Home Local Sports Catholic schools begin pursuit of championship hardware in three fall sports

Catholic schools begin pursuit of championship hardware in three fall sports

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Saint Mark's volleyball takes on Delaware Military Academy earlier this season. The Spartans are the top seed in the DIAA tournament. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

Football is in its final week of its regular season, while soccer, field hockey and volleyball have moved into their respective tournaments. Unfortunately, that means some teams have reached the end of the road, but there are plenty of Catholic schools that will be battling for some hardware.

We’ll list the football first this week, then move on to the various tournaments. Attendance will be limited or not allowed at the tournaments, so check to see if live-streaming will be available.

Football

Friday

Delaware Military (4-1) at Saint Mark’s (5-1), 7 p.m. The Seahawks travel to the Graveyard to battle the Spartans in a game that may affect the Division II tournament picture. The winner is still alive but will need help elsewhere to get an at-large spot.

Saturday

Conrad (3-3) at Archmere (6-0), 11 a.m.

Salesianum (3-3) at St. Georges (4-2), noon.

St. Elizabeth (2-4) at Red Lion (3-1), 7 p.m.

 

Tournaments

Soccer

Wednesday

No. 10 Delaware Military (5-6-1) at No. 7 Archmere (5-2-2), 2 p.m. The Seahawks and Auks certainly know each other well, as both are members of the Diamond State Athletic Conference. DMA took a 2-1 decision over the Auks the day before Thanksgiving. Archmere is defending its Division II state title. The Seahawks are back in the tournament after a one-year absence.

No. 9 McKean (6-4) at No. 8 Saint Mark’s (7-3-2), 6 p.m. The Spartans and Highlanders met on Halloween, with Saint Mark’s leaving with a 3-0 win. This is McKean’s first trip to the postseason since 2017, while the Spartans reached the Division II quarterfinals last year.

Saturday

No. 7 Cape Henlopen (7-4-1) at No. 2 Salesianum (9-1), 4 p.m. This is another rematch from the regular season. The Sals captured a 2-0 win in Lewes in the opening game of the season on Oct. 24. Salesianum looks to continue its stranglehold on the Division I state championship.

DMA-Archmere winner at No. 2 Newark Charter (9-2-1), 1 p.m.

McKean-Saint Mark’s winner at No. 1 Indian River (11-1), 6 p.m.

 

Field hockey

Tuesday

No. 10 Delaware Military (5-5-2) at No. 7 Saint Mark’s (5-3), 2 p.m. The Spartans haven’t played since Nov. 9 and will have limited practice time before their tournament opener. This will be a mix of styles, as the Spartans play a more high-scoring brand of field hockey, while the Seahawks rely on defense. The teams did not meet this season.

No. 11 Ursuline (5-6) at No. 6 Indian River (8-4), 2 p.m. The Raiders face a tough Henlopen South opponent after a 100-mile ride to Dagsboro. Ursuline’s defense will be key, as the Raiders do not score a ton of goals. The Indians will be tough to crack, a they gave up just 13 goals in 10 games aside from lopsided losses to the top seeds in Division I and Division II, Cape Henlopen and Delmar, respectively.

Thursday

No. 7 Polytech (6-6) vs. No. 2 Padua (8-2), location and time TBA. Another solid defensive team awaits a Catholic school team. Polytech gave up just two goals in their six wins, although the Panthers do not light up the scoreboard themselves. In Padua, they’ll see a squad that normally has little problem finding the back of the cage. The Pandas have not played since Nov. 17, and their practice time will be limited.

 

Volleyball

Wednesday

No. 19 Sussex Central (7-5) at No. 14 Ursuline (5-7), 6:30 p.m. The Raiders record is reflective of the schedule they played, and they will not easily be eliminated. They traditionally rely on stellar defense, and up front Ursuline features several big arms. The Golden Knights are in the tournament for the third consecutive season and come in having won four of their last five outings.

No. 17 Archmere (7-4) at No. 16 Appoquinimink (6-6), 6:30 p.m. The Auks fielded a young team this season, but they will not be intimidated on the tournament stage. Their regular-season schedule was challenging, and they took powers Newark Charter and Padua both to five sets. The Jaguars are regular postseason participants; they come in with a veteran roster and tournament opponents in their final two regular-season matches.

Friday

Archmere-Appoquinimink winner at No. 1 Saint Mark’s (11-0), 6:30 p.m. The Spartans bring height, defense and experience to their second-round matchup with the Auks or Jags. They also haven’t forgotten how close they came last season.

Sussex Central-Ursuline winner at No. 3 Padua (9-2), 6:30 p.m. The Pandas face the prospect of playing their chief rival for a third time early in the postseason. Either the Raiders or Golden Knights will have to overcome a solid front line and a deep roster at Padua.