Cardinal Rule: Don’t analyze other guys’ sports programs
Cardinal Rules - I’m not talking College of Cardinals but questions and topics sportswriters should stay clear of like a grenade on the ground with the pin pulled. Years ago, after the Celtics beat the Pistons in a hard-fought game, a radio guy asked Isaiah Thomas of Detroit a slew of questions about Larry Bird. Thomas finally said, "Look, if Larry Bird were black, he’d be just another good guy.” And the sports nation went off, insinuating "Zeke” was a racist when really he was just saying, "Shut up about Larry Legend. Go talk to him if you love his game so much.” The last several years I have watched the Caesar Rodney girls' lacrosse and field hockey teams and scratched my head, using words like perplexed and befuddled because they have athletic players, strong and fast, solid academic kids and they should be a tough out for anyone. Last year their lacrosse team made the tournament with a 6-9 record, then nearly upset Wilmington Friends in the first round, losing 12-10. The Riders have posted losing seasons in field hockey the last two years. I’m dropping the dreaded two words, “Task Force.” The Riders girls are just better than their records the last two seasons, and it's time for some serious analysis of the situation. I know soccer is the spring thing at CR and girls' track as well, but there are plenty of strong athletes at the large Dover school.
Seaford girls' soccer - The Blue Jays lost at Cape April 27 9-0 to drop to 0-8 on the season, having been shut out seven times. Total score differential is 65-1. Goal scorers for Cape were Kassidy Ostan and Lindsey Swontek with two goals each and single goals from Carly Dmiterchik, Cassidy Best, Colleen Donohoe, Lily Smith and Brooke Hollingsworth. Seaford baseball is 0-9, softball 1-8, and track and field is winless on the girls' side while the boys have victories over Holly Grace Christian School and ECHS out of Dover, which has like two people on the team. This is another task force situation, perhaps an independent athletic agency that comes and evaluates and offers prescriptions for positive change if there are any solutions.
Rosters and results - www.websites4sports.com is the greatest website for schedules and scores and hopefully numbered rosters of high school sports teams. If you have a kid on a team and the athletic director doesn’t ensure that the site is kept up to date, I’d go to the school office and pick up school choice forms and get my kid out of there. The are some sports that if you click on coaches it comes up blank. Now that is just flat-out lame and lazy.
Snippets - The Phillies are an improbable 11-10 on the season after winning the first two games in Washington. All Philly fans want is a competitive team; actually, they want more, but like the Direct TV commercial, we are settlers. And Washington remains too giddy about nothing accomplished, it's all about the chemistry. Jayson Werth is batting .180 on the season with 11 hits in 61 at bats. Heck, I’m getting five hits if I can have a courtesy runner. Hunter Pence, the other outfielder the Phillies let go, is batting .293 for the Giants.
Cape baseball lost at Dover 10-0, which sometimes happens in that crazy sport. A focused bounce-back game was scheduled for Cape Thursday, April 28, against 8-2 Polytech.
Temple women’s lacrosse (my granddaughter Anna is on the team) will host Georgetown Saturday with the winner getting a bid to the four-team Big East tournament the following weekend. Winthrop lacrosse won the Big South Conference with a 14-13 win over High Point. Allie Yeager (Cape) scored the winning goal. Kat Judge had four ground balls and four draw controls. Winthrop plays the Presbyterian Blue Hose at home Saturday, April 30. What kind of mascot is that? Let’s go, Hose! That is just wrong! It’s short for stockings and there’s a Scottish theme and somebody help me get out of this. Tower Hill versus Cape girls' lacrosse Friday, April 29, at 4 p.m at Champions Stadium will be a good game. The Hillers are players in this year’s state tournament picture.
The 1989 undefeated (21-0) Sussex Central baseball team will be inducted into the Delaware Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame Monday, June 13, at Frawley Stadium. Pop Warner signups are at Meineke, Tuesday, May 10, from 6 to 9 p.m for ages 5-12. Go on now, git!
