By Tim Mastro

NEWARK — Bragging rights in the Blue-Gold senior all-star football game shifted to the Blue team Friday night for the first time since 2016.

Gold’s four-game winning streak, which spanned over five years, was snapped as the Blue earned a 26-13 victory in the 66th annual DFRC Blue-Gold game. Gold, which represents all high schools south of the C&D Canal plus Red Lion Christian, had won in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 after the 2020 contest was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blue extended its lead in the overall series to 33-30-3. It was the largest margin of victory for Blue since 21-7 in 2007.

Conor Campbell from Salesianum paced Blue with a pair of touchdown passes. Campbell broke a 13-13 tie with a 55-yard bomb to Delaware Military Academy’s C.J. Coombes with eight seconds left in the third quarter.

Campbell was honored post-game with the Outstanding Player Award. Gold did take some hardware home as Lucas Ruppert of Cape Henlopen won the game’s Outstanding Lineman Award.

Ruppert is the fourth Cape Henlopen player to win the Outstanding Lineman Award, joining Bill Collick (1970), Daniel Paskine (1985) and Tony Taylor (2006).

“It’s awesome,” Ruppert said. “I appreciate everyone who has been there with me, this week has just been awesome. I’m a little speechless right now, so I’ll stick with ‘this is awesome.’”

Gold led the contest in the first half thanks to a blocked punt by Donovan Mack of St. Georges. Mack deflected the ball near the Blue’s 20-yard line and it rolled all the way back into the end zone.

Wyatt Wright of Woodbridge was able to pounce on the loose ball for a 13-7 Gold lead. But that was the last time Gold would find the end zone the rest of the night.

Blue sent the game into halftime tied 13-13 when Devon Green (Delaware Military Academy) scored on a 9-yard rush. Coombes gave Blue the lead in the third quarter before De’mere Hollingsworth of Howard sealed it for Blue when he caught a 19-yard pass from Campbell on fourth down with 8:57 left in the contest.

Ky’Shwn Drumgo of Caravel added a 6-yard rushing touchdown for Blue while Zy’Aire Tart of Middletown caught Gold’s other touchdown on a 9-yard pass from Appoquinimink’s Ryan Von Brandt in the second quarter. Gunnar Abbott of Sussex Central added an interception for the Gold defense while Averi Copes of Milford contributed a sack.

With Gold’s win streak stopping at four, it tied the team’s longest in the event which dates back to 1956. Gold also won four in a row from 2000-2003 and 2011-2014.

While the night was a loss for Gold, Ruppert said he’ll always remember the experience of the all-star festivities and DFRC’s Hand-in-Hand program which partners a player with a buddy from DFRC with an intellectual disability.

“Unfortunately we lost but it’s always going to be about the relationships for me,” Ruppert said. “It’s been a pleasure, especially with the bodies. It’s awesome coming out here and playing a game for them. It’s always fun to see them smile and laugh. It’s just a great moment.”