Concord linebacker Avery Roberts has committed to play college football at Nebraska.

A lot of college football programs were seeking Concord linebacker Avery Roberts.

Nebraska was the first to get in line, and that may have made the difference Thursday as the two-time All-State selection announced his commitment to the Cornhuskers.

“I’m happy for him,” Concord coach Greg Mitchell said of Roberts. “They recruited him early, so I think that had an impact on it.

“I knew he liked them from the start, but I’m happy he made a decision early. I think it’s a good fit for him. He’ll have a chance to play early, judging from what they have.”

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Roberts is rated among the nation’s top 100 juniors by many recruiting experts. He reportedly had offers from Penn State, Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Stanford, among others.

The Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News reported that Roberts attended Penn State’s spring game last Saturday, and the Nittany Lions were seen as the closest contender to the Cornhuskers.

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But Mitchell said Nebraska linebackers coach Trent Bray visited Concord on Wednesday, and Roberts called Nebraska head coach Mike Riley to commit.

“I’m going to Nebraska,” Roberts told Scout.com. “I feel like it’s the best place for me to achieve everything I want to do. It’s a family environment and great coaches that care about me.

“They’ve always been there. From the day they offered me at the end of my sophomore year, they’ve always been there, constantly talking to me. We’ve probably never gone a week without some kind of communication with them.”

Roberts was slowed by an ankle injury last season, but still managed 69 tackles — six for losses — and two interceptions as the Raiders went 6-4. Nebraska, a member of the Big Ten, finished 6-7 last season.

“He had so many offers, it could have dragged out until next February,” Mitchell said. “He narrowed it down to a couple of schools, but something about Nebraska grabbed him from the start last spring. Whatever that was, I think he just felt good about it.”

The Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald reported that Nebraska has been casting a wide net for linebackers. Bray has landed recruits from New Orleans, Florida, Atlanta, New Jersey — and now Delaware.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

WILMINGTON – It took a month for the Salesianum lacrosse team to play its first home game of the season. And it took the Sals a few minutes to get cranked up Friday night.

Delaware’s top-ranked team withstood a hot start from No. 3 Cape Henlopen, gradually turned the momentum and really let it fly in the second half on the way to a 17-3 victory.

Cape Henlopen’s Erik-Stephane Stancofski (front) carries despite pressure from Salesianum’s Patrick Lyons in the Sals’ 17-3 win at Baynard Stadium Friday.

“They kind of controlled the tempo,” said Sallies sophomore Brett Hobbs, who finished with three goals and three assists. “But I think we picked it up, kind of in the second quarter, but really at the start of the second half.”

The Sals (8-1) return to Baynard at 1 p.m. Saturday for huge test against Hill Academy (8-0) of Concord, Ontario, Canada, which downed Sallies 11-5 last season. Sals coach Bob Healy didn’t think his team was looking ahead, but Cape certainly had the home team on its heels early.

After 55 baseball seasons, St. Andrew’s Colburn retiring

Erik-Stephane Stancofski converted Hank Coveleski’s pass to give the Vikings (6-3) a 1-0 lead just 42 seconds into the game. Then Cape won the next faceoff and slowed it down to try to shorten the game.

Salesianum didn’t get the ball across midfield until 6:02 remained in the first quarter. Hobbs scored on a left-handed shot 34 seconds later, and Patrick Drake seized on a turnover and scored to put the Sals up 2-1 with 2:04 left in the opening period.

“I had an early turnover, and I just wanted to make up and get it back,” Drake said. “Our team needed a goal.”

Sallies never trailed again, despite a big performance from Cape goalkeeper Brendan Kane (nine saves). The junior made two stops and two Salesianum shots hit the post as Cape survived being two men down early in the second quarter.

“It’s frustrating as an offensive player, especially with how many weapons we have in our offense,” Drake said. “… The goalie made a couple of early saves that frustrated us, but we were relentless and we came at it and made the next play.”

Concord LB Roberts commits to Nebraska

Chad Cannon, Garrett Cannon and Drake each scored late in the first half as the Sals pushed out to a 5-1 lead.

Then Sallies started raining them in from everywhere in the third quarter. The Vikings were hit with a three-minute, non-releasable penalty, and the Sals scored seven straight. Hobbs struck twice, Michael Drake scored twice and Taylor Witherell, Garrett Cannon and Patrick Drake each found the net once to make it 12-1.

“It feels great to put a team away like that,” Patrick Drake said. “It’s something that I think our team does pretty well.”

The Sals pumped in three more in a 2:11 span to finish the third quarter with a 15-2 lead.

“We shot the ball really well in the second half, and I think that was the difference,” Healy said. “We didn’t shoot it well in the first half.”

Michael Drake finished with four goals, Patrick Drake added three goals and two assists and Garrett Cannon and Liam Mackenzie each scored twice for Salesianum.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Sanford’s Mikey Dixon poses for a portrait in the Sanford School gymnasium on Monday afternoon, April 11, 2016.

Sanford’s Mikey Dixon poses for a portrait in the Sanford School gymnasium on Monday afternoon, April 11, 2016.

When Sanford boys basketball coach Stan Waterman used to see Mikey Dixon dribbling around at the Boys & Girls Club on U.S. 40 in Bear, something always stood out.

He didn’t stand very tall.

“I’ve known Mikey since he was a really young kid,” Waterman said. “He was always sort of the runt of the litter, always the tiniest guy out there, but with one of the biggest hearts.”

Dixon was 5-foot-8 when he came to Sanford and averaged 4.1 points as a freshman. But each year, he got a little taller and a little stronger. And this year, his body — and his game — blossomed.

Dixon finally reached 6-foot-2, and he took Sanford back to the top of Delaware high school basketball. The senior averaged 26.0 points per game as the Warriors won their first DIAA title in four years, and he was an overwhelming selection as the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“There’s no better way to go out, on top like that,” Dixon said. “Me and my guys were able to win it all. It’s a great feeling.”

Dover senior Jordan Allen, Mount Pleasant senior Raheim Burnett, Appoquinimink junior Myles Cale and St. Georges junior Kyson Rawls joined Dixon on the DSBA All-State first team. All put together outstanding seasons, but Dixon set himself apart.

Salesianum won the previous two state titles, led by Villanova signee Donte DiVincenzo, the 2015 Delaware Player of the Year. So Sals coach Brendan Haley knows a difference maker when he sees one, and he saw one when Dixon took over in the second quarter during Sanford’s 38-30 state semifinal win over Mount Pleasant.

“When that game switched, it was because the alpha male stepped up and said, ‘I’ve got it,’” Haley said. “It was like he said, ‘No matter what they’re doing to me, I’ll find a way.’”

Staying calm

The Green Knights threw everything but the kitchen sink at Dixon, constantly rotating fresh defenders on him and shutting off the transition game that often led to many of Dixon’s points. But the senior kept his composure, hit 9 of 14 shots and finished with 21 points.

“A lot of people who score a lot, they will start to panic if they haven’t gotten a lot of shots off,” Dixon said. “I was that guy last year and the year before. I would get kind of frustrated.

“But coming into this year, coach Waterman sat down with me and told me there are going to be games when I see box-and-ones, people face-guarding me. He told me when I see things like that, just stay calm and trust in the system. The guys will do things to get me open shots.”

St. Georges took the same defensive approach in the championship game, with about the same results. Dixon remained patient, hit 6 of 11 from the field and 8 of 9 free throws for a hard-earned 20 points in a 39-32 victory.

“He would score in bunches, and he would kind of pick his spots at times,” Waterman said. “I kind of felt like he would sort of lull his defender to sleep. And he got a lot in transition for us. There were so many different ways that he scored.”

The final was tied at 31 with 2:16 to play. Then Dixon scored eight straight points — two free throws, a driving layup, two more foul shots and a clinching breakaway dunk with 18 seconds to play.

“Early on, I was kind of quiet,” he said. “But when it was coming down to the money time, it was time to win and that’s when I had to start locking in and making plays.”

Finishing on top

It was the Warriors’ eighth state title, but their first since 2012. Sanford lost to Howard in the state final in Dixon’s freshman year, fell to St. Georges in the quarterfinals in his sophomore year and lost to Polytech in the semifinals in his junior season.

“It was really a process for me,” Dixon said. “I had to grind it out all the way until my last year, my senior year. It made it even more special and more memorable for me, just because of how I really had to work for it. It took some time.”

Dixon’s body progressed in step with his game. He inched up to 5-10 as a sophomore and 5-11 as a junior before sprouting to 6-2 this year. He could see — and feel — the difference.

“My growth spurt helped me a lot. It was a big part of my success,” Dixon said. “When I was smaller, getting some shots off could be a little more difficult, finishing at the rim could definitely be more difficult.

“But now, I can shoot over a guy. Also, I think my athleticism increased over my high school career. My freshman year, I could barely tap the rim. Now, in my senior year, I was throwing down dunks left and right on fast breaks.”

Haley took note of the annual improvement.

“Where he developed over the years was his ability to actually seek the contact when he would attack the lane, as opposed to avoiding it,” the Salesianum coach said. “The guys who are players are the guys who seek the contact and can take it with their body and still finish. This year, that’s where he really became something special.”

Hard to stop

With 6-foot-8 Jacob Walsh snagging the rebounds and winging outlet passes to Dixon, the fast break became Sanford’s most dangerous weapon.

“When the ball went up, we tried to preach to the kids, ‘Three of you need to be running back immediately,’” Haley said. “If you only send one or two back, he’s going to navigate through them. We tried to send three guys back to try to prevent those quick run-out points.”

Those easy buckets helped Dixon shoot 57.4 percent from the field, an unusually high number for a 26-point scorer.

“Our team was a little different this year. The way we play, we typically have four or five guys in double figures, around 14 or 15 points,” Waterman said. “But Mikey was such an efficient scorer.

“He was able to score at every level this year. He shot the ball really well from behind the 3-point line, he drove and attacked the basket, and he got to the foul line for eight or nine points a game.”

He also had teammates who accepted their roles.

“He really benefited from playing on one of the most unselfish teams I’ve coached in my 25 years,” Waterman said. “We had guys like Kyle Evans and Freddie Ryle who didn’t even think about shooting unless they were wide open. They really looked to get Mikey open and get him the ball.”

Off to college

Now, Dixon will take the ball to Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, a mid-major program coming off a 9-21 season. His decision puzzled some fans and coaches, who thought Dixon had shown enough to be recruited at a higher level. But Bobcats coach Tom Moore showed interest in Dixon before his growth spurt, and that made the difference.

“Bigger is not always better,” Dixon said. “Quinnipiac, I feel like coach Moore and his coaching staff did an excellent job of recruiting me, showing me love, showing how much they want me to step in right away, be an impact player. I can help change the program around and be that guy, be that piece.”

Waterman pointed out at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has hosted the thriving careers of several Delaware high school players lately, including Appoquinimink’s A.J. English (Iona), Sanford’s Khallid Hart (Marist), Sanford’s Deon Jones (Monmouth) and St. Andrew’s Austin Tilghman (Monmouth). The guard-oriented league could give Dixon a chance to shine.

“Could he play at a higher level? I think absolutely,” Waterman said. “But I think Quinnipiac is a great fit for him. … Tom Moore is a great guy, and he started recruiting Mikey early and was committed to him. He let Mikey know that he was the guy they had targeted from the first day they saw him.”

Just like Waterman, Moore could see something special in Mikey Dixon. And now, he has the height to take Quinnipiac to new heights.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

xxx

Delaware Sports Awards

Phillies legend Mike Schmidt will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural Delaware Sports Awards, to be held June 15 at the Bob Carpenter Center. Every Delaware varsity high school athlete who earns first-team, All-State honors during the 2015-16 school year gets a complimentary ticket. They will also be eligible for three of the five major awards to be handed out at the banquet. Schmidt will present trophies to the Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year and Inspirational Person of the Year. Tickets are $50 and are available at http://www.delawareonline. com/hssportsawards.

Altia Anderson, a Woodbridge girls basketball player who will be signing a scholarship to play at Marquette this fall.

Altia Anderson, a Woodbridge girls basketball player who will be signing a scholarship to play at Marquette this fall.

Altia Anderson isn’t your typical college-bound women’s basketball player.

She loves to fish, often pulling catfish out of the Nanticoke River or coaxing bass out of a pond on the Woodbridge High School campus.

When she went to Marquette on a recruiting visit, part of the trip was a tour of Growing Power, an urban agricultural organization that operates the last functional farm in the Milwaukee city limits.

She saw tanks teeming with tilapia and lake perch, and a market allowing city residents to buy fresh fish, produce and eggs. It all fit perfectly into the 4.0 student’s plan to major in biological sciences and one day own a fish farm.

“That was awesome,” Anderson said. “It was a farm that used everything all over again. They didn’t waste anything.

“I want to grow something.”

So the Woodbridge senior signed with Marquette last November, choosing the Golden Eagles over George Washington and Princeton. Then she went out and dominated the Henlopen South, averaging 19.3 points, 14.2 rebounds, 5.7 blocks and 3.8 assists per game.

The 6-foot-2 Anderson led the Blue Raiders to the conference title and perhaps the school’s first state tournament victory ever, and she was selected as the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association’s Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Anderson was rated best in a year dominated by underclassmen. Only six seniors were among the 15 players to make the All-State first, second and third teams.

Sanford’s Chrishyanah Alston was the only other senior to join Anderson on the first team. The others in the top five were Concord junior Aahliyah Selby and the backcourt duo of sophomore Maggie Connolly and freshman Alisha Lewis from state champion Ursuline.

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Dominant season

Anderson stood out because of her size, shooting touch and the overwhelming impact she had on her team. Woodbridge went 15-8 overall and 11-1 in the Henlopen South, achieving its No. 1 goal of a conference championship.

“We set a goal for that straight off the bat, right when the season started,” Anderson said. “We all bought into it.”

Woodbridge earned a home game in the first round of the playoffs and downed A.I. du Pont, 43-33. Afterward, coach Emilio Perry said the school may have won a postseason game in 1970, but the state tournament didn’t start until 1973. Whatever the case may be, the Blue Raiders made some history.

They were fueled by Anderson, who finished with 14 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and three steals. She often fed sophomore Mykle Crippen, who went 5 for 5 from the floor to score 10 points.

“All I really had to do was pass it, because they were in the open spots,” Anderson said.

Moving to the point

It was a dominant performance, even though Anderson was playing out of position.

“I wanted to use her like a stretch four [power forward], potentially have her taking a lot of mid-range jump shots, because I know that’s how Marquette is going to use her,” Perry said. “But we were just having a struggle bringing the ball up the court, so she was the point guard for 90 percent of the year.”

Anderson had played a little point guard for the MESB Wolf Pack AAU team from Salisbury, Md., the previous summer. She believes the experience will help her transition to the college game.

“It’s going to help me by allowing me to be a more versatile player,” Anderson said. “It’s going to allow the coach to possibly call me out and say, ‘Hey, I need you to bring up the ball for this play.’”

There were some growing pains. Anderson had to learn how the lead ballhandler sets up the rest of the team.

“Something she battled with was she felt like she had to win the games at times by herself,” Perry said. “I said, ‘I don’t ever want to take that away from you, to be that competitive, but you have to figure out a way to make the girls around you better.’

“That was the one thing that I thought she really got better with near the end of the year. She trusted in her teammates and understood how she could make the team better.”

A huge transition

Now it’s time for the next step, and it will be a giant leap from the Henlopen South to the Big East. Marquette finished 14-16 overall and 9-9 in the conference last season, and Anderson can hardly wait to get started with coach Carolyn Kieger’s team on July 1.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “The adrenaline running through my body makes my hands shake. I trust the coaches there. I’m ready.”

A.I. du Pont coach Tracy Howell, who enjoyed a successful career with the University of Delaware women’s team, was impressed by Anderson in the state tournament. But she said a lot of work goes into thriving at the next level.

“This summer will be big for her,” Howell said. “Once you get to college, the girls are big and they’re strong. You’ve got to have a drop step and an up and under and some different things. But from what I saw from her, she’s pretty good.”

Anderson is realistic about her abilities, and ready for the challenge.

“I’m going to have to improve the strength factor and the speed factor, definitely, because Marquette plays at a faster tempo,” she said. “I’m nowhere near a perfect player or a dominant player. There are a lot of things I’m going to need to work on. Many things.”

She wants to grow things. A college basketball career, and a fish farm.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Altia Anderson of Woodbridge was named DSBA Girls Player of the Year and heads the All-State first team.

Cape Henlopen’s pitcher Noah Clifton (4) sends a pitch in the 1st inning against Salesianum.

Salesianum’s Joseph Cautillo (8) watches the third base runner after he grabs a infield hit in their game against Cape Henlopen.

Cape Henlopen’s second baseman Zachary Gelof (11) jumps in the air for the ball as Salesianum’s John Andreoli (2) slides safely into second base.

Salesianum’s Dante Cautillo (13) runs to third base after Cape Henlopen’s Zachary Gelof (11) missed a infield hit.

Salesianum’s Beck Million (35) tries to control the ball as it bounces off his chest and allows Cape Henlopen’s Connor Thompson (17) to slide safely back to first base.

Cape Henlopen’s Drew Mulcahy (10) makes contact with the ball in their game against Salesianum.

Cape Henlopen’s Austin Elliott (8) slides safely into third base in their game against Salesianum.

Salesianum’s John Andreoli (2) make a grab on a ground ball in their game against Cape Henlopen.

37 3rd Salesianum’s Daniel Mersman (37) throws the ball to first base in the 3rd inning against Cape Henlopen.

Salesianum’s pitcher Nicholas Robino (20 throws a pitch in their away game against Cape Henlopen.

Cape Henlopen’s pitcher Zachary Gelof (11) tags out Salesianum’s Joshua Patrick (4) out at second base.

Salesianum’s Dante Cautillo (13) waits in the rain for the umpires to decide if their game will continue against Cape Henlopen because of the local rain showers.

Salesianum’s John Andreoli (2) runs to his dugout after scoring in their game against Cape Henlopen to take the lead to 2-1.

Salesianum’s Joshua Maguire (6) looses grip on his bat in their away game against Cape Henlopen.

Cape Henlopen’s pitcher David Erickson (21) reaches for a ground ball in their home game against Salesianum.

LEWES – Salesianum and Cape Henlopen weren’t able to finish their baseball game on Saturday.

But they had some fun until it was suspended.

The teams passed the time through a 35-minute rain delay with a series of increasingly hilarious games.

First it was tic-tac-toe, lobbing a baseball between dugouts to make the next move. Then it was golf, with a Sallies shot rolling to the left of a Cape bucket set up as a hole. Then it was jousting, with a player from each team carrying a catcher in full gear into battle.

Oh yeah, they played some baseball, too. The game was suspended in the top of the seventh, after Salesianum had taken a 3-1 lead. It will resume at a date to be determined, with the top-ranked Sals having the bases loaded with one out.

“We’re going to have to just pick up exactly where we left off,” Sallies coach Ted Godfrey said. “… It’s a great game. They’re a very talented team, and we’re happy to play those guys. We’ll just finish it at another time.”

The pitchers’ duel between Cape sophomore Austin Elliott and Sals senior Nick Robino lived up to its billing. Elliott allowed three hits and struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings, while Robino allowed three hits and fanned eight through six innings.

The Vikings (7-1) scratched out the first run on three singles in the second, with Zack Gelof’s two-out hit driving in Connor Thompson. The Sals (6-1) tied it without a hit in the third. Dante Cautillo struck out but reached on a wild pitch, moved to third on an error and scored on Zack Miller’s groundout.

Rain began to fall in the top of the fifth, and the precipitation intensified in the top of the seventh with the game still tied at 1. With the teams located 90 minutes apart, both sides wanted to get the game in the books.

The umpires allowed play to continue in increasingly sloppy conditions, and it cost Cape Henlopen. Elliott gave up a leadoff single to the Sals’ John Andreoli, then struck out the next batter. Then, clearly having trouble gripping the ball in the rain, Elliott walked the next two batters to load the bases.

The Vikings went to reliever Will Jarrell, but he fared no better. The right-hander also struggled to hold the ball firmly and find traction on a rapidly deteriorating pitcher’s mound, and he walked the next two batters to force in two runs for a 3-1 Sallies lead.

Then, after a five-minute conference between the umpires and both coaches, play was halted.

“It totally didn’t work in our favor,” Cape coach Ben Evick said. “Now it’s a suspended game, we’re going to pick it up from where we left off with bases loaded, one out and a 3-1 game, and it’s unfortunate. Because now, we’ll pick it up in different circumstances. They’re not going to deal with the same conditions we dealt with in that half inning.”

It was an unfortunate set of circumstances, and phone calls were made and rulebooks were consulted until the decision was reached to suspend the game.

“That was a weird situation,” Evick said. “It was a quality baseball game. And then when the conditions went south, it got really tough on our guy.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Polytech’s Grace Stang (right), tries to stop a shot from Cape Henlopen’s Alison Palmer last Wednesday. Cape edged No. 2 Polytech 12-10 to remain No. 1 in girls lacrosse.

BASEBALL

1. St. Mark’s (10-1) Prev. 2

2. Cape Henlopen (7-1) 4

3. Salesianum (6-2) 1

4. Middletown (8-2) NR

5. Caravel (7-3) NR

SOFTBALL

1. Caravel (8-1) 1

2. Sussex Tech (7-1) 4

3. Appoquinimink (7-1) 5

4. Smyrna (8-0) NR

5. Padua (7-0) NR

BOYS LACROSSE

1. Salesianum (8-2) 1

2. Appoquinimink (6-1) 5

3. Archmere (7-2) 2

4. Cape Henlopen (6-3) 3

5. Tower Hill (5-2) 4

GIRLS LACROSSE

1. Cape Henlopen (9-1) 1

2. Polytech (7-1) 2

3. Charter of Wilmington (8-0) 3

4. Caravel (7-1) 5

5. Archmere (5-1) NR

GIRLS SOCCER

DIVISION I

1. Padua (10-0) 1

2. Caesar Rodney (6-1) 2

3. Charter of Wilmington (3-2) 3

4. Appoquinimink (6-1-1) 4

5. Middletown (7-0-1) 5

DIVISION II

1. Indian River (7-0) 1

2. Archmere (6-0-1) 2

3. Caravel (5-1-1) 3

4. Delaware Military Academy (6-2-1) 4

5. Newark Charter (5-1) NR

GOLF

1. Salesianum (3-0-1) 1

2. Tower Hill (6-0-1) 2

3. Caesar Rodney (9-0) 3

4. Caravel (9-1) 4

5. Appoquinimink (7-0) 5

BOYS TENNIS

1. Caesar Rodney (11-0) 1

2. Tower Hill (6-1) 2

3. Charter of Wilmington (8-0) 3

4. St. Andrew’s (4-3) 4

5. Archmere (7-1) NR

GIRLS TENNIS

1. Tower Hill (8-0) 1

2. Caesar Rodney (11-0) 2

3. Archmere (7-0) 3

4. St. Andrew’s (4-2) 4

5. Dover (8-1) NR

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

MACKENZIE SCULLY, senior, Padua soccer

THE WEEK: Had two goals and an assist in a 7-0 victory at Smyrna last Tuesday, then scored another goal in the top-ranked Pandas’ 3-0 win over third-ranked Charter of Wilmington on Friday.

THE ROLE: Scully is an outside midfielder, an important position in the Padua attack. “We use our outside mids a lot,” she said. “They always play the through balls, and we have to beat our one-on-one defenders and we’ve got to get it past the front post. Usually, we’ve got to count on other teammates to score the goals.”

THE COACH SAYS: “We’re going to always attack on the flanks, and Mackenzie is the one who’s going to get behind the defender,” Padua coach Joe Brown said. “She’s great on crosses. She’s great on getting behind them and going to goal. I actually want her to go to goal more when she gets that first touch.”

THE TEAMMATE SAYS: “She always wins her 1 v 1 battles and manages to put in great balls in the box when she has two or three players on her,” junior Emilia Ryjewski said. “Her work rate is awesome. She gets back on defense, and then next thing you know you turn around and she’s up on the attack, just grinding the other team’s back line.”

THE SETUP: Scully has been playing soccer since age 4. She enjoys her position on the Pandas, which usually results in more assists than goals. “It feels good,” she said. “It’s like all of your hard work paid off. Even though you didn’t get the goal, you’re the one who created the goal. It’s a great feeling.”

THE MATURITY: “She’s a very good student-athlete,” Brown said. “She was a guard in basketball, and she’s an All-State Top XI [soccer] player from last year. She’s just gotten better and more mature each year. She just gives us a lot, and she’s one of our go-to people.”

THE CLASSROOM: “I like Math,” Scully said. “I just like that there is always a solution.”

THE FUTURE: Scully plans to attend the University of Delaware, where she may play club soccer but will keep her primary focus on studying athletic training.

Send Athlete of the Week nominations to bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Padua Academy soccer player, Mackenzie Scully, is the Athlete of the Week.

Padua Academy soccer player, Mackenzie Scully, is the Athlete of the Week.

Padua Academy soccer player, Mackenzie Scully, is the Athlete of the Week.

Senior Mackenzie Scully plays a key role as an outside midfielder for the top-ranked Padua soccer team.

Salesianum’s Joseph Cautillo (8) watches the third base runner after he grabs a infield hit in their game against Cape Henlopen.

Noah Agwu, sr., A.I. du Pont, shot put (52-6¾)

Reed Winkler, shown here winning the DSGA Junior Championship last July, fired a 1-under-par 35 to earn medalist honors as top-ranked Salesianum and No. 2 Tower Hill played to a tie in a high school golf showdown last Tuesday.

The Diamond State Classic girls basketball tournament enjoyed a banner 25th anniversary, as the event recently distributed $25,440 in charitable donations.

The annual event, always held Dec. 27-30 at the St. E Center, contributed $13,690 to the B+ Foundation, $6,500 to Kay’s Kamp, $4,000 to Special Olympics Delaware, $1,000 to St. Elizabeth High School and $250 to Hodgson Vo-Tech.

Tournament director John Gretchen has also announced the field for the 2016 event. Defending state champion Ursuline, St. Elizabeth, Roland Park Country School of Baltimore, Monsignor Scanlan of Bronx, New York; St. Rose of Belmar, New Jersey; Ventura, California; Redondo Union of Redondo Beach, California; and Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, will play in the tournament’s three-game, eight-team national bracket.

Caravel, Caesar Rodney, Hodgson, Wilmington Friends, Cape Henlopen, Howard, Padua, St. Mark’s, William Penn and three Maryland schools – Damascus, Institute of Notre Dame and Perryville – will play in three two-game, four-team brackets. Pairings will be announced at a later date.

Track recap

A couple of double winners in the field events carried Mount Pleasant to the boys team title at the Art Madric Hall of Fame Invitational track and field meet on Saturday.

Malachi Davis swept the long jump and triple jump, Noah Lockwood took the shot put and discus and Johnelle Joe won the 800 as the Green Knights scored 63 points to outdistance Glasgow (50). The Dragons got wins from Ja’saan Cunningham in the 100 and 200 and Simeon Dailey in the 400.

Padua won the girls title with 89 points, well ahead of Charter of Wilmington’s 56. The Pandas got individual wins from Lydia Olivere (800), Cameron Lucey (100-meter hurdles) and Darby Deutsch (pole vault). Double winners among the girls were Middletown’s Daija Lampkin in the 100 and 200 and Concord’s Katie Macturk in the 1,600 and 3,200.

Ursuline edged Appoquinimink 120-116 for the girls team title at the A.I. du Pont Invitational on Friday. The Raiders’ Najiya Cornish (100 and 200), Sussex Tech’s Roxanne Ramirez (1,600 and 3,200) and A.I.’s A’Lexus Irons (100- and 300-meter hurdles) each won two events.

Appo (135 points) won a three-way race over Sussex Tech (123) and A.I. (116) for the boys team title. A.I.’s Lewis Kungu (100 and 400) and Appo’s Brian Otto (200 and pole vault) each won two events.

St. Georges swept the boys and girls high school team titles at the University of Delaware Invitational on Saturday. Individual results were not available.

Keep on signing

More of Delaware’s top senior athletes continue to make their college choices official. Here are the latest signees:

Archmere’s Jennifer Raphaelson (St. Joseph’s rowing) and Joseph Singley (Tulane baseball); Wilmington Friends’ Demetria Ruhl (Dickinson swimming), Brendan Wren (Temple crew), Cat Clark (Stanford crew) and Jakob Katzen (McDaniel lacrosse); St. Mark’s Jamai Rice (Wesley football) and P.J. Groves (Widener football); Smyrna’s Shawn Dulin (Delaware State baseball); Caravel’s Will Findley (Carson-Newman baseball); Milford’s Dante George (Carson-Newman baseball); and A.I. du Pont’s Noah Agwu (Maryland-Eastern Shore track and field), Julia Waters (Spring Hill softball), Kyle Mott (Centenary lacrosse) and Tom Burton (Wesley football).

Rounding it up

— The tennis winning streaks keep piling up at Caesar Rodney.

The Riders’ boys team, coached by Jim Harvey, won its 101st consecutive match with a 5-0 victory over Dover on Monday. CR has lost only one individual match this season, and its last team loss came March 24, 2010, against Dover.

The Riders’ girls team, coached by Zach Taylor, reached 100 straight victories with a 5-0 win over Dover on Monday. The CR girls haven’t lost an individual match all year, and haven’t lost as a team since May 12, 2009, against Archmere.

— The Salesianum lacrosse team (8-2), ranked No. 1 in Delaware, battled tooth and nail against Hill Academy of Concord, Ontario, Canada, before falling 10-9 in overtime on Saturday at Baynard Stadium. Hill (9-0) plays an all-American schedule and is currently second among boys high school teams in Laxpower’s national computer rankings.

— The state’s top two golf teams – Salesianum and Tower Hill – lived up to their billings by playing to a 149-149 tie last Tuesday at Bidermann Golf Club. Both teams had four players break 40 for nine holes, including medalist Reed Winkler with a 1-under-par 35 for Sallies.

— The Sussex Central baseball team (5-5) scored the biggest win of its season with a 3-2 upset of then-No. 1 Salesianum on Saturday.

The Sals had already played 6 1/3 innings and sat through a 35-minute rain delay at Cape Henlopen before going to Georgetown Little League for a second game. Golden Knights pitcher Jake Brewington was masterful, holding Sallies to three hits and going the distance on just 79 pitches.

Jacob Swift had a two-run double for Sussex Central, and Trevor Collins’ solo homer in the sixth gave the Golden Knights the lead for good. Salesianum pitcher Nolan O’Neill was also strong, allowing four hits and completing six innings in just 70 pitches as the game took only 65 minutes.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Zachary Bowen (1) of Appoquinimink works the ball past the defense of Tej Vaddi (31) of Tower Hill in the Tower Hill at Appoquinimink boys lacrosse game on Tuesday.

Evan Yauchuczek (8) of Appoquinimink charges the ball down the field in the Tower Hill at Appoquinimink boys lacrosse game on Tuesday.

Russel Applegate (18) of Tower Hill celebrates with his team mates with a leaping chest bump after scoring a goal to tie the game at 4-4 in the Tower Hill at Appoquinimink boys lacrosse game on Tuesday.

Evan Yauchuczek (8) of Appoquinimink leaps to try to block a pass by Tower Hill goalie, Michael Gianforcaro (27), in the final seconds of the first half of the Tower Hill at Appoquinimink boys lacrosse game on Tuesday.

Cross Ferrara (34) of Appoquinimink celebrates scoring a goal in the Tower Hill at Appoquinimink boys lacrosse game on Tuesday.

Kevin Turner (7) of Tower Hill works for a loose ball in the Tower Hill at Appoquinimink boys lacrosse game on Tuesday.

Noah Given (4) makes a save on a shot by Russell Applegate (18) of Tower Hill with some defensive help by team mate, Connor Graser (11) of Appoquinimink in the Tower Hill at Appoquinimink boys lacrosse game on Tuesday.

Jamie Spartan (16) of Tower Hill celebrates with his team mates after scoring in the Tower Hill at Appoquinimink boys lacrosse game on Tuesday.

MIDDLETOWN – Three minutes can seem like forever in a lacrosse game.

Especially when there are guys with sticks chasing you.

Tower Hill’s James Spruance felt just how long it could be Tuesday night, as the junior tried to keep the ball away from a desperate Appoquinimink defense. The midfielder maintained possession, and even set up a final goal as the fifth-ranked Hillers held on for a 10-8 victory over the No. 2 Jaguars.

“That was probably the most running I’ve ever done,” Spruance said. “Especially those last minutes, just trying to possess the ball. My calves were cramping up on every step, but that was the best feeling in the world. That was a good win.”

It was made even better because the Hillers (6-2) rallied from an early 4-1 deficit. And they kept Appo (6-2) from getting a chance to tie in the final 3:00.

“It was a great win,” Tower Hill coach Brad duPont said. “The kids have been working really hard. We’ve had some issues we’ve been working out with chemistry. They’re really jelling as a group and played very disciplined and unselfish lacrosse.”

Athlete of the Week: Mackenzie Scully

Zach Bowen and Cross Ferrera each scored twice as the Jaguars jumped out to a 4-1 lead with 7:05 left in the second quarter. The Hillers tied it with a burst, as Chris Miller, Spruance and Russell Applegate each found the net in a 44-second span. Then Will Togo’s shot off a Spruance pass trickled in to give Tower Hill a 5-4 lead.

But Appo seized the momentum going into halftime, as John Dunbar and Ferrera scored just nine seconds apart to push the Jaguars ahead 6-5.

That momentum lasted just 11 seconds into the second half, as Tower Hill’s Kevin Turner scored straight off the faceoff. Miller added a man-up goal, and Applegate finished a 60-yard burst with a score for an 8-6 lead with 4:40 left in the third quarter.

Dunbar bounced one in to get Appo back within 8-7, but Turner worked his magic again off the fourth-quarter faceoff with a second goal just 10 seconds into the period.

“Just seeing the ground ball off the draw when Spruance popped it up, it was just easy to come down,” Turner said. “I didn’t see anyone in front of me, so I just saw the shot twice and was able to make them both.”

“He’s never scored that many with a short stick,” duPont said of Turner. “We just moved him to long stick. Those were a couple of big ones.”

Prep notes: Diamond State Classic thrives

Bowen pulled Appo within 9-8 on a twirling shot with 9:04 to play. But Hillers goalkeeper Michael Gianforcaro kept the Jaguars from tying it, and Tower Hill called a timeout with three minutes left and decided to try to run out the clock.

“I would get the ball behind, and they were doubling and tripling us,” Spruance said. “But I trust my guys, I trust my stick, and I knew we were going to win.”

The Hillers called another timeout with 1:51 left, and Carter Cucuzzella poured in the clinching goal off a pass from Spruance just nine seconds later.

“It was an open shot, and I knew if I made it I would just put it away,” Cucuzzella said. “I just had to go for it.”

Then the Hillers won the next faceoff, and Spruance and his teammates again played keepaway to seal the win.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Caesar Rodney’s Luke Rankin (27) looses control of the ball in their home game against Cape Henlopen.

Cape Henlopen’s Jacob Brown (22) falls to the ground while being pressed by Caesar Rodney’s defense.

Caesar Rodney’s Demetrius Stevenson (16) runs down the field while being defended by Cape Henlopen’s Dillon Mocci (3).

Action shots from Cape Henlopen at Caesar Rodney boys lacrosse. Presto ID 83563388

Caesar Rodney’s Luke Rankin (27) looses control of the ball in their home game against Cape Henlopen.

Cape Henlopen’s Jacob Brown (22) runs with the ball in their game against Caesar Rodney.

Cape Henlopen’s Erik-Stephane Stancofski (25) with a shot on goal in their game against Caesar Rodney.

Cape Henlopen’s Brock Maloomian (21) with a shot on goal in their game against Caesar Rodney.

Cape Henlopen’s Erik-Stephane Stancofski (25) is hit from behind as he runs with the ball in their game against Caesar Rodney.

Cape Henlopen’s Nicholas Conrad (15), right knocks the ball away from Caesar Rodney’s Jacob Pangle (22) in the 4th quarter of play.

Cape Henlopen’s Joey Kung (19), front and Caesar Rodney’s Jack Bobel (24) battle for a loose ball in the second quarter of play.

Cape Henlopen’s Patrick Monigle (11) runs with the ball down the field in their away game against Caesar Rodney.

Cape Henlopen’s Jacob Brown (22), left runs past Caesar Rodney’s Nolan Brockmeyer (8) in the first quarter of play.

CAMDEN – The Cape Henlopen boys lacrosse team let Caesar Rodney get even three times in the second half.

But the Vikings never let the Riders get ahead.

Cape answered each CR rally with a go-ahead score, and put it away with a three-goal burst in the final six minutes to edge Caesar Rodney 11-9 on Wednesday night at Riders Stadium.

The fourth-ranked Vikings (7-3, 5-0 Henlopen North) downed CR (6-3, 4-1) for the third straight season and set up a chance to clinch their third consecutive conference championship with a home win over Sussex Tech next Wednesday.

“I felt like if we got the ball, we could do good things,” Vikings coach Mark D’Ambrogi said. “But they put a lot of pressure on you. Their offense is good.”

The Riders’ offense was good enough to get to the hump, but they never found a way over it.

“They made a couple more plays than we did, but I was very proud of our effort throughout the game,” CR coach Matt Faircloth said. “We just came up a little short.”

Cavaliers fight back to tie up Force

It was tied at 1 after the first quarter, but Cape scored four of the five goals in the second quarter to build a 5-2 lead. Ethan Ghabra found the net, Dillon Mocci fed Evan Gehman for a fast-break score and Patrick Monigle pumped in back-to-back goals for the Vikings.

“We established a lead early, and then they wouldn’t go away,” D’Ambrogi said. “They came out well in the second half. We made a couple of mistakes that gave them some extra possessions, and they took advantage of them.”

Patrick Matsko got the Riders on the board again just 57 seconds into the third quarter. Then Demetrius Stevenson circled to his right and fired one in, and Matsko scored on a low shot to tie it at 5.

“I told them before the game, it’s going to be one of those heavyweight bouts,” Faircloth said. “It’s a matter of who’s able to take the punches, be able to adjust to them and keep making plays.”

Cape threw the next punch with a goal from Erik-Stephane Stancofski. CR countered with a tying score from Jacob Pangle. Then Brock Maloomian and Ghabra found the net to send the Vikings into the fourth quarter up 8-6.

The Riders dug deep for another answer, as Noah Longest scored off a turnover and Luke Rankin’s goal tied it at 8 with 8:33 to play.

Spruance, Tower Hill hold off Appo for big lacrosse win

But Cape delivered the knockout blow with three straight goals. Jacob Brown fed Sean Lally from behind the net for the go-ahead score. Then Brown passed to Ghabra for another goal with 3:14 left. Then Brown capitalized on a turnover for his own goal to make it 11-8 with 2:50 remaining.

“We narrowed our focus, and we moved the ball a little bit quicker,” D’Ambrogi said. “Then those guys who had the opportunity to finish did it.”

The Riders tried to rally with a goal from Jacob Copio with 21.6 seconds to play, but it wasn’t enough.

“The ball bounces different ways,” Faircloth said. “We had a couple of balls bounce off the pipe. We had a couple of turnovers that hurt us, and we got caught in odd-man situations. In a four-on-three situation, it’s tough to be able to stop those.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Padua’s Taliah Cintron finished eighth in the 400-meter hurdles at the Penn Relays on Thursday.

Padua’s Taliah Cintron finished eighth in a field of 21 in the girls 400-meter hurdles to highlight Thursday’s performances by Delaware high school athletes at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

Cintron finished the hurdles in 1:02.19 in the morning, then returned in the afternoon to run a 58.39 anchor leg as Padua won the Northern Delaware girls 4×400 relay by more than eight seconds.

Lizzy Bader, Darby Deutsch and Cameron Lucey ran the first three legs for the Pandas, who qualified for the Philadelphia Area 4×400 race at 5:15 p.m. Saturday.

Padua also had a nice showing in the Small Schools 4×100 relay, finishing 20th among 383 entries. Lucey, Deutsch, Jordan Sobolesky and Christina Allen came home in 49.15 seconds and earned the first alternate spot for Saturday’s Tri-State 4×100, featuring the eight fastest teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

The First State had two runners qualify to enter the prestigious girls 3,000 meters. Padua’s Lydia Olivere finished 15th in 9:54.20, and Newark’s Rachel Beston was 21st in 10:07.05.

Tatnall took eighth in the girls Small Schools 4×800 relay, as Lauren Anshen, Savannah Pankow, Keelin Hays and Caroline Foley combined to finish in 9:33.74.

Middletown was the fastest Delaware finisher in the Large Schools 4×100 relay, as Andrea Jones, Lauryn Denson, Erikah Jones and Daija Lampkin ran a 49.20 to rank 25th among 252 entries. William Penn’s Sierra Cruz, Alyssa Armor, Courtney Williams and Myia Neal finished 36th in 49.70.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Andrew Reich (6) of St. Mark’s pitches in a St. Mark’s at Smyrna baseball game on Saturday.

St. Mark’s rallies at the mound in a St. Mark’s at Smyrna baseball game on Saturday.

Ryan Seymour (1) of Smyrna makes a throw from second in a St. Mark’s at Smyrna baseball game on Saturday.

Austin Colmery (2) of St. Mark’s catches a fly ball in a St. Mark’s at Smyrna baseball game on Saturday.

Brian Gilardi (1) of St. Mark’s bats in a St. Mark’s at Smyrna baseball game on Saturday.

Matthew Theodorakis (15) of St. Mark’s misses the tag on Shawn Dulin (2) of Smyrna at first base in a St. Mark’s at Smyrna baseball game on Saturday.

Matthew Theodorakis (15) of St. Mark’s bats in a St. Mark’s at Smyrna baseball game on Saturday.

Ryan Seymour (1) of Smyrna bats in a St. Mark’s at Smyrna baseball game on Saturday.

Austin Colmery (2) of St. Mark’s dodges an inside pitch in a St. Mark’s at Smyrna baseball game on Saturday.

SMYRNA – Smyrna baseball coach Mike Henderson knew John Barkley could pitch well against top-ranked St. Mark’s. He saw the right-hander take it to the Spartans last year.

So Henderson brought Barkley out of the bullpen with confidence on Saturday, and the senior delivered with 1⅔ innings of scoreless relief to preserve the Eagles’ 4-3 victory.

“He threw well against them last year,” Henderson said of Barkley, who held the Spartans to six hits over seven innings in a 2-1 loss last season. “We knew we were going to go to him if Jeremy [Carrow] got in trouble. He knew. He was waiting.”

Carrow walked Matt Theodorakis with one out in the sixth, and Barkley came in and gave up a single to Chris Ludman. Then he got a strikeout and a ground ball to second to get out of the inning.

“I do a lot of relieving for us in those types of situations,” Barkley said. “It’s to the point now where it’s kind of my role, coming in at the end when it’s close like that. I had some butterflies, but I knew we would get it done.”

Cape boys withstand CR’s lacrosse rallies for win
State record barely eludes Salesianum at Penn Relays

His strategy was simple.

“I’m going right at them,” Barkley said. “I’m going to make them beat me.”

The Spartans (11-2) couldn’t do it. Barkley issued a two-out walk in the seventh, then got another grounder to second to finish it.

“Give their pitchers credit; they shut us down,” St. Mark’s coach Matt Smith said. “They did a great job. We couldn’t get a big hit when we needed one. We had the bases loaded and first and second, and they got out of the innings.”

Both teams did all of their scoring in one inning. St. Mark’s got out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the bottom of the first, but the Spartans weren’t as fortunate in the third.

Smyrna’s Shawn Dulin and Carrow started the inning with singles, and Jared Gillis walked to load the bases. Thomas Penuel singled to center to score the first run, and Nolan Henderson and Ryan Seymour lofted back-to-back sacrifice flies to drive in two more. Then Dylan Snow came through with a two-out single to right to score Penuel for a 4-0 lead.

“I knew I had to hit the ball to right field. That’s what I do best,” Snow said. “I just backed off the plate, he threw it right down the middle, so I just did what I could do with it. It feels good to keep the rally going.”

St. Mark’s responded right away with three runs in the fourth, as catcher Thomas Gibb rocked a two-run triple and scored on an error. Then the Spartans loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth and had runners at first and second with one out in the sixth, but the Eagles (9-2) shut the door.

“I was impressed with our poise. We knew what we were getting ourselves into,” Mike Henderson said. “We knew they weren’t going to go away down 4-0, and we weathered the storm.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Former Glasgow High track star Leshon Collins won the college men’s 100-meter dash for the University of Houston on Saturday at the Penn Relays.

Leshon Collins, a four-time All-State selection at Glasgow, won the college men’s 100-meter dash for the University of Houston on Saturday to highlight the top performances by Delawareans at the Penn Relays.

Collins, now a senior at Houston, ran a 10.48 to edge Florida’s Ryan Clark (10.52) and Cougars teammate Mario Burke (10.52) at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

“I am a local. I always wanted to run here,” Collins said to thepennrelays.com staff. “It feels good because I am a senior.”

Collins’ alma mater also earned a win, as Glasgow was fastest in the Northern Delaware boys 4×400 relay in 3:24.57. A 49.55-second anchor leg by Simeon Dailey made the difference for the Dragons.

Darius Blalock, Ja’saan Cunningham and Alex Nieves ran the first three legs for Glasgow, which returned five hours later to finish 10th among 12 in the Philadelphia Area boys 4×400 in 3:31.80. Padua finished eighth in the girls Philly 4×400, as Lizzy Bader, Taliah Cintron, Cameron Lucey and Darby Deutsch came home in 3:58.97.

William Penn finished fourth in the Large Schools boys 4×100 final, with Lance Edwards, Kamau Floyd, Shawn Davis and Michael Mills circling the track in 42.89 seconds.

Delaware State won the women’s 4×400 ECAC relay, with Rayanna Relerford, Omealla Gordon, Faleesha Dowe and Leandra Nyemeck finishing in 3:43.41.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Dover High School baseball player Jordan Hutchins.

Dover High School baseball player Jordan Hutchins.

Dover High School baseball player Jordan Hutchins.

Dover High School baseball player Jordan Hutchins.

Dover High School baseball player Jordan Hutchins.

Dover High School baseball player Jordan Hutchins.

Dover High School baseball player Jordan Hutchins.

Dover High School baseball player Jordan Hutchins.

Dover High School baseball player Jordan Hutchins.

JORDAN HUTCHINS, senior, Dover baseball

THE WEEK: Went 3 for 4 with a triple in the Senators’ 10-0 victory over Cape Henlopen last Tuesday. Then went 2 for 3, scored three runs and struck out eight in six shutout innings as Dover blanked A.I. du Pont 10-0 on Saturday.

THE COACH SAYS: “This year he has pitched a lot more for us and really stepped up on the mound,” Dover coach Dave Gordon said. “Moving forward, we expect a lot of big things from him.”

THE HESITATION: Hutchins, a four-year starter, has spent most of his time at shortstop and wasn’t sure he wanted to pitch this year. “In the beginning of the season, I told [Gordon] I wasn’t looking forward to having to step on the mound this year,” Hutchins said. “But I knew I would have to, and once I started it got kind of fun. I’ve started to like it now.”

THE SPEED: Hutchins usually bats first or second for the Senators. “I’m a speed guy. That’s why I’m at the top of the lineup,” he said. “I get on base and I let the other guys drive me in.”

THE IMPROVEMENT: “This year, he’s driving the ball in the gaps and his average is going up,” Gordon said. “He’s getting on base, and he can run the bases well, steals bags. He kind of gets on the pitcher’s nerves a little bit.”

THE DEFENSE: “I think the best part of my game is my defense,” Hutchins said. “Pitchers can always count on me when the ball is hit to me to make a play.”

THE LEADERSHIP: “I want to work on being more of a teammate,” Hutchins said. “I want to work on my leadership. I want to be able to be that guy when someone is struggling, they come to me and ask for help.”

THE CLASSROOM: Hutchins enjoys his AP Calculus class, taught by Nancy Vaughan. “It’s a lot of numbers, a lot of equations, a lot of functions,” he said. “You’ve just got to know everything. It’s hard, but when you get it, it’s the best feeling.”

THE FUTURE: Hutchins will continue his baseball career at the University of Delaware. He was sold by former Dover teammate Nick Spadafino, now a pitcher at UD. “He spoke highly of the coaches and the program, and when they told me they wanted me to play for them, I thought it was an easy choice,” he said.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Sussex Tech’s Jenna Calloway (left) forces out a Sussex Central runner on March 22. The Ravens are 10-1 and ranked No. 2 in the state.

BASEBALL

1. St. Mark’s (11-2) 1

2. Caravel (9-3) 5

3. Middletown (10-2) 4

4. Smyrna (9-2) NR

5. Dover (11-2) NR

SOFTBALL

1. Appoquinimink (9-1) 3

2. Sussex Tech (10-1) 2

3. Caravel (8-2) 1

4. Smyrna (9-0) 4

5. Padua (9-0) 5

BOYS LACROSSE

1. Salesianum (10-2) 1

2. Cape Henlopen (7-3) 4

3. Tower Hill (7-2) 5

4. Archmere (8-3) 3

5. DMA (7-2) NR

GIRLS LACROSSE

1. Cape Henlopen (10-1) 1

2. Polytech (9-2) 2

3. Charter of Wilmington (10-0) 3

4. Caravel (8-2) 4

5. Tower Hill (8-2) NR

GIRLS SOCCER

DIVISION I

1. Padua (12-0) 1

2. Caesar Rodney (8-1) 2

3. Charter of Wilmington (4-2-1) 3

4. Appoquinimink (7-1-1) 4

5. Middletown (9-0-2) 5

DIVISION II

1. Indian River (8-0) 1

2. Archmere (8-0-1) 2

3. Caravel (6-2-1) 3

4. Delaware Military Academy (8-2-1) 4

5. Newark Charter (6-2) 5

GOLF

1. Tower Hill (7-0-1) 2

2. Salesianum (5-1-1) 1

3. Caesar Rodney (12-0) 3

4. Appoquinimink (10-0) 5

5. Caravel (10-2) 4

BOYS TENNIS

1. Caesar Rodney (13-0) 1

2. Tower Hill (7-1) 2

3. Charter of Wilmington (9-0) 3

4. St. Andrew’s (7-3) 4

5. Archmere (8-1) 5

GIRLS TENNIS

1. Tower Hill (9-0) 1

2. Caesar Rodney (13-0) 2

3. Archmere (9-0) 3

4. Dover (9-2) 5

5. Middletown (8-1) NR

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Smyrna’s Ryan Seymour follows the flight of a fly ball in his team’s 4-3 win over top-ranked St. Mark’s on Saturday.

Smyrna baseball coach Mike Henderson knows his Eagles are about to go down a tough road. Five of their last seven games are against Henlopen North opponents.

“I’m biased, but personally I think it’s the toughest conference in the state, by far,” Henderson said.

The fourth-ranked Eagles (9-2, 1-0) earned a 4-3 home win over No. 1 St. Mark’s on Saturday, good preparation for what awaits around the corner. The seven Henlopen North teams are a combined 54-24 this season, an even more impressive 41-11 against non-conference foes.

“It’s good for us, because we’re going to see all of those teams in the [state] tournament,” said Smyrna pitcher John Barkley, who held off St. Mark’s over the final 1⅔ innings. “It’s all quality baseball. I think it’s going to help us in the long run.”

Smyrna has a win over defending state champion Appoquinimink. Cape Henlopen (8-2, 3-1) has a win over third-ranked Middletown. Dover (11-2, 3-2) has outscored its last five opponents 51-3, including a 10-0 romp over Cape.

Sussex Tech (8-4, 2-1) has won six straight after a 2-4 start, including wins over Dover, William Penn and Salesianum. Sussex Central (5-5) is 0-4 in the conference, but stunned Sallies 3-2 on April 23. Polytech (8-3, 2-2) and Caesar Rodney (5-6, 2-3) are dangerous, too.

And Smyrna will face one of the hottest teams in the state at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday when the Eagles travel to Henlopen South leader Lake Forest (9-3, 5-1). The Spartans have won nine straight after an 0-3 start.

“I always think there are some southern teams that should be in [the state tournament] that aren’t,” Henderson said. “A lot of our South teams get beat up by the bigger schools, but they’re very good, quality programs.”

Soccer scramble

After struggling to a 7-7-1 record last season, the Middletown girls soccer team has jumped to 9-0-2 overall and 5-0-1 in Blue Hen Flight A going into a home showdown against Appoquinimink (7-2-1, 5-1) at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Charter of Wilmington (5-2-1, 4-0-1) took a big step in the conference race with a 3-1 win at Appoquinimink on Monday night. But the Force tied Middletown 1-1 on April 27, so both teams will share the Flight A title if they sweep the rest of their conference games.

Softball unbeatens

Smyrna (9-0) and Padua (9-0) have quietly won all of their softball games so far, but a couple of big tests await this week.

The Eagles travel to Lake Forest (10-3), which has been ranked as high as second in the state this year, at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday.

The Pandas held off Delaware Military Academy 3-2 on Saturday and next play at Milford at 4:15 Thursday. The Buccaneers are 3-7, but only lost to Smyrna 1-0 on April 21.

Rounding it up

— The Blue Hen Conference track and field meet will be held Saturday at Appoquinimink, with field events and track prelims starting at 10 a.m. and running finals beginning at 11:30.

— The Delaware Military Academy boys lacrosse team (7-2) moved into the state rankings at No. 5 after the Seahawks knocked off then-No. 3 Archmere 13-12 and then-No. 2 Appoquinimink 11-10 last week.

— Polytech’s Whitney DeMora went 3 for 3 with three home runs and two walks in a 12-6 victory at Cape Henlopen last Friday. One of the homers was a grand slam, as DeMora finished with eight RBI and four runs scored. The senior also hit three homers in the Panthers’ season opener at Indian River.

— Senior attacker Lizzie Frederick scored her 100th career goal in Cape Henlopen’s 16-5 win over Caesar Rodney last Wednesday.

— The 1976 Salesianum baseball team will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its state championship with a reunion before the current Sals’ home game against Lake Forest at 2 p.m. Saturday. Former umpires and opponents from that era are also invited to attend and reminisce.

— St. Elizabeth is seeking an assistant coach for field hockey. Mail a resume and letter of interest to St. Elizabeth High School, or submit via email to jcorradin@sehs.org.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Middletown’s Rachel Finelli (No. 3) makes a flying attempt at the ball in front of Appoquinimink’s Hannah Broomall in the first half of Middletown’s 1-0 win over Appoquinimink at Cavalier’s Stadium in Middletown on Wednesday evening.

Middletown players surround Meghan Jolikko after Jolikko’s free kick sailed past Appoquinimink’s goal keeper for a goal in the second half of Middletown’s 1-0 win over Appoquinimink at Cavalier’s Stadium in Middletown on Wednesday evening.

Appoquinimink’s Calista Lawrence dives overtop of Middletown keeper Taylor Wolf as Wolf makes a sliding save in the first half of Middletown’s 1-0 win over Appoquinimink at Cavalier’s Stadium in Middletown on Wednesday evening.

Middletown and Appoquinimink players collide as the ball falls between them on a corner kick in the first half of Middletown’s 1-0 win over Appoquinimink at Cavalier’s Stadium in Middletown on Wednesday evening.

Appoquinimink’s Abbe Power (left) and Middletown’s Shannon Gamble (right) jockey for position on the ball in the first half of Middletown’s 1-0 win over Appoquinimink at Cavalier’s Stadium in Middletown on Wednesday evening.

MIDDLETOWN – When the Middletown girls soccer team earned a free kick from 35 yards out with less than two minutes left, coach Brian Derrickson knew exactly who would take the shot.

Meghan Jolikko.

“That’s her zone, to shoot from 35,” Derrickson said. “She had a tough game, and what a way to end it.”

Jolikko somehow fitted a blast between the crossbar and the outstretched fingertips of Appoquinimink goalkeeper Kiyanna Gill to keep Middletown’s unbeaten streak going with a 1-0 victory on Wednesday night at Cavaliers Stadium.

Middletown’s Meghan Jolikko (No. 5) puts a free kick from 35 yards out past the outstretched hands of Appoquinimink keeper Kiyanna Gill for a goal in the second half of Middletown’s 1-0 win over Appoquinimink at Cavalier’s Stadium in Middletown on Wednesday evening.

“I knew that we didn’t have a lot of time left, so I had to put the shot on the frame and see what I could do,” Jolikko said. “I’m better with distance. I like having the big shots over the top past the keeper.”

The senior had been under heavy defensive pressure all night, but the fourth-ranked Jaguars (7-3-1, 5-2 Blue Hen Flight A) couldn’t defend her this time. Fifth-ranked Middletown (11-0-2, 6-0-1) can clinch at least a tie for the conference title with a win over William Penn next Monday.

“[Jolikko] was marked up all night, she gets a free kick, and we’re in control of the conference now,” Derrickson said.

Tompkins, Sterling put St. Georges in Flight B driver’s seat

But the Cavaliers weren’t in control throughout this one. Both teams earned some golden scoring opportunities, none better than when Appo charged in on a breakaway in the 38th minute.

Erica Sieben played a perfect through ball to Caelan Brooks, who fired a 12-yard shot that was stopped by Middletown freshman Taylor Wolf. The rebound went right to the foot of the Jaguars’ Courtney Burtell, but Wolf got back to her feet and dove to smother a point-blank blast.

“I thought immediately after I made the first save, ‘I have to get back up,’ because I didn’t catch it in my hands,” Wolf said. “As soon as the girl took another shot, I was right back on top of that. I was fortunate to save that.”

Appoquinimink’s Courtney Burtell (left) covers her face with her hands after he attempt to put a rebound off of Middletown keeper Taylor Wolf (right) was saved by Wolf in the first half of Middletown’s 1-0 win over Appoquinimink at Cavalier’s Stadium in Middletown on Wednesday evening.

Sieben’s 20-yard free kick in the 51st minute hit the crossbar and deflected down, but didn’t go in. Two minutes later, Wolf stopped a low liner by Appo’s Kelsy Fitzgerald on a free kick from 33 yards out.

The Cavaliers earned six corner kicks, and generated their best opportunity when Fitzgerald headed a curling ball right off the line in the 67th minute. Then Middletown’s Alexa Rodriguez weaved through two defenders but shot just wide of the far post in the 72nd minute.

The teams combined for 22 shots, but the scoreless game was less than two minutes from going into overtime on an unseasonably cold night when Jolikko finally put one in the net — and on the board.

“Credit to Appo. They gave us a great game,” Derrickson said. “At the end, we just told our girls to keep fighting, keep fighting. Taylor Wolf made some phenomenal saves to keep us alive, and our defense was strong.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Right fielder Jeremy Vogel went 2-for-4, scored twice and delivered the go-ahead hit in the eighth inning as St. Mark’s rallied past Salesianum 7-5 on Thursday.

WILMINGTON – The St. Mark’s baseball team didn’t let a dramatic shift in momentum decide the game Thursday.

Instead, the Spartans shifted the momentum back their way with a textbook eighth inning.

Top-ranked St. Mark’s jumped out to a five-run lead, watched as archrival Salesianum rallied to tie it, then won 7-5 with two runs in the eighth at the Sals’ Kenney Diamond.

“We knew this team is never easy to play,” said junior right fielder Jeremy Vogel, who delivered the go-ahead hit in the top of the eighth. “It’s Sallies-St. Mark’s, it could go either way. It doesn’t matter how much you’re up by.”

The Spartans (12-2) swept the regular-season series, adding to an 11-2 win over the Sals on April 19 at Frawley Stadium. This one looked like it was going to be easy when St. Mark’s scored two in the second on Chris Ludman’s RBI single and an error, one in the third on Thomas Gibb’s sacrifice fly and two in the fourth on Andrew Reich’s two-out single.

Spartans starter Billy Sullivan held the Sals to two hits through the first three innings. But Salesianum (8-4) got two runs back on John Andreoli’s bases-loaded fielder’s choice and an error in the bottom of the fourth.

Then the Sals really made it interesting when Zach Miller crushed a three-run double to deep left in the fifth to tie it at 5.

“I thought Billy was cruising along, and he kind of let it get away from him a little bit,” St. Mark’s coach Matt Smith said. “Give them credit. They battled back.”

Sean Gilardi relieved Sullivan and pitched a perfect sixth. But the Sals loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on singles by Josh Maguire and Joe Cautillo and an intentional walk. The winning run was just 90 feet away, but Gilardi coaxed a fly ball to right to send the game to extra innings.

“I just tried to stay composed, use all of my pitches to the best of my ability,” Gilardi said. “I know I’ve got a good defense behind me, willing to knock down a ball, dive for it, do anything.”

Then the Spartans manufactured a run perfectly in the top of the eighth. Matt Theodorakis led off with a single, Chris Ludman moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt and Vogel followed with a single to left. Theodorakis beat the throw home for a 6-5 lead.

“I knew I had to put a ball in play somewhere hard and move that runner over, because the guy in front of me did a pretty good job,” Vogel said.

Vogel went to second on the throw home, and scored the final run on a two-out double to left by Tyler Kaczmarczyk.

“We had opportunities to get the bunts down early in the game and we didn’t do it,” Smith said. “Luds got a big bunt down, Jeremy came up with a big hit and then Kaz came up with a big hit. I’m proud of the boys.”

Gilardi finished it with a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth, as Ludman fought off a bad hop at third for the first out and the left-hander ended the game with a strikeout.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Dickerson Davashaye Jones, center, competes in the girls 4×100 Relay during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

Appoquinimink’s Sierra Sadler clears the pole in the course of the girls High Jump event during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

Glasgow’s Ja’saan Cunningham competes in the Boys Long Jump during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

Appoquinimink’s Samantha Pittman, left, finishes in second place in the Girls 800-meter run during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

Glasgow’s Ja’saan Cunningham competes in the Boys Long Jump during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

Glasgow’s Paris Taylor competes in the Girls 800-meter run during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

St. Georges’ Victoria Shepherd injured herself in the course of the Girls 100-Meter Hurdles during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

A.I duPont Erick Jones clears the pole in the course of Pole Vault competition during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

Middletown Ayo Fisher clears the last hurdle in the course of the Girls 100-Meter Hurdles during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

St. George’s Daivyne Bailey knocks down the pole in the course of Pole Vault competition during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

St. George’s Victoria Shepherd clears the last hurdle in the course of the Girls 100-meter hurdles during the Blue Hen Conference track and field meet Saturday.

MIDDLETOWN – Daija Lampkin wasn’t feeling her best before the girls 200-meter dash on Saturday.

That didn’t keep the Middletown junior from running her best.

Lampkin blazed around a half-lap of the Appoquinimink track in 23.75 seconds to set a state record and highlight the Blue Hen Conference track and field championships.

“I was feeling nervous before my 200, because I was sick. My stomach was messed up,” Lampkin said. “But I just focused and said, ‘Do good in this 200, because I want to hit a 23 [seconds].”

She did, eclipsing the state mark of 23.96 set by Padua’s Maiya Dendy at the 2013 Caravel Invitational.

“She keeps getting better, because she works for it,” Middletown girls coach Mary Kay Waltemire said of Lampkin. “She’s out here every day, so she works hard to get where she is. She wants the records. That’s way she’s looking for.”

Middletown’s Daija Lampkin lowered the girls 200-meter state record to 23.75 seconds on Saturday at the Blue Hen Conference track and field championships.

Lampkin wasn’t happy with her winning performance in the 100, even though her 11.99 time tied for fifth-fastest all time. The disappointment fueled the fire for her next race.

“It pushed me to work harder,” she said. “My 100 wasn’t where I wanted to be, so I wanted to make my 200 where I wanted to be.”

Lampkin still has next weekend’s New Castle County championships, the DIAA Division I state meet and the Meet of Champions to chase Dendy’s 100 record of 11.68, set at the 2013 Division II state meet.

Charter draws another Flight A title, coasts past Middletown

Dendy’s younger sister, Micaiah, also had an outstanding meet Saturday. The St. Georges senior tied the state record in the triple jump, covering 39 feet, 3½ inches to match the mark set by Newark’s Krystina Muhammad in 2008. Micaiah Dendy also won the long jump with a leap of 18-11½, second all time only behind the 19-5½ of Christiana’s Lynn Harris at the 1999 Penn Relays.

The Charter of Wilmington girls didn’t win a single individual event or relay, but still racked up 101½ points to easily outdistance Delcastle (62) for the team title. Force freshman Sophia Gulotti finished second in both hurdles races, fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump. Charter also went 3-4-5 in the 800 meters, 4-5-6 in 3,200 and scored in all four relays.

“We had a couple of things not go our way early on, but some of the girls that we normally don’t count on to get points stepped up,” Force coach Lavel Walker said. “That really was a big help.”

Delcastle’s Sherita Lowman swept the 100 and 300 hurdles and finished second in the triple jump, and the Cougars’ Jalissa Emmens won the 800. Other girls individual winners were William Penn’s Alyssa Armor (400) and Shanira Mitchell (high jump), St. Georges’ Gyllian O’Neill (pole vault) and Bethany Clement (discus), Concord’s Katie Macturk (1,600), Newark’s Rachel Beston (3,200) and Hodgson’s Traunasha Burson (shot put).

A.I. du Pont earned 103 points to outpace Mount Pleasant (77) and Appo (73) for the boys team title. The Tigers’ Noah Agwu swept the shot put and discus, and Tahaire Riley cleared 6-4 to win the high jump.

“We had some kids struggle today, but on the whole it was a really good team effort,” A.I. coach Steven Lantz said. “We scored a lot of small points in a lot of different places, so it was a nice team win.”

Vogel, St. Mark’s edge Salesianum in 8 innings

Mount Pleasant’s Malachi Davis swept the long jump and triple jump, and the Green Knights’ Johnelle Joe took the 1,600. William Penn’s Mike Mills won the 200 and combined with Lance Edwards, Kamau Floyd and Zach Burton to sweep the 4×100 and 4×200 relays.

Other boys individual winners were St. Georges’ Michah Joseph-Young (110 hurdles) and James Mankus (pole vault), McKean’s Ryan Thompson (300 hurdles), Glasgow’s Ja’saan Cunningham (100), Howard’s Edwin Rosembert (400), Charter’s Coby Collins (800) and Appo’s Vail Freed (3,200).

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawaronline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

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Kevin Turner (7) of Tower Hill carries the ball past Logan Yoder of Appoquinimink during the Hillers’ win on April 26. Tower Hill moved up to No. 2 in the boys lacrosse rankings this week.

BASEBALL

1. St. Mark’s (13-2) 1

2. Caravel (9-3) 2

3. Smyrna (11-2) 4

4. Dover (13-2) 5

5. Middletown (12-3) 3

SOFTBALL

1. Sussex Tech (10-1) 2

2. Appoquinimink (10-2) 1

3. Caravel (10-2) 3

4. Smyrna (9-1) 4

5. Padua (9-1) 5

BOYS LACROSSE

1. Salesianum (12-2) 1

2. Tower Hill (9-2) 3

3. Cape Henlopen (8-4) 2

4. DMA (8-2) 5

5. Archmere (9-4) 4

GIRLS LACROSSE

1. Cape Henlopen (11-1) 1

2. Polytech (11-2) 2

3. Caravel (10-2) 4

4. Charter of Wilmington (11-1) 3

5. Tower Hill (10-3) 5

GIRLS SOCCER

DIVISION I

1. Padua (13-0) 1

2. Caesar Rodney (11-1) 2

3. Charter of Wilmington (6-2-1) 3

4. Middletown (11-0-2) 5

5. Appoquinimink (8-3-1) 4

DIVISION II

1. Indian River (10-1) 1

2. Archmere (8-1-2) 2

3. Caravel (9-2-1) 3

4. Delaware Military Academy (10-3-1) 4

5. St. Georges (10-3-1) NR

GOLF

1. Tower Hill (10-0-1) 1

2. Salesianum (6-2-1) 2

3. Caesar Rodney (14-0) 3

4. Appoquinimink (12-0) 4

5. Caravel (12-2) 5

BOYS TENNIS

1. Caesar Rodney (14-0) 1

2. Tower Hill (8-2) 2

3. Charter of Wilmington (9-1) 3

4. St. Andrew’s (8-3) 4

5. Archmere (10-1) 5

GIRLS TENNIS

1. Caesar Rodney (14-0) 2

2. Archmere (10-0) 3

3. Charter of Wilmington (8-2) NR

4. Tower Hill (11-1) 1

5. Middletown (9-1) 5

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.