Actually, I hate to fish. But I will be on vacation until August 1.
Until then, try and stay cool!
Archive for July, 2011
A new Overtime Team of the Week logo
We have spent this summer working to build on the success of our first year hosting the Overtime Team of the Week award. In the weeks ahead, we will be announcing additional sponsors and awards, and a few changes in voting format.
One of our bigger changes will be eliminating the Football Team of the Week award and replacing it with a general Team of the Week award for all sports, modeled after what we did during the winter and spring seasons.
Thus, we decided to come up with a new permanent logo. With the help of a test group of 20 high school athletes, after experimenting with different fonts and color schemes, we came up with the finished product above.
Special thanks goes out to the Advocate’s Shelley Lowell, who continues to do an outstanding job with all of our artwork.
A big summer weekend Rusch for New Canaan sisters
Maddie Rusch
Bragging rights are a major topic of conversation between the Rusch sisters of New Canaan.
Sunday night, two of them came well-armed to the dinner table.
Maddie, who is about to begin her junior year for the Rams and is one of the region’s top swimmers, broke the state resident record in the 15-16-year-old division at the Connecticut Senior Championships at Wesleyan University with a time of 26.60. The previous mark had stood for 19 years and Maddie was only .01 off the national qualifying standard and .21 seconds off the Olympic Trial standard.
Meanwhile, in Watertown, Tory, who graduated from New Canaan High School last month and will be playing softball next year at Bowdoin, helped lead the Tradition North 18-and-under team to the championship of the Tune-up for Nationals Tournament.
Maddie’s performance was more remarkable because she went to the doctor Thursday and was diagnosed with a virus that was sapping her energy level.
“I was pretty sick and they decided not to give me any antibiotics and to just wait it out,” she said. “I was pretty surprised how I did. I didn’t think I could get mentally ready when I was so physically down. It’s good because I have worked hard for this and made a lot of sacrifices this summer to be here.”
Tory had one of her best tournaments of the summer as the Tradition went 6-0. She had five hits in three games on Saturday, including a triple and home run in one rout, and went 2 for 3 in a 9-1 win in the final.
“My whole thing this year has been getting my timing down,” Tory said. “I have quick hands with the bat, and I got back in the groove and got my timing back.
“It’s so nice that Maddie and I had great weekends. We have a very competitive nature between us but each of us is always happy for the other.”
Here is a story I wrote on the four Rusch sisters last month.
Video Spotlight: Bridgeport Central football coach Dave Cadelina
New Canaan High School hosted its third annual Grip It & Rip It, 7 on 7 Tournament nine days ago. There were 22 teams involved, including seven FCIAC schools.
I caught up with the five league head coaches who were in attendance and running a series of videos with each of them.
Today we conclude with Bridgeport Central football coach Dave Cadelina.
Farina, Buch receive Player of the Year awards
From left, Dave Ruden, Alex Farina, Nicole Buch and Matt Cole.
Matt Cole of BlueStreak Sports Training and I presented our BlueStreak-Overtime FCIAC Spring Player of the Year trophies today to Alex Farina of the New Canaan baseball team and Nicole Buch of the Darien softball team. These were our last awards for the high school season.
We are busy working on plans for the upcoming year. I can tell you we will have some new awards, additional sponsors, a new logo and many other ideas being cooked up.
Stay turned for more details soon.
Video Spotlight: New Canaan football coach Lou Marinelli
New Canaan High School hosted its third annual Grip It & Rip It, 7 on 7 Tournament last Saturday. There were 22 teams involved, including seven FCIAC schools.
I caught up with the five league head coaches who were in attendance and running a series of videos with each of them this week.
Today we continue with New Canaan football coach Lou Marinelli.
Gerwig resigns from Trinity Catholic to take over Darien hockey program
Chris Gerwig
Calling it one of the most difficult decisions he has ever had to make, Chris Gerwig, who has been on the staff of the Trinity Catholic hockey program for 14 years — the last 11 as head coach — has resigned to take the same position at Darien High School.
“I owe a lot to Trinity Catholic to be in this situation to get this job,” Gerwig said. “I’m thankful for all the opportunities they gave me. Sometimes in life you have to do something new.”
Gerwig is a 1989 graduate of Trinity, where he played for the highly respected Mickey Lione. After Lione passed away in 1999, Gerwig became an assistant to Peter Grant, then took over the team three years later after Grant stepped down.
Gerwig will remain as Trinity’s boys golf coach — contingent on the scores of Trinity-Darien hockey games, joked Tracy Nichols, the Crusaders’ athletic director.
“He kept me abreast all along about this, I was just hoping Darien wasn’t going to be smart enough to offer him the job,” Nichols said. “He’s a good person and did a very good job for us as coach.”
The Crusaders finished 5-15 last season.
Gerwig replaces Larry Vieira, who guided the Blue Wave to a 10-9-1 mark a year ago.
Darien athletic director John Keleher said Gerwig expressed quiet interest when the Blue Wave job was open two years ago, but decided to remain at Trinity and never formally applied.
“We are very pleased to have a person with Chris’ background and experience come to Darien,” said Keleher. “His experience, practice and conditioning plans, and his bench demeanor and discipline were all factors in his selection. He has head coaching experience and he knows the Darien hockey community backward and forward.”
Gerwig works as the manager of Blueline Sports in the Darien Ice Rink, and in his new position will be able to hold morning and afternoon practices, which will allow him to spend more time with his 5-year-old daughter, Saoirse. The Blue Wave are also a perennial contender in the FCIAC. Gerwig said these were elements that went into his choice.
“I saw an opportunity to make a good jump to a situation that was better for me and my daughter,” Gerwig said. “Thanks to Tracy, I’ll still be the golf coach at Trinity. But last year at the school we had 20 kids try out, and the program in Darien gets 40 to 50 each year. Trinity is going to have a good hockey team next year. Whoever gets the job will be in a good situation. It’s tough. I had to think long and hard. I’m still torn.”
Nichols said he was awaiting today’s official announcement and will now begin the search for Gerwig’s replacement.
“I had to wait for a couple of days,” Nichols said. “We will put the job out and see who is interested.”
Video Spotlight: Stamford football coach Bryan Hocter
New Canaan High School hosted its third annual Grip It & Rip It, 7 on 7 Tournament last Saturday. There were 22 teams involved, including seven FCIAC schools.
I caught up with the five league head coaches who were in attendance and running a series of videos with each of them this week.
Today we continue with Stamford football coach Bryan Hocter.
