H-K Football Staying Strong Through Tough Start
After finishing with an 11-2 record and earning a berth the Class S state final last year, the Haddam-Killingworth football team entered 2019 with its sights set on having another successful season. While the Cougars have gotten out to a tough start by losing their first games, Head Coach Mike Baklik and his athletes are hardly hanging their heads. H-K will try to get in the win column when the squad plays a road game against Gilbert-Northwestern at Gilbert High School on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m.
“We certainly need to start putting the ball in the end zone, and we must become more consistent on offense,” Coach Baklik said. “I’m optimistic. Our player numbers are good [with 57 kids in the program]. We’ve had some freshman and juniors step up and get into starting roles.”
H-K took 3-0 home loss against Cromwell-Portland in its season opener and then lost to North Branford by a 19-6 score on the road in its second game. Last week, the Cougars dropped a 27-6 decision against Old Saybrook-Westbrook in a Pequot Conference matchup at Old Saybrook High School on Sept. 28.
The Rams broke the contest open by scoring 21 points in the second quarter. Senior Andrew Inkel scored on a 1-yard touchdown run for H-K during the third quarter. Sophomore Matteo Piacenti had three receptions for 32 yards in the game.
Senior Trey Callender and junior Tom Perry are serving as the Cougars’ co-captains this year. Callender, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound two-way lineman, has 23 solo tackles with two sacks on the season. Perry is another two-way lineman who’s starting at tackle on the offensive line.
“Trey is our best all-round player. We’ve used him in the past as a receiver and even put him in at quarterback. He’s also our punter,” said Baklik. “Tom is a coachable kid who leads by example. He’s a three-year starter, and I’m glad to see that he’s becoming more of a vocal leader, as well.”
Juniors Ryan Luther and Sam Luther are also holding things down on the offensive line for H-K. Unfortunately, senior running back Dalton Modehn is currently sidelined after suffering the second broken collarbone injury of his career during the North Branford game. The Cougars also lost junior running back Steven Zichichi to an ankle injury in that contest. Like Modehn, it is uncertain whether or not Zichichi will be able to return to the field this year.
“We’re hoping that we can get Dalton back before the end of the season. It’s a painful injury. He’s already had surgery and a plate was put in,” Coach Baklik said. “The injuries, especially those to Modehn and Zichichi, have really affected us.”
Junior Alex Riccitelli has taken over as H-K’s starting quarterback. Through three games, he’s completed 24 passes for 304 yards. Riccitelli’s primary targets have been Piacenti, who has 10 receptions for 172 yards and a TD on the year, along with senior Peter Bosco.
On a club that’s looking for young athletes to step up, freshman Kevin Harrison is proving a pleasant surprise for H-K this fall. After scoring three touchdowns in the Cougars’ first JV game, Harrison earned a starting spot at cornerback for the varsity squad when H-K faced North Branford.
Coach Baklik is in his sixth season as head coach of the H-K football squad, having compiled 30 victories coming into this year. Baklik had previously played at H-K for Dennis O’Rourke, who coached the team for 37 seasons.
“Coach O’Rourke always ran the double-wing and was a run-oriented coach,” said Baklik “We went to the spread when we had really skilled players at quarterback and on the receiving end. We’ve since switched back.”