Glassboro adds another chapter to its football history book

PITTSGROVE – Before Timmy Breaker embarked on his head coaching debut, he wanted to give his Glassboro High School football team a little history lesson.

Over the summer, Breaker took his players through the school’s hallways, showing off the program’s hardware from years past.

Sophomore lineman Brandon Simmons Jr. said the message was simple.

“Coach said that we were going to have the chance to be the next champion in those hallways,” Simmons said. “And we believed it.”

Glassboro accomplished its mission, capturing the program’s first sectional title since 2013 with a 20-0 victory over top-seeded and previously unbeaten Schalick in the Central Jersey Group 1 championship on Friday night.

“I knew this was the group that was going to get it,” senior linebacker Dominic Barr said. “It just feels great. We weren’t going to stop until we got it.”

Breaker grew up in Glassboro and played on back-to-back championship teams in 2007 and 2008 after starting his scholastic career at Schalick.

He had a simple message for his players back in August.

“I just told them to bring back the tradition and the reason why you play for Glassboro,” Breaker said. “You walk into the school and you walk by plaques for (those sectional championship teams and the undefeated) 2007 and 2008 teams. We explained how we did it.

“They wanted to be one of those special teams.”

Breaker said that achieving the feat on the first field he played on in high school carried a storybook feeling for the rookie head coach.

It certainly had to have a warm feeling for him, too. Going sleeveless throughout the game on a cold November night, Breaker wasn’t even shivering after receiving the water bucket shower at the end of the game.

“I don’t get cold,” he said.

What it means

Glassboro (8-3) will continue its quest for the program’s first state title next week when it faces South Jersey champion Woodstown (9-2) in the state semifinal. The game will likely be played Friday at 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs earned a 13-7 win over the Wolverines on Sept. 22, a victory that help turn their season around after a 1-2 start.

Doing it for the doughnuts

Don’t be surprised if there’s a run on doughnuts in the Glassboro city limits this weekend.

That’s because the Bulldog defense has been feasting lately.

Glassboro’s defense recorded its third straight shutout and fourth in its last five games. Those zeroes have been rewarded with some fried dough goodness.

“Now I gotta get three or four more dozens,” Breaker said. “They strive for it, they need those doughnuts.”

The coach isn’t kidding.

Simmons said he couldn’t wait to get his mitts around his favorite: chocolate with sprinkles. Barr said he was able to pilfer a second one last week and was going to try to do the same this time around.

Glassboro’s defense silenced Schalick, which had averaged 24.1 points per contest in its first 11 games.

“The game plan is shut them down on defense, then let our offense get out there and win the game,” Simmons said. “We went over it all week in practice, us flying to the ball will get us that championship.”

Barr added about the defensive effort, “We never let off the gas. We don’t let up.”

Breaker said Glassboro’s ball-hawking ability is one of the defense’s biggest strengths.

“We preach flying to the ball, we do pursuit every day,” the coach said. “Some teams you have to force them to hit, then you have teams like this one. They love the contact, they love the physicality, they love playing with all that passion.”

Worth the wait

Glassboro’s title drought might not be long the next time around as the roster is loaded with underclassmen, including star wideout Xavier Sabb and quarterback Kristopher Foster.

Sabb scored a pair of eye-popping touchdowns, one in which he broke several tackles, including one on a nifty spin move. He also added a 24-yard TD run off a backward pass.

“He’s a stud, and that’s an understatement,” Barr said about Sabb.

Breaker couldn’t praise his nephew enough.

“At all times, he’s the best player on the field,” Breaker said. “Whenever he touches the ball, you can count on him going the distance.”

Foster threw for two scores, including the decisive touchdown to Dayshaun Day in the first quarter. He has 12 TD throws on the season.

Simmons said when the freshmen group came in and immediately stepped up in key roles, the blueprint for a championship season was formed.

“You could tell right then the connection was there,” Simmons said.

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: Glassboro earns Central Jersey Group 1 title, knocking off Schalick.