Week One is finally here so i figured id start this up again. I do what i can the best i can, and even then my patience in front of the computer isnt what it used to be. A Tombstone pizza, a couple glasses of soda, a 16 Walmart bagged grocery unload, and 3 breaks later.....here it is....
***DIVISION 1 PRESEASON RANKINGS (w/ 2018 Final Record)***
1. Salesianum (10-3)
2. Hodgon (10-1)
3. Dover (9-2)
4. Middletown (8-3)
5. Smyrna (3-6)
6. Sussex Central (12-1)
7. Sussex Tech (6-4)
8. St. Georges (5-5)
9. Appo (6-5)
10. William Penn (4-6)
**Playoff points will begin next week once teams have complete their week 1 schedule so that many of us can track where teams lay throughout the season**
Key Games:
(HS GAME OF THE WEEK)
#4 Middletown vs. #5 Smyrna @ Middletown Friday 7:30pm
THE HARVEST BOWL!!! What better way to kick off the Delaware high school football season than this game right here. Smyrna has had its fair share of success lately winning 3 straight championships back in 2015,2016, and 2017 but fell rather short last season with a very young team trying to live up to hype that was bestowed upon them by their predecessors. This week they will take the 12 mile trip up north to try and avenge a 41-20 loss to Middletown just last season. The Eagles will enter the game with none other than the States best linebacker in Debo Williams who has been received offers from schools such as Coastal Carolina, Elon, Old Dominion, Kent State and Delaware State just to name a few and will be accompanied Wayne Knight at Running Back who is Delawares leading rusher Will Knights younger brother. Wayne showed flashes last season of what he could do, having rush 51 times for 367 yards and 5 touchdowns. Smyrna also has a capable QB lining up under Center in Aiden Sanchez who threw for 1,285 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles could certainly go into Middletown and stun the home crowd however The Cavaliers feature some young talent themselves. Middletown will bring in a new QB who is ranked 5th in the country at his position in the class of 2022, Braden Davis. Davis has already received offers from schools such as Alabama, Texas AM, Penn State, North Carolina State and Georgia Tech and his main targets will be Zay Griffin and Dequez Walker who has committed to Old Dominion. The Cavaliers also return one of the states fastest running backs in Najair Smith who in his first two carries as a starter last season ran for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns against none other, Smyrna. Middletown also features one of the states better defenses with TJ Butler (Bryant Commit), Walker (Old Domion) and Sean Freeburg who just was named to 247Sports Class of 2021/2022 as the 9th best Defensive end in the US. If not for the history of this game, the talent represented alone on the field would be well worth admission. Since 2009 Middletown owns the series 6-2 outscoring the Eagles 274-161. HS PICK: Middletown 30 Smyrna 17
#2 Hodgson vs. #3 Dover @ Hodgson Saturday 10:30am
Not to outshine the Game of the Week, this one here on Saturday morning could very well be a preview of whats to come, once the playoffs start in November. Both teams yield one of the best players at their respective positions with CJ Henry Quarterbacking for Hodgson and Javon Peace Running back for Dover, also the States returning Gatorade Player of the Year. This might be the first time these two programs have ever met, HS history only goes back so far, and if that’s the case the first one, could be history in the making. Both teams have a presentable opportunity to run the table and earn the 1st seed in the Division 1 playoffs, something that Hodgson already accomplished last season. Dover however is trying to get back to the playoffs after last years collapse against eventual State Champion Sussex Central 21-20. Peace enters the season after rushing for almost 2,000 yards last season and 34 touchdowns. As talented as he is, he also will tell you that he cant do it alone, as his offensive lines may be one of the better ones in the state with All State center Tkai Perry and brothers Holden and Hayden Vidrine stepping on for the graduated Bradley Anyanwu who is now playing at the University of Delaware. Of course, ask anyone who is a football fan and they will tell you that a team runs through its Quarterback as he is often the one who handles the ball on every play. Dover lost Jordan Magee to graduation as he is now playing at Temple, so those will be big to fill for Jordan Moran or Marquis Guy. The test against Hodgson will help certainly help coach Simonetti figure out who is going to take the helms at that position. As stated earlier, Quarterback is nothing short for Hodgson, as Henry expects a big year for his Silver Eagles. In his first two years in Division 1, and his only two years as a starting quarterback, Henry has thrown for 3,370 yards and 36 touchdowns, which is feat most quarterbacks dream of. This year though, Henry will no longer have the talented Kamryn Thomas (Dematha High School), Daniel Douglas (Graduation), Bobby Arnold (Salem High School), and Lester Coleman (Salem high School) and will have to rely on junior Nyghee Lolley at Slot, and running backs Darius Hale, and Joshua Ames. The Eagles defense will also hurt with the graduation of Brandon Shimko (DelState) at middle linebacker as the quarterback of the defense. It will be a tough task for Hodgson to overcome the amount of losses it has, but if any team can keep the train rolling it would be a Coach Moffet run team.
HS PICK: Dover 35 Hodgson 24
#1 Salesianum vs. #10 William Penn @ A.I. Dupont Friday 7:30pm
First I would like to offer my best wishes to senior Quarterback Gabe Puzzangara as he suffered a season ending injury last week. HS hopes for a speedy recovery! Last season, Puzzangara unfortunately suffered an injury right before the season and Dylan Mooney had to step in and did a serviceable job. He led the Sals to a 4-1 record before Gabe came back, with wins over Concord, Sussex Tech, Father Judge (PA), and Urbana (MD). Dylans only loss came to Episcopal (PA) 13-7. This season its gonna be Mooneys to help guide his team to another State Championship with talented players like Andrew Watkins, Liam Mara, and an offensive line that features guys like Ryan Haines (6-4, 285), Pat Methlie (6-2, 285), Dan Strandley (5-9, 225) and transfer Brett Kwoka (6-2, 220). That’s a offensive line that will give defensive coordinator fits all season long. Sallies is traditionally sound, and is consistently vying for a championship year and year out and this year will be no different. It was said last season that they were a year away, a year away from another trophy, however, Sallies took that and ran with it, all the way to a Championship appearance before falling to Sussex Central. If that team was a year away, then this team is primed to hoist the title up at Tubby Raymond Field come November 31st Before they get there though, they face a tough 10 game stretch with the likes of Smyrna, Dover, Middletown, Hodgson but will open its first week with William Penn. No team in the state may have the tougher schedule than the Sals this season but they welcome the challenge. William Penn is no slouch when it comes to playoffs and championships with their last reign going back to 2014. This years team may not stack up to the teams of 2014, or their dominance runs back I the early 2000s and late 1990s but they are always a team that you cant overlook. However, Sallies may just be too overpowering in this game. HS PICK: Sallies 42 William Penn 10
OTHER GAMES TO TRACK
Cape Henlopen vs. #8 St. Georges @ Cape Henlopen Friday 7:00pm
#7 Sussex Tech @ Northern (Owings, MD) 7:00pm
Ceasar Rodney vs. #9 Appo @ Caesar Rodney Friday 7:00
***DIVISION 1 PRESEASON RANKINGS (w/ 2018 Final Record)***
1. Salesianum (10-3)
2. Hodgon (10-1)
3. Dover (9-2)
4. Middletown (8-3)
5. Smyrna (3-6)
6. Sussex Central (12-1)
7. Sussex Tech (6-4)
8. St. Georges (5-5)
9. Appo (6-5)
10. William Penn (4-6)
**Playoff points will begin next week once teams have complete their week 1 schedule so that many of us can track where teams lay throughout the season**
Key Games:
(HS GAME OF THE WEEK)
#4 Middletown vs. #5 Smyrna @ Middletown Friday 7:30pm
THE HARVEST BOWL!!! What better way to kick off the Delaware high school football season than this game right here. Smyrna has had its fair share of success lately winning 3 straight championships back in 2015,2016, and 2017 but fell rather short last season with a very young team trying to live up to hype that was bestowed upon them by their predecessors. This week they will take the 12 mile trip up north to try and avenge a 41-20 loss to Middletown just last season. The Eagles will enter the game with none other than the States best linebacker in Debo Williams who has been received offers from schools such as Coastal Carolina, Elon, Old Dominion, Kent State and Delaware State just to name a few and will be accompanied Wayne Knight at Running Back who is Delawares leading rusher Will Knights younger brother. Wayne showed flashes last season of what he could do, having rush 51 times for 367 yards and 5 touchdowns. Smyrna also has a capable QB lining up under Center in Aiden Sanchez who threw for 1,285 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles could certainly go into Middletown and stun the home crowd however The Cavaliers feature some young talent themselves. Middletown will bring in a new QB who is ranked 5th in the country at his position in the class of 2022, Braden Davis. Davis has already received offers from schools such as Alabama, Texas AM, Penn State, North Carolina State and Georgia Tech and his main targets will be Zay Griffin and Dequez Walker who has committed to Old Dominion. The Cavaliers also return one of the states fastest running backs in Najair Smith who in his first two carries as a starter last season ran for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns against none other, Smyrna. Middletown also features one of the states better defenses with TJ Butler (Bryant Commit), Walker (Old Domion) and Sean Freeburg who just was named to 247Sports Class of 2021/2022 as the 9th best Defensive end in the US. If not for the history of this game, the talent represented alone on the field would be well worth admission. Since 2009 Middletown owns the series 6-2 outscoring the Eagles 274-161. HS PICK: Middletown 30 Smyrna 17
#2 Hodgson vs. #3 Dover @ Hodgson Saturday 10:30am
Not to outshine the Game of the Week, this one here on Saturday morning could very well be a preview of whats to come, once the playoffs start in November. Both teams yield one of the best players at their respective positions with CJ Henry Quarterbacking for Hodgson and Javon Peace Running back for Dover, also the States returning Gatorade Player of the Year. This might be the first time these two programs have ever met, HS history only goes back so far, and if that’s the case the first one, could be history in the making. Both teams have a presentable opportunity to run the table and earn the 1st seed in the Division 1 playoffs, something that Hodgson already accomplished last season. Dover however is trying to get back to the playoffs after last years collapse against eventual State Champion Sussex Central 21-20. Peace enters the season after rushing for almost 2,000 yards last season and 34 touchdowns. As talented as he is, he also will tell you that he cant do it alone, as his offensive lines may be one of the better ones in the state with All State center Tkai Perry and brothers Holden and Hayden Vidrine stepping on for the graduated Bradley Anyanwu who is now playing at the University of Delaware. Of course, ask anyone who is a football fan and they will tell you that a team runs through its Quarterback as he is often the one who handles the ball on every play. Dover lost Jordan Magee to graduation as he is now playing at Temple, so those will be big to fill for Jordan Moran or Marquis Guy. The test against Hodgson will help certainly help coach Simonetti figure out who is going to take the helms at that position. As stated earlier, Quarterback is nothing short for Hodgson, as Henry expects a big year for his Silver Eagles. In his first two years in Division 1, and his only two years as a starting quarterback, Henry has thrown for 3,370 yards and 36 touchdowns, which is feat most quarterbacks dream of. This year though, Henry will no longer have the talented Kamryn Thomas (Dematha High School), Daniel Douglas (Graduation), Bobby Arnold (Salem High School), and Lester Coleman (Salem high School) and will have to rely on junior Nyghee Lolley at Slot, and running backs Darius Hale, and Joshua Ames. The Eagles defense will also hurt with the graduation of Brandon Shimko (DelState) at middle linebacker as the quarterback of the defense. It will be a tough task for Hodgson to overcome the amount of losses it has, but if any team can keep the train rolling it would be a Coach Moffet run team.
HS PICK: Dover 35 Hodgson 24
#1 Salesianum vs. #10 William Penn @ A.I. Dupont Friday 7:30pm
First I would like to offer my best wishes to senior Quarterback Gabe Puzzangara as he suffered a season ending injury last week. HS hopes for a speedy recovery! Last season, Puzzangara unfortunately suffered an injury right before the season and Dylan Mooney had to step in and did a serviceable job. He led the Sals to a 4-1 record before Gabe came back, with wins over Concord, Sussex Tech, Father Judge (PA), and Urbana (MD). Dylans only loss came to Episcopal (PA) 13-7. This season its gonna be Mooneys to help guide his team to another State Championship with talented players like Andrew Watkins, Liam Mara, and an offensive line that features guys like Ryan Haines (6-4, 285), Pat Methlie (6-2, 285), Dan Strandley (5-9, 225) and transfer Brett Kwoka (6-2, 220). That’s a offensive line that will give defensive coordinator fits all season long. Sallies is traditionally sound, and is consistently vying for a championship year and year out and this year will be no different. It was said last season that they were a year away, a year away from another trophy, however, Sallies took that and ran with it, all the way to a Championship appearance before falling to Sussex Central. If that team was a year away, then this team is primed to hoist the title up at Tubby Raymond Field come November 31st Before they get there though, they face a tough 10 game stretch with the likes of Smyrna, Dover, Middletown, Hodgson but will open its first week with William Penn. No team in the state may have the tougher schedule than the Sals this season but they welcome the challenge. William Penn is no slouch when it comes to playoffs and championships with their last reign going back to 2014. This years team may not stack up to the teams of 2014, or their dominance runs back I the early 2000s and late 1990s but they are always a team that you cant overlook. However, Sallies may just be too overpowering in this game. HS PICK: Sallies 42 William Penn 10
OTHER GAMES TO TRACK
Cape Henlopen vs. #8 St. Georges @ Cape Henlopen Friday 7:00pm
#7 Sussex Tech @ Northern (Owings, MD) 7:00pm
Ceasar Rodney vs. #9 Appo @ Caesar Rodney Friday 7:00
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