Gold team loses to Blue, 48-18, in 69th annual Blue-Gold football

The 69th annual Blue-Gold All-Star Football Game was held last Friday at the Tubby Raymond Field University of Delaware Stadium in Newark. The contest between senior high school football players from southern and northern Delaware kicked off at 7 p.m. and ended several hours later with the Blue team winning, 48-18.

Since the game’s inception, approximately $7 million has been raised for the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities. Fifteen varsity football players and nine cheerleaders from Sussex County participated in the charitable event. They are: Ji’Kare Banks, and Marquel Clark from Woodbridge; Tate Walls, Kei’Shaun Copes, and Ellie Cooper from Laurel; Khalid Schoolfield, Isaiah Holbrook, Garrett Cooper, Van Collins, and Kya Gaines from Delmar; Bradley Chavez, Malik Bell, Jajuan Sturgis, Sam Pucci, Bella Giogilli, Jayda Harris-Scott, Alivia Smith, and Mariah Stratton, from Sussex Central; Jayvion Chandler from Indian River, Kylie Thompson and Addison Pentoney from Sussex Tech; and Zane Coulbourne, Carly Favoroso, and Gabrielle Parillion, from Cape Henlopen.

Participants in the Blue-Gold All-Star football pre-game activities pose with their “buddy”. Shown from (l-r) are Marquel Clark, Woodbridge; Tate Walls, Robert “RJ” Bragg, and Kei’Shaun Copes from Laurel; Kyle Thompson, Sussex Tech; and Ellie Cooper, Laurel.

Former Woodbridge High School Head Football Coach Jed Bell served as Gold coach. Bell, most recently, was head coach at Milford High School until his resignation to become an Assistant Principal at the school. His assistant coaches included: Allan Preston from Delmar High School, J.D. Messeck from Woodbridge High School, Eston Ennis from Sussex Tech High School, Phillip Townsend from Indian River High School,  and Mike Tkach from Cape Henlopen. Both teams held a scrimmage on Wednesday night. The Gold team practiced at Milford High School, while the Blue team practiced at Newark Charter.

The Blue team scored at the 4:07 mark in the first quarter on a one-yard line with a run by Aiden Lego from Salesianum. The kick attempt failed. With 58 seconds left in the first quarter, Lake Forest wide receiver Darius Miller got behind the Blue defense and received a 36-yard pass from Caesar Rodney quarterback Julius Timmons for the Gold’s first touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, and the game was tied at 6-6.

In the second quarter, the Blue team re-gained the lead when Salesianum quarterback Brady McBride passed 27 yards to Wilmington Friends wide receiver Ryan Tattersall for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was completed by Hodgson’s Jace Hawkins, and the Blue team led, 14-6. At the 7:04 mark, Timmons threw his second touchdown pass of the game with a 12-yard pass to St. Georges wide receiver Emory Womack. The two-point conversion failed, and the Blue team remained with the lead at half-time, 14-12.

In the third quarter, the Blue team scored first at the 7:06 mark as Conrad quarterback Gabe Welsh threw a 30-yard corner pass to Hodgson wide receiver Marlon Sparks. The point-after kick by Welsh was successful and the Blue team led by nine points at 21-12. The Gold team responded at the 3:47 mark with a five-yard touchdown run by Delmar running back Khalid Schoolfield. The two-point conversion failed, and the Blue team’s lead was decreased to 21-18. However, it was the final points scored by the Gold team for the evening.

The Blue team scored next at the 3:34 mark with a “trick” play that went for an 80-yard touchdown. It was the longest play of the night from scrimmage. The play began when quarterback Welsh tossed a pass behind the line of scrimmage to Wilmington Friend’s Tattersall, who then threw a perfect halfback pass to a streaking wide receiver Brysheem Davis from Hodgson. Davis caught the pass and raced the final yards to the end zone untouched. The kick attempt was successful, and the Blue team led 28-18. The Blue team scored 20 more points in the fourth quarter, making the final score 48-18. It was the fourth straight win for the Blue team.

After the game, a disappointed Sussex Central quarterback Bradley Chavez stated, “It means everything to me to have been selected to play in this game, and I gave it my all. We all did. We played as a unit and we played hard. We just didn’t get the result we wanted.” Chavez plans to enlist in the Marines.

Woodbridge cornerback Ji’Kare Banks was grateful for his selection to the Gold team. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be playing in this game, the same game that I watched my cousin Mike Brewer play several years ago. I did my best to help my team win.”

The Hand-in-Hand Program was added to help educate high school participants about intellectual disabilities and lend greater meaning to the game experience. Participants have the opportunity to be matched with a “buddy”, a child or young adult between the ages of 4 and 18, with an intellectual disability.

Proceeds from the game go to fund programs throughout the state of Delaware that provide opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities of all ages. The DFRC is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization established in 1956 that has distributed $6.4 million to Delaware organizations in support of programs and services that enrich lives through advocacy, education, and recreation.