Athletes of the Week Dec. 16
Andrew Criswell
A senior honor roll and Academic Challenge student at Cape High, this 6-foot-3 swimmer is making giant waves in Henlopen Conference pools this season. He has wins in the 50 free and 100 freestyle in three of the Vikings’ four matches so far this year. He is also undefeated with his teammates in the medley relay and has three wins in the 200 free relay. "Andrew is one of our team captains," said Cape coach Bill Geppert. "He leads by example, attending every practice and leading his lane. He is a key component of our sprint relays and has really just kept getting faster year after year. The team really respects and looks up to him; he is a natural leader." When not competing in the pool, you can find him surfing in the ocean no matter the temperature or weather. He plans on being a Blue Hen after graduating from Cape.
Maurki James
A hard-nosed football player, this 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior shows up each week. Maurki knows he’s the focus of the defense, but he just wants the ball. This winter, he joined the track team. Last week at Ursinus, the power runner jumped 21-feet-5-inches, which looks great sprinkled over his football resume. Cape football coach Mike Frederick gave stats on Maurki’s football season. “He had 1,350 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards on 12 catches for 1,650 total yards. He had 20 touchdowns. Maurki made the honor roll this fall, realizing he has a future in football. Whichever direction he travels, you don’t want to tackle him if he gets to the second level.”
Faith Re
A 5-foot-7 sophomore point guard on coach Pat Woods girls’ basketball team, Faith, a first-year starter, has averaged 14 points per game over three games against some tough competition. Faith is a basketball-first athlete who also excelled at youth lacrosse. Woods summed up her talents: “Faith has a flamethrower. She can shoot and knock it down from anywhere. She can also use that threat to get people in the air and create for herself or others. She has worked very hard in the off-season to improve her strength and speed, and is holding her own though undersized. She and several of our girls have flown under the radar because of how senior-heavy we were last year. But now is their time to shine. It has been fun to watch.”
Drew Zimmerman
Cape’s senior point guard brings a game smoother than a Barry White box set, and he made sweet music Dec. 13 in the Vikings’ season-opening 75-46 blowout of Sussex Central. Drew tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals – all team highs – and knocked down a pair of three-pointers along the way. He poured in 10 consecutive Cape points to key an early 23-6 run that all but ended the game, drawing oohs and aahs with nifty transition finishes and ball-handling wizardry. Drew led the team with averages of 13.5 points, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals last season, but he has clearly taken his game to another level since then. The Vikings appear primed to make some noise this year after a long postseason drought, and Zimmerman is a big reason why.
