West Deptford Football Runs Shutout Streak to Five in Playoff Win

There are defenses better than ’s.

They just have names like the Great Wall of China and the Alamo.

The No. 2-seeded Eagles continued their defensive reign of terror Friday night, shutting out No. 7 Pemberton, 43-0, in the first round of the South Jersey, Group 2 playoffs to notch their fifth straight shutout and sixth of the season for a pair of new school records.

“Our main goal was just to be nasty,” said lineman Josh Roane, who returned to the field after injuring his ankle last month against Haddon Township. “Play nasty defense, not let them put up any points.”

Nasty might be an understatement. West Deptford (8-1) put up 22 points of offense before it allowed the Hornets (4-5) past midfield–and that only came because of a spectacular kick return by Pemberton’s Quincy Lambert.

Otherwise, it was the type of game Eagles fans have come to expect: bruising offense, a swarming defense and a goose egg under the opponent’s name on the scoreboard.

“We love defense around here,” fullback and defensive end Gerald Towns said. “We feed off of it.”

West Deptford set the tone from the game’s first snap, where the Eagles forced a Pemberton fumble–one of four Hornets turnovers on the night–and took over on the 11.

Two plays later, Connor Smith had the first touchdown for the Eagles on a 10-yard carry through a hole dynamited in the right side of the defense.

The quick turnover and score were a haymaker to the head for Pemberton, which never quite established an offensive rhythm.

And after a 41-yard field goal by Josh Cornelius in swirling, biting winds and a Towns touchdown made it 16-0 in the first quarter, Pemberton pushed the panic button.

Quarterback Marcus Hubbard, whose passes found Eagles defenders nearly as often as Hornets receivers, had a pair of passes picked–one by Alex Hilbmann, the other by Smith–under pressure from a relentless West Deptford defensive line.

Meanwhile, the Eagles’ offense continued to roll up big numbers, with Towns and his three touchdowns and 118 yards leading the way. Cornelius and Phil Fisher added touchdown runs of their own to complete the rout.

West Deptford now has to turn its attention to Barnegat, a 35-31 winner over Point Pleasant Boro, for the semifinals next week.

Head coach Clyde Folsom said having a running game that melds the power of Towns and the speed of Cornelius, Smith and Fisher, along with a defense that wants nothing more than to continue shutting out every opponent is a powerful combination.

“Our defense is really playing well right now, and that’s important to us,” he said. “You win high school football games on defense.”

Getting Roane back to start the playoffs is a big plus, too, Folsom said.

“Not only is he a talent, but he’s a tremendous leader,” Folsom said.

Roane, for his part, said injuries won’t stop him from getting on the field at this point in the season, where he can bring new energy to both the offensive and defensive lines.

“It was awesome” to get back on the field, Roane said. “It really meant a lot to me that we kept the (shutout) streak alive.”