Salem football holds off Burlington City behind Levi Shockley

  • 10/18 - 12:00 AM FootballFinal
    Burlington City 12
    Salem 26
Complete Box Score »

SALEM -- Refuge has always been a football field. It’s the one place Levi Shockley could go where his smile isn’t forced.

The memory of witnessing his father dying of a heart attack when Shockley was 13 have at times stunted the potential of the powerful 6-2, 210-pound Salem senior receiver. Football has helped him heal.

And games like Saturday make it easier.

Shockley caught four passes for a career-best 104 yards and two touchdowns—one a magnificent, highlight-reel diving reception in the end zone—to lead Salem to a 26-12 victory over visiting Burlington City in a West Jersey Football League crossover game.

The victory helped the Rams improve to 3-3 overall, while Burlington City dropped to 1-4, despite a career-best 110 yards rushing on 23 carries from senior tailback Charles Fryar, the son of legendary athlete Charlie “Peanut” Fryar and a cousin to former NFL star Irving Fryar.

On Saturday, Shockley was king—quite literally. He was named Homecoming King at halftime in the middle of hauling in passes of 17, 40 and 35 yards.

“This was great, because it’s the healthiest I’ve been this year,” said Shockley, who’s been hampered by a hip pointer. “It was a great day, you can say that. I need this. It’s one of the positive things I have after seeing my father pass die. You have a lot of bad things happen to you, football never kept me down. It’s been something that I’ve looked forward to.”

Like the catch Shockley made with 5:17 left in the first half. On a third-and-10 at the Burlington City 17, Salem quarterback Shareef Jeffries may have put a little too much air under a pass intended for Shockley.

But Shockley didn’t give up on it. He dove, stretched out every inch of his 6-2 frame and timed it perfectly, hauling in the diving catch, then, having the presence of mind to somehow turn his body over to secure it before hitting the ground.

“It’s probably the greatest catch I ever saw,” Salem coach Dennis Thurman said. “Levi does everything for us. He played a great game and I think this win for us showed some good signs. We’re starting to get healthy, and Levi is one of a lot of weapons we have. I think we could be dangerous come playoff time.”

The game was competitive for a half. Salem took an 18-6 lead into halftime, and Burlington City had good drives that could have placed the Blue Devils in striking distance. But each time they moved, they hurt themselves, with things like a delay-of-game penalty, followed by a sack.

“We’re just continuing to kill ourselves, we make mistakes at crucial points in the game, but give credit to Salem, and they made the plays they needed to make and we didn’t,” Burlington City coach Tony Sacca said.

The game marked a return for Fryar, who missed two games with a concussion.

“I was tired and I have to prepare my physically,” Fryar said. “I think this helped, but I have to build more endurance and not come out when my team needs me.”

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.