Delaware’s most competitive high school football division enters Week 11 with no less than 14 teams fighting for eight playoff bids.
Class 2A-3 stands out as the wildest district following Woodbridge’s victory over Lake Forest. That outcome created a logjam of four one-loss teams in the district, none of which currently control their own destiny to win the division.
The postseason picture grows even more complex because Indian River or Woodbridge could potentially capture the district title without holding a high enough point index. Such a scenario would take away an at-large bid.
District winners take the top three seeds based on their point indexes. In 2A-1, Howard sits at 4-0 and travels to face 4-0 Archmere, meaning the winner of that matchup claims the district title.
Red Lion leads 2A-2 at 4-0 heading into a game against Saint Mark’s, while DMA and Saint Mark’s both sit at 3-1. Red Lion wins the district with a win, whereas Saint Mark’s needs a victory combined with a DMA loss to take the top spot.
If a three-way tie emerges in 2A-2, the DIAA breaks it using fewest district points allowed. Red Lion leads that metric with 36 points allowed, followed by DMA with 51 and Saint Mark’s with 72.
The 2A-3 race features four teams tied at 3-1: Lake Forest at Indian River, and Sussex Tech hosting Woodbridge. If Woodbridge and Lake Forest both win, Woodbridge wins the title. If Woodbridge and Indian River win, Indian River wins the title.
| Team | Record | Points Profile | Maximum Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard | 8-1 | 40 Points | 48 Points |
| Red Lion | 8-1 | 39 Points | 46 Points |
| Lake Forest | 7-2 | 38 Points | 46 Points |
| Archmere | 8-1 | 37 Points | 45 Points |
| Sussex Tech | 8-1 | 35 Points | 39 Points |
Teams need at least 32 points, translating to a 3.20 index for Friends, to make the field, though it could take far more than that. If there is a tie or an at-large, the DIAA will first go to head-to-head, and if none, they’ll look at opponent’s wins (including out of state games).
Below the top five squads, eight teams battle on the bubble for the remaining postseason slots. DMA sits sixth with 32 points, Saint Mark’s holds seventh with 31 points, and Polytech rounds out the current playoff field in eighth with 28 points.
Tower Hill and Friends sit just outside the cut line at 28 points and 24 points respectively, followed by Odessa, Indian River, and Laurel.
