Miranda has the right to remain silent, but that’s not Willy’s style
Miranda warning - Brandywine field hockey coach Willy Miranda has been on the scene forever, just like me, and what you see is not what you get. Willy has a brash style in competition, but I told sideline people at Wednesday’s Cape game, “You can’t judge what goes on inside the doghouse of the Bulldogs team." Trust me, the Brandywine girls are OK with Uncle Willy, who also coaches the girls' lacrosse team. Miranda won a state title in 1987 for Brandywine, beating Tatnall 1-0, and he was back in the title game in 2008, losing to Tower Hill 2-0. On Nov. 11, Brandywine called time-out with possession trailing 8-0 with 17 seconds left in the game. Play resumed and Cape won a corner, and Miranda strongly suggested to the officials that by rule the game should be called without the corner being played. The officials politely listened, then played the final corner. “What difference does it make 9 to nothing or 8 to nothing?” Miranda wanted to know. As they say in "Law and Order," "Question asked and answered.” Note: I can tell you that coaches who have worked with Willy Miranda over the years think he is the greatest guy. Miranda is the 2008 winner of the Herm Reitzes Award for Service to Sports as presented by the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association. Marion Lisehora won the award in 2007. Tony DeFazio won the award in 2014.
Soccer Saturday night - The Division I tournament begins Saturday, Nov. 14, with the quarterfinal round. Win just one game and you’re in the semifinals. Cape has reached the semifinals the last two years. To get back there, the Vikings (14-1) must beat Sussex Tech (10-3-2). Game time is 7 p.m. at Milford. Polytech (12-3) will play Salesianum (11-3-1) in the 5 p.m. game. The other bracket will be played at Smyrna with Appoquinimink (14-1) playing Newark (12-3) at 7 p.m., while Charter (12-3) plays Caesar Rodney (11-4) in the 5 p.m. game. The first meeting between Cape and Sussex Tech was won by the Ravens 5-4 in overtime, with Cape having a 14-11 advantage in shots while the Ravens had a 13-6 advantage in corner kicks. Cape is a team led by 10 talented seniors, and this is considered the Vikings' best chance to make some serious tournament noise.
Fast and focused - Cape hockey will put it out there again Saturday, Nov. 14, hosting the Green Knights of Mt. Pleasant at Champions Stadium. The Knights are coached by Peter Meisel, who has local connections. His team was 12-3 on the regular season and defeated Caravel 3-2 to reach the Cape game. "They represent a real challenge for us,” said assistant coach Debbie Windett, who scouted Mt. Pleasant in the first round. Cape previously beat Mt. Pleasant in a first-round game in 2012, 6-0, as Allie Yeager had the hat trick with Sam Broadhurst (2) and Cam Bernheimer adding goals. Coach Meisel has been working to level up with Cape, the state’s signature program. The team is led by captain Kate Walker, a Division I commit to Michigan. There is always a lot on the shoulders of the Cape players to keep it going and deliver results. What they have accomplished has been astounding, and every challenge they've met makes it more so. “Have fun out there,” and the best way to do that is to win.
Cross country state championships - Two divisional state titles, both boys and girls, will be contested Saturday at Killens Pond State Park. The Tatnall boys are prohibitive favorites in the D2 race, as they can place their top five under 17 minutes. Charter and Salesianum should battle for the D1 crown, maybe with CR and Sussex Tech placing in the top five. The girls' Division 2 favorite is Tanall, while Padua is the D1 favorite. Lydia Olivere of Padua ran 18:02 in the New Castle County Championships, while Rachel Beston of Newark ran 18:14. Roxanne Ramirez ran 19:41 to win the Henlopen Conference meet.
Snippets - Cape (5-3) closes out the football season Friday night at Sussex Tech. When the Vikings lose, they have done it ugly, by a combined 142-38 in losses to Oakdale, Sussex Central and Smyrna. Sussex Tech is 7-2, having lost at Smyrna 42-0 and at home versus Salesianum 42-7. Both Cape and Sussex Tech are still in the postseason picture with a victory.
Friday the 13th begins practices for winter sports. Students should clean their iPad screens and check for practice times.
Cape will most likely have job openings in phys ed and drivers ed due to
retirements. “People are already penciling in my replacement," said Cape football coach and discipline dean Bill Collick. Bill laughed the way you do before saying, “No joke!” Go on now, git!
