woodstock pg 6 3-28-24
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
WOODSTOCK — The Woodstock Middle School honor roll for the second quarter includes:
Grade 6
High Honors: Addison Antaya, Amy Beausoleil, Sophia Benoit, Thomas Converse, Delaney Cross, Luciana Drake, Kellan Frazier, Grace Hebert, Julia Huynh, Ella Keser, Antoinette Madden, Samantha Mills, Madelyn Morin, Katie Record, Carter Rhodus, Hazel Rigney, Kaden Romanik, Adriana Turner, Sofia Wolslegel, Liam Yank
Honors: Jack Antkowiak, Quinn Boies, Gavin Bottone, Henry Boucher, Isla Brady, Alyxander Cassell, Tucker Chamberlin, Lydia Dorez, Coby Gagnon, Gregory Hart, Oliver Hayden, Braylon Hill, Elizabeth Jolliff, Mimi Magee, William Magee, Charles Murphy, Audrey Neeland, Lana Powell, Audrey Puchalski, Maggie Salvas, Isabella Sandholm, Jayden Sargent, Grace Syme, Maizey Szydlo, Claire Elizabeth Vinal, Ezekiel Walen, Killian Wamback
Recognition: Avery Andrews, Cameron Bennett, Zachary Bernier-Garland, Colin Bickoff, Joshua Bolduc, Aubrie Chenevert, Addison Covello, Cameron Crowley, Mason Fish, Alison Foley, Calianne Joy, Mackenzie Maldonado, Kristopher Morrisette, Lorena Silva, Mattingly Vogt, Natalie Wamback, Arden Whitley
Grade 7
High Honors: Kestrel Brousseau, Kalena Fortner, Alexa Heersink, Marina Jennings, Jenson Knight, Kenzie Porter, Jude Sargent, Benjamin Shamp
Honors: Noah Damaso, Autumn Gatchell, Lillian Gregorzek, Liam Hewson, Avery Manbeck, Archie McDonald, Georgia Myers, Aylin Stevens
Recognition: Parker Bessette, Owen Brackett, Alexander Cournoyer, Grayson De Oliviera, Hayden Ferguson, Autumn Fogarty, Ryleigh Hitchcock, Jacob Hull, Piper Jagodzinski, Jessica Leach, William Leonard, Brook Marshall, Autumn Maturi, Cooper O’Brien, Dawson Pinter, Rachel Reno, Brooklyn Sherman-Wessell, Eliana Smith, Tristan Sparks, Emma Stacey
Grade 8
High Honors: Carolina Ahearn, Grace Audet, Georgia Cross, Colby Deary, Nathaniel Drake, Ava Eaton, Jax Golden, Emma Johnson, Abigail Keser, Kaitlyn McQuiston
Honors: Alexander DeCarli, Colton Haase, Haven Magnan, Stella Puchalski, Patrick Raftery, Abel Rigney, Erin Russell, Kaitlyn Teal, Caroline Walen
Recognition: Drake Abdullovski, Isabella Amlaw, Rhys Asikainen, Zoe Cloutier, Scarlett Hogarty, Phoebe Houston, Hailee James, Daniel Jameson, Kaitlyn LaBonte, Kaylee Letourneau, Tristen Maloney, Abigail Manning, James McHugh, Owen Murdock, Colbie O’Connor, Lauren Young, Muhammad Zameer.
.
centaurs pg 7 3-28-24
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
caption:
Lacrosse
From left: Seniors Henry Wotton, Jared Neilsen, Lucas Theriaque, Ryan Wallace and Jacob Lizotte will be relied upon to help carry the Woodstock Academy boys lacrosse program back to the state tournament this spring. Photo by Marc Allard.
The Woodstock Academy boys’ lacrosse team saw a dozen players depart on Commencement Day. But there is good news.
“We’re not in a full rebuild because there are still a lot of seniors coming back,” said Centaurs coach Jason Tata. “We have guys who are able to fill in the holes that all of those seniors left.”
Those holes include that of leading scorer Zach Gessner who had 26 goals and 29 assists last season and midfielder Jacob Jurnovoy who added 12 goals and three assists.
But senior Jared Neilsen, who recorded his 100th career point last season, returns.
“I would like to improve on setting up more plays, hitting the net when I shoot a little more, I struggle with that at times,” Nielsen said. “I think it will be a collective effort (offensively). I know Dylan (Phillips) can feed and I can feed. Zach was a huge passer from that X-spot so we have to each take on that role as well as our third X-man.”
Nielsen finished with 32 goals and 12 assists while Phillips, a sophomore, tossed in nine goals and seven assists.
Junior Gunnar Basak will also be up front with junior Xander Miller, sophomore Corey LaFond and freshman Patrick Griswold also in the mix.
There will likely be some production from the midfield as well with seniors Henry Wotton and Lucas Theriaque (9 goals, 4 assists) anchoring the middle.
“It’s looking alright. The first line has a lot of chemistry because we’ve played together before. We just have to work with the younger guys so we have a line to go to when we need to get subbed out,” Wotton said.
Juniors Keegan Covello, Sam Desmond, Miller and Seamus Coleman and sophomore Logan Rumrill will also see midfield time.
Seniors Ryan Wallace, Jacob Lizotte and Sam Lescault and junior Sam Desmond will play in the back along with a group that Tata hopes will grow up together, sophomores David Genay, Jacob Say and Kyler Smith.
Tata said the three sophomores will see a “good chunk” of JV time, but will be used at the varsity level as well.
“We have a lot of aggressive D-poles which is always good. Most of them played together before so I think they will be pretty good this season,” Wotton said.
The goalie situation is bit tenuous since Kaiden Keddy had most of the varsity minutes a year ago.
Sophomores Quantiwah Sangasy and Peter Plourde will share net time.
“Quan saw a lot of time on JV (last season) so he’s seen a lot of shots and, hopefully, that translates over to the varsity side and he’s looking good so far. Peter is our new guy who has come into the school. It’s a real bummer that they are both sophomores. We’re going to have to bounce between the two, see who fits in better and, maybe, it’s a case of playing the hot hand week-to-week, game-by-game,” Tata said.
The Centaurs did finish 7-10 last season and accomplished their goal. The team made the Class M state tournament.
“That’s what I’m hoping for again. Every year, that’s all I want. I want to extend our season as long as humanly possible. Looking at the schedule, I think we have some winnable games, we have a favorable schedule, and I think the gap in the (ECC) between teams is narrowing a bit. East Lyme is still East Lyme, but I think we can start to compete with the others more,” Tata said.
Unfortunately for the Centaurs, they will know just how good the Vikings are early as they host East Lyme in the season opener at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Bentley Athletic Complex.
“At first, I always think, ‘Ugh, East Lyme’ but then, that’s the top of the ECC, one of the best in the state, it is always up there. I would rather see them right away, get that little shell shock and then I can say, ‘Guys, this is what we’re aiming for. This is the kind of team we want to become’,” Tata said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
.
volleyball pg 7 3-28-24
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
caption:
Boys’ Volleyball
Senior Aiden Finch, left, who spearheaded the call for a boys’ volleyball program at Woodstock Academy, and coach Adam Bottone will lead the Centaurs in their inaugural season. Photo by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy.
It’s a dream come true for Woodstock Academy senior Aiden Finch.
He worked long and hard trying to convince everyone that a boys’ varsity volleyball program was in demand at the school.
He gets to see that program come to fruition before he dons a cap and gown and graduates as the Centaurs will have a boys’ varsity volleyball season this year.
“It’s incredibly special for me,” Finch said. “I’ve been playing since my freshman year, club teams, clinics, friends’ backyards and on the beach and in grass. To finally have a Woodstock Academy team is awesome.”
The Centaurs did have a club program last year.
“The boys that played last year, you could see when we started the preseason that they remembered the basic skills that we went over, knew the technique and those type of things. Having that year under their belt, especially if they didn’t play offseason club volleyball, there is less of a learning curve,” said coach Adam Bottone.
While it will be Bottone’s first year as head coach of the program, he is hardly as rookie at coaching the game as he leads the girls program in the fall.
However, there are more than subtle adjustments for Bottone as well.
“It’s significantly different,” Bottone said when asked to compare the boys’ and girls’ version of the game. “The (boys) game is more dynamic, more of a side out game. If you can get one good pass, a lot of times you will side out. You don’t see the lengthy rallies that you see in the girls’ game. For girls to be productive and efficient, they have to be really good at the skills. The boys seem to make stuff happen, they just like to run through walls,” Bottone said.
Finch said: “I managed the girls for the past two years so I’ve seen (Bottone) with the girls and the guys, it’s very different coaching guys. Guys are a little more playful but also a little more serious, as contradictory it sounds, it’s true. I believe in coach and I think he will do a great job keeping us on track,” Finch said.
Nineteen student-athletes have come out meaning the team can split into a varsity and JV.
Finch will be a key contributor for the Centaurs and will be joined by fellow seniors Anthony Buckner, Ben Da Silva, Cade Jones, Hunter Larson, T.J. Osborne and Addison Tyimok.
“Aiden has to be a leader for us, he’s played club and has a lot of experience. He will be our go-to guy and I expect a lot from him. I got a core of three freshmen in Brayden (Bottone), Christian Hart and Owen Budd who all played club in the offseason and have grown tremendously. We’re starting the program this year and Aiden is a big part of that, the freshmen group will be the heart-and-soul of developing the program over the next four years,” Bottone said.
Junior Nathan Billings and sophomore Weston Mission make up the remainder of the varsity roster.
“I think what excites me the most is that they are just excited to be here,” Bottone added. “They want to learn the sport, to play, they’re excited to be part of the first-ever volleyball team at the school so they want to leave their mark. It’s hard to say yet what we will do well, we’re still figuring out positions. We have some good servers and passers but we’re still figuring out the game and how it works.”
But the coach does expect that to happen and thinks this team has the potential to get to the necessary eight wins to make the state tournament.
The Centaurs are also part of the fledgling Connecticut Volleyball League, which incorporates all of the schools that are not part of a league that offers volleyball.
For Bottone, the competition will be a learning experience.
“I think it’s possible to make the state tournament but I really don’t know what to expect from the teams we play within our conference because I don’t know a whole lot about them, (Norwich Free Academy) and Putnam are familiar but I don’t know a lot about their boys’ programs. A lot of the schools are tech, magnet or independent schools and I don’t know what their numbers are like or how long they have been in existence,” Bottone said.
The Centaurs open the season at home against Wolcott Tech at 5:30 p.m. Monday inside the Alumni Fieldhouse and then host Bulkeley/SMSA on Tuesday.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
..
police pg 8 3-28-24
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
March 17
Harrison Paton, 23, homeless; possession of dangerous weapon.
March 19
Olivia Ekinci, 34, Laconia Court, Putnam; second-degree failure to appear.
.