High School

A Pair Of Connecticut Coaches Reach Win Milestones In First Round Of CIAC Division II State Tournament

Newington’s Scot Wenzel secures win No. 300; Hall coach Bryan Moretti notches his 200th win in the first-round of D II state tournament.
Robert Gullo|
Newington boys basketball coach Scot Wenzel is pictured on the sidelines during his team’s regular season matchup against Hall.
Newington boys basketball coach Scot Wenzel is pictured on the sidelines during his team’s regular season matchup against Hall. | Dan Heary

The first round of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) boys basketball Division II and IV state tournaments is complete. 

Both divisions began their respective playoffs on Friday with the second round of each division continuing Monday. 

Many stories emerged from Friday night’s slate of games, but two Division II coaches' career win milestones highlighted the madness. 

Scot Wenzel And Bryan Moretti Now Have 500 Wins Between Them

Two teams from the Central Connecticut Conference, Newington and Hall had special moments for each of their head coaches. 

Over in Newington, the No. 6 Nor’Easters hosted and defeated Conard, 65-43. The win was also head coach Scot Wenzel’s 300th career win. He has oached the Nor’Easters from 2003–2017 and 2022-present. 

“It means that I've coached a lot of really good players,” said Wenzel following the accomplishment. “I'm fortunate to make connections with them on the court and also off the court, and glad I still have connections with a lot of those guys now. They all hold a special place in my heart.”

Another milestone looms for Newington in its Monday second-round matchup against Hillhouse, as senior Josiah Sims is eight rebounds away from his 1,000th career rebound. The talented senior already reached 1,000 career points earlier this season. 

In the area and just one town over, Hall head coach Bryan Moretti notched the 200th win of his career in a close 49-46 victory over the visiting Cheney Tech Chargers. Moretti is in his 23rd season as the Titans’ head coach, coaching them since the 2003 season. 

Hall will host No. 9 Fairfield Ludlowe in the second round of the tournament on Monday. 

Over In Division IV, St. Paul’s Sean McMahon Had A Career Game 

In the Division IV State Tournament, St. Paul senior Sean McMahon scored a career-high 46 points in his team’s 75-50 first-round win over No. 22 Suffield. 

McMahon scored 10+ points in three out of four quarters and had 23 points in each half. 

The senior who had the hot hand let his shots come naturally and felt confident about them.  

“When the first couple fall, you want to get a couple more up and see if those fall, but I’m not going to go out there and force it,” McMahon told the Bristol Press. “I just let the game come to me.”

St. Paul will face No. 6 Windham Tech on the road Monday in the second round on March 9. 

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Robert Gullo
ROBERT GULLO

Robert Gullo developed an interest in covering sports as a child, developing a true love for football. He studied sports journalism at Central Connecticut State University, earning a bachelor's degree and beginning is journalism career at the Record Journal, in his hometown. He has been freelance sportswriter for may sites, including Sportskeeda NFL and College Sports Network, as well as numerous local newspapers. In 2023, Gullo became a sports reporter for the New Britain Herald where he also taken on editorial duties. He covers local high school sports as well as college sports at CCSU. In addition, Gullo freelances for the New England Football Journal each fall.

Home/Connecticut