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Pomperaug
Football Preview 2004
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| Here
is your one stop location for directions to games, results, news articles,
and everything you need to know about Pomperaug Football. Appreciate
that I took the time to make this, and come to our games to support
the team. POMPERAUG FOOTBALL RULES |
Pomperaug
Football 2004 :: Colonial Division Champions : South-West Conference
Champions
|
This
is the bnapoli.com official preview of the 2004 Pomperaug
Football season. This year our captains are Mike Kielt, Brian
Rusate, and Joe Mellilo. The offensive line, more commonly
known as the LL FIST is comprised of Matt Robers, Brian Rusate,
Myself, Ryan Suter and Chris Dennisson. Paul Mastrantuone
is the quarterback and we've been working like dogs to run
the table this season. Unfortunately for us, the field won't
be ready until November or so, we'll only have two or three
games on the home turf but they are gunna be pretty sweet
nonetheless. We're looking forward to a dominating season
and since we have so many games on the road, we really need
all of you to be there cheering us on. And if you're not the
cheering type, show up and watch us hurt people. If you're
not really a fan of football, come and buy yourself a hotdog
or something to let us know you care. The first game is this
coming Saturday versus Newtown. The game is at Danbury High
School, as indicated on the schedule I created below for all
of you. I hope you take into consideration that it took me
time to make this so I hope to see all of you at the games.
On the date specified, the time of the game and the location
are listed. Click the links to view the directions, print
them out and come to the games. |
Pomperaug
COACH: Chuck Drury (29th season)
2003 RECORD: 9-3
KEY LOSSES:
QB/DB/K Tim Keegan; FB/LB Ken Fraser; RB Patrick Kantor; WE/OG
Will Rickert
PLAYERS TO WATCH: LB/RB Mike Kielt, Sr.;
OG/DE Brian Rusate, Sr.; FB/LB Andrew MacDougall, Jr.; RB/DB
Joe Melillo, Sr.; DT Jake Jabbour, Sr.; G Ryan Suter, Sr.;
C Brett Napoli, Sr.
OUTLOOK:
Graduation took a large chunk out of Pomperaug’s offense,
and the running game took the biggest hit. Fraser amassed
about 2,000 yards during his three years as a starter, while
Kantor accumulated 980 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns last
season. Then there’s Keegan and Rickert, who are playing
at Marist College and Western New England College, respectively.
Drury said several players are vying for the positions vacated
by graduation, but one replacement is set. Paul Mastrantuone
will fill the void at quarterback left by Keegan. Graduation
spared Pomperaug on defense, as Kielt, an all-state linebacker,
returns for his final season. Drury said he likes what he
initially is seeing from the new potential starters, but he
is waiting to see how they perform in games before delivering
his final verdict. "We just need more playing time,"
Drury said. "What we need is repetition, repetition,
repetition." While experience can be worked out on the
field, the other issue cannot. Pomperaug does not have a home
field to play on until midseason because of on-going renovations.
The Panthers’ home field isn’t scheduled to be
finished until Oct. 15, which means they will play their first
four games on the road. Their season opener against Newtown
will be at Danbury High. Drury said not having a home field
is not a big issue. "To win in any sport, you have to
win on the road," Drury said. "It really doesn’t
benefit either team because we’re playing at neutral
sites (for two games)."
(Republican-American) |
| DAY |
DATE |
OPPONENT |
SITE |
TIME |
RESULT
(11-0-0) |
Saturday |
09/18/04 |
Newtown |
Away |
|
W
54-7 |
Friday |
09/24/04 |
Notre
Dame |
Away |
|
W
34-20 |
Friday |
10/01/04 |
New
Fairfield |
Away |
|
W
41-0 |
Friday |
10/08/04 |
Joel
Barlow |
Away |
|
W
34-7 |
Friday |
10/15/04 |
Masuk |
Away |
|
W
18-6 |
Saturday |
10/23/04 |
Immaculate |
Away |
|
W
29-6 |
Friday |
10/29/04 |
Stratford |
Away
|
Clinched
Colonial Division |
W
49-21
|
Friday |
11/05/04 |
Bethel |
Away |
|
W
35-14 |
Friday |
11/12/04 |
Weston |
Home |
Clinched
MM State Berth |
W
34-2 |
Thursday |
11/18/04 |
SWC
Championship |
Away |
SWC
Champions |
W
32-0 |
Wednesday |
11/24/04 |
New
Milford |
Home |
7:00 |
W
42-15 |
Tuesday |
11/30/04 |
Bunnell |
Home |
6:30 |
W
42-14 |
Saturday |
12/04/04 |
Branford |
Away |
CLASS
MM
STATE CHAMPIONS |
30-7 |
Results and News Articles:
| WEEK
ONE |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
54
Newtown 7 |
|
| WEEK
TWO |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
34
Notre Dame 20 |
|
Notes: |
A
really good battle by both teams. Notre Dame is a good team
and they put up a good fight. Just wanted to note that Notre
Dame was a pretty cool group of guys, the kind words after the
game and the sportsmanlike respect was very noteworthy. |
| WEEK
THREE |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
41
New Fairfield 0 |
|
Notes: |
It
turns out the quote I believed to be correct was nothing of
the sort. I apologize to Coach Castaldi for the mistake and
I bid good luck to New Fairfield in their season and in the
upcoming years. |
| WEEK
FOUR |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
34
Joel Barlow 7 |
|
| WEEK
FIVE |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
18
Masuk 6 |
|
Notes: |
Before
entering the game that chilly, windy and rainy Saturday night,
we knew what had to be done. This was the most crucial matchup
to both teams seasons - this would be the most important match
of the year thus far. To be simple, Masuk is one hell of a football
team. Prior to the game, Masuk had 23 straight wins over the
course of two seasons, a 23-game winning streak that began after
losing to us in 2002. Averaging 40+ points per game, a powerful
passing offense and quick defensive players, Masuk was a team
to be reckoned with this 2004 season. We knew the importance
of the game and we knew what had to be done. Most of the seniors
with the exception of a few, never had a chance to beat Masuk
through all 4 years of Pomperaug Football. They were one of
our only freshman losses if I remember correctly. We were on
the sidelines when we defeated them in 2002, cheering on Pomperaugs
first SWC Championship team consisting of players like Phil
Platt, Tom Tidgewell, Griffin Suter and my brother Tim. We lost
the JV game the following day and still hadn't had a chance
to beat them. In 2003, the young inexperienced Pomperaug suffered
yet another loss to Masuk at their home field in Monroe - they
continued to win the SWC Championship that year and go all the
way to the state finals.
What it comes down to is that Masuk and Pomperaug account for
the past two years of SWC Championship titles. What eventually
happened that night proved to be the best football game any
of the 2004 team has ever been a part of. A battle that lasted
to the bitter end that I personally will never forget for the
rest of my life. Every Pomperaug player played their heart out,
and its a shame to leave any player unmentioned. I'd just like
to make note of some specific players that really dug deep for
this game. Paul Mastrantuone is definately on this list - Paul
came into the game and played defense AND quarterback to fill
the defensive void left by Tim Rose. At one point in the game,
Paul had to hop to the huddle because he had been playing so
hard throughout the game - I give him an immense amount of respect.
Steve Halas, a first year starter that had an interception and
played a nasty game covering the Masuk recievers. Mike Kielt,
whom everyone knows is the biggest animal alive - Mike hit the
holes hard and played a great game on defense. He followed the
offensive lines lead to convert some of the most crucial 4th
down runs of our highschool careers. Joe Melillo had another
great game as well, two touchdowns and a defensive show - Joe
hit the holes hard as well and let the power of the oline make
the holes for him to slide through. Mike and Joe both boasted
over 150 yards rushing. Now the offensive line, consisting of
Matt Roberts, Ryan Suter, Chris Dennisson, Brian Rusate and
myself. All the lineman played an incredible game, blocking
and shutting down Masuks defense to get 300+ yards rushing even
when they put 9 defenders in the box. Then the defense. The
defense held a team that typically averages 35-40+ points per
game to just SIX! A goal line stand, incredible games by Brian
Rusate, John Sharkey, MacDougall, and essentially every single
defensive and offensive player.
Another thing to note is the sacrifice made by Coach Drury.
The thing about Coach Drury is something that I could never
explain in a single paragraph, but a feeling he conveys that
makes athletes want to play better and want to win games. Coach
Drury coached another incredible football game, calling the
plays, making the right decisions and leading us to victory
again. The night of our game was Senior Night at Marist College
in New York where Coach's son is a football player and senior
this year. Instead of getting to see his son play on the college
field and be honored, Coach stayed with us for the Masuk game
- a simple act that went unmentioned until several days after
the game but something that the players can't put into words
how much it means. There aren't enough words to describe the
thanks we have for him and how lucky we are to have such a great
coach.
So what exactly happened that Saturday night?
In winning this game 18-6, Pomperaug Football 2004 became the
first team in school history to reach a record of 5-0.
Pomperaug football broke Masuk's 23-game winning streak that
began after losing to us in 2002.
Pomperaug advances to number 1 in the SWC Colonial division,
and number 2 in the Connecticut State Class MM rankings.
In the end, it proved to be the most important and memorable
game of my career and most likely everyone elses. Before this
game, the local papers and some websites favored us to lose
this game - even before the game started some of the Pomperaug
fans noticed a sign on the Masuk side of the field which read
"Masuk football... ON TO 5-0!" We sure changed that
didn't we?
And lastly, I'd like to thank you guys, the fans, the people
that came to our game in the rain and cold and cheered us on
to victory. I remember looking up at halftime and not being
able to hear what was going on because how loud the crowd was.
I saw people I haven't seen in years, as well as my friends,
classmates and peers. I saw signs, heard chants, even saw a
group of four juniors with POMP and FOOT written on their backs
and chests - a sign that myself and the team thought was pretty
damn cool. So thanks alot to everyone that came to the game
and supports Pomperaug football, you made it a memorable game
and we are going to make sure this is the most memorable season
of Pomperaug Football to date. WE WILL NOT BE DENIED, ITS THE
CHANGING OF THE GUARD. POMPERAUG FOOTBALL 5 AND 0 BABY! |
| WEEK
SIX |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
29
Immaculate 6 |
|
Notes: |
Immaculate
played a pretty good game I have to say, they came out strong
but we eventually WRP'ed them in the second half. Couple of
the guys were talking a decent amount of smack on the field,
clapping in my face to jump the count ("YA KNOW THATS COOL"
as Roberts would say in sarcasm.) Holding our legs etc, also
interesting tactics... either way I just want to say.. scoreboard.
Also: Mrs. Knapp takes incredible pictures. The pictures shes
been taking at the games are incredible and we can't thank her
enough. They are simply awesome. |
| WEEK
SEVEN |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
49
Stratford 21 |
|
Notes: |
This
was a game we needed to win, and we did. In winning this game,
Pomperaug advances to a 7-0 record and clinches the Colonial
Division Champion Crown. For all those who have no idea how
CT football works, heres a brief explanation. In our section
of CT, we have our own Conference called the South-West Conference
or "SWC." In SWC Football, there are two divisions,
each with about 6 teams (Colonial and Patriot Divisions). With
victory in this game, we won our division and guaranteed a spot
in the Conference Championship game vs. the winner of the other
division. Right now, we're already Colonial Division Champions
and rated #8 in the state from the New Haven Register. Pomperaug
football is starting to get noticed as a state football power
and we're loving every minute of it. We play Bethel at Bethel
High tomorrow night. We need the state points and we want to
keep the record going strong. Stratford was a good team, they
really gave us a challenge and they were definately good sports
after the game. Young and the QB didn't play, but the team put
up a good fight nonetheless. Good battle Stratford. |
| WEEK
EIGHT |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
35
Bethel 14 |
|
Notes: |
This
was the supposed week of upsets according to local papers and
sports critics - the week when teams lose intensity for a second
and upsets happen. Brookfield and Pomperaug, the two biggest
SWC contenders this year, actually slightly favored to lose
this week. Well simply enough, the intensity was in the house.
Brookfield shut out Bunnel for win number 8 and shutout number
7, Pomperaug takes over Bethel 35-14, advancing to 8-0 as well.
I had alot of fun during this game, it was one of those classic
high school battles between two respectable teams. Tied 13-7
at half, this was making for a close and tough battle. In the
end we came out victorious, and we definately beat a very good
football team.
In any football game, Coach Drury always reminds us that our
opponents are high school kids just like we are; they go to
class, do homework, and play football just like we do. We are
to respect them but not fear them. This team was one of those
teams you like to play because they won't have a power trip
and not help you up after a play or something. These players
were all around cool kids; at one point in the game, the nose
tackle (#55) for Bethel was part of a 6 or 7 player pile at
our line of scrimmage. After the play he pushed off me laying
on the ground to get himself up. After noticing what had happened,
he apologized for it. Sure its fun to have an opponent you're
really pissed off at and just want to beat the hell out of,
but its great when you can battle with another man and stop
when the whistle blows. #55 and most of their team was respectable
like that and I give them alot of credit for that. They had
nothing but kind words after the game - great battle Bethel,
keep up the hard work. |
| WEEK
NINE |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
34
Weston 2 |
|
Notes: |
It
seemed like the day would never be here, but this past Saturday
the day everybody had been waiting for finally happened - a
home game on the new turf. The battle took place with circumstances
we didn't necessarily want, but were happy to have anyways.
It was a Saturday afternoon at 2pm and the new field was 90%
covered in snow. It was a cold and icy battle with a team we've
never played before, but they put up a good fight. The Weston
team was a good bunch of guys and it was definately a memorable
game. With the win, we clinched a Class MM State Berth and marked
the first victory on the new turf field. |
| WEEK
TEN |
SCORE |
PRESS |
SWC
CHAMPIONSHIP
WIN |
Pomperaug
32
Brookfield 0 |
|
| WEEK
ELEVEN |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
42
New Milford 15 |
|
Notes: |
The
last home game on the turf and it felt good to advance to 11-0
with the first undefeated regular season in school history.
Tons of fans and a great time for the JV's. States on Tuesday.
Good Game New Milf, a great bunch of guys, good season and best
of luck next year. |
| WEEK
TWELVE |
SCORE |
PRESS |
WIN |
Pomperaug
42
Bunnel 14 |
|
Notes: |
Finally,
after 4 tries, the Panthers take it to the State Championship
for the first time in school history. All thats left is to finish
it. |
| WEEK
THIRTEEN |
SCORE |
PRESS |
CLASS
MM STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
WIN |
Pomperaug
30
Branford 14 |
|
|
| |
