Derek and Derrick: Two Cape guys serving the community

Derek and Derrick - Derek Savage and Derrick Quillen, two Cape athletes past and a pair of good guys with engaging personalities. Both men are in the people business. Derek is childcare director at the Milford Boys & Girls Club. He graduated from Cape in 2004. He played basketball (a dunking machine) and ran track (the 110 and 330 hurdles) and also competed in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. Savage then played basketball for Goldey-Beacom. After graduation in 2008, he played semi-pro ball for the Manchester Millrats in New Hampshire and the Bay Area Shuckers in Maryland, and then journeyed to the Middle East and played in Palestine. Quillen, a fitness trainer at Rise, was a left-hander on the right side of Cape’s storied attack line in 1998. That lineup included Josh Wyatt and Billy Lingo, and propelled Cape to a perfect 19-0 season and First State championship under first- and last-year head coach Steve Aubrey. “Give it to Mark” Derrick admits he had a rough ride through his 20s but has pulled himself from the personal power dive and is now a natural doing great things, helping others achieve fitness goals. He also does great work with the Parkinson’s Foundation.         

Eyes of a child - I was in eighth grade when I first saw a glass backboard. Having come from a half-moon, white metal, grammar school, it was magic to me. It was like seeing a spaceship from Mars. Little people from The Factory basketball program were guests at the Cape boys’ game Friday night. I could see it in their eyes - the same wonderment. They were part of the program. They got to meet the players and play a five-minute game at halftime. When kids are spread out, single file, the length of the court, I forget the 88-foot, wide-angle shot and go in for the closeup of Jerny Haines, 8, from Shields. I could see the future in her eyes (unfortunately, not mine) and in the eyes of Nehemiah Woods, son of Pat and Brandy, who was ready to high-five the players on the way to the court.

Bowling practice - ”We talkin’ practice, man.” More than 100 athletes, coaches, families and friends filled Millsboro Lanes Jan. 21 to roll out the 2017 Sussex Riptide Bowling Tournament presented by Special Olympics Delaware. The Millsboro event was one of five area tournaments which took place statewide that day. These athletes’ practices are held once a week for many weeks. Particpants don’t just show up and roll their game down the alley. Representing Riptide’s Tuesday group are Amber Birney, Davey Frederick, Laura Passwaters, Jayson Kirschner, coach Ginny Ferrara-Dellose and Douglas Mast. The 2017 SODE State Bowling Tournament will take place Saturday, Feb. 18, at Brunswick Doverama. The Lewes Polar Bear Weekend Plunge Festival to benefit Delaware’s special athletes will take place Friday to Sunday, Feb. 3 to 5, in Rehoboth Beach.  For more information about events and registration, go to www.plungede.org.

Puppies and pounds - You can travel far to purchase the designer puppy of your choice or pick one out at the pound. Perhaps you can give an old dog a new leash on a good life, or you can rescue or foster a puppy, or not fetch a puppy at all and save your carpets and furniture. The choice is yours, but you must admit this holiday season has been a banner time for new pups, most of which fall in the retriever category. And losing pounds is another theme abounding this January - people and their personal reclamation projects. I am silently one of them. I’ve joined Rise. I show up four days a week but I’m a cruise-control gym personality. I was riding the stationary bike to nowhere at level 1 and 9 miles an hour when I sneaked a peek at the screen next to me powered by a young, blond and focused woman. It read level 12 and 15 miles an hour.  If I had gone to the march in Washington my sign would have read: “That sound you hear is my dogs barking. Can someone get Gramps a chair?”

Snippets - Falcons and Patriots each vanquished championship pretenders Green Bay and Pittsburgh by dissecting their defenses. Las Vegas betting odds opened with New England as three-point favorites. This is not based on insider expertise, but the collective expertise of people who gamble on sporting events. What do you call a black man in a Julian Edelman No. 11 shirt? I call him Gilbert Maull. Go on now, git!