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Yes! On our YouTube channel: https://t.co/z1zBosxHkt!□□
— Saint Mark's High School (@SaintMarksHs) November 27, 2020
When Saint Mark's takes on St. Elizabeth Friday night, the Spartans will be looking to maintain possession of the coveted sword awarded to the winner of the contest between the schools. The meeting will mark the fifth annual installment of the Sack Muscle Disease Game, sponsored by the Muscle Movement Foundation. Founder, Spartan alumnus, and Saint Mark's Director of Admissions Rob DeMasi began handing out the hardware to the victor in 2016, and the Spartans have taken a stronghold on the series ever since. That Saint Mark's will be gunning for their fifth straight against the Vikings is in some ways surprising. With the Spatan's move to Division II, a higher degree of parity would be expected.
And that indeed appeared to be true with St. Elizabeth taking the first contest played between the programs on equal footing (2015). However since then, Saint Mark's has owned the series. This can be attributed to circumstance more than the Spartan's obvious fondness for the trophy. After five consecutive losing seasons since their last postseason appearance, many felt the Vikings had turned the corner, posting a 5 -5 record in Head Coach Marvin Dooley's first year. A return to glory was surely to follow. However, in reality sometimes these things take time. Like their series with Archmere Academy, this era of Spartan dominance won't last forever. There is just too much pride involved between the catholic school rivals. Pride alone though doesn't win games.
The Vikings faced a rough start to the season going up against Archmere and Delaware Military Academy. They had gained some momentum, evening their record at 2 - 2, before losing a tough contest to Conrad last week. Running back Quasim Benson (#3) is the focal point of St. Elizabeth's offense averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Saint Mark's will need to shut Benson down and force quarterback Brett Smick (#7) to the air. Andrew Spychalski (#15) will be a primary target when the Vikings pass. Linebackers Jackson Benjamin (#55), Eric O'Neill (#76), and lineman Andre Green (#58) lead the defense. On paper, this looks to be an easy Spartan win. However, the pride and emotion brought out by the rivalry, and past history will play a role. St. Elizabeth always plays Saint Mark's tough, but if the Spartans don't get caught looking ahead to their showdown next week, I would expect them to pull away in the second half, and maintain possession of the sword.
If you would like to know more about the MMF, which was founded by Saint Mark's Director of Admissions Rob DeMasi (class of 2009), or are interested in joining their fight, please visit their site by clicking on their logo above.
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During Saint Mark's fifty year existence as a varsity football program, they have competed against members from every conference except one; the Independent Conference. That will change Saturday when the Spartans take on Tower Hill. This historic moment was slated for November 6th, only to be delayed when Wilmington Friends forfeited due to injuries. The meeting between the schools will also bring the number of current programs Saint Mark's has yet to compete against to eight. With all of those schools (Delmar, First State Military Academy, Laurel, Polytech, Red Lion Christian Academy, Seaford, Tatnall, and Wilmington Friends) competing in Division II, it's likely the list will continue to shrink.
Coming off their first loss, the Spartans will be looking to get their season back on track. And going up against the eighth ranked Hillers, one of only five unbeaten teams in the division, Saint Mark's will have an opportunity to do so. For Tower Hill, the meeting offers the chance to solidify their resume, and earn some respect. Despite entering the contest at 3 - 0, the Hillers find themselves the underdog to sixth ranked Saint Mark's. To date, the Spartans appear to have faced tougher competition than Tower Hill, earning them the edge with the pigskin prognosticators. However, perception doesn't always equate to reality. In recent years, a win over Wilmington Friends would have solidified a team's place among the contenders. However, this year's Quakers squad has been hampered with injuries, raising questions as to the quality of opponent the Hillers defeated last week.
If nothing else, Tower Hill's 20 - 6 win over their arch rivals should provide them with confidence and momentum going forward. The victory snapped a six game losing streak to Wilmington Friends, and kept them on track to earn a playoff bid for the fourth consecutive year. The Hillers will play with discipline on both sides of the ball, which Saint Mark's will need to match. Their running game featuring QB Emmett Simpler (#2) and RB Brendan Hickey (#10) fuels their offense. Jack Zungailia (#75) is the leader on an unheralded but effective defense. In many ways Tower Hill has become the Rodney Dangerfield (no respect} of Delaware high school football. But the reality is they are a program led by a coach (Kevin Waesco) with 120 wins that has qualified for postseason play six out of the last seven years. Both teams will enter the contest with something to prove, but I believe the sting from last week's loss will provide the Spartans all the motivation needed to prevail.
For the third straight year, the football teams from Saint Mark's and Archmere Academy find their season's on a collision course. When they meet Friday night for the twentieth contest in the series between the schools, there will likely be more at stake than pride. This game, as it was in the previous two, features a marquee match up between ranked teams. And like last year's contest, only one squad will leave the field with an unblemished record. For the Auk's, a win would tie the all-time series at ten. An impressive feat considering six of those wins came while the programs competed in different divisions. A win for the Spartans would snap a two game losing streak to their catholic school rivals, and give Joe Wright his first win against Archmere as a head coach. Of most importance though, is the impact the result could have on the losing team's campaign. With a shortened season and a reduced playoff field, a single defeat could derail a team's postseason hopes.
Despite losing 15 players to graduation, the Auks are 3 - 0 and looking to make their third consecutive playoff appearance. Underclassmen who played key roles in last season's success, have picked up where they left off, and are fueling this year's run. Sophmore Chris Albero (#16) has taken over at quarterback and leads the team in rushing. Michael Mallamaci (#22) and Kieran Udovich (#44) round out a potent backfield. Kevin DiGregorio (#50) anchors an experienced offensive line. Archmere runs the ball about seventy-five percent of the time, but has a skilled passer in Albero, who spreads the ball around to his backs and receivers. Averaging 37.5 points a game, the Auks currently have the third highest scoring offense in Division II.
While not as highly ranked as their offensive counterpart, Archmere's defense has been more than solid. The Auk's leading tackler last season, Kevin DiGregorio (LB), along with Mike Mallamaci (DB) and defensive end Sanjay Long (#81) provide leadership for the unit. Helping to keep their opponents to an average of 11.3 points per game, are a cast of players including Kieran (LB) and Conor Udovich (DB), Michael Van Belle (DT), Scott Lucarelli (LB), Mark Ewing (DB), Jake Hernik (DB), John Jordan (DB), and Chris Albero (DB). A jack of all trades, Albero also serves as the team's placekicker. Both squads should be facing their stiffest challenge to date, and the stakes will be high. However, nothing motivates in a rivalry more than pride. Which is why I would expect another classic battle in what's fast becoming a must see contest of each Delaware High School Football season.
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