OXFORD – After just a couple of days of practice, Oxford senior quarterback Cayden Mitchell has looked liked he’s in midseason form.

By MARK JAFFEE

That is a really good sign for the Wolverines, who have only two other returning starters on offense – center Matt Rich and wide receiver John Biondo.

“Cayden has looked as good as I’ve seen him in three years,” said Oxford coach Joe Stochmal. “His mechanics are very good and so is his footwork and he’s throwing a little bit better. He’s also worked on his understanding of defenses. Any time you have a quarterback entering his third year as a starter that’s an advantage. The game slows down the more games you play. I think this year that will be a big factor in his success.”

Mitchell attended several college camps this summer to perfect his skills.

As a sophomore, Mitchell passed for 1,656 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Last season, Mitchell upped his yardage to 2,023 yards with 18 TDs. But the one glaring statistic that still stings is the 12 interceptions in 2018.

“The interceptions were all on me and I have no one else to blame,” said Mitchell. “I made some inaccurate throws into coverage. My goal this season is not the amount of yards I throw, but rather to improve on my touchdown-interception ratio.”

He also is totally aware of his responsibility to lead an inexperienced team.

“There is some pressure, but nothing too serious, nothing that I can’t handle,” said Mitchell. “It’s just a different role than before as the older guy. I want to be a good role model for the younger guys and all of my teammates and set a good example.”

Mitchell has nothing to worry about in that category, according to Biondo.

“Cayden is a good motivator and just a good guy,” said Biondo. “He keeps everyone together. All of the players look up to him. Cayden’s a phenomenal quarterback.”

Mitchell said he will depend heavily on Biondo, especially with the graduation losses of receivers Lee Braley, Andrew Aldo, Jared Pettinella and Julian Ferrante and running backs Dyan Batlle and Dylan Mavricz.

“John and I have a really good connection and a lot of chemistry,” said Mitchell. ‘He’s a great player.”

Mitchell will also rely heavily on center Matt Rich, who started the final seven games last season.

“Matt is a very focused player and always tries his best,” said Mitchell. “Once he snaps me the ball, everything just clicks.”

Just like in the Wolverines’ 41-40 overtime win over Derby in 2018 when Mitchell took Rich’s snap and threw a 10-yard TD pass to Aldo, tying the game. Sam Martino booted the game winning PAT kick, thanks to the hold of Biondo and long snap of Adem Kica.

“I was talking with my buddies the other day and was one of my best sports memories,” recalled Mitchell. “That was something special. I want to try to do something special year.”

“I’m going to do everything in my power to make it happen,” added Biondo.

For the past decade, Lewis Mills versus Nonnewaug was the defining rivalry in Berkshire League soccer. Since 2008, either the Spartans or Chiefs won at least part of the BL championship in both the boys and girls soccer races. Only the Housatonic girls, who tied for first in 2015, and the Litchfield boys, who tied for first last year, interrupted the two titans’ domination.

By STEVE BARLOW

Since 2008, either the Spartans or Chiefs won or shared the BL championship in both boys and girls soccer. Only the Housatonic girls, who tied for first with Mills in 2015, and the Litchfield boys, who tied for first with Mills last year, interrupted the two titans’ domination.

The heated Mills-Nonnewaug rivalry, though, has ended.

Neither school appears anywhere on the other’s schedule this fall in boys or girls soccer for the first time since the Spartans joined the BL in 1984.

The main reason is that Mills has moved to the Central Connecticut Conference, where all of its soccer games are played within the league.

“With the new conference, (maintaining any BL rivalries in soccer) is not possible,” said Mills athletic director Dave Francalangia. “In other sports, we will still try to continue some of our ties with Berkshire League schools.”

“Every other sport has openings, so a lot of them are playing Berkshire teams, but we just can’t, which really stinks,” said Mills boys coach Ben Kulas. “If there was a possibility of an out-of-conference game, we would have Nonnewaug on (the schedule) immediately. They would be our No. 1 choice.”

None of the BL teams have any scheduling flexibility either after the league, now at nine teams, decided this summer to adopt a full round-robin 16-game soccer schedule with everybody playing each other twice.

“In the future, we might (play Mills) in a scrimmage,” said Nonnewaug girls coach Nick Sheikh. “We might have done it this year if my brother (Jared) was still there (as head coach). We might do that in the future, and we might see them in the state tournament.”

The Spartans, the defending Class M girls champion, have a new coach this fall in Kofi Remey.

When Mills decided to exit a year ago, there had been some talk of the BL going to divisions in soccer so that teams would have opportunities to hook up with out-of-league opponents of comparable talent.

The soccer coaches met to discuss this year’s schedule, “but we couldn’t reach a consensus over the best way to format it,” said Nonnewaug boys coach Toby Denman.
“Ultimately, the athletic directors decided playing everybody twice was the best and the easiest way to go.”

Denman, in his 14th year, said he was “a little torn” over whether to go to divisions. He would enjoy an opportunity to play nonleague games against, for example, Mills, Watertown or Pomperaug that would help to prepare his team for the state tournament.

But without a league tournament to decide a champion, having everyone play a full round-robin schedule ensures “it’s done equitably,” Denman said.

“For the betterment of individual teams, it’s nice to challenge yourself against some high-powered teams from around the state,” said Sheikh, in his 12th year. “But we’re one of the few leagues without a league tournament. Maybe at some point, that will be looked at.”

So if Nonnewaug and Mills are going to meet again in soccer, it will be either in the state tournament or a scrimmage come the fall of 2020.

The Spartans boys are scrimmaging Northwestern this year, and Kulas and Denman are already talking about next year.

“Ben and I are friendly. We’d like to scrimmage,” Denman said. “We will next year, I would guess.”

The high school football season is just three weeks away, so we need to get everyone in the mood for the fall games.

We started earlier this week with a video collection of TDs from last season, and we continue today:

[This post contains video, click to play]

There may be some short-term inconveniences, but the major overhaul underway at Nonnewaug High in Woodbury will eventually leave the school with some of the best athletic facilities in Litchfield County, according to athletic director Declan Curtin.

By STEVE BARLOW

New synthetic turf has been laid on the football field inside the track, which is also being resurfaced. The only turf field in the Berkshire League will become the home of the football and boys and girls soccer teams this fall and the Nonnewaug lacrosse club in the spring.

The soccer pitches and baseball diamonds were well-known around the BL for their bumpiness. They will be “laser-pointed,” which will level the field, and reseeded with new grass, Curtin said.

For one season, the soccer teams will play on the artificial surface, which produces a faster-paced game. The turf field is also narrower than the soccer fields being revamped.

“We’ll opt for the nicer surface, even if it’s not as wide,” said boys soccer coach Toby Denman. “Obviously, it’s a quicker game, so it’s going to be an adjustment.”

The field hockey team this fall will use the softball field, which was leveled out and reseeded last year.

“Everybody was so pleased with it that we decided to do the entire facility,” Curtin said.

The turf is expected to be ready by mid-September, which could make things interesting with the high school sports seasons beginning in two weeks.

The boys soccer team’s first home game is Sept. 17 against Litchfield, while girls soccer hosts Northwestern on Sept. 12 and the football team will face the Trumbull JV in Woodbury on Sept. 28.

The Edward Sadlon Gymnasium has been gutted, with a new floor, new bleachers and a new scoreboard to be installed. “Everything except the walls will be replaced,” Curtin said.

The refurbished gym should be open sometime in October, which will leave the girls volleyball team looking for a home in September. The Chiefs have three home matches scheduled in September that will have to be relocated.

“We may have to play away or potentially at the middle school,” Curtin said last week. “Volleyball is the question mark as we speak.”

The upgrade of the athletic facilities is part of a $63.8 million renovation of Nonnewaug High. It was approved by voters in the Region 14 towns of Woodbury and Bethlehem in 2013.

FALLS VILLAGE — The Wolcott Tech team bus pulled into the Housatonic High parking lot at 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday. As the 22 players stepped off the bus, so did Jennifer Garzone.

By MARK JAFFEE

Not only is Garzone the first-year head coach of the MCW United football team, she also drove the bus to practice. When it comes to Garzone, nothing appears to be off-limits or surprising.

A trailblazer as the first female varsity head coach in Connecticut high school football, Garzone is guiding the MCW United cooperative program, consisting of Housatonic, Wolcott Tech and Wamogo.

Jennifer Garzone file

Head football coach at MCW United (Housatonic, Wolcott Tech, Wamogo)

• Age: Will turn 36 on Sept. 10
• Hometown: Oakville
• High School: Sacred Heart, 2001
• College: Post University, 2005
• Profession: Social studies teacher at Wolcott Tech-Torrington

Garzone calls it a privilege to be able to guide aspiring athletes and in that regard feels no different from when she was an assistant coach for Wolcott Tech and the MCW co-op the past seven years.

“It’s flattering and humbling being the first female head football coach (in Connecticut), but I don’t want that to be on the players’ minds,” said Garzone, who will turn 36 on Sept. 10. “This season is about the 40 kids. It’s their team. It’s not about me.”

The program needed someone to take the helm when Jamie Coty, the founder of the Wolcott Tech program, resigned after last Thanksgiving. Garzone, a longtime assistant, jumped at the chance and was hired in February.

“I was so thrilled, not only because she is a female, but because Jennifer was the best candidate,” noted Housatonic athletic director Anne MacNeil. “She’s so passionate about everything she does. She’s there for the students and athletes. They’re in very good hands.”

Dylan Crump, a senior running back/linebacker from Housatonic, is glad to have Garzone as a coach.

“I think it’s cool,” said Crump of having a female coach. “Coach Garzone knows all of the players. That helps. But she also knows football, too. The big thing is she cares about all of us, and we all know that. All she asks of us is to work hard and to try our best. She’s a player’s coach.”

Senior quarterback Jacob Waldron, who attends Wolcott Tech, agreed.

“Coach Garzone communicates very well with the players,” said Waldron. “That’s a really big deal.”

Just ask Deron Bayer, a former head coach at Housatonic who used to witness Garzone on the field during controlled scrimmages between Housy and Wolcott Tech when they were separate programs.

“I would hear her talking to her players and giving them pointers, and Jennifer was always spot-on, said Bayer. “She has such a good rapport with them. Her gender doesn’t matter.”

Still, Bayer noted, “It’s a great leap forward.”

“Jennifer brings structure, is a fierce competitor and stresses sportsmanship,” said Larry Gwinn, an assistant coach who has worked alongside Garzone for several years. “What any good coach wants to have, she already has. When she puts her name on something, she is 100% into it. She’s earned all of our respect.”

Garzone is tackling a football cooperative program that has not won a game in three seasons. But winning is not her top priority.

“We are still chasing after that first victory,” said Garzone. “That is absolutely on the list of priorities, but to develop them to be hard workers in the classroom, their trades and on the field, instilling character, discipline and teamwork, is the No. 1 priority.”

Is she nervous about the new position in which she finds herself?

“It’s just like any past season, although there are a few more butterflies for the role change,” said Garzone.

But she is ready to balance it all, including motherhood. She gave birth to a daughter, Genevieve, in April. She and her husband, Francesco Garzone, were married in October 2017.

How will Garzone handle the time away from her family during the fall?

“It will be hard as I have spent the last four months bonding with my daughter and my husband,” said Garzone.

But her commitment to the program will remain strong.

“I couldn’t imagine life without football,” she said.

An Oakville native, she was a former three-sport standout at Sacred Heart High and also played soccer, basketball and softball in college at Post University in Waterbury. Until last year, when she was pregnant, Garzone played 11 seasons in a women’s semi-pro football league.

At Wolcott Tech, Garzone is also a social studies teacher, the head girls basketball coach and head softball coach.

“Being a head coach in other sports definitely helps,” said Garzone. “Having been in that role has prepared me to become better in leadership, communication and accountability.”

Will she coach basketball and softball next winter and spring?

“Yes I am,” said Garzone, not giving it a second thought.

SOUTHBURY – Committed. That word epitomizes the Pomperaug High football team’s preseason.

By MARK JAFFEE

A year after the Panthers’ first winning season since 2011 produced a 6-4 mark in head coach Tony Pereira’s first season at the helm, they want to maintain that level of success this year.

“Last year was a step in the right direction,” said two-way lineman and captain Sai Quesenberry. “We want more. We all feel that if we put in the work we can get that season. If you want to get 100% out of the program, you have to put 100% into it.”

They’re not taking anything for granted, added senior wide receiver/defensive back and captain J.C. O’Leary.

“No spot is secure,” said O’Leary, referring to even the upperclassmen and team captains. “We are all prepared to earn playing time. We’re holding everyone accountable.”

Quesenberry is making the transition moving from center to left guard to strengthen the offensive line.

“I’ve played guard before and I feel it’s valuable to know every position on the line and be able to make a quick switch if any injury occurs,” said Quesenberry.

Senior tight end/linebacker and captain Mike DeRienzo feels the Panthers have what it takes, despite graduating five players who earned All-SWC honors, including All-State lineman David Satkowski.

“We have a lot of (returning) talent,” said DeRienzo. “The underclassmen saw varsity action, too, last season. We all mesh together well and everyone brings a lot to the table. There are going to be opportunities for last year’s junior varsity players to step up. By us helping them learn how to play varsity ball is only going to make us better.”

The Panthers opened the 2018 season with a 3-1 record, which included a 41-40 overtime nonleague win over East Lyme and a 24-22 decision over Weston, thanks to a goal-line stand.

“Those two wins boosted our morale,” said senior running back/linebacker and captain Jake Oldham. “It showed us that we could fight through adversity and that Pomperaug football was back and ready to compete.”

After a rash of injuries and two consecutive road losses to SCC power Branford (35-15) and SWC power Newtown (42-0) at midseason, the Panthers rebounded by capturing three of their last four games, including a 35-22 win over Notre Dame of Fairfield on Thanksgiving eve. That gave the Panthers a strong sense that 2019 could be really good.

“It was a big step forward after going 3-7 the previous two seasons,” said DeRienzo.

“That really motivated us,” added Quesenberry. “This season our hope is to get off to a good start and roll with it and to continue to improve every day. That is the key.”

Pereira, a 2000 Pomperaug graduate, appreciates that sentiment.

“We have a really good group of kids,” said Pereira. “I like their work ethic and mental toughness. We made great strides.in establishing strong relationships. They have bought into the philosophy of getting out of what you put in. That’s very fullfilling to see as a coach.”

By STEVE BARLOW

There is a new girls soccer coach at Lewis Mills High, someone who has been immersed in the game since his childhood in Canada, but the expectations aren’t any different for the Spartans, even though they find themselves in a new league.

Kofi Remey steps into a position some people might envy and others might avoid. There is pressure on the 39-year-old Hartford resident, who takes over from Jared Sheikh at the helm of a team that won Class M a year ago and appears to be well-stocked for another possible title run.

Those expectations are one reason Remey took the job.

“Obviously, the fact that they have the core team intact, the expectation should be getting

to the final game. A lot of things can happen, but that’s definitely the goal,” Remey said. “Hopefully, I can guide them back there. Obviously, there are a lot of great teams in Class M, but that’s why we play the games: to challenge yourself. I’m definitely looking forward to the season and hoping for positive results, hopefully back-to-back championships.”

Mills athletic director Dave Francalangia said Remey was the obvious choice.

“Some people get timid about this job because of the expectations,” he said. “Kofi surpassed everyone in the interviews.”

Remey has traveled a long and winding road to Burlington. He was born, raised and learned to play soccer in Toronto. He moved to Connecticut in 1990, but returned in the summer to help his club teams win three straight Canadian championships.

As a sophomore at Windsor Locks High, he was on a Class S state championship team, then transferred to Northwest Catholic in West Hartford, where he was an All-New England striker as a senior in 1996.

He played for two years at Western Connecticut before transferring to Southern Connecticut, where he was a third-team All-American pick as a senior in 2002.

After a bid to play professionally, he got into coaching as an assistant at Mercy College. Remey began coaching premier teams in the Farmington area and then on Long Island before returning to Connecticut about eight years ago. He has since coached for boys and girls premier programs such as Oakwood in Glastonbury and CSC Sports World in East Windsor.

Before arriving at Mills, he was also JV boys coach at Newington, head girls coach at Watkinson School in Hartford and, for the past four years, JV girls soccer coach at Glastonbury.

He learned about the Spartans’ vacancy this summer and was intrigued. Mills is entering the Central Connecticut Conference, where it will be one of the smaller schools, after years of dominating Berkshire League soccer.

“Stepping into the CCC is more of a challenge,” Remey said. “I am completely familiar with the CCC. I see it as a challenge to see if they can maintain that level of performance against better competition.”

The Mills girls join the CCC with the cupboard full. Among the players back from the state title team are senior Morgan Sokol and juniors Vicki Fleming, Abby Mills, Resmije Bylykbashi in goal and Grace Buchanan, the MVP of the Class M final.

Remey watched the Mills girls play in a Farmington summer league. “I feel like there’s a pretty good foundation,” he said. “I’ve talked to some of the girls and they’re definitely fired up.”

BY MARK JAFFEE

WATERTOWN — When the Watertown High football team advanced to the CIAC playoffs in 2017 for the first time in three decades, Owen Jalbert marveled from the sidelines as an underclassman.

Now a senior starting offensive lineman, Jalbert hopes to help the Indians to a winning season after Watertown went through a subpar 3-7 record (0-4 in the Naugatuck Valley League Iron Division) in 2018.

“Last season was pretty tough, but that’s in the past,” said Jalbert. “When I look back to two years ago, that season was a good feeling to bring joy back to the town after not being in the playoffs for so long. We want to get that back.”

After a large graduating class in 2017, the Indians went through some growing pains through the first half of 2018.

The team lost its first six games, including close road decisions to Derby (28-18) and St. Paul (30-16), before reeling off three wins in a row — Sacred Heart-Kaynor Tech (33-8), Wilby (14-12) and Crosby (57-6) — to somewhat salvage the season.

“After we won that first game, it was the most electric I’ve seen the locker room,” said Jalbert. “We finally started feeling good about ourselves. It was a wake-up call. We knew we had the potential to make defensive stops, get 11 people to the ball and make big plays.”

What was the difference?

“We had to trust the process,” said senior wide receiver Owen Munson. “We had so many players gaining experience. We all had to believe that things would get better.”

They did, but after the three-game winning streak the Indians stumbled against Torrington in the season finale, 37-20.

“We played hard, but made a couple of mistakes and didn’t play to our fullest potential,” said Jalbert.

Eight months later, that loss still stings, said Munson.

“That put a chip on our shoulder,” said Munson. “It forced us to realize that we needed to work a little bit harder. Everyone is now motivated. We have a lot of new faces, but they are all interested in playing football. The older guys are helping the younger guys. Everyone is showing up on time and ready to work.”

Including second-year starting quarterback Xavier Powell, who gained invaluable insight into how to lead the team from former Watertown signal-caller Nick D’Elia. It was D’Elia who engineered the Indians’ 8-2 regular season in 2017 and Class M quarterfinal berth.

“Nick showed me how to bring the team closer together,” said Powell. “In the offseason, I worked almost every day with my teammates. Building a strong chemistry is really important. You can’t do it alone.”

Powell will have plenty of help, led by senior running Anthony Velardi, senior John Terlizzi III and junior Rich Serna. Munson will be a major contributor in the aerial attack, along with senior Jaeden Goodwine and Leo Kolonsky.

“I trust that Xavier will put the ball it where it needs to be,” said Munson.

Trust is a message that head coach Luigi Velardi is stressing this preseason. T-shirts have been made with the military slogan, “Got Your Six,” meaning that teammates have each other’s back and are looking out for each other, said Velardi.

“If guys make a mistake, they need to have a short memory,” said Velardi.

Reach Mark Jaffee at mjaffee@rep-am.com.

BY MARK JAFFEE
NAUGATUCK — When Naugatuck High senior two-way lineman Herve Tshibamba put on his shoulder pads for the first time earlier this week, he got excited for what was ahead.
“It was a long offseason, but it felt great to be back,” said Tshibamba on Wednesday before the Greyhounds began practice.
After two consecutive 9-1 marks in the Naugatuck Valley League regular season and back-to-back CIAC quarterfinal appearances, Tshibamba and the Greyhounds want to maintain that level of success. Tshibamba is the only returning starter on the defensive line at nose tackle.
“Last season, we had six shutouts and everyone worked so well as a team,” said Tshibamba. “Coach (Dave Sollazzo) preaches to us all of the time that all 11 need to run hard to the ball because you never know what can happen. If we do, it will pay off.”
Senior Isaiah Williams agreed.
“Our defense was the best of our team last year,” said Williams, who will move over from safety to outside linebacker this season in place of Jayden Anderson, now at Central Connecticut State University.
“Jayden was such a great role model and taught me so much on what need to do.”

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Williams will also have major impact on offense, too, moving from tight end to split-end.
Seniors Paul Marsh and Jeff Schebell and junior Jason Spino will join Williams as the primary receivers for second-year starting quarterback Jay Mezzo.
“I hope there are going to be a lot of opportunities for me to make plays,” said Williams.
“Jay and I have a really good bond,” said Williams. “He’s such smart quarterback and knows all of our strengths and uses that to his advantage.”
With Williams’ size, speed and pass-catching ability, Mezzo said “I know that if I throw him the ball, Isaiah will help me out and make a play.”
How about Marsh?
“Paul is quick and can get by anyone,” said Mezzo. “He has great footwork. I know that he is one of the guys that if I throw the ball up, Paul will come down with it.”
And Schebell?
“Jeff is also very quick and gets into open space,” said Mezzo. “I always know that he will do his job.”
The Greyhounds graduated three running backs — Doreon Chapman, Nick Airall and Michael Natkiel. But senior Malachi Gatison is back as a three-year starter, and senior Dante Miranda and junior Aaron Smith will also see time in the backfield. Gatison will also be one of the leaders on defense at linebacker.
“Malachi just pounds the ball downhill,” said Mezzo. “He’s not afraid to make contact. He’s definitely following in a leadership role, too.”
So is Mezzo.
“We definitely have a young team coming up,” said Mezzo. “What I have learned is that we need to have (strong) leadership to win games. We need to do all of the right things like never missing a workout. I need to be a leader by example and always give a good effort. I also need to be more vocal. When times get tough, I need to be the guy to give the others encouragement.”
As will Tshibamba, who will start at left tackle and help anchor an offensive line that also consists of guard Syed Ahmad, center Anson Lau and right tackle Josh Lastra, all returning from last season.
“Herve is the type of player others can really count on,” said Mezzo. “He’s very upbeat and the team will follow his lead.”
To which Tshibamba said “Everyone is focused and improving every day. “It’s really exciting. I plan on giving all that I have this season and leave it all on the field.”
Reach Mark Jaffee at mjaffee@rep-am.com

By STEVE BARLOW

WATERBURY – The Sacred Heart High girls volleyball team, in its first varsity season, won’t get a chance to calmly dip its toe in to test the water. The Hearts are diving into the deep end of the pool.
Here’s what the schedule doles out right off the bat: Sept. 16, vs. Seymour, the defending Class M state champion; Sept. 17, vs. Woodland, a Class M semifinalist; Sept. 19, at St. Paul, the defending Iron Division champion.
Welcome to the Naugatuck Valley League.
The Hearts, though, appear unfazed by what looms ahead.
“It’s not going to be boring,” said junior outside hitter Jada Ellis. “It’s going to be a challenge.”
“Playing more experienced teams only makes us better,” noted junior middle hitter Asia Chapman.
Yes, it can only get easier for the Hearts after walking that gauntlet. Other matches await later on when they will probably be more competitive. It’s all part of the learning process.
“We’re building the foundation for future teams,” said senior setter Paige Carroll, the team’s captain and most experienced player after transferring here last year from Westover.
The program was begun in 2018 after years of students asking the school to add the sport, according to athletic director Mike Madden.

[This post contains video, click to play]

Fourteen girls turned out. They practiced at the school’s Alumni Hall, where coach Sherry Morgan mapped out the court with removable painter’s tape on the gym floor, and at the Waterbury YMCA.
Playing a junior varsity schedule, the Hearts went 2-7. More importantly, the girls said they developed a bond.
“Even if I was doing something wrong, it was still like a sisterhood,” said Chapman.
“It was exciting and a little nervous,” said Ellis, “but everyone was real supportive of each other.”
A couple of girls didn’t return this year. But most of them did, along with a few newcomers. And they were joined by nine freshmen for a total of 24 players, enough for varsity, JV and maybe even some freshman matches this year.
The floor at Alumni Hall has been resurfaced. Lines for the volleyball court have been painted. And Morgan, a veteran of 12 seasons at Pomperaug, and assistant coach Todd Baker are diligently preparing the squad for opening night.
“Things will be different now because it’s varsity,” said Morgan. “There will be a lot of teaching, but there’s going to be that balance between teaching and getting the varsity team up to speed as quickly as possible.”
Morgan said the Hearts didn’t get discouraged at all last season, an encouraging sign for this first foray into varsity volleyball.
“I am just trying to be high-spirited, win or lose,” said Chapman.

[This post contains video, click to play]

Sacred Heart volleyball

BY MARK JAFFEE

Asked about declining participation numbers in scholastic football nationally and in Connecticut over the past decade, Ansonia High football coach Tom Brockett responded with one word — commitment.

In general, Brockett said it’s getting harder for coaches across the state to get kids to play in all sports, not just football.

“Across the board, it’s real hard in this day and age to get kids to commit and show up,” said Brockett, in his 14th season. “It’s difficult everywhere to get kids to show up every day at 3 p.m. for practice. You’re seeing less kids because of commitment. I’ve gradually seen the numbers (at Ansonia) go down. When I first started coaching, we had in the 40s. Now we’re at 32.”

Area football coaches point to a multitude of reasons for the decline, from smaller student populations to athletes specializing in one sport to the media spotlight focused on the issue of concussions.

Too much blame has been put on concussions as the reason for declining numbers, Brockett insisted.

Derby coach George French, in his 10th season, said “the concussion issue” is always in the back of an athlete’s or his family’s minds, but it is not the biggest issue this season. Derby has 35 players on its 2019 roster.

“I’m seeing more and more kids getting jobs in the area to help support their families,” said French. “We’ve always had kids who had summer jobs to get spending money, but this year we are finding more and more kids working four to five days a week in grocery stores and food chains to help pay their bills. These jobs continue on into the school year.”

Another factor is reduced school populations, noted Scott Salius, the 12th-year football coach for the Gilbert-Northwestern co-op.

“This certainly affects rural areas of the state, where the number of affordable houses for families may be out of reach, or there’s an aging population,” said Salius. “In my experience, we have seen a drop in numbers in some of the Pequot Conference schools.”

Salius said he has 35 players on his squad, but he agreed with Brockett about a lack of commitment.

“I’ve heard that athletes don’t want to play because practices are too lengthy or hard or the preseason conditioning is and that it’s not worth doing,” said Salius, whose roster averaged in excess of 50 from 2013-16. “We’ve had the same practice plan for over a decade. The only change is that we have reduced the amount of contact through live drills and team periods.”

Specialization is also a concern, said Salius.

“It’s no longer the case that the best athletes play a multitude of sports year-round,” said Salius. “I would encourage any of my players to play as many sports as possible. We have certainly lost players over the years to fall baseball and basketball leagues.”

As for the sport being too dangerous, Salius took exception. “In my opinion,” he said, “that can’t be further from the truth when compared to 20,15 or even five years ago.

“Mandatory restrictions on contact amount, improved equipment, improved knowledge about out-of-season conditioning and increased awareness by coaches to teach proper and safe techniques as well as injury awareness have made football the safest it’s been in my experience,” said Salius.

Pomperaug coach Tony Pereira agreed. His program has had upward of 60 players the past two seasons.

“We are in a cycle where there are many negative thinking traps and catastrophic thinking when it comes to our sport,” said Pereira. “The truth is rational thinking tells us that injuries happen in any sport with certain types at a higher level than football. Here at Pomperaug we are making a conscious effort in providing parents with education as far as our concussion protocol, CIAC protocol and the quality of our equipment and certification of our coaches and trainer.”

Pereira said he’s being proactive in getting more involvement at the youth level to help improve the numbers in high school in the future.

By The Associated Press

Led by a decline in football for the fifth straight year, participation in U.S. high school sports dropped in 2018-19 for the first time in 30 years, according to an annual survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

The 2018-19 total of 7,937,491 participants was a decline of 43,395 from the 2017-18 school year, when the number of participants in high school sports reached a record high of 7,980,886.

The last decline in sports participation numbers occurred during the 1988-89 school year.

The group said 11-man football dropped by 30,829 to 1,006,013, the lowest mark since the 1999-2000 school year. It was the fifth consecutive year of declining football participation.

“We know from recent surveys that the number of kids involved in youth sports has been declining, and a decline in the number of public school students has been predicted for a number of years, so we knew our ‘streak’ might end someday,” said Karissa Niehoff, NFHS executive director and a former principal at Lewis Mills High in Burlington.

“The data from this year’s survey serves as a reminder that we have to work even harder in the coming years to involve more students in these vital programs — not only athletics, but performing arts programs as well.”

Although the number of participants in boys’ 11-player football dropped, the number of schools offering the sport remained steady. The survey indicated that 14,247 schools offer 11-player football, an increase of 168 from last year. A comparison of the figures from the past two years indicates the average number of boys involved in 11-player football on a per-school basis dropped from 73 to 70, which includes freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams.

While participation in boys’ 11-player football dropped in all but seven states, participation in six-, eight- and nine-player football gained 156 schools and 1,594 participants nationwide, with the largest increase in boys’ eight-player football from 19,554 to 20,954. In addition, in the past 10 years, participation by girls in 11-player football has doubled, from 1,249 in the 2009-10 school year to 2,404 last year.

“The survey certainly confirms that schools are not dropping the sport of football, which is great news,” Niehoff said. “Certainly, we are concerned about the reduction in the number of boys involved in the 11-player game, but are thrilled that states are finding other options by starting six-player or eight-player football in situations where the numbers have declined.

“While we recognize that the decline in football participation is due, in part, to concerns about the risk of injury, we continue to work with our member state associations, the nation’s high schools and other groups to make the sport as safe as possible.”

The NFHS said combined basketball participation was down 23,944 (13,340 girls and 10,604 boys), and the girls basketball total of 399,067 was the lowest total since the 1992-93 school year. The decline was largely attributed to a 25,000 drop in Texas during a two-year period.

Four of the top 10 boys sports registered increases, topped by track and field with an additional 5,257 participants. Other top 10 boys sports that added participants last year were soccer, wrestling and tennis. Among girls, top 10 sports, volleyball, soccer and lacrosse all added participants.

In 2018, the Watertown High boys and girls soccer programs had you seeing double.

By JASON LEVY

• The Watertown girls won the Naugatuck Valley League championship. So did the boys.
• The Watertown girls advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament. So did the boys.

And in 2019, the Watertown girls enter this season confident their new roster will be able to make up for the loss of many talented players to replicate last season’s success. So do the boys.

It’s a testament to the soccer culture in Watertown that both programs are reaching high levels of success. Youth soccer has a strong foothold in the town with the Watertown Association for Youth Soccer (WAYS) and the Connecticut Rush premier program.

“We have a very strong feeder program, and they’re just getting stronger by the day,” Watertown girls coach Melissa Ciarlo said. “Having that support is really huge in keeping Watertown soccer going. Keeping them involved and keeping them training at high levels is huge for the high school program.”

“WAYS does a great job of developing young players,” Watertown boys coach Vitto Caligiuri added. “They have a number of different programs in town, from travel to select, that are giving kids an opportunity to play at high levels of soccer. And there are a lot of volunteer coaches out there who do an absolutely great job of coaching these kids and getting them ready for the high school level.”

Both coaches noted how the close-knit community pushes each program to keep up with the other and feed off the other’s energy.

“The girls’ success the last couple of years is definitely something that we keep an eye on,” Caligiuri said. “We go to their games, we see their results and when we go out there the next night we want to keep pace with them. It’s a very friendly competition between us and them, and I think it’s something that drives us to be better.”

The Watertown High boys soccer team isn’t about to rest on its laurels, even after hitting a high-water mark last season.

By JASON LEVY

The Indians won their first Naugatuck Valley League championship since 2012, snapping Naugatuck’s five-year run atop the league, last fall. That came on the heels of an unbeaten regular season and fueled a run to the Class M state semifinals, which included a quarterfinal win over defending state champion Lewis Mills, before falling to top-seeded Ellington.

Now, the Indians are ready for more in 2019. They are determined to take home another NVL crown, reach a state final for the first time since 1956 and win their first state championship.

“Sometimes with winning you get a little complacent,” Watertown coach Vitto Caligiuri said. “But us coming a little bit short in the state tournament really serves us well in a sense that it gave these guys something to strive for and something to be hungry for.”

But nothing will come easy for Watertown across the pitches of the NVL. The Indians graduated several key contributors from a season ago, including keeper Hayden Beauty, defender Jon Polletta, midfielder Anthony Longo and forward Jake Champagne. Of course, in Watertown the cupboard usually isn’t bare for long. Caligiuri believes the program has “a consistent flow of players” to step up, on and off the field.

“For me, I think leadership comes from experience,” he said. “Last year, the season that we had and the run that we were able to make in states and winning the NVL really gave us a lot of experience. I think that is really going to carry over for us.”

Caligiuri believes sophomores Liam Farrell and Wes Kulikauskas will continue to play pivotal roles after starting every game as freshmen last season. Senior Zack Fenn should emerge as a defensive leader and his cousin, sophomore Lucas Fenn, will compete with senior Vincent Orsini to start in goal.

Caligiuri also praised the intensity of senior Troy Tedesco, the ball-moving skills of senior Moni Jusufi and the scoring ability of junior Keith Caouette, who scored 14 goals last season.

“He’s a big, strong kid who hasn’t even reached his full potential yet,” Caligiuri said of Caouette. “I think he can score twice as many as that this year.”

Caligiuri expects 2018 runner-up Woodland and perennial contender Naugatuck to be the toughest foes standing in Watertown’s way.

“The Polletta twins (Dante and Devon) at Woodland were very good last year and will be very good again this year,” he said. “The goalkeeper at Woodland (Ryan Lamb) is a very, very good player. Over at Naugy, you have Chris Akindura at forward. He’s a very, very good player, a talented, big, strong kid who has a ton of speed and a really good ability to finish.”

But the NVL is not just a three-team league. There aren’t a lot of easy matchups along the conference slate. Caligiuri has seen the league take some big strides forward the last few years.

“St. Paul had a great year last year,” he said. “They did lose some kids to graduation, but I think they still have a good, solid, young corps of kids. Then there’s Seymour, which is always a challenging team. Some of the city schools always step up. Crosby has been good in past years.”

Lewis Mills

Head coach: Katie Pratt (7th season)

2018: 9-1

Key runners: Seniors Jennifer DiChiara, Lauren Alvarez (Berkshire League All-Star), Catherine DiLernia, Allison Moore; Junior Meghan Cahill; Sophomore Trinity Moulton

Outlook: The Spartans hope to be competitive in a new league and division of the CCC South against some talented teams.

Coach’s comment: “We lost two of our top runners to graduation last year, so we will need to work hard this year to bring some stronger runners forward but the girls have a positive work ethic and are dedicated to succeed this season!”

Taft

Head coach: Steve Palmer (2nd season)

Key runners: Senior Captains Katie Bootsma and Michelle Lian; Senior Logan Clew-Bachrach; Juniors Mare Gandarela, Kate Sharpe; Sophomores Stella Oldakowski, Annabel Pick.

Coach’s comment/outlook: “The 2018 team was strong, but ran at full strength for only the first two meets. The 2019 team will have to stay healthy and find at least one new “surprise” varsity runner to surpass last years performances. We’ll kick off the season with the New Haven Labor day 5k and the look to peak for the Founders League meet and out New England Championship in early November. Taft was 3rd in the CT Founders League last year behind rivals Choate and Loomis. The goal for this season is to maintain that spot in the league and perhaps edge in front of one of those two, but winning the league will be a stretch.”

Pomperaug

Head coach: Mark Goodwin (46th season)

Key runners: Seniors Maddie Villa (3X All-SWC, All-State performer), Molly Flanagan (All-SWC); Juniors Kate Wiser (SWC, Class L, Open and New England Champion), Amanda Kugler; Sophomore Charlotte Brehmer.

Coach’s comment/outlook: “We are looking to pursue the SWC and Class L Title. We have captured the last three state titles and would like to return to the New Englands as well. The league is looking competitive as Immaculate, NFHS won state titles last year. New Milford is much improved as is Bethel.”

Cheshire

Head coach: Rob Schaefer (32nd season, 278-32)

2018: 8-1, SCC 3rd, Class L 6th

Key runners: Sophomores Meghan Georgescu (All SCC Second Team), Olivia Ferraro (All SCC Second Team), Junior Cate Bedard

Outlook: The SCC is tough with Guilford looking really strong and Amity, Shelton, and Hand are all returning great runners. The Rams hope to move up in the SCC, do well in the Class meet and to make it to the State Open as they reasonably aim for every year.

Coach’s comment: “We are a young team in both age and experience. Our older runners (Kristina Benga and Audrey Kiesling) are seniors with no varsity experience.T he rest of our varsity is made up of under classmen. We, though, have a proud history. We never rely on the past, though; instead, we always look to the future. We have a very promising freshman in Alex Palladino.”

Westover

Head coach: Jennifer Green (first season)

2018: third place at New England Division 3

Key runners: Senior Olivia Raisbeck, Sophomore Kyla Coughlin, Junior Rin Sakaibara

Coach’s comment: “This is a rebuilding year. We graduated some excellent seniors. We’re excited to grow as a team and work hard.”

Kaynor Tech

Head coach: Eric Krebs (2nd season, 3-3)

2018: 3-3

Key runners: Juniors Yulissa Navarrete (All-City, All-CTC), Kadija Diouf, Mystic Stephenson; Sophomores Genesis Velez, Keri Maheu, Nevaeh Grimsley

Outlook: “Abbott Tech is favored to win the league again. We hope to compete with Platt Tech, Bullard Havens, and Ellis Tech for second place.”

Coach’s comment: “We have a dedicated group of six returning runners and six first year runners. I am confident that everyone will improve as the season progresses and avoiding injuries will be a priority.”

Information that has been supplied by league coaches:

Shepaug

Head coach: John Spear (4th season)

Key runners: Senior Isabel Eddy; Sophomore’s Eilish Foy (First team All-League, First Team All-State) and Peyton Nash.

Coach’s comment/outlook: “We lost five of our top six from last year’s championship squad. We will be extremely inexperienced but have shown some potential during the first few days of practice. We have some new freshman and seniors who should make big contributions this year. We are hoping to be a top 3 team in the league and a top 7 in Class S. Thomaston and Nonnewaug appear to be the best in the league. Thomaston have a big 3 that should all be first-team and Nonnewaug will be very deep again. They should battle for the title in October.”

Nonnewaug (boys and girls)

Head coach: Arleigh Duff (28th season)

Key runners: Seniors Maddie Woodward (Berkshire League All-Star), Helene Berger, Carly Andrews; Juniors Greg Bastek, Connor Inglis, Ian Budrewicz, Jennie Schwarz; Sophomores Lilly Mills, Elizabeth King; Freshman Jenna Barns

Coach’s comment/outlook: “Both teams will try to be competitive this year, they are working hard. The boys team lost BL Champion/Class SS Champion/All-State and All-New England runner Eddie Nicholas.”

Northwestern (boys and girls)

Head coach: Alison Beauchene

Key runners: Boys Returning: Josh Mangini, Alex Beauchene, Matt Henrickson; Key newcomers: Tyler Schumacher, Lucas Oles. Girls Returning: Bethany Adams, Erin Daley, Isabella Gregor; Key newcomers: Marina Dyndiuk, Maddie Adams, Lexi Arthur

Coach’s comment/Outlook: “The boys team has their eyes on a fourth BL Championship win but with the loss of some key seniors and an injury, the fight agasint a stron Terryville team will be tough. The girls team looks stronger than it has in the past with many new strong runners joining the team this year.”

Information that has been supplied by league coaches:

Seymour

Head coach: Paul O’Connor (4th season, 19-23)

2018: 9-5

Key runners: Senior Maya Pekarek; Junior Maddie Sheehan (All-Division), Brook Sheehan, Kayla Pollman, Kaitlyn Sobin

Outlook: The Wildcats are hoping for a top 3 position, which would mean being competitive against Derby, Woodland, Watertown, St. Paul and, Wolcott as well as all the others.

Coach’s comment: “The girls are working toward finishing in the top 3 this year. They put in the miles over the summer and look foward to race day competition.”

Holy Cross

Head coach: Brian Walker (9th season, 54-32)

2018: 5-9

Key runners: Juniors Alyssa Sarracco, Raquel Rosa; Sophomores Cayla Howard, Megan Paolino

Coach’s comment/outlook: “We are a young team with only four returning from last year. This group is working hard and will continue to improve as the season progresses.”

Woodland

Head coach: Jeff Lownds (19th season, 192-43)

2018: 14-0 (Division and NVL Champs)

Key runners: Seniors Emma Slavin, Jill Brotherton, Diondra Owusu, Calisa Costanza, Caitlin Marvin; Juniors Jaden Young, Brooke Iannone, Judy Lippa, Emma Flaherty, Madison Piscitelli; Sophomores Kayla Drmic, Chloe Poulos, Kasey Beard, Kim Poulos, Megan Ruhl; Freshman Kate Foley, Kayleigh Budnick

Coach’s comment/outlook: “We are fortunate to have a good mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen with us this year and look forward to another successdful season. The girls team shows improvement every day, so we want to do well each week and make a good showing in Class SS and in the NVL. We have excellent leadership from our five seniors, all of whom have run cross country for four seasons at Woodland Regional.”

Wolcott

Head coach: Julie Fell (2nd season, 4-7)

2018: 7-4

Key runners: Seniors capt. Kathyn Rodrigues, capt. Kerianne Rodrigues, capt. Madison Cossette; Sophomore Vernika Hryn (All-Iron)

Coach’s comment: “We have key returning athletes putting us in a great position for the start of the season.”

Sacred Heart

Head coach: Molly DePaiva (6th season)

Key runners: Senior Jyllian Geffert; Juniors Melany Boivin, Jillian Mike; Sophomores Giselle Garcia, Brooke Ferrare

Outlook: The Hearts hope to compete with the top teams this year in a competitive NVL.

Coach’s comment: “We lost one of our best runners last year to graduation (Jenna French). We have a good group of returnees back and some new runners as well. We hope to have a chance to compete in every meet and make a run for the City title.”