Talkin Sports n' More

AJ Duffy is now a graduate student and far from his days with FSU, but after a dominant season in Connecticut it may be safe to say that Duffy is accustomed to the Charger way.

Local West Haven author and sports media personality Dominic Konareski appeared on WTNH News 8’s Good Morning Connecticut show on Thursday, March 26th. 

After being named interim head football coach in August of 2025 by a last-minute surprise stepping down by Rich Boshea, the 2026 West Haven Blue Devils football team are now officially Tom Unger’s. Unger has been a familiar face in both the classroom and field. A teacher by school day and a football coach when the dismissal bell rings. Unger brought over two decades of coaching experience to West Haven. He served as a D-line coach at Fairfield University in 2002, an assistant

With the World Baseball Classic firing on all cylinders with pool play, it is partially thanks to West Haven that one particular coach gets to be at one of the biggest heights. Dave Righetti is 67-years-old and is serving as an assistant pitching coach for Team Italy in the WBC. Righetti took the Italian job due to his Italian heritage despite being born in San Jose, California. Righetti’s grandfather was from Liguria, Italy and emigrated in 1907. The WBC doesn’t require the

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE West Haven, CT – The New York Sports Show is proud to announce its sponsorship of Chad Finchum and the No. 55 Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet for this weekend’s NASCAR O’Reilly Series race at EchoPark Speedway (formally known as Atlanta Speedway) for the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250. The race marks Finchum’s return to the NASCAR O’Reilly Series for the first time since competing in the 2024 Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It will also

West Haven, Connecticut native Gianni Gambardella has officially entered his senior season at the University of Maine as one of the Black Bears’ most experienced hurlers and a hopeful prospect in the upcoming 2026 Major League Baseball Draft.    Standing at a towering 6-foot-2, Gambardella has developed into a key contributor for the Black Bears' pitching staff.    Graduating as part of the 2022 Class at West Haven High School, Gambardella was already committed to UMaine afte

In an era where extravagant world-class minor league stadiums were nonexistent, there were still modest expectations that the New York Yankees had when they moved their Double-AA farm team from Manchester, New Hampshire, to West Haven, Connecticut. Former Yankees GM Lee MacPhail said that “A lot of work needs to be done around here,” when he referred to then 25-year-old ballpark that was Quigley Stadium. The city of West Haven, which took ownership of the stadium in 1951, rel

Jeremy Smith made it to the NHL briefly for what was a 10 game stint with the Colorado Avalanche during the 2016/17 season. In those 10 games and some 546 minutes of ice time, Smith posted a triple 8 save percentage. Since then he has chased that high of being back at the NHL level. Smith was the Bridgeport Islanders (then Sound Tigers) starting goal tender in 2018, racking up a very respectable 2.92 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Since 2018/19 the Michigan native has been i

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: West Haven, CT – The New York Sports Show is proud and honored to announce its official sponsorship of Chad Finchum and the No. 66 Garage 66 entry for the 2026 NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, one of the sport's most iconic venues.  The Clash at Bowman Gray marks NASCAR's return to the historic quarter-mile short track that is referred to as “The Madhouse,” known for its intense racing, passionate fans and deep-rooted racing tradition. The

Dominic Konareski has long been a familiar and respected name in Connecticut’s local sports circles, and to kick off 2026 he added a new title to his résumé: Published Author.  Konareski, a local sports historian and sports journalist, has released his first-ever book, Gloves, Engines & Glory: The Complete History of Savin Rock’s Golden Age of Sports .  This deeply researched work captures nearly a century of athletic life along West Haven’s famed shoreline. For years, Konar

In the midst of year 100 as a hockey program, the West Haven Blue Devils have built up a legacy of winning, discipline and even pro hockey talent.  Hockey at West Haven High goes back just after the First World War ended, with the forming of multiple New Haven area teams. West Haven and several other teams were formalized in 1926, following the upcoming opening of New Haven Arena in 1927. West Haven was one of the founding member schools / programs being just one of 12 high s

As seen in the West Haven Voice November 27th, 2025, edition. See the original article here. Usually once a week I scroll on eBay looking for West Haven sports history memorabilia, mainly surrounding the West Haven Yankees and racing programs from Donovan Field as I collect game programs, tickets and really anything having to do with West Haven sporting history.   Several days ago I happened to come across a ticket stub from Savin Rock’s White City Stadium, featuring a boxing

Mid November featured a new career opportunity for West Haven native Simon Mathews in Major League Baseball. Mathews, a former minor league player himself, was hired by the Washington Nationals to be the team’s next pitching coach. Mathews had his 30th birthday in September and joined Washington as part of the front office push for a youth movement after spending time with the Cincinnati Reds as an assistant pitching coach. Mathews grew up in West Haven, Connecticut, but atte

It seems it has always fallen on the thanksgiving game for West Haven the past four years now, going onto five. In terms of making the playoffs or having the chance of a higher season. It has fallen on the 10th and last game of the Blue Devils season to be the ultimate decider. A 4-5 standing West Haven team is getting ready to close out its worst season since 2019, but everything that has happened in the regular season won’t matter if West Haven makes the playoffs. A fresh s

As seen in the West Haven Voice November 13th, 2025, edition. See the original article here . The majority of West Haven residents have likely heard the name of Ken Strong, especially if they have attended any West Haven sporting events at the high school. Ken Strong Stadium is home to the Blue Devils home turf for football, lacrosse and soccer and the surrounding track for track and field. But who is Ken Strong exactly, and why does he have an entire stadium named after him?

West Haven High School is gearing up for what is their centennial season with their hockey program. After adding Branford over the offseason, the Blue Devils co-op squad now consists of Shelton, Seymour, Oxford and Branford. West Haven goes into the 2025/26 season looking to improve from what was a 7-11-2 campaign last year, which was the team’s worst season yet since dropping down to Division II hockey. The Blue Devils will open up their season with a scrimmage on December 5

A three game losing skid that saw West Haven winless for nearly an entire month finally ended on Friday when the team played a non-league bout vs Fitch. West Haven entered the beginning of their road trip with a 3-4 record, as they searched to get back at the .500% column. The Blue Devils also went into Groton out of a playoff spot, as the team was essentially in a must-win situation. Being down 18-7 at the half lit a fire that the Devils desperately needed. Now I don’t know

As seen in the West Haven Voice September 4th, 2025, edition. See the original article here. The West Haven Yankees were the pride of West Haven, winning a total of four Eastern League titles across nearly their decade-long stay. Playing in Quigley Stadium and in West Haven as a whole had its benefits. For one, West Haven’s baseball history was rich, with the semi-pro Sailors and even Yankee legends such as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig barnstorming at Donovan Field in the 1920s.

The Blue Devils are 3-3 through their first six games of the season. The .500% mark under first-year Devils’ head coach Tom Unger has seen close-net losses against Staples and Fairfield Prep, along with a blowout against Cheshire where West Haven was shutout. The West Haven v. Cheshire game was an ugly one for the Westies, which saw them bleed blue. A 35-0 beating started with a Rams opening 15-run drive that shaved 9 minutes off the clock. Overall, Cheshire would run for ove

The last five years has seen rapid changes for West Haven High hockey. 2022 marked the first season that the team would be a co-op after a lack of interest. 2023 would then see the drop down to DII, ending an era of Division I hockey that spanned over 75 years.  Now in 2025, West Haven hockey is now adding a team to their co-op list and it’s a familiar rival. Branford.  Players from Shelton, Seymour and Oxford have been allowed to join West Haven since 2022 and now Branford.