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October 2, 2002

The CAL is holding its own against some big names

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist


You’ve probably heard about or read the names most of your life – East Orange, Penn Charter, Cardinal O’Hara, Newark Central, William Penn, Cardinal Dougherty, Hunterdon Central, South Plainfield.

These are schools with big athletic reputations that have been built over decades of success. And, this fall, the football teams from the Cape-Atlantic League have held their own against them.

In the first three weeks of the season, CAL teams are 6-4 against teams from outside the league. This includes Mainland’s 25-24 loss to Wayne Hills. Though Wayne Hills is not in the same category with some of the other schools mentioned as far as reputation is concerned, it might have as good a football team as any of them. The defeat could drop Mainland a notch in the NJSIAA Group 3 seedings but the experience will be invaluable. The Mustangs traveled a couple of hours and played one of New Jersey’s best teams down for down on its own field.

Non-league games still to come include Absegami at Delsea, Middle Township at Gateway, Overbrook at Bridgeton and Academy Park (PA) against both Ocean City and Egg Harbor Township.

These non-league games became necessary when Wildwood left the CAL to join the Tri-County Conference. It left eight teams in the American Conference, requiring two additional games per school, and nine games in the National Conference, requiring one extra game.

There were two non-conference games already built in – the Thanksgiving rivalries featuring Ocean City-Pleasantville and Atlantic City-Holy Spirit. Some crossover games were retained, like Hammonton-Oakcrest, Vineland-Lower Cape May and Millville-Buena. But a lot of phone calls were made before the open slots were filled.

Most athletic directors will tell you they don’t like these games. Scheduling buses for long trips and making directions available to fans for away games is time consuming. And there is the concern over whether teams from outside the area will draw crowds at home games.

But these games are good for the league, much like they are in other sports, because it gives the league’s teams a chance to show what they can do against outside oppopents.

And the CAL teams have done a fine job this year.


Ocean City’s last home game, against Atlantic City, could have been a nightmare for OCHS athletic director Paul LeFever. The construction of the new high school has caused enough problems around Carey Stadium but the MS Bike-a-Thon from Philadelphia that weekend took away the parking lot at the boardwalk end and virtually eliminated traffic on both Fifth and Sixth Streets.

But things worked out pretty well.

“People were very cooperative,” said LeFever. “I’d really like to thank all those who came to the game and all those who helped us make the best of a difficult situation.”

The Raiders return home Saturday to face Egg Harbor Township on Homecoming Day. That should be the biggest crowd of the regular season at Carey Stadium.

But fans who come to Ocean City in the future should get used to less parking than existed before construction began.


As we all go through our week, we frequently come in contact with people who have an impact on our lives and our state of mind. Such a person was Mike Rash.

The co-owner of Ninth Street Mobil in Ocean City and a resident of Egg Harbor Township, Mike died last month after a long battle with cancer.

Originally from Philadelphia, he was a real Philly sports fan, numbering among his customers Pat Croce and Brian Propp. He could talk with authority about the Eagles, Sixers, Phillies and Flyers. He followed the local scene, too, and loved to compare successful CAL teams with the teams produced by his alma mater – Cardinal Dougherty – when he was there during its glory years.

It was rare to have a conversation with Mike without hearing his deep laugh. Even while he was battling against the disease, he was smiling and looking for ways to make you smile.

The world will be a little less bright without Mike Rash.


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