Cape football falls to Sallies in quarterfinals
The Cape football team fought hard until the end but came up short, falling 31-12 to Salesianum Nov. 14 in the Class 3A quarterfinals at Abessinio Stadium in Wilmington.
It took falling behind by 24 points before the Vikings returned to the style of play that got them to the quarterfinals in the first place. With renewed energy, Cape scored 12 straight points and forced the third-seeded Sals to realize the sixth-seed Vikings wouldn’t go down easily.
Dell Richards put Cape on the scoreboard in the second quarter with a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jameson Tingle. Richards snagged five passes for 97 yards, including a 46-yard reception during Cape’s big quarter.
“I’ve been playing Sallies for four years now,” said Richards. “I wanted the young players to know that we could be on the same page against them. I wanted to come out and lead the fight to win. I’m just glad to leave that field knowing all of my teammates gave it their all, and even the guys on the sidelines were cheering us on and giving us motivation.”
Ty Handy added a three-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 24-12.
“I feel like we seniors decided we couldn’t let our last game go by without putting up a fight,” Handy said. “I know we lost, and it sucks, but I’m proud of my team, and I wouldn’t trade these last four years for anything.”
Cape junior quarterback Jameson Tingle went 13-for-21 for 136 yards and a touchdown.
“We are proud of how our team battled after a poor start,” said Cape head coach Chip Knapp. “We had to adjust to the athleticism and quickness of their front seven and find different ways to move the ball. Our inability to run the ball made it difficult to punch it in on that critical second drive in the third quarter.”
“It hurts right now, honestly,” said senior Navin Duffy. “But God has a plan for us and we will move forward. The guys coming back will do great things. I’m proud of the way we fought back tonight and didn’t give up.”
Cape’s defense swarmed the Sals throughout all four quarters.
“Our defense showed a lot of grit and resilience, coming together to continue playing hard when things were not going our way,” said defensive backs coach Ben Ashby. “We kept fighting and scratching to get back into the game.”
“Even though the game didn’t end how we wanted, we’re definitely proud of the fight we gave,” said senior captain Liam Ramsey. “That was a theme this season, not giving up when we were down. As a senior, that’s exactly the quality I hoped for in this team.”
“Once we settled in and played our game, we proved we belonged on that field in the second quarter,” said senior linebacker/center Robbie Payton. “We kept pushing in the third and came up just short. One touchdown there would’ve changed everything. Honestly, if we played them again, I believe it would be a completely different game.”
Sophomore EJ Cotton led the Sallies with 19 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
The Vikings finish the season at 6-5 overall.
Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs.
