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08/30/2018 12:00 AMThe Valley Regional-Old Lyme football team is coming off another strong season as it prepares for the 2018 campaign. The Warriors have proven a perennial playoff contender throughout the past decade, and Head Coach Tim King’s squad has its sights set on making the playoffs once again this fall.
Last year, Valley-Old Lyme notched nine regular-season victories to earn its sixth trip to the playoffs in the last eight years, including a record of 7-1 in the Pequot Sassacus Division en route to the division title. As the No. 6 seed in the Class S State Playoffs, the Warriors lost a 34-21 contest against Rocky Hill to finish with an overall record of 9-2.
This season, Valley will be integrating some new players into key positions after graduating 18 seniors from the program. Some of Valley’s more notable graduates include quarterback Mike Cullina, who passed for 2,279 yards and 22 touchdowns to make the All-Pequot Sassacus Team last year; as well as Ernest Jean-Pierre, who led the team with 683 receiving yards to make All-Division as a receiver, in addition to earning Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Class S honors as a defensive back.
The Warriors also graduated some key cogs from their offensive and defensive lines, such as All-Sassacus and All-State lineman Ian Neviaser and All-Sassacus lineman Cole Hamparian. Flex player Blair Allen and defensive back Jacob Kruszewski, who were both All-Division selections, have also graduated.
It’s never easy to replace players of that caliber, but Coach King believes that he has a talented group of athletes who are ready to hit the gridiron in 2018. The Warriors will be relying on leadership from newly anointed senior captains Nick Braga (running back/cornerback), Garrhett Watrous (tight end/linebacker), Ryan Santos (quarterback/defensive back/utility), and Justin Robida (running back/linebacker) to help make the transition as seamless as possible.
“We lost 18 seniors, and to lose that many kids is tough. We had some quality players last year, but we’ve got some pretty darn good athletes this year. We really can’t complain there,” said King, whose team opens the season by hosting Ellington at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7. “We also named captains this year in Nick Braga, Garrhett Watrous, Ryan Santos, and Justin Robida. They’re good kids, and they’ve worked hard to earn the positions. It’s well-deserved.”
Coach King hopes to take advantage of the Warriors’ depth and spread the wealth among several players at each position this year. At the quarterback position, Santos and sophomore Jack Cox are both running plays under center right now and may continue to do so early in the season.
“We’re battling at the quarterback spot with Jack Cox and Ryan Santos. Right now, we have packages in for each one of them. We may go with both of them for the first couple of games here and there,” King said. “Each one is a little bit different, but they both can move a bit. They’re both doing a great job. They worked hard over the summer and went to camps. They did everything that was asked of them.”
Valley features talent at running back with five players getting reps at the position. Braga returns as the starter after rushing for 585 yards on 70 carries last year, while Robida will bring a smash-mouth style to the Warriors’ rushing attack. With senior Jae’len Arnum, junior Arick Outama, and sophomore Anthony Rosario also in the mix, Coach King hopes to keep everyone fresh by getting multiple players their share of carries.
“Nick Braga is the starting tailback. He was there last year and had a great season, but he’s also our starting corner. We’ve also had Jae’len Arnum and Anthony Rosario giving us some time there, too. Justin Robida has taken over for Josh Donahue as our bigger back, and Arick Outama is a junior who’s been there, as well,” King said. “We’ve been flipping them back and forth. It’s good to keep them fresh. If we can keep putting different backs there, we can rotate them, and keep them fresh. Then, we’ll be OK.”
The Warriors also expect their receiving corps to be a strength this season. Senior Jason O’Brien is coming off a solid 2017 season in which he had 524 yards on 28 receptions, while Arnum grabbed 21 receptions for 309 yards. The Warriors are also looking to senior receiver Brian Rankin, who was injured last year. Sophomore slot receiver Colby Andrews will be making his varsity debut as a receiver. Watrous moves over to tight end after having previously played on the offensive line.
“Jason O’Brien’s been getting looks from some Division II schools, and some DI schools are sniffing around, too. Jae’len is also a top receiver. He had a great year last year,” said Coach King. “Brian Rankin got hurt in the passing league last year, and he’s come back strong this season. Garrhett Watrous has moved from center out to tight end, and that’s a biggie. We have a newcomer in the slot receiver spot in Colby Andrews. He was injured last year, and he’s working his way back in. We’ve got some pretty darn good receivers.”
While Coach King wants to see as many players as possible touch the ball, he’s also emphasizing the importance of his athletes doing what they’re supposed to do when the ball doesn’t come their way.
“They have to understand that no matter who gets the ball, everyone has to do their job. Spreading the ball around is very difficult. There’s only one football,” he said. “We have to have these guys run the correct route or block. It’s just as important as the guy catching the ball.”
The Warriors’ offensive line may be a bit of a wild card this year. For the most part, Valley-Old Lyme has a young stable of linemen. Seniors Ben Falivene and Ian Coughlin and junior Ben Conrad are returning with the most experience on the O-line.
“We’re going to be pretty young on the offensive line. We’ll be starting three sophomores, a junior, and a senior. We have a good combination, though,” said King. “Some of them are learning two of the line spots like guard and tackle. Ben Favaline, Ian Coughlin, and Ben Conrad will be going both ways offensively and defensively. [Junior] Justin Badolato and [sophomore] Kyle Metz could be two-way starters for us, too.”
The Warriors’ goals for 2018 are the same as past seasons. Like everyone else, Valley’s ultimate goal is to win a state title. However, Coach King knows that the Warriors have to climb several rungs on the ladder in order to put themselves in position to take home the state crown like they did in 2014.
“We always strive to have the winning season. You have to get there first and then climb the ladder. The next goal is to win our side of the division. Then you want to make the playoffs. Then make the semis, then get into the state championship game, and the ultimate is to win it all,” King said. “The goals pretty much never change. We set those standards almost 10 years ago now, and we strive every year to reach that.”
King is entering is 22nd season as the Warriors’ head coach. His coaching staff includes 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).