Sports

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.

The boys’ varsity basketball team at Indian River High School succumbed to another loss this past Tuesday, Jan. 24, as they hosted Henlopen rival Laurel, but it hasn’t been for a lack of trying. The winless Indians were able to keep a competitive edge through the duration of the game before the Bulldogs pulled away in the fourth quarter.

The Lady Indians’ varsity basketball team seems to have found their stride, picking up their sixth win out of their last eight games with a 56-44 victory over the Lady Bulldogs of Laurel this past Tuesday, Jan. 24. An early surge garnered Indian River some breathing room and allowed head coach John Frye to test his roster’s depth by rotating fresh legs onto the court, as well.

On Saturday, Jan. 14, Indian River High School’s varsity wrestling team wrapped up their tournament competition with a first-place overall team finish against upstate opponents, at the Mt. Pleasant Invitational. The six-team tournament saw wrestlers from IR, Mt. Pleasant, Howard, Wilmington Christian, Brandywine and Tatnall.

Junior Keiosha Shelton netted 12 points in Indian River’s 46-43 victory over Lake Forest on Tuesday, Jan. 17, and sank eight of her 11 free-throws, as the Lady Indians improved to a 6-5 record overall and 5-2 in the division.

While Indian River High School’s boys’ varsity basketball squad has had more downs than ups this season, head coach Marvin Phillips said he is still looking for that positive drive from his players. The Indians played host last week to the defending divisional champions from Polytech, who proved precisely why they were a top-five team in the state of Delaware.

A week has gone by since the Indian River varsity swimming team saw their last competition, but both the boys’ and girls’ teams are riding a high from their wins over Seaford earlier this month as the playing fields were finally leveled.

Indian River High School’s girls varsity basketball team may have faltered last week against Polytech, but a riveting game this past Tuesday, Jan. 17, hosting Lake Forest, has put the Lady Indians back in the hunt for a three-peat of the Henlopen Southern Division title. Consistency, strong defense and teamwork came together to help lift the Lady Indians to a 46-43 victory and a positive record.

Dozens of dogs waiting for a new “forever home” have temporary digs at the Sussex County SPCA in Georgetown. And those digs are about to get a little nicer, thanks to 10 students at Indian River High School.

At the start of the season, Indian River High School head wrestling coach Jeff Windish was expecting a collection of tournaments to get his roster primed for the team dual season. Despite a shaky start against a well-coached and ready Delmar team at the turn of the year, the Indians seem to have found the intensity they were looking for this past Friday, Jan. 6, as they defeated the Bulldogs of Laurel, 68-9.

Indian River senior wrestler Devonte Waters landed a 3-1 decision win in overtime against Laurel’s Jake Furbush, in the Indians’ 68-9 victory over the Bulldogs last Friday, Jan. 6. Although he is one of six seniors on the team, Waters is a first-year wrestler at Indian River, and is proving that sometimes, determination and perseverance can outweigh experience.

Indian River High School’s swim team has been struggling with the numbers game since the program’s inception, back in 2009. Although the quality of talent across the roster is comparable to, and sometimes surpasses, the competition from programs a decade old, limited rosters on both the boys’ and girls’ teams have made scoring a test in their first years.

Indian River’s boys’ varsity basketball team has yet to find their stride, or a steady and consistent roster, for the 2011-2012 season. That has the team still looking to mark their first win of the year. With the addition of a couple JV players to the varsity squad, including sophomore forward London Tucker, the main focus for the team now is to establish an identity and get everyone on the same page.

After a wavering start to the season, it appears that Indian River High School’s girls’ varsity basketball team is finally catching their stride. Their two wins at the start of the season were followed up by three straight losses before they went 1-1 at Lake Forest’s Pat Borowski Classic. But in their last two games, the Lady Indians put up convincing wins over divisional opponents, Laurel and Delmar, to advance to 5-4 on the season, and not a moment too soon.

The Lady Indians’ varsity basketball team will have to continue the stride they have once again found if they are to pick up a third consecutive Henlopen South title this year. And a much-needed victory on Tuesday evening, Jan. 3, hosting Laurel, may have been the spark they were looking for.

Although the Indian River High School varsity wrestling schedule first hit the mats back in November, the bulk of the schedule is just finally starting to get under way this week, as head coach Jeff Windish gets his team ready for the start of the team dual meets, following a collection of early-season tournaments.

More than 600 ambitious individuals got 2012 off to a positive start this New Year’s Day with the 1st Annual Hair of the Dog 5K and 10K runs in Bethany Beach, the newest fundraising effort assembled by the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation (QRCF).

The 2011-2012 season has already been a successful one so far for Indian River’s varsity swimming team, with inspiring victories obtained, several state cuts reached and school records shattered. And with half the season still left ahead of them, the swimmin’ Indians aren’t showing signs of slowing down. More impressively, they’re doing so with a program that’s only three years old.

Indian River sophomore swimmer Karlie Smith earned her second state-qualifying time for the season this past Tuesday, Dec. 20, as the Indians hosted Sussex Tech. She has recorded five personal bests so far this year, and has set two individual records for the swimming program at the high school.

In only the program’s third season, Indian River High School’s varsity swim team is learning that the sport can be just as much a numbers game as it is something based on performance. Both the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams fell short to Sussex Tech this past Tuesday, Dec. 20, as they hosted their meet at the Howard T. Ennis School in Georgetown.