By Andy WalterLEWES — There’s nothing unusual about a Cape Henlopen High basketball team playing at Slam Dunk to the Beach.
As the host of the annual boys’ holiday high school tournament, the Vikings traditionally play in the first contest of the week.
This year, though, it’s the Cape Henlopen girls’ squad that will be opening Slam Dunk.
The Vikings will host powerhouse Westtown, Pa. on Monday at 3:30 p.m. in the first of 12 scheduled games in the three-day event. It’s believed to be the first girls’ game in the tourney’s history.
“We know we’ve got a tall order,” said Cape coach Pat Woods, who played in the tournament himself in high school. “But it’s a pretty great experience. They (his players) were pretty excited when I told them.
“We had been talking about it with those guys for a couple years now. We’ve been trying to make that happen. This is great and maybe it will lead to something in the future.”
With a strong nucleus of seniors this winter, Woods has been trying to give his players some games against top-caliber competition.
Cape (3-2) has already played Paul VI Catholic, Va. and Calvary Christian, Fla. at different showcases in the region. Woods said the experiences go beyond the court, too.
Before a game in Virginia, the Vikings ran into Hall of Fame coach Dawn Staley, whose South Carolina team is ranked No. 1 in the country. She posed for a photo with Cape’s players.
“When it’s all said and done, I know this as a player, you look back and you remember those experiences,” said Woods. “You remember the tournament, you remember the ride. ... That’s why we do it.”
But trying to compete with Westtown (5-3) will be a huge challenge for the Vikings — literally.
The Moose have six players who stand 6-foot or taller. Kaylene Smikle, a 6-1 forward from Farmingdale, N.Y., is averaging 23.8 points per game.
“I just ask them to be relentless with their effort,” Woods said about his players. “Just give maximum effort the entire game — never let down. We’ve got to compete every possession regardless of the score.”
Woods said there’s a lot to be said for challenging yourself as a player and as a team. With the right perspective, winning or losing doesn’t have to be the biggest thing his players take from a marquee game like this.
The Vikings know they’ve always got to be pushing themselves to be playing their best by the time the DIAA state tournament rolls around in March.
“Those games expose every little flaw that you have,” said Woods. “Every single one of them. They’re painful and they’re hard and they’re challenging. (But) we know that we learn way more from that than from wins.
“Part of it is the experience, part of it is just exposing them to high talent and great basketball and great environments.”
Seaford in Slam Dunk, too: Seaford’s boys’ squad will also be making its debut at Slam Dunk.
The only other Delaware team in the event, the Blue Jays will take on Our Savior Lutheran, N.Y. on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
For a Seaford program that is 31-9 over the last two-plus seasons, playing in Slam Dunk is another step for a school that is trying to get back to where it used to be. Not that facing Our Savior will be easy.
“They’ve got a lot of size,” said Blue Jays coach Vince Evans. “It’s going to be a real test for the guys.
“Just play hard and play with pride,” Evans tells his players. “You never know who’s watching. Play together for four quarters.
“We can only gain from this. It’s going to be fun.”
Evans said the biggest change in Seaford over the past couple seasons is that the town’s top players are now staying home. In the past, he said, too many of them went to other schools when they reached high school.
“We always felt like we had some good kids and some talented kids here,” said Evans. “But, for whatever reason, they were leaving.
“These (current) kids stayed home and they’re committed to Seaford basketball and are just committed to the town. I love it.”
It’s going to be a busy week for the Blue Jays.
After the game at Slam Dunk, they play games on Wednesday and Thursday at the Governor’s Challenge in Salisbury, Md. Seaford faces Parkside, Md. on Wednesday and a team TBA on Thursday at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.
“I told the guys, our Christmas vacation, we’re going to spend a lot of time with each other,” said Evans. “As soon as I asked the kids about it, they said, ‘Let’s do it.’
“I’ve talked to them and I’ve talked to their families because it is a huge sacrifice. I know a lot of families like to go away and do certain things over Christmas breaks. Their families have been so supportive. They understand the importance of this.”
