Philly photographer on the road, the coach takes my photo

Ghost town - This is the only photo in existence with all three Dave Fredericks in it. The background is North Broad Street, the site of the Temple sports complex. Lizzie and Liza are also in the picture. The photo was taken by Temple lacrosse coach Bonnie Rosen who had the vision. "This just needs to happen," Bonnie said. I told coach, “I’m telling the people in Lewes that when I go to Temple, the coach takes my picture.” Fredman swimming upstream to the site of his spawning, we’re all so impressed, we can barely stop yawning. I’ve tried telling and selling the Philly pedigree to my granddaughters, we’re talking 1700s, but sometimes a story is only moderately interesting even if you’re a part of it.

Taylor Swift - I chased down Taylor Gooch at the Temple tailgate without trucks Oct. 14 because I saw her walking with Bill Gibbs, who was there for a Sunday visit. I thought, “No one will have this photo but me, unless I’m told to go ride the subway or take a trip on the trolley.” Taylor and Bill are expecting a child sometime late spring. I am close to the families but not due date close, if you know what I’m saying.

Honor society - Tim Bamforth called his race volunteers “honor society” kids, and, like me, Tim could never pass the entrance shakedown. I told the girls, “I almost made the honor society in high school, except I got a one out of five for character, and that disqualified me.” They, of course, had no idea what I was talking about. I grabbed a great photo after they had to walk back from the trail because the Striders cart ran out of power; they are Lindsay Rambo, Lindsey Guida, Elle McKay and Natalie Guida. Rambo goes to Cape, while the other three are students at Sussex Academy. Natalie gave me a hug after the photo and said, “Thanks, Fredman.” I gave her a five for character.

Grand Central Railroad - Go to Sussex Central for Friday night football and you get a good dose of the Georgetown/Millsboro culture. Like retrievers with attitudes, the Golden Knights are dudes with ’tudes – they ain’t rolling over for nobody. Smyrna has won 20 straight Henlopen Conference games with what looks like a Pop Warner offense until the Eagles hang 50 on your backpedaling butt. On Oct. 12, it was traditional wing-T with some long balls sprinkled over top that resulted in Sussex Central winning 31-6. Central is now 5-1 and undefeated in the conference with four games to play. Coaches play them one at a time, but not grandpa sportswriters. Sussex Central is going to the state tournament, and they have a shot at a state title that’s eluded them for 50 years.

Shaky and Shady - I watched multiple games on the NFL Redzone channel and I became annoyed at many of the idiotic celebrations after touchdowns – even Terrell Owens thought they were stupid – and I find it hard to be happy for low-character guys whose destiny is to be rich and famous and to win games before going back to questionable lifestyles. The baseball playoffs are easier to watch. When a player does something great, he is congratulated by his mates in the dugout, and he doesn’t stop to do a dance on home plate.

Snippets - Devin Miller, a senior and Wesley football starting center, scored the first and, no doubt, only touchdown of his career Oct. 13, when he fell on a fumble in the endzone to give the Wolverines a 6-0 lead over Kean College. Wesley went on to win 54-6, but Devin got them started and put his name in the record book for a touchdown of zero yards – you just can’t top that. Jamie Trabaudo, a junior lacrosse player at UNC and former field hockey and lacrosse all-state player at Polytech, underwent her second ACL surgery in three years last week – one on each knee – and is in good spirits and already focusing on her senior year. Drexel field hockey beat Temple in double overtime 2-1 Oct. 13 at Drexel. Both Annie Judge (Temple) and Tess Bernheimer (Drexel), Cape grads, were on the field together, but neither scored. Jenna Steele, all-time leading scorer for Mary Washington field hockey, is now the assistant coach. Jenna played no offense at Cape because who knows? I have a granddaughter Lina playing middle school B Team field hockey at Milford and another Anna coaching middle school B Team at Beacon. Gazette “B Team” photog Fredman may stop by to take some photos. Go on now, git!