Class L qualifying round: No. 33 Naugatuck (8-12) at No. 32 Woodstock Academy (8-12) Friday at 6 p.m. The Centaurs get home-court advantage via the CIAC’s fourth tiebreaker (most wins…

BEACON FALLS — The Woodland boys’ basketball team celebrated senior night Wednesday by qualifying for the state tournament for just the second time in school history. The Hawks, playing in their final game of the regular season, got down to business and defeated Seymour by a 60-49 margin, making the postseason for the first time since 2005.

“These kids left everything they had on the court, and they deserve this,” Woodland head coach Tom Hunt said.

Seniors Bryan Spickle (23 points, 10 rebounds), Shaine Thompson (13 points), Ryan Genua (seven points, nine assists), and three-point shooter Eric Brandien came into the final home game of their careers, looking to extend the season.

BEACON FALLS — It was the same old story for the Woodland boys’ swimming and diving team last Friday against Kennedy—relay races costing the Hawks a close meet. Once again,…

WATERBURY — All season, Woodland couldn’t take down the royalty of the Naugatuck Valley League. Sarah Royals and Torrington made sure that didn’t change in Monday’s NVL tournament semifinal at Kennedy High, as the Red Raiders eliminated the resilient Hawks, 53-49.

Woodland couldn’t hold on to a lead that ballooned to as many as six points in the third quarter, as Royals (game-high 21 points) engineered an impressive comeback for top-seeded Torrington.

NEW HAVEN — It was a call made for the good of the team, the kind of decision a coaching staff can only make when it has veteran runners who are both unselfish and clutch.

Woodland coaches Jeff Lownds and Tim Shea scratched senior Brandon Fowler from the 300-meter dash at Saturday’s indoor track and field State Open at the New Haven Athletic Center, hoping to conserve his energy for the anchor leg of the four-by-400 meter relay. Fowler was seeded 13th in the 300, a long shot to crack the top six and qualify for the New England championships, but it was his last chance to run his best individual event.

WATERBURY — For 2 1/2 quarters, the Woodland girls looked like the same Hawks who had lost their last four games to end the regular season, trailing Ansonia, 33-21, with three minutes, 39 seconds to go in the third.

But over the final 11:39 of Saturday’s Naugatuck Valley League tournament quarterfinal matchup with the Chargers at Holy Cross High School, Woodland put together its most brilliant stretch of basketball this season. The Black and Gold outscored the No. 4 seed, 31-8, thanks to a suddenly-resurgent offense and a stifling man-to-man defense to pull away with a 52-41 win.

NAUGATUCK — The Greyhounds celebrated senior night Thursday with a 93-89 win over Watertown, preserving their perfect Naugatuck Valley League record with two meets left on the schedule.

Naugy (7-2, 6-0 NVL) blasted off the blocks, winning the first seven events to take firm control of the contest. The 200-yard medley relay team of Alex Grasso, Dan Sigetti, Trevor Heller and James Vaz got things started with a win in one minute, 50.60 seconds. Then William Wright claimed the 200 freestyle in 1:57.80, Anthony Krueger captured the 200 individual medley in 2:23.69, and Kyle Conrad took the 50 free in 22.99.

BEACON FALLS — The Hawks’ playoff hopes will be realized or dashed in the final game of the regular season. Woodland (7-12, 6-12 NVL) sustained a 62-61 defeat against St. Paul (10-7, 10-7 NVL) Thursday night, setting up a win-or-out scenario for Tuesday’s senior night contest with Seymour (11-7, 10-7 NVL).

The game against the Falcons was tight throughout. The teams were tied, 33-33, at the half, and the Black and Gold led by one, entering the fourth quarter. Yahmad Rountree had a big night for Woodland, scoring 17 points and pulling down 10 rebounds, but St. Paul’s Byron Jones was even better. The senior, who recently committed to play football at UConn, poured in 23 and 15 to lead the visitors.

OXFORD — Five players tallied double-digit points, the Hawks outscored the Wolverines by a dozen in the second quarter, and the Woodland boys’ basketball team stepped within one win of…

BRISTOL — The Woodland girls’ basketball team knew it would be stumbling into the Naugatuck Valley League tournament, after consecutive losses to Holy Cross, Ansonia and Torrington. But after Wednesday’s…