Sussex Central football falls in semis
Sussex Central’s battle for its second straight DIAA football championship came to an end with a 41-7 loss to top-seeded Hodgson in the semifinals Nov. 23. The Silver Eagles will face Middletown in the Division I Championship.
”I knew we had to play at a high level to compete with them,” said Central head coach John Wells. “We made some mistakes, and you can’t do that with a team like Hodgson.”
The Silver Eagles jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead on touchdowns from Darius Hale and Joshua Ames. They followed up with three in the second quarter – one from Ames and two from Ny'Ghee Lolley. Elizjah Lewis added a touchdown in the third period, pulling in a 28-yard pass from quarterback Curt Henry.
Central got on the scoreboard in the third quarter, when Phillip Stratton battled to the pylon for a touchdown.
Hodgson racked up 410 yards, while the Golden Knights had a net gain of 212.
Knight quarterback Michael Glandin went 7-for-31 for 61 yards.
Stratton carried the ball eight times for 82 yards. TyJhir Sheppard-Parker carried eight times for 42 yards. Kasim Lewis carried six times for 25 yards. Wide receiver Javon Toppin was Glandin’s favorite target, making six catches for 55 yards. Billy Boyle had a six-yard reception.
Junior linebacker Alton Dennis led the Knights with seven tackles, while Domonique Smith, Sean McGee and Stratton each made five.
“We had five guys out with injuries,” Wells said. “We had to overcome the loss of them this season, and to get to nine wins and to be in the semifinal game, I couldn’t ask for more. To get to this point, I’m proud of my team.”
