Sports

Tough weather, crowds and tensions led to a long soccer game on Oct. 9 in which Indian River narrowly beat Caesar Rodney, 3-2, in a critical conference game where both teams began undefeated.

Indian River’s varsity football team beat Woodbridge pretty solidly on Sept. 28, and they could have done it all in a spectacular second quarter alone.

Indian River volleyball started the season slow, but the team has picked up momentum to bring themselves to a 3-4 record, most recently leaping over Milford at home on Oct. 2.

Fishing has been decent this week, but it’s small fish that are making the rounds. Be patient while they take time to mature. Mullet was on the menu as surf fishermen used the plentiful baitfish all week. However, when baiting the line, remember that fish at the beach aren’t huge right now. Only a nibble is needed to tempt the blues, kings and croaker. Otherwise, they grab a snack off the hook and continue merrily on their way.

Get ready to see some fancy footwork, Roxana. River Soccer Club will host 88 teams at the 10th annual Columbus Day Classic tournament this weekend.

Indian River High School’s boys’ cross-country team is currently 1-4, while the girls are 0-4, but they’re running with a good attitude. Head coach Frank Ryman said his goal is for at least one IR runner to break into other team’s top five runners. They didn’t quite make that goal in the Oct. 1 tri-meet against Cape Henlopen and Caesar Rodney, but they kept moving. Caesar Rodney’s boys and girls beat IR, 15-50, while the Cape boys won 15-48 and Cape girls won 15-50 (top runners earn a lower score).

Indian River High School football delighted fans at their first home game on Sept. 21 by defeating the Glasgow Dragons, 31-20.

After the Indian River High School field hockey team notched zero wins in 2011, it seemed they could only go up… and up they’ve gone.

A crowded stadium. Two undefeated rival teams. Only one winner.

Poor-man’s lobster will be back on the menu when Delaware reopens the tautog season Saturday, Sept. 29. Cooler water should entice the tog toward the rocks. Until then, rockfish, sheepshead and triggerfish are always scratching and biting at live sand fleas.

Indian River’s volleyball team may be new to the court, but they’re bringing everything they’ve got in terms of athleticism and attitude.

The score was 36-35 in the last, nail-biting moments on the Milford football field on Friday, Sept. 14, as Indian River threw a Hail Mary play. Far from the goal posts, with one last chance to make a play, quarterback Colby Dean pitched the ball far across green to the end zone, where wide receiver Marquel Knight waited — and leapt.

Though they scored 21 points in the final quarter of their Sept. 7 football game against Indian River High School, Stephen Decatur would still have needed two more touchdowns to beat the Indians that night.

Having won the 2011 state football championship with a 12-0 record, Indian River High School is the place to be. Head coach Ray Steele estimated that 92 players attended preseason, with a roster settling in the 80s.

G’day, Delaware! The Indian River fields and courts are finally seeing action again, as Little League season draws to a close and the fall sports kick into full-gear. But this August has been unlike any of the ones I’ve experienced over the past few years. The unmistakable 80-degree days of the tapering summer in the final weeks before the school bells start up across Sussex County have been replaced by Pacific sunrises, with kookaburras laughing as they fly from tree to tree, and more summer right around the corner.