Pre-season practices are under way. Two-a-days are being attended (twice daily). And sports fans are clamoring for their favorite time of year.
No, I’m not talking about the Baltimore Ravens. No, I’m not talking about the Philadelphia Eagles, and sorry, Frank, but no, I’m certainly not talking about the Washington Redskins. I’m talking about the Indian River High School Indians and their 2015 fall sports schedule.
Now, every fall brings its fair share of excitement for Indians fans, but this one just might promise to bring even more. Phill Townsend makes his debut as the first Indians’ football coach not named Steele or Bunting in nearly 40 years, while Coach Kilby’s soccer squad is reloading the roster in hopes of getting back to the state championship, and Coach Stone and the field hockey team are looking to build on last season’s progress and take the program to the next level.
But even with the excitement, questions still loom, as they always do: How’s the field hockey team going to replace irreplaceable field general Sarah Buchler? Can the soccer team replace All-State selections Luis Cruz, Danny Garza and Sean Whelen? And did speedster tailback KiAnté Sturgis really transfer to Sussex Central?
While some of those answers will just have to wait until the Friday-night lights flash on or the starting gun sounds, here’s a few things to watch for this fall sports season, because, whether or not you’re ready for it, it’s here…
Football
Legendary head coach Ray Steele has retired. Sturgis is at Central. Speedsters Kei Juan Major and Shaquille Hall have graduated, and so has offensive and defensive line anchor Spencer Sturla.
But don’t worry, Indians fans. A talented junior and senior class has been waiting in the wings for their time to shine, and that time is now. First-year head coach Phill Townsend has been waiting in the wings, as well, learning all he could from Coach Steele over the past few years, for his own chance at the helm.
Factor in all the time the team’s spent in the weight room this summer, and there’s no reason that the 2015 squad can’t bring the Henlopen South crown back to Dagsboro and make a run at the post-season.
Starting off with a tough stretch of schedule on the road against Linganore (Md.), home against Sussex Tech, and then back on the road against Cape Henlopen, it won’t be easy — but if the pre-season is any indication, they’ll be up for the challenge.
Soccer
Year in and year out, head coach Steve Kilby and the Indians’ soccer team seem to be in the running for the state championship, and 2015 will be no different.
They may have lost All-State selections Luis Cruz, Danny Garza and Sean Whelen, but they’ve got plenty of talent looking to make their own mark in the IRHS history books.
Of course, like any of Kilby’s squads, even when the ultimate goal is a state title, they know not to get too far ahead of themselves and that the regular season, division title and conference title have to be earned first. The new-look Indians will be put to the test early on against North rival Caesar Rodney, in what should be certainly be one of the top matchups to watch this season.
Cross-country
They may have graduated captains Mason Sanders and Taite Daisey, but the Indian River cross-country team is still led by a strong junior and senior class vying for a Henlopen South championship in 2015.
In their third year as a coaching duo, Coach Frank Ryman and Katie Holloway have had their runners training hard all pre-season, doing their best to get their squad in shape for the coming season without pushing them too hard.
Field hockey
It’s been a long time coming for third-year head coach Jodi Stone and the Indian River field hockey team. But here’s the cool thing: the senior class that Stone is coaching now just happens to be the same group of girls that she coached at Selbyville Middle School when she made her return to coaching the sport in 2010.
Even though they’re just a year removed from a one-win season (Stone’s first year at the helm), they’ve been working hard at a program overhaul ever since and could very well surprise a few teams this season and make a run at a Henlopen South title.
Of course, there’s still much work to do with the program, even after the launch of a successful summer camp to generate area interest in the sport, but 2015 still promises to be one for the record books.
Volleyball
The Indian River volleyball team is another team that could surprise some people this year. Coming off a three-win season, the Indians have added a new head coach (Jim Barnes) and a new junior varsity coach (Joyce Bunting), and shifted former head coach Jay Clark into an assistant role, which, incidentally, is where he wanted to be in the first place.
While there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the new coaching trifecta, and some key returners and newcomers, there’s still a lot of work to be done on the courts. However, expect the Indians to win more than three games this year.
We can finally end the speculation surrounding the 2015 IR sports season on Friday, when the Indians’ football team travels to Frederick, Md., to take on Linganore High School. Make sure to stay tuned in on what should be another great season for Indians’ fans, by following @CPointSports on Twitter for updates.