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2006-03-08
Ridgefield coach resigns
Bielizna steps down after Tigers withdraw from state
tournament
By Jim Stout THE NEWS-TIMES
Ridgefield High boys basketball coach Ray Bielizna resigned on
Tuesday, just four days after his team was forced to withdraw from the
state Division II tournament due to his questionable coaching tactics
during the team's final regular-season game of 2005-06.
Bielizna, a math teacher at Ridgefield High in his second
season as coach, admitted deploying more substitute players than usual in
the Tigers' 71-53 loss at Bassick of Bridgeport Feb. 22. He cited both the
need to rest three injured starters and the desire to afford playing time
to younger program members.
Bielizna, a Danbury resident who previously coached at New
Fairfield High, openly acknowledged he was aware a loss in Ridgefield's final regular-season game at Bassick would likely drop his team from Division
I to Division II, where it arguably had a better chance of winning a state
title.
The game was meaningless otherwise, with both teams having
already clinched conference playoff berths.
In talking last Saturday about the team's withdrawal from the
tournament, Bielizna had said of the Bassick game, "I had an uneasy
feeling about the entire situation, even on the bus ride going down (to Bridgeport). I had never in all my life been involved in a game where it didn't matter to
either team who won. It was almost surreal."
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, the
state's athletic governing board, was prepared to take action against Ridgefield had it not withdrawn from the Division II tournament, which began Monday night.
Ridgefield's scheduled opponent, Career Magnet of New Haven, was awarded a
forfeit victory.
Ridgefield Superintendent of Schools Kenneth R. Freeston
announced on Tuesday afternoon the decision by Bielizna to resign.
While school officials will not comment on personnel matters,
Freeston said officials "want to emphasize that during all games
throughout the season our players consistently gave their best effort every
time they were on the court."
Bielizna is among those unable to comment on his resignation. Ridgefield athletic director Rod Mergardt did not respond to either phone or e-mail
messages left with his office on Tuesday.
Though Ridgefield was 14-5 going into its final game against
Bassick, it seldom enjoyed success against any of the FCIAC teams from Bridgeport � Bassick, Harding and Central � and had not won a road game in Bridgeport in recent memory.
Bassick finished a game ahead of Ridgefield in the overall
FCIAC standings. Ridgefield is 0-8 against Bassick over the last eight
seasons, losing a variety of other games that were not under scrutiny by
scores of 95-75 last season, 93-55 in 2000-01, 84-48 in 1999-2000 and by
78-47 in 1998-99.
Ridgefield went on to lose in the first round of the
conference tournament to Fairfield-Ludlowe, one of two teams that were
formed recently following the breakup of the old Fairfield High. Ludlowe
won the state Division III title a year ago.
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