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MORNING STAR
✳ NOV. 30 - DEC. 6, 2006
Delmar football year in review: Wildcats win South By Mike McClure “There aren’t many years you wouldn’t do cart wheels for an 8-2 season as a coach. The expectations are high for this group because they came so close. They want to do better,” Delmar head coach David Hearn told the Star at the beginning of the 2006 football season. Although they didn’t go as far as they would have like to, the Delmar Wildcats surpassed last season’s accomplishments by going 10-0 in the regular season, winning the Henlopen South, and winning a state quarterfinal game before falling to the defending state champs in the semifinals. The following is a recap of the Cats’ 11-1 season: Week one- Sept. 8 at Bohemia Manor- Delmar senior quarterback Alan Preston found one of his favorite targets, Donald Poole, for a pair of touchdowns while senior running back Jenson Dennard scampered for a 62-yard touchdown run in Delmar’s 21-7 win over their Maryland opponents. Week two- Sept. 15 at St. ElizabethJeremy Layton rumbled for a 74-yard touchdown run, Poole made a one-handed grab on 20-yard touchdown pass from Preston and Dennard ran 65 yards for a touchdown as the Wildcat defense shut out the Vikings, 20-0. Week three- Sept. 22 home opener vs. Dover- Delmar jumped out to a 21-0 lead over the Dover Senators in this nonconference matchup of Henlopen Conference foes. The Wildcats answered a pair of Senator touchdowns with a field goal and a touchdown in the 30-14 win, but not all the news was good as Dennard broke his arm in the contest. Dennard ran for a pair of first quarter touchdowns, Preston found Poole for two, Kerry King caught a touchdown pass from Preston, sophomore kicker Seth Benson booted an extra point and a 28yard field goal, and Matt Campbell ran back a punt 63 yards for a touchdown. Justin Thomas added a sack and Jordan Johnson recovered a fumble for the 3-0 Wildcats.
Week four- Sept. 29- home vs. Laurel- Delmar ended Laurel’s three-game winning streak in this annual backyard rivalry. Thomas started things off with a tackle for a safety, senior back Marquis Leatherbury added an 11-yard touchdown run, Benson kicked a 25-yard field goal, and Layton went 69 yards on a pass from Preston for the 17-0 win. Preston completed nine passes for 174 yards and Thomas, the Wildcats’ leading tackler in the contest, had three sacks and the safety. “I think it (safety) did a lot,” said Thomas. “One of our main sayings is ‘defense wins championships’.” “It really boosted out confidence,” senior lineman Darren Collins added. “Coach made sure we knew they scored 76 points (in last three games). I never beat Laurel as a varsity football player before.” Week five- Oct. 7 at Seaford- Layton and Leatherbury each scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and Tevin Jackson had a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown to pace Delmar on a rain soaked field. Seaford got on the board late in the game, with most of Delmar’s seniors out, but the Wildcats held on for the 33-20 win to set up a week six battle with Indian River. Week six- Oct. 13 home vs. Indian River- Delmar hosted Indian River in a battle of unbeaten Henlopen South leaders. Down 7-0, Preston connected with Poole for a 34-yard touchdown (the duo’s fifth score in six weeks) and Benson made the extra point to tie it at 7-7. Preston followed center Ryan Causey and the rest of the offensive line into the
The Delmar varsity football team celebrates one of its 11 wins during the 2006 season after getting a post game speech from the Wildcat coaching staff. Delmar finished the year at 11-1 after Saturday’s loss to Caravel. Photo by Mike McClure
end zone for a four-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 at the half. Jackson’s interception set up another touchdown run by Preston, but IR rallied to score a pair of touchdowns to take a 21-20 lead late in the game. Delmar answered with a 92-yard game-winning drive with Jackson scoring on a 25-yard touchdown run and a twopoint run to seal the 28-21 win. Jackson ran for 138 yards, Leatherbury added 92 yards rushing, and Layton had 85 yards. “If it wasn’t for them (offensive line) we probably wouldn’t have scored that last touchdown,” Jackson said.
“When they scored (the go ahead touchdown) I was scared, then I got myself together and said ‘we’re coming back’,” said Preston Week seven- Oct. 21- homecoming vs. Cambridge- Delmar rolled to a 54-7 non-conference win over the Vikings as Jackson had two interceptions and two touchdowns, Leatherbury ran for a pair of touchdowns, and Fernandez Batson had two touchdowns and two interceptions. Campbell scored on a quarterback keeper, Thomas ran the ball in from 30 yards out, Continued on page 45
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0 6 BIRTHDAY Delmar junior Jeremy Layton, shown carrying the ball as the offensive line blocks for him, scored touchdowns against St. Elizabeth and Laurel in early season games. Layton was injured late in the regular season and was unavailable during the playoffs. Photo by Mike McClure
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