“I’m Very Optimistic About a Full Recovery”

On Tuesday night, Middle Township Panthers head basketball coach Tom Feraco was in the locker room congratulating his kids on their victory over one of their biggest rivals.

Just hours later, Feraco was under the knife at a hospital in Philadelphia for one of the key treatments in his recent battle against prostate cancer. According to Mike McGarry through several assistant coaches at Middle, that surgery on Wednesday morning was successful.

While Feraco blames it all on some "bad blood", he also says that he hopes his recovery is quick and that he can rejoin his players on the sideline in about four or five weeks. Until then, Feraco says the team will be in good hands thanks to the incredible coaching staff in place at Middle Township.

Click here to watch our exclusive interview with Coach Feraco on Tuesday night, brought to you by Matt Ulmer from Ulmer's Appliances in Ocean City

From Tyler Donohue and all of us here at The South Jersey Report and 97.3 ESPN-FM, we're sending our best wishes for a full and speedy recovery to Tom Feraco

Here’s a preview of some of the other interviews from this week’s edition of the South Jersey Sports Report:

Press sports reporter Mike McGarry has more on Coach Feraco's anticipated absence at Middle Township, and what it might mean for the rest of South Jersey
One of the area's most versatile multi-sport athletes has made a big decision about his future. Find out what went into one young man's commitment to Villanova University, and why he's just the latest Millville standout to play at the next level
They're calling her a "double-double machine" at St. Joseph this season; that's because the Wildcats' junior has one of the best statistical averages in all of South Jersey. We asked this emerging all-star about her progression into the spotlight, and what's on the horizon for both the team and her potential college career
The Southern Regional Rams basketball team rode their standout player to a big victory over a conference rival. We asked their head coach how they found success this week against a team that's had their number, and what goes into preparing for a upcoming game against another one of South Jersey's best teams
Courier-Post sports writer Kevin Minnick has more on an upstart high school basketball team that's quietly winning under the radar, plus insight into the recently-released division alignments in the West Jersey Football League
Press of Atlantic City sports reporter John O’Kane has the latest on the high school wrestling scene in South Jersey, including one young man who's leading the charge for a contending program in the Shore Conference

Listen to this week's show:

Ed Shockley, Millville Thunderbolts senior & incoming Villanova University freshman

Kevin Minnick, Courier-Post sports reporter

Dana DiRenzo, St. Joseph Wildcats junior guard

John O'Kane, Press of Atlantic City sports reporter

Eric Fierro, Southern Regional Rams head basketball coach

Mike McGarry, Press of Atlantic City sports reporter

It’s all right here, on The South Jersey Sports Report. Listen every Saturday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on 97.3 ESPN-FM or 973espn.com, and catch the expanded edition every Thursday night from 6-7 p.m.

Follow Tyler Donohue on Twitter @TDsTake