Housy boys unite for summer hoops

TORRINGTON — As most people went to bed last Wednesday, sporadic squeaks from basketball players’ shoes echoed down Main Street from the Torrington Armory.

Those sounds marked the first summer game for the Housatonic Valley High School boys summer basketball team, who fell valiantly to Torrington PAL, 63-45.

At the 9:30 p.m. tip off, the thermostat in the Armory read 88 degrees.

Commenting on the heat, HVRHS’ Coach Dino Labbadia said his team has come to expect it in the summer league play. “It’s been like this every year. It’s crazy,” he said.

In the summer opener, HVRHS was also missing two rising seniors: Owen Riemer was out of town, and Anthony Labbadia was sidelined with an ankle injury.

With Riemer and Labbadia out, two rising freshmen made their first appearances in Housy uniforms. Jaxon Visockis and Jackson Goodwin each played for considerable minutes as guards.

Torrington PAL, or “Police Activities League,” was founded in 1983 in partnership with Torrington Police Department. Since then, the league website states, the group has been “providing children with alternatives to crime, violence and substance abuse.”

The game wasn’t a calculated chess match — it was a fast-paced, physical battle. Sweat poured from every player and around 40 fans packed the stands to watch.

HVRHS scored first, but within the first five minutes Torrington jumped out to a 12-6 lead.

HVRHS responded with a run of its own to cut the deficit to 15-14 with seven minutes left in the half.

That was the peak of the comeback and Torrington led by double digits at halftime.

Coach Labbadia was pleased to see his team keep the score close for most of the half. He said, “If I can get our guys to just take their time, we’ll be fine.”

After the break, HVRHS continued with strong effort but could not stop Torrington’s relentless offense and fast breaks.

When the final buzzer sounded, Wes Allyn topped the box score for HVRHS with a game-high 19 points. Anthony Foley scored 13 points.

Torrington was led in scoring by Owen Fenn with 17 points. Chris Delacruz and Dom Lewis each scored 11 points.

Torrington Summer Basketball League results and schedules can be found at www.quickscores.com/torringtonct.