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All-Herald Special NewBritainHerald.com/Sports | Sunday, December 29, 2013
Season to celebrate
All-Herald teams for fall season inside
Mike Orazzi | Staff
Southington’s Alex Jamele (9) celebrates a touchdown during a Class LL state tournament semifinal at West Haven High School. Southington won that game and the state championship as well.
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The Herald Press
ALL-HERALD SPECIAL
Sunday, December 29, 2013 | 2
All-Herald Girls Swimming
Six leaders make up our team
team that took 10th in Class S, and was very accomplished in the 100 Although none of our area’s backstroke, taking home gold in swim teams competed for a Class the CCC South meet. Despite only title this season, there still were sev- being a sophomore, McGough has eral talented swimmers who made earned a varsity letter in her each of a big impact on their respected her two years at Plainville, as well programs. as making the all-academic team Whether it was Berlin and twice. Plainville cracking the top 15 in Another Plainville sophomore Class M, or Newington in Class joins our ranks in Taylor Rogers. L or Southington in LL, all of our Like McGough, Rogers has been a swim teams had successful seasons, member of the all-conference team with several standout swimmers. in both of her years at Plainville, The stars of the pool this season excelling in the 500 freestyle. She make up our All-Herald Girls has aspirations of breaking the Swim Team. record for that event before she We begin with a trio of Plainville graduates. Rogers qualified for swimmers. states in both the 200 and 500 freeServing as captain of the Blue style, and helped the 400 freestyle Devils, Megan Farmer is a very relay team take 12th at the Class S familiar name in our All-Herald Championships. While Rogers is ranks. In addition to making the accomplished in the pool, she also all-conference team all four years at thrives outside of it as a member Plainville, Farmer has been part of of the school’s honor roll, as well our All-Herald team all four years as being selected as the school’s as well. representative for the HOBY She had the top finish Leadership Committee. for Plainville in the Class S Between her and McGough, the Championships, taking sixth in the future is very bright for the Blue 50 freestyle with a time of 26.08, Devils, despite the small numbers and was part of the 200 medley on the roster. team that took 10th. Farmer has Next is Southington’s Laurel been as consistent as they come Dean. The Blue Knights capduring her time at Plainville, and tain has been a member of the with her graduating in the spring, all-conference team all four years her presence will be sorely missed. at Southington, and was the She plans to attend college and conference champion in the 100 continue her swimming career. breaststroke. She finished 20th Joining Farmer is teammate in the State Open at the 100 Sydney McGough. The all-conbreaststroke. She holds numerous ference sophomore was also a school records, including the 100 member of Plainville’s 200 medley freestyle and 100 breaststroke. By CHRIS MCLAUGHLIN STAFF WRITER
MEGAN FARMER
SYDNEY MCGOUGH
TAYLOR ROGERS
LAUREL DEAN
OLIVIA DEGROFF
DANIELLE ROCHELEAU
PLAINVILLE
SOUTHINGTON Dean is also a prominent member of Southington’s lacrosse team, earning all-conference honors there as well. She plans on continuing her lacrosse career at the next level, as she decides between Union College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Newington’s Danielle Rocheleau is next, and the junior is fresh off another stellar season. Rocheleau’s sixth place finish in the 200 freestlye was the highest finish of any of our area’s athletes in the State Open. Her third place finish
PLAINVILLE
BERLIN
PLAINVILLE
NEWINGTON
in the 200 freestlye and fourth place finish in the 500 freestyle helped lead the Indians at the Class L Championships. She has been a key cog in Newington’s success the last few years and she still has her senior year ahead of her. Rounding out our list is Berlin’s Olivia DeGroff. The second-year scholar athlete has already made a huge impact for the Redcoats. In the State Open, DeGroff was one of our highest finishers, taking 13th place in the 100 breaststroke. She took sixth in the 100 breast-
stroke and 200 IM at the Class S Championships. She has been named to the all-conference team in both years at Berlin and is the 2013 recipient of the Coaches Award. The 2013 fall season was a very successful one for our area’s swimmers, and with so many only in their sophomore years, 2014 figures to be even better. Chris McLaughlin can be reached at (860) 225-4601 ext 255 or at cmclaughlin@newbritainherald.com
Southington football will forever be champions
The Southington football team had to wait almost two weeks before finally playing the Class LL State Championship game against Fairfield Prep. While in reality it was not all that long in between games, it certainly felt like an eternity for the Blue Knights. Since getting ousted from the playoffs in the first round by Glastonbury a year ago, Southington players have been chomping at the bit to get a second chance to play for a state title.
At the beginning of the season, it was evident the Knights had the talent to reach their goal. With players like Stephen Barmore, Alex Jamele, Tyler Hyde, Zach Maxwell and many others, it was easy to see Southington was a championship-caliber team. When the playoffs came around, the Knights left little doubt they were one of, if not the best teams in the state. Southington cruised into the state title game with a 52-14 win over Norwich Free Academy
followed by a 45-0 drubbing of Ridgefield in the semifinals. A weather delay pushed the championship game back by almost a week, but when the Knights got a chance to play for the title, they did not disappoint. The Southington faithful were out in full force with their cow bells ringing louder than ever at West Haven High School as they watched their beloved Knights make an incredible second half comeback to defeat the Jesuits 52-34.
As players, coaches and family members celebrated the title victory on the field, the Southington community truly came together as one. The bell ringing had stopped and celebratory hugs and photo-taking ensued as players took turns with the championship plaque. “Once a Blue Knight, always a Blue Knight.” The Southington football team’s motto rang true, especially for the seniors, follow-
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ALL-HERALD SPECIAL
3 | Sunday, December 29, 2013
The Herald Press
All-Herald Girls Soccer
Young athletes highlight our list of stars on the pitch this fall season
By MATT STRAUB STAFF WRITER
MICHAELA DEHM
EMILY LIPPINCOTT
SILVANA TELLERICO
BERLIN
SOUTHINGTON
BROOKE HELLMAN NEWINGTON
SOPHIA MORELL BERLIN
SOUTHINGTON
DANIELLE ANGELILLO PLAINVILLE
KAILA LOZADA
NEWINGTON
class, Grieco’s intelligence and decision making skills make her perfect for the middle of the field. She had eight goals and numerous assists, specializing in crosses, and already has two years of varsity starting experience. Plainville’s Danielle Angelillo had 16 goals and 12 assists despite seeing time in the midfield as well as up front. Able to fill both
MAYA KAZMIERCZAK NEW BRITAIN
MACKENZIE LUIZ NEWINGTON
roles, the senior is on her third All-Herald soccer team, was the team’s MVP this year as well as a captain. Likely off to Eastern Connecticut State to play next season, Angelillo is a four-time all-academic team member. Every good team, no matter how good the scorers, needs a defense, and this team has one. Maya Kazmierczak of New
MICHELLE GRIECO BERLIN
STEPHANIE MARTINO PLAINVILLE
Britain leads our team’s back line. The senior sweeper just made her second all-conference team, is a four-year starter and a captain. Focused on academics, she wants to attend UConn, and is her school’s National Honor Society president. Silvana Tellerico of Southington is a senior defender who made the all-conference
Matt Straub can be reached at (860) 225-4601 ext. 273 or mstraub@newbritainherald.com On Twitter: @mattattheherald
DANIELLE We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments. 038391
The 2013 All-Herald Girls Soccer Team has it all. The squad is loaded with players who can put the ball in the net as well as set plays up, talented midfielders who can start the offense, and defenders who will keep the ball out of the net. Throw in a star goalkeeper, and this team is unbeatable. We’ll start with the forwards. Newington sophomore Kaila Lozada had 13 goals this season on the way to an all-state selection as well as the all-conference team. An honor roll student, Lozada can finish off just about any chance created and even had a pair of assists this season. Her main job, however, is to score, and she would be our finisher. Another sophomore, Stephanie Martino, had eight goals and 13 assists this season for Plainville, which was transitioning to a younger group. As good a student as she is a player, Martino also exhibits leadership, as evidenced by her spot as the starting point guard on the basketball team. Martino can score or create chances, a big help to any offense. This team is young, with Newington sophomore Mackenzie Luiz serving as one of the playmakers. With six goals and four assists, Luiz was a big part of Newington’s offense, often helping Lozada get those goals. She’d be a passer on this team, but she can finish as well. Another Newington Indian, Brooke Hellman, played in the middle and had seven goals and six assists. Her team’s captain, the senior is being looked at by Western Connecticut and St. Joe’s. She’s also in the National Honor Society and gives our team a veteran leader. This team isn’t just about offense. Berlin’s Sophia Morell played that role this year, but only after serving as a defender a year ago. She had nine goals this year but can play all over the field, which gives this team flexibility. Morell too is only a sophomore. Morell’s teammate, Michelle Grieco, is a key part of this team’s midfield. Ranked No. 1 in her
team this season and is also in the National Honor Society. She expects to play in college next year and should get the chance after helping to anchor Southington’s defense. She had help doing so from junior defender Emily Lippincott. A defender who also had three goals this year, Lippincott is a three-year varsity team member and is coming off an all-conference pick in soccer and a state title in softball. Already getting looks from colleges, expect to hear her name quite a bit next season as a leader of the Blue Knights. If anything gets past our defense, Berlin goalkeeper Michaela Dehm will be there to stop it. The sophomore was a big part of the Redcoats’ run to the state tournament despite some midseason adversity with a coaching change. An all-academic team member, Dehm already has two years as a starter under her belt and is more than able to stand up to the pressure of playing on this star-studded team. The 11 members of this year’s All-Herald Girls Soccer Team are all stars, and with so many of them sophomores, you’ll be reading about many of them in this section next year. None of the area’s teams won state titles this season, but just wait until the young stars on this list get some more experience in the two years many of them have left with their respective schools.
Love, Mom & Dad
ALL-HERALD SPECIAL
The Herald Press
Sunday, December 29, 2013 | 4
All-Herald Girls Volleyball
Another great year on court for our stars
ing volleyball. Another AllHerald selection from Southington is libero By CARL JOSEPHSON Allison McCormick, STAFF WRITER who was a senior capThe Southington girls volleyball tain. McCormick was team led the way this fall among also an All-CCC player area teams, finishing the regular who received her third season with an impressive 13-6 varsity letter. Perhaps her record after losing a lot of talent best match of the season CAROLINE ALLISON CARLY JAY from the season before. The Blue was against Darien when BARRY MCCORMICK WANNER-HYDE MESA Knights advanced to the second she recorded a teamSOUTHINGTON SOUTHINGTON NEWINGTON NEW BRITAIN round of the Class LL tournament high 32 digs. before falling to Darien. McCormick is also a Perhaps the best story of the member of the Foreign season was Newington, which went Language Honor 10-10 and made the LL tournaSociety. She is hoping ment after going winless in 2012. to attend college someThe Indians lost in the first round where in New England. to Stamford, but it was considered One of the key coma successful season for Newington. ponents to Newington’s The Berlin, Plainville and New resurgence was setter Britain teams all missed their Carly Wanner-Hyde. respective tournaments, but that Just a sophomore, ALICIA ABIGAIL STASHA did not prevent numerous players Wanner-Hyde had a from having strong seasons. whopping 453 assists MAULE UNDERWOOD GREENALCH Leading Southington was junior and has been on the BERLIN BERLIN NEWINGTON Caroline Barry, who proved to varsity squad both years be one of the big hitters for the of high school. She also Knights. Her 73 aces led the team started every set this seaalready been on All-Herald teams college, but is not pursuing sports. and received the Coaches Award. and her 169 kills and 21 blocks son and is an honor roll student. before. This is the second time she Abigail Underwood is the secNew Britain senior setter Jay were good for second. She also Wanner-Hyde would like to play was voted to the All-Herald volley- ond Berlin player to make our Mesa rounds out this year’s Allcontributed 115 digs on the year. volleyball in college. Since she is ball team and she also made it on All-Herald team this year. Herald girls volleyball team. While Barry was named “Player of the only a sophomore, she still has a the basketball team last winter. As a junior, Underwood the Golden Hurricanes struggled Match” four times after making while to think about her next step. Maule is a four-time all-acaserved as an outside hitter for the this fall, Mesa was a bright spot on the transition from middle hitter to Senior Stasha Greenalch demic player in both volleyball Redcoats. She had 209 digs, 138 the team. outside hitter. She was an All-CCC was a big, veteran presence for and basketball. She is a two-time kills, 32 aces and 187 serve recepAn All-CCC selection, Mesa player in 2013. Newington as well. An All-CCC All-CCC volleyball player, includ- tions this past fall, all of which led also received a Student of the Barry is currently on a 17U player, Greenalch was one of many ing this fall. She is a three-time the team, and was voted to the All- Month award and is a member of national volleyball team with the who helped turn the program Redcoats Assist Award winner, and CCC team. the National Honor Society. She CT Juniors. She plans to attend around this year. has 956 career assists in three years. She was an all-academic player plans on attending college, but is college but does not plan on playBerlin senior Alicia Maule has Maule also plans on attending her sophomore and junior years not interested in playing sports.
All-Herald Girls Cross Country
By CHRIS MCLAUGHLIN STAFF WRITER
With Berlin’s third place finish in the Class M Championships, it’s no wonder three of those runners are on our All-Herald Girls Cross Country Team. While the Redcoats were the area’s top finisher, Plainville and Southington both fared well, with the Blue Knights taking seventh in Class LL and the Blue Devils finishing 17th in Class SS. Leading off our team of stars is
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NICOLE GRIECO BERLIN
LISA GRIECO BERLIN
DELANEY RUSSELL PLAINVILLE
LAUREN PERKOWSKI SOUTHINGTON
TAYLOR LUPINI BERLIN
ALL-HERALD SPECIAL
5 | Sunday, December 29, 2013
The Herald Press
All-Herald Boys Soccer
Our all-star team would be tough to beat on field By MATT STRAUB STAFF WRITER
The 2013 All-Herald Boys Soccer Team is deep, tough and talented. It has players who can score in a variety of ways, a host of midfielders who can get an attack started or help stop one, and a strong group of defenders who can make the life of any goaltender easy, not that ours needs any help. Several of the area’s teams made long runs this season, with Plainville reaching the semifinals in Class M and Berlin going to the quarters in Class M, but every one of the area’s teams had strong players who were worthy candidates for this list. No talk of boys soccer in this area this season can begin without Alex Bednarek. The Berlin senior’s list of accomplishments are staggering: four all-conference picks, three all-state picks, two team MVPs, three team Golden Boots and four all-academic team selections. He hasn’t picked his college yet, but with a resume like that, he’ll have plenty of choices. After proving his ability to perform in the clutch in the state tournament, his credentials only got stronger. The other top player on our team is Shane Pugliese of Plainville. A four-year starter and two-time all-state pick, the twotime captain filled in at midfield this year because of injuries but is one of the best playmakers around. Strong on the ball despite his lack of size, his willingness to get into the mix and win balls before unleashing his speed was fun to watch. His teammate, Quentin Lux, can also shift between the middle and front lines. Lux had 12 goals this season and the junior already has two all-conference awards to his credit. Another speedster, Lux wants to play soccer in college and has the speed and versatility to do so. His track background serves him well on the pitch, as do his skills.
CHRIS KAPUSCINSKI
ALEXANDER QUEEN
KRISTOPHER LANGEVIN
NEWINGTON
SOUTHINGTON
EVAN HALE BERLIN
DAN CONNOLLY
BERLIN
ANDREW ROTTIER PLAINVILLE
ALEX BEDNAREK
SOUTHINGTON
The midfield has to start with Kuba Kazmierczak. The New Britain junior manned the center mid for the Hurricanes this year and earned all-state honors for his work. An honor roll student who has been playing since the age of three, he has his eyes on UConn’s soccer team, which made the Elite Eight this season. Senior Dan Connolly was a big reason Southington was in so many games this season. A three-
BERLIN
KUBA KAZMIERCZAK NEW BRITAIN
QUENTIN LUX PLAINVILLE
year varsity player who made the all-conference team, Southington’s captain will be on his way to Duke after graduating from Southington. Connolly had two goals this season and was strong in the midfield. So was Berlin’s Evan Hale. The junior midfielder made his second all-conference team this season, helping Berlin with three goals and four assists while doing all the little things midfielders do. An
MITCHELL AMBRUSO NEWINGTON
SHANE PUGLIESE PLAINVILLE
honor student, he was a key part of the Redcoats’ deep playoff run this season. Plainville made a big run as well, and senior Andrew Rottier was a big part of it. The midfielder and captain made 75 varsity starts for Plainville, a school record. Helping Plainville make the semifinals twice, Rottier made three all-conference teams for a team which went 25 conference matches in a row without a loss. He
could end up at WPI next year. Our final midfielder is Newington’s Mitchell Ambruso. An all-state selection, Ambruso was his team’s leading scorer three straight years and served as a captain. He had 10 of his 22 career goals this year and had eight assists for the Indians on the way to his second all-conference pick. He will play at Springfield College next season. The team’s defense is led by Berlin’s Kristopher Langevin. The senior was a huge part of the Berlin run to the Class L state quarterfinals this year, and his defensive work did not go unnoticed despite the lack of stats a defender gets. Not only was he an all-conference pick this season, but he earned the team’s Redcoat Award and is off to Western New England, Bentley or Nichols College. Alexander Queen of Southington had a fabulous year in the middle of his team’s back line, earning an all-conference pick. The senior is a three-time letter winner and will play in college, perhaps at MIT, which makes sense since he’s at the top of his class. Chris Kapuscinski is at the top of the area’s goalkeeper ranks. The Newington senior was a four-year starter and was nearly unbeatable in net for the Indians. He is deciding between a couple of Division I offers and is an honor student. This year’s boys soccer season was a very successful one around our area, and these athletes were the main reasons why. With so much talent, it’s easy to see why this area is among the best in the state for boys soccer.
KRISTOPHER CONGRATULATIONS
We are proud of you! Mom, Dad & Krista
ALL-HERALD SPECIAL
ALL-HERALD FOOTBALL
The Herald Press
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STEPHEN BARMORE
ZACH MAXWELL
TYLER HYDE
SOUTHINGTON
SOUTHINGTON
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SOUTHINGTON
ALEX JAMELE
SOUTHINGTON
DYLAN KRIVICKAS NEW BRITAIN
NEW BRITAIN
KYLE ARMOUR
ISAIAH YOUNG
DIANTE LEWIS
JOSH GRAVES
NEWINGTON
NEWINGTON
NEW BRITAIN
MARCUS TORRES
NEW BRITAIN
All-Herald Football Team 22 area gridiron stars make up our exclusive list, with 7 coming from champs
season with 42 and completions in a career with 464. One of the The Southington footstate’s best quarterbacks, Barmore ball team just got through threw for almost 3,000 yards this winning its second Class LL year and had 42 touchdowns to State Championship in school just six interceptions. history, so there was no doubt our An All-CCC selection this year, All-Herald Football Team would Barmore has committed to play be dominated by Blue Knights football at Yale University next fall. players. His favorite target was junior No other area team made the wide receiver Alex Jamele, who playoffs in their respective classes, became a state record holder with but some improved on last season 29 touchdown receptions this seawhile others dropped off a bit. son, breaking the previous record Newington went 5-6 and New of 25. With 1,623 yards receiving Britain went 4-6 in Class LL, on 79 receptions, Jamele had a Plainville went 4-6 in Class S and monster junior year. Berlin followed up its Class M He too broke school records in runner-up finish in 2012 with a points scored, touchdowns scored 5-6 season in 2013. and receiving yards in a single Southington quarterback season. Stephen Barmore is one of the He too is an All-CCC player, headliners on this year’s Alland he saved the best for last in Herald squad. In his senior season, the state championship game, Barmore became the winningest catching 10 passes for 230 yards quarterback in school history with and three touchdowns. 31 victories, the last one coming Tyler Hyde was a strong presin the state championship over ence in the Knights backfield and Fairfield Prep. really picked up his game late Barmore also set school records in the season. The senior scored for most touchdown passes in a seven touchdowns in three games
By CARL JOSEPHSON STAFF WRITER
during the playoffs, including four in the quarterfinals victory over Norwich Free Academy. Including the state title game, Hyde ran for 1,119 yards this season and 19 touchdowns and was also a key factor in the Southington secondary. He also caught one touchdown and had an interception on the season. Zach Maxwell was the state’s best pass rusher when looking at the season’s final statistics. The senior led the state in sacks with 17 and made 38 solo tackles and 61 total at defensive end. Maxwell holds the school record for most sacks in a season and career sacks (28). Maxwell also played a key role in the backfield, rushing for 455 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown in the semifinals win over Ridgefield. Zach Jamele was overlooked at times, but he was one of Southington’s best defensive players from the linebacker position over the last few years. The brother of Alex, Zach Jamele led the team in tackles with 126, includ-
ing 10 total tackles in the state title game. Jamele also had four sacks on the year to go along with two interceptions, one of which came against Fairfield Prep. He also recovered four fumbles in his senior season. Jim Nardi was the heart and soul of the Southington offensive line. As a senior captain, Nardi was looked to as a veteran presence on the offensive line, and he delivered after losing three key pieces to the line from the 2012 team. Like his fellow seniors, Nardi departs from high school on top with a state championship. A good placekicker in high school is often overlooked, but Kyle Smick was as good as they come for the Knights. Smick missed just one extra point all season and two in his two-year career. He holds the school record for most extra points made in a season (71), most extra points made in a career (119), most field goals made in a season (9) and most career field goals (10). Smick made a 21-yard field goal
in the state championship game and also knocked through all seven of his extra point attempts. Smick plans on kicking in college and is being recruited by CCSU and the University of New Hampshire, but he is not about to sign his National Letter of Intent yet. Newington had a disappointing 2013 season after high hopes at the beginning of the year, but the Indians finished strong, winning four of their last six games. Wide receiver Kyle Armour was a big playmaker for Newington with 65 catches and 864 receiving yards on the year to go along with a team-high nine receiving touchdowns. He led the team in both receptions and touchdowns. As a junior, Armour was also an All-CCC player and is on the honor roll. He plans on playing football in college, but is not yet being recruited. Senior Isaiah Young was also a force to be reckoned with out of the backfield for the Indians, rushing for 967 yards and nine Continued ON PAGE 7
ALL-HERALD SPECIAL
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KYLE SMICK
ANTHONY SISTI
CHRISTIAN ZOTTI
ANTHONY DUONG
DANTI VASI JR. BERLIN
SOUTHINGTON
JIM NARDI
JAKE STEFANSKI
NICK MAMET
JEFF ZIEGENHAGEN
JON LINDGREN
ERIC FISCHER
SOUTHINGTON
SOUTHINGTON
BERLIN
PLAINVILLE
NEWINGTON
NEWINGTON
BERLIN
PLAINVILLE
PLAINVILLE
ZACH JAMELE
PLAINVILLE
All-Herald Football Team
wrestler last winter and was an All-Herald selection. He is in the touchdowns this past year, avertop 20-percent of his class and is a aging 5.4 yards per carry. He also New Britain High School Health registered one sack on the season. Academy student ambassador. Christian Zotti not only gets He plans on going to Springfield things done on the wrestling mat, College in their Physician’s but he had a great senior season Assistant Program. He has been on the football field. As a free contacted by the wrestling coach safety, Zotti led the team in total there as well. tackles with 126 and also had one Diante Lewis made an impact sack in his All-CCC season. on both offense and defense for He also recovered four fumbles the Hurricanes. As a defensive and had two interceptions from back, Lewis was another key to his safety position. He plans on New Britain’s defensive success. playing football in college. In his first year starting varsity Another All-CCC selection, and just his second year at New Nicholas Mamet was second Britain, Lewis was an All-CCC behind Zotti with 110 tackles. He player his senior season. While he was third on the team in sacks is not currently being recruited, with three and recovered two more Lewis plans on going to college to fumbles in his senior season as one play football. of the team’s linebackers. Marcus Torres was another New Britain picked up four All-CCC cornerback and wide wins this year, which was one receiver his junior season and has more than the previous season. been starting since his sophomore The Hurricanes got some big year. He was voted the defensive contributions from senior captain rookie of the year as a sophomore Dylan Krivickas. An All-CCC and he picked up where he left off. player, Krivickas was a solid Torres also has a 3.1 GPA. defensive tackle this year. He also Torres also wants to play foothad one rushing touchdown as a ball at the collegiate level. fullback. Josh Graves was another junior Krivickas was an all-state who made a big impact in the Continued from Page 6
middle of New Britain’s defense. At middle linebacker, Graves was a big part of his team’s success, which is why he was voted to the All-CCC team. He is currently looking at prospective colleges and universities and wants to play football at the next level. Plainville improved on its 3-7 record a year ago by going 4-6 in 2013. The Blue Devils were led by quarterback and linebacker Jeff Ziegenhagen, who after missing all of 2012 with an ACL tear, became one of the best linebackers in the conference on defense. A leader on the field, he emerged as one of the best players on Plainville and got the job done at the linebacker position. He was a dual-threat quarterback who helped lead his team to four wins as well. Jon Lindgren had a solid season as a running back and defensive back for the Devils. He rushed for 353 yards and had a total of 988 yards and two touchdowns. He was an All-CCC and all-academic selection and also received the “Blue Devil Pride” award for his performance.
Although Plainville did not throw the ball a lot, when it did Ziegenhagen was looking for Eric Fischer, who had a few big games this year. An All-CCC selection, Fischer performed at a high level throughout most of the season and emerged as the Devils’ best and go-to receiver. One of the guys who protected the quarterback and running backs on Plainville was Jake Stefanski, who had a solid season on both the offensive and defensive lines. Stefanski, a senior team captain, was an All-CCC and all-academic selection and was also awarded the team’s “Tough Man” award. He plans on attending college, but will not be playing sports. At 5-6, Berlin had a down year after making it to the Class M State Championship in 2012. That did not stop some Redcoats from having successful seasons. Junior Anthony Sisti proved to be the go-to guy on the Berlin offense. At running back, Sisti combined for 760 total yards and had 13 touchdowns on the season. He was an All-CCC player in 2013 and an all-academic in 2012 and 2013. He has earned high honors in every quarter.
Sisti also plans on attending college and would like to play either football or baseball. Anthony Duong was an AllCCC center and defensive tackle this season and was a force on both sides of the ball. Duong recorded a total of 86 tackles, 12 of which were for a loss, and one sack on the season. Now a senior, Duong has been starting since his sophomore year. He too is an all-academic player and earns high honors. Duong wants to go to college to pursue an engineering career. Last but not least, Dante Vasi Jr. rounds out our All-Herald Football Team. An inside linebacker for the Redcoats, Vasi made 80 tackles, sacked the quarterback three times, had one interception and one blocked punt in his senior season. He is a two-time All-Herald and All-CCC selection and is also a high honors student. Vasi is being recruited by Salve Regina and Western New England to play football. Carl Josephson can be reached at cjosephson@newbritainherald.com On Twitter: @CNJosephson15
ALL-HERALD SPECIAL
The Herald Press
Sunday, December 29, 2013 | 8
All-Herald Boys Cross Country
By CHRIS MCLAUGHLIN STAFF WRITER
The 2013 boys cross country season was full of standout athletes throughout our area. Berlin dominates our All-Herald Boys Cross Country Team with three athletes, while Plainville, with the top finisher in the State Open, has one and Southington’s team MVP is our final choice. Kicking things off is Plainville’s Omar Abdelsame. The junior distance runner was selected to the All-State team as well as AllConference, making a huge impact for the Blue Devils. His 69th place finish in the State Open earns him the honor of being the area’s highest finisher in the event. Abdelsame had a stellar season full of highplaced finishes, including a first place win over Berlin, and ranked first in the CCC South standings. Next is a trio from Berlin that helped the Redcoats pick up some much needed victories, including the one against Plainville in which Abdelsame finished first. First up is team captain James Dwyer. The senior is a member
OMAR ABDELSAME PLAINVILLE
of the team-time record-holding squad, which they have broken three times, with the record now sitting at 1:33:26. At Wickham Park for the Class MM Championships, Dwyer finished with a 17:39 in the 5K to finish 18th overall. Setting the standard as team captain, Dwyer is both a class officer as well as a high honors student, all the while participating in indoor track in the winter and outdoor track in the spring. Although he’s not being recruited at the next level currently, Dwyer plans on
JAMES DWYER BERLIN
JAKE HARRIS BERLIN
attending college, and hopes to continue to run. Jake Harris is next, and the sophomore is a great runner, posting a 5:22 mile time, and a 18:43 5K time this season. He has earned All-Conference honors, as well as being a member of Berlin’s team-time record-holding squad. Harris is also a member of Berlin’s wrestling team in the winter and outdoor track team in the spring, and still finds time to earn high honors marks in the classroom. Finishing off the Berlin trio is
is the Redcoats trio, which features a rare sister duo. Nicole and Lisa Grieco not only have the honor of being one of the few pairs of sisters to make the same team at the same time, but go one step further, with their sister Michelle is also on our All-Herald Girls Soccer Team. The Grieco sisters have effectively run the table on our All-Herald teams, and by looking at their accomplishments, it’s easy to see why. Nicole, a senior, was a key cog for the Redcoats success this season, earning several honors such as a selection to the all-conference team and winning the Coaches Award. She finished 20th overall in the Class M Championships with a time of 21:26 in the 5K, and was one of Berlin’s top finishers at the majority of its meets this season. While her work in cross country has been impressive, her classroom accomplishments are equally remarkable. Grieco is a member of the all-academic team and National Honor
Society, as well as being class treasurer and a National Merit Scholar. Now in her final year of high school, Grieco is planning on attending college to study chemical engineering, though she doesn’t plan on participating in varsity sports. Her sister Lisa took the cross country world by storm this season, racking up honors while turning in impressive performances despite only being a freshman. The winner of the Redcoat Award, she finished sixth in the Class M Championships with a time of 19:48, which earned her all-state honors. Like her sister, Lisa excels in the classroom, earning all-academic honors. With three more years for Lisa at BHS, the future is very bright for the Redcoats. Taylor Lupini wraps up our trio of Berlin athletes. The junior finished 18th in Class M and was also one of the Redcoats’ top finishers during the season. Lupini has one year left, so with Nicole Grieco graduating in the spring, she will be one of the main leaders on the squad next year.
SOUTHINGTON
Sam Papacoda. The junior was another key cog for the Redcoats, finishing in the top 50 at the Class MM Championships in the 5K, and finished right behind Dwyer and Harris to help Berlin beat Plainville. With his senior season still in front of him, Papacoda will be one of the team leaders for the Redcoats next year. Southington’s Sean Garrison rounds out our team. Despite being just a sophomore, Garrison was the Blue Knights’ MVP. He earned All-Conference honors, and with
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SEAN GARRISON
Plainville’s Delaney Russell is our next choice and the senior standout was a rock for the Blue Devils. The two-time all-conference member was a stabilizing presence for Plainville, and was the team’s top finisher in Class SS. She also took 12th in the CCC South meet and earned all-academic honors. She plans to attend college, although still undecided where, and plans to keep running even if the school doesn’t have a team. Rounding out our All-Herald team is Southington’s Lauren Perkowski. As a sophomore, Perkowski earned all-conference honors and was a recipient of the Blue Mile Award. She was the top finisher for Southington at the Class LL Championships and figures to be a huge factor for future success for the Blue Knights, with two years left. This year’s team features athletes from each year of high school. While two seniors will be moving on next year, the three returners have shown enough to have legitimate shots at being on next year’s team.
SAM PAPACODA BERLIN
the success he had this season, he will continue to lead the Blue Knights in the future. With four of the five All-Herald Boys Cross Country Team members being underclassmen, next year’s list could be nearly identical. But if Newington and New Britain can continue to improve, this year’s athletes might have some more competition. Chris McLaughlin can be reached at (860) 225-4601 ext 255 or at cmclaughlin@newbritainherald.com
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ing the victory over Fairfield Prep It had been a trying few weeks for all who were involved, but the Knights were able to stick together and overcome the adversity. “It’s just a roller coaster of emotions,” Barmore said about how he felt when the game was pushed back multiple times. “You get up and you are ready to play, then it gets canceled at 10 in the morning. You’re in school, you are wearing your jersey to school, and you hear over the intercom that the game is canceled. You get kind of deflated. But we took it as we have to play it eventually. We couldn’t get mad over what we couldn’t control.” Barmore described the moments following the game as bittersweet, and he believed it to be true for his fellow seniors as well. While the seniors went out on top with a championship, they will never play another high school game with their teammates again. Every player on the Southington team describes his fellow teammates as “brothers.” It is a bond which can never be broken. It is a bond that cannot be described by those who do not play football. That bond is what got these Blue Knights to the top of the state, and even if none of these players win another championship as long as they live, they will always be able to look back on the 2013 high school season. They will always and forever be able to call themselves state champions.