Labrums, ACLs, concussions replace charley horses and stingers
Liam’s labrum - The Miracles’ song “Mickey’s Monkey” is playing in my head - must be the alliteration. Liam Zolper had been temporarily sidelined with a torn labrum in his shoulder (didn’t have those when I played). Succinctly put, it is cartilage, and he is having it surgically repaired on the day of Cape’ s last game versus Smyrna. “He plays the warrior sports - football, wrestling and lacrosse,” said his dad Matt. “We are hoping he gets back in time for lacrosse season.” I know the magician John Knarr of Elite Fitness will be working with Liam, so he will be in great hands. The toughest part of sports is injury or maybe lack of playing time for no logical reason.
Killer smile - Carrie Lingo didn’t become captain of the United States Field Hockey team and endure seven knee operations and play in more than 100 international competitions because she is soft. Carrie is a natural resource for Cape sports and now a volunteer assistant in field hockey, a comforting presence on game day. Carrie embodies “The Power of Nice” and knows about preparing and playing hard, and really, what else is there to know?
A bright White night - Henry White, class of ’74, and his son George, class of ’96, were at the Cape vs. Sussex Tech football game, having attended the funeral of coach Tom Hickman a few days earlier. Both are great guys and loyal to Cape. In my opinion, Henry White, who went on to Colgate and led the nation in all-purpose yardage before embarking on a career with DuPont, would make a great graduation speaker. I don’t get a vote, but I do have this little old column.
Let my prayer people go - The Wisconsin Freedom From Religion football prayers after games and grace before meals controversy (why not?) started on my desktop, and anything I can do to poke, prod, annoy or tickle the controversy gives me a twisted sense of self-satisfaction. Somewhere locally lurking is the anonymous zealot who kicked the can to Wisconsin. I experienced 12 years of Catholic school indoctrination, and it just didn’t take. But here in the public land of diversified education, there are protections against prayers and paperbacks, and I get it to a point, but mostly I think adults give themselves way too much credit for molding the minds of teenagers. This isn’t Claymation or a Mr. Potato Head assembly required cerebral challenge. Now I’m done!
Snippets - Kevin Larkin, a former Sussex Tech star player, is listed as a 6-foot-5-inch freshman for Cheyney University. Cheyney is scheduled to play at Delaware State Jan. 5.
Northeastern University will host the four-team CAA Field Hockey Tournament the weekend of Nov. 7-9. NE plays James Madison at 2 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, then Delaware will take on William and Mary at 5 p.m. The championship game is 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9.
Izzie Delario, who has started all 17 games for UMass, will be in action at the Atlantic 10 tournament in Richmond playing Lock Haven at 2 p.m., Friday Nov 7. Lisa Klopp Kammerer is a 1991 Lock Haven graduate who played on two NCAA Division II national championship teams and was a first team All-American her senior year. Scott Kammerer is listed as a 1991 New Jersey heavyweight wrestler and was a first-team all-state football player. Beyond that, I’m sorry I got into all this.
Fans of the New York Jets are in universal agreement that Mark Sanchez was/is a horrible quarterback. In 2008 he led Southern Cal to a 12-1 record and was MVP in the Rose Bowl and fifth overall pick in the NFL draft. It was his misfortune to be a Jet, and I think he will light it up in the Chip Kelly system. I may choke on my soft pretzel for this, but I don’t think so.
Smyrna at Cape football Friday night will be an offensive show mixed in with poison punts and squib kicks off the tee. Smyrna can run the fast break offense. I wouldn’t have a clue how to defend it other than “Get that quarterback on the ground!” Go on now, git!
