As the leaves begin to change from green to other colors, teams from field hockey, volleyball and soccer enter the final few weeks of their regular seasons. Volleyball, in particular, has some enticing matchups this week, although there are a few field hockey games of note, and Wilmington Charter and Salesianum will meet for the annual soccer showdown.
In football, there is a bit more regular season remaining. Saint Mark’s and St. Elizabeth both take on formidable foes. The Spartans are home Friday night against unbeaten Delaware Military Academy, while the Vikings have to travel to Middletown to battle St. Andrew’s on Saturday.
Girls
Field hockey
Monday
St. Elizabeth (2-7) at MOT Charter (3-9), 3:45 p.m.
Wilmington Charter (10-0) at Saint Mark’s (8-4), 3:45 p.m. The Spartans will get a test against the lone undefeated team from Division I. The Force usually send a bunch of shots at the opposing goalkeeper, and they have allowed just five goals in 10 games. The Spartans are capable of scoring, but they also play stingy defense.
Tuesday
Archmere (8-3) at Tatnall (9-2), 3:45 p.m. The Auks will meet Independent Conference contender Tatnall on the turf, and they will need to bring their best offensive game. In their nine wins, the Hornets have allowed just four goals, and their last five wins have been by shutout. The Auks normally take a healthy number of shots; the question for them is how many will find the back of the cage.
Caravel (6-3-3) at Ursuline (4-6), 3:45 p.m.
Ss. Peter and Paul (9-1) at Delmarva Christian (0-7), 4 p.m.
Thursday
Tower Hill (3-6) at Archmere, 3:45 p.m.
Friday
Ursuline at Wilmington Charter, 3:30 p.m.
St. Elizabeth vs. Padua (5-6), 3:30 p.m. at Chase Fieldhouse
Easton at Ss. Peter and Paul, 4 p.m.
Volleyball
Tuesday
Tower Hill (7-3) at Padua (8-2), 5:15 p.m.
Archmere (5-5) at Saint Mark’s (10-0), 7:15 p.m.
Wilmington Charter (6-4) at Ursuline (7-3), 7:15 p.m. If you head out to Ursuline to see this one, settle in for some good volleyball. These teams meet every year, and not since 2014 has the match been a sweep. The Force, led by a talented front line, are playing their best volleyball of the season, but they will face a stiff test from the defensive-minded and very athletic Raiders.
Thursday
Archmere at Conrad (3-7), 5:15 p.m.
Wilmington Friends (9-2) at Padua, 6:15 p.m. The Quakers bring their hard-hitting all-around game to Padua for a potential postseason preview. Friends is strong at every position, but the Pandas match up very well. These longtime rivals have met in the semifinals of the state tournament in each of the past two seasons. Both went five sets, and Padua came out on top each time.
Delaware Military (5-3) at St. Elizabeth (4-8), 7:15 p.m.
Middletown (9-2) at Saint Mark’s, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday
Archmere at Appoquinimink (5-5), 1:30 p.m.
Delaware Military at Padua, 4 p.m.
Soccer
Monday
Ss. Peter and Paul (2-7) at Salisbury Christian, 5 p.m.
Boys
Soccer
Monday
Archmere (7-5) at Tatnall (3-5-1), 3:45 p.m.
Tuesday
Wilmington Christian (0-8) at Saint Mark’s (10-1), 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Archmere at First State Military (1-7), 3:30 p.m.
St. Elizabeth (3-8) at MOT Charter (1-9), 3:30 p.m.
Salesianum (9-3) at Kingsway (N.J.), 4 p.m.
Friends School of Baltimore at Ss. Peter and Paul (2-7-1), 4 p.m.
Friday
St. Elizabeth at Dickinson (4-5), 3:30 p.m.
Wilmington Charter (9-0-1) at Salesianum, 3:45 p.m. Did someone say possible tournament preview? The Force and Sals are no strangers to each other. The Force are one of the highest-scoring teams in Delaware, but the Sals are not in the habit of allowing much opposing offense.
Indian Creek at Ss. Peter and Paul, 4 p.m.
Football
Friday
Delaware Military (6-0) at Saint Mark’s (5-2), 7 p.m. Homecoming at the Graveyard should include a fantastic football game. The Seahawks are putting up more than 43 points per game, but the Spartans represent their toughest opponent to date. Saint Mark’s has displayed several weapons the past few weeks as their march toward the postseason continues. The winner of this one has the inside track to the Class 2A District I top spot.
William Penn (3-3) at Salesianum (4-1), 7:30 p.m. The Sals welcome longtime rival William Penn to Abessinio Stadium for the first time. The Colonials have not had trouble scoring, but they need to find a way to limit the Sals’ offense.
Saturday
St. Elizabeth (6-0) at St. Andrew’s (5-1), noon. This battle in Middletown could determine the winner of Class 1A District 1. Both the Vikings and the Cardinals are undefeated in the district, and St. Andrew’s lone overall loss came against Tower Hill, which is in Class 2A. These are both high-powered offensive teams, but they can play defense as well.
Caesar Rodney (0-7) at Archmere (6-0), noon. The Auks welcome the Riders as they take on a Class 3A foe that will give them a bonus when tournament seeding comes around. For Archmere, however, the game is important as they look to maintain their undefeated status. The Auks have several options on offense, led by quarterback Chris Albero, and the Riders have struggled to reach the end zone.