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Football: West Deptford sets mark with three 1,000-yard rushers

By Phil Anastasia

West Deptford not only went 12-0 this season, won the program's sixth SJ Group 2 title since 2002 and extended a SJ-leading winning streak to 21 games -- and counting.

The Eagles also apparently set a SJ record by having three players with more than 1,000 rushing yards.

WD junior fullback Gerald Owns ran for 1,701 yards. Senior halfback Connor Smith ran for 1,183 yards. Senior halfback Josh Cornelius ran for 1,013 yards.

At the Brooks-Irvine Memorial FB Club banquet Monsay night, WD coach Clyde Folsom was wondering if any team had ever produced three 1,000-yard rushers in a season.

Folsom said film study revealed a 23-yard gain for Cornelius in a game against Haddon Heights that previously was not credited to his rushing totals. That's why it appeared after the SJ Group 2 title game that Cornelius had fallen just short of 1,000 yards.

SJ football historian Chuck Langerman believes West Deptford is the first SJ team to produce three 1,000-yard rushers.

Langerman said the previously closest team was Delsea in 2002, which had Darnell Ellie (1,159 yards), Josh Reimel (1,290) and Johnnie Vickers-Jones (849) as top rushers.

Langerman said Vickers-Jones missed two games that season with an ankle injury or the Crusaders might have done it. Delsea lost the SJ 3 final that season to Mainland, 21-7.

-- Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com or @PhilAnastasia on Twitter.