Vernon EditionDecember 21, 2010 -

January 3, 2011

The Sports DepartmentServing • Ellington • South Windsor • Tolland • Vernon

Also Serving • East Windsor • Enfield • Somers • Stafford

East Windsor’s “do it all” guy is our Community MVP.

See page 5.

Rockville softball standout commits to play at Fairfield.

See page 13.

Inside The Sports Department

High School Basketball

Season Tips Off

(Left) - South Windsor’s Maxine Offiaeli calls for the ball in the post during the Bobcats 75-34 early season loss to East Catholic. Photo by Sherrene Wells, The Sports Department, www.wellsphotogallery.com.

(Right) - Tolland’s Kristin Schatzlein jumps during the opening tip against New Britain. Photo by Sherrene Wells, The Sports Department, www.wellsphotogal-lery.com

See more high school coverage,beginning on page 4.

December 21, 2010 - January 3, 20112 The Sports Department

The Sports Department is published monthly, and is available free of charge, at display stands in approved private and public establishments, and through autho-rized distributors only.

No part of this paper may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

The Sports Department is not responsible for any editorial comment (other than its own), typographical errors from advertisements submitted as camera ready or any reproductions of advertisements submitted as camera ready.

If an advertisement does not meet our standards of acceptance, we may revise or cancel it at any time, whether or not it has been already acknowledged and/or previously published. The advertiser assumes sole responsibility for all statements contained in submitted copy and will protect and indemnify The Sports Depart-ment, it owners, publishers, and employees against

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The Sports Department assumes no responsibil-ity for unsolicated material or reproductions made by advertisers.

The Sports DepartmentP.O. Box 746, Ellington, CT 06029

860-872-0TSD (0873) • 860-614-5866thesportsdept.com

Publisher: Kevin Hayes • kevin@thesportsdept.comEditor: Brendan Faherty

Production Manager: Brenda DonovanContributing Writers:

Tom Ainsworth • Steve Smith • Reid L. Walmark • David Donner• Nate Owen • Jon Buzby • David Heuschkel • Steve Krajewski

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The Sports Department is published on the first and third Wednesday of each month and is available at more than 250 locations across eight towns in North Central Connecticut. More than 50,000 readers currently enjoy The Sports Department’s comprehen-sive coverage of the local sports scene.

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 2011 3The Sports Department

You Don’t have to Take a Holiday from the Youth Sports Routine

By Jon BuzbyThe Sports Department

Most youth sports teams, unless they are serious and play in a holiday tourna-ment, are off the entire week after Christ-mas. And unfortunately for athletes, the availability and temptation to eat sweets and other fattening foods is greater than at any time during the year.

Add to that the cold weather, a warm fireplace, video games and the Internet, and what you get is the optimal atmo-sphere to gain weight, get out of shape and not be ready to return to whatever sport you are playing when the season resumes in January.

I know that most kids don’t have access to a gymnasium and most homes aren’t equipped with basketball hoops, wrestling mats or weights in the basement, but there

are other ways to stay active and in shape during the holiday vacation.

Whether you play baseball or not, indoor batting cages are a great place to get some exercise. Just moving your body to swing a bat is more of a workout than your upper body will get reaching in the cookie jar. Follow the trip with some time at a local arcade — unless there is one in the same building — and encourage your kids to play some sports-related games, such as shooting a basketball or playing skee ball.

Indoor roller rinks or ice rinks are not only great teenage hangouts, but they also provide aerobic exercise, which is benefi-cial no matter what sport you play. Just remember that if you spend most of your time standing around talking and in line at the concession stand, you aren’t going to

reap the benefits of being there.How about a trip to the local bowling

alley? Most alleys have specials this time of year to attract families who are look-ing for something to do but still suffering from holiday expenses. You can decide to extend the outing by letting the kids play in the arcade and eat, or limit them to just bowling to save money and time.

If your house has a treadmill or some other stationary exercise machine, ask permission to use it. Even if you just use it for the length of one short television show, that’s better than watching from the couch.

And last but not least, on the days when it’s not absolutely freezing out, get outside and do something. Shoot hoops, take a walk, or if it’s snowing, sledding is a wonderful workout (jog your sled back up the hill). Don’t stay outside until your hands and feet are numb, but there’s noth-ing wrong with being a little cold for a short period of time.

And then, of course, you can go back in-side and warm up with a hot cup of cocoa, and a few Christmas cookies.

Should Coaches Practice Over The Holidays

I’m not suggesting that the team needs to gather Christmas Eve morning, but I’ve found through the years as a coach that my parents are more than happy to have somewhere to take their kids during the break. And when not coaching, I certainly shared that same opinion as a parent.

The key is making sure everyone is on the same page about the purpose of any practice held over the holidays: Is it man-

datory or just optional?My suggestion in this regard is to make

it completely optional. Undoubtedly you already have a player whose family is fly-ing somewhere and isn’t going to change their holiday plans to attend practice. So before Santa even comes down the chim-ney, if you make the practice mandatory, you’ll have one player benched for the first game of 2010.

And even if a family isn’t going away the entire week, my guess is there are day trips planned. My family is already scheduled to make two day trips to visit family during that week off, so as much as I’d want to take my kids to a practice, if it falls on either day, it’s just not happen-ing.

As a coach, I always make sure the holiday practices are fun — mostly scrim-maging and their favorite drills — and let the players know that ahead of time, knowing it will make them want to attend and that they will do everything in their power to get there.

As a parent, I give my kids the choice to attend practices held over the holiday. After all, it’s their vacation, too. Typically, if we are in town, they — like me — are more than happy to get out of the house.

Holiday practices can be a wonderful distraction from the hustle and bustle of the season. That is, if they are scheduled with the spirit of the season in mind.

Reach syndicated columnist Jon Buzby at jonbuzby@hotmail.com, and be sure to read his weekly Sports Buzz online at www.thesportsdept.com.

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 20114 The Sports Department

Ellington Girls Hoopsters Off To Fast StartBy Dan SchoferThe Sports Department

After an 18-7 season last year and an ap-pearance in the second round of the Class M tournament, Ellington’s girls basketball team looks to build off that tournament run and have an even better one this season. And they are off to a great start, as the team won their first three games of the 2010-2011 campaign, includ-ing double digit wins over both Woodstock Academy and Bolton.. With All-State point guard Kelly Conley, all-conference center Julie Gageand key returning players Claudia Perez and Savanah Kresge, the girls look poised for a strong run into the NCCC and state tournaments.

Boys BasketballComing off a second place finish in the

NCCC tournament with a 15-11 overall record, this season’s Ellington boys basketball team hopes to finish at the top of their conference, And they are off to a good start, as they defeated Rockville in their opening game.

Coach Donald Flint believes that as long as this squad manages difficult

situations well, their depth and team chemistry should be enough to put to-gether one of the best season’s Ellington has had in years. Led by captains Mike Gresh, Zack Graves and Brannen Wes-ley and with key players Aaron Daley and Dan Schofer, this group has their sights set high. With strong play from the whole team they will have a good shot at beating tough opponents like defending NCCC co-champs Enfield and Avon and a solid Windsor Locks lineup.

HockeyThis year’s Tri-Town hockey team is

coming off a 16-6 season and an ap-pearance in the Div. I tournament, where they lost to Darien in the second round. Coach Kevin O’ Leary believes that this team can definitely be a contender if they devote themselves to team defense and realize everyone has to play D, not just defensemen. This group doesn’t have any superstars, so they will need

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Tri-Town’s Brian Borbas controls the puck in front of Fermi’s Nick Ferracci. Photo by Steve Palmer, The Sports Depart-ment, www.stevepalm-erphotog-raphy.com

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everyone’s best effort to win each game. Led by captain Steve Pernal, other key players this year include Brian Borbas, Dan Bell, Ian Leiching, Justin Locke, Mike Hanna, and Nick Alcutt. All these players bring a lot to the team and if they bring their best effort they have a good shot at taking down tough teams like Enfield and Suffield.

Kelly Conley looks to turn a corner past a defender during the Knights game against Bolton. Photo by Steve Palmer, The Sports Department, www.stevepalmerphotography.com

December 21, 2010 - January 3, 2011 5The Sports Department

East Windsor’s Ted Szymanski A Tireless WorkerBy Reid L. WalmarkThe Sports Department

Ted Szymanski of East Windsor thrives on the challenges of full-scale involvement in youth sports, from coaching to being a league administrator to handling gameday preparations. His volunteer work has made a sweeping impact on young athletes since the 1970s. That formula in part led him to being inducted into both the East Windsor Athletic and East Windsor High School halls of fame in 2009.

Szymanski’s most deep reaching accomplishment, though, might be his inspiration along with a few others in help-ing to create the North Central Connecticut Travel Basketball League in 1995. It began with 25 teams from six towns and now boasts close to 100 teams from 20 towns, representing boys and girls and different age groups.

Much of the league’s expansion is a credit to his persistence, to reaching out to coaches from other towns to sell them on the benefits of joining the league. Obvi-ously, Szymanski, chairman of the East Windsor Parks and Recreation Commis-

sion, is persuasive.For his count-

less contributions in many sports – and for focusing not only on the youth of his native East Wind-sor – Szymanski, 59, has been named The Sports Depart ment’s Community MVP for December.

“He puts in hours you wouldn’t believe,” said Bill Raber, trea-surer of East Windsor Youth Basketball and chairman of the East Windsor Board of Education.

“I cannot think of anyone who deserves it more,” Raber said.

Szymanski, a founder of the East Wind-sor Athletic Club, played basketball and participated in track at East Windsor High School. He played soccer as a freshman at Quinnipiac College. He began coach-ing as an assistant for the St. Catherine’s CYO boys basketball team in 1971.”

Szymanski is proud of his time volun-

Do you know someone that should be recognized as an MVP in your com-munity? Send us your nomination today!! You may submit nominations online at www.thesportsdept.com. Be sure to include a few sentences as to what makes the person a Community MVP and remember; an MVP can be anyone who has helped to make a difference by working with young

athletes in our community.

Rockville Bank is proud to sponsor this month’s Community MVP

Community MVP (Most Valuable Person)

teering for East Windsor Little League, starting in the late 1980s, in which partici-pation expanded to 535 players.

Szymanski has lent his time to East Windsor men’s softball and its over-30 league, guiding its inception in 1996; he formed the town’s Jaycee Courant baseball team in 1996; he helped start up the North Central Connecticut Flyers AAU basketball club, for boys and girls, along with Ray Christiansen. Szymanski has been the Little League All-Star manager – and former president – and has coached Senior League baseball as well. He has fought to allow the reuse of fields at Pierce Park and Broad Brook School.

Szymanski is following his son, Alex, a senior on the East Windsor High School wrestling team. His oldest son, Benjamin, 27, and daughter, Jessica, 20, a junior at Southern Connecticut State, played bas-ketball, baseball and softball in town. They helped their father in coaching his players

in the fundamentals. His wife, Cindy, has assisted him over the years, too.

“All along I’ve tried to stress fundamen-tals, fun and respect,” said Szymanski, with the state Department of Transporta-tion for the past 26 years. “Players need to understand the fundamentals of the game; they need to enjoy the game or they won’t continue to play; and they need to have respect for their teammates, opponents and all involved and this carries over to their everyday experiences. The kids are great. It’s been very rewarding for me.

“I like to see what they’re doing when they’re done playing. When the honor rolls for East Windsor are in the paper and other towns [Ellington, Stafford, Enfield, Granby, Suffield, West Springfield]. I always scan through them to see their names.”

In 2002, Szymanski received the Public Service Award from Connecticut’s Secre-tary of State for his years of volunteering with youth sports.

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Tri-Town team captain Stephen Pernal rushes the puck up the ice during an early season game. Photo by Steve Palmer, The Sports Department, www.stevepalm-erphotography.com

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 2011 7The Sports Department

Helping Your Young Athletes Perform Their Best By Brooke de LenchThe Sports Department

With the winter sports season underway, the nation’s 50 million elementary, middle and high school athletes face challenges like never before. As a sports parent, you are equally challenged with ensuring your kids perform their best in school and on the playing field. Each month I will have tips that will help you in your role as a sports mom or dad. If you have sugges-tions for a topic you wish to have me write about please let me know.

As a sports parent, keep in mind that you, as the title of my book implies, have the Home Team Advantage. There are many things you can do from home that

will give your child the edge. The following five tips are simple yet underappreciated.

Blow the Whistle at BedtimeStudies show that students need nine

hours of sleep but only get about seven. Set a consistent “lights out” time for turning off the computer, cell phone and television so young athletes get the rest they need. Consider docking texting and gaming de-vices away from their bedroom to reduce late-night distractions.

Fuel the BurnActive young athletes need at least

3,000 calories per day for peak perfor-mance, so they need to eat very frequent-

ly. Help them maintain energy throughout the day by sending them off with healthy, high-carb, low-fat snacks such as energy bars, trail mix or dried fruit to munch at their desks (if it’s ok with the teacher). Students with early morning workouts should eat two breakfasts – one before the workout and one before school. Try to send young athletes to practice with a snack to help them recover and refuel.

Be Proactive About Hydration

Staying hydrated during the school day is challenging. In fact, studies show that many student athletes start their sports already dehydrated, making it difficult for them to catch up during activity. For safety and performance reasons athletes need to be hydrated no matter what the season, indoors or outdoors, and water isn’t enough because it doesn’t hydrate as effectively as a sports drink that is scientifically formulated with fluid, electrolytes and carbohydrates to rapidly replace what athletes lose through sweat and provide energy to keep them at the top of their game.

Use Sports Sense to Power SchoolworkGreat athletes are disciplined, focused

and dedicated. Help young athletes chan-nel these qualities to manage their school-work as well. Encourage them to use free

time at school to review notes or complete smaller assignments. Also, coach them to tackle the tough stuff first. Young athletes will be tired after sports, so they should finish priority and difficult homework earlier in the day.

Don’t Forget the FunYouth sports may be increasingly competitive,

but the top reason kids play sports is to enjoy the game. Look out for warning signs that students are struggling to enjoy the experi-ence, and work with them to find a solution.

Warning signs include: complaints of sickness at

practice or game time; slow return to practice after injury;

nervousness, anxiety or anger before, during or after the game; practices well but plays poorly.

Next month I will address “how to talk with a coach” which is one of the most dif-ficult things for many parents to do.

Brooke de Lench is a youth sports expert. She is the author of HOME TEAM AD-VANTAGE: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports (Harper Collins) and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MomsTeam.com-the trusted source for youth sports parents. Brooke de Lench can be reached at delench@momsteam.com © 2010 Brooke de Lench/MomsTeam

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 20118 The Sports DepartmentTolland

Tolland’s Seniors Look For Success On The IceBy Katy SproutThe Sports Department

Tolland’s hockey team, combined with E.O. Smith and Windham, will look to have another successful season after finishing 12-9-1 last season. The team is off to a slow start after a 7-2 loss to Rocky Hill-RHAM-Middletown. Tolland’s role in this team is represented by seniors Bryan Dun-ham and Austin Nelson. Nelson is the top defenseman on the team, and Dunham is a forward who will be taking over the scor-ing this year. Coach Victor Hurtuk says the team’s strength is their team cohesion and versatile utility players. Their weakness is to overcome their inexperience on de-fense. Hurtuk says “We have a solid core of players waiting to see who will emerge to lead the team past the success of 2009-2010.” He hopes to return to the CCC South tournament final, and to be success-ful they need the beat the more difficult teams like Newington/Berlin, who they’ll play early in January, and Avon/Windsor, who they will see late in the season.

Boys BasketballThe boys’s basketball team opened

their season against Maloney on De-cember 15 with a 73-46 loss after being eliminated from the state tournament in the second round for the second year in a row last season. Top returning players are seniors Andrew Roussey, and Kris Strobel. The team is less experienced than it was last year, and losing 6 varsity players will take its toll. First year head coach Mike Lewis said that the keys for success this year is playing hard, play-ing smart, limiting turnovers and having an effective defense. He says that their main weakness is rebounding. Once they overcome that and sharpen the skills of the younger players, they should be able to do well this year.

Girls BasketballThe girls’ basketball team is in good

hands this year, even after losing four seniors. The team is off to a solid start early, as the Eagles are 2-1 with wins over Rocky Hill and Bristol Eastern.

Last year they made it to the Class M semifinals, where they lost 47-46 in over-time to Stonington. This year they have the same, if not more potential to make it into the finals if they work hard during their season.

Track and FieldThe girls track team has always been

consistently well off with their depth. They lost valuable runners from last year and gained only a few freshmen but the return-ing talent is capable of doing great things. Top returning athletes are seniors Audrey Corbin, Heather Kittredge, and Emily Isch, and juniors Emily Howard, Erin Connelly, and Kristin Carr.

The boys track team will have to make up for the loss of several very valu-able seniors. At the moment most of the strength lies in the distance events, the same runners who won the state open championship during their cross country

Allie Gallo tries to beat a New Britain de-fender as she brings the ball down court. Photo by Sherrene Wells, The Sports Department, www.wellsphotogallery.com

season. Seniors Bryan Fowler and Trevor Lafontaine will lead the team this year, and the underclassmen will have to step up to help their team succeed.

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Kristin Schatzlein goes up for the rebound against the New Britain frontcourt. Photo by Sherrene Wells, The Sports Depart-ment, www.wellsphotogallery.com

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 2011 9The Sports DepartmentTolland

Tolland’s Jess Olsen goes up for a floater in the lane during the Eagles game against New Britain. Photo by Sherrene Wells, The Sports Department, www.wellsphotogallery.com

After serving as director of the Tol-land Girls Travel Basketball program for the past several years, Tolland resident Mike Lewis wasn’t exactly looking for a return to boys basketball.

But when Tolland High School dis-missed its boys varsity coach ear-lier this year, Lewis decided to take a chance and submit his resume for consideration. And he’s glad that he did.

Lewis was hired late last month to replace Steve Tozier, who was relieved of his duties after four seasons.

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New THS Coach Settles Incant experience, including one year as a student assistant (1982-83) at the University of South Florida under head coach Lee Rose. After his assistant coaching stint, Lewis moved to the ad-ministration side where he worked the next 15 years.

It is a great opportunity to continue building the Tolland basketball pro-gram,’’ Lewis said. “With the CCC, we are in a conference that allows us to compete on a statewide level. We are looking forward to the challenge.’’

~ Kevin Hayes

December 21, 2010 - January 3, 201110 The Sports DepartmentSouth Windsor

Bobcats Look To Take Next Step On The MatBy Reid L. WalmarkThe Sports Department

The key to the Bobcats reaching or surpassing last year’s CIAC Class LL and State Open runner-up finishes to Danbury will hinge on the performances of the wrestlers with limited or no varsity experi-ence. That’s according to coach Jude Knapp, in his 14th year with the team. “It will depend on them,” Knapp said.

South Windsor won the CCC North for the fourth year in a row and went 13-2 against state teams in 2009-10 and 16-3 overall. Three Class LL champions, two of whom were State Open runners-up, will lead the Bobcats. Two of them are sophomores.

Senior Jake Odell will wrestle at 152 pounds this winter. In 2009-10, he won Class LL at 145 pounds and was sec-ond in the State Open. Sophomore Sam Odell was first in Class LL at 103 pounds; 10th-grader Casey Mitchell won Class LL at 130 pounds and placed second in the open. Mitchell will wrestle at 135 pounds in 2010-11.

Three other seniors are returning start-ers – heavyweight Paul Sullivan, who was fifth in the class tournament last year, Brandon Lopez, who was fourth at 125 pounds in LL and Keith Dalesio, who will compete at 145 pounds. Three juniors are returning with experience – Matt Braddock at 171 pounds, John LaBonte, 140 and Hunter Rich at 112 or 119.

Boys BasketballFirst-year coach Brendan McClay inher-

its a team that went 2-18 in 2009-10 and returns none of its starters. It showed in their first game, dropping a 67-37 contest to Conard. Four players with experience, though, are returning.

Four seniors who played some last year are 5-foot-8 inch guard Jordan Jones, 5-8 guard Connor Douglas, 6-0 forward Andre Sanders and 6-3 center John Pelkey. Junior center Craig Hilliard, who is 6-4, will receive meaningful minutes, after he comes back from an injury, McClay said, as will 5-10 senior forward Chris Bombara, who missed last season with an injury.

“I’m still figuring out the rotations,” Mc-Clay said. “But I want to make sure to give experience to the younger players.”

The Bobcats opened Dec. 15 at Conard in West Hartford.

Girls BasketballEven after losing four starters from last

year’s 2-18 team, the Bobcats are off to a 2-1 start. Coach Don Leclerc is expecting consistency and hard work to lead to im-provement over the course of the season. Coach Don Leclerc is expecting consisten-cy and hard work to lead to improvement over the course of the season.

“What we lack in experience, we can make up with heart, hustle and determina-tion,” said Leclerc, in his second year with South Windsor.

Senior guard Amy Bellone and senior forward Jackie Rankin are the captains. Expected to see significant playing time are senior guard Shannon Martin, junior center Savanna Gray, sophomore guard/forward Marissa Silverman, senior forward Stephanie Greenman, junior forward Shannon Grimes, junior guard Rachel Kar-lins and senior forward Emily Johnston.

The Bobcats were 0-2 after their first two games this season.

HockeyTwelve players with significant ice time

last season returned to the Bobcats boys hockey team that finished 13-9, and made it to the quarterfinals of the CIAC Division I tournament. Their experience showed with a 7-2 win over Simsbury to open the season. The Bobcats, the No. 2 seed, won the CCC North tournament last year with a 5-2 victory over top-seeded Glastonbury.

Coach Neil Rodman (99-57-1), in his

8th season, will rotate two reliable junior goaltenders – Chris Marchi and Ryan Serksnas. Marchi was 13-8 in 2009-10 with a 2.03 goals against average and a .918 save percentage; Serksnas was 1-1 a year ago with a 3.44 GAA. Seniors Kyle Benson, who had 12 goals and 15 assists last year, and Troy Kremidas are the top returning forwards.

The Bobcats’ first game was Dec. 15 against Simsbury.

Girls Indoor Track

Coach John Salcius has 20 new athletes in 2010-11 as he began his fourth year. This will help add depth to the performanc-es of two returning school record-holders.

Senior Preethi Vaidyanathan finished seventh in the Class LL championships last winter in the high jump. She holds the school record of 5-feet and won the outdoor track State Open at 5-4. Senior Alisha Barrett placed ninth in the Class LL indoor shot put; she owns the Bobcats’ record of 29-feet-9 inches. Junior Jennifer

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South Windsor’s Tommy Pease prepares to make a pass. Photo by Steve Palmer, The Sports Department, www.stevepalm-erphotography.com

South Wind-sor and East Catholic play-ers battle for control during the opening tip. Photo by Sher-rene Wells, The Sports Department, www.well-sphotogallery.com

December 21, 2010 - January 3, 2011 11The Sports DepartmentSouth Windsor

Savanna Gray and Rachel Karlins try to stop the East Catholic player from grabbing a rebound. Photo by Sher-rene Wells,The Sports Department, www.wellsphotogallery.com

Continued from Page 10 Dean was 16th in the indoor shot put at 28-11/2 in February. Senior Alexandra Shaw placed seventh in the long jump last winter.

“The 20 new athletes may be able to con-tribute,” Salcius said.

Boys Indoor TrackVeteran football coach Mike Bullock has

taken over indoor track with 32 athletes on the team. The Bobcats opened Dec. 17 with the New Haven Varsity Invitational at Hillhouse.

Bullock believes senior Kevin Doolady will be competitive in the long jump and his brother, Sean, will be part of a potent 4 by 400-meter relay. Also in that relay are junior Patrick Seypura, sophomore Ryan Volker and senior Billy Manzi. Senior Brendan Gauthier will run the 1,600 and junior Sam Kaczmarek should be competitive in the shot put.

Boys SwimmingThe sport debuts on Jan. 4 with a meet

against E.O. Smith and Tolland at theStarhill Aquatic Center in Tolland. Coach Heather Vendetta has 22 athletes on the team, including one diver. Nick Purrington and Justin Kenefick have been named captains.

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GymnasticsFormer Bobcats All-Stater Toni Lan-

gevin, a senior at Eastern Connecticut, is in her second year coaching the gym-nastics team and is hopeful there can be improvement from last year’s eighth-place finish in the CIAC Class L meet.

Four athletes return with experience. Senior Kayla Celentano was All-State in the vault, averaging 8.42 in that event last year, and floor exercise (8.39 average). Sophomore Maddie O’Brien was All-State on the beam (8.36) and on the bars (8.67). Senior Sharraye Matthews will compete in the beam, floor and vault. O’Brien and Kileigh Nassau will be competing in the all-around.

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 201112 The Sports DepartmentVernon

RHS Boys Hoop Looks To Replace Five PlayersBy Reid L. WalmarkThe Sports Department

Peter McCann began his third year as the Rams boys basketball coach two losses to Berln and Ellington, but the team hopes to improve on its 3-17 record of last season. He will be handicapped by the replacement of four starters and five letter-winners and needing his team to compensate for a lack of size. But he has several promising players with experience to integrate into the rotation of meaningful playing time. The Rams will be deep.

Senior forward Jori Dumais, junior guard Tyler Green, the lone returning starter, and junior guard Tavi McGhee Kelly have been named captains. Dumais is a strong re-bounder, Kelly is an effective slashing player and reliable defender and Green is a leader.

“These guys love to play offense. The key will be to get that same enthusiasm on de-fense. If they buy in and work at it, we should be all right,” McCann said. “The team won’t have one dominant scorer.”

Senior forward MJ Faniel, senior forward Ian MacDonald, a three-sport athlete for the Rams, junior guard Vince Desilets and sophomore forward Raekwan Barber will receive plenty of playing time, McCann said.

Girls BasketballCoach Craig Archambault is off to an 0-4

start in his first year as the girls basketball coach. The Rams lost three seniors and are even younger in 2010-11, but Archambault is optimistic they can improve upon their 2-18 record through the leadership of senior captain and point guard Melissa McCann.

The team will rely on junior guard McKenzie Davis as well.

Twelve of the 18 players in the program are freshman. The Rams opened their sea-son Dec. 8 against Farmington. Freshmen Courtney Joubert, Daphne Botteron, Danielle Wemmell and Wendy Weston are expected to battle for starting positions.

“Throughout the oftfseason and into the beginning of this year Melissa has been a great leader,” Archambault said of last year’s leader in assists and No. 3 scorer.

HockeyCoach Christian Stevenson of the Rock-

ville/Manchester/Stafford United hockey team opened with a 3-1 loss to Farmington, but expects improvement from a 5-14-1 record from last season. Just one starter has graduated..

“Every season we stress that our team is on defense until they are offense,” said Ste-venson, in his 12th year. “If this team buys into that philosophy, their talent can take care of the rest.”

Junior Angus Deane of Rockville returns among the forwards. Junior Ryan Hassel-berger and senior Brad Simard of Rockville will be the anchors on defense. Senior Alex Masse of Vernon will be a defenseman.

Freshman Matt Roy, from Stafford, will be one of three goaltenders. Two other Stafford athletes will be playing on defense – junior John Sellew and freshman Shawn Sellew.

United opened Dec. 16 vs. Farmington at home in Bolton.

WrestlingTim Gardiner, a former Rockville wrestler

who graduated in 2005, takes over as coach of the Rams with the goal of rebuilding the program. It won’t be done overnight, accord-ing to Gardiner, for he will struggle to find wrestlers to fill all 14 weight classes. Only 14 are on the team.

Gardiner will rely on two seniors – Chris Castonguay, at 160 pounds, and Jamie Carter, at 215. “It’s going to be a rebuilding year. I want to get more people involved,” Gardiner said.

The Rams opened Dec. 15 at home against Bristol Central.

Girls Indoor TrackCoach Ray Owens has a small squad of

girls indoor track athletes. Senior Olivia Bot-teron will be running distance events, senior Kelly Walker will be doing the sprints and

senior Courtney Carpenter will be competing in the long sprints.

Boys Indoor TrackSenior captains and sprinters Gabe God-

frey and Kevin Babcock will lead the Rams, as will senior Marcus Dubose. Babcock placed eighth last winter in the CIAC Class M 600-meter run, with Dubose finishing 14th and Godfrey 22nd. Rockville won’t have much depth, though it lost just four athletes from the 2009-10 team.

“We have dedicated seniors that are willing to work hard and pass on their knowledge,” said coach David Ferrer, in his seventh year.

The season began for both teams Dec. 17 at the Hillhouse Invitational in New Haven.

December 21, 2010 - January 3, 2011 13The Sports Department

Student Athlete of the Month

Olivia BotteronCross Country

Nickname: ObottsAccomplishments: High Honors, Honors, All Academic, All conference, National Honor Society, School Record for the 3200GPA: 3.3Other sports: Indoor Track, Outdoor TrackHow do you prepare for a game: Lis-ten to music, and envision how I plan to perform during the race.Thoughts on the season: We have a new and rebuilding team this year, although we did well considering we managed to win some meets.Toughest team to play against: Tol-landFavorite sports memory: Winning the freshman race at the Wickham Park Invitational.Favorite memory of high school: All of the proms I went to.Role model or inspirational person in your life: My coachMost embarrassing moment: When my team made fun of me for wearing a lace tank top to a cross country meet.Toughest challenge I’ve overcome: Coming back to running after hav-ing 2 severe hip injuries that required surgery.Favorite athlete: Jacoby EllsburyMost famous (or near famous) per-

son I ever met: Jim CalhounPerson I’d like most to meet: OprahFavorite way to relax: Driving around in my bug with friends.Favorite class: Allied HealthFavorite snack food: DoritosFavorite band/musician: Taylor SwiftFavorite restaurant: Red RobinRed Sox or Yankees: Red SoxFavorite movie: Saint RalphFavorite television show: Pretty Little Liars and The Secret life of the Ameri-can TeenagerPlans after high school: I plan to attend a nursing school to acquire my BSN and become a Registered Nurse.

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The dream began to take shape for Rockville High’s Brianna Levick when she was just 14-years-old. It was then that Levick made the first of what would be numerous trips to the campus of Fairfield University. Levick attended an off-season hitting clinic on her first visit to the school and ever since she has known where she wanted to spend her college years.

Levick - who is a three-time All-CCC selection and all-state shortstop for the Rams - signed a letter of intent Dewc. 13 to attend Fairfield University on a softball scholarship next fall.

“It took a lot of hard work to get here, but now I am just kind of relaxing and enjoying the time off for a while,’’ Levick

said.As a junior for the Rams last season,

Levick batted .582 and had a slugging percentage of .927. A slick fielder at short, Levick turned in a fielding percent-age of .962 and helped the Rams to 17-3 finish during the regular season.

Frank Levick, who is both Brianna’s father and varsity softball coach at Rock-ville, said all of the hard work paid off.

“People used to laugh that she would be hitting 1,000 balls down in the base-ment, but this is why because this is where she wanted to be,’’ Frank Levick said. “This is what she has wanted since she was 14. She worked hard to get here. I’m so proud of her.’’

-- Kevin Hayes

The Levick family gathered together at RHS to celebrate the big occasion. From right to left, Frank Levick, Briana Levick, Angell Levick and Cody Levick.

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 201114 The Sports DepartmentKids Activity Directory

RHS To Host Girls Basketball Salvation Army ClinicThe Rockville Girls Basketball Team will be hosting a free clinic on Decem-

ber 29th from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for girls in grades 3-8 at the Rockville High School gymnasium. Please bring any old piece of clothing as your admission to the clinic, all clothing donations will benefit the Salvation Army. If their are any questions, contact Craig Archambault at 860-558-1162.

8th Annual Ellington Holiday Tournament On TapThe Eighth Annual Ellington Holiday Basketball Tournament will be held on Dec

28th and 30th at Ellington Middle School. The tournament is an annual showcase of area 8th grade boys basketball teams. This year the field consists of teams from South Win dsor, Newington, Portland and host, Ellington.

Former alumni of the tournament include Mansfield’s Tyler Olender (UConn) and former East Catholic standout BJ Cardarelli of Manchester, currently playing at St. Thomas More in Montville. Admission is $2 for adults and children under 12 are free.

Alumni GameThe 6th annual Rockville va. Manchester alumni hockey game will take place on

New Year’s Day from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Bolton Ice Palace. The cost will be $30 per player. Donations are welcome at the door. All proceeds will benefit Rock-ville High School and Manchester High School Scholarships. For details, contact Kathy Lynch at 860-871-0434. Pictured are the participants from last year’s game.

EHS Standout Named Academic All-American Ellington High senior Mike Thomas, a two time

all-conference and all-state selection in soccer, added another piece of hardware to his trophy cabinet this month. Thomas was named to the 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America high school scholar All-American team. Thomas, who is a member of the National Honor Society, was a four-year starter for the Knights and played an integral part in the teams’ run to consecutive Class M state titles in 2007-08.

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 2011 15The Sports DepartmentOutdoors

By Keith ColliThe Sports Department

Happy Holidays to everyone. I want to thank all those who participated in voting Crystal Lake Outfitters the Number 1 ice fishing store in the area, recognizing our commitment to having all your ice fishing needs and more importantly we are the in-formation central for what’s happening on all the local ponds and lakes. This year we will have an active website and Facebook account that will report on ice conditions and local ice fishing derbies. The “Great Crystal Lake Ice Derby” sponsored by The Rockville Elks/Rockville Fish and Game club will be held February 12, 2011. Regis-tration will be available at the store. We will have a way for people to put up some of their pictures on the site and call it the

Enjoying The Outdoors: Make Winter Your WonderlandBragging Board”.

This year’s free DEP ice fishing seminar at Crystal Lake school will be held January 4 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. This is a free program sponsored by the store and put on by the fisheries department. The semi-nar will cover ice safety, fishing tackle and techniques, and understanding how fish act during the winter. Last year we had 45 people attend and most of them were kids that had a great time with all the displays. A follow up fishing derby will be held in February.

Lucky Eddie Strikes AgainEveryone thinks ice fishing is a “peculiar

sport”; but there is no better way to enjoy the company of friends and family and get away from the cabin fever blues. The state put over 140 salmon in the lake in Novem-ber. Add that to the 185 4-5 lb brown trout and 500 rainbows and there’s a lot of fish to be caught. Many of the fishermen hit-ting the lake in the past month saw some phenomenal action. Many salmon weigh-ing up to 16 pounds and averaging 8-12 pounds were caught and brought to the store for weighing and pictures. “Lucky Ed-die” Fuller the 86 year old Tolland resident caught three salmon one day. The one fish that he kept weighed 10.75 pounds and beat out his son’s fish by a pound for bragging rights. Fisherman reported an av-erage of a salmon caught for every three hours fishing.

Deer Season Comes To An EndDeer season has come to an end with

the largest deer checking in at 216 lb. It

was an 8-pt buck shot by a 16 year old hunter out with his father. Distribution of deer was spread out throughout Tolland County and by all indication the herd is in very good condition. The state biologists that worked the reporting stations said

the average deer were almost 10 pounds larger than last year. Large antler growth was attributed to the two years of abun-dant acorn crops.

As winter sets in the woods are at their liveliest as animals scurry and forage to be sure their winter stocks are full. We are very fortunate that Tolland County has some of the best hiking trails in the state. The state maintains roads through most of the forest and these make for some easy and casual walking through a winter wonderland. Soapstone Mountain, located in the Shenipsit state forest in Ellington and Somers has a great trails system. The trails are well marked and the parking lot located on Gulf Road is well kept and secure. When you venture out wear layers of clothes, that way you can stay as warm as you need to as you walk.

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 201116 The Sports Department

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 2011 17The Sports DepartmentLocal Sports Photo Page

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Each month The Sports Department will run a “Local Sports Photo Page” filled with exciting photos of local kids doing what they do best: Having Fun! Readers may vote online at www.thesportsdept.com for their favorite photo. All voters are automatically

entered into a drawing for two tickets to see the 17 Time World Champion Boston Celtics play at TD Bank Garden in Boston.

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The NCGSL U14 Ellington2 fall ball team. Pictured front left to right Lauren Rivard Kelly Sempre-bon, second row Alyssa Walters, Jordan Harbaugh,Taylor Duclus, Micaela Luginbuhl, Sarah Riley, Back row Erin Wardrop, Danielle Markowski, Jenna Garrison, Shannon Semprebon, Kelly Gor-man, coaches Don Skewes Kim Semprebon, and pitching coach Alyssa Skewes. Photo submitted by Don W Skewes

Tony Bachiochi of Stafford keeps his eye on the ball during the 7th Annual NCCC Senior All-Star Soc-cer Classic last month in Enfield.

Ellington’s Matt Duguay (dark jersey left) and EHS teammate Connor DeFemia (back) surround Enfield’s Mike Derosches during the NCCC Senior All-Star Clas-sic game.

Tolland High Boys XC Team shows off its State Open Championship Plaque at the school. Photo submitted by the Rodriguez family.

December 21, 2010 - January 3, 201118 The Sports DepartmentHealth & Wellness

By Daniel M. Veltri, M.D.The Sports Department

Injuries to the foot and ankle are com-mon in high school and college sports. Ap-proximately 40% of all athletic injuries in high

school sports are to the foot and ankle. In both men and women’s college basketball, 25% of all injuries are to the ankle and 2.5% are to the foot. Fortunately most injuries are sprains and can be treated with rehabilita-tion.

Athletic ankle and foot injuries can be sprains, acute fractures, or stress fractures. A sprain is a tear of a ligament. Grade I tears are microscopic tears or stretch inju-ries. Grade II injures are partial tears of a ligament, and Grade III injuries are com-plete tears of a ligament. Acute fractures are breaks in the ankle or foot bones from acute trauma. Finally, stress fractures are breaks in bones that occur from repetitive stress of sports activities.

The most common injury to the ankle in sports is the lateral ankle sprain (low ankle sprain). This occurs when the foot rolls downward and inward (inversion). The athlete often states I “rolled my ankle”. This occurs when a basketball player comes down from a rebound and lands on another player’s foot or the outside of one’s ankle. The athlete may hear a pop at the time of injury. Swelling and bruising then occur and the athlete has difficulty walking. Immediate treatment should include RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation). If the athlete has difficulty walking, they should see a sports medicine physician to obtain an x-ray to check for an acute fracture. In children with open growth plates at the ankle, this injury can create a fracture of the outside ankle bone (fibula) at the growth plate. In this case the child has tenderness at the fibula growth plate and not below the fibula at the level of the ankle ligaments. This type of fracture may not be visible on routine x-ray and may require a MRI. However in most cases in the child has this tenderness at the growth plate, and we place the child in a walking cast for four weeks followed by a sports ankle brace and physical therapy. The child can return to sports in six to eight weeks.

The classic low ankle sprain involves the

Foot And Ankle Injuries Come In All Formsanterior talofibular ligament (connects the fibula to the talus), and the calcaneolfibular ligament (connects the fibula to the calca-neus). The ligaments are stretched Grade I , or partially or completely torn Grade II and III. There is local tenderness over the ligaments and swelling. When examined, the foot moves excessively relative to the tibia due to the torn ligaments. Once an x-ray determines a fracture is not present we recommend a sports ankle brace for support. If necessary, crutches can be used for a few days. Once the athlete can walk comfortably with the brace we recommend physical therapy to resolve the swelling and restore ankle range of motion, strength, and coordination. Most high school and college athletes can return to full sports in 2-6 weeks depending on the severity of the sprain. We recommend use of the sports ankle brace for the first sports season on return to sports. While the athlete can at-tempt to skip the therapy, this increases the risks of recurrent ankle sprains. Even with adequate physical therapy, 10% of athletes may still have recurrent ankle sprains and require a surgical procedure to tighten the injured ligaments to restore stability to the ankle.

The high ankle sprain is less common than the low ankle sprain. The high ankle sprain involves the ligaments that connect the tibia to the fibula or the syndesmotic ligaments. This is more common in foot-ball. This occurs when the foot is planted on the ground and the athlete is hit on the outer part of the ankle. The ankle everts or rolls outward relative to the leg. There is tenderness over the syndesmotic ligaments and significant swelling. The ligament on the inside of the ankle (deltoid ligament) may also be injured. Initial evaluation requires x-rays to look for fractures. If the x-ray shows that the bones are spread apart due to a complete ligament tear, surgery may be needed to screw the bones together to allow the ligaments to heal appropriately. This may later require screw removal and return to sports may take 4-6 months. Partial ligament injuries in less severe high ankle sprains require RICE and initial limited weight bearing in a walking cast or boot. This is followed by physical therapy. Average time to return to sports is 6-8 weeks.

High ankle sprains are more common in football than basketball. Football can also lead to midfoot or Lis-Franc sprains. This

occurs when the front of the foot is planted on the ground. The athlete is leaning forward when another athlete lands on the heel. This results in tearing of the ligaments that connect the metatarsal bones to the cuneiform bones at the middle of the foot. There is significant swelling and tender-ness at the midfoot. This is made worse by moving the front of the foot back and forth relative to the middle of the foot. X-rays are taken with the athlete bearing weight. If the bones move apart indicative of complete tearing, surgery is required to put the bones back together to allow the ligaments to heal in the appropriate position. If the bones are in the normal position, a cast or walking boot is used with limited weight bearing for a minimum of 6 weeks to allow the liga-ments to heal. Physical therapy is then required to restore normal ankle and foot function. The athlete generally can return to sports in 3-6 months.

Sports injuries to the foot and ankle can result in acute broken bones or fractures. The end of the tibia bone on the inside of the ankle is called the medial malleolus. The end of the fibula bone on the outside of the fibula is called the lateral malleolus. The same force that causes ankle sprains can lead to fractures. If the athlete cannot bear weight after an injury an x-ray is needed to look for a fracture. When one side of the ankle is fractured, the bones can often be pushed back into place and treated with a non-weight bearing cast for 6-8 weeks. If both side of the ankle are fractured, surgery with both screws and plates may be required to hold the bones in the correct position for healing. When the ankle rolls inward, the base of the small toe metatarsal bone may fracture. This is best treated with a walking cast for 6 weeks.

Finally stress fractures are common injuries to the foot and ankle in athletes. Bone experiences constant turnover in bone material due to rebuilding and breakdown in bone. Stress fractures occur due to failure of bone rebuilding to keep pace with break-down .This is a result of cumulative repeti-tive stress due to inappropriate shoe wear or change in frequency, intensity or duration of training. This can also occur in indoor track season due to running on the harder surfaces inside school hallways. Usually the athlete complains of slowly increasing pain and swelling that can acutely worsen. Common low risk stress fractures include fractures of the lower third of the tibia above

the ankle and the second and third meta-tarsals (march fractures). These are treated with immobilization in a walking boot or cast with protected weight-bearing. A return to running program can start in 6-8 weeks.

High risk stress fractures occur in bones with a poorer blood supply. The navicular bone in the foot and the lower third of the small toe metatarsal are common stress fractures that occur with basketball. The ath-lete present with pain and swelling in the af-fected bones. Eventually the athlete cannot play due to the pain. Initial x-rays may not reveal a fracture. Often an MRI is needed to show the fracture. These high risk fractures may require surgical repair with screws to allow for complete healing and full return to sports.

Trauma to the ankle in sports can result in acute or stress fractures or sprains. Acute fractures of the ankle and foot can be treated with casts or surgery. Low risk frac-tures can be treated with walking boots or a cast and limited weight bearing while high risk fractures may require surgery. Ankle and foot sprains result in ligament tears. In complete tears the bone may be displaced requiring surgical screws to hold the bone together until the ligaments heal. Fortunate-ly, most sprains can heal with a supportive brace or walking boot and physical therapy. Initial treatment of athletic ankle and foot injuries should include RICE. If the athlete has pain with weight bearing, an x-ray is needed. Evaluation by a sports medicine trained physician can outline appropriate treatment to both manage the original injury and determine return to play.

Michael CanneyAgency Principal

Canney Insurance Agency, LLCAllstate Insurance Company

420 En�eld StreetEn�eld, CT 06082Fax 860-741-7592

54 Hartford TurnpikeVernon, CT 06066

O�ce 860-645-7444michaelcanney@allstate.com

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December 21, 2010 - January 3, 2011 19The Sports DepartmentHealth & Wellness

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