Padua’s Mackenzie Scully (No. 22) runs ahead of Appoquinimink’s Alison Candy (No. 25) in the second half of Padua’s 4-0 win at Appoquinimink this spring.

Padua’s Mackenzie Scully (left) and Caesar Rodney’s Kimberly Glasser vie for possession in DIAA Division I state title game at Smyrna High.

Padua Academy’s Mackenzie Scully is state girls soccer Player of the Year.

Padua’s Sarah Brush (center) celebrates her opening goal with Mackenzie Scully (left) and Molly Drach in the first half against Caesar Rodney in the DIAA Division I state title game at Smyrna High School Friday.

In an age when specialization has run rampant in high school sports, Mackenzie Scully preferred to just be special.

She didn’t focus all her athletic time and energy on one sport, starring in both basketball and soccer at Padua Academy.

That didn’t prevent her from being the Delaware High School Soccer Coaches Association’s choice as state Player of the Year for the 2016 season.

“I love playing two sports,” said Scully, a Newark resident who recently graduated from Padua. “When I was younger, I always liked playing basketball more during basketball season and playing soccer more during soccer season.

“They’re completely different games, but I enjoy the different aspects of each and it keeps me in better shape. In basketball, you always have to see that one extra pass, and I think that helps me in soccer. I always try to look ahead before I even get the ball to see where I need to pass it.’’

Scully, whose knack for making the perfect pass from her left midfield spot cemented her soccer reputation, was also one of just 28 girls named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Winter-Spring All-American team.

A separate All-American team exists for those who play girls soccer in the fall. Girls soccer is played in the fall in 25 states and the District of Columbia, in the winter in six states and in the spring in 20 states, including Delaware (Arizona has fall and winter seasons), according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Soccer sprouted in the spring as a girls high school sport in Delaware in the early 1990s because of the availability of fields, referees and coaches opposite the boys’ fall soccer season and away from another fall girls sport, field hockey, which has deep roots and strong popularity in Delaware.

A four-year varsity performer, Scully played on Padua teams that went 48-2-3, won four state championships and went unbeaten in the last 41 games dating to May of her sophomore year. Padua finished the 2016 season ranked No. 2 nationally in the USA Today/National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.

The difficulty in earning a spot on the field for Padua drove Scully to improve and excel.

“It’s been awesome,” Scully said of being part of the Padua juggernaut. “My freshman year I thought I was mediocre but because of the pressure and all that we had to do I thought it made me a better person.

“All these good younger players keep coming in and you say to yourself ‘I’ve got to play better.’ You make your whole team better and we all push each other. I feel like I’ve come a long way.”

Scully could always be counted on, Padua coach Joe Brown said, for “big-time moments in big-time games against quality opponents” while compiling career totals of 29 goals and 33 assists.

In the 2016 season, that included scoring a fourth-minute goal to ignite Padua’s 3-0 state semifinal win over Wilmington Charter and setting up Padua’s lone goal in its 1-0 victory over powerful Ocean Lakes High of Virginia.

In this year’s 4-1 state championship win over Caesar Rodney, Scully’s 36th-minute cross found the head of Megan Mallon, who delivered the Pandas’ second goal.

“When Mackenzie gets it on the left side, no one can stop her,” Mallon boasted afterward. “She gets by everyone. She finds the open person.”

“She will spread the defense out,” Brown said. “She will wear out that right back all day long. If she beats the defense and gets in [to shoot] – boom! She has the speed to do that. But she’s always crossing balls to set up goals.”

One of those serves from the corner set up Arryana Daniels’ goal that gave Padua its initial edge in a 3-1 state championship triumph in 2015 over Caesar Rodney.

A slick Scully delivery had also led to Daniels’ goal – Padua’s second – in its 3-1 win over CR in the 2014 state final.

As a midfielder, Scully also had to play a key defensive role while maintaining a tireless work rate.

“It’s a great honor to have your hard work recognized,” Scully said, “when you’re the person who’s on the side, so you’re not always scoring the goals.

“My main role was beating my defenders to the baseline and being able to cross the ball, putting it in great position for my forwards so they can score goals. That’s how you get the goals. Scoring the goals is nice but the ball has to get there somehow. But I couldn’t have done it without our forwards. They have to be there to get the ball. They made the great runs.”

Scully, who played club soccer for the Delaware Rush, will attend the University of Delaware, where she’ll study athletic training eyeing graduate school for physical therapy. She hopes to play on the UD women’s soccer club team.

“I love dual sport athletes,” Brown said. “They’ve learned to use different athletic skills. They’re competing in different arenas. They can take bits and pieces from those experiences and bring it here. Even though her primary sport is soccer, in basketball, as a guard, Mackenzie was the one who controlled the floor along with Megan Mallon.”

Scully said she’s had friends who, sometimes from parental pressure, became so focused on one sport that, eventually, the enjoyment vanished and they grew bored of it.

Variety has spiced up her athletic life and been a key to her success. Scully, who also used to swim competitively, feels being an all-around athlete helped prevent her from ever suffering a serious injury.

“Always playing basketball kept my mind off soccer,” Scully said, “and when I got back into soccer season I was so excited.”

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @kevintresolini.

St. Andrew’s School alumni, Eric Boateng, working with basketball players during the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

St. Andrew’s School alumni, Eric Boateng, working with basketball players during the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

St. Andrew’s School alumni, Eric Boateng, working with basketball players during the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

St. Andrew’s School alumni, Eric Boateng, working with basketball players during the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

St. Andrew’s School alumni, Eric Boateng, working with basketball players during the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

St. Andrew’s School alumni, Eric Boateng, working with basketball players during the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

Jeremy Edwards, co-founder of Strive, plays soccer dressed as Gumby at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

Jeremy Edwards, co-founder of Strive, plays basketball dressed as camel at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

St. Andrew’s School junior, Rick Townsend, a goalie on the boy’s soccer team, talks about this experience at the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

High school athletes walk to their classroom instruction at the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

Mechelle Perez, left of Queens, N.Y., receives a high five from Strive Sports Challenge director, Sabrina Zurkuhlen, before a classroom instruction session at the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

Soccer coach Jesse Gonzalez of San Diego, CA., talks about coaching at the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

Girl’s field hockey finishes their morning session at the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

Jason White (14) of Philadelphia, Pa., participates in a team spelling challenge during a classroom session at the Strive Sports Challenge at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del,.

MIDDLETOWN – At first glance, it looks like the typical sports camp that draws students to fill their summer vacation void between the end of one school year and the start of another.

The sound of bouncing basketballs, squeaking sneakers and echoing voices fills the Sipprelle Field House at St. Andrew’s School.

Outside, girls lacrosse players inhabit one field and girls and boys soccer players fill another. They dart between and around orange cones in one drill or zip passes to one another as they hone their skills, oblivious to the heat and humidity.

But it’s what happens before and after — and often amidst — all these sports practices that makes the Strive Sports Challenge Leadership Academy unique and, those associated with it say, superior.

Building leadership, self-awareness and other positive, influential character traits are the camp’s primary objectives. They are the focus of on-the-court and on-the-field sessions as well as daily classroom learning.

“I’ve come back every year for the last 14 years because there is no other camp like this anywhere that is so beneficial to the kids — and the coaches, too,” said Jesse Gonzalez, a high school and club soccer coach from San Diego, California, who brought six players with him.

This is the program’s 19th year and 14th at St. Andrew’s. It has brought together 108 high school student-athletes from 15 states. Eight students are from Delaware, nominated by the Newark Boys & Girls Club, Serviam Academy and St. Andrew’s.

All went through a rigorous application process. Tuition is $2,000 and roughly three-quarters of the attendees receive need-based financial aid through Strive, a Wilmington-based non-profit, that covers most of that cost, said Andrea Valentine, the executive director.

Each day at the two-week residential camp that ends Saturday — St. Andrew’s is a boarding school — begins with what the campers call “vitamins,” which are actually a 7 a.m. dose of speed, strength and agility training that precedes breakfast.

Hearts start racing early here. The mind isn’t far behind.

Band of football ROMEOs loves weekly breakfast meeting

‘It’s a learning experience’

Where a typical basketball academy may focus on shooting technique or a lacrosse camp on catching and cradling proficiency, sports skills are just a fragment of the daily regimen.

There are classes every day in sports psychology, conflict resolution, public speaking and other self- and group-improvement techniques, said Sabrina Zurkuhlen, a New York City-based coach and teacher who is the camp director. The value of fairness, humor, gratitude and diligence are frequent subjects.

The positive benefits are plain to see in the camaraderie among participants and commonly heard in the words that are spoken.

“We talk a lot about empathy and grit,” said Valentine, who knows about the latter as a former field hockey goalie at Tower Hill School and Haverford College. “But we don’t just talk about what those words mean. We ask questions like, ‘What does it look like?’ ”

Such queries get participants thinking and interacting, which are the pathways to personal growth and empowerment, Valentine said.

Campers also have another popular saying and motion — “Brush it off,” which comes with a flick of the hand across the shoulder — to signify they’ll take a risk, learn from failure and keep striving.

Jayna Jones, a rising senior at Wilmington Friends, where she runs track and cross country and plays basketball, enjoys the challenges.

“One thing they have us do,” she said, “is sit with someone different each day at lunch, so we can meet them and get to know them and learn from each other.

“One of the exercises I’ve found most beneficial is the classes on conflict resolution, about getting people together to try and work your way through situations. I’ve been on teams where that was a problem and I know when I leave here that’ll be something I’ll be better equipped to handle through collaboration.”

The classes and activities enhance interaction and bridge racial and cultural divides. They also may provide just the challenge someone is looking for.

Larissa Orellana, 17 and from Boston, came back to Sports Challenge after being here last year to test herself in areas she felt she needed improvement.

After 55 baseball seasons, St. Andrew’s Colburn retiring

“Last year I was a very shy student-athlete here and I thought I could have pushed myself more,” she said. “. . . It made me really think what type of person I could be. I was more of a lead-by-example type of student. I felt as if I didn’t have to be that type of leader, I could be a more vocal and outgoing leader.’’

The public speaking classes have helped Orellana accomplish that goal, she added.

“It’s a learning experience that helps on the field,” she said. “It all comes together at the end.”

A lesson in self awareness

Coaches come from schools throughout the U.S. and even overseas, and they also teach the classes.

Among them is Eric Boateng, the St. Andrew’s graduate who played college basketball at Duke and Arizona State and was on Great Britain’s team in the 2012 Summer Olympics, which was played in his hometown of London.

Now 30 and playing professionally in Europe, Boateng relishes the chance to return to his alma mater.

“It’s just my honor to help and the leadership skills are so important,” said Boateng. “And they need to be learned. They don’t just come intuitively. That’s what I think is so special about this academy. It really teaches kids leadership concepts and, as a result, it’s a safe environment to try things out.’’

Sports Challenge was hatched when co-founder Jeremy Edwards and other coaches at Haverford College were “frustrated,” he said, “with the degree to which we weren’t seeing leadership skills on the college and youth scene.”

They found that “a lack of self-awareness” and teammates being from divergent cultural and socio-economic backgrounds was often at the root of the problem. They went about devising programs that would refine those qualities and create connections where gaps existed.

Alexa Caldwell, who returns every summer to her alma mater to coach girls lacrosse at Sports Challenge, marvels at the outcome.

“As a young 19-year-old, I found my best self here, and it’s been an incredible process seeing how I’ve grown,” said Caldwell, a 2007 St. Andrew’s graduate who then played lacrosse at Brown and now teaches and coaches at Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

“It forces you to be self-aware and reflective in a way that’s refreshing, and I love the staff I get to work with and I love the student-athletes.”

What those student-athletes draw from the experience, Caldwell added, “is such a deep impact that it’s hard to pinpoint. But if you’re thinking how sports can unify a group of people and how fun life is supposed to be, and how to work with people you don’t necessarily have anything in common with except for you both play lacrosse . . . the diversity is what makes this place special.”

That’s what Rick Townsend, a soccer, basketball and baseball player at St. Andrew’s, finds so appealing.

“You’ve got people here from so many different places and from so many different backgrounds,” said Townsend, a Rehoboth Beach resident attending the soccer portion of camp, “and it’s such an amazing experience to get to know them and learn from them.”

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @kevintresolini.

Smyrna quarterback Nolan Henderson looks for a receiver against Sussex Tech last season. Henderson recently led Smyrna to victory in the USA Football 7 on 7 Northeast Regional tournament.

Matt Rubincam went to grade school at St. Elizabeth. He has lived near the school for more than 30 years. And he served the Vikings’ boys basketball program in various roles for 19 years.

So it comes as no surprise that Rubincam, 45, has been named St. Elizabeth’s new boys basketball head coach. He replaces Dick Rago, who announced his retirement earlier this summer after compiling a 358-319 record over 30 years.

“It’s like going home,” Rubincam said Tuesday.

The connections were obvious.

“I still have family in the school. I’m still connected to the school,” Rubincam said. “When Dick retired, he actually called me and told me and I thought about it. He thought I should go for it.”

The Salesianum graduate began working at St. E in 1992 as the freshman boys coach. He became junior varsity coach and a varsity assistant the next year, then served as associate head coach of the varsity team until 2011, when he began a five-year tenure as head coach of the Charter of Wilmington boys team.

Rubincam coached the Force to a 36-65 record in the ultra-competitive Blue Hen Flight A. Now, he’s happy to be back where he started.

“It’s a really good program,” Rubincam said. “I’m kind of honored and kind of blessed to take the head coaching job. It’s a good program, it’s a good atmosphere, it’s great kids. St. Elizabeth is a second home to me.”

The Vikings have plenty of talent returning from teams that went 31-12 the last two years and reached the DIAA quarterfinals in 2014-15. The new coach wants them to be able to play at a variety of paces.

“Hopefully, we can win the first boys state championship there,” Rubincam said. “We’re going to be uptempo, but I will run whatever system we’ll need to run to beat the opponent. That could change in any game we play.”

Eagles still flying high

Defending DIAA Division I football champion Smyrna showed that it should be a major contender again this season by edging Middletown 25-24 in a thrilling championship game at the USA Football 7 on 7 Northeastern Regional tournament on July 9 at Middletown.

The 7-on-7 format doesn’t involve linemen or contact, but it does give high school coaches a chance to work with many of their players over the summer.

“It can be fun, and the kids have a blast doing it,” Smyrna coach Mike Judy said. “Anytime the DIAA OKs some get togethers to meet with the kids in a 7 on 7 league or tournament, that’s one more time to try to get better. We can turbo through some reps and try to get as many touches to the football as we can.”

The victory in the one-day tournament qualified the Eagles for the USA Football 7 on 7 National Championship in Hoover, Ala., but the team wasn’t able to manage the logistics necessary to make the trip last week. But Smyrna is also playing in the New Castle County 7 on 7 league this summer, giving returning All-State quarterback Nolan Henderson valuable time to work with a new receiving corps without worrying about a pass rush.

“When there’s nobody breathing down his throat, he can put the ball anywhere he wants it at any time,” Judy said of Henderson. “That’s a big advantage for us.”

Rounding it up

— Red Lion Christian sophomore-to-be Austin Barbin got off to a flying start on Monday at the U.S. Junior Amateur golf tournament, but his finish wasn’t as strong. Barbin, 15, birdied three of his first four holes at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn., but erased that success with a triple bogey two holes later and finished with a 76. He is tied for 80th, but has 18 more holes to play Tuesday in a bid to reach the low 64 and qualify for match play.

— Padua senior Sarah Brush is one of 52 girls named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America High School Scholar All-America team. Brush finished with a 4.37 grade-point average while earning first-team All-State honors and helping the Pandas (18-0) win their fifth straight state championship and finish second nationally in the NSCAA’s Top 25 spring rankings.

— The Delaware High School Baseball Coaches Association honored retiring St. Andrew’s coach Bob Colburn prior to a Blue Rocks game at Frawley Stadium on June 29. Colburn, who is stepping down after 55 seasons as coach, was the second recipient (following former Newark football coach Butch Simpson) of a DIAA Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by incoming DIAA executive director Tommie Neubauer. Colburn also was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame this spring.

— Tracey McCracken has been named field hockey coach at St. Mark’s. McCracken coached at St. Elizabeth the previous five seasons.

— A.I. du Pont High School is seeking nominations for its next Hall of Fame class. People may be nominated for athletics, academics and/or service to school and community. Email athletic director Mark Alley at mark.alley@redclay.k12.de.us for a nomination form. Nominations must be submitted by Aug. 1.

— Sussex Tech junior Nathan Quillin has been selected to participate in the inaugural Warrior National Prospect Invite lacrosse showcase, being held Tuesday through Friday in Richmond, Va. Dover junior Grace Gast will participate in the girls event.

— Archmere is seeking a head coach for varsity field hockey. For more information, email athletic director Dave Oswinkle at doswinkle@archmereacademy.com or call (302) 798-6632, ext. 798.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

The last piece of the old bleachers still remain as Robert Quillen with First State Fabrication continues work on the new bleachers at Baynard Stadium.

Kyler Scheerer with First State Fabrication continues work on the new bleachers at Baynard Stadium.

Kyler Scheerer with First State Fabrication continues work on the new bleachers at Baynard Stadium.

Robert Quillen with First State Fabrication continues work on the new bleachers at Baynard Stadium.

Ryan West with First State Fabrication continues work on the new bleachers at Baynard Stadium.

A condemned section of Baynard Stadium’s bleachers are torn down in preparation for their replacement at the Wilmington State Park facility.

A condemned section of Baynard Stadium’s bleachers are torn down in preparation for their replacement at the Wilmington State Park facility.

A condemned section of Baynard Stadium’s bleachers are torn down in preparation for their replacement at the Wilmington State Park facility.

Temporary bleachers are being installed at Baynard Stadium this week.

Temporary bleachers are being installed at Baynard Stadium this week.

Temporary bleachers are being installed at Baynard Stadium this week.

Temporary bleachers are being installed at Baynard Stadium this week.

Temporary bleachers are being installed at Baynard Stadium this week.

Temporary bleachers are being installed at Baynard Stadium this week.

Temporary bleachers are being installed at Baynard Stadium this week.

Kyler Scheerer with First State Fabrication continues work on the new bleachers at Baynard Stadium.

Baynard Stadium will have a different look when McKean meets St. Elizabeth in the first game of the high school football season on Sept. 8.

The bleachers on the south side of the Wilmington facility were condemned in May following a structural engineering assessment. They were demolished last month, and a much smaller set of temporary bleachers are being installed in time for the fall sports season.

But officials believe Baynard Stadium, which opened in 1922 and received its last major facelift in 1972, also will need new north side bleachers, expanded locker rooms and bathrooms, a new track, improved lighting and perhaps an artificial turf field to remain functional into the future. With budgets stretched thin and two government entities involved with the stadium, who would pay for a major rebuild?

The stadium has been the site of some of Delaware’s greatest high school football games, along with hosting numerous track and field meets, soccer and lacrosse games and other events. Salesianum, Howard, Delaware Military Academy and St. Elizabeth currently play home football games at the stadium.

The stadium is owned by the City of Wilmington, but is part of Brandywine Park and has been managed by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) since 1998. DNREC Secretary David Small believes a public-private partnership may be needed to pay for the upgrades.

“We need to have that conversation with the city about its role, and whether there are other potential funding sources we could look at outside the government world,” Small said Wednesday. “Are there opportunities for partnerships there? Some of those conversations have started, but I don’t know quite what that looks like at this point.

“But we certainly understand and respect the history and importance of the stadium to the city and the schools that have used it. It’s an icon, and we would love to find a path forward.”

Hopeful Blue Hens start preseason football drills

Baynard Stadium sits right across the street from Salesianum, a private high school that has demonstrated an ability to raise significant funds for athletics. The school raised $7 million through alumni and private donations to build the Anthony N. Fusco Sr. Athletic Center, a renovation and addition to the school’s existing athletic facilities, which opened in 2012.

But Salesianum president Brendan Kennealey said it is too early to involve the school in any talks about stadium improvements.

“It looks like the city, state, DNREC are working on getting stuff together,” Kennealey said Wednesday. “If we can play a role in that, I think we’re open to that. The end goal is for Baynard Stadium to be a great community asset.

“It’s pretty early in any of those kind of discussions. It’s not like there’s a real plan or anything. It’s just kind of trying to explore options.”

First things first

The most pressing issue is the south side bleachers. Susan Staats, DNREC’s park superintendent for the Wilmington State Parks, said the stands were condemned after engineers discovered cracks in the concrete foundation and rusting in the steel columns that caused breaks in some support structures.

Cindy Todd, construction project administrator for DNREC’s office of design and development within the Division of Parks and Recreation, said nine sets of temporary bleachers – 10 rows high and 21 feet long – were fabricated by Southern Bleacher Co. of Graham, Texas, and will be installed by the end of this month.

“The idea is to get something there before the fall season starts,” Todd said. “Then we’re going to be figuring out from a design standpoint what the next steps are, what is going to be going in there in the final. For now, we’re calling them temporary bleachers, but they’re very nice bleachers.”

The temporary bleachers are expected to hold 900 people, far less than the 2,500 capacity of the condemned bleachers. With the 2,500-seat north side bleachers still in place, Baynard Stadium’s seating capacity will be reduced from 5,000 to 3,400.

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The emergency work was done through a $200,000 appropriation passed through the Bond Bill at the end of the legislative session on June 30.

“I’m just happy to do what I can to get some funds to do this,” said State Sen. Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington North, who chairs the Joint Finance Committee. “We really need to keep that. It’s a community institution. It’s very good for a lot of things.

“It all came up rather suddenly, toward the end of the fiscal year. By the time we were alerted to it, we didn’t have enough time [for additional funding].”

McDowell broke down the $200,000 appropriation as follows: $50,000 for demolition, $50,000 for utility work and wiring, $95,000 for fabrication and installation of temporary bleachers and $5,000 for a temporary press box.

Salesianum takes on St. Mark’s in a 2014 football game at Baynard Stadium. Salesianum is one of four high schools to play its home football games at the facility.

Ray Bivens, director of DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation, said the south side bleachers deteriorated more quickly than expected.

“The bleachers that we had to demolish had been on our watch list, but they went really fast,” Bivens said. “The bleachers on the other side are certainly of concern as well. Our engineers come out every three years and study them, and we’ll do whatever is necessary. The bleachers we had to demolish, there were no fixes that could be done to them.”

Bivens said City of Wilmington officials have been engaged and cooperative throughout the process. Leonard Sophrin, director of Wilmington’s Department of Planning and Development, was not available for comment Thursday.

“They’ve been out with us on site, and they were key in talking with the state delegation about the needs and what we saw in the Bond Bill,” Bivens said of city officials.

The big picture

McDowell is satisfied with the temporary solution, but knows much more is needed.

“We’ve got to get this worked out,” McDowell said. “This $200,000 is a Band-Aid now. We’ve got that, we’ve put the Band-Aid on, and hopefully we’ll get through this year and get to work on a larger picture.”

But that larger picture comes with a much larger price tag. Baynard Stadium received its first facelift in 1956, and aluminum bleachers were installed in 1972. That was the last major upgrade to the facility.

“The locker room facilities are woefully inadequate,” Staats said. “If you’re putting that kind of investment into the stadium, could we make improvements to the locker rooms, the rest rooms, the field, improved lighting, those types of things.

“At halftime, you’ll see some of the players outside the locker rooms because there isn’t enough space inside to have everybody in there.”

Follow Kevin Tresolini at the Rio Olympics

Staats also said the north side bleachers are not compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Now, spectators in wheelchairs stay on the track during football games.

“Our division has done some looking at the site, and between the track, the antiquated restrooms, the bleachers, we’re in the $10 million to $12 million ballpark,” Bivens said. “Not all in one year, but to rehab Baynard Stadium for the next 30 years that’s what my planning staff has told me.”

Bivens said the latest estimate also considered larger locker rooms, but not an artificial turf field that would allow the facility to be used more frequently.

McDowell said a public-private partnership involving Salesianum is intriguing, but an agreement would have to be reached to continue to allow others to use the stadium. In addition to the three other high schools currently playing home football games at Baynard Stadium, Staats said Padua, Howard and Salesianum host track and field meets, along with CYM, YMCA and City of Wilmington groups. The city also uses the stadium for a flag football league, and Ursuline Academy has played soccer games there.

“They would like to take possession and/or responsibility for the stadium and actually fundraise for it,” McDowell said. “But concerns have been expressed that that might shut out the other people there.”

But Kennealey, the Salesianum president, said the school has no current plans for trying to play an increased role at the stadium.

“Salesianum wants to see Baynard Stadium continue to thrive and be a home for the community,” Kennealey said. “It was and is a great community asset. I think our incentives are similar to a lot of other folks who care about the place, just to make sure it can be a home to lot of different things – schools, community groups, whatever – for a long time.

“We rent it just like anyone else does,” Kennealey added. “It just happens to be right next to us. That has been a very good situation for us. But we’re not trying to come up with a new vision for Baynard Stadium at this point.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

For the first time in Bill DiNardo’s 13 seasons, nine of Salesianum’s 10 regular-season football games will be played against Delaware opponents this fall.

And that makes the longtime Delaware high school coach proud.

“We’ve been working very, very hard within the ranks, and I think it’s a tribute to our program, our administration, that other schools want to play us,” DiNardo said. “Other schools do not see us as a private school threat. It’s a good thing.”

The Sals have no conference affiliation, leaving them 10 games to fill every year. That has been a problem, as they have had to resort to two or often three out-of-state opponents. In 2013, Salesianum took a 668-mile round trip for a game at Stuebenville, Ohio.

“We follow the rules,” DiNardo said. “We are members of DIAA. We follow the same rules with practice and everything that everybody else follows.

“We’re very proud to be part of Delaware. We are a Delaware football team, and we want to play our games in Delaware.”

Wentz keeps throwing in practice despite rib soreness

The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when the Sals scheduled a game at Caravel on Sept. 30. Salesianum had contacted schools from as far away as Canada before discovering that Caravel – another nonconference private school that often has trouble with scheduling – also had a date to fill.

And the Sals won’t even have to cross the state line to play this season. The only out-of-state opponent – Father Judge of Philadelphia – will come to Baynard Stadium for Sallies’ season opener at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9.

The Crusaders went 6-5 last season, but one of those wins was a 14-7 victory over the Sals. It was Salesianum’s only regular-season loss.

“They outhit us, outplayed us, outcoached us, out-everythinged us,” DiNardo said. “It was a disappointing loss last year, but it really taught everybody that we had to have our ‘A’ game every single game.”

The rest of the schedule is filled by Caesar Rodney, Smyrna, Dover and Sussex Tech of the Henlopen North; Middletown, Concord and William Penn of Blue Hen Flight A; and Division II’s Caravel and St. Mark’s.

STORY: Brad’s gridiron tour: Scouting this year’s teams

The Sals will go into battle with five starters returning on both sides of the ball. All but one starter is back on the offensive line, including tackles Randy Sinnott (6-4, 280) and Dom Marra (6-6, 250), guard Zeb Wright (6-2, 300), center Sean Keating (6-4, 260) and tight end Josh Patrick (6-1, 220). Josh Williams (5-9, 265) and John Cohill (6-1, 240) are competing at the other guard spot.

“They were very big, they were very good last year,” DiNardo said. “They were a big part of our success.”

All of the Sals’ skill players graduated, including a gaping hole left by running back Colby Reeder (2,010 yards, 32 touchdowns), who is now at the University of Delaware.

“You don’t replace Colby Reeder,” DiNardo said. “Colby is a once-in-a-lifetime kid. But we’ll do things more balanced. He absolutely carried the load for us last year.”

Running backs Carson Salvo, Nick Merlino and Liam Mulvena are competing for carries, and Peyton Mullin returns at fullback.

Junior-to-be Zach Gwynn started only one game at quarterback, but it was the DIAA Division I championship game before more than 10,000 fans at Delaware Stadium after senior starter Garrett Cannon was injured in the semifinals against Middletown. Gwynn responded by passing for three touchdowns in the Sals’ 32-26, overtime loss to Smyrna.

“He showed a lot of poise last year,” DiNardo said. “He’s a very talented young man. He’s got a very big upside.”

Remembering Widdoes

Longtime Brandywine and Concord high school coach, physical education teacher and athletic director Jay Widdoes died Aug. 16. He was 90.

Widdoes, a Milford native, served in the Navy during World War II. Credited as one of the founders of high school soccer in Delaware, he also coached, played and officiated wrestling, baseball, basketball and football, and even filled in as a substitute coach and guided Concord to a DIAA field hockey state championship in 1978. He also was an avid golfer.

Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m. Tuesday at Brandywine Valley Baptist Church, 7 Mount Lebanon Road in north Wilmington. The family requests that casual clothing be worn to the visitation and service to follow. A private burial will be held at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Brandywine Valley Baptist Church or PTBoats.org.

Rounding it up

— Scott Barker has been named girls basketball coach at St. Mark’s. Barker, an A.I. du Pont and University of Delaware graduate, has previous coaching experience at A.I., Middletown, Delaware Tech, Avon Grove (Pa.), Wilmington University and with the Delaware Blue Bombers semi-pro team. He has been a men’s assistant coach at Lincoln University (Pa.) the past four seasons.

— Charter of Wilmington is seeking a head coach for boys and girls swimming. Interested candidates may email athletic director Chris Eddy at ceddy@charterschool.org.

— Middletown is seeking a head coach for girls basketball. Email resumes and letters of intent to athletic director Colleen Kelley at colleen.kelley@appo.k12.de.us.

— Class of 2017 high school athletes nationwide may apply for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship at www.WendysHighSchoolHeisman.com. Deadline is Oct. 3.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Zach Gwynn returns at quarterback for Salesianum after passing for three TDs in his only start – a 32-26, overtime loss to Smyrna in the DIAA Division I championship game.

Howard celebrates its 28-13 win over St. Georges in last year’s DIAA Division II championship game. The Wildcats start this season ranked No. 2 by The News Journal.

FOOTBALL

THE NEWS JOURNAL/DELAWAREONLINE RANKINGS

(Last year’s final ranking at end)

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (12-1) 3

2. Salesianum (10-2) 1

3. Concord (6-4) 7

4. Middletown (9-3) 4

5. William Penn (9-2) 2

6. Sussex Central (6-4) 8

7. Sussex Tech (8-3) 5

8. Appoquinimink (5-5) 9

9. Cape Henlopen (5-4) 10

10. Mount Pleasant (7-4) 6

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (8-4) 7

2. Howard (10-3) 3

3. Caravel (3-6) NR

4. Del. Military Academy (9-2) 4

5. Wilmington Friends (9-2) 6

6. Milford (6-4) NR

7. Glasgow (5-5) NR

8. Archmere (6-4) 8

9. St. Elizabeth (4-6) NR

10. St. Mark’s (4-6) 9

FOX SPORTS 1290/DIFCA COACHES’ POLL

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna

2. Middletown

3. Salesianum

4. Concord

5. William Penn

6. Sussex Tech

7. Sussex Central

8. Appoquinimink

9. Cape Henlopen

10. Mount Pleasant

DIVISION II

1. Caravel

2. Woodbridge

3. St. Georges

4. Howard

5. Glasgow

6. Del. Military Academy

7. Hodgson

8. Wilmington Friends

9. Tatnall

10. St. Elizabeth

VOLLEYBALL

1. Del. Military Academy (20-0) 1

2. Ursuline (14-5) 4

3. Padua (14-5) 5

4. Archmere (16-3) 2

5. Wilmington Friends (13-3) 3

BOYS SOCCER

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum (14-3-1) 1

2. Charter of Wilmington (14-4) 3

3. Cape Henlopen (15-3) 4

4. Appoquinimink (15-2) 2

5. Caesar Rodney (11-5) NR

DIVISION II

1. Indian River (14-5) 1

2. Caravel (14-4) 3

3. St. Mark’s (10-7) NR

4. Archmere (11-7) NR

5. Del. Military Academy (13-4) 5

FIELD HOCKEY

1. Cape Henlopen (19-0) 1

2. Delmar (15-2-1) 2

3. Polytech (13-3) 3

4. Padua (14-2-1) 5

5. Wilmington Christian (16-2) 4

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: BradMyersTNJ

Mount Pleasant senior Matt Kalin has developed computer ratings for every Delaware high school football team and will attempt to beat the predictions of The News Journal’s Brad Myers this season.

Matt Kalin is a very intelligent young man.

The Mount Pleasant senior has outstanding grades and test scores. His top five college choices are Duke, Maryland, Michigan, Penn and Columbia. He plans to major in math or statistics.

He has become increasingly interested in sports analytics the last couple of years, developing a rating system to predict the outcomes of NFL, Major League Baseball and college football and basketball games.

Now, Kalin wants to take the next step. He wants to take on the Grand Poobah of Delaware high school football predictions.

That’s me, in case you were wondering. Stop laughing.

Kalin emailed me last month to ask if he could develop ratings for Delaware teams and see how his predictions stacked up against mine. So we’re going to give him a chance this fall, starting in today’s News Journal.

“I’ve always really liked math and sports, so I’ve always liked the stats,” Kalin said. “One day, I decided to find a way to rate the teams in the NFL, decide who was actually the best team. That’s what got me into it.”

Kalin said he has had success predicting NFL games the past two seasons. You can see all of his ratings — including for Delaware high school teams — at http://www.kalinratings.com

His calculations were originally based on the Elo system (Google it), which was first used for rating chess. He has since modified to account for margin of victory.

For the initial Delaware high school ratings, he used a combination of preseason ratings from maxpreps.com and last year’s points scored and points allowed with adjustments for Division I and Division II.

That’s too complicated for me, but Kalin claims he can not only predict the final score, but the chance each team has of winning boiled down to a percentage.

My method for predicting games is much more simple. I go to games, talk to coaches and players, study past performances and factor in temperature, wind, rain, relative humidity, barometric pressure, coaches’ and schools’ all-time win-loss records in day games, night games, on artificial turf or grass, how much homework the quarterback was assigned in the last three days and how many chores the kicker had to do this week. Dart boards, coin flips and palm readers are also employed from time to time.

Kalin is strictly a numbers man. If his numbers say Mount Pleasant isn’t going to win, he won’t pick Mount Pleasant to win. That could lead to some interesting conversations with the Green Knights’ football players between classes.

He has attended only one Delaware high school football game — Mount Pleasant’s homecoming two years ago. I go to as many games as anybody, usually three or four per week, at least 40 each season. So it will be interesting to see which method is more accurate — Matt’s cold calculations or my semi-scientific wild guesses.

We only differ on one prediction this week. Matt’s computer says Newark will defeat St. Mark’s 21-17. Brad says St. Mark’s will take the 4.4-mile bus ride (did he factor that?) to Newark and come home with a 17-15 victory.

Come on, Spartans, don’t let me down. I’ve gotta beat this kid.

DFRC Kickoff Classics

Delaware’s 2016-17 high school sports season begins with two football games on Thursday. A.I. du Pont will travel to Sussex Tech and McKean will take on St. Elizabeth at Baynard Stadium in the seventh annual DFRC Kickoff Classics. Both games start at 7 p.m.

A.I. and Sussex Tech are 90 miles apart, but the schools have played an entertaining football series over the last five years. Tech was won four of the five games, including the last three, and all have featured plenty of points. The Ravens won 27-26 last year in Greenville, and are coming off an 8-3 season. The Tigers finished 4-6 last year.

St. Elizabeth defeated McKean 26-6 last year in the only recent game between the schools. The Vikings went 4-6 and the Highlanders were 3-7 last season, but both teams have the ingredients to improve.

The Kickoff Classic get the football season started a day early and raise awareness of the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with intellectual disabilities. Tickets for each game are $5.

Colonials giving back

William Penn has moved Friday’s football home opener against St. Georges to Caravel’s Bob Peoples Stadium to play under the lights with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff and raise funds and awareness for 22 in 22, a program started by former St. Mark’s student Jacob Di Sabatino and his father, Brian.

The program gets its name from the 22 veteran suicides that occur daily, according to a 2012 Department of Veterans Affairs report. The program is designed to raise funds and awareness to try to decrease soldier and veteran suicide.

William Penn’s ROTC program will be involved with the game, and a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to 22 in 22.

Sallies soccer ranked 6th

The defending DIAA Division I champion Salesianum soccer team is ranked sixth nationally in the first USA Today/NSCAA Super 25 of the season. The Sals are also ranked first in Region IV, which includes Delaware, D.C., Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

Charter of Wilmington is ranked eighth regionally, and the Sals and Force are ranked 1-2 in Delaware’s Division I by The News Journal.

Salesianum will start the season against Sussex Tech in the annual Delaware Association of Athletic Directors Upstate-Downstate Challenge at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Dover High.

The Sals will take on Caravel — ranked second statewide in Division II — on Sept. 13. Then Sallies will head for Colorado Sept. 16-17 to meet Fairview, which is ranked fifth nationally, and Boulder High. It will get even tougher Oct. 8 when the Sals play St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) — ranked second nationally — at Caravel.

The DAAD Upstate-Downstate Challenge will feature six other games, all at Dover High. Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security will meet Seaford at 9:30 a.m., followed by Milford vs. Appoquinimink at 11:30, Dover vs. Newark Charter at 1:30 p.m., Caesar Rodney vs. Charter at 3:30, Lake Forest vs. Dickinson at 6:30 and Polytech vs. Middletown at 7:30.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Woodbridge’s Terrique Riddick (2) breaks away from Dover’s Robert Mason (7) and Bradly Anyanwu last Friday. The Blue Raiders opened the season with a 33-12 victory and remained No. 1 in The News Journal’s Division II rankings.

FOOTBALL

THE NEWS JOURNAL/DELAWAREONLINE RANKINGS

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (1-0) 1

2. Salesianum (1-0) 2

3. Middletown (1-0) 4

4. Concord (1-0) 3

5. Sussex Central (1-0) 6

6. William Penn (1-0) 5

7. Sussex Tech (1-0) 7

8. Appoquinimink (1-0) 8

9. Cape Henlopen (1-0) 9

10. Mount Pleasant (1-0) 10

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (1-0) 1

2. Del. Military Academy (1-0) 4

3. Archmere (1-0) 8

4. Wilmington Friends (1-0) 5

5. Milford (1-0) 6

6. Glasgow (1-0) 7

7. St. Mark’s (1-0) 10

8. Caravel (0-1) 3

9. St. Elizabeth (1-0) 9

10. St. Georges (0-1) NR

FOX SPORTS 1290/DIFCA COACHES’ POLL

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (1)

2. Middletown (2)

3. Salesianum (3)

4. Concord (4)

5. William Penn (5)

6. Sussex Tech (6)

7. Sussex Central (7)

8. Appoquinimink (8)

9. Mount Pleasant (10)

10. Cape Henlopen (9)

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (2)

2. Glasgow (5)

3. St. Georges (3)

4. Hodgson (7)

5. St. Elizabeth (10)

6. Del. Military Academy (6)

7. Caravel (1)

8. Wilmington Friends (8)

9. Archmere (NR)

10. Tatnall (9)

VOLLEYBALL

1. Del. Military Academy (0-0) 1

2. Ursuline (0-0) 2

3. Padua (1-0) 3

4. Archmere (1-0) 4

5. Wilmington Friends (1-0) 5

BOYS SOCCER

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum (1-0) 1

2. Charter of Wilmington (1-0) 2

3. Cape Henlopen (0-0-1) 3

4. Appoquinimink (1-0) 4

5. Caesar Rodney (0-1) 5

DIVISION II

1. Indian River (0-0) 1

2. St. Mark’s (1-0) 3

3. Archmere (1-0) 4

4. Caravel (0-1) 2

5. Del. Military Academy (0-0-1) 5

FIELD HOCKEY

1. Cape Henlopen (0-0) 1

2. Delmar (2-0) 2

3. Polytech (2-0) 3

4. Padua (1-0) 4

5. Wilmington Christian (0-0) 5

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum

2. Charter of Wilmington

3. Sussex Tech

4. Caesar Rodney

5. Newark

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall

2. Newark Charter

3. Del. Military Academy

4. St. Andrew’s

5. Lake Forest

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Padua

2. Charter of Wilmington

3. Smyrna

4. Caesar Rodney

5. Cape Henlopen

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall

2. St. Andrew’s

3. Newark Charter

4. Del. Military Academy

5. St. Mark’s

* – rankings supplied by N5CTA

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: BradMyersTNJ

Caravel QB Alex Barker (1) looks for a receiver against Concord on Saturday. The senior threw three touchdown passes in the first half, but suffered a fourth-quarter ankle injury that will likely end his season.

Alex Barker’s final year of high school football likely ended with 9:31 left in the fourth quarter of his season opener Saturday.

The Caravel senior kept the ball for a 1-yard loss on third-and-11, then stayed down on the field. There was a 26-minute delay as an ambulance came to transport the quarterback to Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

Barker underwent surgery to mend a serious ankle injury. The left-hander will work to recover in time for the Buccaneers’ baseball season in the spring, but a return in time for any more football is very doubtful.

“I don’t think so,” Caravel coach John Reed said Monday, when asked if he expected Barker to play again. “Between that recovery time and the therapy on it… But we still want him to be a part of it, be around the team and be a good teammate.”

Barker recently transferred from Eastern Christian Academy in Elkton, Md., to Caravel, where he was meshing nicely with the Bucs. He threw three touchdown passes in the first half of Caravel’s 30-19 loss to Concord.

“We’re going to miss him,” Reed said. “He was a great teammate to the kids. He was a very coachable kid. He was very polished, and he certainly fit in with the kids like he had been there.”

Barker displayed a strong arm on a 59-yard scoring bomb to Mandela Montgomery. He also had a nice touch on the shorter routes, connecting with Noah Taylor for a 25-yard TD and hitting Montgomery again for a 20-yard score.

“I feel bad. We never want to see anybody get hurt like that,” Concord coach Greg Mitchell said. “We’ve had severe injuries like that, and they just break your heart.”

Hot cross country

Tosin Ibironke of Smyrna overcame sweltering temperatures and humidity to win the boys varsity race at the Lake Forest Invitational cross country meet on Saturday at Killens Pond State Park.

Ibironke finished the 5K course in 16:58.2. St. Andrew’s Alex Horgan was second, followed by Polytech’s Bryan Perry. Sidwell Friends of Washington, D.C., took the team title, followed by Delaware Military Academy and Sussex Tech.

Maryvale Prep of Brooklandville, Md., placed three runners among the top six on the way to the girls team title. Smyrna’s Naomi Bowser (20.22.2) finished second individually, with Caitlin Cobb of St. Andrew’s fourth and Naomi Dawkins of Newark fifth.

Upstate wins soccer challenge

Upstate schools won four of the seven games to narrowly take the title as 14 schools kicked off their boys soccer seasons in the Delaware Association of Athletic Directors’ Downstate-Upstate Challenge on Saturday at Dover High.

Salesianum and Charter of Wilmington – ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in Division I – won easily as the Sals downed Sussex Tech 8-2 and the Force dispatched Caesar Rodney 4-0. The other upstate winners were Appoquinimink, 6-3 over Milford, and Newark Charter, 3-2 over Dover.

Downstate schools scored three victories, as Lake Forest edged Dickinson 1-0, Polytech got past Middletown 3-2 and Seaford blanked the Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security 1-0.

Football highlights

Plenty of big performances around the state on the opening weekend, including:

— Daniel Bark rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns as Archmere, ranked eighth in Division II, dominated preseason No. 2 Howard 44-16.

— Corahn Alleyne racked up 239 all-purpose yards, including a 70-yard punt return TD, in Delaware Military Academy’s 42-7 win over Charter of Wilmington.

— Will Knight, who scored 51 two-point conversions last season, started 2016 with five two-pointers in No. 1 Smyrna’s 56-0 dismantling of Delcastle. Nolan Henderson threw three touchdown passes, with Leddie Brown catching two of those and running for two more scores.

— Justin Beneck passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in Wilmington Friends’ 27-7 win over Perryville (Md.).

— Sean Carroll got touchdowns in three different ways – passing, running and returning an interception – as Mount Pleasant topped Brandywine 41-6.

— Kenyon Yellowdy fired three long touchdown passes – two to Emmanuel Kenion – as Appoquinimink rolled past Polytech 54-14.

— Tower Hill’s A.J. Falco threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more in a 38-22 victory over Harford Tech (Md.).

Rounding it up

— The next Heart in the Game events – which offer free EKG screenings for all Delaware students ages 8-19 – will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 17 at Woodbridge High School and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Siegel Jewish Community Center, 101 Garden of Eden Road in Wilmington. The events also feature CPR/AED training, along with other health offerings. Walk-ins are welcome, but online registration is preferred at www.heartinthegame.org.

— Delmar and Polytech, ranked Nos. 2 and 3 statewide in field hockey, struck a dual blow for Delaware in the Bi-State Challenge on Friday and Saturday in Pocomoke City, Md. Delmar downed Washington (Md.) 8-1 and Pocomoke 7-0, while Polytech dropped Pocomoke 4-2 and got past Washington 5-2.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Caravel goalkeeper Jarret Mastro does his best to keep Salesianum’s Casey Kurley (22) from scoring.

Caravel’s Austyn Hamilton (24) tries to keep Salesianum’s Aiden Kelly (23) from gaining control of the ball in the Sals’ 7-0 win over Caravel on Tuesday.

Salesianum’s Taylor Witherell (7) tallies another point on the board for the Sals in their 7-0 win over Caravel on Tuesday.

Caravel’s James Baxter (10) defends the ball against Salesianum in the Sals’ 7-0 win over Caravel on Tuesday.

HOCKESSIN – With an 8 a.m. Thursday flight to Denver on the horizon, it would have been easy for the Salesianum soccer team to be looking ahead on Tuesday.

Not a chance. The Sals were clearly focused on the task.

Sallies cranked out five early goals in a 12-minute span and cruised to an easier-than-expected, 7-0 rout of Caravel at the Hockessin Soccer Club.

Now it’s off to Colorado. The Sals (2-0) — ranked fourth nationally in the latest USA Today/NSCAA boys soccer Super 25 — will meet Fairview High of Boulder, which is ranked fifth nationally, at 4 p.m. Friday. Then Sallies will take on Boulder High, ranked second in Colorado behind Fairview, at 11 a.m. Saturday.

But first, the Sals had to get past a team that gave them fits last year. They passed the test with flying colors.

“It’s still early, so we’re still working on our game,” Sals coach Scott Mosier said. “But certainly, we wanted to make sure we tried to keep the energy up.

“Everybody’s excited about going to Colorado. I’m excited about going to Colorado,” Mosier added. “… So that was a talking point, an emphasis before the game, was to make sure we started fast.”

Brendan Hanrahan rattled a shot off the far post in the fourth minute for the six-time defending state champion Sals, currently ranked No. 1 in Delaware’s Division I. Caravel (0-2), ranked fourth statewide in Division II, couldn’t hold off Sallies much longer.

The Sals consistently found openings after working the ball wide. Cole Bouchard crossed to Gavin Ford for the first goal in the eighth minute. Then Bryce Wallace did the same to set up Hanrahan’s easy score in the 11th minute. Then Ford pounced on a turnover to make it 3-0 two minutes later.

“We saw that the outside back was staying with the striker, so we could find the outside back on the far side really easily,” Ford said. “Everything was open from there.”

Jason Blackwell cleaned up the rebound on Wallace’s shot in the 16th minute. Then Blackwell converted a nice feed from Aidan Kelly five minutes later, and completed the hat trick with an assist from Bryan Hartmann in the 37th minute to make it 6-0.

“They played a 4-1-2-1-2, so they didn’t have any outside mids,” Blackwell said. “We wanted to exploit that and get the ball wide to our outside backs, who had a lot of space.”

It was a different story from last year, when the Sals didn’t score until the 65th minute before pulling away from Caravel 3-0 in their season opener.

“Last year, we waited until the second half to score on them,” Blackwell said. “We wanted to jump on them early, get a few goals in the first half and sit on them in the second half.”

The Sals dusted Sussex Tech 8-2 in their opener last Saturday, giving them 15 goals in two games. Last year’s team needed 10 games to generate that many scores.

“Last year we were good at keeping the ball, which we are again this year,” Mosier said. “But we weren’t able to really get in behind defenses and get in the attacking third like we are this year.

“We’re a year older, I think we’re a little bit stronger, a little bit faster, a little bit cleaner. That’s been a big difference for us.”

Sallies will face a couple of major challenges in Colorado, including the altitude. Both of their opponents’ fields sit at 5,480 feet — more than a mile above sea level. The Sals have had success on trips to Louisville, Ky.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Las Vegas the last three years, but this may be the most difficult journey yet.

“It takes some maturity to fly to Colorado and still perform at a high level,” Mosier said. “It’s not easy to do. … You need to be mature, you need take of yourself, you need to take care of your body.”

His players certainly took care of business Tuesday.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Middletown’s Kathryn McMenamin falls to the turf after tangling with a Concord player in the second half of Concord’s 1-0 win Wednesday.

Middletown goalie Lauren Berry clears the ball away from Concord’s Katie Raab (right) in the second half of Concord’s 1-0 win Wednesday.

Middletown’s Camarin Cook (left) can’t stop Concord’s Eryn Bailey from finishing a goal – the only score – in the second half of Concord’s 1-0 win Wednesday.

Middletown goalie Lauren Berry (left) and teammate Hannah Harmon (18) follow the flight of the ball with Concord’s Arnise King in the second half of Concord’s 1-0 win Wednesday.

BRANDYWINE HUNDRED – If the first two games are any indication, the team dinners the Concord field hockey team dinners have run a little later than usual.

Eryn Bailey’s goal with just over 17 minutes to go in the second half proved to be all the Raiders would need as they moved to 2-0 on the young season by knocking off defending Flight A champ Middletown 1-0 in a heated conference battle Wednesday afternoon.

“I think when you see the work you’re putting in during a hot preseason and that it’s paying it off, it undoubtedly gives our team momentum,” Raiders head coach Sandy Wermus explained. “We have full support from the bench and even the JV cheering us on. We’re a big team and a together team.”

“We hang out together off the field and we have so much fun at our team dinners, we stay late,” said Bailey, who scratched a shot past Cavaliers goalie Lauren Berry for the game’s only goal. “This year, our team bond is stronger than it’s ever been.”

The Raiders would need that goal as the Cavaliers (0-2 overall, 0-1 Flight A) registered three shots and four penalty corners in the first half and kept the pressure on the Raider defense.

The second half was a different story as Middletown could only manage one shot and one corner, while Concord had eight shots and five corners.

“We just started communicating more,” junior defender Sara Raab said. “We tried to do things ourselves in the first half, but we’re so much better when we’re a cohesive team.”

That was never than more evident on the winning goal as senior Caroline Procak fired a shot on goal that redirected off of fellow senior Arnise King right to Bailey, who was in the right place at the right time.

“I have trust in my front line and I knew they were going to be able to knock the ball in,” Procak said.

“Our motto is ‘Shake it off and step it up,’ and that’s what we tried to do in the second half,” King said. “We just wanted to get a goal.”

Get a goal they did and now the Raiders have a game up on the defending champs early in the season and believe that the momentum can help them go a long way.

“We’re all friends, so trust isn’t an issue for us,” Procak says. “We know how to keep that team spirit alive in tough moments.”

“We came into these games wanting to win because they were really big games for us,” Bailey added. “We think we can go really far.”

Berry stopped six shots for Middletown in the loss.

William Penn’s Zach Burton evades St. Georges’ Jalen Smith in the third quarter of the Colonials’ 27-24 win at Caravel Academy Friday.

NEW CASTLE – Most high school athletes want the maximum amount of buzz when they sign a National Letter of Intent to accept a college athletic scholarship.

Not Zachariah Burton.

The William Penn senior signed to play football at the University of Virginia on Thursday morning. The ceremony — if you can call it that — took place in a small conference room at the high school. Only his parents — Frank Sr. and Tasey — three assistant coaches and one reporter were present.

“I didn’t want too much attention,” Burton said. “… The fanfare, all the flashing lights, that doesn’t really mean anything to me.”

The football signing period doesn’t begin until Feb. 1, but seniors who plan to graduate from high school early may sign earlier. Burton said Dec. 16 will be his final day at William Penn. Then the 6-foot-2, 187-pound defensive back will enroll at Virginia in January and be eligible to participate in spring practice.

“It’s something that I wanted to do since I found out about it last year,” he said. “I just heard from a lot of people that it would be a good decision, it would be something that would help me both in the classroom and on the field.”

Early graduations are increasing among college-bound football players. Middletown quarterback Darius Wade left high school early to get a jump on his competition at Boston College three years ago.

Burton earned this opportunity by lighting it up in the classroom and on the field. He received recruiting interest from close to a dozen colleges, with the final decision coming between Virginia and Connecticut. He had already been exposed to the recruiting process after watching his older brother — William Penn defensive lineman Frank Burton Jr., who signed with Ball State — go through it last year.

“It just came down to which one felt like home, which one would push me to be a better person,” Burton said. “I feel like Virginia will just push me ahead.”

The Cavaliers are in their first season under coach Bronco Mendenhall, who was hired after going 99-43 with 11 straight bowl appearances at Brigham Young. Virginia was 4-8 last season and is off to an 0-2 start this year after losses to Richmond and Oregon.

“I’m excited to just be a part of coach Mendenhall’s program,” Burton said. “I feel like he’s really going to turn the program around. I believe that something big is brewing in Charlottesville.”

Of course, Burton would like to brew something big in New Castle first. He was a sophomore starter in the defensive backfield when the Colonials won the DIAA Division I championship two years ago. William Penn fell in the D-I semifinals last season.

On offense, Burton moved from receiver to quarterback for his senior season. Last Friday, he threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Terin Cochran in the second quarter and scored the winning touchdown on a 10-yard run in the final two minutes as William Penn edged St. Georges 27-24 in its opener. The sixth-ranked Colonials play host to No. 3 Middletown at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“The goal is still the same,” Burton said. “Go out and play hard and try to win a championship.”

Then head off to Virginia, without any fanfare.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Football

MILL CREEK – Junior fullback Dom Catalano ran for four touchdowns as St. Mark’s, ranked 4th in Division II by the News Journal, came alive in the third quarter to beat Lake Forest in a battle of Spartans 37-7 Friday night.

“My line had some great blocks, and I just found the holes and got through them,” Catalano said.

“Dom is a tremendous athlete,” Spartans quarterback Billy Sullivan said. “Our line did a great job of blocking for him and when he’s running, that makes my job a whole lot easier as a quarterback.”

“You can’t teach experience,” St. Mark’s head coach John Wilson explained. “Dom got a lot of experience playing varsity last year and now he’s one of our team leaders as a junior.”

St. Mark’s (2-0) struck first on a 5-play, 93-yard drive that was helped along by a 44-yard end-around from Austin Colmery and capped by a 24-yard rumble to the end zone by Catalano with 10:16 to go in the second quarter.

Lake Forest (0-2) held the ball for all but the final 10 seconds of the first half, as running back Elle Harden pushed through the St. Mark’s defense for a four-yard touchdown run. Cameron Lewis’ kick was good, giving Lake a 7-6 halftime lead.

After a 38-yard pitch and catch between Sullivan and David Balint, Catalano dashed through a hole in the left side for a 31-yard touchdown run to give St. Mark’s the lead for good. After a Lake fumble, Catalano added his third rushing touchdown, a 10-yard score, with 42 seconds to go in the third quarter. He would add his fourth on a 41-yard touchdown run early in the fourth to open up a 28-7 lead.

“It’s something about the third quarter for us,” Wilson said. “I was honest with the guys at halftime — we didn’t have the same sense of urgency we had last week against Newark, but we found it in the second half.”

Milford’s Brion Murray (8) speeds past Delaware Military Academy’s Brennan Hazewski (22) for a touchdown last Friday. The Buccaneers vaulted from fifth to second in The News Journal’s Division II rankings following a 24-0 victory over DMA.

FOOTBALL

THE NEWS JOURNAL/DELAWAREONLINE RANKINGS

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (2-0) Prev. 1

2. Middletown (2-0) 3

3. Salesianum (2-0) 2

4. Concord (2-0) 4

5. Sussex Central (1-1) 5

6. William Penn (1-1) 6

7. Sussex Tech (2-0) 7

8. Appoquinimink (1-1) 8

9. Newark (1-1) NR

10. Cape Henlopen (1-1) 9

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (2-0) 1

2. Milford (2-0) 5

3. Archmere (2-0) 3

4. Wilmington Friends (2-0) 4

5. St. Mark’s (2-0) 7

6. St. Georges (1-1) 10

7. Glasgow (2-0) 6

8. Hodgson (2-0) NR

9. Del. Military Academy (1-1) 2

10. Caravel (0-2) 8

FOX SPORTS 1290/DIFCA COACHES’ POLL

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (1)

2. Middletown (2)

3. Salesianum (3)

4. Concord (4)

5. Sussex Tech (6)

6. William Penn (5)

7. Sussex Central (7)

8. Appoquinimink (8)

9. Newark (NR)

10. Cape Henlopen (9)

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (2)

2. St. Georges (3)

3. Glasgow (2)

4. Hodgson (4)

5. St. Mark’s (NR)

6. Laurel (NR)

7. Milford (NR)

8. Wilmington Friends (8)

9. Archmere (9)

10. St. Elizabeth (5)

VOLLEYBALL

1. Del. Military Academy (0-1) 1

2. Ursuline (1-0) 2

3. Padua (3-0) 3

4. Archmere (3-0) 4

5. St. Mark’s (2-0) NR

BOYS SOCCER

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum (3-1) 1

2. Charter of Wilmington (3-0) 2

3. Cape Henlopen (2-1-1) 3

4. Appoquinimink (3-0) 4

5. Sussex Central (2-0) NR

DIVISION II

1. Indian River (2-0) 1

2. St. Mark’s (1-0) 2

3. Del. Military Academy (2-0-1) 5

4. Newark Charter (3-0) NR

5. Archmere (2-1) 3

FIELD HOCKEY

1. Cape Henlopen (2-0) 1

2. Delmar (3-0) 2

3. Polytech (3-0) 3

4. Tower Hill (3-0) NR

5. Padua (1-0) 4

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum 1

2. Charter of Wilmington 2

3. Sussex Tech 3

4. Caesar Rodney 4

5. Dover NR

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall 1

2. Newark Charter 2

3. St. Andrew’s 4

4. Del. Military Academy 3

5. St. Mark’s NR

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Padua 1

2. Charter of Wilmington 2

3. Smyrna 3

4. Caesar Rodney 4

5. Concord NR

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall 1

2. Newark Charter 3

3. St. Andrew’s 2

4. St. Mark’s 5

5. Milford NR

* – rankings supplied by N5CTA

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: BradMyersTNJ

Milford QB William Kimmel (10) hands off to David Bowman last Friday against Delaware Military Academy. The Buccaneers won 24-0 to move up to No. 2 in The News Journal’s Division II football rankings.

The Salesianum soccer team won one, lost one and gained a lot of knowledge on its two-day trip to Colorado over the weekend.

The Sals, ranked fourth nationally in the latest USA Today/National Soccer Coaches Association of America ratings, handled fifth-ranked Fairview High 3-1 on Friday. Jason Blackwell, Gavin Ford and Casey Kurlej each scored in the first 23 minutes.

But just 18 hours later, Sallies fell 5-3 at Boulder High on Saturday. It was the first time the six-time defending Delaware state champs had allowed five goals since losing 5-2 to Charter of Wilmington on Oct. 28, 2010.

“Boulder is a much bigger, stronger, faster, direct team, which typically gives us some more problems style-wise,” Sals coach Scott Mosier said. “The hope was our style would give them some problems.”

It was 2-2 at the half, as Bryce Wallace and Blackwell found the net for the Sals early. But Boulder – ranked second in Colorado behind Fairview – poured in three straight in the second half before John Leonard could answer in the 74th minute.

“We were playing well the first 10, 15 minutes of the second half,” Mosier said. “We had the ball a lot, and then we gave up a goal kind of against the run of play, and that hurt. It was difficult for us to get the energy back.”

The Sals returned home Sunday, after touring the Colorado School of Mines and watching the University of Denver soccer team play North Florida on Saturday.

“High school is about learning and having opportunities to learn,” Mosier said. “I think going out to Colorado was a great experience for our guys. How to travel, how to pack, how to shop, how to eat, how to sleep, all of that stuff when they’re away from home, sometimes it’s a challenge for guys that age.”

The Sals, ranked first in Delaware’s Division I, return home to a major challenge against No. 2 Charter of Wilmington at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Hockessin Soccer Club.

On everybody’s radar

The Milford football team was flying high after a 24-0 home victory over Delaware Military Academy last Friday. But coach Shaun Strickland knows the hardest work is just beginning.

The Buccaneers went 1-9 in 2014, then jumped to 6-4 last year in Strickland’s first season at the helm. Friday’s win over the then No. 2-ranked Seahawks vaulted Milford (2-0) from fifth to second in the latest News Journal Division II rankings released Monday.

“We know there’s still more work to do,” Strickland said. “We’ve got to keep climbing, keep scratching and clawing, because there are more people who are going to step in our way and try to knock us off and take us out of contention.”

Conrad, also off to a 2-0 start, would love to take down the Buccaneers in Milford at 7:30 p.m. Friday. So would each of the Bucs’ six Henlopen South opponents who follow. Because Milford is no longer under the radar.

“I like coming in as the underdog. I really do,” Strickland said. “We’re hungry. We like coming out and playing our best and trying to catch people who really doubt us.

“But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I’m pretty sure we’re going to get everyone’s A-game going forward. No one is going to sleep on Milford for the next few weeks.”

Rounding it up

— The Delaware Wrestling Hall of Fame will hold its 11th annual induction ceremony and banquet at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at Timothy’s on the Riverfront in Wilmington. Inductees are Edward Janvier, a 30-year wrestling official and former state champion; Buddy Lloyd, who coached Smyrna to five straight Henlopen South titles from 1978-83; Henry Milligan, two-time state champion at A.I. du Pont and noted heavyweight boxer; and Roy Rigby, three-time state coach of the year at Milford. Cost is $45, which includes an open bar. Reservations are required, and must be received by Oct. 3. To reserve a ticket, call Donna Silvestri at (610) 496-7524 or (610) 358-5979 or email fungusamongus1@aol.com.

— Glasgow will be honoring its 1989 state championship football team during the Dragons’ Oct. 7 home game against Brandywine at 7 p.m. Former players may email athletic director Jeremy Jeanne at jeannej@christiana.k12.de.us for details.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

17 year-old Madelyn Judge, a senior, a volleyball for Padua Academy.

17 year-old Madelyn Judge, a senior, a volleyball for Padua Academy.

17 year-old Madelyn Judge, a senior, a volleyball for Padua Academy.

THE WEEK: Had 17 digs, four assists and one ace as the third-ranked Pandas swept then-No. 5 Wilmington Friends 3-0 last Thursday. Also had 13 digs as Padua dominated Concord 3-0 last Monday.

THE THRILL: “My favorite thing is the thrill of it,” Judge said. “I love just being on the court and digging impossible balls that I don’t think I could get if I watch it on the tape. I just like the excitement.”

THE COACH SAYS: “She just brings knowledge and sort of just a really good court awareness, where everybody just trusts her and they’re able to do their job because they know she’s going to do hers well,” Padua coach Lauren DiSabatino said of Judge.

THE DEFENSE: As the libero, Judge’s primary role is to dig the ball and save points when hitters on the other side go for the kill. “She’s our best defensive player,” DiSabatino said. “We want her to touch the majority of the balls that come across the net. We try to work our defense in putting her in the best place possible to get touches.”

THE PAIN: Libero isn’t the most glamorous position, and Judge has the bruises on her elbows and knees to prove it. “I’ve kind of gotten used to it,” she said. “But the next day, it usually comes out to be pretty sore.”

THE CONTROL: “She probably hits the floor more than she stands up,” DiSabatino said. “But she has this overall sense of body awareness, and she has body mechanics that put her, even when she’s diving on the ground, in the right position to make that ball bounce off her arm and get right to where it needs to be.”

Senior libero Madelyn Judge anchors the defense for the third-ranked Padua volleyball team.

THE CLASSROOM: Judge’s favorite subject is chemistry. “I like doing the labs and experimenting and kind of having the opportunity to mix up different things and see how they work,” she said.

THE FUTURE: Judge considered Elon and UNC-Wilmington, but recently verbally committed to play volleyball at the University of Delaware next season. “I’m really excited to be involved in a D-I arena,” she said. “I really just love everything about it, and I’m really excited to experience what it is to be a Blue Hen.”

Send Athlete of the Week nominations to Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Cameron Whittle of Newark Charter takes in a pass as the McKean and Newark Charter unified flag football teams play at McKean High School Tuesday.

MILLTOWN – Da’Quan Scott kept his eyes on the deflected pass, made the catch and took two steps into the end zone.

Then he sent the ball spinning and unleashed the Dab, the dance move made famous by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

“He’s been working on it,” McKean coach Jaxon Brown said. “Him and a couple of friends have been working on their end zone celebrations.”

McKean’s Da’Quan Scott defends as Newark Charter’s Hannah Tressler looks for running room in McKean’s 24-14 win in the Unified flag football opener at McKean High School Tuesday.

There was plenty to celebrate Tuesday at McKean’s Randy White Stadium, as the second season of Unified flag football kicked off across the state. The program, a partnership between the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association and Special Olympics Delaware, brings together high school students with and without disabilities to compete and spark friendships.

Last year, three Delaware high schools fielded teams to play two games and two schools played one game. Now the program has expanded to eight teams, with each playing a four-game regular season before going into the playoffs as part of the SODE Fall Festival on Nov. 12 at St. Andrew’s School. The winners there will play for the first Unified flag football state championship on Dec. 3 at Delaware Stadium, between the DIAA Division I and II football championship games.

“We strive for Unified sports to be recognized as any other varsity sport,” said Kylie Frazer, director of youth and school initiatives for Special Olympics Delaware. “So we want it to be played very similar, with playoffs and a championship. It’s a lesson for any student-athlete, that there are winners and losers in every game. But we hope that they can learn from each game.”

Scott caught two touchdown passes as McKean defeated Newark Charter 26-14 in one of three season openers Tuesday. Mount Pleasant hosted Middletown and William Penn traveled to Smyrna in the other games. Caesar Rodney will play at Seaford next Tuesday in the final opener.

There was a bit of history made at McKean, as it was the first football game in the history of Newark Charter. The school fields teams in 18 DIAA sports, but doesn’t compete in football.

“We made some ventures into Unified sports last year with track and field,” Newark Charter athletic director Greg Shivery said. “We’ve done it the last two years, and we certainly want to get more involved in it this year. I think we’re looking to get involved in about half a dozen sports.”

McKean’s Otis Ledbetter tries to avoid a tackle by Newark Charter’s Donovan Schwartz in an opening game of the Unified flag football season at McKean High School Tuesday.

Donovan Schwartz, Eric Anderson and Hannah Tressler led the way for the Patriots, playing every snap in the 40-minute game. The school is planning its first homecoming around its first home game, Oct. 4 vs. William Penn.

“It is kind of exciting that we do have football at Newark Charter, but the reality is it’s really more about Donovan and Eric and Hannah and the kids on the other team,” Shivery said. “I worked in special education for 16 years. These kids get it. They understand what the true meaning of this is all about.”

McKean rolled out the red carpet for its opener, with principal Brian Mattix announcing the lineups and big plays and the Highlanders’ cheerleaders adding to the festive atmosphere. The home team didn’t disappoint, as Otis Ledbetter zigzagged the length of the field for a score, Chris Ruiz hauled in a touchdown pass and Markell Taylor-White made a key interception in the win.

“We have a lot of guys who are dedicated,” said Brown, the Highlanders’ coach. “Our partners and our athletes are both committed. They like coming out and playing the game.”

Cameron Whittle and Kyle Mullen scored late touchdowns for Newark Charter, which benefitted from an experienced coach. Chris Muscara served as an assistant under John Wilson at St. Mark’s for 12 years.

“It’s awesome. I’ve been out of coaching football for a couple of years now, so the minute we had this opportunity, we jumped on it,” Muscara said. “… Once I got back out there and started game planning and scheming, it was a familiar feeling.”

There are 43 Delaware high schools fielding DIAA-sanctioned football teams this year, so Unified flag football has plenty of room to expand.

“I think it’s just going to continue to grow every year from here on out,” Frazer said. “With four games on the schedule, then playoffs and a championship, I think a lot of the schools that aren’t participating are going to see what’s going on and want to jump in.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Tower Hill’s Matthew Wilkinson (No. 13) and Sanford’s Vincent Leo (No. 17) fight for position on the ball in the first half of Tower Hill’s 3-1 win over Sanford at Tower Hill School in Wilmington on Wednesday afternoon.

Tower Hill’s Andrew Cercena (No. 3) cuts between Sanford’s James Vernon (No. 9) and Jordan West (No. 15) in the first half of Tower Hill’s 3-1 win over Sanford at Tower Hill School in Wilmington on Wednesday afternoon.

Sanford’s Robert Stafford (No. 11) and Tower Hill’s Drew Manning (No. 9) fight for position on the ball in the first half of Tower Hill’s 3-1 win over Sanford at Tower Hill School in Wilmington on Wednesday afternoon.

Sanford’s Jack Leo (No. 16) collides with Tower Hill’s Adam Fisher (No. 20) in the first half of Tower Hill’s 3-1 win over Sanford at Tower Hill School in Wilmington on Wednesday afternoon.

Tower Hill’s Malcolm Johnson (No. 6) cuts past Sanford’s Robert Stafford (No. 11) in the first half of Tower Hill’s 3-1 win over Sanford at Tower Hill School in Wilmington on Wednesday afternoon.

Sanford’s Trent Wall (No. 2) slides in front of Tower Hill’s Drew Manning (No. 9) on a tackle in the first half of Tower Hill’s 3-1 win over Sanford at Tower Hill School in Wilmington on Wednesday afternoon.

Tower Hill’s Malcolm Johnson (No. 6) fights for position on the ball with Sanford’s Henry Naylor (No. 10) in the first half of Tower Hill’s 3-1 win over Sanford at Tower Hill School in Wilmington on Wednesday afternoon.

WILMINGTON – After surrendering their first goal in three games and trailing for the first time all season, the Tower Hill boys soccer team got back to basics and started their defense of the Independent Conference title with a bang.

Second half goals from Matthew Wilkinson, Drew Manning and Malcolm Johnson made a tremendous effort in goal by junior goalkeeper Bo Anderson stand up, pushing the Hillers to 3-0 on the season with a 3-1 win over conference rival Sanford on Wednesday afternoon.

“Our seniors did a great job of talking first,” Hillers coach Chris Aitken said of the halftime speech. “Then I just reminded the guys to take a deep breath and do what we’re capable of doing. Our conference matches are always physical and we play each team twice, so we just had to breathe.”

“We told each other ‘We can’t go out like this,’” said Manning, a senior forward who scored the winner on a header in the 30th minute. “This is a big opportunity for us to win the conference again, so we can’t come out flat in the second half.”

The first half was a back-and-forth affair with each team getting their fair share of chances on net, but the Warriors converted first when Vincent Leo snuck a shot past Anderson with 7 1/2 minutes to go in the first half for his team’s lone goal.

Tower Hill’s Matthew Wilkinson (No. 13) is hugged by teammate Andrew Cercena after scoring a goal in the second half of Tower Hill’s 3-1 win over Sanford at Tower Hill School in Wilmington on Wednesday afternoon.

It was all Tower Hill in the second half as Sanford, who got off nine shots in the first half, could only manage two the rest of the way. Anderson also did his part, stopping eight shots and keeping Sanford at bay long enough for the offense to get going.

“Bo is a competitor, a three-year starter who hates to lose,” Aitken espoused. “You saw it in his performance today with the amazing saves he made.”

While Anderson and the defense kept Sanford silent, the Hillers’ front line spoke loudly in the final 10 minutes of match time as Johnson fed Wilkinson for the equalizer at 29:38 and Manning took advantage of a wild scramble for the winner.

“I saw Ted Hughes take the shot and I knew Sanford’s momentum was carrying them too far away from me,” Manning explained. “So I saw a chance to fake out the goalie and re-directed the ball over his head.”

Johnson added some insurance, getting a feed from Wilkinson and booming the ball past goaltender Miles Petersen with just over eight minutes to go in match time, using his quickness to his advantage.

“It definitely helps, especially on the outside,” Johnson said of usually being the quickest player on the field. “It gives us a chance to get past their back line and attack the net.”

With one in hand over Sanford, the Hillers know that in order to win their conference again and compete in the Division II playoffs, having faith in each other will carry them a long way.

“We always try to stay positive, even when a team scores against us,” Manning said. “We don’t worry about past games or past stats, we just treat every game like it’s a team we’ve never played before.”

Salesianum’s John Leonard (No. 24) tries to work past Wilmington Charter’s Anthony Barbieri (No. 6) in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon.

Salesianum’s Gavin Ford (No. 10) cuts behind Wilmington Charter’s Graeme Newcombe (No. 13) as he positions himself for a shot on goal in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon. Ford scored the only goal of the game on the play.

Salesianum’s Gavin Ford (No. 10) cuts behind Wilmington Charter’s Owen Johansson as he positions himself for a shot on goal in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon.

Salesianum’s John Leonard (No. 24) traps the ball in front of Wilmington Charter’s Rhys Newcombe (No. 23) in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon.

Salesianum’s James Strine (No. 9) cuts past Wilmington Charter’s Patrick O’Connor (No. 10) in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon.

Salesianum’s Gavin Ford (No. 10) traps a cross in front of Wilmington Charter’s Graeme Newcombe (No. 13) in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon.

Salesianum’s Aidan Kelly (No. 23) fights for position on the ball with Wilmington Charter’s Kevin Erikson in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon.

Salesianum’s Bryan Hartmann (No. 17) goes up for a header against Wilmington Charter’s Patrick O’Connor (No. 10) in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon.

Salesianum’s Taylor Witherell (No. 7) goes up for a header against Wilmington Charter’s Andrew Amato (No. 16) in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon.

Salesianum’s James Strine (No. 9) fights for position on the ball with Wilmington Charter’s Andrew Amato (No. 16) in the first half of Salesianum’s 1-0 win over Wilmington Charter at the Hockessin Soccer Club in Hockessin on Thursday afternoon.

HOCKESSIN – The Charter of Wilmington defense was building a brick wall. It was up to the Salesianum soccer team to break through it.

The Sals finally did it on Gavin Ford’s goal in the 37th minute, then added an own goal in the second half for a 2-0 victory Thursday in a matchup of the state’s top two Division I teams at Hockessin Soccer Club.

“It was a difference maker,” Sallies coach Scott Mosier said of Ford’s score. “Because if it’s 0-0 and it keeps on and keeps on and they keep sitting in and defending properly, like they should, as time wears on you get a little more nervous about scoring that goal.”

The top-ranked Sals, coming off a taxing weekend trip to Colorado, improved to 4-1. The No. 2 Force (4-1) had won their first four games by a combined 21-0, allowing just 12 total shots in the process. They faced 13 from the Sals.

“It’s tough to have this be our first real tough game, to kind of be thrown out there,” Charter coach Jon Gillespie said. “But the guys handled it fine. Next time we meet them down the road, we’ll be ready.”

Sallies struggled to generate much offense until Brendan Hanrahan made a nice run on the right side to set up Casey Kurlej’s drive over the crossbar in the 22nd minute. The Sals finally found the net on a counter late in the first half.

Salesianum transitioned quickly after a Charter attack, with midfielder Jason Blackwell sending a perfectly placed ball through to Ford. The junior forward made a sharp move and sent a 15-yard laser between two defenders just inside the near post for a 1-0 lead.

“I just got a great ball from Jason, took on the first defender, saw an opening and just fired it through,” Ford said.

The Sals created more opportunities in the second half. Blackwell missed wide on a good chance in the 48th minute, and three minutes later Ford dished to James Strine for a strong shot that glanced off a Force defender and into the net for a 2-0 lead.

“It’s actually very similar to basketball,” Mosier said. “They can play zone all they want, but once you get up a couple of goals, sooner or later they have to come out of their zone. They stayed in their zone, they didn’t come out, but it’s a testament to our guys getting a couple of goals with them packed in there.”

Charter goalkeeper Ben McQuillin kept his team close, making a brilliant leaping save on Blackwell’s straight-on blast in the 63rd minute and sprawling to deflect a low shot by Kurlej three minutes later.

The Force’s best scoring chances came late, as Christian Dexter sent a 20-yard drive well over the crossbar in the 74th minute and Kevin Eriksen missed high on a hurried shot off a brief breakaway in the 76th minute.

“I think we can take a lot of positives out of it,” Gillespie said. “We defended well. I think offensively we need to work on a few things, but Sallies is a great team. They played real well today, and hats off to them.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Meghan Patterson tries to get a deflection for the Padua volleyball team, which moved up to No. 2 statewide following a 3-0 victory over previously second-ranked Ursuline last week.

FOOTBALL

THE NEWS JOURNAL/DELAWAREONLINE RANKINGS

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (3-0) Prev. 1

2. Middletown (3-0) 2

3. Concord (3-0) 4

4. Salesianum (2-1) 3

5. Sussex Central (2-1) 5

6. William Penn (2-1) 6

7. Appoquinimink (2-1) 8

8. Cape Henlopen (2-1) 10

9. Sussex Tech (2-1) 7

10. Newark (1-2) 9

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (3-0) 1

2. Milford (2-0) 2

3. St. Mark’s (3-0) 5

4. St. Georges (2-1) 6

5. Glasgow (3-0) 7

6. Wilmington Friends (2-1) 4

7. Laurel (2-1) NR

8. Del. Military Academy (2-1) 9

9. Tatnall (2-1) NR

10. Archmere (2-1) 3

FOX SPORTS 1290/DIFCA COACHES’ POLL

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (1)

2. Middletown (2)

3. Concord (4)

4. Salesianum (3)

5. William Penn (6)

6. Sussex Central (7)

7. Appoquinimink (8)

8. Sussex Tech (5)

9. Cape Henlopen (10)

10. Newark (9)

DIVISION II

1. Woodbridge (1)

2. St. Georges (2)

3. Glasgow (3)

4. St. Mark’s (5)

5. Laurel (6)

6. Milford (7)

7. Hodgson (4)

8. St. Elizabeth (10)

9. Tatnall (NR)

10. Archmere (9)

VOLLEYBALL

1. Del. Military Academy (3-1) 1

2. Padua (5-0) 3

3. Archmere (5-0) 4

4. Ursuline (2-1) 2

5. St. Mark’s (3-1) 5

BOYS SOCCER

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum (4-1) 1

2. Charter of Wilmington (4-1) 2

3. Appoquinimink (5-0) 4

4. Polytech (5-0) NR

5. Sussex Central (3-0) 5

DIVISION II

1. Indian River (3-0) 1

2. St. Mark’s (2-0-1) 2

3. Newark Charter (5-0) 4

3. Del. Military Academy (4-0-2) 3

5. Archmere (4-1) 5

FIELD HOCKEY

1. Cape Henlopen (3-1) 1

2. Delmar (4-0) 2

3. Tower Hill (5-0) 4

4. Milford (5-0) NR

5. Padua (4-0) 4

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Salesianum 1

2. Charter of Wilmington 2

3. Sussex Tech 3

4. Dover 5

5. Caesar Rodney 4

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall 1

2. Newark Charter 2

3. St. Andrew’s 3

4. Del. Military Academy 4

5. St. Mark’s 5

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY*

DIVISION I

1. Padua 1

2. Charter of Wilmington 2

3. Smyrna 3

4. Caesar Rodney 4

5. Concord 5

DIVISION II

1. Tatnall 1

2. Newark Charter 2

3. St. Andrew’s 3

4. Del. Military Academy NR

5. St. Mark’s 4

* rankings by N5CTA

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: BradMyersTNJ