Defensive back Trey Austin had no interceptions through Middletown’s first five games.

Now, through six games, he has five.

“His average just jumped right up, didn’t it?” Middletown coach Mark DelPercio said Monday.

The Cavaliers were still buzzing over Austin’s five-interception night in a 42-0 victory over A.I. du Pont on Friday.

“I wasn’t thinking about it,” Austin said. “But everybody was saying, ‘That’s one. That’s two.’ I was like, ‘I’m just going to keep playing, stick to the game plan, and if the ball comes my way just make a play on the ball.”

Austin started by jumping two slant routes for diving picks. When the Tigers went deep, he was there to make two more leaping snags – all in the first half. He got the final interception close to the end zone to help preserve the shutout in the second half.

“In 29 years of coaching, I’ve never seen five interceptions,” DelPercio said. “… It was kind of a mix. There was an incredibly athletic, acrobatic interception. There was one that came off a tipped pass. He had a little bit of everything in there. He was in the right place at the right time.”

Five times.

“He’s just done a tremendous job for us,” DelPercio said of the 5-foot-11, 173-pound senior. “I’m really proud of him.”

Austin spent his first two years of high school at Eastern Christian Academy in Elkton, Md. He transferred to Middletown last year, but was not eligible to play football. He still practiced with the team all season, working with defensive backs coach David Lockwood to improve his coverage techniques.

“It was real tough,” Austin said. “When you love the game, and you see everybody making plays out there on the field, you just wish you could be out there playing with your friends and enjoying the game with them.”

He certainly enjoyed himself Friday night.

Then, the next day, safety Robert Shorts picked off four passes for St. Georges in the Hawks’ 12-7 victory at Hodgson.

“I was just getting my reads,” Shorts said. “[The quarterback] was staring down receivers, and I was just making plays on the ball. That’s the best I could do.”

Shorts, who also plays quarterback, ended the Silver Eagles’ first drive with a pick at the Hawks 22.

“It was a slant, and he was looking at the receiver,” Shorts said. “I just dove for it and came up with it.”

With Hodgson leading 7-6, Shorts ended another promising drive with an interception at the Hawks 28 early in the second quarter. Then he stepped in front of throws on the Silver Eagles’ first two possessions of the second half to help keep Hodgson off the board until the Hawks could score the winning points on Craig Congo’s 40-yard touchdown run with 3:14 left in the game.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the national record for interceptions in a single game is nine, by Ken Golin of Broome (S.C.) in 1981. There are no reliable historical records for Delaware high school football.

Roberts ailing

Concord running back Grahm “Bam” Roberts left last Saturday night’s game against Salesianum with an ankle injury late in the first half, forcing the Raiders to make some on-the-fly adjustments in what became a 27-0 loss.

Roberts, one of the state’s top offensive threats, finished with only six carries for 8 yards. And now Concord (5-1), ranked fifth statewide in Division I, faces a key Blue Hen Flight A home game against fourth-ranked William Penn (5-1) at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday.

“I don’t know,” Raiders coach Greg Mitchell said Monday, when asked if Roberts would be able to play against the Colonials. “It doesn’t look good today. He’s probably 50-50 at best.”

Concord is tied with second-ranked Middletown atop Flight A at 4-0. After William Penn, the Raiders have three conference games remaining – vs. Charter of Wilmington, Delcastle and Middletown – before the Division I playoffs begin. So some time off to allow Roberts’ injury to heal may be the best course of action.

“He’s walking. He’s just limping,” Mitchell said. “But he would have to have a pretty good recovery in the next couple of days. And I’ve got to look at the big picture, too, because we’re still in a good place.”

Holiday hoops at Howard

Howard High will play host to the inaugural Lady Wildcats Showcase on Jan. 16, 2017 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The event will feature five girls basketball games, starting with an all-Pennsylvania matchup of Chester vs. Upper Darby at 10 a.m. Benjamin Banneker (N.Y.) will take on Seaford at noon, followed by Concord vs. St. Thomas More at 2 p.m. Sanford will meet Brooklyn Community Arts and Media (N.Y.) at 4, with Howard wrapping it up against Delcastle at 6.

Concord boys coach Ralph Flowers plans to continue the annual Concord Classic on the same day, matching some of Delaware’s top boys teams against regional opponents. So there will an abundance of holiday hoops.

Rounding it up

— Something will have to give at 4 p.m. Tuesday when two of the state’s top field hockey teams meet in a Henlopen South battle. Fourth-ranked Milford (9-0), which has outscored its opponents 42-4, will play host to No. 2 Delmar (10-0), which has outscored its opponents 69-3.

— A couple of volleyball players reached milestones over the weekend. Delaware Military Academy senior Sydney Fulton notched her 2,000th career assist for the Seahawks on Saturday. Senior Kaylie Leclerc earned her 1,000th career assist for top-ranked Archmere on Friday.

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

Middletown defensive back Trey Austin celebrates one of his five interceptions in Friday night’s win over A.I. du Pont.

Predictions by News Journal high school sports reporter Brad Myers and Mount Pleasant student/analytics guru Matt Kalin.

THURSDAY’S GAME

Christiana vs. Howard at Baynard Stadium, 7. MYERS PICK: Howard 46-6. KALIN PICK: Howard 40-3.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

St. Elizabeth at A.I. du Pont, 7. MYERS PICK: St. Elizabeth 41-28. KALIN PICK: A.I. du Pont 31-28.

Delcastle at Appoquinimink, 7. MYERS PICK: Appoquinimink 49-6. KALIN PICK: Appoquinimink 48-14.

Cape Henlopen at Caesar Rodney, 7. MYERS PICK: Cape Henlopen 34-13. KALIN PICK: Cape Henlopen 37-13.

Silver Oak Academy (Md.) at Caravel, 7. MYERS PICK: Caravel 42-6. KALIN PICK: Caravel 28-10.

Brandywine at Dickinson, 7. MYERS PICK: Brandywine 33-14. KALIN PICK: Brandywine 21-10.

Salesianum at Dover, 7. MYERS PICK: Salesianum 41-13. KALIN PICK: Salesianum 40-14.

Woodbridge at Indian River, 7. MYERS PICK: Woodbridge 43-10. KALIN PICK: Woodbridge 31-6.

Glasgow at Lake Forest, 7. MYERS PICK: Glasgow 34-8. KALIN PICK: Glasgow 37-13.

Hodgson at McKean, 7. MYERS PICK: Hodgson 34-8. KALIN PICK: Hodgson 31-6.

Charter of Wilmington at Newark, 7. MYERS PICK: Newark 27-12. KALIN PICK: Newark 27-17.

Delaware Military Academy at Red Lion Christian, 7. MYERS PICK: DMA 54-6. KALIN PICK: DMA 38-13.

Delmar at Seaford, 7. MYERS PICK: Delmar 41-6. KALIN PICK: Delmar 44-14.

St. Georges at St. Mark’s, 7. MYERS PICK: St. Georges 19-17. KALIN PICK: St. Georges 21-13.

Polytech at Sussex Tech, 7. MYERS PICK: Sussex Tech 47-8. KALIN PICK: Sussex Tech 45-13.

Laurel at Milford, 7:30. MYERS PICK: Milford 34-15. KALIN PICK: Milford 34-17.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

William Penn at Concord, 10:30 a.m. MYERS PICK: William Penn 20-17. KALIN PICK: William Penn 29-28.

Middletown at Mount Pleasant, 10:30 a.m. MYERS PICK: Middletown 48-7. KALIN PICK: Middletown 35-10.

Archmere at Conrad, 11 a.m. MYERS PICK: Archmere 27-21. KALIN PICK: Conrad 27-20.

Smyrna at Sussex Central, 1. MYERS PICK: Smyrna 56-22. KALIN PICK: Smyrna 40-27.

Tatnall at Wilmington Friends, 2:30. MYERS PICK: Friends 34-30. KALIN PICK: Friends 31-24.

St. Andrew’s at Tower Hill, 7. MYERS PICK: Tower Hill 48-6. KALIN PICK: Tower Hill 45-0.

Myers last week: 19-4. Overall: 113-26 (.813)

Kalin last week: 19-4. Overall: 109-30 (.784)

Listen to Brad Myers on the Henlopen High School Football Fix with Mike Bradley at 8:20 a.m. Friday on WGMD-FM (92.7) or www.wgmd.com. Contact Brad at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Teammates congratulate St. Georges running back Brian Benson (5) after he scored on a 75-yard run at Hodgson last Saturday. Both Brad Myers and Matt Kalin are picking the Hawks to win a close game at St. Mark’s on Friday night.

GEORGETOWN – The Sussex Central boys soccer team thought this could be a special season.

It became very special in the 93rd minute on Thursday night.

Dalendy Dupervil scored three minutes into the second overtime period as the Golden Knights clinched the Henlopen North championship with a 1-0 home victory over previously undefeated Polytech.

“They believe every game, they’re going to win,” Sussex Central coach Kevin Cash said of his team. “… They have faith in each other. They never stop.”

Dupervil never stopped, pouncing on a golden opportunity after a bouncing ball eluded the Panthers’ goalkeeper for a split second.

“I worked so hard for it, and I made it,” the senior forward said. “I’m so proud of myself, so proud of the team. I’m just thankful I made it.”

The Golden Knights (9-1, 5-0), ranked fifth statewide in Division I, are in their first season back under Cash, who returned after coaching Georgetown Middle School to a 54-0-1 record in five years. The winning is continuing in high school, only interrupted by a 1-0 loss to Indian River on Oct. 4.

“Pretty much all of these boys played for me at the middle school, so they know me and I know them,” Cash said. “I love them all to death.”

Sussex Central built an 18-8 advantage in shots over fourth-ranked Polytech (9-1, 2-1), but neither team generated many quality chances. In the first half, Tyler Imprescia’s header off a Marco Maddalena corner kick sailed just wide for the Panthers, and Yunior Cruz’s header off of a Kel Ordonez Garcia corner zipped over the crossbar for the Golden Knights.

Central’s Christian Castillo missed high on a 25-yard free kick in the 50th minute, and the Golden Knights managed to deflect Maddalena’s free blast from 19 yards in the 65th minute.

“We were patient,” Central midfielder Isaiah Jean Baptiste said. “We knew it was going to be a tough battle. Polytech was undefeated, but we knew we could beat any team. We can compete with anybody.”

In the first overtime, a leaping header by Maddalena sailed wide in the 84th minute, and Jean Baptiste was stuffed from close range two minutes later.

“If we walked out and played them 10 times, we’d probably win five and they would probably win five,” Cash said of the even matchup.

The critical sequence came early in the second OT, when a hustling Dupervil got an unexpected opportunity. He cashed in to set off a wild celebration.

“That’s the same way IR scored against us,” Cash said. “I told the boys it’s going to be whichever team makes the first mistake of this half, they’re going to be the ones who lose.”

The Golden Knights still have five regular-season games remaining, against Delmar, Milford, Dover, St. Mark’s and Lake Forest. Then it’s on to the postseason, as the conference title ensures them a bid in the DIAA Division I Tournament.

“It feels amazing,” Jean Baptiste said. “I just knew from the beginning we could do great things like this. Winning the game like this and winning the Henlopen North championship means everything for us.”

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

Polytech’s Marco Maddalena (7) center, runs after the ball during the first half of play against Sussex Central.

Polytech’s Marco Maddalena (7) and Sussex Central’s Kel Ordonez Garcia (9) battle for the ball during the first half of play.

Polytech’s Bryce Wahinya (14) keeps the ball in play in the first half against Sussex Central.

Polyptych’s Kyle Wentling (18) chases after Sussex Central’s Dalendy Dupervil (10) during the first half of play.

Polytech’s Joshua Wingfield (2) kicks the ball over the head of Sussex Central’s Yunior Cruz (6) during their game at Sussex Central High School.

Sussex Central’s Isaiah Jean Baptiste (7) battles for possession during their home game against Polytech.

Polytech’s Benjamin Kaplan (12) and Sussex Central’s Isaac Flores (22) chase after the ball in the first half of play.

Sussex Central’s Fredi Morales Perez (12) and Polytech’s Bryce Wahinya (14) jump up for a head ball during the first half of play.

Sussex Central’s Yordan Morales Perez (11) and Polytech’s Kyle Wentling (18) battle for the ball near the sidelines during their game at Sussex Central High School.

Polytech’s Kyle Wentling (18) and Sussex Central’s Fredi Morales Perez (12) battle for possession of the ball.

Sussex Central’s Yordan Morales Perez (11) and Polytech’s Ian Gibson (19) battle for the ball during their game at Sussex Central High School.

Sussex Central’s Yunior Cruz (6) heads the ball away from Polytech’s Bryce Wahinya (14) in their game at Sussex Central High School.

Sussex Central’s Junior Cruz (6) runs down the field in their win over Polytech.

Polytech’s Bryce Wahinya (14) tries to gain control of the ball in their game against Sussex Central.

Polytech’s goalie Noah Lust (23) grabs the ball in the air before Sussex Central’s Isaiah Jean Baptiste (7) could get his head on it during their game at Sussex Central High School.

Sussex Central’s Christopher Ramirez (8) jumps over Polytech’s Tyler Imprescia (5) in their 1-0 win.

Sussex Central’s Yunior Cruz (6) and Polytech’s Bryce Wahinya (14) battle for the ball in their game at Sussex Central High School.

Sussex Central’s Yordan Morales Perez (11) jumps in the air for the ball in their win over Polytech.

Sussex Central’s Jose Gonzalez Lopez (3) and Polytech’s Zachary Maheu (3) go after the ball in their game at Sussex Central High School.

Sussex Central celebrates after scoring the winning goal in over time to defeat Polytech.

Sussex Central’s Dalendy Dupervil (10) goes for a shot in their 1-0 win over Polytech.

Sussex Central’s Yunior Cruz (6) and Polytech’s Bryce Wahinya (14) battle for the ball at mid field in their game at Sussex Central High School.

Sussex Central’s Dalendy Dupervil (10) goes passed Polytech’s goalie, Noah Lust (23), for the winning over time goal during their game at Sussex Central High School.

Sussex Central’s Dalendy Dupervil (10) goes for ball in their 1-0 win over Polytech.

Quarterback Justin Beneck and Wilmington Friends take on Tatnall on Saturday afternoon.

Tatnall football coach Jody Russell knows what Wilmington Friends football coach Bob Tattersall likes to run. And Tattersall knows just as much about Russell.

“Bob can sit here and tell you exactly what I’m going to do on every play, and I can do the same for him,” Russell said. “We’re all very familiar with each other.”

So execution will likely trump trickery on Saturday afternoon when Friends plays host to Tatnall in a huge Independent Conference showdown. Kickoff is at 2:30.

“There may be a few wrinkles here and there, but basically it comes down to what you have confidence in,” Tattersall said. “You try not to reinvent the wheel too much and outsmart yourself.”

The Quakers (5-1, 0-0), ranked seventh statewide in Division II, have confidence in the running game, fueled by three-year starting quarterback Justin Beneck, halfback Henry Gise and fullback Andrew Jaworski.

“They run the ball,” Russell said. “And when they catch you loading up on the run, they’ll throw. They’re opportunistic when they throw, because most of the time it’s going to be a big play, if not a touchdown.”

The ninth-ranked Hornets (5-1, 1-0) have one of the state’s most explosive offenses, led by running back Sam Ragland (674 yards, 10 touchdowns), quarterback Carl Marvin (775 yards passing, 8 TDs) and receiver Cam Easton (22 catches, 359 yards, 5 TDs).

“Tatnall is having a great year,” Tattersall said. “They have a lot of ways to be successful. They’ve got good skill people, they’re wide open, and they have an excellent running back and good line.”

Tatnall’s Sam Ragland, seen ion this file photo, has 674 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.

The Hornets scored too quickly for their own good in their only loss, a 47-41 setback at Harford Tech (Md.). Tatnall racked up its points in just 36 plays, while its defense wore down from an 80-play assault. But defensive coordinator Anthony Wright made some adjustments, and the Hornets have allowed just 38 points in their last four games.

“Personnel-wise, we’re a lot better equipped to handle things,” Russell said. “It also helps that we’ve got athletes that can cover. It frees up some of the linebackers to read things.”

The Quakers have won the last four meetings, including a 61-22 victory last year. Tatnall’s large senior class remembers those past defeats, and Russell believes they will be ready.

“Their focus this year is so much better,” the Hornets’ coach said. “They’re focusing on the details, the game plan and sticking to what they’re being taught to do. I think that makes all the difference in the world.

“This is the way you want it to be,” Russell added. “We’ve worked hard. We’re both going to be vying for the conference championship. Obviously, this game has huge playoff implications. And so far, the moment hasn’t been too big for our kids yet.”

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

MILLTOWN – St. Georges coach J.D. Maull has waited for years for a quarterback with an arm like Robert Shorts.

Now that the Hawks have him, they are finally taking to the air.

The junior completed 8 of 12 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns on a wet, windy Friday night as St. Georges went on the road and defeated St. Mark’s 33-20.

“It was in the game plan,” Maull said. “Robert has a strong arm. He’s a baseball player; he can throw it in the wind. It’s more about just getting Robert confident, and he did a great job.”

Shorts’ stats might come as a shock to those who remember the Hawks usually throwing less than five passes a game.

“This season, we came in trying to start a new tradition,” Shorts said. “We’re trying to throw the ball more. Coach Maull put the ball in my hands, told me to try to make plays. That’s what I’ve been doing. Our receivers catch the ball, our backs catch the ball, and we run good routes.”

The Hawks (6-1), ranked fourth statewide in Division II, earned their sixth straight win. Eighth-ranked St. Mark’s (4-3) rallied behind some huge special-teams plays, but lost its third straight.

St. Georges lost fumbles on its first two possessions, but the Spartans couldn’t capitalize. Then Shorts went to tight end Doug Phillips on a fourth-and-7 for a 36-yard touchdown pass.

“I caught it, turned around and nobody was there,” Phillips said. “It was all speed from there.”

St. Mark’s answered quickly, boosted by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Billy Sullivan’s 15-yard completion to David Balint. Dominic Catalano broke free for an 18-yard touchdown run on the next play to tie it at 7 early in the second quarter.

But the Hawks’ passing game was just getting started. Shorts connected with Phillips again, and the 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior zigzagged the last 25 yards of a 46-yard scoring play.

“I just pulled out some moves I saw on Madden,” Phillips said with a laugh. “Cutting is not really my thing, but I can do whatever I need to do to score and help this team win.”

Later, St. Georges tackle Brian Rush stuffed the Spartans for no gain on a fourth-and-1 at the Hawks 21. Two plays later, Shorts drilled a hole in the wind with a deep pass to Damani Wells, who turned it into a 77-yard touchdown bomb for a 21-7 lead.

“They were like, ‘We’re going to take a chance on you,’” Wells said. “So I had run the route as hard as I could. He threw it up there and just trusted me.”

St. Mark’s forced a punt just before halftime, and it paid off when Balint blocked it and fell on the ball in the end zone to pull the Spartans within 21-14 at the half.

Then St. Mark’s scored again on its first possession of the second half. Sullivan threw for 10 yards to Balint and 15 yards to Zach Palmer. Then Palmer made a diving catch of a 16-yard pass in the end zone. But the Hawks blocked the extra point to keep a 21-20 lead.

The Spartans seized even more momentum when Balint tackled the punter at the Hawks 26. But St. Georges rose to the challenge, stopping St. Mark’s on downs at the 24. Then they went back to work on offense.

Shorts’ 37-yard pass to Phillips highlighted a 12-play, 76-yard march that was also aided by a pass-interference penalty on fourth-and-18. Jalen Smith plunged in from the 2 to push the Hawks’ lead to 27-20 with 9:06 to play.

St. Georges forced a three-and-out, then cranked up its traditional running game. The Hawks bled the clock with six straight carries before Brian Benson found a hole on the left side and went for a clinching, 51-yard touchdown run with 4:14 remaining.

Benson finished with 22 carries for 103 yards, while Smith rushed 18 times for 67 yards. The Hawks held the Spartans to 40 yards on 28 carries, and Sullivan completed 7 of 13 throws for 75 yards.

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

St. Georges receiver Damani Wells holds onto a long pass for a touchdown despite the attempted defense of St. Mark’s defensive back Matthew Tynes in the second quarter at St. Mark’s High School Friday.

ALAPOCAS – An overflow crowd filled the stands and ringed the gridiron at Tattersall Field on Saturday, ready to enjoy Wilmington Friends’ homecoming festivities and watch an exciting football game.

Tatnall made it even more exciting with two touchdowns in the final four minutes, but Friends managed to hang on for an 18-14 victory in a key Independent Conference game.

“It got very exciting,” Friends coach Bob Tattersall said. “Give Tatnall credit. They didn’t give up when we got 18. They battled back, hit passes, and we made a couple of huge mistakes. But at the same time, we did what we had to do.”

The Quakers (6-1, 1-0), ranked seventh statewide in Division II, downed the Hornets for the fifth straight year and checked another box for their 49th-year head coach.

“You’ve got to win three games,” Tattersall said with a laugh. “You’ve got to win your opening game. You’ve got to win homecoming. And you’ve got to win against your archrival.”

Friends defeated Perryville (Md.) 27-7 in its opener, and we won’t know how the Quakers fare against archrival Tower Hill until Nov. 12. But the Quakers had enough to overcome ninth-ranked Tatnall (5-2, 1-1).

A 39-yard pass from Justin Beneck to Greg Smith started Friends’ first scoring drive, which covered 84 yards in eight plays. Fullback Andrew Jaworski bulled in from the 3, but the PAT was blocked to keep the lead at 6-0 with 7:46 left in the second quarter.

An interception by Owen Sheppard set up the Quakers’ next score. Beneck reeled off 40 yards on a keeper, then found the 6-foot-5 Smith all alone for a 25-yard touchdown and 12-0 lead with 47.3 seconds left in the half.

“We hit some key passes,” Tattersall said. “They got confused, and we gave them some different formations.”

Devonte Church intercepted another Tatnall pass at the Hornets 45 midway through the fourth quarter. Then Henry Gise broke through a hole on the right side and went 37 yards for the touchdown that appeared to put it away with 5:26 remaining.

But Tatnall was far from finished. The Quakers held the Hornets’ ground game to minus-4 yards on 18 carries, but Tatnall QB Carl Marvin found success through the air late. A 49-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Easton pulled the Hornets within 18-7 with 3:38 to play.

Then Easton recovered an onside kick, and Marvin hooked up with Easton again four plays later for a 10-yard score to make it 18-14 with 3:05 left.

Sam Ragland recovered the next onside kick for Tatnall, but the ball did not travel the required 10 yards. Friends took possession, made a first down and ran the clock down to 2.9 seconds. The Hornets had one last chance from their own 33, but Marvin’s final completion only covered 7 yards.

Marvin finished 15 of 34 passing for 203 yards. All three prongs of Friends’ ground game performed well, as Gise had 81 yards on 17 carries, Beneck got 72 yards on 10 carries and Jaworski chewed up 53 yards on 13 carries.

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

Friends senior Greg Smith extends the Quakers lead to 12-0 over Tatnall with a 25-yard touchdown reception.

Smyrna’s Stephen Whaley, shown here scoring against Salesianum on Sept. 23, caught the winning touchdown pass in the Eagles’ 22-14 win at Sussex Central on Saturday.

Top-ranked, defending DIAA Division I champion Smyrna had been cruising all season.

Until Saturday, when Sussex Central jammed the Eagles into reverse on a windy day in Georgetown.

Smyrna trailed by two touchdowns with 7½ minutes to play. But the Eagles responded with three late scores and gutted out a 22-14 victory.

“I’m really proud of them,” Smyrna coach Mike Judy said. “They found a way to overcome it, at their darkest moment, and just dug deep and found a way to win.”

The Eagles (7-0, 3-0 Henlopen North) had scored at least 54 points in every game, but had zero through three quarters this time. Seventh-ranked Sussex Central (4-3, 2-2 Henlopen North) controlled the clock early, taking a 6-0 lead on Brady Bowden’s 11-yard run on the first play of the second quarter.

It stayed that way until Drew Morris broke loose for a 71-yard run to push the Golden Knights ahead 14-0 with 11:08 left in the game.

“Sussex Central is obviously a very good team,” Judy said. “They are, physically, very, very tough on both sides of the ball. They really took it to us. Coach [John] Wells did a great job with a really nice game plan, and they kept us off balance.”

After a key fourth-down conversion, Smyrna’s Will Knight found the end zone on another fourth down from the 7 for the Eagles’ first points with 7:32 to play. Knight’s two-point conversion made it 14-8.

A penalty wiped out another Smyrna touchdown, but quarterback Nolan Henderson ran it in from the 7 to tie it at 14 with 2:36 to play.

“It just started to come together,” Judy said.

The Golden Knights punted with 1:29 remaining. Then, on fourth-and-15, Henderson scrambled and hit sophomore Stephen Whaley with a 34-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left. Knight added the two-pointer for the final margin.

“He caught the ball that mattered,” Judy said of Whaley. “It was probably the hardest catch of his life. He was all alone in the end zone, and the ball was flying in a crosswind.”

Archmere 35, Conrad 19: Pat Udovich rushed 18 times for 127 yards and a touchdown, and Austin Marvel and Cole Bauer each rushed for 51 yards and a TD as the Auks improved to 3-4.

Conrad (4-3) led 13-0 early on touchdown runs by Lawrence Brown and Elijah Walton. Tim Meltzer also had a TD run for Conrad.

Tower Hill 35, St. Andrew’s 0: Dylan Nitsche caught two short scoring passes from A.J. Falco as the Hillers (5-2, 1-1 Independent Conference) dominated the Saints (0-7, 0-1).

Kai Glover opened the scoring with a 52-yard run for Tower Hill. Nitsche’s TD passes covered 8 and 6 yards. Then Harry Quimby added a 31-yard touchdown run and Ty Gates scored from 40 yards out.

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

BRANDYWINE HUNDRED – William Penn only gained 17 yards of total offense in the second half on Saturday.

The Colonials won because they wouldn’t let Concord gain 1 more yard in the final seconds.

William Penn stopped Raiders quarterback Sean Doogan inches short of the goal line with 21.7 seconds remaining to preserve a 14-7 victory in a defensive slugfest at Raiders Stadium.

“On the board, we put it was going to be a 48-minute war,” Colonials coach Marvin Dooley said. “It took 47 minutes and 55 seconds.”

Actually, it was 47 minutes, 38.3 seconds, but who’s counting? William Penn, ranked fourth statewide in Division I, won its fifth straight game and improved to 6-1 overall, 5-1 in Blue Hen Flight A. Fifth-ranked Concord lost its second straight and slipped to 5-2, 4-1.

“We’ve kind of been written off a little bit,” Dooley said. “You don’t hear anything about us. It’s all Middletown, Sallies and Concord. We weren’t in the mix.

“I’m proud of my guys. They stayed together as a team, and this was a 55-man win today.”

The Colonials forced a three-and-out to start the game, then scored on their fourth play from scrimmage. Isaiah Gaynor bolted 52 yards for a 7-0 lead with 8:42 left in the first quarter.

William Penn’s next drive ended on downs at the Raiders 10, but Concord couldn’t move and a short punt set up the Colonials at the Raiders 36. A holding penalty pushed them back a bit, but Lance Edwards broke free on a counter play for a 40-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

“My linemen did a great job blocking, and there was all this green grass in front of me,” Edwards said. “I’ve got to give that to my linemen.”

Zachariah Burton intercepted a pass for William Penn with 1:19 left in the half. But Jared Hill returned the favor with a Concord pick on the next play, returning it 21 yards to the Colonials 29. A 25-yard pass from Doogan to Hill gave the Raiders first-and-goal, and Doogan’s 1-yard plunge pulled the Raiders within 14-7 with 22.9 seconds left in the half.

“I got greedy. That was on me,” Dooley said of Hill’s interception. “I was hoping we could hit a slant, catch them sleeping. We ended up giving them a touchdown before the half.”

Neither team could gain much offensive traction in the second half, as they combined to punt six times. A fumbled snap pushed the Colonials back to their own 9, and a short punt gave Concord a final chance from the Colonials 38 with 3:22 to play.

On fourth-and-2 from the 30, the Raiders’ Kyle Batch broke a tackle and went 27 yards to the 3. But the William Penn defense had more to give.

Deondre’ Boyd broke through to drop Concord’s Byron Simpson for a 2-yard loss. Then Edwards stepped up to fell Avery Roberts for another 2-yard loss back to the 7. Doogan kept around the left side and dove to the 1 on third down.

Then Doogan disappeared into a pile of bodies on the fourth-down quarterback sneak. After 20 seconds of pushing and straining, the officials ruled him to be inches short.

“I couldn’t see anything. I was just praying,” Dooley said. “I was just praying he wasn’t in. That’s just a gamble, and that’s hard for an official. I’m just glad he was stopped.”

The Colonials finished with 183 yards of total offense, while the Raiders had 177. Gaynor cranked out 75 yards on just five carries for William Penn. Batch led Concord with 50 yards on 16 tough carries.

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

William Penn running back Joe Greenwood runs the ball in the first quarter of the Colonial’s 14-7 win over Concord Saturday.

Concord’s Kyle Batch runs the ball in the fourth quarter.

Concord’s Lennox Nembhard, No. 5, changes direction as Earl Jester, No. 56, blocks downfield.

William Penn’s Joe Greenwood dives for extra yardage while being tackled by Concord’s Byron Simpson in the first quarter of the Colonial’s 14-7 win over Concord.

William Penn running back Isaiah Gaynor takes the ball 52 yards into the end zone to give the Colonials a 7-0 lead over Concord. William Penn would go on to defeat Concord 14-7 at Concord Saturday.

Appoquinimink’s Hadi Basma (right) heads the ball away from Salesianum’s Gavin Ford in an Oct. 15 matchup between the state’s top two Division I boys soccer teams. No. 1 Salesianum won 2-1.

FOOTBALL

THE NEWS JOURNAL/DELAWAREONLINE RANKINGS

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (7-0) 1

2. Middletown (7-0) 2

3. Salesianum (5-2) 3

4. William Penn (6-1) 4

5. Concord (5-2) 5

6. Cape Henlopen (6-1) 6

7. Sussex Central (4-3) 7

8. Sussex Tech (4-3) 8

9. Appoquinimink (4-3) 9

10. A.I. du Pont (3-4) NR

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (7-0) 1

2. Milford (7-0) 2

3. Glasgow (7-0) 3

4. St. Georges (6-1) 4

5. Del. Military Academy (6-1) 5

6. Caravel (4-3) 6

7. Wilmington Friends (6-1) 7

8. St. Mark’s (4-3) 8

9. Tatnall (5-2) 9

10. Howard (4-3) 10

FOX SPORTS 1290/DIFCA COACHES’ POLL

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (1)

2. Middletown (2)

3. Salesianum (3)

4. William Penn (5)

5. Cape Henlopen (6)

6. Concord (4)

7. Sussex Central (7)

8. Appoquinimink (8)

9. Sussex Tech (9)

10. Dover (10)

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (1)

2. St. Georges (2)

3. Glasgow (3)

4. Milford (4)

5. Del. Military Academy (5)

6. Wilmington Friends (7)

7. Caravel (8)

8. Delmar (10)

9. Tatnall (6)

10. St. Mark’s (9)

VOLLEYBALL

1. Archmere (12-1) 1

2. Padua (11-2) 2

3. Tower Hill (11-1) 3

4. Del. Military Academy (10-4) NR

5. Ursuline (9-3) 4

BOYS SOCCER

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum (11-1-1) 1

2. Appoquinimink (11-1) 2

3. Charter of Wilmington (8-2-1) 3

4. Sussex Central (10-1) 5

5. Caesar Rodney (9-3) NR

DIVISION II

1. Indian River (10-1) 1

2. St. Andrew’s (10-0-1) 2

3. Archmere (10-3) 4

4. Caravel (7-3-1) NR

5. Tower Hill (9-2) NR

FIELD HOCKEY

1. Cape Henlopen (9-2) 1

2. Delmar (11-1) 2

3. Tower Hill (11-1) 3

5. Padua (12-0) 5

4. Milford (11-1) 4

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum 1

2. Charter of Wilmington 2

3. Sussex Tech 3

4. Appoquinimink 4

5. Caesar Rodney 5

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall 1

2. Newark Charter 2

3. Del. Military Academy 3

4. St. Andrew’s 4

5. St. Mark’s 5

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Padua 1

2. Charter of Wilmington 2

3. Smyrna 3

4. Appoquinimink 4

5. Mount Pleasant 5

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall 1

2. Newark Charter 2

3. St. Andrew’s 3

4. Del. Military Academy 4

5. St. Mark’s 5

* – rankings supplied by N5CTA

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

Senior, soccer

THE WEEK: Played a solid midfield game as the fourth-ranked Golden Knights edged Polytech 1-0 in double overtime to clinch the Henlopen North title last Thursday. Sussex Central (10-1) also defeated Sussex Academy 1-0 last Tuesday and Delmar 6-1 on Saturday.

THE SHOWDOWN: Sussex Central and Polytech were scoreless until the Golden Knights’ Dalendy Dupervil booted home a loose ball in the 93rd minute. “It was pretty intense,” Jean Baptiste said. “It was, I’d say, the best game of our season. It was very hard fought. Polytech, we show respect to them. We knew what they were coming in. They blew out teams, they were undefeated, but we knew we could beat any team.”

THE COACH SAYS: “I made him a preseason captain, and he’s not let me down one bit,” Sussex Central coach Kevin Cash said of Jean Baptiste. “At practice is where you truly see his leadership. When I need the boys together, he’s my example. He demonstrates. When boys are slacking off, he’s the one that gets them back moving. He’s a true motivator.”

THE LEADERSHIP: “I’m good at encouraging teammates,” Jean Baptiste said. “I know what everybody should be doing, and I give 100 percent out there. I use my speed, I use my aggressiveness and my technical skills to provide for my team and help us win.”

THE STRENGTH: “Speed,” Cash said, when asked about the strongest part of Jean Baptiste’s game. “His speed and his knowledge of reading the game, understanding the game, and understanding that I have teammates. He’s a very unselfish player.”

THE VERSATILITY: As a midfielder, Jean Baptiste has responsibilities on both offense and defense. “I don’t want them to score, and at the same time I want to score,” he said. “I just want to be everywhere to help this team.”

THE CLASSROOM: “My favorite class is AP Statistics. I like math,” Jean Baptiste said. “My dad was an accountant, and he’s always good with numbers, and I just like numbers. Everything makes sense in that class.”

THE FUTURE: Jean Baptiste plans to attend Penn State and major in Accounting. He plans to try out for the soccer team, or perhaps play on a club team.

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

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Isaiah Jean-Baptiste captain of the Sussex Central High School soccer team.

Sussex Central’s Isaiah Jean Baptiste (7) battles for possession during their home game against Polytech.

Delmar coach David Hearn says quarterback Jimmy Adkins, shown here last year against Lake Forest, is playing at an all-conference level at four positions for the Wildcats.

Delmar football coach David Hearn reached an interesting milestone at an interesting place last Friday.

Hearn’s Wildcats defeated Seaford 54-14 at the Blue Jays’ Ron Dickerson Field. That improved Hearn’s career record to 191-86 and tied him with Ron Dickerson (191-94-9) for the most wins by a Henlopen Conference football coach.

“To even be mentioned in the same category as Ron Dickerson as a coach, it’s an honor and it’s humbling,” Hearn said Monday. “You don’t get any better or more legendary than that guy. I consider him a friend, and that’s really high company to be involved with.”

Hearn is in his 26th year as Delmar’s coach, winning four of the school’s six Division II state titles (2000, ’01, ’02, ’09) along the way. The Wildcats are 5-2 overall, 3-0 in the Henlopen South and will take a four-game winning streak into Friday night’s home game against Indian River (2-5, 2-2).

“Back in August, I never could have said we’ll get five wins,” Hearn said. “To get to .500 would have been a great season.

“Now we’re there, and of course we’re stupid enough to think why can’t we sneak into the playoffs? Everybody gets greedy, and of course our fans are excited. It doesn’t take much to get them going and get them thinking about the playoffs. But that’s fun.”

The Wildcats are young overall, but receiving outstanding leadership from a small group of seniors. Jimmy Adkins never comes off the field, a key cog as a quarterback, safety, punter and returner.

“He’s playing at an all-conference level in all of those places,” Hearn said of Adkins. “He’s doing a nice job throwing the ball. We’re throwing the ball much more than we have before.”

Hearn calls senior linebacker-fullback Isaac Austin “an intense individual.” Senior Ziggy Ryder is playing big roles at halfback and cornerback, and junior halfback-linebacker Brooks Parker is already in his second year as a captain.

“We lost 20-something seniors, and we’ve got a whole flock of ninth- and 10th-graders on the field,” Hearn said. “Where we are is an over-achievement right now, and that’s a credit to the kids and the coaches.”

Top-ranked Woodbridge and No. 2 Milford (both 7-0, 3-0) are grabbing all the Henlopen South attention now, leading up to their meeting at Woodbridge on Friday. But Delmar can still have a major say in the conference race. The Wildcats’ final two games are at Milford on Nov. 4 and at Woodbridge on Nov. 11.

Dragons adopt a highway

Glasgow cleaned up on the football field last Friday night, downing Lake Forest 28-6 to improve to 7-0.

Then the Dragons cleaned up some more on Saturday morning, as about 50 players and coaches scoured a stretch of Old Newark Road as part of DelDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program.

“It’s something we do annually, to make sure they know life is bigger than just sports,” Glasgow coach Shannon Riley said. “We want to make sure that we give back to the community.”

The Dragons spent about an hour filling several trash bags with litter. They even found a Big Wheel tricycle and a live opossum, which was not removed for obvious reasons.

“It was fun for them,” Riley said. “They got a chance to bond, go up and down the road and work together.”

Teamwork will be important this Friday, as Glasgow, ranked third statewide in Division II, celebrates homecoming against No. 10 Howard at 7 p.m. The Wildcats (4-3) downed the Dragons 38-22 last season on the way to the D-II state title.

“This is a huge game for us,” Riley said. “Our guys asked for it to be homecoming, because they knew it was important that they show up for homecoming and play well in front of all of their fans.

“They’ve had this one circled for a while. All games are big games, but especially this one. We’re playing the defending state champs, and they’ve playing very good ball right now.”

Heisman winners

Victoria Drumheller of Wilmington Christian and Erik-Stephane Stancofski of Cape Henlopen have been named Delaware winners of the Wendy’s High School Heisman scholarships.

The awards honor high school seniors for academic and athletic achievements and community leadership. Both Drumheller and Stancofski will receive a $1,000 college scholarship, silver medal, commemorative patch and a $50 Wendy’s gift card. They also will be eligible to become national finalists, where one female and one male winner will each receive a $10,000 scholarship.

The Delaware winners were chosen from among 20 state finalists, including Taylor Coleman and Ryan Steckline of Appoquinimink, Sarah Gotthold of Dickinson, Connor Sweeney of Charter of Wilmington, David Hazelton of St. Elizabeth, Chris Ludman of St. Mark’s, Zachary Barbin of Red Lion Christian, Lena Berry and Andrew Bratcher of Caesar Rodney, Andrew Evan and Kelsi Warrington of Sussex Central, Olivia Anderson of Delmarva Christian, Gillian Crawford of St. Thomas More, Hannah Doyle of Seaford, Aaron Buzdygon of Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Alexandra Narvaez of Newark Charter, Griffin McCormick of Indian River and Madeline Olivere of Padua.

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

Charter of Wilmington senior Michael Mattamira scored 1:15 into overtime Tuesday to give the Force a 2-1 soccer victory at St. Georges.

MIDDLETOWN – It took the boys soccer teams from Charter of Wilmington and St. Georges 80 minutes to go into overtime on Tuesday.

Then it only took the Force’s Michael Mattamira 75 seconds to finish it.

Mattamira scored 1:15 into the first extra period to complete Charter’s comeback from a one-goal deficit and send the Force home with a 2-1 victory.

Both teams could take away some positives from an evenly played matchup of two state playoff contenders. Charter, ranked third statewide in Division I, won its fifth straight and improved to 9-2-1.

“We went into the overtime thinking we want to go home, we want to get a win,” Mattamira said. “We all picked our heads up. After getting scored on first, we did what we had to do.”

St. Georges (8-3-2) lost its second straight while battling through the toughest part of its schedule. But the Hawks displayed the type of teamwork that could take them a long way when the Division II state tournament begins Nov. 8.

“We were really happy with our quality today, and our energy,” Hawks coach Justin Null said. “It’s always tough to lose in overtime… But to come out here and put this effort together against a really quality side like Charter, we were definitely proud of the boys.”

A consistent, 15-mph breeze blew straight across the field and influenced the play. Charter had the wind at its back in the first half and built a 7-0 advantage in shots, but couldn’t put one home. Hawks goalkeeper Troy Fitzgerald stopped a 12-yard shot from Eamon O’Connor in the 16th minute, and Kevin Eriksen fired wide in the 23rd minute.

“Our finishing was not on today,” Force coach Jon Gillespie said. “I think we were a little off with that. St. Georges did a great job defending, and we had a hard time breaking down their defense.”

The Hawks got the wind in the second half, and the game turned quickly. In the 46th minute, sophomore Sean Wilkins drove a low shot inside the far post to give St. Georges a 1-0 lead.

“I thought we came out with good energy, good tempo,” Null said. “We were finding passes, building play.”

Charter tied it in the 56th minute, as Eriksen slid a nice pass to Jacob Ogrodnik for an easy goal.

The Hawks’ Roger Buesmaill shot wide on a hurried opportunity two minutes later, and Charter keeper Ben McQuillin made a solid save on a left-footed drive by Joshua Moody in the 62nd minute. Eriksen lofted a chance over the crossbar in the 74th minute, and the teams went to overtime.

Just over a minute into the extra period, a long ball by the Force’s Pat O’Connor found Mattamira streaking down the left side. One of Charter’s fastest players outraced two defenders and put it home on the breakaway for the game winner.

“We talk about plays like that, just through the defense, getting it to me,” Mattamira said. “We have a lot of speed up top, and we like to try to work with that.”

It worked.

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

Caravel’s Jacob Reed (left) and Matt Bowe celebrate after the Buccaneers edged St. Mark’s 7-0 on Oct. 14. Brad Myers is picking Caravel to win a close game at Cape Henlopen on Friday, while Matt Kalin predicts the Vikings will prevail.

Predictions by News Journal high school sports reporter Brad Myers and Mount Pleasant student/analytics guru Matt Kalin.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Mount Pleasant at A.I. du Pont, 7. MYERS PICK: A.I. du Pont 34-28. KALIN PICK: A.I. du Pont 29-28.

Middletown at Appoquinimink, 7. MYERS PICK: Middletown 41-21. KALIN PICK: Middletown 40-14.

Caravel at Cape Henlopen, 7. MYERS PICK: Caravel 17-15. KALIN PICK: Cape Henlopen 24-17.

Sussex Tech at Dover, 7. MYERS PICK: Sussex Tech 27-20. KALIN PICK: Sussex Tech 30-24.

Howard at Glasgow, 7. MYERS PICK: Glasgow 28-26. KALIN PICK: Glasgow 28-20.

Tatnall at McKean, 7. MYERS PICK: Tatnall 41-14. KALIN PICK: Tatnall 40-10.

Sussex Central at Polytech, 7. MYERS PICK: Sussex Central 42-6. KALIN PICK: Sussex Central 48-6.

St. Elizabeth at Red Lion Christian, 7. MYERS PICK: St. Elizabeth 42-6. KALIN PICK: St. Elizabeth 38-24.

Caesar Rodney at Smyrna, 7. MYERS PICK: Smyrna 56-8. KALIN PICK: Smyrna 61-7.

Conrad at Tower Hill, 7. MYERS PICK: Tower Hill 22-20. KALIN PICK: Tower Hill 24-6.

Milford at Woodbridge, 7. MYERS PICK: Woodbridge 21-20. KALIN PICK: Woodbridge 27-14.

Indian River at Delmar, 7:30. MYERS PICK: Delmar 29-27. KALIN PICK: Delmar 31-17.

William Penn vs. Salesianum at Baynard Stadium, 7:30. MYERS PICK: Salesianum 17-14. KALIN PICK: Salesianum 28-21.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

St. Georges at Brandywine, 10:30 a.m. MYERS PICK: St. Georges 41-6. KALIN PICK: St. Georges 37-0.

Concord at Charter of Wilmington, 10:30 a.m. MYERS PICK: Concord 49-6. KALIN PICK: Concord 41-13.

Dickinson at Christiana, 11 a.m. MYERS PICK: Dickinson 16-14. KALIN PICK: Christiana 24-13.

Newark at Delcastle, 11 a.m. MYERS PICK: Newark 34-6. KALIN PICK: Newark 34-17.

St. Mark’s at Hodgson, 11 a.m. MYERS PICK: Hodgson 19-17. KALIN PICK: Hodgson 21-17.

Archmere at Academy of New Church (Pa.), noon. PICK: Archmere 29-13. KALIN PICK: Archmere 31-20.

Seaford at Lake Forest, noon. PICK: Lake Forest 26-12. KALIN PICK: Lake Forest 40-17.

Wilmington Friends at St. Andrew’s, 2. MYERS PICK: Friends 42-6. KALIN PICK: Friends 42-0.

Laurel vs. Delaware Military Academy at Baynard Stadium, 7. MYERS PICK: DMA 27-22. KALIN PICK: DMA 31-10.

MYERS LAST WEEK: 21-1. OVERALL: 134-27 (.832)

KALIN LAST WEEK:

21-1. OVERALL: 130-31 (.807)

Listen to Brad Myers on the Henlopen High School Football Fix with Mike Bradley at 8:20 a.m. Friday on WGMD-FM (92.7) or www.wgmd.com. Contact Brad at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Woodbridge QB Troy Haynes tries to elude Andrew Jaworski of Wilmington Friends on Sept. 23. Woodbridge will play host to Milford in a battle of undefeated teams on Friday night.

Woodbridge and Milford have had their way in Delaware high school football all season.

Top-ranked Woodbridge is 7-0 overall, 3-0 in the Henlopen South. The Blue Raiders have outscored opponents by an average of 38.7 points per game and haven’t allowed a point since September.

Second-ranked Milford is also 7-0 and 3-0. The Buccaneers have outscored opponents by an average of 36.1 points per game, with their closest victory by 19 points.

So something will have to give when these Division II titans clash at 7 p.m. Friday at Woodbridge.

“It’s literally going to come down to who’s going to be more disciplined, not make the little mistakes, and who’s going to execute well,” Buccaneers coach Shaun Strickland said. “It’s going to be the guys on the field that make the difference.”

Milford jumped from 1-9 to 6-4 in Strickland’s first year as coach last season. This year’s Bucs have already topped that win total, with three regular-season games to play. On Sept. 16, they blanked Delaware Military Academy (now 6-1 and ranked fifth in Division II) 24-0.

“We’ve been battle tested,” Strickland said. “DMA is a tough team, we won that one early. Conrad is still a tough team, disciplined, and [Indian River] and Laurel were tough.”

Woodbridge has been just as impressive. The Blue Raiders have been ranked first in Division II all season after returning much of a team that reached the D-II semifinals last year. They thumped Division I opponents Dover and Polytech to start the season, then downed Wilmington Friends (now 6-1 and ranked seventh in Division II) 35-7 on Sept. 23.

That was the last time Woodbridge allowed a point. Shutouts against Lake Forest, St. John Paul Catholic (Virginia), Seaford and Indian River have followed.

“We’ve been doing things well, offensively, defensively and special teams,” Blue Raiders coach Ed Manlove said. “We’ve been making some plays, and a lot of times our first team has been done in the first quarter or first half.”

This one probably won’t be decided that early. Neither team has been in a real pinch yet, but Woodbridge nipped Milford 17-14 last year on the road. It may be that close again.

“It all depends on our kids. If they come focused and ready to play, hopefully they can get the job done,” Manlove said. “But Milford is a very good football team. We’re going to have to play our best game just to be in it with them.”

The Bucs’ top two running backs – D.J. Bowman and Rahshawn Price – are injured. But Dominyc Hovington has moved from fullback to tailback without missing a beat. He rushed for three touchdowns in a 52-15 victory over Indian River two weeks ago.

“Plugging Hovington in hasn’t changed much,” Strickland said. “We run the same style. It’s just a little bit of a different running style for him than for the other two guys.”

Milford also throws effectively. William Kimmel completed 9 of 11 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s 44-25 win over Laurel, frequently targeting big receivers Brion Murray and Marcus Correa.

“They’re gonna make plays. They’ll probably score,” Manlove said. “We’ll just have to respond to whatever they do and keep playing.”

The Blue Raiders have the tools to respond, with efficient sophomore quarterback Troy Haynes handing off to Terrique Riddick (806 yards, 13 TDs), Jamon Kane (495 yards, 4 TDs) and Richard Massey (304 yards, 4 TDs) or throwing deep to Mike Brewer or Antwain Holden (three TDs each).

“We’re not going into this thing laughing,” Manlove said. “We’re getting ready.”

As big as this game is, it might not even determine the conference title. Delmar (5-2, 3-0) plays host to Indian River on Friday, then travels to Milford on Nov. 4 and closes the regular season at Woodbridge on Nov. 11. The Wildcats could sweep and take the crown.

But first, something has to give between Milford and Woodbridge.

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

GREENWOOD – Woodbridge turned the showdown into a speed bump on Friday night.

The top-ranked Blue Raiders ran over No. 2 Milford and kept on trucking, delighting their homecoming crowd with a 39-8 victory in a matchup of Division II heavyweights.

Both teams came into the game 7-0 overall, 3-0 in the Henlopen South, and both had been winning by an average of more than 30 points per game. At the end of the night, Woodbridge was still standing tall.

“We have a pretty good football team,” Blue Raiders coach Ed Manlove said. “It’s not a secret anymore, I guess. I knew we could [win big] if we came out ready to play and prepared.

“We prepared to win the game, and we knew we could get them in certain spots. I thought our kids did a really good job.”

Woodbridge (8-0, 4-0) got the Buccaneers on offense, defense and special teams. The onslaught began on the fourth play from scrimmage, when Jamon Kane broke through a hole on the right side and went 65 yards for a touchdown.

“That’s kind of been our thing all year,” Manlove said. “We always get something big on the first drive.”

The Blue Raiders turned it over on downs at the Bucs 11 on their next possession. But there was no stopping them for the rest of the first half.

A short punt set up a 33-yard drive, capped by Kane’s 5-yard run. Then quarterback Troy Haynes went deep to Richard Massey for a 33-yard touchdown pass and a 20-0 lead with 8:07 left in the second quarter.

“We changed up some things on them and threw the ball around a little bit,” Manlove said. “That’s something they haven’t seen this year. I think we caught them off guard with that. It’s a nice wrinkle for us, and something we can build on.”

Woodbridge forced a punt, which Antwain Holden caught at his own 24. The senior almost went to a knee there, but got moving and ducked a defender. Then he dipped low to elude another tackle, before shedding another with a spectacular spin move.

After all that, Holden still had the speed to go the distance – 76 yards – to make it 27-0.

“Blockers,” Holden said. “That’s all I can say. They gave me a chance, and I saw an open hole and I just went. I just thank my blockers.”

Manlove wasn’t surprised by Holden’s return. He’s seen it before – often.

“He’s probably the best-kept secret down here,” the coach said. “That’s probably – I don’t know how many he’s got – four or five returns now for touchdowns. It’s something we’re getting used to.”

Milford turned it over on downs at the Blue Raiders 31 with 41.7 seconds left in the half. Woodbridge roared down the field again, as Terrique Riddick broke a 39-yard run and Haynes fired a 19-yard strike to Michael Brewer. Then, on the final play of the half, Haynes found Holden for a 6-yard TD to push the lead to 33-0.

“They were 7-0, we were 7-0. We were prepared for a battle,” Holden said. “But I guess hard work pays off, and the scoreboard shows it.”

The Blue Raiders crowded the line early, putting eight men in the box and daring Milford to throw against man-to-man coverage. It worked, as Woodbridge only allowed 66 yards in the first half – 50 rushing and 1 of 10 passing for 16 yards.

The Bucs had a little more success in the second half. William Kimmel finished 8 of 25 for 164 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown pass to Brion Murray early in the third quarter.

Riddick finished with 19 carries for 129 yards, pushing his season total to 935. He had a 16-yard touchdown run for the final points with 9:15 remaining. Kane added 103 yards on 11 carries, and Haynes completed 5 of 12 for 84 yards and two scores.

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

Woodbridge running back Terrique Riddick runs the ball in the first quarter at Woodbridge Friday.

Woodbridge defensive back James Kane knocks the ball away from Milford wide receiver Brion Murray in the second quarter at Woodbridge Friday.

Woodbridge running back Terrique Riddick is pulled down by the facemask by Milford’s Marcus Correa, No. 2 during the first quarter at Woodbridge Friday.

Milford’s Brion Murray pulls down the interception away from Woodbridge’s Michael Brewer in the second quarter at Woodbridge Friday.

Woodbridge running back Antwain Holden gets some separation from Milford linebacker Tayone’ Matthews in the second quarter at Woodbridge Friday.

Woodbridge running back Antwain Holden runs the ball in the second quarter against Milford at Woodbridge Friday.

GLASGOW – It looked like a piece of cake, extra-point distance from the middle of the field.

But when you’ve been battling back and forth scoreless all day, nothing is easy.

St. Mark’s kicker Chris Ludman made it look routine on Saturday, lofting a 20-yard rainbow through the uprights with five seconds remaining to give the Spartans a hard-fought, 3-0 victory at Hodgson.

Quarterback Billy Sullivan took a licking and kept on ticking, sitting out a series after a big sack but returning to lead a 20-play, 71-yard drive to set up the winning kick. Will Hoffman’s snap and Jelani Bryant’s hold were on the money. Ludman didn’t crush it, but he didn’t have to.

“I knew it was a chip shot, so I was just trying to get it up in the air as quick as I could,” the kicker said. “It was a good snap, a good hold, and the blockers did a good job.”

It was a dramatic way to end a three-game losing streak for the Spartans (5-3).

“We’ve lost some tough games,” St. Mark’s coach John Wilson said. “This was nice to win in the fourth quarter here. We were trying to run out the clock and put it in our kicker’s hands.”

Obviously, it was a defensive struggle. The Spartans only gained 141 yards on the day. The Silver Eagles only managed 126. The drama slowly increased until big things happened in the fourth quarter.

St. Mark’s David Balint intercepted a pass and returned it 30 yards to the Hodgson 30 with 8:37 left in the third quarter. But the Silver Eagles’ Steven Small stepped in front of a St. Mark’s pass at the Hodgson 4 to keep it scoreless.

The Spartans had been stopping Hodgson’s attempts to run wide, but the Silver Eagles started to find something with the power game. Hodgson drove from its own 22 to the St. Mark’s 36 — its deepest penetration of the game — on punishing runs up the middle from Greg Tucker and quarterback Mike Sanchez.

But on third-and-4, the ball popped loose and Joseph Cartwright recovered for the Spartans at the 29.

“I was getting ready to call a timeout and change something there, but we got the turnover,” Wilson said.

Then St. Mark’s launched a drive that will be remembered for a long time. Sullivan missed a series after being crushed by Hodgson linebacker Vaughn Wood, but he came back to help the Spartans convert four third downs and one fourth down.

“The team needed it,” the quarterback said. “We had to get some momentum going. Good play calling by the coaches, and the guys gave it everything they’ve got.”

Sullivan hit Balint (six catches, 66 yards) on a crossing pattern for 16 yards on third-and-15. He found Balint again for 4 yards on third-and-2. He kept for 4 yards on third-and-3. Then he passed to Dominic Catalano for 13 yards on third-and-5.

Finally, after a timeout with 1:06 remaining, Sullivan gained 5 yards on a fourth-and-1 keeper. The clock read 9:16 when the drive started. It was at 0:08 when Ludman trotted onto the field.

“It’s about moving the chains,” Wilson said. “Things didn’t go our way as much as we would have liked, but they went our way enough for us to get the victory.”

A desperation multi-lateral play by the Silver Eagles (4-4) lost ground on the ensuing kickoff, a frustrating end to a frustrating day.

“There’s 11 people on the offensive side of the ball,” Hodgson coach Frank Moffett said. “For us to be effective, we need all 11 people doing things the correct way. Give St. Mark’s credit, but we had quite a few assignment errors.

“We fought,” Moffett added. “It comes down to a little field goal into the wind that just clears the bar.”

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

St. Mark’s quarterback William Sullivan keeps the ball in the second quarter against Hodgson at Hodgson Saturday.

Hodgson running back Gregory Tucker tries to hold on to a pass in the third quarter against St. Mark’s at Hodgson Saturday.

St. Mark’s quarterback William Sullivan keeps the ball in the fourth quarter against Hodgson at Hodgson Saturday.

St. Mark’s wide receiver David Balint runs upfield after a catch in the south quarter at Hodgson Saturday.

Hodgson quarterback Mike Sanchez is stopped by St. Mark’s defensive end David Balint. The St. Mark’s defense held Hodgson scoreless in a 3-0 win over the Silver Eagles Saturday.

Concord’s Kyle Batch, shown here against William Penn on Oct. 22, scored three touchdowns in the Raiders’ 42-6 win over Charter of Wilmington on Saturday

WILMINGTON – Kyle Batch and Lennox Nembhard Jr. combined for five touchdowns as Concord rolled past Charter of Wilmington 42-6 in a Blue Hen Flight A football game on Saturday.

The Raiders (6-2, 5-1), ranked fifth statewide in Division I, got off to a slow start before building a 28-0 halftime lead against the Force (1-7, 1-6).

Batch (nine carries, 88 yards) opened the scoring with a 3-yard run. Then Byron Simpson scored from the 9, Nembhard found paydirt from the 5 and Batch ran for a 38-yard TD.

In the second half, Batch returned a kickoff 93 yards and Nembhard (11 carries, 97 yards) got his second 5-yard touchdown. Peter Gosser caught a 20-yard pass from Stephan Habash for Charter’s only score.

St. Georges 51, Brandywine 22: Brian Benson scored four straight touchdowns as the Hawks (7-1, 5-0 Blue Hen Flight B) pulled away in the second half to down the Bulldogs (2-6, 2-3).

St. Georges, ranked fourth statewide in Division II, only led 16-14 at the half. But Benson ran for touchdowns of 15, 13 and 13 yards in the third quarter, then caught a 23-yard scoring pass from Robert Shorts in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 44-14.

Newark 49, Delcastle 30: Sophomore Nevan Lambert passed for 290 yards and four touchdowns as the Yellowjackets (3-5, 3-3 Blue Hen Flight A) outdueled the Cougars (0-8, 0-6).

Archmere 35, Academy of The New Church 12: Pat Udovich rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns as the Auks (4-4) erased an early deficit and pulled away for an easy win in Bryn Athyn, Pa.

Cole Bauer added 52 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Tighe Watson scored on a 47-yard interception return for Archmere.

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

WILMINGTON – Delaware Military Academy needed to find a way to stop Laurel’s momentum on Saturday night.

The Seahawks did it by running out the clock.

A 14-play drive took more than seven minutes and ended with Justin Broccoli’s 26-yard field goal with 1:08 remaining to seal DMA’s 23-14 win in a nonconference football matchup at Baynard Stadium.

Laurel (3-5) pulled within 20-14 on a 10-yard run by Yolnex Gustin with 8:18 left in the game. That’s when the Seahawks (7-1), ranked fifth statewide in Division II, put it in the freezer. With a little help from the Bulldogs.

DMA’s first two first downs came on Laurel penalties – an offsides on third-and-3 and a 15-yard personal foul. Then the Seahawks grinded it out with Todd Turner. The 244-pound senior carried on six of the next seven plays, including a 4-yard gain on fourth-and-3 from the Bulldogs 15.

The drive stalled, but Broccoli’s kick was true for a nine-point margin that put the game away.

DMA scored on its first possession, moving 65 yards in 10 plays. Turner (19 carries, 96 yards) rumbled in from the 6 to make it 7-0 with 5:24 left in the first quarter.

A 14-yard punt return by Perez Nichols set up Laurel at the DMA 38. Deon’Tre Parker broke off a 34-yard gain on the next play, and Rae’Mier Deshields banged in from the 2 three plays later to tie it at 7.

A juggling interception by the Bulldogs’ Mitchell Moyer stopped DMA at the Laurel 7. Two plays later, Nichols was going around the right side on a keeper when the Seahawks’ Corahn Alleyne swept in, took the ball away and went 17 yards the other way for a touchdown midway through the second quarter.

DMA recovered another fumble at the Laurel 14 to set up its next score. Two plays later, Jacob Hudson fired a 13-yard strike to Alleyne for a 20-7 lead with 33 seconds remaining in the first half.

It stayed that way until the Laurel offense suddenly came to life early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs went to a hurry-up attack, taking just 2:55 to cover 80 yards in eight plays. Nichols hooked up with Parker for a 28-yard gain, then scrambled for 21 more. Gustin scored from the 10 to pull Laurel within 20-14 with 8:18 to play.

But the Seahawks countered with their decisive, clock-eating drive. In addition to Turner, Hudson rushed 15 times for 52 yards and Alleyne carried six times for 40 yards for DMA. Hudson also completed 5 of 14 passes for 55 yards.

The Seahawks held Laurel to 109 rushing yards, with Gustin gaining 44 on 11 carries. Nichols completed 4 of 8 passes for 96 yards.

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

Delaware Military Academy corner back Corahn Alleyne (1) celebrate an interception during a Week 8 DIAA football game between Laurel and Delaware Military Academy Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at Baynard Stadium in Wilmington.

Delaware Military Academy running back Todd Turner (4) rushes for extra yardage during a Week 8 DIAA football game between Laurel and Delaware Military Academy Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at Baynard Stadium in Wilmington.

Laurel wide receiver Perez Nichols (9) drops the ball during a Week 8 DIAA football game between Laurel and Delaware Military Academy Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at Baynard Stadium in Wilmington.

Delaware Military Academy wide receiver Corahn Alleyne (1), LEFT, catches a touchdown pass late in the second quarter during a Week 8 DIAA football game between Laurel and Delaware Military Academy Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at Baynard Stadium in Wilmington.

Tower Hill’s Ashleigh Brady sets the ball against Tatnall on Oct. 18. The Hillers earned the No. 1 seed in the DIAA Volleyball Tournament, and will begin postseason play on Saturday.

Tower Hill earned the No. 1 seed on Monday when the pairings were determined for the DIAA Volleyball Tournament.

The Hillers are 14-1 this season, their only loss coming at Wilmington Friends on Sept. 30. Tower Hill is one of eight teams to earn a first-round bye in the 24-team tournament, which begins Thursday with four doubleheaders. Archmere is the No. 2 seed, followed by Padua, Delaware Military Academy and St. Mark’s.

The eight second-round matches will be played Saturday, with sites and times to be announced. The quarterfinals will be Tuesday, Nov. 8, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 10. The third-place and championship matches will be Monday, Nov. 14 at the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center.

Tickets for the first three rounds are $5. Semifinal tickets are $6, and finals tickets are $8. Finals tickets may be purchased online at https://statechamps.com/clients/diaa/ and will also be available at the door.

DIAA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

FIRST ROUND

THURSDAY

No. 21 Delmarva Christian vs. No. 12 Charter of Wilmington at Caesar Rodney, 6

No. 17 Sussex Tech at No. 16 Caesar Rodney, 7

No. 24 St. Georges vs. No. 9 Red Lion Christian at Caravel, 6

No. 13 Conrad at No. 20 Caravel, 7

No. 18 Newark Charter vs. No. 15 Polytech at Tatnall, 6

No. 23 A.I. du Pont at No. 10 Tatnall, 7

No. 19 Appoquinimink vs. No. 14 Cape Henlopen at St. Thomas More, 6

No. 22 Delmar at No. 11 St. Thomas More, 7

SECOND ROUND

SATURDAY

Sites and times TBA

Sussex Tech-Caesar Rodney winner vs. No. 1 Tower Hill

St. Georges-Red Lion Christian winner vs. No. 8 Friends

Caravel-Conrad winner vs. No. 4 Delaware Military Academy

Delmarva Christian-Charter of Wilmington winner vs. No. 5 St. Mark’s

Newark Charter-Polytech winner vs. No. 2 Archmere

A.I. du Pont-Tatnall winner vs. No. 7 Smyrna

Appoquinimink-Cape Henlopen winner vs. No. 3 Padua

Delmar-St. Thomas More winner vs. No. 6 Ursuline

QUARTERFINALS

Tuesday, Nov. 8

Sites and times TBA

Sussex Tech-Caesar Rodney-Tower Hill winner vs. St. Georges-Red Lion Christian-Wilmington Friends winner

Caravel-Conrad-DMA winner vs. Delmarva Christian-Charter of Wilmington-St. Mark’s winner

Newark Charter-Polytech-Archmere winner vs. A.I. du Pont-Tatnall-Smyrna winner

Appoquinimink-Cape Henlopen-Padua winner vs. Delmar-St. Thomas More-Ursuline winner

SEMIFINALS

Thursday, Nov. 10

Photo gallery: Padua outlasts Ursuline in five sets

Sites and times TBA

FINALS

Monday, Nov. 14

At Bob Carpenter Center

Third-place and championship matches, times TBA

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

William Penn’s Isaiah Gaynor (9) breaks up a fourth-down pass intended for Salesianum’s Mike DiNardo in the final minute to preserve the Colonials’ 21-14 win on Friday. William Penn moved up to No. 3 in The News Journal’s Division I rankings.

FOOTBALL

THE NEWS JOURNAL/DELAWAREONLINE RANKINGS

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (8-0) Prev. 1

2. Middletown (8-0) 2

3. William Penn (7-1) 4

4. Salesianum (5-3) 3

5. Concord (6-2) 5

6. Sussex Central (5-3) 7

7. Cape Henlopen (6-2) 6

8. Sussex Tech (5-3) 8

9. Appoquinimink (4-4) 9

10. Mount Pleasant (4-4) NR

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (8-0) 1

2. Glasgow (8-0) 3

3. St. Georges (7-1) 4

4. Milford (7-1) 2

5. Caravel (5-3) 6

6. Del. Military Academy (7-1) 5

7. Wilmington Friends (7-1) 7

8. Tatnall (6-2) 9

9. Delmar (6-2) 10

10. St. Mark’s (5-3) 8

FOX SPORTS 1290/DIFCA COACHES’ POLL

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (1)

2. Middletown (2)

3. William Penn (4)

4. Salesianum (3)

5. Concord (6)

6. Sussex Central (7)

7. Cape Henlopen (5)

8. Appoquinimink (8)

9. Sussex Tech (9)

10. Dover (10)

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (1)

2. St. Georges (2)

3. Glasgow (3)

4. Del. Military Academy (5)

5. Milford (4)

6. Caravel (7)

7. Wilmington Friends (6)

8. St. Mark’s (10)

9. Tatnall (9)

10. Delmar (8)

VOLLEYBALL

1. Tower Hill (14-1) 3

2. Archmere (13-2) 1

3. Padua (13-2) 2

4. Del. Military Academy (12-4) 4

5. Ursuline (11-4) 5

BOYS SOCCER

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum (12-1-1) 1

2. Caesar Rodney (11-3) 5

3. Appoquinimink (12-2) 2

4. Sussex Central (12-1) 4

5. Charter of Wilmington (10-2-1) 3

DIVISION II

1. Indian River (12-2) 1

2. St. Andrew’s (11-1-1) 2

3. Archmere (10-4) 3

4. Tower Hill (11-2) 5

5. Del. Military Academy (9-2-3) NR

FIELD HOCKEY

1. Cape Henlopen (11-2) 1

2. Delmar (13-1) 2

3. Tower Hill (12-1) 3

5. Padua (14-0) 4

4. Milford (12-2) 5

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum 1

2. Charter of Wilmington 2

3. Sussex Tech 3

4. Appoquinimink 4

5. Caesar Rodney 5

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall 1

2. Del. Military Academy 3

3. Newark Charter 2

4. St. Andrew’s 4

5. St. Mark’s 5

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Padua 1

2. Charter of Wilmington 2

3. Smyrna 3

4. Appoquinimink 4

5. Mount Pleasant 5

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall 1

2. Newark Charter 2

3. St. Andrew’s 3

4. Del. Military Academy 4

5. St. Mark’s 5

* – rankings supplied by N5CTA

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