Salesianum’s Michael Drake returns a blocked field goal to the Spartan 1-yard line in the second quarter at Delaware Stadium Thursday. The play helped the Sals to a 21-0 halftime lead.

Salesianum’s Colby Reeder breaks through the line (left) to block a 39-yard field goal attempt by St. Mark’s Christopher Ludman in the second quarter at Delaware Stadium Thursday. Salesianum’s Michael Drake returned the ball to the Spartan 1-yard line, the Sals scored on the next play to take a 21-0 lead late in the second quarter.

Salesianum’s Colby Reeder fends off St.Mark’s Peyton Schultz to score a 27-yard touchdown in the second quarter at Delaware Stadium Thursday.

NEWARK – It turned out to be lopsided, but it was still a close game when Michael Drake seized the spotlight Thursday night.

Salesianum’s junior defensive back scooped up a blocked field goal and returned it 68 yards to the 1. Colby Reeder scored the third of his four touchdowns on the next play, and the Sals never lost the momentum in a 41-0 victory over St. Mark’s.

An impressive crowd of 7,012 came to watch the archrivals meet at Delaware Stadium for the first time, and they saw a very competitive first half. But Salesianum, 9-1 and ranked first in Division I, had too much in the end. The Spartans finished their season at 4-6.

Reeder went 60 yards on the first play from scrimmage before being dragged down at the 10. But St. Mark’s kept the Sals off the board, and made three first downs before Drake intercepted a pass at the Sals 33.

Sallies fumbled it away, but scored on its third drive. Jeremy Ryan broke a tackle to turn a short pass from Garrett Cannon into a 28-yard gain, and Reeder took it in from the 3 for a 7-0 lead with 8:52 left in the second quarter.

After a St. Mark’s punt, Reeder bounced a run outside for 22 yards, then cut up the middle for a 27-yard touchdown and a 14-0 cushion. But the Spartans used short passes to move the ball and set up a 39-yard field-goal attempt with 1:11 left in the first half.

Reeder blocked it, and the ball almost skidded out of bounds before Drake snagged it and sprinted down the sideline.

“I’m kind of mad I didn’t score on that,” Drake said. “I ran out of gas at the end.

“Colby made a great play. He ran in and blocked it, and thank God I was in the right spot to pick it up and run.”

Reeder punched it in on the next play, and instead of St. Mark’s getting on the board, the Sals went into halftime up 21-0.

“That was a huge play at the end of the first half,” Salesianum coach Bill DiNardo said. “I was content going in 14-3, still really happy. Our kids have done such a good job making big plays. Our special teams have done a great job.

“That just made such a difference for us at halftime. That gave us that extra push.”

Linemen Randy Sinnott, Daniel Fleming, Sean Keating, Devin Schofield and Domenico Marra and tight ends Kyle Cathers and Josh Patrick provided the extra push in the second half. Reeder finished with 15 carries for 248, gaining 124 in each half.

“They’re big, they’re strong, they’re fast,” Reeder said of his line. “They drive the guys off the ball and make big holes for me.”

Reeder ripped off a 62-yard touchdown run, Peyton Mullin scored on an 11-yard burst and Nick Merlino went 50 yards for the Sals’ final touchdown.

After gaining just 21 yards on 15 carries in the first half, St. Mark’s didn’t hand the ball to a single running back in the second half. The Spartans did have some success through the air, as Billy Sullivan completed 18 of 35 passes for 170 yards. Jamai Rice caught 10 of those for 110 yards.

“The defense made them work,” DiNardo said. “They got first downs and they moved the ball, but when push came to shove our defense shut the door.”

The Sals appear likely to be one of the top two seeds in the Division I playoffs, which would net a first-round bye and a home game in the semifinals. They feel even better after closing the regular season with three straight wins over the Delaware teams that beat them last year.

“We wanted revenge. This is our third revenge game in a row,” Reeder said. “William Penn, then Sussex Tech, then St. Mark’s. We called it our revenge tour, and we completed it tonight. It feels great to get them back.”

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

Robert Myrick and Mount Pleasant await their postseason fate following a win over Appoquinimink on Friday.

MIDDLETOWN – Everyone wondered if the Mount Pleasant football team could be competitive after moving up to Blue Hen Flight A this season.

After a resounding, 37-8 victory over Appoquinimink was in the books Friday night, the final verdict was in.

The Green Knights did just fine.

“Moving up to Flight A, just the weird anticipation of what it’s going to be for us, we did well,” Mount Pleasant coach Randy Holmes said. “I’m proud that they rose to the occasion, and they played well the whole year.”

The Green Knights (7-3, 5-3 Flight A) may have at least one more game to play. Holmes’ assistant coaches examine the playoff points closely, and they believe Mount Pleasant will get the sixth and final spot in the DIAA Division I playoffs if Middletown defeats Concord on Saturday.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Holmes said. “I’m proud of these boys now, just for their accomplishments.”

Appo (5-5, 4-4) recovered an onside kick to start the game, but couldn’t make a first down. That left the Green Knights just 53 yards to go on their first drive, all but two of the eight plays on the ground. Dannon Williams scored on a 5-yard run, and Jashawn Johnson’s two-point run made it 8-0.

Mount Pleasant went right back to ground and pound on their next drive, covering 59 yards with seven runs. Jahleel Thomas was stopped up the middle, but bounced it outside for a 28-yard touchdown and 15-0 lead with 1:40 left in the first quarter.

The Green Knights have had success through the air all season, with Johnson throwing to talented receivers Rob Myrick, Ronald Shipman-Scott and Nigel Bynum. They used that threat to set up the run on Friday, and gained 279 yards on 33 carries.

“Everybody is worried about Ronald and Rob on the outside,” Holmes said. “Those guys were spread out trying to play them man and just left a few guys in the box.”

Johnson threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Myrick to make it 22-0, and the Green Knights could have had an even bigger first half. Appo recovered a fumble in the end zone to stop one drive, and the half ended with Mount Pleasant on the Appo 1.

The defense was stout, too. The Jaguars didn’t get on the board until Ronald Tuck (18 carries, 118 yards) scored on a 16-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

“The past two weeks, we’ve just been shutting out on defense,” Green Knights lineman Sam Mousley said. “There’s just a bond between us. We’re playing really well.”

Bynum, mostly a receiver, made his two fourth-quarter touches out of the backfield count. The first was a 5-yard touchdown run after Johnson’s 62-yard keeper, and the second was a 42-yard scoring burst with 2:35 to play.

“At 7-3, I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” Holmes said. “They came, they did what they had to do tonight.”

Thomas gained 85 yards on 10 carries, Johnson rushed six times for 82 yards and Williams gained 58 on 13 carries. Now, the Green Knights will pull for a Middletown victory to keep their postseason hopes alive.

“It’s incredible,” Mousley said. “Earlier in the season, everybody wrote us off. From day one, we just busted our butts and we’re finally here. Hopefully, we’ll make the playoffs.”

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

Middletown senior Isiah Mitchell runs the ball in the third quarter. Middletown defeats Concord 44-21 at Concord Saturday.

Middletown senior Isiah Mitchell catches an 18-yard-pass from quarterback Vincent DelPercio to give the Cavaliers a 27-14 lead over Concord in the second quarter. Middletown defeats Concord 44-21 at Concord Saturday.

Middletown senior Isiah Mitchell, top, celebrates with lineman Christopher Weatherford after scoring on an 18 yard touchdown pass. Middletown defeats Concord 44-21 at Concord Saturday.

Middletown quarterback Vincent DelPercio runs the ball in the second quarter. Middletown defeats Concord 44-21 at Concord Saturday.

BRANDYWINE HUNDRED – Mark DelPercio has made his lack of enthusiasm for 10:30 a.m. Saturday kickoffs known in the past.

But the Middletown football coach was OK with it on this particular Saturday. Because less than 90 seconds into the game, his Cavaliers had already scored two touchdowns.

No. 4 Middletown turned six Concord turnovers into 31 points and pulled away for a 44-21 victory that likely kept the Raiders out of the DIAA Division I playoffs and put Mount Pleasant into the postseason.

“I like 10:30 morning games up at Concord,” DelPercio said with a laugh after the game. “Check the score. I like 10:30 games up here.”

No. 6 Concord (6-4) made it easy to like. The Raiders crossed signals on a handoff on their second play from scrimmage, and the ball skittered all the way back to the 1-yard line before Middletown’s Kedrick Whitehead recovered. Frankie Datillo punched it in on the next play.

Then Concord fumbled again on its next play, and Whitehead fell on it at the 20. Datillo’s 5-yard run two plays later gave the Cavaliers a 14-0 lead, just 1:25 into the game.

“My gosh, with the way we came out, I was absolutely thrilled,” DelPercio said.

The Raiders settled down and responded with a 10-play, 70-yard drive, with Grahm Roberts scoring on a 5-yard run.

But Concord fumbled on the first play of its next possession, and Middletown’s Markel Weldon pounced on it at the Raiders 16. Vincent DelPercio’s 7-yard pass to his brother, Anthony, pushed the Middletown lead to 21-7 with 34 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The Raiders turned it over on downs, then created a Middletown turnover when Avery Roberts intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards to the 50. Then Grahm Roberts carried five straight times, scoring from the 5 to pull the Raiders within 21-14.

Middletown (8-2) answered with its first long scoring drive, covering 65 yards in 11 plays. Isiah Mitchell capped it with an 18-yard touchdown reception to send the Cavaliers into halftime up 27-14.

But Middletown fumbled the second-half kickoff, and Byron Simpson recovered for Concord at the 23. Grahm Roberts rumbled in from there, and the Raiders were within 27-21 just 14 seconds into the third quarter.

The game settled down a bit until Concord fumbled on a punt return, and Middletown’s Shane Wilkins recovered at the Raiders 17. Tyler Bierlein’s 33-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter gave the Cavaliers a two-possession lead at 30-21.

Then Middletown put it away after a Concord punt. The Cavaliers launched a nine-play, 67-yard drive that took 4:28 off the clock, including a critical conversion when Datillo squeezed out a 3-yard gain on fourth-and-a-foot from the Cavaliers 44.

“That fourth-down play at midfield, there are certain things you have to do in order to win football games,” Mark DelPercio said. “I couldn’t have been happier with our guys.”

He was even happier on the next play, as Datillo took it up the middle, cut to the left sideline and went 53 yards for the clinching touchdown with 4:40 to play.

“The line did what they had to do,” said Datillo, who finished with 124 yards on 19 carries. “I had the hole open, bounced outside and ran downfield. All credit goes to the line on that run.”

Grahm Roberts led Concord with 27 carries for 159 yards.

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

Wilmington Charter’s Brian Shannon tallied two goals as the Force advanced to the DIAA Division I semifinals.

SMYRNA – Soccer is normally a low-scoring game.

Not on Saturday night.

Charter of Wilmington and Caesar Rodney combined for two goals in the first three minutes, and five in the first 17 minutes. Then the Force kept it going, firing in two more goals in the second half and pulling away for a 5-2 victory in the quarterfinals of the DIAA Division I Boys Soccer Tournament at Charles V. Williams Stadium.

“Thankfully, our goal-scoring shoes were on tonight,” Charter coach Jon Gillespie said.

The fourth-seeded Force (13-3) needed plenty of offense to overcome the fifth-seeded Riders (11-5). Charter will meet top-seeded Appoquinimink in the semifinals on the same field Wednesday, at a time to be determined.

Caesar Rodney jumped to a 1-0 lead just two minutes in, as Josh Bennett outmuscled a defender and scored on a right-footed blast from close range.

“We’d been defending really well coming into the tournament,” Gillespie said. “We hadn’t let a goal in in five or six games, and I think that was a little bit of a setback. CR came out with a lot of energy and a lot of speed and came right at us.”

But it only took the Force a minute to equalize, as Eamon O’Connor slotted the ball perfectly to Zach Bopp for a goal. Then Charter took a 2-1 lead in the seventh minute when Mike Mattamira crossed a ball to Kevin Eriksen, who settled it and scored.

CR answered in the 14th minute when Chris McPoyle zigzagged past a defender and scored. But the Force regained the lead at 3-2 just three minutes later, as Tommaso Morrione found the net off a deflection.

“When we got the third goal, I talked to them at halftime and said we just need to slow down a little bit,” Gillespie said. “We were kind of trying to have a track meet with them, going back and forth, and that’s kind of their game.”

The strategy worked, as the Riders couldn’t generate as much offense in the second half. Brian Shannon pumped in goals in the 48th and 52nd minute – the second on an assist from O’Connor – to put it out of reach for Charter.

Appoquinimink 2, Newark 0

The top-seeded Jaguars (15-1) got two goals three minutes apart in the first half and outshot the Yellowjackets 11-1 to move into the semifinals.

“Typically, we score goals in the second half,” Appo coach Adam Bear said. “Getting the goals early, it kind of calmed us down. That was a good thing.”

The Jaguars’ first goal came when a long free kick from Andrew Longhurst rattled around in the penalty area and found the foot of Lance Ksiazek, who belted it home in the 22nd minute.

Appoquinimink’s Lance Ksiazek tallied a goal as the Jaguars defeated Newark in the DIAA Division I soccer playoffs.

Appo made it 2-0 in the 25th minute on a beautiful play off a corner kick. The ball went in to Matt Dina, who found fellow captain Stephane Ratsimbazafy cutting across for a lunging header.

“I think we played fairly well,” Bear said. “We were missing a few opportunities toward the end, missing a finishing touch there, but defensively we did really well.”

Newark (12-4), making its first postseason appearance since 2007, got five saves from Clayton Hansen. The junior laid out for a huge stop on a point-blank shot in the 17th minute, and made a brilliant save on Ratsimbazafy’s 25-yard free kick to the top left corner in the 24th minute.

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

Smyrna’s Will Knight looks for running room against Sussex Central. The Eagles will host Mount Pleasant in the Division I playoffs Friday night.

Some old foes and some fresh teams were matched up when the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association announced the pairings for its annual football tournaments on Sunday.

Two teams new to the Division I playoffs will square off at 7:30 p.m. Friday when sixth-seeded Mount Pleasant (7-3) travels to third-seeded Smyrna (9-1). The Green Knights just moved up to Division I this season. The Eagles continued their remarkable turnaround from 2-8 two years ago, to 5-5 last year, to Henlopen North champions this year.

Two familiar rivals will meet in the other Division I opener, as fifth-seeded Sussex Tech (8-2) plays at fourth-seeded Middletown (8-2) at 7:30 Friday. It will be a rematch of a Division I semifinal last year, when the Cavaliers thumped the Ravens 37-7 on the way to their fifth straight appearance in the D-I title game.

Salesianum (9-1) earned the No. 1 seed and will host the lowest remaining seed of the two first-round winners at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27 at Baynard Stadium. William Penn (9-1) is the No. 2 seed and will host the highest remaining seed at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.

Salesianum and William Penn actually tied for the No. 1 seed under the DIAA points system, but the Sals were awarded the top seed based on their 30-13 victory over the Colonials on Oct. 31.

St. Georges (9-1) earned the top seed in the topsy-turvy Division II playoffs, and the Hawks’ first-round opponent will be very familiar. Hodgson (6-4) scraped into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, earning the final berth over Milford on a tiebreaker as the Silver Eagles’ opponents combined for more victories (44-40).

St. Georges will host the first-round game at 11 a.m. Saturday, the third consecutive season the Blue Hen Flight B rivals have met in the playoffs. Hodgson has won the last two Division II state titles – defeating St. Georges 38-0 in the final two years ago and knocking off the Hawks 32-7 in the semifinals last season. But St. Georges thumped the Silver Eagles 47-0 in their regular-season meeting this year on Oct. 17.

Delaware Military Academy (9-1) enjoyed the best regular season in school history and earned the No. 2 seed in Division II. The Seahawks will host seventh-seeded Woodbridge (7-3) in the first round at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Baynard Stadium.

Wilmington Friends (8-1), which reached the D-II semifinals last season, earned the No. 3 seed and will take on sixth-seeded Lake Forest (8-2) – the Henlopen South champ. Friends’ home field does not meet DIAA requirements for visitor-side seating, so the game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday at Tower Hill.

DeGroat Field will be a busy place next weekend, as Tower Hill (7-2) also has a home game as the No. 4 seed. The Hillers will play host to fifth-seeded Howard (7-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The Division II semifinals will be played Nov. 27 and/or 28, at sites and times to be determined. The highest remaining seed will host the lowest remaining seed, and the second-highest remaining seed will host the third-highest remaining seed.

The DIAA championship games will be played Saturday, Dec. 5 at Delaware Stadium, with the Division I game kicking off at 1 p.m. and the Division II game starting at 5:30. In between the two games, DIAA and Special Olympics Delaware will co-host two Unified flag football games.

DIAA has also announced starting times for the semifinal rounds in the field hockey and Division I and II boys soccer tournaments.

The field hockey semifinals will be played Wednesday at the University of Delaware’s Rullo Stadium, with Cape Henlopen meeting Tower Hill at 6 p.m., and Wilmington Christian taking on Delmar at 8. The winners will return to Rullo for the championship game at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Division I boys soccer semifinals will be played Wednesday at Smyrna.  Appoquinimink will face Charter of Wilmington at 6 p.m., followed by Salesianum against Cape Henlopen at 8. The winners will return to Smyrna for the championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Division II boys soccer semifinals will be played Wednesday at Appoquinimink. Indian River will meet Archmere at 6 p.m., followed by Caravel against Tower Hill. The winners will meet in the championship game at 5 p.m. Saturday at Smyrna.

The championship match of the DIAA Volleyball Tournament will be played Monday at the Bob Carpenter Center. Ursuline will meet Padua for third place at 5:30 p.m., with Delaware Military Academy taking on defending champion Archmere for the title at 6:30. Tickets ($8) will be available at the door, or online at www.diaa.ticketleap.com.

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

St. Georges’ Gary Brightwell finds running room against St. Mark’s. The Hawks finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in Division II by The News Journal.

FOOTBALL

THE NEWS JOURNAL/DELAWAREONLINE FINAL RANKINGS

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum (9-1) Prev. 1

2. William Penn (9-1) 2

3. Smyrna (9-1) 3

4. Middletown (8-2) 4

5. Sussex Tech (8-2) 5

6. Mount Pleasant (7-3) 8

7. Concord (6-4) 6

8. Sussex Central (6-4) 7

9. Newark (5-5) NR

10. Cape Henlopen (5-4) 9

DIVISION II

1. St. Georges (9-1) 1

2. Lake Forest (8-2) 2

3. Howard (7-3) 4

4. Del. Military Academy (9-1) 5

5. Tower Hill (7-2) 9

6. Wilmington Friends (8-1) 3

7. Woodbridge (7-3) 6

8. Archmere (6-4) 8

9. St. Mark’s (4-6) 7

10. Hodgson (6-4) NR

COACHES/FOX SPORTS 1290 FINAL POLL

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum

2. William Penn

3. Smyrna

4. Middletown

5. Sussex Tech

6. Mount Pleasant

7. Cape Henlopen

8. Concord

9. Appoquinimink

10. Newark

DIVISION II

1. St. Georges

2. DMA

3. Lake Forest

4. Howard

5. Wilm. Friends

6. Tower Hill

7. Woodbridge

8. St. Mark’s

9. Hodgson

10. Conrad

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

Altia Anderson, center, a Woodbridge girls basketball player, signs to play at Marquette this fall as her father, Albert Anderson and mother, Twila Anderson watch on.

Altia Anderson, center, a Woodbridge girls basketball player, signs to play at Marquette this fall as her father, Albert Anderson and mother, Twila Anderson watch on.

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

Altia Anderson, center, a Woodbridge girls basketball player, signs to play at Marquette this fall as her father, Albert Anderson and mother, Twila Anderson watch on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ALTIA ANDERSON, senior, Woodbridge girls basketball

THE WEEK: Signed to play women’s basketball at Marquette University, which competes in the Big East Conference.

THE DECISION: Anderson also considered George Washington and Princeton before deciding Marquette was the place for her. “I chose Marquette because when I see the name I want to work harder, and it feels like home,” Anderson said. “I love the location [Milwaukee], the coaches, the team and just how many facilities they have for us.”

THE EXPOSURE: Woodbridge coach Emilio Perry and his assistant, Jed Bell, worked to make sure Anderson was seen by college coaches. Recruiters liked her 6-foot-2 size, athleticism – and schoolwork. “What really sealed the deal was how well she does academically,” Perry said.

THE STRENGTHS: “I feel like I see the floor pretty well, and I pass pretty well, and I’m competitive. I’m not going to give up,” Anderson said. “I want to improve on my shot and finishing layups in traffic. And I want to be able to read the court even better, have a higher basketball IQ.”

THE SENIOR YEAR: Anderson averaged 18.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 6.3 blocks, 3.4 steals and 2.4 assists per game last season as the Blue Raiders went 16-5 and lost in the opening round of the state tournament. “I’m looking forward to gaining some titles, and I’m looking forward to playing with my team one last time,” Anderson said. “I just want to keep working hard.”

THE VERSATILITY: “The best part of her game is that she’s very versatile,” Perry said. “She can go inside and have her back to the basket, she can knock down the mid-range jump shots and she can dribble the ball. She’s just a well-rounded athlete.”

THE CLASSROOM: Anderson’s favorite subjects are AP Calculus, AP Biology and Animal Science. “I don’t always get it, but most of the time when I get it, it’s easier to do and I like how you solve it and get one answer,” Anderson said of Calculus.

THE FUTURE: Anderson, a 4.0 student, plans to study biological sciences at Marquette. “I really like fishing, and I really like outdoors,” she said. “I think a fish farm would be really cool. Have my own fish farm, market it and be able to do the research.”

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

Mount Pleasant’s Isaiah McCready (73) and Franklin Horne pursue Middletown’s Anthony DelPercio. The Green Knights will meet Smyrna in the first round of the Division I playoffs on Friday night.

The usual contenders – Salesianum, William Penn, Middletown, Sussex Tech – were in the field when the DIAA Division I football playoff seedings were announced Sunday.

But two newcomers – Mount Pleasant and Smyrna – added some spice to the six-team field. And the Green Knights and Eagles will meet in the first round at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Smyrna.

Coach Randy Holmes said Mount Pleasant hasn’t reached the postseason since 1981, when the Green Knights defeated Archmere 28-14 for the Division II title. Mount Pleasant’s run to the playoffs is even more remarkable because the school’s athletic teams moved up to Blue Hen Flight A and Division I this year.

“We knew it was going to be special if we stayed in Flight B,” Holmes said. “We knew what kind of athletes we had. I kind of knew those kids were going to be decent seniors when they were in ninth grade.

“When we got the word late in the year last year that we were moving up, we didn’t know what to expect. We knew everybody in Flight B very well. Now, we had to deal with the unknown in Flight A.”

The Green Knights dealt with it well, finishing 7-3 overall and 5-3 in Flight A. Now they will meet a Smyrna team that lasted reached the postseason in 2003.

“I kind of hinted that it would be fun to play Smyrna, just to see how that game would turn out,” Holmes said. “It’s coming true.

“I think I’ve got some pretty good athletes in the defensive backfield, and I’ve definitely got some great athletes at wide receiver,” Holmes added. “It’s definitely going to be a matchup of athletes, and just like every week, what happens in those trenches is going to really make a difference.”

Smyrna continued its amazing improvement under second-year coach Mike Judy, from 2-8 two years ago to 5-5 last year to 9-1 and the Henlopen North championship this season. Like Holmes, he sees similarities in his team and Mount Pleasant.

“We’re actually kind of alike. We look a little different, but the concept is the same,” Judy said. “We try to get the big plays on the outside, and soften you up up the middle.”

The Eagles are averaging an overwhelming 55 points per game, and even scored 56 in the game they lost – when Salesianum scored 76. But Judy said the key may be on defense, where the teams also employ similar concepts.

No. 1 DMA captures first volleyball state title in undefeated season

“We know how to defend them,” the Smyrna coach said. “It’s a matter of can we defend them, with all the great speed and athleticism they have. It’s going to be a huge challenge.”

Silver Eagles are in

Hodgson needed several things to happen to reach the Division II football playoffs. Somehow, it all fell in line for the Silver Eagles.

Hodgson coach Frank Moffett listened to the Lake Forest-Milford game on Friday night, rooting for a Lake Forest victory. That, combined with wins by Howard, St. Georges and Delaware Military Academy, boosted Hodgson up to an eighth-place tie with Milford in the DIAA points system. The Silver Eagles grabbed the final playoff spot on the second tiebreaker, as their opponents combined for more victories than Milford (44-40).

“We’ve had ups and downs with a lot of kids in new positions,” Moffett said of his team, which finished 6-4 with a 46-0 win over Brandywine. “We’ve had to play some new kids in different spots. … We knew we would go through some growing pains.”

Top running back DeJuan Outlaw (361 yards, 6 TDs) was lost for the season because of a knee injury against Howard in the fourth game of the season. The Silver Eagles also lost starting quarterback Bryon Cowen, but had junior Marc Perez-Echevarria (316 rushing yards, 7 TDs) step in capably. Hodgson is also getting rushing production from two sophomores – Tymier Sewell (342 yards, 5 TDs) and Sea’queris Wiggins (260 yards, 2 TDs).

Now, the two-time defending D-II champion Silver Eagles face an 11 a.m. Saturday kickoff at top-seeded St. Georges, which pummeled Hodgson 47-0 on Oct. 17.

“We went into halftime only down 14-0,” Moffett said. “If we had made a play here or a play there, but there were things we didn’t do well in that game. A lot of it wasn’t about what they did, it was about what we didn’t do.”

Sign ’em up

Last Wednesday marked the start of one of three periods in which high school seniors are allowed to sign a national letter of intent to continue their athletic career in college. Dozens of Delaware seniors made their decisions official, and here’s a rundown.

Softball: Hodgson’s Courtney Dellinger (Delaware) and Kendra Ziemba (East Carolina), DMA’s Kylie Quirk (Goldey-Beacom), Red Lion Christian’s Noelle Holiday (Georgetown), Polytech’s Whitney DeMora (Wilmington University), Taylor Pechin (Stony Brook) and Hayley Friess (University of Charleston); Wilmington Christian’s Daniela Solis (Caldwell).

Women’s basketball: Woodbridge’s Altia Anderson (Marquette), St. Andrew’s Olivia Gumbs (Lafayette), Ursuline’s Alyssa Irons (Southern Connecticut State), Sanford’s Taylor Sparks-Faulkner (Florida Southern).

Athlete of Week: Altia Anderson

Men’s basketball: Sanford’s Mikey Dixon (Quinnipiac).

Swimming: A.I. du Pont’s Alicia Diaz (Drexel), Salesianum’s Jack Portmann (West Virginia).

Baseball: St. Mark’s Andrew Reich (Delaware), Salesianum’s Nick Robino (Wagner College), Middletown’s Colin Peluse (Wake Forest), Dover’s Jordan Hutchins (Delaware) and Garrett Lawson (Delaware State).

Volleyball: St. Mark’s Addison Reich (Wilmington University) and Kara Wirt (Millersville).

Cross country: Salesianum’s Andrew Hally (Penn).

Men’s lacrosse: Salesianum’s Patrick Lyons (North Carolina) and Luke Bianchino (Delaware), Sussex Tech’s Nathan Hanenfeld (Catawba College), Tower Hill’s Doug McCoy (Furman).

Women’s lacrosse: Charter of Wilmington’s Jordan Wood (Davidson), Polytech’s Jamie Trabaudo (North Carolina), Brandywine’s Cady Burnside (Mansfield).

Golf: Salesianum’s Reed Winkler (St. Joseph’s).

Field hockey: Cape Henlopen’s Tess Bernheimer (Drexel), Lizzie Frederick (Temple) and Sydney Ostroski (West Chester); Polytech’s Alison McKay (Bloomsburg), Padua’s Molly Bobjak (Kutztown), Caesar Rodney’s Tara Daddio (Salisbury), Sanford’s Carter Ayars (Louisville), Mount Pleasant’s Kate Walker (Michigan) and Wilmington Christian’s Jenny Kurlej, Sydney Baffone and Annika Roberts (all Liberty) and Jenna Johnson (Towson).

Rowing: Conrad’s Tara Carr (Louisville), Mercersburg Academy’s Kate Hastings, a Wilmington resident (Virginia).

Rounding it up

• The Newark High boys basketball team will host a free, one-hour basketball clinic for ages 7-13 at 11 a.m. Saturday at Newark High. Also, Newark FCA will give families that sign up a complete Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Registration is required, and the dinner giveaway will take place after the clinic. To sign up, call Kevin Scannell at (302) 631-4700 ext. 14430 or email NewarkFCA@gmail.com.

Delaware athletes sign to play college sports

• Football players from Caravel outdueled football players from William Penn and baseball players from Conrad and Hodgson in a rib-eating contest on Sunday at Texas Roadhouse in Bear. The event raised funds for Easter Seals.

• Polytech has received approval to start boys and girls swimming teams in the 2016-17 school year.

• Salesianum (12-3-1) has moved into the USA Today/National Soccer Coaches Association national boys soccer rankings at No. 24.

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

Sanford’s Mikey Dixon, who signed with Quinnipiac last week, will lead the Warriors in Slam Dunk to the Beach Dec. 27-29 at Cape Henlopen.

Half of the 18 games in the Slam Dunk to the Beach boys basketball showcase will feature Delaware teams, including three games matching in-state opponents.

Officials released the schedule Monday for the Dec. 27-29 event. Cape Henlopen High in Lewes will again be the site as some of the nation’s top high school teams and players come to challenge each other and some of Delaware’s best.

Delaware teams will be a big part of the action on the first day, as Appoquinimink opens the event at noon Dec. 27 against Maret School of Washington, D.C. Mount Pleasant will follow against Bishop O’Connell of Virginia at 1:30.

Cape Henlopen will kick off the second three-game session Dec. 27 against Maryland’s Bishop McNamara at 6 p.m. The day’s final matchup will be an all-Delaware affair between Sanford and Dover at 9.

St. Elizabeth will get play started at noon Dec. 28 against St. Raymond’s of New York. Dover will take on Friendship Collegiate of Washington, D.C., at 3 p.m., and Sanford will challenge Indiana’s La Lumiere School in the final game at 9 p.m.

The final day will start and end with all-Delaware matchups. Mount Pleasant will meet St. Elizabeth at noon Dec. 29, and Cape Henlopen will go against Appoquinimink at 9 p.m.

The event is broken down into three-game sessions, with two sessions each day starting at noon and 6 p.m. Tickets ordered online are $58 for a full three-day pass. Daily tickets will go on sale at a later date. To order tickets, go to www.slamdunktothebeach.com or call (800) 441-7223 and press 3.

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

Slam Dunk to the Beach schedule

Dec. 27-29 at Cape Henlopen High School, Lewes

DEC. 27

Day session

Noon: Appoquinimink vs. Maret School (D.C.)

1:30: Mount Pleasant vs. Bishop O’Connell (Va.)

3: Friendship Collegiate (D.C.) vs. St. Raymond’s (N.Y.)

Night session

6: Cape Henlopen vs. Bishop McNamara (Md.)

7:30: Neumann-Goretti (Pa.) vs. Paul VI (Va.)

9: Sanford vs. Dover

DEC. 28

Day session

Noon: St. Elizabeth vs. St. Raymond’s (N.Y.)

1:30: Roman Catholic (Pa.) vs. Maret School (D.C.)

3: Dover vs. Friendship Collegiate (D.C.)

Night session

6: Paul VI (Va.) vs. Roselle Catholic (N.J.)

7:30: St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) vs. Westtown School (Pa.)

9: Sanford vs. La Lumiere School (Ind.)

DEC. 29

Day session

Noon: Mount Pleasant vs. St. Elizabeth

1:30: Roselle Catholic (N.J.) vs. Bishop McNamara (Md.)

3: The Patrick School (N.J.) vs. Bishop O’Connell (Va.)

Night session

6: Westtown School (Pa.) vs. Friendship Collegiate (D.C.)

7:30: La Lumiere School (Ind.) vs. St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.)

9: Cape Henlopen vs. Appoquinimink

Delaware Military Academy’s Sydney Fulton (7) made the All-State girls volleyball first team and was voted the state’s Player of the Year.

The Delaware Military Academy girls volleyball team had a great night Monday. And on Tuesday, the good news kept coming.

A day after finishing 20-0 and winning the school’s first DIAA state championship, the Seahawks placed three players on the All-State girls volleyball first team. Junior setter Sydney Fulton, who had 56 assists and 18 digs in DMA’s 3-1 victory over Archmere in the final, was named Player of the Year in voting by the Delaware Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.

Seahawks junior Victoria Taylor and senior Cassie Kowalski also made the first team, along with Archmere senior Tori Falasco, Padua sophomore Emily Jarome, Wilmington Friends junior Alyssa Nathan and Ursuline senior Kailyn Kampert.

Delmar’s Sandy Covington was named Coach of the Year. The Wildcats finished 11-7, won the Henlopen South title and earned their first state tournament victory in a five-set thriller over Appoquinimink before falling to DMA in the second round.

Padua junior Maddie Judge, Delmar junior Carly Covington, Tower Hill freshman Maddie Sachs, St. Mark’s senior Addison Reich, A.I. du Pont junior Sydney MacDonald, Caravel senior Sam Esper and Charter of Wilmington freshman Madeline Matheny were named to the second team.

Sanford senior Patty Swanson, Charter senior Kristen Edmiston, Ursuline sophomore Samantha Davis, Ursuline senior Liz Baffone, Padua senior Lauren Mellor, Tatnall sophomore Juliana Campbell and Archmere senior Sami Mengers received honorable mention.

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

No. 1 DMA captures first volleyball state title in undefeated season

Howard’s Earnest Austin earned All-Blue Hen Flight B first-team honors at quarterback.

BLUE HEN FLIGHT A

FIRST TEAM

Offense – QB: D.J. Johnson, sr., WP. HB: Grahm Roberts, so., Con; Ahmere Dorsey, sr., Del. FB: Titus Nelson, sr., WP. SE: Chichi Amachi, sr., WP; Anthony DelPercio, sr., Mid. TE: Frank Burton, sr., WP. C: Brandon Dooley, sr., WP. G: Angel Guerrero, sr., New; Dom Trotta, sr., WP. T: Brady Abraham, sr., Mid; Jackson Truitt, jr., Appo. RET: Chichi Amachi, sr., WP. P: Alan Becker, jr., New.

Defense – DL: Markel Weldon, sr., Mid; Elijah Lewis, sr., WP; Brandon Dooley, sr., WP. DE: Frank Burton, sr., WP; Jahleel Thomas, sr., MP. LB: Avery Roberts, jr., Con; Peter Cox, sr., Mid; Charlie Hope, jr., WP; Bryce Ciarlo, sr., New. DB: Zach Burton, jr., WP; Isiah Mitchell, sr., Mid; Nigel Bynum, sr., MP. K: Tyler Bierlein, sr., Mid.

SECOND TEAM

Offense – QB: Vincent DelPercio, sr., Mid. HB: Derek Thompson, so., Appo; Andrew Gaymon, jr., AI. FB: Aslan Pugh, sr., CSW. SE: Rob Myrick, sr., MP; Kevin Banning, sr., Appo. TE: Sam Goff, jr., CSW. C: Caleb Weatherford, jr., Mid. G: Tyler Narvell, jr., Con; Andrew Genet, sr., CSW. T: Tyreek Booker, jr., New; Elijah Lewis, sr., WP. RET: Andrew Gaymon, jr., AI. P: Frank Burton, sr., WP

Defense – DL: Tyler Narvell, jr., Con; Eric Hunter, sr., New; Xavia Green, sr., Mid. DE: Ty Henry, sr., Mid; Charles Leonard, sr., New. LB: Ronald Shipman-Scott, sr., MP; Spencer Harbert, jr., Mid; Jalen Bond, sr., Del; Brody Kennedy, sr., Con. DB: Brendan Sherman, sr., New; Shane Wilkins, jr., Mid; Carter Lamey, jr., CSW. K: Zach Dakin, jr., New.

HONORABLE MENTION

Offense – QB: Jashawn Johnson, jr., MP; Kenyon Yellowdy, jr., Appo; Andrew DelPercio, jr., New; Jordan Haynes, jr. AI. HB: Frankie Datillo, sr., Mid; Joe Greenwood, jr., WP. FB: Dannon Williams, sr., MP; Nazr Roberson, sr., New. SE: Zach Burton, jr., WP; Brendan Sherman, sr., New. TE: Nick Adinolfi, sr., Con. C: Ja’quon Batts-Moore, so., Del. G: Sam Mousley, jr., MP; Noah Given, jr., Appo; Mike Cicconi, jr., CSW; Kevin Burdett, so., Del; Kharon Newton, sr., WP. T: Jamar Garfield, sr., AI; Bill Beaudet, jr., Con. RET: Rob Myrick, sr., MP; Luis Echevarria, jr., Con.

Defense – DL: Khari Griffin, sr., Mid; Derek Sell, sr., Appo. LB: Kedrick Whitehead, so., Mid; Jay’Juan Jones, jr., AI; Sekayi Hercules, jr., Appo; Chandler Armstrong, sr., AI; Sean Carrol, jr., MP; Tom Steiner, jr., CSW; Kamau Floyd, sr., WP; Alex Pollard, sr., New. DB: E.J. Washington, so., Mid; Jalen Whitehead, jr., Mid; Brandon Dennis, so., Con; Akquel Williams, sr., MP. K: Ryan Juarez, jr., WP.

Coach of the Year – Randy Holmes, Mount Pleasant

BLUE HEN FLIGHT B

FIRST TEAM

Offense – QB: Earnest Austin, sr., How. RB: Gary Brightwell, jr., SG; Gerald Wiggins, sr., How. FB: Logan Gilbert, sr., SG. C: Danny Brooks, sr., SG. G: Shaquan Brittingham, sr., SG; Jeremiah Bluntson, sr., How. T: Jason Stewart, jr., SG; William Ricks, sr., Gla. TE: Doug Phillips, jr., SG. WR: Cooper Russell, sr., Chr; Korey Kent, jr., How. K: Eric Steinbeiser, sr., SG. P: Earnest Austin, sr., How. RET: Zakaria Barnes, jr., Chr.

Defense – DT: Stefon Woodruff, sr., SG; William Ricks, sr., Gla; Jason Rivera, jr., McK. DE: Logan Gilbert, sr., SG; Amon John, so., How. LB: Shaquan Brittingham, sr., SG; Jeremiah Bluntson, sr., How; Trevon Bordrick, sr., How; Jason Stewart, jr., SG. DB: NaQuan Watson, sr., How; Cooper Russell, sr., Chr; Austyn Warren, sr., SG.

SECOND TEAM

Offense – QB: Louis Hall, sr., McK. RB: Tavion Jones-Hill, so., Gla. FB: Will Morgan, so., How. C: Darin Matthews, jr., How. G: Kevin Tejada, jr., Gla. T: Jason Rivera, jr., McK; Jordan Chance, jr., How. TE: Shawn Bowman, so., How. WR: Michael Credle, jr., Gla; Reggie Ray, sr., McK. K: Louis Hall, sr., McK. P: Jordan Marucci, jr., SG. RET: Trevon Bordrick, sr., How.

Defense – DT: Darin Matthews, jr., How; Ryan Merritt, sr., SG. DE: Tremayne Pinkney, so., Bran; Marquis James, jr., Bran. LB: Vernon Young, sr., McK; Dante Williams, sr., Gla; Jalik Heyward, so., Hod; Quadaire Rogers-Chambers, sr., Bran. DB: Jasaan Cunningham, jr., Gla; Louis Hall, sr., McK; Nyree Williamson, sr., SG.

THIRD TEAM

Offense – QB: Isaiah Wilson V, so., Gla; Amir Young, sr., Bran; Jermain Banner, sr., Dic; Tordell Kemp, sr., SG. RB: DeJuan Outlaw, sr., Hod; Vince Smith, so., McK. T: Stefon Woodruff, sr., SG. TE: Austin Ward, sr., SG; Dominic Lombardo, sr., McK. RET: Louis Hall, sr., McK.

Defense – DT: Ammanuel Falice, sr., Hod; Rashee Scott, jr., Dic; Elijah Taylor, so., Chr; Jhemir Stanley, so., SG. DE: Chris Davis, jr., SG; Mark Harris, sr., SG. LB: Vaughn Wood, so., Hod; Herman Congo, sr., How; Johnnie Johnson, sr., How; Tymere Wilson, so., Gla; Kyleir Bell, sr., McK. DB: Reggie Ray, sr., McK; Edgar Mena, sr., Gla; Gary Brightwell, jr., SG; Bryon Cowen, sr., Hod; Malik Banks, so., How; Rajae Britt, jr., Bran; Zakaria Barnes, jr., Chr.

Coach of the year – J.D. Maull, St. Georges

CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

FIRST TEAM

Offense – QB: Garrett Cannon, sr., Sal. RB: Colby Reeder, sr., Sal; Chris Cropper, so., SE. FB: Zach Jarome, sr., Sal. TE: Nick Udovich, sr. Arch. WR: Jamai Rice, sr., SM; Jeremy Ryan, sr., Sal. T: Randy Sinnott, jr., Sal. G: Devin Schofield, sr., Sal; Nick Talley, sr., Arch. C: Ryan Ermak, sr., SM; David Hazelton, jr., SE. P: Will Frangia, sr., Sal. K: Pearce Bartlett, sr., Sal.

Defense – DE: Kyle Cathers, sr., Sal; Connor Dennewitz, sr., Arch. DT: Marek Easton, sr., Sal; Cameron Dixon, sr., SM; Zeb Wright, jr., Sal. LB: Pat Udovich, jr., Arch; Eric Cella, sr., SM; Bill Stradley, jr., Sal; Josh Patrick, jr., Sal. DB: Robert Baxter, sr., Arch; Michael Wilson, jr., SE; Colby Reeder, sr. Sal. RET: Jamai Rice, sr., SM; Jeremy Ryan, sr., Sal.

SECOND TEAM

Offense – QB: Billy Sullivan, sr., SM. RB: Peyton Schultz, sr., SM; Dan Bark, so., Arch. FB: Matthew Wambold, jr., SE. TE: Eric Cella, sr., SM. WR: Griffin Salvo, sr., Sal; Joey Carrow, sr., SE. T: Kevin Olsen, jr., Arch; Mickey Henry, jr., SE; Michael Groves, sr., SM. G: Cameron Dixon, sr., SM. C: Sean Keating, jr., Sal. P: Chris Ludman, jr., SM. K: Chris Ludman, jr., SM.

Defense – DE: Tommy Shields, jr., SE; David Balint, jr., SM. DT: Jamaal Whittlesey, so., Sal; Connor Davis, sr., SE; Dan Bark, so., Arch. LB: A.J. McGonigle, jr., SM; Zach Jarome, sr., Sal; Evan Mullin, sr., Sal; Anthony Mazewski, sr., SE. DB: Griffin Salvo, sr., Sal; Ben Revak, sr., Arch; Michael Rawding, sr., SM. RET: John Andreoli, jr., Sal.

NON-CONFERENCE

FIRST TEAM

Offense – QB: Jacob Hudson, jr., DMA. RB: Alphaeus Hanson, sr., DMA; Elijah Walton, jr., Conr. FB: Jake Laznik, so., Car. TE: Paul Wolfe, sr., DMA. WR: Trevor Hill, sr., DMA; Jeffrey Gillis, sr., DMA. OL: Alex Cross, so., DMA; Zach Daniels, sr., Conr; Nick Boc, sr., DMA; Jake Reed, jr., Car; Buzz Thompson, sr., Car. P: Dayne Llamas, sr., Conr. K: Maverick Jackson, jr., Car.

Defense – DE: Magnus Womble, jr., Car; Paul Wolfe, sr., DMA. DT: Alex Cross, sr., DMA; Buzz Thompson, sr., Car; Nick Boc, sr., DMA. LB: Keith Medley, jr., Car; Lawrence Brown, so., Conr; Brennan Hazewski, jr., DMA; Ray Sanchez, sr., Conr. DB: Mandela Montgomery, so., Car; Trevor Hill, sr., DMA; Jeffrey Gillis, sr., DMA. RET: Josiah Larkins, so., Car.

SECOND TEAM

Offense – QB: Dayne Llamas, sr., Conr. RB: Todd Turner, jr., DMA; Jean Marc Wampler, sr., RLCA. FB: Brennan Hazewski, jr., DMA. TE: Lawrence Brown, so., Conr. WR: Tim Metzler, jr., Conr; Zach Pancake, so., RLCA. OL: Curtis Linton, jr., Car; Brandon Kessler, so., DMA; Hunter Balback, so., DMA; Johnathon Greenwell, sr., RLCA; T.J. Thomas, sr., DMA. P: Colin Smith, fr., DMA. K: Daniel Rhoades, sr., DMA.

Defense – DE: Jahmere Oakley, jr., DMA; Mike Shields, so., Conr. DT: Zach Daniels, sr., Conr; George Flowers, sr., RLCA; Curtis Linton, jr., Car. LB: Marcus Brooks, jr., DMA; A.J. Taylor, sr., DMA; Elijah Walton, jr., Conr; Jean Marc Wampler, sr., RLCA. DB: Amere Park Brown, jr., Conr; Jake Pancake, fr., RLCA; Jacob Hudson, jr., DMA. RET: Corahn Alleyne, fr., DMA.

HENLOPEN NORTH

FIRST TEAM

Offense – TE: Jordan Marvel, jr., ST. WR: Donte Ritchie, sr., Smy; Brandon Bishop, sr., Smy. T: Jerren Carter, jr., Smy; Myles Vernet, jr., SC. G: Terren Carter, sr., Smy; Zach Kuhns, jr., SC. C: Tyler Rosello, sr., Dov. QB: Triston Harris, sr., Dov. RB: Kiante Sturgis, sr., SC; Will Knight, so., Smy. FB: Timaun Williams, jr., ST. K: Mark Bonnie, sr., Poly. P: Mark Bonnie, sr., Poly.

Defense – DE: Jamier Smith, jr., Smy; Michael Williams, sr. Cape. DT: John Morris, jr., SC; Tyler Rosello, sr., Dov; Jeff Campbell, sr., Smy. LB: Jeremiah Smack, sr., Cape; Eli Hutchinson, jr., Smy; Melvin Jackson, sr., Dov; Mike Clavier, sr., CR. DB: Jimmy Harmon, sr., ST; Rodney Ruff, sr., Smy; Cory McCary, sr., SC. All-purpose: John Castro, jr., Dov.

SECOND TEAM

Offense – TE: Karim Beatty, sr., Dov. WR: Max Tolson, jr., SC; Dwight Wilson, jr., Dov; Breon Dennis, sr., Dov; Brian Lewis, sr., CR. T: Phil Nix, sr., Smy; Brandon Nixon, sr., Cape. G: Tyler Hatfield, sr., ST; Robert Mitchell, jr., Cape. C: Evan Gallaher, sr., Smy; Ryan Justis, sr., ST; T.J. Wooten, sr., SC. QB: Nolan Henderson, jr., Smy. RB: Pat Griffin, sr., ST; Jerry Warren, jr., Dov. FB: Mike Clavier, sr., CR. K: James Stock, sr., Dov. P: Zachary Dale, so., Cape.

Defense – DE: Brennan Stark, sr., ST; Ryan Bones, sr., CR. DT: Kevin Lynch, sr., CR; Brandon Nixon, sr., Cape; Marvin Spady, sr., ST. LB: Jordan Marvel, jr., ST; D.J. Doherty, sr., SC; Diron Accoo, so., Smy; Cory Lawson, jr., Cape. DB: Tuscan Wright, sr., Dov; Jason Rigby, sr., Poly; Deandre Sheppard, sr., Cape. All-purpose: Moses Carter, sr., Smy.

HONORABLE MENTION

Nick Biddle, sr., CR; Kolbi Wright, so., Cape; Jordan McCullough, sr., Dov; Logan Cluff, sr., Poly; Charlie Taylor, sr., Smy; Justin Jones, jr., SC; Zach Harris, sr. ST.

HENLOPEN SOUTH

FIRST TEAM

Offense – TE: Shawn Snowden, sr., Mil. WR: Bragg Davis, sr., Wood; Brion Murray, jr., Mil. T: Greg Jones, sr., Lau; Anthony Ash, sr., Del. G: Shymere Vessels, jr., Wood; Traequan Hardy, sr., LF. C: Jamar Brown, sr., LF. QB: Noah Feague-Johnson, sr., LF. RB: David Bowman, so., Mil. Terrique Riddick, jr., Wood. FB: Amir White, sr., LF. K: Arlis Henriquez, jr., Lau. P: Jimmy Adkins, jr., Del.

Defense – DE: Shyheim Holden, sr., Lau; Leah Styles, jr., Wood. DT: Shymere Vessels, jr., Wood; Jamar Brown, sr., LF; DeAndre Cooper, sr., IR. LB: Jaylyn Magee, sr., Wood; Lance Harmon, sr., IR; Cameron Lewis, jr., LF; Ryan Jones, jr., Mil. DB: Jordan Simpson, sr., LF; George Martin, jr., IR; Logan Thomas, sr., Del. All-purpose: Ben Moore, sr., LF.

SECOND TEAM

Offense – TE: DeAndre Cooper, sr., IR. WR: Garrett Temple, jr., Wood; Cameron Lewis, jr., LF. T: Zion Howard, jr., IR; Tyler Norwood, sr., Mil. G: Zack Baynum, sr., Lau; Joe Anderson, sr., IR. C: Jim Wood, sr., Del. QB: Jimmy Adkins, jr., Del; Perez Nichols, jr., Lau. RB: George Martin, jr., IR; Trevon Milton, sr., LF. FB: Kirby Williams, sr., Wood. K: Austin Aguilar, sr., LF. P: Leah Styles, jr., Wood.

Defense – DE: Dominick Caldwell-Sabino, sr., LF; Joey Anderson, sr., IR. DT: Andrew Risper, so., Lau; Kyle Longhany, sr., LF; Blaize Rayford, jr., Wood. LB: Brooks Parker, so., Del; Mike Handy, so., Lau; Dawaunta Parker, sr., LF; Dominyc Hovington, jr., Mil; Kirby Williams, sr., Wood. DB: Trevon Milton, sr., LF; Brion Murray, jr., Mil; Son Martinez, sr., Mil; Jawaun Rodriguez, sr., Wood. All-purpose: Ju’Wan Massey, sr., Wood.

HONORABLE MENTION

Isaac Austin, jr., Del; Gianni Gottschalk, jr., IR; Tyler Davis, sr., LF; Brendon Brown, sr., Lau; Greg Clark, jr., Mil; Zaire Frisby, jr., Sea; Josh Roth, sr., Wood

Henlopen Conference Coach of the Year – Mike Judy, Smyrna

INDEPENDENT CONFERENCE

FIRST TEAM

Offense – C: Matthew Rovner, jr., TH; Jason Saville, so., WF. G: Blaise Glowiak, sr., WF; Charlie Quimby, jr., TH. T: Matthew Denney, jr., WF; Karl Holler, jr., Tat. TE: Oliver Campbell, jr., Tat; John Paris, jr., SA. WR: Cameron Easton, jr., Tat; Donovan Simpson, sr., SA. RB: A.J. Falco, jr., TH; Sam Ragland, jr., Tat. FB: Stephen Maguire, sr., WF. QB: Justin Beneck, jr., WF; Drew Kobasa, sr., Tat. P: Nolan Delaney, sr., WF. RET: Kevin Turner, sr., TH. K: Chris Miller, sr., TH

Defense – DT: Matthew Denney, jr., WF; Brandon Nitsche, sr., TH; Noah Thomas, sr., TH. DE: Tom Cover, sr., WF; Karl Holler, jr., Tat; Dalton Ramsey, so., WF. LB: Garrett Hanrahan, sr., SA; Andrew Jaworski, jr., WF; Henry Gise, jr., WF; Harry Quimby, sr., TH. DB: Carter Cucuzzella, sr., TH; Jared Duncan, so., Tat; Johathan Gardner, sr., WF; Cai Johnson, sr., SA.

HONORABLE MENTION

Offense – G: Garrett Hanrahan, sr., SA; Dalton Ramsey, so., WF. T: Brandon Nitsche, sr., TH. TE: Richard Carroon, jr., TH; Tom Cover, sr., WF. WR: Myles Lane, sr., TH. RB: Jonathan Gardner, sr., WF; Henry Gise, jr., WF; Tristan Thomas, sr., SA. FB: Michael Gallagher, jr., TH. RET: Donovan Simpson, sr., SA.

Defense – DT: Daniel Adebi, so., WF; Andrew Zaiser, sr., SA. DE: Richard Corroon, jr., TH; Abdul Ogembe, jr., Tat; Tej Vaddi, jr., TH. LB: Tristan Thomas, sr., SA. DB: Khalid Horne, so., WF; Myles Lane, sr., TH; Taurus Pinkney, sr., TH; Kevin Turner, sr., TH

Cape Henlopen’s #2 Jack Ashby gains control of the ball over Salesianum’s #24 John Leonard in the second half of the DIAA Division I soccer semifinal game at Smyrna High School.

Cape Henlopen’s #14 Zachary Gelof heads the ball over Salesianum’s #11 Trevor Clare in the second half of the DIAA Division I soccer semifinal game at Smyrna High School.

Salesianum’s #11 Trevor Clare and Cape Henlopen’s #14 Zachary Gelof run for the ball in the second half of the DIAA Division I soccer semifinal game at Smyrna High School.

Cape Henlopen’s #20 Luke Mulcahy and Salesianum’s #10 Gavin Ford run for the ball in the first half of the DIAA Division I soccer semifinal game at Smyrna High School.

SMYRNA – To Nolan Constantine, the play unfolded in slow motion.

Charter of Wilmington’s junior midfielder saw Owen Johansson’s 50-yard free kick arcing into the penalty area five minutes into overtime Wednesday night. Constantine headed it into the net, and the Force edged Appoquinimink 2-1 in the semifinals of the DIAA Division I Boys Soccer Tournament at Charles V. Williams Stadium.

“Since it was going far post, I was actually trying to head it back across,” Constantine said. “I saw my teammates running in, so the thought was to go far post. That’s what I did, and it went in.”

The golden goal sent fourth-seeded Charter (14-3) into its first state final against Salesianum at 7 p.m. Saturday on the same field. Top-seeded Appoquinimink battled hard all the way and finished its season at 15-2.

“I was just watching the ball cross the line,” Constantine said. “When it went in, I was just ecstatic. I was so happy.”

The first half was scoreless, but the pace really picked up after halftime. Brian Shannon got Charter on the board in the 47th minute when he settled a bouncing ball and drove it home. The Jaguars tied it five minutes later, as an Appo attacker was taken down in the penalty area and Hadi Basma converted the penalty kick.

Then both goalkeepers made huge saves, as the Jaguars’ Jason Sommer stopped a left-footed blast by the Force’s Kevin Eriksen, and Charter’s Will Connolly deflected a hard shot by Appo’s Travis Romano. The Force’s Zach Bopp hit the crossbar from 25 yards out in the 77th minute, and it remained tied until Constantine made the winning play in OT.

“It was a tight game all night,” Charter coach Jon Gillespie said. “The opportunity was there, and it went in. Both teams played extremely well tonight, and we just got that opportunity and put it home.”

Salesianum 1, Cape Henlopen 0

The third time was a charm for Salesianum’s Gavin Ford, who finally got a shot past Cape Henlopen goalkeeper Brent Hochrein nine minutes into the first overtime to send the Sals into the final.

Second-seeded Salesianum (13-3-1) will play for its sixth consecutive state title on Saturday, a feat that would match St. Mark’s six-year championship run from 1996-2001. The Sals – ranked 20th nationally in the latest USA Today/National Soccer Coaches Association poll – have won 10 of the last 11 state crowns.

But the third-seeded Vikings (15-2) did all they could to end the streak. Both teams had a good chance in the first half, as Sallies’ Bryce Wallace hit the post in the third minute and Cape’s Drew Mulcahy whistled a 30-yard free kick over the crossbar in the 11th minute.

Hochrein (six saves) was phenomenal, firing his right hand out to deflect Ford’s point-blank blast in the 63rd minute, and making another brilliant save on the Sals’ sophomore attacker two minutes into overtime. But seven minutes later, freshman Thomas McGrail sent a free kick in to Ford and he scored the game’s only goal.

“Throughout the game, Cape’s keeper really made a couple of great saves,” Ford said. “On the last one, the ball just went through and I just tried to fire it on goal. Luckily, he didn’t save that one.”

The Vikings had their opportunities in the second half. Sals goalkeeper Gavin Campbell deflected Jack Ashby’s left-footed blast in the 41st minute, and Ashby sent a forceful header just wide in the 67th minute.

“We were fearful that they would take us out of our style, our system, which they did a good job of,” Sallies coach Scott Mosier said of Cape. “I thought late, our fitness level was still high. We’re deep, so we could rotate players in, and I think at the end of the day, that was probably the difference in the two teams.”

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

Sussex Tech’s Patrick Griffin (3) has rushed for 1,622 yards this season, and the Ravens likely will need a big game from him to win at Middletown.

DIVISION I

NO. 6 MOUNT PLEASANT AT NO. 3 SMYRNA

WHEN, WHERE: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Charles V. Williams Stadium, Smyrna

MOUNT PLEASANT (7-3)

KEY WINS: Newark 35-34, Concord 21-19, Appoquinimink 37-8.

KEY LOSSES: William Penn 31-13, Middletown 36-7, A.I. du Pont 26-20.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Jashawn Johnson (64-119 passing, 1,119 yards, 11 TDs; 267 yards rushing, 8 TDs), RB Dannon Williams (577 yards, 4 TDs), RB Jahleel Thomas (416 yards, 5 TDs), WR Rob Myrick (23 catches, 456 yards, 5 TDs), WR Nigel Bynum (25 catches, 353 yards, 4 TDs), WR Ronald Shipman-Scott (11 catches, 220 yards, 5 TDs), DB Nyair Small (79 tackles, 3 INT), LB Sean Carroll (60 tackles), DL Sam Mousley (53 tackles).

SMYRNA (9-1)

KEY WINS: Sussex Tech 42-0, Sussex Central 58-21.

KEY LOSS: Salesianum 76-56.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Nolan Henderson (150-214 passing, 2,795 yards, 29 TDs; 314 yards rushing, 4 TDs), RB Will Knight (1,423 yards, 26 TDs; 16-309 receiving, 4 TDs), WR Donte Ritchie (38 catches, 969 yards, 11 TDs), WR Brandon Bishop (38 catches, 619 yards, 6 TDs), WR Charlie Taylor (35 catches, 560 yards, 4 TDs), LB Eli Hutchinson (78 tackles, 13 for loss), LB Diron Accoo (45 tackles, 9 for loss), DB Jake Kaiser (52 tackles).

ANALYSIS: Two newcomers to the Division I playoffs. Smyrna’s offense has been unstoppable, averaging 55 points per game. But Mount Pleasant’s athletic receivers and defensive backs could provide an interesting challenge to the Eagles’ spread attack. The Green Knights should earn a few highlights, but Smyrna is flying high and will be tough to beat at home.

PREDICTION: Smyrna 55, Mount Pleasant 29

NO. 5 SUSSEX TECH AT NO. 4 MIDDLETOWN

WHEN, WHERE: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Cavaliers Stadium, Middletown

SUSSEX TECH (8-2)

KEY WINS: A.I. du Pont 27-26, Sussex Central 19-7, Cape Henlopen 38-21.

KEY LOSSES: Smyrna 42-0, Salesianum 42-7.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Justin Hill (29-61 passing, 593 yards, 3 TDs), RB Patrick Griffin (1,622 yards, 17 TDs), RB Timaun Williams (845 yards, 9 TDs), Jordan Marvel (77 tackles, 6 for loss), Cole Collins (60 tackles), Orlando Kelley (43 tackles, 5 for loss).

MIDDLETOWN (8-2)

KEY WINS: Mount Pleasant 36-7, Concord 44-21.

KEY LOSSES: William Penn 13-7, Salesianum 20-6.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Vincent DelPercio (84-146 passing, 1,302 yards, 15 TDs), RB Kedrick Whitehead (637 yards, 8 TDs), RB Frankie Datillo (269 yards, 3 TDs), WR Anthony DelPercio (27 catches, 436 yards, 8 TDs), WR Kenneth Edelin (22 catches, 341 yards, 3 TDs), LB Spencer Harbert (71 tackles, 8 for loss), LB Peter Cox (49 tackles, 7 for loss), DB Ernest Washington (45 tackles, 5 INT).

ANALYSIS: Rematch of a Division I semifinal last year, won by Middletown 37-7. Sussex Tech has enjoyed another fine season, but the Ravens’ two losses were decisive. Middletown has struggled with injuries, but the defense has been stout and the recent return of RB Frankie Datillo gives the Cavaliers a boost. Expect to hear plenty of cowbells.

PREDICTION: Middletown 27, Sussex Tech 14.

Quarterback Jacob Hudson (left) will be a key for DMA against Woodbridge on Saturday night.

DIVISION II

NO. 5 HOWARD AT NO. 4 TOWER HILL

WHEN, WHERE: 7:30 p.m. Friday, DeGroat Field, Wilmington

HOWARD (7-3)

KEY WINS: Archmere 38-30, Hodgson 28-7, Glasgow 38-22.

KEY LOSSES: St. Georges 35-14, Smyrna 56-6, Mount Pleasant 21-6

KEY PLAYERS: QB Earnest Austin (53-92 passing, 788 yards, 12 TDs; 329 yards rushing, 7 TDs), RB Gerald Wiggins (829 yards, 12 TDs), WR Korey Kent (24 catches, 455 yards, 9 TDs), LB Jeremiah Bluntson, LB Trevon Bordrick, DB NaQuan Watson (10 INT).

TOWER HILL (7-2)

KEY WINS: Conrad 24-7, Wilmington Friends 15-14.

KEY LOSS: Delaware Military Academy 35-0.

KEY PLAYERS: QB A.J. Falco (21-46 passing, 395 yards, 4 TDs; 599 yards rushing, 6 TDs; 42½ tackles, 5 for loss), RB Kevin Turner (351 yards, 3 TDs), RB Noah Thomas (196 yards, 4 TDs), LB Harry Quimby (50½ tackles, 2½ for loss), DB Myles Lane (33½ tackles).

ANALYSIS: Hillers are riding high after shocking Friends last week, and Tower Hill’s single-wing attack can be difficult for an unfamiliar opponent. Howard has competed well against a tough schedule. The battle-tested Wildcats have advantages in speed and experience at the skill positions, and that may be the difference.

PREDICTION: Howard 20, Tower Hill 14.

NO. 8 HODGSON AT NO. 1 ST. GEORGES

WHEN, WHERE: 11 a.m. Saturday, St. Georges Stadium, Middletown

HODGSON (6-4)

KEY WINS: Lake Forest 38-30, Caravel 22-20, Brandywine 46-0.

KEY LOSSES: Howard 28-7, St. Georges 47-0, St. Mark’s 24-0.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Marc Perez-Echevarria (39-96 passing, 652 yards, 3 TDs; 316 yards, 7 TDs), Tymier Sewell (342 yards, 5 TDs), RB Simian Smith (300 yards, 3 TDs), LB Vaughn Wood (50 tackles, 14 for loss), LB Jalik Heyward (46 tackles, 13 for loss, 5 sacks).

ST. GEORGES (9-1)

KEY WINS: Howard 35-14, Caesar Rodney 34-14, St. Mark’s 20-16.

KEY LOSS: William Penn 33-12.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Tordell Kemp (13-36 passing, 264 yards, 6 TDs), RB Gary Brightwell (1,154 yards, 17 TDs), FB-DL Logan Gilbert (647 yards, 10 TDs; 28 tackles, 10 for loss), WR Austyn Warren (9 catches, 164 yards, 3 TDs), DL Stefon Woodruff (40 tackles, 13½ for loss, 4½ sacks), LB Shaquan Brittingham (62 tackles, 14½ for loss, 5½ sacks).

ANALYSIS: Two-time defending champion Silver Eagles did well to scrape into the playoffs last weekend. But the top-ranked Hawks have won nine straight, including 47-0 over Hodgson on Oct. 17. The Silver Eagles may close that gap a little, but St. Georges coach J.D. Maull will remind his team that Hodgson knocked them out of the playoffs the last two seasons.

PREDICTION: St. Georges 41, Hodgson 14.

NO. 6 LAKE FOREST VS. NO. 3 WILMINGTON FRIENDS

WHEN, WHERE: 1 p.m. Saturday, DeGroat Field (Tower Hill), Wilmington.

LAKE FOREST (8-2)

KEY WINS: St. Mark’s 14-13, Woodbridge 9-7, Glasgow 35-27.

KEY LOSSES: Hodgson 38-30, Dover 41-40.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Noah Feague-Johnson (17-32 passing, 329 yards, 4 TDs; 632 yards rushing, 9 TDs), RB Trevon Milton (770 yards, 10 TDs), RB-LB Ben Moore (761 yards, 8 TDs; 60 tackles, 5 for loss), FB Amir White (558 yards, 5 TDs), LB Dominick Sabino (73 tackles, 16 for loss, 7½ sacks), LB Cameron Lewis (54 tackles, 9 for loss, 7½ sacks), DB Jordan Simpson (20 tackles, 5 INT).

WILMINGTON FRIENDS (8-1)

KEY WINS: Woodbridge 28-23, St. Elizabeth 35-0.

KEY LOSS: Tower Hill 15-14.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Justin Beneck (371 yards passing, 6 TDs; 396 yards rushing, 11 TDs), FB Stephen Maguire (465 yards, 10 TDs), HB Jon Gardner (257 yards rushing, 4 TDs), HB Henry Gise (469 yards, 5 TDs), FB Andrew Jaworski (204 yards, 5 TDs), SE Tom Cover (144 yards receiving, 4 TDs).

ANALYSIS: Quakers can’t suffer any lingering effects from last week’s loss to Tower Hill, because the Henlopen South champion Spartans are a tough assignment. Both teams like to grind it out and surprise with an occasional pass. A tight, low-scoring game wouldn’t bother Lake Forest, which has won four times this season when scoring less than 20 points.

PREDICTION: Lake Forest 20, Wilmington Friends 14.

NO. 7 WOODBRIDGE VS. NO. 2 DELAWARE MILITARY ACADEMY

WHEN, WHERE: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Baynard Stadium, Wilmington.

WOODBRIDGE (7-3)

KEY WINS: Indian River 34-0, Milford 17-14.

KEY LOSSES: Wilmington Friends 28-23, Lake Forest 9-7.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Troy Haynes (20-41 passing, 273 yards, 5 TDs), RB Terrique Riddick (966 yards, 9 TDs), RB Ju’Wan Massey (838 yards, 9 TDs), WR Bragg Davis (6 catches, 128 yards, 3 TDs), DL Shymere Vessels (93 tackles, 7 ½ sacks), LB Leah Styles (93 tackles, 6½ sacks), LB Jaylyn Magee (92 tackles).

DELAWARE MILITARY ACADEMY (9-1)

KEY WINS: Tower Hill 35-0, St. Elizabeth 22-21, St. Mark’s 49-21.

KEY LOSS: Archmere 17-2.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Jacob Hudson (53-80 passing, 922 yards, 10 TDs; 498 yards rushing, 7 TDs), RB Alphaeus Hanson (397 yards, 7 TDs), RB Todd Turner (332 yards, 8 TDs), WR Trevor Hill (15 catches, 249 yards, 3 TDs; 41 tackles, 3 INT), LB Marcus Brooks (65 tackles, 6 for loss), LB Brennan Hazewski (51 tackles, 4 for loss).

ANALYSIS: Both teams favor the run. Woodbridge may have a bit of a speed advantage, but DMA may have the edge in size and ability to pass. Don’t be fooled by the seedings, as this one could be close.

PREDICTION: DMA 24, Woodbridge 20.

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

Mount Pleasant’s Nigel Bynum (3) and Tiyree Cooper (11) try to bring down Smyrna’s Jared Gillis in the third quarter at Smyrna High School Friday.

SMYRNA – On a night filled with offense, a couple of defensive plays turned the tide.

Smyrna stopped Mount Pleasant on fourth-and-goal from the 1 late in the first half, then returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter. The big plays kept the Green Knights from getting any closer as the Eagles roared to a 56-32 victory in the opening round of the DIAA Division I Football Playoffs on Friday night at Charles V. Williams Stadium.

Third-seeded Smyrna (10-1) advanced to the semifinals, where the high-flying Eagles will play at second-seeded William Penn (9-1) at 1 p.m. next Saturday. Sixth-seeded Mount Pleasant, making its first playoff appearance since 1981, finished its season at 7-4.

Smyrna receiver Donte Ritchie gets past Mount Pleasant’s Jaire Brown for a 9-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter at Smyrna High School Friday.

Smyrna quarterback Nolan Henderson completed 13 of 24 passes for 276 yards and five touchdowns, with four of the scoring tosses going to receiver Donte Ritchie (six catches, 164 yards). Eagles running back Will Knight rushed 25 times for 245 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for six two-point conversions and passed to Ryan Seymour for another.

The Green Knights also went to the air early and often, with receiver Rob Myrick snagging seven catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Nigel Bynum added eight receptions for 86 yards, as Jashawn Johnson completed 15 of 27 passes for 219 yards. Backup Sayvon Willis came on in the second half and completed 5 of 12 for 102 more.

The teams combined for 1,010 yards of total offense – 567 for Smyrna, 443 for Mount Pleasant. Yet it was the Eagles’ defense that made a couple of game-changinig plays.

Smyrna’s first play from scrimmage lost 2 yards, but Knight went 75 yards on the next play to make it 8-0. The teams traded turnovers before Henderson’s first TD pass to Ritchie, a 9-yard screen for a 16-0 lead with 6:24 left in the first quarter.

The Green Knights answered quickly, as Johnson hit Myrick for a 36-yard score down the right sideline. But Ritchie turned another short toss from Henderson into a 27-yard TD to push the Eagles’ lead to 24-6 after one quarter.

Mount Pleasant responded with back-to-back scores, on 3-yard and 2-run runs by Dannon Williams, to pull within 24-20 with 7:10 remaining in the second quarter. Smyrna got the lead back to 32-20 when Charlie Taylor took a screen pass from Henderson 13 yards with 5:57 left in the first half.

The Eagles turned it over on downs after recovering an onside kick, and the Green Knights drove to a first-and-goal at the 10. Johnson’s third-down pass to Nyair Small reached the 1, but Smyrna stuffed the Green Knights on fourth down. Then the Eagles’ offense buzzed 99 yards in seven plays, including a short pass that Ritchie turned into a 50-yard gain. Ritchie capped the drive with a 13-yard score on a middle screen as Smyrna took a 40-20 lead into the locker room.

Then the Eagles’ defense came up big again. Henderson’s running punt was downed at the 1, and linebacker Jake Kaiser stepped in front of a pass over the middle at the 6 and returned it for a score.

Smyrna’s Jamal Powell recovered a fumble to quash Mount Pleasant’s next drive, and Ritchie took another screen from Henderson and scooted 37 yards for a 56-20 lead with 3:23 left in the third quarter. Willis threw a 46-yard touchdown bomb to Myrick on the Green Knights’ next play, but Smyrna had too much and moved on to the semifinals.

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

PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD

Division I

Middletown 42, Sussex Tech 7

Division II

Howard 30, Tower Hill 16

» More coverage, C4

Wilmington Friends junior quarterback Justin Beneck breaks through the reach of Lake Forest senior Ben Moore en route to picking up a first down.

WILMINGTON – Last year, when an undefeated Wilmington Friends team lost to Laurel in the DIAA Division II semifinals, there was no chance to come back the next week.

This year, the undefeated Quakers lost to Tower Hill in their regular-season finale. But they got a second chance in the playoffs, and Friends responded with a 34-14 victory over Lake Forest on Saturday. Ironically, the game was played at Tower Hill’s DeGroat Field.

“We got beat last Friday night. Tower Hill played great, they nipped us,” Quakers coach Bob Tattersall said of his team’s 15-14 loss. “Coming back from that is what is rewarding, satisfying. … It looked eerily like the same thing. We had a two-touchdown lead, they cut it in half, how are we going to respond? Our kids really came up big.”

Third-seeded Friends (9-1) was huge when it needed to be and got back into the Division II semifinals next weekend, against an opponent to be determined. Sixth-seeded Lake Forest (8-3), the Henlopen South champion, lost its playoff opener for the second straight season.

The Quakers mixed the run and pass to perfection on their first two possessions. The first march covered 74 yards in 13 plays, including Justin Beneck completions of 11 and 20 yards to Henry Gise. The second drive gobbled 70 yards in nine plays, highlighted by Beneck’s strikes to Tom Cover for 8 and 10 yards.

Fullback Stephen Maguire also did his part, rushing a combined 12 times for 50 yards. Beneck capped both drives with scoring runs of 1 and 4 yards as Friends took a 14-0 lead with 11:29 left in the second quarter.

“We were just looking for which plays worked,” Maguire said. “Our fullback plays were working better than anything else, so we were just sticking to what worked.”

The Spartans got back in it after Tyler Davis recovered a Quakers fumble at the Friends 32. Noah Feague-Johnson completed a 23-yard pass to Trevon Milton on third-and-14, and Amir White bulled in from the 2 to pull Lake Forest within 14-7 at the half.

The Spartans stopped Friends on fourth-and-goal at the 1 midway through the third quarter. But a 30-yard punt return and personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties at the end of the play got the Quakers all the way to the 8, and Beneck scored on fourth-and-goal from the 2 for a 21-7 lead.

Wilmington Friends senior Jonathan Gardner makes a hit on Lake Forest quarterback Noah Feague-Johnson during the fourth quarter.

The Spartans pulled within 21-14 on Milton’s 20-yard run with 8:30 to play. But Friends put together another nine-play, 70-yard march, and Gise’s 7-yard touchdown off right tackle pushed the margin back to 28-14 with 3:57 remaining.

Lake Forest’s final hope was extinguished by Cover, who charged in from defensive end to cause a fumble recovered by teammate Ikechukwu Adebi at the Spartans 26. Gise punched it in from the 11 two plays later.

“I came off the edge, and there was nobody blocking the quarterback. It was a straight line to him,” Cover said. “It was just right there for me.”

Beneck rushed 12 times for 64 yards, and completed 8 of 14 passes for 78 yards. Maguire grinded out 61 yards on 22 carries. Milton led Lake Forest with 54 yards on seven carries, but the Quakers’ defense held the Spartans to 122 total yards – just 39 in the second half.

“Especially coming off a tough loss to Tower last week, this means a lot,” Maguire said. “We wanted to make sure to have hard practices and really not let the team fall down.”

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

Football

WILMINGTON – With 7:32 left in the game, Troy Haynes was 0-for-4 passing.

But the freshman quarterback from Woodbridge lofted a perfectly place toss over the fingertips of two Delaware Military Academy defenders, and Bragg Davis pulled it in for a 20-yard touchdown.

Then the Blue Raiders’ defense kept the Seahawks bottled up, and seventh-seeded Woodbridge scored a 12-7 upset over second-seeded DMA in the opening round of the DIAA Division II Football Playoffs on Saturday night at Baynard Stadium.

Woodbridge (8-3) won its sixth in a row and earned a semifinal matchup at top-seeded St. Georges, at a day and time to be announced. The Seahawks completed the best season in school history at 9-2.

The Blue Raiders did much of their damage on the ground behind senior Ju’Wan Massey and junior Terrique Riddick – a pair of tailbacks who both weigh less than 140 pounds. Massey skittered around the edges 21 times for 125 yards, while Riddick ran 18 times for 56 yards.

The Blue Raiders got off to a flying start, as freshman Jamon Kane returned the opening kickoff 57 yards to the DMA 31. Woodbridge took nine plays to find the end zone, getting one first down when the Seahawks jumped offsides and converting a fourth-and-1 with a 2-yard keeper from Haynes.

Fullback Kirby Williams finally punched it in from the 4, but the PAT was blocked after a high snap to leave Woodbridge up 6-0 with 7:43 left in the first quarter.

DMA earned a couple of first downs on its first possession, then went all the way on its next drive. The Seahawks covered 59 yards in 11 plays, gaining a critical first down on a facemask penalty on fourth-and-8. DMA was facing fourth-and-12 when quarterback Jacob Hudson lofted a high-arcing pass into the back right corner of the end zone, and Jeffrey Gillis hauled it in. Daniel Rhoades’ extra point gave DMA a 7-6 lead with 5:18 remaining in the second quarter.

It stayed that way until the Blue Raiders launched their winning drive with 2:48 left in the third quarter. The 70-yard march took 15 plays and 7:16, with a huge play coming on fourth-and-8 at the DMA 36.

Haynes’ pass fell incomplete, but the Seahawks were flagged for holding to give Woodbridge a first down at the 26. Four plays later, the Blue Raiders were facing fourth-and-4 at the 20 when Haynes lofted the go-ahead pass to Davis.

DMA reached the Woodbridge 30 before turning it over on downs with 3:08 to go. The Seahawks got a final chance from their own 44 with 1:16 remaining, but couldn’t make a first down.

DMA managed only 94 total yards, with Hudson completing 5 of 8 passes for 45 yards and Alphaeus Hanson rushing six times for 28 yards.

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

Howard running back Gerald Wiggins, shown here against Glasgow, will lead the Wildcats against Friends in the DIAA Division II semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday at Tower Hill’s DeGroat Field.

Put down those shopping bags and get ready to watch some high school football.

The DIAA Football Tournament is rolling out a Black Friday doubleheader. Howard will take on Wilmington Friends in a Division II semifinal at 1 p.m. at Tower Hill’s DeGroat Field, followed by Middletown against Salesianum in a Division I semifinal at 7:30 p.m. at Baynard Stadium.

“It’s the Friday after Thanksgiving. It’s a day when a lot of people are off work,” DIAA executive director Kevin Charles said Monday. “It gives us an opportunity to almost have that Thanksgiving game feel. We’ve done it once or twice before and had a nice turnout.”

The other two semifinals will kick off at the same time – 1 p.m. Saturday. Smyrna will travel to William Penn in Division I, and Woodbridge will take the ride to St. Georges in Division II.

For the most dedicated fans, there is another advantage to the staggered scheduling.

“You can make it to three different games if that’s what you want to do,” Charles said.

The schedule for the Dec. 5 championship games has also changed from the previous two years. The Division I final will be played first this year, at 1 p.m. at Delaware Stadium. Then DIAA and Special Olympics Delaware will hold two Unified Flag Football games involving four Delaware high schools. The Division II championship game will be played under the lights, with kickoff at 5:30 p.m.

Remembering Bob Hukill

Bob Hukill, who went from first-team All-State at Wilmington Friends in 1974 to an NFL draft pick, died Nov. 12 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was 58.

Hukill, who grew up in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, played college football at North Carolina, where he started on the offensive line for the Tar Heels from 1976-78, mostly at right tackle.

He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round in 1979, and was later traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Hukill went on to become a commercial lender at Wachovia Bank, then spent 33 years at GrandBridge Real Estate Capital, eventually becoming senior vice president.

A memorial service is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Christ Church I.U., 25328 Lambs Meadow Road in Worton, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, the family asks friends to consider a donation to Wilmington Friends School, Hukill Athletic Endowment, 101 School Road, Wilmington, DE 19803.

More signings

Some of Delaware’s top high school senior athletes continue to make their college destinations official. Those signing national letters of intent in the past week include:

Field hockey: Woodbridge’s Sara Davis (Massachusetts), Smyrna’s Madeline Price (Shenandoah, where she will also play women’s lacrosse), Padua’s Maia Lee (Newberry).

Baseball: Caravel’s Brandon Fraley (Tulane), Lee Smith (Cabrini), Bryce Carney (Wilmington University) and Troy Marenco (Lincoln University); Caesar Rodney’s Quintin Ivy (George Washington), Smyrna’s Ryan Seymour and Jared Gillis (Delaware State), Archmere’s Andrew Orzel (Wofford).

Men’s lacrosse: Archmere’s Ben Revak (UMBC), Caesar Rodney’s Luke Rankin (Colorado Mesa).

Cross country: Caesar Rodney’s Jeanette and Nikki Beers (Wilmington University).

Softball: Caravel’s Holly Brooks (Campbell), Samantha Esper (Messiah) and Chloe Kennedy (Lock Haven); Caesar Rodney’s Rosa’lynn Burton (UMBC).

Women’s lacrosse: Caravel’s Delaney Chrisco (St. Leo), Caesar Rodney’s Abigail McGowan (University of Charleston).

Volleyball: Caravel’s Lindsey Pugh (Susquehanna).

Swimming: Archmere’s Elizabeth Jogani (Delaware).

Diamond State schedule

The opening-round matchups for the Diamond State Classic have been released. The high school girls basketball tournament will mark its 25th anniversary Dec. 27-30 at St. Elizabeth High School.

Wilmington Friends will kick it off against William Penn at 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 27, in a New Castle Insurance Cup game. St. Mark’s will follow against Oxford (Pennsylvania) in another New Castle Insurance Cup game at 11:45.

Then the four first-round games in the Saint Francis Healthcare Cup – the eight-team national bracket – will be played. St. Rose (New Jersey) will meet Archbishop Spalding (Maryland) at 1:30 p.m., followed by Bishop Loughlin (New York) against Neumann Goretti (Pennsylvania) at 3:15.

Following the tournament’s opening ceremonies at 5, Long Island Lutheran (New York) will play Central Dauphin East (Pennsylvania) at 6. Then Ursuline, the only Delaware team in the national bracket this year, will take on Jamesville Dewitt (New York) at 7:30.

The consolation game of the New Castle Insurance Cup will start the action on Monday, Dec. 28, at 10:45 a.m. Then two First State Orthopaedics Cup games will follow – Caravel vs. Seton Keough (Maryland) at 12:30 p.m. and Padua against Central Bucks East (Pennsylvania) at 2:15.

The championship game of the New Castle Insurance Cup will be played at 4, followed by two Delaware Cup games. Howard will meet Caesar Rodney at 5:45, with host St. Elizabeth taking on Damascus (Maryland) at 7:30.

The matchups for the final two days will be determined by the winners and losers from the first two days.

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

Delaware Military Academy volleyball player Cassie Kowalski poses for a portrait at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark on Wednesday evening. Kowalski and DMA volleyball team won the school’s first state title at the Bob Carpenter Center on Monday night in their 3-1 victory over Archmere Academy.

Delaware Military Academy volleyball player Cassie Kowalski poses for a portrait at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark on Wednesday evening. Kowalski and DMA volleyball team won the school’s first state title at the Bob Carpenter Center on Monday night in their 3-1 victory over Archmere Academy.

Senior, DMA volleyball

THE WEEK: Had 18 digs, 14 kills and two aces as the Seahawks completed a 20-0 season with a 3-1 victory over Archmere for Delaware Military Academy’s first DIAA state championship in any sport last Monday at the Bob Carpenter Center.

THE TITLE: “I think it’s really big for our school,” Kowalski said. “We’ve never been here in history, so it’s really big for our school and it’s big for me. I like to end like that, and it was a really good ending.”

THE VERSATILITY: “Cassie can do it all,” DMA coach John Grossman said. “She can hit, serve, pass, play defense, block. And she’s very smart. She’s always working hard and pushing the team.”

THE PERSISTENCE: “I don’t give up very easily,” Kowalski said. “In that game, I didn’t have my best offensive game, but my defense was still really strong. I don’t give up. I keep pushing every point.”

Delaware Military Academy volleyball player Cassie Kowalski poses for a portrait at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark on Wednesday evening. Kowalski and DMA volleyball team won the school’s first state title at the Bob Carpenter Center on Monday night in their 3-1 victory over Archmere Academy.

THE ADVANTAGE:Kowalski is the only left-hander among the Seahawks’ starters. “It makes it more difficult to read what she’s doing,” Grossman said. “It’s very hard to get a read on where she’s hitting or how she’s putting the ball in a certain spot. It’s a good advantage for us to have.”

THE VETERAN: Kowalski, a three-year captain, is DMA’s only senior this year. “I’m going to miss them, so I hope they’re going to miss me, too,” she said.

THE COMEBACK: Archmere won the first set of the championship match 25-22, but DMA rallied to sweep the next three – 26-24, 25-22 and 25-19. “We pushed through it,” Kowalski said. “We knew we’ve been down before. … Our mentality and our attitude really helped us out a lot.”

THE CLASSROOM: “I’m in AP Calculus this year. It’s really stressful, but I like solving problems,” Kowalski said. “I like the subject.”

THE FUTURE: Kowalski hopes to study biology and continue her volleyball career at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. Her long-range goal is to become an orthodontist or eye doctor.

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

Wilmington Friends quarterback Justin Beneck is brought down on the sideline after breaking a tackle.

Wilmington Friends quarterback Justin Beneck runs through the line for a nice gain during a DIAA Division II quarterfinal game against Lake Forest.

Wilmington Friends quarterback Justin Beneck hands off to senior fullback Stephen Maguire.

Wilmington Friends coach Bob Tattersall speaks to his team after its 34-14 win over Lake Forest.

Justin Beneck isn’t flashy, but he has a flashy statistic associated with his name.

20-2.

That’s the record the Wilmington Friends football team has put up since Beneck took over as the Quakers’ starting quarterback at the beginning of last season.

“Some guys are passers, some guys are runners,” Friends coach Bob Tattersall said. “You know what Beneck is? Winner.

“He won 11 games last year as a sophomore, and now he’s won nine this year. That’s not bad.”

On Friday, Beneck will try to put another one in the win column when the Quakers meet Howard in the DIAA Division II semifinals at 1 p.m. at Tower Hill’s DeGroat Field. A victory would put Friends in the final for the first time since 1984, when the Quakers won their only state championship.

Beneck’s other statistics are about even this season – 449 yards and six touchdowns passing, 460 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing. Asked which one he prefers after last Saturday’s 34-14 victory over Lake Forest, his response was exactly what you would expect.

“Whatever gets us the win is what I’m a fan of,” Beneck said.

The junior has a knack for giving the Quakers what they need, when they need it. Friends hasn’t been a passing team this season, but Tattersall thought the aerial game would be important in the playoff opener.

Beneck delivered, completing his first five passes for 52 yards in the Quakers’ first two drives. He capped both with short touchdown runs (1 and 4 yards) on option keepers to the right as Friends built a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

“We knew we had to come out and change some things up,” Beneck said. “We’ve had a good year so far with the running game, but we knew we had to pass the ball. We really haven’t had to show that at all. It worked for us in the beginning of the game, when we needed it.”

Two of those strikes went to end Tom Cover on the Quakers’ second drive, an 8-yard gain on second-and-7 and a 10-yard toss on second-and-8.

“We haven’t really done a lot of passing before this week, but we thought we could break it out this week,” Cover said. “We thought we could be effective with it, and it came up big.”

The on-target throws were no surprise to the coach.

“When he’s had to pass – and a lot of times we haven’t had to pass, so we haven’t done it that much – he hits big passes,” Tattersall said. “He’s accurate, and he keeps his poise.”

Beneck’s poise was tested when the Spartans pulled within 21-14 with 8:30 left in the game. The Quakers were facing second-and-13 on the second play of their ensuing possession when Beneck found Cover over the middle for a 14-yard gain and another critical first down. Typically, he gave his receiver all the credit.

“That was big,” Beneck said. “We had play action on that. He made a great catch on that, unbelievable. It was a bit of a bad throw, but I got lucky. He caught it.”

Then Beneck kept Friends going on the ground, taking keepers to the right for 6 and 11 yards on the next two plays. Two plays later, on third-and-4 from the Spartans 34, he gained 17 yards on a keeper to the left. Two plays later, Henry Gise scored on a 7-yard run to push the Quakers’ lead to 28-14 with 3:57 remaining.

“If we need him to run the ball, he runs it,” Tattersall said. “If we need him to pass, he passes it.”

And if the Quakers need to be settled, Beneck settles them.

“He’s definitely one of the more quiet leaders, but I do think he is one of the bigger leaders on the team,” Cover said. “He came in last year as a sophomore as the starting quarterback, and he has come up huge. He doesn’t lead a lot through a big rah-rah, but he’s a big leader behind the scenes.”

Again, the quarterback deflects any credit.

“I’ve just been a huge fan of leading by example,” Beneck said. “I just give the seniors a chance to talk and lead the team, and I lead by example.”

Beneck’s older brother, Troy, was a three-time first singles tennis state champion at Friends from 2008-10, and went on to become the University of Delaware’s career leader in singles and doubles wins. Last season, Justin Beneck guided Friends through a 10-0 regular season and a playoff win over Archmere before the Quakers fell to Laurel in the D-II semifinals. Now, Friends (9-1) is playing for a trip to the final again.

“My one-word description,” Tattersall said, “is winner.”

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

William Penn receiver-defensive back Chi Chi Amachi (2) could be a key factor on both sides of the ball against Smyrna on Saturday.

A few hours after Smyrna dusted Mount Pleasant in the first round of the DIAA Division I Football Tournament last Friday, William Penn receiver-defensive back Chichi Amachi tweeted exactly what most of Delaware’s high school football community was thinking.

“And the wait is over,” Amachi said. “Finally got a shot at these guys.”

Defending champion William Penn (9-1) will get its shot at the high-flying Eagles (10-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Division I semifinals. The Colonials’ Bill Cole Stadium will be the site of perhaps the most highly anticipated football game in Delaware this season.

“I love the matchup,” William Penn coach Marvin Dooley said. “This is what semifinal football is supposed to be.”

The clash of Smyrna’s spread offense and the Colonials’ fast, athletic defense is what makes the game so intriguing. The Eagles are averaging 55 points per game, by far the highest-scoring team in the state. No one has stopped them, as they even scored 56 in their only loss (when Salesianum retaliated with 76 points).

“If there’s a team that has the athletic ability to match up with us offensively, it’s William Penn,” Smyrna coach Mike Judy said. “We will see if they can do that or not.”

Eagles quarterback Nolan Henderson has passed for an eye-popping 3,036 yards and 34 touchdowns. But Dooley believes Smyrna’s most important cog is running back Will Knight.

Smyrna’s Clevon Witkowski intercepts a pass on a two-point conversion try intended for Mount Pleasant’s Ronald Shipman-Scott in the fourth quarter at Smyrna High School Friday.

The sophomore has rushed for 1,678 yards, 27 touchdowns and an astounding 47 two-point conversions. Knight is averaging 25.5 points per game – by himself.

“The guy that doesn’t get enough credit is that running back. He’s dynamite,” Dooley said. “You can talk about the quarterback all you want, and the quarterback is good. But you’ve got to stop the run. If you stop the run, you’ll beat them.”

Easier said than done. The only times Knight has been under 100 yards came against Appoquinimink (six carries, 53 yards in a 64-0 win) and Polytech (three carries, 32 yards in a 66-0 win). Clearly, he could have run for more in those games if necessary.

The matchups will be just as crucial when William Penn has the ball. The Colonials have the type of big back that could give Smyrna fits in 250-pound Titus Nelson (918 yards, 12 TDs). The Eagles’ defense had no answer for Salesianum’s 225-pound Colby Reeder, who ripped off 408 yards and seven touchdowns in Smyrna’s only loss.

“These guys are ridiculously talented,” Judy said. “The things they do, they’re fundamental and they’re simple, but they do them very well. Coach Dooley has the right guys in the right spots.”

The Colonials often like to plow straight ahead, just like Sallies.

“We’re going to have to get Nelson and their other running backs running sideline to sideline,” Judy said. “That’s what we do best, chase people down.”

William Penn has other weapons, including running backs Kamau Floyd (634 yards, eight TDs) and Joe Greenwood (485 yards, five scores), quarterback D.J. Johnson (1,057 passing yards, 16 TDs), deep threat Amachi (27 catches, 547 yards, eight TDs) and bruising tight end Frank Burton (17 catches, 269 yards, five TDs).

The Colonials also have the experience of winning the Division I title last year. William Penn also will be refreshed by a bye week as the No. 2 seed, and it will be Smyrna’s first daytime kickoff of the season.

“I’m glad we’re playing them now, with a bye week, because we have time to prepare for them,” Dooley said. “If you’re playing them week to week, they’re tough to prepare for. They run about 20 formations.”

And there’s one more thing. William Penn traveled to Smyrna for a scrimmage back on Sept. 3. And even though the Colonials sat out 10 starters and points aren’t kept during a scrimmage, both teams know the Eagles won – by a lot.

“We got throttled,” Dooley said. “I think our guys remember that, and I think playing them really helps us. It motivates us a little more.”

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