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September 10, 2003

Another exciting CAL football season on tap

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist


Another season of Cape-Atlantic League football is about to get underway, though two teams aren’t exactly sure when it will start for them.

At press time, the Catholic League in Philadelphia was still on strike and two members of that league were scheduled to face Mainland and Absegami this weekend. If the strike is still going on as you read this, the Mustangs and Braves will probably be accepting forfeits this weekend and scrambling around for teams to scrimmage.

Regardless, the CAL will start another season with some impressive performers gone. Matt Dicken, whose 1,178 yards at Lower Cape May last year was an all-time CAL record, is now at Villanova. Buena’s Drew Mack - who ran for 1,143 yards, passed for 867 and had 155 receiving yards – is at West Point Prep. And Mainland’s Brandon Hargrose and Eric Rembert of St. Joseph, both 1,000-plus rushers, have also graduated.

There is a trio of new coaches. Former NFL and Nebraska player Doug Colman has replaced John Murray at Absegami and put together an impressive coaching staff. Bill Walsh is the new head coach at Holy Spirit, succeeding Chris Bell, who remains as an assistant. And B.J. Burch, a former Pleasantville star, takes over the Greyhound program from Donald Barnes.

But one important part of CAL football we all were anticipating will be missing this year. Mainland senior Mike Bradway will not only miss the football season but likely the basketball season, as well, after suffering a knee injury that required surgery.

It is the most devastating injury in the CAL in a long time. Bradway was an all-conference player in both sports. He led the basketball team in scoring and gained almost 900 yards receiving last fall. With a similar season this year, he would have challenged the CAL career yardage record set by Ocean City’s Scott Lipford.

Mainland still has a very good team – Dan Cappelluti, Bob Weiss, Justin Cottrell, John Impagliazzo, Steve Curran, Larry Hudson – but that game-breaker is gone. Bradway was the guy other teams virtually had to double team, which also opened things up for the rest of the lineup.

Last year’s stats would indicate that 2003 might be a passing year for the CAL. The top six rushers from last year all graduated. But four of the five most effective passers are back along with four of the eight leading receivers.

Though the divisions of the CAL remain the same this fall, there have been some changes that effect the NJSIAA playoffs.

Mainland, for instance, has moved up to Group 4 where it will compete with the biggest schools in South Jersey. And Hammonton has advanced to Group 3 where it is possible that the two CAL public schools with the most wins over the last 10 years – the Blue Devils and Ocean City – could meet for the first time since 1982.

Other NJSIAA changes in football find Holy Spirit dropping down into Parochial 2 where the Spartans can take a deep breath, not having to worry about St. Joseph-Montvale or Camden Catholic. But the relief may be short-lived as St. Joseph-Hammonton moves up from Parochial 1 to join Spirit.

As 2003 gets started, we all expect to see strong efforts again from Mainland, St. Joseph and Hammonton. There likely will be improvements from Vineland, Absegami and Ocean City. And a wide-open attack at Middle Township, anchored by a strong-armed quarterback.

It looks like another entertaining fall in the Cape-Atlantic League.


KICKOFF WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday
Holy Spirit at Pleasantville, 7pm
Oakcrest at Hammonton, 7pm
Vineland at Lower Cape May, 7pm
Millville at Buena, 7pm
Monsignor Bonner (PA) at Mainland, 7pm
Saturday
Absegami at Cardinal O’Hara (PA), 1pm
St. Augustine at Newark Central, 1pm
Atlantic City at East Orange, 1:30pm
Egg Harbor Township at William Penn (DE), 1:30pm


Read more of Tom Williams' columns