Cape football ends season with loss to Sallies
The Cape Henlopen football squad had its season come to an abrupt end Nov. 15, with a 35-0 loss to top-seeded Salesianum at Abessinio Stadium in Wilmington.
The Vikings finished their 2024 campaign at 5-6, having lost their last four contests.
The Vikings had just 133 yards of total offense for the game and could only muster nine first downs. Cape never got inside the red zone in eight possessions. The Vikings punted five times and turned the ball over on downs the three other times.
After Cape went three and out to start the game, Sallies quarterback Brady McBride connected with Noah Micks on a 40-yard strike on the second offensive play to go up 6-0.
Sallies had 381 yards in total offense. McBride went 10-of-15 for 115 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 42 yards. Senior Aiden Lego had 18 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Odell Teal ran for a 14-yard touchdown, and Vernol Gary caught a 22-yard pass for a score. Sebastian Hess kicked three extra points, while Lego scored a two-point conversion.
The second half was more of the same, as Sallies scored on its first two possessions. The first drive covered 80 yards, with Aiden Lego capping the drive with a plunge into the end zone from a yard out. Teel capped the second drive of the second half with his second touchdown run, this time from 14 yards.
Under constant pressure from the Sallies defensive front, Cape quarterback Jameson Tingle finished the game 5-of-19 for 52 yards. Amari Jackson caught two of those passes for 37 yards.
Jayden Messick ran for 21 yards, and Dell Richards had 33 yards on the ground.
“We had to battle all the way through,” said head coach Mike Frederick. “We knew we were a little outgunned coming up here. It wasn’t the best end to the season. What we tried to do is keep them mentally engaged. We actually played decently in the first half. We were trying to avoid big plays. They ended up scoring going right into the halftime break. In the second half, they just ran it at us and chewed up the clock. Some of our guys actually played even better in the second half. They had heart. That’s what you want to see. That’s what coaches are evaluating. I’m really proud of them.”
“I just love these guys,” said junior Navin Duffy. “We had a heck of a season. It didn’t end the way we would have liked it, but we have a lot of great players and a great future. I can’t wait for next year.”
“Our 2024 season didn’t end the way we wanted it to end, but it was a fun year, and our team worked really hard,” said senior Tanner Wyshock. “I’m going to miss these memories, and our community was really supportive, which helped our team a lot throughout the season.”
As far as the 2025 season is concerned, Frederick said, “I’m going to take a couple of weeks away from it, then get back and reevaluate how we’re doing as a program and see what we can do to put us in a better position next year.”
