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Seasons wind down as the intensity cranks up

February 8, 2022

Everyday people - “I love everyday people.” - Sly Stone. I am immersed inside the wrestling culture, which is amazing because I don’t know the difference between freestyle and greco-Roman. Coaches agree it is a season that closes over three weeks with enhanced intensity. Wrestlers don’t get the yips, just too high a price to pay for indecision. Last weekend closed out the high school dual-meet season, while JV and middle schools closed with season-ending tournament. Scholastic wrestling is so popular in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, there is always an outcry for Delaware and Delaware State to bring wrestling back as an NCAA varsity sport.

Takedowns - The JV State Invitational wrestling match Saturday at Polytech High School was won by Caesar Rodney with 281 points followed by Cape Henlopen with 200, Sussex Central with 165 and Smyrna with 147. There were 19 teams in the competition. Cape’s Hayden Wheeler, 152 pounds, was a tournament champion. Placing second for the Vikings were Bret Miller (106), Luca Miller (120), Braydon Cole (138), Connor Kugelmann (160) and Sean Costello (220). 

The Steve Stewart Middle School Wrestling Classic was contested Saturday at Milford Central Academy featuring 16 Henlopen Conference teams. Millsboro was the overall winner with 261 points followed by Beacon with 174.5, Smyrna with 161.5, Laurel with 159, Milford with 156, Mariner with 145, WT Chipman with 145, Postlewait with 138, Fifer with 136, Selbyville with 123, Georgetown with 96, Dover Central with 91, Magnolia with 58, Delmar with 45, Woodbridge with 18 and Seaford with 0. 

Results from first-place matches by weight class are: 76 pounds: Gavin Rodgers of Milford over Jaxon Holgerson of Beacon (fall 3:41); 82 pounds: Austin Guerrieri of Mariner over Kamren McCray of WT Chipman (fall 3:13); 88 pounds: Ben Donato of Postlewait over Tripp Gannon of Beacon (decision 7-0); 94 pounds: Trey Twilley of Delmar over Alex Sharkey of Milford (decision 7-0); 100 pounds: Grayson Davis of Beacon over Mason Ferrell of WT Chipman (tech fall 16-0); 106 pounds: Sean Dixon of Postlethwait over Cale Baker of Mariner (decision 10-4); 112 pounds: Josh Dempsey of Millsboro over Trey Johnson of Mariner (fall 3:05); 118 pounds: Dan McElwee of WT Chipman  over Gage Wilkins of Georgetown (fall 0:39); 124 pounds: Nick Walker of Beacon over Jaheem Limehouse of Laurel (fall 1:39); 130 pounds: Landen Messick of Laurel over Josiah Cannon of Georgetown (major decision 9-0); 136 pounds: Kingston Davis of Beacon over Luke Azzanesi of Milford (decision 2-1); 145 pounds: Bennett Brumbley of Laurel over Davon Handy of Selbyville (fall 2:14); 155 pounds: Logan Micinowski of Millsboro over Jose Washington of Smyrna (fall 2:58); 170 pounds: Robbie Payton of Mariner over Teagan Gratkowski of Smyrna (decision 4-2); 185 pounds: Jimmy McLane of Millsboro over Jaden Nelson of WT Chipman (fall 4:00); heavyweight: Joseph Baynard of Laurel over Greg Lockett of Milford (decision 6-1).

Ducks Unlimited - There is no limit to the sports and situations I duck as I get older and wiser, not to mention shorter and fatter. The Lewes Polar Bears and the fictional character Fat Like Me I created in 1982, and it took time, but I extricated both from my life. I haven’t moved on, which presupposes I had a destination. More aptly, I just moved off to the Fred dead zone, no more T-ball or sunfish regattas. 

Snippets - Professor John Neal, a longtime local runner in Seashore Striders and 10 Sisters races, passed away last Friday in Punta Gorda, Fla. John ran to the finish and really enjoyed being a member of the running community. Goodspeed, John, but take your time. Contact Miles Weigold at mileweigold@mac.com to share personal remembrances of John with his family. Cape girls’ basketball had won eight games in a row all against Henlopen Conference opponents by an average margin of victory of 49 points. It’s been 49 years – 1973 – since Cape won a state title in girls’ basketball. There are the usual upstate power teams, Sanford, Ursuline, St. Elizabeth, Caravel, and don’t forget Woodbridge. But the Vikings are in the conversation. Go on now, git! 

 

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