Delaware
Early advice from fellow QB calmed Minicucci as freshman sparked Blue Hens
Injuries to Ryan O’Connor and Zach Marker made Nick Miniucci the first true freshman quarterback in 22 years to start a game for Delaware on Saturday.
Minicucci certainly could have regretted his football fate in the first half at Delaware Stadium. Four turnovers, including three interceptions, allowed Lafayette to take a 28-7 lead in the FCS playoff first-round game.
HENS FBS BOUND: Delaware move to FBS, Conference USA coming soon
Around then, Minicucci got a sideline visit from Marker. Their discussion lasted a couple minutes.
“It really settled me down what he said,” Minicucci said Monday. “He was like ‘Are you having fun right now?’ I was like ‘Not really, this game’s not going our way.’ ”
Marker simply urged Minicucci to “ ‘Go out there this next drive and just have fun, play football, that’s what you’re here to do,’ ” Minicucci said of Marker’s advice. “ ‘You’ve been doing this your whole life. Just go play football.’ I really took that message.”
An 8-play, 80-yard scoring drive came soon after. It was keyed by Minicucci’s 11-yard pass to start the series and 36-yard touchdown strike to end it, both to Joshua Youngblood.
Minicucci also had 10- and 15-yard runs, the latter on third-and-10, in between as Delaware cut the Leopards’ lead to 28-13.
NCAA FCS BRACKET: Hens at Montana next
It ended up being the impetus for a 36-34 Blue Hens win that sent them to the FCS round of 16. Delaware (9-3), enjoying its winningest season in 13 years, visits No. 2-seeded Montana (10-1) Saturday at 9 p.m. EST (ESPN+).
“I just went out there and things started clicking,” Minicucci said. “It started to roll from there. I give all the credit really to [Marker] and everyone that tried to settle me down on the sidelines.”
That included coach Ryan Carty, the former UD quarterback, and quarterbacks coach Sean Goldrich, who was a successful quarterback at New Hampshire, and other teammates.
“Even early, he was a little unsettled, but there were a couple things that didn’t go his way,” Carty said of the first half, “with a couple tipped balls that were intercepted. Things were going downhill. That would be the fear, right? That a young quarterback would let that snowball and he didn’t. He was poised.”
Minicucci completed his last nine passes of the game, including 7- and 18-yard TDs to Braden Brose.
He also had a 13-yard run on the last play of the third quarter preceding the first of those two TD tosses.
“I love it,” he said of being a multi-threat quarterback. “When my reads aren’t there, it’s really what they’ve been teaching me to do . . . Just go get some yardage.”
COMEBACK WIN: Blue Hens prevail in FCS thriller
Minicucci finished the day 16-for-25 passing for 198 yards and the three touchdowns. He netted 46 yards on 10 carries, which includes the seven yards lost on two sacks.
He called winning that game “probably the greatest moment of my life so far,” but certainly has opportunities for better ones.
“Winning a playoff game as a freshman,” he said, “not expecting to play, was really cool.”
With both Marker and O’Connor practicing, Minicucci hadn’t received many snaps in practice in preparation for the Nov. 18 Villanova game, which Delaware lost 35-7. Injuries to those two forced him in from the second quarter on. He was much more prepared for Lafayette.
“Going into the Lafayette game, knowing I was starting, coach Goldrich, coach Carty, I did extra film with them and that was huge for me,” said Minicucci.
MUCH TO DIGEST 5 takeaways from Delaware win over Lafayette
A two-year starter at New Jersey power Don Bosco Prep, Minicucci benefitted from numerous important, competitive games that, he said, “prepared me for this moment.”
Now a more demanding test awaits Saturday at cold, crowded and noisy Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.
“He kinda went out there and made some plays on his own [against Lafayette],” Carty said, “because he’s talented enough to do that. He’s got a really live arm, throws well on the run. He has since the day he got here.”
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
How to safely shovel snow
The Mayo Clinic has some tips for safely shoveling snow.
Saturday is the winter solstice, and parts of Delaware have already had a small, but still measurable, amount of snowfall.
For the first time since Feb. 17, 2024, measurable snowfall was reported in Delaware to the National Weather Service. Community reports of 0.1 inches of snow outside of Newark and in Smyrna are on the board after a storm brought rain and snow to the First State. That is the smallest amount of snowfall that can be recorded.
Wilmington last received measurable snowfall on that February date, but received only a trace Friday night. Parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey saw more than 5 inches from the same system.
Winter starts with cold snap
The storm ushered in dangerously cold air that will grip the Northeast for the weekend.
The temperatures are not so extreme that advisories will be issued, but it is not a good idea to stay outside for very long, said National Weather Service meteorologist Amanda Lee in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
On the night of Dec. 21, temperatures will dip, according to the weather service:
- 17 degrees in Wilmington
- 16 degrees in Dover
- 17 degrees in Georgetown
The overnight of Dec. 22 will be chillier, with temperatures dipping past the teens and wind chills in the single digits. It could plunge to:
- 10 degrees in Wilmington
- 10 degrees in Dover
- 9 degrees in Georgetown
Delaware
Delaware Tourism Office Announces New Sports Tourism Investment Awards – Travel And Tour World
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Delaware
Delaware Tourism Office Announces Latest Round of Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund Awardees – State of Delaware News
DOVER, Del. – Today, the Delaware Tourism Office announced Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund awards to five Delaware sports facilities. Established through the Fiscal Year 2024 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund provides financial support to new or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
The Delaware Tourism Office accepted applications for the fund from Aug. 1 through Sept. 13, 2024. The office received 17 applications requesting more than $47 million. Available funds totaled $10 million.
Applications were reviewed by a panel, including the co-chairs of the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, Sen. Jack Walsh and Rep. Debra Heffernan, and representatives of the Delaware Tourism Office, the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kent County Tourism, and Southern Delaware Tourism. The panel met on Oct. 24 to begin reviewing the applications and finalized their funding decisions at a meeting on Dec. 12 in Dover.
“Once again, this was a very competitive application process. The panel worked diligently to consider the merits of each facility that applied,” said Sen. Walsh. “The facilities receiving funding play an integral role in encouraging out-of-state visitation and positively impacting our economy. We will continue to encourage visitation through the fund, ensuring that sporting event operators think of Delaware when looking for states to host their tournaments and other competitions in.”
“The fund supports our facilities, encouraging them to expand and attract top sporting events throughout the year as the sports tourism industry grows in our state,” said Rep. Heffernan. “By providing financial support to these facilities, we can make certain that large sports events will continue to attract visitors who will spend money at local businesses, boost our economy and promote Delaware as an ideal destination.”
The facilities receiving funding through the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund are:
- Factory Sports ($577,000), to construct two additional basketball courts, two volleyball courts, and six pickleball courts in order to host larger and more frequent tournaments at their facility in Frankford.
- Hudson Fields ($1,123,000), to take initial steps to modernize the facility in Milton by upgrading nine outdoor playing fields, installing two turf soccer fields, and improving seven existing grass fields to tournament standards.
- Bethany Tennis Club ($3,800,000), to build a new structure with multiple interior courts and social gathering spaces to attract year-round events for tennis, pickleball, and padel sports at their Ocean View facility.
- Dover Motor Speedway ($500,000), to implement upgrades to the facility allowing it to continue hosting large-scale events with new paving, elevator upgrades, Infield Media Center refurbishments, and an improved audio system.
- Kirkwood Sports Complex ($4,000,000), to make enhancements to the New Castle facility by upgrading parking infrastructure and expanding parking with 300 additional spots, installing artificial turf on five sports fields, and lighting five turf fields.
On Nov. 15, the Delaware Tourism Office released a sports tourism economic impact study completed by Tourism Economics. The study showed that the sports tourism sector’s direct spending impact in Delaware was $257.9 million in 2023. Those sales supported more than 3,000 part-time and full-time jobs and generated $20.2 million in state and local taxes.
“The recent economic impact study confirmed that sports tourism is a significant economic driver in our state, attracting millions of visitors to Delaware each year and generating millions of dollars in revenue,” said Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “We are pleased to be able to support nine different facilities, through the first and second rounds of the capital investment fund, in their expansion efforts and ensure that Delaware offers top-notch sports facilities to event operators and visitors.”
The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free at 866-284-7483.
###
Media Contact:
Allyson Ennis
Allyson.Ennis@Delaware.gov
Related Topics: Delaware Tourism Office, Sports Tourism, Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund, tourism
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
DOVER, Del. – Today, the Delaware Tourism Office announced Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund awards to five Delaware sports facilities. Established through the Fiscal Year 2024 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund provides financial support to new or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
The Delaware Tourism Office accepted applications for the fund from Aug. 1 through Sept. 13, 2024. The office received 17 applications requesting more than $47 million. Available funds totaled $10 million.
Applications were reviewed by a panel, including the co-chairs of the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, Sen. Jack Walsh and Rep. Debra Heffernan, and representatives of the Delaware Tourism Office, the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kent County Tourism, and Southern Delaware Tourism. The panel met on Oct. 24 to begin reviewing the applications and finalized their funding decisions at a meeting on Dec. 12 in Dover.
“Once again, this was a very competitive application process. The panel worked diligently to consider the merits of each facility that applied,” said Sen. Walsh. “The facilities receiving funding play an integral role in encouraging out-of-state visitation and positively impacting our economy. We will continue to encourage visitation through the fund, ensuring that sporting event operators think of Delaware when looking for states to host their tournaments and other competitions in.”
“The fund supports our facilities, encouraging them to expand and attract top sporting events throughout the year as the sports tourism industry grows in our state,” said Rep. Heffernan. “By providing financial support to these facilities, we can make certain that large sports events will continue to attract visitors who will spend money at local businesses, boost our economy and promote Delaware as an ideal destination.”
The facilities receiving funding through the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund are:
- Factory Sports ($577,000), to construct two additional basketball courts, two volleyball courts, and six pickleball courts in order to host larger and more frequent tournaments at their facility in Frankford.
- Hudson Fields ($1,123,000), to take initial steps to modernize the facility in Milton by upgrading nine outdoor playing fields, installing two turf soccer fields, and improving seven existing grass fields to tournament standards.
- Bethany Tennis Club ($3,800,000), to build a new structure with multiple interior courts and social gathering spaces to attract year-round events for tennis, pickleball, and padel sports at their Ocean View facility.
- Dover Motor Speedway ($500,000), to implement upgrades to the facility allowing it to continue hosting large-scale events with new paving, elevator upgrades, Infield Media Center refurbishments, and an improved audio system.
- Kirkwood Sports Complex ($4,000,000), to make enhancements to the New Castle facility by upgrading parking infrastructure and expanding parking with 300 additional spots, installing artificial turf on five sports fields, and lighting five turf fields.
On Nov. 15, the Delaware Tourism Office released a sports tourism economic impact study completed by Tourism Economics. The study showed that the sports tourism sector’s direct spending impact in Delaware was $257.9 million in 2023. Those sales supported more than 3,000 part-time and full-time jobs and generated $20.2 million in state and local taxes.
“The recent economic impact study confirmed that sports tourism is a significant economic driver in our state, attracting millions of visitors to Delaware each year and generating millions of dollars in revenue,” said Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “We are pleased to be able to support nine different facilities, through the first and second rounds of the capital investment fund, in their expansion efforts and ensure that Delaware offers top-notch sports facilities to event operators and visitors.”
The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free at 866-284-7483.
###
Media Contact:
Allyson Ennis
Allyson.Ennis@Delaware.gov
Related Topics: Delaware Tourism Office, Sports Tourism, Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund, tourism
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
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