Seahawks claim third straight Henlopen Conference crown

Sussex Academy boys’ soccer wins rematch of 2024 final 2-0 over Cape

Members of the Sussex Academy boys’ soccer team joyously perform the obligatory trophy raise after winning the Henlopen Conference championship game for the third year in a row with a 2-0 victory over Cape Nov. 1, a rematch of the 2024 final. AARON R. MUSHRUSH PHOTOS

Seahawks freshman Alex Horner passes the ball across midfield.

Cape junior Seth Benjamin forces the defense to react after winning a header at midfield.

Sussex Academy senior Austin Taylor grabs the ball amidst a legion of limbs.

Seahawks keeper Austin Taylor punches the ball away from an always-dangerous Cape aerial attack.

Cape senior Brenner Short battles with Seahawks senior Jesse Jean-Louis in the corner.

Cape senior Lee Levis shows off an impressive vertical on this corner.

Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger rounds out his run for the ball near the Cape end line.

Seahawks senior Austin Taylor was dominant in the air during the several corners earned by the Vikings.

Cape junior Austin Tyndall takes control along the boundary.

Sussex Academy captain George Sapna jumps for joy as he makes his way to the student section after opening up the scoring three minutes into the second half.

Seahawks senior George Sapna heads a throw-in back to the sideline.

Seahawks sophomore Bodhi Williams controls the ball in the shadows.

Sussex Academy senior Liam Stegall has been a major factor in the air to close out the season.

Cape junior Austin Tyndall stretches to try to get a foot on Bodhi Williams’ pass.

Vikings senior Liam Stegall does what he does best: control the ball and pace up the middle.

Cape senior Brenner Short rises up to win a corner for the defense.

Sussex Academy senior Austin Taylor reels in another corner.

Seahawks senior Austin Taylor fights to capture a cross.

Sussex Academy senior George Sapna begins to pass the ball.

Cape junior keeper Anton Schierenberg hauls in a corner at the far post.

VIkings senior Lee Levis ponders his options.

Cape junior Keegan McMahon tries to get a ball past Sussex Academy junior Brandon Jaimes.

Vikings senior Will Burke carries into the attacking third.

Cape senior Lawson Whaley flies up for a header.

Vikings freshman Logan Cortijo controls the ball in the corner.

Sussex Academy senior Noah Benz defends Cape freshman Oliver Swier.

Seahawks captain Liam Stegall is stoked after streaking through the Cape defense and unleashing a low laser for the insurance goal.

Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger heads the ball.

Seahawks junior Brandon Jaimes keeps his eye on the prize.

Seahawks senior Austin Taylor gets his hands just above Cape senior Lawson Whaley’s head on a corner.

Cape captain Lawson Whaley and Sussex Academy captain George Sapna test the equal and opposite reaction on this ball.

Seahawks senior George Sapna tries to clear the ball.

Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel gets his foot on the ball just before it reaches the goal line.

Cape seniors Lawson Whaley, left, and Brenner Short are a handful in the box.

Sussex Academy junior Carson Klahr wins a header.

Cape senior Lee Levis shakes hands with Sussex Academy coach R.J. Dina as he, Lawson Whaley and Brenner Short accept their Henlopen North accolades.

Sussex Academy senior George Sapna keeps it quiet as he and Ben Steimel collect the trophy.

The 2025 boys’ soccer Henlopen Champion Sussex Academy Seahawks. Shown in back are (l-r) Tom O’Donnell, Kyle Wheatley, Arturo Salas, Jayden Sanches-Perez, Alex Horner, Marc Williams, Carson Klahr, Leo Benz, Austin Taylor, Jesse Jean-Louis, Ben Steimel, Chase Ballinger, R.J. Dina and Aidan McDade. In middle are Iker Velasquez Velasquez, Brandon Jaimes, Ruendi Ortiz-Santos, Liam Stegall, Noah Benz, George Sapna and Bodhi Williams. In front are Jose Figueroa-Morales, Buddy Zorn, Daniel Mareev, Nico Haskell, Alec Perez-Sanchez, Jayden Velasquez and Benjamin Figueroa-Morales.

Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel played in honor of his late-grandfather, James Steimel and said his assist was in his memory.

Aaron R. Mushrush

November 3, 2025

Event Date:

Sat, 11/01/2025 - 07:45 pm

Seahawks freshman Alex Horner passes the ball across midfield.

Cape junior Seth Benjamin forces the defense to react after winning a header at midfield.

Sussex Academy senior Austin Taylor grabs the ball amidst a legion of limbs.

Seahawks keeper Austin Taylor punches the ball away from an always-dangerous Cape aerial attack.

Cape senior Brenner Short battles with Seahawks senior Jesse Jean-Louis in the corner.

Cape senior Lee Levis shows off an impressive vertical on this corner.

Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger rounds out his run for the ball near the Cape end line.

Seahawks senior Austin Taylor was dominant in the air during the several corners earned by the Vikings.

Cape junior Austin Tyndall takes control along the boundary.

Sussex Academy captain George Sapna jumps for joy as he makes his way to the student section after opening up the scoring three minutes into the second half.

Seahawks senior George Sapna heads a throw-in back to the sideline.

Seahawks sophomore Bodhi Williams controls the ball in the shadows.

Sussex Academy senior Liam Stegall has been a major factor in the air to close out the season.

Cape junior Austin Tyndall stretches to try to get a foot on Bodhi Williams’ pass.

Vikings senior Liam Stegall does what he does best: control the ball and pace up the middle.

Cape senior Brenner Short rises up to win a corner for the defense.

Sussex Academy senior Austin Taylor reels in another corner.

Seahawks senior Austin Taylor fights to capture a cross.

Sussex Academy senior George Sapna begins to pass the ball.

Cape junior keeper Anton Schierenberg hauls in a corner at the far post.

VIkings senior Lee Levis ponders his options.

Cape junior Keegan McMahon tries to get a ball past Sussex Academy junior Brandon Jaimes.

Vikings senior Will Burke carries into the attacking third.

Cape senior Lawson Whaley flies up for a header.

Vikings freshman Logan Cortijo controls the ball in the corner.

Sussex Academy senior Noah Benz defends Cape freshman Oliver Swier.

Seahawks captain Liam Stegall is stoked after streaking through the Cape defense and unleashing a low laser for the insurance goal.

Sussex Academy senior Chase Ballinger heads the ball.

Seahawks junior Brandon Jaimes keeps his eye on the prize.

Seahawks senior Austin Taylor gets his hands just above Cape senior Lawson Whaley’s head on a corner.

Cape captain Lawson Whaley and Sussex Academy captain George Sapna test the equal and opposite reaction on this ball.

Seahawks senior George Sapna tries to clear the ball.

Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel gets his foot on the ball just before it reaches the goal line.

Cape seniors Lawson Whaley, left, and Brenner Short are a handful in the box.

Sussex Academy junior Carson Klahr wins a header.

Cape senior Lee Levis shakes hands with Sussex Academy coach R.J. Dina as he, Lawson Whaley and Brenner Short accept their Henlopen North accolades.

Sussex Academy senior George Sapna keeps it quiet as he and Ben Steimel collect the trophy.

Sussex Academy senior Ben Steimel played in honor of his late-grandfather, James Steimel and said his assist was in his memory.

A rematch of the 2024 Henlopen Conference Championship game once again played out in favor of Sussex Academy, this time resulting in a 2-0 victory for the Seahawks.

Following an eventful first half, Sussex Academy opened the scoring Nov. 1 with what became the game-winner just three minutes into the final 40 minutes.

“This is the third one, our second one at home, and not a lot of people in the conference can say they've hosted two in their four years at home,” said Sussex Academy coach R.J. Dina. “Experience took over, and you're just comfortable with the guys that you have on the field.”

Cape had plenty of scoring chances, including at the end of the first frame and start of the second. Sussex Academy stood strong against the onslaught, though, and did not concede. Senior Ben Steimel had to boot one ball just before it crossed the goal line.

“At the end of the day, it's just being determined to go for that second ball, to fight for every chance,” Steimel said. “That one on the goal line, I know I cleared it, but I know every single one of us would have cleared in that position, because that's just the kind of heart we have and that's what takes us far at the end of the day.”

“We always just weather the storm and we stay compact,” Dina said. “Offensively, we worked pretty hard to at least figure out where we're at in terms of either weak side or overstruggling in an area, and we're a team that when you see them start to press forward numbers with higher up, we know what kind of ball releases us and wins the game. You get a ball like that to George [Sapna] and it's almost never in doubt.”

Sapna, a senior captain, ran onto a beautifully weighted through ball following a Cape corner and streaked toward the frame, scoring the first goal of the game in the 43rd minute.

“Credit that to coach R.J.,” said senior Chase Ballinger. “In the locker room, when we go in there, it’s straight business, and he tells us exactly what we need to fix, and we get it done.”

Nine minutes later, captain Liam Stegall cranked one in from distance, a result of his menacing play in the midfield, for the 2-0 insurance goal.

The Vikings continued to press the Seahawks, but a defense led by Ben Steimel and senior goalkeeper Austin Taylor held tight for the clean sheet.

“I have an incredible leader in Ben Steimel, who is a kid that's been playing in the back line every game for four years,” Dina said. “You've got a special kid in goal in Austin Taylor too.”

The shutout was the eighth of the season for Sussex Academy.

As the final whistle blew, it was clear that winning the Henlopen was not wearing on the Seahawks and defeating their rival, where many of their friends go, was a big deal for Sussex Academy.

“We have a lot of stuff going on outside the soccer field,” Steimel said. “A couple teammates have been going through it. I lost my grandpa a couple days ago. I had to go out, fly out to Indiana and fly back this morning. I wore a shirt that says, ‘For my Grandpa,’ and I got the first assist, so that really meant a lot. At the end of the day, it's just finding what you play for, and that's what we say a lot. We’ve got a wrist tape, and we write people's names on it. And that's who we fight for ... that's who we die on the pitch for.”

No. 1 Sussex Academy will take on the winner of Lake Forest/Newark Charter at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, in the quarterfinals of the DIAA Division II boys’ soccer state tournament.

Cape earned the No. 3 seed in the Division I tournament. The Vikings will host No. 6 Sussex Central at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, in a rematch of a tight contest won by Cape 4-3 in the final regular-season game Oct. 27.