Windham wrestler Devyn Petsa wanted to test his mettle against undefeated Montville senior Dan Kurasz, but the needs of the many overcame the desire of one.
The Whippets came into Thursday’s Eastern Connecticut Conference match as the last undefeated team in the Small Division, and needed a win over Montville to keep that advantage intact.
With a chance to win the match with Petsa, Windham coach Pat Risley decided the two were going to have to wait for their meeting. He kept Petsa in the 160-pound match against Montville’s Pat Bogan and delivered a 2-minute, 40-second pin that wrapped up a 42-27 win.
The Eastern Connecticut State University men’s basketball team got back on the winning track Thursday night with a 73-56 non-conference victory over The College of New Jersey.
The memories of last year still linger for the Ledyard High School wrestling team, although the disappointment is unlikely to be repeated this season.
“Last year, we won the dual meet, got beat in the (Eastern Connecticut Conference) tournament (by Bacon Academy) and went down as co-champs,” Colonels senior Mike Spellman said. “We just want a solid championship this year.”
After Wednesday night, it seems there is little in the way to prevent that from happening. The fifth-ranked Colonels beat the Bobcats, 56-9.
The way the season began for Christine Hadfield, it would be hard to imagine the night when she is relied upon as the primary scoring option for her team.
But the senior on Waterford’s girls basketball team proved too much to handle Wednesday, scoring 22 points in Waterford’s 49-39 win over Norwich Free Academy at Alumni Hall. It is the Lancers’ ninth consecutive win and third straight loss for the Wildcats.
The Griswold wrestling team was docked two points Wednesday on separate unsportsmanlike penalties against Killingly, which proved to be the difference as the Redmen won, 33-32.
Thomas Whipplee scored 18 of 20 Ledyard points in a 4-minute, 11-second stretch of the fourth quarter to bring the Colonels back from an 18-point deficit in a 54-52 win over NFA on Monday.
Greg Senat delivered a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Marianapolis Varsity I boys basketball team to a 65-53 win over Hyde-Woodstock on the road Monday.
I could almost hear Green Day singing “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” on Friday night when Plainfield senior Hailey Griffin took a pass from her sister Morgan and scored her 1,000th career point at Lyman Memorial High School. She then did what so many high school athletes fail to do: bask in a well-deserved moment.
After setting an Eastern Connecticut Conference record with 2,572 rushing yards and leading his team to the Class M state championship game, Ledyard senior running back Alex Manwaring was named the All-Bulletin Player of the Year in football. For more on the All-Bulletin players of the year, visit NorwichBulletin.com/sports/allbulletin2011
As the league moves closer to another two-year realignment plan that will be decided by the league’s principals in October, the coaches voted, 12-3, in favor of a two-division format to start in 2013.
It was the kind of hit that could almost be felt from the sideline, which meant it couldn’t have felt good on the field.
Early in the second quarter, Ledyard running back Alex Manwaring was trying to find a seam over the left side when whatever hole he may have spotted was suddenly filled by Ansonia linebacker Tyler Wood. The 5-foot-11, 172- pound senior’s bone-jarring hit stopped Manwaring in his tracks for no gain and forced a Ledyard punt. It was the story of the game for the Ledyard offense.
With 1 minute, 33 seconds left in the Class M state championship game on Saturday, Ansonia running back Arkeel Newsome was handed the ball for the 42nd time on his own 5-yard line.
The Colonels head to the high school this morning to board the buses for a trip to Rentschler Field in East Hartford for their 10:30 a.m. Class M state championship game against Ansonia.
The Chargers have averaged 365 yards on the ground through their first 12 games of the season and pass for fewer than 70. Any defensive coordinator who looks at those numbers thinks: “How many people can I get in the box?”
Ledyard football coach Jim Buonocore and his counterpart, Ansonia’s Tom Brockett, come from different sides of the state. But when they face off for the Class M championship at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, they have much in common.
They were only freshmen and had no impact on the game, yet Ledyard’s loss in the 2008 state Class M football title game resonates with the Colonels’ current senior class.
On Tuesday, the Colonels and their opponent, Ansonia, were among the eight schools on hand at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, where for the second straight year it will host all four championship games.
Ledyard's Andrew Lee excited his teammates with a stunning kick during practice last week which. He rode his feelings from that experience into last Saturday’s Class M state semifinal against Wolcott. It’s easy for a 5-for-5 performance on PATs to go unnoticed in a 35-0 Colonels’ victory. But heading into the title game against Ansonia at Rentschler Field, the matchup could come down to Lee’s right leg. He’s preparing for the possibility.
Each week, Ledyard football coach Jim Buonocore gives his team a multi-page briefing to help it prepare for the next game. Week after week, the bottom of the first page features a quote. Sometimes it’s meant as a reminder, sometimes it’s meant to teach and sometimes it’s meant to inspire. Quotations might seem more appropriate for Jeopardy than high school football, but Buonocore’s selection for Saturday’s Class M semifinal couldn’t have been more relevant.
The Colonels posted their second playoff shutout in four days, a 35-0 win over Wolcott on Saturday in a state Class M semifinal at Middletown High School.
When Ledyard High School senior Matt Daggett says he “couldn’t have wished for a better year” and that it’s the “best year I’ve ever had,” it isn’t a case of hyperbole.
Some superstitious types may have taken it as a bad omen, but the Colonels quickly turned the negative into a positive when they recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff. Six plays later, third-seeded Ledyard was in the end zone and on its way to a 26-0 win over No. 6 Waterford in a Class M quarterfinal contest at Bill Mignault Field on Tuesday night.
From its inception 75 years ago, the ECC has been sending graduated athletes to a wide variety of higher levels of competition where many have enjoyed success. Collegiate and professional programs have discovered that competition between ECC athletes has prepared young men and women for the challenges in athletics that follow graduation from secondary schools. The result: coaches, scouts and recruiters view Eastern Connecticut as a good source of program ready talent and they are frequently seen attending local competitions.A brief summary (submitted by ECC Directors of Athletics) of league graduates who have recently competedin winter sports programs:From Bacon Academy - Basketball: Matt Stone at Catholic University ..... Womens Basketball: Brooke Bailey at Central CT, Kate Gazdricki at Manchester CT CC, Allison Peck at Mitchell College, and Dominique DeMar at Suffolk CollegeFromWaterford High School -Womens Fencing: Colleen Mason at Sacred Heart Univ Div I., earned 2nd Team All Star in NE Fencing Conference, Reference: http://sacredheartpioneers.com/sports/w-fenc/2010-11/releases/20110218bt3xjc From Fitch High School - Swimming/Diving: Addison Koelle at University of Maryland, Allie Black at Providence College ..... Indoor Track: Jimmy Petersen at Fitchburg State, Katelyn Morrell at Southern CT, Josh Porisky at Gordon College ..... Basketball: Taylor Doyle and Aubrey Latham at Post University, Windell Hickson at Salva ReginaFrom Griswold High School -Wrestling: Sam Wilcox at UMass, Tyler Banks at Hofstra, and Brock Coutu at Northern Iowa CC ..... Womens Basketball: Stephanie Slonski at Western Ct State ..... Indoor Track team members: Tradelle Ward at Duke, Shelby Donahue at Coastal Carolina, Jason Cusak at Virginia Tech, Sarah Grenier at Southern CT State, Nicole Frantz at Central CT and Andrew Orum at Eastern Connecticut State University ...... Cheerleading: Brittany Bauer, Bryant College and Brittany Gasparino, Eastern Connecticut State UniversityFrom Ledyard High School - T. J. Hepburn, a sophomore wrestler for the University of Nebraska-Kearney, placed third in the NCAA Division II Championships.From Lyman Memorial - Indoor Track: Kelly Sorrell at Quinnipiac College, Dana Troy and Samantha Troy at Sacred HeartFrom Montville HS -Women's Basketball: Nakia Smith at University of HartfordFrom Norwich Free Academy - Cheerleading: Alyssa Savage at Eastern CT, Ashley Burke at Worcester State and Nikita Slaughter at Ithaca College .... Basketball: Chris Vincent at Springfield, Wes Murphy at Husson College, Mike Mailhot at Emmanuel College, Garvin McCalister at Post University, RJ Evans at Holy Cross was Patriot League Rookie of the Year last season and led the Crusaders in scoring this year .....Swimming/Diving: Adam Tonnesen at Elms College, Aaron Paradis a diver on the Babson College team earned Honorable Mention All-American status at the Division III National Championships ..... Women's Basketball: Chelsea Shaw at Centenary College, Marissa DiStasio, also at Centenary, has been the Cyclones leading rebounder for the past 2 seasons, Team Captain Leah Rubega averaged a Double-Double in leading Bowdoin to a 22-7 record ..... Courtney Long, a returning starter at Amherst, saw limited action following pre-season surgery but was named to the NESCAC All-Academic Team and helped the Lord Jeffs to a school record 32-1 season..... Wrestling: Jason Pagan at American International ..... Indoor Track: Jessica Sullivan at Notre Dame, Allison Black at Malone College, Meegan Joly at Northeastern University, Jaclyn Sullivan and Kim Johnson at Southern CT, Miranda Wallace at University of Hartford, Matt Miclette at University of Vermont, Mike Elliott and Mike Russell at URI, Anthony Marceau and Luke Albertson at Central CT, Jason Wagner at Trinity College From Stonington High School - Women's Basketball: Jackie Fernandes and Heather Buck were teammates on UConn's record-setting Big East and National Championship teamFrom Waterford High School - Indoor Track: Eric Rathbun ..... Womens Basketball: Amy Simpson at University of New Hampshire, Kerrianne Dugan at Central CT, Karli Spera at Western CT, and Laura Neff at Rhode Island College ..... Wrestling: Dan Patsiga at Western New England,Brennan Ward at Johnson & Wales, earned Division III All-American recognition From Woodstock Academy - Basketball: Bryan Lowry at Tufts University ..... Indoor Track: Dan Gaunya, Kevin Gibeault, and Maggie Gibeault at Southern CT, Colin Whiston and Brittany Miskell at Eastern CT.Phoebe Riley served as Team Captain at Worcester PolytechGolf is a year-round endeavor - Brothers Aaron and Bret Siekierski, Tourtellotte graduates, have completed their courses of study at UConn where they played on the Golf Team and are now focusing their attention on the diverse world of professional golf.Aaron, with a degree in Political Science has begun working toward his PGA certification at the Bear Lakes CC in West Palm Beach while playing in local pro tournaments.Bret has a BS degree in Business Administration and is employed at the Country Club of Florida in Boynton Beach.This summer the brothers will return to Connecticut to work at local golf clubs and to compete in a variety of tournaments throughout New England.Bret is the defending Western Massachusetts Amateur Champion.
More Congratulations Are In Order!
** Congratulations to Plainfield High Boys Basketball Coach Bob Arremony for winning his 400th game!
** Congratulations to NFA Girls Coach Bill Scarlata for his 400th win!
** New London High School Boys Coaches Craig Parker and Neil Curland have won their 300th game!
** East Lyme's Jon Nazarko and New London's Torin Childs-Harris and Kris Dunn were named first-team all-state in Class L by the Connecticut High School Coaches' Association. Trevor Bundy of Norwich Free Academy (Class LL), Griswold's Justin Daniels (M) and Conor Gleason of Wheeler (S) were all second-team selections.
** Stonington High School inducted 10 new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 24.
** Plainfield Baseball Coach John Schiffner won his 450th game!
** Stonington High School and UConn graduate, Jacquie Fernandez, is headed to Temple University as a graduate assistant.
** Bacon Academy Basketball Coach, David Shea, is honored for his 600th win!!
** Putnam High School Senior, Katelyn Tarr, will play basketball in the Little East Conference for Rhode Island College in Providence.
** Alexa Long, a senior at Waterford High School, has accepted a full athletic scholarship to play basketball at St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont.
** Jen Escobido, a Norwich Free Academy Senior, has committed to attend Ithaca College and will play basketball at the Division III school.
** Norwich Free Academy Girls Lacrosse Coach, Eric Page, has won his 100th game!
