By Tim Mastro

WILMINGTON — Abessinio Stadium looked like it was about to turn into a pond Friday night — everything and everyone was drenched for Smyrna High’s road game at Salesianum as rain poured down in buckets.

But Smyrna was still running its normal offense. The Eagles attempted 21 passes in the first half when the weather was at its worst.

“That’s who we are and we’re not going to change who we are for anything,” said Smyrna quarterback Cameron Edge.
And the Eagles didn’t miss a beat.

Wayne Knight scored three times while Edge tossed a pair of touchdowns as Smyrna defeated the Sals 28-7 despite the storm in a Class 3A classification matchup Friday. Smyrna stretched its winning streak to five games and improved to 6-2 overall.

The Eagles have won four straight over Salesianum and seven of the last eight meetings between the two teams.

With a majority of Friday night’s football slate postponed due to the rough weather throughout the state, the Eagles and Sals were some of the few teams who elected to give it a go.

Smyrna fumbled on its opening drive, which led to a Salesianum touchdown three plays later, but it was all Eagles after that.

Edge set up the first Smyrna touchdown with a 32-yard lob through the rain to Devin DeMoe on fourth-and-13. Knight then powered into the end zone for a three-yard score and converted the two-point conversion for an 8-7 lead with 5:29 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles then capitalized on a Salesianum fumble, recovered by Cole Moyer. Knight added to the lead a few snaps later on a two-yard touchdown, giving the Eagles a 14-7 halftime advantage as both teams were able to dry off at halftime.

“I don’t think anybody can prepare for a torrential downpour like that — it was insane,” said Smyrna coach Mike Judy. “But you just got to go. We didn’t throw the ball downfield a lot, we definitely tried to take the easy ones.”

The rain briefly stopped during the first few minutes of the third quarter. The clearer weather led to a 91-yard screen pass for a score from Edge to Knight on the Eagles first play of the second half.

“It was a huge energy booster for our team and the fans that came out to support us,” Knight said. “We needed come out in the second half with a big explosion play and let us roll.”

Edge capped the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown to DeMoe with 3:42 left in the third quarter. Smyrna’s defense kept the Sals off the scoreboard for the final 45:39.

“We have each other’s backs at all times,” said Smyrna defensive lineman Nate Chandler. “We’re always locked in.”

Edge finished 20-for-35 on his passing attempts, throwing for 260 yards.

“With rain the football was probably 15 pounds, it was horrible,” Edge said. “But we got through it.”