A rollercoaster ride

The more ambitious dream of earning a coveted spot in the South-West Conference playoffs for a second straight year is very much alive.



Yet the New Milford High School boys' basketball team must have been trying just to regain its bearings a bit earlier this week as the Green Wave prepped for Tuesday's date with Bunnell in Stratford.



Coach Jim Luchsinger's talented quintet was at its best Feb. 1 during an 85-50 dismantling of hapless Notre Dame in Fairfield.



NMHS ran roughshod over the Lancers courtesy of a 20-point, 12-rebound performance by Todd Ward, 11 points and 10 rebounds from Greg Grant, and 15 points and nine rebounds from Thomas Calhoun.



Bobby Baird added a dozen points as 11 Green Wave players hit the scoring column.



Just three days later, however, even after an early burst of three pointers provided an 18-7 lead, the Green Wave eventually found itself on the short end of an 80-56 decision to six-time defending SWC champion Kolbe Cathedral.



Calhoun, Ward and Rick Casagrande managed 15, 14 and 11 points, respectively, against a tenacious Cougars 'D' featuring mostly underclassmen.



Those disparate outcomes left coach Luchsinger and his charges at 8-6 overall and 4-3 in the SWC.



The Green Wave will welcome Joel Barlow to NMHS this evening (Friday) for a 7 p.m. contest and host Brookfield Tuesday.