The season came to a close March 8 for the Woodstock Academy Blue prep basketball team. But the Centaurs went as far as they could go.
Woodstock Academy finished up in the Power 5 Conference AA tournament championship game March 8 where it fell short to Upper Room Christian, 81-63.
The Centaurs finished with a 22-17 record.
“I was more than happy to make it this far,” said Woodstock Academy coach Denzel Washington. “It would have been great to win it. We don’t believe in moral victories around here. It was great because the guys fought all the way through and not once did they give up on themselves.”
The Centaurs had an uphill road to climb. They got into the championship game only after a 113-109 double overtime win on the road against Notre Dame-West Haven March 7.
“It’s always hard to play back-to-back, let alone going to double overtime (Saturday) and turning around and playing (Sunday). I think that definitely played into why we didn’t hit a few more shots in the first half,” said Nahshon Battle.
An 11-0 run early in the first half by Upper Room Christian meant the Centaurs were chasing the Lions early.
Six of those points came from Dian Wright-Forde who finished with 25.
Andres Marrero, who led Upper Room Christian with 28 points, capped off the run with a 3-pointer that gave the Lions a 21-9 lead and forced a first time out by the Centaurs.
The Centaurs got a basket from Malikai Delgado, only to fall right back into a drought.
Another Marrero 3-pointer capped a 13-4 run for Upper Room Christian which extended the lead to 19, 34-15, with 5:30 left in the first half.
The Centaurs would trail at the break, 38-22.
The Centaurs tried to put a little run together at the beginning of the second half and got it down to 13 points briefly when Darryl MacKey (10 points) followed up seven points by Battle (20 for the game) with a bucket to make it 45-32 with 15:24 left.
The Lions responded with three Marrero free throws and, after another Battle bucket, scored seven of the next 10 points to go back up by 18.
Upper Room extended the lead to 20-plus and only saw the lead go under 20 when Battle hit a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left to account for the final.
“I wouldn’t say they got into heads, I really don’t think that there is anyone in the league who can beat us but ourselves. They are a good team. Give credit where credit is due. They beat us three times,” Battle said.
In addition to the championship game and semifinal over the weekend, the Centaurs also had to win a quarterfinal game at home last Wednesday. They prevailed easily over the Hoosac School, 101-59.
The Blue squad was coming off a win the weekend before over Capital Prep Harbor in which they scored 125 points, saw eight players finish in double figures and had 40 assists.
Five players finished in double figures and they distributed the ball well again, getting 25 assists.
The Centaurs pulled away early from their visitors from New York. An 11-2 run turned a three-point lead into a double-digit advantage with Delgado doing the honors, putting Woodstock Academy up, 20-10.
The Centaurs extended that lead to 15 and by late in the first half and jacked it up to 22 by halftime thanks to two free throws each from Vondre Chase and Elijah Blackman.
Blackman, who led the team along with MacKey with 16 points, then buried a 3-pointer with four seconds left in the half to give the Blue squad a 47-25 advantage.
Gottlieb, who finished with 11 points, not only played well offensively where he directed traffic at times, but also defensively including a pretty memorable block from behind.
The Centaurs built up the lead to 30-plus after a basket by Hakan West (10 points) with 12:21 to play.
Battle will head to St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt., in the fall to play Div. II college basketball, said the experience in northeastern Connecticut was memorable. “I couldn’t be more proud of the guys. Playing with them has been an honor for me,” he said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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Catherine Hair
N. GROSVENORDALE — Catherine (Mooth) Hair, 76, of Green Acres, died March 2, 2020, at Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center. She was the wife of the late Howard Emerson He died in 1996. Born in N. Grosvenordale, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Mary (Kacavich) Mooth.
Mrs. Hair worked as a secretary for Dr. Dupont. When her late husband was still alive, they helped to raise money for the old Methodist Church which was in N. Grosvenordale. She enjoyed playing bingo and was a volunteer for the VFW Post #654 and at the Brookside Rehabilitation Center, helping veterans, both in Webster. She was especially proud that her sons served in the U.S. Navy.
She leaves her sons, Michael Hair of Bunell, Fla., and Charles H. Hair of Wiggins, Miss.; her companion, Johann “John” Bisselle of N. Grosvenordale; her brother, Ed Mooth of Orange City, Fla.; her grandchildren, Violet Hillanbrand, and Ruben Hair; great-grandchildren.
Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. March 20 in the Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale. A Memorial Service will be at 6:30. Donations: Salmon VNA & Hospice, 37 Birch St. Milford, MA. 01757.
Edgar R. Deslauriers,
Army veteran
Edgar R Deslauriers, 91, husband of the late Lucille (Rondeau) Deslauriers, died unexpectedly Jan. 25, 2020, at Day Kimball Hospital.
He was the son of the Raymond and Florestine (Mainville) Deslauriers. Born Sept. 7, 1928, in Newark, N.J., he grew up in the Thompson area. While a student at Thompson Middle School and Thompson High School he studied agriculture, a trade he eagerly applied to his father’s Quaddick farm.
Edgar enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946, honorably serving in post-WWII Germany. He served from May 1946 to February 1949 with the 759th Military Police Services, during which he participated in the Berlin Airlift. Called back into service on the day of his discharge, he served with 536th MP in Germany until his honorable discharge in September 1951. His service earned him the Army of Occupational Medal (Germany), Berlin Airlift Ribbon, and World War II Victory Medal. In 2016 he received the Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medal.
Upon leaving the service Eddie met the love of his life and future wife, Lucille Rondeau. After convincing his future in-laws he was an honorable and trust worthy man he and Lucille married on Feb. 23, 1952. They had two daughters, PatriciaAnn and Annette. For 58 years he remained committed to his marriage vows and to the promise made to his in-laws staying with Lucille till her death on April 6, 2010.
Edgar often described himself as a “jack of all trades and a master of none”. He worked the mills with his father-in law when he was first married. He then spent more than 25 years in construction working for the then Karvarics Construction Company in Ashford. After recovering from a devastating industrial accident he worked security for Data General at its Woodstock campus. In his later years he worked the front desk at Killingly’s Maple Courts. He retired from the work force at age of 87.
Though he had slowed down in his later years he enjoyed playing in pitch tournaments as long-time member of Putnam Elks Pitch league. Besides playing pitch, he enjoyed his weekly drives to get his lotto and scratch tickets as well as going to the Village Restaurant to get his ‘grinder with no cheese’ order. Of his many dreams was to go back to Berlin to see a free Germany.
He leaves his daughter PatriciaAnn of Melbourne, Fla.; his eldest brother Lucien of Escondido, Calif.; his youngest brother Donald of Thompson and a younger half-brother Leonard Guertin. Edgar was predeceased by his wife Lucille; his youngest daughter Annette; brothers Raymond Jr., Richard, and Clarence “Joe”.
Cremation was provided by The Cremation society of Connecticut. No services are scheduled at this time.
Ronald R. Paul
DANIELSON — Ronald R. Paul, 68, of Danielson, died Feb 27, 2020. He was the husband of Carol J. (Kudzal) Paul. They were married for 40 years. She died Feb.25, 2013.
He was born Oct. 28, 1951, in Worcester, son of the late Clarence L. and Viola (Trudeau) Paul. He was employed at American Optical Corporation in Southbridge for more than 10 years. He was a training specialist for several departments and senior development technician in Research and Development in Sturbridge. He also was employed at Loos & Company in Pomfret, OFS Technologies in Avon, Nypro in Clinton, Mass.
Ron was a former member of the Gertrude Chandler Warner Museum and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Boxcar Museum and was a docent at the museum. Ron also worked on the photo archives of Aspinock Historical Society of Putnam. He also volunteered at Passages & Pourings in Danielson. Ron designed the first website for St. Mary Church in Putnam. He was a Music Radio announcer on a radio station in Worcester.
He leaves his sister, Jeanne Poirier (Armand) of Florida and two nephews.
A Graveside service will be at 11 a.m. April 2 the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Webster. Donations: Aspinock Historical Society of Putnam, 206 School St., Putnam CT 06260. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
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caption:
Luc Brittian in past game. Courtesy photo.
It was a scene the Putnam Science Academy boys’ varsity basketball team saw play out too many times this year.
Erase a big deficit, only to run out of gas at the end and not be able to finish the comeback.
Lose a big lead, and not be able to hold off the final run.
So many close losses, seven of them in fact by five points or less, heading into the March 7 championship game of the Great Atlantic Conference against Our Savior Lutheran.
Unfortunately for the Mustangs and coach Dana Valentine, the title game made eight. PSA trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, rallied to take the lead midway through the second half, before ultimately falling 72-68.
“I’m so proud of the guys in our locker room,” Valentine said. “That’s a tough-ass group of dudes who never quit. I’m proud to be their coach.
“No matter how many times we got down this year we kept fighting until the end.”
With about five seconds left, PSA’s potential game-tying 3-pointer from the top of the key missed. Jaden Brewington got the rebound and drew a foul. He made the first free throw, but a violation on the second when he was intentionally trying to miss, ended the game.
Darryl Simmons scored 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half when the Mustangs (21-11) took their first lead, 52-51, with about eight-and-a-half minutes to play.
Luc Brittian ended his career by scoring 20 points for PSA, which also got 13 points from Amir Sanders and nine from Abdul Seck.
“Darryl made huge plays for us in the second half,” Valentine said. “And Luc was an absolute monster on the glass once again.”
PSA advanced to the championship game by upsetting Bridgeport Prep on the road, 86-84.
Brittian scored 22 points in that one as the Mustangs avenged two regular-season losses – by three and four points – to Bridgeport.
Seck had 17 points, Sanders and Simmons finished with 13 apiece, and Jaden Brewington added nine for the Mustangs.
“Both teams fought until the end,” Valentine said. “Great team win, Luc was a monster on the glass. I’m proud of my guys and their resilience.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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Honored
LOWELL, Mass. — Lindsay Roberts of Putnam has been named to the UMass Lowell fall 2019 dean’s list. Lindsay is a sound recording technology major, Class of 2021.
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