The 2015 High School Football Training Camp Special will air Sept. 4, 2015 at 7 pm, one week before we kick-off our Friday Night LIVE Football season in West Haven on Sept. 11 at 7 pm. Frankie Graziano will visit 20 camps in 10 days on this #TrainingCampTour! Follow along on social media to get involved in the discussion!
Frankie Graziano and CPTV Sports visited 20 football practices in 10 days on the #TrainingCampTour. He also stepped in 7 different counties, tussled with 9 restaurants, and traveled 929 miles to get you ready for the upcoming season.
Tune in Friday September 4 at 7 p.m. to watch the show! Keep your eyes on CPTVSports.org, @CPTVSports on Twitter/Instagram, and facebook.com/cptvsports for re-air information.
Represent your team and town by contacting us while watching with photos directed to our social media sites!
We hope that you will enjoy the show and follow along with us this season as we bring you Friday Night LIVE Football beginning September 11 at 7 p.m.
CPTV Sports is available on Frontier TV channel 65; Comcast cable channel 966 (with Comcast Danbury, Bethel and Ridgefield on channel 256); Cox Communications cable channel 805; Cablevision channel 139; Charter channel 180; Thames Valley channel 87; and MetroCast channel 418. The channel is also available digitally over the air at channels 24.3 (Hartford), 49.3 (Bridgeport), 53.3 (Norwich) and 65.3 (New Haven).
Coach Duane’s team grinds all day at camp and then participates in team bonding drills by the campfire at night.
Duane Maranda has spent 10 different offseasons at the Middlesex County 4H Camp in Moodus. He has coached at New London for seven years, but this year was the first time that he took the Whalers there.
There are a ton of whacky personalities at Whaler camp. This was perhaps the most fun group that I got a chance to spend time with during the #TrainingCampTour. Almost every kid asked to have his picture taken in some devilish pose. Kids were diving into the swimming pool left and right. An impromptu game of “four-square” broke out, led by quarterback Melquann Gomez. But when you ask the kids about football, their carefree nature fades into a focused attack.
New London literally limped into the playoffs with a 7-3 record (and some much-needed losses by fellow contenders) after suffering a tough defeat at the hands of arch-rival Norwich Free Academy, 63-40 LIVE on CPTV Sports, on Thanksgiving. They were eliminated by eventual CIAC Class M-Large champion Brookfield in their first playoff match-up, 46-14.
“It was a tough journey,” recalled tight end Major Roman. “We suffered some injuries before that game, but we worked very hard to that point and we would definitely like to see better results in the years to come, but we gave it our all.”
“We worked every day after lifting and we were here in the mornings running on our off-time, foot work, routes in the air, everything,” declared Gomez.
Melquann Gomez enters his first year as starting QB in 2015 as a junior.
Gomez inherits the starting quarterback gig from all-ECC first teamer Danny Maranda, the coach’s son, who is currently a freshman signal-caller at Worchester Polytechnic Institute.
“It’s a great experience anytime you get a chance to coach your son, obviously being on the field with him and anytime you get to travel with him back and forth to practice and to games, I mean that was special,” recounted Duane Maranda.
“He really prepared me for these next two years coming up, being behind him,” stated Gomez. “He’s humbled me a lot. He helped a lot through out the season just to get used to coverages and the little things.”
The two years on the bench have allowed Gomez to work on his arm strength and accuracy, in addition to the time he took to study defensive coverages. The playbook will be opened up a bit more this season for Gomez, who’s speed and quickness allows him to be more of a dual-threat quarterback. Roman will be a tremendous asset for Gomez as he is a Division 1-caliber tight end standing at 6’6″, 210 pounds.
D. Major Roman is receiving looks from Yale and UConn, among other Division I programs.
“He’s a big target!” exclaimed Gomez. I can throw him open, he can get open, and he can go up and get the jump ball.
Jelani Lucas is another big loss from the 2014 team. He collected 13 touchdown passes from Maranda and intercepted 7 passes on defense. He returned kicks and also punted for the team. Coach says that Lucas was so good that he will have to replace him with four or five guys.
Due to scheduling conflicts in the ECC, along with an abandoned game with FCIAC stalwart Stamford, the Whalers will not play during a 20-day stretch from November 6th to Thanksgiving. New London scrambled to find a 10th opponent after the FCIAC championship game controversy reared its head this summer. They were able to schedule Foran-Milford, but only during a previously appointed bye week on October 16th.
“It is going to give us the time to heal up and hopefully be in a position to be able to put a great team on against NFA who is going to be a very, very good team this year and then hopefully make a run at the postseason,” intimated Maranda.
Follow the #TrainingCampTour as it happens on Twitter. Please check in to cptvsports.org nightly for other team training camp recaps. For more on the Whalers, tune in to the 2015 High School Football Training Camp Special on September 4 at 7 p.m. Watch New London battle Bacon Academy on CPTV Sports, Tuesday, September 22 at 9 p.m.
These guys can talk some trash when they do one-on-ones in practice, but they are as united a bunch as it gets.
Montville coach Tanner Grove has gotten his message across to his players. It is almost time for them to execute against their opponents.
You Are Your Brother’s Keeper At Montville Camp…
The last two seasons at MHS have been shrouded in mediocrity. Tanner Grove’s teams have finished with identical 7-4 records, without a playoff berth to show for it.
“It’s not good enough to not make it so after every season he {coach Grove} comes in and he’s like “guys we have to sharpen up!” said offensive guard Kevin Murtha. “We have to do this. We have to do that and we have to make the playoffs this year.”
The Indians finished 4-1 in ECC Medium play last year, but the one loss was a glaring one, 48-19 against “ECC Big 5” school Ledyard. They were 1-2 against large schools. Norwich Free Academy stomped Montville 47-14, while East Lyme disposed of them 37-14.
“Not every year can a school with 600 kids line up and play with a school with 1,500, 1,800, or 2,000 kids,” claimed Grove. “I understand that, but here at Montville, we have a very proud tradition, so we attempt to play every large school in our area year in and year out knowing that when we win enough games on our schedule, we are in the playoffs.
The schedule talk is an important issue to raise when discussing Montville because it shows that maybe the Indians could get in the playoffs if they did not play as many big school teams. It gives the Tanner Grove an excuse as to why his team is not in the playoffs. However, the important lesson, especially for Grove to teach his kids, is that there are no excuses. Accountability is the key to improving in the game of football, and more importantly life as we know it.
Which brings us to the oldest of life lessons. Kevin Murtha shouted out the Book of Genesis (Christian Old Testament or Hebrew Bible) when discussing how he and his teammates will be accountable for one another this season.
“We are our brother’s keepers,” announced Murtha. “That’s our big spring motto this year that we had come out during our spring football season. We are responsible for one another. It’s from the story of Cain and Abel from the bible. We have to be responsible for everyone.”
According to the Book of Genesis, Cain and his younger brother Abel were the children of Adam and Eve. The boys grew up. Cain was the farmer. Abel, a shepherd. The boys both offered gifts to the Lord. Abel’s was looked upon more favorably and Cain got jealous. The Lord prompted Cain not to act on sin. Cain ignored the request and murdered Abel. When Cain was approached by the Lord to explain his where his brother was, he asked: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain was subsequently damned and essentially reminded “yeah, you are your brother’s keeper, dummy.”
Kevin Murtha is a 6’2″, 290-pound offensive guard. He is looking to go biblical on some defenders this season.
Murtha is a believer. He has bought in fully to what his coach is preaching. Jonathan McCray, the other offensive captain on the team, has as well.
“We just kind of took it upon ourselves to keep each other going,” said McCray. “Me and Murtha come out here and try to push each other to do what we got to do so we can try to get better and try to return to the playoffs.”
The Indians are in a decent position to succeed in 2015 because these two captains are both all-state players from 2014. McCray collected 16 touchdowns as a dynamic playmaker, while Murtha blocked for an offense that scored 34 points per game.
Murtha will be blocking for McCray this season, who will play quarterback after the graduation of Tyler Quidgeon. Both players looked very strong during my time at practice, as Murtha commanded his line-mates to heed his every word (and they did) and McCray rushed untouched for several LONG touchdowns.
Jonathan McCray is listed as an “ATH” on the Montville roster. He is a dynamic play-maker with elusive quickness.
“We got a lot of seniors this year that are dedicated to what we are trying to do: trying to get back to states, and make Montville what it used to be,” stated McCray.
“We have a group of 16 seniors right now and 14 of them were around in 2012 when we were in the playoffs,” said Grove. “Some of them have siblings and guys that they were very close to, so I think this group understands the expectation a little bit better than our last two groups.”
That expectation is to win behind responsible leadership.
Follow the #TrainingCampTour as it happens on Twitter. Please check in to cptvsports.org nightly for other team training camp recaps. For more on the Indians, tune in to the 2015 High School Football Training Camp Special on September 4th at 7 p.m.
It was nice to be greeted by some nice folks at Montville practice!
“Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the offers that I wish I would have at this point, but I’m going to keep grinding until those offers show up.”
That is what former Rocky Hill RB Chris Young told me back in November of 2013 when I interviewed him for a CPTV Sports story called: “Chris Young Wants To Go To College“. He had a 3.1 GPA at the time that we spoke and was a well-behaved kid. Young was finishing up a career in which he ran for 5,390 yards and 82 touchdowns.
Young ended up at Springfield College last fall, where he only received two carries in his freshman season. One of those carries resulted in a rushing touchdown.
His mother, Angela, e-mailed me on Sunday to share the news that Chris had officially made the team, thus completing his transfer to the University of South Carolina from Springfield College.
The move will force him to red shirt for his sophomore season.
Young did suffer some bad luck in practice Monday. The future Gamecock RB was taken down by a linebacker in practice and suffered a shoulder injury. I am told that he will not be able to practice this season, but will be ready to go for spring ball.
On November 1, 2014, Norwich Free Academy assaulted Bacon Academy 74-38, compiling 676 yards on the ground. Outgoing stud running back (now at Trinity-Pawling Prep School) Khaleed Exum-Strong collected six rushing touchdowns and 319 yards!!! His performance in the game was un-matched, but Connecticut high school football fans knew Exum-Strong had amazing abilities.
I will not be minimizing Khaleed’s performance in any way during this article. I just want to point out that this game will also be remembered for another outstanding performance by some one else. It would be the game that folks around the state truly felt Jawaun Johnson’s presence for the first time.
Jawaun Johnson will look to pass more in 2015, a ploy that NFA hopes will get them an elusive state title.
The sophomore rushed for 345 yards and three touchdowns. A few weeks later, LIVE on CPTV Sports, Johnson torched New London for 7 scores and 303 yards rushing. Norwich Free Academy clinched a playoff berth in that 63-40 disposal of the Whalers and would ultimately play for a CIAC Class LL-Large championship.
It certainly did not go the way that Johnson and NFA had planned. The Wildcats lost 49-0 to Southington. It was an eye-opening defeat that cajoled NFA toward a new approach this offseason.
“Every day we came here and lifted at 7 o’clock in the morning and just lifted, lifted, and lifted, and we would be like: “Is Southington doing this now?” exclaimed Johnson.
Head Coach Jemal Davis has led his team to the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, including two Class LL title games. However, the Wildcats have lost by 30 or more points in each time they were eliminated. Davis decided that his team should add an aerial assault to their game-plan in hopes of bringing an elusive state title to the Rose City.
“We need to be balanced,” declared Davis. “We knew that he would be very talented in terms of running our option aspect of the game. This year, we just want to get better to be able to throw the ball so we have been working extremely hard and improving his mechanics and also our route running.”
Coach Jemal Davis has led the Wildcats to three straight playoff berths.
Jawaun must have thrown a million passes in practice on the day that the CPTV Sports crew was at NFA. Jemal gave it a rest here-and-there and also made sure that a trainer checked in on his prized quarterback’s arm. It was apparent Johnson was going to have to rely on more than just his speedy legs (the guy is a CIAC Class LL Outdoor Track champion in the 100 and 200M events!!!).
Coach has been teaching me how to read the defense more and more so I think that should help us,” reputed Johnson. “I’m feeling great and hoping to get some balls in the air this year to bring up the team.”
Johnson did throw some short passes in practice, but he spent a lot of time throwing passes of more than 30 yards. He did not disappoint, whether is was a slant route or a ball thrown outside. We also got to see the weapons that he will be playing with this season.
Griffen Gooden appeared to be the most athletic of the bunch, showing off impressive route-running skills as he shed defenders for a couple of big gains. The chemistry between the two was off the charts, as Johnson had no problem throwing to Gooden’s inside shoulder.
“Griffin is just an athlete and he can do whatever you want him to do,” explained Johnson.
NFA boasts an array of new receiving weapons for Johnson in 2015. Each player on the team watches each passing drill closely, as the pass becomes more of an important function of the Wildcat offense.
6’2″, 210-pound newly converted tight end Keenan Jackson has been turning heads in practice because of his ability to quickly pick up the offensive scheme. Marquis Ward, Johnson’s track teammate, missed last season due to injury, but will be available as a receiver for Jawaun in 2015. DeJean General, who transferred to NFA from Fitch-Groton, is expected to make a contribution as well because he can run and block.
“I think we now have the weapons so that we are able to be more balanced than we were the previous year,” proclaimed Davis.
It is clear that team speed, along with complete balance in play selection, will dictate how well the Wildcats will play in 2015. Johnson is well on his way to becoming a complete quarterback at the high school level. You still may want to keep your eyes on those legs of his, though, if you play for an opposing defense.
Norwich Free Academy visits Ledyard, LIVE on CPTV Sports, Friday, October 30th at 6:30 p.m. Follow the #TrainingCampTour as it happens on Twitter. For more on the Wildcats, tune in to the 2015 High School Football Training Camp special on September 4th.
The Colonels will play “next man up” this season without 2014 all-CT star Jo-Jo Shumaker.
Finding Jo-Jo…
The incomparable Josiah Shumaker carried the pigskin 190 times in 2014 for 2,246 yards and 40 TD. Jo-Jo helped the Colonels win 21 games in the last two seasons. He’s also a rather large reason as to why Ledyard appeared in a state title game in 2014.
Shumaker graduated from the school this past June, leaving behind a huge void for the Colonels’ backfield on his way to Milford Academy.
“There’s going to be a lot of guys trying to fill those shoes and those are pretty big shoes to fill,” articulated head coach Jim Buonocore. “I’m not so sure that we can replace Jo-Jo, but we will do our best or try to account for the yardage, the touchdowns. He was a record-setting back, arguably the best back to come out of this school.”
Ostensibly, Manny Sanabria will be the guy who receives the lion’s share of the 2014 CHSCA All-State selection’s carries. Sanabria played on the defensive side of the ball as a sophomore in 2014, collecting 19 tackles as an outside linebacker. Buonocore has tabbed him to start at running back, mainly because of his versatility.
“We can get him the ball in many different ways, so he’s going to be used a little bit different than Jo-Jo, but he’s a big physical kid who runs well,” intimated Buonocore. “He will probably be the top guy right now that we are looking at to take up some of the yardage and points that Jo-Jo put up for us.”
“He’s a good mix of speed and power, almost like Jo-Jo,” added senior quarterback Ty Ebdon. “Nobody is really like Jo-Jo, but he’s a good replacement for him.”
Ty Ebdon has thrown 62 touchdown passes in the last two seasons, but would also like to add a rushing component to his game in 2015.
Ebdon has been the other cornerstone in building Ledyard’s most recent successes. His 63 touchdown passes are a school record for the now 50-year old program. That mark is good for 22nd in state history among all quarterbacks. Ebdon completed a career-best 32 touchdown passes in 2013 as a sophomore and picked up 30 last year. Shoutout to the man who runs the @LedyardFootball twitter account, Matt Edwards, for providing those numbers.
There is no doubt that we will all be watching this season to see how many touchdown passes will be thrown by the scrappy 5’11, 195-pound signal-caller. I have been told, though, that you should anticipate a little more from Ty this year.
“He can run the ball very well, we just haven’t had to use him in that manner with some of the talent we have had in the past few years in the backfield,” claimed Buonocore. “This year, we are going to open him up a little more and try to get a dual threat presence from him.”
Ahh, a bit of foreshadowing from Ledyard’s leading man! The running game is very vital to the bruising style of football that the Colonels like to play. It certainly helps that Ebdon is a stalwart in the passing game, but he is working to prove to his coach that he is multi-faceted.
“I’m working on my conditioning for running the ball and lifting to get stronger so that I can take those hits that I’m going to have to take,” expressed Ebdon.
Luke Saccone, in addition to Ebdon and Sanabria, will be a playmaker for Buonocore. The speedy receiver is a sight to see, especially when lined up on the outside. Ebdon tells me that his chemistry with the wide-out has been on-point in the preseason and that he was able to hit two long fade attempts to Saccone in a scrimmage versus SCC studs Hand-Madison.
Mike Leandri will be the main protector on the offensive line in Ledyard this season. He is expected to play in Week 1, but will be really toughing it out to do so. Watch the one-hour long special to learn more about his bravery, along with the rest of the happenings surrounding the 2015 Ledyard football team.
Ledyard’s Alpaca wanted nothing to do with myself and this football.
By the way, the Colonels had a non-CPTV Sports camera in the house on the day of my visit. It must have something to do with the team’s 50th anniversary celebration! I did not ask because I want to be surprised if it is true. The celebration of this anniversary for the tradition-rich program sounds like a good “Best in Connecticut Sports Spotlight” story. Hit @FrankieGrazie6 up on twitter if you like that idea.
Ledyard hosts Norwich Free Academy LIVE on CPTV Sports, Friday, October 30 at 6:30 p.m. Follow the #TrainingCampTour as it happens on Twitter. For more on the Colonels, tune in to the 2015 High School Football Training Camp special on September 4th.
If you are a Colonel and you’re still sad about losing Jo-Jo… …Maybe Valentino’s Restaurant is the spot for you to wipe your tears away… or just grab a hot slice!
The “Grandma” of Colonel Ledyard Highway.
I spent most of my time there on Friday yappin’ with Santos and Anthony, the co-managers of the legendary Ledyard establishment. They wanted me to know that the place is more than just a pizzeria. They make sandwiches with fresh bread that comes in from the Bronx. They have got the best ingredients that Napoli foods has to offer. They even like to mix-in the catch of the day from time-to-time just to surprise you!
All of that being said, I would not go in there without grabbing a slice of the pizza. The dough is made fresh in-house. The “Grandma” pizza is a winner. It is baked on a pan with oregano, Parmesan, and a little olive oil to tickle your fancy. Fresh marinara sauce and mozzarella top this Italian delight.
These guys are smart. They know that people don’t want everything Italian style! So, they make other pies like a nice take on the “Buffalo Chicken” and a loaded baked potato pizza.
I think you know where I will be before our telecast on October 30th.
Xavier was one of two schools visited on Day VIII!
Watch Rock Cats baseball LIVE on CPTV Sports tonight at 7. Don’t miss the final Rock Cats game ever in New Britain Sunday, LIVE at 1:30. Frankie Graziano is on his way to Ledyard, followed by Norwich on the #TrainingCampTour! It’s Day IX! School’s 17 and 18 visited out of 20! Visit our website for team previews and photos.
The CPTV Sports WIRE, a sports radio update by Francesco Graziano Jr. can be heard on our exclusive radio partners, sports stations ESPN 97.9 FM and Fox Sports Radio 1410 in Hartford.
A sixth state football title may be around the corner for the Falcons. The defense of their fourth title in five years begins LIVE on CPTV Sports at West Haven on 9/11.
One For The Thumb…
If New Britain (our other visit on Day VIII of the #TrainingCampTour) was No. 1 on the most unlikely team to make it to the 2014 CIAC Football Playoffs, then maybe Xavier is number 2, but for totally different reasons.
The Falcons have the pedigree that would make you bat an eyelash at my previous assertion multiple times. Heck, they won three Class LL state titles in four years, and that was in the time before the CIAC decided to play eight state championships for the 2014 season only. Heading into Week 7, they were 6-0. It just so happens that Week 7 is when the Southern Connecticut Conference schedule reared its ugly head in the direction of Middletown. Xavier lost three straight games against ND West Haven, Hand-Madison, and Shelton. In just three weeks, it seemed as though Xavier would be sitting out the postseason.
“It really started before the Fairfield Prep game,” opined Xavier head coach Sean Marinan. “We were worried about a lot of other things. There was a lot of doubt. I just said: we are what we are. We’ve got some things we need to do well and we have some talented kids so just go out and play football. Stop worrying about everything else!”
One of Sean Marinan’s legendary pep talks to his team resulted in mandatory Monday lifting before practice and increased conditioning.
The Falcons have started practice late this year, at the behest of the CIAC, after participating in spring football
“That definitely helped, but kids mature,” reputed Marinan. “Certain things happen at different levels with kids and sometimes you hope it happens sooner than later. Two or three of those kids really grew up. It coincided with the Fairfield prep game.”
It looked like the Falcons would lose a fourth straight game on that November 14th evening. Xavier trailed for most of the game, including twice in the fourth quarter. They scored three touchdowns in that stanza and stunned Fairfield Prep 35-28.
“We said alright, coach, we will listen to you,” recounted running back Glenn Cunningham. “Tell us all what to do. And we did it.”
The Falcons sat two weeks after they complete their 10-game schedule much earlier than everyone else. When the dust settled, Xavier was going back to the playoffs with a 7-3 mark, ranked sixth out of eight ClAC Class LL Football teams. The rest is history: the Falcons held Newtown down 13-7 in the Class LL-Small semis and then a Kaleb Lutton blocked PAT paved the way for a fourth state championship in five years, 28-27 over SCC rivals Shelton.
Marinan attributes this success to the bravery of his football players that certainly did not come overnight.
“We’ve got really good kids that are high quality and nice kids,” intimated Marinan. “Particularly with kids that are big at a young age, they are always told: “Don’t hurt anybody, take it easy, be nice.” We have to train that out of them because when you step across that white line, you have to be pretty mean and nasty.”
Kevin Lawrence put on 20 pounds this offseason. He is not fat…at all!
A big boy on the Xavier offensive line is Kevin Lawrence. His unit was responsible for the turnaround last year as they gave quarterback Mike Scherer and Cunningham ample space to run downhill. Lawrence is 6-foot-3, 300 pounds and wears a size 15 boot. He will not be leaving behind an aggressive attitude adopted in 2014.
“We have to be more aggressive this year to get a shot at the playoffs, stated Lawrence. ” I want to be a better teammate, be a better leader, and show my teammates an example of what to do out there.”
Lawrence has backed that claim up by putting on 20 pounds this offseason, thanks to some extra time spent in the weight room. That should bode well for Cunningham, who rushed for two touchdowns in the 2014 championship game.
“I had a great line and some big boys up there,” stated Cunningham. “I just followed them and it made my job easy. We will definitely be a younger team. We graduated a lot of seniors. There will definitely be a lot of progress throughout the year.”
Mike Scherer will most likely be replaced by former back-up Luke Schoonmaker. Look out for Jalen Williams to break-through as a rusher after missing all of 2014 due to a torn achilles injury. Other dazzling seniors from last year’s team such as Lutton, Edwin Luster, and all-state players Andrew Verre, John Sullivan, Tanner Kern, and Paul Marinan, will also have to be replaced.
If 2014 tells us anything, it proves that there is no coaching job that is too big for Sean Marinan. Eyes will be locked on Xavier across the state as they attempt to win a fifth title in six years.
The Xavier Falcons help open up our Friday Night LIVE Football slate on CPTV Sports, Friday, September 11 at 7 p.m against West Haven. Follow the #TrainingCampTour as it happens on Twitter. Please check in to cptvsports.org nightly for other team training camp recaps. For more on the Falcons, tune in to the 2015 High School Football Training Camp special on September 4, 2015.
Cunningham rushed for 536 yards and 5 TD in 2014, but got hot as the year went out. What can he do behind a big o-line in 2015?
New Britain’s tough play down the stretch allowed for the Golden Hurricanes to make the playoffs in 2014. Can Tebucky Jones get his team back there in 2015?
You can make the case that the Golden Hurricanes of New Britain were 2014’s most unlikely playoff team. They were forced to navigate their way through an arduous CCC large school schedule that included Glastonbury, Southington, and Hall-West Hartford among others. The team suffered three losses before their final game and due to injuries, were forced to go through three quarterbacks! Finally, New Britain was ranked 13th in the Class LL rankings before a final regular season matchup against eventual CIAC Class M-Large runner-up Berlin.
The Golden Hurricanes jumped into the sixth place with a 7-zip shutout victory over the Red Coats, eventually settling into seventh, thanks to a very New Britain effort in that final game last November.
Coach Tebucky Jones, who always plays his cards close to the vest, sent out Dajion Hill to be the starting QB without advanced notice. CJ Gaskin did not flinch when he found out he would not be the starter. His interception, with an injured arm that forced him to previously sit from the quarterback arm, clinched the victory that sent the team to states. It was an improbable berth for New Britain to say the least, but it became possible in part because the team lived by every word spewed from their coach’s mouth. When a guy who played in the NFL for eight seasons (and has a Super Bowl ring) talks, you listen.
“The biggest thing {I told them}, and it started in the beginning of the year, was everyone do their own job,” stated Jones. “We would watch film and everyone would be acting like super heroes, doing their job for other guys, but we would tell them, you have to do your job in order for us to see who’s doing their job. Guys got more disciplined and we were able to correct some things.”
“The key for me was making sure I got the ball in the right person’s hand at the right time,” offered Gaskin. “I stepped up and played defense late for my team later in the season, making sure I had to lock the guys down and do whatever I could to help my team win.”
Jones intimated to me that Karell Largent and Josh Graves, linebackers from the 2014 season, were the heart and soul of the team. Alex Swaby picked up two sacks in that Berlin game. All three of these gentlemen have graduated. The Golden Hurricanes also lost some undisclosed transfers. Thankfully for New Britain, Gaskin and Kyshawn Gunn, impactful defensive backs who will also make a difference on offense, will return in 2015. It is their turn to lead the team.
The team joined Capital Prep-Hartford at the Camp Niantic Army National Guard Training Site last weekend. It was an invaluable session for coach Jones, as it became apparent that Gunn would be named a captain in this 2015 season, thanks to his demonstration of leadership at Camp Niantic. Jones was impressed with Gunn’s organization of the groups in preparation of National Guard-run drills, along with initiative taken to approach New Britain coaches to ask what can be done next to wrangle his fellow teammates.
“I love going up there because it is more than just conditioning, you get a chance to get away,” said Jones. “We can work with the national guard and they teach teamwork and family.”
Kyshawn Gunn will play running back and corner back this year. He will be a captain.
With leadership comes the pressure of the position. Speaking of positions, Gunn will face even more pressure from coach to succeed since Jones was a defensive back at the highest level.
“I feel the pressure all the time,” said Gunn. “Since he was a DB in the NFL, I’m trying to fill his footsteps and be as great as him to make it their hopefully.”
Gunn’s fellow senior defensive back, Gaskin, will also heed the call to lead on the field. After all, it was Gaskin’s ability to put himself second last year that allowed New Britain to use Hill at quarterback and spread the ultra-athletic Gaskin around the field. That is what coach Jones will do this year as the Golden Hurricanes attempt to get back to the playoffs.
“Wherever they put me, I’ll go 100 miles per hour,” boasted Gaskin. “I don’t’ really have a certain position. I’m an athlete and I’ll go out and make plays for my team.”
Follow the #TrainingCampTour as it happens on Twitter. Please check in to cptvsports.org nightly for other team training camp recaps. For more on the Torrington team, tune in to the 2015 High School Football Training Camp special on September 4, 2015. Finally, the Golden Hurricanes will play LIVE on CPTV Sports, November 20th at 7 p.m. against Berlin.
On the Fast-Track to Main Street
I recommend eting a hot dog on #NationalDogDay and maybe every other day. #Murica
Wednesday was a big day in New Britain. Governor Dannel P. Malloy joined Mayor Erin Stewart downtown to tout the early success of the CTfastrak busway that opened back in March. This service connects Hartford to New Britain and was created to ensure a speedy commute.
Malloy stopped at Capitol Lunch on Main Street for a treat because obviously he wanted to celebrate National Dog Day right??? Maybe not, but that’s why I was there.
Capitol Lunch opened up in 1929, across the street from where it presently stands today. Current ownership took the reins back in the 50’s, but share a commonality with the previous guys: they are both Greek! This could explain something about the Famous Sauce that goes on the Hot Dogs.
All that we know about this sauce is that it has meat in it and that the owner is willing to share that it is has a Grecian influence. That’s pretty much it.
Oh, and it goes really well with mustard and onions 😉
The current owner’s son mixes this bad boy up a few times a week, What’s in the famous sauce? I don’t know, it’s a secret!
Chris Currier is 37 years old. He comes from Montville and currently resides in Colchester. He has two kids and a mane of facial hair that has been touched by hues of grey. He wears a gold chain adorned with a maroon “Tomahawk” that appears to be a nod to the colors worn by his new team, but swears that it is a coincidence as it is a salute to his Native American heritage.
The Warriors are off and running toward a goal of getting back to the playoffs. They have a whole new team and organizational philosophy.
“Coach Philippon left for whatever reasons that he did, but I still think that there is a lot of talent here and it just needs to be developed properly,” reputed Currier. “I’m a young enough coach to where I want to do that and I want to have the time to do that. I want to develop these guys into being great football players.”
Currier was selected by a search committee in Canton this past June to succeed Philippon as head coach. The former coach left in December after the team had made the CIAC playoffs and finished the regular season 10-1. The team graduated 9 all-conference players. Philippon told the Collinsville Press that he did all the could to bring more kids into the program, but left due to the fact that 18 kids were returning and he had no idea if his staff could wrangle in more.
Senior fullback and inside linebacker Matt Bangs was a part of the search committee that chose to hire Currier.
“I think he knows what he’s doing,” articulated Bangs. “He’s established great relationships with the players. He’s very personal and personable. He can connect with players.”
Matt’s 65 tackles on defense in 2014 are the most of any returning player. The team lost three running backs that each rushed for at least 950 yards, so the senior captain, along with Eddie Melton will try to fill-in for a group that accounted for 300 yards rushing per game last year.
It is clearly a team that will change its ways from a year ago. Currier will institute the “Pistol Offense” in 2015, a style of play used to mask play selection for a rush-heavy, but not exactly passing-ignorant team. Coach wants to utilize his team speed to run 65% of the time and dictate possession, but he also wants his quarterback to throw the ball because “passing is a part of the game.”
“My philosophy is a little bit different than coach Phillipon’s was,” challenged Currier. “With low numbers, we condition a lot because we have to. It’s really just getting kids to buy into the program, because that’s what it is now, a program.”
“Compared to last year, it’s a whole new thing to us,” exclaimed Bangs. “This year: sprints before lifting, sprints after lifting. Endurance drills. Running up the field and down the field. Everything you can think of, we are doing it.”
We saw rain for the first time on the #TrainingCampTour forcing us to leave practice, but we got what we needed at Canton practice!
In other words, Currier knows he may not have a lot of football players, but he has some athletes and will take a classic approach to give his kids an opportunity to play. He has teamed with athletic director Craig DeAngelis to create a junior varsity team, three years after a lack of organizational depth forced the school to ditch the program. Currier has 38 kids on his roster, but does not want the young kids to play for the sake of filling out a roster sheet. Those guys will play on the JV team and watch the varsity kids go at it.
Guys like the team’s true leader, quarterback Alex Higley, will show the youngsters how it’s done so that Canton’s future will be a successful one. He is one of three captains, but I have got to say after watching him command the huddle, that he is the unquestioned leader. I was also pleasantly surprised at how quick he has picked up this pistol offense, especially when you consider the fact that coach was hired less more than three months ago! He rolled out well and demonstrated a quick, accurate ball.
Alex Higley has been cleared to throw the ball a year after completing seven passes in 2014 in just 17 attempts.
Higley told me what he did for the team last year. “Really just led the team down the field,” explained Higley. “Not much throwing, it was run-first, smash-mouth football. This year is a whole lot different and I’ve got a whole new role. We are throwing it more than last year.”
Higley attempted just 17 passes a year ago on a team that threw the ball 40 times for 302 yards. But there are realities associated with having a low rate of participation. Higley, one of the team’s finest athletes, will not play very much on defense because he has just one freshman behind him on the depth chart.
It is refreshing to know that Currier will be protecting his quarterback’s health, while ensuring that his young back-up can develop on the junior varsity team.
“Our freshman players will not just be tackling dummies.”
That message was brought to you by a coach who seems to know what he is doing as he jump-starts a program less than three months after taking the job. His team seems to be buying in as well…
Follow the #TrainingCampTour as it happens on Twitter. Please check in to cptvsports.org nightly for other team training camp recaps. For more on the Canton team, tune in to the 2015 High School Football Training Camp special on September 4, 2015. See Canton battle Coginchaug Regional on CPTV Sports, Tuesday, October 27 at 9 p.m.
