October 19, 2005
Saturday football returns to life
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
Just when you thought Saturday afternoon football was a thing of the past in the Cape-Atlantic League,
here it comes again.
Just take a look at what is happening this Saturday afternoon.
Atlantic City and Absegami are meeting in Galloway Township in a game that will determine the solo
leader of the American Conference, impact the NJSIAA Group 4 ratings and the South Jersey rankings.
It is being played, much to the displeasure of Viking coach Bob Weiss, on a Saturday because school
administrators at Absegami (and Oakcrest, part of the same district) decline to play Atlantic City at night.
The situation can be especially frustrating for Weiss because his son, Rob, plays for Brown University and
he normally would take off on Saturday to see him play. But Rob has been hurt this year, easing the
frustration a bit.
Regardless of the reason for the game being played on Saturday, it has worked out nicely for most area
fans. They can see their local team play on Friday, then head to Gami on Saturday.
At the same time Saturday, in Hammonton, Paul Sacco will be trying to become the first CAL coach and
the fifth in South Jersey history to win 200 football games. The others are John Oberg, Skeets Irvine, Tom
Brown and Joe Frappoli. The Wildcats will be playing Middle Township. St. Joe is the one school that has
kept Saturday football alive but the school hopes to have lights soon.
Down the Garden State Parkway, Lower Cape May is facing Vineland in an inter-conference game. Lower
often plays its homecoming game on a Saturday, though the rest of its games are played Friday night.
The fourth and final game on Saturday finds Egg Harbor Township making the long trip up north to face
Ramapo. EHT is hoping to turn a four-game losing streak into a two-game winning streak.
But, you Saturday afternoon fans better take advantage why you can. Unless there is one in the
post-season, these will be the final Saturday afternoon games of the season.
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We’re about halfway through the football season and a few statistics jump out at you. For example:
Mainland quarterback Matt Flynn tied the CAL record for TD passes in a career last week. He threw for 23
last year and the four against Oakcrest gave him 15 this season, a total of 38. That equals the 38 by Holy
Spirit’s Al Mallen in 1987-88. Absegami senior Mike Isgro isn’t far behind with 31.
Though no player has scored a TD all five possible ways (rushing, pass receiving, kickoff return, punt return
and defense) – it hasn’t been done in the CAL since Keith Marella of St. Joseph in 1998 – Charles Curcio
of St. Joe comes the closest so far. He has one rushing touchdown, two as a receiver, one on a punt
return and a defensive TD.
Mainland’s Chris Malick has 90 career kicking points, seventh most all-time. The record is 114 by two
former Mustang kickers, Jason Feinberg and Ken Dudnick. Malick has 75 career extra points, three away
from Feinberg’s school record and six away from the league record held by Ocean City grad Dan Kennard.
Ryan Simone of St. Joe leads the league in passing efficiency and spreading the ball around might be one
of the reasons for his success. Simone has thrown eight TD passes to six different receivers.
Atlantic City has had TD passes thrown by three different players – quarterbacks Pat Schall and Bruce
Harris and wide receiver Braheem Stowe.
Oakcrest junior Chuck Core accomplished the rare feat of throwing a TD pass and catching a TD pass in
the same game. He did against Mainland, moving from quarterback to wide receiver in the second half.
Hammonton’s A.J. Helm has scored three defensive touchdowns, the most by any player and more than
every team in the league but one. The Blue Devils have totaled seven defensive scores. On the other side
of that stat, Lower Cape May has allowed a league-high four defensive touchdowns.
Hammonton also leads the league in A.J.s. Joining Helm is junior A.J. Gonzalez, who has scored a
defensive TD. Ocean City (A.J. Harris) and Holy Spirit (A.J. Holland) are close behind. Among other
schools maintaining the initial craze are Mainland (R.J. Kern and K.J. Borlandoe) and St. Joe (R.J.
Heffner).
Finally, bad news for the rest of the league from the two highest scoring teams in the CAL. Eleven players
have scored this season for St. Joe and eight of them are underclassmen. And the top four scorers for
Absegami are all juniors.
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