Cape girls’ basketball defeats Central at Block ALS game

Woods garners 100th victory

The Cape team and the Layfield family get together after the Vikings’ victory. Shown in back are (l-r) Jurnee White, Charlie Hudson, Kayden Borge Williams, Chuck Hudson, Havyn Greene, Hayden Hudson, Amalia Fruchtman, Macy Steinwedel, Derrick Layfield, Amy Hudson, Lucy Baker and Ruth Hudson. In front are Amara Fruchtman, Allly Diehl, Mairead Rishko, Maya Yngve, Faith Re, Mya Maull, Lulu Rishko, Madge Layfield, Beth Hudson Baker, Annie Baker, Rosie Baker. Not shown is Layfield’s son Garth, who is on the Central swim team. DAN COOK PHOTOS

Dan Cook

February 5, 2024

The Cape girls’ basketball team got 21 points, seven rebounds and two blocks from sophomore Amalia Fruchtman in a 70-12 running-clock victory over Sussex Central Feb. 1. The Vikings move to 8-5 on the season, while the Knights are 0-13.

The victory gives Cape coach Pat Woods his 100th game win as the Vikings’ coach. His teams are 100-23, including a 73-4 record versus Henlopen North opponents. He has five straight Henlopen North titles and three Henlopen Conference titles.

Macy Steinwedel and Jurnee White came off the bench to score eight points and snag a rebound. Mya Maull tallied seven points and three steals. Faith Re and Amara Fruchtman hit for six points each and teamed for five rebounds. Hayden Hudson snagged seven rebounds while scoring six, dishing off three and making a block. Ally Diehl, Maya Yngve, Kayden Borge Williams, and Mairead and Lulu Rishko teamed for eight points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and eight steals. Havyn Greene had a four-point, five-rebound game.

“I think we had a chance tonight to execute things we needed to work on,” said Amalia Fruchtman. “We can really work well with different combinations. It’s nice to be able to just put different personnel out there and know we can play well together.”

La'Keira Bland was Central’s leading scorer with five.

During the pregame ceremonies, the Cape and Sussex Central teams wore Block ALS shirts to honor Sarah Ruth Hudson Layfield, who died July 9, 2023, after a valiant fight against ALS. Sarah was the sister of Cape assistant coach Chuck Hudson and aunt of Vikings’ center Hayden Hudson. Sarah was a top athlete from Sussex Central who graduated in 1995 and excelled in three sports – field hockey, basketball and tennis. She was also a former coach of the Central basketball team. Sarah’s daughter, Madge, is an all-state softball player at Central. Sarah’s son Garth is a sophomore on the Central swim team. Coach Hudson spoke about his sister and read a note from Hayden about Sarah’s battle with the disease.

“What Hayden wrote and what Chuck read about their family’s experience with ALS was special,” said Woods. “It was a good reminder about what is really important. People, relationships, discovery of self, those are the things that matter. Sport is a means through which we experience those things, but it is not the main thing. I sometimes lose sight of that, and I’m thankful that the Hudsons reminded me.”

The Vikings celebrate their Class of 2024 at the Tuesday, Feb. 6 home game with Milford.

The Cape junior varsity squad remains undefeated at 10-0 with a 61-24 victory over Delmarva Christian and a 43-29 win at Padua Academy. In the win over the Royals JV, Jurnee White dropped 15 points while Maya Yngve and Harper Mamele scored 14 and 10, respectively.

The JV Vikings were led by Yngve with 11 against the Pandas. Mamele added 10.

Emelia Faubert and Eva Elliott led the JV Royals with seven points each.

The JV squad faces Ursuline Academy Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Cape. Game time is 5 p.m.

Hayden Hudson hits her first basket of the game to honor her aunt. “I think she would be happy that we got the win even though it was against her alma mater,” said Hudson. “I think she would be happy that we played well.”