A Game
 
South Jersey 7  Severn River 36
 
1)  Phil Gambino (replaced by Frank Cocco)
2)  Gene Graf
3)  Tom Diaz
4)  Brian Nace
5)  Chris Lina  (replaced by Joe Lynch)
6)  Brent DiRomauldo
7)  Justin Band (replaced by Bob Angelo)
8)  Gerrit Van der Merwe
9)  Alex Diaz
10)  Tom Ferreri
11)  Mike Romisitis
12)  Stu Ducker  (replaced by Scott Palumbo)
13)  Vinny Santangelo  (blood replacement Ducker)
14)  Jeff Allen
15)  Jeff Pastava
 
 
Scorers:
 
Romisitis  1T
Ferreri     1C
 
 
After a perfect 3-0 month on the road, the Devils returned home on Saturday and tasted defeat for the first time this season.  Marfu DII semifinalists, Severn River, came north and showed their class by scoring 6 tries in a hard fought contest.
 
It may be a cliche, but the scoreboard did not tell the whole story.  The Devils played defense manfully all afternoon.  Four of the tries were the result of a Severn player having superior speed in a one-on-one tackle situation.  As the great Fred Allen famously said, "In rugby there is an answer for everything, except speed."  The Devils certainly had no reason to feel ashamed of their performance.  Particularly in light of the fact that the game was 12-7 at the 50 minute mark.
 
To say the game started badly for South Jersey would be akin to calling Hurricane Katrina a "bit of a shower." 
 
Severn intelligently started the game by kicking a penalty into the Devil's corner that resulted in a series of set pieces. South Jersey simply could not get out of their own 5 meter area and were under pressure in phase after phase.  The first score came from a scrum.  The Severn center took an outside gap and ran through to score next to the posts.  The conversion failed.
 
After the kickoff, the ball was again worked into the Devil's corner where it stayed for another succession of set pieces.  The back row, in particular, Justin Band was able to steal ball and save the day throughout the afternoon.  Unfortunately, the clearance kicks were not worthy of the forwards' collective effort.  A wayward kick went straight down the throat of the Severn fullback who went on a mazy run through the South Jersey team for a converted try.
 
After 5 minutes Severn had a 12-0 lead and were threatening to produce a rout.  The rout never really came though.  The Devils steadied the ship and brought control to the proceedings.  A powerful run up the touchline by Mike Romisitis followed by a kick ahead finally relieved pressure.  The Severn River wing was caught in possession by Alex Diaz and Severn was penalized.  The Devils opted to take several tap kicks during a sustained period of pressure.  No points came from their efforts however.
 
As the half progressed, the Devils grew in confidence and started to edge Severn physically.  The set pieces had been a touch wobbly to start the game but improved as time went on.  Just before the half, a poor clearance by Severn's flyhalf was returned 65 meters by Mike Romisitis for a score under the sticks.  South Jersey entered the half with renewed confidence.
 
Alas, the second half started badly as well.  Severn's line was nearly breached from the kickoff, but a three man overload was ignored and a certain try went begging when the Devils' runner was penalized for not releasing.  Severn opted for a lineout in the Devils' 22m zone.  After several quick balls, Severn's flyhalf stepped a gap and broke two tackles for an excellent try.  At 19-7, it was still a game.  Sadly, the Devils could not get firing offensively despite having a decent share of possession and doing well at the set pieces.   It seems to this observer that a shake-up may be necessary to find the proper combination to turn good ball into scores.  That remains to be seen however.
 
The defensive effort in the second half was equally good.  Several players stood out for their defensive efforts, including Man of the Match Tom Diaz, Brian Nace, the entire backrow unit and Jeff Pastava who saved the day at fullback on numerous occasions.  Wingers Romisitis and Allen were also rock solid.  No one, however, exceeded the defensive effort of Vinny Santangelo.  It surprised no one when he left the field near full time for a blood bin.  He had given all and more.
 
The signature moment for the Devils in the second half occurred when Severn was again mounting an assault on the South Jersey tryline.  Severn had a large pack.  The loosehead was used repeatedly for hit-ups which then created space wide.  He probably wishes he was skipped on one pass however.  Coming from deep and at a terrific angle, he hit the line at pace expecting to bust over the gainline.  In actuality he came to an abrupt halt courtesy of a combined hit from Tom Diaz and Brian Nace that was worthy of ESPN's "Jacked Up."  This is becoming a specialty of the team in general and Mr. Nace in particular.
 
Nearing the 65 minute mark Severn's class began to show.  Alex Diaz was under terrific pressure at the scrum throughout the game and did extremely well under the circumstances.  On this occasion, the ball came out sideways and was pounced on by Severn.  The ball was then moved wide for the winger to score.
 
The Devils, having soldiered on all season through numberless injuries, did not have enough to overcome the deficit and mass substitutions began.  Severn, to their credit, never let up and scored two late tries, neither of which was converted.
 
Although the score was certainly unfavorable, there were plenty of positives to take from the game.  It seems that the Devils are only one or two players away from where they want to be.  With players returning from injury and Super League adventures, the future should be bright.
 
 
B Game
 
Although the score will never be mentioned, Coach Wilson expressly asked that I thank all the players who played the B game. 
 
It was hot and the A game had been bruising.  Nevertheless, every player in the B game, save two, had played in the first session as well.  They didn't complain - even when they were reduced to 13 players.  Mind you, this was against an opponent who traveled with 30 players and had a B side comprised of players determined to break into their A side.  It could not have been pleasant.  It points up the extent to which injuries have ravaged the side and made life difficult for everyone. 
 
Lastly, the coach also requested that I cite for particular mention, Justin Band.  Despite carrying a groin injury which required him to be replaced in the first game, he voluntarily returned to action in the second half of the B game because he refused to watch his teammates play with only 12 players.  His dedication should be a standard for others on the club to measure themselves against.  It's that kind of thing that wins championships.