Appoquinimink Jaguars Stadium entrance, courtesy of Glenn Frazer
The Delaware Live sports staff this summer is featuring some of the high school football venues where they have covered games.
As you drive west of Middletown near the Route 301 bypass on Friday nights in the fall, you can’t miss the lights of the Appoquinimink High football stadium.
One of three high schools in the Appoquinimink School District, Jaguar Stadium pulls a big crowd for its home events.
Your journey into the complex takes you past Bunker Hill Elementary to the ample parking surrounding the high school.
The stadium’s entrance features a brick arch topped with the mascot logo. To get to the bleachers and field, you’ve got to make your way through a crowded lobby area, with the always bustling grill to the left.
Once you’re near the bleachers, you can’t miss the jaguar statue as you gaze upon the “all-weather” surface.
The school was the district’s second high school, completed in 2008. Stadium seating capacity is estimated at just over 4,000.
Principal Sam Postlethwait, who played quarterback and was the punter at both Caesar Rodney High and the University of Delaware, can be seen attending most of the home games.
Jaguar stadium was one of the few turf fields at a public school when it opened. With the new field and ample parking the stadium was a great option for the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) to hold lots of state playoff and championship games.Â
In the last decade, other schools have opened or added new stadiums that are turf, and the playoff and championship games have moved around the state now. Â
The initial varsity season began in 2009 under head coach Jeff Weiner, who guided the Jags to a playoff spot in just his second year before they fell to Archmere 31-24 . The current head coach is Brian Timpson, who coaches both softball and football there.
The football program started in Division II, then was moved up to Division I a few years later as the team took its “lumps” early on. Recent success includes qualifying for the playoffs three of the last five seasons, including last year’s first-ever conference title after winning the tiebreaker in District 1 of Class AAA with Middletown and Salesianum.
Timpson’s Jags recorded the school’s first win ever against the Sals last year at Abessinio by a final of 30-20.
Timpson also has the distinction of leading the Jags football team to their only playoff win in 2021 against Cape Henlopen on their home turf.
The team is busy preparing for its 2023 opening game when Appo will face cross-district opponent Odessa for the first meeting between the two.
The game is being billed as “The Rumble on the River – 1” and will be hosted by Odessa Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
The 2023 football season is the first that all three district high schools will play each other. Both Appo and Middletown are in Class AAA – District 1, while Odessa just moved up to Class AA – District 2.
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