Who: Newark Yellow Jackets 0 - 0 (Home 0 - 0, Away 0 - 0)
Media Rank: TNJ: NR, WDEL: NR
National Rank: # 11814 State Rank: #36 **
Conference: Blue Hen Flight A, Conference Record: 0 - 0
When: Friday, September 7th, 7:00 PM
Where: Hoffman Stadium, Newark High School - Directions
Series: Newark leads the series 23 -12
Last Played: 2017, Saint Mark's won 27 - 6
Weather: Game time temps: high of 77, low of 75 with a 40 to 50% chance of thunderstorms.
Media Coverage: N/A
Coach: Barry Zehnder
Schedule: Link
Roster: Link (Not available as of posting)
** CalPreps rankings.
Media Rank: TNJ: NR, WDEL: NR
National Rank: # 11814 State Rank: #36 **
Conference: Blue Hen Flight A, Conference Record: 0 - 0
When: Friday, September 7th, 7:00 PM
Where: Hoffman Stadium, Newark High School - Directions
Series: Newark leads the series 23 -12
Last Played: 2017, Saint Mark's won 27 - 6
Weather: Game time temps: high of 77, low of 75 with a 40 to 50% chance of thunderstorms.
Media Coverage: N/A
Coach: Barry Zehnder
Schedule: Link
Roster: Link (Not available as of posting)
** CalPreps rankings.
Saint Mark's football team will kick off their 48th season as a varsity program Friday night against neighborhood rival Newark High School. Much has changed at both schools since the teams began squaring off in 1974, however the roots of the rivalry remain the same. Like many of the previous thirty-five contests, this one has historical significance. Joe Wright (class of 2004) will be making his debut as the Spartan head coach, becoming the first graduate in the program's history to hold the title. While a big moment for those in green and gold, it offers only added incentive for the Yellow Jackets to rain on Saint Mark's parade. Something Newark has both enjoyed and excelled at throughout the course of the series. For Joe Wright and many members of his staff this needs no explanation. For those unfamiliar with this aspect of the series, you can read about it in a piece we wrote for the 2015 meeting (Time To Turn the Lights On). This contest, like most season openers is difficult to gauge. Going by media speculation and rankings, the Spartans would appear to have the edge on paper. However one should keep in mind, Newark is a Division I program with a penchant for getting the better of their crosstown rival. With a combined record of 20 - 40 since making their last postseason appearance in 2011, the once mighty Yellow Jackets have indeed fallen. However, most of those contests were played against larger, Division I competition. The program still draws the numbers, and with the cyclical nature of high school sports, at times will possess the talent to compete with any Division II team.
Entering his third season after taking over for Butch Simpson, Newark Head Coach Barry Zehnder is optimistic about his team's prospects. Many of the players from a young team that struggled through a 2 - 8 season are back, and ready to take the next step. That group includes quarterback Mele Stallings , running back Tyran Rice, and wide receiver Jermaine Earl at the skill positions. Their lines are anchored by two way standout Donald Burton and Alex Aviles. Linebackers James Jordan and Dayton Swanhart provide leadership on defense. And kicker Zach Coffing is a weapon on special teams, giving the Jackets an opportunity to put points on the board anytime they cross the fifty. With a well rounded and experienced group returning, it is easy to understand the enthusiasm around The Hive. It is a sentiment shared on the campus of their rivals. Optimism was already high at Saint Mark's, returning all but six players from a team that just missed the playoff field. That escalated with the addition of some talented transfers. Between the enthusiasm that Joe Wright and his staff have infused into the program and their success during preseason, the team's future looks bright. That however could also cause the Spartans to stumble out of the starting gate. With a big game against Caravel Academy the following week, it would be easy to get caught looking ahead. On paper Saint Mark's looks to be the better team. But it would be wise for the Spartans to forget the future and trust those who are with them from the program's past. If you don't pack a healthy dose of respect for Newark when you make the trip to Bob Hoffman Stadium, they will sting you. Because that is what Yellow Jackets do.