Shawnee teams advance to face Paul VI and Saint Augustine in Coaches Cup finals

Madelynn Sadusky and Jacob Santamaria scored game-winning goals seconds apart on neighboring fields at DeCou Soccer Complex in Cherry Hill on Wednesday night to put both Shawnee teams back into the South Jersey Coaches Cup finals.

Sadusky’s goal – her second of the night – broke a 1-1 tie with Cinnaminson and Santamaria’s goal was the first of the game in a battle with Moorestown.

The wins mark the first time one school had teams in both finals since Shawnee did it in 2022. Both teams lost the finals that year to Eastern and Haddon Township in their bid to become the first team since Shawnee in 2003 pulled off the double.

Shawnee girls will face Paul VI and Shawnee boys will face Saint Augustine Prep in the finals, which both kick off at 6 p.m. on Saturday back at DeCou.

Paul VI blew out Eastern 6-0 and Saint Augustine appeared to be headed to a lopsided win up 3-0 but Haddon Township made a game of it before it ended a 4-3 win for Prep.

Sadusky, a junior, put her in team in front with a penalty kick earlier in the half and then delivered the winner off an assist from Julia Tepes.

“I’d been taking right shots the entire game so I knew I had to switch it up so I put it on my left and aimed for the corners and it went in,” Sadusky said. “It’s really exciting and it’s so much fun playing with my teammates. We just connect on a different level.”

Photo by Matthew Ralph

Santamaria’s goal was his second of the cup run. Connor Winters added a second to seal the win.

“I just saw the ball in the air, the deflection off the free kick and I just attacked it,” Santamaria said. “I thought it was offside for a moment but he didn’t raise the flag and just ran to the corner to celebrate with my teammates.”

Shawnee principal Matt Campbell and assistant principal Jessica Riddle were situated between the two fields watching as both teams celebrated eventual game-winners. Once the girls game ended, they turned to the boys game on the other field, cheering on their classmates as the seconds ticked down on their 2-0 semifinal win.

The atmosphere of the coaches cup with fans lining both sidelines opposite the benches adds to the excitement of the annual competition pitting 16 girls and 16 boys teams in a knockout competition.

Shawnee’s head coaches Drew Wagner and Ryan Franks are both graduates of the school in Medford and played in the coaches cup as teenagers. They’ll face head coaches – Justin Abbey at Saint Augustine and Karen Anderson at Paul VI – who are also former players at their respective schools.

“It’s always such a special thing; you take the best teams in South Jersey regardless of group and put them all in one tournament,” Wagner said. “It’s always good to be here under the lights with a good crowd.”

Wagner coached Shawnee girls to a South Jersey sectional championship and to last year’s state final and will be the top seed in the upcoming Group 3 South Jersey tournament. Franks coached Shawnee to a sectional title in 2020 when there was no state tournament and they are also the top seed in the upcoming Group 3 South Jersey tournament.

“We take a tremendous amount of pride in the history and tradition of our program both the boys and girls side and in Medford soccer in general which we kind of feel like we represent,” Franks said. “Drew was my assistant coach when I was a player here. We won the state championship together in 2001. I love seeing him have success and I think we are both proud to be part of this community.”

Shawnee boys have 12 coaches cup titles and 7 state championships while the girls have 3 coaches cup titles and are still after what would be their first state title. The boys last won the coaches cup in 2006, three years after both programs lifted the trophy.

As they did Wednesday night there’s a chance both teams will be celebrating twice, for themselves and their classmates.