By Michael Letendre

The pandemic has put the entire winter scholastic schedule in such disarray that a certain local basketball team, which was originally dealing with an ultra-competitive CCC Interdivisional slate of games, will see a slightly watered-down version instead.

However, the more important realization is that scholastic basketball’s regular season is a mere week away from officially commencing.

But that local squad, Bristol Central, would have engaged in several marquee match-ups, some epic in nature.

Instead, that grouping of games has been replaced by a very regional program which restricted Central – and the rest of squads of the CCC South – from crossing the Connecticut River in Hartford or even going near the city limits for that matter.

Because of the Rams’ recent success, the outfit was prepared to face the elite teams of the CCC, the class of the conference, which was going to include a few of Connecticut’s top programs in the state.

That exposure would have continued to propel Central big man Donovan Clingan against players that will be joining him at the collegiate level in the coming years.

Instead of what Central’s schedule eventually turned into, here’s a peek at the program’s agenda had the pandemic not drastically changed things.

Originally, eighteen games were on Central’s schedule that was posted on the school’s website for the 2020-21 year which would have commenced in mid-December.

And the Rams were going to face one of the CCC’s best programs right off the bat.

On December 18, Central was going to square off against Windsor in showdown that was going to have the attention of the entire state with extra press coverage, perhaps a dozen collegiate scouts, and a chance to start the Warriors off the year with a loss – something that rarely happens to the that particular team to open the season.

After Clingan and company dunked all over Windsor, Ryan Raponey’s team from Lewis Mills was going to invade the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium on December 22.

On December 28 and December 30, the Rams were going to hold its annual holiday tournament.

Last season, Wolcott, Greenwich, and South Windsor made up the holiday field which provided the Rams a great look at some non-conference opposition.

In an interesting note, had that original schedule held, Central would not have left Bristol over the 2020 portion of its slate.

To open 2021, the Rams were scheduled at Plainville (January 4) and then two days later, Central was back at home for Berlin.

On January 11, Central was to take a drive to Platt and then New Britain (January 14) before returning home for a bout against Glastonbury (January 19).

The annual city series confrontation at Bristol Eastern was eyed for January 22 and then on January 25, a short trip to Lewis Mills was on the docket.

And then final scholastic game for January would have seen Central travel to Simsbury for a CCC Interdivisional clash on the 28th of the month.

The Rams weren’t going to duck any competition to open February with East Catholic (February 1) and Middletown (February 5) traveling to Bristol for some heavy-hitting showdowns.

From there, the Rams had a trip to Maloney (February 9) scheduled before a home date against Plainville (February 12) was planned.

A huge confrontation at East Hartford (February 16) could have been a glimpse of the upcoming CCC Tournament and Eastern (February 22) would have ended the regular season for the Central program.

From there, the CCC Tournament would have proceeded on February 25 and the Rams had a good chance of getting to the finals of that format against another elite opponent.

Finally in March, the CIAC Division II Tournament should have allowed Central a chance to not only earn a high seed but end up a major contender to win a state title.

However, all that was lost as the pandemic reduced the schedule to games against all the usual CCC South, Patriot division foes without the hope of a state championship opportunity for the second straight campaign.

Central will not play an opponent from the CCC South, Colonial division this year but has picked up contests against teams in the CCC North (New Britain) and West (Avon, Farmington) branches of the league to make up the new 2021 schedule.