This past winter, senior Sadie Passante joined an exclusive club of athletes by being named Shoreline Conference Player of the Year in two different sports during the same academic year.
Passante led both the girls soccer and basketball teams to state finals in consecutive seasons, and her sustained two-sport dominance in recent years has sparked conversations about her place among Morgan’s all-time greats.
To help settle the debate, historical records from the Clinton Alumni Association, Clinton Historical Society, and Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame informed Morgan PawPrint’s rankings of the ten greatest athletes in school history.
The rankings were based on the following criteria: Athletes were required to be at least multi-time all-state selections. Both individual statistical success and team accomplishments were considered, with an emphasis on significant contributions to winning at Morgan. In tie-break situations, preference was given to multi-sport athletes. Most importantly, all rankings were based solely on performance during their four years in a Morgan uniform, with collegiate or professional careers not taken into account.
Honorable Mentions
Jonathan Gutierrez ‘26 – Soccer
Gutierrez was a four-year starter and leading scorer for boys soccer, with plenty of accolades. He was selected to all-conference four times, all-state three times, all-New England twice, and remarkably named an all-American after his senior season. Gutierrez’s 99 career goals and 49 career assists is the most in program history. He will take his talents to the University of Hartford for the upcoming soccer season.
Chad Onofrio ‘92 – Basketball
Onofrio was a two-time all-state selection in boys basketball, and most notably led the program to its lone state title in 1992, and its twelfth conference championship. He finished his career with 1,247 career points, the second-highest total in program history. Onofrio later played at Tufts and was inducted into the Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.
Mike Panaroni ‘98 – Baseball
Panaroni was a three-time all-state selection in baseball, and one of the most dominant two-way players in program history. He posted a .466 career batting average while compiling a 21-5 record with a 0.93 ERA on the mound. He led the program to its second-ever conference championship in 1997. Panaroni later played at UConn and was inducted into the Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025.
10. Juan Avila ‘18 – Soccer, Track & Field
Avila had an illustrious four-year varsity run, culminating in leading Morgan boys soccer to their first state title in 53 years during his senior campaign. Along the way, he served as a team captain for three years, while being selected to all-conference four times, all-state three times, and all-New England twice. Avila was named the New Haven Register All-Area Boys Soccer MVP after his historic senior season where he led the region with 39 goals and 10 assists. Avila’s 90 career goals, second-most in program history, catapulted him to Southern Connecticut State University following his graduation from Morgan.
9. Ron Stopkoski ‘91 – Football, Track & Field
Stopkoski was a two-time all-state selection in football, and starred on the team alongside his twin brother, Rob. The twins started all four years, racking up a 38-4 record, three conference titles, and a state championship in 1987. Ron dominated both sides of the ball as a linebacker and running back, rushing for 4,460 yards in his career. Fittingly, he continued his football career at Sacred Heart alongside his brother, and was inducted into the inaugural Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame class in 2022.
8. Jason Grabowski ‘94 – Baseball, Basketball
Grabowski was a two-time all-state selection in baseball, and hit for a remarkable .582 batting average during his senior season. It was that senior campaign that got him noticed by the New York Yankees, who drafted him in the seventeenth round of the 1994 MLB Draft, right out of high school. Grabowski did not sign with the Yankees, and opted to play for UConn, where he became a program legend and earned All-American honors as a junior. Following a three-year collegiate career, Grabowski was selected in the second round of the 1997 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers. He went on to play four seasons in the show, notably appearing in 113 games for Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004. To no surprise, Grabowski was included into the inaugural Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame class in 2022.
7. Jeff Scott ‘92 – Baseball, Basketball
Scott sustained two-sport dominance across all four of his years at Morgan. On the baseball field, he was a four year starter and an all-state selection in his junior and senior year. On the basketball court, he was the co-star to Onofrio on the 1992 state championship team, where it was his performance in the title game that earned him MVP of the final. Not to mention his 1,217 career points on the court, making him a member of the 1,000 point club. Scott played baseball at UConn for four years after Morgan.
6. Sami Ashton ‘16 – Basketball, Volleyball
Ashton was a three-time all-state player for girls basketball, and led them to a conference title in 2015. Her 1,732 career points is the most in school history, taking into account both boys and girls. To complement basketball, Ashton was recognized as an all-state volleyball player in 2015, and won two conference championships and a state title on the volleyball court. She went on to play basketball at Connecticut College.
5. Rod Recor ‘90 – Football, Track & Field
Recor’s name appears on the Morgan gymnasium banners more than any other athlete in school history. A sensational three-sport athlete, he earned all-state honors twice in both indoor and outdoor track, along with all-state recognition in football as a senior. He was a member of the 1987 state championship football team, and won a Shoreline title that year, along with 1988. On the track, Recor dominated the shot put, capturing two state open indoor titles. Recor continued his track career at Yale, and was inducted into the Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame in 2024.
4. Maxx Bugg ‘15 – Golf
Bugg was an all-state golfer in all four of his years at Morgan, and was the cornerstone of a dynasty in the 2010s. He led the golf program to its only three state championships in 2013, 2014, and 2015, and three-peated for conference titles those years as well. Bugg went on to play golf for the University of Tampa.
3. Sadie Passante ‘26 – Soccer, Basketball
Passante dominated the Shoreline Conference in both soccer and basketball. On the soccer field, she delivered three conference titles and the program’s first-ever state championship, while being selected to all-Conference and all-State three times, and all-New England her senior year. On the basketball court, she was a three-time all-conference selection, and had quite the senior season, winning a conference championship, earning all-State, and joining the 1,000 point club. Passante was named the Shoreline Conference Player of the Year in both sports her senior year. She will continue her soccer career at Central Connecticut State University this fall.
2. Heather Washburn ‘97 – Volleyball, Basketball, Softball
Washburn had one of the most accomplished careers in school history, being a part of six state championship teams across all three sports. For volleyball, she was a two-time all-state selection, and led the program to four consecutive state and conference titles, with an 85-3 overall record in that span. On the basketball court, she won a Shoreline and state championship, with an 86-20 record in her four years. On the softball diamond, she was all-state twice, and won a state championship and two conference titles. Washburn especially starred for the softball team, where she was the Shoreline MVP in 1996, and her ridiculous 1.151 OPS was one of the main reasons the program won its first-ever state title. The year she won a state title in all three sports in 1995-96, they had a 68-7 record between the three. Washburn was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2010, and the Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame in 2024.
1. Lisa Barbaro ‘97 – Volleyball, Basketball, Softball
Barbaro is one of the most decorated athletes in school history, winning a remarkable six state titles as a three-sport athlete for Joe Grippo’s girls volleyball, basketball, and softball teams. For volleyball, she won four consecutive state and conference championships, never being denied throughout her tenure at the school. For both basketball and softball, she led the programs to their first-ever state championships in 1996, marking a year where she won state titles in all three sports. Barbaro was a two-time New Haven Register Athlete of the Year, and a first-team all-conference selection in all three sports, and earned all-state recognition in basketball and softball. She was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame in the high school player category in 2005, and the New Haven Tap-Off Club Hall of Fame and the Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022. She is currently the head volleyball coach at Southern Connecticut State University.
