Bacon Academy girls’ basketball has started the season with six straight wins under new head coach Kevin Fennell. On the court, the Bobcats are led by all-state senior captain Marissa Nudd, who recently surpassed 1,000 career points, and junior captain Cara Shea, who scored a career-high 17 points in a win over RHAM last week.
Playing in front of a packed house, Bacon Academy girls’ basketball rallied to edge RHAM, 46-43, in their annual grudge match on Dec. 29. Both teams entered the contest undefeated, yet it was the home Bobcats that remained unblemished thanks to a memorable night from junior Cara Shea. Trailing by six points heading into the fourth, Shea scored nine of her career-high 17 points to help erased the deficit and improve the Bobcats to 5-0. Shea, who also had a team-high five steals, said it was the team’s work on the defensive end that allowed the Bobcats to claw back into the game. “We had to get back at it and get those steals to get the offense going,” Shea said of the team’s approach heading into the final quarter. “Once we got those first steals we felt like our old selves and got that confidence we needed.” In the opening minute of the fourth, Shea made a layup to start a 10-0 run and later knocked down seven free throws down the stretch to single-handedly outscore the visiting Raptors (9-6) over the final eight minutes. Shea did a little of everything on the night, also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out five assists. The versatile junior has taken over as the team’s point guard this winter and head coach Kevin Fennell said that Shea is thriving in the role of floor general. “Cara is a very opportunistic player; she finds an opportunity and takes advantage,” stated Fennell. “She had a couple of big stops on defense that ended up being the difference in the game.” Fennell is in his first year back leading the team after previously coaching the program from 1999-2007. It’s been a triumphant return for Fennell, who has yet to lose since retaking over a program that is coming off a Class M state championship appearance a season ago under previous head coach John Shea. Guiding the team with Fennell is assistant coach and longtime friend Brian Fleming, who has college basketball coaching experience. “Brian is one of my closest friends and we have always discussed hoops for the past 25 years,” said Fennell. “We finally have an opportunity to work together.” Also helping Fennell’s transition back to the sidelines is that he works at the high school, teaching health and physical education. “There is already a rapport I have with [the players] and it’s been fun to work with them in this setting as well,” added Fennell. “They have been very coachable, they work very hard, and they’re one unit.” Shea and senior Marissa Nudd are Fennell’s captains on the court. Nudd, a Southern Connecticut State University basketball-commit, recently surpassed the 1,000-point career mark in a win over Ledyard on Dec. 20. Following an all-state junior year, Nudd has returned as the team’s leading scorer and has embraced the role as senior leader. “Honestly it has been really easy, because we have a team full of athletes and a team full of players that want to win,” Nudd said of her role as a senior captain. “We all want to be here, we all want to get better, and when you have a team full of friends it’s not hard at all.” Playing against RHAM’s defensive standout Sarah West, Nudd struggled to find her range in the win, yet scored four straight points during a Bacon Academy 10-point run in the decisive fourth quarter. After RHAM responded with back-to-back three pointers to temporarily retake the lead in the fourth, Katelyn Novak (12 points) tied the game on a baseline jumper and Shea ended the game with the final four points from the foul line. Fennell said the late trips to the foul line made the difference in the fourth. “It was a matter of kids taking the ball strong to the basket in the fourth and going through the contact and getting to the line,” added Fennell. Nudd added, “We talked about valuing every possession we have.” On Tuesday, Bacon Academy improved to 6-0 with another come-from-behind victory (40-38) over Fitch, ending the contest on a scoring 16-0 run. Freshman Alannah Baehr scored with 4.3 second left to cap the miraculous comeback. Nudd scored a team-high 13 points and Novak scored nine of her 10 points in the fourth to help the Bobcats dig out of a 14-point hole. The Bobcats next host Brookfield this Saturday, Jan 7. Tip-off at BAHS is 1:30 p.m.
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RHAM senior Sarah West gets ready to box out Bacon Academy’s Elizabeth Glover as RHAM’s #10 Nina Krawcyzk looks on during the Raptors loss to the Bobcats on Dec. 29.
After starting the season with six straight wins, RHAM girls’ basketball dropped a back-and-forth game to Bacon Academy on Dec. 29. Head coach John McNair said the loss was a good learning experience for his young team. “I am very proud of this group. They hung with it and we had a couple of looks at the end,” added McNair. “You’d rather lose now then two months from now.” McNair’s squad held a 36-30 lead heading into the fourth before the Colchester-based Bobcats reeled off 10 straight points and won the game, 46-43, thanks to clutch foul shooting down the stretch. Sarah West scored a game-high 21 points and added seven blocks in defeat. Trailing by three at halftime, West and fellow senior captain Grace Whitmore ignited the team’s productive third quarter, combining to score 14 point of the team’s 16 points. Whitmore caught fire in the third, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. A three-pointer from West put RHAM up 29-27 and a baseline jumper from Maddie Graves with under a minute to play in the quarter provided the Raptors a six-point cushion heading into the final frame. “We came out after the halftime break with great energy and great effort,” stated McNair. “[Bacon] is a very good team and knew if we punched them they were going to punch back and we couldn’t handle their best punch.” After the teams traded the lead three times in the fourth quarter, RHAM was down by two points with a chance to tie or send the game into overtime with 7.3 seconds remaining in regulation. During a timeout, McNair designed a play to free up West for the potential game-winner, but West’s heel grazed the sideline as she gathered to shoot. McNair credited Bacon’s zone defense, which rotated quickly and threw off the Raptors’ spacing on the final play. “It’s a good learning opportunity and a good test in a fun environment on the road,” added McNair. The loss was the first of the season for the Raptors, who entered the game at 6-0 behind a potent offensive attack that was averaging over 50 points per game. Against Bacon, McNair was without one of his weapons in Maddy Evans, who broke her finger in practice earlier in the week. McNair said his deep bench helped in Evans’ absence, crediting senior Ally Deckman and freshman Nina Krawczyk for filling the void. Captaining the team on the court is West, Whitmore, and Linnea Carlson. McNair said that West is the most coachable player that he has had, praising her relentless effort on both ends of the court. West is coming off an all-state season as a junior and held fellow all-state senior Marissa Nudd to a season-low eight points in the loss to Bacon. McNair added that Whitmore’s ability to lead on the court is an extension of the coaching staff and he called Carlson a “spark plug the team needed this season.” “These kids take coaching and it’s a fun group to coach,” added McNair. “The biggest thing we are doing right now is having fun. We just have to finish possessions; there were a few possessions that we’d like to have back.” On Tuesday, RHAM fell to 6-2 with a loss to Manchester 66-53. West led a balanced attack with 19 points and Graves added 13 more, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 43 points from Manchester’s Tiara Tyson. “We did not have a good defensive effort and will be back to the drawing board for Friday against East Catholic,” McNair stated after the game. The Raptors will travel to Manchester (today) Jan. 6 to take on the Eagles of East Catholic High School. Tip-off is 5:15 p.m. Newington senior Alex Cucuta plays defense during the Art Kohs Classic on Dec. 27 at Xavier High School. The Nor’easters suffered their first loss of the season, falling to the host Falcons, before rebounding the following night to defeat Waterford in the consolation game.
Scot Wenzel has picked up right where he left off as the boys’ basketball coach at Newington High School, leading the Nor’easters to wins in four of their first five games this season. Wenzel coached the program from 2003-2017 before serving as the head coach in Plainville for a few seasons. In August of 2022, Wenzel returned to his roots in Newington where he had previously guided the program to four conference championships. “I have been very fortunate with my time at Newington, whether it is this year or the 14 years before. I have always had great kids,” stated Wenzel. After defeating Berlin, Middletown, and New Britain to start the season, Wenzel’s team fell to Xavier in the first round of the Art Kohs Classic at Xavier High School on Dec. 27. But even in defeat, the Nor’easters showed the grit and fight that is a trademark of Wenzel’s teams over the past two decades. After Xavier jumped out to a 12-0 lead behind eight points and a pair of assists from Anthony Parker, Newington senior captain Alex Cucuta hit a three-pointer with 2:54 left in the first quarter to break the early scoring draught. Cucuta’s triple sparked a 15-3 Newington run to close the first half. Wenzel said Cucuta’s shot allowed the offense to relax, adding, “Once you hit one hopefully things start to steamroll and defensively I thought we did a pretty good job after that.” “We struggled in the first quarter and they struggled in the second quarter,” added Wenzel. “We were able to come back, and we got a little momentum.” Newington’s zone defense gave the Falcons fits in the second quarter, limiting them to a single bucket and three points total. The Nor’easters continued to chip away at the deficit in the third quarter, eventually taking the lead at 25-23 with under a minute to play in the quarter after freshman Josiah Sims scored five straight points. Sims worked a perfect give-and-go with Lebron Beckford to narrow the deficit to one and then converted a conventional three-point play when he was fouled on a layup and made the ensuing free throw with 40.5 second left in the third quarter. However, the lead was short lived as Parker hit a high-arching three-pointer from just inside the midcourt strip as the third quarter buzzer sounded, giving Xavier a 26-25 advantage and a momentum boost heading into the fourth. Parker’s buzzer-beater was part of a nine-point run for the host team, who scored the first six points of the final frame to extend a lead they would not relinquish. A three-pointer from Newington’s Avery Mickens cut the deficit to 41-38 with 1:33 to play in regulation before Parker countered with a layup and free throw with 24.6 remaining. “It was a back-and-forth game but give them credit they hit the shots when they needed to,” Wenzel said of Xavier’s 20-point fourth quarter. Seven Newington players scored in the defeat, led by Gavin Gray with nine. Xavier would go on to win the annual holiday tourney, rallying to defeat Glastonbury 48-46 after forcing a handful of turnovers in the final minutes and getting a go-ahead bucket from Aiden Driscoll in the closing seconds. This season’s tournament marked the 19th year of the Art Kohs Classic, named after the school’s longtime athletic director and basketball coach, who passed away last March. Current Xavier head coach Mike Kohs, who is the son of Art Kohs, was moved by the team winning the tourney this year, saying, “This means a ton to me to win this tournament in the year my father passed.” “Tonight was without question one of the most special wins I’ve had in my career,” added Kohs. “I’m so proud of my team and my coaching staff.” In the tourney’s consolation game, Newington rebounded with a 50-46 victory over Waterford. Mickens led the way with 14, while Beckford added 11 and Gray scored 10. The win improved Newington to 4-1 on the young season. “This is a special group that we have. It’s a great group of kids that work hard and are very coachable,” stated Wenzel. “We have some work to do, but I love these kids. We just have to continue to get better.” Next up for Newington is a home date against Tolland on Thursday, Jan. 5 at NHS. Tip-off is at 6:45 p.m. Wethersfield High School’s girls’ swimming and diving won a 14th straight conference title this fall and ended the season in style, winning two relays at the state tournament.
Head coach Lee Schwartzman had a young team this fall, yet the Eagles maintained their conference domination and placed 3rd overall at the Class M championships in mid-November. Schwartzman, who also coaches the boys and just wrapped up his 16th year coaching the girls’ program, called the last quarter of the class championship, “The most exciting 45 minutes in my entire swimming career.” Over the final four events, the Eagles won both the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays. In the 200-freestyle relay, the foursome of Milena Brodowicz, Jilian Pitchell, Oliva Krout, and Sabrina Schuster easily defeated field, besting the runner-up relay team from Pomperaug by nearly four seconds. The 400-freestyle relay was a different story, as senior Anabella Cartiera joined Brodowicz, Krout, and Schuster to pull off a feat that even surprised Schwartzman, who was hoping for a top-two finish. Prior to the finale, Schwartzman said he told an opposing coach, “It was nice to win one, but I’m selfish, I’d really like to win this one.” Schwartzman’s 400 freestyle relay delivered, as Schuster passed three teams on the final leg to give the team a slight edge over the relay teams from Pomperaug and Guilford, who finished second and third, respectively. Schwartzman described the 400 free relay win as “a walk-off homer.” It ended a championship-worthy meet for the Eagles, who also had great individual performance from Schuster, a junior who placed 2nd in the 50 freestyle and 3rd in the 100 freestyle, and Brodowicz, a freshman who placed 2nd in the 100 breaststroke. Schwartzman said Schuster is “consistent and really hard working.” “If you talk to her outside the pool, she is always laughing and dancing, but she definitely has that drive once the races starts,” added Schwartzman. The performance by Brodowicz was the cherry on top of a fantastic first season at WHS for the budding superstar. Earlier in the season she teamed with Sophia Klementon, Isabella Korzinski, Madison Tracy to break the program’s freshman record in the 400-freestyle relay. Schwartzman, who also coaches youth swimming in Wethersfield, said he knew Brodowicz had the talent coming into the high school, but was surprised at how versatile was in the pool. “I didn’t expect how good of a sprinter she would become. She is good at everything, but I didn’t expect she would get so fast at the 50 and 100 free,” added Schwartzman. Captaining the team this year were Krout, Cartiera, and diver Charlotte Dingle. Schwartzman said that his captains helped lead by example and he was happy that both Krout and Cartiera were both able to be part of the champion 400 free relay team. “We wish more people would come to the swim meets, so I told [the relay team] to try and do something that would make people wish they were here,” stated Schwartzman. “We would love to win the meet but winning the last event in that fashion and walking off the deck with a win, I’ll take it.” GHS sophomore David Smith looks to drive against Waterford on Dec. 27 at Xavier High School. Smith would lead the team with 22 points at the Guardians defeated Waterford in the opening game of the Artie Kohs Basketball Classic at Xavier High School.
After winning only four games a season ago, the boys’ basketball team at Glastonbury High School has already matched that win total through the first month of the 2022-2023 season. On Dec. 27, the Guardians improved to 4-0 with a 61-48 victory over Waterford at the Artie Kohs Basketball Classic at Xavier High School. Sophomore Davis Smith scored a game-high 22 points and senior point guard Adam Molusis added 14 points and eight assists as the Guardians pulled away in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points over the final eight minutes. GHS head coach Jim Vaughan was impressed with how his team responded after four days without playing or practicing because of the holiday weekend. “We worked off some rust,” said Vaughan, whose team jumped out to a 10-4 lead within the first four minutes. “Our effort was good. I don’t think our execution was great, but the effort was there.” Molusis ignited the offensive, draining four three-pointers in the first half with his fourth bucket from beyond the arc giving the Guardians an 18-12 advantage early in the second quarter. After the Lancers reeled off eight straight points to take their only lead of the game at 20-18, Smith quickly put the Guardians back in front when he drove to his right and converted a layup while being fouled. Smith's ensuing free throw gave the Guardians a lead they would not relinquish. Smith hit a three-pointer on the following possession and had a nifty dish to Connor O’Leary in the closing seconds of the second quarter as Glastonbury ended the half on a 13-2 run. O’Leary, who missed all of last season with an injury, finished the night with 13 points. Molusis said the return of O’Leary and the emergence of Smith have allowed him to play more of a traditional point guard role. “I’m able to facilitate more this year, it’s great,” added Molusis, a three-year starter. “We have a lot of weapons this year. If we move the ball well, we can score and be dangerous.” After the Guardians were held to only nine points in the third quarter, O’Leary took over in the fourth by scoring nine points by himself in the final frame. Junior Andrew Burns also made a big impact in the second half, scoring all 10 of his points in the final two quarters. Smith put the finishing touch on the win when he wowed the crowd by throwing down a dunk in transition, providing Glastonbury a nine-point advantage with under two minutes to play in the game. After injuries and inconsistency hampered the team last season, Vaughan said having a full rotation of players is the key to this winter. Vaughan was able to rotate in eight players in the first quarter in the win over Waterford. “We’re hard to guard when we play the right way. We have three guys on the perimeter that can score,” added Vaughan. “We’re hard to match up with. It’s just a matter of doing the right things, which we did at times tonight.” The win advanced the Guardians to the finals where they played the host Falcons of Xavier the following night. Glastonbury led throughout and held a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter before Xavier rallied late by forcing a handful of turnovers and getting timely scoring from seniors Anthony Parker and Aiden Driscoll. Parker led all scorers with 23. This season’s tournament marked the 19th year of the Artie Kohs Classic, named after the school’s longtime athletic director and basketball coach, who passed away in March of 2022. Current Xavier head coach Mike Kohs, who is the son of Art Kohs, was moved by the team winning the tourney this year, saying, “This means a ton to me to win this tournament in the year my father passed.” “Tonight was without question one of the most special wins I’ve had in my coaching career,” added Kohs. “I’m so proud of my team and my coaching staff.” O’Leary paced GHS with 17 and Smith added 14 points as the team fell to 4-1. Despite the loss, the arrow is pointing up for the Guardians. They started the season with a 67-56 victory over Hall as O’Leary (25) and Smith (24) combined to score 49 points on Dec. 16. Three days later, they beat Plainville 82-59 with 11 players breaking into the scoring column. The Guardian needed to rally to register their third win, falling behind 15-4 after the first quarter before storming back to defeat Farmington 52-48 on Dec. 22. O’Leary led the comeback by scoring 11 of his team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter. Vaughan said he would like to see the team play with more composure and finish games stronger, but believes the team has the tools to be successful and praised Molusis for being a seasoned court general that will lead the Guardians up-tempo approach this winter. Molusis believes the team is just starting to reach their potential, adding, “We should just get better and better the more games we have together.” Next up is a home date with Maloney, this Friday, Jan. 6. The game tips off at GHS at 6:45 p.m. Glastonbury High School senior Kelsey Landers will soon be heading to play out her athletic aspirations and follow her dreams of becoming a nurse in New Rochelle, NY.
“I am extremely excited and blessed to announce my verbal commitment to play D1 soccer at Iona University,” Lander announced in July. “Huge thanks to my family, friends, teammates, and coaches who helped me along the way.” College soccer is the natural next step for Landers, who comes from a family that lives and breathes the sport. Lander’s father, Mark Landers, has coached her the past two seasons at GHS and her older sister, Chloe Landers, is a 2020-GHS graduate who now plays for the University of Connecticut, starting all 18 games and leading the Huskies in minutes this fall. She also has a twin sister, Mackenzie Landers, who recently committed to play college soccer at Stonehill College. Landers called Iona “a good fit” and said she chose the school after her initial visit in the summer. “I toured the school and ironically some of the girls from the team were training on the turf field and I got to chat with them, and they told me how the school works and what the environment was like,” recalled Landers, who was also attracted to the school’s nursing program. “It is the best fit for me academically and with playing soccer. I knew I wanted to be challenged with both.” The transition to college soccer should be a smooth one for Landers, who has played with countless players on a variety of teams in youth soccer and throughout high school. She started playing at an early age for the Oakwood Soccer Club, playing at the local club until the eighth grade. She then played club soccer for Connecticut Football Club (CFC) during her first three years in high school and is now finishing at Farmington Sports Arena FSA Premier Soccer Club as a senior. Landers started that because she came from a house full of soccer, she was drawn to the game at an early age, but that her passion increased when she tore her medial collateral ligament (MCL) in high school. The knee injury kept her off the field for a chunk of time and watching from the sidelines made her realize how much the sport meant to her. “It was very frustrating coming back from a knee injury,” recalled Landers. “Just watching the game and seeing my teammates put in all the hard work made me love it more.” Landers was healthy this season as the Guardians won a conference title and made a deep run into the state tournament. She called her senior season at GHS “special” because of the people she shared the field with, saying, “we were one big family.” “This year our senior class worked really hard. We were all good friends and we made sure to include those underclassmen and show them what Glastonbury soccer is all about,” stated Landers. “We faced adversity, and we really picked each other up instead of getting down on one another. Without those friendships we would have faced a lot of challenges emotionally.” Mark Landers said that Kelsey developed that “fight” and became more physical her senior year, which he added will bode well for her at the next level. “Kelsey’s understanding of the game is strong, she’s like a little coach out on the field,” added Mark Landers. “Her communication has improved tremendously, and she now has that competitive fire.” At her next stop, Landers will be joining a Gaels program at Iona that plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Gaels are led by head coach Todd Plourde, who is in his fourth season with the program after serving as an assistant soccer coach at Yale University for a dozen years. Landers said that she is looking forward to joining a team with players from across the country, adding, “It will definitely be a challenge but I’m up for the challenge and will do anything it takes to become a nurse or do whatever it takes to become a good soccer player.” |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
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