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12/17/2016 11:00 PMIt’s not that the Valley Regional-Old Lyme football team had a bad season last fall. It’s just that the Warriors wanted to do much better this year. On the strength of a bunch of blue-collar athletes who Head Coach Tim King said “worked their butts off, worked as a unit, and never gave up,” Valley-Old Lyme accomplished that goal and put together one of its best campaigns in program history.
The Warriors followed last year’s 6-4 record by going 9-1 during the 2016 regular season. The team’s only blemish came with a loss to Cromwell-Portland in Week 4 and Valley responded by winning its last six games, while shutting out the opposition in five of those victories.
As a result of their robust record, the Warriors earned the top seed in the Class M State Playoffs, where they made quick work of Berlin in a 30-12 quarterfinal triumph. Although his team was eliminated by St. Joseph in the semis, Coach King was happy to work with such a hungry group of kids this year and even happier that they reached double-digit wins, got back to playoffs, and knocked off a solid Berlin squad while playing under the shining postseason spotlight.
“It was a great accomplishment. Right after, you’re always upset because you wish you had that one more game to play for all the marbles, but we got so close,” said Coach King. “When I look back and think about July and even before that, if somebody had told me that we’d be 10-2 and in the semis and lose a heartbreaker to St. Joe’s, I would have said that you were a little bit crazy. We had a lot of pieces to put into this puzzle, especially with the offensive and defensive linemen we lost, so I think that what the kids did went far beyond my expectations.”
Coach King said the biggest factor behind his team’s success was how fast Valley’s inexperienced offensive line matured this season. The only returning starter was senior Mitch Conrad and so the Warriors needed the new guys to grow up fast in order to protect their more experienced skill-position players. That’s exactly what happened as Valley’s O-line of center Ian Neviaser, guards Conrad and Charlie Littler, plus tackles Jeremy LaCasse and Cody Stalls developed into a well-oiled blocking machine who gave the team’s speedsters ample breathing room to leave opponents in their dust.
Two of those skill-position players joined forces with Conrad to lead Valley-Old Lyme as the team’s senior captains this season. Quarterback Matt Sapere and running back/linebacker Daniel Stecher were in the first years in that role, while Conrad was in his second season as captain. Coach King said that “all three captains did their part and had a little piece here and there to add to everything.” Based on their performances on the field, all three captains were also named to the All-Pequot Conference Team.
Conrad made All-Pequot on the offensive line, was Valley’s Lineman of the Year, and also a co-recipient of the Warrior Award with Littler, a senior offensive guard/defensive tackle. Conrad additionally had 71 tackles with 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery as a defensive tackle. As important as anything, Conard used his previous year of experience in the captain’s helm to serve as a quintessential leader for Coach King’s club.
“Words can’t say enough at Mitch as a captain, on offense, and defense. He really had a great season and came on like gangbusters in the second half. He had great games in the playoffs and never came off the field against St. Joe’s,” said King. “And if I needed someone to call to get kids in the weight room, he was the guy I called. He was just an unbelievable captain.”
Sapere sealed his All-Conference bid by completing 102 of his 207 passes for 1,769 yards to go with 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He also ran 97 times for 710 yards and 12 TDs, including a 244-yard, three-score performance in the playoff win against Berlin. Sapere was additionally named the Warriors’ co-Offensive Player of the Year.
“Matt is a perfect example of what we say about a blue-collar kid,” Coach King said. “He worked in the weight room, went to camps, and did everything you could ask a kid to do. He studied extra film, did great in the passing league, and listened to what [offensive coordinator Kevin Woods] told him to do. He became a good threat both passing and running.”
The Warriors’ biggest threat in the run game this year was Stecher, who gained 1,184 yards on 137 carries for an average of 8.6 yards a run, plus 12 touchdowns. On defense, he made 142 tackles, forced two fumbles, and had an interception. Stecher was Valley’s co-Most Valuable Player and shared Offensive Player of the Year honors with Sapere.
“Dan had a great year, both offensively and defensively, and you don’t always have someone who can take the pounding at both of those positions. But Dan played both and, on every single play, he was whacking somebody or someone was whacking him,” King said. “So to play those two high-intensity positions is a huge credit to him and to be an All-League player at those two positions is pretty special.”
Valley’s other recipient of the Most Valuable Player Award was senior Garrett Burdick, who did a little bit of everything. For starters, Burdick reeled in a school record 12 interceptions to go with a pair of fumble recoveries as a safety. At wide receiver, he caught 40 passes for 722 yards and 11 touchdowns. Burdick also made an impact on special teams by converting 46 of his 49 extra point attempts and kicking three field goals. In addition to being named Valley’s co-MVP, Burdick made All-Pequot, the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Class M All-State Team, and was the Warriors’ Special Teams Player of the Year.
“Garrett is one of the top five players ever at Valley,” said King. “Basically, you’re talking about a player who did three things phenomenally, just unbelievably, and that’s not even counting kick returns, which he also did. All-State is quite an accomplishment in Class M and I’m glad Garrett made it.”
Additionally collecting All-Pequot honors for the Warriors was Stalls, a senior who played offensive tackle, defensive tackle and end, plus linebacker. Stalls, who made the Pequot team on the defensive line, had 92 tackles with 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries. He was also presented with Valley-Old Lyme’s Coaches Award. Junior Ernest Jean-Pierre went All-Conference as a utility player with his 31.7-yard average on punts, although he also caught three TDs and picked off three passes to go with a forced fumble as a defensive back.
Jean-Pierre will be one of Valley’s senior captains next year alongside tight end/linebacker Roan Sullivan; Neviaser, a center/defensive tackle; and running back/cornerback Jacob Kruszewski, who had three interceptions. Sullivan made Honorable Mention for the Pequot Conference at linebacker with senior offensive/defensive tackle LaCasse making it on the offensive line. Sullivan was also Valley’s Defensive Player of the Year as he made 121 tackles, recorded 2.5 sacks, and had one interception with a fumble recovery. LaCasse was additionally chosen as one of the team’s Most Improved Players, sharing that distinction with junior running back/wide receiver/safety Cole Ensinger.
In terms of Valley-Old Lyme’s other award winners, the Comeback Player Award went to senior linebacker/defensive lineman Nick Mardjekaj, senior wide receiver/defensive back Yvens Maignan won the Never Give Up Award, senior tight end/defensive end Ian Humphreys was presented with the 1st Year Player Award, senior offensive/defensive lineman Troy Holland earned the Hustle Award, and senior wide receiver Zachary Just got the Perseverance Award. Additionally, senior center/linebacker James Coburn, who missed with the season with an injury, was presented with the Senior Award; junior linebacker Josh Donahue and sophomore linebacker Justin Robida were co-recipients of the Warrior Tough Award; and Graham Rider, the Warriors’ team manager for the past four years, received the Rudy Award.
Another player that made an impact for the Warriors this year was sophomore Jason O’Brien, who caught five touchdown passes.
From the Sidelines
Valley Regional-Old Lyme went 9-1 in the regular season with wins against Ellington (14-7), Old Saybrook-Westbrook (26-15), Morgan (37-13), North Branford (45-0), Prince Tech (35-20), Granby Memorial (35-0), Lewis Mills (42-0), Canton (41-0), and Haddam-Killingworth (31-0). The Warriors’ only loss was a 48-26 defeat to Cromwell-Portland in its fourth game. The team also won the Pequot Conference Sassacus South Division title at 3-0 with the wins versus Old Saybrook-Westbrook, Morgan, and Haddam-Killingworth. In the Class M State Playoffs, Valley-Old Lyme was the No. 1 seed and defeated No. 8 Berlin in a quarterfinal matchup in Deep River. The Warriors then took a 28-7 home loss to No. 5 seed St. Joseph in the semifinals to finish the year with an overall record of 10-2.
The members of Valley-Old Lyme’s coaching staff were Head Coach Tim King, offensive coordinator Kevin Woods, assistant offensive coordinator Anthony Pagano, defensive coordinator Bobby Sanchez, and assistant defensive coordinator Jake Bocian, along with assistant coaches Steve Woods, Brandon Woodcock, Peter Woodcock, Bob Narducci, and Hill Gbunblee; plus team statistician Phil Unghire, team manager Graham Rider, and trainer Josh Woodward.