By MARK TRIBLE

South Jersey Glory Days Senior Football Writer

WINSLOW TOWNSHIP — The mighty club that hosted the Group 4 semifinal here on Saturday came in with nary a true threat to its greatness.

At 12-0, Winslow had rolled through one of the state’s best divisions and held an overall edge of 511-to-80. Its closest game came in a 14-point win over Non-Public Group A semifinalist St. Augustine Prep.

Here on a windy and sun-kissed afternoon in front of an enormous crowd, The Eagles got their toughest test.

They passed with a 13-7 win over Millville.

“It was a little bit of a struggle, but we had to push through it,” Senior Marcus Upton said. “I’m just happy nobody gave up.

“We just kept pushing. Once you give us life, it’s over.”

This bareknuckle brawl of a game needed a hero. Nakeem Powell played the role perfectly. With the game tied in the fourth quarter, he pounced on a fumbled toss at the Thunderbolts’ 2-yard line. Two plays later, he plunged in for a touchdown.

“It’s always harder the second time,” Powell said of the rematch with Millville.

To Powell’s point, the 35-7 rout of the Thunderbolts on Sept. 27 felt a lot further away. This one was worth the price of admission.

It hung in the air for either side to take. Millville (9-3) led 7-0 at halftime on a Lotzeir Brooks touchdown catch. Winslow (13-0) tied it in the third quarter on a 4-yard pass to Nyqir “Boomer” Helton.

There’s always a moment for a championship team when it must find the difference-maker when it’s all on the line.

To date, the ease of victories hadn’t offered that opportunity. In fact, the program hadn’t won a one-score game since Oct. 29, 2022.

“This is a resilient group and they’ve just been working hard all year, I’m proud of them for the way they fought back,” coach Bill Belton said. “I’m at a loss for words for how they battled back today.”

On a day when the offense lost its fastball — due in part to a strong, stingy defense from the Bolts ­— the defense delivered. The unit allowed one first down in the second half.

Senior Cam Miller’s interception sealed the win in the final minutes. He cherished the opportunity and the final moments he had on the field as the crowd dissipated.

“It definitely feels great but it’s back to the drawing board,” Miller said. “We have a couple hours to celebrate but we’ve got to get back on the road.

“We’ve got one more to finish it out. I would love to live the dream of going undefeated for the whole season and winning the state title and making history at Winslow.”

Helton credited Belton and defensive coordinator Myles Nash for their ability to adjust. The difference in demeanor and approach appeared evident after intermission.

It would have been easy for panic to set in. The coaches maintained a steady hand.

“When you’ve guys like that coaching, you’ve got guys who have been there and played at high levels, you know they know what they’re doing and you just trust them,” Helton said.

The Eagles will now soar to Rutgers University and play in the state final on Dec. 4. They’ll face 11-1 Phillipsburg.

“I’m just happy we got through it,” Upton said. “I think we’re going to practice hard and not take anything lightly.

“Millville came to play and we may have thought they were going to roll over and give us the win. But we pushed through every time. That’s Winslow, ‘TWW.’”

The Winslow Way.

Add one more W and it’s perfection.

Mark Trible is the host of the South Jersey Football Frenzy Show. You can check it out every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at facebook.com/sjglorydays. The show features highlights, analysis, rankings and more.