The world of school sports is full of surprise and wonderment

Captain Marvel - Forty-five years a sports reporter, and I still feel great surprise and wonderment at unexpected stuff that is magnified through my camera lens. That was the case Oct. 15, when I watched Cape’s girls’ flag football team play William Penn at Saint Mark’s candle-powered field. The very first play, Cape quarterback senior Jerny Haines rolled left and ran straight at me as I clicked off autofocused shots before I bailed like Deion Sanders on a jet sweep. Jerny was a player, and she could sling the football as well. Flag football gave her an opportunity. She wants to major in sports management in college. Life was good until it wasn’t. An accidental unintentional collision in the second half rocked Jerney and sent her to the turf, knocking her out of the game. She was replaced by Jurnee White – Jurnee for Jerny – don’t stop believing. Jerny Haines’ abrupt stop resulted in an ACL and MCL tear, knocking her sideways for her senior season. None of the players exceeded my expectations, as I had none before the game started, but I did marvel at the skill and athleticism of so many players throughout the game.         

Scatback - A football term for a fast, agile and elusive running back, often small in stature, who is skilled at avoiding tackles. Lillian Holodick, a senior, is that player for the Cape flag football team. Skatteboo should be her nickname. I offer that for free. A quick toss right all night long and she was breaking ankles like Lionel Ritchie. Lillian broke a long run in the final minute of the game versus William Penn for the final 14-13 score. Like legit sprinters, Lillian runs fastest with both feet off the ground.

AI-generated - When I see AI-generated on my computer screen, I expect to see a video of Allen Iverson executing a crossover dribble or a sound bite of his famous sports quote, “We talkin’ practice, man! We talkin’ ’bout practice. Not a game! We talkin’ ’bout practice.” Social media is now populated by certified and codified erroneous information, and much of it pertains to sports. It’s gotten to the point where nonacademics (most of us) are cross-referencing information. I posted the question to my browser window if there really was a petition to have George Strait as an alternative to Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show. The question was answered by AI, which ironically said, "The hoax was started by AI,” and it dawned on me, “There’s not one AI – except for Allen Iverson – but millions of them.” Bad Bunny versus George Strait has now become a real national debate. I searched for “2001 A Space Odyssey,” a 1968 film where the computer named Hal takes control of the space ship with evil intentions. I started getting ads for Honda Odysseys for sale within 50 miles of my house on my Facebook page. And now back to the RedZone Channel, where I can watch eight simultaneous games in the early window, which is known as the Octo-Box.

Austin City Limits - Cape junior soccer/football player Austin Tyndall’s 24 hours was like a flipped-script country song – happy not sad – maybe Toby Keith’s “How Do You Like Me Now?” Austin headed home the winning goal in the 79th minute for a 3-2 win over previously unbeaten Caesar Rodney Oct. 17. CR has been a nemesis to Cape for over half a century. The next night, with the game on the line, Austin drilled the winning 30-yard field goal with 11 ticks on the clock as Cape beat Sussex Central 23-21. Austin becomes etched in the lore of Cape sports mythology. 

Chicken Run - “Hey, Doc, my brother thinks he’s a chicken.” “Have you tried convincing him he’s not a chicken?” “Are you kidding? We need the eggs.” But no shame in the game. You run a 5K (Lace Up for Ag Literacy) and get beaten by a 15-year-old chicken who runs 20:44. Owen Beitzel, 15, runs cross country for Cape and runs 17:40 when he sheds the chicken suit, but where’s the fun in that?

Snippets - I recently called Jake Dmiterchik Jake Coveleski in my column. He gets free admission to my end-of-career banquet featuring misnamed people. My wife Susan joined the party last week when she asked if I was waiting for Clint Fluharty (Mason’s uncle) to pitch against the Mariners. Years ago, Sussex Central inserted me into the wrestling lineup, but I was pinned in the first period. Go on now, git!