Lawyer Bill Schab is a pro bono girls’ lacrosse coach at Milford High

Schab and Stahl - Sounds like a law firm, not a lacrosse coach and his granddaughters. Lawyer Bill Schab, also known as Coach Pop, is helping coach the Milford girls’ lacrosse team. He is a volunteer, and – all cards on the table – he is my friend, and if I have a lawyer, it is my man, Pro Bono Billy.  He is pictured with his granddaughters Madison and Makena after the afternoon home game versus Cape April 9. Madison is a junior while Makena is an eighth-grader. Their parents are Chris and Kerry Stahl. Corey Schab, all-state soccer and lacrosse, is their uncle.  

Bailey is the best - Bailey Masten, a Milford athlete who plays field hockey and lacrosse, has been close friends with my granddaughter Lina since they were little girls. Both are now seniors who play the same sports. Bailey is fast and fluid, competes like a demon and will take her talents to Towson next year, where she will play field hockey. Bailey knows me like a great-uncle and always greets me enthusiastically before and after games. We Freds will miss watching her play against Cape. Bailey also plays for Eastern Shore Lacrosse, where she and Lina are teammates.   

Knuckleheaded knowledge - Do you know more about Moses Malone or Post Malone? Do you understand Catch-22? “You need a pass to go to the guidance office, but you can only get a pass from the secretary in the guidance office,” is a Catch-22, an absurd or contradictory choice. There was a character in the Joseph Heller book "Catch 22” (1961) named Major Major. I was thinking about college majors after watching the NCAA  basketball tournament and kept asking myself, “Who are these people, and what are their majors?” My favorites are undecided and general studies,  although I do like forestry, supply chain economics, and parks and recreation. Check out the Coastal Delaware Running Festival, which will produce four races this weekend, generating close to 4,000 instantaneous results on its website, codelrun.com. How many sports management people and kinesiologists are involved in this mind-blowing production and instantaneous dissemination of digital information? Most people have not prepared or majored for what they ended up actually doing in their work lives. I’m an anthropology major working as a sportswriter and photojournalist who never took a class in either. But I'm an excellent anthropologist who identified Sesame Street by the Sea and the local muppet matrix of characters.

Looking back - Forty-three years writing this column. What's the chance of me not repeating myself? Slim, but at least I still know I’m doing it. Cape softball is 7-0 after beating Indian River 13-1 and Dover 19-2. Lake Forest also has a  7-0 record. The Vikings and Spartans won’t play each other this regular season and haven’t played since 2019.  Here’s a column item I first wrote in 2004 after Cape’s only appearance in the state championship game, which they lost to Caravel 1-0: “The Silver Fox stood his ground and stared the moment down. ‘See this right here?’ Cordrey said, pointing to an American flag pinned dead center on his chest. ‘I’m a Vietnam veteran and I support our troops in Iraq and it's the 60th anniversary of D-Day. I wear this to remind me that what happened here today is just a game. I may be looking at the pin the rest of the weekend, but I can handle this, and so will the girls. It’s been a great season.’” You know if Cape manages to complete the quest for the school’s first state softball title, like Gretzky congratulating Ovechkin, Cordrey  will be shaking the hand of coach Mike Tkach. But for now, there are 11 more regular games to play.

Out in left field - We all know the expression, “He’s way out in left field somewhere,” usually describing an aloof, eccentric person who appears to be someplace else while standing in front of you. It happened in the Phillies game in Atlanta April 8, as Edmundo Sosa and Johan Rojas stood and watched a fly ball fall between them. Manager no-charisma Rob put the blame on Johan, saying, ”He’s the captain out there,” but never alluding  to the fact he started Sosa out of position, who maybe saved a run but arguably cost the Phillies five. Everybody is at fault, and Phillies fans will be talking about it for the next 20 years.  

Snippets - Tower Hill girls’ lacrosse beat Tatnall at home Tuesday afternoon, 9-7, breaking a streak of eight straight Hornets wins over the Hillers. Tatnall, 0-3, will play at Sussex Academy, 3-3, at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 12. Both teams are among the best in the state, laden with talents including good goaltending and good coaching. Tatnall has lost to CR, Hill Academy of Canada and Tower Hill. Sussex Academy has lost to Sts. Peter and Paul, Cape and Caesar Rodney. Not a must-win situation for either team, but a statement game like “Don’t sleep on us, we will be a tough out in the postseason tournament.” Go on now, git!