May 14, 2021

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Old Lyme Basketball Girls Fall to East Hampton in Shoreline Semifinal

March 26, 2021 by Leave a Comment

EAST HAMPTON — Don Bugbee’s girls put up a valiant fight against unbeaten East Hampton (14-0) in Wednesday’s Shoreline League Conference (SLC) Tournament semifinal, but ultimately could not get past the top-seeded Bellringers to achieve a win.

The final score was 40-33 in East Hampton’s favor. The Bellringers now face #2 seeds Morgan in the Championship game this evening at 5 p.m.

Old Lyme ended the season with a commendable 10-4 record.

In her final game, senior Emily DeRoehn had 10 points and eight rebounds.

After the game, Bugbee commented, “Although we were disappointed that we were unable to get the win and advance to the SLC league Championship game, our season was very successful overall. We were all fortunate that we were even able to get an abbreviated season in during a pandemic.”

He concluded on a positive note, saying, “Surely, there is a lot to be thankful for.”

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport

Old Lyme Boys Exit Shoreline Basketball Tournament with Loss to Valley, Despite Remarkable Comeback Effort

March 24, 2021 by Leave a Comment

DEEP RIVER — The Old Lyme boys ended an exciting season Tuesday when they lost to Valley Regional 65-56 in the quarterfinals of the Shoreline Conference tournament.

Playing away, Old Lyme had a nervous start and was down 19-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Wildcats continued to fall behind and found themselves on the wrong side of a 37-19 score at the half.

Early in the third quarter, things got even worse and Valley advanced to a 21-point lead.

But then Old Lyme finally came to life and fought back with grim determination, eventually reducing the lead to just four points. The comeback was almost complete when, in Coach Kirk Kaczor’s words, “The boys just ran out of gas.”

Colbe Andrews led the Wildcats with 16 points, while Jacob Ritchie added 14.

Valley was led by Jeremy Arnum with 21 points and James Marsden, who scored 17.

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport

Old Lyme Boys Win Shoreline South Indoor Track Championship, Girls Take Second

March 23, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Sophomore Jacob Rand tied for second place in the high jump in Saturday’s Indoor Track Shoreline Championship. All photos by David Walker.

OLD LYME — Competing in what was effectively their Shoreline Championship this past Saturday, the Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Indoor Track teams achieved commendable results with the boys’ team coming in first and the girls taking second.

Due to COVID precautions, the meet had a very different look from usual. To reduce the number of competitors at any time, the traditional All-Shoreline meet was divided into two separate events with one being held for Northern Shoreline schools and the other featuring Southern Shoreline schools.
Old Lyme hosted the Southern meet in which six teams participated, namely Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Valley, Hale Ray, and Morgan.

Senior Aidan Powers, who was one of the boys’ captains, gets the team pumped up in a pre-meet huddle. Powers also placed first place in the 600 meters and was part of the winning 4×200 relay.

There were three different meet slots to further reduce the number of people on the track so from 9 to 11 a.m., Westbrook competed against Valley; from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Old Lyme and Morgan faced off; and from 1 to 3 p.m., Old Saybrook and Hale Ray took their turn.
At the end of the day, the results were compiled and winners announced.
Old Lyme had 13 first-place finishers, which also garnered each winning student the accolade of “First Team All-Shoreline.”

Senior Paige Kolesnik won the shotput and was also part of the winning sprint medley relay team.

The first-place winners were:
  • the girls’ sprint medley relay team of Bianca DaSilva, Paige Kolesnik, Alyssa Spooner, and Kelly Walsh
  • the girls’ 4 x 400 relay team of Alyssa Spooner, Gretchen Burgess, Hannah Britt, and Lyla Powers
  • the boys’ 4 x 200 relay team of Ashton Gratton, Nevin Joshy, Jesper Silberberg, and Aidan Powers
  • Paige Kolesnik in the girls’ shotput
  • Jesper Silberberg in the 55-meter dash
  • Aidan Powers in the 600 meters
  • Drew St. Louis in the pole vault and long jump
  • Harry Whitten in the shotput.
A number of other runners, jumpers and throwers also achieved significant success.
Asked his thoughts on both the results and the season in general, first-year coach Nick Walker (LOLHS Class of 2012) commented, “I couldn’t be prouder of our athletes. They have dealt with so much adversity this year: having normal high school landmarks canceled, being unable to hang out with friends, having to keep distance from one another, quarantining and missing weeks of school and sports at a moment’s notice … the list goes on.”

The boys’ and girls’ teams gather for a photo to celebrate their respective results.

He noted that although the season technically should have started in late November, “That was when we were going through that massive COVID-19 spike and so all winter sports were postponed.” Walker added, “It seemed unlikely at that point that we’d ever be able to have a season, but we were able to finally start in late January while taking lots of precautions.”
Noting that even when training started in January, the idea that the team would ever have any competitive meets seemed unlikely, Walker said, “These kids have had to be so patient, so willing to face whatever happens with equanimity.”
He continued, “Yet from the start of the season I was blown away by their work ethic and good cheer during a season that could have also been seen as a let-down and full of limitations. They were out there practicing on windy days in the mid-20s, bundled up as they were running track repeats and freezing their hands off throwing the shotput.”
“To come from such a situation to now having competitive competitions and placing so well at our final meet,” Walker said, noting, “I feel very glad for them. I think it goes to show the strength of their commitment to the team and sport, and also the lightness and playfulness of their spirit that they could enjoy what this season had to offer while pushing themselves to improve and learn more.”
Walker explained that many athletes tried out new events for the first time, such as the long jump, hurdles, pole vault, and high jump, and ultimately ended up placing in the tournament and contributing key points for the team.

Senior and a girls’ team captain Bianca DaSilva runs the 200-meter leg of the winning sprint medley relay team.

He also shared that he felt senior class also played, “A huge role in our successful season: first off by contributing so much hard work and athleticism in their events, but even more so by the positive and welcoming and fun atmosphere they helped foster on the team. They will certainly be very missed come next year.”
Pointing out that he looked forward to welcoming most of them back to Outdoor Track this spring, he noted, “We will lose some very strong runners and throwers to other spring sports.”
Walker concluded positively, “Overall, it’s been a real joy to coach these athletes alongside my co-coaches Alyssa Mercaldi and Garreck Seales. We’ve been continually impressed by this group of kids and are so glad for them that they have this fantastic performance to celebrate.”
Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport, Top Story

Basketball Update: Old Lyme Girls Storm Into Shoreline Semis After Bitter Battle in Overtime

March 23, 2021 by Leave a Comment

OLD LYME — “This was a hard fought battle from start to finish,” declared a relieved Old Lyme girl’s basketball coach Don Bugbee last night after his team had ultimately advanced to the Shoreline Conference tournament quarterfinals.

But the fourth-seeded Wildcats 60-56 victory over #5 North Branford only came after an intense period of overtime.

Senior captain Emily DeRoehn had an impressive 16 points and two rebounds while fellow senior Sam Grey added 14 points and Grace Lathrop notched 10.

Emma McCulloch made a major contribution with nine points, 11 rebounds  and two blocks, and Megan Loflin had seven points and nine rebounds.

Bugbee summarized the game saying, “This was a well earned team victory for sure.”

Wednesday’s semifinal game takes Old Lyme away to East Hampton where the girls will face the top-seeded Bellringers for a berth in the Tournament final. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m.

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport

Old Lyme Boys Advance to Shoreline Quarterfinals After 57-50 Win Over Westbrook

March 21, 2021 by Leave a Comment

OLD LYME — Sixth-seeded Old Lyme hung on to beat No. 11 seeds Westbrook 57-50 in the first round of the Shoreline Conference tournament played yesterday afternoon in the Lyme-Old Lyme High School gym. For the first time this season, a restricted number of fans were allowed to watch the game.

Colbe Andrews and Jacob Ritchie combined to score 12 for 13 from the line and a total of 28 points, splitting the latter evenly at 14 apiece.  Caden Monte added 11 points.

Westbrook was led by Jack Naccarato with 20 points and Joey Caslin with 11. 

Old Lyme (7-6) no meet third-seeded Valley Regional in a quarterfinal game scheduled for Tuesday at VRHS.

When Old Lyme played Valley in the regular season, they won 67-57 after overtime.

 

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport

Basketball Updates: Girls Win, Boys Lose Against Hale-Ray

March 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Coach Don Bugbee talks to his team during a time-out in a recent game. Photo by Hildie Heck.

OLD LYME — The Old Lyme girls celebrated Senior Night with a convincing 51-30 win over Hale-Ray, taking their record to 9-3. It was the last home game in regular season for seniors Grace Lathrop, Sam Gray, Ellie Zrenda, Emily DeRoehn and Emma McCulloch.

DeRoehn was top scorer for the Wildcats with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Gray added eight points. Megan Loflin also had eight points and Zrenda 11 rebounds.

Coach Don Bugbee commented after the game, “As well as getting the win, this was a very nice evening and wrap-up to the regular season.”

The next game will be the Shoreline Conference quarter-final when Old Lyme faces North Branford at Old Lyme, Monday, March 22, with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.

Meanwhile, playing away, the Old Lyme boys lost to Hale Ray 71-70. The Wildcats struggled to contain Manush Cicerello, who had five three-pointers on his way to 20 points.  He was one of four players on the Hale-Ray team, who scored in double figures.

Old Lyme’s leading scorers were Jacob Ritchie with 21, Frank Sablone with 17, and Colbe Andrews with 13.
Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport, Top Story

Basketball Update: Cromwell Snaps Old Lyme Girls’ Unbeaten Record

March 15, 2021 by Leave a Comment

OLD LYME — Cromwell defeated Old Lyme 54-34 last Thursday breaking Old Lyme’s winning streak of eight games. Old Lyme and Cromwell now both have 8-2 records.

Coach Don Bugbee commented after the game, “Cromwell is a very good team and controlled the game from start to finish. We can learn a lot from this and it would help us in our daily attempts to improve ourselves.”

Top scorer for the Wildcats was senior Emily DeRoehn with 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals while Ali Kyle added seven points and two steals.

The Wildcat Junior Varsity girls saw a reverse of the varsity team’s fortunes pulling off 46-34 win and moving to a 7-1 record.

Ali Kyle and Ava Roth both scored 13 points and Alexis Fenton added 10.

Old Lyme meets East Hampton away on Monday, March 15.

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport

Basketball Update: Old Lyme Boys Defeat Valley 67-57 After OL Buzzer Beater Forces Overtime, Lose to Cromwell

March 11, 2021 by Leave a Comment
OLD LYME — Old Lyme’s Jacob Ritchie hit a buzzer-beating three to force overtime against Valley Regional last Monday, March 8, enabling the Wildcats ultimately to pull off a remarkable 67-57 victory.
Colbe Andrews scored 13 of his 23 points during that overtime period, including going 10 for 10 from the line.
Jacob Ritchie had five steals and 13 points; Maverick Swaney also notched 13 points and Colbe Andrews had 12 rebounds for Old Lyme.
Valley Regional was led by James Marsden with 23 points and Saagar Patel with 14.
Last night, March 11, the Old Lyme boys had a disappointing follow-up to Monday’s success. Coach Kirk Kaczor told LymeLine, “Cromwell played an outstanding game and beat Old Lyme 74-36.”
Cromwell was led by James Grudziki with 19 points while Old Lyme’s top scorer was Jacob Ritchie with 12.
Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport, Top Story

Old Lyme Girls Storm to 8-1 Record After Defeating Valley in Tough, Intense Game

March 9, 2021 by Leave a Comment

LYME/OLD LYME — Old Lyme girls secured a sensational 43-40 win last night over Valley Regional (5-4) taking their record for the season to an outstanding 8-1.

Senior Sam Gray was top scorer for the Wildcats with 16 points and nine rebounds, while fellow senior Emily DeRoehn added 11 points, 16 rebounds and three steals. Megan Loflin notched five points, 14 rebounds and two steals.

Coach Don Bugbee told LymeLine exclusively after the game, “This was a very physical game from start to finish,” adding, “Congrats to the girls for their hard work and competitive efforts throughout.”

He concluded that it was, “A very nice team win for sure.”

The Junior Varsity (JV) game saw Valley defeat Old Lyme 34-22, taking the JV Wildcats record to 6-1. Sophomore Alexis Fenton scored a game-high 16 points.

Playing at home Thursday, March 11, the girls face Cromwell with a JV tip-off at 4 p.m. and Varsity at 5:30 p.m.
Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport

Basketball Update: Old Lyme Boys Steal Last Minute 50-47 Win Over Coginchaug

March 7, 2021 by Leave a Comment
LYME/OLD LYME — In a thrilling game played away Saturday in the Coginchaug gym, the Old Lyme boys ultimately outlasted Coginchaug 50-47 in a tightly contested Shoreline Conference game.
Caden Monte his a jump shot with less than a minute to go to give Old Lyme the lead at 48-47 and Jacob Ritchie added two free throws with five seconds left for the final victory.
Coginchaug had a last second look at three points on the buzzer, which would have tied the game, but — for the Coginchaug fans — excruciatingly, it bounced out.
Leading the Wildcats was Jacob Ritchie with 16 points, Colbe Andrews was close behind with 13 and Frank Sablone added 10.
Coginchaug was led by AJ Defilio with 17 points, Tyler Garratson 13, and Jaysen Penney 11.
The boys meet Valley this evening away with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.
Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport, Top Story

Basketball Update: Playing N. Branford, Girls Continue Winning Streak, Boys Victorious in Gritty Game

March 5, 2021 by Leave a Comment

OLD LYME/NORTH BRANFORD — The boys and girls teams both defeated their North Branford opponents last night, the girls playing away while the boys, for whom it was senior night, were at home.

In Coach Kaczor’s words, the boys, “… hung on to beat a scrappy North Branford team 58-51.”

Read a full report of the boy’s game published in The Day at this link.

The girls faced a tough challenge down at North Branford but ultimately secured their seventh win a row and advanced to a 7-1 record. The final score was 51-44.

Emily DeRoehn had 16 points and 10 rebounds while Sam Gray notched 12 points and Emma McCulloch seven points and 10 rebounds.

After the game, coach Don Bugbee told LymeLine, “This was a very hard fought battle from start to finish. The girls earned this win for sure. Congrats to them all!”

The Junior Varsity girls also defeated the Thunderbirds winning 46-36. Sophomores Alexis Fenton and Hayley Cann had respectively 16 and 12 points. Freshman Ava Roth added nine.

The girls face Valley Regional Monday, March 8, at Old Lyme on their Senior Night. Tip-off for Varsity is 5:30 p.m. and JV at 4 p.m.

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport

Basketball Update: Both Teams Meet Morgan – Girls Win Sixth Game in a Row, Boys Lose 62-47

March 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Coach Don Bugbee talks to his team during a time-out in a recent game. Photo by Hildie Heck.

LYME/OLD LYME — The Old Lyme girls pulled off a solid 56-40 victory against Morgan on Monday, winning their sixth game in succession and advancing to a stellar 6-1 record.

Senior Sam Gray had 23 points including four three-pointers and five rebounds. Fellow senior Emily DeRoehn notched eight points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while Ali Kyle added eight points.

Coach Don Bugbee told LymeLine after the game, “This was an excellent team effort and win for the girls against a very good Morgan team.”

The Old Lyme Junior Varsity (JV) girls maintained their unbeaten 5-0 record with a 48-27 win over Morgan.

Sophomore Alexis Fenton scored 21 points with three three-pointers and freshman Ava Roth added 10 points.

The girls play away at North Branford, Thursday, March 4, with a JV tip-off at 4:30 p.m. and Varsity at 6 p.m.

An Old Lyme player looks to pass the ball in fourth quarter action from Monday evening’s game against Morgan played in the Lyme-Old Lyme High School gym.

Despite a strong second quarter in which they outscored Morgan 18-13, the Old Lyme boys could not get ahead of their opponents at any point in the game. The final score in Morgan’s favor was 62-47.

Top scorer for the Wildcats was Jacob Ritchie with 16 points. Colbe Andrews added nine points and Frank Sablone six. Zach Johnson had an outstanding 25 points for Morgan.

Gracious in defeat, Old Lyme coach Kirk Kaczor told LymeLine after the game, “Morgan had a great performance.”

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport

Basketball Update: Both Teams Defeat H-K; Boys Lose to Hale-Ray

March 1, 2021 by Leave a Comment

LYME/OLD LYME — The Old Lyme girls continued their winning streak winning a fifth game in succession Thursday when they trounced Haddam-Killingworth (H-K) 51- 25. Old Lyme advanced to a 5-1 record while H-K fell to 0-6.

Senior Emily DeRoehn had 15 points, including going 11-15 from the Foul Line, six rebounds and two assists while Emma McCulloch scored 10 points and had 12 rebounds. Other contributors were Ali Kyle with 8 points, Sam Gray also with 8 and Grace Lathrop with seven.

After the game, Coach Don Bugbee commented on his girl’s performance, saying, It was a very nice team win for the girls. We got contributions from everyone on both the offensive and defensive ends of the game.”

In the Junior Varsity game, Old Lyme defeated Haddam-Killingworth 40-24. Alexis Fenton scored 16 points, Ali Kyle 10 and Melanie Warren six.

The girls meet Morgan in an away game, Monday, March 1, with the JV game tipping off at 4 and Varsity at 6 p.m.

Kirk Kaczor’s boys made up for a mid-week 42-57 home loss to Hale-Ray on Wednesday with a convincing 64-50 win over H-K on Thursday. 

After the H-K game, Kaczor commented, “[This was] a good win for us.” noting that Jacob Ritchie had scored 18 points and Frank Sablone 16.

Playing at home, the Old Lyme boys meet Morgan Monday, March 1, with the JV game tipping off at 4 and Varsity at 6 p.m.

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport

Basketball Update: Old Lyme Boys Pull Off Thrilling Win Over Saybrook in Final Minute, Girls Rout OS With 50-21 Victory

February 23, 2021 by Leave a Comment

LYME/OLD LYME — Both Old Lyme basketball teams scored major wins over perennial Shoreline rival Old Saybrook yesterday.  Kirk Kaczor’s boys, playing away, only secured their 44-39 victory in the last minute whereas the girls dominated from the start in their home game, which ended with a 50-21 win.

Leading scorers for the Old Lyme boys were Frank Sablone with 14 points and seven rebounds — including going 4-4 down the stretch of a tight game — and John Almy, who added 12 points.

Kaczor described the final thrilling minute of the game to LymeLine, saying, “Mav Swaney hit the go-ahead bucket with a minute to go, putting the Wildcats up for good at 40-39.”  Then he said, “Sablone hit two free-throws with less than a minute to go to take Old Lyme to 42-39.” The cherry on the top came when Colbe Andrews hit two more points with less than 20 seconds left for the final margin.

Leading scorers for Old Saybrook were Auggie Albert with 12 points and Ben Yost with 10.

Don Bugbee’s girls meanwhile had a much easier time of it cruising to a 50-21 victory over Old Saybrook (2-1) with seniors Emily DeRoehn and Sam Gray scoring respectively 20 and 17 points. DeRoehn also had six rebounds and two steals while Junior Megan Loflin notched seven points.

Bugbee was pleased with his girls’ performance saying, “[It was] a solid team effort and a nice win for the girls,” noting, “Our defense was pretty good overall.” He added in summary, “The girls minimized shots taken, forced turnovers, and rebounded well.”

Having won the last four games in succession, the Old Lyme girls are now 4-1.

The Old Lyme Junior Varsity (JV) girls also won their game decisively 45-15. Sophomore Alexis Fenton scored 16 points, freshman Ava Roth 10, and sophomore Hayley Cann nine.

The girls play at home against Haddam-Killingworth Thursday, Feb. 25, with the JV tip-off at 4 p.m. and Varsity at 5:30 p.m.

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport, Top Story

Basketball: Old Lyme Girls Storm to Another Victory

February 21, 2021 by Leave a Comment

LYME/OLD LYME — The Old Lyme girls continued their winning ways Saturday with a convincing 58-29 away win over Hale-Ray. Don Bugbee’s varsity team has now won three games in succession taking the Wildcats to a 3-1 record, while Hale-Ray falls to 1-2.

Senior Sam Gray had an outstanding game, draining 18 points, taking six rebounds and contributing three assists. Fellow senior Emily DeRoehn also had a big game in which she notched 12 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists while senior Emma McCulloch was not far behind with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Junior Megan Loflin was another key contributor with 10 points, four rebounds and three steals.

Coach Bugbee commented to LymeLine after the game, “This was a solid team win in a game that also provided the younger kids opportunities to play,” adding, “Going forward, we need everyone to contribute, whether at practice or in a game, in order to be successful each day.”

Old Lyme girls play perennial Shoreline rival Old Saybrook Monday, Feb. 22, with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off in Old Lyme and then Haddam-Killingworth, also in Old Lyme, Thursday, Feb. 25, with another 5:30 p.m. tip-off.

The Old Lyme boy’s game against Coginchaug scheduled for Saturday were cancelled.
Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport

Wildcat Basketball: Girls Dominate Westbrook, Boys Take Tough Loss After Knights Play Huge Third Quarter

February 17, 2021 by Leave a Comment

OLD LYME/WESTBROOK — Playing away, the Old Lyme girls (2-1) cruised to an emphatic 58-12 Shoreline Conference victory over Westbrook (0-2) Tuesday evening.

Senior Sam Gray contributed a game-high 15 points while fellow senior Emma McCulloch was close behind with 14 points and six rebounds and junior Megan Loflin equaled McCulloch in terms of both points and rebounds.

A delighted coach Don Bugbee commented, “This was a very good team win with contributions from everyone.’

The Old Lyme girls, playing away for the third time in succession, meet Hale-Ray on Thursday, Feb. 18.

The Old Lyme boys (1-1), playing at home, did not have the same success as the girls. Westbrook was a tough opponent, but the Wildcats were only down 30-26 at the half in this Shoreline Conference game.

Westbrook played an exceptional third quarter, scoring 22 points to Old Lyme’s seven. The ‘Cats made a strong recovery effort in the fourth quarter outscoring the Knights by 29 points to 21, but ultimately it was not enough. The final score was 73-62 in Westbrook’s favor.

Top scorers for Old Lyme were Colbe Andrews with a game-high 25 points and Jacob Ritchie with 16.

 

Filed Under: Lyme, Old Lyme, Sport

Old Lyme Basketball Boys Defeat Portland 59-54 in Season Opener at Home, Girls Crush Portland 56-13 Away

February 13, 2021 by Leave a Comment

OLD LYME — The official high school basketball season finally opened last night and Kirk Kaczor’s Old Lyme boys pulled off a thrilling 59-54 win at home against Portland, despite a dismal third quarter in which they were outscored 19-8.

In a game played with no fans due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, Colbe Andrews made a significant contribution to the victory for the Wildcats taking an impressive 15 rebounds.

The boy’s next game is at home on Tuesday Feb. 16 at home, when the team face Westbrook.

Meanwhile on the same night, Don Bugbee’s Old Lyme girls playing away, also pulled off a victory against Portland, but with much less effort than the boys. The final score was 56-13 taking Old Lyme to 1-1 record. The girls were defeated by Coginchaug 41-22 on Tuesday.

After the game, Bugbee said, “After our Season opening game loss to Coginchaug on Feb 10, the Team regrouped and played very well versus Portland.” He added, “It was a solid team effort in every aspect on both the Offensive and Defensive ends of the floor.”

Senior Emma McCulloch scored 16 points, took 8 rebounds and made 2 blocks, while fellow senior Emily DeRoehn notched 12 points with 12 rebounds and 2 steals. The third senior on the team, Sam Gray, added 13 points and made 8 rebounds.

The JV team extended their record to 2-0 with wins over Coginchaug (37-29) and Portland (46-16.)

The girl’s next games ire both away on Tuesday Feb. 16, and at Hale Ray on Feb 18.

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport

Winter Sports Start in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools with Practices, Games Begin Feb. 8

January 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Basketball practices start today for both the boys’ and girls’ squads at Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.

LYME/OLD LYME — Not only do Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools reopen today after the Martin Luther King Day holiday, but the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) winter high school sports season also starts.

This latter situation became possible after the CIAC Board of Control approved the CIAC Winter Sports Plan at a meeting last Thursday, Jan. 14, which allows students to start practicing (CIAC) winter sports of basketball, fencing, gymnastics and ice hockey Jan. 19 and to commence competition, Feb. 8.

In the same way as the fall season, the winter sports plan will be shorter and stay closer to home since, again, there will be no state tournaments, which can cause teams to travel all over the state. There will, however, be an equivalent of  the Shoreline Conference Tournament for Lyme-Old Lyme Schools held March 15-28. Not all member schools will necessarily compete, however, as the CIAC has permitted the final decision regarding whether to participate in winter sports to be made at school level.

The winter season is scheduled to run through March 28 and, at this point, the spring sports season is planned to start March 29.

Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained exclusively to LymeLine that the plan for LOL Schools winter sports season is that, “All sports [which include basketball, fencing, gymnastics and ice hockey] except wrestling and indoor track,” will start practicing today. The CIAC has deemed wrestling a high-risk activity meaning, it, “does not recommend any activities beyond small group conditioning and non-contact skill building for the duration of the winter season.”

Although indoor track has been categorized as a “moderate and lower risk sports,” and can therefore start practices today, Neviaser states, “We are working to find ways to have indoor track outside so we may be able to hold competitions that way.” The CIAC is not allowing indoor track meets until March at the earliest.

Masks will be required at all times by athletes, coaches, game personnel and officials, but Lyme-Old Lyme Schools will not be allowing spectators at any games or sporting events.

Asked to comment on the overall CIAC’s Winter Sports Plan, Neviaser said by email, “The lack of virus transmission during fall sports supports the CIAC’s current position,” adding, “We are glad to see our students once again having the opportunity to exercise and compete against their peers at other schools.”

He noted in conclusion, “Unfortunately, we cannot have fans but will live stream as many games as we can.” LymeLine will publish details of all games, which are being live-streamed, as soon as they are available.

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Schools, Sport

Region 4 Asks Valley-Old Lyme Co-op Football Coach to Resign

November 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Action from a Warriors game against Old Saybrook played on the Lyme-Old Lyme Varsity Field in 2016. File photo,

AREAWIDE — The press and social media are currently swirling with articles*, opinion pieces* and comments relating to the requested resignation of the extremely popular Valley Regional High School (VRHS) football coach and gym teacher Tim King by the Region #4 Superintendent Brian White.

Region 4 comprises the middle and high school-age students of Chester, Deep River and Essex; each of the three towns operates their own elementary schools.

Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) students play football on the VRHS ‘Warriors’ team in a formalized co-operative arrangement, which has been in place for some 10 years. Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained, however, that the co-op arrangement does not mean LOL Schools had any involvement in the recent actions of the Region #4 Superintendent.

Neiaser said by email, “In our current cooperative football agreement with Valley Regional, Region #4 employs the head coach. Therefore, any action or proposed action is independent of the Region #18 [Lyme-Old Lyme Schools] Board of Education.”

According to news reports, the issue that prompted White to ask for King’s resignation was King’s presence at an Independent Football League practice held in Lyme, which included players from both VRHS and LOLHS. The League was formed in response to the cancellation of the high school football season by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.

Since he is the VRHS/LOLHS football coach, King was not permitted by Region #4 to coach in the Independent Football League. According to numerous reports, King submits he complied with that ruling and many witnesses have substantiated that statement.

Neviaser noted in his email, “Region #18 has no involvement in any independent sports programs that are not a part of our annual budget.”

The captain of the VRHS/LOLHS co-op football team Jack Cox started a petition on change.org, requesting that Tim King should retain his positions at Valley Regional High School. As at 12 a.m., Nov. 23, more than 2,760 people had signed the petition.

Editor’s Note: *Articles and opinions referenced for this article include:
Three local teams to compete in 11-on-11 Independent Football League by Ned Griffen, published Oct. 23, by The Day.

Players, parents upset that Valley/Old Lyme coach King being forced to resign by Ned Griffen, published Nov. 21, by The Day.

Coach asked to resign for involvement in independent football league by Sean Patrick Bowley, published Nov. 21, in the New Haven Register.

Tim King has the community — and the truth — on his side by Mike DiMauro, published Nov. 23, by The Day.

Valley Regional high school coach asked to resign by school district for involvement in independent football league formed during the pandemic in The Courant.

Filed Under: Chester, Deep River, Essex, Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport

Lyme-Old Lyme Coaches, Athletes Feature Prominently in Shoreline Conference Fall Awards

November 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Emily DeRoehn is the 2020 Shoreline Conference Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year.

LYME/OLD LYME — Emily DeRoehn has been named Shoreline Conference Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year.

Lyme-Old Lyme boys’ soccer coach Ally Gleason and girls’ volleyball coach Erin Crayton were both named Shoreline Conference Coaches of the Year for their respective sports. Kendra Flaherty was named Shoreline Conference Girls’ Soccer Assistant Coach of the Year.

Additional honors awarded to Lyme-Old Lyme High School players included:

GIRLS’ SOCCER
First Team
Emily DeRoehn
Ellie Zrenda

Second Team
Sam Gray, Alexis Fenton and Grace Lathrop made the second team and

Honorable Mention
Abby Manthous
Stephanie Mauro
Lauren Wallace

BOYS’ SOCCER
First Team
Mike Milazzo
Anders Silberberg

Second Team
Avery Welch

Honorable Mention
Tim O’Brien and Jesper Silberberg

GORLS’ VOLLEYBALL
Second Team
Melanie Warren
Abigail Sicuranza

Honorable Mention
Abby Speckhals

CROSS COUNTRY
Boys’ Team
Aidan Powers

Girls’ Team
Maddy Morgado
Alyssa Spooner

Congratulations to all these excellent athletes!

Filed Under: Lyme, News, Old Lyme, Sport, Top Story
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