LOOKING BACK | BY GEORGE ALBANO
10 YEARS AGO
Travis Simms, who began boxing at the age of 5 at the Meadow Garden Boxing Club in South Norwalk and went on to become a two-time world champion as a pro, was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame. The 41-year-old Norwalk native was one of six new members in the Class of 2012 inducted at the eighth annual CBHOF Gala Induction Dinner held at Mohegan Sun. After an outstanding amateur career, which included a 29514 record, 15 Golden Gloves titles, and a National PAL championship, Simms turned pro in 1998. He became the first world boxing champion from Norwalk and only the seventh from Connecticut when he won the WBA world light middleweight crown in December 2003 and then captured the same title a second time in January 2007. Simms retired in 2009 with a professional record of 27-1 with 20 KOs and is now a Norwalk councilman.
Former Norwalk High soccer standout Nick Zuniga, a freshman on the UConn soccer team, came off the bench to score the winning goal at 4:18 of the second overtime to give the Huskies a 2-1 win over the University of New Mexico and a berth in the NCAA quarterfinals. Zuniga was a teammate a year ago of many of the players on this year’s state championship NHS team.
25 YEARS AGO
Norwalk native and Shorehaven golfer Jerry Courville Jr. was named the Metropolitan Golf Association Player of the Year for the second time in three years. He first won the award in 1995, but this year’s honor was even more special after the MGA announced the annual award was being renamed in memory of his father, Jerry Courville Sr., who passed away in November 1996. The prestigious award is presented to the amateur golfer with the best record in selected events. Courville Jr., won The Ike, Met Amateur and Boff Invitational this year as well as top-10 finishes in three other major events, including a semifinal finish in the U.S. Mid-Amateur. His accumulated total of 1,353 points made him the first recipient of the MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Award.
A piece of local sports history was made as the new Norwalk CommunityTechnical College women’s basketball team posted its first victory. NCTC lost the first two games of its inaugural season, but the third time was the charm as the Lady Panthers beat Quinsigamond Community College 39-36 in a defensive struggle. Captain Charis Faugno, one of five Norwalkers on the roster, led the way with 14 points and three blocked shots. Other players from Norwalk on the team are Tori Fogle, Ethel Moore, Shenika
McRae and Paul Serna.
Former Norwalk High quarterback Todd Philcox was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an emergency backup and he played the fourth quarter of a 17-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The 31-year-old Philcox began the season with the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars while San Diego is the fifth team he’s played for in his seven-year NFL career. With the Chargers’ top two quarterbacks injured and their third-string QB ineffective the first three quarters, Philcox entered the game in the fourth period and completed 6-of-10 passes for 57 yards. He engineered what appeared to be a touchdown drive that would’ve left San Diego a PAT away from the tying the score, but an off-sides penalty nullified the score. The NFC West-leading 49ers held on for their 11th straight win and improved to 11-1.
Meanwhile former Brien McMahon kicker John
Cerra was named to the All-New England Division II-III team after an outstanding season with the University of New Haven. Among Cerra’s highlights this past season for D-II New Haven was a 47-yard field goal and a 72-yard punt.
50 YEARS AGO
Carl Paight, a part of the Norwalk High School football coaching staff for two decades, including the last 10 years as the Bears’ head coach, resigned. Paight, an assistant under Jack Cronin, took over as head coach in 1963, and in 1967 guided NHS to a 6-2-1 record, the program’s best season since its undefeated 1948 state championship team.
Two members of the Brien McMahon soccer team, senior co-captains Tom Connolly and Joe Lynch, were named to the 1972 All-FCIAC First-Team. Connolly was selected at fullback while Lynch played center halfback. Two more Senators, senior forward Pat Ferrandino and junior goalie Rob Ross, made the second-team along with Norwalk High senior forward Bill Forehand.
The Home Oilers semipro hockey team based out of Norwalk finally opened defense of its CanadianAmerican Hockey League championship with an 11-8 win over the Longueuil, Quebec Marquis Hockey Club at Bridgeport’s Wonderland of Ice. The Oilers were supposed to play their Can-Am League opener two weeks ago against East Montreal in Bridgeport, but warm weather caused fog conditions on the ice and the game had to be called after 12 minutes of play with the Oilers leading 1-0. Against Longueuil, former Boston University player Larry Davenport had three goals and two assists, while Dick Toomey, his linemate at BU, recorded five assists. Bobby Veilleux and Ken Parrot added two goals apiece.