CAPE HENRY ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
ROBERT KNUTH

The Cape Henry boys swim team entered the 2009-10 season with one viable problem: with past success come lofty expectations. With a dominant 2008-09 campaign in their rearview mirror, the Dolphins will not be able to sneak up on any of the competition this winter, but there isn’t much concern about those expectations because the team itself fully intends to meet, if not exceed them. And thanks in part to the effort of this week’s Cape Henry Athlete of the Week, senior Robert Knuth, the Dolphins have sent out a warning shot to the rest of their opponents after just two meets.

“Robert is a real competitor,” first year head coach Josh Fulton said of Knuth. “He loves to win and hates to lose.” That attitude has permeated the rest of the team, and it has been evident in Knuth’s swimming thus far in 2009.

Knuth helped Cape Henry to a season-opening win against conference rival Bishop Sullivan Catholic by cruising to victories in the 50 freestyle (22.73) and the 100 backstroke (56.48), and he matched that feat again this past weekend against stiffened competition at Collegiate School in Richmond.

Cape Henry took on Collegiate School, Prince Edward and conference foe Walsingham Academy in its second meet of the season, and once again Knuth was dominant. Robert won both the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke events to remain undefeated in competition through the early portion of the schedule, and he is already two seconds faster than his posted times at this point of last season. In addition, the senior is only :04 off his own school record in the 100 backstroke, which he will likely reset as the season progresses. In addition to his individual success thus far, Knuth has been a key cog with the 200 medley relay team. He helped the Dolphins earn a new Cape Henry record time of 1:41.40 with a dominant time of 25.4 in the 50 backstroke portion of the relay.

“Robert is such a good swimmer not only because he has such a natural feel for the water, but he also has the frame to support that ability,” Fulton continued. “He is willing to take criticism and works hard to perfect every aspect of his races. He loves making changes that make him more efficient in the water.”

And he is proving to be efficient both in and out of the pool.

“Robert represents what a coach hopes for a team to become,” Fulton finished. “He is a true leader and embodies the team first attitude. The Cape Henry swim team is something that Robert takes very seriously and is willing to do just about anything to bring a TCIS title to our program. Cape Henry could not ask for a better ambassador to embody everything we want our swim program to represent.”

Knuth is clearly representing his team and school well to this point, but despite his accomplishments the best is yet to come. Robert looks to continue breaking records while competing in the pool here at Cape Henry, and his future in the sport has the potential to reach as high a level as he hopes.

DOLPHINS WRESTLERS HAVE FOUR 1ST PLACE FINISHERS AT TITAN CLASSIC INVITATIONAL ON SATURDAY

Cape Henry traveled to the Titan Classic Invitational at Crosby High School on Saturday and took home a 6th place finish out of 11 teams. Will Mason was dominant in the 103 lbs. weight class going 3-0 with three pins, earning the sophomore a 1st place finish. Scott Cunningham was equally as impressive. Wrestling in the 119 lbs. weight class, Cunningham went 4-0 with two pins, earning the Dolphins another 1st place finisher. Jake Henning went undefeated in four matches in the 145 lbs. weight class, and Sam Law won each of his three matches, earning both a 1st place finish. Cape Henry had additional wins from Jackson Law, Taylor Calley, Sam Dreyfus, Thomas Armistead and Tanner Baine. The Dolphins compete next on Friday when they take part in the Beast of the East tournament in Delaware.

Team Results: Colonial Forge 204, Cosby 188.5, Grafton 151.5, R.E. Lee (Staunton) 149, Marion 130, Cape Henry 129, William Fleming 123.5, Atlee 118.5, DinWiddie 112, King George 69, Maury 25.

GIRLS BASKETBALL DOMINATES LIFE & BREATH FOUNDATION INVITATIONAL

GAME 1 - Cape Henry 61, Notre Dame 33
Cape Henry traveled to the Wakefield School this weekend and improved their record to 6-0 with two wins in the Life & Breath Foundation Tournament. The Dolphins defeated Notre Dame Academy by a score of 61-33 by setting the tone with full court pressure from the tip. Four players scored in double figures, with Zeniya Trowell picking up a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Alexis Smith led all scorers with 17 points, LaBria Wilson added 12, Amalia Riess had three, Brianna Perry had two, and court general Khajae Hester had 13 points and five assists.

GAME 2 - Cape Henry 41, St. Stephen/St. Agnes 18
Cape Henry picked up their 6th win with a 41-18 result over St. Stephens/St. Agnes. Again, the defense was the story as Cape Henry scored most of their points off of transition. Khajae Hester played her all around game by scoring 10 points, grabbing two steals, and handing out five assists. Zeniya Trowell was dominant in the paint with nine points, 10 rebounds, and one block. Alexis Smith once again scored in double figures with 10 points, LaBria Wilson scored eight and grabbed two steals, Amalia Riess hit one 3-pointer, and Brianna Perry scored a free throw.

BOYS AND GIRLS SWIMMING MAINTAIN FAST START AT COLLEGIATE

Boys Swimming
Collegiate School 116, Cape Henry 61
Cape Henry 122, Prince Edward 40
Cape Henry 114, Walsingham Academy 50

The Dolphins improved to 3-1 on the season with wins over Prince Edward and Walsingham Academy on Friday. Cape Henry opened the day with a school record in the 200 medley relay. The foursome of Robert Knuth, Andrew Vice, John Farley and Josh Cooper broke the school record by over two seconds with a time of 1:41.40. Josh Cooper had a great anchor leg of the relay with a split of 22.31. Robert Knuth continued his unbeaten season by winning the 50 freestyle (23.01) and the 100 back stroke (55.10). Knuth just narrowly missed his own school record in the 100 back by .04 seconds. Sal Serpe had a great 100 butterfly, as the senior recorded his first individual state qualifying time of 1:01.92. The Dolphins 200 freestyle relay team won the event with a season best time of 1:33.90. The foursome of Keegan McLaughlin, Max Serpe, Sal Serpe and Josh Cooper swam a great race and are inching closer to the school record.

Girls Swimming
Collegiate School 116, Cape Henry 54
Cape Henry 117, Prince Edward 40
Cape Henry 89, Walsingham Academy 78

Cape Henry improved to 3-1 on the season and are off to a great start with a 2-1 record this past weekend against Collegiate School, Prince Edward and Walsingham Academy. Kendall Tompkins, Addie Cooper, Brianna DiSilvestro and Morgan Sabol led the Dolphins to a great start in the 200 Medley Relay, winning the event in a time of 2:00.16. DiSilvestro continued her success by placing 2nd in the 100 fly and improving her lifetime best to 1:06.92. Addie Cooper also added two lifetime best swims in the 100 freestyle (58.94) and the 100 breast stroke (1:15.59). Morgan Sabol had a great lead-off leg in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 1:01.06, a lifetime best.

ALLEN, RADFORD LEAD DOLPHINS TO RUNNER-UP
FINISH IN THE ST. ALBANS INVITATIONAL

Finals - Kima High School (DC) 65, Cape Henry 54

Semifinals - Cape Henry 60, St. Alban’s 57
Cape Henry took on tournament host St. Albans on Friday in the tournament semis, and the Dolphins edged out a 60-57 victory. St. Albans led 28-26 at halftime, but the Dolphins were able to turn the tides in the second half. Cape Henry was trailing by six points in the final quarter, but junior George Radford helped dig the Dolphins out of the hole. Radford led the Dolphins with 22 points, but his four 4th quarter three-pointers helped Cape Henry overcome the deficit. Terrell Allen added 17 points, Connor LaFramboise had 11 points (three 3-pointers), Demetrius Pollard had six points and Devon Hall added four.

First Round - Cape Henry 68, Roosevelt High School 44
The Dolphins traveled to Washington, D.C. Thursday night to take part in the St. Alban's Invitational, and they opened play with a 68-44 victory over Roosevelt High School (DC). Terrell Allen led the way with 26 points. Demetrius Pollard kept his strong start alive with 16 points, including three three-pointers. Connor Laframboise sunk four three's en route to 14 points, and Goerge Radford (five points), Mike Maroon (four), Cecil Ward (two) and Devon Hall (one) rounded out the offense. The Dolphins (3-0) square off against tournament host St. Alban's on Friday night (9pm).

CAPE HENRY ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
SAM LAW

The Cape Henry wrestling program hosted the Beach Duals this past Saturday, and the Dolphins were unsure how they would perform on the first weekend of their regular season. Without prior competition, and with the loss of a few key wrestlers due to injury, Cape Henry hit the mats with high hopes and many questions. This week’s Athlete of the Week, senior Sam Law, helped the Dolphins answer those questions.

Law, a top leader on the Cape Henry wrestling program, was absolutely stellar on Saturday. The Dolphins had five separate dual meets throughout the course of the day, and Sam was flawless in his results. Wrestling in the 160lb weight class Law battled through four opponents, and one forfeit, to earn a 5-0 mark. More impressive than that feat was the fact that Law didn’t have a point scored on him in any of his four matches.

Law started the day with a pin over his opponent from Phoebus, finishing the bout in 3:35. His second match was a forfeit over Deep Creek, and he followed that with a pin in 1:07 over his opponent from Nandua. Sam carried his 3-0 mark into his showdown with Anthony Copeland, a returning big class public school state place winner for Oscar Smith, and he took care of business with a 4-0 decision. In his final match Law got back to his pinning ways by overpowering his opponent from Woodside in 1:34.

“Sam dominated the competition,” head coach Jack Effner said of Law, who took home the plaque for Outstanding Wrestler of the Day in the Beach Duals.

The season-opening success for Law has capped off what was a successful offseason for the senior. Putting in hours of practice and preparation for the season, Sam caught the eyes of elite college programs, and in the beginning of November he made his decision official. Law will be heading west for his future battles as he signed a National Letter of Intent scholarship with Virginia Tech.

The Hokies were attracted to Sam because of his body of work, and his work ethic. Heading into this season Law had 141 career wins (now 146), and he won 81 of those bouts by pin (now 84). Last season Law went an impressive 48-3 with 25 pins, and he placed 1st in the TCIS, 1st in the VISAA state finals, and earned All-American honors by placing 7th in the National Prep Championships.

“Sam is a great example of what can be achieved through discipline, dedication and a commitment to excellence,” Effner finished. “He is very tough to score on and keeps good position most of the time. He is not afraid to take charge and lead, probably because he has so much experience and knows he has paid his dues. He has matured both mentally and physically since my arrival. It has been very exciting as his coach to watch him develop. He is the kind of person and athlete coaches wish for.”

Law has set the bar high with his track record, but he has continued to walk the walk with his preparation. Opponents will be gunning for him through the course of this season, but based on his performance this past weekend he is ready for all takers.

POLLARD, DOLPHINS ROLL TO 2nd STRAIGHT WIN

Cape Henry hosted Nandua last night for the second half of a double header with the girls’ team, and the Dolphins rode the hot hand of Demetrius Pollard to a 66-33 victory. The win is Cape Henry’s second straight victory to start the season. Pollard was all over Nandua offensively, as he dropped in 23 points, including five three-pointers, to go with four rebounds and four assists. The remaining offense came from Connor Laframboise (11 points, two three-pointers), Devon Hall (nine, one three-pointer), Terrell Allen (eight), George Radford (six points, two three-pointers), Cecil Ward (four), Aaron Drory (three, one three-pointer) and Michael Kroll (two). The undefeated Dolphins (2-0) take their show on the road this weekend as they compete in the competitive St. Alban’s Tournament in Washington, DC.

TROWELL DOMINANT AS DOLPHINS WIN
4th STRAIGHT TO STAY UNDEFEATED

The Dolphins hosted Nandua on Tuesday night and used a dominant performance from Zeniya Trowell to earn their fourth straight victory. Trowell gave Nandua nightmares in the paint, scoring 21 points and grabbing 15 rebounds to help keep Cape Henry (4-0) undefeated to start the season. Alexis Smith (14 points), La’Bria Wilson (11 points, one three-pointer), Khajae Hester (10), Amalia Riess (four), Brianna Perry (two) and Payton Schaubach (two) rounded out the scoring. Cape Henry looks to maintain its hot start this weekend when it competes in the Life & Breath Foundation Basketball Tournament. The Dolphins square off against Wakefield School on Friday and St. Stephen/St. Agnes on Saturday.

WRESTLING GETS OFF TO A FAST START
IN BEACH DUALS ON SATURDAY

Dual 1: Cape Henry 48, Phoebus 36
Dual 2: Cape Henry 48, Deep Creek 33
Dual 3: Cape Henry 63, Nandua 15
Dual 4: Oscar Smith 49, Cape Henry 22
Dual 5: Cape Henry 60, Woodside 22

The Dolphins hosted the 2009 Beach Duals on Saturday, and they turned in an impressive team performance by going 4-1 in five dual meets. Cape Henry had key performances from Will Mason (103 lbs), Scott Cunningham (119), Jake Henning (145) and Sam Law (160) who each went 5-0 on the day and were voted to the all-dual team, earning gold medals. Sam Law was voted the outstanding wrestler of the day, earning a plaque for his accomplishments. The Dolphins also had wins from Taylor Calley, Jackson Law, Josh Lim, Sam Dreyfus, Kyle Mytelka, Jake Kantor, Thomas Armistead, Christian Law, Kyle McCammon, Justin Lee, Peter Rabogliatti, Tanner Baine and Russell Sanders. Cape Henry didn’t just have success on the mat, though, as the team earned the Sportsmanship Award voted on by all coaches. The Dolphins compete next in the Titan Classic Invitational held at Cosby High School in Richmond on December 12th.

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL DOMINANT IN THIRD STRAIGHT WIN

The Dolphins hosted Beach yesterday afternoon and put on a clinic, winning by the final score of 73-28. Cape Henry got off to a fast start, grabbing a 55–11 halftime lead, and all players saw a lot of playing time and contributed to the win. The Dolphins were led by Alexis Smith who had 17 points, seven rebounds and six steals. La’Bria Wilson had 14 points, including a four point play when she made a three pointer and was fouled on the play. Khajae Hester was a perfect 5-5 from the field and added 13 points to the win. Other scorers were Zeniya Trowell (eight points), Brianna Perry (seven points), Payton Schaubach (six points), Meredith Wallace (four points), and Jessika Puglisi (four points). The Dolphins (3-0) play Nandua next at home on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.), and they follow that with two games at the Life and Breath Showcase in The Plains, Virginia before winter break. The will square off against Notre Dame Academy and St. Stephens and St. Agnes.

BOYS AND GIRLS SWIMMING IMPRESSIVE IN FIRST MEET

The Dolphins hosted Bishop Sullivan last night at Virginia Wesleyan College, and the boys won every event of the night. Cape Henry was led by the senior trio of Keegan McLaughlin, Robert Knuth and John Farley, who won each of their individual events. McLaughlin won the 200 freestyle (1:48.68) and the 100 freestyle (49.95), Robert Knuth won the 50 freestyle (22.73) and 100 Backstroke (56.48), and John Farley won the 100 Butterfly (57.96) and the 500 freestyle (5:45.42). The Dolphins had 12 swims qualify for the VSIS Championships. Freshman Andrew Vice was also a double winner in the 200 Individual Medley (2:14.76) and the 100 Breastroke (1:05.78). Cape Henry (1-0) gets back to action next Friday against Collegiate School of Richmond.

The Lady Dolphins beat Bishop Sullivan on Tuesday night for their first meet win in 11 years, beating the team that finished 2nd in the TCIS Championships a year ago. The Dolphins had seven swims qualify for the VSIS Championships. Kendall Tompkins won the 50 freestyle (26.60) and the 100 backstroke (1:10.12). Newcomer Brianna DiSilvestro won the 200 individual medley (2:28.52) and the 100 butterflly (1:10.08). Cape Henry also got a momentum-building win from the 200 medley relay team. Tompkins, Addie Cooper, DiSilvestro and Morgan Sabol won the event with a time of 1:59.00. The Dolphins (1-0) swim next on Friday, December 11 against Collegiate School of Richmond.

POLLARD, ALLEN LEAD BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL TO SEASON-OPENING WIN OVER BULLDOGS

Cape Henry hosted Norfolk Academy last night in the season opener, and after building an early lead the Dolphins held off a late Bulldogs surge for the 60-50 win. Both teams came ready to play and the back and forth play gave the fans a lot of excitement. Demetrius Pollard led the charge for Cape Henry, dropping in a game high 23 points while grabbing six rebounds. Terrell Allen suffered through early foul trouble, but finished with 12 points. George Radford (nine points), Devin Hall (eight), Connor LaFramboise (five) and Cecil Ward (three) rounded out the offense. The Dolphins had a strong effort from Mike Maroon who ran the point and helped quarterback the offense. Cape Henry (1-0) gets back to action against Nandua next Tuesday.

ATHLETIC RESULTS - MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2009

Varsity Girls Basketball
Cape Henry 51
Trinity Episcopal 43



The Dolphins hosted Trinity Episcopal, a Division I tournament participant last year, and built an early first half lead en route to a 51-43 victory. Cape Henry led 29-16 at halftime, but Trinity Episcopal employed a full court press in the second half and chipped away at the 13 point advantage. At one point in the second half the Dolphins lead was cut to two points, 42-40, but they stepped up their defensive pressure and outscored Trinity Episcopal 9-3 in the final two minutes of regulation to close out the victory. Cape Henry was led by Alexis Smith, who was dominant on both ends of the floor, dropping in 15 points, grabbing five rebounds and six steals. Zeniya Trowell was strong in the trenches with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Amalia Riess added 13 points, La’Bria Wilson had six points and Khajae Hester dropped in four points of her own. Cape Henry (2-0) gets back to action on Thursday against Beach on Thursday at 4pm.

JV Girls Basketball
Trinity Episcopal 29
Cape Henry 22

FALL ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS - 2009