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In shared realities of sports, sometimes we see the same things, sometimes not

May 24, 2019

Players of the Game - I create my own realities, and most times there are other people inside my sphere of confluence such as, “Fredman Facebook Players of the Game,” which is most times none and sometimes one, oftentimes two, and occasionally a player from the losing team. After the Cape girls’ lacrosse team’s too-tense-for-the-longest-time semifinal 18-11 victory over Ursuline May 21 in Dover, I chose Lindsay and Laci, which sounds cooler than Rambo and Dixon. Rambo came on in the second half of a money game to take the draw against Jordan Baerga, who was wearing Cape out. “She’s our secret weapon,” said Cape coach Lindsey Underwood. “I took the draw in the last game for the first time,” Rambo said, smiling. “I really didn’t expect to be in this moment in a game like this.” And freshman goalie Laci Dixon, after two seasons playing goalie for the Mariner boys’ team, didn’t expect to be protecting the house of a 17-0 team heading into the state final. Laci had 10 saves against the Raiders, gave up double-digit goals for the first time all season and yet had her best game in the biggest moments. “She was awesome,” said assistant coach Leigh Ruper. “When she stopped a point-blank shot at the end of a fast break, the entire coaching staff leaped into the air.” I’m pretty sure Debbie Windett didn’t jump.  

Time traveler - Cape freshman distance runner Ethan Edery has lowered his personal best mile time the last three times he has stepped onto the track, and he hasn’t won any of those races. Who knows how fast this kid can run, and how come lactic acid hasn’t visited him with “rigid runner syndrome?” Ethan always looks fluid at the end of a race. An the Meet of Champions May 22, he ran 4:31.5 to place fourth in the state. Just two weeks ago, he owned a 4:54 personal best, so those who understand the science of running and how hard it is to drop a second or two from your best time all say the same thing: “That is just crazy.” My advice is to figure out what he’s not doing in training and to make sure he keeps not doing it.

Cape kids - Both Randy Johnson, coach of Caravel softball, and Robin Adair, retired Tower Hill field hockey coach (I’m maiden name guy), are Cape graduates, so the least we can do is bask in their reflected glory. Their careers have similar astounding numbers, from winning state championships to losing in the championship game. Caravel is in the softball finals opposite Smyrna, the game to be played at the Pyle Center in Roxana this Saturday because they have the best french fries, but at least there’s Memorial Day weekend traffic to contend with. Randy had led Caravel to state titles in 2010, 2011 and 2016. He has also lost in the final game five times, all to Henlopen Conference schools. Robin has won 10 state titles as head coach of field hockey at Tower Hill and has lost in the final seven times. They have to suffer from PTSD. I know I would – OK, do.

Snippets - The 800-meter boys’ final at the track Meet of Champions was electric. It was won by Chris Brown of Charter in 1:51.9 followed by Napoleon Hernandez of Tatnall in 1:52.4 and Nate Guy of Dover in 1:53:05. There had been a track revival in the state, but it hasn’t quite washed over Cape, possibly too much competition for spring athletes combined with athletes who aren’t doing anything. I was happy the Cape girls’ lacrosse team won Tuesday and that the boys won Wednesday. After both wins, I got home and turned on the Phillies at Cubs and got punched in the face. Anyone who says “Who cares?” more than once cares too much. The Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament is double elimination and most games are televised. We care because Zack Gelof (Cape ‘18) starts at third base for Virginia and Bill Cilento, son of Bob and Barbara of Cape, is the associate head coach at Wake Forest. And honestly I don’t know how Division I baseball athletes play 60 games and keep up with their grades. I just know they do because if it was me, I probably wouldn’t. Expect a new head coach of boys’ basketball at Cape to be announced Friday morning. You can read about it on the Cape Gazette website. Go on now, git!

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