If all Caleb Delgado did was punt, his performance in Moorestown’s 7-0 win over Cherry Hill West Friday would have been star-of-the-game worthy.
With an offense stuck in first gear, a team needs someone to get it out from under its goalpost, or give its opponent’s offense too much field to cover.
Delgado was that guy.
And then there were the two interceptions.
| 9/25 - 7:00 PM Football | Final |
| Cherry Hill West | 0 |
| Moorestown | 7 |
The Moorestown senior came down with one at his own 15-yard line in the last minute of the first half. He snagged another with 2:45 left in the game, at his own 11.
“Caleb is an excellent athlete,” Moorestown coach Beau Sherry said. “He’s not only one of the best punters in the state, he kicks consistent touchbacks. And he’s a very good safety. He’s got four or five interceptions this year. He’s a ballhawk. We’re lucky to have him. He’s done a really good job.”
Safety, surprisingly, is actually the easy part. Delgado compared it to playing centerfield. He puts work in as a safety, and a lot into punting as he prepares.
“Throughout the week, just swing through,” Delgado said. “Find your swing. Make sure your drop is good, like in golf. You’ve got to find your right contact on the ball. I’ve been doing that for a couple of years now. I’d love to punt in college. You definitely want to hit a spot with it.”
Moorestown’s defense was the beneficiary of that work and made use of the extra field Delgado gave them to work with. Cherry Hill West running back Clayton Tyson was the only consistent weapon on either side as he carried 23 times for 122 yards. But each time he carried the Lions close, Moorestown responded with a defensive play.
“We put ourselves in positions to go ahead and win football games,” Cherry Hill West coach Mark Wojcik said. “But a guy misses a block here, then a penalty there -- we just haven’t put together four quarters of football yet, and it’s showing a little bit.”
Tyson carried twice for 27 yards on a Lions’ march that bridged the first and second quarters, but Max Cevallos made a strip sack and the Quakers ended the march with a takeaway.
Tyson carried six times for 24 yards on the next possession, but after two incomplete passes, Cherry Hill West punted.
The best march of the night featured seven straight carries by Tyson for 42 yards, but ended with Delgado’s second interception.
“I knew it was a big play,” Delgado said. “I knew they were going to throw it deep, so I just kind of read the quarterback’s eyes, moved over with him and made a play.”
Delgado and Ayvam Duong of Cherry Hill West made a near-simultaneous catch, but Delgado had leverage when the two reached the ground and was able to establish control.
Moorestown fumbled the ball back to the Lions three plays later, but three incomplete passes and a fourth-down sack by Cole Caccuro -- his second of the fourth quarter -- put the issue to rest with seven seconds left.
“We didn’t do anything especially different. We’ve been playing pretty much the same coverage,” Sherry said. “Where they did a good job was they had different personnel groupings. So we had to watch who they brought in. They had a heavy package, they had a lighter package, so once we got a handle on that, we were a little bit better. I call the defense, but having good players like Caleb Delgado and Bryce Richards help. Those guys pick passes off.”
Cherry Hill West (2-3) matched the Quakers’ defense in terms of making plays with one exception: Moorestown’s 12-play, 73-yard opening drive. The Quakers burned 7:40 off the clock and finished with a flourish: Sophomore quarterback Dawson Langsdorf found running back Cole Muhlschlegel for a 12-yard touchdown.
“I look forward and I see only one outside linebacker,” Muhlschlegel said. “You don’t see that very often as a running back. I looked at my quarterback, he acknowledged it, and as soon as I stepped out off the snap, he threw it to me. He saw me and I just brought it in.”
Muhlschlegel said he’s not the first read on that play. He’s probably not the second or third, either.
“I don’t get the ball very much on passing plays,” he said. “So it was definitely a surprise, but it feels good. I didn’t want to give it away by saying something, but I looked at him and he acknowledged me. It definitely worked out.”
The Quakers are 4-1 for the first time since the 2023 season, which is also the last time they made the playoffs.
“It’s great,” Muhlschlegel said. “It’s a big turnaround from last season. It’s really good to have my friends able to stay in the stands all game and watch me win.”