Clinkscale does
double duty
Elisha Clinkscale says there is good pain and there is bad pain. And the task she is about to undertake falls under the category of good pain.
Clinkscale, a sophomore basketball player at PSA, recently joined the girls’ soccer team, making her the first female dual-sport athlete the school has had.
“I overheard people saying after the first day that they didn’t have enough people and that they needed a goalie,” said Clinkscale, who just recently moved from Putnam to Thompson. “And I thought that I’m not the right fit for that, I’m not the right size. But I played soccer from third grade until eighth grade, so I have experience. They needed more people, so I just decided that I should go and try.”
Clinkscale had some quick doubts at first but those were allayed by her basketball coach, Stephanie Coro, who encouraged her to give it a try and have a great time. Coro said if it proved to be too much, she would be flexible. Soccer coach Jen Bennett, who called her a “natural leader” and “super-coachable,” told her the same thing.
“She loves playing soccer and she wanted to try it,” Coro said. “Why would I ever tell her she couldn’t do it? I think it’s great that she wants to do it. That’s the kind of person she is.”
Clinkscale, a physical combo guard on the basketball team who will play a multitude of positions on the soccer field, knows she’s not the first high school kid to ever play multiple sports. But she recognizes it is different at a prep school, where the sport is year-round with training in the offseason. So if there is a scheduling conflict, basketball practice wins out over soccer practice, but soccer games win out over basketball practice. And on the days there is no conflict, well then, Clinkscale gets to double up.
Those days get a little crazy. Classes go from 8 a.m. to 2:20 p.m., then it’s soccer practice from 3 to 5 p.m., then a quick dinner and rest, then basketball practice from 7 to 9 p.m., then home to do whatever schoolwork needs to be done. There is also AAU hoops on the weekends.
She does not need to double up on the weight room or conditioning drills, which is kind of nice. “Weight room for basketball is normally 6 a.m. or they’ll go the track for conditioning. So I can sleep in a little more than they do,” Clinkscale said with a sheepish smile.
The flexibility from her coaches is a huge help. So too is the nature of her new teammates. There are a number of Brazilian players on the team, including Tais Mota, who said part of their soccer culture is to be welcoming.
“We just want her to join us,” Mota said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re playing bad or well, we wanted to welcome her to the team. But she is playing well and she is fitting in as one of us.”
Clinkscale will continue to assess the situation as the season progress, but she has no inkling of changing her mind.
“It’s a lot, but that’s part of sports,” she said. “If you don’t have the right mindset, you’re not going to get anywhere. If you have a negative attitude about it, and then something negative happens, it’s going to be 10 times worse. If you’re positive and something negative happens, it could still be tough but not nearly as bad as it would otherwise be. Having a positive attitude about whatever you’re doing just makes everything better.”
By Steve Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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caption, page 6:
Woodstock Win
Woodstock Academy coach Sean Saucier and senior Luis Miranda embrace shortly after the Centaurs’ 31-27 win at Ledyard. Woodstock Academy receiver Nick Bedard hauls in a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ethan Davis. Photos by Marc Allard.
Centaurs
open season
with big win
The final buzzer had just sounded.
The Woodstock Academy Centaurs football team was hooting and hollering, celebrating a 31-27 win over ECC mainstay, Ledyard, on the Colonels home field Sept. 13.
That was with the notable exception of one.
Woodstock Academy senior Luis Miranda was on his hands and knees in front of the Woodstock Academy sideline. Exhaustion was not his problem. Emotion was.
Woodstock Academy coach Sean Saucier came over, stood over him and told him twice, “We’re there.”
The Centaurs football program had arrived. Finally.
“Just thinking about it still gets me choked up,” Saucier said about that moment. “He’s been grinding for the last four years. He had some varsity time as a freshman and I took over when he was a sophomore. He was one of the ones I put out against Killingly as sophomores and was just praying no one got hurt.”
The work that Miranda and his fellow seniors put in at the weight room and the commitment and attitude that they have displayed has started to pay dividends.
“He was crying. I don’t think he believed it, but when it actually happened, it’s overwhelming,” Saucier said.
Miranda said it was a bit hard to fathom.
He had seen a program do a complete 180.
“We’ve had a lot of struggles as a team and in this offseason, it felt different. Working out since December with a lot of the guys through the spring and summer and then football camp with the whole team together, it felt different. The mood and attitude of the guys to prove that we’re back in the ECC and we’re a different team just felt great,” Miranda said.
Not only back. But also competitive.
It’s true; Ledyard had just two wins last season.
In the minds of those in the program, that matters little.
“It’s Ledyard. I grew up hearing about Ledyard and their legendary coaches over the years. There is a lot of respect for Ledyard football and to see Woodstock Academy on the winning end next to Ledyard, I don’t care what year it is, it’s a very special thing for the community,” Saucier said.
It was the first ECC victory for the Centaurs since Sept. 27, 2014, when they downed St. Bernard, 35-14.
It didn’t come easy. The Centaurs had always seemed to be one touchdown behind the Colonels. But they also always seemed to have an answer.
Ledyard scored on its first dive of the game.
After the Centaurs punted on their first possession, they forced Ledyard to do the same. It didn’t go so well.
A mishandled punt snap resulted in the Centaurs getting the ball at the Colonels 36-yard line.
Senior slash Nick Bedard went backwards 4 yards on an end around.
He quickly made up for that.
Sophomore quarterback Ethan Davis (14-for-20, 201 yards passing) found Bedard behind the defensive secondary and got him the ball for a 40-yard touchdown pass.
“He’s so fast, so athletic, that works for me,” Davis said of his receiver who finished with six catches for 114 yards.
Ledyard answered on its next possession to go up, 14-7, and the Centaurs had to survive two scary situations.
The first was a successful onside kick by the Colonels which gave them the ball on the Centaurs 48-yard line.
Ledyard went 1 yard in four plays.
The Centaurs took over on their own 47 and went only three plays before Davis made one of his few mistakes, Caden Foote stepped in front of one of his passes and Ledyard had the ball back on its own 37.
Again, the Centaurs’ defense stepped up and were able to get the ball on the ground where it was scooped up by Seth Libby.
On the next play, Saucier went for it.
He had Davis look for Bedard over the top again and the sophomore delivered a play that went 31 yards to the Ledyard 3-yard line.
Three plays later, Bedard went around the left side, but as he was about to cross the goal line, the ball popped from his hands, right into the waiting arms of teammate Trey Ayotte literally sitting in the end zone to tie the score thanks to a second extra point by first-year senior kicker Aidan Morin.
Ledyard was forced to punt again and the Centaurs began a march down the field.
Nine plays got them down to the Ledyard 25-yard line but time was running out and Davis had to throw. Jaiden Bickham was glad he did. The ball went right into the Ledyard defensive back’s hands at the Woodstock Academy 20-yard line.
In front of him was only green, no one wearing the blue-and-gold. Bickham scored on the pick-6 as time expired in the first half.
“We weren’t happy that we gave up the 80-yard interception but we knew that it wasn’t the end of the game. We knew that we had another half of football. We knew our defense was playing better and our offense was starting to click. We were getting some holes from the line and Ethan Davis was feeling more comfortable. I knew that we would produce. I just wanted to see it through,” Miranda said.
The Centaurs produced on the first drive of the second half. It didn’t start well.
Davis was sacked for a loss of 5 on the first play of the second half. He was then forced from the pocket and gained only a yard and to make matters worse, the Centaurs were then called for offside and were facing a third-and-19 on their own 12.
Davis hit Miranda for 21 yards.
Two runs and four passes later, junior Gavin Savoie (10 carries, 49 yards) scored from a yard out.
“I think that was the turning point, the key drive in the whole game,” Saucier said.
Bedard then picked Ledyard quarterback Brayden Grim and returned the ball to the Ledyard 15.
The Centaurs stalled at the 11-yard line.
Saucier gave Morin the chance.
He split the uprights with a field goal from 28-yards out.
“That was a game changer,” Saucier said.
Ledyard did forge ahead, 27-24, with 9:15 left.
It didn’t faze Davis.
He guided the Centaurs down the field and put the game away on a 13-yard pass play to Travis White.
It capped off a rather impressive debut for the young signal caller.
“I don’t think they needed much confidence in him,” Saucier said. “I think the way he conducts himself, the effort he puts in, and his consistency, he had the team’s respect in going in. What I love is that he makes mistakes and there is no nonsense, no getting down on himself, no self-absorbed pity. He just figures it out and moves on.”
The Centaurs now move on to Game 2.
They host Windham in their home opener at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Bentley Athletic Complex.
“I think we can keep the momentum going. We did a good job in a lot of areas but there is always places to improve. We’re just going to rep it out in practice, improve on those things, and be an even better team,” Miranda said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 963-0000.
Aug. 30
Jakob Graziano, 19, Shewville Road, Ledyard, speeding.
Khonesavanh Thoummany, 29, Dyer Street, Danielson; second-degree forgery and operating under suspension.
Aug. 31
Jonathon Poulin, 31, Hell Hollow Road, Voluntown; operating unregistered.
Sept. 1
Payton Livingston, 22, Grove Street, Putnam; second-degree failure to appear, first-degree failure to appear.
Ashley Bello, 26, Railroad Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct, third-degree criminal mischief, risk of injury.
Jeffrey Fitts, 48, Walnut Street, Putnam; operating under the influence.
Jacob Hicks, 28, Green Road, Woodstock; violation of restraining order, disorderly conduct.
Sept. 3
Robert Bogue Jr., 29, homeless; first-degree criminal trespassing, criminal violation protective order, disorderly conduct.
Sept. 4
Lauren Curtis, 28, Oneco Road, Norwich; illegal use of a credit card, sixth-degree larceny, third-degree burglary.
Sept. 7
Sean Haley, 33, Child Dome Road, Woodstock; failure to wear seatbelt front seat.
Donald Leighton, 50, Pomfret Street, Putnam; second-degree breach of peace, third-degree assault.
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Legal Notice
Town of Putnam
Zoning
Commission
The Town of Putnam Zoning Commission held a meeting on August 21, 2019, at 7:00 P.M. at the Putnam Town Hall located at 126 Church Street, Putnam, CT. The following action was taken:
Docket # 2019-04: Strategic Commercial Realty, Inc. D/B/A Rawson Materials — Request for a Special Permit in accordance with Section 607 of the Town of Putnam Zoning Regulations for Earth Removal/Excavation and Grading consisting of approximately 2.2 million yards of material for the construction of an approved 15 lot-re-subdivision. Property located at 79A Town Farm Road. Town Assessor’s Map 44, Lot 1, Zoned QTP. APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS
Patricia Hedenberg,
Chair
Sept. 12, 2019
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