Preview
Change comes to Woodstock Academy football
It’s not Connor Elliott’s first time at the helm of the Woodstock Academy football program.
He took over as head coach briefly, a couple of games, for Sean Saucier when the Sauciers had a family emergency.
This time, however, it’s for real. It was announced last spring that Elliott was taking over the reins of the program and now, they are his.
“I view Sean as my football dad. He brought me in when I was 23-years-old and basically gave me the keys to the car. I remember we were meeting with some coaches and were supposed to come back to campus to talk about the offense and he said, ‘Why don’t you just call the plays?’ He trusted me and I view him as a mentor and someone I look up to. I’m seeing things now as he saw them. I may have had some grand ideas as an offensive coordinator or for the program and some worked out and some didn’t. Now, I’m seeing why they didn’t work out,” Elliott said.
Otherwise, Elliott thinks he and Saucier were on the same page as far as the process and what mattered to both, be it respect, commitment or how the team responds to each other.
“It’s nice. We miss Sauce (Saucier) but it’s cool to have coach Elliott around being our head coach. It feels good,” said senior receiver and defensive back Alec Nunes.
“He plans things out easy for us, talking with us and communicating things very well,” added fellow senior Aiden Soukaloun.
Remember what happened the last time Elliott took over a Woodstock program? He assumed the helm of the baseball team and went on to win a state championship in 2024.
 “Our defensive coordinator (Cahan Quinn) joked the other day, ‘Coach, I think you might have that first-year magic again.’ That’s because we’ve had such a tremendous start, not only with X’s and O’s, but the energy, the focus, the desire to get better that is being brought from seniors down to the freshmen. The vibes are phenomenal,” Elliott said.
The Centaurs need that. It was a rough conclusion to the season in 2024. The Centaurs finished 2-8 and lost their last seven games.
They finished with two seniors at quarterback, Kyle Grist and Cam Nason, who had never played quarterback before.
If all goes according to plan, Elijah Poh, a transfer from Killingly, will now start at quarterback with the heir apparent last year, sophomore Caydem Herlihy, in more of a “slash “ role as well as playing quarterback.
“Caydem is a Swiss Army Knife and we would have been very comfortable rolling into the season with him as our quarterback. He can do so much with the ball in his hands whether he is at quarterback, running back or receiver. The transition to Eli or Caydem has been phenomenal,” Elliott said.
Herlihy completed 38 of 61 passes for a team-high 455 yards and three touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury as a freshman last year when he had to replace senior Sam Clark who suffered a season-ending injury early in the season.
Poh comes over looking for the opportunity to play after being stuck in the depth chart in a deep Killingly program.
Poh also has the benefit of having played with some of his new teammates in youth football.
The Centaurs also got some help in the trenches when junior Owen Lyons decided to come from Woodstock from St. Thomas More.
He adds size and skill to the line.
Those returners include Cayden Menor and Wyatt Voter on the line with sophomore Will Charette likely anchoring the line at center.
In the backfield, Elliott can use as needed with a host of different talents available.
Cooper Harris (16 carries, 59 yards) is a “thicker” back but that hasn’t slowed him down. Rosano Rodriguez is a bigger back as is Dylan Phillips. Soukaloun and Keegan Brown add some speed and shiftiness.
The Centaurs also will be a bit larger on the defensive line although a bit under-sized against most opponents this season.
The rallying cry for the Centaurs defense early this season has been to “create havoc.”
The season gets underway on Friday with a Connecticut football alliance game against an ECC team, East Lyme, at 4 p.m. at the Bentley Athletic Complex.
It’s an odd time for a football game.
Elliott’s first official game as head coach will come against his alma mater. 
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

.

caption:

New head football coach Connor Elliott, second from right, watches as his team runs through plays. Photo by Marc Allard. 

.

William ‘Bill’ Roger Van Nieuwenhuyze
N. GROSVENORDALE — William (Bill) Roger Van Nieuwenhuyze, 93, of North Grosvenordale passed away peacefully on Aug. 27, 2025, as he was entering hospice care.
Bill was born Aug. 18, 1932, in Providence, son of Roger Dorlait Van Nieuwenhuyze and Alice (LeBoeuf) Van Nieuwenhuyze Dwyer. He was married to the love of his life, Helen (Belhumeur) on April 28, 1956, and they remained together for 64 years.
He leaves his children Lynn and Louis Davis of N. Grosvenordale/Scottsdale, Linda Van Nieuwenhuyze of N. Grosvenordale/Phoenix, Debra and Joe Petrick of Henniker, N.H., Wendy Van Kirk and Tom Thurlow of Putnam, William S Van Nieuwenhuyze of Meriden, and Jennifer and Gary Gomes of Dudley; 15 grandchildren —Hillary Davis, Alex Davis, Beatrice DeSabatino and Sean Higgins, Andrew DeSabatino and Gina, Chris and Courtney Petrick, William and Colleen Petrick, Joey Petrick, Charlie Petrick, Lindsay Van Kirk and Nathan Graham, Aubrey Van Kirk, Ronald and Taylor Kong, William Van Nieuwenhuyze, Laratee Van Nieuwenhuyze, Kaelin Andersen, and Quinn Andersen and Rebecca Torres. 6 great-grandchildren —Talis Petrick, Nessa Petrick, Lily Petrick, Ryan Petrick, Flora and Penny Graham; his brother Robert (Bob) Van Nieuwenhuyze;  brother-in-law Robert Belhumeur and Cathy, sister-in-law Lorraine and Richard Eramo, nieces: Julie and Gerry Galleshaw, Joanne Sykes, Paula and Gary Elsmore, Susan Ferland, nephews: Jim and Shera, David and Linda, and Bobby and Jodie Van Nieuwenhuyze, David Gagne, Michael and Robyn Ferland, his Home Depot family: Michaela, Lee, Pam, Branca, and friends Merrill and Dottie Seney, Mike Tomany, Samantha, Rosemary, Nicole. He was predeceased by his wife Helen Van Nieuwenhuyze; his sister Louise Taupier; parents Roger and Alice, brother-in-law John Taupier, sister-in-law Marilyn Van Nieuwenhuyze, sister-in-law Georgette Ferland, brother-in-law Gene Ferland, and sons-in-law John Van Kirk and Kevin Andersen.
Interment will be private. Donations: Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group (TEEG), 15 Thatcher Road. N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255.  Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.

.

Wed.  Sept. 10
Nature Program
POMFRET --- The Ragged Hill Woods Environmental Science Programs at Windham Tolland 4-H Camp on Taft Pond Road for pre-K to grade 8 students starts today and runs through Sept. 17. Many activities into October. $20 per session, $110 for all six sessions per child.  Register: 860-974-1122.

Author Talk
PUTNAM --- From 6 to 7:30 p.m. the Putnam Public Library will present author Karen Warfield with a talk and book signing for her book, "The Emancipation of Hannah 'Faythe  Winslow: A Woman's Journey in Colonial America."

Collection
PUTNAM --- The Putnam Rotary Club’s Interact Club will be collecting new Halloween costumes at the Putnam YMCA through Oct. 7. TEEG will be having a costume distribution at its Fall Festival Oct. 13.

Sat.  Sept. 13
Fall Festival
POMFRET --- The Pomfret Recreation Department will host a Fall Festival at the Recreation Park. This is an old fashioned family fun day with a band, old-fashioned games, pie-eating contest, apple pie contest, food and more! This year the department is partnering with PCS PTO for a Harvest Hustle 5K & Kids Fun run. www.pomfretct.gov/recreation.

Particle Accelerator
PUTNAM --- Particle Accelerator music festival, a fund-raiser for suicide prevention education and services, will be held from noon to 9 p.m. in Rotary Park. 

Auction
POMFRET --- The tag sale at the Horse Barn at Windham-Tolland 4-H Camp on Taft Pond Road will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Furniture, glassware, dishes, lamps, electronics, records, books, toys, bicycles, holiday decorations, antiques and collectibles.  Cash only. Use Horse Barn entrance.

Tues.  Sept. 16
Al-Anon Meeting
POMFRET --- Al-Anon will meet at noon on Tuesdays at the Christ Church on Pomfret St. Please use the lower level door, near the flagpole. All welcome.

Wed.  Sept. 17
Library Program
PUTNAM --- The Putnam Public Library will present an author talk and book signing from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The book: “Major General Israel Putnam – Hero of the American Revolution” by Robert Ernest Hubbard.  

Thur.  Sept. 18
Day of Peace
PUTNAM --- The Greater Putnam Interfaith Council invites residents to a United Nations International Day of Peace at 7 p.m. at the Living Faith United Methodist Church, 53 Grove St. Non perishable food and donations will be collected for Daily Bread.

Sat.  Sept. 20
Bike Fund-raiser
WOODSTOCK --- The Woodstock Academy Scholar-Athlete Society’s first Quiet Corner CT (QCCT) PMC Kids Ride" for children ages 2-10 will begin with check-in between 9 and 10 a.m. at Woodstock Academy's North Campus. The age/ability appropriate route is between 10 and 11. Post-ride celebration.  774 200 1754.

Fri.  Sept. 26
250th Event
PLAINFIELD --- The Plainfield America 250 Committee will present Pauline C. Merrick with “Independence: Plainfield’s Black Soldier of the Revolution” at 6 p.m. at the Plainfield Senior Center. Free. All welcome. No registration required.

Sat.  Sept. 27
Pomfret Historical Program
POMFRET --- The Pomfret Historical Society will present “Jordan Freeman: Black Revolutionary War Soldier” performed by Kevin Johnson of the CT State Library at 3 p.m. at the Old Town House. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Bench Dedication
KILLINGLY --- The Mary Kies Memorial Bench Dedication will be held at 11 a.m. in Lion’s Park. Kies was born and raised in Killingly and was the first woman in the U.S. to receive a patent in 1809 for a. new technique of weaving straw with silk and thread to make hats. 860-779-5300 ext. 7.

Library Program
PUTNAM --- The Putnam Public Library will present “Cocktail Culture: The Madmen Era” from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Program by Ron Antonowicz of Spirits of Fashion.

Sun.  Sept. 28
Fund-raiser BBQ
PUTNAM --- Paws Cat Shelter is hosting its 10th Annual Chicken BBQ fund-raiser from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus on Providence Street. Eat in or take out. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Paws Cat Shelter, 74 School St.; Joseph Jewelers, 153 School St.; and at Knights of Columbus. 860-315-1228.

Sat.  Oct. 4
Library Program
PUTNAM --- The Putnam Public Library will present, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., an author talk and book signing by Richard Ross III for his book “Before Salem – Witch Hunting in the Connecticut River Valley 1647-1663.”

Sat.  Nov. 22
250th Event
PUTNAM --- The Putnam CT250 250th Anniversary Celebration of the Declaration of Independence Kick Off will feature a roast beef dinner followed by a band at the Albert J. Breault VFW Post 1523. Dinner is from 5 to 7 and the band Jailbreak follows from 7 to 11 p.m. $20/pp or $40 per couple. Tickets at the Putnam Recreation Department.

.