Delaware's top soccer, volleyball, field hockey and cross-country competitions of the fall (2024)

While the fall high school sports calendar revolves around football Friday nights (and Saturday mornings), there is plenty of midweek action for enthusiasts to keep an eye on.

At the end of it all, eight teams will be crowned state champions in cross-country, field hockey, girls volleyball and boys soccer. Here are a few of the particular matchups and competitions along the way that stand out as the best on paper. Of course, much can change between now and then.

Sept. 7: Lake Forest Invitational cross-country

In its 66th year, the Lake Forest Invitational kicks off the cross-country season at Killens Pond State Park, which is also the site of this year's cross-country state championships. It's an opportunity for upstate schools to familiarize themselves with the Felton course and downstate schools to defend their home turf.

Sept. 10: Salesianum at Charter of Wilmington boys soccer, 7:30 p.m.

Salesianum has won a state championship in boys soccer in 18 of the last 20 years. They begin the quest for number 19 with six games against out-of-state opponents and this Tuesday night matchup with Charter of Wilmington. The Force should be among the state's best teams too, with three players on Delaware Online/The News Journal's 2023 end-of-season player rankings set to return: Gavin Newcombe, Michael Capretto and Nick Livaditis.

Sept. 12: Cape Henlopen at Smyrna field hockey, 4 p.m.

Cape Henlopen and Smyrna have played for the last three field hockey Division I state titles. The Vikings are the reigning champions after a 1-0 victory in last year's D-I title game. In each of the last two seasons, the team that dropped the regular-season matchup went on to win the championship.

Sept. 12: Tower Hill at Ursuline girls volleyball, 5:15 p.m.

Ursuline was the only team to beat Tower Hill in volleyball last season as the Hillers attempted to defend their 2022 state title. The Raiders won 3-1 in the second match of the season for each school, and 3-1 in the DIAA semifinals. The Raiders, who went on to lose the state championship match to Smyrna, return two of the top 10 players on Delaware Online/The News Journal's end-of-season player rankings: C.C. DeCaro and Claire Kelly. One of three schools to place three players on the All-State teams in 2023, Tower Hill returns third-teamer Lydia Spencer.

Sept. 17: Delcastle at Appoquinimink boys soccer, 4 p.m.

The Cougars and Jaguars, who played to a 0-0 draw last fall, have an early-season matchup for Blue Hen Conference bragging rights. Delcastle has lost only three games in the past two seasons, but only went as far as the semifinals in the DIAA Division I tournament. Appoquinimink promises to be a tough opponent, returning three players from last year's D-I All-State first team: Gabriel Arbuet, Jack Talley and Riley Buzby.

Sept. 17: Caesar Rodney at Smyrna girls volleyball, 6:30 p.m.

Henlopen Conference girls volleyball will have a new look in 2024 after the top two teams of 2023 graduated a combined four All-State players. Smyrna, the defending state champions, won the last matchup of these schools, 3-0 in the DIAA semifinals. The Eagles also won the regular-season contest a year ago, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to win in five sets.

Sept. 24: Smyrna at Delmar field hockey, 4 p.m.

Smyrna ended Delmar's 120-game winning streak with a 3-2 win in last year's regular season. The Wildcats got revenge in the end, defeating Smyrna 6-0 in the Henlopen Conference championship game. Both teams are expected to again be among the state's best with each featuring one of the two highest-ranked returning players in Delaware Online/The News Journal's 2023 end-of-season player rankings: Jordyn Hollamon (Delmar) and Bree Moffett (Smyrna).

Oct. 1: Caravel at Newark Charter field hockey, 6:30 p.m.

Two of the three highest-seeded teams in the DIAA Division II tournament a year ago have a midseason test. The Patriots defeated the Buccaneers last fall 2-1 in overtime.

Oct. 8: Charter of Wilmington at Newark Charter girls volleyball, 6:15 p.m.

Newark Charter has won 12 or more regular season contests and at least one DIAA tournament match in each of the last three years, but has yet to play for a volleyball state championship. This matchup concludes a challenging three-game test for the Patriots, coming after matches with Padua and Saint Mark's.

Oct. 8: Cape Henlopen at Sussex Academy boys soccer, 5:30 p.m.

Each school played for a boys soccer state title last fall with Cape Henlopen losing to Salesianum in the Division I game and Sussex Academy claiming its first Division II championship. Last year's matchup went Cape's way, the only score was a Collin Sivels goal in the 32nd minute.

Oct. 24: Milford at Polytech field hockey, 4 p.m.

Milford and Polytech end their regular seasons with a rematch of last year's first-round playoff matchup, a 3-2 overtime victory by Milford. The Buccaneers were one of the state's most improved teams last year, adding seven wins to their total from 2022 in a 14-3 season.

Oct. 26: Ursuline at Saint Mark's girls volleyball, 7:15 p.m.

This is the second of two regular-season matchups scheduled between the schools. In last year's season finale, Ursuline dealt Saint Mark's its only loss of the regular season. The Spartans have the most wins in volleyball of any Delaware school over the last three seasons (50). Third-team All-State selections Madelyn Way and Lauren Mehelas are due back for Saint Mark's.

Nov. 2: New Castle County cross-country championships

Winterthur Estate provides a bucolic backdrop to one of the most competitive cross-country races of the season, a two-loop chase on undulating terrain touched by human racers just once every year.

Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him atbholveck@delawareonline.com.