Jimmy ZanorNorwich Bulletin
Week 5 of the winter season featured a number of highlights and top performances.
The Norwich Free Academy girls basketball team moved above the .500 mark (6-5) with victories over Griswold and Bacon Academy.
Plainfield’s Morgan Yonuish scored 34 points in a win over Putnam.
The Killingly wrestling team won the prestigious Greater Hartford Open.
And in Indoor Track, Killingy’s Everton Brown qualified for nationals during a meet at Southern Connecticut State University.
The Norwich Bulletin has you covered for what's happening this winter at Norwich Free Academy, Killingly High School, Plainfield High School, Griswold High School, Norwich Technical School, and Harvard Ellis Technical School.
Here are the highlights and top performances from Week 5:
Boys basketball
Kaiden Kazlauskas collected a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds and Sean Garvin scored 20 points as Griswold edged Stonington, 72-71. Carmelo Curtis scored 17 points, Kolby Mills had 11 points and five assists and KinKade Rubino had 12 assists for the Wolverines (5-4, 3-0 ECC).
Camron Barboza scored 14 points but Norwich Free Academy fell to No. 6 St. Bernard, 72-52. Ethan Graham added nine points for the Wildcats (3-5).
Quinn Sumner (15 points, 13 rebounds) and Johnny Kazantzis (17 points, 10 rebounds) each collected double-doubles to power Killingly past Bacon Academy, 68-44. Quin Crowley scored a game-high 19 points and Michael Fabiano added seven points and five assists for Killingly (3-5).
Kazantzis scored 24 points and Crowley added 12 points in Killingly’s 62-53 loss against Woodstock Academy.
Collin Schulze collected 21 points, five assists, and six steals and John Mastorakis notched a double-double with 10 Points and 15 rebounds to lift Norwich Tech past CTC rival Ellis Tech, 76-45. Daniel Hess had 16 points and six rebounds, while Connor McRae added 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists for the Warriors (2-6).
The Golden Eagles (1-7) were led by Ian Brais (15 points) and Cristian Estrada (eight points).
Plainfield topped Norwich Tech, 73-54. Brayden Rizer powered the Panthers with 21 points, including four 3-pointers, six rebounds and three steals. Brenden McCool and Brayden Marquis each scored 15 points for Plainfield (6-3).
Connor McRae collected 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists, Collin Schulze added 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists, Wyatt Quint notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors (1-6).
Rizer made five 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, five rebounds, and five steals in Plainfield’s 64-61 win over Montville.
More: 'It’s like I never left': Daughter-father duo leading Killingly girls basketball again
Girls basketball
Emily Orcutt scored 12 points and Jordyn Bay-Kent added 10 points as Norwich Free Academy rolled past Griswold, 65-23. Abby Matheson scored nine points for the Wolverines (1-8). The Wildcats improved to 6-5.
Orcutt scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half to lift NFA past Bacon Academy, 49-36. Brooke Bolles also scored 17 points, while Nevaeh Yorke had 13 points, including a key 3-pointer with the shot clock about to expire at the end of the third quarter.
Morgan Yonush collected 34 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks as Plainfield rolled past Putnam, 66-26. Maddie Nordstrom added eight points, four assists, and four steals for the Panthers (7-3).
Killingly evened its record to 5-5 with a 60-40 victory over Lyman Memorial. Amayah Spadola scored 15 points to lead four double-digit scorers for Killingly. Laura Farquhar had 11 points, while Grace Sumner and Arianna Headen chipped in with 10 points apiece.
Headen had 13 points and Farquhar chipped in with nine points in Killingly’s 51-36 loss against Woodstock Academy.
Killingly also fell to Ledyard, 48-45, on a late 3-pointer from the Colonels’ Helena Robinson. Headen led Killingly with 13 points and 17 rebounds, Farquhar also posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, Molly Crabtree added 13 points, while Sydney Crabtree chipped in with seven points and seven rebounds.
Abby Matheson scored 20 points but Griswold fell short against St. Bernard, 45-41.
In CTC action, Ellis Tech improved to 8-2 with a 27-20 victory over Tourtellotte. Kylie Damble paced the Golden Eagles with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Rose Lopez had eight points and seven rebounds.
Also for Ellis Tech, Kiara Cartier scored six points, while Sadie Murray anchored the defense with four steals, four rebounds, and three assists.
Abby Ulrich grabbed 12 rebounds, Olivia Luurtsema scored nine points, and Autumn Hanks added eight points but Norwich Tech fell short against Tourtellotte, 32-26.
Ulrich scored 12 points in the Warriors’ 54-26 loss against Montville.
Wrestling
Powered by championship performances from Brady Zadora, Soren Rief, and Anthony Oates, unbeaten Killingly won the Greater Hartford Open.
Trailing East Hartford by 3.5 points, Rief won the 215 pound division title and Oates captured the heavyweight crown to secure the win for Killingly. Zadora won the 132 pound title.
Killingly also got place performances from Bradey Jonasch (third), Max Richardson (fourth), Mason Connetti (fifth), Giovanni Sanchez (fifth), Axael Padilla (fifth), Amani Samuel (sixth) and Jared Hansen (sixth)..
Zaire Wallace won the Greater Hartford Open’s 190 pound division championship to lead Norwich Free Academy to a fourth place finish among 25 teams. The Top 5 teams were Killingly (202), East Hartford (193.5), Platt (170), NFA (166) and Southington (163).
NFA also got impressive performances from Landon Herdic (106), Ed Lavoie (132), and Naim Wallace (157) who each finished as runner ups in their respective divisions.
Griswold’s Michael Capalbo placed third at the Griswold Mid-Season Invitational. The Wolverines (163 points) placed fifth in the 16-team event. Avon won the title with 235 points.
More: Zanor column: Former NFA coach eyes return to sidelines, and other thoughts
Girls wrestling
Killingly’s Joseline Sanchez-ruelas won the 120 pound division championship at the Griswold Tri-State Wrestling Tournament.
Norwich Free Academy’s Sophia Milner placed fifth in the 138 pound division.
Gymnastics
East Lyme/Waterford/St. Bernard defeated Norwich Free Academy, 139.1-128.2. The Wildcats were led by Allison Wojnar (second, floor, 8.85), Morgan Sadler (second, vault, 8.35), Gracyn Goodale (second, vault, 8.35), Jayla Davis (third, vault, 8.3), and Ella Brown (third, vault, 8.3).
Killingly (135.65) defeated East Lyme/Waterford/St. Bernard (133.75) and Woodstock Academy (125.35). Ellis Tech’s Ava Pereira won the vault (9.1), Ava's sister, Killingly’s Ella Pereira, won the bars (9.1), beam (9.5), and all-around (36.8), while Plainfield’s Brenna Johnson won the floor (9.35) and tied for second in the all-around (35.75).
Also, Killingly’s Jessie Williams was second in the vault (8.9) and beam (9.3), and tied for second in the all around (35.75).
Indoor Track
Killingy’s Everton Brown qualified for nationals with a first place finish in the 55-meter dash in a meet at Southern Connecticut State University.
