Paul VI head coach Dennis Scuderi addresses his team after a 46-12 victory over Camden Catholic in the football game played at Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, New Jersey on Wednesday, November 27, 2024. Joshua Gurguis/D2 Sports Network
HADDONFIELD - In the last four meetings between Paul VI and Camden Catholic, the Eagles have outscored their rivals 155-7.
The Hopkins Road program continued its dominance with a 42-16 victory participating in the sixth annual 94WIP Turkey Bowl.
Despite the final score being fairly one-sided, Camden Catholic opened up the scoring as Mike Moritz snuck his way into the endzone on the opening possession. The Irish then added a 39-yard field goal from Matthew Kilic to extend the lead.
Paul VI then scored 35 unanswered points from the end of the first quarter until the end of the third quarter. The Eagles scored in all three facets of the game. Nate Klecko provided a spark in a potent ground attack rushing for a pair of scores on 15 attempts and gathering 163 yards along the way.
Wagner commit Austin Bailey returned the second-half opening kickoff 95 yards to the house to provide more comfort on the scoreboard.
Jaylen Bishop added an interception on the defensive line but fumbled the ball into the end zone where Jake Andrewlevich would then pounce on it. The Eagles had almost officially put the away game at that point.
Camden Catholic attempted to battle back with an early fourth-quarter rushing touchdown by Nymir Daily to put the Irish back within a manageable three possessions before Paul VI laid out the finishing touches.
The final blow was delivered late in the final period as Elijah Wilson capped his career with his second rushing touchdown of the day and the final score of his playing time with the Eagles.
For Paul VI, the win had many sweetening factors added to it including picking up a win in the 94WIP Turkey Bowl, tallying a fifth straight series win, and sending off their seniors with a win over their heated rival. Key seniors like Monmouth commit Mo Keshen and Bailey have been a cornerstone of the program's recent resurgence through the last few seasons.
"I'm so glad I got to be a part of this program," Keshen said. "I'm not sad because it's over, I'm happy because we got to send a message to them. I love these coaches so much and they've taught me how to be a better football player and person."
Paul VI head coach Dennis Scuderi has coached on both sides of the rivalry as he was the head coach at Camden Catholic from 1998-2004 and a lone season in 2013. His time with the Irish has added extra meaning to the victories he's accumulated at Paul VI in the annual Thanksgiving showdowns.
"I coached on both sides of these games," Scuderi said. "I know what it's like to win and lose these matchups but the turnaround this program has made makes it all the more better. This senior class has paved the way for future success for the next few years and I'm very excited to see what we do moving forward."
The Irish have laid the groundwork for future success under the current regime in a short amount of time. In just two years, Wayne Gilliam has taken the Camden Catholic football program and flipped it around for the better. Gilliam, an alumnus of Camden Catholic, went 3-7 in his first season a year ago and in year two guided his Irish to a 9-2 record.
"I'm so excited for the next few years," Gilliam said. "This senior class has had three coaches in four years and for them to be able to have a season like this is a testament to their determination. They could've packed it in and given up but they had a chip on their shoulder and went to work."
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