Boys’ basketball teams tune up at Delmarva Christian play day

Delmarva Christian played host to the boys’ basketball teams from Sussex Academy, Sussex Tech and James M. Bennett (Md.) Nov. 22 for a day of play.

In a battle of birds, the Seahawks locked claws with the Ravens in the first matchup of the day, but forget the score and tape from that contest because the two will open their seasons against one another at Sussex Tech Thursday, Dec. 4. 

The Royals went down big to the Clippers of Bennett, but in a testament to the team’s buy-in, they battled back to ultimately win the scrimmage. Sussex Tech did not fare as well in the next contest, and Bennett showed it will be a force in the Bayside Conference.

Delmarva Christian was engaged in another back-and-forth battle in its second game against Sussex Academy. Seahawks sophomore Farmar Amisial hit four three-pointers as part of a 14-point first half, and the Royals were tied at 28-28 with their neighbors at half. Amisial’s classmate Rico Nock added nine points, putting opponents on notice about their formidable backcourt partnership. 

The Royals trailed by as many as nine points in that opening 20 minutes, but stayed the course to knot it up at the break and remained confidently in control in the final half. By trusting one another and taking the open shots, Delmarva Christian slowly pulled away from the Seahawks, forcing a young Sussex Academy team into poor shot selections. While the game was closer than the 55-45 final, it was clear the Royals were controlling the direction of play. 

Sophomore Asher Woods and freshman Aarian Tucker proved they will be worthy additions to Delmarva Christian, while seniors Seth Mifflin and Andrew Collins showed they have the experience to remain composed. Juniors Noar Barbrow, Landon Jackson and Caleb Holloway looked comfortable in a few different roles, providing the Royals with versatility in their supporting cast.

Next, Sussex Academy sparred with Bennett, and the short bench began to show its downside. To their credit, Mason Glover, Sebastian Paul and Tate Sickler ran side by side with their sophomore guards while Desmond Davis, Derek Sachs and Ryan Dostal each contributed offensively. 

In the finale, Delmarva Christian and Sussex Tech let their hungry JV players duke it out for the first 20 minutes before the varsity teams tipped off for the last 20 minutes. In a back-and-forth affair, Sussex Tech came through with a 28-27 victory.