The spirit of coaches past can be found in the eyes of their players

Windows to the soul - Searching for departed grandparents, just look into the eyes of the grandchildren and you will see them. Last week, coach Bob Edgerton passed away, and if you look left on the way into Legends Stadium, you will see Bob’s image etched in stone along with Frank Coveleski, Tony Georgiana and Don Hanley. Another place you will see Bob is in the eyes of his Milton High School Warriors athletes like Bill Cordrey – the Cape softball field was recently dedicated and named Bill Cordrey Field. Legend to legend, a handoff, coach to his athlete. A magic moment in 1966: Bill Cordrey with Bob Edgerton as his coach scored 57 points in a four-quarter basketball game before the three-point shot was even on the drawing board. Frank “Bud” Hitchens was the sophomore point guard on that team. Bob retired and got into running, often training and running races with teacher Barbara Heller Divine. They ran the Lewes Marathon together in 1977. Bob never changed; he was the Placido Domingo of lifetime sports, (I translate peaceful Sunday) always described by all those in his orbit as a “nice, nice man.” 

Sliding scale - I am a roster revealer, a tracker for athletes that I covered in high school now playing in college. An evaluation of a successful program has multiple measuring sticks, from season records and conference and state championships to “what happens next?” Cape currently has 27 student-athletes playing college lacrosse in men's and women's programs. And I know them all and can say with certainty that every one of them is on pace to graduate. I could list them all but not sure how many readers hang around for list reading. Plus, any list I’ve ever assembled is missing someone who later comes after me for being a doddering Daffy Duck.

Top of the line - Top-of-the-line women in sports will beat a middle-of-the-road male all day long and twice on Daylight Saving days. Twenty years ago, I interviewed a lifeguard who had won the 400-meter open-water swim at the Mid-Atlantic Lifeguard Regionals in Rehoboth. I congratulated him and asked about his background. “I swim for Syracuse in the Big East,” he said. "Wow, you must be really good,” I said. “Every girl on our team can beat me,” he said. “They are awesome and I’m pretty mediocre.” Actually he said, “I suck,” but that sounds kinda harsh.  

What the world needs - Back in 2016, Cape lacrosse coach PJ Kesmodel retired on his 73rd birthday after winning his eighth straight state championship at Cape. I told him, “Eight and 73 doesn’t sound cool, but if you stay and make it 10 at 75, it just sounds better.” PJ said, “The world doesn’t need a 75-year-old high school lacrosse coach.” “Nobody needs a 70-year-old sportswriter either, but I’m more concerned with what I need,” I answered back. This March 14, I will be 79. At my last wellness visit with Kelly Yudt at Atracare, I said, “If I do one more year, I’ll be the 80-year-old photo journalist hanging out of bounds by fields and wrestling mats. Nobody needs that guy.” Kelly said, “This community needs you and what you bring to them. Don’t think for a minute that is not the case.”

Snippets - Cape baseball boasts the coast with four graduates playing in the professional system, including Zack Gelof, Oakland Athletics; Jake Gelof, Los Angeles Dodgers; Mason Fluharty, Toronto Blue Jays; and Luke Johnson, Washington Nationals. Coach Ben Evick reports there are currently 11 former Cape athletes playing college baseball. Saw a Senior Night presentation at North Carolina basketball Saturday night, and also there was a Senior Night for Flagler College men's lacrosse. Nowhere is there a one-and-done night or “I’ve entered the portal” night. Kutztown women’s basketball (22-11), the Golden Bears, won the PSAC conference for the first time in school history. Abbey Hearn (Cape) was named tournament MVP after averaging 30 points over two games. Abbey is a graduate student. Kutztown will now wait for the brackets of the NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament. Go on now, git!