WHS-SEYMOUR

In a pre-game chat, I asked Waterown High School football coach Mike Veronneau whether, from his viewing of the game film, Naugatuck had been that good or Seymour had been that bad in the opening game betwen the teams.
"Neither," was his reply. "it just looked like one of those nights, because Seymour has some good players, so we can't think we're going to roll over them...that would be a mistake."
After Seymour's first drive of the game between Brass Division rivals at the Mills Athletic Complex, Veronneau had to be wondering whether it might be one of those nights for his Indians.
It wasn't, as the Indians, led by Curtis Pomeroy's 203 rushing yards, took control of the game in the second half and won going away, 26-7 to improve to 2-0 on the season.
"We made the defensive adjustments we had to make at halftime," said Veronneau, and by tasking away the middele from them, we forced them to do some things they may not have wanted to, we forced some mistakes and created turnovers which we converted."
The Indians, did indeed create points off turnovers, and withe their air game grounded, it was left to quarterback Matt Quatrano and Pomeroy to ground out the yards needed to put points on the board.
After Seymour quarterback Luke Grabowski led a masterful drive which would have brought tears to the face of Bill Parcells, a 17-play, 75-yard march which consumed 7:02 and put the 'Cat on top, Quatrano went to work.
After a 23-yard Pomeroy carry on the Indianb's first play, the senior caled his own number and took off on a scintillating 52-yard run through the Seymour defense to bring the Indians to within 7-6 after a missed PAT, which has been a problem for WHS in the early going.
Costly penalties hurt both teams in the second quarter, but the Indians got a break when, on the 16th play of another looooong Seymour drive, Jon Wilson's fumble at the WHS 5 with 1:34 remaining kept them within one point.
The turning point of the game came with just over seven minutes remaining in the third quarter when Quatrano's bone-jarring hit on Seymour's Michael Fraser shook the ball loose after a completion at the Watertown 40.
Cornerback Carlos Arvelo alertly scooped the ball up and went the other way, 60 yards into the end zone to put the Indians on top to stay.
From my observation point, it did not appear that Fraser had the ball long enough for the play to be ruled a completion, but not hearing a whistle, Arvelo was savvy enough to pick the ball up and run.
"Heads-up there, and a big hit by Matt," said Veronneau.
There was no quit in Tom Lennon's Wildcats; they immediately stalked their way downfield again, this time mixing the quick pass for small but significant chunks of yardage along with the run, al the way to the WHS 9.
That's where disaster struck - again, as Watertown's Joe Cianciolo recovered a fumble to help preserve the lead.
Despite a silly taunting penalty, one of several unnecessary flags which had veteran observers shaking their heads, Watertown, with Quatrano and Pomeroy running through monstrous holes opened up by o-linemen Cianciolo, Jeremy Plourde, Albion Lumani, Dan Delgado and Kyle Cave, simply wore down the Seymour defense, charging 91 yards in eight plays, ending with Quatrano's 20-yard fourth quarter run that put WHS in a commanding poition at 20-7.
"I also have to give credit to the lead blocks of our fullbacks Ryan Milo and Brett Boll, said Veronneau. "They made the big gaps that Curtis and Matt exploited."
The Indians put the icing on their victory cake on Arvelo's 14-yard run with 7:34 left; from there it was matter of getting Pomeroy his 200-yard game, which the Indians did, as he carried on nine of the Indians' last 11 plays.
Did it feel like a 26-7 win, coach?
"Not really, not when you're down 7-6 at halftime," laughed Veronneau, who then got real serious.
"We still have a lot of work to do, and we'll have our hands full with St. Paul's next week," he said.
No doubt the Falcons (1-1, 0-1 in NVL Copper) will come in to the MAC with a bit of a chip on their shoulders after yielding 62 points to Holy Cross in September 24.

NVL week two

Summer 2010 is officially history, despite the temperatures, leaving us to wonder two things:

1.) Where the heck did it go; because yesterday, I was staring out our timeshare towards Newport Harbor, and;

2.) Is week two of the NVL football season the first to feature divisional contests?

Answering question one is difficult, because every year, I keep asking myself: Where did it go...no really, I do that waaaay too much.

Ah, but the second inquiry is easy to reply to.

Yes, week two of the NVL season will feature division rivals, with the exception of Sacred Heart/Derby, but that's what you get when you have two seven-school divisions; there will never be a week when it's all divisional...unless you have byes (yech).

Campare it to MLB; if they went to a pair of 15-team leagues, you'd have to have an inter-league game every night (double-yech).

Oh, well, let's look a little deeper into things, shall we?

The game I'll be at will be the second of a two-sport double-header at the Mills Complex.

At 3:30, the undefeated Watertown High School boys' soccer team will face Wolcott; as soon as the final horn blows, down will come the nets and out will come the ten-yard sideline markers for the Indians' Brass Division game against Seymour, scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, but if everyone is in their seats, perhaps they'll kick off at 6:55 as the Indians' opener against Kennedy did last week.

Arrive early, in other words and not just because the traffic situation should be interesting.

The Indians are feeling pretty, pretty good about things after their 32-6 win over the Eagles, but they know full well that a proud and wounded group of Wildcats will be after them from the get-go.

"We know we have to prepare our hardest for every game," Indians' quarterback/defensive back Matt Quatrano told me. "We have to work hard and not take anything for granted."

Indeed, they do, but the Indians appear to have good balance on both sides of the ball.

Have the 'Cats recovered from the 54-6 bomb dropped on them by Naugatuck last week?

If they have, most but not all will be forgiven, because while a 48-point is never forgiven totally, a 1-0 divisional record represents a fresh start where it matters most, and a big credit to head coach Tom Lennon.

The odds of it happening are small; I like the Indians.

Wolcott, Crosby, Torrington and Sacred Heart are all playing their first league games of the season; last week, all except the Bulldogs emerged with a crooked number under the left side of the W-L-T line.

Crosby is not likely to do so this week; they'll have the unenvious task of hosting Ansonia; if Montrell Dobbs, who torched Woodland for 213 yards last week misses the bus, that would help.

Torrington, which squeaked out a 20-14 win at East Lyme last week, must have had a fun breaking down the Naugy game film, trying to figure out whom to key on: Reuben Berger, Marquan Williams, Shawn Freeney or quarterback Erich Broaderick, who spread the ball out to seven different receivers in the pasting of Seymour.

Have fun with that.

Wolcott hosts Wilby, which yielded 45 points to Holy Cross in their opening 25-point loss; the Eagles should soar.

Kennedy, which gave it everything, and I do mean everything they had and still was no match for Watertown, visits Woodland, which should come out on top.

Holy Cross hosts St. Paul, both easy winners last week, although the Falcons cut it a little closer than they might have liked against Derby.

DeVonte Gardner comes off a 174-yard effort against DHS; the Crusaders gave up over 130 yards against Wilby, so this could be interesting, because I love watching Jude Kelly-coached teams.

Sacred Heart, one of the speediest teams I've seen in awhile, is still a desperately undermanned program, but they play hard for new coach Chris Ortiz and they'll battle Derby.

When the action is all said and done, the Wolcott-Watertown-Ansonia axis should be atop the Brass, with Naugatuck, Holy Cross and Woodland emerging as the top three in the Copper as we head towards next week and the first games of October, leaving us all to wonder:

Hey, where in heck did the summer go, anyway?

Get out and enjoy a game!

WHS week one

Of course the outcome of Watertown- Kennedy wasn't a surprise; the game kicked off at 6:55 and for all intents and purposes was over by 7:15 p.m., by which time the Indians had jumped out to a 13-0 lead.

That does not mean however, that the game didn't serve it's purposes; for one, there was a new coach on the WHS sidelines, and of course there were going to be the comparisons to how "Roger would have called it," so it was good to see Mike Veronneau in game conditions, regardless of the opponent.

You play who the schedule says you play; when you're confronted by a weak team you should beat by a serious margin, you're placed under the microscope by the nit-pickers who'll wonder why you won by only two touchdowns instead of four.

QB/DB Matt Quatrano and OL/DL Joe Cianciolo were beasts on both sides of the ball, with Quatrano rushing and passing for over 100 yards as well as picking off a pair of passes.

Cianciolo, who is rapidly becoming a favorite of the new coach, blocked ferociously, led several WHS gang-tackles and recovered a fumble which he nearly took into the end zone.

The team didn't let up against a quick but out-manned opponent, but was far from perfect; in his post-game comments, Verroneau told me, "We played well and while it's nice to get that first win, we're going to work tomorrow and see how we can get better.

"We can't ever be satisfied."

The Indians came out the Kennedy game in good shape, injury-wise, and it will be all hands on deck when they face a humbled Seymour team on Friday night in their 7 p.m. home opener at the Mills Athletic Complex.

And they're off...........

So another NVL season is underway with week one into the books.  The league goes 3-1 in out of league play with Crosby absorbing the only loss, to St.Joseph's.  Really no surprise there as the Cadets are a powerhouse, loaded with talent and very well coached. NVLSTATMAN and I called the St.Joseph championship game last December in West Haven and were impressed with what they accomplished.
Sacred Heart showed what we already know....they can score points. The question that needs answering is.....can their defense develop. Wolcott? Again no surprise there as the Eagles seem to be one of the favorites to capture the NVL title. And then there was Torrington. A very nice win by the Red Raiders "out east" against The Vikings of East Lyme. Say what you will........but taking that long bus ride to the eastern part of the state and coming home with a 20-14 win is very impressive.  It may set the tone for Torrington's season.

I'm not sure anyone expected the way Ansonia - Woodland turned out. Talk about wacky. Start the game 90 minutes earlier to avoid weather, play right into the heart of the weather, stop, wait a day, then finish. Hey, at least it gave the coaches a chance to review film and make adjustments. I have a feeling we'll see and hear the names Dobbs & DiBiase quite a bit. The Watertown Indians start off in nice fashion against Kennedy, but really, was the outcome a surprise? Same can be said for Holy Cross and Wilby, St. Paul and Derby.

I think what raised eyebrows was the Naugatuck - Seymour result. The 54 points put up by the Greyhounds were the most ever versus Seymour! That's right, Naugy has never put up that many points on their longtime rival!  It was an impressive display by The 'Hounds, dominating all phases of the game, something we've not seen from the Veterans field crew in a long time. But to me, what was most impressive was not the margin of victory, nor the victory itself. It was the unity, cohesiveness, chemistry and continuity shown by Rob Plasky's team. There was an outward display of leadership by senior players, there was passion for the game and a sense of urgency that too often has been missing.
Those ingredients, should they remain intact, will make the Greyhounds an exceptionally tough team to defeat. A team, believing in itself, committing to it's collective whole, working together for a common goal, will be a winner.

But as impressive as wins on opening weekend are, let's remember the dance has just begun. Things to think about.....who will have the best scouts out there, what coaching staff will best utilize their scouting material and develop effective game plans. What will the toll of the season be on players. Physically, mentally AND academically. How will teams, individual players AND coaches respond to adversity.  What will happen when things go wrong or not the way they were envisioned? And what will the weather do?

Bill Parcells had it right during the 1986-87 season when he told his Giants............."remember, this a marathon, not a sprint........"

WHS-KHS

As I wrote in the article below, a new era does begin at Watertown High School this evening, as the Indians make their debut under Mike Verroneau against Kennedy High School at the Stadium at 7 p.m.

Will this be the season the upperclassman-heavy (combined 42 seniors and juniors) Indians not only arch your eyebrows with an upset win here-and-there, but are able to avoid the predictable letdown?

We are going to see; that's why they play the games, and, with only four home contests 0n the schedule, the Indians are going to have to not only take advantage against a difficult slate consisting of Seymour, St. Paul, Ansonia and Verroneau's former team from Crosby, they'll be on the spot in some decidedly-hostile environments, most notably Woodland and Wolcott.

Having watched him develop to the point where I believe I can safely say that he's the most gifted quarterback I've seen in 16 years of covering WHS, I believe senior Matt Quatrano will put on quite a show this year; having shown he can win in tough places to do that, most notably Ansonia last season.

WHS will be in the mix for the NVL Brass Division title this year; I believe the team has and will continue to respond to Verroneau, who has also clicked with the holdovers from the previous staff and who made the smart additional move of bringing in former Indians' standout Greg Boucher, who knows a thing or two about winning in the orange-and-white.

To quote Family Guy's own sage Peter Griffin: "Let's play this game...Let's play some football!"

On a personal note to my friend: Bob, stay well and glad you'll still be in the booth - See you on October 8 at Woodland!

Watertown Football Preview

WATERBURY — A new era in the history of the Watertown High School football program is at hand.

In the 45 seasons the Indians’ program has been in existence, only three men had patrolled the sideline: Jim Krayeske, Bill Gargano and Roger Ouellette.

The exclusive club will welcome its’ fourth member on Friday, September 17, when Mike Veronneau officially takes command of the Indians, who open what appears to be a promising 2010 season against Kennedy High School at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury.

Veronneau inherits a veteran, upperclassman-heavy team from Ouellette, who last WHS team finished 5-1 in the Brass Division and 6-4 overall in 2009.

“Our team is led by a dedicated group of experienced variety seniors and juniors that had a successful campaign last season,” Veronneau, who comes to WHS from Crosby High School, pointed out.

“I’ve inherited an exceptional group of players and coaches,” Veronneau added. “We will field team with 20 seniors and 22 juniors who are very experienced and will give everything they have.”

To date, Veronneau has liked what he has seen in scrimmages against New Milford, Foran and Sacred Heart.

“We didn’t get as many reps in against New Milford as we wanted to on a broiling day,” Veronneau noted during a recent conversation, “but in the other scrimmages, we got to work on some things and I’m optimistic that we’re ready to go.”

The Indians’ offense will be led by senior quarterback and captain Matt Quatrano, who threw for 1128 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

Joining Quatrano as the main weapons will be senior running back and captain Curtis Pomeroy, senior wide receiver and captain Tony Simpson (24 receptions, 396 yards, five touchdowns in 2009) and senior captain and utility man Carlos Arvelo (5.5 yards per carry).

“With an experienced offensive line anchored by senior captains Jeremy Plourde and Joe Cianciolo as well as senior Kyle Cave, I believe that offensively, we’ll look to have a balanced attack, using both the run and pass to score points this year,” said Veronneau, hoping to duplicate the 27.5 points per game the team put up in 2009.

Defensively, the Indians are led by junior linebackers Anthony Avoletta, Ryan Milo and D.J. Ouellette.

In the pre-season, Veronneau pointed out the emergence of senior defensive end Stanton Foote and junior defensive tackle Albion Lumani “only added to an already experienced defensive line which includes senior Adrian Bekiri, Cianciolo and Plourde.”

Other key contributors on defense will include junior Eric Ford and seniors Nick Dizinno and Tyler D’Anthony.

On special teams, the Indians will feature two solid place kickers in Rocco Guerrera and Ryan Milo; handling the punting duties will be handled by senior starting offensive tackle Dan Delgado, while Brett Boll, Brian Carroll, Justin Engelhard, Andrew Kalach and Stephon Walsh will solidify what Veronneau called “a hard-nosed special teams core.”

In addition to Veronneau, the 2010 coaching staff will include: Defensive Coordinator Jerry Valentino, Robert Perriello, Greg Boucher, Bruce Cianciolo, Jesse Pacyna, Shaun Stanco, Eric Rovenetti, Alan McGill, Keith Borkowski and George Palomba.

“I’m ready the challenge ahead,” said Veronneau, who added, “I expect positive results and success, both on and off the field.”

Let the season begin

This Thursday marks the start of the new high school football season and, a new beginning for me. After working with The1Voyce for so many seasons it is going to be different not having him handle the play by play. We were comfortable working with each other, at times completing each others sentences. His voyce will surely be missed over the air, but his presence will still be felt in the broadcast booth. I join everyone else in keeping him in my thoughts and prayers. If he is unable to return to the air in the future I know he will make the most of this new "opportunity" presented to him.

I did work a couple of games with Tom Fuller in the late 90's and I am positive the two of us will carry on the tradition of giving quality coverage of the NVL on WATR. Unlike the teams we have not had any scrimmage games so Thursday may be a bit bumpy at times, but I am sure as the season progresses we will improve and get a flow going.

Speaking of Thursday we will be at Woodland calling the game against the Chargers. While everyone seems to think this is a great rivalry some numbers have to be pointed out. Ansonia leads the series 5-2, winning the last four meetings by a combined score of 177-41. That, of course, includes the NVL championship game in 2007 won by the Chargers 41-0 where the JV teams "played" the second half. Woodland's two wins came during the state championship years of 2004 and 2005 when the Hawks were a combined 24-1. During those same two years Ansonia happened to have its worst combined record for two season (15-6) since the 1985-1986 teams combined to go 14-8. Since the 2005 season the Hawks are 25-18 while Ansonia is 46-5 in the Tom Brockett era.

More thoughts on the other first week games will follow in a later post.

A new Voice

Two weeks from now a new NVL football season will be underway, it will also bring in a relatvely "new" voice to the WATR microphones.

As many of you may know, for the better part of two years I have been battling a non-cancerous brain tumor. At times I've won the fight, but now have lost a great deal of ground as over the course of the summer months the tumor has compressed down on three cranial nerves altering the muscle mass on the right side of my body. Three weeks ago, my voice became compromised to the point where I can just about speak. Not good for a radio and television on air person.
Essentially, the Vegus nerve, or 10th cranial is being compressed and therefore paralyzing the right side of my throat including the right vocal cord. Tuesday September 7th, I travel to Columbia University Medical Center for an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Bruce, one of the leading neurosurgeons in the country. Dr. Bruce specializes in the exact type of tumor that afflicts me and I am very grateful to have a chance to meet with him.

So, that will take me out of calling NVL & State Playoff games this season and perhaps permanently.  I will however be the producer/director/technician for the WATR broadcast schedule. In my place I am pleased to announce Tom Fuller will step in and call the games with my long time friend and broadcast partner Steve (nvlstatman) Gesseck. Tom called Naugatuck games for several years on WWCO and did a fine job. I know he'll do a fine job with our schedule.

It has been a great ride.........36 years in the broadcast industry,nearly twenty years (in two separate stints) of calling high school games. I've worked with a most incredible array of talent, starting with Steve Gesseck, to Chris Berman, Brent Musburger, Tom Jackson, Phil Simms and then coming back home and working with Allie Vestro, Dave Grant, Steve Croce, Ben Talbot, John Holt, Joe Zone and all of the great folks that help me build CTSN, especially Larry Rifkin and Tony Meliso. There have been some great games and not so great games.
I hope we have always given you a good listen.

My sincerest thanks to all the players, coaches and administrators for their help and guidance. I look forward to seeing many of you this fall either along the sidelines or by stopping by the broadcast booth.

So, for now.......

Adieu


Bob ( thevoyce) Sagendorf