West Deptford

NEW COACH Chip Kelly has touted an even competition between Michael Vick and Nick Foles for the Eagles' starting quarterback position, but given the reworked 1-year, $10 million contract the Birds gave Vick, most of us figure he is likely to emerge as the starter. That's pretty much what receiver Jeremy Maclin thinks, as well. Maclin was asked yesterday, if he had to guess, who will be No. 1? "Right now, you've got Mike going with the 'ones' and Nick sprinkling in some reps here and there, so . . . " Maclin said at his Lincoln Financial Field charity event honoring five moms of kids he met through his summer football camp in West Deptford, N.J., where Maclin lives.

Soupy Island exists in a time warp. With its old, wood-covered slide, its grand carousel featuring 52 hand-carved horses, and its stately pavilions, the place evokes a mix of nostalgia and wonder. But the Sanitarium Playground - its official name - is no ghost town. During the months of July and August, the 16-acre park along the Delaware River in West Deptford teems with as many as 500 children a day. And there is always soup. Each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, when the sprawling playground is open for general admission, children line up at a soup kitchen for Saltines and a bowl of Campbell's vegetable beef or chicken noodle.

Saturday, 1 p.m., at Rowan University. At stake: South Jersey Group 2 championship. Coaches: Haddonfield, Frank DeLano (68-39); West Deptford, Clyde Folsom (197-66-6 overall, 163-55-2 with West Deptford). South Jersey titles: Haddonfield, one (2010); West Deptford, four (2007, 2004, 2003, 2002). Fast fact: This is the sixth straight year that the South Jersey Group 2 final has featured West Deptford and/or Haddonfield. - Marc Narducci

West Deptford wrestling coach John Craig pointed to the little things: the character his team showed, the poise, the intelligence, knowing what the team needs and delivering it. It's those little things, Craig said, that allowed for the Eagles' biggest accomplishment in more than 30 years. Friday night's 36-28 win over Haddonfield improved West Deptford's dual-meet record to 14-0. More than that, the win, one of many close ones for the Eagles this season, sealed a share of the team's first Colonial Conference Liberty Division title since 1978.

W    Lindenwold, 56-8 W    Woodbury, 45-24 W    Haddon Heights,    36-28 W    Sterling, 28-20 W    Audubon, 48-0 W    Overbrook, 54-12 W    Collingswood, 64-6 W    Haddonfield, 25-12 W    *Sterling, 31-7 W    Paulsboro, 28-20 W    *Woodstown, 28-7 * – S.J. 2 tournament

West Deptford has speed, quickness, and remarkable open-field ability. And that's just along the offensive line. It's not unusual to see a team with running backs who can turn the corner. What was most notable about West Deptford's 28-6 victory over Woodbury on Friday night in a Colonial Conference inter-division clash was the way Eagles wearing numbers in the 50s were excelling in space. "We don't have the biggest line," West Deptford senior guard Marquis Winston said.

It was the first match of the long night, but it went a long way toward deciding the outcome. Wrestling in his first varsity match, junior Josh Gilliano won a 3-1 decision in overtime to spark West Deptford to a 33-18 victory over St. Augustine Prep in a nonleague clash last night. The Eagles won nine of 14 bouts in securing the victory in their first match of the season. None was more important than the first one. "That was a toss-up match," West Deptford coach John Craig said of Gilliano's match with St. Augustine's Tyler Sentman.

Jamie Robinson is an entertainer, of sorts. Robinson, a left inner on the West Deptford field hockey team, entertains Eagles fans by moving upfield with the ball and depositing it into the cage, or by assisting on a goal. A four-year starter, Robinson has collected 96 career goals, the most ever by an Eagle. She shattered Kelly Malinowski's 1995 record of 72 goals last season. When she was a sophomore, her 28 goals tied the school's single-season scoring record set by Jen Geitz in 1993, and tied by Malinowski in 1995.

Summing up the eighth week of wrestling season and taking a look ahead. Don't judge West Deptford solely by its record when assessing what sort of season the Eagles have enjoyed. The record, 14-5 with one match to go, is good enough on face value. But the key fact at West Deptford this season is that the Eagles have become a major player in the South Jersey wrestling power structure. Wednesday night's 37-27 loss to Paulsboro capped a season in which West Deptford didn't win its league and didn't win a place in the Group 2 tournament.

All seeds are unofficial until noon Friday. South Jersey Group 4 1. Eastern 2. Vineland 3. Washington Township 4. Williamstown 5. Cherry Hill West 6. Shawnee 7. Lenape 8. Toms River North 9. Cherokee 10. Egg Harbor Township 11. Clearview 12. Toms River East 13. Absegami 14. Toms River South 15. Atlantic City 16. Millville South Jersey Group 3 1. Delsea 2. Moorestown ...

Camden Catholic senior Shannon McCormick scored three goals in the first half on Thursday afternoon, and it appeared that, once again, the Irish would ease to victory over Collingswood in girls' lacrosse. The Panthers defense clamped down in the second half, though, and it wasn't until the second overtime when McCormick's fourth goal found the net that sixth-seeded Camden Catholic eked out a 9-8 win over No. 11 Collingswood in a South Jersey Group 1 first-round game. McCormick ripped the game-winner after beating her defender to the right.

For the first time this season, temperatures were in the 80s. "When you don't have a very deep bench, this heat is not your friend," West Deptford boys' lacrosse coach Mike Yarusso said. It was the kind of weather that generally isn't kind to any small school this late in the season - not that West Deptford appeared the least bit fazed. The Eagles were a 15-5 winner at home Thursday afternoon over Woodstown in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs. "Because of the heat, we were running guys in who don't normally get time, but they were stepping up, getting ground balls, and doing a good job for us," said senior attack Mike Reardon, who led all players with five goals.

BOYS' LACROSSE Team Rec. Records are through Tuesday. Last week's rankings in parentheses. 1. Moorestown (1) 14-1 2. St. Augustine (2) 10-6 3. Seneca (3) 17-1 4. Shawnee (4) 14-4 5. Cherokee (6) 10-4 6. Washington Twp. (5) 9-7 7. Lenape (7) 10-7 8. Clearview (9) 11-6 9. West Deptford (8) 14-4 10. Kingsway (10) 10-7 Under consideration (listed alphabetically): Egg Harbor Township (12-4), Haddonfield (5-11), Middle Township (14-2)

Baseball FRIENDS SCHOOLS SEMIFINALS Germantown Friends 2, Moorestown Friends 0 JOHN ROSE TOURNAMENT Winslow Township 13, Schalick 3 Delsea 7, Cumberland 2 COLONIAL CONFERENCE Collingswood 5, Haddonfield 4 Audubon 5, Gateway 2 OLYMPIC CONFERENCE NATIONAL Camden Catholic 12, Paul VI 11 Cherry Hill West 1, Timber Creek 0 TRI-COUNTY CONFERENCE CLASSIC Pitman 20, Clayton 8 TRI-COUNTY CONFERENCE ROYAL ...

NEW COACH Chip Kelly has touted an even competition between Michael Vick and Nick Foles for the Eagles' starting quarterback position, but given the reworked 1-year, $10 million contract the Birds gave Vick, most of us figure he is likely to emerge as the starter. That's pretty much what receiver Jeremy Maclin thinks, as well. Maclin was asked yesterday, if he had to guess, who will be No. 1? "Right now, you've got Mike going with the 'ones' and Nick sprinkling in some reps here and there, so . . . " Maclin said at his Lincoln Financial Field charity event honoring five moms of kids he met through his summer football camp in West Deptford, N.J., where Maclin lives.

The Inquirer TOP 10     BOYS' LACROSSE Team   Rec. Records are through Tuesday. Last week's rankings in parentheses. 1. Moorestown (1)   11-1 2. St. Augustine (2)   7-6 3. Seneca (4)   13-1 4. Shawnee (3)   11-4 5. Washington Twp. (NR)   8-6 6. Cherokee (5)   9-4 7. Lenape (6)   9-5 8. West Deptford (9)   13-3 9. Clearview (7)   10-5 10. Kingsway (8)