NORTHWEST FACES DIVIDED FAN BASE

I’m certainly not pointing a finger of blame at anybody.  That would be ridiculous not to mention irresponsible, so I will address it as a wish rather than a criticism.

The Northwest Catholic boys basketball team has shown tremendous perseverance in advancing to the Class L semifinals against Farmington on Tuesday at a site and time yet to be determined (I’ll guess Plainville).  Losing a starter the quality of Zack Lewis so late in the season could have severely compromised the team, but as coaches constantly try to convince skeptical sportswriters, others tend to step up.

In the meantime, the NWC boys hockey team will meet the Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury co-op in a Division III semifinal at Yale’s Ingalls Rink in New Haven.

The tragedy of it is Northwest, being such a small, closely knit school, has to face the prospect of having to split its support for these two terrific teams.  Unlike the public schools, there is no town to rally behind the teams.  Having a school without borders surely is advantageous in drawing top quality athletes, but where a town like Farmington – 25,000 strong – can summon community support, Northwest cannot.

The basketball game would be at 6 or 8 p.m. if the CIAC goes with a semifinal doubleheader .  Otherwise, it would be at 7.  The hockey game is slated for 5:30.  The possibility of getting to both is pretty remote unless the basketball can be scheduled somewhere near New Haven, not likely seeing the teams are from suburban Hartford and not fair to local fans trying to get to the game after work.

I wonder if the CIAC would intervene.  I can’t exactly remember the situation but I believe the organization took it into consideration when a school had its boys and girls soccer teams slated to play at the same time.  At other times, I’m sure rectifying such an issue became impossible logistically. 

The CIAC absorbs considerable criticism – undue for the most part – for their tournament scheduling, but we must remember that perfect storms are only something nature can provide.