News

Ben James is #1 in Golf; North Cherry also on the rise

10/16/2021

Bud Kohler

Ben James continues to blaze his way through the Junior Golf circuit. Last week the gifted senior won the Ping Invitational at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, OK (OSU's home course). His three-round score of 7 under par was just one shot off of Jordan Spieth’s winning score of -8 in 2011. This is Ben's 3rd AJGA Invitational win this year, more than any other junior golfer in the country. As a result, he is currently the #1 ranked junior golfer in the U.S. according to the Titleist Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings. Capturing the Stetson topped trophy gives Ben an incredible 4 wins and two 2nd place finishes in major junior tournaments this season. His National Letter of Intent signing day ceremony will take place on November 10th, when Ben will officially commit to Division 1 power University of Virginia.

Though Coach Keith Kaliszewski will certainly miss Ben's outstanding play and leadership next year, he arguably already has an heir apparent in freshman North Cherry. North anchored Team CT at the PGA Junior League National Championship this past weekend. The team made it to the finals, ultimately losing to a team from Utah, at the Greyhawk CC in Scottsdale, AZ. This was North's fifth and final trip to the national tournament and Team CT's best finish in that time. North and his partner won their match in the finals. The tournament was covered on ESPN2 and ESPN+ and throughout the broadcast, the commentators were wowed by North's play. It can still be viewed on ESPN+ on demand.

So if you are looking for a partner for an upcoming event, here are two Hornets who can truly buzz!

Homecoming Preview

10/15/2021

Bud Kohler

The fall sports season is underway and the Hornets are buzzing, and looking forward to the Homecoming weekend’s slate of contests. Here is a quick update on each team, except for football, which will be featured separately.

The theme for this year's Homecoming is "Carnival", which means plenty of fun and action, and the athletic teams intend to provide plenty of that when the whistle blows. Along with many new faces and names on the team rosters, there are a number of new varsity coaches at the helm of their programs. Mr. Aidan Clark-Long, who teaches middle school science, is now leading the pack in Cross Country, who have had a very competitive season thus far. There are 14 boys and 3 girls on the squad. Seniors include captains Lucy Xu and Alex Lee, as well as Bailey Smoko and Daniel Song. Coach Clark-Long is excited with all the new talent and the improvement they have already made. Up to this point, they have placed either first or second in the dual meets, and have had a pretty good showing at invitationals. At the Canterbury Invitational, one of the biggest races of the year, Will Sullivan and Mason Rickey were the top Hornet finishers and both placed 15th in their respective races. At the O'Connell Invitational at Cheshire Academy, Sullivan ran a season-best time of 17:35 and placed 4th overall. The Hornets host Watkinson, Williams, and EF Academy on Saturday of Homecoming.

Varsity Football Ready to Harness the Huskies on Homecoming

10/15/2021

Bud Kohler

In some ways it seems like just yesterday that Joe Linta took the reins as head coach of the Hamden Hall Varsity Football program. On the other hand Coach Linta and his staff have helped achieve such a string of notable success that he seems to have been here for decades. Actually, it has been one decade. Now in his tenth year, Coach Linta continues not only to forge our football squads into winners, but more importantly, help shape talented players into successful scholar-athletes. Having already won numerous Fairchester League titles and New England Bowl games and seen so many Hornets move on to enjoy successful careers in college, it might be understandable if he were to slow down or walk away. But there is no hint that this would happen any time soon, as he can be seen every day focused and animated, discussing the upcoming opponent with his coaches or providing some guidance for his individual players before or after practice. The coach's son, Nick Linta, plus Curry College standout, Melvin Wells, both Hamden Hall alums, have been added to the coaching staff, helping to provide the team with examples of football success.

The challenge to remain successful has become tougher as well. The Fairchester Athletic Association essentially no longer has football, leading the Hornets to join the Evergreen League, which includes most Class A and B prep schools outside of Boston’s ISL and the Founder’s League. And because of such a run of success, the Hornets have been placed in the highest tier of the league. Though the away games involve some substantial travel, the team enjoys the opportunity to play some of the best football in all of New England.

The team is currently 2-2, though just a few plays short of being undefeated. They kicked off the season with an impressive 21-8 win at Rivers in Massachusetts, thanks in large part to Konye Taylor’s running and the stingy defense led by Amari Phillips and Michi Holley. Then, punching well above their weight, the Hornets waged an incredible 4th quarter battle royal before falling 38-35 to St. Paul’s, a Class A team that has not lost in two years. The Hornets were not as fortunate on their return trip to Boston, falling to Dexter 21-9 after leading 9-7 at half to the preseason league favorite. However, they rebounded with a solid 34-28 win over Berkshire School at home last Friday. Down 14-0, junior Elijah Light sparked the comeback with an electrifying 84 yard kickoff return. Taylor and quarterback, Ethan Coady, combined for 335 yards and 4 touchdowns to best the visiting Bears.

The Hornets host the Huskies of New Hampton School from the lakes region of New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon in what should prove to be a true highlight of the Homecoming weekend.

Club Sports in Full Swing Now with Water Polo

10/7/2021

Water polo is now a fall athletics option.

Homecoming 2021

10/5/2021

We're excited to welcome all to Homecoming 2021 for a full schedule of sporting events!

Cross-Country Trail Receives Major Makeover

9/14/2021

The cross-country trail behind the Beckerman Athletic Center at our Skiff Street Athletic Complex has been redesigned this summer and is now ready to use.

Seniors Lead the Way but Hornets Fall to Bruins

5/20/2021

Bud Kohler

It might not have been the send off that the seniors wanted for their last home game, but they produced a strong effort and led by example on Saturday when the Hornets fell to a powerful Brunswick team 3-1. Senior Mike Coggins pitched a strong 4 innings, keeping the Hornets in the game while the offense tried to connect against the Bruins’ ace, who is D1 Virginia bound. Battery mate and fellow senior, Dennis Gamester, was a big help to Coggins while working behind the plate, and “took one for the team” twice when he was hit by pitches. And the third of the senior trio, Nick Soliwada, pitched a perfect 7th inning to keep the team in the game. Unfortunately, HH could only muster three hits, and agonizingly left the bases loaded in the third.

Regarding the senior troika, Coach Brad Chernovetz commented, “Coggins has done everything we have asked of him. He played multiple positions and has pitched well all year. Dennis has been a tremendous leader for the team ever since he first strapped on the catcher’s gear, and Nick has been a solid teammate and a positive contributor all season long. These guys helped shape our character through their efforts, and they will certainly be missed. I expect to hear that they make an impact on their college teams in the near future.”

Hornets Tame Tigers; Ben James tops the field and Golf finishes 2nd at McCampell Cup

5/9/2021

Bud Kohler

For most of the Hornet teams, Saturday involved a showdown with Greenwich Country Day School. Until recently, GCD had always been a K-9 school; however they have added an upper school and are now full fledged members of the Fairchester League. Overall the Hornets went 3-1 against the Tigers on the day.

Baseball rebounded from their midweek setback, and earned a 5-3 victory. Senior Mike Coggins was solid throughout, and pitched a complete game. The Hornets made the most of 5 hits to carve out the win. Brady Chernovetz had 2, Jayden Novak and 8th grader Bennett Crerar added one apiece, and Coggins helped himself out with a timely belt.
Varsity Softball had no trouble at the plate as they exploded for 18 hits on their way to defeat GCD 13-8, and record their first win of the season. Two talented 8th graders, Emerson Collins and Melanie Carling, led the attack with 4 hits apiece. Bella Aldo and Lainie Hellyar reached base 3 times each, while both Ellie Ratta and Payton Collins had two hits. Pressley Owens, Anna Soliwoda, Daniele McGovern, and Mara Patterson all played well defensively. Meanwhile, 8th grader Payton Collins did a great job on the mound, going the distance and allowing 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 10. "This team is finally coming around and believing in themselves, as much as I believe in them," said Coach Jeff Davis. "We’re swinging the bats well and making the basic plays. The upper school players have meshed well with this great core of 8th graders to make us a very competitive team that I’m proud to coach."

Boys Lax KOs K-O; Spring Sports Buzz

5/7/2021

Bud Kohler

The Hamden Hall Varsity spring teams are in full swing, and though there are no titles to vie for, the players, coaches, and parents are all certainly enjoying the opportunity to compete.

In recent action, the Boys Lax team earned a split for their efforts. Returning from a quarantine layoff, the Hornets looked rusty and were outclassed by a solid St. Luke’s squad 16-3. Nevertheless, the young squad rebounded well and continued to improve and gel over the week. This Wednesday, they traveled to West Hartford to square off against Kingswood-Oxford and emerged 10-9 winners in a thrilling contest. The Hornets got off to a solid start with two goals by 8th grader Niko Millhouse and senior captain Kai Bruneau to take a 3-1 lead after the first frame. The hosts kept it close throughout the rest of the half, though long sticks Konye Taylor, Bennett DellaValle, and Xavier Carter did a great job limiting the Wyverns’ scoring opportunities. Meanwhile, the other senior captain, Liam Kohler, combined with John Golioto to send a number of deadly shots past the K-O netminder to maintain a two goal lead at halftime. The Hornets extended their lead to 9-5 early in the second half thanks to the sharpshooting Bruneau, aided by 8th grader Slade Engstrom. However, the Hornets began to run into penalty trouble, enabling the Wyverns to whittle the difference down to one. Freshman Tyler Gibson, who was rock solid throughout, came up with a number of key saves, including a bone crunching kick stop to maintain the slim lead. After having survived a final man down situation, the Hornets then showed great cool and composure as they passed, ran, and held the ball in the K-O end for the final 3 minutes. It was a well earned victory, and one that Coach Warnock and the team will surely look back on as a highlight of the season. The team next travels to Greenwich Country Day on Saturday.

Girls Lax Blend Experience & Youth to Start 1-1

4/17/2021

Bud Kohler

Benjamin Franklin developed numerous and wonderful inventions, but he did not invent lacrosse. However, it was Franklin who coined the truism, “Out of adversity comes opportunity.” The pandemic has hit athletic programs hard for sure, where the necessity for optional sports presents challenges on numbers and the experience level normally associated with varsity level programs. Nevertheless, the Hornet coaches have worked hard and adapted well in delivering on that maxim. In particular, with local and league rivals shutting down their middle school programs, talented younger players are “playing up” and have already become a mainstay of many of the teams. The Girls Varsity Lax team is certainly a great example of how to keep a winning tradition going with limited numbers while tapping into the potential of a squad of such mixed experience and age.