Cape breaks open close game to beat Delmar 42-14
Game breakers are heartbreakers in a high school football game, and Cape unleashed several disruptors down to Delmar Oct. 7, beating the Wildcats 42-14 behind highlighted moments from C.J. Fritchman, L.T. Messick and Maurki James.
This was a one-score game 21-14 with 4:20 left in the third quarter, so the cliché ”closer than the score indicates” is appropriate.
“Nice venue and cool place to play a high school football gam,” said Cape coach Mike Frederick, who played in NFL stadiums for five years.
Delmar went ahead 7-0, but Fritchman bobbled the ensuing short kickoff before securing it and running threw a few Cats and turning on the “juice is loose” afterburners, taking it to the concession house for a game-tying touchdown.
“The blazing lifeguard gave us the spark we needed,” Frederick said. Fritchman ran lead-off the last two summers for the Dewey Beach Patrol soft-sand relay that won the USLA National Championship.
Joe Coveleski later hit Messick down the left sideline – a perfect throw – for a 14-7 Cape halftime advantage.
“The game plan changed at halftime,” Frederick said. “I should have scrapped it sooner. I had a crappy plan – heavy RPO. The players actually told me to scrap it. At half they said, ‘just let us run it, coach. We got this.’ So I said, ‘I trust you. My plan stinks. What do you like?’ And we went from there.”
James got his warhorse/workhorse game going in the second half, scoring four touchdowns, including a 51-yard run up the middle on his first touch of the third quarter. James had 18 carries for 231 yards.
Delmar can gash a defense if they get their double dive, misdirection, deception, ground game going. The kids were coached that if a back crosses your face just tackle him.
“We were tackling everyone. The defensive staff did a terrific job,” Frederick said. “They would be my MVP; a tough task and hard to prepare for their precision attack.”
The staff includes defensive coordinator Sammy Mohr, defensive line coach Jack Frederick, inside linebackers coach Zach Horstmyer and outside linebackers coach Ben Ashby.
“They had a plan, they coached it up, and those awesome young men bought in and sold out their bodies to get it done,” Frederick said.
Cape (3-2) plays at Caesar Rodney (0-6) at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14. It is Homecoming for the Riders.
Delmar will host Sussex Tech at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, for its Homecoming game.
Sideline quips - The officials were active in the game. A Messick touchdown was called back on a holding call away from the play and an apparent interception by Messick in the end zone was later ruled a Delmar touchdown. Both teams were called for late hits out of bounds. Delmar’s late hit out of bounds happened when they were on offense. Delmar stats will be published when available.
