By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – Sometimes, even the scholastic basketball gods can make a marathon of a regular season a little less bumpy.
That’s exactly what happened to the boys squad from Bristol Central in terms of schedule.
The Rams were slated to play against Windsor (currently 8-1) in a Central Connecticut Conference Interdivisional showcase event from the XL Center (it’s the Hartford Civic Center for crying out loud…) on February 10.
It was supposed to be another impressive venue for the Rams to strut their stuff in front of a hyped and ruckus crowd.
But COVID changed all that and the game slated for Hartford was ultimately cancelled in terms of facility.
“That was a COVID restriction, vaccination status” thing said Central coach Tim Barrette of the cancellation of the XL Center. “With the new rules the governor put in, you have to show your vaccination status or a negative test within seventy-two hours. That’s impossible to run for a high school venue.”
“They don’t have the staff.”
However, it’s not all bad for the teams as the mega event will still be taking place.
Because Central is the home team for that contest, it means for the second straight season, Windsor is making a trip to the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium in Bristol.
Sure, the contest is just under three weeks away and there’s a ton of basketball to be played by both schools between now and then.
But this is going to be one heck of a clash and a rematch of the first round in last season’s CCC Tournament.
In that game, Central built up a 26-point edge and eventually pull out a 73-59 win over the Warriors.
The Rams ended up winning the CCC Championship in a thrilling 69-68 overtime triumph against East Catholic to end a busy week of play.
Central finished the season at 15-0 and was the number ranked team in the state.
Not a lot has changed in the rematch as Central is still No. 1 – looking to keep its ledger perfect and maintain its top Division II playoff ranking.
Windsor is rated third in the latest GameTimeCT poll and remains a legitimate threat on the hardwood.
The Warriors are fresh off a 67-64 victory over No. 5 Ridgefield last Saturday and has the firepower to knock off any team in the state.
Windsor coach Ken Smith and company have already defeated East Catholic this season (70-66) in OT back on January 11 and are looking for another upset bid.
However, this epic showdown will be another massive challenge played from the friendly confines at BCHS instead of Hartford.
And there’s nothing like a little home cooking in the world of scholastic hoops.
“They reluctantly pulled the game,” said Barrette of the XL Center. “This was our home game. Windsor will be here on February 10.”
