Week 10 picks
Rankings
DI
1. William Penn 9-0
2. St. Mark's 7-2
3. Sussex Tech 8-1
4. Middletown 8-1
5. Salesianum 6-3
DII
1. St. Georges 9-0
2. Lake Forest 9-0
3. Caravel 6-3
4. Laurel 7-2
5. Hodgson 6-3
Tower Hill 8-1 at Friends 9-0
Both of these teams have already qualified for the playoffs but the Independent Conference title and bragging rights are on the line in this one. Tower Hill enters the game at 8-1 with their lone loss being to DMA 34-14. The Hillers will be in the playoffs for the 2nd straight season, last season they lost 28-21 to Woodbridge in the 1st round. Senior QB/RB Matthew Smith leads the way offensively for the Hillers. The Tower Hill defense is allowing 13 points per game and has held their last 4 opponents to 12 points or less. Friends is undefeated so far this season and will be returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. In 2008 Friends defeated Howard in the first round of the tournament before losing to eventual champion Milford. Friends is led by senior James Carney who has scored TD's this year on offense, defense and special teams. He has intercepted 4 passes this season on defense. The Friends defense is allowing 5 points per game this year and has registered 4 shutouts. The big knock on both of these teams is their strength of schedule. Tower Hill did play DMA but they were beaten easily in that game. The Hillers best win is against Tatnall a game that they won 30-0. The combined record of Tower Hill's opponents this year is 29-47. Friends has 9 wins but they have come against opponents that have a combined record of 13-57 and 1 of their wins that came via forfeit. Friends did defeat Woodbridge in week 3 but for the season the Quakers haven't beaten anyone with a winning record and 5 of their wins have come against teams with only 1 win or less. This should be a very close game and regardless of what anyone thinks about these 2 teams it won't matter on Saturday. Expect a playoff type atmosphere and effort from both teams. Friends has defeated Tower Hill 4 out of the last 6 years but Tower Hill won last year 28-7. I'm taking Friends to win and stay unbeaten.
Friends 17 Tower Hill 10
Caesar Rodney 2-7 at Dover 2-7
Both of these teams have had rough seasons but this is still a big rivalry game for both schools. Both teams enter this game coming off upset losses. CR lost to Smyrna last week 36-33 losing to Smyrna for the first time in 42 years. It was a surprising loss to me because the prior week CR was 3 minutes away from knocking off St. Mark's. Dover was defeated last week by Polytech a week after the Senators impressive 41-22 victory against Smyrna. Dover and CR have both scored points this season but stopping people has been the issue for both sides. Dover is allowing 32 points per game and CR isn't far behind at 28 per contest. Expect a lot of points in this one in a usually intense rivalry. CR defeated Dover last season 42-18 and has won 2 straight against Dover.
Caesar Rodney 38 Dover 33
Newark 6-3 at Concord 6-3
This is basically a play in game for the playoffs with a win and in scenario. Newark will be shorthanded in this one playing without QB Ben Campbell and longtime head coach Butch Simpson. The Yellowjackets have struggled this season when stepping up in competition. All 6 Newark victories have come against teams with losing records and they are 0-3 against teams with winning records. Newark lost to William Penn 51-15, Hodgson 50-20 and last week to Middletown 49-21. The Newark defense was playing well last week as they held a 14-7 lead over Middletown in the 2nd quarter. It was all downhill from their as Middletown outscored Newark 42-7 the rest of the game. Sophomore QB Andrew Delpercio will step in for the injured Campbell this week at Concord. Concord's 6 wins have also come against teams with losing records but the Raiders have played very well in all 3 of their losses. Concord lost 27-19 at Middletown, 21-7 at Salesianum and 28-21 at William Penn. At some point in all 3 of their losses Concord held the lead but was unable to hold on. Brycen Alleyne has had a great season for the Raiders this season. Last week he rushed for over 200 yards and 3 scores against Appo. Alleyne is also a threat on special teams and he has scored defensively this year as well. Concord won last year 41-6 and has won 2 straight in the series. Too much for Newark to overcome and Concord might be one of the most underrated teams in the State.
Concord 35 Newark 12
Salesianum 6-3 at Middletown 8-1 *****game of the week*****
No matter what the records or the circumstances are this is always a huge game. Obviously Sallies needs this game and help to get in the playoffs. The Sals enter the game on a 2 game winning streak having beaten DMA and Delcastle by identical 42-0 scores. Sallies lost to William Penn 16-10, Poly Prep 42-21 and St. Mark's 28-21. The Sals best win is against Concord 21-7. The Sals have multiple weapons in the backfield with Colby Reeder and Michael Sanzone. QB Garret Cannon has been a very efficient passer this season and his favorite targets are Jake Sherlock and Jeremy Ryan. The Salesianum defense has 3 shutouts this season and are only allowing 14 points per game. They held William Penn to 16 points in their matchup which is the lowest output for the Colonials this year. Middletown stands at 8-1 and is in the playoffs no matter what the outcome of this game is. Don't expect anything less than a full all out effort from the Cavs in this one though. Middletown will be looking to avenge their 2 losses from last season at the hands of the Sals. The second of those losses came in the state championship game. The Cavs are on a 3 game winning streak since losing to William Penn 21-7. The Cavs have scored 40 or more points in 6 of their 9 games this season and are averaging 37 points per game on offense. The offense is led by the running of Lasanna Brew, who has scored 10 TD's in the last 3 weeks, and Frank Datillo who has 7 TD's in the last 3 weeks. The Middletown defense has had another strong season allowing 14 points per game and registering 1 shutout. There are a lot of similarities between these 2 teams. Both teams are very good at running the ball and they have multiple backs that can hurt you. At the same time you have to respect their passing games as well. The star power from previous seasons doesn't really exist as both teams have many sold players. Both defenses have been solid and give up 14 points per game. Both teams have wins over Concord and competitive losses to William Penn. Most people didn't think that Middletown would be 8-1 this year and in line to receive a 1st round playoff bye. Call me crazy but this might be the best job of coaching that coach Delpercio has done and he should get some consideration as COY. The Sals in my opinion deserve consideration for the playoffs and if they win the game they should be in. They defeated Concord and as far as I can see they are a better team that Cape Henlopen. I think the Sals can win this game up front although a smaller Middletown line won't go down without a fight. The Sals have not won in Middletown since 2010 and it won't be easy on Friday night but the Sals need this game more.
Salesianum 21 Middletown 14
Other games
Howard 38 Moyer 8......Howard finishes 6-4
St. Mark's 34 Archbishop Spalding 21......the Spartans need another win and better not take this team lightly
Caravel 35 Mount Pleasant 7......caravel gears up for the tournament and Mount prepares for Flight A
Brandywine 28 Dickinson 16.....Bulldogs finish with a win
Archmere 28 St. Elizabeth 6......Archmere heads into the tourney on a high note
Cape Henlopen 35 Smyrna 24......Cape is playing for their playoff lives and better be ready for a confident Smyrna squad
A.I. DuPont 30 Glasgow 22.....the Tigers can score at will but Glasgow can play defense
Lake Forest 35 Milford 7.....the battle of the bell will be over quickly
Laurel 42 Seaford 6.....Laurel will get to rest the starters in this one
Sussex Tech 36 Polytech 14......Sussex Tech wins the battle of the Techs
Sussex Central 27 Indian River 16..... Nice win last week for Central against Cape
Delmar 22 Woodbridge 18.....Delmar wins a close one
St. Georges 40 McKean 14......St. Georges cruises into the playoffs
William Penn 35 Delcastle 14..... Colonials will be #1 seed in the playoffs
DMA 38 Conrad 12......DMA is deserving of a playoff berth but won't get it
Hodgson 48 Christiana 12........Hodgson is going to be a tough 1st round matchup for somebody
Tatnall 27 St. Andrews 14......Tatnall finishes at 5-5
Appo 38 Charter 20...... Charter is struggling right now and Appo should get another win
Last week 14-5
Season 117-26
Rankings
DI
1. William Penn 9-0
2. St. Mark's 7-2
3. Sussex Tech 8-1
4. Middletown 8-1
5. Salesianum 6-3
DII
1. St. Georges 9-0
2. Lake Forest 9-0
3. Caravel 6-3
4. Laurel 7-2
5. Hodgson 6-3
Tower Hill 8-1 at Friends 9-0
Both of these teams have already qualified for the playoffs but the Independent Conference title and bragging rights are on the line in this one. Tower Hill enters the game at 8-1 with their lone loss being to DMA 34-14. The Hillers will be in the playoffs for the 2nd straight season, last season they lost 28-21 to Woodbridge in the 1st round. Senior QB/RB Matthew Smith leads the way offensively for the Hillers. The Tower Hill defense is allowing 13 points per game and has held their last 4 opponents to 12 points or less. Friends is undefeated so far this season and will be returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. In 2008 Friends defeated Howard in the first round of the tournament before losing to eventual champion Milford. Friends is led by senior James Carney who has scored TD's this year on offense, defense and special teams. He has intercepted 4 passes this season on defense. The Friends defense is allowing 5 points per game this year and has registered 4 shutouts. The big knock on both of these teams is their strength of schedule. Tower Hill did play DMA but they were beaten easily in that game. The Hillers best win is against Tatnall a game that they won 30-0. The combined record of Tower Hill's opponents this year is 29-47. Friends has 9 wins but they have come against opponents that have a combined record of 13-57 and 1 of their wins that came via forfeit. Friends did defeat Woodbridge in week 3 but for the season the Quakers haven't beaten anyone with a winning record and 5 of their wins have come against teams with only 1 win or less. This should be a very close game and regardless of what anyone thinks about these 2 teams it won't matter on Saturday. Expect a playoff type atmosphere and effort from both teams. Friends has defeated Tower Hill 4 out of the last 6 years but Tower Hill won last year 28-7. I'm taking Friends to win and stay unbeaten.
Friends 17 Tower Hill 10
Caesar Rodney 2-7 at Dover 2-7
Both of these teams have had rough seasons but this is still a big rivalry game for both schools. Both teams enter this game coming off upset losses. CR lost to Smyrna last week 36-33 losing to Smyrna for the first time in 42 years. It was a surprising loss to me because the prior week CR was 3 minutes away from knocking off St. Mark's. Dover was defeated last week by Polytech a week after the Senators impressive 41-22 victory against Smyrna. Dover and CR have both scored points this season but stopping people has been the issue for both sides. Dover is allowing 32 points per game and CR isn't far behind at 28 per contest. Expect a lot of points in this one in a usually intense rivalry. CR defeated Dover last season 42-18 and has won 2 straight against Dover.
Caesar Rodney 38 Dover 33
Newark 6-3 at Concord 6-3
This is basically a play in game for the playoffs with a win and in scenario. Newark will be shorthanded in this one playing without QB Ben Campbell and longtime head coach Butch Simpson. The Yellowjackets have struggled this season when stepping up in competition. All 6 Newark victories have come against teams with losing records and they are 0-3 against teams with winning records. Newark lost to William Penn 51-15, Hodgson 50-20 and last week to Middletown 49-21. The Newark defense was playing well last week as they held a 14-7 lead over Middletown in the 2nd quarter. It was all downhill from their as Middletown outscored Newark 42-7 the rest of the game. Sophomore QB Andrew Delpercio will step in for the injured Campbell this week at Concord. Concord's 6 wins have also come against teams with losing records but the Raiders have played very well in all 3 of their losses. Concord lost 27-19 at Middletown, 21-7 at Salesianum and 28-21 at William Penn. At some point in all 3 of their losses Concord held the lead but was unable to hold on. Brycen Alleyne has had a great season for the Raiders this season. Last week he rushed for over 200 yards and 3 scores against Appo. Alleyne is also a threat on special teams and he has scored defensively this year as well. Concord won last year 41-6 and has won 2 straight in the series. Too much for Newark to overcome and Concord might be one of the most underrated teams in the State.
Concord 35 Newark 12
Salesianum 6-3 at Middletown 8-1 *****game of the week*****
No matter what the records or the circumstances are this is always a huge game. Obviously Sallies needs this game and help to get in the playoffs. The Sals enter the game on a 2 game winning streak having beaten DMA and Delcastle by identical 42-0 scores. Sallies lost to William Penn 16-10, Poly Prep 42-21 and St. Mark's 28-21. The Sals best win is against Concord 21-7. The Sals have multiple weapons in the backfield with Colby Reeder and Michael Sanzone. QB Garret Cannon has been a very efficient passer this season and his favorite targets are Jake Sherlock and Jeremy Ryan. The Salesianum defense has 3 shutouts this season and are only allowing 14 points per game. They held William Penn to 16 points in their matchup which is the lowest output for the Colonials this year. Middletown stands at 8-1 and is in the playoffs no matter what the outcome of this game is. Don't expect anything less than a full all out effort from the Cavs in this one though. Middletown will be looking to avenge their 2 losses from last season at the hands of the Sals. The second of those losses came in the state championship game. The Cavs are on a 3 game winning streak since losing to William Penn 21-7. The Cavs have scored 40 or more points in 6 of their 9 games this season and are averaging 37 points per game on offense. The offense is led by the running of Lasanna Brew, who has scored 10 TD's in the last 3 weeks, and Frank Datillo who has 7 TD's in the last 3 weeks. The Middletown defense has had another strong season allowing 14 points per game and registering 1 shutout. There are a lot of similarities between these 2 teams. Both teams are very good at running the ball and they have multiple backs that can hurt you. At the same time you have to respect their passing games as well. The star power from previous seasons doesn't really exist as both teams have many sold players. Both defenses have been solid and give up 14 points per game. Both teams have wins over Concord and competitive losses to William Penn. Most people didn't think that Middletown would be 8-1 this year and in line to receive a 1st round playoff bye. Call me crazy but this might be the best job of coaching that coach Delpercio has done and he should get some consideration as COY. The Sals in my opinion deserve consideration for the playoffs and if they win the game they should be in. They defeated Concord and as far as I can see they are a better team that Cape Henlopen. I think the Sals can win this game up front although a smaller Middletown line won't go down without a fight. The Sals have not won in Middletown since 2010 and it won't be easy on Friday night but the Sals need this game more.
Salesianum 21 Middletown 14
Other games
Howard 38 Moyer 8......Howard finishes 6-4
St. Mark's 34 Archbishop Spalding 21......the Spartans need another win and better not take this team lightly
Caravel 35 Mount Pleasant 7......caravel gears up for the tournament and Mount prepares for Flight A
Brandywine 28 Dickinson 16.....Bulldogs finish with a win
Archmere 28 St. Elizabeth 6......Archmere heads into the tourney on a high note
Cape Henlopen 35 Smyrna 24......Cape is playing for their playoff lives and better be ready for a confident Smyrna squad
A.I. DuPont 30 Glasgow 22.....the Tigers can score at will but Glasgow can play defense
Lake Forest 35 Milford 7.....the battle of the bell will be over quickly
Laurel 42 Seaford 6.....Laurel will get to rest the starters in this one
Sussex Tech 36 Polytech 14......Sussex Tech wins the battle of the Techs
Sussex Central 27 Indian River 16..... Nice win last week for Central against Cape
Delmar 22 Woodbridge 18.....Delmar wins a close one
St. Georges 40 McKean 14......St. Georges cruises into the playoffs
William Penn 35 Delcastle 14..... Colonials will be #1 seed in the playoffs
DMA 38 Conrad 12......DMA is deserving of a playoff berth but won't get it
Hodgson 48 Christiana 12........Hodgson is going to be a tough 1st round matchup for somebody
Tatnall 27 St. Andrews 14......Tatnall finishes at 5-5
Appo 38 Charter 20...... Charter is struggling right now and Appo should get another win
Last week 14-5
Season 117-26
