By Andy Walter

SEAFORD — Seaford High’s boys’ basketball players can look to more than just their gym walls to see signs of the program’s proud past.

They can look to their bench, too.

Seaford head coach Vince Evans and middle-school coach Andre Matthews were both members of the Blue Jays’ DIAA state championship team in 1997. They don’t mind sharing some stories with their current players.

“We talk about the banners up there,” said Evans, standing on the Seaford court.

“We actually tell them they have a chance to be the second-best team to ever come through here,” he joked.

The latest Blue Jays are doing their best to add their own chapter to that legacy.

Reaching the state Final Four for the first time since that ’97 squad, No. 10 Seaford (19-5) will face No. 3 Tower Hill (18-3) today at 6:30 p.m. in the Carpenter Center in the DIAA semifinals.

Fourth-seeded Howard (18-3) takes on No. 1 Salesianum (14-8) in the second game with the two winners squaring off in the state finals on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Evans, of course, would be thrilled to see this year’s team become the second Seaford squad to capture the state crown. The Blue Jays also made the state championship game in 1986 and 1990.

“We let them know how special it is,” said Evans, who is in his fourth season as head coach. “We bring in some of the alumni. Delino (DeShields) has been home, Ty Neal has been here — just reminding them of the tradition of Seaford athletics.

“Oh man, it means everything,” he said about Seaford being back in the Final Four. “The community has really rallied around these guys. This is probably the biggest thing since DuPont was in Seaford. I remind these guys all the time,

‘Just look at what you’ve done. You’ve brought people from the ’80s and ’90s back to watch the games.’

“It as awesome experience, an awesome feeling for everybody.”

Matthews, of course, was the star of that ‘97 championship game. He tallied 32 points and 16 rebounds in the contest. He now has three sons — Aviyon Matthews, Akendre Matthews and Zion Mifflin — playing for the Blue Jays.
Matthews does what he can to tell them what it takes to win a championship.

“I talk a lot about how we practiced going into it, how much focus we had,” said Matthews. “The coaches didn’t really have to do anything. We were focused and locked in.

“Now, for them to experience it, it’s almost as good as winning the whole thing again.”

Perhaps the best thing, said Matthews, is that hasn’t had to do as much talking lately. The youngsters are really starting to figure it out.

“They’re starting to really understand how to get what they want,” said Matthews. “Now they’re putting in the work, now they’re getting up early. Now they’re putting up shots, now they’re focused in school, now they’re focused at home.”

Seaford’s players say they like knowing that the program has made it this far before. They know that reminding people of those glory days is a positive thing for the community.

“What we’re doing now is bringing the community together,” said junior Brent Ricketts. “It feels good. They (the former players) set the path and we want to do what they did, too.

“We’re trying to get one of our own so we can stop hearing the coaches talk about it,” he joked.

“It just pushes me to be great,” said sophomore Kashmeir Wise. “There’s a lot of great players that came out of Seaford. We know what it takes to get to the championship. When the time comes, we just have to push ourselves to compete.”

If the Blue Jays are fortunate enough to reach Saturday’s state championship game, Matthews knows the experience will be even more special for the players.

Twenty-five years after he helped Seaford win its state crown, Matthews said it holds a big place in his life.

“I’ll never forget it, I’ll never forget it,” he said. “Me and Vince talk about it all the time. We still can’t explain that feeling of winning. You can’t put it into words.”

Free throws

Tower Hill has never reached the state finals. ... The Henlopen Conference has had a team in the state finals each of the last four seasons (not counting the canceled 2020 game) and five times in the last six years. ... At least one private school has played in the last 11 championship games. ... Former Delaware State quarterback Rahsaan Matthews, Sr. is Howard’s head coach.

Follow Andy Walter on Twitter at @DSNSports