So after a 50-minute delay due to lightning in the area, Delaware and Delaware State came back out and played the second half in a monsoon of a rain storm. I feel for my comrade Nick Roth down there taking pictures while I type this to you in the dry confines of the press box.
I must give props to the UD fans that stuck this one out and didn’t make the second half of this one an Empty Arena Match. Alas, the poor DSU band travelled all the way up here, barely got a minute into their performance and then had to leave the field after the game was delayed.
It seems like the rain sucked a lot of the juice out the players as the second half did not have quite the same intensity.
Delaware State continued to be effective moving the ball but still had trouble translating that into points. Quarterback Nick Elko had one of the better games I’ve seen him play – he was accurate and nimble within the pocket – but he made one questionable throw early in the 3rd quarter that where his pass went right to UD’s Tim Breaker. Looked like miscommunication between Elko and Travis Tarpley where Tarpley broke off the route and Elko thought he was going to keep running.
For UD the standout, and game MVP, was linebacker Paul Worrilow, who racked up 16 tackles. It was not an easy game to pick an MVP because no one on the UD offense really stood out, unlike last year when Tim Donnelly shredded the DSU defense.
Delaware did do a good job late in the game running down the clock. DSU did a much better job against Andrew Pierce this year, but the defense ran out of gas stopping him at the end. Trent Hurley hit a late touchdown pass to Jerel Harrison to put a little more distance, with Hurley taking another big lick from DSU’s Olusegon Ayanbiola. Delaware coach K.C. Keeler will not like how much Hurley got hit in this game.
So another First State Cup goes to UD in a 38-14 win, albeit in tougher fashion this time. For Keeler, I would think he would find a lot he’ll want his team to work on because despite the 24-point win. It wasn’t the most impressive performance by the Hens.
For DSU coach Kermit Blount, there was a lot to like even though it was a loss. His team played physical and competed hard against a better team. They racked up over 350 yards of offense but couldn't cash in on their red-zone chance. It’s a performance to build on as the Hornets head into the MEAC schedule.
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Ryan Mavity has been a reporter with the Cape Gazette since February 2007. He covers the town of Milton and the courts. Ryan lives in Milford with his wife, Rachel, son, Alex, and daughter, Jane.
Contact Ryan at ryanm@capegazette.com.
