Queen for a Day with my new friends from Delmar

Queen for a Day - “Testimony with immunity from prosecution” is used by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller to get witnesses to talk or turn on others and sing like canaries grabbed by the neck. The odd expression “Queen for a Day” comes from the first reality TV program that ran from 1956 to 1965. At the DSBA Sports Awards Banquet Feb. 19, I was “Delmar Dave for a Day,” an honorary Wildcat. Two tables of sports media sat with each other, but I sat with Coach of the Year Jodi Holloman and later introduced the Buddy Hurlock Unsung Hero Award winner, cross country runner Haylie Cox of Delmar. The long and short of it is, my money is now no good in Delmar, just like my checks. Haylie’s mom Robin spoke, then Haylie herself spoke. Afterward, Haylie hugged Buddy’s parents, her mom and, lastly, me. I think I made some new friends.

Face guarding - Sh’Kai Chandler of Cape was all up in the face of St. Georges’ Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland, playing velcro defense on the state’s leading scorer Feb. 16, holding him to 15 points, half his average. I’ve seen it in women’s lacrosse more often over the last five years than I have in basketball – putting the clamps on the other team’s leading scorer by basically assigning a player to follow them all over the field. It is so annoying. St. Joe’s women’s lacrosse won at Temple for the first time ever 18-11 Feb. 21, as Bridget Cerciello of the Hawks held Temple leading scorer Nicole Barretta (12 goals, five assists on the season) to just one goal on three shots. Meanwhile, Francesca Donato of St. Joe’s had seven goals and four assists. So in the next game she can expect someone will be lockdown defender and all up in her face the entire game. Note: If I were playing Cape boys’ basketball in the state tournament, I’d be up close and personal with a couple of players (you know who). If I’m going down, I’m going down hard with a Hannibal the Cannibal triangle and two.

Cape Caravan - Cape is a basketball school and has been since day one, make no mistake about that, and if this year’s boys’ team – 18-2 regular season and No. 1 seed in state tournament – gets rolling, tickets will be scarcer than teenagers at a pickleball tournament. Best place to watch a big game south of the Bob Carpenter Center is Cape’s Big House. There is no home court advantage in big games, so pick the place that comfortably holds the most people.   

Snippets - The DIAA Individual Wrestling Championships are this Friday and Saturday at Cape Henlopen High School’s Big House. Follow from home at www.trackwrestling.com. There are little avatars, it’s almost as good as being there, except if you yell, “Keep the head!” or “Drill the whizzer” from your home office, it sounds just a little weird. Whizzer is a weird word in any world. There are high school athletes out there who are 19 years old during their season of competition, and, sure, it gives them an advantage and perhaps worth “redshirting” or repeating eighth grade. Academically it makes no sense unless the student needs some math maturity or additional seasoning as a novelist. Cape’s two middle schools, Mariner and Beacon, are a treasure chest of athletic talent. Take a look at some of their records: Beacon – cross country 6-0, girls’ basketball 13-0, soccer 8-2-1, wrestling 9-1; Mariner – field hockey 11-0 and cross country 5-1. Last spring, Mariner boys’ lacrosse was 10-0. The mystery is: how does this translate to high school programs? It starts with recruiting your own kids, and you better have something to sell them. Can you be a team player with an individualized sports schedule? The answer is “not really!” I watched the Daytona 500 between naps last Sunday. My quick observation is there were just way too many cars on the track. Are the Winter Olympics over? South Korea is 14 hours ahead, or is that behind? Either way, I never knew what day something happened or if what I was watching actually happened yet. Davey, the Inclusion Kid, was the torch bearer for the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament Feb. 17. Davey understands the irony of a flaming torch being so close to a Smokey Bear hat. “You laughing” is Davey’s signature sign-off once the joke has been executed. Fortunately, Davey smelled out the staged photo as a setup. Go on now, git!