NEWARK — The St. Elizabeth football team got an idea of how their morning and early afternoon would go on Sept. 17 at Christiana on the first play from scrimmage.
Vikings linebacker Mitchell Butler went to tackle the Christiana running back, and he pried the ball loose for a turnover. That set St. Elizabeth up at the Christiana 21-yard line, and on first down, Chris Caracter went around left end for a touchdown to start the Vikings, ranked second in Class 1A by Delaware Live Sports, on their way to a 49-6 victory.
The host Christiana Vikings — wearing their blue and red — could manage little against the St. E defense, setting the maroon-and-gold Vikings up in great field position time and again. Caracter’s touchdown was one of six in the first quarter.
The second touchdown drive took two plays and covered 50 yards. Quarterback Cole Soto found Judah Barber for a 14-yard pass on first down, and Quasim Benson scored the first of his three touchdowns on the next play, going untouched from 36 yards.
After another three and out for Christiana, Soto threw his first scoring pass of the season. This drive was also 50 yards and took two plays. James Garrett carried the ball 34 yards on the first play, and Soto hit Tom Schiavoni with a 16-yard pass. That made the score 19-0 as St. Elizabeth missed a second extra point.
Benson accounted for all 53 yards the next time St. E got the ball, rushing down the left sideline and making a nice cut at the 8 before finding the end zone. Benson scored his third and final TD on a 20-yard scamper with 28.7 seconds to go in the quarter.
Carl Taylor got on the scoreboard before the first period ended, dropping a Christiana running back in the end zone for a safety. St. E got the ball back after the free kick, and Barber added his name to the scoring column on a 5-yard run on the final play of the first.
Montevious Polack ran an interception back 46 yards for the team’s final points of the day two minutes into the second.
The Vikings improved to 2-0. They play their first home game on Sept. 23 against Tatnall at Abessinio Stadium at 7 p.m.
Christiana (0-2) will visit St. Andrew’s on Sept. 23 at 4 p.m.
All photos by Mike Lang.
