Stats' Spiel :: "Let's Get It On"

It's one of the biggest games every season, and it's here in Week 3. Woodland vs. Ansonia. A heated rivalry just in its infancy but already with tradition. Both of the teams enter this match-up with 2-0 records, coming off easy wins over the weaker teams in the NVL. So let's take a look at what each team has done so far.

Ansonia beat Kennedy, 44-0, in Week 1, and followed that up by defeating Wilby, 41-14, last week. They have scored 85 points while allowing just 14. The defense has not allowed any first half points thus far. The Hawks have been rolling over opponents. They whipped up on Watertown, 55-20, in the opener, and shellacked Sacred Heart, 54-13, last week. Woodland has scored a state-best 109 points while allowing 33 (just 7 first half points).

Both teams' overall stats are quite comparable--potent offenses complemented with strong defenses. Ansonia probably has the best player on the field in Alex Thomas. Thomas has 318 yards with 6 TD in his first two games, in which he was basically utilized in the first half. The All-Stater broke the 5,000 career yard mark, and he is 8th in state history in that category. He needs 5 scores to tie his brother, Ryan, for most in school history with 79. He has totaled 501 points in his career, which is good for 5th in state history. Thomas is going to go down as one of the best players in Connecticut high school football history, and the Hawks will need to find a way to contain him if they wish to be competitive in this game. However, Woodland cannot solely focus on Thomas, as Hawks coach Chris Anderson pointed out. "You can't really commit to one thing when you play them, you have to really cover the whole field," Anderson said of Ansonia's offense. Thomas, he pointed out, is not their only weapon. The Chargers also possess Lorenzo Pittman, who pushes the line ahead in front of Thomas, and also Montrell Dobbs and Wilby Martin, who can come in to give Thomas a break. The depth and talent of Ansonia's roster is going to be tough for the Hawks to contend with.

Woodland is not full of slouches, though. The Hawks have rushed for 599 yards in their first two contests. And those 599 yards are well-distributed as well. Will Volage, Jon Murren, and Sidney Sumler each have over 100 yards. Volage leads the trio with 4 scores, while Murren (3) and Sumler (2) are also making themselves familiar with the end zone. Cody Kingsley has 274 yards in the air on 71% passing with 4 TD and only 1 INT. Kingsley is also spreading the ball around to various targets, including Volage, Murren, Sumler, Rob Carlson, and Eric Alfiere. The large arsenal of options at Kingsley's disposal will keep the defense off-balance and will be a strong point for the Hawks. Coach Anderson mentioned, "one of the goals of our offense was to get the ball to a lot of people. The [Wing-T] offense that we've changed to really allows for that to happen."

As great as Ansonia is made out to be, they do have weaknesses. Their passing game is not very threatening at all. It was even further softened with the dismissal of Tristian Roberts by Coach Tom Brockett. QB Ron Bilodeau can hit TE Dan Degennaro and WR Tom Pitney, but Bilodeau is not yet seasoned and asking him to do too much could result in Charger turnovers. The Chargers are also probably not as good as they were last year, losing some size on the line, as well as their quarterback and three receivers. The combination of their overrated status and Woodland's underrated status could play a role in the attitudes of both teams.

Woodland has several flaws as well. They do not possess a single back, like Thomas, who can power up the middle for 5-10 yards every down against big linemen. Ansonia has proven themselves in the past, namely with the 13-0 season last year. The Hawks have not done so yet. The 109 points could just be a result of playing weak defenses in Watertown and Sacred Heart. The same goes with their defense, not having faced anything that compares to Ansonia's offense.

When I asked several of the Hawks what they think they need to do to compete with Ansonia, most echoed the same thing: "stop Alex Thomas." In particular, linebacker Josh Woodin said, "we need to make sure tackles, wrap Alex Thomas, pursue the ball, and make sure we get 11 guys on the ball every play. Thomas is elusive so we need to make sure that if we catch him, we wrap him up."

Linebacker Kile Coty focused on Thomas as the main defensive priority as well. "We need to prevent the cutbacks from Alex Thomas," Coty noted. Coty went on to say, "For me personally, I need to read my keys, make sure hits, and don't over-pursue the ball."

Defensive end Eric Alfiere agreed with his teammates. "If we can stop Alex Thomas and stop them on defense, we will score." Alfiere's sentiment registered with several other players, including quarterback Cody Kingsley. "In order to be successful against the Chargers, we need to eliminate turnovers, control the clock, and keep the game at our own pace. We can't have any 3-and-outs, but gain a lot of first downs. If we can keep the offense on the field and I can make good reads, we should do well and be competitive," Kingsley said. His linemen, namely Woodin and Coty, made it points that they need to control the offensive line and gain on the ground to accentuate the passing game.

Center Tom Norton talked about how the game is going to be a hard-fought one. "It's going to take a lot of hard work and effort. We need to give 100% for four quarters. If we can do that, we should be able to keep it close," Norton proclaimed. Kingsley added, "we are going to have to play for four quarters this week, not just two like the last games."

All of the Hawks I spoke with made it clear that one thing was crucial--not making mistakes. Coty revealed his key to winning the game: "for us to win, we need to play mistake free ball--eliminating turnovers and bad decisions." Kicker Brandon Fowler added, "we need to make the most out of every scoring opportunity by making our kicks and not having any drops or fumbles."

Another common theme that the Hawks showed in their comments was that they believe they can be competitive. Kingsley said, "our confidence is boosted, and we're ready for the challenge. We're confident in our offense."

When asked what separates the Ansonia game from all the other games, the Hawks had several different reasons. Coty noted, "it's always packed. People want to see it. We're setting tradition in the league. We are the two juggernauts in the NVL, and it's going to be a great game." Norton might have put it best by saying, "this game is an issue of pride more than anything else."

Every Hawk told me what they need to do to be competitive, but Coty also mentioned what kind of game he thought it would end up being. "I think it's going to be a defensive battle, with a score of something like 21-20, and I think we will come out on top." Coach Anderson, though, said, "I don't really care whether it's a low- or high-scoring game, I just hope we have more points on the board at the end."

Finally, when he was asked if the weather would give either team an advantage in the game, Anderson responded, "I don't care if it rains, snows, hurricanes, ices, but both teams have to play on it, so let's get it on."

Let's get it on, indeed.

STATS OUT.

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