DIAA Boys Soccer: Downstate sweep as Cape Henlopen, Sussex Academy win titles

Sussex Academy celebrates after winning the DIAA Boys Soccer Divisioni 2 championship. PHOTO: Ben Fulton

DIAA BOYS SOCCER FINALS

Division 1: No. 1 Caesar Rodney defeated No. 2 Salesianum 3-1

Caesar Rodney scored two goals in the second half to pull away for a 3-1 victory over Salesianum in the D1 DIAA soccer finals. Trevor Sulliivan scored the first goal in the second half, which proved to be the game-winner. However, Joe Honroe added a late goal for the final margin as the Riders won their second state championship in 30 years and avenged their only loss this season.

Division 2: No. 1 Sussex Academy defeated No. 11 St. Andrew’s 3-2 on penalty kicks

Sussex Academy won its second state championship on penalty kicks, 2-1. The game went full time plus two 10-minute overtimes and it came down to penalty kicks. The Sussex Academy goalies came up big on the penalty kicks, blocking three of the five shots. Starting goalie CJ Norton made two saves, while backup Austin Taylor made the third.

Chase Ballinger scored the goal for Sussex Academy in regulation, while Gabriel Musa scored St. Andrews’s the goal for St Andrews. Congratulations to Sussex Academy on their second soccer state championship.

Sussex Academy’s Aiden Villar takes on a Caravel defender in the DIAA Boys Soccer Division II semifinals

SEMIFINALS (Nov. 13)

Division 1:

No. 2 Salesianum defeated No. 6 St. Georges 4-1. Chase Esser led the Sals with two goals while Tyler Cifa and Diego Castillo-Hernandez each added one.

No. 1 Caesar Rodney defeated No. 4 Delcastle 2-1. Joe Honroe scored two goals to lead the Riders.

Division 2:

No. 1 Sussex Academy defeated No. 4 Caravel 1-0. Andres Romer-Nieto scored the lone goal of the game in the second half.

No. 11 St Andrew’s defeated No. 2 Tatnall 1-0. Luke Robinson scored the lone goal in the game for the Saints. St. Andrew’s has now beaten the second seed, the third seed, and the sixth seed on its Cinderella run.

Division 2 Quarterfinals (Nov. 9)

No. 11 seed St. Andrew’s School stunned No. 3 Conrad in heartbreaking fashion for the losing team. One of four quarterfinal games played Saturday, St. Andrew’s won 6-5 in penalty kicks. The giant killers, who beat No. 6 Delmar in the first round, move on to play No. 2 seed Tatnall, who edged Sanford 1-0, on Wednesday.

No. 1 seed Sussex Academy slipped by Saint Mark’s 2-1 in overtime, while No. 4 Caravel put an end to No. 12 Newark Charter’s Cinderella run by a 3-0 score. The two winners play Wednesday evening.

The DIAA Boys Soccer State Championship tournament saw one upset in the first (quarterfinal) round in Division 1, while Division II saw three double-digit seeds score upsets headed into Saturday night’s quarterfinal round.

Caesar Rodney is the No. 1 seed for Division I in this year’s tournament, while Sussex Academy took the No. 1 seed in Division II.

The Riders finished the regular season 12-1-2. Their only loss was to No. 2 seed Salesianum by a 3-1 score. Their two ties were to No. 8 Seed Cape Henlopen and Tatnall, the No. 2 seed in Division II.

Division 1 Quarterfinals (Nov. 7)

No. 1 Caesar Rodney defeated No. 8 Cape Henlopen 3-2 in Overtime. Up next: No. 4 Delcastle on Thursday.

No. 4 Delcastle defeated No. 5 Appoquinimink 3-2 in Overtime. Up next: No. 1 Caesar Rodney on Thursday.

No. 2 Salesianum defeated No. 7 Sussex Central 4-1. Up next: No. 6 St. Georges.

No. 6 St. Georges defeated No. 3 Charter 3-2. Up next: No. 2 Salesianum on Thursday

Division II Round 1 (Nov. 6)

No. 8 Saint Mark’s defeated No. 9 Indian River 2-1. Up next: At No. 1 Sussex Academy

No. 10 Sanford defeated No. 7 Brandywine 1-0. Up next: At No. 2 Tatnall

No. 12 Newark Charter defeated No. 5 Tower Hill 2-1. Up next: at No. 4 Caravel

No. 11 St. Andrew’s defeated No. 6 Delmar 3-1. Up next: At No. 3 Conrad

Quarterfinal games will be played on Saturday, Nov. 9, on the home fields of the four top seeds. Results will be posted by Sunday morning.