Battle at the Bay? South Jersey's premier football event to change destination in 2024
The Battle at the Beach is moving to the bayside.
The annual football showcase will be played at Atlantic City High School this August after its first three seasons were contested in the shadow of the Wonderland Pier Ferris wheel at Ocean City’s Carey Field.
The three-day event will feature 12 games to be played on Aug. 29-31. The move to ACHS was approved by the board on Tuesday night.
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Carey Field isn’t available due a previous contract with the Philadelphia Catholic League, which annually plays on Labor Day Weekend at the seaside resort.
“The Battle at the Beach is a week later this year because the (NJSIAA) scholastic sports calendar got pushed back,” West Jersey Football League Coaches Association president John Emel said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to play in Atlantic City, which has a history of hosting big events.”
The Battle at the Beach was first played in 2021 with an 11-game showcase. St. Joseph Academy played Northeast (Pa.) in the event's first-ever game.
Over the next two seasons, the showcase grew in popularity, including in 2023 when the game between IMG Academy and Philadelphia’s St. Joseph’s Prep was broadcast on national television.
“When we started this thing, we wanted to put on a first-class event, that’s not going to stop moving forward,” Emel said.
After a highly successful first Battle at the Beach, there was talk that the event would expand to two venues with Atlantic City High as the second destination.
Now AC will be center stage.
Here are a list of games that have been locked in for the showcase event (dates and times TBD):
Mainland vs. Camden
Millville vs. Holy Spirit
Washington Township vs. Northern Highlands
Winslow vs. Montclair
Schalick vs. Cedar Grove
Willingboro vs. Oakcrest
Eastside (Camden) vs. Irvington
Rancocas Valley vs. Pascack Valley
Glassboro vs. George Washington (Pa.)
Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: The Battle at the Beach will move to Atlantic City for '24 edition
