Rockville/Vernon Rocks - The Glory Days

[gtcam]

I went to high school with Steve Krajewski at Rockville HS in the 70s and this is not him
Right Mau?
Oh, wrong Steve Krajewski - this isn't Crash
Sorry

 

[jdb50]

I went to high school with Steve Krajewski at Rockville HS in the 70s and this is not him
Right Mau?
Oh, wrong Steve Krajewski - this isn't Crash
Sorry

My dad was a high school ref. I would run the dial on the chains. Saw a great game at Rockville vs Simsbury against the Rollie Morrison. Rockville had a small back Calachi? he had a big day and they won. Was Krajewski on that team?

 

[minidarren]

I went to high school with Steve Krajewski at Rockville HS in the 70s and this is not him
Right Mau?
Oh, wrong Steve Krajewski - this isn't Crash
Sorry

Class 2002. Good ole Coach Dunn.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I went to high school with Steve Krajewski at Rockville HS in the 70s and this is not him
Right Mau?
Oh, wrong Steve Krajewski - this isn't Crash
Sorry

My dad was a high school ref. I would run the dial on the chains. Saw a great game at Rockville vs Simsbury against the Rollie Morrison. Rockville had a small back Calachi? he had a big day and they won. Was Krajewski on that team?

Crash was a legend in Vernon Parks and Rec. Long career with Orioles and did a bunch of stuff with Little League, youth basketball, etc.

You could find him at Henry Park almost any time for about 20 years.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I went to high school with Steve Krajewski at Rockville HS in the 70s and this is not him
Right Mau?
Oh, wrong Steve Krajewski - this isn't Crash
Sorry

Haha! I worked for Crash a few summers at the rec dept in high school and college. I thought of him when I saw this thread. I can still see him driving up Fox Hill in his golf cart.

 

[mauconnfan]

I went to high school with Steve Krajewski at Rockville HS in the 70s and this is not him
Right Mau?
Oh, wrong Steve Krajewski - this isn't Crash
Sorry

Yep Crash, 3rd baseman for the Vernon Orioles via ECSU I believe gtcam. Good guy too as well as a big boy like this kid, well not height.

 

[gtcam]

Haha! I worked for Crash a few summers at the rec dept in high school and college. I thought of him when I saw this thread. I can still see him driving up Fox Hill in his golf cart.

My father was on Parks and Rec BoD so I worked for them for years in the summers
Crash worked with me for a few when we were in HS
He and I were good friends
He played for my father in Babe Ruth
My father was convinced he would have made the pros if he played the outfield but Crash thought himself as a third baseman
Steve's a great guy - recently inducted into the RHS Hall of Fame

 

[gtcam]

My dad was a high school ref. I would run the dial on the chains. Saw a great game at Rockville vs Simsbury against the Rollie Morrison. Rockville had a small back Calachi? he had a big day and they won. Was Krajewski on that team?

That's Joe Calachi who had the National HS record for a while for TDs scored and rushing yards in late 60s/early 70s - went on to play at West Virginia Wesleyan
Steve never played football
Only baseball and basketball

 

[gtcam]

Class 2002. Good ole Coach Dunn.

Class of 73

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Class of ‘06. Well after the days of Crash and Romanowski. My history teacher was Pete McCann, former bball walk-on!

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Holy hell this is a thread now.

 

[huskymedic]

Holy hell this is a thread now.

Who has the Bill Romanowski high school stories? He was incredible to watch play.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Who has the Bill Romanowski high school stories? He was incredible to watch play.

He went there before I was born. The only Romo tale I can contribute is that he bought the lights for the football field. Some people say it was part of community service but I’m not sure if that’s true.

 

[whaler11]

I shot even par at Connecticut Golf Land once.

 

[uconnphil2016]

We played them in lacrosse and beat them so bad that their goalie cried. Good memories

 

[Sky ball]

I went to high school with Steve Krajewski at Rockville HS in the 70s and this is not him
Right Mau?
Oh, wrong Steve Krajewski - this isn't Crash
Sorry

I played Rockville Legion Baseball with him. Very good player. I went to Tolland HS.

 

[Sky ball]

I shot even par at Connecticut Golf Land once.

Hole in One 18th hole for freebie?

 

[whaler11]

Hole in One 18th hole for freebie?

Oh no - the big boy course.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Who has the Bill Romanowski high school stories? He was incredible to watch play.

He was a few years ahead of me. Grew up near by his family. He graduated around the time two of my sisters were there.
I have one year of midget football with Vernon Shamrocks where Bill and I were in the same team photo.
In HS Bill had a beat up pick up truck that wouldn't always start in the morning. The VCMS bus stop was near his home. Us middle school kids would help try and push start his truck down the street. If that didn't work, he'd coast it down behind Skinner Rd school and use a make shift bridge across the Hockanum River to get to school.
He had the choice of a bunch of colleges and chose BC so his parents could see him play.
I think it was against South Windsor his junior or Senior year and RHS was losing by a few points with time for one play. Coach Dunn said screw it, hand off to Romo. He busted a 60+ yard TD to win the game with no time left.
Billy was a pretty good basketball forward too.
Like all good kids he cheated like hell in Monopoly.
About 5-6 years ago Bill was doing a book tour and signing copies at Buckland Hills Mall. My dad decided to stop by and get in line. He hadn't seen Billy in over 20 years. Bill recognized him right away had him take a seat next to him and talked with my dad for 5-10 min. Shame he got himself caught up in the pills to extend his career.
As for Parks and Rec and Crash, I was an employee during the Brice Dinnie tenure of running Parks and Rec. Crash was involved in many of the youth sports and playing 3rd base for the Orioles. I swam for Vernon Rec at Henry for several years, lifeguarded at Henry Park, played Little League baseball at Henry Park and lifeguarded and taught swim lessons at Camp Newhoca. My parents and sisters were involved with the girls softball mostly at VCMS and Legion Field.
Hope this brings back few memories for Vernon/Rockville folks.
*Every thing written is to the best of my knowledge. Facts may have evolved over time but my brain thinks everything is spot on.

 

[Chin Diesel]

He went there before I was born. The only Romo tale I can contribute is that he bought the lights for the football field. Some people say it was part of community service but I’m not sure if that’s true.

Hole in One 18th hole for freebie?

I know he made a hole in one at a celebrity/pro am golf tourney and donated the car (Cadillac?) to pay for lights.
He also donated a bunch of artificial turf cleats when RHS went to state semis or finals somewhere around the '90-'94 timeframe.

 

[minidarren]

I shot even par at Connecticut Golf Land once.

The mini golf or par three?

 

[minidarren]

He was a few years ahead of me. Grew up near by his family. He graduated around the time two of my sisters were there.
I have one year of midget football with Vernon Shamrocks where Bill and I were in the same team photo.
In HS Bill had a beat up pick up truck that wouldn't always start in the morning. The VCMS bus stop was near his home. Us middle school kids would help try and push start his truck down the street. If that didn't work, he'd coast it down behind Skinner Rd school and use a make shift bridge across the Hockanum River to get to school.
He had the choice of a bunch of colleges and chose BC so his parents could see him play.
I think it was against South Windsor his junior or Senior year and RHS was losing by a few points with time for one play. Coach Dunn said screw it, hand off to Romo. He busted a 60+ yard TD to win the game with no time left.
Billy was a pretty good basketball forward too.
Like all good kids he cheated like hell in Monopoly.
About 5-6 years ago Bill was doing a book tour and signing copies at Buckland Hills Mall. My dad decided to stop by and get in line. He hadn't seen Billy in over 20 years. Bill recognized him right away had him take a seat next to him and talked with my dad for 5-10 min. Shame he got himself caught up in the pills to extend his career.
As for Parks and Rec and Crash, I was an employee during the Brice Dinnie tenure of running Parks and Rec. Crash was involved in many of the youth sports and playing 3rd base for the Orioles. I swam for Vernon Rec at Henry for several years, lifeguarded at Henry Park, played Little League baseball at Henry Park and lifeguarded and taught swim lessons at Camp Newhoca. My parents and sisters were involved with the girls softball mostly at VCMS and Legion Field.
Hope this brings back few memories for Vernon/Rockville folks.
*Every thing written is to the best of my knowledge. Facts may have evolved over time but my brain thinks everything is spot on.

I went to school and played football with Bruce Dinnies son, Brian.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

He was a few years ahead of me. Grew up near by his family. He graduated around the time two of my sisters were there.
I have one year of midget football with Vernon Shamrocks where Bill and I were in the same team photo.
In HS Bill had a beat up pick up truck that wouldn't always start in the morning. The VCMS bus stop was near his home. Us middle school kids would help try and push start his truck down the street. If that didn't work, he'd coast it down behind Skinner Rd school and use a make shift bridge across the Hockanum River to get to school.
He had the choice of a bunch of colleges and chose BC so his parents could see him play.
I think it was against South Windsor his junior or Senior year and RHS was losing by a few points with time for one play. Coach Dunn said screw it, hand off to Romo. He busted a 60+ yard TD to win the game with no time left.
Billy was a pretty good basketball forward too.
Like all good kids he cheated like hell in Monopoly.
About 5-6 years ago Bill was doing a book tour and signing copies at Buckland Hills Mall. My dad decided to stop by and get in line. He hadn't seen Billy in over 20 years. Bill recognized him right away had him take a seat next to him and talked with my dad for 5-10 min. Shame he got himself caught up in the pills to extend his career.
As for Parks and Rec and Crash, I was an employee during the Brice Dinnie tenure of running Parks and Rec. Crash was involved in many of the youth sports and playing 3rd base for the Orioles. I swam for Vernon Rec at Henry for several years, lifeguarded at Henry Park, played Little League baseball at Henry Park and lifeguarded and taught swim lessons at Camp Newhoca. My parents and sisters were involved with the girls softball mostly at VCMS and Legion Field.
Hope this brings back few memories for Vernon/Rockville folks.
*Every thing written is to the best of my knowledge. Facts may have evolved over time but my brain thinks everything is spot on.

Incredible post, Chin! Pretty much a history of the town haha. I spent every summer of my youth at Camp Newhocca, from chipmunk to CIT in the 90s to early 00s. My brother was a counselor in that era (RHS class of 96) (UConn class of 01) you likely knew him.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Incredible post, Chin! Pretty much a history of the town haha. I spent every summer of my youth at Camp Newhocca, from chipmunk to CIT in the 90s to early 00s. My brother was a counselor in that era (RHS class of 96) (UConn class of 01) you likely knew him.

I think 1990 or 1991 was my last year at Newhoca. It was a total dump when it first reopned. Glad it got nicer over time.

 

[Chin Diesel]

A few more areas of rec fun included Valley Falls, Vernon Elementary and for the Old Schoolers, practicing basketball at Sykes Middle School.

Sykes was where all the 6th Graders went as a transition from grade school to VCMS. Right in downtown Rockville.

Spent more time sledding down hills (and sneaking drinks) at VCMS than Fox Hill at Henry Park.