Printer Friendly Version - Several Hornets Teams Prevail in First Week of the Season

Senior Marisa Minore and the Branford girls’ basketball team shook off a loss to Lyman Hall in their season opener by posting a 48-36 home win over North Haven on Dec. 16. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound

The Branford wrestling team opened a new chapter when program alum Jesse Hurlburt began his tenure as head coach of the Hornets last week. The Hurlburt era kicked off in triumphant fashion as Branford posted a 39-33 victory at Law in a SCC contest on Dec. 13. Hurlburt had been an assistant coach at Branford for the past few years and takes the helm for Chris Bonagiuso, who coached the Hornets for 12 seasons.

In the Law victory, junior Brendan Shamas (126-pound weight class) prevailed by pin for the Hornets, as did freshman Andrew Robinson (152), senior Zach Cash (160), sophomore Cody McHenry (170), sophomore Minsok Lee (182), senior Jake McPartland (195), and senior Kyle Zalewski (285) to lead the team to victory.

The Branford girls’ basketball team tipped off its winter season by playing a pair of home games last week. The Hornets took a 37-26 loss to Lyman Hall on Dec. 11 and then prevailed 48-36 against North Haven on Dec. 16.

Branford is in its fifth season with Justin Henry as the team’s head coach. The Hornets are competing in the SCC Hammonasset Division with Mercy, Amity, Sacred Heart Academy, and Guilford.

The Hornets’ boys’ ice hockey squad faced off against Glastonbury in its season opener at Trinity College and claimed a 2-0 victory on Dec. 16.

Branford is in its second year with Head Coach Jim DiNapoli after going 12-9-1 and winning its first-round game in the Division II State Tournament last winter. The Hornets are one of 11 teams in SCC/SWC Division II, along with Amity, Cheshire, East Haven-Old Lyme-Old Saybrook-East Hampton, Guilford, Milford, New Milford, Newtown, North Branford, North Haven, and Watertown-Pomperaug.

The Branford-East Haven-North Branford girls’ ice hockey team began the year by hosting Stamford-Westhill-Staples-Trinity Catholic at DiLungo Rink on Dec. 16. The Wings claimed a 4-1 victory in their season opener.

Jack Norton is back for another season as head coach of the Wings. Last year, the team competed in Division I of the SCC. This season, the SCC has been divided into North and South divisions, and the Wings are in the South Division with Hamden, West Haven-Sacred Heart Academy, Amity-North Haven-Cheshire, Hand-Coginchaug-Old Lyme, Guilford, Notre Dame-Fairfield/Law/Weston, Masuk-Barlow-Newtown-Oxford, and Lauralton Hall.

Junior Rob Lionetti and the Hornets’ boys’ ice hockey squad skated to a 2-0 victory at Glastonbury in their initial contest of the winter campaign. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Sound