The Spartans will play their fifth and final regular season away game when they travel to Pennsylvania to take on Kennett High School Friday night. In their previous four road games, Saint Mark's opponent was favored to prevail by many in the media. For the most part they have proved the pigskin prognosticators wrong, forging a 2 - 2 record in those contests. Though they did lose two of those games, the Spartans led late in both, and were only a couple of plays from being unbeaten on the road. Saint Mark's has played well away from the cozy confines of The Graveyard, and will need to continue doing so if they want to leave the Keystone state with a win. The contest will mark the first out of state excursion for the program since the 2014 season, when Saint Mark's traveled to Maryland to take on Archbishop Spalding. Since the move to Division II, traversing state lines for games hasn't been needed, with no shortage of willing Delaware opponents.
Something which had once been a regular occurrence for the Spartans, with at least one out of state contest on the schedule in forty of the program's forty-nine seasons. At one time, in the seventies and early eighties meetings with Delaware teams were a rarity. With the success the program experienced in it's infancy, scheduling instate teams was an exercise in futility. Local teams just didn't want to play Saint Mark's. This shunning of the Green & Gold reached its peak between 1976 and 1979 with the Spartans facing off against thirty-one out of state opponents out of thirty-nine contests. Saint Mark's last visit to Pennsylvania (in 2013) was a successful one, defeating Oxford High School 30 - 7. That group left Delaware as the favored team. Against the Blue Demons, this year's squad finds themselves getting off the bus in a familiar role as underdogs.
At 8 - 1 Kennett High School is having a season for the ages. After a long absence the program was revived in 2005, and until now had only experienced two winning seasons (2011 and 2012). Taking over as head coach last year, Lance Frazier's team finished strong (4 - 7) after opening the season with four straight losses. The Blue Demons carried that success into the 2019 campaign, winning six straight before falling to West Chester East 43 - 14. It was an unprecedented start for the public school in Kennett Square, with first ever wins over West Chester Rustin, and Unionville. Though the loss to the Vikings likely cost them the
Ches-Mont American Division title, the team's goal to host a P.I.A.A. playoff game is still in sight. Saint Mark's is no stranger to the league based in Chester and Montgomery counties, having played twelve contests against teams who are currently or were at one time members. The Spartans 5 - 7 record in those games stands as a testament to the quality of football played in nearby Pennsylvania.
Ches-Mont American Division title, the team's goal to host a P.I.A.A. playoff game is still in sight. Saint Mark's is no stranger to the league based in Chester and Montgomery counties, having played twelve contests against teams who are currently or were at one time members. The Spartans 5 - 7 record in those games stands as a testament to the quality of football played in nearby Pennsylvania.
While not traditionally a tough opponent to face from the Ches-Mont league, this Kennett High squad looks to be the exception. The Blue Demons like to run the ball, and have done so with a great deal of success. Senior Garrett Cox is the driving force in Kennett's ground game. The 5' 10" back has been almost unstoppable running behind a somewhat undersized, but cohesive line. Quarterback Sam Forte is a good runner as well and a proficient passer. His main target, Kalen Frazier will burn the secondary if given the opportunity. Their defense, while not dominating, has been stingy. While it is always difficult to gauge the strength of an out of state opponent, the Blue Demons look to be a very good team. Saint Mark's faces a difficult challenge against a confident group playing before a raucous home crowd. The Spartans have done a good job against the run this year, and will need to do so against Kennett. The Blue Demons like to employ a balanced attack, however West Chester East showed the key to stopping Kennett's offense is shutting down their run. If Saint Mark's can make the Blue Demons one dimensional, and find success of their own on the ground, the underdogs could return to Delaware with a result that leaves the pigskin prognosticators shaking their heads.