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Any time Henlopen North teams take the football field there is a lot on the line.
When Sussex Tech (3-1 overall, 2-0 North) and Sussex Central (2-2, 1-0) are on opposite sidelines, as they will be this Friday at Ravens Stadium, even more importance is placed on the outcome.
First off, the game pits two conference undefeated teams against each other. Second, it will be Tech’s homecoming; and third, the aptly name “Georgetown Bowl” will also be a fight for local bragging rights.
“Whenever you are playing a cross-town rival, you have to make sure you’re prepared for a battle,” Tech head coach Bernie Nowakowski said. “Sussex Central’s a good program with good coaching and players. This is an important week of practice.”
Central, which broke a two-game losing streak last week with a 27-6 win over Milford, and its head coach, John Wells, is taking this week’s practice in the same fashion as the Ravens.
For Central to be successful in the bout, Wells said his club will need to limit Tech’s big play ability.
“Their offense starts with [fullback Desmond] Sivels, but you can’t just focus on him,” Wells explained. “When teams do that, you see them get the ball to Shane Marvel and he’ll rip off a 20-yard run.
“Tech can pass too, and if you plan to just stop Sivels, they’ll make you pay with a big pass play,” he continued. “We need to make them grind out yards and hopefully we can create a turnover or force a punt.”
Wells added that his club will still need to contain Tech’s senior fullback, who is coming off a 383-yard rushing performance against Cape Henlopen that included five total touchdowns.
Limiting Tech on offense also has to do with what the Knights are able to accomplish when they have the ball.
For Central to be successful, it has to keep the Ravens’ attack off the field as much as possible and control the clock.
“That’s one of the keys to the game,” Wells explained. “If we have the ball, their offense can’t score.”
Turnovers will also play a large role in the contest. Recently Central has been plagued with mistakes – including a pair of critical miscues in a week three loss to Division II Appoquinimink – but its coach hopes those are behind his squad.
“It’s rare that the team that turns the ball over more wins the game,” Wells said. “Turnovers are especially big when you have two pretty much even teams playing against each other. We can’t afford to make costly mistakes against them.”
Any time Henlopen North teams take the football field there is a lot on the line.
When Sussex Tech (3-1 overall, 2-0 North) and Sussex Central (2-2, 1-0) are on opposite sidelines, as they will be this Friday at Ravens Stadium, even more importance is placed on the outcome.
First off, the game pits two conference undefeated teams against each other. Second, it will be Tech’s homecoming; and third, the aptly name “Georgetown Bowl” will also be a fight for local bragging rights.
“Whenever you are playing a cross-town rival, you have to make sure you’re prepared for a battle,” Tech head coach Bernie Nowakowski said. “Sussex Central’s a good program with good coaching and players. This is an important week of practice.”
Central, which broke a two-game losing streak last week with a 27-6 win over Milford, and its head coach, John Wells, is taking this week’s practice in the same fashion as the Ravens.
For Central to be successful in the bout, Wells said his club will need to limit Tech’s big play ability.
“Their offense starts with [fullback Desmond] Sivels, but you can’t just focus on him,” Wells explained. “When teams do that, you see them get the ball to Shane Marvel and he’ll rip off a 20-yard run.
“Tech can pass too, and if you plan to just stop Sivels, they’ll make you pay with a big pass play,” he continued. “We need to make them grind out yards and hopefully we can create a turnover or force a punt.”
Wells added that his club will still need to contain Tech’s senior fullback, who is coming off a 383-yard rushing performance against Cape Henlopen that included five total touchdowns.
Limiting Tech on offense also has to do with what the Knights are able to accomplish when they have the ball.
For Central to be successful, it has to keep the Ravens’ attack off the field as much as possible and control the clock.
“That’s one of the keys to the game,” Wells explained. “If we have the ball, their offense can’t score.”
Turnovers will also play a large role in the contest. Recently Central has been plagued with mistakes – including a pair of critical miscues in a week three loss to Division II Appoquinimink – but its coach hopes those are behind his squad.
“It’s rare that the team that turns the ball over more wins the game,” Wells said. “Turnovers are especially big when you have two pretty much even teams playing against each other. We can’t afford to make costly mistakes against them.”
Along with the importance of the bout to both teams’ playoff hopes, one other intriguing aspect revolves around Friday’s game.
Prior to the season, a lengthy process regarding the eligibility of now Central running back and linebacker Brandon Lewis involved Tech.
Lewis, who attended Cape as a freshman, transferred to Tech and played as a sophomore before his family moved to the Central part of the Indian River School District prior to his junior campaign.
While the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association decided on Lewis’ eligibility, he was sidelined for the first week of the season but cleared to play and has done so the last three contests.
Still, some bad blood remains between the programs over the situation and will likely be a source of conversation leading up to the game.
Wells, however, said Lewis and Central will be focused on Tech and not off-the-field issues.
“I haven’t heard him say two words about this game being any more important than any other one,” Wells said. “All of that is behind him, he has friends on both sides, and when he steps on the field it will be all about helping us win.”
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
