Training Camp Tour Day I: Nonnewaug

Chiefs Condition to Overcome Inexperience

Many pundits can look at a 5-5 record, a .500 mark, and point to mediocrity. If you are a fan of the Nonnewaug Regional Chiefs, the 2015 season that ended with that 5-5 record is the mark of prosperity.
The Chiefs began playing football at the junior varsity level eight years ago. Nonnewaug is entering their sixth season as a varsity program after two years in the land of the JV’s.

“Well I think the best advice that I can give any youngster is to have a positive attitude, listen to your coaches, accept it as gospel truth and work as hard as you can and you will get better,” stated head coach John Oko, the man who has led the Chiefs since Nonnewaug’s foray into football began.

The Chiefs return just six seniors on a roster comprised mostly of juniors and sophomores. Two of the three captains on this team are Zach Mauro and Garrett Lawlor. Mauro paced the team’s offense a year ago by rushing for 2,090 yards and 22 scores. Lawlor led the team in tackling picked off two passes. These two seniors must carry the banner of leadership for this young team if they are to improve upon their 5-5 record in 2015.

“You just got to motivate them,” offered Mauro. “You have to keep telling them: “the future is bright”. As long as you keep preparing and working hard, you will get time in the game.”

Lawlor and Mauro led stretching at practice, while taking the time to mentor their teammates during skill groupings. Lawlor, a lead-by-example-type guy, used his experience to determine what it takes to excel inside a young program.

“You know, we’ve been playing some varsity minutes since we were freshman so I think we can really lead some of the guys into being really good players,” recounted Lawlor.

The third Chiefs captain, OL/DL Andrew Kane, will not play in 2016 due to injuries suffered in an automobile accident this past May. According to coach, Kane suffered a broken wrist and a broken leg among other injuries that compromised his mobility, leading to intense physical therapy.

“He was in {Gaylord Hospital} for a good five or six weeks,” reported Oko. “He’s home now. He’s kind of getting around. I haven’t seen him since I saw him at Gaylord, but from what I understand, he is doing pretty well considering.”

The biggest task for Nonnewaug on #TrainingCampTour Day I: arduous conditioning. The team participated in gassers, hill sprints, and other drills designed to keep the Chiefs going late in games. Of the five losses suffered by Nonnewaug in 2015, four were games lost in the fourth quarter. Star running back Zach Mauro says that conditioning will not be a deterrent in 2016.

“This year we’ve done more conditioning than in the past and I think that is a big thing because in the 4^th quarter, you can’t be winded,” Mauro pointed out.

Mauro was the team’s workhorse in 2015, carrying the ball 265 times to move past the 2000-yard threshold. Coach Oko would like to see Mauro pound the rock a bit less to keep Zach fresh, while getting others going around him.

“You can say that we are rebuilding, but I don’t think so,” stated Lawlor. “I think we have a really good chance at competing this year.”

SIDE NOTE: I was really impressed by the presentation at Nonnewaug Regional in Woodbury. We arrived at the football facility at Nonnewaug around 3 p.m. and signs adorned fencing, while many parents and siblings willed their Chiefs through practice on a hot day. It is the largest bit of participation we have seen yet in the three years of the CPTV Sports Training Camp Tour.

-Frankie Graziano, CPTV Sports