'It’s been a good run.'

by Marc Narducci | Feb 26, 2025

Lance Bailey spent two different stints as the head football coach at Lower Cape May, with success during both periods.

In between he also served as a middle school coach and assistant.

Bailey had the distinction of coaching one of the best athletes in Cape May County history Matt Szczur on the 2006 team that went 7-3.

Szczur would later star on a national championship football team at Villanova and then switched gears to become a professional baseball player, competing parts of five seasons for the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.

Bailey was the head coach from 2004-2006. He returned in 2020 as head coach and coached until this past season. He recently stepped down as the head coach, but says he is not retiring from the profession.

“I felt in my gut it was time, but I am not done coaching,” he said.

In addition to the 7-3 team, another memorable season was 2023 when Lower Cape May went 8-2 and won the West Jersey Football League Royal Division with a 4-0 mark.

“I have had a lot of good memories coaching at Lower Cape May,” said Bailey, who is a health and physical education teacher at the school.

The 2023 team was truly special. According to Bailey, it was the school’s first football division champion in 41 years.

During his first stint, Bailey took over a team that went 0-10 the previous year. The Tigers progressively improved during his three seasons, going 1-9, 4-6 and finally the 7-3 team.

During his second stint, he took over a team that was 2-8 the year before and Lower Cape May went 4-4 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. That was the first of four straight seasons of going .500 or better.

“I had a good run and was lucky enough the first time around to get a good group of kids who went from 1-9 to 7-3 (two years later),” he said. “I got to coach Matt Szczur, who was really special.”

Another highlight for the 2006 team was a 27-22 upset of Holy Spirit, which was ranked among the Top five in South Jersey at the time.

The second time around, especially with the division title team, was just as gratifying for Bailey.

“We had great coaches, great support from the super intendent and school board,” said Bailey, who is also a basketball referee. “I couldn’t have done it without my coaches, and we were a selfless team that worked extremely hard.”

It meant a lot for Bailey to have success at Lower Cape May, the school his father attended.

Bailey played football, basketball and baseball at Strath Haven High in Delaware County.

Yet he has spent his professional life at Lower Cape May and says he will always have great memories coaching there.

“I feel very fortunate to have coached here,” he said. “It’s been a good run.”

Photo Courtesy of Lance Bailey

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