By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
On X @tortreports
WESTMONT — When the Haddon Township High doors opened at 4:30 p.m. for the South Jersey Group 1 semifinal doubleheader on Tuesday, there was already a line at the entrance.
Slowly but surely, the gym filled with fans in both blue-and-orange and red-and-white.
It was truly an old-school Group 1 playoff basketball atmosphere. Here’s a quick recap of what happened in the sectional semifinals.
Girls:
Top-seeded Haddon Township overcame a six-point halftime deficit to edge fourth-seeded Woodstown, 46-44. Abby Wiedeman scored a team-high 17 points and Kiersten Callahan added 13. Callahan’s points were most pivotal down the stretch as she poured in eight in the final quarter alone.
“It was a really big win,” Callahan said. “We played really hard on defense. We struggled a lot in the first half making shots, but we pulled it together in the second half. We played really good defense and kept our heads in the game.”
It was the 15th consecutive victory for the Hawks, who haven’t lost since a Jan. 25 setback to Cinnaminson.
“We showed what we’re all about,” first-year coach Mark Petito said. “We’re all guts, we play tough. If you’re going to come in and play us, it’s going to be very hard for you, win or lose. We didn’t defend real well in the first half, we didn’t rebound well, but we got back to who we are — and that’s a tough, defensive, gritty team.”
Haddon Township will host defending South Jersey Group 1 champion Wildwood in the championship game on Friday at 5:30 p.m. The No. 3 Warriors took down No. 7 Clayton, 54-38, in the other semifinal.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge,” said Petito. “They’re a great basketball team and the defending Group 1 champions. They have to come here. It’s not going to be easy, but we can’t wait to play them.”
Note: There was a special fan in attendance on Monday night. Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was checking out the Hawks.
Boys:
Haddon Township senior Jaden Haltiwanger didn’t see any varsity time during his first three years of high school basketball.
Now, he’s a big reason why the Hawks will be competing for a sectional title on Friday night.
He recorded a career-high 18 points to power third-seeded Haddon Township to a 57-49 victory over seventh-seeded Woodstown. He made key shots and free throws in the fourth quarter to help the Hawks pull away for the victory. After clinging onto a narrow 40-38 lead entering the final frame, Haddon Township outscored Woodstown 17-11 in the fourth quarter. The Hawks will host Woodbury, a winner over top-seeded and defending champion Pitman in the other semifinal, on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
“It was a close game the whole game but we managed to push through and persevere,” Haltiwanger said. “It means a lot. Last year I was on JV, and the jump from last year to this year, as the coaches said, was a big jump. I worked hard for that starting spot. I knew that if I worked hard enough, I could be in that spot to help this team win a sectional.”
This season has also been one to remember for coach Paddy McNamara. A 2005 Haddon Township graduate, he took over the program in 2017 and reached his 100th career coaching victory earlier this winter.
“I’m feeling extremely proud because through this playoff run, every single night we’ve had adversity late in the game,” McNamara, who’s a teacher at Cinnaminson, said. “When you watch these guys, they don’t blink. They’re so poised. They really take good care of the basketball.”
It hasn’t always been a smooth ride for his Hawks. Just last season, they finished with a 5-22 record and went 2-8 against Colonial-Liberty divisional competition. Now, the script has flipped.
“They never ever divide,” he said. They’re so connected. We were 5-22 last year and lost 13 games by seven or less. We talked about those learning lessons coming into fruition this year and, my gosh, the way that they are solid together. They don’t care whose night it is. It’s just been unbelievable.”
“It’s a dream come true,” he continued, referring to hosting a sectional final. “Six years ago we got close. We lost in double OT in the semifinal and we knew we would’ve hosted one. Played here, grew up here, I live here, raising my family here — it’s a dream come true.”
