Wrestling culture remains strong in downstate Delaware

Hate the bite - “Don’t hate the black. Don’t hate the white. If you get bit, just hate the bite.” - Sly Stone (1968). Cape wrestling beat Smyrna 34-33 back in 2019 for the first time in 50 years. Bryce Mullen of Smyrna pinned Juan Lares, earning six team points for the Eagles, then Cape was hit with a three-point flagrant misconduct team deduction when Mullen claimed Lares bit his finger. In a sport where crossface is a coaching term, it seems teeth marks on a finger are a possible outcome. Cape trailed 33-27. Cape 152-pounder Andre Currie beat Logan Kosky by major decision 16-8, closing the score to 33-31 with just the 160-pound bout remaining. Jackson Handlin decisioned Gavin Sembly 5-2, icing the match and etching the story in Cape wrestling history. Cape lost to Smyrna 39-29 in 2020 and 45-27 in 2021. Cape secured a dramatic 34-30 home win over Smyrna in 2022, scoring the last 18 points of the match, starting at 145 with Andrew Schaen (major decision), Mikey Frederick (tech fall), C.J. Fritchman (major decision) and the closer Carson Kammerer with a pin. Cape also beat Smyrna 33-31 in the state duals in 2022. That match was secured when Jacob Goodsell (106) and Rony Perez (113) lost by decision, giving up no bonus points. Cape beat Smyrna 48-22 in 2023 and 46-24 in 2024. That is a 5-2 head-to-head advantage for Cape over the last six years. Incredible improvement after going 0-50. Smyrna, Sussex Central and Caesar Rodney have been the big three in downstate wrestling with occasional appearances by Milford. The Cape team is just trying and vying to dock where the big boats float. 

Tripod dad - Speaking of Smyrna wrestling, the Eagles have always done a great job of tracking and showcasing their own successes. Back in the ’80s, a Cape wrestling dad was away on a business trip but arranged to have the match recorded with a big old VHS sitting atop a tripod. Somewhere in the middle weights, the Smyrna wrestler was going for the school record for takedowns in a match. That was before the tech fall 15-point advantage rule stopped the match. The number on the scoreboard was crazy because, just like Graves men's store on Second Street, there was a 2-for-1 sale on the wrestling mat.

Different strokes for different folks - I am a master of the Schuylkill Stroke combined with the Lewes Canal Crawl: head on a swivel, shoulders up out of the water, a slight flutter of the feet, punctuated by kabooms like a diesel engine backfiring. I should disqualify myself from any swimming commentaries, except it's just like a track meet in the water, so it's not beyond my level of comprehension. On Monday afternoon at the Sussex YMCA pool, the Cape boys lost to Salesianum 89-76, while the girls lost to Ursuline 119-51. Upstate enjoys a clear hegemony over downstate when it comes to swimming (in pools), but Cape produces more lifeguards and spear-fishermen.   

Snippets - Three Cape athletes revealed their college choices at a signing ceremony Feb. 7 in the Cape rotunda. Signing were Lillian Fisher, cross country and track & field, Bucknell University; Ashley Carrier, track & field, DeSales University; and Olivia Burkentine, women's lacrosse, West Chester University. The question football fans ask each other is, “Who do you like in the Super Bowl?” I think it’s a different question from, “Who do you think will win?” I’ve never been to either city, but if I had to pick one to visit, it would be San Francisco. On the song side of the street, it’s Tony Bennett versus Thurston Harris (“Kansas City, here I come”). Based on this year’s playoff performances, I’m rolling with the Chiefs to win. They just solidly come to play. Sports are available on multiple platforms. My favorite is the Rehoboth Boardwalk. The Valentine’s Boardwalk 5K is 10 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 11. Show up and talk with the congregation of runners and call it church. You can plank and plunk later in the day, going sedentary for six hours watching the Super Bowl. I’m not sure if there are still Super Bowl parties, but I just know I’m not invited to any. “Philly Special” is the best play call in Super Bowl history. Go on now, git!