Craig McAllister (no. 4) of Red Lion attempts to catch the ball to get the runner out in the final inning of the DIAA Baseball tournament Tuesday afternoon at Dover High School

Jacob Stollings (20) of Red Lion takes a swing at a low ball in Tuesday’s DIAA tournament game.

Semaj Kelly (19) of Dover slides into second base as Noah Dahllof (1) of Red Lion throws the ball to first base attempting a double play in Tuesday’s DIAA tournament game.

Jordan Hutchins (No. 2) of Dover slides back into first base as Craig McAllister (no. 4) of Red Lion waits for the pitch back to him in Tuesday’s DIAA tournament game at Dover High School.

Garrett Lawson (no. 16) of Dover throws a pitch to in Tuesday’s DIAA tournament game against Red Lion.

Avery Tunnell (7) of Dover celebrates with teammate Terren Yanero (3) in Tuesday’s DIAA tournament game against Red Lion.

DOVER – It took Garrett Lawson an inning to find the range on the mound.

It didn’t take him any time to find the range at the plate.

Lawson blasted a two-run homer as Dover sent 13 men to the plate in the first inning and scored seven runs on the way to a 10-3 victory over Red Lion Christian on Tuesday in the second round of the DIAA Baseball Tournament.

The fourth-seeded Senators (17-2) advanced to play No. 12 Archmere — a 7-1 winner over fifth-seeded Appoquinimink on Monday — in the quarterfinals on Thursday at a site and time to be determined.

The left-handed Lawson walked two and uncorked a couple of wild pitches as the 13th-seeded Lions (17-3) scored a run in the top of the first. But he did plenty to help himself in the bottom of the first.

Jordan Hutchins lined a one-out single, and Lawson splattered one over the right-field fence for a 2-1 lead.

“We’ve been working with his swing so he won’t cut himself off so much,” Dover coach Dave Gordon said. “He absolutely hit a laser beam out of here. That definitely lifted us up right away, and that’s what a senior does.”

The Senators’ uprising was far from over. Two errors and a hit batsman loaded the bases, and Semaj Kelly followed with a two-run single. Terren Yanero drove in a run with a fielder’s choice, Avery Tunnell singled and Jarvis Worthy followed with a two-run double to make it 7-1.

Worthy led off the Dover third with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lawson. The Senators added single runs in the fourth and fifth.

Lawson settled down on the mound, too, retiring five straight at one point. He pitched only three innings, as three other Senators finished up to save Dover’s arms for the rest of the tournament.

“Just a little pumped up,” Gordon said of Lawson’s early struggle. “Still looked good with his velocity. Just a little bit out in front, but you saw him make the adjustment in the second and third innings.”

Middletown rallies in the seventh to top DMA baseball

Red Lion Christian 6, Milford 5

Xander Emberger’s one-out single in the bottom of the 10th scored Noah Dahloff with the winning run as the Lions won the completion of a suspended game earlier Tuesday to earn the right to play Dover in the second round.

Red Lion and No. 20 seed Milford (9-10) battled to a 5-5 tie through nine innings Monday at Red Lion before a thunderstorm suspended the game. The teams bused to Dover High to resume Tuesday, and the Buccaneers went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th.

Then Dahloff singled, Jaret Bush moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt and Emberger lashed the winning hit to set off a celebration.

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

Sussex Tech’s Nate Quillin (5) recoreded a hat trick as the Ravens defeated Lake Fprest 24-16 in DIAA playoff action.

FELTON – Sussex Tech barely won a wild game against Lake Forest just 13 days ago, so the Ravens knew what to expect in the first round of the DIAA Boys Lacrosse Tournament on Tuesday night.

The Spartans battled Sussex Tech tooth and nail for almost three quarters, until the Ravens made a key adjustment and pulled away for a 24-16 victory.

Lake Forest star Austin Aguilar was hurting Sussex Tech on faceoffs, so Ravens coach Don Golacinski pulled senior Caleb Dennis out of the attack and had him concentrate on faceoffs only.

It made a huge difference, as ninth-seeded Sussex Tech (10-6) scored nine straight goals to earn a second-round matchup against top-seeded Salesianum on Saturday, at a site and time to be determined.

“We talked at halftime about their ability to score goals in groups, four or five,” Golacinski said. “That’s what we were afraid of, them getting a run.”

Sussex Tech edged the Spartans 18-17 in overtime on May 11, and this one had the potential to be a repeat. The Ravens led 12-8 at halftime, only to see Lake Forest pull within 15-13 on back-to-back goals by Carter Kenton with 1:14 left in the third quarter.

Middletown rallies in the seventh to top DMA baseball

Then Sussex Tech started controlling possession, and the rest was history. Nate Quillin fired one in after a long run and Daniel Wilson scored with 1.5 seconds left in the quarter to push the Ravens’ lead back to 17-13.

The onslaught continued, as Wilson scored again, Tyler Hatfield found the net after a turnover and Matthew Tull pumped in back-to-back goals. Then Ian Carlisle scored, Whaley hit the target and Brett Snyder capped the run to make it 24-13 with 4:09 to play.

“When we played them first time, they were locking us off,” Whaley said. “We couldn’t really get open. So we just started running our picks, getting open, moving the ball around. That’s really all you need to do.”

The Spartans (11-5) got 10 goals from Kenton, three from Aguilar and two from Ben Moore. The loss capped a remarkable season for the Lake Forest program, which reached the playoffs and earned a home game in only its second season.

“Second-year program, you can never expect to have a home-field advantage in a playoff game,” Spartans coach Brandon Savage said. “You’d never expect that. But at the end of last season, I did expect it. Because you could see the talent that we had. You could see us growing and getting better every day.”

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

Junior Jacob Copio scored a career-high five goals as Caesar Rodney topped Cape Henlopen 11-6 in the DIAA Boys Lacrosse Tournament on Wednesday night.

CAMDEN – Jacob Copio wasn’t playing as an attacker for Caesar Rodney at the start of the season.

He looks pretty good there now.

Copio pumped in a career-high five goals Wednesday night as the Riders turned the tables on Cape Henlopen with an 11-6 victory in the opening round of the DIAA Boys Lacrosse Tournament at Riders Stadium.

“It wasn’t really designed,” Copio said. “I just showed up to play today. It worked out.”

The seventh-seeded Riders (10-6) earned a Saturday quarterfinal trip to No. 2 Tower Hill, at a time to be determined. CR will be headed there in the right direction, after weathering a four-game losing streak late in the season.

An 11-9 loss to Cape on April 27 decided the Henlopen North title and kicked off the tailspin. The Riders fell to Archmere and Salesianum before dropping an 11-9 decision to Tower Hill on May 11, so more revenge will be possible Saturday.

“We had that four-game stretch where we were losing games, but they kept battling and kept battling,” CR coach Matt Faircloth said. “That was the toughest part, because they put a lot of work in. We had very solid practice, but they weren’t getting the wins at the end of the day.”

Jaguars rout Lions 21-2 in DIAA opener

The Riders rebounded to edge Appoquinimink 15-12 before closing the regular season with a 16-8 win at Dover. Now, CR is rolling.

“The last couple of games definitely helped us out, because I think this team has revealed what they can be,” Faircloth said. “As a coaching staff, we knew. But I think the kids needed to know it.”

It was 1-1 after the first quarter. Then the Riders took control, as Brinen Lefevre won the faceoff and passed to Copio for a goal just six seconds into the second quarter. Copio bulled in for another, and Pat Matsko scored from the right side to make it 4-1.

“We put in some new sets, and we came out ready to play this time,” Copio said. “There was a lot of energy. We just came out and did it.”

Another three-goal burst, including two by Copio and one by Demetrius Stevenson, pushed the CR lead to 7-2 at the half.

“He’s been really chomping at the bit,” Faircloth said of Copio. “He’s worked incredibly hard. He wanted to know what he could do to make this team better, and I think it really showed tonight.”

The 10th-seeded Vikings (8-7) were down 10-3 with 6:45 to play, but tried to get back in it with goals from Dillon Mocci, Robert Neall and Erik-Stephane Stancofski. But Copio scored off his own rebound with 1:31 to go, and the Riders won the faceoff and ran out the clock.

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

DOVER – The possibility of seeing your high school athletic career end can be a powerful motivator.

Tower Hill’s Abby Manning.

It certainly motivated Tower Hill’s seniors Thursday night, and a couple of them —goalie Ellie Wakefield and midfielder Abby Manning — rallied the Hillers to an 11-10 victory over Polytech in the semifinals of the DIAA Girls Lacrosse Tournament at Wesley College’s Scott D. Miller Stadium.

“The seniors, we thought this is not going to be our last game together,” Manning said. “We just kind of pulled it together and said, ‘We’ve got to give it all we’ve got. It comes down to heart at this point.’ They had it, too, but we just had to push through.”

Tower Hill (13-3) pushed through, and earned a championship game berth against seven-time defending state champion Cape Henlopen at 7 p.m. Tuesday on this same field.

Wakefield finished with 12 saves. And obviously, in a one-goal game, every one of them was huge.

Frederick, Vikings cruise past Buccaneers to reach DIAA finals

“It was hectic, every second,” the goalkeeper said. “It felt like the minutes were days. We just kind of held it together as a team. We talked, we were composed, we all came together as one.”

The score was tied five times in the first half before the second-seeded Panthers (13-3) got goals from sisters Ali and Maddie McKay in the final 35 seconds to lead 7-5 at the half.

Jamie Trabaudo found the net to give Polytech an 8-6 lead with 16:29 to play. And then Manning took over.

“She is tough at both ends of the field,” Hillers coach Wiz Applegate said of the veteran midfielder. “She’s relentless. She doesn’t give up, and she has such power, acceleration and good vision.”

Manning put all of those attributes on display, scoring four times in a 5-0 run as the Hillers surged to an 11-8 lead with 4:44 remaining.

Polytech did its best to close the gap, as Trabaudo scored just 35 seconds later. Ali McKay pumped in a final goal at the buzzer, but the Panthers came up one short.

Polytech outshot the Hillers 26-15, but Wakefield stopped enough shots to make the difference.

“She really was the anchor of the defense,” Applegate said of the goalkeeper. “She was very aggressive, she cleared successfully, and she was just spot on.”

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

Cape Henlopen’s Lizzie Frederick (1) had eight goals and six assists as the Vikings cruised past Caravel 20-7 Thursday night.

DOVER – Even while piling up a 97-game in-state winning streak and seven consecutive state championships, there was one title contender Cape Henlopen had never played.

Caravel was a new opponent, but it was the same old story Thursday night as the Vikings cruised to a 20-7 victory in the semifinals of the DIAA Girls Lacrosse Tournament at Wesley College’s Scott D. Miller Stadium.

The top-seeded Vikings (16-1) will go for their eighth straight crown against third-seeded Tower Hill on this same field at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Fifth-seeded Caravel (14-3) was making its first semifinal appearance. Cape was jazzed up to see somebody new.

“I was kind of ready to play someone different,” said senior Lizzie Frederick, the centerpiece of the Vikings’ attack with eight goals and six assists. “It’s just a different kind of pressure. It’s almost like playing someone out of state. You don’t really know what to expect, so you’ve just got to go in as hard as you can.”

The Buccaneers stayed with Cape early, as junior Olivia Duarte found her way through the Vikings’ defense for three goals. But the Vikings scored six of the last seven to end the first half, with Frederick netting three and Cailey Thornburg getting two goals and two assists as Cape ran to a 12-4 lead.

Wakefield, Manning help Tower Hill rally to win over Polytech

“The draw was critical,” Vikings coach P.J. Kesmodel said. “It seemed like we won two-thirds of them. They could score, they’re very dangerous, and it was back and forth for the first 10 minutes. Then we started getting more draws, and that was one of the big things that changed the game.”

The biggest concern was the foul situation. Cape picked up three yellow cards in the first 20 minutes. One more foul would have put the Vikings a player down for the rest of the game, which would have been a huge advantage for Caravel.

“I don’t care how hard you are, that’s a pretty tough thing to do,” Kesmodel said. “I was really sweating that. We really preached, be safe, don’t foul. That’s why we held it so long. I figured if we’re holding it, we can’t foul them.”

Cape avoided another card, and methodically put the game away in the second half. Frederick scored three straight goals to make it 17-7 and trigger the running clock with 14:21 to play.

Thornburg and Evelyn Shoop each added four goals for Cape. Duarte finished with four goals for Caravel.

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

Two freshmen – pitcher Payton Czerwinski (left) and shortstop Taylor Gillis – played key roles in Charter of Wilmington’s 6-4 victory over Padua in the DIAA Softball Tournament on Saturday.

MILLTOWN – This is Taylor Gillis’ first year of playing shortstop.

The Charter of Wilmington freshman looked like Ozzie Smith on Saturday, turning a brilliant over-the-shoulder catch into a rally-killing double play as the Force held on for a 6-4 victory over Padua in the first round of the DIAA Softball Tournament.

The fifth-seeded Pandas (15-4) had seven come-from-behind wins this season, and they were in position for another one with runners at first and second with one out in the sixth. Lynsie Grant hit a soft liner into short left field at the Midway Softball Complex, and Gillis sprinted back and somehow caught it. Then she fired to second baseman Julianna Kolek to double off the lead runner.

“We all had a lot of tension on us, and we really needed to get out of that inning,” Gillis said. “… I just saw the ball, and I had to give everything to get it. Kind of like my life was on the line. I needed that.”

Charter (14-5), the 12th seed, secured the upset and earned an unexpected home game in the quarterfinals against 13th-seeded Red Lion Christian at 4 p.m. Tuesday. The Lions knocked off No. 4 Cape Henlopen in the first round Saturday.

Padua took a 1-0 lead in the third when Caitlin Baxter’s single drove in Gabriella Frabizzio. But the Force rapped out five hits — all of their hits for the entire game — to score six runs in the fourth.

“We hit in bunches,” Charter coach Eileen Voltz said.

They sure did. Lindsay Johnson and Mallory McCormick singled, and Katie Kalinowski scored Johnson with another single. Kolek moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, and Zoey Jones was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Then Kate Massih walked to drive in a run, Katie Watson slapped an RBI groundout, Gillis drove in two with a single and Payton Czerwinski plated the sixth run with another single.

The Pandas pulled within 6-4 with three runs in the fifth, as Kierstin Fallers lifted a sacrifice fly and Abby Cunningham ripped a two-run single.

But Gillis made her huge play in the sixth, and the Force withstood Baxter’s one-out double in the seventh. Massih, the catcher, held on to a foul tip for the second out and Jones squeezed the final out in right field.

“It was really nerve-wracking, but I knew no matter what happened my defense would be behind me making the plays,” said Czerwinski, who went the distance in the circle for Charter. “We worked really hard to get up to this, and I think we did really well in the last inning.”

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

Caravel pitcher Bryce Carney (13) throws a strike during a DIAA baseball semifinal game between Caravel and Middletown at Frawley Stadium on Saturday.

Caravel Academy players celebrate defeating Middletown in a DIAA baseball semifinal game at Frawley Stadium on Saturday.

WILMINGTON – Tyler Juhl, Caravel’s second batter in the first inning, singled and stole second base.

It was the first of many.

The Buccaneers stole 14 bases on Saturday at Frawley Stadium, literally running to an 11-1 victory over Middletown in the semifinals of the DIAA Baseball Tournament.

“The plan is to score runs,” Caravel coach Paul Niggebrugge said. “Score runs and prevent runs, that’s it. Whatever we can take advantage of, we try to capitalize on it.”

The third-seeded Buccaneers (16-4) will return to Frawley and go for their fifth state baseball championship at 7 p.m. Tuesday against the winner of Saturday’s late St. Mark’s-Dover semifinal.

Caravel appears to be peaking at the perfect time. After scoring just 65 runs in their first 15 games, the Buccaneers have erupted for 60 runs in their last five games.

St. Mark’s guts out baseball semifinal win over Dover

“We came out as a team and actually hit,” said catcher Colin Adams, who went 2 for 2 with four RBIs. “It felt great. Coming together as a team and hitting, it was better than our whole season.”

Bryce Carney took care of the seventh-seeded Cavaliers (16-5) on the mound, allowing just two hits and striking out seven as the Buccaneers ended it in five innings via the 10-run rule.

“I felt like I really had everything working today,” Carney said. “My curveball, I was hitting spots with that and it was getting good break. I was placing my fastball well. It was the best I’ve felt all year.”

Juhl and Brandon Fraley got into position for Adams in the first, and the catcher pushed a two-run single to right.

“It was a fastball away,” Adams said. “I went with it.”

Courtesy runner Brad Kaden came on for Adams, stole second and third and scored on an error as Caravel jumped to a 3-0 lead.

A couple of errors by the Buccaneers led to Middletown’s only run in the top of the second. But Fraley delivered a two-run double and Juhl scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second as Caravel stretched the lead to 6-1.

“Our first two [tournament] games, we haven’t scored until like the fifth inning,” Carney said. “So it felt good to come out and score early.”

The Buccaneers kept it rolling in the fourth. The Cavaliers intentionally walked Fraley to bring up Adams with runners at first and second with one out. Caravel unleashed a double steal, and Adams pulled a two-run single to left to make it 8-1.

“I felt insulted a little bit,” the cleanup hitter said. “I just wanted to put the ball in play after that and score the two runs that we needed.”

Carney took a no-hitter into the fifth before Luke Wootten and Brandon Rohrer singled for Middletown. The left-hander got out of the jam with two fly balls to right, and the Buccaneers scored three more in the bottom of the fifth to finish it.

“[Carney] pitched masterfully, and we hit in key situations,” Niggebrugge said. “Fortunately, we were on the top end.”

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

Concord’s Rachel Pritchard, shown here against Caesar Rodney on March 31, starred in the Raiders’ 4-1 win over Middletown on Saturday.

Abbey Smith went 4-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs as 13th-seeded Red Lion Christian went on the road and knocked off No. 4 Cape Henlopen 14-5 in the opening round of the DIAA Softball Tournament on Saturday.

Caroline Paolantonio also homered for the Lions (11-8) and went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Red Lion Christian will play at 12th-seeded Charter of Wilmington in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Kaeli O’Neill-Willey went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs and Hannah Jones went 2-for-3 with a solo shot for the Vikings (14-5).

Caravel 10, DMA 0

Holly Brooks went 3-for-4 and pitched a three-hit shutout as the top-seeded Buccaneers (16-3) cruised past the No. 16 Seahawks (10-9).

Jenn Sieminski went 2-for-3, scored twice and drove in three for Caravel, which will host a quarterfinal against ninth-seeded Caesar Rodney at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Alexus Johnson had a triple for DMA.

Gillis’ catch helps Charter softball hold off Padua

Concord 4, Middletown 1

Rachel Pritchard went 3-for-4 and held Middletown (11-8) to four hits as the Raiders scratched out a first-round win.

Olivia Christy went 3-for-3 and center fielder Shelly Johnson made a stellar catch and threw out a runner at third for the sixth-seeded Raiders (14-5), who will host No. 14 Lake Forest in a quarterfinal at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Sussex Tech 9, Hodgson 2

Jaykayla Sample ripped a two-run homer and Rylee Shockley added a solo shot in a five-run third inning as the second-seeded Ravens cruised.

Shockley also doubled home two runs in a four-run fourth and Madison Watson had a double and two triples for Sussex Tech (16-2), which will host No. 7 Appoquinimink in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Kendra Ziemba went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for 15th-seeded Hodgson (12-7).

Dover pitcher Jordan Hutchins (2) celebrates with his teammates after crossing home plate during a DIAA baseball semifinal game between St. Marks and Dover at Frawley Stadium on Saturday.

Dover pitcher Jordan Hutchins (2) bunts during a DIAA baseball semifinal game between St. Mark’s and Dover at Frawley Stadium on Saturday.

Dover pitcher Garrett Lawson (16) throws a strike during a DIAA baseball semifinal game between St. Mark’s and Dover at Frawley Stadium on Saturday

St. Mark’s pitcher Andrew Reich (6) throws a strike during a DIAA baseball semifinal game between St. Mark’s and Dover at Frawley Stadium on Saturday.

St. Mark’s catcher Thomas Gibb (18) hits a triple during a DIAA baseball semifinal game between St. Marks and Dover at Frawley Stadium on Saturday..

WILMINGTON – St. Mark’s reached the championship game of the DIAA Baseball Tournament on Saturday night.

If it seems like you’ve read that before, you’re right. The Spartans gutted out a 5-3 victory over Dover at Frawley Stadium to advance to the final for the 20th time since 1985.

And top-seeded St. Mark’s (19-2) will have a familiar opponent when it shoots for its 14th state title at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Spartans will return to Frawley to meet third-seeded Caravel in the final for the third time in four years, and the fourth time since 2007.

This semifinal was anything but easy, as St. Mark’s had to dig its way out of a 3-0 hole after 2½ innings.

“We had a lot of game left. We needed to battle,” Spartans coach Matt Smith said. “We’ve been down before, and we’ve battled back.”

Fourth-seeded Dover (18-3) was seeking to become the first downstate baseball champion since Seaford in 1993. The Senators’ only title came in 1972, and they reached the final again in ’73.

It was looking good early for Dover, as Avery Tunnell, Jarvis Worthy and Jordan Hutchins singled to load the bases with one out in the top of the third. Then Garrett Lawson cleared them with a thunderous double to left-center for a 3-0 lead.

But St. Mark’s didn’t panic.

“Just get one run at a time. Get them over, get them in,” third baseman Chris Ludman said. “You’re not going to get it all back at once, so just keep trying to get one run at a time.”

Caravel runs past Middletown in DIAA baseball semi

The Spartans got one back in the bottom of the third when Austin Colmery walked, stole second, went to third on a balk and scored on a single by Tyler Kaczmarczyk.

Thomas Gibb rocked a one-out triple for St. Mark’s in the fourth. Ludman walked with two out, and Jeremy Vogel singled to score Gibb. Then Colmery sliced a single to right to score Ludman with the tying run.

“It was a timely hit,” Colmery said. “We had a runner on third, Jeremy had just hit a runner in, and the only thing on my mind was to get that runner in from third.”

The Spartans took the lead in an unlikely way in the fifth. Sean Gilardi walked with two out, Gibb singled and Matt Theodorakis was intentionally walked to load the bases. Then a pitch nicked Ludman on the palm of his hand to bring home the go-ahead run.

“It was definitely worth it,” Ludman said. “It got the run in.”

“I’m sure he would rather have a hit, but we’ll take it,” Smith said. “Anyway we can get it.”

St. Mark’s added an insurance run in the sixth, as Colmery reached on an error, stole second, scooted to third on another Kaczmarczyk single and scored on Gilardi’s sacrifice fly.

Then Gilardi pitched around a one-out error to close it out in the seventh, getting the final two outs on a fly to left and ground ball to third. The left-hander earned the save with two innings of hitless relief after Spartans starter Andrew Reich allowed five hits and three runs in five innings.

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

RYAN THOMPSON, junior, McKean track and field

THE WEEK: Won the boys Division II 300-meter hurdles in 39.64 seconds at the DIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last Monday at Dover High. Came back Wednesday to win the same event at the Meet of Champions in 39.70.

THE INTENSITY: “I came out with a lot of intensity,” Thompson said. “That was my main goal, just to come out and just prove who I was this whole season.”

THE CLOCK: Thompson was actually a little disappointed with his times, after he ran a season-best 39.25 at the New Castle County Championships on May 14 at Baynard Stadium. “My start isn’t where it needs to be,” he said. “That’s what my coach and I are working on. But the finish, that’s where I get all my money from.”

THE COACH SAYS: “Ryan is our leader,” said Matt Carre, McKean’s assistant track coach. “He’s been doing it all season, and he seems to get better and better as the year goes on. It’s just exciting to watch him work.”

THE FINISH: “I didn’t really get out as fast as I wanted to,” Thompson said. “I’m just glad I won. I was in second coming off the third-to-last hurdle, but I was very confident. I know that’s my strongest part of the race.”

THE HEART: Thompson already has a goal for next season – lowering the state record of 37.23 seconds set by William Penn’s Alonzo Wiggins in 1993. The key will be improving his starts to match his powerful finishes. “After the backstretch it’s just all heart,” Thompson said. “You’ve just got to give it your all.”

THE DESIRE: “It’s his work ethic. That’s his passion,” Carre said. “He works in our practices… He’s constantly working to perfect his craft.”

THE LEADERSHIP: “My teammates are everything,” Thompson said. “They help me with some things at practice, and I help them.”

THE CLASSROOM: “My favorite subject is science, forensics,” Thompson said. “I want to go to college for forensics.”

THE FUTURE: Thompson has already received some recruiting interest to continue his track career at the next level. “I want to go to college and make my mom proud,” he said.

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

16 year-old Ryan Thompson, a junior at McKean High School, who is the state champion hurdler.

16 year-old Ryan Thompson, a junior at McKean High School, who is the state champion hurdler.

16 year-old Ryan Thompson, a junior at McKean High School, who is the state champion hurdler.

McKean’s Ryan Thompson swept the boys 300-meter titles at the DIAA Division II and Meet of Champions events last week.

St. Mark’s catcher Thomas Gibb (18) hits a triple during a DIAA baseball semifinal game between St. Marks and Dover at Frawley Stadium on Saturday..

Caravel second baseman Kevin Keister (left) tries to turn a double play during the Buccaneers’ 11-1 semifinal win over Middletown on Saturday at Frawley Stadium.

Another season of Delaware high school baseball has come down to Caravel and St. Mark’s.

By this point, no one can be surprised.

The two teams have combined to win 11 of the last 13 state championships. St. Mark’s has collected 13 titles and played in 20 finals since 1985. Caravel has taken home four trophies and played in seven finals since 1998.

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. championship game at Frawley Stadium will mark the third time in four years that the Buccaneers and Spartans have played for all the marbles. Caravel won in 2014, and St. Mark’s won in 2013. Last year’s Appoquinimink victory over Cape Henlopen interrupted the streak.

In a single-elimination tournament where a dominant pitcher, critical error or bloop hit can end your season in any round, it is remarkable to see two programs consistently rise to the top.

“We play a tough schedule, and we have a lot of tough games,” St. Mark’s coach Matt Smith said. “Every year is a new team. We work hard in the offseason, in the weight room and things like that, and hopefully that stuff pays in the long run.”

Part of that tough schedule was a 4-3 victory over Caravel on April 14, when the Spartans had to sweat out a Buccaneers rally in the top of the seventh. It was just another learning experience for Caravel, which also tackles a tough string of opponents.

“I don’t know how we do that,” Buccaneers coach Paul Niggebrugge said, when asked for the secret to postseason success. “All I know is, it starts from Day One. Everything that we do is based on being here and doing well.”

Scintillating softball

A full season of unpredictable results made the DIAA Softball Tournament appear to be wide open, and that was exactly how it played out during Saturday’s first round.

Lower-seeded teams won four of the eight games. The Nos. 3, 4 and 5 seeds were eliminated, leaving No. 12 Charter of Wilmington with an unexpected home game against No. 13 Red Lion Christian in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

The other quarterfinal games – all scheduled to start at 4 p.m. – have No. 1 Caravel hosting No. 9 Caesar Rodney, No. 2 Sussex Tech hosting No. 7 Appoquinimink and No. 6 Concord hosting No. 14 Lake Forest.

A lack of dominant pitching is the reason behind the volatility.

All of the previous six state champions allowed less than two runs per game during the regular season. Three of them allowed an average of one run or less, winning behind stellar pitchers who often struck out 15 or more batters per game.

No team has that unhittable force this season, so everyone is scoring more runs. Sussex Central had the stingiest regular-season defense at 1.6 runs per game, but the third-seeded Golden Knights lost 7-5 to Lake Forest in the first round.

The best remaining defense is Caravel at 2.2 runs per game, followed by Appoquinimink (2.6) and Sussex Tech (2.8). But all of those teams have given up four runs or more at least five times this season, so anything can happen over the final three rounds. The semifinals will be Thursday and the championship game will be Saturday, all at sites and times to be determined.

DAAD scholarships

Jeremiah Bluntson of Howard and Laura Wagner of Caesar Rodney have won the fourth annual Delaware Association of Athletic Directors scholarships.

Bluntson earned six varsity letters in football and wrestling and is ranked first in his class. He plans to attend the University of Delaware.

Wagner earned seven varsity letters in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track and is ranked 17th in her class. She plans to attend Swarthmore College.

Both Bluntson and Wagner earned $500, and are eligible to earn an additional $1,500 at the regional level and $2,500 at the national level.

Rounding it up

— Dover shortstop-pitcher Jordan Hutchins has been named Gatorade Delaware Baseball Player of the Year. The senior hit .525, stole 14 bases and went 7-0 with a 0.80 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 44 innings as the Senators went 16-2 during the regular season and reached the state semifinals.

— Indian River’s Brooke Beam has been named the Gatorade Delaware Girls Soccer Player of the Year. The University of Richmond signee scored 27 goals and dished out 18 assists as the Indians went 14-1 during the regular season. Indian River will meet Delaware Military Academy in the semifinals of the DIAA Division II tournament at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Smyrna.

— The Delcastle girls soccer team produced an 8-5-2 record this spring, the first winning season since the program started in 1996.

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

Cape Henlopen girls lacrosse team holds up their state trophy after defeating Tower Hill in the DIAA girls lacrosse championship game at Wesley College in Dover.

Cape Henlopen’s Lindsay Monigle (9) with a shot on goal in the DIAA girls lacrosse championship game against Tower Hill at Wesley College in Dover.

Cape Henlopen’s Alia Marshall (16) runs down the field during the second have of play in the DIAA girls lacrosse championship game against Tower Hill at Wesley College in Dover.

Cape Henlopen’s Jody Boyer (24) runs down the field in the DIAA girls lacrosse championship game against Tower Hill at Wesley College in Dover.

DOVER – PJ Kesmodel’s 73rd birthday went exactly how he hoped it would.

His coaching career began in Maryland in 1964, and it ended Tuesday night with Cape Henlopen’s eighth consecutive DIAA Girls Lacrosse Tournament title.

The Vikings gradually pulled away from Tower Hill to win 16-4, running their in-state winning streak to 99 games. Then they sang “Happy Birthday” to their coach as Wesley College’s Scott D. Miller Stadium.

“We all were talking on the field, trying to win it for him,” said junior Cailey Thornburg, who led the Cape attack with four goals. “Get him a birthday wish.”

The top-seeded Vikings completed a 17-1 season, the only loss coming to powerful St. Mary’s of Maryland. Third-seeded Tower Hill (14-4) stayed close early and got six saves from spectacular goalkeeper Ellie Wakefield, but ultimately proved to be no match.

The teams traded goals over the first 12 minutes, with Evelyn Shoop’s score giving Cape the first two-goal lead at 4-2. Abby Manning answered for the Hillers, but the Vikings scored three times in the final 3:19 of the half. Shoop, Lizzie Frederick and Thornburg did the damage to push the halftime lead to 7-3.

“We blew a bunch of shots,” Kesmodel said. “We were getting the draws, and that was critical. I figured if we started making some shots, which we did, we’d settle down and be OK.”

The Vikings were more than OK. They held Tower Hill to just one shot in the second half, and used a tried and true tactic to score the last eight goals of the game.

“We went to the classic spread yellow,” Kesmodel said of the offensive set that controls possession and forces defensive aggression. “… They had to come out and play us, and we scored. That broke the game open. We’ve done that for years.”

Frederick had eight goals and six assists in a 20-7 semifinal win over Caravel, so the Hillers guarded her relentlessly in the final. That left openings for others, and the Vikings’ 16 goals came from 10 different players.

“I kind of knew that was going to happen after the game I had on Thursday,” said Frederick, who still managed two goals and an assist. “I knew they were going to try to take me out of the game as much as possible.

“It ended up backfiring on them, because everybody else just stepped up. I knew that was going to happen, because I have total faith in my girls. They would literally do anything to win, and they’re just as skilled as me.”

Kesmodel agreed, saying this was his most talented Cape team in nine years as coach.

“There are like five legitimate, really good Division I players on this team,” the coach said. “… We have four or five great athletes on this team. We’ve never had that kind of combination before.

“If you get them to play well and on the same page, it’s going to work out well.”

It did, thanks to a relentless approach.

“Last year, I felt like we played not to lose,” Frederick said. “But this year, we played to win.”

Kesmodel’s retirement has been rumored after each season, but he made it official this time. Family, friends and former players flew in from around the country to witness his final game.

“I’m done,” he said. “I am done.”

His first Cape team lost in the state semifinals in 2008. The last loss to a Delaware opponent came against St. Andrew’s on May 2, 2009. Nineteen days later, the Vikings won their first state championship.

It has been nothing but titles since.

“This is what I was hoping for, to go out on top,” Kesmodel said. “It doesn’t usually work out that way. But it did, thank God.”

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

Tower Hill’s Phoebe Brinker watches a putt during the DIAA State Golf Tournament at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Wednesday afternoon. Brinker won the tournament with a combined score over two days of 140.

Caesar Rodney’s Devin Sanders hits out of the sand during the DIAA State Golf Tournament at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.

Charter’s Esther Park tees off during the DIAA State Golf Tournament at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.

Members of the Tower Hill golf team stand with their state championship trophy at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.

Tower Hill’s Phoebe Brinker receives the flag from the 18th hole after winning the DIAA State Golf Tournament at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Wednesday afternoon. Brinker won the tournament with a combined score over two days of 140.

Appoquinimink’s Matt Pulgini watches a tee shot during the DIAA State Golf Tournament at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.

Red Lion’s Austin Barbin hits out of the sand during the DIAA State Golf Tournament at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.

Tower Hill’s Jennifer Cleary watches her tee shot during the DIAA State Golf Tournament at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.

Tower Hill’s Phoebe Brinker tees off during the DIAA State Golf Tournament at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Wednesday afternoon. Brinker won the tournament with a combined score over two days of 140.

REHOBOTH BEACH – Phoebe Brinker broke a barrier by splitting fairways.

The Tower Hill eighth-grader consistently striped her tee shots down the middle and became the first female champion in the 43-year history of the DIAA Golf Tournament on Wednesday at Rehoboth Beach Country Club. The 14-year-old won by six strokes and helped the Hillers to their first team title.

“That feels really good,” Brinker said. “It’s just really cool. I feel like maybe it’s just male-dominated, and it’s just cool to break that stereotype.”

Brinker shattered it with rounds of 69 and 71 for a 4-under-par 140 total. Appoquinimink sophomore Matt Pulgini was her closest pursuer, finishing second at 72-74—146.

The girls played the par-72 course at 5,280 yards, while the boys played it at 6,250 yards. The setup was fair, as Brinker, Pulgini and Esther Park — the three players in the final group — appeared to hit similar clubs into most greens.

“She just hits everything straight,” Pulgini said of Brinker. “It was so cool watching her. She played great. Every approach shot she had was within 10 feet, it felt like.”

Sophomore Danny Dougherty (73-74—147) finished third as Tower Hill stormed to a 22-stroke victory over Caesar Rodney in the team competition.

“I’m definitely happy with how I played,” Dougherty said. “Last year I didn’t play that well in states, so it was good to get it back this year.

“We definitely focused on the team, not the individual. We were so deep, deeper than other teams.”

The Hillers finished fourth in 2013, third in 2014 and second behind Salesianum last year. This time, there was no stopping them.

“We’ve been chipping away at this for a couple of years,” Tower Hill coach Kathy Franklin said. “Each year inching up a little bit, and finally they pulled through. We’ve got great kids.

“They’re pretty much tournament-tested,” Franklin added. “They play all summer. They worked hard all spring for this. They are out on the practice range and the putting green. One of the girls was here yesterday at least an hour after the last player finished. And then the two girls came back later on and putted all evening.”

Local pro McNabb wins $100K in Philly golf event

Brinker’s putting practice paid off with a birdie on the second hole Wednesday. She made the turn in 1-under to maintain a three-stroke lead over Pulgini and Park, then gained more ground with another birdie on the par-4 11th.

The only hiccup was a three-putt bogey on the 16th. But by then, she had plenty of margin for error.

“That was gonna happen eventually, the bogey,” Brinker said. “That would be crazy to not have any bogeys for 36 holes. But I still played really well today. I kept the ball in the fairway, and I hit a lot of greens.”

Pulgini bested a field of 90 professionals and amateurs in a local U.S. Open qualifier on May 16 in Hellertown, Pa. The left-hander was happy with his finish, and looks forward to U.S. Open sectional qualifying Monday in Rockville, Md., where he will be paired with PGA Tour pro Billy Hurley III.

“I hit the ball really well,” Pulgini said. “Just couldn’t make any putts. Everything was lipping out.”

Park (72-76—148) finished fourth, while another Tower Hill eighth-grader — Jennifer Cleary (73-77—150) — took fifth. That made for three girls in the top five.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Cleary said. “… I’m happy for Phoebe to get first. We have a really good team. Any one of us could have been in the top five.”

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

Sussex Tech pitcher Taylor Wroten sends a fastball to the plate in the sixth inning of game with Lake Forest Thursday.

Sussex Tech’s Jakayla Sample slides into third with an RBI single that went all the way to the fence and give her team an insurance run in the bottom of the third inning. Spartans’ third baseman Brooke Glanden takes the late throw from the outfield.

Nicole Hovatter of Sussex Tech slides into 2nd with a double in DIAA playoff game Thursday. Kayla Thompson of the Spartans takes the throw from the outfield.

Madison Watson of Sussex Tech lines an RBI single up the middle to put the Ravens up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.

GEORGETOWN – Lake Forest got the tying run to the plate in the final inning, and Brooke Glanden did her best to knot it with one swing.

The sophomore third baseman sent a high fly ball into right-center, only to see Sussex Tech right fielder Jakayla Sample haul it in at the warning track as the Ravens held on for a 4-1 victory in the semifinals of the DIAA Softball Tournament on Thursday.

“It actually went up to a good part of the park, because the wind is kind of quartering across,” Sussex Tech coach John Marvel said. “So you know, hey, if she hit it out of there, then good for her. That’s a great job on her part. But I saw it hanging up and I saw our fielders looking at it, and I was feeling pretty good.”

He felt even better after Sample caught it, as the second-seeded Ravens (18-2) advanced to the championship game. Sussex Tech will shoot for its third state title against top-seeded Caravel at 11 a.m. Saturday at Milford High.

There was plenty of drama throughout, as 14th-seeded Lake Forest went for its third straight upset after knocking off No. 3 Sussex Central and No. 6 Concord in the first two rounds. The Spartans (14-7) started four juniors, three sophomores, two freshmen and just one senior.

“We’ve had a great season,” Lake Forest coach Ashlie Tatman said. “I’m proud of the way they came this far. I’m proud of the heart they’ve shown. We have an exciting season ahead of us next year. I’m really excited about our potential.”

Caravel routs Wilm. Charter, back in softball final

The Ravens jumped on top in the first when catcher Shannon Lord walked and courtesy runner Brooke Ward scooted to third on two wild pitches and scored on a single by Madison Watson.

Sussex Tech pitcher Taylor Wroten walked the bases loaded with no out in the top of the third. But with the Spartans’ 2-3-4 hitters coming up, the freshman got out of the jam with a foul pop and two strikeouts.

“I don’t know what happened,” Wroten said. “I guess I wanted to scare everybody a little bit. I scared myself. But we got out of it.”

Sussex Tech pitcher Taylor Wroton is congratulated by her teammates after she escaped a third inning scare unscathed when the Spartans had the bases loaded and no outs.

Marvel thought it was the turning point.

“She walked the bases loaded,” the Ravens’ coach said. “It wasn’t like they banged hits. She walked the bases loaded, gathered herself and pitched her way out of it. We had some good defense, but that was an incredible job.”

Sussex Tech turned that momentum into two more runs in the bottom of the third. Nicole Hovatter started it with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single by Taylor Collins, one of six Ravens seniors scheduled to graduate Friday night.

“I knew there was two outs, and I was just looking to put the ball in play,” Collins said. “Nothing huge, I just wanted a base hit.”

The speedy Sample followed with a shot to right that rolled to the fence for an RBI triple and a 3-0 lead.

“I just went with the pitch, hit it my way and just kept running,” said Sample, a freshman.

The Ravens added a run without a hit in the sixth, but had to hold on in the seventh. Lake Forest catcher Catera Kennedy singled with one out, and courtesy runner Shayla Wynder went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out double by Mya Maddox. Kaitlyn Stahre reached on an error to set the table for Glanden, but the Spartans’ final swing came up just short.

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

Dover senior Jordan Hutchins has been named the Player of the Year by the Delaware Baseball Coaches Association.

An outstanding season at the plate, in the field and on the mound led to Dover senior Jordan Hutchins being named Player of the Year and leading the All-State team selected by the Delaware Baseball Coaches Association.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Hutchins was so versatile that he was selected to the first team as a utility player. The University of Delaware signee hit .525, stole 14 bases, played solid defense at shortstop and went 7-0 with a 0.80 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 44 innings during the regular season. The Senators reached the semifinals of the DIAA Baseball Tournament and finished 18-3.

Dover senior Garrett Lawson also made the first team, both as a pitcher and designated hitter. The other first-team pitchers are Caravel sophomore Joseph Silan and St. Mark’s senior Sean Gilardi.

Spartans win state baseball title on Ludman’s dash home

Conrad junior Brock Nowell is the first-team catcher. The first-team infielders are Lake Forest senior Tyler Collins at first base, Polytech junior Carter Chasanov at second base, Archmere senior Andrew Orzel at shortstop and Smyrna senior Jared Gillis at third base.

The first-team outfielders are Caravel senior Brandon Fraley, Cape Henlopen sophomore Austin Elliott and Conrad senior Chris Kramedas.

Matt Smith of DIAA champion St. Mark’s is the Coach of the Year, and Roger Rolfe of Hodgson is the Assistant Coach of the Year.

DBCA ALL-STATE BASEBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM

P – Garrett Lawson, sr., Dover

P – Joseph Silan, so., Caravel

P – Sean Gilardi, sr., St. Mark’s

C – Brock Nowell, jr., Conrad

1B – Tyler Collins, sr., Lake Forest

2B – Carter Chasanov, jr., Polytech

3B – Jared Gillis, sr., Smyrna

SS – Andrew Orzel, sr. Archmere

OF – Brandon Fraley, sr., Caravel

OF – Austin Elliott, so., Cape Henlopen

OF – Chris Kramedas, sr., Conrad

DH – Garrett Lawson, sr., Dover

Utility – Jordan Hutchins, sr., Dover

Player of the Year – Jordan Hutchins, sr., Dover

Coach of the Year – Matt Smith, St. Mark’s

Assistant Coach of the Year – Roger Rolfe, Hodgson

SECOND TEAM

P – Ryan Bradigan, jr., Conrad; Nick Robino, sr., Salesianum; Ryan Steckline, jr., Appoquinimink. C – Joe Singley, sr., Archmere. 1B – Ryan Steckline, jr., Appoquinimink. 2B – Colin Lynch, jr., Archmere. 3B – Logan Gilbert, sr., St. Georges. SS – Justin Hill, sr., Sussex Tech; Zack Gelof, so., Cape Henlopen. OF – Michael Ricci, sr., St. Elizabeth; Nolan Henderson, jr., Smyrna; Maurice Parson, jr., Mount Pleasant. DH – Nick Sensabaugh, so., Delcastle. Utility – Andrew Reich, sr., St. Mark’s

HONORABLE MENTION

P – Matthew Danz, jr., DMA; Cole Dunn, so., Middletown; Austin Elliott, so., Cape Henlopen. C – Zach Miller, jr., Salesianum. 1B – Matt Theodorakis, jr., St. Mark’s. 2B – Hunter Fleetwood, fr., Lake Forest; John Weglarz, jr., Appoquinimink. 3B – Brett Nowell, sr., Conrad. SS – Zack Roseman, sr., Tatnall. OF – Donovan Simpson, sr., St. Andrew’s; Quintin Ivy, sr., Caesar Rodney; Jeff Gillis, sr., DMA. DH – Aidan Riley, fr., St. Georges; Josh Maguire, so., Salesianum. Utility – Tyler Campbell, sr., St. Georges

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

Archmere’s Ben Revak (left) has been named Delaware’s high school boys lacrosse Player of the Year.

Archmere’s Ben Revak has been named Player of the Year and leads the boys lacrosse All-State team selected by the Delaware Boys Lacrosse Coaches Association.

Revak, a senior midfielder, led the Auks to a 13-5 season and berth in the semifinals of the DIAA Boys Lacrosse Tournament. He is one of eight players on the first team to also be named a High School All-American.

The other All-Americans are Salesianum’s Patrick Lyons, Michael Drake, Luke Bianchino and Garrett Cannon, Appoquinimink’s Cross Ferrara, Archmere’s Nick Salameda and Wilmington Friends’ Jakob Katzen.

Other first-team selections are Archmere’s Robbie Baxter and Patrick Udovich, Delaware Military Academy’s Paul Wolfe, Caesar Rodney’s Brinen Lefevre and Caravel’s Joe Godek.

Middletown’s Brady Abraham, St. Elizabeth’s Brian Marchioni, Cape Henlopen’s Nicholas Conrad and Friends’ Patrick Haubert were named Academic All-Americans.

BOYS LACROSSE ALL-STATE TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Attack – Mike Drake, jr., Salesianum

Attack – Cross Ferrara, jr., Appoquinimink

Attack – Robbie Baxter, sr., Archmere

Midfield – Ben Revak, sr., Archmere

Midfield – Luke Bianchino, sr., Salesianum

Midfield – Paul Wolfe, sr., DMA

Midfield – Garrett Cannon, sr., Salesianum

Midfield specialist – Nick Salameda, jr., Archmere

Midfield specialist – Brinen Lefevre, sr., Caesar Rodney

Defense – Patrick Lyons, sr., Salesianum

Defense – Patrick Udovich, jr., Archmere

Defense – Joe Godek, jr., Caravel

Goalkeeper – Jakob Katzen, sr., Wilmington Friends

SECOND TEAM

Attack – Luke Rankin, sr., Caesar Rodney; Will Niebrzydowski, so., Dover; Taylor Witherell, jr., Salesianum. Midfield – John Dunbar, sr., Appoquinimink; Dougie McCoy, sr., Tower Hill; Justin Carroll, sr., DMA; Brett Hobbs, so., Salesianum. Midfield specialist – C–ris Howell, sr., DMA. Defense – Nick Bowen, jr., Appoquinimink; Nick Ferrara, sr., Appoquinimink; Noah Thomas, sr., Tower Hill. Goalkeeper – Brady Emmi, so., Salesianum; Noah Given, jr., Appoquinimink

THIRD TEAM

Attack – Zach Bowen, jr., Appoquinimink; Austin Aguilar, sr., Lake Forest; Eric Pincus, so., Wilmington Friends. Midfield – Erik Stancofski, jr., Cape Henlopen; Demetrius Stevenson, so., Caesar Rodney; River Harper, so., Wilmington Friends; Brian Dougherty, sr., St. Mark’s. Midfield specialist – Nick Bramble, sr., Salesianum. Defense – Jim Blaszkow, sr., Salesianum; Holden Kammerer, jr., Cape Henlopen; Brady Abraham, sr., Middletown. Goalkeeper – Tyler Gross, jr., Caesar Rodney; Gunnar Nemeth, sr., Brandywine

HONORABLE MENTION

Attack – Patrick Drake, so., Salesianum; Andrew Jaworski, jr., Wilmington Friends; Jamie Spruance, jr., Tower Hill. Midfield – Russell Applegate, sr., Tower Hill; Mike Markakis, sr., Red Lion Christian; Ben Moore, sr., Lake Forest; Pat Matsko, sr., Caesar Rodney. Midfield specialist – Jon Gordy, sr., Polytech. Defense – Chris Colman, sr., Salesianum; Nolan Brockmeyer, so., Caesar Rodney; Will Gatti, jr., Wilmington Friends. Goalkeeper – Zachery Berkley, sr., McKean.

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

Caesar Rodney goalie Marianna Nuzzo makes a save on a point-blank header from Padua’s Anne Brush in the first half of the DIAA Division I state title game at Smyrna High School on Friday.

Padua’s Sarah Brush (center) celebrates her opening goal with Mackenzie Scully (left) and Molly Drach in the first half against Caesar Rodney in the DIAA Division I state title game at Smyrna High School on Friday.

SMYRNA – There weren’t many storms for the Padua soccer team to weather this season.

The Pandas had to weather one Friday night.

Caesar Rodney put a jolt into Padua with only the second goal the Pandas had allowed all season. But the four-time defending DIAA Division I Girls Soccer Tournament champions shrugged it off and made it five straight with a 4-1 victory in the championship game at Charles V. Williams Stadium.

“As a coaching staff, it was mystery to us,” Padua coach Joe Brown said. “How would we respond if we got scored on today? … This senior team has lost only twice since they’ve been in the building. They know what they need to do.”

The Pandas (18-0) got it done to stretch their unbeaten streak to 41 games. Padua is currently ranked third nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and will keep its fingers crossed to climb the last two spots when the final rankings are released in a couple of weeks.

The Pandas controlled possession in their attacking end for at least 80 percent of the first half, generating chance after chance. Riders goalkeeper Marianna Nuzzo did her best to withstand the onslaught, smothering a header from close range in the seventh minute and punching Emilia Ryjewski’s 25-yard drive over the bar in the 12th minute.

But Sarah Brush finally solved CR’s last line of defense in the 25th minute, rocketing a 25-yard knuckleball off a free kick that changed directions at least three times on its way into the net.

Frey’s early goal sparks Bucs to state soccer title

“That’s my favorite shot right there, outside the 18,” Brush said. “I was actually planning on crossing it, or I was going to slip a ball behind them. But I saw the shot, and once I hit it I knew it was going in.”

The Pandas doubled the lead in the 36th minute, as Megan Mallon got a head on the end of a perfectly placed cross by Mackenzie Scully.

“When Mackenzie gets it on the left side, no one can stop her,” Mallon said. “She gets by everyone. She finds the open person, and I happened to be there.”

At halftime, Padua led 2-0 and had 11 shots. The Riders were still searching for their first.

CR got it six minutes into the second half, when the Pandas’ Abigail Boudart made an easy save on Julia Lyncha’s 46-yard free kick. But the Riders had plenty more in the tank.

Boudart punched out a dangerous entry on the Riders’ first corner kick in the 60th minute. The ball skittered out to CR’s Caitlin Harris, who lofted a 35-yard rainbow that floated perfectly into the top right corner.

All of a sudden, the Riders were back within striking range.

“That a momentum changer,” CR coach Darrell Gravatt said. “We needed something to change the momentum and that goal did it. I thought we played extremely well after that. We were on them for a while.”

The Riders were energized, and quickly earned a couple of more chances that were repelled.

“I give Caesar Rodney credit,” Brown said. “They were hunting for number two. I’ve been in games where it changes it. But we responded.”

A 12-yard shot by Ryjewski was deflected in the 72nd minute. It rolled right to Anne Brush, who buried it to push the Pandas’ lead back to 3-1.

“It was rolling around the box, and I hit it low and hard, right in the middle,” the junior said.

Padua’s Ashlee Brentlinger removed any doubt with just over a minute left, heading in Sarah Brush’s assist for the final goal.

The second-seeded Riders (17-2) put up a valiant fight. Their only other loss came to Padua, 2-0 on April 5.

“I think both teams are very good,” Gravatt said. “It’s going to take a very formidable team to beat other one of us. It’s always nice to play in the final, and someone has to lose. But if we lose, let it be to a great team. Padua is a great team.”

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

Polytech first baseman Whitney DeMora was named Player of the Year and leads the All-State softball team.

An off-the-charts 1.400 slugging percentage made Polytech first baseman Whitney DeMora the state’s Player of the Year when the All-State softball team was released Saturday by the Delaware Softball Coaches Association.

DeMora, a senior, hit .582 with 11 home runs, 27 runs scored and 29 RBIs as the Panthers finished 13-6. DeMora also walked 16 times and smashed 23 extra-base hits.

DIAA champion Caravel placed pitcher Holly Brooks and shortstop Samantha Esper on the first team. State runner-up Sussex Tech was represented by third baseman Taylor Collins.

Five other pitchers made the first team: Appoquinimink’s Mackenzie Short, Concord’s Rachel Pritchard, Sussex Central’s Hayley McCabe, Polytech’s Taylor Pechin and Caesar Rodney’s Alyssa Ball.

The first-team outfielders were Padua’s Kierstin Fallers, Appo’s Taylor Coleman, Lake Forest’s Mya Maddox, Smyrna’s Kaelyn Press and Milford’s Rajene Bowe.

Also making the first team were Cape Henlopen catcher Sydney Ostroski, Sussex Central second baseman Brooke Stoeckel, Caesar Rodney third baseman Rosa’lynn Burton, Hodgson shortstop Kendra Ziemba, Red Lion Christian first baseman Noelle Holiday and Delmar shortstop Avery Wheatley.

John Wells of Sussex Central was named Coach of the Year, and Newark received the Team Sportsmanship Award.

DSCA ALL-STATE SOFTBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Pitcher – Mackenzie Short, jr., Appoquinimink

Catcher – Sydney Ostroski, sr., Cape Henlopen

First base – Whitney DeMora, sr., Polytech

Second base – Brooke Stoeckel, sr., Sussex Central

Third base – Rosa’lynn Burton, sr., Caesar Rodney

Shortstop – Kendra Ziemba, sr., Hodgson

Outfield – Kierstin Fallers, sr., Padua

Outfield – Taylor Coleman, jr., Appoquinimink

Outfield – Mya Maddox, jr., Lake Forest

Outfield – Kaelyn Press, so., Smyrna

Pitcher – Holly Brooks, sr., Caravel

Third base – Taylor Collins, sr., Sussex Tech

First base – Noelle Holiday, sr., Red Lion Christian

Shortstop – Avery Wheatley, jr., Delmar

Outfield – Rajene Bowe, jr., Milford

Shortstop – Samantha Esper, sr., Caravel

Pitcher – Rachel Pritchard, sr., Concord

Pitcher – Hayley McCabe, jr., Sussex Central

Pitcher – Taylor Pechin, sr., Polytech

Pitcher – Alyssa Ball, jr., Caesar Rodney

Player of the Year – Whitney DeMora, sr., Polytech

Coach of the Year – John Wells, Sussex Central

Team Sportsmanship Award – Newark

SECOND TEAM

OF Julia Bomhardt, so., Indian River; C Daniela Solis, sr., Wilmington Christian; DP Jennifer Sieminski, sr., Caravel; P Sarah Bessel, jr., Conrad; 1B Madison Watson, jr., Sussex Tech; OF Kaylee Hazewski, sr., Red Lion Christian; P Abby Cunningham, jr., Padua; 1B Brooke Miller, so., Appoquinimink; P Taylor Wroten, fr., Sussex Tech; P Riley Shields, sr., Cape Henlopen; 3B Rachel DiMarcello, so., St. Georges; 3B Alison Clemons, so., Middletown; 1B Kylie Quirk, sr., DMA; 3B Brooke Glanden, so., Lake Forest

THIRD TEAM

2B Emily Proffitt, jr., Caravel; SS Jude McGough, jr., Newark Charter; C Brooklynne Johnson, so., Hodgson; C Rachel Seivard, so., St. Georges; UT Jordyn Virden, jr., Cape Henlopen; C Shannon Lord, jr., Sussex Tech; OF Alexus Johnson, so., DMA; 2B Jordan Scout, sr., Appoquinimink; SS Taylor Gillis, fr., Charter of Wilmington; C Chelsey Ward, sr., Sussex Central; SS Caitlin Baxter, fr., Padua; C Hannah Williams, so., Padua; P Antonia Browning, so., Ursuline; SS Taylor Cappella, sr., Smyrna; OF Alexa Proffitt, sr., Caravel; 2B Morgan Dodge, sr., Polytech; SS Nicole Hovatter, sr., Sussex Tech; P Alexis Novotny, so., DMA

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

Caravel’s Chloe Kennedy (24) tries to tag out Sussex Tech’s Brooke Ward (4) at third base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) get hit by a pitch in the 1st inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s pitcher Holly Brooks (6) sends a pitch in the 1st inning against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Sussex Central and Caravel line up for the playing of the National Anthem at the start of the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) makes a throw to first base for a out against Caravel in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s Emily Proffitt (14) makes a infield play in the 1st inning against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s Kayla Sobolak (27) slides past Sussex Tech’s catcher Shannon Lord (7) to score in the first inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Sussex Tech’s Nicole Hovatter (2) tags out Caravel’s Holly Brooks (6) at second base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) slides into home plate to score in the 1st inning against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) tags out Caravel’s Chloe Kennedy (24) at third base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s Kayla Sobolak (27) slides past Sussex Tech’s catcher Shannon Lord (7) to score in the first inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) makes a throw to first base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s Alexa Proffitt (4) with a bunt attempt in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins (3) makes a throw to first base in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Sussex Tech’s pitcher Taylor Wroten (9) makes a catch in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) makes a infield player against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Sussex Tech’s pitcher Taylor Wroten (9) makes a out in the 6th inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) throws the ball to the pitcher’s area after making the final out of the 5th inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel celebrates their 2-1 win over Sussex Tech in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s catcher Nicole Marcon (9) and pitcher Holly Brooks (6) hug celebrating their 2-1 win over Sussex Tech in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s Chloe Kennedy (24) makes a throw to first base in the 5th inning in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s pitcher Holly Brooks (6) jumps into the air celebrating their 2-1 win over Sussex Tech in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) makes a infield player against Milford in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

Caravel does four lunges out in the outfield celebrating their 2-1 win over Sussex Tech in the DIAA Softball State Championship game at Milford High School.

MILFORD – There they were, a freshman and a senior, in their own little world.

Nicole Marcon was calling the pitches. Holly Brooks was throwing them. Sussex Tech wasn’t getting good swings at them.

Caravel’s senior left-hander was brilliant, holding one of the state’s most powerful offensive teams to one run on six hits as the Buccaneers scored two runs in the first inning and made them stand up for a 2-1 victory in the championship game of the DIAA Softball Tournament.

An enthusiastic crowd lined the entire field at Milford High on Saturday morning to watch the state’s top two teams battle. The top-seeded Buccaneers (19-3) were making their 17th finals appearance in 18 years, and Caravel earned its 10th state title behind a young catcher and experienced pitcher.

“That was a big step for us this year,” Brooks said. “She’s a ninth-grader, I’m a senior, so it was something we had to really work at. We’ve been working all season, just talking in between innings.”

The chats this time focused on how to keep the Ravens’ big hitters off balance. Marcon called more off-speed stuff than usual, and Brooks’ breaking pitches were spot on.

“Usually she’s iffy on it, but today she really had it working,” Marcon said. “… We did a lot of curve in and out, and that was really effective.”

Second-seeded Sussex Tech (18-3) loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first, as Shannon Lord and Madison Watson singled and Taylor Collins was hit by a pitch. But Brooks got out of the jam with a strikeout and ground ball to second.

“It’s nowhere that I hadn’t been before,” the left-hander said. “I knew I just had to settle in, I had to play my game and I had to really buckle down and make my pitches.”

Then Brooks helped herself, delivering the first RBI single of the game after leadoff hitter Samantha Esper singled and moved to second on a groundout.

“It was crucial,” Brooks said. “This whole time, we’ve lived on that first inning, coming out really strong. I was just looking for something I could drive.”

Marcon was hit by a pitch, Grace Walker walked and Jennifer Sieminski came through with a two-out single to score courtesy runner Kayla Sobolak for a 2-0 lead.

“I got behind in the count, but I fought through it,” Sieminski said. “All I wanted to do was drive the ball and get it on the ground somewhere.”

Polytech’s DeMora leads All-State softball team

The Ravens stranded runners at second and third with one out in the second, but got on the board in the third. Collins drilled a double and came home on Rylee Shockley’s two-out single to cut the lead in half.

That was all of the scoring for both teams. Brooks retired 13 of her last 14 batters, allowing only a one-out single to Shockley in the sixth. She struck out six, and Brooks, third baseman Chloe Kennedy and shortstop Esper handled six ground balls flawlessly.

Sussex Tech freshman Taylor Wroten was just as stingy, holding the Buccaneers to three hits over their final five at-bats. She retired 10 of the last 11.

“She pitched a good game,” Ravens coach John Marvel said of Wroten. “We competed well. We played a good game, too. The score indicates how close the two teams are. We have nothing to hang our heads about.”

It was a sweet ending for Caravel’s seven seniors, who lost to Laurel 3-0 in the 2014 title game and went through a shocking, 20-0 loss to Polytech in last year’s final.

“If anything, that made us stronger,” Brooks said. “I think we were closer together this year. We were a lot hungrier. We were ready.”

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

Salesianum’s Michael Drake (left) dislodges the ball from Appoquinimink’s Nicholas Ferrara in the second quarter of the Sals’ win in the DIAA state title game at Caravel Academy on Saturday.

GLASGOW – The last time Salesianum played for a state championship, Garrett Cannon watched from the sideline in a wheelchair.

On Saturday night, the senior captain scored the first goal and the last goal as the Sals capped another dominant season with a 16-7 victory over Appoquinimink in the championship game of the DIAA Boys Lacrosse Tournament at Caravel’s Bob Peoples Stadium.

Cannon was playing quarterback when he suffered a broken fibula, strained deltoid tendon and dislocated ankle during the Sals’ 27-21 win over Middletown in the semifinals of the DIAA Division I football playoffs on Nov. 27 at Baynard Stadium. He could only watch the following week as Sallies dropped a 32-26 decision to Smyrna.

Lacrosse practice began three months and one day later. Cannon had 10 screws and a plate in his ankle, but he made it.

“It was unbelievable,” the senior said. “With that injury, we weren’t sure exactly when the timeline was for me to be back. They said three to six months, so we kept shooting for three months to put me back right around March 1. That was the goal every single day in therapy, every day in rehab.”

He met the goal, and the top-seeded Sals (16-3) met their goal of a fifth state championship in six seasons. Cannon’s bookend goals came on passes from Michael Drake with 9:52 left in the first quarter and 5:01 left in the game.

“It’s all because of my teammates,” Cannon said. “None were unassisted, so I have to give all the credit to my teammates. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Cannon also wound up for a laser shot that pushed the Sals’ lead to 13-4 with 10:05 left in the third quarter.

“What he accomplished this year is absolutely amazing,” Salesianum coach Bob Healy said. “To come back from that type of injury, he worked so hard to get back. I think everybody was just so happy. From our first game, there was no letdown from him at all.”

Caravel silences Sussex Tech in softball final

Sixth-seeded Appoquinimink (14-5) was the first Blue Hen Conference team to reach the final since Brandywine lost to Tatnall in the inaugural title game in 1993. The Jaguars were competitive early, as Cross Ferrara pumped in three first-quarter goals to keep his team within 5-3.

But the Sals dominated the second quarter, scoring seven straight to push the lead to 12-3. Senior Luke Bianchino, who had three goals and two assists, said speed was the key.

“We just wanted to keep the pace up,” Bianchino said. “The pace was huge. We love playing fast, we love playing together. We just had fun.”

The Sals played only three in-state opponents during the regular season, tackling a difficult slate filled with teams from Indiana, New York, Virginia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and even Canada. So they were more than ready for the postseason, outscoring their four tournament foes by a combined 72-23.

“Our schedule, without a doubt, prepared us for this game tonight,” Healy said. “It was extremely tough and challenging. But that’s what it’s all about, pushing these kids to be the best they can be on the field and off the field.”

Ferrara scored four goals and John Dunbar had two for Appo. In addition to Cannon and Bianchino, Drake had two goals and six assists and Taylor Witherell and Brett Hobbs each scored two each for Sallies.

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