More than Fridays: Picking the best Saturday games in Delaware high school football

High school football in Delaware is a little different.

It’s all about Friday night lights in many states. Almost every game, especially across the South, starts at 7 or 7:30 p.m. on that final day of the work week.

But in the First State, we mix it up. Friday night games are certainly plentiful, but in Delaware, almost 40% of the high school football games are played on Saturdays.

Why? Because several schools don’t have lighted stadiums, making Saturday morning or afternoon kickoffs the best option. And some teams play home games on fields used by more than one team, pushing some games to Saturdays.

The extended schedule gives the state’s most dedicated fans a chance to watch two or even three games in a weekend — and there is no such thing as too much high school football.

THE NIGHT BEFORE High School Football 2023: The best Friday night games in Delaware this fall

So you can’t make week-to-week picks of the best Friday night games without doing the same for the following day.

Here are some Saturday matchups that will catch your attention this fall:

Sept. 9: St. Elizabeth at Archmere, 11 a.m.

These teams haven’t met since 2020, so it’s good to see this rivalry resuming.

The Auks have had the best of it lately, as the Vikings haven’t beaten Archmere since 2012. But several of those games have been close, and St. Elizabeth has renewed confidence after reaching the first two DIAA Class 1A championship games.

Sept. 16: Hodgson at St. Georges, noon

These vo-tech rivals used to play some of the best games in Division II.

Now, both have moved up to Class 3A — the highest level of Delaware high school football. And while they have been split into different districts this season, that won’t lower the intensity by one iota.

Sept. 23: Archmere at Newark, 11 a.m.

Two teams that expect to contend for Class 2A playoff spots meet in a game that could show how competitive both could be.

The Yellowjackets have a dynamic new quarterback in Makeevis Rogers, who transferred from McKean. The Auks will be replacing three-year starter Chris Albero, but Archmere always seems to find a capable QB.

Sept. 30: Howard at Lake Forest, 11:30 a.m.

The Spartans typically play home games on Friday nights, with state-of-the-art lighting and a fresh artificial turf field.

But this will be homecoming, so Lake Forest — a potential Class 2A title contender — will tee it up on a Saturday morning against one of the best in 2A.

With two of the state’s most experienced QBs leading their teams — the Spartans’ Jonathan Tyndall and Wildcats’ R.J. Matthews — points should be plentiful.

Oct. 7: Howard at Wilmington Friends, 2

It doesn’t get any easier for the Wildcats the following Saturday.

In fact, it may be tougher. The Quakers are the defending 2A state champions, and the winner of this one should be in a strong position to go on to the District 2A-2 title.

Oct. 14: Charter of Wilmington at St. Elizabeth (Abessinio Stadium), 11 a.m.

Both teams have benefitted from the move down to Class 1A, with St. E reaching the first two state championship games and Charter earning the first home playoff game in school history last year.

This one could decide the District 1A-1 championship, and while the Vikings throttled the Force 48-10 last year, Charter may be the more experienced team this season.

Oct. 21: Sussex Tech at Delmar, 1:30

Saturday football in Delmar?

The Wildcats do it once a year, for homecoming at Francis E. Nunvar Stadium.

But this will be far from a guaranteed win for the home team. Sussex Tech will be hungry to make a move in what appears to be a wide-open District 2A-3 race, and the winner of this one could take a big step toward the playoffs.

Oct. 28: Appoquinimink at Hodgson (at Caravel), 11 a.m.

The Silver Eagles are playing all of their games on the road this year while a new school is constructed where their football stadium once stood.

But that stadium didn’t have lights, so Hodgson is used to Saturday morning kickoffs. Appoquinimink is not, and the Jaguars — led by All-State running back Daniel McConomy — will need to be at their best to win this one and advance in the District 3A-1 race.

Nov. 4: Tower Hill at Wilmington Friends, 2

It’s Tower Hill vs. Friends. Nothing more needs to be said.

But we’ll say a little more anyway. These District 2A-2 rivals go way back, with alumni of both schools still discussing what happened in the 2003 game, or the 1983 game, or the 1963 game.

Nov. 11: Cape Henlopen at St. Georges, noon

It would be nice if some playoff spots are still on the line going into the final day of the regular season, and this one could turn out to be an elimination game in District 3A-2.

The Vikings will be looking to take a big step forward under second-year coach Mike Frederick. The Hawks should be at their best after retooling a veteran team that reached the 3A semifinals last year.

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

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware high school football: Best Saturday games in 2023