ConneCtiCut CoaCh • issue 3 • 2012 - Connecticut High School Sports

Jessica Jowdy 

St. Joseph High School 

alexander schroeder 

Stonington High School 

PhiliP smith 

Northwest Regional High School 

rebecca weir 

Coginchaug High School 

2012 Scholar/athlete 

ScholarShip WinnerS 

Governors’ Cup Football Game 

Saturday, June 30 at Rentschler Field

Page 2 • ConneCtiCut CoaCh • issue 3 • 2012

ConneCtiCut CoaCh • issue 3 • 2012 • Page 3


Touching All The BAses 

by John J. Fontana, Executive Director, 

Connecticut High School Coaches Association 

Professionalism preached 

but seldom practiced 

As educators, we may forget what we learned, 

however, it is truly unfortunate that we don’t practice 

what we preach. The following article by Lori Riley of The 

Hartford Courant makes me sad to say I spent 40 years 

in education to have to read about what happened to 

Pat Risley. I’d like to think that even if I missed what was 

being taught in the classroom that I was lucky enough to 

learn more valuable lessons from my mother and father 

on how to handle people. 

The removal of the athletic director position in this 

day and age is one of the most ridiculous decisions any 

school district can make, but be up front about your 

decision. Any administrator has the right to do what they 

feel is right, but it would be nice to think that any one in 

a position of authority would have handled something 

as important as this in a much more dignified manner. 

People all over are losing their jobs every day, but 

at least in education we should preach what we teach. 

This story is a sad example of this just not being the 

case. 

by Lori Riley, The Hartford Courant 

Pat Risley grew up on Pleasant street in Willimantic. 

his dad coached american Legion baseball. his mom 

drove a school bus. 

his brothers and sister all played sports at 

Windham high. as a senior, Risley was a captain of the 

wrestling team, which won the program’s first state title. 

Risley, now 46, started coaching in Plainville but 

his heart was always at Windham high. When longtime 

Windham wrestling coach Brian Crudden retired, Risley 

took over the program and seven years ago, Risley took 

over for the retiring Bob haddad as an interim athletic 

director and became full time a year later. 

For many, it would not be a dream job. salaries 

are undoubtedly higher in other towns, with fewer 

problems of the type Windham has to deal with. But 

there’s something about Windham high that draws its 

graduates back, to give back to the town, the school, 

the community. Risley’s wife works in Middletown; 

they moved to Columbia so their two kids could go to 

Windham high. 

“this is where my love is, this is where my passion 

is,” Risley said. “anybody who knows me or who 

has seen me through the years, or has had their kids 

involved in the program, would know that.” 

so imagine how Risley felt when he read in the 

Willimantic Chronicle the morning of april 14 that there 

was “no need for a separate athletic director” in the 

Windham school system anymore. 

Risley said that steven adamowski, the former 

hartford superintendent who was appointed by the state 

to overhaul the town’s troubled school system, has never 

spoken to him. he has never asked him, Risley said, 

what his duties are, or asked for input on what changes 

should be made. 

But one of adamowski’s initiatives was to appoint 

a special administrative manager, whose duties, 

according to adamowski’s remarks in the Chronicle, 

would include scheduling, transportation, security, 

maintenance, extracurricular activities, common areas, 

food services and athletics. he confirmed to the Chronicle 

in an april 13 email that with the saM position, there “is 

no need for a separate athletic director.” 

Windham high’s interim Principal gene Blain, a 

former football coach at Killingly high, is slated to take 

over the saM position. 

adamowski did not return calls on Friday. 

Windham superintendent ana ortiz was reluctant to 

specify the job’s duties Friday morning. 

“i can’t answer that yet,” she said about the 

athletic director job being eliminated. “i wouldn’t say 

it’s definitive.” 

When read the quote in the Chronicle story, 

however, ortiz said, “if he made it clear, then go by 

what he said.” 

the problem is that not only is Risley — who 

has done so much for Windham athletics — being 

disrespected here, so is the position of the athletic 

director. 

People generally don’t know what athletic 

directors do. they go to basketball and football games. 

they reschedule games when it rains. they get officials. 

that’s pretty much it, right? 

“People think it’s not all that important, but it’s 

an extension of the school day,” said Betty Remigino- 

Knapp, the full-time athletic director for Conard and hall 

high schools in West hartford. “We need to make sure 

it’s run properly.” 

here’s what the job can include: scheduling of 

games, officials and transportation, rescheduling of 

games, officials and transportation when it rains/snows, 

hiring coaches, making sure coaches are certified and 

have first-aid training, professional development of 

coaches, dealing with parents’, athletes’ and coaches’ 

complaints and issues, overseeing facility maintenance, 

site management and crowd control at home games, 

overseeing the sports medicine staff, dealing with new 

concussion regulations, the athletic budget, ticket sales 

and record-keeping of gate receipts, inventory and care 

of school athletic equipment and arranging practice 

schedules. athletic directors deal with pay for play. 

athletes who want to play sports in college come to 

the athletic director for help with nCaa eligibility and 

clearinghouse issues. 

not only does Risley serve as the athletic director 

for the high school, he also oversees middle school 

sports, physical education and teaches two health 

classes. 

“athletic directors, their plates are tremendously 

full,” said Fred Balsamo, the executive director of the 

Connecticut association of athletic Directors. “it’s a job 

that requires a lot of time if it’s going to be done right. 

and come budget time, it’s always a position that’s 

tinkered with and reconfigured.” 

Balsamo said that the association was so concerned 

about the future of high school athletic directors that it 

ConneCtiCut CoaCh • issue 3 • 2012 • Page 5 

hired a lobbyist this year. 

“the legislation we put forward was to highlight 

the fact that the legislature has passed a number of laws 

regarding concussions and that coaches have to have 

Ceus, certification, first aid and CPR training,” said 

Balsamo, a longtime athletic director at Middletown. 

“the athletic director, the person who supervises them, 

the monitoring of this, the implementation of this — you 

can’t find us anywhere in the statute, even that we exist. 

“[the legislature] felt that this was not the year to 

deal with this. they don’t see these things as being of 

vital importance.” 

it’s too bad because obviously a vibrant athletic 

program is of vital importance to a healthy school and 

healthy children. over 40 percent of the students at 

Windham high participate in athletics. 

ortiz said Friday that Risley, a former physical 

education teacher, will still have a job, as a Pe and 

health teacher. But when i talked to him last week, Risley 

was more concerned about the future of the athletic 

program. 

“i care about Windham athletics,” he said. “i care 

about Windham high school. Do i think these changes 

are going to impact Windham athletics and Windham 

high school? absolutely. that saM position — it’s 

going to be quite cumbersome — and what’s going to 

get shortchanged is my biggest question. i know athletics 

will be shortchanged. i know more demands are going 

to be put on the coaches. Right now, anxiety level is 

way up there with the coaches. they don’t know what’s 

going to go on, what kind of support they’re going to 

get. i’m not claiming i’m the best aD in the state but i 

think our coaches feel they are supported. 

“it trickles down to the kids. this will affect the 

students and that’s who i care about the most. My son’s 

a student-athlete there. he’s a sophomore. Where is 

this athletic department going? how many kids are we 

going to lose because they’re going to leave Windham 

public schools because of all these changes? We’ve 

already lost a ton of Columbia residents because of what 

Windham’s going through. our athletic department was 

one of the strongest things that attracted these kids to 

come to Windham.” 

that’s the ironic thing. in a consultant’s report 

on the Windham school website, listed under “What 

the school Does Well,” was “athletics and sports are 

strong.” 

and later in the report: “the school has very good 

sports facilities, which several successful sports and 

athletics teams use well. this area is a key strength of 

the school.” 

“that’s going to continue, even if Mr. Risley doesn’t 

have [the athletic director’s] position,” ortiz said. “it’s 

just going to be managed differently.” 

But will it be done with the kind of passion Risley 

brought — the kind that a school district like Windham 

needs?

48th Annual Coaches Recognition Dinner 

More than 900 coaches and friends turned out on thursday, May 10, 2012 at the spacious and beautiful 

aqua turf Club in southington to honor the past year’s recipients who received the “outstanding Coach award.” 

the Joseph J. Fontana Distinguished serv ice award went to Fred Balsamo, executive Director of the Connecticut 

association of athletic Directors; tom Monahan honor award went to Joe Madaffari, athletic Director at Brien 

McMahon high school; and the Joseph Calvanese sponsorship award went to neil gilman of gilman gear. 

Joseph J. Fontana Distinguished Service Award 

FreD BAlSAmo 

The Connecticut High School Coaches Association annually recognizes substantive contributions to Connecticut coaches 

through the Coaches Association with the Distinguished Service Award. Named for Joseph J. Fontana whose professional life 

was characterized by excellence in service to Connecticut coaches and high school athletics as CHSCA Executive Director, 

it is the Association’s most prestigious recognition of service by individuals who function outside the CHSCA, CIAC and the 

NHSACA. 

Pictured from left to right are: CHSCA President Steve Filippone, 

Joseph J. Fontana Distinguished Service Award recipient Fred Balsamo 

and Gary Makowicki, CHSCA Chair of the Awards Committee. 


Joseph Calvanese 

CHSCA Sponsorship Award 

Neil GilmAN, 

GilmAN GeAr 

The Connecticut High School Coaches Association annually 

recognizes an outstanding contributor to the Connecticut 

Coaches Association with this prestigious sponsorship 

award. Named after a great Connecticut humanitarian, 

Joseph Calvanese, who over the years has contributed so 

much to this organization. This award is given each year 

to a corporate sponsor whose organization has given so 

much to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association. 

Shown in photo at right are 

CHSCA President Steve Filippone, 

accepting for Joseph Calvanese CHSCA Sponsorship Award 

recipient Neil Gilman, his brother Jeff Gilman and Gary Makowicki, 

CHSCA Chair of the Awards Committee. 


Thomas r. monahan 

Honor Award 

Joe mADAFFAri 

The Connecticut High School Coaches Association annually 

presents this honor award to a member of the education 

profession who has made significant contributions to high 

school athletics while exhibiting the qualities of leadership, 

integrity and professionalism which have become 

synonymous with the man for whom this recognition is 

named: Thomas R. Monahan, one of the Association’s 

founding fathers and most esteemed leaders. It is the 

Coaches Association’s highest award to professional 

educators from within the CHSCA, CIAC and the NHSACA. 

Shown in photo at left are (l-r) 

CHSCA President Steve Filippone. 

Thomas R. Monahan Honor Award recipient 

Joe Madaffari of Brien McMahon High School and 

Gary Makowicki, CHSCA Chair of the Awards Committee.

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39th annual chsca 

all-star baseball Games 

the format for the 2012 Connecticut high school Coaches 

association all-star Baseball games has been set. 

Games Listed BeLow: 

Tuesday, June 12 

5 PM: District 3 versus District 4 

7:30 PM: District 1 versus District 2 

games played at Plainville high school. 

Wednesday, June 13 

5 PM: two winners of above district games 

game played at Plainville high school, Plainville. 

New eNglaNd all-Star gameS 

on saturday, June 23, 2012 at Plainville high school, the 

state of Massachusetts will bring down their best senior and junior 

all-stars to play the best from Connecticut. 

the senior all-star game will be played at 12 PM and the 

Junior all-star game will be played at 3 PM. Both games will be 

played at Plainville high school in Plainville, Ct. 


to make the above games a success, we must have the full 

cooperation of all the coaches of players and the players themselves 

that have been selected in helping to sell game tickets. it is this 

revenue that will assure us of continued competition. each coach and 

player is responsible for the 10 tickets he will receive and an ad – we 

urge you to help us in this venture. 

aLL-star coaches 

District i – Brian Roy (hC), Canton high school; 

Pat holden, st. Paul Catholic high school 

District ii – tony Wilmot (hC), Ridgefield high school; 

Ralph Franco, Masuk high school 

District iii – Mike Phelan (hC), holy Cross high school; 

george Dummar, Branford high school 

District iV – Paul steiner (hC), RhaM high school; 

scott Martin, stafford high school 

Junior seLect Game: 

Wednesday, June 13 

7:15 PM: grey team versus Blue team 

game played at Plainville high school, Plainville. 

only juniors are eligible for this game. there will be 20 

players on each team with a maximum of two players from any 

one school. 

Junior seLect coaches 

Blue team – steve Matyczyk (hC), simsbury high school 

scott Werkhoven, shepaug Valley Regional hs 

Matt Memoli, newtown high school 

grey team – Dave Masters (hC), simsbury high school 

tony Deangelo, hamden high school 

Frank Fedeli, Weston high school 

august 2012 Ceu Module offerings at CiaC oFFiCe, 30 Realty Drive, Cheshire, Ct 

no waLK in reGistrations 

ThurSDAy, AuguST 23, 2012 (6-9pM) Module 8: Strength & Conditioning Design 

FriDAy, AuguST 24, 2012 (6-9pM) Module 14: Critical Incidents & Emergency Planning 

SATurDAy, AuguST 25, 2012 (8:30-11:30AM) Module 5: CIAC Rules & Regulations 

SATurDAy, AuguST 25, 2012 (noon-3pM) Module 4: Legal Aspects of Coaching 

SATurDAy, AuguST 25, 2012 (3:00-6:00pM) Module 16: Appropriate Use of Electronic Media 

Registration for any or all of these 5 modules must be done online at: http://www.ctcoachinged.org/Ceu.html 

no waLK in reGistrations


mike Pitruzzello, Director of Athletics 

a Mike graduate is a of graduate southern Connecticut of Central 

state Connecticut university. state he university earned a in Masters new 

and Britain. sixth he year earned from his the Bs and university Master’s of 

Connecticut. 

in Physical education 

Len has 

at CCsu 

been 

and 

actively 

his 

involved in interscholastic athletics for 

the 

administrative 

past 37 years 

degree 

as a coach 

at sacred 

and athletic 

heart 

director. university. 

he started started his teaching his teaching and coaching and 

career coaching at career south Catholic at Cromwell in hartford high 

where school, he where coached he served football, as the freshman athletic 

basketball Director for and 15 years. track For and the served last five as 

athletic years he Director. has been the Director of 

athletics 

in 1988 

at 

he 

Middletown 

began his career 

high school, 

at new 

Britain high school as head Football 

Coach. 

and was 

a 

named 

health 

athletic 

and Physical 

Director 

education 

of the 

teacher Year in 2011 he became by the District ChsCa. Coordinator 

of Mike health, taught Physical Physical education and 

athletics. health for as 34 athletic years in Director, the Cromwell Len has 

been school able District. to implement in 1972 a full he also time athletic began 

trainer his coaching for the career high school. at Cromwell high 

school During as an his coaching assistant in career boys at soccer south 

Catholic and nBhs, he was honored 

and baseball. in those 34 years he 

by the Football Foundation Coach of the 

Year 

won two 

in 1979 

state 

and 

titles 

1993. 

in soccer, 

he was 

and 

also 

is 

the only 1993 one recipient of a handful of the of ChsCa coaches coach to 

of take the three year. different in 1998 programs he was an to nFL a state high 

school title game: Coach boys of soccer, the Year baseball finalist and 

was girls honored basketball. at the super Bowl in Miami 

Florida. During in 1999 his he coaching was honored career by the at 

Central cromwell Connecticut high school Board he was of elected officials to 

and was awarded the national Football 

the ChsCa hall of Fame in 2006 and 

Foundation grant for athletes to improve 

academic 

received the 

performance 

Fred J. Post 

in 2008. 

Distinguished 

Len has 

coached service award three players from the who Central went Board on to 

play of soccer in the officials nFL and in all 2006. three played in a 

super he Bowl. was he named has volunteered the national the past 

eight soccer years Coaching at Bulkeley association high school’s Coach eric 

Mangini/tebucky of the Year in Region Jones 1 and Youth was Football one of 

Clinic eight national and for the finalists Ct/Ri for all Coach star Football of the 

game. as a member of the Connecticut 

Year in 2002. in addition, in 1999 he 

association of athletic Directors, he was 

the was recipient named of the the national state award Boys of soccer Merit 

by Coach the of national the year interscholastic by the national athletic high 

administration school athletic association. Coaches association. he has 

taught in 1996 leadership he was training named classes the ChsCa at the 

some members may be unaware that 

one of your insurance benefits is liability 

insurance for camps you run and the 

ability to purchase accident insurance at 

good rates for your participants. if you 

have an “additional insured” requirement 

(probably your school system or the facility 

where the camp is operated) there is an 

additional fee and you must also purchase 

the participant accident insurance. the fee 

for naming additional insureds is $150.00. 

if you need accident insurance for 

participants, there is a link on our website, 

Mike Pitruzzello 

Boys state athletic soccer Directors Coach Conference. of the Year. in 

1995 at he the was state named level, Len the is Connecticut 

President of 

high the Connecticut school Coach high for school Boys soccer Coaches by 

the 

association. 

CsCa. 

he has been the site Director 

for numerous state tournaments including 

he has been the executive Director 

championship games in boys and girls 

for soccer CsCa as well all Boys as football. soccer Len Coaches is an 

in active the member state of of the Connecticut ChsCa and for was 15 

years. inducted in into 2001 the he ChsCa was named hall of to Fame both 

the in 2008. Middletown Len serves sports as hall the treasurer of Fame 

and for the the Central Cromwell Connecticut athletic Conference Club hall 

of and Fame. has been this on year, numerous 2012, committees he has 

been including selected the as expansion national Finalist Committee for 

athletic 

which increased 

Director 

league 

of the 

membership 

Year by the 

to 

32 schools. the CCC is currently the 

national 

largest league 

high 

in 

school 

the state. 

athletic Coaches 

association. he currently resides in Manchester 

with at his the wife state Deborah, level, he and has son served Clayton on 

many who recently CiaC committees. graduated his from facility Curry at 

Middletown College. his high daughter school now Melissa, serves a 

camP insurance 

loomislapann.com, click on “sports 

insurance” then on “noCaD – sports 

Camp Coverage”. there is a minimum 

fee of $225.00 for this coverage and the 

premium can be higher if you have a great 

number of participants. 

Liability insurance for members is in 

effect for all your coaching activities as 

well as your classroom duties. the ChsCa 

pays for this coverage from your clinic fees. 

unfortunately, associates, athletic trainers 

and first responders are not covered. 


as university one of of the Connecticut main sites graduate for CiaC lives 

soccer finals and football semi-finals. 

this coming year he will serve at the 

President of the Connecticut high 

school 

in Brooklyn, 

Coaches 

nY 

association. 

where she teaches 

he currently resides in old 

saybrook with his wife of 40 years, 

Monica. special education he has two and sons, coaches Michael girls 

and stephen who have three daughters 

between them. Both sons and their 

families are still active in playing 

soccer. basketball for the new York City Public 

Mike was a former athlete at 

Middletown high school in football 

and baseball and went on to sign a 

minor 

school 

league 

system. 

contract 

his son 

in 

Lenny, 

the Baltimore 

lives in 

orioles Minor League system. he will 

enter his fortieth year in education next 

year. old Lyme, and is a small business owner. 

CHSCA Selects 

Officers for 

2012-2013 

Michael Pitruz zello of Middletown 

high school becomes President, Bob 

Freimuth of Plainville high school 

becomes First Vice President and Dave 

shulze of Fairfield Ludlow becomes 

second Vice President and neal 

Curland of norwich Free academy 

becomes third Vice President. Bob 

Cecchini will continue as treasurer. 

Charlie sharos will continue as 

secretary and continuing to run the 

organization as executive Director 

is John Fontana. steve Filippone 

will move into the immediate Past 

President role. 

Leaving the executive Board is 

neal Curland, Kathy Walling and 

Jim Penders. taking their place on 

the executive Board is Lou Marinelli, 

new Canaan high school; Michele 

Cordeau, Wolcott high school; and 

Bob Mcnamara of Prince tech.

camp insurance forms 

The forms for your summer camps are available from the ChSCA office starting now 

until June 20, 2012 ONLY! please request these forms bEForE this date for next 

summer’s camps. 





Proud to be a 

sponsor of the 

Connecticut 

High School 

Coaches Association 


Governors’ cup all-star Football, June 30, 2012 

sponsored by stadium system 

since 1999, the Connecticut and 

Rhode island high school Coaches 

associations have organized and 

conducted an interstate all-star 

football game that showcases 

some of the finest high school 

senior athletes in new england. 

each november, top coaches are 

nominated and selected by their 

respective coaches’ associations for 

this prestigious coaching honor. this 

year, the Connecticut all-star team 

will be led by harry Bellucci of 

hartford Public high school while 

the Rhode island team will be led 

by Chris shurka of Cumberland 

high school. 

in January, every high school 

football program in Connecticut and 

Rhode island is invited to nominate 

seniors for all-star game consideration. 

of the hundreds of athletes vying 

for tryout spots, approximately 

300 players are invited to test at 

“combines” held in their respective 

states. ultimately, 55 players are 

chosen for each team. Practices are 

held for 10 days leading up to the 

big game. this year the game will 

take place at Rentschler Field in east 


hartford, on saturday evening, 

June 30, 2012 at 4:30 PM. in early 

spring, the Connecticut all-star team 

and their coaches are recognized by 

Connecticut state Legislators at the 

Capitol in hartford. 

as the governors’ Cup has 

begun increasing profits from the 

event, they have been able to 

make charitable contributions to 

the community. this year will be 

no different as charities will once 

again be the beneficiary of any 

profits. these organizations will be 

announced in the next newsletter 

and on our website in the near future. 

governors’ Cup game 2011

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Football Game Tickets Only $8.00! 

the Ct vs. Ri all-star Football game committees have planned a Youth Football Day. the governors’ Cup, 

which follows, is a charity football game in which all proceeds, after expenses, go toward designated charities. 

the game will take place at 4:30 PM at Rentschler Field in east hartford on saturday, June 30, 2012. activities 

begin at 12:30 PM with the Youth Football Clinic. 

to find out more information regarding the events for youths, please check out our website at cthssports.com, 

for the Youth Day Football Clinic. 

admission to the game is still only $8.00 and admission to the Youth daY Football CliniC is Free. Please call 

John Fontana at 860-628-4122 for information on the clinic or the game. 

2012 All-Star Connecticut Team 2012 All-Star rhode island Team 

Player School 

Michael Antonio Cromwell 

Aaron Berandino Windsor 

Brandon Birdsell Bethel 

Shaun Bowman Cheshire 

Jawad Chisholm Bunnell 

Nicholas Colasante Glastonbury 

Ben Compton Windsor 

Matt Corcoran Stamford 

Pat D’Amato Xavier 

Brett Director Cromwell 

Ian Dugger Hall 

Matt Duignan Masuk 

Jevan Elmore New London 

Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn Old Lyme 

Timothy Farina East Lyme 

Jose Forestier Bulkeley 

Evan Foster Bunnell 

Chandler Foster Stamford 

Henry Foye Hand 

Vance Giarratana Hand 

Leaon Gordon Brookfield 

Wesley Hopkins Northwest Catholic 

Jamar Johnson Bloomfield 

Emir Kuljancic Wethersfield 

Sebastian Little Cheshire 

Ryan Lumpkin Windsor 

Brandon Lytton Torrington 

Sean Marinan, Jr. Xavier 


Brandon Martin Notre Dame 

Hakeem Martin Ansonia 

Kyle McKinnon New London 

Anthony Morales Cromwell 

Genois Nelson Maloney 

Devon O’Reilly Glastonbury 

Daniel Palmer Hartford Public 

Matt Paola Pomperaug 

AJ Pascuzzo Sheehan 

Jason Piontkowski Masuk 

Khamil Rangolam Hillhouse 

Ludovic Richardson Notre Dame 

Maleek Riley Northwest Catholic 

Robert Rose Shelton 

Ardian Sahinovic New Fairfield 

Jovan Santos-Knox Xavier 

Dallas Smith Ledyard 

Isaiah Thomasson Maloney 

Tommy Undercuffler Berlin 

Dylan Vano Ansonia 

Giovanni Viven New Britain 

Zach Voytek Trumbull 

Jonathan Ware RHAM 

Billy Wayrauch Cheshire 

Austin Wezenski Xavier 

Brandon Williams Bassick 

Tyler Wood Ansonia 


Kyle Audette Chariho 

Andrew Bieting Hendricken 

Ryan Brannigan Hendricken 

Jalin Braxton E. Providence 

Drew Brown Barrington 

Brian Buxton Cumberland 

Angel Camilo Cranston E. 

Nick Carr Toll Gate 

Aaron Chartier E. Providence 

Laionel Cintron Hendricken 

Sean Conley S. Kingstown 

Kevin Deschamps Burrillville 

Jack Durkin Narragansett 

Kyle Eva Chariho 

Xavier Ferland Haroun Cranston W. 

Cassidy Ferraro Chariho 

Mitchell Gaboury Cumberland 

Andre Gilbert Tolman 

Mark Griffith Narragansett 

Max Heintzelman Hendricken 

Thomas Hurley St. Raphael 

Alexander Leddy Pilgrim 

Kevin Mason E. Greenwich 

Zachary Mays St. Raphael 

Jason Meunier La Salle 

Patrick Miranda St. Raphael 

Jayquan Monteiro Mt. Pleasant 

Trevor Morgera Rogers 

Theo Moskala Mt. Hope 

directions to rentschLer fieLd 

From THe NorTH: Take I-91 South to Hartford to I-84 East (Exit 32 - left exit). Follow 

84 East to exit 58, Roberts Street Silver Lane. On the exit ramp keep to the right and 

continue straight through Silver Lane into the Rentschler Field Main Gate. 

From THe SouTH: Take I-91 North to Hartford to Route 15 North to I-84 East/Charter 

Oak Bridge (Exit. 29). Merge left onto Route 15. After bridge, take Exit 91 Silver Lane. 

Turn right at end of ramp onto Silver Lane. Follow Silver Lane toward the Rentschler Field 

Main Gate. 

From THe SouTHweST: Take either I-84 East or I-91 North. Follow directions above 

from the South. From Route 15 North, follow to Exit 91 Silver Lane. See directions above 

from the South. 

From THe eAST: I-384: Take Route 6 West or Route 44 West to I-384 West. Follow 

I-384 West to Manchester. Take Exit 1 Spencer Street. Turn left at end of ramp onto 



Peter Picerelli La Salle 

Cody Platt Rogers 

Edward Pupoh Central 

Andrew Read EWG 

Spencer Read Westerly 

Marc Anthony Reynoso La Salle 

Beau Richards Cranston W. 

Davon Robertson St. Raphael 

Tyler Rocha Cranston W. 

Matt Rousseau Cranston W. 

Jack Ryan Barrington 

Nicholas Salois Warwick 

Joe San Martin Mt. Hope 

Tyler Somberg Moses Brown 

Bryan Stetson Cranston W. 

Will Sturgis La Salle 

Homlin Taylor Tolman 

Jamal Tucker Shea 

Cory Tweedie St. Raphael 

Mike Washington Central 

Reeyon Watts Rogers 

Aaron Webb Hendricken 

Frank Wiley Middletown 

Preston Woodbury La Salle 

Sean Young La Salle 

Samuel Yules Moses Brown 

Spencer Street. Follow Spencer Street onto Silver Lane in East Hartford. Follow Silver Lane 

to Rentschler Field East Gate. 

i-84: Take I-84 West toward Hartford to Exit 58, Roberts Street/Silver Lane. At end of 

ramp, turn left onto Roberts Street and follow to Silver Lane. Merge into one lane and 

continue straight through Silver Lane into the Rentschler Field Main Gate. 

From THe SouTHeAST: Via Route 2: Take Route 2 West toward Hartford. Take I-84 

East to Exit 58 Roberts Street/Silver Lane. On exit ramp, keep to the right and continue 

straight through Silver Lane into the Rentschler Field Main Gate. 

From THe weST: Take I-84 East toward Hartford. Follow I-84 Eat to Exit 58 Roberts 

Street/Silver Lane. On the exit ramp, keep to the right and continue straight through Silver 

Lane into the Rentschler Field Main Gate.


youth Football clinic Planned 

for Governors’ cup event 

the Ct vs. Ri all-star Football game committees 

along with the Youth Football Coaches association have 

Awards to Honor Past Coaches 

the Ct-Ri governors’ Cup Football Committee will 

honor six coaches each year at its annual football 

game. on the field at the end of the game the following 

awards will be presented in honor of past football 

coaches from each state: 

ConnECTiCuT: 

Jerry McDougall, (posthumously) Trumbull High School 

Larry Mchugh, Xavier High School 

rob Szymaszek, (posthumously) Maloney High School 

rhoDE iSLAnD: 

Charlie Gibbons, Rogers High School 

Frank iannetta, Cumberland High School 

Mike Messier, (posthumously) 

Exeter/West Greenwich High School 

Governors’ Cup 

Coaching Staff 

Announced 

harry Bellucci, head football coach at hartford Public high 

school, has been selected by the ChsCa Football Committee 

as this year’s all-star head coach. Chris skurka of Cumberland 

high school has been chosen head coach for the Rhode 

island all-star team. the game is scheduled against the 

Rhode island all-stars for saturday, June 30, 2012 at 4:30 

PM at Rentschler Field in east hartford. 

Coach Bellucci announced some of his staff: John 

Ferrazzi, sheehan; Jeff Larson, new London; Chuck Lynch, 

Milford; John esmail, hartford Public; Marco Pizzoferato, 

Manchester; Roger Pearl, Canton; Pablo ortiz, Bulkeley; 

sean Marinan, Xavier; tony Martinez, hartford Public; andy 

guyon, Xavier; Mike Drury, southington; Bryan hocter, 

stamford; and Carlos Blanco, new Britain. 

Rhode island coaches include: Jason Briggs, West 

Warwick; Willie edwards, Moses Brown; Justin erickson, 

Cranston West; Mike greene, hendricken; Jason hogan, 

Cranston West; Bob izzi, Cranston West; Mike Kelly, 

Chariho; Ryan Moniz, Portsmouth; anthony Palladino, st. 

Raphael; Mike sassi, st. Raphael; Leroy shaw, Chariho; 

and James stringfellow, Pilgrim. 


planned a Youth Football Clinic. the governors’ Cup, 

which follows, is a football game, starting at 4:30 PM, 

featuring the best senior players from Ct and Ri. this day’s 

events will take place at Rentschler Field in east hartford 

on saturday, June 30, 2012 beginning at 12:30 PM for 

the Youth Football Clinic, with registration beginning at 

11 aM. 

to purchase tickets contact John Fontana, P.o. Box 

632, southington, Ct 06489 or call 860-628-4122, 

fax 860-628-7652 or e-mail: jfontana01@snet.net. For 

additional information go to www.cthssports.com. 

Governors’ cup 

ticket information 

all tickets are $8.00 each and everyone must 

have a ticket to go through the gates. there are 

no passes except for the media. John Fontana 

may be contacted for ticket purchases at: 

P.o. Box 632, southington, Ct 06489 or phone 

860-628-4122, fax 860-628-7652 or e-mail at 

jfontana01@snet.net. all checks must be made 

payable to the Connecticut high school Coaches 

association or ChsCa. tickets will be mailed 

back to you with no handling charges applied. 

Please do everything possible to help sell tickets 

to this game. We have worked very hard to place 

this game in a major atmosphere for a very good 

cause and we need bodies in the seats! 

Moving? 

if you have any change of address or telephone 

number, please contact the CHSCA Office at: p.o. 

box 632, Southington, CT 06489 or 860-628-4122 or 

e-mail to jfontana01@snet.net. 

We have had several instances where members 

have not received their newsletters and other ChsCa 

mailings. to save on costs, we mail third class and 

the Post office DoES noT ForWArD third class mail. 

Please notify us so we can get these mailings to you.

Former ct coaches to be honored during 

halftime at ct-ri Governors’ cup game 

the Connecticut high school 

Coaches association and its Rhode island 

counterpart have selected six former 

scholastic football coaches to be honored 

during halftime of the governors’ Cup 

senior all-star Football game. 

each year, three coaches from 

Connecticut and three coaches from 

Rhode island will have awards named in 

their honor and presented to outstanding 

players in the contest. there will be awards 

for the offensive MVP for each team, the 

defensive MVP and a wild-card called the 

“Coaches’ award”. 

this year, the three Connecticut 

coaches selected are former trumbull 

coach Jerry McDougall (posthumously), 

former Xavier high school coach Larry 

Mchugh and former Maloney high school 

coach Rob szymaszek (posthumously). 

the Rhode island selections are 

former Rogers high school coach Charlie 

gibbons, former Cumberland high school 

coach Frank iannetta and former exeter/ 

West greenwich high school coach Mike 

Messier (posthumously). 

Jerry McDougall is 

a former athletic director 

and head football 

(37 years) and head 

baseball (30 years) 

coach at trumbull high 

school. he was head 

football coach at trumbull 

for 31 years and 

head football coach 

for six years at Central 

Catholic high school in norwalk. his high 

school football coaching record in Connecticut 

is 265-126-8. he won four state 

football Class LL championships and four 

runners-up along with five regular season 

undefeated teams. he has won five FCiaC 

conference championships in football and 

four runner-up titles. his baseball record 

is more than 442 wins with two Class LL 

state championships and three runnerups 

along with 10 FCiaC divisional titles. as 

a 1954 graduate of Bassick high school, 

Jerry captained football, basketball and 

baseball in his senior year. he graduated 

from the university of Bridgeport in 1958 

where he played three sports for the Purple 

Knights and captained football in his junior/senior 

years. after his army stint of 

two years in Korea, McDougall started his 

coaching career at Central Catholic high 

school in 1961. he is the former president 

of the FCiaC and Ct high school Coaches 

association, as well as his former duties 

as the president of the Ralph Desantis/ 

Fairfield County Chapter of the national 

Football Foundation and College hall of 

Fame. his achievements include being 

named the national high school Football 

Coach of the Year in 1995 and the 

national high school Coach of the Year 

in Baseball in 2003. his hall of Fame inductions 

include the national high school 

Coaches in 1999, Ct high school Coaches 

in 1986, Connecticut sports Museum in 

1998, university of Bridgeport in 1977, 

and the trumbull hall of Fame in 1981. 

he received the gold Key from the Ct 

sports Writers alliance in 1997. he was 

selected as the ChsCa Coach of the Year 

in 1995 for baseball and in 1976 for football. 

he was selected as athletic Director 

of the Year in 2000 by the Ct high school 

Coaches association and was selected to 

represent District i for the nhsaCa to compete 

for the national athletic Director of 

the Year. he was married for 44 years to 

the late Lolly, formerly of southington they 

have two children, Jerry and Lauren. 

Larry McHugh 

founded and brought 

to national prominence 

the Xavier high football 

program, going 160- 

38-7 with the varsity 

from 1964-83. But after 

the ‘83 season, he 

felt it was time to move 

on. 

Mchugh became 

president of the Middlesex 

Chamber of Commerce, one of the 

most recognized and active in the country. 

in 2009, Mchugh was named chairman 

of the board of trustees at the university of 

Connecticut after having been the longtime 

chairman of the Connecticut state university 

system board of trustees. 

Mchugh says the transition from educator 

to business and education leader has 

its roots in his coaching past. 

Mchugh came out of southern Connecticut 

state university in 1962. he was 

an offensive guard for the football team 

and that summer played with the new York 

titans of the aFL before breaking a foot 


and being released. 

he found a position at Coginchaug- 

Durham high school helping longtime 

coach and aD Wally Camp coach basketball 

and track. 

When the titans became the Jets in 

1963, the team offered him a contract, 

but he decided to take a position at the 

newly founded Xavier, a Catholic school in 

Middletown. 

Mchugh taught physical education, 

history, biology and general science during 

his years at Xavier and he started the 

football program in 1963. 

Xavier would go on to become a state 

power, winning 34 straight games from 

1970-73 and then 10-0 in ‘74, a team 

acknowledged as one of the state’s greatest 

and at the time deemed state champion 

before the CiaC playoffs. Xavier was also 

named team of the Decade by the hartford 

Courant. 

But Mchugh’s achievements didn’t 

stop on the playing field. he got involved 

early with the Connecticut high school 

Coaches association and became a driving 

force, serving as the organization’s 

president and then founder of the ChsCa 

hall of Fame, of which he is a member. 

he also later became president of the national 

high school Coaches association 

he was named Coach of the Year in 

football from 1971-74 and received the 

Dwight Keith award, a national honor 

named for the georgia tech coach, for 

dedication to the coaching profession. 

Mchugh, along with Ray tellier (notre 

Dame-West haven), ted Knurek (Plainville, 

Weaver, Penney) and Jerry McDougall 

(trumbull) also was responsible for establishing 

the football playoffs with the CiaC. 

Rob Szymaszek 

was a 1968 graduate 

of Maloney high school 

in Meriden and was 

a four-year member of 

the football team under 

the legendary coach, 

ed Mcgee. his was 

selected as captain 

during his senior 

year. the culmination 

of his high school 

football career was the presentation of 

the Dr. Francis giuffrida award – the most 

prestigious award bestowed on a football 

player, based on the player’s tenacity, 

sportsmanship and citizenship on and off 

the field. after his graduation in 1968,

Governors’ cup 2012 schedule announced 

June 30, 2012 • 4:30 PM • RentschleR Field 

June 30 Rentschler Football Field, East Hartford, CT 

Game • Youth Football Clinic 

11 AM: Youth Football Clinic registration, Gate C, Rentschler Field 

12:30 PM: Youth Football Clinic, Rentschler Field 

12 PM: CT-RI pre-game luncheon – Luxury Suites, Rentschler Stadium 

4:30 PM: CT-RI All-Star Football Game; halftime ceremonies featuring the 

New Britain High School Marching Band. 

End of game ceremonies: awarding winning team trophy and 

MVP awards to players on each team 

Connecticut Coaches honored, continued 

Rob continued his education and playing 

career at southern Connecticut state 

university. he graduated from sCsu in 

1972 with a Bs in physical education and 

began his teaching career at northwestern 

Regional school #7 in Winsted. he 

returned to sCsu to pursue his master’s 

in health education from 1972-74. it was 

during this same time that Rob’s passion 

for football led him into the coaching ranks 

as an assistant at hamden high school to 

the distinguished coach, Ron Carbone. 

in 1974 he accepted a physical 

education teaching position at Lincoln 

Middle school in Meriden. While 

continuing his graduate studies at sCsu, 

Rob returned to his roots and became 

an assistant football coach at Maloney. 

Following the completion of his second 

Master’s Degree in 1976, Rob embarked 

on two new careers, guidance counselor 

and head football coach at Maloney. Rob 

assembled a talented supporting cast of 

coaches and was able to utilize his vast 

knowledge of the game and motivational 

techniques to restore Maloney football 

to its winning tradition. in addition to his 

coaching, Rob also continued post-graduate 

studies by earning a sixth-Year Degree in 

administration from uConn in 1986. 

During his tenure as coach from 1976- 

2001, Rob amassed a record of 160-90- 

13, including eight league championships, 

two semi-final state championship 

appearances, in 1989 where Maloney 

was the runner-up in Class M, and again 

in 1998 as a runner-up in Class L. Rob’s 

1978 team completed a 9-1 season and 

was presented with the CiaC Merit award 

for Class M – considered the equivalent of 

a state championship designation. 

in 1995 Rob returned to his college 

alma mater to run several clinics for the 

ChsCa and in 1998 he was a presenter 

at the north Carolina state high school 

Coaches Convention. his experiences as a 

clinic presenter generated the impetus for 

creating an interstate all-star competition 

between Connecticut and Rhode island. 

the details of the competition were 

formalized and came to fruition five years 

ago with Rob serving as the head coach of 

the Connecticut all-stars in 2002. 

Rob received the first of several 

awards of distinction presented by the 

ChsCa in 1996 when he received the 

outstanding Coach award. in 1999 Rob 

served as president of the ChsCa and in 


2001, he was a regional semi-finalist for 

the national Coach of the Year award. 

in 2001, Rob had to summon all of 

the courage that made him a great player 

and coach to fight an off-field battle with 

brain cancer. Due to his determination and 

positive attitude, Rob returned to coaching 

on a limited basis. Rob reluctantly resigned 

as head football coach at the conclusion 

of that season. his love of the game and 

his improved health enabled him to return 

as assistant coach in 2004. a return of his 

cancer resulted in a subsequent operation 

in the fall 2005. once again, he was able 

to return to fulfill his guidance and coaching 

responsibilities. Rob has stated that among 

the most meaningful awards he received 

was the Dee Rowe inspirational award. 

in 1996 he received the Franciscan “st. 

Francis Medal Recognition award”. Rob 

received the 2002 Meriden sportsman of 

Distinction award for contributions for the 

betterment of Meriden, and was inducted 

into the sCsu sports hall of Fame. 

the 2005 Central Connecticut Football 

officials association “gold Whistle 

award,” was presented to Rob as a coach 

who has displayed exemplary qualities 

throughout his career. 

Governors’ Cup Photos! 

AvAilAble At: 

http://perfectype.smugmug.com


Governors’ 

cup youth 

Football 

clinic 

For the past seven years 

the ChsCa has sponsored a 

Youth Football Clinic prior to 

the Connecticut-Rhode island 

governors’ Cup Football senior 

all-star game. our two-hour clinic 

will be held again this year from 

12:30 to 2:30 PM on saturday, 

June 30 at Rentschler Field in 

east hartford prior to the all-star 

game. the clinic is open to youth 

players from the ages of nine to 

14 years and is limited to the first 

200 registered players. advance 

registration is recommended and 

players who will be participating 

are encouraged to arrive at 

least by 11 aM for sign in at the 

registration tables. 

Players attending the Youth 

Clinic will be admitted to the Ct-Ri 

all-star game FRee of charge when 

accompanied by one parent or 

guardian who purchases a game 

ticket. all youth players attending 

the game will be eligible for a 

drawing to be held for 25 nFL 

Youth Footballs. Please check the 

ChsCa website for more details, 

www.cthssports.com. 

the clinic is run by Frank 

stamilio and Mike Prairie. this 

is the eighth year in a row they 

have dedicated themselves to this 

endeavor. 

any questions, please call John 

Fontana at 860-628-4122.

2012 Youth footBaLL cLinic 

pLaYer reGistration form 

name:____________________________________________________________ age: _______________________ 

address: ______________________________________________________________________________________ 

City: _____________________________________________________________ state: ______________________ 

Phone: Mother: (h) ____________________ (W) ____________________ (C) ___________________________ 

Father: (h) _____________________ (W) ____________________ (C) ___________________________ 

** Please list any medical condition(s) that is/are pertinent to your child participating in physical activity. 

Condition: ____________________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Liability Waiver: 

i,________________________________, hereby state that i understand that the ChsCa or its designees shall not 

be held responsible for injuries, loss of property or pain and suffering which results from participation in the 

Youth Day on June 30, 2012 at Rentschler Field in east hartford, Ct. 

signature: _________________________________________________________ Date: ______________________ 

** The first 200 participants to register will be enrolled in the Youth Football Clinic. Check-in will be held for 

11AM until 12 PM at Gate C. Please bring/wear sneakers, cleats, an extra t-shirt and a water bottle all 

labeled with your name. The clinic will be held at 12:30 PM on Rentschler Field. 

please return this form to: John J. Fontana, p.o. box 632, Southington, CT 06489. 

ct high school coaches youth Football clinic 

June 30, 2012 • 12:30 PM • RentschleR Field 

June 30 Rentschler Football Field, East Hartford, CT 

Youth Football Clinic 

11 AM-12 PM: Youth Football Clinic registration, Gate C, Rentschler Field 

12:30 PM: Youth Football Clinic, Rentschler Field 

WhAt to bRing: Sneakers, cleats, extra t-shirt water bottle (label everything with you name on it) 

tickets to the gAMe ARe not RequiRed FoR AdMission to the chscA Youth clinic And contests. 


downey, corto to be honored at Governors’ cup game 

the governors’ Cup Committee 

is dedicating this year’s game and 

program to Dick Downey, former uRi 

assistant football coach and to past 

ChsCa President Len Corto. 

Dick Downey has been serving 

the Rhode island football community 

for 31 years. a former layer at 

both the university of Miami and 

southern Connecticut, he began his 

coaching career at Milford academy 

in Connecticut in the early 1960s. 

in addition to serving at the Milford 

football coach, he also served as the 

school’s headmaster and Dean of 

students. 

he first came to Rhode island as 

an assistant football coach at the 

university of Rhode island in 1976. 

During his 17 year tenure at uRi, he 

served as both the running backs and 

defensive line coach as well as serving 

as executive secretary of the university 

of Rhode island Football 5th Quarter 

Club. 

he began his 17 year involvement 

with Rhode island high school football 

in 1994 as the defensive line coach 

at narragansett high school. he has 

also served as an assistant coach at 

north Kingstown high school and for 

the past six years as the defensive line 

coach at Cranston east high school. 

he has been involved in the governors’ 

Cup as an assistant coach for Rhode 

island for five years. 

Dick currently works as a sales 

associate for Chet o’neill associates. 

he is a member of the Rhode island 

high school Football Coaches 

association, Providence gridiron 

Club and the university of Rhode 

island halls of Fame. this past year 

he was the recipient of the prestigious 

Contribution to amateur Football 

award presented by the emo Dinitto/ 

Rhode island Chapter of the national 

Football Foundation and the College 

hall of Fame. 

Dick and his wife, Pat, reside in 

narragansett, Rhode island. they are 

the proud parents of two sons and one 

grandson. 

Dick Downey len corto 

Len Corto is a graduate of 

southern Connecticut state university. 

he earned a Masters and sixth year 

from the university of Connecticut. 

Len has been actively involved in 

interscholastic athletics for the past 37 

years as a coach and athletic director. 

he started his teaching and 

coaching career at south Catholic in 

hartford where he coached football, 

freshman basketball and track and 

served as athletic Director. 

in 1988 he began his career 

at new Britain high school as 

head Football Coach. a health 

and Physical education teacher he 

became District Coordinator of health, 

Physical education and athletics. as 

athletic Director, Len has been able to 

implement a full time athletic trainer for 

the high school. 

During his coaching career at 

south Catholic and nBhs, he was 

honored by the Football Foundation 

Coach of the Year in 1979 and 1993. 

he was also the 1993 recipient of the 

ChsCa coach of the year. in 1998 

he was an nFL high school Coach of 

the Year finalist and was honored at 

the super Bowl in Miami Florida. in 

1999 he was honored by the Central 

Connecticut Board of officials and 

was awarded the national Football 

Foundation grant for athletes to 

improve academic performance in 

2008. Len has coached three players 

who went on to play in the nFL and 

all three played in a super Bowl. he 

has volunteered the past eight years at 

Bulkeley high school’s eric Mangini/ 


tebucky Jones Youth Football Clinic 

and for the Ct/Ri all star Football 

game. as a member of the Connecticut 

association of athletic Directors, he 

was the recipient of the state award 

of Merit by the national interscholastic 

athletic administration association. 

he has taught leadership training 

classes at the state athletic Directors 

Conference. 

at the state level, Len is President 

of the Connecticut high school 

Coaches association. he has been 

the site Director for numerous state 

tournaments including championship 

games in boys and girls soccer as well 

as football. Len is an active member 

of the ChsCa and was inducted into 

the ChsCa hall of Fame in 2008. Len 

serves as the treasurer for the Central 

Connecticut Conference and has been 

on numerous committees including the 

expansion Committee which increased 

league membership to 32 schools. the 

CCC is currently the largest league in 

the state. 

he currently resides in Manchester 

with his wife Deborah, and son 

Clayton who recently graduated 

from Curry College. his daughter 

Melissa, a university of Connecticut 

graduate lives in Brooklyn, nY where 

she teaches special education and 

coaches girls basketball for the new 

York City Public school system. his 

son Lenny, lives in old Lyme, and is a 

small business owner.

Brian sanford of the cleveland Browns to 

speak at gilman gear Pre-game luncheon 

Brian sanford, former Ct/Ri governors’ Cup player and now 

a member of the Cleveland Browns of the national Football 

League will speak at this year’s player pre-game luncheon at 

Rentschler Field at noon on June 30, 2012. gilman gear is 

the proud sponsor and host of this luncheon for the players and 

coaches. neil gilman will honor the players of both squads 

during the luncheon. Luncheon tickets are $24.00, are limited 

and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call John 

Fontana for more information, 860-628-4122. 

Brian sanford was originally signed by 

Cleveland as an undrafted free agent 

on May 17, 2010 after attending the 

team’s rookie mini-camp on a tryout 

basis. he was signed by Cleveland to 

the practice squad on september 5, 

2012, then signed by Cleveland to the 

active roster on november 13, 2010. 

he was then promoted on november 

29, 2011 to the Browns’ active roster. 

sanford was a 4-year letter winner at 

temple and the recipient of the 2008 

Mark Bresani award for spirit and enthusiasm. 

he was a 2007 first-team preseason 

all-Mac selection. he is a 2005 

graduate of hartford Public high school 

where he was a three-year varsity football 

letter winner under head Coach 

harry Bellucci. he played in the 2005 

Ct-Ri governors’ Cup game. he was 

hartford Courant all-state as a senior 

and won all-CCC accolades as a junior 

and a senior. 


GILMAN GEAR 

Committed to the Connecticut 

High School Football Coach! 

Gilman Manufacturing Plant is located in Connecticut! 

Gilman Full Time Sales Rep is located in Connecticut! 

Get the Best Product! 

Get the Best Service! 

By calling our local sales rep: 

NEIL GILMAN 

Cell: 860-798-7093 

Fax: 860-823-1859 

Email: neil@gilmangear.com 

Gilman Gear, P.O. Box 97, Gilman, CT 06336 


new york Giants receiving st. Francis 

awards at Franciscan sports banquet 

the 2012 Franciscan sports 

Banquet and silent auction, to 

benefit the Franciscan Life Center 

and Franciscan home Care and 

hospice Care, will be held June 6th 

at the aqua turf Club, Plantsville, 

Connecticut. silent auction begins 

at 5:30 p.m. and dinner is at 6:30 

p.m. super Bowl players from the 

new York giants: Chris snee, 

David Diehl, and Kevin Boothe 

will each receive the saint Francis 

award. Kevin gilbride, offensive 

Coordinator, will present the 

awards. Jim Calhoun will present 

his Community service award 

to Donald “Dee” Rowe, special 

advisor in athletics, university of 


Connecticut, and Jaci Carroll will 

receive the Corporate sponsorship 

award for Jaci Carroll staffing. Join 

us for an evening of great guests, 

good friends, food and fun. Visit 

www.flcenter.org or call 203-237- 

8084 for more information. 

ChriS SNee david diehl KeviN Boothe 

Proud supporter of the Connecticut 

High School Coaches Association. 

Thank you for your 

continued support!



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Proud to Support Connecticut High School Coaches Association

hedden instrumental in starting girls track at cheshire hs 

By Paul Rosano 

When Barbara hedden was a 

sophomore at Cheshire high school in 

1973, she went out for the boys track 

team as a 400- and 800-meter runner. 

that’s because there was no girls track 

team 

hedden, who was also on the 

girls swimming and gymnastics teams, 

pushed boys coach Ron McReavey to 

help her get a boys team started, and 

by the end of the season after hedden 

circulated a petition and a handful of 

girls had joined her a team was established. 

hedden qualified for states that 

year. in 1974, 60 girls came out for the 

girls track team, which was coached 

by Ralph Zingarella, an assistant football 

coach and teacher at the school. 

“(Ron) was instrumental in helping 

us get that team and also Mr. Zingarella, 

who is still a teacher at the high 

school,” hedden said. “and Ron Mc- 

Reavey helped Ralph, because Ralph 

was a football coach and Ron helped 

me and another girl and the other girls 

that i ended up dragging out to help 

join the team. he was there for us during 

high school, even though he was 

the boys coach.” 

hedden became captain of the 

Cheshire girls team and went on to run 

in college at uConn, where she was 

also a captain. 

about 17 years after helping get 

Cheshire that girls team, hedden became 

head coach of the Rams’ squad, 

following a 10-year stint at Mercy- 

Middletown as cross country and track 

coach from 1982-92. she’s been at 

Cheshire since and has compiled a career 

150-31 dual-meet record coming 

into the 2012 season. 

a lot of her coaching makeup 

though goes back to that experience 

in the mid-1970s with her first two 

coaches. 

BarBara HeDDen 

“Ralph (Zingarella) was another 

one who was a mentor for me,” hedden 

said. “Ralph for his enthusiasm 

and his love of what he was doing and 

the sport and that the sport was not just 

about the x’s and the o’s but teaching 

the athletes what was important and 

teaching the athletes to be enthusiastic 

about their sport. those things kind 

of held with me as well as what Ron 

taught me. a lot of the lessons, of how 

and why i coach, my philosophy of 

coaching goes back to those two people.” 

McReavey’s coaching method was 

a model for hedden when she first 

started coaching cross country and 

girls track at Mercy. 

“he was a mentor on the technical 

side and how he structured his 

practice,” hedden said. “When it was 

handed to me that you’re going to be 

the cross country coach, i wasn’t a 

distance runner. i did know something 

about distance from college and helping 

my sister out (who ran distance 

events). But i had a lot to learn and 

i sought out people who knew something 

about distance running. 

“Ron was one of those and also 

the Xavier coach Bob Michalski, who 

was my counterpart. (Bob) wouldn’t 

say much but i watched what he did. 


(in track and field), it impressed me 

that Ron knew something about every 

single event, not just one event. and 

when i started coaching i made it my 

goal to learn as much about every single 

event on the track so that i felt comfortable 

enough to coach any event on 

that track.” 

hedden has received multiple 

honors over the years: ChsCa girls 

cross country Coach of the Year at 

Mercy (awarded in 1993), girls track 

Coach of the Year at Cheshire (2010), 

and special sports Coach of the Year 

(1996). this year, she is a finalist for 

the national high school athletic 

Coaches association Coach of the 

Year, the winner of which will be announced 

in July. 

in the 1990s, hedden also started 

getting deeply involved coaching 

with special olympics and also unified 

sports, for which she started and 

wrote the manual for its track and field 

program. 

But some of hedden most memorable 

moments focus on one of the events 

that she teaches and coaches in track. 

“Where do you start,” hedden 

said. “My most memorable moments 

center around a lot of the relays that 

we’ve run, and maybe sometimes the 

individuals weren’t from the most outstanding 

points. But the relays can be 

such an exciting race and watching the 

kids pull together. those are the kind of 

things that when that little video plays 

in your head, the relays come back to 

it, especially in the 4x400 at the end 

of the meet. 

“From my coaching perspective, 

i’ve always coached about the team, 

each of you as an individual out on 

that field, it’s all your individual points 

that add up together that make our 

team score. i’ve always stressed the 

importance of team. Maybe that’s why 

the relays are central to what i feel 

track and field is about.”

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uonocore family well represented at ledyard 

By Mike DiMauro 

the Day 

This article originally appeared in The Day 

on December 6, 2011. 

Ledyard — there was no need, 

not with a comfortable lead, for Mt. 

Buonocore to erupt last saturday on 

the Ledyard high school sideline. this 

was the kinder, gentler Jim Buonocore, 

happy Ledyard coach, whose team 

barely perspired on its way to the state 

championship game. 

except that one time. 

all Buonocore wanted to do was 

call a play. he looked around for senior 

Cal Williams, whose job, aside from 

attacking quarterbacks on defense, is 

to run plays from the sideline into the 

huddle. 

“Cal. Cal! Cal! CaL!! CaaaaaaLLL 

WiLLLLLLiiiiiaMs!” Buonocore hollered, 

following that with stronger prose, 

rated at least Pg-13. 

if Buonocore wanted, he could 

have said, “Cal, get over here before i 

tell your mother.” 

he could, too. Because Cal’s 

mother is the former Lynn Buonocore, 

who is Jim’s sister and the daughter of 

Jim sr., an assistant on staff and former 

four-time state championship coach at 

new London. 

BuoNoCoreS, BuoNoCoreS 

everywhere. 

“When i grew up,” Cal Williams 

was saying Monday about his younger 

days living in stonington, “i went to 

every one of my uncle’s games. at 

practice, helping out. the water boy 

during the games. the ball boys when 

he went to Fitch. anything to stay 

involved.” 

and now the Friday night Lights 

are for him. Williams is a starter for 

the Colonels, who were busy Monday 

preparing for the saturday’s Class 

M state championship game against 

ansonia. 

so many responsibilities for 

Williams, too. Practice as a two-way 

starter. Pose for a photo with his uncle 

The Buonocores, one of southeastern Connecticut’s best know football families, 

will have three generations on display Saturday when Ledyard plays Ansonia for 

the Class M state title. Senior Cal Williams, center, a starting outside linebacker, 

is the nephew of head coach Jim Buonocore Jr., right, and the grandson of Jim 

Buonocore Sr., the retired legendary coach at New London. Photo by Tim Martin/ 

The Day 

and grandfather. talk to a reporter. 

and then meet with endicott coach J.B. 

Wells, a niantic native who has some 

recruiting interest. 

“this is like a dream,” Williams 

said. “growing up going to all those 

games, i always wondered what it 

would be like for me in high school. 

to live it is a dream. i’m grateful to be 

part of it.” 

it wasn’t always so dreamy. 

Williams played a little as a junior and 

perhaps expected to be part of the 

rotation immediately this season. uncle 

Jim, however, morphed into Coach Jim 

and suddenly nephew Cal was told he 

wasn’t working hard enough. 

this is not a great way to promote 

family harmony. 

But then, Buonocore has a 

responsibility to the program and 

about 50 other players. 

“one thing with our players, and i 

tell them and our parents before every 

year, you’re going to hear the truth 

from me,” Buonocore said. “With Cal, 

he needed to improve his energy and 


effort. Because we felt like he could 

help us.” 

Williams, who calls his move from 

stonington “the best move he ever 

made,” is a good listener. he starts 

as an outside linebacker and blocking 

receiver. 

“i probably hear it a little more than 

the other guys,” Williams said. “But it’s 

definitely been worth it.” 

Buonocore said, “Cal’s become 

a real valuable member of this team. 

he’s been a physical player and really 

gets after the quarterback. i’m proud of 

the way he responded.” 

there is one more response needed. 

it’s the finals saturday at Rentschler 

Field. Williams will be one of 11 on 

defense chasing arkeel newsome, 

ansonia’s dynamic running back, all 

over the field. 

“My grandfather has been such 

a big influence on me from day 

one,” Williams said. “i can’t wait for 

saturday to try and win this together.”

The High School Coaches World 

by Tom murray 

Coaches in the Spotlight 

n Two high school coaches were presented with the 2012 Doc McInerney 

Coach of the Year Awards by the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance 

at the Gold Key Dinner. The awards were presented to Sandy Wickman 

Mason, field hockey coach at Granby High School, and Thayer Redman, 

boys’ track and field coach at Manchester High School. Presented with 

Gold Keys were Mike Walsh, winner of more than 500 games and six 

state championships at Trinity Catholic High School; and Dave Shea, 

who has won over 300 games in three different sports at Bacon Academy 

in Colchester. 

n At the 37th annual Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association Banquet 

a number of awards were presented to current or former high school 

soccer coaches. Joe Mancini, Pomperaug High (Class LL/L) and 

Charles Rayner, Windham Tech (Class M/S) were honored as the 2011 

Coaches of the Year and, Mike Hickey, East Catholic High, and Nigel 

Daniel, Forman, were recognized as Assistant Coaches of the Year. 

The John J. McVicar Distinguished Service Award was presented to 

Marty Ryczek, and Michael J. Fritch was recognized with a lifetime 

membership. 

n The Litchfield Country IAABO Board #7 honored Doug Sebach, 

Northwestern Regional H.S. with the George Ganem Sportsmanship 

Award. Mark Clizbe, The Haddick School, was presented the 

James Haddick Sportsmanship Award, while the James Logan 

Sportsmanship Award was presented to Bill Kersten, New Milford 

H.S. 

n Dennis Siegmann, CHSCA Hall of Fame wrestling coach from Bristol 

Central, retired to Kansas, but the urge to coach is still in his blood. 

Dennis is now the wrestling coach at Labette Community College in 

Parsons, Kansas. His former coaching colleagues in Connecticut will 

not be surprised to learn that Dennis led his team to the NJNCAA 

national title. Dennis reports, “I am so happy at 65 years old to be back 

in coaching a great bunch of kids. I love it.” 

n ESPN High School Sports has named St. Joseph H.S. boys’ basketball 

coach Vito Montelli, National High School Coach of the Year. The veteran 

coach of 50 campaigns led St. Joseph to its 11th State Championship 

this year and has compiled a record of 878-329. Montelli is the second 

Connecticut coach to earn this honor in boys’ basketball. Former Wilbur 

Cross H.S. coach Bob Saulsbury was selected for the recognition in 

1974. 

n Inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame was Steve Coxon, 

who coached Farmington girls’ soccer teams to two state titles. 

n The Connecticut Chapter of the National Ice Hockey Officials Association 

presented Lou Pane, East Haven boys’ hockey coach with its Coach of 

the Year Sportsmanship Award. 

n The New Haven County IAABO Board #10 honored George Bedocs, 

Sacred Heart Academy athletic director with the Babe Amendola 

Athletic Director’s Award at its annual awards dinner this spring. 

The Phil Cashman Sportsmanship Award was presented to Dan Lee, 

Cheshire boys’ basketball coach and the Rudy Canelli Sportsmanship 

Award went to Amanda Forcucci, Laurelton Hall girls’ basketball 

coach. 

n IAABO Board #6, Hartford County, presented the Gerry McGrath 

Commissioner’s Award to Mary Ann Segrro, Athletic Administrator 

at Hall High School. John Mirabello, Northwest Catholic H.S. boys’ 

basketball coach; and Nick Chaconis, Portland H.S. girls’ basketball 

coach were presented with Board #6 Sportsmanship Awards. 

n The boys’ basketball teams at St. Joseph H.S., Immaculate H.S. and 

The Brunswick School; and the girls’ basketball teams at Masuk H.S., 

Notre Dame Fairfield H.S., and Wilton H.S. were recognized with the 

Harold Swaffield School Sportsmanship Awards by Fairfield County 


IAABO Board #9 at the Board’s annual awards dinner in March. 

n The Eastern IAABO Board #8 presented the Howie Dickerman Sr. 

Sportsmanship Award to Old Saybrook H.S. boys’ basketball team and 

the Richard Walker Sportsmanship Award to St. Bernard H.S. girls’ 

basketball team at the Board’s annual awards night. The boys’ and girls’ 

middle school basketball teams also were recognized by Board #8 for 

their sportsmanship. 

n Connecticut IAABO basketball officials led the country in fundraising 

for the national Blow The Whistle on Cancer campaign, raising over 

$32K in the one week drive. Officials wore pink whistles during that 

week and donated up to an entire game fee to the cause. 

n At the 46th Scholar Athlete Banquet of the Northern Connecticut 

Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, 

Windsor head football coach Rob Fleeting was honored as Coach of the 

Year. 

n Sticks for Soldiers: As reported in the winter Conn Coach, the Sticks 

for Soldiers Charity Lacrosse Tournament that was held at Fairfield 

Ludlowe H.S. last fall, will be held this year on November 24, 2012. The 

event raised $50,000 which was distributed to wounded members of the 

U.S. armed services. Information about participating in this event, which 

drew 37 Connecticut high school lacrosse teams in 2011, is available at 

www.sticksforsoldiers.org. 

n At Staples H.S. a Sticks for Soldiers event was held this spring for the 

7th year. It featured a game played between Staples and St. John the 

Baptist of New York. The proceeds will go to providing support severely 

injured members of the U.S. military. 

n Coaches and players should know that game officials recognize and 

appreciate sportsmanship and good character, and they are not the 

only ones who see more than the score and the individual athletic plays. 

Umpire Mike Richards was so impressed with Farmington’s softball 

team, that he wrote the following: “During a lopsided game on April 

26, 2012. I was amazed at the character of the Farmington high girls’ 

softball team. I was umpiring the bases for this matchup between 

Farmington and Southington. Farmington was losing this contest by a 

considerable amount early and not once did I see or hear a Farmington 

player complain, get down on themselves or others. In fact, what I saw 

and heard were the players and coaches cheering each other on and 

being upbeat. Even the player’s on the bench did not sit once during the 

game but cheered for the player’s on the field or at bat. This team never 

gave up even to its last out; no heads were hung down, no disappointment 

at all. For a team at the high school level to show this type of character, 

maturity and sportsmanship in a game speaks highly of the school 

and the job the coaching staff has done with these student’s/players. 

The school, town and parents should be proud of every player on this 

squad. And the school and coaching staff should be commended for the 

character, sportsmanship and values this team has demonstrated on 

and off the field.” 

n Congratulations to Barry Chasen, former Windsor baseball coach, on 

being inducted into the Windsor High School Athletic Hall of Fame. 

n Bill McAllister, former football coach at Ansonia H.S., will be honored 

by the Ansonia Gridiron Club at “Bill McAllister – The Teams, the 

Players, the Records,” on June 15, at 6:00 PM at St. Sebastian Hall, in 

Ansonia. Call 203-734-3563 for information and reservations. 

n Bob Baroni, former boys’ basketball coach at Masuk H.S., recently 

received the Al Bike Outstanding Sportsmanship Award from the 

Greater Bridgeport Athletic Association. 

n The New Haven Tap Off Club honored, Jake Palluzzi, Branford’s boys’ 

basketball coach and, Sarah Mik, girls’ basketball coach at Cheshire 

H.S. as coaches of the year. Ray Vanacore, IAABO Board #10, was 

selected as the Nate Winnick Official of the Year. 

n The CHSCA Boys Basketball Committee honored John Egan, Holy Cross

High School Coaches World, continued 

H.S. with its Assistant Coach of the Year Award and Eastern IAABO 

Board #8 official Roberto Marquez as Official of the Year. St. Joseph 

Boys’ Basketball team was recognized as the top team in the state. 

Coach Vito Montelli accepted the award for his team. 

n At the State Tournament Finals held at the Mohegan Sun Arena, the 

CIAC Boys and Girls Basketball Committees honored Neal Curland, 

NFA boys’ basketball coach and Frank Lombardo, Holy Cross H.S. 

girls’ basketball coach with CIAC Merit awards. Basketball officials Ed 

Lynch, IAABO Board #6 and Diane Zalewski, IAABO Board #9, received 

Merit Awards, as well. Joe Canzanella, Athletic Administrator for the 

New Haven Schools, and Len Corto, Athletic Director at New Britain 

H.S. were recognized for their contributions to basketball; and received 

the Special Service Award. The State Basketball Tournament was 

dedicated to William Barney, former CIAC Girls Basketball Committee 

Chairman. 

n The Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors (CAAD) honored 

four individuals at its awards dinner in March. Dave Schulz, athletic 

director at Fairfield Ludlowe H.S., received the CAAD Distinguished 

Service Award. The NIAAA State Award of Merit was presented to 

Shepaug Valley athletic director, Matt Pecachi and Jeanne E. Cooper, 

athletic director at Hamden H.S., received the Robert Duncanson 

Meritorious Service Award. 

n The Connecticut Post honored winter coaches with Coach of the Year 

recognition. Among them are Laddie Lawrence, Staples H.S., boys’ 

indoor track; Sean Mahon, Amity Regional H.S., girls’ indoor track; 

Charlie Anderson, Trumbull H.S., wrestling; Greg Maxey, Trumbull 

H.S., boys ice hockey; and Jenna Rettstadt, Oxford/Newtown Coop, 

gymnastics. 

n Vito Montelli, St. Joseph H.S. boys’ basketball; Jackie Dinardo, 

Danbury H.S., girls’ basketball; and Bruce Jaffe, Fairfield Prep., boys’ 

swimming; and Shaun Gallagher, Ridgefield, boys’ ice hockey were 

among coaches selected as coaches of the year in the FCIAC. 

n Phil Ragozzino, former boys’ basketball coach at Rippowam H.S., was 

inducted posthumously at the Wilbur Cross Hall of Fame’s 8th awards 

dinner. 

n At the Hillhouse High School Hall of Fame ceremonies, Lou DeFilippo, 

the late, former Derby H.S. football coach; and Diane Genovese 

Bucciero former Hillhouse girls’ track coach, were among the inductees. 

n Girls’ basketball coaches who were inducted into the Connecticut 

Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in April were Beryl Piper, New 

Britain H.S. and CCSU and Jackie DiNardo, Danbury. Former Lyman 

Hall athletic director, Elaine Biercevicz Piazza, was inducted as a 

player. Linda Dirga was inducted as a referee. 

n The Berlin High School Athletic Hall of Fame inducted two giants 

of Connecticut high school coaching. George Hall, who taught and 

coached at Berlin H.S. and served as its Athletic Director for 23 years, 

and Ken Parciak, legendary girls’ basketball and softball coach, were 

inducted in late April. 

n In indoor track Assistant Coaches of the Year recognition went to Dawn 

and Robyn Hudak, assistant coaches at Masuk H.S. 

n In the CHSCA Boys’ Basketball All Star game held at Maloney High 

School the coaches were Doug Sebach, Northwestern Regional H.S., 

and Tom Hunt, Woodlands H.S. (S-M East); and Michael Reyes, 

Stonington H.S.; and Mike Mascaro, Windsor Locks H.S. (S-M West). In 

the L-LL game, Carl Charles, Ridgefield H.S., and Pete Civitello, North 

Haven H.S., coached the West Team; while Kurt Reis, Hartford Public 

H.S., and Stephen Emt, RHAM, coached the East Team. 

n Andy Guyon, Xavier H.S. was honored by the CHSCA Football Committee 

with the Assistant Coach of the Year Award. 

n Frank Barron, who has coached lacrosse at Hand H.S. and Branford 

H.S., was inducted into the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame last 

November. 

n At its All State Dinner, the CHSCA Ice Hockey Committee presented Assistant 


Coach of the Year Award to Bob Riordan, Milford Coop. The Committee 

recognized the coaching staffs for the CHSCA Junior and Senior All Star 

games including: junior selects head coaches, Paul Esposito, Newtown 

H.S. and Frank Genovese, Fermi/Enfield Coop. The assistant coaches were 

Greg Maxey, Trumbull H.S. and Nick Boorman, Suffield/Granby/Windsor 

Locks Coop; and Tom Roche, North Haven H.S., and Jim Motyka, BCL. The 

Senior Select head coaches were Chris Stevenson, Rockville/Manchester 

Coop and Brett Amero, Wilton H.S. The assistant coaches were Ralph 

Russo, Guilford H.S., Sean Cole, Rocky Hill/Middletown Coop., Ralph 

Shaw, North Branford H.S. and Paul Dowe, Tri Town Coop. 

n Vito Montelli, boys’ basketball coach at St. Joseph H.S. was selected 

to coach the Connecticut Boys’ Team against the New Jersey All Stars 

in the JCC Schoolboy/Schoolgirls’ Classic. The girls’ Connecticut West 

Team was coached by Newtown’s Jeremy O’Connell and Hillhouse’s 

Catrina Hawley-Stewart, while the Connecticut East Team was coached 

by Kirk Murad, E.O. Smith H.S. and Rob Von Achen, Waterford H.S. 

n The Middletown Press announced the Shoreline Conference 

basketball coaches of the year. They are Cromwell’s girls’ coach, Kelly 

Maher, and Coginchaug’s boys’ coach Rett Mancinelli. 

n Jimmy Wolf, former Hillhouse boys’ basketball assistant coach at 

Hillhouse and current assistant principal at East Rock Global Magnet 

School, is being honored with a retirement party on June 1, at the 

Foxon Country House. For additional information contact: Rebecca 

Riles at the East Rock School, (203) 946-8867. 

n Among the inductees into the Bunnell High School Hall of Fame is 

Dave Johnson, former basketball coach and current athletic director 

at Bunnell H.S. 

n The New Britain Sports Hall of Fame inducted three former high school 

coaches this year. Joan Belmore, New Britain’s first girls’ basketball 

girls’ golf coach; the late Don Bates, who won fame as Berlin H.S. golf 

coach; and Tom McGrath, baseball coach, who was baseball coach 

at Drury High School, North Adams, Mass., and is currently the head 

baseball coach at North Adams College. 

n The Stonington H.S. Athletic Hall of Fame inducted Zeke Palmer who 

coached at Rockville High, then at Plainville High, where he eventually 

became head football coach and athletic director. He is also a member 

of the Plainville High School Hall of Fame; Bernadette Macca, who is 

the head coach of the Mitchell College women’s basketball and tennis 

teams; and Fran McSweeny, who coached varsity boys’ soccer and girls’ 

softball, as well as junior varsity baseball and boys’ soccer during his 

coaching career at Stonington H.S. 

Transitions 

n Bob Freimuth, Plainville H.S. baseball coach for the past 27 years, 

retired before the beginning of the spring season. The legendary 

diamond coach posted 407 wins and five state championships. Freimuth 

is the 2nd Vice President of the Connecticut High School Coaches 

Association. 

n At East Catholic H.S. Jim Penders, baseball coach for 43 years and 

Past President of the CHSC has retired. He led the Eagles to a 600-318 

record, eight CIAC Finals and four State Championships. 

n Also at East Catholic H.S., veteran football coach, Bill Baccaro, has 

resigned. In 15 years at East Catholic his teams, including the coop 

team of East Catholic-Cheney Tech posted a 94-66-1 record. 

n Bruce Jaffe, legendary boys’ swim coach at Fairfield Prep announced 

his retirement after 46 years coaching the Jesuits. In his final meet, 

Prep won the Class CIAC Open Championship 

n Dan Mascolo has been appointed the new girls’ swim coach at Cheshire 

H.S., replacing Ed Aston who has retired. 

n Brien McMahon H.S. boys’ basketball coach, Mo Tomlin, has stepped 

down after 11 seasons as head coach. At Westhill H.S. Frank Marcucio 

is the new head football coach, replacing Dick Cerone. 

n Rob Marone has been tapped to be the new football coach at Lyman

High School Coaches World, continued 

Hall H.S. 

n Dan Nemergut, O’Brien Tech athletic director, has taken over for 

Ken Roberts as head football coach at O’Brien. Roberts resigned the 

position in late April. 

n Among the new baseball coaches at their respective schools are Martin 

Fiori, East Catholic H.S.; Mike Susil, E.O. Smith H.S.; Mike Borelli, 

Hamden H.S.; Louis Mandeville Jr., Plainville H.S.; Jim Abbott, South 

Windsor H.S.; Travis LaPointe, Hand H.S.; Ray Bell, East Hartford H.S.; 

Gary Ballestrini, Valley Regional H.S.; Paul Martinez, St. Bernard H.S.; 

and Tim DeLucia, Norwich Tech. 

n In softball, coaches in their first year are Missy Parker, New London 

H.S.; Rob Brewster, Lyman Hall H.S.; Tony Calcagni, East Hampton 

H.S.; Ken Wilson, Valley Regional H.S.; Joe Cefaratti, Vinal Tech and 

Paul Gleason, who is serving as an interim coach for Bret Perry at Old 

Lyme H.S. 

n Jose Sanabria is the new boys’ track and field coach at Ledyard; while 

Natalie Ruggiero is at the helm for the girls’ track and field team at 

Grasso Tech. 

n New boys’ tennis coaches are David Gruber, New London H.S.; Sarah 

Van Dyke-Ewan, Bacon Academy; Elyse McAteer, Griswold H.S.; Meg 

Funk, Montville H.S.; and Tim Kolmaski, St. Bernard H.S. Chris Marra 

is now the head girls’ tennis coach at Guilford H.S. 

n Mark Fong, Middletown H.S.; Fran Amara, Farmington H.S.; Joseph 

Santavenere, Portland H.S.; and Todd Zenczak, Enfield H.S.; are among 

those who have joined the ranks of high school golf coaches. 

n Pamela Hammersmith, Windsor H.S.; Sean Cole, Avon H.S.; and Terri 

Ziemnicki, Granby H.S. are new girls’ lacrosse coaches. In boys’ lacrosse, 

Joe Aiken is the new coach at Housatonic Valley Regional H.S.; as is 

Jim Rapuano at North Branford H.S. In programs begun this year, Dave 

DeNovellis, Rocky Hill; and Scott Rossi, Berlin H.S. are the coaches. 

n Bonnie Fineman is the new boys’ volleyball coach at East Hartford H.S. 

While coaching at Shelton H.S., Fineman led the Gales to a 72-12 record 

and two state titles. 

n Lewis Mills H. S. has named Jason Stock the girls’ soccer coach. 

Milestones 

n Congratulations to Joe Grippo, girls’ basketball coach at the Morgan 

School in Clinton, who recorded his 500th career coaching victory last 

season. He has more than 500 coaching victories as the school’s girls’ 

volleyball coach, as well. 

n Marty Gomez, baseball coach at Lyman Memorial H.S. for the past 26 

years and Bob Kelo, who has been Seymour baseball coach for 27 years, 

have earned their way into the élite 400 win category. 

n The 200th career victory mark was reached by this year by Mike 


Kohs, boys’ basketball coach at Xavier H.S. and Dan Nemergut, boys’ 

basketball coach at O’Brien Tech. Don Lukowski, varsity tennis coach 

at Newington H.S., also posted his 200th career victory this spring. 

n Three boys’ basketball coaches joined the Century Victory Club this 

winter. They are Kurt Reis, Hartford Public H.S.; Levy Gillespie, Capital 

Prep., and Reggie Tucker, Classical Magnet H.S. 

Sad Farewells 

n Joe Kubachka passed away this winter. He was the Hartford Public 

boys’ basketball coach from 1951 to 1966, recording a 176-86 record and 

New England Championships in 1961 and 1962. He was 87 years old. 

n Former Valley Regional High School and Lyme-Old Lyme soccer coach, 

Jack Walrus, died in February at the age of 64. He led his teams to the 

State Finals in soccer several times. 

n Leo Schultz, who taught English in the East Hartford schools for 37 years 

and coached a variety of boys and girls teams died at the age of 76 this 

year. The air Force veteran led two of his teams to State Championships. 

n Arthur (Hadoo) Kevorkian, former teacher and football coach at 

Berlin High school, passed away in January at age 93. He was a standout 

football player at New Britain High school and a Little All America 

tackle at Central Connecticut State University. His college education 

was interrupted by World War II when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, 

serving as a B-24 pilot. He returned to Central after the war to resume 

his education and, at the age of 28, captained the 1946 football team. He 

began his teaching/coaching career in 1947 only to be called back into 

active duty as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. 

Arthur Kevorkian was a leader in many organizations, including service 

as President of the Connecticut State Federation of Teachers, He was 

a football official for 55 years with the Central Connecticut Association 

of Football Officials. 

n William Moriarty, former boys’ soccer coach at Prince Tech, died this 

winter at age 67. In 28 coaching seasons his teams posted over 300 

victories. Three of his teams were CIAC semi-finalists. He served as the 

school’s baseball and softball coach, as well. 

n Salvatore Verdi, graduate of New Britain H.S. and Central Connecticut 

State University and teacher, guidance counselor and coach at New 

Britain High died in April. His outstanding play on the gridiron for the 

Blue Devils caused him to be drafted by the Houston Oilers. He was 68. 

n Thomas McCabe, former teacher, coach and athletic director died on 

April 10. A graduate of New Britain High School, where he excelled in 

baseball, and Central Connecticut State University, where he majored 

in physical education, Tom McCabe made his mark as a teacher and 

coach in the East Hampton and Glastonbury schools systems before 

being hired as athletic director at Rocky Hill High School. 

Applications Sought for Sports Committees 

this application only needs to be filled out once every 

three years. 

the ChsCa executive Committee is seeking applications 

for positions on the sports Committees. Committee members 

will be selected from a pool of applicants on the basis of 

leadership, service and geographical representation. 

selections are made each spring, with typical tenure being 

four to five years. ChsCa sports committee members serve 

a dual role of being members of CiaC sports Committees. 

Complete the accompanying form and return it to: 

John Fontana, executive Director, ChsCa, P.o. Box 632, 

southington, Ct 06489. 

chscA sPorTs commiTTee self-nominATion 

NAME: _____________________________________________________ 

SPORT: _____________________________________________________ 

SCHOOL: ___________________________________________________ 

YEARS AS HEAD COACH: _______________ DATE: ________________ 

HOME ADDRESS: _____________________________________________ 

CITY: ________________________ STATE: ________ ZIP: _________ 

HOME PHONE: ______________________________________________ 

WORK PHONE: ______________________________________________

Woodstock Academy, 

Gymnastics #1 Team of the Year 

Woodstock Academy: 

gymnastics 

Wolcott High School: 

Cheerleading 

Fairfield Prep: 

Boys swimming 

Trumbull High School: 

ice hockey 

St. Joseph’s High School: 

Boys Basketball 

Newtown High School: 

girls Basketball 

Xavier High School: 

Wrestling 

Xavier High School, 

Wrestling #1 Team of the Year 

#1 sports teams of the year 

Sponsored by the U.S. Marines 

Wolcott High School, 

Cheerleading #1 Team of the Year 

Cheshire High School: 

Field hockey 

Fairfield Prep: 

Boys Cross Country 

Greenwich High School: 

girls swimming 

Northwest Catholic High School: 

girls soccer 

Ridgefield High School: 

girls Cross Country 

Suffield High School: 

Boys soccer 

Xavier High School: 

Football 

Newtown High School, 

Girls Basketball #1 Team of the Year 


Fairfield Prep, 

Boys Basketball #1 Team of the Year 

Trumbull High School, 

Ice Hockey #1 Team of the Year

More 

reporters in more places 

stories 

edge 

accurate 

game 

NEWS 

coverage MORE AT 10 & 11PM 


From switzerland to connecticut, roos built hockey legacy 


this past winter, one of the greatest 

coaching careers in Connecticut high 

school history came to an end when 

Marty Roos stepped down from his 

boys hockey head coaching position at 

notre Dame high school in Fairfield. 

his abrupt exit ended 40 years 

in coaching, 21 at notre Dame and 

19 previously at Fairfield Prep, and a 

legacy that included six state championships 

and a state career record 536 

victories in hockey. 

Roos said he knew it was time to 

move on despite it being in the middle 

of a season. 

“it was time for me to walk away,” 

Roos said. “one day i got up and i 

didn’t feel like going to practice and 

i kind of skipped practice and i said 

to myself ‘if i feel the same way tomorrow, 

i’ll pick up the phone and call the 

athletic director,’ and that’s kind of 

how it went.” 

Roos, 76, born in switzerland, 

came to the u.s. in 1956 and worked 

as a butcher, eventually starting his 

own business, Custom Food service on 

Long Wharf in new haven. 

he was involved in coaching youth 

hockey teams and when in 1971 Fairfield 

Prep was interested in starting a 

program, Roos got the call. he had 

already coached many of the student 

athletes at Prep in youth hockey before 

they reached high school age. 

he built the Prep program, today 

still a powerhouse, from the ground up. 

“i started the program from 

scratch,” Roos said. “Building a program 

was quite an exciting situation 

and then we won quite a few championships. 

it was an exciting journey. 

“nothing comes easy. everything 

is hard work. You put your mind to it 

and you build it from there.” 

Prep went on to win state titles in 

Marty roos 

1977, ‘79, ‘80 and ‘81 under Roos. 

after 19 seasons, he decided to take a 

break and move one. 

“sometimes you stay long at one 

school or one job, it was time for me 

to move. it was a mutual agreement,” 

Roos said. 

in the meantime, Roos became a 

co-owner of the Milford ice Pavilion in 

1975 and then later a second rink in 

northford in 1998. he is still involved 

with both rinks. 

“the rink actually became a hobby,” 

Roos said. “Five of us built the 

Milford ice Pavilion and built it as a 

hobby. something you do in the future 

time, and i’m still in it.” 

about a year after Roos left Prep, 

notre Dame-Fairfield coach Bill seymour 

asked Roos to assist him, and 

when seymour left shortly after Roos 

took over as head coach, a position 

he held into his 21st season until this 

past winter. 

after some rough early seasons, 

Roos went on to win state titles in 1999, 

which featured a record five-overtime 

championship victory over new Ca- 


naan that took two days to complete, 

and in 2006. 

“there were some tough times,” 

said Roos, whose career record is 536- 

301-19. “When i took the program 

over the first year we were 6-14 and 

then the second year we went 4-16. 

We went in the wrong direction and 

then i was able to attract some good 

hockey players and you need good 

hockey players to build a program and 

then we took off from there.” 

of the many highlights in Roos’ career 

one in particular was having his 

grandson, eric Roos, score the winning 

goal in that classic 3-2 ot win against 

new Canaan, and coaching his son 

Perry, an all-state player at Prep, and 

two other grandsons, tyler and Chris 

schmarr at nD. 

the rewards have been many for 

Roos, including ChsCa Coach of the 

Year in 1984, becoming a member of 

the notre Dame hall of Fame in 2001, 

and having the CiaC tournament 

named after him in 2006. But nothing 

tops another type of reward, he said. 

“take boys and turn them into men, 

that was my motto as far as my inner 

experience,” Roos said. “taking boys 

who come in 14, 15 years old and turn 

them into men when they leave 17, 18 

years old. Make them realize how to 

work and work in a system and be held 

accountable for what you’re doing. 

teach them a work ethic for future life. 

“You go to high school and it’s so 

new. You have to teach them time management 

and how to work, how to set 

goals, what you want to do with your 

life, what you would like to do. nothing 

is impossible. that’s the philosophy 

i taught them. i told them ‘if you work 

hard, i know you’ve got your bumps, 

ups and downs, nothing goes always 

the way you want it, but you don’t give 

in and you just work a little harder.”


maxPreps to celebrate 10 years of service to america’s high schools 

CBs MaxPreps, inc., the largest 

high school sports web site on the 

internet and a ChsCa partner, will 

celebrate its 10th anniversary in 

august, marking an unprecedented 

milestone in the growth of national 

scholastic coverage. Founded by 

sacramento-area basketball coach 

andy Beal - who remains the company’s 

president and chief visionary - 

MaxPreps.com has grown from a tiny 

regional web publishing company in 

2002 to the primary high school sports 

content provider for CBs sports and 

CBssports.com. 

During that time, MaxPreps has 

built an active working relationship 

with over 40,000 high school coaches 

nationally, while partnering with a wide 

variety of coach associations and state 

governing bodies. its free and easy-touse 

statistical management program 

for high school coaches has leveled 

the playing field to where every team 

in the nation - varsity, junior varsity and 

freshman - may easily share schedules, 

results, rosters, and detailed player 

stats with parents, friends, local media 

and college coaches. 

MaxPreps digital communications 

tools for coaches and athletic directors 

have proven to be without rival in the 

high school space. the same holds 

true for the MaxPreps Professional 

Photographers network, which has 

captured hundreds of ChsCa-member 

events over the years with its highgrade 

photo galleries, including the 

annual ChsCa all-star football game 

against Rhode island. 

and they’ve only just begun to 

scratch the surface. 

“a lot has changed in 10 years,” 

said MaxPreps media manager Jim 

stout. “the look of the site has changed, 

people and competitors have come 

and gone, new sports and new features 

have been added, and technology has 

grown leaps and bounds. 

“one thing that hasn’t changed, 

however, is our dedication to coaches. 

there’s not a person in the company 

that doesn’t come to work each day 

asking himself or herself ‘what can i 

do to help a coach today?’ Making 

coaches’ jobs easier and more fun 

and more productive, and celebrating 

the accomplishments of high school 

athletes is where it all began 10 years 

anDy Beal 

ago, and that’s where it is today. that 

will never change. Coach Beal had 

a vision; he knew as well as anyone 

what it was like to be a high school 

coach and what it would take to make 

coaches’ lives more fruitful and to help 

bring more recognition to the various 

schools and programs.” 

NFCa, maxPrePS team uP 

agaiN iN 2012 

MaxPreps and the national Fastpitch 

Coaches association have teamed up 

again this spring to promote high school 

softball at both the state and national level. 

the nFCa is the leading association for 

softball coaches at all levels, designed 

to keep coaches informed of the latest 

techniques, rules, news, awards, camps 

and tutorial classes. 

Connecticut softball coaches 

should be entering their data into 

MaxPreps by sunday night each week 

to nominate players for the MaxPreps/ 

nFCa Player of the Week award. it’s 

an easy way to get athletes recognized 

nationally. selected athletes receive 

a letter, a certificate and patch from 

MaxPreps, along with a written article 

on both the nFCa and MaxPreps 

websites. they are also mentioned in 

MaxPreps’ weekly Varsity Center show 

for women. simply enter your stats with 

MaxPreps to take advantage of this 

great award. 


MaxPreps also partners with 

the american Volleyball Coaches 

association and sponsors a similar 

weekly awards program in that sport. 

maxPrePS ready to roll 

out NatioNal PreSeaSoN 

FootBall raNKiNgS 

Being the leader comes with a steep 

price. For MaxPreps national football 

editor steve spiewak, the price means 

burying himself in april and May with 

football data while everyone else is 

enjoying the spring season. 

the result? MaxPreps national 

preseason football rankings for 2012 will 

be released on June 1 - yes June 1 - complete 

with spring portrait galleries of the top 25 

teams in the country from the MaxPreps 

Professional Photographers network. 

“our preseason top 25 is probably 

my favorite story of the year,” spiewak 

said. “traditionally, it has been the first 

set of rankings to debut, so we bear 

the brunt of comments and criticism. 

however, it always succeeds at doing 

one thing: getting people to talk 

football, which is always fun.” 

eNter your team’S StatS iN leSS 

thaN 15 miNuteS at maxPrePS 

With the spring season winding 

down, maybe you missed entering data 

from earlier games and don’t have time 

to go back and enter those stats on a 

game by game basis. or maybe your 

season is finished and you only want to 

post your team’s totals for 2012. either 

way, using MaxPreps “season-to-Date” 

stat entry feature will help you update 

your team’s stats in just minutes. 

to enter season-to-date stats, log into 

your Coach admin and go to your stat 

entry page. scroll to the very bottom, 

and check the box “enter season-todate 

stats.” You’re on your way. 

though it is still recommend that 

you enter game-by-game stats to utilize 

MaxPreps features to the fullest, the 

catch-up option is a great way to make 

up for lost time. 

any ChsCa member who would 

like their unique user name and 

password for their free team account 

on MaxPreps or who would simply like 

more information about the company 

should contact media manager Jim 

stout at 845-367-2864 or at jim. 

stout@cbsi.com

Stadium System can supply you with all your cheerleading needs. 

Featuring all the latest inventories from the hottest vendors. 

Including: New Balance, Alleson, Bristol, Under Armour, Charles River, 

Badger, Holloway, Pepco Pom’s , Boxercraft, Pizzazz, Soffe and more!! 

For more information, please contact one of our cheerleading specialists: 

Wendy Eichman 

Manager of New England Cheerleading Division 

wendy_stadium@yahoo.com 

(800)709-0059 

(860)824-4300 - direct line 

Jennifer Adams 

Cheerleading Specialist 

New York Territory 

(845)242-5185 

jennifer_stadium @yahoo.com 


Amanda Scanlon, Glastonbury High School, 

Gymnastics Player of the Year 

Elizabeth McDonald, 

Pomperaug hs, swimming 

Connor Rog, 

Fairfield Prep, Boys Cross Country 

Reid Watson, 

glastonbury hs, girls Cross Country 

Alyssa Christo, 

st. Joseph hs, girls soccer 

Zach Zurita, 

Bunnell hs, Boys soccer 

Casey Cochran, 

Masuk hs, Football 

Kyley Reed, 

Rocky hill hs, Volleyball 

Bailey McGinnis, 

north Branford hs, Field hockey 

Drew Mozzer, Glastonbury High School, 

Ice Hockey Player of the Year 

ProGrass Player of the year 

Prograss is the official presenter of the Player of the Year chosen by the Connecticut high school Coaches 

association sports committees. a beautiful plaque is presented to the winners at their all-state sports banquet by a 

Prograss representative. the sports winners for the school year 2011-2012 are listed below. 

Amber Deamico, Masuk High School, 

Cheerleading Player of the Year 

Devon Carrillo, Middletown High School, 

Wrestling Player of the Year 


Reed Watson, Glastonbury High School, 

Girls Cross Country Player of the Year 

Amanda Scanlon, 

glastonbury hs, gymnastics 

Amber Deamico, 

Masuk hs, Cheerleading 

Michael Pilyugin, 

Joel Barlow hs, Boys swimming 

Drew Mozzer, 

glastonbury hs, ice hockey 

Kris Dunn, 

new London hs, Boys Basketball 

Bria Holmes, 

hillhouse hs, girls Basketball 

Devon Carrillo, 

Middletown hs, Wrestling 

Bria Holmes, Hillhouse High School, 

Girls Basketball Player of the Year

Prom Planning Starts Here! 

Create highlights and memories 

High School 

Outing Special 

$500 Off 

BOnus 

If you book your prom at either 

The Aqua Turf or The Farmington 

Club and book your class outing 

at the Farmington Club, you will 

receive a $500 discount off of 

your high school outing! 

AT THe FARMINGToN CluB, 

we SPeCIAlIze IN SCHool 

ouTINGS! 

In addition to our all-day buffet, our 

more than 20 acres offers: 

• Olympic-size swimming pool 

• Lifeguards 

• Horseshoes and bocci 

• Full court basketball 

• Softball field 

• Sand volleyball 

• Tennis 

• Fishing 

from your school years that 

will last the rest of your life! 

Choose from two dazzling venues: 

The Aqua Turf or The Farmington Club 

We offer 5-1/2 hour prom times! Either sit down or buffet menu 

options are available. Let our event coordinators 

help you plan your prom or senior class picnic today! 


Above is an aerial view of The Farmington Club, 

grounds and buildings 

The Aqua Turf can 

accommodate all your 

prom needs! 

The AquA Turf 

Mulberry Street, Plantsville, CT 

860-621-9335 • aquaturfclub.com 

The fArmingTon Club 

162 Town Farm Road, Farmington, CT 

860-677-7341 • farmclub@aol.com

2012 National Coach of the Year Finalists 

the national high school athletic Coaches association (nhsaCa) will recognize a national high school Coach of 

the Year in each of 17 sports plus an athletic Director of the Year. each state is requested to nominate one outstanding 

coach or athletic Director (career performance) in each category. the eight finalist winners in each sports area will enter 

final competition at the 47th annual nhsaCa Convention seminar-Clinic awards Banquet in Fargo, north Dakota. each 

finalist will receive a handsome award plaque and the national winner, a national Coach of the Year ring. 

The Connecticut finalists for the 2012 National Coach of the Year Award are as follows: 

Athletic Director: Mike Pitruzzello – Middletown 

BAseBAll: Art Wheelock – Rockville 

Girls BAsketBAll: Bill Scarlata – Norwich Free Academy 

Boys cross country: Chris Bacich – New Milford 

Girls cross country: Arleigh Duff – Nonnewaug 

FootBAll: Chuck Drury – Southington 

GolF: Ted Orzech – Farmington 

soFtBAll: Frank Biondi – West Haven 

speciAl sports: Jeff Bramier – Darien 

swimminG & DivinG: Suzanne Hoyt – Glastonbury 

tennis: John Reisert – Fairfield-Ludlowe 

Boys trAck & FielD: Tom Jacobs – Amity 

Girls trAck & FielD: Barbara Hedden – Cheshire 

volleyBAll: Curt Burns – Avon 

wrestlinG: Walter Jadach – Derby 

chsca contriButors 

Please consider these companies whenever you could use the services they provide as they are offering 

so much to the CHSCA coaches and student-athletes. 

n Awards of Elegance 

n MaxPreps 

n Stadium System 

n Nationwide 

Insurance 

n Bozzuto’s 

n The Aqua Turf 

n Farmington Club 

n Diamond 

n ProGrass 

n Loomis & Lapann 

Insurance 

Agency 

n United States 

Marine Corps. 

n Gilman Gear 

n NFP 

n Tigers Edge 

Promotions 

n Schutt Helmet 

Company 

n Spalding 


n Art Rich 

Photography 

n N.E. Computer 

Solutions 

n TD Bank 

n Fox 61 

n The Hartford 

Courant 

Lobbyist 

Dues to the Connecticut high school Coaches association are not deductible as a charitable 

contribution but may be deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense. a portion of 

dues, however, is not deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense to the extent that the 

Connecticut high school Coaches association engages in lobbying. the non-deductible portion of the 

dues for the year ending august 31, 2012 is 6 percent.


attention educators and counselors 

Dear Educators and counselors, 

As the High School Program Coordinator for the United States Marine Corps 

Recruiting Station Springfield, Massachusetts, I would like to take this opportunity 

to thank you for the friendly and professional assistance that you have offered the 

Marine Corps in the past school year. The Marines of Recruiting Station Springfield 

remain dedicated to assisting your faculty with their efforts to keep our nation’s 

youth in school. Moreover, my Marines welcome any opportunity to help you develop 

American citizens that are morally strong, well educated, physically fit, and 

committed to themselves and their communities. 

There are many tangible benefits that the Marine Corps has to offer your 

students and their families with regard to earning a college education and receiving 

vocational/technical training. Some of those many advantages are: up to $150,000 

college scholarship to a four-year university through the Marine Option NROTC program, 

a $50,000 Marine Corps College Fund for qualified enlistees, 100% tuition assistance 

while on active duty, generous tuition assistance or tuition deferment by many state 

schools for those in the Marine Corps Reserve and a myriad of technical skills from 

computer programming to air traffic control and diesel mechanics, not to mention the 

opportunities for talented musicians to continue a career in music by serving in one 

of our many bands through the Music Enlistment Option Program (MEOP). 

Of course, one of the most important ways that my Marines can help your students 

is by providing them the positive role models to further develop their character, and 

the intangible benefits of pride in belonging and respect for authority. To better 

your understanding of what the Marine Corps is all about; I would like to invite one 

of your faculty members to attend our annual Educators’ Workshop during April of 2013. 

This trip to Parris Island, fully funded by the Marine Corps, will allow one of your 

educators to see first-hand, from beginning to end, how the Marine Corps instills the 

Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment in America’s youth and transforms them 

into Marines. 

Again, I wish to thank your administration for your prompt cooperation and 

dedication in developing the citizens of tomorrow. I look forward to a renewed and 

revitalized partnership of educating your students and their families about the many 

wonderful and exciting opportunities that life in the Marine Corps has to offer. If 

there is anything that I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to call (413) 474-6355 

or email andrew.hamilton@marines.usmc.mil. 


Custom Trophies, Plaques 

and Awards 

at Affordable Prices 

Proud to be the Official Provider of the 

Connecticut High School Coaches Association’s 

Player of the Year Award 

and 

Team of the Year Award 

www.awardsofelegance.net 

410 Main Street • Southington, CT 06489 

Phone: 860-628-7477 

Open: Mon. 8:30-1:00; Tues., Wed. & Fri. 8:30-5:30; Thurs. 8:30-6:30; Sat. 9:00-2:00 

Ask us about Sports Memorabilia Charity Auctions 

We will help you raise money for your Charity at no cost to you! 


NHSACA Hall of Fame Inductions slated 

for July 24, 2012 in Fargo, North Dakota 

ed aStoN JaCK loNg 

Proud to support the Connecticut high 

school Coaches association. 

thank you for your continued support! 


sponsors make scholar/athlete 

scholarship a big success 

the ChsCa awarded four $1,000 scholarships at their 

Coaches Recognition Banquet to four outstanding young 

people. 

the four youngsters chosen were from a group that 

started with approximately 250 and was subsequently cut 

down to the top 50. the 50 youngsters were screened by 

a non-coaching committee headed by Dr. Martin semmel, 

principal of southington high school. From those 50 they 

chose: 

Jessica Jowdy, St. Joseph’s High School 

bozzuto’s 

The CHSCA would like to thank our 

sponsors of the Scholar/Athlete Scholarships 

for being there for the student/athletes. 

The CHSCA would like 

to thank The Aqua Turf Club, 

Bozzuto’s, MaxPreps, 

The Farmington Club, 

the U.S. Marines and ProGrass 

for being our sponsors. 


Alexander Schroeder, Stonington High School 

philip Smith, Northwest Regional High School 

rebecca Weir, Coginchaug High School 

the Connecticut high school Coaches association cannot 

thank our sponsors enough for their contribution and support 

of these scholarships. “the sponsors you see surrounding this 

article have always been outstanding people with our state, 

but this certainly shows just how great they really are,” stated 

John Fontana, executive Director.

Jack stabach, always a teacher 


Jack stabach always wanted to be 

a teacher and he seemed to find himself 

continually in situations in which he 

was teaching despite being in another 

profession. 

stabach graduated from norwich 

Free academy in the 1960s and later 

worked as an engineer throughout the 

‘70s. though he never swam competitively 

in high school, he was always involved 

in swimming, first as a state surfing 

champion in 1965 and ‘66 and 

for more than 20 years as a life guard 

at Misquamicut Beach in Rhode island. 

Because he was always involved 

in swimming in one way or another, 

he was often approached to assist with 

high school teams part-time, sometimes 

in other parts of the country where he 

might be working as an engineer. 

By the mid-1980s, he decided to 

go back to school at the university of 

Rhode island for a teaching certificate 

and wound up with a position at st. 

Bernard in Montville in 1986. 

swimming was, of course, his first 

preference in coaching, but when he 

approached the athletic director he 

was instead asked to first coach soccer, 

a sport he not only never played 

but that he had no knowledge of at all. 

“i told him ‘i don’t know anything 

about soccer, that’s not my forte’ “ 

stabach said. “But swimming is what 

i wanted to do. it’s what i had a little 

background in.” 

stabach took the job and was 

promised he would eventually get the 

swimming position. 

stabach said his wife had played 

soccer in high school and he got every 

book he could get his hands on. 

“i had the best conditioned team,” 

stabach said. “they didn’t know much 

about the game, but they were really in 

good shape.” 

Funny thing was he didn’t get the 

head coaching swim job until 1995, 

after he had done two stints as an assistant 

with swim teams at Waterford 

and new London high schools. But 

he also coached at Westbrook YMCa 

and he started the nutmeg swim Club 

in 1992. 

Later in the decade, when he found 

Jack staBacH 

out a pool was being built at east Lyme 

high school, he decided to apply for 

the swim job and landed it in 1999. 

since, he has established two quality 

programs in boys and girls, and east 

Lyme has become a swimming power 

in the eastern Connecticut Conference. 

he began with the boys program, 

but established a girls team in 2000 

and has won the girls conference 

championship every year since. the 

boys have won nine titles, including 

the past five. 

Conference championships have 

become the norm at east Lyme and his 

girls have finished as high as second 

twice in the CiaC Class Championships, 

but stabach’s satisfaction comes 

from another source. 

“My favorite things that i see and 

feel are when my kids do really well. 

Just to see the excitement and smiles 

on their faces, the girls especially, that 

to me is what it’s all about,” stabach 

said. “as opposed to just one moment, 

it’s really all the time when they do really 

well and they all of a sudden believe 

in themselves. and all that hard 

work and energy they put into practice 

comes alive and they have their best 

swims ever. those are the really exciting 

times for us.” 

stabach says he marvels at his kids 

perseverance as well. 


“i’m there with them every day,” 

stabach said. “all sports are difficult. 

it takes a lot of training to do well. in 

swimming, it’s going through that pain 

threshold and pushing yourself and not 

giving up. there’s a fork in road. You 

can take the easy road, you can take 

the hard road. these kids seem to be 

able to reach down deep and take that 

more difficult road where they’re going 

to not quit, not slow it down.” 

stabach was named ChsCa girls 

swimming Coach of the Year in 2007, 

which he said was a surprise to him. 

“i was taken back on that,” stabach 

said. “i was blown away because i’ve 

known so many good coaches and i’m 

not so sure that i deserved it.” 

in the summer of 2009, he was 

asked by usa swimming to help coach 

swimmers in Connecticut who were allamerican 

or potential all-american at 

the olympic training Center. 

“that was an honor for me to be 

coaching the best 24 boys and girls in 

the state. that was an exciting thing,” 

stabach said. “i got to see what these 

kids are doing compared to my kids. 

some of the techniques were not as 

good as my kids, but they were going 

faster. not only did i help them, but i 

learned a lot from them. a good group 

of kids. it was a great education to be 

working with them.” 

stabach is also the aquatic director 

at east Lyme high school and 

teaches rescue to the freshman and 

CPR to sophomores. Between those 

duties, coaching and running the nutmeg 

swim Club, he said there are not 

enough hours in the day. 

“it’s a passion,” stabach said. “i’m 

very fortunate to be getting paid for 

something i absolutely love. My advice 

to all my kids is if you don’t know what 

you want to do don’t just pick anything. 

if you like collecting butterflies, you can 

be the best in the world. You can write 

books about it. Don’t let anyone turn 

you away from it, go ahead and do it. 

You’ll do it well because it’s something 

you love. it may not be monetary, but if 

you’re the best at it, people will recognize 

you for it.”

860.621.9335 

Over the years, the Aqua Turf 

Club has grown from a small, 

neighborhood swim, golf and tennis 

club to one of New England’s 

largest and most highly regarded 

banquet facilities. 

www.aquaturfclub.com 

Mulberry Street, Plantsville, CT 

Two great places, same attention to detail, impressive food, 

elegant rooms and beautiful landscaped grounds. 

Have your next function at 

The Aqua Turf Club or The Farmington Club! 


860.677.7341 

Located in the heart of the 

Farmington Valley, The 

Farmington Club is the pinnacle 

of elegance & sophistication. 

We offer two spacious dining 

rooms for 100-320 guests & 

space for on-site ceremonies. 

www.farmingtonclub.com 

162 Town Farm Road 

Farmington, CT

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ConneCtiCut CoaCh • issue 3 • 2012 - Connecticut High School Sports

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