Greyhounds Stumble Against Rams, Drop Class L Playoff Opener 21-12

Naugatuck had a tough time getting anything going Tuesday night, battling both the frigid temperatures and the incredible pass rush brought on by the Rams, on their way to a loss in the quarterfinals for the state Class L football playoffs.

It was the first time the Greyhounds made it to the state playoffs since 2001. The team, including head coach Rob Plasky, was hoping for the school's first state title since 1993, one goal in which they fell three games short. 

"It feels good that we accomplished two out of the three goals we set out to," the coach said. "We won the Copper division and the NVL Championship. The ultimate prize which everyone goes after, well, we just fell a bit short. We had a chance, as much as we made some mistakes, we were still in it and we had a chance."

The game itself got off to a great start for Naugatuck, jumping onto the board first when senior quarterback Erich Broadrick connected with fellow senior Marquan Williams on a 30-yard screen pass for the game's first touchdown, after which the extra point was missed. 

The six point lead was promptly erased by New Canaan following a 12-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Matthew Milano to senior captain Kevin Macari. The drive by the Rams only took 43 seconds and included a 45-yard catch and run from Milano to Macari to set up their scoring hookup.

Naugatuck tried to answer with a drive of their own, but the constant pressure being put on by the stout New Canaan defensive line rattled Broadrick and forced him to roll out of the pocket and try to find an open target, of which there were rarely any. 

New Canaan went back to their aerial assault on their ensuing possession, going for another deep strike from Milano to Macari, only to have it deflect off the receivers hand and fall incomplete. They followed up with a quick strike into the left flat for a first down, setting up the 61-yard catch and run over the middle by Macari for his second touchdown of the game and giving the Rams a 14-6 lead, which would be the score heading into halftime.

"They're so good at with spreading you out, they can run the ball well, they have big lineman, and they are exceptional at passing," said the coach. "We tried to pressure with four and send more into coverage, we felt that our secondary guys could cover a little bit better, allowing our pressure to be effective, but hats off to their lineman."

The third quarter was a success on the defensive side of the ball for Naugatuck, forcing the New Canaan offense to punt on its first three possessions. The Greyhound defense, which had shut down the outstanding rushing attack of the Ansonia Chargers during their annual Thanksgiving Day brawl had it's hand's full facing one of the state's most potent passing teams. 

Matt Milano and Kevin Macari burned the Greyhound secondary for the third and final time, connecting on a 49-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, bringing the score to 21-6 with 11:04 left in the game.

Naugatuck was able to come back and put another score on the board with a series of quick passes from Broadrick to a variety of his receivers including Tyler Conklin, Reuban Berger, and Williams, setting up a 1-yard quarterback sneak for the score. The Greyhounds went for the two-point conversion, but failed to convert, leading to the 21-12 score, which held up to the end of the game.

Turnovers were a huge key in this loss, including two interceptions by Broadrick and a lost fumble early on in the third quarter. New Canaan also had a tough time holding onto the ball, turning it over three times themselves, however, the difference was that Naugatuck couldn't turn any of them into points. Penalties also played a big part in the loss, some of which the Naugy faithful didn't agree with.

"That's going to happen in a game like this," Plasky said. "Some of them I just didn't understand, some were questionable on holding calls, and i just wished they let the kids play. Both teams of kids played too hard to let this one be decided by flags."

The Greyhounds end their season with a record of 9-2 and the title of Naugatuck Valley League Champions. As for the seniors on the team, Plasky really wants to focus on the good and not dwell on the bad.

"I mean, right now I just have to take this all in," said the coach. "I have 19 seniors on this team that we're losing and I want to take care of them right now. I want to help and make sure they're all set for college and then we'll get back to the off-season grind."

Editors Note: Everyone makes mistakes... even us! If there's something in this article that you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, give Local Editor Ronald DeRosa a ring at 203-605-3213 or shoot him an e-mail at ronald.derosa@patch.com.