By Andy Walter

DOVER — Nine Downstate squads are among the 24 teams that made the three DIAA class football state tournaments.

The state tourney committee met this morning to determine the three eight-team fields according to the tournament’s point system.

All three tournaments begin next weekend with the four highest-seeded teams hosting games in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

The championship games will still be played at Delaware Stadium in Newark although they will be spread over two days — Thursday, Nov. 30 and Friday, Dec. 1 — due to the availability of the facility.

The seven district winners — two in Class 3A and 1A along with three in Class 2A — were also guaranteed the top spots in their brackets before then being ranked by their point index.

All three games involving Downstate teams in Class 3A are being played on Friday at 7 p.m.: No. 8 Smyrna (4-6) will play at No. 1 Salesianum (9-1), No. 2 Sussex Central (7-3) will host No. 7 Appoquinimink (6-4) and No. 3 Dover (9-1) will host No. 6 Cape Henlopen (7-3).

In the one game involving Downstate teams in Class 2A, No. 3 Woodbridge (8-2) will host No. 6 Laurel (6-4) on Friday at 7 p.m.

In games involving Downstate teams in Class 1A on Friday, No. 2 Polytech (9-1) will make the program’s state tourney debut when it hosts No. 7 Glasgow (4-6) at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, No. 8 First State Military (6-4) will  also be making the program’s first state tournament appearance when it plays at No. 1 Tatnall (9-1) at 1 p.m. while No. 4 Indian River (7-3) will host No. 5 Brandywine (5-5) at 5 p.m.

Most of the games are rematches from the regular season.

Smyrna and Glasgow both made the tournament with 4-6 records. The defending Class 3A state champion Eagles earned a spot by knocking off District II champion Sussex Central, 40-35, on Friday night.

Smyrna will be playing its third game at Wilmington’s Abessinio Stadium this season. The Eagles lost to Sallies there, 28-12, on Sept. 22 and to Manheim Central, Pa., 37-36, on Sept. 1.

Sussex Central will get the chance to avenge probably its most frustrating loss of the season. The Golden Knights loss to Appoquinimink, 31-30, on Oct. 6 after leading by 17 points going into the fourth quarter.

Cape Henlopen will also get another chance at Dover, a team it lost to, 35-7, on Nov. 3.

In Class 2A, Woodbridge beat Laurel, 24-8, on Oct. 6.

In Class 1A, the only rematch among Downstate teams is the IR-Brandywine game. The Bulldogs beat the Indians, 38-28, on Oct. 13.

Football
DIAA State Tournaments
Class 3A

Quarterfinals

Friday, Nov. 17

Games start at 7 p.m.
8-Smyrna (4-6) at 1-Salesianum (9-1)
7-Appoquinimink (6-4) at 2-Sussex Central (7-3)
6-Cape Henlopen (7-3) at 3-Dover (9-1)

Saturday, Nov. 18

5-Middletown (7-3) vs. 4-Hodgson (7-3), at Caravel, 11 a.m.

•••
Class 2A
Quarterfinals
Friday, Nov. 17

Games start at 7 p.m.
6-Laurel (6-4) at 3-Woodbridge (8-2)
8-Delaware Military (5-5) at 1-Caravel (10-0)

Saturday, Nov. 18

7-Red Lion Christian (7-3) at 2-Archmere (7-3), 11 a.m.
5-Howard (7-3) vs. 4-Wilmington Friends (8-2) at Abessinio Stadium, 1 p.m.

•••
Class 1A
Quarterfinals
Friday, Nov. 17

7-Glasgow (4-6) at 2-Polytech (9-1), 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 18

8-First State Military (6-4) at 1-Tatnall (9-1), 1 p.m.
5-Brandywine (5-5) at 4-Indian River (7-3), 5 p.m.
6-St. Elizabeth (5-5) at 3-Wilm. Charter (7-3), 11 a.m.

•••
Unified
First round
Wednesday, Nov. 15

9-William Penn at 8-McKean, 3:30 p.m.

Second round
Thursday, Nov. 16

William Penn/McKean at 1-Caesar Rodney, 6 p.m.
5-Mt. Pleasant at 4-Appoquinimink, 4 p.m.
6-Smyrna at 3-Cape Henlopen, 3:30 p.m.
2-Newark Charter, bye

Semifinals
Tuesday, Nov. 28

Sites and times, TBA

Finals
Thursday, Nov. 30
or Friday, Dec. 1

At Delaware Stadium, 5 p.m.