Roundup
Centaurs
squeeze in
a match
Just getting games is a task right now.
With much of the Interstate 395 corridor designated as a Covid-19 “Red Alert” zone, many schools have gone back to virtual learning and have also, in the process, shut down interscholastic athletics.
It has meant that the programs that are still playing have had to shuffle their schedule often just to get some playing time.
The Woodstock Academy volleyball team was in that pickle last week.
The Centaurs, who had not played since the Friday before against Windham, looked like they would not have a match last week.
Fortunately, next-door neighbor Putnam High School agreed to come play the Centaurs Oct. 23.
“It was a big relief,” said Woodstock Academy coach Adam Bottone. “I feel bad because the girls here are doing everything they can to be sure they’re being disciplined about following all the safety protocols and procedures. That was one of the themes at the beginning of the season, let it not be us as the reason that we are not playing. I think other (schools) are doing their part, too, it’s just the nature of this virus. If we didn’t get this scheduled with Putnam, it would have been well over a week in between games. I’m very thankful that (Putnam coach) Shea Ogle was willing to do it.”
The Centaurs raised their record to 5-1 with a 3-0 victory over the Clippers.
Woodstock Academy won the first set easily, 25-5, but saw Putnam come back and make it more difficult in the second, won by the Centaurs, 25-17. Woodstock Academy finished it off with a 25-7 third set win.
Four was the magic number for senior Gabby Garbutt as she recorded four aces, four kills and four digs for the Centaurs.
Junior Aurissa Boardman added seven kills and one block and senior setter Tabby Bezanson had four aces and eight assists.
Bottone was also pleased with the play of Leila MacKinnon who made her first start of the season, played  both opposite and outside hitter, and finished with four digs and two kills.
Abby St. Martin paced the Clippers (1-3) with six kills and three blocks.
Girls’ Soccer
Few have been finding it tougher to find matches than the Woodstock Academy girls’ soccer team.
The Centaurs played just their second match in 10 days on Saturday and posted a 7-0 win over Windham Tech in Willimantic.
Woodstock Academy is now 5-1 on the season.
Sophomore Grace Gelhaus was the catalyst.
She scored three goals, two in the first half, when the Centaurs took a 5-0 lead over the Mighty Tigers (2-6).
Gelhaus added two assists and now has six goals and seven assists on the season.
Senior Peyton Saracina added two goals to give her 11 on the year.
Adeline Smith chipped in big with a goal and three assists and Stella Brin also had a goal and an assist for the Centaurs.
Cross-Country
While some Woodstock Academy programs are having troubles finding games, two others have found it difficult to find meets against full teams.
The Centaurs boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams sport a 5-0 record this season but most of those victories have been of the 15-50 variety, meaning they come against teams who could not field the required five runners to score as a team.
Two of those meets came this week as the boys’ and girls’ teams recorded 15-50 victories over Tourtellotte at the West Thompson Dam Oct. 21 and against Windham Tech on the South Campus Oct. 24.
The meet with Windham Tech was run as one race with boys and girls competing at the same time.
Senior Ethan Aspiras finished first for the Centaurs in 18 minutes, 23 seconds to win the boys’ race. The Centaurs put the top five male runners across with Max Auker (20:38) and Hans Rhynhart (20:51) in second and third. Joel Koleszar was fourth and Andrew Thompson fifth.
The Centaurs girls equaled the boys, putting the first five runners across the line led by sophomore Brooke Bergevin in 21:12. She was followed by Linsey Arends (23:55) and Iris Bazinet (24:06). Carah Bruce and Tessa Brown rounded out the top five.
The girls put the first 10 runners in against the Tigers Oct. 21.
Bergevin led the way at the West Thompson Dam in 19:49 followed by Arends (22:33), Leah Castle (22:44), Avery Mowrey (22:47) and Bazinet (22:56).
Aspiras rolled past the field by over two minutes as he finished in 17:10, well ahead of Brayden Cutler of the Tigers.
Seamus Lippy, Thompson, Auker and Koleszar rounded out the top five for the Centaurs.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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If there is one sure thing about 2020, it’s the fact that nothing is assured.
Take the plans for Senior Day for The Woodstock Academy volleyball team.
The Centaurs were supposed to play host to Griswold Oct. 16 and celebrate their seven seniors.
But the Jewett City school was forced to go to remote learning and postpone all of its scheduled athletic events due to several COVID-19 cases at the school and in the community.
So, Woodstock Academy athletic director Sean Saucier reached out to Windham and asked it to move up its scheduled match with the Centaurs from Oct. 23 to Oct. 16.
It turned out to be a prophetic call.
Oct. 16 Windham High announced it was going on a two-week shutdown, due to a COVID-19 “Red Alert” declared by the Connecticut Department of Health, beginning Oct. 19.
The Whippets were allowed to play the match against the Centaurs.
It was just typical of the year as a whole.
“What we really wanted to do this year was focus on doing everything we can with what we have,” said senior Marissa Mayhew. “This was Windham’s last game for the next two weeks. We don’t know if we’re going to have any more games. No one knows. That’s why we make every game so important.”
It’s not an easy task.
Fortunately, according to coach Adam Bottone, this group is one better suited to deal with the issue than some other teams he has had,
“It’s a fun-loving group that drives me insane half the time,” Bottone said with a laugh. “It’s good. We have a nice balance and this year, especially, we needed that with COVID and everything that has been going on with playing and not playing, teams cancelling, scheduling other teams. We have to be really flexible this year and the girls have been awesome with that. They’re just happy to be playing, have a season and the interactions with each other. If this was a crazy, focused, hard-core volleyball group, they would have more difficulty with it.”
For Bottone, it is also a larger crop of seniors than he is used to.
The Centaurs will lose both their middle hitters, Sierra Bedard and Amelia Large; setter Tabitha Bezanson, defensive specialists Marissa Mayhew and Sara Cotillo Soria, opposite hitter Kileigh Gagnon and outside hitter Gabby Garbutt to graduation.
“(This team) has really helped me grow as a person since freshman year. I’ve been hosting Senior Day for three years and now it’s my turn to be on the other end of things. This school has made a big impact on me and the other seniors as well. I’ve just been very proud to be a part of the volleyball program at Woodstock Academy,” Mayhew said.
She has grown not only as a person, but as a player.
The defensive specialist received some preseason recognition.
She was named by the Connecticut Post newspaper in the preseason as one of the top 25 players in the state to watch.
“I was so honored to get that,” Mayhew said. “I always knew that all the effort that I’ve put in for the last three years would come back and show itself but I never thought it would be in that way. I was blown away by that.”
Coaches are always concerned with Senior Day due to its effect on a team’s mental approach to the game itself.
Fortunately for Bottone, that was not a problem.
His Centaurs raised their record to 4-1 with a 3-0 win over the Whippets.
Woodstock Academy won the first set, 25-14, took the second by that same score and put the match away with a 25-10 victory in the third set.
Garbutt (7 kills, 10 service points), Mayhew (16 digs, 13 service points) and Bezanson (20 assists) led the Centaurs to the win.
Junior Aurissa Boardman added seven kills and six assists.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs.  The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
Oct. 11
Ryan McCabe, 34, Marshall Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.
Oct. 12
Nicholis Below, 22, homeless; third-degree larceny, third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny.
Oct. 13
Mallory Kunz, 31, Wilkinson Street, Putnam; violation of protective order.
Oct. 14
Germani Rosario, 20, Sunnyside Avenue, Putnam; disorderly conduct.
Oct. 15
Peter N. Longo, 43, Powhattan Street, Putnam; fourth-degree larceny, failure to verify address by registered sex offender.

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