Mustangs Phiri 

to become 

LaSalle Explorer

By Ron P. Coderre

Saul Phiri transferred to Putnam Science Academy in September from Worcester Academy.  The move was intended to give the physical 6’4” wing an opportunity to play with a team that features a strong and diversified schedule and receive more exposure to college coaches.

The well thought out move appears to have paid dividends as Phiri recently announced his intention to commit to Atlantic-10 Conference LaSalle University in Philadelphia.  Phiri made his official visit to LaSalle from Feb. 11 -13 and came away satisfied that joining the Explorers and coach John Giannini was where he wanted to spend his next four years.

“I got to bond with the guys.  I liked the atmosphere up there and like the coaching staff a lot.  I think it’s going to be a good situation,” Phiri told City of Basketball Love.

Last season at Worcester Academy Phiri was the top scorer in the New England Prep School Athletic Conference.  This season on the Maple Street campus Phiri has been of one of coach Tom Espinosa’s primary offensive weapons.  After 38 games he’s averaging 12 points, five rebounds and three assists per game.

Phiri, who possesses a number of attributes on the court and can score in multiple ways, is a long-range threat.  He’s a dangerous three-point threat who has more than 80 treys so far this season and could conceivably eclipse the century mark by the end of the season.  He’s also able to score from mid-range and can score off the bounce as well.  

“I’m happy for Saul.  He’s a hard worker who deserves the very best that life and basketball has to offer.  He’s always strived to play at the highest level and the Atlantic-10 Conference was a dream that is now a reality for him,” said coach Espinosa.

A native of Zimbabwe, Phiri and his family moved to upstate New York when he was 3 years old.  He first realized he had a talent for the round ball game in seventh grade when he was invited to join an AAU team.  By his freshman year in high school he was already being touted as a Division I talent.

Prior to making his decision to commit to LaSalle, Phiri was being pursued by Duquesne, Fordham, University of Massachusetts, Delaware, Quinnipiac and others.

Phiri is the third member of this year’s 35-3 Putnam Science Academy team to commit to a Division I program.  His teammate Mamadou Diarra is headed to UConn and fellow Mustang Tyere Marshall is committed to Rider.  Marshall, a native Philadelphian was helpful in convincing Phiri that the City of Brotherly Love and LaSalle would be a good experience for him.

 

By Ron P. Coderre

The girls’ high school and prep school basketball season came to a conclusion as four local teams fell in postseason tournament play.

Putnam High School and Woodstock Academy got past first round CIAC contests only to fall in the next round of play.  Pomfret School, a #2 seed in NEPSAC Class B, hosted two games prior to falling out of championship contention.  Marianapolis lost in the first round of competition.

Pomfret Gives It a Run

Pomfret School opened quarterfinal competition in Class B by disposing of Governor’s Academy 64-54.  A trio of double figure scorers, led by Alyzae Davis with 23 points parlayed a strong second half to the victory.  Olivia Batastini with a dozen points and Deja Ross with 15 were also in double digits for the Golden Griffins.

In the semifinals Pomfret lost to the Berkshire School 43-37 in a game that was undecided until the final minutes.  Davis with 16 points was the lone double figure scorer for Pomfret.  The Griffs close out the year at 16-8.

In Class A action Marianapolis lost to Worcester Academy 82-54.  Freshman Olivia Summiel had seven points and 12 boards for the Lady Knights, while senior Caroline Soucy closed out her career at Marianapolis with eight points and four assists.  The Lady Knights finish the season at 13-13.

Putnam & Woodstock Lose 

in CIAC Action

Putnam hosted a first round game and rolled past Achievement First of Hartford 42-31.  The 13th-seeded Putnam Lady Clippers shutout the visitors in the second quarter, which gave them the momentum in the second half, outscoring Achievement 29-22.

Alyssa Espinosa, who was hot from three-point land, was Putnam’s top gun with 17 points, three from beyond the arc.  Maria Fredette chipped in 11 for the winners.

In the next round, the Clippers traveled to Bridgeport and lost to #4 seed Kolbe Cathedral 70-27.  Fredette had 10 and Espinosa eight as the Lady Clippers closed the books on the 2015-2016 season at 14-10.

Woodstock Academy pulled off a Class L upset in the CIAC first round beating Crosby 58-48.  Woodstock was a #22 seed, while Crosby was seeded 11th.  Freshman Ari Koivisto had a breakout game leading the Centaurs with 23 points.  Mackenzie Cayer chipped in 11 and Heather Converse, another freshman, had 11 in the victory.

Against #6-seed East Haven the Lady Centaurs put up a valiant fight before succumbing 47-35.  Jamie Woods with 12 and Koivisto with 10 were the only double digit scorers for coach Will Fleeton.  Woodstock Academy closes its season at 11-12.

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC column is dedicated to “Wee Willie” Hryzan.  A standout baseball player for the former Putnam Savings Bank team of the old Putnam Senior League, Hryzan now devotes his leisure time to fishing, playing golf and a good game of “catch five.”  Hryzan blew out another candle on the cake on March 8 but he’s not divulging how many tapirs were on the gateaux.

It may seem like old hat to some but to the Woodstock Academy gymnastics team winning championships is a goal that the team works hard at every day and strives for each year.  These young ladies under the tutelage of first-year coach Kasey Fillmore put in uncounted hours of training and practice to achieve their goal.

Last week in Southbury at Pomeraug High School, Woodstock Academy, led by Paige Stuyniski, Grace Logan and Lydia Taft, ran away from the field in the CIAC Class S competition.  It was the Centaurs sixth straight class championship, four in Class S and two in Class M.  They have the distinction also of winning the past four State Open titles.

In winning the Class S title, Woodstock posted a score of 147.050, easily outdistancing second-place finisher Old Lyme, who had a score of 128.575.  Stuyniski was the team’s top performer with an all-around score of 38.925.  The lithe junior won the beam and the floor.  She scored a perfect 10 on her beam performance, which, according to coach Fillmore, was the first on the state level.  Her floor score was 9.8.

The second half of the Centaurs one-two combination, Logan also won two events.  She captured the vault with a score of 9.55 and the bars, posting a 9.675.  She was second with an all-around score of 38.000.  Taft, just a freshman, was third overall at 36.525.

Fillmore, who was an All-State performer and state champion during her high school years at Killingly and a collegiate standout at Bowling Green University, succeeded her mother Robin Deary-Fillmore who retired at the end of last season.  Kasey Fillmore had previously served as an assistant at Woodstock Academy following her graduation from college.  

The State Open competition was contested on Saturday at New Milford.

First in History of Marianapolis 

Mat Program…

Marianapolis Prep in Thompson is known for its men’s and women’s soccer and basketball programs.  They’re very seldom thought of as a wrestling school

This season one of the school’s wrestlers posted a first in Marianapolis history winning a match at the National Prep Tournament.  Senior Harry Holte, competing in the 138-pound class, has been wrestling for the Golden Knights since his freshman year.  As the co-captain of the varsity wrestling team, he’s amassed an outstanding record in posting a 31-6 log, including 23 pins with 18 of those coming in the first period.  Holte, who hails from Sprague, won the EIL Tournament, placed third in the Northern New England Tournament and sixth in the New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Tournament.  During his varsity career he’s posted more than 60 wins.

“Competing at the Nationals was a humbling experience to say the least.  I faced kids who were the best in the states and respective leagues.  To compete with them was an amazing experience and made me remember everything I love about the sport,” said Holte in a release from the school.

According to his coach Chris Miller, Holte has come a long way during his four years at Marianapolis.  During his freshman year he managed only one victory but set goals for himself and dedicated many hours in perfecting his skill.

“His drive for excellence and his humility has made him a role model for the wrestling program.  Harry is a wrestler who his teammates look up to because they know his success was obtained through hard work and determination,” said coach Miller in the school’s release.

Holte, who also plays soccer and participates in crew, is a solid student, posting a 3.3 GPA in the classroom.  He’s hoping to attend Villanova University in September.  He’s also been accepted at the University of Maine and Salve Regina University.

“I’d like to become a nurse someday.  My goal in life is to help people in any way that I can.  I’ve been on mission trips with Marianapolis and enjoy the feeling I get when seeing others improve their life styles,” said Holte.

College Coaches Popping Up at PSA…

As the college basketball season comes to an end for many colleges the free time allows coaches the opportunity to attend games and tournaments that are being contested on the high school and prep school level.

The Putnam Science Academy gymnasium has been a hotbed of basketball action late in the season, attracting the attendance of many New England college coaches and giving them the chance to assess the talent on the court.  

Spotted on the Maple Street campus in the past few weeks was former UConn standout and current head coach of the Southern Connecticut State University Owls Scott Burrell as well as a familiar face, Quinnipiac University head mentor Tom Moore.  Spotted at the Northeast Prep Tournament was University of Maine head coach Bobby Walsh as well as Division II coaches Ted Hotaling of the University of New Haven Chargers and American International coach Andy Burkholder.

Catching Up With the Collegians…

Three former Putnam Science Academy players were in action last week.  In a televised game, the University of Dayton Flyers narrowly defeated the Richmond Spiders 85-84 thanks to an outstanding performance by Scoochie Smith.  The guard knocked home 26 points in the win for coach Archie Miller, as the Flyers prepare for the A-10 Tournament at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Two other former Mustangs were in action on the DI level.  Chaise Daniels, who appears to be back at full strength following knee problems, had 10 points for Quinnipiac in a loss to Siena, while Andrew Robinson was credited with a three-pointer.

Dandre Rhoden saw nine minutes of action for Fairleigh Dickinson University in an 81-75 victory over Central Connecticut State University.  Rhoden posted three rebounds but was held scoreless.

Stats Leaders…

Putnam High School sophomore Dan Porcic has had some high scoring games as the Clippers head down the home stretch.  Porcic’s scoring binge has projected him as the area’s top scorer at 19.5 points per game.  He’s followed by Plainfield’s Liam Jacobs at 16.3 ppg. and Ellis Tech’s lone bright spot Trent Raymond, who’s averaging 16.2 points a game.

The prep leader is PSA’s Hamidou Diallo (16.6) followed by Cam Winston of Pomfret (15.9), Joe Del Ricci of Marianapolis (14.0), Vince Conn of Pomfret (13.7) and Mamadou Diarra of PSA (13.3).

Killingly’s Meagan Bianchi is the girls’ scoring leader with an average of 14.8, while Plainfield’s Zoe Beaver is the girls’ top three-point shooter with 51.  In the prep’s scoring race, Pomfret’s Alyzae Davis continues as the leader at 15 points per game.  She’s followed by her teammates Deja Ross (12.3) and Olivia Batastini (9.9).  Nicole Anderson of Marianapolis is next at 9.4.

In hockey, the Woodstock trio of Ryan Black, Nathan DeLuca and Zack Burnham continue their torrid scoring pace.  Black has 46 goals and 34 assists for 80 points, while DeLuca has 33 G plus 33 A for 66 points and Burnham has 18 G + 20 A = 39 P. 

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “I never got any respect from my old man.  I said ‘Nobody likes me.’ He said, ‘Don’t feel that way.  Everybody hasn’t met you yet.’”  Rodney Dangerfield

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