Somerville looking in championship form heading into Central Group 3 title game against deceptive Delsea

There are two deceptive features of the Delsea football team, the one last roadblock in the way of Somerville clinching its first state sectional title since 2017.

First and foremost is their offense. They run the Wing-T, which is based on deception of the defense.

But then there’s the Crusaders’ seed and record. They are the 7-seed in Central Jersey Group 3, coming in with a record of just 4-6 under head coach Jason Volpe.

But they might as well be 10-0, to Somerville’s thinking. They haven’t overlooked an opponent all season, and they don’t plan to start Friday night at 7:00, when the top-seeded Pioneers (10-0) entertain Delsea in the Central 3 title game at Brooks Field.

You can hear that game on Central Jersey Sports Radio as our “Big Central Game of the Week,” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, with pregame starting at 6:40. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will be on the call. Click here to listen.

The Pioneers will be seeking their first title since 2017, when they beat Rumson-Fair Haven at Rutgers to snap a 23-year title drought. This one has been a lot short, with a pair of losses sandwiched in between in 2018 – also to Rumson – and in 2019 to Woodrow Wilson, now Camden Eastside.

Delsea, meanwhile, started the year 1-5, but turned things around in early October when Volpe brought back Sal Marchese, the head coach for 31 years who retired after last season. Marchese helped install the Wing-T, after Volpe abandoned it in the offseason for more a spread look.

It didn’t work, but it was also made trickier by the loss of starting quarterback Jimmy Reardon, who is healthy again, leading Delsea to believe that despite its record, all the pieces are in place for a championship.

Click below to hear Somerville head coach Matt Bloom talk about Friday’s Central Jersey Group 3 title game against Delsea: