By Ron P. Coderre

In what is probably the worst basketball season collectively for local high schools, with the exception of Plainfield High School, every other local team is mired in a losing season with a record below .500.

Tourtellotte leads the pack in the ‘Battle for the Bottom’ without a single win to show in 14 games.  The way the Tigers are playing it’s possible they could complete the season without reaching the Win column.  Killingly, Ellis Tech and Putnam each have but three victories this season.  Barring a miracle finish, it appears that the trio will not see the postseason.

Woodstock at 5-9 has the best chance to survive the losing plague, but the way the Centaurs have been playing of late it appears they’ve caught the losing disease.  With six games remaining on the regular season schedule, the Academy has to win three to squeak into the CIAC Tournament.

The downward spiral has even spread to the prep schools where victories are scarce with the exception of Putnam Science Academy and Pomfret School.  The Mustangs are 21-3 and the Golden Griffins are 7-4.  Hyde-Woodstock and Marianapolis V1 and V2 teams are a question mark each time they take the floor.

Coaches Asking ‘Where Are The Wins?’

When it comes to basketball Tourtellotte could easily be called the ‘home of champions.”  In the late 1940s and early 1950s they captured five State championships.  The Tigers repeated the feat again in 1987.  The way things are on the hardwood in N. Grosvenordale today it appears that it will be ages before the Tigers will see another title.

Neil Bernier, the first-year coach of the Tigers, is unfortunately the individual who must begin the rebuilding  process.  Bernier must feel like ‘Old Mother Hubbard.’  When she went to the cupboard it was bare.  When Bernier took over this year it appears he’s inherited a pantry that’s empty also.

If Bernier is to achieve a winning record in his coaching career he’s headed for an uphill climb.  The 2014-2015 Tigers are off to a 0-14 start and are 0-8 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Small Division.  Last week the team continued its downward spiral losing a pair of games.  They were pummeled by Windham 85-27 and lost to Wheeler 57-21.

The lack of offense doesn’t bode well for the remainder of the season and the future.  In the two losses only one player reached double fires.  Evan Ware had 10 points in the big loss to Windham.  The Thompson school system should probably hire a Sherpa to assist Bernier as the task ahead is akin to climbing Mount Everest.

Killingly, which is also searching for wins, picked up a significant victory when it beat Plainfield 57-50.  The Redmen rode a strong offensive second half keyed by Brendan Turner (21), Owen Guillot (12) and Alex Torcoletti (10) for the win.  Steve Jankowski with 15 points and Liam Jacobs with 13 were Plainfield’s top scorers.

The Panthers rebounded from the loss by beating Stonington 53-52.  The winning basket came in the final 14 seconds of the game when Jankowski scored on a driving layup, nestling the round ball into the nylon raising Plainfield’s record to 9-3 on the season.

Killingly lost its other contest, 55-36 to Waterford, as Guillot was the lone Redman in double figures with 10 points.

Putnam split a pair, beating Ellis Tech 70-52 behind freshman Dan Porcic’s 14 points and Jacob Guertin’s 11 markers.  In a key CSC – East contest the Clippers lost to Parish Hill 68-49 to drop to 3-10 overall and 3-4 in the conference.  Nathan Tozzi was the Clippers high scorer with 15, while Porcic chipped in a dozen.

After losing to Putnam, Ellis Tech lost two more games, when they were beaten by Vinal Tech 75-47 and Windham Tech 66-46.  The Techsters are 3-12 on the season and 1-7 in the CSC – East.

Woodstock, which was hoping to climb back over .500 following a tough start to the season, lost two key games last week.  At home against Bacon Academy the Centaurs were hoping to avenge an earlier loss but the Bobcats had a different idea about the outcome.  The visitors left Woodstock with a 47-41 victory.     

The Centaurs then entertained the Fitch Falcons and were disappointed once more, losing 66-53.  Adam Converse was Woodstock’s top scorer with 19 points.  The Centaurs are 5-9 on the season and 2-5 in the ECC Large Division.  They need three wins in their final six regular season games if they hope to return to the CIAC Tournament.

Hyde-Woodstock Finds Winning Ways

Hyde- Woodstock, which has been struggling for wins this season, picked up two wins this week raising its record to 6-10 on the season.  The Wolfpack opened with a 63-58 win over The Wheeler School of Rhode Island.  Damon Gomes with 21 points and Dexter Thompson with 16 keyed the win for Hyde.

The Wolfpack continued its winning ways beating The Winchendon School 73-48 as Eamon Joyce Jr. led the way with 24 points.  Thompson added 23 points in the win.

The Marianapolis V2 team split a pair of games, losing to St. Thomas More 59-46 despite 14 points by Andrew Ford.  The Little Golden Knights evened their record at 6-6 with a 63-39 win over The Williams School.  Ford was the team’s high scorer with 15 points but it was the spirited play off the bench by Matt Sabacinski, who rallied the team with a dozen points.  Ryan Hourihan chipped in 11 points.

The Golden Knights V1 unit was beaten by Worcester Academy 94-55.  Tom Horvat had 19 points in the loss.  Bridgton Academy of Maine came to town and left with a 45-33 win over Marianapolis to drop coach Andrew Vitale’s team to 8-10 on the season.   

Putnam Science Academy got back on the winning track with a solid 62-49 victory over Master’s School of West Hartford.  Josh “The Igniter” Wallace, as he’s done frequently this season, was the high scorer for the Mustangs with 19 points.  Mamadou Diarra had 13 points for coach Tom Espinosa’s team.

The Mustangs continued their winning ways at the National Prep School Invitational at Rhode Island College with a convincing 92-85 victory over Phelps Academy.  PSA placed five players in double figures led by Andrew Robinson who posted 23 points.  The team had 15 baskets from three-point range with Robinson accounting for seven from beyond the arc.  Floor general Kealen Ives had 14 points with four from three-point land.  The other double-digit performers were Hamidou Diallo (16), Mamadou Diarra (13) and Wallace with 15 markers.

 

..