Mortal muppets nestled inside the sock drawer of exaggerated memories 

Marauding middle schoolers - A scheduled middle school cross country meet Oct. 29 at Killens Pond. Predicted weather was partly to mostly unpleasant. It’s an unofficial state meet and a chance to scope the competition. Tim Bamforth and the Seashore Striders worked the finish chute, recording results for 860 runners, girls and boys. I was there taking photos because, weirdly enough, it's something I like to do. When middle school cross country was proposed as a sport to the Cape athletic committee, I was on the record saying it wouldn't work because you can't send middle school kids out on the roads for training runs. Well, they don't run the roads, but the ponies like to run, and there are coaches. God bless those motivated to coach cherubs for chump change.

Reagan C - Reagan Ciabatonni just had her Senior Day for Duke field hockey. She’s earned ACC Academic Honor Roll 2022-24. Reagan will graduate with a degree in political science and looks to attend law school in the fall. Brother Bryan has a master’s in speech therapy, and younger brother Will is attending electrical lineman school in Georgia. Reagan’s high school career is summarized on Duke's field hockey roster page: “Before Duke: Tabbed a top 50 player in the Class of 2022 by Max Field Hockey … A four-year starter at Cape Henlopen … Helped Cape Henlopen to four consecutive state titles … A four-time all-state selection … Voted the Division I Player of the Year in Delaware as a junior and senior … Finished her scholastic career with 65 goals and 47 assists for 177 points despite playing in the back her entire rookie season … Registered a career-best 36 goals and 23 assists her senior year … Notched 22 goals and nine assists in 2020 … Team’s offensive MVP in 2019 and overall team MVP in 2020 … Garnered second-team all-conference recognition as a freshman and first-team honors the next three years … Played club for WC Eagles … Helped the team to the Disney U16 runner-up finish in 2019 … Won the National Club Championship U16 title in 2018. Reagan is a gifted track athlete.” Reagan didn’t see much playing time at Duke, and smarter people than me could not figure out why, but she’s walking away happy with a  degree from Duke, a prestigious university with a 3.67% acceptance rate. Tuition, housing and food at Duke total $94,157 per academic year. 

Dual-citizen Freddie - Freddie Freeman, with a net worth of $80 million, is a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. He seems to live a charmed life because he’s a do-the-right-thing personality type and teammate. The 2024 World Series MVP hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th inning to win Game 3 for the Dodgers. Speaking of dual citizens, what about the contrast between the Canadian versus United States anthems? Talk among yourselves.

Confidence, chemistry, connections - Local muppets see deep inside the Toronto Blue Jays because Cape’s Mason Fluharty is a lefty reliever who manager John Schneider keeps running out there. Mason is not a high-leverage reliever and not part of what announcer Joe Davis called the underbelly of the bullpen. Mason is just “Fluharty.” He gets to play but doesn’t get the play on the media side of the street. Schneider is a Jersey guy, a former catcher who would be right at home hanging outside the fence at Chris Short Field in Lewes. He has two brothers: the older one, Matt, played basketball at Muhlenberg College, while the younger, Kevin, played baseball at Monmouth University. John and wife Jesse have two sons, Gunner and Grayson. They sound like they could be from Sussex Central. Baseball coaches Ben Evick (Cape) and Adam Gelof and Pat Brown of the Bagel Bombers have been at the games at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. “May the force be with you.” Mason brings a force field of confidence every time he takes the bump, and we all know “Bump” Dwayne Harmon and “Bump Jr.” Dwayne Harmon, a second baseman on the star-studded 2017 Cape team that lost 2-1 in the quarterfinals to Conrad. Connections and chemistry instill the confidence that enables Mason to take the ball in his left hand and meet a focused moment beyond the comprehension of mere mortal muppets who live in the sock drawer of exaggerated memories.    

Snippets - We are the champions. Adele Mears (Cape 1979) was on two national championship field hockey teams at Old Dominion and was a college All-American. Carrie Lingo was on the U.S. Olympic field hockey team in 2008. Alia Marshall was on the Northwestern national championship field hockey team in 2021. They beat Liberty, coached by Nikki Parsley of Milford, 2-0 in the finals. Mark Moore and Trip Delcampo were on the Delaware national championship football team coached by KC Keeler in 2003. Amanda Warrington was a college All-American field hockey player for Delaware in 2004. Robin Adair and Donna Peck were on the 1986 Salisbury State College national championship field hockey team. Jacki Coveleski and Maggie Delp were on the field hockey roster for the 2016 University of Delaware national championship team. Owen Daminger was on the 2024 Misericordia baseball team that won the NCAA Division III baseball championship. Owen got the save by striking out the final batter in the 2-1 Cape semifinal win over Saint Mark’s in 2022. The Vikings went on to win the state championship. Brock Hilligoss of Milford was a sophomore lefty on the 2021 Salisbury University national championship baseball team. Brock’s grandfather, Johnny Morris of Lewes High, pitched in the major leagues. Luke Petitgout of Sussex Central and Notre Dame played in the 2001 Super Bowl for the New York Giants, who lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-7. Former Cape coach Mike Frederick was on the 2000 Tennessee Titans team that lost to the St. Louis Rams 23-16. Pete Oakley of Lewes won the Senior British Open in 2004. Pete now lives in Florida, having outgrown The Rookery. Go on now, git!