CT pg 9 9-13-12
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- Category: Past Issues
By Ron P. Coderre
RPC extends a sporty hello today to Steve Phillips, Putnam Science Academy’s all-around handyman. Wherever you turn Phillips is there to assist on campus, but he seems to enjoy the coaching aspects of his position the most.
A pair of former standout athletes is working together on behalf of local young ladies between the ages of 13 to 16. Randy Ortiz, a former Killingly Redman, and Al Carpenter, who starred at Plainfield High School and later at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, are combining their athletic experiences for the CT Challengers Fastpitch Travel Softball Team.
Currently, the duo are looking for girls to play on this year’s 16U team composed of players born in 1996-1997 and the 14U team for girls born in 1998-1999. The addition of the 16U team is recent and comes on the heels of the success the 14U team had last season.
The teams are girls fastpitch softball encompassing females from the greater Killingly area. The teams are expected to play tournaments in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Last year the 14U team made its way all the way to the softball Nationals in Orlando, Fla.
This sounds like a great opportunity for young ladies who have a sincere interest in improving their softball skills on a competitive level. Anyone interested in a tryout should contact Ortiz at 860 942-3829 or by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Carpenter can reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 860 208-3393. Interested individuals are urged to also visit the team on-line at www.eteamz.com/ctchallengers.
Hall of Fame Honors Eva Houle…
In the mid-1980s Tourtellotte Memorial High School had a female athlete who was the talk of Thompson and the rage of the Quinebaug Valley Conference. Eva Houle was a busy young lady and athlete from 1984 through 1987 as she laced up her athletic shoes three seasons a school year for four years.
Houle starred in soccer, basketball and softball for the Lady Tigers, earning varsity letters in each sport for four seasons. Her accomplishments are equal to or better than most of the women athletes who have graced the Thompson campus during its long history.
Houle probably received the most publicity as a basketball player. She was the point guard and high scorer on her teams, often being guarded by her opponent’s best defensive player. She was the team’s Most Valuable Player in her junior and senior years when the Lady Tigers won the QVC Basketball Championship in 1986, as she was named a tournament and regular season all star and was named a Time’s All Star.
As she was in basketball, Houle was also the soccer MVP in her junior and senior seasons. She was named to the Observer/Patriot and WINY Radio all star teams and was honorable mention All-Eastern Connecticut. She also received the Army MVP Soccer Award in her senior season. At graduation she was honored as the recipient of the Babe Ruth Sportsmanship, Athletic Improvement and Athletic Ability Awards.
She later went on to two years at Becker Junior College in Worcester, where she was selected National Junior College Athletic Association All-New England and Colonial States Athletic Conference All- Conference in softball.
Those who remember Houle during her playing days share memories of a spirited athlete who gave her all in every game, while maintaining a sense of decorum and sportsmanship. Houle was inducted into the Tourtellotte Athletic Hall of Fame in the Class of 2010.
From The Where Are They Now Files…
In the latter part of the decade of the ‘40s, when coach Jim Greenhalgh first arrived on the scene at Putnam High School, the Clippers possessed a speedy young man who ran out of the halfback slot in the fall and was the area’s best sprinter in the spring for coach George W. St. Marie.
Bill Kelleher forged his name in the short pants sport of track, where for many years he was the record holder and benchmark for Putnam tracksters. Stories of his lightning fast speed and exploits were repeated each year to the young men on the Clipper track team by coach St. Marie. There were also stories of his gridiron accomplishments especially when he turned the corner and headed for the goal line.
Following his high school years, Kelleher went on to UConn where he continued to shine in track for the Huskies. His track heroics at UConn led to a position as track coach on the Mansfield campus for many years, where he established a reputation that remains legendary in Storrs.
Today, Kelleher still works as an assistant track coach at Trinity College. He and his wife, Joy, live in Coventry where they run a small antiques business. During the past three years Kelleher has been a frequent visitor to Putnam as a member of the Coach Greenhalgh Memorial Scholarship Committee. Kelleher credits his success as an athlete to his older brother Jim, who was a standout athlete and to his parents, who were examples of hard working individuals.
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “My alphabet soup spelled ‘Ugh’.” Phyllis Diller