By Ron P. Coderre
The biggest news of the week centered on two major players who hadn’t seen much action during the current boys’ and girls’ basketball season.  From the distaff side of the ledger, Charlotte and on the male side Nemo, created the biggest news as the snow they dropped forced the postponement of all games scheduled for Friday and Saturday, while paralyzing the entire region.
The postponements are certain to play havoc with the conclusion of regular season schedules, which are in the final weeks of play as teams prepare for the postseason or for the collection of uniforms.  Putnam, which lost to Griswold, is 3-13 with four games remaining.  They are joined by the women’s teams of Ellis Tech (1-17), Killingly (2-17) and Tourtellotte (3-15), all which are mathematically eliminated.  The Woodstock Academy Lady Centaurs (7-12) are hinging their hopes to the fact that they must win the final contest on their dance card against Killingly if they wish to play some more this season.
The teams assured of moving on to conference tournaments and the States are coach Bob Arremony’s Plainfield Panthers (11-5) and Tony Falzarano’s Tourtellotte Tigers (9-8).  The Plainfield ladies are the only local female team moving on to the Eastern Connecticut Conference tourney, while coach Willie Bousquet’s Lady Clippers (13-5) have secured a berth in the CSC tournament, although they’re keeping their collective fingers crossed that they don’t draw powerful Capital Prep.
In the prep ranks the Pomfret, Marianapolis and Hyde-Woodstock ladies all appear ready to move to play beyond the regular season schedule.  Coach Andrew Vitale’s Marianapolis Golden Knights continue to impress at 17-4 after posting wins over REDA and Christian Heritage.  Putnam Science Academy, which started slowly, is 16-8 following a trifecta this week.  The Mustangs racked up victories over KISKI, Masters and McDuffie.
With the regular season scheduled to wrap up this week the fortunate are getting ready for the “second season” while the unfortunate will be taking uniform inventory and putting the ‘unis’ in moth balls.
Scoring Races
Plainfield’s Morgan Griffin with 63 points in two games not only propelled her over the 1000 point plateau but also increased her lead and margin in the race for scoring honors.  Griffin checks in this week at 18.3 points per game with three regular season games remaining on the Lady Panthers schedule.  She holds a less than two-point lead over second-place scorer, Ashley Espinosa of Putnam, who stands at 16.7 points per game.  Hyde-Woodstock’s Janicha Diaz remains in third place at 14.9 ppg., while Pomfret’s Morgan Olander is fourth with 13.5 points per game.
A dramatic change took place in the 3-point field goal race.  Jill Bodreau of Marianapolis riding a hot shooting streak has moved ahead of Putnam’s Monica Phongsa who’s been on top of the heap all season.  Bodreau has 36 treys, while Phongsa is at 28.
For the first time since the start of the season there’s a new leader on top of the men’s scoring parade, as Dayshon Smith of Putnam Science Academy edged past Woodstock’s Ian Converse for the top spot.  Smith checks in at 20.5 points per contest, while Converse drops down to the third slot at 20.2.  Sandwiched between Smith and Converse is Tourtellotte’s Kaevon Safford at 20.4 in a tightly packed leader board.  Plainfield’s Ryan Pambuku remains in fourth place followed by Pomfret’s Isaiah Henderson in fifth.
Jonte Rutty of PSA stretched his lead in the three point shooting race with 70 goals from beyond the arc.  He holds a 23-goal lead over his teammate Smith who checked in with 47.  Pambuku elbowed his way into third with 47, slipping past Killingly’s Devon Willard who has 45 treys.  Mike Jezierski of Tourtellotte coming off a 7-11 performance from three point land against Griswold is now in fifth place with 42 from beyond the arc.
Boys' Scoring Leaders
Dayshon Smith, PSA  20.5
Kaevon Stafford, Tourtellotte  20.4
Ian Converse, Woodstock  20.2
Ryan Pambuku, Plainfield  18.3
Isaiah Henderson, Pomfret  17.9
Three-Point Leaders
Jonte Rutty, PSA  70
Dayshon Smith, PSA  47
Ryan Pambuku, Plainfield 46
Devon Willard, Killingly  45
Mike Jezierski, Tourtellotte 42
Girls' Scoring Leaders
Morgan Griffin, Plainfield   18.3
Ashley Espinosa, Putnam  16.7
Janicha Diaz, Hyde-Woodstock  14.9
Morhan Olander, Pomfret  13.5
Three-Point Leaders
Jill Bodreau, Marianapolis  36
Monica Phongsa, Putnam  28
Notes
Woodstock’s overtime loss at the hands of Bacon Academy in Colchester on “Military Night” saw the Centaurs plummet in the statewide ranking polls.  The New Haven Register Media Poll still had the Acads in the Top 25 although they dropped from 12th last week to 21st in the latest poll.  The Hartford Courant Schoolboy Poll, which ranks only 10 teams removed Woodstock from the Top Ten… Ashley Espinosa appears to be facing the end of her high school hoop career with a fury.  After posting 28 points last week in a win over Ellis Tech, Espinosa posted a double-double (22 points – 13 rebounds) in a 47-32 win over Windham Tech in a CSC East contest …The Plainfield ladies with Morgan Griffin driving the bus clinched the ECC Small Division regular season title with its latest win over Tourtellotte …Woodstock Academy welcomed point guard Chris Lowry back with open arms.  Lowry returned to action with a splint on his injured right thumb after the cast was removed.  Lowry combined with Ian Converse for 33 points in a win over Norwich Free Academy …The Woodstock win over NFA clinched the top regular season spot in the Large Division for the Centaurs …In a game reminiscent of the former Quinebaug Valley Conference contest Tourtellotte edged Plainfield in a tight game.  The win clinched at least a tie in the ECC Small Division for the Tigers …When Putnam’s Tyler Genest hit eight three pointers against Griswold he became the Clippers individual game record holder in that department.  He finished the evening with 27 points …Prep/High School News & Notes will return in two week following a respite in Florida.     
RPC’s Super Conference Standings
Boys:
Marianapolis    17-4
PSA    17-8
Woodstock   14-2
Plainfield    11-6
Pomfret  8-8

PHS roundup
PUTNAM — The Putnam High School girls’ basketball team won one and lost one last week.
Feb. 6: Parish Hill proved to be tough on their Senior Night, as the score was tied 24-24 after three quarters and they outscored the Clippers  13-8 in the fourth to record a 37-32 victory, Ashley Espinosa had 20 points and Molly Finnegan lead Parish Hill with 11. The Clippers fall to 13-5 and Parish Hill goes to 10-7 on the season.
Feb. 4: Putnam jumped out to a 12-4 lead and never looked back to record a 47-32 victory in a battle for third place in the CSC East. Putnam had three players in double figures: Ashley Espinosa with 22, Cynthia Briere with 13 and Monica Phongsa with 11. The Clippers improved to 13-4 and Windham Tech dropped to 13-5.

By Ron P. Coderre
The 2013 Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner and Awards Gala honored a Putnam man, Roger Franklin with the George J. Racine Sr. Humanitarian Award.  Judging by the introduction by award presenter Donald St. Onge, Franklin has more than earned the recognition.  Recognized as a volunteer, many don’t realize that there was a time when he was also a very good athlete.
The primary reason for Franklin’s nomination was based on his volunteer service to Day Kimball Hospital and particularly with the network’s Hospice program.  Since 2003, when Franklin’s wife of 40 years, Ruth died in Hospice care, he has devoted more than 12,000 hours in service to the organization that helped him through the loss of his spouse.
“Giving back to Hospice, its patient care staff and the hospital’s volunteer team has provided me the satisfaction of knowing that in some small way I’m helping others.  It’s particularly important to me because the time I’m devoting is for the people of our area,” said Franklin.
The 75 year old Franklin learned team work at an early age growing up under the guidance of his parents Frederick and Irene Franklin.  As the oldest of three Franklin brothers, he led the way through his school years for his brothers Charles and Richard.  Additionally he came to appreciate the value of being a good team member through his participation in athletics.
Beginning in the youth leagues organized by former Putnam teacher Bill Buckley, Franklin established himself in junior basketball and baseball leagues.  By the time he reached high school, the 1956 Putnam High School graduate was well prepared for the competitiveness of schoolboy sports.
As a Putnam Clipper, Franklin earned seven varsity letters during his four years on the Woodstock Ave. campus.  He earned four letters in baseball, becoming a starter as a sophomore and proving his versatility by playing first base, the outfield and catching.  But basketball under coach Jim Greenhalgh is where he has his fondest memories.
“In my senior year we weren’t expected to get much beyond the first round of the State Tournament.  We were a determined bunch and fooled most people by making it all the way to the Class S championship before losing to New Canaan,” said Franklin.
Franklin was instrumental in the team’s success as one of the leading scorers.  He recalls the 77-62 semifinal victory over a favored Ellsworth team.  In humble fashion he says, “I didn’t have a great game in the championship game.”  The 72-58 loss to New Canaan wasn’t due to his play as much as it was the play of a 6-foot, 5-inch center from New Canaan by the name of Willkie Gilmore.
He recalls his teammates that season of glory, the team’s center Bill Bellerose, All-State player Mike Bousquet, the two juniors in the backcourt Paul Fall and Gerry Desautels and Phil DeSantis, who was superb off the bench.
There was also another sport that Franklin participated in, although he never received a varsity letter.  He was a member of coach George St. Marie’s cross-country team for four year but never placed in a meet.  But true to Franklin’s determination he stuck with the team through his senior year.
“I always remember Mr. St. Marie telling me, ‘Roger I tell the bus driver to warm up the bus when I see you heading to the finish line because I know you’re my final runner to cross the line’,” he said with a chuckle.
Following graduation he went on to Norwich University where he played basketball for two seasons before being sidelined with an injury.  Graduation from Norwich led to a career in the Army that spanned 32 years.  He was in the Reserves for 30 of those years and was honorably discharged in 1992 with the rank of colonel.
Simultaneously he enjoyed a 40-year career in the State of Connecticut Employment Security Division, where he worked in various locations in Eastern and Central Connecticut.  He spent his last years as the director of the Danielson Labor Market office.
Franklin’s volunteer efforts aren’t limited only to healthcare.  He’s been active in the Congregational Church of Putnam for more e than six decades, where he is assistant treasurer, co-chairman of the golf tournament, a liturgist and involved in the choir and the Empty Bowl Committee.  He’s the past president of the Putnam Cemetery Association and a life member of the Aspinock Historical Society.   He was also instrumental on the Coach Greenhalgh Memorial Scholarship Committee, which raised $50,000 to establish a scholarship in perpetuity in his former coach’s name.
“Receiving the Racine Award was a tremendous honor, especially when you consider all of the people in our area who do so many good deeds for others.  I am honored because I think volunteer and public service is what builds community spirit,” said Franklin.
“In reflecting on this honor I think of coaches Greenhalgh and St. Marie and teachers like Mr. Buckley and Mr. Pedley who had such a positive influence on who I am today.  Those early days in sports definitely taught me team work and how hard work produces positive results,” he concluded.
Volunteering remains primary in Roger Franklin’s life but he does find time for golf with friends at Quinnatisset Country Club and golf trips to Florida.  He also cherishes time with his only son, Ross and his daughter-in-law Erika and grandson, Hunter, whom he visits in Arizona.
After all these years of doing for others, Roger Franklin rightfully is deserving of the George J. Racine Sr. Humanitarian