A.I. du Pont (10-0 Div. I) and Laurel (8-2 Div. II) were awarded the top seeds in the Delaware High School Football State Tournament, while Salesianum (8-2 Div. I) and Hodgson (8-2 Div. II) are seeded second.
Red Lion Christian Academy (8-2 Div. II) will make its first appearance ever in the state tournament. The Lions’ berth meant that Caravel Academy (7-3), which many considered to be the top team in Div. II, was left out following its loss to Red Lion Christian over the weekend combined with wins by Lake Forest and Salesianum.
"We are really excited to get the opportunity to compete for the state championship," Red Lion coach Eric Day said shortly after learning of his team's berth. "It validates all the hard work that these young men put into the program. It reinforces the concept that hard work pays off."
Also of note is the fact that the playoffs are missing at least one of Delaware’s traditional football powers — Newark, William Penn and Middletown — for the first time since 1980. It’s the first time since 1995 Middletown has not been in either the Div. I or II playoffs.
2. Division I quarterfinals: No. 6 St. Mark’s (8-2) at No. 3 Concord (8-2), Saturday at 1 p.m. Concord, which last played in Div. I in 1995, will have to rely on its defense to shut down St. Mark’s triple-threat offense, led by senior quarterback Tyler Hrycak, running back Rashaun Davis and wide receiver Brandon Baker.
3. Division I quarterfinals: No. 5 Caesar Rodney (7-3) at No. 4 Sussex Tech (9-1), Saturday at 7 p.m. This game features two of the state’s finest running backs in CR’s Malcolm Yowk (verbal commitment to University of Delaware) and the state’s scoring leader Desmond Sivels (jr.). Sussex Tech won the regular-season battle 21-14.
4. Division II quarterfinals: No. 6 Delmar (7-3) at No. 3 Howard (9-1), Saturday at 7 p.m. at Baynard Stadium. Delmar was the first team to clinch a playoff spot by winning the Henlopen South Conference but will have its hands full following a two-hour drive north to Wilmington.
5. Division II quarterfinals: No. 5 Red Lion (8-2) at No. 4 Pencader Charter (8-2), Friday at 7 p.m. at Caravel Academy. The Lions must quickly get over the nervousness of participating in their first state tournament and contain Pencader’s leading rusher, Syracuse-bound Jerome Smith.
6. Volleyball state championship: Maria Henley (29 kills, 23 digs) led Ursuline Academy to its third consecutive and state-best 11th overall state title with a 3-1 win over Catholic Conference-rival Padua.
First-rate performers in the first state
* Daquan Harris (Caesar Rodney): The oft-forgotten senior running back rushed for three touchdowns in leading the Riders to a 42-12 rout over rival Dover. The win clinched a share of the Henlopen North title and a playoff berth for CR.
* Ben Schropp (McKean): The versatile senior quarterback scored touchdowns running, receiving and passing to lead McKean to a 38-14 victory over St. Georges.
* Jamaal Jackson (Hodgson Vo-Tech): The Division I prospect rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns to help his team secure a playoff berth in a 42-0 win over Dickinson.
* Jhurell Pressley (Red Lion Christian Academy): Pressley had scoring runs of 3, 52 and 48 yards and finished with 163 yards to lead the Lions to a 42-21 upset over Caravel Academy in a game that would prove to be a playoff-clincher for the Lions.
* Jordan Hunter-Laws (Howard Vo-Tech): The senior wide receiver ran 52 yards for a touchdown, caught a 68-yard scoring pass and returned an interception 39 yards for another touchdown in Howard’s 40-7 win over Appoquinimink.
DVR alert
If you can only attend one playoff game this weekend due to Thanksgiving chores, I recommend St. Mark’s-Concord. Coach George Kosanovich, in his 38th season, will have his team ready to battle a Spartans team many considered to be the best in the state until their loss to Salesianum last weekend.
Recruiting news
The following student-athletes signed letters of intent this past week:
* Baseball: Taylor Mahoney (St. Mark’s), St. Joseph’s University; Kyle Podgajny (St. Mark’s), Bloomsburg University; Thomas Valicka (St. Mark’s), Monmouth University.
* Girls Basketball: Aimee Bouie (A.I. du Pont), Eastern Kentucky University.
* Boys Lacrosse: Mark Cyron (Salesianum), Merrimack College; Jackson Keeler (Tatnall), University of Delaware; Dan Rodgers (Salesianum), Drexel University.
The buzz
There was a tie at the top of the Henlopen North Conference this season, which resulted in the automatic tournament berth being awarded to the team with the highest winning margin difference in division games (Caesar Rodney). Given this fact, I guess nobody can blame a coach for running up the score in a division game. Given that fact, I think it’s time for the conferences to come up with a different tie-breaking system. … Bob Trinsey, who was recently named state coach of the year for the second straight year, is retiring as volleyball coach at Wilmington Friends School after compiling a 132-76 record over 11 seasons. It will be interesting to see if Trinsey’s daughter, Barbara, who joined his staff this year as an assistant coach, will keep the head coaching job in the family.
Jon Buzby is the sports columnist for the Newark Post, a freelance writer, and occasional color commentator for the 1290 AM The Ticket High School Football Game of the Week. You can reach him at jonbuzby@hotmail.com.
