February 23, 2005

     MIDDLETOWN -- Cromwell girls basketball player Caitlin Macko and her coach Mark Blythe hold a distinction that very few, if any, have ever duplicated.
     The Panther skipper and she have never experienced a Charter Oak Conference loss in the three and four years, respectively, while at the school. That's an incredible record of 64 regular season contests and nine COC tournament victories. In the past three seasons, the Cromwell girls program, under the watchful eye of Blythe, have compiled a mark of 67-4.
     Blythe, whose squad is a perfect 21-0 going into tonight's COC tournament championship game, is fully aware of the streak, however remains focused at the task at hand.
     "We, at Cromwell, are just blessed to have some very good ballplayers right now," he said. "These things come in cycles though. I just show the kids what to do and they're the ones that have to execute on the court."
     Cromwell athletics director Mike Pitruzzello, who coached the girls from 1979-1989, believes his coach is responsible for much more of the success than he lets on.
     "I knew when I hired Mark (in 2002 after a stint at H-K) that I was doing the right thing," he stated. "His practices are timed out perfectly, and he's a perfectionist."
     In addition to roaming the court in the winter months, Blythe dedicates his spring to being Pitruzzello's pitching coach for the baseball team as well as taking the assistant coaching reins on the school's boys soccer team in the fall.
     "The guy gives up 10 months a year," Pitruzzello commented, "and a majority of that time is on a volunteer basis. He's a super science teacher and a great representative of Cromwell sports."
     Unfortunately for the Class S school, a certain faction of the community scoffs at the record, saying that its a direct result of a "watered-down league", one in which "Cromwell gets eight to 10 wins as soon as the schedule comes out."
     Pitruzzello wholeheartedly disagrees with that assessment.
     "Talent can take you only so far," he said. "Then it's a matter of good coaching. I think people who say those things need to look at our recent CIAC tournament results."
     "Every school has a certain charisma. In the Class LL, it's Mercy. In the Class S, I think Cromwell belongs near the top. Unfortunately we haven't gone to a state finals yet, however I believe that's due partly to there not being a level playing field as far as how the selections are done. That's another story though."
     Macko, who Blythe believes wasn't a starter in her freshman season, actually has the longest COC streak of any player in recent memory. If the Panthers take this year's COC crown, as expected, the senior will graduate with a perfect 74 games without being on the losing end.
     "What a nice string to combine with the past two seasons of perfect regular season records," Macko's father, Glen, stated. "I'm a very proud dad."