High school
senior hoopster
shooting for the
stars
PUTNAM — The Putnam Rotary Club will offer the Ray Brousseau All-Star Senior Basketball Shootout at the Putnam High gym March 14.
The event, featuring high school senior girls’ and boys’ basketball players, has been in existence for more than two decades and is the culminating game in the basketball careers for many players who have been on the hardwood for the past four years.  Chairing the evening’s festivities is Rotarian Jonathan Tremblay.
“I’m very excited about this year’s game because the area has witnessed a large number of outstanding male and female players,” said Tremblay.  “The players are anxious to display their skills.  It’s always an entertaining evening and this year won’t disappoint.”
The games are held annually in memory of the late Raymond Brousseau, a local businessman who strongly supported local youth sports.  Brousseau, who was a Putnam Rotarian for nearly five decades, served as the club president and enjoyed 41 years of perfect attendance at the weekly meetings.  Brousseau and his wife Violet endowed a significant scholarship to the Club.  It’s presented annually to a local graduating high school senior.
The girls’ game is scheduled to tipoff promptly at 5:30 p.m. followed by the boys’ game at approximately 7:30 p.m.  There are shootouts, open to any contestant,  in between including a foul shot, a shot from the top of the key and a half court shot. The prizes are $50 compliments of CorePlus Credit Union.
Players have been invited from: Plainfield, Killingly, Ellis Tech, Griswold, Putnam Tourtellotte, Woodstock Academy, Marianapolis, Pomfret School, Parish Hill, Putnam Science Academy and Windham Tech.  All players will receive a game T-shirt and a memento of the game provided by sponsors, Archambault Insurance, Benpe Consulting, Centreville Bank, WINY Radio, The Woodstock Academy and The Byrnes Insurance Agency.
Coaches for the girls’ game are Lee Blanchette of Tourtellotte and Will Fleeton of The Woodstock Academy.  The boys’ coaches are Ben Desaulnier of Killingly and Donte Adams of Woodstock.  Officials for the contest will be certified referees from the local Board #35 of Approved Basketball Officials, according to the Board’s assignment chairman Chad Neal. Committee members: Chairman Tremblay, and Rotarians H. Douglas Porter, Richard Loomis, Jonathan Sturdevant and Ronald P. Coderre.   

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