Sports: Old Lyme boys reach state basketball final for first time in program history

Old Lyme earns first trip to a state final in program history

Meriden — Other players and other programs might have taken the occasion to celebrate, pile on each other and pose for photos. There's one first for this kind of thing: the first state championship appearance in program history.

The basketball players of No. 3 Old Lyme High School? Not so much. Their accomplishment Wednesday night, a 69-53 victory over second-seeded Somers earning them their first trip to the state championship game in school history, was met with a rousing, "yeah, but."

"It feels great and all, but we're not settling for anything short of a state championship," junior Aedan Using said. "Obviously, you first have to make it to the state championship game, but this means nothing to us."

Using and the Wildcats meet top-seeded (and school of choice) Innovation of New Britain in the CIAC Division V title game Sunday morning at 10:30 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Innovation held off Old Lyme's Shoreline Conference rival Valley Regional 42-38 in Wednesday's other semifi-

“It feels great and all, but we're not settling for anything short of a state championship. Obviously, you first have to make it to the state championship game, but this means nothing to us.”

OLD LYME JUNIOR AEDAN USING

nal.

The Wildcats (21-5) are the third team from the region to make the finals at nearby Mohegan this year, joining the Waterford boys (Div. II title game Sunday at 6 p.m.) and the New London girls (Class LL title game Saturday at 3 p.m.)

Ray Doll, who led the Wildcats with 24 points, explained his team's hunger.

"We got to the Shoreline championship game and lost," Doll said, alluding to a tough defeat vs. Cromwell last month. "We want to get greedy a little bit."

Doll's ability to aggressively take the ball to the basket keyed a 14-0 run in the second quarter that gave Old Lyme the lead for good.

"We have spurtability," Old Lyme coach Kirk Kaczor said. "I thought Ray had an outstanding game. He took the ball to the basket and didn't turn it over against their guards, who are really good."

Using added 23 for Old Lyme and Brady Sheffield had 11.

Sheffield's 3-pointer with six minutes left gave the Wildcats a 53-39 lead. This was after Somers (18-6) used a 7-0 run to cut an 18-point deficit to 11. Somers guard Derek Hostetler made a 55-footer at the buzzer to end the third period, giving the Spartans some hope. Somers didn't get closer than 11. Old Lyme last advanced as far as the semifinals in 2013.

"This is pretty special for all of us," Kaczor said. "The kids have wanted this all year. But we're not satisfied with just getting there." m.dimauro@theday.com

SARAH GORDON/THE DAY Old Lyme’s Brady Sheffield celebrates with teammate Liam Holloway (11) after the third-seeded Wildcats rolled to a 69-53 victory over No. 2 Somers in Wednesday’s CIAC Division V boys’ basketball semifinal at Maloney High School in Meriden. Old Lyme will make its first state championship program in program history on Sunday against top-seeded Innovation of New Britain at Mohegan Sun Arena at 10:30 a.m.

SARAH GORDON/THE DAY Old Lyme’s Quinn Romeo (24) reaches over the bench to high-five one of the student fans during Wednesday night’s CIAC Division V boys’ basketball tournament semifinal game against Somers at Maloney High School in Meriden. The Wildcats won 69-53 and advanced to their first state championship game in program history on Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Visit theday.com to view a photo gallery.