Hammonton

Saturday, 4 p.m, Rowan University. At stake: South Jersey Group 3 title. Coaches: Hammonton, Pete Lancetta (197-51-1); Timber Creek, Rob Hinson (40-23 at Timber Creek, 5-5 at Salem). Sectional titles: Hammonton, five (2009, Group 3; 1996, 1994, 1993, 1985, Group 2); Timber Creek, none. Fast fact: Hammonton beat Timber Creek, 23-17, in the South Jersey Group 3 title game in 2009. - Phil Anastasia

For someone who lived for St. Joseph's football, nothing got Matt Roberts more stoked than its annual clash with crosstown rival Hammonton. And so on the day that the memory of the former player and coach was honored in a pregame ceremony, it seemed fitting that his beloved alma mater showed the heart that defined Roberts' 32 years. Playing on a heavily taped right ankle, sophomore running back James Hargrave rushed for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the second half to send St. Joseph past visiting Hammonton, 21-14, in front of a capacity crowd that framed the field.

They saved their best for last. They capped a perfect season with a priceless performance. Timber Creek played its best football of the long season at the end of a long weekend of championship competition at Rowan University. The Chargers excelled on offense, defense, and special teams in an imposing 33-7 victory over Hammonton on Saturday in the South Jersey Group 3 title game. "They did everything," Hammonton coach Pete Lancetta said. "They were just too much for us. " Senior Calvin Lowe was 8 for 12 passing for 167 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score as Timber Creek completed a 12-0 season and captured the first sectional title in the history of the program.

Hurry up. That's one way to describe Moorestown's offense. That's also one way to describe the Quakers' approach to the last moments of the football season. Moorestown (6-4) will visit Hammonton (8-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in the semifinals of the South Jersey Group 3 tournament. The host Blue Devils are the No. 2 seed and the favorites, based on the consistently strong play this season by coach Pete Lancetta's team. "Hammonton is Hammonton," Moorestown coach Russ Horton said.

Two teams in the Cape-Atlantic League have unblemished American Conference records, and those two teams will clash tonight in Linwood. Mainland (5-1 overall, 4-0 conference) will greet visiting Hammonton (6-0, 6-0) with all of the appropriate aggression that a Group 4 school can muster. Hammonton, which is in Group 3, will strive to accumulate a bonanza of power points that a victory over a large school yields. "Any time you play a bigger school it's a tremendous challenge," Hammonton coach Pete Lancetta said.

Hammonton's hold on the South Jersey Group 2 football title is over. Quarterback Maurice Binn threw for 209 yards and running back Scott Silva scored four touchdowns to lead Northern Burlington to a 27-18 semifinal victory over the host Blue Devils, who won the championship in 1993 and 1994. The Greyhounds (8-1) will host Kingsway in the South Jersey title game on Dec. 2. Northern Burlington trailed 10-6 in the second quarter before taking control of its first playoff game in 14 years.

Last year, Gloucester Catholic's Derek Forchic was an unwilling spectator while his teammates won another Olympic Conference National Division baseball title. Forchic missed the entire season after undergoing major knee surgery following a basketball injury. The only thing worse than not being able to compete was going through the rigorous workouts. Forchic was able to play part time last summer, and now the 6-foot-3 195- pound senior appears back for good. Forchic hit a three-run homer yesterday as Gloucester Catholic crushed host Hammonton, 16-4, in a nonleague game.

Russell Forchion knew right away. It was June 6. He was the new kid at Hammonton, a transfer student from Overbrook. He walked into the weight-training area in the football fieldhouse at the end of the school day. It was like walking into a new world. "Guys were maxing out," Forchion said. "Guys were banging the walls. Guys were yelling. They were so into it. I was like, 'This is the place.' " It's never easy to be the new student. It's never easy to start over in a new school at the end of junior year.

Hammonton made a practice of beating teams it was not expected to beat all season. The Blue Devils defeated two teams - Moorestown and Voorhees - that no one thought they would get past on their climb to the NJSIAA Group 2 field hockey championship game. But the magic ran out yesterday, when Hammonton lost to West Essex, 1-0, in sudden-death overtime, ending its season with a 17-2-1 overall record. West Essex, appearing in the state final for the sixth straight year, finished with a 19-1-1 record.

Robert Comunale scored on a 66-yard run with a fumble in the first quarter and caught a 15-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to lead unbeaten Hammonton to a 22-14 win at Buena last night in Cape-Atlantic League National Conference football. The victory was the 15th consecutive for the Blue Devils (4-0 overall, 2-0 division), who have not lost since the final game of the 1992 season. Buena's loss sent the Chiefs (2-3, 1-1) to three straight losses for the first time since 1990.

Highlights of Thursday's contests can be found at: www.philly.com/rally CAMDEN CATHOLIC REUNION Camden Catholic will hold a football social and alumni reunion from 4 to 8 p.m. on May 19 at P.J. Whelihan's in Cherry Hill. Tickets are $35. Call 856-663-2247 ext. 40 for information. Here are the pairings for the NJSIAA sectional baseball and softball tournaments involving South Jersey teams. Seeded position in parentheses. Baseball SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 1 Maple Shade (16)

Games to Watch Monday: Highland (7-6) vs. West Deptford (6-10) in Cooperstown, N.Y., 3 p.m. Tuesday: Audubon (14-4) at Haddon Township (11-4), 3:45 p.m. Wednesday: Bishop Eustace (9-5) at Pennsauken (12-2), 3:45 p.m. Thursday: St. Augustine (10-6) at Hammonton (10-4), 3:30 p.m. Friday: Moorestown (9-5) at Holy Cross (15-2), 3:45 p.m. - Phil Anastasia

Bridgette Allessandrini raced home on a two-out wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving host Hammonton a 1-0 victory over Absegami on Friday in Cape-Atlantic League softball. Kimmy Hellyer went the distance for the win, shutting out the Braves on six hits. Kelly Lupton took the loss even though she gave up only two hits and two walks and struck out 11. In other Cape-Atlantic action: One day after pitching her third perfect game of the season, Brittany Scott tossed her fourth no-hitter in Buena's 5-0 home win over Middle Township.

Gloucester Catholic likes to play every day, if not twice a day. But the Rams, who went 6-0 last week, could use a little break, since two of their top players are on the shelf with injuries. Gloucester Catholic (13-2), ranked No. 2 in South Jersey by The Inquirer, is likely to be without star second baseman Joe Brooks for the next three to six weeks because of a thumb injury, coach Dennis Barth said Sunday. Brooks, who has signed with East Carolina and led South Jersey with eight triples as a junior, hurt his left thumb Wednesday sliding into second base in a game against Highland.

Gloucester Catholic likes to play every day, if not twice a day. But the Rams, who went 6-0 last week, could use a little break, since two of their top players are on the shelf with injuries. Gloucester Catholic (13-2), ranked No. 2 in South Jersey by The Inquirer, is likely to be without star second baseman Joe Brooks for the next three to six weeks because of a thumb injury, coach Dennis Barth said Sunday. Brooks, who has signed with East Carolina and led South Jersey with eight triples as a junior, hurt his left thumb Wednesday sliding into second base in a game against Highland.

Kristen DiGuglielmo stroked a double to score Casey Clark with the winning run in the seventh inning, as Cherry Hill East edged the host Quakers, 4-3, on Saturday in the championship of the Moorestown softball tournament. DiGuglielmo was named MVP of the title game, and teammate Andi Leff earned tournament MVP honors with a two-run triple in the sixth inning that rallied the Cougars past Collingswood, 2-1, in the opener. Cherry Hill East received solid pitching throughout the day, with Gabby Whiteley limiting Collingswood to five hits and three walks in winning the first game, and Michelle Fachias yielding three hits, two walks and one earned run in the title game.

MAYS LANDING, N.J. - Prosecutors say a retired police detective has pleaded guilty in the hit-and-run death of a South Jersey teenager. Anthony Scaltrito, 64, of Hammonton, pleaded guilty Tuesday to leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident. The charge stems from the death of 15-year-old Justin Montgomery, who was struck outside a 4-H fair in Hamilton Township in August 2010. The teen was pronounced dead just minutes after the crash, and Scaltrito turned himself in the next day. Under a plea deal with Atlantic County prosecutors, Scaltrito will receive a six-year prison term when he's sentenced June 15. Scaltrito served for many years with the Hammonton police force.

ATLANTIC CITY - It was a journey of 12 months that ended 30 seconds short of the final destination. That's how close Phil Bakuckas came Sunday to becoming the first wrestler in Hammonton High School history to win a state title. "I was so close," Bakuckas said after losing a 7-3 decision to Bergen Catholic's Johnny Sebastian in the 160-pound championship bout at Boardwalk Hall. Hammonton coach Dave Mauriello said Bakuckas was "focused on this since he left here last year" as a non-place-winner in the 152-pound class as a junior.