Dover flips the script on Smyrna, tops Week 7 Delaware high school football roundup

SMYRNA – The hurdles keep getting higher, and the Dover football team keeps clearing them.

John Parker rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns as the Senators improved to 7-0 with an 18-14 victory over Smyrna on Friday night.

Heavy rain pelted Charles V. Williams Stadium throughout the fourth quarter and after the game, but the Senators didn’t seem to mind. The win was sweet revenge after Smyrna swamped Dover 52-7 in last year’s DIAA Class 3A championship game.

“We’ve been waiting for this game all season, ever since they beat us,” Parker said. “But they didn’t beat us this time.”

The Eagles (2-5, 1-1 District 3A-2) took an 8-0 lead on Kahmaj Kearney’s 9-yard run and two-point conversion early in the second quarter. Dover pulled within 8-6 at halftime on Parker’s 1-yard plunge.

Then the Senators (2-0 3A-2) took their first lead at 12-8 on quarterback Nahseem Cosme’s 1-yard sneak midway through the third quarter.

Smyrna answered with a trick play, as quarterback Jacob Tiberi threw a quick pass to Kearney behind the line of scrimmage and the receiver lofted a bomb to a wide-open Andre Ashley for a 67-yard score.

But Dover took the lead for good just two plays later, as Parker spun out of the grasp of a defender and hit a seam down the right side for a 58-yard touchdown.

“I just saw the gap open up a little late, so I had to hit it, do it for my team and try and get the win,” Parker said.

Kearney finished with six carries for 52 yards and three catches for 55 yards for Smyrna. Phoenix Henriquez added three catches for 70 yards.

Salesianum 47, Appoquinimink 14

MIDDLETOWN – B.J. Alleyne rushed for 128 yards and three scores and Billy Neumann caught a pair of touchdown passes as the Sals (6-1, 2-0 District 3A-1) romped past the Jaguars (4-3, 1-1).

Sallies scored 24 points in the second quarter to rally from an early deficit. Neumann gave the Sals the lead for good on a 56-yard reception from quarterback Brady McBride with 11:21 left in the second quarter. McBride finished 16-of-28 for 212 yards.

Neumann caught another touchdown on the next drive off a trick play, as Alleyne received a toss to the outside, pulled up and threw to Neumann for a 53-yard score.

Colin Madarik recorded two field goals, from 38 and 26 yards, for Salesianum. R.J. Johnson returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown.

Noah Hoff, on a 64-yard touchdown throw from Blake Caccamo, and Ja’den Glover, on a 1-yard rush, provided the scoring for Appoquimink.

Brandywine 14, Seaford 7 (OT)

BRANDYWINE HUNDRED – The Bulldogs (5-2, 4-0 District 1A-2), ranked No. 1 in Class 1A, got a touchdown run by Crisdon Wright and a defensive stop in overtime to outlast the Blue Jays (3-4, 2-2).

Brandywine got the ball first in overtime. On the second play, Wright sneaked in from 1 yards out for the go-ahead touchdown.

Ian Cleghorn’s extra point made it 14-7, and a roughing-the-kicker penalty forced the Blue Jays to start their overtime possession at the 25 instead of the 10.

Brandywine’s Anthony Drummond knocked the ball out of a receiver’s hand in the end zone on third down, and Seaford’s fourth-down pass was caught short of the goal line.

Middletown 35, William Penn 13

MIDDLETOWN – Austin Troyer passed for four touchdowns as the Cavaliers (6-1, 2-0 District 3A-1), ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, pulled away in the second half against the Colonials (3-4, 0-2).

Amare Glover opened the scoring for Middletown with a 1-yard run. William Penn answered with Josiah Everett’s 43-yard touchdown pass to Mark Moore.

The Cavaliers responded with Troyer’s 44-yard strike to Ronnell Davis, only to see Everett pull the Colonials within 14-13 on a 79-yard pass to Mason Lowman.

But Middletown had another long play up its sleeve, as B.J. Garrett went 74 yards with a Troyer pass to make it 21-13 at halftime.

Then the Cavaliers kept it going in the second half, as Troyer hit Matt Priestley for a 20-yard score and Darius Pope for a 22-yard TD.

Hodgson 30, Saint Mark’s 15

MILLTOWN – Brysheem Davis was part of touchdowns in three different ways as the Silver Eagles (5-2, 1-1 District 3A-1) built a big halftime lead and cruised past the Spartans (3-4, 0-2).

Mark Nelson opened the scoring for Hodgson with a 6-yard run. Then Davis returned an interception for a 45-yard score and ran in another from the 6 for an 18-0 lead.

James Campbell got Saint Mark’s on the board with a 15-yard strike to Logan Klein, only to see Hodgson QB Xavier Brown answer with a 21-yard TD pass to Char-Ronn Smith.

In the second half, Davis threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Marlon Sparks and Klein scored his second TD for the Spartans on a 5-yard pass from Aidan Lehane.

Howard 30, Odessa 25

WILMINGTON – The Wildcats (5-2, 2-0 District 2A-2) built a three-touchdown lead early, then found a way to hold off the Ducks (2-5, 0-2).

R.J. Matthews hit Robert Kelly for a 5-yard TD and Desai Drummong for a 7-yard score. Then fullback Xavier Grier got his first score of a season for a 22-0 lead.

But Odessa pulled within 22-19 early in the fourth quarter, as Ahzir Bellamy scored from the 2, the Ducks kicked a 26-yard field goal and Chase Belin punched one in from the 3.

Then freshman Suhayl Benson forced a fumble and returned it 39 yards for the decisive Howard touchdown. The Ducks pulled closer on a 29-yard pass from JC Alley to Jalen Lingham, but couldn’t take the lead.

Matthews passed for 115 yards and rushed seven times for 60 yards for the Wildcats.

Charter of Wilmington 7, Delcastle 0

BELVEDERE – Brady Harach scored the only touchdown on a 5-yard run in the third quarter, and the Force (6-1) defense earned its fifth consecutive shutout to edge the Cougars (1-6) in the first night game ever played at Delcastle.

Archmere 44, Tower Hill 6

WILMINGTON – Miles Kempski passed for 189 yards and four touchdowns as the Auks (4-3, 2-0 District 2A-2) dominated the Hillers (4-3, 1-1).

Kempski’s scoring strikes covered 16 yards to Cole Fenice, 18 yards to Brendan Burke, 32 yards to Drew Duncan and 79 yards to Gavin Lee.

Fenice also kicked a 25-yard field goal and scored on runs of 3 and 4 yards. The senior rushed for 131 yards on 16 carries, and also had a sack on defense.

Kempski also rushed nine times for 69 yards, and P.J. Blessington led the Archmere defense with nine tackles and two defensed passes.

Tower Hill’s only TD came on a 1-yard run by Christian Martin.

Saturday’s games

Caravel 49, Newark 8

NEWARK – The Buccaneers (7-0, 2-0 District 2A-1) scored four touchdowns in the first eight minutes on the way to an easy win over the Yellowjackets (3-4, 1-1).

Vandrick Hamlin started the Caravel parade with a 17-yard TD reception from Truman Auwerda and a 20-yard score on a reverse.

Then Jordan Miller ran for a 14-yard touchdown and Auwerda hit Hamlin for an 83-yard bomb to make it 28-0.

Miller scored another from the 4, but Newark answered as Byron Reeves recovered a fumble in the end zone.

Auwerda hit Hamlin with an 8-yard scoring pass on the final play of the first half, then threw to big tight end Ira Yates for a 31-yard TD in the third quarter.

Hamlin finished with five receptions for 128 yards, and 167 yards of total offense. Auwerda completed 14 of 18 passes for 211 yards, and Miller rushed 15 times for 111 yards.

Makeevis Rogers passed for 148 yards for Newark, with Keyon Black catching two for 93 yards.

Polytech 30, Conrad 24

WILMINGTON – Isaac Balcerak scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 6-yard scramble with 1:10 to play, and the Panthers (6-1, 3-1 District 1A-2) defended three passes into the end zone in the final minute to hold off the Red Wolves (2-5, 1-3).

Academy of New Church (Pa.) 36, St. Andrew’s 12

MIDDLETOWN – Ray Quinones scored on a 52-yard run and Spencer Fairbanks punched one in from the 1, but it wasn’t enough as the Saints (2-5) lost to the Lions (6-1).

Quinones finished with 12 carries for 114 yards. Yasir Felton caught nine passes for 102 yards for St. Andrew’s, and Fairbanks had 10 tackles.

Thursday’s games

Delaware Military Academy 45, Concord 6

WILMINGTON – Odell Teel provided an early touchdown run and pass, and the Seahawks’ (4-4, 1-1 District 2A-1) defense and special teams took it from there in an easy win over the Raiders (1-6, 0-2).

Teel scored on a 23-yard run and threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Davar Rice-Jackson. Then backup quarterback Ethan Brantley found Malcolm Roy for a 9-yard TD to make it 18-0 at the half.

In the third quarter, senior linebacker Jordan Holden scored his first career touchdown for DMA, blocking a punt and recovering the ball in the end zone.

Roy returned a fumble 86 yards for a touchdown, and Saalem Frink added two scores – on a 67-yard run and 60-yard fumble return.

Concord’s only score came on the final play of the game, a 31-yard pass from Jack Pope to James Skinner.

Red Lion Christian 35, Mount Pleasant 19

RED LION – Evan Budinger passed for 237 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third score as the Lions (5-2) easily handled the Green Knights (2-5).

Budinger opened the scoring with a 5-yard run, threw connected with Jahsiear Rogers for TD passes of 55 and 38 yards.

Red Lion Christian also scored on a 24-yard interception return by Judah Barber and a 1-yard run by Geovanni Ramirez.

Freshman Mekhi Corbin rushed for 83 yards for the Lions.

Other scores

Indian River 49, Early College HS@DSU 12

Dickinson 21, McKean 12

Cape Henlopen 35, Caesar Rodney 0

Milford 15, Laurel 6

Sussex Central 14, St. Georges 7

St. Elizabeth 46, Christiana 12

Tatnall 55, A.I. du Pont 0

Wilmington Friends 28, Woodbridge 12

Delmar 27, Sussex Tech 13

Tim Mastro and Kevin Phillips contributed to this article.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on X (aka Twitter): @BradMyersTNJ

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: John Parker leads Dover past Smyrna, tops Delaware HS football roundup