Something strange happens when a girls’ game is declared over in third period

Something strange happened - On Jan. 29, the undefeated Woodbridge girls’ basketball team beat Sussex Academy 39-23. That grabs the attention of some fans because the first time they played, Woodbridge won 84-20. What was odd about this game, played at Sussex Academy, is it was called in the third quarter by mutual agreement of coaches because it was just getting too haphazardly rough. Did I mention I wasn’t there? So like a closed highway truck scale, I don’t know where to weigh in. Some fans who were there and found their way into my social media world simply said, “The refs lost control and were in over their heads.” I’ve seen aggressive, yet really bad, defense result in injury. In fact, I see it at the JV level all the time. The defender should make a play on the ball, not wipe out an opponent on a breakaway layup. The only reason I wish I was there would be to report what happened firsthand, but there are a hundred reasons I’m glad I was watching a Cape JV girls’ team defeat Polytech to remain unbeaten.

No joke JV - I’ve told the joke at banquets: “If you ever have 24 minutes to live, go watch a JV girls’ basketball game. It will be the longest 24 minutes of your life.” I know it’s not funny, but to quote my grandson Davey, “You laughing?” The Cape girls’ JV team is 12-0, and when they are healthy, they dress seven players. At the Big House versus Polytech Jan. 28, the Vikings dressed six players. Earlier in the season, Cape won at Polytech 22-21, and a player said, “We didn’t play very well.” You think? Cape has three wins where the opponent didn’t get out of single digits and another seven where they held the other team to 15 or fewer. And what makes the Cape team better than the others? They play with joy, look for one another and, most importantly, they can make layups. The games I’ve seen, they have gone on runs and, after they do, they are hard to catch. And finally, they don’t run the court recklessly, hacking and fouling because the bench is shallow ... and Jacki Coveleski is out of eligibility.

Blood in the game - I haven’t mastered a state of total relaxation when watching grandkids play sports. And that’s because the competitive arena is not a yoga class. We are looking for the good, but we’re ready to accept the bad or the adverse, and learn from it. I approach relaxation watching other people’s children and grandchildren chase championships, and sometimes I look and wonder, “Am I as crazy as those people?” And the answer is most definitely yes.

Stupor Bowl - I think this NFL football season the hype machine has lost some of its mojo. Like any group identified as “the base,” you can hit them over the head so many times before they go into concussion protocol. I turn on the game when it starts and not one minute sooner. I’m picking the Rams only because “smart money” is on the Patriots. Do people still attend Super Bowl parties where you can shovel guacamole onto a tortilla chip while discussing the fiscal feasibility of a border wall? By the way, I love coach Bill Belichick because he’s not boring – Bill is cool, and he’s fooling everybody.

Snippets - College spring sports begin competitive play in February. I know this because Temple women’s lacrosse opens at home Friday, Feb. 8, hosting Delaware. Granddaughter Lizzie is in her junior year playing attack for the Owls. University of Virginia baseball opens the season Friday, Feb. 15, playing Vanderbilt in Scottsdale, Ariz. Zack Gelof (Cape) and Bryce Greenly (Milford) are freshmen for the Wahoos. UNC with Austin Elliott (Cape) on the roster opens the season at home Feb. 15 versus Xavier. The great thing about baseball is colleges play so many games (60) that there is no time for practice. Liberty University (David Erickson, Cape) opens the season Feb. 15 at South Carolina. Reese White, a freshman right-hander from Cape, is on the roster for Hampden-Sydney, which opens the season Saturday, Feb. 16, at William Peace. Zach Savage (Cape) is a freshman at Lafayette, where he’s listed as a utility player. Lafayette opens the season Feb. 15 at Elon. I can’t remember so many Cape baseball players playing major college baseball in the same season. But I can remember when there were none. Go on now, git!