Mark Thomas sizes up a putt during the first round of the Mayor’s Cup golf tournament Saturday at East Mountain Golf Course. (Palladino/RA)

Republican-American

WATERBURY — After the first round of the eighth Mayor’s Cup golf tournament on Saturday at East Mountain Golf Course, it is fair to say: anyone can win it.

There are 10 players grouped within five shots in the championship flight as the field moves on to Western Hills for today’s final round in the two-day, 36-hole stroke play event.

And incidentally, five-shot leads can disappear rapidly at The Hills.

Gil Lassen and Mike Natale share the top spot after a 73 at The Mountain, with Joe Massicotte and Bill Conlea one shot back at 74. Three-time champion Rudy Hermstadt is at 75, and the defending champ, Tim Blake, sits at 76. Tom Dorso is close at 77, and so is Bruce Loman and Joe Catalina, with Tom Mulhall at 78.

That’s a tough pack.

The first net flight is typically jammed, with Roger Bournival in the lead at net 65, and

Tom Lavoy, Steve Cerasale, and Joe Rotella all at 66.

The second net flight is a romp, at the moment, as Jeremy Eterginio is a net 58, after he shot an 83. In the chase group are Terry Fox and Bill Harold at net 69.

8th MAYOR’S CUP

Saturday’s results

at East Mountain Golf Course

Championship flight

Gil Lassen 73

Mike Natale 73

Joe Massicotte 74

Bill Conlea 74

Rudy Hermstadt 75

Tim Blake 76

Tom Dorso 77

Bruce Loman 77

Joe Catalina 77

Tom Mulhall 78

Dave Pollo 80

Tim Fleck 81

Tom Arisco 82

Devon Dunbar 83

Mark Thomas 83

Henry Ricketts 85

First handicap flight

Roger Bournival 72-7, 65

Tom Lavoy 78-12, 66

Steve Cerasale 79-13, 66

Joe Rotella 75-9, 66

Bob Holt 81-14, 67

Mike Kulla 77-9, 68

Ray Byron 82-14, 68

Shea Zaccagnini 82-13, 69

Tom Sergi 80-9, 71

Branden Strileckis 83-12, 71

Tom Blake 82-9, 73

Dennis J. Sullivan 86-13, 73

Gordon Jennett 84-10, 74

Bob Axon 88-14, 74

Ken Dechello 85-10, 75

Todd Deschino 84-9, 75

Mike Traonetti 86-11, 75

Mike Girouard 88-12, 76

Tom Byrne 89-13, 76

Marty Girouard 87-11, 76

Keith Shea 87-11, 76

Gene Gravel 78-0, 78

John Healy 91-11, 80

Matt Calabrese 95-14, 81

Second handicap flight

Jeremy Eterginio 83-25, 58

Terry Fox 86-17, 69

Bill Harold 88-19, 69

Jim O’Donnell 86-16, 70

Gary Dickey 87-17, 70

Paul Brouillette 86-16, 70

Dave Mancini 86-16, 70

A.J.Vitale 88-15, 73

Bob Sugrue 88-14, 74

Greg Sullivan 88-14, 74

Chris Colt 89-15, 74

Mike Yamin 89-14, 75

A.J. Barbieri 92-15, 77

Kyle Howles 96-17, 79

Tony Musto 106-26, 80

Carl Miscavage 105-21, 84

Carmine Polletta 107-23, 84

Today’s tee times

at Western Hills

8:56 a.m.: Healy, Byrne, Calabrese, Gravel

9:04: Howles, Musto, Miscavage Polletta

9:12: Traonetti, Mike Girouard, Marty Girouard, Shea

9:20: Colt, Yamin Barbieri

9:28: Jennett, Axon, Dechello, Deschino

9:36: Arisco, Dunbar, Thomas, Ricketts

9:44: Vitale, Sugrue, Sullivan

9:52: Sergi, Strileckis, Tom Blake, D. Sullivan

10: Loman, Mulhall, Pollo, Fleck

10:08: O’Donnell, Dickey, Mancini

10:16: Holt, Kulla, Byron, Zaccagnini

10:24: Hermstadt, Tim Blake, Dorso, Catalina

10:32: Eterginio, Fox, Harold, Brouillette

10:40: Bournival, Lavoy, Cerasale, Rotella

10:48: Lassen, Natale, Massicotte, Conlea

Note: Platers are urged to arrive early in the event that the groups can get out earlier than listed.

WATERBURY — The eighth Mayor’s Cup had three first-time champions.

Joe Massicotte, a former Republican-American golf champion, added a Mayor’s Cup trophy to his collection with a three-shot victory this weekend. Massicotte shot an even-par round of 72 at Western Hills on Sunday, to go with his 74 at East Mountain on Saturday. His two-day total of 146 were three shots better that Gil Lassen (149), and five better than the trio of Rudy Hermstadt, Bruce Loman, and Mike Natale, all at 151. 

The net flights also had first time winners. In the first flight, Ray Byron’s two day score of 136 allowed him to edge Bob Holt by just one shot (137). At 140 were Roger Bournival and Joe Rotella.

In a rout in the second flight, Jeremy Eterginio romped to the Cup title with a net score of 129, and that was 11 shots better than Jim O’Donnell (138) and 14 better than Dave Mancini, A.J. Vitale, Bob Sugrue, and Greg Sullivan.

8th MAYOR’S CUP

Final results

Championship flight

Joe Massicotte 74-72—146

Gil Lassen 73-76—149

Rudy Hermstadt 75-76—151

Bruce Loman 77-74—151

Mike Natale 73-78—151

Bill Conlea 74-80—154

Tim Blake 76-78—154

Tom Dorso 77-78—155

Tom Mulhall 78-80—158

Tom Arisco 82-77—159

Tim Fleck 81-81—162

Joe Catalina 77-89—166

Henry Ricketts 85-83—168

Devon Dunbar 83-89—172

First handicap flight

(all scores are net)

Ray Byron 136

Bob Holt 137

Roger Bournival 140

Joe Rotella 140

Mike Kulla 142

Branden Strileckis 143

Mike Traonetti 143

Tom Blake 143

Tom Lavoy 145

Marty Girouard 147

Steve Cerasale 148

Tom Byrne 148

Gordon Jennett 150

Keith Shea 151

Dennis J. Sullivan 151

John Healy 152

Todd Deschino 153

Bob Axon 157

Mike Girouard 158

Ken Dechello 158

Shea Zaccagnini 159

Tom Sergi 159

Matt Calabrese 164

Second handicap flight

(all scores are net)

Jeremy Eterginio 129

Jim O’Donnell 138

Dave Mancini 143

A.J.Vitale 143

Bob Sugrue 143

Greg Sullivan 143

Chris Colt 145

Gary Dickey 147

Paul Brouillette 147

Terry Fox 149

Bill Harold 149

A.J. Barbieri 151

Kyle Howles 154

Tony Musto 155

Carl Miscavage 162

Carmine Polletta 164

Mayor’s Cup champions

2016

Gross: Joe Massicotte

1st net: Ray Byron

2nd net: Jeremy Eterginio

2015

Gross: Tim Blake

1st net: Bill Conlea

2nd net: Peter Ventura

2014

Gross: Joe Spezzano

Net: Al Natale

2013

Gross: Tommy Dorso Jr.

Net: Armand Dalesio

2012

Gross: Rudy Hermstadt

Net: Tom Blake

2011

Gross: Rudy Hermstadt

Net:  Branden Strileckis

2010

Gross: Rudy Hermstadt

Net: Branden Strileckis

2009

Gross: Rudy Hermstadt

Net: Jim DeVito

Pete Ventura is seen here in the 2015 Mayor’s Cup tournament. (Palladino/RA)

First-round matches got underway on Saturday in the 81st Republican-American golf championship at East Mountain Golf Course, and two defending champions got through.

Keith Shea, first flight champ in 2014 and 2015 but who is now playing in the championship flight, won a thriller over Jonathan Gallo on the 22nd hole. Second flight champ from 2015, Pete Ventura, won his opener in the first flight, 3 and 2, over Dan Petroski.

One other match went extra holes on Saturday, in the first flight, as Tom Byrne defeated Ken Lotto on the 19th hole.

Quarterfinal matches continue Sunday, and all matches are at Western Hills Golf Course. The semis are Saturday at East Mountain, and the R&A finals one week from Sunday, back at Western Hills.      

81st Republican-American golf championship

Championship flight

First round

at East Mountain GC

Saturday’s results

Tyler Mannix  def. Devon Dunbar, 2 up

Keith Shea def. Jonathan Gallo, 22 holes

Bill Conlea def. Jerry Penta, 1 up

Today’s matches

at Western Hills

8:40 a.m.

No. 1 Mark Ingala vs. Mannix

No. 4  Anthony Berardi, No. 5 Tom Mulhall

8:48 a.m.

No. 2 Rob Pelletier vs. Shea

No. 3 Americo Silva vs Conlea

First flight

First round

at East Mountain GC

Saturday

Mike Traonetti def. Wayne Landry, 6 and 5

Terry Fox def. AJ Barbieri, 4 and 3

Greg Sullivan def. Jeremy Eterginio, 6 and 5

Pete Ventura def. Dan Petroski, 3 and 2

Branden Strileckis def. Kevin Dean, 3 up

James O’Donnell def. Kyle Howles, 4 and 3

Tom Byrne def. Ken Lotto, 19 holes

Bob Holt def. Stephen Barbieri, 3 and 2

Today’s matches

at Western Hills

8:56 a.m.

Traonetti vs. Fox

Sullivan vs. Ventura

9:04 a.m.

Strileckis vs. O’Donnell

Byrne vs. Holt

Greg Sullivan plays in first-flight semifinal on Saturday in R&A golf tournament. (Palladino/RA)

The 81st Republican-American golf championship hits the semifinal stage Saturday at Western Hills Golf Course.

For the first time since the tournaments went to an East Mountain vs. Western Hills format in 1962, all matches alternate between the Hills and the Mountain, due to the small number of entries. The first round was at East Mountain, the quarters and semis were at Western Hills, with the championship finals at East Mountain on Sunday.

The championship flight matches feature Keith Shea, the 10th seed and a two-time defending firstflight champ, against No. 6 Bill Conlea in the semis. The other side of the championship draw has Mark Ingala, the top seed in the flight, against No. 5 Tom Muhall of Western Hills. This foursome tees off at 8:16 a.m.

In the first flight semis, Jim O’Donnell, who is the No. 7 seed, meets No. 6 Bob Holt, while top-seeded Mike Traonetti plays No. 4 Greg Sullivan. This foursome plays at 8:24 a.m.

The Sunday times are The Mountain are: championship flight, 8:32 a.m.; first flight, 8:40 a.m.

81st Republican-American golf championship

Semifinals

at Western Hills GC

Saturday’s matches

Championship flight

8:16 a.m.

Mark Ingala vs. Tom Mulhall

Keith Shea vs. Bill Conlea

First flight

8:24 a.m.

Mike Traonetti vs. Greg Sullivan

Jim O’Donnell vs. Bob Holt

Finals

Sunday

at East Mountain

Championship flight, 8:32 a.m.

First flight, 8:40 a.m.

Winsted native Bobby Gage, the teaching pro at Candlewood Valley CC in New Milford, is currently at +2 142 and poised to make the cut at the U.S. Senior Open in Ohio. (Palladino/RA)

Who is that guy ripping it up at the U.S. Senior Open? Yes, the guy who characteristically pulls his ball cap so low that you need to dip down a bit to recognize him.

Of course, that’s Winsted native and Candlewood Valley Country Club teaching pro Bobby Gage and he is smack in the middle of things at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.

After two days at the Open Gage sits at 2-over-par 142, which has him tied for 14th. He’s tied with some guy named Tom Watson. I don’t know, apparently he’s pretty good. Also at 142 is Jeff Sluman, Mark Brooks, and Jay Haas too.

The leader is Joey Sindelar at -5 135, and at -4 136 is Billy Matfair.

Gage is rocking it with the Seniors.

In the first round, through 16 holes, Gage was 3-under and in the lead. Yes, that’s correct, in the lead.

However, he played his final two holes, the eighth and ninth, in four-over to sink back to a 71.

On Friday, Gage made four more birdies, but three bogies and a double bogie gave him another 71.

Today, on the 233-yard par 3 14th, Gage slammed a 3 wood to within three feet for one of the day’s highlight moments. Unfortunately, he missed the bird. 

Gage is on the board in 14th ahead of players like Bernhard Langer (143), Tom Lehman and Fred Funk (144), John Cook (148), John Daly (151), Mark O’Meara (152), and Hale Irwin (153). 

The Winsted guy has made the cut at the U.S. Senior Open. He tees off Saturday at 8:37 a.m. off No. 1 with Joe Durrant and Brian Henninger.

Bill Conlea plays in his first R&A championship flight final. (Palladino/RA)

WATERBURY – Three first-time finalists will go after R&A titles Sunday at East Mountain Golf Course in the 81st Republican-American tournament.

In a semifinal sizzler at Western Hills on Saturday, Mark Ingala defeated Tom Mulhall, 5 and 4, in the championship flight, while Bill Conlea held on and defeated Keith Shea in 21 holes in the other championship semi.

Ingala and Conlea play for the R&A title today at The Mountain, tee time 8:32 a.m. It is the first final for Ingala. Conlea is a past R&A first-flight champ.

In the first flight, James O’Donnell beat Bob Holt, 2 and 1, and Mike Traonetti went to 20 holes before he beat Greg Sullivan. The O’Donnell-Traonetti match is at 8:40 a.m. Both Traonetti and O’Donnell are in their first R&A final, and more, for O’Donnell, this is his first time playing in a golf tournament of any kind.

Mark Ingala tries for his first R&A crown. (Palladino/RA)

Here are Saturday’s results:

81st Republican-American golf championship

at Western Hills GC

Saturday’s matches

Semifinals

Championship flight

Mark Ingala def. Tom Mulhall, 5 and 4

Bill Conlea def. Keith Shea, 21 holes

First flight

Mike Traonetti def. Greg Sullivan, 20 holes

Jim O’Donnell def. Bob Holt, 2 and 1

Today’s matches

at East Mountain GC

Championship flight

Ingala vs. Conlea, 8:32 a.m.

First flight

Traonetti vs. O’Donnell, 8:40 a.m.

Note: Both matches are 18-hole match-play finals

East Mountain Golf Course professional Dave Giacondino, center, presents the 2016 championship trophies to the winners of the 81st Republican-American golf championship. On the left is championship flight winner Mark Ingala, and on the right first flight champ Jim O’Donnell. It is the first R&A title for both players. (Palladino/RA)

The 81st Republican-American golf championship wrapped up Sunday at East Mountain GC, and there were a pair of first-time winners.

Saying that he “wanted to win this very badly,” championship flight winner Mark Ingala said it was great “to win the championship from the city I was born in.”

Ingala was a 6 and 5 winner of Bill Conlea.

First-flight champ Jim O’Donnell won a tight match against Mike Traonetti, 2 up, and he did it with some sensational work on the green.

“My putting saved me today,” O’Donnell said. “I never really got in trouble, and I was never down too many holes. I hit some great putts today, some of them, you got to through your hands up like (Michael) Jordan.”

81st Republican-American golf championship

at East Mountain GC

Sunday

Finals

Championship flight

Mark Ingala def. Bil Conlea, 6 and 5

First flight

Jim O’Donnell def. Mike Traonetti, 2 up

Republican-American champions

Past winners of the Republican-American golf tournament, matching the champions of East Mountain and Western Hills. The tournament dates to 1933. Western Hills joined the competition in 1962. Entire tournament field combined in 2016:

2016: Mark Ingala (EM) def. Bil Conlea (EM)

2015: Tommy Dorso (WH) def. Gil Lassen (EM)

2014: Joe Massicotte (EM) def. Steve Kasle (WH)

2013: Gil Lassen Jr. (EM) def. Alex Taylor (WH)

2012: Chris Cappella (EM) def. Nick Taylor (WH)

2011: Rudy Hermstadt (WH) def. Tommy Dorso Jr. (EM)

2010: Rudy Hermstadt (WH) def. Tommy Dorso Jr. (EM)

2009: Rudy Hermstadt (WH) def. Tom Daddona

2008: Doug Pemberton (EM) def. Garrett Hazen (WH)

2007: Chris Cappella (EM) def. Joe LaPorta (WH)

2006 Tommy Dorso Jr. (WH) def. Tom Daddona (EM)

2005 Irv Nixon Jr. (WH) def. Doug Pemberton (EM)

2004 Mike Walsh (WH) def. Tommy Dorso Jr. (EM)

2003 Mark Thomas (WH) def. Ted Wojack (EM)

2002 Nick Pappas (WH) def. Tony Ursini (EM)

2001 Brian Parrillo (WH) def. Del LeVasseur (EM)

2000 John Sevivas (WH) def. Joe Rotella (EM)

1999 Chris Cappella (WH) def. Dirk Whitesell (EM)

1998 Pat Whiston (EM) def. Rudy Hermstadt (WH)

1997 Pat Whiston (EM) def. Chris Cappella (WH)

1996 Chris Cappella (WH) def. Kevin Flynn (EM)

1995 Marcus Calabro (EM) def. Jim Sappiano (WH)

1994 Pat Whiston (EM), Pat Galvin (WH) co-champs

1993 Scott Dalesio (EM) def. Pat Galvin (WH)

1992 John Bushka (WH) def. Scott Dalesio (EM)

1991 Rich Fazio (EM) def. Joe Spezzano (WH)

1990 Scott Dalesio (EM) def. John Bushka (WH)

1989 Rich Fazio (WH) def. Scott Dalesio (EM)

1988 Glenn Wityak (WH) def. Vin Capece Jr. (EM)

1987 Armand Dalesio (EM) def. Ray Loman (WH)

1986 Glenn Wityak (WH) def. Scott Dalesio (EM)

1985 Tom Ambrose (EM) def. James Fappiano (WH)

1984 Tom Ambrose (EM) def. Glenn Wityak (WH)

1983 Bob Ford (EM) def. Rich Fazio (WH)

1982 Nick Pappas (WH) def. Tom Ambrose (EM)

1981 Mike Walsh (WH) def. Pat Whiston (EM)

1980 Tom Ambrose (EM) def. Mike Walsh (WH)

1979 Tom Ambrose (EM) def. Carl Santoro (WH)

1978 Rich Wilczewski (WH) def. Mark Augustauskas (EM)

1977 Mike Walsh (WH) def. Howard Jones (EM)

1976 Carl Santoro (WH) def. Bill Boughton (EM)

1975 Mike Carney (WH) def. Pat Whiston (EM)

1974 Fran Marrello (WH) def. Harry Cashin (EM)

1973 Bruce Loman (WH) def. Howard Jones (EM)

1972 Bill Casey (EM) def. Lou Leone (WH)

1971 Pat Whiston (EM) def. George Hartery (WH)

1970 Ed Trusiewicz Jr. (WH) def. Dave DiLeo (EM)

1969 Billy Casey (EM) def. Phil Valaitis (WH)

1968 John Barlas (EM) def. Ray Loman (WH)

1967 Harry Cashin (EM) def. Larry Fenn (WH)

1966 Oscar Teubner (WH) def. John Lokis (EM)

1965 Roger Vassallo (EM) def. Oscar Teubner (WH)

1964 John Jacobs (WH) def. Len Corrado (EM)

1963 John Jacobs (WH) def. Fran McGrath (EM)

1962 Matty Penikas (WH) def. John Lokis (EM)

1961 Chet Wojack def. John Jacobs

1960 Chet Wojack def. Matt Penikas

1959 Chet Wojack def. Ray Kozen

1958 Chet Wojack def. Len Corrado

1957 Chet Wojack def. Ray Kozen

1956 Ray Kozen def. Al Venslovas

1955 Matt Penikas def. Phil DiChiara

1954 Chet Wojack def. John Jacobs

1953 Chet Wojack def. Jack Strew

1952 Len Corrado def. Chet Wojack

1951 Joe Stevens def. Wally Simmons

1950 Joe Stevens def. Chet Wojack

1949 Stan Kidulas def. Chet Wojack

1948 Joe Stevens def. Armand Durante

1947 Jack Strew def. Jim Bredice

1946 Joe Stevens def. Charley Jurgonis

1943-44-45 No tournament

1942 Charley Jurgonis def. Al Zubras

1941 Charley Jurgonis def. Armand Durante

1940 Charley Jurgonis def. Matt Penikas

1939 Al Zubras def. Norman Boucher

1938 Johnny Rogers def. Stan Kidulas

1937 Frankie Paul def. Johnny Rogers

1936 Frankie Paul def. Charley Jurgonis

1935 Charley Jurgonis def. George Bolger

1934 Ned Farley def. Willie Baron

1933 Ned Farley def. Andy O’Leary

Wilby and Crosby High Schools staged a city game for the ages back on January 14, 2013. The game will be rebroadcast tonight and next week on CPTV Sports. Pictured are, left to right, Crosby’s Ernest Wallace (30), Wilby’s Stanley Foote, Crosby’s Aseim King, and Wilby’s Walter Wright. (Erin Covey/RA)

The Naugatuck Valley League boys basketball game believed by some to be one of the greatest city games ever played, between unbeaten Crosby and Wilby High Schools from Jan. 14, 2013, will be rebroadcast tonight by CPTV Sports. The broadcast begins at 7 p.m.

The game is part of a CPTV Sports series called The Glory Games. The series highlights some of the best games recorded and broadcast over the the past five years.

The Crosby-Wilby game, played in front of a sold-out Reggie O’Brien Gymnasium, was the first of three sensational games between the Bulldogs and Wildcats that season. The teams played twice in the regular season, and they met again in the NVL championship game.

Wilby’s Stanley Foote gets the heart-stopping started in this Wilby-Crosby classic. (Erin Covey/RA)

 In total, the margin of difference for the three games was four points. The total score for the three games was 228-226, and the teams played a total of three overtimes in the three games.

“The Brass city showdown at Reggie O’Brien from 2013 has been selected as our finest regular-season broadcast,” said CPTV Sports producer Francesco Graziano. “I had the pleasure of calling the heart-stopping conclusion that featured not one, but two buzzer-beating shots.”

CPTV Sports is available on Comcast, channel 966, Cox Communications, channel 805, Cablevision, channel 139, Frontier, channel 65, and Dish Network, channel 6.  Additional airings will be Sunday at 1 p.m., Monday, at 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Walter Wright (Covey/RA)

Tonight, on CPTV Sports you can relive the excitement of one of the greatest city basketball games ever played, the Jan. 14, 2013 Instant Classic between Crosby and Wilby at the Reggie O’Brien Gymnasium. The game is on CPTV Sports at 7 p.m., and it re-airs on Sunday at 1 p.m., Monday, at 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Just to remind you of what you can see tonight, check out these two heart-stopping highlights from the game.

As CPTV Sports producer Francesco Grazziano said:

“The Brass city showdown at Reggie O’Brien from 2013 has been selected as our finest regular season broadcast.  I had the pleasure of calling the heart-stopping conclusion that featured not one, but two buzzer-beating shots!”

MVP Mike Mancini led Kennedy High to the 2015 city soccer jamboree title. The 2016 jamboree kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Municipal Stadium. (Palladino/RA)

City football, soccer jamborees

FOOTBALL

When: Friday

Where: Crosby High School

Time: First game 4 p.m.

Cost: Adults, $5; Waterbury students, $1; Non-Waterbury students, $3

Schedule:

Crosby vs. Wilby, 4 p.m.

Career Academy vs. Kennedy, 4:30 p.m.

Sacred Heart vs. Crosby, 5 p.m.

Wilby vs. Career Academy, 5:30 p.m.

Kennedy vs. Sacred Heart, 6 p.m.

Note: start times approximate

Championship format: To be determined

SOCCER

When: Saturday

Where: Municipal Stadium

Time: First match 10 a.m.

Cost: Free

Schedule:

Crosby vs. Sacred Heart, 10 a.m.

Wilby vs. Career Academy, 10:25 a.m.

Holy Cross vs. Chase Collegiate, 10:50 a.m.

Kaynor Tech vs. Kennedy, 11:15 a.m.

Crosby vs. Wilby, 11:40 a.m.

Sacred Heart vs. Career Academy, 12:05 p.m.

Holy Cross vs. Kaynor Tech, 12:30 p.m.

Chase Collegiate vs. Kennedy, 12:55 p.m.

Career Academy vs. Crosby, 1:20 p.m.

Sacred Heart vs. Holy Cross, 1:45 p.m.

Wilby vs. Kennedy, 2:10 p.m.

Kaynor Tech vs. Chase Collegiate, 2:35 p.m.

Championship format: Total points (3 points for victory, 1 point for tie)

Kennedy High’s Destiny Hofler belts out the Star-Spangled Banner during the basketball season of 2011-12. (Palladino/RA)

Don’t dishonor our best and brightest

Why are you upset about a man who sat?

A stadium was filled with tens of thousands of people and hundreds of players, officials, press, security. One man sat, and you all got crazy.

The national anthem protest was so effective that it has inspired others who now say they will sit, too.

Truth is, your outrage is understandable. I felt the same way a few seasons back when a growing number of people at high school sporting events did not stand for the anthem. It wasn’t just one person. It was eight to 10 every game. I asked a few why they didn’t stand. They didn’t have an answer.

As I recall, there wasn’t a hint of outrage at any of those games. You sat down and shut up. I suspect that you can be brave now with social media as your cover and your platform.

Here is a Star-Spangled Compilation from the 2011-12 high school season:

I wrote a column about this in 2012. The fact that people sat during the anthem was not the issue. I really don’t care what you think about anything.

However, it was what you did to the young high school student that bothered me.

Out there on that field or floor, there was a 15- or 16 year-old kid with real courage.

They grabbed that microphone and put themselves on the line.

They sang for their school, their family, their city — for you — and they belted out a passionate anthem while you sat there like a dolt.

Disrespect the flag? The anthem? That’s your business.

You are free to do so. But disrespect that brave young singer? You should be ashamed.

That kid represented the best in us all, and you sat there with your hat pulled down over your eyes and cowered in the corner of a bleacher. Next time, show some sack, bring out a chair and sit right there in the middle of the field or the court, or right next to that high school kid, your neighbor. Sit there for all to see the level of disrespect you have for our best and brightest.

Back in 2011, I began to shoot video of people who sat during the anthem. That was dumb. Why focus on them? I then decided to shoot video of the real heroes, the anthem singers, and we have run many of those videos on our sports website, The Zone.

Today, we will repost that video, a 2011-12 anthem compilation. It was quite emotional to see it again five years later. I suspect you will feel the same.

I wonder if the famous football star would be dumb enough, brave enough, to sit down and insult one of these truly gutsy kids.

Bundle up today. The sun is high but the wind is up and there will be a chill in the air at state tournament soccer and field hockey games. Bring a blanket, a warm drink, and make a stop at an ATM before you arrive at the game.

Be forewarned: The CIAC will pluck your wallet clean.

It is the quarterfinal round for many state tournament brackets in soccer, field hockey, and volleyball, and once we hit the quarters ticket prices soar.

It will cost you $10 to watch your son or daughter play a game. That is an outrage.

There was plenty of outrage earlier this week after a bracketing and seeding error caused postponement of the Class LL and L first-round matches in girls soccer. Many people were inconvenienced and upset. Some teams had left school early and arrived at a site to play a game, only to find out that the schedule was incorrect. The kids got back on the bus and went home.

Look, that’s OK. It was an honest mistake. It happens. The brackets were reseeded and we moved on.

Charging spectators 10 bucks to attend a high school sporting event, often at a field with little parking, no facilities, and on many occasions only a handful of seats, is nothing short of larceny.

So mom, dad, grams and gramps, cash in those savings bonds, it’s tourney time.

Early results are in, but not all the precincts have reported. 

The overtime issue wasn’t an issue after all.

The Naugatuck Valley League abandoned soccer overtime for the 2016 season. Some coaches liked the idea, others protested. The overriding concern was that NVL teams would be at a disadvantage in the state tournament against teams that play overtime in the regular season.

That did not happened. Yes, teams lost OT games, but based only on games I have seen, no NVL school seemed unprepared for the occasion.

Also, the Sacred Heart boys made the state tournament for the first time in nine seasons, thanks to a 5-8-3 record. Had those three tie games gone to OT in the NVL, and had the Hearts lost them all, they would have been out of the tourney. Ties were a good thing for the Hearts.

In the NVL tourney, the overtime games were all thrilling. The caliber of play in the Watertown-Holy Cross final was sensational. Lack of OT games during the season did not hurt anyone.

On to states, NVL schools went OT six times, won two, lost four. Did team lose because overtime was a bewildering place for the NVL teams? Hardly. Sometimes you just get beat.

We’ll run a poll with NVL coaches at the conclusion of the season, but at this point, the move to eliminate OT games made sense then, and makes sense now. 

Good news: postseason soccer returns to Municipal Stadium.

Yes, on Monday night, Nov. 14, Ray Snyder Field hosts its first tournament soccer match when Lewis Mills plays Immaculate in a Class M semifinal at 6 p.m.

The CIAC, at least, has deemed The Muni tourney worthy.

The Naugatuck Valley League, um, not so much.

This season, the NVL took its postseason soccer tournaments on the road. After the first-round home games, the NVL played its semifinals at Watertown and Seymour High Schools, and the finals, for the first time, at Naugatuck High.

The Borough put on a good show, and with Naugy’s marching band practicing close to the field, there was soccer and music, together.

Well, strike up the band, it was pretty cool.

In the future, the plan is to bring the tourney to other NVL sites, presumably, Torrington’s Frost Complex, or Seymour’s DeBarber Field, or one also hopes, Oxford’s Wolverine Field.

But let me just put in a plug here for the Stadium. One word: Parking. Naugy is terrific, if you can find a place to park, and the one complaint I heard was, fans who arrived for game two, the girls final, could not.

Parking isn’t just an add-on luxury. It is essential.

Look, the Stadium is hardly perfect. The grandstands aren’t the best and comfort facilities are significantly lacking.

But for me, the Stadium is the place to play postseason soccer, especially the NVL’s postseason soccer extravaganza.

The CIAC gets it. The NVL does not. 

Remember soccer coaches: On the sidelines, stay in your technical area.

You know what a technical area is, don’t you? It is small patch in front of your bench where you are allowed to stand when you coach your team. The problem is:

No such area actually exists on a high school soccer field, at least, not a field that I have seen this season, or any other season.

During the first week of the season, second game I covered, an official warned both coaches to stay in their technical area. Both coaches looked around the field. No such area was designated.

It has been a point of reference in many games, and at no time has anyone actually seen a technical area.

At the Class L girls quarterfinal on Sunday — a card-strewn affair between host Nonnewaug and Daniel Hand High — harsh warnings were issued to one coach to stay off the sideline.

Goodness gracious, after a season of watching coaches all over the sideline, even on the field, suddenly, we have a seatbelt rule.

OK, fine, I buy it, stay in the technical area. But where is it? Who has one? Is it just a guess?

In the game in Woodbury, Nonnewaug coach Nick Sheikh humorously walked off an arbitrary number of paces from the sideline to designate an imaginary area.

Note to the CIAC: If you plan to charge spectators $10 to attend a soccer match, then let’s see the money. Provide your officials with the means to measure and mark a coaching box.

Note to officials: If you plan to enforce this technical area issue, then mark one off. 

Thus far, this technical area stuff has been loosely and arbitrarily enforced.