Category: Mohegan

UNCASVILLE – Three juniors. Three years. Three state titles.

Top-seeded Northwest Catholic, with its core of juniors Abby Casper, Maeve Staunton and Zoey Canning, won its third straight state championship Saturday night, this time in Class L, with a 56-40 victory over Bethel.

Two years ago, they won the Class S championship. Last year it was Class MM.

“It’s an amazing feeling, especially with this team,” Casper said. “I’m super happy to be back here, playing with my sister and all my other teammates.”

Northwest Catholic’s Abigail Casper gestures during the Class L championship game against Bethel at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Saturday, March 15, 2025. Casper had 19 points and 19 rebounds and Northwest won its third straight title. (Jessica Hill/Special to the Courant)

Casper had 19 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for the Lions (25-2). Staunton had 18 points and scored her 1,000th point in the third quarter (she needed 10 coming in). Canning had six points and five rebounds.

All three are captains. There are no seniors on the team.

“I actually turned to the bench at one point and said, ‘When I was playing at Northwest, we couldn’t even smell this,’” said coach Alison Connors, who graduated from Northwest in 2013. “We were a really, really good team. But for whatever reason, we were always stuck at the quarterfinals.

Northwest Catholic’s Maeve Staunton shoots between Bethel’s Emma Huedepohl, left, and Summer Wish,…

Continue reading

UNCASVILLE, CT — For much of the opening quarter of Saturday’s CIAC Div. III basketball championship game at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Bunnell High School looked nothing like the team that won the title last year, nor like the team that had posted double-digit victories in each of its first three tournament contests this winter.

The Bulldogs fell behind 5-0 to Fitch in the first few minutes, and did not score a field goal until nearly three and a half minutes had elapsed. Meanwhile, seventh-seeded Fitch played as if it had nothing to lose, opening up an 8-poout lead late in the quarter and entering the second period with a 21-15 advantage.

Bunnell looked like a completely different squad from the outset of the second quarter, holding the Falcons without a basket from the field until 2:43remained before intermission. By then, the Bulldogs had reversed the 8-point deficit into a 6-point lead, and a three-point field goal by JT Turnage at the buzzer sent them to the locker room with a 42-31 halftime edge.

The Bulldogs opened up a 13-poiint lead after the break, but Fitch hung tough, trimming the margin to eight late in the third quarter. In the final period, the Falcons twice closed within five points, but Bunnell held on for a 70-61 victory and its second straight state championship.

Both teams wound up with balanced scoring, with Bunnell sophomore Rody Ricketts claiming game-high honors with 21 points. Alex Munoz had 15 points, Turnage had 13 and Karell Brown chipped in with nine, while Jordan Pierce contributed eight points and a game-leading 10 rebounds.

For Fitch, four players scored in double figures: Xavier Goode (15), Si’kis Reels (14), Calvin Sebastian (12) and Luke Wenger (10).

(Photos: Michael Lemanski/Patch)

Continue reading

Wilkes-Barre, PA — The front end was a good place to race Saturday (March 15) afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania despite it being a cool and windy day; that observation is perhaps best demonstrated by 11-1 shot Striking Impact, who won the $35,000 Championship of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series for horses starting out with a $25,000 tag.

Anthony Napolitano sent the Always B Miki gelding straight to engine command and yielded to no one in fractions of :27.3, :56.3, and 1:23.4 despite no fewer than four separate bids from horses challenging to claim the top spot in various points. Striking Impact had the lead turning for home, shook off first-over Real Surreal (Tyler Buter), then withstood a late charge from two-holer Belmont Major N (Matt Kakaley), who came clear between horses, by a half-length. Favored Lyons Surfing (George Napolitano Jr.), winner in all three Game of Claims prelims while beating :28 home each week, got a second-over trip but did not have as sharp a late kick this race, finishing another neck back in third.

Striking Impact makes his lead stand up to take his $35,000 Championship in the Game Of Claims Pacing Series Saturday at Pocono. Curtis Salonick Photo.

Striking Impact was claimed in the middle prelim of the series by trainer Marta Piotrow and owner Debbie Avery. He won his final prelim, then held his form nicely to triumph in the Championship. (And there is no claiming from the final, so Striking Impact will have the chance to add to the $26,000 he has already collected for his new connections.)

In the $25,000 fast-class pace, the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Spring Inhis Step A (Buter) again got a pocket trip behind Chase H Hanover (Anthony Napolitano…

Continue reading

UNCASVILLE, CT — Fans in a nearly packed Mohegan Sun Arena were there to see future Division I college star Abdouramane Toure of Notre Dame-West Haven.

And they didn’t leave disappointed.

With silky smooth efficiency, Toure scored 27 points and the Green Knights soundly defeated the St. Bernard Saints (Montville) 68-55 to win the CIAC Division I boys basketball championship.

With 17 scholarship offers (including the University of Connecticut), Toure seemingly toyed with the Saints.

But Notre Dame coach Jason Shea said while Toure is the star, the rest of the group is a big reason why they’re champions.

“These guys spend a lot of time together. They really love each other, ” Shea said after celebrating the title. “They’re completely unselfish. They’re really a special group.”

Going into Saturday night’s title game rematch from 2024, The Notre Dame-West Haven Green Knights were seeking their second state title in a row and their second ever.

Meanwhile, St. Bernard — led by coach Mark Jones — was looking to win the program’s fourth championship and first since 2023.

The second-seed Green Knights, coached by Jason Shea, were 21-2, including the tourney, going into Saturday, while the fifth-seed Saints were 19-3.

Both teams battled early nerves in an electric atmosphere inside a near-packed Mohegan Sun Arena, and, though the pace was frenetic, the scoring was light.

The opening quarter ended with Notre Dame up 9-7.

Notre Dame poured it on in the second quarter, however, opening up an 18-9 lead after a pair of three pointers and an old-fashioned three-point play.

With Toure leading the way, the Green Knights threatened to blow out the Saints.

But that didn’t happen as tenacious defense and clutch shooting drew St. Bernard back in the game and they eventually cut it to 22-20.

When the half ended, Notre Dame and Toure’s 13…

Continue reading

UNCASVILLE – The last time the Coventry girls basketball team won a state championship, not only were none of the players born yet, neither was their coach.

“What’s that, 37 years?” Coventry coach Kevin Clancy said. “I wasn’t born until 1990.”

Coventry, which last won a girls basketball title in 1988, defeated fourth-seeded Morgan, 49-38, for the Class S championship Sunday morning at Mohegan Sun.

“Last year our boys were here and my brother was on that team,” said freshman center Hailey Mayo, who had 18 points and 17 rebounds. “My coach kept saying this could be you next year and I didn’t think it would be real.”

Mayo, one of six freshmen on second-seeded Coventry (24-3), battled against Morgan sophomore center Emma Tuener, who put up eight points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

“She played some pretty good defense,” Mayo said. “I think the way we moved the ball in and out and moved as a team, we got buckets.”

Coventry junior Jianna Foran, who had 12 points, five assists and five steals, said of her center. “She can get the ball in the hoop any way she wants. As a freshman, stepping up like that is amazing.”

The freshmen didn’t seem to have early jitters Sunday. Coventry took a 13-4 lead after one quarter and led 23-18 at halftime and never trailed.

“These girls, when they stepped on the floor, didn’t look fazed at all,” Clancy said. “They did awesome. They rose to the occasion.

“They’re so confident in their ability and the team and the team is so supportive of each other. it’s one of those things, ‘We got this. This is our game.’”

Morgan (21-6) shot poorly in the first half (4 for 20) but stayed in the game from the free throw line (9 for 10). The Huskies got close a couple of…

Continue reading

Coventry celebrates its win over Morgan during CIAC Class S Girls’ Basketball Championship action at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Sunday March 16, 2025.

Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media

Members of the Coventry girls basketball team celebrate after defeating Morgan 49-38 for the CIAC Class S tournament championship at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday, March 16, 2025.

Will Aldam/Hearst Connecticut Media

Coventry celebrates its win over Morgan during CIAC Class S Girls’ Basketball Championship action at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Sunday March 16, 2025.

Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media

Coventry’s Ava Topliff (4) celebrates with the CIAC…

Continue reading

Coventry celebrates its win over Morgan during CIAC Class S Girls’ Basketball Championship action at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Sunday March 16, 2025.

Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media

Members of the Coventry girls basketball team celebrate after defeating Morgan 49-38 for the CIAC Class S tournament championship at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday, March 16, 2025.

Will Aldam/Hearst Connecticut Media

Coventry celebrates its win over Morgan during CIAC Class S Girls’ Basketball Championship action at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Sunday March 16, 2025.

Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media

Coventry’s Ava Topliff (4) celebrates with the CIAC…

Continue reading

UNCASVILLE – Ellington boys basketball coach Bob Freitas didn’t talk about it, the Knights’ season-long win streak.

The pressure built up all season. They had close games and managed to pull out wins. They won the NCCC championship, knocking off four-time defending champion SMSA. They were still unbeaten heading into the Division IV state championship game against Sheehan, the No. 23 seed, Sunday at Mohegan Sun.

So when Ellington had broken open a close game in the fourth quarter and sailed to its 27th win in 27 games, 55-39 over Sheehan, Freitas was handed the championship plaque. He held over his head as the Ellington fans cheered and cheered, and there was relief and joy, all mixed together.

It was Ellington’s first state championship in boys basketball since 1972.

“People talked about it and I didn’t – having no losses isn’t easy for a young group,” Freitas said. “I thought the kids were tremendous. When I got the trophy, I was just emotional. I want them to succeed.”

Sophomore Jack Curtis led top-seeded Ellington (27-0) with 19 points and four steals. Only one senior, Andrew Flickenschild, started for the Knights and he had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Junior Dylan Killoran joined Flickenschild under the basket collecting rebounds (he had eight). Freshman Reese Nicol also had eight boards, to go along with nine points. Sophomore Ty Fieldhouse racked up eight rebounds.

“It was crazy,” Flickenschild said. “There’s nothing like it. I can’t compare it to anything I’ve ever done. It hasn’t settled in.”

The game was close throughout. Rey Rodriguez, who led Sheehan with 23 points and nine rebounds, threw down a dunk toward the end of the first half and Sheehan led 20-19, but Ellington retook the lead with a basket by Flickenschild and a free throw from Curtis, heading into the…

Continue reading