Bracket-head Fred hits billows of pillows recalling teams and mascots

Bracket-head Fred - I watched Creighton beat Oregon in double overtime Saturday past midnight, then asked myself, “Why are you still awake? And what’s in the refrigerator?” My head dented billows of pillows, but I was the old restless guy. My mind was racing but with hamstring tightness. I knew eight teams had punched their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen, and if I couldn't order and name them in my head based on memory, it was an early-morning sign that my freakishly amazing recall skills were slipping. North Carolina (Tar Heels) and North Carolina State (Wolfpack) were easy. Gonzaga (Bulldogs) and Arizona (Wildcats) were easy. I was halfway home. Creighton (Bluejays) would play Tennessee (Volunteers), that I knew, so I was up to six teams. The “I” words: Illinois (Fighting Illini) and Iowa State (Cyclones). I am the Rainman of mascots. Next I study rosters. Is there any evolutionary advantage to being 7 feet tall? If not, why are there so many of these folks in the NCAA tournament?  

Elective misery - I’m not a fowl-weather guy; what am I, a chicken? I saw spring athletes Hannah Maney (track) and Carrie Clausius (lacrosse) at the boys’ lacrosse game Friday night. I was beer-cooler cold, but hopefully that will never be a weather reference for them. Hannah said their Saturday track meet had been canceled due to a predicted weather bad guy, while Carrie asked, “Are you coming to our game tomorrow?” “I’m praying for postponement,” I told Carrie. "But if you play, I will be there.” I considered a 500 mm lens and shooting from the press box, but I elected to rock the wet dog Great Pyrenees look on the sidelines. Back when you were a kid playing a sport, did you ever whine about playing in the rain? Nope, athletes just get lost in the moment, but back before turf fields, the phrase, “Your mom was a mudder,” was considered a compliment. 

Come late, leave early - I arrived on time for the Cape versus Polytech varsity lacrosse game Friday night at Legends Stadium, which began at 7 p.m. But I was a fourth-quarter JV game arrival, and there are 37 names on the JV roster, many of whom are muppets from the matrix of Sesame Street by the Sea. A ninth-grader, James Reed (a twin), was on the field. His dad Jimmy and granddad Jim were along the fence. His great-granddad Jim was a president of the Cape school board in the ‘70s who married one of the seven Clifton sisters, which brought us to wildlife artist Richard Clifton. I asked Jimmy if freshman Aiden Wyatt was the son of Josh Wyatt from the 1998 Cape state championship team and Jimmy said, ”Could be?” I knew when I arrived at the beach in 1975 that who you were was of prime importance, so I spent the next 50 years trying to figure that out.     

Snippets - The Cape boys’ volleyball team, the defending state champions, has seven girl managers. They win the most managers per capita contest. Cape graduates Alex McMahon (Cape 2006) and Ike Driskill (2007) are both jet pilots for FedEx who have flown transatlantic flights together since they were in their mid-20s. Alex, a former student and social media contact,  recently joked, “Ike is a great pilot but still can’t hit the curveball,” a reference to a column item I wrote maybe 15 years ago. Alex said of Ike, “I was always just lucky, but Ike has worked hard for everything he has. He set a goal in 10th grade to be a pilot and worked hard every day to save and study. He became the youngest airline pilot I’ve met. He was flying for United Express at 21. He graduated from UD in three years while earning all of his pilot certificates and ratings, while working construction to pay for it all. Ike is proof the American dream isn't dead.” The state wrestling committee selected Cape as the tentative location for the 2025 individual state tournament. DIAA is looking into the possibility of moving it to UD for 2025 and making it a one-day tournament on six mats.  A final decision will be made at the DIAA meeting in September. Does the Bob Carpenter Center have a side door? I like Cape best because it’s a cozy venue. Slam Dunk to the Beach is on hiatus, which usually means it’s not coming back. Darrell Dukes passed away March 16 at the age of 72. Darrell was in Cape’s first graduating class in 1970 and was on the school's first football team. Attached is a photo of his numbered jersey. Darrell was excited when Cape reached the state final in 2023. Go on now, git!