Rocky Hill's senior goalie Chris Conlan was selected All-CCC in soccer. Photo credit- RHHS Soccer Booster Club / Wethersfield junior Zoe Kleetblatt earned an All-CCC selection in field hockey. Photo credit- Jo-Ann Campbell

Boys Cross Country
Cromwell – Mark Rodriguez, Connor Daly
Middletown – Sean Ahern, Matt Lecky
Newington – Michael Bohlke, Samuel Geisler, Aiden Toth
Rocky Hill – Ethan Arcata
Wethersfield – Mike Dunn, Owen Gagne

Girls Cross Country
Cromwell – Emma Drzewicki, Ally Arling
Middletown – Ariana Monarca, Nicole Nenninger
Newington – Samantha Gorski
Rocky Hill – Lilah Devine, Elizabeth Stockman
Wethersfield – Meghan Gregorski, Isabella Samse

Field Hockey
Newington - Maya Gajowiak
Wethersfield - Zoe Kleeblatt, Lorien Touponse

Football
Cromwell/Portland – Bryce Karstetter, Nick Wright, Kevin Hinkle
Middletown - Jontae Dempsey, Stephen Hill Jr, Dajaun Lomotey, Tyreece Lumpkin, Xzavier Reyes, Osbourne Richards, Nygel Smikle
Newington - Izayah Ciarcia, Julian Mulero, Dylan Nees-Fair, Rasheed Patterson, Eric Sims
Wethersfield - David Colon, Luke Kelleher, Mitchell Quadrato, Connor Pace
Rocky Hill - Matthew Sevigny

Boys Soccer
Cromwell – J.J. Tracy, Luke Ayotte, Brett Sena, Carter Newman
Middletown - Gael Badabanga, Connor Vogel
Newington - Jack DeGirolamo, Trey Sadler, Aslan Tate
Rocky Hill - Alex Burke, Chris Conlan, Riley Donovan
Wethersfield - Dino Alihodzic, Justin Biraci, Riley Carlson, Max Karkos, Kenan Mujic

Girls Soccer
Cromwell – Erika Person, Olivia Belcourt, Olivia Pendl, Sannon Morrill, Jordan Pare, Jenna Liseo
Middletown - Kaylee Allegretti, Madison Fletcher, Tyler Stocking
Newington - Maggie Callahan, Gabby Gray, Abby Molloy, Olivia Mullings, Giuliana Stolfi, Zoe Walk
Rocky Hill - Izzy Califiore, Emma Molloy, Isabella Montalvo, Annie White
Wethersfield - Paige Contenta, Sierra Judson, Megan Keleher, Alexis Szymecki, Gabi Villagra

​Girls Volleyball
Cromwell – Sadie Budzik, Kaitlin Lewkowicz, Aijha Caccio
Newington- Azya Bass, Maddie Massaro-Cook, Carelys Benitez, Alaysiah Hall
Rocky Hill- Julia O’Connor, Amanda Shuman
Wethersfield- Megan Kelleher, Alice Kelly

Ashanti Frazier- Newington (Basketball): Frazier has been unstoppable as Newington has won their first three games, including last Thursday’s 52-39 victory over New Britain. In the win over the Golden Hurricanes, the junior guard messed around and nearly got a triple-double; scoring 25 points, dishing out eight assists, and racking up an eye-popping 10 steals. In the Indians season opener, a 59-42 victory over South Windsor, Frazier scored 10, grabbed six rebounds, and had three steals. 

Ben Mroczka- Middletown (Hockey): Mroczka scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in the WMPR Eagles season-opening 2-1 victory over the Eastern CT Eagles. The senior tallied another goal in a 3-1 victory over Bolton/Conventry/Rockville and prior to the start of the season he was named one of the team’s captains after leading the team in goals as a junior a season ago. 

Julia DiBattista- Rocky Hill (Basketball): DiBattista nearly averaged a double-double last week, averaging 10 points and nine rebounds as Rocky Hill split their first two games of the season with a win over Enfield and a loss to Glastonbury. The senior has already formulated a great one-two punch with returning all-state guard Nikki Lukens.   

Najla Cecunjanin- Cromwell (Basketball): Cecunjanin had a terrific all-around game to help Cromwell open the season with a 56-32 victory over Old Lyme, finishing with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, three assists, and three blocks. The versatile junior is one of a handful of young stars that head coach Kelly Maher has on the court this season.    

Jake Peckrul- Wethersfield (Hockey): Peckrul is back in goal for the Eagles, helping preserve two victories over the first two games of the season. The senior captain had 10 saves in a 2-1 victory over Eastern CT and then sent back 11 shots in a 3-1 win over Bolton/Coventry/Rockville. 

(Above) Abby Francis commits to swim at Davidson College, accompanied by her parents David and Caroline Francis, and WHS swim coach Lee Schwartzman

(Below) Zoe Adams commits to swim at Assumption College, accompanied by her parents Brett and Carla Adams, sister Sophie Adams, and WHS swim coach Lee Schwartzman

Wethersfield seniors Abby Francis and Zoe Adams will continue their swimming careers at the next level, making it official at WHS in November.

Francis signed a national letter of intent to swim at Davidson College in North Carolina next year. 

She had a remarkable swim career at WHS, earning CCC all-conference honors in each of her four seasons with the Eagles and served as captain of team during her senior year and was an integral part of four straight CCC divisional crowns.  She has also earned CHSCA All-State accolades seven different times and was a member of the 2018 Class L champion 200 freestyle relay team and was the individual Class L state champion in the 2017 200 Freestyle, the 2018 200 Individual Medley, and the 2018 100 Breaststroke.

Francis excels in the classroom and is a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and National Social Studies Honor Society.  She has volunteered her time in the ALS program and with the Bridge Program while also serving as a peer tutor, member of the Interact Club, and president of the Skills21 club. 

Outside of school, Francis has been a participant with the LEHY swimming club.  This year she was honored as a CT Swimming Scholar Athlete and a Scholastic All-American by USA Swimming.  In addition, she was a YMCA Nationals Finalist, Junior National Qualifier, and CT Senior Championship finalist.

Adams announced that she will continue her swimming career at Assumption College next year in Worcester, Massachusetts. 

She was a four year member of the swimming and diving team which won four straight CCC division titles, serving as captain during her senior year. She was a three-time all-conference award winner and was also named to the CCC all-academic team in each of her four seasons swimming at Wethersfield.

In addition to swimming, Adams is a three sport athlete at WHS, also lettering in basketball and outdoor track.  This season she was named a captain for the basketball team, which reached the class L semifinals last year. She is also a member of the defending CCC North girls’ outdoor track divisional championship team. In 2018 she participated in the heptathlon and was a State Open qualifier in the triple jump. 

Outside of athletics, Adams has been involved in many other activities. She has been a DARE peer role model, volunteered in the ALS program, and participated in the Bridge Program, and is also a town lifeguard and youth basketball referee. 

Next year at Assumption, Adams plans to major in biology with future aspirations to work in the medical field. 

*Information provided by Wethersfield’s Athletic Department*

On Wednesday, November 21, before their Thanksgiving Eve football game, the Cromwell/Portland Panthers football team and cheerleaders made "care baggies" for Streetfire Ministries.  The students donated items and put together more than 200 baggies that were distributed by the ministry.   Each year the two teams have come together before the game to do a service project for people in our neighboring town, this has been a long standing tradition.

#12 Bryce Karstetter and $5 Nick Wright watch from the sidelines during the Panthers 41-6 playoff exit last Tuesday night. Despite the loss, the senior QB-WR duo broke records in 2018

Cromwell/Portland's season came to an emotional end last Tuesday night, losing 41-6 to undefeated Stafford/East Windsor/Somers in the first round of the Class S playoffs at Enfield High School.

“It’s tough, I feel bad for our seniors,” head coach Randell Bennett said following the defeat, “We really hadn’t been tested in the month of November. The last real test was the Valley game and I think that you saw that tonight. We were a little tentative to make a play. In the first and second drive we just looked a little nervous out there tonight.”

Bennett’s team enter the postseason 9-1 and riding a four-game winning streak, which included consecutive shutouts over Woodstock Academy (41-0) and Rocky Hill (30-0) to close the regular season, but the Bulldogs of Stafford dominated time of possession from start to finish, scoring six rushing touchdowns to advance to the semifinals.

Quarterback Colton Engel led the charge, racking up 150 yards on the ground and three scores, including a pair in the first half to provide the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead at the break.

Each of Engel’s touchdowns came from a yard out. Coincidentally, his first score was at the 1:18 mark of the first quarter and his second at the 1:18 mark of the second quarter.

The playoff bout was billed as a game of contrasting offensive styles. The Panthers entered with a prolific aerial attack and the Bulldogs ground game was equally impressive this season.

In the end, quarterback Bryce Karstetter and the Panthers offense were unable to create the chunk plays they had relied on all season and the Bulldogs thrived in all three phases of the game, also creating five turnovers on defense and blocking a punt.

Julien Rivas, Jeff Kology, and Caleb White each intercepted passes, and Will Spellman blocked the punt.

“We took the first series to see how they were going to play us. They hadn’t seen too many passing offenses on film so we were trying to get a feel for them,” Bennet said of the slow start, “We just never really got the ball back and they just chewed up the clock in the second quarter. Before we looked up it was halftime and it was 14-0,”

Stafford’s momentum bled into the second half, scoring on the opening possession when Engel tallied his third rushing touchdown.

Rivas, who finished with 126 total yards, scored from three yards out later in the third. Kology and Cody Gebo each found the end zone in the fourth

As a team, the Bulldogs amassed 288 yards on the ground and had an impressive 5 to 1 run-to-pass ratio.

Guiding the Bulldogs’ offense is current Wethersfield girls basketball coach Jeff Russell, who was the former offensive coordinator for the Eagles’ football team before bringing his formation concepts and wizardry up north.

Russell’s up-tempo offense found creases all night and the Bulldogs defense hounded Karstetter from the opening snap, including sacking him on the game’s first snap.

The Panthers offense had some chances, but untimely turnovers and penalties killed most drives. Their lone score a 19-yard toss from Karstetter to Matthew Pepe, narrowing the deficit to 27-6 late in the third quarter.

Inexperience, and a lingering ankle injury to senior captain Ismar Kandic, hampered the Panthers on both sides of the line.

“They’re still learning out there. We had some good things to build on this year but we just have to go back to the drawing board and getting better,” Bennett said of his young linemen, “The biggest thing for them is that I hope they understand that we have to get stronger. We need to get stronger, we need to hone in on our techniques. When you win all the time you can tune your coaches out sometimes when they’re on you about technique.”

Sophomores Cam Latronica, Brandon Lockwood, Marc Treglia, and Ian Conway all had solid seasons in the trenches and earned valuable experience for the coming years.

Bennett will have several starters returning in 2019, which includes the large group of sophomores and freshman sensation Owen Brunk.
However the playoff loss was the end of the road for a dozen seniors, including Karstetter.

The three-year starter had his best statistical season, throwing for 29 touchdowns and adding four more on the ground.

First-year phenomenon Nick Wright will also be departing after breaking the program’s all-time receiving yardage mark, finishing with 1495 yards (a state high) and scoring 17 touchdowns.

“Can’t put into word how thankful I am to have been able to play for such a great organization. Love my brothers and everyone who supported us,” Wright stated following the playoff exit.

Leading rusher Bryan Lockwood, leading tackler Zac Cyr, the takeaway tandem of Kevin Hinkle and Devon Kilham, along with Kandic, Dudley Salmon, Jordan Flores, Carter Graves, Jaylen Jenkins, Deniz Pine, and Chase Lopes will also be moving on.

“I feel really bad for those guys, because our seniors carried us this year,” stated Bennett, who was an assistant coach prior to taking over as the head coach a season ago, “They are just an integral part of what I think is going to be a great program. Last year we got right to the line and Rocky Hill knocked us out and this year we got in and we ran into Stafford. We lit it up with stats and scoring but at the end of the day those things don’t necessarily matter when you want to win the championship as a team. I know looking forward this is something that everyone will look back on and say we had a great group.”

Over the last four years the seniors helped compile an impressive 35-8 record, which included a playoff win over Bloomfield in 2016.

Next fall Bennett and his staff need to replace some key weapons, but the pieces are in place for another postseason run.  

“We just have to stick together and get our younger guys better. Hopefully in two years we’ll be talking about this while we’re laughing with the trophy under our arm,” added Bennett, “These guys will be back and we’ll be the same old Cromwell.”

Stafford’s season came to a conclusion in the semis, losing to Haddam-Killingworth 21-14 in overtime last Sunday.

The Bulldogs battled back from a 14-0 second-half deficit to send the game into overtime on touchdowns from Rivas and Engel, but H-K scored on their first possession of the extra session and made a defensive stand to advance to the Class S championship game.