SPB's High School Football

We’re here at Branford High School where a sparse crowd has gathered for Central-Norwich Free Academy Class LL quarterfinal game. We’re just about ready to get started.

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Stratford beat back short-handed Harding tonight, 50-40, in the first game between the two neighboring schools since 1985. Brandon Sherrod scored 14 points and had 20 rebounds as Stratford advanced to the Class L quarterfinals.

Harding, which was playing without leading scorer Mike Davis (arrested on robbery charges last week), shot just 14 of 54 and was felled by a 11-0 Stratford third-quarter run. Stephon Patterson gave Stratford a lift with six points off the bench during the third quarter.

Harding coach Charlie Bentley did not make any comments on any retirement plans after the game, saying only, “I haven’t thought about it.”

Stratford (2-1), faces NVL finalist Torrington–featuring 6-foot-7 center Jordan Williams–in the quarterfinals on Monday.

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Central held off Glastonbury 71-63 in a tight ballgame at Reilly Gymnasium that saw the Tomahawks rally from 16 points down to get within one with 3:25 left. But Central’s Diontay Washington and Jerome Parkins hit back-to-back big shots to give the Hilltoppers a four-point cushion they wouldn’t relinquish, not even by missing the front-end of three straight one-and-ones.

Glastonbury big man John Pinone led the way with 22 points. Washington and Parkins led five Central players in double figures with 17 and 16, respectively.

The Hilltoppers advance to the second round to play NFA, a 54-44 winner over Hamden in the quarterfinals Friday at a site to be determined.

(Incidentally, Glastonbury had recently dismissed seniors Peter Brazel and Ryan Cook, who were expelled from the team under suspicions of underage drinking in a February incident that was reported in the Hartford Courant and Fox 61 on Wednesday morning. Senior guard Jeff Pitkin did play after after the article said he served a school-imposed suspension.

Elswhere…

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In a move that surprised nobody, assistant coach Frank Marcucio was named Bassick’s next football coach today. He replaces Dennis Wanzie, who left after winning three games in two seasons with the program.

Marcucio, 46, is a business teacher at the school and also serves as a school district trainer. He’s served two years under Wanzie at Bassick and two at Wilbur Cross. He has also been an assistant at Newtown and Shelton, in addition to coaching freshman basketball at Seymour.

Marcucio had been the interim coach for the last three months as the Bridgeport board of education collected applications for the job.

With Tom Lennon‘s recent hiring at Seymour, that leaves several open jobs in the region, including Fairfield Warde and Notre Dame-Fairfield.

Stratford was just a little too much for Naugatuck in a first-round, 64-46 victory at Needham gymnasium. Brandon Sherrod scored 16 points, had 16 rebounds and six blocked shots as the Red Devils advance to the second round.

Their opponent? Harding. The No. 18 seeded Presidents defeated Bristol Eastern 52-42.

We fact-checkers are still at work in determining when the last time these border schools met. It’s been at least 20 years, we think.

Elsewhere…

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As expected, the Seymour board of education approved the hiring of Tom Lennon as the next Seymour football coach at its regular monthly meeting Monday night.

Lennon takes over for former coach Paul Sponheimer, who stepped down after 29 years.

Andrei Oztemel rocked the house that Vito built Monday night, tying a career high 39 points in Staples 75-59 victory in the first round of the CIAC Class LL boys basketball tournament.

Oztemel, who had 23 points at halftime, made six of his team’s 13 3-pointers as the Wreckers came back from an early 10-point deficit. St. Joseph managed to go in front 51-49 early in the fourth, but Staples reserve Brendan Rankowitz drilled a 3-pointer from the right corner to kick-off a 23-2 game-clincing run.

Oztemel and John DiBartolomeo, two of the best players in the FCIAC, scored 10 points apiece during the surge which assured Staples its fourth straight victory over St. Joseph dating back to the 2006-7 season.

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Bunnell has won its first SWC championship, and the school’s first basketball title since 1986, with a 69-59 victory over Notre Dame-Fairfield tonight at Weston.

Center Terrell Coward scored 17 points and was named the game’s MVP. Pete Lasecki added 19 points and Chris Rosario had 13. Andy Burke scored 10.

Notre Dame was led by Greg DeSantis, who scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half.