CAMDEN — Even Kevin Custis had to admit that things looked bad.
When the Sussex Tech High defender started chasing Caesar Rodney’s Kevin Robinson, it felt like the Riders’ ball carrier …
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Already a member? Log in to continue. Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
Please log in to continue |
CAMDEN — Even Kevin Custis had to admit that things looked bad.
When the Sussex Tech High defender started chasing Caesar Rodney’s Kevin Robinson, it felt like the Riders’ ball carrier already had a 30-yard lead on him.
But when Custis finally caught up to Robinson 80 yards downfield, knocked the ball loose and teammate Conor Ellingsworth recovered it, all that running was worth it.
Custis’ hustle play seemed to epitomize Sussex Tech’s effort on Friday night as the Ravens — undeterred by their three-game losing streak — dumped CR by a surprising 41-6 margin in a Henlopen North football matchup.
Sussex Tech (1-2 North, 3-4 overall) led 28-0 at halftime before sending the contest to a running clock with a 35-0 lead early in the third quarter.
But the Ravens led only 14-0 when the Riders’ Robinson broke free for what looked like it would be an 86-yard touchdown run. That’s why it was so big when Custis ran him down and forced the turnover at the six.
Custis was one of a few Sussex Tech players who didn’t quit on the play.
“Coach told us, never give up on a play,” said Custis. “No matter who it is, always chase them down. That’s what I did. It felt great.
“I think it gave us the momentum. It kind of turned us all up. It told us to keep going.”
“When you lose three games in a row and have a couple kids do that, that tells you the type of kids we have,” said Sussex Tech coach Mark Quillin. “K.J. (Custis) never takes a day off. ... To not quit and keep battling no matter what, that’s a pretty good situation for us.”
The Ravens were able to run the ball well all night, getting 160 rushing yards and a pair of TDs on 21 carries from senior Michael Norsworthy.
Custis (6 carries-104 yards) also reached the end zone, breaking loose on a 69-yard scoring run of his own in the third quarter. Ellingsworth, a sophomore, got a TD, too, when he scored on a 30-yard run in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens’ second touchdown came when quarterback Chase Snyder rolled to his right and found tight end Grant Lamers for a 40-yard scoring pass in the first quarter. Sussex Tech also got a 16-yard TD run from Jalen Snead (9 carries-74 yards).
The Ravens’ previous two losses came against two good teams — Sussex Central and Dover. Quillin said he never felt like his players were giving up on the season.
“We’ve played some really good football teams,” he said. “But we’ve practiced the same way the last few weeks. Luckily, I’ve got a great staff. We’ve kind of been through the ups and downs together.”
“We just gave it all we’ve got,” said Custis. “We came out and played hard right from the beginning and we just stuck with it.”
It was a difficult night for the Riders (2-2 North, 4-3 overall), who didn’t have much success on either side of the ball.
CR’s only points came in the closing minutes when junior Scottie Flowers scored on a four-yard run. The TD was set up by backup QB Anthony Jacobs’ 36-yard pass to Joey Delgado.
The Riders had several players injured in the game, including Robinson, who didn’t return after his 80-yard run because of a knee injury.
But CR Dan Candeloro said Sussex Tech deserved all the credit for the way it played.
“They just ran the ball down our throat,” he said. “We knew they were good on film. We told our guys the whole week, don’t look at records, don’t look at predictions. They’re going to come to play — and they did.”