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Sports

FHS Ice Hockey to Join Co-Op with Windsor, Avon

Dwindling participation effects new collaboration.

Oblivion was knocking on the door of the Farmington High School hockey locker room.

Although the band of skaters athletic director Jack Phelan dubbed ‘warriors’ held their own through the regular season (9-9) and qualified for the Division II tournament, participation had diminished to a dangerous low. The postseason roster numbered just 14.

Phelan projected that the numbers wouldn’t get much higher over the next few seasons so his course was clear – establish Farmington as part of a co-operative program with another school or schools, or endure a gap in a proud program that won a state championship as recently as 2005.

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“We were really looking for a partner we could co-op with and always felt the natural school to align with would be Avon because many of the youth hockey players grow up together playing in the youth program (Avon-Canton-Farmington Youth Hockey Association).”

The CIAC’s co-op bylaws state that schools must link up for a two-year term, although there is a stipulation that says one-year unions can be formed. Dissolving a co-op team is a matter solely between the schools. Schools cannot apply for a co-op if they have more than 15 players.

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The hurdle that first confronted Phelan was that Avon was in the first year of its co-operative venture with Windsor and East Granby. The CIAC prohibits co-ops between more than three schools so at first glance, the Indians were on the outside looking in. When the 2010-11 season concluded, the door cracked open.

“East Granby had just one player left so the roster was all Windsor and Avon except one senior from East Granby,” Phelan said. “Once the senior graduated, East Granby was no longer in the picture and it gave us an opportunity.”

Phelan contacted Windsor, which the CIAC lists as the host school. The Indians were welcomed with open arms by Windsor athletic director Steve Risser.

“Steve Risser has been terrific,” Phelan said. “Windsor is a CCC member school and considers their program a good friends of ours. They were very complimentary to us. It was an easy discussion. They were very open and willing to work with us. We did our due diligence working with the numbers and sent them to the CIAC. The CIAC accepted it for next year.”

For players like defenseman A.J. Georger – a junior-to-be – it’s beautiful music.

“It’s going to be awesome,” he said. “When I started playing youth hockey, I played with some of the kids and knew others. I grew up with them. It was a great rivalry and it’s a coincidence that we’re talking the two best towns in the valley for hockey.”

Georger offered a poignant view of what the 2010-11 season was like for the shorthanded squad.

“I was exhausted after every single game,” he said. “In one game against Wethersfield, me and my defensive partner had 37 minutes on the ice. We had to play the whole game but [looking back] it was a good experience.”

He also offered an equally poignant statement on why playing for Farmington is special to him.

“When you’re younger, you pretty much play for yourself,” he said.”When you play for your school, you’ve got that ‘F’ on your chest and you’re playing for your town. You see your friends in the stands and it gives you so much more motivation. It gives you a reason to play hockey. … It’s like having a second family.”

Georger said that two of his teammates from last year who didn’t graduate are headed for Avon Old Farms. He added that another is considering playing Junior ‘A’ hockey for the Wolf Pack out of Cromwell.

Four members of last year’s team – Kyle Chemente, Brian Cohan, Eric Meier and Hudson Partridge – are graduating seniors. Joining Georger as expected returnees are Kyle Krajick, Kevin Picard, Chadd Morin, Austin Grouten, Dan Quirk and Tyler Bailey.

The one consequence of the co-op arrangement that troubles Phelan is that long-time FHS coach Mike Barone gets left out in the cold. The Windsor-Avon-East Granby co-op – known as WAVE – was coached by Jesse Peters. Since Windsor is the host school, Peters remains head coach.

“When we had to switch in this direction, we didn’t have any option,” Phelan said. “We’re asking other schools to take us in and they’re already set up with a head coach. It was disappointing because Mike has done such a great job and is a great personal friend. We will have an assistant coach who will work with our boys and coordinating things, and I’m still hopeful we can talk to Mike about that.”

Barone logged a 156-97-10 record in 12 seasons as head coach. Prior to taking the top spot for the 1999-2000 season, he served five years as an assistant to the late Jim Kearney.

Barone’s teams qualified for the state tournament in all but one of his seasons (2008-09). His high-water mark came in 2004-05 when the Indians won the Division II state title behind the play of forward Nick Bonino, who went on to play at Avon Old Farms, Boston University and now plays professionally for the Anaheim Ducks.

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