RHAM’s #2 Max Nylen carries the ball as #44 Chase Ayen leads the way during the Raptors 41-12 victory over Bacon Academy on Thanksgiving.
Playing against each other for the first time three years, RHAM football defeated Bacon Academy 41-12 to win the “Battle for the Rail” under a glaring sun on Thanksgiving. The Raptors ran for 335 yards and five touchdowns on the ground to defeat the Bobcats and finish the regular season at 7-3, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in program history. . “It was very important for us to defend The Rail,” RHAM head coach Dakota Fleming said. “It’s the town that is right next to us and we want to show that we have a better football team.” As he has done all season, senior Max Nylen set the tone early and often in the game, rushing for 175 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. “It was a great way to leave this field as a player,” Nylen said. “We definitely wanted to keep The Rail at RHAM.” On the fourth play of the game, Nylen took a direct snap and darted around the left end for a 52-yard score. Following a fumble recovery by Davion Hernandez, Michael Marques increased the lead to 13-0 when he scored a 32-yard rushing touchdown with 8:02 to play in the first quarter. Marques finished with 141 yards on 14 carries. Fleming credited his offensive line for paving the way for his one-two backfield punch of Nylen and Marques. Offensive linemen Anthony Wursthorn, Caden Bellmore, Thiago Delacruz, Brody Magnanini, Jack Smith, and tight end Tommy Puetzer provided running lanes for the two productive backs to run through. “Those guys up front have done a heck of a job all year,” added Fleming. “They’ve really improved and embraced everything that we taught and preached.” On the first play of the second quarter, quarterback Brady Hulland made it 20-0 when he followed lead blockers around the right end to score from 10-yards out. After a Bacon touchdown, Nylen scored his second, cutting through the heart of the Bobcats defense for a 13-yard touchdown to give the Raptors a comfortable 27-6 lead at the break. Nylen was a freshman the last time the two neighboring teams played one another in 2019—a game Bacon won 32-0. The game in 2020 was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s bout was canceled because Bacon was forced to forfeit due to alleged Title IX violations. “This game meant a little more than any other game,” said Nylen, who also had seven tackles and a sack on defense. “It’s Thanksgiving morning, we had the biggest crowd we had all year, and because we wanted to avenge that blowout loss our freshman year.” Bacon entered the game with only one win in their previous nine games this, yet Puetzer said the team approached the game with the same intensity they had all year. “It was a huge game, a rivalry game, and you never want to take a game for granted,” added Puetzer. In the second half, RHAM’s defense ended any doubt of a comeback when Puetzer intercepted a deflected screen pass and scored from three yards out with 7:53 left in the third quarter. Puetzer gave credit to Smith for deflecting the ball in his arms, adding, “I looked up, saw the ball, grabbed it, and ran.” Fleming said the team had been trying to get Puetzer in the end zone all year, joking, “In his own Tommy-Way, he found a way in.” Nylen put the finishing touches on the victory with his third rushing touchdown, giving him a total of 23 touchdowns. Nylen’s 23 all-purpose touchdowns is a single season program record and his 37-career touchdowns broke another program record. Fleming said that Nylen has been everything you would want in a player and leader, adding, “He’s had a great career; he’s been a great kid.” The third-year coach credited his entire senior class for propelling the program to the playoffs for the first time. “It takes leaders on the football team as players in order to turn a program around and they have done that,” said Fleming. “Everyone bought in and it showed and it’s because of them. All of our success goes out to that senior group.” Nylen, Marques, Puetzer and Logan Topulos were the team’s four captains this fall. Topulos tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in the team’s first scrimmage this fall and missed the entire season until Thanksgiving when he suited up. After months of rehab, Topulos was able to get on the field for the team’s final snap at RHAM High School, lining up behind Hulland in Victory Formation. Fleming called Topulos an extremely hard worker. “We thought it was important to get him on the field with the other guys because he may never play another football game again,” added Fleming. “We’ve learned a lot from him and his demeanor.” Fleming said the playoff berth and other momentous accomplishments this season could only have happened if everyone bought into the idea of being a family. “We are a brotherhood here,” added Fleming. “We all love each other and we all care for each other and that showed all season.” On Tuesday, RHAM’s historic season came to an end when they lost Johnathan Law in the first round of the Class M playoffs.
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Bacon Academy senior captains, from left, Zachary Perreault, Aidan Fritz, Aiden Holt, and Jack Holmes during the coin toss at RHAM High School on Thanksgiving.
Bacon Academy football walked off the field at RHAM High School after being handed a 41-12 defeat on Thanksgiving morning. Under normal circumstances, a lopsided loss in the season finale would be tough to swallow. But for a Bobcats program that has seen rock bottom, the 29-point defeat is just another stepping stone towards a brighter future. “Since day one, the energy and investment into the program has been there,” said first-year head coach Bill Chaffin. “I feel like we’re in a better place than we were 12 months ago. They weren't even playing 12 months ago.” Chaffin took over the program that finished winless a season ago, losing their first seven games before forfeiting the final three games because of alleged Title IX violations last November. Thanksgiving’s results allowed the neighboring Raptors to retain The Rail, a trophy given to the winner of the annual matchup dubbed “The Battle for the Rail”. A year ago, RHAM was awarded The Rail after the forfeiture and 2020’s game was never played because of the COVID-19 cancellation. In 2019, the last time the teams played each other, Bacon won 32-0. But that game was a distant memory by the time the game kicked off last Thursday in Hebron. After falling behind 20-0, the Bobcats found rhythm offensively with running back Aidan Fritz ripping off runs of seven, eight, and ten yards. Bacon eventually found the end zone when senior quarterback Jack Holmes scrambled to his right and lofted a pass down the sidelines to Julian Rodegher, who hauled it in and scored from 32-yards out with 8:24 left in the first half. Holmes threw a second touchdown late in regulation when he hooked up with Jace King for a 19-yard scoring strike. In the end, RHAM’s rushing attack was too much for Bacon Academy to overcome. The loss wrapped up a 1-9 season a team that had some bright moments this season, including picking up their first win in 1,007 days when they defeated New London on Nov. 5. “We finally got a win and we got building blocks to build off of,” said Chaffin, who started several underclassmen this fall. “We were young, inexperienced, and they got thrown into the water. The experience they gained this year will help us moving forward.” Chaffin will have starting experience returning with Rodegher, King, Brady Gould, and Kevin Claffey leading a talented group coming back after playing pivotal roles on both sides of the ball this season. On the flip side, Chaffin will lose eight seniors—led by captain Fritz, Holmes, Aiden Holt, and Zachary Perreault—who helped him implement his culture. Chaffin credited his departing seniors for persevering through plenty of turbulence over the last four years. “They have been through nothing but adversity through their high school careers and for them to come out and show leadership and show some of the younger guys how to do it means a lot,” added Chaffin. “They made my first year as a head coach a really good year and I’m extremely thankful to them.” Chaffin said the main difference in the loss to RHAM was the strength component, with the Raptors offensive line and running backs controlling the tempo of the game. Heading into year two, Chaffin’s goal for the offseason is to ramp up the program’s weight training program in order for the team to get bigger, stronger, and faster for next fall. “That’s the difference between the type of season we had and a successful season,” added Chaffin. “Getting these kids in the weight room and getting them strong will determine where we’ll be in the next two to three years.” Cromwell/Portland football won the Shunpike Showdown for a fourth straight time, defeating Rocky Hill 38-7 at Pierson Park on the eve of Thanksgiving.
The win improved the Panthers to 9-1 and earned them the top-seed in the Class SS playoffs. Playing in his first Shunpike Showdown, freshman Tyler Cipolla returned the opening kickoff of the game for a touchdown to open the flood gates as the home Panthers scored the first 31 points. Quarterback Cole Brisson connected with Jack Nolan for a pair of touchdowns and Alex Hair added two more rushing touchdowns in the lopsided victory. After losing the three games in the holiday series, which dates back to 2015, the Panthers have won the last four by a combined score of 121-42. Rocky Hill’s Joey Motes hit Frankie Guerrera on a 37-yard touchdown in the four quarter for the Terriers only points in the loss. Rocky Hill ended the season with a record of 7-3, just missing out on a spot in the Class SS playoffs. Despite losing all-conference senior captain Alex Peruta to a season-ending injury in September, the Terriers ended up winning the Central Connecticut Tier IV Championship behind a great team effort and the talents of Guerrera, who scored 19 touchdowns this fall. Senior players and coaches from the Newington High School football team following the Nor’easters 17-14 victory over Wethersfield on Nov. 23.
Newington football defeated Wethersfield 17-14 to win the 46th annual Thanksgiving Classic in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Cottone Field on Nov. 23. Playing in his final game, senior quarterback Paddy Brown ran for and threw a touchdown and kicked a crucial field goal as Newington dealt Wethersfield only their second loss of the season. “To go out this way with the guys I’ve played with since youth is really awesome,” said Brown. “This means everything. We’ve put in so much hard work over the years, and it is good to have that feeling of getting a win and going out like this to end our high school careers.” Wethersfield, who entered the game having won eight of nine games this fall, was seeking to avenge a 28-20 loss to their neighboring rivals at Alumni Field in Newington a year ago. Early on it looked like the Eagles would get revenge, marching 72 yards in 10 plays on the team’s second possession. The drive culminated with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Cam Righi to Ethan Lemos with four minutes left in the opening quarter. Newington responded on the following drive, covering 70 yards in seven plays. Brown called his own number on the seventh play, following blockers around the left end for a 14-yard rushing touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, punter Ishaak Ileaasu flipped field position when he pooched a punt down to the one-yard line. On the following possession, Newington capitalized on a short field goal by driving seven plays and scoring with two seconds left in the half when Brown connected with Akari Rosemond on a back-shoulder fade from 10-yards out. The last second touchdown was one of many momentum shifting plays that Brown and his receivers made on the night. “It was just about our guys getting open and us doing our jobs,” said Brown. Newington then went on a monster 15-play drive to start the second half, taking seven minutes and 26 seconds off the clock before Brown, who is also the team’s kicker, split the uprights from 29-yards out, upping the road team’s leads to 17-7. Head coach Jason Pace credited his savvy, do-it-all signal caller, calling Brown “a true warrior.” “Paddy has never wavered from what we stand for and our core values. He understands how to approach every single game the right way and he’s been a leader on and off the field,” added Pace. “He has done everything we ask of him.” After running only three offensive plays in the third quarter, Wethersfield’s defense responded in the final quarter by creating two turnovers. The first was a fumble recovery by Nicholas Guglielmo, which led to a spectacular 29-scoring run by Righi to cut the deficit to three points with 6:45 left in regulation. On the following possession, Justin Nadella picked off Brown at the Newington 44-yard line. Wethersfield was unable to capitalize as Newington’s Aiden Bengtson deflected a Righi pass on fourth down. The Eagles had one final chance, but Righi was intercepted by Chase Leonard with 1:52 to play in regulation. “The play before I had messed up and my coach had yelled at me from the sidelines. The next play he threw it right to where I was supposed to be, and I just picked it off,” said Leonard, who joked. “I blacked out after that. I don’t remember anything after that play.” Brown praised Leonard and the defense, adding, “They stepped up. They are the reason why we won this game.” A first down run by Brown sealed the victory and allowed Newington to keep the trophy for at least one more year. Newington controlled time of possession, particularly in the second half, and Pace credited his unsung heroes up front, led by seniors Amari Rosemond, Victor Wolak, and Elijah Smith. “We knew [Wethersfield] was a physical football team that likes to control the game through their rushing attacking, which has led to a lot of wins for them. We understood that we were going to have to stop the run and for the most part we bottled it up and offensively we were able to establish the run,” said Pace. “I’m proud of those guys. They are the guys that don’t ever get the credit, but they put in the work, and they really fought and battled.” The victory was big in more ways than one. Along with providing bragging rights, it also provided a positive finish to a difficult season for the Nor’easters. Newington started the season with six straight losses—four by a single score. They rebounded to win three of their final four, finishing 3-7. “It’s just great to be able to finish the season this way. We’ve had our challenges throughout the year, a lot of close games, a tough schedule, but we’ve never made excuses,” said Pace. “I’m proud of this group for putting it all together and finishing this game.” For Brown and the seniors, the game against Wethersfield was the equivalent to a state championship game. “The season may have not gone the way we wanted it to, but we were able to end it the way we wanted it, with a win,” said Brown. Running back Luca Corvino, who was the team’s leading rusher this season, said the seniors were talking about this game even before the season had started. “This is the one that matters,” added Corvino. “For most of us, this is the last four quarters that we will ever play. We left it all out there.” Back in 2019, when the seniors were freshman, Wethersfield beat Newington 35-0 at Cottone Field. “In my book that was a big motivator. We couldn't let that happen again,” said Leonard. “This is how we wanted to end our season as seniors.” For Wethersfield, the loss snapped a six-game winning streak, and concluded an 8-2 regular season. Prior to the game against Newington, the Eagles had already clinched a spot in the Class MM playoffs, yet head coach Matt McKinnon made no excuses for the loss. “Hats off to Newington. They did a really nice job on defense,” said McKinnon, who said his defense gave the team a chance to win with the two fourth-quarter turnovers. “We knew that was our chance to win the game, but a couple of things just didn’t go right,” added McKinnon. “The effort was there; we just have to do better.” Newington now holds a 25-20-1 advantage in the series, which first started in 1976 with Newington winning the initial battle 24-22. GHS field hockey head coach Maureen Perkins with her three senior players, Mikayla Balatbat to her left and Alicia Choquette and Leila Espirito-Santo to her right, prior to the Guardians semifinal game against Darien at Amity High School on Nov. 15.
Glastonbury field hockey head coach Maureen Perkins had only three seniors on her roster this season, yet Guardians still advanced to the semifinals in the state tourney for a second straight season. Perkins credited the selfishness of the team for the deep run. “What I really liked is that they worked hard all the time,” stated Perkins. “They learned how to work together, because I think they understood that in order for us to be successful we can’t rely on just one person. It really was a group effort.” After making the semifinal round a season ago, Perkins graduated what she called an “influential” senior class that featured standouts Molly Harding, Kaitlyn Welsh, Christiana Guanci, and goalie Kaitlyn Parent. Because of the key departures, the veteran coach of over two decades wasn’t sure what the product on the field would look like. What Perkins found out was that her returning seniors assumed the leadership void and the other players filled in admirably. “We had several new kids playing and even our kids that were returning were playing new positions,” she stated. “We had to figure stuff out as we went. As the season went on, we all worked together, and I was really happy to see that.” Seniors Alicia Choquette, Mikayla Balatbat, and Leila Espirito-Santo were Perkins’ eyes and ears on the field, leading the young team and producing on the stat sheet. Choquette led the team in both goals (15) and assists (12). Balatbat dished out seven assists, which was second on the team, and Espirito-Santo added seven goals. Perkins said the trio wasn’t particularly vocal as juniors, but she saw them develop that voice early in this fall. “As the season went on, they got more comfortable at being more vocal and really started helping the younger kids understand what we needed to do,” added Perkins. “They have always led by example and one of the things that I like about all three of them is that they have always work hard.” Replacing Parent, who is playing collegiately at Southern Connecticut State University, was junior Alex Edwards. Perkins said that Edwards got better with each passing game and by the end of the season was in full command of the defensive end. “She got more confident, and she got more vocal,” Perkins said of her first-year goalie. “She took charge of the circle to made sure people were marking the way they were supposed to and that everyone was doing their job.” Perkins recalled Edwards as being “spectacular” during the semifinal loss to Darien, making 28 saves. “She was absolutely awesome,” added Perkins. “She was agile, quick, vocal, decisive, and mentally strong. All of the things you look for in a goalie.” During the regular season, the Guardian won 13 of 16 games, beating all 11 Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) opponents to win the CCC-South. In the tourney, they blanked Norwalk (2-0) and Hall (4-0) in the first two rounds before losing 5-0 to a Darien team that finished the season undefeated and would advance to defeat Wilton 4-0 in the state championship game. “Darien is a machine; it’s so impressive,” recalled Perkins. “It’s impressive to watch it and when you play against it, it would be easy to just quit, but the team never quit, and I think that is another thing about them that I am really proud of.” Once the dust had settled on the season, the young Guardians has finished No. 7 in the Connecticut Field Hockey Coaches Poll, beating four ranked teams in Hall, Farmington, Wethersfield, and Southington this fall. A tough tourney draw has strung the Guardians in each of the last two years. In both seasons, GHS has been eliminated in the semifinal round by undefeated teams that combined for a record of 42-0 and each would win the state championship after beating Glastonbury. A year ago, the Guardians fell to a nationally ranked New Canaan team in the semifinal round. With a majority her starter returning next fall, Perkins hopes the experience the players gained this year will pay dividends next fall. Key returning starters on offense will be Allyson Collette, who scored nine goals this fall as a junior, along with freshman Deidre McKiernan (seven goals) and sophomore Addison Infante (seven assists). Edwards will be back in goal after posting 11 shutouts this season. “It always helps that we have a lot of kids coming back and now they know what our program is all about,” stated Perkins. “I’m really exciting to see where a lot of those kids will be in August when we come back together.” The 4th grade football team from Glastonbury won the Shoreline Sugar Bowl on Nov. 13. Front row: Sawyer Gulbrandsen, Nico Squires, Johnny Overstrom, Joey Finan, Killian Ortiz-Scalora, Louie Taigen, Rhys Williams, Nick Twilley, Frank Bates. Middle row: Kody Wolf, Caleb Collins, Paul Gacek, Nolan Sullivan, Nick Cavallo Garlasco, Jack Hurwitz, Ryan Finnerty, Liam Gonzalez, Charles Collins. Top row: Assistant Coach Jason Squires, Assistant Coach Justin Wolf, Head Coach Jeff Finnerty, Assistant Coach Mark Finan, Assistant Coach Scott Hurwitz, and Assistant Coach Kyle Trudeau
Glastonbury’s 4th Grade football team defeated Shelton 24-13 to win the 2022 Shoreline Conference Sugar Bowl on Nov. 13. After finishing the regular season 4-4, the team consisting of both 3rd and 4th graders, won a pair of games in the postseason to capture the Sugar Bowl trophy. Head coach Jeff Finnerty said that it took some time for the young team to gain confidence because over half of the roster was in the 3rd grade and most of the 4th graders were playing contact football for the first time. “For such a young team they were eager to learn. They were good kids that worked hard,” stated Finnerty, who said he could see the eight- and nine-year-old players getting better with each practice. “I was really impressed with the kids and their ability to remain focused.” After starting the season with a lopsided loss, the team found their footing in game two. Finnerty said that the first game allowed the players to get the jitters out and they learned what it was like to play for all four quarters. “For about 70% of the team that was the first time they had been on the field in a real game,” added Finnerty. “Guys started to understand the game of football and the rules, and we got better every week.” By the end of the season, the team was clicking on all cylinders, winning four of their final five games. Finnerty said the team’s motto for each practice was just to get better than were the previous day, adding, “It was really a testament to their hard work.” The coach was most impressed with his team’s ability to overcome adversity in games. Late in the season, the Guardians overcame a halftime deficit against Monroe and then shook off an early turnover in the Sugar Bowl victory over Shelton. Finnerty, who has been coaching youth football in Glastonbury since 2015, would remind his team that winning games isn’t about 80-yard highlight-reel touchdowns but rather about stacking small accomplishments together throughout the game. “That is a tough thing for kids to learn,” stated Finnerty. “It's about playing defense and sustaining that effort. It’s the ability to work together, all 11 guys at once.” Finnerty’s son, Connor Finnerty, went through the youth ranks and is now a high school freshman football player who played on the freshman team at Glastonbury High School that recently finished undefeated. Over the last two years, the GHS freshman team has won 19 of 20 games. In a handful of years, the current 3rd and 4th graders from the Sugar Bowl will have a chance to have similar success at the high school ranks. “These guys will be playing together when they are juniors and seniors in high school at Glastonbury High,” Finnerty said of the Sugar Bowl group. “These guys will work together and grow together for years to come and that is really exciting to be a part of.” After a two-year hiatus, youth wrestling in Glastonbury is back and better than ever.
Wrestling, particularly youth wrestling, was the sport affected most by Covid-19 and for the past few winters, Glastonbury Youth Wrestling (GYW) was severely limited due to the local restrictions. GYW Director Ethan Reid said the organization pivoted during the pandemic and partnered with a local CrossFit gym to offer wrestlers a chance to stay in shape and eventually they joined forces with a private club in Rocky Hill to allow the young grapplers an opportunity to practice while the local gyms remained close last winter. “This year is the first year we’ve been able to get back to normal and we’re really excited to do it,” said Reid, who took over as the director in the early stages of the pandemic. “We view this as a rebuilding year for the club.” Registration is now open for kids from 1st through 8th grade with the season running from now until early February or early March, depending on the state tournament. During a recent information session held at Gideon Welles School, Reid said he was pleasantly surprised that between 30-40 kids showed up, most new to wrestling. “It’s very exciting for the future of the club,” added Reid, who added that they have both boys and girls participating. Practices will take place at Gideon Welles School (1029 Neipsic Road) every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00-7:30, with wrestlers working with experienced coaches to learn the proper fundamentals and techniques of the ancient sport. Reid, who has a son that has been part of the program since he was eight years old, said that the skills and discipline learned in wrestling goes beyond the mat. “Wrestling really helps with self-control. There are specific rules you have to follow,” stated Reid. “It’s different from a lot of other sports. There is no team trophy; it’s a very individual sport.” Reid added that the technical skills learned, like leverage and body control, are transferable to nearly every other sport, adding, “At this stage it’s all about learning the fundamentals. We want to make sure that our [wrestlers] are good at a few things and that’s what we teach.” Over the years, GYW has developed wrestlers who have gone on to make All-State in high school and compete in the State Open. The hope is that with the latest reboot, the new group of aspiring wrestlers follow in the footsteps of the previous generation. “The most important thing is that it has to be fun,” said Reid. “We want the kids to have a good time when they come in” For more information or to register, visit www.glastonburyyouthwrestling.org or with questions email Reid at ethan.o.reid@gmail.com. |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
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