ZANOR: Former Wildcat named DII All-American, and other thoughts

Just thought I’d empty out my reporter’s notebook while wondering if Sunday’s Pats-Jets game will be Bill Belichick’s last as the HC of the NEP …

NFA looks for new football coach

Speaking of head coaches … Norwich Free Academy is looking for a head football coach after the Wildcats went 4-6 and 3-7 the past two seasons under Erik Larka.

I’m hoping NFA athletic director Roy Wentworth hits a home run with his next hire as the HC of NFA. Friday nights are special during the fall football calendar.

“Our team is supported by hundreds of fans, and our award-winning band, dance team, cheerleaders and student body provide an atmosphere unlike others, and we know the right coach will only enhance that entire experience,” Wentworth said. “I am looking forward to finding the next leader of our program.”

Wentworth has formed a hiring committee, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply online at nfaschool.org/employment.

Former NFA soccer star honored

Kudos to former NFA soccer star Kayla Park who was selected a 2023 Second Team All-American by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association.

Park, a junior midfielder at Rollins, put together one of the best individual seasons of the past decade for the Tars this year. She was one of five players to start all 19 games, helping the team to a 9-7-3 overall record, and a berth in the NCAA playoffs. Park led Rollins in goals (11), assists (8), points (30), shots on goal (23) and game-winning goals (4).

Park has been stacking accolades all year long, including SSC Player of the Week, first team All-SSC, D2CCA first team All-South Region, United Soccer Coaches first team All-South Region, and CSC Academic All-District

Park, who graduated from NFA in 2021, is majoring in biochemistry.

Boston teams make run for playoffs

A quick peek at the NBA and NHL standings shows the Boston Celtics leading the Eastern Conference with a 26-7 record and the Boston Bruins leading the Atlantic Conference with a 23-8-6 mark. Yup, it’s going to be another fun playoff ride on Causeway Street this spring.

Trivia time

TRIVIA QUESTION: Who is the only major league player to hit a home run for the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox in the same season?

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New professional hockey league

The Professional Women’s Hockey League kicked off its inaugural season on Jan. 1 with New York topping Toronto, 4-0, at sold out Mattamy Athletic Centre in Downtown Toronto.

Billie Jean King, a PWHL Advisory Board Member, performed the ceremonial faceoff with the league’s Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford, who is a 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist.

So, who scored the first goal in PWHL history? New York’s Ella Shelton. Shelton buried a shot from the point off a draw won by Alex Carpenter at 10:43 of the first period, and New York never looked back.

Two days later, PWHL Boston made its debut with a 3-2 loss against Minnesota before 4,012 fans at the Tsongas Center in Lowell (Ma.). Former University of  Wisconsin star Theresa Schafzahl, who was making her professional debut, corralled a loose puck in the slot and snapped the puck past goalie Nicole Hensley (33 saves) at the 7:59 mark of the second period.

Other tidbits from an historic hockey night included Boston Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron naming Hilary Knight Boston’s first-ever captain; and eight players making their professional debuts, highlighted by the first-ever PWHL first-overall pick Taylor Heise (University of Minnesota).

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College football questions

After all of the hullabaloo over Florida State not making the 4-team college football playoff and weeks of listening to talking heads debate about the merits or demerits of the BCS, CFP Committee, the 4-team playoff, and the 12-team playoff, we have the national championship game on Jan. 8 that we would have had in the old bowl system of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s when the Big Ten champ played the Pac-10 champ in the Rose Bowl: an undefeated Michigan versus an undefeated Washington.

We also wouldn't have seen a 63-3 blowout with the old bowl system because an undefeated Florida State would have had a full team (no opt outs) while battling Georgia for a piece of the national championship pie.

And how come the Cotton Bowl is no longer played in the Cotton Bowl? What’s next … the Rose Bowl moving to SoFi Stadium?

Trivia answer

TRIVIA ANSWER: Michael Olt. The Chicago White Sox claimed Olt off of waivers from the Cubs on September 5, 2015. Olt, a third baseman, hit a home run September 16 to become the only player in MLB history to hit a home run for both Chicago teams in the same season.

A Branford (CT) native, Olt helped the Branford Post 83 American Legion baseball team reach the Legion World Series in 2005 and 2007. He also led Branford High School to a state title in 2006.

Olt, who starred at UConn for Jim Penders, made his MLB debut with the Texas Rangers on August 2, 2012 and got a base hit in his first at-bat.

Stuck in the '70s

On Jan. 7, 1974, the greatest American hard rock band of all time, Boston’s Aerosmith, performed at the Palms Theater in Detroit, Michigan. Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, and Brad Whitford tore the roof off with classic songs (“Dream On”, “Mama Kin”, “Same Old Song and Dance”, “Train Kept A Rollin”) from their first two albums, Aerosmith and Get Your Wings.

The Palms Theater, which was located on Woodward Avenue, soon changed its name to Fillmore Detroit.

Jimmy Zanor is a sportswriter for the Norwich Bulletin and can be reached at jzanor@norwichbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter@jzanorNB.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Zanor column: NFA football coach opening, Park an All-American + more