Timber Creek

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

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.

In the end, only the record was clean. The players' uniforms were covered in mud and the coach's clothes were soaked with a sticky sweet, courtesy of a Gatorade bath, after Timber Creek slogged its way to a 13-3 victory over Triton in the 10th annual Thanksgiving Day game between the school-district rivals. That's the thing about perfect seasons. They look perfect only from the outside. All those victories, they look shiny and bright like a string of pearls from a distance.

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J. - The time was terrific. The place was something else for Damiere Byrd. The Timber Creek junior ran the fastest 100 meters of his life at Thursday night's Meet of Champions. He blazed to a time of 10.42 seconds. But Byrd was determined to win the race and earn the title as the fastest boy in New Jersey. He finished second to Long Branch junior Miles Shuler-Foster, whose blistering time of 10.39 seconds was the fastest in the event since Camden's Jamar Ervin ran 10.35 in 2000.

Brandon Virgilio scored a first-period pin in the final bout on Monday night to put the finishing touches on Timber Creek's second wrestling victory over Camden Catholic in last last 10 days. The Chargers, who beat Camden Catholic by 30-24 at the Virginia Duals on Jan. 14, handed the visiting Irish a 35-24 Olympic Conference setback in a battle of two of South Jersey's top teams. The Chargers (12-2) clinched the National Division title by breaking out to leads of 16-6 and 20-9 with key decisions from Brandon Keller at 138 pounds and Dominick Ruggiero at 160. The Irish (14-5)

The Woodrow Wilson girls' basketball team plays with speed, fury and intelligence, but its best asset this season has been balance. That balance was evident again yesterday in an 80-46 win over Timber Creek in a South Jersey Group 3 semifinal. Second-seeded Wilson (25-1) will make its second straight trip to the South Jersey championship game. The Tigers will meet top-seeded Highland (27-0) in the final, scheduled for 8 p.m. tomorrow at Cherry Hill East. Highland routed Manchester Township, 83-28, in the other semifinal.

TOMS RIVER - Nothing comes easy at this stage of the soccer season. Just ask Giuseppe DeLuca, Jeff Morgan, and Andrew Garcia. The three Timber Creek players spent much of the Group 3 state semifinals on the turf at Toms River North. But at the end of the night, all three were still standing - and so were the Chargers. DeLuca and Morgan scored goals and Garcia made 10 saves to record the shutout as Timber Creek defeated previously unbeaten Princeton, 2-0, to advance to the state finals.

It was the exact opposite of a year ago. Last season, Delsea put itself on the South Jersey football map with a 33-14 win over Timber Creek. Friday, after spotting Delsea a 7-0 lead, the Chargers scored the next 40 during a 40-7 victory over the visiting Crusaders in a West Jersey Football League Royal Division matchup. Few saw this one coming, including Timber Creek coach Rob Hinson, "I thought we could win the game, but I am really surprised by the margin of victory," Hinson said.

Anna Thomann scored just six points last night, but the Shawnee junior picked the perfect time for her last two. The Renegades' small forward hit both ends of a one-and-one with 3.6 seconds remaining in a South Jersey Group 3 girls' basketball quarterfinal, sending 11th-seeded Shawnee to a wild, 40-38 win over host and No. 3-seed Timber Creek. "I was starting to feel my heart pound, but I was thinking, 'Relax, just make these two free throws and get on with it,' " said Thomann, who grabbed six rebounds.

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)

Chance Embler opened the scoring with a third-inning double and Dan Schurer pitched a five-hit shutout, as No. 8 seed Moorestown upset top-seeded Holy Cross, 2-0, on Friday in the Burlington County League baseball tournament. Nick Savino batted 3 for 3 in support of Schurer, who struck out seven in improving to 4-0. Tri-County. Matt Miniconzi of Highland singled to lead off the seventh inning, breaking up Kingsway pitcher John Beshada's no-hit bid, but the host Dragons still came out on top, 2-0, thanks to Brody Moran's two RBIs.

Even in defeat, the Salem softball team found reason to celebrate on Friday. Host Woodstown, which would go on to win the Tri-County Conference interdivision game, 3-0, had loaded the bases with none out in the first inning when Wolverines catcher Megan McCurdy ripped a line drive down the third-base line. Salem third baseman Danielle Merritt snared McCurdy's smash, stepped on the bag and threw across the diamond to first baseman Caitlyn Hudock to complete the triple play.

Projected New Football Groups Projected makeup of football groups, based on enrollment figures for this school year. South Jersey Group 5 Absegami, Atlantic City, Cherokee, Cherry Hill East, Eastern, Egg Harbor Twp., Lenape, Millville, Rancocas Valley, Southern, Toms River East, Toms River North, Vineland, Washington Twp., Williamstown. South Jersey Group 4 Cherry Hill West, Clearview, Cumberland, Hammonton, Kingsway, Lacey, Mainland, Moorestown, Oakcrest, Seneca, Shawnee, Timber Creek, Toms River South, Triton, Winslow Twp. South Jersey Group 3 Bridgeton, Burlington Twp., Camden, Central, Delsea, Deptford, Highland, Lower Cape May, Manchester Twp., Ocean City, Pemberton, Pinelands, Point Pleasant Boro, Sterling, Woodrow Wilson.

The Inquirer TOP 10     BASEBALL Team   Record Records through Sunday. Last week's rankings are in parentheses. 1. Cherokee (4)   12-2 The Chiefs have won 10 in a row and have allowed just seven runs in their last five games. 2. Washington Township (1)   13-1 Sophomore Mark Scarpa's last three pitching victories were by scores of 12-0 over Millville, 7-1 over Timber Creek, and 5-0 over Triton.

BASEBALL Team Record Records through Sunday. Last week's rankings are in parentheses. 1. Cherokee (4) 12-2 The Chiefs have won 10 in a row and have allowed just seven runs in their last five games. 2. Washington Township (1) 13-1 Sophomore Mark Scarpa's last three pitching victories were by scores of 12-0 over Millville, 7-1 over Timber Creek, and 5-0 over Triton. 3. Gloucester Catholic (2) 15-3 The Rams lost a 10-inning heartbreaker to North Jersey power Don Bosco Prep by a 5-3 score on a three-run, walk-off homer on Sunday night.

Haddonfield scored three times on bases-loaded walks on Saturday, opening the door for a 6-3 home win over Audubon, the No. 3 team in The Inquirer's South Jersey baseball Top 10. Rob Perkins and Mike McLaughlin each had a run-scoring single in the Colonial Conference game, and Bulldogs junior righthander Jason Cavanaugh shut out Audubon after allowing three runs on three hits in the first inning. Lee Ware Tournament. Winning pitcher Steve Rodier drove in three runs, while Brandon Cornelius and Billy Burton added two RBIs apiece for Timber Creek, which jumped on top early and cruised past Pennsauken Tech, 15-2, in the championship game at Woodstown.

Haddonfield scored three times on bases-loaded walks on Saturday, opening the door for a 6-3 home win over Audubon, the No. 3 team in The Inquirer's South Jersey baseball Top 10. Rob Perkins and Mike McLaughlin each had a run-scoring single in the Colonial Conference game, and Bulldogs junior righthander Jason Cavanaugh shut out Audubon after allowing three runs on three hits in the first inning. Lee Ware Tournament. Winning pitcher Steve Rodier drove in three runs, while Brandon Cornelius and Billy Burton added two RBIs apiece for Timber Creek, which jumped on top early and cruised past Pennsauken Tech, 15-2, in the championship game at Woodstown.