It was a thriller in the Tub on Saturday, as the Hens battled back to down Lafayette.
Next up is Saturday night at 9:00 EST vs. the Montana Grizzlies. For those of us not traveling to Missoula, we can watch on ESPN+ and listen in on WDSD 94.7 FM.
Blue Hen Touchdown Club MVP’s for Lafayette:
Offense – #4 QB Nick Minicucci
Defense – #12 DL Chase McGowan
Special Teams – #37 Alex Schmoke
Watch for details on the Senior Awards Banquet to be held Friday, February 2nd, 2024!
Offensive MVP Nick Minicucci
Defensive MVP Chase McGowan
Special Teams MVP Alex Schmoke
Photo Credits: Bill Bretzger, Delawareonline.com
Our final BHTC lunch was this past Friday. We had a lineup of speakers representing football, both basketball squads, and our MVP’s for the Campbell game. Next up for the Club will be the Senior Awards Banquet on Friday, February 2, 2024. Watch here for a full report of our meeting, to be updated soon!
Running Backs Coach, Andrew Pierce
Asst. Women’s Basketball Coach, Sam Pierce
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Martin Ingelsby
Offensive MVP, #54 OL Fintan Brose
Defensive MVP, #4 DB Khalil Dawsey
Special Teams MVP, #91 PK Nate Reed
Above, Defensive MVP Khalil Dawsey’s 100 Yd INT
UD’s 8th win at Campbell, leads to this week’s Villanova game, with everything on the line.
Campbell MVP’s:
Offense #54 Fintan Brose
Defense #4 Khalil Dawsey
Spec. Teams #91 Nate Reed
This week’s meeting (Friday, 11/17/2023) includes:
Andrew Pierce, Running Back Coach and Recruiting Coordinator
Sarah Jenkins, Women’s Basketball Coach
Martin Ingelsby, Men’s Basketball Coach
– BHTC vote for 2023 MVP’s
– BHTC vote for officers
– Final Red Ticket Drawing for MANY high quality items.
Lunch served at 11:15, program at Noon!
Full report on last week’s meeting, thanks to Mark Werrell:
After explaining what happened on the three big pass plays against the Hens in the Elon game, corner backs coach Corico Wright promised that “next time you’ll be very proud” of the defense. Certainly, we were proud as the Blue Hens came up with two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a key fourth down stop versus Campbell.
Schematically, Delaware was able to, as Coach Wright stated, force their talented quarterback into a corner limiting his running ability and passing accuracy. Obviously, the game plan worked!
I’m sure that Corico did not want to have another “very stern” film session as they did after the Elon loss. Let’s hope that the film session after Campbell was, as coach quipped, “light and fluffy”!
Both Ben Deluca, head men’s lacrosse coach and Greg Mamula, head baseball coach, gave us updates on their teams. As Deluca seeks a national championship for the laxmen, he has brought in 14 freshmen and two transfers (Colgate and Fairfield) to do battle in the spring of 2024. Additionally, he has 12 verbal commitments from high school players for the 2024-25 year.
Ben commented that lacrosse is evolving into a nation-wide sport and is in fact the fastest growing sport in the country (even more than pickleball?). He is trying to schedule teams from the Big-10 and the Ivy League but most schools do not want to schedule the Hens because they know they could lose. He did, however, schedule Michigan at home, Penn at a yet to be determined place and Syracuse at a neutral site. I guess the “good old boy” network is breaking down a bit.
When interviewed for the UD job, he was sold with his first conversation with AD Chrissy Rawak and her vision of the direction of UD athletics. It also didn’t hurt that his wife is a former Blue Hen All-American lacrosse goalie!
Baseball coach Greg Mamula gave us information about the baseball stadium which is getting new turf and new wall padding. Additionally, due to a generous donor, UD was able to acquire TrackMan which measures everything that happens to a baseball (speed of pitches, speed of ball leaving the bat, rotation of pitches, etc.). This information can not only be used for internal analytics to help the team but the data goes directly to Major League Baseball. Recruits ask about this capability almost without exception.
Additionally, the team will now have visible pitch clocks that have sped up the game, a factor that Greg likes because he likes an up tempo game.
Delaware has 36 players on the roster including 10 from the First State. One of those local players is Tyler August who received scholarship offers from “everybody”. The son of former UD player Brian August, Tyler throws a 98mph fastball and will certainly be drafted into MLB when he is eligible. Greg is expecting big things from this young man!
Coach Ben DeLuca, Men’s Lacrosse
Coach Greg Mamula, Baseball Coach
Photos: Courtesy of Mark Campbel and Howdy Giles
Pictured above, All-American Defensive Back, NFL Veteran, George Schmitt
We had fun at last week’s lunch meeting, but not so much just a day later. Watch for an update here for a full meeting report where we heard from two UD Athletic Hall of Fame Members, along with MVP’s for Towson, Braden Brose and Tyron Herring.
Coach Terence Archer
Coach Archer, the assistant head coach and coach of the wide receivers described the Elon football team as well coached having some very good wins to their credit. Unfortunately, the Phoenix had another good win, against Delaware, this past Saturday.
Archer, who coached with Ryan Carty at Sam Houston, State told the club that it was a no brainer for him to follow Carty to Delaware. Having graduated from Monmouth University, Archer grew up in Abington, PA which is in Montogomery County just north of Philly. He was happy to come back east to not only coach football but to be nearer to family.
When asked the obligatory question about who would be starting at QB against Elon, Archer smiled and stated that the decision was above his pay grade.
George Schmitt
After his All-American career at Delaware, George was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. He characterized the Cardinals at that time as very strict levying fines for certain behaviors and activities such as $3,000 for dating a cheerleader. George stated however that that fine was “well worth it”!
Having made the team but rooming with a starting player and a rotational player, he had no buddies to go out with. Finally, the Cardinals picked up some players from waivers, who were not going to have much playing time, and he formed crew to go out on the town. Due to some injuries, however, Schmidt had to play against the likes of NFL legends Dan Fouts and Charlie Joiner of the San Diego Chargers. George quipped that he realized “this ain’t Colgate”. Unfortunately, a back injury and subsequent fusion surgery ended his pro career prematurely.
Currently, George works for the Tsionas Development Corp in Newark and one of his daughters is married to the current assistant men’s lacrosse coach at UD, Trey Wilkes. Recently, he has had several opportunities to speak with UD President Dennis Assanis and, though no details were given, Delaware football is on the move. You can derive from that statement what you wish!
Bob Hooper
In a touching and revealing talk, long-time BHTC member and UD Hall of Famer for his contributions as a QB in the early to mid-1950’s, Bob Hooper told us the story of Lenny Williams. Williams was the first black football player at UD. It was a time when blacks were not allowed on Main Street after dusk being told to go back to the other side of the train tracks by the police.
Although the players looked out for Lenny, segregation was rampant. The team was told at an end of the year celebration at the Deer Park that the “black guy had to leave” otherwise the police would be called. Well, the entire team left.
Lenny couldn’t believe it when Bob invited him to his Aunt’s house for lunch after a trip into Wilmington. It just wasn’t done in those days. Described by Bob as a spectacular guy who graduated from UD and law school, Lenny Williams eventually became a judge in Wilmington. In fact, in the government center on King Street you will see on the side of one of the buildings, the Leonard J. Williams Justice Center.
Lenny (the team’s center) once said Bob (the team’s QB) was never a problem because he (Bob) spent four years with his hands up my a**!
With pride and awe, Bob is happy to have his Hall of Fame plaque on the same wall as Lenny’s who was posthumously inducted in 2021.
Thank you, Bob Hooper for a great story!
We meet this Thursday and hear from:
Corico Wright, Assistant Coach/Cornerbacks / Defensive Pass Game Coordinator
Baseball Coach, Greg Mamula
AND
Men’s Lacrosse Coach, Ben DeLuca
Bob Carpenter Club, doors open at 11:00, food at 11:15, program starts at Noon
Register on our secure website.
Hall of Fame Member, Bob Hooper
Bob Hooper’s HOF Plaque
Defensive MVP for Towson, Tyron Herring
Photos, Courtesy of Howdy Giles