2 CITIZEN’S NEWS Friday, January 29, 2010 Here’s Hoping You Love This Labor of Love By Kyle Brennan There are also some decisions I’ve made about the project for which I’ve Citizen’s News received some flak. More than a few people have told me the top 25 lists should I remember being in middle school, awed by Woodland sports. The Hawks separate males and females. I figured I would kill two birds with one stone and were really special to me. I wasn’t much of an athlete, but I was already a staunch- rank them anyway, so if you’d like to think of it as separate, go ahead and sepa- All-Decade Stat Chat ly avid sports fan, and the way I saw it, the Hawks were just the latest team to add rate them. to my short list of favorites. But I felt a level of connection to Woodland sports that I’ve had some insist that I do an all-decade cheerleading team; I chose not 1 Athlete from either school on three different All-Decade teams—Woodland’s I didn’t have to the Red Sox or Jets or UConn—I felt like I was a Hawk, even by to, not out of disrespect to our schools’ spirit squads but because I felt there was Shane Kingsley watching football games as an eighth grader. no easy and proper way to choose teams. There’s no denying many cheerleaders 2 Football players—Woodland’s Jeff Jones and Naugatuck’s Matt Gomes—who If I could travel back to 2005, to the awestruck freshman I was, and compare throughout the years would be worthy, from Woodland’s Lindsay Temple to Paige have three different starting positions on their schools’ All-Decade football myself to the position I’m in today, there’s no way I would believe it. Christensen and Naugatuck’s Jessica Martins to Jamie Iannotti. teams 2 I’m in that position, though, as the person trusted with creating a piece of Of course, the other team supporters at both schools deserve recognition as State championships for both schools this decade; Naugatuck boys’ soccer claimed titles in 2001-02, while Woodland football won rings in 2004-05 history—the All-Decade sports teams at Woodland Regional and Naugatuck high well. Woodland’s dance team has become one of the best in the state over the last 3 Naugatuck football players with multiple starting positions on the Hounds’ schools. And I’ve relished every bit of this distinguished role. few years under coach Michele LoRusso, and Naugatuck’s marching band has All-Decade lineup I’m a Woodland alum (class of 2009), so I’m definitely more familiar with always been top-notch under director Robert Kogut. 4 Of Woodland’s top five games of the decade were played on the gridiron the Hawks’ history than Naugatuck’s. But I certainly have my ties to Naugy. My I don’t want to leave out the wrestling team from the early days of 4 All-America selections on the Naugatuck boys’ soccer All-Decade team, the dad’s entire family was Garnet and Grey, first his parents in the 1950s then he and Woodland, led by Jon Howard and Adam Shortell, nor do I wish to omit Naugy’s most of any squad his siblings in the ‘70s and ‘80s. I’ve had three cousins graduate from the borough all-state gymnasts, Kassie Merancy and Katrina Orsini. All deserve credit, but I had 6 All-New England picks on that unit, also the most among all teams institution, and I was a Greyhounds fan until my school was built in the Woods. to limit our teams to the conventional sports. 6 Woodland football players with multiple starting positions on the Hawks’ As knowledgeable as I am about area sports, there’s no way I could have So I hope this is something you all enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed put- All-Decade roster completed this project with the degree of accuracy it deserves without the invalu- ting it together. To be able to write about the athletes who dropped my jaw time 7 1,000-point scorers among the 20 starting basketball players able help of more than 30 individuals. As I’ve found out, record-keeping isn’t and time again is such a thrill for me, and this takes the cake. Now those guys and 7 Combined All-State players on Woodland’s 2004 and 2005 football teams exactly the best around these parts, and each of the folks I consulted helped fill the girls, many of whom are men and women today, get to look back at what they 8 Track athletes from either Woodland or Naugatuck who have been All-New gaps in the project. On behalf of all of us at Citizen’s News, thanks so much. were part of, and it’s been my pleasure to compile it. (By the way, this issue is also England performers this decade There are a few things I need to clear up before you go leafing through this available on our Web site, mycitizensnews.com, so spread the word so our alumni 8 Out of 10 Naugatuck Valley League boys’ soccer championships this decade section. Obviously, as with any project involving this level of subjectivity, there is can check it out online.) won by Naugatuck going to be a ton of room for debate about each and every decision I made. I don’t I hope this is something we keep around, too. Maybe we’ll be lucky enough 8 Athletes who were All-NVL selections all four years in the same sport—7 from claim to have done a 100 percent perfect job on this, but I spent every spare to have this kept in our high schools’ and communities’ libraries because as cool as Naugy, 1 from Woodland moment I had over the last seven months making sure it was the best it could be, this project is going to be to look at now, it might be even more awesome to look 9 Families at each school with at least two athletes on the All-Decade teams and I’m sure there are still some athletes I’ve missed. back in 10, 20, 50 years. I know I’m laminating a copy and framing it in my game 9 NVL championships won by Woodland this decade; no sport has more than Unfortunately, we could only fit so much information on these pages, so we room. two titles 13 Athletes among Woodland’s top 25 athletes of the decade from Beacon Falls tried to list some of the athletes’ highest accomplishments in their short bios. Lastly, I hope the younger boys and girls in Naugatuck, Prospect and Beacon 14 Naugatuck athletes on multiple All-Decade teams Again, I’m sure there are some small bits and pieces I missed, but there were only Falls learn a little from reading about the recent history of our two high schools’ 14 Woodland athletes on multiple All-Decade teams so many records available. Hopefully, in the future, the NVL will start keeping some athletics, because in just a few short years, you’ll be able to make your cases to be 15 Naugatuck athletes yet to graduate who hold starting positions on the All- more organized records of all-league athletes and championships—that might listed among the best athletes of next decade. Decade teams make this a little easier the next time around. Enjoy, folks. 18 NVL track records held by athletes from either Woodland or Naugatuck 20 Woodland athletes still in school who hold starting sports on the All-Decade Table of Contents squads 31 Goals scored by Naugatuck’s Ryan Kinne in 2006, the highest single-season NHS Top 5 Teams, Naugatuck Top 25 Woodland Top 25 total ever at either school 34 Total All-Decade teams between the two schools Football p. 4 Soccer p. 5 Basketball p. 6 Games, Plays p. 7 Athletes p. 8 Athletes p. 9 51.1 Straight innings pitched by Woodland’s Mark McKay in 2008 without allowing an earned run 60 NVL championships won by Naugatuck this decade, 27 of which came in track 61 Career wins by Naugatuck’s Alana Wesche, the most by any pitcher at either school 90 Career runs scored by Woodland’s Alice Levinsky, the most by any baseball or softball player at Woodland 270 Total starting positions on the 34 All-Decade teams .583 Career batting average of Naugatuck’s Henry Lee, the highest ever at NHS 640 Career point total of Woodland’s Adam Cegelka, the boys’ all-time leading WRHS Top 5 Teams, Cross Country and Baseball and Swimming and scorer Games, Plays p. 10 Volleyball p. 11 Track and Field p. 12 Tennis and Golf p. 13 Softball p. 14 Diving p. 15 1,040 Receiving yards by Naugatuck’s Matt Gomes in 2003, the highest single- season total of the decade at either school 1,157 Career point total of Woodland’s Jen Valente, the girls’ all-time leading scorer 2001 Year of five of Naugatuck’s teams of the decade, the most of any year at either school 3,602 Career rushing yards by Woodland’s Pat Krakowski, the most ever at WRHS All-Decade photos from CN and RA archives Who Says There’s No Place Like Home? 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