Sports

Last year, Caravel narrowly edged Indian River in the final match of the Division II Team Dual State Wrestling Championship, but this past Tuesday, Feb. 14, at Smyrna High School, both teams were stopped short in the semifinals. The Indians powered past Seaford in the quarterfinal match after a slow start but were bested by a determined Polytech team, fueled with emotion that eventually carried them to the Division II title.

Since Indian River High School introduced its swimming program three seasons ago, head coaches Colin Crandell and Donna Smith have merely had ambitions of getting the program up and running. They never expected to see the success and progress it has brought along during its few young years, but they couldn’t be happier with the results.

Earlier this season, the Lady Senators of Dover got the best of Indian River in the final game of December’s Pat Borowski Classic. But as the Lady Indians have been piecing together win upon win through the second half of the schedule, they made sure that this past Tuesday, Feb. 14, they would exact their revenge. With consistent shooting, well-executed passes and assertive rebounding, the Lady Indians came together as a team this week, defeating Dover the second time around, 55-50.

Indian River junior Keeonya Shelton has been an instrumental part of the girls’ varsity basketball team. She scored 10 of her 14 points in the second half during Tuesday’s 55-50 win over Dover and has proven to be a threat on the entire court.

There’s plenty to be said of this past Sunday’s big game, Super Bowl XLVI, which drew in the largest viewing of any televised broadcast in the country’s history. The Nielsen Co. estimated on Monday that 111.3 million people had tuned into the big game, as the New York Giants bested the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years.

Even with a loss last Saturday, Feb. 4, to William Penn, the transition into February has been a good one for Indian River High School’s varsity wrestling team. With a late-January win over Delaware Military Academy (DMA), followed up with victories in a tri-meet against Maryland schools on Friday, Feb. 3, the Indians were geared up for a strong showing against Sussex Central this past Wednesday, as they wrapped up the regular season.

The NFL’s New York Giants shocked the nation as a mediocre midseason was topped with a bevy of uplifting performances that inevitably led them to the Super Bowl title earlier this month. Few placed the 6-6 Giants in playoff contention, let alone on a post-season tear to the Lombardi trophy, but everyone knows how that ended. In similar fashion, the Indian River varsity girls’ basketball team began their season with a slow start, but has since found their stride on their way to what may unfold into a strong postseason surge.

The AFC Championship two weeks ago was a traumatic one for Baltimore fans to watch, as the Ravens put on a show that many believed would hold an edge over a wavering New England defense.

The first half of the basketball season brought some obstacles to the court for Indian River’s girls’ varsity team, but once past the midway point the Lady Indians seemed to have found their niche, collecting their sixth straight win, punctuated with a nail-biter against Sussex Central that came down to the final seconds.

After facing some strong competition in last weekend’s quad meet, Indian River has responded nicely, pulling a convincing 40-29 win over Delaware Military Academy (DMA) on Monday, Jan. 30, leveling their overall dual team record to 5-5.

Lower Sussex Little League’s opening day is only a few months off, and registration is in full-swing. But it’s not just the young ones that Lower Sussex is trying to get involved this year. A recent surge in sign-ups, coupled with a dropping number of umpires, has the Lower Sussex Little League (LSLL) board looking for some new eyes to call the shots on the fields this year.

Indian River High School’s varsity swim team has advanced considerably since last year’s season. With the program now in only its third year, the boys’ team has racked up five wins so far this winter, and the girls have nabbed two, each an improvement on last year’s final record.

America’s pastime will soon be returning to Roxana, as online registration for Lower Sussex Little League kicked off earlier this month. In February, the Lower Sussex Complex will open for walk-in registration, as well. And with a few new age changes to the divisions, Lower Sussex Little League (LSLL) president Tracy Littleton is expecting another successful season for young baseball and softball players throughout the area.

With two meets on the road still left in the regular season, Indian River High Schol’s varsity boys’ and girls’ swim teams are a steady stride ahead of last year’s performance. In just the program’s fourth year, athletes are surpassing previous records as personal bests are consistently being shattered.

Sophomore Ben Boonin swam a 1:02.14 in the 100-meter butterfly during Indian River’s win over Seaford on Wednesday, Jan. 18. The showing earned Boonin a state cut-qualifying time and propelled the Indians to their fifth win of the season as they defeated the Blue Jays, 98-66.