By Michael Letendre
CROMWELL – Can the high school on top of the hill in Bristol – and we’re talking about Bristol Central – be finally classified as “Championship alley” on a scholastic level in terms of athletics?
The term might have a significant application to several of the Rams’ programs over just the past scholastic year or so.
It started with Victor Rosa and Central’s 2021 football team winning nine games in a row at one point and qualifying for postseason play for just the third time in school history.
That 9-2 ledger by the pigskin program was only the beginning of a huge 2021-22 scholastic year.
From there, Donovan Clingan, Damion Glasper, Carson Rivoira, Steve Alseph and Rosa (there’s that name again) led the boys basketball program to a 28-0 ledger and the CIAC Division II championship.
And how was that followed up?
The softball team made a run to the finals of the Class LL championship – posting a sterling 22-5 record that concluded one heck of a year for the Rams and their outstanding teams.
And in both volleyball and softball, senior Sam Sklenka passes that championship credit to the outstanding players that surround her.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without my teammates,” said Sklenka of those title opportunities. “My teammates are everything. I literally wouldn’t be here without them. I love them all so much.”
And then to open the 2022-23 campaign, the volleyball team took the reins, posting an amazing 19-7 record and is on the cusp of something very big – squaring off against top-ranked Joel Barlow for the Class L championship on Saturday.
“For a public school in Bristol, its unheard of I think,” said Central volleyball coach Lance Pepper of all the programs successes in the postseason. “It’s a testament of how hard our kids work both in the season and offseason whether it was softball making it to the finals, basketball obviously with our incredible run, and football last year with their incredible run.”
And we’re forgetting all the success that the boys cross country team has enjoyed over the years — both in terms of city series, CCC South and the postseason.
That squad won the Class L title in 2010 while the boys cross country and indoor track teams were the Class L runner-up in XC and indoor track four times over the 2018-2020 campaigns.
The girls soccer team won the CCC South for the first time in 14 seasons this past fall and what will the Central softball team do this spring for an encore after its 2022 dash to the finals?
That softball squad has the talent, ability and experience to make another deep run in the postseason.
It’s been an amazing ledger of success by Central and now the volleyball team — highlighted by the play from seniors Brooke Valentino, Olivia Clingan, Maddie Lodovico and Sam Sklenka, junior Alex Rivera, sophomore Grace Higgins and freshman Lily Kirk – have joined that championship caliber parade with the most memorable run in program history.
“This year, it’s a special team and a special group,” said Pepper of his volleyball squad.
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