Delhi Charter School trounces Tensas 55-12

St. Joseph – Delhi Charter flipped the script this week as in a very rare feat, the Gator offense had more yards passing (252) than rushing (193). Also, Quarterback Mason Hale set a school record with 252 passing yards which led DCS to a 55-12 win over the Tensas Panthers.
“We really just took what they were doing on defense and used it against them,” DCS Head Coach Brett Raley said after the game. “They were loading the box so we threw it to loosen them up and that’s what led to the numbers. Our guys adjusted and this extra passing work can only help us going into the playoffs.”
DCS scored on the first play after the opening kickoff as Hale found Joshua Poland over the middle for the first score, a 65-yard catch and run. Hale added the conversion run for a 8-0 lead. Poland then had a 43-yard run on the next series and Alandis Stubblefield ran about 25 yards on the conversion run avoiding Tensas tacklers but eventually found his way to the endzone to make the score 16-0. By the end of the first quarter, the Gator lead was 28-0 with Kaleb Offord adding a 26-yard run and Hale connecting with Desmond Longino on a 46-yard TD. Longino had three catches for 61-yards all in the first half.
With the Gators driving again in the second quarter, Tensas got on the scoreboard when Dallas James stepped in front of Hale’s pass at the 11-yard line and outran everyone 89 yards for the score to cut the lead to 28-6. That INT didn’t’ deter Hale as he finished the half with two more TD passes with the first a 23-yarder to Rodney Mitchell and the second a 57-yard strike to Cody Smith as time expired. Those scores put the lead at 42-6 at halftime.
The second half was played with a running clock and Poland added his third score of the night on a 14-yard run and Kody Ellis got into the action with a 7-yard jaunt late in the quarter. Trenton Jinks was three-of-five on PATs for the night and Poland finished the night with five carries for 78 yards to go along with his 65-yard receiving yards. Hale finished the night nine-of-13 for 252 yards and 4TDs with the lone interception.
Former DCS Quarterback Stuart Scurria still holds the record for most TD passes in a game with 6 against Bernice High back in 2006, while Will Zeigler held the record for most passing yards in a game at 224 against Oak Grove in 2010 before Hales game last week. Scurria had 217 yards against Bernice.
Defensively, Delhi Charter continued their stellar play as of late holding Tensas to only six first downs and 112 yards offense in the game which included only nine yards passing. The defense came up with three interceptions with Mitchell, Ellis, and Longino all getting in on the action. The Panthers added a score midway in the fourth quarter on an 18-yard run and Prentiss Gilmore was most of the offense for Tensas with 78 yards on 14 carries.
“We did what we needed to tonight which is get the win and not have any major injuries,” Raley added. “We know we will be at home for the first round of the playoffs, we just don’t know who we are playing yet.”
One interesting development a few weeks ago is that DCS got moved from the select division to the non-select division for the playoffs.
That means instead of a 16 team field, the Gators will take their 7-3 record into a 32-team bracket unlike the last two years. Tensas finishes with its best record (6-4) since the schools of Newellton and Davidson were consolidated and could host a first round game as well. It’s playoff time!!!