The Winslow Township High School football team celebrates with the South Jersey Group 4 trophy after defeating Shawnee, 32-8, in the South Jersey Group 4 final at Winslow Township High School in Atco, New Jersey on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Collin Conway/D2 Sports Network
ATCO - The Winslow Township High School football team rolled through the Central Jersey Group 4 bracket a year ago to capture its second sectional title in three seasons.
The Eagles' 2023 campaign ended in a 42-7 loss to Mainland at home in the Group 4 state semifinals.
The loss set the stage for Winslow's redemption tour in 2024.
With their sights set on a state championship appearance, the Eagles moved one step closer to their goal and remained undefeated with a 32-8 victory over Shawnee in the South Jersey Group 4 final on Saturday afternoon. The Atco program captured its third sectional crown in four seasons (2021, 2023 and 2024) to set up a heavyweight rematch with Central Jersey champion Millville in the Group 4 state semifinals.
Momentum sided with the Renegades early on as they were able to steal a possession during the opening kickoff. Shawnee's Oliver Jung tapped a squib kick to the right side of the field where Justin Robinson pounced on the ball after it ricocheted off of a Winslow return man. The Renegades proceeded to chew five minutes off of the clock before freshman quarterback Cole Anderson stumbled into the end zone to help give Shawnee an 8-0 lead.
Winslow responded with 32 unanswered points.
Wisconsin commit Cameron Miller caught four passes for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
NaKeem Powell ran for a score on offense and recorded a sack on defense. He also hauled in four passes for 67 yards. Winslow's defense limited the Renegades to 105 yards of offense. The Eagles only allowed five yards through the air and 100 on the ground. Shawnee's offense managed only 2.4 yards per play.
Two-way lineman Malachi Brown provided a clean pocket for Winslow quarterback Jalen Parker, which allowed the sophomore to throw for three touchdowns. On defense, the senior tallied 10 tackles and pressured Anderson on several drop backs.
"Honestly, if we just give KaRon (Ali) or Roman (Duckett) a little bit of space, they make us look good up front," Brown said. "Same thing with Jalen, if he gets enough time, he's able to make the passes needed to move us down the field."
A rematch with the Thunderbolts in the state semifinals is set for next Saturday. The Eagles dominated the first meeting, 35-7, during the regular season. Millville won the first-ever Group 4 state title in 2022. Winslow has never qualified for a state final after last season's loss to eventual state champion Mainland.
"It's going to be a good game," Miller said.
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