Cedar Creek Football Team Giving Back to the Community

When Cedar Creek High School was looking for a football coach last year, Principal James Reina wanted the individual to be community-minded.

"I stressed that I wanted someone who'd be giving back to the community," he said.

The school found that with Tim Watson. Watson, of Northfield, was the defensive coordinator for Oakcrest last season. So far this season, the Pirates are 1-3, with a 35-6 win over Pleasantville and a trip to St. Joseph Metuchen on tap this Friday night. Cedar Creek is playing an independent schedule this year before joining the Cape-Atlantic League next season.

Under Watson's direction, the Cedar Creek football team spent a part of this past summer giving back to Egg Harbor City. The players painted dugouts, worked on the local ball fields, dug up plants and cleaned up an elderly resident's yard.

Their work caught the attention of Egg Harbor City Council, which recently honored the team, Reina said, and they wanted to make the Greater Egg Harbor Regional's Board of Education aware of it.

"It's about providing the skills that the kids will need for the rest of their lives," Reina added.

"It's an honor to play (football) for the school,” student and player Ben Cheatham said. “To do more than play, to give back  to the community, is awesome."

Student Emily Kruger said seeing the woman's appreciation of the work the students did on her property was priceless.

"She was so happy" to see what they had done, Kruger said. "She was so cute."