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COACHES CORNER: TOM KRIZ

TRINITY CATHOLIC high school

GIRLS BASKETBALL HEAD COACH

The Trinity Catholic girls basketball team has been almost perfect this season. However, the only blemishes on their 21-2 record were against the 2002/2003 FCIAC champion Brien McMahon. The Senators, who lost Wednesday in the Class L semifinals ended their season at 24-1. They defeated Trinity twice during the season, including a 57-54 win in the FCIAC championship game. Ron Jones of Eagle View Press sat down recently with Trinity's head coach Tom Kriz and talked about the losses to McMahon and the focus of his team as they prepare to defend their Class S state title against East Granby on Saturday.

RJ: HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT FOR YOUR TEAM TO RECOVER FROM THE LOSS TO mCmAHOn in the FCIAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ?

KRIZ: GETTING BACK ON TRACK WAS EASY BECAUSE WE HAVE A VETERAN TEAM SO THERE WAS NO NEED FOR A HARD SELL. THE GIRLS KNEW THAT we still had our state title to defend and THAT WAS INCENTIVE ENOUGH. This has been A SPECIAL group and one that I've had a lot of fun working with. OUR SENIORS AMANDA PAPE, CASEY SOrBara, whitney edwards AND ALICIA COLLINS STARTED THIS FANTASTIC RUN BY WINNING THE CITY CHAMPIONSHIP at Stamford high four years ago and they've continued to add to this legacy since then. They've made my job a lot easier.

RJ: WHAT DID YOUR TEAM TAKE OUT OF THE McMAHON LOSS?

KRIZ: WELL, THE LOSS REMINDED US THAT WE HAD TO GET BACK TO PLAYING TRINITY BASKETBALL. GOOD DEFENSE, RUNNING OUR OFFENSE WITH PATIENCE AND NOT LOSING OUR POISE at critical times. McMAHON EMBARRASSED US in front of our home crowd AND made a big comeback in the FCIAC title game. Sometimes, you have to give credit to the other team and move on.

RJ: IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES THIS GROUP SO SPECIAL?

KRIZ: THEY'RE A VERY HARD WORKING BUNCH. aFTER THE McMAHON GAME, THEY STUDIED THE TAPE AND PICKED OUT THE AREAS IN WHICH WE NEEDED TO IMPROVE ON. TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY ARE VERY HONEST IN CRITIQUING THEIR PERFORMANCE AND NOW WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO DO if and WHEN WE FACE McMAHON AGAIN.

RJ: SENIOR AMANDA PAPE (who SIGNED WITH SACRED HEART UNIV.) recently broke THE ALL TIME CITY OF STAMFORD SCORING RECORD. what SHE HAS MEANT TO THE tRINITY CATHOLIC PROGRAM ?

KRIZ: AMANDA'S THE COMPLETE PACKAGE. SHE'S UNSELFISH, ENJOYS HERSELF ON THE COURT AND IS ALWAYS STRIVING TO GET BETTER. sHE'S ONE OF THE BEST FINISHERS EVER BUT STILL GETS HER TEAMMATES INVOLVED. WHEN SHE FIRST CAME IN, THE KNOCK ON HER WAS THAT SHE WAS SLOW IN SHOOTING THE BALL AND NOT A GOOD BALL HANDLER. oNCE SHE HEARD THAT, SHE WORKED ON HER SHOOTING AND DRIBBLING ALL SUMMER AND WHEN SHE CAME BACK TO SCHOOL, THOSE SKILLS PROVED TO BE HER STRONGEST ONES. iT SHOWS HOW DETERMINED AMANDA WAS TO BE THE BEST PLAYER SHE COULD BE. aMANDA'S NOT ONLY A GREAT PLAYER BUT A GREAT KID ALSO. i'M GOING TO MISS HER NEXT YEAR.

RJ: WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T A ONE WOMEN TEAM, YOU MENTIONED POINT GUARD CASEY SOrBara earlier, WHAT DOES SHE BRING TO THE TABLE?

KRIZ: IF YOU LOOKED IN THE DICTIONARY UNDER POINT GUARD, CASEY'S PICTURE WOULD BE THERE. SHE's LIKE HAVING A COACH OUT ON THE FLOOR, A REAL BATTLER. WHEN WE HAVE BIG CROWDS ESPECIALLY ON THE ROAD, cASEY MAKES MY JOB A LOT EASIER. SHE GETS EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE OFFENSE AND KNOWs WHAT PLAY TO CALL AT THE PROPER TIME. rEPLACING CASEY MIGHT BE MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE NEXT SEASON.

RJ: YOUR CENTER, ALISHA COLLINS recently WENT OVER THE 1,000 POINT MARK FOR HER CAREER, TALK ABOUT HER CONTRIBUTIONS THE TEAM.

KRIZ: ALISHA HAS SACRIFICED HER PERSONAL GOALS FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM. SHE'S NOT A TRUE CENTER BUT has DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB OF ANCHORING OUR DEFENSE. SHE'S BEEN A DISRUPTIVE FORCE IN THE MIDDLE BY USING HER QUICKNESS AND ATHLETCISM TO OVERCOME ANY DISADVANTAGES THAT OTHER TRUE CENTERS MIGHT HAVE OVER HER. aLISHA'S A HARD WORKER AND HER HUSTLE HAS SET THE STANDARD THAT OUR DEFENSE IS MEASURED BY.

rj: who's your most underrated player?

kriz: i would have to say whitney edwards. she has a tough nose for defense and provides whatever we need to win. whitney will rebound, run the point or score depending on the situation. she's only 22 points away from 1,000 so she has the ability to put the ball in the basket. whitney is a steady and mature player and in the event that casey has to come out of the game, there's no drop off in production with whitney there.

RJ: FINALLY, JUST HEARING YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR FOUR SENIORS (pape, sorbara, edwards AND COLLINS, I CAN TELL THAT YOU'VE really ENJOYED WORKING WITH THEM the last four years. hAVE YOU GIVEN ANY THOUGHT OF LIFE WITHOUT THEM NEXT YEAR?

KRIZ: NOT REALLY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SO CAUGHT UP IN THIS SEASON. i MEAN, I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THE TAPE OF LAST YEAR'S STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL. IT'LL PROBABLY START TO HIT HOME after Saturday's championship game. THESE GIRLS HAVE BEEN A PLEASURE TO COACH AND WE DON'T WANT THE RIDE TO END ANY TIME SOON. WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, I'LL SIT BACK AND SAVER ALL THAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED BUT AS FOR NOW, WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.

COACHES CORNER: MARCE PETROCCIO

STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

2002 FCIAC FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR   

Prior to our last interview, Staples head coach Marce Petroccio was preparing his troops for

a battle for first place and a berth in the FCIAC title game against division rival Greenwich.

Both teams were undefeated but Greenwich tied New Canaan 0-0 the week before. So if

Staples tied or beat Greenwich, they would win the FCIAC east.. However, the Cardinals ruined

those plans, shutting out the Wreckers 26-0. Everyone in the Staples clan would have to hear

same the old complaints that the Wreckers were good, but they couldn't win the big one. The

time spent in between the devastating loss to Greenwich and their next game would determine

the fate of the 2002 Staples Wreckers.

  After re-grouping for 10 days, Staples went on to win their next three games and the Class MM

 state championship. Leading the way for the Wreckers was running back Jimmy Hughes, who

 set an FCIAC record for touchdowns with 31. ALL-FCIAC  lineman Charles Emerson set the tone for

an stingy bunch on defense.

   We sat down with coach Petroccio and talked about his kids and the magical ride to the Class

MM state title in 2002.


RJ: aFTER THE DEVASTATING LOSS TO GREENWICH, WHAT DID YOU DO TO
REGROUP YOUR TEAM?

PETROCCIO: WE WERE ALL DEVASTATED BY THAT LOSS, ALL OF US. WE 
SAT DOWN AS A STAFF AND DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO 
EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO WIN SOMETHING FOR THESE KIDS.  WHEN
WE SIZED IT UP , WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD THREE GAMES TO WIN FOR 
THE STATE TITLE AND WE WOULD TAKE THEM ONE AT A TIME. THIS GROUP 
WORKED VERY HARD FOR US FOR THREE YEARS AND THEY PLAYED GREAT
WHEN IT COUNTED. WE PROVED THAT WE COULD WIN THE "BIG GAME".


RJ: IN SOME WAYS, THE LOSS TO GREENWICH HELPED SET THE TONE FOR YOUR 
CHAMPIONSHIP RUN.

PETROCCIO: THAT GAME MADE US SIT BACK AND TAKE A HARD LOOK AT
OUR TEAM AND RE-FOCUS ON THE GOALS THAT WE SET EARLY IN THE 
SEASON. WE REALIZED THAT WE WEREN'T PLAYING STAPLES FOOTBALL, 
OPTION FOOTBALL. POSSIBLY,  WE MADE TOO MANY ADJUSTMENTS
AND DIDN'T MAKE GREENWICH ADJUST TO US. SO, WE WORKED ON OUR OPTION 
FOR MOST OF THE 10-DAY LAYOFF AND CIRCLED THE WAGONS SO TO SPEAK
AND EVENTUALLY, TURNED A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE.

RJ: YOUR ALL-FCIAC RUNNING BACK JIMMY HUGHES SET AN FCIAC 
RECORD FOR TD'S (31), WHAT MAKEs HIM A SPECIAL PLAYER?

PETROCCIO: FIRST OF ALL, JIMMY IS A TREMENDOUS ATHLETE WITH DIVISION 1 
COLLEGE SPEED. HE RUNS A 4.51 FORTY AND WILL DO WHATEVER IT 
TAKES TO WIN. THE KID IS A WINNER AND GIVES 100% EVERY PLAY. 
SECONDLY, HE TREATS PRACTICE LIKE A GAME, WHICH IS RARE IN 
HIGH SCHOOL NOWADAYS. FINALLY, HE ALWAYS GIVES CREDIT TO 
HIS TEAMMATES, NO MATTER IF HE SCORED FIVE TOUCHDOWNS OR 
ONE.  HE'S A SPECIAL PLAYER AND MORE IMPORTANTLY A SPECIAL KID.

RJ: ENOUGH TALK ABOUT THE STARS, WHO ARE SOME OF THE UNSUNG
HEROES FOR THIS TEAM ? 
 
PETROCCIO: WE HAD A LOT OF GREAT ONES THIS YEAR. OUR QUARTERBACK  
ROB KRAUSS SET THE TONE IN REGARDS TO PLAYERS THINKING MORE
ABOUT THE TEAM THAN INDIVIDUAL STATS. THIS KID GAVE UP A CAREER
AT RUNNING BACK TO RUN THE OPTION FOR US. TO SEE A LEADER 
SACRIFICE HIMSELF FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM STRENGTHENED OUR 
CHEMISTRY. BRIAN VALARIO DID A FANTASTIC JOB ON DEFENSE, COMING
UP WITH SOME HUGE INTERCEPTIONS FOR US. JESSE BECKER GOT 
HIMSELF HEALTHY LATE IN THE SEASON AND WAS A KEY TO OUR RUNNING
GAME. CHARLIE EMERSON WAS OUR ANCHOR ON DEFENSE AND A REAL 
FORCE ALL SEASON. MIKE SANDOR DID A GREAT JOB FOR US ON "D" LEADING
THE TEAM IN TACKLES AT LINEBACKER. THESE GUYS WERE SOME OF OUR
STARS BUT OVERALL, THIS WAS A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT. 

RJ: FINALLY, WHAT DOES THIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP DO FOR THE 
STAPLES FOOTBALL PROGRAM?

PETROCCIO: IT FEELS LIKE A 10,000 POUND WEIGHT HAS BEEN LIFTED OFF OF OUR 
SHOULDERS. WE REALLY WANTED OUR SENIORS TO TAKE SOMETHING 
AWAY FOR THEIR HARD WORK AT STAPLES. I'M HAPPY THAT THIS PROGRAM
WILL START TO RECEIVE THE RESPECT THAT IT DESERVES. THE PARADE 
AND ALL OF THE ACCOLADES THAT GO ALONG WITH BEING THE STATE 
CHAMPS, WE'RE GONNA ENJOY UNTIL TRAINING CAMP AND THEN IT'S 
BACK TO WORK.  AS FOR RIGHT NOW, WORDS CAN'T DESCRIBE THE 
EMOTIONS OF WINNING THE STATE TITLE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'LL
NEVER FORGET.

STAPLES, GREENWICH BATTLE FOR THE FCIAC EASTERN DIVISION TITLE

BY RON JONES

FCIAC.ORG

Staples's head Football coach Marce Petroccio has lived a charmed life in 2002 in regards to his football team. His two

main questions concerning his undefeated squad, catching front running Greenwich and watching how his team would

perform under pressure hadn't been addressed until a couple of weeks ago. 

    The talented Wreckers hadn't been tested until their 8th game against Brien McMahon. Faced with the decision of

kicking a field goal or going for the first down with a 4th and 4 on the Senators 14. With a 14-10 lead midway through the

4th quarter, it was one of those calls that could make or break a  season. Petroccio decided to roll the dice and go for it,

calling for a pass play. Quarterback Rob Krauss calmly hit wide receiver Jimmy Hughes over the middle for a touchdown

and a 21-10 lead. Krauss said about the gutsy call, "(Coach) was a little indecisive at first, but why not, what's a field goal

going to do?"

    Petroccio said, " Not only for the kids, but for the staff, you need to be able to handle pressure. And I don't think you

can get more pressure than that. It's good for us and the kids and the team to face that and come through. We might look

back later and say that play was the defining moment of our season."

    The Wreckers coach can rest easier concerning his team being able to handle pressure situations as that play set the

tone for the opportunity to address part II of his concerns,  a showdown for first place with the 8-0-1 Greenwich Cardinals

and a trip to the FCIAC Title game against New Canaan on November 22 at Stamford's Boyle Stadium.

FCIAC.ORG's Ron Jones sat down with the coach recently and talked about the big game Saturday for all the marbles.

RJ: Does it change the mindset of your team to have an opportunity to be in charge

of your own destiny instead of needing help from others ?

PETROCCIO: I think it does because you can get the job done without any

surrounding circumstances. A 1-game playoff where the winner gets it all is

pretty exciting for me and the kids.

RJ: how have you been able to maintain such a successful program ?

PETROCCIO: It's been a commitment to be the best by everyone involved in the

program. the Kids have done a lot to get better such as consistent weight training,

going to football camps in the off season and staying in shape all year. The team's

attitude has changed from thinking about individual goals to being more focused

on winning.

RJ: Who's been the team mvp in your opinion ?

PETROCCIO: That's a tough one to pick ron. Our quarterback rob strauss has

been a leader for us on and off the field. He's very good at running the offense

and not letting things get out of hand. 

(rb) JimmY Hughes has been quite a player for us with over 20 touchdowns this year. 

defensively, charlie emerson has made plays all season for us. He's such a force right

now that opposing teams have to account for him at all times. 

There's many other unsung heroes for our team but the key is that we don't rely

on one guy to carry us, we've got a couple of players who have come through for

us in the clutch. 

RJ: You face division rival greenwich on saturday, what has impressed you most

about this team ?

PETROCCIO: A couple of things impress me. First of all, they have great size on both

of their lines. They show great tenacity on both sides of the ball and they're well

coached. The two platoon system has worked well for them as they're able to keep

players fresh throughout the game. finally, the kids take tremendous pride in the

greenwich program and Because of their success, there's a certain confidence that

the players have. as a result, they've won a lot of games before they even stepped on

the field.  

RJ: WHAT DOES YOUR TEAM HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO WIN ON SATURDAY?

PETROCCIO: three things. We have to slow down their running game.

secondly, we have to control the ball on offense and slow the game down.

finally, we have to Limit our mistakes and win the special teams battle in order

win this one. It should be a tremendous game and test for our team. we're looking

forward to it.