The Cedar Creek High School football team began the season with a disappointing loss to Old Bridge.
Since then, the Pirates have won three straight and been the team they thought they could be in the preseason.
Cedar Creek (3-1) will Holy Spirit (2-2) in a West Jersey Football League Constitution Division contest. It’s a measuring stick game for both teams.
“We were pretty confident going into the year,” Cedar Creek coach James Melody said. “We’ve put three real good weeks together following the (Old Bridge) loss. It’s a testament to the kids and their character. I feel like our confidence is rising every week.”
The Pirates, who are No. 6 in The Press Elite 11, feature some of South Jersey’s top players, most notably running back Aamir Dunbar and quarterback Frenchmon Bethea.
Senior linebacker Justus Peyton is averaging 10 tackles per game.
“I feel like he’s not talked about enough,” Melody said. “He’s also the fullback in our offense. He’s a big-time impact player for us.”
Melody also complemented Cedar Creek’s offensive line of Mason Beck, Caleb Pettiford, Zachary Kamenar, Slayton D’Amico and Blake Hughes. The Pirates are averaging 42.7 points in their three wins.
“They communicate well. They play the right way,” Melody said of his offensive line. “They work hard and dig into it. Those five across have been really good for us.”
Holy Spirit comes into the game off a 28-14 loss to Camden. Senior quarterback Ty Costabile has thrown for nine TDs. The Spartans, who were 10-2 last season, are looking for a signature win.
A lot of Cedar Creek and Holy Spirit players played youth football together.
“They’ve had sustained success the last couple of years,” Melody said of Spirit. “Ty Costabile is a tremendous quarterback. He does a lot of good things. We have to make sure we’re ready to go.”
Sports are important at Cedar Creek. It’s not that way at every high school. Fans are expected to fill the home and visiting bleachers for Friday’s game.
“The school has given us so much support,” Melody said. “The student body has been unbelievable and given as that 12th-man kind of feel. That’s what our school culture is all about. We all root for each other.”
Contact: 609-272-7209
MMcGarry@PressofAC.com
X @ACPressMcGarry
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Mike McGarry
Staff Writer
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