Wing T power players past now on hard times

Pretty lethal - The University of Delaware and Caesar Rodney High School ran defenses ragged for generations with that seemingly simple misdirection of deception offensive that could be tailored to the talent of the home team while exploiting the over preparedness of defenses arming linebackers with more keys than the nighttime custodian. Pretty to watch under bright lights and while we were looking for the football, things changed, first at Delaware then at Caesar Rodney. Defenses started to blow everything up to come across the line of scrimmage and just tackle everybody. The Riders are now 0-7 and the Blue Hens losers of five in a row, most recently a 28-3 Stony Brook shutdown at The Tub on Band/Twirler Day. Coaches know all kinds of things happen between game days, and sometimes preparedness gets blown up like a screen facing a full out blitz before you even get to the field. “When the going gets tough, the not so tough get gone.” But don’t blame coaches, that is the simple solution, but it won’t take you to the ball.

Dr. Dave Down - Dave Robinson was at the Cape versus Polytech field hockey game Oct. 20. Then on Friday morning close to home on Dupont Avenue, distracted by something, he ran his bike into the back of a parked car, pitching him forward and snapping his head back on impact, fracturing a vertebra in his neck, causing compression on his spinal cord. Airlifted to Jefferson Hospital, he was operated on and now we all wait for progress reports to see if full function in his arms and legs slowly returns. Dave is my close friend, it’s not my authorization to tell his story, but the news is out there from the sidelines of high school games to the pulpit of Bethel United Methodist Church. Let me just say from the sports side of the street that in his two years as Cape superintendent he engineered the upgrade to Champions Stadium and he brought in football coaches Bill Collick, John Parker and Herky Billings, soccer coach Gary Montalto, field hockey coaches Kate Windett Austin and Debbie Windett, Matt Lindell for cross country and track and Steve Re for boys’ basketball. I remember Dave telling me, “there’s this young basketball coach at Mardella,” and I asked him two questions, “where is Mardella?” and “how does anyone know who coaches there?”  

Deep bench - I spoke to Tower Hill hockey coach Robin Adair - 10 state titles - last August about who lost what and the prospects for fall season. I mentioned Cape graduated seven starters and she simply said, “Cape has a deep bench.” Robin’s Hillers are 11-1, the 7-4 loss was to powerhouse Episcopal. Cape does have the deepest two-team bench in the state, but only 11 at a time can play. The varsity Vikings escaped Polytech Oct. 20 2-0 on second half goals by Jackie Cannon and Amanda Sponaugle. The Panthers had a first goal off a corner disallowed - ball has to leave the circle before coming back in, plus defender Jody Boyer had a big defensive save. The Cape JV beat Delmar on the home Bermuda field Oct. 21 6-0 to remain unbeaten in Delaware at 9-1-1. Goals were scored by Talbot Buck, Riley Elliot (2), Taylor Smith, Olivia Wilson and Anna Harrington.

Boys to Men - Coach Mark D’Ambrogi, along with Cape lacrosse players Brendon Kane, Holden Kammerer, Brock Maloomian, Dylan Mocci and Erik Stancofski took the U13 SoDel Elite team to Jarrets, Md., for the Brine Indian Summer Aloha tournament. Playing in the A division SoDel beat Baltimore Breakers 10-2, PA Shockwave 6-0, Hartford 11-4 and Fredericksburg Patriots 6-1. No Cape Region team has ever won the A level Aloha tournament, let alone walk through it. Members of the team are Hank D’Ambrogi, Bexton Carter, Tommy Burn, Brody Smith, Riley Neall, Luke Burton, Lucan Ruppert, Dane Robertson, Mason McFayden, McCabe Piavis, Finn Forcucci, Sean Wick, Joe Coveleski, Michael Sposato, Kyler Kewson, Jahden Cannon,  KJ Dockins, Mike Frederick and Carson Kammerer. An amazing aside to this story is the bond between the high school players and a team of middle-school-aged athletes who are destined to be an entertaining story from now through their high school careers.

Snippets - Took me two hours to get from Temple to Smyrna after merging and commingling with Eagles southbound traffic. I saw two accidents and one car fire, which people drove around for fear of getting hung up. Go on now, git!