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Call from the Bullpen by David Maull

The Bullpen | Cape Henlopen | Sports Front Page

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Cape Henlopen Wins With Class
From the Oct. 15, 1998 TV Times

Revenge was in the air at Cape Henlopen High School the evening of Oct. 2.

Those who packed the bleachers on both sides of the football field still had vivid memories of the events that transpired on Sept. 26, 1997.

Cape fans winced at the recollection of Sussex Central marching 80 yards downfield for a game-winning score in the closing seconds. Central fans smiled in remembrance of their team handing a hated Route 9 rival its lone regular-season defeat in what became a Northern Division championship season.

But that heart-stopping 15-9 Central victory was more than a year ago, and now Cape was preparing for the rematch that would take place on its own turf in front of its home fans.

It seemed everyone was buying into the hype ­ everyone except Cape's players and coaches.

When the Vikings reached their sideline after bursting through a banner held by a group of cheerleaders, there was little shouting or psych-up attempts among players, just an air of focused determination.

Then Cape destroyed rival Central 41-0 in a game it dominated from start to finish.

Afterward, when most teenagers would have treated the opportunity to gloat like a bull charging toward a red cape, the Vikings downplayed the revenge factor.

"We didn't want to come into this game as being rivals or whatever," said running back Elijah Worthy, who rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns. "Its just another conference game. Its just somebody that beat us last year."

One would be naive to think the Vikings didn't have revenge on their minds that night, but they were classy enough to take satisfaction from the victory without boasting.

That type of professionalism is the product of coach Brian Donahue, who remains on an even emotional keel, regardless of how big the victory.

"We respect every one we step on the field with," he said.

Non-displays of emotion are fine, "as long as when the game starts at 7:30, they're ready," he added.

Last season, the Vikings provided one of the finest displays of sportsmanship I have ever witnessed. After defeating Seaford 34-27 in a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle, Cape's players stood and applauded as the Seaford team trudged off the field toward its locker room.

Winning is sweet, but winning with class is much more rewarding. Winning with arrogance and braggadocio is the same as losing. The Dallas Cowboys are a perfect example.

I'm a believer that loud, revenge-fueled displays of emotion are overrated. Too often, the team that comes out of the locker room spitting bullets is the one that peters out by the end of the first quarter.

I'll take the Cape's approach any day.

"They're a hard group to read. They're going in there to take care of business," Donahue said. "They're a good group of kids. We're just trying to put it all together."

For Donahue's coaching philosophy, one must look no further than the cover of Cape's 1998 game program. Printed in blue letters are the words "The field is our classroom, the course is football, the lesson is maturity."

It's a lesson that has been well-taught.