PHOTOS: End of an era as Wildwood falls in second round

Posted: January 1st 1970

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

WOODSTOWN – The curtain fell on the best two-year run in the history of the Wildwood High School boys soccer program Friday afternoon when the Warriors fell, 3-0, to Woodstown in a second-round South Jersey Group I Tournament game.

“Woodstown played us tough,” Wildwood coach Sal Zampirri said. “We knew it was going to be a difficult game. Kudos to them. They came with a game plan and executed it better than we did today.”

The game was closer than the final score indicated.

Trailing 1-0, seventh-seeded Wildwood was whistled for a hand-ball violation in the penalty area. Wildwood players claimed the ball hit the face and head area of its player and not his hand. The call stood, however, and No. 2 Woodstown’s Adrian Ibarra converted the spot kick to give his team a 2-0 lead into the half.

After carving out only one good chance in the first half, Wildwood enjoyed better spells of possession and chances in the second. Woodstown goalkeeper Grant Prater made a wonderful leaping save of a shot by Wildwood’s Noureddine Bedderi that seemed destined to find the back of the net. Prater also made a sliding stop of a shot by Gavin Burns.

Woodstown added its third goal with less than six minutes to play, essentially ending any thoughts of a Wildwood comeback.

Wildwood’s 15-4-1 final record was the best in program history in terms of both winning percentage and total wins. The team’s 27 combined victories in 2023 and 2024 represent the program’s most combined wins over two seasons.

With eight senior starters and 13 total seniors on the roster, the program will most likely face a rebuilding season in 2025.

Zampirri reflected on the impact the current senior class – led by Burns, Kelan Miller, Tyler Brown, Burke Fitzsimons, Ahmed Djellal, Chris Hernandez and R.J. Blanda – has had on the program over the past four seasons.

“We are going to miss these guys next year,” Zampirri said. “They are absolute studs, every single one of them. It’s heart-wrenching knowing we’re not going to have those kids on the field next year. I’ll just remember as kids how respectful they are, as leaders how great each and every one of them is. They just are phenomenal soccer players and phenomenal kids. Just a phenomenal group of kids. I am extremely, extremely proud of them and I know everyone in our town is proud of them. They made us all very, very proud.”