Details

Category: Current Issue

Winter on the Pond
Winter comes and goes on Cady Pond in East Putnam. The tufts of grass look like the wild mop heads of Dr. Seuss characters. More photos on page 6. Linda Lemmon photo.

..

Details

Category: Current Issue

Coronavirus
Protection
starts with
prevention
The Northeast District Department of Health has made recommendations about the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“The most important message we continue to stress is that you can protect yourself from this and other infectious diseases by following everyday prevention actions:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a lined trash container.
• Clean and disinfect any frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Get an annual flu shot.”
Information from the Centers for Disease Control includes:
How is spreads:
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person — between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
It can also by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
Can someone spread the virus without being sick?
People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest), but some spread might be possible before people show symptoms. There have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
How easily does the virus spread?
The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community (“community spread”) in some affected geographic areas. Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.
Symptoms:
Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure: Fever, cough and shortness of breath
Prevention (in addition to NDDH recommendations):
Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask. CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

..
 

Details

Category: Current Issue

caption, page 5:

Terrell Ard Jr. by Jeremy Useted



Considering how the two earlier meetings went, this one counts as a shock.
The Putnam Science Academy girls’ varsity team had twice beaten Springfield Commonwealth Academy this season, winning those games by an average of 35 points. So when the teams met on Feb. 27 in the semifinals of the Postseason Invitational, few people were expecting it to be a close game. Turns out, it was.
The top-seeded Mustangs were down six points at halftime, ran off eight straight points to close the third quarter up one, and had the lead in the final minute before succumbing in startling fashion, 62-60.
Zanashia Croft scored 19 points and Sofia Marcos added 15 for PSA (12-4). Fourth-seeded Commonwealth took the lead with about 15 seconds to go on an offensive rebound putback, though replay shows the Tornadoes player got away with a push in the back to get herself an uncontested rebound and layup. PSA had a chance to tie with about five seconds to go, but Aden Edebali’s shot in the lane wouldn’t go down, and Commonwealth ran out the clock to end it. May Santiago finished with nine points, Edebali eight and Bri Mead seven in the loss.
Boys’ Prep
On the boys ‘side, the prep team, ranked No. 2 in the country, improved to 32-3 with a pair of blowout wins and one overtime nailbiter. The Mustangs overwhelmed Bridgeport Prep with their size Feb. 25 enroute to a 103-61 win. Frontcourt players Josh Gray (18 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks) and Elijah Hutchins-Everett (19 points, seven rebounds) set the tone early and dominated the paint for PSA.
The backcourt got into the act a little later, and contributed plenty. Johnnie Williams went for 16 points, Hassan Diarra had 13 points, seven assists, and four steals, and D’Maurian Williams finished with 11 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Terrell Ard Jr. added six points and eight rebounds in the win.
Four days later, PSA needed every bit of Marty Silvera’s big game to escape from Cushing Academy with a 78-76 overtime victory. Marty Silvera had 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists to lead PSA, which won despite making just eight-of-27 3-pointers and 19-of-41 free throws.
Diarra finished with 18 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, while Gray added six points and 11 rebounds. Vlad Goldin had 13 points for PSA.
The Mustangs didn’t have a lot of time to think about that one, as about 20 hours later, they hosted Dohn Prep of Cincinnati, a program in its third year. The Mustangs were a bit sluggish in the first half, as reflected in their four-point, 53-49 lead. But the second half was a different story and PSA went on to win, 108-73, behind a monster performance from Ard Jr.
Ard, playing with his motor running at a high level, went off for 23 points and 15 rebounds, and second-ranked PSA rolled to the win with a dominant second half. Ard Jr. is averaging 11 points and 9.6 rebounds over his last seven games.
D’Maurian Williams knocked down five 3-pointers to account for his 15 points, Diarra had 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists, and Johnnie Williams got back on track with 12 points and seven rebounds for the Mustangs (32-3). Melvyn Ebonkoli pulled down 14 rebounds and Gray 10 in the win.
Varsity Boys
The varsity boys’ team split a pair of games, falling 71-53 to Pomfret Prep Feb. 25 and dropping Pioneer Academy 86-75 on March 1.
Darryl Simmons scored 11 points and Luc Brittian 10, but PSA went ice cold shooting the ball in the second half of the loss to Pomfret Prep. Abdul Seck finished with nine points and Ty Drummer added eight for the Mustangs.
March 1, a day when PSA recognized its seniors and postgrad players playing in their final home game, saw Brittian, one of those postgrads, go off for a career-high 29 points.
Darryl Simmons added 18 points and Amir Sanders 15 for PSA (20-10). Abdul Seck scored 11 points, including two big 3-pointers, all in the final minute of the game to seal the victory.
By Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

...

Details

Category: Current Issue

State Champs
Members of the Woodstock Academy gymnastics team proudly display their Class S state championship plaque. Courtesy photo.



Gymnasts
win 10th state
championship
There have been times when Woodstock Academy has traveled to the Class S state gymnastics championship and the outcome, barring a disaster, was preordained.
This was not one of those years.
The Centaurs knew they had to hit their routines to raise the string of consecutive state titles for the program to the double digits.
 “The girls were definitely feeling the pressure especially after losing an in-season meet to Stonington this year. They didn’t want to be the ones to end the streak; no one does although it may come down to that at some point. The streak was riding on their shoulders but we kept telling them that it was just like the (Eastern Connecticut Conference championship), we had to beat Stonington,” said Woodstock Academy coach Kasey Tocchio.
Feb. 29 Woodstock Academy accomplished that.
The Centaurs recorded their second best total of the season, 140.425, and downed St. Joseph’s, which finished with a 138.325 total, to win their 10th consecutive state title. Stonington finished third with a 136.6 total.
It was the eighth straight Class S championship for Woodstock Academy.
Two Class M state titles preceded the run in Class S.
“It was probably more rewarding,” Tocchio said of the latest state title. “It wasn’t easy and the girls have worked so hard for it.”
Without their top gymnast, freshman Taylor Markley, and minus gifted athletes like Paige Stuyniski or Grace Logan, to carry the team, Woodstock Academy could hardly afford to make any mistakes.
It was coming off an ECC championship in which it beat Stonington by less than a point and the Bears were itching for a little payback.
The Centaurs weren’t about to let that happen.
ECC champ, Jenna Davidson, led the way again for the Centaurs. The senior found her groove, according to Tocchio, and stayed confident and calm.
Especially on the balance beam. Without question, the hardest apparatus for most gymnasts, Davidson sparkled, finishing with a 9.5.
That was .025 better than Lindsay Capobianco of St. Joseph’s.
Davidson was above 9.0 in all of her events.
She finished with a 9.375 score for her floor routine, added a 9.2 on the bars and a 9.1 in the vault.
She would have been the individual champion had the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference recognized individual champions in the state championship. Individual titles are reserved for the State Open competition.
The remainder of the Woodstock Academy gymnasts also scored above a 9.0 in one event each.
Lindsey Gillies did so in the vault (9.050); Emily Arters (9.350) and Elise Boisvert (9.025) both accomplished their best in the floor exercise.
Tocchio said there was never any real comfort during the meet as far as a feeling that the championship was theirs.
After the Centaurs finished beam, they watched St. Joe’s post some good team scores of their own on the apparatus.
“We were getting a little nervous, but I told them, there was nothing we could do about it. All we could do was go to the floor and do our best. That’s the weird thing about gymnastics, you never know,” Tocchio said.
A 36.35 performance as a team on the floor, better than the Cadets by almost a point, guaranteed the Centaurs the trophy they so desperately wanted.
The streaks are done.
There will be no pressure to keep a streak alive going into the State Open championship where the Centaurs have won seven of their last eight.
They will, however, once again go in as favorites. Southington is the nearest competitor.
The Blue Knights won the Class L state title Feb. 29 with a 139.32 total.
“I think that is just a huge confidence boost for the girls,” Tocchio said of the favorite status. “This week, I think we can just focus on beating ourselves. There are some really great teams but if we just do the same thing that we did, it will be all right.”
The Centaurs did record a 141-plus in a home meet against NFA earlier in the season.
But that was with Markley and without the freshman, the Centaurs may be close to their peak.
“The vault was a little tight (Saturday) so we could possibly score a little higher on vault. But for the most part, I think we did the best we could. I think 140, possibly 141, is the best we can do. I know we were hoping for the 140 on Saturday,” Tocchio said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

...