Preseason Football Preview: South Jersey Group 4
The NJSIAA has come out with the new football Group alignment and no South Jersey section was affected by change more than Group 4.
Timber Creek, the two-time defending South Jersey Group 4 champion, has now moved to South Jersey Group 3. Lenape, which lost to Timber Creek, 31-10, in the South Jersey Group 4 championship, has moved to South Jersey Group 5.
Burlington Township, a South Jersey Group 3 semifinalist, is now in Group 4.
Here is the South Jersey Group 4 alignment. (Note: The NJSIAA sometimes has changes after putting out the initial alignment, but this is how it shapes so far).
Along with the school is the enrollment figures from grades 10-12.
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 4
Mainland 929
Burlington Township 946
Highland 956
Absegami 967
Central Regional 968
Cherry Hill West, 970
Pennsauken 982
Moorestown 988
Toms River South 1,017
Winslow Township 1,017
Hammonton 1,028
Toms River East 1,056
Bridgeton 1,070
Clearview 1,112
Shawnee 1,182
Shaping up Group 4
Favorite: Shawnee The Renegades are coming off an 8-3 season when they won the always difficult West Jersey Football League American Division. Coach Tim Gushue has an experienced team that should have one of South Jersey’s best defenses, led by senior linebacker Ryan Parris, who had 138 tackles. Senior wide receiver Daevon Robinson is a North Carolina State commit. A key will be able to get him the ball. Another weapon is junior kicker Joe Dalsey, who had seven field goals last season.
Others to watch: Highland and Burlington Township. Last season Highland set a single-season school record with nine wins during a 9-2 season. The Tartans have one of South Jersey’s top running backs in Senior DaeJuan Sanders, who rushed for 1,114 yards (8.0 avg.) and 8 TDs. Senior Devon Starks (6-0, 230) is a returning first-team all-conference choice for the defending WJFL Royal Division champions.
Burlington Township was 9-2 last season and coach Tom Maderia, among the best in South Jersey, has an all-South Jersey candidate on the offense line in senior Alex Desire (6-5 290). Maderia usually goes with a two-platoon system but that may be tested by junior quarterback-cornerback Omar Rogers. Last season he had 80 tackles as one of the defensive leaders and is also a candidate for the starting quarterback job. Last year Township’s only two losses were to Lenape and Delsea.
Don’t sleep on: Central Regional and Moorestown. Last season the Central Regional went 7-2 with the two losses to South Jersey Group 3 champion Wall and South Jersey Group 5 finalist Toms River North.
Moorestown is coming off a 5-5 season and has one of the better quarterbacks in Group 4 in junior Brian McMonagle, a Boston College baseball commit, who threw for 1,261 yards and 14 TDs.
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Author: Marc Narducci
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