From ball girls to college players, Cape campus rocks all weekend

From ball girls to college players, Cape campus rocks all weekend

Ball girls of the western world - I share the field hockey sidelines with ball girls all season long. They are always exuberant and springy, but they ramp up their game as the tournament approaches. Under the Thursday night lights at halftime of the Caesar Rodney at Cape game, Evan Chubb and Finley Conn asked, "Will you take our picture?" I pointed to my small camera setup a half-field away, and they sprinted to retrieve it like they were running down a ball or as Tom Petty sang, "Running down a dream." The ball girls are all stars, sparkling in the Milky Way galaxy of Cape hockey talent on Youth Night. Fleeting feet moments are the best, so pay attention!

“Confuse a cat” - My sports life is like an episode of Monty Python, which was last aired 52 years ago, just too much information, featuring conflicting data and colors, and strange mascots. On Saturday, it was the Black Knights wearing white and Blue Hens wearing black. I was weather-beaten from shooting a rainy 5K race at Crooked Hammock, then stopped by Champions Stadium to watch Coastal Classic college women's lacrosse. The Blue Hens of Delaware were in full-tilt scrimmage mode versus the Black Knights of Army. A large crowd of supportive family members was there, and they were into it because their kids had caught the car that had D1 as a hood ornament. The funny thing is I thought Delaware was Army and Army was Delaware because the Blue Hens were wearing black and the Black Knights were wearing white trimmed in gold. Good thing I wasn't writing a story getting it all backwards and upside down. I may have been demoted to White House press secretary.

Impaired cognitive accuracy - An unrelenting din of sound inside a professional stadium is just so much white noise, like a sound machine next to your bed that helps you sleep. But if the roar gets louder when you mess up, you are most likely a visiting player, and "nobody likes you" may be an accurate self-assessment. The noise can be distracting for skills that require concentration like free-throw shooting and kicking a field goal, but when a golfer stands over a pressure putt, the rules change. The wankers wearing wide wale corduroys are not allowed to distract a golfer, but you can yell at the ball after it's been struck. “Get in the hole!” How about the home quarterback facing a crucial fourth-down play in the red zone who flaps his arms like a swan looking for lift? It would be nice if the crowd responded, “No, you shut up.” But sparse crowds are the most distracting because it’s not wordless volume but discernible words and suggestions that are clearly heard. I heard a male voice at a field hockey game that was full volume all game long. Those watching a stream of the game could hear him. Nothing negative, just a knowledgeable fan. It was like having a talking hockey ball on the field.

Speed of the game - Two of my granddaughters, Anna and Lizzie, played Division I lacrosse at Temple University for coach Bonnie Rosen. I was a credentialed photographer for all their games and got to know their teammates and families. Those women could play. College lacrosse women are fit, fast, aggressive and decisive. And everyone can run. Size is nice, but it's not necessary to be a primetime player. Anna is Cape's all-time leader in career goals. She was there along the fence watching the UD scrimmage at Cape. Anna said, “Not everyone can get up to D1 speed, but high school players can learn to play faster." Army's women's team began in the 2015-16 academic year. There are 15 states represented on the 2026 roster, but unlike the sport of field hockey, there are no foreign players, not even Canadians. Ella Rishko of Cape was the leading scorer at UD last season. Next academic year, Cape players Lulu Rishko, Haley Gamuciello, Ally Diehl and Mairead Rishko will be playing for the Delaware women's team.

Snippets - The weather was coyote ugly Saturday morning, but 147 runners and walkers and unrelenting talkers showed up for the 10th and final running of the Ashley Furio 5K that benefits Children's Beach House. The Crooked Hammock is the staging area and everyone just loves that venue, whatever the purpose. Trinity Sipes, 12, of Georgetown was the overall women's winner in 20:37, which is pretty impressive. Andrew Nelson, 31, of Lewes was the overall winner in 17:42. Cape football (5-1) is at Sussex Central (5-1) Friday, Oct. 23, on Teacher Appreciation Night, which is preferable to being the visiting team for the Homecoming game. Go on now, git!