I nicknamed him “Stealth” because Cape physics teacher John Hilton flies so fast off the radar screen he appears stationary, an ironic profile for the physics guy. John came into Cape a couple of weeks ago and resigned his teaching position to take a job at Delaware Tech, which laughed at my application, but I was telling them jokes when I handed it to them. I always mention that John’s father, John Hilton, was an All-American football player at Richmond University. John Hilton played tight end in the NFL from 1965 through ‘73 for Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Minnesota and Detroit. In 1970 Hilton caught four touchdown passes from Bart Starr, the real face of quarterback in Green Bay, not Bret Favre.
Now a grandfather to John and Ann’s three children, John Hilton’s favorite expression is, “Has anyone seen my 16 NFL touchdown balls anywhere?”
Sorry, I am projecting my insecure self into his world. Seriously, but just for a second, son John the teacher was “money” every day he came to work at Cape, a solid guy and great teacher who took care of all his business. I honestly never heard a single kid say a bad word about Hilton and they seemed to genuinely enjoy his class which is amazing because we talkin’ physics. Cape will need all the kinetic energy it can generate to replace Hilton, but in the end he is gone like a blue light special and just landed in Georgetown wearing a Roadrunner hat.
WHO’S THE MAN? - Tommy Kane is out there coaching Atlantic Lacrosse, always relentlessly enthusiastic and riding U13 players hard when they need it, but always compassionate and a good guy. Back in 1977 as a 17-year-old junior at Mount Saint Joseph’s College prep school, Tom led the Maryland Scholastic League in scoring and also received all-Metro honors for scoring 21 goals with 32 assists. Tommy once scored six goals in a game as a sixth-grader. I believe young players look at coaches like they dropped out of the sky but believe this, Tommy Kane was a player.
DELAWARE RUGBY - We all remember - change that - I remember some years back - could be 10 - when the rugby house at the University of Delaware had its lease cancelled because of a Toga party that produced rude behaviors and complaining witnesses also wearing togas.
“Girl, what did you expect, a debutante ball?”
Bjorn Haglid has been the rugby coach at Delaware since 2001 and oversees a club side, self-supported squad with 80 guys on the roster. Navy, Penn State and Maryland are some of the Division I teams on the schedule. Phillip Giordano (shown in photo), who played for Salesianum in 2003 for coach Jim Brazell and was a tight end in the Blue-Gold All-Star football game, played rugby while at Delaware, graduated, played a year in Australia and is currently enrolled in Widener Law School.
There is an Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union league with teams from St. Mark’s, Glasgow, Christiana and Military Academy. Salesianum has a club team which is affiliated with the Wilmington Rugby Club. Huey Kenny started the rugby program at Delaware and was head coach from 1993 through 2002. Toga! Toga!
ASHTON THOMAS - “Hey there, big strong burly guy! Got a minute to talk rugby?”
Last Sunday I intercepted Ashton Thomas of the Rocky Gorge Rugby Club on his way to a battle on the pitch. Ashton played for a Salisbury University club side team that won a Division II national championship while most of the campus was running amuck swearing lacrosse was a national sport. Ashton works in pharmaceutical sales and said most of his club is professional people from financial consult ants and lawyers and teachers to those in the military.
“It is ironic that so many educated people elect to play a crazy game like rugby,” Thomas said.
I told him he was shattering too many stereotypes for one man and would have to drop the name Ashton or get a nickname. We both laughed, which was good for me. I just love rugby athletes the best of all. Years ago the Wilmington Rugby Club presented me with an autographed ball for covering their team but neglected to tell me they stole the game ball set aside for the championship game. I was guilty of receiving personalized autographed stolen property, which may be a felony.
WRESTLING GOLD - “As I travel around this big old world there’s one thing that I fear; it’s a white man in a golf shirt with a cell phone in his ear.” - Tom Russell in “Who’s Gonna Build the Wall?”
I wonder how all the patriotic peoples who be hating on illegal immigrants felt watching Henry Cejudo of the USA, son of illegal immigrants from Mexico, running around the mat with the American flag draped over his shoulders after winning the gold medal in freestyle at 121 pounds. Most of us are citizens through the accident of birth - or is that pregnancy? - while others can become naturalized like our Somalian American flag bearer.
Cejudo’s triumph brought tears to my eyes, but if so many people find a driver’s license controversial you know illegal mothers creating certified citizens of America doesn’t sit well with Lou Dobbs and his peeps. Life begins at conception, but citizenship is based on legal deposit with no return.
SNIPPETS - Luke Petitgout was cut by the Tampa Bay Bucs after failing a physical thus becoming a free agent. Luke, who was working out at Gold’s Gym in Rehoboth earlier this month, has also been suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the regular season for an undisclosed violation. Luke looked to be hurting when I saw him coming off knee and back surgery, not to mention wear and tear of 10 NFL seasons. Luke has always been a brawler with quick feet and is not the take-steroids-to-get-stronger athlete. I wish him all the best; he is such a good guy.
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Sports Editor Emeritus
Email Fredman at fredman@capegazette.com
