The Indian River High School soccer team capped the 2015 fall sports season the right way on Saturday, with their 1-0 state championship win over Caravel and so much excitement that now it all just seems like one long (but awesome) blur of green and gold, and red and blue from the police and fire truck sirens and, of course, white from the student section covering the Smyrna stands in baby powder by tossing it up in the air like Lebron to celebrate Oscar Cruz’s goal and, eventually, the title.

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Clik here to view.It started on the streets of Dagsboro, with fans and police escorts sending the Indians off in style and went on to me waiting for Point photographer Shaun Lambert and suggesting that “Sure, we have enough time to get a photo of the Hocker’s sign that Point graphic artist Tom Maglio put together to congratulate the team for making it to the title game — Smyrna is only an hour away,” which, of course, then eventually went on to me pulling up Google maps and, “Why did you tell me we had time to stop at Hocker’s to take a picture of the sign, Shaun? Smyrna is an hour and a half away!”

But even though it was all Shaun’s fault that we just missed Indian River senior Madison Thune singing the national anthem at the game (which I was told was very good and something that one would not want to miss), we still got there in time to witness one of the best moments in school history — and, certainly, one of the best moments of the 2015 fall sports season.

And since that sports season also all just seems like one long (but awesome) blur now, too, I thought I’d try and give that season some clarity, with some of the other best moments in fall sports… which will totally not be like one of those mid-season sitcom episodes that just shows a bunch of old clips again because the writers are too lazy to come up with anything new, and like Madison Thune singing the national anthem, is something that you’re not gonna wanna miss.

10

Izzo scores on a PK… twice

When the Indian River soccer team took on Sussex Academy for the first time on Thursday, Oct. 22, both teams had Henlopen South title hopes on the line.

Up 2-1 late in the game, the Indians needed some insurance from senior Adam Izzo, who was looking for a first of his own. Making his case to take a penalty kick, Izzo lined up and rocked a shot to the right side of the net, past the keeper, for his first career goal… only to have to do it all over again.

“The referee said someone was inside the box, so we had to retake it,” explained head coach Steve Kilby.

On his next attempt, Izzo struck a shot right at the keeper, who guessed that he would go right again and dove to the side as the ball found the back of the net… this time for real.

“He said he was pretty sure the keeper was gonna go the other direction,” Kilby said of Izzo’s first career goal. “The second one went straight down the middle.”

9

IR girls’ cross-country team snaps CR win streak

Not only was the Caesar Rodney girls’ cross-country team on a 44-game win streak when they got to Indian River for a quad-meet that Wednesday, but they had never lost to the Indians.

Both teams went into the meet undefeated, but in a race decided by just two points, it was Indian River that would stay unbeaten and make history in the process.

“What a great day,” said head coach Frank Ryman after the meet. “We had the weather. We had the atmosphere. We had the excitement. When I blew the horn and off they went, I felt the difference all the way down the line.”

8

Don’t mess with D.D. or the Indians’ D-line

The turning point for the Indian River football team this season came with the turning point in their game against Laurel. After falling behind 18-6 at half and a lightning delay that lasted for more than an hour, the Indians came out in the second half and turned it around in the pouring rain.

With the Indians up 21-18 late in the fourth quarter, however, the Bulldogs still had a chance with dual-threat quarterback Perez Nichols at the helm, but that’s when Indians senior nose tackle DeAndre “D.D.” Cooper and the defensive line stepped up to seal the game.

Needing a first down, Nichols dropped back to pass and looked prime to scramble toward the marker after Cooper and senior defensive end Joey Cooper broke into the backfield — but D.D. wasn’t going to let him get there, lunging to pull him down in the end zone for a safety to all but seal the win.

“He was scrambling. He was fast,” said Cooper. “I did a spin move, I think. Then I saw him. There was no way he could throw the ball.”

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Clik here to view.Coastal Point • Tripp Colonell: Lexi Haden, Maggie Ford, and Emily Shuey greet Callie McDowell after her last minute score against Sussex Central on Oct. 8.

7

Callie McDowell refuses to lose to Central

“We had a minute left, and I was not losing to Central” were the famous words from Indian River senior Callie McDowell after she found the net in the last minute of the Indians’ field hockey matchup against Sussex Central on Thursday, Oct. 8.

The Golden Knights had led 1-0 for most of the game, but after an obstruction call, McDowell had her chance to at least ensure that they wouldn’t get a win in the district rivalry — taking the ball on the obstruction call at the top of the circle, dribbling past a defender and blasting a shot past the keeper for the equalizer.

“We hate losing to Central in any sport,” McDowell said after the game. “I knew that I had to take initiative and something had to change, because what we had been doing just wasn’t working.”

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Clik here to view.Coastal Point • File Photo: Deshawn Aiken pulls down a 29-yard bomb from George Martin to set up a game winning touchdown against Milford.

6

The “Homecoming Heave”

Not to be confused with the “Homecoming Hurl,” which may or may not have occurred in post-game celebrations, everyone on the Indian River High School football team knew that the “Homecoming Heave” was coming when head coach Phill Townsend simply asked wide receiver Deshawn Aiken if he was ready.

Down 18-15 against Milford during the Indians’ homecoming game, they needed a big play in trying to mount a late-game comeback. And with time running out, they got one when junior running back George “G-Mart” Martin got the call for a halfback pass and found Aiken for a 29-yard strike. The play gave the Indians the momentum and put them in scoring position, where Martin would punch in the go-ahead touchdown with 1:04 left on the clock.

“Coach came into the huddle and said, ‘Alright, let’s do it,’ and the second he said it, I knew exactly what he was talking about,” said Martin of the play. “My heart started beating so fast. I got the ball and I just threw it — I didn’t even think about it. Deshawn made a great catch. He adjusted his body, he turned — that was a great catch.”

5

Even in a cast, The Lizard still serves up an ace

I wasn’t there to see this one. Thanks to something I can only assume was someone else’s fault (probably Shaun Lambert’s again), I was under the impression that volleyball matchup between Indian River and Sussex Tech in the final game of the season was at 1 o’clock instead of 11.

So you’ll imagine my confusion when I showed up at 12:30, thinking that I was early, and walked into the gym to see all the nets taken down and no volleyball being played. What I did see, however, was Indian River senior Eliza Bomhardt hobbling around in her cast, with her torn ACL, only to find out that head coach Jim Barnes had let “The Lizard” play, despite her injury in her final career game, and that not only did she play, but she even managed an ace.

I have no quotes for this one, since I was too late to do a story, but everyone was pretty excited about it… and understandably so.

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Clik here to view.Coastal Point • File Photo: The Indians rush the field after Lexi Haden's game winning goal in OT against Sussex Tech.

4

Indians take down Tech with Haden’s goal in OT

As thrilling as the end was to the 2015 fall sports season, the beginning had every bit of its share of excitement.

For the Indian River field hockey team, no moment was more memorable than the one that came in their first game of the year against Sussex Tech — a team that was highly touted as one of the top in the state prior to the season.

After a back-and-forth scoreless battle during regulation the game eventually went to overtime, when senior Emma Lee Merrick made a play toward the goal and found junior Lexi Haden, who knocked it home for the score and the win as the team stormed the field to celebrate.

“Every timeout, we just kept saying, ‘Don’t stop, don’t stop,’” said Haden after the game. “I don’t think anyone was backing down. Toward the end of the game, I could really feel it. All I know is the ball got up the field so fast — it goes to Madi, then it’s crossed to Emma-Lee, and she shoots it, and it hits off my stick and then in the back of the net. It’s just the greatest feeling.”

“She was right where she needed to be, and she just went for the goal,” added head coach Jodi Stone. “Everybody played a part. It’s just a great, great feeling.”

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Clik here to view.Coastal Point • File Photo: Mikie Mochiam gets past Cape defender Tyler Malloy to net the game winning goal in OT and earn the Indians a Henlopen Conference title.

3

Magic Mikie nets game winner in OT vs. Cape

Earlier in the season, the Indian River soccer team fell to Cape Henlopen 2-1. Also earlier in the season, Indian River junior Mikie Mochiam played defense.

But when it came time to take on Cape for the Henlopen Conference championship, the Indians got some redemption, and Mochiam earned himself a new nickname.

Scoreless through regulation, thanks in part to 13 saves from Indians’ senior goalkeeper Ian Walls and a stellar performance from the Indians’ back four, the game eventually went to overtime, when tensions mounted.

But the match that had gone scoreless through 87 minutes was eventually decided when Mochiam displayed some magic, taking a through ball from junior Johan Cordoba and getting past Vikings’ outside back Tyler Malloy and sending a shot past the keeper for the game-winning score to earn the Indians a Henlopen Conference title.

“I saw an opening right in between the center back and the left back, and I ran through it,” Mochiam said after the game. “I knew [Johan] was gonna play the ball, so I ran through that hole and I just tucked it in into the left corner.”

Though the “Mikie magic,” would continue into the playoffs, the nickname would not, as fans clamored for the nickname “Machine Gun Mikie.” No matter what nickname you use for Mochiam, there’s no question that the Indians will continue to call on him when they need a score.

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Clik here to view.Coastal Point • File Photo: Josh Timmons celebrates after his first career goal against Dover.

2

Josh Timmons scores first career goal

Josh Timmons has seen a lot of goals at Indian River High School, but he had never scored one himself until the Indians’ JV game against Dover on Oct. 20.

There aren’t many moments in sports that leave opposing sides with equal expressions after a play, but when Josh chased down a through ball and knocked it into the goal, whether you were playing for Indian River or Dover, or just an impartial member of the media, you couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“It was great to see Josh be rewarded for the time and commitment he’s put in,” said head coach Steve Kilby after the game. “Everybody at Indian River knows Josh. It was a great moment for him, his family, our team and our school.”

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Clik here to view.Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert: Head coach Steve Kilby addresses the fans at John M. Clayton school after Saturday's state championship victory.

1

STATE CHAMPS! AGAIN!

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but since Coastal Point photographer Chris Clark is in Hawaii on his monthly vacation, Point Technical Director Shaun Lambert volunteered to help shoot Saturday’s state championship soccer game but made us late, so we missed Madison Thune singing the national anthem and the first minute of the match.

What we did not miss was sophomore forward Oscar Cruz putting the Indians up 1-0 in just the fourth minute, in what would be the game’s lone goal. In fact, I was making my way around to the other side of the field when Cruz found the net, making my way through a cloud of baby powder and clamoring fans clad in green and gold.

After the team sealed the win and doused head coach Steve Kilby with the water bucket, Shaun did his best to try to make us late for the post-game celebration at the John M. Clayton Elementary School, insisting that he knew a “shortcut.”

Why I listened to him, I’ll never know, especially when his shortcut through Milford was turned into a long cut when we found out that a bridge was out, but somehow we made it back just in time to cut in line behind the bus and what had to be every police cruiser and fire truck in Sussex County and get to hear Kilby’s post-game speech and witness coach Howard Gerken marking the score on the pole.

“I never got to cut a pole down at the end of the season until two years ago, and I was very emotional when that happened, because I’ve been coaching a long time, playing a long time, and never won a state championship,” Kilby explained of the tradition to the crowd after the game. “We pick players from every game to put the scores on, and if you win the last one, that means you’re the best. Tonight, I want Mr. Gerken to put our state championship score up.”

Well, that’s it, Indian River sports fans. All of the moments that I almost forgot that I remembered during that long and awesome blur. I would say that it’ll be nice to see things settle down for a while, but as IR Athletic Director Todd Fuhrman reminded me when I was walking off the field after the ceremony on Saturday night… I better check the schedule, because the basketball team has already started scrimmages…