Ramblings 68 

August 31, 2002

by Marshal Manlove, Editor, Creator of Words, Gallivanter 

Well, well, well. It is that time of year again. Ugh…. Summer just went way too fast. I’m not totally ready for all this again- nine months of running around like a madman trying to do nine things at once.

So kids, what did you do this summer? Feel free to send in your essays to DESports@aol.com

What did I do this summer you ask? Um…not too much. I basically tried to create some sort of social life for myself and take a look at what I can cut out of my daily sports routine; I am 40 now and there isn’t much time left to party.
I met a whole slew of great people (of the female variety). I think I may have met one that is a keeper and a future heir to the Delaware Sports dynasty, but only time will tell. (I’ll invite you all to the wedding if there is one)

I did create a new sports word over the summer. Ok, I will let it be used for other purposes also. Our new word is Shmagoogy and literally translated means "thing." A couple examples of shmagoogy in a sentence (pronounced Shmagoogy)-- "Last year, the New England Patriots won the whole shmagoogy." Or, "throw that shmagoogy over here." Nice and simple there and is now for you to use when you choose.

Not that I think that anyone cares about any of all that, I just need some filler. My keyboard is a little rusty from inactivity and my fingers equally stiff.

I have been keeping in touch with the local sports scene but before I get into some of that let me welcome back Dave Frederick to the pages of Delaware Sports. Dave is the sports editor of the Cape Gazette, of course, and recently was named Most Favorite Writer by readers of Delaware Today magazine. I guess all those milk and cookie bribes down at the beach paid off this year.
I also welcome the Unknown Field Hockey Writer to the site. The UFHW used to write for a hockey website that recently folded and we are looking for the UFHW to provide great insight and hopefully some real truth about the sport for the upcoming season.
I also welcome Dave Kergaard to Delaware Sports. He will make sure that we all stay healthy….or else!

Only one coach responded to my request for information regarding their team this year and it was Cindy DePrisco, the first-year coach from the A.I. duPont field hockey team. First, just let me say that although I don’t reach into everyone’s e-mail box, I reach enough to know that we didn’t get a real great response there. It’s a damn shame too because almost everyone of those coaches will, at some point, complain about the lack of coverage that they get from the News Journal, yet they can have all of the space they wish right here just as long as they send it over to me. Thanks to those who DID send in schedules though. Those are absolutely needed and appreciated and gets you off of my poop list. ;)
So, since Ms. DePrisco was kind enough to send her information, let’s take a look at how she sees her team this year.

Hi Marshall,
I am the new varsity field hockey coach for A.I. duPont High School. I am discovering a lot of hidden talent on the A.I. team this year. Our goalie, Danielle Nourie, is one of the best goalies I've ever seen. I've never seen anyone quite so dedicated as she is. We also have a great defense with Val LaRock, Beth Russell, and Lauren Moreno. Our offensive talent starts out great also with Lindsey and Whitney Turnbull, Elisa Natalie, Michelle Williard, Kylee Trivits, Jill Regester, Biz German, and Kirstin Notorfrancesco. They've all been working real hard on their offensive skills. I have a lot of faith in them, this team is working real hard.

Best of luck to the Tigers this year. They will be my favorite team to root for this year as a result of Ms. DePrisco’s efforts.

Thanks to Joyce Panebianco for submitting the following, also about field hockey:
Several local athletes were selected to participate in the A
Camp program. This program prepares athletes for possible selection to the
U19, U23, or Olympic teams.

A Camp Selections:

Name (High School; Residence)
Meredith Brown (Caravel Academy; Elkton, MD)
Katelyn Falgowski (Avon Grove; Landenberg, PA)
Kerry Falgowski (UNC; Landenberg, PA) former St. Marks
Maggie Giddens (Tower Hill; Montchannin, DE)
Michelle Huynh-Ba (St. Marks; Hockessin, DE)


8/12/02 Press Release

US Field Hockey Names 2003 Women's Under-16 Team

The U.S. Field Hockey Association has welcomed the newest members of its international elite teams with the selection of the 2003 U.S. Women's Under-16 Squad.

Selected by U.S. Field Hockey as a result of performances at the AAU Junior Olympics held in early August, the team will have the opportunity to compete in international events during the upcoming year. Entering its sixth year as a US Field Hockey program, the U16 team traditionally competes in the annual Netherlands Easter Tournament in Valkenswaard.
The 2003 squad features six repeat selections from the 2002 team including Katelyn Falgowski (Landenberg, Pa.), Michelle Kasold (Chapel Hills, N.C.), Amy Lewis (Hainesport, N.J.), Laura Suchoski (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.), Ashley Walls (Berlin, N.J.) and Lauren Walls (Berlin, N.J.). The selection to the team was the third for Lauren Walls who was joined by triplet sisters Ashley and Melissa.
The roster also includes Candice Arner (Red Hill, Pa.), Julia Chase (Cumberland, Maine), Erin Dallas (Marlow, N.H.), Patricia Dean (Bear, Del.), Rachel Drummonds (Elkton, Md.), Katie Feeley (Collinswood, N.J.), Kelly Fitzpatrick (Palmyra, Pa.), Anne-Cabot Ishon (Hampton, Va.), Kelly Knoche (San Diego, Calif.), Lindsey Leck (Clarksburg, N.J.), Alexandra Malatesta (North Wales, Pa.), Erin Marihugh (New Castle, Del.), Kathleen Naughton (Goofstown, N.H.), Sarah Reinprecht (North Wales, Pa.), Allison Scola (Hummelstown, Pa.), Christine Suggs (Durham, N.C.), Michelle Tavener (Winchester, Mass.) and Emma Wessner (Kutztown, Pa.).

U.S. Field Hockey's coaching committee will select the coach of the U.S. Under-16 Team in November.
The Under-16 Team serves to introduce young players to international competition while preparing athletes for future National Team consideration. In addition to the Under-16 team, the U.S. Field Hockey Association will sponsor an Under-23 Team, Under-20 Team and the U.S. National Team in 2003. Trials for the junior national teams are conducted at A Camp, Jan. 27-31 at Chula Vista, Calif., while open trials for the U.S. National Team were conducted Aug. 12-14 in Virginia Beach.
The complete roster of the U.S. Under-16
Team selections follows:

Name
Hometown
School
Candice Arner
Red Hill, Pa.
Upper Perkiomen
Julia Chase
Cumberland, Maine
Greely HS
Erin Dallas
Marlow, N.H.
Keene Middle School
Patricia Dean
Bear, Del.
Gunning Bedford Middle
Rachael Drummonds
Elkton, Md.
Elkton Middle
Katelyn Falgowski
Landenberg, Pa.
Avon Grove
Katie Feeley
Collinswood, N.J.
Collingswood
Kelly Fitzpatrick
Palmyra, Pa.
Palmyra Area
Anne-Cabot Ishon
Hampton, Va.
Hampton Roads Acad.
Michelle Kasold
Chapel Hill, NC
East Chapel Hill
Kelly Knoche
San Diego, Calif.
University HS
Lindsey Leck
Clarkstown, N.J.
Millstown Twp. Middle
Amy Lewis
Mount Holly, NJ
Moorestown Middle
Alexandra Malatesta
North Wales, Pa.
Gwynedd-Mercy Acad.
Erin Marihugh
New Castle, Del.
William Penn HS
Kathleen Naughton
Goffstown, N.H.
Goffstown HS
Sarah Reinprecht
North Wales, Pa.
Mt. St. Joseph's
Allison Scola
Hummelstown, Pa.
Hershey HS
Laura Suchoski
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Wyoming Seminary
Christine Suggs
Durham, N.C.
Durham Acad.
Michelle Tavener
Winchester, Mass
Winchester HS
Melissa Walls
Berlin, N.J.
Eastern Regional
Ashley Walls
Berlin, N.J.
Eastern Regional
Lauren Walls
Berlin, N.J.
Eastern Regional
Emma Wessner
Kutztown, Pa.
Kutztown Jr High

Ok, its long, but I really need to fill some space.

I had a nice piece all prepared about the Wilmington College Volleyball team. We even did a nice preview on the TV show last week. Then, without warning, the hammer came down on three coaches and one non-coach at the school. Of the three coaches who were reprimanded by the college, Steve Lenderman, the volleyball coach and sports information director, was fired.
Not only was Steve fired though, he was fired in front of his team. You know, the team that he built during the past three years. You know, all of the players that came to Wilmington College to play for HIM.  He was told he had to leave immediately and it was done right in practice yesterday.
Now the scoop is as will follow.
An internal investigation by a lawyer hired by Wilmington College last December began after a men's basketball team player, Michael Bryson, was found to be ineligible to play for the Wildcats. The investigation resulted in allegations made against three coaches.
Allegedly, Lenderman negotiated discount security deposits for athlete’s apartments and signed leases in the name of his personal business. Lenderman acknowledges that this was allowed under NAIA rules. When the school began the transition to the NCAA rules, he claims that he stopped that practice as did other sports coaches who were doing the same thing. Now this is the only allegation leveled against Lenderman that I am aware of at this time. (The school did not return my phone call) I personally don’t think this is an offense worthy of terminating the father of a four-month-old son, but who the hell am I anyway.
Athletic Director and head basketball coach Bud Livingston advanced players money for rent and paid with personal checks. Allegedly he even used athletic department funds for it at one point, although he did pay it back within a week. Now, I think even the most naïve of us can see where there is a clear problem with this since these are amateur athletes. Livingston does admit this little trouble and did say, "I did it because I thought I was helping the kids. I made an error in judgment and it bothers me that I hurt the school’s integrity."
As a result of Bud’s error, he was demoted from Athletic Director and removed as head coach of the basketball team. But, he still does have a job. Lenderman out, Bud in. Hmmmm.
Head baseball coach and assistant Athletic Director Matt Brainard also held the position of compliance officer at the school. You know, the guy who makes sure everyone is eligible all year long.
Brainard allegedly certified the eligibility of four basketball players, including Bryson, who were in fact ineligible. Sounds like trouble to me. The Central Collegiate Conference ordered Wilmington to forfeit last season’s men’s basketball games, which included the four players. I do believe that then gave Wilmington ZERO wins for the season as a result. Brainard said, "I’m not shucking any responsibility. It was ultimately my duty to make sure everything was done correctly." Brainard is now no longer the assistant AD or compliance officer, but is STILL the baseball coach. So the recap…Lenderman out, Livingston in, Brainard in. Excuse me, does something seem a little off base here??? Correct me if I’m wrong about this, ok? Steve gets the boot? The Shaft? The big axe? I don’t get it.

Linda Doran will take over the AD duties at the college on an interim basis. Assistant Volleyball coach Amanda Moran will step in to fill Steve's shoes until a permanent replacement is found for him

I have seen a few football teams play in preseason action. Five to be exact and I will add a couple more tomorrow. Since scrimmages don’t really mean a whole lot, there is really only one thing to which I pay attention, and that is the quarterback play. It is critical, I think, that these kids be on target and in control from play one of the first scrimmage. The line can be shaky, the receivers can be shaky, but the QB has to be for real. Of the 12 or so that I have seen (counting backups) the two that truly stand out, and I mean stand out tall too, are Salesianum sophomore Gene DelleDonne, and St. Marks’ Junior Joe Wright (its Joe right?). Wright was injured last year but is back and looking strong and DelleDonne is way ahead of everyone else’s game so far. Even though I haven’t seem them all yet, I don’t doubt that these two will be in the top five if not just the top two overall for this and next year. It will make the Sallies-St. Marks game real interesting particularly since St. Marks has their largest offensive line in anyone’s memory.

Of all of the coaching changes that I have seen and read, I think the one new coach who will make the biggest difference this year will be Steve Johnson, who took over the girl’s basketball duties at Ursuline replacing Jeff Flanders. Johnson has won two boy’s state championships, with St. Marks and William Penn, and this will be his first female team. Expect to see the fundamental game of the Raiders ballclub improve ten fold over last year. Flanders was fun to watch on the sideline as he was animated as could be, but I thought he just may have forgotten to push some basics and instead liked to just run fancy plays with fancy names. Time will tell of course, but Johnson has to be drooling over the size of his team. With the development of a point guard, this is the team that will test St. Marks this year.

On the home front, our show is now in five different Comcast systems, as indicated on the main page. We finally entered Chester County, Pa, which is exciting for me. And, we are back into Kent and Sussex Counties where we definitely belong. Let’s hope this will work out for a while. What the expansion will mean is that we will probably cover more college events. West Chester University will get some air time…including their volleyball match against Goldey-Beacom this coming Tuesday. We will cover more college track and cross-country also since we can cover a lot of teams at one time.
We are hoping to cover some Wesley College and DE State University events also.
This will not mean that we won’t cover high school events. We will certainly be there for all of the championships, just perhaps not as many regular season events as in the past.

Diamond State Games II is under construction as mentioned on the main page. Soon, there will be more information regarding the event. I don’t know how soon, but soon. It is still sort of early, but there is a lot to get done and a lot of information and updates that will be posted as we get to it.

I’m happy to report that former Delaware Sports Ace Reporter Dana Anderson has made the York College field hockey team and is wearing number 31. Dana should get some playing time as a freshman this year and is one of four Delawareans on the team. If anyone wants to spread more good news like that to me, you know how to do it.

I’m not sure how extensive a Fall preview will be, if there even is one this year. I truly am trying to redirect some energy and have a bit of a life. But, who knows, if the past is any indication, I’ll catch the spirit soon enough and will be up doing all of this stuff into the wee hours of every evening for 9 months in no time. The first Top Ten lists of the year will be posted on 9-5.

Marshal Manlove