Salesianum’s Colby Reeder stiff-arms Middletown’s Kedrick Whitehead on Oct. 9. The teams meet again Friday night in the DIAA Division I semifinals at Baynard Stadium.

DIVISION I
NO. 4 MIDDLETOWN VS. NO. 1 SALESIANUM

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

MIDDLETOWN (9-2)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Sussex Tech 42-7 in first round of playoffs.

KEY PLAYERS: Frankie Datillo rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win, as the Cavaliers built a 21-0 lead three minutes into the second quarter. Kedrick Whitehead, who recovered a fumble to set up the first TD, also has emerged as a rushing threat and scored on a 26-yard run. The defense held Sussex Tech RB Patrick Griffin, who rushed for 1,622 yards during the regular season, to less than 20 yards.

SALESIANUM (9-1)

KEY WINS: Smyrna 76-56, Middletown 20-6, William Penn 30-13, Sussex Tech 42-7.

KEY LOSS: Father Judge (Pa.) 14-7.

KEY PLAYERS: TB-S Colby Reeder (1,783 yards, 28 TDs; 56 tackles), QB Garrett Cannon (64-112 passing, 950 yards, 8 TDs), WR Jeremy Ryan (27 catches, 402 yards), WR Griffin Salvo (18 catches, 236 yards), FB Zach Jarome (356 yards, 2 TDs), DE Kyle Cathers (62 tackles, 8 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries), LB William Stradley (56 tackles, 3 sacks), DT Marek Easton (58 tackles, 14 sacks).

ANALYSIS: Rematch of Oct. 9 meeting at Baynard, when Salesianum scored on drives of 31, 2 and 25 yards after Middletown turnovers and won 20-6. Cavaliers’ only touchdown came on a 74-yard run by Whitehead, with their other 23 carries going for minus-2 yards. But Datillo has returned from injury, which could give Middletown a boost. Reeder rushed 30 times for 181 yards in the first meeting. Cavaliers playing for their sixth consecutive trip to the Division I championship game. Middletown has seven state titles (three in Division I, four in Division II); Salesianum has seven Division I crowns. Sals are 4-0 against D-I playoff teams this year, winning by an average of 21.5 points. But Middletown’s turnovers made all the difference the first time, so if the Cavaliers can hold on to the ball the state’s best D-I scoring defense (8.6 points per game) should keep them close. Reeder has blocked five kicks this season, so he could block a Middletown extra point to win it.

PREDICTION: Salesianum 14, Middletown 13.

NO. 3 SMYRNA AT NO. 2 WILLIAM PENN

WHEN, WHERE: 1 p.m. Saturday, Bill Cole Stadium, New Castle.

SMYRNA (10-1)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Mount Pleasant 56-32 in first round of playoffs.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Nolan Henderson completed 13 of 24 passes for 276 yards and five touchdowns last week, with four of the scores going to WR Donte Ritchie (6 catches, 164 yards). RB Will Knight rushed 25 times for 245 yards and a TD. Knight also scored on six two-point runs, giving him 47 for the season. LB Jake Kaiser returned an interception 6 yards for a TD. But the Eagles were susceptible to the pass, as two Mount Pleasant QBs completed 20 of 39 throws for 321 yards and two TDs.

WILLIAM PENN (9-1)

KEY WINS: St. Georges 33-12, Middletown 13-7, Mount Pleasant 31-13.

KEY LOSS: Salesianum 30-13.

KEY PLAYERS: QB D.J. Johnson (1,057 yards, 16 TDs passing), RB Titus Nelson (918 yards, 12 TDs), RB Kamau Floyd (634 yards, 8 TDs), RB Joe Greenwood (485 yards, 5 TDs), WR-DB Chichi Amachi (27 catches, 547 yards, 8 TDs; 21 tackles, 5 INT), TE-DE Frank Burton (17 catches, 269 yards, 5 TDs; 65 tackles, 14 for loss, 7 sacks), DB Zach Burton (36 tackles, 4 INT), DL Elijah Lewis (62 tackles, 19 for loss, 6 sacks).

ANALYSIS: Smyrna offense is averaging 55 points per game. William Penn defense is allowing 12.3 points per game. So something has to give. Smyrna hasn’t reached a championship game since 1975, falling to Glasgow in the first Division II title game. William Penn won its ninth Division I championship last year, and the Colonials have won 21 of their last 22 games. Henderson has passed for 3,036 yards and 34 TDs, but William Penn coach Marvin Dooley believes the key to beating the Eagles is controlling Knight. That won’t be easy, as he has rushed for 1,678 yards and 27 scores. The Colonials hope to run it right up the middle, control the clock and keep the Smyrna offense idling on the sideline. It’s hard to imagine anyone shutting down the Eagles, but the defending champs may be able to outscore Smyrna either way.

PREDICTION: William Penn 49, Smyrna 48.

DIVISION II
NO. 5 HOWARD VS. NO. 3 WILMINGTON FRIENDS

WHEN, WHERE: 1 p.m. Friday, DeGroat Field, Wilmington.

HOWARD (8-3)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Tower Hill 30-16 in first round of playoffs.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Earnest Austin ran for three touchdowns in the Wildcats’ playoff opener. RB Gerald Wiggins and WR Korey Kent can take it all the way on any play, combining for 21 scores. Two-way linemen Amod John and Darin Matthews are tough up front, and DB Na’Quan Watson has 10 interceptions.

WILMINGTON FRIENDS (9-1)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Lake Forest 34-14 in first round of playoffs.

KEY PLAYERS: The Quakers have remarkable balance, averaging 35.1 points per game despite not having a single player with 600 yards passing, rushing or receiving. QB Justin Beneck rushed for three TDs last week, HB Henry Gise scored twice and FB Stephen Maguire had 61 yards on 22 carries. Two-way end Tom Cover leads a defense that held Lake Forest to 122 total yards, and DT Ikechukwu Adebi recovered a key fumble last week.

ANALYSIS: Both teams have only reached the D-II championship game once, Howard falling to Delmar in 2002 and Friends defeating Claymont in 1984. The Quakers have the state’s all-time winningest coach in Bob Tattersall (292-148-7) and have won 23 of their last 26 games. Friends minimizes penalties and turnovers and does a lot of things right, but Howard’s speed advantage may be too much to overcome. Look for the Wildcats to win a tight game with a two-point conversion.

PREDICTION: Howard 22, Friends 21.

NO. 7 WOODBRIDGE AT NO. 1 ST. GEORGES

WHEN, WHERE: 1 p.m. Saturday, St. Georges Stadium, Middletown.

WOODBRIDGE (8-3)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Delaware Military Academy 12-7 in first round of playoffs.

KEY PLAYERS: Halfback tandem of Ju’Wan Massey (21 carries, 125 yards) and Terrique Riddick (18 carries, 56 yards) controlled the clock, and freshman QB Troy Haynes’ only completion was a 20-yard TD to Bragg Davis for the winning points with 7:32 left last week. LB Leah Styles and DL Shymere Vessels lead a defense that held DMA to 94 total yards.

ST. GEORGES (10-1)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Hodgson 39-14 in first round of playoffs.

KEY PLAYERS: RB Gary Brightwell rushed for 178 yards and two TDs and caught a 25-yard scoring pass from Tordell Kemp last week. The Hawks intercepted four passes – two by Nyree Williamson, one each by Robert Shorts and Brian Benson. LB Shaquan Brittingham and DL Stefon Woodruff also shine.

ANALYSIS: Matchup of D-II’s two best scoring defenses – Woodbridge (8.6) and St. Georges (9.7). Both teams have four shutouts. The Blue Raiders are playing for their first championship game appearance, while the Hawks knocked off Woodbridge 37-21 in the 2013 semifinals en route to their only trip to the finals. Woodbridge has won its last six games, as a roster dotted with freshmen and sophomores has matured quickly. St. Georges has won 10 straight after putting up a good fight in a 33-12 loss to defending Division I champ William Penn in the season opener. The Hawks’ advantages in size and depth should make the difference.

PREDICTION: St. Georges 27, Woodbridge 14.

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

Howard running back Gerald Wiggins breaks through the Friends defense for a touchdown.

WILMINGTON – Earnest Austin was stopped cold. It looked like Howard was going to be facing fourth-and-goal with its season on the line.

But the Wildcats’ quarterback somehow wriggled away from a tackler and backed into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:08 remaining. Then the Howard defense stopped Friends’ final drive, and the Wildcats celebrated a 20-15 victory in the semifinals of the DIAA Division II football playoffs on Friday at Tower Hill’s DeGroat Field.

“The guy, he didn’t wrap me up, so I just kept my legs moving and I ended up in the end zone,” Austin said.

Howard was won 41 DIAA state championships, but none in football. The Wildcats will go for their first against the winner of Saturday’s Woodbridge at St. Georges semifinal at 5:30 p.m. the following Saturday at Delaware Stadium.

Fifth-seeded Howard (9-3) never led until their senior, third-year starting quarterback scored the game’s final points. Austin rushed five times for 39 yards and completed 9 of 14 passes for 82 yards, all while playing on a tender left ankle.

“That last touchdown, he just wanted it,” Wildcats coach Dan Ritter said of Austin. “You could see it. He got stopped, and he kept his feet churning. Next thing you know, he’s landing in the end zone.”

Third-seeded Friends (9-2) was playing in the semifinals for the second consecutive year, and the Quakers looked like the more poised team early. Friends ran its first eight plays to the right side before quarterback Justin Beneck went left for an 11-yard gain. A personal foul was tacked on to give the Quakers first-and-goal at the 10.

Beneck’s 4-yard pass to Henry Gise on fourth down put Friends on the board. After the Wildcats jumped offside to move the ball to the 1, Stephen Maguire plunged in for the two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead with 7:40 left in the opening quarter.

It stayed that way until Howard’s third drive of the second half. The Wildcats went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 43, and Gerald Wiggins gained the first down off left tackle, broke out of a tangle and went 57 yards for a touchdown. The two-point run failed, but Howard finally had some momentum.

“I saw the opening, I took it and just tried my best,” Wiggins said. “We got the job done.”

Wiggins finished with 23 carries for 177 yards. His coach wasn’t surprised to see the senior finally break one.

“He’s a grinder,” Ritter said. “He’s happy with 3 yards. Then he’ll get 6. Then the next thing you know, he’s running 87 yards. He works hard.”

But the Quakers responded with a nine-play, 63-yard drive. Beneck went the final 17 yards on an option keeper to the right, and James Prendergast’s PAT gave Friends a two-possession lead, 15-6, with 11:36 remaining.

Tresolini: It was a no-slack Friday in DII semifinal

“You’ve got to play through adversity,” Wiggins said. “Coach stresses that a lot in practice, play through adversity. That’s what championship teams do. So we picked it up.”

The Wildcats picked it up through the air, as Austin completed five consecutive passes on an eight-play, 55-yard march. Wiggins scored from the 5, then converted the two-point run to pull Howard within 15-14 with 8:09 to go.

“It’s the same thing as all season,” Ritter said. “We talk about second half, going hard. We run every day, and our guys believed. Once again, here it is. We’re a second-half team.”

Howard forced a three-and-out, and a short punt set up the Wildcats at the Quakers 42 with 5:49 left. Austin corralled a high shotgun snap and scrambled for 25 yards on third-and-9, then twisted free and scored the winning points three plays later.

Friends’ final drive started from its own 44, and three Beneck completions moved the Quakers to a first-and-goal at the Wildcats 9 with 42 seconds to go. Beneck spiked it to stop the clock on first down, threw incomplete on second down, and completed a short toss for a 2-yard loss on third down. Then the final pass went off the fingertips of a receiver in the middle of the end zone, and the Howard celebration began.

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

Middletown’s Kedrick Whitehead falls on his own fumble for touchdown as Salesianum’s Colby Reeder defends in the first quarter of a DIAA Division I state tournament semifinal at Baynard Stadium Friday.

Salesianum’s Zachary Jarome sets up the first Sals touchdown with a 55-yard run in the first quarter against Middletown in a DIAA Division I state tournament semifinal at Baynard Stadium Friday.

Middletown’s Kedrick Whitehead falls on his own fumble for touchdown as Salesianum’s Colby Reeder defends in the first quarter of a DIAA Division I state tournament semifinal at Baynard Stadium Friday.

Salesianum celebrates its win against Middletown after the final play in a DIAA Division I state tournament semifinal at Baynard Stadium Friday.

WILMINGTON – It came down to the final seconds, fourth-and-goal from the 2.

Middletown handed the ball to Frankie Datillo, and into the pile he went. There was no official signal for a few seconds, and then the decision was made.

Salesianum stopped the Cavaliers inches short with three seconds left. Then the Sals plunged into the line a final time and started celebrating a thrilling, 27-21 victory in the semifinals of the DIAA Division I football playoffs on Friday night at Baynard Stadium.

“It was inches,” Sallies tailback-safety Colby Reeder said. “Zach Jarome came in big off the side and stuffed them up, and everybody piled on. You couldn’t tell if he was in or not until the pile cleared. They were a few inches short.”

So the top-seeded Sals (10-1) will await the winner of Saturday’s Smyrna at William Penn semifinal before going for their eighth state football championship the following Saturday at 1 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.

Salesianum held fourth-seeded Middletown (9-3) to 112 total yards, just 50 in the second half.

“I can’t say enough about them,” Sals coach Bill DiNardo said of his defense. “They’ve been very underrated, and they’ve done a great job for us all year long. I think tonight showed it. That was a storybook ending.”

The Sals needed the final stand after Reeder (28 carries, 133 yards) fumbled at his own 18 with 2:51 left. Xavia Green recovered for Middletown.

“It scared me,” Reeder said. “Sometimes they just get a lucky hit on the ball, and I think he caught it just right where it squirted out. I was feeling the pressure, and my defense came through for me to get the stop.”

The Sals’ defense also made a game-changing play midway through the final quarter. With the score tied at 21, defensive back Michael Drake stepped in front of a Cavaliers pass on third-and-9 from the Sals 35. The junior took it 73 yards the other way, cutting across the field from right to left before being tackled at the 2. Reeder scored on the next play to push Sallies ahead 27-21 with 6:06 to go.

“I was able to get a good look on the quarterback,” Drake said. “I jumped the route. Unfortunately I didn’t score, but Colby punched it in for us. I ran out of gas.”

The Sals popped a big run on their second play from scrimmage, as fullback Zach Jarome went 55 yards to the Cavaliers 12. Reeder bounced it outside for a 9-yard touchdown run two plays later, and Sallies led 7-0 just 1:44 into the game.

But it took Middletown only 14 seconds to answer. Datillo ran the ensuing kickoff up the middle, cut right at midfield and outraced the defense to tie it at 7.

The Cavaliers didn’t get a possession until midway through the first quarter, but they cashed in on it with a 12-play, 91-yard drive. A pass-interference penalty kept it going, and Datillo ripped off a 36-yard run. Kedrick Whitehead took a toss to the right and dove for the pylon, and Datillo added a two-point run to put Middletown up 15-7.

A 14-yard pass from Garrett Cannon to Hayden Semyak on third-and-12 kept Sallies’ final drive of the first half going. Reeder scored on a 3-yard toss sweep to the left, but misfortune struck on the two-point attempt. Middletown linebacker Peter Cox tackled Cannon, and the QB stayed on the ground.

Salesianum’s Colby Reeder squeezes into the end zone with the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter against Middletown’s (from left) Alex Finch, Josh Freeman and Kedrick Whitehead in the Sals’ 27-21 win of a DIAA Division I state tournament semifinal at Baynard Stadium Friday.

Dr. Michael Axe, who was on the field immediately, reported that Cannon had suffered a fractured ankle. Sophomore Zach Gwynn, seeing his first extensive varsity action, stepped in at QB for the Sals in the second half.

“I just looked to my teammates, and they all believed in me,” Gwynn said. “Everybody came up to me, giving me pats, saying, ‘You’ve got this.’ I trusted them.”

Reeder went 33 yards on the Sals’ first play of the third quarter, capped the drive with a 2-yard run and added the two-point run to give Salesianum a 21-15 lead.

Isiah Mitchell surprised the Sals by picking up a rolling punt and returning it 12 yards, and a personal foul moved it to the Sallies 15. Datillo scored on the next play, but Reeder blocked the PAT (his sixth blocked kick of the season) to keep it tied at 21 going into the fourth quarter.

Both teams kept slugging it out, until the Sals held the Cavaliers inches short.

“This was such a game of momentum,” Middletown coach Mark DelPercio said. “It was swinging back and forth. In a game like this, you take advantage of momentum. I thought both teams did a nice job of that, and in the end, they made a play.”

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

Smyrna’s Will Knight celebrates after his Eagles’ 30-13 win against William Penn in a semifinal of the DIAA Division I state tournament at Bill Cole Stadium Saturday. Knight finished with 270 yards on 32 carries and 4 TDs.

The Eagles celebrate as a team after beating William Penn 30-13 in a semifinal of the DIAA Division I state tournament at Bill Cole Stadium Saturday.

William Penn’s Zach Burton (left) defends a pass meant for Smyrna’s Brandon Bishop in the fourth quarter of Smyrna’s 30-13 win in a semifinal of the DIAA Division I state tournament at Bill Cole Stadium Saturday.

Smyrna quarterback Ryan McNatt is tackled after a gain by William Penn’s Kamau Floyd in the third quarter during Smyrna’s 30-13 win in a semifinal of the DIAA Division I state tournament at Bill Cole Stadium Saturday.

Smyrna defensive back Jeremy D’Aguiar breaks up a fourth down pass in the end zone intended for William Penn’s Chi Chi Amachi in the first quarter of Smyrna’s 30-13 win in a semifinal of the DIAA Division I state tournament at Bill Cole Stadium Saturday.

NEW CASTLE – With 40.9 seconds left in the first half, Smyrna – which had been averaging 55 points per game – had zero points.

The Eagles trailed by two touchdowns, and their starting quarterback – who had thrown 34 touchdown passes this season – was being taken off the field on a stretcher.

The situation couldn’t have looked any bleaker.

But then Will Knight and the offensive line took over. The sophomore running back started taking direct snaps, and Smyrna dominated the rest of the way for a stunning, 30-13 victory over William Penn in the DIAA Division I football semifinals on Saturday at Bill Cole Stadium.

Knight was already having a decent game – nine carries for 49 yards – when Eagles quarterback Nolan Henderson was wheeled off as a precautionary measure after taking a hard hit to the head. Then Knight went into beast mode, rushing 23 times for 221 yards and four touchdowns the rest of the way.

“When Nolan went out, our team faced the worst adversity that you could possibly have,” Smyrna coach Mike Judy said. “… The kids never lost that fire in their eyes. I think if anything, it gave them more reason to play with that fire. They were doing it for No. 2 [Henderson].”

The third-seeded Eagles (11-1) will go for their first state football championship against top-seeded Salesianum at 1 p.m. next Saturday at Delaware Stadium. Henderson’s status is uncertain, but Smyrna showed it has one heck of a Plan B.

“That’s the contingency plan,” Judy said. “If Nolan is out, Will is going to run the show.”

Defending D-I champion William Penn (9-2) had its way for most of the first half. The Colonials built a 13-0 lead, as Kamau Floyd (12 carries, 99 yards) scored on sweeps of 13 and 15 yards. And William Penn reached the Smyrna 14 and 21 on two other drives before turning it over on downs.

It was looking good for the Colonials, and it was looking even better when Henderson left the game. But …

“It may have been the worst thing that happened to us,” William Penn coach Marvin Dooley said. “Because 25 [Knight] just took over. He was a one-man show.”

The show started on the first play after the injury timeout, as Knight broke a 17-yard run and a 15-yard facemask penalty was tacked on. Then Knight went for 17 more to the 1, and punched it in on the next play. The two-point run failed, but Smyrna was unexpectedly on the board with 21 seconds left in the half.

“It was huge, because we never really go down by that much,” Knight said. “We just had to execute harder.”

The Eagles had been averaging 38.6 points in the first half this season. On this day, they were thrilled to be down 13-6 at the half.

The Colonials caught a break on their first drive of the second half, as a false start penalty negated a fumbled snap for a 9-yard loss on fourth-and-2. William Penn punted instead, and Frank Burton’s 54-yard boot rolled to a stop at the 2.

But on the next play, Knight blew through a hole right up the middle. The Colonials gave chase, but couldn’t catch him. The 98-yard touchdown and two-point run rocketed Smyrna to a 14-13 lead with 7:59 left in the third quarter.

“We ran a power play to Will,” Judy said. “Put it in your best guy’s hands. We split them, had great blocking by the offensive line. They held their blocks for 4-6 seconds like we ask them to do, and Will is a special athlete. He finished the run.”

The Eagles’ defense forced a three and out, and the Smyrna offensive line of Phillip Nix, Robert Robinson, Evan Gallaher, Terren Carter and Jerren Carter kept pounding away. Backup QB Ryan McNatt gained 17 on a keeper and threw a 33-yard pass to Charlie Taylor, and Knight bulled in from the 7 and added the two-point run for a 22-13 lead with 4:21 remaining in the third quarter.

“We fight for each other. We fight for our brothers,” Knight said. “When Nolan went down, it was just a little adversity. We had to fight harder.”

William Penn missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt, and the Eagles’ defense continued to shine. The Colonials rushed 26 times for 154 yards in the first half, but managed only 18 yards on 17 carries in the second half.

Smyrna’s hurry-up offense slowed the pace and put it away with an old-fashioned drive that started with 7:30 to play. The Eagles took 11 plays to grind 85 yards, with Knight scoring from the 8 with 2:14 left. Then he added another two-point run – his 50th deuce of the season.

“Give Smyrna credit,” Dooley said. “They played a whale of a football game. Down 13-0, lose your quarterback, who I think is one of their catalysts, and they stuck together.”

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

Smyrna’s William Knight tries to get past William Penn’s Kamau Floyd on a fourth quarter scoring drive during Smyrna’s 30-13 win in a semifinal of the DIAA Division I state tournament at Bill Cole Stadium Saturday.

Smyrna High School running back Will Knight poses for a portrait at the school’s football stadium on Monday evening, November 30, 2015.

Sophomore, Smyrna football

THE WEEK: Rushed 32 times for 270 yards and four touchdowns, plus three two-point runs, as Smyrna rallied past William Penn 30-13 in the DIAA Division I football semifinals on Saturday.

THE COMEBACK: The Eagles were down 13-0 with 40.9 seconds left in the first half when quarterback Nolan Henderson left the field on a stretcher. Knight started taking direct snaps and rushed for 221 yards the rest of the way as Smyrna scored the final 30 points. “Just a little adversity,” he said. “We lost one of our brothers. Just fight harder for him, and let’s get through this game.”

THE FRESHMAN: Knight rushed for 961 yards and eight TDs and caught 22 passes for 417 yards as a freshman last season. “I was very surprised, because that doesn’t really happen often,” he said of starting as a ninth-grader. “That was just a blessing for me to have, to take it and run with it.”

Smyrna High School running back Will Knight poses for a portrait at the school’s football stadium on Monday evening, November 30, 2015.

THE COACH SAYS: “He is mature beyond his years,” Smyrna coach Mike Judy said. “He stepped in last year as a 14-year-old young man. … The first thing that stuck out was his maturity. How focused he was, how driven, how hard he works.”

THE PROGRESSION:This year, through 12 games Knight has rushed for 1,960 yards and 31 touchdowns and caught 16 passes for 309 yards and four more scores. Add an eye-popping 50 two-point conversions and Knight has scored 310 total points – an average of 25.8 per game. “I’ve studied more, I’ve worked harder and I’ve executed, made sure I know what I had to do,” he said. “What I’m seeing now is actually holes opening for me. Last year, I was a little more hasty. This year, I’m patient, like they told me to be. It’s finally clicking.”

THE POWER: “He’s physically such a powerful young man,” Judy said. “He’s very strong. He works very hard in the weight room. He’s obviously genetically gifted, he’s very fast. But besides that, he’s focused. He stops at nothing to make himself a better player.”

THE CLASSROOM: “Math comes easy to me,” Knight said. “I was always just good with numbers. It just clicks for me.”

THE FUTURE: The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Knight would like to play college football, but as a sophomore he has yet to hear from recruiters. “I plan on majoring in sports medicine so I can stay in sports,” he said. “Or physical trainer, to prepare people’s bodies for sports.”

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

Kevin Charles, executive director of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association, is calling Saturday’s DIAA Division I football championship game “maybe the most highly anticipated event we’ve had.”

The Division I and II football trophies were on display at The News Journal on Monday.

So on Monday, during the annual football championship luncheon hosted by The News Journal, Charles provided some tips to help spectators have the best experience. Top-seeded Salesianum (10-1) will meet third-seeded Smyrna (11-1) for the title, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

Ticket windows and gates will open at noon, all on the west side of Delaware Stadium. Charles strongly recommends arriving early, because a crowd of 10,000 or more may be possible. Salesianum defeated Smyrna 76-56 in an epic regular-season game on Sept. 25, creating intense interest in the rematch.

All tickets are $8, and will be good for general admission to both the Division I and Division II championship games and the Unified flag football games. But re-entry will not be allowed without a new ticket.

Fans can avoid long lines at the windows by buying tickets in advance, either online or at the participating schools this week. Online tickets, which add a 97-cent convenience charge, are available at www.diaa.ticketleap.com. More than 300 tickets had already been sold online as of noon Monday.

Tickets will also be sold from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily this week at the DIAA office, located in the Collette Education Resource Center at 35 Commerce Way in Dover. Advance tickets also may be purchased at the four participating schools, on the following dates and times.

— Salesianum: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at the school store and in the athletic director’s office.

— Smyrna: 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday at the main office.

— Howard: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at the main office.

— St. Georges: 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at the main office.

After the Salesianum-Smyrna game, two Unified flag football games will be played on the field simultaneously at 4 p.m. Caesar Rodney will meet William Penn, and Mount Pleasant will take on Middletown.

The Division II championship game, featuring top-seeded St. Georges (11-1) against fifth-seeded Howard (9-3), will kick off at 5:30. That game will also be a rematch, as St. Georges topped the Wildcats 35-14 in a Blue Hen Flight B matchup on Sept. 18.

DIAA and the University of Delaware also provided the following additional information for fans:

— Both the West and East stands will be open throughout the day, but end-zone seating will be closed. The home teams (Salesianum and St. Georges) will be on the West side, while the visitors (Smyrna and Howard) will be on the East side.

— In addition to the lots closest to the stadium, extra parking will be available at UD’s STAR campus, on the other side of South College Avenue.

— Tailgating will not be permitted at any time.

QB update

One team will definitely go into the DIAA Division I football championship game without its starting quarterback. The other team isn’t sure who will be behind center.

Salesianum senior Garrett Cannon suffered a dislocated and fractured ankle with 1:47 left in the second quarter of last Friday’s 27-21 semifinal win over Middletown. Sophomore Zach Gwynn went the rest of the way for the Sals, and he will start in Saturday’s title game.

Smyrna junior Nolan Henderson took a hard hit to the head and neck and left the field on a stretcher with 40.9 seconds left in the second quarter of last Saturday’s 30-13 win over William Penn. Henderson was hospitalized briefly as a precaution, but may be able to play against Sallies.

“His status is still uncertain,” Smyrna coach Mike Judy said Monday. “We’re very hopeful he can play, but we haven’t heard anything from the doctors yet.”

Henderson, who has thrown 34 touchdown passes this season, would be a huge loss. But Eagles running back Will Knight took direct snaps the rest of the way and rushed 32 times for 270 yards as Smyrna scored the final 30 points against William Penn.

“At this point, we’re planning for two different situations,” Judy said. “[Henderson] being there and running our offense as normal, or the contingency plan, which is Will Knight being the quarterback and running the offense and sprinkling in the backup quarterback, Ryan McNatt.”

Cannon, a two-year starter, passed for 964 yards and eight TDs this year. Without him, Judy expects to see even more of Sallies running back Colby Reeder, who ravaged the Eagles for 408 yards and seven scores in the Sals’ 76-56 win over Smyrna on Sept. 25.

“I feel bad for him and his family that he’s not able to participate in this game in his senior year,” Judy said of Cannon. “But they have enough offense to hurt people, even without Cannon.

“I think it will be a different look. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a little bit of wildcat, direct snapping to Colby Reeder. Anything to get the job done.”

Gwynn rushed three times for 1 yard and went 0-for-1 passing in the second half vs. Middletown. But he accomplished job No. 1 – operating the offense without a turnover.

The Smyrna game was one of Cannon’s best, as he completed 12 of 16 passes for 204 yards and three TDs. Salesianum coach Bill DiNardo said the Sals won’t be afraid to air it out with the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Gwynn this week.

“He’s more than capable,” DiNardo said. “He’s got a big arm. In seven-on-seven in the summer, he did very well. He impressed a lot of people. Even at some college camps we went to, there were some college coaches looking at him, looking at his arm.”

Time for hoops

Delaware’s winter sports season begins Friday, and that means basketball. Lots of it.

Both Salesianum and Howard have big football games on Saturday, but that won’t stop them from meeting on the hardwood at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Sallies. The Wildcats are always among the state’s top teams, and the Sals are the two-time defending DIAA champions.

The Tiger Tipoff Tournament will be Friday and Saturday at A.I. du Pont, featuring four girls teams and four boys teams. Action starts at 3 p.m. Friday with Tatnall vs. Wilmington Christian in a girls game. The Tatnall boys will meet St. Elizabeth at 4:45, followed by the A.I. girls against Brandywine at 6:30. The A.I. boys will wrap up the first day against Christiana at 8:15.

Saturday’s schedule has the girls consolation game at 1:15 p.m., the boys consolation at 3, the girls championship at 4:45 and the boys championship at 6:30. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for students each day.

The Dickinson Winter Classic will be played Friday and Saturday at Dickinson. The Dickinson girls will host Newark at 3:30 p.m. Friday, followed by the Newark boys against St. Andrew’s at 4:45. The Howard girls will take on Delcastle at 6:15, with the Dickinson boys going against Newark Charter at 7:30.

Saturday’s schedule has the girls consolation game at 10 a.m., the boys consolation at 11:30, the girls championship at 1 and the boys championship at 2:30.

With St. Georges and Howard meeting in the DIAA Division II football championship game on Saturday night, the inaugural Rumble By The River boys basketball showcase at St. Georges has been moved to Sunday.

The daylong hoopfest offers seven downstate vs. upstate matchups, with an $8 ticket good for all day. Sussex Central will tip it off against the Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security at 9 a.m., followed by Red Lion Christian against Delmar at 10:45.

Cape Henlopen will meet Concord at 12:30. St. Thomas More will take on Hodgson at 2:15, with Sussex Tech going against Howard at 4. Seaford will tangle with Appoquinimink at 5:45, and host St. Georges will wrap it up against Caesar Rodney at 7:30.

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

Howard quarterback Earnest Austin ran for three touchdowns as the Wildcats defeated Tower Hill 30-16 on Friday night.

Howard QB Earnest Austin (4) tries to break away from Friends tackler Andrew Jaworski during the DIAA Division II semifinals on Nov. 27.

WILMINGTON – Earnest Austin’s left ankle was throbbing, to the point where he left Tower Hill’s DeGroat Field on crutches after the game.

But first, there was a touchdown to score.

Austin appeared to be stopped on third-and-goal from the 4 with 2:08 remaining in last Saturday’s DIAA Division II semifinal against Wilmington Friends. His Howard Wildcats had trailed the entire game, and time was running out.

But Austin broke away from a tackler and tumbled into the end zone to give Howard a 20-15 lead. The Wildcats stopped the Quakers’ final drive to reach their first state championship game since 2002.

“My ankle was hurting the whole game,” Austin said. “But when I needed to pull through, I pulled through.”

Austin hopes to pull through one more time on Saturday, as fifth-seeded Howard (9-3) meets top-seeded St. Georges (11-1) in the Division II championship game at 5:30 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.

“Watching film of him over the last two days, he’s gotten better each week,” St. Georges coach J.D. Maull said Monday. “He’s definitely a leader for them. He’s athletic, and he makes some good throws. He’s the decision maker for those guys.”

Austin rushed five times for 39 yards and completed 9 of 14 passes for 82 yards in the semifinals. He was at his best late in the game, after Friends took a 15-6 lead with 11:36 to play. Howard had to score twice to win, and Austin made it happen.

“At the beginning of the game, I felt good,” said Austin, who first injured the ankle against Tower Hill in the Wildcats’ playoff opener two weeks ago. “But I had a couple of runs in the beginning of the game, somebody landed on it and it started hurting again.

“I just had to be a man and fight through it. That’s what my coach kept telling me. Especially at halftime, he said, ‘Put the team on your back and just fight through it.’ That’s what I did.”

Howard coach Dan Ritter was impressed. Not only with Austin’s effort, but his demeanor.

“He brings leadership. He brings calm,” Ritter said. “You don’t really see him get excited when he’s calling plays. Nothing seems to rattle him.

“He’s the calming effect on offense.”

It’s the type of influence you would expect from a three-year starter. The Wildcats had to open up the offense in the fourth quarter, and Austin delivered.

“I think we should have passed the ball all game,” he said. “When we did make the decision to pass the ball, I think I went about 8 for 8.”

Actually, Austin completed his final seven passes. But all of them were critical. He went 5-for-5 for 53 yards on the Wildcats’ next-to-last drive, including strikes of 13 yards to Trevon Bordrick and 17 yards to Shawn Bowman. Gerald Wiggins scored on a 5-yard run to pull Howard within 15-14 with 8:09 remaining.

“He took his time on the passes, found the open man,” Wiggins said. “The line did a good job blocking. But most of all that was good reading by the QB, by Earnest.”

On the final drive, Austin made the two biggest plays with his feet. He controlled a high snap and scrambled for 25 yards on third-and-9, then broke the tackle and scored the winning points three plays later.

“E is a good quarterback. He lifts the team up,” Wiggins said. “He’s a good role model for the team. He plays hard, and he showed that he’s physical.”

The Wildcats have knocked off No. 4 Tower Hill and No. 3 Friends on the way to the final. Howard has won 41 state titles in various sports, but a win Saturday would make its first football championship. The Wildcats lost to St. Georges 35-14 back on Sept. 18 – the second week of the season – but a young team has matured since then.

“We made history,” Austin said after the Friends win. “That’s what I kept preaching to the team, let’s make history. Let’s go out and shock the world.”

A championship would be even more historic.

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

William Penn’s Titus Nelson (obscured) draws a crowd to bring him to the ground during Smyrna’s 30-13 Division I semifinal win last Saturday.

SMYRNA – The last time the Smyrna defense saw Colby Reeder, it didn’t go very well.

Salesianum’s 6-foot-4, 225-pound battering ram of a tailback ran over, through and around the Eagles 34 times for 408 yards and seven touchdowns. The Smyrna offense was spectacular, scoring 56 points, but it didn’t matter much because Sallies scored 76 in an epic Sept. 25 matchup at Baynard Stadium.

Ten weeks later, both teams have made their way to the DIAA Division I championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Delaware Stadium. A rematch like this leads to a hundred questions, but the first one is this:

Can Smyrna’s defense stop – or at least contain – Reeder? If the Eagles can’t keep him from running wild, nothing else will matter. But Smyrna’s D has improved throughout the season, and both head coaches expect a better showing this time.

“We can go back and point out the things that we did wrong,” Smyrna coach Mike Judy said. “It was little, tiny details, which is what football comes down to. Missed steps, not taking proper leverage, taking on somebody with the wrong shoulder. Those little things mean so much, and we’ve been better at them ever since.”

William Penn’s ground game had success early against the Eagles, rushing 26 times for 154 yards in the first half in last week’s semifinals. Smyrna fell into an early 13-0 hole, but the defense stiffened and held the Colonials to 17 carries for 18 yards in the second half as the Eagles roared to a 30-13 victory. Smyrna held Titus Nelson, William Penn’s 250-pound tailback, to 66 yards on 18 carries.

“Smyrna is a very, very good defensive team,” Sallies coach Bill DiNardo said. “For them to hold William Penn, who is a really good offense, to 13 points and zero in the second half, they’re doing good things.”

Those good things come at every level of the defense, highlighted by senior lineman Jeff Campbell (34 tackles, 2½ sacks), junior linebacker Eli Hutchinson (team-leading 102 tackles, including 17 for loss) and senior defensive back Rodney Ruff (56 tackles, seven for loss).

All three know it’s going to be all hands on deck against Reeder.

“Playing soft isn’t going to get you anywhere,” Ruff said. “I think we’ve got a good feel for him now. Just coming out playing fast and strong, that’s what we have to do. What we did last time isn’t going to work.”

Since losing to the Sals, the Eagles (11-1) have given up just 119 points (13.2 per game) over their last nine games. But Reeder (1,916 yards, 32 TDs for the 10-1 Sals) presents a unique challenge. Smyrna will have to tackle him at least 30 times.

“He’s certainly been our go-to guy,” DiNardo said. “He’s a guy that wants the ball. He does not want to come out, he doesn’t want a rest, and he doesn’t want somebody else carrying the ball. He wants to carry it.”

The Eagles could see even more Reeder on Saturday, since two-year starting quarterback Garrett Cannon suffered a season-ending injury in Sallies’ semifinal win over Middletown. Sophomore Zach Gwynn will be making his first career start in the championship game, so the Sals may be a little more hesitant to pass.

“Now he’s the main focus since their quarterback got hurt,” Ruff said. “Everything is going to be around Colby Reeder. I think if we slow him down, we can win the game.”

The first line of defense is the 6-3, 290-pound Campbell, who will work to occupy Sallies’ beefy linemen and keep Smyrna’s linebackers free to chase the ball.

“As long as we play assignment football and fundamentally tough and sound, and we’re not out there being soft, we can handle it,” Campbell said. “We’ve gotten better over the year, and we’ve had adversity, and we’ve overcome. I think this will just be another step on the road.”

Hutchinson knows it will take a total team effort to frustrate Reeder.

“We’ve got to get our defensive linemen to occupy blocks, and we’ve got to get to the ball and get to him and tackle low,” the linebacker said. “It’s as simple as that.

“We’ve got to get 11 men on the ball. That’s what our coaches have been telling us to do, and that’s what we’re going to practice this whole week.”

The Sals have other weapons in fullbacks Zach Jarome and Peyton Mullin and receivers Jeremy Ryan and Griffin Salvo, who can be especially dangerous on reverses. But most of the time, Smyrna will know who it has to stop.

And the Eagles are going to pull out all the stops to make it happen.

“Colby Reeder is going to be hard to slow down,” Judy said. “We’re going to do our best. We’re going to throw all types of things at him, get him to slow down and make him think a little bit.”

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

WILMINGTON – Kyle Cathers has seen Salesianum win its last football game. And he has seen Salesianum lose its last football game.

Saturday will mark his last football game at Salesianum, and he has a clear outcome in mind.

“No senior year is complete without a championship,” Cathers said. “… I’ve done well. I’m very happy with our team, what we’ve gone through and how we’ve done this year. But we’ll find out how the senior year really is after this weekend.”

The answer will come a couple of hours after the 1 p.m. kickoff, as the top-seeded Sals (10-1) meet third-seeded Smyrna (11-1) in the DIAA Division I championship game at Delaware Stadium. More than 3,700 tickets have already been sold, and with intense interest on both sides the crowd could reach 10,000.

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Cathers has been a three-year starter, consistently wreaking havoc at defensive end. He also played some offensive tackle as a sophomore and center as a junior, and now he splits time with junior Josh Patrick at tight end.

“He’s had a great career for us,” Sallies coach Bill DiNardo said. “He came to us, he was like a big ol’ puppy dog as a sophomore. He ended up starting for us, had a great state championship game. He was one of our best players.”

Cathers had some growing to do, but his affable personality still shines through. Unless you’re across from him on the offensive line. He racked up 62 tackles and eight sacks and recovered four fumbles during the regular season.

“He’s a man. He’s plays like a man,” DiNardo said. “He plays very intense. He plays very sound football, and he can do a lot of things. He’s great on run support, he’s tremendous with pursuit, and he does a good job with his pass rush.”

He has upped his weight and his weightlifting every year while adding to his technical skills. The payoff was a scholarship offer from Coastal Carolina, one of the nation’s top FCS programs, and Cathers plans to sign his letter of intent in February.

“Not only have I been lifting a lot and getting stronger, but I’ve learned a lot of skill,” Cathers said. “Going to camps, working on footwork, handwork, getting off of guys. Football moving forward is just refining your skills and perfecting the small things.”

Those small things can turn into big things against Smyrna, as the Sals harshly discovered on Sept. 25. They defeated the Eagles 76-56 with an overwhelming offensive effort, but Smyrna shredded the Sals’ defense for more than 700 total yards.

“Our issue was tackling,” Cathers said. “We missed a lot of tackles. There were a lot of times we were on the screen, we had a hand on the guy who caught the screen pass, but we missed the tackle. Then he hits the seam, and he’s gone.”

A more sound effort will be critical Saturday, and Cathers will play an important role. He will often be chasing the play – run or pass.

“He pursues better than any defensive lineman I’ve ever coached,” said DiNardo, who has 257 career victories. “He makes as many plays away from him as he makes to him. He pursues like a linebacker.”

Cathers moved up to the varsity late in his freshman year, in time to see Sallies’ seniors feel the devastation of a 27-0 loss to Middletown in the D-I title game. The following year, he saw the euphoria his senior teammates experienced when they returned the favor with a 23-7 win over Middletown for the championship.

He remembers watching some of the Cavaliers after that game, studying their reactions.

“Everybody cries,” Cathers said. “You lose in the playoffs, you cry.”

He saw the tears from his senior teammates last year, when Sallies cut a 33-7 deficit to 33-27, but could get no closer against Sussex Tech in the first round of the playoffs.

So the only tears he wants to cry Saturday are tears of joy. That championship from his sophomore year was great, but Kyle Cathers wants another one.

“This would mean a lot,” he said. “To say I already have won, that’s something you never want to hear. No ‘I’ve been there, I’ve done that.’ To go out on top your senior year, it’s everything.”

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

Salesianum’s Kyle Cathers (left) pursues Smyrna’s Donte Ritchie during the teams’ regular-season game on Sept. 25.

St. Georges running back Gary Brightwell (21) breaks a 79-yard touchdown run against Woodbridge in the DIAA Division II semifinals on Nov. 28.

For the fourth straight year, St. Georges is the No. 1 seed in the DIAA Division II football playoffs.

But the Hawks have yet to win a title, and the weight of expectations grows every season. So St. Georges (11-1) has a lot on the line against fifth-seeded Howard (9-3) in the championship game at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Delaware Stadium.

“We feel the pressure,” Hawks coach J.D. Maull said. “I’m not going to stand here and lie to you. We feel the pressure as coaches, and our seniors, they feel the pressure. The freshman don’t feel it, but the seniors feel it.”

St. Georges also knows the Wildcats will have revenge on their minds, after the Hawks beat Howard 35-14 on Sept. 18. But that was a long time ago.

“Some things have changed,” Wildcats coach Dan Ritter said. “We played them Week 2. It’s now Week 13. They’re doing things slightly different than they were then, we’re doing things slightly different than we were.”

The biggest change could be in maturity, since Howard has a younger lineup than St. Georges.

“They play a lot of sophomores, and I believe those sophomores have grown up,” Maull said. “They’ve gotten better.”

They have also moved around. Junior Jordan Chance and sophomore Christian Francis have solidified the offensive line, senior Gerald Wiggins has been outstanding in a dual role at tailback and fullback, and junior Korey Kent has settled in at wide receiver.

“I think we’re a little bit more evenly matched, now that we have we as Howard have settled down and some of our kids have found a home in certain positions that they weren’t necessarily playing in Week 2,” Ritter said. “We didn’t tackle very well in that game. There were kids that we had out of position, and I think we have them in the right position now.”

Tackling will be key, because the Hawks will come straight at the Wildcats on the ground. In 12 games, St. Georges has thrown only 52 passes.

“Our mentality is we’re going to play football, and we’re going to beat you up. It’s a mentality. It’s an attitude,” Maull said. “On Saturday, we’re going to have that mentality.

“We’re going to go in there, we’re going to run the ball, and we’re going to try to beat you up. If Howard is tough enough to stay in there, then they win the game. But if they can’t, they’re going to be in for a long day.”

Speedy junior running back Gary Brightwell (1,309 yards, 19 TDs) leads the way for the Hawks, and senior fullback Logan Gilbert (670 yards, 11 TDs) is a power running threat.

“The most important key is obviously to stop the run,” Ritter said. “You’ve got to stop Brightwell, and then you’ve got to start looking at a couple of the other guys that run the ball very well for them.

“Then the second part is, you’ve got to score. You can’t win if you don’t score.”

The winner will score its first state football championship. Both of the Blue Hen Flight B and New Castle County vo-tech rivals have reached the title game only once, with St. Georges falling to Hodgson 38-0 in 2013 and Howard dropping a 35-6 decision to Delmar in 2002.

“I think it says a lot about our conference,” Ritter said. “It’s also two teams from the same school district. So it bodes well for both the conference and our school district.”

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

Smyrna running back Will Knight, show here against Sussex Central, has a chance to eclipse 2,000 yards for the season in the Division I championship game.

The wish of most Delaware high school football fans will come true at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Delaware Stadium will be the site of one of the most eagerly-anticipated games in the state’s history, as top-seeded Salesianum (10-1) meets third-seeded Smyrna (11-1) in the DIAA Division I championship game.

The anticipation was built by the first meeting between these teams. Everyone at Baynard Stadium on Sept. 25 witnessed one of the most exciting, unusual games ever, as Salesianum won 76-56. Both teams put up more than 700 yards of total offense, and instantly, everyone clamored for a rematch.

“Last thing we said when we left the locker room that night was, ‘If we do our job and they do theirs, we may meet again,’” Smyrna coach Mike Judy said. “It’s kind of a little bit of destiny coming to fruition. We’re going to meet them again, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

More than 5,200 tickets have already been sold, and a crowd of 10,000 or more is expected to turn out to see if the Sals and Eagles can put up as many points as last time. While both coaches know the offenses will be difficult to stop, neither think this game will be as explosive as the first.

“I have to believe it’s going to be a lot different the second time,” Salesianum coach Bill DiNardo said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a 7-3 ballgame, but I think both teams have shown that they are much improved defensively.”

The Eagles’ defense has allowed just 13.2 points per game since that night. The Sals’ defense has held opponents to 8.4 points per game since then.

“I just can’t foresee that happening again, by either team,” Judy said. “I can’t see them giving up 56. I can’t see us giving up 76.”

Of course, neither team has faced an offense with as much firepower since that night. But while Smyrna running back Will Knight (1,960 yards, 31 touchdowns) and Salesianum running back Colby Reeder (1,916 yards, 32 TDs) will be the marquee matchup, there are other factors that could swing the rematch.

Salesianum quarterback Garrett Cannon, who completed 12 of 16 passes for 204 yards and three scores against Smyrna, fractured his ankle late in the first half of the Sals’ semifinal win over Middletown. Sophomore Zach Gwynn played the second half and will make his first career start in the championship game.

“This kid could be the next great one at Sallies,” Judy said of Gwynn. “Not enough film on him to even know what he can do, so we’re going to prepare for him just like if Cannon was healthy.”

Smyrna has its own quarterback issue, as junior Nolan Henderson took a hard hit to the head and left the field on a stretcher late in the first half of the Eagles’ semifinal win over William Penn. Henderson has practiced some this week, but his status is still uncertain.

Henderson passed for a dazzling 495 yards against Sallies in the first meeting. But Smyrna was trailing 13-0 when Henderson went out against William Penn, and the Eagles switched gears and mostly snapped the ball directly to Knight the rest of the way. He rushed for 270 yards and four touchdowns as Smyrna rallied for a 30-13 victory, so the Eagles proved they are pretty potent either way.

“They’re very capable of playing any game they want to play offensively,” DiNardo said. “They can spread you out and make big plays there. Or they can go two tight ends and just smashmouth you, and [Knight] can make plays.”

With Cannon out, Judy wouldn’t be surprised to see Sallies borrow a page from his playbook. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Reeder rushed for 408 yards and seven touchdowns in the first meeting, so Smyrna knows what the Sals will try first.

“I think it will be a different look. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a little bit of wildcat, direct snapping to Colby Reeder, to be honest,” Judy said. “Anything to get the job done. This is the last game of the season, win or lose. So I would expect nothing else but them pulling out every trick they know.”

The Eagles like to make opponents uncomfortable by going for two after every touchdown (Knight has scored 50 2-pointers this season), employing onside kicks frequently and blitzing heavily on defense.

“We want chaos,” Judy said. “We want those 15- and 16-year-olds having to think and be scared. That’s what we want, and it has worked for us so far.”

So expect chaos. And expect Salesianum to do what it does best – send its massive offensive line straight ahead and hand it or pitch it to Reeder 30 times or more.

How many points will it take it win? 56? 76? When asked, the Smyrna coach had the perfect answer.

“One more than they score,” Judy said.

It’s time to find out how many that will be.

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

Salesianum running back Colby Reeder rushed for 408 yards against Smyrna in the first meeting.

DIVISION I FINAL
NO. 3 SMYRNA VS. NO. 1 SALESIANUM

WHEN, WHERE: 1 p.m. Saturday, Delaware Stadium, Newark

TICKETS: $8, available at the gate and online at http://www.diaa.ticketleap.com

SMYRNA (11-1)

LAST WEEK: Defeated William Penn 30-13 in semifinals.

BREAKDOWN: The Eagles’ offense showed they can do it all last week. After mixing the pass and run in a spread attack all season, Smyrna switched gears and went straight-up smashmouth against William Penn after QB Nolan Henderson left the field on a stretcher late in the first half. The result: 270 yards and four touchdowns for sophomore running back Will Knight, and the Eagles’ first appearance in the D-I title game. Henderson has practiced some this week, but his status remains uncertain. Still, Smyrna proved it can move the ball at will either way.

SALESIANUM (10-1)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Middletown 27-21 in semifinals.

BREAKDOWN: The Sals needed a goal-line stand in the final seconds to hold off Middletown and earn a chance at their eighth D-I title. Running back Colby Reeder rushed for 408 yards and seven touchdowns in a 76-56 victory over Smyrna on Sept. 25, and the senior has barreled his way to 1,916 yards and 32 scores this year. So there will be little mystery to Sallies’ offensive game plan: Hand it to big No. 28 and see what happens.

ANALYSIS: Everyone who witnessed the first Smyrna-Sallies game saw a classic, and everyone who wasn’t there hoped for a rematch. The time has come, but it’s unlikely we’ll see another 76-56 slugfest. It won’t be 3-0, but don’t expect two improved defenses to give up 132 points again. This game will likely be decided by factors that can’t be accurately measured before kickoff. How will Sallies sophomore Zach Gwynn perform in his first career start at quarterback? Will Smyrna quarterback Nolan Henderson play, and if he plays, will he be able to play the entire game at his usual effectiveness? The best guesses are Gwynn will do just fine, and the Smyrna offense will be potent with or without Henderson. And a late turnover (yes, a play by the defense) could decide it.

PREDICTION: Salesianum 42, Smyrna 38.

DIVISION II FINAL
NO. 5 HOWARD VS. NO. 1 ST. GEORGES

WHEN, WHERE: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Delaware Stadium, Newark.

TICKETS: $8, available at the gate and online at http://www.diaa.ticketleap.com

HOWARD (9-3)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Wilmington Friends 20-15 in semifinals.

BREAKDOWN: The Wildcats showed a tremendous amount of grit last week, overcoming a 15-6 deficit in the fourth quarter to reach the championship game for only the second time in school history. Three-year starting quarterback Earnest Austin can make plays with both his arm and feet, although a tender left ankle could be a factor. Senior Gerald Wiggins is a dangerous running threat, and a talented sophomore class is maturing quickly and playing big roles in some key spots.

ST. GEORGES (11-1)

LAST WEEK: Defeated Woodbridge 33-14 in semifinals.

KEY PLAYERS: The Hawks have won 11 straight since putting up a good fight in a 33-12 loss to defending Division I state champ William Penn in their season opener. St. Georges does it with a hard-nosed mentality on both sides of the ball, running it with tailback Gary Brightwell and shutting down opponents with the strength and tackling of lineman Stefon Woodruff and linebacker Shaquan Brittingham. Opponents know what is coming when they play the Hawks, but stopping it is another story.

ANALYSIS: This is another rematch, as St. Georges defeated Howard 35-14 in a Blue Hen Flight B game on Sept. 18. Both teams have improved since then, with the young Wildcats likely making a bigger jump as they gained experience. St. Georges has been the No. 1 seed in the Division II playoffs for four straight years, but was upset by Archmere in the first round in 2012 and lost to the all-around brilliance of Ray Jones and Hodgson the next two years. Expect Howard to close the gap and make it a better game this time, but the Wildcats don’t have an overwhelming talent like Jones to keep St. Georges from winning its first football title.

PREDICTION: St. Georges 27, Howard 20

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

Howard’s Fahmee Lewis (top) defends as Salesianum’s Mike Kempski works on the perimeter in the first half of Salesianum’s 59-52 opener win at home Friday.

WILMINGTON – When Howard suddenly turned a 15-point deficit into a tie game over a five-minute stretch in the second half, Salesianum basketball coach Brendan Haley wasn’t surprised.

With a young team including four freshman and a prominent sophomore, Haley expects some bumps in the road this season. But the Sals also have the size and talent to navigate most roadblocks, and they settled down and drove away to a 59-52 victory in their season opener Friday night at Birkenheuer Memorial Gymnasium.

“We’ve got a lot of young talent, for sure,” Haley said. “There were signs, obviously, of a bright future. There were also signs of youth tonight. We did a lot of things that we know will get better, and it was not unexpected.”

Salesianum (1-0), the two-time defending DIAA champion, got its first glimpse of 6-foot-8 freshman center Tariq Ingraham, who pumped in 21 points and pulled down 17 rebounds in his high school debut.

“It was pretty fun, playing with new guys,” Ingraham said. “I made a couple of rookie mistakes that I shouldn’t have made, but other than that I think it was a good game.”

Ingraham danced across the lane and turned a pass from fellow freshman Trevor Alderman into a layup to give Sallies a 38-23 lead with 3:02 left in the third quarter. But the Wildcats (0-1) ratcheted up the defensive pressure and turned steals into transition points, tying it at 45 on two free throws by Kineph Turner with 5:46 to play.

Haley called a couple of timeouts to settle his team, and they regained control.

“We just talked about trying to slow down, and deal with what was right in front of them,” the Sals’ coach said.

Juwell Campbell put back an offensive rebound and scored a layup off of Alderman’s fast-break pass to put Sallies up 49-45. After two more free throws by Turner, Campbell made two more layups off of assists by Alderman and freshman Fahmir Ali for a 53-47 lead with 3:19 to play.

Then Ingraham took over, dunking off an assist from Campbell and scoring on his third straight offensive rebound to make it 57-47 with 1:59 remaining.

“He’s pretty special at this age already,” Haley said of Ingraham. “Obviously, there is what could happen. There is a lot of potential there for him going forward.

“He was drifting away from the rim more than I would have liked at times. I was trying to encourage him to get in there with some offensive rebounding. But when it was late, I was excited to see him stick his nose in there.”

The Sals also got 14 points and seven rebounds from 6-6 sophomore Paul Brown, who returns after earning extensive playing time as a freshman last season.

“We have a lot different team,” Brown said. “We’re a lot younger and inexperienced, but I think we’ll go a long way with the talent.”

Howard got 17 points from Kineph Turner, 15 from freshman Kwa-Jree Turner and 11 from sophomore LaMar Woody.

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

Salesianum Tariq Ingraham stymies a late drive by Howard’s Kineph Turner in the fourth quarter of Salesianum’s 59-52 opener win at home Friday.

The Eagles celebrate their 32-26 overtime win in the DIAA Division I state high school tournament championship game at Delaware Stadium Saturday.

The Eagles celebrate their 32-26 overtime win in the DIAA Division I state high school tournament championship game at Delaware Stadium Saturday.

Smyrna’s Will Knight celebrates the Eagles’ 32-26 overtime win in the DIAA Division I state high school tournament championship game at Delaware Stadium Saturday.

The Eagles celebrate their 32-26 overtime win in the DIAA Division I state high school tournament championship game at Delaware Stadium Saturday.

Smyrna’s Will Knight steps into the end zone from one-yard out for the only score of overtime in the Eagles’ 32-26 overtime win in the DIAA Division I state high school tournament championship game at Delaware Stadium Saturday.

Smyrna’s Jamal Powell makes sure Salesianum’s Jeremy Ryan doesn’t catch a fourth quarter pass in the Eagles’ 32-26 overtime win in the DIAA Division I state high school tournament championship game at Delaware Stadium Saturday.

Salesianum running back Colby Reeder is stopped by the Smyrna defense at the goal line on third down in overtime of the Eagles’ 32-26 overtime win in the DIAA Division I state high school tournament championship game at Delaware Stadium Saturday. The Eagles stopped Reeder again on fourth down to claim the title.

Smyrna receives the championship trophy after the Eagles’ 32-26 overtime win against Salesianum in the DIAA Division I state high school tournament final game at Delaware Stadium Saturday.

NEWARK – On Sept. 25, the Smyrna defense gave up more than 700 yards and 76 points against Salesianum.

On Saturday, on fourth-and-goal from inside the 1 in overtime of the DIAA Division I championship game, the Eagles didn’t give an inch.

Linebacker Eli Hutchinson timed the snap perfectly and crushed tailback Colby Reeder for a 3-yard loss, and Smyrna won its first state football title with a heart-pounding, 32-26 victory over the Sals at Delaware Stadium.

“I knew where the ball was going. I knew they were going to power it up and give it to their player, 28, Colby Reeder,” Hutchinson said. “I was really hoping that we didn’t get a flag, because I realized that I thought I went offsides. I timed it up so much.”

Hutchinson’s timing couldn’t have been better, and the third-seeded Eagles (12-1) ran to midfield in a wild celebration.

“He just sniffed it out and shot a gap and let his instincts take over,” Smyrna coach Mike Judy said of his linebacker. “It helps when you run a 4.5 40 like he does.”

Top-seeded Salesianum (10-2) got three touchdown passes from sophomore Zach Gwynn in his first career start. But after Reeder rushed 34 times for 408 yards and seven touchdowns the first time against Smyrna, the Eagles held the 6-foot-4, 225-pound battering ram to 94 yards on 32 carries this time.

“We felt that if we could stop Reeder, obviously nothing against Sallies, we just didn’t think they had enough to beat us anywhere else,” Judy said. “They hurt us early in the game with a couple of bad plays on our part where they scored on passes.”

The first pass came on the Sals’ first possession, on third-and-12. Gwynn hit Jeremy Ryan perfectly on a slant pattern for a 21-yard score and a 6-0 lead.

Smyrna answered with a 15-play, 69-yard drive. Charlie Taylor took Nolan Henderson’s last-second lateral and scored from the 3 to tie it at 6 with 3:16 remaining in the first quarter.

Tresolini: Eagles thrill home fans with state title win

The second quarter belonged to Sallies. With Reeder out for one play, fullback Zach Jarome blasted off right tackle for a 38-yard touchdown run.

On their next drive, Sals coach Bill DiNardo called for a two-tight end formation. One of them – Kyle Cathers – went deep and hauled in Gwynn’s arcing toss for a 42-yard score with 3:51 left in the half.

Smyrna’s Jamal Powell intercepted Gwynn at the 1 on the next-to-last play of the half, but Sallies still took an 18-6 lead into the locker room.

It got tighter on the Eagles’ first possession of the second half, as Henderson floated an 86-yard touchdown pass to Taylor to pull Smyrna within 18-12.

The Sals were loaded up to stop superb Smyrna running back Will Knight, holding him to 61 yards on 27 carries. But that left them susceptible to the big pass play.

“We had to beat them with our outside, our skill players,” Henderson said. “They were trying to plug holes and stop the run, so we just had to step up in a different way.”

The Sals’ Griffin Salvo intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards to the Smyrna 6, and Ryan outwrestled a defender to make a tumbling catch for an 11-yard score. With 4:08 left in the third quarter, Sallies had a 26-12 lead and all the momentum.

That evaporated in 13 seconds, as Taylor returned the ensuing kickoff for an 88-yard touchdown.

Then the teams traded punts until Knight took a pitch from Henderson, pulled up and found Jared Gillis over the middle. The senior receiver zigzagged for 68 yards to the Sals 6, and Knight scored on a 6-yard toss sweep three plays later. A false start penalty moved the two-point try back to the 8, and Knight’s run came up short to leave the game tied at 26 with 10:12 to play.

The Sals drove to a first-and-goal at the 10, but a holding penalty set them back and they eventually turned it over on downs at the 24. That was as close as either team would come during the rest of regulation, so the game went to overtime.

Both teams received four downs from the 10 in the extra period. A holding penalty pushed Smyrna back to the 20, but Henderson completed a 19-yard toss to Brandon Bishop on third down and Knight scored from the 1 on fourth down. Sallies’ Jamal Whittlesey snuffed the two-point run, leaving the Eagles with a 32-26 lead.

Reeder gained 5 on first down. Then Jarome picked up 1 and Reeder plunged ahead for 4. But on fourth down, Salesianum couldn’t convert.

“The kids played their hearts out. I’m so proud of them,” DiNardo said. “We made a lot of mistakes, a lot of things we didn’t get done that we should’ve gotten done. But Smyrna made the plays when they had to. It was a fantastic game.”

After all the talk about offense – after all, Salesianum won the first meeting 76-56 – the championship was ultimately decided on defense.

“Who would have thought it would come down to that in overtime?” Judy said. “Again, I think it’s just a testament to what our team is. It’s not just a high-scoring offense. We were a very underrated defense.

“We took our lumps when we saw Sallies at the beginning of the year, and I think it was a good thing we were underrated. It allowed us to just do our damage, and nobody really talked about us.”

Everyone will be talking about the Smyrna defense forever now.

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

Howard’s #10 Korey Kent keeps himself up running during the Division II championship against St. George.

St. George’s #5 Angelo Ortiz runs with the ball in the first quarter of the Division II championship against Howard.

St. George’s #52 Shaquan Brittingham tackles Howard’s #12 Maurice Hunter in the first quarter of the Division II championship against Howard.

Howard’s #6 Johnnie Johnson tackles St. George’s #5 Angelo Ortiz during the Division II championship at the University of Delaware.

Howard’s #10 Korey Kent with a touchdown in the Division II championship against St. Georges.

St. George’s #21 Gary Brightwell runs with the ball in the Division II championship against Howard.

Howard’s #4 Earnest Austin and #10 Korey Kent celebrate after scoring against St. George in the Division II championship at the University of Delaware.

Howard’s quarterback #4 Earnest Austin evades a tackler during the Division II championship against St. George’s.

St. George’s #52 Shaquan Brittingham tackles Howard’s #10 Korey Kent in the first quarter of the Division II championship against Howard.

Howard’s #55 Dante Scrivens knocks the ball loose from St. George’s quarterback #9 Tordell Kemp during the Division II championship.

St. George’s #15 Austyn Warren with a catch in the Division II championship against Howard.

Howard’s #5 Gerald Wiggins runs the ball during the Division II championship against St. Georges.

Howard’s #5 Gerald Wiggins runs the ball during the Division II championship against St. Georges.

Howard players celebrate their 28-13 win over St. Georges in the DIAA Division II championship game Saturday night at Delaware Stadium.

Howard’s #2 Na’Quan Watson tackles St. George’s quarterback #9 Tordell Kemp during the Division II championship.

Howard celebrates their 28-13 win over St. George’s in the Division II championship game at the University of Delaware.

Howard’s #9 Malik Banks stops a pass attempt during the Division II championship against St. Georges.

Howard’s #18 Shawn Bowman with a catch in the Division II championship against St. George’s.

NEWARK– Mistake-free football can take a team a long way.

It took Howard all the way to the DIAA Division II championship.

The Wildcats feasted on four St. Georges turnovers, and sophomore William Morgan cashed in with three short touchdown runs as Howard won 28-13 for the school’s first state football title on Saturday night at Delaware Stadium.

The fifth-seeded Wildcats (10-3) lost to the top-seeded Hawks 35-14 during the second week of the regular season. But Howard turned it around by holding the Hawks’ powerful running game to 156 yards on 42 carries.

“I thought we did a nice job defensively,” Wildcats coach Dan Ritter said. “We put seven guys at the line of scrimmage when they went wishbone. We tried to get them out of what they do best.”

St. Georges (11-2) was at its best on its opening driving, grinding 58 yards in 12 plays. Fullback Logan Gilbert punched it in from the 1, and Eric Steinbeiser’s PAT gave the Hawks a 7-0 lead.

But the Wildcats also made the most of their opening possession, rolling 56 yards in just six plays. Earnest Austin completed a 17-yard pass to Korey Kent on third-and-15, Gerald Wiggins ripped off a 40-yard run on the next play and Morgan scored from the 1. A two-point run failed, leaving St. Georges up 7-6 with 4:12 left in the first quarter.

The Hawks turned it over on downs, but a holding penalty pushed Howard back to a second-and-23 at the Hawks 37. Austin lofted a pass down the left sideline, and Kent found an extra gear and made a diving catch in the end zone for a 14-7 lead.

“Korey has been doing that all year. It’s amazing,” Ritter said. “We’ll watch the ball go up and say, ‘Aw, there’s no shot,’ and he comes down with it.”

At last, Howard fields state championship football team

Ritter wasn’t the only one who thought the ball was overthrown. The receiver thought it was too far, too.

“I just kept running and just put my hands out,” Kent said. “Just tried my best to catch the ball.”

Howard’s Malik Banks recovered a St. Georges fumble, but the Wildcats couldn’t score. The Hawks weren’t as lucky the next time.

The Wildcats’ Dante Scrivens pounced on a loose ball at the Hawks 25. Then Morgan covered the distance with four straight runs, the last a 1-yard touchdown. Gerald Wiggins’ two-point run pushed Howard to a 22-7 lead with 2:35 left in the second quarter.

St. Georges took to the air, completing five straight passes to move to a second-and-2 at the Howard 7. But Banks made another fumble recovery to end the threat with 8 seconds left in the half. Still, Howard knew there was a long way to go.

“After halftime, we told ourselves we just had to stay humble, and we had to do what we had to do,” Morgan said.

The Hawks cut into the lead on their second drive of the second half, marching 68 yards in 13 plays. Gary Brightwell’s 29-yard burst up the middle made it 22-13, but the Wildcats stopped the two-point run to keep it a two-possession game going into the fourth quarter.

Howard gained two first downs to eat some clock before Austin’s 39-yard punt rolled to a stop at the St. Georges 5. The desperate Hawks could go nowhere, turning it over on downs at their own 11, and Morgan’s 2-yard touchdown run made it 28-13 with 5:29 to play.

“It’s not what we wanted. It’s tough,” St. Georges coach J.D. Maull said. “We turned the ball over too many times, and Howard played excellent. Their kids were hungry. Our kids were hungry, too, but we just turned the ball over.”

The final turnover came just two plays later, when the Wildcats’ Trevon Bordrick intercepted a pass at the Howard 15. The Wildcats ran for three first downs to chew the final 5:10 off the clock, and the celebration began.

Brightwell led St. Georges with 86 yards on 19 carries. Wiggins rushed 20 times for 94 yards, Morgan added 66 yards on 16 carries and Kent caught six passes for 77 yards for Howard.

The Wildcats had to erase a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter to overcome Wilmington Friends 20-15 in the semifinals. They stuck together again in the final to turn the tables on their Blue Hen Flight B and New Castle County vo-tech rivals.

“They became a closeknit group, and they believe in each other and they push for each other,” Ritter said. “That’s kind of been different than the last couple of years at Howard.

“These guys fight for themselves. I don’t know that we have a superstar. We just have a bunch of great overachievers.”

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

Concord’s Joseph McHugh (No. 21) puts up a shot in the second half of Concord’s 55-51 win over Cape Henlopen at St. Georges High School on Sunday afternoon.

MIDDLETOWN – Only one team could win, but both teams gained a lot when Concord and Cape Henlopen matched up in their boys basketball season opener in the Rumble By The River on Sunday at St. Georges.

Concord won 55-51 in overtime, scoring the only four points of the extra period on free throws. When it was over, both head coaches were pleased.

“In my opinion, we just beat a playoff team,” Raiders coach Ralph Flowers said. “They’ve got inside, they’ve got outside shooters and a point guard that can get them the ball. Cape Henlopen really played hard and played well, and they’re going to be a team to be reckoned with.”

The Vikings went 9-12 and lost in the first round of the state tournament last season, but coach Stephen Re saw a lot of hopeful signs in hanging tough against a perennial state title contender. The only downside for Cape was a 16-for-29 performance at the foul line.

“It’s a make or miss game, and we missed a ton of free throws,” Re said. “We got great looks, and we missed them. We played hard, we executed well, we got great looks, we rotated well on D. They made a couple of more buckets at the end of the game than we did, and that’s what it came down to.”

Neither team led by more than seven, and the lead changed hands 13 times. Concord jumped to a 10-5 lead on a three-point play by Joe McHugh, only to see the Vikings score eight straight and go up 13-10 on two free throws from Demetrius Price.

Cape led for most of the second quarter, until a spinning bank shot and two free throws by Chimaobi Okwu-Lawrence pushed the Raiders ahead 29-28 at the half.

Cape Henlopen’s Jeremiah Smack drives to the basket in the second half of Concord’s 55-51 win over Cape Henlopen at St. Georges High School on Sunday afternoon.

Concord stretched the margin to 37-30 on Matthew Arrabal’s 3-pointer from the right corner three minutes into the second half. But the Vikings stepped up the defensive pressure and closed the third quarter on a 9-0 run, taking a 39-37 lead on Randy Rickards’ buzzer-beating layup.

Neither team led by more than three in the fourth quarter. A floater in the lane by Concord’s Danny Wise tied it at 51 with 36.8 seconds left, and Price’s off-balance 3-pointer barely missed at the buzzer to send it into overtime.

“That was a playoff atmosphere in game one,” Flowers said. “Both teams are going to benefit.”

No field goals were scored in the four-minute OT. Concord won it on two three throws by McHugh and one each from Wise and Noah Rivera, all in the final 1:03.

“It was definitely a defensive game,” Wise said. “It was hard fought, and I really enjoyed it. It was one of my favorite games I’ve played in high school so far. I’m just looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Wise, Concord’s point guard, earned praise from Flowers after finishing with 10 points, three assists and no turnovers. The Raiders got balanced scoring, as Rivera, Okwu-Lawrence and McHugh each had 11 points.

Rickards led Cape with 15 points, and Price added 10.

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

Howard senior running back Gerald Wiggins rushed 20 times for 94 yards as Howard defeated St. Georges 28-13 in the DIAA Division II championship game last Saturday night at Delaware Stadium.

GERALD WIGGINS, senior running back, Howard football

THE WEEK: Rushed 20 times for 94 yards as Howard defeated St. Georges 28-13 in the DIAA Division II championship game last Saturday night at Delaware Stadium.

THE DOUBTERS: “A lot of people doubted us the whole season, said we weren’t going to win it,” Wiggins said. “So that was pretty much motivation. We came in here, played strong, played with the same intensity all game.”

THE TURNAROUND: St. Georges beat Howard 35-14 in the second week of the regular season. This time, Wiggins popped a 40-yard gain on the Wildcats’ first drive, and William Morgan scored on a 1-yard run to give them confidence early. “The first time we played them, the run game really didn’t work that much,” Howard quarterback Earnest Austin said. “Tonight, I think our line stepped up in the blocking, and they created some holes for Gerald.”

THE TOUGHNESS: “He doesn’t complain much,” Howard coach Dan Ritter said of Wiggins. “He’s had some bumps and bruises, had a dislocated finger in one game and played through it. He’s just been an exceptional guy.”

THE GROUND GAME: St. Georges is known for running the ball almost exclusively, often throwing fewer than five passes per game. But in the title game, Howard rushed 47 times for 202 yards, while holding the Hawks to 42 carries for 156 yards. “They said they were going to run, so we decided to run, too,” Wiggins said. “Because we’ve got a good ground and pound, too. We kind of matched it up.”

THE LEADERSHIP: The Wildcats won with several sophomores playing big roles, but the seniors leading the way. “I’m definitely a leader,” Wiggins said. “I’m a senior, so I’m a role model to some of the younger kids. Hopefully, they see from this and grow on it.”

Howard senior running back Gerald Wiggins rushed 20 times for 94 yards as Howard defeated St. Georges 28-13 in the DIAA Division II championship game last Saturday night at Delaware Stadium.

THE FIRST: Howard had won 41 state championships in various sports, but this was the school’s first in football. “It’s a great feeling. We made history,” Wiggins said. “Coach stressed it a lot, go out here and make history, and we made it.”

THE CLASSROOM: “I like science,” Wiggins said. “Doing projects, working in groups.”

THE FUTURE: Wiggins hopes to continue playing football in college, but has yet to decide on a destination.

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

Running back Gerald Wiggins carried 20 times for 94 yards in Howard’s 28-13 victory over St. Georges in the DIAA Division II championship game.

Mount Pleasant’s Raheim Burnett wears No. 0, but his Green Knights are ranked No. 1 in boys basketball by The News Journal.

THE NEWS JOURNAL / DELAWAREONLINE RANKINGS

BOYS BASKETBALL

1. Mount Pleasant (0-0)

2. Dover (0-1)

3. Sanford (1-0)

4. St. Georges (1-0)

5. Appoquinimink (1-0)

6. Salesianum (1-0)

7. Smyrna (0-0)

8. St. Elizabeth (2-0)

9. Concord (1-0)

10. William Penn (0-0)

GIRLS BASKETBALL

1. Ursuline (0-0)

2. St. Elizabeth (0-0)

3. Sanford (1-1)

4. Concord (1-0)

5. Caravel (1-0)

6. Dover (1-0)

7. Hodgson (0-0)

8. Sussex Central (1-0)

9. Padua (0-0)

10. Woodbridge (0-0)

WRESTLING

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna

2. Caesar Rodney

3. Polytech

4. Dover

5. Salesianum

DIVISION II

1. Milford

2. Sanford

3. Caravel

4. St. Georges

5. Delaware Military Academy

BOYS SWIMMING

1. Salesianum (0-0)

2. Charter of Wilmington (0-0)

3. Delaware Military Academy (1-0)

4. Concord (0-0)

5. Newark (0-0)

GIRLS SWIMMING

1. Charter of Wilmington (0-0)

2. Ursuline (0-0)

3. Conrad (0-0)

4. Archmere (0-0)

5. Cape Henlopen (0-0)

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

Howard coach Dan Ritter (left) and Smyrna coach Mike Judy

Lineman Jeff Campbell (79) joins his Smyrna teammates in celebrating their 32-26, overtime win over Salesianum for the Division I title on Saturday at Delaware Stadium.

The Saturday of the football championship games at Delaware Stadium has become the biggest day in Delaware high school sports, and this year’s edition reached a new high that will be hard to top.

A record 10,094 tickets were sold, and fans had great early December weather to watch two schools – Smyrna in Division I and Howard in Division II – win their first DIAA football titles.

It marked the first time since 1994 – when Christiana won in D-I and St. Elizabeth took the D-II title – that the football tournaments had two first-time champions.

“At the start of every year, you think it’s possible,” Howard coach Dan Ritter said after his Wildcats knocked off top-seeded St. Georges 28-13. “To be here now … In the last two weeks, the coaches have had conversations where we’ve said, ‘Hey man, we should be enjoying this.’”

Howard (10-3) had plenty to enjoy, as Ritter won his first title in 15 years as head coach. That came in the night game, after Smyrna (12-1) earned the Division I crown in Mike Judy’s third year as head coach with a stirring, 32-26 overtime victory over Salesianum.

“Every coach in America tells you if you work hard, great things are going to happen for you,” Judy said. “This is the epitome of that, working hard and winning the big one. I’m really proud of them, and I’m really happy for them. I’m glad that I could be a part of a memory that they’re going to hold for the rest of their lives.”

Athlete of the Week: Gerald Wiggins of Howard

The total attendance was the highest for any event since DIAA began keeping records, eclipsing the 9,347 tickets sold when Hodgson defeated St. Georges in D-II and Salesianum topped Middletown in D-I in the 2013 football finals.

The football tournaments capped a banner season in all DIAA fall sports. Total attendance for all field hockey tournament games was 3,955, the third-highest total ever. Boys soccer drew 6,635 fans throughout the D-I and D-II tournaments, the sport’s fourth-best attendance on record.

Volleyball added a round to its playoffs and set a total attendance record of 9,532, including 2,449 for the championship match when Delaware Military Academy topped Archmere on Nov. 16 at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Figures for all football playoff games are still being totaled, but the gridiron gladiators typically draw more fans than all other DIAA sports combined.

The Smyrna Eagles hoist the DIAA Division I football championship trophy after edging Salesianum 32-26 in overtime on Saturday at Delaware Stadium.

Big win for Sanford

Chester has one of the most storied boys basketball programs in Pennsylvania, so it’s a pretty big deal any time a Delaware school can beat the Clippers.

Sanford did it on Chester’s home court Friday night, opening the season with a 59-57 victory in the Fred Pickett Classic. Quinnipiac signee Mikey Dixon scored 21 points, Jacob Walsh added 13 and Jay’are Davis chipped in 10. The Warriors (1-0) trailed 47-40 going into the fourth quarter, then outscored Chester 19-10 the rest of the way.

Murray finishes strong

Charter of Wilmington senior Kevin Murray, who broke cross-country course records across Delaware all season, finished 34th out of 195 runners at the NXN Nationals on Saturday in Portland, Oregon.

Murray qualified for the national event by finishing second in the NXN Southeast Regional on Nov. 28 in Cary, North Carolina, setting an all-time Delaware boys cross country record with a time of 15:06.8.

Wrestling recap

At the same time its football team was winning a state championship, Smyrna’s wrestling team was kicking off its season by finishing second among 18 teams at the prestigious Ray Oliver Tournament, just a half-point behind host McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland.

The three-time defending DIAA Division I champion Eagles got weight-class victories from Dakota Kerr at 152 pounds and Tony Wuest at 195, with Wuest pinning Caesar Rodney’s Michael Clavier in 46 seconds in an all-Delaware final. Smyrna’s Nick Natarcola finished second at 106, and Nate Bryant took second at 145.

Delaware high school winter sports rankings

Caesar Rodney finished third in the team standings, with Cameron Hayes winning at 113. Caravel had two individual winners, with Josh Daily edging CR’s Thomas Gallucci 4-2 in an all-Delaware 160 final, and Keith Medley taking the crown at 220. Salesianum’s Joe Miller won at 182, and Riley Montgomery finished second at 285.

Two-time defending DIAA Division II champ Milford flexed its muscle at the Polytech Invitational, scoring 234 points to easily top a 14-team field. Polytech (170), Dover (142), St. Georges (137) and Delaware Military Academy (114) rounded out the top five.

Robbie Rosser (106), Bart Dalious (145), Kenny VanVorst (195) and Bryan Wynes (285) earned individual titles for Milford. Other winners were St. Georges’ Nick Novarnik (120) and Austin Clayton (182), Dover’s Anthony Fisher (132), Nicholas Lee (138) and Tim Horvath (152), Polytech’s Spenser Hahn (113), Middletown’s Dante Immediato (126), Charter of Wilmington’s Carter Lamey (160), DMA’s Nate Riley (170) and Newark’s Nazr Roberson (220).

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

Smyrna sophomore Will Knight has been named the state’s Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 2,015 yards and accounting for 38 touchdowns.

Three of the participants in Saturday’s DIAA Division I championship game swept the player of the year honors when the Delaware Interscholastic Football Coaches Association finalized its All-State teams on Monday.

Smyrna running back Will Knight was voted Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 2,015 yards and accounting for 38 total touchdowns and 51 two-point conversions. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound sophomore scored his team’s final two touchdowns as the Eagles nipped Salesianum 32-26 in overtime for the Division I title.

Salesianum’s Colby Reeder was voted Defensive Player of the Year, and teammate Kyle Cathers was voted Lineman of the Year.

Reeder made 56 tackles and an interception as a safety, and also blocked six kicks this season. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior also rushed for 2,010 yards and 32 touchdowns, including 94 yards in the championship game.

Salesianum’s Colby Reeder (28), shown here tangling with Middletown’s Jalen Whitehead, was named the state’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Cathers finished the regular season with 62 tackles, eight sacks and four fumble recoveries at defensive end. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound senior also doubled as a tight end, and caught a 42-yard touchdown pass in the title game. He has committed to play college football at Coastal Carolina.

The players of the year were determined in voting by the DIFCA board of directors and media members who frequently cover high school football. The All-State teams were determined through voting by all of the state’s head coaches.

Smyrna placed five players on the first team – Knight, quarterback Nolan Henderson, receiver Donte Ritchie, guard Terren Carter and offensive tackle Jerren Carter.

Salesianum earned seven spots on the first team – Reeder at running back and defensive back, Cathers at defensive end, offensive tackle Randy Sinnott, defensive tackle Marek Easton, kicker Pearce Bartlett and punter Will Frangia.

Salesianum’s Kyle Cathers (92), shown here chasing Smyrna’s Donte Ritchie, has been named the state’s Lineman of the Year.

William Penn’s Frank Burton and St. Georges’ Shaquan Brittingham joined Reeder as the only two-way first-team selections. Burton got the nod at tight end and defensive end, while Brittingham made first team at guard and linebacker.

Center Brandon Dooley, linebacker Charles Hope and returner Chi Amachi also made the first team from William Penn. Fullback Logan Gilbert and defensive tackle Stefon Woodruff also were selected from St. Georges.

Middletown had three first-team selections – defensive tackle Markel Weldon, linebacker Peter Cox and defensive back Isiah Mitchell.

Defensive back Na’Quan Watson of Division II state champion Howard also made the first team, along with Concord linebacker Avery Roberts and St. Mark’s receiver Jamai Rice.

DIFCA ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

QB – Nolan Henderson, jr., Smyrna

RB – Colby Reeder, sr., Salesianum

RB – Will Knight, so., Smyrna

FB – Logan Gilbert, sr., St. Georges

C – Brandon Dooley, sr., William Penn

G – Terren Carter, sr., Smyrna

G – Shaquan Brittingham, sr., St. Georges

T – Randy Sinnott, jr., Salesianum

T – Jerren Carter, jr., Smyrna

TE – Frank Burton, sr., William Penn

WR – Donte Ritchie, sr., Smyrna

WR – Jamai Rice, sr., St. Mark’s

K – Pearce Bartlett, sr., Salesianum

P – Will Frangia, sr., Salesianum

KR – Chi Amachi, sr., William Penn

DEFENSE

DE – Kyle Cathers, sr., Salesianum

DE – Frank Burton, sr., William Penn

DT – Stefon Woodruff, sr., St. Georges

DT – Markel Weldon, sr., Middletown

DT – Marek Easton, sr., Salesianum

LB – Avery Roberts, jr., Concord

LB – Peter Cox, sr., Middletown

LB – Charles Hope, jr., William Penn

LB – Shaquan Brittingham, sr., St. Georges

DB – Colby Reeder, sr., Salesianum

DB – Na’Quan Watson, sr., Howard

DB – Isiah Mitchell, sr., Middletown

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

QB – Triston Harris, sr., Dover. RB – Gary Brightwell, jr., St. Georges; Grahm Roberts, so., Concord. FB – Titus Nelson, sr., William Penn. C – Daniel Brooks, sr., St. Georges. G – Devin Schofield, sr., Salesianum; Dominick Trotta, sr., William Penn. T – Brady Abraham, sr., Middletown; Jackson Truitt, jr., Appoquinimink. TE – Paul Wolfe, sr., Delaware Military Academy. WR – Chi Amachi, sr., William Penn; Brandon Bishop, sr., Smyrna. K – Arles Henriquez, jr., Laurel. P – Mark Bonnie, sr., Polytech. RET – Ben Moore, sr., Lake Forest.

DEFENSE

DE – Michael Williams, sr., Cape Henlopen; Leah Styles, jr., Woodbridge. DT – Brandon Dooley, sr., William Penn; Elijah Lewis, sr., William Penn; Jeff Campbell, sr., Smyrna. LB – Patrick Udovich, jr., Archmere; Eli Hutchinson, jr., Smyrna; Jeremiah Bluntson, sr., Howard; Jaylyn Magee, sr., Woodbridge. DB – Zach Burton, jr., William Penn; Nigel Bynum, sr., Mount Pleasant; Rodney Ruff, sr., Smyrna.

THIRD TEAM

OFFENSE

QB – D.J. Johnson, sr., William Penn. RB – Chris Cropper, so., St. Elizabeth; KiAnte Sturgis, sr., Sussex Central. FB – Zach Jarome, sr., Salesianum. C – Tyler Rosello, sr., Dover. G – Jeremiah Bluntson, sr., Howard; Angel Guerrero, sr., Newark. T – Jason Stewart, jr., St. Georges; Myles Vernet, jr., Sussex Central. TE – Shawn Snowden, sr., Milford. WR – Rob Myrick, sr., Mount Pleasant; Jeremy Ryan, sr., Salesianum. K – Mark Bonnie, sr., Polytech. P – Alan Becker, jr., Newark. RET – Jamai Rice, sr., St. Mark’s.

DEFENSE

DE – Logan Gilbert, sr., St. Georges; Jahleel Thomas, sr., Mount Pleasant. DT – Shymere Vessels, jr., Woodbridge; Tyler Rosello, sr., Dover; Cameron Dixon, sr., St. Mark’s. LB – Eric Cella, sr., St. Mark’s; Bill Stradley, jr., Salesianum; Jeremiah Smack, sr., Cape Henlopen; Joshua Patrick, jr., Salesianum. DB – Jordan Simpson, sr., Lake Forest; James Harmon, sr., Sussex Tech; Cory McCary, sr., Sussex Central.

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