Pencader Charter scored 28 second-half points to complete its come-from-behind win over Hodgson, 42-21.
The Titans could not stop Hodgson’s Jamal Jackson in the first half, allowing the heavily recruited running back to score on a 50-yard run and 40-yard reception to give the Silver Eagles a 21-14 halftime lead. But following an emotional halftime speech by head coach Rahsaan Matthews, the Titans defense held Jackson in check throughout the second half, holding Hodgson to just 33 total yards of offense.
"It was gang tackling," Matthews told The News Journal. "Our whole halftime speech was about getting more hats on the ball and finding ways to make plays."
With the win, Pencader (4-1, 2-0 Flight B) moves into a tie atop the conference standings with Appoquinimink (4-1, 2-0) and will host Howard (4-1, 1-1) on Saturday at 3 p.m. Hodgson (3-2, 1-1), which dropped into a four-way tie, will look to stay alive in the conference race when it hosts Appoquinimink on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
St. Mark's celebrates homecoming with win
Senior quarterback Tyler Hrycak passed for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth to lead the Spartans to a 42-20 homecoming victory over Dover. Receiver Brandon Baker and running back Rashaun Davis scored two touchdowns each, while Dover’s Pierre Foreman had a 47-yard rushing touchdown and scored on a 94-yard pass as time expired.
Middletown keeps pace in Flight A
It wasn’t the blowout many expected, but Middletown escaped with a 40-32 win over Delcastle to remain undefeated in Flight A. The Cavaliers (4-1, 2-0) were led by senior running back Scott Adkins’ 129 yards and two rushing touchdowns. The Middletown defense had to fend off a 20-point fourth-quarter rally by Delcastle.
Sussex Tech wins neighborhood rivalry
Sussex Tech (4-1, 2-1 Henlopen North) cruised to a 24-0 win over Sussex Central behind Desmond Sivels’ 206 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Colonials continue on roll
After starting out its season 0-2, William Penn has bounced back to string together three consecutive Flight A wins, including a 41-7 defeat of Newark on Friday night. Senior running backs Kiere Fields and Tariq Woodall scored two touchdowns each for the Colonials (3-2, 3-0 Flight A) in a game that featured four lead changes in the first half. The Yellowjackets are 0-5 for the first time in coach Butch Simpson’s 33 seasons.
First-rate performers in the first state
* Desmond Sivels (Sussex Tech football): The junior running back ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s 26-0 win over Sussex Central, adding to his state-best 17 rushing touchdowns.
* Kyle Hayman (St. Elizabeth football): Hayman’s 75-yard first-quarter punt return proved to be the game-winning touchdown in the Vikings’ 7-0 win over Charter of Wilmington.
* Jeff Boyd (A.I. du Pont football): The elusive running back had 118 yards on 17 carries and scored three touchdowns to lift the undefeated Tigers to an easy 42-6 win over Glasgow.
* Mike Powers (Newark football): The sophomore kicker nailed a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter against William Penn, breaking the previous school record of 47 yards, held by Alex Carlton.
* Tyler Hrycak (St. Mark’s football): The senior quarterback passed for three touchdowns and rushed for another to lead the Spartans to a 42-20 win over Dover.
DVR alert
Among this week’s top games:
* Delaware’s No. 1 team, Salesianum (5-0), will travel to face New Jersey powerhouse Delsea Regional on Friday at 7.
* Milford brings its perfect 3-0 conference record to Caesar Rodney (3-2, 2-1 Henlopen North) for a Friday night showdown at 7:30.
* Two of the best in Flight B, Appoquinimink and Hodgson, square off on Saturday at Hodgson at 10:30 a.m. A Jaguars win keeps them atop the conference, while Hodgson needs this game to stay in the race.
Recruiting news
* Hodgson Vo-Tech running back Jamaal Jackson has received scholarship offers from Michigan, Rutgers, East Carolina and Louisville. According to his coach, Frank Moffett Jr., Jackson is not expected to make a decision until after the season.
* A.I. duPont’s Aimee Bouie has made a verbal commitment to attend Eastern Kentucky University on a women’s basketball scholarship. The 6-foot-2 forward, who also plays volleyball and runs track, received interest from Drexel, Penn and Cornell.
* Former Middletown High guard Phylicia Freeman will play basketball at Pratt Community College in Kansas this winter. Freeman previously played at Butler Community College in Kansas, where she was the fifth-leading scorer in the Jayhawk Juco Conference.
The buzz
Friends football coach Bob Tattersall won his 250th game when the Quakers downed Conrad Schools of Science, 48-8, on Oct. 3. He is now tied for the lead in all-time wins by a Delaware coach with Newark’s Butch Simpson. … William Penn field hockey coach Loveita Moffett recorded her 100th victory when the Colonials defeated Middletown, 2-0, on Oct. 8. … Former Ursuline Academy star and National High School Player of the Year Elena Delle Donne makes her long-awaited return to the hardwood floor this week when the University of Delaware women’s basketball team begins practice. The 6-5 Delle Donne, who spent three days at the University of Connecticut before returning home citing burnout and homesickness, spent last fall starring on the UD women’s volleyball team, which she helped lead to its second-consecutive CAA title. … Congratulations to Newark graduate Alex Carlton, who kicked a game-winning 42-yard field goal in Army’s 16-13 overtime win over Vanderbilt.
Jon Buzby is the sports columnist for the Newark Post and a freelance writer. You can reach him at jonbuzby@hotmail.com.