By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC sports shoutout is sent along to former Putnam High School cross-country standout Paul Durand.  As a Clipper harrier Durand was speedy.  Today he enjoys playing quick rounds of golf at Quinnatisset Country Club.

Wholey & Hingley sounds like the name of a law firm.  If E.J. Wholey and Skip Hingley were as good at the legal business as they are on the golf course they would be very successful.  The pair walked away with the championship of the 2016 Quinnatisset Country Club Member-Guest three-day tournament beating second-place finishers Chris Markiewicz and Jay Kunkel and the show twosome of Al Remekie and Brian Bardier.

Scott Cohen, one of Quinnatisset’s most improved golfers, teamed with Chris Cote to capture the First Flight over the strong twosome of Joe Helnarski and Jim Walinski.  Kevin Makie and Mike Daley finished third.

Roland Scheck and Joe Petrocelli won the Second Flight while the Third Flight winners were the father-son combination of Charlie and Billy Panteleakos.  Roger Dionne and Bob Glynn were the winners of the Fourth Flight.  The Fifth Flight champs were Larry Lippiello and Chris Lavoie, while Peter Garroshen and Jim Logsdon walked off with the Sixth Flight honors.

The Seventh Flight winners were Bob Borski and Dave Makie with Rich and Scott Rust taking home the trophy in the Eighth Flight.  The Virgulaks, Scott and Steve were crowned in the Ninth Flight with Butch Smith and Kevin Trahan going to the winner’s circle in the 10th Flight.

The winners of the closest-to-the-pin competition on Friday were Mike Reno (3rd Hole) and Willie Davis (15th Hole).  On Saturday Mike Lowell was the undisputed winner on the 7th Hole as he won with a hole-in-one. Congratulations, Mike!  David Kelly was nearest to the hole on the 13th.  The Sunday winners were Eric Johnson (3rd Hole) and Butch Smith (15th Hole).

According to the affable Mike Pizzetti, the long time Quinnatisset Country Club manager, this was one of the largest and most talented fields in the history of the event.

Mustangs Garnering College 

Offers…

Putnam Science Academy basketball coach Tom Espinosa sends along word that his players are beginning to receive college scholarship offers despite the fact that the hoop season doesn’t begin for another five weeks.

Eric Ayala, who is a class of 2018 player, has added Rutgers University to the list of schools vying for his services.  He’s also involved with UConn, Maryland and Oklahoma State.

Newcomer Isaac Kante, who is a postgraduate student, recently received an offer from Kansas State to go along with previous tenders from St. Bonaventure, the University of St. Louis, Kennesaw State, Iona and Quinnipiac.  

Two other newcomers Akok Akok and Tanahj Pettway received their initial offers from NCAA Division I schools.  Akok Akok has been offered by Rutgers, Washington State, the University of Massachusetts, St. Bonaventure and Iona.  Pettway has an offer on the table from Iona.

Déjà Vu All Over Again…

For those old enough to remember Putnam High School football in the 1950s the name Phil DeSantis might ring a bell.  It will also bring back memories of a shifty running back with multi-talented skills that earned him a scholarship at UConn.

DeSantis moved to Newburgh, N.Y., with the family business after college but the DeSantis name in football lives on in the Empire State.  Today there’s another Phil DeSantis, who plays for Marlboro (N.Y.) High School.  In a recent 30-14 victory over John S. Burke Catholic High School, DeSantis toted the pigskin 20 times for 138 yards and one touchdown. 

Grandpa DeSantis was in the stands smiling and dreaming.

Special Fall Sale…

The Quinnatisset Country Club under the leadership of President Mark Brouillard is offering one of the best bargains of the fall golfing season.  As an incentive to local golfers who might be interested in becoming members at Quinny, new members may join now and pay a non-refundable $1,000 fee and play for the remainder of the 2016 season. 

The $1,000 amount will then be credited toward that individual’s 2017 dues.  In order to limit the financial impact on prospective members the initiation fee may now be spread over several years.

Anyone interested in more information on this deal of the fall should contact Mike Pizzetti at 860.928.7516.

Trending Now 

In High School Football…

The first New London Day Top 10 High School Football Poll is now public.  Although there isn’t an Eastern Connecticut high school in the Top 10, Killingly High School at 2-0 did receive votes from the coaches around the state who do the voting.  Coach Chad Neal’s Redmen were ranked #19 and received 24 votes.

Woodstock Academy’s Jared Bouten and Killingly’s Kyle Derosier are leading the quarterback race for touchdown tosses.  Bouten has six and Derosier five.  Cameron Janice of Woodstock and Spencer Lockwood of Killingly are the area’s top rushing touchdown leaders with five apiece.  Lockwood has gained 638 yards on the ground in three games and appears to easily be headed to a 1000 plus yard season. 

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.”  Thomas Jefferson

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

 

..