MILLVILLE – There will be a new No. 1 team in South Jersey football next week.
And the Winslow Township High School football team certainly left no doubt that the Eagles will be moving into the penthouse.
A week after dispatching No. 3 St. Augustine, second-ranked Winslow put together an even more impressive performance, dominating every phase of the game en route to a 35-7 rout on the road over top-ranked Millville before a crowd of 2,000 at Wheaton Field.
“We definitely made another (big statement), but the job is not finished,” Wisconsin-bound senior Cam Miller said. “This is only Week (4). We’ll celebrate a little bit, but it’s right back to work next week.”
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Winslow whooped it up after the game, which was one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. The Eagles improved to 5-0 and moved into sole possession of first place in the West Jersey Football League American Division.
Sophomore quarterback Jalen Parker threw for four touchdowns to four different receivers, raising his season TD passing total to 13, while Miller made his presence felt on offense, defense and special teams with his stellar play.
“We’ve been ready,” junior NaKeem Powell said. “That was only Part 1, we’re going to see them again, we will see them again.”
With plenty of star power on the field, Winslow shined from start to finish, especially Miller.
The senior provided the pivotal play on a fourth-and-17 call, hauling in a perfectly thrown ball by Parker, splitting two defenders for a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter that gave Winslow a 21-7 lead.
“I’m grateful for (Parker) to put it in the right spot and I finished the rest,” said Miller, who has 31 career TD receptions, including three this season.
Miller led an impressive defensive effort that held Millville (4-1), which averaged 40 points across its first four games, to just one touchdown. The Thunderbolts' offense never really got going, failing to produce more than 50 yards in the first half and finishing with just over 100 yards for the game.
In a duel that featured arguably South Jersey’s top two players, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Miller guarded Alabama commit Lotzeir Brooks and held him to four catches and, more importantly, out of the end zone.
“I enjoyed it,” Miller said about assignment. “Very competitive, (Brooks is) a great player. … Taking on a challenge, being myself and doing the things I’m supposed to do.”
Keeping Brooks contained was among Winslow’s top priorities.
“You've got to keep your eyes on (No.) 1, he’s one of the best players in the state. You let him get loose, it’s going to be a problem,” Belton said.
Winslow’s defense has been downright nasty through the first five weeks, posting two shutouts and holding St. Augustine and Millville to a touchdown apiece.
“We have the best defense in the state, I really believe that,” said junior defensive end Robert Carstarphen, who had a sack for a 14-yard loss “Everybody doubted us, expect these guys right here (pointing to his teammates).”
NaKeem doing NaKeem-like things
After logging just six carries in the first four weeks, Powell was a workhorse in the second half. He rushed 17 times for 83 yards.
“NaKeem is a dog,” said Winslow head coach Bill Belton, giving his player a much-deserved compliment. “He gets it down from wherever, whether its receiver, running back, punter, quarterback, whatever, he can do it all.”
After Millville fumbled away the football on the first play from scrimmage, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Powell followed with a clutch touchdown catch four players later.
“Amazing, that was the spark, that just fire me up, got me ready to finish the game off,” Powell said.
Will there be a Part 2?
Everyone on both sides predicted there would be a rematch to Friday’s contest. The two programs are expected to land top seeds in South and Central Group 4 when the playoffs roll around.
Millville certainly would like a shot at redemption.
“We lost, but it’s not a sectional title game,” Millville head coach Humberto Ayala said. “We got outplayed. We lost in every phase of the game. We’re better than that. We just didn’t play to our caliber.”
Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Winslow leaves no doubt which team is No. 1 in South Jersey after rout of Millville
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