LOOKING BACK | GEORGE ALBANO
10 YEARS AGO
History was made when the Norwalk High football team recorded its first-ever state playoff win by defeating Conard 21-15 in the Class LL quarterfinals in West Hartford. Playing in a steady rain, the fifth-seeded Bears and No. 4 Chieftains were tied 7-7 when Derek Edwards scored the goahead touchdown on a 77-yard pass-play from quarterback Delshawn Wilson with 1:47 left in the first half to give NHS a 14-7 lead. John Anzalone scored on a five-yard TD run in the third quarter and Jon Wilkins kicked his third PAT to make it 21-7 before Conard added a late score. The Norwalk defense turned in another strong game, turning away two first-and-goal opportunities by the home team and forcing four turnovers, including two interceptions by Anzalone. He returned his first pick 59 yards to the Conard one yard line, where Tomar Joseph ran it in on the next play for the Bears’ first touchdown. Norwalk improved to 9-1, tying the school record for most wins in a season set by the 1998 team. That was also the season the Bears made their first and, until this year, only state playoff appearance. They lost to No. 1 Southington in the semifinals when only four teams qualified in each class. This year’s NHS team will face top-seed Xavier (11-0) in the semis.
Lauren Czulewicz and Stephanie Czulewicz of the Norwalk-Brien McMahon co-op girls swim team were named to the AllFCIAC first team. Teammates Olivia Haskell, Katie Wargo, Lynette Lopez and Paige Delago were second-team selections.
25 YEARS AGO
The Norwalk duo of Travis Simms and twin brother Tarvis Simms added another milestone to their successful amateur boxing careers as they each won a national title at the 1996 American Boxing Classic at the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee. Both had previously won national titles—Tarvis at the 1993 National Golden Gloves and Travis at this year’s National PAL Championships—but this was the first time the twins won national championships at the same tournament. The American Boxing Classic featured four of the top amateur boxers in each of the 12 weight classes. The Simms brothers each won four matches, two on Friday and two more on Saturday, including the tournament finals as Travis Simms captured the 156-pound crown and a few minutes later Tarvis Simms claimed top honors at 165 pounds.
The Norwalk Eagles U-13 travel boys soccer team clinched the Southwest Connecticut League ‘A’ Division championship with a pair of weekend victories. Norwalk defeated Fairfield 5-1 as Kyle Sasloe scored two goals while Chris Ruhnke, Marco Antunez and John Stashenko netted one apiece. In the title game, the Eagles edged Greenwich 4-3 on goals by Brian Rowe, Billy McLachlan, Ruhnke and Sasloe.
50 YEARS AGO
The Norwalk YMCA Calvin Murphy Basketball League, formerly the Norwalk Biddy League, began its 18th season with a full slate of games at the ‘Y’ gym. The league was renamed last year in honor of its most famous graduate, who’s now playing in the NBA. The featured contest of the day saw Perkin Elmer knock off the defending champion Firefighters 63-46 behind the play of Bill Stenger, who scored 37 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. Carnell Jordan led the Firefighters with 27 points ... Another muchanticipated game was a matchup between the Fanning Brothers, two of the league’s longtime coaches, with Clarence Fanning and his C.R. Gibson team posting a 29-14 win against Leonard Fanning and his Laurel AC squad.
A pair of upsets highlighted semifinal action in the Norwalk Recreation Adult Touch Football League as the two regularseason division champs were beaten by the two runner-up teams. The Steamrollers, who finished second in the B Division, advanced to the title game with an exciting 8-6 win over the Colts, the A Division winner. After a scoreless first half, Bob Kramer of the Steamrollers caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Howie Thompson, who then passed to Jimmy Walker for the two-point conversion to make it 8-0. The Colts scored with 11 plays left as QB John Giglio threw a TD pass to Bob Giglio that covered 80 yards. The PAT pass was incomplete as the Steamrollers held onto an 8-6 lead. The Colts got the ball back one last time and on the final play of the game Bob Giglio caught another pass and appeared headed for the winning score, but player-coach Mike Cerulo of the Steamrollers made a game-saving tag at the two yard line to preserve the victory.
The other semi was also a nailbiter as the Saints, A Division runner-up, blanked the B Division champion Packers 6-0 in sudden death overtime. After a scoreless tie in regulation, the Packers won the toss and took the ball to start the overtime. But safety Bill Anastasia of the Saints intercepted a pass and returned it to the Packers’ nine. After a oneyard loss, Jeff Rousseau tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tim Johnson, who made a circus catch of a deflected ball to end the game. The Saints’ defense also shined as Chris Ippolito picked off three interceptions while Jim Sullivan recorded five tags on the quarterback.