The DFRC announced the high school seniors selected to play in the 69th DFRC Blue-Gold All★Star Football Game, scheduled for Friday, June 20. (Photo GARY EMEIGH – Trey Hamlin Gold defender Tre Von Paulson of Seaford Blue team- 2024 Blue-Gold All★Star Football Game)
This year’s game will feature 80 student-athletes from across the state, chosen not only for their athletic ability but for their leadership and character. The event, held annually since 1956, brings together students from 48 high schools to participate as football players, cheerleaders, band members, and student ambassadors.
Dave Collins of Hodgson Vo-Tech High School will lead the Blue Team, while Jed Bell of Milford High School will head the Gold Team. Both head coaches are supported by a slate of assistant coaches drawn from schools statewide. Among the Blue Team assistants are coaches from Hodgson, Delaware Military Academy, William Penn, and the Charter School of Wilmington. The Gold Team will be assisted by coaches from St. Georges, Indian River, Woodbridge, Sussex Tech, Delmar, and Cape Henlopen.
John Wilson of St. Georges Technical School will serve as Camp Director. He is joined by a team of Assistant Camp Directors from Howard, Hodgson, Appoquinimink, Woodbridge, and A.I. DuPont high schools. Jody Russell of Newark Charter School returns as chair of the DFRC Blue-Gold Athletic Committee, with Bell also serving in a leadership role.
A hallmark of the DFRC Blue-Gold Program is its Hand-in-Hand Program, which pairs participants with children and young adults with intellectual disABILITIES to foster friendships and mutual understanding. Through this initiative, student participants engage directly with the individuals they support.
Since its founding, DFRC has awarded over $6.4 million in grants to organizations throughout Delaware supporting individuals with intellectual disABILITIES. Proceeds from the annual game and other DFRC fundraising events help sustain these efforts.
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