An 18-year gap was filled Feb. 27 when for the first time since 1992 the Dover High School boys basketball team became Henlopen Conference Champions.
The Senators stormed out of the gate, an uncharacteristic start for Head Coach Stephen Wilson’s team, taking an early lead and never looking back en route to a 71-55 victory over Henlopen South Champion Polytech High School in front of a near-capacity crowd in Delaware State University’s Memorial Hall.
Wilson, who lost a conference championship game when he coached at Middletown High School, said it was a relief to be able to come out with a different fate this time.
“I got the monkey off my back,” he said. “I lost the last one I was in, but these kids weren’t going to let it go down like that. These kids were not going to let us lose. I can’t say enough about them. I love that group. They’re just so special.”
Charles Tillman, a senior forward who finished the game with eight points, couldn’t describe the feeling of being conference champs, but knew it was something he’d never felt before.
“It’s the best feeling we’ve had in our lives up to this point,” Tillman said.
Dover came out strong, building a lead up that by the end of the first half had reached 14 points. Usually a slow-starting team, Wilson said he knew something was different with his boys before the game even started.
“I knew they were going to show up like that on this court because of this atmosphere,” he said. “This is where I started coaching, and they know how much I love this school, and they played like they knew it.”
And while the offensive production was impressive, senior guard Kendal Williams said it was other aspects of the team’s start that allowed it to build the sizeable lead.
“We came out strong and hard, and we were talking about defense the whole game,” Williams said. “It feels really good. All the hard work paid off with focusing on defense over offense.”
Riding a nine-game win streak, the Senators earned the No. 3 seed in the state tournament as well as a BYE through the first round.
Dover will await the winner of the game between No. 14 St. Marks and No. 19 Salesianum at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 3, taking on that opponent in the second round at 7 p.m. Friday, March 5.
Wilson stressed that winning the conference was just one of the goals his team set, and that with the state tournament set to kick off this week there is still work to be done.
That said, he added he wants his players to enjoy what they have accomplished so far.
“We’re going to celebrate this one for a few days,” he said. “These guys might be going out dancing but they’ll still be focused on the game and ready to go. They just love to play the game and play the game the right way.”
Going forward, senior guard Corey Crawford, who led his team with 21 points in the win, said he doesn’t care from this point on who he and his teammates face.
“We’ll play anybody,” Crawford said. “We’re going to play hard every game and try our best to win it.”
UP NEXT
WHO No. 3 Dover High School (16-3, 13-1) vs. the winner of No. 14 St. Marks High School (13-6) and No. 19 Salesianum School (9-10)
WHEN 7 p.m. Friday, March 5
WHERE Dover High School, 1 Patrick Lynn Drive
Email Brian Citino at brian.citino@doverpost.com
