Sports

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.