The 2025 Sussex Academy boys’ soccer seniors are (l-r) Jesse Jean-Louis, Austin Taylor, Chase Ballinger, George Sapna, Noah Benz, Liam Stegall, Ben Steimel and Ruendi Ortiz-Santos. AARON R. MUSHRUSH PHOTOS
Seahawks senior Liam Stegall passes the ball at midfield.
Sussex Academy seniors Ben Steimel, left, and Ruendi Ortiz-Santos close in on Caesar Rodney junior Allison Hogking.
Seahawks freshman Alex Horner tries to turn the corner.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna chases down a ball in the box.
Seahawks freshman Alex Horner passes along the border.
Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel gives the ball a ride.
Seahawks junior Carson Klahr keeps the transfer going.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna passes the ball in the corner.
Seahawks junior Brandon Jaimes jumps up for a header.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna shields the ball from Caesar Rodney senior Axel Jackson.
Seahawks senior George Sapna fires in the equalizer.
Sussex Academy seniors Chase Ballinger, left, and Liam Stegall celebrate George Sapna, center, tying the game.
Seahawks senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos rolls the ball.
Sussex Academy senior Austin Taylor boots the ball.
Seahawks senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos looks up for options.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna meets Daniel Marte head-on.
Caesar Rodney keeper Logan Simmons cuts down the angle for a save.
Sussex Academy senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos battles with Edualy Simon for a bouncer.
Seahawks sophomore Bodhi Williams passes the ball upfield.
Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger jostles with Edualy Simon for the ball.
Seahawks senior George Sapna athletically knocks the ball of Ethan Swearingen for a Sussex Academy throw-in.
Sussex Academy sophomore Bodhi Williams gives Ruendi Ortiz-Santos a head start.
Caesar Rodney keeper Logan Simmons catches a shot for a save.
Seahawks senior Chase Ballinger and Riders junior Allison Hogking watch the descent of the ball.
Sussex Academy keeper Austin Taylor absorbed some contact on a 50/50 ball.
Seahawks sophomore Bodhi Williams keeps his head in the game.
Sussex Academy senior Jesse Jean-Louis carries the ball.
Seahawks senior Chase Ballinger tries to get past Braxton Faircloth.
Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger flies down the flank.
Seahawks senior Chase Ballinger walked with his mom Christy, dad Jeff and sister Paige.
Sussex Academy senior Noah Benz was joined by his dad Nick, mom Fran and brother Leo.
Seahawks senior Jesse Jean-Louise was escorted by his dad Phillipe, mom Keturah, brother Jovan and sister Josee.
Leonel Ortiz and Margarita Santos made their way across the turf with Sussex Academy senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos.
Seahawks senior Austin Taylor walked with Kynia and Tom Taylor.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna’s entourage included Justina Thomas, Jared Armiger and George and Bella Sapna.
Seahawks senior Liam Stegall had Morin, Donny, Aidan and Talia Stegall walking with him.
Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel trekked across the turf with Desiree and Jacon Steimel.
Head of School Kyle Bentley shook hands with the seniors and their families and is a fixture on Sussex Academy sidelines and in the bleachers.
The players and their support system have led the Sussex Academy boys’ soccer team to unprecedented heights.
The 2025 Sussex Academy boys’ soccer seniors are (l-r) Jesse Jean-Louis, Austin Taylor, Chase Ballinger, George Sapna, Noah Benz, Liam Stegall, Ben Steimel and Ruendi Ortiz-Santos. AARON R. MUSHRUSH PHOTOS
Seahawks senior Liam Stegall passes the ball at midfield.
Sussex Academy seniors Ben Steimel, left, and Ruendi Ortiz-Santos close in on Caesar Rodney junior Allison Hogking.
Seahawks freshman Alex Horner tries to turn the corner.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna chases down a ball in the box.
Seahawks freshman Alex Horner passes along the border.
Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel gives the ball a ride.
Seahawks junior Carson Klahr keeps the transfer going.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna passes the ball in the corner.
Seahawks junior Brandon Jaimes jumps up for a header.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna shields the ball from Caesar Rodney senior Axel Jackson.
Seahawks senior George Sapna fires in the equalizer.
Sussex Academy seniors Chase Ballinger, left, and Liam Stegall celebrate George Sapna, center, tying the game.
Seahawks senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos rolls the ball.
Sussex Academy senior Austin Taylor boots the ball.
Seahawks senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos looks up for options.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna meets Daniel Marte head-on.
Caesar Rodney keeper Logan Simmons cuts down the angle for a save.
Sussex Academy senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos battles with Edualy Simon for a bouncer.
Seahawks sophomore Bodhi Williams passes the ball upfield.
Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger jostles with Edualy Simon for the ball.
Seahawks senior George Sapna athletically knocks the ball of Ethan Swearingen for a Sussex Academy throw-in.
Sussex Academy sophomore Bodhi Williams gives Ruendi Ortiz-Santos a head start.
Caesar Rodney keeper Logan Simmons catches a shot for a save.
Seahawks senior Chase Ballinger and Riders junior Allison Hogking watch the descent of the ball.
Sussex Academy keeper Austin Taylor absorbed some contact on a 50/50 ball.
Seahawks sophomore Bodhi Williams keeps his head in the game.
Sussex Academy senior Jesse Jean-Louis carries the ball.
Seahawks senior Chase Ballinger tries to get past Braxton Faircloth.
Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger flies down the flank.
Seahawks senior Chase Ballinger walked with his mom Christy, dad Jeff and sister Paige.
Sussex Academy senior Noah Benz was joined by his dad Nick, mom Fran and brother Leo.
Seahawks senior Jesse Jean-Louise was escorted by his dad Phillipe, mom Keturah, brother Jovan and sister Josee.
Leonel Ortiz and Margarita Santos made their way across the turf with Sussex Academy senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos.
Seahawks senior Austin Taylor walked with Kynia and Tom Taylor.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna’s entourage included Justina Thomas, Jared Armiger and George and Bella Sapna.
Seahawks senior Liam Stegall had Morin, Donny, Aidan and Talia Stegall walking with him.
Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel trekked across the turf with Desiree and Jacon Steimel.
Head of School Kyle Bentley shook hands with the seniors and their families and is a fixture on Sussex Academy sidelines and in the bleachers.
The players and their support system have led the Sussex Academy boys’ soccer team to unprecedented heights.The Sussex Academy boys' soccer team did something it hasn’t done since 2023 on Senior Night Oct. 23 – lose a game to a Henlopen Conference opponent at home.
Caesar Rodney, the reigning Division I champion, rode past Sussex Academy, the reigning Division II champion, 2-1 in double overtime to crash the senior celebration.
“Any conference rival or a top team playing a top team, you know these guys are gonna treat it like a playoff game and take it seriously,” said Sussex Academy coach R.J. Dina. “There's a lot at stake in terms of seeding and those kinds of things. It's Senior Night. A lot of pressure on the boys playing at home. We've never not been up for the task.”
CR senior Jamal Richards opened up the scoring in the early minutes of the first half, finding himself wide open in front of the goal 20 yards out and striking a ball just beyond the fingertips of Austin Taylor. It would be the only goal the senior conceded in regulation of the high-stakes affair.
The Seahawks bounced back. Sussex Academy senior George Sapna’s assertion in the box confounded Caesar Rodney and the senior knotted the game at 1-1. The Seahawks, however, were dealing with issues beyond the scoreboard. Defensive stalwart Ben Steimel left the game, creating a void in leadership and toughness. Steimel’s classmate Liam Stegall was handed a critical yellow in the first half too.
“When one of your senior captains, who’s played every minute of his entire career, goes down, we need to show a little more grit,” Dina said. “We were a little shell-shocked when we pulled Liam off, with a bigger game Wednesday [against Indian River]. We never got back into a rhythm after that, and then Ben goes down right away and you lose two guys that really are the plugs in the middle of the field, your energy, your communication and leadership.”
It looked like Sussex Academy was going to take the lead on a few occasions, but the game appeared predestined to leak over the 80 minutes of regulation. In the first overtime, senior Chase Ballinger sent a ball rolling across the six-yard box, but no one was home to answer.
The visitors wasted no time in the second overtime attacking the Sussex Academy net, and Owen Zura played a beautiful ball to a streaking Richards, who timed his run perfectly en route to burying the game-winner.
Caesar Rodney secured its second win in a row against the back-to-back Division II champions, but Dina is confident it was a matter of things breaking the other way in the 2025 game.
“We can win any game that we play,” Dina said. “Things go wrong, and it doesn't always work out that way, but I'm confident enough in this group that if they step out onto the field they can win any game that they play.”
A regular-season loss doesn’t overshadow the tremendous success the Class of 2026 has had as members of the Sussex Academy boys’ soccer program.
“This senior class is the one that we started with, and in their freshman year, we kind of committed to each other,” Dina said. “In the past, eighth- and ninth-graders are leaving this school going somewhere else. This is the group that committed to me as the coach and I committed to them in development, and that's a special group. In their four years, they won 52 games – that's unprecedented. We’re a program now that on average wins 13 games a year. That's something special, and it's a special group to me.”
The Seahawks close out the regular season at 5:45 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 29, at Indian River.
The 2025 Sussex Academy boys’ soccer seniors are (l-r) Jesse Jean-Louis, Austin Taylor, Chase Ballinger, George Sapna, Noah Benz, Liam Stegall, Ben Steimel and Ruendi Ortiz-Santos. AARON R. MUSHRUSH PHOTOS
Seahawks senior Liam Stegall passes the ball at midfield.
Sussex Academy seniors Ben Steimel, left, and Ruendi Ortiz-Santos close in on Caesar Rodney junior Allison Hogking.
Seahawks freshman Alex Horner tries to turn the corner.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna chases down a ball in the box.
Seahawks freshman Alex Horner passes along the border.
Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel gives the ball a ride.
Seahawks junior Carson Klahr keeps the transfer going.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna passes the ball in the corner.
Seahawks junior Brandon Jaimes jumps up for a header.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna shields the ball from Caesar Rodney senior Axel Jackson.
Seahawks senior George Sapna fires in the equalizer.
Sussex Academy seniors Chase Ballinger, left, and Liam Stegall celebrate George Sapna, center, tying the game.
Seahawks senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos rolls the ball.
Sussex Academy senior Austin Taylor boots the ball.
Seahawks senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos looks up for options.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna meets Daniel Marte head-on.
Caesar Rodney keeper Logan Simmons cuts down the angle for a save.
Sussex Academy senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos battles with Edualy Simon for a bouncer.
Seahawks sophomore Bodhi Williams passes the ball upfield.
Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger jostles with Edualy Simon for the ball.
Seahawks senior George Sapna athletically knocks the ball of Ethan Swearingen for a Sussex Academy throw-in.
Sussex Academy sophomore Bodhi Williams gives Ruendi Ortiz-Santos a head start.
Caesar Rodney keeper Logan Simmons catches a shot for a save.
Seahawks senior Chase Ballinger and Riders junior Allison Hogking watch the descent of the ball.
Sussex Academy keeper Austin Taylor absorbed some contact on a 50/50 ball.
Seahawks sophomore Bodhi Williams keeps his head in the game.
Sussex Academy senior Jesse Jean-Louis carries the ball.
Seahawks senior Chase Ballinger tries to get past Braxton Faircloth.
Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger flies down the flank.
Seahawks senior Chase Ballinger walked with his mom Christy, dad Jeff and sister Paige.
Sussex Academy senior Noah Benz was joined by his dad Nick, mom Fran and brother Leo.
Seahawks senior Jesse Jean-Louise was escorted by his dad Phillipe, mom Keturah, brother Jovan and sister Josee.
Leonel Ortiz and Margarita Santos made their way across the turf with Sussex Academy senior Ruendi Ortiz-Santos.
Seahawks senior Austin Taylor walked with Kynia and Tom Taylor.
Sussex Academy senior George Sapna’s entourage included Justina Thomas, Jared Armiger and George and Bella Sapna.
Seahawks senior Liam Stegall had Morin, Donny, Aidan and Talia Stegall walking with him.
Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel trekked across the turf with Desiree and Jacon Steimel.
Head of School Kyle Bentley shook hands with the seniors and their families and is a fixture on Sussex Academy sidelines and in the bleachers.
The players and their support system have led the Sussex Academy boys’ soccer team to unprecedented heights.



