ADAM ALENCKIS
Watertown football
Nickname: A-List
Class: Senior
Jersey number: 36
Twitter: adam_alenckis
His week: Ran for 264 yards, 4 touchdowns in 68-27 win over Torrington.

Q&A
Funniest sports moment: Getting pantsed while running the ball my freshman year.
Worst sports injury: Rolled ankle.
Superstition: Not splitting any poles before our games.
Dream college: UConn.
Career ambition: Physician’s assistant.
Coveted dinner companions: Abraham Lincoln, LeBron James and my mom.
Celebrity sighting: Dwyane Wade.
Biggest wish: For all of my friends and family to be successful.
Biggest fear: Losing someone close to me.
Principal for a day: No school.
10 years from now: Successful and married with kids.
Most overused phrase: You’re beat.
Pet peeve: Loud chewing.
Describe yourself in one word: Confident.
Deserted island necessities: Water, food and lighter.
Foreign country you’d most like to visit: Anywhere in the Caribbean.
Witness any event: Cowboys game.
Go-to karaoke song: Eye of the Tiger, by Survivor.
Family athletic background: My brother Sean Server played wide receiver at Watertown (2005 captain).
Cellphone brand: Apple.
Beef, chicken or fish?: Beef.
Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts?: Dunkin’ Donuts.
Shoutout: To my coaches, parents and teammates.

FAVORITES
Opposing player: Enjoy playing anyone who brings competition.
Sports team: Cowboys.
Sports personality: Ezekiel Elliott.
Class subject: Math.
City: Los Angeles.
Celebrity: Johnny Depp.
Actor: Adam Sandler.
Concert: The Wiggles.
Athlete: LeBron James.
TV show: Shameless.
Movie: Paranormal activity.
Book: Hunger Games.
Song: Wins & Losses, by Meek Mill.
Animal: Monkey.
App: Snapchat.
Website: YouTube.
Music artist: Meek Mill.
Sporting event: Super Bowl.
Meal: Shepherd’s pie.
Store: Foot Locker.
Restaurant: Texas Roadhouse.
Pizza topping: Cheese.
Dessert: Chocolate chip skillets.
Junk food: Twinkies.
Car: Maserati.
Childhood memory: Ding dong ditching.
Video game: Call of Duty.
Sports memory: Taking “The Helmet” back from Torrington in 2016.
Music genre: Hip hop.
Song lyrics: Beat the odds, do numbers and remain humble.
Quote: Good things come to those who wait.
Vacation spot: Myrtle Beach.
Ice cream flavor: Cookies and cream.
Breakfast food: Bacon.

COREY FAPPIANO
Holy Cross football
Nickname: C4
Class: Junior
Jersey number: 4
Twitter: corfapp
His week: Ran for 2 TDs, passed for 360 yards, 1 TD in 42-28 win over Wolcott.

Q&A
Funniest sports moment: Running with Zyair Rountree when he recovered a fumble against Crosby.
Worst sports injury: Breaking clavicle, dislocating shoulder last Thanksgiving.
Superstition: No sugar the day before a game.
Dream college: BC.
Career ambition: Athletic trainer.
Coveted dinner companions: Aaron Rodgers, Antonio Brown.
Celebrity sighting: David Ortiz.
Biggest wish: To get a Division I offer.
Biggest fear: Sharks.
Principal for a day: Free lunch.
10 years from now: Working with athletes.
Most overused phrase: What’s for dinner?
Pet peeve: Chewing with your mouth open.
People would be surprised to know: Up until Freshman year, basketball and baseball were my primary sports.
Describe yourself in one word: Dedicated.
Deserted island necessities: Football, water purifier, food.
Foreign country you’d most like to visit: Italy.
Go-to karaoke song: Don’t Stop Believing, by Journey.
Family athletic background: My sisters, parents and both grandfathers played high school sports.
Cellphone: iPhone
Beef, chicken or fish?: Beef.
Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts?: Dunkin’ Donuts
Shoutout: To my football coaches, my team, all my family, in particular Papa and Gram, friends who supported me through everything, Mrs. Estrada and the HC fam.

FAVORITES
Opposing player: Jadan Battle (Waterbury Career).
Sports team: Eagles.
Class subject: Chemistry.
City: Tucson, Ariz.
Celebrity: Kevin Hart.
Actor: Channing Tatum.
Concert: Sam Hunt.
Athlete: Julio Jones.
TV show: Drake and Josh.
Movie: 22 Jump Street.
Book: Friday Night Lights.
Song: No Option.
Animal: Kittens.
App: Snapchat.
Emoji: Laughing face (tears).
Website: Eastbay.com.
Music artist: Lil Uzi Vert.
Sporting event: Friday night football.
Meal: Chicken Milanese.
Store: Marshalls.
Restaurant: Roma (Oakville).
Pizza topping: Chicken bacon ranch (Martino’s).
Dessert: Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie (Chili’s).
Junk food: Sour cream and onion chips.
Car: Red Mustang convertible
Childhood memory: When I was a ballboy for the Celtics.
Video game: Madden ’18 … (shoutout to Byrnes).
Sports memory: Beating Wolcott this year on Thanksgiving (shoutout to Coach Jim Caouette!!!).
Music genre: Rap
Vacation spot: Florida
Ice cream: Ben and Jerry’s Strawberry Cheesecake.
Breakfast food: Bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel

No. 7 O’Brien Tech (8-2) at No. 2 St. Joseph (9-1)

When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Trumbull High

Key players

O’Brien Tech: Jonte Roc, RB-LB, Jr.; Jammar Roc, RB-LB, Jr.; Mason Santa Maria, FB-LN, Sr.; Brendan Gilbert, C, Sr.; Tyreek Green, TE-DE, Sr.

St. Joseph: Jared Mallozzi, WR, Sr.; Mike DiIorio, WR-S, Sr.; Jude Andrrzejwski, RB-OLB, Sr.; Jesse Veilleux, OG-D, Sr.; Jaden Shirden, RB-CB, Soph.

Thanksgiving games: St Joseph 65, Trumbull 6; Nov. 18: O’Brien Tech 38, Platt Tech 20

Worth noting: The Cadets’ only loss was to Darien, 42-10, in Week 3. The Cadets have 92 players on roster, O’Brien Tech 33. St. Joseph allowed only 26 points combined over final four games of the regular season.

Mark Jaffee’s take: For a program in only its seventh season as a varsity, this is a monumental feat for the Condors, who had many new players in 2017 after graduating 16 players in 2016. But having to play a perennial state power program, which dominated NVL representative Wolcott in last year’s quarterfinals, is too bad. The key will be for the Condors to reduce turnovers and not give the Cadets a short field to work with, otherwise the potent offense of the Cadets will flourish and running time will commence very early.

Watertown (8-2) at Berlin (8-2)

Where: Sage Park, Berlin

Thanksgiving week: Watertown 68, Torrington 21; New Britain 51, Berlin 6

Previous meeting: Have never played in regular season; but did scrimmage two years ago.

Key players

Watertown: Nick D’Elia, QB-DB, Sr.; Daniel Graziano, WR-DB, Sr.; Adam Alenckis, RB-LB, Sr.; Joe Deptula, RB-LB, Sr.; Jeton Sadiku, FB-LB, Sr.; Maurice Burrus, DL, Sr.; Larry Zapata, WR-DB-PK, Sr.

Berlin: James Mazzarella, RB-LB, Sr.; Matt Wojciechowski, RB-DB, Sr.; Tony Undercuffler, QB-DB, Soph.; Alex Halkias, Zach Hrubiec, RB-DL, soph.

Worth noting: Berlin lost to 2016 Class S state runner-up Rocky Hill, 26-10, the game before Thanksgiving loss to the Hurricanes. Watertown has won four in a row since a 27-13 loss to Naugatuck on Oct. 20.

Mark Jaffee’s take: The Indians have a lot of motivation being the first time in 31 years in the postseason, but they won’t be satisfied with a one and done scenario. They must score when opportunities present themselves and not have ill-advised penalties or turnovers, like they did against St. Paul (46-30 loss), Naugatuck (27-13 loss) and Waterbury Career Academy (a narrow 30-14 win). They were fortunate against Spartans, not so against the 7-3 Falcons and 9-1 Greyhounds, a playoff-bound team. The Redcoats have recorded three shutouts against Bulkeley tri-op (27-0), Northwest Catholic (24-0) and Avon (37-0). Avon and Northwest Catholic were both is 3-7 while Bulkeley was 2-8.

Probable Watertown starters

Seymour (8-2) at Ansonia (10-0)

Where: Nolan Field, Jarvis Stadium

Thanksgiving week games: Ansonia 46, Naugatuck 28; Seymour 56, Woodland 8

Previous regular-season meeting: Oct. 26, Ansonia 61, Seymour 6

Key players

Seymour: Ian Sadick, QB-DB, Sr.; Bobby Melms, TB, Sr.; Anthony Mollo, LT-DL, Sr.; Cade Klarides-Ditria, RT-MLB, Jr.; Ethan Szerszen, WR-DB, Sr.; Tamar Coverson-Epps, WR-LB, Sr.; Tyler Ganim, RB-WR-DB, Jr.

Ansonia: Michael LaRovera, OL-DE, Sr.; Justin Lopez, QB-S, Sr.; Markell Dobbs, TB, DB, Sr.; Cody Teodosio, WR-MLB, Sr.; Brent Washington, WR-DB, Sr.; Darwin Amaya, RB-DB, Jr.; Taveius Winder, RB-LB, Sr.; Alex Hernandez, C-DL, Sr.

Worth noting: Melms has 1,136 rushing yards and 14 TDs while Tyler Ganim has seven rushing TDs and 7 receiving TDs. Sadick has passed for 1,411 yards and 23 TDs and only five interception on 129 attempts … Dobbs has 1,697 yards and 29 TDs this season, and 4,288 yards and 63 TDs for his career … Lopez has rushed for 15 TDs and passed for 10 TDs for the Chargers, who are riding a 23-game winning streak dating back to the 2015 title game loss to Bloomfield, 31-20.

Mark Jaffee’s take: The Chargers motivated to repeat as champions, but they clearly are not taking anything for granted after what they consider a subpar effort on Thanksgiving, especially on defense and in the secondary. Whether Dobbs can repeat a 404-yard, six TDs performance like Thanksgiving would be hard-pressed on a short turnaround, but if anyone can do it, it’s Dobbs. Look for Lopez to continue his steady season at QB … The Wildcats must not get behind real early and also must find a way to move the ball without losing any momentum. They also will need to find away to score on special teams or force some turnovers. They are capable of playing a lot better than they showed a month ago against Ansonia.

Probable starters for Seymour

Probable starters for Ansonia

No. 5 Naugatuck (9-1) vs. No. 4 South Windsor (9-1)

Where: East Hartford High

Last games: Ansonia 36, Naugatuck 28; South Windsor 42, Enfield 22.

Last playoff games: No. 1 Darien 42, No. 4 Naugatuck 12, Class L-Large semifinal, 2014; Bristol Eastern 22, South Windsor 19, Class MM final, 1988.

Key players

Naugatuck: Mike Plasky, QB-P, Sr.; Zack Koslosky, WR-S-PK, Jr.; Malachi Gatison, RB-LB, Jr.; Doreon Chapman, RB-DB, Jr.; Jiram Lopez, OL-DL, Sr.; Jayden Anderson, DE, Sr.; Michael Natkiel, LB, Sr.; Efena Onakpoma, FB-DE, Sr.

South Windsor: Connor Kapisak, QB-P, Sr.; Julian Ibes RB-LB, Sr.; Patrick Wilson, WR-CB, Sr.; James Tamburro, FB-LB, Sr.; Colin Ryan, WR-FS, Sr.; Ronnie Pinkard, RB-LB, Jr.; Dylan Hodge, OL-DL, Sr.; Hassan Azeem, OL-DL, Sr.

Worth noting: The Greyhounds and Bobcats didn’t have any common opponents this season. Naugatuck went 2-1 against other CIAC tournament-bound teams from the Naugatuck Valley League with wins over Seymour (31-12 on Sept. 15) and Watertown (27-13 on Oct. 20) while losing to Ansonia (46-28) on Thanksgiving. South Windsor opened the season with a 41-14 win over East Hartford, the only opponent on its schedule to make the postseason. Although its 30-27 overtime win over Southington on Nov. 11 likely kept the Blue Knights from a sixth straight postseason berth.

Jason Levy’s take: It all comes down to execution. With not much prior postseason reps to rely on, playing smart, mistake-free football and avoiding the nerves of a big stage could be the deciding factor. Limiting turnover and penalties will be critical. Each team has the ability to light up the scoreboard, putting a lot of pressure on the defensive units.

Probable starters for Naugatuck

There are 16 state football playoff games tonight, four involving area teams. Here is how Mark Jaffee sees those four games going:

Naugatuck 28, South Windsor 21

Greyhounds gave strong effort in loss to Ansonia, so have some momentum.

Ansonia 47, Seymour 20

Too much confidence in Charger land.

Watertown 35, Berlin 28

Watertown has things clicking on all cylinders.

St. Joseph 48, O’Brien Tech 6

Cadets have big goals, Condors excited to be in playoff field.

BY JASON LEVY

Naugatuck doesn’t have time to dwell on its first loss of the season.

Five days after the Greyhounds fell to Ansonia on Thanksgiving, they will embark on their first CIAC postseason trip since 2014 as the No. 5 seed in Class LL against No. 4 South Windsor tonight at 6:30 at East Hartford High.

First-year Naugatuck coach Dave Sollazzo is confident his team can bounce back after watching the film and seeing what needs to be corrected.

“We’ve got to move on. Ansonia is a very good team,” he said. “We have to learn from our mistakes and move on to the next game.”

Tonight’s game is being played at East Hartford because the field at South Windsor High does not have lights.

[This post contains video, click to play]

Sollazzo isn’t concerned about where the game is played, or if Naugy gains an advantage playing at a neutral site.

“Wherever you play, you play,” he said. “Everybody kind of forgets about surroundings after the first couple of plays.”

Three years ago, Naugatuck lost to top-seeded Darien, 42-12, in the Class LLarge semifinals. Quarterback Michael Plasky was a freshman on that team, and is the only player on the Naugy roster that remains.

“He’s been a great leader all year,” Sollazzo said of his senior quarterback. “He’s a very consistent worker and leader. He’s even-keeled and gets the job done.”

Plasky has plenty of targets in Zack Koslosky, Ricardo Montanez, Isaiah Williams and Elijah Robinson. Efe Onakpoma and Doreon Chapman provide options out of the backfield.

“The entire team has to step up,” Sollazzo said. “South Windsor is a good football team. We need to execute on all cylinders.”

It’s been a generation since the Bobcats have advanced this far. They have not made the postseason since losing to Bristol Eastern in the 1988 Class MM championship game.

The current squad relies on its rushing attack, led by senior Julian Ibes. On defense, the trio of Ronnie Pinkard, Dylan Hodge and Hassan Azeem can wreak havoc and disrupt the passing game.

“They have a strong run game and their quarterback (Connor Kapisak) can run and throw the ball well,” Sollazzo said. “Defensively they run to the football. They have a very nice scheme.”

With no time to waste between games, Naugatuck looks to stay focused on the task at hand.

“By this point we’ve played 10 games already. We have to keep things the same,” Sollazzo said. “We will be prepared, focused and ready to play.”

The officials said no TD, but check this video and see what you think:

[This post contains video, click to play]

The state football playoffs began Tuesday night with four NVL teams in the field (two playing each other). While Ansonia gained an expected win, it was a rough night for the other three.

The finals

Class LL: South Winsor 35, Naugatuck 13

Class M: Berlin 27, Watertown 14 (with a controversial call that cost the Indians a TD).

Class S: Ansonia 51, Seymour 16

Class S: St. Joseph 62, O’Brien Tech 0

There was a non-TD apparently scored by Watertown, and then there was the rest of the game. A taste of what happened:

[This post contains video, click to play]

BY JOE PALLADINO REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
How do coaches prepare for basketball preseason? Review rule changes. Attend clinics. Finalize scrimmage schedules. That’s what most coaches might do. But if you are Brian Stasaitis, you have a few more tasks: Put four new tires on your car and get an oil service.
Stasaitis began his 12th season as Kaynor Tech girls basketball coach Monday. And then on Saturday, he begins his first season as head coach of the Springfield Sting, a semi-professional men’s team from the American Basketball Association.
That’s correct ladies and gentlemen, Stasaitis will attempt the impossible: Coach two basketball teams simultaneously. To make it more challenging, the teams are in different states.
This is a feat of supreme prestidigitation.

Stasaitis, 33, is nothing if not energetic. Remember that he was the baseball coach at Nonnewaug for two seasons, and a baseball assistant at Albertus Magnus College, the University of Hartford, and for the past three seasons at Post University, though not all at the same time.
Stasaitis, a special education teacher at Kaynor, gave up the Post gig because he added another item to his plate: He started classes to earn his master’s degree in education.
To review: That’s two basketball teams, head coach at both, one a high school in Connecticut, one a semipro in Massachusetts, with a master’s course load.
What will his schedule be like? Take Saturday. Stasaitis brings the Kaynor girls to a jamboree at Wolcott High for a 9 a.m. tip off. When the jamboree wraps he brings the team back to Kaynor and immediately leaves for to Springfield to accompany the Sting to its season-opening game in Worcester, Mass.
At some point he will also pull a rabbit out of his hat.
“This is something that I never, ever thought would be a possibility,” said Stasaitis, desperately trying to convince us that he hasn’t gone totally bonkers. “Coaching high school girls basketball is one thing, and I love it, but coaching guys out of college is another. This could be a really good experience. That’s what I am looking at. I will be dealing with a different level of player. These are guys who have all competed at a level higher than high school, some at the Division I level.”
The Sting webpage does not list a roster, but Stasaitis said that one of his player’s is Charles Okwandu, who won an NCAA national championship with the University of Connecticut.
This ABA is the ABA that you remember, the ABA of Connie Hawkins, Dr. J, and the Kentucky Colonels. Dan Issel may be gone but the basketball remains red, white, and blue. It was 50 years ago that the original ABA challenged the professional supremacy of the National Basketball Association. Following the 1976 merger, the ABA was dormant until 1999. Now there are nearly 50 franchises, with teams across America, in Japan and Hawaii, with nine in the Northeast Division, including the Sting.
Stasaitis, who is single in case you wondered, is a Sacred Heart High and Central Connecticut grad. He did a schedule mashup with the Panthers and Sting and discovered that this arrangement might work. Sting games are on weekends. Practice times are manageable.
He is encouraged too by similarities between players and objectives.
“With the girls, I want them to graduate and pursue their education,” he said, “and maybe pursue basketball too. These guys have been there, and now, they want to continue their competitive careers.
“It will be a different experience dealing with these guys,” he added, “and we’ll find out if it is something that I love and, perhaps, will continue doing.”
But first, check those tires.
Send comments to jpalladino@rep-am.com, and follow on Twitter at @RAOffTheRecord.

[This post contains video, click to play]

ANSONIA 51, SEYMOUR 16
Seymour 8 0 8 0 —16
Ansonia 16 8 21 6 —51
Scoring summary
A — Markell Dobbs 1 run (Darwin Amaya run)
S — Bobby Melms 24 run (Ethan Szersen pass from Ian Sadick)
A — Amaya 39 pass from Justin Lopez (Amaya run)
A — Dobbs 13 run (Dobbs run)
A — Amaya 3 run (run failed)
A — Luca Belenchia 5 pass from Lopez (Amaya run)
S — Melms 60 run (Jake Carfo pass from Sadick)
A —Dobbs 58 run (Jalen Johnson kick)
A — Amaya 7 run (run failed)
Individual statistics
Rushing: Seymour — Bobby Melms 22-151, Ian Sadick 7-4; A—Markell Dobbs 26-232, Darwin Amaya 14-165, Justin Lopez 5-65, Terjuan Burney 1-3. Passing: S —Ian Sadick 2-of-15-1-29; A—Justin Lopez 2-5-0-44. Receiving: Seymour — Ethan Szersen 1-19, Tyler Ganim 1-10; A —Darwin Amaya 1-39, Luca Belenchia 1-5. Records: S 8-3; A 11-0.
Records: Watertown 8-3; Berlin, 10-1.

BERLIN 27, WATERTOWN 13
Watertown 0 0 7 7 14
Berlin 7 7 13 0 — 24
Scoring summary
First quarter
Berlin — Larry St. Pierre 9 run (Giancarlo Tufano kick), 7-0
Second quarter
Berlin — St. Pierre 9 pass from Kevin Dunn (Tufano kick), 14-0
Third quarter
Berlin — Tufano 37 pass from Kevin Dunn (Tufano kick), 21-0
Watertown — Daniel Graziano 19 pass from Nick D’Elia (Larry Zapata kick), 21-7
Berlin — Andrew Brochu 58 pass from Dunn (deflected off Watertown defender, PAT clocked by Watertown’s Adam Alenckis)
Fourth quarter
Watertown — Joseph Deptula 9 pass from Nick D’Elia (Larry Zapata kick)

Individual statistics
Rushing: Watertown — Adam Aelnckis, 8-22; Joseph Deptula, 5-51; Nick D’Elia, 10-76. Berlin — Larry St. Pierre, 2-16; Alex Halias, 12-94; Kevin Dunn, 2 minus 8; Passing: Watertown — Nick D’Elia, 35-26-1, 239 yards; Berlin — Kevin Dunn, 11-15-2, 186 yards; Receiving: Watertown —Daniel Graziano, 14-116; Joseph Deptula, 6-39; Saimir Muca, 6-26; Thomas Hassan, 5-35; Adam Aleckis, 3-18; Jonathan Buono, 1-5. Berlin — Larry St. Pierre, 5-54; Andrew Brochu, 2-56; James Mazzarella, 1-17; Alex Halkias,1-2; Giancarlo Tufano, 2-57; Interceptions: Saimir Muca, Nick D’Elia, both of Watertown; Tony Undercuffler, Berlin.

SOUTH WINDSOR 35, NAUGATUCK 13
Naugatuck 0 7 0 6—13
South Windsor 2 19 14 0—35
Scoring summary
SW—Blocked punt through end zone for safety.
SW—Julian Ibes 1-yard run (Cameron Plourde kick).
N—Michael Plasky 3-yard run (Plasky kick).
SW—Ibes 3-yard run (Plourde kick blocked).
SW—Ronnie Pinkard 25-yard interception return (Connor Kapisak run failed).
SW—Pinkard 8-yard run (Plourde kick miss).
SW—Kapisak 2-yard run (Dylan Jones pass from Kapisak).
N—Zach Koslosky 53-yard pass from Plasky (Plasky kick blocked).
Individual statistics
Passing: SW—Kapisak 3-8-55; N—Plasky 7-20-121.
Rushing: SW—Ibes 29-171, Bennett Saylor 4-53, Pikard 4-47; N—Aron Efe Onakpoma 3-14, Plasky 10-10. Receiving: SW—Colin Ryan 2-43, James Tamburro 1-12; N—Kolosky 1-53, Ricardo Montez 2-46, Isaiah Williams, 2-21. Records: SW 10-1; N 9-2.

BY JASON LEVY

EAST HARTFORD — The Naugatuck High football team would not quit Tuesday night.

The fifth-seeded Greyhounds saw their deficit to No. 4 South Windsor grow as the game stretched on. Even as the offense struggled to gain yards in the second half, Naugatuck left it all on the field. Mike Plasky connected with Zack Koslosky for a 53-yard touchdown with nine seconds left in regulation in a 35-13 loss in the Class LL quarterfinals at East Hartford High.

“They kept fighting,” said first-year Naugatuck coach Dave Sollazzo. “Plus on a long run (on the previous South Windsor drive) Ricardo Montanez ran the guy down and then we stopped them. … We didn’t quit. We didn’t play well, but we didn’t quit.”

Fate appeared to be on Naugy’s side at the start when South Windsor fumbled the opening kickoff, setting the Greyhounds up 25 yards away from the end zone. But the Bobcats defense held firm and Koslosky just missed a 24-yard field goal attempt.

On the ensuing drive, South Windsor (10-1) was able to pin Naugatuck (9-2) deep in its own territory. The Bobcats defense pushed the Greyhounds even further back, forcing Plasky to punt from the end zone.

The punt was blocked back through the end zone, putting South Windsor on the board with a safety midway through the first quarter.

After South Windsor went ahead, 9-0, Naugy responded with a 13-play, 60-yard drive to get back within two. Plasky lofted a pass to Montanez for a 23-yard gain on 3rd-and-16 from the South Windsor 40 to keep the drive alive. Plasky capped the drive four plays later with a 3-yard run for a touchdown.

“They came out and they took it to us,” Plasky said.

But it was the plays around halftime that cost Naugy. Down 15-7 with 44 seconds left, Sollazzo was looking for some momentum and called a couple of passing plays. But Plasky’s attempt on second down was picked off by South Windsor’s Ronnie Pinkard and returned 25 yards to the house.

“It wasn’t a good decision on my part,” said the senior quarterback, who was the only player on the Naugy roster with any postseason experience. “I just had to go get one back after that.”

After halftime, South Windsor recovered an on-side kick and marched down the field with Pinkard finishing the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to put the Bobcats ahead, 27-7.

South Windsor will play No. 1 Greenwich in the semifinals at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Naugatuck, which opened the season with nine straight wins, will look back at a successful season that had its first playoff trip since 2014.

“I’m just thankful to make it back again, especially with these guys,” Plasky said.

“We ran into a little bit of a buzz saw the last two games, but no one expected us to win nine games this year,” Pollazzo added.

BY MARK JAFFEE

BERLIN — The best season in two decades and only the second playoff appearance in three decades came to a close for the Watertown High football team Tuesday night, but not without a lot of drama and a huge effort by the Indians.

The fifth-seeded Indians (8-3) dropped a 27-13 decision to fourth-seeded Berlin before a boisterous crowd at Sage Park, thanks in part to an overturned touchdown against the Indians and a tipped ball and touchdown by the Redcoats.

“We had a special season,” noted Watertown senior Daniel Graziano. “We had a couple of bounces that didn’t go our way, but that happens. This loss stings, but it won’t take away from what we accomplished this season.”

“It’s not the ending that I had hoped for, but I’ve loved every single moment of this season and of the past four years, and all of the people connected with this program,” added teammate Joseph Deptula, a senior. “The thing that I will take from this game is that we played until the very end. We kept fighting, no matter what the score was. I’m always going to remember that. We all will.”

Ahead 21-7 in the third quarter, the Redcoats (10-1) caught a huge break when Andrew Brochu caught a deflected pass for a 58-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Dunn. That upped the margin to 27-7 with 32 seconds left in the third quarter.

“I was trailing the play and when I saw the ball go up in the air on the deflection, I knew that if I could catch the ball, I had a chance to score,” said Brochu. “The ball landed in my hands and I ran as fast I could. I never expected that at all, but I guess I was in the right place at the right time.”

It was one of three TD passes thrown by Dunn, who connected on scores of 9 yards to Larry St. Pierre in the first quarter and 37 yards to Giancarlo Tufano in the second. The Redcoats held a 14-0 halftime edge.

“The second score gave us some momentum and some confidence,” said Tufano. “Watertown is a very good team, and they proved that. Having a halftime lead made a huge difference.”

Watertown had two first-half interceptions by senior Saimir Muca and senior Nick D’Elia, but couldn’t capitalize on the good field position.

Watertown also couldn’t convert on four fourth-down plays: once on the Indians’ opening drive into the red zone, twice more in the second quarter and another time late in the fourth quarter.

The Indians also saw a second-quarter reception by Deptula in the back end of the end zone waved off by the back judge, who ruled that Deptula was out of bounds. It appeared that he juggled the ball, but cradled it and kept his feet in bounds.

“That was a catch,” said Graziano adamantly of Deptula’s play.

Graziano made a terrific leaping catch over Anthony Undercuffler in the right corner of the end zone for a 19-yard TD pass from D’Elia in the third quarter. Deptula caught a 9-yard swing pass for a score in the fourth quarter, and Larry Zapata booted the PAT kick with 7:38 left in the game.

But their comeback bid fell short. Later, D’Elia put into words what this final game meant to him and his senior teammates.

“I’ve been playing with most of them for the last 10 years, and it’s a great feeling to leave together with them,” said D’Elia.

BY KYLE BRENNAN

ANSONIA — A month ago, the Ansonia High football team embarrassed rival Seymour on the Wildcats’ home turf to the tune of a 61-6 blowout. It was hard to expect anything different when the teams matched up again in the Class S quarterfinals Tuesday at Jarvis Stadium.

No. 1-seeded Ansonia had to work harder and longer against No. 8 Seymour this time around, but the Chargers pulled away with four second-half touchdowns for a 51-16 victory over the Wildcats.

Ansonia (11-0) will host No. 5 Stafford-East Windsor-Somers (10-1) in the Class S semifinals Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Seymour finished its season at 8-3.

Seymour gave the Chargers everything they could handle for most of the first half. Bobby Melms’ 24-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter tied the game at 8-all, and the Wildcats’ defense had stifled Ansonia’s Markell Dobbs to just 26 yards on his first 10 carries.

Dobbs eventually found more room near the end of the first half — his 13-yard run gave Ansonia a 24-8 lead at the break — but Seymour did enough to make it interesting for longer than most expected.

“It wasn’t anything crazy,” Seymour coach Tom Lennon said. “Our kids believed and executed. The first time around, that wasn’t us — the mistakes we made and the things we did that were uncharacteristic of us. This time around, we played more like we’re capable of playing. But in the end, that’s the No. 2 team in the state (polls). They’re phenomenal and they have too many weapons.”

Ansonia fullback Darwin Amaya helped loosen up Seymour’s defense for Dobbs. Amaya scored on a 39-yard pass from Justin Lopez late in the first quarter to put the Chargers ahead for good, and he added second-half touchdown runs of 3 and 7 yards.
Amaya finished with 165 yards on 14 carries, while Dobbs eventually busted out for 232 yards and three touchdowns on 26 attempts.

“I knew they were going to come with that energy,” Amaya said. “It’s a playoff game, so we were expecting it. We had to do what we had to do, stay focused and be positive.”

Amaya, a 5-foot-7, 200-pound junior, has been a distant option in Ansonia’s offense to Dobbs and Lopez, but his performance Tuesday proved how valuable he is for the Chargers as they move on in the Class S tournament.

“He’s a good player,” Ansonia coach Tom Brockett said. “He helps us in a lot of different ways. He’s been one of the unsung heroes of this team.”

Ansonia’s victory was its 75th consecutive win against Naugatuck Valley League opposition, a streak that stretches back to the beginning of the 2011 season. The seven-time defending NVL champion will host No. 7 Stafford-East Windsor-Somers on Sunday. The Bulldogs rallied for a 20-12 win over No. 4 Bullard Havens Tech on Tuesday.

Sunday’s semifinal will be a rematch of the 2016 Class S quarterfinals, when Ansonia posted a 48-0 victory en route to winning the state championship.

By JOE PALLADINO

You know the name: Stolle.

If you don’t know the name, look it up. It means: All-Berkshire League, All-State, basketball, softball, soccer, field hockey stars and 1,000-point scorers.

Kerri Stolle, a former Wamogo three-sport athlete and one of three sisters to each score 1,000 points in basketball for the Warriors, takes over this season as the school’s girls basketball head coach. Former coach Kevin Crowley stepped down because of health issues.

If this wasn’t actually true, you’d have to make it up.

Stolle and her sisters, Tracy and Kristi in basketball and Kelly in field hockey, helped make the family one of the most dominant ever at Wamogo and one of the most notable at any BL school.

Kerri, 23, graduated from Wamogo in 2012, played basketball for one season at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania and three seasons at Western Connecticut State University. She graduated last spring from WestConn, where she also worked one season as an assistant coach. She is in her first year as a sixth-grade teacher at Great Oak Middle School in Oxford.

Stolle did not plan to seek a high school coaching job, not this quickly anyway.
“Coaching has always been something I have done,” she said, “in the summer, with AAU programs or at camps, and for one season at WestConn. It is something I enjoy.”

But as she launched a teaching career, coaching was a back-burner item. “I wasn’t going to take on that kind of responsibility in my first year teaching,” she said.
Well, things changed.

“When I heard that the job opened up at Wamogo, I couldn’t not apply,” she said. “This is like coming home. I grew up in that gym. I watched my sisters play there, and I played there. It is going to be awesome to come home. I can’t believe that it is a coincidence.”

Stolle scored 1,140 points at Wamogo. She was a two-time All-State selection in basketball and softball, and an All-State soccer pick as a senior.

Yep, she was good. They were all good. Tracy Stolle scored 1,924 points in her career. That’s No. 1 all-time for girls in the BL, and she led the Warriors to the 1995 Class S state title. Kristi Stolle scored 1,488 and helped Wamogo to the S title game in 2002. Kelly Stolle was All-State in field hockey, and she played Division I at UConn.

To complete the circle, mom, Mary Stolle, the athletic director at New Fairfield, was previously the athletic director at Wamogo.

Kerri may have been the most physical of the Stolles. She’d put you on the floor. Will she be just as tough as a coach? She admits that her style is evolving.

“I did warn the girls, ‘I will yell at you,’” she said. “‘If you do something incorrectly, I will yell, and I will be loud. But when you do something right, I will be just as loud when I praise you.’

“I am a naturally loud person.”

Stolle starts with this philosophy: “If they are willing to put in the work and be coached and learn, then there is a place for them in the Wamogo basketball program. If they put in the work, there is a spot on the team. If they put in the work, we’ll be OK.”
Of course, Wamogo will be OK. A Stolle has come home.

Send comments to jpalladino@rep-am.com, and follow on Twitter @RAOffTheRecord.

BY MARK JAFFEE

BERLIN — It was perhaps the most surprising of pregame events I’ve witnessed in four decades of covering scholastic football.

Just a half-hour before the Watertown-Berlin Class M quarterfinal game at Sage Park on Tuesday night, Watertown junior center Marty Smith received a “gift” from his sister, Olivia, who sprinted around the visitors’ side of Scalise Memorial Field and tossed a pair of game cleats over the short fence. It was one of the best sibling moments you’ll ever see.

Which brings me to my next point. For the past two games, Thanksgiving Day at Cheshire and Tuesday’s postseason game, I didn’t wear my faithful Rawlings cleats — my trademark for the past quarter century — because of some nagging orthopedic issues. Instead, I wore my casual dress shoes. My mobility is clearly not what it used to be.

By being on the sidelines, I’m able to see and hear things that help me create an image for the readers. Because of my sideline view, I witnessed Olivia’s good deed to her brother. By the way, it was injured Watertown player Kobe Champagne who told me she was Smith’s sister.

Berlin held on for a 27-14 win, ending the Indians’ season at 8-3. Thoughout the game, the Watertown fans were voicing lots of questions in my direction about everything from the actual down and distance to the ball placements to whether Joe Deptula’s second-quarter catch in the end zone was good or not.

In the case of Deptula, l couldn’t tell from my right sideline angle, but I did see a bobble. That’s what I told the fans who second-guessed the officials. Without talking directly to the back judge, I’m not sure what he saw. If it were the New Haven Board or the Western Connecticut Board, I’d have an inkling because I know just about all of the crews and they have aided my reporting in the past.

Did this game get decided by that call or the deflected pass that went for a 58-yard TD in the Redcoats’ favor? I’m not so sure. There were other factors, too.

Case in point: The Indians failed to take advantage of first-half interceptions by Saimir Muca and Nick D’Elia into points, especially on their opening drive that stalled inside the Berlin 20.

There were plenty of other Watertown opportunities, such as when it appeared John Buono made a skidding, fourth-down reception for a first down late in the second half on a fourth-and-2 from inside the Berlin 25.

The sideline judge asked the chain gang, three Eastern Connecticut Board officials, to move the chains for the first down. But moments later, the catch was overruled. Despite the objections of Watertown coach Luigi Velardi, they decided the ball hit the ground and was an incomplete pass, ending another potential scoring drive.

When the final whistle sounded, Velardi brought his team together and didn’t dwell on the lost opportunity to advance to Sunday’s semifinal at top-seeded Killingly. He noted that in earlier wins this season against Oxford, Wolcott and WCA, the ball did bounce the Indians’ way.

What Velardi, in his fourth season as head coach, also did was praise his team for giving a great effort.

“The town, the school and the staff are all proud of you,” said Velardi to the senior-laden squad. “You made this season special by setting a standard for the underclassmen for bigger and better days ahead.”

Reach Mark Jaffee at mjaffee@rep-am.com or follow him on Twitter @TheRealJaffman.

BY MARK JAFFEE

With four local high school football teams eliminated from the state playoff quarterfinals Tuesday night, the offseason officially began Wednesday for them.
Naugatuck (9-2), Seymour (8-3) and Watertown (8-2) will all be graduating many of their core players, but still are expected to have a strong group returning.

The junior class for the Greyhounds has plenty of talent, led by receiver-defensive back-place-kicker Zack Koslosky, tailbacks/defensive backs Doreon Chapman and Nick Airall, and linebackers Michael Natkiel and Jayden Anderson. Other key Greyhounds will be sophomore fullback-linebacker Malachi Gatison, and receivers/defensive backs Isaiah Williams, Elijah Robinson and Justin Papp.

Backup quarterback John Mezzo is expected to take over for Mike Plasky, a three-year starter who will graduate. The line will feature three returning starters, left tackle Kevin DeSouza, right guard Andrew Balkcom and center Derek McGrath, all juniors.

“This is a great building block,” said first-year coach Dave Sollazzo. “We just have to regroup and get back in the weight room and get a good feeling back. These seniors laid the groundwork.”

Seymour made its third consecutive trip to the postseason, losing to Ansonia, 51-16. The Wildcats will return quarterback Ian Sadick, running back-receiver Tyler Ganim and right tackle-middle linebacker Cade Klarides-Ditria, all juniors.

Other key players back next season are center D.J. Kirpas, receiver Jake Carfo, right guard Markel McKnight, nose guard Arsim Kalici, receiver-defensive back Jonathan Dumas and lineman Austin Verab, all juniors.

“We’ll bring back a good core, but there are always kids who need to step up and take on other roles,” said Seymour coach Tom Lennon.

That includes Curtis Dion, a freshman, who saw spot duty in the secondary against Naugatuck and Wolcott.

“Curtis was always in the picture to fill a Band-Aid role,” said Lennon. “Next season, he’ll be a contributor.”

Over at Watertown, the Indians (8-3), who dropped a 27-14 decision to Berlin, will be hit by a large graduation loss with 15 seniors. But they also have 15 juniors, 20 sophomores and at least a dozen freshmen back.

Watertown’s backup QB, sophomore Xavier Powell, will take over for three-year starter Nick D’Elia. Other key returners are left tackle Charlie Mazzarella, center Marty Smith, tight end-linebacker Kyle Rimmick, receiver-defensive back Ian Keroack, two-way lineman Spencer Munson, two-way lineman and punter Owen Munson and lineman-linebacker Anthony Velardi, who will convert to fullback.

Running back Kobe Champagne, a junior, will play a key role. Champagne had a season-ending injury in the preseason this year.

O’Brien Tech of Ansonia (8-3), making its first playoff appearance in only its seventh year as a varsity program, dropped a 62-0 decision to St. Joseph in Trumbull.

“We have our running backs, Jonte Roc and Jammar Roc, both back and Bobby Hudak, plus three of our linemen,” said O’Brien coach Nick Aprea. “We will have quite a few starters back, so it looks good.”

Staff writer Jason Levy contributed to this story.