By Andy Walter

DOVER — In three decades coaching football at Wesley College, Chip Knapp has seen his share of last-minute problem-solving.

That was especially true when the Wolverines were playing junior varsity games.

“I remember JV games when we talked to defensive linemen on the bus on the way down to the game — to teach them some ‘O’ line play,” said Knapp, Wesley’s head coach.

So maybe it wasn’t quite that bad last week when the Wolverines opened their final season by hosting Salisbury.

But Wesley was missing seven starters, it didn’t have its kicker or punter and had a few players just returning after sitting out 10 days of practice because of COVID protocols.

So the fact that the Wolverines took the rival Sea Gulls to the wire before falling, 32-30, on Saturday is actually a testament to Wesley’s determination.

“I liked our effort and enthusiasm,” said Knapp. “The energy level that we brought last week was great. That’s all we felt like we could control with all the other adversity going on. That’s what we did.

“Even though we didn’t win the game, we felt good about ourselves. We walked off the field with our heads held high. That’s all we can do.

“We had guys out of position, we had no punter or kicker, we had guys just coming out of quarantine. ... there were a lot of unique situations that you’re going to find playing football in the spring.”

While they’re proud of the moral victory, the Wolverines are more interested in earning a real one. They play another NJAC game today at 2 p.m. at Montclair State (1-0) — a team they just scrimmaged two weeks ago.

Right now, Wesley is slated to play only one other game — at Christopher Newport on March 28. But Knapp said there’s the possibility of adding another game, maybe even at home.

Against Salisbury, the Wolverines put up 450 yards of offense to 320 for the Gulls.

Quarterback Brady Walters has been a pleasant surprise for Wesley. In his first college game, the 6-foot, 180-pound sophomore completed 16-of-31 passes for 278 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

There have been times when Walters was the only QB available in practice.

“He’s one of the hardest workers out there and he’s very passionate about playing football,” said Knapp. “He’s made significant improvement from last fall and even this spring. For 10 days he was our only quarterback, so he got every rep.

“He’s gotten better and better. In the game against Salisbury, he did a great job. ... He’s going to get better each time. He’s got some other colleges asking about him now and he deserves that from all the work he’s put in.”

Three leaving DSU

The Delaware State men’s basketball team will have a decidedly different look next winter.

The Hornets’ top three seniors have all entered the NCAA transfer portal. That group includes leading scorer Myles Carter (15.0 ppg), along with Pinky Wiley (10.2) and Ameer Bennett (4.9 ppg).

All three will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Wiley, who netted his 1,000th point this season, thanked DSU’s coaches and others on a social-media post.

“Huge shoutout to my teammates,” he wrote. “You guys have been the best brothers and teammates anyone could ask for. We stuck it out through thick and thin.”

Nova on their minds

It’s been a long time since Delaware got crunched by rival Villanova, 55-33, to end the 2019 football season.

But that was also the last time the Blue Hens played a game before the pandemic hit. So Delaware’s defensive players had a long time to think about that contest before the spring season.

“For all of quarantine, for the past year or so, we’ve had such a salty feeling,” UD linebacker Liam Trainer said a couple weeks ago. “We definitely had a chip on our shoulder. I think it gave us a new approach — to study more film, get in the weight room more and kind of just bond together as a defensive unit especially.”

While the circumstances are different this spring, the Hens’ defense has given up only three points in two games so far.

Notes

The Delaware men’s lacrosse team (5-1), which is ranked No. 18 in Division I this week, hosts CAA rival Towson today at noon. ... Polytech High grad Carter Chasanov, a junior outfielder at Bloomsburg, has five hits, five runs, four RBI and three walks in his first four games this spring. ... Wesley’s men’s basketball team finished its final season with a 2-2 record. Smyrna High grad Greg Bloodsworth netted 31 points in one of two wins over Bryn Athyn to end the season. ... A freshman on the Wilmington softball squad, Smyrna grad Sara Miller is 9-for-32 with three doubles, a triple, four walks and five RBI.