School sports schedule juggling has more than one side to the story

There is more than one version of the story, but the bottom line is Indian River will not be playing Cape next football season because either the Indian River coaches don’t want to or they were offered week three of the season and wanted to stay in week one, where Laurel has already been scheduled.

And Polytech is gone because it just doesn’t fit anywhere. Seaford will move onto the Cape schedule in week three (isn’t this close to interesting?) and that leaves a hole in week eight, which may be filled by a Blue Hen Flight A school but forget picking up St. Mark’s or Salesianum, which never produces the desired result.

And the Bayside Conference is about as interesting as visiting the Salisbury Zoo.

I am trying to arrange a junior varsity field hockey end-of-season match-up between Cape and Tower Hill, which would only necessitate each of them dropping a game with a school it is going to annihilate anyway or, as my spell checker prefers, “animalize.”

Injury timeout - A reasonable parent describing herself as a Tech/Cape person informed me that several people noticed that during an injury timeout at the football game last Friday night, Cape did not take a knee and show quiet respect but stood around and talked to one another.

Several people also noticed it was a good time to go get a hot dog, but I digress.

I was also told that Cape did the same thing at the Monday junior varsity game. And I was told by Cape people that some Tech junior varsity coaches weren’t friendly after getting beat 21-0 and I’m thinking, “What is this, a sensitivity seminar?” I will concur that all moments on a football field are to be planned, including, “What do we do if someone is down and hurt?”

You see, teams are not allowed to come to the sidelines so they have to do something.

Appearances do not always reflect realities, and I saw no lack of respect from Cape, just like when I crack a joke during the national anthem “Could this song be any slower?”

It doesn’t mean I love my country less than the hand-on-the-heart person.

Maybe we all need to lighten up.

Take me to the river - I sensed it last Tuesday and told photographer Dan Cook, “We are going to Dagsboro to watch a soccer game.”

Cape was given no chance against heavily favored, unbeaten and unscored-upon Indian River, and I wanted to park myself on the sidelines and see firsthand how a group of athletic Cape players would respond.

I have held this team to high standards this season because I respect their athletic talents, not because I’m out to disrespect them.

And so the Gazette was there to witness one of the biggest soccer upset victories in the 41-year history of the school.

And I write that out of respect for Indian River because they can grab the big enchilada at the end of the season - they are that good.

The River Soccer Club has been a most serious driving force in getting a way downstate program to the point where it is a statewide powerhouse.

I asked Howard Gerken of Indian River about the impact of the River Soccer Club.

He responded, “The club provides a structured program starting with rec soccer for 5- and 6-year-olds and continues up to the high school years with both recreational teams and travel teams.

Through the club, players have a chance to play against the top competition in the state. Many try out for the Olympic Development Program and are successful at that level.

All along the kids are playing soccer and they are receiving quality instruction.

It used to be that at the high school level you looked for athletes who you could develop into good soccer players.

Now at the high school level, if you are an athlete but lack soccer background you probably won’t even make the team.” Jason Moshier of the Henlopen Soccer Club said, “Henlopen Soccer Club is a recreation-based program.

Although there may have been a few random travel teams from time to time over the years, our organized select travel program began only six years ago.

Our initiation class to travel ball are now high school freshmen.”

Snippets - I watched Roy Halladay of the Phillies pitch the first no-hitter in a playoff game in 54 years against the Reds Wednesday night and all I could think of was, “Is Cape’s field hockey game home or away tomorrow?”

The Eagles have been downgraded to questionable heading into a Sunday night game at the winless 49ers.

Las Vegas odds makers have the Birds as 3-point dogs in the game. Write your own Michael Vick joke.