Jeff Burnham goes from scrapple guy to apple guy

Lights out! The campus of the current Cape Henlopen High School is located on what was the farm of Ossie Warrington. The first year students attended the then-new high school was 1976-77. The stadium wasn't ready for play until the following year.

There were no lights and no night games until 1988. And now there is a new $90 million high school and a campus that includes playable outdoor basketball courts, refurbished tennis courts and two turf fields. Turf field two now has four light posts set into place. New bleachers and a state-of-the-art press box will be delivered by Aug. 5 with everything wired up and ready to go by the start of September.

The Vikings will now be able to host two night games simultaneously, both on turf, each with full-fledged sound system and working scoreboards.

Jolly Jeff - Jeff Burnham played tackle for Cape, graduating 24 years ago. I was his high school line coach. Jeff was always a big fella, very smart, with a great sense of humor. He teaches at SCOPE, which is the alternative school in Sussex County located in Roxana.

Last Saturday, Jeff ran the Northbeach 5K in Dewey Beach in 33 minutes. “Not bad; two years ago I couldn't run a minute without throwing up a scrapple sandwich,” Jeff joked after the race. Here are Jeff's own words reflecting on his 160-pound weight loss. “I was pushing a few over 400, and now I'm 240,” Jeff said. “Now that I know how to take care of myself eating-wise, I eat plenty. Just good stuff like plenty of fruits and vegetables. Lotta chicken and just watch the bad stuff and don't overdo it. I like pushing myself in the gym with cardio and lifting now. Once you see the progress it becomes easier. Last year I couldn't run a minute straight; now a 5K is pretty easy. I want to keep pushing myself and see what I can accomplish, like a half marathon someday or a mini triathlon. My family and friends at work have a lot to do with this change, and I can't ever thank them enough for the support.”

Hunter Pence - I was at the ballpark in Philly Saturday night along with my wife Susan and Brian Donahue and his wife Susan. We were four rows from the field along the right field foul line. Newly acquired Philly Hunter Pence took the field in pregame and the stadium erupted. Pence is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds with no body fat. He rocks an old-school look from the socks to the haircut. He signed autographs before the game, waved to the fans in right throughout the game, and they just kept chanting his name, “Hunter Pence!” Three years ago, when the Phillies rushed the field in Colorado during a 60 mph, dark sky dust-up to help the ground crew tie down the infield tarp, the entire country noticed that the Phillies were a nice bunch of guys. They are still like that. Hunter Pence fits in perfectly.

U.S. Masters Track and Field Championships - Sonja Friend-Uhl, 40, a 1989 Cape graduate who went on to star at William and Mary, won the 800 meters in 2:10.5 and 1,500 meters in 4:34.6 at last weekend’s USATF National Championships at Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Bob Paulen, 74, of Dewey Beach is also a double national champion, having won the 80-meter hurdles in 14.49 and the 300-meter hurdles in 43.92. Dr. Larry Pratt of Wilmington, 70, was second in the discus throw with a throw of 144 feet.

I talked with Director of Fitness at Club Fitness Dave Kergaard about picking up some national championships ourselves next summer that would give us a reason to train besides just to lift.

A throw of 46 feet with an 11-pound shot and a long jump of 14-feet-6-inches don't seem unattainable until I realize I can't even raise my right arm to wave goodbye to my mother-in-law, and I'd be OK with the jump, but the landing part would be painful.

Snippets - The summer season from competition and recruiting camps to endless travel and AAU tournaments is mostly about the money made off the athletes who are under the delusion that they must snap and perform under pressure to get recognized by the coffee-drinking, doughnut-eating adults rimming the field planted in beach chairs. The system is out of control! Go on now, git!