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Hochrein and Hitchcock are the double helix of Henlopen goaltending

August 26, 2016

Big green goalies - If a local photographer focuses his too-big-for-primetime lens on the home team goalie before a soccer scrimmage begins, he is making a statement. Cape Henlopen and later Sussex Tech scrimmaged the Gaels of Mt. Saint Joe’s out of Baltimore (ranked 10th in the country in 2010) Aug. 22, a crazy good team that relentlessly pushes the ball at your goalie. I knew seniors Brent Hochrein of Cape and Anthony Hitchcock of Sussex Tech would get a workout, and they did. Both keepers wore green; they are both long and athletic and made a bevy of great saves. Coaches know you’re always in the game with a keeper who protects the house like his life depends upon it. Hochrein and Hitchcock are the double helix of Henlopen goaltending. It’s going to be a great season.

Spread the word - There is social media, a clearing house, different from group texting, but sports friends at different schools keep updated with each other daily. I know Tess Bernheimer (Cape) is off to a good start at Drexel and so is her high school midfield mate Erin Coverdale at Franklin and Marshall. Sydney Ostroski, now at West Chester, scrimmaged Eastern University with Lexi Gooch on the roster. Sydney is listed as a back on the 2016 roster. Lexi is listed as a defender for the Eastern Eagles. Carly Dmiterchik is on the roster at Arcadia University. Junior Maggie Delp is at Delaware; the two-time letter winner at midfield is the only native Delawarean on the squad. There are more Henlopen Conference athletes playing next-level field hockey including Ali McKay (Poly) and Peyton Shockley (Milford) at Bloomsburg, Torrie Huk for the UMass Lowell River Hawks, and Tina Gooding (Cape) and Gabby Yore (daughter of former Cape principal John Yore) at McDaniel. I just can’t get to them all right now.

All stoved up - A Southern expression that means stiff and sore up in my joints. Down at Rio, broadcaster Billy Bush, the son of the forgotten Bush brother Jonathan, ran into Carl Lewis and challenged the winner of nine gold medals to a 50-yard walk race. Lewis made his worst decision since singing the national anthem at a baseball game and Billy, looking like a dork on Red Bull, walked the dog on Carl. Then he asked Carl if he wanted a rematch and the 55-year-old said he didn’t have the stamina (he was all stoved up) to race another 50-yard walk. John Kruk, also 55, is currently broadcasting the Little League World Series in Williamsport. A kid held up a sign “We want Kruk on the hill,” kids slide down a steep hill on cardboard boxes. Kruk responded, “I’m not 13, I couldn’t do it, couldn’t bend my knees like that. I would never get back up.” Kruk is also all stoved up. I passed that level 15 years ago. Now, I’m just all washed up.   

Weekend warriors - Cape football rolls to Middletown Friday night at 6 p.m. to scrimmage Lake Forest and Middletown. Middletown and Lake are both coming off 8-2 seasons. Cape hockey will host an eight-team quality varsity play day, welcoming Chesapeake, Delmar, Padua, Pocomoke, South River, Tower Hill and Wooton. “We will play them all. It should be a great day of top-shelf hockey,” said assistant coach Debbie Windett. Cape volleyball will welcome 13 teams to their all day play day, beginning at 9 a.m. They will run three courts at a time. “We have some of the best teams in the state coming, so we can get the experience and see where we stand going into the season,” said head coach Tyler Coupe. Soccer will host a tri-scrimmage once the hockey girls clear out, welcoming Middletown and St. Elizabeth. Cutting to the chase, coaches are all looking for warriors who play for keeps inside the lines.    

Snippets - The University of Delaware had nine foreign players on the 24-man roster and one from Delaware, Faruk Mohammed, who went to school at Caravel, a sprinter and striker and member of National Honor Society. Faruk spent the first seven grades in Nigeria; his grandfather is a king in Nigeria. Soccer may be the toughest of sports to make it to the next level. Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd predicted the Eagles to finish last in the NFC with a record of 4-12. I’m going with 9-6 on the theory that when you expect the least you get the most. Go on now, git!

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