Harmon, Bell power Sussex Central to 41-27 win over Cape Henlopen

Will Harmon of Sussex Central runs over a Cape Henlopen defender on his way to one of his three touchdowns. Photo by Dar’Juan Pitts

LEWES — Sussex Central took the first step in defense of their 2023 Class AAA District 2 title on Friday night as they went into Cape Henlopen for a rematch of last year’s state tournament semifinals.

This time the Golden Knights rewrote the script, using a bruising rushing attack to leave the beach with a 41-27 victory.

Will Harmon scored three times for the Golden Knights, carrying the ball 12 times for 63 yards.

Sussex Central got off to a fast start as Malik Bell went 56 yards for a touchdown just three plays into the game. Rodney Escobar-Gonzalez added the point after kick, giving Sussex Central a 7-0 lead.

Cape Henlopen responded with an 80-yard scoring drive using up nine minutes, capped off by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jameson Tingle to Quardell Richards. Trent Kauffman added the kick as the Vikings tied the game 7-7.

Cape Henlopen attempted an onside kick, but the Golden Knights’s Isaiah Wooters took the ball on a high bounce and raced 51 yards for a touchdown. Cape Henlopen blocked the point after attempt as Sussex Central took a 13-7 lead with 1:00 left in the first quarter.

“We didn’t expect to score that fast, and we really didn’t want to, but you take those scores when they come,” Sussex Central head coach John Wells said.

Bell eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for this season on the Golden Knights drive.

“Malik Bell is special; he is a great weapon to have in the backfield,” Wells said.

On their next possession, the Vikings drove as deep as the Sussex Central 22-yard line, but the Golden Knights’ defense stiffened. On second down, Harmon and Nazir Jones sacked Tingle for a ten-yard loss, followed by two incomplete passes, giving the Sussex Central defense an early stop in the game.

Sussex Central took advantage, going on an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive capped off by a three-yard touchdown run by Harmon. Jajuan Sturgis converted the two-point run, extending the lead to 21-7 with 1:33 to play in the first half.

Cape Henlopen opened the third quarter driving deep into Sussex Central territory, but the drive stalled at the 11-yard line, giving the Golden Knights’ defense their second defensive stop of the game.

Sussex Central capitalized, going on an 89-yard scoring drive using nearly five minutes to stretch their lead when Harmon scored on a four-yard run. Escobar-Gonzalez’s kick was short as Sussex Central led 27-7.

Wells said he was happy with how Josiah Cannon managed the offense. The Golden Knights were playing without their senior quarterback Bradley Chavez, who was injured last week.

“I thought Josiah Cannon played a great game; he drove our offense down the field on two critical long drives,” Wells said.

Cape Henlopen got back on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter on a two-yard run by Richards. Kauffmen’s kick made the score 27-14.

Sussex Central answered with a one-yard touchdown run by Bell to extend their lead to 34-14.

The Vikings scored twice in the fourth quarter. Amari Jackson caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Tingle. Cape Henlopen executed an onside kick, and two minutes later, Tingle connected with Jayden Messick on a three-yard touchdown pass to cut the score to 34-27 with 3:11 to play in the game.

Cape Henlopen attempted another onside kick, but it was ruled that the Vikings touched the ball before it traveled 10 yards, giving Sussex Central the ball at the Cape 49.

Three plays later, Harmon went around the right end, breaking a tackle and racing 32 yards for a touchdown run. Escobar-Gonzalez converted the kick as the Golden Knights closed out the scoring 41-27.

Sussex Central amassed 323 yards on offense — all of it on the ground. Bell had 14 carries for 166 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Messick gained 100 yards on 11 carries for Cape Henlopen, while Tingle completed 13 of 30 passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns.

Cape Henlopen fell to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in Class AAA District 2. The Vikings will be on the road next Friday night at Caesar Rodney. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.

Sussex Central improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in District 2. The Golden Knights will travel to St. Georges for an afternoon game next Saturday with a noon kickoff.

Benny Mitchell