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District 2A-2 football preview: First senior class ready for big finish at Odessa

brad myers, delaware news journal
·6 min read

The Odessa football program will have something new this season.

Seniors.

For the first time, the Ducks will go into battle with players from grades 9-12.

“I’m excited for those kids to be able to finish the journey that they have been on,” Odessa coach Dan Pritchard said. “That’s one of the cool things about starting a new school.”

Odessa junior linebacker David Johnston wraps up Caravel senior Ian Guy during the Buccaneers’ 42-6 win over the Ducks at Odessa, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.
Odessa junior linebacker David Johnston wraps up Caravel senior Ian Guy during the Buccaneers’ 42-6 win over the Ducks at Odessa, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.

The Ducks will have 17 seniors. Pritchard is especially fond of 11 of them – Phil Kamara, Dave Johnston, Bruce Macolley, A’Hzir Bellamy, Nick Oneschuk, Trey Oldaker-Banks, Xavier Braxton, Jeremiah Green, Eli Bey, Michael Wilson and Nate Devonshire.

That group attended the first practice of any sport at Odessa in the summer of 2020, when COVID precautions required temperature checks, no locker room use, face masks worn under helmets and 6 feet of separation between players and coaches.

Practices were held at night because parents had to provide all transportation – the players weren’t old enough to drive. And they only played four games because many schools didn’t field freshman teams due to COVID.

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“We’ve gone through some rough seasons and some trials, but we’ve all persevered and everyone is buying into the program,” Johnston said. “We feel really good about the season.”

Odessa is also moving up in the Delaware high school football world, from Class 1A to 2A. After reaching the 1A playoffs in their first two varsity seasons, the Ducks are jumping into the state’s middle class.

“We’re excited,” Johnston said. “We would much rather be in this position, playing better teams, because that makes us better. It’s a higher level of football. We’re embracing it.”

Odessa is also playing two Class 3A teams – its Appoquinimink School District rivals – for the first time. The Ducks will play host to Appo in the first “Rumble on the River” on Sept. 8, then make the short trip to Cavaliers Stadium to face Middletown on Sept. 14.

“I have all of the respect for Appo and Middletown, their coaches and what they’ve done and the traditions that they have set,” Pritchard said. “We’re the new kids on the block. We do things a little different here. … It’s going to be a fun thing for our community to experience.”

Here is a team-by-team look at the District 2A-2 race, in predicted order of finish:

1. Howard Wildcats

COACH: Dan Ritter.

LAST YEAR: 8-2, lost in quarterfinals of Class 2A playoffs.

KEY RETURNEES: QB R.J. Matthews, sr.; WR Jamal Johnson, sr.; WR Robert Kelly, sr.; WR Dreshawn Anderson, sr.; TE-DE Desai Drummond, so.; OT Caesar Thomas, so.; C A’Myre Stewart-Caceres, so.; FB-LB Syncere Tate, jr.; DE Na’im Pryor, jr.; LB Amir Maddrey, so.

KEY NEWCOMERS: OL-DL Na’sir Thompson, so.; RB-LB Isaiah Harrison, jr.; TE-DE Ameer Anderson, so.; OL-DL Deven Jones, sr.; WR-DB Korey Manley, fr.; FB-LB Sebastian Smith, sr.

OUTLOOK: With a four-year starter at quarterback and several other key pieces returning from a very good team, the Wildcats are expected to be among the best in Class 2A.

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2. Wilmington Friends Quakers

COACH: Rob Tattersall

LAST YEAR: 13-0, won Class 2A championship.

RETURNING STARTERS: RB-SS Andrew McKenzie, sr.; WR-CB Jason Hughes, sr.; G Myles Johnson, sr.; LB Tyler Maheshwari, sr.; FS Ryan Tattersall, jr.

Wilmington Friends' Philip Crock (60), Myles Johnson (68) and Andrew McKenzie (20) block at the snap in the Quakers' 49-12 win in the DIAA Class 2A state tournament quarterfinals at Abessinio Stadium, Friday, Nov. 25, 2022.
Wilmington Friends' Philip Crock (60), Myles Johnson (68) and Andrew McKenzie (20) block at the snap in the Quakers' 49-12 win in the DIAA Class 2A state tournament quarterfinals at Abessinio Stadium, Friday, Nov. 25, 2022.

KEY NEWCOMERS: LB Myles Johnson, sr.; RB-CB Steven Morris, sr.; WR-DB Jaxon Black, sr.; TE-LB Avery Gaines, sr.; C-DT Drew Huneycutt, sr.; G-DB Mitchell Brenner, sr.; WR-DB Josh Ballou, sr.; WR-QB-FS Eamonn Grubb, jr.; QB-WR Ryan Tattersall, jr.; TE-LB Braeden Pantano, jr.; RB-LB Hayden Morrison, jr.; OT-DT Antonios Tangalidis, jr.; OT-DT Logan Scott, jr.; OT-DT Brandon Jones, jr.

OUTLOOK: The Quakers put it all together last year. This team may not be quite that good, but don’t expect a major step back. Friends is always a contender in 2A, and plenty of players with championship experience are still around.

3. Archmere Auks

COACH: John Bellace.

LAST YEAR: 9-3, lost in Class 2A semifinals.

RETURNING STARTERS: OL-DL Jack Dellose, sr.; RB-LB-P-K Cole Fenice, sr.; TE-LB P.J. Blessington, sr.; TE-LB Brendan Burke, sr.; WR-QB-DB Drew Duncan, sr.; SB-QB-DB Miles Kempski, sr.; WR-DB Gavin Lee, sr.; OL-DL Jack Chesman, jr.; RB-DB Ryan Hagenberg, so.; OL-DL Josh Cox, so.

Archmere's Cole Fenice runs the ball in the third quarter of Caravel's 30-6 win in the semifinals of the DIAA Class 2A state tournament Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 at Bob Peoples Stadium,
Archmere's Cole Fenice runs the ball in the third quarter of Caravel's 30-6 win in the semifinals of the DIAA Class 2A state tournament Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 at Bob Peoples Stadium,

KEY NEWCOMERS:  OL-LB Connor Victoria, sr.; OL-DL Jack Bell, sr.;  OL-LB Paul Andrisani, sr.; SB-DB Liam Danner, sr.; OL-DL Cullen Peterson, jr.; RB-DB Jack Bradley, jr.; RB-LB Jack Melvin, jr.; RB-LB Christian Wittmeyer, jr.

OUTLOOK: Replacing do-it-all quarterback Chris Albero will be a major task, but that’s part of high school football. The Auks have been consistently good the last few years, and that is expected to continue.

4. Odessa Ducks

COACH: Dan Pritchard.

LAST YEAR: 5-6, lost in first round of Class 1A playoffs.

RETURNING STARTERS: LT Nate Devonshire, sr.; LG-DT Phil Kamara, sr.; C-DT Bruce Macolley, sr.; RG Xavier Braxton, sr.; RT Jeremiah Green, sr.; QB J.C. Alley, sr.; WR-CB Jalen Lingham, sr.; TE-LB Dave Johnston, sr.; RB-CB Chase Belin, jr.; WR Kasai Truitt, jr.; RB-DE A'Hzir Bellamy, sr.; LB Isaiah Melton, so.; DE Brenden Thomas, jr.; LB R.J. Carter, sr.

Isaiah Melton returns a kickoff for Odessa.
Isaiah Melton returns a kickoff for Odessa.

KEY NEWCOMERS:  S-RB, Darryl Turner, jr.; LB Logan Bosco, jr.; OL Jake Macolley, so.; OL Xavier Phares, so.; DE Johnny Waylee, so.

OUTLOOK: The Ducks have everybody back, because this is the 4-year-old school’s first year with seniors. The schedule gets much tougher with the move up to 2A, but Odessa will have one of the largest rosters in the middle class and should be competitive.

5. Tower Hill Hillers

COACH: Kevin Waesco.

LAST YEAR: 5-5, lost in first round of Class 2A playoffs.

RETURNING STARTERS: OL-LB Nicholas Brady, sr.; OL Keelan Donnelly, sr.; DL Justin Solacoff, sr.; OL-DL Brian Adderley, jr.; QB Michael Waesco, so.

Tower Hill Hillers quarterback Michael Waesco (10) prepares to throw a pass against Howard Vo-Tech Wildcats during the high school football game at Tower Hill DeGroat Field, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Howard won 40-6.
Tower Hill Hillers quarterback Michael Waesco (10) prepares to throw a pass against Howard Vo-Tech Wildcats during the high school football game at Tower Hill DeGroat Field, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Howard won 40-6.

KEY NEWCOMERS: DB-WR Harry Jones, sr.; DB-WR Ethan Malone, sr.; OL-DL Owen Morris, sr.; OL-DL Nate Zehner, sr.; RB-LB Chase Bordley, jr.; WR-DB Davitt Fox, jr.; RB-LB Shane Pierce, jr.; RB-DB Aiden Pratt, jr.; WR-DB Kevin Coleman, so.; OL-DL Blake Erkenbrecher, so.; OL-DL Henry Gardner, so.; OL-DL William Holt, so.; WR-DB Alex Hudson, so.; WR-DB Mason Kator, so.; RB-DB Christian Martin, so.; OL-DL Elam Muscelli, so.

OUTLOOK: The Hillers return fewer starters than most of their opponents, and that may make for a difficult season in what may be the state’s most competitive district from top to bottom.

6. Mount Pleasant Green Knights

COACH: Jeff Allen.

LAST YEAR: 4-5.

RETURNING STARTERS: K-WR-DB Stephen Clark, sr.; OL-DL LaShawn Brown, jr.; OL-DL Kevin Williams, jr.

Mount Pleasant's LaShawn Brown protects the quarterback in the fourth quarter of the Green Knights' 34-0 win at Mount Pleasant High School, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.
Mount Pleasant's LaShawn Brown protects the quarterback in the fourth quarter of the Green Knights' 34-0 win at Mount Pleasant High School, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.

KEY NEWCOMERS: QB Cameron Wright, jr.; RB Jayden Smith, so.; LB-WR Connor Lowey, so.

OUTLOOK: Allen replaces Randy Holmes, who retired after 25 years at the helm. The Green Knights have a lot of holes to fill and may be in for a tough time against a very difficult district schedule.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware high school football: Howard tops District 2A-2 preview