By Ron P. Coderre

This week RPC dedicates the column to former Putnam High School basketball standout Alan Guertin.  Today Guertin is a mainstay of the Putnam Public Works Department.  He blew out another candle on the cake on Dec. 11.

As a student-athlete at Marianapolis Ousmane Drame displayed athletic potential as a basketball player.  That potential was recognized by Quinnipiac University hoop coach Tom Moore who offered Drame a scholarship and an opportunity to play college basketball.  Moore’s assessment of Drame’s talent was obviously correct, as the 6-foot, 9-inch senior center has matured into one of the best big men to ever grace the Bobcat’s frontcourt and possibly the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.    

In an 89-73 victory over the University of Vermont on Sunday, November 30 Drame had his best game since arriving on the Hamden campus.  Drame recorded a double-double, tallying 33 points and corralling 13 rebounds, while also blocking three Catamount shots.  He recorded his 33 points on a 10-14 shooting performance from the floor and 13-of-16 from the charity stripe.  His performance not only paced the Quinnipiac victory but it also helped get him into the school’s record books.

Entering the game, Drame needed 33 points to reach the 1000-point barrier.  His scoring barrage made him the 38th player in the history of the school to accomplish the feat.  His three blocked shots gave him 149 for his career, elevating him Quinnipiac’s all-time leader in that department.  He broke a 22-year record of 146 blocks, previously held by Glenn Phillip. 

Drame’s great performance helped raise Quinnipiac’s early season record to 3-2.  The Bobcat’s also improved their home record to 20-5 in their last 25 games.  During his time at Marianapolis, Drame played for coaches Dave and Andrew Vitale.

In its MAAC opener Quinnipiac lost 88-67 to Siena on the road as Drame registered eight more points.  Former PSA Mustang freshman Chaise Daniels had one point.

Like Father Like Son

In a recent announcement emanating from South Windsor, James Dargati, the former Loomis Chaffee boys’ basketball coach, was named the new coach at South Windsor High School.  In moving on to become the Bobcats hardwood coach Dargati takes over for former coach Brenden Clay who resigned for personal reasons.

Dargati amassed almost 200 victories while leading Loomis Chaffee School.  He leaves with a 197-112 record, an impressive 64 percent winning percentage.

If the Dargati name sounds familiar, James Dargati is the son of Tourtellotte Memorial High School athletic legend George “The Jet” Dargati.  The elder Dargati is a 1950 graduate of Tourtellotte where he starred in basketball and baseball.  In 2010 he was inducted into the initial class of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.  He scored 1000 points at Tourtellotte and while in college at Eastern Connecticut State University.   

Bison Sighted in Putnam

A bison was spotted in Putnam recently.  Not the four-legged type, a two-legged Bison, in the form of 6-2, 255-pound Nichols College football player Niko Dimopoulos.  A freshman on the Dudley campus, Dimopoulos is an economics major, who is a nose guard on the Bison football team.

Dimopoulos is a graduate of Tourtellotte Memorial High School who played his high school football for The Quinebaug Valley Pride.  He discovered Nichols College and it discovered him when he was working out at the school’s athletic facility as a high schooler.

For those interested in seeing the Bison in Putnam, he’s at Rite Aid in the Putnam shopping plaza, where he works to help with college expenses.

Putnam Man Contributes 

to MIT Gridiron Success

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is recognized as one of the country’s premier collegiate academic institutions not for its football prowess on the gridiron.  This year the Engineers surprised the NCAA Division III football world by posting a perfect 9-0 regular season record.  

The undefeated year earned MIT the New England Football Conference championship and entry into the postseason national playoffs.

The Engineers continued their perfect run with an opening round victory over Husson University prior to finally losing a game and being eliminated.  

The loss for coach Chad Martinovich and his charges came at the hands of Wesley College from Delaware.

An individual who was instrumental in the success of the Engineers was assistant coach and Putnam native Nick Perron, whose primary responsibility was coaching the team’s wide receivers. 

 Perron, who graduated from Nichols College in 2004 where he was the Bison quarterback, has been a member of Martinovich’s staff for three years.  While at Putnam High School Perron was a standout quarterback for the Clippers.

Perron and the Engineers enjoyed their first undefeated season in 36 years since the program was reinstituted on the Cambridge campus.  

The last MIT undefeated team was way back in 1881 when it posted a 3-0 log in the early history of the program.  The appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs was the first in the history of the school.

ECC Names 2014 Football All Stars

The Eastern Connecticut Conference has announced its all star selections for the recently completed season.  Killingly, Plainfield and Woodstock were well represented.

In the Medium Division Killingly’s Austin Caffrey was selected as a First Team linebacker.  His teammates Connor Lemley and Michael Elsey received Honorable Mention honors, while Chace Wood received the Sportsmanship Award.

In the Small Division Plainfield placed Steve Jankowski on the First Team as the quarterback selection, while his teammates Braden Beauregard and Andre Bergeron secured spots as down linemen on offense.  On defense Kevin Roode (interior lineman), Jordan Federer (linebacker) and Cody Alday (back) were also First Team selections.  Panthers Kade Amster, Tyler Ballard, Isaiah Fort and Jacob Goulas were named Honorable Mention, while Amster also received the Sportsmanship Award.

Woodstock Academy’s Dan Whittenburg was a First Team selection at tight end and Kyle Wigmore at down lineman.  On defense Trent Appleton was selected at linebacker, while Cahan Quinn and Nick Rogerson were Honorable Mention and Cody Lajoie received the Sportsmanship Award. 

Facing the Iron

The initial national prep school rankings were released recently with Putnam Science Academy occupying the 9th spot.  During the year the Mustangs will play the #1, #2 and #3 teams Brewster Academy, Northfield Mount Hermon and Notre Dame Prep.  Other Top Ten teams on the schedule are Hargrave (#5), South Kent (#6), St. Thomas More (#7), Fishburne (#10) and Fork Union that also received votes.  You must play the iron if you hope to reach the Nationals notes coach Tom Espinosa of PSA.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: You know you’re growing old when you get winded playing checkers, your children begin to look middle aged and you know all the answers but nobody’s asking the questions.

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