Rancocas Valley’s Brody Deiter, left, and Montre Wilson, right, celebrate a touchdown against Shawnee in the West Jersey Football League Colonial Division football game played at Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly, New Jersey on Saturday, September 21, 2024. Collin Conway/D2 Sports Network
MOUNT HOLLY — The Rancocas Valley Regional High School football team watched a 21-point advantage against Shawnee evaporate to seven points in the fourth quarter.
In previous seasons, the Red Devils may have folded and let a win slip away. On Saturday, senior leadership made sure that didn’t happen.
Rancocas Valley ceased the comeback bid with two late touchdowns to earn a 42-21 win over Shawnee in a West Jersey Football League Colonial Division showdown on Saturday afternoon. The Red Devils improved their record to 3-1.
“Every football game is expected to be a roller coaster,” Rancocas Valley coach Garrett Lucas said. “Year One, we would not have been able to handle this situation. I’m really proud of our seniors and our key leaders and captains that we rely on —Brody Deiter, Montre Wilson, Devin Duana, Sayvien Adams — to pick the team up.”
Wilson caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Adams for the game’s first score with 8:39 left in the first quarter after the Red Devils forced a punt on the game’s opening drive. After he made a key defensive stop on a third-down swing pass inside Shawnee’s 10-yard line that forced a punt, Wilson broke loose for a 18-yard run that set up his one-yard score early in the second quarter.
“We preached all week we have to start fast,” Wilson said. “We got our first stop and we started fast. … All week we worked on stopping the run. Our middle linebacker Aiden Kitts got hurt so it was really a challenge. I just had to step up and be there.”
Wilson transferred from Pemberton to Rancocas Valley and has spent his last three seasons in Mount Holly. The senior is a starting guard for the Red Devils’ basketball team and has evolved into a leader and two-way contributor on the gridiron.