Key test awaits Penns Grove

Penns Grove football coach Kemp Carr and his players wanted a challenge.

They'll get one Saturday against Red Lion Christian of Bear, Del.

"Anytime you have an opportunity to face a tougher level of competition, you have to take it," Carr said. "This is a great challenge for us. But we're excited about it."

Red Lion Christian (2-4) will visit Penns Grove (4-1) at noon.

Red Lion Christian has been striving to develop a national-caliber program. The team's freshman quarterback, David Sills, made news a couple of years ago when he committed to the University of Southern California as a seventh grader.

Red Lion has played a schedule filled with regional powers. The team won its opener against Ursuline, a three-time state champion from Youngstown, Ohio, as the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Sills was 15-for-19 passing with four touchdowns.

Red Lion has lost to nationally ranked Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), the No. 10 team in MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 - and Washington of Massillon, Ohio, in its last two games.

"They have more than the quarterback," Carr said. "They've been attracting top players. They're playing that kind of schedule, and they have those kinds of athletes."

Penns Grove arranged the game by creating an opening on its schedule through a mutual agreement with Clayton not to play the Clippers this season, according to Carr.

Although the Red Devils have lost to Woodstown this season, they have in recent years dominated many of the Group 1 opponents on their schedule.

"What about our kids getting the exposure?" Carr said. "What about our kids getting the chance to step up to this level of competition? No matter what happens, this is a game that will help us down the line in the playoffs."