Keep on running and don’t look back

The fast blind pass - The Beacon track girls, winners of 67 straight meets under coaches Gilbert Maull and Tim Bamforth, should be the subject of a “60 Minutes” documentary, with focus on the way they handle their business. They were dominating in a tri-meet March 28, when the 4-by-100 team, under gray, threatening skies, went out like it was the Olympic trials. The team of Tia Jarvis, Bre Kusen, Aya Daisey and Mehkia Applewhite, using blind passes on the dead run, never looked back, establishing a school record in a time of 52.7 seconds. The time was the 20th fastest middle school time in the nation this spring - I know that because Coach B told me it was true. Beacon will run in the Jim Blades Invitational Friday, April 7, always a showcase meet. The Blades Invitational will be run at Woodbridge this year, as Lake Forest is having the track resurfaced. 

Lefty legacy - Brock Hilligoss, a sophomore, is an angular left-handed first baseman and pitcher for the Milford Buccaneers, now 3-0 after a 7-5 win over Cape Henlopen. Brock looks the part. He belongs on a baseball card from another generation. His dad Mike played football for Cape and is the assistant principal for Milford Middle School. Brock’s grandfather is lefty Johnny Morris, a Lewes High three-sport legend born in 1941, a Beebe baby, who pitched for Lewes High School then had a Major League Baseball career and appeared in 132 games, all but 10 in relief, between 1966 and 1974 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Pilots, Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants. Lewes High, before the dual highway changed everything and made the town quaint and cool, had two left-handed future major leaguers on the roster - Morris and Chris Short. At the same time, over in Georgetown, there was Costen Shockley, born 1942, who became a major league first baseman who played 11 games for the Phillies during the ill-fated 1964 season and 40 for the California Angels in 1965. Costen is the uncle of former Cape and UD player Scott Shockley and oldest brother of Joe Shockley, president of County Bank, and let me stop there for now. Scott and Costen are also both lefties ... sounds like a genetics double play. 

Tune up time - Lacrosse is a sport with a steep learning curve, and a sport where any team can be humbled in the time it takes to reflect “What was that all about?” At Legends Stadium March 29, the Cape boys led Sussex Central 18-0 at the half, then turned the key off the Gator, cruising to a 22-1 victory. The Cape girls’ lacrosse team had an afternoon contest at Indian River and led 16-0 at the half before going spread yellow to red for a 20-1 victory. Both Cape teams host Worcester Prep Friday, March 31. Weather is threatening, but the girls will play at 4 and the boys at 7. The Worcester girls are 4-0, having rolled every team in their path, while the boys’ team is 1-2. Cape boys play at the Ocean City (N.J.) Raiders April 3, a good Monday day trip if you have no job but money in your pocket. 

Snippets - The best hobby for a control freak is home plate umpire, because those guys run the show, set the tempo for the entire game, get to overrule the umps on the bases and can throw out players and coaches or yell at photographers. They basically control the entire venue, inside the lines and outside the fence. Sometimes wrong but never in doubt makes the best umpires. I watched a long 7-5 game at Milford March 29 and there were many bang-bang plays and calls and somebody disagreed, but I thought the umpires let the players decide the outcome. Milford and Cape baseball were tied at one after five innings, and I put out on blast “this game is about to bust loose,” and it did, I just had that feeling. I’ll be at Georgetown University Saturday, April 1, for some Temple lacrosse. The Hoyas can play that game; it’s basketball they’ve forgotten how to play. The highest collective payroll for high school coaches in Delaware, I’m guessing Cape Henlopen, and I’m almost certain I’m right, which is why I don’t do math because “almost certain” is never an acceptable answer. My sideline buddy Dr. Dave Robinson was at the Beacon track meet March 28 to watch his granddaughter Ava Crotty run the 800 meters. She shared some granola with him after the race. Milford baseball offered to move a picnic table next to the 8-foot fence so I could stand on it to take photos, but I employed the logic “when in doubt, don’t.” “Fredman fell off a picnic table and that was that,” I ain’t going out like that. I hid in the Cape dugout. Go on now, git!