Thanksgiving Football 2013

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ack Pinho sat at the front of athird-floor classroom at WoodlandRegional High School, his and histeammates eyes fixed on a projec-tion screen. It was the firstThursday afternoon in October,only 28 hours before kickoff of the

Hawks rivalry game against Naugatuck.Senior captains, such as Pinho, sit at

the head of the class during film sessionsand game plan presentations. Pinho is list-ed at 5-foot-8, 120 pounds Woodlandsroster would not fare well against a liedetector so none of the underclassmenbehind him fret about the wide receiverobstructing their views.

Thats a good thing, because all 41 var-sity players in the room needed to see howsixth-year head coach Tim Shea was goingto conclude the weeks film study.

Week 4 was packed with pressure evenbefore the previous one had ended. Both

Woodland and Naugatuck entered Octoberwith 3-0 records and the winner of theirgame would likely emerge as the eventualchampion of the Naugatuck Valley LeagueCopper Division. Most local pundits pickedthe Greyhounds to win a close one.

Plus, in an era when historical rivalriesof the prideful Valley have softened, the

emotions between the Hawks and Houndsare more volatile than ever. Officials expect-ed a crowd of at least 2,000 to descend onBeacon Falls for the first time in nearly adecade.

Woodlands players had plenty to focuson leading up to the game, but Shea madesure to keep one complacency-breaker untilthe end of the week.

The Hawks already knew they weregoing to play for the first George PinhoTrophy, the decade-old rivalrys new center-piece named for Jacks late father and for-mer Woodland assistant coach who unex-pectedly died in January. But they didnt getto see it until Shea surprised them with thelast click in his pre-walkthroughPowerPoint.

Coach Shea showed a picture of thetrophy in the film room, and ever yone start-ed getting hyped for it, Jack remembers.The intensity level just perked up. There

was a lot of fire and emotion in thatThursday practice.

So much, in fact, that the Hawksassured themselves of what was going tohappen the next night.

That game meant so much to us, sen-ior quarterback Tanner Kingsley recalls. Weknew we were going to win.

George Pinho was born Dec. 12, 1964,in Waterbury and grew up in Naugatuck. Hegraduated from Naugatuck High School andeventually moved to Prospect, where he andhis wife, Jane, raised their two boys, Jake

and Jack.Being involved in his sons lives was of

paramount importance for George. Jackthinks his fathers motivation had deeproots.

When he was younger, his dad wasn'treally there for him, Jack explains. From

youth soccer until now, he wanted to beinvolved with everything. He was alwaysthere for Jake and me. He was one of thosedads you always wanted.

Almost every youth sports organizationin the area boasted George on its volunteerroster at some point. He coached soccer,basketball, baseball and football inProspect, Naugatuck and Beacon Falls overthe years. It didnt matter how much orhow little George knew about the tech-

niques and strategies of each sport ratherthan how badly he wanted to be there.

He never made it about himself, Jakesays. If he had a job to do, he was going togive it his all. It didn't matter who it was for,he just wanted it to be the best experiencepossible for everyone. He was never even abig football guy when it came to X's and O's,

but he was a motivator and everyone lovedto have him around.

George joined Sheas staff at Woodlandaround the time Jake made the varsitysquad in 2008. Pinho served all sorts ofroles, from head freshman coach to assis-tant varsity special teams coordinator. It

was important to Shea to have a positiverole model who had connected with many

of the players for years.He didn't let a lot of things bother him,

and if he did he didn't show it, Shea says.He was always like, OK, move on. Next up.Don't worry about it. Kids gravitated tothat. In small towns like these, he essential-ly had every kid on his team or in his houseat some point.

Georges love for his sons ran the gamutfrom tough to tender. Jake, now studying atCentral Connecticut State University, alsoknew his dad as his best friend.

He was truly a hero and an idol in mylife, Jake boasts. He was the only person I

was able to talk about anything with. If youwant to talk about someone being yourbiggest fan, it was him. Jack and I alwaysknew that no matter what we did, success or

failure, that we always had him.But George didnt limit himself to twosons. The hundreds of young men hecoached throughout the years especiallythe ones who played alongside Jake andJack at Woodland felt the same affectionfrom the man they called GP.

No other coach showed the same love

Coach Pinho showed for all of us, Kingsleysays. He cared so much for our team. He

would always say in his pregame speecheshow he loved us so much and that we'dalways have him forever. And we always

will.They were his sons, too, Jack smiles.

He loved them all.

Shea, who also coaches the boys trackteam, stood inside Hillhouse Highs indoorfacility Jan. 19 after supervising a football

weightl ifting session that morning atWoodland. On what should have been afairly quiet Saturday, he felt his phone buzz.It was a call from assistant coach JackDeBiase.

Wheres Jack? DeBiase asked,demanding to know where Pinho was.

What do you mean, Wheres Jack?Shea responded. Im at a track meet. He

was at lifting this morning and then he hadbasketball practice. Why?

George had a heart attack, DeBiasesaid.

Shea thought it was a joke.No, no, DeBiase shot back. He had a

heart attack. Jake found him and theyre ontheir way to the hospital.Shea told DeBiase to call the basketball

coaches so they could alert Jack and rushhim to the hospital. Once Shea finished

with DeBiase, he update d his assistantcoaches on the situation. While heexplained what was unfolding to a group of

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Father figureKyle Brennan, Citizens News

George Pinho leaves lasting legacy at Woodland

J

If you want to talk about someone being your biggest fan, it was him. Jack and I always knew

that no matter what we did, success or failure, that we always had him.J

ake Pinh

o

RACHAEL MORIN

George Pinho was a staple on the sidelines at Woodland from 2008 until thetime of his death in January.Pinho volunteered for a variety of youth sportsorganizations in the area during his life as a labor of love.

ELIO GUGLIOTTI

Woodland quarterback TannerKingsley (7) and assistant coach JakePinho celebrate after a touchdownOct. 4 against Naugatuck.


3/16

senior parents at the track meet, Shea feltanother buzz. This time it was a text fromDeBiase.

Hes gone.

In the week that followed Georgesdeath, Shea coordinated the football teamseffort to help memorialize the 48-year-olddad and mentor. He organized the Hawks

joint entrance to the funeral at St. AnthonysChurch in Prospect.

It was a very tough time for a lot ofthese kids because they all knew George,not only as a coach but as friends, Sheasays. We thought a fitting tribute to him

would be for us to go in together. I had apretty good cry that day.

Jack and Jake saw the teams tribute asthe epitome of the Hawks motto: Fear theFamily.

Some people call their team a second fam-ily, but I call this my family, Jack says. They'vebeen more than a second family to me.

The way that they embraced us issomething that you can't ever be thankfulenough for, Jake agrees. To have them bethere with us, and to see how it affectedthem so much and show their feelingstoward my dad, it just brought everyone

closer. When you talk about family, I thinkeverything that's happened really definesthat word.

Of all the moments the outpouringlove at the funeral, the memories shared byfriends, the inspirational victories to come nothing resonated with the Pinhos asmuch as Georges wake, which attracted

what seemed like an endless stream ofthousands.

The night of the ceremony was crazy,the amount of people and hours of waitingthey did, Jack says.

That night was probably the mostproud I've ever been to be able to call himmy dad, Jake gushes. Nobody else can saythat besides me and Jack. To see all thosepeople there was just incredible. It felt like

we hugged and shook hands for five hours,

and if I could relive it again I would. It wasamazing to see all that love.

To Shea, it was exactly what Georgedeserved.

The amount of respect shown at hiswake spoke volumes, Shea says. That's atrue testament of a man.

When the ceremonies ended and thewere-there-for-you assurances trickled to astop, the Pinhos were left to begin life with-out their patriarch. The realization struckJack in the most mundane of ways.

Everyone was like, We're here foryou, Jack recalls. But when you get homeand Jake's at college, my mom's working,and you walk in the door, it hits you because

you're all alone.Shea knows the emotions Jack and Jake

felt. The Naugatuck native channeled hisexperience from 1996, when he had to deal

with the untimely passing of his father,Michael, after a battle with esophageal cancer.

He recognized the parallel between hissituation, which left him stepping up in hisearly 20s to care for his mother and two

younger sisters, and that of the Pinho brothers.As the oldest, I forced myself to the

head of the table, Shea says. I've talked tothe two of them about it Jake especially,being the oldest. I've told Jake that there arecertain things he'll need to do. I still talk toJake about stuff, and I'll sit Jack down andtalk about dad stuff. There are certain thingsthey can tell me that I understand but otherpeople wouldn't.

For Jake, Shea has helped fill the role ofa father figure.

He's been someone who I can talk toabout anything. After my own football prac-tices, I always had my dad to call, says Jake,

who is a walk-on player at CCSU. When Ilost him, I almost lost myself. But CoachShea has been able to provide that for me. IfI'm feeling bad about a practice or a game, Ican always go talk to him.

Jack and Jake have their mom, Jane,too.

My mom is one of the toughest indi-viduals, Jack says. How she's handled it,

with people coming up to her all the timeabout it, is amazing. She's never missed agame for me and Jake, and I don't know howshe's done it with her schedule. She loves usso much.

Georges sons have never been thestar players of their teams. Theyre not theall-state type. They have always beenamong the most undersized guys on thefield. But Jake and Jack worked for theirspots in the Woodland football program,and thats what made George proud.

Jakes senior season was in 2010. As oneof the teams three captains, he led the Hawksto their first state postseason appearance inthree years. At just 5-foot-6, 157 pounds, heearned All-Naugatuck Valley League CopperDivision honors as a defensive back.

Nobody recruited him to play collegefootball, but he earned a spot with the BlueDevils as a walk-on. Jake played in his firstgame Oct. 26 against Salve Regina and reg-istered his first career tackle on special

teams. Playing on kickoffs gives Jake a spe-cial chance to acknowledge his dad.Before every kickoff, when I go out on

the field, I always point to the sky because Iknow he's watching, says Jake, a sopho-more. He was so proud of what Jack and Ihave been able to do, and I use it as motiva-tion to make him more proud because Iknow he's still watching. I always write hisname down on my ticket list so I can guar-antee that he'll be there.

When time permits, Jake comes back tocoach the Hawks. Its a way to stay close tothe program he loves and to duplicate thelove it received from his father.

He lived his life for me and Jack, andnow we're the ones who get to carry on hislegacy, Jake says. Hopefully one day we

will be able to pass it on like he passed it to

us and to so many other people.Jacks senior season is this fall. Like hisolder brother, hes also one of Woodlandsthree captains, and hes helped the Hawksreach the playoffs for the third time in four

years. The 120-pounder might be the smalleststarter in the conference, but it hasnt stoppedhim from snagging five touchdown passes.

I know he wanted nothing more forme than to follow in Jake's footstepsbecause Jake was a leader, Jack says. Iknow he's happy for me.

Jack lines up as Woodlands third widereceiver wearing the same No. 3 as hisbrother and usually functions asKingsleys security blanket in crucial situa-tions. Jacks catch at the end of the 2012Class S quarterfinal against Capital Prepsealed a semifinal berth for the Hawks.George was there for that game, and Jacksays he still gets the same vibe.

I feel like he's still there on the side-lines, Jack says. I can still picture his voice

yelling and trying to find something wrongabout what I'm doing. There are certainsigns during the game that make it feel likehe's watching.

The signals have never been strongerthan they were Oct. 4, 2013.

Jake came back to coach Woodlandsgame against Naugatuck the one with hisdads trophy on the line for the first time and Shea allowed him to make a pregamespeech.

I tried to relay the message of what healways said before the game, about howmuch he loved them, Jake says.Throughout my whole football career,

whether it's playing or coaching, that wasthe most emotional game.

With more than 2,000 fans on hand, theHawks took their home field with GPstickers on their helmets and his initialsSharpied on their wrist tape. Georgesbrother, Tony, paraded the trophy atop thehill throughout the game for all to see.

Woodland took a 6-0 lead in the firstquarter on a 9-yard touchdown pass from

Kingsley to Mike Kenney. Naugatucksnatched the lead in the second, but just aminute before halftime the Hawks re-seizedit when Jack hauled in an 11-yard scorefrom Kingsley.

Naugy briefly took another lead in thethird but soon Kingsley took back the edgefor good with a 6-yard touchdown pass toTaylor Tucciarone. Kingsley added an insur-ance score on a 2-yard run in the fourth,and Chris McDonald recovered an onsidekick to end the game.

Woodland 25, Naugatuck 22.Jack stood on the field as Kingsley exe-

cuted the victory formation. As the quarter-

back raised his knee for the final time, Jacktook one of his own in the center of the grid-iron. He pointed with both arms toward thesky and then took a few steps toward Jake,trotting onto the field to meet his youngerbrother while the final siren blared beneaththe crowds roar.

I was able to run out onto the field andgreet Jack first and give him a hug, Jakeremembers. It was one of those moments,in the midst of the tragedy when you

dedicate your life to this game, it makes yourealize it was all worth it.I looked at Jake at the end of the game,

and it was just one of those moments, Jackrecalls.

Jake relinquished the 10-secondembrace to let Jack thank the black-cladstudent section and shake hands with theGreyhounds. Soon after, Jane took the gameball and Uncle Tony presented to Jack thesilver football attached to a black base withthe inscription: The George Pinho Trophy.

Jack clung to the trophy much as he didto the ball on his touchdown catch. Heposed for a few photos before he leapt atophis teams bench to show off the prize tothose remaining in the bleachers.

It was probably one of my favoritemoments watching Jack hold up that trophy

with his dad's name on it, Kingsleyrecounts. That was unbelievable.

We made a promise that it wasn'tgoing anywhere, Shea says. I believe thatGeorge was looking down on us.

It was the fourth time in Jacks highschool career that the Hawks had beatenthe Hounds. He had a routine after each ofthe first three victories. The final one spokefor itself.

Usually when we'd beat Naugy, I'd rubit in my dad's face because he went toNaugy, Jack says. People might think that I

was sad, but I know he was happy about thisone.

MYCITIZENSNEWS.COMFriday, November 29, 2013 B3

Happy Thanksgiving from

All of Usat Beacon Brook

Above Jack Pinho holds the GeorgePinho Trophy, named after his latefather, and points to the sky followingWoodlands win over Naugatuck Oct. 4.At right, Jane Pinho holds the gameball up to the crowd after the victory.

PHOTOS BY ELIO GUGLIOTTI


4/16

he Naugatuck-AnsoniaThanksgiving Day footballgame is more than a game its an event for the twoneighboring communities

nestled along the banks ofthe Naugatuck River.Its storied history began on a late fall

morning in 1900 and the series has becomethe oldest high school football rivalry in thestate of Connecticut. Players throughoutthe generations who played in this gameremember the details of their gridiron bat-tles for the rest of their lives.

There were many moments in playershigh school careers some with as manyas 30 to 40 games that have brought thetrue meaning to the thrill of victory and theagony of defeat. But nothing will ever com-pare to the memories that are cherishedfrom cold Thanksgiving mornings in theNaugatuck-Ansonia rivalry, so the gamethat has become an event in their lives.

In 1942, Naugatuck senior captain and

quarterback Ed Mariano went to battleagainst the Lavender and came up on theshort end of a 26-13 final. Mariano went onto become a legendary umpire, referee,coach and educator for the borough ofNaugatuck, but through all his successes he

was never able to defeat Ansonia on thegridiron.

The Mariano name has graced the foot-ball field throughout the years while proud-ly wearing the Garnet and Grey. Ed Marianoand his wife, Dorothy, raised four sons andtwo daughters, who in turn made themproud grandparents of 16 grandchildren.

Their oldest son, Peter, didnt play foot-ball but was very much a part of theThanksgiving event by playing the nationalanthem on his trumpet. Chris played in the

late 70s and was 0-2 against the Chargers

before he graduated in 1979. Mark playedfor the Greyhounds but injured his knee asNaugatuck came away empty against

Ansonia before he graduated in 1981.Alison rooted on the Greyhounds from

the sidelines as a cheerleader before gradu-ating in 1986. The only one of Eds sons whohad success against the Chargers wasDavid. Naugatuck won the Naugatuck

Valley League championship with a memo-rable, 24-20 victory on Thanksgiving Day ofhis junior year in 1981. The Greyhounds

went on to win the Class L state champi-onship and were named the best team in allof New England.

I see my dads NVL championship r ingall the time and that motivates me to go outand try and get one, says Kevin, Davids

youngest son who is a senior on this yearssquad. We may not be playing for the NVLtitle anymore but we do have a good shot ofmaking the state playoffs.

As a senior, David had the honor ofbeating the Chargers again for another NVL

championship in a 7-6 nail-biter. That vic-tory put Naugatuck back in the state play-offs before it lost to New Canaan.

That was probably the best game I willever remember, David says. Ansonia wascoached by (Bill) McAllister and he hadabout 10 Division I players on that team,

with five going to UConn and two going toYale. We had to beat them to get into states and what a game it was.

David and his wife, Eileen, have had thepleasure of watching all four of their sons John, Michael, Daniel and Kevin proudly

wear the Garnet and Grey on the gridiron.John only played two years before focusingon basketball, and he is now an assistantbasketball coach at St. Anselm after finish-ing a four-year collegiate career for the

Hawks.Michael played football and Daniel

earned All-State honors as a lineman, butthe brothers never enjoyed beating Ansoniaon Thanksgiving Day. Kevin was in thestands at Jarvis Stadium with his freshmanteammates when Naugatuck last beat theChargers back in 2010, when the Hounds

won the NVL championship with a 38-20victory.

As a sophomore, Kevin played sevengames of varsity at guard only to have

Ansonia beat Naugatuck, 49-14, on the lastThanksgiving game to be played on the old

Veterans Field grass.Two games into his junior season,

Kevin tore up his knee and missed the restof the season. He had to watch as Ansonia

again won handily over the Greyhounds, 48-27.In this his senior year, Kevin is the last

of a long line of Marianos to wear theGarnet and Grey for now, at least.

There was a little bit of pressure com-ing into this season knowing Im the last ofthe Marianos to wear this uniform, Kevin

says. But we are having a tremendous sea-son and Coach (Craig) Bruno had done anexcellent job helping us on and off thefield.

Before the Greyhounds first homegame on their new artificial turf inSeptember, Naugatuck honored the late EdMariano, who passed away in August. TheHounds went on to pull out a thrilling, 42-36 overtime win over Wolcott in one of themost dramatic finishes in Naugatuck foot-ball history.

Im so glad we won that game afterhaving such an amazing ceremony for my

grandfather, Kevin says. He must havebeen watching down on us. He was such aninspiration to not only me but our entirefamily.

Thanks to the new uniforms Naugysports, Kevin gets to proudly wear theMariano name across his back. Its one in

which he will take speci al prideThanksgiving morning, which could be thelast game of his career.

Im so proud to have that name,Kevin says. My grandfather was a legend inthis town. I will say a prayer before the game

knowing he will be there with us in spirit,but its going to be hard knowing hes not upthere in the stands.

As the players take the field for theThanksgiving Day game that has become anevent, the Mariano clan will be in the standscheering on Kevin, the Greyhounds and thelegacy that Ed Mariano began so many

years ago.Being in the stands watching your son

play on the same field that you did is such aspecial feeling, I cant even describe it,David says. I just keep remembering the

words of my father: Give it 110 percent,

leave it all on the field and have noregrets.

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Mariano carries on family legacy with GreyhoundsKen Morse, Citizens News

BobBurnsREALTOR

1152 New Haven Road

Naugatuck, CT 06770

Cell203-217-1723

[email protected]

HAPPY THANKSGIVINGGood Luck Greyhounds!

T

ELIO GUGLIOTTI

Naugatuck senior Kevin Mariano (56) has carried on the family tradition ofwearing the Garnet and Grey for the Greyhounds.

RA ARCHIVE

Dorothy Mariano, center, and familymembers were recognized beforeNaugatuck's home opener Sept. 20.The season was dedicated toMariano's late husband,Ed Mariano.


5/16

raig Bruno felt as nervousas he has been in his 13-

year head coaching career

before Naugatucks Sept.20 game against Wolcott.It was only Week 2 of theseason; no champi-

onships were going to be won or lost thatnight. Still, the butterflies turned into batsfor Naugys first-year coach.

Thats because he desperately wantedfor he and his Greyhounds to make theirhome debut on their brand-new artificialturf field.

They were so excited that first game,says Bruno, whose team won a 42-36 thrillerin overtime. It's not just that it was a closegame, but they sensed the history that it wasgoing to be the first game on a turf that'sgoing to be here for a long time. They got tobe part of something new. The Veterans Field turf was the first part

of the high schools $81 million renovationto be completed. It includes an eight-lanetrack and improvements to the seatingcapacity, which is the largest in theNaugatuck Valley League.

Bruno spent his first 12 years at Bunnellof Stratford, where his Bulldogs also playedon a turf field. But he says the facilities inthe South-West Conference dont compareto what his Greyhounds have in the NVL.

It's beautiful. It has a lot of character,Bruno says of his new home turf. The fieldis beautiful, but the setting here is whatmakes it. The crowds throughout this leagueand just Valley football this is my firsttime seeing this, and I can see how real thepassion and intensity is.

Over the last few years, the old naturalgrass of Veterans Field made for poor play-

ing conditions, especially late in the season.

Ryne Griesenauer, a senior captain and theteams leading wide receiver, enjoys havinga pristine surface where he can rack up the

numbers.It's a lot better, Griesenauer says.

With grass, sometimes it's too hard ortoo soft and it's tough to plant. I've got noexcuses anymore. I can come out here

and play 110 percent no matter the

weathe r.Brunos traditionally high-powered

offensive have benefited from playing on

turf. He led the Bulldogs to state champi-onships in 2006 and 2007 thanks to adynamic passing attack. Naugys new facili-ty was a major draw when he accepted the

job in January.

You either get a turf field or I don'tcoach there, Bruno jokes. That's a prereq-uisite.

This season has felt like a Naugatuckfootball rebirth, Griesenauer says. The com-bination of Brunos fresh attitude and thenew turf has motivated the Hounds to a 9-1record entering Thanksgiving.

It's with the whole new era aroundhere, Griesenauer says. We got CoachBruno and his whole staff, and we got thisbeautiful field. Not only are we able to playon it, but this is the first time that the gameshere have really meant something. We knowthat we're going to have people here, so we

want to show them what's going on.The turf, which is also used by Naugys

soccer teams, is only the first of many

improvements to the high schools athleticfacilities. New natural grass baseball andsoftball fields have been laid on the lowerlevel, and an indoor complex is still in the

works. In addition to a renovated swimmingpool and gymnasium, Naugatuck will add a

wing with a new weight room and teamroom, and there will be new locker roomsand coaches offices.

The transition has been a little bittough, but it's going to be worth the wait,Bruno says.

Bruno has been happy with the supportthe team has received throughout the regu-lar season. He hopes to be able to turnaround from his home sideline onThanksgiving and see Greyhounds fanspacked on the sprawling hill.

A field is a field, but a school and acommunity give character to it, Brunosays. These people have been waiting tosee the passion back on the field, and it'shere.

The one thing Naugy fans haventseen on the new turf is a loss.Griesenauer says his team doesnt planon suffering its first to Ansonia onThanksgiving morning.

We don't want anyone to come in hereand beat us, Griesenauer says. This is ourplace, and as long as I'm here I want to keepit that way. This is our home.


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The turf dreams are made ofKyle Brennan, Citizens News

CKYLE BRENNAN

The lights shine down on the new Veterans Field turf Nov. 15 before the Greyhounds game versus Kennedy.

ELIO GUGLIOTTI

Naugatucks Kevin Robinson Jr. (22)sizes up Wolcotts Jayson Matos (3)before making the tackle during the

Greyhounds first game on the newturf Sept. 20.

Its a lot better. With grass, sometimes its too hard or too

soft and its tough to plant. Ive got no excuses anymore. I can

come out here and play 100 percent no matter the weather.RY

NE GRIESENAUER


6/16


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0 Quarterbacks in Naugatuck history to throw for more yards and touchdowns thanJason Bradley has this season. Bradley enters Thanksgiving with 2,470 yards and 34 touch-downs, both school records.

5 Rank on the Thanksgiving series all-time combined scoring list of last years game.The 75 combined points scored in Ansonias 48-27 win may be surpassed this season withthe squads averaging more than 93 combined points per game. The series record is 85points in 1946.

7 Times Naugatuck has had to deal with a 2,200-yard running back on Thanksgivingover the last nine seasons. That includes this year, Naugys final meeting with ArkeelNewsome, the states all-time leading rusher and scorer.

24 Distance, in yards, of Mick Pernells field goal last Thanksgiving that gaveNaugatuck a 9-7 lead over Ansonia. The Chargers scored the next two touchdowns andcoasted to a win.

25 Touchdowns accounted for by Bradley in Naugatucks last four games. He has tal-lied 14 total scores in the Greyhounds last two victories and hes posted 44 total TDs on the

year.

1986Last time a Naugatuck senior class experienced two career victories over

Ansonia. That group claimed a 34-6 win as seniors and a 33-28 victory as juniors. This yearsNaugy seniors were freshmen when the Greyhounds beat Ansonia, 38-20, in 2010.

2001 Last time a Naugatuck-Ansonia game was decided by a single-digit margin.The Greyhounds won the NVL championship, 14-13, in Rob Plaskys first year as headcoach.

Naugatuck quarter-back Jason Bradleyenters Thanksgivingas the Greyhoundssingle-seasonrecord holder with2,470 yards and 34touchdowns.Bradley has 60 TDpasses in two years

as a starter.ELIO GUGLIOTTI

.5 Sack needed by Woodland linebacker Levi Fancher to tie the schools career sacksrecord, currently held by Eric Alfiere (18). Fancher has seven sacks this season and can alsobreak the schools career tackles mark on Thanksgiving eve.

1 Position of Woodland quarterback Tanner Kingsley on the charts of the Hawks 12major passing records. Hes the schools career, single-season and single-game leader in

yards, touchdowns, completions and attempts.

4 Consecutive games in the Thanksgiving eve rivalry won by Woodland. This streakfollows the Wildcats five-game stretch of wins from 2005-08.

5 Naugatuck Valley League division championships won by Woodland in the lastdecade. The Hawks won titles in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012 and this fall.

67 Career completion percentage for Kingsley, the best in state history for quarter-backs with a minimum of 640 attempts. That is three points higher than that of currentUConn quarterback Casey Cochran.

88 Combined points in last years Thanksgiving eve game, a 62-26 win by Woodland.It broke the series record for most total points, topping the 87 scored in Woodlands 55-32

win in 2009.

288 Rushing yards needed by Seymour running back Joey Salemme onThanksgiving eve to break the Wildcats single-season record, currently held by EdwinEsson (2,030 in 1980). Salemme has 1,743 yards and 20 touchdowns this year.

Woodland islooking tomake it fivewins in a rowover theWildcats onThanksgivingeve after rout-ing Seymour

62-26 last year.The 88 com-bined pointswas the mostscored in thehistory of therivalry.

RA ARCHIVE


7/16


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8/16

here will be noNaugatuck ValleyLeague title at stake

when Naugatuc k andAnsonia dig in acrossthe line of scrimmageon Thanksgiving morn-

ing.That may seem unusual for this

storied rivalry that will be playing its114th game since 1900. But the fact ofthe matter is this: Since 1951, when theNVL first officially crowned a leaguechampion, the Chargers andGreyhounds have only met 13 times todecide the league championship, withNaugatuck holding a slim 7-6 edge inthose confrontations.

This years NVL championship wasdecided last week when Ansonia rolledover Woodland. That doesnt make this

Thanksgiving game any less meaningfulas both Naugatuck (9-1) and Ansonia(11-0) will have the opportunity to wrapup home games in the state quarterfi-nals and if the Greyhounds lose, theymay miss the playoffs altogether.

You would have to go back morethan a decade to find two more success-ful coaches than Naugys Craig Brunoand Ansonias Tom Brockett going headto head in this Thanksgiving matchup.Bruno, the first-year man in the bor-ough, brings in a 103-37-1 career recordafter spending 12 seasons with Bunnellof Stratford, where he compiled a 94-36-1 ledger with two state championshipsto show for his efforts.

Everyone has been talking about

this game and I know all about the longhistory of this rivalry, Bruno says. Iknow what theyre about and Ive seenthem play in the past. Ive been friends

with Coach Brockett for quite a fewyears.

Brockett, who took over for the leg-endary Jack Hunt in 2006, has reeled offa 96-7 record in leading the Chargers tofour state titles in eight seasons.

Ansonia heads into the fray as winnersof 39 games in a row, the second extend-ed streak of its kind during the Brockettera. The Chargers will be looking for a

state championship three-peat afterwinning in 2011 and 2012.

This years Thanksgiving game willfeature two of the rivalrys highest scor-ing offenses in quite some time.Naugatuck averages 42.6 points pergame while allowing 16.3, while

Ansonia averages 50.7 points while let-ting up 15.1 per game.

Most of the Chargers offensecomes through running back ArkeelNewsome, the states all-time leadingrusher and scorer. He has become theonly player in state history to rush formore than 9,000 yards and 150 touch-downs. Still, Bruno doesnt want histeams focus to be on the UConn-boundrunner.

What we cant get into is focusingon Ansonia and Arkeel Newsome,Bruno says. We need to focus on what

we can do. The better the team, theharder you need to prepare. Ive been ina lot of big games over the years and itsa lot more than any one player.

Naugatuck will bring quite a bit tothe table with junior quarterback JasonBradley, who has set single-seasonpassing marks for the Greyhounds with2,470 yards and 34 touchdowns. Bradleyhas also run for 331 yards and a team-leading 10 touchdowns on 80 carries.

Naugy running back Tom Doutyhas carried the ball 95 times for 802

yards and eight touchdown s. KevinRobinson (260 yards, five touchdowns)and Nate Franklin (135 yards) add moreground threats.

Ryne Griesenauer is closing in on

1,000 receiving yards with 52 catches for998 yards and 13 touchdowns. BryanConey has hauled in 28 catches for 671

yards and 11 touchdowns. Robinsonhas 23 catches for 281 yards and atouchdown, and Rick Plasky has pulleddown 15 catches for 236 yards and threetouchdowns. Franklin and Douty havealso latched onto three touchdowngrabs each for the Hounds.

I believe in our guys and I believein this team, Bruno says. We will needto come out and play our best game andmake no mistakes. We will control the

things we can control and that will beour intensity and that will be at its max-imum.

Ansonia boasts Newsome in thebackfield and quarterback JaiQuanMcKnight under center. McKnight is adual threat with more than 1,000 total

yards and 16 touchdowns.Ansonia has a lot of good players

besides Newsome and McKnight, butwe have some pretty good players onour end as well, Bruno says. What weneed to do is come out and match theintensity level of this game.

This years Thanksgiving game willbe the first played on Naugatucks new

Veterans Field turf, which makes Brunoexcited to debut in front of the manyfans who come for only the Turkey Daycontest.

Im real glad my first

Thanksgiving game with Ansonia ishere on our own turf, Bruno says. I

wouldnt say its comforting there isnothing comfortable about facing oneof the top teams in the state on a 40-game winning streak.


Naugatuck Schedule and Results

D

ate

Opponent

Result

Sept. 13 at Crosby W 39-8

Sept. 20 vs. Wolcott W 42-36 (OT)

Sept. 26 vs. Sacred Heart W 49-19

Oct. 4 at Woodland L 25-22

Oct. 11 at Torrington W 33-3

Oct. 18 vs. Bunnell W 39-0

Oct. 26 at St. Paul W 59-31

Nov. 1 vs. Wilby W 42-14

Nov. 7 at Holy Cross W 56-20

Nov. 28 Ansonia 10:30 a.m.

N

o.

Surn

ame

First Name

Yr.

Of

f.

D

ef.

2 Tyler Fr. WR LB

4 Papp Brandon Fr. RB LB

6 Griesenauer Ryne Sr. WR LB

7 Hopkins Jourdan Jr. RB LB

8 Plasky Rick Sr. WR LB

10 Ilunga Etty So. WR DB

11 Harrison Shane Sr. WR DB

12 Cantoni Nicolas Fr. WR DB

13 Bradley Jason Jr. QB

14 Dietelbaum Tyler Fr. QB

16 Desantis Brett Fr. WR DB

18 Coney Bryan Jr. WR DB

19 Quarles Chris Jr. TE LB

21 Franklin Nate Sr. RB DB

22 Robinson Kevin Jr. WR DB

24 Burke Bryan Sr. RB LB

25 Bragg Blayde So. RB LB

26 Douty Tom Sr. RB LB

28 Brooks Maleek Jr. WR DB

29 Warren Lucas So. RB DB

32 Santo Brandon Jr. RB LB

35 Burke Matt Sr. WR DB

40 Manouse Aaron So. LB

43 Cavagnulo Paul So. WR LB

44 Grillo Matt Jr. RB LB

47 Johnson Aaron Sr. WR

48 Messenger Austin So. LB

52 Yourison Aaron Jr. OL DL

53 Renzoni Dan Sr. RB LB

54 Ilunga Socrates Jr. OL DL

55 Murphy PJ Jr. OL LB

56 Mariano Kevin Sr. OL DL

59 Kazadi Francois Sr. K

62 Kloc David Jr. OL DL

63 Brewer James Jr. K LB

65 Jawaid Nabeel Jr. OL DL

67 Campbell Jeremiah So. OL DL

68 Dumont Matt So. OL DL

69 Hanks Nick Jr. OL DL

71 Reardon Jack Jr. OL DL

72 Paul Will Jr. OL DL

75 Sanchez Freddy So. OL DL

76 Bond Logan So. OL DL

77 Cavagnulo Mark Sr. OL DL

81 Ahmed Eyad Sr. TE DL

82 Mesidol James So. OL DL

86 San Angelo James Sr. OL DL

88 Aviles Devan So. WR DB

93 Caufield Cameron So. OL DL

Naugatuck Roster

Nov. 15

Waters

vs. Kennedy W 45-7

Naugatuck charging up for AnsoniaKen Morse, Citizens News

ELIO GUGLIOTTI

Naugatuck running back Tom Douty (26) leads the dynamic Greyhounds offense on the ground this year with95 carries for 802 yards and eight touchdowns with the help of blocks from David Kloc (62) and the rest of theoffensive line. Naugy boasts a slew of offensive weapons heading into the annual Thanksgiving game.

ELIO GUGLIOTTI

Naugatuck linebacker JourdanHopkins (7),defensive backMaleek Brooks (28) and theGreyhounds defense have givenup an average of 16.3 points pergame. The defense will look toshutdown Ansonia running backArkeel Newsome on Thanksgiving.

T

I believe in our guys and I believe in this

team. We will need to come out and play

our best game and make no mistakes. Wewill control the things we can control.

CRAIG BRUNO


9/16

Date

Opponent

Resul

t

Sept. 13 vs. Branford W 44-19

Sept. 20 vs. Crosby W 40-6

Sept. 28 at Kennedy W 34-26

Oct. 4 vs. Naugatuck W 25-22

Oct. 12 at St. Paul W 59-14

Oct. 18 at Pomperaug W 42-13

Oct. 25 vs. Sacred Heart W 54-6

Nov. 1 at Holy Cross L 37-18

Nov. 8 vs. Torrington W 46-14

Nov. 15 vs. Derby W 32-27

Woodland Schedule and Results

Nov. 20

Nov. 27 at Seymour

L 48-7

6 p.m.

Ansonia (NVL championship)


No.

Surn

ame

Firs

t N

ame

Yr.

Off.

Def.

3 Pinho Jack Sr. WR DB

4 McAllen Sean So. RB DB

5 DeBrizzi Zach Sr. TE LB

6 Abarzua Dylan Jr. WR DB

7 Kingsley Tanner Sr. QB

8 Scirpo Jon So. WR DB

9 Kenney Mike Jr. WR DB

11 Rodrigues Jason Jr. RB DB

12 Scirpo Alex Jr. WR DB

14 Decarolis DJ Fr. RB LB

15 Shaw Connor Jr. WR DB

16 Koch Quincy Fr. QB DB

20 Poeta Joe Jr. WR DB

21 Hale Pat Jr. QB DB

22 Gondola Mike Sr. RB DB

24 Tucciarone Taylor Sr. WR DB

25 Vaccarelli Coby So. RB DB

26 Giammattei Nick So. RB DB

27 Massimo Guy So. WR DB

28 Lang Mike Sr. WR DB

29 Paternoster Rob Sr. WR DB

32 Bobbie Dave So. RB DB

34 Slavin Chris Sr. RB LB

43 Fancher Levi Sr. TE LB

47 McDonald Chris Jr. TE LB

51 Flormann Will Jr. OL DL

52 Searles John So. OL DL

55 Rek Gage Sr. OL DL

56 McSperrin Max Jr. OL DL

58 Alves Ryan So. OL DL

59 Varhol Alex Jr. OL DL

63 Fidalgo Dylan Jr. OL DL

66 Shea Colin So. OL DL

70 Laliberte Jake Jr. OL DL

74 Dervisi Semir So. OL DL

75 Boncal Jake Sr. OL DL

77 Bures Alik Sr. OL DL

78 Ezzo Zack So. OL DL

79 Clarke Austin Sr. OL DL

80 Lawrence Scott Fr. TE LB

85 Marshall Jeramy Fr. TE LB

Woodland Roster

Woodland-Seymour game a battle of contrasting styles

or the first time in five

years, Seymour mighthave the squad to beat

Woodland onThanksgiving eve.

The Wildcats (6-4),who have already

clinched their first winning record since2008, will enter DeBarber Field on

Wednesday night as winners of three oftheir last four. The one loss in that four-game stretch came to Ansonia in a gameSeymour had chance after chance to

win, including a missed field goal in thewaning minutes.

Woodland coach Tim Shea, who is4-1 in leading his Hawks againstSeymour, thinks the Wildcats will drawupon their superior effort against the

Chargers for the rivalry game.Being in a very competitive rivalry

game when I was a player, you try to useeverything you can as motivation, saidShea, a former Naugatuck standout. I

know Seymour's going to use how it

played against Ansonia as motivation,but they're going to get our best effort.

Seymour employs a no-nonsensestyle of offense in which it runs the ballnearly 45 times per game. JoeySalemme, Seymours leading rusher

with 1,743 yards and 20 touchdowns,has been chasing Edwin Essons schoolrecord of 2,030 yards. Salemme hasrushed for more than 200 yards in sixgames.

Salemme is a very good player,Shea says. He reminds me a lot of MattZaccagnini. He plays really hard.

The Cats dont boast a prolific pass-ing game but quarterback FrankMarcucio has thrown 11 touchdownpasses to just two interceptions.

Salemme also ran the Wildcat offense inthe Ansonia game, when he racked up239 yards and two scores plus a 43-yardtouchdown pass.

Most of Seymours passes go toChristian Thurmond, a hybrid tight end.Hes caught 11 of the teams 12 touch-down throws with 485 yards through theair. Greg Chase-Patrick and Jack Briggsspell Salemme in the backfield and haveaccounted for nearly 500 yards andeight scores.

Woodland (9-2), of course, counterswith its spread offense that enjoyed arecord night in Beacon Falls last year.Tanner Kingsley, the all-state seniorquarterback, threw for a state-record615 yards and a Naugatuck Valley

League-record eight touchdowns in a62-28 win against the Wildcats.

The Hawks only ran for 49 yards inthat game, but that figure should behigher this year with the emergence ofsophomore running back SeanMcAllen. McAllen has rushed for 1,306

yards and 13 touchdowns with an extra404 yards and two scores through theair.

Kingsley, of course, makes theoffense go. Statistically the third-leadingpasser in state history (7,564 yards and107 touchdowns), Kingsley has 2,784

yards and 39 touchdowns with nine

interceptions this year.Mike Kenney (876 yards, 14 touch-

downs), Taylor Tucciarone (570 and 12),Jack Pinho (281 and five), Dylan

Abarzua (238 and two) and Joe Poeta(236 and two) have been Kingsleys toptargets.

Woodland has been in a bit of aslump, though, with a 2-2 record in itslast four outings. In the Hawks two loss-es a 37-18 defeat to Holy Cross and a48-7 loss to Ansonia in the NVL champi-onship they have turned over the balla combined eight times. Woodland hasonly given away the ball four times in itsnine wins.

Still, even in the Hawks 32-27comeback win over Derby, it took a

fourth-and-25 Hail Mary from Kingsleyto Kenney late in the game to win. It leftmany questioning Woodlands ability to

win on Thanksgiving eve and in thestate playoffs.

Everybody's making too muchout of that Derby game, Shea says. Itold everyone that Derby was goingto come out and play hard, and theydid. Sometimes the kids need toblock out that stuff. We're dealing

with high scho ol kids . Who knowsabout their psyche, but it's my job tofix that.

With a win, Woodland would tie theall-time series with Seymour for the firsttime since 2004, when the Hawks tiedthe series through two meetings. The

Wildcats won five in a row from 2005-08, including the 2007 Class SS semifi-nal, but Woodland has won the last four.Seymour leads overall, 6-5, but

Woodland leads the averaging scoring,30.3-26.5.

Thanksgiving is a rivalry game,Shea says. All X's and O's and recordsgo out the window. It's about who wantsit that bad that night. We've gotten it thelast four years, and Seymour's hungry toget it back. We're going to do what wecan to keep it. It should be a lot of fun.

We have something to prove.

Kyle Brennan, Citizens News

ELIO GUGLIOTTI

Woodlands Mike Kenney (9) leads the Hawks aerial attack with 876 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.Theannual Thanksgiving eve game will feature a clash of offensive styles with the Hawks spread offense versus theground game of the Wildcats.

F

ELIO GUGLIOTTI

Woodlands defense will have itssights set on stopping Seymoursground game that runs the ballnearly 45 times per game.

Thanksgiving is a rivalry game. All Xs

and Os and records go out the window.

Its about who wants it that bad that

night. ... It should be a lot of fun. We

have something to prove.TIM SHEA


10/16


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Naugatuck-AnsoniaAnsonia leads series, 66-37-10

1900 Ansonia 5, Naugatuck 01901 Naugatuck 6, Ansonia 01902 Ansonia 18, Naugatuck 01903 Ansonia 5, Naugatuck 01904 Naugatuck 22, Ansonia 01904 Ansonia 5, Naugatuck 01904 Naugatuck 0, Ansonia 01905 Naugatuck 17, Ansonia 01905 Naugatuck 5, Ansonia 01906 Naugatuck 0, Ansonia 01907 Naugatuck 15, Ansonia 51907 Naugatuck 5, Ansonia 51908 Naugatuck 5, Ansonia 01909 Naugatuck 30, Ansonia 01910 Naugatuck 0, Ansonia 01911 No game1912 Naugatuck 13, Ansonia 71913 Naugatuck 22, Ansonia 01914 Naugatuck 26, Ansonia 131915 No game1916 Naugatuck 3, Ansonia 0

1917 Naugatuck 14, Ansonia 61918 No game1919 Naugatuck 0, Ansonia 01920 Ansonia 25, Naugatuck 01921 Naugatuck 0, Ansonia 01922 Naugatuck 7, Ansonia 21923 Ansonia 7, Naugatuck 01924 No game1925 Ansonia 20, Naugatuck 01926 Naugatuck 20, Ansonia 131927 Naugatuck 42, Ansonia 71928 Naugatuck 73, Ansonia 01929 Naugatuck 13, Ansonia 01930 Naugatuck 0, Ansonia 01931 Ansonia 13, Naugatuck 71932 Naugatuck 26, Ansonia 61933 Naugatuck 33, Ansonia 01934 Ansonia 25, Naugatuck 0

1935 Ansonia 13 Naugatuck 0

1936 Ansonia 79, Naugatuck 01937 Ansonia 38, Naugatuck 01938 Naugatuck 7, Ansonia 71939 Ansonia 12, Naugatuck 01940 Ansonia 14, Naugatuck 01941 Ansonia 39, Naugatuck 01942 Ansonia 26, Naugatuck 131943 Ansonia 27, Naugatuck 01944 Ansonia 41, Naugatuck 141945 Ansonia 51, Naugatuck 01946 Ansonia 65, Naugatuck 201947 Ansonia 33, Naugatuck 01948 Ansonia 59, Naugatuck 71949 Ansonia 13, Naugatuck 71950 Naugatuck 6, Ansonia 01951 Ansonia 27, Naugatuck 01952 Ansonia 13, Naugatuck 01953 Ansonia 32, Naugatuck 71954 Naugatuck 19, Ansonia 131955 Naugatuck 13, Ansonia 71956 Naugatuck 27, Ansonia 01957 Ansonia 13, Naugatuck 01958 Ansonia 24, Naugatuck 01959 Ansonia 16, Naugatuck 61960 Naugatuck 41, Ansonia 14

1961 Ansonia 14, Naugatuck 81962 Naugatuck 8, Ansonia 01963 Naugatuck 26, Ansonia 81964 Ansonia 22, Naugatuck 81965 Ansonia 17, Naugatuck 61966 Naugatuck 12, Ansonia 121967 Ansonia 12, Naugatuck 71968 Naugatuck 33, Ansonia 61969 Naugatuck 9, Ansonia 61970 Naugatuck 14, Ansonia 141971 Naugatuck 46, Ansonia 131972 Naugatuck 19, Ansonia 141973 Ansonia 26, Naugatuck 141974 Ansonia 10, Naugatuck 6

1975 Ansonia 28, Naugatuck 01976 Ansonia 56, Naugatuck 281977 Ansonia 18, Naugatuck 01978 Ansonia 14, Naugatuck 71979 Ansonia 21, Naugatuck 141980 Ansonia 33, Naugatuck 15

1981 Naugatuck 24, Ansonia 201982 Naugatuck 7, Ansonia 61983 Ansonia 28, Naugatuck 121984 Ansonia 39, Naugatuck 81985 Naugatuck 33, Ansonia 281986 Naugatuck 34, Ansonia 61987 Ansonia 45, Naugatuck 61988 Ansonia 28, Naugatuck 81989 Ansonia 14, Naugatuck 71990 Ansonia 20, Naugatuck 141991 Ansonia 38, Naugatuck 91992 Ansonia 30, Naugatuck 61993 Naugatuck 22, Ansonia 01994 Ansonia 28, Naugatuck 211995 Ansonia 7, Naugatuck 01996 Ansonia 51, Naugatuck 221997 Ansonia 25, Naugatuck 141998 Ansonia 28, Naugatuck 0

1999 Ansonia 28, Naugatuck 62000 Ansonia 15, Naugatuck 122001 Naugatuck 14, Ansonia 132002 Ansonia 43, Naugatuck 92003 Ansonia 49, Naugatuck 02004 Ansonia 41, Naugatuck 202005 Ansonia 33, Naugatuck 72006 Ansonia 25, Naugatuck 02007 Ansonia 42, Naugatuck 02008 Ansonia 20, Naugatuck 02009 Ansonia 56, Naugatuck 202010 Naugatuck 38, Ansonia 202011 Ansonia 49, Naugatuck 142012 Ansonia 48, Naugatuck 27

Historys ScoreboardWoodland-SeymourSeymour leads series, 6-5

2003 Seymour 41, Woodland 142004 Woodland 27, Seymour 222005 Seymour 28, Woodland 202006 Seymour 20, Woodland 72007 Seymour 36, Woodland 352007 Seymour 46, Woodland 282008 Seymour 27, Woodland 102009 Woodland 55, Seymour 322010 Woodland 47, Seymour 72011 Woodland 28, Seymour 72012 Woodland 62, Seymour 26

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A witness to history

During the 12-year history of the

Woodland varsity football program, recordshave been written and rewritten again.Mike Cook has seen it all and recorded itfor anyone who didnt.

Cook, the Hawks official statistician,records every tackle, touchdown, catch andrushing attempt just about anything thathappens during a play. He has done it sinceday one of the program.

Cook has seen state title runs, memo-rable comebacks and a slew of talentedplayers that left their marks in the annals ofHawks history. By the stroke of his pen, hehas captured it all.

His passion for numbers started at ayoung age, keeping stats for Babe Ruthbaseball games in his native Naugatuck.From there, he joined the Naugy track team

and former coach Chris Herb in the mid-1990s.Coach asked me to come up with a

record book, Cook recalls.For Cook, the rest is history one that

is constantly being written.Several years later, Cook found out that

Woodland coach Chris Anderson was look-ing for a scorekeeper for the upstart Hawks.He joined the staff as a volunteer at the sug-gestion of assistant coach Greg Todd andstarted documenting the teams perform-ance since its birth.

It was a brand new program, so keep-ing records was easy, Cook says.

Before there was a press box, Cookwould find himself on the top of a shed inthe far end zone to watch the action. Heenjoyed every minute of it, and has kept upthe enthusiasm a dozen years into the pro-

grams history.

It's a labor of love, Woodlandcoach Tim Shea says. He's alwayshere, he's reliable and we lookforward to getting his numbers.He takes a lot of pride in it.

Cook sticks with his pen-and-paper method of score-keeping to this day. After thegame, Cook reports the stats toMaxPreps, the states main stat-keeping website.

Todays technology makeslife a little easier for score-keepers, thanks to thepotential for videoreview of gamesfor more accu-rate stats.

W ehave thetechnolo-gy nowto goover theg a m ef i l mand goo v e ra n y -thing Im a yh a v emissedor if Ih a v eq u e s -tions, Cook says.

Records are kept on Microsoft Excel

spreadsheets, which include the

biggest names to ever don theBlack and Gold Jared

Katchmar, Pat Krakowski,Shane Kingsley, Jeff Jones,

Jack DeBiase and the mostrecent record-holders,Anthony Scirpo and TannerKingsley.

Still, the earliest days ofWoodland football providedsome of the fondest memo-

ries.Cook recalls the

W o o d l a n d -N a u g a t u c k

game in 2003o nHalloween

when thes c o r e -b o a r dmalfunc-tioned.

I twas a greatcomebackin the final2 minutesand therewas noc l o c k , C o o k r e m e m -bers. Weh a d

w a t c h e dthe final play and we didnt know it.

Jared Katchmar found Pat Krakowski in

the end zone to give the Hawks the 40-37

win over the Hounds in the teams first-evermeeting.

It was one of the most amazing gamesIve ever seen, Cook says.

During the next two years, the Hawkswon a pair of Naugatuck Valley League andstate titles. The records came early andoften.

It took a couple of years for us to fine-tune what we wanted, Cook says.

The records are still racking up today.Most recently, Cook has seen TannerKingsley eclipse the schools major passingrecords. Entering the NVL championshipgame, Kingsley had completed 533 of 795passes for 7,488 yards and 107 touchdowns.Kingsley has passed Katchmar in all fourcategories and has a chance to break the

states all- time passing touchdowns record,which currently stands at 112.Every one of those gaudy numbers has

been tracked by Cook. He rarely misses agame, but when he does he carefullyreviews the video to make sure his job isdone. But missing his presence sends the

Woodland staff into chaos when it comestime to report the game to local media.

We found out how valuable he was a fewweeks ago (against Sacred Heart) when hewasn't here, Shea says. I was lost. He does avery good job at something a lot of us take forgranted sometimes. I'm glad we've got him.

Cook says he would like to one daywork for a college or professional team. Butif that doesnt happen, hes quite happy

working with the Hawks.If this is all I can do, Ill do it, Cook

says. Its enjoyable.

Recording stats a labor of love for Woodland statisticianErnie Bertothy, Citizens News

He does a very good job at something a lot of us take for granted sometimes.TIM SHE

A

KYLE BRENNAN

Many records have been set in the 12-year history of theWoodland football program, and one man has been thereto document them all Mike Cook.


13/16


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The construction of a coaching staff

ometimes you just need tostart from scratch. WhenNaugatuck hired Craig Brunoas the new head coach of theGreyhounds football pro-gram in January, the schoolsadministrators knew they

were getting a coach who had been to themountain and conquered it.

In 12 seasons at Bunnell of Stratford,Bruno guided his alma mater to anastounding 94-36-1 record and won back-to-back state championships in 2006 and2007. He reached the state playoffs fourtimes, his Bulldogs reeled off a school-record 21-game winning streak and he hadonly two losing seasons in a dozen years.

Naugatuck, meanwhile was coming offa tumultuous campaign. The Hounds lostformer head coach Rob Plasky to a recruit-

ing scandal just two weeks before the startof the season and handed the reins to inter-im coach Shawn Kuczenski, the defensivecoordinator.

The Greyhounds survived the battleand compiled a 6-4 campaign. ButNaugatuck needed a fresh start and a newbeginning. Enter Bruno, complete with hisunorthodox, aggressive style and a proventrack record.

Soon after Bruno accepted the job inJanuary, he knew he had to build a strongcoaching staff around him to help get theGreyhounds back into the championshipconversation.

I know the importance of a coachingstaff, and youre only as good as the people

you surround yourself with, says Bruno,

who lives in Oxford with his wife and twodaughters. Ive been doing this quite a

while and wanted to bring some of my guyswith me, but I could only bring two.

That left three gaps for Bruno to fill,and he had ideas in mind for whom he waslooking.

Essentially I needed to bring threemore guys on board, Bruno says. I wantedto bring in a defensive coordinator, I want-ed a coach who understood team loyaltyand I wanted to retain a coach fromNaugatuck to help bridge the transition.

Bruno set out and secured the servicesof former Pomperaug and Southingtoncoach John Pereira as the defensive coordi-nator. Pat ORourke came with Bruno fromBunnell and former Seymour coach NickTeodosio soon joined the staff.

John and I coached against each otherwhen he was at Pomperaug and we hadsome pretty good battles over the years,

Bruno says. I knew what kind of work ethiche had and how he was able to relate to thekids. I did some football camps with Nickand I got to know what kind of coach he wasand how he was a team-orientated guy.

But Bruno says the key to bringing thisall together was the addition of TomTousignant, the man who ties Naugatuckspresent to its past.

Tom came highly recommended byNaugatuck High School and he helped tobridge that transition, Bruno says. Im soglad I picked him to stay on staff.

Tousignant, a 2007 Naugatuck graduateand three-year member of the previousstaff, came in when these seniors were justsophomores on the junior varsity team. Hegrew into his role as a coach and the players

grew into their roles on the field.I feel a special connection to the kids,

especially the seniors as I came in whenthey were sophomores, Tousignant says. Ithas been a tremendous experience watch-ing them grow as football players.

Under the direction of the new coach-ing staff, the team has come together as aunit. What made thebiggest differenceearly on is that theplayers appeared tobe having fun aftersuch a stressful situa-tion last season.

The main thingCoach Bruno talkedabout when I came onstaff was team loyalty buying into theprogram and what we

were going to do as a footbal l team,

Tousignant says. The entire staff has cometogether as one and we know we have eachothers back. Coach Bruno is an excellentcoach. He has such a passion for the gamethat its overwhelming. The kids just getcaught up with it and the intensity level justgoes up.

Bruno is mindful of the fact that the

fans and the entire borough of Naugatuck iswatching how the team progresses. He isalso mindful of the fact that this team isexcited, playing with emotion and havingan awful lot of fun along the way.

The fans have shown tremendoussupport forthe team andthe kids arehaving fun,Bruno says.The kids areconfident int h e m s e l v e s ,they are confi-dent in me.This is proba-bly the mostfun Ive had in

my career.

Of course, it hasnt been all roses forBruno.

If there is one complaint I have, itscolder up here as a matter of fact its a lotcolder up here than down in Stratford, he

jokes. But the kids are all excited and thatswhat makes this such a fun atmosphere tobe around.

Bruno brings fresh blood, excitement to Naugatucks sidelinesKen Morse, Citizens News

S

ELIO GUGLIOTTI

Naugatuck head coach Craig Bruno has compiled a 9-1 record in his first sea-son roaming the sidelines of Veterans Field. The hiring of the former Bunnell ofStratford coach signaled a fresh start for a Naugatuck program that was comingoff a tumultuous year.

CONTRIBUTED

The Naugatuck High coaching staff, from left, Tom Tousignant, Nick Teodosio,Craig Bruno, Pat O'Rourke and John Pereira.

I know the importance of a

coaching staff, and youre

only as good as the people

you surround yourself with.CRAIG BRUNO


15/16

anner Kingsley dons hisgreen No. 7 jersey, standingat the line of scrimmage ona bumpy field. Its another

day of practice atWoodland, and Kingsley isset to throw against the

Hawks first-string defense.Most of his top wide receivers play on

the starting defense, too, so Kingsley has tomake do with a pair of coaches r unning pat-terns. Woodland head coach Tim Sheastands aside from the action admires theawe-invoking sight.

Its Tanner throwing to his older broth-ers, Shane and Cody.

We always think, What if? Shea says.It's just practice, but I think it solidifiestheir bond.

Tanner, a senior, is the youngest of thethree Kingsley brothers. Shane was an all-state wide receiver and Cody was the mostaccurate passer in program history before

Tanner. Both have state championshiprings, and both are on the current Hawkscoaching staff.

But when the two are catching practicepassers from their youngest brother, theycant help but think what might have been.

I wish I could have had one of themtwo at quarterback, Shane says. I'd like tothink I would have caught a few passes fromNo. 7 in my day.

On second thought, it might be a goodthing that Shane snagged throws from JaredKatchmar and Alex Dorosh instead of hisbrothers.

There would have been games wherewe couldn't have spoken because I didn'tget the ball enough, Shane laughs.

Shane helped mold the Woodland foot-

ball program into what it is today. Hearrived at Woodland in 2002, just in time forthe Hawks first varsity season under Chris

Anderson. Soon enough, he went from a kidwho figured he was going to end up atSeymour High to one who helped put

Woodland on the state football map.My dad took me and Cody to every big

game in the Valley since we were old enoughto go, Shane says. Ever since I was a littlekid, I dreamed of playing in those biggames. There's no way to say that Woodland

would ever have this much success.Woodland arrived just in time for the

Kingsleys, who played in Seymour PopWarner. They were friends with many futureWildcat s and went to many games atDeBarber Field with their dad, Mike.

We envisioned going to Seymour our

whole lives, but then Woodland was built, saysCody, who joined the program in 2004. Wedecided we had to make our own paths here.

The first game Tanner remembers wasthe Naugatuck Valley League football cham-pionship game in 2004, when Woodlandearned a dramatic, 27-22 win over Seymourbefore an estimated 5,000 fans.

I remember the whole game, Tannersays. I stood on the hill and watched the

whole thing, and it was probably the bestgame I've ever watched.

Shane added to the drama of that game

with five catches for 102 yards but also a

fumble late in the fourth that almost cost

Woodland the championship. Its something

his brothers still havent let him live down.

Fortunately Woodland won that game,

or else I don't think Shane would haveplayed any games after that, Cody jokes.

We joke around with him about it, but the

only reason we're able to joke about it is

that they won that game.

Of course, Shane gets to hold his two

state and NVL championship rings over

both his brothers heads when they bring up

the fumble.

It's really the only thing they've got on

me, Shane says. Nothing is safe between

the three of us. If you mess up, you're going

to hear about it. If you score five touch-

downs, you're going to hear about the play

when you should have broken a tackle.

Tanner wasnt safe from the grief or

competitiveness when he was younger. The

age difference meant he couldnt alwayshang with the multi-sport stars at home, but

that never stopped him from trying.I always wanted to play with my broth-

ers kind of like a Manning brothers typeof thing, Tanner recalls. Growing up we'dalways play some sport and it would alwaysturn into a fight. There was a big age differ-

ence, but I'm glad I was able to watch themplay when I was younger.

Shane and Cody didnt take it easy onTanner, either.

We beat up Tanner, Cody laughs. Atthe same time, when he was growing up, meand Shane really focused on being good rolemodels for him. We wanted to bring him upthe same way our father did for us, and we

wanted to show him the ropes.

None of us will ever let the other onewin in anything, Shane adds. Especiallywhen Tanner was younger, we never let himwin. He had to earn everything.

Tanner also got the opportunity tohang around with his brothers friends,including quarterbacks Katchmar andDorosh.

When my brothers played, all theirfriends were cool with me, Tanner says. Ialways looked up to my brothers and theirfriends. I always wanted to have the samesuccess that Jared and Alex had.

Hes had all that and more. Tanner hasbroken all the schools passing records andis among the top three passers in state his-tory by any statistical measure. Combinethose stats with his success in his other twosports, and the ultra-competitive Shane has

to tip his hat.Tanner's had the best career, Shane

says. He's going for 1,000 points in basket-ball, 100 hits in baseball and 100 touchdownpasses in football. But with the game on theline I'm still taking myself .

They all have different styles but haveachieved similar outcomes during their

playing days. Shea has coached all three ofthem for four years each.

They have three very different person-alities, but they all bring a lot of the same

things to the table, Shea says. Tannerseems to be the most laid back because he'snot as vocal, but he's not afraid to make hisvoice heard. He's got the best of both hisbrothers in him.

Mike and Lori Kingsley have seen it all.Mike usually stands on the sidelines, whileLori has accumulated more games in the

Woodland bleachers than anyone else.She'll probably be a little upset that

she won't have one of us out there playing(after this season), but she'll still definitelygo to all the football games, Tanner says ofhis mother. She's such a Hawks fan.

Cody and Shane credit their dad forfostering the competitive nature of thethree brothers.

He set the example, Cody says. Hepushed us to be the athletes that we were,

but he let us develop our own drive to do it.He guided us in the right directions. Webrothers have great respect for other peo-ple, and that's because of the way hebrought us up.

Our family is a very competitive fami-ly, Shane adds. It's how we were raised.Me, Tanner and CodyI don't know ofmany people who hate losing more than us.That drive to win brings out the leadership.

All three were captains of their teams inmultiple sports, leading Shea to believetheres such a thing as a leadership geneand the Kingsleys have it.

I think they're the perfect argumentthat there is one, Shea says. There's some-thing about certain families. Growing up andbeing involved in sports at a young age, it's

that competitive fire that only brothers canhave. There have been many siblings whohave come through here, but they're alwaysgoing to be the ones who are at the top.

Shane and Cody are now members ofthe Woodland coaching staff, getting to

watch their brother break records from justa few yards away. The three are good aboutkeeping their coaching and family relation-ships separate, according to Cody.

When we're at the field, we're coachand player, Cody says. But off the field,

we're brothers. Being able to watch himdevelop and help him develop into a betterplayer than me and Shane, it's fun to watch.Sometimes on the sidelines, it's like I'mrooting for my brother but I'm coaching inthe game.

Tanner will play his final game in a

Woodland football uniform in Decembersstate playoffs. It will be the first time in theschools history that there wont be a Kingsleycoming down the pipe anytime soon.

It's going to be weird, Tanner says. Allthree of us did what we wanted to do at thisschool. We just came out here every gameand gave it our all.

Looking back on it, it's been so muchfun, Cody adds. Hopefully somewherealong the line, there will be a group of broth-ers who will be able to do what we did.

And, hey, maybe it will be anothergroup of Kingsley brothers.

Someone joked with me the other daythat I have to have some kids soon, Shanelaughs. I told them they have to slowdown.

If they're in the Valley, Cody says of

his future children, they're going to beplaying for the Woodland Hawks.


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Happy Thanksgiving &Good Luck Greyhounds!

The last of the KingsleysKyle Brennan, Citizens News

T

ELIO GUGLIOTTI

Quarterback Tanner Kingsley (7), who owns all of Woodlands passing records, isthe last of three brothers to don the Black and Gold for the Hawks.

We just came out here every game

and gave it our all.TANNER KINGSLE

Y


16/16

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became the head chef at our fam-ilys Christmas Eve celebration last

year (and can you believe this guyis single?!) and things wentabsolutely swimmingly. The bestpart, since I invaded my grand-mas kitchen to wield the oven

mitts, is that I didnt have to worry aboutstoring leftovers.

Theyre a real Jekyll-and-Hyde

situation, arent those leftovers?Most of the time theyre pretty deli-cious and can be consumed in anyquantity at any time of day, butafter holidays there are just somany! Theres just no space!

Lucky, our Thanksgiving left-overs here at Citizens News donttake up any room in your refrigera-tor we prefer they be hung ON

your refrig erator! (Besid es, we,unlike revenge, are best servedtepid.)

This special section is our favorite thingto do every year, so we want to squeezeevery last drop out of it. For the second sea-son, we are proud to present ourThanksgiving Leftovers. Happy

Thanksgiving!

Get the H Out!You probably wouldnt believe the trou-

ble we have around here in keeping hun-dreds of local athletes names right. Itsimportant to us, but its not always easy.

Why is it so tough? Because we cantrust NOBODY when it comes to properspelling of these kids names except for thekids themselves. Rosters? Nope. Theyrealways good for misleading us and makingus look like fools in our stories.

Take for the example the case of a 6-foot-5 wide receiver from Naugatuck. Hisname is not Ryan, and his name is notGriesenhauer.

His name is Ryne Griesenauer.No h, Griesenauer says. Sometimes

they get it wrong and sometimes they don't.It's just a mess.

There is an h in his name onNaugatucks roster, yet theres no h on his

jersey nameplate. This is why were taughtto take NOTHING at face value.

Anyway, it was a good thingIve known about Griesenauer

since his Pop Warner footballdays, before he became a 1,000-

yard wide receiver. Im probablythe only media member in theentire state to spell his name rightevery time. For those who keepscrewing up, its a wee bit exasper-ating for the Greyhounds leading

wideout.Last year I wasn't the main

part of the offense, so when myname was spelled wrong in the

paper it was like, Wow, I'm in the paper!Griesenauer says. This year it's like, Yourestill getting it wrong? But it's not a big deal.

At least Ryno sweet nickname, yeah? has a good attitude about it all.

It's the name on the front that matters

more than the name on the back,Griesenauer says.Give that man another touchdown!

Ladies ManI made a presentation about my job to

a few classes at Woodland earlier this

month. One of the thoughts I found myselfrepeating to the couple dozen students wasthat this profession is more about art thanscience.

A big part of the job, especially locally,

is developing good relationships with thefigures we cover. Ive got pretty good ones

with our two head football coaches. Want toknow how I know that?

The football coaches wives are card-

carrying members of the Kyle Brennan Fan

Club.Oh, yeah, thats right. Once youve got

their wives on your side, youre good to go.Woodland coach Tim Shea tied the

knot last year. Mrs. Coach Shea can usuallybe seen waiting on the sidelines after gamesare over. Shes a great supporter of theHawks, and we share a common love (notTim). Shes a big Quinnipiac hockey fan!

Her company designed the TD BankSports Center in Hamden, so shes a regularattendee of games. I, of course, an am alum-nus of the fine educational institution andam thrilled to share a hockey team. Shes

even helped Tim become a fan. I like Mrs.Coach Shea, and Mrs. Coach Shea likes me.

Naugatuck, of course, has a new headcoach this year in Craig Bruno. I spent the

first part of 2013 getting to know Bruno andbuilding up a professional relationship withthe coach I hope is around here for many

years. You never know what a big-time foot-ball coach will think of the local media guys.

About midway through the seaso n,Craig told me how much Mrs. Coach Brunoenjoys reading my Naugatuck Valley League

Football Blog and all my local publications(she even asked for copies of this falls edi-tion of our paper because Citizens Newsisnt available in their hometown of Oxford).Im glad to have her on my side in such a

quick time frame.Just as Lyndon B. Johnson knew he hadlost his presidency when Walter Cronkiteturned his opinion against the Vietnam War,I know Ive won over the leaders of our foot-ball programs when their wives are onboard with me.

All-Time (Statistical) GreatsWhen Tanner Kingsley concludes his

career as Woodlands quarterback some-time in the next few weeks, he will have fin-ished as one of the greatest quarterbacks,statistically speaking, in the history ofConnecticut high school football.

Kingsley, entering Thanksgiving eveagainst Seymour, is third in state history forboth passing yards (7,564) and touchdown

passes (107). Hes second in NVL history inboth of those categories, and hes the schoolleader in every category there is. At 67 per-cent, Kingsley is also the most accuratepasser in state history.

Up the river, Naugatucks Jason Bradleyis playing at a level never seen in more than110 years of Greyhounds football. Headinginto Thanksgiving against Ansonia, Bradleyalready has school records with 2,470 yardsand 34 touchdowns. In in second season as a

starter, he already has nearly 4,000 yards and60 touchdowns. Hes got one season left!

By George, We Miss YouI havent felt more honor or more pres-

sure in writing a story than the one thatgraced our opening spread in this very spe-cial Thanksgiving section.

I wanted to make sure that I keptmyself out of that feature because the emo-tions and the actions of those involved toldthe story much better than I ever could havehoped to do. But theres no doubt that it wasan emotional one to write.

George Pinho was a special man. Thosewho didnt know him may think its all anexaggeration, but it really isnt. His endlessinvolvement in youth sports tells some ofthe story; the undoubted quality of his sonstells most of it.

When his boys say that George treatedall the players like sons, its true. Georgetreated everyone like a son and a friend. Its

a quality missing from many today, and theWoodland community has done anadmirable job keeping alive his memory.

As I puzzled about the direction to gowith his story, I sat back and imagined whatGeorge would say to me. I cant print whathis imaginary response was, but it put asmile on my face. I went ahead and wrotesomething of which Im proud.

I know thats what keeps Jack and Jakegoing every day.

I

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ELIO GUGLIOTTI RACHAEL MORIN

Thanksgiving Football 2013

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