Cape unified team’s comeback falls short
In one of the most thrilling unified flag football games of the year, possibly since Delaware began playing the sport, Caesar Rodney rode off into the Oct. 23 night with a 73-54 victory over Cape.
CR struck first, but the Vikings answered immediately when sophomore Jaxon Benton took a handoff the distance on Cape’s first offensive play. The Riders followed the Vikings’ score with 31 straight points to take a commanding 37-6 lead late in the first half.
Needing a spark, Cape went to one of the livelier spirits gracing the sidelines – Xavier Zimmer. The freshman exploded through the CR defense and into the end zone. Following the two-point conversion, the Riders led 37-14 at halftime.
“Every game, he just keeps running – he'll run through the tunnel, run across, jump a fence. He enjoys it,” Cape coach Drew Messick said. “He’s a crowd-pleaser. He's fun, he’s funny, and our sidelines really love Xavier.”
Cape scored first in the second half when Randolph Adams caught a ball and raced 10 yards into the promised land to make it 37-20. A Mason Trench interception on the Riders’ ensuing drive gave the Vikings early hope for a comeback, but CR picked off a pass and expanded its lead to 43-20 on the following drive.
Another young Viking, freshman Michael Anthony, put Cape within striking distance, 43-26, on a catch and run into the end zone that was followed by senior Sophia Adams making the two-point conversion.
“Michael Anthony and Zane Richardson were amazing today,” Messick said.
The Vikings forced a turnover on downs just before the third quarter ended and opened the fourth with a long touchdown throw to junior Richardson.
“If somebody throws the ball at me, I'll just catch it, and run in for a touchdown,” Richardson said.
Randolph Adams impressively reeled in a tipped ball before it could hit the ground and put Cape within one score, 43-36, after the successful two-point try.
CR tacked on two scores before the Vikings could respond, doing so with another long touchdown pass to Richardson, but the Riders struck again to put the combined total over 100 – 61-42.
Freshman Austin Hastings trimmed the lead back to two scores, 61-48, when he crossed the plane, but the Riders struck once more to increase the margin back to three possessions, 67-48.
Richardson took a break from catching touchdown passes to throw one to Grant Conway with time left for just one play. CR scored on the play as time expired, to claim a 73-54 win over the Vikings.
“Whether we win or lose, it's OK, because we have a good time,” Richardson said.
Unified will play its final home game of the year at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29, against Indian River. In addition to a Morgan’s Message game, it will also be Senior Night for the Vikings.
