Ben Ashby jumps and runs back to the future

Déjà vu all over again - It was fate that put me in a blue field chair at the end of the long jump pit April 4 at Milford. Sure, I brought it myself. No one saves a chair in case some big, old, shaggy photographer shows up. And in the time it takes to get up and groan, I captured three personal record performances. Ben Ashby jumped 21-feet-4-inches, his personal best and a seriously good jump; then he jogged down to the 100-meter event and won that in 10.67. I knew it was the best quick dual-meet double since Rodney “White Lightning” Smith in 1983. I know that because I was there, 34 years ago, when it happened. I went back to my blue chair just in time to catch Zach Simpler’s personal-best jump of 13-feet-9-inches. Zach was so high the photo looked like an optical illusion - like when you swear the ferry grounded itself on Lewes Beach. 

Cherry and White girl - It’s a Temple thing. I have become the cyber guy. I’d rather watch live stats than live streaming, and I prefer TV sports with the sound turned down while I work at the computer and try to be funny. I was a passenger in my own car April 5, following the Temple at Cincinnati/Big East game on my phone. The favored Owls “showed up late,” down 9-5 with 8:31 left in the game. The score began to compress. I read “Anna Frederick goal,” making it 9-7 Bearcats. The game got tied at 9, then Temple got the go-ahead goal by Carly Demato at 1:33. Demato is out of Shawnee High School in Medford, N.J. Then Anna, the Cherry on the Ice Cream Sundae, scored with 49 seconds left in the game. Anna scored with 28 seconds left in a two-goal win over Georgetown and with three seconds left in a two-goal win over Monmouth. The Owls (10-2) host Villanova Saturday, April 8.  

Big game weekend - Time to show up and play people who can play back. Roll out the clichés. This is what you practice for. If you want to be the best, you have to play the best. Time for everyone to step up. Here’s a heads-up on the group step-up. No one steps up at the same time, but I’ve seen entire teams not show up in what I call The Neptune Factor. That’s where everyone looks like they’re from the planet Neptune and they’re breathing in a strange atmosphere. Boys’ lacrosse hosts Appoquinimink at 7 p.m., Friday, April 7, at Legends Stadium. Johnny Coveleski is a volunteer assistant for the Jaguars, who beat Cape last year then went all the way to the state finals and lost to Salesianum. Cape baseball is at Salesianum for a 1 p.m game Saturday, April 8. Sallies is a top-tier team like Cape, and Sallies just beat Caravel 6-5. The Cape girls’ lacrosse team plays at Saint Mary’s of Annapolis at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 8, then travels to Stephen Decatur at 5:30 p.m., Monday, April 10. Saint Mary’s tagged Cape for its only loss last season, while the Vikings beat Decatur by a single goal. “Trying to make it real - compared to what?”

Snippets - Seems improbable, but the Cape golf team played Delmar April 4 at the Green Hill Yacht and Country Club (I have no idea) and tied the Wildcats 186-186. You would think two guys could play sudden death to decide a winner. Cape is 3-1-1 on the season. Lots of running races dot the calendar like birdshot. Seaside Sussex has become a running mecca, while the real Mecca is a kneel-down-and-bow place so the comparison doesn’t really work.

Fans already are not showing up in droves for Major League Baseball games, which, like football games, are better on television because of gambling and napping. Let’s face it - you watch an afternoon baseball game from the couch and, “You ain’t got no job.” The NBA regular season is less than five games from ending. So what did I miss? There are 30 teams in the NBA - only about six should charge admission for home games. And there 30 NHL teams. If you can name all 60 teams and their mascots from the two leagues, then you definitely buy your underwear from Kmart (Rain Man reference). Fifteen minutes to Judge Wapner.  

Go on now, git!