Middletown Kiwanis Awards Annual College Scholarships On May 23rd, the Middletown Kiwanis Club conducted its annual scholarship presentations. The Middletown Kiwanis through its Foundation each year gives a graduating senior from each of Middletown's four high schools a $2,000 college scholarship. A $500 scholarship is also awarded to a local high school senior attending Middlesex Community College in the fall. Of the fore-mentioned recipients one is selected to also receive the A. Merton & Arline W. Bozoian $500 scholarship. The event MC was Kiwanis Vice President Rick Starkey. Each student was accompanied by a school representative who described the qualities and accomplishments of their schools recipient. Kiwanis President Christopher Conley then made the scholarship presentations.
Showing posts with label middletown high school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label middletown high school. Show all posts
Monday, June 4, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
MHS DECA Wins Big
In February of this year, students from Middletown DECA competed at the annual state competition against approximately 1000 students from around the state. There are over 50 competitive events in which students must take a rigorous test, perform case study presentations and create and present business plans. Events include Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, Business Ethics, Sports and Entertainment, Travel and Tourism, Human Resources and many others. Out of 50 students from our city that competed, Middletown DECA had 39 winners, 17 of which were first place winners. This was another record-breaking year.
This week, 22 students from Middletown DECA competed at the International Career Development Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. 15,000 students from around the globe, that had won at their respective local competitions, attended the conference.
Students had to again complete rigorous written testing and multiple case study and business plan presentations. The young women and men of Middletown DECA brought pride to our school and city by earning seven medals, which was half the total of all of Connecticut, and 13 certificates of merit. Middletown DECA was also recognized as one of the top 1% of all DECA programs in the world.
· Thomas McAlear, 3 medals for competitive events and testing, top 20 in world.
· Patrick Michaud, 2 medals for competitive events and testing, top 20 in the world.
· Travis Garbowski, 2 medals for competitive events and testing, top 20 in the world.
Top 20% certificates of merit:
· Quian Callendar
· Miriam Charry
· Elizabeth Fraulino
· Rachel Kantrowitz
· Ava Delmastro
· Tom McAlear
· Brittany Pieta
· Alyssa Kegley
· Heric Flores-Huerta
· Fatima Bishtawi
· Samantha Gambino
· Patrick Michaud
· Travis Garbowski
Congratulations DECA students!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Artist for World Peace Scholarships available for High School Students
Artists for World Peace is pleased to announce that it is accepting scholarship applications from high school juniors or seniors who are residing in Middletown . Eligible applicants will be pursuing higher education in the arts, be involved in community service activities and have a demonstrated need for financial assistance. Awards will be given in the amounts between $100 and $1,000. The Application deadline is April 16, 2012. Applications may be obtained from the Guidance departments at Xavier, Mercy, Vinal, The Hartford Academy of the Arts or Middletown High School. Applications may also be downloaded from the Artists for World Peace website.The Scholarship Committee is comprised of Artists for World Peace founder Wendy Black-Nasta and Board member Jennifer Lia, Middletown Teen Theater Director Ali Sinacrope, Middletown High School art teacher Charlotte McCoid, Oddfellows Playhouse Executive Director Matt Pugliese, Middletown Youth Service Coordinator Justin Carbonella and Citizen Bank Manager Glen Taylor. The committee is chaired by Priscilla Harnesk..
Artists for World Peace was presented with study results conducted by Professor Rob Rosenthal’s Wesleyan University sociology students. The study found that there is a great economic divide in resources for students pursuing the arts. Students with greater economic resources are at a higher advantage; having the ability to participate in private lessons and purchase supplies. Artists for World Peace decided to help level the playing field by providing scholarships for items like lessons and materials.
Scholarship chair Priscilla Harnesk said, “We are thrilled to begin this scholarship fund. We see a great need. Our hope is that our esteemed committee will be able to provide not only financial aid but also mentorship advice. http://artistsforworldpeace.org/
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Big Win for MHS
Congratulations to Middletown High School's BlueTube group!
submitted by Lauren Pszczolkowski
Middletown High School
TV/Video Production
www.mhsbluetube.com
Please take a moment to congratulate the talented BlueTube Students who represented Middletown High PROUDLY last week in a national competition in Dallas. The students placed 3rd in the Sweet Sixteen Competition, out of 1900 students, and about 100 entries... The kids were given a prop (lasso), title (The Magic Lasso) and 16 hours to create an eight minute video... You have never seen happier kids!!!They did amazing!
Andrew Carignan
Jessica Daniels
Auroba Halim
Lauren Sitz
Nick Torres
Kyle Breton
Dustin Luangkhot
Ally Rusowicz
Britney Ciesolka
Jon Rafala
Shane Hewitt
Marcus Alcindor
Abbey D'Onofrio
Alex Dykas
Note from the Eye - Thank you to readers for sending us the link to the winning video!
It can be viewed on YouTube by clicking here.
We also found this link to another YouTube site with more videos from BlueTube.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Q&A: MHS Boys Swimming Head Coach Trevor Charles Expects Showing in Championship Meets
The Middletown boys swimming team continued its impressive run as a program this season. The Blue Dragons finished 11-4 in the regular season and were the CCC South champions, finishing with a perfect division record. In the midst of preparing for the conference and then state championship meets, Middletown head coach Trevor Charles spoke with the Eye about what makes his squad a force to be reckoned with in the postseason meets.
Middletown Eye: Your team went 11-4 during the regular season and finished undefeated and in first place in the CCC South with a 5-0 record. How much of a success would you declare this past regular season to have been?
Trevor Charles: I’m pretty pleased with how the regular season went. Our effort was very strong every time out and the meets we lost were close.
ME: Are there any meets you would single out as your team’s standout efforts? Even if they may have been loses?
TC: The Farmington meet was our best. They are a very strong team and we lost in the very last rely at their place. Our performances that day were fantastic.
ME: You went undefeated in the CCC South and won the division handily. Can you identify any one reason why you were so ahead of your competition in the division?
TC: The swimming teams in the CCC South are a little weaker than the ones in the rest of the conference. We just had more depth than our competition.
ME: What area would you say your team is the strongest in?
TC: We are very solid in the IM events and all our relays are strong.
ME: And what area would you say the squad is the weakest in?
TC: Our team doesn’t have anyone who’s particularly strong in the freestyle sprinting events.
ME: You have two outstanding divers in sophomores Adam Gauthier and Michael Kinney. How high do you believe the two of them could finish in the CCC Diving Championship on March 1st?
TC: I see them finishing in second and third place. They have had some great performances in our final few meets.
ME: Which swimmers were standouts for the team this season?
TC: There were a group of swimmers-Ethan Cooke, Matt Dagenais, Simon Arias and Ronny Vaughan-who were incredibly consistent. They brought home some serious points for us.
ME: You are an obvious favorite in the CCC South championships that are happening March 3rd. How many points do you expect to win by, and which events do you expect the team to win?
TC: We should win very comfortably. Right now with how the standings are laid out for the championships we should theoretically win by 175 points. And I feel like we should easily win every relay.
ME: You said to me that half of your swimmers have already qualified for the Class L trials and you expect more to qualify this weekend. Considering you should send a fairly large group to the class finals, how high do you believe the team can finish, and in what events should your highest finishes be in?
TC: I hope to have 12 or 13 swimmers qualify and for the team to finish in the top five overall. Our 200 free and 400 free relays should both be near the top.
Middletown Eye: Your team went 11-4 during the regular season and finished undefeated and in first place in the CCC South with a 5-0 record. How much of a success would you declare this past regular season to have been?
Trevor Charles: I’m pretty pleased with how the regular season went. Our effort was very strong every time out and the meets we lost were close.
ME: Are there any meets you would single out as your team’s standout efforts? Even if they may have been loses?
TC: The Farmington meet was our best. They are a very strong team and we lost in the very last rely at their place. Our performances that day were fantastic.
ME: You went undefeated in the CCC South and won the division handily. Can you identify any one reason why you were so ahead of your competition in the division?
TC: The swimming teams in the CCC South are a little weaker than the ones in the rest of the conference. We just had more depth than our competition.
ME: What area would you say your team is the strongest in?
TC: We are very solid in the IM events and all our relays are strong.
ME: And what area would you say the squad is the weakest in?
TC: Our team doesn’t have anyone who’s particularly strong in the freestyle sprinting events.
ME: You have two outstanding divers in sophomores Adam Gauthier and Michael Kinney. How high do you believe the two of them could finish in the CCC Diving Championship on March 1st?
TC: I see them finishing in second and third place. They have had some great performances in our final few meets.
ME: Which swimmers were standouts for the team this season?
TC: There were a group of swimmers-Ethan Cooke, Matt Dagenais, Simon Arias and Ronny Vaughan-who were incredibly consistent. They brought home some serious points for us.
ME: You are an obvious favorite in the CCC South championships that are happening March 3rd. How many points do you expect to win by, and which events do you expect the team to win?
TC: We should win very comfortably. Right now with how the standings are laid out for the championships we should theoretically win by 175 points. And I feel like we should easily win every relay.
ME: You said to me that half of your swimmers have already qualified for the Class L trials and you expect more to qualify this weekend. Considering you should send a fairly large group to the class finals, how high do you believe the team can finish, and in what events should your highest finishes be in?
TC: I hope to have 12 or 13 swimmers qualify and for the team to finish in the top five overall. Our 200 free and 400 free relays should both be near the top.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Q&A:MHS Girls Basketball Head Coach Rob Smernoff Looks Back on Season and Blue Dragons Chances in State Playoffs
Middletown girls basketball coach Rob Smernoff led the Blue Dragons to an 11-10 record in the regular season this year. Though his team slumped near the end of the season, Middletown finished 8-7 in the CCC South, and matched the school’s highest win total from the past six seasons. The Blue Dragons qualified as the nineteenth seed in the Class LL Tournament and will face off against 14th-seeded Masuk on the road Tuesday night. Smernoff spoke to the Middletown Eye about his young team’s improvement over the season, their struggles in February and their chances for success in the state tournament.
Middletown Eye: In late January your team was 9-4 and playing very well. It looked like you were going to finish with a strong win total. From that point on your team struggled and went 2-6 through the rest of the season. What changed about how your play that caused you to get off track?
Rob Smernoff: In the second half of the season we played some tough teams for the second time and this time on the road. Our schedule was harder and teams were more familiar with us. Our youth and freshness didn’t surprise them as much. We lost a number of close games down the stretch. It wasn’t like we were playing all that worse. The team was just facing a brutal schedule and the close games we were winning early on were not going our way anymore. The things that were going right at the beginning of the year were going wrong.
ME: How has the team responded to the tough stretch you have gone through? What is the player’s mindset right now?
RS: The players are responding great. They are having excellent practices. I can’t remember a team I’ve coached that has shown so much confidence in practice and in their preparation. They will be ready to go on Tuesday (against Masuk).
ME: What do you think has been your team’s biggest strength this season?
RS: They are truly a team. There is amazing chemistry on this team. Every practice and game is a complete group effort.
ME: What would you say is your most significant weakness?
RS: That would definitely be our height. Often times we struggle rebounding the ball. That’s been a significant problem in our last few losses, particularly against Bristol Eastern. There is a direct correlation between our lack of height and our struggles on the boards. You can’t make your team taller.
ME: Who have been your most important players this year?
RS: DeAsia Lawrence has been our leader and was All-Conference. She can put the ball in the basket and is our best passer. She also leads the team in steals. And Rejenn Mayo has taken on a ton of responsibility playing point guard as a sophomore. She has led us in every game.
ME: How did your offense improve, or not improve, over the course of the season?
RS: We improved a lot playing in a half-court offense. We’re more effective getting out and running, but as the year went on we learned to play in the half-court effectively and how to be patient and get good looks.
ME: Asking the same question, how did you change on defense?
RS: Our press got stronger and more aggressive over time.
ME: How did the regular season live up to your overall expectations?
RS: I would have liked to end the season better. But overall I am very happy with how our season went. We’re a young team that lost a lot of players, and yet we had the most victories for our school in a number of years. It was a satisfying season. All the credit for our performance goes to our kids.
ME: Your first round game in the Class L Tournament is at Masuk on Tuesday night. How well do you believe your team matches up to Masuk, and what do you think your team’s chances are of winning this game?
RS: I think our teams are very evenly matched. I feel like if we played them ten times we would win five games and lose five games. It should be a close game against a tough team. The tough games we’ve had have made us ready for this.
ME: If you defeat Masuk, what do you believe your chances are of making a good run in the tournament?
RS: In Class L there are two teams at the top in E.O. Smith and Pomperaug that are in a class by themselves. After that I feel like there are 16 teams that can all beat each other. If we beat Masuk we would face Bacon Academy, who’s the third seed. That would be another tight game, but I could definitely see us beating them. After that anything could happen.
Middletown Eye: In late January your team was 9-4 and playing very well. It looked like you were going to finish with a strong win total. From that point on your team struggled and went 2-6 through the rest of the season. What changed about how your play that caused you to get off track?
Rob Smernoff: In the second half of the season we played some tough teams for the second time and this time on the road. Our schedule was harder and teams were more familiar with us. Our youth and freshness didn’t surprise them as much. We lost a number of close games down the stretch. It wasn’t like we were playing all that worse. The team was just facing a brutal schedule and the close games we were winning early on were not going our way anymore. The things that were going right at the beginning of the year were going wrong.
ME: How has the team responded to the tough stretch you have gone through? What is the player’s mindset right now?
RS: The players are responding great. They are having excellent practices. I can’t remember a team I’ve coached that has shown so much confidence in practice and in their preparation. They will be ready to go on Tuesday (against Masuk).
ME: What do you think has been your team’s biggest strength this season?
RS: They are truly a team. There is amazing chemistry on this team. Every practice and game is a complete group effort.
ME: What would you say is your most significant weakness?
RS: That would definitely be our height. Often times we struggle rebounding the ball. That’s been a significant problem in our last few losses, particularly against Bristol Eastern. There is a direct correlation between our lack of height and our struggles on the boards. You can’t make your team taller.
ME: Who have been your most important players this year?
RS: DeAsia Lawrence has been our leader and was All-Conference. She can put the ball in the basket and is our best passer. She also leads the team in steals. And Rejenn Mayo has taken on a ton of responsibility playing point guard as a sophomore. She has led us in every game.
ME: How did your offense improve, or not improve, over the course of the season?
RS: We improved a lot playing in a half-court offense. We’re more effective getting out and running, but as the year went on we learned to play in the half-court effectively and how to be patient and get good looks.
ME: Asking the same question, how did you change on defense?
RS: Our press got stronger and more aggressive over time.
ME: How did the regular season live up to your overall expectations?
RS: I would have liked to end the season better. But overall I am very happy with how our season went. We’re a young team that lost a lot of players, and yet we had the most victories for our school in a number of years. It was a satisfying season. All the credit for our performance goes to our kids.
ME: Your first round game in the Class L Tournament is at Masuk on Tuesday night. How well do you believe your team matches up to Masuk, and what do you think your team’s chances are of winning this game?
RS: I think our teams are very evenly matched. I feel like if we played them ten times we would win five games and lose five games. It should be a close game against a tough team. The tough games we’ve had have made us ready for this.
ME: If you defeat Masuk, what do you believe your chances are of making a good run in the tournament?
RS: In Class L there are two teams at the top in E.O. Smith and Pomperaug that are in a class by themselves. After that I feel like there are 16 teams that can all beat each other. If we beat Masuk we would face Bacon Academy, who’s the third seed. That would be another tight game, but I could definitely see us beating them. After that anything could happen.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Xavier Wins First State Open Wrestling Title
Led by wins from senior captains Tyler Cunningham and Sean Marinan Jr., Xavier won its first ever State Open wrestling title at New Haven’s Floyd Little Athletic Center.
The Falcons finished with 132 points to top rivals Hand (121.5) and Danbury (118.5). Glastonbury and Bacon Academy rounded out the top five. Middletown placed ninth with 55 points.
The title was the team’s third in as many weeks. Xavier won the Southern Connecticut Conference crown over Hand on February 12th and the Class LL title last weekend.
“I am really happy for the kids, parents and coaches involved with our team,” said head coach Michael Cunningham. “Our wrestlers worked so hard and sacrificed so much for this championship.”
“I knew coming in we would have a strong showing and would probably finish in the top three. We just had to focus and leave everything out there on the mat. Luckily we didn’t leave too much room to spare.”
Tyler Cunningham, Michael Cunningham’s son, won the title at 150 pounds and Marinan, Xavier’s other finalist, was champion at 220.
Junior Elliot Antler placed third at 170, sophomore Will Chowanec fourth at 113 and senior Ryan Butler fifth at 145 for Xavier.
Cunningham, the Class LL champion at 160 pounds, defeated Ledyard’s Alex Manwaring 7-2 in the final to win his first Open title. Cunningham was third at 145 in last year’s State Open.
“This has been my life goal ever since I was a little kid,” said Cunningham to the New Haven Register.
Marinan took down Masuk’s Eric Tucker in a epic battle that spanned four overtimes. Tied at one going into the overtime period, each wrestler would add a point in the first three overtimes before Marinan escaped Tucker seven seconds into the fourth to capture individual title 3-2. Marinan, who was second last season, celebrated the victory by jumping into assistant coach Kyle St. George arms.
“This is amazing for me to go out like this,” Marinan stated to the Hartford Courant. “To go back-to-back with football and wrestling is so special….But with wrestling it’s different. [Xavier had] never won one before, so now all our numbers go up on the wall. We’re immortal now.”
The story for Middletown was again Devon Carillo. The senior won at 182, his second consecutive state title after winning at 171 last season. Carillo defeated Weaver’s Sheldon Rhoden 7-2 in the final.
Senior Andrew Carignan finished fourth at 120 for Middletown and junior Randy Hale was sixth at 160.
The Falcons finished with 132 points to top rivals Hand (121.5) and Danbury (118.5). Glastonbury and Bacon Academy rounded out the top five. Middletown placed ninth with 55 points.
The title was the team’s third in as many weeks. Xavier won the Southern Connecticut Conference crown over Hand on February 12th and the Class LL title last weekend.
“I am really happy for the kids, parents and coaches involved with our team,” said head coach Michael Cunningham. “Our wrestlers worked so hard and sacrificed so much for this championship.”
“I knew coming in we would have a strong showing and would probably finish in the top three. We just had to focus and leave everything out there on the mat. Luckily we didn’t leave too much room to spare.”
Tyler Cunningham, Michael Cunningham’s son, won the title at 150 pounds and Marinan, Xavier’s other finalist, was champion at 220.
Junior Elliot Antler placed third at 170, sophomore Will Chowanec fourth at 113 and senior Ryan Butler fifth at 145 for Xavier.
Cunningham, the Class LL champion at 160 pounds, defeated Ledyard’s Alex Manwaring 7-2 in the final to win his first Open title. Cunningham was third at 145 in last year’s State Open.
“This has been my life goal ever since I was a little kid,” said Cunningham to the New Haven Register.
Marinan took down Masuk’s Eric Tucker in a epic battle that spanned four overtimes. Tied at one going into the overtime period, each wrestler would add a point in the first three overtimes before Marinan escaped Tucker seven seconds into the fourth to capture individual title 3-2. Marinan, who was second last season, celebrated the victory by jumping into assistant coach Kyle St. George arms.
“This is amazing for me to go out like this,” Marinan stated to the Hartford Courant. “To go back-to-back with football and wrestling is so special….But with wrestling it’s different. [Xavier had] never won one before, so now all our numbers go up on the wall. We’re immortal now.”
The story for Middletown was again Devon Carillo. The senior won at 182, his second consecutive state title after winning at 171 last season. Carillo defeated Weaver’s Sheldon Rhoden 7-2 in the final.
Senior Andrew Carignan finished fourth at 120 for Middletown and junior Randy Hale was sixth at 160.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
MHS Booster Club Backbone of Blue Dragons Squads
The work of the Middletown High Booster Club is so constant as to sometimes be taken for granted. The club’s hundreds of members are present at every athletics fundraiser and provide services at many games. In short, the Middletown High Booster Club is always there. However, this does not mean their efforts should be seen in this light. The parents, coaches, teachers and fans of Middletown High athletics that make up the club are the backbone of Blue Dragon sports.
Booster Club President Ray Garbowski described the club as an umbrella group consisting of the separate organizations that support specific sports. These organizations are the Friends of….” groups at MHS. The Friends of Football, Friends of Girls Swimming and Friends of Boys Tennis are examples of such organizations. There are more than 25 groups making up the Booster Club.
“Having the individual booster organizations under the same umbrella allows for complete coordination between them,” said Garbowski. “At the same time, these organizations have their own accounts which allow them to choose the fundraisers their sport does and decide how they are executed.”
The sports teams participate in a number of different fundraisers. Car washes and bake sales are particularly popular fundraisers run by their specific booster organizations. One fundraiser which has become an annual tradition is the boys swim team selling of Lyman Orchard pies each fall in anticipation of Thanksgiving. That fundraiser supports the team’s training trip to Orlando each February. The pies fundraiser for the boys swim team is an example of a major fundraiser which has to be approved by the executive committee of the Booster Club before it takes place.
The Booster Club raises money through the concession stands they run at football and basketball games and other events such as all-day track meets and community soccer games. While the Booster Club earns its most money from the Greco’s Grill stand at varsity football games, they also make a decent amount of cash at basketball games and sometimes other events. Each event, the concessions are run by a rotating team of volunteers from the Booster Club and the ‘Friends of’ organizations.
The budget earned through the Booster Club concession efforts is used to sponsor three Sports Awards Dinners which take place at the end of each athletic season and pay for the Bilsamo Scholarship and Wilderman Scholarship, which are awarded to senior Athletes at the Senior Award Assembly each spring. The scholarships average $5,000 in total.
Though the Booster Club already does on a huge amount of work, Garbowski is looking to have the organization take on new projects.
“We’ve been brainstorming about new projects we could do for a little while now,” Garbowski stated. “The club is looking at putting a marquee out in front of the school which we could use to promote big games on. We also are thinking about lining the street with flags before games or getting a storage facility for our athletic teams and fields.”
As President of the Middletown High Booster Club, Garbowski understands he is the leader of a powerful organization that has a compelling affect on the MHS sports program and the lives of its athletes.
“We can provide a variety of services to the student athletes at the high school,” he said. “We are able to develop initiatives that support both student athletes and the school.”
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Middletown Wrestler Devon Carrillo Captures Third Consecutive Class LL Championship
Another day, another championship.
All-American wrestler Devon Carrillo won his third consecutive Class LL state championship and his first at 182 pounds. Carrillo had taken the state title the previous two seasons at 171.
Carrillo’s dominance extended further than just his title. The senior defeated New Milford’s Doenia with a 24-second pin, and his four pins added up to just 7:45 seconds. Carrillo’s remarkable performance earned him awards for most outstanding wrestler and fastest fall at the meet.
“Devon is amazing wrestler,” Middletown Head Coach Mark Fong said. At this point we expect him to dominate. We never expect him to give up a point. He’s definitely the favorite for the New England championship and it would be great to see him win. It’s the one honor that has eluded him.”
Indeed, Carrillo is confident he will take the championship in both the State Open and New England championships at 182.
“Keep the same mentality,” Carrillo said to the Middletown Press in regards to continuing his success. “Nobody comes close to me, and just keep dominating everybody, and I’ll be good.”
As a team Middletown finished sixth overall with 118.5 points. Daniel Hand won the state title with 233 points, and New Milford finished second with 178.
The Blue Dragons had two wrestlers finish second. Senior Andrew Carrigan was runner-up at 120, and junior Randy Halle took second place at 160.
“I’m really excited about Randy,” Fong said. “He came in ranked 11th in his class and beat the second and third ranked wrestlers to win. It was a great performance.”
Though he was very pleased with the performance of certain wrestlers, Middletown’s Head Coach was nowhere near satisfied with ho his team performed overall.
“We did not perform as well as I was hoping to,” Fong stated. I thought we could finish in the top five but a lot of our wrestlers seemed like they were asleep. We did not wrestle-back well like we usually do. I can’t remember the last time we had no one place in consolation at this meet.”
The trio of Carrillo, Carrigan and Hale will represent Middletown at the State Open. That meet will take place this Friday and Saturday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Shawn Strickland is Outstanding Leader for Middletown on the Court
The point guard is the floor general who teammates look to for leadership on the court. They are the primary ball handlers and initiate the offense, and on defense their peskiness and hard effort causes poor execution and turnovers. The point guard exists within the flow of games, and understands when to get teammates going on offense and when to take over games themselves. For better or worse, they are the emotional leader of the team. The average point guard certainly doesn’t possess all of these ideal qualities. If a team has a point guard who possesses even one or two of these qualities then they will be pleased. But a point guard who is all this, and more, is special. He is a difference-maker. Shawn Strickland, the junior point guard and captain for the Middletown High Blue Dragons, is just that.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
MHS Fundraiser
Come Support Middletown High School
PROJECT GRADUATION at
MONDO
Enjoy a night off from cooking with delicious New York Style Pizza,
amazing entrées, fresh salads and unique paninis, in a casual dining restaurant!
TUESDAY, JANUARY 24th
DINE-IN and TAKE-OUT
MONDO will donate 10% of all sales on January 24th, from 4pm-Closing, to MHS Project Grad to aid in its efforts to raise funds for a SAFE GRADUATION PARTY for MHS Students.
View full menu at www.mondomiddletown.com
10 Main Street • Middletown, CT 06457
Take-out Orders - 860-343-3300
(Free Parking in rear of builiding)
Friday, January 20, 2012
MHS Girls Basketball Young But Talented
Coming into the 2011-12 girls basketball season, Middletown Head Coach Rob Smernoff wasn’t really sure how his team would fare in the CCC South. The Blue Dragons were a young and largely inexperienced squad with a starting lineup that featured only one returning player. Would the Blue Dragons be able to play together as a team? Would every player be able to contribute despite their inexperience? And would Middletown be ready and able to respond in close games and pressure situations when the time came? These were the questions facing MHS in November, and the team has answered them with a resounding yes.
After defeating Platt 37-29 at home Tuesday night, MHS is 8-4 on the season. With the victory, the team qualified for the Class L playoffs and are on their way to earning the most wins of Smernoff’s five-year tenure. The Blue Dragons have won six of seven, with their only loss coming at Plainville two weeks ago. At 5-2 in the CCC South, MHS is behind only Plainville and undefeated Berlin in the division.
“We’re on track to being the team we hoped we’d be,” said Smernoff. “The best thing is that all 12 of our players have contributed in their own way.”
At the beginning of the season Smernoff saw an inexperienced team that struggled to play together and was easily intimidated by formidable opponents. He doesn’t see that team anymore.
“Early on we were intimidated when we played New Britain and Berlin and lost,” said Smernoff. “Until you go through the pressure of playing an opponent like that you don’t know what it takes to handle it and win. Since then our players have matured and improved a lot. They understand how to handle close games and trust each other as a team.”
The coach cited the Blue Dragons win at Malony on January 10th, which he called his favorite game of the year, as one in which his team showed toughness and poise. Middletown used full-court pressure to outscore Maloney 20-7 in the fourth quarter, coming back to win 49-39.
“Nothing was going right for most of that game,” said Smernoff. “The kids got past it and stepped up huge at the end to get a big road win. They showed their maturation that night.”
Smernoff has had to do a lot of coaching with this squad, which started only one senior versus Platt along with two sophomores and two juniors. Zenobia Adgers is the lone senior who plays regularly for the Blue Dragons alongside a regular rotation that mostly features sophomores. While some coaches would be endlessly frustrated beginning the season with such a green team, Smernoff has embraced the opportunity to lead fresh faces.
“The great thing about having a young team is that they’re willing to learn and listen,” he said. “When a player’s coached by the same person for all four years there might come a few points where they zone a coach out and ignore their instructions, but that isn’t happening on this team. These players try extremely hard and are very coachable.”
MHS has relied heavily on junior captain DeAsia Lawrence. In a breakout season, the speedy guard has been a force on defense and especially on offense. Lawrence has been the team’s go-to player all year and scored 78 points in the last four games. She’s also the team’s floor leader.
“DeAsia is a really good player,” stated Smernoff. “We focus on trying to get her a lot of good looks on offense. We want her to take over games, and she’s finally starting to recognize how to do that.”
Smernoff also praised senior guard/forward Zenobia Adgers and sophomore guard Mikaela Cody, calling them glue players who can contribute in every facet of the game.
Their Head Coach still believes the Blue Dragons need to improve in a number of areas. While he says that MHS has great team speed and should always be quicker at all five positions to opponents, rebounding is a huge concern for a team that lacks much height. And Smernoff is concerned about his squad’s ball-handling and still well aware of their lack of experience. But with Middletown steadily improving and having already qualified for the state tournament, Smernoff can look ahead and see his team making a strong showing in the Class L tournament.
“E.O. Smith is a huge favorite, but Class L is wide open,” he said. “I could see 25 teams that can all beat each other. It’s going to be based on the draw. But if we can avoid E.O. Smith early and get a favorable draw, I can definitely see our team winning a few games. I just hope we finish the season strong enough to earn a home game in the tournament. Our team and especially our supporters would really deserve it.”
After defeating Platt 37-29 at home Tuesday night, MHS is 8-4 on the season. With the victory, the team qualified for the Class L playoffs and are on their way to earning the most wins of Smernoff’s five-year tenure. The Blue Dragons have won six of seven, with their only loss coming at Plainville two weeks ago. At 5-2 in the CCC South, MHS is behind only Plainville and undefeated Berlin in the division.
“We’re on track to being the team we hoped we’d be,” said Smernoff. “The best thing is that all 12 of our players have contributed in their own way.”
At the beginning of the season Smernoff saw an inexperienced team that struggled to play together and was easily intimidated by formidable opponents. He doesn’t see that team anymore.
“Early on we were intimidated when we played New Britain and Berlin and lost,” said Smernoff. “Until you go through the pressure of playing an opponent like that you don’t know what it takes to handle it and win. Since then our players have matured and improved a lot. They understand how to handle close games and trust each other as a team.”
The coach cited the Blue Dragons win at Malony on January 10th, which he called his favorite game of the year, as one in which his team showed toughness and poise. Middletown used full-court pressure to outscore Maloney 20-7 in the fourth quarter, coming back to win 49-39.
“Nothing was going right for most of that game,” said Smernoff. “The kids got past it and stepped up huge at the end to get a big road win. They showed their maturation that night.”
Smernoff has had to do a lot of coaching with this squad, which started only one senior versus Platt along with two sophomores and two juniors. Zenobia Adgers is the lone senior who plays regularly for the Blue Dragons alongside a regular rotation that mostly features sophomores. While some coaches would be endlessly frustrated beginning the season with such a green team, Smernoff has embraced the opportunity to lead fresh faces.
“The great thing about having a young team is that they’re willing to learn and listen,” he said. “When a player’s coached by the same person for all four years there might come a few points where they zone a coach out and ignore their instructions, but that isn’t happening on this team. These players try extremely hard and are very coachable.”
MHS has relied heavily on junior captain DeAsia Lawrence. In a breakout season, the speedy guard has been a force on defense and especially on offense. Lawrence has been the team’s go-to player all year and scored 78 points in the last four games. She’s also the team’s floor leader.
“DeAsia is a really good player,” stated Smernoff. “We focus on trying to get her a lot of good looks on offense. We want her to take over games, and she’s finally starting to recognize how to do that.”
Smernoff also praised senior guard/forward Zenobia Adgers and sophomore guard Mikaela Cody, calling them glue players who can contribute in every facet of the game.
Their Head Coach still believes the Blue Dragons need to improve in a number of areas. While he says that MHS has great team speed and should always be quicker at all five positions to opponents, rebounding is a huge concern for a team that lacks much height. And Smernoff is concerned about his squad’s ball-handling and still well aware of their lack of experience. But with Middletown steadily improving and having already qualified for the state tournament, Smernoff can look ahead and see his team making a strong showing in the Class L tournament.
“E.O. Smith is a huge favorite, but Class L is wide open,” he said. “I could see 25 teams that can all beat each other. It’s going to be based on the draw. But if we can avoid E.O. Smith early and get a favorable draw, I can definitely see our team winning a few games. I just hope we finish the season strong enough to earn a home game in the tournament. Our team and especially our supporters would really deserve it.”
Monday, January 16, 2012
MHS Basketball in Shape to Content For CCC South Title at 6-3
Middletown basketball improved its season record to 6-3 after taking down Bristol Central 57-55 on the road Friday.
Junior center Taji Owens scored a game-high 17 points and was one of four Blue Dragons in double figures. Jerry Robinson (13 points, nine assists), Mikie Rhodes (11) and Andrew Campbell (10) also reached the mark.
The Blue Dragons are now second place in the Central Connecticut Conference South division with a 4-1 record, behind only Maloney of Meriden, who Middletown lost to 75-64 at home last Tuesday. MHS has big wins over fellow division mates Berlin, Bristol Eastern and Bristol Central but also possesses confounding losses against New Britain and Tolland.
With injuries having kept star junior guard Shawn Strickland off the floor for a good stretch of the season, the team has been led by Rhodes, a senior forward who was a CCC South All-star last season. Rhodes has been a force inside every game and already earned four double-doubles. Owens has broken out with a couple of strong offensive games and MHS Head Coach Dave Sytulek praised him for his rebounding. Complementary players like junior forward Andrew Campbell and senior guard Jalen Manzie have made up for the absence of Strickland and other injured players to some extent with great efforts on the defensive end and in skills like ball-handling. While different players have stepped up to fill the void, the lack of depth Middletown has featured due to injuries has hurt the team performance wise.
“I would have liked to be better then 5-3,” said Sytulek on Friday afternoon before the Bristol Central victory. “Losing Shawn for a couple of games definitely hurt our depth. When we were minus him and a couple of other players against Maloney, we couldn’t quite stay with them and got outscored 27-11 in the third quarter.”
Sytulek knows his team has talent and has been pleased with their performance in a number of areas. But he wants to see a more consistent effort from the Blue Dragons.
“Our defensive effort of late has been a strength,” said Sytulek, later praising players like Rhodes and Campbell for their work on that end. “But we have to improve in putting together a full game and displaying intensity all four quarters.”
Middletown will certainly need to play every contest with complete focus and intensity to win the CCC South. Only two of the squad’s remaining games are outside the division. MHS will have to take down Bulkeley and again beat Berlin and Bristol Eastern to even have a shot at beating out Maloney for first place in the division. Maloney is currently 2.5 games in front of MHS. A division championship is a tall order, but Sytulek could see it happening for the Blue Dragons, who have won four of their past five.
“If we keep improving we have an opportunity to contend for the CCC South title.” He said. “I can see our team winning 15 games in the regular season.”
Junior center Taji Owens scored a game-high 17 points and was one of four Blue Dragons in double figures. Jerry Robinson (13 points, nine assists), Mikie Rhodes (11) and Andrew Campbell (10) also reached the mark.
The Blue Dragons are now second place in the Central Connecticut Conference South division with a 4-1 record, behind only Maloney of Meriden, who Middletown lost to 75-64 at home last Tuesday. MHS has big wins over fellow division mates Berlin, Bristol Eastern and Bristol Central but also possesses confounding losses against New Britain and Tolland.
With injuries having kept star junior guard Shawn Strickland off the floor for a good stretch of the season, the team has been led by Rhodes, a senior forward who was a CCC South All-star last season. Rhodes has been a force inside every game and already earned four double-doubles. Owens has broken out with a couple of strong offensive games and MHS Head Coach Dave Sytulek praised him for his rebounding. Complementary players like junior forward Andrew Campbell and senior guard Jalen Manzie have made up for the absence of Strickland and other injured players to some extent with great efforts on the defensive end and in skills like ball-handling. While different players have stepped up to fill the void, the lack of depth Middletown has featured due to injuries has hurt the team performance wise.
“I would have liked to be better then 5-3,” said Sytulek on Friday afternoon before the Bristol Central victory. “Losing Shawn for a couple of games definitely hurt our depth. When we were minus him and a couple of other players against Maloney, we couldn’t quite stay with them and got outscored 27-11 in the third quarter.”
Sytulek knows his team has talent and has been pleased with their performance in a number of areas. But he wants to see a more consistent effort from the Blue Dragons.
“Our defensive effort of late has been a strength,” said Sytulek, later praising players like Rhodes and Campbell for their work on that end. “But we have to improve in putting together a full game and displaying intensity all four quarters.”
Middletown will certainly need to play every contest with complete focus and intensity to win the CCC South. Only two of the squad’s remaining games are outside the division. MHS will have to take down Bulkeley and again beat Berlin and Bristol Eastern to even have a shot at beating out Maloney for first place in the division. Maloney is currently 2.5 games in front of MHS. A division championship is a tall order, but Sytulek could see it happening for the Blue Dragons, who have won four of their past five.
“If we keep improving we have an opportunity to contend for the CCC South title.” He said. “I can see our team winning 15 games in the regular season.”
Impressive Depth Has Carried MHS Swimming to 4-2 Start
The winter is upon us, which means that Middletown swimming is yet again putting together a strong season. The Blue Dragons moved to 4-2 on Friday after routing Hartford Public 100-70 at home. Middletown would have won the meet by nearly 100 points if they had not swum the final three events unofficially.
Head Coach Trevor Charles highlighted a number of individual swimmers for praise, most prominently Jack Winters. Winters won the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 5:53.49 and was second in the 200-yard freestyle while also swimming a leg for the second place 400-yard freestyle team.
“Jack had a very good day,” said Charles. “We were able to mix and match the kids today and try out kids in different events. Jack isn’t a new kid-he’s a senior-but it was good to see him do well.”
Charles also praised the second-place swims of Szymon Szarek in the 100-yard backstroke, Sajin Cyr in the 100-yard butterfly and Evan Pennington in the 500-yard freestyle.
MHS led the meet from its opening buzzer. The Blue Dragons raced out to a 42-17 advantage after the first four events and continued chugging alone from there. MHS would eventually take first place in ten of 12 events on the afternoon. Simon Arias, Ronnie Vaughn, Ethan Cooke, Tom McAlear and Michael Ciebieleski each won a race.
Star diver Dan Kinney, who began diving just last season, received a fantastic score of 8.5 from a judge in the meet. This is the second time a team diver has received an 8.5 in a week after Adam Gauthier received the mark.
That’s happened only three times in my 14 years here”, said MHS diving coach Matt Quinn to the Middletown Press. “Both have a world of potential.”
The Blue Dragons depth has served them well in wins over East Lyme, Rocky Hill and Hall. It also helped MHS to nearly knock off powerhouses Conard and Glastonbury. Charles believes it has and will continue to be his team’s biggest strength.
“Our work ethic and depth has been great,” said Charles. “Our depth never wavers and allows us to always be competitive.”
The Blue Dragons coach is happy but not completely satisfied with the team’s 4-2 start.
“I think we’re right where we expected to be going into the season,” said Charles. “That being said, we can always be better. We should have beaten Conard if not for a couple of mishaps, and there are issues like our attention to stroke detail that we need to improve.”
MHS will need every ounce of its depth in the coming weeks. The team’s schedule ramps up with a meet next Friday versus an outstanding Wethersfield squad before the Blue Dragons face its competition in the CCC South. Middletown is doing well so far, but the final few weeks of the season will prove whether the 2011-2012 team can live up to the accomplishments of past squads.
“The guys will have to swim out of their minds to beat Wethersfield,” said Charles. “But if we keep improving like we have been, we should win CCC South and finish around the 10th spot in Class L.”
Head Coach Trevor Charles highlighted a number of individual swimmers for praise, most prominently Jack Winters. Winters won the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 5:53.49 and was second in the 200-yard freestyle while also swimming a leg for the second place 400-yard freestyle team.
“Jack had a very good day,” said Charles. “We were able to mix and match the kids today and try out kids in different events. Jack isn’t a new kid-he’s a senior-but it was good to see him do well.”
Charles also praised the second-place swims of Szymon Szarek in the 100-yard backstroke, Sajin Cyr in the 100-yard butterfly and Evan Pennington in the 500-yard freestyle.
MHS led the meet from its opening buzzer. The Blue Dragons raced out to a 42-17 advantage after the first four events and continued chugging alone from there. MHS would eventually take first place in ten of 12 events on the afternoon. Simon Arias, Ronnie Vaughn, Ethan Cooke, Tom McAlear and Michael Ciebieleski each won a race.
Star diver Dan Kinney, who began diving just last season, received a fantastic score of 8.5 from a judge in the meet. This is the second time a team diver has received an 8.5 in a week after Adam Gauthier received the mark.
That’s happened only three times in my 14 years here”, said MHS diving coach Matt Quinn to the Middletown Press. “Both have a world of potential.”
The Blue Dragons depth has served them well in wins over East Lyme, Rocky Hill and Hall. It also helped MHS to nearly knock off powerhouses Conard and Glastonbury. Charles believes it has and will continue to be his team’s biggest strength.
“Our work ethic and depth has been great,” said Charles. “Our depth never wavers and allows us to always be competitive.”
The Blue Dragons coach is happy but not completely satisfied with the team’s 4-2 start.
“I think we’re right where we expected to be going into the season,” said Charles. “That being said, we can always be better. We should have beaten Conard if not for a couple of mishaps, and there are issues like our attention to stroke detail that we need to improve.”
MHS will need every ounce of its depth in the coming weeks. The team’s schedule ramps up with a meet next Friday versus an outstanding Wethersfield squad before the Blue Dragons face its competition in the CCC South. Middletown is doing well so far, but the final few weeks of the season will prove whether the 2011-2012 team can live up to the accomplishments of past squads.
“The guys will have to swim out of their minds to beat Wethersfield,” said Charles. “But if we keep improving like we have been, we should win CCC South and finish around the 10th spot in Class L.”
Friday, December 23, 2011
Middletown Loses Home Opener to Tolland
If there’s one lesson a fan can take away from Middletown’s 63-59 loss to Tolland in the Blue Dragons home opener Tuesday night, it’s that a team can’t win if it doesn’t play with superior fundamentals. It’s awesome if your team to controls the boards with ease. It’s even better if your top player, senior Mikie Rhodes, supplies 24 points and 17 rebounds and leave his all on the court. But an advantage in one or two areas of the game doesn’t make up for a lack of perimeter defense, offensive execution or composure. The winning formula was absent for Middletown in a defeat that dropped the team to 2-2 on the season. Tolland is now 1-1.
The inconsistent play of the Blue Dragons was on display from the opening tip. They were only trailing by one point at the end of the first quarter but quickly fell further behind as the first half continued and outside shots weren’t falling. Meanwhile, Tolland players repeatedly scored on open layups off of beautifully executed cuts, and made the same outside shots Middletown was missing. It didn’t matter that Middletown was grabbing rebounds left and right if the squad couldn’t take full advantage of them.
After going into halftime down six, the Blue Dragons put together a strong comeback effort throughout the second half. Middletown’s superior speed and strength slowly but surely wore down their opponent and caused them to have a number of poor offensive series. All the momentum was going Middletown’s way, and when they pulled to within one at 56-66 with three minutes remaining in the fourth a win seemed inevitable.
However, Tolland kept going back to the same style of play that had worked for them all game in the closing minutes, and that style continued to pay off. Tolland executed a few backbreaking layups as the clock ticked down and put pressure on the Blue Dragons with their crisp passing and smooth flowing offense. They frequently coaxed Middletown into fouling and made their shots at the line. Tolland gave Middletown little room for error as it made its comeback, and ultimately there just wasn’t enough of it.
Middletown did not execute well enough in the closing five minutes to ever grab the land and completely establish control. The squad failed to deny penetration to Tolland on offense and was forced into committing reckless fouls as a last resort. Even as the Blue Dragons grabbed nearly every rebound in site, they were unable to convert a significant amount of their second-shot opportunities. Most glaringly, Middletown struggled at the line down the stretch and shot just 5-10 from the charity stripe for the contest. After closing to within one, the Blue Dragons allowed Tolland to convert on a three-point layup, and would only score one more field goal, going on to lose by four.
Shawn Strickland had 12 points and five assists, and Taji Owens pulled down 16 rebounds for Middletown. Overall, the Blue Dragons committed 19 turnovers while only earning 9 assists.
Taylor Fortin scored a team-high 19 points for Tolland. Teammate Brad Smith added 16, and Matt Grospitch scored 15.
“Tolland is a very patient team. They run their offense and don’t take bad shots,” said Head Coach Dave Sytulek. “We tried to pick up our defensive intensity in the second half but just ran out of time. I hope this loss taught us that we need to come out with that intensity at the very start of every game.”
Middletown will host Pomperaug Thursday.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
City Indoor Track Teams Running Towards Success
MIDDLETOWN
The Middletown boys and girls indoor track teams offer different coaching challenges for head coaches Jenn Price and Kelly Ellis. The boy’s squad features 40 members and must try to live up to the high expectations their head coach as placed on them. However there are only 24 girls out for an inexperienced girl’s team that will constantly be a work in progress.
The top girls are senior long jumper Antanisha Outlaw and junior Lauren Hodge, the team’s top long distance runner. Team members who are expected to improve include junior long sprinter Cara Brainard and sophomore shot putter Kaitlyn Strickland.
“This season is about progress for the team,” said Price. “With progress we can look towards the future.”
A small group of boys will be key to their squad’s success. Seniors Logan Reich (runner-up for Class L in the 55 hurdles) and Devonte White (CCC outdoor champion in the shot-put) return to pursue more individual title success. Supporting them will be junior distance runner Nick Chhoeun and sophomores Tim Harvey (jumper) and London Highsmith (sprinter/jumper).
“We have good athletes in most events,” stated Price. “I expect the team to have a very strong showing in the CCC meet and have 5 to 8 boys qualify for states from there.”
Middletown opened at the Hillhouse Invitational in New Haven Friday.
MERCY
Last year Mercy won the Quinnipiac Division of the Southern Connecticut Conference and placed fourth overall in the SCC. Veteran Head Coach Rob Link believes there is no reason the Tigers cannot improve on that campaign.
“I think we’ll do at least as well as we did last year,” said Link. “We’re we’ll rounded and have a lot of depth.”
Mercy will largely rely on veteran talent to lead the team. Seniors Kathleen Darling (distance), Jenna Grayson (sprints, jumps), and Brie Vess (distance) and junior Catie Oidtman (hurdles, pole vault) are all expected to be to performers. Link expects sophomore Astin Donovan will be one of the top five sprinters in the state when all is said and done.
“If the team performs like it’s capable of, we’ll have a better record than last year and place somewhere around 7th or 8th in the State Open,” stated Link.
XAVIER
We should be good but not great,” said Head Coach Dave Kraszewski. “We’re very strong in the middle distance events and strong in the sprints, but we’re weaker in the throws and in the horizontal jumps.”
Senior tri-captains Dave Pugliese (600, 1000), Russell Stevens (1600, 3200) and Dillon McCarthy (55, sprint relay, long jump) were listed by their coach as keys to Xavier’s success. Long distance runners Mitchell Brown, Peter Strom and Matt Pius, all juniors, will also be important contributors.
“A realistic goal for our team is that we finish in the top 8 of the Class LL and State Open meets,” stated Kraszewski. “Anything beyond that is far exceeding expectations.”
Xavier opened December 19th at the Hillhouse Developmental Meet in New Haven.
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