First half report cards by conference/non-conference:
Flight A: It's Middletown...and everybody else. Penn won yesterday by sheer goofiness at Concord and Hodgson has been a nice story since dropping their opener to Sussex Central. The rest of the conference (St. Georges/Appo/Newark/Delcastle) is just there, though St. Georges might give teams fits in the second half.
Grade: B-
Flight B: AI's unbeaten, Howard and Glasgow are both 4-1, but by virtue of McKean and Christiana being terrible and Dickinson tapping out not even halfway through, this is without question the worst conference in the state. Brandywine remains an interesting wild card as does Mount.
Grade: D-
Henlopen North: Smyrna's back on track, Sussex Central's undefeated and Polytech might be the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the first half. Other than that, the North has problems. Sussex Tech doesn't play smart, Cape has tuned out the great Bill Collick and CR and Dover are average at best.
Grade: B
Henlopen South: Woodbridge looks primed and ready for a repeat, but Delmar and Milford are close on their heels. Laurel has been a disappointment and IR/Lake/Seaford are just where we expect them to be.
Grade: B
Diamond State Conference: the board consensus was that the newly formed DSC would be a year or two away from stealing playoff spots. Looks like they're ahead of schedule. DMA has to find a weapon to compliment Alleyne or they're in trouble come playoff time. Archmere is still very disciplined, but how they deal with their fallen classmate remains to be seen. Conrad looks like they'll break that 6-4/5-5 jinx they've had the last few years and with Charter giving these three schools bonus points by just showing up, a Flight B or Henlopen South team will be FURIOUS come November 12th. FSMA has the first year blues, Red Lion is still improving and Charter is just...Charter.
Grade: B-
Independent Conference: St. Andrew's 3-1? Who knew? Still Friends' conference to lose although Tower Hill has played well this year and Tatnall might be the biggest disappointment as one of the few winless teams left in the state.
Grade: C+
Non-Conference D1: Like or not, Sallies is a strong title contender. Their second half schedule which prominently features Penn, Middletown and Smyrna will tell how good they are. Right now, they have to be a favorite as well as they've played to start the season.
Grade: B+
Non-Conference D2s: Caravel has been up and down but shown explosive offensive potential even after losing Wyatt Nelson to Friends. Defense is what will determine their playoff chances in the second half. St. Mark's has looked very good save for getting blasted by Caravel Week 2 and if they can win three of their next four heading into Sallies week, their playoff spot looks secure. St. E is young and already better than the 1-9 I had them slotted as. Any given Friday/Saturday, right?
Grade: B-
Flight A: It's Middletown...and everybody else. Penn won yesterday by sheer goofiness at Concord and Hodgson has been a nice story since dropping their opener to Sussex Central. The rest of the conference (St. Georges/Appo/Newark/Delcastle) is just there, though St. Georges might give teams fits in the second half.
Grade: B-
Flight B: AI's unbeaten, Howard and Glasgow are both 4-1, but by virtue of McKean and Christiana being terrible and Dickinson tapping out not even halfway through, this is without question the worst conference in the state. Brandywine remains an interesting wild card as does Mount.
Grade: D-
Henlopen North: Smyrna's back on track, Sussex Central's undefeated and Polytech might be the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the first half. Other than that, the North has problems. Sussex Tech doesn't play smart, Cape has tuned out the great Bill Collick and CR and Dover are average at best.
Grade: B
Henlopen South: Woodbridge looks primed and ready for a repeat, but Delmar and Milford are close on their heels. Laurel has been a disappointment and IR/Lake/Seaford are just where we expect them to be.
Grade: B
Diamond State Conference: the board consensus was that the newly formed DSC would be a year or two away from stealing playoff spots. Looks like they're ahead of schedule. DMA has to find a weapon to compliment Alleyne or they're in trouble come playoff time. Archmere is still very disciplined, but how they deal with their fallen classmate remains to be seen. Conrad looks like they'll break that 6-4/5-5 jinx they've had the last few years and with Charter giving these three schools bonus points by just showing up, a Flight B or Henlopen South team will be FURIOUS come November 12th. FSMA has the first year blues, Red Lion is still improving and Charter is just...Charter.
Grade: B-
Independent Conference: St. Andrew's 3-1? Who knew? Still Friends' conference to lose although Tower Hill has played well this year and Tatnall might be the biggest disappointment as one of the few winless teams left in the state.
Grade: C+
Non-Conference D1: Like or not, Sallies is a strong title contender. Their second half schedule which prominently features Penn, Middletown and Smyrna will tell how good they are. Right now, they have to be a favorite as well as they've played to start the season.
Grade: B+
Non-Conference D2s: Caravel has been up and down but shown explosive offensive potential even after losing Wyatt Nelson to Friends. Defense is what will determine their playoff chances in the second half. St. Mark's has looked very good save for getting blasted by Caravel Week 2 and if they can win three of their next four heading into Sallies week, their playoff spot looks secure. St. E is young and already better than the 1-9 I had them slotted as. Any given Friday/Saturday, right?
Grade: B-
