Indian River pride captures state title and more

As the seconds ticked down on Saturday night in Dover, closing in on the first ever undefeated football season for Indian River and first-year head coach, Ray Steele, it wasn’t simply about an unforgettable year. It wasn’t just about a state championship trophy being brought back to Dagsboro, or another banner being hung in the gymnasium. It was about redemption. It was about tradition. It was about pride.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark
IR’s Jamie Jarmon soaks in their victory after beating Caraval Academy for the state championship title at Delaware University in Dover on Saturday, Dec. 3. Inset, Marquel Knight makes a cut through Caravel’s defensive line.

The Indians, behind a dominating rush offense, defeated Caravel Academy, 35-13, for the Division II Delaware State Football Championship, only the second one in the school’s history.

For the senior class, led by fourth-year starting quarterback Jamie Jarmon, the win was bittersweet. For the past two seasons, a 5-5 record kept the Indians from making it to the playoffs. The season prior, in Jarmon’s freshman year, the team finished 6-3, earning a spot in the state tournament. But their demise came in the first round, when the Indians were knocked out by, none other than, Caravel Academy.

But it was Indian River who had the last laugh Saturday night, after accomplishing what very few thought they were capable of at the start of the season.

Intimidating matchups against teams like conference rival Delmar, who had secured the Henlopen South title for the past two years, and Division I powerhouse Sussex Central, whose proximity always brought a healthy competitiveness to the gridiron, highlighted the schedule.

But Indian River rolled through each game, one-by-one, never allowing teams to come within 14 points of their final score, finishing 12-0, when all was said and done. They even shut out Milford and Seaford, preventing them from registering a single point all game, something Steele attributed to the team’s determination.
Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark

“These kids have fought so hard, all year long,” he said. “They came to practice, each and every day, and showed up, ready to go in each game. You look at an athlete like Jamie [Jarmon], who, in my opinion, plays his position better than anyone in the state, but this season was a full team effort. Everyone came together.”

Fans, players and coaching staff were all smiles on the evening of Dec. 3, with Steele sporting the biggest grin of all. Although he took on the role of head coach for the first time this year with some hesitation, Steele had been a part of the program for decades, and had put in over 30 years as an offensive coach and coordinator alongside former Indian River head coach Jim Bunting.

“This feeling is unreal,” said Bunting, as Saturday’s state championship game drew to a close. “These kids deserve to have someone like Ray leading them. Before I stepped down, I had been trying to hand the job off to Ray for years. I knew these kids had it in them, and I knew Ray was the guy to take control of it all.”

Coaching Indian River’s football team has become a family affair, as Ray Steele’s brother, Mark, the current principal at Indian River High School, was an assistant coach on the 1988 team that won the Indians their first state championship, during his tenure as a teacher.
Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert
Jake Troublefield shows all of his emotion after Indian River captured the state championship against Caravel Academy on Saturday, Dec. 3. Middle, Aaron Moore runs to the outside, picking up some yardage before being pushed out-of-bounds. Bottom, Eric Houvenin shows his pride in IR and may just be IR’s number one fan.

“This game and this whole season have become very sentimental,” Mark Steele noted, following the title win this weekend. “I was there when we got the last one, 23 years ago. The community has been with us the entire way. They have had such a huge, huge impact. When you are a high school principal, and you see that much love and support from members of the community, it’s absolutely unbelievable.”

On Tuesday, Dec. 6, a brief award ceremony was held in recognition of the Indian River varsity football team at the high school. Players were addressed by the principal, coaching staff and members of the Indian River Board of Education, one-by-one, and awarded medallions for their accomplishment.

Mark Steele opened the award ceremony with a speech from legendary NFL coach, Vince Lombardi. “‘Winning is not a sometime thing,’” he recited, “‘it’s an all-the-time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time...’ Some of us up here remember watching Vince Lombardi, who was one of the greatest coaches of all time. But it’s nice to stand up here and look at one of the greatest football teams of all time at Indian River High School.
Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert
“What you guys accomplished this year will take an awful lot to match next season, and there will need to be a lot of things to rebuild in years to come, but as I mentioned, I’m not talking about boys. I’m talking about men, and that’s what each and every one of you have become.” He also recognized the school athletic director, Todd Fuhrmann, and the entire coaching staff of the Indian River football team for their hard work and dedication this season.

Dr. Susan Bunting, superintendent of the Indian River School District, congratulated the team, as well.

“I cannot tell you how thrilled I am, in my 34 years with the district,” she said. “I’ve never had a prouder moment than during this past Saturday evening’s game. The support from the community and the spirit that was there in the stands is something that I will never forget.”

She added that the only other undefeated season from an area high school football team was prior to the formation of the Indian River School District, in 1969. IRSD Board president Charles Bireley, also congratulated the team, sharing with them a ring that was awarded to the state championship team in 1988.

Coach Ray Steele spoke to the team, too, recognizing their outstanding feat and the community’s support.
Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert

“Saturday night had to be my most proudest moment in my 35 years of coaching,” he said. “To see so many people cheering for Indian River, and showing their support, it was unforgettable. At midnight, riding back through Dagsboro, there were people cheering and congratulating us as we came back home. At the school, the scoreboard was on, they were playing ‘Another One Bites the Dust,’ and ‘We are the Champions.’ I was in sheer amazement. I saw guys with tears in eyes, and I can’t describe enough how much I appreciate everything the community has done, everything the school has done, the student body, the band. That’s what it takes. You’ve got to have the people willing to come out and do the little things to support you.

“But winning the games is easy when you have 41 warriors. They did what they needed to do outside of football, in the classroom, throughout the community. At the tail end of the season, we were the favorites, and nobody could knock us off that perch. It’s all due to the dedication and hard work put in by these athletes. I appreciate everything. You all have certainly made this a dream-come-true for me.”

So as the fall season finally draws to a close, the bar is set. Returning players will look to restore the pride at Indian River that they helped capture this season.
Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert
Fifteen outstanding seniors will be moving on next year with a season to remember, but one they will never forget.