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Sports
Sports & Recreation www.oceancitytoday.com Nov. 11, 2022 Page 59
PHOTO COURTESY BAYSIDE SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY Stephen Decatur senior Luke Mergott caught two passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns during last Friday’s first-round game of the MPSSAA 2A East Region tournament. Decatur won, 45-13.
Decatur football team starts quick, scores often on CMW
By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor (Nov. 11, 2022) The Stephen Decatur football team took control early and never looked back, winning the first-round game of the MPSSAA 2A East Region, 45-13, over the C. Milton Wright Mustangs last Friday in Berlin.
Decatur, the No. 3 seed, put 21 points on the board in the first quarter.
“They came out firing on all cylinders. They came out there and jumped on top of them. It was a quick start,” said Decatur Coach Jake Coleman. “The game plan was to start fast and try to get ahead, and for them to play chase, and we would be in good shape. In the playoffs, momentum is key. We wanted to get out of the gate quickly, but I didn’t think we’d get out that quick.”
The Seahawks went ahead 28-0 before the sixth-seeded Mustangs scored seven with a little over five minutes left in the half.
At the break, the Berlin squad led 35-7.
After three quarters, Decatur held a 38-7 advantage.
Junior Brycen Coleman was 8-for17 passing for 97 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed 12 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
Sophomore Nathan Tapley carried the ball 11 times, tallying 33 yards and two touchdowns.
Junior Caden Shockley rushed 13 times for 58 yards.
Senior Luke Mergott caught two passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
“Luke and Brycen played unbelievably. Luke made some amazing catches and Brycen was on his ‘A’ game,” Coleman said.
Junior Gavin Solito led the Decatur defense with six tackles (three solo, three assists). Senior Daegan Risser made five tackles (one solo, four assists).
“Defense was outstanding. We held them to two yards rushing,” Coleman said. “We came out and played lights out.”
Junior Brogan Eastlack was 6-for6 on extra points. He also kicked a 39-yard field goal.
“The kids did a great job finishing the game off. It was an amazing effort,” Coleman said. “The offensive line did a great job. There was lots of contributions. It was a total team effort.”
Decatur was originally scheduled to host the North Caroline Bulldogs on Friday, but because of forecasted bad weather, the game was moved to 1 p.m. Saturday in Berlin.
When the two teams went headto-head on Oct. 7, Decatur’s homecoming night, the Seahawks prevailed in the back-and-forth battle, 16-14.
“It will be a tight matchup. We need to be a little better on both sides of the ball from the last time we played them and I think we’ll be OK,” Coleman said. “We hope the crowd
Sophomore Amber Marshall will represent Stephen Decatur during the MPSSAA 3A cross country state championship meet this Saturday at Hereford High School in Parkton.
PHOTO COURTESY BRENDA HOMMEL
SD’s Marshall to compete in state cross country meet
By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor (Nov. 11, 2022) Sophomore Amber Marshall will represent Stephen Decatur during the MPSSAA 3A cross country state championship meet this Saturday at Hereford High School in Parkton.
She qualified for the state championship with her fifth-place finish in the 3A South Region meet, held last Thursday at Chesapeake High School.
“Overall, I thought it was a good race. I felt really good when I was running. I thought I did really well,” said Marshall, who completed the race in 21:23, a new season personal record. “I wasn’t expecting that time.”
“I am very excited that Amber Marshall will be representing Stephen Decatur High School at the Maryland state meet. Amber was determined to do her best and went in with the right mindset to compete and earn her spot in the state meet,” Decatur XC Coach Brenda Hommel said. “The Chesapeake HS course is a fast course and overall, the competition pool for this year’s meet was less challenging than in the year’s past. To qualify as an individual for girls, runners needed to beat a time of 22 minutes and boys needed to come in under 18 minutes.”
This will be Marshall’s first time participating in the state meet. She said she’s both nervous and excited to compete.
“More so excited to get the experience to go, just because I wasn’t expecting to,” she said.
Marshall said her goal is to finish the race in about 24 minutes. It will be her first time running the challenging, hilly course.
“My strength is usually on hills too,” she said.
“Both [Decatur cross country] teams will be looking to Amber to represent them well on the Bull Run course, which is famous for its steep ravine known as ‘the dip,’” Hommel said. “Amber is a strong hill runner and I look for her to perform well on the course that has earned a reputation as being the toughest ‘three miles in cross country.’”
By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor (Nov. 11, 2022) The Stephen Decatur boys’ soccer team fell to the James M. Bennett Clippers, 3-1, in the MPSSAA 3A South Region II finals last Tuesday in Berlin.
“We didn’t play our best soccer that night. There was lots of gaps between the forwards and midfield and the midfield and defense,” said Decatur Coach Jamie Greenwood. “[Bennett] didn’t have many opportunities, but the ones they did have they took advantage of.”
Decatur junior goalie Nick Hernandez stopped seven of those shots.
“We didn’t take advantage of our opportunities,” Greenwood added. “We just couldn’t do the little things that night.”
Top-seeded Decatur got on the board first with a goal by sophomore Holden Bunting 25 minutes before halftime.
Bennett, the No. 2 seed, scored off a free kick about 10 minutes later. The Clippers added two more goals in the second half.
“Our philosophy all year long was to mark as a defensive unit. We let them create plays,” Greenwood said.
Decatur advanced to the finals with a 2-1 victory over the fifthseeded Chesapeake Cougars of Anne Arundel on Oct. 28.
“We played well. It was the first time all year we hadn’t scored first,” Greenwood said. “It was kind of a shock to be down and we fought through that. We tied it up and then eventually scored the winning goal.”
Chesapeake netted a shot 11 minutes before halftime.
Junior Brogan Eastlack scored for Decatur to tie it up four minutes before the break. Bunting tallied the winning goal with 24 minutes remaining.
Hernandez recorded 11 saves.
Decatur won 13 games and lost only two – one to Bennett and the other to Kent Island.
When the two teams met during the regular season on Sept. 19 in Stevensville, Kent Island won, 4-1.
Greenwood said he told his players after that match the only way to avenge the loss was if they win out the rest of the season then they would see the Buccaneers again in the Bayside championship.
“I think it motivated them,” Greenwood said.
Decatur did just that and battled Kent Island for the conference title on Oct. 24. The Seahawks dominated and won, 5-1.
It was the program’s first Bayside championship in 11 years. The last time the Seahawks competed for a title was six years ago, when they lost in penalty kicks to Kent Island.
“I would have liked to get further [in the playoffs], but overall, I was pleased with the season,” Greenwood said. “The boys played well. We grew by leaps and bounds all year long. People found new positions, people stepped up. We had great senior leadership and a lot of our success was because of that. They pushed the underclassmen.”
The team will graduate five starters.
“We played a lot of kids this year in preparation of this,” Greenwood said. “We had the opportunity to see players in different positions and they did well.”
Greenwood is optimist about the future of the program.
“Between JV players and the [varsity] kids on the bench, I think we’ll be highly successful for the next few years,” Greenwood said.
PHOTO COURTESY BAYSIDE SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
DECATUR FOOTBALL
Stephen Decatur junior Brycen Coleman was 8-for-17 passing for 97 yards and two touchdowns during last Friday’s first-round game of the MPSSAA 2A East Region tournament. He rushed 12 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the 45-13 victory.
Coach Patrick ‘unbelievably proud’ of girls’ performance
By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor (Nov. 11, 2022) The Stephen Decatur volleyball team battled a strong Crofton squad in the 3A South Region II semifinals on Monday in Gambrills, falling in three games to end the Seahawks’ season.
“We had a tough match for the second round of playoffs. We traveled to Crofton on Monday night and gave it our all even with some limitations,” said Decatur Coach Sara Patrick. “Our only setter was sick and could not go with us. We have been practicing with her as the all-around setter for the last couple weeks and we did not have time to practice with a new rotation. The team did their best to adjust to a new lineup but that coupled with the level of play, was more than we could conquer.”
Decatur advanced to the semifinals with a three-games-to-two victory over the Northeast Eagles last Thursday in Berlin.
Northeast won the first two games, 25-15 and 25-22.
“The first two games were disappointing. The team was not playing
their best and took a while to get warmed up,” Patrick said. Decatur fought back and took the next three – 25-12, 25-20 and 15-3. “By the third game, they stepped up and took control of the game. [Senior captain] Cora [Shaw] dominated at the net and served very well. [Senior] Sydney [Patrick] did a great job covering and finding the holes on the other side of the court. [Sophomore] Sydnie Harrington excelled as our Sara Patrick only setter. It was a hard-fought win and it moved us to the regional semifinals.” Shaw had 23 aces, 13 kills and two digs. Patrick chipped in with eight aces, seven kills, one block and seven digs. Harrington added four kills and 13 assists. Decatur finished the season with a 10-7 record. The team will graduate six seniors. “I am so unbelievably proud of our team for how well they played this season,” Patrick said. “We have six seniors this year and they were the backbone of our team. We have some great juniors and sophomores that will continue to build our program, but we will miss the our seniors and the strength and enthusiasm they brought on the court … I am hopeful and excited for where our program is going.”
Surf ‘talk’ teaches youths honor and respect
By Dave Dalkiewicz Contributing Writer (Nov. 11, 2022) Another successful session of Surf Into Integrity (SII) was recently completed with students at the Stephen Decatur Middle School.
SII is an eight week program conceived by Attorney Rich Brueckner based on the book SURFER’S CODE; 12 simple lessons for riding through life by world champion surfer Shaun Tomson with Patrick Moser. Lead instructor is Ocean city Surf Club (OCSC) President Tommy Vach with much help from VicePresident Rusty Ruzsin and other dedicated senior and junior instructors.
One of the instructors is also a transporter of needed equipment.
We’re talking multiple soft surfboards and wetsuits.
OC Life-Saving Station hosts Storm Warriors 5K this Sat.
(Nov. 11, 2022) The Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum will host its eighth annual Storm Warriors 5K walk and run on Nov. 12.
The event, which will kick off on the south end of the Boardwalk, will take place from 9-11 a.m. Registration opens at the museum beginning at 8 a.m.
Featuring an out-and-back course, the 5K is designed for everyone, from lightning-fast sprinters to leisurely walkers.
Top competitors will have the opportunity to receive awards, including first place overall (male and female), as well as first and second place age group prizes for those 14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 4049, 50-59, and 60+.
While serving as an exciting event for residents and tourists, the run benefits the museum, a longtime symbol of the resort town’s storied history.
Funds from the race will be used to continue supporting creative exhibits, innovative programming, and the ongoing restoration of the 1910 bank building.
Participation in the 5K costs $30. To register, visit https://www.ocmuseum.org/5k- walk-run.
OP golf groups joining forces to raise mammogram money
(Nov. 11, 2022) For 10 years, the Ocean Pines Ladies’ Golf Association’s Pink Lady event has raised money for the Atlantic General Hospital Foundation to provide mammograms for women unable to afford them. This year, however, marks the first time the OPLGA has played with the Ocean Pines Men’s Golf Association in this special outing.
Thirty-four men and women golfers put on their pink and gathered at the Ocean Pines Golf Club on Oct. 12 to play for the foundation, contributing a total of $2,550 for the life-saving screenings.
Steven Tyson, donor relations officer at the Atlantic General Hospital Foundation, welcomed the golfers and thanked them for their financial gift.
“I do not think at this point in time that there is anyone who has not had breast cancer touch the lives of their family, friends and other loved ones,” Tyson said. “Having events such as this which raise much-needed funding for mammograms and other directly related services at our local Women’s Health and Diagnostic facilities truly makes a huge difference and directly impacts and saves people’s lives.”
OPLGA members and event organizers Ann Shockley and Susan Morris said that in previous years, the men’s golf group had supported the Pink Lady by dedicating one of their regularly scheduled golf outings to the event, wearing pink and donating money to the cause.
Morris said that when she and Shockley approached OPMGA President John Ferinde about the two groups playing together, however, he embraced the idea.
“I am so appreciative of all who made this event happen and am excited about the new golfers we attracted to play and support this worthy cause,” Shockley said.
In addition to playing a nine-hole scramble, participants enjoyed pink ribbon baked goodies, a 50/50 raffle and prizes.
“We are pretty proud of this effort and look forward to broadening this event to include all golfers of Ocean Pines,” Shockley said.
The men’s and women’s golf leagues welcome new players. For more information about the OPLGA, contact Shockley at rexerann@gmail.com. For more information about the OPMGA, contact Ferinde at johnferinde@aol.com.
His name is Bill Thomson with help from his wife Kevan. I refer to him as the quartermaster. He’s an integral part of the operation.
Equipment is provided by K-Coast Surf Shop.
The course consists of weekly classroom time, time on the beach and time in the surf.
These sessions are designed to teach surfing but more importantly to teach life lessons.
Shaun Tomson’s book is 12 chapters or lessons and each student is required to read two per week.
These chapters are discussed in the classroom as an extracurricular activity as well as on the beach.
Tomson explains much of his activity in the surf but relates it well to many of his trials in his own life.
As the chapters are reviewed and explained, especially in the classroom, each student is asked to engage in the discussion.
The idea of course is to have every student involved and to have them participate.
These lessons become much more of a give-and-take between instructors and students.
As was previously mentioned we have more of a “talk” as opposed to a teacher or instructor lecturing.
Each student is supposed to stand and speak loudly when asked about a topic.
We try to shake hands with the students and look at them eye-to-eye when entering or exiting the classroom.
We strive for respect, friendliness and fun.
Some examples of chapter titles are “I will never turn my back on the ocean,” which can translate to being aware of one’s surroundings.
Other examples are “I will watch out for other surfers,” translating to safety, and “I will pass along my stoke.” Stoke, as in stirring up a fire, is a term often used by surfers which refers to enthusiasm and the joy of riding waves.
It’s even something that can be transferred to non-surfers.
Many times I think it affects the instructors even more than the students!
As for the water sessions the main idea is to get students standing up and riding a wave.
Basics are emphasized such as paddling, positioning on a board, sitting up on a surfboard and turning a board around.
These are simple concepts but pertinent to catching and riding a wave.
Most of the time instructors are pushing students into whitewater or a wave that has already broken.
Sometimes the ocean is too rough for a water session and this can be another lesson learned.
These past few months there were three different “sessions” where the ocean was simply too rough for a quality lesson.
The ocean, after all, is really in charge. Always beautiful, sometimes it’s perfect and very surfable, sometimes it’s totally flat, and other times it’s best to leave it alone.
All in all this program seems to be quite popular with the students and hopefully valuable to them as they progress through life.
Sure it’s about surfing and the ocean, but again and more importantly, “simple lessons for riding through life.” Good concepts that anyone can use, young and not-soyoung!
Dave Dalkiewicz is the owner of Ocean Atlantic Surf Shop in Ocean City
