BOYS BASKETBALL
Naugatuck Valley League
Seymour at St. Paul, 4:15
Others
Bristol Eastern at RHAM, 2
Wamogo at WCA, 4
Cheshire Academy at Woodstock Academy, 3:30
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Lewis Mills at Valley Regional, 5:30
Thomaston at Coginchaug, 6
BOYS ICE HOCKEY
Cheshire at Daniel Hand, 5:30
SGWL at Watertown-Pomperaug, 7:30
GYMNASTICS
Nonnewaug, Pomperaug at Joel Barlow, 2:30

By KEVIN ROBERTS

WATERBURY — There was plenty on the line in the second matchup between the Sacred Heart and Crosby High boys basketball teams on Friday night at Alumni Hall, even if it wasn’t indicated by a less than sold-out crowd.

The Hearts came in with 116 straight Naugatuck Valley Legaue wins, and Bulldogs coach Nick Augelli was going for career win No. 700.

Once again, it was Sacred Heart’s night Friday. The Hearts got out to a fast start and never really slowed down in an 84-67 win over Crosby.

Sacred Heart improved to 11-0 in the NVL, 12-0 overall, and won its 117th straight league game. Crosby fell to 9-4 overall, 9-2 NVL.

“We worked in practice thoroughly for this game,” the Hearts’ 7-foot junior center, Connor Tierney, said. “We moved the ball very well and we moved in transition very well. We all played our parts. We came out on top, and the score shows it.”

Fellow junior Lorenzo Washington led Sacred Heart with 22 points, including 16 in the first quarter. Washington also had seven assists and four steals. Tierney finished with 20 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.

Steve Alseph contributed a team-best eight rebounds and spent much of his time on defense guarding Crosby senior standout Justin Davis in Sacred Heart’s box-and-one defense.

Davis led all scorers with 24 points, including 10 in the opening quarter.

“They were the better team tonight,” Augelli said. “We let them score 28 points in the (first) period. I think they missed one shot the whole period. We made some careless mistakes, and we can’t rely on Justin to do everything for the team. In the second half, he was just tired. I thought he played a great game.”

Jose Soares had 12 points for Crosby, which played without sophomore guard Jonathan Rivera. Rivera was benched for missing practice and school.

“That hurt us a little bit, too, but that wasn’t the main reason,” Augelli said. “They were the better team. They shot well.”

Washington didn’t get the 38 points he scored in these two team’s first game Jan. 10, but he was effective in the first quarter. After that, the Bulldogs slowed him down.

The problem for Crosby was that others like Tierney, Caleb Sampson (10 points), Davon Ellison (eight) and Osa Igbinewuare (eight) stepped up for the Hearts.

“This game, we knew what we had to do, how we had to play it,” Tierney said. “We all played very well today. I had a good game, and there were other kids. Lorenzo Washington had a great game as well.”

The teams combined for three baskets in the first 30 seconds of the game, and the score went back and forth for much of the opening quarter with no lead larger than six, which Sacred Heart held, 14-8.

The Bulldogs got within a point, 20-19, when Pete Britto scored off Alex Batista’s tip, but the Hearts closed the quarter on an 8-0 run to lead 28-19. Crosby never led again, and the lead was nine points or more the rest of the game.

Sacred Heart goes for NVL win No. 118 in a row on Tuesday at WCA at 7 p.m. Augelli gets his second chance at career win No. 700 when Crosby hosts Holy Cross on Tuesday at 7. He will be coaching against his nephew, Crusaders coach Ryan Olsen.

“If I do beat him, my sister-in-law will never talk to me again,” Augelli quipped.

[This post contains video, click to play]

BY STEVE BARLOW

REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Basketball referees, like officials in all sports, prefer to work in anonymity. The less attention on them, the better they are doing their job.
Mia Barbieri, though, can’t help but get noticed. The Torrington resident is, as best we can determine, the only woman referee working varsity boys basketball games in Connecticut.
No, she’s not the first ever, not even in Litchfield County. Karen Robertson (now Preato) did boys varsity games for Board 7, but that was 20 years ago and she’s now working women’s Final Fours.
There are plenty of female refs nowadays, but it remains unusual to see them calling male games. Just three women officiate in the NBA, and only one works NCAA men’s Division I games.
So Barbieri is an anomaly. But here’s what you may not know: Almost as amazing is that the 23-year-old is working boys varsity games in the Berkshire League in only her fourth season of officiating.
That’s attributable to the undammable enthusiasm she brings to blowing a whistle.
According to veteran official Bob Ferraroti, her mentor, Barbieri possesses “an absolute insanity about doing games and getting better.”
In the offseason, she attends referee camps, more than a dozen, around the region. She officiates summer league games, more than a hundred, around the state.
During the high school season, she’s on the road six nights a week, either calling a game or attending another contest to observe how her brethren officials ply their craft.
“Refereeing basketball is, for most of us, a sideline,” Ferraroti said. “For Mia, it’s a vocation. She fits her other jobs around it.”
Yes, the CIAC would like to see more female refs — not to mention more refs, period — but nothing has been handed to Barbieri because she’s a woman.
“Mia is a very good official who happens to be female,” said Wamogo coach Gregg Hunt.
Let’s debunk another misconception: This is a predominantly male club, but there are no barriers to women joining. If the number is small, it’s, in part, because other opportunities higher up the ladder present themselves.
“I’ve had several female referees who were excellent and whom I would have put on any boys games,” said Peter Carroll, commissioner of Fairfield County Board 9. “But as soon as they’re good enough, the colleges scoop them up. Patti Fernandez was a great referee. She’s now in the Big East.”
Happily, Barbieri reported: “I’ve never felt disrespected because I’m a woman.”
If anything, it’s been the opposite. The veteran refs have been her biggest teachers and boosters.
Guys like Chris Bunel and Charley Harbach give her tips on positioning. Guys like Mike Kersten and Jimmy Lariccia hone her mechanics. Guys like Ferraroti, Board 7 commissioner Ted Zaloski and Dick Kulmann have discussed game management with her.
“I’m lucky to have a strong support system of mentors,” said Barbieri, who’s also friends with Preato and Maggie Tieman, a college official from Litchfield.
And then there are the coaches. Rather than being uncomfortable with a woman official, many of the BL coaches endorsed the idea of Barbieri working their varsity games after watching her at the boys JV level last year.
“I think all of the guys in the Berkshire League are accepting of her,” said Gilbert coach Mark Douglass. “We just want good officials no matter what.”
Douglass had one addendum.
“Will I agree with all of her calls? No. I told her last week before our game, ‘I’m going to be on you no matter what,’” he said. “People in the stands were saying to me, ‘Hey, why are you getting on a woman official?’ Well, I just see her as an official.”
Barbieri takes it all in stride. In fact, she strives to be approachable.
“I don’t take it personally. It’s just the play and the call,” she said. “They’re just advocating for their players. I understand that.”
Besides boys and girls games in Litchfield County, Barbieri is also working games for Hartford’s Board 6 this winter. Every night, she tries to take away something to improve herself.
“She gets there early. She’s always asking questions,” Hunt said. “She does everything she can to get better.”
At some point, don’t be surprised if you see Barbieri at a higher level. But her career is still young; she hasn’t yet worked a state tournament game, boys or girls, and that comes after a lot more experience.
“I’m in no rush,” she said of the college game. “I love the camaraderie of high school basketball. They need good refs, too.”
In Barbieri, they’ve got one — who just happens to be female.
Reach Steve Barlow at sbarlow@rep-am.com.

BY JASON LEVY

WATERBURY — The Wamogo High and WCA boys basketball teams entered Saturday’s interleague clash with something to prove.

The Warriors of the Berkshire League were looking to show they could compete with teams across the state and win their eighth in a row. The Spartans of the Naugatuck Valley League wanted to keep their momentum after two wins earlier in the week.

It was WCA that kept the good times rolling, making eight 3-pointers in the first half to provide enough cushion to withstand a late Wamogo charge en route to a 65-56 victory. WCA, which climbed over .500 at 7-6, defeated Torrington on Tuesday and Kennedy on Friday.

“We played hard as a team, and it was just as simple as that,” WCA’s Zion Lott said. “We just have to work hard in practice and keep the confidence going.”

Lott (15 points) and Lawrence Lazaro (14) each sank three 3-pointers for the Spartans, who finished with 10 treys. Darrell Coombs recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Jonathan Edwards contributed eight points, five rebounds, six assists and a one-handed dunk.

“We haven’t been consistent from behind the arc, but we’re starting to find our rhythm now,” WCA coach Ronan O’Leary said. “Confidence is contagious, so if we keep seeing that ball go through the hoop, then it makes the games a lot easier to deal with.”

Ethan Collins scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the second half for Wamogo. Eric Odenwaelder added 15 points and Cole Higgins finished with 10 for the Warriors (9-4), who trailed by 16 after three quarters before getting as close as six in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

“It’s a loss. We can learn from it,” Odenwaelder said. “We have to keep our head in games. If we get a lead, we have to maintain it. We played hard, but we couldn’t get there in the end. They played well.”

Wamogo coach Gregg Hunt knew Saturday’s game wasn’t going to be easy for his team, which has gone 1-3 in nonleague play. Even with a loss, the game served its purpose.

“We’re going to play teams like this in the (Division III state) tournament,” Hunt said. “I thought we did a lot of good things, but we have a lot of things we’ve got to work on. We didn’t make the best decisions in the first half and dug ourselves a big hole. We were able to cut it to six, but we couldn’t get the stop we needed at the end.”

Wamogo returns to BL play the rest of the season, visiting Thomaston on Tuesday and hosting Terryville on Friday. The Kangaroos are the only BL team to beat the Warriors this season.

“We’re a hard-working team,” Odenwaelder said. “We definitely lost a lot of talent from last year. But we’re still a good group of guys. We’re working hard, and we’re doing what we can. I think we’re doing pretty well.”

WCA knows it will be a tall order to extend their winning streak to four.

“Well, we have Sacred Heart next (Tuesday), and they haven’t lost in a little while,” O’Leary said. “But we’re going to give it our best shot. We have Crosby (Friday), so two very tough games. We will see what happens on Tuesday.”

BY MARK JAFFEE

The Naugatuck Valley League boys and girls indoor track championships will be held Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Floyd Little Athletic Center next to Hillhouse High in New Haven.

Warmups begin at 5 p.m.

In contention for the girls team title are defending champion Woodland, Watertown, Seymour, Naugatuck and Torrington. The Hawks have won eight NVL crowns in a row.

On the boys side, defending champion Watertown, along with Derby, Naugatuck and Torrington, figure to be the front-runners. Wilby and Kennedy will also be in the mix.

In the sprints, Torrington senior Christian Estefani is seeded first in the 55-meter dash (6.61 seconds) and junior Messiah Harling of Wilby is first in the 60-meter dash (7.29). Harling also has a personal-best leap on 45 feet, 11/4 inches in the triple jump.

Jonathan Volpe of Naugatuck is seeded first in the 400 (55.50), 800 (2:09.37) and 1,000 meters (2:41.82).

Woodland junior Jaden Young (3:06.07) and teammate Chloe Poulos, a sophomore, are seeded 1-2 in 1,000 meters. Young won the 1,000 meters at last year’s event with a time of 3:13.84).

Eagles junior Nick Bendtsen is seeded first in two events, the 1,600 (4:23.62) and 3,200 (9:28.24).

In the girls meet, Wolcott senior Kathryn Rodrigues is seeded first in the 1,600 (5:15.46) and 3,200 (11:08.24).

Naugatuck sophomore Allison Murphy is seeded first in both the 300 (33.01 seconds) and 600 (1:44.55). Kennedy’s Christina Capozzi is first in both the 55 meters (7.66) and 60 (8.28).

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Lewis Mills 41, Valley Regional 37: Brianna Pelchar scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Spartans prevailed in a nonleague game in Deep River on Saturday.
Lauren Alvarez contributed nine points and five steals to help the Spartans climb back to .500 at 7-7.
Sacred Heart Greenwich 54, Taft 33: Eliza Ford scored 12 points for the Rhinos. Natalie Hodak and Lauren Villanueva chipped in eight points each.

BOYS BASKETBALL
St. Paul 66, Seymour 42: Noah Waters had a game-high 17 points and A.J. Brooks added 15 for the Falcons in Bristol. Dion Perkins had 13 points for the Wildcats.

BOYS ICE HOCKEY
Cheshire 1, Daniel Hand 1: Niklas Vasiljevs scored a short-handed goal in the first period and Nick Maringola made 39 saves to help the Rams (7-6-2) earn the draw and clinch a spot in the Division II state tournament.
SWGL 4, Watertown-Pomperaug 1: Brandon Mercede scored off assists from Matt Christina and Ryan Furr for the Indians. Remington Ferrari had a hat trick for SWGL.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Naugatuck Valley League
St. Paul 66, Seymour 42
Others
RHAM 48, Bristol Eastern 46
WCA 65, Wamogo 56
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Lewis Mills 41, Valley Regional 37
Coginchaug 46, Thomaston 25
BOYS ICE HOCKEY
Cheshire 1, Daniel Hand 1
SGWL 4, Watertown-Pomperaug 1

WCA 65, WAMOGO 56
Wamogo (9-4): Ethan Collins 7 1 17, Cole Higgins 4 0 10, Charlie Coffey 1 0 2, Matt Mazzarelli 2 2 8, Eric Odenwaelder 7 1 15, Ben Roy 0 2 2, Jeff Mosimann 1 0 2, Colin Ferrer 0 0 0, Logan Marti 0 0 0, Jack King 0 0 0. Totals: 22 6 56.
WCA (7-6): Jonathan Edwards 3 1 8, Jaden Stallworth 3 2 10, Zion Lott 6 0 15, Darrell Coombs 5 1 11, Gerald Council 1 0 2, Rafael Prado 2 0 5, Trevone Hightower 0 0 0, Carmelo Mojica 0 0 0, Lawrence Lazaro 5 1 14, Cyrus Smith 0 0 0. Totals: 25 5 65.
Wamogo 9 14 11 22 — 56
WCA 18 19 13 15 — 65
3-pointers: Wa — Higgins 2, Collins 2, Mazzarelli 2; WCA — Lott 3, Lazaro 3, Stallworth 2, Edwards 1, Prado 1.

ST PAUL 66, SEYMOUR 42
Seymour (3-9): Dion Perkins 5 2 13, Dhruv Kapadia 1 0 2, Matt Oczkowski 2 1 6, Kyle Harmeling 3 0 7, Chris Seara 3 0 8, Kevin Harmeling 0 0 0, Jake Chacho 1 0 2, Cayden Drezek 1 0 3. Totals: 16 3 42.
St. Paul (7-5): Quinten Conner 0 2 2 , Rudy Otero 1 0 2, Will Barton 5 0 11, A.J. Brooks 6 3 15, Noah Waters 7 0 17, Tommy Lorenzetti 1 0 3, Jack Noli 3 0 6, Jackson Sullivan 3 0 6, Alex Partyka 0 2 2, Matthew Stephani 1 0 2. Totals 27 7 66.
Seymour 10 15 12 5 — 42
St. Paul 20 15 14 17 — 66
3-pointers:S — Perkins 1, Oczkowski 1, Kyle Harmeling 1, Seara 2, Drezek 1. SP — Barton 1, Waters 3, Lorenzetti 1.

LEWIS MILLS 41, VALLEY REGIONAL 37
Lewis Mills (7-7): Brianna Pelchar 5 8 18, Lauren Searle 0 0 0, Lauren Alvarez 2 5 9, Abby Mills 1 5 8, Annika Fitzgerald 0 0 0, Taylor Tantaquidgeon 0 0 0, Grace Annonson 0 0 0, Jordan Anderson 0 0 0, Abby Jankoski 3 0 6. Totals: 11 18 41.
Valley Regional (6-8): Ava Cunningham 2 3 7, Addie Narchese 1 10 13, Alena Crosby 2 0 6, Salmi Miller 1 0 2, Bitzy Klomp 0 0 0, Mili Grow 1 1 3, Reagan Brenneman 0 3 3, Liz Allen 1 0 3. Totals: 8 17 37.
Lewis Mills 11 8 11 11 — 41
Valley 6 10 7 14 — 37
3-pointers: LM — Mills 1; VR — Crosby 2, Narchese 1, Allen 1.

SACRED HEART GREENWICH 54, TAFT 33
Taft (4-10): Lauren Villanueva 4 0 8, Natalie Hodak 3 1 8, Anna Koziol 1 0 2, Tessa Graebner 1 0 2, Annie Woodward 0 0 0, Brooke Smith 0 0 0, Eliza Ford 4 3 12. Totals: 14 4 33.
Sacred Heart Greenwich (8-9): Payton Sfreddo 6 0 15, Olivia Capeniti 1 0 2, Francoise O’Brien 0 0 0, Madison Hart 5 2 11, Leah Atkins 7 2 16, Sarah Augustine 4 2 10. Totals: 22 6 54.
Halftime: SH, 29-19.
3-pointer: SH — Sfreddo 3, Hart 1. T — Hodak 1.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Berkshire League

Nonnewaug at Terryville, 7

Others

Lewis Mills at Bulkeley, 6:45

Bristol Eastern at Bloomfield, 6:45

Shepaug at East Hampton, 7

Cheshire at Xavier, 7

Chase at Harvey, 4

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Wolcott at Kaynor Tech, 6

Litchfield at Wolcott Tech, 6:30

Bulkeley-Weaver at Lewis Mills, 6:45

Rocky Hill at Bristol Eastern, 6:45

Cheshire at Shelton,7

Chase at Canterbury, 4:30

BOYS ICE HOCKEY

New Milford at Shepaug, 8

BOYS SWIMMING

Lewis Mills at Berlin, 3:45

Fairfield Prep at Cheshire, 7

INDOOR TRACK

NVL championships at Hillhouse, 5:30

The Sacred Heart High students that took in the Sacred Heart-Crosby boys basketball game at Alumni Hall on Friday night had a lot to cheer about.

By KEVIN ROBERTS

The Hearts beat their rivals, 84-67, to extend their NVL win streak to 117 straight games. Some of the biggest cheers of the night were saved for senior reserve forward Osa Igbinewuare. Igbinewuare had eight points, four rebounds and an assist in his time on the floor Friday. Every time Igbinewuare scored, the Heart students erupted.

“Osa played great,” Sacred Heart coach Jon Carroll said. “He usually gives Connor (Tierney) a rest, but with the big guy playing so well, we didn’t Osa in there the first half. He really stepped up big.”

Carroll said Igbinewuare is a senior who shows up every day and works hard.

“I was so happy to see him produce in such a big spot,” Carroll said.

Tierney OK after nasty fall: Tierney had 20 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in the win Friday, but he also had a tough fall after missing a two-handed dunk.

Tierney came down hard on his tailbone area and exited the game with 5:26 to play in the third quarter. Tierney returned 22 seconds later, but he was somewhat hobbled.

“The big fella is sore and uncomfortable, but is OK,” Carroll said Saturday.

Watertown clinches state berth: What a turnaround it has been for the Indians.

Watertown defeated Wolcott, 67-52, at home on Friday to improve to 8-4 and clinch a state tournament berth. The eighth win guadrupled the Indian win total from 2018-19, when they were just 2-18.

Watertown used a 25-14 second quarter to open up what was a close game. Moni Jusufi had a huge night and scored 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He was also a perfect 5-of-5 at the foul line. Cam Garcia had 16 points and seven rebounds while Brian McWhirt tallied 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

WCA one win away: The Spartans (7-6) beat non-league foe Wamogo at home on Saturday, 65-56, for their third straight victory. WCA has been hot from behind the three-point line of late, and that trend continued against Wamogo.

That was especially true in the first half, when the Spartans canned eight 3-pointers. WCA possesses several different players who can shoot three-point shots, and when they’re on, the Spartans are a very difficult team to defend.

WCA hosts undefeated Sacred Heart on Tuesday, then is at Wilby on Friday.

St. Paul also needs one more victory: The Falcons ran away from Seymour, 66-42, at home on Saturday to improve to 7-5. Noah Waters continued his torrid offensive stretch with a game-high 17 points. A.J. Brooks battled his way to 15 points inside for St. Paul, whic needs one more victory to clinch a state tournament berth. The Falcons host Torrington on Tuesday, then travel to Wolcott on Friday.

Not far off: Wilby (6-6), Ansonia (6-6) and Kennedy (6-8) each need two more wins to clinch state tournament berths.

Here are the NVL boys basketball scoring leaders at the start of this week (all stats as reported by schools):

Here are the boys basketball scoring leaders at the start of this week (all stats as reported by the schools):

Dion Zhuta, Pomperaug basketball

• Age: 17
• Year: Senior
• Dream college: UConn
• Intended major: Business/ Finance
• Career ambition: Financial Manager
• His week: 34 points, 11 rebounds vs. Bunnell; 17 points, 5 assists vs. Bethel

Q&A

• Biggest fear: Spiders
• What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now: Owning and operating a gym while working in the financial management field
• Pet peeve: Hypocrites
• People would be surprised to know: That I speak two languages
• Describe yourself in one word: Ambitious
• Three deserted island necessities: Food, water and shelter
• Foreign country you’d most like to visit: Albania

FAVORITES

• Sports team: Boston Celtics
• Class subject: Math
• Athlete: LeBron James
• Celebrity (non-athlete): Dwayne The Rock Johnson
• Movie: Avengers End Game
• Animal: Tiger
• Phone app: Instagram
• Emoji: Thumbs up
• Music artist: Drake
• Food: Burgers
• Store: Foot Locker
• Restaurant: Uncommon Grill
• Pizza topping: Cheese
• Dessert: Chocolate chip cookies
• Junk food: Pringles
• Car: BMW
• Music genre: Rap
• Vacation spot: Bahamas
• Ice cream flavor: Chocolate
• Breakfast: Pancakes

Emiah Soto, Wolcott girls basketball

• Year: Junior
• Age: 16
• Dream college: UConn
• Intended major: Sports science
• Her week: Scored 17 points in win over Watertown; 16 points in win over Kennedy

Q&A

• Career ambition: physical therapist
• Biggest fear: Spiders
• What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now: Finish school and work as a physical therapist.
• Pet peeve: When someone steps on the back of my sneakers.
• People would be surprised to know: I play soccer.
• Describe yourself in one word: ambitious
• Three deserted island necessities: Phone, basketball, my grandma (Mita).
• Foreign country you’d most like to visit: Italy
• Go-to karaoke song: Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe
• Family athletic background: My brother played basketball and soccer.
• Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts: Dunkin Donuts

FAVORITES

• Sports team: New York Knicks
• Class subject: Anatomy and Physiology
• Athlete: Carmelo Anthony
• Celebrity: Drake
• Actor: Kevin Hart
• Concert: Chris Brown
• TV show: All American
• Movie: The Hate You Give
• Book: Soul Surfer
• Animal: Shark
• Phone app: Instagram
• Emoji: Laughing face
• Website: YouTube
• Music artist: Bad Bunny
• Food: Tacos
• Store: Nike
• Restaurant: Sliders
• Pizza topping: buffalo chicken
• Dessert: Ice cream
• Junk food: Doritos
• Car: Range Rover
• Music genre: Pop Rap
• Vacation spot: Puerto Rico
• Ice cream flavor: Chocolate chip cookie dough
• Breakfast: bacon egg and cheese sandwich

MIDDLEBURY — From Puebla, Mexico, to the Westover School in Middlebury, and soon to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, Andrea Martagon isn’t afraid of traveling far and making wholesale lifestyle changes.

“I love challenges,” said Martagon, an 18-year-old senior at Westover. “It’s fun to explore new places.”

By MARK JAFFEE

But with that comes enormous sacrifices, like being away from her family for extended periods of time for the good of her future. Just like her desire to leave her hometown in Mexico and enroll at Westover, an all-girls prep school in the summer of 2018.

“During a winter break, I was playing in a U.S. Open junior squash tournament at Yale and was introduced to Westover coach Tammara Gary and that started the admissions process,” said Martagon.

Now, less than two years later, Martagon is having the best of both worlds as a student-athlete.

A straight-A student, Martagon helped Westover to 2019 National High School Team and New England Class C Team Championship and also captured the New England individual title in the No. 1 spot.

Martagon won her final match 11-3, 11-3, 11-1 over Giselle Ciriaco of Suffield Academy to remain undefeated. This season, on a deep Westover team, she has dropped to No. 3 singles. Still she hoping the team can reach duplicate the depths of last season’s success.

“I expect for us to win, of course,” she said.

Fellow senior co-captain, Ella Paolucci of Washington, Conn., noted that Martagon’s infectious personality resonates with all of her classmates and teammates.

Her sheer talent makes them all marvel, too.

“Andy combines a unique confidence and a reserve (energy) as a player,” said Paolucci, who is headed to Cornell University in the fall and will study art history. “Andy has learned to move around the space very discreetly and finds a way to fake out her opponents. It’s really fun to watch.”

“The sport is 50% physical and 50% mental,” noted Martagon.

Gary, a former squash player at Tufts University, said Martagon is a thinking player and is able to plan a strategy and execute it to perfection.

“In squash, you never use or don’t normally use top spin, but Andrea has invented and created a way to use that with a drop-shot that is very effective,” said Gary. “She seizes the entire court. When she does drills, it’s all based on muscle memory. Her footwork is incredible and so is her technique. She can cover any corner of the court. She has a really good court sense and awareness.”

Another strong trait of Martagon’s is her ability to remain even keel.

“I’m sure she gets nervous,” noted Gary, “but she never shows it on her face. Andy is the most persistent person and student-athlete I’ve ever met. She wants what she wants and puts in the work to reach her goals. Andrea’s work ethic is incredible. I’m usually at the gym working out by 6:30 in the morning and Andy is already there.”

Martagon craved the sport, beginning at age 12, learning the finer points of the game from her younger brother Oliver and father Ricardo and mother Cristina.

“My dad always stressed the importance of being healthy and physically fit,” said Martagon.

Also at a young age, Martagon also perfected her desire to study hard in her classes.

Early on, Martagon settled on a career aspiration as a civil engineer. It’s not surprising that her top two subjects are physics and math.

“I always loved building and constructing things,” said Martagon. “I was always interested in architecture. But the key thing is I’ve always been willing to learn. My parents have always encouraged me to follow my dreams and allowed me to be an independent person.

“As for squash, it has always been a backdoor to college, but I’ve always known that my grades and classes do matter first and foremost,” said Martagon. “Westover has taught me so much and I’m really looking forward to the next phase of my life. I realize that there are bigger horizons and challenges in the world for me to chase, and I’m eager and willing.”

By KEVIN ROBERTS

It will be a family gathering for Crosby High boys basketball coach Nick Augelli and Holy Cross coach Ryan Olsen when the two teams meet for the second time this season Tuesday at The Crosby Palace.

This isn’t your typical family gathering, given what’s on the line. A win would give Augelli 700 for his illustrious career. And no one wants it more for him than Olsen, who is Nick’s nephew.

“There isn’t anybody who wants Nick to get No. 700 more than I do, just not on Tuesday night,” Olsen said.

For 18 out of 20 games in a typical boys basketball regular season, Olsen roots for Crosby.

“Nick is the reason I fell in love with the game of basketball, and the reason I always wanted to be a high school coach,” Olsen said. “From age three till about 12, I was his shadow, following him around Crosby every moment I could, soaking up everything that was going at both practices and games.”

“He’s just a great kid, I love him,” Augelli said about Olsen. “When we coach against each other, I say after the game whoever wins, wins. We have family gatherings, we get together in the summertime. We go out for drinks after the game, I’ll talk to him. The game’s a game, the kids have to win it on the floor.”

As for the game itself, Holy Cross (11-4, 10-3 NVL) gets to face Crosby (9-4, 9-2) in the first game following the Bulldogs’ 84-67 loss to undefeated Sacred Heart last Friday.

It’s not easy playing a game against a team that may feel like they have something to prove, and that will be the task for the Crusaders. Holy Cross defeated Wilby, 84-76, at home last Friday. Of course, the Crusaders may have their own motivations from a rough home loss to Crosby in the first meeting.

The Bulldogs used a 13-point advantage in the fourth quarter (18-5) to pull away for an 84-63 win on Jan. 13 at Tim McDonald Gymnasium. Justin Davis and Jose Soares each struck for 28 points for Crosby while Jonathan Rivera added 14.

Arthur Pappas paced Holy Cross with 26 points while teammate Kyle Lombardi added 23. Both sides rained in 3-pointers with the Crusaders canning 10 and the Bulldogs knocking down nine. Soares and Lombardi each made five 3-pointers in the game. Akili Evans was saddled with foul trouble in the game and scored just three points.

Olsen complemented the leadership of Augelli and said Crosby always seems to put together good teams.

“I’ve always admired him for the way he coaches his kids and how deeply he cares for all of them,” Olsen said. “They have always been more than just basketball players to him. Regardless of talent level year to year, Crosby is always ready to compete.”

Olsen added: “You don’t hang around in this game long enough to reach 700 wins unless you truly love what you’re doing and love the kids you’re doing it for. He is a legend.”

This game will go a long way toward seeding in the NVL tournament. The Crusaders are third while the Bulldogs are fourth. After that, there’s a bunch of teams fighting for the last four seeds.

“Tuesday is another big city game for us and we will approach it the same way we approach all the rest,” Olsen said.

History could be made Tuesday at The Palace, so why not come on down and watch a good game between a pair of solid city teams.