It was a game full of momentum shifts, but when the dust settled, it was Salesianum running back Ryan Kilpatrick plunging into the end zone from the 2-yard line with 2:20 left to give No. 2-seeded Salesianum its third state title in five years with a 27-20 win over sixth-seeded St. Mark’s.
Kilpatrick ran for 136 yards on 29 carries but fumbled twice, including in his own end zone to allow St. Mark’s to tie the game at 20 with 8:56 remaining, so the senior running back was happy to make up for his offensive lapses with the game-winning touchdown.
"I didn’t get outside (on the fumble) and that was my mistake," Kilpatrick told The News Journal. "Obviously coming out of that last drive I was pretty angry and I just wanted to take some frustration out for my play earlier."
Salesianum coach Bill DiNardo won his sixth state championship, with the first three coming as head coach at Middletown.
2. Delmar recovers from 0-3 start to win state title: Delmar did what many felt to be the impossible and recovered from an 0-3 start to its season to capture the Division II state championship with a 12-7 win over Hodgson on Sunday afternoon.
Delmar fullback Cameron Mattox scored on a 3-yard run to put the No. 6-seeded Wildcats up 12-7 late in the third quarter. Hodgson’s last opportunity was then foiled when linebacker Tyler Cornish intercepted a pass in the end zone with 6:12 left in the game, allowing Delmar to run the clock out.
Hodgson opened the scoring on the first play of the second quarter when Jamaal Jackson scored on a 10-yard run, but it would be all the offense the No. 2-seeded Silver Eagles could muster. The title is the first for Delmar since 2002 when it won its third of three consecutive crowns.
3. Newark hoops coach wins first game: Shannon McCants won his first game as head coach of his alma mater when Newark defeated Howard Vo-Tech 51-42. Senior forward Ronnell Hammond led the Yellowjackets with 12 points and senior forward Brian Knight chipped in with nine. "I thought the game would never end," said McCants, who won two state championships during his playing days. "I was waiting for that final horn and when it finally sounded I felt so happy for the students, fans, players and community who came out to support us."
4. English contained in Appoquinimink’s season opener: Highly-touted junior A.J. English, who led the state in scoring last year (28 ppg), was held to just 12 points in the Jaguars’ 60-43 loss to St. Mark’s in the first round of the A.I. du Pont Tip-Off Classic. English, whose father A.J. English played in the NBA, rebounded to score 36 points in the Jaguars’ 88-65 win over St. Thomas More in the consolation game.
5. Caravel girls win opening tournament: O’Hara Chard scored six points and earned tournament MVP honors as Caravel Academy cruised to a 39-14 win over Wilmington Christian in the championship game of the A.I. du Pont Tip-Off Classic.
Championship performers in the First State
* Giovanni Ferrante (Salesianum): The senior running back rushed for 143 yards on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns, but perhaps his biggest contribution was on the team’s game-winning drive when he had several key blocks to open running lanes for Ryan Kilpatrick. Ferrante also recorded two sacks from his linebacker position.
* Brandon Baker (St. Mark’s): The senior wide receiver, who unselfishly moved from the quarterback position this season after starting under center all of last year, finished his stellar career with three catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
* Alex Ellis (Delmar): The junior quarterback guided his offense on two long scoring drives, the second which proved to be the game-winner for the state champion Wildcats.
* Jamaal Jackson (Hodgson): The highly-recruited running back ended his illustrious career with 144 yards on 22 carries and his team’s lone touchdown in the state title game.
* C.J. Jones (A.I. du Pont): The Boston College-bound quarterback/cornerback has been named 2009-10 Gatorade Delaware Football Player of the Year. Jones (6-foot, 185 pounds) ran for 1,114 yards and 19 touchdowns to lead the Tigers (10-1) to their first playoff appearance since 1982.
DVR alert
It will be the debut of two rookie head coaches when district rivals Middletown and Appoquinimink play on Friday night at 6 at Appoquinimink. Jasen Maciey, who played at Goldey-Beacom College (Wilmington, Del.), is trying to resurrect the Cavaliers’ basketball program, while Spencer Dunkley, a former University of Delaware star, leads the Jaguars in just its second varsity season.
The buzz
Residents of Delmar made a formal complaint to the town manager about the late-night noise in their small town following the football team’s semifinals win last Saturday night. You would think there would be more excitement in one of the state’s smallest towns, whose only notoriety this year will come from its football team. But apparently there are a few residents who value sleep more than celebration. I just wonder how noisy it was after the team was crowned state champions on Sunday afternoon.
Sussex Tech football coach Bill Collick received Delaware State University’s Legacy Award for his tenure as the Hornets’ football coach and athletic director from 1985-96. Kudos to Coach Collick, who retired on his own from DSU following the ’96 season and then later became the Ravens’ first football coach. It’s not often a coach voluntarily takes a "step backwards" in the coaching world. … Lake Forest’s Fred Johnson was named the Henlopen Conference Coach of the Year for leading the Spartans to a 7-3 record in just his fourth season at the helm.
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.
