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By Ron P. Coderre
This week RPC extends a sporty hello and Happy Birthday to Bob Herlihy. In the history of Putnam High School, Herlihy was one of the Clippers early standouts. He and his dad, the late Lester Herlihy, were also in the forefront of youth activities at the Putnam Lodge of Elks for many years.
George W. St. Marie is best remembered as the director of Athletics and cross country and track and field coach at Putnam High School, where he served in that capacity for 41 years. Only the real old timers who are still around know that prior to arriving at Putnam, St. Marie was a superb athlete at Tourtellotte Memorial High School, where he was enshrined in the Athletic Hall of Fame in the Class of 2011.
The legend of George W. St. Marie goes back to the turn of the 20th century, where he was a young man growing up in the rural village of West Thompson. St. Marie, like many of his fellow athletes of the era, devoted numerous hours assisting with family chores in addition to putting in many hours with the books and their athletic endeavors.
St. Marie attended Tourtellotte from 1926 through 1929 and during that time was part of one of the most glorious ages in the history of the school. During his four years on the N. Grosvenordale campus he starred in basketball, baseball and track.
He was a key operative on the 1929 basketball team that posted a perfect 24-0 log and won the State CIAC championship. That team went on to win 45 consecutive games before seeing the loss column. St, Marie was honored by being named to the All-tournament team. The Tigers of his era also won the Quinebaug Valley Conference title in 1927 and 1929.
Following graduation from Tourtellotte, St. Marie moved on to UConn, where he was a four-sport athlete. Although he never played football in high school (Tourtellotte didn’t have a football team) he was a three-year performer on the gridiron for the Huskies. When St. Marie was at UConn, freshmen were only allowed to play on the freshman team.
In fact, in 1931, 1932 and 1933 St. Marie was a varsity performer in Storrs in baseball, basketball, football and track and field. This is a feat that’s unheard of in this day and age.
Arriving in Putnam, it could be said that he, along with his longtime friend and fellow coach Jim Greenhalgh, revolutionized athletics for the Clippers. St. Marie was the coach of cross country and track and field, but in his early years in Putnam could also be found on the football sideline alongside Greenhalgh. He, along with Woodstock’s Ken Beatson, was primarily responsible for molding the Quinebaug Valley Conference into a premier high school league.
The legend of George St. Marie as an athlete, coach, teacher and administrator may be fading as time passes but locally there were very few who could compare with him. St Marie was a man who epitomized the true meaning of education.
A New Fey Comes Into The World…
Congratulations to Martin and Delia Fey of Putnam on the birth of their son, Mark Butler Fey, born Oct. 28, 2012. Mark Butler came into the world weighing 8 lbs. 2 oz. despite arriving two weeks early. Happily mother and son are both doing well, although dad had his anxious moments.
Rumor has it that Marin Fey is already dreaming of his son’s athletic career. Word is, as soon as he can walk on his own, Mark Butler will begin training with dad for the Mt. Washington Road Race and other local running and biking events.
Plucenik Watch and Update…
Former Woodstock Academy soccer standout Andrea Plucenik continues to reap accolades as a member of the UConn women’s soccer team. Plucenik, a redshirt freshman, was recently named to the All Big East Rookie team. She was also selected to the Big East – East Third Team. Earlier in the season, she garnered Big East Freshman of the Week honors after scoring three goals in a victory over St. John’s University of New York.
The Huskies currently stand at 9-8-2 overall and 4-5-1 in the conference. Plucenik is the second -eading scorer on the team behind Danielle Schulman. She has 15 points on five goals and five assists. One of her goals was a game winner.
First Taste of College Hoops…
Former Putnam Science Academy basketball player Oscar Assie, who is currently a member of the American International College Yellowjackets, got his first taste of college hoops on Thursday evening. Assie and the Yellowjackets were the visitors at UConn’s Gampel Pavilion for an exhibition contest against the Huskies in front of a crowd of slightly more than 5500 fans.
Despite taking a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime, AIC eventually succumbed to the stronger UConn team by almost 20 points. Assie, who is a freshman, saw some late game action as he gets his feet wet in the world of collegiate athletics. AIC, an NCAA Division II school located in Springfield, Massachusetts, is a member of the Northeast-X Conference, one of the most respected Division II leagues in the country.
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: In honor of the upcoming Veterans Day, and to those men and women who have served in the military and for those who gave their lives for our country, we close with this quote from President Calvin Coolidge: “No people were ever honored for what they received. Honor has been the reward for what they gave.”