Winter Sports Preview: Coginchaug High School

With stomachs still full from Thanksgiving, the winter sports athletes at Coginchaug Regional High School began practice on Monday, Nov. 29. The winter chill had the basketball players yearning for the gym and the runners constrained to the halls and auxiliary gym of CRHS. Yet, most showed little reluctance as a new sports season means a clean slate, new goals to be met, and new champions to be crowned. For boys' basketball and indoor track, Shoreline Conference titles are well within reach, while girls' indoor track can surprise some of the powerhouse teams this year.

Boys' Basketball

A loose rim plagued the Blue Devils in their final game of last season, as St.Paul Catholic sank three-pointer after three-pointer en route to dispatching the Devils 60-55 in the seconc round of the Class S state tournament. This season, head coach Todd Salva, along with assistant coach John Forline, plan to be the ones on the other side of three-point arc.

After tryouts Salva kept 28 of 40 players, between varsity, junior varsity and the freshman teams. The product, "[We're] a guard-laden team that has no problem handling and shooting the ball," said Salva.

The team lost only three players to graduation - two starters and an off-the-bench player - but with them twenty rebounds per game.  "Rebounding is my biggest concern, we're not blessed with size," Salva added.

The only Blue Devils starter over six feet is Ethan Donecker, he's listed at 6'3".  Contrary to basketball law, high school hoops in Connecticut is not a game of towering centers and overgrown teenagers. While the Devils will certainly run into teams with size - Valley Regional comes to mind - they majority of their match-ups will come against teams that play beneath the rim. Coach Salva labled this year's group a "transition-scoring team."

CRHS planned to start the season with a starting five of E.J. Luther (PG), Erickson Wasyl (SG), Tommy Ryan (SG/F), Andrew Markoski (SG/F) and Ethan Donecker (C). But Markoski, a tri-captain, broke his wrist after a hard fall during a pre-season scrimmage. According to Salva, Brock Hoyt will take his place in the starting lineup. Senior Roby Granger suffered a broken arm during football season and will also miss part of the season.

Though the starting lineup is experienced - each player saw significant varsity playing time last year - depth will be a problem for the Devils. "We're still looking for a sixth man, where players are now in the season could be entirely different a month from now. Honestly, it depends on how quickly the supporting cast develops, that will be be our make or break thing this season," Salva said.

Salva belives his 2010-2011 Blue Devils will finish "in the top four" of the Shoreline Conference. The Devil's 12 conference titles - the last coming in 2007 - are the most in conference history. Valley Regional (Essex, Chester, and Deep River), Hyde Leadership-New Haven, and Cromwell are expected to challenge the Devils on their quest to title number 13.

The Blue Devils open the season Wednesday, Dec. 15 at home against Valley Regional at 7:30 p.m. The game is a marquee early season match up and Salva said the Devils will be ready. " They're focused, this team had a good feel to it."

Boys' Indoor Track

Falling two points and a disqualification call short of winning the 4-x-400 meter relay Shoreline Conference title last season, the Blue Devils track team may not be the favorite for the title in 2011, but they can certainly win it. They've got one of the best runners in Shoreline Conference history, Alex Morin. The Devils lost a lot to graduation, including eight seniors who scored points at the conference meet. Last year's class of seniors accounted for school records in the 55 meter hurdles, 300 meter dash, 600 meter run, sprint medley relay, and the 4-x-400 meter relay. Depth, which mostly impacts the relays in track, is what the Devils lack the most. In terms of quality, sprinter Paul Benjunas, distance runner Aleksandr Morin and thrower David Wheeler will fill the gap.

For the Devils to win a title, they will need athletes to become scoring athletes. An athlete scores points for his team by finishing in the top six of an event. The team with the most points after all events is the chamption. While Alex Morin is a points machine for the Devils - scoring 24 points at the championship meet last year - the addition of his brother, Yuri, may take some of the pressure off him. Together the pair are among the most talented sibling duo in the Shoreline Conference. Alex, the odds on favorite to win the 3200 meter and 1600 meter run, is coming off a dominate cross country season, in which he won the shoreline and the State Class SS titles. Yuri competes mainly in field events like pole vault, high jump, and long jump, but can run a solid 200 meter relay leg when called upon.

The defending Shoreline Conference 100 meter champion, Paul Benjunas, gives the Devils a threat in the 55 meter dash and a deadly anchor leg on the 4-x-200 meter relay. Defending Shoreline Conference shotput champion David Wheeler will be sidelined for a while after suffering a torn labrum during football season, but Tyler Sibley may be able to take his place in the event. Ian Kopcik, sixth place in the 55 meter hurdles at the Shoreline Conference Championship a year ago, has a legitimate shot at first place this year.  Garret Judson and Shawn Donovan give the Devils a dual threat in the pole vault. The Devils enjoy the same dual threat in the long jump with Alec Giacco and Yuri Morin. Coach Marty Roberts expects strong relay legs from Tim Heller, Eddie Daniels, and Conor Grady. Joining Alex Morin in the 3200 meter will be Ben Taber and later on in the season, Jeremy Brown, an event in which the Devils can place three in the top six.

Overall, if the Devils want to make a serious run at a Shoreline Conference title, challenging Old Saybrook and East Hampton in the process, Alex Morin, Yuri Morin, Paul Benjuans, Ian Kopcik and Alec Giacco will have to carry the load for a team still looking for new role players to step up. Luckily, the Shoreline Conference Championship meet is not until early February, giving the Blue Devils a little less than two months of meets and training to prepare. In a sport where time rules all, the Devils are glad to have some to utilize.

Girls' Indoor Track

The Blue Devils finished the 2010 season with a mediocre tenth place finish at the Shoreline Conference Championship, but head coach Dave Bellemare knows his team is much improved. "The team has an improved winning attitude, they're more committed," said Bellemare. "53 girls came out for the team, by far the biggest field I've ever had. It's really exciting, we have new talent that could give us some pleasant surprises."

The Blue Devils return their best runner in Emily Halligan, as well as the team's best field athlete in Lora Manley. Halligan took fourth place in Class SS during the cross country season, while Manley won Class S in the high jump in 2009. Captains Hannah Goulis, Carleen Doyle and Emily Spence are all strong contributors in relay and individual events.

What has Bellemare excited for the season could be the addition of new faces who participated in fall sports. "They've heard that the program is improving and that it's a good time," Bellemare said with optimisim.

A Shoreline Conference title may be a lofty goal this year, "We want a Shoreline title but we have to be realistic," he said.

East Hampton and Old Saybrook will be two main contenders for the title, but Bellemare would not be surprised if Coginchaug turns a few heads this year.

"We're contenders, we're on the rise."

For an introduction to the Girls' Basketball team, click .