Division I
36 Smyrna vs Middletown 28
Division II
28 Delmar vs Milford 14
36 Smyrna vs Middletown 28
Division II
28 Delmar vs Milford 14
Jeff Mullen 2017 Championship Delaware High School Picks
- Thread starter JeffMullen
- Start date
No way Hearn retires from coaching football, he teaches with his wife and the school loves him. He has it made. He has been coaching for like 35 years I think. and he will get his 5th ring, it would be a great way to go out on top. he would be considered arguably the best D2 coach of all-time. I think he got his 200th win this year also, does that rank in the top 5 of all time?
Yes, his wife retired recently. He would be top 5 maybe even top 3 all time, no way he reaches #1 in wins.
I propose that in the future we include an asterisk anytime we refer to a division 2 state championship. Because yeah it is called a state championship but in reality the team who wins D2 wouldn’t even make the D1 playoffs.
And yeah I also have Delmar winning the state championship* with Smyrna winning the state championship
Or we can just add "DII or D2" in front of state championship, and thus remove any ambiguity. We can then save the asterisk for Barry Bonds stats!
You do know that Delaware is not the only state to offer multiple state champions. Heck Texas hands out state championships at 12 different divisions in the UIL Association. They have 2 different divisions in TAIAO which looks to be homeschools also getting championships. TAPPS has 8 different divisions, TCAF has 2 divisions, and TCAL has 3 divisions. If my math is correct thats 27 different divisions all crowning a "state champ", 7 of which are "6-man" football.
So chill with your asterisk.
i think its stupid to try to demean what these young men have accomplished due to the enrollment of their school. congratulations to ALL the student athletes, good luck to the players in both divisions. hopefully we will get to see a weekend of injury free awesome competition
Pickle that is just asinine. As 84 said you can't demean them because of their enrollment numbers. Nor can you immortalize a school that obviously get certain kids coming there direction to play a sport.
The Concord team that was praised 2 years ago with Avery Roberts leading the way were just 40 students from being a D2 team. Those dominate Hodgson teams with Ray Jones and the St. George's teams with twins were 30-40 students from being a D1 team while they played. There are many good players in D2 unfortunately due to size they may not have enough quality players to compete at a certain level consistently.
I think Caravel, Delmar, Woodbridge, St. Mark's and even DMA would have made some noise in D1 this season and 2 of them didn't even make the D2 playoffs.
The Concord team that was praised 2 years ago with Avery Roberts leading the way were just 40 students from being a D2 team. Those dominate Hodgson teams with Ray Jones and the St. George's teams with twins were 30-40 students from being a D1 team while they played. There are many good players in D2 unfortunately due to size they may not have enough quality players to compete at a certain level consistently.
I think Caravel, Delmar, Woodbridge, St. Mark's and even DMA would have made some noise in D1 this season and 2 of them didn't even make the D2 playoffs.
I’m really impressed with Trader, I’ll be rooting for him, I work in Milford and live in Magnolia, so whichever teams wins will be fine by me lol
I watched both Delmar games and feel like RR when saying I wish a team like Caravel was in the playoffs. I like what Delmar is doing but the coaching they face is very disappointing between Ryan's lack of creativity on offense and Blum's inability to put his team in the right position on defense they both set their teams up to fail and unless Milford tries to test Delmar on the outsides they will go down like they did earlier in the season.
Delmar wins big
Middletown 28-22
Delmar wins big
Middletown 28-22
VoR247 I wouldn't include St Marks. I believe that the way Delmar is currently playing, they could beat most D1 teams. I don't know anything about Caravel.
84r I like Trader as well. Since I graduated from Milford, I always have a place in my heart for them but I think Delmar wins going away. I also graduated with the Milford coach's Dad.
I like Smyrna to win simply because I believed that MT came into the first game almost at midseason form due to hard work in the off season, revenge, pride, and whatever other factors that might contribute. I think that Smyrna has had more room to improve at the qb position, defensive side of the ball, and maturation of Whaley. Although I have a personal bias toward the Smyrna secondary, I do think they are much more solid than earlier in the season. MT will score points...they're too good not to, but I just think that Smyrna is a better team when they are not shooting themselves in the "as...I mean foot" with penalties and mistakes.
84r I like Trader as well. Since I graduated from Milford, I always have a place in my heart for them but I think Delmar wins going away. I also graduated with the Milford coach's Dad.
I like Smyrna to win simply because I believed that MT came into the first game almost at midseason form due to hard work in the off season, revenge, pride, and whatever other factors that might contribute. I think that Smyrna has had more room to improve at the qb position, defensive side of the ball, and maturation of Whaley. Although I have a personal bias toward the Smyrna secondary, I do think they are much more solid than earlier in the season. MT will score points...they're too good not to, but I just think that Smyrna is a better team when they are not shooting themselves in the "as...I mean foot" with penalties and mistakes.
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Youjustme.. St. Mark's was a solid team with the size,speed and coaching to compete with every D2 and some D1 teams. The erratic play of the QB a couple of games did them in.
I'm not as impressed by Delmar but I think they should win handily.
I'm not as impressed by Delmar but I think they should win handily.
Yeah, I don't know much about St Marks but it's hard to evaluate the team while ignoring the QB. If you look at team performance, the QB play is usually an integral part of their success, and certainly an important factor. That's why I cringe when people say things like "Smyrna would be an average team without Will Knight". Well the truth is that they do have Will Knight so the team has to be evaluated as a complete team and not by some hypothetical supposition.
1- Smyrna
2- Middletown
3- Delmar
Talent wise this is the order anyone that Has anything to do with evaluating overall talent in Delaware has the teams ranked. I picked Delmar to lose to A.I for Match up reasons. Not overall talent. Clearly I was wrong. I have been saying for many weeks they have more next level talent then all other teams in Delaware besides the top two. I had the opportunity to spend the weekend in the Salisbury MD area after the Woodbridge Game Evaluating talent at the HIgh Schools in that town. They have three HS two 2A schools and one 3A school that made the MD playoffs. Delmar is pulling kids from this area. They are not a normal D2 Delaware school. They platoon many kids. If they continue to win they will continue to draw the better kids from that area. Hearn also is a local legend down that way. Even the MD HS coaches talk very highly of him and that program. It’s definitely one the most interesting dynamics in HS football that I have come across. So I would not classify them as a normal Delaware D2 school. They have a talent pool opening up to pull from others do not. Fair or not it’s a reality
You could also say that any private school is not a normal D2 school as well. I am sure Caravel and St Marks probably have some kids from out of state as well. Tech schools can pull from a large area and then there is school choice in Delaware. Good programs pull in kids. The schools and the football in Salisbury are dreadful, so any parent would be smart to get their kids out of the Salisbury schools.
I think Hearn will stick around for a few more years. They have some good young players coming up. He is the AD, teaches drivers ed, and coaches football and baseball. He pretty much gets his way and has a great coaching staff.
Sometimes you need a little luck to win a championship, and it seems as if things are breaking Delmar’s way this year.
Sometimes you need a little luck to win a championship, and it seems as if things are breaking Delmar’s way this year.
Prep... you are so off it’s not even close. Delmar has talent but definitely does not have more next level talented than every other school in DE outside of Middletown and Smyrna. They may get talented kids from MD but the talent they have is not way more than every team in D2 as you say.
Also they don’t platoon. Their best players play both sides of the ball. They are however very disciplined and very well coached.
Also they don’t platoon. Their best players play both sides of the ball. They are however very disciplined and very well coached.
Incorrect
I can tell you with 100 percent certainly they have more talent because I know who is being looked at on all the teams in Both divisions fact . They also platoon in spots, Line, and QB. Trader is one of the best players and only played Defense most of the year. The last QB also could only played ones side of the ball.
I am also interested in who you believe has more. Caravel ? Who are your top 5?
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You guys have had your fair share of bad luck also. Three QBs? Your team is stacked with talent. The other people on this board may not see it, but I can assure you anyone that has a unbiased opinion does.
Want to see great H.S. football on Friday nite? Head up north and catch St. Joe Prep vs. Coatesville.
Top 5 in the state or Division. And we are talking next level talent correct???
And you said they "platoon", meaning they have an offensive crew and a defensive crew. I believe Trader is the lastest to be playing both ways about 4-6 others have been doing it all season. That is not platooning. As far as I know only Smyrna fully platoons but everyone else pretty much does what Delmar does.
Off the top in D2. Caravel, Howard, Woodbridge, Glasgow, Brandywine, St. Mark's has as much next level talent as Delmar and a couple of those I believe have more.
No let me clear this up. Delmar has the better team with Caravel being a question mark and Woodbridge along with I believe Howard able to battle with them.
So no Milford, although they beat Woodbridge? I mean I know they have Bowman, but you got to have some talent to beat them twice and make it to the championship. If it's not offensively, then at least defensively.
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bbmvp... in which category. Next level talent or a solid team.
More next level.... No I don't see it but being a solid team. Yes Milford definitely is but I was saying from the teams I listed which ones I thought came together enough to compete with Delmar.
More next level.... No I don't see it but being a solid team. Yes Milford definitely is but I was saying from the teams I listed which ones I thought came together enough to compete with Delmar.
Voice....if that's the case how in the world could you say Brandywine, Glasgow or St. Marks? Glasgow lost to IR (who lost to SEAFORD!!!), St. Marks lost to Woodbridge (who lost to Milford, twice), and Brandywine went 4-6? I'm sorry if you think they have more next level talent, but at the end of the day, talent means nothing when none of those 3 teams make the state tournament. Does Milford have a solid team I think you'd have to say yes. Next level talent? Bowman, then like I said how about some of the guys on the D line? Those guys are underclassmen and just haven't received any recognition.
I'll agree with you and say Woodbridge has talent comparable to Delmar. The crazy thing, which I'm not sure people know is, had Woodbridge beaten Delmar week 10, Delmar doesn't even make the tourney. I think Caravel might have instead. Everyone's wish would have come true then.
I'll agree with you and say Woodbridge has talent comparable to Delmar. The crazy thing, which I'm not sure people know is, had Woodbridge beaten Delmar week 10, Delmar doesn't even make the tourney. I think Caravel might have instead. Everyone's wish would have come true then.
Bbmvp....I was replying to Prep as we were talking about teams with next level talent which is why I added the last part about being of those Caravel, Woodbridge and Howard being good enough "teams" to compete with Delmar. There is a distinct difference.
Glasgow, Brandywine and St. Marks have some talented kids that if they are trying can play college football. You bringing up the Glasgow vs IR game is a perfect example Glasgow by far had more talent but by 1) playing down and 2) having a couple of injuries and 3) bit of bad luck lost to IR. Another example is Friends with on average at most for various reasons 2-3 next level talented kids but they are a hard working well coached team that is generally right their for the playoffs and competing for a title. Less talent good team. This is HS not college or pros so you can get away with having only 2 or 3 of those kids in Delaware and still be successful especially D2. Every year you will probably find a team with more kids than you realize going on to play college ball but finish around .500 or below.
*Disclaimer* I am not talking about the JV or Freshman team kids that are players or have the potential to grow. I'm talking about the kids that are currently on the field playing varsity ball for these teams.
Glasgow, Brandywine and St. Marks have some talented kids that if they are trying can play college football. You bringing up the Glasgow vs IR game is a perfect example Glasgow by far had more talent but by 1) playing down and 2) having a couple of injuries and 3) bit of bad luck lost to IR. Another example is Friends with on average at most for various reasons 2-3 next level talented kids but they are a hard working well coached team that is generally right their for the playoffs and competing for a title. Less talent good team. This is HS not college or pros so you can get away with having only 2 or 3 of those kids in Delaware and still be successful especially D2. Every year you will probably find a team with more kids than you realize going on to play college ball but finish around .500 or below.
*Disclaimer* I am not talking about the JV or Freshman team kids that are players or have the potential to grow. I'm talking about the kids that are currently on the field playing varsity ball for these teams.
So this argument is unfair because I have the answers to the test siting in front of me . As you know next level talent at the D2 and D1 level is more projection when the kid is coming from a HS that plays soft opponents. We can go on and on about many different things regarding that. When I ranked the teams based on individual talent to compete at the next level it was based on pure facts from the information I have regarding concrete interest from programs from the D2 and higher level. So I stand by what I said.
Milford has a great team with one stud , and a possible next level player that has drawn interest of late. Bowmen is that team for better or worse. The best teams also often beat the team with the best players in HS ball. Coaching plays a big role in that As far as the underclassmen on the Lines, and I’m talking freshman and sophomores. Here is the top tallent in the state. These players have started and played significant snaps at the varsity level, have made all conference teams, and some have played at an all state level. The order is random but all considered to have next level talent some more so then others depending on mostly size gains over the next year or so. And continued improvement. I would assume one maybe two on this early list will actually get to the next level. I also would not be surprised if none did. Delaware is not a big Oline Dline recruitment area.
DE Michael Gilbert, sophomore Tower Hill
DT Nasir Parks, sophomore Red Lion CA
DT and G C.J. Ashe, sophomore Tatnell
DT Masyn Lilly, sophomore Delmar
G Zyheem Dumpson, sophomore Mount Pl
G Ramond Turner, sophomore Indian River
G Jerron Watson-Alexander, so., Christiana
OT Josh Benedict, freshman, Woodbridge
OT Zyair Toledo, sophomore Milford
OT Donald Burton, sophomore Newark
School size does not matter as we can see. Projections, and production on the field does. The kids can only play who is in front of them. What most parents and kids don’t realize is freshman and sophomore years are vital in the recruiting process. By the 8th grade kids that want to play at the next level, and have the talent need to start training plus taking everything seriously. On and off the field, offseason work it usually what’s starts to separate kids. And if they are not on someone’s rader by the start of their 11th grade year it’s an uphill climb.
Prep... not really sure how you can say Delmar has more than others when you admittedly said you spend most of your time this season in lower DE and MD so you haven't been able to see much of teams and talent north of Dover. but your last statement is the main and best thing you said out of all of that.
You are judging Delmar's prominence based upon the list you have from schools with these kids on their radar; however there are many off the radar kids in Delaware due to disinterest to actively recruit the area, college recruiting budgets, HS coaches not educating kids & parents on process, kids not focused or interested until late in process and just some that fly under the radar. That is why it is easy to disagree with you how high you have Delmar placed and you do not have the answer. Now if you said Delmar has the most notable next level talent then that is a different thing but I can probably give you a player 2 or 3 that is probably not on your list just as talented as the one on this big Delmar list.
*Disclaimer* Feel i need to add these because I know people get touchy. This is not to say the particular kid from Delmar is not good just that there is another just as good that you don't hear and know about.
You are judging Delmar's prominence based upon the list you have from schools with these kids on their radar; however there are many off the radar kids in Delaware due to disinterest to actively recruit the area, college recruiting budgets, HS coaches not educating kids & parents on process, kids not focused or interested until late in process and just some that fly under the radar. That is why it is easy to disagree with you how high you have Delmar placed and you do not have the answer. Now if you said Delmar has the most notable next level talent then that is a different thing but I can probably give you a player 2 or 3 that is probably not on your list just as talented as the one on this big Delmar list.
*Disclaimer* Feel i need to add these because I know people get touchy. This is not to say the particular kid from Delmar is not good just that there is another just as good that you don't hear and know about.
@PickleEveryEndNow There have been a few years in the past where I would have put money on the Division 2 State Championship team beating the Division 1 State Championship team. This rings true for wrestling as well. About 10 to 15 years ago Hogdson Vo Tech was nationally ranked and had a ten year stretch of dominance....They would have won the D1 and D2 wrestling titles back then.
Allheart....as it's no secret how I feel about D2. I will agree with you.
There are some years I think the D2 team can favorably beat the D1 team. The year Hodgson beat up on Laurel I think was a great year where a D2 had a good shot to beating the D1.
One that I would have loved to see was in 2011 or 2012, when Middletown and Indian River both went undefeated. A Jamie Jarmon Darius Wade/Chris Godwin matchup would have been a treat to witness
There are some years I think the D2 team can favorably beat the D1 team. The year Hodgson beat up on Laurel I think was a great year where a D2 had a good shot to beating the D1.
One that I would have loved to see was in 2011 or 2012, when Middletown and Indian River both went undefeated. A Jamie Jarmon Darius Wade/Chris Godwin matchup would have been a treat to witness
I do not know how you can say this when it comes to wrestling. CR was nationally ranked year in and year out in the late 90's and early 2000's. I can remember Blair Academy coming to CR and it was a top 10 battle. CR also had a few wrestlers ranked in the top 5 nationally in their weight class. Alex Meade was #1 in the nation at his class. Chris Diaz went to Virginia Tech. Those CR teams rolled the State and went on a 20 year stretch where they never lost a conference match.
