London Powell remembers her dad, Dannie, coming home a week before Greens Farms would begin its preseason practices and telling her he had just been hired as the team's head coach. Powell broke the news to London like it was no big deal, but after he had been in and out of the running during the hiring process, London was surprised.
"I was sure that he wasn't gonna be the coach at that time, because I was like, 'Oh, our season's in two weeks,' and then it came down to a week and I was like, 'Oh no,'" she said. "But then he got the job and I was like, 'Oh, wow!' I was really surprised."
Powell was among a handful of unusually late NEPSAC coaching hires. When previous Greens Farms coach Maria Conlon left to become the head coach at Western Connecticut State (announced in October), that began a scramble to find someone new to lead the Dragons. A similar story played out at Middlesex. When Kenny Small Jr. left in September and filled the head coach vacancy at Rivers, that left the school searching, and they ultimately promoted Josh Smith soon after.
The sudden changes have revitalized both schools in stunning fashion. Greens Farms returns from winter break 7-0, emerging as a true championship contender in Class B. Middlesex, meanwhile is 6-1 — already tying the most program wins since 2018-19 — and believes it has a real shot at making the loaded, eight-team Class B playoff field.
