Smyrna sophomore, Terrell Ingram, runs the ball against Red Lion in the Eagles first game of the season. Photo credit: Dave Reeder
The penultimate week in Delaware High School Football’s regular season begins this weekend (November 6 and 7) with critical matchups across the DIAA’s three classifications.
The Delaware High School Football postseason is fast approaching with only two weeks of regular season competition remaining. There are only a couple opportunities for teams on the playoff bubble to earn their way into the state tournament and only a couple shots for teams trying to win their district and a top-seed in the postseason.
With that being said, here are a few games throughout the state to keep an eye on:
Class 3A:
Smyrna vs Dover @ Dover at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6
The Eagles are currently 3-0 in the Class 3A District Two standings and can win the district with a win against the Senators. Cape Henlopen and Caesar Rodney are both 2-1 in District Two, but Smyrna defeated both of them this season, giving the Eagles the tiebreaker should they all have the same record at the conclusion of the regular season.
Middletown vs Hodgson @ Middletown at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6
Middletown’s win over Salesianum last week put the Cavaliers in the top spot of the Class 3A District One standings. The Cavaliers are undefeated in district play and have two more games against district opponents this season — Hodgson and Appoquinimink. The Cavaliers’ will most likely have to clinch the District One title when they face the Jaguars on November 13, but there is a chance they clinch the district this weekend. Middletown would need to win on Friday and Appoquinimink to lose on Saturday against William Penn. The Cavaliers hold the tiebreaker over Salesianum.
Class 2A:
Archmere vs Tower Hill @ Tower at 6:00 p.m. Friday, November 6
The Auks and Howard Wildcats are both 3-0 in Class 2A District One. The Tower Hill Hillers sit behind them in the standings at 2-1 and could play an integral role in how the district shakes out.
Should Tower Hill defeat Archmere on Friday, the Hillers would own the tiebreaker over the Auks. The Wildcats have already defeated the Hillers this season and Archmere and Howard play each other on November 14 during the regular season’s final week. All three of the teams could end the regular season with a 4-1 district record in which case the determination of who wins the district would come down to a series of tiebreakers that includes head-to-head matchups, overall winning percentage and fewest points allowed per game. With a win and a pair of Wildcats losses, Tower Hill could win the district outright.
Archmere will not be able to clinch the district this week no matter the outcome of this week’s games.
Odessa senior Thomas Ngateh leaps into the air and focuses on catching the ball for an interception against the Newark Charter Patriots earlier this season. Photo Credit: Dave Reeder
St. Mark’s vs Odessa @ Odessa at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6
The Spartans own a Class 2A District Two record of 2-1 tied with Delaware Military Academy and a game behind the district leader Red Lion Christian Academy. The Red Lions lead the district with a 3-0 record. The Spartans and Red Lions play each other in the final week of the regular season.
Similarly to the scenario in Class 2A District One, should the Spartans win their next two games and finish with a 4-1 record alongside DMA and Red Lion there would be a three-way tie for the district winner. DMA defeated St. Mark’s earlier this season and Red Lion defeated DMA last week. Red Lion’s remaining schedule includes Polytech and St. Mark’s. DMA finishes the season with games against Milford and Odessa.
The district champion will come down to the results of the final week of the regular season.
Lake Forest vs Woodbridge @ Lake Forest at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6
The Lake Forest Spartans currently lead the Class 2A District Three standings with a 3-0 district record and 7-1 overall record. The Spartans have a chance to clinch the district title if they win their matchup against the Blue Raiders on Friday and Indian River is defeated in its week nine game against Delmar. Should Indian River win in this scenario, the district would come down to the final game of the regular season when Lake Forest plays Indian River.
There is also a scenario in which Woodbridge comes out atop the district three standings. The Blue Raiders would have to win both their games against Lake Forest and Sussex Tech and the Indians would have to lose one of their next two games. Sussex Tech could win the district with a pair of Lake Forest losses and a pair of wins against Laurel and Woodbridge.
Class 1A:
Concord vs John Dickinson @ Concord at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 7
The Concord Raiders and Brandywine Bulldogs are tied for the top spot in the Class 1A District One standings with 3-0 district records. Dickinson remains a game behind the pair with a district record of 2-1, the lone loss to Brandywine. Neither the Raiders nor Bulldogs can clinch a district crown during this weekend, but Dickinson could fall out of the race with a loss to the Raiders. A Concord win would make their game against the Bulldogs in week ten the deciding game.
Should Dickinson defeat Concord and win its week ten matchup against AI duPont, the Rams could force a three-way tie for first place. In that scenario, Concord would need to beat the Bulldogs in week ten and the Bulldogs would need to win against McKean this weekend.
Charter School of Wilmington vs Christiana @ Charter School of Wilmington at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 7
The Forces are currently second in the Class 1A District Two standings with a district record of 2-1. Conrad leads the district with an undefeated district record and two more games left on their schedule. Should Conrad win and the Forces lose to Christiana, the Red Wolves would win the district this weekend. A Forces win would make their game against the Red Wolves in week ten the deciding game in the district.
Newark Charter senior Cayden Anderson leaps over the defender to make the catch in Newark Charter’s game against Seaford. Photo Credit: Dave Reeder
Newark Charter vs St. Andrew’s @ St. Andrew’s at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 7
The Patriots are undefeated both overall and in district play this season and have a chance at winning Class 1A District Three title with a win on Saturday afternoon. The Saints could make the race interesting if they defeat the Patriots.
A win would put St. Andrew’s ahead of Newark Charter in the standings with a 3-0 record and a week ten matchup against Seaford to close out the regular season. Should the Saints win and the Blue Jays lose to Early College, the Saints would win the district this weekend.
If the Blue Jays and Saints win this weekend, their matchup in week ten would be crucial in deciding the victor of the district.
Ryan Colasanti joins Delaware Live following four years at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. There he covered multiple sports for the school’s radio station as both a reporter and editor. Ryan is excited to return back to the state and cover all things Delaware sports.
