After all the meaningful pregame pomp, Blue-Gold provides memorable football fanfare

So much happens in the DFRC Blue-Gold pregame that sometimes the football seems almost secondary.

The Delaware Stadium field was strewn with cheerleaders, ambassadors, band members and other participants when the football players joined them on a sultry Friday night.

What followed was the usual potpourri of positive energy for an event that, since its 1956 debut, has raised nearly $7 million to aid cognitively disabled kids while narrowing numerous social gaps and promoting important understanding.

The pregame hug and photo fest between those kids and their game participant buddies was, as usual, a sight to behold, no doubt through misty eyes for many.

Then the football started, and it quickly reminded paying customers that, for all warm and welcoming fanfare, it’s the game that people primarily come to see. The action and drama didn’t wait.

Hodgson cornerback Maki Beach of the Blue made an exquisite pass break-up on the first play. Soon after, the game was briefly delayed as a tear in the Tubby Raymond Field turf was scrutinized and the football simply moved toward the opposite hashmark.

Blue’s Maki Beach of Hodgson (right) breaks up an opening drive pass intended for Gold’s Matthew Priestly of Middletown in Blue’s 32-2 win during the DFRC Blue-Gold All Star Game at Delaware Stadium, Friday, June 21, 2024.

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The Gold team, which planned to run the football to keep possession and eat clock, converted a fourth-and-1 in its own territory, though a subsequent sack by Hodgson’s Rikye Jenkins — later named the game’s top lineman — forced the Gold to punt. That put the ball into the Blue’s hands, and the 68th all-star game’s eventual outcome quickly began to take shape.

The combination of R.J. Matthews’ passing ability and…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/meaningful-pregame-pomp-blue-gold-090237564.html

Author : Delaware Online | The News Journal

Publish date : 2024-06-22 09:02:37

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