Longtime Bacon Academy head coach Dave Shea was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame last month. Shea (second to left) is pictured with his son, John Shea, along with his granddaughters Caitlin Shea and Cara Shea following a game in 2021.
Dave Shea, a graduate and longtime coach at Bacon Academy, was inducted into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on April 23. “Being honored by the prestigious Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame is certainly a highlight of my career,” Shea said in his induction speech at the Cascade in Hamden. “I feel like a pro baseball player that has been playing in the minor leagues for a long time and I’m now getting a call to report to the big leagues.” A 1952 Bacon Academy graduate, Shea eventually returned to his alma mater and won 778 games and three state championships over 49 seasons on the court, first coaching the boys basketball team and later taking over the girls program. In 2000, Bacon Academy honored him while he was still coaching by naming the school’s gymnasium the ‘Dave Shea Gymnasium’. But long before the gymnasium was named in his honor, Shea was the school’s first 1,000-point scorer in boys’ basketball. Shea credited his high school basketball coach at Bacon, Hal Judenfriend, with helping him develop as a player and into the coach he would later become. “He taught me to respect and appreciate the game, and the virtues of hard work and sacrifice,” stated Shea. Following his graduation from the University of Connecticut, Shea used those lessons and work ethic that Judenfriend instilled in him to become a coaching legend at Bacon. He coached the boys basketball team from 1962-1985, amassing a record of 329-168, including the 1981 Class S championship. Beginning in 1993, Shea coached the girls’ basketball program to a 449-140 record over 25 seasons with state championships in 2009 (Class M) and 2012 (Class L). Shea joined Bill Reagan (St. Thomas Aquinas boys, Old Saybrook girls) as the second coach in Connecticut history with titles on both the boys and girls sides. He credited longtime Westbrook girls basketball head coach Pete Shuler for his advice while he was making the translation between coaching the boys and the girls. Shea recalled Shuler telling him, “Don’t change anything you’re doing basketball-wise for the girls. Basketball is basketball whether you’re coaching boys or girls.” Regardless if Shea was leading the boys or girls, basketball became a family affair. He coached his son John Shea, an all-state player who was on the 1981 championship team. “It’s special,” John said of his father’s career. “He’s the rock star of it all. It’s fun to think about his career and all the people he’s helped.” Along with his son, Shea coached his granddaughter Katie Mahoney, the 2011 Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year and the program’s all-time leading scorer, and also coached his granddaughter Caitlin Shea in her freshman and sophomore seasons prior to his retirement. Another granddaughter, Cara Shea, is currently a junior and an all-conference basketball player for the Bobcats. Shea said family played a major role in his success and thanked his late wife Dorothy, better known as “Dottie”, for her “everlasting encouragement and inspiration.” During his illustrious tenure at Bacon, Shea was much more than a basketball coach. He worked as an educator for nearly four decades, moving from the science department to guidance and later physical education, where he served as athletic director. Current Bacon Academy athletic director, Kevin Burke, congratulated Shea on his latest hall of fame induction, calling it, “Another well-deserved accolade for a legendary player, teacher, coach and community member of Colchester/Bacon Academy.” “Dave's leadership at Bacon Academy goes back to his high school years and continues to this day,” added Burke. Along with the latest honor, Shea was also inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame in 2004, to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, and was awarded a Gold Key by the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance in 2012. Shea also was a star on the diamond, signing a pro baseball contract with the Philadelphia Athletics before his career was cut short by injury. He went on to win more than 300 games as the Bobcats’ varsity baseball coach — giving him 300 or more wins in three different sports program at Bacon Academy. “First and foremost I would like to share this honor with my players, who gave 100% effort,” Shea said. “I was very fortunate to have many outstanding players.” Shea added that administration at Bacon Academy was one of the keys to his longevity as a coach, adding, “No program is without the support of the administration. I was very fortunate to have this kind of support.” “The town of Colchester has been great to me,” added Shea. “They gave me the opportunity to teach and coach all of these years and I don’t take it for granted.”
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Here are the Rivereast Standouts of the Week for the week of April 24-30:
Jazlyn Small-Yu- Bacon Academy (Softball): Small-Yu connected on three hits, including a home run, as the Bobcats defeated New London 9-3 on April 24. Small-Yu, a junior, drove in two runs and scored two more as she nearly hit for the cycle, reaching base on a double and a triple to go along with her first fence-clearing shot of the year. Through the first nine games, Small-Yu leads the team in hitting percentage (.458), hits (11), runs (11), and triples (4). R.J. Stanford - East Hampton High School (Baseball): Stanford drove in five runs and scored three more as the Bellingers defeated Hale Ray 15-3 on April 28. Stanford, a senior center fielder who had a team-high three hits, led an offensive attack that broke the game open with an eight-run first inning and scored a dozen runs over the first two innings. Taryn Brysgel - RHAM High School (Lacrosse): Brysgel, a junior goalie, was stout in between the pipes last week as the Raptors won all three games. Brysgel made 23 saves (stopping 66% of the shots she faced) as RHAM defeated Berlin (15-6), Woodstock Academy (9-4), and Norwich Free Academy (9-7). Joelle Goralnik and Diana Zito led the offensive charge for RHAM, combining for 16 goals and nine assists in the three games. Samuel LaMalfa - Portland High School (Track & Field): LaMalfa won the 400 meters, running a personal-best 50.33 to hold runner-up Cole Robertson of Tolland at the Ellington Invitational on April 29. LaMalfa, a sophomore, was also part of the school’s 4x400 relay team — joining Noah Decker, Cole Bates, and Parker Thompson — as the Highlanders 4x4 relay team finished as the runner-up at the invite held at Ellington High School. RHAM senior captain Brady Lalonde control the ball as Glastonbury’s Luke Shannon plays defense last Monday night at RHAM High School.
Boys lacrosse at RHAM High School features a young roster that is aiming for a strong finish this spring. The Raptors ran into a buzz saw from Glastonbury on Monday night, losing to 14-3 at RHAM High School. Early on, the Raptors went toe-to-toe with the visiting Guardians, battling to a draw for the first eights minute. After falling behind 1-0, junior Josh Weers tied it up with a goal at the 7:52 mark of the first quarter. Glastonbury senior Parker Wallace countered with the first of his game-high four goals to regain the lead for the Guardians before RHAM senior Brady Lalonde again knotted the game with 3:41 to play in the opening frame. Senior goalie Zach Bogdan went the entire way between the pipes for the Raptors, making several saves, yet the Guardians broke the tie by reeling off the next five goals to take a lead they would not relinquish. “I thought we played a solid 48 minutes against a tough opponent,” RHAM head coach Michael Humphreys said following the team’s sixth loss this spring. “Our goal is to get better every day and I think this is a good test for the rest of the season.” Weers added his second goal midway through the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 7-3, but the Raptors would not score again over the final 31 minutes of game action. Despite the 11-point defeat, the arrow is pointing up for RHAM under Humphreys. Humphreys is in his second season as the team’s head coach after serving as an assistant coach for the previous three seasons. Following his initial season at head coach last spring, the team lost an influential senior class featuring four all-conference players in Boden Landers, Gino Deliseo, Nick Pace, and Tim Smith. The team’s lone returning all-conference player is Jacob Tresser, a junior who is captaining the team this year with Weers and Lalonde. “We are a very young team, so there’s a learning curve, but I think they’ve picked it up very quick over the last nine games,” stated Humphreys. “It’s been up and down with injuries and everything else, but our boys have really stepped up to the challenge and are learning on the fly.” Humphreys’ Raptors started the season by winning three of five games, earning quality victories over E.O. Smith (10-7), Rocky Hill (18-9), and Woodstock Academy (7-5). The game with Glastonbury marked the team’s fourth straight loss, yet Humphreys is hoping to see the team find a groove as they enter the final month of the season. “Our offensive needs to hold the ball a little better and with a young team that is learning how to win, that will help win down the stretch,” he stated. The Raptors next travel to Norwich Free Academy this Saturday (May 6) for an out-of-conference bout at noon, before returning to RHAM for an important conference tilt with Tolland on Monday, May 8 at 4:40 p.m. New GHS boys volleyball head coach Donald Colebrook looks on in the background as seniors #8 Mark Frigiani, #35 Jude Ramanan, and #5 Michael Grant await a serve against Farmington last Monday.
The boys volleyball team at Glastonbury High School has plenty of fresh faces on the court and there is a new, yet familiar face leading the Guardians this spring. Donald Colebrook, a 2012 graduate of Glastonbury High School, is heading a program that graduated eight seniors, including five all-conference players after finishing with an undefeated (18-0) regular season record last spring. Colebrook said taking over a program that he was once an all-conference player with is a bit mind-blowing. “It’s been fun, but a little surreal,” said Colebrook, who credited the GHS athletic department for making his return to the high school a smooth one. Despite starting the season with a rotation that lacked varsity experience, Colebrook’s return to GHS has yielded promising results through the first half of the season, winning six of the 11 games. Last Monday the team suffered some growing pains, losing in straight sets to a Farmington team that came to GHS with a record of 1-6. The visiting River Hawks didn't play like a one-win team, getting tremendous efforts from senior spiker Excel Adekola and junior setter/captain Garrett Legner. Glastonbury put up a good fight, leading at various stages in all three sets, but Farmington was able to finish each set with winners. Colebrook said his message to the team following the loss was that they need to learn from the mistakes and turn the page. “We just have to come in at practice and continue to work hard,” added Colebrook. Coming into the contest, the Guardians had won five of eight matches; including a three set win (25-24, 25-19, 25-15) over perennial powerhouse Newington on April 17 at GHS. Glastonbury’s Mark Frigiani had a dozen kills and Daniel Jurewicz had five blocks, while sophomore setter Trevor Parks dished up a game-high 25 assists to hand the Nor’easters only their second loss this spring. Frigiani is captaining the team with fellow seniors Kyle Annecchino and Michael Grant. Colebrook said his three court captains have approached the responsibility with the right mindset. “They have a lot of passion for the sport, which is what I want to see out of any captain in any sport,” added Colebrook. Following his graduation from GHS in 2012, Colebrook attended Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) where he helped start and played for the university’s club volleyball team. He previously returned to GHS, serving as an assistant coach for girls volleyball assistant coach and also spent time as an assistant coach at Nichols College in Massachusetts. Colebrook also coach for Husky Volleyball, a multi-team junior club program based out of Windsor and Newington. Now back in Glastonbury, Colebrook said it is nice to see the GHS boy’s program “still thriving” in his over decade away from the program. His goal for Guardians is to learn from the early-season lapses and to be peaking by the time the postseason tournaments roll around later this month. “We are just trying to get better with every touch,” added Colebrook. Colebrook’s team closed last week with an impressive five-set win over Conard last Thursday in West Hartford. Prior to the match, the Red Wolves of Conard had won five of six matches. After dropping two of the first three sets, the Guardians rallied to win the fourth set and take the decisive fifth set. Frigiani had 11 kills, while Annecchino and junior Justin Daddona each had 10 finishers. Parks posted game-highs in assists (34) and digs (10) in the comeback victory. The Guardians next play another away game in West Hartford, visiting Hall High School this Friday, May 5 at 6 p.m. They return home next Wednesday, May 10 to welcome Enfield to GHS for a match at 6 p.m. Colebrook said his team is at their best when they are “aggressive” and is pleased with the progress and the results so far. “Our tenacity and our defensive play are fantastic,” added Colebrook. “If we’re more efficient on the offensive side, I think we’ll be good.” GHS senior Molly Doherty jumps for joy after hitting a home run during the team’s 16-2 victory over Northwest Catholic at GHS last Wednesday.
As the temperatures rise, the Glastonbury High School softball bats are also heating up. After starting the season with four losses in six games, the Guardians have reeled off five straight victories, capped by a 16-2 win over Northwest Catholic on April 26. Rayah Snyder, Lily Woodworth, and Molly Doherty each hit a home run as the team surpassed the 10-run mark for the fifth consecutive game. “In the beginning of the season we were trying to figure some things out, but I feel like we’ve got the groove down now,” said Snyder, a team captain who finished with three runs and drove in three others in the 14-run win. “I think we are really comfortable with each other now.” Junior Gabby Lambert and freshman Bella Derench combined to pitch a four-hitter, striking out ten. Derench has made an immediate impact as a first-year player, splitting her time between third base and as a relief pitcher. Head coach Karen Costes said Derench is excelling on the mound and is a “very mature hitter.” “Some kids just have a knack for hitting the ball and she has that knack for hitting the ball,” added Costes. “She has some plate discipline that you don’t typically see at that age.” Costes’ one-two pitching punch has replaced all-state pitcher Brooke Tracy, a 2022-graduate who is now pitching collegiately at Bryant University. Another new addition to the Guardians is Woodworth, a baseball player that moved over to softball this spring. Costes, who was also a baseball player that shifted her focus to softball during her playing days, said that Woodworth has made the transition with ease. In the win over Northwest Catholic, Woodworth connected on three hits, driving in three runs and scoring three more. Through the first 11 games, she is hitting .667, which ranks as the 10th best hitting percentage in the state. “She has been wonderful to have,” Costes said of Woodworth, a junior. “She is wrecking the ball and she works so hard.” Last Monday, Woodworth also smacked three hits in the team’s 24-2 victory over Hall High School in West Hartford. The 24 runs were a season-high as junior Nabia Crawford led the offensive explosion, scoring four runs on three hits. With the addition of Woodworth and the development of the first-year and returning players, Costes said she believes the team’s lineup from top to bottom is stronger than a year ago when the team won 18 of 20 regular season games. Snyder agreed, adding, “Our hitting has been a big focus for us this season and we started out a little rough, but these last five games we’ve really hammered it home and we’ve been seeing the ball really well.” Snyder, a University of Connecticut softball commit, said that the chemistry off the field has led to more production on the field. “Everyone on the team is lifting each other up,” added Snyder, who is one of three seniors, joining Doherty and Natalie Lessard as the Guardians most experienced voices. Next up is a road game this Friday, May 5 at Newington High School. First pitch is 4 p.m. The game with Newington is part of a five-game road trip before the Guardians return home to play Conard at GHS on Wednesday, May 10 at 3:45 p.m. Costes said that ‘consistency” will be the key to keeping the momentum going. “Our bats have started to come back and defensively we have been strong the whole year,” added Costes. “We just need to sharpen and fine tune a few things and keep up the intensity in practice.” Entering the week, Rocky Hill High School’s baseball team has won 11 straight games to start spring, including three more impressive wins a week ago when they outscored the trio of opponents by a combined score of 32-2.
In a 10-0 shutout of Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy on April 24, Danny Lin and Tyler Carlstrom threw a combined no-hitter as the Terriers defeated the Hawks 10-0 in Hartford. The Terriers broke the game open by scoring four runs in the 3rd inning as Ben Centurelli, Joey Motes, Lin, and Carlstrom all drove in runs in the frame. Centurelli was 2-2 from the plate to lead the Terriers in hits. Two days later, the Terriers hosted and roasted Windsor 12-2 to secure win No. 10. After falling behind 2-0 in the fourth inning, the Terriers scored seven runs in the 5th inning to take the lead and never look back. Centurelli earned his fifth victory of the season from the mound, surrendering two runs (one earned, striking out seven and walking none in six solid innings. Rocky Hill tallied eight hits in the game with Carlstrom and Lin each connecting on a pair to lead the team. Rocky Hill closed the week with a 10-0 win over New Britain on April 28. Lefty Zach Myers pitched a complete game, striking out seven. The Terriers scattered nine hits offensively, with Centurelli connecting on three, and they did not commit an error defensively. The team is currently headed to Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY to face Newington High School in a unique out-of-state conference showdown this Saturday, May 6. First pitch is 5 p.m. Cromwell High School softball ace Lily Kenney struck out her 500th career batter on April 18. Kenney (second to left) is pictured with teammates, from left, Grace McFarlin, Victoria Wiatrek, and Melena Signorello.
Week of April 17 - 23 Lily Kenney - Cromwell High School (Softball): Kenney surpassed 500 career high school strikeouts in another masterful pitching performance, blanking Old Lyme 1-0 on April 18. Kenney, a senior ace who had her sophomore season canceled due to the pandemic, needed only 53 games to achieve the milestone. In the shutout of Old Lyme, Kenney struck out a total of 18 batters and she also connected on three hits from the plate to secure the shutout. Through the team’s first 10 games this spring, Kenney is fanning an average of over a dozen batters per start and also leads the Panthers in hits (13) and runs scored (nine). Shauna Kehoe - Rocky Hill High School (Softball): Kehoe pitched a complete-game three hitter, striking out a dozen batters as the Terriers defeated 7-1 Wethersfield April 21. Kehoe, a senior, also drove in a run, doubling on a line drive in the fourth inning to score Anna Aderhold for what turned out to be the game-winning run. Gianna Quaresima also drove in a pair of runs as the Terriers earned their fifth win. Entering the week, Rocky Hill has already qualified for the state tourney with a record of 8-4. Andrew Dunn Middletown High School (Golf): Dunn finished atop the leaderboard, shooting a 38 to finish as the medalist in the Blue Dragons’ home-opener on April 20. Dunn, a sophomore, was the individual winner and the Blue Dragons as a team defeated Platt (177-228) as Evan Langdon (43), Anthony Nanfito (46), and Andrew Latina (50) also paved the way for Middletown’s victory. Hailey Gaydos - Newington High School (Lacrosse): Gaydos scored five goals and dished out a pair of assists as the Nor’easters defeated RHAM 9-6 at Clem Lemire Field on April 19. Gaydos, a senior, provided a bulk of the offense while Maeve Gunning, Kailey Krusewski, Emma Freeman, Mackenzie Hillman each tallied a goal. The win over the Hebron-based Raptors was the Nor’easters fourth straight victory. Bella Tomaino - Wethersfield High School (Softball): Tomaino was perfect from the plate in consecutive games, combining to go 5-5 and drawing a handful of walks as the Eagles split a pair of games, defeating Manchester 8-7 on April 17 and falling to Conard 19-18 two nights later. Tomaino, a senior, also crushed two home runs and drove in nine total runs in the consecutive games. Week of April 24 -30 Candice Edmunds - Rocky Hill High School (Track & Field): Edmunds won both the 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles in a meet against Wethersfield on April 25. Edmunds, a junior, posted a personal-best time of 18.1 in the 100 meter hurdle and then posted a time of 55.4 in the 300 meter hurdles, edging Wethersfield sophomore Eva Nasse in both events. Will Levis - Xavier High School (Football): Levis, a 2018 graduate of Xavier High School, was drafted in the second round of the National Football League draft by the Tennessee Titans. Levis, raised in Madison, was an all-state quarterback with the Middletown-based Falcons where he broke the school’s records for passing yards (2,793), passing touchdowns (27) and completions during the 2017 season. After spending three years at Penn State, he transferred to the University of Kentucky where he started 24 games over the past two years, throwing for 33 touchdowns and running for 11 more. Tyler Cipolla - Cromwell High School (Baseball): Cipolla, a freshman, hit his first two high school home runs, going yard twice during the Panthers 11-8 win over Westbrook on April 24. Cipolla finished the game with four hits, driving in three runs and scoring three more. Two days later, he then smacked a double, driving in a pair of runs as the Panther beat Old Saybrook 5-1 and then closed the week by getting a hit and driving in a run during a 6-5 win over Portland. Entering the week, Cromwell is riding a six-game winning streak. Jacob Lawless - Newington High School (Volleyball): Lawless earned the Player of the Match as the Nor’easters defeated Wethersfield in three sets (25-23, 25-18, 25-19) on April 26. Lawless, a senior setter, served up 23 assists and tallied a team-high five aces, along with adding four kills, four digs, and a block. Sarah Morrissey - Wethersfield High School (Golf): Morrissey was the medalist in both the Eagles matches last week, posting a 44 against Newington on April 24 and a 48 against East Catholic on April 26. The Eagles won both contests, defeating the Nor’easters (198-223) at Goodwin Golf Course and edging East Catholic (214-215) at Minnechaug Golf Course. |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
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