doing pg 1 12-30-21
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It was during a break at a recent PSA boys’ Prep basketball practice that coach Tom Espinosa looked over toward the rest of the coaching staff and said, “We do everything really well.” That they do.
The Mustangs hit the semester break ranked No. 1 in the national coaches poll with a spotless 13-0 record, winning by an average score of 126-83. They’ve beaten No. 14 Springfield Commonwealth by 16 and No. 13 South Kent by 30. They beat No. 7 Hargrave Military by 20 on a neutral court.
Their defense has been suffocating throughout, which has led to easy offense.
They have shooters and rebounders and defenders and attackers.
So yes, they do everything well.
“You know, we recruit kids and then hope they’re all as good as we think,” Espinosa said. “But it never pans out that way. Historically, some kids are better than we thought they’d be and then there are some who are not as good as we thought they’d be.
“But this year, we feel like we hit a home run with each kid. They’re what we expected and they all bring something to the table, which is just honestly very unusual. It just doesn’t happen. Everything has just kind of clicked. We’ve got a good, special group of kids.”
And when you look at the Mustangs on paper, they don’t blow you away with a roster full of guys going to Kentucky and Duke and Baylor and Gonzaga. Aside from Desmond Claude, who came off the bench for the first seven games and has offers from Kansas, Louisville, Xavier, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh among others, it’s just a lot of underrated, chip-on-their-shoulder mid-major players.
“But we hit a home run,” Espinosa reiterated. “Everyone brings something special to the team.”
Arturo Dean has been the biggest revelation, averaging 17.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.8 steals as the team’s energizer.
“I never thought he’d be this good,” Espinosa said. “The kid really didn’t have any Division I offers and what he’s doing on one of the biggest stages is remarkable.”
Darryl Simmons continues to be the head of the snake, averaging 9.5 points and 3.5 assists, moving the ball and getting people where they need to be. DayDay Gittens scored his 1,000th career high school point in the final game before the break and has been a lockdown defender. Barry Evans recently became just the second PSA player to post a triple-double. Mouhamed Dioubate has seven double-doubles in 13 games. Taiga Jones and Sotirios Nafpliotis are sharpshooters with deep range coming off the bench.
Said Espinosa: “I’ve been happy with the way things have gone, obviously. There is always room to grow and improve and our schedule is tough when we come back from the break (including a January 16 showdown with No. 2 Northfield Mount Hermon). But these guys have shown that they’re committed to what we’re trying to do. You always want to be playing your best basketball in February and March, not November and December, so I still expect a lot.
“But I will take being 13-0 and playing really well right now, rather than struggling for a semester and trying to figure it out when we get back. It’s our job as coaches to motivate them and keep them focused and trying to get better. We have a lot of strong leaders on and off the court too, which I have always said makes a huge difference. The goal is to win the national championship and we think this can be a special group.”
By Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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Hoping pg 1 12-30-21
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Hoping for
11th straight
gymnastics
state championship
After a year of competing virtually, the high school gymnastics season has returned to a more normal place in 2021-22.
For the Woodstock Academy program, that means meets at Deary’s Gymnastics in Danielson.
The Centaurs opened last week with a 130.4-125.25 win over Killingly.
Coach Kasey Tocchio said, “I think it’s even more exciting after not having a real season. Every year, it’s the same kind of thing, the season starts but not having that (last year), and I think everyone is really excited to get back into the team atmosphere and competing. Everyone is really ready.”
Two key performers for the Centaurs will start the season watching their teammates for the most part.
Junior Taylor Markley has been battling multiple injuries, illness and rust. She is getting better, however, and did a few routines in the season opener, winning the bars competition with a 9.4 score.
“She is a beyond talented kid so we’re praying that come, hopefully, the middle of January that we will see her (in full competition). When you do see her, her name will just be everywhere,” Tocchio said. “The health issues are out of our control. It breaks my heart for her because not only is she talented, she leads by example, works hard and is such a leader in the gym. She deserves to be able to go out there and show what an awesome gymnast she is.”
Top incoming freshman, Olivia Aleman, will not be cleared until the end of December so she will likely miss the first two meets. “She will be able to do some watered- down routines by the beginning of January and for her, a watered-down routine is really good. Hopefully, by the end of the season, she will be able to show her true potential,” Tocchio said. Aleman is a Level-10 performer in USA gymnastics.
The Centaurs do have some healthy performers — seniors Lindsey Gillies and Hannah Bell are both ready to go.
“I just want to do the best that I can,” Bell said. “I’m probably not going to continue after high school so this will be a nice final opportunity.”
Gillies showed what she was capable of against Killingly as she topped the performers among the two teams with an All-Around performance of 33.45. The senior finished third in the vault (8.8) and third on bars (8.5).
Also on the team is junior Madison Martinez. She finished third in the floor competition with an 8.7 and finished with a 31.5 All-Around score, equal to that of one of the newer Centaurs, Livia Gerum.
The Centaurs also have newcomers in addition to Aleman and Gerum with sophomore Paulina Oldag and freshmen Allie Boyd, Angelina Auger and Estella Becker-Pombo.
Oldag and Becker-Pombo are both rhythmic gymnasts in Europe which is a bit different from the American high school style.
“It’s not as powerful as our sport, kind of on the ‘dancier’ side and we won’t have them at the beginning either, because they’re going home for the holidays. We’re going to have to push through the first two meets,” Tocchio said.
The Centaurs have a bit of a tradition to uphold. They have won the last 10 state championships they have competed in, winning Class M in 2011 and ’12 and Class S from 2013-20.
“That’s the goal,” Bell said of winning another state title. “Coach was talking to us about that (recently). She said she has a lot of pride in our team and wants to keep it going. That’s a little pressure but I agree with her and want to do really well this season.”
“If we’re healthy, we have the chance to be very good,” Tocchio said. “Between Taylor, Olivia and Lindsey, those three are top scorers and we have a bunch of girls who are capable of high scores. I think we have a team that has the potential to go really far. It’s just keeping everyone healthy.”
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
Gymnastics Seniors
Lindsey Gillies, left, and Hannah Bell are the only two seniors on the Woodstock Academy gymnastics team this season as it seeks its 11th straight state championship Photo by Kasey Tocchio.
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skipped pg 1 12-30-21
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Skipped Over
Refreshing and went straight to looking bone-chilling. The Quinebaug River in December. Linda Lemmon photo.
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winter pg 1 12-30-21
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captions, page 4:
clockwise from top left:
Mr. and Mrs. Claus at the Woodstock Creamery. Courtesy photo.
Woodstock First Selectman Jay Swan and members of the American Legion Benson-Flugel Post 111 at the Christmas tree lighting at the end of the day. Courtesy photo.
Rowan Herlihy, 7, of Eastford, makes a bird feeder with pinecones, peanut butter and seeds. She was at the Woodstock Agricultural Society table. Linda Lemmon photo.
Crafts at Senexet Grange.Courtesy photo.
Winter
Festival a
huge success
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
WOODSTOCK — The Recreation Department's Winter Festival was so successful its on its way to becoming a tradition.
Erin Lucas, Woodstock’s new recreation director, said the vendors called it a complete success. Possible additions to next year’s might be a Scavenger Hunt and Hayride at Roseland Park.
The event was spread throughout town. Santa and Mrs. Claus were at Woodstock Creamery at Valleyside Farm; mini horses delighted at Cherry Ledge Farm and it was “very busy.”
Beth Forand ran a photo booth at the Roseland Park Barn (US Bank Home Mortgage loan officer).
The Senexet Grange had nine vendors — all Woodstock artisans/crafters. The vendors included pottery, paintings, goat soaps, tie dye items, custom metal signs & ornaments, watercolor cards & stationery and holiday crafts & painted board signs. Amy Monahan, Recreation Commission member and Grange coordinator said: “For multiple vendors, this was their first time selling/showing. It was a great mix of items. It was a great location to see people you might not have seen in a while (for instance, my best friend from childhood and our 5th grade teacher were vendors). The youngest vendor was Woodstock Academy Junior Annika Leboeuf, an amazing artist and painter of Eagle Rock. This was her first time selling at a craft show.”
In addition, she said, the Grange had two free craft activities: pipe cleaner Christmas trees and pasta snowflakes. Killingly High School VoAG freshman, Brooke MacWilliams, helped at the craft station.
The Grange also offered homemade chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter fudge and minestrone soup for purchase along with coffee, hot chocolate and water/sodas.
At the end of the day, drawings of prizes donated by participating businesses held at Roseland Park Barn before the Tree Lighting. More than 50 people/families entered the drawing. First Selectman Jay Sway and Woodstock’s American Legion Benson-Flugel Post 111 handled the tree lighting.
The idea for the Winter Festival, according to Recreation Commission member Marie Chamberlin, came from an event in Grafton, Mass., called “Grafton Celebrates the Holidays” that was always a lot of fun for families. Chamberlin said: “It seemed like a great opportunity for local organizations and businesses to connect with residents and also a wonderful way for people to kick off the holiday season and enjoy everything that the town had to offer. For years I wanted to create a similar event in Woodstock and everyone was very receptive to the idea when I suggested it in 2019.”
Cynthia Sherman, from the Shops at Black Walnut Farm, said: “Business owners and seekers of a great fun filled day. People were happy, excited to explore new things in Woodstock, and pleased with their day. Business was off the charts great. People commented over and over again that it brought them to a better understanding of Woodstock business and farms they had never heard of. We have received tremendous well wishes and thanks for being here.
Sue Stern of the West Woodstock Library said the library had about 36 craft kits and 36 snack bags taken. “We had very happy participants and good comments.”
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