SJSW Weekly Notebook: Opening Week

South Jersey Sports Weekly is a publication that launched in April. It’s produced by Sun Newspapers and appears in the physical copy within the Suns throughout South Jersey (in Moorestown, Medford, Cherry Hill, Washington Township, Deptford, etc). each Wednesday. Most of the content also appears online. The weekly, online notebook will provide you with even more of the content within SJSW’s physical pages.

 

Washington Township held on for a 4-2 win over Williamstown on the first day of the fall sports schedule Tuesday. (RYAN LAWRENCE, South Jersey Sports Weekly)

It’s officially after Labor Day, which means two things: you can’t wear white (unless you’re a sports team?) and high school sports are back in action in South Jersey.

Schools all across Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington Counties opened for their respective first days of the 2019-20 school year on Tuesday and their sports programs wasted little time getting their first official games of the season in on a picture perfect afternoon.

Washington Township’s girls soccer team hosted Williamstown and received a standout performance by senior Giovanna Castorina. One of three Castorina sisters on the Minutemaids roster, Giovanna recorded a hat trick in Township’s 4-2 victory over the Braves.

If you’ve been checking this website regularly or read the physical Sun Newspaper that comes in your mailbox each week, you’re probably all caught up on South Jersey Sports Weekly special, two-week Fall Sports Preview Issues. If not, we’re here to help you get caught up.

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Fall Sports Preview

Since our Fall Sports Preview ran over the course of two weeks, there are not one but two Fall Sports Preview cover stories.

Moorestown established itself as the premiere high school sports program in South Jersey last year when it won six state championship and nine sectional titles. From left to right are seniors Grace Leese (tennis), Grace Hurren (soccer), Joseph Delconte (soccer), Adam Robinson (football) and junior Margaret Lawler (field hockey). (RYAN LAWRENCE, South Jersey Sports Weekly)

The first one is a look into one of the state’s top high schools for sports: Moorestown High School. The Quakers won six state titles and nine sectional crowns last school year, and this wasn’t an anomaly: their programs are regularly hoisting trophies.

We talked with students, coaches, and school officials about what makes the athletic programs so success at Moorestown High.

Moten knows how to pay tribute to Bo Jackson. (SERENITY BISHOP, South Jersey Sports Weekly)

The second SJSW Fall Preview cover story features one of the state’s top athletes, Delran senior R.J. Moten, who recently committed to the University of Michigan, where he’ll play football and baseball.

With a photo nod to someone who did the football-baseball combo pretty well a quarter century ago, we spoke with Moten, along with coaches from both Delran and Cinnaminson, about the rivalry game the dynamic back and the rivalry teams will play to open the South Jersey football season this Friday. Moten and his teammates are eager to “Burn the Ships.”

The two-week Fall Preview was chock full of stories from across the South Jersey high school sports scene.

Last season as a freshman, Matt Welsey stepped into the starting lineup more than midway through the year and helped lead the Renegades to a sectional title. (RYAN LAWRENCE, South Jersey Sports Weekly)

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Games to Watch
Wednesday, Sept. 4 – Tuesday, Sept. 10

Wednesday, Sept. 4

Field Hockey: Haddonfield at Collingswood, 3:45 p.m.
Boys Soccer: Moorestown at Burlington Twp., 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 5

Girls Volleyball: Williamstown at Washington Twp., 3:45 p.m.
Girls Soccer: Bishop Eustace at Seneca, 3:45 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 6

Football: Cinnaminson at Delran, 7 p.m.
Football: Clearview vs. Kingsway, 7 p.m. at Rowan University

Saturday, Sept. 7

Cross Country: Cherokee Challenge, 9 a.m. at Cherokee HS
Girls Soccer: Washington Twp. at Eastern, 10 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 9 

Boys Soccer: Delsea at Deptford, 4 p.m.
Girls Tennis: Rancocas Valley at Moorestown, 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 10

Girls Soccer: Bishop Eustace vs. Cherry Hill East, 3:45 p.m. at DeCou Field Complex
Field Hockey: Lenape at Seneca, 3:45 p.m.

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Scenes from Opening Day

As we mentioned above, Washington Township opened the 2019-20 school year with a 4-2 win over Williamstown in girls soccer.

Washington Township’s Amanda Attanasi gains possession as Williamstown’s Miranda Uzdavines gives chase. (RYAN LAWRENCE, South Jersey Sports Weekly)
Washington Township’s Giovanna Castorina and Williamstown’s Josephine Curran battle for the ball. (RYAN LAWRENCE, South Jersey Sports Weekly)
Williamstown’s Haley Thiel makes a play on the ball as Washington Township’s Manon Bada closes in. (RYAN LAWRENCE, South Jersey Sports Weekly)
Williamstown and Washington Township captains meet at midfield prior to the start of the game. (RYAN LAWRENCE, South Jersey Sports Weekly)

Scenes from Scrimmages

Clearview played host to Deptford in a preseason primer last week before the regular season got underway. Clearview opens the 2019 schedule vs. Kingsway at Rowan University on Friday night while the Spartans kick off their season at Cherry Hill East on Thursday.

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Have a story idea for South Jersey Sports Weekly? Email us at [email protected].

RYAN LAWRENCE
RYAN LAWRENCE
Ryan is a veteran journalist of 20 years. He’s worked at the Courier-Post, Philadelphia Daily News, Delaware County Daily Times, primarily as a sportswriter, and is currently a sports editor at Newspaper Media Group and an adjunct journalism instructor at Rowan University.
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