Derrick Lewis vividly remembers the first football game he coached at Jonathan Law — and not solely for the reasons one might think. On paper, the 2014 season opener wasn’t much of a game. The final score — Harding 38, Law 10 — might’ve elicited a few oohs and aahs, but it wasn’t one that […]
Football: Former Harding and current Avon Old Farms QB Phommachanh commits to Clemson
Former Harding and current Avon Old Farms quarterback Taisun Phommachanh announced Saturday his commitment to play at Clemson University. Phommachanh, who is considered the country’s No. 1 dual-threat quarterback and No. 88 prospect overall in the Class of 2019 by recruiting site 247 Sports, chose Clemson over offers from several other major programs including Florida, […]
Baseball: Stratford’s Duffy shuts down Bunnell
STRATFORD — What Stratford coach Mick Buckmir liked about Friday was that temperatures rose above 70 degrees for the first time this spring for baseball. As for his team’s game against town rival Bunnell, that, too, brought a smile to Buckmir’s face. Stratford had its ace, Brendan Duffy, on the hill, and the right-hander stymied […]
Baseball: Notre Dame-Fairfield rallies past Bunnell
STRATFORD — Richard Kerstetter made himself available to pitch out of the bullpen during Wednesday’s game against Bunnell. Little did Kerstetter know his coach would call upon him in the first inning after starter Tyler Romano managed to record just one out. As it turned out, bringing in Kerstetter proved to be a wise move […]
Football: Masuk’s Roberge transferring to Cheshire Academy
Star running back Jack Roberge is transferring from Masuk to Cheshire Academy, his father, Chris, confirmed to Hearst Connecticut Media on Monday. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Roberge rushed for 1,299 yards and 13 touchdowns on 161 carries last year, helping lead Masuk to an 11-2 record and the program’s first appearance in the state finals since […]
Girls Basketball: RHAM tops CCC rival Farmington in Class L for first title
UNCASVILLE — The wait is over for the RHAM girls basketball program. The top-ranked Sachems won their first state title Sunday afternoon, defeating third-seeded Farmington 58-35 in the Class L final at Mohegan Sun Arena. Jaclyn Santella scored a game-high 20 points, and Gretchen Kron added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists for the […]
Boys Basketball: Bassick’s Virginia road trip postponed to Feb 3 — same day as Middletown matchup
Bassick’s boys basketball team was supposed to compete Saturday in the Hornet Tip-Off Classic in Chesapeake, Va., but Mother Nature had other ideas. The latest winter storm to wreak havoc on the East Coast has forced the Lions’ game against Salem (Va.) to be put on hold. The game is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 3, […]
Football: Summers rallies St. Joseph past Dobbs, Ansonia to win Class S championship, 13th title
CHESHIRE — Seven years to the day his brother carved up the St. Joseph defense in the Class S final — albeit in a losing effort — Markell Dobbs drew Hogs coach Joe Della Vecchia crazy by ripping off one highlight-reel run after another. Unfortunately for the Chargers, both games must feel all too similar. […]
Football: Breaking down the 2017 CIAC football semifinals
2017 CIAC Playoff Scoreboard One playoff round is down, two remain. The CIAC football semifinals will take place Sunday at the sites of the higher seeds at 12:30 p.m. The finals — Classes LL, L, M and S — will be held one week from Saturday at sites and times to be announced. Before the […]
Football: The 2017 CIAC Playoffs In a Nutshell
We’ve made it. The long, grueling grind that is the regular season is finally over. All 12 weeks are in the books — so is Thanksgiving. The playoffs are here. The quarterfinals begin Tuesday at the sites of the higher seeds at 6:30 p.m. The 2017 CIAC Football Playoff Schedule The semifinals, however, have been […]
Football: Madison, Bunnell bulldoze Stratford but fall short of playoff berth
STRATFORD — Bunnell did all it could do Thanksgiving morning to put itself in reach of the postseason. Unfortunately, simply winning was not enough. The Bulldogs did their part in beating Stratford 46-6 at Penders Field, however, the eighth and final playoff spot in Class L went to four-time defending champion New Canaan, which beat […]
Boys Soccer: Hodska, 4th-seeded Masuk stun unbeaten E.O. Smith, advance to L championship
MERIDEN — E.O. Smith boys soccer coach John Blomstrann didn’t think there was any way his team could be shut out. Masuk proved him wrong. The fourth-seeded Panthers had all the answers for the high-powered juggernaut that was E.O. Smith, upsetting the top seed in Class L 1-0 on Monday at Falcon Field to punch […]
Football: Carr, No. 7 Shelton grind out victory over pesky Amity
SHELTON — Shelton had hoped that quarterback Jake Roberts would be healthy enough to play all four quarters against Amity after spraining his knee last week in a win over West Haven. But when it turned out that he wasn’t, the Gaels turned …
Girls Soccer: Oko, Shelton turn back Lauralton Hall to keep pace for SCC top seed
SHELTON — The Shelton High girls soccer team graduated 14 seniors, but goalkeeper Courtney Litts didn’t come into this season thinking it would be a rebuilding year. It’s turned out to be just the opposite. The Gaels defeated Lauralton Hall 2-0 at Finn Stadium on Wednesday to keep pace in the hunt for the top […]
Football: Roberts stakes Shelton to big lead, Gaels hold off Newtown
NEWTOWN — Jake Roberts was too young to roam the sidelines himself, so he had to stay home while his dad, Ken, coached football at Newtown High. “I was sitting at home, watching the game on TV,” he recalled. Friday night, Jake, who is now the starting quarterback for Shelton, created many more memories of […]
Football: Arganese, Trumbull hold off Trinity Catholic rally
TRUMBULL — Trinity Catholic’s Sam Adolf and Anthony Anderson teamed up to give Trumbull a scare when they connected for a long touchdown early in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s FCIAC showdown. But the Eagles’ much-maligned defense stepped up when it mattered most. Junior defensive back Daniel Arganese intercepted Adolf near midfield with 3:42 remaining […]
Football: Hersch, Masuk rout Bunnell to open season
MONROE — The first 13 seconds of the season couldn’t have gone much better for Bunnell. The next 47 minutes and 47 seconds, however, couldn’t have gone much worse. Tyreek Smith gave the Bulldogs an early jolt against Masuk Friday, returning the opening kickoff 81 yards for a touchdowns. But the Panthers responded by reeling […]
Football 2017: Five-minute guide to the SWC
Is Newtown in danger of losing its grip on SWC football supremacy? The Nighthawks have won the conference four out of the last five years, but rival Masuk may be ready to dethrone them. The Panthers return the bulk of talent from a team that went 7-4 and made the playoffs. New Fairfield won the […]
Football 2017: Roberts ready to carry on QB tradition at Shelton
SHELTON — Some schools would find constant turnover at the quarterback position to be a significant roadblock to success. Shelton isn’t one of those schools. Jake Roberts is slated to be the fourth different Week 1 starter in as many years for the Gaels, who visit Cheshire on Friday. The three quarterbacks before him combined […]
SWC football: Masuk looking to rejoin ranks of elite
MONROE — A program with a long, rich history generally doesn’t put much stock into moral victories, but that didn’t stop Joe Lato from insisting there was more for Masuk to gain from its near upset of powerhouse New Canaan. The Panthers took the Rams down to the wire in last year’s Class L quarterfinals, […]
Football: Harding ready for opening year in SCC
BRIDGEPORT — Eddie Santiago has never been the type to shy away from competition. He embraces challenges, like the one his football team will soon be facing. After beating up on the Constitution State Conference for two seasons, Harding is ready to test its might against a far more imposing foe. The Presidents will begin […]
Despite changes, Bunnell looking to build on success
S TRATFORD — Bunnell lost more than its two best players when Brett Bogdwicz and Zhyaire Fernandes received their diplomas. “I think we lost two special players that you don’t really see too often,” coach Sean Mignone said Tuesday. “We were lucky to have them as four-year starters.” Last season, Bogdwicz recorded a team-high 807 […]
Wrestling: Harding again looking for funding to run program in 2017-18
Eddie Santiago is again asking for help to save the wrestling program at Harding High School. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to raise money for the program, which has existed on self-funding ever since the sport was cut from the city’s budget. The program has raised $1,420 from 15 donors through the GoFundMe […]
Football: New Canaan’s Grip It and Rip It Tournament celebrates 10th anniversary
NEW CANAAN — In the eyes of football purists, 7-on-7 passing camps couldn’t be further from the real thing. “It’s a little bit different because you’re not hitting anybody, there’s no rush on the quarterback and your wide receivers run undefeated,” the state’s co-winningest high school football coach, Lou Marinelli, said prior to this weekend’s […]
Football: New Canaan’s Pyne remains level headed as hype and recruiting speculation intensifies
NEW CANAAN — Few people understand how special it is to play quarterback at New Canaan better than John Marinelli, whose father, Lou, built the program into one of New England’s best. The younger Marinelli quarterbacked the Rams to state titles in 2001 and 2002 and returned after college as the team’s offensive coordinator. “It’s […]
