
Farmington’s Angelo Maccarone (33) drives to the basket in Tuesday night’s season-opening loss to Southington. More game photos
FARMINGTON, Dec. 17, 2024 – It’s not often one gets to open a new facility but the Farmington High boys basketball team got that chance on Tuesday night in their season-opening game against Southington.
The town of Farmington opened the newly-constructed Farmington High in September. The girls volleyball team, which won a state championship with a thrilling come-from-behind win over Bristol Central in November, was the first team to play in the building.
Thursday’s varsity basketball game was the first of what will probably be hundreds of basketball games on the hardwood in the coming years with the River Hawks logo at center court. For these students and those to come, this will become the place to watch their classmates play basketball.
A young Farmington team got off to a great start, racing out to an early 11-2 lead thanks to three shots from three-point range. It didn’t last as a more experienced Southington team wore down the River Hawks to earn a 52-27 victory.
Lucas Narbutatis led the Blue Knights with 17 points while Logan Rembish added 11. It was Rembish, who scored the first varsity basket in the new building. Teammate Andrew Morikis got a steal just seconds into the game and began a fast break, dishing it to Connor Crist, who found Rembish driving to the basket.
Farmington (0-1) struggled to protect the ball as the Blue Knights had numerous steals and drives to the basket. The River Hawks, who aren’t a particularly tall squad, also struggled to rebound with just four offensive rebounds in the game.
“We’re young,” new head coach Craig Archambault said. With graduation and some older players deciding not to play basketball this season, there are no seniors in the program.
The only current player on this year’s team that got significant playing time a year ago was Angelo Maccarone. That Farmington team went to the Central Connecticut Conference Tournament semifinals last year and went 17-8 in the final season for long-time coach Duane Witter, who stepped down after 27 seasons with the team and 25 as head coach.
“We’re a group of five juniors, a good amount of sophomores and freshmen who are playing varsity basketball for the first time,” said Archambault, who came to Farmington after a successful 12-year run at Canton where he won 172 games, three league titles and secured 10 CIAC tournament berths.
“Tonight, we went up against a Southington team that was strong at every position,” he said. “They’re a more experienced, more senior group. I think that wore us down in the third quarter.”
Southington (1-0) led by six at the half, 24-18 and the River Hawks trimmed it to five points early in the third quarter when Maccarone hit a three-point shot to cut the lead to 26-21.
But that was the high water mark for Farmington. With steals, rebounds and several fast breaks, Southington scored the next 22 points of the game to seize control of the contest.
Maccarone led Farmington with 16 points, including three-point field goals. But the rest of the team combined for just four field goals and 11 points.
“The sign of a great basketball team is to be better at the end of the season than we were tonight and we will be,” Archambault said. “Our youth excites me. The opportunity to set the tone (for this program) excites me. The opportunity to set the culture excites me.”
It won’t be easy in the competitive Central Connecticut Conference against teams like Northwest Catholic, Middletown, Windsor, New Britain and Bloomfield (twice). Non-league contests include games against Xavier and defending Division IV champion Innovation on Thursday night.
Southington’s third-year coach Ed Quick was pleased his team erased the early 11-2 deficit. “And time you get on the road and its opening night, it is a crap shoot. You never know what your guys will do. I thought they responded well after the first four minutes and played well defensively.”
The first Farmington basket in the gym was a three-point shot from Maccarone.
The last time Farmington played in a new gym was in December 1979 when the squad played in a gym built along with a new auditorium. That gym and the original gym that came with the school when it was built in 1928 were demolished as part of the renovation of the property.
Southington 52, Farmington 27
At Farmington
Southington (52) Connor Crist 3-0-6, James Percival 0-0-0, Andrew Percival 0-0-0, Andrew Morikis 2-0-4, Alex Morikis 2-0-4, Enock Felix 0-0-0, Justin McCaskey 4-2-10, Mason Lombardo 0-0-0, Lucas Narbutatis 8-1-17, Logan Rembish 5-1-11. Totals 23-4-53
Farmington (27) Chase Clay 1-0-2, Alex Walton 0-0-0, Chase Becker 0-1-1, Xzavior Clark 1-0-2, Tyler Thompson 2-0-6, Michael LeBouthillier 0-0-0, Nimi Arora 0-0-0, Jake Tomkiewicz 0-0-0, Angelo Maccarone 6-1-16, Harry Hawkins 0-0-0. Totals 10-2-27
Southington (1-0) 11 13 22 6 — 52
Farmington (0-1) 11 7 3 6 — 27
Three-point goals: Maccarone (F) 3, Thompson (F) 2
NOTE: It was the non-divisional CCC contest. Farmington is in the CCC Central and Southington is in the CCC South.
More game photos
Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.


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