FALL FOLIAGE TOUR

Come with me on a little fall foliage sports tour of central Connecticut ...

Kudos to East Catholic boys soccer coach Tom Malin on his 300th career victory. Boys soccer just scratches the surface on how much Malin has contributed to youngsters at his school over the years. He is always very amenable to the needs of the media, and in case you didn't know, sports writers getting what they need at high school events is often quite difficult.

Thanks, Tom, for all you do. ...

Oh, the wind and rain ... Anybody who went out for a sporting event Friday night will no doubt have mold and mildew growing in their footwear by now. At Fontana Field in Southington where the mighty Blue Knights splashed past East Hartford, the mist and rain were horizontal for a good part of the night.

The conditions didn't bother Savino Melluzzo. He stands but 5'7 and even Friday night couldn't have weighed more than 175 pounds, but he follows his blocks magnificently and keeps those feet moving, even in puddles.

Perhaps the most stunning moment came when Southington safety Israel Burgos just flew down the field on a punt and separated the East Hartford return man from the ball and nearly walked into the end zone. Hey, Israel, it was rainy and wet. You're not supposed to be able to do that. ...

A tip of the hat and very rare exposure of the old chrome dome to the RHAM volleyball team. The Sachems challenge Bristol Eastern as the best I've seen this year, although Rich Heitz has that Southington group peaking for the Class LL tournament (if the Knights can knock off Eastern Monday, now that would be quite a statement!).

Farmington and Berlin have fine teams. Respective coaches Laura Arena and Bob Tarigo have built superb programs from top to bottom. But this is surely the Year of the RHAM. For those who don't know, RHAM stands for Regional Hebron Andover Marlborough. I've seen them play twice and a more cohesive group you won't see in any sport anywhere.

Berlin has lost to the Sachems twice. Farmington has another shot in RHAM's house this week. Time for the Indians to make a statement, or it's a battle for second place between them and the Redcoats. ...

Now get out and support your local teams. The kids work so hard, the competition is tremendous, the parking is free, the food at the concessions stands is good and tickets are cheap. You've got an invitation; what more do you want?