Trey Anderson had an exciting Thanksgiving break.
Rather than heading home to sunny San Diego for the holiday, Anderson traveled to South Carolina.
While there, he committed to playing Division I basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks next year.
“It was a blessing. It’s something I’ve dreamed of and worked toward my whole life,” Anderson said.
It was just some of the good news the Woodstock Academy Gold Prep squad had last week.
The Centaurs also swept through the MacDuffie School Invitational over the weekend and captured a hard-fought win over the Redemption Christian Academy National team Nov. 29 to raise their record to 11-0.
The Blue squad also posted three wins last week to raise its record to 9-1.
Anderson’s decision to commit to a Division I school raised the number of commitments on the Gold squad to eight already.
Other recent commits included Romar Reid to Manhattan College and Ody Oguama to Wake Forest University.
Anderson, a 6-foot, 7-inch guard, said he didn’t plan to commit to the Gamecocks over the break, but after he saw what he was being offered, had no choice.
“It was an option, but it wasn’t a definite,” Anderson said. “It was the family atmosphere. The way they treated me made me feel like I was a part of the family. I was home.”
Anderson added the campus and the facilities were “at the top of the charts.”
“It’s ridiculous,” he said with a laugh.
They also told him what he wanted to hear.
“They told me they didn’t have a shooter. That’s what I visited for and I felt like it was the perfect fit for me, the perfect situation, I had to end it,” Anderson said.
Anderson said it will make it a lot easier for the remainder of the Centaurs’ season.
He can now focus on team goals including winning the National Prep championship.
Reid decided earlier in the month to commit to Manhattan.
He will join a former Centaurs prep player, Elijah Buchanan, on the Jaspers.
“I believe what Coach (Steve) Mas(iello) talked to me about as far as my role and my future. My family liked it, too, it felt like home. It was an easy decision,” Reid said.
It will be a trip back home for the 6-1 guard who hails from Mt. Vernon, N.Y., essentially in New York City, but he said the lure of the city life was really not a consideration.
“It was more about how I felt about the college, and how it would benefit me in the future because I’m going to be there for four years so that was my main focus,” Reid said.
It wasn’t Reid’s first time that he had been to the school, he had made several unofficial forays, but this time he sat with Masiello. It was that meeting that pushed him over the edge.
“I’m going to fit the offense, the system. They like to play up-and-down, so do I, it fits my game,” Reid said. “Now, I can relax.”
Oguama made his decision before Reid and, unlike his new teammate, a big reason was a chance to go home.
Oguama hails from Knightdale, N.C., about two hours east of Wake Forest.
“It was a major part of my decision,” Oguama said.
Coming to Connecticut this fall opened his eyes about the Northeast.
“I’m not used to the weather, and it will just be nice to be closer to home,” the 6-foot-9 forward said. “It’s a dream come true. Every basketball player growing up wants to play for a high-major program.”
Oguama said the Demon Deacons have counseled him about their need for an impact player on the defensive side who has the ability to clear the glass and defend the rim.
“Run the floor and finish when I need to,” Oguama said.
Other players who have already committed include Noah Fernandes (Wichita State); Mikal Gjerde (San Diego); Preston Santos (UMass); Tre Williams (Indiana State) and Darion Jordan-Thomas (Wagner College).
The Centaurs, battling a little rust from their Thanksgiving break, held off Redemption Christian in Northfield, Mass, 81-76 Nov. 29.
Matt Cross led the way with 20 points while Fernandes, Jeremy Robinson, and Santos all added 14 each.
The Centaurs traveled to Granby, Mass,. for the MacDuffie School Invitational over the weekend. The Gold squad had no trouble with George Harris Academy, easily getting past the team from Ontario, Canada, 102-35.
Gjerde paced the Centaurs with 17 points while Santos added 14 and Oguama 12. Tre Mitchell poured in a double-double Dec. 2, 12 points and 11 rebounds, to lead the Centaurs to a 72-44 win over New York International Academy.
Matt Cross tossed in 12 points, five rebounds and four assists while Preston Santos added 11 points and four caroms.
Centaurs Blue squad on a roll
The Blue team was just as impressive last week.
It posted four victories, including two in the MacDuffie Invitational over the weekend in Granby, Mass., and cleared the century mark in a win over Redemption Christian Academy.
The Centaurs won their ninth in 10 games with an 83-69 win over Commonwealth Academy out of Springfield, Mass. Dec. 2.
Ty Mosley led the way with 19 points while Siddiq Canty added 14.
The Centaurs also prevailed over Lincoln Prep Dec. 1 with a strong defensive effort, 61-39.
Mosley again led the Centaurs with 16 points while Jeff Planutis added 14.
Kaleb Thornton scored 22 and Planutis added 14 in a 102-64 win over the Redemption Christian Academy regional squad Nov. 29.
The Centaurs returned to action last Wednesday, coming off a 10-day Thanksgiving break.
“It was really challenging, because everybody got their mind off basketball during the break,” Stefanos Psarras said. “It’s easy to get distracted.”
But the Centaurs pulled it together after a sluggish start and rolled to an 87-50 win over the Mitchell College JV squad.
The Centaurs not only had to deal with the rust from the break, but a couple of changes in the lineup.
Mosley was on the bench as he had just returned to school earlier in the day after getting stuck in Chicago due to the weather in the Midwest.
The Blue also welcomed guard Taylor Schildroth who was making his debut in a Centaurs uniform.
The Centaurs opened a 20-7 lead over the Mariners early after a pair of baskets from Planutis. That would blossom to 41-17 by the break after Guillam Gonzalez hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The “Euro-group” - as Psarras, from Athens,Greece, dubbed the Blue unit that includes himself, Kruno Macner (Zagreb, Croatia), Gonzalez (Alicante, Spain) and Srdja Marinkovich (Serbia) along with the newcomer Schildroth (who hails from Maine) - took over in the second half. Psarras scored eight of his 11 points in the second half while Macner put down all of his team-best 12 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.
“I got some shots. I had the confidence and I hit the shots. After I hit a couple, I started getting energy and was playing defense, everything was going,” Macner said with a smile.
John Korte added nine points in the win.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy
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Honored
PSA alum and Putnam Science Academy Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Jordan Butler earned the MEAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his outstanding play. The Norfolk State senior forward has been a defensive menace for the Spartans piling up 8 blocks in his team’s first three games this year while also grabbing 16 rebounds to help the Spartans to a 2-1 record. Butler tallied 9 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks last week against Mid- Atlantic Christian and added 10 points and 3 blocks vs Clarion at home. Just 3 games into his senior season and Butler sits 3rd in the league with 2.67 blocks per game. Jordan Butler, in is time at PSA, scored 405 points at the power forward position. The recently inducted Butler was a crucial part of the Mustangs 2013-2014 team, that was the 1st team inducted into the Putnam Science Academy Athletic Hall of Fame, after a 29-4 run that saw PSA advance to the Elite 8. PSA Head Coach Tom Espinosa said, “Jordan is what PSA basketball is all about.” Espinosa added “Jordan is as tough as they come. He’s a leader, a winner and an unbelievable kid.” Courtesy photo.
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Boys’ Prep Preview
Coach/Year: Tom Espinosa/
13th year
2017-2018 Record: 38-4
Top Returners: 2020 Guard Demarr Langford, 2019 Guard Dan Porcic, 2020 Guard Hassan Diarra, 2020 Forward Kareem Reid and 2019 Forward Akok Akok.
Top Newcomers: 2019 Guard Tyson Etienne, 2019 Center Mohammed Sylla, 2019 Center Russel Tchewa and 2019 Guard Marty Silvera.
Outlook: The Putnam Science Academy Mustangs accomplished their goal that they set out on last season going 38-4 enroute to capturing the 2018 National Prep Championship, the first in school history. Now the bullseye is on the Mustangs back as they look to repeat this upcoming season but the competition will be stiff. Brewster Academy has been widely ranked as the #1 Prep School going into the 2018-2019 season with PSA right on their tales at #2. Head Coach Tom Espinosa seemed unfazed when asked out the newly placed bullseye saying, “We prepare for every game the same way so nothing has really changed there. We look forward to the season and taking the best shot from all of our opponents.” The Mustangs lost some key pieces from last year’s team with Kyle Lofton and Osun Osunniyi headed to St. Bonaventure, Josh Mballa going to Texas Tech and Jose Perez moving on to Gardener Webb but PSA still returns 5 players from that championship team. One of the best defenders on the team, Demarr Langford, has improved his scoring ability along with Hassan Diarra’s knack for getting to the basket. You match that with heavily recruited forward Akok Akok with newcomers Tyson Etienne, who recently committed to Wichita State and big men Mohammed Sylla and Russel Tchewa and this is a team poised for another championship run.
Girls 'Prep Preview
Coach: Derek Marchione/
2nd Year
2017-2018: 22-9
Top Returners: 2019 Guard Fatima Lee, 2019 Guard Ariana Koivisto and 2020 Guard Niya Fields.
Top Newcomers: 2019 Guard Trinasia Kennedy, 2020 Lucie Castigne, 2019 Helena Dellarule, 2019 Xianna Josephs and 2019 Amaya Santiago.
Outlook: The Putnam Science Academy Mustangs last year under first- year Head Coach Derek Marchione saw immediate success finishing the season 22-9 and qualified for the Independent School National Championship where they went 2-1 eventually losing to Crestwood Academy. This year’s team is without 6 players from last year but PSA returns three key players at the guard position. 2019 Guard Fatima Lee, who committed to Providence in the summer, brings leadership on the court for coach Marchione. “Fatima brings a ton of energy to our team, she understands what I expect to see from the girls and is a hard worker.” 2019 Guard Ariana Koivisto, who surprised many last year with her high basketball IQ and ability to knock down shots from anywhere on the court, returns for Coach Marchione and looks to build off of a successful season for PSA. One of the top newcomers this year for the Mustangs is 2019 Guard Trinasia Kennedy and Coach Marchione has been thrilled with his 1st year player so far. “Trinasia is a tough, lock down defender that we look to utilize this season. Her offensive ability has got better each and every day.” What the Mustangs lost with size they gained with ball handlers and girls that can get you a basket. Expectations are high for the Lady Mustangs in their 2nd season.
Josh Sanchas
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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Stepping into the big time.
In a manner of speaking.
The Woodstock Academy Centaurs girls’ basketball team is making the jump into Division I in the Eastern Connecticut Conference this season.
It’s not exactly by choice.
The league recommended it due to the Centaurs success both in the league and in the Class L state tournament over the past couple of years.
“To be honest, I’m not sweating it,” said Centaurs coach Will Fleeton. “From the coach’s perspective, we have to play the game no matter who is on the other side. I try to live the same model that I preach to the kids, it’s something that is out of our control. We only deal with the things that we can control.”
It means that the Centaurs will now play the likes of Norwich Free Academy, New London, and East Lyme twice this year.
Oh and that is not the only leap of faith they are taking.
The Centaurs, due to their success in the state tournament and because Woodstock Academy is a school-of-choice will be playing in the Class LL state tournament.
“The positive side is that the (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) must believe we are worthy. We must have taken a few steps in the right direction,” Fleeton said.
Fleeton enters his fourth year as head coach of the Centaurs.
After making the Class L quarterfinals for a second consecutive year and a 17-7 record last season, he feels the team is headed in the right direction and may even be a step or two ahead of what he expected.
The trick will be to stay there.
Gone are leading scorer and rebounder, Jamie Woods, swing player Olivia Perry, guards Mackenzie Cayer and Kalianna Dingui, top reserve Ciri Miller and the most athletic player on the team last year, Madison Brennan.
“We lost quite a few,” Fleeton said with a shake of his head. “They were versatile; they played the position that was needed. They had other skills that they didn’t get to use because they sacrificed for the good of the team.”
That means that no one position was affected more than the other by the graduation losses, but all were affected equally.
“The biggest thing for us will be to see how we adjust to the varsity level style of play and adjusting to high-caliber opponents. If we make that transition well, it will make things easier. If the level of play means that we struggle, it will hamper us all season. The key is for us to adjust to all the changes because there is very little varsity experience outside of the returners,” Fleeton said.
Heather Converse and Katie Papp will have to hold down the inside as much as possible with Aislin Tracey, Kayla Gaudreau, and Mackenzie Eaton in the back court.
Fleeton is hopeful that junior Caroline Hamill can prosper at forward after knee surgery early last season that caused her to miss the majority of the year.
Fleeton also has some newcomers in guards Hallie Saracina and Mikayla Wilcox and forwards Linda St. Laurent and Rachel Lambert.
The offense generally ran through Woods in the past two seasons.
Fleeton expects that it will be more evenly distributed although it might be Converse’s turn to get more looks.
“I don’t want to say it’s ‘Converse time’ but she has sacrificed a lot the last three years and now she is coming into her final season. We want to make it a pleasant one for her and I think she is beyond ready,” Fleeton said.
After that, Fleeton needs contributions from everyone else, a team-type effort, both offensively and defensively.
He calls Eaton and Papp “critical” to the team’s success.
“Katie is coming off an (ankle) injury. She was out most of the year. There were high expectations, but unfortunately, she missed most of the time to prepare herself for this year. We’re hoping for good things from her,” Fleeton said.
The coach believes Tracey is ready to contribute more as is Gaudreau.
Something else the senior group that left took with them was the majority of the leadership of the team.
The Centaurs do have some different out-of-league opponents this season.
There will be no Centaurs Christmas tournament so the girls’ team will be playing East Greenwich (R.I.) on Dec. 27 and New Britain, a Class LL program, on Dec. 28.
“I don’t know what we’re facing there (with New Britain), but I expect them to be a quality team. Maybe that will help prepare us for some of the (LL) opponents that we will face as well as the ECC schedule,” Fleeton said.
Other non-conference opponents include Longmeadow, Mass., whom the Centaurs will play twice, East Hampton and Wethersfield. The goal this season is not based on wins-and-losses to start, but rather, to establish themselves.
Girls’ basketball schedule:
Dec. 14: at Plainfield 7 p.m.
Dec. 19: vs. Bacon Academy 7 p.m.
Dec. 21: at Fitch 6 p.m.
Dec. 27 vs. E. Greenwich (R.I) 1:30
Dec. 28: vs. New Britain 4 p.m.
Jan. 4: vs. NFA 7 p.m.
Jan. 7: at Longmeadow ) 7 p.m.
Jan. 8: vs. Waterford 7 p.m.
Jan. 10: vs. New London 7 p.m.
Jan. 12: at Bacon Academy 7 p.m.
Jan. 15: at East Lyme 7 p.m.
Jan. 17: at Ledyard 6 p.m.
Jan. 23: vs. Longmeadow 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 24 vs. Stonington 6 p.m.
Jan. 28: at New London 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 vs. Lyman Memorial 7 p.m.
Feb. 2: vs. East Lyme 1 p.m.
Feb. 6: vs. East Hampton 6 p.m.
Feb. 8: at Wethersfield 7 p.m.
Feb. 12: at NFA 7 p.m.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy
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