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12/03/2017 11:00 PMThe Valley Regional-Old Lyme football team went on the road to square off against Rocky Hill in the quarterfinals of the Class S State Playoffs on Nov. 28 and lost a 34-21 contest against the Terriers. Rocky Hill scored the first three touchdowns of the game to take a 20-0 lead and, although the Warriors battled back to cut the deficit to six in the third quarter, Rocky Hill responded by adding two more TDs and went on to get the victory. The 6th-seeded Warriors finished their season with a record of 9-2, while No. 3 seed Rocky Hill advanced to the semis and took a 49-20 loss to St. Joseph to finish 11-1.
Despite the defeat, Valley-Old Lyme Head Coach Tim King was still proud of his team for putting together a strong season and making it into the playoffs for the sixth time in eight years. King knows that’s no small feat and something his athletes will always remember.
“That’s always one of our goals is to make it to the playoffs...It’s pretty exciting when you get in there,” Coach King said. “We’re in the business for the kids. Making it to the playoffs is something the kids are going to remember for the rest of their lives.”
The Terriers scored the game’s first touchdown on a 33-yard run in the opening quarter for a 7-0 advantage. In the second quarter, Rocky Hill put two more touchdowns on the board to extend the lead to 20-0. The Warriors got their first score when junior Ryan Santos hauled in a 25-yard TD pass from senior Mike Cullina. Sophomore kicker Brian Funk converted the first of his three extra point attempts to bring the score to 20-7 at halftime.
In the second half, the Warriors grabbed their second touchdown on Cullina’s 3-yard pass to senior Ernest Jean-Pierre to make it 20-14. However, the Terriers came back later in the third quarter by scoring on a short run to stretch the lead back to 13. Rocky Hill scored another insurance touchdown in the fourth quarter before Cullina threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to senior Jacob Kruszewski for the 34-21 final.
Even after falling behind by three touchdowns, the Warriors refused to give up against Rocky Hill. They clawed their way back to make it a one-score game, and Coach King admires the perseverance that his team displayed in the face of adversity.
“That’s been pretty much our motto the whole year: never giving up. It’s a lesson in life not to give up. We try to instill that in the kids,” King said. “With our offense, it’s pretty explosive. We knew that we could be down, and we can come back around.”
Cullina completed 14 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns in the contest. Kruszewski had two receptions for 62 yards and a TD, while Jean-Pierre had 50 yards with a touchdown on three catches and a score. Junior receiver Jason O’Brien reeled in three catches for 47 yards, and junior Jae’len Arnum caught five passes for 45 yards. Santos had the 25-yard TD reception for the Warriors.
Coach King felt that Cullina played a solid game and was given the opportunity to have a good performance thanks to strong play of his receivers and offensive line. King said that was part of the Warriors’ recipe for success throughout the season.
“Mike was always the wild card, but he worked hard for this season. He went to a passing league and, each week, he worked hard and threw the ball a lot over the summer. He took it seriously. He ended up with 2,281 yards and 25 touchdowns on the season,” said King. “The big thing is the offensive line giving him time to throw, which is huge. You don’t accomplish anything without your offensive line. Those guys did a great job all year and, of course, our receivers”
Because of Rocky Hill’s strong rushing defense and Valley’s solid passing attack, the Warriors entered the game planning to air it out a bit. However, when Rocky Hill jumped out to its early lead, that forced the Warriors to throw the ball a little more often than they would have liked.
“It was our game-plan to try to throw it. We knew their defensive front was pretty darn good. They did a good job stopping us. That’s what happens when you get to the playoffs. There’s a reason the other team is there: they’re pretty good,” King said. “At that point in time, we fell behind on the score and, any time you play catch up, you have to throw the ball. They put us in a throwing situation.”
On defense, three players led the Warriors with 15 tackles apiece in seniors Judson O’Brien, Josh Donahue, and Blair Allen. Kruszewski and Arnum each added 10 tackles, while Jason O’Brien, senior Roan Sullivan, and Jean-Pierre both had eight tackles.
With the 2017 season complete, Coach King is looking ahead to next year and hopes that his returning athletes gained a lot from their experience of making it to the playoffs and then competing on the big stage.
“Hopefully, the underclassmen learned how much work goes into a season, and they work hard get in the weight room and go to camps,” said King. “I want to get back there, the seniors-to-be want to get back there. We need a great commitment from these underclassmen, because they’re our future.”
From the Sidelines
The Valley Regional-Old Lyme football team’s 2017 postseason roster included seniors Blair Allen, Jon Balocca, Cristian Burgio, Mike Cullina, Josh Donahue, Cole Ensinger, Robby Fusari, James Grzybowski, Cole Hamparian, Ernest Jean-Pierre, Nicholas Klomp, Jacob Kruszewski, Ian Nevasier, Judson O’Brien, Colin Stalls, Roan Sullivan, Alex Swanski, and John Visgilio; juniors Jae’len Arnum, Jack Bocian, Nick Braga, Ian Coughlin, Ben Falivene, Nate Johnson, Chris Montazella, Jason O’Brien, Justin Robida, Ryan Santos, and Garrhett Watrous; sophomores Justin Badolato, Jean-Luc Boluc, William Burch, Ben Conrad, Salvatore D’Arena, Daniel Harris, Brian Funk, Jeffy Joshy, and Arick Outma; and freshman John Cox, Kyle Metz, Jeremy Rand, and Anthony Rosario.
Head Coach Tim King finished up his 21st season at the helm for the Warriors. King’s coaching staff featured Kevin Woods (offensive coordinator), Bobby Sanchez (defensive coordinator), Anthony Pagano (assistant offensive coordinator), Steve Woods (special teams/offensive assistant), Hill Gbunblee (offensive assistant), Jake Bocian (defensive assistant), Brandon Woodcock (assistant coach), and Pete Woodcock (assistant coach).
The Warriors’ victories this year came against Ellington (33-7), Morgan (48-7), Coginchaug/Hale-Ray (41-13), Nonnewaug (48-0), North Branford (23-0), Cromwell-Portland (34-28 in overtime), Rockville (28-6), Lewis Mills (35-3), and Haddam-Killingworth (22-7).