Blue Hen Conference Preview

Chad Graham November 14, 2025 @ 07:44 PM

With the largest collection of talent in New Castle county, Flight A & B perennially produce state title contenders and the 2025-26 season is no different. But before they can get to the Bob, these squads will have to make it out of the Blue Hen championship game. Here are the teams who should be heavily considered going into the season:   Howard Wildcats   The league's runner up coming out of Flight B, the Wildcats are led by a cadre of experienced seniors, featuring [player_tooltip player_id='2352456' first='Nick' last='Baysah'] and WilmingtonU's newest commit [player_tooltip player_id='2352458' first='Bryson' last='Lane']. Those two are individually and collectively in the running for Player of the Year due to how they each impact both ends of the floor. With versatile forward [player_tooltip player_id='2411598' first='Dominic' last='Awahmukalah'] holding it down in the middle, Howard's high-octane style is bolstered by “Mink” [player_tooltip player_id='2623997' first='Ronald' last='Handy'] & [player_tooltip player_id='2759059' first='Ghazi' last='Abdurrafi'] at guard and [player_tooltip player_id='2759062' first='Zi'Yon' last='Henderson-Conkey'] & [player_tooltip player_id='3046838' first='Arnold' last='Tonpea'] on the wing. Because they lack size, they'll consistently have to start fast, speed opponents up on defense, and crash the boards as a team to reach their goals. Other Contributors: [player_tooltip player_id='2877194' first='Ameer' last='Anderson'], [player_tooltip player_id='3046835' first='Shawn' last='Guidibo']   Middletown   Easily the deepest team in the state, the Cavaliers have intriguing prospects across the board, eager to prove themselves. Juniors Bashir Holmes, [player_tooltip player_id='2386202' first='Jaelen' last='Murphy'], [player_tooltip player_id='2364683' first='Shane' last='Lopez'], [player_tooltip player_id='2458370' first='Aamir' last='Akbar']-Lask, and [player_tooltip player_id='2442708' first='King' last='Savior'] allowed them to play uptempo and put up points or slow it down and be methodical. Then there's 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2565811' first='Isaiah' last='Ngugi'] and underclassmen [player_tooltip player_id='2620906' first='Amir' last='Burgess'], [player_tooltip player_id='2402317' first='Brian' last='Carey II'], [player_tooltip player_id='2622944' first='Logan' last='Eldridge'], [player_tooltip player_id='2622948' first='Sona' last='Mukwele'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2824413' first='Ahmod' last='Spence'] who are all talented enough to start and/or make a positive impact at a moment's notice. With that said, having so many options means finding their equilibrium and figuring out their identity are even more important. But if/when they do, they'll be as dangerous as anyone in the region.   St. Georges   [player_tooltip player_id='2352452' first='Josh' last='Obiora'] anchors a Hawks squad potent enough on defense to wreck the gameplan of any team they face. Forwards [player_tooltip player_id='2387969' first='Jayden' last='Reid'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2488689' first='Amere' last='Rhoades'] add versatility inside, allowing them to put a lot on the rim and control the paint. Meanwhile two-way guards [player_tooltip player_id='2461962' first='Elijah' last='Coates'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2564246' first='Corey' last='Williams'] bring perimeter playmaking to the mix through their combined scoring and distributing. The team's ability to get stops on one end then get out in transition should be a factor no matter who they play. But in addition to improving their ball and player movement, they'll need to manufacture easy looks for Obiora in late game situations, when it matters most. Other Contributors: [player_tooltip player_id='2775287' first='Jaylen' last='Bradshaw'], [player_tooltip player_id='2812230' first='Ayden' last='Davis'], and [player_tooltip player_id='3068030' first='Devon' last='Jackson']   William Penn   "Dub P” has an inexperienced-but-gritty crew who can grind out games if they have to. “Birdie” aka [player_tooltip player_id='2459417' first='Kyndal' last='Riley-Garlick'] has the talent and usage to lead the team in every statistical category. He's flanked by his cousin/marksman [player_tooltip player_id='2461961' first='Aaron' last='Whitaker'] and the athletic [player_tooltip player_id='2606758' first='Chase' last='Simmons']. [player_tooltip player_id='2566663' first='Muadh' last='Johnson'] is a physical presence in the middle with guys like Ah'Ryan Whittlesey and [player_tooltip player_id='3068033' first='Juakeen' last='Purifoy'] also on the perimeter. Setting the tone on defense, winning on the glass, and executing in the halfcourt will be imperative for them. Other Contributors: [player_tooltip player_id='2546430' first='Caden' last='Sagers'] and Arshad Thompson   Wildcards: Concord & Odessa   With forwards [player_tooltip player_id='2534590' first='Shawn' last='Neurell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2961198' first='Jaquan' last='Burton'] collapsing the defense inside for shooters like [player_tooltip player_id='2611922' first='Michael' last='Wright'] on the outside, Concord is the favorite to challenge Howard in Flight B. Odessa will look a lot different from a season ago; but returners [player_tooltip player_id='2541080' first='Zion' last='Redic'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2770688' first='William' last='Warfield'] could get a big boost from [player_tooltip player_id='2867778' first='Turk' last='Wilburn'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2917525' first='Jarvis' last='Watson'].

With the largest collection of talent in New Castle county, Flight A & B perennially produce state title contenders and the 2025-26 season is no different. But before they can get to the Bob, these squads will have to make it out of the Blue Hen championship game. Here are the teams who should be heavily considered going into the season: