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| Bridgton Academy E-Newsletter | February 7, 2011 |
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Greetings!
After hunkering down for some cozy single-digit temperature days in the town of North Bridgton, the BA campus is now home to over a foot of new snow from the most recent Nor'Easter. Some students made use of the new snow by creating some impromptu jumps, not a new tradition at BA! Our second semester is moving along at a rapid pace, with some major athletic outings, events, trustee meetings, and more on tap for late February and early March.
Happy Valentines Day, and here is some additional news from campus: |
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Want to See the Utah Jazz Take on the Suns This Friday? - Thanks to a unique and generous donation from a BA parent, the Academy has available two OC Tanner Executive Suite tickets to this Friday's game between the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns in at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City. The tickets are currently available on StubHub and include dinner along with a parking pass. If you know of someone in the area, or want to use some frequent flyer miles to head out to Salt Lake City for some NBA basketball this Friday night, check out the listing. Questions? Contact Michelle Cross at mcross@bridgtonacademy.org. |
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Hall of Fame Nominations Now Open - The 2011 Hall of Fame nomination period is now open. Hall of Fame nominations may be submitted to the Office of Alumni & Development beginning on February 3rd, and closing on March 8th. To submit your Hall of Fame nomination, please download and complete our Nomination Form and submit to: alumni@bridgtonacademy.org. Faxed nomination forms are also accepted at (207) 647-8513, or you may mail your nomination to: Bridgton Academy Hall of Fame - PO Box 292, North Bridgton, ME 04057. For more information on BA's Hall of Fame criteria, or to view a list of current Hall members, please click here. |
North Shore Alumni & Parents - Join us to Cheer on the Wolverines: On Wednesday, March 2nd, BA will be hosting an alumni and parent reception in Beverly, Massachusetts, as we gather to watch our 2011 BA basketball team in their NEPSAC quarter-final championship game. The reception will be held at Endicott College, in a lounge overlooking the court. A light pre-game meal will be served, and guests are welcome to either watch the game from above, or head down to the floor! We hope you come out for some great basketball and a chance to cheer on BA!
Where: Endicott College Post Center, 376 Hale Street, Beverly, MA , Lounge #204
When: Wednesday, March 2nd. Reception time will be Wednesday evening, TBD based on tournament seeding.
RSVP: Michelle Cross - mcross@bridgtonacademy.org Phone: (207) 647-3322, ext. 229 |
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 Martha Flint '52 Honored at Winter Classic - This year, the 2011 Bridgton Academy Winter Classic was played in honor and recognition of Ms. Martha Flint, BA Class of 1952.
Martha is a North Bridgton native, one of four children, and a second-generation alumna. In 1981, Martha became the Postmaster in North Bridgton, where she remained until 1995. Martha embraced the North Bridgton community, particularly the Bridgton Academy students, referring to them all as 'her boys'.
Bridgton Academy is proud to hold a special place in Martha's heart. In honor of her continued involvement with the BA Alumni Association, Martha received the Alumni Service Award in 1992. Martha also founded the "Flint Award" in honor of her mother, Annie, a 1928 Bridgton graduate, and her brother, Horace, a 1953 alumnus. Martha was inducted into the Bridgton Academy Hall of Fame in 2007. The sole holder of a lifetime BA lunch pass, she can regularly be seen in the Goldsmith Dining Hall and on campus for home athletic games, specifically basketball, which she watches from her favorite seat at the north end of the bleachers. We at Bridgton Academy thank Martha for her years of dedicated support through the low times and the championships and everywhere in between.
Many alumni, both local and beyond, recall Martha from their time at Bridgton. As such, we would like to take a moment to share with you that Martha was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. The Bridgton Academy Alumni Office is compiling stories, wishes, and thoughts for Martha. If you would like to take a moment to share a thought or a few words for this compilation, please send your submissions to Jessica Priola at jpriola@bridgtonacademy.org or mail to PO Box 292, North Bridgton, ME 04057.
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Athletic Director Joe Sawicki Invited to Join Strength Board - Bridgton Academy Athletic Director Joe Sawicki was recently asked to join the Board of Directors for the Maine chapter of the National Strength & Conditioning Association. As a director, Coach Sawicki will be tasked with helping to promote strength and conditioning across the state as well as developing educational opportunities for strength and conditioning professionals within the region. |
 Craig Richardson '09 Returns to BA - BA alumnus and current Stonybrook University football player, Craig Richardson '09, recently came back to Bridgton to address the Class of 2011 during chapel. Craig shared with the students a bit about his experience in college and his reflections back on Bridgton Academy. Chris Travis '06, currently working as an athletic training intern at BA, also shared some words of wisdom during a weekly chapel meeting this January. Chris spoke about the importance of not losing your drive during the second semester, and continuing to work hard so you finish strong. Thank you to both of these young alumni for sharing some of their wisdom with our current class of students! (Craig Richardson - 2nd from left - with his brother, Coach Tom Austin, and Coach Rick Marcella.) |
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 BA Students Help in Annual Ice Out Tradition - This past weekend, Headmaster Vigneau and his wife Merry took a crew of students to Moose pond where they helped the Bridgton Community Center install the sign for their annual "Ice Out" contest. The students plowed through the snow and slush to put up the sign. They used an auger and chainsaws to drill holes to drop each of the four anchors through, then assembled the sign and set it up. This year, we'd like to extend the Highland Lake Ice Out contest to our e-news readers. Look for your chance to sign-up later this Winter!
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| BA Looks to Host Wolverine Lacrosse Game This Fall - This coming year, BA is looking to host some exciting new events - including an inaugural Alumni Lacrosse Game this fall in the Connecticut area. While details are still being determined, we plan to host the game on a weekend in September or October, somewhere in the Fairfield, CT, area. Centrally located for Tri-State and southern New England alumni, we hope this will be an easy trip for any lacrosse alumni and parents to make. If you still play, we hope to see you there! Please stay tuned for further details later this Spring. Want to help in our planning efforts? Send an email to alumni@bridgtonacademy.org. |
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 Robert Vaden '04 Returns to Maine - A group of 2011 students, led by Mr. Gately, recently attended a special NBA D-League game. Robert Vaden, a 2004 Bridgton graduate, plays for the Tulsa 66ers, a team that traveled to Portland, ME, last weekend to take on the Red Claws. Current Wolverines had the opportunity to meet Robert before the game. Vaden wasn't shy about making his presence known against the Red Claws, putting up fourteen points including a last minute game-tying three pointer. Robert (center) is pictured pre-game with members of the 2011 BA basketball team.
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 Football Hosts End of Season Banquet - As Coach Marcella thanked his colleagues for their continued support, one of his most important opening remarks at the 2010-11 Football Banquet was, "Thank you parents for entrusting your sons to us." He then continued, "We are vastly different from traditional prep schools that attempt to integrate five post graduate football players into a high school setting. Many of you could have sent your sons to such schools - and they would have played 90% of every game by acclimation - but you chose instead to send them North into our college-like environment where they had to earn their way onto the field. I'm sure some of you parents fielded the call 'Come get me-NOW!' Yet you resisted, and prepared to barnstorm with us across New England all fall, keeping our legions well-fed, and making some new friends in the process."
In his presentation to these parents and the football team, Coach Marcella shared four goals that each student at BA should set for themselves in order to be a winner: Responsibility - to yourself and teammates; Time management; Consistency - on the field and in the classroom; and Respect - for your teammates, coaches, opponents, officials, classmates, instructors, and yourself.
Before assistant coaches Matt Burgess '88, Joe Daley '77, Orlando Patterson, Travis Dube, and Rick Kramer made their presentations, Coach Marcella communicated to them how "fortunate [he is] to work with these gentlemen. What impresses me most is their passion for utilizing the game of football as a vehicle through which they help take 50 kids fresh out of high school, and turn them into ready-for-college young men."
Six players received Most Outstanding Player Awards. By position, Offensive Line - James Krebs (Carver, MA), Defensive Line - Troy Moore (Worcester, MA), Linebacker - Jeremy Leggerio (Bohemia, NY), Offensive Back - Jacob Grills (Niantic, CT), Defensive Back - Sir-Tay Jackson (New Rochelle, NY), and Wide Receiver - Stephen Sweeney (Mahweh, NJ).
Coach's Awards are voted on by the staff collectively and are awarded to those players who bring a passion for the game with them every day. Though many were worthy of recognition, Jonathan Winbush (Mansfield, MA) and Derek Karr (Littleton, MA) were the two recipients of the 2011 fotball coach's awards.
Based upon a drawing hanging in the football office of a wolverine ready to do battle in the wild, the Wolverine Award is the most prestigious award. It is voted on by the team as they decide one individual who best embodies the game of football with these three words - courage, intensity, and dedication. Of the 15 players who received votes, Troy Moore was the worthy recipient.
A special thank you to all of the 2011 football parents who supported their son's team throughout the season, and provided us with some of the greatest Wolverine tailgates seen to date!
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Wolverine Athletic Highlights:This week the Bridgton Academy basketball team had a full schedule. They started out with a tough 73-38 loss to Brewster Academy last Wednesday night. A few days later Bridgton hosted the Wolverine Winter Classic and won their first game against St. Thomas More 63-60 to advance to the Championship Game. After a hard fought matchup with Notre Dame Prep, the Wolverines took second place in the Classic, losing the final game with a score of 86-75. The Jr. A hockey team also had a busy week as they traveled to New Brunswick, Canada to take on Rothesay Netherwood in a two day series.
In the basketball team's first game of the week, they got off to a sluggish start. Brewster Academy had no problem taking advantage of Wolverines mistakes, taking a 31-8 lead at halftime. Bridgton came out strong in the second half, but could not hold on long enough. Brewster took a lead to which Bridgton could not catch up, ultimately ending in a 73-38 loss for the Wolverines.
The next game the basketball team played this week had an entirely different start. This year, the Wolverine Winter Classic was played in honor of Bridgton Academy's #1 fan, Martha Flint. Martha is a 1952 graduate of Bridgton Academy and a lifelong supporter of the basketball program. In honor of her dedication, love, and support, Martha was presented with flowers and a hug from each of the Wolverines.
As Bridgton took the court to start the contest, it was no surprise that they played with a fire that was missing earlier in the week. Taking on one of the top teams in New England was a daunting task, but BA held them to a slim 29-28 lead going into the half. They kept it close throughout the second half as well, keeping the score within five points at all times. In the end, it was Bridgton that was able to pull ahead and take away the 63-60 victory.
Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN) led the game with a high of 20 points. Kareem Canty (New York, NY), Corey Spence (Baltimore, MD), and Daniel Franca (Sao Paulo, Brazil) all played a vital role in the game.
After advancing to the Championship round, Bridgton faced off against Notre Dame Prep. Again, the Wolverines kept the game close, with Notre Dame Prep up 38-30 at the half. In the second half, they worked hard and lessened Notre Dame's lead several times; however, Notre Dame Prep took a lead that Bridgton could not fight back against with five minutes left in the game, winning the Classic for the second year in a row with a score of 86-75.
Coach Lesure pointed out that the plays Notre Dame made to close the game were the difference on the afternoon. "They finished some plays extremely well, and showed their mettle down the stretch. I was comfortable with the position we put ourselves in, but there is no question we have to learn from this and close games with better execution," said Lesure.
The Jr. A hockey team had a lengthy ride up to Canada, but quickly shook off their bus legs with a solid 4-2 win over Rotheasy Netherwood last weekend. The victory was sealed as a result of impressive play during the 1st and 3rd periods. Goals were scored by
Ryan Donovan (Bridgewater, MA) who had two with assists from Alex Bartlett
(South Burlington, VT) and Dan Sullivan (Burlington, MA). Brendan Moore
(Springfield, MA) had a goal with assists from Dan Concannon (Everett, MA) and
Ryan Menard (Ashland, MA). Dean Cavicchi (Plymouth, MA) scored off a feed from
Sean Yule (West Newton, MA). Defensively Yule and Jon Delpadre (Providence, RI) were a +2 on the game playing solid defensively. Tyler Gallagher (Nahant, MA) played well in net staying undefeated in starts stopping 16 of 18 shots.
In the second game of the two day series with Rotheasy Netherwood, Bridgton had a sloppy start. The team had a hard time getting ready and came out sluggish. They eventually got it together, scoring the first two goals late in the first period. Goals came from Bartlett with assists from Brad McGovern (Haverhill, MA) and Matt Buckley (Canton, MA), and
Marco Spisso (Highland Falls, NY) with assists from Cavicchi and Ryan Kulik
(Pembroke, MA).
Donovan added a goal late in the third to take the lead off a feed from Bartlett. The Wolverines then gave up a goal with twenty seconds to play to force overtime. With no action in the overtime, the game advanced to a shootout. Tyler Albano (Beverly, MA) scored the lone goal for Bridgton and Will Husic (Glastonbury, CT) denied all three shooters to take home the 4-3 win. In regulation time, Husic stopped 19 of the 22 shots he faced.
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Upcoming Events:
BA North Shore Gathering at Endicott College - Wednesday, March 2ndBA Alumni & Parent Portsmouth, NH Gathering - April, 2011
Commencement Class of 2011 - May 14th
Reunion Weekend 2011 - June 4-6th
BA Red Sox Outing - Fenway Park, July 26th
BA Alumni Lacrosse Game - Fall, 2011, Connecticut
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