Coach Lou Nicoletti and runner Roxy Ramirez share a birthday

Happy birthday to Lou - There were no balloons and thankfully no singing prior to the cross country meet at Polytech Sept. 30. And don’t ask me how I know what I know because I don’t know, but I did wish Roxy Ramirez a happy birthday before her race, asking her “17 or 18?” and she answered, “Oh, I can’t run that fast.” So I clarified my question, “No, how old are you?" Roxy said, “18,” then I snapped her photo and moved on. I met Coach Lou Nicoletti on the berm overlooking the start of the race. Nick is like the Italian grandfather in a sitcom. He told me he turned 66 that day, I told him it was Roxy’s birthday too. He was like, “OK.” We both agreed the older you get the less patience you have but with more insight and wisdom. We agreed it is not a good combination. Afterward, I told Lou to stay put as I was getting Roxy for a candid “once in a lifetime” shared birthday photo. Roxy the runner was thrilled, saying, ‘I’m the first runner to get their picture taken with Coach Nicoletti.” Coach and athlete sharing a Sept. 30 birthday on a cross country drizzly fall afternoon with a pending hurricane in the forecast - it just doesn’t get any more memorable.

Monsoon madness - I know about winning streaks from my track coaching days - I thought 30 over three years was a big deal - to Cape’s field hockey and girls' lacrosse active streaks. Everyone knows they can’t last and most likely will never be matched, but at the end of the day, everyone goes home and will lace them up the next afternoon then go to practice because sports is more about the process of being a warrior athlete than basking in the glow of some streak everyone but relatives hope will be broken soon. An unlikely scenario occurred in cross country Sept. 30, as Sussex Central stopped the 105- straight dual-meet streak of the Caesar Rodney cross country boys 22-35. Conditions were described by both teams as monsoon-like, with a race course more for slogging than striding. Now, if I were protecting that streak I’m not racing the boys from Georgetown during a rainstorm at a site just down the road where they held mud hop competitions 40 years earlier. An explanation is not an excuse and maybe on a fast course on a sunny day Central doesn’t beat CR, but they beat them on Wet Dog Wednesday so Wully Bully for them. Central’s top 7 were Albert Norman, Ben Campagnone, Andrew Evan, Richard Marchais, Zak Keeler, Robbie Hollenbeck and Cole Benfer. Sussex Central is coached by Jason Stoeckel and Randy Ramirez.

Bonnie Bryan - The late Bonnie Bryan was a legendary field hockey coach at Laurel who deserves to be in the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, except in my opinion most upstate sports-connected people will never comprehend Bulldog Bonnie Bryan barking at officials and encouraging her players from the sidelines on a Tuesday afternoon field hockey game. “She taught me so much about coaching and kids, and she liked to have fun and just she liked to have fun and just talk,” said Cape’s assistant Debbie Windett, who took no joy in watching Cape drub Laurel 12-0 Sept. 29. The 1979 state title won by Cape was coached by Carolyn Ivins. The game was a 2-0 win over a Laurel team coached by Bonnie Bryan. Cape side hockey people would love for Laurel to make a comeback and perhaps, like Woodbridge (currently undefeated) with a new school and possibly new turf field, they can begin the journey. But positive results are never achieved by going negative. That's all I’m saying about that.

Snippets - Cape volleyball defeated Lake Forest on the road Sept. 29 3-0 by scores of 25-8, 25-9 and 25-18. Tyler Coupe’s team is now 5-1 on the season. Weird stuff going on inside the conference, like Delmar beating CR 3-0 while Cape has never beaten CR. I'm happy to report my granddaughter Anna Frederick, a lacrosse player at Temple, is all the way back from ACL surgery a year ago. Temple is scheduled for a play day at Loyola University in Baltimore Sunday, Oct. 4, along with Ohio State, but reliable computer models give conflicting reports, which means half of them don’t know what they’re talking about.

I’m picking the Eagles again this weekend over the Redskins. Are we done saying “We sure could use the rain?” Go on now, git!