CLAYMONT — On Sept. 13 at Coaches Field in Claymont, Saint Mark’s and Archmere were at it again, adding another memorable chapter to their football history. Archmere led by two touchdowns after Ryan Hagenberg’s fourth of the afternoon, but the Spartans answered with one score late in the third, then completed the comeback in the closing minutes for a thrilling 31-28 win in what has become an annual thriller.
Matteo Bracalenti provided the game-winning points on a 40-yard field goal with 1:28 to go in the game.
Saint Mark’s trailed, 21-14, at the half, and the Spartans forced the Auks to punt on the opening drive of the third quarter. That turned into disaster, however, when the punt was fumbled, and Archmere reovered at midfield. On second down, quarterback Michael Donovan (St. Mary Magdalen Parish) hit Hagenberg (St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Glen Mills, Pa.) over the middle, setting up first and goal at the 6. Two plays later, Hagenberg ran around left end for the score, and the Auks’ lead was 14.
The Spartans began the climb back on the next drive, but it took some time. Elijah Burke and Terron Tippens were the workhorses on a 15-play drive that covered 70 yards and nearly eight minutes. Burke finished the drive with a four-yard run.
Next, it was the Spartans’ defense’s time to shine. The Auks moved to the Saint Mark’s 15 after Donovan and Hagenberg connected for 30 yards on third and 33, but an incomplete pass opened the door for the Spartans.
Brett Greene, who split time with Tippens at quarterback, found Bobby Groves for 20 yards on third and 10 early in the drive. His next pass went to Ta’Son Wallace for 14, and Max Batten (St. John the Beloved Parish) caught the next one, also for 14, to get the ball to the Archmere 38. Wallace caught another pass for 20 yards on a fourth down, getting to the Auks’ 14.
Tippens re-entered the game and ran for 5, and Greene came back in. After an incompletion, Greene fired a pass over the middle to Groves in the front of the end zone with 3:05 remaining, and Bracalenti tied it with the extra point. It was Groves’ first touchdown as a Spartan.
The Spartans regained possession when Archmere fumbled on its first play after the kickoff. They were at the Auks’ 13, but a penalty backed them up to the 25. Tippens ran for a yard, and a pass fell incomplete, setting the stage for Bracalenti. The senior drilled the ball to give the Spartans the lead.
A penalty negated a long pass completion for the Auks as they tried to advance the ball in the final minute, and Archmere turned the ball over on downs, sealing the Saint Mark’s win.
Hagenberg scored all of the Auks’ touchdowns. The first, which opened the scoring, was a 90-yard interception return late in the first quarter. He added to that on the Auks’ next drive, taking a pitch down the left side for 60 yards with 15 seconds to go in the first.
Three big runs by Burke set up Tippens’ 4-yard burst up the middle for the Spartans’ first touchdown, and Burke tied the game two minutes later on a 5-yard run. A 67-yard pass from Donovan to Mark Mervine was the big play, and Hagenberg caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Donovan.
Hagenberg finished with seven carries for 112 yards and three catches for 85 yards. Frankie Morda (Guardian Angels, Gibbstown, N.J.) led the defense with eight tackles. Archmere (1-1) is home on Sept. 20 against Delaware Military at 11 a.m.
The Spartans (1-2), who earned the first win at Saint Mark’s for head coach Bill DiNardo, are at William Penn at noon on Sept. 20.
Photos by Mike Lang.
