EVESHAM – After showing the ability to climb out of a big hole, the Lenape Regional High School football team finds itself in a pretty lofty spot:
The top of the West Jersey Football League standings.
Despite starting the season 0-2, the Tribe have posted four straight wins, including the last two by a variety of comebacks. On Friday, the Lenape avenged a 35-point loss at Cherokee with a 12-7 win on the same turf.
“Last year (playing here) was tough, it really left a horrible taste in our mouths,” said junior Michael LeMay, who had an 85-yard touchdown on a punt return. “It feels good to come back and get a big win like this. We are ready to keep it going as well.”
After an extremely disappointing 3-8 season last fall, the Lenape saw two fourth-quarter leads turn into losses against Wayne Valley and rival Shawnee.
What could have been the road to another difficult campaign, the team has bounced back, showing a lot of character along the way. Three of the team’s four wins have been by a combined 10 points.
“Without a doubt, we are a football team of great character,” Lenape head coach Joe Wojceichowski said. “They came to practice ready to work and increased their level of preparation. They knew what they had to do to prepare and with our schedule, that’s every game.
“If you don’t play a complete game, they’re going to beat you and that’s what they learned. They learned it the hard way.”
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The team suffered some tough lessons last year as well, experiencing a significant drop from a 5-2 mark in the Covid-shortened 2020 season.
“We are coming off possibly one of the best seasons in Lenape history,” Wojceichowski said. “At one point, we were the No. 2 team in the state, we were Group 5 Team of the Year. We hit a pinnacle.
“And drawing a blank here (to start last season) against a team we hadn’t lost to in five years, it was a culture kick. We were not Lenape.
There has been a different feeling in Lenape land these days, according to their trainer.
“These guys didn’t have it easy getting in there,” he said. “They had to rebuild that culture, they had to recreate it, reestablish it, and that’s what they’ve done. That’s what’s so special about them. They are so much fun to train.”
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Senior linebacker Ty Smith says it’s a team that’s still in the construction stage.
“We’re still building this thing,” Smith said. “This is not even our full potential.
“Everyone on this defense gave their heart to every play, but I think we have more in the tank, a lot more, and I think everyone will see that.”
three things we learned
∎ There may not be a more punishing runner in the region than Lenape’s Zyaire Goffney-Fleming. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound bulldozer showed the ability to fight takedowns, racking up 197 yards on 26 carries.
Goffney-Fleming’s biggest run came on a fourth-and-two fourth-quarter call when he burst down the line and drove 53 yards for the go-ahead score with fewer than four left.
“I’m a grown man, I wouldn’t want to face that guy,” Wojceichowski said. “He’s violent, but if you meet him off the field, he’s the nicest kid in the world.”
∎ The Lenape defense is marked. The unit has held opponents to 20 points or fewer in five straight games. Despite being on the field on all but three plays from scrimmage in the third quarter, Lenape limited Cherokee to one touchdown and 236 total yards. Senior Tre’ Allen froze the game with an interception in Lenape territory in the final minutes.
∎ Cherokee’s Murad Campfield looked good dragging the ball. With Brandon Boria still sidelined with an injury, the sophomore has stepped into the spotlight and has done a decent job. He rushed for 67 yards on 13 carries, bringing his season total to 344 yards.
game balls
Lenape: Goffney-Fleming. He had a season-high 197 yards and extended his TD streak to four straight games.
Cherokee: Kevin Pacan. The junior led the Chiefs with 68 rushing yards. He helped Cherokee run 22 plays in the third quarter, helping set up his team’s only touchdown and keeping the ball out of Goffney-Fleming’s hands.
they said it
“He’s an athlete and he does things right,” Smith on punt returner Michael LeMay.
Tom McGurk is regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for more than 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, please contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email [email protected] Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.