Photo above supplied by Bob Behrer


According to Bob Behrer, Cheshire turf committee chairman, Hurricane Irene had no impact on the installation of the turf field at Cheshire High. When this reporter visited the turf site, there was no sign of damage or impact from water.
"The field is moving forward," Behrer said. "The top soil has been removed and we are at the base level. The foreman was pleased on Monday after the hurricane. He said there wasn't a single puddle and said our field will drain wonderfully. There were no problems.
"The photo (above) shows the first 125 feet-plus of slot drain installed (Tuesday). Once around the track they will form up the inside and pour the concrete curbing between the field and track. Drain pipes are on site and the stone base will follow. Everyone is asking if we will be ahead of schedule and these professionals say we are on target for mid October for the field followed by the track two weeks later."
R.A.D. is the construction company installing the turf.

Cheshire field hockey coach Eileen Dunham had a close call thanks to Hurricane Irene on Sunday.
A 60-foot sycamore tree fell on Dunham's house. Fortunately there was only minimal damage to the roof and gutters.
"You could not see my house under the tree and I have a colonial," Dunham said.

The 14-day policy only applies to football. The CIAC may amend it to include the week of conditioning.

For all other fall sports, it is 10 days of practice.

It appears as if schools not practicing at all this week will have to reschedule games, per the CIAC's statement released today:

CIAC has received numerous calls from member schools and the media questioning if the requirement to complete 14 days of mandatory practices prior to first day of competition will be waived or altered.
The mandatory practice day requirement has been in existence for over 30 years and CIAC believes these days of practice are necessary to prepare teams for competition. Consequently, the only adjustment that will be making to the regulation is to allow schools to count practices held on Sundays toward the required 14 days. Schools may count both both Sunday practices held previously and those to be held from this point forward toward reaching the 14-day requirement. Sunday practices have always been allowed, but could not be counted towards the requirement. As always, the holding of Sunday practices will be at the discretion of the local school district.
Any team that has not conducted 14 days of practice prior to its first scheduled game must postpone and reschedule all games until it has satisfied the requirement. Schools are reminded that rescheduling of postponed games are not subject to weekly limitation rules.School districts are encouraged to allow teams to continue to practice when it is safe to do so, even if school is not in session. We will continue to monitor the situation and assist member schools in their effort to meet the requirement.

Here is the 2011 schedule of football games on MyTV9. All games will be shown on a tape-delay basis on the Saturday following the game at 7 p.m.:
Sept. 16: Notre Dame-West Haven at Xavier, 7 p.m. (broadcast: Sept. 17)
Sept. 23: New Milford at Bunnell, 7 p.m. (broadcast: Sept. 24)
Sept. 30: Hand at Amity, 7 p.m. (broadcast: Oct. 1)
Oct. 7: Ledyard at New London, 6:30 p.m. (broadcast: Oct. 8)
Oct. 14: Torrington at Naugatuck, 7 p.m. (broadcast: Oct. 15)
Oct. 21: Cheshire at West Haven, 7 p.m. (broadcast: Oct. 22)
Oct. 28: Conard at Manchester, 6 p.m. (broadcast: Oct. 29)
Nov.4: Pomperaug at Masuk, 7 p.m. (broadcast: Nov. 5)
Nov. 10: Guilford at Foran, 7 p.m. (broadcast: Nov. 12)
Nov. 17: NFA at Wilbur Cross, 6 p.m. (broadcast: Nov. 19)
Nov. 23: Berlin at New Britain, 7 p.m. (broadcast: Nov. 26)

John Papale of Choate Rosemary Hall, and formerly of Sheehan, will play basketball next season at Boston University.

The 6-foot-5 forward, who shot 42 percent from three-point range this past season, said he got scholarship offers from Fairfield, UMass, Rhode Island and Northeastern and also received interest from Harvard. He made an oral commitment to the Terriers after making an unofficial visit to the school earlier Wednesday.

"It a good academic school in a great city and the team is always at the top of its league," Papale said. "They graduate four players after this season, so I could have the opportunity to play right away. It is a good fit for me."

Papale will sign a national letter of intent in November.

This happens on the same day that New London's Kris Dunn, the reigning Register State Player of the Year for the Register, committed to play at Providence.

Cheshire High football's first home game against Hamden will be played at Sheehan High on Sept. 15 (a Thurs.) at 7 p.m. while the turf field is being built.
Groundbreaking for the new turf field began last week and Oct. 15 is the projected finish date. The turf installment/construction is being done by R.A.D. Sports, based out of Rockland Mass., and Shaw Sportexe based in Kennesaw, Ga.
"I have high confidence in R.A.D. Sports and Shaw Sportexe," said Bob Behrer, chairman of the Cheshire Turf Committee. "They are wonderful and will do everything they can to get this done on time or earlier."
The Hamden game at Cheshire was originally scheduled for Sept. 16. Cheshire also has home games on Oct. 6 against Hand and on Oct. 14 against Wilbur Cross.
Athletic director Steve Trifone is extremely happy the turf project is moving forward but no official decision on a rescheduled site has been made on the Oct. 6 and Oct. 14 home games.
One source said school officials will take it one game at a time, depending on the progress of the project, whether a home game needs to be moved and what other sites in the area are available if a home game needs to be moved.

The New Haven Register sports staff lost its most prominent member last Saturday when columnist Dave Solomon died in a car crash on his way home from covering UConn football practice.
His Sunday "I Was Thinking" column was a must-read. This Sunday we collaborate on our memories of Dave.

To see more, click here.

Writing words is what I've done as a sportswriter for 32 yrs. But it's been very tough to find the words to describe how hard the death of New Haven Register colleague Dave Solomon has hit me.
I knew Dave nearly 28 years and he was the epitome of sportswriting-a stickler for details and a stickler for getting the facts straight using a unique style to always get his point across.
Dave was so talented he could have surely taken his trade to any of the major newspapers or magazines in the country. Instead, we were all fortunate he had a fondness for home and shared his talent with us at the Register.
Dave always had an opinion and he would debate you incessantly proving his point.
But there was the soft side too, a mentor, friend and guy you could count on for advice and help.
The only place Dave couldn't help me was on the golf course. After every erratic swing, shank and slice, all Dave could ever do is shake his head and sometimes look at me with that big smile of his and say "Dan, I love ya like a brother, but you're a pip, a real pip."
Dave, I'm going to miss those thousands of columns that should have been written and won't be, I'm going to miss our friendship, you'll be missed, a lot. Rest well as myself and my wife Vanessa wish your wife Judy and your daughters our best in this great time of sorrow.

Platt Tech student-athletes held a rally Saturday to try and save their sports for the winter and spring seasons.

Although state officials have agreed to fund fall sports for the 16 Constitution State Conference schools, the budget crisis has the rest of the school year, and the next school year, in limbo.

Read about the rally here.

The Constitution State Conference has its fall sports back.

State officials, in agreement with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, have agreed to fund fall sports due to the uncertainty over whether a labor concessions agreement will be ratified and stop budget cuts and layoffs.

Published reports and Twitter updates from earlier in te day saying fallsports have been cancelled were erroneous.

That means it's all systems go for the O'Brien Tech football team in its first season after being in a co-op with Derby for several years. And for all of the other fall sports of the 16 vo-tech schools.

But the winter and spring seasons are very much still in jeopardy. It depends if the state union agrees to the concessions that will save thounsands of layoffs and the elimination of other state programs, including music and arts at vo-tech schools.

Charlie Bentley, second all time with 655 victories, has retired after 34 years as Harding's boys' basketball coach. That includes nine state championships.

In a story reported by the Connecticut Post, Bentley, 60, made it official on Monday. Bentley lives in West Haven.

It was a tough final year for the Presidents, going 10-12. I'm fortunate I got to see and cover his final game, a 56-54 overtime loss to Hillhouse in the opening round of the Class LL state tournament. This was not even close to one of Bentley's vintage teams, but the team came back from a 14-point deficit to force overtime and by all rights should have won that game.

Still one of my favorite games was the 1988 Class LL championship between St. Joes and Harding at CCSU -a true classic won by St. Joes. Ask anyone who saw the game and they will tell you the exact same thing. Boobie Wright and Malcolm Leak for Harding and Tommy Montelli and Marvin Saddler for St. Joes.

One of the game's true legends has moved on.