Who: Indian River High School 1 - 1 (Home 0 - 0, Away 1 - 1)
Media Rank: TNJ: #NR, WDEL: #NR
National Rank: #10,700 State Rank: # 29 **
Conference: Henlopen South, Conference Record: 0 - 0
When: Friday, September 21st, 7:00 PM
Where: Indian River High School - Directions
Series: Saint Mark's leads the series 1 - 0
Last Played: 2017, Saint Mark's won 51 - 13
Weather: Game time temps: High of 73, low of 71 with a 5% chance of precipitation, Winds 9mph.
Media Coverage: N/A
Coach: Phil Townsend
Schedule: Link
Roster: Link
** CalPreps rankings.
Media Rank: TNJ: #NR, WDEL: #NR
National Rank: #10,700 State Rank: # 29 **
Conference: Henlopen South, Conference Record: 0 - 0
When: Friday, September 21st, 7:00 PM
Where: Indian River High School - Directions
Series: Saint Mark's leads the series 1 - 0
Last Played: 2017, Saint Mark's won 51 - 13
Weather: Game time temps: High of 73, low of 71 with a 5% chance of precipitation, Winds 9mph.
Media Coverage: N/A
Coach: Phil Townsend
Schedule: Link
Roster: Link
** CalPreps rankings.
Saint Mark's will make their only true (regular season) road trip of the year Friday night, when they travel to Dagsboro, Delaware, to take on Indian River High School. While only about a two hour drive, it is still considerably longer than any bus ride the Spartans will take this season. The longer game day can sometimes be problematic for the visiting team. The change from their normal routine and extra wear from the travel can come into play. It is not uncommon for a team in this situation to be a little sluggish and get off to a slow start. This was the case in 2009 when Saint Mark's visited the Sussex Central Golden Knights. After being given the wrong directions, the Spartans arrived shortly before the scheduled kickoff. Without a proper warm up and weary from the trip, they fell behind 21 - 0. Eventually, they would get up to speed, and go on to outplay their opponent. However they weren't able to overcome the early deficit. Sometimes being the road team can have its benefits. The 'us against the world' mentality, especially taken against small town opponents with their rabid hometown support, can be polarizing. It is often easier for the team to focus without the distractions that come with familiar surroundings. Whether playing at home or away, things happen and you can encounter speed bumps, they just tend to be higher the further you have to travel. In games like this, the mindset of the visiting team, is only secondary in achieving success, to the quality of the opponent they are facing. For Saint Mark's, one aspect of this equation is favorable, though the other could be tricky.
With only two weeks played in the season, it is difficult to accurately gauge the quality of any team. And with the ever decreasing coverage of high school sports by the local print media, it is even more complicated. From what information that is available, Indian River would appear to be a favorable match up for the Spartans. Their youth (only eight seniors) and injuries helped contribute to a 1 - 9 season last year. Coach Philip Townsend expects better results this season with the experience the team returns, and an off season focus on committing to the program. They opened 2018 with an exciting 16 - 12 win over Glasgow, which was followed with a lopsided 42 - 13 loss to Polytech. While not prolific, their offense has scored in every game, averaging 14.5 points. The defense was solid in their opener, but got torched by the Panthers, giving up 479 yards, with 353 coming through the air. The loss of talented skill players in QB Jalen Snead and RB Kevin Custis to transfer is likely contributing to the Indians output in the early going. Both were experienced players and key members of the offense. Ian Shaner replaces Snead at quarterback, though Tyler Bowen could see the field as well. WR Jason Killen is a threat in Indian River's passing game. Their depth in the backfield, with five capable runners could be the strength of their team. RB Jacob Anderson and FB Reshawn Turner lead the group. Without film or stats to go on it looks as though the Indians have some size on their lines and athletes to help out on both sides of the ball. However, the do appear to be a team that is still in the process of putting it all together.
Friday night's game is Indian River's home opener. That can be good or bad for a young team trying to find their way. It will certainly add a little extra electricity to the atmosphere, for what should already be a charged up home crowd. If it sounds familiar to the situation Caravel Academy walked into last week, it is, but that is where the comparison ends. For the Spartans, this game is all about moving on. Leaving an emotional win behind, and moving on to the next opponent. This is about getting on the bus with the right mindset and taking care of business. Indian River will be as fired up, as Saint Mark's was last week, to avenge their 51 - 13 loss at The Graveyard. However the Buccaneers are not as good as last season's group, while this year's Spartans are better. Saint Mark's has a good team, they are strong in all three phases of the game, and ooze with confidence. The reality though, is that they have probably not faced a playoff caliber team to date. None of the teams they have met in either the preseason or regular (at this point) look capable of having a winning season nevertheless reaching the playoffs. It is quite possible that almost all of their future opponents (including Indian River) will present a stiffer challenge. The win over Caravel propelled Saint Mark's into the top teams discussion, and deservedly so. The way they will remain there is to work hard, stay focused, an approach every game knowing they have to play better than they did in their last. If the Spartans arrive in Dagsboro with the right mindset, they should return at 3 - 0 and ready to move on to the next challenge.