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Battle
The Blue and Gold teams battle it out in the Putnam Rotary Club's Ray Brousseau Senior All Star Basketball Shootout March 12. Linda Lemmon photo.




By Ron P. Coderre
Despite slightly overcast conditions over Putnam March 12 the stars came out in all their splendor.  The stars however, were inside the Putnam High School gymnasium for the annual Putnam Rotary Ray Brousseau Senior All Star Shootout.
One of the largest crowds in the more than 25-year history of the event was treated to two outstanding basketball games as local boy and girl senior players displayed their talents, many for the final time.  
The girls’ game was won by the Blue team coached by Carla Faucher of Tourtellotte Memorial High School as her charges defeated the Gold team coached by Gina Desrosiers of Killingly High School 70-53.
In the nightcap, which featured the boy high schoolers, the Blue team coached by Jim Crabtree of Killingly handily got by the Green team coached by Putnam Science Academy’s Tom Espinosa 93-69.
“It was a fantastic evening of hoops.  The more than 250 fans that turned out were treated to some very special basketball,” said Rotarian Jay Sinha, chairman of the event.
Crabtree’s winning team placed three players in double figures, led by Windham Tech’s Abram Rosario with 15 points.  He was joined in double digits by Parish Hill standout Bert Augmon with a dozen markers and Killingly’s Ryan Axtell with 10.  Rosario was rewarded for his performance by being named Most Outstanding Player for his squad.
The Blue unit jumped out to a 26-16 first period lead and never looked back.  They built the lead to 44-26 at halftime and coasted to victory in the second half.
“All-star games are generally an offensive shootout but our guys played some defense early on which attributed greatly to their success,” said Crabtree.
The Green team was paced by Woodstock Academy’s Chase Anderson with 17 points.  Only one other Greenie was in double digits and that was Sid Green of Windham Tech with 10 points.  Anderson walked away with his team’s MOP award.
Four players scored in double figures for Faucher’s Blue team in paving the way to the 70-53 victory.  The Blues were led by team MOP Brianna Dionne of Plainfield who racked up 29 markers on the way to the win.  The other double-digit scorers were Lauren Ramos of Tourtellotte (19). Madison Kelley of Plainfield (14) and Panther Sophie Mercer (13).
“This was a great evening,” said Faucher.  “These young ladies are very talented.  It was a pleasure to work with them.”
The Gold team was led by MOP Aislin Tracey of Woodstock Academy with 19 points.  Tracey had all 10 Gold team points in the first quarter.  The second quarter proved to be the Blue team’s downfall as they were outscored 19-6.  The second half was all academic.
“Another tremendous evening for the Putnam Rotary Club thanks to the young men and women who played tonight.  Rotary has a special part of its mission devoted to youth and this is one aspect of our work locally,” said Club President John Miller.
In the end there were really no winners and losers, as the players proved in their own right that they’re all shining stars.

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