VIDEO, PHOTOS: Surging Panthers remain atop conference with shutout of Wildwood Catholic

Posted: October 3rd 2025

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Middle Township High School boys soccer team seems to be rounding into top form.

The Panthers won for the seventh time in eight games and held its position as the top team in the Cape-Atlantic National Conference with a thorough 6-0 victory over Wildwood Catholic Thursday.

The only blemish for Middle (8-2 overall, 8-1 in CAL National) over the past eight games came in a 1-0 loss to Ocean City in a CAL crossover game last Saturday. Its other defeat was early in the season to Bridgeton, a loss the team avenged last week.

“We’re pleased about where we are,” Middle coach Scott Kurkowski said. “I wish we were perfect but the losses we had, that first one we tripped up and that kind of woke the boys up and set the tone for the rest of the year. And then that Ocean City game really could have gone either way.”

Otherwise, Middle has sandwiched three shutout victories around that close defeat to the Raiders. Middle and goalkeeper Miles Stafford now have six shutouts in 10 games and have conceded more than one goal in a game just once so far this season.

Stafford, a two-time all-conference selection, has been helped by Sam Casterline, Alex Corvarrubias, Red Tomlin, C.J. Heun, Alex Cruz and Amine Cherifi in the back.

“We have some great leadership back there, and it starts with Miles being a three-year starter and all-conference the last two years,” Kurkowski said. “Sam Casterline is our anchor back there at center back and then we have a rotation of guys who’ve all done a really good job for us.”

Against Wildwood Catholic (2-8, 0-8), Guilherme Candido opened the scoring for Middle with a wonderful strike from outside the penalty area that sailed inside the left post.

Wildwood Catholic later had a golden chance to equalize after rare miscommunication by the Middle defense, but a shot at an open goal hit the post and bounced away.

Middle then took a 2-0 lead into halftime when Carlos Herrera made a wonderful run with the ball down the right flank, steadied himself after going to ground after a battle with a Crusader back and quickly slid the ball toward the six-yard line, leaving onrushing teammate Lucas Matthews with an easy tap-in six minutes before the interval.

Middle went on to dominate the second half as Josiel Lopez tallied twice and Antonio Panizi and Yunes Bounacer also scored for the Panthers.

Middle holds a half-game lead in the conference over Cedar Creek, a team the Panthers beat by a 1-0 scoreline on the road three weeks ago. The rematch between the teams is Oct. 15 under the lights at the Boyd Street Field.

“We’ve been talking about trying to win the conference since we got started in July,” Kurkowski said. “It’s something we’re really aiming to do. If we take care of business the next couple games, it’s going to come down to that night game at Boyd Street against Cedar Creek, and the winner of that game is probably going to win the conference championship. We’ve been talking about getting that ‘2025’ put up on the banner in the gym and we still have that chance.”