Nowicki's two field goals lift Woodstown

On the first pass of his high school career, Levi Simpkins looked like the running back that he is.

His head on a swivel, the Woodstown junior took a couple of hard steps to his right, chucked the football in the air, and braced himself for a big hit.

The hit came - and so did a 15-yard, roughing-the-passer call. The surprise was that the penalty was tacked on to a 36-yard completion to Tariq Thomas.

Woodstown hadn't even practiced a halfback pass since before a Week 3 game against Glassboro.

But it was fitting, because the play set up a game-winning field goal for a kicker who had not attempted a field goal in any other game, ever - for a team that, according to coach John Adams, hadn't won a playoff game in decades.

Sam Nowicki connected on a 26-yard field goal with 32 seconds left, giving Woodstown an 8-6 win at Haddon Heights in Saturday's opening-round game of the South Jersey Group 2 tournament.

"I've never been more nervous in my life," Nowicki said. "I can't even remember kicking it. I just remember running out on the field, and then running out and celebrating."

The loss appeared devastating to fourth-seeded Haddon Heights, which fell victim as much to its own offensive ineptitude as it did to the defense of No. 5 Woodstown (6-3).

The Garnets (7-3) drove 87 yards for a touchdown on the game's opening drive but seemed lost after that. Woodstown's offense didn't fare much better until a decisive final drive.

"We did what we had to do," said running back Semaj Thomas, who had 11 carries for 61 yards and was responsible for one of his team's three interceptions.

Nowicki was 2 for 3 on field goals. He hit on his team's first field-goal attempt this season, a 22-yarder with no time on the second-quarter clock. The play was set up when Garnets quarterback Dante Pinckney fumbled on his own 8-yard line.

With 3 minutes, 40 seconds left in the third quarter, the Garnets fumbled the ball out of the end zone, resulting in safety.

Woodstown played the aggressor after the safety. The final nine-play scoring drive included the halfback pass, a call Adams rightly predicted would spark his team.

"We always say, 'You gotta believe,' " said Simpkins, whose team will play at No. 1 West Deptford on Nov. 30. "I just put the ball up. I knew I had to do it for the team."

Woodstown   0 3 2 3 – 8

Haddon Heights   6 0 0 0 – 6

HH: Kenneth Lewis 34 pass from Dante Pinckney (kick blocked)

W: FG Sam Nowicki 22

W: Safety

W: FG Nowicki 26