GLASGOW – On fourth-and-5 from the Archmere 13, Caravel decided to do what it had done for much of the night.
Hand the ball to Jordan Miller.
The junior halfback hesitated for a beat, then burst through an opening for the touchdown on the opening drive of the second half.
It was the turning point, and the Buccaneers seized the momentum and rode it the rest of the way to a 30-6 victory over Archmere in the DIAA Class 2A football semifinals on Friday night at Bob Peoples Stadium.
“They were coming out fast, so I had to be patient, let the hole develop,” Miller said. “… I trusted my brothers around me, my line. They made way for me, and I just followed the hole.”
Top-seeded Caravel (12-0) advanced to play the winner of Saturday’s late Wilmington Friends-Saint Mark’s semi in next Saturday’s championship game, at 6 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.
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It will be the Bucs’ first state final since 2012, when the school won its fourth Division II title. Fifth-seeded Archmere, the defending 2A champions, finished its season at 9-3.
The Auks scored on their second drive, on Chris Albero’s 6-yard pass to Gavin Lee, for a 6-0 lead with 3:41 left in the first quarter.
Caravel was stopped on downs at the 17 on both of its first two drives, then punted twice. Then, in the final two minutes of the first half, the Bucs’ offense found its rhythm.
Miller ripped off gains of 21 and 25 yards as the Bucs moved 69 yards in seven plays. Miller capped it with a 2-yard run with 17 seconds left, and Logan Keld’s PAT sent Caravel into halftime up 7-6.
Miller got loose for 33 yards on the second play of the third quarter, and later scored on fourth down for a 14-6 lead.
Two drives later, the Bucs turned a short pass into a big play. J.T. Wingo credited a huge block with springing him for the 68-yard touchdown that made it 21-6 with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.
“Mekhi Carmon, definitely,” Wingo said. “Without Mekhi, I wouldn’t have scored. He had a great block at the corner, then I was out.”
Archmere forced a punt, but quarterback Truman Auwerda’s 41-yard boot rolled out of bounds at the 5. That set up a safety three plays later, as the Auks were flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone.
The Bucs’ pass rush was in overdrive at that point, and Christian DeRegis was the biggest beneficiary on Archmere’s next possession. The senior defensive back made his third of Caravel’s four interceptions, easily taking this one 20 yards for the final touchdown.
“Without my brothers, it wouldn’t have been able to happen,” DeRegis said. “They set me up for these opportunities. They put me in the best situations, and I just had to finish it.”
Miller finished with 27 carries for 209 yards. Auwerda completed 7 of 13 passes for 124 yards as the Bucs racked up 411 total yards.
Albero completed 18 of 27 passes for 192 yards for Archmere, with Cole Fenice catching six for 85 yards.
Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ
