SPB's High School Sports

Tom Marcucci, who coached Notre Dame-West Haven’s football team for 17 years, is returning to the sidelines as the Green Knights’ next coach, the school announced Monday.

Marcucci takes over for his successor John DeCaprio who stepped down after going 66-38 in 10 years. Marcucci, who resigned in 1998 to become an assistant principal, served as an assistant under DeCaprio for seven seasons. He quit that post to become the school’s athletic director in 2006.

(more…)

Harding has hired James Morris, a part-time physical education teacher in the Bridgeport school system, as its next football coach.

He’s not someone we’d heard of until the announcement today, which is because Morris is new to the Bridgeport school system and has only worked as substitute so far.

But Bridgeport’s Citywide Athletic Director Jim Denton said Morris’s resume and his attitude impressed the selection committee enough to win the job over five other interviewees.

Though he’s new to Bridgeport, Morris has over 25 years coaching experience in college at Pacific and Mississippi.

“I’m certain he’ll lead Harding in a positive direction,” Denton said.

That’s two down. Here’s what we have left: (the ones of record, that is).

(more…)

Updated Saturday 3 p.m.

It was quite an eventful boys basketball night in Fairfield County.

Down in New Canaan, St. Joseph defeated New Canaan 69-65 to earn the 800th career victory for coach Vito Montelli (above with Greg Langston).

Over in Harding’s Miska Gymnasium, all-state forward Tevin Baskin put on an offensive and defensive show, scoring a triple double to help top-ranked Trinity Catholic roar past Harding, 72-58.

Baskin wowed the crowd with 29 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks. Eric Jean-Guillaume added 14 for the unbeaten Crusaders (11-0, 9-0 FCIAC).

Here’s the Trinity-Harding game story from today’s paper.

And here’s the skinny on Montell’s 800th

Elsewhere…

(more…)

Here’s what to look for in today’s Connecticut Post:

There are few truly exceptional girls basketball teams out there, Daphne Elliott (above) happens to lead one of them. Here’s Mike Cardillo’s story on the Warde sparkplug.

Steve Filippone and some of his colleagues in the Connecticut High School Coaches Association football committee are pitching another proposal to expand the high school football playoffs. While Filippone’s proposal is better than last year and it’s probably the best you’ll ever get under the constrained guidelines of the CIAC’s 12-week season. But does that mean we should support it. Read the column here.

In other news…

(more…)

Jeremy Williams scored 19 while Kyle Geer and Mike Lomax had 17 points apiece as Bassick turned a close game into an 82-74 victory over St. Joseph Tuesday night at Bassick.

The Lions, who are now 3-5, also denied St. Joseph coach Vito Montelli his 800th career victory. Greg Langston did his best with 32 points, but he received little help from his foul-plagued teammates. St. Joseph falls to 6-3.

The night, however, was not devoid of milestones. While Montelli was missing out on 800, Bunnell coach Pat Yerina earned No. 200 when Chris Rosario’s tip-in at the buzzer gave Bunnell 49-48 victory over Weston.

(That’s 200 down, but 599 more to catch Vito, Pat.)

In other boys basketball games of note…

(more…)

And the high school football stove keeps burning.

The FCIAC, which was hoping to secure a two-year scheduling deal from outsiders, has apparently decided to acquiesce and start scheduling out-of-league games. Ridgefield has secured a date with Wilbur Cross of New Haven in Week 4.

Now that the seal is broken, here’s a look at how the FCIAC and SCC bye weeks line up and if a deal has been made. If a team is already spoken for, its opponent appears in parentheses.

(more…)

Notre Dame-Fairfield topped Immaculate 6-1 to give coach Marty Roos his 500th career victory Wednesday night at the Milford Ice Pavilion.

Film at 11 … (just kidding).

Here is Emmett Spillane Jr.’s account of the game.

A much different game than the last time, but the general result was the same.

Junior Russell Payton scored 14 of 18 points in the second half (9 in the third quarter) and Jason Charles had 16 as Stratford overcame foul-plagued Bunnell, 54-42, Tuesday night.

Stratford, which defeated Bunnell 69-45 only 11 days ago, trailed by as much as five points twice in the first half and 24-21 at halftime. But then Bunnell started getting into serious foul trouble, and Stratford turned on the jets and outscored Bunnell 20-5 in the third quarter to win their 21st straight game dating back to an overtime loss to Barlow on Jan. 29, 2008.

Here’s the game story appearing in Wednesday’s Post.

Elsewhere in boys basketball…

(more…)