Susan Ashton Cosgriff
Class of 1987 - Tennis, Softball
Susan graduated from Daniel Hand in 1987 and was an outstanding athlete who played two sports: tennis and softball. She was a skilled and extremely hard-working athlete who was always interested in helping her fellow team members succeed.
She made her mark at DHHS in her years of competing on the tennis and softball teams. In tennis, she played both singles and doubles well, which in itself is no small feat.
Susan played only doubles as a freshman. As a sophomore, Susan continued to play doubles, winning the Shoreline League Doubles Championship and finishing second in state competition. That year Susan was a co-winner of the Coach's Award in tennis for her invaluable contributions to the team.
Hand Head Coach Vicki Crompton said, "Susan was a role model for other members of the team, always reliable, and respectful of others."
As a junior, Susan played singles successfully. She helped to propel the team to a repeat of the Shoreline League Championship and to winning the Fall State Championship. She was a co-captain her senior year and completed an undefeated season as either first or second singles. Crompton remembers, "A typical Susan Ashton performance in those matches was to win 6-1, 6-2."
Susan attended Tulane University where she played varsity tennis for three years. She was a mathematics major as an undergraduate. She went on to get her Masters Degree in Business Administration.
Susan started her professional career by working for Unilever for 23 years. She is currently working in supply chain for Yale New Haven Health.
Susan lives in Madison with her husband Teg Cosgriff with whom she has three boys, Teg IV (25 - DHHS 2017), Brad (23 - DHHS 2019) and Clay (16 - future DHHS 2026). Her father is the late John Ashton and her mother is Fay Ashton. Her brother is Brad Ashton (MAHOF 2014), and her sister is Kathryn Ashton Burger.
Terry Cassell
Terry Cassell
Class of 1976 - Basketball
During Coach Bill Barker's 16 years as the Boys' Varsity Basketball Coach at DHHS, only three players started varsity for three years - Scott Ferguson (MAHOF 2014), Jeff Farmer (MAHOF 2013), and Terry Cassell. Terry is arguably one of the top players to ever play at DHHS. Terry had a passion for basketball and a personality that attracted others to follow his lead.
In his sophomore year, the team went 19 - 6, and won the Shoreline League Championship. In the CIAC State Tournament semifinals vs Masuk HS, the number one ranked team with a 21 - 1 record, (Masuk featured Mike Gminski, a 6'10" center who went on to star at Duke and then in the NBA) Terry had a brilliant third quarter with 12 points and helped lead Hand to a thrilling 79 to 70 victory and earning them a spot in the State Finals vs St Paul HS. Unfortunately, Hand lost the finals, 71 -70, in overtime. Terry was a starter on one of the best teams in DHHS history.
In that sophomore season, Terry averaged nine points per game. He averaged 13 points per game as a junior and averaged 15 points in his senior year.
He scored 33 points in his last regular season game versus West Haven in 1976 and was the MVP of the Shoreline Championship game. Terry was Honorable Mention All-State his junior year and was First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-State and led the team to a 19 - 4 record as a co-captain in that senior year. In addition, he was selected to the Coach's All-Star Team his senior year.
Terry received a full scholarship to Cheshire Academy and went on to play at Division II, New Hampshire College. After two seasons, he was forced to give up basketball due to knee injuries.
After graduation, Terry returned to Madison and was Coach Bill Barker's assistant coach (JV) for one year.
Terry had a career in pharmaceutical sales for 15 years before devoting himself to a Christian ministry as the President of Christians in Commerce (a workplace ministry) for 11 years. He was the main speaker at many Christian conferences. Terry is currently selling cemetery plots in Fairfax VA. His Christian faith is very comforting to the families he helps that are dealing with end-of-life decisions.
Terry has been married to the love of his life, Alicia, for 35 years. They have been blessed with five children: Michael (32) (Emily), Joe (30) (Anne), Peter (28), Mary (26), and Julia (22). Joe and Annie have two children, Hattie Grace (23 months) and Clara Joy (4 months).
Ken Conlon
Ken Conlon
Exemplary Contributor 1981-Present - Football, Basketball, Softball
Ken Conlon
Exemplary Contributor
1981-Present
Football, Basketball, Softball
A love of sports, and of Madison sports, is what the Madison Athletics Hall of Fame recognizes tonight in Ken Conlon, Exemplary Contributor in the Class of 2024. Sports have been the love of his lifetime (other than his wife of 51 years, Janet). A two sport athlete in football and baseball, and a 1969 graduate of Stamford High School, Ken moved to Madison in 1981 and since then, there is not a side of Madison sports that Ken has not touched - sportswriting, coaching, officiating, coordinating, playing - in his 43 years in Madison.
Ken's athletic prowess from his own youth sports career quickly brought him into the Madison Men's Softball League when he arrived in town. A member of many championship teams, mostly with the Nick's Place team, he transitioned to the Madison Senior Softball League at 61 and has been serving on the commission for the last 12 years, regularly recruiting local retirees to keep playing in their newfound free time.
Just a few short years after his own Madison softball tenure began, Ken joined the coaching side of softball in 1986 as his daughters began playing in Madison Little League. He coached every level from peewee, minors, majors, seniors, and All Stars including many championship teams and most notably the 1992 Senior League All Star team that won the District 9 Championship and went to the State Final. Ken was then honored in 1993 as Madison Little League Man of the Year.
Ken's softball coaching continued through 2000 extending beyond Little League. With Hand Head Coach Ray Ezell (MAHOF 2017), Ken co-founded the Shoreline Sting Travel Softball program that still exists after more than 25 years. Ezell says, "During the summer travel softball season Ken was one of the most competitive and successful softball coaches locally and nationally." Ken coached every level of Sting that existed at that time, with youth from ages 13-18. In 1998, when co-coaching with daughter Kristen Conlon Mierzejewksi (MAHOF 2022), the 18 and Under team had a 40-6 record behind phenomenal pitcher Caitlin Eichler (MAHOF 2017) winning four tournaments including the State Championship and placing third in New England. Ken also brought his coaching to Madison Public Schools softball teams at Brown Middle School, Daniel Hand Junior Varsity, and then in assisting Ezell with the Daniel Hand varsity team. Ezell adds, "Ken was and still is the quintessential contributor to Madison sports community in so many ways."
In the late 80s and into the 90s and 2000s, Ken wasn't just seen on the softball diamond but on sports fields all over Madison as he began writing for the Shoreline Times. Sportswriting under the great Hal Levy, Ken mostly covered Hand football, boys' and girls' basketball, softball, tennis, and gymnastics, while also covering other sports as needed. He didn't just love sports but took joy in finding the human interest stories behind the sports of Daniel Hand High School. Football legend Steve Filippone (MAHOF 2018), shared that "Ken was always fair and honest in his reporting. He always looked for the bright spots and tried to highlight the positives even when things were not going well. [He is] one of the most honorable men I know."
In 1994, Ken again expanded his sports repertoire by joining the officiating side of the aisle with Madison Youth Basketball. In addition to working games himself, Ken became the trainer and assigner of all Rec Basketball officials and has continued for over 30 years, later adding Madison Travel Basketball officiating and assigning to his role. During peak basketball season between both travel and recreational basketball, Ken would be managing officials and schedules for as many as 35-40 basketball games a weekend.
Ken's work in Madison Basketball inspired a new role officiating high school sports and he worked thousands of varsity contests in football, basketball and softball throughout New Haven County into the 2020s. Current Daniel Hand Head Football Head Coach Erik Becker describes him as "a consummate judge of fair play on the playing field." In 2004, the New Haven Football Officials Association awarded him the Henry R. Roche Official of the Year Award. Still today during most Friday night varsity games and youth Sunday games, Ken can be found in the press box at Strong Field running the game clock. In 2009, the Greater New Haven Federation Softball Umpires Association also honored Ken with the Joe Canzanella Umpire of the Year Award for his "hard work, dedication, and continued excellence while umpiring high school softball."
Although he retired after 40 years with AT&T/Southern New England Telephone Company in 2011, Ken has yet to fully retire from his biggest passion - athletics. He can still be found on the senior softball diamond, on pickleball courts all over the Shoreline and cycling with friends. His wife Janet, a retired Madison Public Schools employee, joins him for bocce and they are regulars at the Surf Club. Their older daughter Kristen, already in the MAHOF after an extraordinary career at Hand and Wheaton College, and younger daughter Kelly, a Daniel Hand teacher and Gymnastics coach (currently with nine State Championships), both live nearby with the four Conlon grandchildren: Carter (12), McKenzie (8), Tatym (5) and Molly (4) who know Ken Conlon not for all his accomplishments in the town of Madison, but simply as "Papa."
Stephen Cottrell
Stephen Cottrell
Class of 1985 - Tennis
Stephen Cottrell has the distinction of being one of only a few athletes at DHHS, in any sport, to be selected to All-State all four years.
In his first match his freshman year, he completed a comeback for the deciding point for a 4-3 team win in keeping alive a 50 match win streak for DHHS. In his junior year, he defeated the #1 Coginchaug opponent 6-0, 6-0 in just 21 minutes. His senior year, he won against Guilford's #1 and All Stater 6-0 and 6-1 at Guilford. This win helped lead Hand to a 5-2 victory and the 1985 Shoreline Conference Championship. After an outstanding senior season he was selected as Honorable Mention All-American.
Stephen went on to an outstanding tennis career at Bucknell University where he was a two-year captain. He won three East Coast Championships and two team championships in 1987 and 1989 and was named All East Coast Conference three times.
Last year he was honored on the Bucknell University Team of the Decade for the 1980's. He was captain of the most successful team at Bucknell in its over 100 year history. In addition, he won ten Madison Beach Club Tennis Championships and many state and national championships before moving to Australia in 1996. He still resides in Melbourne, Australia and often represents the USA in tennis competitions there, most recently winning the Eltham Club Men's Singles title in 2023.
Stephen is married to Rebecca and is, first and foremost, a loving father of three daughters, Charlotte, Stephanie and Ava. His mom (Barbara) was a high school nurse who worked with special needs children and his late father Charles was devoted to Madison; serving as former Board of Education Chairman for ten years, Minority Selectman for multiple terms, President of Madison Conservation Trust and President of Madison Jaycees to name a few of his roles. He also has two older brothers who graduated from DHHS in 1979 and 1981.
Lastly, Stephen has carried his determination to the business world, where he has served as Vice President of the Asia Pacific for five different US Software companies. His sales career and business acumen has allowed him to conduct business in over 25 Asia Pacific countries. He is currently top ranked globally for sales at Alation, his current company, for the fifth consecutive year. Alation is a Redwood City, California based IT company. Aside from participating in multiple triathlons and coaching his daughter in basketball for five years, he enjoys family time, travel, and staying fit with 12-14 circuit fitness training classes a week.
Jim Eckenrode
Jim Eckenrode
Class of 2005 - Football, Basketball, Track & Field
The athletic community owes a great deal to the Eckenrodes for choosing Madison as their home in 2001. Their move North from Virginia, unbeknownst to us at the time, brought with it one of the most influential athletes to ever grace the fields, tracks, and courts for Daniel hand High School.
Jim arrived in Madison as a seventh grader and was enrolled at Our Lady of Mercy School. One of his earliest Madison memories is meeting Mr. (Steve) Lutz his seventh grade travel basketball coach who gave him his first taste of the highly competitive and fun atmosphere that fit perfectly with the competitive nature instilled in him by his family, especially his older brother, John.
His mom and dad were great supporters from the start, encouraging their children to play as many sports as possible. This meant lots of driving for mom and hours spent building basketball hoops and working on skill development at home for dad. Jim describes his mom and dad as being hands-on and equally invested in him and all his siblings. Jim moved from OLM to Brown school to start his eighth-grade year and was placed on Mike Ciotti's (MAHOF 2019) eighth grade football team. It was then that he realized that Madison was a football town. That year he and his teammates won the league championship and one of the most prolific three sport careers in Hand history was primed to begin.
Jim's first exposure to Hand athletics came in the fall of 2002 when he began working out with our freshmen football team coached by Jim Flanagan (MAHOF 2014) and Frank Barron (MAHOF 2016). Coach Flanagan made Jim a QB despite having Hall of Fame QB Ryan Fodor (MAHOF 2023) on his roster. Jim moved to wide receiver soon after and began what was to become one of the most prolific passing combinations in Hand history. Later that year he would get his first varsity experience competing in the 4X100 relay, long jump, and triple jump for our track and field team. He would compete in these and other events for all four years at Hand.
His first introduction to varsity football came when he attended Yale camp in the summer before his sophomore year. Another mentor of his, Peter Nye, noticed the talent level immediately and penciled him in as someone to watch in the fall. That fall Jim would start eight games for the Tigers. He referred to his first trip to the Surf Club on the varsity bus as the "main event" and credits the band with making it even more special.
Making the transition to basketball came easy for Jim, and Coach Jeff Beeman wasted no time getting him on the court next to that year's captain, John Eckenrode, his older brother. Jim started every game that year and helped lead the Tigers to the playoffs. He called playing with John one of the best experiences of his life.
His junior football season resulted in the first of two state championships. He led the team in receptions that year although he believed "we ran the ball too much." The Tigers finished the season 11-2 with losses to Shelton and West Haven and a state championship victory over Ledyard 28-3.
There was great excitement around our team's prospects during that basketball season. Jim recalls being asked by coach Beeman on, "How many games do you think we can win?" His response was of course "all of them." They in fact completed the season with a 16-4 record and suffered a playoff loss to New Canaan in the quarterfinals.
His senior football season resulted in a 12-0 record which was good enough to earn Jim and the Tigers a second state championship and the #1 ranking in the state of Connecticut. He recalls catching two touchdown passes versus Amary Spivey, a future NFL cornerback, and being tackled on the one yard line short of a third in a victory over Xavier. That year Jim was honored with unanimous election to the All-SCC Team, All Area Team, and CHSCA and New Haven Register All State Teams. He was also chosen as the Tigers MVP. Jim led the basketball team that winter to the semi-finals where they lost to New London in a very close contest. During the regular season the Tigers posted a landmark victory over Hillhouse. He scored 36 points and hit eight three-point baskets. Bill Barker calls that performance one of the best he ever witnessed by a Tiger.
Jim Eckenrode earned an extraordinary 11 varsity letters at Daniel Hand High School. Former Athletic director Craig Semple referred to him as "one of the most influential athletes of the decade!" and Peter Nye describes him this way, "It is very rare that the best player in a group is also the best natural leader. Eck was fearless and ruthless when the ball was in the air and he was fearless and ruthless when his peers lost focus. Jim is the player we all dream of having to coach, and the human we all dream of developing." Coach Filippone (MAHOF 2018) calls him, "One of the coolest players under pressure, most capable, and courageous players he has ever worked with. He simply had it all!"
Jim went on to play four years of varsity football at Amherst College, starting at wide receiver in his junior and senior year. At Amherst he was mentored by another Tiger Hall of famer (2022) LJ Spinnato. He majored in Political Science and Economics. In 2017, he married his wife Cassie and has two children Charlie (3) and Quinn (1). They live in Boston's South End and Jim is employed by Hubspot in work technology software sales.
Brendon Fish
Brendon Fish
Class of 2011 - Track & Field, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer
Brendon Fish may be the most accomplished track star in the history of Daniel Hand High School! He is among the few athletes from Hand to earn All-American honors in both high school and college.
Brendon was a three-sport athlete in his freshman year (soccer, basketball, and baseball). His exceptional speed and endurance led him to switch to track his sophomore year. Since he played AAU basketball, his track coach, Tim Geary, allowed him to adjust his schedule to play both sports. A typical day would include academic work at school, track practice or meet, and an intense basketball practice at night. Fortunately, he excelled at all three challenges.
He focused on varsity basketball and track in his junior and senior years. As a senior, he was named to the State Academic All Star Team in basketball and helped the team reach the state quarter finals. He was the leading scorer in that game, against New London, with 18 points. New London went on to win the state championship.
His junior and senior years, Brendon developed into a Conference, State, and New England 800-meter champion.
In addition to his numerous individual championships, Brendan was part of several relay teams. In 2010 and 2011, he helped the Hand 4 X mile relay team to a third place (2010) and fourth place (2011) finish in the National Championships held in Greensboro, NC. Both years, the relay team earned High School Track All-American honors.
Brendon capped off his high school career by winning three 800-meter Championships: the SCC Championship, the State Open Championship, and the New England Championship. He was All-State in track, and he holds the 800-meter record for DHHS.
In addition, his relay teams hold the following DHHS records: the 4 X 800 meters, the 4 X 1600 meters record, the Distance Medley record, and the 4 X mile record.
With UCONN offering a full scholarship and several Ivy League colleges pursuing him, Brendan chose Columbia where he ran both indoor and outdoor track, while majoring in Computer Science.
Brendon's 4 X 800 meter relay team won two Indoor Ivy League Championships and four Outdoor Championships. They were invited to be in the Penn Relays, which draws over 50,000 spectators. They came within steps of winning the 4 X 800 relay.
In his junior and senior years, Brendon won the 1000-meter Ivy League Championship. During his four years at Columbia, he was among the nation's top 50 mid-distance runners. Part of that time, he was in the top 20. His personal best times were: 1:48:08 for the 800 -meters, 2:20:83 for the 1000-meters, 3:45:29 for the1500-meters.
When Brendon was in town for Thanksgiving, he would occasionally run in the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot. He won the race three times, came in second twice and third one year.
Brendon graduated from Columbia's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2015 and received the school's Scholar Athlete Award. Since then, he has worked in New York City, Chicago and Silicon Valley as a software engineer.
Brendon enjoys being back working in New York and being closer to his parents, Austin and Susan, and his Madison home. He and his wife, Devon, live in White Plains, NY, and are expecting twins in November.
Tucker Hackett
Tucker Hackett
Class of 2012 - Soccer
Tucker Hackett, Daniel Hand High School class of 2012, is one of the most decorated and accomplished soccer players in the history of the school. He was the team captain in 2011, and was selected as the team MVP in 2010 and 2011.
He was chosen to the New Haven Register All-Area, All-State and All-New England teams in 2010 and 2011. Tucker's 2010 team won the SCC Tournament by defeating Guilford in overtime and was selected the MVP of the game. In 2011 he was selected to play in the High School All-American game for the East Team in Birmingham, AL. He was 1 of 40 players to be selected throughout the nation. His accolades recognized Tucker as a National All-American.
Tucker developed an interest in sports and soccer, in particular, because of his parents and siblings that encouraged him at a very young age. He was able to hone his goalie skills due to his parents, Wendy and Dave's, willingness to coach and travel across the state, country and globe for him to become an elite soccer player.
His stellar accomplishments at Hand High School earned him a soccer scholarship to play for Sacred Heart University where Tucker was a four year starter appearing in 59 games and making 253 saves in his career at Sacred Heart University. He had a season-high number of saves in 2014 (95), which ranked him ninth in NCAA Division I in average saves per game (5.59). He ranked third in NCAA Division I for most saves in a single game (14), and was named to the Doubletree BWI Classic All-Tournament Team. Besides being on the Northeast Conference Academic Honor Roll in 2013, 2014, 2015, and on the Commissioners Honor Roll in 2015, he captained the Sacred Heart University team in 2014 and 2015.
Tucker has given back to the youth of Fairfield and New Haven County by coaching at South Central Premier and with future Hand High School teams focusing in on goalkeeper instruction.
He currently is an accounting controllership manager (CPA) in Purchase, NY. He is married to Danielle (Koch) Hackett, and he enjoys spending time with Danielle traveling, hiking and spending time with his family in Madison. The Madison Athletic Hall of Fame is very proud to induct Tucker Hackett.
Annie Peck
Annie Peck
Class of 2000 - Basketball
John and Suzanne Simmons moved into Madison in 1995 with their son Jeff Peck and daughters Valery and Annie Peck. Little was it known that this was the start of the road towards Daniel Hand High School's first basketball State Championship!
Annie developed her game during her freshmen season. Early on, she fumbled her way around the court but finally became totally in control of her coordination. Her understanding and knowledge of the game increased as well.
She realized scoring was fun and loved the feeling of the ball rolling off her finger tips caressing the net. She wanted the first shot of the game, the shot at the end of a quarter or the shot to take the lead. However, she wanted the ball the most when there was ten seconds left on the clock and the game on the line.
But Annie had a weakness. For her size, she was not rebounding enough. Hand Head Coach Jim Bombaci (MAHOF 2015) recalled, "When I pointed out that every offensive and defensive rebound leads to another shot, she became the Monster of the Glass."
During her sophomore season, she began compiling stats and leading the team to a winning season and deep into the post-season playoffs. Her second season was so impressive, she was named to the 97-98 All Hammonasset Team, All Area Team, and All County Team. She was only the second Daniel Hand player to be named to all three of these teams as a sophomore.
When the 98-99 season began, the team was strong and won most of its games. Yet, the team felt its defense needed to be stronger. The one-three-one half court press was missing something.
The decision was made to move Annie from the back of the zone to the stealer position in the middle. Bombaci remembered the change, "I thought she loved to score more than anything else she did on the court. I was wrong. It seems Annie was a natural thief." She ended up intercepting or stripping the ball from the opponents eighty-seven times that season, making it the fourth best ever for a season and the most by far by a center.
She turned the team's half-court press into its most devastating defense. Annie went from the Monster of the Glass to the Monster of Mayhem in the Middle.
Annie's biggest game was the final game of the 98-99 Class LL State Tournament. She carried the team by pulling down 16 rebounds and scoring 36 points. Most of her points came in the second half of the game that was won by only four points.
She was named Most Valuable Player because of her efforts. It was an honor only three other girls in the state earned that year.
She was also named to the All Hammonasset Team, All Area Team, All County Team, and All State Team in both her junior and senior years.
She completed her career with the following stats:
Career Points - 1766 (Second all-time)
Average Points-per-game Career - 18.0 (Second all-time)
Career Rebounds - 798 (Second all-time)
Average Rebounds-per-game Career - 10.0 (Fifth all-time)
Career Steals - 178 (Fifth all-time)
Average Steals-per-game - 2.2 (Fifth all-time)
Points in a Season - 571 (Second all-time)
Average Points-per-game in a Season - 23.7 (Second all-time)
Rebounds in a Season - 317 (Fourth all-time)
Average Rebounds-per-game in a Season -12.7 (Seventh all-time)
Steals in a Season - 87 (Fourth all-time)
Average Steals-per-game in a Season - 3.5 (Fourth all-time)
Most Points in a Game - 36 (Seventh all-time)
Most Rebounds in a Game -22 (Eighth all-time)
Most Steals in a Game - 9 (Fourth all-time)
Following her high school career, she played basketball at Michigan State for her freshmen year. She transferred to Rice University where she red-shirted for a year before playing out her last three years of her college career.
Annie now lives in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, with her husband Jeffrey Niemann who is a retired professional baseball player. She has an eight-year-old daughter, Vail, and dogs Sadie and Ivy.
Annie is an advertising account executive at the Aspen Times. She is the owner-operator of Rainy Day Illustrations selling kitchen towels decorated with her mom's artwork. Mom also did the artwork for the Tiger Handbook.
Daniel Hand basketball coach Jim Bombaci reflected on his all-star player, "As much as I enjoyed coaching Annie and as much as I enjoyed watching her display her abilities on the court, it was the Annie off the court I respected the most. She was always kind, respectful and caring to her friends, teachers, coaches and peers. She met everyone with a warm greeting and great smile. A smile that always left you feeling better about your day."
Rick Sweitzer
Rick Sweitzer
Class of 1976 - Football, Baseball
Athletes with the name Sweitzer have contributed much to the success of Madison athletics since the early 70's. Two have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame (Ken MAHOF 2013 and Scott in 2015) and tonight we welcome the third. Rick Sweitzer began his competitive journey in the early 70's when he and his three brothers would spend their days creating ball fields in their living room using books for bases and Moms prized piano as a backstop.
One of his earliest influences was his grandfather who was an Olympic athlete and member of a professional basketball franchise that would later become the Boston Celtics. Ricky loved the NY Giants and would imagine himself one day playing for them. As an eighth grader, he watched as the fledgling Hand football program took on its first varsity season and soon it was his turn. He joined the freshmen football team with 40 other players and got a firsthand look at what his future would hold as he watched the Tigers roll to a 9-0 undefeated season in only their second year.
Meanwhile he was supported by his mom who always stressed the importance of being balanced in life. The boys and Susan grew up in a home full of music and books. She made sure they understood the value of Academics and the rigor of sport.
While turning in his equipment after his freshmen year, Rick had his first face to face with a man he acknowledges being scared to death of... That man was Larry Ciotti, who would become a central figure in his and his family's life. Rick recalls Larry saying, "Rick, you are going to start next year." He describes it as being hit by a bolt of lightning.
That summer Rick took foam rubber padding and wrapped it around a tree in his backyard. For hours each day he would work on delivering forearm blows and proper footwork. His brother Ken would watch and ask why he didn't just go out for receiver. Rick knew that a guy his size was going to end up a lineman and laughed it off even though he knew he was actually a better athlete than Ken!
Because of his hard work, he was rewarded with starting both ways as a sophomore. The same held true in his junior year and the team produced identical 7-2 records each of those two seasons. In his senior year, the CIAC sponsored the first State Championship Tournament. Two teams would be chosen from each of 4 divisions to be crowned champions. That year the 10-0 Tigers won their first of 14 state titles defeating St. Paul 29-0.
Rick was chosen as a First Team All Shoreline Conference player in his senior year, an honor he would duplicate as the captain and centerfielder for the Tiger varsity baseball team.
Rick had started every game since being a sophomore for his Godfather Charlie Fisher. Rick loved the challenge of hitting a baseball and was very good at it. In his senior season he was ranked third in the very competitive Shoreline Conference in batting average (.396) and received All Shoreline honors. The team was fortunate enough to make it to the quarterfinals of the State Tournament before falling to Stonington.
Coach Ciotti was instrumental in helping Rick to enroll at Nichols College, his dad's alma mater. He had been recruited by several larger schools but chose Nichols for its smaller size. In his freshmen year he started as a defensive lineman at 200 pounds. He led the team in sacks and realized quickly how much the preparation he got at Hand put him ahead of the competition.
Later that year, he was forced to withdraw from Nichols due to family issues and he returned home working in the restaurant business for the next two years.
After a few years working he decided to ask his girlfriend Joyce Durosko to marry him. It was then that he had a life-changing conversation with her father, Phil. Phil told him that he welcomed Rick's proposal to Joyce but only after he had secured his college diploma.
So, in August of 1980, Rick matriculated at the University of New Haven. He had two years of eligibility and was committed to making the most of them. For the next two seasons he would start every game on the defensive line for a very successful UNH defense. His line coach, Tony Mortalli, calls Rick "one of the most intense, fearless, and gifted players he ever coached," adding that, "He, in many ways ran the defense being a coach on the field." His teammates referred to him as the Sack Master as he led the team in that category for each of the next two seasons.
In his senior year, Rick was voted the team's MVP for the defensive line. After his eligibility was used up, he was still short seven courses and one of his heroes, Head Coach Tom Bell, came to the rescue. Coach hired Rick as an assistant and provided him with the funding he needed to take care of "Big Phil's" requirement.
In 1983 he married Joyce his wife of 41 years and they have four children, Sean, Megan, Catherine and Brooklynn. The children have provided them with four grandchildren, Ellie, Jackson, James, and Henry. Rick worked as an executive vice president of sales for Dr Pepper/7Up for 28 years and currently resides in Charlotte North Carolina.
Kent Sprague
MPTV Sports Media Crew - Exemplary Contributors
Kent Sprague - 1985 - Present
In 1985, Kent Sprague and his son, Paul Sprague, began broadcasting the Daniel Hand Football games on Madison Public TV at the request of Carolyn Stitt, then the President of MPTV. Kent would do the play by play and Paul operated the camera. Over the ensuing years there were other crew members helping out with either the broadcast or filming. However, over the past 30 years, the primary MPTV Football Crew has been Kent Sprague, Frank Tordoff, Steve Fuest and John Woods. Starting in 2016, they added live streaming to their broadcasts through Livestream.com and eventually moving it to NFHS Network, so the games could be watched in real time. All the football games have run on Madison Cable Access Group Public TV on Monday nights at 7 P.M. since 1985.
Kent Sprague, who is now 88 years old, grew up in rural West Central Illinois on a farm in the Mississippi Valley. In high school, he played varsity baseball and basketball all four years. In his senior year he won 30 baseball games as a starting pitcher and averaged 15 points as a starting forward on the basketball team. Kent attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was the senior manager of the baseball team. He continued playing in summer semi-pro baseball leagues, as well as fast pitch softball, where they played without batting helmets and any protective gear. Kent graduated with a degree in agriculture and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery through the university's ROTC program. Kent had a career in industrial water treatment chemical sales, which moved him from South Dakota to Minnesota to California and eventually Connecticut. He moved to Madison in 1974, where he served as a Little League coach and umpired games for 20 years. Also, he coached and refereed youth basketball programs. Kent has been married to his wife, Margaret, for 64 years and have three children and four grandchildren.
Frank Tordoff
MPTV Sports Media Crew - Exemplary Contributors
Frank Tordoff - 1985 - Present
Frank Tordoff was born in 1943 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. In 1961, he graduated from Cape Elizabeth High School in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He player both baseball and basketball in high school. In 1966, he graduated from the University of Maine, Portland with a degree in Business.
In 1965, he married Nancy Bean Tordoff. They moved to Madison in 1975, where he worked in computer sales for the next 30 years. In 2005, he started a custom shower enclosure business with his son-in-law, Kirk Merry, daughter, Carolyn Merry and Tim Pockock called New Era Shower Enclosures located in Jewitt City, CT. He has three children who all graduated from Daniel Hand: Kimberly 1985, Carolyn 1987 and Scott 1991.
When Frank moved to Madison, he got involved with the First Congregational Church, the REC League, Girl and Boy Scouts. Due to his involvement with the Church and Girl Scouts, he met Kent Sprague, which led him to become a MPTC member. In 1989 he got involved with the broadcast of the championship football game since his son, Scott, was a member of the football team and Frank knew the players. Kent asked him to spot the players during the game. In 1990, while attending a MPTV Booster meeting, Frank asked if someone would like to volunteer to help Kent with broadcasting the games. Everyone pointed to him, so he guesses he was elected unanimously as the color commentator. The end of the 2024 season marks the 35th year of his involvement with the MPTV Football. Throughout the years of covering the football games, he has enjoyed interviewing not only the players after the game, but the parents, grandparents, coaches, trainer Terry, cheerleaders and the band members.
Steve Fuest
MPTV Sports Media Crew - Exemplary Contributors
Steve Fuest - 1985 - Present
Steve Fuest was born in New Haven in 1966. He attended Our Lady of Mercy until grade eight. He then attended Daniel Hand High School, graduating in 1985. He then went on to study Electrical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnical Institute graduating on 1990. Steve began working for Daniel Hand High School as a Computer Technician in 1992. He then became a District Technician in 2002. In 2009, he was promoted to Assistant Manager of Technology for the Town of Madison and the Madison Public Schools, where he is still working today. In the Fall of 1992, Steve became involved in MPTV's broadcast of the football games in helping both Kent and Paul Sprague by operating the camera and editing the game film. When Paul Sprague exited in 1998, Steve took over the production and technical coordination of the football game broadcast. Since then, Kent, Frank, John and Steve, have broadcast every home and away varsity football game and continue to do so to this day.
John Woods
MPTV Sports Media Crew - Exemplary Contributors
John Woods - 1985 - Present
John Woods' introduction to Daniel Hand High School sports scene started in the Fall of 1977, when, as a freshman, he was the manager of the freshman football team. He was also the manager of the basketball team. He graduated with his brother, Pete, in 1981. After graduating, he remained one of the football team's biggest fans. He would walk across the golf course from my home to Strong Field. He would drive to all of the away games too. In 1995, his friend, Steve Fuest, called and asked if he wanted to join the MPTV video crew. To sum up his working with MPTV crew, he would paraphrase the great sports broadcaster, Warner Wolfe, "Let's go to the video tape!" He has so many memories of the great games he has worked at and watched. These include generations of players, coaches, parents and all of the volunteers who make being on the MPTV Football crew such a special experience. Interviewing these folks before and after the games is always a great time, especially at the State Championships. John would like to thank the MPTV crew for being a special part of his life, as well as Larry Ciotti and Steve Filippone, for making him feel part of the team. Finally, he wants to thank his parents and family for all of their support. His parents were his biggest supporters and encourage him to do my best in whatever activities he pursued. If they were still alive and here, they would say "John, what a great job you have done. You are our No. 1 Cameraman!"
Susan Ashton Cosgriff
Terry Cassell
Ken Conlon
Stephen Cottrell
Jim Eckenrode
Brendon Fish
Tucker Hackett
Annie Peck
Rick Sweitzer
MPTV Sports Media Crew - Exemplary Contributors
MPTV Sports Media Crew - Exemplary Contributors
MPTV Sports Media Crew - Exemplary Contributors
MPTV Sports Media Crew - Exemplary Contributors