High school football rankings: Middletown headlines Delaware Preseason MaxPreps Top 25

By Jordan Divens Sep 1, 2021, 11:00am

Top-ranked Cavaliers seek first state title since 2012 behind four-star quarterback Braden Davis.

The 2021 high school football season in Delaware kicks off next week and MaxPreps has your look at the state's top teams. Coming off a 7-1 campaign last fall, Middletown owns the No. 1 spot in our preseason rankings.

The Cavaliers outscored their opponents 230-100 en route to the DIAA Division I state championship game last season. They come into the year as the favorite to capture their first state championship since 2012 behind the state's top two prospects in 6-foot-5, 195-pound quarterback Braden Davis, a four-star South Carolina pledge and three-star Kentucky commit Tomiwa Durojaiye, a 6-4, 255-pound defensive lineman.

Smyrna debuts at No. 2 in the state, ending 2020 with a 6-1 record after a devastating state semifinal loss to eventual state champion Sussex Central 38-34. The Eagles feature the fourth-ranked player in the state in 6-2, 260-pound defensive lineman Elijah Statham.

Defending state champions include preseason No. 3 Sussex Central (D-I) and preseason No. 4 Howard (D-II).

See the complete list below.



Delaware Preseason MaxPreps Top 25

1. Middletown, 7-1 record in 2020
2. Smyrna, 6-1
11. Dover, 2-4
14. Milford, 2-3
16. Delmar, 3-1
20. Laurel, 4-2
23. Newark, 5-1