Camden Catholic's Nymir Daily (2) and Joshua Collier (0) celebrate after a play during the West Jersey Football League football game against Haddon Heights played at Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on Friday, October 5, 2024. Joshua Guirguis/D2 Sports Network
CHERRY HILL - In 2017, the Camden Catholic High School football team finished with an 8-2 record.
That season included wins over Camden, Winslow, Pennsauken, Shawnee and Paul VI along with a playoff berth. The Irish fell to St. John Vianney, 45-40, in the first round of the Non-Public Group 3 playoffs.
Fast forward seven years later. The Irish are in a similar spot. Camden Catholic improved to 5-0 with a 48-22 win over local rival Haddon Heights on Friday night.
For the first four drives of the game, both teams traded punts. Joel Amegatcher took matters into his own hands as he yanked the football free of an opposing ball carrier's grasp and took the loose ball to pay dirt for the first score of the game.
The Irish defense forced a three-and-out on the following drive and was awarded for their effort with a four-play, 67-yard scoring drive that featured a 40-yard third down conversion and a 31-yard screen play that ended in a score by Nymir Daily.
Three plays later, Camden Catholic's Torey Jones picked off an errant throw and set up the Irish deep in the Garnets’ territory. The two-play drive ended with a touchdown pass from Mike Moritz to Villanova commit Sean Welde.
A 47-yard field goal from Matthew Kilic gave the Irish a commanding 24-0 lead at halftime.
The Garnets flipped the script with a deep return on the second half kickoff to set up shop at Camden Catholic’s 3-yard line. Cinque Matthews flopped into the end zone on the next play to give Haddon Heights life early in the third quarter.
Heights followed up with a three-and-out on defense and quickly added another touchdown as Amare Ridley raced 35 yards to the house to pull the Garnets within 10 points.