But Sterling wasn't playing Thursday night.
That's when Audubon beat Lindenwold, 10-0, thanks in large part to a sensational debut by sophomore Khaleil Chisolm.
To be sure, there were many reasons the Green Wave won its first game under coach Dom Koehl. Senior Keith Michaelski was a huge factor on both sides of the football. Junior Adin Borden came up with two of the team's four interceptions as part of a strong defensive effort.
But there was no minimizing Chisolm's impact. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound athlete ran for 154 yards on 19 carries. He also had an interception and made several tackles on defense.
With Chisolm's speed and elusiveness complementing Michalski's strength and power, Audubon will be a tough team to defend in the Colonial Patriot and could factor in the South Jersey Group 1 tournament. That's great for the Green Wave, and great for Koehl.
It also underscores how much the school-choice program can affect competition.
If one player can make that much of an impact, what happens when three or five – or 10, after a couple of years – start lining up for a new team in a new district? Will more schools become "choice schools" and seek to attract student athletes to remain competitive in this new environment?
Will the very notion of a level playing field, of public schools featuring teams filled with athletes who live in that district, go out the window?
Under the program, instituted this year by the New Jersey Department of Education, students may choose to enroll in a public school outside their district. The students still attend their new school for free; sending districts must cover the cost for the receiving district.
Several South Jersey high schools have joined the choice program as receiving schools. They include Audubon and Sterling, along with Paulsboro, Lindenwold and Gateway – that's five Colonial schools right there – as well as Hammonton, Ocean City, and Glassboro, among others.
