South Jersey Football Game of the Week: Lenape at Williamstown

by Marc Narducci; Photo Marc Narducci | Nov 19, 2019

Lenape (9-1) at Williamstown (10-1), Friday, 7 pm.

What: South Group 5 championship.

Background: This is a rematch from the regular season when Williamstown earned a comeback 28-21 win over Lenape in a WJFL American Division game. Williamstown, which suffered its only loss to St. Augustine, has already clinched at least a share of the American Division with a 4-1 mark. The winner of the Thanksgiving game between Lenape and Shawnee will also earn a share of the title. Yet nobody is thinking of conference titles at this point. This is a matchup of the past two South Jersey Group 5 champs, with Lenape winning in 2017 and Williamstown in 2018.

Coaches: Lenape, Joe Wojceichowski (14-7); Williamstown, Frank Fucetola (180-99 overall, 161-86 at Williamstown, 19-12 at St. Augustine)

This season

LENAPE

September 6 Tottenville (NY), 48-21

September 13 St. Augustine, 20-7

September 20 at Vineland, 34-7

September 27 at Williamstown, 21-28

October 4 Allentown, 41-0

October 18 at Camden Catholic, 49-0

October 26 Rancocas Valley, 35-14

November 1 at Cherokee, 34-18

November 8 Edison, 39-6 (South Group 5)

November 15 Hillsborough, 28-17 (South Group 5

WILLIAMSTOWN

September 6 Vineland, 28-7

September 13 Rancocas Valley, 40-0

September 20 at Millville, 37-0

September 27 Lenape, 28-21

October 4 Atlantic City, 41-0

October 11 at Cherokee, 24-7

October 18 Washington Township, 33-0

October 25 at Shawnee, 17-0

November 1 at St. Augustine, 7-21

November 8 Hunterdon Central, 42-3 (South Group 5)

November 15 Vineland, 34-14 (South Group 5)

Outlook: The first game between these two wasn’t settled until Mekhi Gamble’s one-handed TD grab with 19 seconds left broke a 21-21 tie. It was a wild game, with Lenape leading 13-0 at halftime but Williamstown holding a 21-13 lead before the Indians tied it on a 9-yard pass from Brady Long to Connor Kennedy and a two-point conversion pass from the same duo with a minute left.

Williamstown then earned the win with Gamble’s sensational catch. Both teams have strong quarterbacks. Williamstown’s Dougie Brown has thrown for more than 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns. Sophomore Turner Inge had three rushing TDs in the Braves semifinal win over Vineland. Senior two-way lineman Aaron Lewis, a Michigan commit, has eight sacks.

Lenape has one of the most dangerous offensive threats in junior Xavier Coleman, who has caught 21 passes for 427 yards and seven TDs. He has also rushed for 501 yards (10.0 avg.) and 11 TDs. Kennedy has 29 receptions for 461 yards and 8 TDs. Long has thrown for 1,097 yards and 16 TDs. Junior Hamza Bruce has rushed for 838 yards (5.7 avg.) and 8 TDs.

Senior linebacker Clyde Washington, a Purdue commit, has 70 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss. Both teams are versatile passing or running and the championship matchup promises to be as exciting and tightly contested as the regular season meeting.

Article continues below

- South Jersey Football Game of the Week: Lenape at Williamstown

This is an early-season showdown in the WJFL American Division.

- South Jersey Football Game of the Week: Williamstown at Shawnee

This is for first place in the American Division.

- Year in Review: Lenape Football

The Lenape football program is on the upswing.

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Author: Marc Narducci; Photo by Marc Narducci

South Jersey Football Game of the Week: Lenape at Williamstown

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