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Sports

Old Rivals Meet on Diamond for South Jersey Title

West Deptford takes on Haddonfield today at 4 p.m. in the Group II championship.

The Haddonfield High School baseball team has beaten West Deptford. West Deptford has beaten Haddonfield.

Whichever team wins the third meeting later today will stake their claim to a lot more than just bragging rights.

The Eagles and Bulldawgs clash this afternoon for the NJSIAA Group II South Jersey championship in Haddonfield at 4 p.m.

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The No. 8 Bulldawgs won the first meeting back in the second game of the season. No. 10 West Deptford responded by scoring a 5-3 win in the rematch.

With these teams so familiar with each other, today should bring with it few surprises.

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“It definitely will be a battle,” said West Deptford first-year head coach Mike Rucci. “It’s a conference rival, and there is history that goes back a long time, so we are really looking forward to it.

"The fact that it is a conference rival, (the players) realize who they are playing for the championship and it is a big deal. We know what we are going to get and what to expect in terms of toughness from Haddonfield.”

The Eagles should also know what to expect out of Haddonfield's projected starter, Nick Cavanaugh. The Bulldawgs' lefty pitched in the second meeting between the teams and gave up five runs.

Haddonfield, on the other hand, will be getting its first look at senior Jason Fox.

Fox earned a win in the quarterfinals, pitching 5 2/3 strong innings against Delran. No. 1 starter Tony Urban finished that game and went on to throw a complete game on Tuesday, making him ineligible to take the mound today by NJSIAA rules.

“We are going to start Foxy, and hopefully he continues to throw well as he has the last two outings to put us in position to win,” Rucci said. “Foxy is a gamer and a tough kid. If you are going to hand the ball to someone in this spot, they need to have mental toughness, and he has that mental toughness, and I think he has been waiting for this.”

If Fox cannot go the distance, the Eagles may turn to freshman Tyler Castellano.

“Although Ty is a freshman, we put him in situations this year that were tough situations,” Rucci said. “He’s already had the experience of that this year, so he won’t be baffled by it or nervous. He has pitched in games that meant something.

"We put him in those situations so that if it came to it, he would be ready to pitch a big game, mentally and physically.”

Rucci added that the coaching staff has kept practices loose the last two days, so the players don't feel overwhelmed with the situation in which they now find themselves.

He preached to the players to think of today’s contest as just another game.

Of course, this isn’t just another game for the Eagles, it's a chance to call themselves Group II champions.

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