Delmar football earns emotional win just five days after tragic car accident
FELTON – In 33 years as the head football coach at Delmar High School, Dave Hearn had never faced a week like this.
“There is no roadmap,” he said.
Playing just five days after a tragic car accident took the life of running back Carter Figgs and left teammate Carter Powell hospitalized in critical condition, the Wildcats took a 50-minute bus ride and managed to go back home with a 30-27 victory over Lake Forest on Thursday night.
After the customary handshake between the teams at midfield, Hearn sent his players to the Delmar sideline to talk with their family and friends.
The Wildcats will attend Figgs’ funeral on Sunday at the Delmar gymnasium, with visitation beginning at 11 a.m. followed by the service at 1 p.m.
“This was just such a tragedy for so many people, and it’s still kind of unfolding because we’ve got a funeral now to attend this weekend,” Hearn said. “All of these guys will be right where they should be, right there.”
Tributes to Figgs and Powell were visible throughout James H. Blades Stadium, before and during the game.
The Delmar marching band wore black “32” armbands – Figgs’ number – during its pregame performance. Most of the Wildcats’ players wore white 32 armbands.
The Lake Forest cheerleaders unfurled a long, blue banner that read, “Delmar strong LL 32,” then folded it carefully and presented it to the Delmar sideline. The cheerleaders then changed to a “Let’s go Lake” banner for the Spartans to run through.
A moment of silence was held before the game, with dozens of orange No. 32 T-shirts spotted among the hundreds of Delmar fans in the stands.
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A 50-50 raffle was held, with half of the money to go to Figgs’ family. A donation from the Lake Forest athletic booster club boosted the $383 split up to $500, and when a Delmar fan won the raffle she donated all of her share to increase the total to $883.
On the field, the Wildcats took a 14-7 lead on Nathan VanZandt’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Holbrook with 35 seconds left in the first half.
Delmar built its advantage to 30-13 with a minute left in the third quarter, then withstood two late touchdowns from the Spartans and clinched the victory when senior Carter Mason recovered an onside kick with 1:28 to play.
“I thought our guys gutted out a lot of things out there,” Hearn said. “[Lake Forest] would not let us go. They made it hard at the end.”
Holbrook tried to block out the circumstances during the game.
“We stayed locked,” the junior said. “We had to for them. We tried not to think about it, but yes, it was definitely tough.”
But the big fullback, who rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns in addition to his scoring reception, was focused on his teammates afterward.
“I’m thinking just thinking about 32 and Carter Powell,” Holbrook said. “I’m just thinking about them right now, and my teammates and my family.”
It was a short week of practice, with the Wildcats working out for only two days before the game. But their coach said they were focused.
“It was as good a week of practice as we’ve had since August started,” Hearn said. “They believed in themselves; they listened to what we said.
“The parents around them, I think, helped ease them along. I know they’re coming from good places at home.”
The crash occurred around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, as Figgs and three other Delmar players were in a car traveling south on South Salisbury Boulevard, in the area of Lloyd Street in Salisbury, Maryland. According to the Salisbury Police Department, the 17-year-old driver "failed to control the speed of the vehicle, crossed into the northbound lanes, and collided with a telephone pole."
The driver was charged with criminally negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol and other offenses before being released to a guardian.
The community gathered in Delmar on Sunday night for a candlelight vigil and bonfire for Figgs. Athletic activities were canceled at Delmar schools Monday and counseling was available for students and staff.
A GoFundMe has been created to cover Figgs' funeral costs. His mother, Laurie Knapp, said he was "the sweetest boy you would ever meet."
"He was always there when I needed him," Knapp said. "He was my rock, my protector, my heart."
Messages of support from football and other athletic teams across Delaware have poured in on social media.
Laurel, Delmar’s closest athletic rival, announced it would donate the proceeds from a 50-50 raffle and half of the gate receipts from the Bulldogs’ Thursday night home game against Seaford to assist the Delmar families affected by the crash.
The school also encouraged its students to skip their traditional red and white colors and wear Delmar’s orange and blue colors to school on Thursday to show their support.
The Howard Wildcats football team wore orange wildcat paw “Delmar strong” stickers on the backs of their blue helmets during Thursday night’s game against Newark at Abessinio Stadium. The Laurel players also wore the orange stickers in their game against Seaford.
Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on X (aka Twitter): @BradMyersTNJ
Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on Sussex County and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delmar football wins 5 days after Carter Figgs dies in car accident
