The Sussex Guide: Tim Holton runs tethered to Joe Aukward

Sussex Guide - Tim Holton is, among other things, a transplant to Sussex County from Brooklyn, N.Y. He’s also an experienced referee of women’s lacrosse. I’ve known him over the last two years from his officiating Cape district games, including middle school. He is quick as a New York minute – decisive and unapologetic. At the Masser 5-Miler May 25, I saw Tim was a guide for blind runner Joe Aukward. The pair of 65-year-olds ran five miles in 53:46. Aukward is from D.C. and attended Gonzaga High School. Aukward said to me, “I read your column every week, and since I lost my sight, I listen to it.” I hope I sound better than I do in person.

First-place friends - Jim Smiley, 50, and Jaclyn Gibboney, 40, of Newport, Pa., near Harrisburg drove three-and-a-half hours on Memorial Day weekend and ran the Masser 5-Miler. Jim won the 50-54 age group, while Jaclyn won the 40-44 age group. I’m guessing they are at least friends, but beyond that, I didn’t venture to ask. After all, who am I, Bob Eubanks? (Dating Game reference)

Head cases - When “Get your head in the game” is yelled at an athlete during competition, it suggests that a player can run around like a free-roaming chicken with its head cut off. All athletes are head cases, from high school up through the pros. I have never seen so many mystifying championship results as this current spring from the NBA and NHL to MLB down through college tournaments like men's and women's lacrosse, softball and baseball. A sports psychologist coming to a high school near you may take a few years, but it will be money well spent. The Delaware high school softball tournament moved into the semifinal round with second-seeded Caravel the highest remaining seed. They will play No. 6 Smyrna. The top of the bracket features No. 9 Sussex Academy playing No. 12 Sussex Tech. “Nobody” is the answer to the question, “Who saw that coming?”

Committed to high school - Great basketball player and great kid Kha’Nihya Johnson – she goes by KJ – played at Fred Thomas last season, but will attend Sanford next year to start her high school education. KJ was arguably the best eighth-grade basketball-playing girl in the state last year. I read about it on Facebook. I've yet to accelerate to Instagram or Snapchat. We all wish KJ the best. Cape has yet to name a girls’ basketball coach to replace Pat Woods. Sanford is coached by Marcus Thompson. The Warriors were 16-6 last season and eliminated Cape from the state tournament with a 57-54 win.

O’Hoppe for Marsh trade - The Phillies traded top catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe to the Los Angeles Angels for centerfielder Brandon Marsh back in 2022. O’Hoppe has 14 home runs and 30 RBIs this season and is batting .273. He is 25 years old. If you were playing, the general manager would reverse the trade and throw in JT Realamuto. And by the way, where is Jose Alvarado? We know where he's not, but where is he every day all day long? Alvarado is from Venezuela, but it’s doubtful he would return to his home country. Under "Personal life" on his Wikipedia page, it reads “He likes to hunt 3-foot iguanas and paca with a slingshot.” (Well, who doesn’t?) A paca is a large tailless rodent, a close relative of the guinea pig.

Snippets - The more expensive the college, the greater the mystery of who pays how much. The same goes for private high schools that cost between $35,000 and $40,000 per year just in tuition and fees. The Mariner girls’ track team was undefeated for the second year in a row, and the boys' team was undefeated for maybe the first time (based on what we could find for past season records). Ten new school records were set this year. The team’s MVPs for girls were Natalie Horsey, Addi Mohacey and Keylonna Harmon; and for boys, MVPs were Dylan Harp and Donovan Hanwell. Go on now, git!