Cape girls’ basketball has new look and positive attitude

There’s a new face on the Cape bench this season, as longtime coach Ron Dukes has taken over the Vikings, and he hopes to guide the team to an improved 2025-26 campaign.

Dukes, who served as the head coach at Sussex Central for 17 years, spent the past two seasons at Indian River. He has been a fixture on the bench for 44 years, including 20 years coaching girls’ basketball.

Assisting Dukes this season are former Saint Mark’s all-star and University of Delaware standout John Gordon, along with Cape graduates Carlin Quinn and Sam Purple.

The Vikings finished 14-8 last season, falling 57-54 to Sanford in the second round of the DIAA state tournament.

Cape is led by 6-foot-2 senior Amalia Fruchtman, who scored a team-high 360 points last year while collecting 157 rebounds, hitting 63 free throws, making 38 steals and blocking 32 shots.

“I think we can do better on the defensive end this year,” Fruchtman said. “Breaking pressure and getting through the press more efficiently will benefit us. We’re all really good friends off the court, so our chemistry is strong and makes us want to perform better.”

Also returning in the senior class are Maya Yngve, Jurnee White and Sydney Whetzel.

Yngve scored 89 points, including 18 three-pointers, last season while adding 24 steals and 35 rebounds from her guard position.

“We need to minimize our turnovers this season,” Yngve said. “We’re working great as a team, and that will help us handle pressure.”

White contributed 17 rebounds and eight assists.

“Our energy is great so far this year,” she said. “Our team helps and supports each other.”

Whetzel scored 32 points, grabbed 37 rebounds and tallied 16 assists as a junior, while providing tough defense for the Vikings.

“We will improve our rebounding this season,” Whetzel said. “We struggled to box out, but we can fix that, and hopefully be an inspiration to our younger teammates.”

Joining the senior class is Appoquinimink transfer Erinn Rodriguez.

Underclassmen on the team include juniors Amara Fruchtman, Mairead Rishko, Ally Diehl, Harper Mamele and Haley Gamuciello. Varsity sophomores are Mikaela Gordon, Jordynn Bowe, Kallea Eleazar and Laura Kira Lima. The lone freshman competing on varsity is Natalie Horsey.

“Defense, defense, defense is my philosophy,” Dukes said. “We need three commitments: play defense, rebound and protect the ball. They’re focusing on it right now. We’re going to play a different style of ball than people are used to seeing. We have depth, speed and the ability to defend. They’re challenging each other because there are only so many minutes in a game. Once we have everything figured out, it’s going to be fun to watch.”

The Vikings open the season at home against Appoquinimink Saturday, Dec. 6.

“We go to Smyrna Dec. 9,” Dukes said. “That will be our test for how we’ll be this season.”