By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s column is dedicated to Putnam resident Scott Goldbach.  The former U.S. Marine has been very involved in coaching baseball programs at the Little League and junior high level, enjoying assisting young people in understanding America’s pastime.

The Putnam Rotary Club has been organizing the high school senior boys and girls all star basketball game for more than two decades.  The popular event is generally the finale of the basketball season and provides a showcase for the players who have been performing on the hardwood the past four years.  This year’s contest will have historic significance for the participants and the spectators in attendance.

In recognition of one of the most loyal Rotarians in the history of the Putnam Rotary Club, organizers named the game initially in honor of Raymond Brousseau.  Since Mr. Brousseau’s death, the game has maintained his name, The Ray Brousseau Rotary Senior All Star Game.

Brousseau was a local business man who owned and operated a clothing business in downtown Putnam for more than 50 years.  He was a member of the Putnam Rotary Club for more than five decades, achieving perfect attendance for 41 years.  He also served as the Club’s president in 1941 and was honored with the Paul Harris Award,  the highest recognition in Rotary International.

 In addition to continuing the memory of Ray Brousseau, this year’s contest is likely to be the final basketball game in the storied Putnam High School gymnasium.  Putnam High School is currently going through “renovate as new” construction.  Following the game, the “old gym” will be shuttered as the construction of the “new gym” is planned to be ready for use beginning with the 2015-2016 schoolboy and school girl seasons.

According to Putnam Recreation director and Rotarian Wilfred “Willie” Bousquet, the club is working diligently to make this year’s game a special event.  Bousquet and his committee have been spreading the word and indicate that participants are expected from Tourtellotte, Marianapolis, Putnam, Woodstock Academy, Killingly, Ellis Tech, Plainfield, Putnam Science Academy, Griswold, Parish Hill and Windham Tech.

“These games have become an attraction for local basketball fans because the players put their all in both the girls’ and boys’ games.  It’s an opportunity for the players to relax and enjoy the games playing with others who were their opponents during the season,” said Bousquet.

The games are scheduled for Thursday, March 19 with the girls’ contest beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the boys’ game to follow at approximately 7 p.m.  Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for senior citizens and students.  The games will be broadcast live on WINY Radio with John Wilbur calling the play-by-play and Scott Desrosiers providing the color commentary.  The National Anthem will be sung by Putnam’s renowned tenor Maurice “Moe” Coderre.

All players and coaches will receive a memento symbolic of their participation in the games.  There will be selection of Most Valuable Players from each of the four teams immediately following each contest.  The awards are provided compliments of the Byrnes Insurance Agency.

“Since this is the last game in the Putnam gym, we feel it has historic significance.  We’re hoping that fans will turn out to cheer on the players and show their support for these young athletes. One guarantee is, it will be a great evening of excitement-packed basketball,” said Bousquet.

Working with Bousquet on the organizing committee are Rotarians, Chris Sandford, Linda Lemmon, Ed Dias, Peter Benoit, Henry Doughty, Marc Archambault, Jay Byrnes and Kayla Burgess.

Area Says Goodbye 

to Three Sports Notables

Putnam region sports enthusiasts received the sad news of the deaths of three local notables last week.  Kiku Andersen of Thompson, Bruce Chenail of Vermont and Florida and Leon Shedroff of San Diego died is a 10-day span.

Andersen, who was one of New England’s top women tennis players, died on Feb. 3.  Kiku immigrated to the U..S. in 1960 from Japan and Germany.  She immediately became a tennis sensation and at one time was ranked first in Women’s Singles in New England.  Wherever there was a tennis court or match, Kiku could usually be found.  She will be missed.

Chenail, who was a graduate of Putnam High School and UConn, came from the athletic Chenail family of Putnam.  Bruce and his brothers Bob, Rick, Tom and Steve were all part of the Putnam Little League where their dad, Donald “Beansie” Chenail coached for many years.  At age 58, Bruce Chenail was taken from us too early.

Shedroff, who hailed from Colchester, was well known throughout northeastern Connecticut as one of the best and most colorful high school and American Legion umpires to grace the local diamonds.  Shedroff had a unique way of diffusing touchy situations on the diamond.  Although umpires, according to fans, are only 50 percent correct on their calls, Shedroff was loved by players, coaches and fans who knew him.

Gone but not forgotten, Kiku Andersen, Bruce Chenail and Leon Shedroff.

Catching Up with the Collegians

As college teams race toward March Madness, the voices of Dickie V, Jay Bilas, Dan Schulman and Dave O’Brien fill the airways describing the action for teams such as Duke, Kentucky and the UConn women.  Meanwhile, other lesser known college teams continue to play hard in an effort to get to conference championships and possibly into March Madness.

In Hamden at Quinnipiac University Ousmane Drame and Chaise Daniels continue to give the Bobcats the hope of reaching the NCAA dream.  Drame, the former Marianapolis big man, reached a milestone that very few collegians achieve when he recorded his 1000th-career rebound to go along with his career 1000 points reached earlier in the season.  Drame’s been consistently in double figures for the 14-12 Bobcats.

 Daniels, the 6-foot, 8-inch former Putnam Science Academy center, continues to improve each time he takes the court for coach Tom Moore.  Daniels, a freshman, had a career-high 12 points to go with nine rebounds and two blocks in a 60-57 loss to top ranked Iona of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.  Daniels was 6-for-7 from the floor.

Up north in Worcester, 6-9 Paul Brooks continues to be the lone bright spot for an otherwise lackluster Worcester State University team.  In a loss to Salem State the former PSA center registered 14 points and nine rebounds.  He followed the performance with a 19-point showing in a loss to Westfield State.  Brooks should get the “Windex Award” for the way he cleans the glass for the Lancers. 

Schoolboy Stat Leaders

Plainfield’s Steve Jankowski continues to lead local high school players in scoring at 18.9 points a contest, while Woodstock’s Oliver Simon is still on top the three-point category with 41.  Killingly’s Meagan Bianchi has moved into the top spot for females with a 14.6 average, a mere one-tenth of a point ahead of Plainfield’s Madeline Lorange.  Pomfret School’s Deja Ross is third at 14.0 ppg.  Lorange is the leader from beyond the arc with 45 followed by Allie Ablondi of Tourtellotte (37) and Caroline Soucy of Marianapolis (28).  The prep scoring leader is Pomfret’s Cam Winston (19.3) followed by Tom Horvat of Marianapolis V1 (18.8).  Andrew Robinson (61) and Kealen Ives (51) both of Putnam Science Academy are far and away the three-point leaders.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: In basketball, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

(If you have news worthy sports information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

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