WOODLAND

Woodland High Field, Beacon Falls

Coach: Tim Shea (6th year, 32-21)
Conference: NVL
2012 Record: 8-4 (Class S semifinalists)
2013 Kickoff: Branford, Sept. 12, 6:30 p.m.
Top offensive players: Tanner Kingsley, Sr., QB; Levi Fancher, Sr., TE; Jack Pinho, Sr., WR; Taylor Tucciarone, Sr., WR; Alik Bures, Sr., OL; Jake Boncal, Sr., OL.
Top defensive players: Fancher, LB; Pinho, DB; Tucciarone, SS; Chris Slavin, Sr., LB; Justice Alefosio, Sr., DL; Austin Clarke, Sr., DL; Gage Rek, Sr., DL; Zach DeBrizzi, Sr., LB; Max McSperrin, Jr., DL.
Key losses: Anthony Scirpo, WR/DB; Jeremy Clark, OL/DL; Rahmi Rountree, WR/DB; Brian Reis, WR/DB; Joe Fancher, RB/LB; Kevin Brennan, OL/DL; Eric Collodel, OL/DL; Nick Brown, OL/LB.
Outlook: The best piece of news for the Hawks is that Kingsley returns under center. Kingsley completed 246 of 351 passes (70.1 percent) for 3,227 yards and a state-record 51 touchdowns against just eight interceptions last season. Kingsley has a chance to set the state record for career touchdowns. Kingsley has thrown 68 in his career, the state record is 112, set by former Masuk standout Casey Cochran. Woodland, though, lost a bunch to graduation, including its top two receivers, Anthony Scirpo and Rahmi Rountree, who combined for 134 catches, 1,998 yards and 37 touchdowns. But some talent remains in the receiving corps. Pinho caught 24 passes last season and should be the team’s top threat, and Fancher has the talent to be a play maker. Shea says the team is in the process of getting everyone on the same page offensively. The coach also said that the Hawks should be improved defensively. If the offense jells, the Hawks could make a return trip to the postseason.

Previous entries in the Inside The Huddle series:


Derby
Fairfield Prep
Guilford
Hamden Hall
Morgan
New Canaan
North Branford
North Haven
Norwich Free Academy
Notre Dame-West Haven
Pomperaug
Sheehan  
Wolcott
Xavier 

WOLCOTT

Monroe Field, Wolcott

Coach: Jason Pace (3rd year, 17-6)
Conference: NVL
2012 Record: 9-2 (Class M quarterfinalists)
2013 Kickoff: vs. Sacred Heart, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.
Top offensive players: Joe Lynch, 5-10, 185, Sr., RB; Tom Longo, 6-2, 240, Sr., OL; Tyler Staples, 5-10, 190, Sr., OL; Zac Burksa, 5-9, 160, Sr., OL; Jay Pelletier, 5-8, 150, Jr., WR; Vin Gambino, 5-9, 150, Jr., QB; Adam Santopietro, 5-10, 165, Sr., WR.
Top defensive players: Dan Catania, 5-10, 170, Sr., LB; Nick Rinaldi, 5-9, 180, Sr., LB; Sean Brooks, 5-7, 165, Jr., LB; Longo, DL; Staples, DL; Burksa, LB.
Key losses: Mike Nicol, QB; Jim Nelson, OL/DL; Brandon Walker, LB; Matt Cyr, WR/DB; Ryan Caggiano, WR/DB; Dylan Rossi, OL/DL.
Outlook: The Eagles, who qualified for the postseason the past two seasons, will begin life without all-state quarterback Mike Nicol, who passed for 1,535 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 1,271 yards and 20 scores. Nicol graduated, along with 18 other seniors. Filling those voids will determine how successful Wolcott is this season. Pace hopes to employ a more collaborative approach on offense. Gambino takes over under center. He completed 7 of 12 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 46 yards in a mop up role last season. The standout should be Lynch, who could be one of the best running backs in the NVL. Lynch rushed for 857 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior.  Pelletier has the talent to have a breakout year at receiver.

Previous entries in the Inside The Huddle series:


Derby
Fairfield Prep
Guilford
Hamden Hall
Morgan
New Canaan
North Branford
North Haven
Notre Dame-West Haven
Pomperaug
Sheehan  
Xavier 

DERBY

DeFilippo Field, Derby

Coach: George French (4th year, 15-15)
Conference: NVL
2012 Record: 6-4
2013 Kickoff: St. Paul, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.
Top offensive players: Tyrae Small, 5-10, 215, Sr., RB; Michael Kreiger, 6-2, 185, Jr., QB; Jordan LaRue, 5-10, 165, Sr., WR; Sal Frosceno, 5-8, 155, Sr., WR.
Top defensive players: Arben Komani, 6-2, 235, Sr., DL; Brian Eliasson, 5-9, 165, Jr., LB; Mike Mauro, 5-7, 155, Jr., LB.
Key losses: Dillon McMahon, WR/DB; Matt Nicolari, RB/LB; Blair Mitchell, OL/DL; Dave Ahearn, OL/DL.
Outlook: The Red Red Raiders lost their top offensive player (McMahon, 30 catches, 8 TDs) and defensive player (Nicolari, 101 tackles, 3 sacks) to graduation. But Derby returns several offensive players who contributed last season. Small rushed for 1,172 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He's expected to be one of the top running backs in the NVL. Kreiger (pictured above), meanwhile, completed 76 of 132 passes (57.6 percent) for 1,144 yards and 17 touchdowns. LaRue caught 18 passes last season, while Frosceno caught 17. They combined for six touchdown catches. Derby does have to replace all five offensive lineman from a year ago. French thinks his team has a lot of work ahead of them, but if the offensive line jells, and the defense comes together, it could be an exciting year. Derby notched its first winning season above .500 for the first time since 1996 last season.


Previous entries in the Inside The Huddle series:



Guilford
Morgan
New Canaan
North Branford
Pomperaug
Sheehan  
Xavier 

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Torrington Raiders hit the field for first practice of the season with new head coach Gaitan Rodriguez

Torrington head coach, Gaitan Rodriguez talks to his team during their first practice of the season. Laurie Gabordi - Register Citizen

By Pete Paguaga
ppaguaga@registercitizen.com
@PetePaguaga on Twitter

TORRINGTON >> “Raiders, Raiders!” echoed throughout the athletic fields in the back of Torrington High School as Gaitan Rodriguez closed out his first practice as head coach of Torrington.

“We’re very excited to get back on the field,” said Rodriguez. “The kids just want to get on the field.”

The Raiders program went through a tumultuous offseason overshadowed by a scandal that rocked Torrington.

Rodriguez graduated from Torrington in 1997 and was a member of the Raiders football program where he was an All-Naugatuck Valley League player. He took over the program in March after Dan Dunaj resigned in January, citing “family reasons.”

“It’s a dream come true,” said Rodriguez of being able to coach on the field he once played on. “It’s something I set out to do after I graduated from college.”

Rodriguez had players spread out across the field throughout the practice, making his rounds to the different groups of players.

“It’s all about evaluation,” said Rodriguez. “I thought it was a good day.”

He also wasn’t nervous about getting on the field for the first time with the team.

“I’ve been doing this for a while now,” he said. “I was anxious to get this day under way.”

Last season the Raiders went 6-4 and they lost a majority of their starters, but that isn’t going to stop the leaders of this year’s team.

St. Paul finished second at the 7-on-7 New England tournament held Tuesday at Peabody, Mass., losing 16-14 to St. John's Prep (Mass.).

From the ESPN Boston article on-line:

As St. John's Prep quarterback Mike Geaslen walked off the Bishop Fenwick High School football field, a teammate asked whether he was going to be at the next day's morning workout.

Geaslen held up the Under Armour Northeast 7-on-7 New England Championship trophy and said, “No man, I'm going to eat my cereal out of this cup.”

Prep, guided by the steady arm of Geaslen and its impressive list of offensive playmakers, defeated St Paul Catholic (Conn.) in the finals, 16-14, after grinding through pool play and a talent-laden bracket. The Eagles knocked off Chelmsford in the semifinals to set up a showdown with one of Connecticut's top teams.

During the finals, Thomas was charged with defending St. Paul receivers being fed by Logan Marchi, considered one of the top quarterbacks in Connecticut. Marchi, who verbally committed to UConn back in June, spent most of the day picking apart opposing defenses but was stonewalled by Prep during the final five minutes of the championship.

“That was a good quarterback. He was one of the best athletes on the field,” said Thomas, admitting that Marchi beat him a few times with accurate passes. “He throws some dimes.” 

MIDDLETOWN — When Derby’s Dillon McMahon heads off to UConn in the fall, his athletic career will essentially be over.

McMahon, a three-sport standout who played football, basketball and baseball this season for the Red Raiders, will not play an organized sport on the next level.

But McMahon will compete in one final football game before his high school career officially ends. McMahon will be a member of the National Guard, which faces the Marines in the first Hall of Fame Classic Military Bowl high school all-star game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Rentschler Field.

“It’s just another chance to show what I can do,” McMahon said. “It’s my last go for it all, I guess.”
Since practice started last week, McMahon has made quite the impression.

“Dillon has actually been a pleasant surprise,” National Guard coach Jim Buonocore said. “We’ve been really impressed with him and his ability to pick up the offense, and just the football savvy that he is showing. He’s competing. He’s competing with the best that Connecticut has to offer.”

McMahon will be part of a seven-man wide receiver corps.

“He’ll be in the rotation,” Buonocore said. “Normally our personnel grouping will consist of four on the field the majority of the time, but he’ll rotate with the six others.”

During his senior season at Derby, McMahon caught 30 passes for 542 yards and eight touchdowns and was named a Register All-Area selection. He also rushed for five touchdowns and scored four times on special teams. McMahon finished as a two-time all-Naugatuck Valley League and Class S coaches all-state pick during his football career.

From the Register Citizen: 

UPDATED




Two Torrington High School football players stand accused of sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. Four others were suspended in a hazing scandal last fall that is still under investigation. One player, the team’s second-highest scorer last fall, was allowed to play even though the team’s coach knew he had been charged with felony robbery and assault.

School officials claim that the sexual assault charges against 18-year-olds Edgar Gonzalez and Joan Toribio, the hazing and other incidents are isolated problems and don’t signal a deeper issue with the culture of Torrington High School, its athletic programs or football team.

But on social media in recent weeks, dozens of athletes and Torrington High School students, male and female, have taunted the 13-year-old victim, calling her a “whore,” criticizing her for “snitching” and “ruining the lives” of the 18-year-old football players, and bullying students who defend her.

VICIOUS TWEETS

Dozens of Torrington High School students have been discussing the case on Facebook and Twitter.

“I wanna know why there’s no punishment for young hoes,” asked “@asmedick.” That comment was reposted three times.








 Posts included graphic and vulgar language and, at times, photographs. Affiliations were determined by followers, posts of photographs and references.





A PREVIOUS ARREST
Before the sex assault charges against Gonzalez, the team’s Most Valuable Player, was charged in a March 2012 alleged felony robbery. He’s accused of jumping three juveniles, 14-years-old, in search of money. Three other teens are alleged co-conspirators.

Two of the teens were not identified because of their age. Jeffrey Holder, 19, a former Torrington High School football player, was the other person charged.

Both were charged with three felonies, including robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery and two misdemeanor, assault and attempt to commit larceny. Although 2011 was Holder’s final season, Gonzalez went on to play in 2012.

Former Head Coach Dan Dunaj said when he became aware of the pending robbery charges against Gonzalez, “I reeled the kid in after that, and he walked the line. As a coach I was doing something right.”

Dunaj resigned from his position as head coach in January, following a 6-4 season marred by the hazing scandal.

The school district is currently in the process of hiring a new coach, Torrington High School alumnus Gaitan Rodriguez, a social worker and assistant coach at Wallingford’s Sheehan High School.

By Register Citizen Staff
Torrington has offically offered the football head coaching position to former Sheehan High School offensive coordinator Gaitan Rodriguez.

“I was chosen,” said Rodriguez. “I am very excited and extremely excited to come home.”

He played at Torrington High School in the 90’s and was an All-NVL selection; he also began his coaching career with the Raiders.

Torrington Athletic Director Mike McKenna said they were looking for a coach who would be able to do more for the program than just coach on the field.

“We were looking for someone who’s going to develop young men academically and socially. Football is not the big thing that people are going to learn. What they get out of sports is way beyond what they learn on the field,” said McKenna. “I think Gaitan Rodriguez is the guy who can do that. I’ve known him since he was a freshman in high school. He’s absolutely what we were looking for.”


In other coaching news, Doug Cotto was hired at Bunnell and Rich Holmes was named head coach at Abbott Tech.

Our friends at the NVL football blog have listed 2013 schedules for NVL teams. Schedules are not official, and do not include dates and times.

2013 marks the first year of the NVL-SWC challenge, which takes place in Week 6.

Craig Bruno, who coached Bunnell to state titles in 2006 and 2007, has been named the next coach at Naugatuck. The news was first reported by the CT POST on Thursday.

From the POST article:

Bruno, 44, played at Bunnell in the 1980s and was elevated to head coach in 2001 to replace his mentor, Bob Mastroni.

Bruno will leave as its most decorated after 12 years, four state playoff appearances and two state championships.

Bruno, who is also the athletic director at Bassick, takes over at Naugatuck after a tumultuous 2012, which saw the school embroiled in a recruiting scandal involving former coach Rob Plasky and Sacred Heart receiver David Coggins. Plasky resigned in August. The Greyhounds went 6-4 under interim coach Shawn Kuczenski.

The South-West Conference and the Naugatuck Valley League have agreed to play interconference football games for the next two years.

The games will take place during Week 6 of each season. The matchups were determined based on the teams’ records in 2011 and 2012. The host teams will determine the dates and times of the games.

2013

Masuk at Ansonia
Newtown at Wolcott
Holy Cross at Weston
Woodland at Pomperaug
Barlow at Torrington
Bunnell at Naugatuck
Seymour at Oxford

Derby at Bethel
Brookfield at Wilby
New Fairfield at Sacred Heart
Watertown at New Milford
Kennedy at Stratford
Notre Dame at St. Paul
Immaculate at Crosby

2014

Wolcott at Masuk
Ansonia at Newtown 

Pomperaug at Holy Cross
Weston at Woodland
Naugatuck at Barlow
Torrington at Bunnell
Bethel at Seymour
Oxford at Derby
Sacred Heart at Brookfield
Wilby at New Fairfield
Stratford at Watertown
New Milford at Kennedy 

Crosby at Notre Dame
St. Paul at Immaculate

Our Thanksgiving Football Special Section was included in Wednesday's print editions. 

It features a story on Seymour statistician John Commune, who is retiring after 44 years on the sidelines.

ANSONIA — With his pen and notebook in hand, John Commune will walk the Seymour sideline tonight for the final time.

He will record every pass, every run and every touchdown in his shorthand style just as he always has. He’s been doing so since 1968, his junior year at Seymour High. Commune has missed just two games in his 44 seasons as the Wildcats statistician.

Now, he says, it’s time to retire that pen and notebook that’s been a staple in the Valley for so long.

“I’m getting old,” said the 62-year-old Commune, a lifelong Seymour resident. “The cold weather, it’s no fun. But I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. There’s been a lot of good memories. The coaches and kids have been great.”

There's also capsules on every area game.

Capsule: Hillhouse vs. Cross
Capsule: West Haven vs. Fairfield Prep
Capsule: Hand vs. Guilford
Capsule: Ansonia vs. Naugatuck
Capsule: Xavier vs. Middletown
Capsule: Cheshire vs. Southington
Capsule: Derby vs. Shelton
Capsule: Hamden vs. ND-WH
Capsule: Amity vs. North Haven
Capsule: Branford vs. East Haven
Capsule: Law vs. Foran
Capsule: Seymour vs. Woodland
Capsule: Old Saybrook/Westbrook vs. Morgan
Capsule: H-K vs. Valley Regional/Old Lyme
Capsule: Stratford vs. Bunnell
Capsule: Oxford vs. Pomperaug
Capsule: Platt Tech vs. O'Brien Tech

Ansonia wins NVL title

WATERBURY — Through 10 games, an opponent has yet to solve, much less contain, Ansonia’s potent offensive attack.

In the Naugatuck Valley League championship game with Woodland, it was essentially the same script its been all season: another decisive victory for the Chargers.

Through the air and on the ground, Ansonia, ranked third in the Register Top 10 Poll, operated on all cylinders Thursday.

Led by junior Arkeel Newsome, who rushed 23 times for 222 yards and three touchdowns, the Chargers cruised to a 56-26 win over the Hawks at Municipal Stadium.

It was the second straight league title for Ansonia (10-0), which has won 24 straight games.

READ MORE

THURSDAY'S ROUNDUP

Hamden scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to rally for a 26-24 win over Amity in Hamden on Thursday night.

Quarterback Eli Bonadies scored on a 5-yard bootleg with just under a minute left to cap the Green Dragons’ rally.

READ MORE

FRIDAY'S ROUNDUP

Quarterback Phil Cohen completed 14-of-20 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Valley Regional/Old Lyme football team to a 45-0 Pequot Sassacus win over East Hampton in East Hampton on Friday.

READ MORE

SATURDAY'S ROUNDUP

HYDE CLINCHES CLASS S PLAYOFF BERTH

Kevin Jones scored two rushing touchdowns and also tossed a touchdown pass for the Hyde football team in a 48-0 Pequot Conference Sassacus Division win over Nonnewaug Saturday at New Haven.

The Howling Wolves (9-0) clinched a Class S state playoff berth. Jones scored on runs of 70 and 5 yards and threw a 17-yard td pass to Kahlil Morant.

READ MORE

Junior Arkeel Newsome rushed 23 times for 222 yards and three touchdowns and he added a 25-yard touchdown reception to lead Ansonia, ranked third in the Register Top 10 Poll, to a 56-26 victory over Woodland in the Naugatuck Valley League championship game Thursday at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury.

Newsome, who scored on touchdown runs of 47, 53 and 15 yards, was named the game's MVP.

Sophomore quarterback Jai'Quan McKnight completed 6 of 7 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns for the Chargers (10-0), who have won 24 straight games.

Senior Andrew Matos caught a touchdown and ran for one, while senior Raeshaun Finney also had a touchdown reception for Ansonia. Hezekiah Duncan returned an interception 35 yards for the Chargers.

Tanner Kingsley completed 14 of 25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns for the Hawks (6-3).

FROM THE OXFORD PATCH:

Oxford High School athletic teams could be playing opponents such as Naugatuck, Derby and Seymour next year rather than the likes of Pomperaug, Newtown and Brookfield.

That’s because the Oxford Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to accept a committee’s recommendation that OHS apply for acceptance into the Naugatuck Valley League. Currently, Oxford plays in the South-West Conference.

The move is not a done deal. The NVL still has to accept Oxford. If accepted, Oxford teams whose sport is not offered in the NVL, such as boys’ volleyball, would continue to play in the SWC. Board members say the move would have no negative impact on current sports teams.

FRIDAY'S ROUNDUP

 Je'Vaughn Moore had a 99-yard touchdown run, recovered a fumble 36 yards for a touchdown amd Harold Cooper had three touchdowns as Hillhouse routed Lyman Hall 46-0 in a Southern Connecticut Conference Division II game in Wallingford.

Andre Anderson added a 30-yard touchdown of his own for Hillhouse (6-2) in the win over Lyman Hall (0-8).

Read more 

SATURDAY'S ROUNDUP

No. 9 West Haven 47, Wilbur Cross 12: Eddy Williams carried 14 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns to lead the host Westies to this SCC Division I East victory.

Ervin Philips scored on an 11-yard run, on a 3-yard run and on a 57-yard pass from Javon Taylor for West Haven (7-1).

Kadialy Toure returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown for the Westies.

Marshont Little and Stevie Swinson each had rushing touchdowns for the Governors (1-6).

Valley Regional/Old Lyme 41, Lewis Mills 7: Phil Cohen completed 12-of-14 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns for the visiting Warriors in this Pequot Conference Sassacus Division win at Muzzy Field in Bristol.

Read more

HOW THE TOP 10 FARED


No. 3 Ansonia wallops Wolcott to win NVL Brass Division

ANSONIA — For a few fleeing moments, the Wolcott football team seemed on the verge of making a contest out of its meeting with fellow unbeaten Ansonia despite being down by two touchdowns.

But the Chargers responded to every rally attempt, led mainly by senior Andrew Matos and junior Arkeel Newsome.

Matos and Newsome each scored three times as Ansonia, ranked third in the Register Top 10 Poll, earned a 41-12 Naugatuck Valley League Brass Division victory Friday at Jarvis Stadium.

Read more

Senior Andrew Matos caught two touchdown passes, scored on a 10-yard run and made an interception for the unbeaten Chargers in this NVL Brass Division win Friday over the previously unbeaten Eagles.

Matos caught touchdown passes of 31 and 25 yards from sophomore Jai'Quan McKnight. 

Junior Arkeel Newsome rushed 33 times for 250 yards and three touchdowns for No. 3 Ansonia (8-0).

ANSONIA — Saiheed Sanders could not have picked a better opponent to have a breakthrough game against.

As a freshman, Sanders attended Seymour before transferring to Ansonia, where he now lives with his father.

On Thursday, Sanders rushed nine times for 106 yards and three scores, leading the Chargers to a 47-0 Naugatuck Valley League Brass Division victory over, you guessed it, Seymour.


Read more here.

Saiheed Sanders rushed nine times for 106 yards and three touchdowns for the host Chargers in this NVL Brass Division win Thursday.

Sanders scored on touchdown runs of 6, 31 and 9 yards for Ansonia (5-0), which is ranked No. 4 in the Register Top 10 Poll.

Andrew Matos returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown for the Chargers after Seymour was forced to punt  on the game's opening drive that lasted nearly six minutes.

Jai'Quan McKnight tossed touchdown passes to Raeshaun Finney and Ryan O'Connor for Ansonia. 

Senior Andrew Matos rushed seven times for 102 yards and two scores and added a 42-yard touchdown reception from Jai'Quan McKnight in this NVL Brass Division contest, the 90th meeting between these rivals.

No. 4 Ansonia (3-0) leads the series 54-28-8.

McKnight (4-of-6 passing for 116 yards) also threw a 14-yard touchdown to Raeshaun Finney for the Chargers, who led 41-0 at halftime. McKnight also rushed for a 8-yard touchdown run, while Arkeel Newsome scored on a 2-yard run.

Newsome, though, missed much of the game aside from the first quarter due to an ankle injury. He carried six times for 34 yards.

Tyrae Small scored on a 77-yard run for the Red Raiders (2-1).