Jacob Duniver came into The Woodstock Academy prep basketball program as a man with a plan.
The 6-foot, 6-inch wing player out of Fredericksburg, Va., had already made his college choice before stepping on to the grounds at Woodstock Academy.
Duniver decided over the summer to commit to St. Michael’s College, a Division II program in Colchester, Vt.
“I’m excited about it,” Duniver said. “I’ve been talking to coach (Eric) Eaton and he has been letting me know what they’re doing especially with all the uncertainty going on.”
The pandemic caused the Northeast-10, the conference to which St. Michael’s belongs, to shut down all athletics through Dec. 31.
Duniver said his connection to Eaton goes back to a coach he worked with in AAU basketball who knew Eaton and suggested he pursue Duniver.
Duniver was impressed with Eaton’s resume at Division I schools such as Iona, Quinnipiac, Albany and Holy Cross. Assistant coach Tevin Baskin spent time with the Mississippi State University program as a graduate assistant for the past two seasons.
“I know that’s how they’re going to run the program (like a Division I program) and that’s what I really like about the school,” Duniver said.
Centaurs prep basketball coach Jacque Rivera has been impressed with Duniver’s skill to fill the basket.
“He has Division I shooting ability,” Rivera said. “He can really stroke it. He never misses bad and I think it’s a great fit. Coach Eaton has over 20 years in the business and has turned that program around in one year. He’s worked relentlessly to build a competitive program up there. Jacob is going to be very good there.”
Rivera said Duniver needs to work on the speed of the game, something that is common to any player coming out of high school and into the prep and collegiate ranks.
“He has a high IQ and understands how to play basketball,” Rivera said.
Duniver will not be the only Woodstock Academy product in Colchester.
Nashon Battle, who averaged 19 points a game for the Centaurs Blue squad last year, is a first-year member of the Purple Knights.
Duniver said he hasn’t spoken to Battle yet.
He hopes to go on a visit soon to the school up north and hopes to run into the former Woodstock Academy product.
“I can’t say that I’m looking forward to the cold weather up there, but I’m prepared. I bought some winter clothes before I came up here,” Duniver said with a smile.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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Carvin' for Hope
Two 75-pound pumpkins were artfully carved for the Carvin' for Hope event downtown. They represent hope and joy and go with the Butterfly sculpture (by Dale Rogers). The pumpkin on the left was carved by Jon Conway and the one on the right was done by Ernie D'Elia. The event was created by Jennerate LLC and was sponsored by Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes, Thomas and Kathy Borner and the town of Putnam. Linda Lemmon photo.
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Roundup
Centaurs
girls’ soccer
week is quiet
The Woodstock Academy girls’ soccer team played Parish Hill early last week and then practiced for the remainder of the week.
Woodstock Academy raised its record to 6-1 with a 7-0 win over their visitors from Chaplin.
Senior Peyton Saracina scored two goals to raise her team-best total to 13. Saracina added an assist as did sophomore Grace Gelhaus who also finished with two goals and now has eight goals and eight assists on the season. Stella Brin raised her goal total to four as she also put a pair in to go with an assist and Lucy McDermott also tallied. Adeline Smith had her seventh assist of the season and Emma Massey also assisted on a goal.
Field Hockey
The Centaurs upped their record to 4-2 on the season with a 2-0 win over Waterford early last week.
The Centaurs took the lead in the first half when senior Olivia Ott got past the Lancer defense for a breakaway and Rachel Canedy found her with the pass, helping Ott record her fifth goal of the season. Eliza Dutson added insurance at the very end of the first half. Dutson inserted the ball off a corner with time ticking down. Alexia Adams got the ball back to Dutson who fired it into the cage, her first goal of the season, as time expired in the half.
Volleyball
It was one of those “if only things had gone a little differently” kind of moments for the Woodstock Academy volleyball team.
The Centaurs were on a roll, having taken an 11-3 lead in the second set of their match with two-time defending Class S state champ, Lyman Memorial.
Unfortunately for the Centaurs, the Bulldogs rallied and kept their perfect 2020 season going.
Not only has Lyman Memorial not lost a match in eight outings, they hadn’t dropped a set coming into their showdown with the Centaurs.
That didn’t change as the Bulldogs walked away with a 3-0 win over the Centaurs (5-2).
Lyman Memorial, which has visited the state championship in six of the last seven years, gradually built its own momentum in the first set. The two teams felt each other out threw the first 20 points, coming out with 10 apiece.
But Lyman opposite hitter April Beckwith presided over a four-point run from behind the service line and helped the Bulldogs open a 19-13 lead.
It was all Lyman Memorial needed as both teams scored six points over the remainder of the first set giving the Bulldogs the 25-19 decision.
Two kills from middle hitter Amelia Large and another by Aurissa Boardman (10 kills, 16 digs) gave the Centaurs a 4-1 lead. A block and a kill by middle hitter Sierra Bedard, two more Boardman kills and a Kileigh Gagnon service ace helped double that advantage, giving the Centaurs the 11-3 lead.
But things began to unravel. Lyman went on a 14-6 roll to tie the game at 17. Lyman took its first lead at 19-18 and followed up with the next three points en route to 25-20 win.
The Bulldogs put away the win with another 25-20 victory in the third set.
Tabby Bezanson had 24 assists for the Centaurs while Garbutt finished with 14 kills.
There was a silver lining. The Centaurs were able to identify a Lyman weakness in the back and they exploited it often in the match.
Despite the loss, Bottone thought it was a plus to play Lyman.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
Record $13k
raised with event
Boosted by event sponsorships, United Services 19th Annual Irish Night raised a record $13,000 for Children and Family Programs in its first online event.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the agency to postpone its annual St. Patrick’s Day themed event in March, as well as move the event online.
United Services held a weeklong online auction capped with a live Zoom event Oct. 16, featuring a concert from Kala Farnham.
Event sponsors Mutual of America, Genoa Healthcare and Putnam Ford, as well as Jewett City Savings Bank and Lake Road Generating helped to make the event a success. More than 35 local businesses donated items or gift certificates to make the auction packages.
United Services President/CEO Diane L. Manning said United Services has seen an increase in demand for children’s mental health services this year, as children and families deal with the stressors of the pandemic and the disruptions it has brought to daily life.
All proceeds benefitted United Services Children and Family Programs including: One of the busiest Child Guidance Clinics in the state, an award-winning program providing trauma-informed and trauma-focused mental health services for children and adolescents; family programs, including parent education and support groups such as Kinship Care; the region’s only Domestic Violence Program, providing 24/7/365 emergency crisis, shelter and supportive services to families; Youth Service Bureau and Juvenile Review Board, coordinating youth service programs and juvenile justice intervention.
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