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01/13/2019 11:00 PMBoys’ Basketball
The Valley Regional boys’ basketball team played two games as part of last week’s action and came away with a win and a loss on the slate. The Warriors took their second defeat of the season with a loss against Cromwell and then scored a victory over Haddam-Killingworth. Valley moved to 7-2 on the season and needs just one more win to qualify for the Division V State Tournament.
On Jan. 7, Valley headed to Cromwell and dropped a 70-56 decision to the Panthers. The Warriors took a 16-11 lead in the first quarter, but Cromwell ramped up its defense during the second quarter to outscore the Warriors 18-6 in the frame and bring a 29-22 advantage into the break. The Panthers extended their lead by winning the third quarter 20-12, and Valley was unable to close the gap in the fourth, resulting in the 14-point win for Cromwell.
Junior Gavin Grabowski scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Cade Ensinger had 13 points, three boards, six assists, and five steals for Valley. Senior captain Kevin Fasulo notched eight points with a block and two steals, and junior Chris Sparaco recorded six points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Three days later, the Warriors earned a 54-31 victory against H-K in a home game. Valley held a narrow 9-8 lead after the first quarter, but the Warriors’ offense came on in the second quarter, where they outscored the Cougars 18-8. Leading 27-16 at halftime, Valley piled on with a 15-9 advantage in the third quarter and then won the final frame 12-6 for the 23-point victory.
Grabowski led the offensive attack with 21 points to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Ensinger provided 19 points, two boards, three assists, and five steals, while Fasulo added eight points, five rebounds, and one block. Sparaco contributed 11 rebounds, three assists, five steals, and two blocks in the win.
Boys’ Indoor Track
Senior Nick Braga took first place in the 55-meter dash when Valley Regional competed at the Shoreline Coaches Invitational on Jan. 12. Valley scored 17 points as a team to finish in 17th place at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.
Braga grabbed the gold in the 55 by running a time of 6.60 seconds at the invitational. Junior Andrew Ferguson posted a fifth-place finish in the 300 with a time of 38.03 seconds. Ferguson and Braga also ran with James DiLuca and Arick Outama on Valley’s 4x200 relay that earned seventh place at 1:39.27.
Boys’ Ice Hockey
The East Haven-Old Lyme-Old Saybrook-East Hampton-Morgan-Valley Regional (EH-OL-OS-EH-M-VR) co-op ice hockey squad earned a tie and took a loss in last week’s action. The team has a record of 5-4-1 this season.
On Jan. 9, the Yellowjackets hosted North Haven and played the Indians to a 2-2 tie at DiLungo Rink. EH-OL-OS-EH-M-VR scored the first two goals of the game in the second period. Old Saybrook sophomore Cory Benni scored the first goal, after which East Haven sophomore Dave Amatruda netted the second goal. Valley Regional senior Ricky Persico had an assist on both of the goals. North Haven tied the game by scoring twice in the final period. East Haven junior Logan Hamilton made 17 saves in net.
Three days later, the Yellowjackets took a 7-3 home loss against West Haven. EH-OL-OS-EH-M-VR outshot the Division I Blue Devils 41-34 in the loss. East Haven senior Chris Giglietti, Old Lyme junior Alec Speirs, and Morgan sophomore Ryan Egan all scored a goal in the game, while Amatruda had an assist. Hamilton made 27 saves between the pipes.