For Indian River junior Alyssa Murray, dance has always been more than a hobby. It’s been her infatuation and passion. After making a segue into cheerleading only several years ago, she now has the opportunity to showcase her talent on a national level… for the second time.

Only a year after being invited to dance at the pre-game ceremonies of the 2008 Orange Bowl, she’ll be putting on a show again, this time in Hawaii. Murray, along with four other high school dancers from the Shore Thunder Stars all-star cheerleading and dance studio in Laurel, was invited to perform at halftime of the NFL Pro Bowl.

“I’m more nervous this year,” she said, “but I’m really excited, too.”

On Jan. 31, Murray will head out to Hawaii for a week of routine training before hitting the field of Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on Feb. 8. While there, she will also compete in two solo performances for dance scholarships, separate from the half-time show.

“Everything is on a much larger scale,” she said this week. “Last year, it was college football. Now it’s the NFL. There are a lot more people watching.”

The routine, which dancers will see for the first time upon arriving in Hawaii, combines elements of cheerleading and dance.

“I’m really happy to be going this year with some more people I know,” Murray said. “I like cheerleading, but I’ve always considered myself more of a dancer.”

Her fellow dancers, also participating in the half-time show, are also Sussex County high school students, enrolled at Sussex Tech, Laurel and Cape Henlopen. While the trip itself plans for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, participants provide a not-so-cheap fare for the experience, but as Murray’s finding out, the community has her back.

“I’ve raised about half the money needed for the trip from donations from different business,” she said. “They’ve all helped out so much.” Included in the trip is a tour of Pearl Harbor.

This year marks the last time that the NFL Pro-Bowl will be held in Hawaii, as, starting next year, it will be held at the site of the Super Bowl. The final time for the game to be set in Hawaii only adds to the exclusivity of this year’s even for Murray.

“It feels great to be moving on up to something like this,” Murray said.

To contribute toward funding Murray’s travel, send payment’s to: 56 Mill Pond Dr., Selbyville, DE 19975.

This past week, the Lady Indians collected a couple more conference wins on the court, including a heated rematch against Milford that went into overtime on Tuesday night. Determination and relentless teamwork lifted Indian River to victory, nudging their record to 8-5.

Coastal Point • Jesse Pryor
Lady Indians’ Brandi Buchanan lays up a shot in last Tuesday’s game against Milford. She led the team with 21 points in the overtime show-down, bringing the team’s record to 8-5 this season.

“This game was very important to us,” said a pleased Brandi Buchanan, following the 52-45 win over the Buccaneers this past Tuesday. Buchanan finished the night with an impressive 21 points, including two-three pointers. “We want to go all the way this year, and the win is very helpful. We really worked together as a team.”

She opened the first quarter with nine points, and followed up with five more by halftime. Midway through regulation, the Lady Indians looked to have control, with a 28-16 lead, but Milford fired back in the third quarter, closing the gap to within five. Then, they unexpectedly took the lead with just under two minutes remaining.

“We were ready for what they had at the start,” said Indian River head coach John Frye, “but that third quarter really kicked us in the ****. We missed some easy ones and Milford kept coming at us.”

Trailing a point and playing defense with under a minute to go, the Lady Indians were looking for a stroke of fortune to come their way, and it did, when the Bucs were called for backcourt. A foul put a halt in the drive from Indian River’s Marnisha “Poochie” Mitchell, and she went to the line, shooting two with 13 seconds left.

“I knew the advantage was on my side in that situation,” she said. “My teammates and coach were behind me and encouraging me.”

After her first shot bounced in and out of the rim, with fans waiting on their feet in suspense, she drained the second, leveling the score and putting the game into overtime. Once there, the Lady Indians shut out Milford for the final four minutes, defeating the Bucs for the second time this year.

While giving up a 12-point lead at halftime is discouraging, Frye said he couldn’t be more pleased with the effort his girls presented.

“Games like this take great courage and character,” he said. “We’re still coming along, and it’s definitely a work-in-progress, but it’s not for lack of effort. Our team fought back. They put a lot of heart into this game.”

Indian River’s varsity roster, consisting of only eight regulars with a few rotational players, already has fatigue and injuries to overcome each game, but adding on overtime can definitely take its toll on the exhausted team.

“Brandi and Poochie really do a nice job as our captains,” said Frye. “They’re out there getting banged up, but they’re being leaders. They put everything on the line and fight through the pain.”

Buchanan, who entered this season nursing a prior knee injury, took some hits on Tuesday, but by the time regulation ended, she cast the physical pains aside.

The intensity gets higher in overtime,” she said. “You get pumped up and you have more energy. That’s when we knew what we had to do to win.”

“I wasn’t worried about their conditioning by the time we reached overtime,” admitted Frye. “All of the girls are well-conditioned. They get the training with each game. That’s one of the benefits of a small squad. They really went after it.”

Senior center Miranda Hooper made her presence known with 12 points, capitalizing on her height.

“It’s great to have athletes like Miranda and Ramsey Ruether,” Frye added. “They got the rebounds all night, both on offense and defense, and those stats often get overlooked. They’re a powerful asset to the team.”

Freshman guard Destiny Blake gave the Lady Indians 11 points on Tuesday, via two three-pointers, while Mitchell finished the evening with eight points of her own. Ruether also added a crucial basket late in the game.

The Lady Indians now sit at 6-3, bested in the Henlopen South only by an undefeated Laurel team. Indian River will have some time to look over their team structure with a break until next week’s game, hosting Polytech on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. They will follow up that game on Thursday, Jan. 22, hosting Henlopen North powerhouse Cape Henlopen at 7:15 p.m.

As Indian River approaches the midpoint of the regular basketball season, the team, under new coaching direction, is shaping up well. But the true test lies ahead, with Henlopen North match-ups that will help determine the Indians’ spot in the postseason.

Coastal Point • Jesse Pryor
Keion Sturgis rises to the top last Friday night as the Indians defeated Delmar, 67-58. Indian River sits in third place in the Henlopen South following a five-point loss to Milford this past Tuesday.

The Indians padded a three-game winning streak with a nine-point victory over Delmar last week but fell for the second time this season to Henlopen South-leading Milford this past Tuesday. The Bucs got out to an early lead, stunting the Indians early in the first quarter. Effective shooting outside the arc kept IR at bay.

“They were hitting all their three-pointers,” said Indians’ junior Keion Sturgis, who recorded 12 points in the game. “That’s what hurt us. We had some **** fouls late in the game, too. Their defense was collapsing in the middle.”

“They started to get away from us at the end,” said center Jacob Mitchell. “They picked up a basket with a foul with two minutes left in the game, and it changed the whole momentum around. We went from being down by two to being down by five.”

Milford finished off the Indians, 66-59.

Mitchell grabbed 15 boards that game, while 13 points helped him inch towards his 1,000th career point. Now just 39 points shy, he is capable of obtaining the milestone mark in the next weeks. In the last two games, Mitchell has scored 13 points both times – a number well-shy of the 22 points he scored earlier this year in games against Laurel and James M. Bennett, but he’s confident that he can get back in stride.

“All I have to do is get back to those numbers,” he said. “If I have a couple of bad runs, I know I just need to come back the next day and play my game.”

Working under first-year head coach Marvin Phillips hasn’t thrown the team off its stride one bit, Sturgis and Mitchell agreed.

“We know what to expect,” said Sturgis. “He’s worked really well with us.”

The Indians are now 6-4 since the season’s start and 4-3 in the Southern Conference, putting them in the third-place spot, behind Woodbridge and Milford, both of which are currently 6-1 on the season with at least one victory over the Indians.

This week, IR will keep the conference play going, hosting Smyrna on Friday night, Jan. 16, at 7:15 p.m. The Indians will then begin their stint against Henlopen North rivals, facing teams like Polytech on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 5:30 p.m., and Cape Henlopen, Sussex Tech and Sussex Central in the upcoming weeks.

“We know have to step it up,” said Sturgis. “These schools in the North are a lot tougher. We need to bring our game to the next level.”

In each of their four losses this season, the Indians have averaged a seven-point differential.

“We’re at the point where we’re in every single game that we lost,” said Mitchell. “We’re just not catching a break to come up with the win. We need to slow the game down and take control. We let Milford run the game at their own tempo.”

Jumping onto a new athletic team can be tough, but Indian River senior Jacob Mitchell isn’t losing any momentum each time he suits up with the basketball team. The 6-foot, 5-inch tall transfer is finding his niche with the “Green and Gold” after his first three years with Sussex Tech, and he’s quickly closing in on a milestone.

Coastal Point • Jesse Pryor
Power forward Jack Cole (22) soars up to the basket for a rebound last week in Indian River’s victory against Stephen Decatur.

Following the team’s 60-47 win at Laurel this past Tuesday, he rests only 65 points shy of 1,000 – an accomplishment that would pay homage not only to him, but to the team, said head coach Marvin Phillips.

“This game is all about the kids,” said Phillips. “Having Jacob reach this goal says a lot about him as an athlete and about our team. It will help them build confidence. It’s something to be proud of.”

The Indians grabbed an early lead on Tuesday, but the teams were deadlocked by halftime.

“I told them they had to come out and play in the third quarter,” said Phillips. “We had a lot of chances for shots, but we weren’t making them. You won’t get them all, but you have to be consistent.”

The Indians held the lead the remainder of the game, outscoring Laurel by 13 in the second half. Mitchell was able to net 22 points against the Bulldogs on Tuesday, helping the Indians move to 5-3, following a couple of wins over the holiday. Senior captain Tyree Oliver put up 14 points, while shooting guard Keion Sturgis contributed 10 of his own.

Indian River participated in the Wicomico Civic Center High School Basketball Tournament in Salisbury, Md., over the break, picking up a win over James M. Bennett High School, though falling to North Caroline.

“It was nice to get out there and play somebody different,” said Mitchell. “We’re really starting to come together as a team and play together.”

Phillips used the competition as a teaching tool for himself, too.

“The tournament helped me see who I can rely on,” he said. “It was a learning experience for all of us, and it gave some of the guys some more reps out there on the court.”

The Indians followed up the tournament with a 69-39 trouncing last Friday as they hosted Stephen Decatur before traveling to Laurel on Jan. 6. With a steady stream of wins under their belt, the Indians will attempt to keep the momentum going as they head into a slew of conference matches.

“These are the games that we need to focus on,” said Mitchell. “We want to take the South.”

The Indians will take on Delmar (Thursday, Jan. 8), Milford (Tuesday, Jan. 13) and Smyrna (Friday, Jan. 16) this upcoming week. Despite dropping their season-opener to Milford, Oliver is convinced that they can bounce back.

“We’re a lot better than we were at the beginning of the season,” he said. “We’ve really calmed down, and everybody keeps their head in the game.”

Effective defense, he noted, has been a contributing factor to the Indians’ recent success.

“A good defense will generate a good offense,” added Phillips. “And as I told them before, you need consistency. As long as you come to play basketball, and you’re consistent, there isn’t a team in the state we can’t play with. Milford got us early, but we understand the game better now. We’re not turning the ball over as much.”

The Indians were set to host Delmar this Thursday, after Coastal Point press time, and will travel to Milford on Tuesday. Mitchell hopes to hit 1,000 points against Smyrna next Friday in front of the home crowd.

Over the Christmas break, the Lady Indians showcased some of their handiwork on the hardwood, participating in the Lake Forest Invitational tournament, one of the first tournaments the girls’ basketball team has seen in several seasons. After dropping a game to Smyrna and registering a win against Delmar in the tourney, Indian River rang in the new year with a convincing victory last Friday, Jan. 2, over Stephen Decatur. But the Lady Indians were halted in their momentum this past Tuesday night, when they were visited by undefeated Laurel.

Coastal Point • Jesse Pryor
Abbey Miller (00) leaps for a rebound as teammate Miranda Hooper looks on in last Friday’s victory over Stephen Decatur.

The Indians got off to a strong start, widening an early first-quarter lead of 14 points behind junior Brandi Buchanan and freshman Destiny Blake. A resilient Laurel team answered back, however, capitalizing on Indian River’s missteps, closing the gap to seven points by half, and pulling into the lead by the third quarter.

Two-time all-conference guard Tomorrow Briddle rallied the Lady Bulldogs with two unanswered three-pointers to kick off the second half, followed by a third from teammate Brooke Evans. Laurel maintained a two-point lead by the end of the third and finished the evening on top, 49-46, when the final buzzer sounded.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my girls,” said Laurel head coach Kevin Walmsley. “We adjusted some things at halftime, and our girls came out with heart. We knew we had to put the pressure on.”

Briddle’s accuracy around the paint and consistency from the free-throw line helped Laurel lock up their sixth consecutive game of the season and take IR’s record to 6-5.

“[Briddle] really helped run this game,” Walmsley added. “She’s only a junior, and she’s on pace to score 1,000 points in her career. Tonight she showed that she’s the leader of this team.”

Despite the losing battle from IR, Walmsley recognized a well-organized team in the hosting Indians.

“I always thought IR had some great athletes,” he said, “and [head coach John Frye] is doing a heck of a job with that team. He’s really turned them around, and he deserves a lot of credit. I don’t doubt that we’ll see those girls again later this season and into the state tournament.”

The Indians held Laurel to only three points – a considerably low margin, as the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents an average of 21 points each game.

Mental mistakes, including missed opportunities and forced passes, contributed to IR’s demise Tuesday night.

“Laurel did a great job battling back on us,” said Frye. “We didn’t handle their 1-3-1 zone too well. It’s a tough loss to walk away from. As I told the girls, we didn’t lose the game. We just ran out of time. We got rattled a bit here and there, and the game started to get away from us. It’s tough to get back into it, but at least it wasn’t from a lack of trying. They played hard.” Buchanan led the Lady Indians on buckets, draining 25 points, including three three-pointers late in the game, keeping the score close. Blake added 11 points, while senior center Miranda Hooper capped off the evening with eight of her own, going 4-7 from the free-throw line.

While Tuesday’s loss may have been discouraging, Frye said he was pleased with the way his team has been performing over the past weeks.

“It was great to get out there in a tournament,” he said. “We had an opportunity to get some more games into the schedule and the girls enjoyed themselves. We came together as a team very well against Stephen Decatur.”

If nothing else, the game against Laurel proved to him that the team can play with the best.

“Tonight I saw that our girls can measure up to the talented teams,” he said, “and that’s what we need to do. We played right with an undefeated team. Of course, we want to win, but we have to show that we can compete with the best out there.”

The Lady Indians will continue their stretch of conference games as they travel to Delmar for a rematch this Friday, Jan. 9, and host Milford on Tuesday, Jan 13. Both games are scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

The past year has been quite an exciting one for Indian River High School’s athletic department, from new faces on the coaching staff to saying goodbye to the greats. Teams pushed through seasons, demonstrating excellence and poise. From tournament qualifiers to regretful losses, there’s been something in 2008 to take away from every field, court and diamond that bears the Green and Gold.

Undoubtedly, the most prominent change in the school’s athletics was the farewell from a coaching legend, softball varsity coach Mark Browne. Despite his team finishing the past year 8-10, he brought a sense of professionalism and talent out in the girls he coached since beginning his run in the early 1990s. He led the team in 1998 past St. Mark’s for the state championship – the only IR team to take home a state championship title since the school’s founding in 1968.

“It’s been a great run,” he said, “and the next coach who steps in will be able to really concentrate on the team. The most rewarding part of what I’ve accomplished is when the girls come back and tell you how much they appreciate what you did for them. That’s what coaching a team is all about – knowing that to someone, you made an impact on their life. Sure we all want to win, and we had a really great run. But you don’t want to get hung up in the numbers. I’ve had a wonderful experience, and it’s just time for me to get back to my family.”

Members of the school’s athletic department mentioned that the final provisions are in effect for the next varsity softball head coach. The field has been slimmed down to qualified candidates, with a declaration of a new coach coming early in 2009.

Last spring, IR’s baseball team finished 17-5 under head coach Howard Smack, before falling in the second round of the state tournament to Dickinson.

“When we first started out,” Smack said at the closing of the season, reflecting on the year, “I didn’t think that we’d be hitting the ball the way we could here at the end of the year. Overall, it was a promising season, considering I [had] some people coming back in key positions. We’ll have to look to someone coming back to take Trevor Abbott’s place, but that’ll be a tough spot to fill. He’s been a great athlete and a great asset for us. Everyone’s played really hard this year.”

On the gridiron, the Indians captured their fifth consecutive trip to the playoffs but were unable to finish the job, falling to Caravel in mid-November during the Division II first-round game of the Delaware High School Football Tournament.

It yielded an impressive showing for long-time coach Jim Bunting, who faced a challenge at the season’s start with offensive coordinator Paul Kmetz: putting together a winning team after Kmetz’s son Nick left some big shoes to fill at quarterback. Freshman Jamie Jarmon answered the call, debuting in the very first varsity game of the year after sweeping an undefeated season at Selbyville Middle School.

New faces also came onto the basketball courts this year, as Phil Mead and Summer Chroman retired in their roles as head coaches of the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams, respectively.

The Lady Indians’ new coach on the court, John Frye, brings experience with him this season from southeastern Pennsylvania, with an early 3-1 conference start – something the team hasn’t been a part of for more than a decade. Marvin Phillips returned to IR after graduating from the high school in 1990 and has already presented a mature team.

IR’s field hockey team also looked to a fellow Indian in Julene Williamson, who, despite a tough opening year as head coach, brings her knowledge of the game and the school’s athletic history back to Dagsboro.

Following practices of the University of Maryland, Gary Williams and Ralph “The Fridge” Friedgen returned to their alma mater, capturing indisputable success with the school’s basketball and football programs. (The alumni trend has been catching on recently, as the University of Delaware welcomed back alum K.C. Keeler as the head coach of the football team in 2003.)

At IR, the varsity golf team also welcomed first-year coach Paris Mitchell this year, who followed Neil Beahan’s impressive run with the team.

While new faces head some of the sports, others continue to dazzle the fans even more.

In soccer, head coach Steve Kilby once again managed his time, seizing impressive seasons with the girls’ varsity team in the spring (14-3) and the boys’ team this fall (12-3-2), clenching their divisions.

Wrestling coach Jeff Windish proved that his knowledge and skill far exceeds the school’s expectations, as he pulled in the Division II State Coach of the Year for last season, hoping to make another impressive run for States. Earlier this year, Mike Magaha became the first wrestler to sign with a college, solely for the sport, after declaring enrollment to Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C.

Indian River High School students got more gifts this holiday season than those they received from family members and friends. Just before the holiday, the weight room at IRHS saw a welcomed donation from a member of the community. Four new pieces of exercise equipment made their way from Energy Gym on Route 54 in Selbyville to the high school, promising plenty of new workout alternatives for the students.

Coastal Point • Jesse Pryor
Lucie Rinker works out on some of the equipment donated to Indian River High School by Energy Gym owner Tony Hall.

“It’s great to see something like this,” said Indian River athletic instructor and former basketball coach Phil Mead.

Roughly $6,000 worth of gym equipment was donated by Tony Hall, owner of the Selbyville fitness center, including a deadlift platform, hack squat machine, torso machine and Roman chair.

“Our school has a very limited budget,” Mead explained, “so any money we can spend is generated through water and Gatorade sales. The money we make is generally put toward repairs and things of that nature. Any equipment we can gain is beneficial.”

Hall recently purchased new equipment for his gym and subsequently turned over the other pieces for the students’ use.

“The machines have been used,” said Mead, “but they’re still in great condition and can take a beating. If we were to purchase ones like this, it would run us a bit.”

Mead added that the school plans to work with Energy Gym and other businesses throughout the community on a variety of fundraisers in the future.

Indian River Athletic Director Todd Fuhrmann also recognized what a generous donation like Hall’s can do for the students and how it demonstrates the school’s close relationship with the community.

“It really expands what we can do in the weight room,” he said. “It’s great to have community support from businesses that are willing to help us try to achieve our athletic goals through those kinds of donations.

“We’re fortunate to have that assistance and know that if we do get in a bind, people are willing to do what they can,” he added. “They understand that we’re here trying to accomplish great things with these kids, and trying to teach them about fitness and overall, staying in shape and being healthy.”