WATERBURY’S WEEKLY ROUNDUP #4: Sacred Heart boys take two from New York City teams

After dispatching Crosby 83-69 on Wednesday, the Sacred Heart boys basketball team got into the “New York City” portion of its schedule on Friday and Saturday.
First up was Benjamin N. Cardozo High School on the road in Queens. In a back-and-forth affair, the Hearts were tied until Cardozo connected on a lay-up to go ahead 69-67. Sacred Heart’s undefeated season appeared doomed, but Raheem Solomon’s trey from the top of the key with seven seconds to go stole a 70-69 win. Rob Maia has a great video of the final 30 seconds on Brass City Films (YouTube). Go check it out.
Next up was South Shore from Brooklyn in Alumni Hall. According to a tweet from Joe Palladino of the Rep-Am, South Shore had three 6-foot-9 players on the roster. Yikes.
South Shore had a strong combination of size and speed, but Sacred Heart turned up its defense after the first quarter. Omar Rowe put the Hearts up 47-41, but they didn’t score in the final 3:50. Happily for Sacred Heart, it was able to hold on and win 47-45.
After a challenging week, the Hearts are a perfect 9-0. Sacred Heart hosts a surging Kennedy team Tuesday before closing the week with home games against Waterbury Career Academy on Thursday and Ansonia on Friday.
Kennedy: Speaking of those Eagles, they outlasted WCA in overtime on Thursday, then hammered Oxford on Friday to get to 9-1.
Kennedy beat WCA in a big-time city clash, 81-75 inside Jack Taglia Gymnasium. A monster night from Lashawn Smith was complemented by big performances from Tyvon Stenson, Tyairus Sands and Chomari Joseph. And don’t forget Jeremy Acosta, who hit on both sides of a key one-and-one in overtime, according to the roundup on The Zone. 
In the Oxford game, the trio of Sands, Joseph and Smith was too much for the Wolverines to handle as the Eagles coasted to an 88-49 win.
Holy Cross: Forget the Crusaders at your own peril.
Holy Cross won two more games this week to make it five straight overall.
The Crusaders downed Wilby 61-50 and St. Paul 57-40, both victories coming on the road. Holy Cross is a solid 9-1, the only loss to undefeated Sacred Heart.
The Crusaders have been led by the trio of Nyzair Rountree, Kerson Etienne and DeAndre Wallace. Marcellus Gomes has also contributed for Holy Cross.
The Crusaders host Crosby on Tuesday before traveling to Kaynor Tech on Thursday.
Crosby: The Bulldogs bounced back from Wednesday’s loss to Sacred Heart by blowing out Wolcott on the road Friday.
Crosby ran its record to 8-3 with the 82-55 win over Wolcott.
Jeremiah Kendall has been the go-to guy for the Bulldogs, but don’t leave sharp-shooting Miguel Rivera open. Kerwin Prince and Ivan Craig have also been there for Crosby.
The Bulldogs play Holy Cross on Tuesday for their only game this week.
WCA: The 7-3 Spartans are certainly holding their own in the inaugural NVL season.
WCA blew out Kaynor Tech 81-54 on Wednesday before losing an 81-75 overtime game to Kennedy on Thursday. The Spartans responded to the loss by beating Woodland handily, 76-54.
Marquan Watson has been a monster for WCA, but he has plenty of company in Jadan Battle, Matthew Torres and Jalen Edwards. Balance is part of the reason why the Spartans have been so good.
WCA hosts Wilby on Tuesday before playing a big game Thursday at Sacred Heart.
Wilby: The Wildcats dropped a 61-50 decision to Holy Cross at home on Wednesday, then lost a tough 68-65 road game to Ansonia on Friday.
Wilby is 3-6 entering Tuesday’s game at WCA. The Wildcats host Torrington on Friday.
Kaynor Tech: The Panthers (1-9) are still looking for their second win of the season.
Tuesday brings a road game at Bullard Havens Tech. Kaynor hosts Holy Cross on Thursday and Platt Tech on Friday.  
Chase Collegiate: The Highlanders have struggled to a 1-6 record, with the lone win against the Williams School on Jan. 11.
Chase lost its lone game of the week on Saturday at home against The Master’s School. The Highlanders play Wooster School on Wednesday before taking on Forman School on Friday. Both games are away.

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Holy Cross has won 10 straight games, including Friday night’s 59-50 home victory over previously undefeated St. Paul. The Crusaders are 12-1 on the season and play at Crosby on Tuesday in their lone game of the week.
Kennedy: The Eagles are 9-3 on the season after two more wins this past week.
Kennedy beat WCA 48-37 on the road Thursday before dispatching Oxford 41-26 at home on Friday. Shyan Perez, Raegon Shirling-Davis and Joyce Benton all scored in double figures against WCA while Ashley Lamb also had a solid night. 
Kennedy has won three games right after a three-game losing streak. The Eagles opened the season with six straight victories. Kennedy hosts Sacred Heart on Tuesday and Kaynor Tech on Thursday.
Sacred Heart: An 11-3 fourth quarter doomed the Hearts in a 46-44 road loss to Torrington on Friday.
Sacred Heart hadn’t played since beating Wilby 64-38 on Jan. 13. The Hearts are 8-4 and play Kennedy on Tuesday and Ansonia on Friday. Both games are on the road.
WCA: The Spartans are looking to regain momentum in their inaugural NVL season after four straight losses.
WCA lost to Kennedy and Woodland at home on Thursday and Friday to fall to 5-8 on the season. The Spartans face Wilby on the road Tuesday in their only game of the week.
Crosby: The Bulldogs picked up their second win, defeating the Wilby Wildcats 50-27 on Thursday at home.
Crosby closed out the week with a home loss to Wolcott. The Bulldogs are 2-8.
Wilby: The Wildcats dropped games to Holy Cross, Crosby and Ansonia, and are 0-12.
Kaynor Tech: The Panthers are 8-4 after Friday’s tight 47-43 win at Warren Harding.
Kaynor Tech has won five straight games since starting the season 3-4. The Panthers play Thursday at Kennedy and Friday at Platt Tech.
Chase: The Highlanders were 3-5 entering Saturday’s game at the Forman School.

BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING
Sacred Heart: The Hearts knocked off Wilby 92-82 on Thursday.
Sacred Heart finished first in seven different events (200 medley relay, 200 free, 200 IM, 100 butterfly, 100 free, 500 free, 200 free relay).
Wilby won the 50 free, diving, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and the 400 free relay.
The Wildcats faced Oxford on Friday and took a 93-88 loss. Wilby won diving, 100 back, 100 breast and the 400 free relay.
Holy Cross: The Crusaders downed Torrington 85-77 on Friday.
Holy Cross finished first in the 200 medley relay, 200 free, 50 free, 100 butterfly, 500 free and 200 free relay
Crosby/WCA: The Bulldogs lost 92-72 to Watertown on Wednesday.
Crosby finished first in diving, 100-yard backstroke, 100 breaststroke and the 400 freetsyle relay.
Kennedy: The Eagles lost 96.5-79.5 to Oxford on Thursday.
Kennedy was first in the 200 free relay, 100 breast and 400 free relay.

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Kaynor Tech: The Panthers turned in three Top 10 finishes at Saturday’s SCC Coaches Invitational, which was held at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.
Terrell Patterson was third in the 600 meters, Jordon Wilkins was fourth in the 55 hurdles and Hannah Stoveken claimed 10th in the 3200.
Sacred Heart: The Hearts also had three Top 10 finishes at the SCC meet.
Edward Williams was fourth in the 55 dash while Joel Guzman claimed eighth place in both the 55 dash and the 300.
Williams had a monster day at the Frosh & Soph Meet on Monday in New Haven. Williams was first in the 55 hurdles, second in the 55 dash and fourth in the 300.
Jenna French took fifth in the 600 and eighth in the 1600.
Wilby: Dwayne Blackwood took a sixth place finish in the 55 meters at the SCC meet.
Crosby: The boys 4×800-meter relay of Tolany Velez-Pastrana, Zyques Stenson, Elijah Lewis and Robert Yuja finished 10th at the SCC meet.
Kennedy: The Eagles took part in the Frosh & Soph Meet on Monday in New Haven.
Christy St. Juste won the four-kilogram shot put with a throw of 25 feet, one inch. In the 3200, Aaron Lamar finished fourth.

WRESTLING
Chase: The Highlanders were 3-8 entering Saturday’s Brunswick Invite.
The Thomaston/Litchfield/Holy Cross tri-op fell to 0-8 after a 66-15 loss to St. Paul on Wednesday.