FALL SPORTS BEGIN
Across Connecticut, high school athletes took their 1st steps back on the playing field — steps back toward some normalcy, they hope
Cromwell volleyball players, above, break the huddle to take on Hale-Ray without spectators at Cromwell High School on the first day of fall sports competition in Connecticut Thursday.
All across the state, as a classic autumn afternoon approached dusk, high school athletes took their first, tentative steps toward their pre-COVID-19 way of life.
Boys and girls soccer teams, and field hockey teams took to the field, swimmers gathered for virtual events, distance runners ran their first cross country races. Used to playing with larger crowds of parents and classmates, attendance was limited, where it was allowed at all.
But the games began for sports that are not deemed “high risk.” Perhaps the first minutes seemed strange, somber, as they would be for any first game, but more so with sports abruptly halted and in limbo for seven months. But soon enough, goals were scored, balls spiked, finish lines crossed, and it began to feel like fall again.
The early minutes were quiet, a certain somberness that’s become all too familiar hovered over the bleachers.
But it wasn’t to last. Once the Branford and East Haven girls began to play soccer Thursday, the competition quickly became spirited. Social distancing couldn’t apply between the lines, especially with old archrivals.
Late in the first half, after Branford’s Ava Ferrie had scored a goal, a ball rolled behind the Branford keeper and the crowd — yes, there was one — groaned. Until Macey Girard ran it down and flipped it away, a terrific save. The families rose and clapped and it began to feel like fall in Connecticut again. Branford won, 1-0.
All across the state, high school athletes began to play their fall schedule in sports not deemed “high risk” by the Department of Public Health. Football is on hold until February, but boys and girls soccer, field hockey, swimming, cross country, volleyball launched their seasons. Creativity was required. Social distancing? Cheshire and Amity Regional staged a swim meet with the competitors in different pools, the winners TBA. Wethersfield’s field hockey team honored its seniors before the first game of the season, rather than risk the end of the season being canceled.
“You look at football, they didn’t have a season,” said Jacob Conde, Bloomfield’s first-year boys soccer coach. “You look at these kids that have been siting down for six months now. There’s no telling what they’ve been going through
physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s just nice that they have a release to get out here and just do something.”
Some schools allowed fans, or at least family members, to watch from a distance, some not. Reporters’ access was limited, or at some schools ADs politely declined requests from media. Branford limited its attendance to two guests per player. A few fans from East Haven were turned away. “They were disappointed, but they understood,” said Branford AD Jake Palluzzi. “There’s been good cooperation.”
Here are some of the scenes Courant reporters were able to see and record around Connecticut on Thursday, a classic fall afternoon with at least one less piece missing from life in the state:
Senior privileges: Seniors are normally honored before the last home game, but many teams are having Senior Night early due to the uncertainty surrounding the high school season. The Wethersfield field hockey team recognized six senior players and three managers before its game against Newington and parents were allowed to escort their players through a tunnel of teammates holding field hockey sticks.
“I think it was a good idea because things are so uncertain right now,” said Kate Anzidei, one of the seniors. “Just do it at the beginning of the season in case an outbreak occurred or some of the regulations changed.”
Anzidei scored three goals in the 4-0 win.
“It seemed like a long time coming,” Wethersfield coach Colleen Budaj said. “If it was a regular season, we’d be at about Game 6 now.”
Bloomfield: ‘Very, very nice to get out here’: At Bloomfield High, the Warhawks boys soccer team hosted Northwest Catholic in an empty Phil Rubin Stadium. Bloomfield isn’t allowing fans at sporting events this fall, though a few lined the outskirts of the stadium in lawn chairs.
Outside of Bloomfield’s cheerleaders, which athletic director Tammy Schondelmayer thought would bring some life to an otherwise silent field, the Lions won their season opener in relative silence.
“You see [no fans] on TV too, so I said, ‘If the pros can do it, who are we at the high school level to not do it too?’” said Northwest Catholic coach Terry Phillip. “It was very, very nice to get out here and play soccer. It’s kind of bad to not have fans, but in all reality, it’s very nice to be back out here.”
The Lions won 1-0, with Bloomfield scoring an own-goal with eight minutes left in the game to seal a win for Northwest Catholic. Phillips said that because of the unusual conditions, shortened practice window and lack of scrimmages until the last minute, Thursday’s game had the feel of a preseason contest.
There was rust on both sides, but the overwhelming feeling was relief.
“The offseason, there was a lot of speculation as to whether we were going to have a season,” said Northwest Catholic junior James Millicker. “Then to be able to start late August, get the conditioning and practices going, then to have it pay off, get our first game going and get a win, it’s really nice.”
Soccer game play remains largely the same with COVID-19 mitigation strategies in place. Players are advised to remain socially distant on the field when they can, though Millicker said it can be difficult to remember that in the moment. The captains meeting prior to kickoff was held at midfield, with players 6 feet apart. Athletes and coaches on the sidelines wore masks, and players sanitized their hands when they came off the pitch.
There was no handshake line after the game; the two teams waved at each other from their respective benches and gave a thumbs-up. Phillip was resigned to elbow-bumping his players after the win.
Different pools for different schools: The Cheshire girls swim team was alone in the Cheshire Community Pool for its first meet of the season Thursday.
The Rams were actually hosting a virtual swim meet against Amity. Cheshire’s scoring swimmers were in Lanes 1, 2 and 3. Amity, swimming at its home pool Thursday afternoon, had its scoring swimmers in Lanes 4, 5 and 6. After the meet, the results would be sent to Cheshire coach Dave Modzelewski, whowas going to mesh the two sets of results together.
“We’re not going to know (who won) until we get the results together,” said Modzelewski, whose team won the State Open and Class LL titles last year.
Because of the community pool’s rules, Cheshire can’t host meets during the week so for now, home meets will be virtual unless an opponent is able to swim on a Saturday night when the pool is available.
“I’m not sure about the meets yet,” Modzelewski said. “It depends on the other teams. We’re working on it with the other coaches.”
The swimmers wore masks which they would take off before their race and put in a plastic bag on the pool deck. They put the mask back on when they got out of the pool.
“I’m happy today’s happening,” Modzelewski said before the meet. “We needed something competitive. We’ve been doing stuff during practice to try and simulate competition. Even though Amity’s not here, their mindset is different in terms of practice vs. meet. I’m looking forward to seeing them flip the switch, even though they’re racing against each other.”
Sophie Murphy, a senior who won two State Open titles in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle last year and who committed to Georgia Tech over the summer, was looking forward to the meet, even though it was virtual.
“This season is definitely an adjustment but I think we’re up for the challenge,” she said before the meet. “Virtual or non-virtual, we’re just happy we can race.”
Volleyball — Masked competitors: At Cromwell, the first volleyball game against Hale-Ray appeared fairly typical except that the players were wearing masks, even while they played, and they did not switch sides in between sets.
Red taped Xs marked spots where players could sit in the bleachers. There were no spectators. Hale-Ray coach Karen Sweet, whose team was the Class S runner-up last year, patrolled the sidelines in a shirt that read “Play Like It’s Your Last Game” on the back.
“I think they’ve learned to appreciate the little things and are just happy to be back together playing,” said Cromwell athletic director Kelly Maher, who was watching the game.
Before the volleyball match, Maher was busy making sure bus protocols were followed for the boys soccer and cross country teams, which had away contests Thursday, and that an exact roster was sent to each opponent for potential contact tracing.
Discreet distance at Simsbury: Like Branford, Simsbury allowed each player two passes for family members to attend their girls soccer game vs. Windsor. More fans watched from the parking lot adjacent to the field, some leaning against the fence and cheering while others watched from inside — or atop their cars.
“Usually there will be students buzzing around and creating that atmosphere that makes high school sports special,” Simsbury coach Steve Jarvis said, after the 3-0 victory. “It was a very strange atmosphere. Usually you get an atmosphere on opening night with excitement and electricity in the air.
“But there was effort and energy, and the soccer was of good standard.”
Jarvis said the soccer itself felt the same as years past, though some of the traditions have been taken away due to COVID-19 mitigation. Even though his team will only play 12 games in a season that got off to a late start, Jarvis said the goal is still to compete for a championship.
“My mentality is, it’s time to go,” Jarvis said. “Whether we play five games or 12 games. Varsity soccer is about competing.”