By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
On X @tortreports
HADDON TOWNSHIP — Senior classmates Sammy Farnham and Emerson McDonald have been connecting on goals all season long for the Haddon Township girls soccer team.
The final connection of their high school careers from their home Recchino Turf will forever go down in Hawks history.
Farnham launched the ball across the middle of the field past two defenders and directly to McDonald, who’s second-half tally was the final dagger in fourth-seeded Haddon Township’s 2-0 victory over No. 6 Palmyra in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 1 final on Thursday evening. (See video below)
“I saw the two girls hit each other and said, ‘alright, this is my chance,’” said McDonald, a Franklin and Marshall College commit. “I just started running, checking my shoulder, making sure no one was behind me. I knew I had to come down to quality, so I just placed it in the corner.”
“I knew it sealed the deal. I wanted to go celebrate with my classmates because they came here on a cold night to come support us, so I wanted to acknowledge them. It’s so fun celebrating with them.”
The victory marked Haddon Township’s first sectional championship since 2020. The Hawks (14-6-2, 4-5-1 Colonial Liberty)will travel to Central Jersey champion Point Pleasant Beach for the Group 1 state semifinal on Monday.
“They have just accepted their roles and this year it’s almost like they just know where they’re going to be at all times,” said Hawks third-year coach Chip Witte. “Without even looking sometimes, knowing that ‘I’m just going to drop it here and Emerson’s going to get it’ or vise-versa. It’s playing together for four years. That’s what you love when seniors have that intuitiveness when they can find each other on the field.”
In the semifinal round on Monday, the Hawks stunned top-seeded Audubon, who they haven’t beaten since 2021. Farnham connected with McDonald in that contest as well.
“Emerson and I have been connecting all year and she’s been doing great,” she said. “Normally we connect on corners, but today we connected on the field, so it was really good, actually.
“Our biggest game was ultimately Audubon,” she continued. “Going into the semifinal, we had never beaten them before this season. It was super exciting and I was so proud of everyone.”
It was also Witte’s last home game leading the Hawks. He informed the team that this would be his last season due to family commitments with him taking a new teaching position at Moorestown.
“It’s a surreal feeling,” he said. “It hasn’t really set in yet. This community, this team has been amazing. It has been so good to me. It’s changed my life with my soccer direction these last couple years.”
He credited athletic director Tim George for allowing him to continue as the head coach even though he no longer teaches in the district, something that’s abnormal to see in high school sports.
“The fact that Mr. George still believed in me and what we were doing here to kind of keep me on even after I took a teaching job somewhere else — awesome that he believed in this and that the girls continued to believe and that we were able to go out there and get it done,” he said.
Hawk Nation was out in full force on Thursday night despite the chilly temperatures.
“It makes you want to perform the best you possibly can,” McDonald said. “I knew I had the girls’ energy. Everyone’s energy was so high. We just knew this was our moment. We have the best team this season. Everyone kept their spirits high, even after the losses. We knew we were going to get it done.”
If Haddon Township wins the state semifinal, the Hawks will have a chance to earn their first state title since 2000, when they were co-champs with New Providence. The state finals will be held at Franklin High school on Nov. 23 or 24.
“It’s the perfect ending to our senior year,” McDonald said. “We’re not done yet, though. To have that sectional title and that trophy — it means everything.”
Contact Brian Tortella: btortreportssj@gmail.com.
