The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 79

COLLEGE BASKETBALL "REVIEW A iJt.A WOMEN BLUE HENS: DeHaven HORNETS: Davis shaping leads by example F4 players to fit his style F4 MEN UD's Kyle De Haven HORNETS: Welcher aims BLUE HENS: Retooled team to carry on tradition F5 looking for turnaround F5 PLUS: Men's top 25 results. F5 SpOrtsOnline delawareonline.comsports Watch the latest high school video highlights Participate in News Journal sports blogs Find the latest local and national sports news Flickr users tag photos with "delawareonline" PLUS: Women's top 25 results. F4 oriyni if WV 1 jfi Sunday Newsjournal WILMINGTON, DEL Updates and latest news www.delawareonline.com 1 4 News tips: 324-2539 or sportsdelawareonline.com 'V i Vi A COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAY RICHMOND 62, BLUE HENS 56 (5 OT) HORNETS 28, NORFOLK STATE 21 (OT) Inside HIGH SCHOOLS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL mmefe wdddM EAO; Ul jUUUvsu The News JoumalGINGER WALL Ursuhne overcame a first-game loss to beat St Mark's 3-1 in the final. SATURDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY'S CONSOLATION MATCH (5) Wilmington Friends 2, (2) Padua 1 For complete coverage, see Fll UD: Setback in marathon jeopardizes playoff hopes By KEVIN TRESOLINI The News Journal NEWARK The gray afternoon was long, exhausting, unforgettable, strewn with peaks and valleys and, ultimately, disappointing for the University of Delaware. But what emerged from INSIDE DSU: Hornets clinch spot in I-AA playoffs with huge rally By KRISTIAN POPE The News Journal DOVER Really, isn't this what you would expect from Delaware State? Because, for the third game in a row, the Hornets saved their best for last Saturdav.

INSIDE CROSS COUNTRY STATE CHAMPIONS Division I boys: Team: St Mark's Individual: Andy Weaver, Charter Division boys Team: Archmere Individual: George Vernon, Concord Division I girls: Team: Padua Individual: Meghan Smith, Padua Division II girls: Team: Tatnall Individual: Juliet Bottorff, Tatnall For complete coverage, see F10 BOYS SOCCER UD must forget loss, concentrate on Vil-lanova F7 Cuff sets I-AA single-season touchdown record. F7 io-puun, iuui ui-quarter comeback, the Hornets finally earned their first trip the NCAA Division I-AA football playoffs, beating Norfolk Finally, Hornets are able to finish the deal. F6 Quick hits: Ses-soms wants UD to come to the Hornets' territory. F6 an muse imngs Saturday at Delaware Stadium was a healthy dose of perspective. Even if they regretted the outcome, the Blue Hens ap if I A ife State 28-21 in overtime to clinch the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title before 6,682 fans at a cold and blustery Alumni Stadium.

It is DSU's first outright MEAC title since 1989. After watching the Spartans have their way through three quarters. DSU scored 25 unanswered points and won its first overtime game of the season. DSU (9-1, 7-0 MEAC) tied it 21-21 on Peter Gaertner's 28-yard field goal as time expired in regulation and then won it with Vashon Winton's 2-yard touchdown pass to Eric Sewell, a linebacker lined up at fullback, in the first overtime. It was the third week in a row that Gaertner nailed a field goal to win a game or force OT.

"You always think you're still in the game," DSU senior defensive back Akeem Green said. "I don't know how we accomplished it, but we did." Green sacked Norfolk State quarterback Casey Hansen on the final play and then led a surge of Hornets in celebration. "It feels great," DSU coach Al Lavan said. "I don't know how we got here, but it's been a journey." Winton threw for 245 yards on 28-of-44 passing. Shaheer McBride.

Adam Shrewsbury and Sewell scored TDs. Spartans running back Daryl Jones rushed for 108 yards and two TDs. Hansen was 7-of-17 passing for 146 yards and a score. But with the game on the line, he couldn't produce any points after the 4:55 mark of the third quarter, when Jones' 19-yard TD run left DSU down 21-3. See DSU F6 preciated what they had been through and knew where they stood after their Colonial Athletic Association football slugfest against Richmond required five overtimes to settle.

Richmond managed to come out on top 62-56, clinching the CAA South championship and likely guaranteeing itself an NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth. The No. 9-ranked Spiders are 8-2 overall, 6-1 in the CAA. The sixth-ranked Blue Hens (8-2, 5-2) now need a victory at Villanova in their regular-season finale next Saturday to likely ensure their spot in the 16-team I-AA field and set up a likely first-round meeting with Delaware State, which UD has never played in football. But first the Hens have to get over their loss to Richmond, which seemed to have the win sealed in regulation before UD quarterback Joe Flacco snuck in from the 1-yard line with time expiring at the end of regulation.

Richmond thought time had run out and so, he admitted later, did Flacco. It was 38-38 going into overtime. "I've never been involved in a game more fun than that," an upbeat Flacco said afterward. "Obviously, it's not very fun right now. But when you look back on it, I mean, what more could you ask? "It was a hell of a football game.

Both teams had multiple chances to take advantage of situations, and they ended up coming out on top. You've got to credit those guys. They fought just like we did." See HENS F7 lJft r. Jl J. The News Journal GARY EMEIGH Top-seeded Salesianum knocked out Dover in Saturday's quarterfinals.

SATURDAY'S QUARTERFINALS (6) Caravel 3, (3) Indian River 2 (7) Mark's 5, (15) Concord 1 (1) Salesianum 3, (9) Dover 1 (4) Nevyark 2, (5) Middletown 0 For complete coverage, see F12 FIELD HOCKEY Tlie News JourtulGARY EMEIGH Delaware State players celebrate their 28-21 overtime victory over Norfolk State on Saturday, a comeback that earned the Hornets their first berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. SCOREBOARD Illinois (1) Ohio State Wisconsin (13) Michigan (7) Missouri Texas (22) Tennessee Arkansas 27 20 31 0 71 27 14 12 28 (24) Kentucky 21 Vanderbilt 37 Penn State .21 Temple 40 Wesley 26 Momsville State 34 Villanova 13 Towson 17 Air Force 12 Notre Dame 41 Mississippi State (21) Alabama 24 APBRAO VEST Illinois' Jacob Willis scores against Ohio State's Chimdi Chekwa. For more scores and coverage, see F8, F12-13 ONLINE Find more photos and video from the the DSU and UD games at www.delawareoniine.com. Read our college sportsblog at www.delawareonline.comsports. EAGLES AT WASHINGTON 1 1 P.M.

TODAY, FOX No easy answers for Eagles' failure to force turnovers 1 Linebackers come up nearly empty as defense loses big-play touch INSIDE Eagles Special to The News JoumalDA V1D J. HOWELL Brandywine used a late goal to beat William Penn 3-2 on Saturday. SATURDAY'S QUARTERFINALS m.4 p' 0 (13) Concord 4, (12) Lake Forest 3 (3) Brandywine 3, (6) William Penn 2 (7) Sussex Tech 2, (2) Delmar 1 For complete coverage, see Fll FOOTBALL SATURDAY'S SCORES Brandywine 28, Mount Pleasant 14 Delcastle 54, Christiana 30 Concord 47, Howard 16 St Elizabeth 35, Archmere 28 William Penn 35, Charter of Wilm. 14 Tower Hill 24, Wilmington Friends 14 St Andrew's 35, Tatnall 33 Del. Military 34, Red tion Christian 12 Hodgson 58, Pencader Charter 6 For complete coverage, see F10 Halfway through the season, a key reason for the Eagles' 3-5 record can be traced to a linebacker trio long on run-stuffing but short on playmaking.

It's not just the linebackers; the Eagles are on pace to finish with 18 takeaways, which would be their fewest under Johnson by eight and far below their average of 33.3 since he became defensive coordinator. But the nucleus of the defense was built around a revamped front seven, with Trent Cole and Brodrick Bunkley See EAGLES F14 ception or sack this season. The dearth of sacks Johnson can accept the most sacks by a linebacker since Johnson became defensive coordinator in 1999 is 3.5 but the overall lack of tiUTiovers is baffling. Johnson prides himself on his unit forcing mistakes and dictating tempo. His unit hasn't shown that penchant this year.

"There are certain guys around the NFL that do a good job of that," Johnson said, referring to turnovers. "We need some more stripped balls from our linebackers, as well." By GEOFF MOSHER The News Journal PHILADELPHIA Jim Johnson shrugged and threw up his hands, not because the question perplexed him but because the answer did. Why haven't his Eagles linebackers made any big plays? Good question. Aside from Omar Gaither's interception against the Giants on Sept. 30 seems light years ago, doesn't it? Johnson's crew of linebackers hasn't produced a single fumble recovery, inter GameDay.

F9 Geoff Mosher on first half of NFL season. F14 Struggling Ravens face Bengals. F14 ONLINE Read Geoff Mosher's Eagles blog at www dela ware online.cofn nflblog. 1 i M. APKATHY WILLENS Linebacker Chris Gocong is among the Eagles defenders struggling to make big plays.