The CIAC has ruled the Central boys basketball team will forfeit its season-opening victory over Staples for the use of an ineligible player, according to Bridgeport citywide athletic director Jim Denton.

Central, which self-reported the violation, falls to 10-1. Staples, the beneficiary of the forfeit, improves to 6-6. The game also counts toward the FCIAC regular season. Central, the top-ranked team in Connecticut, is now 9-1 in the FCIAC. Staples improves to 4-6.

According to a statement Denton read to the Connecticut Post, the unnamed player is a Bridgeport charter school student who resides in the Harding High School district. He played football for the Presidents this fall.

The student subsequently became a member of the Central boys basketball team in December and played off the bench in the closing minutes of Central’s 83-38 victory over Staples on December 16.

“As soon as the situation became apparent, the individual was released from the team and the violation reported to the CIAC,” Denton said. “Since the player participated in the first game of the season, the CIAC has ruled Central must forfeit the victory.”

There are several charter schools in the Bridgeport school system. According to district and state policy, if a charter school does not offer any sports, its students are allowed to participate at the high school of their home district.

Since the student lived in Harding’s district, he is required to play athletics at Harding. Denton said he found out about the violation after “an individual in the community” informed him about it after seeing the  player’s name in the box score. However, Denton declined to say who told him.

Denton also said that no one from Central knew the player lived in Harding’s district, or that he played football for Harding. However, they did know he was a charter school student.

Denton declined further comment. Central hosts Danbury at 7 p.m. tonight.

–SEAN PATRICK BOWLEY & HENRY CHISHOLM

The Connecticut nominees to the All-American boys and girls basketball teams have been announced. …No big surprise, many of the boys are from prep school teams like Hotchkiss, Kent, Suffield, etc. Nobody really regional on the boys nominations that I’m aware of, except Luke Matarazzo from Shelton.

From the release: Thirty-four Connecticut high school basketball players have been nominated for the 2010 McDonald’s All American Boys and Girls Basketball Teams. As nominees, they will be considered for one of the 48 available positions on the two teams which will compete in March. The following Connecticut high school basketball players were nominated:

Boys’ 2010 Nominees

• Rashad Moore (Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield)
• Jamel Fields (Cheshire Academy, Cheshire)
• Luke Matarazzo (Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford)
• Isiaih Salafia (Cromwell High School, Cromwell)
• Jakarri McCallop (East Hartford High School)
• Tavon Allen (Hillhouse High School, New Haven)
• Jengodgi Gates (Hillhouse High School, New Haven)
• Monty Brown (Hotchkiss School, Lakeville)
• Jason Morris (Hotchkiss School, Lakeville)
• Theodore Boyomo (Ken School, Kent)
• Steven Glowiak (New Britain High School, New Britain)
• Julian Harris (Northwest Catholic High School, West Hartford)
• Josh Turner (Sacred Heart High School, Waterbury)
• Phil Gaetano (Sheehan High School, Wallingford)
• Bryon Allen (St. Thomas More Prep School, Oakdale)
• Andrew Douby (St. Thomas More Prep School, Oakdale)
• Allen Harris (Suffield Academy)
• Xavier Pollard (Suffield Academy)
• Nate Vernon (Suffield Academy)
• Tyrus Weaver (Windsor High School, Windsor)

Girls’ 2010 Nominees

• Courtney Schissler (Branford High School, Branford)
• Kerry Wallack (Daniel Hand High School, Madison)
• Kelly Sundberg (EO Smith High School, Storrs)
• Lauren Okafor (Hopkins School, New Haven)
• Casey Dulin (Johnathan Law High School, Milford)
• Uju Nwankwo (Northwest Catholic High School, West Hartford)
• Kastine Evans (Norwich Free Academy, West Hartford)
• Kaylantra Langley (Our Lady of Mercy Laurelton Hall, Milford)
• Katie Cizynski (Pomperaug High School, Southbury)
• Casey Dean (Pomperaug High School, Southbury)
• Nicole Welton (Pomperaug High School, Southbury)
• Abigail Corning (Wethersfield High School, Wethersfield)
• Shaniqua Fuller (Wilbur Cross High School, New Haven)
• Kristian Parker (Wilby High School, Waterbury)

From the release: Of the 2,000 boys and girls nominated, 48 principal players (24 boys and 24 girls) will be chosen for each team and will be announced in mid-to-late February at a selection show. These players will compete in the tip-off of the McDonald’s All American Games on March 31 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The girls game (on ESPNU) will be at 5:30; the boys game (on ESPN) will be at 8. For a complete listing of McDonald’s All American nominees, visit www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com.

Boy, word moves fast.

I got word around noon today that Darien defensive coordinator A.J. Albano was about to be named the next coach at McMahon.

But quickly after confirming through sources, I learned it was already out there by our old buddy Matt “Mr. Norwalk Sports” Doran.. Then I talked to our boys at the Advocate, and they were already on the case as well.

Apparently this whole thing was announced this morning. Took until the afternoon to travel to my ears. So I’m the last to hear about these things. Good job me.

Anyway, it’s an interesting hire. Albano, who coaches the Greenwich wrestling team, is pretty young — mid-to-late 20s. So he’s not exactly an experienced hire.

But apparently, the selection committee — which included former basketball coach Bo Kane and lacrosse coach Mike Epstein were impressed with what young Albano (whose father, George, is an assistant sports editor at The Hour) had done for Darien’s defense over the past couple of seasons on Rob Trifone‘s staff. Albano played for Trifone at McMahon.

Dave Ruden and The Advocate guys will have more on this story. We’ll post links to their stories/blogs as they’re filed.

-spb

(First Place Votes)
Rank 1.Bridgeport Central (11) 2.New Britain (6) 3. Stratford 4. Hillhouse (1) 5.Hyde Leadership 6. New
London 7. Holy Cross 8. Bloomfield 9. Sacred Heart 10. Harding
Central is No.1 and Harding cracks the top ten for the first time all season. Stratford moves ahead of Hillhouse, who lost last week. So…what do you think of this week’s poll?

George French, a volunteer assistant coach, has been selected to take over the Derby/O’Brien Tech football program.

French is a 1999 Derby graduate who attended Merrimack College. He was recommended by a seven-man panel, which included Derby Mayor Tony Staffieri and principal Fran Thompson, and approved by the board of education Thursday night.

Fairfield Prep said it would scour the state for a coach who would revive their proud football program. But ultimately the administration decided it would just stay in-house and turn back the clock.

The school Thursday announced the hiring of freshman coach, English teacher and alumnus Thomas Tom Shea (his real name is William), who — if you remember — was a finalist for the job last season along with deposed coach Billy Pinto. According to a press release, Shea met with the team on Wednesday.

Though Shea is a relative unknown in local high school circles, he’s had a long and distinguished career. A 1973 Fairfield Prep graduate, he only recently returned to the school after a prosperous career in business as the founder and chief business executive at several communications ventures, according to the release. He played football at Fairfield Prep and at Harvard, where he received a BA. Later, he received a masters of sciences at the London School of Economics.

He’s been teaching English at Fairfield Prep for the past five years, during which time he became the freshman coach under Rich Magdon.

Shea was a front-runner for the job when Magdon stepped aside in 2008. Though he didn’t get the job, he stayed on as an assistant under Pinto during last year’s 0-10 season.

“I am honored and proud to be named just the eighth coach in Prep football history, and I look forward to working with our young men to revitalize our winning traditions,” Shea said in a statement. “I feel we have the talent to be a good football team, but it is up to the players and their level of commitment and dedication to determine when that will be.”

We’ll have more later on this. For now, discuss…

Only one Bridgeport team cracks the CSWA poll this week. Central moves up to two after Sacred Heart (the previous two) dropped a game last week.

RankTeam (First Place Votes)
Rank 1.Hillhouse (19), T2.Bridgeport Central (2), T2.New Britain, 4.Stratford, 5.Hyde Leadership, 6.Holy Cross, 7.New London, 8.Sacred Heart, 9.Bloomfield, 10.East Catholic
103NR

Here’s the Walter Camp All-Connecticut team released during the weekend’s festivities.

Offense:
OL–Sean Berglund (Wolcott), Jamie Daniels (New London), Ernest Wiggins (Central), Conor Hanratty (New Canaan), Chris Valenti (Bethel)
WR–Brendan Rankowitz (Staples), Cody Newton (New Canaan)
TE–Jake Santora (Staples)
QB–Greg Palmer (Cheshire)
RB–Julian Hayes (Xavier), Ben Crick (Pomperaug).

Defense:
DE–A.J. Wilcox (Ledyard), Cameron Davis (Hamden);
DT–Rob Bowman (ND), Tom Jordan (Ridgefield);
LB–Graham Stewart (Xavier), Patrick Atkinson (Stamford), C.J. Elser (Pomperaug), Tyler Matekevich (St. Joseph);
DB–Conor Keniry (ND), Matt Kelly (Staples), Andrew Clements (Pomperaug), Christon Gill (Central).

Special teams: PK–Santiago Cuartas (Staples); P–Ray Pendagast (Shelton); KR–Tyler Murphy (Wethersfield)