Spring practice is well underway, and the Club is working hard as well, for our Fall activities.

The lunch schedule has been announced, and the game day bus trips are now open to 2023 paid members. Sign up for all three at a discount, or choose the individual game that you want to see. All trips are on full size Delaware Express coaches, but space is limited. Departure times will be announced once the game times are determined.

Remember that game tickets are not included. Also, bus tickets are not refundable, but are tranferable.

For those that have paid the 2023 dues, thank you! To conveniently pay your dues or sign up for a trip:

https://securepayment.link/bluehentdclub/

Photos, courtesy of Mark Campbell

It was a cold night outside but inside at Clayton Conference
Center on the University’s Laird Campus the temperature was
warmed by friendships, celebration, and everything Blue Hen.
34 senior athletes and senior interns from various support teams
within the athletic department were honored for their time at
Delaware.
A social hour allowed the players time to converse with club
members and other guests. Discussions were varied but there
was much talk about their futures. Those conversations included
athletes who will try to extend their careers in “the league”,
graduating players who are transferring to a new school, or some
who will move beyond football taking more traditional jobs.
Proud parents and family beamed as their sons were recognized.
A few players could not attend including All-American safety
Kedrick Whitehead but his sister stood in for her brother as he
received several awards. The awards included:
 Nolan Henderson – Outstanding Offensive Player
 Johnny Buchanan, Kedrick Whitehead – Co-Outstanding
Defensive Player
 Ben Dinkel, Jake Reed – Co-Outstanding Special Teams
Player
 Artis Hemmingway – Outstanding Lineman
 Thyrick Pitts – Outstanding End
 Justis Henley, Anthony Paoletti – Co-Unsung Hero Award
 Thyrick Pitts – The Newark Elks Club honoring the top
scholar-athlete in the class

 Nolan Henderson – The Taylor Memorial Award given to a
senior who made outstanding contributions to the program.
The Taylor award presentation was assisted by current running
backs coach and former Blue Hen All-American running back
Andrew Pierce. A former winner of the Taylor Award, Pierce was
also needed to lift the very heavy trophy!
Comments were given by both Athletic Director Chrissy Rawak
and Head Coach Ryan Carty. After listening to their appreciative
words, the temperature in the room got even warmer as their
sincere caring for the athletes and their devotion to the University
shone through.
Each player received a plaque from the club and their framed
jersey from the University.
The Blue Hen Touchdown Club once again extends our thanks to
each honoree and wishes them all the best of luck in the future.

Go Hens!

We look forward to our annual Senior Awards Banquet on February 3rd, 2023!

Registration remains open until January 20th. The Club solicits your attendance to honor our senior student athletes!

If you cannot attend, please consider being recognized as a Benefactor in our Banquet Program. It is only $25 for a single name listing, or $30 for a couple listing. This will help in the expenses in honoring a record 30+ departing players.

Please click on “EVENTS” for more information and to make payment. Thank you!

Was there a better way to complete the Touchdown Club lunch
series in 2022 than to hear from two All-Americans – Andrew
Pierce and Scott Brunner?

As the running backs coach on Ryan Carty’s staff, Coach Pierce
gave us some insight as to how the four backs (Cumby, Yarns,
Sprouls, Watson) are utilized. He looks to use a back who will
dominate in specific situations. The choice of back is also
dependent on the flow of the game. Unless Coach Carty desires
a specific back for a certain play, A.P. decides which back will
play when.

With the anticipated loss of our big back, Kory Sprouls, due to no
more eligibility, Coach Pierce mentioned both Jo’Nathan Silver,
who was red shirted this year as a freshman, and an incoming
back from New Jersey who he could not name due to recruiting
regulations who he hopes will fill that void. According to recruiting
sources that back is Saeed St. Fleur from Bergen Catholic High
School.
His most memorable moment as a Hen was when the team was
in victory formation in the playoff semifinals knowing they were
going to Frisco, Texas to play for the championship.

Scott Brunner the starting QB on the 1979 national championship
team has moved back to Delaware and spoke to the club for
about a half an hour. One club member remarked that he could
have listened to Scott for several hours. Many of us agree!
In a wide-ranging talk, Brunner explained that he came from a
football background (his Dad coached at Villanova and Temple)
but he chose Delaware over Navy and several Ivy League
schools.
As Jeff Komlo emerged as the QB starter for the Hens, Tubby
Raymond, who according to Scott had an obsession with tall
lanky receivers, asked Brunner to switch his position to receiver.
Brunner politely declined.
One of his favorite Tubby stories centered around Scott changing
a called play from the sideline in the huddle. Amidst widened
eyes from his teammates in the huddle, Brunner ran his play.
Upon returning to the sideline he heard Tubby call for Rick Scully
to warm up. A nervous Scully played a short series before
Brunner returned to the field.
On a 3rd down and 13. the play from the sideline came in using the
incorrect formation. Scott debated whether or not to change
the formation but ran the play as called resulting in a loss of
yardage. Scott then went over to Tubby and told him to “stay out
of my g**d*** huddle from now on!”
In terms of today’s game, Brunner stated that there really isn’t
anything new in football just techniques that are re-used in
different ways. One example, when mentoring and training QBs
for the pros he teaches them Wing-T footwork. Most college QBs
do not play under center and that changes in professional football.
But mastering the Wing-T footwork will get them ready for any
offense playing under the center.
We’ll need to invite Scott back so we can hear more!

Photos and write up, courtesy Mark Werrell

NEXT STOP: Brookings, South Dakota vs. South Dakota State University, 12/03/2022 at 3:00

BHTC MVP’s – St. Francis University – 11/26/2022

11/30/2022 WDSD 94.7 FM Coach’s Show at La Casa Pasta 7:00 PM

When Ryan Carty was putting his staff together who could have
been a better choice for his Quarterbacks Coach than a young
man who started for four years in Carty’s unique offense. Not
only did Sean Goldrich start but was prolific passing for over 7500
yards and rushing for 1100 yards while accounting for 71
touchdowns.
At New Hampshire Coach Goldrich told us that his first game
starting was Carty’s first calling plays for the Wildcats. Though he
was told the offense would be balanced, the first six plays of his
college career were all passes.
Upon graduation Goldrich played in the IFL for two seasons
before returning to New England to coach at the division three
level and then joining the Yale staff as the wide receivers coach.
But Coach Carty’s offense led him to Delaware to coach the
position that he played in college.
When asked about quarterbacks calling audibles at the line of the
scrimmage, Coach Goldrich stated that the “play is the play”. But
the QB does have some leeway to make slight formation
adjustments.
In his presentation, Coach Goldrich showed why he was the right
choice to mentor the quarterbacks on the Delaware squad.

Photo and narrative by Mark Werrell

Join us this week, as we hear from two Blue Hen Legends!

Next BHTC Luncheon

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Guest Coach: Andrew Pierce – Assistant Coach Running Backs

Guest Speaker: Scott Brunner – 1979 National Championship Quarterback

The Bob Carpenter Club – doors open: 11:15 am & program begins: Noon

members $25 / non-members $30

Register here:

https://securepayment.link/bluehentdclub/weekly-luncheon-reservation/

Imagine being a college football coach and doing such a “great”
job, that the school drops football. That’s what happened to
Delaware Coach Terence Archer, Assistant Head Coach and
Wide Receivers coach, when he served at LaSalle. Landing on
his feet, Coach Archer told us about his experiences at Monmouth
and Sam Houston State before returning to be a part of Ryan
Carty’s staff. A New Jersey native, Coach Archer said his return
to the east coast was a no brainer as he has family here and his
mother-in-law is a UD alum.
He also had a reunion of sorts last Saturday as his collegiate
playing days were at Monmouth under Coach Callahan.
Explaining his desire to exploit some of the issues Monmouth was
having on defense, Coach Archer was looking forward to pushing
the offense against the Hawks and his former coach. It appears
that he and the offensive staff was successful!
He let us know that the captains spoke to the team after the Elon
loss stressing that the team needs to bring their own energy to an
away game. I have a feeling this “flatness” will not travel to
Villanova!

Asking for only easy questions, Delaware Hall of Fame inductee
and former star defensive back for the Hens, Sidney Haugabrook (pictured above)
told us about his experience as a southerner (he’s from Atlanta)
playing football in the northeast. The biggest obstacle was that
his northern teammates had issues understanding his “accent”
while yelling instructions on the field! After a career in the CFL
and the Arena Football League, Sidney is now a sales rep for
Milwaukee Tools and keeps close contact with UD with the
Touchdown Club’s own Barbara Owens.

Stating that her experience at Penn State pushed her to be a
better coach, Head women’s basketball coach Sarah Jenkins
gave the Club a preview of the women’s basketball season.
Coming home to UD after Coach Adair left to go to Arizona State
following the team’s 2021-22 conference championship, Coach
Jenkins let us know that she wants to stay here for the rest of her
life and implored anyone in the audience who knows our AD
Chrissi Rawak to “talk to her” to make her dream a reality!
This year’s team is learning to play together as two first year
students and five transfers join a core of six returning players.
She won’t guarantee that they will shoot well but the team is really
good at doing cartwheels! Not sure if any cartwheels were
performed but Coach Jenkins debut game as head coach was
eminently successful as they scored a victory over Longwood 82-
62. It appears that the women can shoot the ball as they hit 49%
from the field including 46% from beyond the arc and 81% from
the free throw line.

Head coach for the men’s basketball team, Martin Ingelsby
previewed his team of 10 returning players, 3 transfers and 3
freshmen. The NCAA tournament taste last year has the team
working to continually improve toward February and March with
sights on a return to the Big Dance. When asked about the
transfer portal, Coach Ingelsby said he probably wasted too much
time on trying to convince those entering the portal to remain at
UD. The team has benefited from incoming transfers and he and
his staff will continue to attack the portal aggressively and “recruit
like hell”. The team had a successful start this past Monday with
a home victory over Wilmington University.

Here are the Monmouth MVP’s, and details on this Friday’s meeting:

BHTC MVP’s – Monmouth University – 11/05/2022

Offense – Nolan Henderson #2 / Quarterback

Defense – Chase McGowan #12 / Defensive Line

Special Teams – Dillon Trainer #44 / Linebacker

Next BHTC Luncheon

Friday, November 11, 2022

Guest Coach: Sean Goldrich – Assistant Coach Quarterbacks

Guest Speaker: Ben DeLuca – Head Coach, Men’s Lacrosse

The Bob Carpenter Club – doors open: 11:15 am & program begins: Noon

members $25 / non-members $30

Make your reservation here:
https://securepayment.link/bluehentdclub/weekly-luncheon-reservation/

Photos, Courtesy of Mark Campbell

The Blue Hens will be back in the friendly confines of Delaware Stadium on Saturday, looking to go 5-0 at home.

Full details of our lunch below. Asst. Head Coach Terrence Archer, a former player and coach at Monmouth University will give us the information on the Hawks’ high powered offense. and we will hear from our Head Basketball Coaches:

Next BHTC Luncheon Friday, November 4, 2022

Guest Coach: Terrence Archer, Assistant Head Coach Head Coach/ Wide Receivers/ Pass game Coordinator

Guest Speakers: Sarah Jenkins and Martin Ingelsby, Women’s and Men’s Head Basketball Coaches

The Bob Carpenter Club – Doors open: 11:00 am, Food served: 11:15 Program begins: Noon

Members $25 / Non-members $30

Register here:

Weekly Luncheon Reservation