Coaching on the same field where he built Timber Creek into a powerhouse, Rob Hinson led Camden to a soggy victory.
GLOUCESTER TWP. – Rob Hinson returned to Ralph E. Ross Athletic Complex wearing different colors on Thursday night.
But his winning ways remained the same.
In his first trip back to Timber Creek High School, where he'd built the Chargers into a state powerhouse in football, Hinson led Camden – his alma mater – to a soggy 12-0 road victory over the host school on Monday afternoon.
The game was pushed back from Friday night after several Timber Creek players fell ill with a viral infection.
Hinson captured four sectional titles and won 114 games during his tenure at Timber Creek, where he coached from 2006 to 2019.
“Because of the weather and the circumstances around this game, I just wanted to come in here and come out with a victory and come out healthy,” said Hinson, decked out in camoflauge rain gear. “I really didn’t get an opportunity to think about it too much.”
The Panthers were aware of the significance of Hinson’s return to the Erial neighborhood of Gloucester Township.
“We had to get him the win,” junior Roman Duckett said.
Hinson has led Camden to a 34-11 record since taking over at his alma mater in 2022. In his first year, the Panthers captured their first sectional title in 46 seasons.
Wet 'W'
The game was played in a steady rain that made the field conditions slick and the football hard to handle.
Camden didn’t dent the scoreboard until the first play from scrimmage in the second half when Duckett ripped off a 70-yard touchdown run.
At 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, Duckett is the type of power back that thrives in the slop. He broke through the line, fought through several tackles and found daylight on this dreary day on the right sideline.
“You have to adjust to (the conditions), but it’s fun. It’s backyard football,” Duckett said. “We knew what were dealing with when we got here. I just had to keep moving my legs and get the six.”
A transfer from Winslow, Duckett has scored a touchdown in five of Camden’s seven games. He gives the purple-and-gold a different type of running back to go with the speedy and elusive Christian Braxton, a senior who has rushed for over 2,100 yards in his career with the Panthers.
“Chris is a dynamic running back, but he’s not the same type of back as Duckett,” Hinson said. “… It’s great having the ability to go to (Duckett) when we need him, especially in conditions like this.”
Ibn Muhammad added an insurance touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard run.
Camden’s defense took most of the spark out of the Chargers, too. Timber Creek was held to negative yardage on offense.
The team posted its second shutout of the season and has only allowed six points in its last two victories.
The shutout was Camden’s second against Timber Creek, joining the feat by the 2004 squad.
The 12 combined points was the lowest in the history of the series, according to local football historian Chuck Langerman. The previous low was 20 when Timber Creek, led by Hinson, defeated Camden, 13-7, in 2008.
Raising awareness
Timber Creek held a Down syndrome awareness night during the game, a cause near and dear to Chargers’ head coach Brian Wright, whose son Christian was born with the genetic condition.
“My son is awesome, he’s tough as hell,” Wright said about Christian, who will turn 3 in November. “He brings a smile to everyone’s face. I’ll go home tonight and he’ll be watching Elmo and running all around. He brings a lot of perspective to my life.”
Wright, who is a special education teacher at Timber Creek, said the school and football program have a few events during October, which is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Proceeds from these events will be going to Down Syndrome Association of South Jersey.
What’s next
Camden (5-2) will travel to Lenape (0-7) on Saturday. The Panthers are 4-0 on the road this season.
Timber Creek (2-5) will host Cedar Creek (6-1) on a short week with the game scheduled for Friday.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Camden head coach Rob Hinson returned to Timber Creek on Monday, guided Panthers to win
Category: General Sports
