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Delaware rivals Troy Reeder, Chris Godwin won’t meet in NFL playoffs
It was set as much as be a basic matchup of two Delaware highschool rivals within the divisional spherical of the NFL playoffs on Sunday.
Salesianum star and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Troy Reeder might have been chasing after Middletown star and Tampa Bay Buccaneers extensive receiver Chris Godwin, similar to he did in highschool.
Of their junior and senior years, Salesianum and Middletown performed twice every season – as soon as within the common season and once more for the DIAA state championship.
“It might have been nice to see,” Salesianum coach Invoice DiNardo mentioned. “Delaware is such a small state, and you do not see many gamers occurring to change into stars within the NFL.
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“These have been two gamers who got here on the scene as freshmen, and everybody knew proper then that they have been going to be very, very particular.”
Alas, Godwin tore his ACL on Dec. 19 and is out till subsequent season.
Godwin led the Buccaneers in each receptions (98) and yards (1,103) regardless of lacking the final three regular-season video games.
“It is a disgrace he will not be on the market Sunday,” Reeder wrote in an electronic mail. “I understand how a lot it in all probability means to him, so I am certain he is upset.”
Reeder turned the Rams’ full-time starter at linebacker in Week 7, and completed with 91 tackles, third on the crew, together with 2 sacks.
Reeder additionally made the potential game-clinching play on Monday evening within the Wild Card spherical towards Arizona. He got here in on a blitz and hit Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray as he was seeking to cross from the tip zone.
Murray, making an attempt to keep away from a security, threw the ball up for grabs as Reeder was tackling him to the bottom. David Lengthy intercepted the cross and scored to offer the Rams a 21-0 lead within the second quarter of their 34-11 win.
DiNardo watched on TV and noticed Reeder stand up after the hit and make a Superman gesture. DiNardo mentioned Reeder additionally did that when he scored within the state championship sport in 2013 towards Godwin and Middletown.
DiNardo mentioned he texted Reeder the subsequent day and reminded him that the final time he made that gesture, he bought a taunting penalty. DiNardo mentioned Reeder responded: “Lol.”
An intense rivalry
Again in 2012 and 2013, no rivalry in Delaware was as intense as Middletown-Salesianum in soccer, and no matchup was as highly-anticipated as Reeder going towards Godwin.
That was true each on offense and protection as a result of each gamers starred on each side of the ball.
DiNardo in contrast it to the rivalry between Ursuline’s Elena Delle Donne and St. Elizabeth’s Khadijah Rushdan in ladies basketball 15 years in the past.
“It was like a golden period of Delaware highschool soccer since you had two once-in-a-lifetime gamers going towards one another with every thing on the road,” DiNardo mentioned.
Throughout these two seasons, Middletown additionally had quarterback Darius Wade, who went on to play at Boston Faculty earlier than ending up at Bowling Inexperienced. The Sals additionally had Brian O’Neill, who was a good finish and defensive finish again then.
O’Neill is now a star proper sort out for the Minnesota Vikings.
And it was simply as seemingly for Godwin as a linebacker and security to be chasing after Reeder as a working again, because it was for Reeder as a linebacker to be chasing after Godwin.
“I simply all the time revered him as such an entire participant,” Reeder wrote about Godwin. “Not many extensive receivers who have been so extremely recruited have been additionally beginning for his or her groups at security/LB.
“I feel, surely, that carried over to his faculty and professional profession as a man recognized for being prepared to dam as a lot as he catches passes.”
Middletown dominates first
In 2012, Middletown gained each video games simply, beating the Sals 35-0 within the first assembly, then 27-0 within the state championship sport.
Within the first sport, Godwin scored three touchdowns – on a punt return, a 12-yard TD catch and a 7-yard TD run. Within the championship sport, Godwin opened the scoring with a 59-yard landing run and he closed it with a 25-yard landing catch.
Godwin completed with 5 catches for 113 yards. He additionally had 67 yards dashing on 5 carries. These have been Salesianum’s solely two losses that season.
DiNardo known as that Cavaliers crew “among the best highschool groups ever assembled in Delaware highschool historical past.” He known as Godwin “the greatest highschool participant I ever noticed in Delaware, and that is saying loads.”
DiNardo has been a head coach in Delaware for 35 years, first at Middletown after which at Salesianum.
“We all the time tried to verify he did not beat us,” DiNardo mentioned about Godwin. “However Chris was as dominant on protection as he was on offense. In his senior yr, we determined we would go after him (when Godwin was enjoying protection). He made each sort out, so that did not work.
“Then once we performed them once more within the championship sport, we audibled away from him. He nonetheless made each play. We additionally realized to not kick the ball anyplace close to him.”
Sals get revenge
However the Sals bought their revenge that yr, successful each video games. Within the common season sport, the Sals beat Middletown 24-13 on Nov. 8, ending the Cavaliers’ 23-game successful streak.
In that sport, Reeder rushed for 220 yards. Godwin ran a chill 86 yards for a landing.
Within the championship sport, the Sals gained once more, 23-7.
Middletown was main 7-3 when O’Neill caught a 63-yard landing cross from Matthew Sgro. Then Reeder scored twice within the fourth quarter, on runs of three and 11 yards, to place the sport away.
Reeder completed with 130 yards on 25 carries. Godwin caught 9 passes for 125 yards.
“It is one thing I got here to Salesianum for,” Reeder mentioned after the sport. “It took us 4 years, however this fourth yr, we bought it achieved. I knew we had a particular crew.”
In all, Reeder and Godwin have been 3-3 towards one another in highschool. Then they went to Penn State collectively.
They weren’t associates as highschool gamers, extra like rivals who revered one another. That modified at Penn State.
“I definitely bought to know him a lot better in our time at PSU,” Reeder wrote. “We carpooled dwelling a couple of instances, and I bought to know his (now) spouse. I positively loved enjoying with him greater than towards him.”
Reeder transferred to Delaware after the 2015 season. He signed with the Rams within the spring of 2019 as an undrafted free agent and labored his manner into the beginning lineup in every of his three NFL seasons.
Reeder began 8 video games as a rookie and seven extra in 2020, all of the whereas being a essential contributor on particular groups.
Successful with Reeder, Godwin
“You win with guys like Troy Reeder,” Rams coach Sean McVay said in September, 2020, earlier than the Rams beat the Eagles 37-19 at Lincoln Monetary Subject. “He has solely gotten higher. He’s conscientious. He’s bought nice consideration to element. He’s a glue man within the locker room as a result of he does an amazing job of creating good relationships with so many alternative guys.”
Godwin has had an identical affect on the Buccaneers. He left Penn State after his junior yr, and Tampa Bay drafted him within the third spherical in 2017.
In 2019, Godwin caught 86 passes for 1,333 yards and was named to the Professional Bowl. In 2020, Godwin overcame accidents to make two essential performs in Tampa Bay’s 31-26 win over Inexperienced Bay within the NFC Championship sport.
The primary got here when he leaped over Delaware native and Caravel Academy star Darnell Savage to haul in Tom Brady’s 52-yard cross, establishing a landing.
The second got here on a Third-and-5 with a few minute remaining and the Bucs clinging to that five-point lead. Godwin gained 6 yards on a jet sweep and the Bucs ran out the clock.
Two weeks later, Tampa Bay gained the Tremendous Bowl.
Godwin was even higher this season till his damage.
“You discuss an All-Professional participant who’s had a profession season,” Bucs coach Bruce Arians said about Godwin final week, earlier than the Bucs beat the Eagles 31-15 within the Wild Card spherical.
“He does a lot for us. And he’s a novel participant. We don’t attempt to ask different guys to be him … (as a result of) none of them are Chris Godwin.”
Reeder is aware of all about this, going again practically a decade to the head of one of the best rivalry in Delaware highschool soccer.
Now the Rams know this, too. They confronted Godwin and the Buccaneers on Sept. 26. The Rams gained 34-24, however Godwin had 6 catches for 74 yards. He additionally ran for a 2-yard landing.
Reeder did not begin, however he performed some on protection, making a sort out. He was a full-time particular groups participant.
“He will get a number of credit score for his receiving stats,” Reeder mentioned about Godwin, “however he actually does a number of soiled work for that offense.”
Identical to Reeder does for the Rams’ protection.
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Contact Martin Frank at [email protected] Observe on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
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