BY JOE PALLADINO
Republican-American
WATERBURY — It wasn’t happy news when we learned last week that Phil Lott stepped down as Crosby High girls basketball coach. One of the city’s greatest stars, Lott resigned after more than eight years to focus on another important job: supporting the high school hoop careers of his sons.
But there was good news for the Bulldogs when Crosby soccer coach Mike Sullivan agreed to step in and run the team, aided by assistant Paul Gwiazdoski, through the remainder of this season.
“Having been at the Bergin Complex (Crosby and Wallace Middle School) for close to 18 years, and being familiar with our students and athletes, the acclimation process should hopefully be smooth,” Sullivan said. “Crosby is home to coach Gwiz and me. We coach other sports here, so those experiences should help us on the benches of the basketball court.”
Crosby won two games last week under Sullivan, and are now 6-6 overall, two victories away from a postseason appearance, and currently one spot out of an NVL tourney spot.
“We are knocking on the tournament doors,” Sullivan added, “and hopefully they will open. It is going to be fun in the next few weeks.”
1,000 x 2: Speaking of Lott, the former Wilby High star is one of the few players to have more than 1,000 career points and rebounds. He scored 2,212 points, which is the all-time high at Wilby, and also more than 1,300 rebounds. DeVonne Parker, the boys basketball coach at Nonnewaug, did the same at Wilby, with 1,550 points and more than 1,000 rebounds.
WCA’s Marquan Watson reached the same career milestone last week, and it is worth noting that it isn’t typical. In fact, it is downright rare.
We know of Parker and Lott at Wilby. Former Holy Cross head coach Ed Generali said Edmund Saunders did the same for the Crusaders, and that was with 2,007 points. Crosby coach Nick Augelli said that Damian Saunders hit 1,000 twice for the Bulldogs, 1,021 rebounds and 1,156 points.
When Watson grabbed career rebound No. 1,000 in a game last week against Holy Cross it marked the second straight season that it happened. Karli Opalka did it for the Pomperaug High girls last season.
Are there more? Of course there are more, though we’re not sure on the exact names or numbers. Chuck Aleksinas (1,916 points) had to hit both numbers at Wamogo, one would have to think that Tony Hanson (1,222 points) pulled it off at Holy Cross, and the guess here is that Jerome Malloy (2,124 points) did the same at Kennedy.
There must be others. Send us a note with candidates, or better yet, actual statistical proof. Point totals are easy to verify, but rebounds can be difficult. Let us know who you’ve got.
Games of the Week: We have arrived at that special hoop time, called “all games are important” time.
There are three teams tied for the eighth and final spot to get into the NVL boys basketball tournament: Ansonia, Derby, Kennedy. They are all 4-5 in the NVL. Every game is now critical, and all games listed below are 7 p.m. starts, unless noted.
Ansonia plays at Crosby, Kennedy hosts Wolcott, and Derby is at Wilby, all on Wednesday. All need a victory. Another solid game is Holy Cross at Naugatuck on Wednesday. Both teams are 7-3 in the NVL.
The Holy Cross girls have won three straight, including a big one over Watertown, and the Crusaders host Naugatuck on Wednesday. After losing its first three games this season Cross has won eight of nine. Here come the Crusaders. Naugy has won three in a row.
The NVL girls have again established a solid top eight tourney teams, although it is interesting that Seymour, Watertown, Cross, and Naugatuck are all 8-3, with Ansonia 8-4. There will be some mayhem here as teams jockey for seeding.
Also on Wednesday, the St. Paul girls, at 12-0 in the NVL, play at the current No. 8 in the league, Oxford, (7-4 NVL). That is a 6 p.m. tip.
On Friday, the Sacred Heart boys visit the Crosby Palace. That game and the Pack the Crosby Palace promotion is discussed elsewhere. Should be fun.