Tyreice Dominique- Rocky Hill (Football): Dominique was dynamic in his debut as the starting quarterback at Rocky Hill, amassing over 200 total yards and scoring twice on the ground as the Terriers defeated East Catholic 20-7. The senior signal caller and his team will take on Avon in their home opener this Friday (9/17) at McVicar Field at Rocky Hill High School.
Christian Amaral- Newington (Soccer): Amaral contributed to three goals (scoring one and assisting on two others) as Newington defeated New Britain 5-0 to open the season last Thursday. The senior is coming off an All-State selection as a junior last fall. Charlie Martindale- Wethersfield (Golf): Martindale was the medalist, shooting a 39 as the Eagles defeated Bloomfield/MLC last Thursday. Martindale is one of three seniors on the Eagles squad that has started the season 2-1, including a tight win over Newington in the season opener, in which junior Christian Bonvisuto was the medalist. Olivia Lusitani- Cromwell (Soccer): Lusitani scored both goals as Cromwell won their home opener, 2-0, over Sheehan last Saturday. The junior is one of the main scoring threats for a Panthers team that has won their first two games of the season, opening with a 10-1 win at North Branford. Austyn Howe- Newington (Football): Howe returned a kickoff 81 yards for a score, caught a touchdown, converted three 2-point conversions, and intercepted a pass as Newington defeated Enfield 32-24 to open the season with a win. The senior is the do-it-all Swiss army knife for Nor’easters, who will take on Manchester on the road this Friday.
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Glastonbury senior Alayna Christina scored the game-winning goal as GHS girls soccer defeated Farmington 3-2 in the season opener
Mark Landers debut as the girls’ soccer coach at Glastonbury High School was a doozy. The longtime boys head coach watched as his Guardians erase a second half deficit, scoring a pair of goals in the final ten minutes to defeat Farmington 3-2 at Glastonbury High School last Thursday night. “It shows our resiliency,” said Landers, who previously won 300+ games in 20 years with the boys’ program, “We got down and we could either continue to be down or we could pick each other up. I love the fact that we didn’t put out heads down and kept playing.” The opening game featured non-stop action, a rowdy crowd, and a constant drizzle, which made playing conditions difficult. First-year goalie Caroline Cohen was flawless in goal in the first half before allowing a pair of goals early in the second half. Farmington’s Sabrina Krause scored both. The first after the ball slipped out of Cohen’s grip in front on the net and the second was a high-arching blast from nearly forty yards away. Landers liked what he saw from his first-year goalkeeper, “She had to turn the page quick. It was a tough night to be a keeper and a tough night to play period.” After falling behind 2-1, Landers modified his attack and the Guardians went offensive. Sophomore Angela Chavez tied things up when she fired a straight away shot passed the outreached arms of Farmington goalie Margaret Huelin with 8:39 remaining. “Angela had a great night for us tonight,” stated Landers, “She was very composed and settled the ball down for us tonight, which created a lot of opportunities. To see that our of a sophomore is pretty amazing.” Four minutes later, versatile senior Alayna Christina put in the go-ahead goal. “I was trying to drop it in back post and it went in,” said Christina, who liked how the team responded in the second half, “Coach Landers is always telling us to keep our enthusiasm up, so we made sure to not let that second goal get in our heads. We had to pick up our goalie and everyone around us. We just got is done.” Christina, who is a starter on defense, also prevented a goal in the first half. The senior cleared the ball away the front of the net after Cohen dove to save a shot. Christina’s heads up defensive effort allowed the Guardians to maintain a 1-0 lead at the break. Senior captain Delina Chavez led a defensive unit in front of Cohen. Fellow captains Katie Donovan and Sydney Kehl helped the team control the ball for a majority of the final 10 minutes of action. Landers has leaned on his trio of captains in practice, “We have amazing leadership out of them. They are really trying to help this team bond together. We talk every day about connecting, our attitude, respect, and our enthusiasm, and I think you saw all four of those qualities tonight.” Sophia Haussman and Tia Taleb also stood out offensively, while Mackenzie Landers made several noteworthy defensive plays. “We’re still learning, we are still getting better,” stated Landers, “It was a good win. Farmington is an amazing team and they played a great game.” It was the program’s 24th straight win, dating back to October of 2019. The team won the state title in 2019 and finished 14-0 with a conference title during a COVID-restrictive season a year ago. Last Saturday they made it 25 in a row with 4-0 shutout of Shelton. It’s a good start for a team that is excited to be back on the field. “It’s so nice, especially after Covid, now that everything is getting back to almost normal,” said Christina, “It’s just good to be back.” Guardians Field Hockey Splits Two
GHS field hockey split the first two games of the season, losing to Hall 2-1 (OT) to open the season before rebounding with a 10-0 shutout of Hamden last Saturday. In the opener, Glastonbury’s junior forward Alicia Choquette scored two minutes into the game off an assist from senior midfielder Kaitlyn Welsh. Hall tied the score up later in the quarter on a goal from Ellie Goldstein off a pass from Bridget McGann. The game went into a ten minute 7-v-7 sudden victory overtime period, and two and a half minutes into overtime Goldstein redirected a ball into the corner of the net off a shot from the top of the circle by McGann for the win. In the shutout of Hamden, Welsh scored three goals, all in the first half, while Choquette and sophomore attacker Allyson Collette each added a pair of goals. Senior forward Molly Harding, senior Grace Boehning and junior midfielder MiKayla Balatbat each notched a goal for GHS in the win. Several GHS players recorded assists on the day, including Harding, Choquette, Balatbat, as well as senior forward Christina Guanci and sophomore midfielder Avery Olschefskie. Senior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parent and the GHS defense only surrendered 1 penalty corner in the game and prevented Hamden from getting off any shots to preserve the first victory of the season. GHS Boys Golf Moves to 2-0, Competes at Remy Cup Glastonbury boys golf defeated Hall (150-166) at Rockledge Golf Course in West Hartford on September 8. The Guardians were led by senior co-captain Connor Goode posting a (-1) 35 on a very windy day. Connor managed to hit six greens in regulation and convert three of them into birdies even though the wind was making scoring extremely difficult. Senior co-captain Charlie Goode posted a 37 and senior Nick DiNino shot a steady 38. Sophomore Gavin Kvadus rounded out the scoring, securing the team’s second win this fall. Head coach Tom Zelek said, “I knew scores would be a little higher than what I normally expect to have here, but the guys did a great job of managing their game and keeping the ball down out of the wind as much as possible. This team has a lot of competitive golf experience, and it shows whenever we play a challenging course or play under challenging conditions.” On September 11 - Goode, Dolan, DiNino, and Morgan Peterson competed in the Remy Cup at the Hartford Golf Club Course in West Hartford. The Remy Cup is like the Ryder Cup in professional golf but features Team CT PGA Juniors competing against Team New England PGA Juniors. The teams are composed of 12 players each (8 boys and 4 girls) and Glastonbury filled four of those spots. The Cup finished in a tie. Coach Zelek stated that he was proud of how the GHS golfers represented both Connecticut and Glastonbury. Deep Dive with GHS Swimming and Diving Contributed by Steve Hoyt The Glastonbury High School Girls Swimming and Diving Team had a very strange 2020 season as COVID-19 wreaked havoc on nearly every facet of life. The team was fortunate to have a season as they swam five virtual dual meets against teams in this region and had a final virtual meet that was termed a “Post Season Experience”. The Guardians easily went 5-0 in those dual meets and had a fantastic final meet with lots of personal best times and records. You need to go back to the 2019 season to look at what things looked like during a normal season. That 2019 season produced a 11-1 dual meet record with the only loss coming at the hands of the Class LL and State Open Champions from Cheshire High School. That year the Guardians won the CCC Championship Meet, finished 4th in Class LL and 6th at the State Open. The 2020 team would have likely had an even more impressive finish in the State Meets had they occurred as that team was incredibly strong and arguably one of the strongest ever. The Guardians have been the clear and undisputed top team in the Hartford area for many years. They have dominated the CCC Conference by winning their division for 18 straight years. Their dual meet record in those CCC Divisional meets since 2003 is an incredible 82-0. They have also won the CCC Championship Meet every year since its inception in 2010. Glastonbury graduated eight seniors and it always seems impossible to replace the amount of talent and leadership. The graduates were Caroline Cermignani, Brooke Keeney, Marley Milne, Katarina Dominguez, Hannah Kim, Juliana Mastroianni, Paige Cox and Gaby Salsgiver (diver). Cermignani was the most decorated graduate as she appears on the Glastonbury Swimming and Diving Record Board in three spots. Caroline was part of the 200 freestyle relay Pool and School Records, along with teammates Riley Kudlac, Annika Paluska and Avery Kudlac. She is also part of the 400 freestyle relay Pool Record along with those same teammates. She also appears on the Top Ten List 4 times. 3 times in relays and 1 time in an individual event as she leaves as the 9th fastest 200 freestyler in GHS history. Keeney also appears on the Top Ten List as she graduates as the 5th fastest 500 freestyler in GHS history. All of the seniors were big contributors and they will be sorely missed. The team this year includes 40 athletes, and they are split fairly evenly amongst the four grades with 9 seniors, 11 juniors, 11 sophomores and 9 new freshmen. The senior class is led by Rachel Davis, Norell Paluska and diver Alana Mondschein. Davis appears on the Top Ten List twice as she is currently the 2nd fastest 200 individual medley swimmer and the 3rd fastest 100 yard breaststroker. Paluska appears on the Top Ten List 5 times. Those 5 events are the 200 medley relay, the 200 individual medley, the 500 freestyle, the 200 freestyle relay and the 100 breaststroke. Alana currently has the 9th highest 6-dive score in school history. The captains for this season are Davis, Riley Lord and Vivian Nguyen. The junior class is led by Avery Kudlac, Riley Kudlac and Brooke Sowka. Avery Kudlac is on the Top Ten List an astounding 9 times and even more amazingly holds 10 records. Those 10 records are for the 200 freestyle Pool and School Records, the 50 freestyle Pool and School Records, the 100 butterfly School Record, the 100 freestyle Pool and School Records, the 200 freestyle relay Pool and School Records and the 400 freestyle relay Pool Record. Sister Riley Kudlac is also on the Top Ten List an astounding 9 times and has 3 records as well. Those records are for the 200 freestyle relay Pool and School Records and the 400 freestyle relay Pool Record. Brooke appears on the Top Ten List 6 times. The sophomore class is led by Annika Paluska and diver Jade Casey. Paluska appears on the Top Ten List 6 times and has 3 records in the same relays as Riley. Casey is currently the 4th highest scorer in school history for 6-dives and also has the 7th highest score for 11-dives. The eager new freshmen are Lucy Boisoneau, Tali Horesco, Hannah Kaufman, Natalie Koziol, Paeton Romero, Teaghan Tarczali, Francesca Gionfriddo (diver), Eloise Mulready (diver) and Julia Pistorius (diver). Francesca is already looking impressive on the diving board and is one to watch. The season officially starts with a dual meet against Hall High School at Cornerstone Pool in West Hartford on Friday, 9/17. Hall, along with Wethersfield and Middletown, are on the schedule as CCC cross over meets. These cross over meets are set up where if you place 1st on your CCC Division, you have meets against the other 1st place teams in the 3 other CCC Divisions. 2nd place has meets against the other 2nd place teams – and so on. By virtue of winning their CCC Division, the Guardians will face off against those other Divisional winners. Also on the schedule are the other teams in our CCC Division. They are Manchester, South Windsor, E.O. Smith/Tolland, East Hartford and East Catholic. The Guardians currently have only a single non-CCC outside meet and that is against perennial power Amity High School. Glastonbury will also participate in the West Hartford Invite where several teams will compete in a meet with events that are unlike the standard events in a dual meet. The season ends with several Championship Meets – the CCC Championship, the Class LL Championship and the State Open Championship. The highly experienced coaching staff mostly returns this season. Head Coach Suzie Hoyt is a nationally recognized coach and is starting her 19th season with the girls team to go along with 31 seasons with the boys team. Her record with the girls team is 167-28-2 and when combined with the boys record of 341-64-0 she has an overall combined record of 508-92-2. Her 500th win quietly went unrecognized since it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Head Diving Coach Shelley Farrar returns for her 5th season with the girls along with 25 seasons with the boys team. Farrar has taken countless beginner and experienced divers to the post season tournaments. Stevie Hoyt returns for only a few weeks as the Assistant Coach since he will be leaving the team as he has accepted an Assistant Coach position at Trinity College as part of the NESCAC Division. Karen Petrik, a 2015 Glastonbury High School graduate, recently helped guide United States rowing to a silver medal in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Petrik was the coxswain for the PR3 Mixed 4+ rowing team that finished second to Great Britain on the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo Bay on August 29. Petrik, along with Allie Reilly, Dani Hansen, Charley Nordin, and John Tanguay, engineering a boat that won a qualifying heat to reach the finals before besting France (bronze), Australia, Italy, and Israel in the medal round. After winning silver, the five became the only U.S. rowers (both Olympic and Paralympic) to medal during the Summer Games in Japan. The Glastonbury native returned home earlier this month to start her new job teaching 4th grade at Hopewell School. Petrik reflected on her experience representing the United States. Outside of rowing, what was the best part of your experience in Tokyo? “Meeting all the athletes and being around all the countries and athletes. It was an eye-opening experience and kind of surreal. Just being in that environment was very special.” Describe the feeling of being on the medal stand? What was going through your mind? “I took time to stop and look around and take it all in, and make sure I was as present in the moment that I could be. I was thinking how special it was and how lucky I was to be there. I know a lot of people don’t get this opportunity, so I was grateful to be up there and thinking about all the people at home that supported me and got me there.” Talk about the bond you developed with your teammates and coaches? “Sharing a medal with your teammates is so special. At the end of the race, we were so proud of each other that we had come this far in such a short amount of time. I think we will be bonded for life over this. They are people who I’ll feel a special connection with for the rest of my life.” What will you remember most about the entire experience from start to finish? “It was very refreshing to be there. The Paralympics are so special, and I felt so honored to be able to be there and be a part of it.” What’s next, more rowing? “I’m definitely going to step back for the next couple of months and just take a breath and take this all in. But I could see myself missing rowing very quickly. I’ll get back into it somehow, whether is coxing or whether it is coaching, but I definitely still want to be a part of it in the future.” Wethersfield head coach Matt McKinnon addresses his team following practice
Football is officially back! After a year without competitive contact, the boys are fall will soon be exchanging hits and making highlights under the Friday Night Nights. Here’s a preview of what to expect out of the local teams this season. Rocky Hill: Terriers Full of Athletes and Promise Head coach Rich Dance is back for his third season with the Terriers. Dance’s first season in 2019 ended at 2-8 and the team was ready to make a big leap in 2020 with a strong group of seniors before the COVID-restrictions last fall. “These guys have been with us for three years, so it’s been a much smoother transition to start the season,” Dance said of the returning players, “We saw it in the Jamboree we had at Coginchaug, it was a huge improvement with how we started the season a few years ago. The guys are a lot more prepared and they know my expectations and the systems we run here. We’ve been able to get the younger guys further along that might not be familiar with it as well. We’re seeing some consistency out of the players.” Dance will have first-year quarterback Tyreice Dominique behind center. Dominique has the size and speed to be a dual-threat through the air and on the ground. “We’ve worked together and he’s work hard on his own to get faster and get his arm stronger. He’s come a long way since he joined us a few years ago,” Dance said of Dominique. Dominque said that the experiences last fall and throughout the summer gave him a glimpse into what to expect, “7-on-7 gave me a taste of what it is like to play quarterback. Now I feel way more comfortable in the pocket, I feel more comfortable running outside. My teammates always have my back, whenever I’m doubting myself a little bit, they’re there helping me out.” The first-year signal caller will have some dangerous weapons on the outside in juniors Frankie Guerrera and Alex Peruta. Dance said that Guerrera has “some of the best hands I’ve seen in a long time” and Peruta is equally impressive catching the ball and blocking downfield, calling him a “hybrid-type that can do it all.” Manning the trenches will be Desmond Connolly, Salvatore Signorello, and Daniel “Gator” Sjoblom. Dance has also been impressed with Sean Asante, who bulked up in the offseason and is set to play linebacker. “I think we are very athletic. We have a lot of guys that can run, we have a lot of guys that can catch,” added Dance, “All the guys out here didn’t see a lot of playing time two years ago, but we’re athletic at the skill positions and I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like when we get out there.” Dominique added, “All my years of football, I’ve never loved a team more. The chemistry we have this year is insane. It’s a good team atmosphere.” The Terriers open the season at East Catholic (Sat, 9/11 @ 12 p.m.) and return to RHHS for home opener against Avon (Fri. 9/17 @ 7:00 p.m.). “We’re chomping at bit. The kids are really excited to play,” Dance said of the opener, “It’s a great feeling to be back out here. I told the guys that it goes by in the blink of an eye so enjoy it.” Wethersfield: Eagles Hungry and Deep The last time the Eagles were on the field was the 2019 Class L playoffs following an 8-2 season in Matt McKinnon’s first season as head coach. McKinnon’s 2020 squad was one of the most vocal teams trying to save competitive football last fall and return with a chip on their shoulder in 2021. “The biggest thing is that they are smiling. Their mental health is better,” McKinnon said of the team’s mindset, “With football being taken away from them it did a lot of wear and tear on them and now you can see that excitement is back. Every day in practice, led by the seniors, we have energy out there.” McKinnon’s field captains are Jeremy Gilbert, TJ Smith, Cooper Moreau, and Holden Speed. The four showcased leadership through last year’s restrictions “They were very upset about what happened last season. They took out their anger and aggression in the weight room and they could not wait for this season,” McKinnon said of his captains, “They’ve earned it. They’re vocal leaders and they’ve worked hard. They are really setting the example for other people to follow.” Wil Bankowski, who starred on the lacrosse fields this spring, will start at quarterback. McKinnon praised his first-year quarterback for in intellect and for being fearless, saying “he’s showing pure toughness in the pocket.” Moreau is slated to be one of Bankowski’s main threats on the outside. “Cooper is coachable and has gotten into great physical shape. He went from a lineman to a receiver, and he’s probably one of the best blockers on the field. For a receiver, if you don’t block you don’t play. We don’t care who throws it, catches it, or runs it; the guys blocking are the ones who make the touchdown.” Smith will flank Bankowski in the backfield and Gilbert will solidly the line, potentially protecting Bankowski's blindside. Louie Montalvo is a special athlete that will be a dynamic threat at receiver and Andrew Knapp adds a big target at tight end. Speed will provide leadership on defense as an edge rusher and lead a defensive line that McKinnon said is full of power and potential. Linebackers Evan Christian and Felipe Lozano will anchor the middle of the Eagles attacking defense. The defensive secondary, which has always been strength at WHS, will again be loaded with talent with Tanner Healy, Ben Caufield, Ethan Lemos, and Mathyas Nieves leading a deep unit. If everything comes together, the Eagles could be serious contender in 2021. They open in the road against Platt (Fri, 9/10 @ 6:30 p.m.) before returning to Cottone Field for a bout with Berlin (9/17 @ 7:00 p.m.) “It’s a little surreal with all the missed time and everything we’ve dealt with since March 2020, but it’s here,” said McKinnon, “I’m going to have to contain myself, which will be tough at times, but I’m just glad to see high school football back and be a part of it.” Cromwell/Portland: Panthers Ready to Pounce Head coach Randell Bennett played several underclassmen in 2019, which should pay dividends in 2021. 2019’s team went 2-8, finishing with a character-building 20-14 victory over Rocky Hill in the finale when freshman quarterback Cole Brisson tossed three touchdowns. Bennett said he thought the team was primed take the next step last fall, “After things got canceled last season these guys worked hard last offseason. They were in football-mode and went right into training. These guys take it so serious, we’re not going to duck any work.” The lefty, mobile Brisson is back at the helm for his junior season, leading an offensive unit that Bennett said could be dangerous with a revamped offensive line led by sophomore Jack Williams, who is slated to be the starting center and double as a defensive lineman. Bennett’s most complete unit right now is linebacker, where the Panthers are stacked with three studs. Returning all-state senior Owen Brunk leads a group that includes Teddy Williams and Ryan Rozich. Brunk and Williams are slated to be on the outside and Rozich will man the middle. Bennett said the trio is approaching this season liked they are the best linebacking group in the state after training like professionals in the offseason. Rozich leads a robust group of talented juniors that includes Alex Hair (RB/LB) and Ben Fagan (WR/DB), and Johnny Beltre (RB/DB). Bennett also pointed to sophomore Daevyon Lovelace, who will play on the outside, as someone that will standout this season. The fifth-year head coach has a roster full of position versatility, with players capable of playing multiple positions on both sides of the ball. “We put the pads on and did a double session practice on that first Saturday. We did tackling drills and then scrimmaged and had the first team offense and took the remaining players and made the best defense we could make. Then we flipped sides and it was a super tight game. The team that was the scout team D was playing like they were playing the Patriots in Foxborough,” said Bennett, “It’s been fun to watch the film. These guys are in-synch and playing really well.” Bennett has a young coaching staff featuring previous Cromwell/Portland player. Jack Wilson (2016-grad) is the defensive coordinator, Ethan Roy (2017-grad) is coaching the defensive line, and Jack Hemsley (2015-grad) is handling the offensive line duties. The Panthers open with a pair of road games (Morgan and North Branford) before returning to Pierson Park to take on Haddam-Killingworth (Fri, 10/1 @ 6:00 p.m.). Newington: Nor’easters Primed for Impact Like nearly every team in the state, Newington will look a lot different from the team that finished 7-3 and made the playoffs in 2019. The Nor’easters enter 2021 with very little varsity experience, yet head coach Jason Pace has a hungry, confident team that went toe-to-toe with Amity in a scrimmage last Thursday. “We came out and it was sloppy. We made some mistakes as far as execution, but we started to play to our ability in the second quarter,” Pace said following the scrimmage, “We’re ecstatic to be out there and having the contact again makes it more real. It was a lot more fun once we started hitting.” Captaining the team on the field will be Austyn Howe, Jordan Middlebrooks, Donte Cooper, and Shakir Smith. Howe, who was a deep threat at receiver and filled it at quarterback in the 2019 playoffs, is one of the players with extensive varsity experience and will be shifting back to receiver and defensive back this fall. Middlebrooks will anchor the interior on both sides of the line and Cooper will be an edge rusher and play tight end. Pace pointed to Smith, who will carry the rock, as a player that has made great strides in practice, “He has come a long way. Watching his ability to finish runs and on the flip side to play linebacker is impressive.” Junior Padraig Brown will assume the quarterbacking duties behind center. “He’s worked tremendously in the offseason to get to the level that he is now,” said Pace, who is entering his fifth season at NHS, “We have confidence in him, and we have other guys that could step up if needed.” The Nor’easters open at home, welcoming Enfield to Alumni Field (Friday, 9/10 at 6:30 p.m.) “I don’t think you can approach it like a normal season because we haven’t played in so long and a lot of the players don’t have that varsity experience or much experience at all,” added Pace, “Usually you form an identity at this point and I don’t think we have one yet. I think it will come throughout the season but I know our guys are really excited and they’ll be ready to go.” Rocky Hill is entering the third season of the Rich Dance-era GHS boys' golf picked up right where they left off in the spring, posting the best start in the program’s history by shooting a one under par in victory over Bloomfield/MLC (143-270) at Glastonbury Hills Country Club on August 31.
Senior Nick DiNino shot a (-4) round of 32, sinking four birdies in the opener. Head coach Tom Zelek called DiNino’s round “remarkable”, adding that DiNino hit am amazing 8 of 9 greens in regulation. “Nick has been putting a lot of work into his game and it certainly has paid off,” stated Zelek, “I couldn’t be happier for him.” Senior co-captains Connor Goode and Charlie Dolan, along with sophomore Gavin Kvadus, each posted a (+1) 37. “To have three players come in with rounds of one over par in their first match is basically unheard of,” added Zelek, “Many teams have made the switch from spring to fall golf for the two primary reasons, better course conditions and players starting the season in peak form after playing all during the summer. I attribute the scores they posted to these reasons and look forward to an exciting season of competitive golf.” |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
December 2023
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