By Ron P. Coderre

Thanksgiving Day schoolboy football gave local fans plenty of entertainment and more on a Turkey Day made for football.  The outcomes of the three local games finished as predicted, although there were some unexpected twists and turns before the final whistle was blown.

Killingly, headed to the CIAC postseason, easily steamrolled an outmanned and inexperienced Quinebaug Valley Pride.  From the outset, the outcome was never in doubt with the Redmen walking off a 63-14 victor.

One game that was in doubt until the very end was the Woodstock Academy and Thames River contest.  In what is probably one of the highest scoring games in history on Thanksgiving, the Crusaders from Norwich edged the Centaurs 60-58.  The game left those in attendance wondering if either team ever heard of the team defense.

Plainfield, projected as the winner over Griswold in what was predicted to be a tight game, took care of business very efficiently.  The Panthers shutout the Wolverines 28-0.  The victory broke a 13-year Turkey Day drought for Plainfield.

It’s on to the CIAC Postseason

Killingly rode into Putnam a heavy favorite over the Quinebaug Valley Pride and easily disposed of the younger outmanned host in quick fashion.  Following a 63-14 victory, which was never in doubt from the onset, for Killingly as Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would say, “It’s on to the CIAC postseason.”  The win raised Killingly’s record to 9-1.

Spencer Lockwood, the Redmen’s junior runningback, was a one-man show as he scored six touchdowns, five on the ground, while racking up 224 yards on 24 carries.  The starring Lockwood finishes the regular season with 23 touchdowns and 1,927 yards rushing from scrimmage.

Lockwood, Killingly’s game Most Valuable Player, opened the flood gates when he tallied his first touchdown early on a 21-yard run.  His next score in the first period came when he bulled over from 1 yard out.  Before the first period ended, Killingly would score again as quarterback Kyle Derosier found big tight end Jake Gauthier on a 3-yard aerial hookup.

The onslaught continued in the second quarter as Lockwood scored four touchdowns.  The first came on a 31-yard pass from Derosier.  The next three scores were recorded on runs of 12, 23, and 12 yards, as the Redmen went off at intermission with a 49-0 advantage.  The entire second half was played under the “running clock” rule.

Derosier enjoyed a very efficient day, hitting on 4 of 6 attempts for 84 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Following a scoreless third period, each team scored two touchdowns in the final stanza as both coaches substituted liberally.  Tyler Cournoyer, who enjoyed a productive day, scored both Killingly touchdowns.  Cournoyer, who ran for 49 yards on five carries and had two receptions for 52 yards, scored on a 28-yard run and 49-yard pass from back-up signal caller Luke Desaulnier.

The Pride scores were registered by quarterback Josh Dodd, the Pride’s game Most Valuable Player, who hit Adrian Casiano for a 6-yard TD and Jamie Talbot on a 73-yard pass-run score.  Dodd was 13-34 and 189 yards on the day.  His statistics should have been much better but a number of his passes were dropped by his receivers.  Talbot had five catches for 90 yards and Casiano four for 43 yards.

Desaulnier who was 3-3-63 yards through the air was also 7-for7 in point-after-touchdown kicks.

118 Points Later Thames River 

Beats Woodstock

If you enjoy watching offensive football, Norwich Tech was the place to be on Thanksgiving morning.  In a seesaw battle that wasn’t decided until the final seconds of the game, Thames River outlasted Woodstock in a game that witnessed 118 points, 60-58.

Woodstock’s dilemma was stopping Thames River’s double-threat quarterback Jared Neal.  The slippery Neal accounted for all eight Crusader touchdowns, rushing for six and throwing for two.  He scored on runs of 10, 5, 38, 25, 3, and 13 yards and threw for scores of 24 and 32 yards.  He closes out his season with 1,457 yards in the air and 17 touchdowns and 1,529 yards on the ground.

The resilient Centaurs of coach Darryl Daleen, proved their mettle by bouncing back each time they fell behind.  Unfortunately the team’s Achilles’ heel, its defense, proved to be the difference in the contest as it was unable to contain Neal.

Woodstock Academy quarterback Jared Bouten had a banner day, running for 175 yards and passing for 242 yards.  He ran for touchdowns of 26, 1, 28, and 10 yards.  He was also responsible for two Centaur scores through the air.  He connected with Caleb Bowen for a 6-yard score and with Eric Preston on a 17-yard TD pass.

Bouten was 18-40 for the game.  He spread the receptions among four receivers.  Mason Defocy was 7-115, Preston 5-79, Bowen 5-61 and Thomas Sultum 1-7.  Bouten closes out the season with 1,237 yards through the air.

The remaining two Woodstock scores came on a 1-yard run by Kameron Janice and a 47-yard scamper by Defocy.  

Despite the heartbreaking loss Woodstock completes the season with a 4-6 record, its best showing since the inception of the program.

Plainfield’s 13-Year Drought Comes to an End

Plainfield had multiple reasons to celebrate its 28-0 victory over archrival Griswold in a game played in Plainfield.  The Panthers of coach Pat Smith concluded one of its best seasons in years with a 6-4 record but just as exhilarating for the team and its faithful was the end of a 13-year victory drought on Thanksgiving Day. 

The Panthers quarterback Marcus Robinson was the key operative in the big win.  Robinson, who led the team to the James Leclaire trophy with the win, had three touchdowns on the ground and one through the air.

Following a scoreless defensive battle first quarter, the omnipresent Robinson ran for the game’s first score in the second quarter when he fielded a Wolverine punt and ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown.  His run energized the team and the home crowd.

Capitalizing on Robinson’s run Plainfield struck again in the second stanza.  This time Robinson hit Cullen Hoerchler on a 3-yard slant-in, putting the Panthers on top 14-0 at intermission.  In a script that followed the opening half, the teams played a scoreless third period before Robinson once again rose to the occasion.  He opened the final stanza with a 50-yard TD run and closed it with a 60-yard scamper.

Robinson was 6-15-78 in the air and added 166 yards on the ground on a dozen carries.

 

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