Closure of St. Joseph, Wildwood Catholic to have major impact on South Jersey sports

St. Joseph of Hammonton has been one of the best high school football programs in South Jersey.

Wildwood Catholic has been one of the best high school boys’ basketball programs in South Jersey.

The announcement Friday by the Diocese of Camden that both schools will close, effective June 30, has sent shock waves through the South Jersey high school sports community that could ripple through the next few seasons and beyond.

“The news is devastating,” said Wildwood Catholic boys’ basketball coach David DeWeese, whose team has won the last three Cape-Atlantic League titles and this past season captured the Non-Public South B title.

DeWeese, who has been the Crusaders coach for the last 17 years, said he was “blindsided” by the announcement from the Diocese of Camden that Wildwood Catholic and Cape Trinity, a K-8 program that shares the building with the high school in North Wildwood, would be closed.

“There were no rumblings, nothing,” DeWeese said. “It’s just really hard to process right now.”

Wildwood Catholic was set to play North Jersey champion Roselle Catholic for the state title when the NJSIAA canceled the tournaments March 12 because of the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The Crusaders’ schedule for next season was largely set and included a rematch with Camden in a battle between teams that finished No. 1 and No. 2 in South Jersey in the Inquirer’s final Top 10 rankings.

St. Joseph has been arguably the most decorated football program in South Jersey over the last 25 years. Under legendary coach Paul Sacco, who is No. 1 in both South Jersey and in the Philadelphia area on the all-time list in career victories with 335, the Wildcats have won 19 state titles since the creation of the non-public tournament in 1993, including seven in row from 2009-2015.

Sacco said he was hopeful that St. Joseph could follow the path of schools such as Mater Dei and Holy Cross and re-open in September as a private school that is not under the auspices of the Diocese of Camden.

“We’re going to be back, bigger and better than ever,” Sacco said. “That’s what we’re telling our kids.”

Sacco said several prominent alumni and supporters of the school are working to gather the financial resources and create a business model to enable the school to re-open, a move that has been discussed in recent years.

The Diocese of Camden said that St. Joseph had received loan support totaling $1.1 million since 2015 and that the school currently carries a debt of $6.6 million.

The diocese also noted on its website that St. Joseph’s enrollment from 2015 through 2020 has decreased by 38%, from 331 students to 206.

The closing of St. Joseph would have a major impact on South Jersey football, forcing the West Jersey Football League to alter schedules and sending many of the area’s top players to other schools, potentially tipping the balance of power in division and playoff races.

The Wildcats have a long tradition of attracting and developing some of the top players in South Jersey. Among the program’s standout players are current juniors such as defensive end Keshon Griffin, a Rutgers recruit; defensive linebacker Ethan Hunt, who has a scholarship offer from Baylor; linebacker Ahmad Ross, who has offers from Army and Navy; and defensive end Chase Lomax, who has an offer from Long Island University.

The Wildcats also are projected to return quarterback Jayden Shertel, a top baseball prospect in the class of 2021 as a left-handed pitcher, and many other highly touted players as well.

A source close to the program said news of the potential closing of the school has led to a “feeding frenzy right now with every big program chasing our good kids. It’s insane.”

Sacco noted that St. Joseph has a history of overcoming the odds and that the school’s supporters have long prided themselves on their ability to defy doubters.

“We’re going to claw through this just like we’ve done everything else,” said Sacco, an alumnus of the school who has been the Wildcats’ head coach since 1982. “This is going to work itself out. We’ll be out there in September.”