Wethersfield's JP Tarascio will help lead the Eagles this spring

This winter seems to have no end. However, blustery winds and snowfall is slowly giving way to warmer temperatures and the smell of spring. This can only mean one thing--- baseball season is here.  As the long winter turns into spring, baseball teams are encouraged by the hope of a new season.  There’s reason to believe that this may be the season of change for the four local baseball teams.  Here’s a look at what to expect this season.      
 
Cromwell is coming off a demoralizing loss in the Class S Championship game last season. The Panthers finished 2013 with a record of 22-5 and came within a finals loss to Oxford of capturing their second straight state championship.  Coach Lewis Pappariella has ace Logan Lessard returning to the mound. The senior pitcher finished his junior campaign with an impressive 8-2 record, tossing shutouts in four of his starts.  His 1.06 ERA was good for second-best on the team and he was productive from the plate as well, driving in 13 runs on 27 hits. Fellow senior Kevin Radziwicz will also be counted on for offensive production. The catcher is coming off of a 27 hit, 23 run campaign.  Cromwell’s first home game is Friday, April 11th against Haddam-Killingworth. First pitch is 3:45 p.m. at Cromwell High School. 
 
Newington is two years removed from winning the Class LL Championship and is looking to rebound from an inconsistent 2013 season.  The Indians finished the 2013 regular season with 12 wins, before losing a 3-2 heartbreaker to Glastonbury in the second round of the tournament.  Skipper Ben Alaimo enters his second season leading the Indians and he has plenty of power returning to the lineup. Senior Marcus Guadarrama, who also stars at football and basketball, is coming off of an impressive junior season and has plenty of pop from the plate. The team will play their first home game on Saturday, April 12th against Maloney.  First pitch is 1 p.m. at Alumni Baseball Field. 
 
Rocky Hill heads into the 2014 season with new hope.  Last season the Terriers finished 15-7, which was a six game improvement from the previous season.  The Terrier’s 15 wins were the most in the Central Connecticut East. The 2013 season was the first for manager Chris Farrell, who will be looking to build on the success of last season’s team that lost in the first round of the Class M tournament. Chris Bounchard and Tommy Seaver lead a strong group of seniors who are hoping to take the Terriers on a state title ride. The team’s first home game is Thursday, April 10th at Rocky Hill High School against Conard. First pitch is 3:45 p.m.
 
Wethersfield hopes to carry the momentum from last season into this spring.  The Eagles played well during the 2013 regular season, but their play went to the next level once the Class L tournament stated.  The Eagles won two tournament games before falling to the eventual champion, New Canaan, in the quarterfinals. JP Tarascio and Ryan Peterson return to lead a talented group of seniors, who are hoping their final season ends with a title shot.  Veteran manager Mark Bagdasarian’s Eagles open with a six-game road trip, but they return home on Monday, April 28th to play Tolland at 3:45 p.m. The game against Tolland will be part of a four-game home stand.  

Rocky Hill's terrific trio of Erika Leonard, Katie Slavin, Louisa Acca will be back this spring​

The great comedian Brian Regan once questioned the origin of the name softball, saying that no one ever took a line drive to the face with a softball and said it was downy soft. With that said, it’s time for another not-so-softball season and the four local high school teams are primed for a spring full of excitement and intrigue.  Here’s a detailed look at the upcoming season.   
 
Cromwell struggled last season, finishing 4-16 in the first season under the guidance of head coach Angelo Morello. The Panthers had a promising start to 2013, winning two of their first three games, but were unable to sustain the early success once spring turned into summer.  Mallory Leone and Taylor Polizonis enter their senior seasons coming off fantastic junior years.  The two combined for 58 hits, 23 runs, and 32 RBI last season. Taylor Wood also made a splash as a freshman last season.  She hit .500, drove in 24 runs, and hit one of the team’s two homeruns in 2013. The Panthers welcome rival New Britain to Cromwell High School for their home opener on Thursday, April 10th. First pitch is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. 
 
The Newington Indians leaned heavily on sophomore Olivia Burgos last season and they will more than likely lean on her more this season.  Burgos enters her junior season after pitching 131 of 134 innings total innings for Newington in 2013, while posting 18 complete games and registering a shutout in one of those games. Burgos also hit five of the team’s six homeruns and totaled 32 hits, 26 runs, and 25 RBI.  The Indians start the season by hosting the Newington Jamboree, which takes place at Newington High School on Saturday, April 5th.  First pitch for the event is at 9 a.m. 
 
Rocky Hill took a step back last season after winning the Class M State Championship in 2012. The 2013 team had only two seniors on the roster and skipper Gilbert Gioia is hoping the team regains their championship form after the team was ousted in the first round of the tournament last summer. The team will rely on captains Katie Slavin and Erika Leonard, who enter their senior seasons as the team’s leader.  The Terriers open at home against Bristol Central, who defeated Rocky Hill in their home opener last season.  First pitch is Wednesday, April 9th at 3:45 p.m. 
 
Wethersfield has won at least one tournament game the past three seasons and is hoping to take the next step this season with a state title in mind.  Last season, the Eagles were blanked 7-0 by a juggernaut Foran team in the second round of the Class L tournament. Foran went on to lose in the state title game. Coach Brian Fanelli, who also coaches boys’ basketball at Wethersfield, will lean on senior fielder Rachel Dinatalie and junior pitcher Megan Kieselback to build on the success from last season.  The Eagles will welcome Southington to Mill Woods Park for their home opener.  First pitch is 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9th.
​

​The Cromwell Panthers and Valley Regional Warriors basketball teams are very familiar with one another.  Both teams are part of the Shoreline Conference, meaning they play at least two times each season. This season was twice as special. The conference foes faced each other four times and it was only fitting that the fourth and final game determined who would advance to the Class S Championship game. 
 
Coming into the semi-final showdown, Cromwell had suffered their only conference loss of the season against Valley Regional in Deep River, but had won the next two contests. One of those victories was a 72-53 whitewash of the Warriors and the other was a Shoreline Conference tournament victory. Both wins were part of Cromwell’s fourteen-game win streak heading into the win-or-go-home tournament game.
 
The setting for the epic fourth game was Sheehan High School in Wallingford, which was packed with equal-parts Panther and Warrior supporters. The game lived up to the hype and wasn’t decided until the final minute of a memorable 61-57 Valley Regional victory.
 
Valley Regional point guard David Bradbury was the difference maker and put on a show for the standing room only crowd.  The electrifying junior scored a game-high 25 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Bradbury’s huge night helped the Warriors overcome foul trouble in the first half and untimely turnovers in the final quarter. 
 
Bradbury’s teammate and fellow junior Chris Jean-Pierre was one of the Warriors that got into early foul trouble, picking up two fouls in the first two minutes of the game. Jean-Pierre, who entered the contest averaging a team-high 19 points and 9 rebounds per game, was forced to sit out the final 14 minutes of the first half.
 
Despite the absence of their leading scorer, Valley Regional never trailed during the first half and the game was tied at intermission.  Cromwell’s Matt Turkington tied the game at 23 with a long three-pointer in the waning moments of the second quarter. The three-point shot was part of his 9-point effort in the first half for the senior center.  The 6’5 Turkington finished the game with a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds. 
 
Turkington gave Cromwell their first lead of the night when he pump-faked a three-point attempt and dribbled inside the arc before knocking down a 17-foot jumper, giving the Panthers a 25-23 advantage.  The tie-breaking shot came after a sloppy start to the second half for both teams.  Neither team scored for the first two and a half minutes of the third quarter and officials warned players of both teams after chippy-play and trash talk had ensued.
 
After trailing for the first time in the game, Valley Regional closed the quarter on a 17-9 run. Jean-Pierre returned from foul trouble and his fresh legs helped spark the run, scoring nine of his 16 points in the third quarter. The scoring advantage provided the Warriors a 40-34 edge enter the fourth quarter. 
 
Cromwell started the final quarter in championship form, using the energy of senior guard Josh Green. Green scored four points, threaded a perfect pass to Jake Regula for an assist, and stole three passes over the first two minutes of the final frame. His finger roll layup narrowed the deficit to 45-44, forcing Valley Regional coach Kevin Woods to call a timeout with 5:38 left in regulation. 
 
Green, who can play all five positions on the court, continued his fourth-quarter heroics and regained the lead for Cromwell by stealing an entry pass before taking the ball coast-to-coast for an uncontested layup. Two possessions later, Turkington knocked down another triple to give Cromwell their largest lead of the game, 55-52, with 3:21 to play in regulation.
 
Desperately needing an offensive spark, Valley Regional put the ball into the hands of Bradbury, who canned a high-arcing baseline jumper to pull the Warriors within a point. On the following offensive possession, the clutch guard nailed a contested three-pointer, giving the Warriors a 57-55 lead.
 
Undeterred, Turkington countered by tipping in his own missed shot, tying the game at 57. Regula then grabbed a defensive rebound and Cromwell called timeout with 44 seconds to play. During the timeout, the Panthers designed a play hoping for one last possession, but they turned the ball over on the inbound pass and Jean-Pierre easily coasted down the court for an uncontested layup. Cromwell again committed a turnover on the next possession and Valley Regional sealed the game from the free-throw line. 
 
The loss ends a great season for Cromwell, who finished with a record of 23-3. They played at a championship level for most of the season despite falling short of their ultimate goal. Departing seniors Turkington, Regula, Green, DeAndre Hamblin, Mike McNally, Shant Darakjian, and Logan Lessard will be hard to replace, but head coach John Pinone has been able to work his magic year after year.
 
Valley Regional wound up losing 65-56 to Sacred Heart in the Class S Championship game at Mohegan Sun on Sunday afternoon.    

WHS swimmers (L-R) Chris Piccione, Colin Curtin, Adam Clark, Brendan Stewart, Colin Stewart, Rich Bielak, Daniel Camilliere

The Wethersfield boys swim team finished 5th at the Class M Finals meet and had some great relay and individual performances during the daylong event at Wesleyan University.  During the meet, the swimming Eagles finished ahead of 18 other schools and posted good enough times to send five student athletes to compete at the Open Swim Championships at Yale. 
 
Wethersfield seniors Colin Curtin, Daniel Camilliere, Brendan Stewart, and junior Christopher Piccione took home top-honors in the 200-yard Medley Relay at the class finals. That same relay team finished 3rd at the State Open and posted a faster time at the open than they did at the finals.
 
Piccione also finished 2nd in the 100-yard Butterfly and 4th in the 50-yard Freestyle. The powerful junior also teamed with Stewart, Adam Clark, and Charlie Renaud for a 3rd place finish in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay at the class finals. 
 
Wethersfield coach Lee Schwartzman said that Piccione has been very adaptable this season. 
 
“We changed events up on Chris out of necessity for the team.  We had a need him in duel meets this year and we needed him in the 50 {Yard Freestyle},” Schwartzman, who also coaches the high school girls and youth swimming teams in Wethersfield, said. “Chris has worked hard. He’s been great as a junior stepping into the role of being the guy in the sprint events. He’s got his eyes on some records for next year.”
 
The two meets were the last for Curtin, who was a team captain and will be swimming collegiately this time next year. During both events he was limited due to an injury, but it didn’t stop the team’s inspirational leader from competing.    
 
“Colin is a captain and a fantastic leader.  As a captain he showed his real character,” Schwartzman said. “He’s a seasoned swimmer and a Type A personality. He’s the first guy in the water.” 
 
“Colin really learned how to train. Between his sophomore and junior years he really stepped it up in terms of training,” His coach said while reflecting on his time with Curtin, “The way that Colin has carried himself was very mature and every year he gotten better and better.  I think he realized how good he can be.”
 
The veteran coach now turns his attention to next season, where the team will be looking to win their ninth straight conference title. 
 
“We’ll be even a smaller team next year, but every year kids step up and fill in the holes. They take pride in keeping the conference streak alive,” Schwartzman said, “The conference streak is very important to us. We take it for granted a little bit, but it is something that needs to be a staple of the program.  No matter what happens, we need to win the conference.”   
 
Junior Max Walter represented the Eagles diving team and finished in the top two-thirds of divers at the finals competition.
 
Rocky Hill finished 10th overall at the Class S Finals and also sent swimmers to the Open Championships at Yale.
 
Jack Malespoini finished off his sensational senior season with a bang.  He took home 1st place in the 50-yard Freestyle and finished 2nd in the 100-yard Freestyle at the class finals. He capped off his high school campaign by finishing 3rd and 5th in the respective events at the Open Championship.      
 
Malespoini along with Wyatt Gentenbein, Kevin MacDonald, and Clayton Parrotta are the four Rocky Hill seniors that will be graduating this year. Next season, the Terriers will have several swimmers returning led by sophomore Matt Callahan, who placed 13th and 16th at the 200-yard Freestyle and the 50-yard Freestyle at the class finals.  

Senior guard Ahmed Hassaan

The names on the Rocky Hill boys’ basketball roster never changed this season, but the players that took the court in December looked completely different than the scrappy squad that nearly made a miraculous march through March’s Class M tournament.
 
The Terriers struggled for most of the season, losing twelve of their first eighteen games. They were in danger of missing the tournament and needed to win their final two regular season games on the road just to qualify for the postseason. Rocky Hill did just that, beating RHAM and league-powerhouse Bloomfield in dramatic fashion to sneak their way into the tourney.
 
“Our team really came together at the end of the year,” senior captain Tommy Seaver said, “Everyone knew their role and what we had to do in order to achieve our goal of making the postseason.”
 
The pair of road wins earned Rocky Hill the 24th seed in the tournament and a date with the heavily favored Bullard-Havens Tigers. The Bridgeport-based school entered the tournament as the 9th seed and had won seven of their final eight regular season games. Despite the discrepancy on paper, Rocky Hill traveled to Bridgeport with confidence and easily defeated the Tigers, 64-48. The shocking first-round upset put the rest of the teams vying for the Class M championship on notice.
 
One of those teams was the 8th seeded St. Paul Catholic Falcons, who were Rocky Hill’s next opponent. The higher seed meant the Bristol school would host the suddenly dangerous Terriers just two days after Rocky Hill had pulled off the opening round upset. The rambunctious, standings room only crowd at St. Paul Catholic High School witnessed an instant classic that saw the home team end Rocky Hill’s season, 71-63, in a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate.
 
St. Paul entered the contest just as red-hot as Rocky Hill, riding a ten game winning streak and having won fourteen of their last fifteen games. Both teams played a physical brand of basketball and the game was played at a breakneck pace for most of the first quarter, which ended with the Falcons holding a 14-12 advantage.
 
It was the second quarter when things got interesting. Rocky Hill started the quarter on a 14-2 run, thanks to an offensive spark from freshman Nicholas Casiano and the defensive prowess of Seaver. Casiano started the quarter by knocking down a long three-pointer from the right wing and scored four more points during the run. Seaver dominate the interior on both ends of the court, grabbing four rebounds, stealing two passes, and blocking a pair of shots during Rocky Hill’s second-quarter surge.
 
The sudden change in momentum forced St. Paul head coach Steve Phelps to substitute to a smaller lineup in an attempt to match Rocky Hill’s short, but athletic rotation. The lineup change immediately helped as the home team went to an 11-0 spurt, narrowing the deficit to 28-27 with 2 seconds left in the half. Rocky Hill tried a full-court inbound pass in an attempt to get one last shot before the half, but the errant pass was stolen by St. Paul’s Reid Morin at midcourt. The 6’3 senior was grabbed and fouled as he heaved a 40-foot desperation shot as time expired. The buzzer-beating shot miraculously banked off of the backboard and went in, which sent the home crowd into hysterics. Morin sank the ensuring free throw, ending the half with a rare four-point play.
 
Rocky Hill coach Josh Dinerman and his staff did an excellence job at refocusing the Terriers after the zany finish to the first half. Rocky Hill came out of the halftime locker room and played inspired behind the leadership of senior guard Ahmed Hassaan. Hassaan scored seven points of his ten points during the third quarter and Rocky Hill retook the lead, 42-40, with 2:04 left in the third. The lead was short lived as St. Paul again closed the quarter with a fury, scoring six straight points. All six points came from imposing 6’5 junior DeJuan Rodriguez, who finished the game with 17 points.
 
The teams traded baskets for most of the fourth quarter and Greg Marzilli, who finished with 13 points, kept Rocky Hill within striking distance with one clutch shot after another. The senior guard briefly gave Rocky Hill a 59-57 lead with a 16-foot jumper prior to St. Paul going on a game-clinching 7-1 run. Marzilli ended St. Paul’s run by draining a high-arcing baseline three-pointer with 47 seconds remaining. The shot narrowing the visitor’s deficit to one point, but it was too little, too late. St. Paul drained all five of their free throws and closed scoring the game’s final seven points.
 
Following the tournament exit, Rocky Hill’s emotional leader was able to reflect and give insight into the team’s late-season surge.
 
“{One of the things} that helped us in the last two games of the regular season, as well as the state tournament games was our support,” Seaver said, “The number of students, families, and fans that came out was an important factor. They motivated us and it was greatly appreciated.”
 
The tournament loss was the last game for Seaver and his fellow seniors Hassaan, Marzilli, and Benjamin Ciccaglione. All four were major contributors this season and have left a lasting impression on the players who will be trying to fill their kicks. Sharp-shooters Casiano and Brendan Boornazina will assume the bulk of the leadership role next season, along with post player Jacob LaTorra and versatile swingman Dave Sevigny.

​The Wethersfield gymnastics team finished seventh at the Class S State Divisional Championships, coming within a mere point of a top-5 finish. Woodstock Academy took home top honors at the event, but Wethersfield’s upstart group of gymnast edged Stonington and nearly defeated Law and Nonnewaug High School.
 
Head coach Ashley Diana, who was a gymnast on Wethersfield’s 2001 state championship team, had a young group of athletes this season. Eight of the thirteen athletes competing for Wethersfield were underclasswoman, which hindered the team’s experience this season, but sets up the Eagles for strong seasons over the next two years.
 
One of the team’s underclasswoman is Taylor Garrey, who performed and competed in all four events at the open. She scored a team-high in all four events, excelling at the floor exercise. The sophomore dazzled the crowd with an 8.25 during her floor routine. Her score was good enough to finish in the top-third of the 48 gymnast that competed in the floor exercise. She also scored an impressive 8.3 in the vault and rounded out her fabulous day with 7.45 on the uneven bars and a 7.4 on the balance beam.
 
Senior Mariah Gonzalez also shined during her floor routine, scoring an official 8.225. Fellow senior, Taylor Buysse, finished the open, scoring a valiant 6.2 in the uneven bars, the most difficult of the events. Gonzalez, Buysse, Alexander Comeau, and Rachel Dinatalie were the four seniors that competed for Wethersfield this season.
 
Despite the team’s youth, Wethersfield still had a respectable season. The Eagles won their opening event of the season, edging Hall. Then in the regular season finale they tied RHAM, who finished second in the divisional championship.
 
The future is bright for the high-flying Eagles, who will have over three-fourths of their gymnast returning next season. They will also still have the guidance of Diane, who will be entering her twelve season leading the team.

Coach Kelly Maher and her Cromwell girls’ basketball team played the Stonington Bears in the second-round of the Class M tournament on Thursday night without the services of their co-captain and point guard Emily Appleby. Appleby, who is one of only three seniors on Cromwell’s roster, was feeling under the weather and was forced to miss her second game of the season.  Losing your point guard would normal debilitate a team’s ability to function offensively, but Cromwell’s next-girl-up mentality allowed them to overcome her absence and a slow start to easily defeat Stonington, 47-30, at Jake Salafia Gymnasium. 
 
Maher, who has brilliantly coached a team filled with underclassman, did it again Thursday night. The veteran coach decided to deploy an all-freshman backcourt in the second quarter, after a sluggish start and foul trouble allowed the underdog-Bears to take and 14-12 advantage midway through the quarter. First year guards Nikki Bitinaitis and Theresa Quinn helped slow the Stonington offense and gave energy to a team that was missing their backcourt leader.
 
“They have experience and we have confidence in them,” Maher said about the young guard tandem, “They did what they needed to do and did a great job for us tonight.”
 
Trailing 20-17 at the half, the Panthers came out of the locker room with a renewed sense of urgency and unleashed a furious offensive assault on the visiting Bears.  Cromwell scored the first eight points of the second half and scored more points in the third quarter, 18, than they did in the entire first half. All told, the Panthers outscored the Bears 23-4 over the opening nine minutes of the second half and breezed the rest of the way. 
 
“We were rushing a little bit and looking for entry passes that weren’t there,” Maher said about the team’s first half struggles, “We told the players to relax, take their time, and look for the openings. We just had to rebound the ball, get better passes, and do what we do best.”
 
All-conference senior standout Janelle Harrison started to do what she does best, scoring 7 points during Cromwell tremendous second-half surge. The sensational center finished the game with a game-high 15 points and 12 rebounds. She also assumed more of the on-court leadership role in Appleby’s absence and was the emotional catalyst behind the team’s turnaround.
 
The home crowd had become restless prior to Harrison and her Panther teammates finding their rhythm. Early in the first quarter it looked like Stonington could be primed for an upset. Using a full-court press on defense and crisp ball movement on offense, the Bears scored the game’s first five points and stunned the home favorites for most of the first half.  However, Maher’s second half adjustments and the Cromwell’s sudden energy surge forced the visitors to change their game plan. Stonington’s in-game modifications proved to be futile as Cromwell outscored the visitors 30-10 over the final two quarters.
 
The win propels Cromwell into the third round of a Class M tournament for a home date with Lewis Mills. Maher said that she fully expects their court general, Appleby, to be back for Monday’s game. If Cromwell wins the third-round tilt, they will face the winner of Morgan and St. Josephs.  Morgan is favored to beat St. Josephs, and if they do it would set up an epic fourth meeting between the conference-rival schools. Morgan dealt Cromwell their only loss this season, while Cromwell beat the Clinton-based school in the other two meetings, but only by a combined three points.  The game would be played at a neutral site to be determined and tipoff for the potential classic would be Friday at 7 p.m. 
 
Boys Basketball Tournament Roundup
 
Rocky Hill Achieves Goal of Making Class M Tournament
 
Rocky Hill Terriers guard Greg Marzilli said after a Jan 30th loss to E.O. Smith that the team still expected to reach the 8-win mark and make the tournament.  Rocky Hill needed to win four of their final seven games in order to achieve that goal, and that’s exactly what they did. 
 
Marzilli and his Terrier teammates now have the tall task of navigating their way through an ultra-competitive Class M tournament. Marzilli, Ahmed Hassaan, Benjamin Ciccaglione, and Tommy Seaver are the four seniors on Rocky Hill’s roster who are hoping to extend their high school careers in the win-or-go-home tournament.
 
If they can defeat Bullard-Haven Tech in Bridgeport, they will take on the winner of St. Paul and Woodland. If St. Paul wins, Rocky Hill will travel to Bristol, but if Woodland pulls the upset, the Terriers will host a tournament game on Thursday at 7 p.m.
 
 Wethersfield is Tourney-Bound
 
The Wethersfield Eagles have had an up-and-down season.  They started the season 3-1, but then lost five of their next six games.  The Eagles wound up winning two of their final three games to ensure a spot in the Class L tournament. 
 
Sharpe-shooting Ryan Peterson has paced Wethersfield offensively and all-around guards Jordan Manchester and Andrew Kelly have excelled on both ends of the court. Coach Brian Fanelli uses a deep rotation to keep his players fresh, which could be beneficial during the tournament.   
 
The Eagles enter the tournament as the 25th seed and will travel to New Haven to face 8th seeded Wilber Cross in the opening round.  If they can upset the New Haven-based school, they will take on the winner of Bunnell and St. Joseph.
 
 Newington Last Team into the Class LL Tourney
 
The Newington Indians needed to win a play-in game to qualify for the Class LL tournament.  They defeated Hall 53-47 in an emotional home game to earn them the 32nd seed and a date with the #1 seed Fairfield Prep in the opening round of the tournament. 
 
The Indians have had an up-and-down season and are hoping that the last month of the season trends upwards. In order to make a tourney run they will rely on senior forward Marcus Guadarrama and phenomenal freshman guard Jared Simmons to lead the way.
 
If Newington does pull the shocking upset over Fairfield Prep, they will have an easier road the rest of the way.  The Indians would next face the winner of East Hartford and Xavier, who were both inconsistent at times this season. 
 

Sports talent varied from town to town. One school may excel in a particular sport, while their cross-town rival may excel in another. This creates healthy competition and evens the playing field for schools when competing in a variety of sports.

The same can be said for boys and girls sports programs at each school. It is rare that both the boys and girls programs in a particular sport can compete at the highest level.
 
The Cromwell basketball programs seem to have found a loophole in the system.
 
The boys and girls basketball teams at Cromwell High School are amongst the elite teams in the state and are both primed to make title runs over the next month. Cromwell basketball finished the regular season with a combined record of 40-3 and are the two hottest teams entering the Class M tournament.
 
The boys, coached by former NBA player John Pinone, finished the regular season winning their last ten games and are favorites to win the Shoreline Conference Championship. Pinone has the Panther boys peaking, playing unselfish and disciplined basketball with the boy’s tournament starting next week.
 
Four Panther players, Jake Regula, Matt Turkington, Josh Green, and Mike McNally, finished the season averaging double-figures in scoring. The sharp-shooting Regula led all scorers, dumping in 14 points per game, including a season-high 29 in Cromwell’s regular season home finale, an 84-57 victory over Westbrook.
 
Point guard DeAndre Hamlin has helped spread the scoring around, dishing out five assists per game. The 5’10 senior has also added seven points per game and is a force on the defensive end of the court. Hamlin has helped Cromwell’s stingy defense hold their opponents to an average of less than 45 points per game this season, with the team only surrendered 50 or more points four times in 21 games.
 
The girls, coached by Kelly Maher, are hitting on all cylinders, winning 40 of their last 41 games, including last season. Maher’s girls shook off an early season loss and are entering the tournament on a 21-game winning streak. The lady Panthers earned a top-seed in the tournament after a dramatic 41-40 victory over rival Morgan in the Shoreline Conference Championship game.
 
All-conference forward Janelle Harrison is the catalyst behind the team‘s success, averaging 18 points and nine rebounds per games. The senior captain has also mentored a group of young sophomores that are paying big dividends for Cromwell.
 
Emma Belcourt, Araya Lessard, and Alyssa Wright have all been key contributors as sophomores. Fellow second year sensation Mya Villard has not only been a contributor, but she has also excelled statistically. The versatile Villard can dominate near the basket and has the ability to step out the key and knock down jumpers, averaging 11 points and 10 rebounds per game.
 
The group of super sophomores is hoping to help Harrison end her high school career with back-to-back state titles. Harrison, along with fellow senior Emily Appleby, were vital parts of last season undefeated run, en route to a state championship.
 
The lady Panthers will open the Class M tournament at home and if they win the first round game they will host the winner of Plainville and Stonington on Thursday. The second round clash will tip at 7 p.m. at Jake Salafia Gymnasium.
 
Girls Basketball Tournament Roundup
 
Terriers Tournament Bound
 
The Rocky Hill Terriers began the season losing three of their first four games. It looked like it may take a while for first year head coach Allyson Toulouse to put her defensive stamp on the program. However, Rocky Hill quickly turned up the defensive intensity and won 11 of their final 16 games to earn a spot in the Class M tournament.
 
The Terriers deep rotation of girls has allowed the team to stay fresh all season and they enter the tournament well rested. They closed the regular season with a convincing 63-34 victory over Rockville and they will play their first round tournament game coming off eleven days rest.
 
The Terriers (12-8) enter the tournament as underdogs and will travel north to battle Suffield. If they can beat Suffield they will play the play the winner of Morgan and Cheney Tech on Thursday. If Morgan wins, the Terriers will travel to Clinton, but they would host Cheney Tech if the Manchester-based school pulls off the upset.
 
Newington Earn Class LL Tournament Spot
 
The Newington Indians earned a trip to the highly competitive Class LL tournament after finishing the season 11-9. Their record was good enough to earn them the 23rd seed and a date with Hartford-based E.O. Smith in the first round.
 
The team now has the tall task of advancing in the tournament. In order to advance, they will rely on the offense of Stasha Greenalch and Kayla Guest. The two seniors have carried a bulk of the offensive responsibilities for the Indians in the regular season, averaging 16 and 13 points respectively. The dynamic duo has accounted for 68% of Newington’s offensive output this season.
 
If Newington can upset E.O. Smith they take on the winner of Norwich Free Academy and Newtown. Norwich will host the game if they win, but if Newtown wins, they will travel to Newington. Tipoff for the potential second round matchup would be Thursday at 7 p.m.
 
Wethersfield Make Tournament, Facing Tough First Rounder
 
The Wethersfield Eagles fought and clawed their way into the Class L tournament by winning three of their final four games. Their only loss in the last month of the season was a heartbreaking four-point loss to Glastonbury. They are hoping to keep the late-season momentum going into the tournament.
 
The Eagles have the tough task of facing RHAM and the state’s leading scorer Sarah Veilleux in the first round. Veilleux averaged 34 points a game during the regular season and will most likely take home her second straight Gatorade Player of the Year award by season‘s end.
 
Wethersfield coach Michelle Libby will rely on her group of defenders and her senior leadership to help contain Veilleux and spark the upset. If they hold off RHAM they will face the winner of Avon and Bethel. If Avon wins they would host the game, but if underdog Bethel wins, they would travel to Wethersfield for a potential second round shakedown. Tipoff for the game would be Friday at 7 p.m.