Well, we had it all planned to cover the showdown between Notre Dame and Amity Monday, but Mother Nature had other ideas, so the game was pushed to Tuesday.
(For what happened in that game, check www.twitter.com/currenscc or www.currenscc.blogspot.com)
But the little break in the action gives us a chance to see where we are in the 2010 SCC season. Believe it or not, Wednesday marks the halfway point of the regular season, and in four weeks we'll be watching the SCC Tournament. And we now have enough information to talk intelligently (well, semi-intelligently) about all the teams.
So that's what I'll try to do. Again, I'll repeat that these power rankings are just an opinion of how good the teams are, and have been proven wrong more times than I'd like to count.
But we're just trying to have some fun here. It's safe to say that this could be a banner year for the SCC, and a look at the teams will show you why:
1) Amity (8-0)
It's not surprising that Amity is undefeated (although as we've said about Amity many times in the past that winning as much as they do in baseball is much tougher than it looks), but what takes you back a little is the Spartans' offense. Take out a 3 (in a 3-2 win over Branford), and you get 10, 6, 7, 9, 7, 15, and 8. And they're not playing chumps, either.
2) Notre Dame (8-0)
Got a report that their pitching had been hit around in the scrimmages, but the Green Knights have allowed more than three runs just once this season, and this was in "garbage time" in a lopsided victory. They have enough experience to win the close games, and they are legit.
3) Shelton (6-2)
The Gaels had a tough loss to Guilford, and then nearly beat Notre Dame, which dropped them at the time to 3-2. But they've reeled off three straight wins, and just have the look of a team that will be heard from in June. I don't think their lineup has completely clicked yet.
4) Cheshire (6-2)
The Rams saw how difficult life could be in the SCC with losses to Amity and Shelton last week. There are questions about their pitching, but there are few questions about their offense, having scored 72 runs in eight games. They have some winnable games, but inconsistent pitching may give them a few more losses before all is said and done.
5) Sheehan (5-3)
The third straight Housatonic Division team in the countdown, and fourth overall (poor Lyman Hall). The Titans probably should have knocked off Amity last week, and certainly don't face the non-division schedule that the teams above them do. But nothing is that easy in the SCC.
6) Foran (5-3)
The Lions started the season No. 1 in the rankings, but their pitching has not materialized the way we thought it was, even giving up eight runs to Guilford last Friday (in a 13-8 win). Still, their record is not alarming, and they have some time to get it together to make a run at both the SCC and Class M crowns.
7) Jonathan Law (5-3)
If you had to give an MVP for the young season, it would probably be Brett Michael Doran (who was originally at ND by the way as a freshman). Doran is not only crushing the ball, but outdueling stud pitchers like Foran's Brian Ward, which helped the Lawmen navigate a tough early-season schedule, and put them in a position to maybe defend their SCC crown.
8) Xavier (5-3)
The Falcons will finish up their road schedule this week, meaning a long, long homestand and a chance to do some damage. They have scored a total of one run in their three losses, so they'll have to find a way to hit good pitching if they want to make the SCC Tournament, though.
9) North Haven (4-4)
I understand that I might catch some grief from the Hamden people here, but the Indians have that impressive win over Foran last week, and appear to have at least gotten their pitching somewhat in order (although a disappointing 7-6 loss to Branford to end the week). This week will be big to see if they deserve the spot here.
10) Hamden (5-3)
The Dragons haven't racked up the quality points for wins, but they should be in the state tournament, which is a marked improvement over last year, and they could make a run in a relatively soft Quinnipiac Division. Consistent pitching will be the key.
11) Fairfield Prep (5-4)
The Jesuits had a chance to get higher, but three straight losses last week bounced them down. Nick Vig has pitched well, but they gave up 10 runs in back-to-back losses to Xavier and Hamden and stand at 0-3 in the division.
12) Branford (3-5)
The Hornets seem to have turned the corner after a 1-5 start, the fifth loss coming 6-2 against then 0-5 East Haven. They do face Notre Dame and Amity in back-to-back games this week, and can probably forget about the SCC Tournament, but have a good chance to get to eight wins, and won't be someone people want to draw in Class L.
13) East Haven (3-5)
The hottest team in the SCC? Entirely possible as of Monday, the Yellowjackets had won three straight, and while none of them had winning records, it's a start. Their pitching has been good of late, after giving up double figures in all of their first five games.
14) Guilford (3-5)
The Indians also appear to have their act together of late, but their schedule is quite vicious. They - like many others - are having trouble with their pitching depth, which showed prominently in a 13-8 loss to Foran last Friday. But they have the talent to go on a run in the second half.
15) Hand (2-6)
It's been a tough ride for the Tigers in the early season, and (stop me if you've heard this before) it starts with the pitching. Other than a tough 2-0 loss to Branford, Hand has allowed 10 or more runs in all five of their other losses. Seems like it's going to be tough to get to eight wins.
16) West Haven (1-7)
You knew it was going to tough for the Westies this year, and they've been close in a couple of contests, but their only win is over Platt Tech. Still, you think they'll beat some teams at some point, maybe in the division this week.
17) Career (1-6)
The Panthers had a couple of tough battles early on, but have slumped of late, particularly on the mound, where they've given up 65 runs in their last four losses. Some home games await, and that may be a chance to do some damage.
18) Wilbur Cross (3-5)
Yea, they have two wins over O'Brien Tech and Hillhouse, but consider the Governors were down 20-0 after their first three innings of the season (to Hamden). That's quite a turnaround, and the team deserves plenty of credit for it.
19) Lyman Hall (2-6)
The Trojans began the season with a couple of wins, giving hope that this was the turnaround season, but things have fallen off pretty quickly. With the Housatonic Division soaring around them, they'll have to regroup and pick up a few wins where they're not supposed to to make a state tournament run.
20) Hillhouse (0-7)
The Academics have allowed less than 10 runs in their last three games, which is certainly progress. They've also been good for at least one upset in the last couple of seasons, so we'll see if they can pull it off again this time around.
AROUND THE HORN: Monday's rainouts were among the first of the season, and it looked like most of those games were going to get played on Tuesday, meaning a pretty calm season as far as makeups go. It also means that pitching staffs can be shortened, although it hasn't seem to have helped this season with plenty of runs being scored ... If you're reading it here for the first time, you need to get out of your cave, but former Amity star Brian Kownacki made the national media rounds at Fordham by jumping over the catcher, touching home plate with his hands, then completing the somersault past the bewildered catcher. I was trying to figure out if such a play was legal under high school rules, but there was not a conclusive answer. Kownacki's former teammate, Jason Esposito, is also starring at Vanderbilt, who should be NCAA Tournament bound in a few weeks ... Thankfully we did get a Notre Dame-Amity game this season, and an Amity-Foran tilt, but Notre Dame does not play Foran, although they did play Shelton, obviously. No Cheshire or Jonathan Law, though. I guess we can hope to see some of those games in the SCC Tournament.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ryan Zahornasky, Shelton - After the sophomore nearly beat Notre Dame the week before, he threw a gem in the Gaels' 3-1 win over Xavier last Friday. Zahornasky also bats in the middle of the powerful Shelton lineup, and - needless to say - has a very bright future in this league.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Sheehan at Foran, Friday, 3:45 p.m. - This is a big game for two teams that seem to have hopes to upset the top two (Notre Dame and Amity) in the SCC. But they have to get to the SCC Tournament first, and a win in this game would make things much easier.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
10
Number of teams with records between 5-3 and 3-5 in the SCC thus far this season. Yes, it's a league of parity, just as everyone wants.
POWER RANKINGS (see above)
1) Amity (8-0; Last Week 1) – .
2) Notre Dame (8-0; LW 3) – .
3) Shelton (6-2; LW 5) – .
4) Cheshire (6-2; LW 2) – .
5) Sheehan (5-3; LW 6) – .
6) Foran (5-3; LW 4) – .
7) Jonathan Law (5-3; LW 7) – .
8) Xavier (5-3; LW 10) – .
9) North Haven (4-4; LW 12) – .
10) Hamden (5-3; LW 11) – .
11) Fairfield Prep (5-4; LW 9) – .
12) Branford (3-5; LW 8) – .
13) East Haven (3-5; LW 18) – .
14) Guilford (3-5; LW 14) – .
15) Hand (2-6; LW 13) – .
16) West Haven (1-7; LW 16) – .
17) Career (1-6; LW 17) – .
18) Wilbur Cross (3-5; LW 19) – .
19) Lyman Hall (2-6; LW 15) – .
20) Hillhouse (0-7; LW 20) – .
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
SCC baseball - Week 2: Keniry and ND chase another title
They've been on plenty of bus rides in their high school careers, but last Friday's seemed slighty de ja vu-ish for Conor Keniry, Sean Goldrich, and some other members of the Notre Dame baseball team.
On a cold, wet morning, the stars of Notre Dame's amazing football run to the state championship in the fall, took a trip down memory lane, back to the scene of the triumph - Shelton High School, where the Knights beat Pomperaug on a wet and raw December afternoon.
"It's funny, Conor and I were just talking about it on the way here," Goldrich said. "It brings back good memories, the surroundings, and everything that happened that day. It's good to be back."
Of course, memories are memories, and the present doesn't look too bad for the Green Knights baseball team. The business for Keniry and Goldrich (who bat 3-4 in ND's powerful lineup) Friday was a few hundred feet up the Shelton High hill to the baseball diamond, where the Knights look like they might have the squad to make some more memories this spring.
It was Keniry - who else? - that delivered the killer blow against a good Shelton team, a long home run in the top of the seventh that gave Notre Dame a 4-3 win, its fifth straight to start 2010.
It was a decade ago that the Knights won their last state title (over Cheshire, who is also off to a fine start this season), but led by Keniry and a brutal lineup, it looks like ND might at least be in the mix this season.
How brutal is the lineup? Ask Shelton sophomore Ryan Zahornasky, who did a really good job against it Friday. But after getting the first two outs in the second inning, he faced No. 9 hitter Matt Murray (also a member of the state champion football team).
Zahornasky grooved a fastball - why wouldn't he? - and Murray turned on it and not only hit it over the left field fence, not a cheap shot at Shelton High, but well over. Now that's a deep high school lineup.
What has helped carry Notre Dame to its perfect start, though, has been its pitching. It's not as star-studded as Amity's, but it has allowed more than three runs only once this season, and that was in a 24-7 rout of Career.
Last Friday it was Gary Flowers (yet another football player) who threw a complete game. It wasn't terribly flashy with only three strikeouts, but against Shelton, it was enough to get the job done.
Keniry, who will play baseball at Wake Forest, is finding out the hard way, that making a difference - as he seemed to do in almost every football team when his team needed him most - is not quite as easy on the diamond, especially when his reputation now precedes him.
"In baseball, you have to be a lot more patient and wait your turn," Keniry said. "In football, you can get mad and go out there and rip someone's head off or something, but even as a team that's not going to work in baseball. You have to be patient."
But when he gets his turn, there may be no one in the SCC better than Keniry. Like a Derek Jeter-type, there is just something about Keniry that seems to have him pop up in the big spot (both in football and in baseball). Once or twice, it might be luck. But when done on a consistent basis, and when whatever team he's on seems to end up on top more often than not, it's not luck, folks.
Friday, with one out and no one on in the top of the seventh, Keniry was having a pedestrian day, 1-for-3 with a bloop double. But with the game on the line and hard-throwing Dan St. George on in relief, Keniry took a fastball and drilled it over the center field fence for the game-winning home run.
"We got beat by the best player in the state," Shelton coach Scott Gura would say afterward.
And if you're worried about motivation from a senior leader who's already got a state championship and will head off this fall to play Division I baseball down south, you needn't.
"That was the longest winter ever," said Keniry. "I was definitely ready to go this spring. This is fun."
Winning a state or SCC title (which ND did win, led by MVP Keniry in 2008) in single-elimination baseball can sometimes be a crapshoot, but with Keniry and the veterans Notre Dame runs onto the field this spring, it might not be wise to bet against them.
AROUND THE HORN: Wouldn't you know that the netting at Bob DeMayo Field was not only up, but effective for the North Haven-Notre Dame contest last Wednesday? Just as I walked into the park in the first inning, the new netting grabbed back-to-back balls down the left-field line. Alas, it didn't help the Indians on the field as they fell 9-0, but did rebound to beat Guilford 13-5 later in the week ... Hey, stop the presses, Amity actually gave up four runs in a game this week. Of course, the Spartans still beat Jonathan Law 7-4, but at least the rest of the league can hope ... Division play started this week, meaning some brutal stuff in some divisions, including the Housatonic, where Cheshire put its undefeated streak on the line in back-to-back games against Amity and Shelton ... What happened to the nice weather? On the plus side, most of the games were played, but it was chilly out there. The weather looks like it will be better this week.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dan Manke, Cheshire - Manke continued his torrid start to the season, picking up a double and three more RBIs in Cheshire's win over Xavier last Friday Special mention to the pitcher that day, Dom Severino, who tossed a two-hitter against the Falcons.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Amity at Notre Dame, Monday, 3:45 p.m. - Will both these teams make it to Monday undefeated? We can only hope so, but even if they don't, it's a great game, and one that's turning into a little bit of a rivalry. ND beat the Spartans for the SCC title two years ago, while Amity won a rematch in the SCC quarterfinals last year. And Conor Keniry plays Legion ball with plenty of the Spartans in the summer as well.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3
Number of different weeks SCC school systems have their April vacations this season, which has led to less early starts, if you've noticed. For instance, West Haven and New Haven (among others) are off this week, which is why Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross could play a 10:30 a.m. game at Rice Field on Monday.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Amity (5-0; Last Week 2) – Will certainly be tested in the next four games by some very good lineups.
2) Cheshire (5-0; LW 4) – Four out of first five were at home, tough road contests coming up soon.
3) Notre Dame (5-0; LW 5) – Appear to be the class of Quinnipiac, but no easy division games.
4) Foran (4-1; LW 1) – Scoring plenty of runs as well, that will be big plus if they can keep it up.
5) Shelton (3-2; LW 3) – Shouldn't be overly concerned by ND loss, bigger fish to fry in Housatonic.
6) Sheehan (4-1; LW 6) – Don't get too many points for schedule strength, but that will change.
7) Jonathan Law (2-3; LW 7) – Doran doing his best to keep Lawmen afloat, slate early was brutal.
8) Branford (1-4; LW 8) – Speaking of tough starts, they will be most concerned with the lack of offense thus far.
9) Fairfield Prep (5-1; LW 9) – Can score runs, but have beaten up on the bottom half of these rankings.
10) Xavier (3-2; LW 10) – Like Branford, having some offensive troubles, been blanked in both losses.
11) Hamden (3-2; LW 17) – Dragons seem much more feisty this season, eight wins should happen.
12) North Haven (2-3; LW 13) – Offensive output: 17, 0, 8, 0, 13. Guess it's all or nothing for Indians.
13) Hand (1-4; LW 11) – Rough start for Borelli, but once pitching gets sorted out, they should be fine.
14) Guilford (1-4; LW 12) – Disappointing start to season, big stretch coming up for Indians this week.
15) Lyman Hall (2-2; LW 18) – Like Hamden, seem more feisty this season, and that should bode well.
16) West Haven (1-4; LW 14) – Schedule doesn't get any easier for defending LL champs in Quinnipiac.
17) Career (1-3; LW 15) – Seven-game homestand coming up for Panthers, better not rain much at East Shore.
18) East Haven (0-5; LW 16) – Have yet to give up less than 10 runs in game this season. Ouch.
19) Wilbur Cross (1-3; LW 19) – Did get a win over O'Brien Tech, which is good for confidence of squad.
20) Hillhouse (0-4; LW 20) – Anyone else notice Hillhouse is Class M, while Wilbur Cross is LL? Strange.
On a cold, wet morning, the stars of Notre Dame's amazing football run to the state championship in the fall, took a trip down memory lane, back to the scene of the triumph - Shelton High School, where the Knights beat Pomperaug on a wet and raw December afternoon.
"It's funny, Conor and I were just talking about it on the way here," Goldrich said. "It brings back good memories, the surroundings, and everything that happened that day. It's good to be back."
Of course, memories are memories, and the present doesn't look too bad for the Green Knights baseball team. The business for Keniry and Goldrich (who bat 3-4 in ND's powerful lineup) Friday was a few hundred feet up the Shelton High hill to the baseball diamond, where the Knights look like they might have the squad to make some more memories this spring.
It was Keniry - who else? - that delivered the killer blow against a good Shelton team, a long home run in the top of the seventh that gave Notre Dame a 4-3 win, its fifth straight to start 2010.
It was a decade ago that the Knights won their last state title (over Cheshire, who is also off to a fine start this season), but led by Keniry and a brutal lineup, it looks like ND might at least be in the mix this season.
How brutal is the lineup? Ask Shelton sophomore Ryan Zahornasky, who did a really good job against it Friday. But after getting the first two outs in the second inning, he faced No. 9 hitter Matt Murray (also a member of the state champion football team).
Zahornasky grooved a fastball - why wouldn't he? - and Murray turned on it and not only hit it over the left field fence, not a cheap shot at Shelton High, but well over. Now that's a deep high school lineup.
What has helped carry Notre Dame to its perfect start, though, has been its pitching. It's not as star-studded as Amity's, but it has allowed more than three runs only once this season, and that was in a 24-7 rout of Career.
Last Friday it was Gary Flowers (yet another football player) who threw a complete game. It wasn't terribly flashy with only three strikeouts, but against Shelton, it was enough to get the job done.
Keniry, who will play baseball at Wake Forest, is finding out the hard way, that making a difference - as he seemed to do in almost every football team when his team needed him most - is not quite as easy on the diamond, especially when his reputation now precedes him.
"In baseball, you have to be a lot more patient and wait your turn," Keniry said. "In football, you can get mad and go out there and rip someone's head off or something, but even as a team that's not going to work in baseball. You have to be patient."
But when he gets his turn, there may be no one in the SCC better than Keniry. Like a Derek Jeter-type, there is just something about Keniry that seems to have him pop up in the big spot (both in football and in baseball). Once or twice, it might be luck. But when done on a consistent basis, and when whatever team he's on seems to end up on top more often than not, it's not luck, folks.
Friday, with one out and no one on in the top of the seventh, Keniry was having a pedestrian day, 1-for-3 with a bloop double. But with the game on the line and hard-throwing Dan St. George on in relief, Keniry took a fastball and drilled it over the center field fence for the game-winning home run.
"We got beat by the best player in the state," Shelton coach Scott Gura would say afterward.
And if you're worried about motivation from a senior leader who's already got a state championship and will head off this fall to play Division I baseball down south, you needn't.
"That was the longest winter ever," said Keniry. "I was definitely ready to go this spring. This is fun."
Winning a state or SCC title (which ND did win, led by MVP Keniry in 2008) in single-elimination baseball can sometimes be a crapshoot, but with Keniry and the veterans Notre Dame runs onto the field this spring, it might not be wise to bet against them.
AROUND THE HORN: Wouldn't you know that the netting at Bob DeMayo Field was not only up, but effective for the North Haven-Notre Dame contest last Wednesday? Just as I walked into the park in the first inning, the new netting grabbed back-to-back balls down the left-field line. Alas, it didn't help the Indians on the field as they fell 9-0, but did rebound to beat Guilford 13-5 later in the week ... Hey, stop the presses, Amity actually gave up four runs in a game this week. Of course, the Spartans still beat Jonathan Law 7-4, but at least the rest of the league can hope ... Division play started this week, meaning some brutal stuff in some divisions, including the Housatonic, where Cheshire put its undefeated streak on the line in back-to-back games against Amity and Shelton ... What happened to the nice weather? On the plus side, most of the games were played, but it was chilly out there. The weather looks like it will be better this week.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dan Manke, Cheshire - Manke continued his torrid start to the season, picking up a double and three more RBIs in Cheshire's win over Xavier last Friday Special mention to the pitcher that day, Dom Severino, who tossed a two-hitter against the Falcons.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Amity at Notre Dame, Monday, 3:45 p.m. - Will both these teams make it to Monday undefeated? We can only hope so, but even if they don't, it's a great game, and one that's turning into a little bit of a rivalry. ND beat the Spartans for the SCC title two years ago, while Amity won a rematch in the SCC quarterfinals last year. And Conor Keniry plays Legion ball with plenty of the Spartans in the summer as well.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3
Number of different weeks SCC school systems have their April vacations this season, which has led to less early starts, if you've noticed. For instance, West Haven and New Haven (among others) are off this week, which is why Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross could play a 10:30 a.m. game at Rice Field on Monday.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Amity (5-0; Last Week 2) – Will certainly be tested in the next four games by some very good lineups.
2) Cheshire (5-0; LW 4) – Four out of first five were at home, tough road contests coming up soon.
3) Notre Dame (5-0; LW 5) – Appear to be the class of Quinnipiac, but no easy division games.
4) Foran (4-1; LW 1) – Scoring plenty of runs as well, that will be big plus if they can keep it up.
5) Shelton (3-2; LW 3) – Shouldn't be overly concerned by ND loss, bigger fish to fry in Housatonic.
6) Sheehan (4-1; LW 6) – Don't get too many points for schedule strength, but that will change.
7) Jonathan Law (2-3; LW 7) – Doran doing his best to keep Lawmen afloat, slate early was brutal.
8) Branford (1-4; LW 8) – Speaking of tough starts, they will be most concerned with the lack of offense thus far.
9) Fairfield Prep (5-1; LW 9) – Can score runs, but have beaten up on the bottom half of these rankings.
10) Xavier (3-2; LW 10) – Like Branford, having some offensive troubles, been blanked in both losses.
11) Hamden (3-2; LW 17) – Dragons seem much more feisty this season, eight wins should happen.
12) North Haven (2-3; LW 13) – Offensive output: 17, 0, 8, 0, 13. Guess it's all or nothing for Indians.
13) Hand (1-4; LW 11) – Rough start for Borelli, but once pitching gets sorted out, they should be fine.
14) Guilford (1-4; LW 12) – Disappointing start to season, big stretch coming up for Indians this week.
15) Lyman Hall (2-2; LW 18) – Like Hamden, seem more feisty this season, and that should bode well.
16) West Haven (1-4; LW 14) – Schedule doesn't get any easier for defending LL champs in Quinnipiac.
17) Career (1-3; LW 15) – Seven-game homestand coming up for Panthers, better not rain much at East Shore.
18) East Haven (0-5; LW 16) – Have yet to give up less than 10 runs in game this season. Ouch.
19) Wilbur Cross (1-3; LW 19) – Did get a win over O'Brien Tech, which is good for confidence of squad.
20) Hillhouse (0-4; LW 20) – Anyone else notice Hillhouse is Class M, while Wilbur Cross is LL? Strange.
Monday, April 12, 2010
SCC baseball - Week 1: DeMayo deserves better from town
DeMayo's Indians began the season with a wacky 17-9 extra-inning victory over defending Class LL champion West Haven (before losing to Sheehan over the weekend), DeMayo's 778th career victory, a number that if broken will only come because of advances in medical science that allow people to live forever. And even then it would be tough.
But DeMayo recently called this year "the most stressful spring I've ever had here (at North Haven)". It had nothing to do with today's youth, or the fact that he was getting tired of coaching. It had to do with North Haven's brand new home for baseball, once whose opening was six years in the making.
A facility, ironically, named after him.
To complete the whole story, you have to go back a decade when North Haven's long-time home Sachem Field was renamed Robert E. DeMayo Field, an honor that even then was long overdue.
The next chapter was really no one's fault, the town of North Haven came up with the funds to build a brand new high school and the best place to do so was on top of their former athletic facilities. But the idea was to build brand new and improved athletic facilities for everything but football (Vanacore Field was not in the construction zone) where the old school was.
New and improved NHHS opened in 2005, but with other things going on, the Indians were content to move to antiquated, but serviceable Bailey Road for 2005 and 2006. But then glass was found (among other things) and the potential new field was deemed unplayable for another season in 2007. Then 2008 also went by. Finally, on May 18 of last year, the new Robert E. DeMayo Field was dedicated, including a statue of a baseball player that was a collaborative work, with DeMayo and his wife Betty coming up with the idea and many, many others contributing to the sculpting and engraving of it.
North Haven beat Guilford that night, and the saga of DeMayo Field seemed to finally be over, allowing DeMayo to finally enjoy a decent home field.
Unfortunately, and sadly, our story is just beginning.
You see one thing that was forgotten was some high fencing down the lines - particularly the left-field line - where some houses sit on nearby streets. The backyards of these houses, some with young children, are in the line of fire of stray foul balls.
No problem, you say, put up some netting. Ah, but this is a government operation (and although I'm a fan of a government health care plan, this story does show why so many people are so against it), and the funding for the field said nothing about any netting.
"It didn't seem that hard when it was first brought up," DeMayo said. "But everything kept getting put off, everything was manana."
Which got DeMayo (among others) even more angry, because in DeMayo's world, nothing is "manana". He finally e-mailed former players around Thanksgiving time, asking for a donation to help him pay for these fences and nettings he needed to be able to play on his field.
That's the part of the story that galls me the most, a legendary figure whose own field has been off-limits to him for six years having to basically beg for money to play there.
Of course, his players came through, and with new First Selectman Mike Freda (whose son was DeMayo's captain just a couple of years back) in office, again it appeared everything was taken care of.
But as the scrimmages began, the Indians were again back at Bailey Road. Sigh.
Finally, hours before the home opener against Sheehan on Saturday, they got permission from the neighbors and the town to play the game there as a special exemption. But there's no guarantee that the next home game (Wednesday against Notre Dame) would be played there.
"My understanding is that all the materials for the fencing are there," DeMayo said. "They need sleeves to put the fencing in, though, and I guess those haven't arrived yet. Until then, we can practice there because he hit in a cage, but who knows if we can play there? I'm completely confused. It's killing our program because we're trying to fit a varsity, JV, freshman, and middle school program basically on two fields.
"I don't blame the neighbor personally, he's got to look out for his children, and I completely understand that. People say, 'Why don't you get on the Building Committee?', and my response is, believe me, I've tried."
Eventually, these things will probably be worked out and the field will be up and running permanently. Deep down, Bob DeMayo will be thrilled that his team and program will finally be back to full speed and he can just worry about baseball again.
He never should have had to worry about these things in the first place.
AROUND THE HORN: This just in, Amity is good. Their pitching will be tough to stop, but Foran's 1-2 punch of Ward and O'Keefe is also going to be difficult to score on. They played each other Monday after our deadline, and they'll meet again later in the season ... I'm actually pretty proud of the fact that my Power Rankings weren't all that far off in the first week. Notre Dame's pitching held up, and if it does they'll be dangerous ... But not many other teams got great pitching performances in the season's first week, those that do will have a leg up on the rest of the league ... Looks like life will be tough for the New Haven schools this season, particularly usually competitive Wilbur Cross, who found itself down 20-0 after the first three innings of the season against Hamden last week. No one likes to see that. But Career, although 0-2, was very competitive, taking Shelton to the brink after nearly knocking off Xavier in the opener ... Speaking of the Falcons, they played their opener against Career at Xavier High, and will play their next 10 games on the road while Palmer Field is allowed to dry and undergo some work. They will finish the season with nine straight home games ... As it was last year, it looks like easy wins for the most part, will be few and far between this year in the SCC.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brett Michael Doran, Jonathan Law - There was talk of an injury, but obviously he felt fine in throwing a three-hit shutout against Xavier on Saturday, allowing the defending SCC champs to even their record at 1-1 and beat Xavier ace Shaun Coughlin. With a tough schedule, the Lawmen will need performances like that to make a return to the SCC Tournament.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Notre Dame at Shelton, Friday, 11:30 a.m. - This should be a slugfest between two of the top offenses in the SCC (and maybe the state). But these teams will go as far as their pitching will take them at the end of the season, and for both (at least in the season's first week), it was so far, so good.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2
Number of runs allowed by both Amity and Foran in their first two games. One run per game. If you're going to knock these teams off, you're going to have to find a way to keep them off the scoreboard.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Foran (2-0; Last Week 1) – Sheehan had them on the ropes, but Ward sparked late comeback to start season.
2) Amity (2-0; LW 2) – This has the look of one of those vintage Spartan teams, how do they do it over there?
3) Shelton (2-0; LW 4) – Nearly went to sleep after opening victory, were fortunate to get past game Career squad.
4) Cheshire (1-0; LW 5) – Pitching is the question mark, four games this week may answer that question.
5) Notre Dame (2-0; LW 6) – For those scoring at home, the Green Knights are in Class L this season.
6) Sheehan (1-1; LW 12) – Should have remembered the Titans always have great pitching and this year no different.
7) Jonathan Law (1-1; LW 8) – Big win over Xavier, but Cheshire, Amity, and Foran all await in next four games.
8) Branford (0-2; LW 3) – Easier part of the schedule awaits, but would have liked to have a win in their opener.
9) Fairfield Prep (2-0; LW 14) – Might be the biggest surprise of the first week, put up 21 runs and got some pitching.
10) Xavier (1-1; LW 7) – Falcons will embark on a 10-game road trip while Palmer Field undergoes some work.
11) Hand (0-1; LW 10) – We'll know a lot more about the Tigers after this difficult four-game week.
12) Guilford (0-2; LW 9) – Not exactly the start the Indians wanted, must make some progress in three home games.
13) North Haven (1-1; LW 13) – Blanked by Sheehan after scoring 17 runs against West Haven. Strange game.
14) West Haven (0-2; LW 11) – In first two games after Lawrence graduated, Blue Devils give up 32 runs.
15) Career (0-2; LW 18) – Looked feisty even though lost first two, should serve them well in mediocre Oronoque.
16) East Haven (0-2; LW 15) – Brutal week coming up, could use some confidence, or could be uphill climb to states.
17) Hamden (2-0; LW 16) – Hard to get much of a read with first two games against Cross and Hillhouse, but they count.
18) Lyman Hall (1-0; LW 17) – Like Hamden, just one game and impossible to get a read, but a win nonetheless.
19) Wilbur Cross (0-1; LW 19) – Did sneak in a game against O'Brien Tech this week, tough opener.
20) Hillhouse (0-2; LW 20) – Scored a couple of runs, if they could keep people off board, could spring an upset.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
We're baaaack - SCC baseball preview
In his first full season in charge of the Shelton baseball program, Scott Gura admitted he was pleasantly surprised that his team advanced to the state semifinals, ahead of the schedule even he had set for the Gaels.
But with the state finals in Shelton's grasp last season against West Haven (and therefore Shelton's first appearance in the finals since 1990), it slipped away it a 3-2 loss. And getting that close means that the Gaels have had a taste.
"Last year, we set the bar pretty high," Gura said. "We wanted to make Shelton baseball a program that would be near the top of the SCC every year, but that's easier said than done. But last year was a great first step, but we want to be more consistent from year to year."
Gura, of course, took over in the middle of the 2008 season after the untimely death of long-time coach Ed Marocco, but has been around the program basically since he was a player two decades ago. Shelton has always had competitive teams, and has always been a threat, but hasn't quite been able to put it together consistenly. The Gaels won the 2000 SCC title, but have not won a game in that competition since, and have spent the last decade or so trying to be a thorn in Amity's side, which - at times - they've done quite well.
But Gura looks at his program, and sees the potential for maybe being the hunted instead of the hunter. He's got Bryant-bound Dan St. George, who will pitch and play some shortstop. The Gaels have leadoff hitter Eric Christiansen, an all-division selection last year. And they have plenty of other players, like catcher Ryan Daiss and Jimmy Pjura, that Gura thinks have big futures with Shelton.
He also knows that Shelton (with plenty of recent success, including a trip to the Little League World Series) has one of the best youth programs in the area, one that he hopes will mean long-term success.
"We're extremely deep in both pitching and hitting, although some of that is untested at this level," Gura said. "The guys are excited, we know we have a tough schedule in a very tough league so nothing will be easy. Our sophomore class is very good, our freshmen seem like they're good. It seems like things are looking good here for the future."
THROW 'EM IN A HAT: Unfortunately for Gura and the rest of the league, there are a lot of coaches that seem very positive about their team this season. In case you'd forgotten, the SCC final was an all-Milford affair last season with Jonathan Law beating Foran, and both teams return enough players to make them a factor this season. Foran, particularly, returns pitcher Brian Ward and many others from that cast including Brian O'Keefe. Also, Foran is the only Class M school in the SCC this season, which means high hopes for the Lions.
Law will have a tougher time replacing its championship parts (remember, Law has actually won titles two years in a row after their unexpected Class L title in 2008), but should have Brett Michael Doran - who hit six home runs last year - back to lead the offense.
Guilford, which didn't make the tournament last year, and Hand - with new coach Chris Borrelli at the helm and Nick Merullo behind the plate - both figure to be able to make some noise this season as well, making for a brutal Hammonasset Division.
Of course, the Housatonic Division is no joke, either. Amity lost an uncharacteristic nine games last season, but figures to reload behind pitcher Lou Concato (next to unhittable last summer in Legion ball) and junior Mark Esposito. We've already mentioned Shelton, but Cheshire - who like Shelton lost to West Haven by one run in the state tournament (quarterfinals) - is a sleeper - and Sheehan is always a factor in the end (the Titans went to the Class L semifinals last year, losing to Berlin).
In case you wondered if the remaining divisions (Quinnipiac and Oronoque) could keep up, consider that both boast defending state champions.
In the Oronoque, Branford was only 12-8 in the regular season, but fought through some adversity to win another state title. The Hornets feature a few players with some good bloodlines, like Tyler Olt, that should be able to carry them in a relatively weak division.
Finally, in the Quinnipiac, West Haven rode the right arm of Tom Lawrence to its first state title since 1988 last season, and will help the supporting cast drew enough experience out of that to drive them forward. The Blue Devils have enough coming back and enough tradition to stay competitive, but they will be pushed by cross-town rival Notre Dame - with Wake Forest-bound Conor Kinary, who already has a state title this year on the football field. The Green Knights (SCC champions in 2008) don't return much pitching experience, but their lineup is as good as anyone's in the league. Xavier is also looking to rebound from a mediocre 2009, and return pitcher Shaun Coughlin as well as plenty of other players with varsity experience.
The Power Rankings follow below, but - especially at this time of the season - they are a hypothesis at best, a wild guess at worst. And that should make for some serious entertainment in the months to come in the best baseball league in the state, the SCC.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
GAME OF THE WEEK
Amity at Branford, Friday, 3:45 - There are a few other programs that can put themselves in the discussion, but these are probably the best two consistent successes in the SCC over the last decade. Both have mutiple state titles and always seem to be in the mix. Some of the Spartans' ridiculous streaks (like seven straight SCC finals) went by the boards last year, and they're looking to get back to the top, while the Hornets think they have the goods to have a memorable season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4
Number of SCC teams in the semifinals of the Class LL and Class L tournaments last season, and yes, even if you didn't major in math, that's half of the field. The interesting thing, though, of the four teams: West Haven, Shelton, Branford, and Sheehan; none of them even made the SCC semifinals. West Haven, Shelton, and Branford were beaten in the quarterfinals and Sheehan didn't even qualify for the tournament.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Foran (19-6; Last Season 2) – Just tough to see how you're going to score runs off these guys this season.
2) Amity (15-9; LS 4) – That 2009 record means the Spartans will have a little bit of a chip on their shoulders.
3) Branford (17-9; LS 7) – Defending state champion with a lot of their team returning? Could be very dangerous.
4) Shelton (17-8; LS 6) – Gaels finding out that its tough to be a consistent winner in this league from year to year.
5) Cheshire (17-7; LS 8) – Wasn't too long ago, they were right at the bottom here, but tradition has returned.
6) Notre Dame (14-9; LS 5) – If Knights can figure out the pitching, they could move up this list pretty quickly.
7) Xavier (10-12; LS 12) – Falcons really underachieved last season, but it did give them a favorable 2010 schedule.
8) Jonathan Law (20-5; LS 1) – Lawmen were most consistent SCC team in 2009, only one not to lose in division.
9) Guilford (6-14; LS 16) – We'll give the Indians a pass on 2009, reports have them much improved outfit in 2010.
10) Hand (11-12; LS 14) – Borrelli brings new blood to Tigers, who - like ND - if they get pitching could be a big factor.
11) West Haven (21-5; LS 3) – Always tough to follow up run for the ages, but won't fall as far as some people think.
12) Sheehan (15-9; LS 9) – Won't be as easy to get results in the division as it has been in past seasons.
13) North Haven (12-10; LS 10) – Some reasons for optimism (like a field), but also a lot of question marks early.
14) Fairfield Prep (10-11; LS 11) – Much improved last year, may be able to surprise some people this season.
15) East Haven (8-13; LS 17) – Yellowjackets also have a lot of pitching returning, could jump up with some luck.
16) Hamden (5-15; LS 15) – Managed to win a couple at the end last season, but no easy ones in the Quinnipiac.
17) Lyman Hall (5-15; LS 18) – Beat West Haven last season, but didn't manage to win a game in the Housatonic.
18) Career (14-9; LS 13) – Went 7-3 in Oronoque last year and will have to do damage in division again to go places.
19) Wilbur Cross (2-16; LS 20) – Governors were young last season, we'll see that can carry over to 2010 and beyond.
20) Hillhouse (2-17; LS 21) – Well, they moved up to No. 20 when Derby left the league, so that's a good start.
But with the state finals in Shelton's grasp last season against West Haven (and therefore Shelton's first appearance in the finals since 1990), it slipped away it a 3-2 loss. And getting that close means that the Gaels have had a taste.
"Last year, we set the bar pretty high," Gura said. "We wanted to make Shelton baseball a program that would be near the top of the SCC every year, but that's easier said than done. But last year was a great first step, but we want to be more consistent from year to year."
Gura, of course, took over in the middle of the 2008 season after the untimely death of long-time coach Ed Marocco, but has been around the program basically since he was a player two decades ago. Shelton has always had competitive teams, and has always been a threat, but hasn't quite been able to put it together consistenly. The Gaels won the 2000 SCC title, but have not won a game in that competition since, and have spent the last decade or so trying to be a thorn in Amity's side, which - at times - they've done quite well.
But Gura looks at his program, and sees the potential for maybe being the hunted instead of the hunter. He's got Bryant-bound Dan St. George, who will pitch and play some shortstop. The Gaels have leadoff hitter Eric Christiansen, an all-division selection last year. And they have plenty of other players, like catcher Ryan Daiss and Jimmy Pjura, that Gura thinks have big futures with Shelton.
He also knows that Shelton (with plenty of recent success, including a trip to the Little League World Series) has one of the best youth programs in the area, one that he hopes will mean long-term success.
"We're extremely deep in both pitching and hitting, although some of that is untested at this level," Gura said. "The guys are excited, we know we have a tough schedule in a very tough league so nothing will be easy. Our sophomore class is very good, our freshmen seem like they're good. It seems like things are looking good here for the future."
THROW 'EM IN A HAT: Unfortunately for Gura and the rest of the league, there are a lot of coaches that seem very positive about their team this season. In case you'd forgotten, the SCC final was an all-Milford affair last season with Jonathan Law beating Foran, and both teams return enough players to make them a factor this season. Foran, particularly, returns pitcher Brian Ward and many others from that cast including Brian O'Keefe. Also, Foran is the only Class M school in the SCC this season, which means high hopes for the Lions.
Law will have a tougher time replacing its championship parts (remember, Law has actually won titles two years in a row after their unexpected Class L title in 2008), but should have Brett Michael Doran - who hit six home runs last year - back to lead the offense.
Guilford, which didn't make the tournament last year, and Hand - with new coach Chris Borrelli at the helm and Nick Merullo behind the plate - both figure to be able to make some noise this season as well, making for a brutal Hammonasset Division.
Of course, the Housatonic Division is no joke, either. Amity lost an uncharacteristic nine games last season, but figures to reload behind pitcher Lou Concato (next to unhittable last summer in Legion ball) and junior Mark Esposito. We've already mentioned Shelton, but Cheshire - who like Shelton lost to West Haven by one run in the state tournament (quarterfinals) - is a sleeper - and Sheehan is always a factor in the end (the Titans went to the Class L semifinals last year, losing to Berlin).
In case you wondered if the remaining divisions (Quinnipiac and Oronoque) could keep up, consider that both boast defending state champions.
In the Oronoque, Branford was only 12-8 in the regular season, but fought through some adversity to win another state title. The Hornets feature a few players with some good bloodlines, like Tyler Olt, that should be able to carry them in a relatively weak division.
Finally, in the Quinnipiac, West Haven rode the right arm of Tom Lawrence to its first state title since 1988 last season, and will help the supporting cast drew enough experience out of that to drive them forward. The Blue Devils have enough coming back and enough tradition to stay competitive, but they will be pushed by cross-town rival Notre Dame - with Wake Forest-bound Conor Kinary, who already has a state title this year on the football field. The Green Knights (SCC champions in 2008) don't return much pitching experience, but their lineup is as good as anyone's in the league. Xavier is also looking to rebound from a mediocre 2009, and return pitcher Shaun Coughlin as well as plenty of other players with varsity experience.
The Power Rankings follow below, but - especially at this time of the season - they are a hypothesis at best, a wild guess at worst. And that should make for some serious entertainment in the months to come in the best baseball league in the state, the SCC.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
GAME OF THE WEEK
Amity at Branford, Friday, 3:45 - There are a few other programs that can put themselves in the discussion, but these are probably the best two consistent successes in the SCC over the last decade. Both have mutiple state titles and always seem to be in the mix. Some of the Spartans' ridiculous streaks (like seven straight SCC finals) went by the boards last year, and they're looking to get back to the top, while the Hornets think they have the goods to have a memorable season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4
Number of SCC teams in the semifinals of the Class LL and Class L tournaments last season, and yes, even if you didn't major in math, that's half of the field. The interesting thing, though, of the four teams: West Haven, Shelton, Branford, and Sheehan; none of them even made the SCC semifinals. West Haven, Shelton, and Branford were beaten in the quarterfinals and Sheehan didn't even qualify for the tournament.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Foran (19-6; Last Season 2) – Just tough to see how you're going to score runs off these guys this season.
2) Amity (15-9; LS 4) – That 2009 record means the Spartans will have a little bit of a chip on their shoulders.
3) Branford (17-9; LS 7) – Defending state champion with a lot of their team returning? Could be very dangerous.
4) Shelton (17-8; LS 6) – Gaels finding out that its tough to be a consistent winner in this league from year to year.
5) Cheshire (17-7; LS 8) – Wasn't too long ago, they were right at the bottom here, but tradition has returned.
6) Notre Dame (14-9; LS 5) – If Knights can figure out the pitching, they could move up this list pretty quickly.
7) Xavier (10-12; LS 12) – Falcons really underachieved last season, but it did give them a favorable 2010 schedule.
8) Jonathan Law (20-5; LS 1) – Lawmen were most consistent SCC team in 2009, only one not to lose in division.
9) Guilford (6-14; LS 16) – We'll give the Indians a pass on 2009, reports have them much improved outfit in 2010.
10) Hand (11-12; LS 14) – Borrelli brings new blood to Tigers, who - like ND - if they get pitching could be a big factor.
11) West Haven (21-5; LS 3) – Always tough to follow up run for the ages, but won't fall as far as some people think.
12) Sheehan (15-9; LS 9) – Won't be as easy to get results in the division as it has been in past seasons.
13) North Haven (12-10; LS 10) – Some reasons for optimism (like a field), but also a lot of question marks early.
14) Fairfield Prep (10-11; LS 11) – Much improved last year, may be able to surprise some people this season.
15) East Haven (8-13; LS 17) – Yellowjackets also have a lot of pitching returning, could jump up with some luck.
16) Hamden (5-15; LS 15) – Managed to win a couple at the end last season, but no easy ones in the Quinnipiac.
17) Lyman Hall (5-15; LS 18) – Beat West Haven last season, but didn't manage to win a game in the Housatonic.
18) Career (14-9; LS 13) – Went 7-3 in Oronoque last year and will have to do damage in division again to go places.
19) Wilbur Cross (2-16; LS 20) – Governors were young last season, we'll see that can carry over to 2010 and beyond.
20) Hillhouse (2-17; LS 21) – Well, they moved up to No. 20 when Derby left the league, so that's a good start.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Kermit and my thoughts
A lot of people have been asking for my thoughts on the Kermit Carolina-Xavier situation, and I've been reluctant because of my place as a coach and the fact that it's been covered to death by others. But it really seems like a lot of people are missing the important things of what happened as it relates to high school athletics, and - most importantly - the education of young people. My dad was self-admittedly never the best coach, but he did teach me one important thing, "The officials never decide the game. There is always something you or your team could have done better, so don't make stupid excuses."
So, here are my quick thoughts:
1) You can't publicly criticize officials without retribution
Really, you can't at any level. Professional coaches get fined. College coaches get fined and suspended. High school coaches get .... nothing. I have seen some pretty poor officials in my day, and a couple of times where I thought I was on the end of a "home job". Never would it occur to me to mention it in the media.
To the Athletic Director, yes. But you don't make private grumblings public. Maybe Carolina thought he had no choice? Still no excuse.
And for going on the rant he did, he needed to be punished. A game suspension, or a two-game suspension would have been plenty and at least sent a message that this kind of stuff won't be tolerated (Fired? No. Despite what some bloggers and commenters would make you believe, Carolina - albeit somewhat excessively outspoken - cares deeply about his kids and has a tougher job than most people on the outside will ever know.)
Not punishing him gives the green light to everyone else and their brother to chime in and make the situation worse. First, it was Xavier coach Mike Kohs, who lamented the "lack of class and sportsmanship" that Carolina showed. Then it was umpteen different media reports (like this one). Then it was Board VI's Ed Lynch with a response on WFSB. If Carolina has been given a suspension (or something), then the story would have died a natural death and that would have been the end of it.
2) It is irrelevant whether Carolina is right or wrong in this case
In fact, if you've read me long enough, you probably know I think he's closer to right than wrong on most of what he said.
But he needed to handle his problems in the proper way. I know he doesn't care what people think of him or his program, which is in some ways admirable, but you can't question the integrity of authority (and that's what the officials are in this case) publicly in a high school event. It sends the wrong message to the kids (and adults). Kermit wants to stand up for what he believes in, which is again admirable, but severely misguided in this case. He comes off at best as a poor sport and at worst as an instigator. That won't help solve whatever problems there are, it will just make them worse. Especially given the fact that he won the game in question.
Ironically, the best case of a coach handling things the correct way that I've ever seen came in Week 2 of the 2007 football season in a game between Hillhouse and Xavier in Middletown. Under new coach Tom Dyer, the Acs nearly completed a monumental comeback, but were hurt by a couple of penalties and poor timekeeping (at least twice, the clock failed to stop after first downs and was never detected by the officials).
After the final buzzer, Dyer yelled at the officials and started to run after them as they left the field. But after about three or four steps, he caught himself and stopped, realizing that: a) it was pointless; and b) he was setting a poor example for his players.
By the time I got to him, he was still hot, but kept his emotions in check and never mentioned the officials, "This doesn't define us as a football team," he said. "The kids dug deep in the second half and showed a lot of guts. If we play like that, we'll be fine."
It was extremely classy, and I have the utmost respect for Dyer because of it.
3) The SCC needs its own officiating board (well, duh)
I've been saying this for years, people. It would make it easier to legislate everything, and to me, the only downside would be travel, but the refs can get over it.
In my opinion, especially in football, I think the New Haven board is the best officials the state has to offer. I don't think there are any inherent biases against visiting teams in Middletown (although studies have shown that there are subconscious biases against visiting teams at every level in nearly every sport everywhere, so always keep that in mind).
4) You can't force an apology
Education 101 tells you that you shouldn't force people to apologize. Obviously, if Carolina were to apologize now, he wouldn't mean it. It would mean nothing, except to get him more upset. We're not trying to change his opinion, we're just trying to get him to express it in a more prudent manner. That doesn't mean he's right, but he is entitled to his opinion (but he's not entitled to be immune if he makes public comments, this has nothing to do with the Freedom of Speech. We can use this as a Constitutional lesson, too. Someone call Fox News).
5) Finally, and most importantly, the world needs referees
Everyone realizes that we can't have competitive games without officials, right? And while officials should be evaluated and told if they make mistakes - as with anything else - badgering refs and questioning their ethics does nothing but make people find other ways to use their free time (yes, officials are paid, but no one gets rich from it).
So the vicious cycle continues: referees who have potential quit and are replaced by still more inexperienced refs. And the older ones are forced to stay on longer because there is no one to replace them. So the level of officiating drops.
Eventually, we may get to the point where there aren't enough officials to work all the games.
And then we have no games.
So, here are my quick thoughts:
1) You can't publicly criticize officials without retribution
Really, you can't at any level. Professional coaches get fined. College coaches get fined and suspended. High school coaches get .... nothing. I have seen some pretty poor officials in my day, and a couple of times where I thought I was on the end of a "home job". Never would it occur to me to mention it in the media.
To the Athletic Director, yes. But you don't make private grumblings public. Maybe Carolina thought he had no choice? Still no excuse.
And for going on the rant he did, he needed to be punished. A game suspension, or a two-game suspension would have been plenty and at least sent a message that this kind of stuff won't be tolerated (Fired? No. Despite what some bloggers and commenters would make you believe, Carolina - albeit somewhat excessively outspoken - cares deeply about his kids and has a tougher job than most people on the outside will ever know.)
Not punishing him gives the green light to everyone else and their brother to chime in and make the situation worse. First, it was Xavier coach Mike Kohs, who lamented the "lack of class and sportsmanship" that Carolina showed. Then it was umpteen different media reports (like this one). Then it was Board VI's Ed Lynch with a response on WFSB. If Carolina has been given a suspension (or something), then the story would have died a natural death and that would have been the end of it.
2) It is irrelevant whether Carolina is right or wrong in this case
In fact, if you've read me long enough, you probably know I think he's closer to right than wrong on most of what he said.
But he needed to handle his problems in the proper way. I know he doesn't care what people think of him or his program, which is in some ways admirable, but you can't question the integrity of authority (and that's what the officials are in this case) publicly in a high school event. It sends the wrong message to the kids (and adults). Kermit wants to stand up for what he believes in, which is again admirable, but severely misguided in this case. He comes off at best as a poor sport and at worst as an instigator. That won't help solve whatever problems there are, it will just make them worse. Especially given the fact that he won the game in question.
Ironically, the best case of a coach handling things the correct way that I've ever seen came in Week 2 of the 2007 football season in a game between Hillhouse and Xavier in Middletown. Under new coach Tom Dyer, the Acs nearly completed a monumental comeback, but were hurt by a couple of penalties and poor timekeeping (at least twice, the clock failed to stop after first downs and was never detected by the officials).
After the final buzzer, Dyer yelled at the officials and started to run after them as they left the field. But after about three or four steps, he caught himself and stopped, realizing that: a) it was pointless; and b) he was setting a poor example for his players.
By the time I got to him, he was still hot, but kept his emotions in check and never mentioned the officials, "This doesn't define us as a football team," he said. "The kids dug deep in the second half and showed a lot of guts. If we play like that, we'll be fine."
It was extremely classy, and I have the utmost respect for Dyer because of it.
3) The SCC needs its own officiating board (well, duh)
I've been saying this for years, people. It would make it easier to legislate everything, and to me, the only downside would be travel, but the refs can get over it.
In my opinion, especially in football, I think the New Haven board is the best officials the state has to offer. I don't think there are any inherent biases against visiting teams in Middletown (although studies have shown that there are subconscious biases against visiting teams at every level in nearly every sport everywhere, so always keep that in mind).
4) You can't force an apology
Education 101 tells you that you shouldn't force people to apologize. Obviously, if Carolina were to apologize now, he wouldn't mean it. It would mean nothing, except to get him more upset. We're not trying to change his opinion, we're just trying to get him to express it in a more prudent manner. That doesn't mean he's right, but he is entitled to his opinion (but he's not entitled to be immune if he makes public comments, this has nothing to do with the Freedom of Speech. We can use this as a Constitutional lesson, too. Someone call Fox News).
5) Finally, and most importantly, the world needs referees
Everyone realizes that we can't have competitive games without officials, right? And while officials should be evaluated and told if they make mistakes - as with anything else - badgering refs and questioning their ethics does nothing but make people find other ways to use their free time (yes, officials are paid, but no one gets rich from it).
So the vicious cycle continues: referees who have potential quit and are replaced by still more inexperienced refs. And the older ones are forced to stay on longer because there is no one to replace them. So the level of officiating drops.
Eventually, we may get to the point where there aren't enough officials to work all the games.
And then we have no games.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
More money for the CIAC
CHERSHIRE, CT & CAMERON PARK, CA, Sept. 8 - The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and MaxPreps.com, the nation's largest and most comprehensive provider of high school sports content and information, have agreed to a three-year partnership. The contract commences with the 2009-10 school year.
The designation of MaxPreps.com as the CIAC's "The Official Statistician and Media Partner" was established to give Connecticut schools a single platform on which to report scores and game statistics, while providing them with prominent regional and national recognition through a variety of MaxPreps.com content mediums.
MaxPreps.com’s nationwide blend of editorial, photo and video content provide hard-earned recognition for the countless hours that both student-athletes and coaches dedicate to their high school athletic endeavors.
“The CIAC is extremely excited about our new partnership with MaxPreps.com, the online leader in high school sports,” said Michael Savage, Executive Director of CAS-CIAC. “Within Connecticut there are so many extremely talented high school teams and well over 100,000 high school athletes. The exposure that MaxPreps.com brings will provide maximum recognition of our high school athletic programs and student athletes throughout the state.”
MaxPreps.com, a Cameron Park Calif.-based company that was purchased by the CBS Corporation in 2007, will provide every CIAC member school with its own free and easy-to-use schedule and statistical program for football, volleyball, boys' and girls' basketball, baseball and fast pitch softball.
The MaxPreps.com data system will automatically generate league and conference standings in Connecticut, while compiling state statistical leaderboards in a wide variety of categories. Connecticut leaders, in turn, will populate on MaxPreps.com’s national leaderboards.
MaxPreps.com also specializes in the digital export of its data content, partnering with hundreds of newspapers and TV/radio stations across the country.
The CIAC has made it a requirement that all teams participating in state tournament play have their stats entered with MaxPreps.com.
"Most importantly," Mr. Savage continued, "MaxPreps.com provides our coaches with the tools to make their job easier and more productive."
MaxPreps.com’s National Association Director is former New York Jets quarterback Al Woodall.
"The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference is one of the most innovative and proactive state associations that MaxPreps.com has dealt with. We appreciate their energy and their forward thinking when it comes to the promotion of all the tremendous high school athletic events being held in their state," Woodall said.
About MaxPreps.com
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Sunday, December 6, 2009
SCC football - back on top
There were a lot of people involved with the Notre Dame and Cheshire football programs who had a good weekend, but it's probably safe to say no one had a better one than the Bowman family. Ring a bell? Steve Bowman, Phil Bowman? (There was also Mike, Joe, Pete, and John in that immediate family) Both Steve and Phil played big parts in Cheshire state titles in the mid 90s.
But cousin Rob decided to break from tradition and attend Notre Dame in 2006. He had gone to St. Bridget in Cheshire and decided he want to continue in Catholic school, even though his dad and six uncles all played football for Cheshire High.
Well, three years later, on a snowy Saturday afternoon in Shelton, a now 6-foot-5, 275 pound Bowman was able to raise a state championship trophy for the Green and Gold when ND stopped Pomperaug, 28-21.
A day later, Bowman and his letterman jacket were on the Ken Strong Stadium turf celebrating again even though his green and gold didn't match red, as the Bowman tradition continued. Rob's cousin Shaun is a sophomore for Cheshire, and when they prevailed by the same 28-21 score (it was in overtime, though) over previously unbeaten Staples, the Bowman family had a new twist in a long line of football success: two championships in the same weekend.
Even better, Ed Bowman - now in his 80s - was there to see both of his grandsons win titles. When asked about the nasty weather Saturday, Ed said, "I go to every game, doesn't matter what the weather is."
He added: "I've been to too many games to count, and not just football, softball, too, and other sports. This was a really good weekend."
It was a really good weekend for the SCC as well, which broke a three-year run of not winning a state title. Since 2001, Notre Dame and Cheshire became the seventh and eighth conference teams to win a state championship (Hillhouse, Branford, Hand, West Haven, Xavier, and Shelton are the others) - three more than any other conference. How did they get there? Let's find out, running diary style, of course:
Saturday
1:15 p.m. - On a raw and just nasty December afternoon at Finn Stadium, I arrive to a cramped press box. The state finals brings people who don't usually deal with high school sports and Register columnist Dave Solomon can't understand why there is no seat for him and is telling Shelton AD John Niski so, even though the CSTN crew (led by pals Don Boyle and Steve Kirck) take up half the downstairs with PA announcer Steve Arena (filling in for the injured Nick Aprea, and whose youngest daughter plays for my club soccer team) and the WAVZ crew (with legendary George Demaio and his son Matt) have most of the upstairs. One of the great things about covering high school sports is being so close to the action, and today it looks like I'm going to have to suck it up and stand on the ND sidelines. Actually, wouldn't want it any other way, notes and extremities be damned.
1:25 - Feel bad for Niski, not sure Shelton was the CIAC's first, second, or fifth choice, but at least they stepped up to the plate. Shame on SCSU for not hosting games. I call Sean Patrick Bowley of the Post over in West Haven, and he's got his feet up in their well-heated press box and people delivering him food (presumably caviar). The seats are filling fairly fast, though, despite the weather.
1:40 - Snow flurries in the air already. Great.
2:08 - Notre Dame is not exactly owning the line of scrimmage, but puts together a pretty good drive, until it stalls. There will be a little defense in this game, at least.
2:15 - It looks like the ND defense will hold, but on 4th-and-long (can't read the frozen, wet page) Andrew Clements finds Wade McNamara for a 25-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later, Kevin Maxen is in from 2 yards out and it's 7-0 Pomperaug after a quarter.
2:23 - Not going well for the Knights. Sean Goldrich is pummeled by Nick Fiore, and the Panthers appear to be going in again until ...
2:25 - The play of the game, really. Out of the single wing from the ND 7, Pomperaug tries to fool the Knights with a pass, but it backfires in a big way. Clements underthrows it out in the flat, and when Tirrell Young-Williams grabs it, there is nothing but green turf in front of him. Young-Williams is a speedster anyway, but it's a game-changing 93-yard "pick six" and ND has tied the game at 7-7.
2:27 - Clements is a big kid and is also on the kick return team. Unfortunately for him, he has to line up right in front of the ND student section, who brings out its hockey best, "It's all your fault, it's all your fault". The kick comes right to an angry Clements, who doesn't bother to try to break any tackles, but runs through a few would-be tacklers before going down on the 38.
2:28 - Clements can feel better now, because Ben Crick - anonymous up to now - just ran 62 yards on the first play for a touchdown. 14-7 Pomperaug midway through the second quarter.
2:32 - Here are the offensive fireworks. Off play-action, Goldrich's pass is underthrown, but Young-Williams has so much of a cushion, it doesn't matter, and he speeds away for a 71-yard touchdown reception and a 14-14 tie.
2:35 - I'm tired from going up and down on the sidelines, and Young-Williams tries to catch a break as he sits alone on the ND bench. But his break might be short-lived, as Crick returns the ensuing kickoff all the way down the Notre Dame 18. Where did those defenses go?
2:40 - But just as I say it, the ND defense makes a big stand, combined with penalties and the Panthers are forced to punt on 4th-and-30 at the 38. Ouch.
2:44 - The Panthers defense contines to control the line of scrimmage and forces a punt with 2 minutes left in the half, but - inexplicably - they don't try to field it and it rolls all the way to their own 30-yard line. Things continue to spiral downward for Pomperaug when they try a screen pass, but Clements overthrows his intended target and Thomas Perry makes a diving interception to set his team up.
2:51 - Six plays later, Goldrich sneaks in from a yard out and ND has its first lead, 21-14 at the half, despite being outgained. But turnovers are killers, and Pomperaug had two real killers.
3:01 - To the press box for some warmth. Somehow Solomon is still there, must have won his argument. Kirck asks, "How are we winning this game?" and I remind him that you had a 93 yard interception return for a touchdown. That can cure plenty of ills. I'd like to call him a worry wart, but about a month ago he sent me a 21-part plan that could see ND finish as the No. 1 team in the state. The plan is six quarters from coming to fruition.
3:22 - But still a half to play, and anything can happen. The third quarter features the defense, especially Pomperaug's as the large ND line appears to have finally met its match.
3:38 - ND has 4th-and-7 from midfield, but punter Phillip Bentley takes off, and he's got acres of space in front of him, a 28-yard run and a first down. Tom Marcucci called a fake punt? I'm stunned. And it was a perfect call.
3:40 - But Goldrich fumbles a snap, and Pomperaug recovers for ND's first turnover of the day. Oh, well.
3:45 - Pete Eyler, who has been the equipment manager for Notre Dame forever, is having a tough day, with the cold and wet and trying to keep balls and himself dry. He's borrowed a jacket from assistant cheerleading coach Stephanie Redding - who also moonlights as New Haven's Assistant Police Chief - and is ordered to get a dry ball for a 4th-and-8 at the Pomperaug 25 to open the fourth quarter. Eyler might be the unsung hero for ND, they'd be lost without him, he does about 62 jobs, and yes that included driving the bus on occasion.
3:47 - The new ball doesn't help Goldrich much, and we've got controversy. Goldrich's pass is woefully underthrown and Crick picks it off and runs it back to the 25-yard line. But there was a flag on the field, pass interference on Pomperaug. I thought it was for an illegal block after the interception, but my opinion is it was so underthrown that it threw off everyone: players, officials, everyone. Will be interesting to see the film later, but it's a break for ND.
3:52 - And they take advantage, four plays later David Rose is in from a yard out and the Knights lead 28-14. They can taste their first title in eight years.
3:55 - The snow is starting to stick to the turf, and I feel for some of the guys in short sleeves, but they are football players, I guess, and they're running around a lot more than me.
3:59 - Pomperaug marches right down the field, but at the ND 15, it's a fum-ble and third turnover of the game. A botched snap rolled around on the ground too long, and the Knights pounce. It's all over but the shouting...
4:05 - Or is it? The Panthers hold, and their offense is clicking on all cylinders now. Clements hits McNamara on a 10-yard pass and with 3:56 still to go, the lead is just 28-21.
4:07 - Pomperaug tries a tricky left-footed onside kick, but the ball goes out of bounds.
4:12 - The Panthers hold, they'll get one more shot at it.
4:14 - Interesting clock management from Pomperaug, who is quickly running out of time. Reminded of Herb Brooks in "Miracle" when the Soviets forget to pull the goalie. Pomperaug hasn't had too many close games, "He doesn't know what to do."
4:17 - With 10 seconds left, Conor Keniry picks off Clements to seal it. Fitting that it would be Keniry, the team's emotional leader.
4:19 - A surreal scene as the ND fans and players storm the field as the snow falls. Does it get any more perfect?
4:21 - Quotes, frozen ones, Marcucci: "You guys started on August 18th in 97-degree weather at Veterans Field, and here we are in December in the snow, and all that hard work paid it. You guys earned everything you got. Enjoy it."
4:26 - Finally catch up with Keniry and apologize for spelling his name wrong for two years. Keniry will go to Wake Forest to play baseball next year, so this was it for his football career. Not a bad way to go out: "I brought that up at halftime. I said, 'I don't know about you guys, but these are the last two quarters I'll ever play, so we're going out on top. This is something I dreamed about, and I can't believe it actually came true. What a great group we have. Everyone fought together, and here we are."
4:41 - In the final analysis, it just clicked for Notre Dame this season. Whatever "it" was, they had "it".
4:44 - Escape from Shelton complete, wasn't too icy and traffic could have been worse. Hopefully I'll be thawed out by the Cheshire game tomorrow.
SUNDAY
1:30 - A 38-degree day feels balmy at Ken Strong Stadium with the sun. Peek my head into the the nice, comfy press box which is actually overflowed with only the Class M game going on today. The Staples student radio crew has been banished to the stands. Solomon, of course, has a seat, though. (in his defense, he did write a nice column on ND: http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/12/06/sports/6-solomon.txt but, of course, he could probably read his notes, too).
1:45 - Cheshire is in white, which seems rare to me. Both kickers are booming balls in warm-ups. Wind is pretty stiff, but mild by West Haven standards.
1:56 - Members of the ND team take their place on the Cheshire side, the Knights stand to be ranked No. 1 if Cheshire wins. They look pretty intimidating over there, but cold.
2:10 - Staples puts together an impressive 15-play, 9-minute drive that included two fourth-down conversions and is finished by a Matt Kelly 3-yard run. 7-0 Staples and a statement of intent, for sure.
2:16 - Cheshire responds with a few first downs but the drive stalls at the Wreckers' 37. Kyle Pulek's rugby-style punt does pin Staples at the 7. We're flying through this game, but at some point, these teams have to throw a little, don't they?
2:22 - The turning point, just like with ND, it's a turnover. Keith Gelman, who has done a tremendous job since an injury to starter Brandon Pacilio is whacked from behind, the ball flies out, and Craig Thorne jumps on it and runs it back to the Staples 15.
2:26 - On 3rd-and-goal from the 8, time for a pass and Greg Palmer finds Brian Havlicek who falls into the end zone to tie the game with 5:06 to go in the half.
2:35 - Staples gets out to their own 44, but it's Thorne again with the sack.
2:38 - After a shanked punt, Palmer goes 37 yards to the Staples 18 and runs it in from 10 yards out two plays later and suddenly Cheshire has the lead, momentum, and everything else. 14-7 Cheshire with 51 seconds left in the half. Golf claps from the ND team in the Staples section.
2:42 - Staples does not take a knee. As Gelman raises his arm to throw, Staples coach Marce Petroccio yells, "Nooo" and it slows down like a bad movie. The pass is intercepted by Havlicek who runs it to the 6. On the next play, Palmer is in the end zone, and Cheshire will unbelievably take a 21-7 lead to the locker room (That pass was Gelman's only non-completion of the half, he was 7-for-8). Soviet style stand up cheering from the ND squad, who obviously doesn't want to make a scene, classy until the end.
2:51 - I guess Cheshire isn't going to the locker room, they stay out on the field. Little cold for that, but at least they're in the sun.
3:08 - Staples lets Cheshire stay in the cold, coming out just before the time is up. Guess they would have had a lot to talk about. Talk in the press box (where I'm getting warm) turns to the last time no one went undefeated in the state. If only the BCS had such problems. (turns out it was 2001, when Notre Dame beat undefeated Fitch, although New Britain got No. 1 that season).
3:35 - The third quarter belonged to the defenses, with no one putting together a big threat. As the quarter ends, Cheshire is winning the battle of punts and gets as far as the Staples 14.
3:37 - But Palmer is intercepted by Tyler Jacobs in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter.
3:40 - Staples takes over at the 20, on second down, the ball appears to be resting on the 30, but the chains say they're an inch short. OK. On the next play, Ryan Burke is buried in the backfield by Evan Gaudio and the Wreckers have to punt.
3:48 - The Wreckers get the ball back on their own 32 with 7:55 left trailing 21-7 and decide it's time to throw. Good call.
3:55 - On 3rd-and-15 from the Cheshire 16, Brendan Rankowitz makes a catch along the sidelines and sneaks into the end zone. Could Cheshire rue a chance to finish Staples off? It's 21-14 with 4:44 left.
3:59 - Cheshire's offense appears to be done for the day. They've gone more than a quarter without a first down, and punt it right back....
4:05 - To the fired up Wreckers. Gelman looks like Drew Brees and blue shirts are open everywhere. Two passes to Rankowitz combine for 42 yards and eventually Gelman sneaks it in from 1 yard out and the game is tied at 21-21 with 1:44 left. What a comeback and Cheshire appears to be in trouble.
4:10 - The Rams go nowhere on three plays and are forced to punt with 38 seconds left. Cheshire gets a break, though, when Pulek's punt bounces over Kelly's head and goes to the Staples 25.
4:12 - With 28 seconds to go, the wind at their back, and an All-State kicker in Santiago Cuartas (he's even got his own exercise bike), does Staples take a shot? I think they should, but they do what me and fellow Syracuse alum Bowley of the Post would call Pasqualonied it, (named after former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni, who would always seem to be playing conservatively when they had a chance to finish teams off), fitting because both Petroccio and Cheshire coach Mark Ecke learned under Pasqualoni. Anyway, two tame runs later, and we're headed to overtime.
4:20 - It's a real reprieve for Cheshire and they take advantage. A pass to Dan Sweeney puts the ball to the 2, and Michael Skibicki - in his only carry of the game - scores to put Cheshire ahead.
4:23 - Kelly carries to the 6 on first down for Staples, gets to the 3 on second down - but Cheshire's Luke Scinto has the ball. Was it a fumble? It was, Cheshire wins, and red helmets fly everywhere as Cheshire is back on top for the first time since 1997.
4:25 - Scinto is giving interviews, but he's not giving up the ball, he might still be holding it as we speak. The WHHS staff is much more strict than the staff at Shelton, but the ND team makes it onto the field, as does the Bowman family, obviously.
4:26 - You have to feel bad for Kelly, who doesn't want to get up after the fumble. But Petroccio, a class act, pats his player on the head, and reminds him they wouldn't be here without him.
4:34 - Everyone poses for pictures, and Ecke - who was nearly run out of the job a few years back after a couple of losing seasons - is back on top. With his son on the roster, too: "It means a little more now. Last year, I talked about how great a ride it was making it to the finals, but this year we were more business-like. I think that helped our preparation for this game."
4:41 - As the sun sets both at West Haven High and on the 2009 football season, the SCC is back on top, winning both Class LL and Class L, and should claim the top two spots in the final state writers' poll when it is released. I happen to walk out the same time as Rob Bowman, like many of the players I've met this season, is as impressive off the field as he is on the field. I tell him it must feel good to be on top with Cheshire and his family.
"Absolutely."
But cousin Rob decided to break from tradition and attend Notre Dame in 2006. He had gone to St. Bridget in Cheshire and decided he want to continue in Catholic school, even though his dad and six uncles all played football for Cheshire High.
Well, three years later, on a snowy Saturday afternoon in Shelton, a now 6-foot-5, 275 pound Bowman was able to raise a state championship trophy for the Green and Gold when ND stopped Pomperaug, 28-21.
A day later, Bowman and his letterman jacket were on the Ken Strong Stadium turf celebrating again even though his green and gold didn't match red, as the Bowman tradition continued. Rob's cousin Shaun is a sophomore for Cheshire, and when they prevailed by the same 28-21 score (it was in overtime, though) over previously unbeaten Staples, the Bowman family had a new twist in a long line of football success: two championships in the same weekend.
Even better, Ed Bowman - now in his 80s - was there to see both of his grandsons win titles. When asked about the nasty weather Saturday, Ed said, "I go to every game, doesn't matter what the weather is."
He added: "I've been to too many games to count, and not just football, softball, too, and other sports. This was a really good weekend."
It was a really good weekend for the SCC as well, which broke a three-year run of not winning a state title. Since 2001, Notre Dame and Cheshire became the seventh and eighth conference teams to win a state championship (Hillhouse, Branford, Hand, West Haven, Xavier, and Shelton are the others) - three more than any other conference. How did they get there? Let's find out, running diary style, of course:
Saturday
1:15 p.m. - On a raw and just nasty December afternoon at Finn Stadium, I arrive to a cramped press box. The state finals brings people who don't usually deal with high school sports and Register columnist Dave Solomon can't understand why there is no seat for him and is telling Shelton AD John Niski so, even though the CSTN crew (led by pals Don Boyle and Steve Kirck) take up half the downstairs with PA announcer Steve Arena (filling in for the injured Nick Aprea, and whose youngest daughter plays for my club soccer team) and the WAVZ crew (with legendary George Demaio and his son Matt) have most of the upstairs. One of the great things about covering high school sports is being so close to the action, and today it looks like I'm going to have to suck it up and stand on the ND sidelines. Actually, wouldn't want it any other way, notes and extremities be damned.
1:25 - Feel bad for Niski, not sure Shelton was the CIAC's first, second, or fifth choice, but at least they stepped up to the plate. Shame on SCSU for not hosting games. I call Sean Patrick Bowley of the Post over in West Haven, and he's got his feet up in their well-heated press box and people delivering him food (presumably caviar). The seats are filling fairly fast, though, despite the weather.
1:40 - Snow flurries in the air already. Great.
2:08 - Notre Dame is not exactly owning the line of scrimmage, but puts together a pretty good drive, until it stalls. There will be a little defense in this game, at least.
2:15 - It looks like the ND defense will hold, but on 4th-and-long (can't read the frozen, wet page) Andrew Clements finds Wade McNamara for a 25-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later, Kevin Maxen is in from 2 yards out and it's 7-0 Pomperaug after a quarter.
2:23 - Not going well for the Knights. Sean Goldrich is pummeled by Nick Fiore, and the Panthers appear to be going in again until ...
2:25 - The play of the game, really. Out of the single wing from the ND 7, Pomperaug tries to fool the Knights with a pass, but it backfires in a big way. Clements underthrows it out in the flat, and when Tirrell Young-Williams grabs it, there is nothing but green turf in front of him. Young-Williams is a speedster anyway, but it's a game-changing 93-yard "pick six" and ND has tied the game at 7-7.
2:27 - Clements is a big kid and is also on the kick return team. Unfortunately for him, he has to line up right in front of the ND student section, who brings out its hockey best, "It's all your fault, it's all your fault". The kick comes right to an angry Clements, who doesn't bother to try to break any tackles, but runs through a few would-be tacklers before going down on the 38.
2:28 - Clements can feel better now, because Ben Crick - anonymous up to now - just ran 62 yards on the first play for a touchdown. 14-7 Pomperaug midway through the second quarter.
2:32 - Here are the offensive fireworks. Off play-action, Goldrich's pass is underthrown, but Young-Williams has so much of a cushion, it doesn't matter, and he speeds away for a 71-yard touchdown reception and a 14-14 tie.
2:35 - I'm tired from going up and down on the sidelines, and Young-Williams tries to catch a break as he sits alone on the ND bench. But his break might be short-lived, as Crick returns the ensuing kickoff all the way down the Notre Dame 18. Where did those defenses go?
2:40 - But just as I say it, the ND defense makes a big stand, combined with penalties and the Panthers are forced to punt on 4th-and-30 at the 38. Ouch.
2:44 - The Panthers defense contines to control the line of scrimmage and forces a punt with 2 minutes left in the half, but - inexplicably - they don't try to field it and it rolls all the way to their own 30-yard line. Things continue to spiral downward for Pomperaug when they try a screen pass, but Clements overthrows his intended target and Thomas Perry makes a diving interception to set his team up.
2:51 - Six plays later, Goldrich sneaks in from a yard out and ND has its first lead, 21-14 at the half, despite being outgained. But turnovers are killers, and Pomperaug had two real killers.
3:01 - To the press box for some warmth. Somehow Solomon is still there, must have won his argument. Kirck asks, "How are we winning this game?" and I remind him that you had a 93 yard interception return for a touchdown. That can cure plenty of ills. I'd like to call him a worry wart, but about a month ago he sent me a 21-part plan that could see ND finish as the No. 1 team in the state. The plan is six quarters from coming to fruition.
3:22 - But still a half to play, and anything can happen. The third quarter features the defense, especially Pomperaug's as the large ND line appears to have finally met its match.
3:38 - ND has 4th-and-7 from midfield, but punter Phillip Bentley takes off, and he's got acres of space in front of him, a 28-yard run and a first down. Tom Marcucci called a fake punt? I'm stunned. And it was a perfect call.
3:40 - But Goldrich fumbles a snap, and Pomperaug recovers for ND's first turnover of the day. Oh, well.
3:45 - Pete Eyler, who has been the equipment manager for Notre Dame forever, is having a tough day, with the cold and wet and trying to keep balls and himself dry. He's borrowed a jacket from assistant cheerleading coach Stephanie Redding - who also moonlights as New Haven's Assistant Police Chief - and is ordered to get a dry ball for a 4th-and-8 at the Pomperaug 25 to open the fourth quarter. Eyler might be the unsung hero for ND, they'd be lost without him, he does about 62 jobs, and yes that included driving the bus on occasion.
3:47 - The new ball doesn't help Goldrich much, and we've got controversy. Goldrich's pass is woefully underthrown and Crick picks it off and runs it back to the 25-yard line. But there was a flag on the field, pass interference on Pomperaug. I thought it was for an illegal block after the interception, but my opinion is it was so underthrown that it threw off everyone: players, officials, everyone. Will be interesting to see the film later, but it's a break for ND.
3:52 - And they take advantage, four plays later David Rose is in from a yard out and the Knights lead 28-14. They can taste their first title in eight years.
3:55 - The snow is starting to stick to the turf, and I feel for some of the guys in short sleeves, but they are football players, I guess, and they're running around a lot more than me.
3:59 - Pomperaug marches right down the field, but at the ND 15, it's a fum-ble and third turnover of the game. A botched snap rolled around on the ground too long, and the Knights pounce. It's all over but the shouting...
4:05 - Or is it? The Panthers hold, and their offense is clicking on all cylinders now. Clements hits McNamara on a 10-yard pass and with 3:56 still to go, the lead is just 28-21.
4:07 - Pomperaug tries a tricky left-footed onside kick, but the ball goes out of bounds.
4:12 - The Panthers hold, they'll get one more shot at it.
4:14 - Interesting clock management from Pomperaug, who is quickly running out of time. Reminded of Herb Brooks in "Miracle" when the Soviets forget to pull the goalie. Pomperaug hasn't had too many close games, "He doesn't know what to do."
4:17 - With 10 seconds left, Conor Keniry picks off Clements to seal it. Fitting that it would be Keniry, the team's emotional leader.
4:19 - A surreal scene as the ND fans and players storm the field as the snow falls. Does it get any more perfect?
4:21 - Quotes, frozen ones, Marcucci: "You guys started on August 18th in 97-degree weather at Veterans Field, and here we are in December in the snow, and all that hard work paid it. You guys earned everything you got. Enjoy it."
4:26 - Finally catch up with Keniry and apologize for spelling his name wrong for two years. Keniry will go to Wake Forest to play baseball next year, so this was it for his football career. Not a bad way to go out: "I brought that up at halftime. I said, 'I don't know about you guys, but these are the last two quarters I'll ever play, so we're going out on top. This is something I dreamed about, and I can't believe it actually came true. What a great group we have. Everyone fought together, and here we are."
4:41 - In the final analysis, it just clicked for Notre Dame this season. Whatever "it" was, they had "it".
4:44 - Escape from Shelton complete, wasn't too icy and traffic could have been worse. Hopefully I'll be thawed out by the Cheshire game tomorrow.
SUNDAY
1:30 - A 38-degree day feels balmy at Ken Strong Stadium with the sun. Peek my head into the the nice, comfy press box which is actually overflowed with only the Class M game going on today. The Staples student radio crew has been banished to the stands. Solomon, of course, has a seat, though. (in his defense, he did write a nice column on ND: http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/12/06/sports/6-solomon.txt but, of course, he could probably read his notes, too).
1:45 - Cheshire is in white, which seems rare to me. Both kickers are booming balls in warm-ups. Wind is pretty stiff, but mild by West Haven standards.
1:56 - Members of the ND team take their place on the Cheshire side, the Knights stand to be ranked No. 1 if Cheshire wins. They look pretty intimidating over there, but cold.
2:10 - Staples puts together an impressive 15-play, 9-minute drive that included two fourth-down conversions and is finished by a Matt Kelly 3-yard run. 7-0 Staples and a statement of intent, for sure.
2:16 - Cheshire responds with a few first downs but the drive stalls at the Wreckers' 37. Kyle Pulek's rugby-style punt does pin Staples at the 7. We're flying through this game, but at some point, these teams have to throw a little, don't they?
2:22 - The turning point, just like with ND, it's a turnover. Keith Gelman, who has done a tremendous job since an injury to starter Brandon Pacilio is whacked from behind, the ball flies out, and Craig Thorne jumps on it and runs it back to the Staples 15.
2:26 - On 3rd-and-goal from the 8, time for a pass and Greg Palmer finds Brian Havlicek who falls into the end zone to tie the game with 5:06 to go in the half.
2:35 - Staples gets out to their own 44, but it's Thorne again with the sack.
2:38 - After a shanked punt, Palmer goes 37 yards to the Staples 18 and runs it in from 10 yards out two plays later and suddenly Cheshire has the lead, momentum, and everything else. 14-7 Cheshire with 51 seconds left in the half. Golf claps from the ND team in the Staples section.
2:42 - Staples does not take a knee. As Gelman raises his arm to throw, Staples coach Marce Petroccio yells, "Nooo" and it slows down like a bad movie. The pass is intercepted by Havlicek who runs it to the 6. On the next play, Palmer is in the end zone, and Cheshire will unbelievably take a 21-7 lead to the locker room (That pass was Gelman's only non-completion of the half, he was 7-for-8). Soviet style stand up cheering from the ND squad, who obviously doesn't want to make a scene, classy until the end.
2:51 - I guess Cheshire isn't going to the locker room, they stay out on the field. Little cold for that, but at least they're in the sun.
3:08 - Staples lets Cheshire stay in the cold, coming out just before the time is up. Guess they would have had a lot to talk about. Talk in the press box (where I'm getting warm) turns to the last time no one went undefeated in the state. If only the BCS had such problems. (turns out it was 2001, when Notre Dame beat undefeated Fitch, although New Britain got No. 1 that season).
3:35 - The third quarter belonged to the defenses, with no one putting together a big threat. As the quarter ends, Cheshire is winning the battle of punts and gets as far as the Staples 14.
3:37 - But Palmer is intercepted by Tyler Jacobs in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter.
3:40 - Staples takes over at the 20, on second down, the ball appears to be resting on the 30, but the chains say they're an inch short. OK. On the next play, Ryan Burke is buried in the backfield by Evan Gaudio and the Wreckers have to punt.
3:48 - The Wreckers get the ball back on their own 32 with 7:55 left trailing 21-7 and decide it's time to throw. Good call.
3:55 - On 3rd-and-15 from the Cheshire 16, Brendan Rankowitz makes a catch along the sidelines and sneaks into the end zone. Could Cheshire rue a chance to finish Staples off? It's 21-14 with 4:44 left.
3:59 - Cheshire's offense appears to be done for the day. They've gone more than a quarter without a first down, and punt it right back....
4:05 - To the fired up Wreckers. Gelman looks like Drew Brees and blue shirts are open everywhere. Two passes to Rankowitz combine for 42 yards and eventually Gelman sneaks it in from 1 yard out and the game is tied at 21-21 with 1:44 left. What a comeback and Cheshire appears to be in trouble.
4:10 - The Rams go nowhere on three plays and are forced to punt with 38 seconds left. Cheshire gets a break, though, when Pulek's punt bounces over Kelly's head and goes to the Staples 25.
4:12 - With 28 seconds to go, the wind at their back, and an All-State kicker in Santiago Cuartas (he's even got his own exercise bike), does Staples take a shot? I think they should, but they do what me and fellow Syracuse alum Bowley of the Post would call Pasqualonied it, (named after former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni, who would always seem to be playing conservatively when they had a chance to finish teams off), fitting because both Petroccio and Cheshire coach Mark Ecke learned under Pasqualoni. Anyway, two tame runs later, and we're headed to overtime.
4:20 - It's a real reprieve for Cheshire and they take advantage. A pass to Dan Sweeney puts the ball to the 2, and Michael Skibicki - in his only carry of the game - scores to put Cheshire ahead.
4:23 - Kelly carries to the 6 on first down for Staples, gets to the 3 on second down - but Cheshire's Luke Scinto has the ball. Was it a fumble? It was, Cheshire wins, and red helmets fly everywhere as Cheshire is back on top for the first time since 1997.
4:25 - Scinto is giving interviews, but he's not giving up the ball, he might still be holding it as we speak. The WHHS staff is much more strict than the staff at Shelton, but the ND team makes it onto the field, as does the Bowman family, obviously.
4:26 - You have to feel bad for Kelly, who doesn't want to get up after the fumble. But Petroccio, a class act, pats his player on the head, and reminds him they wouldn't be here without him.
4:34 - Everyone poses for pictures, and Ecke - who was nearly run out of the job a few years back after a couple of losing seasons - is back on top. With his son on the roster, too: "It means a little more now. Last year, I talked about how great a ride it was making it to the finals, but this year we were more business-like. I think that helped our preparation for this game."
4:41 - As the sun sets both at West Haven High and on the 2009 football season, the SCC is back on top, winning both Class LL and Class L, and should claim the top two spots in the final state writers' poll when it is released. I happen to walk out the same time as Rob Bowman, like many of the players I've met this season, is as impressive off the field as he is on the field. I tell him it must feel good to be on top with Cheshire and his family.
"Absolutely."
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