Football Wrap-up

'16 schoolboy

football 

season kicks 

off

By Ron P. Coderre

The long anticipated high school football season kicked off with all four local schools in action during the first two weeks of competition.  Some of the results were expected.  Others were surprising.  And some were disappointing.

Killingly, which was the area’s premier team last season, reaching the Class M semifinals, is off to a 2-0 start.  The Redmen are being touted by many as one of Eastern Connecticut’s top teams.  Coach Chad Neal’s gridders are on a mission to return to the CIAC playoffs.  The start of the 2016 season is an indication that they mean business.

Woodstock Academy football, which has not reached the winner’s circle very often since the inception of its program, opened on a high note.  The Centaurs posted a victory over Quinebaug Valley Pride, giving new head coach Darryl Daleen his first win and a reason for optimism for football in Woodstock.  In its home opener they lost in a high scoring affair that could have gone either way.

The Pride looks like it’s in for a long season.  The youthful squad was run over by Woodstock and then fell even harder in its second week of action against Prince Tech in a game played in Hartford.

Plainfield off to a disappointing loss in opening week action came back strongly beating a good Montville team to even its record at 1-1.

Redmen Rolling

Following an opening week 35-0 shutout victory over Bacon Academy in which standout junior runningback Spencer Lockwood romped for a career-high 286 yards, Killingly rolled to an impressive 34-14 win over the Stonington Bears.

The Redmen unveiled the arm of quarterback Kyle Derosier in rolling past Stonington.  Derosier led the way with a 7-13 and 152-yard performance that resulted in four Killingly touchdowns through the air.  Jake Gauthier (2-46) and Bret Long (2-72) were each on the receiving end of two Derosier TD tosses.  Lockwood paced the running attack with 199 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown.  Luke Desaulnier added four point-after-touchdown conversions.

The Killingly defense completely bottled up the Stonington offense, shutting it down for three quarters.  Desaulnier was credited with a key first half interception.

In two games Lockwood has accounted for 485 yards on the ground and Derosier has thrown for five touchdowns.

Plainfield Avenges Opening Game Loss

After being held scoreless in its season opening 13-0 loss at the hands of Stonington, Plainfield rebounded in magnificent fashion, beating a good Montville team 30-16.  

Kegan Marcoux, who had two touchdowns in the win, opened the scoring for the Panthers with a 34-yard touchdown scamper.  His score cleared the way for quarterback Marcus Robinson, who responded with a 7-12 for 45 yards performance and touchdown tosses to Chris Peasley (20-yard TD) and Devin McGale (7-yard TD).  Marcoux led a quartet of Panther rushers with 89 yards on seven carries.  The Plainfield defense was stingy allowing only two late in the game Montville scores.  The Panthers led 30-0 at the end of three periods.

Long Ride for the Pride

The Quinebaug Pride, following an opening week 32-6 loss at the hands of Woodstock Academy, saw its football fortunes continue to go downhill.  The Pride traveled to Hartford for an unusual 3:45 p.m. start against Prince Tech.  Making matters worse, the Techsters delivers a devastating 40-0 defeat to the undermanned and young QVP squad.

Woodstock Puts a Big W on the Board

Woodstock Academy traveled to unchartered territory in its opening season game when the Centaurs easily took the measure of the Quinebaug Valley Pride 32-6. The Centaurs were led by the running of Cameron Janice and the arm of quarterback Jared Bouten.  In handing first-year head mentor  Daleen his first victory the Centaurs looked forward to another trip in week number two.  

This time the trip was to its home field where the Acads entertained Turner Falls High School out to Western Massachusetts for a Saturday afternoon contest.

In a seesaw affair the Centaurs were nipped 44-40 when the visitors scored a touchdown with less than a minute to play in the contest.  Once again Woodstock was paced by the duo of Bouten and Janice.  Bouten had two touchdown tosses, giving him seven in two games without an interception.  Janice scored four times in the loss for the 1-1 charges of coach Daleen. 

 

..