The riff-raff posse stays indoors when the sun is high in the sky

The Saturday DIAA state track meet was four team titles contested each over 18 events with all schools public and private represented. All divisions and gradients of class and color ever categorized by schools and sociologists were athletic players in the meet. School administrators were impossible to find and there were no off-duty police patrolling or rent-a-security-detail in yellow jackets and no interruptions of drug-sniffing dogs. I didn’t see one race where athletes didn’t congratulate each other when it was over. And there were no showboating or trash-talking or other rude and stupid behaviors we’ve grown to accept as normal in more mainstream sports. The riff-raff posse stays indoors when the sun is high in the sky, and there were no parents second-guessing officials. Track athletes don’t whine and blame others when they are beaten in a straight-up competition; they simply shake the winner’s hand and say,” Nice job.”

WHERE IS EVERYBODY? - Back in the summer of 1975 I was handed the boys track job at Cape Henlopen without asking for it. I surveyed the other spring sports then concluded, “Looks like I get all the black athletes. Works for me!” Most African-American athletes at Cape 2009 don’t wear school uniforms of any kind in the springtime. You can’t coach people who don’t come out, and sometimes you can’t coach the ones who do. The Vikings scored only 6 points in Saturday, May 16’s Division 2 boys meet, tying for last place with Polytech, Woodbridge and Appoquinimink. Coach Charlie Pollard has done a good job when given talent and numbers to work with. The athletes like him, and he has their best interests at heart and they know that. I was talking over this problem along the fence last Saturday with Troy Brittingham and Tracy Loper, who ran on my teams of the early ‘80s. Dover coach Jim Solomon, 20 years on the job with numerous state titles, had the faraway look in his eyes as his girls only scored 7 points in the meet while the boys garnered 37, far behind winner Christiana with 100. And now indoor track is on the verge of elimination because of expense and nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.

LAX GIRLS PERFECT - Last Saturday, May 15, the U-15 Atlantic lacrosse girls competed in the Delaware Youth Lacrosse Association tournament.  They played four games and ended the day at 4-0.  “The girls came out to play and did a great job on the last day of their Atlantic lacrosse careers,” said coach Colleen Kernehan. The scores and stats for the games follow:

Atlantic 8, Coastal 2 - Goals scored by Sarah Young, 3, with single goals scored by Alexis Leskovac, Claire Carnevale, Anna Frederick, Colleen Bailey and Sarah Klem. Goalie Alexis Knotts had six saves.

Atlantic 7, Newark 2 - Kellen Cannon scored 2 goals. Single scores from Claire Carnevale, Alexis Leskovac, Sarah Klem, Briana Marsinco and Colleen Bailey. Alexis Knotts had 3 saves.

Atlantic 6, Middletown 1 - Kellen Cannon and Sarah Young each had two goals. Single goals were scored by Anna Frederick and Karissa LeMaire. Alexis Knotts had four saves.

Atlantic 6, Wilmington 4 - Sarah Young led the way with three goals. Claire Carnevale, Kellen Cannon and Alexa Medd each scored once.

SNIPPETS - The Cape boys will host Tatnall Tuesday, May 19, in the quarterfinals of the state lacrosse tournament. Tatnall is always a tough out and this Tuesday will be no different. Two months until hip surgery. I am wobbling like a one-legged tern in a northeast storm.