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.