The pride pg 9 2-20-14
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By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC sporty shout out is sent along to Putnam optometrist Dr. David Gaudreau. An avid golfer and strong supporter of youth sports, Dr. G, a member of the Putnam Board of Education, is one to look you right in the eye when he’s talking to you. He just blew out another candle on the cake on Monday, February 17.
This week’s column gives RPC an opportunity to brag a little bit.
On Jan. 23 a little girl weighing exactly seven pounds was born in Denver, Colo. Amelia Jennifer Coderre is the adopted daughter of former Putnam High School three-sport standout Christopher Coderre and his wife Jodi Swaine-Coderre. The newest grandchild in the Coderre family is now comfortably settled in her new home.
As with most newborns, parents have dreams for their children and A.J., as she’s affectionately referred to, is no different. We all hope that our kids will grow up to be special whether it’s in athletics, music, education, medicine or any other career but most of all we’re thankful when they grow up to be solid responsible citizens.
A.J.’s loving parents are certainly no different than other parents but it’s a certainty that she will be encouraged in athletics some day. Her dad was a football, basketball and baseball standout at Putnam High School, graduating in 1988 before moving on to the University of Dayton. Today he enjoys a relaxing round of golf and watching basketball on television, especially the Dayton Flyers and Providence Friars.
Fortunately for A.J. she also has a very athletic mom, who was a college athlete in the SUNY system in New York. Today her mom is a competitive tennis player, playing regularly on a circuit in the Providence area.
As A.J. grows, it’s a certainty that she will be nurtured and encouraged in whatever field she endeavors by her parents who are proud of their new addition. Another certainty is that A.J. will always be loved and well cared for by her mom and dad. And by the way, by her pepere, RPC.
Looking Ahead to Tournament Time
High school basketball fans that are looking ahead to conference and state tournament play can get their calendars out and reserve some dates for what promises to be another exciting postseason.
The Eastern Connecticut Conference has released its boys’ and girls’ tourney schedules. The Play-In Round for the boys is Thursday, Feb. 27 at the site of the higher seed. The quarterfinals are set for Saturday, March 1at St. Bernard High School in Uncasville with starting times of noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The semis will take place on Wednesday, March 5 at Waterford High School at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. with the Championship contest scheduled for Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m. at Waterford.
The girls’ schedule mirrors the boys but will take place a week earlier. The Play-In round is Thursday, Feb. 20 followed by the quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Ledyard High School at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The semis and finals are scheduled for Plainfield High School on Wednesday, Feb. 26 and Friday, Feb. 28. Semis at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and the championship game at 7 p.m.
It appears that Woodstock Academy, Tourtellotte and Plainfield have made the field for the boys’ event with Killingly still hoping to get in. On the distaff side, Tourtellotte and Plainfield are in, while Woodstock and Killingly have unfortunately been eliminated.
Putnam and Ellis Tech boys have been eliminated from State postseason play, while Killingly remains on the bubble, with the aforementioned Plainfield, Tourtellotte and Woodstock qualifying. The girls’ State tourney play falls out exactly as the ECC Tournament with the exception of the Putnam Lady Clippers of the Constitution State Conference that have qualified for the State tourney.
Another Major League Shot for Local Player
Brian LaHair is a professional baseball player whose profile indicates he comes from Worcester, however for those who followed Little League in Thompson in the ‘90s his name conjures up some memories of prodigious home runs. LaHair was a phenom when he played as a kid in Thompson. The stories of his four baggers, as told by some of Thompson’s old timers, are of Ruthian proportion.
It’s been said that he hit so many home runs in the Thompson Little League that opposing teams feared him so much they would intentionally walk him rather than taking the chance on him connecting for a Ballantine blast. LaHair moved from Thompson and played high school baseball at Holy Name High School before going to college in Florida.
Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2002, LaHair played part of one season on the West Coast and then went back to the minor leagues. His career was resurrected by Theo Epstein General Manager of the Chicago Cubs but LaHair didn’t fare too well in the Windy City for the Cubbies. In parts of three major league seasons he’s hit 21 home runs and driven in 56 runs.
Last season he played in Japan, where he made $4.5 million but was a major disappointment causing him to be released. It appears he has a new lease on his baseball life at age 31 as he’s been signed to a minor league contract but invited to major league spring training camp by the Cleveland Indians. The prognosis is that if he is to make manager Terry Francona’s Tribe it will be as a backup first baseman/outfielder and pinch hitter.
Many of LaHair’s friends and rooters believe he still has what it takes to be a successful major league player. This may be his final opportunity to prove that theory.
College Update
Paul Brooks, the 6-foot, 9-inch former Putnam Science Academy standout and current Worcester State University Lancer freshman, was recently named the MASCAC Rookie of the Week for the second week in a row and for the third time this season. Brooks has obviously found himself a home with the Lancers where he’s averaging 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game to go along with 2.5 blocks per contest. He’s the team leader in blocks and rebounds and fifth in scoring. In addition he’s ranked 55th in the nation in blocked shots.
Another former Mustang appears to have settled in at the University of Maine. Shaun Lawton, a 6-4 forward is a starter or first player off the bench for the Black Bears. He’s averaging 7.6 points per game, while playing almost 27 minutes a contest. In a recent game against the University of Hartford he had five points, two rebounds and five assists.
Lawton’s teammate is former Hyde-Woodstock 6-9 freshman Christian Ejiga, who is averaging 2.5 points a contest in 12 minutes of action. Against U of H, Ejiga had one point, two boards and a block in 10 minutes of action.
The former Marianapolis duo of Ike Azotam and Ousmane Drame continue to lead Quinnipiac University, which has an impressive 15-8 record. The Hartford Courant recently ran a front page-sports section story on Drame, relating his move from Africa to the United States and his meteoric rise as a player.
Azotam recorded his 40th career double-double in a win over Rider. He followed that up with a 15 point performance in an 83-78 victory over Marist. Drame had a double-double against Marist with 16 points and 10 boards.
From The Annals of Putnam Sports History
January 1907: Putnam High defeated Webster High 23-21 in a game in Webster. (Information contributed by Willie Zamagni)
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: You’re what you are when nobody’s looking.
(If you have sports items worthy of publication please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Centaurs pg 11 2-20-14
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caption:
A Save
Woodstock Academy's Tucker Johns gloves a save. Courtesy photo.
POMFRET — The Woodstock Academy Ice Hockey team dropped a 5-3 decision to the E.O. Smith-Tolland- Windham Eagles Co-op team Feb. 12 at Jahn Rink.
The Centaurs came back from 3 goals down and were as close as 4-3 in the final minutes of the third period but fell in the end and dropped to 4-7 on the season.
Freshman forward Tyler Huhtanan got the Centaurs out to an early lead in the first period off an assist from Will Liscomb. E.O. Smith responded seconds later to end the first period tied at one. E.O Smith rattled off three power play goals in the second period to take a 3-goal lead after two periods. Down 4-1 entering the third period, Woodstock cut the score to 4-3 with two goals midway through the third period.
Freshman forward Nathan DeLuca put home his 11th goal of the season to cut the lead to 4-2. Classmate Liscomb scored his fourth goal of the season on a pass from Nathan DeLuca to cut it to 4-3 before the Eagles scored again with two minutes left in the period to end the game at 5-3.
Considering Woodstock had already lost to E.O. Smith 8-1 and 9-2 in their two previous meetings it was quite an achievement for the Centaurs to play them so close. Filling in for big brother Baylee, sophomore goalie Tucker Johns stopped 41 shots for the Centaurs.
Woodstock played Eastern Connecticut Eagles Feb. 19.
Legals pg 11 2-20-14
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Legal Notice
PUBLIC NOTICE:
Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless is proposing to install 12 antennas at top height of plus/minus 62-feet tall onto a penthouse and install a generator on the rooftop of a building located at 26-30 Front Street, Putnam, CT 06260. The overall height of existing antennas is plus/minus 71-feet tall.
Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Coreen Kelsey, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., 100 Great Meadow Road, Wethersfield, CT, 06109, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or 860-807-4306.
Feb. 20, 2014
Plainfield pg 11 2-20-14
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caption, page 12:
All Smiles
Woodstock Middle School Wildcats are all smiles after winning QVJC Tournament. Courtesy photo
Plainfield boys and
Woodstock girls
capture QVJC titles
By Ron P. Coderre
The Quinebaug Valley Conference was the envy of high school conferences for many years before its dissolution. A spinoff of the former QVC, the Quinebaug Valley Junior Conference was formed by some farsighted junior and middle school administrators more than 50 years ago and the conference still provides exciting basketball to this day.
The 2014 championships in the boys and girls conferences were settled last week in games played in Jewett City at the Griswold Middle School. The Plainfield Royals, using their size, captured the male competition, running over the
smaller Woodstock Middle School. In the female competition Woodstock Middle School girls squeaked by Thompson to win the thrilling championship.
Plainfield Royals Kings of the QVJC
Plainfield Middle School rode a balanced scoring attack and a decided height advantage as it rolled over Woodstock Middle School 72-35 as it ran away with the boys’ championship. The Royals jumped out to a 15-4 first period advantage and built on that by outscoring Woodstock 20-7 in the second stanza to go into intermission with a commanding 35-11 advantage. Wildcats. The Royals capped the season with an 11-1 record. The winning Royals, coached by Al Denomme, placed three players in double figures as 10 players got into the scorebook for the winners. The Royals were led by game high scorer Markeigh Conyers who posted 16 points. Joining Conyers in double figures were Duncan Rivers with 14 points and Jarvin Alday with 12.
Wyatt Taylor had an outstanding game in defeat, matching Conyers for high scoring honors with 16 points.
Woodstock Wildcats Win Wild Championship
The title game for the girls was much closer than the boys’ championship. The game actually went down to the final seconds before Hanna Matsas scored the game winner on her only hoop of the game to give the Woodstock Wildcats a one point 31-30 thriller over the Thompson Tigers. The victory preserved a perfect season for Woodstock which finishes at 12-0.
The game was close throughout with the Tigers taking a 14-11 first quarter lead before going completely cold in the second period. While Woodstock was scoring 10 points in the second stanza, Thompson only had a single point in six minutes. Woodstock led 21-15 at halftime.
Thompson came back after halftime and trailed by one 24-23 after three periods. The teams battled even in the final quarter before Matsas scored the difference maker. Woodstock was led by Heather Converse who had 14 points. Dunn O’Hara chipped in five points for the winners.
Thompson, which finishes the season at 9-3, was paced by game high scorer Katey Kwasniewski who had 17 points, three coming from three-point land. Ashley Morin chipped in six points while Maegan Roy had five markers for the Tigers.
Pomfret Middle School Girls Win QVJC Small
Led by the high scoring duo of Ariana Koivisto and Madison Brennan the Pomfret Middle School girls captured the QVJC Small Division Championship with a 46-33 win over Parish Hill in a contest played at Helen Baldwin School in Canterbury. The winners coached by Meredith Gagnon and Kathryn Bourn posted their 11 victory in a row in winning the title.
Koivisto was the top scorer with 17 to go with her 10 assists, while Brennan, who was deadly from the outside added 14 points. The suffocating defense was spearheaded by Arielle Johnson and Emma Sarantopoulos who had 15 big rebounds. The team had three starters in fould trouble to begin the final quarter but Natalie Low and Madison Fisher made huge contributions to hold the Parish Hill Pirates at bay.
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