The upside-down wait until the pole snaps back to straight

Wahoo! - Sam Young, former Cape state champion pole vaulter and soccer player, recently transferred from the University of Delaware to the University of Virginia and competed Jan. 14 in the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Va. He placed eighth at 15-feet-7.5-inches. That was good for the fifth-best vault for freshmen at UVA. The No. 1 height for a freshman is 16-feet-3-inches. Sam is a redshirt freshman. He is arguably one of Cape's all-time best student-athletes. He could lead off a 4-by-800 relay, vault 15 feet and run the 300-meter hurdles all in the same meet. He just quietly answers the bell, has that kind of toughness and great sense of self and sense of humor, realizes it's not about him, makes you feel it's about you, but as a reporter I knew better. Sam’s older sister Sarah went from lacrosse player to straight-up student at the University of Penn, where she will graduate next year with an Ivy League degree.

Cape wrestling rolls to win - Two straight weekends in Maryland under blankets of bad weather and overnight hotel stays with morning weigh-ins, and the Cape wrestling team kept its focus and sanity and came back to Lewes with tournament victories. Cape went 4-0 at the Capitol Duals tournament Jan. 8, then Jan. 13 won the team title at the Grapple at the Brook, besting a field of 17 teams with 232 points, while Woodbridge High School of Virginia was second with 217. Cape crowned six champions: Anthony Caruso at 120, Max Norquest at 132, Zeke Bean at 145, Dante Jacquet at 152, Cory Lawson at 160 and Holden Kammerer at 195. Caruso was also named Outstanding Wrestler. Chris Handlin at 170 lost by decision in finals to Tommy DiSisto of Plymouth Whitemarsh. Tommy D is the nephew of coach Chris Mattioni. Billy Ott at 220 placed third, while Andre Currie at 126, Brock Maloomian at 182 and Zach Flores at 285 placed fourth. Cape will host Smyrna Wednesday, Jan. 18; get there early, the bleachers will be pulled out on both sides. Smyrna was 2-2 at last weekend’s Virginia Duals, beating St. John’s College 63-12 and Battlefield 49-21, while losing to South Dade 35-27 and Cathedral Prep 43-22.

Football championship weekend - Look at the quarterbacks still standing. In the AFC, there are Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. In the NFC, it is Aaron Rodgers versus Matt Ryan. And the four coaches, Bill Belichick (Annapolis), Mike Tomlin (Hampton), Mike McCarthy (Pittsburgh) and Dan Quinn (Moorestown, N.J.), all grew up on the East Coast. Quinn played football and threw the hammer for Salisbury, and he was inducted into their hall of fame in 2005. If I had to bet your money on the championship games, I’d go with the Steelers over New England and Falcons over Green Bay. Early Las Vegas betting lines have the Falcons as a four-point favorite and the Patriots as a six-point favorite. There are a total of 22 players on IR from the final four teams and another 11 listed as questionable. I’ve been downgraded to doubtful for returning to the gym.    

Snippets - Until you spike a perfectly good iced doughnut with sprinkles onto the sidewalk or feed a beef and cheddar from Arby’s to your dog, you ain’t on no serious diet. Social media has amped up diet-sharing stories, but I must warn you that for all endeavors to rehab bad habits, those who talk the most are at the highest risk for recidivism. The silent and skinny don’t throw wake and rarely make a sound. The undefeated Cape girls’ swim team will make their first appearance at Sussex Academy’s new aquatic center Thursday, Jan. 19. The Seahawks’ only loss was by two points to Caesar Rodney. The Cape girls’ basketball team (6-4) will host the St. Thomas More Ravens (8-1) Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6:15 p.m. Cape is playing well and this promises to be a good ballgame. A cadre of crazy local runners flew to Key West for last weekend’s half marathon and 5K. About 4,000 runners finish the half marathon, and I know what you’re thinking, “How late do the bars stay open?” Go on now, git!