Beacon wins head-to-head battle 5-0 over Mariner

In the final head-to-head competition to determine the Cape Henlopen School District soccer champion, Beacon defeated Mariner for the first time since 2018.

“It was a fun game,” said Beacon coach Chip Wilt. “It’s under the lights, and the kids look forward to it at the end of the year. Both teams are excited and nervous, but it was a great game, and it was nice to come away with the win.”

Prior to the game, the middle schoolers were given the full high school experience to get a taste of what they can expect at the next level.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for both schools to see what it's like and hopefully continue with soccer,” Wilt said.

The two rivals battled back and forth for much of the first half before Beacon eighth-grader Brian Hamilton broke the ice on the cold autumn night at Legends Stadium with a goal to the far post. 

“This was a special group because this is my third season. I've coached them since they were sixth-graders, so for them to finish up their eighth-grade season with a win is great,” Wilt said.

Joining fellow eighth-grader on the score sheet to start the second half was Oscar Ventura-Velasquez, who had bounced back from a hard knee knock in the opening half. Ventura-Velasquez wasn’t just satisfied with one, as the playmaker notched a second goal minutes later. Apparently, his brother and friends didn’t think two was enough, so the eighth-grader obliged their request for one more shortly after. As he ran back to prepare for Mariner’s kickoff, he pointed to the stands.

“This one’s for you!” the captain shouted to his support system.

It would be an all-captains scoring affair in the second half, as Kihara Ngido, a stout controller of the midfield, concluded the scoring with Beacon’s fifth goal of the contest. Goalies Ethan Evans and Connor Gordy helped secure the clean sheet behind solid defense from Noah Fletcher, Pierce Conway, Marshal Keys and Anthony Brittingham.

The district title game wraps up the season for Beacon, a squad that finished 9-1. The only blemish was at the hands of an undefeated Georgetown team that averages nearly eight goals a game.

“They played hard, stayed together, stayed committed, had no give up, and I’m very proud of them,” Wilt said.

Mariner’s season comes to an end with the loss. It finished at 6-4, but it has quite a few sixth- and seventh-graders ready to step up to replace an accomplished class of eighth-graders.