Golden anniversary of Cape’s girls’ basketball state championship

Golden Anniversary - Cape Henlopen won the first Delaware state championship contested for girls 33-31 in 1973 in a game played at Milford. Cape's only other finals appearance was in 2011, a team coached by Lamont Hazzard, when they lost to Sanford 47-41. Georgia Edwards Perry, a player on the 1973 team, asked me to search for the trophy to see if it's somewhere at Cape. I know there is a room off the field house tunnel that I call the junk drawer of trophies past, where memories are stored and most likely come out at night talking to each other.     

Long goodbye - I did the Irish Goodbye when I left teaching after 35 years. Just gone like a turkey through the corn. I knew there were two realities – you are here or you ain’t. Then there are those who make a second career of a protracted retirement and it’s harsh when that person realizes they have become an “I can tell it but can’t sell it” hoarder of personal memories. Tom Brady has moved into the bend-and-break phase of contact sports and he has to sense it. I know I bail quickly when flow comes my way, whether it's a running back on the football field or a handler in a house dress at the Westminster dog show. Speaking of the Bloodhound Gang, my favorite lyrics of that rap group are, “If you can’t be the big dog, you gotta be the Scooby pup.”

Make my day - I was feeling on the verge of fair to middling when I walked into the Cape Big House Wednesday night for the Senior Night wrestling match versus Milford. And then a child's voice amps up my name, “Hey, Fredman!” Eight-year-old Ilean Meibaum runs over and gives me a hug, then backs up so I can see she is wearing a Fredman shirt designed by my grandson Mikey. And then Milford senior wrestler Emily Thode comes over just to say hello. Emily also plays field hockey and soccer. We talked about her injuries and she laughed at the suggestion she may be out of the wrestling lineup. I promised her a Fredman shirt because I like having Ilean and Emily on my team.  

Trackpad to poverty - When most of the first-world countries went online, as a social studies teacher I told a group of senior students heading home early because snow was falling like an explosion in a fleece factory to be careful steering the genius mouse, because it was possible to point and click their way into prison without leaving the captain's chair while flying the home computer. And then fantasy football showed up and people started playing in leagues, and for my money, that is a very strange pastime that can lead to an obsession for some personality types. And now gambling websites proliferate, and even advertise during college and professional broadcasts. Many people susceptible to a gambling addiction are cross-addicted across several platforms; they have no brakes and no off-ramps. If their iMac has six windows open simultaneously, just knock before you enter the room.   

Snippets - The Salisbury University men's swim team is 9-0 on the season. The girls’ team is 8-1. Both are coached by Nate Parsley, who is the son of Milford wrestling coach Don Parsley. Nate is also the assistant softball coach for the Seagulls. Coach Don’s daughter Nikki Parsley-Blocker is the head coach of field hockey at Liberty University. All three Parsley head coaches are hoping to make the Wall of Fame at the newly opened Surf Bagel in Milford. The Eagles sublet Lincoln Financial Field to Temple University for close to $1 million per game. Cooler heads do prevail when it comes to spring sports in the middle latitudes that begin in early February. College lacrosse opens this weekend, and schedulers are reluctant to postpone any event figuring it’s easier to play through it than rearrange flight plans and hotel bookings. Delaware indoor track may be the only state to have its state championship meet in a different state. The DIAA state championship is Saturday, Feb. 4, at Prince George's Sports Complex near FedEx Field, just a straight shot across the Bay Bridge on Route 50 west. The Cape boys’ track and swim teams can make some serious noise at states this season. The undefeated boys’ swim team will host Salesianum Tuesday, Feb. 14. Sallies is unscathed in Delaware since tying Wilmington Charter at 85-85 in 2017. Go on now, git!