INSIDE THIS ISSUE SJ PoWer PoLL .....................S2 PLaYer oF THe Week .......................... S6
SJSW Soccer Players of the Year
PaGeS S4 & S7
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NoVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 3, 2019
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The ‘Fight for the City’
rYaN LaWreNCe/South Jersey Sports Weekly
Bragging rights are on the line in the annual Turkey Day game. kickoff is set for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. From left: Gloucester Catholic’s Brandon Madalion, Pat o’Neill, Jerry o’Donnell, Ben Watkis and Luke Van Auken and Gloucester High’s keegan Farlow, Nick Brandt, Gavin Callahan, Steve Burkhardt and Derron Cooney.
Despite a quarter century break in the rivalry decades ago, the Gloucester High-Gloucester Catholic Thanksgiving game continues to be an intense battle between ‘brothers’ By RYAN LAWRENCE Sports Editor
As the sun began to set behind the trees and an early afternoon breeze gave way to a late November chill, helmets and pads crashed against each other, providing the soundtrack for the night.
Gloucester City High School’s football team was in the midst of one of more than a dozen practices this month during a long layoff between games. After pulling off a 15-14 comeback win over Maple Shade on Nov. 7, in a game they trailed 14-0 heading into the fourth quarter, the Lions weren’t scheduled to play again until Thanksgiving morning.
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Twenty straight days without a game. “You can tell they’re chomping at the bit to get out there,” Gloucester coach Rob Bryan said. “It’s ‘let’s just get out there and play.’” When the Lions do suit up in the game uniforms next, for the final time in 2019, it will have been worth the wait. City rivals Gloucester and Gloucester Catholic will take part in their annual battle for the Football City Series Cup on Thanksgiving morning. Kickoff is set for 10:30 a.m. “It’s the fight for the city,” Gloucester’s Derron Cooney said, “and we’re going to take it back.” please see RIVALRY, page S6
S2 SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY — NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 7, 2019
S
GIRLS TENNIS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY
POWER
Even after a storied POLL! career, Mohsen-Breen puts her team first
1. Eastern Field Hockey
a loss to the nation’s No. 1 team does not damper another outstanding season for the Vikings. against opponents other than oak knoll, eastern has won 74 consecutive games. (Last week: 1)
2. Lenape Football
Xavier Coleman had another big game for the indians in the South Jersey Group 5 semifinals, scoring three touchdowns and recording 112 total yards in a 28-17 win over Hillsborough. (2)
3. Williamstown Football
after falling behind Vineland early in the South Jersey Group 5 semifinal, the Braves scored 27 unanswered points en route to a 34-14 win. Turner inge scored three touchdowns in the Williamstown victory. (4)
4. Cherokee Boys Cross Country
Seniors ethan Wechsler, Chase Miller and Tyler Jackson all finished in the top 15 at the NJSiaa Group 4 Championships to lead Cherokee to its first state title since 2007. (Not ranked)
5. Williamstown Girls Volleyball
The Braves returned to the top of the mountain for the first time since 2012 with a victory over North Hunterdon in the NJSiaa Group 4 state championship. it was the first time a South Jersey team won a state title since Sterling won Group 2 in 2013. (8)
6. Haddonfield Boys Cross Country
another year, another state championship for the Bulldawgs. Haddonfield dominated the NJSiaa Group 2 Championships, placing five runners in the top-20 for the program’s third consecutive state title and 18th overall. (10)
7. Moorestown Friends Girls Tennis
renna Mohsen-Breen was honored as the SJTCa and South Jersey Sports Weekly Girls Tennis Player of the Year after going undefeated against South Jersey opponents for a second consecutive season. (3)
8. Eastern Girls Soccer
South Jersey Sports Weekly’s Girls Soccer Player of the Year riley Tiernan led the entire state in assists with 34 and also scored 33 goals to finish in the top-15 in New Jersey. (6)
9. Clearview Field Hockey
expectations will be high for the Pioneers next season with most of the starting lineup returning, including leading goalscorer abby Vesey and the team’s assist leader allie Palumbo. (5)
10. Delran Boys Soccer
Playing in the program’s first state championship game since 2013, the Bears were unable to overcome a pair of second half goals from Bernards in a 2-0 loss during last Sunday’s Group 2 state final. (7) ■
Mike MoNoSTra/South Jersey Sports Weekly
Renna Mohsen-Breen dominated the South Jersey girls tennis scene during her four-year career, winning back-to-back SJTCA singles titles in 2018 and 2019, finishing with a career record of 115-8 and leading Moorestown Friends to two straight Non-Public B state titles.
Mohsen-Breen, the two-time South Jersey Player of the Year, cites Moorestown Friends’ two state championships as her favorite career accomplishments By MIKE MONOSTRA Sports Editor
Moorestown Friends senior Renna MohsenBreen was unquestionably the most accomplished girls tennis player in South Jersey over the past two seasons. A two-time South Jersey Tennis Coaches Association Player of the Year, Mohsen-Breen went undefeated against South Jersey opponents in 2018 and 2019, won the Burlington
County Open all four years of her career and was the only tennis player, male or female, to ever go unbeaten in Friends School League play four straight years. She is also South Jersey Sports Weekly’s Girls Tennis Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. But when it came time to take a photo for this article honoring her as South Jersey’s best tennis player, Mohsen-Breen didn’t only want to hold her individual trophies. She asked head coach Mike Bodary to fetch the team’s 2019
Non-Public B state championship trophy out of the athletic department office. That gesture is an example of the type of player Mohsen-Breen was in her four years at Moorestown Friends: an incredibly talented individual who always thought about her team first. “We all are equal when we go out on the court and we’re all playing our own position and doing really well at our own position,” Mohsen-Breen said about playing for Moorestown Friends. “Everyone has success. I don’t feel like I’m special when I’m going out with my team. I’m just one of seven girls and we’re all battling and trying to win.” Despite her humble attitude, there was no doubt MohsenBreen was a special player. She won a school-record 115 matches during her career and lost just eight times. Four of her eight career losses came during her freshman year. In 2019, her only two losses came in the semifinals of the NJSIAA singles tournament and in the Tournament of Champions final. Bodary first saw MohsenBreen play at the age of 9 in a 14-and-under tournament at Green Valley Tennis Club and believes that vast tournament experience allowed Mohsen-Breen to put together a historical career. “Her confidence just grew exponentially I think because she played so many challenging tournaments,” Bodary said. “There were two girls in the Friends League that just hit the ball really hard. Renna just had no trouble against them. She’s used to playing against girls that would just pound the ball … Without that tournament experience, I don’t think it would translate as easily for her.” While some tennis players of Mohsen-Breen’s caliber opt to not play in high school, playing for Moorestown Friends was something she wanted to experience. Mohsen-Breen wanted to know what it was like to be a part of a team and would end up leading the Foxes to their first two state championships in program history in 2018 and 2019. “Renna was an automatic (point) in all matches pretty please see RENNA, page S8
NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 7, 2019 – SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY
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SEASON OF CHAMPIONS
For South Jersey Sports Weekly
Williamstown girls volleyball had a season to remember in 2019, winning the program’s first NJSIAA Group 4 state championship since 2012 with a 2-0 win over North Hunterdon on Nov. 16. The Braves won a slew of tournaments over the course of the season, including the Bloomfield Invitational, the Gloucester County Tournament and the Eastern Invitational.
Georgia Wood for South Jersey Sports Weekly
Earlier this month, Sarah Naticchia and Allison Colflesh finished first and second, respectively, to lead Haddonfield’s girls cross country team to its 10th consecutive South Jersey Group 2 title and 25th overall in program history.
Georgia Wood for South Jersey Sports Weekly
Haddonfield’s boys cross country team raced to its third consecutive Group 2 state championship on Nov. 16, led by Martin Riddell’s and Andrew Gostovich’s second and third place finishes overall. The Bulldawgs, who have won 10 of the last 14 Group 2 state titles and 18 in program history, had a combined average time of 16:34 for the 5k distance, which tied for third best in the state overall and was a record for the Group 2 race’s history. For South Jersey Sports Weekly
Cinnaminson’s Austin Gabay had reason to smile with his parents two weekends ago. Gabay ran his way to the Group 2 Boys Cross Country state title at Holmdel Park. Gabay, the fifth runner in school history to claim a state title, set a new record in the process: his time of 15:48 was the fastest of any state champion in Cinnaminson program history.
For South Jersey Sports Weekly
Cherokee boys cross country won its first state title since 2007 when the Chiefs took first place in the NJSIAA Group 4 Championships on Nov. 16 at Holmdel Park. Front row from left: Mike Gavio, Chase Miller and Danny Boria. Back row from left: coach Stephen Shaklee, Nico Grilli, Ethan Wechsler, Tyler Jackson, Brett Shea and coach Jeffrey Thompson.
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SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY — NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 7, 2019
GIRLS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Playmaker extraordinaire: Eastern’s Tiernan takes top honor Vikings junior Riley Tiernan took her game to a new level in earning Girls Soccer Player of the Year honors By RYAN LAWRENCE Sports Editor
The long journey to a team realizing its full potential and winning a state championship is difficult. But staying on top and making a bid to repeat, all while playing the majority of the season dubbed as the No. 1 high school girls soccer team in the country? Much more difficult. So how did Eastern Regional High School junior Riley Tiernan almost always make it look easy this fall? The Rutgers commit coupled talent with physical and mental growth to turn in a breakout season for a player who was already a star. An All-State player as a sophomore, when the Vikings won a Group 4 state title, Tiernan took her game to a new level in 2019. She led the state in assists (with 34) to go alongside 33 goals. When the calendar flipped to October and the Coaches and NJSIAA tournaments took off, so did Tiernan, who scored 20 of her goals in Eastern’s final 14 games. Tiernan’s tenacious playmaking ability moved Eastern one win away from defending its state title (they fell in the state semifinals). For her efforts, Riley Tiernan is South Jersey Sports Weekly’s pick as the Girls Soccer Player of the Year. “Amazing,” Tiernan said of the honor. That also might be a word apropos for the penultimate goal of her junior season. With Eastern locked in a 1-1 tie with rival Shawnee in the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals, the Vikings fended off a Renegades free kick in their own end in the final minute of overtime. But before the whistle sounded, Tiernan found the ball
SOUTH JERSY SPORTS WEEKLY
AWARDS With the fall season coming to a close, South Jersey Sports Weekly will be naming Athletes of the Year in nine high school sports over the course of the next three weeks, as well as a boys’ and girls’ team of the year for the fall sports season. The teams and players are selected from the 30 high schools within SJSW’s coverage area. Girls Tennis:
Renna Mohsen-Breen, Moorestown Friends Girls Soccer:
Riley Tiernan, Eastern Boys Soccer:
Ryan Burrell, Delran Girls Cross Country:
Coming next week
Boys Cross Country:
Coming next week
Girls Volleyball:
Coming next week Gymnastics:
Coming on Dec. 11 Field Hockey:
Coming Dec. 11 Football:
Coming Dec. 11 Girls Team of the Year:
Coming next week RYAN LAWRENCE/South Jersey Sports Weekly
Eastern junior Riley Tiernan was the state leader in assists in 2019 (with 34) and also scored 20 of her 34 goals in the Vikings’ final 14 games to lead the team to South Jersey Group 4 and Coaches Tournament championships. and, somehow, went end-to-end for nearly 75 yards, criss-crossing the turf at midfield and flying up the left side, leaving defenders in the dust and rifling a shot into the back of the net to lead the eventual sectional champions to a season-saving victory. “I remember I looked up, saw space and
just kept going,” Tiernan said. The golden goal was emblematic of Tiernan’s development as a high school player. Although she’s started for the Vikings ever since entering school as a freshman, Tiernan hasn’t just grown up as most teenagers please see RILEY, page S5
Boys Team of the Year:
Coming Dec. 11
NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 7, 2019 – SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY
S5
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“Her skill level has always been off the charts since she’s got here,” Eastern coach Jamie McGroarty said of junior Riley Tiernan. “But she’s bigger, she’s stronger now and she’s able to ward off defenders easier than in the past. The game is slowing down for her now, where she can read the game and understand the game and her soccer IQ is getting better.”
RILEY
continued from page S4 do (she has to be close to 5-10) but she’s also matured into her game, using her wits to complement her physicality. “I think I’m definitely stronger with the ball and smarter with passing,” she said. “This year I got better at taking it hard. Last year I would dribble but I wouldn’t take it strong. I worked on taking hard and following through all the way and finishing.” Long-time Eastern head coach Jamie McGroarty concurred. “Her skill level has always been off the charts since she’s got here,” he said. “But she’s bigger, she’s stronger now and she’s able to ward off defend-
ers easier than in the past. The game is slowing down for her now, where she can read the game and understand the game and her soccer IQ is getting better as far as when to release the ball, when to shoot. I think this year she was a little more aggressive shooting the ball, and that obviously helped us as a team.” After rising to the top of the New Jersey soccer scene – and receiving national praise, too – in the last 12 months, Eastern’s girls soccer team will have two sizable holes to fill on its 2020 roster. Seniors Kelli McGroarty (our 2018 Player of the Year) and Sara Brocious (a defender worthy of first-team All-State honors this year) are off to LaSalle University and Rutgers University, respectively. But with Tiernan leading a
still-large contingent of returning letterwinners, the Vikings aren’t expecting to take a step back, either. “I know it will be a challenge because they are two main pieces of our team, but I think we can play (well) still and we’ll be able to balance each other out and work harder to fill in those gaps,” Tiernan said. And there’s also the matter of that piece of hardware that they’d like to put back into the program’s trophy case next fall. “Definitely,” Tiernan said of trying to end her high school career with state championships in two of her final three seasons. “(This season) gives me more drive because we’re going to be coming for that title. We want to win that back.” ■
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SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK!
Austin Gabay
CINNAMINSoN HIGH SCHooL SENIoR CRoSS CouNTRY
Gabay broke out as one of the area’s top runners as a junior and hasn’t slowed down to start his senior year. Gabay won the Group 2 Boys Cross Country state title two weekends ago at Holmdel Park to become the fifth runner in school history to claim a state title. and Gabay made history in the process: his time of 15:48 was the fastest of any state champion in Cinnaminson program history. Gabay began the week well, too: three days before the NJSiaa Championships he committed to continue his academic and athletic career at duke University. Quotable: “austin became a full-time runner last year after wrestling his first two years in high school and that helped take him to another level of fitness,” Cinnaminson coach daniel Fourney said. “He has gained confidence in his ability to race with anyone during that time and has stayed injury free, which has helped him become such a great racer. austin makes sure that he gets enough sleep which is important and he is highly motivated to become better. if you have a talented, motivated, injury-free runner, they are going to do great things!” ■
S6
SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY — NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 7, 2019
the series for the duration of their high school careers. But, there’s this: with a continued from page S1 win, the Lions (5-5 this season) are eyeing a winning record for the first time since 2015. “It means everything,” fellow “It’s a huge reason why I played,” Gloucester senior Nick Brandt said. said Gloucester senior Keegan Farlow, “We have to come out and defend our a wrestler who didn’t play high school city the right way, which we haven’t football until this fall. “It’s really the done in the past three years. It’s going main reason, it’s the biggest game of to change on Thanksgiving morning.” the year. We’ve planned for this since Thanksgiving rivalry games have the beginning of the season. You have dissipated through South Jersey since playoff goals, but Catholic is the ultithe turn of the century. New schools mate goal. It’s the only thing on our within districts and the ever-changing mind.” conference alignments have separated Gloucester Catholic’s seniors, some natural rivalries. Some schools meanwhile, relish the fact that they’ve have also pushed the game off the holinever lost a game to the Lions. And day and onto Friday or Saturday night. rYaN LaWreNCe/South Jersey Sports Weekly they don’t plan on seeing that streak But not Gloucester. Bryan remembers the subject coming up around the Gloucester High’s players huddle around a coach end on their watch. “Since my freshman year it’s been in time he was hired to take over at his to view the playbook during a practice last week. The Lions, 5-5 this season, can clinch a winning everyone’s blood,” Rams senior Luke alma mater two summers ago. “I think it’s important, for both season for the first time since 2015 with a vic- Van Auken said. “My upperclassmen teams, and it’s important for our com- tory over rival Gloucester Catholic on Thanksgiv- since I was a freshman always taught munity to keep it going,” said Bryan, ing morning. The Rams have won each of the last me that it’s all about ‘Beat the High,’ a 2006 Gloucester graduate. “There three contests and lead the overall series 24-20-1. you’ve always got to ‘Beat the High.’ And we’d like to go out of the season wasn’t much question (we’d keep it). 4-0 against them.” It’s the way I grew up, I grew up watchgame wasn’t always played on Thanksgiv“It feels great, knowing that there’s a ing it. I grew up playing it, grown into ing, but that never changed the game’s coaching it now. It’s too big of an event to intensity. A rivalry that kicked off in 1948 chance to shut them out,” fellow senior Pat look past. You come here and see the crowd, – but then had a 27-year gap in between O’Neill said. “And you know they have the it’s really a spectacle. You know it means a games until reuniting in 1993 – has had its worst feeling on the other side of that, they don’t want to go out (without a win in four lot to both sides.” share of memorable games. It’s probably no surprise that the two “My senior year we were up 9-0 late in seasons).” “They don’t know what it feels like, so schools within the blue-collar town along the third quarter or early in the fourth the Delaware River are both coached by quarter,” Murphy said of a 1997 game that they’re going to be gunning for it,” said alumni. Like Bryan, Rams head coach pitted his Rams against a Lions team that Gloucester Catholic senior Brandon MaCasey Murphy, a 1998 Gloucester Catholic was ranked among the top 10 teams in the dalion. “It’s been just a fight every Thanksgraduate, grew up in town and understands state. “They ran a reverse pass, took the giving.” Like his counterpart on Gloucester Caththe gravity of the game. ball all the way to the 10 and scored. Now “I was just born in the building, I grew it’s 9-6 with five minutes left. … (Later) they olic’s side, Bryan, in his second season as up with it, grew up with the rivalry,” said threw the ball down the side of the field, our the Lions head coach, recalled his senior Murphy, whose father was the school’s guy tips the ball away and it comes down ... season as his most memorable game in the long-time basketball coach and now works right into (their guy’s) hands, he catches it rivalry. As with Murphy, his team lost. The Rams beat the Lions 27-7 in that 2005 as the school’s athletic director. “Back and goes 80 yards for a touchdown and we then, all my friends from town would play lost 13-9. I cried like a baby on that field for game and defeated their rival in eight of the 13 games since. for Gloucester Catholic and we knew all the a half hour.” “We didn’t get it done,” Bryan said. “In guys at Gloucester. It was intense, it was big The fact that Murphy can recite games time. You eat, sleep, breathe it. It’s huge.” and plays from more than two decades ‘03, ‘04, and ‘05, in each one, we were coming Within the South Jersey towns that ago is a testament to the pride people in off a conference championship loss. That hurt stuck with us going into that game, reside closest to Philadelphia in the sub- Gloucester have in their high schools. urbs – the schools in Camden, Gloucester “I don’t know any other towns like it,” knowing we should have been in a state and Burlington counties – there are few Murphy said. “It’s tight-knit, it’s close. It’s title game. So, I do remember my senior schools that share such a connection to a one of those things where you want to beat year, I remember the last time playing on rival school in the same city. Cherry Hill the hell out of these guys (in this game) but this field. It’s very vivid.” Murphy remembers, too. The stories is too big and suburban. Camden-Woodrow tomorrow or the day after you’re tight with Wilson is probably the best of the bunch, them once again. It’s like having a brother. they can recall from their own high school but Gloucester-Gloucester Catholic has a You always want to beat your brother at football playing days make up a few pages unique distinction that separates the rival- everything. But at the end of the day, he’s in the dozens of chapters people in Gloucesry from the rest. ter City could write about the rich, prideful your brother.” “We share the same field,” said Murphy, Gloucester Catholic has beaten its tradition of the Lions-Rams rivalry. whose team practices at the Patrick Peyton “brother” in each of the last three seasons, “I told my team yesterday that I lost that Athletic Complex in Sewell and buses to but the overall series has been fairly even: game 20 years ago and that’s why I’m here Gloucester High for games. “I remember the Rams hold a 24-20-1 edge heading into now and I’ll never give it up,” Murphy said. back when we took the bus (there when I this week’s game. “As many as I can get back from them, it’s played), kids used to throw rocks and eggs Gloucester probably doesn’t need much never going to compensate for the one that I more motivation than knowing its seniors lost when I was on the field. That’s how imat the bus when we went to the field.” The Gloucester-Gloucester Catholic need a victory to avoid being shut out in portant it is, to me anyway.” ■
RIVALRY
NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 7, 2019 – SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY
S 7
BOYS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Delran’s Burrell emerges as offensive star in senior year
Mike Monostra/South Jersey Sports Weekly
Delran senior captain Ryan Burrell had a breakout season offensively in 2019, leading the team with 19 goals and 11 assists as Delran reached the Group 2 state championship for the first time in six years.
After moving from midfield to forward in 2019, Burrell led Delran with 19 goals and 11 assists to help the Bears to the Group 2 state championship game By MIKE MONOSTRA Sports Editor
From the age of 10 on through middle school, Ryan Burrell patrolled the sidelines of the Delran boys soccer field as a ball boy. He watched in awe as the Bears won games, lifted championship trophies and played before hundreds of screaming, faithful fans.
In 2016, Burrell left the sideline and stepped onto the field at Delran as a player for the first time. He would be a part of three sectional championship teams in each of his first three seasons. “Every single time I got it, it felt better,” Burrell said of the sectional titles. On Nov. 8, Burrell, now a senior captain for the Bears, played on his
home field for the final time in the South Jersey Group 2 championship against Oakcrest. The kid who once looked up to the players clad in brown and gold was now starring in one of the biggest games of the year. In front of a packed crowd on a cold early November afternoon, Burrell recorded a goal and two assists as the Bears downed Oakcrest, 3-0, for a fifth straight sectional title. “It was so fun,” Burrell said. “There was probably about 100 students here and they’re all cheering and saying your name. It was just so fun to know they’re all behind your back and knowing your playing for such a great town.” For years, Burrell dreamed of making his mark on Delran’s storied legacy in boys soccer. His
dream came true in 2019, as Burrell emerged as one of South Jersey’s top offensive players. Burrell finished the year with a team-leading 19 goals and 11 assists and helped Delran to its first state championship game since 2013. Burrell’s breakout season makes him the South Jersey Sports Weekly Boys Soccer Player of the Year. “He got all of the young guys better,” head coach Mike Otto said. “If I could say anything about him as a leader, and really all of the captains, is that they did get the younger kids on board and better as the season progressed. There’s absolutely no way we could have gone as far as we did or been as successful as we were without Ryan Burrell’s leadership.” Burrell’s statistical breakout can be attributed to a change in position. In 2018, Burrell scored five goals playing at midfield for the Bears. This season, Burrell shifted to forward, a change he was excited about. “I knew I was pretty much set,” Burrell said. “I love playing striker, I love playing up top. I knew our midfielders and the outside players really well. We had such good chemistry and we knew the runs we were making at all times. All I had to do was look up and the ball was at my foot.” It took only five games for Burrell to eclipse his previous season’s total in goals. He reached the 10goal plateau before the calendar flipped to October and would end up scoring in 15 of Delran’s 24 games. “I thought he was real composed around the net,” Otto said. “He was used to playing out in the midfield for the first couple of years. It was a big change for him. He was a little banged up at the beginning of the year, so I moved him up front to help him not move around so much and look what
happened. He turned into one of South Jersey’s best snipers.” As potent as Burrell was on offense, Otto believes the senior’s greatest strengths cannot be measured through statistics. “What separates Ryan Burrell is his ability to see the game quicker, make decisions faster, play balls that not everybody sees,” Otto said. “It’s a makeup of all those things and being comfortable on the ball to make that happen.” Burrell attributed his high soccer IQ to his love for the game. Burrell picked up the sport at the age of 3 and has been obsessed with it ever since. “I love the game,” Burrell said. “I watch it every Saturday morning when the Premier League is on. Me and my dad just talk about soccer 24/7. It’s pretty much our conversation at home.” Burrell was one of several senior leaders who helped Delran get over the hump after four straight losses in the Group 2 state semifinals from 2015 to 2018. Burrell assisted on one of Frankie Taylor’s two goals in a 2-0 win over Rahway, sending Delran to the state final. Though Delran came up short in a 2-0 loss to Bernards in the Group 2 state championship, the lasting memory Burrell has of that final game is seeing the students who made the drive up to Kean University cheer on the Bears and the amount of support he received from former players leading up to the game. Burrell believes that family-like bond makes Delran boys soccer a special program to be a part of. And even though he’s graduating, Burrell plans to be a part of the Delran boys soccer family for many years to come. “Once you join this family, you can’t leave,” he said. ■
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SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS WEEKLY — NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 7, 2019
RENNA
continued from page S2
36TH ANNIVERSARY
much,” Bodary said. “She was done early and then would go over to the other courts, cheering everyone on. The other players, knowing you have one point, certainly helps.” Mohsen-Breen’s focus on the team even came out when she accepted an individual honor, the South Jersey Player of the Year Award, at the SJTCA banquet last Sunday. “I said in my speech that I’m so happy that we can receive this award,” MohsenBreen said. “We, because it wouldn’t be possible without everyone here. “When I was writing my speech for the South Jersey banquet, just thinking back on every year and all of the success we had, it’s pretty crazy just to think about the legacy we can be a part of now at Moorestown Friends,” Mohsen-Breen added. Mohsen-Breen is hoping to contribute to another outstanding legacy in college as she plans to attend Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Wesleyan won its first-ever NCAA Division III national championship in 2019
and Mohsen-Breen believes her experience at Moorestown Friends has prepared her to compete for the Cardinals next year. “I think it was really valuable to learn what it’s like to be part of a team,” MohsenBreen said. “My goal was to go to college to play tennis and I think this simulated what that will be like on a smaller scale.” There were a couple of goals MohsenBreen didn’t accomplish in 2019. Her top goal of winning a Tournament of Champions title didn’t happen when the Foxes lost to East Brunswick in the final. She also came up short in the state singles tournament when she lost to eventual champion Stephanie Yakoff of Fort Lee in the semifinals. Despite those defeats, Mohsen-Breen has no regrets and is proud of the accomplishments she – and her team – achieved. “It was kind of emotional at the banquet,” Mohsen-Breen said. “I feel like I put a lot into this team and I feel like we’ve reaped the benefits of that. But … seeing (my accomplishments) on paper, it feels really weird. I’ve had those accomplishments, but I feel like I couldn’t do it without the team that we had ... and the support from coach.” ■
rYaN LaWreNCe/South Jersey Sports Weekly
Moorestown Friends senior Renna Mohsen-Breen fires a forehand during a match against Moorestown High School in 2019.
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Douglas and Frasier Firs Sparkle (Wenonah location only) (Sparkle, Wenonah location only)
TOYS FOR TOTS DROP OFF LOCATION
2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU:
www.xmasexpress.com
Story idea? Email us: news@southjerseysportsweekly.com
With coupon only. Can’t be combined with any other offer. Minimum purchase $40. Limit 1 coupon per household. Expires 12/10/19.
ALL OUTDOOR INFLATABLES
20% OFF
Decorator Quality Fresh Wreaths & Grave Pillows • Pine Roping Available
Christmas Ornaments • Wreaths Gifts • Garlands Everything you need for Tree Trimming
50% OFF
(Both Locations)
50% OFF
20% OFF ALL PURCHASES
1062 Mantua Pike • Wenonah, NJ 08090
856-468-8038 Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 9am-6pm
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