October has not been kind to the Salem football team.
The defending South/Central Group 1 regional champions suffered consecutive losses to Woodstown, Paulsboro and West Deptford. An offense that scored 99 points in three wins top open the year was held to just 22. Bonds between players became fragile as arguments ensued, leading to a lack of continuity on the field.
“It’s been a struggle,” coach Montrey Wright said.
“It was hard, a lot of ups and downs. There was a lot of arguing. We were all separated,” senior Amare Smith noted.
One come-from-behind victory on the eve of the state playoffs may have just brought the Rams back to where they need to be.
Salem looked like it was playing uphill for most of Saturday’s contest against visiting Woodbury. The Rams were staring at an unprecedented fourth straight loss late in the fourth quarter.
But something sparked the Ram Gang, energizing this team enough to win.
Salem scored on back-to-back drives in the final 4:49, rallying for a 21-20 victory in a rematch of last year’s regional championship.
Jahki Coates connected with RaMaji Bundy on a 72-yard scoring strike and the senior quarterback found the end zone on a 1-yard keeper with 1:03 left. Randy Sayers converted his third PAT kick for the deciding point.
Detric Simmons then sealed the outcome with a sack on the final play, denying Woodbury of the WJFL Diamond outright title. Instead, the Thundering Herd (6-2) settled for a share with Woodstown.
Detric Simmons and Amare Smith played key roles as Salem rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat visiting Woodbury on Saturday. Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
“My team needed me. I needed to step up,” Simmons said. “I just put my all into it. I had to go.”
A team that had failed to put points on the board in recent weeks and struggled with internal issues, it appears that the road to a Group 1 sectional title and possible berth in the first-ever state championship will run through Salem (5-4) once again.
A team that was tinkering on life-support, Salem showed it is far from dead.
“Let’s be honest, a three-game losing streak is unheard of in Salem. It took away our rhythm. We had to get our mojo back,” Wright said. “We just need to keep reeling it in mentality. When you mess up, you’ve got to come back 10 times harder.
“It’s all about sending a reminder. We’re the defending champions.”
Salem’s defense put its offense in position to get the win. On what proved to be the game-winning drive, the Rams started with possession at the Woodbury 33.
The Rams finished with seven sacks - three by Smith, two by Benjamin Pittman and single stops by Emmanuel Lane and Simmons. Lane also had an interception, while Daveon Jackson had a fumble recovery.
“We practiced against the scrambling, pursuing the ball, 11 hats to the ball,” Smith said. “I’m glad we executed.”
Woodbury came into the day with back-to-back wins over Gloucester and Woodstown. The Herd got two touchdown passes from Bryan Johnson to JaBron Solomon (15 and 39 yards) and a 12-yard TD run from Anthony Reagan Jr. but just couldn’t close the deal down the stretch.
“We didn’t finish. We shot ourselves in the foot towards the tail end,” Woodbury coach Anthony Reagan said. “We had a chance to put them away and we didn’t. We left the door open for them to win the game.
“It’s a new season now. We get to evaluate how we’ve been for eight games - the good, bad and indifferent, and go on from there. We’ll look to get better.”
For Salem, it’s now all about building off Saturday’s emotional victory.
“We have to make sure we come out and play solid football because we haven’t,” Wright said. “It’s playoffs now. Once we get in the playoffs, we play different football.
“Group 1 still goes down Walnut Street, so that’s what we want to keep doing.”
Said Smith: “We’re back to being a brotherhood.”
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Kevin Minnick covers the West Jersey Football League. He can be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kminnicksports