TOP STORIES.

As the year comes to a close, there have been many sports stories going on in Hamden. Here are my top of the year.

#1 - Hamden High football. Hamden high football "shocked the world "in 2008 after their one win season. Not even new head coach Scott Benoit, quoted before the season starts by saying he would be happy with an even season.

The Dragons won the first game against Cheshire and just kept rolling along. They kept winning until they were 7-0 They ended the regular season 9-2 and won a berth in the state tournament. Although they got beat by Cheshire in the semis, their story is an amazing one.

New coach Scott Benoit won nine games with a group of seniors who had only three wins in their first three seasons. Let us not forget that Hamden plays one of the toughest schedules in the state -- Cheshire West Haven, Hand, Xavier, Fairfield Prep, Wilbur Cross, Notre Dame and Shelton are some of the best programs in the state. Not only was this the top story of the year, I believe they may have been the top story in quite a few years.

#2 -, American Legion Post 88 baseball. Prospects were not bright for Hamden coach Frank DeLucia who has had several poor seasons as well as the fact that the high school team did not qualify for the state tournament. DeLucia challenged his charges and they came through with flying colors.

DeLucia added Dan "Big Country" Rhone (HHS ‘07) and John Powers (Hopkins ‘09) to the pitching staff. At the plate Powers and Kyle Cummings (HHS ‘08) were devastating aided by table setter Dante Blackmon (HHS ‘08). Greg Pacelli (HHS ‘07) added power at the plate. Hockey player Bill Findley (HHS ’08) led by his hitting and enthusiasm and catcher MJ Lombardozzi (HHS’08) helped the team with his quiet leadership.

The team came in second in the zone and won the first game in the state tournament before being eliminated.

#3 - Hamden High boys hockey. Although they came up a few games short in the state tournament, they had a great season. Playing hockey in Hamden is like playing sports in New York. Many Hamden hockey fans feel if you don't win a state title you have failed.

Coach Bill Verneris and his team had a great season. Halfway through the year it beat top rated South Windsor, and was ranked number one in the state. Despite the fact that eventual state champion Fairfield Prep was beaten by Hamden earlier in the year, they prevailed against Hamden in the semi-finals. Win or lose, it was a good season for the Dragons led by Anthony Avitable (HHS ’09) and a talented group of seniors.

FROEHLICH HONORED.

Maddie Froehlich (HHS ‘09) was selected to the All Area New Haven Register swim team. Froehlich placed second in the 200 IM and third in the backstroke at the SCC tournament. She qualified for the state open and broke the Hamden High School record in the backstroke.

MISSY MENDYGRAL OROSZ

Missy Mendygral Orosz (HHS’91) is a swim coach at Sacred Heart Academy and was named Coach of the year in the SCC by the New Haven Register. She led the Pacers to their first SCC Division II title. She is leaving with a 100-45-1 record. She will take a position as Associate Director of Recreation for the town of Seymour.

YOU'RE OUT.

Hamden firefighter John Grasso will spend the next five weeks in Florida at the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpires. He will go to a regular rigorous training session and hopes to come out after the camp with an umpire job in the minor leagues. At 40 years old Grasso will be one of the oldest recruits in camp.

ON THE AIR.

Connecticut Sports Network (CSN) is now on the air. The network features high school sports in the area. Right now it is airing CIAC semi- finals and finals of the fall sports – football, field hockey, soccer and volleyball.

CSN is number 185 on your video dial.

COACHES.

In the last several months I've had occasion to attend several athletic awards banquets. Almost every recipient credits their coaches for their success. Okay so who was your favorite coach at any level of sports?

My own top three are as follows: 1. Larry. "Geronimo" Amendola was my basketball coach at St. Michael's School and CYO. Amendola (I am not sure where he got that nickname “Geronimo") was not your typical basketball coach. He stands about 5'8" tall, but boy did he know his X’s and O’s. He was a splendid coach because he loved the game and loved the kids.

As I've always espoused, “it is a lot more fun to win than to lose.” Amendola always found a way to win.

2. Ray Tellier. "T." as many of his players referred to him was a baseball and football coach at Wilbur Cross and Notre Dame High Schools. Tellier was a no-nonsense kind of guy. One day Tellier’s centerfielder was out of his position. He turned to a little used substitute on the bench and said. "You beat him to his position and you play the rest of the game." The sub beat the centerfielder out there and he played the rest of the game. Tellier taught sports, but he taught "life" as well.

Tellier’s strength was as a football coach. At practice he often got into the line with no equipment and knocked people on their butts. His offense was simple – run right 40 yards; run right 10 yards; run right, no gain. Run left 10 yards. He wasn’t into trick football, he just wanted you to execute better than the other team In the early 60’s he came up with the monster defense. Tellier took his most athletic player and made him a rover. He attacked the offense from various points and was almost impossible to handle. Tellier was also one of the first coaches to use film in game preparation.

Tellier also had a number of his players become coaches in the area.

3. Philip "Lefty Burke" Scarpellino played in the minor leagues when there were only 16 teams in the majors. Scarpellino used the name Lefty Burke, because he thought it was difficult to play in the South with an Italian last name.

Lefty said he was never really abused, but it was just an attitude about Italian-Americans in that era.

Later Scarpellino became a major league scout, and he never lost his passion for the game. I met him late in life, but he could sit and talk baseball for hours. When I met him, I was a "swinger". I swung at anything near the plate and hoped I made contact. Scarpellino taught me to be a hitter, how to hit the ball to the opposite field and how to hit where the ball was pitched and not to try to pull everything. He would sit with his young players and talk to them about the philosophy of the game, reaction time at the plate and so on and so on.

With apologies to other coaches I may have had, these were my favorite three. Send me your favorite coaches who have ever coached you to tonymentone@yahoo.com.

RUMOR.

There is an unconfirmed rumor, I repeat UNCONFIRMED, floating around that former Notre Dame High School football coach and present A.D. at the West Haven high school, Tom Marcucci, will return as coach to replace retiring John DiCaprio.

SCORERS TABLE.

Hamden High School basketball has the best trio of scorers’ table personnel around. Rich Altieri is a former basketball official and never misses a beat despite the fact he's usually reading a newspaper during the stoppage in play.

Jay Midolo is a baseball umpire and passes the cold weather months by keeping score and running the clock. He is a high school sports fan and can often be found at many of the top games.

Mike Raccio is "the Stat Man of New Haven". It is rumored that the CIAC calls him if there is a question on stats.

These three keep things very professional. I am tired of watching students and teachers at some schools who don't know what they are doing

FILL THE BOWL.

As I was listening to the Princeton versus Yale football game at Yale Bowl, I thought I heard the announcer say that the attendance was 5000. I knew that had to be a mistake. Yale, Princeton and Harvard are called the Big Three and they alternate sites every year If Yale plays Princeton at the Bowl this year then they play Harvard at home next year. The games usually draw 45,000 to better than 60,000 depending on the importance of the game.

When I got the newspaper the next day, I checked the attendance. Sure enough it was only 5000. Where the hell did everybody go?

One of the highlights of my years of my young life was Saturday at Yale Bowl with my father and my uncles. The day used to go something like this: we would leave the house for a 2 PM game at about 10:30 AM. Didn't want to miss anything. The traffic was usually already starting to back up. We parked on a side street off the Boulevard. We would walk across the marshes to Yale Bowl. I would run through the falling fall leaves with my father and my uncles, who would warn me to be careful. I always wondered whether there was a prehistoric monster under the leaves that was going to attack. I wasn't sure about it but as I got older I realized they were cautious with everything when it came to their kids.

When we got to the bowl we would watch the soccer match on a field adjacent to Coxe Cage. Now that field is surrounded by evergreens and there is an admission to get in. But at that time it was wide open. We would then walk over to Gate B to wait for our "contact". The talk was only sports -- football, baseball, Yale hockey and boxing. I learned more about sports on Saturday afternoons that I learned in my whole life.

Our "contact" would show up and we would all enter the bowl without tickets. Later I found out we were supposed to be door guards, but we never did any guard duty, but I also found out that our contact was putting the door guard money in his pocket. We didn't care as long as we saw the game.

Where did those 40,000 people go? I do admit that it was pouring rain for most of the game. Hell, I literally sat in a hurricane wrapped in industrial plastic that one of my uncles got at work and then there was the snowstorm when the "Yale Precision Marching Band" released pigs on the field and nobody could catch them.

Where are the Townies who considered Yale to be their own team? They’re home watching television or on the computer etc. On any given Saturday you could watch 10 - 20 different games.

Where are the busses and open trolleys going from New Haven Green to Yale Bowl? Where are the cars, which flooded the streets and tailgated in the parking lots around the Bowl? Where are all the kids who used to show up for Youth Day? Yale used to be New Haven’s team. Times have changed. Despite numerous youth programs, you won't find too many kids in this area, saying Yale is their favorite team.

200 WINS.

Hamden high girls basketball coach John Ceneri got his 200th career win in Hamden's opening game against Foran of Milford,. 54-34. Cara Deroy led Hamden with 10 points, followed by Takerra Williams with nine.

SCC HONORS.

The following Hamden High School athletes earned Southern Connecticut Conference honors: In Girls’ Cross country named to the All- Conference team was Carolyn Williams, and she was also selected to the All-Quinnipiac Team along with Lindsey Leach.

In Football, named on offense was wide receiver Josh Smart. On defense was Carmine Baldino.

In Boys soccer, the Quinnipiac division named Stephen Zapata and Chris Fitzsimons.

Girls’ soccer included Janie Jannitto and Gabby Benitez.

In the 200 IM swimming Madeline Froehlich was named. She was also named in the backstroke.

HI GANG.

I have been bothered by diabetic eye trouble the past several weeks, and I've really missed talking with you. Do me a personal favor -- if the doctor ever tells you that you are diabetic - Do something, anything you can to correct the situation.

Secondly I would like to make it clear that I have no ties with the Hamden Daily News or its founding editor Sharon Bass. I have no idea where she is or what she is doing now.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Nick Mastracchio (HHS ’03) played hockey for four years at Hamden and went on to Assumption College where he played for two years. He is presently attending SCSU, where he is studying for a degree in business management.

Nick’s sister, Jacqueline (HHS ’06) was a catcher and captain of the Hamden softball team. She presently attends SCSU and is majoring in education. She is now the assistant varsity softball coach at Hamden High School.

WORLD SERIES RECAP.

Although many people did not watch the World Series because their favorite team wasn’t playing, it was actually between two very good teams.

The problem was the weather in Philadelphia for three games. The Lords of baseball must get together and rethink when and where the seven biggest games of baseball will be played.

The games in Philadelphia were played in some of the worst weather I have ever seen baseball played in. When it wasn't raining, the temperature was hovering around freezing. It was a disservice to both the players and fans.

The first game at Philly should never have been played. Due to weather conditions the game started a little after 10 PM and finished around 2 AM. Who or what did this benefit?

As we now know, the last game was played over a two-day period. The first part of the game was played in some of the worst weather I've ever seen a game played in before it was held up with a tie score in the fifth. The game was then suspended.

Baseball has changed its rules on suspended game several times.

Prior to 1980, the rule in the situation said that if the game was called after the visiting team tied the score or went ahead and the home team had not finished batting, the score would have reverted to what it was before the inning. The rule was changed after the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting Yankees 3-0 on August 13, 1978 when New York scored five runs in the top of the seventh only to have them wiped out because of the weather.

Under the new rule when the visiting team scored to tie or go ahead and the inning wasn't completed the game was suspended.

If the Phillies had completed the sixth inning without scoring it would have been an official tie game under the rule from 1980 to 2006 and would have been replayed from the start. But under the rule change made in November 2006, if that had happened now,it would have been a suspended game too, because ties were eliminated starting with the 2007 season.

All in all the 2008 World Series was great, players playing a great game, but the "brass" screwed it up again. They must either shorten the season or play in indoor facilities. The home fans will definitely be disappointed but playing baseball in the “crap” they were forced to play in was intolerable.

WHAT A SEASON!!

The Hamden high football team must be given accolades for the tremendous season it just had. Coach Scott Benoit could have easily used the excuse that it was his first year at the helm, and after two games he accomplished more than they had in the past three years. The seniors could have just sat back and had fun in their senior year. They did have fun, but they also worked their butts off and came away with nine victories and a berth in the state tournament. I've always been of the opinion that winning is a lot more fun than losing.

Let us not forget that Hamden football plays one of the best schedules in the state. There really was not an easy win on the schedule. Just to finish with a winning record is an accomplishment. Great job by all those involved.

GREEN BOWL.

The old cliché that you can throw out the records certainly makes sense for this year's Green Bowl game. An example of this was that Hamden 9-1 had already qualified for the state tournament.

Notre Dame was having a mediocre season this year and it took them five games before they got their first win. So what happened? Notre Dame, bolstered about rumors of Coach De Caprio’s pending retirement, beat Hamden 12-10.

Hamden was not looking forward to the state tournament. Notre Dame is one of the biggest rivalries in the state. With all due respect to retiring coach John DeCaprio, the game was won by Tom Marcucci, the previous head coach and present athletic director. Now the football team’s defensive coordinator, he had the stellar Hamden defense off-balance all game and he should be credited with at least a partial win. A disciple of legendary coach Ray Tellier, Marcucci may be the best defensive "man" in the state.

Let me hear your comments on Hamden sports at Tony Mentone@yahoo.com