PHOTOS: Crusaders look to regroup after difficult stretch

Posted: October 24th 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

STONE HARBOR – After a sensational start that saw the team produce 13 victories and a draw against just one defeat over its first 15 games, the Wildwood Catholic Academy boys soccer team took a step up in class with respect to its competition over the past week.

The results weren’t ideal.

Games against Absegami, Cedar Creek and Hammonton – teams from the higher conferences within the Cape-Atlantic League – all ended in defeats by a 13-0 aggregate. The latest was Monday’s 5-0 loss to the Blue Devils in the CAL playoff tournament semifinal round.

“We knew our schedule and we knew we were going to have some teams that are at that next level here at the end of the regular season and we knew we’d have to step it up,” Wildwood Catholic coach Tommy Bolle said. “We saw some of the mistakes and we kept telling them we could get away with some of them against a lot of the teams in our division but once we step up in competition we’re going to have to have those fixed and we haven’t yet.”

On Monday, Hammonton scored twice in the first seven minutes to take immediate control and led 3-0 at the break. Wildwood Catholic did manage some solid spells early in the second half but couldn’t find the net before Hammonton added two more to pull away.

Hammonton went on to lose to St. Augustine Prep, 1-0 in extra time, in Wednesday’s CAL title game.

Wildwood Catholic handled the first contest of the difficult three-game stretch well, playing Absegami to a scoreless draw through 75 minutes before a late goal resulted in a 1-0 Braves win. Then the Crusaders dropped a 7-0 decision to Cedar Creek two days before Monday’s loss to Hammonton.

“Absegami was a tough one because we held them close and then gave up a goal at the end. Our effort was really good,” Bolle said. “But then we didn’t even show up on Saturday and then the result (against Hammonton) … It just shows a lot more work needs to get done. We just have to get back at it and keep working.”

The recent losses aside, this has been a breakthrough campaign for Wildwood Catholic. A program that won five combined games over the 2020 through 2022 seasons, improved to 7-12 last fall before this season’s success, which also included the CAL United Conference title, the program’s first since 2019.

The Crusaders will finish the regular season Friday with a non-league game against Salem Tech. Then comes the state tournament. Wildwood Catholic is currently sitting in the No. 2 seed position among South Jersey Non-Public B teams. Depending partly on how the official bracket shakes out, Wildwood Catholic should have a chance to make a postseason run.

“We were very happy to have those games because you get a feel for what the next level is like and what you need to do to play at the next level,” Bolle said. “Those games are always going to get you better. It’ll be a huge help for our preparation going forward into the playoffs.”