Sports

This year’s Spring Fishing Tournament is set Saturday, May 10, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it will be hosted for the first time by Old Inlet Bait and Tackle.

Indian River baseball refuses to let up, taking recent wins against Woodbridge and Caravel Academy. Their hot streak barely survived this past Tuesday, though, when they squeaked one by Lake Forest with a final score of 3-2. With the end of the season barreling down upon them and three conference match-ups still in their sights, there’s no room for error, as head coach Howard Smack and his squad fix their eyes on the state championship.

The season schedule may be winding down for Indian River High School’s boys’ and girls’ tennis team, but their racquets are all but retired. There will be no time for relaxing this weekend as the teams head to the Sea Colony tennis club on Friday, May 9, to square off in the Henlopen Conference tournament, beginning at 1 p.m.

Each afternoon and evening, athletes, fans and family take to the fields, courts and diamonds to indulge in a number of sporting events. Much praise is given to the players, coaches and managers, but little acknowledgement is given to the few who make it possible.

Indian River High School girls’ varsity soccer coach Steve Kilby has his team right where they need to be this year. In a month’s time, the Lady Indians have worked together, combining young, fresh talent with established, reputable experience to prove that they are very much contenders for the state title.

Indian River High School’s baseball team will be tested with upcoming back-to-back games, but judging from their driving record, it shouldn’t hinder the squad all too much.

The Indian River wrestling program has been a dominant force over the years with overpowering performances and notable state finishes, but now they have another feather in their cap, and a student athlete brimming with pride. Following his graduation this year, wrestler Michael Magaha will look to further his education and athleticism on the mat at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C.

Seven days, five games. It’s not an easy task for any soccer club, but the Lady Indians proved triumphant, even under pressure, tallying four wins — including three shutouts — in the last week to tighten their grip on the conference.

The Delaware Wrestling Alliance took time at an awards banquet earlier this month to recognize Indian River head wrestling coach Jeff Windish, who was honored as the Division II State Coach of the year for his leadership with the program.

Sussex County has been known to produce some of the most talented athletes in the Mid-Atlantic region, and such holds true for 2007 Sussex Tech graduate Hope Cornell.

The Indian River baseball team refuses to let up, advancing to 6-0 on the season following a powering 11-1 triumph over league rivals Caesar Rodney last Friday, and a victory over Delmar the day before. The conference heavy-hitters of CR, who sat at 4-1 coming into last Friday’s game, were no match for the Indians, whose pitching and hitting quieted the visiting crowd early in the game.

After a 2-2 deadlock against Seaford last week, followed by a rain-delayed match between the team’s top hitters, Indian River boys tennis players knew they had to return to the courts with precision and focus.

Indian River High School senior Annmarie Brown has had her hands full, winding up the remaining months of her high school career. From academics and athletics to a variety of extra-curricular activities, she has managed to fight back the infamous “senioritis” that afflicts many soon-to-be-graduates.

After a light rain passed through on Tuesday afternoon, the Lady Indians took to the soccer field for their season-opener under the lights against rival Dover. Despite the slick conditions and an early Senators’ goal, Indian River pulled out a commanding victory, coming out on top, 4-1.

Let’s face it. High school would be virtually unbearable for many students if it weren’t for the sports. Whether participating, watching or coaching, a good number of students, or their friends and family, have had some involvement with high-school sports.

Soggy conditions made for difficult play for Indian River this past Tuesday as they narrowly gave up their first game of the season to Lake Forest, 3-2. Standing water to contend with on a few of the courts eventually progressed into periodic sprinkles, then full-on showers for the athletes.

Baseball stays undefeated, shuts-out Smyrna, 12-0

Indian River baseball head coach Howard Smack had confidence in his team’s pitching. He had confidence in the defense. The one thing on his mind going into Tuesday’s season-opener hosting Nandua (Va.) was hitting. But judging by the looks of the 22-8 victory, he needn’t worry too much about that, either.

Throughout their high school careers, students often turn to a sport or two for any number of reasons: balance in their daily lives, exercise and staying fit, socializing and finding a like-minded circle of friends. Then there are athletes like Sean Lewis, whose love and obsession with sports have helped test his endurance and push his skills to the limits.

Head Coach Mark Browne is pleased with the way his softball team is coming together, and who can blame him?

Even back in eighth grade, Jeremy Purnell towered over his teammates and opponents on the basketball court at Selbyville Middle School. It would be that year that he would record the first in-game slam dunk of his career — the first of many to follow.

Spring break may be going into effect next week for Indian River schools, but the varsity baseball team will get anything but a vacation as they start their season on Tuesday, March 25, hosting Nandua, and then travel to St. Mark’s on Thursday for the traditional match-up between the rivals at the start of every season.

Brenda A. Dunstan, 54, of Millsboro, Del., formerly of Lancaster, Pa., passed away Tuesday, March 11, 2008, at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Del. She was a graduate of the Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia, Pa.

Following tryouts in chilly weather, the Indian River High School softball team is shaping up to be a methodical, tight-knit group of girls. Head coach Mark Browne is pleased with his lineup as 10 returning players from last year’s 14-4 team make their way back to the field.

For six years, Indian River head baseball coach Howard Smack has made his presence known, recently leading the team to its third consecutive conference title in the Henlopen South. This year, with his solid, talented group of 15 individuals, he’s hoping to do that once again, and then some.

Last year, only a small percentage of the athletes on the boys’ tennis team at Indian River High School had ever picked up a racquet before stepping on the courts with head coach Pat Cicala. This year, the Indians are back with more experience, drive and knowledge of the game.

The Indian River girls’ tennis team took to the courts this week, following the conclusion of tryouts. With a pleasantly abundant sign-up result, head coach Karen Oliphant is setting the bar for the young athletes to make their presence known this season. She is prepared to work with her squad for some time, considering she has at least another two seasons with everyone.

As spring finally warms and greens the Delmarva Peninsula, bicyclists from all over the mid-Atlantic region will shift into gear and head to Fenwick Island. The Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Ocean-To-Bay Bike Tour is a favored season-opening ride, organizers noted.

This spring, assistant Indian River football coach Paris Mitchell Sr. is going to take a different swing at things — literally. He’s trading the loud, energetic chaos of the Friday-night lights for the tranquil, steadied eye on the links as the new head coach for the Indians’ golf team.

Hearing the term “scholastic wrestling” doesn’t traditionally conjure up the thought of a barely-100-pound sixth-grader sporting a uniform, but people might think twice before messing with 12-year-old Andrew Powell.