By Ryan Rumrill,

Town Crier Sportswriter

Feb. 26 the Mustangs squared off against Redemption Christian at the Hyde School and took away the 14-point victory, 99 to 85. Putnam was led by Jaheam Cornwall who finished with a game-high 15 points and six assists. Alexis Yetna finished the game with 13 points and 12 rebounds, Malik Curry had 13 points, while Issac Kante had 12 points and five rebounds and both Malik Ondigo and Brandon Hurst had 11 points each.  Eric Ayala totaled up nine points, seven assists, and five rebounds and Putnam Science moves to 30-6. With this win, the Mustangs are named as the 2017 Power 5 Conference regular season Champions, where they only have a couple more games left before they take on the Conference tournament which will be held at Fitchburg State University March 4, and 5. Putnam Science will also be looking forward to the National Prep School Championship. The academy will likely be seeded third. The contest is March 8 and 9 at Albertus Magnus College.

 

Feb. 25

Putnam Science Academy 97

Thetford Academy (Canada) 73

The Mustangs took on Thetford Academy from Canada at the Maple Street Campus, and Jaheam Cornwall came out of the game shooting the ball from down town.  The Mustangs were in a close game at halftime with the score, 46-44, but came out of the second half and continued to put pressure on Thetford and kept hitting shots and pulled away. Jaheam Cornwall finished with 23 points, and hitting 7 threes from behind the arc. Eric Ayala finished with a double-double recording 15 points and 10 assists. Issac Kante had 15 points, Lapri Pace 11 points, Malik Curry had 10 points, and Alexis Yetna had seven points and 10 rebounds as PSA is now 29-6.

 

(4) St. Bernard 52

(1) Plainfield 51

 Top-ranked Plainfield Panthers were knocked off by the Saints in the ECC Div. 2 Semifinal matchup. St. Bernard was paced by Hunter Baillargeon who scored 21 points, JoJo Beltran had 14 points, and Nate Avery had 11 points. Plainfield was led by Eli Malboeuf with his 19 points, Connor Davis scored 13 points, and Chris Peasley had six points, but fall by one to the Saints. 

 

(3) Windham 64

(7) Killingly 48

The Redmen brought a lot of energy into the semifinals where they were led by Jared Gosper with 15 points, Dommoy Ennis with 10 points, and Sean Johndrow with nine points. They were missing the scoring from Luke Desaulnier who was held in check with only four points and the Redmen come up short against the powerful Whippets. Windham was led by Willie Brown who scored 19 points in the game, Alex Dominguez who scored 12 points, and Andrew Gonzalez who finished with 10 points as well and advance to the championship game to face off against fourth- ranked St. Bernard 

 

Feb. 24

Marianapolis 81

St. Marks 58

Tyler Burton posted a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds to move the Golden Knights passed St. Marks in their final game of the season. Marley Blommers helped out with 18 points, and Joe Del Ricci had 16 points and the Knights close out the regular season with a win and move to 11-13. 

Putnam Science Varsity 77

Redemption 79

Manny Warren led the Varsity squad with 23 points, six rebounds, and five rebounds but fell by 2 to Redemption. Adham Floyd had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Pettway finished with 13 points, and Alex White finished the game with 10 points and the Varsity is now 18-8. 

(3) Windham Tech 67

(11) Putnam 51 

Putnam squared off against Windham Tech where the Mighty Tigers controlled the pace of the game in the second half, closing the game out with the victory by 15 points.  Windham Tech was led by Mario Rangel with 17 points, and Cole Paquin with 15 points, while Andre Jose and Luis Quintana both had nine points. For Putnam, Lucas Bastilio put his team on his back and scored 32 points for the Clippers and grabbed 14 rebounds. 

 

Feb. 23

(7) Killingly 57

(2) Lyman 49

The Killingly Redmen knocked off the second-ranked Lyman Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the ECC Division matchup. Lyman was led by David Lopez with the game-high 23 points, but was not enough as the Redmen pull off the upset.  Killingly was led by Luke Desaulnier with 14 points, Jared Gosper with 12 points, and Sean Johndrow with 11 points. Alex Fontaine had seven points, to go along with the six points from Gavin Turner, and the five points from Dommoy Ennis.

(11) Putnam 43

(6) Parish Hill 35

Putnam faced off against Parish Hill in the first round of the CSC tournament, and took the lead late in the third quarter and sealed the deal coming away with the victory. Sebastian Ramos leads the Clippers in scoring with 18 points, who scored his free points from the line going 8-10 from the charity stripe. Connor Holloman added 12 points for the Clippers. Parish Hill was led by Jonah Dupuis with 11 points.  

(3) Windham 73

(6) Woodstock 47

Woodstock squared off against a tough Windham Whippets in the quarterfinals and was just a little unmatched, and outlasted by the Whippets. Windham was paced by Willie Brown with 23 points and added eight dimes in the contest. Andrew Gonzalez pitched in 16 points and 10 assists, Alex Dominquez scored 13 points, and Cliff Jones recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds for Windham. Woodstock was led by Chase Anderson who finished with 12 points, Nick Short had 11 points, Aaron Johnson had eight points, and Cole Hackett had six points. 

 

Feb. 22

Killingly 58

Wheeler 46

The Redmen got great contributions from their team where Jared Gosper and Dommoy Ennis each had 12 points and Ennis grabbed 11 rebounds and five blocked shots. Luke Desaulnier had 10 points, while Gavin Turner had nine points, Alex Fontaine had eight points, and Sean Johndrow had seven points to earn their play in win. 

(8) Montville 72

(9) Tourtellotte 37

In the play-in game between the Tigers and the Indians for the ECC Division 2 matchup, Montville took an early lead and maintained it until the break, and that’s where they broke it open, outscoring the Tigers 39-10 in the second half. Montville was led by Cam Collins who scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help Montville into the quarterfinals. Gennaro Davis added nine points for the Indians. Tourtellotte was led by Spencer Fulone with 11 points. 

 

Feb. 21

Putnam Science Academy 90

Notre Dame Prep 67

When the PSA Mustangs took on Notre Dame Prep, PSA was ranked eighth in the country, and Conference powerhouse Notre Dame was ranked No. 4 in the country. The contest was hosted at the Hyde School where the Mustangs won the game in all areas of the game and won the game by 23 points. PSA was led by Eric Ayala who finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.  Issac Kante contributed with 14 points and eight rebounds, Malik Ondigo had 12 points and six rebounds, Lapri Pace had 11 points and six rebounds, and Jaheam Cornwall had eight points and seven assists, while the Mustangs moved to 28-6. 

 

Feb. 20

Marianapolis 64

Hyde-Woodstock 45 

In the matchup of local prep schools, the audience watched the Golden Knights get out early ahead of Hyde, and maintained the advantage until the final buzzer.  Marianapolis was led by Steph Baxter who scored 14 points, while Marley Blommers added 11 points and eight rebounds to move the Knights to (9-12). 

Plainfield 44

Woodstock 39

The Panthers season came to an end with the last regular season game victory over the Centaurs 44-39, which finished the year on an eight-game winning streak.  Plainfield was led by Connor Davis who finished with 18 points, while both Markeith Conyers and Chris Peasley scored 12 points.  Woodstock was paced by Chase Anderson by scoring his 14 points. Nick Short added 11 points, and Cole Hackett scored eight points. 

Waterford 68

Killingly 65

Waterford wins on a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Mike Buscetto which leads the Lancers to their 11th straight win on the year, and finished undefeated in ECC play. Buscetto leads the Lancers with an impressive 30 points and adds 10 assists while Liam Spellman had 13 points in the game to move Waterford’s record to 17-3, 10-0. Killingly as behind Dommoy Ennis who scored 15 points, and Luke Desaulnier who added 12 for the Redmen, who fall to 7-13, 4-6. 

 

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Peter G. Leasca,

WWII vet

WORCESTER — Peter G. Leasca, 91, of Worcester died Feb. 15, 2017, in St. Vincent Hospital after a brief illness. 

He was born in Thompson, the son of George and Speranta (Petrescu) Leasca and graduated from Bryant College and earned a management certificate from WPI. Peter worked as a financial advisor for 41 years; a vice president, retiring 10 years ago, from Morgan Stanley, where his legacy continues today in Wealth Management as The Leasca Group, which was founded 52 years ago. Also, he was the president/founder of the Worcester Stockbrokers Association for more than 30 years which often hosted local public companies to speak. Mr. Leasca was a member of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, its Order of AHEPA where he was a member for 65 years, and chaired its veteran’s committee. Peter was an adjunct professor at Worcester State University, QCC and Becker College where he taught investments. He was a pioneer in 1991 on Greater Media Cable local TV#3 Stockwatch Report as its first nightly stockmarket reporter. Peter was a 32nd Degree Mason of the Scottish Rite. He was a member of the Melha Shrine Center, Springfield. Mr. Leasca was instrumental in the bringing one of the original Landing Ship Tanks from Greece back to the U.S. where it now serves as a floating museum in Indiana. This became a documentary on the History Channel called Hero Ships. 

Peter was a veteran of the U.S. Navy serving during WWII. He was proud of his service and was active with the City of Worcester Veteran’s Services and was active with the World War II dedication. He led many parades in the city. The Worcester Armed Services Committee awarded Peter with the highest civilian honor as the Veteran of the Year in conjunction with the ROTC Program in a formal ceremony last May at the College of the Holy Cross.

He leaves his wife of 63 years, Despina J. (Rougas) Leasca; two sons, George P. Leasca (Martha) of W. Brookfield, Mass., and John P. Leasca of Worcester; two daughters, Karen G. Gogos of W. Brookfield and Joanne M. Bilzerian (Alexander) of Holden, Mass.; a sister, Marguerita Karpenski of Putnam; 10 grandchildren, Pierce, Evan and Catie Leasca, Christina Pare, Kayla Ramey, Peter and Stephen Gogos, Alexander, Peter and Maria Bilzerian; two great grandchildren, Evan and Cole Pare. He was predeceased by a brother, James Leasca and a sister, Anthina Sylvester.

His funeral was Feb. 20 in St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, with burial in Hope Cemetery. Donations: St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, c/o Endowment Fund, 102 Russell St., Worcester, MA 01609. O’Connor Brothers Funeral Home, Worcester.

 

Blanche H. Doucette

GRISWOLD —  Blanche H. Doucette, 83, of Norman Rd., formerly of Putnam and N. Grosvenordale, died Feb. 25, 2017, at Midstate Medical Center in Meriden.  She was the  wife of the late Ernest J. Doucette.  Born in 1933 in Cambridge, Mass., she is the daughter of the late William and Blanche (Promovost) Curran.

On April 24, 1954, in Cambridge, she was united in marriage to Ernest J. Doucette who died on July 30, 1979.

Mrs. Doucette worked for many years as an inspector at U.S. Button in Putnam.

Blanche was a member of the VFW Women’s Auxiliary, Albert J. Breault Post 1523 in Putnam. 

She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, bowling, playing bingo, reading, and was an avid pet lover especially for her Siamese cats.

She leaves three sons William Doucette (Renee) of Nederland, Texas, Joseph Doucette (Cheryl) of Putnam, and Mark Doucette (Stacey) of Danielson; four daughters Sandra Barrows (Keith) of Putnam, Ruth LaPointe of Griswold, Rhonda Young of Danielson, and Patricia Hurm of Danielson; a sister Arline Milford of Dover, N.H.; 16 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son Dennis Doucette, a daughter Sue Ann Parker, and a sister Virginia Doucette. 

The Funeral arrangements are private. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.

 

Marie Sullivan

DANIELSON — Marie V. (Berube) Sullivan, daughter of the late Edgar and Albina Berube, died Feb. 22, 2017.

Marie was employed for many years at Danielson Curtain before retiring to care for her great-grandchildren, great nieces and nephews, and many other loved ones that considered her to be their memere.

She leaves her children, Robert Sullivan and Cyndi Lewallen, her grandchildren Tammy, Kevin, James (Buddy), Shandra, Kristin, Dan, Wayne, and Jon; 13 great-grandchildren, Erin, Ryan, Hope, Kaitlyn, Courtne, Emily, Matthew, Alex, Danielle, Nicholas, Kayla, Kyle, Justin and three great-great-grandchildren, Matthew, Madisyn, and James William. She was predeceased by her husband William A. Sullivan Sr. and her son William A. Sullivan Jr., her brothers, Carl, Raymond, Albert, and Edgar (Junior), and her step-father, John Barker.

Donations: Charity of donor’s choice.  Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

 

‘Whitey’ Woodworth Jr.,

Korean war vet

CENTRAL VILLAGE — Irving “Whitey” W. Woodworth Jr., died Feb. 21, 2017, at home. 

He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., son of the late Irving W. Woodworth Sr. and Mary (Hetes) Woodworth and lived in Mystic before moving to Central Village 10 years ago.  

He was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving during the Korean era and was an electrician at Electric Boat in Groton.  He enjoyed his pets and was an animal advocate.  

He was a member of the Plainfield and Canterbury Senior centers. 

He was the husband of the late Patricia (O’Connor) Woodworth, who died in 1997.  He leaves three sons; Michael G. Woodworth of Auburn, Maine, David (Kelly Dyer) of Heborn, Maine, Dennis J. Woodworth (Alice) of Central Village; seven grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren; lady friend, Pauline Morneau of Canterbury.  He was predeceased by a son, Patrick Woodworth and a brother, Francis Woodworth.

There will be a Celebration of Life which will be announced later.  

Donations: Plainfield Dog Pound.  Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

 

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Ice Fishing

Boy Scout Troop 21, left to right: Scout Damien-Michael Jacques, Senior Patrol Leader Richard L. LaBonte Jr. and Scout Nathan Olson try their hands at ice fishing. Photo: John D. Ryan

 

 

STAFFORD — Yes, you can comfortably camp in the wintertime. Just ask the Scouts from Troop 21, in Putnam. They just spent a successful weekend camping and fishing in Stafford Springs.

“It’s fun to get the kids out and show them they can camp and fish and have fun in the winter,” said Scoutmaster Peter A. Lombardo of Putnam. “We make sure the boys had the right equipment for winter, and the tents go up just like in the summer. It was a really good time.”

With permission from the landowner, last weekend Troop 21 pitched their tents and set up their gear along the pond and woods at Quatrano Farm, on private property in Stafford Springs, so Lombardo and other volunteer Scout leaders could teach the boys how to camp in the snow, including, among a number of activities, fire building, camp cooking, ice fishing, animal tracking in the snow and using a map and compass.

Chartered to St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam, Troop 21 is open to any boy aged 11 to 17. Scouts do not have to be Catholic or be members of the church. Lombardo noted that a Boy Scout troop’s operations are run by the boys, with the adults overseeing transportation and making sure everyone is healthy and safe.

“Scouting helps to build character and leadership in young men,” Lombardo said. “We show boys they can have self confidence and do things they wouldn’t otherwise challenge themselves to do. We’d love to have more Scouts in our troop and show them the fun we have.”