Ground and pound: Devastating running attack sends Caravel past Archmere in 2A football final

NEWARK – The Caravel offensive line pounded on Archmere’s door throughout the first half.

Early in the third quarter, the Buccaneers broke it down and rushed through.

Two long touchdown runs gave Caravel all the momentum, and the Bucs rode it to a 35-13 victory over the Auks in the championship game of the DIAA Class 2A Football Tournament on Saturday at Delaware Stadium.

“Archmere is a tough team, but we were able to wear them down a little bit,” said Caravel’s Craig Miller, who rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns. “At first, it started off tough. But once it started going, we started wearing them down.”

Linemen Priest Jones, Owen Kemether, Dwight Williams, Alex Hall and Zavion Tuck – bookended by tight ends Brock Rhoades and Bryce McKinnon – paved the way for an overwhelming ground assault that produced 414 yards.

That included 31 carries for 215 yards and two more scores from Jordan Miller, who isn’t related to Craig Miller but formed a devastating pair all season as the top-seeded Bucs finished 13-0.

“Really, I’ve just got to make sure I don’t get caught,” Jordan Miller said. “I’ve just got to run. They make a way for me, whether it’s going left or right. … We’ve got no weak spot on the line, so it makes my job easy.”

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The second-seeded Auks (9-4) matched Caravel’s push through the first half, with Craig Miller’s 52-yard burst up the middle sending the Bucs into halftime ahead 7-0. Archmere avoided further damage when Miles Kempski intercepted a pass in the end zone with 10 seconds left.

But the second half was a different story.

Jordan Miller carried for 11 yards on Caravel’s first play, then sprinted for a 49-yard TD on the next play.

The Bucs’ defense forced a punt, and Jordan Miller rushed for 5 yards. Then Craig Miller broke a 62-yard scoring run to make it 21-0 with 8:59 left in the third quarter.

“With us blocking up front and the Millers in the backfield, no one can stop us,” Hall said. “We’re the best team in the state.”

Archmere pulled within 21-7 on Kempski’s 31-yard strike to Gavin Lee. Caravel quickly answered with a 34-yard score on an end around by receiver Trey Hamlin, who watched Tuck deliver the decisive blow.

“I was following him,” Hamlin said. “He made the key block. I cut off of him and the lane was open.”

The Auks got another TD on Kempski’s 11-yard toss to Drew Duncan, only to see the Bucs counter with a 24-yard burst by Jordan Miller for the final touchdown.

Kempski completed 12 of 24 passes for 140 yards, with Lee catching five for 64 yards and Duncan pulling in four for 42 yards. Christian Wittmeyer gained 33 yards on four carries for Archmere.

Caravel passed for just 7 yards, but it hardly mattered as the Bucs ran to their first state football championship since 2012.

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

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Caravel runs past Archmere for DIAA Class 2A football title