By MARK TRIBLE

South Jersey Glory Days Senior Football Writer

On X @Mtrible

WEST DEPTFORD — Along the fence here on Friday night, former Haddonfield receiver Johnny Foley lamented a loss on the very same West Deptford turf his junior year.

He, of all-area decoration and once a part of a team that ended the year No. 1 in South Jersey, said that defeat still eats at him.

That’s what this rivalry means.

But now it’s been six years of Haddons who don’t have carry the pain Foley keeps inside. Behind some big plays and a stout defense, Haddonfield handed the Eagles their first loss of the season and ruined Homecoming on Crown Point Road, 29-14.

“We talked about a couple things this week at practice,” coach Frank DeLano said. “We had to use some snap counts to our advantage, we had to use eyes, we had to use feet, we’ve got to be physical.

“That’s always a standard here.”

And through the nearly quarter century of games DeLano’s been involved with West Deptford, there have been players who write their names in lore — and plays that have gone down in history.

Enter Mike Keenan.

Backed up on their own 12-yard line late in the third quarter, the Haddons (4-2, 2-1 West Jersey Football League Continental) handed it to Keenan. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder gained 12. Two plays later, he gained a lot more.

His 77-yard touchdown run pushed the Haddonfield advantage to 22-8 with 1 minute, 12 seconds left in the third stanza. The teams traded touchdowns to round out the final score, but Keenan’s gallop made the lead nearly unsurmountable for the run-heavy Eagles (5-1, 4-0 WJFL Patriot), who entered ranked No. 11 in the South Jersey Football Frenzy Show Best 11.

“Coaches put you in places to succeed and you do just that,” Keenan said.

The junior only toted the ball 13 times this season prior to Friday. He had caught 12 passes for 289 yards and four scores.

“Anytime, I’ll take it anywhere. I like the ball,” Keenan said with a chuckle.

With results like that, DeLano agreed that he likes when that ball finds No. 3.

“Mike’s explosive,” DeLano said. “We’ve got to get him the ball more, that’s just the reality of it.”

Keenan also caught a 21-yard touchdown in the first half from Van Lefakis on 3rd-and-Goal.

“That kid’s a dawg, what can I say?” teammate Jack McKeever, who caught an 88-yard touchdown to open the score, said. “It’s a pleasure to be a part of this offense because that’s the way we can operate.

“That’s the potential this team has — and we left points on the board. Slinging the ball around, running the ball with force, asserting dominance; that’s Haddonfield football.”

The Haddons entered this grudge match on a six-quarter skid without a touchdown. You’d never have thought it if you saw them play Friday.

What you could tell right away is they had been tested. They fell to No. 4 Glassboro in the opener, and dropped a tough one last week against Pleasantville.

Two weeks prior, they’d topped Seneca — a Group 3 sectional finalist in 2024.

On the other side, West Deptford entered with a perfect record and some blowout wins. This one would be the season’s toughest test. It certainly was.

Both clubs seem fit for the Group 2 playoffs. While a rematch is possible, they walked out of here with much different thoughts of identity.

The Eagles will have to find theirs after a first setback. Haddonfield now knows its potential and can feel the momentum.

“We were not shy about our team, we believe in our team,” DeLano said. “We love our guys. They work hard and they’re really talented.”

It showed as he took his sixth consecutive win in this rivalry. At least Foley went home with a little less pain for a night.

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 from high school football games throughout South Jersey.