Bulldogs Host the Pumpkins for Another Chapter of Delhi/Walton

Walton comes to town Saturday to play a game that, for the first time in many years, is purely for community pride, with no playoff implications. The other out of the ordinary circumstance of this game is that both teams are undefeated, only the second time this has happened in the last 13 times the teams have met. Add to it the fact that both teams are state-ranked (Walton #1 in class D, Delhi #4 in class C), and it’s easy to tell that this is a much anticipated matchup.

Since 2000, the game has been a series of bitterly fought contests, with Walton winning all but one, but with tight games all the way. Here is a peak at a few of the statistics from games from 2000-2004….

Season	Points		Total Yards		Rushing Yards		Receiving Yards		Yards Per Carry		First Downs
	Delhi	Walton	Delhi	Walton	Delhi	Walton	Delhi	Walton	Delhi	Walton	Delhi	Walton
2004	12	20	209	250	89	185	120	65	2.3	5.1	N/A	N/A
2003	0	14	185	254	86	222	99	32	3.1	5.6	12	10
2002	8	26	227	205	4	168	223	37	0.2	3.8	14	10
2001 #2	20	6	251	226	183	71	68	155	3.7	2.4	16	8
2001 #1	6	8	283	160	132	160	151	0	3.8	3.8	13	9
2000 #2	13	14	193	207	57	174	136	33	1.9	3.2	11	13
2000 #1	26	28	270	300	92	246	178	54	3.7	4.6	11	14
AVE	12.1	16.6	231.1	229.0	91.9	175.1	139.3	53.7	2.9	4.1	12.8	10.7

You can see how close things are in most categories. The primary difference has been that Delhi has gotten most of their yards through the air, while Walton has gotten it done on the ground. This makes this season all the more curious, as Delhi is much more of a running team this season, having thrown for only 149 yards in 4 games.

Call this one “Somethin’s gotta give”. While Delhi has come into this game the last few years with a suspect running game, Delhi comes into week 5 of this season averaging 327 yards rushing per game. Walton’s foes this year thus far have averaged just 59 yards rushing per game. On the other side of the ball, Delhi’s defense has allowed an average of just 70 yards per game, while Walton’s backs have averaged 341 per game. With 2 powerful running games meeting 2 air tight defenses, somethin’s gotta give.

Taking a look at Walton, the Warriors’ rushing offense is a 3-pronged attack, with the brothers Fletcher leading the way. Sophomore fullback Richard Fletcher leads the way with 340 yards on 68 carries and 7 TD’s. Senior halfback Kirby Fletcher is not far behind with 316 yards on 40 carries, with one TD. The other halfback is senior Robert McLachlan, who has racked up 3 TD’s to go with 215 yards on 35 carries. It is a big and bruising backfield – Kirby Fletcher is the lightest at 182 lbs, while Richard Fletcher and McLachlan come in at 225 and 220, respectively. Match those L-B-S’ with a big strong offensive line, and it’s easy to understand Walton’s reputation as a power running team.

Walton has shown very little motivation toward throwing the ball yet, having completed just 4 of 9 passes for 95 yards and a TD, with nearly half the yards coming in the last game against Sullivan West.

Delhi will meet Walton’s power with size in the middle and speed all around. Defensive tackles Jeff Daye and Kevin Rossley average 300 lbs, and have been clogging the middle all season. Inside linebackers Nate Rockefeller (190 lbs) and Jeremiah Warren (210 lbs) provide the middle with a great combination of size and speed, while outside backers Geoff Rosa and Chad Rockefeller join the secondary of Jason and Josh Wake and Taylor Sohns to provide excellent speed and sure tackling on the outside.

Delhi will look to break through Walton’s aggressive, crashing defense with tailback Brenton Hood, who has rushed for 606 yards, 9 TD’s, and a 9.5 yard per carry average. Complementing Hood is fullback Nate Rockefeller, who has 381 yards, 5 TD’s, and a 7.6 yard per carry average. Delhi was able to give the passing game a small workout last weekend against Newark Valley, completing 5 of 7 passes. This could be useful, as Delhi has gotten the majority of their yards against Walton through the air in recent years.

Look for a bitter defensive struggle, with one of the teams breaking off a couple runs in the late 3^rd quarter or early 4^th quarter. This one should be the latest in a line of great Delhi/Walton battles!