SoDel Cares: the Bucks stop here!

Two Bucks - Robert Coupe was nominated by Gov. Carney this week to become the state’s first marijuana commissioner (similar to head of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission). Robert was colonel of the Delaware State Police for several years, then commissioner of the Department of Correction, commissioner of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and later chief of staff of the Department of Technology and Information. Robert worked with the late Matt Haley, founder of SoDel Concepts, helping those released from prison find jobs. That connection between Matt and Robert brought Robert’s son Tyler Coupe, a 2015 West Chester University graduate, to SoDel to begin working. Tyler and his mother Pam were hired by Cape Athletic Director Bob Cilento to be the coaches of girls’ volleyball and later the boys’ team that won the state championship in 2023. Robert is pictured with his granddaughter Kinsley Delaney, daughter of Kyle and Jocelyn Coupe Delaney. As a grandfather, Robert is not called Commish or Pop Pop; he’s Buck, a reference to a nickname he had when he was a new trooper with DSP. Pam’s nickname is Cece. Scott Kammerer, an original partner with the late Matt Haley in SoDel, has several muppet nicknames. The one I prefer is Uncle Buck of Anna B Street. Scott is a surrogate uncle centered on Anna B in the Forgotten Mile neighborhood. Suffice it to say that state wrestling champions Andre Curry, Luke Bender, Mikey Frederick, Lucas Ruppert, C.J. Fritchman and two Cape team state championships don’t happen without Scott’s support. SoDel cares. The Bucks stop here!

Brody McMahon - Brody, by way of Cape Henlopen, was the first Saint Vincent College men’s lacrosse player to earn All-American honors (Division III) and was selected as the Eastern College Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year as well as All-ECAC. Information from the Saint Vincent men's lacrosse website reads: “McMahon turned in arguably the finest season for a defenseman in program history, as he was also honored as the 2023 Presidents' Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, named first-team All-PAC, and recognized as an All-American by the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. He led the conference with a team-record 52 caused turnovers, good for an average of 2.89 per game, which ranked 15th in NCAA Division III. He also corralled 74 ground balls and added six points, on three goals and three assists. Named the PAC's Defensive Player of the Week four times on the season, McMahon had at least three caused turnovers in 10 different games, highlighted by a career-high eight in the Bearcats' win over Thiel on April 23. He also registered at least three ground balls 13 times, including a career-high 11 in a win over Chatham on April 29. Paced by McMahon, Saint Vincent’s surrendered a conference-low 7.78 goals per game, allowing five or fewer goals five times.” 

Pillow talk - Fats Domino sang, “I’m a fool to care.” I was locked into the MLB website on my phone. It was late at night in the late innings, the Phillies leading the Diamondbacks 3-0 in the bottom of the eighth with two on and two out. A Seranthony Dominguez wild pitch, then bam, home run and the game was tied at 3-3. Muffled combinations of curse phrases are curiously creative. Susan awakens. “Are you having a My Pillow nightmare?” “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and the donkey they rode in on,” I say. The Phillies are rattling my brain like an elevated train speeding past a Fishtown row house. Amazingly, the angst subsided without Xanax when the Phils won 4-3 in the 10th inning, leveling up a .500 on the season.   

College Baseball World Series - All eight teams lacing up their spikes (do catchers wear Skechers?) for the College World Series are good enough to win the tournament, which means they are all at risk of going home after two games. Local interest centers around Virgina in the upper bracket — the Gelof connection — and Wake Forest in the bottom bracket, the Cilento connection. The Hoos open Friday night at 6 p.m. on ESPN versus Florida. The Deacs begin play Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN versus Stanford. These games are so good I move to the garage to watch them. I am the wolf spider of the wide world of sports.   

Snippets - Zach Horstmyer, longtime Cape assistant football coach who worked under J.D. Maull and transitioned under Mike Frederick, has taken the position of head football coach at Early College, which is located on the campus of Delaware State University and plays in the Henlopen Conference Southern Division. “Zach is a huge loss for us,” coach Mike Frederick said. “I wish him all the best.” Cape has hired Bernie Nowakowski to run the summer weight room and conditioning program at Cape. Bernie, who teaches at Polytech, is a real-deal strength coach. Football also lost coach Sammy Mohr, whose real job and real life (second child on the way) are taking up all the quality time he has to give. Old-school coaches, like guys who coached me, went out the door to coach and came back when they came back, after giving their children numbered jerseys so they could identify them. Go on now, git!