By Michael Letendre 

The pandemic has caused the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) to mix up its four divisions as the ruling scholastic body in the state has done its best to eliminate teams traveling all over the state for games and competition. 

And the slate of teams that the Bristol public schools will be facing this winter has a bit of an old Central Connecticut Conference Southern feel to it. 

Just like in the fall, Farmington, Avon, New Britain, and Southington help make up CCC Region B to go along with usual CCC South, Patriot division programs Plainville, Lewis Mills, Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern. 

It’s a strange roster of teams and for the first time since 1959-60, at least in terms of boys basketball, the locals from Bristol won’t be competing against the schools in Meriden: Maloney and Platt. 

But for over twenty years, New Britain and Southington were always CCC South opponents for Bristol in most scholastic sports, starting in 1984 – replacing the old Colonial Conference which included the likes of Wolcott and Pulaski in New Britain before it closed. 

That was until the New Britain football situation as that school, along with Southington, moved on to play programs of equal size in another CCC league. 

In terms of boys and girls basketball in 2021, here is how the four CCC divisions are divided up: 

Region A                    Region B                    Region C                    Region D
Enfield                        New Britain                Glastonbury                Berlin
Windsor                      Farmington                 RHAM                        Middletown
Bloomfield                  Lewis Mills                 EO Smith                    Maloney
Hartford Public           Avon                           Tolland                        Platt
Northwest                   Plainville                     East Catholic               Newington
Simsbury                     Bristol Central            Manchester                 Wethersfield
Conard                        Bristol Eastern            East Hartford               Rocky Hill
Hall                             Southington                 South Windsor            Bulkeley 

The CIAC, at the very least, deserves credit for making the divisions as competitive as possible with geographical restrictions in mind. 

Avon is the furthest school from Bristol Central and depending on the route taken, it’s less than a 15-miletrip. 

In the end, those divisional changes should work out well for everyone. 

If makes sense to put Newington, Rocky Hill, and Wethersfield together with the Berlin turnpike and Interstate 91 a short drive to travel to Maloney and Platt in the Region D grouping. 

It still may be a bit of a drive for South Windsor to arrive at RHAM in Hebron for Region C action but some of those schools on the outer rim of CCC territory have always seen that trip a bit of a haul for several teams. 

The trip between South Windsor and RHAM could take upwards of 25 miles. 

There’s a little Connecticut River crossing in the Region A line-up and a trip from Enfield to Conard high school in West Hartford is about 23 miles. 

But Bristol is lucky to be in Region B, taking on several local programs – allowing every team a competitive chance on the hardwood. 

And in terms of boys swimming, the line-up is a bit different: 

Region A                   Region B                           Region C              Region D
Hartford                   East Hartford                     Berlin         Bristol (3 schools)
Enfield                     East Catholic                       Hall                       Lewis Mills
Bulkeley                    Manchester/RHAM           Conard                  Plainville
Windsor                    Glastonbury                       Newington          Southington
NWC                           Rocky Hill                           Wethersfield      Platt/Maloney
Simsbury                   EO Smith/Tolland             Classical               Middletown
Granby                       South Windsor                                                  Avon
Suffield                                                                                                    Farmington 

Bristol’s division in Region D isn’t unlike its usual slate of meets but, unlike hoop, the Meriden co-op is still on the schedule.