Loads of talent on display during middle school lacrosse game

Take me to your feeder - A large, enthusiastic Cape crowd showed up to Legends Stadium under the misty drizzle May 16 to watch the Mariner versus Beacon lacrosse game that shuts down the sports season at both schools. Mariner came in undefeated with a 19-game winning streak over two seasons, including a 10-8 win over Beacon last season, but Beacon was the favorite with more eighth-graders and frontline players from Atlantic lacrosse. Beacon coach Joey Vavala started all eighth-graders who played the entire first quarter. Beacon led 4-1. The regular starters made the score 7-1 at the half. Beacon played the roster in the second half to win 13-3. Mariner coach Jacob Kee then asked to play a fifth quarter so all his athletes got a chance to play. The reality is that not all the lacrosse players in that game will choose Cape for a high school, but enough will stay Vikings to make Cape – the first public school in Delaware to play the sport – a statewide contender for the foreseeable future. 

Werewolf weather - I like rain so much I could live in Seattle and like it. But c’mon, dog, can we get these spring sports seasons wrapped up and state tournaments started? Teams with home games to start the girls’ lacrosse tournament who don’t have turf fields were told to find a turf place to play or DIAA will find a venue, which may be the home of the lower-seeded opponent. Baseball and softball have limited options – just too many unplayable fields – they will just have to wait out the weather. Getting practice schedules disrupted, the teams that can focus through it all are the ones that win championships, except sometimes a lucky one sneaks through and steals the show.

Drass my go-to guy - I covered Wesley home football games a quarter century ago when Tim Keating was head coach and Mike Drass was defensive coordinator. Coach Drass passed away suddenly May 14 at the age of 57. If Mike knew you once, he knew you forever. I’d see him occasionally at Wesley Stadium when I was there covering a hockey or lacrosse game. It was always: “Hi, Fredman,” like he saw me every day. I went down on the field 25 years ago – a much younger man – for post-game interviews and went straight to Drass after I astutely determined that head coach Tim Keating didn’t like my style. After one game, I turned around and three other reporters were waiting to talk to Drass. I told them to get somewhere. “Big Dog here is mine!” Mike just laughed and continued the interview. Coach Drass understood Delaware: “You can’t big-time people in a small state. Good as anyone, better than no one.” Mike was that guy and didn’t have to work at it. He helped so many people in his life, and on certain Saturdays a long time ago, he helped me too.

Snippets - Cape soccer head coach Patrick Kilby and girls’ lacrosse coach Lindsey Eichner have each been named Henlopen Conference Coach of the Year in their respective sports. I was Coach of the Year once for something, but my plaque has oxidized and I can no longer read it ... actually, I can’t find it either. The Phillies have gotten through 40 games with a 24-16 record and are one game behind the Braves, while Washington is a game behind Philadelphia. Just don’t collapse, stay in the hot mix and the fans will be satisfied. My maternal grandfather Franklin lived a few blocks from Shibe Park – Connie Mack Stadium – and actually walked in on off-day batting practices of the Phillies and A’s. He was so well known everyone just called him “Ballpark Frank” and they eventually named a hotdog after him. Anyway, that’s what he said. It’s BYOB for sports teams, bring your own bottle, so if you’re a sportswriter in the home dugout for two hours on a 90-degree day, you can dehydrate and die before anyone notices. I left baseball May 15 for girls’ soccer and found myself at the window of the Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli food truck telling my tale of parchment to assistant soccer coach Ariel Espinoza while eyeballing a Momma Rose Corned Beef and Chopped Liver Combo Sandwich. Ariel bought me a bottle of water which I drank like a camel – no hands while hunched over and drooling. Thanks, coach Ariel, that was a cool thing to do. SoDel Scott Kammerer saw me Wednesday at the middle school lacrosse game. “Darby [Klopp] is my niece and that was the best girls’ soccer game Monday night against CR that I ever saw.” Scott added, “It was actually the only game I’ve ever seen, and I’m sure it was the best Cape game ever played. It made me want to see another one.” Cape will play top-seeded Padua at Dover at 6 p.m., Wednesday, May 23. Hanging with the Pandas is a tall order for a short mascot. Go on now, git!