Newington's Maddy Ellis, Cyan Gonzalez, Dani Pantano, and Rachel Thureson celebrate between innings during the Indians 13-0 victory over Wethersfield last Tuesday.

Newington softball visited Wethersfield High School and ended any chance of the home team making the state tournament, blanking the Eagles 13-0 last Tuesday.

“Offensively we’re hitting the ball well, we’re getting contributions from a lot of kids,” Newington coach Steve Markie said following win #11, “We’ve had a lot of kids injured throughout the course of the season, so now we’re hopefully getting more players back and can get a little better defensively.”

Dani Pantano allowed only three hits in five innings to earn the victory and Amaia Jackson didn’t allow a hit over the final two innings, picking up the save.

It was the team’s second shutout this season and a positive sign for Markie and his staff.

“Dani has pitched well the whole year. She’s had some games were unfortunately our defense hasn’t been great and she’s been a hard-luck loser, but overall she’s pitched great for us.”

As they have done all spring, Rachel Thureson and Cyan Gonzalez carried the team from the plate, combining for seven hits, four runs, and four RBIs. The seniors have provided the bulk of the offense, leading the team in nearly every statistical category.

“I can’t speak highly enough about either one of them. They’re phenomenal softball players, and kids and leaders,” Markie said of his dynamic diamond duo, who share the captain’s duties with Pantano, “They’re the glue and all three of them have been awesome, but we can’t count on just one or two kids. That’s what we’ve tried to get them to understand, what if {Cyan} has a bad day, what if Rachel has a bad day? It’s possible, they’re human. Other kids have to be able to pick them up, and as you saw today other kids stepped up.”

The loss dropped Wethersfield to 6-13, eliminating them from tournament consideration for the second straight season.

Despite falling short, the strides made this season are the latest steps in a journey of a team learning how to win.

“We’re starting a lot of young kids, we only have one senior in our program,” said Wethersfield coach Colleen Budaj, referring to senior Maddy Johnson, “I know it’s hard for {Maddy} to not qualify for the tournament, but we’re absolutely taking steps forward and building for the future.”

Tournament or not, Johnson has embraced her role as a solo senior this season.

“I’ve played with a lot of these girls before, we’ve been playing since we were nine or ten, and they’re a great group of girls. Last year I was a captain, but this year it’s a little different and it’s been nice taking over that leadership role.”

Due to necessity Budaj had to play Johnson, as well as most of her roster, in multiple positions. The veteran coach praised her senior captain for both her leadership and ability to adapt.

“She’s had to split some responsibilities for us. In some games we started her at pitcher and in some games we’ve relied on her in the outfield, especially when we knew we were playing against good hitting teams. She has really nice range and gets a good jump on the ball in the outfield. She kept us in some tight game by making some key catches.”

Johnson was part of the Eagles’ pitching rotation that includes Molly Bowers (who pitched against Newington), Mackenzi Banet, and Kaitlyn Fischer.   

Bowers and Banet are freshmen and Fischer is a junior, giving Budaj plenty of options next spring.

“Molly got a bulk of the pitching this year, but Mackenzi and Kaitlyn got some valuable experience that will definitely help us next year.”

Preparations for 2020 started following an 11-7 loss to Plainville in the season finale last Wednesday at WHS, which also happened to be Senior Night aka ‘Maddy Night’.

“I’m happy that we’re better than we were last year,” said Johnson, “We’ve had such few girls that we’ve had to play different positions but that has helped us mature and helped us throughout the whole season.”

Johnson will be moving on but Budaj has a wealth of experience coming back, including Zoe Kleeblatt, who will be a senior next season and coming off back-to-back seasons of hitting over .500 from the plate.

Budaj sees the potential in this group, now it’s about taking that potential to the next level.

“I look at how they played against Avon and how hard they played against New Britain, and I look at some of those game and say that we can’t lower the bar. We can’t take steps backwards, we have to keep moving forward. It’s important because we’ve seen them play at a high level.”

“I think what is nice is that a lot of those kids play year-round and they’re starting to develop that mentality if you make a mistake, you can shake it off and not make that same mistake again. We’ve seen a lot of growth with the freshman this year and we expect them to come in even better next year.”

As for Newington, they finished the regular season hotter than a firecracker.

Including the win at Wethersfield, the Indians won four games in three nights, ending the regular season on a five-game winning streak.
They defeated Bristol Central (10-2) and Hall (1-0) last Wednesday in a day-night double header before polishing off their regular season schedule with a 4-1 win over New Britain, finishing 14-6 and earning a share of the conference championship.

In the finale, Pantano struck out nine and Gonzalez hit a home run, scoring three runs.  

Markie doesn’t mind the hectic finish heading into the Class LL tourney.

“We don’t have to schedule scrimmages because we’re playing a lot of games and we should be game-ready. We’re seeing live pitches and it puts us in game scenarios. Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time.”

 
The Starting Five: Local Athletes of the Week

Trevor Drescher- Middletown (Track & Field): Drescher finished first in both the Shot Put and Discus at the CCC South Division Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Middletown High School last Tuesday. Teammate Eddie Williams won the 100 Meters at the same event as the Blue Dragons finished second overall as a team.

Sienna Brodeur- Wethersfield (Track & Field): Brodeur finished first in the Pole Vault at the CCC North Division Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Wethersfield High School last Tuesday. Teammate Clarissa Nock finished first in the Javelin and Shot Put, helping the Eagles place second overall at the event.   

Robert Stabert- Newington (Track & Field): Stabert finished first in the Javelin at the CCC North Division Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Freshman teammate Michael Bohlke won the 1600 Meters at the same event, as the Indians placed fourth overall as a team.

Lilah Devine- Rocky Hill (Track & Field): Devine won the 800 Meters at the CCC North Division Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The senior, along with teammates Elizabeth Stockman and Maria Corcoran who finished 1-2 in the 1600 Meters, helped the Terriers finish fourth overall.

Zac Cyr- Cromwell (Lacrosse): Cyr ended his high school lacrosse career with a performance to remember, scoring nine goals in a 14-2 victory over Vinal-Goodwin last Monday at CHS. The senior was instrumental in the Panthers winning their final two games of the season, also pouring in eight goals and dishing out two assists in a 13-3 win over Old Saybrook on May 16.

Christian Budzik’s first year as the head baseball coach at Cromwell was a mixed bag.

The 23-year old skipper inherited a youthful team that showed a lot of positive signs on the field but were on the wrong side of several close games.

“They say that baseball is a game of inches and it really just comes down to a few bounces one way or another,” Budzik said following a 4-1 loss to Bristol Eastern last Tuesday at CHS.

Cromwell lost 15 of the 20 games this spring, yet eight of those losses came by a single run. 

“It’s been tough, but it’s good that we’re in tight games because it will help us be a good team for years to come. These young guys are getting good experience.”

Even the loss to Bristol Eastern was decided in a single inning. The game was tied heading into the fifth before the visiting Lancers scored three in the top of the inning and held serve the rest of the way.

“You have to stay as positive as you possibly can. The seniors have done a good job staying positive and helping these younger guys come along,” added Budzik, “They’re young, they’re learning. We’ve gotten a lot better as the year has gone on.”

Despite the growing pains, the Panthers showed their resolve during the last month of the season by winning three of their final five games against tourney-bound teams.   

On May 6 they trounced powerhouse Haddam-Killingworth 13-4, handing the Cougars their most lopsided defeat of the season.

Junior Nick Polizonis earned the win and senior Mason Fox picked up the save, combining to allow only six hits against H-K’s powerful lineup.
Polizonis also scored three runs and freshman Elias DeLeon added three hits, driving in three more runs.

The final pair of wins came over an eight-day span against rival Valley Regional.

First was a 4-1 win behind the strong left arm of Fox, who pitched a complete game and fanned eight. Fellow senior Jack Dooley drove in a pair of runs offensively.

“We didn’t have any pitchers with full time varsity experience coming in, but our pitching staff has held up pretty well and we didn’t give up a lot of runs. Mason Fox really stepped up,” said Budzik.

The seniors left on a high note with an 18-6 last Thursday at Deep River during the season finale. Tyler Baldwin delivered a solid pitching performance and sophomore Tino Gagliardi had a huge game from the plate, scoring four runs and driving in four more on five hits. Dooley added four RBIs.

“The seniors have laid the foundation for what is to come over the coming years,” Budzik said of Fox, Dooley, Ryan Carroll, and Jason Wicker.
Following 11 seasons under the tutelage of Lewis Pappariella---which included 11 winning seasons, five Shoreline titles, and a state championship---the program’s first season under Budzik’s control is complete and he’s looking forward to establishing his own standard of winning.

Budzik played for Pappariella from 2010-2013 and then went on to star at Eastern Connecticut State University, earning team MVP during his senior season at ECSU.

Many of his coaching principles are derived from Pappariella and he credits the players with helping ease his transitions from player to coach.

“They have really helped me as much as anything. I’m not the one out there making the plays. When they win, it’s on them. I’ve grown a lot and gotten more confident making adjustments. It’s been a learning year.”

May’s success was a glimpse of what the future could look like over the next couple of seasons as several starters are returning, including Polizonis and Baldwin, who were captains this spring.

“They’ve both been great. They took on a big role at the beginning of the year and they were both starters every day. Tyler has grown physically and mentally. As a leader he has grown, he’s probably our best all-around player right now. The way he’s become more vocal has really been what we needed. Same thing with Nick. It’s been good that they’ve been in that leadership role because next year we’re bringing a lot back and we need them to be comfortable in that leadership role moving forward.”

Now, the real preparation begins.

“When you take a step back and look at our roster, we have a lot coming back, but I tell them that championships are won from June to March not March to June. It’s what you do in the offseason.” 
 

The Starting Five: Athletes of the Week

Sam Jacinto- Cromwell (Tennis): Jacinto has been rock-solid for the Panthers, winning all 18 of his matches this spring, including a perfect record in Shoreline conference play. Head coach Ken Borton has used him in a variety of spots over the last three years and praised his senior captain for his attitude and as a leader, both vocally and by example.

Aslan Tate- Newington (Track & Field): Tate won the high jump, long jump, and triple jump to help Newington boys’ track defeat Wethersfield and capture their first conference championship in 29 years. The senior and his track & field mates now turn their attention to the postseason tournaments.   

Ishan Sheth- Rocky Hill (Tennis): Sheth has been the #1 singles player for Rocky Hill, defeating several of his counterparts this spring. The junior earned his second singles victory over Jeff Gamer of Cromwell last Tuesday and now looks forward to his second straight appearance in the state tournament, where he won a Class S first round match a season ago.

Derek Tenney- Wethersfield (Baseball): Tenney had a walk-off homer in the eighth inning and earned the win from the mound, pitching the seventh and eighth inning, in a dramatic 9-8 victory over Glastonbury last Wednesday at WHS. All told the senior knocked three extra-base hits last week, which included a 3-2 win over Rocky Hill last Tuesday at Dunkin Donuts Park.

Jenna Masiello- Cromwell (Softball): Masiello had scored three runs and drove in three more on four hits, including her 100th career hit, during a 14-2 win over Innovation last Thursday. The senior leads the tourney-bound Panthers in both hits and RBIs this season. 

Rocky Hill athletes Riley Donovan (left) and Tyler Schiavone (right) will both be attending Nichols College to continue their academic and athletic careers.
 
Tyler Schiavone and Riley Donovan have spent the last decade playing sports and developing a great friendship while living down the street from one another.

After four years at Rocky Hill High School, the duo will soon be graduating and have both committed to continue their academic and athletic careers at Nichols College.

“We’re rolling together,” stated Schiavone, who will play baseball at the Massachusetts-based college.

Schiavone moved to Rocky Hill in elementary school and has played a variety of sports, including football and basketball, but his true passion has always been on the diamond where he developed into a great pitching prospect on--and at--‘The Hill’.

“I’ve been pitching since I started playing baseball. It was the first position I learned. My family has always played baseball and growing up I always watched baseball. It was generally what came easiest to me.”

Schiavone’s father, Nick, played and coached baseball and was a big influence, along with Yankee-great Donnie Baseball.

“Don Mattingly was the first person that I remember looking up to because I remembered my dad saying that was who he looked up to,” recalled Schiavone, who described his dad as an encyclopedia of sports, “He wore #23 and that was my favorite number, and he played for the Yankees. I feel like he was my first inspiration because he was what got me into baseball.”

For Donovan, college soccer awaits him at the next level.

“My brother, who was a lot older than me, played in high school and I would always come to the games when I was little. Soccer was the first sport that I ever played, and I just kept going.”

Basketball, lacrosse, and track & field are the other athletic activities that Donovan excels at. When he wasn’t playing sports in school, he was traveling with his Premier soccer teams, including trips to Florida and Colorado.

Each has starred in their chosen sports, but the highlight came during their time together as juniors on the hardwood as parts of the infamous Road Dawgs, who pulled off four upsets in the Division IV basketball tournament en route to the championship game at Mohegan Sun.

Both referred to the improbable tourney run as the highlight of their time at Rocky Hill, specifically a dramatic overtime victory over St. Bernard in the quarterfinals, which Schiavone referred to as “the craziest game ever.”

Schiavone also experienced another unforgettable moment last spring when the Terriers baseball team, who entered the tourney as the #32 seed following a 6-14 regular season, upset #1 Haddam-Killingworth in the opening round of the Class M tournament.

“Matt Rados pitched an outstanding game. Throughout the whole game batters battled and we all believed in each other. In Connecticut, any team can beat anybody. We’re keeping up with these huge Class L and LL schools, and I think that us winning last year showed that it’s about who works harder.”

Coaching changes have also been part of the experience at RHHS.

This past fall Donovan and the soccer team welcomed new head coach, Kevin Williams, who helped lead the Terriers back into the tournament after they fell short of qualifying for the 2017 postseason.

“It was a big change. He brought a different mentality, it was more intense in practices,” said the all-conference center back, who enjoyed the increased intensity.

Not to be outdone, Schiavone has had a new baseball coach in each of his four seasons.

Despite the revolving door it’s been business as usual for the resilient baseballers of Rocky Hill.

“The transition wasn’t as hard as it could have been because of the past experiences. From the first time we met him we knew what he was trying to do and since then we’ve all enjoyed him,” Schiavone said of new coach Bill Eller, who has the Terriers pointed in the right direction.

Athletics are what dominates most of their time, but the two have found time to give back as members of the school’s Environmental Awareness Club, which was started by classmate Trevor Faber when the three were freshmen.

By late August, the soon-to-be high school graduates will be collegiate athletes working toward college degrees.

“Looking for what I wanted to go to school for and what is relatively close I think it was the best opportunity for me. Also being able to play baseball and knowing that one of my closest friends is going there,” Schiavone said of his new home away from home for the foreseeable future, “As a kid you think about going to college to play sports and not too many people get this opportunity.”

“I’m excited about the higher level of competition,” added Donovan, who will major in Sports Management.

As their time in high school reaches the eleventh hour, the thought of leaving Rocky Hill is something that is both exciting and bittersweet.

“I’ll miss the community of it, seeing those familiar faces when people in your town come to the games to watch you play,” said Donovan, who has lived in Rocky Hill his entire life, “It’s been a good four years, not only with sports but with the friends we’ve made and the memories that we’ve made with each other.”

“It’s gone by very, very fast. It’s crazy that college is just a couple of months away,” added Schiavone, “We’ve been playing with these same kids our whole lives and it’s going to be hard moving on. We’ve made a lot of memories here.”
 
 
The Starting Five: Local Athletes of the Week

Mason Fox- Cromwell (Baseball): Fox pitched a complete game, striking out eight and allowing only five hits in a 4-1 win over Valley Regional last Wednesday. It was the first win of the season for the senior, who will be a key piece to Cromwell’s rotation down the stretch.

Lauren Pattison- Rocky Hill (Softball): Pattison is the only senior and only captain on a young team, coached by Tyler Catlin who referred to her as a “third coach” due to her great decision making and perspective, as well as praising her consistency, attitude, and toughness. Furthermore she has started 56 consecutive games, dating back to her sophomore season, and has improved both her batting average and fielding percentage from a season ago.   

Scott Robidoux- Newington (Lacrosse): Robidoux scored four goals, including his 100th career goal, during a 16-3 win over Wolcott on Senior Night last Friday. The senior attacker also dished out four assists in the victory, which was 10th win for the tourney-bound Indians. 

Joe Chiappetta- Middletown (Lacrosse): Chiappetta scored five goals in a 10-2 win over Bristol Eastern last Thursday, earning the Blue Dragons their sixth win of the season. The junior has been an offensive force for a Middletown team that has been very impressive in their inaugural varsity season.

Paige Contenta, Shelly Pettengill, Kathleen Gilland- Wethersfield (Tennis): All three athletes finished 4-0 in their matches last week as Wethersfield earned convincing team wins over Bloomfield (7-0), Northwest Catholic (6-1), and Suffield (7-0). The Eagles next face Newington in a pivotal match this Thursday, May 16 at NHS starting at 3:45 pm.     
 

Matt Mund, owner of Mission Fitness in Glastonbury, did 3,144 pull-ups in 12 hours on May 10th, raising money for Open Doors Outdoors and the local Marine Corps League.

“Inspirations always starts with the foundation from my father, who was a marine corps veteran and a veteran of Vietnam,” said Mund, who came up with the idea a few months ago, “Davey Edwards, who is a marine corps veteran and one of my best friends, started Open Doors Outdoors and we talked about getting funding for his non-profit and I’ve been involved with the Marine Corps League for two years. I’ve seen what they’ve done and how they help people out. As a business in town I think it’s important to get involved and give back. The people of Glastonbury have been able to give back to me by coming into the gym and getting memberships and supporting us, so I wanted to support the community. Plus, I have a degree in Social Work and Sociology, so it’s always been a passion of mine to be able to give back.”

In front of family, friends, and spectators at his gym located at 80 Commerce Street, Mund started doing pull-ups at 6 a.m. and reached his eye-popping grand total at 6 p.m.

“This is something that I wanted to do for a while, a 12-hour challenge to see how many I can do,” stated Mund, who set a lofty goal and exceeded it, “Secretly no matter what athlete do they always have a number in their head. I had 2500 in my head, but I didn’t tell anyone because you just don’t know. The most I had ever done in a day is 700 and you don’t know how your hands are going to hold up or if your muscles are going to spasm, so you don’t want to speak it out there because you’re not sure. In my mind I had 2500, so hitting 3144 is really cool.”

Mund did more pull-ups in 12 hours than most people will do in their lives. To put it into perspective, he completed 262 pulls-ups per hour and over four per minute.    

Thanks to Mund’s efforts and the generous donations from individuals and local businesses, the event raised over $10,000.00.

The money will be used to help veterans and their families cope with the hardships caused by PTSD, disabilities associated with combat, and those with family members currently deployed.

“It was an awesome day. I’m someone that always wants to see how far I can push myself, whether it’s running or push-ups or in this case pull-ups,” added Mund, “Anyone can push themselves, even if it’s a little bit. It doesn’t have to be extraordinary but do something that reaches outside your comfort zone. It helps you grow as an individual and it inspires people. I’m inspired everyday by people and I want to be able to give that back.”

Mund finds his inner-strength from a variety of sources, including the members of his gym, who have created a community through fitness and friendship. 

“To have accountability and have a support system is the most important thing. People know how to eat, and they know that they have to exercise but why do people quit so much? They don’t have a support system. They don’t have people that they can count on. People are going to fall, they’re going to fail, and when you’re down who is there to pick you up? We all need someone that can help us up or that we can lean on. It’s about growth every day,” said Mund, who will likely take on another charitable challenge in the future, “The people here are all so inspiring, it’s an amazing culture. When I was up there and hurting, I looked around and saw all these people and it helped me keep going. Culture is everything and here we’re able to lean on a great group of people.”

​For more information visit missionfitnessllc.com and to see how you can help visit opendoorsoutdoors.org or mcldet40.org

Wethersfield setter Riley Grenier #12 sets up #20 Luke Kelleher during the Eagles loss to Newington last Wednesday. Photo- Jo-Ann Campbell


The stage was set last Wednesday night as the back-to-back Class M state champion Newington Indians (12-1) came into WHS to face a Wethersfield team that had won 10 on 11 matches this spring.

Thanks to timely hitting from their supporting cast, the Indians were able to hold off the fast-rising Eagles, winning in three sets (25-19, 25-15, 25-21).   

“They’re having a great year. We knew they were 10-1 and how good they were. The other thing was that they beat East Hartford 3-0 and East took a set from us, so that opened our eyes,” Newington head coach Curt Burns said of Wethersfield, “It was in their building and it’s a rivalry, so yeah we were ready.”

In previous years the juggernaut Indians were always heavy favorites against their neighboring rivals, but this year’s match had a different feel.   

Wethersfield battled point-for-point in the opening stages before Newington reeled off four straight winners, taking command of the opening set.

Teddy Fravel and Louis Egbuna each had a kill and then Leonel Caceres rejected back-to-back kill attempts from Wethersfield’s strong frontline, providing a 20-13 advantage.

Mason Romano polished off the first set with a thunderous spike.

“It’s always fun against Wethersfield. I like the gym, it’s small and gets pack and it gets loud. It’s always good to come out of here with the win,” said Caceres, who has embraced his new role as the team’s primary setter this season, “I like the pressure that comes with it. I like the responsibility.”

Caceres was a dominant outside hitter last spring, leading the team with 361 kills during the 2018 championship campaign. The senior has now settled into his new role and is prospering, averaging a robust nine assists per set.

“He’s just been fantastic. He had never set before and decided that he wanted to take on the challenge,” recalled Burns, “He’s just been great, not only as a leader but with his skills. He works so hard and without him taking it to that level I don’t think we would be where we are right now.”

Sophomore Jacob Baclawski shined in the second set, registering four of his nine kills.

“He has such a fast learning curve. I think the big surprise this year is how good of a passer he is. He is one of our strongest passers and his arm is great,” Burns said of his young prodigy.

Wethersfield showed their resolve in the third set, jumping out to a 13-9 lead following great individual plays from seniors Kevin Rascius and Mason Sundquist.

The home team’s lead was short-lived as a kill from as Baclawski ignited an 8-1 Newington run, which ended with an ace from senior libero Collin Liedke.

“He’s got that experience, not only having played four years but he’s played in the offseason and went to Junior Nationals last summer with Leonel. They went out to Phoenix with USA volleyball,” Burns said of Liedke, who was one of the six returning starters from a season ago.

Wethersfield mounted one final rally before junior Keenan Esau closed out the match with his third kill.

Egbuna, who leads the team in kills, ended the night with a team-high 11 kills and Caceres finished with 29 assists.

It was only the second loss on the season for an Eagles squad that charged out of the gate with nine consecutive wins.

“They’ve been working hard from the offseason. Since we got eliminated from the state tourney last year, they’ve been trying to pitch in knowing we had some positions that needed to be filled,” said Wethersfield coach Debbie O’Brien, “We had a solid core coming back. We had some good experience and some good skilled players, but we had a couple missing pieces. Then we had some kids that had never played before come out, so that has helped us. We have a lot of different option offensively and we’ve gelled pretty well as a team.”

Rascius, Conor Senk, Riley Grenier, and Cameron Ky all returned following a successful 2018 season that ended in quarterfinals of the Class M tourney.

Rascius does a little of everything. Senk is the finisher, leading the team in kills. Grenier is the setter, dishing out nearly nine assists per set, and Ky provides the energy from his libero position. 

Sundquist, who was a role player a season ago, has taken his game to another level this spring.

“He worked hard in the offseason and was focused on having a great season,” O’Brien said of Sundquist, “Last year he was playing more on the right side now he’s in the middle. He’s been more of a presence, and this was one of his best games today.”

Sophomore Dylan Knapp has also stepped up after seeing varsity action in the tourney a season ago.

“We brought him up last year in the state tournament and he did a great job for us,” recalled O’Brien.

Others, like senior Luke Kelleher, decided to give volleyball a try for the first time and have bolstered the lineup upfront.
Kelleher’s role has been the enforcer near the net, leading the team in blocks.  

“They’ve come in with more confidence this year, which makes a difference when you’re going out to win instead of playing not to lose. We had a rough stretch early last year but this year we’ve gotten some big wins early. All offseason they were just itching to get going and I think that built their confidence,” stated O’Brien.

The team will close the regular season with a half dozen games that will test them both physically and mentally. Four of the final six matches are rematch games, including a home date on May 17 against Glastonbury, who snapped the Eagles nine game winning streak in late-April.

“We had some tight matches in the first half of the year and I think we’ll have some targets on our back because we’ve beat these teams and they know what’s coming now,” stated O’Brien, who’d like to see the offense stabilize down the stretch, “We have a lot of hitters and options, so we have to get our passing consistent.”

As for Newington, a five-set loss to Southington on April 25 is the only blemish on their record. The Indians captured the first two sets before dropping the final three.

“We choked in the game, but it happens. We just had to move on and put it behind us and finish the next time,” said Caceres.

Caceres and the confident bunch will get another crack at the Blue Knights on May 14 when they travel to Southington for the regular season finale. Not only will they have revenge on their minds, but it will also be the final tune-up before their quest for a three-peat heads to the tournament.

“We have to get better defense coverage and do a better job on our blocking,” said Burns, “Nobody has a perfect team in the tournament, but we want to be as good as we can be.”
  
 
The Starting Five: Local Athletes of the Week

Madison Tessmer- Cromwell (Softball): Tessmer smacked a grand slam as Cromwell easily defeated Portland 18-1 last Thursday. The freshman has been one of the Panthers most consistent players this season, leading the team in doubles and is currently tied for the team-lead with 19 RBIs this spring.

Mike Sobolewski- Newington (Baseball): Sobolewski pitched a no-hitter, striking out six in Newington’s 11-0 victory over Hall last Monday. The seniors amazing accomplishment was aided by fellow senior Ethan Errera, who cranked a three-run homer in the win, which qualified the Indians for states.

Suhani Sheth- Rocky Hill (Tennis): Sheth has burst onto the high school tennis scene, winning 9 of her 11 matches and is Rocky Hill’s #1 singles player this spring. The freshman has received rave reviews from head coach Mike Dudis for her attitude, play, and consistency.

Joe Coleman- Wethersfield (Baseball): Coleman went 4-7 with four RBIs as Wethersfield won back-to-back games over Newington (5-2) and Tolland (3-2) last Wednesday and Thursday. The junior has been a key piece in the lineup for an Eagles team that has won 10 of their first 13 games entering this week.

Dylan Reynolds- Middletown (Lacrosse): The freshman dished out seven assists, all to Joe Chiappetta (who scored eight goals) in Middletown’s 19-10 victory over Bristol Central. Reynolds then tried his hands at goalie and was fantastic, saving 90% and allowing only one goal in a 12-1 demolition of Windsor last Thursday.