The big old bear was soft of heart and his players could sense that

Coach Dave McDowell won his first game as a head coach in 1996 and was given a signed game ball by the team. That ball was buried with his father in February 1997. Last Friday night, Coach Mac received his second signed ball for his last game as a head coach - a dramatic hang-on-for-dear-life 34-28 win over Smyrna. Seniors were emotional afterwards and so was son Brent McDowell. There were hugs from Kyle Norwood, Laquan Hazzard and Vinnie Vazquez - those players had tears in their eyes and told coach “thanks for everything.”

Coaching really is a family business; the good times are just the best and the bad are the worst but when it is over there is the bond of battles fought that last a lifetime. Dave McDowell is not a politically correct coach - go get Tommy Tuberville - but the big old bear was soft of heart and his players could sense that.

“The end of the game finally broke right for us,” McDowell said. “That hasn’t happened too many times the past couple of years. The kids made an outstanding goal line stand and their tears of joy followed the game. During the game every time a kid did something great they would come over and say ‘that was for you, coach.’ It was emotional.”

FOUR HORSEMEN AND FREDMAN - I stepped on to the elevator at Lincoln Financial Field last Sunday night the shortest and oldest of five men and the definite Sesame Street answer to, “Which of these things is not like the others?”

I figured these well-dressed, far side of middle-aged men were NFL executives with the Giants. But it turns out they were in the food catering business and were on their cell phones talking about cheeses - which I guess is the plural of cheese in circles and cylinders where cheese is encrusted by hard wax. Freaking cheese? Somebody slap me!

WET WILDCATS - I could see the momentum riding waves of rain. I could sense it when momentum shifted, almost reach through the press box and grab it with two hands. Delmar didn’t have many moments in its long field hockey game going into overtime against Cape last Thursday and winning on a penalty stroke 2-1. But when those wet shrieking cats got opportunities they switched into assault with intent to deliver mode. “Go Hard or Go Home” as a war mantra may have to be amended to, “Go freaking crazy like your life is about to blow up in your face.”

True, it is a little long for a T- shirt.

DUALISM - A believer in the philosophy of dualism playing sports would maintain that his body and mind are separate and that you may beat me but you can never defeat me. Woody Allen had the best quote: “My mind can never know my body, although it has become pretty friendly with my legs.”

I call it “The Skeleton Strikes Back!” All those years of athletic overuse and abuse settles with us in retirement usually in our hips, knees and back. You know your life is out of control when you have to wait six weeks for a chicken fat injection into an ailing hip joint, then you walk around the kitchen pecking at bread crumbs and wonder why.

I once explained to my Temple line coach why I blocked the tackle and not the linebacker. “I thought I was supposed to step play side on the sprint out,” and he said, “You thought? Who are you Rene Descartes? You are not paid to think, only to act.”
Sports are baffling most of the time.

SNIPPETS - Justin Tuck of the Giants, nicknamed Big Midget, played for Notre Dame in 2003-04. Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb are only the second head coach and quarterback combination to come into the league together as rookie coach and quarterback and last 10 years with the same team. The other tandem was Bill Walsh and Joe Montana.

Bloomsburg University (21-1) will serve as the host of the 2008 NCAA Division II field hockey championship final four Friday, Nov. 14 through Sunday, Nov. 16. Bloomsburg has won back-to-back NCAA championships five of the last six and nine of the last 12. It hosts Shippensburg in the semifinals on Saturday. Lindsay Danz of Sussex Tech and Amanda Deloy of Cape Henlopen are members of the Bloomsburg team. Kyle White is a former point guard at Sussex Central, Cape Henlopen and Delaware State. Kyle has moved again and is now listed as a junior point guard for Goldey Beacom. Goldey Beacom opens the season Saturday, Nov. 15, at the University of New Haven where former Cape greats Jimmy Allen and Edgar Maull played and starred. Jimmy Allen is in the New Haven Sports Hall of Fame as is Lionel Maull, former Cape football and track star. Lonnie was the outstanding player for New Haven football in 1983 and was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

Jeremy Eglit has been Cape’s water boy this season attending all games and most practices, The big fella is a junior from the consortium program and his mother, Jamie, says the experience has been great for Jeremy and proves the power of inclusion programs. Jeremy also does Special Olympics, including bowling, track and field, swimming and will soon begin powerlifting. Good job Jeremy!