Coginchaug Regional High School Student News
crhsnews.com
December 22, 2017
Volume 24, Issue 2
Carving His Way into the Pen Business By Sarah LeMere
Photo submitted by Eric DeBrum
Eric DeBrum is a senior at Coginchaug who has a very unique hobby: he makes custom wooden pens and sells them. He started woodworking a little over two years ago during his sophomore year and is building himself a client base. “I got into pens, which was one of my beginner projects, and I just went off with it,” DeBrum said. “I just took everything I possibly could out of it. I started to make high-end pens and making them for
people as gifts, and I kept going from there.” DeBrum designs the pens himself and makes the wooden components in his garage workshop, only buying some metal parts. He uses basic tools and mainly uses a lathe to carve the wood down and get it to the finished look. He also uses a bandsaw to cut it down; for some woods, he uses a table saw. From start to finish, making a pen can take him up to two hours.
“My shop took me--to get the shop where I really wanted it--took me probably a year-and-a-half of just going on Craigslist and looking at tools, but my shop is always going,” DeBrum explained. “I’m still looking at tools that I’m going to buy, and there’s always stuff I’m going to add to it; it’s always a work in progress for me.” Along with basic wooden pens, he also makes custom pens. When he is
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Community Round-Up Raises Over $3K “Coco” Tells Tale of Death in a Vibrant World of Life By Jackson Volenec & Patrick Kearney
On Saturday Dec. 2, Regional School District 13 hosted the Community Round-Up at Coginchaug Regional High School. As of Dec. 15, the CRU raised 14,624 food items and $3,406 in cash and gift cards for the Amazing Grace Food Pantry.
Inside This Issue
Recipes------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Music Reviews--------------------------------------------------- 4 Garofalo , O’Sullivan to Play Baseball in College------- 5 Indoor Track Warms Up for Winter------------------------ 6 Unified Sports Alumni Basketball Game----------------- 6 Sports Coverage ----------------------------------------------- 7 Sports Coverage ----------------------------------------------- 8
In recent years, Pixar is back on the rise releasing original films such as Inside Out (which had received high praise in 2015), and their newest movie Coco. Pixar used to be the undisputed kings of the animated movie market. They had dominated the industry since their debut film, “Toy Story,” in 1995, and up until their end to the trilogy in 2010, “Toy Story 3.” Over these 15 years, Pixar released 11 full-length feature films in the theaters, receiving massively positive criti-
cal acclaim and hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. However, after the 2010 mark, they had a few inconsistent releases with lukewarm reviews, such as “Cars 2” and other movies that were not as well received by fans of Pixar, such as “The Good Dinosaur,” “Brave” and “Monsters University.” These films were not considered as memorable by fans and critics alike. One of the most common complaints about Pixar is that most of their new films are
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Upcoming Events Jan. 1 New Year’s Day - District Closed Jan. 2 Varsity Girls & Boys Basketball at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 CRHS Junior Parent Night Jan. 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - District Closed Jan. 16 Varsity Boys Swim at 4 p.m. Jan 19-24 Midterm Exams
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Carving His Way Into the Pen Business By Sarah LeMere
December 22, 2017
“Coco” Tells Tale of Death in a Vibrant World of Life By Jackson Volenec & Patrick Kearney
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sequels to previously existing movies that were successful. However, with this new film “Coco,” that complaint does not apply. The film features a multitude of Hispanic actors, experienced or otherwise. Benjamin Bratt, for example, has been in over 20 film and television roles, while “Coco” is twelveyear-old Anthony Gonzalez’s first role. Said voice cast is extremely talented at what they do, especially Gonzalez, a child actor with genuine range and ability. This is quite a rarity; when compared to other child actors, Gonzalez does not feel like a cardboard cutout “kid.” Miguel is a young man who is in love with music. More specifically - one musician, Ernesto de la
Photo submitted by Eric DeBrum
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at craft fairs, people can order custom pens by matching different woods to different pen styles. He has a lot of orders for this Christmas season, most of them custom. His price range depends on the pen, but DeBrum’s basic pen sells for $20. The price of the pen depends on the pattern of labor, parts and profit, but he just adds up these factors and usually has an equation for it to make things easier for him. Besides pens, Eric is now trying to make bowls. His Coginchaug Senior Project (CUSP) this year
Volume 24, Issue 2
Cruz. Unfortunately for him, however, his family has banned music for generations, after his greatgreat-grandfather left in pursuit of his musical career. In order to prove his own talent and reignite the love of music in his family’s eyes, Miguel takes de la Cruz’s guitar and accidentally travels to the land of the dead. Here, he meets a charming skeleton named Hector and the two embark on a journey to find de la Cruz, who Miguel now believes to be the very same man who left his family. The film includes incredibly sticky and intoxicating songs throughout the film, which carry the Latin American inspired theme of the film. Some of the songs are actually relevant to the plotline, especially
is to get more into making bowls. He still loves making pens, but after two years and almost 400 pens made, DeBrum wants to add something new to his repertoire. “It’s a lot of fun,” he said, “and the money aspect behind it is always good, but it’s more rewarding for me for people to come up to like my mom and say like, ‘Oh, you must be so proud of your son; he owns his own business at this young,’ and that’s the more rewarding part of it. Money will always come, but just to hear people admire my work, that’s what I really like about it.”
2017-2018 Devil’s Advocate Staff Nikki Ahern Mattina Benedetto Jamie Breton Alexa Catania
Anthony Curry Demarie Del Vecchio Julia Filiault Robert Griffin
Ashleigh Halligan Patrick Kearney Carly Lane Sarah LeMere
Sarah Locascio Josh Martinez Andrew Morro Dan Munro
the single off of this film, “Remember Me.” Not only is the instrumentation for this film fantastic, but the singing from all of the cast members are incredibly well performed and moving. This film is an absolute love letter to anyone who is a fan of Latin American music. As far as the animation and the visuals of the film, Pixar comes through with yet another beautifully animated wonderland of color and imagination breathing throughout the world they portray. Some of the most breathtaking shots in this film are the wide angled shots of the city in the land of the dead and the spirit guardian animals. These images portray such imagination and color, bringing even more life to this film. “Coco” tells an engaging adventure story, focusing on the value of family, ancestry, music and following your own passions and pursuing what you truly love to do. It tells this story in a beautiful and vibrant world, showing off some of Pixar’s best animation to date with a fantastic soundtrack to back it up. Pixar does what they do best, utilizing all of their strengths to make this great movie any person of any age can enjoy, between the catchy soundtrack, the exciting yet emotional plot, and the witty humor sprinkled throughout. We can confidently give this film an 8/10 rating, and it is a must-see for any Pixar fan.
Contact Us Cam Nielsen Charlotte Planeta Cam Thayer Justin vanEyndhoven Jackson Volenec
The Devil’s Advocate is the official student newspaper of Coginchaug Regional High School, located in Durham, CT, representing the towns of Durham, Middlefield, and Rockfall. The DA is a proud representative of Regional School District 13; however, this publication is student-run and does not assume to reflect the views of RSD13 administration or staff.
Email: crhsdevilsad@gmail.com Twitter: @crhsdevilsadv Facebook: Devil’s Advocate Coginchaug Phone: 860-349-7215 Adviser: Ms. Rebecca Suchy rsuchy@rsd13.org
crhsnews.com
December 22, 2017
Pineapple Maple Glazed Ham By Jamie Breton
With the holidays rapidly approaching, it’s time to put your kitchen to work with this easy, simple, tasty ham recipe. Roasted in pineapple juice and onions, and baked with a maple sugar glaze, this ham will leave your taste buds asking for more. Ingredients 1. ham shank with bone (Spiral cut or not) 2. onions, quartered 3. 3 liters of pineapple juice, non-pulp cloves (Optional for garnish) Pineapple Maple Glaze 1 cup pineapple juice 1 cup maple syrup (preferably Grade A Dark) 4 teaspoons of dijon mustard Preparation 1. In a large roaster at 250 degrees, place two quartered onions, 3 liters of pineapple juice, and the ham shank. Cover tightly for 80 minutes. Every 20 minutes, lightly baste and rotate the ham in the pineapple juice. 2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees about 20 minutes before removing the ham from the roaster. 3. After roasting for 80
minutes, take out the ham, and let it rest in a deep baking pan for 10 minutes or until the glaze is finished being prepared. 4. Cover the bottom of the bin in a layer of pineapple juice and onions from the roaster. Glaze (Start while ham is resting) In a small saucepan over medium heat, place in all the glaze ingredients. Stir until well mixed, then bring to a boil, stirring constantly. *Do not leave alone; sugar burns very quickly* Cook glaze for ten minutes or until glaze is slightly reduced and glossy. 5. Score a diamond pattern across the fatty layer of the ham, and using about half of the glaze, brush it on liberally. 6. Put the ham in the oven for a total of 30 minutes. Brush on the rest of the glaze halfway through cooking time. 7. Take out after 30 minutes, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving the meat. Enjoy!
Recipes - 3
Clean Eating Stir Fry Recipe By Julia Filiault
Nothing beats a simple and nutritious dinner that takes only 20 minutes or less! It’s important to understand the health benefits of the foods we eat every day to maintain a stable and healthy diet. It all comes down to the ingredients you’re using. For example, if the noodles you decide to use in this recipe are the Maruchan Ramen Noodles, you may want to rethink the reason why you are making this recipe. The purpose is to use the most nutritious and vitamin-loaded foods as possible. The reason I chose Rice Ramen for noodles is because it is made out of brown rice flour and has nutritional value. Maruchan Ramen Noodles, on the other hand, are loaded with refined flours and artificial syrups and are high in sodium to make the flavor better, stripping away all of its nutritional value. Even if it tastes good, don’t ignore what you’re actually eating. Read the nutrition facts; read the ingredient list because I guarantee, when you fully understand what you are actually putting into your body, you’re going to want to make the healthier choice. Use the ingredients I displayed below, follow the quick and easy steps, and I promise you will thank me after.
Ingredients 1 ½ – 2 chicken breasts 2 bell peppers 1 ½ cups of green beans cut in half 1 floret of broccoli 2 Rice Ramen noodle blocks Sesame oil (about a half a cup used in total throughout the whole recipe) Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (about 1 ½ tsps used in total throughout the whole recipe) ½ tsp of garlic powder ¼ tsp of pepper A small handful of sesame seeds for additional flavor. Directions 1. Cut the peppers, green beans, and broccoli in half and place aside. 2. Cut the chicken breast in half, horizontally first (so the chicken breast is now in two thinner pieces) and then cut them vertically into strips.
3. In a large Wok, heat it up on medium heat. 4. Pour in about a tablespoon of sesame oil with the cut up vegetables and stir them around continuously with tongs until they are golden brown but slightly hard. 5. Once that’s done, remove the vegetables from the wok and place them in a bowl. 6. Place the chicken in the wok with a teaspoon of sesame oil. Cook the chicken until you see they are slightly brown and have no more pink around any edges. 7. Pour 2 cups of water into a saucepan on high and place the two rice ramen noodle blocks in the water once it boils. Break them apart after a minute of being in the water and continue to cook them until they are no longer hard. 8. Pour the noodles into a drainer after they’re fully cooked. 9. When the above steps are complete, place the chicken and vegetables together in the wok, adding the garlic powder, pepper and liquid aminos. 10. Add in the noodles. Get prepared to eat the most delicious, healthy dish ever!
4 - Music Reviews
Music Review: Top 3 Christmas Albums
December 22, 2017
Album Review: Cannibal Corpse “Red Before Black”
By Robert Griffin It is now that most wonderful time of the year, and with that comes great music. Even though it is always great to listen to the classics, it can be hard to find so new Christmas music worth listening to. According to Billboard.com, Sia said, “I thought we had a bit of a shortage of good Christmas music. There’s obviously the classics and stuff, but anything new, I wasn’t vibing that much on it.” She just released her latest album Everyday is Christmas on Nov. 17, and it contains brand new music including “Snowman.” The song is a ballad serenading a snowman that she would never leave him, especially on Christmas. “Puppies are Forever,” another track on the album, is a song spreading awareness about how puppies aren’t just for Christmas, and they need love when they are especially old. This album also contains the pre-released track “Santa’s Coming For Us.” Lindsey Stirling, violinist and composer, has been famous for her ability to combine orchestra and electronic. She released her fourth studio album, Warmer in the Winter, on Oct. 20 which starts off with the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” As you go deeper into the album, the electronic grove begins to dissipate, and the music begins to turn into jazz. Her best jazz song on the album would be “Jingle Bell Rock,” which features her on her violin doing melody and solos with the accompaniment of a jazz band. The album features many different artists like Sabrina Carpenter on “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” Becky G on “Christmas C’mon,” and Trombone Shorty on “Warmer in the Winter.” Pentatonix released A Pentatonix Christmas last year but recently released a deluxe edition with five new songs. These songs include new modern a cappella arrangements of Christmas classics like “Deck the Halls” and “Away in the Manger” while also featuring Jennifer Hudson on “How Great Thou Art;” the String Mob added an orchestral instrumental to their hit arrangement “Hallelujah.” The deluxe edition also features a new member of the group named Matt Sallee, who is taking over for past member Avi Kaplan. Once Matt auditioned for the group he said, “I landed in Los Angeles on Sept. 15 and recorded two songs the next morning.
Volume 24, Issue 2
By Andrew Morro Known for their fast and abrasive guitar riffs and their graphic and violent lyrics and imagery, Cannibal Corpse has become one of the most well known and most feared metal acts of all time. Since 1988, this New York metal band has been at the forefront of one of metal’s heaviest sub genres, death metal. Along with bands such as Death, Obituary and Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse has released a catalog of brutal and aggressive albums that helped popularise and notarize the genre. Since their inception, Cannibal Corpse has released 14 studio albums, the most recent being “Red Before Black,” released Nov. 3 on Metal Blade Records. Kicking off this album is the song “Only One Will Die.” It is standard that every Cannibal Corpse album start of with a very fast and relentless song, and this song is no different. While most albums start off with a slower song or some ambient sounds to ease listeners into the song, Cannibal Corpse decides to just kick you in the head right from the get go. The next song, “Red Before Black,” follows the same pattern as the first track. It’s fast and abrasive in its delivery. As the title track, this song has to represent the album as a whole, and it certainly does its job. It’s fast and brutal and certainly my fa-
vorite song on the album. Cannibal Corpse isn’t just known for their very fast riffs. They are also known for being able to slow the tempo down and deliver a big, heavy riff. The third track on the album, “Code of the Slashers,” is a prime example of this. This song starts off with a slow and heavy riff, but then it picks up its tempo back to that classic Cannibal Corpse style. The next two songs “Shedding My Human Skin” and “Remaimed” follow this same formula, and “Firestorm Vengeance” has some slowed down parts as well. “Heads Shovelled Off” picks up the pace, kicking the album into overdrive. The next four songs are fast and abrasive and help to set up the last song “Hideous Ichor,” which is similar to the middle section of the album where there is a cross between fast and slow riffs. The musicianship on this record is definitely on point . Paul Mazurkiewicz’s drumming is better than ever. For being almost 50, he can still play those blast beats just as fast as he could back in the day. Pat O’Brien and Rob Barret’s duel guitar playing is loud, fast and destructive, as is to be expected, and it is perfectly complemented by Alex Webster’s superb bass playing. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher’s vocal performance on this
record is one of his best, and he proves why he is the mightiest death metal vocalist of all time. Overall “Red Before Black” is a solid death metal album. It definitely holds up against the rest of the band’s catalog Fans of the band will be very pleased with this brutal masterpiece; however, my biggest issue is that it’s very formulaic. It sounds like a Cannibal Corpse record. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a great record through and through, perhaps one of the band’s best, but the lack of innovation in the genre as a whole has led to a decline in death metal’s popularity. Cannibal Corpse is actually one of the only death metal bands to maintain traction into the 2000s. That’s probably because of their dedicated fan base and controversial album covers. While we’re on the subject of album covers, the album cover for “Red Before Black” was absolutely terrible. It followed a recent trend in the Cannibal Corpse discography. Part of the reason the band became so notorious and well known in the scene was because of their offensive, gory and just all around disturbing album covers. Recently, the past few Cannibal Corpse album covers haven’t been that offensive, and as a fan, I miss that.
COGINCHAUG YEARBOOK 2017-2018 coginchaugyearbook.weebly.com Order a yearbook for $58; price will increase in January. Honor your senior with a Grad Ad--details online. *Last year, yearbooks SOLD OUT; payment plans are available.
crhsnews.com
December 22, 2017
Garofalo, O’Sullivan Sign Letters of Intent for Baseball
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By Demarie Del Vecchio
On Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017 seniors Luke Garofalo and MacGuire O’Sullivan signed their national letters of intent. The room was filled with family and friends support the boys.
Photo by Demarie Del Vecchio
Luke signed his his letter of intent to play Division l baseball for Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Luke was recruited while he attended Xavier High School, and will finish his high school career at CRHS. Luke says he is looking forward to “ having the opportunity to travel and play baseball.” MacGuire signed his Photo by Demarie Del Vecchio letter of intent to play been playing baseball his Division ll baseball for whole life. MacGuire says Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. he is looking forward to “finally achieving a Macguire says that he has
Photo by Demarie Del Vecchio
long time goal of playing baseball at the next level as well as furthering my education.”
Durham Market Makes Improvements, Connects to Coginchaug Devil’s Advocate Staff Editorial
The Durham market has been seen by many as a staple of the DurhamMiddlefield community; however, in recent years, the market has struggled with inventory and seen a decline in business. The owners are looking to make improvements to the market while preserving the authenticity of this historical Main Street shop. “We’re maintaining the country charm,” said Mrs. Lisa Tregoning, one of the co-owners. “It might look different, but we’re really trying to enhance what was already there.” With all the updates, the owners plan to keep the same management and traditional values that have lived there for decades. Durham native Bob Mounts continues to run
the store. “He has such a connection to the people who are loyal customers,” said Tregoning. Additionally, the market continues to sell their homemade dinners. “Aunt Barbara comes in and makes everything from her own recipes,” said Tregoning. The deli and homemade bread are also popular with their customers. The owners believe local businesses like the Durham Market should be utilizing the high school as a resource to provide real-world learning and application for students: “We need to keep it edgy... we need to keep a connection with kids in the high school.” On behalf of the owners, Tregoning has reached out to Regional School District 13 STEAM Coordinator
Brenda Parness to get Coginchaug involved in the revamp (STEAM standing for the five education categories science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). The graphic design class is in the midst of creating a new logo for the market, and the marketing essentials class has been working on a project that will propose a marketing campaign to the co-owners. The market will also be helping the high school’s developing career center by providing an internship for senior Demarie Del Vecchio. “I took marketing essentials last year as a junior, and I’m excited to get to use what I learned in the real world,” Del Vecchio said. “The Durham Market has amazing potential to become a destination business,” she continued. “This could be achieved by using effective marketing media.” In addition to helping current students, the store also features Coginchaug graduate Jon Good, a local chocolatier, with a display of his products. His products are sold in New York and Connecticut, selling especially well at the Durham Market because of their “large display and [their] devotion to helping local businesses,” according to Tregoning.
The Durham Market owners have been making improvements and plan to incorporate coffee and smoothie bars into the layout. Photos (featuring Melanie Fedler) by Robert Griffin
In the future, the Durham Market hopes to have a loyalty program, possibly based on a points system with the ability to earn coupons and discounts. Additionally, they will incorporate organic foods along with bars for coffee and for smoothies. By additionally incorporating new organic foods as well as coffee and smoothie bars, they are looking to grow their market while also providing their staple products. Tregoning said, “I would love it to be a one-stop shop.” Though the co-owners are deter-
mined to make various substantial improvements, they stress that this isn’t just a journey for themselves but for the community as a whole. Rather than neglect their “country charm,” they look forward to expanding that feeling via Bob Mounts. The owners are hopeful for a positive outcome. “We’re learning every day,” Tregoning says, “and so, we’re really looking for the ground roots and trying to watch this grow.”
6 - Sports
December 22, 2017
Volume 24, Issue 2
Unified Sports Alumni Take the Court in 2nd-Annual Game By Nikki Ahern
Monday: the day everyone hates. But something about this particular Monday made others very thrilled it was approaching. On Nov. 27, the Coginchaug Unified Sports team attended the annual Benchwarmers Alumni Basketball Game, which was also the Unified team’s 2nd-annual alumni game. Along with CRHS basketball alumni and the “futures,” or RSD13 youth basketball players, the Unified team took the floor as the second event of the night, playing two full halves including past CRHS Unified “alumni” and current athletes/mentors. Former athletes Matt Reed, Owen Tobin, Chris Piotrowski, Jake Perkins and John Mellor, as well as alumni who currently attend Coginchaug Ava Dunleavy, Abigail Perkins, Tanner Jameson and Bobby Huscher, stood in blue versus current athletes and mentors in gray. In the first half, things appeared to be off to a
slow start, but it wasn’t long until Adam Copeland and Chris Andrews took the court hand-in-hand. Something about these particular players kept the audience engaged. It didn’t matter if it took one try or five, players in both gray and blue watched Andrews shine and assisted until the ball to made it in the hoop. Nevertheless, our ex-show stopper Jake Perkins was ready to not just steal the spotlight but share it with his team members as well. The scores of both teams were rising, and as halftime was creeping up, the game became more intense not with fierceness but with laughter and encouragement from players on the court or on the bench. With a quick motivational speech from Coach Robb Bajoros, the athletes were ready to take the court once again. Both sides finished off the game with one common thought, courtesy of their coach: “I’m so proud of the current squad no
Coginchaug Unified Sports hosted their 2nd-Annual Alumni Basketball Game during the Benchwarmers alumni basketball event on Nov. 27. matter what. They work very well together as a team.” This game, like others, By Mattina Benedetto was just another example Last year was a great Zolnik believes that this of the hard work, dedicayear for Coginchaug/Lyseason will be “actiontion and love for fun that man Hall swimming; the packed” and full of sucthe Coginchaug Unified boys had a record of 6-4 cess. Sports team consistently and went to the CIAC State The first meet of the displays. Championships last year. season will be on Dec. 22 To show your support, As we move forward to at Haddam-Killingworth. mark your calendar for this year, the boys are Zolnik stated that this first Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. for a CRHS meet against their biggest boys varsity home basket- looking forward to an exciting and great year. rival will not be a disapball game vs. North BranCoginchaug junior Conner pointment. ford, where the Unified team will take the floor during halftime.
Swimming to Success
Indoor Track Warms Up for Winter Season By Justin van Eyndhoven
Indoor track returns for another year with the boys holding the title of 2017 Shoreline Champions. At the Shoreline event, CRHS won pole vault by senior Cooper Berry, 55M hurdles by senior Max Sartor, 4x800M by senior Sean McMaster, Matt Woznyk (‘17), junior Peter Schulten and Flynn Molkenthin (‘17), 1000M by McMaster, 1600M by Schulten and the 3200M by Schulten. “Last year’s performance was really really good at the meets and the conference championship,” says coach Michael Ford. This year’s lineup looks to have great potential despite losing key contributor Schulten who transferred to Xavier High
School. So far the key players for the boys are McMaster (distance), Sartor (sprinting/hurdles) and Berry (pole vault). The key players for the girls looks to be senior Ashley Dana (distance), junior Caroline Fournier (jumping), senior Tyra Hultgren and junior Lindsay Taylor (4x200M) and senior Colleen Coogan (4x800M). The boys captain is Stefan Marczuk, and the girls captains are Hultgren and Coogan. Both the boys and girls feel they will have a strong start to the season. Marczuk says, “The team has a good showing of talent from the freshman class in addition to returning student-athletes who
are very skilled.” Hultgren says, “We have a lot of talent from a lot of new people, so I think that we have the potential to do really well at the meets.” This season is going to be tough, but the team is already working hard, and Marczuk says, “I think our chances are good at bringing home some W’s.” Coaches Ford, Bellemare, Ladas and Vigue all plan on a strong season. Coach Bellemare says that the team has “a lot of potential.” Coach Ford says that we have low numbers but a lot of talent: “Some people need to step up to the plate and really give it their all.”
The CRHS Blue Devil cheerleaders were recognized on Nov. 29 by Middlesex Hospital Cancer Research Center for their annual donation to the breast care program. The team raised approximately $450 from bake sales throughout October, or Breast Cancer Awareness Month, at their home football games. In the first row, the seniors hold the check and a certificate of donation. Photo submitted by Paula Murphy
crhsnews.com
December 22, 2017
Sports - 7
Boys Basketball: Ready to Rumble By Carly Lane
After losing four key players from last year’s 15-7 season, the Coginchaug boys basketball team has some big shoes to fill; however, according to senior cocaptains Peter Onofrio and Ryan Cross, they can make the transition fast. Although there are only
two players returning with valid varsity minutes, the boys have a lot going for them. “We are very athletic,” said Onofrio. “Our team’s chemistry, defense and shooting makes everyone a threat on the court.” Junior TJ Vallone is a key player for the Devilss,is coming off a torn menis-
cus injury. The boys, however, are very optimistic about Vallone’s recovery. “He is already showing that he is more than okay to play,” said Cross. The team looks forward to the start of the season. Onofrio said, “The team gets along like family; we are one.”
Senior co-captains Ryan Cross and Peter Onofrio are prepared for this year’s basketball season.
Girls BBall Loses 2 of 5 Returning Starters By Demarie Del Vecchio
The 2017-18 girls basketball season has already started off with a bump in the road. Two of the five starters from last year’s season have had high school basketball careerending injuries. Seniors Ashleigh Halligan and Maddie Montz both tore an ACL before the season started. Montz tore hers during the end of the girls soccer season, and Halligan tore hers while practicing basketball during an open gym session. Both girls were a huge asset to the basketball team. Carly Lane, one of the uninjured seniors, said, “[Playing basketball without Montz and Halligan is] so different because we’ve been playing together ever since we were younger.” All of the seniors started playing basketball together in fourth grade on the town’s local team for their age group, the Durham Dunkers. One thing that really makes Lane upset is “knowing how good [this year’s team was] going to be.” Lane believes that in order to try and make up for the loss of Montz and Halligan on the court, the girls will need to communicate and connect more as a team. Girls will have to step up and try to fill in what is missing. Lane thinks the team is ready to accept the challenge because they still have a lot of experienced play-
ers. The returning starters from last season are Lane, Virginia Benbow and Jessica King. Still remaining a cocaptain, Halligan said she will still be a leader but in a different way. When she was asked how it feels to be injured right before your senior basketball season, she said, “Really really sad because in an instant you can be playing basketball with your friend and the next you won’t ever be playing with them again.” The torn ACL recovery process isn’t something new to Halligan; this will be her second time tearing an ACL in two years. She tore her right ACL before her sophomore season and had to sit that season out. As a sophomore, she wasn’t as devastated as she is now as a senior because she knew that she would eventually make it back on the court as a Devil. Halligan said, “When one of the things in life you love most is taken away from you, it’s a surreal feeling to know it’s actually gone.” Losing two starters may set the girls behind, but the Lady Devils are trying to make the best out of the situation. They will still be putting everything they have into this upcoming season and already have record of 1-0, starting with a win against Valley Regional on Dec. 12.
The 2017-2018 girls basketball seniors are (left to right) Madeline Montz, Kaitlin Gossart, Carly Lane, Ashleigh Halligan and Virginia Benbow. See Halligan’s story below.
Preseason from the Sidelines By Ashleigh Halligan
The girls basketball team began their season on Nov. 27 with very high expectations. This year we lost three seniors: Maddie Montz, Kaitlin Gossart and myself, Ashleigh Halligan, due to major injuries. Going to every practice so far and being on the sideline watching the girls practice and run through plays from a different perspective really shows me just how much potential the girls team has even with the loss of valuable players. The girls have been doing a very good job running through plays and fixing their mistakes; they just need to work on
their communication as a whole and work together as a team. Mr. Nick Kaltenbronn, the athletic trainer at Coginchaug, started something new with the girls this season to help minimize injuries. He has been doing conditioning with the girls every day before practice, for a half-hour, to get their blood flowing while also preventing future injuries. The overall goal for this season is to win Shorelines and make it very far in the state tournament. As cocaptain of the team, I truly believe we have a very good chance of winning
this season. We just have to keep setting our goals high so when we reach them, the outcome will be unbelievable. To start off the season the girls have already played two scrimmages, the first against Rocky Hill and the second against Bristol Central. While playing Rocky Hill, we played very well together considering it was the “first game” of the season playing together. We fell short of the win by one point. In contrast, the game against Bristol Central consisted of many fast breaks and strong post moves; we won by 15 points.
For more Coginchaug sports coverage, visit us online: https://crhsnews.com/category/sports/
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December 22, 2017
Volume 24, Issue 2
Cheer Captains Set High Expectations for Competition Season By Alexa Catania
This past fall, the Coginchaug cheer season “went really well,” said senior Amanda Potvin, co-captain with senior Hailey Byrne. “We started to learn and execute our stunt sequences,” Potvin explained. “Although there have been several injuries, we are coming back together strong as ever.” The two captains say they work hard to keep the girls in shape and ready for their second season. “We are a very motivated team, and everyone works hard and puts in full effort, which makes everything run smoothly,” said Byrne. “We need to work on our confidence
and consistency because cheerleading is very much a mental game.” Annually, the cheer team competes against other schools. “We normally take 12 to 14 girls to the mat… We typically do two to three all-girl stunts, one to two one-mans, one small pyramid and our more advanced pyramid,” said Potvin. “We also have a cheer and dance incorporated in the two-and-a-half-minute [competition routine], and we normally practice more often during competition season, maybe four to five times a week.” “Competition preparation is very intense and much
different than football season,” said Byrne. “It takes months to learn and perfect the routine. We will compete five times this year and will always be adjusting the routine.” The girls are coached by the same staff in their fall and winter seasons, following one tryout in June; this year, the team has a new head coach. “Our new coach is Paula Murphy, and she has been coaching cheer for many years and is a great addition to the program,” said Potvin. “Our assistant coach is Marissa Devoe. She was an all-star cheerleader her whole life and is a personal trainer.”
Photo by Paula Murphy “We also have a coach named Nicole who… was an all-star cheerleader as well,” added Potvin. “She also cheered in college and for the NBA.” “We work really well with the three of them and are very lucky to have three highly qualified coaches working with us this year,” said Byrne.
Last year, the team placed sixth at States and second at the New England Cheerleading Association competition. Their competitions will be announced later in the season but usually run on Saturdays in late Jan. and Feb., culminating with States on March 2 in New Haven.
Coginchaug’s Carina Mancini to Fill Key Role as Goalie for Girls Hockey
Boys Hockey Captains Hopeful for Success
By Josh Martinez
By Anthony Curry
With the hockey season finally starting up, the Daniel Hand/Coginchaug girls hockey team has a few things to look forward to this season. “This year’s team is going to bring a lot of speed and tenacity to the ice,” said head coach Lilley. “We are going to have a relentless attack in all three zones that hopefully causes the other team’s heads to spin and create a lot of turnovers. Our defense is strong, and I look forward to seeing them be a force all over the ice.” “The team is looking good; we have some newcomers that will help contribute to our success,”
said Coginchaug sophomore Carina Mancini. The Coginchaug players are going to be a big contribution to the team, and they feel they are going to create great opportunities to help win games. “I am looking for [junior] Skylar Rascati to bring speed and skill to open up scoring chances in the offensive zone and create turnovers on the defensive side,” said Lilley. With last year’s goalie recovering from an injury, Mancini will have big spot to fill on the ice. “Carina Mancini is a young goalie that will carry much of the work load while our senior goalie Kylie Gargiulo
recovers from an injury,” Lilley explained. “Carina is a strong goalie with a big presence in net. I am looking for her to make the first save and control the rebounds.” The Hand/Coginchaug Tigers went 11-7-2 last year, which is pretty good. “We have some good newcomers this year, so I expect us to do fairly well,” said Carina. “I think we have a good chance of making the playoffs due to our strong line up this year.” said Coach Lilley. They have a big rival game against Guilford on Jan. 26 that will be a game you will want to see.
After coming off a 10-10 season, losing in the semifinals of the CIAC Class M semifinals last year, the Lyman Hall/Coginchaug/ Haddam-Killingworth boys hockey team looks forward to this season with high expectations. Captains Josh Martinez (CRHS senior), Scott Bradley (Lyman Hall senior), Jared Sullivan (H-K senior) and Kyle Roberts (CRHS junior) all have a good feeling about this year but understand the work and effort they’ll have to put in to make it a reality. Sullivan said, ”I think we have a good chance of making the playoffs because we have a lot of
good newcomers on the team.” The captains’ and team’s energy was strong at preseason practices, which will help them for their first game of the season. A few playmakers to watch are sophomore TJ Arduini, junior Matt Petit and Bradley. The captains all agreed that if those three players focus well and play even better at their games, they will have a winning season and a playoff chance. Looking further into the season, Martinez said, “We have a big rivalry game against Sheehan on Jan. 13 and hope to see a lot of students in the stands.