Gray is be right behind him. He leads ter Spirit throta winner across the board, the way. I’m tled rival St. beyond proud Joseph, 38-0, in in everything that he does. of him because early December From the way he handles himself of how hard at Rutgers Uniin the building as far as in the he’s worked versity to finally win another classroom and in the hallways, from his freshman year until state championto what he does on the football now,” Smith ship after being denied twice field — and, more importantly, said following before during what he does in the community. that win over St. Joseph. “We’ve Gray’s career, E’lijah is one of Holy Spirit’s been talking that he was the about this since biggest assets.” one teammates the first day I hoisted up in the A.J. Russo stepped foot on air to hold the Holy Spirit coach Holy Spirit’s trophy aloft. grounds, he said I r o n i c a l l y, that we were gosome of the ing to win it tohighest praise for Gray’s performance this season gether. He’s been leading us this whole came from his biggest competition. way as our captain. I’m beyond proud Patrick Smith, who had a breakout of him.” “E’lijah, I take my hat off to him. freshman season at St. Augustine Prep before spending 2018 at The Peddie E’lijah Gray is THE hardest worker I
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know. He comes to the weight room every day, ready to lift, ready to compete. Patrick Smith is a phenomenal athlete, but so is E’lijah. It’s the 1-2 punch, thunder and lightning,” added fellow senior Ahmad Brown. “He’s very humble. He has a ‘humble beast’ tattoo, and he really lives that humble beast mentality. He’s humble in the hallways, humble on the field — but he is a beast. A really big beast.” Holy Spirit coach A.J. Russo says you have to look beyond even the football to understand how valuable Gray has been to the Holy Spirit program. “That just goes to the type of kid E’lijah is. Even if we didn’t win the state championship, E’lijah Gray is a winner across the board, in everything that he does. From the way he handles himself in the building as far as in the classroom and in the hallways, to what he does on the football field — and, more importantly, what he does in the community. E’lijah is one of Holy Spirit’s biggest assets as far as getting younger kids interested in coming to school here. He loved doing that, embracing the kids, and the younger kids all embraced him. I can’t say enough about the type of kid he is, his character, his work ethic, and his athletic and
football ability kind of speaks for itself. But some of the other stuff people probably don’t know about him. He’s a super kid and he’s going to be very successful in life,” Russo said. “After we got the picture taken with the trophy, he was the first kid I handed that trophy to because he worked his tail off for four years and deserved that. When I handed it to him, all his teammates lifted him up into the air and he deserved every minute of that.” Some athletes like to spit out cliche after cliche following a big victory, but when it comes from Gray you know the words are honest and true, and after the Spartans won the state championship and he talked about a team-first attitude, well, that’s something he’s not only preached, but lived, the past four years. “It’s just amazing how we ended the season like this. It’s an amazing feeling. I don’t care about who got the carries, we had two backs in the backfield and that’s Holy Spirit football,” Gray said. “It was about the team first. I never wanted it to be just about me, I always wanted it to be about the team.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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Glory Days OFFENSIVE Player of the Year JADA BYERS u ST. JOSEPH
Record-setting career Byers put up big numbers as he led Wildcats to success By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer s the 2019 season began to draw to a close, St. Joseph senior running back Jada Byers was closing in on becoming South Jersey’s all-time leader in touchdowns scored. But with only a pair of playoff games to get it done — and needing 10 more scores to reach the record — it wasn’t looking good for the little dynamo from Bridgeton. But people have been telling Byers his whole life about the things he couldn’t do, about how he was too small. He’s never cared. As it turns out, Glory Days Magazine’s Offensive Player of the Year needed just one game to collect all the touchdowns he needed to become South Jersey’s new No. 1 touchdown maker. He scored a mind-boggling 10 TDs in the Wildcats’ 76-22 win over Morris Catholic in the Non-Public Group 2 semifinals, before St. Joseph’s season came to a disappointing end with a 38-0 loss to rival Holy Spirit in the state championship game. “It feels good to think about everything I’ve been able to accomplish through these four years of high school and I can’t wait to get to college. The difference this year was that we had a great line last year, but people didn’t understand that the line we had this year might have been young but they are going to be great players when they get older. They helped me out a lot this year,” Byers said recently. “When other teams try to game plan to stop me I try
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Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Jada Byers, a running back from Bridgeton, led St. Joseph to its third straight state championship game appearance this season and finished his career as South Jersey’s all-time leader in touchdowns with 102. to get my teammates to help me out. I tell guys like Ahmad (Ross) or Keshon Griffin that (teams trying to stop me) should motivate them so that they can’t just focus on one player. I tell people on my team that they should hate that other teams think all they have to do is stop No. 3, and that gives them motivation, and that’s why we won as many games as we did.” Byers has been one of the most dynamic playmakers throughout his ca-
reer in the red-and-silver. He’s gobbled up thousands of yards as both a running back and receiver and holds South Jersey record for career touchdowns with 102, single-game points with 60, and single-game touchdowns with 10, and came within 20 points of breaking former Paulsboro star Kevin Harvey’s career points mark of 640. Harvey is the running back Byers passed on the career touchdowns list. “It feels great to be part of this pro-
gram and I came here for a reason. I’ve learned about body language and character. This program teaches you how to be a man. You have to watch yourself coming through the St. Joe program because you never know who is watching or who is looking at you,” said Byers, who has committed to Sacred Heart University to continue his academic and football careers. “The
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Jan. 7, 2020 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 19 Byers, from page 18 record touchdown was my favorite. When I came across the goal line I just ran to my mom and gave her the ball. There was nothing else to worry about, all the stress was gone and I didn’t have to worry about breaking records anymore. It feels good to be No. 1 on that list. I never knew anything about the record until my senior year, but going through high school I always felt like anything was possible.” Coaches around South Jersey, including A.J. Russo of Holy Spirit, will be happy they no long have to game plan to stop Byers. “His ability to play any position on the field is No. 1. He can split out at wide receiver, you can have him at tailback, fullback, wingback. He’s played quarterback. He’s played everywhere,” Russo said. “When you put a kid in a position like that he can beat you in so many ways and it’s hard to be able to contain him.” When asked how much attention Byers garnered during the Spartans’ prep week every time Holy Spirit played St. Joseph, coach Russo didn’t mince words. “How about 100 percent? We needed to identify where he was on every single play,” he said. “I’m not joking that 100 percent of the time we needed to know where he was. He has great vision and obviously his speed is an asset, and the way he can change
During his four-year career, Byers helped lead St. Joe to 39 wins, including an 8-2 mark in the state playoffs. Glory Days photo/ Dave O’Sullivan
direction without missing a beat is what made him so difficult to tackle.” Byers is just 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds, but he has made a huge impact for the Wildcats the last four years. During his time on the gridiron, St. Joseph went 39-8, including 8-2 in state playoff games, and won a pair of state championships, adding another chapter to the legacy that is St. Joseph High School football. The past three years, Byers-led St. Joe went 31-4 and lost just one playoff game, this year’s state championship against Holy Spirit. He’s also made his mark among the area youth, many of whom dream of
growing up to be just like him. “I’m going to miss this because it feels so good to have so many people who have your back and you know you can call and have a good conversation with. That’s what I thought I got out of St. Joe’s,” he said. “It feels great to have an impact on kids and know they look up to me and I can set a great example for them. If I know a kid is looking up to me I want to motivate him to never give up in life and do what they want to do, achieve all their goals.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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Offensive Player of the Year Nominees u Ja’Briel Mace, Mainland Regional, RB: Talk about making an immediate impression! The freshman running back rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his rookie season and had some monster games, including more than 200 yards and three touchdowns in wins over Absegami and Middle Township. By midseason Mace already was one of the top running backs in all of South Jersey. u Jake Cook, Mainland Regional, WR: Really came on strong in the second half of the season and was a big compliment to the Mustangs’ running game. A big reason this team was able to win 10 games. u Joe Repetti, Ocean City, QB: In just his first year as a varsity starter, Repetti helped lead the Red Raiders to their best season under current coach Kevin Smith. A dual threat, Repetti led his team to the sectional championship on an inspired playoff run that included a huge road victory at rival Mainland Regional. u E’lijah Gray, Holy Spirit, RB: One of the most durable and reliable backs in South Jersey the past three years, Gray capped his career by leading his team to a state championship while putting up big numbers once again. u Elijah Steward, Holy Spirit, WR: A relative unknown coming into the season, everybody knew his name by the end after some big-time breakout games. u Jake Ketschek, St. Augustine Prep, OL: A massive force on the left side of the Hermits’ offensive line, Ketschek made it routine to dish out pancake blocks and pave the way for St.
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Freshman Ja’Briel Mace rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his rookie season and helped lead Mainland to a 10-1 record and a second straight division title. Augustine Prep’s impressive rushing attack. He’s one of the top linemen in all of New Jersey. u Kanye Udoh, St. Augustine Prep, RB: Once he became eligible after transferring, Udoh was nearly unstoppable and helped lead the Hermits to seven victories and a spot in the state semifinals. u Keon Henry, Pleasantville, WR: Henry was the biggest deep threat on the outside for freshman quarterback Marlon Leslie and made big plays throughout the year, including
a huge touchdown against Buena that helped the Greyhounds lock up a WJFL United Division title. u JoJo Bermudez, Cedar Creek, WR: He’s still just a sophomore, but Bermudez already has established himself as one of the top slot receivers in South Jersey. He had nearly 1,000 yards and scored 10 receiving touchdowns for a team that won 10 games and a sectional title.
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Football MVP Nominees u Patrick Smith, Holy Spirit, RB/KR: Holy Spirit looked to be a pretty good football team heading into this year, but the Spartans got profoundly better when Smith arrived this summer. One of the most dynamic athletes in the state, Smith put on a show week after week in both the running and kick return games, and helped lead Holy Spirit to a state championship. u Chris Armstrong, Ocean City, OL: Armstrong became the leader of a hungry group of Red Raiders who were determined to win a South Jersey Group 4 championship, and they nearly pulled it off, making it to the title game before falling to Shawnee. u Stephen Moore Jr., EHT, OL/DL: Moore played well on both sides of the ball and, more importantly, helped boost the confidence of a young team that shook off a slow start to finish out the year with a .500 mark. u Brayden Pohlman, Mainland Regional, OL/DL: In one of the most inspiring stories of the season, Pohlman somehow came back from a torn ACL to play against rival Ocean City, and led his team to a victory that sealed a second straight WJFL Independence Division championship. u Joshua Kotokpo, Pleasantville, RB: He battled through ankle injuries throughout the early part of the season, but came on strong later in the year and led the Hounds to eight wins and a spot in the sectional semifinals. u Manny Reid, Cedar Creek, ATH: Reid was one of the most versatile athletes in the West
Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Patrick Smith earned all-state honors after a tremendous junior season that saw Holy Spirit win the Non-Public Group 2 state championship. Jersey Football League and made so many contributions on both sides of the ball for a team that won 10 games and a sectional title. u Chandler Bird, St. Augustine Prep, OL: Maybe the best center in South Jersey, Bird had a tremendous year and led one of the best offensive lines in the state. u Ray Weed, Absegami, QB/DB: Weed did it all for the Braves, starting at quarterback and safety, and helped lead his team to a resur-
gence in the second half of the season despite playing most of the year with a knee injury. u Shawn McGraw, Atlantic City, RB/DB: The junior was a difference maker on both sides of the ball and rarely came off the field for a team that was undersized and out-manned against much of its competition. He’s a big-time playmaker from the running back position but can also split out as a wide receiver.
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Glory Days DEFENSIVE Player of the Year MALACHI MELTON u CEDAR CREEK
MAX EFFORT Melton filled up the stat sheet while leading his team to a sectional title By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer he Willingboro coaching staff knew all about Cedar Creek senior Malachi “Max” Melton and how he is one of the top defensive backs in South Jersey. Imagine their surprise, however, when in the season opener they saw No. 16 coming off the edge as a defensive end and wrecking havoc in the backfield. When you have a superior athlete like Melton, why not use him as sort of a Swiss Army knife on defense? Pirates coach Tim Watson is a smart skipper, and that’s exactly what he did all season with the best player on his roster, using Melton as a defensive end, outside linebacker and defensive back. Basically, depending on the matchup, Watson wanted Melton to be in the best position to make the most plays, and the results were impressive. Glory Days Magazine’s Defensive Player of the Year finished with 68 tackles, including 43 of the solo variety, and a school record 33 tackles for loss. He also added seven sacks, four interceptions, 11 pass break-ups, two defensive touchdowns — and, just for good measure, a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns. Not only was Melton a force on defense, he got the job done offensively, too, rushing for more than 200 yards and adding 800 receiving yards on 63 receptions. He scored seven receiving touchdowns and one rushing, and his one pass completion went for a 66-yard touchdown. “He made some big plays. He had 33 tackles for loss, which is by far a record for us. He had seven in the first game against Willingboro and that’s when we said, ‘this might be the move with him.’ We knew they were huge and had 6-foot-5, 300-pound tackles so we said what if we put him out there and let him disrupt off the edge? It ended up working out really well and threw off their game plan,” Watson said.
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Glory Days photo/Dave O’Sullivan
Senior Malachi “Max” Melton registered a school-record 33 tackles for loss while playing several different positions and leading Cedar Creek to 10 wins and a Central Jersey Group 2 championship. “He was probably the biggest reason we were able to get that win. In that game we played Manny Reid at corner, too, and had kind of a ‘NASCAR’ package where we had superior athletes getting pressure off the edge. Then we had the ‘Busch Series’ package with Malachi and one of our traditional outside linebackers, and that turned into our base defense.” “I expected to have a pretty good impact. My positions changed, but coach Watson put me in the perfect position to make plays, and with the opportunity I had, I just took it and I had some tackles for loss. I even had some interceptions, almost as much as a defensive back would have, so there’s nothing to complain about there. I just went out there to have fun,”
said Melton, who originally gave a verbal commitment to Purdue University but switched to Rutgers recently after the hire of new coach Greg Schiano. “It was different, but it was really fun. I got to hit people more, but I still got to drop back into coverage like a defensive back would. All the things I love to do at DB, I got to do at linebacker. I know every position pretty well and when we were preparing for teams our coaches would put us in the best position. So they would tell me, ‘OK, we might move you here, you might be safety or outside linebacker.’ Whatever the deal was with the team we were playing, and I was
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Jan. 7, 2020 w Glory Days Magazine w Page 23 Melton, from page 22 always prepared to play any position.” It’s no coincidence that Cedar Creek played in a sectional championship with a Melton on the roster. Malachi’s older brothers, Gary Jr. and Bo, each played in one but lost to West Deptford. This time around, Malachi was able to lead the Pirates past Camden in the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game, and a 10-win season. He knows he’ll always be mentioned in the same breath as Gary Jr. and Bo, who he’ll join next year as a teammate at Rutgers, but that’s just fine with him. His parents, Vicky and Gary Sr., also were outstanding athletes at Rutgers and the Meltons have become sort of the first family of Cedar Creek football. “I think that is what makes him who he is. He had a ton of expectations and pressure, and sometimes that stuff can get to it. But if you’re mentally strong enough you can ignore it and focus on your own game. He felt it a little bit his junior year, and this year nothing changed in terms of the type of competition we were playing, but he came into this year with a chip on his shoulder. In all those games we played, he would be one of those guys where you’d say he’s one of the best players on the field today. And that’s saying something because we played some really talented teams,” Watson said. “He made some key plays in big games that he wasn’t really doing his junior year. He really came into his own and wrote his own story. He wasn’t Bo Melton’s little brother anymore, he wasn’t Vicky and Gary Melton’s son, the ex-Rutgers stars — he became Malachi Melton and wrote his own story, and that was awesome to see.” “I’ve never really thought about that. I go out there and play my own game. I know I play like my brothers, and like my parents in certain ways. I know it’s going to be pointed out here and there but that doesn’t bother me. I’m proud of that,” Melton said. “I felt it in the games whenever I made a big hit or scored a touchdown, I definitely felt like I was my own person out there.” Melton made plenty of big hits and scored a lot of touchdowns while leading the Pirates to a championship season, which was a big focus of the team after Cedar Creek went 4-5 a year ago
“...he came into this year with a chip on his shoulder. In all those games we played, he would be one of those guys where you’d say he’s one of the best players on the field today. And that’s saying something because we played some really talented teams.” Tim Watson Cedar Creek coach and got blown out by Pleasantville in the opening round of the state playoffs. “Coming into this season we were talking about ‘The Greatness Getback’ and talking about getting back to the championship, and we were laughed at a lot. Everybody knew we had a great senior class that had graduated and that our team was going to be very young, so for us to be so young and be talking about a championship, nobody believed us,” Melton said. “But we went out there, played our hearts out, stuck to the game plan and showed everyone what we could do. We did that all season long. I’m proud of our young guys because we had a lot of sophomores out there but they all brought it every week and gave 100 percent.” Melton will be getting an early start on his Big Ten football career as he graduated high school early and plans to enroll at Rutgers this month, and he said he’s more than ready for the next challenge. “(This season) was great. I think the best part about it was seeing all my guys happy and seeing that the young guys on this team now know what it takes to get there, and they can carry that into next season. That was the best feeling for me, playing with dudes I’ve been playing with for years, like Louie (Barrios). It just felt great knowing that everybody bought in, from the fans to the coaches to the players,” he said. “I can’t wait to be playing at the next level in the Big Ten, it doesn’t really get better than that. I can’t wait to get up there and show what I can do on the next level.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
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Defensive Player of the Year Nominees Senior Isaiah Raikes was one of the best defensive linemen in South Jersey this season despite facing constant double and triple teams from opposing offensive lines. He plans to continue his career next fall at Texas A&M University. Glory Days photo/ Dave O’Sullivan
u Isaiah Raikes, St. Augustine Prep, DL: The Texas A&M recruit and 300-pounder faced a constant stream of double and sometimes triple team blocking schemes from opposing offensive lines, but still managed to have an outstanding season. He helped lead the Hermits to seven wins and a spot in the state semifinals, and was one of the most dominant defensive linemen in South Jersey. u Drew DeMorat, Mainland Regional, LB: DeMorat was all over the field every game for the Mustangs and continuously made big plays for a team that went 10-1 and registered its second straight West Jersey Football League Independence Division championship. After back-to-back 1-9 seasons when DeMorat was a freshman and sophomore, he’s helped lead one of the more impressive turnarounds in South Jersey the past two years, as Mainland
has won 19 games during that span. u Brandon Batz, Mainland Regional, DB: One of the smartest safeties in the West Jersey Football League, Batz combined experience and toughness to become a defender that not only had to be accounted for in the passing game, but also made a huge impact in run support. u Chase Lomax, St. Joseph, DL/LB: Still just a junior, Lomax anchored a very good front seven for the Wildcats and helped lead his team into the state championship game for the third straight year. u Corey Yeoman, Atlantic City, LB: The Vikings struggled in the win/loss category, but Yeoman is a superior athlete who helped keep his team in games every week. He also took on a heavy load as the team’s starting quarterback. u Brian Beckmann, Ocean City, DB: The
heart and soul of the Red Raiders’ defense, Beckmann is the true definition of a “gamer” and helped lead his team to its most successful season under current coach Kevin Smith, as the Red Raiders made it all the way to the sectional championship before falling to Shawnee. u Ernest Howard, Pleasantville, LB: Not only the captain and emotional leader of a team that made its second straight appearance in the sectional semifinals, Howard was one of the top linebackers in South Jersey. Read more about him in our feature on Page 26. u Ahmad Brown, Holy Spirit, LB/DB: Brown was the only two-way player on the Spartans’ roster, and his grit and toughness helped Holy Spirit navigate a very tough schedule. He shined in the playoffs, leading the Spartans to a state championship that included a shutout over St. Joseph in the title game.
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Glory Days FOOTBALL MVP NOMINEE ERNEST HOWARD u PLEASANTVILLE
‘Big Ern’ left marks on opponents, Greyhounds’ program Howard guided P’Ville through a season of tragedy and triumph By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Staff Writer n the toughest times, the darkest hours — when fear is abundant and confidence that things will ever be right again is not — that’s when a team needs its leader the most. On Nov. 15 this past fall, Pleasantville was locked in an intense battle with Camden in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals. The visiting Panthers were ahead 6-0, and Pleasantville had just punted the ball away late in the third quarter. Then everything changed in a few seconds, as shots rang out in the stands and a young boy was struck. Players, fans, coaches, officials — everyone at the stadium — ran for cover, hoping they wouldn’t be the next gunshot victim. That was on a Friday night, and the following Wednesday — after the Pleasantville players, led by senior linebacker Ernest Howard Jr., decided to resume the game, which ended up being held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia — Micah Tennant, the 10-year-old boy who was shot, died from his injuries. The Greyhounds got the news as they were en route to Philadelphia, and eventually Camden won the game, 22-0, and advanced to play Cedar Creek in the championship. But although this past season didn’t end with a state championship, Howard provided much more than any ring could ever symbolize, as he kept a group of young football players from coming apart at the seams. He switched his jersey number from 2 to 10 in that playoff game to honor the age of Micah, and played his guts out for the final 17 minutes of game time that were left at The Linc. The way he carried himself is the definition of a championship, even if the Greyhounds don’t have a banner to hang inside their gymnasium. “He definitely led the group. We had other guys who were right there with him, and when you’re a leader you lead in all facets of life. I think that’s what we saw with him, no matter the circumstance leaders rise up, and he rose to the occasion,” said Pleasant-
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Senior linebacker Ernest Howard is one of the top students at Pleasantville High School and earned a scholarship to continue his career at Sacred Heart University. ville coach Chris Sacco. “The whole incident was unfortunate and like I told the kids, there’s no playbook for this. There’s no script for how to go off of this, we just had to stick together. It started with us as a coaching staff and trickled down to the players. Everybody stuck together and it really helps when you have a guy like Ernest who can kind of keep a pulse on the players. It made things a little more smooth.” “The shooting happened and I was just trying to think of a way to keep going. We would have had a few more games left if we had won that game, so I just tried to keep the ball rolling. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out with a championship, but at least we finished out the season. I just tried to keep everything going for the guys. That was my role,” Howard said after his recent college signing to Sacred Heart University, where the honors student will continue his academic and football careers. “I didn’t really care about the football aspect of things, to be honest. I re-
ally lost it for the last week or two. We had to finish the game (in Philadelphia) and then the whole aftermath when Micah passed away. Basically, I was just trying to teach kids lessons and keep things together in the last week or two. It was definitely hard. After the shooting we had a team meeting and I was with the other guys with whatever they wanted to do. I didn’t really care about the game at that point, but if they wanted to go out and finish it, I was going to play hard every snap of the ball. I wasn’t trying to give up at all.” While that incredibly difficult situation showed Howard’s true character, his football ability has been on display every Friday night for the past couple of years after he transferred back home from Mainland Regional. He was a dominant force on defense, filling the role vacated by Rutgers recruit Mohamed Toure
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Page 28 w Glory Days Magazine w Jan. 7, 2020 Howard, from page 26 at middle linebacker, he was a running back and even a quarterback in shortyardage situations. He did it all for the Greyhounds. “The only difference is he’s two inches shorter (than Mohamed). From a physical standpoint, he was the most physical kid on the field every game. Once he got a hold of you, you were going down, that’s how sure of a tackler he is. And his football IQ is really high. We can move him around on offense and defense, have him play special teams — he really did whatever we asked, he played quarterback,” Sacco said. “We (ran the wildcat) the year before with Mohamed because he was just physically bigger than most people, and the same thing with Ernest. Physically, he is bigger and stronger than most people and you can wear teams down like that. It was a huge advantage to us to put him at quarterback and have him run the ball a little bit, and obviously on defense he made plays.” “I just tried to pick up where those guys left off, really. I tried to keep the ball rolling, keep everybody motivated and inspired. Throughout the season I tried to teach kids to battle through injuries. I was battling injuries since Week Two. After the Haddonfield game I had two sprained ankles the whole season but I just had to keep playing through it. A lot of it was just trying to inspire kids and keep them motivated. Obviously, we wanted to win a championship, but it was more about teaching everybody a lesson through football,” Howard said of his senior season. “We really didn’t know who was going to play quarterback and it was coming down to the last couple of scrimmages. I had to step in some-
Howard was a playmaker on both sides of the ball, often taking snaps at quarterback in short-yardage or goal-line situations. times and I told coach I was always ready to play (quarterback). We had a whole package for me in the wildcat and I would get in there and run iso, basically. Everybody knew when I got the ball we were running it, and I just tried to run it up the middle to get first downs and touchdowns.” In Sacco’s first season, 2015, Pleasantville went 0-10 after going 3-47 the previous five years, but with the help of guys like Toure and fellow 2019 graduates Elijah Glover and Sahmir Jones, and now Howard, the Greyhounds have become a force in Group 2. The past three years Pleasantville has racked up 23 wins against just nine losses. “You put on the film and he pops on every film. Opposing coaches tell you that they have to game plan around him, and that’s really the ultimate compliment when you’re a player, when the opposing team has to scheme around you,” Sacco said. “I’ve had many coaches tell me the last couple of years that he’s a guy who you have to know on every play where he’s at on offense and defense. He’s a playmaker and
normally the best player on the field.” A big key to Howard’s success has been the love and support of his family, most notably mom Keisha. “Keisha has done a phenomenal job. They are like family to us, and everything she’s done to help raise him, his sisters and his brother — he’s a great kid who comes from a great family, and we’re so proud of him,” Sacco said. “That’s one thing we wanted to create is that family environment. We wanted the kids to know that we’re their football coaches but we’re here for everything, and I think we’ve accomplished that. We’re excited to see where Ernest can go from here.” “My mom, she doesn’t really know a lot about football, she just knows she wants me to go somewhere that I’ll be happy, and it’s academics first and foremost,” Howard added. “Going through the (youth leagues) and high school, she’s always been there at my games no matter what. And even if she couldn’t make it to a game she would always tell me that she loves me and good luck, and that means a lot. This
is definitely for her. I have to do it for her.” All that he did on the football field has opened up doors for Howard, as he recently signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his career at Sacred Heart University. The honors student and one of the top leaders in Pleasantville High School says he plans to major in engineering. “Everything we said about his character, the type of kid he is, his work ethic — that’s what separates a scholarship kid from a non-scholarship kid, most of the time. Colleges are really risking their livelihood on the kids they are recruiting, so getting a kid like him is a surefire bet, both on and off the field,” coach Sacco said. “I learned a lot this season and I’m ready for the next level. I’m going to miss high school football though. At the Ocean City game (on Thanksgiving) I got hurt on like the third play and I couldn’t even walk, so I was like, ‘dang, that’s how I’m going to go out?’ But there was nothing I could do about it. But ever since I got to Pleasantville (former players) got the ball rolling for me and I really appreciate that. Everything that coach Sacco, the rest of the coaches and my teammates did, they got me better. To go there for a couple of years and then become a Division I player,” Howard said. “I’m going to take full advantage of this because my younger brother watches every move I make, literally. He loves football and wants to play football, so me going to Sacred Heart will be the happy ending for everything. Seeing my mom happy — this is an opportunity I have to take head on, right from the start.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays