Cam Miller puts on show, No. 7 Winslow football upsets No. 2 Delsea

WINSLOW TWP. – Conventional wisdom called for a run.

The Winslow Township High School football team held an eight-point advantage on Delsea with 1 minute, 14 seconds remaining Friday night. A pair of handoffs would force the Crusaders to burn the rest of their timeouts and drive the field to try tie the game.

That was the Eagles’ coaches plans. Then sophomore Nyqir Helton spoke up.

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“He was like coach, we got to go back to this (pass) play,” head coach Bill Belton said. “I’m like kind of mulling over it, I think I’m going to call something else, then I’m like, you know what, we in this together, right? Let’s roll with it.”

With Delsea selling out on the run, Winslow got a look it hadn’t seen in nearly two hours – Cam Miller 1-on-1.

The Eagles’ standout junior receiver had put together one of the great quarters a high school receiver can have to open the game, and the Crusaders adjusted by double- and triple-teaming him from that point on.

Except on this 2nd-and-17.

Miller beat the single coverage down the middle of the field and freshman quarterback Jalen Parker hit him in stride for a 78-yard score as Winslow, No. 7 in the latest South Jersey Mean 15 rankings, upset No. 2 Delsea 28-13 to end the Crusaders’ 23-game regular-season winning streak.

“We worked hard this whole week for this game, and just to come out here and get a win in our hometown, it feels great, honestly,” Miller said. “It definitely was (amazing) just to shock everyone and let people know we can do it. Winslow’s back.”

Inside the Eagles’ “statement” victory.

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Four-star recruit Cam Miller puts on a show

It started with a diving catch.

Then there was the toe drag on the sideline on a pass that looked like a throw away.

Miller followed those grabs with a reception while being held and dragged down to the ground.

“That’s what he do,” senior lineman Jalen McCain said.

Miller had six catches for 81 yards in the first quarter, but it wasn’t the numbers that made the performance special. It was the degree of difficulty. They would’ve been highlight-reel plays for NFL receivers.

“Him,” Belton said. “Him.”

Miller, a four-star recruit by multiple recruiting services who has offers from Georgia, Michigan and several other high-profile programs, has been overshadowed by other Class of 2025 pass catchers in South Jersey the last couple years, including Millville’s Lotzeir Brooks and Atlantic City’s Sah’nye Degraffenreidt.

His 8-catch, 173-yard performance Friday showed what the fuss was all about.

“Those guys are great, they’re great guys,” Miller said of Brooks and Degraffenreidt. “… But I feel this was a statement and I want to continue to make those.”

Freshman quarterback delivers for Winslow

Parker wasn’t expected to be the quarterback for the Eagles this year.

The plan was for Camden transfer Deante Ruffin to take the reins. However, Ruffin was forced to sit the first four games because of the transfer, putting Parker in the spotlight.

Belton said before the season he had confidence in Parker, and it’s clear why.

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Parker was on the money against Delsea, finishing 16-for-22 for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns, including multiple deep connections, two of which went to Helton for 37- and 52-yard scores, respectively, helping Winslow go up 21-0 in the opening half.

“I’m proud of him,” Miller said. “… He’s definitely the hero.”

“He’s a dog,” McCain said. “He learning, but he picking it up fast, and you see what he did. He stepped up against a championship team, a championship defense.”

“I trust that dude,” Belton said. “He can play. He’s very mature for his age. I’m hard on him. He’ll tell you, but I love him up at the same time and he’s going to be a great, great player for us going forward.”

Game notes

• Helton, while somewhat overshadowed by Miller, had a great game with 4 catches for 106 yards and 2 scores.

• Kudos to the Winslow defense, which forced a pair of turnovers, including a 30-yard fumble return TD by Nahmir Tucker, and three giveaways on downs.

• “Myles Nash, defensive coordinator, the defensive coordinator that came in,” Belton said. “He put a great game plan together. He deserves all the credit.”

• McCain, Rob Carstarphen and Jeremiah Tylor all had excellent performances against Delsea on the defensive side.

• “Most of the time they say run at Winslow,” McCain said. “Like I said last weekend, that’s an all-running team, and you see what we did.”

• Delsea’s Daniel Russo scored both of his team’ touchdowns.

They said it

“That’s a championship team. I feel after this, we can beat anybody.”

– Winslow lineman Jalen McCain

“Got to respond to something like this. That’s the key. If you have a game like this, I told ’em Week 1, how many (South Jersey) championships we’ve won, I think one time we were undefeated, and a couple times we lost three games, lost four games one year, still won a championship, a sectional championship, so it’s early. It’s early in the season, just have to learn from your mistakes and get better, but you’re 100 percent right, you got to respond the right way.”

– Delsea head coach Sal Marchese

Josh Friedman has produced award-winning South Jersey sports coverage for the Courier Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times for more than a decade. If you have or know of an interesting story to tell, reach out on Twitter at @JFriedman57 or via email at jfriedman2@gannettnj.com. You can also contact him at 856-486-2431. Help support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Winslow football ends Delsea's 23-game regular-season win streak