It appears as if Washington Township (6-2) has earned a South Jersey Group 4 playoff berth, although with 14 teams alive for the eight spots that will be officially announced Monday, Township's fate will be known after Saturday's games are played.
Shawnee (5-3) faces the longest of odds of getting in, and few could have predicted this based on recent results.
On Sunday, Washington Township suffered a 40-8 loss to Pennsauken. Granted, Pennsauken is among the best teams in South Jersey, but Township was a no-show that day.
Meanwhile, Shawnee was coming off a 21-17 win over previously unbeaten Williamstown.
One team was on a roll, the other was just trying to get up off the canvas.
"That wasn't our real team on Sunday," said Township quarterback Tom Hildebrand, who completed 11 of 20 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
It certainly wasn't the team on Friday.
Things started with Ashton's electrifying kickoff return. A senior, Ashton is basically just a special-teams performer, but a special one at that. He has the ability to take it to the house on any occasion. Ashton couldn't have picked a better time to begin the game in the end zone.
"I think a play like that really got us going," he said. "The blocking on that play was outstanding."
So was the running.
On Shawnee's first play from scrimmage, the Renegades fumbled the ball away, Township's Andrew O'Neill returned it 34 yards for a touchdown, and the Minutemen led, 14-0, just 31 seconds into the game.
When Township's Ben Palestino extended the lead to 24-0 with a 42-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, Shawnee wasn't coming back.
"They beat us in every phase of the game," Shawnee coach Tim Gushue said.
The reward should be a trip to the postseason, one that Washington Township detoured away from during last year's 3-7 season.
