great video

I'm not sure if anybody found this video of an apparent dance-off between the UConn and South Florida baseball teams during a rain delay at this year's Big East Tournament.
It's quite amusing. Take a look at it.
My question is can anybody verify or deny that the guy doing the "handstand" on the tarp is Rocky Hill's Doug Elliot? If the uniform number is correct it is.
In either case, good stuff from the guys. I guess it goes to show how restless you can get during a delay.

I hardly knew ye

I just received a bit of news that hit me like a hammer over the head.
Last summer I was lucky enough to get to play in the Rocky Hill football team's golf tournament fundraiser at Tunxis Plantation. I was paired up with a team of guys I did not really know, one of whom was booster club president Bill MacDonald. Another member of our foursome was Lewis Austin, a coach with the Newington Knights youth program who was friends with the Rocky Hill coaching staff. In fact, Lewis was friends with just about everybody. He was possibly the most jovial, most spirited, most happy-go-lucky, most humorous, most friendly person you could ever meet.
I found out today, much to my shock and dismay, that Mr. Austin passed away recently, apparently from a heart attack. Lewis had a string of health problems at the time I met him. He had recently undergone surgery for a leg problem from what I recall. But he kept pushing through it with a smile, eager to get better and stay out on the football fields and golf courses he loved for a long time to come.
This is a terrible loss for the Knights, for Newington football, for Indian Hill Country Club (where he was a member) for the town of Newington, and for anybody, like me, who had the pleasure of crossing paths with Lewis for even a brief moment.
I have not forgotten the fun our foursome had that day on the course, a day that started out a bit rainy and turned into a gorgeous summer afternoon. Our group was terrible. We had no intentions of winning, but Lewis' upbeat attitude kept us plugging away in search of pars. He also had a knack for coaching. He was able to give minor tips to each of us and see the results immediately in our swings.
I also remember that throughout the day, Lewis spent a large amount of time speaking about his children. His son, Nolan, has been a member of the Newington soccer team for several years. His daughter, Carlee, was working on her golf game, and Lewis was every bit the proud papa. He beamed when talking about them, particularly his pleasure at getting to play the links with Carlee and watch her improve.
This season Carlee is on the Newington varsity squad.
My heart goes out to the Austin family. I knew Lewis for one day, and a few brief encounters afterward. I feel I've lost a friend.
They lost a father, and one of the best.
See you some day on that great course in the sky, Lew.

feeling their pain

On the night of June 22, 2002, I was in a hotel room in Hershey, PA, watching the James Bond movie "The Spy Who Loved Me" on a local network station, when during a commercial break I overheard something that shocked me.
On Thursday morning I was sitting in my living room when similar news shocked me again, though, in a sad way, not nearly as much.
I cannot begin to understand how the family of Nick Adenhart is feeling right now. I cannot understand the emotions of his Los Angeles Angels teammates, his friends, and others who knew him.
But I do know a bit about what the Angels' fans are feeling, for what it's worth.
June 22, 2002 was the day that St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile was found dead in his hotel room in Chicago, the victim of a heart attack, as the Cards were in town to face the rival Cubs. It was that news that a local TV anchor announced during that commercial break, and when I heard it, I wondered if I had heard correctly. It was unbelievable. I don't know if I breathed from that point until many minutes later when I turned over the ESPN to find out what I thought I heard was true.
As a Cardinals fan, I will never forget seeing the video at Wrigley Field that afternoon, as a packed house of both teams' fans waited wondering why the game was delayed. Then Cubs catcher Joe Girardi stepped to a microphone, and with tears in his eyes, delivered the message. I may not remember it exactly, but very close.
"We regret to inform you that due to a tragedy in the Cardinals family, today's game has been canceled."
I get tears in my eyes thinking about it seven years later. This was the arch-rival, or would have been on any other day. But on that day, it simply did not matter.
I relived the experience two years ago, when Cardinals reliever Josh Hancock was killed in a drunk driving accident in April, 2007. Hancock had been a member of the World Series winning team the year before.
Ironically, it was when the Cubs were in St. Louis for a series.
Of course, I didn't know either Kile or Hancock. I never met them. I don't believe I ever saw either of them play in person.
And yet, in both cases, I felt deeply saddened by their deaths, more than others you hear about on the news.
It is a strange business, being a sports fan. You become completely invested in the lives of people you have never met, or at least a small portion of their lives. You watch them on TV, day-in and day-out, and they become a part of your life as a result. They become important on some level.
And yet, when you get right down to it, you don't know anything about them.
Kile was a star, one of my favorite pitchers on the team, and a big part of the Cardinals resurgence as a franchise in the 2000s. Hancock was the epitome of a role player, a mediocre middle reliever known for eating up innings.
Kile had done nothing wrong. He simply had a heart problem that had gone undiagnosed. Hancock was the victim of his own foolish act, getting behind the wheel after too much drinking.
I felt the death of each pretty intensely. Tears welled in my eyes multiple times, and still do as I recall those moments.
Tears welled in my eyes once again this week for Adenhart. The 22-year-old had just pitched the best game of his young career, and showed tremendous promise. He was not guilty of anything. He simply went out, and another driver, with an impressive track record to put it one way, took away the lives of him and two of his friends (with another still in the hospital and possibly the next to go).
I won't spend any more time passing judgement. I won't spend any more time eulogizing the dead, whom I know nothing of personally. I won't try to offer condolences to the family, friends and teammates of Adenhart. It would only come up short of its mark even if they were to read this. That's not what I can offer.
In 2002 and 2007, I read the online message boards. I listened on the radio and on TV. I heard a nation of fans speak of how saddened they were by the deaths of Kile and Hancock.
Mostly, I heard the fans of other teams, particularly the Cubs, put aside trivial rivalries and reach out to those whom they would normally detest. It made a difference.
So if you speak to an Angels fan this week, and wonder why they are truly, deeply hurt on a very sincere and heartfelt level, offer condolences. I cannot explain it fully. I cannot understand it any better myself. But I know their pain.
I weep, this week, for them.

see you at the stadium

It's almost 4 in the morning, and I just got back from the gym. I recently joined a 24 hour gym (Cardio Express in Wethersfield if anybody's wondering) to suit my nocturnal lifestyle, and so far it's working out well. But that's not the point of this post.
I'll be covering my first game of the spring in less than 12 hours, and I'm very excited about it. I was stuck in the office most of the winter due to drastically early deadlines and our desire as a staff to continue to get results from as many games as possible in the paper. That meant I was on phone duty most nights. Now with games in the afternoon, I get to go back out in the field most days.
I'll be at the Berlin-New Britain border war baseball game at Beehive, and with a pair of good teams (one looking to be among the elite in the state) it should be exciting.
I figured now is a good time to share some of my "preseason" thoughts (the season is actually two days old) on the spring sports in the area.
Predicted top team: Berlin baseball
If anybody is going to win a state title this season, put your fake money on the Redcoats. They return a team loaded with talent. In fact, when contacted about previews, two opposing coaches had the same comment. "They're [expletive] loaded."
Think about it. Last summer both the Berlin Legion team and Jaycee-TD Banknorth League team made it to their championship, the latter winning. The teams both had players from the current high school squad, though the Legion team had more. This team returned most of its key parts, including a pitching staff coach Leo Veleas says is deeper in talent than he's ever coached. That's saying a lot.
Team on the rise: Newington softball
I have a feeling this could be a very special year for the Indians. They went 13-7 last year, losing a number of close games that they should have won. Experience is the greatest teacher, and with all six players back in front of the outfield grass (and in softball that's what matters most) the talent is there to be among the best in the CCC and possibly the state. Now, Masuk looks extremely tough to beat for a state title (and it's way to early to talk about that for this team), but the Indians held them scoreless in a 0-0 scrimmage. Keep an eye on this team.
Bounce-back year: Rocky Hill softball
The Terriers have had a few bad years and are looking back at the golden days when they had pitchers like Natalie Tine and Ashlee Teraila leading them deep in the state tournament. Well, look out for Megan Ruonavaara, a player who will terrify hitters in the coming years as much as her name terrifies sports writers. Rocky Hill is back.
Most likely to defend a title: Berlin boys golf
The Redcoats golfers will try to steal some attention away from the baseball team, and with Ryan Lee, Kevin Jud, Mike Scheyd and others back, this team has a very good shot to defend its Division II state title. Scheyd, typically their No. 3 guy, shot even par in his first round of the season. Not a bad way to start.
Best local athletes you've never watched: Farmington tennis players Mark Kahan and Monica Szwed
Kahan lost the state open final last year, but bounced back by winning the New England title instead. Szwed, as a sophomore, went deep in the girls tournament, and with a little added muscle to her precision shots should go further. These two are fun to watch, no punchers here. Of course, I speak as a varsity letter earner in tennis, so maybe I'm biased.
Best rivalry: It may be more media driven than anything (guilty as charged), or maybe not, but the three-way rivalry between golfers Sarah Sideranko (New Britain), Kirsten LaPointe (Newington) and Erica Barnes (Berlin) is always fun. Sideranko and LaPointe have been dueling it out in the spotlight since being named all-state players their freshman season. They have such contrasting styles of play on the course, it's fascinating to watch them head to head. Sideranko will invariably outdrive LaPointe, but the latter seems to know exactly where to hit it with the strength she has to make an approach shot possible.
Meanwhile, Barnes spent two years just trying to get noticed and did so in a big way by finishing tied for second at last year's state open, on a day when the other two weren't quite as sharp.
They all face off against each other, and to add to the fun, Sideranko and LaPointe will be college teammates at Hartford next season.
Some upperclassmen to watch (in no particular order): Spencer Parker, Newington volleyball; D.J. Voisine, Plainville baseball; Matt Carasiti, Berlin baseball; Chris Linares, New Britain baseball; Amanda Palmieri, Southington softball; Kelly Paterson, Southington softball; Felicia Leone, New Britain softball; Josh Edelson, Farmington golf; Chris Kelly, Southington track; Jackie English, Wethersfield softball
One other storyline: baseball dominance
I predict, for the second year in a row, that area baseball teams will finish much better than local softball teams. Looking around the towns, it's hard to find a bad baseball squad. Rocky Hill might be the weakest, but I have a feeling the Terriers will challenge people. Southington and Newington don't look as strong as they've been, but there's always talent at those two schools. I wouldn't be shocked if all these teams make the postseason, with Farmington appearing ready to bounce back this season, and teams like New Britain, Berlin, Plainville and Wethersfield possibly among the best.

That's about it for now. Come out to the Hive Friday at 3.

MLB season preview

OK. Spring is here. That means I will get out of the office and back into the field after a long winter which forced me to miss a lot of the action on the basketball court.
But, before we get to local high school stuff, I want to share my thoughts on the MLB season, and make my predictions for each team.
Now, as I did last year, I will make predictions on records for all the teams, but I will be doing this totally off the top of my head. The numbers will not add up to a possible outcome. But last season, I was relatively close on most teams, and actually quite proud of myself.
I am more excited than ever for baseball season. I think the birth of mlb.tv on the mlb.com Web site has allowed me to watch more baseball than ever, and I feel really well informed on the sport as a whole. So, with that in mind, expect my picks to be terrible. But here they are.

American League East
1. New York (95-67)- I've gone back and forth on this, and honestly, I think the top three teams in baseball are in this division. But one won't make the playoffs and another will need to win the wild card to get there. So, this is key.
The Yanks lineup is flawed, with Jeter getting old, Matsui not nearly what he used to be and Posada and Damon both reaching their final years. But, how can you beat the rotation with Sabathia, Burnett, Chamberlain, and Pettitte?
Well, the answer may be injuries, but until that happens, this is the team to beat if you ask me. They need A-Rod back desperately, but should be good when that happens. If they slip at all, they'll be caught.
2- Tie- Boston/Tampa Bay (94-68)- It's so close, let's just get a one-day playoff for the wild card. That would be fun.
The Sox's rotation looks stronger than expected. Penny is pitching well, and is healthy so far. Beckett, Daisuke and Lester are all very strong (again, if healthy. That seems to be a trend). Somebody will fill the last spot and at worst, Wakefield isn't a bad option.
The lineup post-Manny is still quite strong, though not as intimidating. Drew needs to get healthy, and I think Pedroia will come back just a bit from his MVP season. But I think Papi will pick up the slack.
As for the Rays, I can't figure out why David Price is starting the year in the minors, and if he weren't I'd probably have picked them ahead of New York. Bad move by the team if you ask me, because one or two games in the regular season could mean they don't get to October, so resting him could be a moot point.
But, this team still has a very strong rotation and bullpen from last year, Carl Crawford is poised for a big bounce-back year, and the rest of the team is young and improving. What's not to like?
4. Baltimore (75-87)- The rest of this division will suffer the consequences. The Orioles have some nice young pieces though, such as Adam Jones in center field. He's going to be a stud. The pitching staff has decent promise too, so I pick them barely ahead of the Jays.
5. Toronto (72-90)- I don't know why I'm quite so down on this team, but after Roy Halladay, I don't like much of what they have. Vernon Wells is getting old. Alex Rios is good, and Scott Rolen should do better than last year if he's healthier for once. But not much else.
I will be watching New Britain native Jesse Carlson closely as a reliever. His father is a great person and he's done well in his time so far.
American League Central
1. Minnesota (89-73)- Love the former Rock Cats in the rotation. And in a division with no great teams, consistency wins out. Nobody's staff is as balanced as the Twins, even if Scott Baker misses a bit of time at the start. But Denard Span needs to do better than he did in the spring and Mauer must get back healthy before too long. That could be a downfall.
2. Cleveland (85-77)- I could get laughed at for this, but I think this is a sleeper team. Here's why.
There's a lot of potential for surprise performances from the pitching staff. Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona need to perform up to expectations. Jake Westbrook needs to return from Tommy John surgery healthy and before July. But there's hope behind that. I expect big things from Carl Pavano, getting out of New York, and Anthony Reyes, who has as much talent as anybody when he screws his head on correctly.
Plus, I like Victor Martinez to bounce back, Sizemore to improve and others to do well. I like this team. I could eat these words in September.
3. Chicago (82-78)- An up and down club headed for another "down" year. Good pieces. Alexei Ramirez is a rising star. But I expect dropoffs from Carlos Quentin, Jermaine Dye and the rotation.
4. Kansas City (78-82)- Much improved, but don't buy the hype that this team could contend in this division. The young pitching staff is solid, but the offense has no big bats to get the job done. Simply put, who's driving in the runs? Alex Gordon's not that good yet, and Coco Crisp is no savior.
5. Detroit (72-90)- Bad times ahead for the Motor City. This pitching staff, injured and declining in a hurry, is bad. The offense is weaker without Sheff and Pudge. Granderson, Magglio and Cabrera can't score enough to overcome the deficiencies. Horrible year.
American League West
1. Anaheim of LA in the Valley [or something like that] (90-72)- Smoke and mirrors, and good coaching, are enough to win this division. This isn't nearly as good a team as it used to be, and there are some early pitching questions. But in the end, who's beating them. Nobody else is very good. And Scioscia is one of the best in the game at getting the most out of a roster.
2. Oakland (84-78)- Still don't think this team is very good. This might even be a bit high for them. Holliday's numbers should plummet in the Coliseum. The pitching staff is mediocre. The rest of the lineup strikes out too much. But look for the return of Giambi, back to folk legend status by the Bay. He was never comfortable in New York.
3. Seattle (83-79)- The Mariners weren't a good team last year, but they weren't as bad as their record. Or at least shouldn't have been. Look for Bedard to do better this year, and the team to get a serious emotional boost from that Griffey guy. Some guys are just meant to be in certain cities. Junior never should have left. He belongs to Seattle.
4. Texas (80-82)- Teams still getting better, but there still isn't enough pitching to go with stud hitters like Kinsler and Hamilton.

National League East
1. New York (91-71)- I know the rotation depth is weak. I know you're counting a lot on John Maine and Oliver Perez to do well. But I believe in both of those guys and the Mets have found success at the front of games with mediocre talent in recent years. It's been the back end that's caused problems. Now they've got that settled with two top level guys in Putz and K-Rod.
Now, the runs that this lineup scores will hold up, and with Sheff added yesterday, the lineup looks even a bit stronger.
2. Philadelphia (89-73)- Here's where I see pitching problems. Hamels is hurt. Moyer is a human wonder, but can't do everything. Myers is never happy. What else is there. I saw Happ in person last year. He's not that good.
Great bullpen, great offense (even better with Utley back at full strength). But pitching will be the downfall for the champs.
3. Florida (86-76)- This is another sleeper team. Most in the division consider the Marlins rotation to be the best of the bunch, though almost completely unknown. Chris Volstad is the next guy to get recognized, the way Hamels has over the past three years. Hanley Ramirez is a star.
But overall, not enough depth in the lineup.
4. Atlanta (83-79)- This team could also sneak into the playoffs, if Francouer bounces back, Chipper stays healthy and other things go right. The rotation will have trouble staying healthy, even if it is good when the guys take the mound. So that will keep them back just a bit.
5. Washington (71-91)- You know, I think this team is much improved talent-wise. But the record won't get much of a boost playing four legitimately good teams in the division. Love Elijah Dukes. Love Dunn to get the fans excited. Don't expect to be in the race.

National League Central
1. Chicago (96-66)- Best team in the NL is back. They choked in the playoffs, but they're built for regular season greatness. Zambrano, Harden, Dempster (and Peavy?). That's tough to beat. The lineup is balanced and better with Milton Bradley. Let's see how they do when they get to the playoffs this time.
Only minor question for me is will Gregg and Marmol be as strong as Wood was last year. That could effect things.
2. St. Louis (93-69)- Homer pick. But seriously, I love my team this year.
STAT TIME!
Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright combined for 23 starts last year, going 11-4 (Carp was 0-1 and never got past the fifth inning). That team won 86 games.
Now those two are back healthy and should start, at a very conservative guess, 40 games at least. Thats good for five more wins. Add in an offensive upgrade at short, a plethora of outfield talent and a bullpen that will now be an asset as opposed to a detriment. Josh Kinney will be a great reliever, Ryan Franklin will be at home in the setup role and Jason Motte will close games out with pure power. Mark it down. This team makes the playoffs barring injuries.
3. Cincinnati (86-76)- Everybody's favorite to be this year's Rays looks good on paper. Volquez, Cueto, Harang, Arroyo and Owings in the rotation: good stuff. But...
After Joey Votto (who I love), Jay Bruce (who I like) and Brandon Phillips (who everybody should know more about) the offense is full of unproductive outs and little power. This offense can't score enough to take pressure off the young arms. That's a recipe for disaster.
4. Milwaukee (81-81)- Braun is awesome, and I hate him for that. Fielder is dangerous. Other guys can hit for power, though not as much for average.
But the team's best pitcher might be Jeff Suppan, three of the other starters are constantly hurt, and Braden Looper is a solid pitcher. That's not a lot of depth, and no ace. Remember, before CC got there last year, this team was not headed to the playoffs. He won't save them this year, and Sheets is gone, too.
5. Houston (74-88)- This is a team where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. Somehow these guys won't blend. Good pitching performances will go wasted. Good offensive days will be ruined by poor starts. And Carlos Lee is so bad in left field it's worth about 20 runs over the course of the season to opponents. I like what they did adding Pudge, and Berkman's still the quietest great player in the game. But this team is destined to hit the skids.
6. Pittsburgh (66-96)- In contention to be the worst team in the league, if only San Diego weren't so bad it would be a landslide. They have a rotation of guys who could never live up to potential. Maholm, their best chance to break that chance, is pitching poorly in spring.
The offense is hideous and the defense even worse. Beautiful park. Ugly team.

National League West
1. Los Angeles (88-74)- I don't love any of these teams, and I've flip-flopped on this several times (like the AL East). But Manny is a difference maker and makes that offense the best in the division (not that that says much).
I don't like the pitching staff. There's too much riding on young guys, and guys who may have had career years last year. We'll see. This team still has the most upside in the division.
2. San Francisco (86-76)- Combine the Giants and Dodgers and you'd have a great team. Cause Lincecum, Cain and Randy Johnson is a fearsome top three in the rotation. But who will score the runs. The offense is better, but still bad. Nonetheless, I think this team fits its park very well and will post a very good home record.
3. Arizona (85-77)- This could change if a lot of the young hitters step up. Webb and Haren are still great, but the rest of the rotation isn't as good as before. But if Stephen Drew and whichever Upton is on this team reach their potential, that could go a long way. Plus I expect good things from Felipe Lopez at second, and Eric Byrnes could see a big bounceback year, if he ever gets to play.
4. Colorado (74-88)- Who's still on this team from the 07 World Series? Spillborghs. Tulowitzki. Ummmm???
Alright, Todd Helton's still there, but far too much of the team salary is tied up in an aging hitter with bad home and road splits. Pitching staff is suspect. Offense has noticeably less pop without Holliday.
5. San Diego (65-97)- Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. Look out 62 Mets. This team might challenge you, although that has proven harder and harder to do. Even the awful teams get some wins these days, and Jake Peavy's still a Padre for at least a couple months. Chris Young could bounce back and be a very good pitcher. And Brian Giles is... well, he's still there for what it's worth. (Adrian Gonzalez is one good offensive player this team has. He's about it.)
The offense is god awful. It's a shame that the owners' personal issues (divorce) are forcing the fans and team to suffer. Hang in there Pads fans.

Enjoy the season, fans. I know I will.
And stay classy, San Diego. It's going to be a loooooooong season.

some deserved credit

I want to give credit to some of the people who don't get noticed, but have been working hard to help make their teams and us better. I'm talking about the team managers.
These kids tirelessly chart stats, carry game charts, and manage equipment, but most important to me is that they call the game results in every night.
A couple local managers have, as usual, been doing a fantastic job, and I'm sorry I don't know all their names. I can say we have come to recognize their voices on the other end of the phone.
Big cheers go to both Farmington basketball managers, who are typically the first to phone in basketball games each night. I believe the girls manager is Shannon DeBari, who is proving the be a great athlete and a great organizer as well. I don't know the boys manager, but excellent work as well. Timely, organized, efficient.
I also need to give extra credit to all the hockey managers that have been calling this season. Due to an earlier deadline than in the past, most local games end after our printing, and therefore don't get into the paper often. But a couple of these guys have been managing to call us as soon as the game ends and get the results in the paper. Last night, the Newington-Berlin manager called to report scores from the day before because their game had ended too late.
That's awesome. Your players will get the credit and recognition they deserve because you put the extra effort in. Awesome job.

Speaking of hockey, there are a couple interesting looking teams in the area. It seems these co-ops, while I am not a fan, are greatly helping competition. After a slow start to the season, Newington-Berlin is doing quite well lately, and looks on track for a tournament spot. Rocky Hill-RHAM continues to be far more competitive than either was separately. But the biggest success has been the Hall-Southington team. These two were made for each other. One was a defensive juggernaut will little offensive punch last year (Hall) while the other got used to 11-10 shootouts (Southington). Together they have proven to be very effective and are among the favorites in Division III (even though I don't think two schools that size should be in D-III).
I'm a little concerned for Farmington. The Indians have a very tough schedule remaining and have struggled all year. Ironically, a team that has done nothing but score goals in recent seasons is having trouble putting the puck in the net with some very talented players. I'm not sure what's going on with the Indians, but hopefully things will come together quickly.

If you get the chance, head over the Rocky Hill High on Monday. The Terriers girls basketball team will be making a nice gesture in honoring veterans at halftime and after the game. The girls were inspired by their annual trip to the town's Veterans' Home and Hospital and decided to invite all vets to their game for free. I hope they get a big crowd and both sides enjoy it.

Still very little love for the New Britain girls in the polls after losing first-place votes due to their forfeited games. The girls still came in at sixth this week and opinions are divided pretty evenly down the middle. But it seems things are going better than expected in the standings. I predicted earlier that the girls might lose a second-round home game because of it. But it's looking more like the team will finish in the top 8 spots in Class LL and still get those home games.

first one of the year

OK, first off, sorry that I haven't been blogging. The problem, in all honesty, is that I haven't been at enough games lately to feel really comfortable talking about local players and teams. Our deadlines at the paper changed to 10 (hopefully a temporary problem) in December, and it means somebody has to stay in the office all night rather than covering a game to handle the phone calls from coaches. That's almost always me, because I am best at quickly putting things on pages and because I'm an editor.
I'm not complaining, but I do miss covering stuff.
So, since the start of basketball, hockey and wrestling season, I've seen exactly three games. I'll say what I thought about the last two of those first, and then try to get to what reporters Ken Lipshez and Andrew Lovell seem to be saying, and what I'm getting from coaches.

I made sure I got to see the New Britain girls basketball team at least once. They're simply too much fun. In the past four years this has consistently been one of my favorite teams to cover. They play an uptempo style starting with swarming backcourt defense which usually leads to a lot of fastbreak opportunities and flashy plays.
Perhaps it is ironic, then, that I feel the two most critical players to their success (not the best players, but the difference makers) are their least flashy. Sarah Sideranko's defense, as I've said before, makes Symone Roberts 100 times more dangerous. But the one who's been impressive lately is Tyler Kimball. If Kimball can be a constant post presence all on her own, which she's shown flashes of for three years, then this team has few weaknesses (outside a drastic lack of depth). But I doubt anybody can find a better three-headed attack in the state than those three players.
I really like the improvements I see from Heather O'Bright and Emily Polkowski as well. Neither is a star, but both find ways to contribute when they get in the game, and any winning team needs that.
I happened to see Sideranko and co-captain Monica Malec at the CCSU women's game on New Year's Eve. I'm sure they were rooting on former coach Beryl Piper, but in either case that's a good thing for young players to do. Go see players at the next level up close to see how they do things. You can get a lot better at basketball by watching it. It won't replace practicing, but it's a useful addendum to it.

Yesterday I got to see the Hall-Southington co-op hockey team, and I must say I'm very impressed. Now, I've never understood the strange system that determines hockey playoff divisions, so I don't understand how a co-op between one of the biggest schools in the state and a solid Class L school could leave this team in the lowest division, but since they are there they've got a good shot at a title run.
The combo seems to have been kismet. Hall was a defensive team looking for scoring power last year. Meanwhile, Southington had to sacrifice some of its incredible scoring potential at times to use Joe Harvey in goal, lest the score end up 10-9. Together the team seems to have a lot of very good pieces.
What a wild game, though. Apparently 6-1 leads in high school hockey aren't safe. The Warrior-Knights (I wish I could call them that officially. It's pleasantly excessive.) had to go back on offense in the third period to avoid losing.
I love what Eric Muroski was able to do, taking control and making two great shots for late goals, and there were a lot of other contributors. Harvey, Andrew Green and others made great plays as well.
I'm not a big hockey guy, but this team, any one that can post nine goals in a game, is dangerous in D-III.

As for stuff I haven't been able to see in person, a couple things stand out. First off, for those in Berlin fretting over the girls loss to Capital Prep before the new year, don't worry about it too much. That Prep team is legit, perhaps one of the top 15 in the state, and they will be one of the favorites in Class S. Besides, the Redcoats had to scramble to adjust midgame to losing Zarotney, and even though they played without her for much of last year, having to change plans on the fly is never easy. It's not hard to get distracted or thrown off.
Early on I thought Berlin was better than Wethersfield, now I'm not so sure. Both are very good, but I think the Eagles might have a little bit more firepower. Erin Verre is making a big case for some all-state consideration with her play, I honestly believe that based on what I'm hearing. I wish I could get out there and see her in action. I've been watching her and the rest of that team play for a few years, and there's always been steady improvement. That's also a team that knows how to play together.
I'm quite honestly shocked at how well Rocky Hill's been playing. Credit goes, as always, to coach Pete Egan, for bringing out the best in his talent. But a few players deserve particular mention. First off, Joyce Grodovich is the star that folks in RH envisioned when she was a talented freshman. She's clearly playing with far more confidence than before. It always appeared she deferred to some of the older players before like Meghan Daley, Meaghan LeMay and Sam Avery. Now Grodovich must know this is her team to lead.
The next key has been Ashley O'Connell, who looked promising last year, but also was playing behind Avery and LeMay in the post.
The surprises have been Amanda Biella and Krystina Chudy, who have both turned into solid ball handlers. It's made Rocky Hill far more competitive than expected this year.
I'm not completely sold on Southington, but they are a solid team. I haven't seen the Knights at all, so it's tough to say how close they are to last year's very good team. Marissa Chapman is another one who has never completely come into her own, but maybe this is her year. The team needs some other performers to really step up to get back to where it was.

On the boys side, I wish I could see Wethersfield. By all accounts the Eagles found some of the magic they had late last season on Friday night. It's too bad P.J. Santavenere didn't return to the team this year, because with him they'd have four or five good to very good players on the court at the same time. Vic Anderson can take a game over, Adam Williams and Tyler Murphy are potent weapons and they have some good role guys.
Keep an eye out for Wethersfield. If one's things certain with this team, inconsistency is almost always an issue. But remember, it took them awhile to get going last season but they were very dangerous by the end. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same this year.
But the most buzz is back in New Britain where coach Stan Glowiak really does have all the pieces. Darius Watson is almost unguardable lately according to Ken Lipshez (and the numbers support it), Raheem McKinley is a very good second scorer, Tebucky Jones has all the athleticism in the world (shocking, right?), Robert McKinnon brings experience off the bench and the team has actual depth in Quashon Moore and Tarik Hightower.
The most interesting thing to note is that this team doesn't have a big problem it's had for several years. New Britain's always played competitive even during some "down" years lately. The problem has been fourth quarters. No lead was safe as the team didn't always have somebody to trust with the ball in the closing minutes. Well, Steven Glowiak is one of the purest shooters around. Put the ball in his hands and the free throws will fall. If that's his only role on the team, it's a big one, and he's a good complement to the flash and dazzle of the rest of the lineup.

Hopefully I'll have more in the coming weeks. I really want to get back out there at games and see these teams in person. In the meantime, go see the CCSU women. They're very competitive, and although the first four games on the NEC slate, all wins, weren't against great competition, this team should be in the upper half of the league. They also play a similar style to New Britain: pressure the ball and watch the fast-breaks come.

back to work

Alright, it's been a long time since I last posted. Truth be told, with all the rumors and hearsay about the future of the newspaper, I haven't been all that inspired to write on here. I hope all of you who still know the web address will let other potential readers know. The Journal Register Company wanted to put a banner ad on the blog, and I refused, so they promptly removed the link to it from The Herald's website. That is no problem. I will continue to blog on here on my own time.
So let people know that they can still find the blog at www.talkinsportsnb.blogspot.com, as you obviously know if you're reading this.
So, it's been a while since football season ended, so I won't really do a wrapup there. Now it's on to basketball season.
Shane Leupold asked me the other day if I was going to be blogging about basketball this winter. The answer is simple: of course I will be.
After all, basketball is the sport that I feel most comfortable talking about at the high school level. I just feel when I'm watching basketball that I get a good sense of players as individuals, with differing talents and weaknesses. I don't know football nearly as well on a skills level, or at least as a rater of talent. I know baseball and softball well, but those are sports you really have to see a player every single game to know just how good they are and see all their skills in action.
With basketball you can see a player's skills pretty clearly just watching them a handful of times.
Sadly, I've only been out to one game so far. Rockville at Farmington girls on opening night.
But I'm pretty familiar with a lot of local players, and I've been taking a lot of phone calls in the office and getting to see how teams are doing.
So, I'll give you a quick rundown of what I see so far, starting with the girls teams.
First off, the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance has started a new poll for girls basketball this season. I'm a member of the organization so this is a bit of a shameless plug. But look for the poll in print and on TV. You should see it pop up.
The voters have come to the conclusion that New Britain is the top team in the state, and I see nothing to dissuade me from that stance, which I already held.
Simply put Symone Roberts is deceptively good. A lot of people think she's just a scorer and nothing else. What they overlook is that the best part of Symone's game is her defense, and they fail to see just how stifling she can be for the opposing team's top guard. Symone is quicker on the court than any high school girl I've ever seen. She gets most of her points off steals. If she ever learned how to shoot at a higher percentage, and I'm sure she's working on it, she'd average 30 points a game easily, if not 35 or 40.
Keep an eye on Symone's career point total. If she stays healthy, she should have 2,000 before February easily. She has an outside shot at 2,500 if she has a monster season, which would be unreal in this day and age when girls everywhere in Connecticut are growing up playing the game from a young age.
Meanwhile, Sarah Sideranko is very tough defensively as well, but needs to stay out of foul trouble. Add in what Tyler Kimball can do down low, actually a perfect complement to Symone and Sarah, and the 'Canes are going to be very tough to beat. Kimball can clean up a lot of Symone and Sarah's misses.
Meanwhile, Heather O'Bright, Monica Malec and others are turning into very nice role players. But depth will be a problem.
I'll talk a little about Farmington, since I saw them once. I went into the game expecting nothing from them, as they appear to be young and inexperienced once again. I came out thinking that while they won't be a great team, they should be able to hold their own against most of the teams on their schedule.
I like Kellie Nissen at the point, but she needs to keep improving. Emily Kitching is a nice guard with a decent shot and some intangibles. Their bigs are tough-nosed. But mostly, I respected the way the team played defense as a unit. They really contest everything at all positions.
Scoring will be a struggle for them, but defense will allow them to hang around and maybe surprise a few teams.
Berlin looks awesome so far. They haven't been tested and they've played a few decent teams. Simply put the only team in the Northwest Conference I see giving them problems at all is Northwest Catholic. But I think Berlin, with Katelyn Zarotney back healthy and the team playing as the unit it never was when she was there last year, will be hard to beat.
The team has three legitimate bigs, Zarotney, Sarah Byrnes and Kaitlyn Bovee, all of whom are offensive threats, and Byrnes is a very good defensive player. Meanwhile, Lexy Vasquez is lethal from 3-point range and should give the bigs plenty of room to work down low. If Kim Rasmussen can distribute at the point and play good defense, which with her speed and poise she should be able to do, this team has no holes on offense or defense. None.
This team might be better than anybody imagines at this point. The bench looks pretty good too, with some surprise names showing up early like Liz Long, Monique St. Jarre and Alyssa Barrett. Each has done some amazing things.
But trust me. They won't blow everybody out all season. We need to see how they react in a tough game for the first time this year.
Wethersfield has been almost as impressive so far, and looks even stronger than the team that earned the top seed in Class L last year. I'm sure they want to make amends for the first-round exit, too.
Abigail Corning is another player that is subtly excellent. I can't count the number of out-of-area sportswriters who have watched her play and told me they weren't impressed with her game. I am.
For one, she is tough, extremely tough, on the court. And she has a nose for scoring. That's hard to gauge, but Corning seems to know just when to drive baseline (which is her signature move in my opinion), when to pull up, and when to look for a trip to the foul line. A lot of players can't adapt to different situations like she can. They try to do the same thing every time. Her ability to change it up is the sign of a great player.
Heather Lyhne looks to be putting the pieces together after showing a ton of potential for two years. Erin Verre is the perfect interior player to go along with a pair like that. She doesn't need to have the ball in her hands to do things. She'll go grab the offensive rebounds and do the dirty work.
Her sister Brenna is turning into a better-than-expected point guard. Jackie English is tough to guard with her size and shooting ability, although she needs to be more consistent from outside.
I haven't seen the freshman Morgan Murphy. But I hear good things about her, and I know she's got some talented genes. Her brother Tyler is a phenomenal athlete and keeps getting better at both football and basketball.
I really like Wethersfield's chances again this year, and the game against Kolbe Cathedral next week should be fun, whether they win or not. Kolbe's a legit top five team in the state.
As for other teams, Rocky Hill's Joyce Grodovich may be joining the elite player ranks, at least if she keeps scoring 29 a game. Plus Ashley O'Connell's been a consistent performer for the Terriers. They look far better than expected, although they beat up on two pretty weak opponents so far.
Southington also hasn't beaten anybody really good yet, although Newington and Farmington aren't pushovers by any stretch. But the Knights don't seem nearly as good as last year. I have to see them in person to say more about them.
I really was impressed last year with some of Newington's young players, particularly point Kristina Forsman who I think will be a star. I think that team plays as well as she plays this year. But I know Al Ford will know how to use his team's speed and athleticism to frustrate opponents defensively, even if they struggle shooting as they have since Kelly McVey graduated.
Plainville's going to be in for a pretty long year, but the Devils got a nice win over St. Paul it seems. Still, Alyssa Martino will probably be a focal point for defenses, and that could make it a frustrating year for her. Give Jen Micowski a couple years and this team will be right back though.

As for the boys, my knowledge is not quite as in depth. They've only played one week so far, not even a complete one. Plus there was a lot more graduation turmoil for local teams.
That said...
New Britain should be very good. Darius Watson is an electric player and the addition of Steven Glowiak gives the team a very consistent outside threat to keep teams from packing the lane against Watson, Tebucky Jones and the other slashers. Look for them to get better as the season goes on, hopefully.
Wethersfield has a couple dynamite pieces in Victor Anderson and Murphy. It's too bad P.J. Santavenere left for Middletown, but the Eagles are dangerous again. I continue to love the effort put forth by Peter Skevas on defense. The kid is fun to watch.
Newington's a bit of a mystery. Leupold is tough as nails, and has some pretty good skills at getting to the basket. Jon Riddick could be the most dominant rebounder in the CCC, but if you talk to the kid you realize that he doesn't quite know that about himself. He needs the self-confidence on the court to make it happen, and admittedly must work on his touch around the rim. This kid could dominate and completely frustrate opponents, but at the moment he's just a bit too "nice" on the court for lack of a better word.
Another pesky defender is Eric Figueroa. He needs to cut down on his offensive mistakes so that coach Wenzel can keep him in the game for defense. I haven't seen the Indians yet, but I'm hoping they can put things together.
Leupold tells me they'll be better than last year. I hope he's right.
Farmington may struggle, but they've always got Spencer Noon who can singlehandedly take a game over, with far less inate skill at basketball than he has on the soccer field. He's one of these players that must drive opponents nuts, saying how is this kid beating us. But he does.
Congratulations to Plainville on getting a win out of the way early. After an 0-fer year last season, the Devils can breathe easy the rest of the way. They seem much improved, with coach Marc Wesoly making a good first impression.
Berlin and Rocky Hill are other question marks. The Terriers lost a lot to graduation and it wouldn't surprise me if they were around the bottom of the league this season. The Redcoats are impressing new coach John Fote, familiar to Wethersfield fans. He says they are extremely coachable which is, of course, the ultimate compliment from a coach. That means expect more from the group the further they get into the season. But don't expect too much. It still seems like a middle of the pack kind of year for Berlin, although we've all been wrong before.

Finals Saturday

Today should be exciting, and I regret that I won't be at any of the football games. I will be filling in for Sports Editor Matt Straub at the Central men's and women's basketball games while he is out sick. He should be back by next week though, in time for me to hit the courts for some high school basketball, which starts up right away.
But football first.
Six games today. Six predictions.
I had a very good run of 8-3 in the semifinal round, which was a big change from last year when I got just about everything wrong. Let's see how I do with these even tougher games.

Class LL, Glastonbury vs. Cheshire: I'll say I'm still not terribly impressed with Glastonbury. I don't know why. I just don't believe the Tomahawks are that good, and I don't think they're going to break the CCC's run of struggles in this game.
I think Ragone will have a big day for Cheshire and the Rams will return to their glory days of the 1990s for a brief moment. But I'm not saying that will last.
Class L, Newington vs. Masuk: It's been quite a season for the Indians after most prognosticators, myself included, thought a .500 season would be a stretch. I figured out I was wrong about that after watching them once this year, in the opener against Hall, and immediately jumped to the other bandwagon saying I thought they could win a state title. That was reactionary, but they're making that look smart.
However, I think this is the end of the road. Newington played maybe it's best game of the year against Simsbury, so they're peaking at the right time. But it's hard to match what Masuk has done the last two weeks.
I don't think it will be a blowout. In fact, I'd expect closer to a shootout. But I think Masuk will put it away solidly at the end.
Class MM: New Canaan vs. Darien: This is the best matchup of the day, the one everybody in the state wants to know about. The winner of this probably gets voted number one unless Glastonbury wins, because just about everybody has either a loss or no marquee wins.
I've been saying since week three that I thought New Canaan was the best team this year. I'm not backing off it now. I think they'll win this one in a great game.
Class M: Ledyard vs. Brookfield: Ask anybody if they thought Ledyard would be back here after getting killed by Berlin opening night. If they're honest they'll say no. In fact, most thought it would be the Redcoats returning to this time take home a title.
But here's Ledyard. And here's Brookfield, going almost completely unnoticed all season despite having only one loss (to Newtown).
I don't think Ledyard will repeat, because I think Brookfield's a significantly stronger team. But maybe it's too early still to count out the defending champs.
Class SS: Seymour vs. New London: Quite honestly, while SS proved to be a very good division this year, these are the teams that most people probably would have picked to get here. The funny thing is New London doesn't look quite as invincible as they did six weeks ago, and after seeing them in person last week the Wildcats look extremely good. They have size up front, speed on the ends, and a super talent in Mike Osiecki at fullback.
The fans everywhere will love to hear the score from this one. They always do when Jack Cochran's involved. And I think Paul Sponheimer goes out with a championship over his longtime rival.
Class S: Cromwell vs. Ansonia: It's hard for a Rocky Hill alum to say this, but I'll be pulling hard for Cromwell in this one. I get tired of seeing Ansonia dominate, and I'd like to see an unlikely school get a win over one of the state's all-time powerhouses.
I was wrong when Cromwell got to the playoffs last year. New London killed them and then got pounded by Ansonia. But this Ansonia team is nowhere near as good. And this Cromwell team might have been a little bit better and is still looking for revenge from the last time the school got to the final.
I like the Panthers to take this one home.

football semifinals

It's that time again. Time for state playoffs in football, and lo and behold it's not even that cold today. That should make for some enjoyable games today at least. As for Saturday, that's anybody's guess.

I am about to head out to see Rocky Hill take on Seymour. It's the Terriers second playoff appearance after losing 22-19 to Hyde in 2005, a game that Rocky Hill probably deserved to win but missed a couple key chances at the end. We'll see if it's any different this time around, as Rocky Hill is once again a pretty heavy underdog.

But in general I'd say this is the most wide open the playoffs have looked in several years, at least since I've been covering them. Of the six divisions, I'd say only one has a definite clear favorite (Brookfield in M) and one other with a pretty safe prohibitive favorite (Masuk in L). The other four have two, three or even four teams that conceivably could win. I'm going to be curious just to see the scores come in after each game and see who stacks up where. The state polls should shuffle a lot by next week, but don't be surprised if New Canaan is still on top.

I'll start with the one other local game and go from there.

CLASS L

Newington at Simsbury: Up until Thursday I was worried about the way the Indians had been playing. Then they reminded me why I thought they were a title contender from very early on in the year. They pounded Wethersfield offensively, and even though the defense wasn't outstanding, it seemed to make the plays when it needed to, at least when the game was in doubt. It's hard to stay focused on Turkey Day with a 28-point lead.

Simsbury is good, and has certainly come from relative obscurity midway through the season to be one of the better teams in the state. Who would have guessed that Simsbury would be the second team in the CCC North to make a playoff game?

I don't know why. I like Newington to win a close one here. It's been quite a while since the Indians won a playoff game, but they played one of their better games of the season last week, and I think, should they stay healthy for this, they can get it done.

As for injuries, expect Harrison Scully and Jon Riddick to play in this one. There's no saving yourself for anything else at this point. And both are pretty tough kids.

Windsor at Masuk: Like I said, Masuk is a pretty solid favorite to win this, especially after pounding Newtown. While Windsor's been a good team this year, they have not been lights out. They have mediocre games, and never seem to blow anybody out.

I doubt they'll be able to put up a great fight against a very good team like Masuk.

CLASS LL

LL is more wide open than in years, mostly because the state's best reside in other divisions, mainly MM. But there are still some really good teams here.

Newtown at Glastonbury: Newtown really got pounded, and had New Britain or Southington won last week, might be sitting at home right now. So ironically, they have their current opponent to thank for their playoff spot.

I actually don't think they'll be returning any favors. While Glastonbury made it unblemished through a pretty good schedule, I don't think it was as good as what Newtown played. And I think Newtown's going to be pretty excited to play at this point after what happened last week.

I expect Newtown to sneak away. This is the game where Glastonbury doesn't get away with a mediocre performance, unlike when they played Southington.

Cheshire at Hamden: These two have been very under the radar. The buzz I hear about Hamden is they've always had the numbers and athleticism to be a good program, but now they have the coach too. Cheshire is hoping to regain its glory days.

I've felt pretty good about Hamden all season long, though, and I like the to sneak out in a competitive game here too.

CLASS MM

This is the cream of the crop. You could argue the top three teams in the state are all in this division. And poor Weaver is the fourth team that will have to try and deal with that, but shouldn't be around for very long. I'm really excited about these games.

Weaver at New Canaan: I saw Weaver against Wethersfield and quite honestly they got lucky. They should have lost, looking extremely unimpressive.

Meanwhile, I've felt all year long that New Canaan is the best team in the state. I don't expect this to even be close, although Rob Fleeting is a very good coach, and may have some tricks up his sleeve to even this out a bit. Still, look for New Canaan to roll.

Darien at Hillhouse: Darien's only loss was to New Canaan. Hillhouse went unbeaten against a slightly easier schedule, but not much. This is one heck of a semifinal matchup.

To be honest, I really would like to see a Darien-New Canaan rematch, so I will say that I expect that to happen. But I'm not so sure.

I really wish I could see this game.

CLASS M

Brookfield has a pretty open run here. None of the others were consistently impressive, and quite honestly Cheney Tech is overmatched.

Avon at Brookfield: Avon plays one of the easiest schedules in the state, and this year Tolland wasn't even as good competition as they usually are. I don't know much about Brookfield's schedule, but they sure pounded everybody.

I expect Brookfield to win this pretty easily.

Cheney Tech at Ledyard: Before Ledyard beat New London I thought they were slightly above average at best. Now they look like they could conceivably repeat as champs.

Cheney, for as well as they have played in earning this spot, is not on a level with any of the other playoff teams. The best team Cheney beat this year was either Prince Tech or East Catholic. That doesn't say a lot. Meanwhile, Ledyard is rolling after knocking off a true state powerhouse two weeks ago.

This won't be fair. But, as for me, I do feel Cheney deserves to play this game. They beat everybody on their schedule.

CLASS SS

The other matchup in this is probably the second best game in the state tonight, and either Rocky Hill or Seymour won't have an easy time in the final. In fact, I think this and LL are the two most balanced divisions this year. Any of the four teams could win either one. I wouldn't be surprised at all.

Montville at New London: Still, Montville got lucky. After putting up a one-point loss to the Whalers a few weeks ago, they had only to win on Thanksgiving Eve to clinch a spot, and lost to a pretty good St. Bernard group, but one they easily should have beaten.

Then Wolcott returned the favor by losing to Holy Cross the next day, so Montville's back in for what they probably had their minds on already. This is a grudge match.

I actually expect Montville to win this, in a thriller. The Whalers have struggled in big games since Jack Cochran got there, a strange thing to say about him. They are 0-2 in state finals, lost to Ledyard a few weeks ago and I think they are ripe for another upset against a team that is familiar with them. There's no playoff intimidation factor in this one.

CLASS S

Another set of games I'd love to be at. If you love the strategy of the game, and the roots with players going both ways, this is for you. These schools with small numbers bring the best out of athletes, and while the level of play isn't quite up to the LL and L brackets, the coaching is some of the best and the excitement from the schools might be even greater.

Hyde at Cromwell: This is the year Cromwell gets its playoff glory. The Panthers have a conference opponent that they beat pretty solidly first, and Ansonia is not as good as last year. Plus New London isn't around and these Panthers aren't intimidated by Hyde.

It's clear I think Cromwell will win Saturday too, but for now, I'll just say they should get past this one.

North Branford at Ansonia: I was stunned to see North Branford beat Cromwell, and I think the Panthers would love to get that matchup. But don't count on it. Even if Ansonia isn't as good as last year, they're still better than most. It's hard to be as good as a team that was voted the best in the state and had the state's all-time leading rusher.

Ansonia is used to getting to this point and winning. North Branford is relatively new to the game, although they got here in 2006.

So that's it. Let's see how these go now. I am headed out the door. See you at the game.