I am the radar brain traffic controller of the local sports scene. I know what balls are in the air at all times. I have heard more poor renditions of the national anthem than any person who can’t sing or play an instrument. I am the Rainman of crowd counters except I make healthy approximations, just like I do with spelling names.
I was struck by the large crowd that attended last Wednesday afternoon’s freshman football game as Sussex Tech visited Cape. It was easily the biggest crowd outside of Friday night football. All that was needed was the band and cheerleaders and a few renditions of “The Horse” or even “The Pony.”
The previous two nights of field hockey and soccer I also powered up my onboard calculator - sometimes called a cock-a-lator - at the Townsend chicken plant. I know that the Salisbury School brought 15 fans to the Monday soccer game and on the home side there were fewer than 50. Tuesday night Cape’s two undefeated field hockey teams took to the field for a crowd of less than 100.
I could be wrong but that seems like a light number. By the way, counting Cape’s two middle schools, the field hockey program has not lost a game.
ISSUES AND ANSWERS - The great thing about the afternoon and offbeat hour athletic contest is you never know who is going to show up to talk sports and community issues not quite as important as sports - issues like test scores, school choice and spending of tax dollars.
Last Tuesday I watched the Cape field hockey team with former Cape superintendent Jim Wilson, who solicited my opinion on a number of topics and afterward I asked him if I could list him as a client for my consulting business. We both agreed that was a hysterical concept.
Wednesday at the Cape football scrimmage there were more Cape graduates who are parents than at the 1977 graduation ceremonies. The Ravens’ superintendent, Pat Savini, sat in the stands and stayed the entire game because Sussex Tech has always led the state in teacher and administrator support. Anyway, any plot and subplot relating to Cape and Sussex Tech was discussed on the sidelines of that game. It was so educational I should have received an inservice credit, but what would I do with it?
THE FRESHMAN GAME - Cape led Sussex Tech 20-15 in last Wednesday afternoon’s freshman football game before falling 37-20 in a game that was way too long. But when the referee is the timekeeper who is going to argue?
The beginning of the game saw Tech’s Deshawn Sheppard score a touchdown which was then matched by a breakaway from Jerome Johnson, who was a beast all day on both sides of the football and a Cape interception return for a touchdown by Sam Mohr. And then it was on - back and forth with young, talented players on both sides of the ball all over the field.
Players on Sussex Tech who at one time were part of the Cape school program included Rhett Malone, Jack Redefer, Darrin Beckett, D.J. Ayers, Zach Jackson, Kyle Ohrt, Cameron Chandler, Deshawn Sheppard and Brandon Gibbs. There were other connections involving great aunts and uncles, but I became confused waiting for my Ritalin to kick in.
MIKE GIBBS Mike’s son, Brandon, is a freshman at Sussex Tech. Mike stepped onto the track near the start of the 200, an event he ruled as a Cape track star from 1983 to ‘85 when the Vikings didn’t lose a meet. Mike looked pretty much the same and I recognized him immediately. Mike’s brothers, Wayne and Tony, were also Cape track stars.
I introduced Mike to Chico Beckett from the 1978 state championship Cape track team. Chico’s son, Darrin, a running back, went from Mariner to Tech and is starting to snap like I knew he would. Cameron Chandler comes from the Brittingham clan and perhaps someone should ask board member Spencer why his nephew is playing for Tech at the same time the board is instructing superintendent Stone to write letters inviting Cape Ravens to return to the nest.
Never mind, I’ll ask the former marine; I just hope he doesn’t go Lou Gossett Jr. on me.
TAKE A CHANCE - Local raffles for chump money offer the best odds at big-time prizes. Plus, like a Wall Street speculator, you can deduct it as a charitable contribution.
The Mariner Middle School football program is raffling two NFL tickets and a front-row parking pass for the Dec. 21 Eagles at Redskins game. The seats are “I must be in the front row” on the 35-yard line of FedEx Field. Cost of the raffle is $5 and the good news is you can buy as many as you want - that way you don’t have to break a $20. Raffle tickets will be sold on the way into Legends Stadium at each Cape home football game from Oct. 3 through Oct. 24. T he value of this package is $875 dollars and all funds go to the Mariner football program. Donations are also accepted by everyone so make sure to place yours in the Mariner bucket. You can call coach Juan Saez at 302-344-5990 or email him at juansaez@comcast.net.
SNIPPETS Personally, I just want the Phillies to get past the Brewers and play a seven-game series for the National League pennant. And now everyone wants to manage the team including me. I don’t trust reliever Brad Lidge any longer; the laws of sports probabilities say, in spite of a perfect record of 41 straight saves, Lidge will unravel like a Dominican baseball in a Caribbean hurricane.
Gene Harris, local Aspen Meadows retired basketball coach good guy, maintains his south Philly row home and works as an usher at all Phillies home games. Gene is David Mesquita’s grandfather and also the grandfather of Kenny and Becky Reidel. He has attended every home game this season and is there for the playoffs.
There is absolutely no way the Redskins come into Philadelphia and beat the Eagles on Sunday. There’s a reason so many Redskins jerseys are on the racks at Wal-Mart and Marshall’s. It’s called overstock and underperformance.
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Sports Editor Emeritus
Email Fredman at fredman@capegazette.com
