Despite narrow loss WHS boys’ soccer looks strong for fall season

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham High School boys’ summer soccer team played York at Manchester School in Windham on Tuesday, July 29 and the Eagles battled hard for two halves, but at the final whistle York got by with a 2-1 win. However, summer soccer is more about fine-tuning players for the fall and figuring out what is going right and what needs improvement.

Windham senior Daniel Hancock, center, keeps possession
of the ball away from York during a boys' summer soccer
game at Manchester School in Windham on Tuesday,
July 29. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

“I think our possession play is what people have come to expect from the program,” said Windham varsity boys’ soccer coach Jeff Neal. “The quality of our midfield play is very good and will continue to be a strength for us. We’ve got some younger players that need to step into some big roles and some players that maybe haven’t been tested in the big game stuff. I think if we had a full roster of 18 kids, that game leans more in our favor. I 100 percent feel that we’re going to be fine. This is about building blocks for what we want down the road.”

Windham took the field ready to go. Their defense didn’t allow York any scoring opportunities early on, and Windham went hard after the ball. Partway through the first quarter, Windham senior Dylan Crockett scored.

Moments later, York scored and tied the game, 1-1.

There were several shots on goal from various Windham players, but nothing got by.

“This game showed we got to work on our shots quite a bit; but our movement was good,” said Windham junior Caleb Hayman. “Our physicality was decent, and I think our chemistry was top notch, we’re doing pretty well with that. I’m very happy (with how Windham played). It showed how our team’s doing and how our chemistry will be there in the season. We’re also missing a few players tonight; getting touches on the ball and getting out here with the team (during the summer season), gets us prepared and kind of shows us what it’s going to be like.”

The game remained tied 1-1 at halftime.

In the second half, Windham did a good job communicating; they started the half aggressive, though got tired toward the end of the game. York scored again in the top of the fourth quarter.

“My takeaway from this game is we played well, we played hard,” said Windham sophomore Isaac Bernier. “There definitely some things we can work on like communication can always get better. We’ll work on it and once we get that down, I think we’ll be one heck of a team. We had a lack of subs as well, with only three or four players; had we had more subs, the outcome might have been different.”

Daniel Hancock, a Windham senior, said there were a lot of good things about the game, they moved the ball well. Throughout the whole summer they’ve been possessing well. It’s not the result they wanted, but the chances are there. Hancock said he thinks playing together more as they prepare for the season, everything’s going to come together and they’re going to be a great team.

“In the summer with the lack of numbers at times, people play different positions where they’re not used to and that can lead to breakdowns, but it can also be positives,” said Windham assistant varsity boys’ soccer coach Nick Dubay. “Today we had three defenders playing out back that aren’t really defenders. They had never seen varsity minutes and held their own.”

Neal said the summer season is an opportunity for the kids to show the coaches what they’ve got. They’re all vying for spots. They’re all trying to get better. You’re trying a bunch of things and seeing what will work and that’s what summer play is all about. <

Windham’s Dylan Crockett ‘King of the Ring’ for second time

Dylan Crockett is shown after winning the
'King of the Ring' championship fight in
Lynn, Massachusetts on April 23.
PHOTO BY ERIN YOUNG 

By Matt Pascarella

Windham’s Dylan Crockett began boxing when he was 10 and now at age 14, he has accomplished so much in those four years. He’s won the Northern New England Junior Golden Gloves, New England Silver Gloves twice and New England Junior Olympics three times while boxing in multiple tournaments in and out of New England.

Crockett recently won his second “King of the Ring” championship on April 23 in Massachusetts after winning his first “King of the Ring” title in 2019.

This recent “King of the Ring” championship featured boxers from Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and the United States. Over 300 people registered for this tournament.

“I was so proud of that kid,” said coach Glenn Cugno of Cugno Boxing in Lewiston. “I love watching him bring what we do in the gym, out in front of the crowd.”

Crockett’s interest in boxing stemmed from his grandfather, Peter Conley, who was a boxer while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Conley went to the Lady of the Lake Camp at Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester in the early 1950s. There was an outdoor ring where campers had bouts every night.

He continued boxing up to when he enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17. On the ships there were “smokers,” or opportunities for inter-service boxing.

After Vietnam in 1968, Conley was stationed in Wisconsin as a Marine recruiter. During that time, he was involved with the Eau Claire Boxing Club and fought throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota in the Golden Gloves tournaments. Conley won the title of Golden Gloves champion in 1968.

Conley said he is very impressed with Crockett’s hard work, dedication and perseverance and tells Crockett that he is the “Man in the Arena,” which is reflected in the poem by Theodore Roosevelt.

“I am beyond humbled, and I am proud that he is participating in an activity that I consider a great sport,” said Conley.

In 2018 Crockett was introduced to the Cugno Boxing Club where he was instantly enamored by the community and ‘hard work beats talent’ mentality promoted there.  

“Once I got to the gym, I realized that it is a very hard-working sport that I wanted to be a part of,” said Crockett.

Cugno described Crockett as someone with a real passion for the sport. If the two work on something at the gym, Crockett tries to perfect it at home before their next session and he’s  always thinking and asking Cugno who he should be watching online and how he can perfect his body shot.

The young boxer wants to get better every day and even during COVID, Cugno and Crockett did ZOOM workouts.

Crockett has always been one of the younger kids in the gym, but that has only motivated him. It’s the dedicated consistency over time that creates advancement. Crockett has stayed consistent and continues to put in the work, even on days he cannot make it to the gym.

“He’s a really athletic, gifted kid,” said Cugno. “He picks up stuff really easy, he took to boxing really easy. His road to all of it started the day he walked in the gym.”

Cugno has dedicated much of his time helping Crockett succeed. Crockett said Cugno’s extra time and being prepared helps prevent poor performance.

He has driven Crockett to different gyms for extra sparing. Cugno supports all his fighters and Crockett considers himself lucky to be able to learn from him.

“Glenn has given me a lot of his attention and has always supported me through my career,” said Crockett. “He motivates me to be a better fighter and a better person because I see first-hand how his dedication brings me confidence. Glenn has taught me everything I know, and I couldn't do it without him.”

During this second “King of the Ring” victory, Crockett had already beaten his opponent before, but the opponent really pressured him and expected Crockett would fight in a similar style to their first fight.

Cugno said Crockett can adapt to pretty much anything, so it was great for him to watch Crockett change up his style on the fly to get the win.

According to Cugno, Crockett is a confident kid with a high ring IQ. Crockett works a lot in the gym with bigger kids, because he’s too skilled for kids his own age and size.

He’s even spared with pros and done well, and Cugno said he’s an elusive kid who prides himself on defense as well as having a good offense.

If he keeps working the way he works, Cugno says Crockett has a really bright future in boxing; he’d be No. 1 in the country in amateurs.

Crockett plans to keep working hard in the gym and at home. He also plans to fight in more tournaments and work toward any opportunities Cugno gives him.

“It really does feel good knowing that hard work does pay off with a lot of dedication.  I remember being the only kid at school having to eat healthy foods and now that commitment was worth it,” said Crockett. <