Winter track at Cape a 50-year tradition

Winter track - There is a tradition of winter/indoor track at Cape going back 50 years and three high school buildings ago. Coach Tom Hickman’s wife Marge knitted blue/gold caps for all the runners. Cape would go any distance to compete in any venue, even all the way to Pennsylvania in school parking lots. I took over the indoor program in 1976-77. One weekend over Christmas break, coach Charlie Hickox and I took two school cars and eight athletes to William & Mary for three days for the Christmas Relays. Among the athletes on the William & Mary trip was Bryan Stevenson, now a nationally known author and civil rights lawyer. That same weekend, coach Wes Stack took another 40 athletes for a meet at Widener College. The girls came on board the program in 1979. Over the years, Cape’s indoor track team competed wherever competition could be found, from the civic center and Spectrum in Philly to the New York Armory. On brutally cold days, we ran in the halls and sometimes practiced in the gym before playing basketball. I had a hurdler three-step two high hurdles, then keep running, remove his cap and reverse-dunk it over his head. I coached the Cape indoor team to state titles in 1984 and 1985, while Tim Bamforth, who ran on both those teams, coached the Vikings to the state title in 1993. The girls’ indoor state title has been contested every year since 1982. Padua has won the last eight. Fifty years and the stories are endless. And now in 2020-21, there are indoor track teams but no indoor facilities in Delaware, plus teams are not allowed to travel out of state. But every day, kids show up for practice to train on technique and conditioning. Expect frostbite meets in February. Cape’s Randy Johnson won the indoor pole vault state title in 1977 on a Thursday night and the 138-pound state title in wrestling the following Saturday.  

The wrestling room - Cape is allowed only 20 people at a time in its small, yet cozy wrestling room, and that is part of the culture. Chris Mattioni is in his 26th year as head coach. Chris was a wrestler at Valley Forge Military Academy and The Citadel. He dresses for practice so he can get down and demonstrate, and at times he may go a minute with one of the good guys near his weight class. Teenage athletes have something called tensile strength – when it’s “go time,” their bodies turn to cold steel. Any teacher who has ever broken up a beefaroni bout in the lunchroom knows they are seconds from getting tossed like a garden salad. Cape returns a strong squad featuring five state placers in 2020 including C.J. Fritchman, sixth (126 pounds);  Luke Bender, third (132); Carson Kammerer, sixth (138); Mikey Frederick, third (145); and Lucas Ruppert, fifth (285). Cape also returns Jackson Handlin (195), who was 34-13 last season. Cape will open the wrestling season Wednesday, Jan. 13, hosting Sussex Central. Caravel Academy, with four state champions in the lineup, will be at Cape Monday, Jan. 25. 

Fun to watch - The Cape girls’ basketball team should be fun to watch this season – too bad most of you will never see them play. Cape basketball has a 14-game schedule, playing each Northern Division opponent twice. Last season, the Vikings beat each Northern Division opponent twice before losing to Woodbridge in the Henlopen Conference Championship game, then advancing to the semifinals to face Sanford when the season got canceled due to COVID. That was way harsh because Cape had a legit shot to bring home the first state title since 1973. “They wanted to play at The Bob,” coach Pat Woods said. “They were so upset they never got the chance.” Gone from that team are Dania Cannon, Ryleigh Elliott, Abigail Hearn and Carlin Quinn.

Forecasting football outcomes - Sussex Central (5-2) will play Middletown (6-0) for the Division I title at Dover High at noon, Saturday, Dec. 19.  Howard will play Archmere at Dover at 4:30 p.m. for the Division II title. Everybody and their grandmother is in the pigskin prediction business, but I’m too close, having been a teacher and coach, and I’m very aware of two things: First, I’m bad at predictions, and second, I want everyone to either like me or not think of me at all. But Grandma Rose is a palomino of many colors and she says, “Go with Central and Howard. Have I ever steered you wrong?” The answer is, “No, because I don’t drive.” 

Snippets - The remote/hybrid Zoom class culture pedagogical model is damaging students, many of whom are flailing and failing, and it is always their fault – just ask the people who fail them. I'm becoming aware of more ineligible athletes than I have seen in 20 years. Some kids need to be saved from themselves; it's part of the developmental model. I know I did and maybe you did, too. I once lectured an athlete sitting in my wife's English class who was failing badly because “he didn’t do nothing.” "I will not care more about you than you care about yourself,” I said. Half the class looked at me and said, "Yes, you will, Fredman. Yes, you will,” adding, “And he don't deserve it." We are losing crucial contact with at-risk kids who aren't always who you think; they come from all social and economic strata here at Sesame Street by the Sea. Go on now, git!