High school football season kicked off Thursday night, making for a great football weekend at first state.
Hodgson 21 Howard 6: The Silver Eagles scored the final 21 points to defeat their VO Tech rivals on Thursday afternoon. Brisheem Davis had two touchdowns, a 30-yard reception and an interception six for 37 yards in the final minutes to seal the win. Xavier Brown threw two touchdown passes and also completed a two-point pass. Amir Madi had a 64-yard scamper late in the first quarter to give Howard a 6-0 lead.
Middletown 16 Red Bank Catholic (New Jersey) 14: The 3A Cavs defended their 302 with a big win over defending New Jersey state champion Red Bank.
Caesar Rodney 17 William Penn 0: The Riders opened their season with a home win. Josiah Everett completed 18 of 33 passes for 182 yards and Mark Moore caught six passes for 80 yards to lead the offense.
Sussex Central 41 Laurel 20: After the Bulldogs tied the game at 20-20, the Golden Knights scored the final 21 points to secure the win. Malik Bell He carried 24 times for 208 yards rushing and two touchdowns at Sussex Central.
Cape Hen; Open 20 Red Lion 13: The 3A Vikings held off a 2A Lions comeback. The Vikings led 14-0 at halftime with a touchdown pass from Jameson Tingle. He added a second touchdown pass with 2:06 left in the fourth quarter. Evan Budinger scored on a QB sneak with 1:05 left, but the Vikings recovered the onside kick. Budinger went 10-18 for 161 yards and the only rushing touchdown was on the 10th.
Sally’s 34 Episcopal Academy (PA) 13: The Sals, the defending 3A state champions, played in front of a packed student seating on Thursday night, but only a few students remained on an overcast Friday afternoon. Jacil Gaymon had over 300 total yards, including an opening 65-yard kickoff return to assist Odell Teal on a 4-yard touchdown run, followed by a 70-yard punt return to assist Aiden Rego on another short touchdown run. Gaymon had 10 catches for 135 yards and 175 yards on returns. The Sals led 14-7 at halftime, but then a storm came through and the game was postponed until the following afternoon. Brady McBride had two touchdown passes in the second half and ultimately finished with 239 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 23-31 victory. The Sals scored three times in the second half to pull away.
Milford 20 Mount Pleasant 6: The Bucks traveled north to Claymont and returned home with a win over the Green Knights. Greg Lockett carried the weight of the offensive load, scoring all three touchdowns. The Bucks’ ball control attack in the first half helped the Lockett score early in the second quarter to take a 7-0 lead. The Locketts added another point in the third quarter to extend their lead to 13-0. Camillon Wright had a touchdown pass for the Knights.