CLAYMONT, Del. — The football field at Archmere Academy is just off the banks of the Delaware River, perfectly green artificial turf surrounded by the yellows and browns that dominate the color palette in winter when everything isn’t covered by snow. When the wind blows just right in the afternoon, the air fills with the smell of grilled onions from the local steak shop.
Up a small hill, a converted mansion called “The Patio” — complete with marble floors, a stained-glass roof, a central fountain and classically detailed fixtures — has a perfect view of the field right on the edge of the woods, the home of Archmere’s undefeated, Delaware Class 2A champion football team.
At an assembly in December on the idyllic campus to honor that group, a football star from an undefeated Archmere team six decades prior surprised the team with an invitation to his place of residence — the White House.
