Little Vikings invade Legends Stadium pitch for district tourney

Fifth-grade students from across the Cape school district took over the turf at Legends Stadium for the second annual 7-versus-7 robin-robin tournament that allows players to get a taste of what’s to come in three to four years.

“I would really like to thank Amanda Archambault, our supervisor of elementary schools; she has really been gung-ho about it and giving me the resources,” said Cape coach Patrick Kilby. “Parents have been pretty happy with the event the last two years, so this is [becoming] a tradition. These kids are all going to try out for their middle school teams come September, so pretty cool thing to come together as a district with all five elementary schools and have them play a little bit.”

Soccer players from elementary schools H.O. Brittingham, Lewes, Love Creek, Milton and Rehoboth donned black, orange, grey, green and blue jerseys, respectively, with some Rehoboth kids hopping over to H.O. Brittingham. For the more competitive players, it gave them a venue to square up against some of their club teammates while also playing with kids from other clubs for the first time. Even a few fourth-graders were running around.

“I get to play up because I’m a fourth-grader – this is fifth grade – and it makes me happy because it shows that I’m good,” Elle Stretch said.

Those running around to have fun also enjoyed themselves, whether it was on the sidelines or on the pitch, as they supported their more serious classmates, even scoring in a few instances. 

Almost as good as the goals were the pro/video game-style celebrations that generated plenty of joy up and down the two fields. Some of the players were running around on the same turf their siblings or cousins call home in the spring or fall.

“I am having fun because I get to run around and play the sport that I love,” Fabian Sandoval said.

Fabian’s older brother Donovan recently graduated from Cape High after earning second-team all-state honors while anchoring the defense of the Division I runner-up squad last fall.

For the first time in the district’s history, there will be three middle schools competing for the district title, and many of these kids, like Fabian, are set to make up the first Frederick Thomas Middle School squad in the fall.