By D. Matt Dale
MaxPreps.com
Caesar Rodney was able to hand Smyrna its third Henlopen Northern Division loss with a 58-15 win on Friday night. The Riders are now 4-0 in conference play and 8-0 overall.
Duron Harmon showed why he is considered one of the best backs in the state as the Riders’ ground game accounted for 23 of CR’s 44 first-half points. Despite a solid running game led by backs Harmon and Daquan Harris, it is the Riders’ defense and special teams that have kept CR undefeated so far this season.
The first points of the game were scored by Smyrna when Malcolm Yowk muffed the opening kickoff and was tackled in the end zone for a safety.
Smyrna received excellent field possession on the ensuing drop kick, but the Rider defense stopped the Eagles dead in their tracks, setting the stage for Jordan Henry who returned a punt to the Eagles 2-yard line. Harmon punched in the touchdown and a two-point conversion to make it an 8-2 game.
The Eagles found themselves on the 2-yard line after a botched kickoff, and CR’s defense smothered Deondre Taylor in the end zone on third down for a safety; extending the Riders’ lead to 10-2.
Yowk redeemed himself for his earlier mistake by returning the following drop kick 70 yards for a touchdown.
CR’s defense bent on the Eagles’ next possession as Smyrna advanced to the Riders’ 34 yard line, but refused to break as Smyrna turned the ball over on a failed fourth-down conversion attempt.
Harmon scampered 19 yards into the end zone soon thereafter and just like that CR was up 24-2 less than a minute into the second quarter.
The Riders finished the game with a safety, two kick returns and a defensive touchdown in the impressive 43-point victory.
Smyrna dropped to 4-4 on the season and is 1-3 in conference play.
Football: Interboro Shocks Sallies
Salesianum blew a late-game lead and fell to Interboro 21-18 in an overtime thriller on Friday night.
Interboro defensive back and wide receiver Shawn Krautzel was first to put points on the board as he recovered a Salesianum fumble and returned it 20 yards for six points.
The Sals would enter halftime with a 10-7 lead, however, thanks to a 16-yard touchdown throw from QB Breidy Breidenbach to receiver Brandon Allen, and a 21-yard field goal by Dan Tryon in the second quarter.
Salesianum scored a safety in the third quarter and clung to a 12-7 lead entering the fourth.
The Buccaneers answered with a 93-yard touchdown pass from Jim McMenamin to Krautzel with eight minutes left on the clock. A two-point conversion made it a 15-12 Interboro advantage.
Tryon nailed a 28-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining in regulation and the game went into overtime.
The Sals struck first in extra time with yet another Tryon field goal (this time from 27 yards out) to take an 18-15 lead.
McMenamin would seal an Interboro victory on the next possession with a 5-yard touchdown pass that sent Salesianum home disappointed.
Volleyball: Auks Win Conference Championship
Archmere rolled past St. Mark’s on Monday night and clinched the Catholic Conference championship in the process.
This was a redemptive match for the Auks, who lost a heartbreaking set of games to the Spartans earlier in the season. Archmere sent the rest of the state a message as it defeated The News Journal’s No. 2-ranked team in three-straight games; 25-23, 27-25, 25-19.
Maria Henley had 14 kills and 10 digs, and Nicole Wiechecki contributed 12 kills and 14 digs for the Auks as they won their 11th consecutive match and improved to 14-2.
Nikki Kinnier had 15 kills and 14 digs, but the Spartans were unable to get the job done.
Look for these top ranked teams to meet again in the upcoming state tournament.
