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Champion New London team could look different next year

  • June 25, 2011 at 5:24 pm

It has been a fun week for the New London boys basketball team.

the Class L state champion Whalers attended not one, but two recognition dinners.

“I told them when you do good things, good things happen,” New London coach Craig Parker said.

the Whalers had a banquet Sunday at Ocean Beach and then on Thursday, were the guests at a New London Rotary Club luncheon. That meal included presents for the Whalers.

“It was very nice,” New London senior Torin Childs-Harris said. “I just want to thank everyone for all the gifts, because they didn’t have to do that.”

Parker said the gifts may have taken a while to come, but it’s only because they took a while to make.

the New London coach said shortly after the Whalers won the state title in March at the Mohegan Sun Arena, he received a phone call from the Rotary Club’s Reid Burdick. As it had in 2004 when the Whalers won the Division III state championship, the Rotary Club offered to buy the team rings.

“I hadn’t even started to think about the funding for the rings,” Parker said.

About 10 minutes later, he wasn’t going to have to think about fundraising for anything.

State Rep. Ernest Hewett called Parker and asked if he needed help getting jackets and shirts for the players as well as funding for a state championship banquet. Just 10 days later, that fundraising was completed and Parker just helped with the ordering.

“They raised $10,000 for the kids; they got some nice stuff,” Parker said.

That included letterman-style jackets with wool bodies and leather sleeves, state championship shirts and picture plaques to go along with the rings. Hewett also arranged for a framed citation from the House of Representatives to be given to the players.

the Whalers were also honored at the State Capitol, the City Council and the Board of Education over the past 21⁄2 months.

“I’m overwhelmed, it was just tremendous how these people — who had no connection with one another — came together and helped out,” Parker said.

Now, Parker is thinking about the upcoming season, which may or may not include one of the best high school players in Connecticut, Kris Dunn. the senior is being wooed by numerous prep schools for his services as a senior, and a host of colleges are interested in him beyond that.

Parker said he has received calls of interest from Kansas, Georgetown, Texas, Stanford, Georgia, Illinois, Providence, Gonzaga and Marquette. Parker also said Florida and Louisville have expressed interest in Dunn. the standout said defending national champion UConn is also interested.

with all the attention he’s getting, it makes you wonder if Dunn would be better off switching schools for his senior year.

“if he got any more exposure, he would be a negative,” Parker said.

Dunn told me he won’t make any decisions about his senior year until August. That’s subject to change, of course.

Childs-Harris’ decision will likely come sooner than that. the senior will be heading to prep school. Maine Central Institute and Hargrave Military Academy are the leading contenders.

“My decision will be made within the week,” Childs-Harris said.

does that mean it will be one of those two schools?

“probably, but maybe not,” he said.

Childs-Harris said he plans on visiting schools this week. He’ll then go to an AAU tournament in Las Vegas before making his decision.

Lights on

the Colchester Board of Education gave the Colchester Sports Coalition the green light to continue fundraising to bring lights to the Bacon Academy football field.

Bacon head football coach Duane Maranda presented the plan to fund the lights and provide the volunteers necessary to get the lights into the ground.

“the town supported our concept, which is a step in the right direction,” Maranda said.

but don’t expect to see any Friday night games until the fall of 2012.

Maranda said the coalition — made up of people interested in soccer, lacrosse and track and field as well as football — has raised enough money for the first phase of the project.

That will include test drillings as well as putting the bases and wiring in the ground. Maranda hopes that can be accomplished this fall, although some paperwork has to be completed first.

Lawyers from the town and the coalition must meet to reach agreements, the biggest of which is the protection of the track, which was refurbished with town money. no referendum is needed on the lighting project since no town funds are planned to be used, but the board will have to accept the donation of the lights.

“It’s like I always say to my football team right before a game, ‘Don’t get on the bus unless you plan to win,’ ” Maranda said when asked if he was confident that the remainder of the money for the lights can be raised.

To contribute, contact Maranda at baconfootball@gmail.com.

Chamber golf

the 23rd annual Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament was held Wednesday at the Quinnatisset Country Club in Thompson.

Somehow, in the midst of all the rain the area has had lately, the chamber managed to pick one of the better days weather-wise.

the event raised approximately $20,000, which will be directed toward funding the chamber’s operating expenses and scholarships for those attending Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson.

the team from New England Plasma of Putnam captured first with Peter Olshewski, Kevin and Craig Fries, and Jared Meehan coming in with a 16-under par total. four strokes behind was the foursome from Wireless Zone of Chris Krushefsky, Joe Salan, Rich Denesha and Peter Zulli.

Third-place honors went to Arben and Frank Abdullovski, Adam Faucher and Scott Wilcox, who finished at 11-under.

Craig Fries won the closest-to-pin contests on holes no. 3 and 7. the Fries kept it in the family on the 13th hole as Kevin finished just 23 inches shy of a hole-in-one. Rocky Bedard was the closest on 15. Nancy Cole and Brian Bardier had the longest drives of the day.

the president of the chamber, Jay Sinha, was also thankful for the hard work of his committee in putting the outing together. Donald St. Onge chaired the event with help from Jeff Bousquet, David Conrad, Peter Deary, Robert Fournier, Don King and Doug Valentine.

More golf

the 10th annual Putnam Congregational Golf Tournament will be played at the Raceway Golf Club in Thompson on June 26.

last year, the tournament saw $20,000 given away when a golfer hit a hole-in-one. Undaunted, the tournament will again offer up that prize on the 17th hole as well as a closest-to-pin contest and a par-3 challenge on each of the course’s four par-3 holes.

This year’s event will have a shotgun start at 1:15 p.m. preceded by lunch at 11:45 a.m. there will be a putting contest prior to the first shots off the tee on the practice green adjacent to the clubhouse.

the top three teams will receive cash prizes of $500, $400 and $300 respectively. Those will be awarded following a steak dinner at the Raceway Restaurant.

the cost to enter is $125 per player or $500 per team. For more information, e-mail putnamcongchurch@hotmail.com.

Funds raised from this year’s tournament will be shared with Daily Bread and the Deary Memorial Cancer Fund at Day Kimball Hospital.

This year’s tournament is also dedicated to the memory of Steve Bousquet, a former Putnam High athlete and longtime Northeastern Connecticut sports booster.

Officials award

the president of Eastern Board 8 of Approved Basketball Officials has been out and about recently.

Charlie Lee has been delivering the good news to four local schools in the form of plaques recognizing them for their sportsmanship this past winter in boys and girls basketball.

“I think it’s more special to the school when the officials organization actually comes out and presents the award,” Lee said.

Lee visited Stonington High School to present the Howie Dickenman award to the Bears boys team. he also traveled to Killingly to present the Richard Walker Sportsmanship Award to the Redgals program.

Receiving awards at the junior high level were the Griswold Middle School boys program and the Salem School girls team.

the awards are determined by a vote of the board. each of the around 250 members gets one vote for each level.

Sports editor Marc Allard’s column appears every Sunday. he can be reached at mallard@norwichbulletin.com or (860) 425-4212.

Champion New London team could look different next year

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