By Andy Walter

CAMDEN — A year ago, Sussex Central High was hardly the favorite to win the DIAA Division I football state title.

But the Golden Knights took it anyway, winning six games in a row to capture the crown.

With a modest 5-5 record, nobody will be picking Central to repeat as state champions.

After ending the regular season with a convincing 42-6 win over Caesar Rodney on Friday night, though, the Knights say they’re going to do their best to surprise people again.

“I’ve been reminiscing (about winning the championship),” said Central junior running back P.J. Henry. “We’ve got to get this back. We’ve got to.

“We’re just a sleeper team. Going into the playoffs, everybody’s been sleeping on us and doubting us. As soon as we go into the playoffs, we’re going to make some noise.”

Both teams will be in action next weekend for the quarterfinals of the DIAA state tournament, now known as Class 3A. All 11 programs in Class 3A are making the tourney this year in its inaugural season.

The tournament pairings are slated to be determined and announced on Sunday.

But the winless Riders (0-4 District II, 0-10 overall) made the Knights (2-2 District II) earn the victory. Central reeled off 35 unanswered points in the second half to take control of the contest.

Kristopher Shields (15 carries-109 yards) and Henry (12-103 yards) both scored a pair of touchdowns as the Knights broke free.

“Man, we just turned on that switch,” Henry explained. “We’d been looking for it all game and we finally found it in the second half.”

CR had led 6-0 since scoring on the contest’s first drive. But just when it looked like the Riders were going to own their first halftime advantage of the season, the Golden Knights answered.

Central drove 81 yards in eight plays to score with just :31.4 seconds left before intermission. Shields took a pitch to the right and swept in to the end zone from nine yards out.

The PAT kick from Ibrahim Leyva-Fojaco gave the Knights a 7-6 lead. Henry’s 33-yard run was the longest play on the drive.

A good kickoff return by Shields to start the second half then set up the Knights at the CR 47. Eight plays later, Shields scored on a six-yard run and Central owned a more-comfortable 14-6 advantage.

A defensive stop and another short field finished with a 12-yard TD run on a counter by Henry. That touchdown pushed Central’s lead to 21-6 with 2:56 left in the third quarter.

Henry added a 25-yard scoring run to start the fourth quarter before Trazmeer Willis returned an interception 36 yards for another touchdown. A 53-yard touchdown run by Andrew Long (8-70 yards) capped off the night.

Central coach John Wells said he knew the Riders would be a challenge, despite their record.

“They played Cape tough, they played Sallies tough,” he said. “We made some adjustments. They were blitzing some and we had to adjust to it.”

CR, which used three quarterbacks in the game, never did find the same success it found on the night’s opening drive again.

The Riders opened the game with an impressive 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive. After overcoming three penalties on the march — which lasted 6:25 — CR actually gained a total of 104 yards before Andre Moore scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak.
A blocked extra point left the Riders with only a 6-0 advantage.

There’s a chance that the Knights and CR could meet again next week in the Class 3A quarterfinals. After losing 20 seniors from last year’s state championship team, Wells said there’s no pressure on Central to repeat.

“We’re as healthy now as we’ve been,” he said. “We said we want to get better each week, get to the playoffs and see if we can cause some havoc in the playoffs. That’s been our goal since day one.

“It’s nice not having pressure. We’re excited to be in the tournament.”