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.