The Diocese of Camden and the Office of Catholic Schools has informed officials at both St. Joseph (Hammonton) and Wildwood Catholic that those schools will be closing at the end of this academic school year. Both schools feature a number of high-profile athletic programs. The St. Joseph football team has won 27 state championships, and reached the Non-Public Group 2 final last season. The Wildwood Catholic boys basketball team won the Non-Public B South title last month before the coronavirus pandemic ended the season prematurely.
Wildwood Catholic boys basketball head coach Dave DeWeese provided a brief statement to JSZ: “We are all devastated regarding this very sad news. We are all shocked and just trying to process it right now. The Wildwood Catholic Family is grieving.”
Longtime St. Joseph assistant football coach Ricky Mauriello told JSZ: “It’s an emotional time, especially for our kids. We take a lot of pride in representing St. Joseph. We were taken aback and surprised about the news. We’re trying to take it in stride, circle the wagons, and look toward a Plan B.”
This is a developing story. Much more to come.
Here’s a look at memorable games for both programs from this past season:
