Seining the river of sports looking for good stuff and good people

Starbursting - This is a catchall column with just too many things coming at me too fast, not the least of which are multiple muppets from my past who came up to the fence at a game and said, “You don’t know who I am, do you?” 

The 2022 DSCA small JV division state champion Cape cheerleaders went to Sussex County Council chambers last week to be honored with a proclamation by Councilman Mark Schaeffer.

On May 1, I passed a guy on a horse accompanied by a dog on a leash. I waited at Knapp’s Nassau Produce stand to snap a photo. The pale rider reminded me of Tim McGraw. He told me to look up “Three Amigos 2022” on Instagram. I thought, “Insta Gramps, maybe, but I don't know nothin’ about no Instagram.” The rider was Matt Perella, a former Marine. The horse is Buck and the dog is Raffe, a Malamute mixed with an Australian shepherd whom Matt rescued from death row. Matt started from Cape Henlopen and aims to cross the country in 180 days via the American Discovery Trail’s equestrian route. Matt is riding to raise awareness to build The Righteous Life Rescue Ranch for retired horses and death row dogs.

I got a Facebook message from Cape volleyball coach Tyler Coupe April 29: “Hey Fred, on bus home from 3-0 sweep of DMA. Delaware Military Academy is the defending state champ. The Vikes played a brilliant match. The love and support from our JV team on the sideline [no JV match, DMA didn’t have a team] was just brilliant and gave us an at-home advantage in an opponent's gym. DMA [was] without their best player for the match, but they’re still very talented and made us earn the win. Great day for the Vikes.”

There will be a Cape Henlopen lacrosse reunion Wednesday, May 4, a meet-and-greet from 5 to 6:30 p.m. before the Cape versus Sussex Tech game at Legends Stadium. There will be halftime introductions of players and coaches from the original Cape Henlopen lacrosse program, including the years 1975-82. Former Milton and Lewes junior high school players are invited to attend. Members of Cape’s first varsity team of 1980 – the first public school team in Delaware – are also invited guests. The 1980 varsity team was coached by Milton Roberts, Rob Schroeder and Lou Norbeck. Cape fielded a high school club team in 1979 leading up to that inaugural season.

The Delaware Lacrosse Club was formed in 1973; founding members were Rob Schroder, Jack Allen, Bill Kenton, Dave Kenton, John Hukill, Carl Bartell, Dale Donoway, John Sergovic, Tom Draper, Tom Bachey, Kit Irskin, Lou Norbeck, Tim Stuchlik, Larry Mullins and Alan Mullins.  Norbeck at Milton and Bartell at Lewes started intramural lacrosse programs at their schools, attracting over 40 players each.  

The Cape varsity team was coached by Schroeder, who took over head coaching duties from Roberts in 1982. Schroeder handed off to Jeff “Moose” Mohr in 1990, who coached until 1997. Cape reached the finals in 1995. Steve Aubrey took over in 1998 and produced Cape’s first state champion with an undefeated team. Coach Mark D’Ambrogi was head coach from 1999 to 2008. Jack Lingo took over from 2009-15, then D’Ambrogi returned and has been at the helm from 2016 until the present. 

Ben Evick recorded his 200th win as the head coach of Cape baseball with a 2-1 win over Appoquinimink April 30. The win was the 10th in a row for the Vikings. Not many people know that Ben was a Rehoboth Junior High soccer fullback, but moved to football center when he arrived at Cape as a freshman in 1991. 

Cape’s Ryan Baker set a school and Henlopen Conference record in the 3,200 meters last Saturday at the Unionville Invitational, running 9:25. Ryan’s first mile was 4:30, backed up with a 4:27. 

The Cape girls won their section at the Penn Relays in the 4-by-100 relay event, running 52.54 with a team of Hannah Maney, Mya Maull, Kennedy Johnson and Tia Jarvis. The 4-by-400 team ran the third-fastest time by a Delaware school at the Penn Relays with a team of Maney, Alexa Dougherty, Katie Kuhlman and Jarvis. 

I almost forgot – I knew there was something else! – Mike Frederick was named Cape head football coach at the school board meeting April 28. My son Dave called me after he saw it on Cape’s Facebook page. I knew nothing and had no input or conversations with anyone. Mike is my nephew, my late brother Tom’s son. Mike is just a great guy and the Cape kids are going to love him, that I know for certain. What’s your name? Shooby-doo-bop-bah-dah. Go on now, git!